Kaieteur News

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AIETEUR NEWS

Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly

Suriname gets Monday Edition almost three times Guyana’s revenue share from oil deal August 03, 2020 - Vol. 13 No. 32

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Price $80

Online readership yesterday, 199,230

5 months after E-Day…

Irfaan Ali sworn

in as President,

Mark Phillips as PM commits Granger to take Govt. Commissioners Jagdeo Ali makes to talks on walk out of several Cabinet “anomalies” to governance model, appointed VP appointments election petition GECOM meeting Bandit shot dead after Nandy park robbery Shepherd found with throat slashed at Crane Strip club shooting leaves one dead, one critical, three others wounded Newly sworn-in President Irfaan Ali (left) hands over the instrument of appointment to his Prime Minister, Mark Phillips.

(Adrian Narine photo)

If we don’t invest in our own, we will see a takeover by foreigners- CGX Head

Use Payara permit as bargaining chip for better oil deal - Oil Experts tell Guyana

“The evidence is clear that the deals signed and practices conducted by the multinationals in their operations in Guyana have not been in keeping with either best industry practice or the best interests of the people of Guyana.” – Anthony Paul

Kaieteur News

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Monday August 03, 2020

Kaieteur News

Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL TEL:624-6456 Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

After the storm

O

n many occasions over the last year and a half the sense was that we would never get anywhere near to this point, where we could begin to detect some ray of light.

And that if we did as a nation emerge from the thick darkness, it would not be in one piece. From all indications, we have hurdled the last barriers that were in the way, and the pathway ahead is what waits.

Though it gives every appearance of being straight, it may not be so in the least, or possessing any semblance of the smoothness desired.

But whatever it is, we must move on.

We must go forward. We must go forward confidently as a nation that has gone through more than one crucible of test and one that now stands burnished and tough from the hard experiences.

The peoples of this nation had to have learned something in the last nineteen months about itself, about what it can do and where it can go to accomplish the fullness of its potential.

The hope is that all of us would have learned that we cannot go it alone and cannot get much done alone. In fact, that there is only so much that we can realize when we insist on moving on by ourselves (some two fifths of this society), while the other sixty percent waits and watches, at best for some misstep; or stands apart and wishes for us to fall and fail flat out, at worst.

This is an integral aspect of the Guyanese mentality that coursed through our veins and heads with passions stirred and breasts heaving in the immediate past following that successful parliamentary motion that brought us to a dead stop.

We have stopped functioning as a nation for so long that vital organisms of state are all but seized up and more than cobwebs and rust have gathered in a thick wreath around our visions and any willingness to start over again.

It is going to be a shaky first few steps, as we seek to put our minds and arms around the reality that the elections are finally over, and that real life begins with all of its demanding challenges and ups and downs.

But restart we must, as we cannot roll over and die, or pretend at not wanting to live.

For despite our wars and the scars to prove the trials in which we have been immersed, there is so much that we as Guyanese have to live for, no matter how slimmed down it may be, and how much it has to be spread around. So, after all the heat and anger and high emotions, this country has to do more than stir.

It has to move and move now with alacrity and quicksilver stride if we are going to take advantage of the day and commit to getting someplace.

The world waits not on us, but on how we are going to be beyond today and tomorrow.

It watches to take the measure of our mettle, to ascertain whether our storms battered so much into insensibility that we have lost touch with the responsibilities that go hand in hand with citizenship and nationhood. Now is not the time to look back and wonder, what if? Now is the time to look ahead and say what now and what next?

Now is not the time for the half-hearted attempts of half measures done at half speed. That would kill us as a country still more slowly, but no less certainly.

If there is one thing that Guyanese should have learned as a people during the deeply piercing times of our national travails, it is that we are survivors.

For some reason, through the peculiar grace of divine Providence, we have staying power and, hence, endure despite our weaknesses and many limitations.

We have that strength that is embedded in something called continuity and longevity.

Now we need to rediscover that strength and harness it so that it responds to our dictates for our purposes to take us through the fields of labour that lie ahead and places all of us on the pedestal that rightly is our own.

Editor’s Note; If your sent letter was not published and you felt its contents were valid and devoid of libel or personal attacks, please contact us by phone or email.

We have a nation to build!

DEAR EDITOR, As I survey this Guyanese landscape of ours, every indication is that the curtain is about to come down on the most degrading and draining of elections season ever experienced in this country. It is not a moment too soon. As the long-anticipated curtain descends, I venture-more like stumble forward-to open a window to the world, to let in some light and air, and to begin the challenge of living again. It commences, I start, with the simple and routine, but suspended for too long and forgotten too easily, act of breathing again; breathing some clean, fresh air again.

That simplest of human activity, the reflex of a deep inhalation may be too rich for us to handle. We have been ill a long time, and terribly so.

First, as individuals, though we may deny it; and then collectively as a nation, which much is obvious and beyond debate.

As is usual when such circumstances visit and linger, confidence does not return quickly; it refuses to surge and soar, as strength is

in short supply from muscles long atrophied, minds not utilized.

Instead of the swagger of confidence, there is uncertainty and hesitation; there may even be a rush of anxiety and fear in the manner of the tremors of the recently (still) seriously sick and severely traumatized. I am sure that none will disagree with this: we have been through all of that and more as a nation, and which ranged from the physical to the mental to the psychological. It is why the first steps, in the morning after, in the real world of real life feel so daunting, almost overwhelming.

But regardless of our inner misgivings-as individuals, as groups, as arrayed for or against-we must take those tiny first steps, as we try, maybe even struggle, to rehabilitate and restore a society to some state of strength.

For certainty, it is going to be a long walk and sometimes even feel like a death march, but try we must, if only to give ourselves a chance.

There is no choice. There is no time to be wasted. We

have had a lifetime of such dissipation. It is time to begin again, learn this time, and hopefully grow and go somewhere. I do not know where and how (or even why I care to write) but I take the lead in setting an example in trying.

To be sure, there will be ample time and endless opportunity for my fellow citizens to engage in those long-favoured Guyanese pastimes of analyses and postmortems.

Though I have long proceeded past such histrionics, I say: why not! Go ahead! We can drink as deeply and as lengthily as we wish from that well. Who knows, it may yield some pearls of wisdom that went over the heads of the many wise and learned in the midst. Still, a start has to be made somewhere on the journey to wherever we think we are going; or would like to go.

We have a nation to build.

But first the detritus of a million shards have to be picked up slowly and carefully. Perhaps, it should not be so slowly, since knitting and healing and

reconciling will not wait, for the longer that such is delayed, the deeper the festering.

For my part, I trust that leadership will be true this time. I reserve judgment and keep counsel with my hopes.

The first hundred days, however-a luxury, if nothing else-are free and on me.

During this interval no comment or criticism, save for the totally egregious.

This I promise. Thereafter, we shall see. We are shaky today and nervous, as we ought to be. We have existed in the suspension of forced hibernation for too long. All of our cells and faculties were focused and engaged on what has battered almost senseless.

That requires much by way of recovery.

Now those first deep exploratory breaths must be drawn. And from there we must go to whatever waits ahead as this nation’s future, its hazy destiny. I don’t know if we will get things right this time; but I am willing to watch and wait and hope that we do.

Sincerely, GHK Lall

Why sell in a market crash? Especially, when the resulting proceeds are inaccessible Govt.

DEAR EDITOR, The Stabroek Block was described as, “an extraordinary world-class asset” in a recent investor conference call by John Hess. He then goes on to state that, “Nothing competes with it in the industry”. Mr Hess was making his comments during a recent investor call which included analysts from some of the World’s biggest investment banking firms such as Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase.

A seasoned executive with decades of experience in the oil industry, Mr Hess cannot throw out meaningless statements in a period where HESS depends on investment banks for survival. JPMorgan Chase recently provided a US$1 billion loan to HESS corporation in the second quarter. This loan was provided during a period of turmoil that saw billions of dollars write down in oil assets from some of the largest oil companies in the World such as Total and Chevron.

Why the investment

banking confidence in HESS? If you are going to have someone invest your money, you want to ensure they return your principal and give you a return on your principal. HESS has demonstrated it is a prudent investor by hedging over 80% of their crude production for 2020. Hence, their sale price for the hedged crude will be at US$55/barrel at a minimum.

The breakeven price for Liza-1 is US$35/barrel. The hedging was a prudent move given oil hovered around US$20/barrel only a few months ago.

One could say that John Hess and his company were lucky and Guyana unlucky not to hedge. But HESS made some other shrewd moves in March and April when oil was toeing the US$20/barrel line for Brent crude. HESS chartered 3 large crude carriers to store millions of barrels of oil during those months. HESS will deliver its first batch of the stored crude in September to China. And, expects to sell the remaining barrels by the end of the year.

The current price of Brent crude is approximately US$43/barrel, more than double the lows from a few months ago. Given that HESS had already had 80% of its production hedged, it is notable that HESS even went further to extract as much value as it could in turbulent times.

It was reported in the press that Guyana received US$55 million for its first million barrels of oil earlier in the year but only US$35 million for its second million barrels.

That is a US$20 million difference, an approximately 35% drop in just a few months. Why didn’t the government employ a similar strategy of hiring crude carriers to store oil for later resale? Guyana received US$35/barrel for the second batch of oil.

Given the price of Brent crude is around US$43/barrel today it may have secured a few more million dollars for the Guyanese people by employing a storage tactic.

It well known, in the oil industry, that shale oil

companies need oil between US$40 to US$50 a barrel to survive. One of the World’s biggest producers, Saudi Arabia, needs oil near US$80/barrel to run the country.

T h e Wo r l d ’s k e y producers cannot sustain selling at US$20/barrel or even US$35/barrel.

The government must have realized how unlikely it was that price of crude could stay at US$20/barrel or US$35/barrel when so many oil producing countries started to make significant cuts to production to boost prices. Did the government look at alternatives instead of selling the oil immediately?

Why sell in a market crash? Especially, when the resulting proceeds are inaccessible by the government.

That is not prudent investment behaviour. We should learn a few strategies to maximize the revenue from our oil by observing the actions of experienced players in the oil game.

Darshanand Khusial On behalf of OGGN

Monday August 03, 2020

The deficiencies of the West Indies team manifested themselves during the series DEAR EDITOR, England came from behind and scored an impressive two- one victory over the West Indies to regain the Wisden Trophy after the West Indies had slaughtered them in the first of three test matches played between the two teams in England.

Flashback! In a recent article in the press I congratulated the West Indies on their magnificent victory in the first test. However, I posited that one swallow does not mean that it is summer. I explained that England would prefer to lose a battleship than to lose a test match and that they will come back at us with blood in their eyes.

They drew blood in the second and third test matches and regained the trophy which will be held for posterity in the museum at Lords. It is apposite to note that on Tuesday, July 28, 2020 the birth anniversary of the greatest cricketer of all times, our own, Sir. GARFIELD St Aubrun Sobers, the West Indies meekly surrendered the Wisden Trophy to England.

In my letter alluded to above, I also mentioned diverse areas that the West Indies must address, including dropped catches, tactical blunders by the skipper himself; poor running between the wickets; bad television reviews. Batsmen getting starts and not moving on to big scores. Coach Phil Simmons subsequently called on his batters to convert the fifties into big hundreds. They did not positively respond to the coach.

Eight batsmen got 50-plus but did not carry on to score centuries. The deficiencies of the

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team manifested themselves during the series. Hence, the performance of the team was proasic.

It was like the elephant going into labour and giving birth to a mouse. The Englishmen exploited the weakness of our batters. To use the words of Sir. Vivian Richards, “The lights were on but no body went to the party.” Several years ago Michael Holding opined that there is no strength on the bench. That opinion is still very valid today.

At the commencement of the tour of England, world record holder, Brian Charles Lara, the Prince of Port of Spain who was at onetime the batting King of the Cricketing World and who was covering the series for the BBC, urged the players to protect their wickets and to win the matches within four days.

Unfortunately, those words fell on deaf ears as of the 56 West Indian wickets that fell during the series, 14 were out LBW and nine departed bowled. This accounted for an alarming 41% of the dis-

missals of all the batsmen.

During the first test there were four LBWs and 4 bowled. The LBWs and batsmen bowled peaked during the second test as eight were out LBW and four bowled.

There was a bit of flattening of the curve as seven batsmen perished LBW and one bowled during the last test match.

The batsmen stayed ironfooted in the crease and had their innings abbreviated.

Perhaps, the players did not realise that West Indian Wickets Matter and that the wickets must be protected all the time and at all cost.

Lara had a vision that the batsmen cannot survive batting on the fifth day of a test match. In the final day of the final test match, they mildly surrendered long before the close of play-one hour before tea.

They appeared to be in a rush to get back to the comfort of their warm bio - secure environment, instead of fighting it out on the field despite the harsh English weather (Continued on page 6)

LET US PRAY FOR OUR BELOVED LAND

Let us pray for peace and progress in our beloved native land.

I am seventy one and cynical, but I will gladly shed my cynicism To grasp, however fleetingly it might yet appear, An opportunity to reverse our post Independence fifty four years Of unmitigated, unremitting, unrelenting disappointments.

Let us pray for peace and progress in our beloved native land Another new beginning rarely ever comes along, This one nearly never happened.

Let us strive to get it right this time For the benefit of each and every one.

Tulsi Dyal

Guyana is buzzing with excitement DEAR EDITOR, Finally, Guyana has a reason to rejoice soberly in all sincerity after 153 days of antagonizing and frustrating waiting days.

The entire Guyana is buzzing with uncontrollable excitement as Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali has been finally officially declared as the legal and legitimate elected 9th Executive President for the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and to rule for the next five years and the PPP/C Party is to be invited to form the new government. GECOM has sent an official memoir to the Chancellor, attesting to this affirmation. At the time of writing, Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings Edwards (ag) was swearing in the new President. Also swearing in was the new Prime Minister, Brigadier(Rtd.) Mark Phillips.

The new vice president of Guyana is Past President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo.

Not surprising, Mr. Anil Nandlall was sworn in as the new Attorney General. It was a very historical event. This was made possible only after GECOM’s CEO, Mr. Lowenfield, finally presented a report in concurrence with the direction of the Madam Chair, the honourable Retired Justice Ms. Claudette Singh.

His report formed the basis as per the CARICOM creditable recount result, confirming that the allocation of seats will be PPP/C Party 33, the APNU+AFC Party 31 and the Combined Parties 1. All this occurred after some testing and teasing moments earlier in the morning as the APNU+AFC Party

Commissioners went through their usual shenanigans. But, that has become a norm and perhaps without that type of performance, APNU+AFC Party would not have been living up to its true nature.

They departed the meeting prior to the declaration.

Sunday is considered, acknowledged, accepted, recognized and observed as basically, the Sabbath day, a day for prayers, a day to visit a place of worship as per one’s faith, belief or religion, a day for weddings, a day for religious function, a day to socialize, a day to read, a day to relax, a day to read, a day to rest and for some, it’s just another working day.

But in the wisdom of the learned Madam Chair, she waited from Thursday’s decision from the COA to summon a meeting for Sunday, perhaps a strategy in the framework of foresight within the confines of anticipated positivity or administrative authority or closed door transactions or undisclosed negotiation or voluntary discussions.

Did the weather play a hand in the decision making, literally or ironically?

Was the significance of both holidays on Friday and Saturday intriguing and influential in any persuasive manner? Did someone’s conscience “pricked them” as ole people would say? Was there a mood that entertained a change of heart? Did the APNU+AFC Party finally succumbed to the national and international pressure?

Did an unannounced “foreign interference” siped through a bird vine? Did reality finally

kicked in? Did an undisclosed intervention surfaced to play a deciding role?

Did an unknown reason emerged? Finally, was there a unanimous decision among the APNU+AFC Party to agree to this concession?

It wasn’t a day or time to publicly celebrate yesterday nor is it today. But congratulations is in order to be conveyed to the Madam Chair for bringing a successful conclusion to this election process and to the other respective members of the Commission also.

Notwithstanding, again, due congratulations is conveyed also to the new President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, the new Prime Minister Mr. Mark Phillips and the PPP/C Party. Perhaps, it was not the most finest hour for Guyana as the swear in ceremony occurred, the 9th President for Guyana and the second from the West Coast of Demerara and the first from the village of Leonora.

Because of the sensitive political situation in the country, perhaps the urgency to initiate an immediate swear in ceremony had to be performed under not abnormal but realistic circumstances.

The forty year old, a Muslim by faith, is a grandson of the late Sakina Mohamed of Leonora, one of the longest and strongest members from the women’s arm of the PPP/C Party. It was a proud day for Leonora to see a son of the village being sworn in to hold the highest office of the land.

At the swearing in ceremony of the new (Continued on page 6)

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APNU+AFC’S OCEAN VIEW heist - A global poster child for corruption DEAR EDITOR, David Granger, while he was squatting in the Presidency, took a rare time-off from his home last Friday to commission the former Ocean View Hotel as an Infectious Disease Hospital. As he travelled to and from the Ocean View site, he passed supporters gathered in front of his old home who mistakenly thought Granger would have distributed $50,000 each for COVID19 relief. He did not stop, he did not acknowledge them.

The “King” passed back and forth, never once acknowledging his subjects. The last five years exposed the PNC (APNU+AFC) and exposed Granger. The PNC has not changed its stripes - its DNA is that of dictatorship and thieving elections. Their effort to thief the March 2 elections has united the whole world in a brutal rebuke. As the PNC and Granger was able to continue to build on their shameful credentials as dictators and emperors, they accumulated a record sheet of corruption that ranks in the Caribbean region and around the world as some of the most brazen, barefaced corruption deals ever.

They now call the rehabilitated Ocean View Hotel the

National Infectious Disease Hospital. The soundness of a policy for a dedicated national infectious disease hospital is questionable. There never was a policy discussion for a stand-alone infectious disease hospital. I will discuss the pros and cons of such a hospital another time. However, note that HIV, TB, Malaria and other infectious diseases responsible for thousands of deaths in Guyana never catapulted Guyana towards a national infectious disease hospital. We did have a hospital dedicated to leprosy once, in Mahaica, and over time, that hospital was abandoned, as we integrated leprosy treatment into the general medical and public health sector. We also once had a TB hospital, in West Demerara, which was also closed, and that facility was developed into the West Demerara Regional Hospital.

The integration of these diseases into the overall health sector was consistent with global policy directives.

Guyana today is moving in a different direction from other countries. That is what dictatorships do.

But whether or not it is a sound policy, the establishment of the so-called National

Infectious Disease Hospital will forever be known as the Ocean View Heist. It already ranks among the Caribbean Region’s most brazen corruption deals. In fact, for Guyana and CARICOM, the Ocean View Heist will stand forever as a poster child for corruption. When first announced, the Ocean View Hotel was going to be rehabilitated to house persons with or exposed to COVID-19, with a price tag of about $250M. Then that price tag mysteriously bloated to $1B. At the commissioning, Granger had no idea what the cost was.

Volda Lawrence announced, however, a new price tag for the rehabilitation - $G1.6B or $US8M. Lawrence, who like Mr. Granger was a squatter, announced she does not have the final cost, that the Ministry of Finance has those details. How are you commissioning something you call the National Infectious Disease Hospital and you do not know the details of the cost, just that the rehabilitation has now exceeded $1.6B? Now the story has morphed into even more bizarre shenanigans. The hospital is not yet ready to take in patients because the $1.6B

THE IRON LADY SINGS AND GUYANA CAN BREATHE AGAIN DEAR EDITOR, Warmest congratulations to President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and Prime Minister, Brigadier (retd) Mr. Mark Phillips on their successful election as executive president and prime minister respectively in our Republic.

May God bless and guide them in their many endeavours as they take the mantle and

reins of government. A word to Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo and Mr Anil Nandlall: your tenacity and steadfastness assured success and victory.Thank you Madam Chair for restoring faith and confidence in the rule of law. Over to you gentlemen as you write a new page in our country’s history.

Shamshun Mohamed

rehabilitation cost is just for the construction, new money has to be found to equip the hospital. The nation is now warned that the cost of retrofitting the building to serve as a hospital will be in excess of three times the rehabilitation cost - that is about $4.8B. How do they know that? Is there a list of the equipment and a cost estimate done? Or, as feared by many of us, have they given out a contract for the acquisition of these equipment? When this cost is added, the overall construction and equipping cost would be in excess of $6.6B. The new Linden Hospital was built during the Jagdeo Presidency, when I was Minister of Health, at a fraction of the cost for the Ocean View thing. Note also that the new Inpatient Building at the GPHC, for construction and equipping, was a fraction of the rehabilitation cost for the Ocean View thing. The Public Health Lab building, and equipment was a fraction of the cost that is being attributed as the cost for this Ocean View thing. And note also that when the Japanese Government built the new New Amsterdam Hospital during

the Jagdeo Presidency, the cost was also a fraction of what this Ocean View thing is costing.

With such an enormous cost to rehabilitate the building and now must be incurred for equipment, taxpayers’ money are being spent without any tendering. All of this huge sum of money was spent on sole-sourcing contracts.

The stench that this Ocean View heist has caused is about to get even more stinky. We have now learnt that the building was in receivership and the government has not entered into any agreement to procure the building. Those discussions are now taking place. So outside of the almost $7B expenses for rehabilitation and equipment, there is also the charge for procuring the Ocean View property.

This part of the deal is shrouded in secrecy.

Wait, this thing stinks so much, one would think it could not get more stinky.

Well hold your breath. There was never any plan developed to staff this new Infectious Disease Hospital. With already chronic shortages of doctors and nurses and other staff in the existing hospitals,

where is the staff coming from? The hospital started out simply as an emergency need to accommodate quarantined persons. It now has morphed into a hospital and is not likely to be housing patients for a while. Because there was no discussion, no consultation, the availability of other accommodation for quarantining purposes was never explored. A number of possibilities exist but were never explored. Instead, Guyana has committed to an enormous cost, one of the largest ever in the health sector, without any tendering.

While we are at it, how come we could have spent almost $7B to rehabilitate a building, but we abandoned the construction of the Specialty Hospital which was going to cost less and which was going to be funded by the EXIM Bank of India through a loan to a private company which would have operated it as a BOT - Build, Operate and Transfer - arrangement. This deal stands brazenly as a poster child for corruption. This deal must be investigated. There must be a commission of inquiry.

Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

Guyana is buzzing with excitement From page 5 President, recognition and cognizance for the contributions from all sources, large or small, especially from the electorate, specifically the national and international community was acknowledged and his heartfelt thanks and appreciation was conveyed. The way is finally paved and cleared to see transparency and accountability becoming effect immediately with a transition team, led by the new vice-president. Last

night, Guyana slept peacefully for the first time in five months and the inauguration ceremony is expected today. Congratulations from around the world are already pouring in. Good luck and best wishes to the PPP/C Party and, the entire Guyana is a winner without a loser as the reality of a marriage of differentiation and integration hits the ground running without a honeymoon.

Respectfully, Jai Lall

The deficiencies of the West Indies team...

From page 5 conditions and the hostility of Broad, Woakes and Archer with Stokes lurking in the background. Too many batsmen got out playing at balls wide of the off stump, leg stump and elsewhere that could have been easily left alone. They gave the impression that they were playing for an impossible win when in reality they should have been batting to draw the match and retain the trophy. Their strategy should have been to bat, and bat, and bat and bat to the close of play. Imagine Chase got run out as if chasing a quick single to earn an early victory, or was he running away from the bowling? The late batting icon, the first and only batsman to have scored five Test centuries in consecutives innings, Sir. Everton De Courcey Weeks would have instructed the

team to “bat till the cows come home.”

Interestingly, just after West Indies mildly surrendered the rain came.

Here is how West Indies captain Jason Holder defined the mood of his players, “ It’s been challenging, It’s been really challenging. Mentally some of the guys are a bit worn out. It could be this way for a little while and we have got to find ways to make it work.”

In another article I will attempt to analyse the preformances of the batsmen, bowlers, allrounders, wicketkeeper, captain and the selection policy. Anyway, it is now close of play for me, bad light or not.

Yours respectfully Clinton Conway Assistant Commissioner of Police (Retired)

Monday August 03, 2020

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Office for Climate Change, EPA to play key role in monitoring emissions from oil sector

By Kiana Wilburg Over the last century, Guyana has experienced significant changes in its climate. Particularly because of its low-lying coastal region which hosts over 90 percent of the population as well as the main livelihoods, economic activities and infrastructure of the country, there have been valiant calls for the country to increase its efforts to adapt to climate change.

On the cusp of this campaign however, Guyana discovered billions of barrels of oil equivalent resources.

These assets which were found in the Stabroek Block are being pursued for development in several stages by American oil giant, ExxonMobil.

As is well known, fossil fuel is a significant contributor to the release of greenhouse gases. Taking this into account, many local and international stakeholders have questioned how the development of these resources will affect the nation’s efforts to remain a net carbon sink.

- OCC Head mulls capacity development for this crucial responsibility

Head of the Office of Climate Change, Mrs. Janelle Christian Head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Vincent Adams has told this newspaper on several occasions that ExxonMobil’s Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) are often examined to evaluate the expected greenhouse gas emissions as well as the release of other associated gases and how that would affect Guyana’s climate change efforts or goals.

EPA Head, Dr. Vincent Adams was keen to note that the regulatory body does the

best it can with its limited resources on these issues but stressed that the best entity to involve in such a discussion would be the Office for Climate Change.

Dr. Adams said that the OCC has not been part of ongoing discussions that he is aware of. He also said that he is unaware of whether the OCC is doing its own work on the sector.

Dr. Adams said that perhaps, the EPA has neglected to include the OCC in this important discussion but he noted nonetheless that this newspaper should make contact with the Office regarding what aspects of the discussion it would contribute to.

Recently, Kaieteur News made contact with the Head of the Office of Climate Change, Mrs. Janelle Christian. During a telephone conversation, Christian was keen to note that the EPA has

the remit for environmental impact assessments.

Thus it is mandated to ensure that all development projects based on type, scale and potential impacts on the environment etc., including

by ExxonMobil or any oil company for that matter, undertake their investments using the best available technology and application of best practices for the respective sector.

This includes considerations and actions which are in keeping with the nation’s policy direction for addressing climate change as well as ensuring that there is compliance with the relevant laws and regulations covering these and other issues.

With respect to the OCC, Kaieteur News understands that the heart of its responsibility lies with elaboration of climate policies, strategies and plans; and coordination for climate

EPA Head, Dr. Vincent Adams change mainstreaming across the whole of government; reporting and monitoring on Guyana’s climate change efforts to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In this regard, Christian was keen to note that Guyana is a signatory to the UNFCCC, and as a Non-Annex I Party to the Convention is required to submit national reports to the Conference of Parties (COP) on its efforts to implement the Convention and address climate change.

In doing so, Christian

explained that the OCC would have to collect information from every sector on their emissions. Going forward this would also include the oil and gas sector.

She was keen to note however, that the agency would have to improve its capacity to collect, manage and store this type of data and move to establish a National Greenhouse Gas Inventory System for accurate annual reporting.

She said too, that it would be a requirement for the respective sectors to do the same, as they would have to work in partnership with the OCC on consolidating this information.

This establishes the country’s emissions profile by sector and the information is used to inform national policies particularly as it relates to climate change mitigation ambitions.

Secondarily, it also constitutes a significant component of periodic reporting to UNFCCC and the Conference of the Parties (COP).

It is important to note that in 2002, Guyana submitted its Continued on page 12

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Monday August 03, 2020

If we don’t invest in our own, we will see a takeover by foreigners – CGX Head There is no doubt that natural resources such as oil and gas play an important role in a country’s development.

But without a skilled local workforce to ensure those resources are efficiently developed, the citizenry gives away the lion’s share of its wealth to be used and managed by foreigners.

It is with this perspective in mind that Head of CGX (Guyana) and Director of the Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST), Professor Suresh Narine sought to urge the authorities of Guyana to invest in building the capacity of its people.

Speaking on Kaieteur Radio’s Programme, Guyana’s Oil and You, Professor Narine was keen to note that unless the country begins to invest in its educational systems immediately, the country’s ability to produce the highly skilled workforce required for cultivating and utilizing the country’s natural resources will be limited.

“Unless we begin to invest into our education institutions immediately, then our ability to produce that skilled labour…will simply be

Head of CGX Guyana, Professor Suresh Narine scuttled and all of that capital will not save us,” the Professor pointed out.

With this in mind, Professor Narine opined that failure to provide the required opportunities for human resource development will result in the various sectors, inclusive of the oil sector, being manned by a foreign workforce.

“We would then see an army of expatriate interests take our ability to be productive, and that would be a disaster,” Professor Narine noted.

Agri., mining sectors least affected during pandemic – IDB quarterly report Guyana’s agriculture and mining sectors have been least affected by the COVID 19 pandemic. This is according to a quarterly bulletin by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

The financial institution noted that agriculture and mining were the largest sectors of the Guyanese economy before oil production, representing approximately 16 and 14% of Gross Domestic Product respectively.

Expounding further, the IDB said that the mining sector is expected to benefit from higher profit margins due to lower fuel costs and higher prices of gold. Globally, the IDB said the price of gold increased from US$ 1,400 at the end of June 2019 to approximately US$ 1,720 currently— a 23% increase.

Despite the favourable financial conditions, the IDB noted that the public health situation and travel restrictions have affected both gold and bauxite operations in terms of worker availability with the private sector prioritizing the safety of workers.

Turning its attention to

agriculture, the IDB painted an optimistic picture for the future of the industry as it noted that there was a fall in demand for rice in Europe which was offset by a greater demand within the region.

After gold, rice is Guyana’s greatest export representing approximately 14% of total exports.

In the meantime, the report noted that the other sectors of the economy are expected to have varied outcomes.

“Private sector authorities have reported that construction, retail and tourism have been negatively affected, while food manufacturing and fish production have not been significantly affected.

The three largest sectors following agriculture and mining are retail sales, construction, and transportation making up 35% of the economy,” the quarterly report outlined.

In terms of tax revenue collections, the IDB said that both Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth and tax collections are generally expected to contract across the region in 2020.

Monday August 03, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Not frivolous or vexatious at all!

Timothy Jonas’ challenge of the appointment of four Senior Counsel is neither frivolous nor vexatious. It is an important legal challenge which is likely to clarify important legal and constitutional principles.

First, it will help to determine under what authority – statute of convention – the former President presumed to act when persons were identified for appointment as Senior Counsel.

No law or article of the Constitution has ever been adduced as the basis for such appointments.

In 2016, President David Granger announced the names of nine persons as Senior Counsel.

This was the first appointment made since 1996. And he continued to appoint persons to the position of Senior Counsel in the following years.

When the appointment of Senior Counsel was resumed in 2016, it was likened to that of a national award. But it was far from that since it has implications for status within the legal profession.

Senior Counsel, like Queen’s Counsel, are considered as senior and esteemed members of the legal profession.

The appointment therefore has a bearing on the standing of persons within the legal profession. According to one legal luminary, Senior Counsel have the privilege of sitting within the bar of the court “and wear gowns of a similar design to that of a

judge and are usually referred to as ‘silks’ and are given precedence when dealing with matters when called.”

The appointment therefore cannot, and should not, be seen as a national award.

There is no award of Senior Counsel listed in the system of National Awards laid out under the Constitution.

And so such an award has been created by statute, or at least none is known at this time.

The first question therefore which this legal challenge will answer is from whence a President derives the authority to make such appointments.

President Granger had suggested that the power to make such appointments was traditionally a royal prerogative, that is a prerogative of the King or Queen and that such authority is usually vested in the Head of State.

But what is the means by which an independent state, with its own Constitution, inherits a royal prerogative?

The Court will most likely called upon to pronounce as to whether a Head of State of a Republic which has severed all constitutional ties with the Crown, can exercise royal prerogatives, especially in light of the fact that so many of these prerogatives have become obsolete or are now incorporated in statute.

I recall three years ago, in discussing a different issue Anil Nandlall, now returned as Attorney General, had this to say about the obsolescence of royal prerogatives:

“The non-justiciable argument is a relic of a bygone era and owes its genesis to certain aspects of the Royal Prerogative which were beyond the reach of the judiciary and not amenable to its review.

This concept has no place in a legal system where the Constitution is supreme and where the judiciary is its guardian and imbued with an unlimited jurisdiction not only to ensure that it remains supreme but to strike down any law or actions which not only violate or are inconsistent with it but also which seek to question or undermine its supremacy.”

The second question which the Court will most likely be asked to address is whether the nature of the appointment of Senior Counsel, by the Executive arm of the State, conflicts with the doctrine of the separation of powers.

Under this doctrine, the judiciary is supposed to be insulated from control of influence by the Executive.

If, as been argued, Senior Counsel are considered privileged within the legal system and if they are supposed to be given precedence when matters are called, this is all the more reason why such appointments should be made outside of the realm of the Executive.

They should ideally be reposed in the judiciary itself or some independent quasijudicial committee.

These are two of the main concerns which I believe are

Dem boys seh ...

Soft landing tun crash landing Things moved like greased lightning yesterday. Gee-Cum call a meeting at 10 am and dem boy bin feel dat dem government-appointed Commissioners may not have turned up. But dem tun up because after de Court of Appeal decision, dem bin see de writing pun de wall.

But dem come with a plan. Dem decide fuh suggest that de country two main political leaders meet and talk about the way forward. Dem boys bin peep de move long. De suggestion was a way of

ensuring a soft landing fuh de Coalition.

Soft landing is when you trying fuh cushion de humiliation and fallout from defeat. Some political parties wah lose elections does want soft landing so dat dem leaders nah gat fuh resign from de party leadership.

Well, Jaggy give dem a crash landing instead of a soft landing. Was de quickest talk dem ever had.

Jaggy tell Soulja Bai how dem gan talk after de declaration. But dem agree fuh talk and dat was good.

De ball get thrown right back in Claw- dette court

even before she had time fuh eat she lunch. From thereon, things move like Speedy Gonzalez. Within a matter of hours, de CEO present he report; de Declaration was made and President, Prime Minister, Attorney General and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs get appoint whap, whap.Guyana now gat a new President and gan soon gat a new government.

As for dem wah get crash land, dem gat five years fuh try again.

Talk half and wait fuh see who get appoint as Leader of de Opposition.

likely to be addressed in the court proceedings.

They are important questions which concern the legal authority or making such appointments.

And, if such authority rests with the President, then

does it collide with the doctrine of the separation of powers?

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

PAGE 10

Monday August 03, 2020

Kaieteur News

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

WHAT HAPPENED SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN IN THE WORLD I have typed this column exactly five months after the March 2, 2020 elections.

Exactly five months after the election there has now been the official swearing in of the winning president, Dr. Irfaan Ali. What happened in Guyana should never be repeated in another country.

Those who carried Guyana through these bestial journeys should not be forgiven.

It is not that we had a close election and therefore logical clarifications were needed over a day or two. It is not that there were some imbroglios on voting day that needed to be dissolved in a few days’ time.

Even the most gifted poet and the most brilliant user of prose will be hard pressed to describe the election depravity that has been creating tsunamic, acidic waves over Guyana.

I saw parties win and lose elections in my country since 1992 and no one in this entire world could have convinced me that after 2015 from what I saw unfolding after the APNU+AFC came to power in 2015 that it was not planning a crooked election.

All the moves, some subtle, some not so subtle were there to create the final curtain.

It happened on March 4 and we ended up in a ravenous jungle where morality, conscience and humanity got lost. It should never happen again to any nation, to any other group of citizens. It has finally concluded with the swearing in of Irfaan Ali as president right next door to my home at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre ACCC).

As the nation moves on with its collective life, as the nation picks up the pieces of its collective life, we must

never forget, and we must always remember why the rigged election failed even though the riggers took five months to perpetrate its fraudulent drama.

I am typing this column, periodically looking through the window right next to my desk from which I can see the courtyard of the ACCC as the cars drive in for the swearing in of Dr. Ali and I am thinking of the persons who made this possible.

I repeat for the umpteen time, they are: Bruce Golding, Owen Arthur, American Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch; Canadian High Commission, Lilian Chatterjee; British High Commissioner Greg Quinn and EU Ambassador Fernando Ponz Cantó. I repeat for the umpteen time, the government of President Ali, must make a bust of these people to be displayed in one

of the most prominent parts of this country.

If it weren’t for these democratic souls, then on March 14, David Granger would have been sworn in as president and from thereon, this country would never have seen another free and fair national election. For generation to come, the people of this country would have known only one party controlling the government.

We have been saved and, unfortunately, Arthur was not with the Guyanese people yesterday as Guyana celebrated a new lease on life, a life he helped to sustain. We must never forget this former Prime Minister of Barbados who refused to play the ugly game of seeing the world through the eyes of race and judging civilized values on the basis of race.

I have a young daughter and I will ask her to put up a

large photograph of Arthur on her bedroom door on which hang other heroes, like Mandela, Malala and others who stood up for justice and principles in the world.

When I secure that image, I will hang one too on my bedroom wall. Life can be harsh at times. Arthur had to die just a week before what he helped Guyanese to achieve has seen the apogee at the ACCC yesterday.

In any analysis of the circumstances that took us to that apogee, the role of the fine legal, independent minds of Guyana’s judicial system from High Court to Court of Appeal to Caribbean Court of Justice must be highlighted.

We don’t have a president from a cheated election because Chief Justice, Roxane George-Wiltshire ruled in the first week of March that Clairmont Mingo must follow the law in

Frederick Kissoon tabulating of the Region 4 votes. That injunction stopped the swearing in of Granger on March 14.

Then there were Court of Appeal judges, Dawn Gregory and Brassington Reynolds. The PNC leaders agreed with the suggestion of the Barbadian Prime Minister, Mia Mottley to solve the election impasse by having a recount. Had the recount been ruled illegal, Granger would have long been sworn in. Guyana has survived because of these great folks.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

COVID-19 death toll rises to 21 as Guyana records 44 new cases The Ministry of Public Health disclosed yesterday that another person lost their life to novel Coronavirus.

Kaieteur News understands that the 21st COVID-19 related death occurred on July 30 and said to be that of a 34-year-old male East Bank Demerara (EBD) resident. In a recent table posted on the Ministry of Health Facebook’s page, it was noted that the

number of persons who tested positive for Coronavirus now stands at 474 with 44 new cases being recorded for yesterday.

This massive increase now takes the total number of active cases in Guyana to 268, three of which have been placed in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU). It was also noted there has been no recoveries over the last few days.

Monday August 03, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

PAGE 12

Monday August 03, 2020

Kaieteur News

20 years after constitutional amendment…

Guyana remains without substantive appointment of CJ, Chancellor Twenty years after a constitutional amendment was made to allow the two top judicial office holders to be appointed substantively by the President after obtaining the agreement of the Opposition Leader, Guyana remains without a substantive Chancellor and Chief Justice (CJ).

This is largely due to the lack of consensus on the issue between the two main political leaders. This issue has been a source for concern for both local and regional judicial bodies.

In an invited comment, Attorney General, (AG) Anil Nandlall noted that given the impasse over the appointments, it may be time that constitutional amendment is revisited. Nandlall shared the view that this aspect of the Constitution which provides for the involvement of key politicians has not worked in the best interest of the judiciary.

Nandlall said that he even witnessed firsthand how politics has impacted the said appointments.

“I was present at several meetings with past Presidents and Opposition Leaders— as they tried to

reach a consensus on the best candidates to fill the position but they just could not agree on the proposed nominees,” he said.

Nandlall said that it is unfortunate the constitutional amendment has not borne a single fruit after all these years. He suggested that “Maybe it is time for that amendment to be revisited and be amended again for a practicable formulae in the interest of the advancement of our judiciary.”

The procedures for the appointment of Chancellor and Chief Justice are outlined in Article 127 (1) and (2) of the Constitution of Guyana.

Article 127 (1) states: “The Chancellor and the Chief Justice shall be appointed by the President after obtaining the agreement of the Leader of the Opposition”.

The appointments of acting Chancellor and Chief Justice were made in conformity with Article 127 (2) which states: “If the office of Chancellor or Chief Justice is vacant, or if the person holding the office of Chancellor is performing the functions of the office of President or is for any other reason unable to perform the

Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary Yonette Cummings Edwards functions of his or her office, or if the person holding the office of Chief Justice is for any reason unable to perform the functions of his or her office, then, until such a person has been appointed to and assumed the functions of such office or until the person holding such office has assumed those functions, as the case may be, those functions shall be performed by such other of the Judges as shall be appointed by the President after meaningful consultation with the Leader of the Opposition.”

Since the amendment was

made to the Constitution in 2001, not a single Chancellor or CJ has been confirmed in the positions. The persons who held those offices have all acted including Justice of Appeal, Yonette Cummings Edwards and High Court Justice, Roxane George – Wiltshire who were appointed to act as Chancellor and Chief Justice respectively by former President David Granger.

The acting appointments were made after Granger and former Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo could not come to an agreement on the nominees for the top offices.

Guyana’s last substantive Chancellor of the Judiciary was Justice Desiree Bernard. She served until 2005 and had been in position before the Constitution was amended.

After then, several other judges were appointed to act in the position including the current Chancellor, Justice Cummings-Edwards, who was sworn in by Granger on March 27, 2018 following the retirement of Justice Carl Singh, who was also never confirmed for the post.

Justice George was also sworn in to act as Chief Justice then, too. She was appointed to the post in

Acting Chief Justice, Roxane George-Wiltshire December 2015, following the retirement of the late Justice Ian Chang, S.C. Both Justices Cummings-Edwards and George worked in the chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) before their elevation to Judges.

A number of judicial bodies including the Caribbean Association of Judicial Officers [CAJO] have expressed concerns over lengthy acting appointments for Heads of Judiciaries with specific reference to Guyana’s situation.

CAJO explained that given the context of the role of judiciary, not being able to confirm candidates for these

top judicial roles goes against the grain of establishing public trust and confidence in the Court system.

Furthermore, the country’s inability to appoint a substantive Chancellor of the Judiciary has been bemoaned by the country’s highest court, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

In fact, in May 2018, President of the CCJ, Justice Dennis Byron, as he then was, expressed that having judges acting in the position of Chancellor and Chief Justice is a most unfortunate state of affairs.

Among other things, Justice Byron complained that prolonged acting appointments pose a genuine risk to the promise to citizens of an independent and impartial judiciary.

Current President of the CCJ Justice Adrian Saunders also called out Guyana for this issue. Justice Saunders had said that the country’s failure to make substantive judicial appointment is a significant strain on the rule of law.

In addition, during its biennial conference in Belize last year, CAJO had raised the issue over Guyana’s failure to appoint a substantive office holder of Chancellor of the Judiciary for over 14 years.

Office for Climate Change, EPA to...

From page 7 Initial National Communication (INC) to the COP. Furthermore, on July 10, 2007, the Ministry of Agriculture on behalf of the Government of Guyana and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed an agreement for the preparation of Guyana’s Second National Communication (SNC) to the UNFCCC. Through the preparation of the SNC, the institutional and technical capacity of Guyana has been strengthened to allow the country to meet its UNFCCC obligations.

Kaieteur News understands that the SNC comprises seven main components/chapters, namely: National Circumstances of the country; Greenhouse Gas Inventory from base year 2000; Measures to facilitate Adaptation to climate change; Measures to Mitigate climate change; Research and Systematic Observation Systems including a Technology Needs Assessment; Public Education and Capacity Building; and identification of gaps and constraints related to financial, technical, and capacity needs.

Christian said that Guyana is in the process of preparing its third report

which is expected to be completed by the end of the year for submission by the next COP. She said too, that subsequent reports would be required to report on associated greenhouse gas emissions from the oil and gas sector. It is expected that the EPA would make such data available (also the Department of Energy) to the OCC. It therefore means that the EPA would have to improve its capacity to independently monitor and record the greenhouse gas emissions by ExxonMobil and others. Kaieteur News also understands that the Office for Climate Change would need to collect data, ideally, on greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors.

RIGHT TO DEVELOPMENT There are some who contend that Guyana should leave its oil resources in the ground since its extraction and subsequent development would only lead to the nation increasing its carbon footprint. During her insightful discussion with Kaieteur News, the Head of the OCC said that she does not agree with this notion.

Christian is of the view that Guyana has a right to development even though it has expressed a commitment

to reducing its dependence on fossil fuels. It should be about finding the right balance between environment and development.

She acknowledged that even as the world transitions to renewable sources, she stressed that there is still a demand for fuel now. In light of this, she posited that Guyana should take advantage of this window of opportunity before it closes.

The OCC Head noted however that the monetization of oil and gas resources can provide Guyana with the revenue it needs to transition to a lowcarbon climate resilient economy, which it has expressed for many years now as articulated both by the Low Carbon Development Strategy and the Green State Development Strategy. At the end of the day, Mrs. Christian said, “We have to ensure that oil and gas developments are in keeping with our development philosophy and climate change ambitions and ensure that it does not erode the gains we have made over the years with our environmental stewardship, known globally as it relates climate change mitigation through sustainable forest management.”

PAGE 19

Kaieteur News

Monday August 03, 2020

Suriname gets almost three times Guyana’s revenue share from oil deal

T

he Republic of Suriname is lucky to have benefitted from three consecutive oil discoveries made this year

by Apache and Total, all within the confines of Block 58 – a concession located near its border with Guyana.

However, the revenue share that the people would get from the production of the oil in that block is due not to luck, but to the prudent management of the patrimony of the people of Suriname by its Government.

Former Managing Director of Suriname’s state oil company, Eddie Jharap, recently calculated that the probable revenue share would be 36 percent of gross production. This is noteworthy as Guyana is set to get a 14.5 percent revenue share from gross production revenues on its Stabroek Block. Despite the fact that Guyana’s Stabroek Block is much more lucrative, Suriname’s revenue share would amount to almost three times that of Guyana.

Jharap provided a simple arithmetical calculation of this on Saturday last. First off, the royalty for Block 58 is 6.25 percent of gross revenues, which is more than three times Guyana’s meager two percent.

Aside from the payment of royalty, the operational costs of about 20 percent of gross production are to be paid, Jharap explained. He also pointed out the investment costs during the first five years, which would be about 20 percent of oil

Map showing location of Suriname’s Block 58 and Guyana’s Stabroek Block

production per year.

The remaining 53.75 percent of the gross production is referred to as profit oil. As a concession holder, the state company, Staatsolie, obtains 16 percent of gross production free of charge.

Of the remaining 37.75 percent profit oil, the investors are to pay 36 percent income tax to the State of Suriname, which amounts to about 13.59

percent of gross production.

A summation of royalty, Staatsolie’s share, and income taxes amounts to 35.84 percent of the gross production. Jharap said that Staatsolie also has an option to participate up to a maximum of 20 percent with investment capital, in which case, Suriname’s share of the production would move from 35.84 percent to 43.39 percent of gross production.

In Guyana’s case, the

investors recoup their investments by up to 75 percent of gross production, leaving 25 percent as profit oil. The profit oil is split 5050 between them and the government.

The oil companies pay no taxes. The government also receives two percent of gross production as royalty. Half of profit oil gives Guyana 12.5 percent of gross production.

Added to a royalty of two percent, Guyana’s total

revenue share is 14.5 percent of gross production.

Many have criticised Guyana’s contract with ExxonMobil as lopsided and unfair to the people. Global Witness has calculated that the poor terms would cause Guyana to lose US$55B over the life of the contract. It has criticised Guyana’s leaders for the part they played in the signing away of the massive concession to the multinationals,

ExxonMobil, Hess and CNOOC. Despite facing international and local condemnation, neither of the major parties has shown interest in securing better terms for the people.

ExxonMobil has even boasted that it has received assurances from the parties that the contract will remain intact, and that its projects will be allowed to move forward.

Bandit, 22, shot dead after Nandy Park robbery

P

olice are now investigating the death of a 22-year-old man who was shot following a robbery at Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara. The incident occurred just after 8pm last evening.

When Kaieteur News arrived on the scene, the man – who Kaieteur News understands is named Dominic and is a resident of Costello Housing Scheme, Georgetown – was seen lying in a pool of his blood and handcuffed to a weapon lying beside him.

One eyewitness who spoke to this news agency related that the dead man was part of a team who executed the robbery on the family. The Nandy Park resident said that the dead man and others held the members of the family at gunpoint, relieving them of cash and valuables before trying to escape. The eyewitness said that the family had equipped their house with a panic button which when pressed, triggers an alarm

connected to Kalibur Security Service.

Armed security guards responded immediately, he said, and a chase ensued with the bandits who were reportedly travelling in a silver-grey Toyota Spacio.

In the short chase, the bandits reportedly opened fire on the security guards, shooting indiscriminately into the night. The men reportedly fired three rounds at a civilian’s car, damaging his windscreen. He was said to have escaped unhurt.

The Kalibur Security guard’s reportedly returned fire, fatally hitting the bandit. The eyewitness told Kaieteur News that before the man drew his last breath; he was asked “who sent him” and he reportedly replied “security guards.”

Police arrived later to the scene and the body was removed and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The bandit that was shot

The bullet holes left on the civilian’s windscreen

Monday August 03, 2020

Strip club shooting leaves one dead, one critical, three others wounded

Shepherd found with throat slashed at Crane The police have launched an investigation into the death of a 21 year- old man, who was found with his throat slashed near a community ball field at Crane, West Coast Demerara (WCD).

The dead man was identified by relatives as Darrel Levar James. His body was found yesterday morning around 9:am lying in the bushes near the entrance of the community playground—a place where he would regularly graze his flock.

Roxanne Bess, the dead man’s mother, told this publication that her son left their Lot 79 Crane Housing Scheme residence at around 8:30 am to take the sheep to the pasture.

“He said mommy I going and come back. I will give them an hour to graze,” said Bess. The woman related that “Plenty people know that he does graze the sheep and they don’t trouble him.”

The distraught mother said that she learnt of the demise from another young man who also tends sheep in the community.

“He come and say come quick, that something happen to Darrel,” Bess said.

When she arrived at the ball field, her son’s lifeless body was lying in the grass

Edward Skeete

Dead: Raymond Lindo A shooting incident at “Magic City,” a popular strip club located in Garnett Street, Kitty, has left a taxi driver dead, another battling for his life, and three others wounded.

The dead man has been identified as Raymond Lindo, 21, of Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara (EBD) while Edward Skeete known as “Pretty Boy” is said to be in a critical condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

According to nearby residents, they awoke to the sound of gunshots and screams sometime after 03:00Hrs yesterday.

Kaieteur News learnt that at least 50 persons attended an emancipation party held at the club. During the celebration, a fight reportedly broke out between Skeete and another man. Kaieteur News understands that shots were fired during the altercation which left many of the patrons hurrying to exit the building.

Skeete along with Lindo and three others were hit and fell

PAGE 21

Kaieteur News

Found with throat slashed: Darrel James not too far from the flock he had taken out to graze.

The woman who was still in shock over her son’s death when she spoke to Kaieteur News said that she could not believe that her son’s life was snuffed out in such a brazen manner. She is convinced that someone must have seen something since the incident happened in broad daylight.

“My son is a peaceful person and he always helping somebody. He never had trouble with people,” she related.

As news of the murder

spread quickly throughout the usually quiet neighbourhood, villagers flocked to the scene of murder. Persons speculated that the man was beaten before his throat was slashed.

When Kaieteur News arrived on the scene, Police detectives confirmed that the body bore several marks of violence and the dead man’s belongings were found scattered in bushes except for his Samsung S8 phone that was missing. The detectives have since taken one suspect in for questioning.

Dead body being removed from the scene yesterday.

A Facebook post made by a resident calling for police intervention in the club’s activities. to the ground outside the club.

Police ranks and paramedics arrived shortly after, and found Lindo unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at the scene while Skeete and the others were rushed to GPHC for immediate medical attention.

S u b s e q u e n t investigations revealed that both Skeete and Lindo were no strangers to breaking the law. Kaieteur news learnt that Skeete was a former murder

accused. In 2018, he and another man were freed of a murder charge which alleged that they had gunned down Ry a n Clementson at Turning Point, Tucville on July, 24, 2015. He also has a case before the court for assaulting a cop and resisting arrest in February of this year.

As for Lindo, he was one of five men who were remanded to prison in October of 2018 for an armed robbery committed at a bar in Parika, East Bank Essequibo (EBE).

PAGE 22

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Monday August 03, 2020

Monday August 03, 2020

Letter of congratulations to President Irfaan Ali from CIOG His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfan Ali President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana Shiv Chanderpaul Drive Georgetown, Guyana.

Your Excellency, AssalamuAlaikumwaR ahmatullahiwaBaraktu On behalf of myself and family and on behalf of the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana (CIOG), I wish to congratulate you on ascending to the Office of the President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, amplified because you are also the first Muslim President of our country.

Your Excellency, the Muslim community is bursting with joy at this blessing from Allah (SWT), that he has chosen one from the Ummah of our Master Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to lead our country.

Make no mistake, your elevation to this office was made possible only by the Permission of Allah (SWT), who has entrusted you with guiding and protecting our nation. Please, do not ever breach the Amanah (trust) that Allah (SWT) has placed on your shoulders. In this regard, I remind myself and you of the verse of the Holy Qura’an: “It is He Who hath made you (His) agents, inheritors of the earth: He hath raised you in

ranks, some above others: that He may try you in the gifts He hath given you” (AlAn’âm 6: 165)”.

For your guidance, as you undertake this new chapter in your life, Allah (SWT) has said “There has come to you from Allah Light and a Plain Book.” (5.15). Please read the Book of Allah as much as possible; this will be the source of your success. In the Holy Quran, Allah Almighty says: “And We made them leaders, guiding by Our command; and We inspired them to do good works, and to observe the prayer, and to give out charity. They were devoted servants to Us” (Quran, 21:73).

Your ascension comes at a time when there is a lot of division in our country, but we are confident that you can heal the wounds and unite our people. Allah says in chapter 49 of the Holy Quran: “O mankind we have created from a single pair of a male and a female; and have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know each other, not that you may despise one another.

Verily, the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is the one who is most righteous. Verily Allah is well acquainted of all things.”

I implore you to govern with Ihsan (excellence), compassion, justice patience, endurance, commitment, sacri-

fice and most critically bowing down in Worship to the King of Kings, the Lord of the Worlds –Allah (SWT). It is reported that the Messenger of Allah (PUBH) said, “Supplication is the weapon of the believer, the pillar of the religion, and the light of the heaven and earth” (AlHakim). Prayers and supplications bring us nearer to God and protect us from calamities and destruction. On the positive side, prayers and supplications plead our case to God who bestows more blessings on us. In verse 60 of Sura Mu’min, God commands us, “And your Lord says, call on me; I will answer your (prayers). But those who are too arrogant to serve me will surely enter Hell-in humiliation.”

May Allah (SWT) grant you the tawfeeq to lead our country in a manner that is pleasing to HIM. May Allah (SWT) bless you and bestow upon you the wisdom, strength, and humility to be worthy and successful.

I pledge my personal support and the support of the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana.

Your Brother, Al Hajj Shahabudeen Ahmad President of the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana (CIOG)

Congratulatory messages on the swearing in of President Irfaan Ali Joint statement from the ABC-EU Countries The Ambassador of the United States of America, H.E. Sarah-Ann Lynch, the British High Commissioner, H.E. Greg Quinn, the Canadian High Commissioner, H.E. Lilian Chatterjee, and the Ambassador of the European Union, H.E. Fernando Ponz-Canto, congratulates the people of Guyana and the Guyana Elections Commission for bringing to a peaceful and orderly conclusion the 2020 elections.

We congratulate the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) on its electoral

success and Mohamed Irfaan Ali on his swearing in as President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

We thank President David Granger for accepting the results as befits the dignity of his office.

We thank all the political parties, technical advisors and all observers - international and domestic - who participated in the electoral process. We thank GECOM Chairwoman Claudette Singh for having the courage of her convictions to uphold Guyana’s Constitution.

We look forward to working with President Ali and his

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government as it confronts many immediate challenges, including the need to address the social and economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and the development needs of Guyana’s people.

We also look forward to seeing this government at its outset reach across political divisions to unite Guyanese of all ethnicities, races, and regions, around meaningful progress on constitutional reform and reconciliation.

As friends of Guyana, we look forward to working with all to continue to support Guyana’s development for the benefit of its people.

Message from the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI) wishes to congratulate His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali on his appointment as the 9th Executive President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. We also extend our congratulatory greetings to the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) on its success at the March 2, 2020 polls. The Chamber would like to thank all parties and entities which participated in the electoral process.

We would also like to thank the Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh for executing her office and duties as Chairperson in accordance with the Constitution of Guyana. The GCCI looks forward to working with H.E. Dr. Ali and the Government of

Guyana on the task of nation-building and, in particular, private sector development. However, a number of immediate challenges confront Guyana, foremost of which is the devastating public health and economic impact of the novel Coronavirus.

The Chamber anticipates a now fully functional Government to comprehensively address this pandemic which has had deleterious effects on the welfare of Guyanese.

As said previously, the GCCI remains supportive of any government brought to power by the democratic process and will continue to act as a partner in nation-building as we all seek to develop this nation of ours.

We anticipate Guyana’s continued development, for the benefit of the people of Guyana.

Statement from the Liberty and Justice Party

The Liberty and Justice Party congratulates President Elect, Dr. Irfaan Ali and the People Progressive Party/ Civic on their victory at the 2 March 2020 elections.

That the declaration took this long is a travesty and an event that has caused very serious societal fault lines that the people will now look to the incoming administration to take significant steps to heal. The events leading up

to these delayed results are matters that we hope the incoming administration treats with decisively to avoid future such events and to deter anyone from thinking they can perverse the will of the people.

We extend our gratitude to all the political parties that fought to defend democracy, the international community and partners, the Guyana Elections Commission and the patient Guyanese population.

We also extend a special thank you to the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, Madam Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh for all her tireless efforts and for the delivery of free, fair, transparent and credible elections.

We look forward to an inclusive government and the fulfilment of the PPP/C’s preelectoral promises to ensure an inclusive and progressive Guyana.

U.S. election will be Nov. 3 as planned - Trump advisers

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House and Donald Trump’s campaign yesterday sought to shut down the Republican president’s musings on delaying the 2020 vote, saying there will be an election on Nov. 3.

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said Trump was raising concerns about mail-in ballots when he floated the idea of delaying the U.S. vote.

“We’re going to hold an election on November 3 and the president is going to win,” Meadows said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”Presidential campaign adviser Jason Miller echoed the sentiment on “Fox News Sunday,” saying, “The election is going to be on November 3rd and President Trump wants the election to be on November 3rd. ”Trump on Thursday suggested delaying the U.S.

elections, an idea immediately rejected by both Democrats and his fellow Republicans in Congress - the sole branch of government with the authority to make such a change.

Critics and even Trump’s allies dismissed the notion as an unserious attempt to distract from devastating economic news, but some legal experts warned that his repeated attacks could undermine his supporters’ faith in the election process.

The Republican president has been trying to undermine confidence in mail-in balloting, claiming repeatedly and without evidence that it would lead to widespread voter fraud.

Meadows took up his boss’s cause yesterday, warning that mail-in ballots must be handled properly without providing evidence that they have not been in the past.Asked if it were irresponsible for Trump to float the

idea, Meadows skirted the question, saying “It is responsible for him to say that if we try to go to 100% universal mail-in ballots, will we have an election result on November 3?

Now I would suggest we wouldn’t even have it on January 1.”Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson told CNN yesterday the election should be held on time and it was up to states to ensure balloting be carried out properly.

“It’s not helpful for the president to think out loud in a public fashion and express some frustration,” he added.

The coronavirus crisis is expected to drive a surge in mail voting in November.

State election officials are working to ensure tens of millions of ballots can reach voters in time to be cast and are returned in time to be counted.

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Monday August 03, 2020

Use Payara permit as bargaining chip for better oil deal ‘Multinationals not keeping the people’s best interests at heart’ – Experts tell Guyana Guyana should not approve the Payara Field Development Plan (FDP) until it secures a better deal with ExxonMobil and its partners on the Stabroek Block. That is the advice of industry experts Anthony Paul and Dr. Jan Mangal, individuals who have stridently spoken in defense of Guyana’s patrimony, even after departing their Governmentappointed posts.

The Stabroek Block Production Sharing Agreement has been widely criticised, locally and internationally, for its lopsided terms. The PSA is so poor that Global Witness found the difference between its current regime and a fair deal to be US$55B. It has also been found to be riddled with illegalities.

Dr. Mangal, who served as Presidential Advisor on Petroleum to David Granger, recently posted comments to

Trinidadian Energy Expert, Anthony Paul Facebook on the matter.

“The Payara project should not be approved, as it will result in much more leakage of Guyana’s wealth to Exxon.” Mangal said. “We need a fair contract before approving the Payara

project.”

Mangal had told Kaieteur News in a previous interview that oil companies tend to rush production in a ploy to get away with the lion’s share of the nation’s wealth. They are able to do under poor

contractual terms.

“Oil companies always want to pump everything as fast as possible…Don’t buy into the hype…Countries [like Guyana] benefit from longer, sustained production.” Mangal had said.

Yesterday, Irfaan Ali was sworn in as President, bringing an end to a fivemonth electoral process.

“If the PPP approves Payara,” Mangal stated, “then they are selling out the people of Guyana, and then the PPP are giving away our wealth for peanuts, just like the Coalition.”

Paul, who has more than three decades of experience in the oil industry, said that

Former Presidential Advisor on Petroleum, Dr. Jan Mangal the evidence is clear that the deals signed and practices exercised by multinationals in Guyana have not kept with industry practice, nor have they had the best interests of the Guyanese people at heart.

Any new Government, Paul urged, should carefully analyse the losses projected by independent analysts, then work to re-balance the

order.

Like Mangal, Paul stressed the importance of taking the time to make wise decisions.

“The government,” he said, “will be aware that time is of the essence, but is also aware that rushing into bad decisions is worse than delaying to get a good Continued on page 25

Monday August 03, 2020

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Authority’s lackadaisical attitude at border endangering Wapichan communities - SRDC With Brazil currently among the list of countries recording the highest COVID-19 cases, the South Rupununi District Council (SRDC) is worried that the illegal cross border activities at the Guyana-Brazil boundary are putting Wapichan communities at risk. Additionally, the council believes that the influx of trespassers stems from the lackadaisical attitude of the relevant authorities.

This newspaper had previously highlighted that South Rupununi currently houses several Wapichan communities, where the majority of the inhabitants do not speak English. Project Coordinator attached to the SRDC, Kid James, stated that

The Guyana-Brazil border

the language barrier and the influx of illegal crossers are contributing to these communities being at great risk and is pressing for more action.

James stated that since

Use Payara permit as...

From page 24 understanding of the available options.”

He said that Government should let its oil sector partners know that their agreements should see them as equal partners, with fair benefits to their shareholders as well as the people of Guyana.

President Ali said in a brief interview following his swearing in, yesterday, that he will strive to ensure the wealth gleaned from oil is used to benefit the people. However, there has been no signal of intent to get better terms out of the controversial deal. ExxonMobil’s senior Vice President, Neil Chapman even said during the company’s second quarter earnings call last Friday that both parties are in support of the contract as well as the Payara Field Development Plan. Much like APNU+AFC, the PPP/C has shown no interest in renegotiating the Stabroek Block deal. Its leaders have refused to renegotiate the contract, and have given ExxonMobil assurances that it will stay intact.

The Stabroek Block Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) was signed by the Janet Jagan led administration in 1999 with Exxon’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), and revised in 2016. It was subsequently renewed by former Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman. Two other companies, Hess Corporation and CNOOC/Nexen , are partners in the Stabroek Block consortium.

the inhabitants’ indigenous language is not English, they cannot understand the COVID-19 guidelines that are being published.

Additionally, he lamented that if there is no comprehension then they cannot avoid potentially infected migrants who have now taken up residence in their communities.

James further stated that the council has been pleading with the government for months to enforce stricter border control and to dispatch more personnel. In spite of those calls, no action

has been taken.

The SDRC previously stated that they had blocked several illegal crossings along the border and have been doing their utmost to monitor border crossings.

The council noted however that assistance from the regional authority is vital in tackling the issue.

The council believes that there is a lone effort being made to tackle the on-going pandemic and ensure the safety of the Wapichan people. This council members posited, is unacceptable. While the

SRDC has begun implementing measures to boost communication about COVID-19 within Wapichan communities, James highlighted that there is still a long way to go. With the Wapichan communities being in grave danger and dire need of help, the SRDC thinks that the authorities are making controlling the virus harder.

On Thursday, July 23, the council had condemned the Regional Health Officer (REO) of Region Nine for misinforming the media about COVID-19 related incidents and making threats against

the region’s Toshaos.

According to the SRDC, REO Carl Parker had misinformed a media entity about a COVID-19 patient escaping health officials as he was being put into institutional quarantine. The council stated that unnecessary panic was caused among villagers after reports that an illegal migrant traveling through villages in Rupununi had tested positive for the virus. Parker then made allegations that Toshao’s were hiding villagers who illegally crossed into Guyana and recommended that they are charged for such actions.

Toshaos were also told that if there is a rise in the number of cases in their villages, the regional authorities will ease in assisting these communities.

The council said it would like to see the regional authority ramping up security at the Guyana-Brazil border along with proper communication between the Regional authorities and the Wapichan people on how to safeguard themselves against the virus and illegal villagers.

Pakaraima Flavours Sundried Tomato Products...

From page 20 capitalization suffer.

Ultimately, the sector atrophies and we have what now obtains: much talk about being the bread-basket of the Caribbean but very little tangible investment and few tertiary products.

Many of these attitudes have their genesis in Guyana’s colonial past and related conditioning, but many Guyanese are also beginning to suggest that this lethargy related to local development and local products cannot continue if the country is to develop in a balanced and sustainable fashion.

THE SUPPLY SIDE: AGRICULTURE Agriculture at scale in the Guyana Hinterland presents several systemic challenges related to a paucity of labour, lack of capital investments in land preparation, water management and stewardship, lack of adequate expert agricultural extension personnel, no farm to market roads, distant markets, no access to high density power for post-harvest processing, a dearth of policy and targeted taxation incentives, no available crop insurance products and no concerted national focus.

These challenges present a nexus with the acute need for sustainable development in Indigenous Communities.

The approach taken by the IAST and the Patamona Farmers of the North Pakaraimas attempts to

address these challenges through utilizing a “Cooperative” approach which entails diffusing individual risk, enabling volume supply and embracing full economic flow back to Cooperative members.

It also paves the way for utilization of the accumulated knowledge of the Patamonas in growing produce in the region for more than 7, 000 years. Utilization of drying as a post harvest method alleviates the need for high density electrical power and relies instead on sunlight.

The project started off with a variety of tomatoes, the Mongol, being supplied by the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) to the project. From 2017 to 2019, the yield of dried fruit to fresh fruit was poor, yielding only 2.7% of dried fruit, by mass.

Tomatoes had never been cultivated in the region as a commercial crop so it was anticipated that optimization would be necessary.

NAREI and the IAST collaborated on calcium augmentation and other forms of interventions, but the dried yield of the Mongol variety in the North Pakaraima mountains continued to be low. Furthermore, individual Patamona farmers were reluctant to plant in communal farms.

This resulted in acute challenges for fruit collection and transportation, sending up costs. The Patamona

cultural approach to farming is to locate their farms several days walk away from the village. This does have significant benefits in conservation and regrowth. It therefore meant that solutions needed to be cognizant of the ecological benefits.

In 2020, the IAST took a decision to test 13 different varieties of tomatoes in direct field trials in the North Pakaraimas. This was done after an extensive literature review of suitable varieties so that only varieties with good potential for the soil type and climate were chosen. Varieties were grown with various conditions including spacing, augmentation with calcium, levels of irrigation, mulching, etc.

A dominant variety, well adjusted to the climatic and moisture conditions was the clear choice after this study was recently concluded.

Without any form of augmentation, the fresh fruit yield per plant showed an increase of 60% over the Mongol variety.

Furthermore, the dry yield of this variety increased by 230%. This new variety is the Mana Hybrid variety. This is the variety which is now cultivated for the 2020 growing season. Harvesting and processing has begun and the production numbers are closely tracking the field trials.

Several other improvements were made to the production protocols.

Communal plots with easier access to trails were chosen in 2020.

Cooperative members were all assigned to plots within the communal plots and each Cooperative Member was allocated quota cards. The quota system was designed and implemented by the IAST in 2020 to ensure logistical and target control between the agricultural production, processing and marketing.

In addition, the communal plots will be moved regularly, as per Patamona conventional wisdom, to ensure replenishment of the soil and ecosystems. The processing capacity has been increased, with the IAST constructing a second solar dryer. This will also aid significantly in avoiding spoilage losses during poor sunlight and during over-production from the fields.

The Pakaraima Flavours Project is a study in the focus and stewardship which is required to build sustainable, vertically integrated, valueadded business ventures among Indigenous Communities in the Guyanese Hinterland. Such projects require constant improvements and a focus on the cultural practices encountered across the value chain. They are as much a study in self-identity and compromised approaches as they are commercial- as IAST says, IS WE OWN!

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NBA roundup: Warren erupts for 53 as Pacers edge 76ers T.J. Warren scored a career-high 53 points to lead the Indiana Pacers past the visiting Philadelphia 76ers 127-121 on Saturday near Orlando.

Warren was 20 of 29 from the field, including 9 of 12 from beyond the 3-point arc.

Warren’s previous career high was 40.

Aaron Holiday had 15 points and 10 assists, and Victor Oladipo added 15 points for the Pacers, who improved to 40-26 despite playing without key injured players such as Domantas Sabonis and Malcolm Brogdon.

Joel Embiid was spectacular for the Sixers (39-27) with 41 points, 21 rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots. It was his fourth game this season with at least 30 points and 15 rebounds.

Tobias Harris scored 30 points, and Ben Simmons added 19 points and 13 rebounds.

Toronto Raptors 107 — Los Angeles Lakers 92 Kyle Lowry had 33 points, 14 rebounds and six assists, leading Toronto past Los Angeles for the for the 11th consecutive time.

Lowry hit 5 of 9 3-pointers and 8 of 16 shots from the floor. OG Anunoby had 23 points, making 8 of 9 shots, and Pascal Siakam contributed 15 points and nine rebounds for the Raptors.

The Raptors haven’t lost to the Lakers since Nov. 30, 2014.

LeBron James led the Lakers with 20 points and 10 boards. Kyle Kuzma chipped in 16 points, and Anthony

Davis managed 14 points on 2-of-7 shooting.

Miami Heat 125 — Denver Nuggets 105 Bam Adebayo had 22 points, nine rebounds and six assists, Jimmy Butler also scored 22 points and added seven assists, and Miami used a big second half to beat Denver.

Kelly Olynyk scored all 20 of his points in the fourth quarter, Duncan Robinson scored 17, Goran Dragic had 13 points and Kendrick Nunn added 11 for the Heat (42-24).

Miami outscored Denver 6948 in the second half.

Nikola Jokic had 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists, and Jerami Grant also had 19 points for the short-handed Nuggets (4323). Denver played without

Monday August 03, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Don't get pulled off track by empty promises today, Aries. Someone may try to sell you oceanfront property in the middle of Iowa. Beware of things that sound too good to be true.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Catch the wave of activity that's spinning in your dir e c t i o n t o d a y, Ta u r u s .

You'll find p r o s p e r i t y and good fortune within your reach. Expand your horizons and connect with others intellectually.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You may find it hard to trust others t o d a y, G e m i n i .

Trust your instincts they're probably right.

Don't take anything at face value.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) There may be a bit of opposition coming at you, Cancer. There's a light, airy feeling that's prevalent everywhere.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) What seems like the perfect plan today may not necessarily seem like the perfect plan tomorrow, Leo. Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22) There's a flurry of activity around you today that you should latch onto, Virgo.

You'll be on a magic carpet ride that takes you into the clouds.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You'll find yourself working well with any group today, Libra. There will be a great connection between you and the people around you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) There's an incredibly expansive feeling in the air that you should latch onto, Scorpio.

Things are moving rapidly.

You'll find long-term trends come together quite well.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Sticking close to home may leave you feeling like you're missing the boat on certain things, but you're probably better off, Sagittarius.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You're riding a wave of prosperity and things are looking up for you, Capricorn. The situation today may appear too good to be true. The bad news is that's probably the case.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) There's a flurry of activity around you today that you should latch onto, Aquarius.

You'll be on a magic carpet ride that takes you into the clouds.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You'll find yourself working well with any group today, Pisces. There will be a great connection between you and the people around you. Make sure you ground your relationships in something meaningfulorelse you could find that you've built a whole reality out of something that doesn't exist.

Indiana Pacers guard Aaron Holiday (3) shoots the ball against Philadelphia 76ers guard Raul Neto (19) during the fourth quarter of a NBA basketball game at Visa Athletic Center. (Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)

starters Jamal Murray, Gary Harris and Will Barton.

LA Clippers 126 — New Orleans Pelicans 103 Paul George scored 28 points and led a 3-point barrage as Los Angeles routed

New Orleans.

The Clippers (45-21) tied a franchise record for 3-pointers made in a half when they hit 16 of 24 on their way to a 77-45 halftime lead. They were one 3-pointer shy of the NBA

record for a first half. They finished 25 of 47, falling short of the Golden State Warriors’ NBA record 27 3-pointers in a game.The 32-point halftime deficit was the largest in franchise history for the Pelicans (28-38), who saw their playoff hopes continue to fade.

Oklahoma City Thunder 110 — Utah Jazz 94 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 19 points as Oklahoma City took control early to beat Utah in their first game of the NBA’s restart.

Chris Paul scored 18 points and added seven rebounds and seven assists for the Thunder (41-24). Paul was 5 of 6 from the field in the first half. Steven Adams had 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Utah (42-24) was led by Donovan Mitchell’s 13 points, though Mitchell was just 5 of 15 from the floor.

(Field Level Media)

IPL 2020: UAE to host ...

From page 34 topic of Chinese sponsors has been a contentious one in recent weeks, given the cross-border tensions between India and China.

In April, the BCCI postponed the 2020 IPL season indefinitely due to the Covid19 pandemic. The board’s first preference was to stage the event in India, but the rapidly increasing count of coronavirus cases in the country has made that unfeasible.

The total count of confirmed cases in India has shot past the 1.75 million mark, which puts the country place behind only the USA and Brazil worldwide.

On July 21, Brijesh Patel, the chairman of the IPL governing council, announced that plans were afoot to hold the tournament in the UAE. Part of the 2014 edition was also held in the UAE, since it coincided with the general elections in India.

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Kaieteur News

Hamilton wins on three wheels after late drama

Motorsport.com - The Mercedes drivers had looked completely at ease for the majority of the race at Silverstone, which was disrupted twice early on after separate heavy crashes for Kevin Magnussen and Daniil Kvyat, but their fortunes were turned around sensationally with just over two laps to go.

Both Hamilton and teammate Valtteri Bottas had appeared to pick up blisters despite their commanding lead over Max Verstappen, and Bottas’s left-front tyre failed at the start of lap 50 of 52, which meant he had to tour slowly to the pits and went from second to scoring no points.

Mercedes warned Hamilton not to risk trying to get the fastest lap on the final tour, but as he ran into Luffield for the final time his own left-front gave away and he was forced to limp home and take the flag with the tyre barely still attached to his car.

Verstappen had pitted after Bottas’s puncture and that meant he had a 30s gap to close to Hamilton over the second half of the final tour and although he closed in rapidly, Hamilton held to extend his record of British GP wins to seven.

At the start, Bottas had appeared to make a better getaway from P2 and drew alongside Hamilton approaching the first corner, but the world champion swept ahead into the right-hander and moved clear in the lead.

The pack jostled for position behind the Mercedes throughout the first lap, with Daniel Ricciardo putting a bold move on Lando Norris at Copse to take sixth the standout pass, but the race was suspended a few moments later.

Kevin Magnussen had moved up from his P14 grid

spot but he clipped the kerb at the first apex of Club hard and lost momentum, which meant Alex Albon moved to his inside and they clashed at the second apex.

The Haas was pitched into a high-speed spin and he hit the barriers at the exit of the final corner, ripping the left-front from his car, and bouncing back into the gravel, with the safety car called into action so it could be recovered.

The race restarted on lap six of 52, with Hamilton immediately leaping clear again out front.

He pulled cleared of DRS range to Bottas over the next few laps, but just as Bottas looked to be stabilising the gap the race was neutralised again when Daniil Kvyat crashed hard into the barriers at Becketts.

The AlphaTauri driver lost control of the rear of his car as he ran through the preceding Maggots ultra-highspeed left, as a result of a possible right-rear puncture, and he then slammed into the outside wall, causing massive damage to his chassis, with debris also strewn over the track.

Once Kvyat’s wreckage had been cleared, the race resumed on lap 19, Hamilton again immediately led Bottas and Verstappen clear of the midfield.

The leaders then swiftly dropped the Red Bull and set about exchanging the fastest lap over the next phase of the race, with the Mercedes drivers the only racers able to lap in the 1m30s bracket.

Verstappen continued faded but did manage to get into the 1m29s, still a chunk after the leaders had done so.

The gap between Hamilton and Bottas fluctuated by remained over a second for much of the next 20

Lewis Hamilton leads the field during the race.

laps after the restart, but as the race approached its final 10 laps Hamilton set a string of fastest laps to move over two seconds clear.

Verstappen grabbed the fastest lap accolade on lap 41, but by this point he was over 10s behind Hamilton, despite the tyres on both Mercedes cars looking less than ideal.

But Hamilton continued to extend his lead over Bottas beyond three seconds, and the gap steadily grew as the Mercedes drivers entered the early stages of their tyre dramas.

Bottas was just over seven seconds adrift with five laps to go, with the final tours dominated by the sensational developments for the leaders.

Charles Leclerc finished third after a lonely race well adrift of Verstappen in his Ferrari, with Daniel Ricciardo taking fourth after McLaren’s Carlos Sainz suffered the same front-left tyre drama as the Mercedes cars on the penultimate lap.

Lando Norris had run ahead of Ricciardo for much of the race but lost out lateon, and he came home fifth

Lewis Hamilton won the race on three wheels in a dramatic conclusion. (Motorsport Images)

ahead of Esteban Ocon.

Pierre Gasly battled by Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll to take what became seventh for AlphaTauri, while Albon, who was given a fivesecond penalty for the incident with Magnussen, recovered to eighth after completing a two-stopper.

Stroll was ninth for Racing Point, with Vettel just getting home in 10th ahead of the charging Bottas at the final corner.

Sainz ended up 13th after his late tyre woe, with Romain Grosjean 16th for Haas after a

starting and controversial drive for Haas.

Grosjean did not pit under the second safety car, which boosted him up to fifth and although he faded once his strategy shook he held a high place for a long time.

But his defence against Sainz into Stowe earned him a black-and-white warning flag, and he also appeared to move late when battling Ricciardo into Brooklands.

Kimi Raikkonen brought up the rear of the field for Alfa Romeo after his suffered front wing damage shortly before

the Mercedes tyre drama occurred in the final laps.

STANDINGS Drivers 1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 88 2. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) 5 8 3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 5 2 4. Lando Norris (McLaren) 36 5. Charles Leclerc (Ferraril) 33 Constructors 1.

Mercedes 146 2.

Red Bull 78 3.

McLaren 51 4.

Ferrari 43 5. Racing Point 42

Privilege to be back on court, says Palermo top seed Martic (Reuters) - Top seed Petra Martic said it would be a privilege to be back on court at the Palermo Ladies Open, which marks the return of the professional tennis season today after shutdown due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The world number 15 was relieved the tour, which was suspended in early March, was restarting with the tournament in Italy followed by the Prague Open from Aug. 10.

“It’s been so long without tennis, without competition, without the adrenaline that we all kind of love,” Martic, who faces Belgium’s Alison Van Uytvanck in the first round, told reporters on Saturday.

“So I was really excited to hear that Palermo and Prague will be 100% organised and will go on.“So I’m just going to try to enjoy myself. To be back on the court right now is really just a privilege without thinking about any results or any goals or focused on numbers or anything else.”

An unidentified player pulled out from the event after testing positive for COVID-19 but the tournament will continue as planned, the governing WTA said on

Croatia’s Petra Martic in action during her semi final match against Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina at the Dubai Tennis Championships.

(REUTERS/Christopher Pike/File Photo) Saturday.Martic had a stellar 2019 when she reached her first grand slam quarter-final at Roland Garros and finished the season inside the top 20 for the first time in her career.

The 29-year-old Croatian said the shutdown taught her about life beyond tennis.

“I didn’t need to pack,

which I hate to do. I didn’t need to fly, which I also hate to do. I could just be.

“It was the first time I could just not be a tennis player and that was a nice change. That’s what’s waiting for all of us one day, so it’s good to kind of feel what it’s going to look like.”

Monday August 03, 2020

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Kaieteur News

PSG edge out Lyon on penalties in French League Cup final PARIS, France (AFP) — Pablo Sarabia scored the winning penalty in a shoot-out as Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) warmed up for their assault on the Champions League in Lisbon by defeating Lyon in Friday’s French League Cup final to claim another domestic treble.

The Spaniard’s successful kick came after Keylor Navas saved from Bertrand Traore and allowed PSG to win 6-5 on penalties after the game at the Stade de France finished 0-0 at the end of extra time.The victory comes a week after they beat SaintEtienne 1-0 in the French Cup final, the first competitive match on French soil since the novel coronavirus (COVID19) shutdown.They had previously been awarded the Ligue 1 title by virtue of being top when the season was ended in April with 10 rounds of matches unplayed because of the health crisis.

Before penalties, Thomas Tuchel’s team had the better of a terse final on a sweaty night, but they badly missed the injured Kylian Mbappe.

The masked France superstar watched from the stands as Lyon kept PSG at bay for two hours before having Brazilian defender Rafael sent off for chopping down Angel Di Maria on the edge of the box late in extra time.

Mbappe was injured in last week’s French Cup final, suffering a sprained ankle that looks likely to rule him out of the Champions League quarter-final against Atalanta in Lisbon on August 12.

PSG are desperate for tangible success in Europe but on this evidence they still have some rust to shake off before being ready for that test.

“We suffered but it’s beautiful to win at the end.

We will celebrate this and then tomorrow we will start to think about another big match,” the excellent Marco Verratti told France 2 television.

This is the Qatar-owned club’s fourth treble in the last six years, but the League Cup, an unloved competition, will be discontinued next season.

No European football COVID-19 concerns did

Paris Saint-Germain’s Brazilian defender Thiago Silva (centre) and his teammates celebrate their victory at the end of the French League Cup final football match between Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis. (Photo: AFP) not prevent a crowd from attending this match — post-

Kyrgios skipping U.S. Open, urges players to ‘act responsibly’ Nick Kyrgios announced he won’t play in the U.S. Open in New York, instead saying in a video that he is more concerned about the safety of people around the globe amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Let’s take a breath here and remember what’s important which is health and safety of our community,” the 25year-old Australian said. “We can rebuild our sport and the economy but we can never recover lives lost.”

Kyrgios, ranked No. 40 in the world, never has advanced past the third round of a U.S. Open. This year’s tournament is scheduled to be played Aug. 31-Sept. 12.

He said he didn’t object to the USTA holding the tournament — in June, he called the organization “selfish” but said he recognizes it supports jobs — but called on the players who will be participating to act “appropriately” and “safely.”

“I will not be playing this year at the U.S. Open. It hurts me at my core,” he said in the video, which was posted Saturday to the Instagram account of the Uninterrupted.

“But I’m sitting out for the people, for my Aussies, for the hundreds of thousands of Americans who have lost their lives, for all of you.”

As of yesterday morning, about 154,600 Americans

Australia’s Nick Kyrgios in action during his match against Spain’s Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open. (REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach) were among the 679,435 people reported to have died globally from COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

His fellow Australian, women’s No. 1 Ashleigh Barty, announced Wednesday that she is skipping the tournament.

“There are still significant risks involved due to COVID19, and I don’t feel comfortable putting my team and (me) in that position,” she said.

The outspoken Kyrgios was critical of players who took part in Novak Djokovic’s Adria Tour exhibition tournament in Serbia and Croatia in June. That tournament was

canceled after numerous players tested positive for the coronavirus, and in the video, he took a shot at them without mentioning names.

“Tennis players, you have to act in the interests of each other and work together,” he said. “You can’t be dancing on tables, moneygrabbing your way around Europe or trying to make a quick buck hosting an exhibition — that’s just so selfish.

“Think of the other people for once, that’s what this virus is about. It doesn’t care about your world ranking or how much money you have in the bank. Act responsibly.”

(Field Level Media)

poned back in April — but only 3,500 fans were allowed inside the 80,000-capacity venue.It was the Parisian contingent who were celebrating at the end, as their team lifted the trophy for the ninth time in total, denying Lyon a first trophy since 2012.

Both of these teams must fear being at a disadvantage in the latter stages of the Champions League though after France opted against restarting its league season, unlike the other major European leagues.

As a consequence, the two cup finals are the only competitive match practice PSG will have managed in five months before facing Atalanta.Meanwhile, this was Lyon’s one and only competitive game since early March

before they make a daunting trip to Turin to play Juventus in their Champions League last 16 second leg next Friday.

At least they have a 1-0 lead to defend, but they will still need to do better than they fared here.

PSG created almost all the notable chances, despite Mauro Icardi looking sluggish up front.

Neymar looked sharper, fresh from scoring the winner in the French Cup final.

He had the first chance of the game when he drilled a first-time shot just wide from a Thiago Silva lay-off in the eighth minute, and he also saw a header tipped over by Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes late in normal time before going on to coolly net in the shoot-out.

In between, Lopes also made a spectacular save to turn an Idrissa Gueye piledriver over late in the first half.

Verratti’s performance in midfield was a major positive for Tuchel who along with Mbappe’s injury also has major problems at full-back.

Here, left-back Layvin Kurzawa was needed on the right but hobbled off hurt midway through the second half.Lyon, meanwhile, will now not be in Europe next season for the first time in 24 years, unless they win the Champions League.

PSG, Marseille and Rennes will be France’s representatives in the 2020/21 Champions League, with Reims now joining Lille and Nice in the Europa League.

England’s Broad says considered retirement after Southampton snub LONDON (Reuters) England’s Stuart Broad said he considered retiring after being omitted for last month’s series opener against West Indies at Southampton.

England’s decision to go with James Anderson, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood for the first match, which West Indies won by four wickets, snapped the 34-year-old Broad’s run of 51 consecutive home tests.The right-arm quick returned to claim 16 wickets in the next two tests as England won back-to-back matches to triumph 2-1, with Broad picked as the player of the series.“Were there thoughts of retirement going

round my head? One hundred per cent. Because I was so down,” Broad told the Mail yesterday.“I can’t think of many times I have been down like that. When I have been dropped before, I can go ‘Fair enough, good decision, can’t really argue with that’.

“This time, when Stokesy told me I wasn’t playing, I felt my body go into shakes. I could barely speak,” he said, referring to acting captain Ben Stokes.Playing the series in a bio-secure bubble, to prevent the COVID-19 spread, made dealing with the disappointment a lot more difficult, he said.

“When you are in the bio-

secure bubble and you are in a room in a hotel that is on the cricket ground, you wake up and the cricket ground is there and you are surrounded by cricketers the whole time and everything is crickety, then cricket is life.”

Broad, with 501 wickets, is second only to new ball colleague James Anderson (589) in the list of most test wickets by an English bowler.

“Could I get 600? Absolutely I think I could. Jimmy was 35 and one month when he got 500. I was 34 and one month,” he said.“Jimmy is now within touching distance of 600. So stats wise, absolutely.”

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Lyles says Coleman must be more responsible after missed tests (Reuters) - World 200 metres champion Noah Lyles has said fellow American sprinter Christian Coleman must show more responsibility after he was provisionally suspended for breaching whereabouts rules.

Coleman, the 100m world champion, narrowly escaped a ban last year for missing three doping tests but was suspended in June after again breaching the rules. He may now miss next year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Lyles, who along with Coleman was part of the United States relay team that won the 4x100m gold at the world championships in 2019, said a potential ban for his 24-year-old team mate could hurt their chances at the Tokyo Games.

“You are just hoping for a little more responsibility,” Lyles told the BBC. “It hurts because we want to go to Tokyo and aim for the world record.”Lyles, 23, had previously told U.S. media that his relationship with Coleman was not good, but he said he did not want to see his compatriot banned.Three failures to properly file whereabouts information or being absent at the hour stated, all within a 12-month period, can result in a oneor two-year suspension.“You don’t wish anyone to be missing tests. That’s the quickest way to an accidental suspension. It hurts to see it in the track world,” Lyles added.

Blow for CWI as South Africa rules out Caribbean series Cricket South Africa confirmed Saturday that its team would not tour the Caribbean in September as hoped.

Christian Coleman of the U.S. before the Men’s 4x100 Metres Relay Final at the World Athletics Championships in Doha 2019. (REUTERS/ Aleksandra Szmigiel/File Photo) “The whereabouts system has been pretty easy for me. I believe I’ve had two instances where I missed tests, one their fault, one mine.

They happened in completely different years and ever since then I haven’t had any missed tests.

“If you have missed one, definitely get someone to watch over that for you, to be that nagging voice in your ear,” he said.

Barcelona have signed Miralem Pjanic, pictured left with Cristiano Ronaldo, who leaves Juventus after winning his fourth Serie A title. (Getty Images)

LONDON, CMC – Cricket South Africa confirmed Saturday that its team would not tour the Caribbean in September as hoped, dealing a harsh blow to Cricket West Indies’ plans of hosting a major series this year.

Former Test captain Graeme Smith, CSA’s director of cricket, said with South Africa’s players set to be involved in the rescheduled Indian Premier League, any window for an overseas bilateral tour would now be difficult to create.

Organisers announced recently that the lucrative IPL would now be staged in the United Arab Emirates from between September 19 and November 8.

The period had been also identified by CWI as a possible window to host South Africa in a short Test or limited overs series, at the back end of the Caribbean Premier League which runs from August 18 to September 10.

“West Indies has been postponed indefinitely. We are struggling to find a time

sign the player last summer.

“Neymar? In this situation, it’s unfeasible,” said Bartomeu. “Nor does PSG want to sell him.

“Barca have spoken with Inter about Lautaro, but the talks have stopped. The situation doesn’t invite large investments.”

Bartomeu went on to explain that Barcelona lost 200m euros between March and June. He added: “In the 202021 season we expected to post 1.1 bn euros, but we’ll have 30% of that.

“If the situation of the pandemic doesn’t improve, there will be no spectators, no museum, no stores open, and money will continue to be lost.

“It forces us to be very

SportsMax - Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), Dr Keith Rowley, is re-assuring his countrymen that the government has taken no undue risks in its decision to host the entire Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

Organisers of the CPL had last month negotiated with the T&T government to host the CPL, usually occurring throughout six countries, solely in the twin-island republic.

The schedule and venues for the CPL have since

Neymar: Barcelona president says it is ‘unfeasible’ to sign Brazilian during Covid-19 pandemic

BBC Sport - It is “unfeasible” for Barcelona to re-sign Neymar from Paris St-Germain in the current economic climate, says the club’s president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

A move for Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez has also been affected.

Bartomeu told Spanish newspaper Sport that Barca generated 200m Euros less than expected between March and June because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“All the big European clubs are affected,” he said.

“This isn’t going to last a year, but three or four.”

Brazilian forward Neymar joined PSG for a world record 222m Euros (£199m) in August 2017 but Barcelona tried to re-

Monday August 03, 2020

Kaieteur News

rigorous in management: we must review which investments are essential and which can wait.”

Bartomeu also confirmed the club opened up disciplinary proceedings against midfielder Arthur, who is joining Juventus as part of a swap deal with Bosnian midfielder Miralem Pjanic, after he failed to return to the club from holiday.

“We reached the agreement that until the Champions League ended, he would continue playing for Barca. He could help us,” said Bartomeu, who has been Barca president since 2014.

“But he didn’t return from his mini-break so we have opened a file on him.”

with the IPL being fitted in,” Smith said told a media conference.

“It looks like our players are going to be needed from the beginning of September, government-permitting, and travel permitting.

“Sri Lanka also [postponed]. I expect that once things get up and running, our team, on the men’s side, I would say from November onwards, if all goes well, it will be a really busy period for South African cricket, probably playing in times that we haven’t played before and trying to cram in a lot of the missed tours.”

South Africa were scheduled to play two Tests and five Twenty20 Internationals from July 23 to August 16 before the COVID-19 pandemic halted cricket across the globe.

But with West Indies’ three-Test tour of England hailed as a success for “biosecure” cricket, CWI had hoped to lure South Africa to the Caribbean in order to kickstart its home programme.

However, chief executive Johnny Grave had also acknowledged that any home series would have been dependent on when the IPL was played.

“We very much hope that South African will be able to come here in September for either a T20-only tour or a Test-only tour at the very least,” he said recently.

“It will be dependent on the IPL. South Africa have a number of their Test players who have IPL contracts, whereas this current Test team we don’t have any IPL players in.

“We won’t be able to play Test cricket against South Africa during the IPL – Cricket South Africa have made that very clear to us.

They’ve got a commitment to their players to allow them to go and play in the IPL.” And with New Zealand limited-overs tour initially planned for July 8-19 also postponed, it means cashstrapped CWI are without any means of improving its ailing finances.

Prime Minister assures T&T that hosting CPL is safe been released, with the T&T Prime Minister promising a bubble to protect the citizens of T&T. “Everything that will go on around the CPL will go on in a bubble that does not interact with the national population,” he said.

According to Rowley, all visitors will be screened for COVID-19 before coming to T&T and once they do, they would be subject to all protocols of entry. Once in the country, those visitors are confined to the Hilton Hotel “and that becomes a bubble

for them.”Matches will be played at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba and at the Queen’s Park Oval in St Clair.

Those venues form part of the bubble with Rowley saying, “Then (the players) will go to a venue to play the game where they will not interact with the population.

So, therefore, the CPL is a bubble that has nothing to do with what goes on with the population in the country.”The CPL is scheduled for August 18-September 10.

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Monday August 03, 2020

‘Nowhere did the letter Speedster Edwards, Hampshire part ways ask for anything’ - Skerritt yet to put support behind any candidate for ICC chairman

CWI President Ricky Skerrit (left) and former CWI President Dave Cameron.

SportsMax - Cricket West Indies president Ricky Skerritt says he has not made a decision on who to support for International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman just yet despite stories suggesting he would, at the very least, not be supporting the bid of his predecessor, Dave Cameron Speaking on Antigua Observer Radio show, ‘Good Morning Jojo’, Skerritt said he had not responded positively or negatively to a letter from Cameron because it did not seek a response. “[…] we received a letter from my predecessor which, in effect, he said the letter speaks for itself and he said, looking forward to your support. Nowhere did the letter ask for anything,” said Skerritt.

Skerritt was referring to

claims from Cameron that he sent a letter requesting that the CWI support him in his bid for chairman of the ICC, in effect offering him as a candidate the organization nominates.

“The letter was simply saying about all the things that he said I knew about, and in other words, I knew all these things he is going to do so therefore he is looking forward to my support,” said Skerritt.

“He, in effect, was assuming that because Cricket West Indies knew the issues, that he could look forward to our support; and I suppose he feels like that is an automatic support and so the letter came across as look, I expect you to support me. I know he has the right to think that, but however, he has gone on to tell people and I am not sure where he got it

from, that I have said I am supporting the [former] chairman [Colin Graves] of the ECB [England & Wales Cricket Board],” he said.

Skerritt, in response to comments that the CWI would be offering its support elsewhere, said no such decision has come because nobody has announced they were yet running for the ICC’s top post.“Nobody, including the chairman of ECB, to the best of my knowledge, has announced that he is going to be running for the ICC chairmanship,” said Skerritt.

Despite Skerritt’s claims, United States Cricket has written to the ICC, indicating their willingness to nominate Cameron for the top post.

Cameron will need two nominations if he is to be part of the process of electing a new ICC Chairman.

LONDON, CMC – Former Test pacer Fidel Edwards will not represent Hampshire in the revamped English domestic championship which bowled off here Saturday, following a mutual decision by both parties.And the 38-year-old’s five-year stay at the south coast outfit could also now be over especially with the status of Kolpak players expected to change from next season due to the United Kingdom’s Brexit agreement.Hampshire said in a statement that the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced cricket authorities here to scrap the traditional County Championship for a shortened tournament, had “caused significant difficulties with the availability of players who do not permanently reside in the UK.”Edwards, who snatched 165 wickets in 55 Tests for West Indies, is currently in his native Barbados.“Circumstances have conspired against a return for Fidel and sadly, it may be that he has played his last game for the club,” said Hampshire’s director of cricket, Giles White.“Personally, I can’t speak highly enough of Fidel and the impact that he has had. He’s been an unbelievable player over his whole career but most recently with us.

“We will miss him in every way. He’s been a great team mate and a wonderful performer, and we all look forward to welcoming Fidel back next year to pay tribute to his outstanding contribution to the club.”Edwards arrived at Hampshire on a Kolpak deal and made an instant impact, picking up 45 wickets from a mere eight matches in the 2015 season.After injury put

Former Test pacer Fidel Edwards.

paid to his campaign the following year, Edwards snared 33 wickets in the 2017 season before producing a superb 2018 haul of 54 wickets.

Last season, he was good enough to finish with 45 wickets at an average of just under 26.Edward, who last played for West Indies eight years ago, said he still hoped he still had a future in the county game.“It’s a bit sad that my Hampshire career looks to be ending in these circumstances, during the pandemic, but there is a lot to celebrate and remember from my days at Hampshire,” the right-armer said.“I want to thank all my team-mates and the staff at the club who have made me feel so welcome and of the course the supporters too.“I hope this isn’t it for me and county cricket, but for now I am proud to have pulled on the Hampshire shirt and look forward to returning for my testimonial match in 2021.”Edwards is now set to turn out for Jamaica Tallawahs in the Caribbean Premier League which bowls of later this month in Trinidad.

Triple helps Walcott widen lead EDMONTON, Canada, CMC – Ace Barbadian rider Rico Walcott reeled off three wins at Century Mile on Friday night, stretching his lead at the top of the standings and further strengthening his chances of claiming a maiden title at the new western Canada oval.

A multiple-times champion at the now defunct Northlands Park, Walcott is riding in his first full season at Century Mile after surgery

South Africa’s Van Niekerk tests positive for COVID-19 in Italy - report (Reuters) - South Africa’s Olympic 400 metres champion Wayde van Niekerk tested positive for COVID19 in Italy last week, according to the Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper.

Van Niekerk, who romped to Olympic gold four years ago in a world record time of 43.03 seconds, was set to participate in a meet in Trieste - his first competition outside of South Africa since 2017 following a serious knee injury.

“I don’t know how it’s possible. Wayde has been training for the whole week and never had any symptom, not even after testing positive. He hasn’t had a fever,” the 28-year-old’s manager Peet Van Zyl told the publication.

Van Niekerk, who tore his right anterior cruciate ligament while playing a charity touch rugby game in 2017 Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa reacts after winning the to leave his career in doubt, began his comeback in silver at World Athletics Championships – men’s 200 metres February this year. final at the London Stadium. (REUTERS/Toby Melville)

caused him to miss the start of the opening campaign here last year.

He managed just 17 wins from 74 rides but has returned to his dominant ways this year and currently tops the charts with 22 victories from 68 outings, already eight clear of Rigo Sarmiento in the season which got underway June 21 and wraps November 1.

On Friday’s eight-race card, Walcott opened his account aboard favourite Intent to Strike in race two, making all the running with the six-year-old brown gelding to beat the threeyear-olds and upward over a mile.Intent to Strike was away quickly from the gates to post busy fractions of 24.05 seconds and 47.24 for the half, before producing strong acceleration in the stretch to reach the wire eight lengths clear in a record time of one minute, 36:01 seconds.

Walcott’s second win was similar, combining with another favourite Can’t Touch This to brush aside the three-year-old and upward fillies and mares by 5-½ lengths in race five.

Barbadian Rico Walcott.

In a six furlong sprint, Walcott and the four-yearold bay filly battled with 251 longshot Fit For Royalty early on before snatching a clear lead on the final turn and storming through the lane without a challenger.

Walcott’s final win was perhaps the most dominant as he guided 2-1 chance Special Brandy to an 8-¾ length win over the threeyear-old and upward fillies and mares in a six-furlong sprint in race six.

The five-year-old bay mare stalked the pace set by 7-1 choice I Miss Back When before cruising to the front at the three-eighths pole and then widening.

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Monday August 03, 2020

IPL 2020: UAE to host tournament from September 19 to November 10 Twenty matches of the 2014 IPL were also played in the UAE. (BCCI)

ESPNcricinfo - IPL 2020 will take place in the UAE from September 19 to November 10, pending clearances from the Indian government.

D uring its meeting yesterday, the IPL governing council decided to set a 24player limit for each squad, and approved the use of unlimited Covid-19 substitutes.

The window makes IPL 2020 a 53-day event, three days longer than the last two seasons, and the longest of all the eight-team editions of the tournament. Ten of the 53 days will involve doubleheaders. The matches will be played across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, with night matches starting at 7.30pm IST (6.00pm UAE time), and afternoon matches at 3.30pm IST (2.00pm UAE time).

A franchise told ESPNcricinfo that detailed fixtures would be sent to them on Monday, and that the first leg of the tournament will be played behind closed

doors. The Emirates board, earlier this week, had shown a keenness to fill the stadiums to 30-50% capacity.

A BCCI release said the Women’s T20 Challenge would also take place alongside the IPL, featuring three teams playing four matches during the final week of the tournament. The release added that the governing council would finalise and publish its standard operating procedures (SOPs) “in due course, including the agencies to execute and deliver a bio-secure environment for safe and successful conduct of IPL 2020 Season.”

In the lead-up to the meeting, it was understood that the date for the final was a toss-up between November 8 and November 10. With the latter date chosen, the IPL will for the first time have the final on a weekday - Tuesday.

The BCCI said a meeting with the franchises would be called shortly, and among the

logistical and operational issues that will be discussed before the SOPs are ready, three franchises - Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals, and Kings XI Punjab - will likely be seeking clarity on the squad limit, given that all three of them currently have 25 players listed in their squads on the official IPL website.

The IPL will retain all its major sponsor, including the Chinese mobile company VIVO, the title sponsor. The (Continued on page 29)

What to expect from CPL 2020. (ESPNcricinfo Ltd)

Monday August 03, 2020

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PAGE 35

Prime Minister assures T&T that hosting CPL is safe

England’s Broad says considered retirement after Southampton snub England’s Stuart Broad, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). (Jon Super/Pool via REUTERS)

Barbados Tridents captain Jason Holder (left) celebrates winning the 2019 CPL along with his coach, Phil Simmons.

t r o Sp

Hamilton wins on three wheels after late drama Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton with a puncture on the last lap during the race.

(Pool via REUTERS /Andrew Boyers)

Blow for CWI as South Africa rules out Caribbean series Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8452, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.