STAFF MEMBERS of the 38-year-old Central Bank of Barbados were lauded for their contributions to the institution in a tastefully and well-produced Twelfth Annual Awards and Recognition Ceremony at the Hilton Barbados on Saturday evening.Awardees, almost one for each year of existence of the Church Village, St Michael financial institution, were dressed to the nines as they celebrated one another’s milestones.The ceremony was divided into presentations of ten, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35-year awards and was enhanced by entertainment interludes featuring dancers Akeima and Renice Bostic, spoken word poet Adrian Green, and jazz singer Marissa Lindsay accompanied by Mike Sealy on guitar.In his opening remarks, Central Bank Governor Dr DeLisle Worrell encouraged staffers to renew their commitment to making the bank a caring community that worked cooperatively to attain the highest goal and standards.He challenged his charges “to be steadfast in our determination to reach that goal no matter how often we may stumble”. Worrell also described the event as an “excellent opportunity to sit back from our everyday task and to celebrate the achievement of the Central Bank over the almost 40 years of its life . . . and the contributions that our long-serving colleagues have made to these achievements”.He said the occasion was a time for the bank’s employees to remind themselves about how far they had come and “the achievement of the Central Bank in providing analysis and advice for Government and the general public; in providing a sound regularly framework for the expansion and diversification of financial services; in providing currency and payment systems that have kept up with the times and in providing another range of services to the finance and business community”.Worrell also described the night as one when the staff should renew their commitment “to the vision that we have for the future of the Central Bank”.“Coming here tonight, we make real at least for tonight the vision of a happy family of well-motivated individuals all supporting each other in pursuit of the goals of excellence and efficiency in all that we do.”After the formalities, staffers and guests were treated to dinner and dancing. (JS)
‘No part in plot’
PORT-OF-SPAIN – Fuad Abu Bakr, Political Leader of the New National Vision (NNV) and son of 1990 attempted coup leader Yasin Abu Bakr, has categorically denied any link between his party and five persons who were arrested after police unearthed a plot to disrupt the 2010 general election.Abu Bakr was responding to the detention of five suspects last Thursday at a house at McKenzie Drive, Point Cumana, Carenage in which police allegedly found a deadly AK-47 rifle, ammunition and T-shirts belonging to the NNV.Last Friday at an emergency press conference, Acting Police Commissioner James Philbert stated that police had information that there was a plot by certain people to disrupt the elections.He said their information led them to a house where they arrested five suspects.But, in a press release issued late on Friday night, Abu Bakr said his party had no connection with the detained persons or any alleged plot to destabilise the country during the election proceedings, describing the incident as a “timely political ploy to discredit the party (NNV)”.Describing the discovery of the gun, ammunition and NNV jerseys as alarming and “coming at a very convenient time for the NNV opponents”, Abu Bakr said: “We certainly have no desire or intent to disrupt this coming election given our excellent progress.”The suspects are expected to be charged with possession of a gun and ammunition and appear before a Port of Spain magistrate today. (Trinidad Express)
One for the books!
AT LAST!After 35 years of global cricketing contests, England finally took on the world in the sport they created – and won.Being long-suffering seems to be an English sporting trait and global titles have been few and far between for the sports-mad nation.One FIFA World Cup title. One Rugby World Cup title. And now, a global cricket title: the ICC World Twenty20.Even before the start, it was clearly England’s day as West Indian fans, Sri Lankan fans, South African fans, Pakistani fans and everyone else who was not Australian, temporarily became part of the Barmy Army – sort of.In fact, the main similarity between the men’s finals in the morning and the more low-keyed women’s final in the afternoon was that everyone was cheering lustily against Australia.A group of Pakistani fans in the Greenidge & Haynes Stand summed up the feelings of most of those around the ground with a sign which implored:“England, please thrash Australia.”With the crowd firmly on their side and hundreds of flags of Saint George fluttering around Kensington Oval, the English team set about doing just that.Within the first three overs, the Aussies, who had looked invincible for the entire tournament, suddenly looked vulnerable. Three wickets fell for a mere eight runs and Kensington rocked with the roars of English fans, both real and newly acquired.The Oval continued rocking as the Australians stumbled to 95 for 5 in the 16th over but their eventual score of 147 for 6 was better than they looked yesterday.However, England’s multi-cultural team made the total look small, led by their South African-born batsmen Craig Kieswetter and Kevin Pietersen, Man Of The Match and Player Of The Tournament respectively.As Kieswetter and Pietersen started to flow in their match-winning 111-run partnership, England’s fans seemed to be caught between euphoria and disbelief.Even as their victory became imminent, the vast majority of the English supporters were surprisingly quiet. They waved their flags at each boundary but otherwise seemed almost afraid to jinx the victory with too much early vocal celebration.On the other hand, the colourful Mornflake Marauders, a group of English rugby players/cricket supporters, whose costumes gave them a striking resemblance to the Teletubbies, were firmly on the side of euphoria.“I’m feeling hotter than the sun!” declared a Marauder encased in a skin-tight purple bodysuit.“But I don’t care! We’re going to beat Australia!” he screamed jubilantly. And they did.
Tired of being abused by the man I love
Dear Christine, I am a woman of quite a few problems. You see I’m a bad judge of character.
I say that because almost all the men I have dated have abused or battered me in one form or another. Be it punching, kicking, mentally, emotionally and even sexually. At this moment I feel like a pack of bread on a shelf that everyone squeezes, but never wants.
You see Christine, some years ago, I met a guy, he was nice in the beginning or so I thought. He smokes that “mind altering” stuff, while drinking a mixture of Hennessy, Magnum and Guinness. He then wants to do ungodly things to you. Things that make you afraid and ashamed to look in a mirror because the face staring back looks familiar, but you wonder who are you.
Christine, people that read this would want to know why I put up with him, but I thought my love for him could make him see he was hurting me. In our relationship, there were other women. I was assured that because he was my junior and I was dedicated to him every which way he would stop.
But I was wrong. He left me for someone else. I was with him for nine years. Never once cheated. How can he do that to me? I don’t have any diseases or anything of the sort. But do you know how I feel? After all of that we still made love. I don’t want another man. I am terrified.
My body has so much bruised blood, so much aches and pains, emotional scars. He even once raped me after a night of mixed drinks and partying with his friends. I told him I was going to the police, but he said he couldn’t get in trouble for that – I’m his woman.
Christine, there are things I would not mention because he would know it’s him. I once complained to the police for him and one of them told him. So I never did it again. I sometimes feel like ending my pain.
I am physically, emotionally, psychologically scared and drained. I can’t do this anymore. Can I get some feedback from your readers? – IN A WORLD BY MYSELF
DEAR IN A WORLD BY MYSELF: I do hope you get some constructive feedback from readers. I am not sure what I can tell you that would make you feel better.
I’d like to say –STAY as far away from this man as possible. But from what you say. I don’t think you know how. Whatever happens, do not end the pain in the way I think you mean.
You need to think of all the bad things this man has done to you, and you will see why you must stay clear of him for you own good health – mental and otherwise. If you’d like to talk to someone who will listen and try to help you through – call the crisis centre hotline at 435-8222.
– CHRISTINE
FirstCaribbean backs UWI
The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, has received US$1.2 million from FirstCaribbean International Bank to date and stands to benefit from a further US$375 000 over the next three years.Last Thursday, the university and the financial institution signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that provides for the bank’s disbursement of US$125 000 each year for three years. This is the third consecutive MOU between the institutions.The bank also pledged grants of US$45 000 to provide capital to graduates of one of Cave Hill’s newest programmes, SEED (Student Entrepreneurial Empowerment Development), to help them start businesses.According to executive chairman of the bank, Michael Monsoor, the new arrangement was designed to give support to students by encouraging and developing self-reliance.“Also, as part of this MOU, FirstCaribbean is pleased to take part in another new programme that supports students of the university in their transition [from] academia to the work environment. “Over three years we will be establishing a pilot graduate placement programme where students can benefit from career development workshops and register for both long- and short-term job placements in their areas of specialisation . . .“We consider this new MOU bigger, better and more comprehensive – not only because of the level of funding but more particularly because the net has been widened to ensure that even more students benefit from all planned initiatives,” said Monsoor.Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the university, Sir Hilary Beckles, said that over five years ago, UWI recognised that no campus could survive without full support of the private sector.“We reached out the best we could to urge our private sector stakeholders to participate in the development in our new funded model . . . and to assist us. “FirstCaribbean Bank is one of the first institutions to come to our assistance to speak with us about how best to achieve these targets for the institution,” he said.Beckles said the university had been able to develop some infrastructures at the campus. He reported that they now had the First Caribbean Suite, which was used for consultancies, training and teaching.The bank also provides scholarships to students. (MM)
Agonies of Golding and Manning
Analysis by Rickey Singh THE POLITICAL agonies of the Prime Ministers of Jamaica (Bruce Golding) and Trinidad and Tobago (Patrick Manning) appear to be worsening and raising serious questions about their future as leaders of government in the Caribbean Community.At the time of writing, Golding was locked in the latest of a series of crisis consultations with various arms of his ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) as to whether he should bow to increasing demands from the parliamentary opposition, business and civic organisations to quit as Prime Minister.Golding’s recent self-confessed sin that is traumatising Jamaica was that he had personally misled the people of Jamaica by an earlier denial of his involvement in recruiting a United States law firm to engage in lobbying work to help avoid the requested extradition by US authorities of an alleged major dealer in narco-trafficking and gun-running – Christopher “Dudus” Coke, widely known to be an activist JLP supporter. On the other hand, across in Trinidad and Tobago, Manning’s People’s National Movement has been pushed on the defensive to deny his involvement in highly controversial expenditures of state funds linked to a church, whose female pastor he had publicly idenfitied as his “spiritual adviser”. In addition to relevant documents on claimed misuse of state land and funds linked to the construction of the Church Of The Lighthouse Of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the leader of the main opposition United National Congress, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, has now raised a series of questionable expenditures incurred on the Prime Minister’s new official residence and diplomatic centre through the Urban Development Corporation of T&T (UDECOTT).Persad-Bissessar, who is the designated prime ministerial candidate for a “people’s partnership” coalition for change, has disclosed that all relevant documents were to be made available this week to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the acting Police Commissioner to investigate “criminal wrongdoings” in accordance with the country’s anti-corruption law.With just one week to go before next Monday’s vote, Manning’s 31-month old administration has been effectively driven on the backfoot to defend mounting allegations of poor governance.For his part, Golding’s 33-month-old administration is faced with a survival dilemma that some regional constitutional experts think leave him with the choice of either advising the Governor General to dissolve parliament, or to resign.Consistent with established norms of the Westminster-style multi-party democracy to which governing and oppposition parties in CARICOM generally subscribe, a head of government who confesses giving false information on a matter of grave national importance – as done by Golding – can expect to face a no-confidence motion, having damaged his personal credibility and that of his administration.In Trinidad and Tobago, where Manning felt obliged to abandon – even before reaching mid-term – a five-year mandate won in an electoral landslide in November 2007, his political mantra for the May 24 poll is that the anti-PNM coalition is “doomed to failure”, but indications point to the contrary.In his anxiety to woo support for his prediction about the longevity of a UNC/Congress of People (COP) “partnership” in government, Manning has gone even further by forecasting the collapse, in one year, of Britain’s first coalition government since World War II.In contrast, Persad-Bissessar, the first woman to head a major party in Trinidad and Tobago, has been wooing supporters with her claim that the British Prime Minister David Cameron-led coalition with the Liberal Democrats had “gone the way set by us”.However, such enthusiasm must contend with harsh reality; notably that the perceived popular surge towards her coalition force could run into trouble with a simplistic assumption that the massive electoral defeat suffered in 1986 by Manning when he called a snap general election could be repeated in 2010. Her literal tearing up of the PNM’s manifesto last week, within days of its official release, may have been an entertaining act for emotional and aggressive advocates of “time for change”, but it was hardly an intellectual response. And in the absence of its own manifesto up to the time of writing, the “people’s partnership” crusade has to avoid undermining its own credibility in what it offers for “change”.
Sir Garry’s innings
It was truly a Knight to Remember when 35 years of knighthood for Barbados’ lone surviving National Hero, the Right Excellent Sir Garfield Sobers, were celebrated with a gala dinner and tribute on Saturday night at the gymnasium of the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex.When one combined good food, fine entertainment, a pantheon of West Indies cricketing greats – including two knights and five captains – two legends who captained Australia and India, two Government ministers, the who’s who of sports and business in Barbados along with more than 600 of Sir Garry’s friends and fans, it was understandable why applause was still ringing out in the Wildey area after midnight. If everyone in the gym could have been somehow rejuvenated, then West Indies cricket would dominate the world again with the likes of Sir Vivian Richards, Clive Lloyd, Brian Lara, Seymour Nurse, Cammie Smith, Maurice Foster, Peter Lashley, Courtney Browne, Wes Hall, Charlie Griffith, Joel Garner and Courtney Walsh, among those celebrating the occasion.The West Indies would then have to decide who to omit and then how to contend with two of their most loved/hated opponents, Sunil Gavaskar of India and Ian Chappell of Australia, who were also part of the audience paying tribute to the greatest all-rounder of all time.Fast bowling giant Reverend Wes Hall opened the night in inimitable style, describing Sir Garry as the Moses of West Indies cricket. Waxing poetically and forcing listeners to “Google” many of the words he used to describe Sir Garry’s genius, Hall said he was “the most unforgettable character whose generosity knows no bounds”.“Garry’s love, humility and ability to forgive made him a fine ambassador for Barbados, the West Indies and cricket generally,” Hall added.Hall and the other speakers, including noted international commentator Tony Cozier, Sir Vivian, Gavaskar, Chappell, Lara and Sir Garry’s son Daniel who had conceptualised and executed the event, captivated the audience with their take on his well-documented exploits.The little master from Bombay, Gavaskar, spoke of the pride he felt when he first toured the West Indies and was on the same field as Sobers; while Lara thanked Sir Garry for taking an interest in him from 13.“Sir Garry, you are a legend. You are a man of genius!”, said Lara.Personifying the humility and generosity described earlier, Sir Garry, in his turn at the podium, thanked those who had spoken and explained how they had impacted his life. He also thanked God for allowing him to enjoy the accolades of his friends and fans and for allowing all of his five siblings to experience good health. Sir Garry also disclosed that he could have been the first West Indian to play professional football in Britain.“In 1960 I was offered a trial as a goalkeeper for Everton. Football is played in winter in England and I could not even deal with the summer, so could you imagine me in England in the winter playing a game in short pants?” Sir Garry asked to peals of laughter.
SIR GARRY YORKED BY DWIGHT
At Saturday night’s gala and dinner celebrating his 35th year of knighthood, Barbados’ lone living National Hero Sir Garfield Sobers paid tribute to former Manchester United player Dwight Yorke for being a fine example for Caribbean footballers.Earlier at the Knight To Remember affair, Yorke, who is a close friend of West Indies superstar Brian Lara, had made a significant contribution to the auction raising funds for a foundation to help needy causes under Sir Garry’s name.Yorke had missed out on an autographed photo of four of the world’s greatest batsmen Sir Garry, Lara, Sir Vivian Richards and Sunil Gavaskar. However, Yorke was so happy to gain two others – one with Sir Garry and Sir Viv, and another with Sir Garry and Lara – that the affable sportsman added an additional $1 000 to the $3 000 he had offered for the photos.Above, Yorke posing with the virtual stars and the real heroes of Caribbean cricket at the Garfield Sobers Sporting Complex.
Cellphone, cancer link still unproven
GENEVA – A major international study into the link between cellphone use and two types of brain cancer has proved inconclusive, according to a report in a medical journal due to be published later this week.The study of almost 13 000 cell phone users found no increase in risk of developing meningioma – a common and frequently benign tumour – and only “suggestions” of increased risk for gliomas – a less common but deadlier form of cancer – from heavy long-term use.The ten-year study, conducted by the World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, concluded that “biases and error prevent a causal interpretation” directly blaming cellphone radiation for increased risk of glioma. (AP)
Thai gov’t not easing up
BANGKOK – Thailand’s government insisted yesterday that a crackdown on Red Shirt protesters would continue despite their plea for United Nations-mediated talks to end four days of street clashes with troops that have killed 30 people.Government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said that a pause by the Thai military was unnecessary since troops were “not using weapons to crack down on civilians”.The government maintained that it was only targeting armed “terrorists” among the demonstrators.Panitan’s comments dashed hopes of an end to Thailand’s worst political violence in decades, which has spiralled out of control and raised concerns of sustained, widespread chaos in this nation of 65 million people. Thailand is a key United States ally and Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy.According to government figures, 59 people have died and more than 1 600 have been wounded since the Red Shirts began their protests in March. The toll includes 30 civilians killed and 232 injured since last Thursday in fighting that has turned parts of the city known for its nightlife into an urban war zone.A towering column of black smoke rose over the city yesterday as protesters set fire to a barricade of tyres. (AP)