Hundreds at funeral of Linden fire victims
-- President sends special message of condolence
By Joe Chapman
HUNDREDS turned out at Linden yesterday for the funeral of the mother and five children who perished two Saturdays ago when they were trapped by fire in their house.

Among the mourners were Prime Minister-designate Samuel Hinds, People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) leader, Mr. Robert Corbin and Mr. Raphael Trotman, leader of the Alliance for Change (AFC).

They joined in paying last respects to Melanie Ronetta Gonsalves Moore and her children at the Mackenzie Sports Club, in a moving service held to celebrate their lives, before the bodies were taken to the Christianburg Cemetery for burial.

Mr. Hinds, representing President Bharrat Jagdeo, read a special message from Mr. Jagdeo to the grieving husband Mark and other relatives.

The President’s message read: “It is with sadness that I express my heartfelt sympathy to the husband and relatives of those who perished by fire on Saturday September 2, 2006. The deaths of Melanie Ronnette Gonsalves Moore and her children Akia, Melina, Marcus, Mervin and Malayah was a tragedy felt throughout the country. The entire country was touched by the deaths of the mother and her five children. On behalf of the Government and people of Guyana, I join with all Guyanese in sharing your pain at this time. I pray that the Creator’s comfort will cradle all the grieving relatives and that you will find the will to overcome this loss which has wounded the entire nation. Please be assured of my personal support in this your hour of mourning.”

There were two white caskets in separate hearses with the bodies of the mother and children. One casket had Akia, Marcus and Melina and the other Melanie, Marvin and Malayah. The caskets were only open at the residence for close relatives to view the remains.

Mr. Hinds also expressed his condolences to Mark, family and relatives and hoped that they will be strengthened in this time of their grief.

Mr. Corbin said “all we can do is say to you to be strong and have belief in your faith and trust in the Almighty”.

He said the lesson of Job in the Holy Bible comes readily to mind as “Job never lost his faith and kept steadfast to the end.”

The PNCR leader expressed sincere condolences on behalf of himself and the members of his party to the sorrowing husband and relatives of the deceased.

There were many songs and dances by students from various schools during the sombre proceedings at the MSC ground.

Five students took turns in recalling memories of the five children who attended the Mount Carmel Church and were last seen at the Vacation Bible School (VBS).

Mark’s brother, Andrew, read a prepared speech for Mark in which he mentioned that “the seven years with my wife were the best years of my life”.

He recalled that Melanie was a great mother and friend and companion as she cared for each of the children, which was evident to death, in the manner in which they died.

She died while apparently trying to shield them from the fiery death in the washroom, with no way out of the heavily grilled house at 1362 Central Amelia’s Ward on Saturday September 2, last.

In remembering his children in his speech, Mark related that Akia, 10, was very brilliant; Melina, 6, loved to sing and dance; Marcus, 5, could not be blamed for any wrong as he was a loving child, Marvin, 3, a spitting image of him and Malayah, 2, was “Daddy’s favourite” having travelled most of the times with him.

Melanie’s mother, Una May Gonsalves, was uncontrollable at times as she was very emotional about her daughter’s death and the loss of her grandchildren.

Mark’s twin brother, Martin, assured his brother that “we are with you in your moment of grief” and trusted that he will come around this period of sadness in his life.

The family had left Guyana in 2005 to live in the United States but the children had returned home to go to school while Melanie and her husband Mark were to return to New York to pursue their careers.

New Cabinet moves in:
Hectic first day
MOST of the new ministers in the “winning team” Cabinet President Bharrat Jagdeo named last week, formally assumed their portfolio duties and responsibilities yesterday when they took up office at their respective ministries.

With some barely settling into new offices, they had to head off to a special Cabinet session President Bharrat Jagdeo called yesterday afternoon.

Guyana Chronicle acting News Editor Mark Ramotar met and spoke with several of the ministers around noon as they began occupying their new offices.

Here are excerpts of their comments on their first day in office:

DR. ASHNI SINGH: Minister of Finance
The first day on the job has been hectic because we took the opportunity presented this morning to have a meeting with the senior staff. This afternoon a Special Cabinet meeting was held and which was called by the President. A number of important issues were discussed so it has been a busy day.”

Asked to comment on his transition from Director of Budget in the Finance Ministry to that as Minister of Finance, Singh commented: “The issues are essentially the same but the role that I am now playing is a considerably different one. Given that I have been involved in a number of issues (dealt with in the ministry), I would say that the transition has been relatively smooth so far.”

MR. CLEMENT ROHEE:

‘People want the crime situation to be uppermost in our minds and sitting at this ministry, I can assure the Guyanese public that I will seek to execute my functions without fear or favour, affection or ill will…’

“My first day is basically getting adjusted to, first of all, the nature and the structure of the ministry and getting acquainted with some of the staff here.

The reception from the staff so far as been very positive, cordial and they recognized that a decision has been taken and I am the new minister in place and I have noticed a high degree of professionalism with the staff that I have met with so far.

I already had a conversation with the Permanent Secretary of the ministry to get an idea of some of the priorities which the ministry has been dealing with and which are before it. There is a lot of outstanding legislation that I have to look at.

Then I have to have conversations with some of the heads of the various departments and agencies including the Police, Fire and Prison services.

I need to get a feel of the ministry before meeting later this week with the heads of the various law enforcement and other agencies which this ministry overlooks.

I feel very challenged — not physically, but intellectually challenged. There is a lot of reading up that will have to be done. I will have to spend a lot of time reading and talking to people. As I said before, I don’t think people should expect miracles but hard work will be done and I intend to perform in the same way that I performed when I was Minister of Foreign Affairs and then Foreign Trade and International Cooperation.

Of course, this is a totally new area of responsibility and it will require me to adjust psychologically and otherwise because my thinking is mainly international. But I will try to bring some of my international experiences that I have accumulated over the years to the ministry in so far as the bilateral aspects of its activities are concerned.

As you know some of the issues dealt with in this ministry are crimes of a transnational nature with an international dimension such as gun-running, drug trafficking and money laundering.

I think the main idea is to bring a tremendous degree of security to the Guyanese people. This is where the crux of the matter is. People want the crime situation to be uppermost in our minds and sitting at this ministry, I can assure the Guyanese public that I will seek to execute my functions without fear or favour, affection or ill will and those are going to be the guiding principles as far as I am concerned with respect to Home Affairs.

As long as you deal with issues even-handedly and people see you’re performing, people see you working together with the law enforcement agencies and the international donor community – I think that is going to give them added confidence and much needed assurances.

I see this thing as justice. It must not only be done but seen to be done. People want to see you doing things and once they see the ministry and the minister and the Government doing things, I think that will give them a sense of security that action is being taken.

I also intend to be very proactive as Minister of Home Affairs. I already have in mind what my programme will be like; I already have in mind what I intend to do outside of the ministry and the country as a whole but at the same time, one has to be very clear in one’s head what exactly you want to do and achieve.
As Minister of Home Affairs, I intend to have a cool head, clean fingers and a very warm heart.”

MR. MANNIRAM PRASHAD – Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce

This morning I already had meetings with the heads of department. I also met with the GUYEXPO Committee and it is very interesting. I feel very comfortable. I am familiar with most of the issues in the Tourism, Industry and Commerce sector.

Having served myself as a member of the GUYEXPO Committee and being closely associated with this ministry through GOINVEST and also in my capacity as Advisor to the President on Investment, I am in touch with the various issues.

So I feel very comfortable and I think we have a good team at the ministry. I will be visiting the Sophia Exhibition site this afternoon (yesterday) and getting to know the staff here also.

My priorities immediately are to get GUYEXPO going because it was rumoured that it may be called off. So I want to assure you that GUYEXPO is on. It will be held in late October and we are working towards that.

We also have some other very significant events later this year with the Rio Group coming here and then we have Christmas and the Main Big Lime. So there is a lot of work to be done and I will be concentrating a lot on these priority events in the short term.”

MR. MANZOOR NADIR:

“My first day so far has been good. I have had an opportunity to look at the labour portfolio from the standpoint of not only what is happening right now but also what the PPP/C manifesto promises with regards to labour.

And what I am going to be doing starting tomorrow (today) is meeting with senior and other members of staff of the ministry so that we can conceptualize how we deal with the manifesto promises and how we make more effective our performance in this Labour Ministry.

I see the role of labour not only as one that creates that necessary and stable industrial relations climate but as one dealing with human resource development and labour being a significant contributor towards improving our Gross Domestic Product.

It is a crucial ministry and I am getting my feet wet already looking at some of the broader issues. I think what we need to bring is the vision so that those who are there to implement can interpret what was promised in the elections by the PPP/C and what explanations and amplifications that the minister brings and the messages from Cabinet.

It is a challenging position; there are lots to be done. We have good examples from many other countries of the world in terms of how they have managed to improve industrial relations and make labour a significant contributor towards economic development and I intend to learn fast and to work toward developing this portfolio.”

MR. ROBERT MONTGOMERY PERSAUD: Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Crops and Livestock.

“The first day was primarily meeting staff, discussing with the technical officers here the status of various programmes and projects. So it is more or less getting familiar with the territory and also addressing some urgent matters which require some sort of attention and ministerial intervention.

It is learning and doing at the same time. It is much more getting familiar with the organization, culture, the officers and also getting updates on some of the projects and at the same time taking some decision and making interventions that are so required of this office. This is a ministry that is very broad and accounts for more than 35% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

I am getting the support of the technical officers and I am depending on the support of many persons from the private sector and many persons who operate from within the agricultural sector who have already indicated their willingness to give me their support and the assistance that I need.

So it is an interesting first day and we also have Cabinet today (13:00h yesterday) so I will also be making my first appearance, like other ministers too, in my new portfolio.

I am excited about the challenges that lay ahead but I certainly do not underestimate those challenges. I know it requires a lot of hard and intense work and a lot of consultation and, more importantly, it requires a lot of meetings with farmers, meetings at the community level and meeting all those who operate in the sector.

So I am looking forward to the challenge and I am ready to give it my best shot. The President has urged all of us to work hard every single day to lift the standard of government and also more specifically to lift the standard of this ministry.

From day one, my goal has been to raise the contribution of the agriculture sector. The contribution of the agricultural sector to GDP today is just about 35% and I want to expand that…That is what I am setting my sights on; it will require a lot of hard work and I seek the cooperation of all those who operate in the sector.

I don’t have any magic wand, just that I will try my best to do the job that I have been so allocated.”

DR. DESREY FOX: Minister in the Ministry of Education

The Guyana Chronicle caught up with her at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports around noon yesterday where she was finalising issues relating to the upcoming CARIFESTA, of which she is also the local Coordinator and minutes before she rushed off for a special Cabinet session at the Office of the President.

Fox indicated that she will most likely be taking up her new office at the Education Ministry today, since unlike other ministers who knew exactly where they had to go yesterday, she was not briefed and was expecting this to be done at the Cabinet session.

“My first day hasn’t really started as yet because I’m not sure where my office is right now…so I am going to Cabinet, sort out all of that, and hopefully by tomorrow (today) I should be in my new office.

I am anxiously awaiting my first day. I want to see what it’s like. As I said it is a very huge ministry and there are different aspects of it that I have to really zero-in on and really know everything to the tip of my fingers.

I am not sure how people were advised to go into their new offices. I have no idea; maybe I am just ‘green’ and I was too focused on finishing my work here (at the Ministry of Culture).

I am involved in so many things right now and I am still to sort out and decide which is priority and which is not. At this point I may have to resign my job at the University of Guyana and my job as Curator of the Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology.

My appointment was a surprise for a lot of reasons. I know that the Education Ministry is a very hard ministry in the sense that you have to deal with the entire country and there are issues that are pending for many years now such as teachers salaries, the whole problem of placement of children when they pass their exams and synchronizing that with the geographical locations of where parents live and children live and the schools they are allocated.

Systems need to be put in place to ensure that parents do not have to line up for fours and five a day; even if you want a signature you go to get that and they say join the line again and then you still have to wait for a very long time just to process one stupid, basic signature. Apart from administration and paper, these are some of the things that will certainly take priority in the Education Ministry.”

Dr. Fox also indicated that since her appointment last week, some teachers who have graduated from the Cyril Potter College of Education met and complained to her that they have not gotten their certificates as yet; in one case for more than five years now. “Why is that so?” the newly appointed minister questioned.

Bank employee gun case:
Magistrate upset at phone calls on matter
FORMER national boxer Reginald Ford telephoned Magistrate Gordon Gilhuys at his home about the case in which the daughter of the former, Rehanna Ford, is charged with being in possession of a gun and bullets without licences.

The disclosure was made by the magistrate, himself, in court yesterday.

“This act was an attempt to interfere with the court of justice,” Magistrate Gilhuys declared.

He said the phone call by the pugilist, who is out of this country, was one of two he received from different individuals in efforts to discuss matters currently before his court.

The magistrate said he became very annoyed at such acts and warned other people not to make that mistake with him.

Subsequently, Mr. Gilhuys refused the renewed bail application by attorney-at law Mr. Mark Waldron, who is representing the 32-year-old Republic Bank employee, of Lot 9 South Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara.

She is charged with having a firearm and ammunition, in her workplace locker, while not being the holder of licences for them.

Magistrate Gilhuys encouraged Defence Counsel Waldron to approach the High Court and postponed the case to September 25, until when Ford is further remanded to prison.
The mother of an eight-year-old son burst into tears on hearing the ruling.

Brazilian strippers charged with indecency
FIVE Brazilian women, jointly charged with committing an indecent act, were all refused bail and remanded to prison yesterday by Magistrate Gordon Gilhuys.

Anrelaide DeSouza, Maria Karlene Cavedoso, Patricia Conarate DaSilva, Kenis DeSouza Paira and Cristyelen Barros Primienta pleaded not guilty after the Prosecution successfully applied for the case to be disposed of summarily.

Particulars of the offence said the five, on September 8, at Red Dragon Sports Bar in Robb Street, Georgetown, a place to which the public has access, danced and stripped off their clothing in view of the patrons.

When attorney-at-law Mr. Lance Ferreira, who appeared for them in association with Mr. Anil Nandalall, said the defendant foreigners are in Guyana legally, the magistrate asked for evidence to support the statement that the women are not illegal aliens.

Nandalall assured that the women would return for trial because they have a fixed place of abode at the same Lot 53 Robb Street establishment.

However, as one of the case jackets gave their address as Manaus, Brazil, the matter was adjourned from morning to afternoon, giving counsel time to produce the passports of the defendants.

But, after the only two travel documents produced revealed that the women were allowed a one month stay in this country, Magistrate Gilhuys said he was not satisfied and told the lawyers he would deny the women pre-trial freedom.
The case will be called again September 15.

Guyana baccoo, Old Higue for CARIFESTA
By Shawnel Cudjoe
GUYANA is taking its baccoos and Old Higues to create a stir at CARIFESTA in Trinidad later this month, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Mr. Keith Booker, announced yesterday.
He told a press conference these and other main characters from Guyana’s folklore will feature in a big way at the Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) IX in an attempt to illustrate local social history through music, dance and poetry,

Guyana is among some 20 countries taking part in the festival from September 22 to October 1, 2006.

At the press conference held at the ministry, Booker said Guyana’s presentation will begin with nine characters from the country’s folk tradition such as the Massacura Man, Moon Gazer, the Baccoo, Ole Higue.

“…this will be done in a very large and extravagant manner”, he said.

There will be large size representation of these folk characters and members of the National Dance Company, the Dharmic Nritya Sangh dance group and the Marapa Dance Group from Region Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) will be performing dances to go with the presentation, Booker said.

The Guyana Night presentation will also describe the arrival of the different ethnic groups here and give a glimpse of the diverse cultural strains that history affords, he said.

Guyana, he reported, has a contingent of about 60, excluding those who have signalled their intention to participate mainly in the area of art and craft.

“If all goes well, the total Guyana contingent might well be over 100 persons,” Booker stated.

Guyana will also be taking part in the visual arts exhibition where the works of former principals of the Burrowes School of Art, the Creative Arts Department of the University of Guyana (UG) and the Women’s Artist Association will be showcased.

Also, works will be taken from younger artists between the ages of 18 and 25, as a new dimension to CARIFESTA, Booker added.

It will feature paintings, photography, fabric arts, ceramics and sculpture. In addition, Philip Moore and Stanley Greaves have been chosen along with five other prominent artists from around the region to be specially honoured in a Master Artist exhibition, while Martin Carter has been chosen for special recognition as the country’s cultural legend.

“Martin Carter has been chosen as Guyana’s cultural icon, the cultural legend and he will stand tall alongside the other legends of the Caribbean,” Booker said.

Petamber Persaud will be dealing with the book fair, where the works of Guyanese authors, works published both locally and overseas will be showcased.

The play ‘Crabs in a Barrel’ is to be presented as the country’s contribution in the area of drama.

Fashion will be done by designers such as Michelle Cole, Olympia Small-Sonoram, Luanne Jackson, Derek Moore, Trevor Rose, Natalie Ward and Pat Coates; culinary arts by the Carnegie School of Home Economics, and craft work in precious metals, leather, balata and fibre will also be given prominence at CARIFESTA.

According to Booker, after an investment of more than $18M, Guyana’s “team of multi-talented persons” will be participating in 99 per cent of CARIFESTA which will be held under the theme “Celebrating our people, contesting the world stage.”

In addition, the Amerindian Marapa Dance Group will be taking part in a special Amerindian celebration, he said.

Guyana’s CARIFESTA Coordinator and Education Minister, Dr. Desrey Fox, said the group consists of two main Amerindian tribes – the Arekunas and the Akawaios. She said they are currently concentrating on performing five traditional dances, which some Guyanese themselves might have never seen.

The special celebration will be hosted by the Carib people in Arima, Trinidad and Tobago which is seeking to embrace all Amerindians regardless of the border separation.

According to Fox, a highlight of the activities will be the handing over of the administration of the Caribbean Organisation of Indigenous People from Guyana to Arima. The organisation is one of the highest decision-making fora in the Caribbean and is recognised by CARICOM.

Fox said it is hoped that through seminars and discussions, the Amerindian community and other groups can come together to give credence to the United Nations Draft Declaration on discrimination against the Indigenous people.

On September 17, at the National Cultural Centre (NCC) in Georgetown, at 19:00 h, Guyanese will be able to have a preview of what will be on show in Trinidad for the price of $500 and $300. The contingent leaves Guyana three days later.

Caribbean countries participating in CARIFESTA include Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Curacao, Turks and Caicos, St Lucia, Venezuela and Martinique.

The first CARIFESTA was a three-week exposition of art of all forms – music, dance, drama, literature, craft, and photography -- held in Guyana in 1972.

RPA pursuing better price alternatives for Essequibo farmers
THE Rice Producers’ Association (RPA) is finalising arrangements to help Essequibo Coast farmers circumvent the low prices they are being offered by millers, General Secretary, Mr. Dharamkumar Seeraj said yesterday.

He said the organisation is arranging for the planters to either mill their paddy and sell it as rice or ship the produce to other administrative regions where they would earn more.

He said discussions have already been held with the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) about moving the grains from the ‘Cinderella County’ to Region Three (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands) and management has indicated its capability and willingness to do the job.

Seeraj said an alternative is for the milling to be done within Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam) and the rice sold there.

He said the RPA will actively pursue both options to overcome the price stalemate within the next 24 hours.

Negotiations between the RPA and the millers broke down after a meeting lasting several hours at Anna Regina last week.

Millers were offering between $1,400 and $1,600 per bag for grade ‘A’ paddy in Essequibo while offers ranging from $1,800 to $1,850 were available elsewhere.

Although the Essequibo offer last harvest was $1,800 per bag, farmers charged that the millers met prior to the commencement of this harvesting season and decided on the lower figure from which they did not budge at the aborted talks.

But the buyers claim they had entered into contracts to sell a bag of rice for $2,200 and paying more than $1,400 or $1,600 would be uneconomical.

Seeraj agreed that a few of the smaller millers may have some justification for resisting the higher price but, to his knowledge, the bigger ones could do better and therefore were being unreasonable by insisting they cannot.

He maintained, though, that the RPA is serious about pursuing betterment for the Region Two farmers in Regions Three or Four (Demerara/Mahaica).

GECOM relocates staff as fire probe continues
THE Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has temporarily relocated, to another building in the same compound, staff of the National Registration Centre of its secretariat which was gutted by fire last weekend.

The relocation took place as Guyana Fire Service (GFS) investigators and Police continued efforts to ascertain the cause of the blaze which started about 16:45 h on Saturday at the Lot 41 High and Cowan Streets, Kingston, Georgetown complex.

A GECOM official told the Guyana Chronicle yesterday that no new information had been gleaned about the conflagration at the place which was its command centre during the recent general elections.

But officials of the commission met yesterday “to try to get a grip of what was destroyed and what could be salvaged”, he said.

However, he said, they have not yet been allowed into the burnt out structure because of the ongoing investigations.

GECOM will host a press conference today to report on the extent of the damage and how its work has been affected.

The official said it is expected that the media will be briefed on emerging short and medium term measures being taken to ensure that the commission and its secretariat can still carry out its mandate, although in a restricted manner.

Witnesses said the flames were first seen in a storeroom on the ground floor of the two-storey wooden building.

Chief Fire Officer Lawrence David said yesterday that his men were still at the site conducting interviews.

He said, since the disaster occurred, there have been regular updates on the situation at the scene but nothing, so far, on what caused it.

GECOM Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally said Saturday that the fire will not have a significant impact on operations as the information lost, including the voters’ list, is also stored electronically.

“We have all the pictures, records and folios,” he assured.

Meanwhile, an Opposition nominated commissioner, Mr. Robert Williams, said equipment and institutional memory are among the losses running possibly into billions of dollars.

One detained, one hospitalised after drinking spree shooting
POLICE have detained a licensed firearm holder who reportedly shot another man at 111 Miles Madhia, Potaro, on Sunday.

The wounded man, Trevor Reid, 32, a miner, of Lot 158 Go Slow Avenue, Tucville, is a patient at the Georgetown Public Corporation Hospital where officials said his condition is stable.

Police said the shooting happened about 00:15 h Sunday when an argument arose during a drinking spree at a shop.

It is alleged that the man in custody discharged two rounds from his gun and the shots struck Reid on the left side of his chest.

A press release said Police seized the weapon, ammunition and two spent shells as investigations into the incident continue.

$285M expended, so far, on cleaning drains countrywide
-- official reports
MINISTRY of Finance Coordinator for the countrywide project to clean community main drains, Mr. Mohamed Irfaan has reported that expenditure for the purpose, up to July, amounted to $285M.

He said some 3,000 residents are employed in the drive to enhance development, stimulate participation and reduce flooding in their respective residential areas.

Irfaan said, in Regions One (Barima/Waini), Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam), Three (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands), Four (Demerara/Mahaica), Five (Mahaica/Berbice), Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) and 10 (Upper Demerara/Berbice), general labourers are also involved in repairing and painting schools and other State-owned buildings.

According to him, the system has not yet been implemented in Regions Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni), Eight (Potaro/Siparuni) and Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo).

The programme started in February and is being executed through the Ministry of Finance.

At Nonpariel/Coldingen, East Coast Demerara, foreman Bhaul (only name given) said he has a crew of 10 men who work 16 days per month clearing drains and are each paid $25,000 monthly.

He said they are not responsible for clearing trenches which are the responsibility of the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC).

Quick Reaction Group manslaughter retrial continuing
AN ALLEGATION that Police Constable Marlon Paul was shot dead by fellow policeman Travis Hardy while on duty in a guard hut at Eve Leary, Georgetown, in 1999, was told to a

Demerara Assize jury yesterday.

It was at the retrial of Hardy whose first trial was aborted after the defence objected to his being tried by 11 of jurors peers instead of

12, after the 12th man was allegedly excused by the trial judge without the consent of the defence.

The particular juror had applied and was given permission to leave the jurisdiction.

The retrial is continuing before Justice of Appeal Claudette Singh.

Hardy has pleaded not guilty and is being represented by lawyers, Mr. Sanjeev Datadin and Mr.Narenja Singh.

Miss Nadeen Singh and Mr. Satyesh Kissoon are prosecuting.

Police witnesses, who gave evidence for the Prosecution, testified about hearing a gun blast about 20:00 h on August 15, 1999 when they

saw Paul being catapulted through the guard hut door. He died shortly afterwards.

Hardy, who police said was in the hut with Paul, is facing trial for manslaughter.

Judge to rule on nullity of indictment claim tomorrow
JUSTICE of Appeal Ian Chang will tomorrow deliver his decision on the motion to quash an indictment in relation to murder accused Hemchand Persaud, on the basis that it is a nullity as it was founded on invalid committal proceedings.

The judge reserved his ruling yesterday after hearing rebuttal arguments from Director of Public Prosecutions, Mrs. Shalimar Ali-Hack, in reply to defence submissions by lawyer Mr. Sandel Kissoon.

Persaud, called PM, was charged jointly with another man, with, on April 27, 2000, murdering James Sanicharan and Afraz Khan.

After moving the motion in open court last week before the empanelment of the jury, the defence lawyer contended that the indictment was invalid, on the basis that the committal proceedings were an abuse of the process of the court and unlawful, since the Prosecution had instituted four different sets of indictable information against the accused, who had gone through three
committal inquiries.

In her reply yesterday, the DPP, among other things, said that the delay of six years was not unreasonable and that they have acted lawfully at all material times.

The DPP had pointed out too that the practice in England of hearing several informations in a single inquiry is applicable to Guyana, and therefore the committal was lawful.

At this stage, the judge thanked the lawyers for their arguments and promised to deliver his ruling tomorrow morning.

Independent Media Monitoring Unit (GECOM)
Media performance - Nomination Day to Polling Day 2006
Tim Neale 8th September 2006
This is a simplified report designed to give a quick indication of how each media house responded to the challenge of covering the final stages of a democratic election

Five years later
FIVE years ago yesterday, the world stood in front of their television screens in a mixture of shock and awe at the image of two planes crashing into the twin towers of the World Trade Center.

The date – September 11, 2001 – continues to be one of the most recognised dates of contemporary times.

With citizens from dozens of countries around the world having been killed, a sort of collective grief was heard across the globe. Fuelled by the hours and hours of global news coverage, many people across the world mourned the tragic loss of life in a country marked above all others for its dedication towards individual human freedom and security.

The Bush administration's swift overthrow of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan was seen as just retribution in light of the Taliban's sheltering of the organisation responsible for the attacks, al Qaeda. It was only a matter of time, it was felt, before al Qaeda would be destroyed and its leader, Osama bin Laden killed or captured.

Five years later, al Qaeda seems stronger than ever and bin Laden, though not having been seen much since then, must be taken to be alive lacking evidence to the contrary. And having conquered Afghanistan with little effort, the U.S. currently finds itself suffering casualties in a country it liberated from the clutches of a dictator several years ago. That country is, of course, Iraq, and the dictator, Saddam Hussein.

In a recent interview, U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice, said the invasion of Iraq was justified because links with al Qaeda were not unproven, Saddam Hussein was a dictator, and he committed acts of genocide against the Iraqi Kurds.

If acts of genocide against the Kurds committed under the orders of Saddam Hussein are being used as the major moral justification for the invasion of Iraq, then by that same logic Sudan and Israel are prime candidates for the application of America's new doctrine. And genocide has only been put on the front burner ever since the non-discovery of the weapons of mass destruction alleged to have been stockpiled by Hussein's regime. The Iraqis currently caught up in the throes of a civil war – with multiple casualties occurring every other day – undoubtedly find it hard-pressed to see the value of the liberation the United States has visited upon them, even measured against the oppression of Baath Party rule.

If anything, the events of September 11, 2001 shattered the myth of American invincibility, hitting hard the Achilles' heel of the strongest military power on earth. What have been exposed to the world since then are both the additional chinks in the armour of Mars, and the deep moral flaws which have been characteristic of the current U.S. administration.

We have seen a strong America invade an Afghanistan weakened by the primitive version of Islam as practiced by the Taliban, and an Iraq crippled by economic sanctions and the years of bombing by U.S. warplanes; the same America balks at attacking the openly belligerent rogue states of Iran and North Korea, both of whom are openly dedicated to developing nuclear technology.

But this is not a situation the Bush administration is solely responsible for. Five years after 9-11, there is a crisis of morality in the U.S. government as a whole, in both the Democratic and Republican camps, although the degree varies. The Republicans continue to shift the posts in defining exactly what their goals in Iraq and the Middle East in general are, even as the bodies of ordinary Iraqis pile up in Baghdad; the Democrats have latched on to the administration's failure as a political tactic with the only concern expressed being for the rising costs of the war, and the rising casualties among American troops.

On and after September 11, 2001, the world showed America that compassion and sympathy were things which extended beyond all borders.

Five years later, America remains as morally myopic and insular as it ever was.

OBITUARY
Joseph Sanders: Broadcaster, Law Professor, Diplomat
JOSEPH Sanders died on Friday, 8th September 2006 in Ottawa, Canada at the age of 70.

He will long be remembered by all who encountered him as a man with a fine mind and engaging personality. He had an endless repertoire of funny stories and, inevitably, any group in his company was engulfed in laughter.

While he served Guyana directly in many capacities, he is amongst those Guyanese who competed in the international community and made an outstanding mark in many fields.

Joe Sanders served as Guyana’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN in the 1970s, and was elected as Rapporteur of the Sixth Committee (the Legal Committee). He drafted the text finally adopted by the UN to define “aggression”. This was particularly important for Guyana, given border claims by both Venezuela and Suriname. While at the UN, he was also involved in the many inter-governmental meetings that produced the Law of the Sea Convention. Subsequently, he was appointed Guyana’s Deputy High Commissioner to Canada.

At the age of 11 as Joseph Albert Singh (as he was then known), and as a student at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic School in Georgetown, he got the highest marks in the government county scholarship examinations and went on to Queen’s College where he edited both the school magazine and ‘The Lictor’.

A brief stint as a teacher at Saint Stanislaus College, where he was called “Tarzan” by his students because of his long hair, prepared him for a later role as a Law Professor at the Holborn College of Law in London.

He studied law at the University of London where he gained his LLB, and he qualified for the Bar at Lincoln’s Inn. He later became the first Guyanese to get an LLM in International Law.

Joe lived in London at the height of racial discrimination, and despite his outstanding qualifications, he and his siblings were forced to change their name from Singh to Sanders in order “get their feet through the front door of prejudice”.

In the period of the 1960s, Joe Sanders’ voice was well-known in the homes of Guyanese when he worked as a broadcaster and journalist with the BBC. He was best known as the presenter of “London Calling the Caribbean” and he reported on all the West Indian independence constitutional conferences of that time.

After leaving the Guyana diplomatic service, he went into private law practice serving as Advisor to a group of native Canadians, the Assembly of First Nations, in their constitutional cases with the Canadian government over land ownership. He also served as an Adjudicator on the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal and as a Governor of the Canadian Centre for Police-Race Relations.

In the 1990s, Joe also worked as legal counsel for the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) particularly in its regulatory work with the Public Utilities Commission.

Married twice, first to Joy Franker who he met, wooed and married within a week during Guyana’s independence celebrations in 1966, and then to Malaysian, Kim Choo, he was a loving father to Dominic, Rowan, Neola and Myra.
(Born 14th December 1935; died 8th September 2006)

One granted, co-defendants refused bail on drug charge
THREE men, all charged with trafficking 179 grammes of cannabis (marijuana) shared different fates before Magistrate Chandra Sohan at New Amsterdam Court, in Berbice, yesterday.

One of them, Adrian Caesar was granted $100,000 bail on medical grounds.

But his brother, Dwayne Caesar and other co-defendant Quigison Garrette (no addresses given either) were remanded to prison until October 10.

The trio, who pleaded not guilty to the offence, allegedly had portions of the illegal plant last August 29, at Lot 41 Housing Scheme, New Amsterdam.

‘Deportee’ remanded on robbery charges
ARVIND Achaibar alias ‘Deportee’, of Hampshire, Corentyne, was remanded to prison yesterday on charges of robbery under arms and buggery.

Particulars of one indictable offence said he was armed with a knife on August 28 last, when he robbed a 25-year-old woman of two gold rings, a pair of diamond earrings and $8,000 cash, making a total loss to her, of $96,000.

The other charge said Achaibar committed the unnatural sex act on the same victim in the village where they both live.

The accused was refused bail by Magistrate Chandra Sohan in New Amsterdam Court, after Police Sergeant Satrohan Dynaram said the prisoner had another matter pending and was previously granted pre-trial freedom four days prior to when the new offences were allegedly committed.

Achaibar is to make his next appearance on September 12, at Albion Court, Corentyne, also in Berbice, to which the cases have been transferred.

Man charged with carnal knowledge of girl, 5
A MAN who is alleged to have had carnal knowledge of a five-year-old relative was also refused bail yesterday by Magistrate Chandra Sohan at New Amsterdam Court in Berbice.

Jermaine McAlmont, 32, is accused of committing the offence on the girl at Angoy’s Avenue, on the outskirts of New Amsterdam between July 6 and August 7 last.

Police Prosecutor Sergeant Donna Grant-Fraser successfully objected to pre-trial liberty for McAlmont on grounds that the victim is a minor and related to him and the offence is prevalent.
McAlmont was remanded to prison until September 22.

Rose Hall Town celebrating anniversary September 23
THE Anniversary and Development Committee of Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, Berbice, is to stage a ‘Main Lime, Big Lime’ on September 23, in observance of the township’s 26th anniversary.

Rose Hall became a town on September 20, 1970.

Under the theme ‘Promoting our community for development,’ the event will take the form of a ‘Town Day’ with the display of exhibits and the sale of food and drinks amidst musical entertainment and games.

Public Relations Officer, Mr. Andrew Griffith told the Guyana Chronicle that booths for the day will cost $1,000 and bookings can be secured from September 13.

Interested persons can call and make requests through telephone numbers 337-4569, 337-4411, 611-3920 and 627-9173.

Griffith reported that, during the past week, the committee executed several community projects, including painting pedestrian crossings and the Rose Hall Primary School fence with assistance from businesses.

The grouping was established on April 19, 2004, under former Mayor William Hendrax and, since then, there have been two Town Day celebrations.

I refused to strip
ON SATURDAY August 9, 2006, I travelled to Barbados for a vacation.

I was looking forward so much to this trip since I had saved my hard-earned earnings.

When I arrived at the Grantley Adams Airport, I was asked for the address where I would be staying on the island.

I provided the address and telephone number and my aunt, who I might add is a Bajan, was even at the airport to receive me.

The Immigration officials rudely told me to sit on the "Guyanese bench", while they checked my luggage (which contained clothing, and footwear only).

After I was asked to go into a room and take off my clothing, I refused. I felt it unnecessary for me to take my clothing off when they had already screened me.

After my refusal, I was asked to join the other Guyanese who the Barbados Immigration officials had decided on their own to send back home.

My question is -- why can't the Government of Guyana do something to stop this ongoing nonsense at the Grantley Adams Airport?

Are we not human beings?

Even children were manhandled at the airport by these officials.
What have Guyanese people done to these Bajans?
UPSET

This preoccupation also deserves priority attention
IT IS largely academic to minds like mine when Guyanese write of African and Indian communities in Guyana. 

Born at Parika on the East Bank Essequibo of Muslim parents, I cannot totally relate to Indians, either here in the UK, or those from India, or Kenya or Goa, or Sri Lanka. 

Further, I am not a hundred per cent like the ‘Indians’ from Port Mourant, Rose Hall or Enmore. And I have a lot in common with the Irish, Scottish, English, Nigerians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and ‘Africans’ (from Georgetown).  

My life is constantly enriched by the adoption of other peoples’ good customs and practices.

However, I believe that the State should facilitate its citizens to live as they choose, providing there is no resultant harm to others.

Not only must education, trade, investment and related matters be given priority treatment. So too should our preoccupation about highlighting our differences (real and imagined) that is damaging and delaying our enjoyment of our evolving rich diverse culture.

Perhaps, like the Amerindian Affairs Ministry, there should be similar setups to represent each of the other ‘communities’ notion that their wishes and needs are ignored. Whatever the reasons, no section in Guyana should be left with a prolonged feeling of alienation.

In addition, each of us should recognize when we are misled, else we will continue to endure unfulfilled lives as we shut our eyes to all the emerging goodness to be shared with our countrymen.
FAIYAZ

President must fulfil pre-election promises
IF PRESIDENT Bharrat Jagdeo is serious about fulfilling all those pre-election promises, public and bottom-house, made to the people, then he has to get on it right now.

Despite all this talk of a "landslide" victory, the PPP/C has really lost a lot of traditional support.

183,867 out of  492,369 represent only 37.343 % of the total votes registered, which percentage when translated to the total population of the country indicates that only 286,513 people supported the PPP/C out of an estimated population of 767,245 (CIA fact book July 2006).

To put it the other way, 62.657 % or 489,732 of the nation did not support the winning party. What is there to peacock about?

Secondly, the PPP/C claims that the vote cast in their favour is "multi-ethnic". This is certainly good news to the nation. Unfortunately it is also real bad news for the PPP/C.

Out of the 37.343% votes cast in their favour, let us estimate 5% were African Guyanese, 5% Amerindians and 4% mixed. Subtracted from the 37.343%, this only leaves 23.343% of the registered vote (492,369) or 114,933 as Indian Guyanese who voted for the PPP/C.

Using the estimate of Indians as 50% of the population, then the registered Indian vote should approximate 246,184 (1/2 of 492,369) out of which only 114,933 voted PPP/C, which means that 131,251 Indians who registered to vote did not vote for the PPP/C.

Nationally, this indicates that only 23.343% or 179,098 out of 383,622 (50% of 767,245) Indians voted PPP/C. To put it the other way, an estimated 204,524 or more than half the Indian population did not vote PPP/C.

The PPP/C better watch out. The democracy they restored to the people in 1992 has now advanced beyond "free and fair elections” to the recognition of individual rights, including the right to tell their leaders who is wrong, who is corrupt, and who is all talk and no action. 

Today, the traditional supporters refrained from voting PPP/C. Tomorrow and come next election the people may very well vote against the PPP/C if they cannot see significant and accelerated betterment of present and future life in Guyana. 
Scary, huh?
SHAWN MANGRU

Radical changes needed
CONGRATULATIONS to you Mr. President -- it is well known that it was entirely on your strength that the August 28 elections were won.

You have an opportunity to be the greatest President of our beautiful country but certain drastic decisions have to be made and radical changes implemented.

Some things can be done immediately to show the nation that you mean business.

1 Corruption at the Deeds Registry can be stamped out. Prosecute some of the culprits and this will send the right message.

2. There is a certain magistrate who works in Berbice who should be dismissed immediately. The activities of this individual are well known to the police, the other magistrates and the general public. The individual is an embarrassment to the judiciary but it seems that he has friends at Freedom House in Georgetown.

3. All the regional officials in Region Six, particularly, should be dismissed immediately. Your supporters in the region have had enough.

4. There are too many so-called contractors working in the country who have no clue about building anything.

Mr. President, the ball is in your court. Let’s see what kind of legacy you intend to leave.
SHIVDYAL MOHABIR

On the racial bandwagon 
GROWING up on a Caribbean island has allowed me to experience the thoughts and opinions of Caribbean people as they relate to my homeland: Guyana.

While this experience may be limited to Grenada (my country of residence), after listening to and reading recent comments made by certain political commentators in regards to Guyana’s elections, it has become blatantly obvious to me that these people are as clueless as G.W. Bush during the Hurricane Katrina crisis.

In particular, I would like to reference an article entitled ‘Guyana’s Other Side’, by Hartley Henry, a ‘Regional Political Strategist’. After reading this article in both the Barbados Nation and the Trinidad & Tobago Express newspapers, to say that I was outraged would be a gross understatement.

In his article, Henry comes across as a man who is too proud to acknowledge the progress made by those he does not support, namely the PPP/C. Thankfully, the PPP/C does not crave his support nor does his opposition gainsay their progress.

Throughout Guyana’s history it has had to contend with outside instigators who have always preyed upon the delicate racial dynamics. Hartley Henry is another such partisan who has jumped on the racial bandwagon and blurs the issues as he settles himself in.

Those like Henry are quick to criticize the past 14 years of PPP/C leadership with nary a thought to the previous 28 years of PNC turmoil.

While boasting of his 15-year professional association with one of Guyana’s main political parties (it is anyone’s guess as to which party), Henry does not realize just how callow and naïve he appears to sensible readers. His attempts to address Guyana’s problems based on 15 years of experience is identical to a soldier joining the infantry after World War II was won and writing a book on the topic.

He fails to recognize and appropriately acknowledge the state of Guyana prior to his 15 years on the political scene. That Guyana was one in which infrastructure (proper roads, running water and electricity) was even a luxury to most citizens in the PNC stronghold and capital city of Georgetown. During this time, safety was also a luxury, as a peaceful night’s slumber was a rarity and could only be provided by village organized vigilante groups.

Henry’s 15 years of political experience may as well have been in a completely unrelated field as his knowledge of Guyana’s history is limited and by that measure, insufficient to provide any thoughtful commentary.

While Henry is so quick to highlight the problems of race, he seems grossly uninformed about who is on the receiving end of racial injustice in Guyana. Sifting through the criminal records and minding the last names of the victims will tell a far different and more accurate history than the malarkey Henry is determined to propagate.

Despite his awareness of racial strife, Henry conveniently forgets about the Guyana of the 1960s to 1980s. There was never a time in the country’s history when Guyanese of African descent were targeted the way those of Indian descent were victimized during the 28 years of PNC governance. Indo-Guyanese had their doors kicked in; guns put to their heads and were subjected to the sight of their womenfolk being raped.

Another specific instance of brutalization occurred in 1973 when East Indians were shot and killed by the Afro-Guyanese majority GDF in #64 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, as they exercised their right to elect a government.

Henry disregards these stories and takes for granted the fact that Afro-Guyanese have never been gunned down for their suffrage or terrorized by their Indo-Guyanese countrymen. Henry and other likeminded individuals contend with these accounts by simply overlooking their occurrence; with the implication that what occurred in the past should be buried and left there.

If Jews had the racial/ethnic majority in Germany today and the old Nazi Party tried to clean up their image to contest elections as the Nazi Reform Party, do you honestly think they would gain many Jewish votes, if any at all? Comparatively, how can Henry expect the same from Indo-Guyanese?

The opposition has continuously accused the present government of neglecting Afro-Guyanese. However, they fail to recognize that after 28 years in power, the present opposition did very little for Afro-Guyanese progress and even less for the country as a whole.

It is ludicrous for the opposition to claim that Afro-Guyanese were better off during those 28 years of PNC rule. Not even with the powerful backing of the U.S.’ CIA could such propaganda be convincing.

During this time of racial divisions, Caribbean leaders, regional strategists and persons of similar vocations were conspicuously absent. For nearly three decades political darkness enveloped Guyana yet still many Caribbean leaders were mute.

Where was CARICOM and those like it when elections were being openly rigged in Guyana? Shouldn’t the region have exerted pressure on the PNC then?

It seems all their talks of regional unity were really the noise of hollow vessels that would fold under American pressure.

This brittle network of support saw certain Caribbean countries label Dr. Cheddi Jagan as persona non grata for even the simplest connecting flight in their airports. Despite this insult, Dr. Jagan continued to fight for the Caribbean following his re-election in 1992, some 28 years after the PPP’s removal from office as a result of a carefully planned change in the electoral system.

When the Caribbean turned a blind eye to Guyana’s plight they allowed the PNC to go unchecked, and consequently, the nation was robbed of a real leader in Dr. Jagan.

Henry’s concerns about the growing drug trade in Guyana are valid, but in comparison to neighbouring countries, his beloved Barbados included, which country is free of drug trafficking? Why then does he choose to single out Guyana and more so, try to highlight the flaws of the only government that has made a positive contribution toward the betterment of the country?

In the historical context of development in Guyana, the PPP/C has made leaps and bounds.

There is a simple answer for why the PPP/C won elections – it is the best, if not only choice for Guyana. Results will show that the PPP/C gained substantial support in areas that were traditionally PNCR strongholds.

I think that sends a clear message to those who still believe that every Afro-Guyanese votes for the PNCR and every Indo-Guyanese votes for the PPP/C.

In fact, election results 2006 rock the foundation and shatter the core of Henry’s ‘Guyana’s Other Side’ article.
RENNIE RAJWANT

Who is Peepin Tom?
READERS of the daily Kaieteur News have always wondered who is the anonymous columnist writing under the pseudonym, ‘Peepin Tom’.

This mystery writer has been writing articles in that publication for more than three years on various topics.

Many media analysts and observers believe that the ‘Peeper’ is more than one writer with different convictions on national issues.

However, Mrs. Jagan once referred to the ‘Peeper’ as “HIS” which tells us that it’s a male writer. Mrs. Jagan went further to say that the ‘Peeper’ is very ambitious and it would be very embarrassing to reveal his name.

Even the courts of Guyana were unable to order the daily publication to reveal the identity of the ‘Peeper’. This person possesses extraordinary legal knowledge and seems to be very independent when it comes to party politics. There are many rumours out there about Adam, Moses, and Hubert, some even saying Freddie. 

The ‘Peeper’ may have given us another hint about “his” identity in yesterday’s column in the Kaieteur News. 

Here is his last paragraph: “And so Moses Nagamootoo is left to rue what went wrong and whether he made the right decision in not opting to be marginalised but inside, rather than be outside and be an outcast.”

How does the Peeper know Nagamootoo’s decision when the President said he is still waiting a response from Mr. Nagamootoo? 
Is the ‘Peeper’ Moses?
SWARAJ ROOPCHAND

Right to go ballistic
GUYANESE taxpayers and those who voted for the Alliance for Change (AFC) party must look at the actions of its leader before they go condemning Miss Gaumattie Singh.

Giving a parliamentarian’s job to someone just for a guaranteed salary would make anyone go ballistic.

Gaumattie Singh was absolutely right to say what she said and do what she did.

People are elected to parliament to represent the citizens of a country, not for a guaranteed salary.
T. KING

Not needed by any party
I HAVE to agree with Saheb Khan in his letter in yesterday’s Guyana Chronicle. 

If Ms. Guamatie Persaud was more interested in a seat in Parliament than in building the nation, she is not needed by any party.
JACQUELINE MASSIAH

Ill advised, ill timed
I READ in the newspapers about the selection of the five persons to represent the Alliance for Change in Parliament and with the exception of Khemraj Ramjattan, Raphael Trotman, and Sheila Holder, I was disappointed with the choice of the other two because I had in mind two other deserving candidates.

I am not a member of the AFC but I voted AFC.

Ms. Gaumattie Singh was one of the two persons I had in mind to be in Parliament. I still believe she deserves to be in Parliament; not only because she gave us her time and resources, and campaigned for the party -- several other persons did the same without Parliament being their objective -- but because I believed she was committed to the objectives of the party and was unshackled from the old political culture that dominates our country.

I listened to her expostulations on television. However, I disagree with her reasoning and the manner she chose to ventilate her disappointment. I am disappointed with her choice of action but I would not call a press conference.

Like her, I have been disappointed by choices made by certain organisations of which I am a member. One of which had to do with representing Guyana abroad on issues with which I am well versed.

The point I am making here is that there must be some minimum level of deportment, loyalty, and respect for the organisations we chose to be a part. And we must be able to freely express our disappointments without public acrimony being the first course of action.

I believe her displeasure could have been expressed forcefully but with more refinement.

To publicly ridicule her colleagues, the leaders of her party, at the first instance of disenchantment or disagreement, on such a singular issue, does not speak well of her own intentions. Her action was ill advised, ill timed, and precipitate.

That there is need for ethnic balance among the party’s Parliamentary representatives I agree; but ethnic or racial considerations ought not to be the foremost. And that is where she has exposed herself as still being shackled.

She may have every right to be angry, but she ought not to have let her anger be preyed upon by those who are bent on sowing seeds of discord and who would rally around her at this time, with interests inimical to those of her party’s.

Now, given all that has been said and done, the question of whether she would have been the best choice is open for reflective contemplation.
RAFEENA CRANDON

Good angel for animals
LAST Saturday afternoon someone abandoned four puppies at the side of the road leading to the Happy Acres seawall on the East Coast Demerara.

They were not there the day before but must have been there all day as they were starving -- there were pieces of wood and plants in the mess that they left in our vehicle.

My brother and I would not have been able to sleep that night had we left them there so we decided to catch them and take them to the GSPCA. The first one bit my brother when he held him -- it took us one hour and much coaxing to get the rest. By the time we finally got the last one, it was almost 20:00 h.

No one was at the GSPCA; we live out of town, and our dogs will not allow any other strange puppy into our yard. What were we to do?

Of course turn to the only person that would leave home, food cooking on the stove at whatever time of the day and night to rescue animals -- Syeeda Manbodh. We turned up at her home and sure enough, she left her food cooking and came with us back to the GSPCA and no one was there still.

She took these four puppies and kept them until the person in charge of the GSPCA returned and then took them there -- at 21:00 h.

Is there anyone else in Guyana who would do something like this for animals? Syeeda Manbodh has been tirelessly working to save animals all over without looking for thanks from anyone. Who will thank her any way?

These dumb animals I am sure will forever thank her and those that she has helped to end their misery and suffering I am sure must be blessing her where they are in Heaven.

You are building up on your blessings, my dear sister.

If only people could just be a little more humane with animals in Guyana. If only foreigners who come to spend a few years in Guyana do not rear pets when they fully well know that they would be leaving them behind when they leave.

If only people with female dogs and cats would just secure them when they are in heat, then they won’t have to stray away the puppies/kittens.

Don't these people who stray away animals know that they are committing sin -- a sin that they will one day have to answer to?
N. BISNATH

Satanic thought
ETHNICITY is a heavenly coronation to us all.

It’s a mysterious and Divine ushering for us to see and reflect on the phenomena of the Infinite One True God, and to gracefully accept one another as the best choice for who we are, for no one can match His wisdom and inimitability.

To even think of anyone from his outside appearance as ugly and inferior is a satanic thought which can only be aroused by an unconnected and sick soul. Man is an image that is never repeated and so there has never been or will ever be another “You or I”.

We had no say in our conception, parents, colour, gender, time and place of birth except that these have been willed to us, and very high respect to the Supreme Creator should be given and resigned to, for being the highest and most noble of all His Creations without our asking.

Any insult or derogation by words or actions against anyone is attacking the Infallible Integrity of God Almighty and therefore we must begin to learn from “Unity in Diversity” that flows and glows in Nature all the time and which refreshes the spirit, to admire respect and enjoy the look of one and all, embrace and greet, and promote God’s workmanship by never allowing evil and insidious sentiments to provoke ill will, hatred and animosity.

Inside lie the one colour blood and the one colourless soul with equal pristine original divine attributes. God is one and only and so is the human race too.

Our nation must embark on a sustained national spiritual manifesto to understand fully the value of each one of us in the way how the highly spiritual luminaries in the truly divine scriptures lived and explained to us all.

Our racial and ethnic problems are due primarily to inadequate knowledge of God Almighty.
SHAFFEEK 

Guyana beat Grenada to sweep Group A
… Suriname snatch second round spot
WILLEMSTAD, Curacao, (CMC) - Suriname used an early goal by Orlando Grootfaam to beat hosts Netherlands Antilles 1-0 and grab a Digicel Caribbean Cup second round spot with Guyana from Group A on Sunday night.

Grootfaam scored in the fifth minute at the Ergilio Hato Stadium to secure second spot in the group behind Guyana, who edged Grenada by a similar scoreline in the earlier game to top Group A with nine points.

Cliften Sandvliet set up Grootfaam's goal with an incisive dribble past a cluster of opposing players before placing his pass for Grootfaam to score with a well-placed right-footed shot.

Suriname nearly extended their lead before the break when Sandvliet struck the crossbar.

Earlier, a Shawn Bishop second-half goal was enough for Guyana to beat Grenada 1-0 and top the group.

Bishop scored immediately after the break for Guyana to complete the series with a flawless record, having dished out 5-0 thrashings on Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles in their earlier games.

Guyana, the most improved team in CFU football, started the second half in perfect fashion.

They took the lead within 45 seconds of the whistle when Bishop collected a ball on the edge of the penalty area and finished coolly with a clinical strike into the bottom left hand corner of the net.

Currently ranked No.5 in the CFU, the Guyanese - who were No.18 in the CFU a year ago - are now on a nine-game winning streak and the Trinidadian coach Jamaal Shabazz is projecting big things for his side describing them as "the sleeping giant of Caribbean football which is about to awake".

The top two teams in each of the preliminary round groups will advance to the second round of the Digicel Caribbean Cup -- to be contested during October and November.

Cuba and The Bahamas had already qualified -- from Group E -- for the second round.

Group B games are set for September 20-24 in Antigua and Barbuda with the hosts tackling Anguilla, Barbados and St. Kitts/Nevis.

Group C will be hosted by the US Virgin Islands September 26-30, featuring the Dominican Republic, Bermuda and the British Virgin Islands, while Group D, the ‘group of death’ from September 26 to October 1, has all Top-10 ranked CFU teams -- hosts Jamaica, Haiti, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The Final Round is set for Trinidad & Tobago from January 31 to February 11.

The 2006-07 Digicel Cup champions will take home the largest prize package ever for a CFU competition at US$120 000.

The runners-up will receive US$70 000 with US$50 000 and US$30 000 going to the third- and fourth-placed finishers respectively.

Ladies national hockey team selected
THE Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) has selected 14 field players along with two reserve players who will continue to train with the team until their participation in a four-nation tournament to be held in Caracas, Venezuela from October 12 to 15, 2006.

According to National Coach Phillip Fernandes, the ladies seem to have stepped up their efforts in the final selection match, despite going down to an Under-21 male selection by 3-1 last Sunday.

He indicated that the team will be going into the final stage of preparation. This includes reinforcing the skills and game tactics covered over the last few weeks, with heavy emphasis on set pieces. Fernandes is confident that with the trimming of the squad, the performance of the ladies will improve significantly as the focus will now be on the players of greatest quality and the pressure of selection during matches has been removed.

The goalkeepers remain to be the only players still vying for selection as the top two goalkeepers will be selected from the three that are currently in training. The selectors have decided to postpone this selection for one more week.

The players selected are: Brennette Gordon, Tricia Fiedtkou, Wendy Boodhoo, Natalie Hing, Kerensa Fernandes, Amanda Garnett, Sonia Jardine, Vanessa Pires, Maria Munroe, Yohance Alexander, Tracey Atkinson, Avonda James, Latoya Fordyce, Tiffany Solomon, Trisha Woodroffe, Chantelle Fernandes and Alisia Xavier, with Carol Caine and Marisha Rodrigues listed as reserves. The team continues to train daily at the GCC ground, Bourda, with matches on weekends.

There is to be an exhibition match on Sunday, September 17, at Bourda from 14:30 h featuring the Everest Hikers, Farfan & Mendes Men’s 1st division league winners, against a Rest side, followed by a presentation of the trophy.

This match will be followed by the ladies’ national team versus the Old Fort High Flyers 2nd division Men’s team.

No Tri-Nations cricket on NCN TV
THE National Communications Network (NCN) will not be airing the Tri-Nations cricket series between West Indies, Australia and India on television.

In a release signed by NCN’s Executive Producer Martin Goolsarran, it was stated that this is due entirely to cost considerations. The release went on to say that NCN regrets its inability to bring the matches on television as well as the disappointment of cricket fans. There will however be radio broadcasts of all the matches.

West Indies open the competition by taking on world champions Australia today.

DCC players impress to beat GYO by four wickets
LED by some fine all-round performances by Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) players, the Queenstown club were able to beat Gandhi Youth Organisation (GYO) by an enthralling four wickets in the solitary Georgetown Cricket Association two-day second division cricket competition which ended on Sunday at the GYO ground.

On the final day the visitors resumed nicely placed at 126 for three after bowling out the home team for 86 and going on to score 185, giving GYO a lead of 99 before piling up a formidable 209 in their second innings.

With DCC needing 110 for victory, they romped home in just ten overs with Troy Nurse hitting a whirlwind 44 decorated with three sixes and four fours while Jermaine Horatio made 27 to follow up his four for 33 with his off-spinners.

In the DCC first innings, Trevon Griffith who, overnight on 60, added only five, and Horatio 45 (7x4, 2x6) were the main scorers. Arun Daloo grabbed four for 46, bowling for GYO.

Claude Reid made 64 while Dennis Koulen hit a fluent 50 for GYO as Horatio was ably supported by right-arm leg-spinner Keston Harcourt who had three for 56 to finish with nine wickets in the game.

Scores in the match: GYO 86 and 209 all out; DCC 185 and 110-6. (Ravendra Madholall)

Affiance win inaugural Bacchus & Sons Twenty20 final
AFFIANCE emerged victorious in the inaugural Imam Bacchus and Sons Twenty20 cricket competition after beating Cotton Field Sports Club (CFSC) comfortably by 32 runs in the final played on Sunday at the Anna Regina Multilateral School ground at Cotton Field.

Affiance batted first upon winning the toss and piled up a formidable 182 from their 20 overs with senior Essequibo Inter-county batsman Yogeshwar Lall hitting 43 which included three fours while Latchman Rohit chipped in nicely with 25.

Bowling for CFSC, Christopher Persaud claimed two for 25 from his stipulated four overs while skipper Travis Simon had two for 40 from his allotted four overs before they folded for 150 in the final over.

Persaud returned with the bat to entertain the small gathering striking a 29-ball 58 spiced with five fours and two sixes while Abdool Salim made 28 (3x4) as former national youth off-spinner Ian Gonsalves grabbed three for 15 from his four overs while man-of-the-match returned with the cherry to take a solitary wicket conceding 25 runs from his four mandatory overs.

At the presentation ceremony where the winning team received $10 000 and the runners-up $5 000, plans to make this event an annual one with much more incentives for players and teams are in the making.

Trophy Stall XI boosted ahead of Sunday’s final
TROPHY Stall XI will certainly be boosted for next Sunday’s final in the Regal Stationery and Computer Centre, after inflicting two comfortable wins over Guyana Floodlight Cricket Association XI on Sunday at the GCC ground, Bourda.

The day’s activity was organised by 4R Bearings with the trophies donated by Ramesh Sunich Trophy Stall of Bourda Market for the two-best-of-three games but Trophy Stall dashed the hopes of their opponents for three games by beating them in the first two.

In the first encounter, Trophy Stall took first strike and set up a challenging 145 for eight off their 15 overs, thanks to a well-calculated 67 from Mark ‘Rambo’ Harold who hit five sixes and three fours while Mark Fung chipped in with 39 (3x4, 2x6).

Ricky ‘Babulall’ Deonarine grabbed two for five from his three overs.

Floodlight, in reply, were bundled out for 98 in the penultimate over with Ricky Persaud making 19.

And in the second fixture, Floodlight were given the opportunity to take first knock but again their batting failed to capitalise on building a substantial total and they eventually folded for an inadequate 105 all out in the final over.

Dindyal Narine was the only batsman to put up some resistance making 26 (2x4, 1x6), before Trophy Stall XI knocked off the runs in the 13th over, losing two wickets in the process.

Dindyal Lakhan hit an accomplished unbeaten 53, spiced with five fours and two sixes, with Fung, using the blade again nicely striking 31 (2x4, 1x6).

At the presentation ceremony, Harold was named best batsman of the day for his first game’s winning 67 and was the recipient of a trophy while the winning team also collected a trophy. (Ravendra Madholall)

Federer gets nervous with Tiger in the house
By Larry Fine
NEW YORK, NY (Reuters) - Roger Federer has won nine of his 10 grand slam finals but the 25-year-old Swiss said he was nervous playing in front of his new friend Tiger Woods.

The world number one golfer attended the U.S. Open tennis final as Federer's guest, sitting in the front row of the players' box to watch him beat American Andy Roddick on Sunday.

Federer said despite all the pressure surrounding the grand slam tournament final, he was aware of Woods' presence.

"You get that feeling. It's like maybe the first time your parents see you do something special, or somebody comes to you, you really maybe look up to," Federer told reporters.

"For me, it's like when I go out there and I see Tiger sitting there, it's like, I try to play well, you know? I try to kind of get my act together and focus and get off to a good start."

Federer did just that, taking the first set from Roddick in 29 minutes to set the tone for his victory.

The Swiss said he and Woods, who has dominated golf in much the same way as he has ruled tennis, had been trying to arrange a get together for some time.

"More and more often, over the last year or so I've been kind of compared to Tiger, what he's doing on the golf tour, me doing on the tennis tour. So today was kind of the day where finally we got to meet and chat a little longer.

"For me it's very nice to get to meet him finally after all the time we've been trying to get to see each other," said Federer. "You would think that we would get a chance to see each other. Our schedules, they collide."

INTERESTING TALK
Woods told Federer he would travel to New York if he reached the final and the Swiss said they had an interesting talk in the locker room before the match.

"I asked him how it was for him. It's funny because many things were similar," Federer said.

"He knew exactly how I kind of felt out on the court.

"That's something that I haven't felt before, you know, a guy who knows how it feels to feel invincible at times and when you just have the feeling like there's nothing going wrong any more."

Federer said the way he demolished Roddick in the fourth and final set, allowing the American only 13 points as he clinched his ninth grand slam title, was similar to how Woods shuts the door on his rivals when he has a lead on Sundays.

Woods also gave Federer's parents a thrill by talking on the phone to them.

"My parents are great golfers, so he was nice enough to talk to them, as well, over the phone. They're not in bed yet, so it was great," Federer said.

With his U.S. Open victory, Federer moved within five of the record total of 14 won by Pete Sampras. Woods, who won the last two golf majors, the British Open and PGA Championship, has 12 major titles, six short of Jack Nicklaus's record of 18.

Federer said he has been invited to return the favour and watch Woods go to work at a golf major.

"I'm going to go to each Masters, each grand slam he plays and get him back.”

West Berbice are Berbice Neal & Massy zone champs
… brilliant all-round performance from Satar
By Vemen Walter
WEST Berbice led by a brilliant all-round performance from Salim Satar rebounded from the brink of defeat to snatch an exciting 13-run victory over Albion Community Centre in their Berbice Zone final of the 2006 Neal & Massy national 40-over first division cricket competition on Sunday.

Satar batted resolutely in hitting a well constructed 54, decorated with four fours before conspiring with fellow off-spinner Carlston Nurse to engineer an unexpected Albion batting collapse as Albion from a comfortable position of 123 for three in the 30th over, stuttered to 154 all out in 38.2 overs, replying to a relatively modest 167 all out, made by their opponents at the Blairmont Community Centre ground.

The win has enabled West Berbice to become the Berbice Zone Champions and will travel to Essequibo to meet the Essequibo Zone winner in the first national semi-final set for September 23 while Albion, having to settle as the Berbice runners-up, will come up against the Demerara champions in the second semi, set for September 30 in Demerara.

Two teams from the Ancient County have been allowed to contest the countrywide semi-finals, along with one each from Demerara and Essequibo, courtesy of Rose Hall Town Courts being the defending champions.

Albion appeared to have the game all wrapped up with opener Shastri Persaud, last man dismissed for a watchful 45 spiced with two fours and a six and teenager Ranga Lachigadu with a blistering 42 that contained three fours and a solitary six, going great guns but once Lachigadu was caught by substitute Troy Haley, low down at point off the impressive Satar, to culminate a 50-run fourth-wicket stand. None of the other batsmen suggested permanence, paying the price for reckless shot selection.

Satar also claimed the wickets of Davendra Bishoo (1) and Veerasammy Permaul (2), both perishing to catches in the deep, to end with figures of three for 23 from six overs while Orvin Mangru (2) and Jonathan Foo, for a first-ball duck were victims of Nurse, who also snared the wicket of Persaud, caught at wide long on, to conclude the match, much to the delight of the fair-size crowd. Nurse finished with three for 19 from 6.2 overs.

Doodnauth Lalbeharry (24), Suraj Sahadeo (0) and Imran Khan (19), were the batters back in the pavilion, earlier on.

Skipper Kanje Sedoc, supported with two for 27.

Earlier, Satar’s responsible knock held the West Berbice innings together after fast bowler Leyland Edwards (2-27) and off-spinner Lachigadu (1-22), who shared the new ball with Edwards, combined in snaring three early victims, upon winning the toss and taking first strike on a slow track and heavy outfield.

The lively Edwards induced a hook from Ralph Ogle (11), only for the batsman to glove a catch to wicketkeeper Persaud off the first ball of the fifth over - his third - before finding the outside edge of Ogle’s opening partner Artley Bailey’s bat, three deliveries later, again into the hands of the keeper.

Bailey made (8) and with Leroy Bristol offering Persaud his third catch of the innings in the next over from Lachigadu, West Berbice slipped from 25 without loss to 32 for three in the 6th over.

Satar first commenced the rebuilding process with Claudius Fraser, playing the supportive role, as the right-handed Fraser took the attack to the Albion spinners, clouting four massive sixes in a belligerent 28 in a 38-run fourth-wicket partnership that lasted six overs while posting another 44 for the fifth wicket Kwesi Mentore, whose contribution was 8.

Fraser, trying to go over the top once too often, was well caught by Lalbeharry, fielding at long on, off Mangru in the 13th over, with the total 30, and when Mentore drove a delivery from left-arm spinner Permaul that once more found the save hands of Lalbeharry, this time at short cover, the West Berbicians were 114 for five in the 28th over.

Mangru, (3-24), a former Berbice senior inter-county off-spinner eventually initiated the demise of Satar, shortly after the composed right-hander completed his well deserved half-century, holding out at deep midwicket, trying to up the tempo, at 136 for six with four overs to go in the innings.

In the quest for quick runs, West Berbice lost all of their remaining four wickets but more importantly accumulated an additional 31 runs.

Permaul (2-34) and leg-spinner Davendra Bishoo (2-31) also bowled well for Albion.

WEST BERBICE innings
A. Bailey c wkp. Persaud b Edwards 8

R. Ogle c wkp. Persaud b Edwards 11

L. Bristol c wkp. Persaud b Lachigadu 5

S. Satar c Lachigadu b Mangru 54

C. Fraser c Lalbeharry b Mangru 28

K. Mentore c Lalbeharry b Permaul 8

D. Wayne c Foo b Permaul 5

K. Sedoc c Lalbeharry b Bishoo 7

C. Nurse c Permaul b Mangru 11

D. Downer stp. wkp. Persaud b Boshoo 5

J. Cambridge not out 5

Extras: (b-2, lb-6, w-13) 21

Total: (all out, 40 overs) 167

Fall of wickets: 1-25, 2-30, 3-32, 4-70, 5-114, 6-136, 7-136, 8-150, 9-156.

Bowling: Edwards 5-0-27-2 (w-6), Lachigadu 6-3-22-1, Bishoo 8-2-31-2 (w-1), Mangru 8-1-24-3, Lalbeharry 5-1-22-0 (w-2), Permaul 8-0-34-2 (w-4).

ALBION innings

S. Persaud c sub. Haley b Nurse 45

D. Lalbeharry c Satar b Sedoc 24

S. Sahadeo c Sedoc b Bristol 0

I. Khan c wkp. Mentore b Sedoc 19

R. Lachigadu c sub. Haley b Satar 42

O. Mangru lbw b Nurse 2

J. Foo b Nurse 0

T. Sinclair run-out 1

D. Bishoo c Ogle b Satar 1

V. Permaul c Cambridge b Satar 2

L. Edwards not out 1

Extras: (b-1, nb-3, w-14) 18

Total:(all out, 38.2 overs) 154

Fall of wickets: 1-37, 2-44, 3-73, 4-123, 5-134, 6-134, 7-136, 8-140, 9-153.

Bowling: Downer 5-0-16-0 (nb-3, w-3), Cambridge 4-0-21-0 (w-4), Sedoc 8-2-27-2 (w-4), Bristol 4-0-22-1, Fraser 5-0-25-0, Nurse 6.2-1-19-3 (w-2), Satar 6-0-23-3 (w-1).

Ecstatic Sharapova targets more grand slams
By Simon Cambers
NEW YORK, NY (Reuters) - A jubilant Maria Sharapova said she hoped her U.S. Open tennis victory would be the springboard to more grand slam success over the next few years.

The 19-year-old Russian produced a stunning performance to beat second seed Justine Henin-Hardenne 6-4, 6-4, to win her first U.S. Open on Saturday, adding it to the Wimbledon title she won as a 17-year-old in 2004.

"I experienced it two years ago and I knew that I wasn't done, I had a lot more in me. That was just the beginning," Sharapova said.

"This is not just preparation that happened a couple of weeks before the tournament; this is preparation that I've done ever since I was a little girl with the help of my amazing family."

When Henin-Hardenne dumped a forehand into the net to give Sharapova the victory, the Russian sunk to her knees, putting her head in her hands, almost in disbelief.

"It is absolutely incredible," she said.

"The first thing that comes into (your) mind when you go down on the ground (is) that you just think of everything that you've put into this moment.

"Even though the moment is a very short time you get to be on court with that trophy, it's just so incredible."

Having won two titles this year and reached the semi-finals of two of the three grand slam events, Sharapova was among the favourites for the title before arriving in New York.

But she said victory had still taken her a little by surprise.

"I'm still pretty shocked," she said.

"I'm thrilled that I got to experience another grand slam win and that it's a different grand slam - the vibe is a little bit different.

"There's definitely nothing like winning your first major. But to win your second, it's kind of like the cherry on the cake.

"But there are a lot more cherries that I'm going to put on that cake, so I'm looking forward to having them."

At the age of 19, Sharapova's best years should be ahead of her and she will be a big threat at all the grand slams over the next few years.

"At the end of the day, I'm not done yet, you know," she said.

"I feel like I'm not done. I still have years to go in my career where I feel like I am going to improve and I am going to become a better player than I am today.

"But I'm absolutely thrilled, because you don't get to experience these moments every day. That's what you work for every single day - these moments.”

Strauss upbeat on Ashes captaincy
ANDREW Strauss is confident he could have done no more to convince the selectors he is the man to captain England in this winter's Ashes series.

With Michael Vaughan injured, either Strauss or Andrew Flintoff will be named skipper today when the touring squad is announced.

"I've been captaining the side since June time so they've got a fair idea about what sort of captain I am.

"I'd love to do the job in Australia but it's for other people to decide."

The squads for the Ashes and October's one-day ICC Champions Trophy will be announced at 1500 BST today at The Oval, where England completed their 2-1 Ashes series triumph a year ago.

Strauss' stock has risen after he oversaw a convincing Test series triumph and turned around England's one-day form to tie the series with Pakistan.

All-rounder Flintoff, who has been out of action since June with an ankle injury, is expected to return to fitness by mid-October.

He is expected to also be named in the Champions Trophy squad, with their first game in Jaipur on October 15.

But with the first Test against Australia beginning on November 23, England would have to be certain of Flintoff's fitness for the entire five-match series to name him as captain.

Coach Duncan Fletcher suggested that he and fellow selectors David Graveney and Geoff Miller had initially disagreed on who should take the job.

"You would like it to be unanimous but that's why you have selectors," he told BBC Radio Five Live.

Flintoff was just one of a group of half-fit players taken on the last Ashes tour of 2002-03 but went home without having played a match.

England are expected to name a 16-man squad with five further players placed on standby, based at Hampshire coach Paul Terry's cricket academy in Perth.

Fitness tests took place for the entire squad at the ECB Academy in Loughborough yesterday.

Seamers James Anderson (back) and Liam Plunkett (side), as well as spinner Ashley Giles (groin) will all be keen to prove their recovery from injury.

If Giles is unavailable, the tourists appear short of a second spinner to back up Monty Panesar.

Otherwise, pace bowler Stuart Broad, who made his one-day international debut in the series against Pakistan could be the only player without a Test cap included.

"We know really who's fit and who's unfit at the moment," said Fletcher.

"Anderson, Giles, Plunkett and Flintoff have all shown good recovery and they seem very happy with the way they're going at this stage.

"It always boils down to one or two positions and we've got to debate that rather than rushing in and making a decision we regret later.” (BBC Sport)

Latif believes Inzamam should retire from Test cricket
KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) - Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif believes current skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq should withdraw from the Test side and concentrate on playing in one-day internationals.

The 36-year-old Inzamam returned to Pakistan yesterday after a controversial tour of England, where his side lost the Test series and his one-day team slipped to fourth position in the International Cricket Council (ICC) world rankings.

Pakistan were beaten 3-0 in the Tests and lost the last two one-dayers over the weekend as England battled back to earn a 2-2 draw in the five-match series.

"I just think the responsibility of leading the team in Test and one-day cricket is proving to be a big burden for Inzamam," Latif told Reuters yesterday.

"At his age, it is never easy.

"In my opinion he would be better off just playing one-day matches. It would ease the pressure and allow him to give more to the team and extend his career."

Despite being retained as captain for next month's Champions Trophy in India, Inzamam faces a two-day ICC disciplinary hearing in London from September 27 and could face a ban of up to eight one-day internationals.

He is charged with ball-tampering and bringing the game into disrepute during the controversial fourth Test at the Oval, where his team refused to play on after the umpires changed the ball and penalised them five runs.

Inzamam replaced Latif as captain in November 2003 after the latter was banned for five one-dayers in a home series against Bangladesh for claiming an unfair catch.

"If Inzamam just plays one-day cricket I think the team will benefit a lot and could do well in next year's World Cup." Latif added.

"He can contribute a lot more as batsman if he is relaxed and free from the pressures of Test cricket.”

Gatlin arbitration hearing unlikely this year - lawyer
By Gene Cherry
RALEIGH, North Carolina, (Reuters) - Justin Gatlin's lawyer said yesterday she did not expect the Olympic champion's arbitration hearing on doping charges to be held this year.

"I don't think so," Cameron Myler told Reuters in a telephone interview from her New York office.

"One of the benefits that we get from the (August) stipulation with USADA (the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency) is more time to collect evidence to support our defence," she added.

"So I think the time frame (for the hearing) will be a little longer than you usually see."

Gatlin, who shares the 100 metres world record with Jamaican Asafa Powell, tested positive for the male sex hormone testosterone and its precursors at a Kansas relay meeting in April.

USADA announced last month that the 24-year-old American had accepted the accuracy of the laboratory results from the test and agreed his positive test constituted a doping violation.

JUST OUTCOME
An arbitration hearing will determine what ban, if any, Gatlin faces.

The maximum suspension would be eight years, USADA has agreed.

Gatlin could have faced a lifetime ban under anti-doping rules for second offences.

But USADA said his 2001 positive test for an amphetamine contained in a medication he had been taking for 10 years for Attention Deficit Disorder was a unique case and determined that an eight-year ban would be a just outcome.

Gatlin's lawyers are hoping an arbitration panel will either clear him or provide a much shorter suspension.

He has denied knowingly using any banned substance and predicted in an August statement that he would be cleared and allowed to compete again.

Myler said Gatlin's legal team had yet to file for an arbitration hearing.

"But we definitely will be," she added. "It's just an issue of timing."

Evidence that will assist Gatlin in the hearing is still being gathered, Myler said.

"We are trying to uncover all of the stones and look at all of the possibilities," she said.

Jones included in U.S. World Cup team
By Gene Cherry
RALEIGH, North Carolina, (Reuters) - Former triple Olympic champion Marion Jones has been included in the U.S. team for this weekend's IAAF World Cup in Athens.

Jones has not yet confirmed her participation, USA Track & Field (USATF) said in a statement yesterday, although her manager told Reuters she was planning, to compete in the 100 metres in Athens.

"Nothing has changed from last week," Charles Wells said in a telephone interview from his Texas office.

Wells said then the 30-year-old Jones would race at the World Cup meeting and in Shanghai later this month.

She has until Friday to declare her intentions, USATF said.

Jones was cleared of doping last Wednesday after her ‘B’ sample tested negative for the banned blood-boosting drug erythropoietin (EPO).

Jones's initial sample had tested positive for the drug at the U.S. championships in June. Had the second sample also been positive, she would have faced a two-year ban from the sport.

Heavyweights descend on Malaysia for trophy tune-up
KUALA LUMPUR, (Reuters) - Australia, India and West Indies will hone their one-day form when they clash in a hastily arranged Tri-nations series in Malaysia starting today.

The event, from September 12-24, will act as a warm-up for next month's Champions Trophy in India.

Australia will use the series to help fast bowler Glenn McGrath regain his fitness after a self-imposed nine-month exile to be with his sick wife.

"I think we'll try and give Glenn as much bowling as we can," Australian captain Ricky Ponting said.

"We need to make sure we're really monitoring his progress and try to get a fair bit of bowling into him. I'm sure he'll play the first couple of games and we'll just see how he pulls up after those."

West Indies will look to fine-tune their game for their defence of the Champions Trophy, which starts on October 7.

"We will be coming up against two very good teams and I think we have to take things in our stride," captain Brian Lara said.

"I think the main focus at this time is to defend the ICC Champions Trophy.

"We have got four games, maybe five if we reach the final but it is all going to be a lead-up to winning the ICC Champions Trophy -- the one major trophy that we have won in recent years."

Australian Greg Chappell, meanwhile, says he is feeling no extra pressure at facing his countrymen for the first time since taking over as India coach more than a year ago.

"I will focus on what we need to do and plan accordingly. I am only concerned about how we play and win," he said.

India will be looking for much from Sachin Tendulkar who shone in practice before heading to Malaysia.

"Sachin was looking very good," Chappell said. "We have no concerns about him at all."

Australia play West Indies in the opening match today. The teams play each other twice before the top two meet in the final on September 24.

FIFA moots Robben Island for Zidane-Materazzi reunion
By Tom Armitage
BERLIN, Germany (Reuters) - FIFA is considering South Africa's Robben Island as the stage for a reconciliation between Zinedine Zidane and Marco Materazzi, the defender he head-butted during the World Cup final.

Sepp Blatter, the president of FIFA, said yesterday that plans were afoot for the two players to be reunited, and one possibility was using the site of the notorious prison, where former South African president Nelson Mandela was held.

"We are working on bringing together Materazzi and Zidane," Blatter told reporters ahead of a meeting in Berlin to debrief national coaches after the recent World Cup.

"There are different possibilities and one of them is Robben Island in South Africa where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years."

The moment when France's Zidane head-butted Italian defender Materazzi during the final in July became a defining image of the 2006 World Cup.

Materazzi has since said that a reference he made to Zidane's sister prompted the attack from the French midfielder, which earned him a red card. Italy won the game 5-3 on penalties after Zidane was sent off.

World soccer's governing body FIFA fined Zidane 7 500 Swiss francs ($6 044) and Materazzi 5 000 Swiss francs.

Zidane said that since he had retired from the sport he would honour an additional three-match ban by undertaking community service.

Blatter backed a meeting of the two players, which Tokyo Sexwale, a former Robben Island inmate and now a member of the organising committee of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, suggested could take place at the prison site.

South Africa's Sunday Times newspaper reported that Sexwale was close to concluding a deal with Blatter in which Robben Island would be the venue for Zidane to perform his community service.

"This would bring to an end this story between Materazzi and Zidane," Blatter said.

"It is a pity that the World Cup ended with a red card and also by taking kicks from the penalty spot, but we have no other solution.”