K
Fired
AIETEUR
Tuesday Edition October 27, 2020 - Vol. 13 No. 43
anti-narcotics official, woman hauled off of flight The Fleecing of Guyana series... NEWS
Online: www.kaieteurnews.com
Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly
Price $80
p. 3
Online readership yesterday, 113,646
Kaieteur Block owners flipped block without doing any work p. 2
The five flippers of the Kaieteur Block Guyanese: Ryan Pereira
Canadian: Mike Cawood
City Council divided over hiring of p.8 new Town Clerk, others
Israeli: Yair Rotlevy
Israeli: Yigal Landau
Miner found murdered at ‘drinking spot’
p. 11
Israeli: Ligad Rotlevy
40 companies express interest for construction of new Demerara Harbour Bridge - Edghill p. 13
Conflict between EPA and petroleum laws potentially disastrous - Guyana must fast track law p. 3 reform - IDB
Kaieteur News
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Tuesday October 27, 2020
The Fleecing of Guyana series...
Kaieteur Block owners flipped block without doing any work J
ust as the owners of the Canje Block flipped the licence without doing any work, the owners of the Kaieteur Block sold a large stake to ExxonMobil without doing what they committed to doing under the contract. By signing on to the contract, the companies agreed that they would have the technical, managerial and financial competence to carry out the exploration of the ultra deepwater Kaieteur block. R a t i o E n e rg y, n o w known as Cataleya, and which had received a 50 percent stake in the block, is directed by Guyanese Ryan Pereira and Canadian Mike Cawood, who had no experience in oil and gas prior to receiving the Kaieteur Block. Notably, Pereira has links to both
The five flippers of the Kaieteur Block Guyanese: Ryan Pereira recipients of the Kaieteur Block, as he represented Ratio Petroleum when it received the block in April, 2015 and is now a director in
Canadian: Mike Cawood Ratio Energy (renamed Cataleya). As for Ratio Guyana, the holder of the remaining 50 percent stake, it has a parent
Israeli: Yair Rotlevy company, Ratio Petroleum, which has experience in oil and gas. Despite not having the capacity to conduct ultra deepwater drilling, Ratio Petroleum has been in the industry for decades. This company had no excuse for not doing work in the Kaieteur Block. Yet, that is exactly what happened as it held on to the licence for two years following receipt on April 28, 2015. Ratio Guyana (owned by Ratio Petroleum) and Ratio Energy (now Cataleya Energy) each sold 25 percent of their Kaieteur Block ownership to ExxonMobil in March 1, 2017. Global Witness said it gathered from Ratio Petroleum's website that the companies didn't even conduct seismic work before ExxonMobil bought its share. It was only months after Exxon bought into the block that the oil major started a s e i s m i c s u r v e y. Exxon's work revealed that the Kaieteur Block has an estimated 2.1 million oilequivalent barrels. The following men are the three co-founders of Ratio Petroleum, the company experienced enough to get some of the work done under the Kaieteur Block work
Israeli: Yigal Landau programme, but didn't. They also are directors of a large number of private and public companies. Ligad Rotlevy is one of the three listed co-founders of the company, and Chairman of the Ratio
Kaieteur Oil Block
Petroleum Board. He has has been Chairman since the partnership was established. He is also listed as a serving director in Argaman Industries Ltd.,
Israeli: Ligad Rotlevy Lodzia Rotex Investment Ltd., Rotex (1980) Ltd., Spacecom Ltd., ProSeed Venture Capital Fund Ltd. (Chairman), Ratio Oil Exploration Ltd. (Chairman) and Ratio Oil Exploration (Finance) Ltd. (Chairman). Yigal Landau is another co-founder, and director. He's also listed as a director in Union Bank of Israel Ltd., ProSeed Venture Capital Fund Ltd., ProSeed Venture Capital Management (1999) Ltd., Ratio Oil Exploration Ltd. (also serves as CEO) and Ratio Oil Exploration (Finance) Ltd. CEO of Hiram Landau Ltd. and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ariel University in Israel. Yair Rotlevy is the third co-founder and director. He is also listed as a director in Dlin Ltd., Lodzia Rotex Investment Ltd., Argaman Industries Ltd. (Chairman), Gibor Sabrina Ltd., Rotex (1980) Ltd. (Chairman), Lahav Executive Education – Tel Aviv University, ProSeed Venture Capital Fund Ltd., ProSeed Venture Capital Management (1999) Ltd., Midas Investment Fund, Ratio Oil Exploration Ltd. and Ratio Oil Exploration (Finance) Ltd., and also CEO of Lodzia Rotex Investment Ltd. These three men started collaborating in the industry in 1992.
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Kaieteur News
Tuesday October 27, 2020
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL-TEL: 624-6456 Editor: Sharmain Grainger Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
Help wanted The alarms are increasingly being sounded in sports circles. It was something that victims and their families were long ashamed of, but not anymore, as more and more are braving whatever comes and speak about their mental health condition, with all the stresses, fears, and surrounding problems that come from such a situation long stigmatized and scorned. It certainly took a long time to come before individuals affected fell such confidence to step forward with much public frankness on such a sensitive, if not secretive and self-protective, issue. But now that it is out in the open, the climate and opportunities should be seized to explore and capitalize on the provisions and places that have been made available for help and relief, and this should be in every walk of life, whether sport or work place or familial. There must be no shame in a condition that cripples, and usually condemns to an imprisoning situation in the home where the affected are hidden away; or the streets where they float about in a haze, sometimes dangerously so. Sometimes, further complicated by chemical practices that make those partaking sicker, even more dangerous. We should all agree - state and citizen - that it is vitally necessary, and that there is a place for housing and caring for such impacted patients, as well as provisions for the urgent follow-up action required to heal mind and body. Because if the mental faculties are not working on all cylinders all the time, then inevitably the body withers. This is what applies in every occupation at every strata of life itself. For we have seen them - or know of them through friends, colleagues, or family - in the passing encounters on the street, in the drain that can be wreaked on the human presence. The vacant look, the troubled expressions, the withdrawn natures, the erratic behaviours, the inexplicable relationships that all say that something is not right, that many things are not clicking, and that they lead to failing and diminishing. On occasion, it is not so visible, nothing much is heard, but there is the dark world of depressions and anxieties that come all too easily and can convert to undetected shadows of self. It is a sorry state of existence, with many suffering in silence, or trying manfully to outmuscle and outlast that for which so little in the way of human and material resources are available here to resolve the crises in lives that reduce men and women to the shuffling and the sparse, the angry and aggressive. There are the fears that come, too: fears for what could follow for those so afflicted by way of deterioration.There was a time - with residues still lingering - where the ultimate in machismo was to utter and hurl the challenge of “me hed-ain good” with a dare before all comers, and with violent readiness to put words into action, sometimes with lethal outcomes. There was a time, too, when mental illness was something that was recoiled from in horror or retreated from in shame at the stigma of the condition. Thus, there was denying and distancing from and covering up, through one tired pretense after another. It is not the way to address anything, let alone the mysteries and pain of mental health matters. People carried their baggage by themselves and added to their tortures within their self-imposed and impenetrable wards of silence. Nothing did get resolved when those cultures prevailed, no one was healed or helped. The agonies were simply extended excruciatingly, with no end in sight, while everyone - patient, family, and society - lived in a misguided world of makebelieve perfection. As has come apparent from the high-pressure world of 21st century living, things do not have to be that way anymore. Many are breaking the taboo; there should all breathe a sigh of relief. Many citizens have come forward in sterling support; they should know for they, too, can relate to the gruelling demands placed on both body and brain. Sometimes the latter is unable to cope with what transforms into overload, which means that, at that point in time, there must be willingness to seek help. Whether work or play, the standard must be: know when to say when. Help wanted.
China and Guyana’s relationship post-COVID-19 Dear Editor, At the time of writing this letter 26th October, 2020, Guyana’s Ministry of Health has reported 29 new cases and a grand total of 4023 cases for the day 25th October 2020. CGTN news in China has reported 15 new cases and a grand total of 85,790 cases for the same day. In the United States of America, the WHO has reported 82,630 new cases and a grand total of 8,403,121 cases also as of 25th October, 2020. These case counts speak for themselves as an indicator of each state’s efforts to slow the spread of the pandemic thus far. Addressing the spread of the pandemic at this time requires a group effort not only within the borders of each country but also among countries that can afford to help during this time of difficulty. From the case count mentioned above at 15 new cases out of a population of approximately 1.4 billion people and the ongoing 5th Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC which will produce a plan for development over the next 5
years within China, it is apparent that China is in the process of moving on from the virus. The same unfortunately cannot be said of most other countries in the world. What did China do to achieve this enviable position? The answer is not complicated. The Government of China made a concentrated effort to minimize the spread of the virus using the guidelines that are already well known. The use of masks was insisted upon. Social distancing was insisted upon. Contact tracing was utilized and nonessential activities were discouraged. All these activities were carried out by a population that clearly trusted in their Government’s guidance and the brave efforts of the nation’s health care workers and did their part to contribute to the collective effort. The result was one where now in China, airports are reopening and life has mostly returned to normal. Amid the pandemic in the United States, November will witness another presidential election. Fierce campaigning, the likes of which has never
been witnessed before is fully underway in that country and titanic amounts of rhetoric are being generated from both Democrat and Republican parties. This rhetoric has even reached our own shores via comments made by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during his state visit to Guyana of recent. Mr. Pompeo’s statements warning against doing business with Chinese companies was responded to by China’s embassy in Guyana by clarifying that there are no political strings in bilateral pragmatic cooperation. At a time when global economic forecasts are dim and the only hope of returning to normalcy is to overcome this pandemic, bilateral pragmatic cooperation sound like the optimal path forward for Guyana and China. It should always be remembered when deciphering rhetoric that the United States of America and China are rivals while China and Guyana are not rivals but in fact partners. The rhetoric between these superpowers is intended for their
interpretation and response as rivals and should not be taken to indicate official longterm positions. The recent comments by U.S Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Suriname and Guyana did indeed prompt an instantaneous response by the Chinese embassy in Suriname and Guyana via their respective social media pages. We Guyanese would be well served to remember that this is an election year in the United States and the rhetoric disseminated by the parties seeking election victory there will be intended for the ears of potential voters just as much as it is intended for our ears. It should be safer to craft our opinions on the relationship between America and China based on facts and not distilled rhetoric. I always think twice when I read a statement made by the American government of the day that is directed at the Chinese and vice versa, because I remember that the relationship between those two countries is unique and complex. According to the Office of the United States (Continued on page 6)
Oil is not going to make a difference for the rank and file Guyanese Dear Editor, Reference is made to the article titled, “Report: more than 30,000 Guyanese emigrate annually” (KN October 26). My thoughts follow. More than 30,000 Guyanese leave here every year. This is a low number compared to the decades from 1970s to the 2000. Using that assumption as the baseline, it is likely that the overwhelming majority of the educated, adventurous, visionary, well-resourced, and resourceful citizens of this country have left for the north. Without venturing into the nearby Caribbean and Latin American regions, I interpret this to mean that, other than for a handful of aging fossils (like me) still around, most of the existing population are from a younger, less traditional, more modern generation. Its members are equipped with tools (technology) and resources (facilities) that position them and empower them to look at life differently, Yet what we have from the ‘Me Generation’ and the X and Y and Z generations is the Ice Age mentality of their forebears. To be specific, this one is a PNC man and that one is a PPP one. Despite all their advantages over
ancestors, they cannot think for themselves, separate from the past, function on their own, depend on themselves, inclusive of standards and integrity and standing for something. Arguably, but irrefutably for me, some of those same newer, fresher generations came forward in the past year and represented to the Guyanese world that they are of ideals and nobility and country; that they are patriotic to the bone. But they were not of ideals but of deals, as in self-dealing. Take a look at them now, those well-publicized, selfpromotional pawnshop patriots. They bartered themselves in cheap exchanges to get ahead; most are now PPP men and women, with a few identifying with what is left of the PNC. Editor, what I am presenting here is that, despite so many of our roots departing annually (or dying),we should have had a truly new citizenry in Guyana. One of a different character, one different political mindsets, one with less of the narrow self-serving that grooms their hidden ambitions. Instead, what we have is where they ended up: just where their forebears
have been fastened futilely for all their lives. That is feathering their own nests, but failing their fellows and the future. This is the future of Guyana, pawnshop patriots making up the bulk of the population and fawning before local pawnbrokers (political exploiters) and foreign negotiators (business plunderers). Since most of these folks are no good for what is in the interest of the wellbeing of the vast number of Guyanese, it might be better if they were among those “more than 30,000” leaving annually for other climates. All their presences here signify is the perpetuation of what has devastated this society and the perpetration of the same crookedness that has drained this place of its promise. Let me be clear: that oil is not going to make a difference for the rank and file Guyanese. Sure, there will be the trickledown of stimulus (handouts), low-level jobs for bottom feeding local content, and low hanging fruit for wellaligned Guyanese political, professional, and commercial powers. I point to the newcomers who discarded dignity and integrity and settled for the indecency of what is self-
enriching. But, for the majority the reality is the edge of poverty. For the skeptical, I give Venezuela and Nigeria and Angola. To that one can add Guyana, as sure as those waves that daily batter the seawall. I say this because in less than a literal handful of years, the native born here faces the high risk of being a numerical minority. For the longest while, the great majority has been a disempowered minority. So, Guyanese will not know the difference. It is because our leaders and their insiders scrambled for what was good for them (again) and grabbed what was dangled before them (again). I submit that we have no leader, no follower, no newcomer that is of Guyana first, Guyana alone, and Guyana always. These are the dregs left behind by tens of thousands exiting yearly. This is what must be lived with to eke out an existence somehow. And that is the reality. Democracy or no democracy. Oil or none. Transparency or no transparency. I deliver its twin: palpable skullduggery. I give the new Guyana. It looks just like the old. Yours truly, GHK Lall
Tuesday October 27, 2020
In memory of Australian cricketer, Dean Mervyn Jones Dear Editor Dean Mervyn Jones, Australian cricketer turned television commentator died on September 24, 2020 while covering the present IPL matches. He played 52 tests, scored 3631 runs, highest score 261runs, average 46.55. He had 11 centuries and 14 fifties. In the ODIs he played 164 matches, scored 6068 runs, highest score 145, average 44.61. He smashed 7 centuries and 46 fifties. He was a top order right-hand batsman. News of this irreparable loss of life jarred my mind and I immediately recalled the famous/ infamous ‘ wristband incident ‘ during the first oneday finals between West Indies and Australia in 1993. These matches were played between the fourth and fifth test matches during the tour. The real action started when Australia was chasing 240 to win the first of the finals. The home team lost two early wickets and Dean Jones went in to bat. He had not even face a delivery when umpire Terry Prue went to Ambrose and said Dean Jones had asked
for Ambrose to remove his wristbands as there was a perceived issue with the white ball clashing with the white wristbands. Ambrose taught that he was joking as he Ambrose was wearing wristbands on each hand throughout his career. Initially they were red, gold and green but then the ICC ruled that they must be white. In addition, Dean Jones had faced Ambrose before with those wristbands with no complaint from him. According to Ambrose, he used to sweat a lot and didn’t want to get the ball wet and needed something dry to wipe his brow with. He also had a white rag tucked in h i s t r o u s e r s , which he used to dry his fingers to stop the ball from slipping out of his fingers. It was not a fashion thing for him. Ambrose was angry. He refused. He told the umpire that it was piffle. Captain Richie Richardson and Ian Bishop joined in the confabulation. The conversation became heated. It went on for several minutes. For the
sake of the game, Ambrose relented and took off both wristbands and handed them to the umpire. Ambrose in his book,” Curtly Ambrose - A Time To Ta l k ” w i t h R i c h a r d Sydenham elaborated. “After Jones’s request, I thought: ‘ You should not have woken a sleeping lion.’ I was furious and started to bowl twice as fast and seriously wanted to knock Dean Jones out with the ball. I was really upset. I couldn’t bowl too short because of the rules and regulations in one -day internationals but I still manage to send a few towards his ribcage and made his life pretty uncomfortable, though he negotiated me well. I didn’t get him out but i didn’t intend to; I just wanted to make his life uncomfortable for that stupid request. “ Ambrose disclosed that what many people did not know is that an over after Dean Jones had made his request and he was standing at the nonstrikers end, he whispered
to Ambrose that if Ambrose wanted to put his wristbands back on, he would not have a problem. Ambrose opined, “He realised what was happening but by then it was too late to put the lion back to sleep. I thought, ‘ you made your bed, brother; you’re in some serious trouble now,’ I finished with 5 or 32 and we won the game quite easily. I understand that his teammates were not too happy with him and rightly so. I should have thanked him for motivating me. “ West Indies went on to win the one-day series. Sometimes in life, if we want to be successful, we must turn our negatives into positives or our weaknesses into strengths as Ambrose did in Australia. Many more interesting facts about that ‘ wristband incident ‘ and the 1993 tour ‘Down Under’ can be gleaned from Ambrose’s book alluded to above. May Dean Mervyn Jones rest in peace. Yours truly, Clinton Conway
The time is opportune for the Government to initiate a political audit of GECOM Dear Editor Government needs to act urgently on the CARICOM Team recommendation for a Political Audit of GECOM. The three-member CARICOM team that witnessed the complete recount of the 2nd March 2020 General Elections recommended among other things that “a political audit of GECOM (its successes and failing and the factors contributing to this), both the Commission and its administrative arm, is urgently warranted. It therefore behooves whichever political party emerges victorious from these elections initiate an immediate political audit, in a real sense, GECOM betrayed its obligations to behave impartially and independently.”
GECOM is the constituted permanent operational institution to conduct our periodic General and Local Elections hence constant evaluation and assessment of its performance after every elections is of paramount interest in order to build public confidence and trust in all the various stakeholders. The time is very opportune for the government to initiate this political audit since all of the international donor community have directly or tangentially indicated their willingness and support for such an audit. We should capitalize on this assistance to assembly an independent international audit team
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that would have the confidence of all the concerned parties and citizen. The next general elections that is scheduled for 2025 will be on us in no time hence the sooner we start the ball rolling , the better shall we be prepared to conduct an election that would be transparent, fair and credible. The scope of the political audit should seek to determine if the present configuration of the Commission is conducive to impartiality and engendering public trust, examine the conduct/ misconduct of the a d m i n i s t r a t i v e arm(secretariat) in the elections, review of the standard operating procedures and if breaches
of same were systemic or intentional, commitment of acts of conspiracy to render unfair advantage to any particular political party and the effectiveness of the organizational structure of GECOM to provide credible elections. Based on the findings and recommendations of the political audit, the internal inquiries and changes can then be instituted and we can get on with the business of a complete house to house voter registration. I cannot envisage the preparation for the 2025 e l e c t i ons under the supervision of the present GECOM administrative arm. Do you? Yours truly, Reggie Bhagwandin
Donald Ramotar and Robert Persaud should come clean on blocks Dear Editor, I applaud your media house for the nationalistic position taken on our natural resources. No other media has given the kind of attention exposing fraud in the oil blocks. You are absolutely courageous. Without your investigative reports, we would not know the roles of Donald Ramotar, Robert Persaud, and some other key players in the oil blocks. Without your daily reports, we would not know how the blocks were acquired and the large sums that were apparently involved in bribery to silence people. Ramotar should come clean on the blocks and the role, if any, of Robert Persaud. Who else were involved in giving away blocks? Clearly, politicians can’t cower you into silence. You are absolutely correct that our oil resources were given away virtually for free. In fact, it looks like we pay to give it away because we are paying for all their expenses including hotel bills and entertainment. And you are right that several politicians from both sides were behind that scam, a crooked set. They are beneficiaries. Is that why they are silent? A few are pretending they did not receive kickbacks identifying names who got paid off from sales of the blocks – but they also got paid big time. The country is hundreds of billions of American dollars poorer from the signing away of the blocks, sale and resale. I agree with you reports that covering up fraud and giving away our resources are tantamount to acts of treason. Those responsible must be held accountable. Former President Donald
Ramotar said he did nothing wrong, and that he merely signed the agreements to approve the blocks. In that case, why can’t he at least tell the nation what exactly transpired. Why were those particular owners chosen for the blocks? Why is he silent? Why isn’t he answering the question of who are the true owners of the blocks? The former President should put the facts out. Facts won’t jeopardize his standing in the country or the lame case, which he filed against KN. At a minimum, he should set the record straight by going public. Why hide under the cover of court that putting out the facts would jeopardize his case against KN? Doesn’t he want to vindicate himself in public? If Mr. Ramotar is not a beneficiary of the blocks, then it is all the more reason to come clean on what really happened. Unless he comes clean, address queries, people would think he was also a beneficiary of the fraud perpetrated on the nation. Does he feel he was misled into signing the blocks and by whom? Tell the nation who got the proceeds of sale and resale of oil blocks and why taxes weren’t paid to the government. Was due diligence carried out in investigating the companies assigned the blocks? If Robert Persaud failed to carry out due diligence of the agreement and the companies involved in the scam, then he should be immediately removed as Foreign Secretary and as gatekeeper for investment. Ramotar’s public disclosure will ensure the country does not have a recurrence of similar nature. Yours truly, Shawn Simmons
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An open Letter to Dr. Irfaan Ali Congratulations on your victory at the recent polls. You have a unique opportunity to heal our beloved country, to bring an end to divisiveness and distrust. To do this, you have to possess the political will and determination, and the courage to stand up to naysayers and extremist views. It is imperative that you surround yourself with and rely mostly on people who are considered moderates, and be cautious of hardliners who see things only as black or white. You are young and very intelligent. You can be the game changer in our country’s checkered history. Rely on honesty first rather than on blind loyalty. There will be many opportunists who will tell you what they think you want to hear; they will try to boost your e g o t o g a i n y o u r approval…beware! Do not make the same mistakes as some of your predecessors. Be objective and be resilient. Deal firmly and resolutely with corruption regardless of political affiliation or allegiance. To err is human…we all make mistakes and at times exercise poor judgment. As former housing minister, you know this to be true. Usually, first timers are given a chance to redeem themselves. Our doom will be not to learn from previous transgressions. A very important lesson to take from someone who founded the PPP and who was respected worldwide – CBJ –is humility. Be modest and humble in your dealings with others, especially those who may not be on the same page as you. Do not
forget your roots and those who put their trust in you…the foot soldiers. Do not ignore those who may not have supported you…remember they also had their reasons. It is your duty to convince them otherwise by your actions, now that the silly season of rhetoric and words is over. Our country needs visionary leadership for long-term development and not just five-year planning of how to stay in power for a longer period. You have the acumen to do so. But you need all stakeholders on board. If there is broad and genuine involvement in the development of a longterm plan, implementation will be much easier and will go beyond electoral cycles. You have to find win-win solutions and avoid as much as possible win-lose ones. A n d remember…perception is a powerful instrument that makes and breaks governments. You must be true and must be seen to be true to the cause of the Guyanese people, all Guyanese people, to fairness and justice. Do not make enemies unnecessarily because of the innate need to “be in charge, be in control”. Learn to listen more than anything else. Listen with your ears, eyes and past experience. Your government must have synergy; it must be a coherent whole. All pieces must fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Competition for resources among institutions and persons will bring chaos and
anarchy. Every action has a reaction, which is why every step taken must be carefully considered, of course, without sacrificing expediency and efficiency. Avoid at all cost impulsive decision-making and actions that led to unfortunate consequences in the past. Balanced development, both sectoral and spatial, that will bring maximum benefits to maximum number of people must take precedence. So also, is the need for healing and moral upliftment of our nation in this trying time of a pandemic and economic recession. If you have not yet done so, you are probably in the process of selecting key personnel to form your new government. Competence must take precedence in this process. Do not be afraid to venture outside the box. You need people who are technically equipped and who have the skills to do the job. Loyalty alone will bring you more challenges than you anticipate. Anyone who aspires to be a great leader, especially a politician, should not aggravate and isolate the media of mass communication. Be tolerant, be truthful, be humble, be reachable. Av o i d being condescending and arrogant. These are not assets of a great leader. Be nurturing and show that you genuinely care. In time, you will earn the respect and support that you need to lead our country and our people to greater heights. I wish you well young man. Yours truly, A. Adler
Tuesday October 27, 2020
Please fix our recruitment/ personnel systems Dear Editor This is an open letter to all the dignified members of the new administration which I’m hoping at least one of them will be polite enough to respond. I am a 22-year-old female from Region 6 who has been trying to gain employment in the public service since I was 18 years old. I have 11 CSEC subjects in 5 grade ones, 3 grade twos and 3 grade threes. I also hold an Associate Diploma from CSEC CAPE. Far too many times, I have filled out applications for the Teaching Service Commission and The Nursing School and still awaiting acceptance. I have sent applications to several ministries and government institutions and I understood that I needed a university degree to be recognized but since I could not afford it, I have been trying the scholarship programme which was also futile. Eventually, I started working in the private sector and would see my former classmates get accepted into the various professions I have applied for. As much as I was troubled by the fact that I had better grades but was never
contacted, I continued to work in the private sector to provide for myself. Everyone I spoke to, told me that I had to get “links” to get such jobs in this country. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the company, which I served has ceased its operations and I was sent home. Since the month of March, I have sent out various applications in both Berbice and Georgetown (because I have friends living in Georgetown that are willing to share their home with me). I was hoping due to the change in administration that I would no longer be victimized and that the process of requiring “links” would change but I’m afraid it got worst. I was informed that a few schools have vacancies for teachers so I traveled to Georgetown to submit another application but the staffers at the TSC were very discourteous. In addition, the REO of Region 6 had recently published a list of vacancies for which I sent two applications but was never contacted. I called into the personnel department because I was informed that the positions were being filled
by persons with no working experience but they have “links” in the system. I was told only shortlisted applicants were contacted but when asked what was the shortlist criteria, I was unable to get an answer. I will repeat this is an open letter to ALL the dignified members of the present administration. I am pleading with each of you to please fix our recruitment/ personnel systems! I know that I cannot be the only one who has been enduring this, there are countless persons facing this difficulty but we cannot do anything because we have no “links”. I remember being told that your education will determine your future and as I reflect on the sacrifices, which I have made in achieving my grades. I feel disappointed because the ones who did not work as hard are reaping the benefits because of “links”. Please don’t misinterpret my concern; I have nothing against allowing those persons to have such jobs but at least the ones who have worked hard to surpass the minimum requirements criteria should be given priority. Yours truly, N. Sewnauth
Kwayana is himself the most divisive figure in Guyanese history Dear Editor, Kindly allow me to respond to Mr. Eusi Kwayana’s letter of October 23, 2020 in the KN. Tr u s t M r. K wayana writing from the USA to find fault with President Janet Jagan’s record of service to Guyanese on the occasion of the issuing of a commemorative stamp in her honour. Mr. Kwayana just loves to sling mud at Mrs. Jagan. He forgets she was democratically elected with 55 percent of the votes in
1997 - the highest any President ever got in Guyana. She was in fact the first female Guyanese Prime Minister and the first female President of Guyana. Mr. Kwayana sought to diminish her achievements as a female pioneering politician. Can he name who eclipsed her record? As if the kettle is blaming the pot for a black b o t t o m , M r. K w a y a n a is himself the most divisive figure in Guyana’s history. He has never
repudiated his advocacy for the partitioning of Guyana nor has he ever accounted for his dubious pre-knowledge of the 1964 Wismar massacre which he could have prevented but w h i c h h e d i d n o t . M r. Kwayana is no saint. How ironic that the American born Mrs. Jagan left the comfort of the USA to live and die in Guyana while today her tormentor Mr. Kwayana’s home is now America. Yours truly, Vassan Ramracha
...China and Guyana’s relationship From page 4 Trade Representative, the exchange of goods and services between China and the U.S totaled $737.1 billion in 2018. It may even be possible to say that the United States and China are married and divorce is not an option. Like the other virus in its family, the Covid-19 pathogen does not eat, sleep or even breathe and cannot be expected to respect human constructs like state borders or economic forecasts.
This virus is the common enemy of all humanity and can only be contained via a coordinated effort by all humanity in all countries. Thus far, the country that has exhibited the most effective effort to contain the virus is undoubtedly China. Logically, having China as one’s ally in the fight against the virus would be of considerable benefit via the sharing of knowledge, experiences and sourcing of appropriate PPE. If even the most powerful
countries in the world need to work together to overcome the virus, then it is safe to assume that Guyana will need to engage in some pragmatic bilateral cooperation during our own effort to overcome the virus. Without the cooperation between Guyana and China, it may not be possible to overcome the virus and return to the type of life we enjoyed before this pandemic appeared. Yours truly, Justin Gomes
T N U L B . . . T B N U T L N T B . U . L . L T B . N . U . N U T L N B . U . T . L N T U N B . N U . L U L LUNT. B . T . . T T N N B U B . U . L . L T B . B . . N . . . T U T L N N T U U L N L B U . B . . L . . . T B T . . N . N T U L N LU B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . NT LUNT...B NT...BLU N U L B . . B . U . . T L . N T B . . U N . L N T B U N . . L . U T L B . . N B . . . T U . L N T B U . . L . UN T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L B U UN .BLUNT. . . L . T B . . N . T U . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . LU ...BLUNT LUNT...B NT...BL T B U . . L N . T B BLU T...BLUN BLUNT... UNT...B . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B BBLU T...BLUN BLUNT... ...BLU . T . N . N T T U L U L N L B U T...BLU U B . L . N . B T . . . N T U N N N L U U U B L . L B T LUNT.. UNT...B BL B Tuesday October 27, 2020
Kaieteur News
Guyanese your future is being snatched from right in front of your eyes. Our leaders are giving the country away. And where there is “giving”, there is bound to be “getting”. What are you getting? Nothing! It is time for you to stop following leaders who are fattening their geese while yours are starving. By what authority does anyone have to give away an oil block worth billions of US dollars for free? It is time to demand an international investigation into the Ponzi scheme involving our oil blocks.
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Tuesday October 27, 2020
WHO chief warns against City Council divided over hiring 'vaccine nationalism' of new Town Clerk, others (ctvnews BERLIN) -The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday called for global solidarity in the rollout of any future coronavirus vaccine, as the number of cases soared across the world. In a video address at the opening of the three-day World Health Summit in Berlin, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the only way to recover from the pandemic was together and by making sure poorer countries had fair access to a vaccine. "It is natural that countries want to protect their own citizens first but if and when we have an effective vaccine, we must also use it effectively. And the best way to do that is to vaccinate some people in all countries rather than all people in some countries," he said. "Let me be clear: vaccine nationalism will prolong the pandemic, not shorten it." Scientists around the world are racing to develop a vaccine against COVID-19, which has killed over 1.1 million people. Several dozen vaccine candidates are currently being tested in clinical trials, ten of which are in the most advanced "phase 3" stage involving tens of thousands of volunteers. The European Union, the United States, Britain, Japan and a slew of other nations have already placed large
orders with the companies involved in developing the most promising vaccines. But concerns are growing that countries with smaller wallets could be left at the back of the queue. The WHO has launched an international scheme known as Covax to help ensure equitable access to jabs, but it has struggled to raise the funds needed.
‘GREATEST CRISIS' The WHO on Sunday reported a third straight day
weren't powerless against the virus, stressing the importance of social distancing, hand washing, and meeting outdoors instead of inside. "Again and again we have seen that taking the right actions quickly means the outbreak can be managed." Speaking at the same summit, which is being held online this year, United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, in his video message called the
The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. (AFP) of record new infections across the world, calling on countries to take further action to curb the spread of the disease. The agency's figures showed that 465,319 cases were declared for Saturday alone, half of them in Europe. "This is a dangerous moment for many countries in the northern hemisphere as cases spike," Tedros said. But he added that people
pandemic "the greatest crisis of our times". " We n e e d g l o b a l solidarity every step of the way," he said, echoing the plea for developed countries to support those with fewer resources. “A vaccine must be global public good," Guterres said. “Vaccines, tests and therapies are more than life savers. They are economy savers and society savers."
M
embers of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) are mulling the issue of hiring of a new Town Clerk and several other administrative staffers. So far, Councillors have expressed a divided opinion on the matter which was raised during a statutory meeting held at City Hall yesterday. During the discussion, Councillors raised concerns over a motion to vote on the Local Government Commission (LGC) decision not to approve a list of potential staffers for the M&CC. According to its letter, which was read to the council by acting Town Clerk, Sherry Jerrick, the LGC had deliberated but did not approve the appointment of a number of persons for several key positions within the council. Among those listed but not approved, according to the correspondence, were Sherwin Benjamin for the post of Town Clerk; Samuel Parris as Assistant Town Clerk and four other persons who applied for key administrative roles within the Council. The LGC noted that given its non-approval, the Georgetown Council must continue to operate without the appointment of those staffers. However, the decision did not sit well with some of
Town Clerk (Ag) Sherry Jerrick the Councillors, including coalition representative, Heston Bostwick, who contended that the Council is duly elected and has a right to hire its staff without interference. The Councillor said that the issue of not hiring the key staffers would put the Council's operational capacity at a disadvantage. He complained that such a decision should not be left up to the LGC which has been dissolved. “A new Local Government Commission has to be appointed following agreement by both members of the Government and Opposition, but with the way things are going now between the two parties, we cannot be sure that is going to happen anytime soon. We can't just sit here and wait for
Not approved as Town Clerk: Sherwin Benjamin the Commission to appoint these persons,” Bostwick noted as he stood to move a motion to hire new staffers. The motion was met with strong opposing views from representatives on both sides of the political divide; the People Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and A Partnership for National Unity +Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition Councillors. Several Councillors objected to the manner in which the motion to address the matter was dealt with, noting that the motion cannot be tabled unless certain protocols are followed. Former Mayor Patricia Chase-Greene and PPP/C Councillors, Dimitri Ali and Dwayne Adams, were among those who objected. While Chase-Greene objected on the issue of protocol and pointed to the illegality if the motion is carried without following the council's guidelines on such matters, Ali warned that any decision by the Mayor and Councillors to move such a motion would be acting ultra vires. “You will be moving into a realm of dictatorship and I urge not to go down this dark path,” Ali said. Other Councillors shared the view that the Council cannot act in the capacity of hiring staff without the approval of the LGC which was given the lawful responsibility to vet and approve staff to be hired by the town councils and other local government agencies. Following much back and forth between Councillors at the table, the Mayor allowed the Council to vote on placing the matter on the agenda to be dealt with at a later date.
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Tuesday October 27, 2020
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Weekend warriors L
ionel Richie once sang a song about things being “easy like Sunday morning”. Well things are no longer easy like Sunday morning! The peace and tranquillity of our weekends are being thrown into disarray by reports that those seeking justice continue to inflict injustice upon others. Protestors throw up fiery barricades, blocking the only road link between East Berbice and West Berbice. However just a cause, it cannot be won by unjust means. The protestors want the killers of the Henry boys to be brought to justice but they seem determined also to inconvenience others in the pursuit of that cause. Old people have a way of reminding us that two wrongs do not make a right. Responding to a wrong – the death of the young boys – with another wrong – inhibiting persons from travelling – do not make a right. And the latter certainly cannot help in bringing the killers to justice. Minus the political instigators, those behind the protests in West Coast Berbice are shooting themselves in the foot. If they continue to be disruptive, they are creating the very environment which would lead to greater mistrust of the police and thus reduce further the chances of the crimes being solved. Disruptive protests will also alienate those law-
Dem
boys seh...
D
e more you live, de more you see. When you give people an inch, dem does tek a yard. Some people does vex when de government get strict with de people. But when de govenrment decide fuh flex, is den people does over do things. Tek this curfew. Most people did feel dat de government out of dem mind fuh relax de curfew from 6pm to 9pm. Nobody nah worry too much about extending from 6am to 4am. Most of we does he fast asleep at 4am in de morning. So nuff people
abiding persons who can be expected to lend support to the cry for justice. If however, people continue to be inconvenienced, it will make them less inclined to support the pleas for justice. The movement for justice for the Henry boys will lose support. It is hard to imagine just what effect these protests will have on bringing the perpetrators to justice. If the idea is to remind the police that the villagers remain militant, it suggests that there is a political agenda aimed at discrediting the very police who have to solve the crime. It is for this reason, one suspects, that the government decided to ask foreign sleuths to come and look at the case. From all reports, including from the President, the foreign investigators want the investigation to continue and have expressed confidence in the capability of the Police Force to conduct the investigation. The protestors have not produced any evidence of the police malingering or seeking to pervert the course of justice. So why protest? Is this part of a wider political conspiracy to discredit the police? The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) is reported to have arranged for some high-profile forensic anthropologists to come to Guyana to undertake the investigation. The GHRA has been in
hibernation for a long time. Not a squeak was heard out of it when all the confusion was taking place over the elections. But now it has suddenly been resurrected and it is said, it is behind the efforts to being in a team of specialists. When it comes to the GHRA, take such talk with more than a pinch of salt. The GHRA is the biggest blowblow in Guyana. The media should do its own investigation to verify whether indeed the GHRA has undertaken any discussions with the forensic anthropologists and whether those technical persons have given any commitment to come here. The protests are humbugging the work of the police. Instead of the police being able to concentrate all their efforts in gathering human intelligence about what happened to the boys, they have to be deploying squads to clear roads and escort vehicles through the protests areas. Justice does not always come quickly. None of these protestors, I am sure would want to see an innocent man condemned for a crime he did not commit. The protestors want results but in their efforts to force the hand of the police, they may be doing an innocent family a grave injustice. In the meantime, the protests are hurting the very villages in which they are taking place. The areas
De curfew causing men fuh drink rum pon road corner nah gan deh pon de road by den. And it was good fuh de sand truck men wha does gat fuh go and load dem sand early before de sun stand up. It also true dat given de p r o b l e m s w i t h transportation, some workers been finding it difficult fuh get home by 6pm. Dem boys bin seh dat de people should be given an extra hour to get home. De g o v e r n m e n t , h o w e v e r, decide fuh go to 9pm. Dat is a big mistake. People abusing de thing. Dem gat men sitting down at de corner in dem village drinking quarter pon de road
as soon as sun go down. One quarter does lead to half and den a large. And by 9pm, it does lead to plenty large. All dem young people using de extra three hours now fuh walk late pon road and go and visit friend. But de most disgusting thing of all is fuh see how dem supermarket does gat plenty people shopping after 6pm. Dem boys feel dat if de curfew gat fuh start at 9pm, de government should close all dem shop and supermarket at 6pm. Guyanese hard ears! Talk half and wait fuh de coronavirus cases to rise again.
where most of the protests take place have a number of roadside food stalls. Many persons would make a whistle-stop at these joints to savour the enticing foods which are sold. The food stalls used, particularly at No.5 Village, used to do brisk business.
Not anymore. People are not stopping to patronize these food stalls. They try to get through that gauntlet between No.5 and No. 3 villages as quickly as they could. The protests therefore have already started to hurt the residents of the villages which are involved in the
protests. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
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Tuesday October 27, 2020
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
Guyanese are unhappy because they know how modern the world is M
y daughter was away in London living on the campus of a prominent British university for 14 months and each day, she would speak to her mom and she would email me. You get a compelling sense of how young people feel about Guyana when they describe for you their
experience of living in a developed country. When she was leaving, my daughter completed all her student/visa application processes without any hassle. She got her student visa without encountering a problem. Our only burden was the negative experience at the commercial banks in Guyana. Our daughter
informed us that she opened up her account in London without any trouble. In her daily contact with us, our daughter would tell about bureaucratic procedures in London that is vastly different from her country of birth. She said the immigration officer took her documents, stamped it without a question and she
was out of the airport. Why he did that? Because the man knew that she was cleared to visit London because the questions he needed to ask were already answered during the application for a student visa. What is the point I am getting at? In living in the world, humans expect that the powers that control their lives make living easy. That is the point of living. People do not expect the men and women who have authority over society to hassle them or oppress them with regressive and repressive bureaucracy. Humans believe that when they come into this world and they have a right to be treated fairly and nicely because that is what life is about. The population of a country wants to see their leaders do good things for them and to stop whatever moral, legal and existential pressures, which they endure that are unnecessary. This expectation exists in every country but in Guyana, it is bitterly dashed because since the colonials left, our leaders who succeeded the White oppressor have not been different in their thinking than that very White oppressor. Did you see on the television news how the police were killing nonviolent oppressors? They were just shooting into the crowds massacring protestors. I remember the president of the country, David Granger, denouncing the edict that currently bans women from wearing tops and dresses that are sleeveless.
This was carried in a l a rg e h e a d l i n e i n t h e Chronicle. Months after, I saw brand new signs of that edicts being put up at several schools including of all places, a tertiary institution, Cyril Potters' College of
Frederick Kissoon Education. Nothing has changed in the courts and other public places since Granger spoke because Granger and the state he presided over did nothing to change that outdated custom. In Jamaica, that edict has been removed. Recently, there was a press release from the Bank of Guyana (BoG) directing commercial banks to relax the unreasonable demands they impose on customers, especially with regards to proof of address. That release came in late 2020. Do you know a former executive with the Alliance For Change, Leonard Craig, wrote a letter in the newspaper in 2013 describing the horror show he experienced at one commercial bank that refused three types of proof of address and they were from government institutions.
Where were the Minister of Finance and the Governor of the Bank of Guyana when Craig informed Guyana of this ancient nonsense that should never have existed in the 21st century? The answer is that they were right here in Guyana. But in Guyana, no one in authority wants to show they are different from the White oppressor who we hated when they ruled over us. There is a study about migration from Guyana that has just been released and is making the news. It was done by the prestigious American research institution, Centre for Strategic and International Studies. It paints a sad, gloomy, maudlin and tragic story of a lonely country going nowhere fast. It describes migration from Guyana as one of the highest in the world. I believe per capita, we have the highest in the world. I walk my dog all over Georgetown and as I look at the young people dining at Giftland Mall and shopping at Massy supermarket (I walk my dog at both places because I live nearby), my heart bleeds for them. I watch intensely at them while I listen to the voice of Andrea Bocelli soothing my soul and I wonder 'when they will leave?' There are times I want to go up to them and ask 'what is it in Guyana they would like to see change?' I know the answer. They want a modern Guyana where leadership removes the ancient things that depress them. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
Man arrested for wounding student
A
15-year-old was rushed to the N e w Amsterdam Hospital after he was stabbed by a man during an argument at Pope Street, New Amsterdam, Berbice. Presently hospitalized in a serious condition is Riyaad Hussain, a student of Canje Secondary School and of Lot 21-27 St Magdalen Street, New Amsterdam, Berbice. The suspect known only a s S h e m r o y, 4 1 , o f Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, Berbice, has
been arrested and is currently in police custody at the Central Police Station. Reports are that the incident occurred on Sunday at about 18:00 hours, at Pope Street New Amsterdam Berbice. According to police, the victim and a friend were standing at Pope Street, New Amsterdam, Berbice, when the suspect who was passing taunted him about his mother being a nurse and that she has COVID-19. As a result of the taunts, the teen became
annoyed and an argument ensued. When the argument turned physical, the suspect reportedly whipped out an icepick which he used to stab the victim to his left side chest. Hussain was shortly after rushed to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital where he was seen, examined and admitted by a doctor on duty. However, the suspect managed to escape after stabbing the teen but was hours later apprehended by police and taken into custody. Investigations are in progress.
Tuesday October 27, 2020
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Tuesday October 27, 2020
Guyana records two Canter driver released new COVID-19 cases on $600,000 bail Death of garbage collector‌
Y
esterday, almost three months after the horrific accident that claimed the life of 45-year-old garbage collector, Zameer Isfehani, the driver of the canter that was involved in the accident was released on $600,000 bail. The defendant, Sean Walters, made his first appearance in the Sparendaam Magistrate's Court before Magistrate Rushelle Liverpool. Walters was not required to plead to the indictable charge of causing death by dangerous driving. H o w e v e r , t h e Administration of Justice Act (AJA) was applied thereby allowing the defendant to answer to the charge.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleged that on August 4, 2020, at Montrose Public Road, East Coast Demerara, he drove in a manner dangerous to the public thereby causing the death of Isfehani of Leonora, West Coast Demerara. Magistrate Liverpool then granted Walters bail and the matter was adjourned to November 17, 2020. It was reported that on the day in question, at around 05: 30hrs, Isfehani was standing behind the truck with a colleague close by. In video footage of the accident, Isfehani was seen placing an object into the back of the truck while engaged in a conversation with his colleague. Within seconds, the speeding canter slammed into the back of the
Dead: Zameer Isfehani truck crushing Isfehani in the process. Isfehani reportedly died instantly. Both of his legs were crushed and completely severed from his body.
Y
e s t e r d a y, t h e Ministry of H e a l t h announced two new COVID19 cases via its daily dashboard update. This is the lowest number of cases Guyana has recorded after weeks of announcing high numbers daily. The new cases have brought the total number of confirmed cases to 4,026. Also, the dashboard issued by the Ministry yesterday shows that 15 persons are in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit at the
Georgetown Public Hospital; 108 are in institutional isolation, 775 are in approved home isolation and 30 are in institutional quarantine. Guyana has recorded a total of 3,009 recoveries to date. A total of 18,489 persons have thus far tested for the virus. The COVID-19 death toll remains at 119 as no new deaths were recorded by the Ministry. Further, the dashboard states that of all the confirmed cases 2,122 are males and 1,904 are females.
Motorcyclist killed in Campbellville accident
A
motorcyclist was yesterday morning killed in an accident. The accident, which involved a motorcycle and a motorcar, occurred at the intersection of Sheriff and Dadanawa Streets, Campbellville, Georgetown. The victim has been identified as, Deon Martin Monize, 68, of East La Penitence, Georgetown. According to a police report, at around 05:15hrs, a 43-year-old man of Mocha, East Bank Demerara was proceeding north along the western lane on Sheriff Street, while the deceased was proceeding south along the eastern lane on the Sheriff Street on motorcycle CF 9989. It is reported that as both vehicles approached Dadanawa Street, the driver
of the motorcar turned east and collided with the motorcycle. As a result of the collision, the deceased was flung into the eastern gutter on Sheriff Street. A c c o r d i n g t o information received, the driver of the motorcar and public-spirited citizens picked up the injured motorcyclist and rushed him to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, where he was seen by a doctor who pronounced him dead. Monize's body was then taken to the Memorial Gardens Mortuary awaiting a post mortem. The matter was reported and the driver of the motorcar is presently in custody assisting with the investigation.
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Tuesday October 27, 2020
PAGE 13
40 companies express interest for construction of new Demerara Harbour Bridge - Minister Edghill A
ccording to the Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill, roughly 40 companies have submitted their Expression of Interests (EOIs) for their prequalifications to the government, as they look to secure the contract for the design and construction of the new, state-of-the-art Demerara Harbour Bridge. The construction of the new bridge, a hallmark project in the People's Progressive Party/ Civic's (PPP/C) manifesto, is set to land in Nandy Park on the East Bank of Demerara from La Grange on the West Bank. This four-lane, highspan fixed bridge, which is commonly referred to as a “flyover bridge”, is set to be built with the lifespan of 50 years, and will not require opening or retraction to allow for maritime traffic. In September, President Irfaan Ali; Minister Edghill, along with a team of engineers; inspected 4,000 feet of lands in the v i c i n i t y o f Wi n d s o r Estates, where the bridge is set to land. According to the President, due to the location of the channel in the Demerara River, which is closer to the Eastern side with a five percent degree
President Ali engaging with Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill and junior Public Works Minister, Deodat Indar during their visit to proposed bridge sites grade, an additional 4,000 feet is necessary to get a proper gradient exiting out of the bridge. It was during his appearance on NCN's Insight, where the Public Works Minister indicated that all of the applicants are international companies who hail from the United States of America (USA), France, Holland, China, as well as two of Guyana's neighbours, Trinidad and Tobago and Brazil.
Haitians' Association aims to contribute to Guyana's development
T
o celebrate its first a n n i v e r s a r y, September 29, 2020, the Association of Haitian Nationals (AHNIG) opted to support the children at the Joshua House. During a virtual celebration on Sunday October 4, 2020, the Association took stock of its achievements and reaffirmed its commitment to help the Haitian community reach its full potential and contribute significantly to the development of Guyana. Since its launching, AHNIG has offered the Haitian Nationals a forum where they share their
concerns, seek support, and explore training or career opportunities. In a statement, the AHNIG said that it “wishes to publicly thank all partners, including the Salvation Army, the International Migration Organization (IOM), the Catholic Church, Food for the Poor, and others, for their significant contribution to AHNIG's success over the past year, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. AHNIG looks forward to strengthening and widening its partnership, as it continues to strive for progress in Guyana.”
The Minister went on to further indicate that these companies have since registered, paid for the bidding documents, with many having already signed their nondisclosure agreements (NDAs), which gives them access to data to prepare their proposals. “People around the world, because of our approach to development,” the Minister said, “have shown interest”, as he noted
that the government looks to close the bids in early December. “We anticipate that when we close those bids and there is an evaluation, we have a contractor engaged,” Edghill said, as he shared his anticipation for the bridge to be completed by 2024. The Minister reminded of the importance of the new bridge by pointing out that it is an important link connecting new road networks.
This, Edghill said, will pave the way for new housing, agriculture and manufacturing possibilities. “By connecting to the new Demerara Bridge crossing, we are looking at a new alignment which is to build a new four lane road from Schoonard all the way out to Parika. So, the west coast corridor will have another four lanes of road,” he articulated. Edghill continued, “With
the lane from Schoonard, this would be opening up a whole lot of lands for housing development. Remember we have promised 50,000 house lots in five years and we intend to ensure that 25,000 houses are built.” The government is yet to project on costs for the new bridge. However, President Ali had said during his visit to the site that this will be ascertained after the bids close in December.
Vulnerable groups to benefit from online scholarships next year
A
s moves are m a d e t o implement measures to improve education in Guyana, vulnerable groups are expected to have first preference for the 5,000 online scholarships Government hopes to roll out next year. This was confirmed by Minister of Public Service, Sonia Parag, in a telephone interview with this publication yesterday. Kaieteur News was informed that those included in the vulnerable groups will be the children of bauxite miners, sugar workers and others who genuinely cannot
Minister of Public Service, Sonia Parag
finance a university education for their children. A source at the Ministry of Public Service told this newspaper that as the initiative moves forward, different groups around the country will be scrutinized by Government to see if they are considered as “vulnerable”. It was stated that the initiative will see collaboration with the Ministry of Education, and the country's Education Minister, Priya Manickchand, will be speaking extensively on the programme in days to come. The source also stated that the initiative is just in its
initial phase, with lots of p l a n n i n g a n d implementation yet to be done. So far, Government has been engaging in discussions with a wide array of universities around the world in hopes of getting the scholarships, according to the source. Concerning the 5,000 scholarships to be offered next year, that number falls under 20,000 scholarships the government is seeking to distribute within the next five years. This was announced by President Irfaan Ali at the opening ceremony, over the (continued on page 16)
Tuesday October 27, 2020
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Tuesday October 27, 2020
Murder at La Grange…
Autopsy reveals businesswoman was strangled By Shervin Belgrave
A
n autopsy has revealed that the e l d e r l y businesswoman who was found dead on Sunday at her La Grange, West Bank Demerara (WBD) home, was strangled. Bibi Ramjit, 86, was found at around 17:00hrs lying on her bed with her feet and hands tied. According to a police report, the woman lived in a two-storey wooden and concrete house which houses a grocery shop in the lower flat of the building and was last seen alive mere hours before her body was found. A farmer had reportedly visited her grocery shop at around 15:00hrs that afternoon and had purchased some eddoes. He told investigators that Ramjit did not have change for his $5000 so he collected the eddoes and promised to return with the cash later that afternoon. Investigators believe that sometime after the farmer left, Ramjit's killer or killers
had entered her premises to commit robbery. Two hours later, the farmer reportedly returned to Ramjit's grocery shop to pay for the eddoes but she was nowhere to be seen. The man claimed that he called out her name as well but got no answer. Noting that both the shop and a door to her living quarters located on the upper flat was open, the farmer decided to enter. He reportedly climbed the stairs and saw Ramjit's body lying on her bed. Crime scene experts who arrived later observed that her home was ransacked and believed that she was slain during the course of the robbery. Speaking with Kaieteur News yesterday, one of Ramjit's daughters recalled that she had the last telephone conversation with her mother at around 09:30hrs on the day, which she was brutally murdered. She recalled that her mom had told her that she was burning some leaves in her backyard and that she was doing okay.
Ramjit's daughter said that her mother had been living alone for nearly two years after her caregiver walked out on her back in January 2018. All of her children and almost all of relatives, she said, reside overseas but because of Ramjit's love for Guyana and her business, which she operated for 33 years, she chose to stay behind. “She would visit us in the United States and Canada regularly but she never wanted to stay, she always wanted to return to her home,” said the daughter. Her decision had prompted her children to hire a female caregiver to stay with her. Ramjit, Kaieteur News was told, had adopted the woman as one of her own children. Nevertheless, as time passed, the relationship between Ramjit and the caregiver turned sour. According family members, it was during Ramjit's frequent trips to be with her children overseas that the caregiver began
stealing from her and hosted wild parties at her (Ramjit's) house. After one of those trips, Ramjit had confronted the woman about her behaviour but she became annoyed and left. Since then her children advised her to close up her shop and travel to the US to stay with them. H o w e v e r, s h e w a s hesitant about doing that. “She always wanted to be independent and work for her own things; she just like being active,” the daughter related. She continued, “Mommy would often say that her business allowed her to interact and build a relationship with people, something she loved doing.” Worried for her safety, family members would travel every two months to visit her but then the COVID-19 pandemic struck which resulted in the airports being closed. It was during this time as
Murdered: Bibi Ramjit well that Ramjit had decided to close up shop since persons began robbing her, the daughter added. On that occasion, she was reportedly distracted, while in her shop, by a female customer whose accomplice went into
Ramjit's living quarters and stole cash. Ramjit was scheduled to return to the US in June but was prohibited from doing so because of the imposed COVID-19 travel restrictions.
Vulnerable groups to benefit from... From page 13 weekend, for the Dr. Yesu Persaud Clinical Education Centre at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. “We are going to grant 20,000 scholarships across our country, in every single field from next year…the first 5,000 will be made available next year, and we are already in discussion with more than 10
universities across the world,” the President stated. The President also shared that in light of the COVID19 pandemic; many universities have improved and accelerated their development plan to provide students with distance education. He also stated that plans that were made for 10 years ahead have come up presently.
It was disclosed that the scholarships will have certain requirements, however, the Ministry of Public Service and MOE will be working collectively to finalize that, the application opening dates and other areas. The government will also be examining policies for the scholarships and a selection committee will be formed.
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Tuesday October 27, 2020
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National Commission for the Elderly active again G
uyana's National Commission for the Elderly (NCE) which falls under the Ministry of Human Services and Social Protection is active again. This was announced in a statement issued by the Ministry. The Commission serves to coordinate the planning and development of various programmes and services for elderly persons in Guyana, as well as recommend p r i o r i t i e s f o r implementation in regards to manpower, financial and other resources available. A new board and Chairman have been appointed and plans are already underway to tackle issues affecting senior citizens in the country. Members of the Commission are Claudette Foo; Yvonne Yearwood; Fayne Ramsarran Boodhoo; Wendell Roberts; Seeranie Persaud; Zaheeda Hack; Patrick Findlay; Yvonne Pearson; Dr. Pedro Pons, Representative of the Ministry of Health, and Ricardo Banwarie of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, the ExOfficio Member/Secretary.
they are confronted with daily and it was also stated that the Commission will identify the opportunities that may exist in those areas. The inventory will be done by engaging with all stakeholders through consultations and surveys and the resulting feedback will provide a basis for further policy formulation, action plans and recommendations that will be given to the Minister of
Newly appointed NCE Chairman, Clyde De Haas Its Chairman is Clyde De Haas who also serves as the Managing Director of Unicomer Guyana. The Chairman told this publication that the Commission has already outlined a plan for the first 100 days which includes conducting an inventory of t h e u rg e n t n e e d s a n d challenges of the elderly and institutions dealing with the elderly. These challenges may be situations, which
Dr. Gobind Ganga is new Gold Board chair Minister Vickram Bharrat during his charge to the new board yesterday
N
atural Resources Minister, V i c k r a m Bharrat, yesterday delivered the charge to the inaugural meeting of the new Board of Directors of the Guyana Gold Board. Chairing the new board will be Governor of Bank of Guyana, Dr. Gobind Ganga. According to the ministry yesterday, Minister Bharrat outlined the government's vision to include technological advances, enhanced services, sector coordination and collaboration, and capacity building to better serve miners and mineral traders. The Natural Resources Minister also emphasized the government's commitment
in keeping with international best practices and compliance of the AntiMoney Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act, and other regulations governing sustainable mineral production and trade. In addition to Dr. Ganga, appointed also as Directors of the Guyana Gold Board were General Manager, Eondrene Thompson; Newell Dennison, Head of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission; Sharon Roopchand-Edwards, Andron Alphonso, Visal Satram, Fazal Khan, and Stephen Belle. The Gold Board is the regulator of gold trading in Guyana.
Human Services and Social Protection, Dr. Vindhya Persaud. The Chairman said that some of the issues that the elderly are currently facing include nutritional deficiencies and malnutrition, isolation, physical conditions in care institutions, and “disproportionate” COVID19 mortality rates. According to the Chairman, these areas will be examined.
Minister Persaud has already met with the board via a virtual meeting last T h u r s d a y, w h e r e s h e congratulated De Haas and the other members of the Board. The Minister also stressed that they should be “passionate advocates for the elderly, and ensure their rights are protected.” The Chairman disclosed that the Commission of the Elderly saw its genesis in the year 1996, with its
predecessor body known as the Senior Citizen's Policy Committee. It was later established as the National Commission of the Elderly in June 2012 under the PPP administration. Kaieteur News understands that for a while, the Commission had not been active, but with the new board in place, it will be working assiduously to tackle issues that occurred during that hiatus.
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Police to do additional work in murder investigations - RSS report recommends
Worksheets for students Isaiah Henry Joel Henry
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The Ministry of Education delivered a quantity of worksheets for students in the hinterland over the weekend. As was reported, the hinterlands students, in the absence of internet and due to the pandemic, have to make do with worksheets as part of a hybrid system of public schooling. (Ministry of Education photos)
resident Irfaan Ali has said that the report by the CARICOM Regional Security System (RSS), investigating the murders of cousins Joel and Isaiah Henry and Haresh Singh m a d e s o m e recommendations for additional work to be done by the police. The President made this statement to journalists following the swearing-in ceremony of regional leaders yesterday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre. “As part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the RSS report should be submitted to the Guyana Police Force. They were satisfied with the work that the local police have been doing,� President Ali said. The Henry cousins were found brutally murdered in Cotton Tree Village, West Coast Berbice on September 6. A few days later, Singh's body was found at a Number Two Village backdam. The killings received widespread condemnation in
Haresh Singh and out of Guyana. Following the slayings, the President requested assistance from the CARICOM IMPACS, under the Regional Investigative Management Systems (RIMS) to help solve the murders. The RSS team visited Guyana between September 28 and October 5, last. As part of its investigation, the team visited the crime scene, interviewed the relatives of the victims and examined evidence.
Fired anti-narcotics officer... From page 3 principal of OpSec International Guyana Inc., a private security company that works for mining companies like Rusal/Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc. GRA is reportedly claiming over $30M in taxes that OpSec owes. The security firm was reportedly in operations while Carr was still working at NANA. NANA was established
on the authority of a Cabinet decision based on a Memorandum submitted by the then Minister of Public S e c u r i t y, K h e m r a j Ramjattan, under the coalition government which lost the elections earlier this year. It was touted as the national lead agency to counter the drug problem in Guyana. The agency formally commenced operations on 2nd October
2018 at its location at lot 125 Parade and Barrack Streets Kingston, Georgetown. It was given lead over the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit and the Police's Narcotic Branch. Carr, at NANA, would been serving under former Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Major General (rtd), Michael Atherley. NANA was ordered disbanded recently by the Government.
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Tuesday October 27, 2020
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NPTAB opens over 700 bids (Part 3) F
ollowing the passage of the emergency $330B budget, the government is now in a rush to expend the remainder of funds on projects before the end of this fiscal year. With this, the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board
(NPTAB), on Tuesday last, opened ——over 725 bids for 65 major governmental projects at their Ministry of Finance (MoF) office on Main and Urquhart Streets, Georgetown. Below are the companies and their bids.
Ministry of Agriculture Rehabilitation of South Ruimveldt sluice Georgetown, Region Four Bidder Khan’s Construction & Transportation Services Colin Talbots Contracting Services General Engineering Supplies & Services Ivor Allen Doodnauth’s Construction & Supplies D. Sawh Mechanical Workshop R. Maraj General Contracting K&P Project Management Engineer’s estimate:
Amount GY($) 28,948,625 27,868,610 28,389,300 31,041,530 29,194,230 26,618,650 26,145,200 27,655,440 27,756,100
Construction of conservancy dams and rehabilitation of drainage and irrigation channels in West Watooka, Linden Bidder Ganesh Ramrattan Construction Fyfee Building & Contracting Work
Amount GY($) 48,063,147 48,885,210
R. Maraj General Contracting MK Hoosain Contracting KP Thomas & Sons Contracting S. Jagmohan Hardware Supplies & Construction Services Kascon Engineering Service Eron Lall Civil Engineering Works M&B Construction Associated Construction Service Roop & Ramotar Investment Modern Construction & Trucking Services S. Maraj Contracting Service
41,655,350 52,307,640 50,285,675 48,949,703 41,328,584 49,010,654 46,251,084 48,870,591 40,760,173 47,779,710 44,470,140
Ivor Allen STP Investments Fyuse Hoosain Construction GSK Excavation Services Engineer’s estimate:
47,301,210 53,995,612 126,040,420 45,448,837 50,600,000
Rehabilitation of main canal All Weather Road heading five kilometers east, West Coast Berbice, Region Five Bidder M&P Investment H. Nauth & Sons Civil Engineering Colin Talbot Contracting Services KP Thomas & Sons Contracting B&J Civil Works Romel Jagroop General Construction Services Shevas Bacchus General Contractor M&B Construction KP Jagdeo General Contractor Ivor Allen S. Jagmohan Hardware Supplies & Contracting Services Modern Construction & Trucking Services Associated Construction Service Yogeshwar Bhola Construction Service Engineer’s estimate:
Amount GY($) 345,113,250 322,533,800 389,226,060 342,115,750 567,536,864 332,196,800 317,692,200 347,630,800 348,347,600 343,959,000 328,951,500 343,788,800 488,166,000 308,503,000 353,652,600
Ministry of Public Works - Construction of sea and river structures within Regions Two to Six in nine lots Bidder Amount GY($) Khan’s Enterprise Lot 3-208,294,680; Lot 4-92,298,856 Colin Talbot Contracting Services Lot 5- 264,642,270; Lot 6272,433,100; Lot 7- 43,162,160; Lot 8-249,428,450; Lot 9- 256,428,450 Shafeeullah Sawmill Lot 8- 147,642,530; Lot 9150,242,350 A. Nazir & Son Contracting & General Lot 1- 68,807,400; Lot 2- 93,848,600; Supplies Lot 3- 151,084,700; Lot 4- 70,839,980 Ivor Allen Lot 1- 85,530,000; Lot 2126,340,500; Lot 3- 196,857,500; Lot 4- 92,571,820; Lot 5- 244,938,400; Lot 6- 249,502,700; Lot 7- 34,713,200 Puran Brothers Disposal Incorporated Lot 5- 226,234,200; Lot 6233,317,100 A&S General Contractors Lot 5- 247,790,600 Mohamed Fawaaz Bacchus Lot 1- 74,624,900 Construction & Transportation Services Ken & Son Transportation Services Lot 2- 113,717,052 Associated Construction Services Lot 8- 261,045,000; Lot 9; 262,582,000 Samaroo Investment Lot 1- 96,296,300 M&B Construction Lot 5- 251,247,100; Lot 6262,860,150; Lot 7- 31,909,680; Lot 8- 227,590,000; Lot 9- 234,636,000 R. Maraj General Contracting Lot 1- 80,234,500; Lot 2108,361,000; Lot 3- 153,373,500; Lot Toolsie Persaud Incorporated Lot 1- 90,424,700; Lot 2138,369,900; Lot 3- 232,602,200; Lot 4- 107,391,600; Lot 4- 107,391,600; Lot 5- 246,486,000; Lot 6257,931,000; Lot 7- 42,311,600; Lot 8- 250,269,000; Lot 9- 256,081,000 S. Maraj Contracting Services Lot 1- 75,578,200; Lot 2100,370,800; Lot 3- 140,114,100; Lot 4- 72,310,600; Lot 5- 199,592,900; Lot 6- 217,249,500 Deodat Singh Construction Firm Lot 1- 65,608,300; Lot 2- 98,838,500; Lot 5- 196,474,400; Lot 6200,596,200 B. Contracting Machinery Rental Lot 1- 87,755,000; Lot 2115,418,200; Lot 3- 77,767,300; Lot 4- 88,167,200 Kascon Engineering Service Lot 8- 229,529,500; Lot 9230,089,500 Dennis Tahal Engineering Lot 8- 193,640,500; Lot 9198,043,000 Lot 1- 78,268,900; Lot 2Engineer’s estimate: 117,976,600; Lot 3- 179,877,500; Lot 4- 87,049,800; Lot 5- 230,694,100; Lot 6- 238,556,300; Lot 7-32,106,100; Lot 8- 220,735,500; Lot 9227,733,000 Maintenance of bridges - Lot one: Rehabilitation of Annandale 40 Acrow Panel Railway Embankment on the East Coast of Demerara, Region Four; Lot two: Rehabilitation of Vryheid's Lust 40 Acrow Panel bridge. Bidder KP Thomas & Sons Contracting H. Nauth & Sons Civil Engineering M&P Investment Industrial Fabrication Incorporated C&L Construction Engineer’s estimate:
Amount GY($) Lot 1 Lot 2 19,656,990 19,565,990 13,511,720 13,511,720 15,456,790 15,456,790 19,007,400 19,007,400 17,623,980 19,623,980 17,908,100 17,908,100 (continued on page 20)
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Miner found $34M per month for Giftland to murdered at supply electricity to national grid 'drinking spot' A I
t will cost the People's Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) administration an estimated $34 million each month to purchase power from the Giftland Mall in order to compensate for the shortfall of electricity badly needed. Giftland's owner, Roy Beepat, explained that the huge part of the sum will be expended monthly on fuel. Beepat said that the power itself would cost around $9.9 million per month while fuel cost is estimated to be $29.5 million. “What you have to be looking at, that $9.9 million is for servicing, we have to provide equipment, we have to keep for depreciation, and so on,” he said. Guyana's blackout woes is expected to ease as Giftland Mall is set to supply the DemeraraBerbice Interconnected System (DBIS) with almost five megawatts of power needed to boost the current supply of electricity to the national grid. Once this is in place, it
Giftland boss, Roy Beepat will aid in the shortage of power outages on the East Coast Demerara corridor. The power supply is expected to be spilt with 1.5 megawatts being supplied during the daytime hours and 3.5 megawatts in the peak evening hours. Giftland's power system has a 6.7 megawatt output capacity but merely utilizes
1.6 megawatts during peak operation periods. Back in January, after almost two years of back and forth, Beepat and the previous A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition government had signed the agreement that would have seen the country benefitting from the additional 4.5 megawatts of power to augment the 120 megawatts that GPL is currently supplying to the power grid. However, the protracted March 2020 Elections had put a halt on that deal. However, the country was hit with a recent spate of blackouts, forcing the new administration to scramble for an additional 30 megawatts of power. Since then, the request for Expressions of Interest (EOI) have been published in the local newspapers to identify appropriate suppliers that can potentially f u l f i l l t h e minimum requirements for supplying the firm power generation needed.
Minimum requirements set by GPL for interested businesses to supplement its grid were for bidders to demonstrate the ability to deliver a complete project within two months of an agreement and demonstrate access to competent personnel with operation and maintenance experience at a minimum of one facility of similar size. Additionally, bidders were asked to prove legal status via certified copies of company r e g i s t r a t i o n certificates/documents, copies of audited financial reports for the last three years (balance sheets, income and expenditure statements, auditors' reports, etc.) According to the project scope, GPL shall only be responsible for grid connection at the point of interconnection with the existing network infrastructure. So far, at least 30 businesses with the capacity to supplement GPL's grid have submitted their respective EOIs to the power utility company.
miner was on S u n d a y murdered in front of a shop at Quartz Stone Landing, Cuyuni River, Region Seven hours after enjoying his salary. Allensford Consford Sargon, 33, was slain at around 04:30hrs. A c c o r d i n g t o information received by police, Sargon's boss, a dredge owner of West Coast Berbice (WCB), had “washed down” and had paid his workers at around 21:00hrs. Upon receiving his pay, Sargon reportedly left camp and headed to the Quartz Stone Landing. There Sargon was seen at a liquor shop imbibing with friends. It is unclear as to what led to him being murdered hours later in front of the said shop.
Nevertheless, the shop owner said that he was awoken by an individual who told him that the miner was killed in front of his premises. The shop owner ventured out to investigate and saw Sargon lying motionless on t h e g r o u n d . Wi t h o u t hesitation, he contacted police who arrived sometime later. Crime scene experts reported that there was an incise wound seen on Sargon's body, one to the head and another to the throat. It is believed that his killer might have stabbed him to the head before slitting his throat. Based on reliably information obtained by this publication, investigators are following leads in an effort to apprehend a prime suspect.
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Tuesday October 27, 2020
Kaieteur News
Yahoo News/YouGov poll: With one week left, Biden’s lead over Trump grows to 12 points - his biggest yet VACANCY
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Yahoo News - Heading into the final week of the 2020 presidential campaign, former Vice President Joe Biden now holds his largest-ever lead over President Trump, according to a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll — a 12point margin that’s four times the size of Hillary Clinton’s national advantage over Trump at this point in 2016. The survey, which was conducted from Oct. 23-25, found that 54 percent of likely voters have either already voted for Biden or plan to vote for him by Election Day. Just 42 percent of likely voters say they are casting their ballots for Trump. In comparison, a YouGov poll conducted one week before the 2016 election showed Clinton leading Trump by 3 percentage points among likely voters, 48 percent to 45 percent; the average of all national surveys gave Clinton a lead of 2 percentage points. As the polls predicted, Clinton wound up winning the national popular vote by 2.1 points, 48.2 percent to 46.1 percent — even as a combined 77,000 votes in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania put Trump over
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Joe Biden and Donald Trump. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: AP, Alex Brandon/AP) the top in the Electoral College. None of these numbers guarantee a Biden victory, let alone a 12-point landslide. No candidate since Ronald Reagan in 1984 has won the presidency by a doubledigit margin, and no incumbent since Herbert Hoover in 1932 has lost by more than 10. Yet the new Yahoo News/ YouGov poll underscores how much more challenging it will be than it was in 2016 for Trump to pull off another upset on Election Day. According to the survey, Biden is stronger than Clinton
with every key demographic group: Just 3 percent of 2016 Clinton voters say they are now voting for Trump. More than twice as many 2016 Trump voters (7 percent) say they are voting for Biden. The Democrat leads by 9 points (45 percent to 36 percent) among independents — a bloc that Trump won by 4 points (46 percent to 42 percent) in 2016. Four years ago, Trump trounced Clinton by 20 points (57 percent to 37 percent) among white voters. Today, Biden trails by just 3 points (47 percent to 44 percent). There has been a similar
swing among suburban voters, who backed Trump by 4 percentage points in 2016 (49 percent to 45 percent) but now favour Biden by 14 (52 percent to 38 percent). Meanwhile, the former vice president is ahead by a nearly 2-to-1 margin among those who voted third party in 2016 or didn’t vote at all — an advantage that adds 4 percentage points to his overall lead. As a result, the same forecaster who gave Trump a 28.8 percent chance of winning one week before the 2016 election now gives him a 12 percent chance of winning.
Belarus opposition leader says supporters launching strike AFP - Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said yesterday supporters were beginning a nationwide strike after her deadline expired for strongman Alexander Lukashenko to step down. Streets in the capital Minsk were largely deserted yesterday morning, though all major stores and pharmacies were open, an AFP reporter said. Tikhanovskaya had given Lukashenko until Sunday to quit power, halt violence against protesters and release political prisoners, warning he would otherwise face a general strike from yesterday. The 66-year-old Lukashenko, who the opposition accuses of stealing August polls, ignored the ultimatum and police cracked down on the
latest of a series of opposition protests on Sunday. “Today the People’s Strike is beginning,” Tikhanovskaya said on her Telegram channel. “Employees of state factories and enterprises, transport workers and miners, teachers and students have gone on strike since this morning.” Tikhanovskaya called on members of private businesses, clergy and athletes to join in. The 38-year-old opposition figure, who claims to have won the August 9 election and is now based in EU member Lithuania, did not provide any figures on the number of people participating. Independent reporting inside Belarus has been curtailed and it was not possible to immediately estimate the scale of the
industrial action. Alexander Yaroshuk, the head of the Belarusian Confederation of Democratic Trade Unions, said he was aware that some unions and individual workers were ready to strike. “But it’s hard to predict just how far people will go given the authorities’ massive pressure,” Yaroshuk told AFP. The ex-Soviet nation has been gripped by historic protests after Lukashenko claimed victory in the election over Tikhanovskaya, a political neophyte who ran after her blogger husband was jailed and prevented from joining the race. The protest movement has kept up a series of largescale demonstrations for the past two months, with tens of thousands taking to the streets every Sunday.
Tuesday October 27, 2020
Kaieteur News
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Appeal Court to hear case of man convicted for murder of Mahaica farmer
F
our years after he was sentenced to life in prison, convicted murderer, Dhupaul Singh, is set to have an appeal of his sentence and conviction heard. A t 1 0 : 0 0 a m t o d a y, Judges of the Appeal Court in Kingston, Georgetown, are set to hear a rehash of the series of events which led a mixed 12-member jury to unanimously find Singh, called 'Tailor Man' guilty of the September 2014 chopping to death of Mahaica farmer, Balkissoon. The incident which occurred at Helena Number Two, Mahaica, reportedly stemmed from an argument between the two men following insults which were hurled by Singh about the dead farmer's wife. Singh had nonetheless maintained that he was innocent of any crime even
to the end of his trial in the High Court citing issues of provocation and selfdefence; issues he claimed that trial Judge Jo Ann Barlow failed to put to the jury for the consideration of a verdict in his case. Instead, Justice Barlow imposed the life sentence on Singh, ordering that he was only to be considered eligible for parole after serving at least 25 years. As such, Singh listed in the grounds of his appeal issues of severity of sentence and provocation as grounds in which the trial judge had erred in the direction given to the jury. Through his lawyer, Mark Conway, the appellant contended that the judge erred by not putting the facts or evidence that may have borne a finding of manslaughter by reason of provocation to the jury. He noted that the jury
was not alerted by the judge of the facts or evidence that they may consider provocation as a deciding factor. Conway contended further that the judge's summation failed to reflect an adequate summary and analysis of the facts of his case. According to the lawyer, this should have been presented to the jury for its deliberation as to whether the appellant was provoked by the deceased; even as he advanced that this failure is a material omission which may have deprived the appellant of a verdict of guilty of manslaughter by reason of provocation. Reasoning on the issue of severity of sentence, the lawyer argued on behalf of his client that the sentence imposed does not reflect guidelines or principles laid down in case law.
Convicted: Dhupaul Singh He noted that the judge should have stated that full credit be given for any time
Dead: Mahaica farmer, Balkissoon
spent on remand. As a result, Conway argued that a sentence was
rendered which was unjustified and manifestly excessive.
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Paul Pogba: Man Utd star to take legal action over reports he was quitting France national team Pogba featured for France in the Nations League earlier this month. (Getty Images)
Tuesday October 27, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Information that comes your way today could launch you into a search for truth, Aries. Perhaps this is a new business-related idea that you want to explore. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Although you're usually very responsible and you try to keep the proper balance between your home and professional lives, today your mind and heart are more focused on your home, Taurus. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Having a sense of community unites the people around you in aiming for a common goal, and this could be a new interest for you, Gemini. CANCER(June21–July22) You may have been expecting some money over the past several days, and today it could finally arrive. Delays in reaching your goals are finished for the moment. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You're feeling especially sharp, Leo. Your thoughts are more focused than usual and your mind especially penetrating. A promised get-together with friends or loved ones may have to be delayed, but it will take place. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Practical thoughts may be the result of unconscious impulses brought to the surface by events at home. Old traumas and phobias could be released, although you should take care to not dwell on them too much.
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LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Gatherings in your neighborhood could bring new and interesting information your way, Libra. A message from an acquaintance could send you down a new path toward a new goal. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Success in a project you've been working on could mean you want to go out and celebrate. You might feel guilty about doing it, but go ahead, Scorpio. Order a glass of wine and dessert! SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) A subject that you've been studying for a long time might suddenly start making sense to you. Or you could finally reach a point where you can make it work for you in a practical way. CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Past impressions that you may not even know you have could enhance your ability to deal with practical matters today, Capricorn. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Small social events and group activities are on the agenda today if at all possible. You may be introduced to someone who could prove helpful to your career. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Glowing health and an enthusiastic attitude make almost anything a pleasure today. Relations with friends and family are warm, congenial, and cooperative. Your day should go as smoothly as you could expect.
BBCsport - Manchester United and France midfielder Paul Pogba says he will take legal action after “total fake” reports said he was to quit international football. Pogba, 27, was reported to be quitting the France national team over comments made by the country’s president, Emmanuel Macron, about Islam. World Cup winner Pogba, who is Muslim, has 10 goals and 72 caps for France. “Absolutely 100% unfounded news about me are going around, stating things I have never said or thought,” he said. Writing on Instagram, he said he was “appalled, angry, shocked and frustrated” at some media “using him to make total fake headlines” and “adding the French national team and my religion to the pot”. He added: “I am against any and all forms of terror and violence. Unfortunately, some press people don’t act responsibly when writing the news, abusing their press freedom, not verifying if what they write/reproduce is true, creating a gossip chain without caring it affects people’s lives and my life. “I am taking legal action against the publishers and spreaders of these 100% Fake News.”
...Cricket South Africa’s entire From page 30 revoked the accreditation of five senior journalists for reporting on developments, that didn’t reflect well on Cricket South Africa,” Arendse said. “When an organisation loses the trust and confidence of the cricketing public and two big sponsors, who quit because of their unhappiness with the state of affairs, it was always going to be difficult for the board members to continue,” Arendse added. The pressure gained momentum over the past month following the CSA board’s persistent refusal to release the summary of a forensic audit report that was commissioned after Moroe’s suspension last year. When the report, which was handed to the board on 31 July, was eventually released on 9 October to the South African parliament’s sports portfolio committee, Moroe was accused of alleged corrupt practices and failure to comply with company policy. The clearing of the decks paves the way for the appointment of an interim steering committee in compliance with a directive from the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee
(Sascoc).Until the steering committee is finalised Rihan Richards, who was named president of the Members’ Council on Sunday, will head a four-person interim board. The mass resignations come after the board stubbornly refused to resign amid growing pressure from Minister Mthethwa and Sascoc to do so. Mthethwa gave CSA until Tuesday to provide him with reasons not to intervene. The Sports Minister also wrote to the International Cricket Council to inform them of his intention to intervene in an attempt to bring order to the organisation. As things stand former captain Graeme Smith will continue as director of cricket while Mark Boucher is still in his position as head coach of the senior men’s national team who are due to host England in three oneday internationals and three T20 matches in Cape Town starting in mid-November. Kugandrie Govender, who was appointed acting CEO in August following the resignation of Jacques Faul, continues in her position. Meanwhile Moroe, who was fired in August after being on an eightmonth fully-paid suspension, has taken his case to the Labour Court.
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World Athletics Awards goes virtual for 2020 WorldAthletics - This year ’s finest athletics achievements will be celebrated at the World Athletics Awards 2020, to be staged as a virtual event on Saturday 5 December and streamed live on the World Athletics YouTube channel. This year’s ceremony will recognise exceptional achievement in what has been an extraordinary and unprecedented year, both on and off the fields of play, and celebrate the athletes who met the challenges of 2020 head-on to produce some of the finest performances in the history of our sport. Once again, athletics fans from around the world will be invited to help select the male and female athletes of the year. Commenting on the Award, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said:
“In a disruptive year our athletes continued to train hard and our event organisers went above and beyond to deliver four full Diamond League events and four Diamond League exhibition meetings, seven Continental Tour Gold events, a World Half Marathon Championships and a number of innovative virtual events including the Ultimate Garden Clash. Whilst this was not the year any of us had planned for, I am proud of our athletes, our meeting organisers and the World Athletics team for their tenacity and determination. This is what we will celebrate at this year’s Annual Awards.” Eight awards, including those in three new categories, will be presented: Male and Female Athlete of the Year - These awards recognise the top-performing
athletes of the year. A threeway voting process – split between the World Athletics Council, the World Athletics Family, and the worldwide community of athletics fans – will determine the five men and five women finalists. The nominees for Male Athlete of the Year will be announced on Monday 2 November and the nominees for Female Athlete of the Year on Tuesday 3 November. President’s Award - This award recognises and honours exceptional service to athletics. Coaching Achievement Award - Given to a coach who has helped athletes thrive, particularly in this difficult year. Covid Inspiration Award This award will recognise an individual or group of individuals whose efforts, despite the challenges of
2020, have resulted in the delivery of a particularly inspiring athletics event or experience. Member Federations Award - Like the Covid Inspiration Award, this honour will recognise a member federation that has managed to deliver an uplifting athletics event, development event or experience in spite of this year’s challenges. Athletes Community Award - A special award from the athletes to a group of individuals who have helped and supported them and their communities throughout trying times. Athletics Photograph of the Year - Awarded to the best athletics photograph of 2020, as decided by an expert panel of judges. The voting process for the Athlete of the Year awards will open next week. Further information about the World Athletics Awards 2020 will be announced in the weeks leading up to the event.
Zverev destroys Schwartzman to complete Cologne double Sabalenka outguns Azarenka to win inaugural Ostrava Open Reuters - Top seed Alexander Zverev won his second ATP title in Cologne in the space of a week with a quickfire 6-2 6-1 demolition of Argentine Diego Schwartzman in the final of the bett1HULKS Championship on Sunday. The German world number seven had claimed his first ATP crown of the year by besting Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3 63 to win the bett1HULKS Indoor title at the same venue last Sunday. Zverev, this year’s U.S. Open runner-up, sent down nine aces and won an incredible 83% of his first serve points as he cruised through the clash with 28year-old second seed Schwartzman in 71 minutes without being broken. “Two days ago I wasn’t sure if I was going to finish the tournament. Now I’m here as the champion,” a beaming Zverev said while accepting the trophy. Schwartzman, the world number nine, had beaten Zverev in two of their three previous meetings but looked strangely out of his depth in the final, winning 60% of his first serves and
Alexander Zverev. Tennis365 just 23% of his second serves while making five double faults. Zverev broke the Argentine to go 3-2 up in the first set and never looked back, breaking his hapless
opponent four more times during the course of the match. “Sascha was much better today,” Schwartzman said. “He deserved to win last week here and today he was perfect on court.”
Reuters - Third seed Aryna Sabalenka stormed to a 6-2 6-2 victory over compatriot Victoria Azarenka to win the inaugural J&T Banka Ostrava Open and the first all-Belarusian WTA final on Sunday. Former world number one Azarenka, who has been in top form since tennis restarted following its pandemic-enforced hiatus, needed a medical timeout in the second set and ended up losing the match in 68 minutes. “I want to first of all congratulate Aryna and her team on a good week,” Azarenka said. “It was my pleasure to play against you in the final, unfortunately not in the best way. “Thank you everybody and please stay safe. I also want to just say hi to my baby boy Leo.” Sabalenka had to twice battle back from the brink of defeat — first against American Coco Gauff and then against Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo — to reach the final, but showed no sign of the inconsistencies that have often dogged her on the big stage. She dominated from behind the baseline with her trademark powerful groundstrokes, running away with the match after breaking early in each set. The world number 12
World Athletics Awards (Philippe Fitte) © Copyright
Aryna Sabalenka wrapped up the one-sided affair with an unreturnable serve ou t w i d e a n d celebrated her seventh WTA career singles title and second of the year with a fist pump and a kiss blown to the heavens.
“This was not the best final,” Sabalenka told her opponent at the trophy presentation. “Hopefully you will get better soon. Thank you everyone who made this week possible. I enjoyed myself every day here.”
Tuesday October 27, 2020
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Lewis Hamilton takes F1’s records into a realm not previously thought possible BBCsport - Lewis Hamilton smashed through Michael Schumacher’s alltime Formula 1 win record with a performance that encapsulated the status he has earned himself over the past 14 years. Hamilton crossed the line at the end of the Portuguese Grand Prix more than 25 seconds clear of Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas, the only man with the same awesome equipment the Briton enjoys, and still going away. Hamilton had spent the previous hour and a half demonstrating exactly why he now finds himself in a position to move F1’s most impressive records into a realm never previously thought possible. And after he did so, his rivals paid generous tribute to a man they know full well has earned every bit of his success. “I am happy for him,” said Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, a four-time champion and winner of 53 grands prix. “He deserves every victory he had. I am sure he will get 100. I don’t think you can praise him enough.” And Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, the most successful so far of F1’s new
generation: “Everyone knows he is very quick, but what has been a strong point is he is also very consistent and he very rarely makes a mistake. That’s why he got to these numbers so quick. It’s just very impressive.” Bottas, somewhat befuddled by Hamilton’s superiority on the day, described it simply as “an amazing achievement”. “Hats off,” the Finn said. “Respect.” ‘We will look back and acknowledge how special he is’ - When Hamilton took pole position on Saturday at Portimao, his 92nd victory always looked on the cards, but it was - for the first third of the race at least - tougher than many would have expected. On the first lap, in cool temperatures and in a light shower of rain, the Mercedes drivers found themselves struggling for grip on their harder medium tyres, compared with those on soft tyres behind them. Unusually, Hamilton struggled more than Bottas, who passed him halfway around the first lap after the world champion almost lost his car in Turn Six. If it was a surprise to see Bottas pass Hamilton in slippery conditions, Hamilton was not
concerned: “I was a little cautious through Turn Seven and I generally let Valtteri by and didn’t defend into Eight. He seemed to have more grip than me at that moment. I didn’t understand why but I was sure at some stage I would get there. I knew it was a long, long race.” McLaren’s Carlos Sainz also slipped by - and then remarkably proceeded to pass Bottas for the lead on lap two. It had been a stirring performance by Sainz, but it was only ever going to be a fleeting one, and soon, their tyres warmer now, the Mercedes were past, Bottas in the lead, Hamilton stalking him a couple of seconds behind. After 15 laps, Hamilton moved into another gear, and Bottas had no response. Hamilton turned in a series of fastest laps and the lead came down - 2.3secs, 1.9secs, 1.6secs, 1.3secs, 0.8secs. And then Hamilton was through and away. If I say that the difference between the two drivers was all about tyre temperature, it would be true - but sound unromantic. In fact, the prosaic impression that gives belies a fundamental truth about why Hamilton is on a level that Bottas - and pretty much everyone else - cannot reach. Yes, Hamilton won because he was able to get
Hamilton has been outspoken on a number of social issues including Black Lives Matter.
his tyres to a more effective operating temperature. But he did that through adaptability and skill, adjusting his driving, experimenting, using his ability and feel to tease out what the car needs to perform at its best. It’s the same reason he won the soaking wet 2008 British Grand Prix by more than a minute, or was on pole in the wet in Austria this year by 1.2secs. Pure, raw talent. “Towards the end, I was thinking about what I will and won’t say, in terms of what is appropriate to say,” Hamilton said. “It it is no secret that today was about tyre temperatures, I felt through the race that I was learning lap on lap more about the circuit. I was trying lots of different lines and discovering new lines that worked well. “The wind direction was very tricky, lots of head winds and cross winds and tail winds. There are some you can use to your favour and others get in the way. The key is minimising the loss through the tail winds. “Set-up was something I really focused on, less about qualifying and more about race set-up, and that enabled me to go one better than before. “I felt I was getting faster through the race but I had to keep up the pace for these tyres and that was really the key.” Bottas said afterwards that he simply did not have the pace, and he did not understand why. When he studies the data, he will see what Hamilton was doing. But it is one thing knowing in hindsight, another improvising out on track, working it out in the moment, and applying it. Not only that, but while Hamilton was going faster than Bottas, he was also taking less out of his tyres. Mercedes extended their cars’ first stints as long as they could, and the deciding factor in the timing of their pit stops was that Bottas was starting to get vibrations - a sign that the tyres are reaching the end of their lives and could fail at any moment. The timing of this meant that Bottas’ suggestion that he try the soft tyre rather than the hard at his pit stop to try to come back at Hamilton was never a goer. There were still 26 laps to go at this stage,
Hamilton won his 92nd race at the Portuguese Grand Prix to surpass Michael Schumacher. (Formula 1 via Getty Images) much too far to go to the end, Mercedes chief strategist James Vowles believed - a view proved correct when Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon struggled when they pitted for soft tyres for their final stints, much later than Mercedes made their stops. Mercedes see Hamilton do this time and time again go faster than Bottas while taking less out of the car - but it only heightens their appreciation of what their lead driver is doing. “I’m never getting bored of questions about Lewis,” team boss Toto Wolff said, “because in 10 or 20 years we will look back and really acknowledge what a special driver he is.” This record surpassed, another one is waiting just around the corner. Victory and fastest lap at Portimao moved Hamilton 77 points clear of Bottas in the championship, and that seventh title is probably now just two or three races away. With teams using the same cars in 2021, and development limited, there is every prospect of an eighth title next year. How much further can he raise the bar, Hamilton was asked after the race? “I don’t believe in the saying ‘the sky’s the limit’,” he said. “It depends on how much we want it, how much we want to continue to raise the bar. “By our history together, just the way we work, we don’t sit back on our results. We keep working, we keep
elevating. Every race feels like it’s the first one. I don’t know how but it does. There is a lot more for us to do. “Especially as we are in a crazy time with the pandemic and having to utilise our position as a leader for inclusivity and diversity. There is a lot of work to do. That keeps me inspired. Our sport is slowly changing. It’s a real special time. “I sometimes wonder: ‘Jeez, I’m 35 years old.’ I still feel physically strong but of course you wonder when is it going to tip over and when are you going to start losing performance. But showing by today it is not yet.” ‘You can still do it at 40’ Before they sat down for the post-race news conference, Hamilton had been chatting with Verstappen about his landmark achievement. “Lewis said he keeps pushing because he wants to set it very high so I have to work hard to get there,” Verstappen said. “It’s amazing. He’s pushing me to go until I’m 40 years old or something.” As Verstappen described his race, he was marvelling at veteran Alfa Romeo driver Kimi Raikkonen, who climbed up from 16th on the grid to sixth in the first two laps. Hamilton, unaware of Raikkonen’s performance until then as it had happened behind him, said: “Jeez. Shows you can still do it at 40.” “That’s going to be so long,” Verstappen said. “I don’t even want to think about that.”
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Australia v India: Rohit Sharma & Ishant Sharma left out of tour squad BBCsport - India have left injured batsman Rohit Sharma and pace bowler Ishant Sharma out of their squad for their tour of Australia next month. Ishant will miss the remainder of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) in the United Arab Emirates after suffering an abdominal muscle tear. Rohit has missed Mumbai Indians’ last two games with a hamstring injury. Both will be assessed before the tour which includes four Tests, three one-day-internationals and three Twenty20s. The itinerary is yet to be finalised but the tourists, along with Australia players returning from the Indian Premier League, will quarantine in Sydney on arrival. Rohit averages 46.54 with the bat in 32 Tests, while Ishant has taken 297 wickets from 97 five-day appearances. India have named quick bowler Mohammed Siraj, who is uncapped in Tests, in their 18-man squad for that format, while Kolkata Knight Riders leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy, uncapped in any format, earns a maiden call-up to the T20 squad. It will be India’s first international cricket since the coronavirus pandemic, while
World Athletics’ response to CAS announcement of decision in Leeper case
India last toured Australia in 2018-19, winning the Test and ODI series and drawing the T20 series. Australia played in a limitedovers series in England during the summer. White-ball games will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground and Canberra’s Manuka Oval. Sydney will also host a Test, alongside the Adelaide Oval, Melbourne Cricket Ground and the Gabba in Brisbane. On Monday, Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said he was “very confident” crowds would be allowed at the traditional Boxing Day Test at the MCG. Test squad: Virat Kohli
(capt), Mayank Agarwal, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant (wk), Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, KL Rahul, (wk) Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Navdeep Saini, Mohammed Shami, Prithvi Shaw, Mohammed Siraj, Hanuma Vihari, Kuldeep Yadav, Umesh Yadav. ODI squad: Virat Kohli (capt), Mayank Agarwal, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Shikhar Dhawan, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer,
Ravindra Jadeja, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul (wk), Navdeep Saini, Mohammed Shami, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav. T20 squad: Virat Kohli (capt), Mayank Agarwal, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Deepak Chahar, Varun Chakravarthy, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul (wk), Navdeep Saini, Sanju Samson (wk), Mohammed Shami, Washington Sundar.
Suga aiming to prevent “explosive spread” of coronavirus as reiterates support for Tokyo 2020 insidethegames Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has said he will seek to prevent the “explosive spread” of coronavirus as he outlined his intention to protect the health of the Olympic and Paralympic Games host country in a policy speech to the Diet. Suga made the speech to the Diet, the national legislature of Japan, after becoming Prime Minister last month. As expected, Suga reiterated the country’s commitment to hosting the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games next year. The Games have been postponed to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, which continues to cause uncertainty over the staging of the event. Suga vowed to work to keep the rate of Covid19 infections low during his speech. “We will absolutely prevent the explosive spread of infections and protect the lives and health of the people, and resume social and economic activities to revive the economy,” he said, according to Kyodo News. The Japanese Prime Minister,
Tuesday October 27, 2020
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga who succeeded Shinzô Abe, said the Government will secure enough vaccines for the Japanese population in the first half of 2021. This would be dependent on the safety and effectiveness of vaccines
being confirmed. Hopes have been raised in recent weeks that a safe vaccine could be approved by the end of this year. A vaccine would provide a boost to Olympic organisers, although the
International Olympic Committee (IOC) has repeatedly suggested it would not be a “silver bullet” for the Games to take place. A coronavirus countermeasures taskforce, formed of officials from the Japanese Government, Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Tokyo 2020, is assessing possible scenarios and measures that could allow the Games to run as scheduled in 2021. Policies are expected to be announced before the end of the year. These are likely to include a mechanism for lifting the entry ban on f o r e i g n tourists, which is currently in place for 159 countries and regions. Measures may include a healthchecking app, mandatory testing and health insurance and exclusive health centres for tourists. Suga has recently identified rescuing the Japanese tourism industry as a key policy, which is likely to aid the efforts of Tokyo 2020 organisers. IOC President Thomas Bach is expected to visit Japan next month to meet Suga, but no dates for his trip have yet been confirmed.
Blake Leeper WorldAthletics - The Court of Arbitration for Sport rules against Blake Leeper competing in Olympic Games and World Athletics Series Competitions with current mechanical aids (prosthetics). World Athletics’ rules permit competitive use of aids such as prosthetics if they do not give the user an artificial competitive advantage over those not using such aids. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has rejected Mr Leeper’s argument that those rules are designed to discriminate against disabled athletes, and instead has fully accepted that they are intended to pursue the legitimate objective of ensuring the fairness and integrity of competitive athletics. [CAS statement.] World Athletics acknowledges CAS’s determination (i) that the rules impact more on disabled athletes than on non-disabled athletes (and so are ‘indirectly’ discriminatory); (ii) that it is not necessary or proportionate to put the burden on the disabled athlete to prove that he or she gets no unfair advantage from his or her aid; and (iii) that use of an aid should be permitted unless World Athletics can prove the aid confers an unfair advantage. World Athletics will review its rules accordingly. World Athletics welcomes CAS’s ruling that on the facts of this case, and based on extensive expert evidence, World Athletics met its burden of proving that Mr
Leeper’s prostheses give him an artificial competitive advantage over athletes not using such prostheses. Specifically, the CAS found that Mr Leeper’s prostheses make him 15cm taller than he would be if he had biological legs (he would be 5’ 9’’ with biological legs, but his prostheses give him the legs of a 6’8" man); and that this increased leg length gives Mr Leeper an artificial performance advantage over 400m of ‘several seconds’. This means that Mr Leeper cannot compete in the Olympic Games or WAS competitions with the prostheses he uses at present. World Athletics strongly rejects the (new) allegation from Mr Leeper’s legal team that the finding that he ‘runs tall’ is based on a ‘racist’ Paralympic rule. The IPC rule on ‘Maximum Allowable Standing Height’ (MASH) is based on the best available evidence of body dimensions and has been applied for several years to all Paralympic athletes (including African-American athletes) without issue. World Athletics is aware of no proof that AfricanAmerican athletes have significantly different bodily dimensions (proportionality), and certainly not to the extent identified in this case. The 15cm disparity found in Mr Leeper’s case between his prosthetic leg length and his natural leg length is not due to racial differences in body dimensions.
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FA votes overwhelmingly to end action against Mike Mangal ‘Cashes In’ at Guyana Golf Association FIFA Port of Spain, Trinidad, CMC – The embattled Trinidad and Tobago Football Association has voted overwhelmingly to halt all court action against football’s world governing body, FIFA, and immediately recognise the normalisation committee installed last March. In an extraordinary general meeting on Sunday, the FA voted 33-2 to end the long-running dispute against the powerful Zurich-based organisation which was triggered by the sudden removal of the William Wallace-led executive after just five months in office.
Significantly, the development comes two days after FIFA won a ruling in the Court of Appeal that the dispute with Wallace could not be heard in the Trinidad courts but by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The TTFA is now expected to swiftly communicate its decision to FIFA in an attempt to have the current international suspension of Trinidad and Tobago football rescinded. In
Cancer Awareness event a formal motion tabled at the meeting, the TTFA resolved that “in view of the precarious position that the T&TFA now find itself, that this extraordinary general meeting of the T&TFA decides that the way forward for the T&TFA is for the T&TFA to fully comply with its obligations as a member of FIFA, recognising the legitimacy of the FIFAappointed normalisation committee and bringing its own statutes in line with the FIFA statutes, and to fully cooperate with the normalisation committee in fulfilling its mandate as stated in FIFA’s letter of March 17, 2020. “Be it further resolved that all court matters existing between the T&TFA and FIFA shall be immediately brought to a stop.” Wallace and his administration had challenged FIFA’s decision to remove them from office, first
putting the case before CAS before resorting to the High Court here after accusing CAS of “institutional bias”. And Justice Carol Gobin ruled this month in favour of Wallace, stating that FIFA’s action “was unwarranted and indefensible” and also “made in bad faith and for an improper and illegal motive”. On Friday, Chief Justice Ivor Archie and Justice of Appeal Nolan Bereaux overturned Gobin’s ruling in favour of FIFA, however, saying that that Wallace and his TTFA executive members had violated the local governing body’s constitution by resorting to the local courts. Wallace had previously indicated if he lost the case, he would not pursue any further action against FIFA. While the court action was ongoing, FIFA last month slapped an international ban on Trinidad for what it termed
a “direct breach of article 59 of the FIFA Statutes, which expressly prohibits recourse to ordinary courts” in disputes by member associations.The ban subsequently put in danger the national side’s participation in next year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup with the continental governing body including Trinidad in last month’s qualifying draw but warning they would be replaced unless the FIFA suspension was lifted by December 18. FIFA said last March it was installing the normalisation committee due to “extremely low overall financial management methods, combined with a massive debt”, which had left the TTFA “facing a very real risk of insolvency and illiquidity”.
Olympic boxer Natasha Jonas offers free food and lessons BBCnews - Olympic boxer Natasha Jonas is offering free boxing lessons with food packages to families from the area she grew up in “who might be struggling”. The Liverpool star said she had “seen cafes giving people lunch or breakfast, and I thought ‘how can I help?’” The 36-year-old said she also wanted to “give back” to those who “stood together” to get a decision to close gyms to combat Covid-19 overturned. “[We] can’t change the world, but we can change our little bit,” she added. Jonas, who was the UK’s first female boxing Olympian, has set up the sessions with her brother, who she said had come up with the idea. The siblings grew up in the Toxteth area of Liverpool and “did rely” on things like free school meals, which the boxer said had given her insight into the problems people face trying to feed their families. “We come from a working class background [and] struggled growing up - Toxteth wasn’t the greatest place, there was a lot of unemployment.” ‘Always stick together’ - As a result, she said her brother had come to her and “asked
Jonas said there was “a mentality that, in Liverpool, we always stick together” what I thought about doing free sessions for parents who might be struggling”. “My cousin had just started a meal pack company from my brother’s gym and we got him involved to provide food,” she added. The former WBA superfeatherweight champion, who became the first woman to box for Greater Britain at the London 2012 Olympic Games, told BBC Sport at the start of
the lockdown in March that she would be among boxers facing “difficult” times financially as a result of coronavirus. The mother-of-one said her income had been directly affected, but she still wanted to help those in need in a similar way to footballer and free school meals campaigner Marcus Rashford, who had “done a great thing” and used his voice “for something
positive”. “We have had a mentality that, in Liverpool, we always stick together. “We have stood together for keeping the gyms being open, so we wanted to give something back and do these sessions.” She added the sessions will be held at locations in Liverpool and Wirral in private, to protect families’ identities.
The Guyana Golf Association held its first ‘Shoot for Cash’ event in support of Cancer Awareness Month and proved that successful events can be held while adhering to the strict covid guidelines. The event was coordinated by Al Junior Wilson, Sean Barrington, Lynette and Michelle Codrington and Philip Haynes who worked in unison to ensure that the photography and activities went off smoothly. Players had the opportunity to win cash or GTT credit along with trophies and prizes and the turnout was controlled by limiting the number of participants daily with the grand Finale held on Sunday which saw the qualifiers from the preceding weekdays coming back to fight off their challengers. On Sunday, the excitement was visible and tension thick as player after player focused on the challenge at hand, hit 10 balls into a bullseye just 100 yards away with a chance to win $50,000 in cash! But, despite the handicap of having to hit from a longer distance than the women and beginners, it was the veteran, former Guyana Open Champion Mike Mangal who carted off the grand prize. In the men’s Professional division, Mangal fought off the tough challenge from his son Rohan Albert, who came out on his birthday to support the event, and narrowly bested Top position finisher Satrohan Robin Tiwari and past LGC president Aasroodeen Shaw, who came in second. Mr. Samuel Carter, recently back from the UK, travelled twice all the way from Land of Canaan to qualify and compete in the men’s Amateur division, his effort being rewarded as he took first place honors away from newcomer to the sport Ryan Gonsalves. But the women’s Division, with more than 15 women competing, saw the biggest upsets with two newcomers, Leota King running away with first and Shez Andrews taking second
place. President of the Guyana Golf Association and Nexgen Golf Academy & Driving Range Aleem Hussain said “golfers in Guyana have been active in supporting charities but especially Cancer Awareness for many years. Having experienced personal loss to cancer, our family of golfers are dedicated to helping as much as possible as was evident by the support by Banks DiH and Citizens Bank last year.” He thanked the corporate sponsors for this year’s event that included Ramesh Sunich Trophy Stall; Yogendra Arjune, Assuria General Insurance; Karan Mehra, Vivaanta Ayurvedic Spa & Hair Salon; Sammy Arjune, Guyana Beverages; Paul Jiwanran, AR Printery; and Rudy Ramalingum of CIMGRO Maraiko Bay Golf Resort. Hussain said he was especially grateful to see event attended by experienced players from the LGC including past president Brian Hackett, Rakesh Harry, Mahindra Harry, Romel Bhagwandin, Ajay, Ian Gouveia, Adrian Barrow, as well as newcomers Linden Pickett, Michelle Codrington, Ashley Chu, and Ms. Carter amongst the many who came out in support. “With hundreds of golf clubs and balls now available, we expect to begin opening the sport region by region in the hopes of bringing Golf to the people in a manner that was never done before. Our goal is to have more than 2,000 new players by end of 2021, and we will make it happen,” said an exuberant Hussain. The Guyana Golf Association and Nexgen Golf Academy and Driving Range, partnered with the Scouts Association of Guyana and the Guyana Teachers Union to develop the state of the art facility located on Woolford Avenue, minutes away from the Marriott and Pegasus hotels and is open daily until 9 pm, offering classes and opportunities to sharpen your game, providing equipment and unlimited balls for a low price.
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Kaieteur News
Mandeep Singh, Chris Gayle, and Mohammed Shami star as Kings XI climb to fourth ESPNcricinfo - The last time Kings XI Punjab took on the Kolkata Knight Riders, a little over two weeks ago, KL Rahul’s side seemed to have plumbed the depths in the IPL. They had slumped to a sixth loss in seven games, this one particularly galling after having the match well in hand for about 90 percent of the chase. By the time the return fixture against the Knight Riders came about, the Kings XI were a team transformed or at least a team with fortunes transformed. There was no mucking about with last-over finishes, just a good bowling performance backed up by a efficient chase, and a fifth win on the trot. That the victory came against the Knight Riders their closest competitors for a playoff spot - made this particularly significant. The Kings XI now have 12 points and moved to the top half of the points table. The bowlers had kept the Knight Riders to 149 for 9, having successfully weathered an 81-run stand between Shubman Gill and Eoin Morgan. Mohammed Shami struck upfront and the legspin pair of Ravi Bishnoi and M Ashwin applied the choke in the second half. The chase was clinical. Mandeep Singh partnered Rahul again at the top and shrugged off initial struggles to hit an emotionally charged half-century, batting till the end when the winning runs were hit. Chris Gayle came in
at No.3 and bossed the bowlers around in a way only he can, out for 51 off 29 when only three runs were needed to create some artificial jitters, but Kings XI were not to be denied on Monday. The Shami burst at the top - In what has been a regular occurrence this IPL, Shami struck early, bowling beautiful lines. Rahul Tripathi pushed at one that seamed away after pitching on off to be caught behind. Two balls later, Shami did it again, only with even more impressive movement to send back Dinesh Karthik. The batsman reviewed, because his bat had hit pad too, but the ball was too close to the bat for the decision to be overturned. This was after Glenn Maxwell had already snared Nitish Rana in the first over of the match, and at 10 for 3 in two overs, the Knight Riders were in a bit of a hole. Morgan, Gill counterattack - It was breathtaking to watch while it was on. Morgan was into his stride straightaway, and both men exploded when Shami was given a third over in the powerplay, taking him for 21 runs after he had given up just six in his first two overs. Both men continued in that vein even after the powerplay was done, punishing anything that was wide or full. Gill, who had been more circumspect at the start in earlier games, matched Morgan stroke for stroke as the Knight Riders made light of the early wickets. It was
especially impressive given their long tail, and the pair of Gill and Morgan were the last proper batsmen they had. Bishnoi, Ashwin rein the batsmen in - Ashwin gave up 14 runs in his first over, both Morgan and Gill hitting a six each. Bishnoi was hit for a six off his third ball, but off his fifth, he had Morgan slogsweeping one of his googlies for his leg-spin twin to gobble the catch at deep square leg. Morgan had made 40 off 25 and taken the Knight Riders to 91 for 3 in the tenth over alongside Gill, but as soon as he fell, the team started to feel the effects of a lengthy tail. Gill had faced 28 balls in the first ten overs, but in the next six overs, he was on strike for just nine deliveries. Sunil Narine, Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Pat Cummins were unable to get the leggies away, even to just turn the strike over to Gill, and the Knight Riders innings sputtered. Gill was eventually out for a 45-ball 57 in the 19th over, having to farm the strike and manufacture big shots. Mandeep starts cautiously, Gayle blasts off Kings XI were missing Mayank Agarwal for a second game, but they stuck to the previous match’s opening combination of KL Rahul and Singh. Although Singh took his time at the start, being on 3 off 11 at one point, Rahul was timing the ball with his usual fluency. With not a steep target to chase, the Kings XI could absorb some quiet overs, and once Singh
Cricket South Africa’s entire board resigns BBCsport The administration of South African cricket, which has been lurching from one crisis to another since the suspension of Thabang Moroe as Chief Executive last December, has finally been provided with an opportunity to wipe the slate clean following the resignation of the organisation’s entire board. Six of Cricket South Africa’s directors, including acting president Beresford Williams together with four non-independent directors and an independent board member, resigned at a meeting on Sunday. By Monday morning, the other non-independent director, Zola Thamae, and the three remaining independents, Eugenia KulaAmeyaw, Marius Schoeman and Vuyokazi Memani-Sedile
South Africa’s senior men’s national team are scheduled to host England in a limited overs series in November. (Getty Images) threw in the towel. “All resignations are with immediate effect except for three members, namely, Zola Thamae, John Mogodi and Donovan May, who will remain as directors until the interim board structure has been appointed to ensure the continuity and stability of the organisation,” Cricket South
Africa (CSA) said in a statement. Former CSA President, Norman Arendse, told BBC Sport Africa that the “resignations were inevitable”. “Given all the pressure the organisation was under since last year when the then Chief Executive (Continued on page 25)
Chris Gayle goes big against spin ©BCCI. had got his eye in, he began scoring more briskly. The opening partnership ended at 47 in eight overs when Rahul was trapped lbw by Varun Chakravarthy, but Gayle’s arrival turned the tide decisively in the way of the Kings XI. Gayle stuck to his time-tested method of taking the fielders out of the equation when the ball was in his hitting zone, smashing
Chakravarthy for sixes off the fourth and fifth balls he faced. He had been troubled by Narine in the past, but on the day, he took 17 from the 11 balls he faced off Narine, smiting two dismissive sixes straight past him too. Anything full was met by the swinging arc of Gayle’s bat with considerable force. With a low total to defend, the Gayle onslaught meant
the Knight Riders ran out of options quickly. Even though he fell for 51 off 29 after a stand worth exactly 100, there was to be no great escape for the Knight Riders this time. Kings XI Punjab 150 for 2 (Rahul 28, Mandeep 66*, Gayle 51) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 149 for 9 (Gill 57, Morgan 40, Shami 3-35, Jordan 2-25, Bishnoi 2-20) by eight wickets.
Andre Russell, Faf du Plessis among five overseas players to pull out of Lanka Premier League ESPNcricinfo - Five foreign players, including Andre Russell, Faf du Plessis and David Miller have withdrawn from the Lanka Premier League (LPL) less than a week after they were drafted into franchise teams. Miller, du Plessis and Dawid Malan have become unavailable because of the limited-overs series between South Africa and England, set to begin on November 27. Russell, meanwhile, has pulled out due to injury, according to Sri Lanka Cricket. Manvinder Bisla, the fifth player to exit the tournament, is not believed to have provided a reason though. The LPL is scheduled to start on November 21 and run until December 13. “The franchises that had these players will have to negotiate with other players to take their place,” LPL director Ravin Wickramaratne told ESPNcricinfo. Russell, Miller, du Plessis and Malan had all been selected as marquee players, which means the franchises are not bound by the constraints of the draft payment structure when they seek new players. Although it was suspected that the players from South Africa and England would withdraw
Andre Russell hits one big AFP once England’s tour of South Africa was confirmed, Russell’s exit is more of a surprise. He has not played for the Kolkata Knight Riders since the game against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on October 18 owing to a knee injury but hasn’t yet pulled out of the IPL entirely either. No update has been given on his further involvement in the ongoing tournament, although Wickramaratne cited injury as the cause of his withdrawal from the LPL. While these withdrawals are a significant blow to the tournament, they are not a death knell just yet. The hardest hit franchise is the
Colombo Kings, who had all three of Russell, du Plessis and Bisla on their roster. The Jaffna Stallions had Malan. With less than four weeks to go until the scheduled start of the LPL, there are still substantial logistical hurdles to surmount before the tournament can get off the ground. A major sticking point remains the quarantine - Sri Lanka’s health ministry has insisted it must be 14 days of confinement in a hotel room, which some players have expressed dissatisfaction with. However, SLC remains optimistic that the tournament will go ahead.
Tuesday October 27, 2020
Kaieteur News
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GABF aiming for debut at Americup 2023 P By Calvin Chapman
resident of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF), Mike Singh, has informed Kaieteur Sport of his optimism that Guyana’s Senior Men’s Team stands a realistic chance of qualifying for the 2023 Americup tournament, once the qualifying event get the green-light. Singh, who was elected head of the GABF last year, is set on doing all that he can along with his executive committee to ensure Guyana’s basketball reaches the next level after the previous administration which was headed by Nigel Hinds oversaw the team’s first regional championship win after 37 years. Guyana sealed their first Americup Qualifiers appearance after winning the John Yates Trophy in 2018 after thumping Antigua &
Barbuda 83-70 in the Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Men’s Championship final. H o w e v e r, t h e y d i d n ’t perform well in the qualifiers winning just one game in their group. However, the lackluster performance was due to the fact that the team was dejected after missing out on their star player Delroy James, who was fresh from winning the FIBA Intercontinental Championship, but couldn’t play for Guyana due to some passport issues. In addition, the team that featured four teenagers in 2018 was a bit inexperienced. Fast forward to today, Head Coach Junior Hercules shares the same sentiment with Singh. He believes that if team Guyana can play at full strength, the Golden Arrowhead will be represented for the first time at the Biennial FIBA Americup tournament that
features 12 teams which qualify from North & South America and the Caribbean. It is hard to argue with the fact that James, who has played in the NBA and European Leagues, will bring a wealth of experience to the side. Furthermore, CoCaptain Anthony Moe is currently one of the best players in the Nicaraguan Pro League (LSB) and Captain Stanton Rose has been developing with NJCAA Division 1 outfit Panola Ponies with a move to the NCAA on the horizon. Kevon Wiggins, who was also part of the history making CBC Championship winning team in 2018 has recently completed a move to NJCAA division 1 side Lamar College and the skill and determination of Ray Victor cannot be underscored. Those mentioned players and other consistent performers in the national set up will make for an exciting
lineup when Guyana competes in the Americup qualifying tourney which is yet to have a specific date and venue to be contested determined. Guyana will play in the FIBA Americup 2023 qualifying tournament although no CBC championship (which serves as the qualifying event for the FIBA Americup qualifier) will be competed in 2020 due to the pandemic. FIBA will use the current rankings to decide the CBC representatives which puts current champions Guyana along with Antigua and Barbuda (2018 runners-up) into the Americup qualifiers. The men from the ‘land of many waters’ finished third during their first appearance that was in February 2019 in Colombia, a performance that Head Coach Hercules had noted his players should be proud of after citing the different challenges.
Delroy James will bring a wealth of experience and skill to the national team.
Former Guyana pacer Kevin Darlington is delighted with appointment as F new US Youth Coach By Sean Devers
ormer Bermine, Berbice and Guyana Fast Bowler Kevin Darlington who now resides in Brooklyn New York, is the new United States of America (USA) Men’s Youth Coach and his work will officially commence on November 1. The 48-year-old Guyanese, who captured 79 wickets in 30 First Class matches for Guyana between 1995 and 2002, after making his debut against Barbados, will take o n t h e p r i m a r y responsibilities for C o a c h i n g U S A M e n ’s Under-19 cricket team and other Junior teams, as well as providing assistant Coaching support to Men’s National team. Darlington, who was born on April 26, 1972 in Guyana’s first Town (New Amsterdam) said that after finishing with competitive cricket he decided it was time for to give back to US cricket in a different capacity. “I have Coached several Clubs since I stopped playing and in 2018 I was delighted to be appointed assistant Coach for the Men’s Senior squad. Touring with the team throughout its
ascendency to earning ODI status and watching the evolution of some of our youngsters who have represented the US was very pleasing for me” stated Darlington. The Coach said one of the major Challenges is facing the USA, is bringing of all in such a vast landscape and the lack of cricket facilities that’s accessible to all. “There is a lot of talent in the USA and with proper management and exposure the future looks bright. But the pandemic has a ff e c t e d U S A c r i c k e t i m m e n s e l y, w i t h t h e postponement of so many local leagues, however recent Franchise tournaments have many cricketers to the Park” informed Darlington. Darlington revealed that different social media platforms (zoom) have helped in keeping the teams together. “I am delighted to be named Head Coach of the junior team and my commitment to helping other cricketers grow and become professional sportsmen is what drives me every day. It is indeed a privilege and an honour to bring my 35 years of cricketing experience to the table and share those experiences with so many
Kevin Darlington collects his cap from Atlantic President Courtney Legall while Manager Lester Hooper shares the moment.
of our very talented players. Darlington, who also took 18 wickets in 22 List ‘A’ matches for his native Guyana between 1995 and 2000 and snared two wickets in three T20s for his adopted Country the USA, has more than 12 years coaching experience in Guyana, England and the USA. The quickie, who has
three five-wicket First-class hauls for Guyana, was Assistant Coach for the USA’s Men’s team between 2018 and 2019 which culminated in the USA gaining ODI status for the first time at ICC World Cricket League Division 2 in Namibia. Darlington represented New York Club Atlantis
before making his USA debut in 2010 against Scotland when he opened the bowling at the ICC T20 World Qualifiers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and captured two wickets as the USA won by six runs. His other two games for the USA came in the same tournament when the North
Americans lost to Ireland and Afghanistan. In February of 2010 Darlington represented the USA in the ICC World Cricket League Division 5 and ended as the To u r n a m e n t ’s l e a d i n g wicket-taker with 14 scalps as the USA gained promotion to Division 4 status.
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Kevin Darlington
GABF aiming for debut at Americup 2023 P. 31
Former Guyana pacer Kevin Darlington is delighted with P. appointment as 31 new US Youth Coach
Kevon Wiggins in action
Mike Mangal ‘Cashes In’ at Guyana Golf Association Cancer Awareness event P.
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The respective prize winners from left, Adrian Barrow standing in for Ryan Gonsalves, Shez Andrews, Aleem Hussain, Mike Mangal, Yogendra Arjune, Robin Tiwari, Rudy Ramalingum and Aasroodeen Shaw. Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.