Monday May 22, 2017
PAGE 5
Kaieteur News
Irrational to impose VAT on private school tuition Nandlall says the not have to provide free text unable to matriculate. Was Education has consistently DEAR EDITOR, It is absolutely irrational books, free exercise books, this factor taken into complained about the Commonwealth Law Our negative impact of extrato impose VAT on private uniform subsidy, free consideration? educational institutions. transportation, free meals, matriculation rate is less than lessons. Privately operated books were sold to him There are several reasons examination subsidy, etc., 60%. It means 40% of our schools have significantly which support this point of view. Firstly, the public education system does not have enough space to accommodate all students. This is the main reason why we continue to have ‘Primary Tops’ in Guyana. Students sent to ‘Primary Tops’ are not sent because of their lack of ability or poor scores at the National Grade Six Examinations, rather they are sent because there are no available spaces in the discrete secondary schools in their catchment area. Private schools have in many cases, absorbed the students from these ‘Primary Tops’. Parents are inclined to send their children to a private institution rather than a ‘Primary Top’. This is due mainly to the fact that students in the ‘Primary Top’ are rarely ever integrated into a discrete secondary school at the end of Grade 9. Minister Jordan must understand that these students do not have a choice. Second and more importantly, private institutions have reduced the education expenditure of this country. If a child goes to a private school then the government’s treasury does
which is usually given to the public schools. In fact, every single education expense offset by the treasury should theoretically reduce when a child goes to access private education. Additionally, the movement of students from public schools to private schools has allowed for smaller class sizes and greater control. Further, what would be the difference between the VAT collected from private schools and the increase in education related expenses when student return to the public schools? Third, does the Government of Guyana have any system in place for the influx of students who will try to regain entry into public schools in September? Is there physical space for them in the public schools? What transitional mechanisms are there for them in the Government schools in terms of the curriculum? Fourth, public schools do not accept students who want to rewrite a CSEC subject. Private schools provide this option. The imposition of VAT means that the tuition cost of rewriting a subject has increased. A student who cannot afford such an increase will be
students do not matriculate; prompting them to rewrite some subjects. Are they going to be able to afford to rewrite the subject? Several private schools, particularly those associated with religious denominations (such as the Met-enMeerzorg Islamic Academy) provide another opportunity for students who would have dropped out of the public education system. Fifth, the curriculum is one of the main factors which push students to private schools. Many public schools do not have specialist teachers, particularly in the science (Physics and Chemistry) and technical subjects. Students with a desire to study these subjects, in a school with no science teachers, have to go to a private school or attend private lessons. The private school is always the more viable option because in most cases it eliminates the need for extra lessons. In addition, public schools can never satisfy all students in terms of the subjects they want to do. Private schools provide an alternative. This alternative will cease to exist with the imposition of VAT. Sixth, the Ministry of
reduced students’ attendance at private lessons. Seventh, the public school culture is the main factor which drives students to the private school. The absolute disregard for curriculum time by the Ministry of Education has driven many to the private school and will continue to do so. Finally, private schools outperform public school at all major examinations in Guyana, even those exams set by the Ministry of Education. To impose VAT on these institutions is to disregard the contribution they are making to the education system; and the reduction of burden on the unsatisfactory public education system. It seems that VAT was imposed so that private schools can become tax compliant. This seems to be one of the reasons advocated by Minister Jordan. Would it not have been more pragmatic to link tax compliance to the renewal of their yearly registration? The imposition of VAT on education is a direct attack on youths and their education. Our government must remember that many of these youths will be voting in 2020. Mohammed Hussain
DEAR EDITOR, I almost cried with hearty laughter, while reading the piece about the ‘Astrologers from the East’ in Guyana. The assertion from one contributor adequately sums up for me the idea of what they are all about, i.e. “They are smooth. They understand how to manipulate people. The neighbours cook for them. They are smooth. They are calling lots of money.” According to one, “it is not about money - liking to help people”? Liking to help himself, more like. With those phenomenal fees, if anyone is
naive enough to comply, he should be able to feed several villages in his native land. When I trained as an astrologer, in the late1970s/ early ’80s’, eventually gaining a Diploma from the Mayo School of Astrology, I was keen on helping friends in need. Today I am a hobbyist, because I am otherwise occupied and there is so much relevant assistance online. In fact, some people may know, astrology is based on astronomy, and “in my day”, one needed to have a sound knowledge of arithmetic/
maths, to persevere and qualify. Now, on the internet, there are outfits that construct and analyse birth charts, if you let them have accurate birth details. Further analysis and ‘forecasts’, if needed, may be had at a fee. Why is it that the “East” seems so much smarter at parlour tricks than the “West”? A really sincere astrologer, as long as his/her living does not depend on it, might even erect and interpret a birth chart for free! In Guyana briefly in the 1990s, I can remember trying to help at least 3 women who asked me to “do a chart” for them - a married woman, an intending immigrant, and a medical student. They were surprised that so much was revealed about their personalities and
characteristics in that chart and it was not a system of “fortune telling”. I remember a woman praising her daughter about being so caring for visitors, offering them food, and I said “she must be a Cancer girl”. The mother mentioned her d.o.b- and the girl was indeed Cancer! I was then able to establish the mother’s birth sign, because of her love of ‘communication’ - reading and writing. She was a Gemini, astrologically described as “the Peter Pan of the Zodiac”, less flatteringly as “the monkey” - quick moving, and ‘full of tricks’! Shoo the fortune hunters/tellers away, go online instead and at least get a lead. Geralda Dennison
DEAR EDITOR, Please find attached a correspondence received from Lexis Nexis (UK) in respect of my relationship with that company in respect of the purchase by me and delivery by the company of Commonwealth Law Reports, dating back over a decade. The correspondence is s e l f - e x p l a n a t o r y. It corroborates every material detail I disclosed about this transaction over a year ago. However, I wish to highlight the company’s assertion that they never sold and delivered these books to the Government of Guyana, nor the Attorney General Chambers, nor the Ministry of Legal Affairs between the period 2012-2015, or even to date. You will note that at all times these books were sold and delivered to me and that it was I, who directed their delivery to the Ministry, during my tenure as a Minister. This correspondence should finally put to rest the issue of ownership of those
books. It is not legally possible for a person to steal his own property. The charge instituted against me, therefore, is not only bad in law but it is an expression of malice and incompetence by those who instituted it and by those who inspired its institution. I said from the inception that the charge had nothing to do with law, but more to do with political witch-hunting and political vendetta. I am being vindicated with each passing day. A professional worth his salt, would do the honourable thing and withdraw the charge. But I doubt this will happen in this instance. Mohabir Anil Nandlall, MP Attorney-at-Law, Notary Public, Commissioner of Oaths to Affidavits & Justice of Peace EDITOR’S NOTE: We did not carry the attachment Mr. Nandlall referred to because we are of the opinion that it infringes on the sub judice principle.
No response from The astrologers from the East in Guyana NIS on contribution record of Albert Reginald Bacchus
It is time to heal the Guyanese nation DEAR EDITOR, Everyone seems to be getting bogged down by politics these days. We need to set aside our political differences and work together for the betterment of all Guyanese. It takes two to tango. It is no good for just the Opposition PPP/C to be desirous of wanting to work together for the betterment of all Guyanese and the APNU+AFC Government not wanting to do so. And vice versa. Guyana is a country with lots of social and economic problems. Let’s start at the beginning. We all want what is best for all Guyanese. The political brinkmanship needs to stop from both sides. It is time to heal the Guyanese nation. Think about what we can achieve when we stop fighting each other and start working together on projects of national interest. Sean Ori
Jagdeo’s second GECOM... From page 4 whom he finds acceptable or unacceptable. I, for myself, interpret Mr. Jagdeo’s second list submitted in plain defiance of the President’s clarifications, as an illegitimate pressure to coerce the President into accepting his (Mr. Jagdeo’s) own self-interest policy of selection, on Mr. Jagdeo’s own terms and criteria. That cannot be right. And, Anil Nandlall’s misapprehension, miscomprehension and confusion about the clarifications are all self-induced. Maxwell E. Edwards Attorney-at-Law
DEAR EDITOR, I refer to a response made recently by the Publicity and Public Relations Officer, of the NIS, requesting that complaints be made to her office before resorting to the media. My case was carried in the Kaieteur News of July 23, 2016 and to date, there has been no response or has any officer from NIS sought to make contact with me to inform me of the status of my issue. I made a complaint to NIS since sometime back in 2012 informing of my employment at Motor Transport Services Ltd. from 1977 to 1985, and then my redeployment to Guyana Transport Services
Ltd. where I worked from 1977 to 1985. At the time of my resignation, I was designated, Superintendent, Mechanical Workshop. I am advised that my contributions may have been inadvertently posted to a contributor’s record whose forename and surname are similar to mine. It appears management hasn’t the administrative will to correct the error for reasons known only to them. Again, I pray that someone will take up my case and NIS will demonstrate the “WE CARE”, slogan they preach at their media briefings. Albert Reginald Bacchus
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Monday May 22, 2017
Kaieteur News
Why retain contractors Arguments against the who have not performed? use of second-hand tyres DEAR EDITOR, The award of Kato school repairs to Vikab and Kares Engineering is incorrect and shameful. Former President Jagdeo and the present Coalition team (previously PNCites/Jagdeoites) at the Ministry of Finance (MOF), are you not going to comment on this award? It is during your stewardship, Vikab displaced Cemco Engineering, who was the favourite of PNC prior to 1992, so much so, that the two Managers became enemies. Do not forget, that I was there and I took Jagdeo/ the present MOF team/Vikab consultant /others on the MOF, tender Board modus operandi to President Jagan for not acting on “value for money”. Dr. Jagdeo how do you feel when you see the repeat of your game, by your former players and you are not in the game? After the next election, if I am alive, I will ask this govt. the same question. Editor, is money and power the root of all evil? Look at these boldfaced people how they
will campaign and criticize the govt. of the day and then play the same game. The govt. claims that invitation for proposals was sent to six (6) short listed consultants and only Vikab responded. The professional, transparent and accountable thing to do is to now request proposals publicly and internationally, because the response was not competitive. It was alleged that during the Jagdeo regime, consultants and contractors were retained by a certain method, six consultants will be asked to submit proposals and five of them will be advised to show a very high cost so they will be disqualified, for the favoured one out of the six, then the next round; one out of the five will be favoured and the process continued. To select Vikab without a full call is wrong. To add insult to injury, the very contractor - who failed in his contract, his performance, schedule, variations and extra work, had many deficiencies,
and allegedly an over-valued contract - will be retained to correct his own deficiencies and probably another high priced contract, instead of his performance bond paying for the repairs. This beats me in my professional practice and Jagdeo would not demonstrate such ignorance publicly. Again to note, that costs of works from the allegedly corrupt PPP, to the Coalition, have not been reduced. The same MOF, the same game. The award of the Kato school repairs to Vikab Consultant and Kares Engineering is shameful as reflected above. In addition, the coalition govt. when in opposition condemned the Kato school costs, condemned Vikab as the man of business during the PPP time. I agree with the government to remove Jagdeoites from several positions, but why retain the guys at the very company that did not perform its duties. Joe Persaud
We kill animals at the abattoir in barbaric ways DEAR EDITOR, I believe most Guyanese welcome wholeheartedly, the creation of new shopping centers and malls around Georgetown and beyond. It adds a new shopping experience that we only enjoy when we travel overseas. Of particular delight has been the establishment of modern, spacious and well lit supermarkets that contain cutting edge bakeries, butcheries and delicatessens, where one can obtain their treats from the oven, fresh meats and precooked meals. But there remains one sore issue that continues to undermine all of these advances and that is the dilapidated state of the Municipal Abattoir in Water Street, and the unhygienic
and barbaric methods used to slaughter the animals, the meat of which is supplied to these very state of the art butcheries and supermarkets. Indeed as a butcher myself, I say that it makes little or no sense for the owners of these modern supermarkets and butcheries to expend tens of millions of dollars installing stainless steel meat processing centers, in the hiring of master butchers etc when the Georgetown Municipality refuses to upgrade or even rehabilitate its Abattoir that has responsibility for slaughtering animals entering the city for meat processing. Because of the sad state of the facility, on occasion animals would escape and jump into the Demerara River
or make a dash for their lives down Water Street, much to the dismay of passers-by and nearby store owners. The methods used to slaughter the animals are similar to those used by the Vikings in times past. The facility is always without the requisite cleaning agents, causing the walls and floors where these animals are dragged, to be in a state that leaves it to be desired. There is always a foul smell present as the disposal of waste is always done unhygienically. Water requirements are woefully inadequate as the main pipeline does not have the required pressure of 20 psi. The boiler for the hot water for cleaning- which needs to be at least 82p C is all but dead. Instead of building useless Presidential Parks, jetting first class around the globe, hiring contractors to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars to brush cut parapets, building housing schemes for a select few of their workers, hosting meaningless PR programmes such as ‘Georgetown on the Move’ etc, why does the Council not tear down that old Abattoir and construct a modern facility in the interest of food safety and the wellbeing of the citizens? Mark Roopan
DEAR EDITOR, I have read newspaper articles and listened to the opinions of several persons on the issue of used tyres. A lot of the arguments in favour of used tyres are false and misleading. As a Mechanical Engineer, vehicle owners would regularly ask me for advice on the repairs of their motor vehicles or machinery. I was recently asked about a certain kind of tyre – used tyres, so I decided to share my advice with the public for those who are not clear about the advantages and disadvantages of used tyres. First let me make it clear that as an engineer and the proud owner of a vehicle I do not recommend used tyres, I will never buy used tyres, never have and never will. I simply do not think buying used tyres also known as partly worn is a very safe proposition. If we really take a good look at the real reason why some motorists prefer to buy used tyres, it is because they are CHEAP. No other reason, no other logical argument other than the fact that it is CHEAP, which I find to be the only advantage of purchasing a used tyre. Now let us take a look at the disadvantages: We should first ask ourselves how many things that are cheap and in a used condition, are good, last long and are safe to use? When a tyre is new it has about 8mm of tread and by the time it is reduced to 1.6mm it has to be
thrown away, if the tread is down to 3-4mm this means it has already given its best. When considering purchasing a used tyre you can test the depth of the tread by using a Guyana one dollar coin. Simply turn the coin to the face that has the Coat of Arms, place it inside each of the tyre’s tread grooves. If the entire coat of arms can be seen from any of the grooves then the tread is too low, if half of the coat of arms can be seen the tyre tread is fair, if only the Amerindian head dress is visible then the tyre treading is excellent, even if the tread is still good, you will need to carry out an inspection for any defects. Partly worn tyres will not stop as fast and will be more likely to skid on wet surfaces. You would hear (in the news) drivers that have survived an accident, recounting that they lost grip or control of their vehicle. This can be a cause of substandard rubber, but it’s not the lack of tread and therefore grip that is necessarily the issue at all times; it’s the fact that many of the tyres that filter into the partly-worn market have a defect of some kind. These defects can lead to them failing at speed, leading to a loss of control. There is simply no guarantee that used tyres are good and safe or would even last long; one cannot tell if a used tyre is good just by looking at it. Tread Wear is not visible,
used tyres can have internal damage that is invisible. Take into consideration the age of the tyre and I do not recommend using a tyre that is more than five (5) years old. We cannot tell the history of a used tyre. Was the tyre damaged and improperly repaired? Was it painted black to look new? Was it used while underinflated, overinflated or overloaded? Over time the structural make up or materials of the tyre can become weak - a break away, especially if it was exposed constantly to hazardous roads (rough terrain and potholes), harsh weather (cold and high heat); all these conditions can cause a break away in the chemical compound causing the tyre to fail. Motorists please ask yourselves, is it wise to use a tyre that has served its functional time? Would you continue to use a low quality tyre that can possibly blow out at any time which can lead to an accident and loss of life? Is your life or are the lives of your passengers worth a cheap low quality tyre? Are Guyanese not deserving of a quality lifestyle? Please do not put a price to your safety, do not be duped by false economic tricks. Partly worn ones might seem like a good idea to reduce expense, but the risks and dangers outweigh the savings. Leslie Sobers (Jr.) Mechanical Engineer
THE OUTLANDISH IDEAS OF THE TOWN CLERK DEAR EDITOR, An invitation issued to all artists and designers operating in the city to meet with the Town Clerk of Georgetown, in the Promenade Gardens, to solicit ideas for improving the aesthetics of our capital to make it comparable with the great cities of the world could only be one of two things. Either this is another artless attempt to divert the citizen’s attention from the realities of the backwardness and squalor that they are forced to exist, in thanks to the Georgetown Municipality, or it is that this gentleman has completely lost touch with reality and is merely lifting unashamedly or as we would say locally ‘pirating’ concepts and models that are employed by cities that are advanced, well managed, and clean. How could he even
consider creating such a façade consisting of murals, art pieces, fabrics etc., whilst the drains are filled with unmentionables, the roads are pot holed, hardly any street-lighting exists, minibus touts harass p a s s e r s - b y, mosquitoes everywhere, the parapets are overgrown with weeds and bushes, almost all of the municipal buildings are in a ruinous state, the grubby state of the Slaughterhouse where animals are infamously bludgeoned to death, and the cemetery a national disgrace. Surely he could not be serious? That would be putting the cart before the horse. I don’t understand why this Council seems interested only in cosmetic and outrageously expensive projects such as constructing
the Presidential Park, deploying a road sweeper to sweep roads filled with craters and installing the scandalous parking meters. Why don’t they get involved in some necessary and worthwhile projects like constructing a modern recreational center inclusive of a municipal swimming pool, like repairing and replacing all defective street lights, like building modern shopping plazas that would accommodate all of our vendors, like putting CCTV cameras in and around municipal markets and have the Constabulary effectively monitor them etc, etc? Is it that they have no vision and competence at City Hall to conceptualize and effect such necessary and basic schemes or is it that such projects would not benefit them? James Mc Onnell
Monday May 22, 2017
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Kaieteur News
Attorney General caught in violation of Constitution By Abena Rockcliffe-Campbell Article 199 (1) and (3) of the Constitution of Guyana, stipulates that it is the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), and only that body, that is empowered to make appointments, to remove and exercise disciplinary control over the acting or substantive Registrar of Deeds. However, Kaieteur News is in receipt of documents indicating that Attorney General (AG) Basil Williams, who is the Chief Legal Advisor to the Government, has himself violated the very Constitution he swore to uphold. The JSC has since asked Williams for a report on the matter. Documents indicate that strapped with instructions from Williams, Head of the Human Resources Department at the Deeds and Commercial Registry, Althea Abrams, directed the Registry’s staff to report to the Deputy Registrar of Deeds, Zana Frank. This was done without informing the acting Registrar of Deeds, Azeena Baksh,
…JSC requests explanation on disciplining of Registrar of Deeds
Deeds Registrar (left) in the company of Attorney General, Basil Williams who is currently ill due to pregnancy-related complications. Kaieteur News is in receipt of a memo which states, “It is directed that Ms. Azeena Baksh should not be signing off any official documents for or on behalf of the Deeds and Commercial Registry Authority. These documents must be signed off by Ms. Zana Frank.” Further, the memo reminded staffers that unlike
Baksh and Frank, they are Registry employees and as such, they are bound to follow the instructions of the Board and in the absence of the Board, the Ministry of Legal Affairs. Employees were cautioned that failure to act in accordance with the memo will result in “disciplinary action.” The memo stated that Baksh has been sent on Administrative leave. However, this newspaper
Wife allegedly offers cop $525,000 to drop gun, ammo charges against husband A 40-year-old woman was arrested when she showed up at the Mahaica Police Station and offered a police rank $525,000 to release her husband, who was earlier arrested for possession of an unlicensed gun and ammo. Yesterday, police ranks acting on information went to the home of the 41-yearold businessman and
conducted a search during which they found an unlicensed .32 pistol, fifty rounds of .32 ammunition and seventeen 9MM live ammunition in his bedroom. The police said that the man’s wife offered the money to the investigating rank to forego charges against her spouse. The money has been lodged and the couple is likely
to appear in court early this week. Operations carried out in ‘C’ Division over the weekend resulted in a total of seventeen persons being arrested for various offences including a 49-year -old for Trafficking in Narcotics. Four motorcycles suspected to have been stolen or unlawfully obtained were seized.
was reliably informed that Baksh has not received any memorandum from the JSC. The Attorney General has no authority to send Baksh on Administrative leave. Baksh has been on medical leave for the last week, and is expected to remain on medical leave for another two weeks. Baksh has submitted her medical indicting the reason for her absence. However, this newspaper has been told that the locks to Baksh’s office have been changed to prevent her from gaining entry upon her return from medical leave. Sources close to the JSC told this newspaper that Baksh has been regularly writing the Commission. It is assumed that she has been keeping her employers updated on all developments. Kaieteur News tried repeatedly to contact Williams on Saturday, but to no avail. Baksh was appointed to the position of Registrar of Deeds, Deeds Registry by the Judicial Service Commission with effect from July 16, 2012. In April, the Ministry of Legal Affairs indicated that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Guyana Police Force is investigating allegations of corrupt practices perpetuated by Baksh. It was the Ministry of Legal Affairs that put the matter in the hands of the police. The Ministry said that staff of the Deeds Registry “called upon the Ministry of
Legal Affairs to investigate their complaints of alleged financial improprieties” committed by Baksh. The Ministry said that it referred the complaints to CID through Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum. According to the Ministry, the Human Resource and Accounting Departments have complained that as Head of the Budget Agency and sole person in authority to approve and sign off the payroll of the Deeds and Commercial Registries Authority and one of the main signatories on the Authority’s Bank Account, the Registrar unlawfully paid herself gratuity. It is alleged that she did this well knowing that she was a pensionable employee having been appointed by the Judicial Services Commission (JSC). “Registrar Baksh further unlawfully paid herself a higher salary than was approved by the JSC.” Legal Affairs stated that the Deeds Registry officers
have disclosed that these payments started since 2014 and continued up to the present. The payments amount to some $4.5M. The Deeds Registry has also laid over with the Ministry of Legal Affairs documents revealing that Baksh “out of revenue due, owing and payable to the Authority in or around the sum of $8.5M, unlawfully waived the sum of $7M upon the request of an Attorneyat-Law, who paid only the sum of $1.5M. Baksh hired Nigel Hughes to be her legal representative. Hughes told the media that Baksh has since provided all the documentation related to the Cabinet decision, the offer of severance and the payment of her salary. Baksh’s Attorney noted that during her visit to CID office, the investigators did not raise any allegation of a waiver of fees or waiver of any monies due to the Registry or the government and no related questions were put to her.
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Monday May 22, 2017
Kaieteur News
Arab-Islamic-American Summit 2017…
Small states have critical role to play in global fight against terrorism - Pres. Granger Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaPresident David Granger yesterday said that global partnerships to combat terrorism cannot exclude small states, since conflict between and within such states, or between a small state and other states, can endanger the peace of all countries. The Head of State, who was at the time speaking on the side lines of the ArabIslamic-American Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, said that the majority of the states of the world can be described as small states and, as such, the world cannot be made secure without addressing the threats faced by those countries. “The international community, therefore, must be encouraged to work towards the establishment of a global security system, which would provide protection for small and large states,” the President said. The Guyanese leader added that small states like Guyana, lacking the means to combat transnational threats, such as terrorism, must be able to rely on the protection afforded through international cooperation, multilateralism and international law. Small states, he noted, lack the capability to effectively combat transnational security threats on their own, and also face environmental threats, such as the adverse effects of climate change and natural
President David Granger and the Guyana Delegation at the Arab-Islamic-American Summit today disasters, which can have implications for their security. According to President Granger, small states, with adequate international support and cooperation, can avoid becoming contaminated by the ideologies of extremism. “Terrorist organisations can be extremely resilient. They are becoming diffused and when facing rout in one jurisdiction are shifting their operations to others, including small states. Small states have been known to be recruiting centres for terrorists,” he said. As the current Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), President Granger said the regional body is a willing ally in the ‘just’ war against terrorism
and extremism. He said, too, that Guyana welcomes the partnerships being forged to combat the global scourge and alluded to the fact that small states must remain integral to all partnerships even as the quest for a more comprehensive global agreement on terrorism is pursued with resolve. President Granger said that the Arab-IslamicAmerican Summit is a bold initiative that seeks new approaches to building effective security partnerships to prepare for, to prevent and to protect citizens from the threat of terrorism and violent extremism. “Terrorism is an international menace. No state is safe from its reach. It endangers human safety, undermines national security and imperils the future of all peoples. The Arab-IslamicAmerican Summit is a unique interstate response. It could lay the groundwork for a comprehensive global
partnership aimed at making our world a safe, stable and peaceful place,” he said. Host of the event, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, in his address at the Summit, committed to constructive cooperation to reject extremism, work on fighting all forms of terrorism, to stop its financing and propagation, dry up its sources and to stand firm in confronting the scourge, which poses a danger to all of humanity. The Saudi leader said that Islam is the perfect example of coexistence and harmony. However, what has been seen are attempts by “presumed Muslims” to present a distorted image of the religion; one that seeks to conflate the great religion of Islam with violence. “One of the most important goals of Islamic Sharia is protecting life and that there is no honour in committing murder. Islam is the religion of peace and
tolerance that urges its followers to develop earth and not corrupt it. It considers killing an innocent soul tantamount to killing all of humanity,” he said. To combat this type of extremism, Saudi Arabia, today, inaugurated a Global Centre for Combating Extremist Ideology (GCEI), which will promote moderation, compassion and support the dissemination of positive dialogue. Participating in that ceremony today, President Granger said it is a concrete expression of the philosophical approach, which defined the discussions at the Summit. The Centre, he noted, offers a counter narrative to the ideologies of extremism. This, he said, must be predicated on respect for cultural, racial and religious diversity and human dignity, respect for international law, respect for the rights of all peoples to self-determination and to a homeland and respect for
territorial integrity and the security of states. “The Cooperative Republic of Guyana welcomes the inauguration of the Global Centre for Combatting Ideological Extremism. Ideologies of extremism require both security and non-security responses. Extremism flourishes where international conflicts persist; is fomented where historic injustices are left untreated; is fostered where people are rendered stateless or are hindered in their right to self-determination and to a homeland; and festers where attempts are made to settle disputes through threats or the use of force,” the President said. United States President Donald Trump, who is on his first overseas trip since taking office, along with King Salman, officially activated the Centre by placing their hands on a miniature globe, followed by the launch of a splashy welcome video. Speaking earlier at the Summit, President Trump told the world leaders that they must be united in pursuing the goal of conquering extremism and vanquishing the forces terrorism brings with it. The American Leader said that it is not a battle between different faiths, sects or civilisation, but a battle between “barbaric criminals, who seek to obliterate human life and decent people, all in the name of religion.” The Summit was also attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of fellow CARICOM member state, Suriname, Ms. Yldiz D. Pollack-Beighle, who travelled to Saudi Arabia with the Guyanese delegation.
Monday May 22, 2017
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Kaieteur News
IMAGE IS EVERYTHING The APNU+AFC coalition seems to be losing its earlier sensitivity towards the need to project a multiracial image. It no longer seems concerned how it is viewed by the public. When the coalition first came into office it announced changes to a number of Boards. The life of some of these Boards had not even yet expired. Yet the government, no doubt feeling that it can do as it pleased, decided to change the Boards. When the names for the new Boards were announced there was strident criticism from local non-governmental organizations that the new Boards lacked racial and gender balance. The government was stung by the criticisms and quickly reversed itself by reviewing the composition of the Boards. It made changes which improved the outlook of these Boards in terms of race and gender. Since then, things have returned to their old ways. A number of public appointments have been made without the necessary sensitivity being shown for the need for such balance. The multiracial image of the government is also being
neglected. The government has a major PR problem. This problem has been discussed before. The main problem is that persons with no experience in PR work, but having qualifications and experience in the media feel that their communication skills translate to PR expertise. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is why the public relations of the government are in such a sordid mess. The government is not doing itself any good with some of the appointments it has made, without, it would seem, any consideration to how these appointments are going to be received by the public. If you take a look, for example, at the list of persons who are either permanent secretaries or acting as permanent secretaries, there is a glaring absence of racial balance. It is more imbalanced than during the time of the PPP/C. This surely cannot be good for the image of the government. Other appointments have also set a similar pattern. In a divided country, this is bound to raise insecurities. But while the
DEM BOYS SEH
Soulja Bai tightening de noose When people do wrong things dem does run away. Nuff people run away. Some run to Canada, some run to Florida and some run to de South Pacific. Old people got a saying that you can run but you can’t hide. SOCU begin to check pun all dem reports and de other day dem find something that mek people cuss. Jagdeo use to sit down pun some corruption and when people talk he use to tell dem to provide de evidence. Few people coulda provide de evidence but dem been in Jagdeo pocket. All of dem believe that Jagdeo would rule forever. Dem never believe de day woulda come when dem woulda have to account fuh dem action. Of course, when people now moving to mek dem pay, Jagdeo hollering bout political victimization. Imagine one man tek $640 million from de treasury and give some rice board people to buy fertilizer. De records show that only some of de money buy fertilizer which dem sell to dem friends really cheap. SOCU checking who tek de rest of de money. Some of de people involve get charge already and more charges coming. Dem boys want to know how much money people believe that dem got to have to live happy, especially when is other people money. Some of dem had money to build house fuh dem sweet woman, some build mansion and some sleeping pun money because dem can’t put it nowhere. From de time SOCU start checking Jagdeo start a rumour how de economy slowing down. And people believe. But mouth open and story jump out. Priya get vex and she call pun people to rise up and stop all de investigation because she know that she in line fuh de place wheh Guyana does keep all dem woman who do wrang thing. Soulja Bai only been in power fuh two years and some people believe that he ain’t do enough. Dem did expect him to jail everybody by now. Even Jagdeo use to laugh how he conducting investigation and not charging nobody. He did think was a bluff. Well now dem know he wasn’t bluffing and dem starting to talk all kind of things. Soulja Bai tightening de noose. Talk half and watch out fuh trouble.
government may claim that in making appointments on merit, it has to be mindful of the public image it projects. Nothing best highlights the failings of the government in this regard than a photograph which appeared recently in our national newspapers. The country will soon be celebrating its fifty-first anniversary of
Independence. It has a national committee planning these events. A press conference was held recently to announce the plans for the anniversary celebrations. A picture appeared in the newspaper with those at the head table. There was not a single East Indian at the head table. It could well be that the group planning the
celebrations is a multiracial one. But this was not the image which was being projected by that picture which was carried in almost every daily newspaper. So when people complain that the crowds are imbalanced at national events, they must consider the impact of images such as the recent one on people’s perception of how inclusive is the planning
process for national events. The AFC has admitted that it has made some missteps. It however claims that its footing is intact. Its footing however cannot be Continued on page 11
Monday May 22, 2017
Kaieteur News
PAGE 11
TidyUp donates 100 gallons of cleansing products to flood-hit Region Eight
A resident collects donation. Melissa Younge receiving the products on behalf of Civil Defence Commission Representative from Banks DIH handing over supplies. Local chemist and founder of TidyUp Liquid Detergents, Melissa Younge, donated over 100 gallons of cleaning, sanitizing and disinfectant products from her line of products to flood-affected residents of Region Eight. The products were delivered in various sizes to aid in the clean-up effort and to reduce the risk of transmitting water borne diseases during the crisis. Seven boxes contained 213 bottles of antibacterial wash and dishwashing liquid, along with nine 20-liter pails of Pine disinfectant and antibacterial and multipurpose cleaners. On Saturday, the Civil Defence Commission reported that the water level in the six villages in Region Eight had begun to recede steadily. The affected villages are Kaibarupai, Waipa, Chenapau, Sand Hill Settlement, Itabac and Kanapang. CDC has also received reports from regional authorities that several
villages in Region Seven have also suffered flooding but not to the level of severity of the villages in Region Eight. The affected villages in Region Seven are Paruima, Kako, Jawalla, Phillipi, Kamarang and Duebamang. The Region Seven Regional Disaster Risk Management Systems (RDRMS) and Regional Disaster Risk Management Committee (RDRMC) have been activated. A team is being deployed to the affected villages to conduct assessments and
reconnaissance. Mainly farmlands and some residences have been flooded in the Region Seven villages. The flooding in both regions is mainly as a result of excessive rainfall in the highland regions. The government through the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) and the Ministry of Public Health dispatched an additional four planeloads of relief supplies to Chenapau and Orinduik in Region Eight on Saturday. Relief supplies for Waipa,
Image is everything From page 9 intact in the face of what is happening in terms of appointments and in relation to the image that the government is projecting. Just look at the head tables at events which are hosted by the government, including press conferences, and it tells its own story. The AFC has to speak up, not lobby or negotiate. It has to impress on the government, of which it is part, to project a multiracial image. The government is shooting itself in the foot by now paying greater attention to its public profile. It is doing further damage to its image by not paying attention to ensuring that it projects a multiracial image.
Kaibarupai and other villages are being taken to the villages from the CDC’s Forward Operations Centre at Orinduik. Three flights with relief supplies were dispatched on Friday. Minister Valerie GarridoLowe is leading a team to Waipa and Kaibarupai. The relief supplies consist mainly of food, medical supplies, clothing and water purification agents.
Some of the products in the boxes
PAGE 12
Monday May 22, 2017
Kaieteur News
Slain dredge owner’s widow grapples with horrific memories By Rehanna Ramsay Studies have shown that often victims of violent crimes such as armed robbery are left to cope with feelings of regret, thoughts of what they “should have” or “could have,” done to prevent the dreadful experience. Victims would find themselves grappling with the terrible memories, wishing that it never happened. This is the constant, emotional battle for Shyrazadi Ragghu, who watched as her husband was brutally gunned down, and still walks with a limp, inflicted by a gunman’s bullet. Mrs. Ragghu is the survivor of a brazen robbery which occurred almost four years ago. While she lived to tell her story, her husband Ashokumar Ragghu, was not so fortunate. The couple was shot and robbed by two motorcycle bandits, as they stopped at a traffic light on Vlissengen Road, at the Botanical Gardens, a short distance away from the intersection at
- bears a limp from gunman’s bullet, family left in debt
Spectators surrounded the Ragghus’ car shortly after the incident. Pictured in wheelchair Shyrazadi Ragghu, following the shooting on August 18, 2014 Regent Street, on August 18, 2014. Mrs. Ragghu was shot in her right leg; her husband was fatally wounded. He died
hours after, while receiving treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, (GPHC). The 43-year-old
businessman and dredge owner was en route to downtown Georgetown to conduct business, when the thugs snatched a black haversack containing some $4M and made good their escape. Travis Mc Dougall of East Ruimveldt was subsequently arrested and charged for the murder of Ragghu. He was identified as the rider of the getaway motorcycle while Jermaine Otto was identified as the shooter. Otto however perished in a fire which occurred at the Camp Street Prison, on March 3, last year, which also claimed the lives of 16 others. Mc Dougall was the sole accused left to stand trial before Justice Navindra Singh at the Georgetown High Court. Last week, he was found guilty of manslaughter by a mixed jury. Mc Dougall is scheduled to be sentenced next month. Looking back at the incident, Mrs. Ragghu said that she not only lost her spouse and source of income that day, but she lost most of the mobility in her right leg. Daily, the mother of three, struggles to pick up the pieces of what is left of her life; the hopes and dreams she shared with her husband have been shattered. The couple had moved from their home in Crabwood Creek, Corentyne Berbice to Pike Street, Kitty, Georgetown in a bid to facilitate their daughters’ education.
The girls, aged 22 and 17 at the time, were attending the University of Guyana. But after their father was forcibly taken away from them, the family had no choice but to give up their Georgetown apartment and return to Berbice. The children were understandably affected by their father’s death, but the person most affected was their mother. Mrs. Ragghu was left with a limp in her right leg that limits her mobility. She had to fend for herself, run a business in the “back dam” (the interior) and pay the debt that her husband had left behind. While the limp is a physical reminder of the terrible ordeal, Mrs. Ragghu still struggles with emotional scars which are yet to be healed. In a recent interview with Kaieteur News, the woman expressed her thoughts on the incident and outcome of the court matter. In a few words, Mrs. Ragghu could only describe the occurrence as “terrible and unforgettable.” Her only comforts now are her children and grandchild. Having a grandchild serves as therapy for the still angry and emotionally tramautised Mrs. Ragghu. “It helps me take my mind off things,” the woman says. Mrs. Ragghu spends most of her time at her daughter’s residence on the East Coast of Demerara. She is still fearful and finds it hard to live
in her house in Berbice. The widow nonetheless said that she believes that her prayers were heard, and justice has been served, since one killer perished in the prison fire and his accomplice has been convicted for manslaughter. He is to be sentenced on June 12. Yet, the road to justice was not an easy one; Mrs. Ragghu endured many hardships after the death of her husband. With her son in law, Deochan Singh, as a constant help, the family was able to cope. “We were forced to close the business in the interior.” According to the widow, Mr. Ragghu had debts to repay, “and we were on our way to pay that debt with the money which the thieves snatched that day; a debt that still hasn’t been paid in full.” “We were discussing how we was going to pay off the bills when it (the robbery) happened.” That was the last conversation the woman recalled having with her husband. While she still wishes that she can undo that which was done, at this point Mrs. Ragghu says that her only consolation would be to recover the stolen cash so that she can finish paying her debt. “When this incident happened, the police said that the bag of money was recovered at the home of the shooter. In the Magistrates’ Court, when the police was asked to present the money, the exhibit was never presented. The police only say that a relative collect the money; unto this day we don’t know who collect the bag. While I thank the prosecutor and police for their work, it would be good if we could at least get back the bag with the money because as it is, I am left to depend on my daughters and I still have the debt to pay off.”
Monday May 22, 2017
Kaieteur News
Business climate conducive to investment ST JAMES, Jamaica (JIS) — Governor of the Bank of Jamaica Brian Wynter, says that while challenges remain, the business climate in Jamaica is conducive to attracting increased private sector investment. “We need all our entrepreneurs to see it, understand it, and believe it. We need for them to believe it will last and to also have the faith to start investing or to invest even more,” Wynter said. He was addressing journalist and members of the business community during a media briefing held at the Hilton Rose Hall Hotel, Montego Bay on Friday. He also encouraged the private sector, notably those engaged in tourism, exports and competitive import substitution, to “create more jobs and more sustainable growth.” Wynter said he fully expects the Montego Bay
Brian Wynter business community to grasp and appreciate the moment, considering that the city, once the poorest part of the island, was built on faith. He cited successful risk takers such as Jamaican hotelier, Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart and Entrepreneur, Tony Hart, who was
responsible for starting the Montego Freeport industrial hub in 1967. “When American Oscar Hammerstein wrote the famous words…for the iconic musical, the Sound of Music in 1959, he was staying at his Jamaican property Highland House, right here in Montego Bay. Now, in 2017, the hills are reverberating with the rhythms of economic possibilities, because Jamaica is no longer a long shot; it is now the smart money,” Wynter stated. In the 2016 Doing Business Report of the World Bank, Jamaica was named among the 10 most improved economies for doing business in the world. The country’s ranking moved from 71st to 64th in the world, placing Jamaica as first in the Caribbean in respect of the ease of doing business, and sixth in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Luxury Hotel Development Coming to St. Lucia
From left: Chairman of Invest St Lucia, Pinkley Francis; Kamal Shehada, development director, Range Developments; Mohammed Asaria, vice chairman of Range Developments; St. Lucia Prime Minister Allen Chastanet; Minister of Commerce Bradley Felix; and Minister of Tourism Dominic Fedee at the signing of the agreements for the Black Bay Development. (Photo credit: Range Developments) CASTRIES, St. Lucia – An international developer focusing on luxury hotel projects in the Caribbean has signed agreements with the St Lucia government for a major development. The heart of the Black Bay Master Development, being done by Range Developments, will consist of a luxury branded hotel and villas set on 180 acres on the beautiful southern tip of the island. The project will be developed in a number of phases. The luxury hotel, the anchor of the Master
Development, will be developed under the country’s Citizenship-byInvestment programme and will comprise 180 rooms. “We have been working with the developer and are grateful for their patience in working with us on getting to this point of such a project which will benefit everyone,” says St Lucia Prime Minister Allen Chastanet. “I am looking forward to the commencement of construction of this project which coincides with our overall development plans for St. Lucia.” This will be Range
Development’s third major luxury development in the Caribbean. The Park Hyatt St Kitts will be completed in the coming months and Kempinski Dominica is “advancing with pace”, according to Vice Chairman of Range Developments Mohammed Asaria. Range will soon be announcing the hotel operator for the Black Bay Development. The project will create about 500 jobs on the island during construction, with a similar amount once the hotel is operational. (Caribbean360)
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SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.-CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620
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FOR SALE
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Monday May 22, 2017
Kaieteur News
LAND FOR SALE 12 House lots 80X60 at Plantation Schoonard: water, light and roads, 1 min from Harbour Bridge. Call: 6152346/627-3443 1 House lot in #1 Canal 175X100 – price $3.5M. Call: 684-6048/694-4372 Transported land at Well Street Ogle, E.C.D -$12M (twelve million dollars). Call: 650-5462
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One land in Tuschen Phase 2 – Call: 642-1252 1 Complete Sawmill at Yarrowkabra Linden Soesdyke Highway and 1 F66 – Clarke, Ranger Skidder. Call: 609-8041/ 644-1190 Office furniture, used computers, display racks & stands for store use. Call:2258066/624-6783 Lawn grass organic potting soil, supari Palm, foxtail, palm @ $1,000, Crotoon, Ashoka, Ficus, Exora. Call: 626-1044 1 90"x90". Call: 657-6179 1 Small town ace bus. Call: 233-0269/ 616-3288 /690-8247 Design & Make Aluminum windows, doors, stainless rails, showcases, rolling shutters, make & install automatic doors. Call: 2336818/677-5599/659-9999 Solar Panel 300 watts, size 39X77. Call: 657-2304 A set of Benz GL series stock Rims with Tyres. Call: 2252189.
VACANCY Welder/Fabricator for interior location. Applicants must be experienced with verifiable references. Call: 618-2020
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Tractors Foreign Used: Massey Ferguson MF165 $1.7M, MF135-$1.2M & MF265 -$2.2M, MF 165 loader tractor -$2.4M. Call: 682-5230/628-9596 2005 Tacoma from Canada $2.4M Ford F150 sports $16M, Ford Ranger sports $1.5M. Call: 682-5230/6289596 Unregistered Fielder 2010, dark interior, Nissan Pickup leaf spring, 2000 model. Call: 617-5536 Pitbull bus -$2,000,000. Call: 697-2550/ 613-1810 2011 Nissan Duke, fully loaded low mileage, lady driven - $2.8M. Call: 6667748/ 653-0018 2 Hilux off Road pickups, SVV #1 5L Diesel #2 3RZ Gasoline, both 4X4 with differential lock plus O.H.D – Call: 673-7876/ 233-6218
1 Female kitchen assistant & 2 male assistant with drivers license to work @ outdoor grill, weekend included. Call: 656-9313/675-2550 CHEF AND ASSISTANT COOKCARNEGIE TRAINING OR GRILLING EXPERIENCE NEEDED. CALL: 225-7933, 173 SHERIFF STREET. Cook, Baker and articulated hauler/dump truck operator for interior. Applicants must be experienced. Cal: 618-2020 ACCOUNTANT (Part-time): 2nd/3rd Level ACCA; QuickBooks POS & Accounts. 4hrs on Saturday, every fortnight. Email: spers@msn.com Lorry Drivers and Salesmen, preferably from East Bank Demerara. Salary Negotiable. 266 5569
1 BMW 318I -$2.3M, Never register. Contact# 592 6500402 / 603-1402 FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 1 Bedroom apartment @ Uitvlugt Housing Scheme, West Coast Demerara $20,000 monthly. Call: 6982802/277-3033 Upper flat house: 3 bedrooms/kitchen, toilets/ baths, AC/Garage, Hot & Cold @ Diamond Housing Scheme E.B.D. Call: 644-3600/ 216-3017 House to rent: Premniranjan Place, Prashad Nagar. Monthly rent US $3500. Contact: 610-0965 or 2275416 Space for bond. Call: 6172859/227-6629 Large business place (formerly WOW salon), Durban Street. Call only between: 11am-3pm. Call: 6027960/ 223-4238
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Transported property @ Grove and Diamond $16M negotiable. Call: 625-5461
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Monday May 22, 2017
PAGE 23
Kaieteur News
Trump tells Middle East to ‘drive out’ Islamist extremists Reuters - President Donald Trump urged Arab and Islamic leaders yesterday to unite and do their share to defeat Islamist extremists, making an impassioned plea to “drive out” terrorists while toning down his own harsh rhetoric about Muslims. Trump singled out Iran as a key source of funding and support for militant groups. His words aligned with the views of his Saudi Arabian hosts and sent a tough message to Tehran the day after Hassan Rouhani won a second term as Iran’s president. The U.S. president did not use his signature term “radical Islamic terrorism,” a signal that he decided to employ a more moderate tone in the region after using the phrase repeatedly as a presidential candidate. “Terrorism has spread all across the world. But the path to peace begins right here, on this ancient soil, in this sacred land,” Trump told leaders from dozens of Muslim majority countries representing more than a billion people. “A better future is only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists and drive out the extremists. Drive them
out. Drive them out of your places of worship, drive them out of your communities, drive them out of your holy land and drive them out of this earth.” The president’s first speech abroad provided an opportunity to show his strength and resolve, in contrast to his struggle to contain a mushrooming scandal at home after his firing of former FBI director James Comey nearly two weeks ago. With a forceful tone, he made clear that Washington would partner with the Middle East but expected more action in return. “There is still much work to be done. That means honestly confronting the crisis of Islamic extremism, and the Islamists, and Islamic terror of all kinds,” he said in his speech. The advance excerpts of the speech had him saying “Islamist extremism” and it was not clear why he veered from that text. The term “Islamist extremism” refers to Islamism as a political movement rather than Islam as a religion, a distinction that Trump had frequently criticized the
administration of his predecessor Barack Obama for making. As a candidate, Trump proposed temporarily banning Muslims from entering the United States. In office he ordered temporary bans on people from certain
Muslim-majority countries, which have been blocked by courts that ruled they were discriminatory. The speech in a gilded hall bedecked with chandeliers is part of an effort to redefine his relationship with the
Muslim world. Trump’s “America first” philosophy helped him win the 2016 election and has rattled allies who depend on U.S. support for their defence. Trump received a warm welcome from Arab leaders,
Reuters - President Tayyip Erdogan pledged to fight Turkey’s enemies at home and abroad yesterday as he was elected leader of the ruling AK Party, a move enabling him to reassert his grip on the party and its
legislative work. Erdogan, who founded the Islamist-rooted AKP in 2001 and led it to victory in a general election a year later, had to give up its leadership nearly three years ago when he was elected president, a
position traditionally above party politics. That changed with April’s referendum in which Turks narrowly backed constitutional changes creating an executive presidency with sweeping
new powers. Allowing the head of state to be a party member or leader was among the reforms. Erdogan’s renewed control of the party, which came in a near unanimous vote at an AKP congress
where he faced no opposition, coincides with growing foreign policy challenges and tensions with NATO allies. “Rather than facing our people with our heads down tomorrow, we prefer to stand tall today against the scum at home and abroad,” he told thousands of cheering supporters in the Ankara sports arena. “The months ahead will be a leap forward for Turkey, from its fight against terrorism to the economy, from the broadening of rights and freedoms to investments,” he said in a brief speech after the vote. Erdogan vowed to keep Turkey’s state of emergency until peace is achieved against Kurdish and Islamist insurgents.
(Front R-L) Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan pose for a photo during Arab-Islamic-American Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia yesterday. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Turkey’s Erdogan vows fight against enemies as returns to lead party
who set aside his campaign rhetoric and focussed on his desire to crack down on Iran’s influence in the region, a commitment they found wanting in Obama. “For decades, Iran has fuelled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror,” Trump said. “It is a government that speaks openly of mass murder, vowing the destruction of Israel, death to America, and ruin for many leaders and nations in this very room.”
From page 22
EDUCATIONAL Electronic Course. June 6th. The Trade of the Future. Make extra cash, easy! Abdul Electronics. Call: 226-6551/ 225-0391 First Aid/CPR Course, available on Saturdays, St. John, 110 Cowan St, Kingston, if interested please call: 225-9082 for details. 9 Course, Diploma in computer -$20,000, discount for CXC students 2017 @ MicroGraphics, Vreed-enHoop. Call: 264-3057
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, accompanied by his wife Emine Erdogan and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim with his wife Semiha Yildirim, greet members of his party during the Extraordinary Congress of the ruling AK Party (AKP) in Ankara, Turkey, yesterday. REUTERS/Murad Sezer
Computerized Accounting, Repairs, graphics courses @ MicroGraphics, Vreed-enHoop. Call: 264-3057
Monday May 22, 2017
Kaieteur News
Venezuela toll rises to 48 dead after protester is killed
Demonstrators clash with riot police during a protest against the government of President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas. (Photo: AFP) CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP) — A young demonstrator has died from a gunshot wound to the chest, raising to 48 the number of people killed in seven weeks of protests against Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, officials said yesterday. The attorney general’s office said gunmen were alleged to have opened fire Saturday on an anti-government demonstration in the western city of Valera. “At that moment, (Edy Alejandro) Teran Aguilar received a bullet in the chest,” it said in a statement. Also wounded in the shootings were an 18-year-old male and a 50-year-old woman, it said. Teran was 23. The incident came amid massive demonstrations across the country on Saturday demanding elections to replace Maduro.
In some cities, the protests degenerated into violent clashes between demonstrators and police and government troops. In Caracas, the mayor of a municipality in the eastern part of the city said 46 people were injured, and in the suburb of San Antonio Los Altos a youth was wounded by gunfire, the opposition governor of the state of Miranda said. Since the protests began April 1, hundreds of people have been injured and some 2,200 have been detained, 161 of them jailed on orders of military courts, Foro Penal, a nongovernmental monitor, said. Seven in 10 Venezuelans reject Maduro’s leadership, according to private surveys, amid widespread economic devastation aggravated by the drop in the prices of oil — Venezuela’s chief revenue source — in 2014.
Brazil’s Temer wins a breather in corruption crisis Brasília (AFP) - Brazil’s President Michel Temer appeared to win a reprieve yesterday when a key coalition partner cancelled a meeting on whether to withdraw support for him over an explosive corruption scandal. Temer has been fighting for his political life since being placed under investigation for allegedly obstructing a corruption probe by paying hush money to jailed former speaker of the house Eduardo Cunha. He is also accused of taking millions of reais in bribes. Yesterday the key ally to his centre-right PMDB party, the PSDB social democrats, was scheduled to meet on deciding whether to remain loyal. Withdrawal by the PSDB could have been a death knell for Temer ’s government. However, less than five hours before the start of the
Michel Temer meeting, a spokesman for the party told AFP it was cancelled. “The information we have is that there will be no meeting today. We don’t know when it will happen,” the spokesman said, giving no further explanation. The decision not to meet
gave a breathing space to Temer, who faces growing demands for his resignation or for an impeachment trial. Temer is fighting back, saying that a secret audio recording incriminating him had been tampered with. The Supreme Court has agreed to examine his demand for the investigation to be suspended on Wednesday. But Temer — who took over only a year ago after the impeachment of leftist president Dilma Rousseff — is subject to mounting pressure. Brazil’s bar association, the Order of Brazilian Lawyers, voted overwhelmingly late Saturday to lodge an impeachment request with Congress, adding to at least eight already filed. The association was also influential in the impeachment of Rousseff last year.
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Kaieteur News
Monday May 22, 2017
Monday May 22, 2017
Kaieteur News
Britain’s EU ‘no deal’ threat is genuine, says Brexit minister Davis Reuters - Britain is prepared to walk away from divorce talks with the European Union without a deal, Brexit minister David Davis said yesterday, but stressed that he thought an agreement was the most likely outcome. Talks will begin next month on untangling Britain’s relationship with the EU and forging a new trade deal after Britons voted last year to leave the 28-country bloc. Wary of some in the bloc who might want to see Britain punished for leaving, Prime Minister Theresa May has said that unless she gets the kind of deal she wants from Brussels, she will withdraw without any accord. The threat has been criticised by her political rivals ahead of a June 8 domestic election as creating unnecessary uncertainty for businesses and setting a potentially damaging tone for the talks. Davis said the threat was genuine and that Britain was prepared to see it through. “We don’t need to just look like we can walk away,
David Davis we need to be able to walk away,” he told the Sunday Times newspaper. “Under the circumstances, if that was necessary, we would be in a position to do it.” In a separate interview, May told the Telegraph that she wanted past contributions to the bloc to be taken into account when working out one of the thorniest issues of the divorce: how much Britain
should pay to Brussels when it leaves. “There is much debate about what the UK’s obligations might be, or indeed what our rights might be in terms of money being paid in the past. We would look at those, both rights and obligations,” she said. Chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier told his Commission bosses the EU would focus on securing citizens’ rights, financial issues and borders, and that he hoped for a deal on these issues between October and December. If that timetable holds, the EU would be ready to start discussing the shape of its future trade relationship with Britain and a transition period leading to it between December 2017 and spring 2018. “There are plenty of people in the European Union who want this to succeed. There may be some who want it to fail,” Davis said. “I’m of the view that the likeliest outcome is the outcome we are looking for.”
North Korea tests another missile; Seoul says dashes hopes for peace Reuters - North Korea fired a ballistic missile into waters off its east coast yesterday, its second missile test in a week, which South Korea said dashed the hopes of the South’s new liberal government for peace between the neighbours. A South Korean military official said the missile appeared to be an upgraded, extendedrange version of the North’s solid-fuel submarine-launched missile. The missile fired a week ago flew was liquid-fuelled, and flew further. North Korea has defied all calls to rein in its nuclear and missile programmes, even from China, its lone major ally, saying the weapons are needed for legitimate self-defence. The reclusive state has been working to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of
striking the U.S. mainland. On Saturday, it said it had developed the capability to strike the U.S. mainland, although Western missile experts say the claim is exaggerated. The United Nations Security Council is due to meet on Tuesday behind closed doors to discuss the latest test at the request of the United States, Japan and South Korea, diplomats said yesterday. An official travelling with U.S. President Donald Trump in Saudi Arabia said the White House was aware of the latest launch and noted that the missile had a shorter range than the three previous missiles that North Korea had tested. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said economic and diplomatic pressure would continue to be applied to North Korea.
Saudi king says Iran at forefront of global terrorism
Reuters - Iran’s ruling powers represent the “tip of the spear” of global terrorism, Saudi King Salman said in a speech yesterday during a visit of U.S. President Donald Trump to the kingdom. “Our responsibility before God and our people and the whole world is to stand united to fight the forces of evil and extremism wherever they are ... The Iranian regime represents the tip of the spear of global terrorism.” The king also said in a televised speech that Saudi Arabia would not be lenient in trying anyone who
Saudi King Salman
finances terrorism. “We will never be lenient in trying anyone who
finances terrorism, in any way or means, to the full force of the law.”
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Barbados Govt. Minister Backs Airbnb Hosts BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Businessman and Housing Minister Denis Kellman is warning his own Government not to ignore the importance of the increasingly lucrative online marketplace, Airbnb, to the Barbados economy. He said a disservice was being done to the economy by not measuring the contribution the homestay programme was making to gross domestic product. About 1,100 Barbadian homeowners have listed their properties on Airbnb, each earning an average of US$3,900 a year. Two per cent of long-stay visitors to the island – about 16,000 people – stayed in Airbnb listed properties last year, a company official said
Monday May 22, 2017
Kaieteur News
Denis Kellman recently. Kellman sees the online community marketplace as an avenue through which ordinary Barbadians can
When we pause and experience silence, we discover answers that activity does not have time to reveal. During your day, take threeminute “vacations”. Relax and re-energise. Take time out to feel the peace of silence.
contribute to the tourism sector, in very much the same way they helped grow the sugar industry. “We should feel proud in the same way the small farmers can make a contribution to the sugar industry when sugar was king, that today we have been able to empower the masses in Barbados to make a contribution to the tourism industry by allowing them to get involved in expansion of the tourism product,” he said. “…Community tourism in Barbados cannot be ignored anymore.” Just last week, local Airbnb hosts launched the Barbados Entrepreneurship & Tourism Association to advocate on their behalf. Founder of the organization, Neeraj Vensimal said it was important for them to have a voice so they could make an input into pending legislation and other developments relating to the tourism sector. (Adapted from Barbados Today)
Deputy President Ramaphosa says South Africa must avoid “mafia state” fate Reuters - South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, seen as a top contender to lead the ruling ANC into 2019 general elections, said yesterday that the country must not become a “mafia state” as he admitted his party had become associated with corruption. Ramaphosa’s comments were among the strongest he has made on governance as the race heats up to replace President Jacob Zuma, whose administration has been hit by scandals and missteps, prompting street protests and calls for him to resign or be removed. In televised remarks at an event in the platinum mining town of Rustenburg organised by the South African Communist Party (SACP), Ramaphosa responded to a warning this week from the influential South African Council of Churches that graft is turning South Africa into a mafia state. “If we as the ANC are to counter this grave threat, if the ANC is to recover its
Cyril Ramaphosa leadership role in society, then it is absolutely imperative that we act with urgency and purpose and make sure that we never become a mafia state,” Ramaphosa said. “Because once we become a mafia state all the wheels have come off,” said Ramaphosa, whose delivery was at times passionate, a marked contrast to his normally reserved manner.
The SACP setting was a pointed one as the party is a key political ally of the ANC and has called for Zuma to resign. Relations between Zuma and Ramaphosa, 64, a former trade union organiser who led negotiations to end white rule in 1994, have become increasingly strained, according to local media reports. Zuma has consistently denied allegations of corruption levelled against him, his government and some associates, and branded protesters calling for his resignation “racist”. Clad in a leather jacket bearing the ANC’s black, green and gold colours, Ramaphosa said the party was saddled with an image problem when it came to corruption. “In the public mind, the ANC and its government are increasingly associated, fairly or unfairly, with wrong things that the public continues to see us doing. Like corruption, like pursuing narrow personal enrichment,” he said.
Monday May 22, 2017
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Kaieteur News
IDB Study finds Caribbean Police Tackling Crime the Wrong Way The Gleaner - Jamaica and other Caribbean states must quickly change their crime-fighting strategies if the runaway problem they now face is to be tamed, according to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in a study released last week. The study, dubbed ‘Restoring Paradise in the Caribbean: Combating Violence with Numbers’, concludes that regional states must redirect their anticrime efforts in favour of
more interventions that are evidence-based and targeted at high-risk individuals and geographic areas, with improved monitoring of police and justice systems. According to the IDB, compared to the rest of the world, the Caribbean has some of the largest police-topopulation ratios. It also found that the largest portion of national budgets that are dedicated to crime and violence in the region is spent on law
enforcement. “In fact, Caribbean governments spend even more of their budgets on police than Central American countries with similar or higher crime rates,” said the IDB study. “Investment in law enforcement is essential, but Caribbean governments should focus on reorienting and retooling police forces to be less reactive and more proactive and accountable,” it added.
OTTAWA, Canada — Sir Ronald Sanders has been accredited by the government of Canada as Antigua and Barbuda’s non-resident high commissioner. The accreditation took place last week prior to Sanders’ attendance at a diplomatic retreat organised by the Canadian government in Ottawa for all foreign high commissioners and ambassadors. The Antigua and Barbuda diplomat, whose principal accreditation is as ambassador to the United States of America, explained that accreditation to countries that neighbour each other is “an effective cost-saving device”. Speaking in Ottawa, Sanders said, “This is the same device utilised by the governments of Britain, Canada and the United States
that serve multiple countries in the Eastern Caribbean from their missions located in Barbados.” The seasoned diplomat, who has served in the past as ambassador to the United Kingdom, Germany and France as well as UNESO and the World Trade Organisation, said that “strengthening diplomatic contact with the Canadian government and engaging in regular dialogue with ministries and departments in Canada is important to Antigua and Barbuda’s foreign policy outreach”. He added, “Canada is an important source of tourists and investment in Antigua and Barbuda; a number of Canadian banks provide global financial services and nationals of Antigua and Barbuda enjoy visa-free travel to Canada; it is
important that these beneficial relations be maintained and reinforced.” “Since our country cannot afford a multiplicity of embassies and high commissions, doubling-up representation to nearby countries makes perfect sense. It is far cheaper to make regular visits to Ottawa from Washington DC, than to establish a fullblown mission in Canada. That is something appreciated by the Canadian government since it does the same thing in the Eastern Caribbean and elsewhere in the world,” Sanders said. Sanders held bilateral discussions with Canadian Department for Foreign Affairs officials, who have responsibilities for the Caribbean, and he participated in a day-long retreat for all 125
The study, based on the results of new crime victimisation surveys carried out in The Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, noted that citizens’ trust in the police was more influenced by whether they thought the police were doing a good job controlling crime than by other factors. “Therefore, increasing police efficiency is likely to also increase trust,” said the IDB.
Antigua-Barbuda strengthens diplomatic outreach in Canada
Sir Ronald Sanders heads of mission in Ottawa. The retreat provided the opportunity to engage with ministers and parliamentary secretaries of the Canadian government on a wide range of issues. (Caribbean News)
According to the study, crime is not spread evenly across all places, people, or times, and police efforts should be directed to where crime is concentrated. It said the evidence shows that standard-model policing, including random patrols, increasing the number of officers, and general reactive strategies have no effect on crime. “Problem-oriented policing, on the other hand, entails proactively identifying problems within the community and developing thoughtful, tailored responses to address underlying causes of the problems and devise meaningful and effective solutions. “Although more rigorous research needs to be conducted on problemoriented policing, the international evidence so far shows that it is the most promising of the police strategies,” said the IDB. It recommended focused policing efforts on hotspots, a focus on repeat offenders with focused deterrence strategies, and directed patrols for gun violence as proactive ways of preventing
future crime. The IDB added that quality crime data, with GIS coordinates and effective crime analysis, are requirements for hotspot policing. “Finally, for these focused initiatives to be successful, they must also be a part of a wider internal culture and structural shift that values professionalism, accountability, and transparency. The communities that law enforcement serves should be valued as co-producers of security. “Caribbean countries need to examine ways of promoting this type of internal culture through training, internal and external oversight, leadership, and incentives,” added the IDB. Three thousand persons were interviewed in each of the five countries as part of the study. Nearly one in three said they had lost someone to violence, and the study found that guns are used about twice as often in robbery and three times as often in assault in the Caribbean as compared with the global average.
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Kaieteur News
Monday May 22, 2017
Monday May 22, 2017
Kaieteur News
Latham, Munro lead rout of Ireland
Matt Henry is mobbed by his team-mates, Ireland v New Zealand, Malahide, 5th ODI, ©Getty Images/Sportsfile ESPNcricinfo - New Zealand tuned up for the Champions Trophy by clinching the tri-series in Malahide with three wins in three matches. Their latest victory was set up by Tom Latham, who struck his third ODI hundred and first as captain, and Colin Munro, who threatened to break the record for the fastest fifty in ODIs. Their contributions and Ross Taylor ’s fifty propelled New Zealand to 344 for 6. The bowlers then had a good workout in the defence, dismissing Ireland for 154 within 40 overs. The green pitch and overcast conditions tempted Ireland to bowl first, but they had to wait until the start of the 11th over for their first wicket. New Zealand opener Luke Ronchi made the early running, playing a variety of cuts and driving fluently on the up against pace. Spin could not slow him down either - he lofted left-arm spinner George Dockrell over and through the covers.
Just as Ronchi threatened to kick into a higher gear, he was bowled by seamer Craig Young for 35. Latham then took charge and added 75 for the second wicket with Neil Broom, who contributed 38, before chipping Chase to mid-off. Latham, though, continued to keep New Zealand ticking. He reached his first fifty off 64 balls, and brought up the second off 45 balls. Latham had a life on 89 when he holed out to long leg, where Barry McCarthy completed an excellent diving catch. Young, the bowler, had overstepped though. Latham reached his hundred with a single to long-on off Dockrell, but he fell in the same over the 36th of the innings - when he came down the track and missed the ball. Niall O’Brien, the wicketkeeper, took the bails off to dismiss Latham for 104 off 111 balls. The momentum, however, seamlessly switched from one batsman to another. Taylor made his 35th ODI fifty, while Corey Anderson and Mitchell
Santner flickered briefly, scoring 20 each. Munro led the charge in the slog overs, hammering three fours and four sixes, including one over square leg that broke a spectator’s chair. He started the penultimate over of the innings with backto-back sixes off Peter Chase and raced to 44 off 14 balls. AB de Villiers’ 16-ball fifty against West Indies in 2015 was in danger. Munro holed out off the next ball, though, but his blitz was instrumental in taking New Zealand to an imposing score. They plundered 72 off the last four overs. The visitors, in fact, could have got more if not for sharp fielding from Ireland. Five out of six Ireland bowlers conceded over six runs an over. Ireland lost Paul Stirling for a duck in the chase when fast bowler Matt Henry found the top edge with a sharp, rising delivery. Ed Joyce and William Porterfield then tried to offset the early loss by putting on a run-a-ball 51 for
the second wicket. The stand ended when Corey Anderson struck in his first over to remove Joyce for 17. From thereon the innings unravelled: Ireland lost their last nine wickets for 102 runs. In his next over Anderson dismissed Andy Balbirnie for a duck. Scott Kuggeleijn then took the key wicket of Porterfield, having him caught at deep square leg, where Adam Milne claimed a brilliant catch. Milne, playing first international match since the World T20, then pinned Dockrell lbw to leave Ireland at 119 for 7 in 32 overs. Eight overs later, legspinner Ish Sodhi added his name in the wickets column and wrapped up the 190-run victory. The last match of the triseries - a dead rubber between New Zealand and Bangladesh - will be played on Wednesday. Scores: New Zealand 344 for 6 (Latham 104, Taylor 57, Munro 44, Chase 2-69) beat Ireland 154 (Porterfield 48, Henry 3-36) by 190 runs.
Jamaica’s Thompson stars at international... From page 32 the men’s 100m, Thompson shone the brightest. After clocking a worldleading 10.78 seconds in Shanghai, China a week earlier, Thompson got off to a good start and was catching opponents by the time they got to the curve. She was in front by the time they got to the straight-away and just kept going away to win easily. She equalled the time run by American Tori Bowie in California in mid-April. Jamaican compatriot Shericka Jackson, a 400m specialist, was second in the 22.61 seconds and American Shalonda Solomon third in 22.64 seconds. Thompson admitted to being “a little tired” because of her busy schedule but said
she executed her race. “The coach told me to come off the curve as fast as I can and then control the race,” she said. “It’s been a hectic season. I am just getting back from Shanghai and have run another fast time but I have to stay focussed and put in the work.” De Grasse, 22, made his first race on Jamaican soil a winning one. The field managed to stay within reach until the Canuck turbocharged his way past American LaShawn Merritt, who finished in second place in 20.28 seconds. Great Britain’s Jamaican-based sprinter Zarnel Hughes was third in 20.29 seconds. De Grasse said he needs to improve his overall fitness and said he would go back
home and work harder. “I went out there and executed the first 150 metres then held on. It was a tough run. I wanted to check my fitness,” he said. “Now I have to get back to training because this was tough.” Blake, the 2011 World Championships gold medallist who has battled injuries over the last few seasons, delivered a superb performance in the 100m, dipping under 10.00 seconds for the first time since 2012. Two Americans got silver and bronze — Ronnie Baker had a season’s best 9.98 seconds and Mike Rodgers 10.02 seconds. “I am feeling great,” said the 27-year-old Blake, who was a late entry. “This is my first 100m of the season and
to run 9.93 is great.” American Morolake Akinosun was a surprise winner of the women’s 100m in 11.06 seconds, getting to the line ahead of Trinidad’s Michelle-Lee Ahye who was also given the same time of 11.06 seconds. American veteran Allison Felix who was third in 11.07 seconds. It was Felix’s first 100m in two years. “I am just working on my fitness as there is a long ways to go still,” she said. Kyron McMaster was an upset winner in the 400m hurdles as he clocked a personal best 47.80 seconds. World and Olympic champion Caterine Ibarguen, of Colombia, retained her triple jump title with a jump of 14.43m.
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Letter to the Sports Editor
Cricket Stakeholder asks of Mr. Somwaru DEAR SPORTS EDITOR, I am compelled to pen this letter in reply to an article written by Mr. Royston Alkins and published in the Stabroek News of Monday 1st May 2017 under the caption “Somwaru Says Berbice Cricket on the move”. Mr. Somwaru in his interview made reference to his invitation to Mr. Hilbert Foster for him to work with the Berbice Cricket Board to which he refused, and I quote, “I went personally to ask him. He is my friend and I have no hesitation in saying that. I went two times to ask him to work with us so I don’t know what else I can do.” Further Mr. Somwaru went on to say, “Let me be honest, I told him (Foster) that he has excellent organisation skills and I would have liked him to work with me, guide me and even advise me on certain issues but he refused and I can’t help that. What Mr. Foster has to realize is that he is not the knowall of cricket, neither am I and we all have to work together for the development of cricket in Berbice.” Now having perused the article mentioned, I am more confused than edified and as such have some questions for Mr. Somwaru which I would like answered. 1. Mr. Somwaru claims to have extended invitations to Mr. Hilbert Foster to work with the Berbice Cricket Board, now I would like Mr. Somwaru to say under what authority he made this offer, taking in consideration the BCB was injuncted by an action filed by a Mr. David Black and a Mr. Godwyn Allicock in 2015, and also that the BCB ceased to exist after 12 midnight on the 31st December 2015 according to the Cricket Administration Bill of 2014 (Act 14). 2. Mr. Somwaru claims that cricket is on the move in Berbice, now I wonder under whose watch this phenomenon is happening and how this person would have ascended to that position? 3. Mr. Somwaru expressed that he was adamant about returning cricket in the Ancient County to what it was once known ........, can Mr Somwaru confirm then that he is in charge of Berbice Cricket and whether he was appointed to that position, if so when and by whom, bearing in mind that the Constitution of the Berbice Cricket Board explicitly states that “Should a vacancy occur among officers during the year such vacancy shall be filled by the Board at a Special General Meeting” (see clause 13 of the Constitution). It is therefore my considered opinion that Mr. Somwaru is foisting himself on the Cricketing fraternity of this Ancient County of Berbice - Prove me wrong. Further I think someone from the Berbice Cricket Fraternity should investigate and challenge Mr. Somwaru on the legality of his pseudo authority. R. Parsuram, Cricket Stakeholder
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Monday May 22, 2017
Kaieteur News
Terence Crawford painted a masterpiece in decimating Felix Diaz
Terence Crawford (R) punishes Felix Diaz during their super lightweight title bout Saturday at Madison Square Garden. (The Associated Press) (Yahoo Sports) If it is possible to improve upon greatness, Terence Crawford did just that Saturday at Madison Square Garden in a 10th-round stoppage of 2008 Olympic gold medalist Felix Diaz. Crawford (31-0, 22 KOs) was brilliant from start to finish in taking apart the rugged Dominican, who is thick and skilled and powerful, but also no match for someone of Crawford’s ilk. There are few now around 140 or 147 pounds who are in his league. Crawford retained the WBC-WBO super lightweight belts with the win. There is no one of his caliber left in his division, though his promoter, Top Rank, is likely to slow play things and put him in a title unification bout with IBFWBA champion Julius Indongo. Indongo is 22-0 with 11
knockouts and is a perfectly decent fighter. But perfectly decent fighters have next-tono chance against Crawford. Crawford called out WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao after the bout, and it’s the most reasonable match for him. It would give him a shot at a title in a third weight class and it will allow him to demonstrate his skills against a proven star. There is a renaissance of sorts, at welterweight, with fighters like Pacquiao, Keith Thurman, Shawn Porter, Errol Spence Jr., Kell Brook and Danny Garcia on the elite level. Crawford is ready for any of them, but the question is, are they ready for him? It’s not a sure thing that the veteran Pacquiao, who is facing the unknown and unheralded Jeff Horn on July 1 in Australia, would be too eager to step into the ring with
Crawford. That’s the fight to make, but Crawford said he’s willing to fight any of them. Asked by HBO’s Max Kellerman who would make a big fight with him and who could push him, Crawford answered simply, “Pacquiao.” “That’s the only fight out there that we’re really looking for,” Crawford said. “If not, Indongo’s here. He came to my fight. Let’s get it on, Indongo. Who knows [if Pacquiao will fight me?] That’s not up to me. I’m a fighter. That’s up to my promoter, Bob Arum. He’s got a fight he’s preparing for now, and he’s more focused on that fight than anything else.” Crawford has few flaws, and nothing major. He has brilliant footwork, and maneuvers into position to throw and get away from punches with ease. He has all the punches in his bag of
Jamaica’s Thompson stars at international athletics meet Kingston (Jamaica) (AFP) - Hometown hero Elaine Thompson put on an impressive show against a strong field and Canada’s Andre De Grasse won his first race on Jamaican soil at an international track meet in Kingston on Saturday. Thompson clocked 22.09 seconds in the women’s 200 metres to equal the 2017 world leading time, while Rio Games silver medallist De Grasse dominated the final 50 metres to take the men’s 200m in 20.14 during the 14th Jamaica International Invitational at the National Stadium. But on a night when veteran Yohan Blake also stormed to a 9.93 seconds in Continued on page 31
Elaine Thompson
Felix Diaz (L) tries unsuccessfully to fend off Terence Crawford during their super lightweight title fight Saturday in New York. (The Associated Press) tricks, and goes to the body as well as the head. Defensively, Crawford understands how to control the range to keep his opponents outside of their preferred distance, and in addition to his feet, he’s good at moving from the head and waist to avoid shots. He’s not the biggest guy, and will give up a lot of size to many of those welterweights he’d like to fight, but his power has increased significantly since his days as a lightweight.
Diaz weighed 161 pounds when the bell rang Saturday, and he was clearly wincing from Crawford’s blows. Top Rank rarely does business with Al Haymonmanaged fighters, and so that makes it unlikely, and highly disappointing, that Crawford will get the chance to meet Thurman, Spence, Porter or Garcia. Given that, it’s incumbent upon Top Rank to make the fight with Pacquiao, because it’s the best bout Arum has to make.
Crawford is one of the three best fighters in the world, along with WBO super featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko and IBFWBA-WBO light heavyweight champion Andre Ward, and it’s no easy chore to choose between them. Hitting the top spot is important to Crawford. “That’s what we do it for and it’s why we bleed, sweat and put our lives on the line to be remembered in the sport of boxing,” Crawford said.
Review of eligibility rule at advanced stage: Browne BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – West Indies chairman of selectors, Courtney Browne, has hinted that the process to amend the controversial eligibility rule was at an advanced stage. Speaking to Massy United Insurances Line & Length TV Show here, Browne said the process was currently being discussed at the West Indies cricket committee level and from there would go on to the full board. “There’s some discussion going on about revisiting the eligibility rule,” said the former West Indies wicketkeeper. “It is with the West Indies cricket committee and then that will go to the board and see what happens from there. “But I think it is important that we understand that our domestic cricket is key and players coming out of our domestic cricket and showing they can go to the international level and perform, is important. “Yes, we have to look at it but we have to be mindful that we have to develop our product, we have to develop
Chief selector, Courtney Browne
our tournament. We have to develop it to a stage where we have a very good standard of regional cricket.” The eligibility rule requires players to make themselves available for domestic tournaments in order to qualify for selection to the West Indies side in the various formats. However, this has proved a sore point for marquee players over the years as it has required them to forego
lucrative contracts in foreign leagues to return home. Only recently, veteran right-hander Marlon Samuels was ruled ineligible for the one-day side because he played only two games of the Regional Super50 before heading to Pakistan to take up a T20 contract. Last March, newly appointed Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams, said the rule was in definite need of review.
Monday May 22, 2017
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Kaieteur News
Mumbai pip Pune in Vinales wins thrilling French MotoGP as Rossi comes off bike thriller to win third IPL title Maverick Vinales
AGONY AND ECSTASY: Steven Smith and Mitchell Johnson display contrasting emotions, Mumbai Indians v Rising Pune Supergiant, IPL final, Hyderabad, ©BCCI LE MANS, France (AP) — Italian veteran Valentino Rossi made a braking error on the last lap and fell off his bike moments later, allowing his Movistar Yamaha teammate Maverick Vinales to win a thrilling French Moto Grand Prix yesterday. The win put Vinales top of the standings, while pre-race championship leader Rossi dropped down to third behind Dani Pedrosa. The 38-year-old Rossi was leading Vinales with the finish line in sight, but the Spaniard sneaked past him with a handful of turns remaining. Rossi then tried a risky move to overtake Vinales but — with just two turns left — he pushed too hard on the inside and slipped off his bike and span across the track. “Incredible, I gave my best in the last laps,” Vinales said. “Le Mans is always a very good track for me.” Rossi’s mistake allowed French rookie Johann Zarco to finish in second place for a first-ever podium, while Pedrosa took third. “I felt great from the start and really wanted to attack,” said Zarco, who rides a
Monster Yamaha. “I thought about Yamaha’s 500th victory and I thought ‘Why not me?’ But it’s already special to get on the podium.” The distraught Rossi picked his bike back up and slumped over the handlebars as he contemplated the wasted points — especially considering defending champion Marc Marquez of Spain had earlier crashed. After five races, Vinales has 85 points, Pedrosa has 68, Rossi 62 and Marquez 58. The next race is the Italian MotoGP in Mugello in two weeks’ time. The 22-year-old Vinales took pole position ahead of Rossi and Zarco. But Zarco made a flying start on the softer tire and held the lead for several laps until Vinales overtook him. Rossi was in third place with Marquez chasing behind him. With 11 laps to go, Marquez crashed after turning on the inside of his bike. Marquez, who had already come off his Honda during qualifying, appeared unharmed and got straight back up.
Jungels takes Giro stage 15... From page 36 the peloton down in an act of sportsmanship to allow his race rival Quintana to regain his position following his earlier crash. “I don’t want to take time on competitors when they crash or have a flat tire or whatever,” he said. “In that moment it was not really a moment to go full gas.” Dumoulin remains top of the overall standings, 2:41 ahead of Quintana, who gained six seconds on his rival after a strong sprint finish on Sunday. Pinot is 3:21 behind in third, with Italian defending champion Vincenzo Nibali in fourth 3:40 off the pace. Stage winner Jungels moved up to eighth in the overall classification. The riders will rest today before stage 16 when the peloton faces three daunting ascents during Tuesday’s 222km ride from Rovetta to Bormio.
Up ahead, Zarco continued to pressure Vinales, while Rossi was picking up pace. Rossi used all his experience to pull up to Zarco and pass him with six laps left. Boosted by a lap record time on the 4.2-kilometer (2.6mile) Le Mans circuit, the seven-time MotoGP champion then went after Vinales. With three laps remaining, he surged past on the inside and then held him off brilliantly on the next corner. Victory looked certain. But Rossi, who won his last title in 2009, then lost concentration with a poor braking move. “I saw Valentino make a mistake and I took my chance,” Vinales said. Rather than accept second place, Rossi’s pride kicked in and he preferred to take a risk — ending up with nothing.
(Reuters) Mumbai Indians were crowned the Indian Premier League (IPL) champions for the third time after Mitchell Johnson delivered a three-wicket final over to help secure their thrilling one-run victory over Rising Pune Supergiant in the final yesterday. Chasing 130 to win, Pune looked primed for their maiden IPL title with skipper Steve Smith leading the charge and the team needing 11 runs off the final over with seven wickets in hand. A u s t r a l i a ’s f o r m e r Ashes hero Johnson dismissed Manoj Tiwary and Smith off successive deliveries, while Dan Christian ran himself out in the final ball of the over which yielded nine runs. Smith topscored for his side with 51 off 50 balls while Ajinkya Rahane made 44 upfront but Pune never got the late assault despite
having wickets in hand and finished 128-6. Johnson claimed 3-26, while his pace colleagues Jasprit Bumrah (2-26) and Lasith Malinga, who went wicketless but conceded only 21 runs in his four overs, were equally impressive in defending a modest total. Mumbai went into the match having lost their previous three matches, including Tuesday’s qualifier, against Pune this season and the 129-8 they managed on Sunday looked far from an intimidating score. Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma opted to bat but they looked in trouble after Jaydev Unadkat (2-19) dismissed both the openers cheaply to deny them a strong start. Mumbai crawled to 56-3 at the halfway stage of their innings when Adam Zampa struck twice in the same over to wreck their hopes of a big total.
The Australian legspinner dismissed Rohit with the first delivery of his over with Shardul Thakur taking a well-judged catch near the rope and the spinner’s sixth sent back Kieron Pollard. Mumbai were reeling at 79-7 but Krunal Pandya topscored for them with a belligerent 47 before falling to the final delivery of the innings. “It was a great game of cricket and I hope the crowd enjoyed it,” Rohit said. “To defend such a modest total, the first thing you need is self-belief and I told the boys we can do it. It was a great effort by the team, hats off to them.” Scores: Mumbai Indians 129 for 8 (Krunal 47, Unadkat 2-19, Zampa 2-32, Christian 2-34) beat Rising Pune Supergiant 128 for 6 (Smith 51, Rahane 44, Johnson 3-26, Bumrah 2-26) by 1 run.
Svitolina wins in Rome after Halep falters in final set (Reuters) Elina Svitolina won the women’s singles at the Italian Open final to claim her fourth title of the season yesterday after her opponent Simona Halep sunk without trace in the final set. Svitolina’s 4-6 7-5 6-1 victory meant she added the Rome crown to the ones she took in Taipei, Dubai and Istanbul. Halep, who won in Madrid last week, took the first set and, although she rolled her right ankle at one point, the Romanian appeared to be coasting towards a win when she broke in the opening game of the second. But Svitolina forced her way back into the match, as she hit back to take a 3-1 lead and held off several fightbacks from Halep to level the match in the 12th game. Svitolina raced to a 5-0 lead in the final set before completing a Tourleading 31st match win this year.
Elina Svitolina of Ukraine kisses the trophy after her victory over Simona Halep of Romania in the Rome Open Women’s Singles Final. (REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi)
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Monday May 22, 2017
Kaieteur News
Durant’s big third quarter helps Warriors sink Spurs
Manchester City, Liverpool deny Arsenal Champions League slot on final day LONDON (Reuters) Manchester City and Liverpool claimed the last two Champions League qualifying spots with comfortable wins yesterday that meant Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal missed out on Europe’s elite club competition for the first time in 20 years. The big guns blew away the rest on the final day of the Premier League season — City thrashing Watford 5-0 and Liverpool beating relegated Middlesbrough 3-0 — to leave the top six places exactly as they had been at the start of play. That meant Arsenal failed to qualify for Champions
months and I’m very proud of them for doing that. “One thing you cannot question is my love for this club. I’ve turned down every club in the world to stay here.” GOAL FEAST On a day full of goals — 37 in the 10 matches — Tottenham led the way with a 7-1 thumping of hosts Hull City four days after winning 6-1 away to dethroned champions Leicester City. England striker Harry Kane scored his second hattrick of the week to finish as the clear winner of the Golden Boot with 29 goals from only 30 games. “Finishing the season with seven goals in two
their Merseyside rivals. CHELSEACELEBRATE Chelsea’s 93 points was the second highest total since the Premier League began in 1992 and they became the first Premier League team to register 30 victories in one season. They finished seven points ahead of secondplaced Spurs. Antonio Conte’s side were presented with the trophy after beating bottom club Sunderland 5-1 at Stamford Bridge, where departing club captain John Terry made an emotional farewell speech to the crowd. “Today is one of the most difficult days of my life,” he said.
Golden State Warriors small forward Kevin Durant (35) is fouled while shooting by San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Manu Ginobili (behind) during the second half in game three of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center. (Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports) (The Sports Xchange) - Kevin Durant scored 33 points, 19 of them in the decisive third quarter, and pulled down 10 rebounds as the Golden State Warriors easily dispatched the San Antonio Spurs 120-108 on Saturday in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals. The Warriors lead 3-0 in the best-of-seven series with Game 4 set for today in San Antonio. San Antonio trailed by nine points at halftime and got as close as 69-65 two minutes into the third quarter before Golden State took charge with its superior firepower and unselfish play. By the middle of the fourth quarter, the Spurs were settling for shots early in possessions and missing most of them while the Warriors rebuilt an 18-point lead. The Spurs’ hopes to get back in the series were severely damaged when the team said before the game that forward Kawhi Leonard would not play because of his sprained left ankle. Stephen Curry added 21 points and six steals for the Warriors, who are now a perfect 11-0 in the postseason and have won 26 of their past 27 games. Klay Thompson had 17 points, JaVale McGee hit for 16 (all in the first half) and
Draymond Green tallied 10 points, seven rebounds and seven assists as all five of Golden State’s starters scored in double figures. The Spurs got 21 points from Manu Ginobili, who hit 7 of 9 shots from the field, and 18 points from LaMarcus Aldridge. Jonathon Simmons added 14 points, and Pau Gasol contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds for San Antonio. The Spurs took a 26-25 lead on a threepointer by Patty Mills late in the first quarter and expanded it to 33-27 with 1.1 seconds to play on two free throws by Ginobili. Golden State surged back into the lead in the middle of the second quarter, building a 61-49 advantage with 1:28 remaining while holding the Spurs scoreless for more than three minutes. San Antonio cut the lead to 61-55 on a free throw and a basket by Ginobili and a put-back by Aldridge but West canned a three-pointer with 10.9 seconds left to grant the Warriors a 64-55 lead at intermission. Durant caught fire in the third quarter, scoring 19 points on 5-of-6 shooting, as the Warriors built an 18-point lead before settling for a 100-88 advantage through three quarters.
Golden State Warriors small forward Kevin Durant (35) drives to the basket while guarded by San Antonio Spurs small forward Davis Bertans (42) during the second half in game three of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center. (Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports)
Manchester City’s Vincent Kompany celebrates scoring their first goal with team mates. (Reuters / Stefan Wermuth Livepic) League football for the first time since Wenger became manager in 1996. Despite beating Everton 3-1 with only 10 men — defender Laurent Koscielny was sent off and will miss the FA Cup final against champions Chelsea on Saturday — Wenger’s team were left stranded in fifth position as Manchester City and Liverpool finished in the top four behind Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur. Latest media reports have indicated that Wenger will sign a new contract whatever the result at Wembley Stadium, in the face of disillusionment with his stewardship by many Arsenal fans. “We were playing in a hostile environment,” the Frenchman told reporters of his side’s difficult mid-season period. “The players came back stronger in the last two
games is perfect, hopefully I can continue it at the start of next season,” he said. Pep Guardiola’s City knocked in five at Watford to give departing home manager Walter Mazzarri a miserable send-off. The win kept the Manchester side two points ahead of Liverpool, whose comfortable success at home to Middlesbrough earned them a place in the Champions League playoff round. Disappointed Arsenal could point out that their total of 75 points was more than they achieved in finishing runners-up last season and would normally have put them in the top four. It emphasised how the top clubs have pulled away from the rest, with a gap of 15 points between Everton in seventh place and Southampton in eighth. There was a similar gap between fourth-placed Liverpool and
Sixth-placed Manchester United beat Crystal Palace 20 after resting several players ahead of Wednesday’s Europa League final against Ajax Amsterdam in Stockholm. The struggles of old rivals Arsenal and United this season meant it was the first time both sides had finished outside the first four places in the top flight since the 197879 campaign. United’s Josh Harrop, 21, scored the opening goal against Palace on his league debut while 16-yearold substitute Angel Gomes became the youngest player to feature for the Old Trafford club in the Premier League era. Leicester City failed to secure the win they needed at home to Bournemouth for a place in the top half of the table, the 1-1 draw ending their poor defence of the title in 12th position.