Crash death toll rises to four
By Shirley Thomas
TWO more persons injured in the crash between a land cruiser and a mini-bus on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway Tuesday night, died yesterday morning, bringing to four the number of fatalities.

Officials confirmed that they died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) early yesterday morning.

Dead are Leslie Adams, 33, of Victory Valley, Wismar, and Michael Marks, 60, of Mora Hill, Mackenzie. Officials said Marks died at 01:35h and Adams at 01:42 h.

The other two persons killed in the accident are Johnny Douglas, 59, Managing Director of GUYTAR Company, of 50 William Street, Kitty, Georgetown, and Howard Leacock, 52, of Mackenzie, Linden. They died on the spot in the collision.

Douglas was driving the land cruiser, licence plate PJJ 8372, which was returning to Georgetown from Linden, and Leacock was a passenger in the mini-bus en route to Linden when the two vehicles collided on the highway in the vicinity of the Splashmin’s Fun Park around 18:30h.

In the Intensive Care Unit of the GPHC on life support systems yesterday was four-year old Arvenda Orgestia, of 620 South Amelia’s Ward, Linden, who suffered brain damage and cuts to the head.

The others injured were:

* the toddler’s mother, Lavern Paul 31, of 620 South Amelia’s Ward who suffered injuries to the head, face, hands and a dislocated right hip

* Seon Richards 31, also called ‘Dun de Wuk’, of 21 Wismar Hill, Linden. Richards who was the driver of the mini-bus, had both legs and his right hand broken, and sustained injuries to the head and several cuts about his face. He is in the Male Accident ward of the GPHC.

* Wayne Harris, 44, also of Linden, whose legs were broken. He also sustained multiple cuts about the head.

* Kenny Senidify, 16, of Amelia’s Ward, suffered injury to his right leg. His condition was yesterday stable.

* Otis Williams, 35, of South Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

Richards, who was fully conscious, but in severe pain yesterday, said that around 18:30h while travelling up to Linden with about seven passengers, he noticed another vehicle approaching from the opposite direction.

He said the road was wet and visibility poor, but remembered seeing some sand which had probably fallen off a truck on the road. Both vehicles tried to avoid the sand dangerously strewn on the road, resulting in the collision, he said.

And Douglas’ wife, Nicola, weeping as she spoke with the Guyana Chronicle, said her husband had left home around 06:30h Tuesday for Linden where he had gone on business. He was expected back by 19:30h.

However, instead of seeing him back at that time, she received a message from a family member that he was involved in an accident on the highway.

Nicola said that together with her mother and an elder brother she hurried down to the hospital where she saw several injured persons, but no one there was her husband.

She said she was told by a security guard to check with the mortuary at 08:30h yesterday. But even then, the distraught wife said, she still did not accept that her husband was dead.

On returning home, she said, she made the announcement to the children, but was still in denial and did not herself believe what she was saying to them. She said shortly after reporters visited her home and informed her that her husband was involved in an accident on the highway and had died.

Nicola said they asked her for his photograph, and she gave it to them. But as they were leaving, she became a little uneasy and wanted to tell them not to publish it, because they might be making an announcement when he was not really dead.

She said she spent the rest of the night confused and uneasy. Early yesterday morning she returned to the hospital and checked with the mortuary where she was confronted with the stark reality.

Recalling that she was allowed to see his body around 08:30h, Nicola said he was there, lying in the blue denim jeans and orange and blue stripe shirt he had left home with, but there was no evidence of external injury. Only then did she begin to internalise the scenario.

Douglas is survived by his wife, children Jammy, Neola, Rawle, Searita, Jason, Rocky, Jonathon, Christina and Joshua and other relatives.

Teen allegedly shot by boyfriend dies
THE fourteen-year old student of the David Rose Community High School in Georgetown, allegedly shot by her boyfriend at her home on March 24 last, died yesterday in the Intensive Care Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

Officials said Donnis King, of 41, Norton Street, Bagotstown, East Bank Demerara, died around 13:30h.

She spent about two months in hospital, during which time she moved back and forth between the High Dependency and Intensive Care Units.

During her initial hospitalisation, the teen, who hospital officials said had shown moderate signs of recovery, was transferred into the open female ward by the last week of March.

But early April, she developed complications and had to be rushed for emergency surgery after developing what appeared to be peritonitis. She was subsequently treated for a leaking intestine, which may have been grazed by the bullet which eventually lodged in her spine, a relative said.

King, who over the last several weeks had been lying in bed virtually helpless, had embarked on a progressive decline. Two weeks ago, after a prolonged stay in the open ward, she suffered a relapse and was readmitted to the High Dependency Unit.

Her mother said she was advised that the girl’s internal organs were badly damaged by the bullet.

She was allegedly forced to stand against a wall, with a hand on her throat, and shot at point blank range.

The shooting happened at the family apartment where the girl had a quarrel with her 17-year old boyfriend over ending their short relationship.

Police on March 27 issued a wanted bulletin for the suspect named ‘Travis’ but the brown complexion, medium built, unemployed young man is yet to be arrested.

Anyone knowing his whereabouts is asked to contact the nearest Police station or telephone numbers 911, 225-6411, 227-1149, 226-6978 and 225-3650.

Cop charged in pawn shop robbery
POLICE Lance Corporal 17850 David Astwood yesterday appeared before Principal Magistrate Melissa Robertson-Ogle charged in the West Demerara pawn shop robbery last week in which the bandits wore Police uniforms.

Police said Astwood, 27, of 658 West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, loaned a Police uniform to Jolyon Wong, who was charged and sentenced to seven years imprisonment at the Vreed-en-Hoop court after he pleaded guilty to robbing Giddings Payday Pawn Shop.

Astwood pleaded not guilty to attempting to commit a felony, fraudulent conversion and robbery under arms.

Police said, on May 16 last, at Vreed-en-hoop, West Coast Demerara, the cop while armed with a gun, robbed Kelvin Bishop of a cellular phone worth $8,000.

On the same day, it is alleged that he attempted to also rob the pawn shop.

Police said he, on May 10 last, he fraudulently converted two police regulation shirts, two pants, and 14 police metal buttons, entrusted to him by the Guyana Police Force, in order that he may keep and use during the course of his duty.

Astwood told the court that two Sundays ago, he had washed some of his clothing late in the evening and put them on a line to dry.

He said Wong, his friend, had asked him to borrow one of the regulation pants but he turned him down.

Astwood claimed the clothes were missing from the line the next day and he was later informed that they were found at a pawn shop robbery.

Police Inspector Desiree Fowler, prosecuting, said Wong was arrested wearing the shirt and the police regulation black pants with the number 17850 stamped on it.

She said two police regulation shirts and 14 metal buttons were also found on the trail of the bandits.

Fowler said when questioned Wong said he got the clothing from Astwood.

She opposed bail for Astwood because he is a member of the Police Force and ought to have been on the good side. She added that he should not have compromised with criminal elements.

Astwood, who said he has been employed with the Police Force for the past nine years, was remanded to prison until tomorrow.

China bank exploring Guyana investment
THE China Development Bank (CDB) is interested in investment here, according to Zhao Jianping, Assistant Governor of the bank.

The Government Information Agency (GINA) reported that after meeting President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday at his office in Georgetown, Mr. Jianping said, “As you know, we share long-term, good relations with your country and we see that the potential for economic cooperation is great. My visit here is to try and learn about the country and to promote Chinese investment.”

The agency said he explained that in many sectors of the country the possibility of lucrative ventures exists.

“You have a lot of resources China has a big market for,” he said, citing the examples of sugar, timber and bauxite.

GINA said he highlighted Guyana’s continuous move towards hydro-power, noting that China has a lot of expertise in this area.

The agency said Jianping was accompanied at the meeting with President Jagdeo by Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Zhang Jungao and Li Yunzhi, Deputy Division Chief, International Finance Department.

It said the bank, founded in March 1994 and led by Governor Chen Yuan, is a major player in long-term financing for key projects.  

Close flood watch continues
A COMBINATION of round the clock operations of drainage pumps, efficient functioning of sluices and a slackening off of rainfall led to a noticeable recession of flood waters in Georgetown and other parts of the coast yesterday.

The Ministry of Agriculture said there were reports of continued flooding in low areas of Bourda, Sophia, Queenstown, Kitty and South Georgetown but added that the drainage situation had been gradually improving over time.

It said all sluices and pumps in Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam), Region Three (West Demerara /Essequibo Island), Region Four (Demerara/Mahaica), Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice) and Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) were in full operation.

The ministry said it was also working in these regions to further strengthen the drainage system along the coast.

A drainage sluice is under construction at Westbury in Region Two, a jet pump is to be deployed to Hope in Region Four to clear the outfall channel, a mobile pump has been installed at Mahaica and is operable, and excavators of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) are at work within the Mahaica Mahaicony area in Region Five among others, the ministry reported.

It said manual cleaning of the 52/74 Façade Canal in Region Six is in progress and remedial repairs to the sluice door at Moleson Creek also in this region are imminent.

According to the ministry, the situation in the three conservancies -- the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) the Boerasirie Conservancy and the Abary Conservancy -- was normal.

It said conservancy water is being discharged through the sluices and relief structures of the EDWC and the Boerasirie conservancy while all relief structures at the Abary Conservancy are closed.

Meanwhile, Region Two Chairman, Mr. Ali Baksh reported that drainage and irrigation officials are monitoring the drainage network, canals and conversancy around the clock to ensure reduced chances of flooding.

He told the Guyana Chronicle that for the past 36 hours, the region had experienced heavy and consistent rains which caused some low areas to be flooded.

According to the chairman, water from the back lands where some 32,500 acres of rice are under cultivation, is flowing into drainage canals and trenches in residential areas and housing schemes.

Baksh said as a result of the high level of water in canals and trenches, the administration has immediately installed five mobile heavy duty pumps at Westbury, Dartmouth, Perth, Lima, and Andrews to drain excess water from the canals into the Atlanic Ocean.

He also reported that an excavator and several labourers were dispatched to the Hampton Court sluice to clear `sling mud’ from the channel of the sluice in an effort to drain the areas.

Mr. Leatherback in downtown walkabout
By Clifford Stanley
A LEATHERBACK turtle mascot, flipping and flopping, was an unusual sight in downtown Georgetown yesterday.

Curious onlookers found out that the presence of the mascot, known as Mr. Leatherback, was part of a strategy by the Guyana Marine Turtle Conservancy Society (GMTCS) to pique curiosity about the sea turtles and raise public awareness of the need for public support in ensuring that they are kept alive and grow in numbers.

Ms. Michelle Kalamadeen, GMTCS project coordinator, said: “There are not many city dwellers who have actually seen a leatherback turtle, so this was the first objective -- that is to get people to know what a leatherback looks like.”

She added that GMTCS, which works in conjunction with Conservation International (CI), was concerned about threats to the continued existence of the leatherback turtle in Guyana because of commercial harvesting of the meat and eggs.

She noted that the leatherback had virtually disappeared from the Pacific Ocean because of the same reasons.

“Guyana is one of the main areas for nesting by leatherbacks and it would be a shame if we contribute in any way to the decimation of the population of these magnificent animals, of this aspect of our natural environment.”

The flip flopping Mr. Leatherback (actually a man wearing a leatherback turtle costume) was brought to Georgetown yesterday, just one day after International Biodiversity Day observed on Tuesday during which the main theme was the impact of climate change on sea turtles.

Kalamadeen said Mr. Leatherback does his routine all over the world with the similar aim of increasing public awareness of the plight of the sea turtle and the need for public support to prevent them becoming extinct.

She said the situation in relation to the turtles which nest exclusively at Shell Beach in the North West (and nowhere else in Guyana), was fairly favourable but stressed that much more needed to be done to guarantee their safety.

She said her society was being helped by the use of Turtle Exclusion Devices which are mandatory for trawlers to prevent them snagging turtles and killing them, but added that the main threat were artisanal fishermen who capture and kill the animals for sale as meat.

Pollution by particularly non-biodegradable waste was another threat to the leatherback.

Kalamadeen said GMTCS is working in collaboration with North West Organics and Moruca Embroidery, two groups in the North West District, to ensure that the turtles are not killed for meat.

As Mr. Leatherback caught the attention of some curious schoolchildren, Kalamadeen said, “Our long term goal is the establishment of volunteer groups to work with communities to find and promote alternative food to sea turtle meat.”

She added that this involved not only working with groups in the North West but in other areas of Guyana, including Georgetown, to ensure that Mr. Leatherback is not eaten but protected and allowed to proliferate in the interest of sustaining the proud bio-diversity of nature in Guyana.

Others with the very energetic Mr. Leatherback during his visit to Guyana and downtown Georgetown yesterday were Ms. Annette Arjune of GMTCS and North West Organics and Mr. Ajay Baksh and Mr. Brian Hutchinson of CI .

Kalamadeen also serves as Scientific Officer II at the Centre for the Study of Biological Diversity, University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus.

Independence anniversary exhibition opens
FORTY ONE years after it gained independence from Great Britain, historian Tota Mangar yesterday said this country is still struggling to realise its independence goals of political stability, national unity and social and economic progress.

Guyana observes its 41st independence anniversary Saturday, but Mr. Mangar, speaking at the opening of an annual Independence exhibition at the National Museum, said “political stability and national unity are as elusive as ever.”

“Let us put nation first at this critical juncture of our country’s history and in the face of an increasingly harsh and oppressive world environment, let us give true meaning to our motto of `One People, One Nation, One Destiny’, he urged.

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr. Frank Anthony, in his remarks, said working together as a cohesive nation will bring greater benefits, adding that the government is doing all it can to promote and practice inclusiveness.

“We are traversing across the across the nation to meet and solicit support for the development initiatives and to work with communities to develop grassroots strategies to eradicate poverty…the essence of democracy and the spirit of Independence is being manifested.”

The Independence exhibition has a diverse display of artifacts, written material and photographs, from both the pre and post Independence period.

“This exhibition memorialises the struggles of our peoples and immortalises their sacrifices so that future generations can understand what they have done to put this country on the track to develop a modern state,” Anthony said.

The exhibition was put together by the National Museum with help from the Guyana Defence Force, the Guyana Police Force and the National Assembly.

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and British High Commissioner Fraser Wheeler were among those at the opening of the exhibition.

On the eve of this year’s Independence anniversary celebrations tomorrow, some 850 school children will perform at the National Park in Georgetown during the annual flag raising ceremony, billed to be a glittering event.

Man found dead in friend’s car
POLICE are probing the death of an Essequibo man whose body was yesterday found in a friend’s car.

Louckram, 57, of Richmond Housing Scheme, Essequibo Coast, was found dead, about 09:30h in the back seat of the car which was parked under the friend’s house, Police reported.

Police said Louckram and the man were drinking Tuesday and he was last seen alive about 18:30h that day.

There were no marks of violence on the body which is awaiting a post mortem, Police said.

GRA assessing VAT implementation
THE Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) yesterday said it has successfully completed three major phases in the implementation process of the Value Added Tax (VAT) and Excise Tax (ET).

These are, it said, the registration period, the launch of VAT and the filing of monthly returns.

Commissioner-General Mr. Khurshid Sattaur said “after almost five months, the GRA is taking stock of the introduction of this major initiative and so far we are quite satisfied with the way VAT is being administered, both at the level of the GRA and by VAT registered businesses.”

“There still remain quite a lot of challenges. Among these are proper record keeping by VAT registrants, non-issuance of receipts by VAT registrants and high prices for some commodities”, he said.

He said the GRA views these unacceptable practices as “ingrained stubborn trends” which have to be addressed using harsh means since the VAT and ET Department employed rudimentary measures of assistance to VAT registrants but these have not been heeded.

Sattaur said while moving to the court for redress of any infringement may be one of the final courses of action the GRA would want to pursue, it may be the only way to signal its seriousness to delinquent VAT registrants.

In the meantime, the GRA said it is using the powers vested within the law to address delinquent VAT registrants who continue to fail to file returns, issue appropriate invoices and other obligations.

The initial high rate of applications for refunds, it said, spurred immediate audits of several businesses.

The GRA said its audit department is undertaking comprehensive audit of both individuals and companies to ensure that they are in full compliance with the laws by being accountable and by remitting all the tax due to it.

“Compliance visits continue and we continue to solicit the support of the general public, especially in ensuring VAT registrants are accountable”, it said.

Moreover, the GRA said it has already begun to use its authority under Section 35 (4) of the VAT Act to apply any refund claimed in reduction of any other tax, levy, interest or penalty payable.

Further, it said, Section 33 of the Act allows the commissioner to make an additional assessment of the tax payable to the GRA, where the commissioner is not satisfied with a return, and persons will be served with notice of the assessment.

The GRA said it is working on several of these cases.

The authority also reiterated that VAT is not the main cause for increased prices.

A typical example, it said, is that of milk, which is zero-rated for VAT purposes but which has experienced a significant price increase.

The GRA maintained that the introduction of VAT was timely and that it will yield tremendous benefits to Guyana and all its citizens.

Many Strong Voices call for action on climate change
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown) -- When it comes to the earth’s changing climate, the people of the Arctic and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have a message for the world – the time for action is now.

This message is supported by the recently released report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which highlights the vulnerability of the Polar regions and small island states to climate change. 

These two regions, separated by geography, climate and culture, are united by the fact that they are already feeling the dramatic effects of climate change. Both regions are looking for ways to adapt, but on their own, they may not be able to succeed. Strategic policy-relevant and community-driven initiatives need to be addressed through collaboration. 

From May 27 to May 30, 40 stakeholders from the Caribbean, Alaska, Fiji, Greenland, French Polynesia, and other locations in the Arctic and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) will gather at a workshop in Belize.

They are part of the Many Strong Voices Programme, coordinated by the UNEP/GRID-Arendal, based in Norway, the Center for International Climate and Environment Research – Oslo (CICERO), the CARICOM Climate Change Centre and the Organisation of American States’ Department of Sustainable Development.

“We need to focus our research efforts on local communities because adaptation to climate change is a global concern with local manifestations,” says Grete Hovelsrud, Research Director at CICERO. 

The Many Strong Voices Programme was launched in late 2005 at a global climate change meeting in Montréal, Canada. Its task is to bring together a consortium of researchers, policy-makers, and organisations to advance mutual learning and exchange of knowledge, research, and expertise on climate change adaptation within and between the Arctic and the SIDS.

“When the programme was launched we were calling it ‘Many Small Voices’, thinking about small nations and regions with small populations joining forces,” explains Joan Eamer, Polar Programme Manager for UNEP/GRID-Arendal. “It is a measure of the depth of concern and strength of purpose of the participants from both regions that the name very soon became ‘Many Strong Voices’.”

Coastal communities in the Arctic and Small Island Developing States are experiencing the effects of climate change first-hand. Because of their close ties to land and sea environments, economies and cultures in both regions are particularly vulnerable to climate change. 

Although the natural and human environments in the two regions differ markedly, the effects of rising temperatures, changing precipitation, shifts in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, and projected changes in sea level threaten the ecology, economies and social and cultural fabric of both regions.

The four-day workshop will focus not only on strategies to adapt to climate change, but also on ways to deliver a strong message to the world. The people in the SIDS and Arctic are responsible for less than 1 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. According to the IPCC report, however, they are feeling a disproportionate level of impact.

These regions are bellwethers for climate change and the effects they are feeling now will soon be felt by the rest of the planet. Representatives of the Arctic and

SIDS countries have been arguing that the rest of the world needs to pay attention to their situation.

Belize is an ideal location for the workshop, which is hosted by the CARICOM Climate Change Centre, because it too is experiencing the effects of climate change. These include coastal erosion, sea level rise and increased temperatures that have led to the widespread devastation of forests in the region due to insect infestations. 

At the workshop in Belize, participants will develop a five-year programme and agree on concrete and collaborative steps to address the issues of capacity building, targeted research, communications and outreach activities, and partnership and fundraising goals.

Funding for the workshop is provided by the Government of Norway and the U.S. National Science Foundation.

Splashmins denies robbery at its highway resort
THE management of Splashmins Fun Park and Resort has categorically denied a television report that a Barbadian man and his Guyanese girlfriend were robbed outside its premises along Soesdyke/Linden Highway.

A Splashmins release, issued yesterday, said NCN Channel 11 reported the incident on the last newscast Tuesday, with the insert of a woman confirming the robbery.

“The management of Splashmins wishes to inform the public and the media that the robbery occurred at the Azisa Akousa Resort, which is in no way affiliated to Splashmins Resort,” the release said.

It added: “We understand that Azisa Akousa Resort, which is our neighbour, is often mistaken for us, due to their not very visible signboard. However, since Splashmins is a multi-million-dollar investment, this mix-up often results in long term damaging effects on our venture.”

Splashmins said the media is free to contact its offices for clarification of stories to ensure that the public is fed with the correct information that, at the same time, does not put the company in a position that risks affecting its reputation.

BOSAI, NAACIE sign modalities for negotiating agreement
BOSAI Minerals Group Guyana Inc. and the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) have announced their intention to begin negotiations for a 2007 collective labour agreement (CLA).

The announcement follows their signing of “modalities for negotiations” setting out ground rules for the deliberations.

In a joint statement, the parties indicated that they will begin the bargaining on June 6, at Watooka Club, Mackenzie, Linden.

The statement said the employees of the bauxite company have not been covered by a CLA for the past three years and that situation gives the two sides an opportunity to establish a workable arrangement that can be beneficial to all concerned.

The statement was issued after delegations from the union and the company met on Tuesday to initiate the industrial relations process.

The NAACIE side was led by the General Secretary, Mr. Kenneth Joseph and included Assistant General Secretary, Mr. Dawchan Nagasar; Branch President, Mr. Linnell Warden; Secretary, Mr. Hilary Bobb; Vice-President, Mr. Haslyn Graham and committee member, Ms. Collette Allicock.

The BOSAI team was headed by General Manager, Mr. Steve Ma Xing, who was accompanied by Personnel and Industrial Relations Superintendent, Mr. Peter Benny.

Minister Nawbatt for Region Nine visit
MINISTER of Housing and Water, Mr. Harry Narine Nawbatt will visit Region Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo), tomorrow and Saturday and residents will have the opportunity to interact with him, the Government Information Agency (GINA) announced yesterday.

GINA said he will call on regional officials, check on pump stations and meet residents of New Culvert City, Tabatinga, St. Ignatius and other villages in Central and North Rupununi.

Among other activities in which the minister will be involved are the preparation of allocation letters, processing and distribution of land titles, field verification of lots at Tabatinga, interviews and selection of allottees for more house lots, the agency said.

GINA said Nawbatt will also address concerns relating to the housing and water sectors in an effort to increase efficiency, service, coordination and feedback.

He is expected, as well, to attend the flag-raising ceremony in the region to mark Guyana’s 41st Independence Anniversary.

Nawbatt will be accompanied by officials from his ministry and Guyana Water Incorporated, GINA said.

Husband of shot shopkeeper in lucky escape
THE man whose shopkeeper wife was shot in an attempted city robbery Tuesday night said yesterday he was lucky to escape injury.

Fifty-six-year-old Ramrattan Singh said the gunman discharged a bullet in his direction but, fortunately, it hit a grill on the building and lodged in concrete.

He said the shooting happened about 20:55h as the couple were closing their shop at 161 Lamaha Street, Newtown, Georgetown.

The unhurt man said patrons from a nearby disco rushed to the premises when they heard the gunshots and the bandit fled empty-handed.

Singh said he felt that, if people did not respond to their alarm, he and his wife would have been killed.

Ironically, he said Police, who arrived about one and a half hours after being summoned, even accused him of hiring the gunman to shoot his wife.

The mother of four, reported in stable condition yesterday, is nursing the wound from a gunshot that hit her on one arm and exited another.

Her husband told the Guyana Chronicle they were confronted by the shooter who had jumped over a fence into their yard.

The barking of their dog alerted the Singhs to his presence but, before they could react, he said, his wife was shot at close range.

Singh said the attacker might have been in hiding and waited until they were locking up the business place to pounce on them.

He said the gunman had two accomplices waiting on the street but the robbery was foiled when his wife screamed.

GTM reports another favourable year
THE Guyana and Trinidad Mutual Life Assurance Company Ltd (GTM) yesterday reported another year of favourable performance.

At its 82nd annual general meeting at the Georgetown Club, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr. Harold Davis, in his report said, last year was a challenging and fulfilling one with net premium increasing by 5.5% over 2005 to $520M, and declining interest rates resulted in 1.7% decrease in investment income.

A surplus of $48.7M was transferred to the company’s Life Assurance Fund, compared to $17.9M in 2005, representing an increase of 171%, he reported.

He also said that management expenses decreased by 6%, and savings as a result of restructuring of staff were evident by a 10.9% reduction in salaries and other staff costs.

According to Davis, the total amount expended for Surrenders was less than that of 2005 by 10%, while commission and sales expenses were about the same as in 2005, and overall claims declined by 4.8%.

He observed that the company moved from a position of an overall negative growth of $38.8M in 2004 to an overall positive growth of $48.7M in 2006.

“Your company plans to maintain this momentum in 2007. You, our policy holders, can assist in this regard by effecting and/or maintaining your insurance coverage with us thus signalling your support and confidence in GTM,” he exhorted.

He applauded the dedication of the staff and directors of the company for its good performance and the provision of services of the highest professional and ethical standard.

The Chairman assured that GTM continues to uphold its corporate responsibilities and in this regard continues to provide financial support to its policy holders in Grenada and St Lucia in the form of bursary awards to their children.

Davis said that to date, about EC$152,590 has been spent in this regard.

He also stressed that GTM continues its sponsorship of the region’s under-19 cricket competition for the 30th consecutive year and in St Lucia it continues to support the Micoud Secondary School.

He recalled too that the company refurbished the fitness trail at the National Park in Georgetown in December last year.

Davis pledged his company’s continued efforts to enhance the status of the insurance industry in the coming years.

“We propose to expand our product line and will be shortly offering to the public two new products - details of these will be set out later. An adjusted school plan, which covers teachers and gives students the option to convert policy to a permanent life insurance policy, is also being sold. The training of employees in order to increase their knowledge and proficiency as well as the expansion of our sales force will continue in 2007,” Davis assured.

Meanwhile, the Board of Directors of the Company was re-elected comprising Chairman Harold Davis and Directors - Ram Lall Singh, Errol Cheong, Peter Fraser, Dr. Lloyd Valladium, Frederick Meredith, Ms. Beverly Harper and Edward Luckhoo.

Rice Board refuses to renew Alesie licence
-- company goes to court
A RICE milling company has gone to court to challenge the refusal of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) to renew its licence.

A top board official yesterday said it has refused to issue the company with a licence for this year, citing its failure to pay rice farmers for paddy it received to the tune of $65M, of which about $40M is owed to some 19 rice farmers in Black Bush Polder, Berbice

The Alesie Group of Companies filed a writ against the GRDB Monday in the High Court, seeking an order to compel the board to issue a licence forthwith to manufacture rice pursuant to the Rice Factories Act No. 8 of 1998.

GRDB General Manager, Mr. Jagnarine Singh, said the matter has its origins in the issue of outstanding payments to farmers since last year when efforts were made to resolve the matter.

He said promises to honour outstanding payments to rice farmers were made by several millers.

However, while some millers honoured their promises, others did not and Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud had signalled the intention to amend the Rice Factories Act to include harsher penalties for defaulting rice millers, Singh explained.

Subsequently, the Rice Factories Act was amended last year in Parliament to include the stiffer penalties.

As such, he said, the GRDB resorted to its legal prerogative to refuse the licence of the company because it has failed so far to honour its obligation of meeting its outstanding payments to rice farmers.

Americas 11 cable disruption:
GT&T concerned at Digicel statements
THE Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company has expressed concern about statements by a Digicel top official in the wake of a second disruption to the Americas 11 cable off the coast of French Guiana and its subsequent effect on international telecommunication services, both locally and overseas.

Referring to the statement by Mr. Tim Bahrani, Chief Executive Officer of U-Mobile (Cellular) Inc. (Digicel), GT&T, in a statement of its own aimed at “setting the record straight”, called Bahrani’s comments “thinly veiled attempts to capitalise on what has been an extremely unfortunate situation”.

GT&T also specifically rejected his suggestion that its lifeline, the Americas 11 cable, is on a thread which keeps snapping, and said Bahrani should instead seek to inform himself of the significant investment which the “thread” represents.

GT&T said while it understands the anxiety of any private company to maximise its profits, it strongly denounces any attempts to manipulate the process that governs a formal agreement between its parent company ATN (Atlantic Tele Network), GT&T and the Government of Guyana.

Further, GT&T said it remains unconvinced that the demand by Digicel for an international licence is prompted more out of a concern for the Guyanese national interests than impatience to expand profits.

On its commitment to customers, GT&T said it is reflected in its investment in redundancy facilities and the extent of services it continues to provide, following damage to the cable, allowing for almost the total amount of international voice and data traffic during the period of disruption.

According to GT&T, it some years ago purchased at real costs, rights in a number of international undersea cables, including the Americas 11 cable that connects North and South America and the Dutch, French and English–speaking Caribbean.

The company said its investment in 2002 in the Americas 11 cable was to strengthen Guyana’s ability to attract international data transfer business such as call centres, and this has “undeniably increased internet penetration in keeping with GT&T’s ongoing commitment to national ICT development.”

Prior to that, and with objective being in the interest of the Guyanese consumers, to always have available an alternative means of transmitting international traffic, GT&T said it increased the number of earth stations in place for international traffic. There is now the initial one at Kingston, Georgetown, and another at Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara.

Also, GT&T said, in normal circumstances it would use its licence to carry international traffic originating from its fixed service, its own Cellink and from Digicel customers.

It noted too, that with its temporary authorisation, Digicel customers continued to access and use GT&T’s network for international connection as is normal, based on the existing Interconnect Agreement.

Homophobia in Guyana
RECENTLY, an e-mail sent by one young journalist to the Guyana Press Association mailing list solicited a long debate on homophobia in the Guyana press fraternity as well as in the larger society in general.

While the e-mail, written by Mr. Richard Haywood, does not reach the vitriol or verbosity of the letters to the editor sent by anti-gay crusader Mr. Roger Williams, it still shows the level of fear and distrust homosexuals in Guyana have to face from some sections of our society.

In his missive, the young reporter basically accused the local media of harbouring a growing homosexual clique, one which he saw as "tarnishing the image" of the media as a whole.

"Recently Gays globally have been very vocal and have been speaking out. May be [sic] that's why these 'guys' are not ashamed. I hope we don't have a situation in the local media fraternity where Gays are protesting for rights like in other countries."

Homophobia is best described as the irrational fear, hatred and distrust of either gay people individually or collectively.  Whether one agrees or disagrees with Mr. Haywood, the rationality of his position is relative to the particular section of the society one belongs to. 

While there are undoubtedly many people who would find fault with his particular stance, they are in the minority when it comes to Guyanese society, and the larger Caribbean society which cradles us.

Caribbean homophobia, and this is not necessarily used in the pejorative sense, is part and parcel of our general cultural conservatism; which basically means that it constitutes who we are as a people. 

This is not to say whether it is wrong or right.  Just as there is alternatively a thin line and huge grey area between racism and ethnic pride, there are also such elusive degrees of separation between our homophobia and our deep sense of family.

Our homophobia isn't going to go away any time soon.  Most likely it will outlast our racism, our sexism and our class divisions.  A full frontal assault on the collective consciousness of Guyanese society, a la the gay pride revolutions in other more liberal societies is not going to do anything except stir up an increasing reactionary response by the local anti-gay lobby.

By the same token, the homosexuals in our society aren't going to go away any time soon either. As long as people exist, there will be homosexual people. 

A full frontal assault on the gay community within our midst will not do anything but antagonise people who deserve the same rights to peace and privacy that the rest of our society does.

Nigerian on passports charge
A NIGERIAN allegedly held earlier this week with several passports at his Prashad Nagar, Georgetown home, yesterday appeared on two charges and pleaded not guilty before Principal Magistrate Melissa Robertson-Ogle.

With intent to defraud, Police said Prince Uwa Alguedowan, 39, of 132 Amla Avenue, Prashad Nagar, allegedly forged a Guyana Immigration Entry and Departure stamp in order to use it as genuine, between February 15, 2005 and last May 7.

Police also said that on May 18 last, at his home, without lawful authority, he had 14 foreign passports and six rubber stamps suspected to have been stolen or unlawfully obtained.

Police Inspector Desiree Fowler, prosecuting, asked that bail be refused for the accused after noting the seriousness and prevalence of the offence and the fact that the country has a legal immigration office.

She said since he frequently travels in and out of the country, she is deeming him a flight risk and, as such, was also requesting that his passport be lodged with the police.

The Magistrate refused bail and transferred the matter to another court for tomorrow.

The man’s lawyer, Mr. Mark Waldron, said the father of two has already lodged his passport with the police and is the owner of Future 1 Taxi Service and Car Rental which he has been running from his home for the past three years.

He argued that both offences with which his client is charged attract bail and added that when the search was carried out on his home, he was not even in the country.

Waldron said that having been aware that the police searched his home and wanted him for questioning, Alguedowan voluntarily returned and was then taken into custody. He said he was arrested on arrival at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.

He said though the man is originally from Nigeria, he is a citizen of Guyana.

Fowler said she was informed that the accused was in Trinidad when he heard of the incident and he indeed voluntarily came home for questioning.

She said the passports and stamps are lodged with the Immigration department.

At Berbice Assizes…
Murder accused recalls drinking with victim before fire
THE accused in the arson murder case at the Berbice Assizes, Anthony Beharry, yesterday recalled drinking with the victim, Yusuf Latiff before the fire.

In a statement from the dock after Justice Dawn Gregory-Barnes overruled submissions by Defence Counsel Charran Das Persaud, Beharry said Latiff, who had returned home from work, on September 20, 2004, gave him $1,000 with which he bought three bottles of rum.

The accused said, after the two of them and their friends had drunk the liquor, Latiff left the yard first and he and his friends followed.

“I never saw Latiff. I heard he had died,” the accused concluded.

Earlier, before the case for the Prosecution closed, Police Lance Corporal Paul David testified that, relative to a report of fire at the dwelling house of Bibi Ameena Boodhoo, he assisted with the investigation.

The witness said, the same day, he visited the scene, at Reliance, Canje, where he saw what remained of a burnt two-storey building.

David said, as a result of information received from Boodhoo, he made checks about the place and observed a one-burner stove about four feet from the eastern side of the house.

The witness recalled also collecting another oil-burning stove with some debris and lodging them at Reliance Police Station.

The policeman said, after being further informed, he went to Ward Three in New Amsterdam Hospital where Latiff was a patient with burns about his entire body.

The witness said he spoke to the injured man but got no response.

The following day, at 09:50h, the accused was contacted in the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of Central Police Station, New Amsterdam, where the allegation was put to him that he set Boodhoo’s house afire, knowing Latiff was inside and causing him injuries which resulted in his death.

David said the accused opted to make a statement which he wrote and Detective Sergeant Browne signed it as a witness.

In that account, the accused said he was contemplating preparation of a meal about 13:00h, with Latiff in the room next to his and his mother outside.

The attestation, which was admitted in evidence, records the accused as saying that, after lighting his stove, he went outside and complained to his mother that, although he did her nothing, his sister had gone for Police to lock him up.

Shortly after, cops arrived and arrested him and he later heard persons screaming for fire and he saw the house ablaze.

Beharry claimed he was drinking with Latiff with whom he had a good relationship.

David said he also witnessed a post mortem examination performed by Dr. V. Brijmohan on the body of the deceased which was handed over to relatives for burial at Cumberland cemetery.

Cross-examined by Defence Counsel Charran Das Persaud, the witness said, when he first saw the accused at Central Police Station, he was not there in connection with murder or arson, though he was subsequently charged with the capital offence after the death of Latiff.

David said he did not need photos to identify the accused as he had known him previously during investigations into other matters.

The witness said the reason for keeping the stoves was for the investigation.

Re-examined by State Prosecutor Leron Daly, David said Beharry was in custody on the basis of the accusation that he set fire to a building.

Before then, Police Constable Dave Hublall told the court he was rostered to perform duties in the Enquiries Office at Reliance station, between 08:00h and 20:00h.

He said, about 13:20h, a report was made against the accused and he left to investigate it but Beharry was not found.

Hublall said he eventually saw Beharry and was going towards him when the man’s home was on fire and he was standing in front of it.

The witness said the accused abused him when he told him it was alleged that he set the fire.

The trial is continuing.

Murder accused beat victim after futile girlfriend search
- State Prosecutor
THE accused in the Grove Housing Scheme murder case at the Demerara Assizes, Mark Anthony Wong had persuaded the victim, Kirt Bacchus called ‘Troy’ and two others to join him in a girfriend search that ended in tragedy, State Prosecutor Judy Latchman said yesterday.

She told Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards and the jury that, after Wong failed to find the girl for whom they were searching, he beat Bacchus with a cricket bat until the latter fell lifeless on March 21, 2004.

After the opening address by Latchman, Mohamed Reeaz Esau, one of the trio who was with Wong and Bacchus that night, testified.

The witness said, when he rebuked Wong about he manner of the attack on Bacchus, the accused dealt him some blows that caused bleeding from the nose.

Esau recalled that the three of them drank more than a bottle of vodka at a restaurant that night but he denied a suggestion, by Defence Counsel Hukumchand, that they were drunk and he did not know what happened.

The witness said it was also not true that the area where they were hoping to find the girl was frequented by dogs and the bat and pieces of wood, with which they were armed, had been intended to chase away the animals.

Esau made another denial when it was suggested, under cross-examination, that Bacchus was aggressive that night and had attacked Wong with a beer bottle.

The trial is continuing.

Prime Minister responds to Stabroek News article
PERMIT me to correct a significant inaccuracy in the article titled: `IDB proposes new loan to focus on loss reduction – as phase two of Unserved Areas Electrification Programme cancelled’ which appeared in the Stabroek News publication of Tuesday May 22, 2007.

The statement which reads “Phase Two of the Unserved Areas Electrification Programme (UAEP) has been cancelled” is erroneous and undoubtedly reflects a misinterpretation of the apparent discussions between your reporter and the Inter-American Development Bank’s Country Representative.  The truth is that Phase 2 of the UAEP, which includes the grid connection sub-component, is still in progress and preparatory work has commenced.

As at the end of December 2006 the UAEP, which is funded largely from IDB loan resources and local counterpart resources, exceeded the target of 12,000 available connections by the end of Phase 1. Concurrent with the UAEP Phase 1 Government funded a separate electrification programme, in keeping with its pledge to make electricity supplies accessible to more citizens in a shorter time.

That GoG funded grid expansion programme allows approximately an additional 19,363 households in more than 52 communities in Regions 2, 3, 4 and 6 to access electricity ahead of the UAEP Phase 2.

Current field surveys show that only about 5,000 house lots within GPL’s area of supply are yet to receive electricity. Given the efficiency with which GPL implemented Phase 1 of the IDB funded UAEP, coupled with the simultaneous Government funded electrification programme, it was determined that surplus loan resources under the UAEP could be cancelled under the multilateral debt write off arrangement from which the country benefited, without any negative impact on the objectives or outputs of the UAEP. 

GPL, Government and the IDB are at present negotiating a reformulation of the UAEP to allow for the disbursement of loan resources for the reduced Phase 2 grid connection activities and to develop strategies for cooperation to support GPL loss reduction efforts which are producing positive results.
SAMUEL A. HINDS
PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ELECTRICITY SECTOR

Misleading statement
I WAS pretty surprised to hear the Deputy Mayor of Georgetown saying it’s the government’s role to look after the pumps and canals.

I think this was a very misleading statement to the public. My understanding is that the City Council is responsible for the upkeep of the city.

They are responsible for the smooth running of the pumps that look after the smooth irrigation of the city.

How is it then that the Deputy Mayor is making such a comment? Isn’t that they are supposed to make provisions for the event of the May/June rains long before?

And why are they blaming the government?

Haven’t we seen time and again the same government coming out in support of the M&CC on more than one occasion?
LEILA RAM

Appeal to Sport Minister
IT IS with great interest that we read your article of GC 23/05 headlined “Basketball power brawl in Linden” in which the Linden Amateur Basketball Association and its executive headed by Mr. Colin Aaron are accused of failing to organise AGMs and election of office bearers.

This seems to be the way of conducting business for several other associations and organisations.

A similar situation exists at the Mildred Mansfield Youth Club of D’urban Street, Werk-en-Rust.

This club is currently the only youth club in the Georgetown area that has a functioning table tennis section, which is the only sporting activity being played at the club.

However, the players/members of this club have been denied access to the facilities since May 2, 2007 by the executive.

This executive, elected in November 2005, has failed to convene an Annual General Meeting which is constitutionally due within three months of the close of the financial year at December 31.

Additionally, no financial statements have been presented to members for subscriptions and fundraising events held during the period December 2005 to December 2006 and the executive has now seen it fit to deny members access to the club until subscriptions for 2007 are paid.

How can members be forced to pay subscriptions when there is no financial accountability?

This situation has been brought to the attention of the Ministry of Youth and Sport and to date the members are still locked out of the building and the executive continues to hold fund raising ventures.

Who is benefiting from these fund raising ventures and to whom is the money been accounted for?

We are appealing to the Honourable Minister of Sport Dr. Frank Anthony to intervene on our behalf and let us have access to our club immediately.

This club has produced and continues to produce national players.
UPSET MEMBER

Use community police against roaming animals
THIS may be the umpteenth letter being written about animals roaming the streets and roads.

With the most vibrant Minister of Home Affairs now in office, I am sure we will see in the near future some system will be put in place to deal with the owners of these stray animals.

The loss of property, damage to vehicles, even loss of life due to the roaming animals is too much.

The neighbourhood community police can be fully utilised in the fight against the unpleasant situation which is chronic in our society.

The neighbourhood police will definitely know the culprits who own the animals that roam.

A huge fine must be made to pay for allowing animals to roam the roadways, regardless of what type of animals.

I am looking forward for speedy action.

I bet there will be a reduction of traffic accidents which are animal related.
ANDRIEKO BASIR

‘Hurry Up’ card postponed after Rucker unable to travel
… “Stealth Bomber O’Neill disappointed
By Faizool Deo
GUYANA’s first female boxing champion Gwendolyn ‘The Stealth Bomber’ O’Neil will have to wait a while longer to defend her Women’s International Boxing Council (WIBC) light heavyweight title, since her fight against American Veronica Rucker has been postponed.

The entire ‘Hurry Up’ Promotions six-bout card which was set for Sunday night at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall has been delayed owing to the unavailability of Rucker.

Promoter Leon Moore said yesterday that Rucker is unable to travel out of the USA because of documentation problems.

He was unable to say when the fight will take place, but did indicate that the fight was still on and that Rucker had given him her commitment to travel as soon as she can.

Moore, who was expected to fight the supporting bout against Barbadian John Trotman, said that the postponement is a huge financial setback since things were falling into place for Sunday night.

Also disappointed in the postponement was O’Neil who is looking to rebound with a victory after her lost to Laila Ali in South Africa on February 3, this year.

“I am very disappointed, I was preparing hard for this fight, coming towards the end of preparation to learn something like this is hard.” O’Neil will not let her defences down and is planning to continue training, since she has to defend her title. “I am learning to be stronger, so this will not affect me,” she said.

The other bouts on the card included undefeated junior middleweight Lennox Allen against Mark Murray, Kelcie Ross against Paul Lewis in featherweight fight, Clifton Baker against Miguel Antoine of Barbados in a welterweight clash and another female clash between Veronica Blackman and Geraldine Cox.

Twenty-one U-23 footballers shortlisted for Olympic qualifiers
... Five overseas players to join group
TWENTY-one Under-23 footballers have been shortlisted from a squad of 36 to begin preparations for the Olympic qualifiers which will be held in Suriname this September.

The players will be joined by five players on overseas commitments: Dwight Peters, Andrew Durant, Tichard Joseph, Brion Baker and Anthony Forde. Baker and Forde will travel from the USA while the other overseas players are coming from Trinidad and Tobago.

The 26 players will be encamped at the Palace De Leon hotel Kitty, Georgetown from May 25th (tomorrow) to May 29th.

Baker is a midfielder who currently plays for the Palm Beach Pumas Soccer Academy Club.

He has represented Guyana as a national under-20 team member in St Kitts and Nevis and as an under-17 team member in Cuba. Forde on the other hand, currently plays for the Hillsborough County United Soccer Club in Tampa, Florida.

He has impressed head coach Eric Sims who was quoted as saying that he (Forde) is the best pure athlete he has ever seen. “He (Forde) has tools that you cannot teach... but technically he needs to get a little better,” Sims said.

Prior to the qualifiers, the final team of 20 players and five officials will travel to Suriname on May 30, to participate in the Parbo Bier Cup Tournament. Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Technical Director Jamaal Shabbazz and Coaches Wayne Dover and Kavin Pearce will assess the training squad.

The local based players are: Goalkeepers- Shemroy Arthur and Ronson Williams; defenders- Sherman David, Randy Small, Quincy Madramootoo, Javin Crawford, Devon Dummet, Solomon Austin and Kelvin Smith; midfielders- Shevane Seafort, Dwaine Jacobs, Philbert Moffat, Leon Grumble, Travin Cumberbatch, Francis Primo, Quacey Johnson, Alestor Johnson and Alpha Sylvester; forwards- Eddie Gomes, Verlon Mills and Jermain Adams. The overseas players are: Dwight Peters (forward T&T), Andrew Durant (goalkeeper T&T), Tischard Joseph (midfielder T&T), Anthony Forde (midfield/forward USA) and Brion Baker (midfield USA).

Windies coach seeks consistency
COACH David Moore has challenged his West Indies side to produce quality back-to-back displays against England.

The tourists impressed in the Lord's Test, responding to England's 553-5 in the first innings with positive batting to secure a draw.

But they have struggled for consistency in the past and speaking ahead of tomorrow’s second Test, he said: "It's something we're working on.

"The key is our consistency and ability to back up displays Test after Test."

England hope to have captain Michael Vaughan and key all-rounder Andrew Flintoff fully fit for the Headingley Test, but Moore insists his side also have much to be positive about.

"The bottom line is we came out and showed some good effort, good fight in the first Test - and got to a position where we could be there on the last day," he said. "We did some good work there, which is good for the boys' confidence.

"Everything is in place so we can win cricket games. The boys have been very good - their training commitment has been excellent."

However, he has warned his side to beware the threat of Vaughan, should the England captain return to the side after missing the Lord's Test with a broken finger.

"He got 70-odd against us in the World Cup game in Barbados and looked pretty good to me," he said.

"Obviously he's been injured. But he's a quality cricketer; I've seen him play all over the world and bat beautifully.

"He's a world-class cricketer and world-class captain and obviously someone we respect.” (BBC Sport)

Yorke says no to Gold Cup appearance
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, (CMC) – Dwight Yorke, captain of the Soca Warriors team that participated at the 2006 World Cup Finals in Germany has blanked an offer by Trinidad & Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) special advisor Jack Warner to make a return to the national team.

Earlier this month Warner, a FIFA Vice-President and also President of CONCACAF, had announced -- at the federation’s Congress in Toronto -- that Yorke would be honoured at the upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup and as such, would be expected to join the senior team for the tournament.

Warner had added that an invitation went out from him to Yorke which requested his services for next week’s Digicel Shield and the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

But contacted Tuesday, Warner said that Yorke will not be available.

“A message was left on my phone by his agent, which stated that Yorke will be involved in a football clinic from May 27 to the middle of June, which makes him unavailable for both the Digicel Shield and Gold Cup,” Warner stated.

However, a source close to the team hinted that Yorke’s decision not to return to the team is in solidarity with many of the players over the non-payment of what they regard as “reward money” owed to them by the T&T Football Federation for their qualification and participation at the 2006 World Cup Finals.

The source added, “I’m reliably informed that Yorke informed the T&TFF that he will only be available to play if the best team will be going and with most of the World Cup players locked in battle with the T&TFF, he had no other choice but to decline the offer”.

Asked to comment on the T&TFF and World Cup players’ dispute, Warner replied, “I don’t want to get involved, it’s matter for them and the T&TFF and at the end of it all, I will have my say”.

T&T coach Wim Rijsbergen is facing the possibility of going into two major tournaments minus the core of players from the Germany World Cup and has already expressed his desire to work with the best players.

At the June 6-24 Gold Cup, Trinidad and Tobago are slated to face the USA, Guatemala, and El Salvador in first-round Group B play.

Ireland complete innings rout over Canada
AS expected, Ireland wrapped up a comprehensive innings-and-115-run victory over Canada in the Intercontinental Cup final at Leicester, taking a little over five sessions to do so in a dreadfully one-sided contest.

After building an almost match-winning position yesterday, Canada's fightback in the morning was too little too late, but it will have given them some solace.

Resuming on 250 for 3, Ireland made painfully slow progress against some tight bowling, hitting only two fours in the first hour.

But Umar Bhatti then kick-started the day into life, gabbing four wickets in five ball, including a hat-trick of leg-befores, with the next delivery agonisingly close to another. The last seven wickets fell for 55 with only Eoin Morgan, who was last man out for 84, offering any resistance.

Canada started their second innings 260 in arrears, and although they showed more application than they had yesterday, they still struggled against the moving ball and were all out for 145..

Trent Johnston took three of the first four wickets to fall while Kyle McCallan ripped through the tail to finish with 5 for 34. It was all over with more than two days to spare. (Cricinfo)

County cricket 'failing England'
By Ben Dirs
FORMER Yorkshire coach Wayne Clark says county cricket needs a radical overhaul if England are to avoid a repeat of the poor performances during the winter.

Clark, who led Yorkshire to the County Championship title in 2001, stood down as coach of Western Australia in March.

"Australia's domestic cricket is a lot stronger than county cricket and bloods people well for the international scene," Clark told BBC Sport.

"In England, they just about grind players into the ground."

After losing the Ashes 5-0 in disastrous fashion, the England and Wales Cricket Board ordered a thorough analysis of what went wrong.

And the findings of the Schofield review group, chaired by former golf executive Ken Schofield, are due to be made public on Thursday.

England also had a dismal World Cup, when they failed to make the semi-finals and lost to every Test team they played against bar West Indies and Bangladesh.

Clark, who played 10 Tests for Australia, has also coached Western Australia to two Pura Cup and three one-day domestic titles.

And he feels it is Australia's more compact system that makes domestic cricket more competitive in his home country.

Six state sides compete in Australia's domestic competitions, compared to 18 first-class counties in England and Wales.

"The intensity of the game is a hell of a lot higher," said Clark. "When you've only got six teams, it's very hard for players to get a game.

"In Australia, we only play 10 [Pura Cup] games a season and leading into that there's a hell of a lot of preparation.

"In county cricket, because there are so many games, it's very difficult, especially for the bowlers, to play at 100% in every game."

Former England skipper John Emburey agreed that English cricket would benefit from a reduction in teams, but admitted it was unlikely to happen.

"Thirteen teams playing each other once would no doubt be better than the present system," Emburey, now Middlesex director of cricket, told BBC Sport.

"But it isn't going to change. You can't turn round to Derbyshire and say, 'go and join with Notts', or tell Leicestershire to join with Northants."

Cricket writer and former Middlesex seamer Simon Hughes also thinks there are too many professional players in England, but says the links between county cricket and the club scene should be stronger.

Hughes told BBC Sport: "We should have a smaller nucleus of professional players.

"County cricketers are cosseted - once they get a contract, a lot of them think, 'I'll do just enough to keep going'.

"But they should be told that if they don't perform, they're out, and someone from club cricket will replace them.

"In Australia, there are strong links between club, state and international cricket, they get amateur players through the ranks and into the top level more quickly."

Emburey agreed that the English game as a whole would benefit from closer ties between the counties and clubs.

"In Australia, the young kid at a club is playing with perhaps two state players, perhaps a former state player and sometimes even a current Test player," said Emburey.

"That helps the development of the young player. In England's professional system, first-class players don't drop down and the club game isn't nurtured in the same way."

Emburey also thinks the introduction of central contracts for England stars was a short-sighted measure.

"By not having these senior England players around that can contribute and develop the younger players, we've shot ourselves in the foot," said Emburey.

"That said, maybe we should kick into touch those old players that are not going to play for England and develop young players instead."

Meanwhile, Australian cricket journalist Scott Heinrich believes England will never be a consistent force unless the make-up of the ECB's 12-man board is altered.

ECB board members, said Heinrich, who either represent counties directly or come from a background where they have their interests at heart, will always be more interested in their own survival and financial well-being than anything above or below.

"In England, the counties run the game," said Heinrich, who covered the County Championship for the BBC Sport website for five years.

"It's the other way round in Australia, with the state teams subservient to the national team. It is understood that the Pura Cup is a nursery for the bigger stage."

In addition, Clark, who is eyeing a return to county cricket in 2008, says the counties are not doing enough to develop the grass-roots game.

"In Australia, the states are responsible for delivering the Milo cricket programmes, which involve more than 500,000 children each year," said Clark.

"The states are involved with the schools competitions from the age of eight upwards. In terms of structures and participation, things are a lot stronger.

"They're really nurturing the game at a grass-roots level. I didn't see enough of that when I was in England.

Wright could be next Australia academy coach
JOHN Wright, the former New Zealand opener and India coach, is strongly tipped to become Tim Nielsen's replacement as the head coach at the Centre of Excellence.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Wright was a late entrant in the race for the Brisbane-based role.

The paper said that two weeks ago, Cricket Australia (CA) had trimmed their list down to Trevor Bayliss, the New South Wales mentor, and Tim Coyle, who guided Tasmania to the Pura Cup this year. However, Bayliss has reportedly dropped out of the race so he can stay with the Blues, while Coyle was crossed off the list last week.

Wright was spotted in Brisbane speaking to CA officials around the time Coyle was eliminated. If he is given the nod, he will also take over as the coach of Australia A.

Wright coached Kent from 1997 to 2000 and India from 2000 to 2005. He was considered a candidate for the vacant Pakistan and Sri Lanka positions but has apparently ruled himself out of the race to replace Tom Moody at Sri Lanka. (Cricinfo)

Warner anxious to see young Soca Warriors make their mark
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, (CMC) – Trinidad and Tobago’s FIFA Vice-President Jack Warner is anxious to see the young Soca Warriors make their mark on this summer’s FIFA Youth World Cup in Korea.

Drawn alongside Colombia, Germany and Ghana in first-round play, the grouping is regarded as tough for the Caribbean side, but Warner has pledged proper preparation for the team with a view to being competitive in Korea.

"We shall take nothing for granted as it relates to this team and its preparation for the Championship,” Warner said.

The T&T juniors booked their spot in the finals when they edged Jamaica 1-0 in Group B CONCACAF qualifying earlier this month in Kingston, to join Haiti, Honduras, the USA, and Costa Rica as CONCACAF teams for the August 18 to September 9 tournament.

Warner embraces the achievement as an ideal follow-up to the senior team’s qualification to the 2006 World Cup Finals in Germany last year and wants the country to capitalise on the opportunity.

“This is the future of Trinidad and Tobago before us and while we would have made our mark in Germany last year, now this is our opportunity to remind the same Germans what we are capable of on the field of play.

“Our flag will once again be flown at the highest mark in Korea for the world to see and we shall leave no stone unturned in the build up to our appearance in Korea," Warner said.

The T&T juniors are slated to face former champions Ghana in their opening game on August 20, before tackling Colombia on the 23rd and the USA on August 26 in Group F round-robin play.

Russians hope to continue love affair with French Open
By Gennady Fyodorov
MOSCOW, (Reuters) - Paris and the French Open have always had a special place in the hearts of Russian tennis fans.

It was there that Yevgeny Kafelnikov made his historic breakthrough in 1996 when he became the first Russian to win a grand slam title.

Eight years later on the same red clay of Roland Garros Anastasia Myskina became the first Russian woman to be crowned a grand slam champion, lifting the Suzanne Lenglen trophy after beating Elena Dementieva in an all-Russian final.

Paris was also the site of Russia's greatest tennis triumph when they beat France 3-2 in the 2002 final to clinch their first Davis Cup title.

Next week, Russians once again will be out in force for their annual assault on the French Open, though two names from the past will be missing.

Myskina has not played on the tour since the start of the year while Dementieva has contemplated retirement after battling injuries earlier this year.

CONFIDENT SHARAPOVA

Others, though, are ready to pick up the challenge.

World number two Maria Sharapova leads the Russian contingent.

Although the U.S. Open champion has not had a good build-up to the clay season, pulling out of several high-profile tournaments with a shoulder injury, she is in confident mood after reaching the fourth round last year.

"I have the same goal in every tournament, that is to win it," said Sharapova, 20, who will have an added incentive to do well as she could overtake Justine Henin as world number one if the Belgian flops in Paris.

World number three Svetlana Kuznetsova wants to go one better than last year, when she lost to Henin in the final.

To do that the Russian, who has lost four finals this year including back-to-back ones at the German and Italian Opens, must find a way to overcome her nerves on big occasions.

"Maybe it's mental -- something that only happens in finals. I know I can play much better," Kuznetsova said after a 7-5 6-1 defeat by in-form Jelena Jankovic in Rome last Sunday.

Nadia Petrova, who won three titles on clay leading up to last year's French Open, Dinara Safina, who upset Sharapova on her way to reaching the quarter-finals in 2006, and newcomer and world number 10 Anna Chakvetadze, also have a chance.

TOUGH TASK
Russia's men have not done as well as the women on the Paris clay in recent years, although world number three Nikolay Davydenko reached the quarter-finals last year and the semi-finals the year before.

It will be tough, however, for him -- or anyone else for that matter -- to upset defending champion Rafael Nadal, who had his 81-match winning streak on the surface, dating back to April 2005, snapped by Roger Federer last Sunday.

Igor Andreev, the last man to defeat the Spaniard on clay before Federer, is always a threat as is Russia's 2002 Davis Cup hero Mikhail Youzhny, who has beaten Nadal twice in the past eight months, albeit on hard courts.

Marat Safin may be past his prime when he was considered one of the main titles contenders in Paris, but the former world number one is still strong enough to cause an upset or two.

"I'm gradually trying to regain my form. It's just a few things here and there that must be improved and I can be my former self again," Safin said last week.

"The French Open is one of my favourite tournaments and if I could finally win there it would be a dream come true.”

Duncan helps Spurs surge to 2-0 lead over Jazz
NEW YORK, (Reuters) - The Spurs took a commanding 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals on Tuesday, leading from start to finish to beat the Utah Jazz 105-96 in San Antonio.

Tim Duncan scored 26 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and added five blocked shots and four assists as the Spurs overcame a 33-point/15-rebound effort by Utah's Carlos Boozer and took control of the best-of-seven series.

The series shifts to Utah for Games Three and Four on Saturday and Monday.

The Jazz, 31-10 at home during the regular season, have won all six playoff games on their home floor in Salt Lake City, and also won both games against the Spurs in Utah this season.

But Utah, which did rally from 0-2 to beat Houston in the first round, still fights long odds to come back this time. Only two of the previous 57 teams who went down 0-2 in a conference final have managed to come back and win.

Still, the Spurs, who have now beaten Utah 18 straight times in San Antonio, know they have to be ready.

"They are a much better home team, they really are," said Duncan. "They use that crowd, use that energy."

The Spurs, seeking their fourth NBA championship with Duncan in the middle, led by as many as 22 points in the second half before Utah did what it did in the first game - came back. The Jazz had a pair of runs, the second cutting the San Antonio lead to seven points - 83-76 - with 8:45 left.

But Bruce Bowen hit the first two of his three fourth-quarter three-pointers to keep the visitors at bay.

The Jazz trailed the opening game by 18 points at halftime, losing 108-100, and were down by 17 points at the break on Tuesday, again giving themselves too far to come back against a quality team.

"I'll take it," Duncan, averaging 24.2 points and 12.2 rebounds per game in these playoffs, said of having to win the same way twice. "They're a tough team and they're not going to give up."

Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili added 17 points apiece for the Spurs.

The Eastern Conference final resumes today in Auburn Hills, Michigan, with the Pistons leading the Cleveland Cavaliers 1-0 after victory on Monday.

Federer ready to wrestle Nadal for French Open crown
By Pritha Sarkar
LONDON, (Reuters) - Just when tennis fans had started to think that the battle for the men's French Open crown would be a one-horse race, Roger Federer reminded them of his status as the best player in the world.

Since April 2005, no one had been able to trip up claycourt supremo Rafael Nadal on the slow surface.

The muscular Mallorcan had bullied into submission all those before him, including Federer on five occasions, to string together a record 81 wins on clay.

That run had looked set to continue at Roland Garros next week, until Federer finally found the tools and the resolve to snap the streak in the final of the Hamburg Masters on Sunday.

"Before, everyone thought the French Open would be easy for Rafa but now it's going to be very interesting," Sergi Bruguera, twice a champion in Paris in the 1990s, said.

The win -- greeted with an almighty roar from Federer -- not only provided a timely boost to the Swiss master, it also helped him to shake off any fears that had crept into his psyche over the past few weeks.

He had arrived in Germany with his Roland Garros preparations in disarray after going four tournaments without capturing a trophy -- his worst drought since he became world number one in February 2004.

With little warning, it seemed that the precise Swiss timing that usually accompanied Federer's exquisite shots had broken down.

The slump prompted him to abruptly sever his ties with part-time coach Tony Roche, a former French Open champion under whose guidance Federer had won six of his 10 grand slam crowns.

As Roche had been hired specifically to help Federer conquer his shortcomings on red dirt, many questioned the 25-year-old's wisdom in terminating his relationship with the Australian a fortnight before the season's second grand slam.

NADAL BREAKTHROUGH
It took the world number one 10 days to prove he had the talent and the brains to go all the way on his own.

"I got him, which is great for myself...it's absolutely a breakthrough," Federer told reporters after coming from a set down to beat Nadal on Sunday.

"It will be interesting to see how we both react to it in the French Open.

"For me it's just nice to be playing well again. It's not that I was playing so badly but it's my first claycourt title in a couple of years so that's great.

"I'm feeling very good going into the French Open and I'm excited it's coming around now."

Equipped with a brand of tennis which recent history suggests should be a liability on the gruelling clay courts of Roland Garros, the talented Federer can still be expected to quash most rivals.

After adding double French Open champion Nadal to his list of claycourt victims, Federer can concentrate on what he does best -- eyeing his date with destiny.

He aims to become only the third man after American Don Budge and Australian Rod Laver to hold all four major titles at the same time.

CAREFUL PREPARATIONS
"(Winning) the French might put me in another atmosphere in terms of being a legend, because nowadays people want you to win all four otherwise you've not quite done it," said Federer, who has won six of the last seven slams but has yet to triumph at Roland Garros.

Last year he also had a chance of replicating Budge's and Laver's feat but months of careful preparations came to nothing when he was undone by Nadal in the final.

Now, he knows he has the weapons to frustrate the Spaniard.

"Matches against Rafael help me...I've improved a lot by playing against him. The more I play him, the more I'll figure out his game and the easier it's going to get for me," said Federer.

Should Federer succeed he will trail Pete Sampras's all-time record of slam victories by just three. He will also improve his win-loss record to 11-1 in major finals, with his solitary defeat coming to Nadal a year ago.

Such is his stature in the sport that talk of him completing the Grand Slam was again in circulation even before a ball was hit in the 2007 season.

Having kept the dream alive by retaining his Australian Open crown in emphatic fashion in January -- when he became the first man in 27 years to win a grand slam title without dropping a set -- he will want to ensure he does not miss out on his second chance in Paris.