Kaieteur News
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Thursday September 08, 2016
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
Back to square one In Guyana, it seems that the people’s right to know is no longer paramount, even though the government promised to be transparent and accountable. In the past year, the government has become very secretive, perhaps more than the previous administration. The dissemination of information to the people seems not to be a priority for the government. The government has been treating the citizens with such indifference with respect to the dissemination of information, it as if the citizens are out of place for wanting to know. In countries where there is freedom of information legislation, the media can pursue the truth and hold those in public office accountable. It makes the ordinary citizens feel more at ease to know what is happening in the corridors of power. Far too often, decisions are being made by public officials which affect the lives of the people and yet no information is given to them. It is total disrespect for the people’s right to know. A government that does not consult or even disseminate information to the people could lose the confidence of the people. However, there is no legislative requirement for government officials in Guyana to disclose any information on anything to the public. Those in government owe no one an explanation on anything they do. They are not obligated to inform the public on any issue. It is done on the goodwill of the government. There are situations that beg for pellucid, detailed official explanations, such as the controversial China trip and the drug bond scandal, among others. So far, nothing remotely believable has been presented. In a number of cases, questionable appointments that smack of nepotism, cronyism or naked patronage have been made at the taxpayers’ expense but the public was not informed. The government believed that after some initial complaints from the people, the sounds of dissent would dissipate as time went by. In other instances, decisions are made by the government that go to the heart of the democratic process and the reputation of the country, but the people are kept in the dark. The people have not been given any satisfaction for the huge increase in salaries given to Ministers after being in office for only three months or why no one has been disciplined for misconduct. This could send the wrong message. Or is it the message that the government wants to be sent? The public do not have an axe to grind with any public official, nor do they try to control the agenda of the government, but they believe that in the interest of accountability and transparency, answers must be provided. In the past year, tens of millions of dollars were spent on the State Asset Recovery Unit (SARU) and on the forensic audits of several government departments in search of corrupt practices and illegal acts committed by public officials in the last government. The list of misdeeds and corrupt practices cited is staggering, the number of those found culpable of alleged corrupt practices is unbelievable, yet except for a minister and her assistant, no one else has been charged. What is more troubling and perhaps mind-boggling is that given the findings from the audit reports and the illegal activities unearthed by SARU, no one in the government has been able to coherently explain to the public as to why no one has been charged. The reasons to date have been perplexing to say the least. The people still have no definitive idea of what the government intends to do with those found culpable of alleged wrongdoing. The administration that promised candour and transparency is now embarrassingly immersed in secrecy. It is a sad fact to express, but we are back to square one.
NICIL Chairman writes on the confidentiality of the Marriot Contract DEAR EDITOR; In the Kaieteur News’ September Article entitled “NICIL Director shows two faces on release of Marriott contract” it is implied that, since I had made a normative statement a few months ago that contracts signed by a Government on behalf of the tax-paying public should not be secret, I have subsequently reneged by stating that the Marriott Agreement is “strictly confidential”. On the contrary, I am not deliberately withholding information, since the hands of the current Board of Directors are tied. Confidentiality clauses were pervasively and deeply embedded in the Marriott arrangements (relating to aspects such as licensing, royalty, management, advertising, marketing, promotion and sales, and “competitive information”) that were negotiated by the previous administration and it is for the present Government/Cabinet to decide whether it wants to place in the public domain
the substantive terms and conditions, given the legal implications. The Marriott confidentiality clauses are informed by company’s take it or leave it core corporate creed that “matters and information are not disclosed to any outside person without the prior consent of the other party”. The world of transparency and accountability has certain black holes vis-a-vis the competing neoliberal paradigm. I continue to maintain, based on my eleven years of experience as a Director in UNCTC (New York) and UNCTAD (Geneva) dispensing technical assistance advice to all over the world, that secrecy relating to commercial contracts involving transnational corporations (except for security, sensitive and strategic matters) is not in the developing countries’ best interest and that they should endeavour to exchange information among themselves about what should
constitute benchmark contractual terms and conditions. That is one way of leveling the playing field and reducing the information asymmetry, in which a transnational corporation typically knows what terms have been negotiated with each of its clients, but any single client does not have this information and therefore does not know what could be considered the norm, with respect to the particular equity or non-equity investment arrangement. The question is, ‘how did Guyana know whether it was getting a good deal or not’? It is unfortunate that the Marriott Agreement(s) cannot be placed in the public domain. Insistence by a corporation on confidentiality is as much designed to enhance benefits visa-vis its clients as to maintain so-called competitive advantage vis-à-vis other corporations. Maurice Odle (Dr.) Chairman, NICIL
The challenge of keeping Guyana moving DEAR EDITOR ; This is my response to Sase Singh’s column “CAN GUYANA ACHIEVE 4% GROWTH IN 2016? UNLIKELY! Consumer spending is necessary. However where is the just as necessary link to production and productivity? Where is the discussion of senior bureaucrats slowing down programs which can get funds to low income workers? While it is correct to focus on the Cabinet what about officials who are not ensuring that funds are spent on cleaning drains, canals, trenches and other high impact, productivity linked programs to benefit low income workers? The challenge of keeping Guyana moving is not only at the top political level. The senior and middle management of the public sector for political and corruption reasons is also
stifling implementation of programs that can create jobs. The political leadership from the top has to become more pro-active. The time to hope that by playing nice folks is going to run with the program of the Granger administration has come to an end. On being proactive an example is the infighting over the property in Georgetown which the developer wants to build to seven stories and government departments are getting in their way to limit the building to six stories. Both sides share the blame. Irrespective of whether permission was granted for seven stories or not we are at the tipping point it seems for the call centre according to the developer, who is the anchor tenant for the building. The investor can scale back his plans for a food court and other shopping and
thereby have enough space in the six story building to house the contact centre. On the other hand the Ministers of Business and Communities can come together with the Mayor of Georgetown and hammer out a deal that keeps investment flowing and take the opportunity to streamline and clarify permitting processes so that this type of mess does not re-occur. As you get around Georgetown you can see clearly that just cleaning up the Capital city is an immediate impact jobs program that has tangible benefits for citizen morale, tourism product enhancement, and disease control. Multiply that by the whole of Guyana. There is for your information, a new publication on Guyana’s mining economy which was recently shared with me. Fitzgerald (Gerry) Yaw
THE ROLE OF THE SPONSOR IN THE KATO SCHOOL FIASCO DEAR EDITOR, Based on information circulated in the media, the Contractor and the Supervisory Consultant are to be blamed for the Kato Secondary School Fiasco. Although this is obvious due to the responsibilities assigned via contractual agreements, it is important also to look at the role of the sponsor or the Contractual Authority, which in this case is the Government of Guyana. The sponsor is accountable for ensuring that the work is governed effectively and delivers the objectives that meet identified needs. The key ministries involved being Education, Finance (Project Cycle Management Division) and Public Infrastructure or Works. In a project of this nature, identification of key stakeholders is critical, this is necessary for collaboration regarding sharing of
information (mission of the project), perspectives and the resolution of issues that may have developed. One of the main functions of the sponsor is benefit realization management. While the contractor is responsible for output (the physical infrastructure), the government is responsible for outcome (for example, students being relocated from multi locations to the new school) and benefits. A legitimate focus of the sponsor is therefore to ensure that the desired benefits are being tracked and the identification of potential obstacles or bottlenecks by consistently reviewing the project plan and the business case. Due to the delays, structural defects and overpayment that were identified during the construction phase, it begs the question as to what level of monitoring and control was
exercised by the sponsor. For example, possible considerations are:* What approach was taken by the Contracting Authority to resolve the outstanding issues such as defects that were highlighted during the construction period via progress reports from the Consultant? * What mechanism was implemented to ensure smooth transition of output to outcome such as a risk management plan and the identification of critical success factors to avoid substantial delay? The current status of the project is not only a reflection of the Contractor a n d S u p e r v i s o r y C o n s u l t a n t ’s performance, but also poor governance exercised by the Contracting Authority – the Government of Guyana. Collin Lord
Thursday September 08, 2016
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Kaieteur News
It is time President Granger start thinking in the right way DEAR EDITOR; The people of Guyana have been the unwitting and unsuspecting victims for the past twenty odd years of all kinds and types of crooked deals in which they were taken for a ride and all at the poor, over burdened taxpayers’ expense. The space allotted in this newspaper will certainly not be enough if one were to seriously chronicle all of these less than transparent business deals in which the state and certain private individuals have been partners in crime – literally that is. However, the most prominent of these will serve to include the following: (A) The problems plagued Skeldon sugar factory built by the Chinese. (B) The Guysuco packaging plant at Enmore. (C) The overpriced and badly done proverbial road to nowhere constructed by one Fip Motillal and his
henchmen as part of the Amaila Falls Project. (D) The Berbice Bridge which has all the hallmarks of a ‘three card game’ and the machinations of a snake oil salesman which resulted in the near bankruptcy of the National Insurance Scheme. (E) The disappearance of vast sums from the now defunct Petro-Caribe Fund. (F) The Marriott Hotel fiasco without proper market feasibility criteria and which is now a huge drag on the tax coffers. (G) The stillborn specialty hospital in which BK Int’l got compensated with large amounts of steel. (H) Haags Bosch dumpsite, which is now a carcinogenic waste land that the hapless residents of the surrounding communities must be saddled with. BK made off with a golden parachute thanks to its friends in ‘high places’ and let ‘s not forget the BaiShanLin
jet ride. (I) The BaiShanLin pillage of Guyana. (J) The China Harbour Engineering Company’s continued and wanton violations of our labour laws, unauthorised cost overruns and theft of raw materials from the private properties. (K) The Pradoville I & II and other examples of grand theft of state lands in which certain individuals of the former regime have benefitted substantially. (L) The smuggling of fuel and protection afforded to the culprits by the corrupt members of the system. (M) The Parking Meter Fiasco at City Hall and the dysfunctional conduct of certain senior citizens within the upper echelons of the City Council. (N) The recently exposed ‘Warehouse Gate Affair’ in which the Minister of Health is caught misleading the Parliament of Guyana and
upon independent verification by the vigilant media – two and two does not add up. (M) BaiShanLin’s culpability in the reported international trafficking in persons using Guyanese Visas and possibly passports. Just how much more of this pillage must the poor, overburdened, besieged and beleaguered nation endure before the leadership of this country wake up and smell the coffee. It was the late Hugh Desmond Hoyte that remarked more than once that ‘Enough is Enough and ‘ It was Time to Rescue the Nation’. If the late President Hoyte could bear witness to this lamentable state of affairs –he would literally have collapsed in shock given the rather disastrous excuses that have been offered by none less than several cabinet ministers and whom President Granger has now
Thoughts on public service payment system DEAR EDITOR, I pause to pen this letter as it relates to the COI on Public Sector roles, functions, recruitment, training, remuneration, conditions of service, etc. Just a few weeks ago the World Bank 2016 report revealed that 93% of persons leaving Guyana have obtained tertiary education. This should not be a surprise to anyone. However, it is a very important point to note, people leave mostly to seek better livelihood for themselves and family. So, I do hope that in the reviewing of working conditions and payments for public servants, the COI would have taken such factors into consideration. Firstly, I want to point out that Guyanese are being tremendously underpaid and the current working conditions are badly in need of an upgrade, which is why I think the government of the
day decided to look into this matter. But on the other hand, how fair would it be when it comes to the remuneration of ALL public servants. Why not focus more on reviewing the minimum wage instead of percentage increases? Why not give workers a decent take home pay so that their livelihood can increase? Isn’t $80k to $100k decent enough for minimum wage? We can compare this with Caribbean countries like Barbados, Trinidad, Antigua, etc. while taking into consideration the value of our dollar. Secondly, I’m hoping that the same rationale used to pay Ministers is being considered for qualified public servants because what would make their degrees special from another person’s, that’s if all (and I mean Ministers) of them have degrees.? Public servants also need the benefits that their position would attract.
According to Minister Jordan: “The union asked for across-the-board (increases); we said we are not going down that road. I don’t know whether the union has accepted it or not. What I’m saying is that across-theboard has widened the divide. It has literally destroyed scales and all these things. I give you 40 percent across the board, you are earning $1M, the increase is $400,000. I give you the same percent increase, you are earning $100,000 – how much is the increase? Look at the gap,” Minister Jordan explained. (Extracted from KN dated July 21, 2016.) This leave me to wondering what was the rationale behind Minister Jordan’s statement since the higher income bracket pays more tax than the lower income bracket. And further, whatever happened to being
paid the salary according to your position/qualifications? Maybe we would need to close the gap between Ministers and low-level salary earners if that is the case. Don’t forget that in all fairness, people are paid higher salaries because of their expertise and qualifications and the accountability/responsibility of that goes with that position. You just can’t take that away from them, whoever you might be. There is a pay grade for a specific reason so maybe that is another reason why the educated Guyanese are leaving Guyana, since we seem to forget that critical point. I would suggest that Government and Union come to a decision and fix the minimum wage so that a public servant can have a decent take home, be it high or low-level, so both would (Continued on page 6)
developed the penchant of defending come hell or high water. In short, this is no way to run a cake shop, a beer garden or a “bad place” let alone a country and it is high time that this regime whom many have stood extremely loyal to for over twenty three years wake up from its deep slumber and start with the real work in front of it and that is, creating a business friendly atmosphere that is totally devoid of corruption, grafts, kickbacks. I can tell you a thing or two about public perception and frankly the public perception of Guyana is an extremely unhealthy and
unhelpful one. The reputational risks associated with institutionalised grand larceny and corruption is not good for Guyana because it will have an extremely negative effect upon the country as it strives to attract serious, credible foreign direct investments other than Exxon-Mobil and definitely beyond the crooked narrative of the many BaiShanLins in our midst. A word of friendly advice to the powers that be – keep up this charade and see just how far it will get the country or yourselves. The common person is (Continued on page 6)
Urgent call for GTT to help this customer DEAR EDITOR; It really saddens me to write about the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company since I’ve always been a faithful supporter, however it is quite overbearing now. I reside in the Corriverton area and reported my telephone not working on the 19th of July. It is now September and the issue has not been resolved. What bothers me the most is the back and forth that their so called “Customer Care” section puts me through. For instance, no longer can I be directly connected to the New Amsterdam Office; all calls are routed directly to the customer care call center. I have been calling since the date of my report the following numbers, 2251315, 339-2290, 333-2400 and the list goes on. I have spoken to the Customer Care Manager, the Faults Supervisor and a number of other staff members. No one to date can
state what exactly the problem is or when it will be rectified, if at all. I am greatly inconvenienced mainly because of the fact that my internet is not working. My question has been and still is, if they (GT&T employees) do not know, who should I ask? I don’t know if it’s a case where their customer base is now at a magnitude where they are unable to cater for our need or whether the technicians are not fully equipped for the challenges arising or if it’s a case where everyone do as they please, because something is seriously wrong here. I am hoping that this letter will attract the attention of someone at GTT who actually knows what’s going on and can possibly enlighten me since quite frankly, I am unaware as to what else I can possibly do. Dionne Mentore Corriverton Resident
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Thursday Thursday September September 08, 08, 2016 2016
Kaieteur News
Complaints against the administration of NAREI DEAR EDITOR; After serving the previous NARI for over a decade, I am currently employed with the new NAREI which came into being on 1st May, 2011. As if the problems were not enough back then it seems unbearable currently. Employees were put on 1 year contracts under the new NAREI. Placement and salary scales decisions were not properly thought through, even though employees had to submit updated CV at the time of the transitioning in 2011. Female employees who
have proceeded on maternity leave since being placed on the contract arrangement have not been paid gratuity benefits for those periods also. NAREI has inherited a number of young female graduates from Cuba, who are all in their child bearing age. All of these employees have been met with the same fate. Nevertheless the matter I want to raise at this point in time is the Management style at NAREI, or for the most part the vindictive behaviour of persons in
management positions .The current management system has for NAREI since 1998 and for NAREI eff e c t i v e M a y, 2 0 11 t o current. During this time, employees of this Institution have been suffering from all sort of mistreatment under this system. During this management system and at the moment, the person who was in the position of C E O ’s s e c r e t a r y w a s immediately removed and replaced by someone who had briefly occupied an
It is time President Granger... From page 5 suffering and the nation really has to wonder if President Granger is really aware of this or is he simply oblivious to their pains and cries of anguish on account of the sagging economy which is barely limping along, thanks to the cyclical gold sector. Rice, sugar, timber and other traditional sectors continue to wobble along before their imminent careening down the abyss of economic disaster ahead and just when oil will flow as President Jagdeo enunciated not too long ago is like ‘waiting for Godot’. One may not agree on much with President Jagdeo but he is absolutely spot on when it comes to the stalled economy. Minister Jordan must know by now that excessive taxation is not a good mechanism towards stimulating a stalled economy and must move forthwith in debunking all of this crippling Keynesian economic mumbojumbo because the state should not be the locomotive in jobs creation etc. It is time to remove all this nonsense coming from the ‘Humty Dumpties’ at the CARICOM Secretariat at Liliendall by exercising the CET waivers on much needed raw material imports, drastically reduce the
oppressive VAT and light a fire under the asses of our so called private sector to get them moving rather than wringing their hands in despair about coconut water and tamarind balls from Thailand, roti and curry from Suriname or plantain chips from Jamaica. The burdensome taxes being exercised b y t h e Ministry of Finance and the GRA upon raw materials must be scrapped and the only tax applied must be on the finished product in the form of a drastically reduced VAT, give incentives to the development of alternative energy such as subsidized solar panels, solar farms etc. The country needs to adopt the four key policies of: (A) Sound Money (B) Low Taxes (C) Property Rights (D) Non-Bureaucratic Interference in the running of the Private Sector The people of Guyana do not need: (A) Hand outs (such as remittances all the days of their lives)…they need a hand up in terms of jobs generated via foreign and local direct investments, they do not need pity ... they need an opportunity have a decent
job and work to take care of themselves (live within their means, pay their bills on time and save for a rainy day). (B) Aid but trade. There are so many trade deals that Guyana has to its advantage such as the Caribbean Basin Initiative, the CaribbeanCanada Free Trade Agreement and course the Caribbean Single Market & Economy but alas all the nation seems great doing in exporting narcotics in the various fruits, vegetables, frozen seafood, chow-mein and other manufactured items… hence no one wants to hear about Guyana. One can lead a horse to water but cannot force it to drink and the fact remains that even the road to hell was paved with best of intentions. The million dollar question is what is being done to seriously address the impending socio-economic, political and racial consequences that are inevitably going to descend at President Granger’s footsteps? If one were to ask the electorate to seriously rate the existing cabinet – 90% of them will get an F and so it is time for a fresh start and resetting of priorities with predictable outcomes led by competent, capable and committed ministers and we are expecting a serious cabinet reshuffle in no short order. Yours sincerely, Walter Wong Sent from Yahoo Mail. Get the app
office in the building, and was employed by the INSAAP project (which shortly came to an end). The woe at NAREI are endless. The researchers are not given the resources to complete their projects whilst one can clearly see the offices of the Managers are furnished with all the amenities as if it were their homes. Just a few months back a decision was taken and transmitted through the Board to terminate service agreements for a number of employees holding top positions :- the Deputy CEO, HR Manager, Senior Finance Manager, Coastal Crop Extension Coordinator and Regional Crop Extension Officer for Regions 3 & 6. The reason sighted was malpractice and lack of performance. Many of these positions have not been filled since this decision was taken. There is no Deputy CEO, no HR Manager and none of the Regional posts has been filled. Some of the positions were advertised for, whilst some were not for example the Human Resource Manager position. An Institute of this
magnitude, which had a staff strength of almost 400-500 employees, does not have a HR Manger. Additionally some existing employees who may have the relevant criteria and had applied for certain post were denied, while some positions are filled by handpicking persons in the organisation. There are certain protocols the organisation is required to adhere to before selecting and appointing persons to positions, but that seem to not been happening here . A certain employee favoured by the hierachy has been promoted many times financially and position wise. There seem to be no end to the bias. Whereas employees who have the relevant experience and academic qualifications are being stifled, management is committed to saying that all positions vacant in the organisation must be advertised either internally or externally so a suitable candidate can be selected. We h a v e s e e n p e r s o n s hand- picked and put in positions to act for a short period and confirmed
without those positions being advertised. Sometimes we see persons placed in positions that are created and not approved by the list of categories. The board is a sore issue. The chairman has been appointed to serve another two years and the other members have not c h a n g e d . Wi t h a l l t h e inefficiencies going on, when the board is asked verbally or written to by employees to intervene in resolving some of these issues it is disappointing. One can conclude, based on the foregoing that whatever decision is given by the big wigs, then that is what is echoed by the board so there is no justice in the system. All those employees were sent home for breaches in their contracts, which happened under the current hierarchy, which is still here serving with all their prejudices at NAREI. NAREI needs a thorough investigation into the procedures and practices used in their selection and promotion of employees and the Management style of the current big wigs. Concerned employee
Could Roxanne Burnham say if she was at Mass Games? DEAR EDITOR; Kindly permit me via your respective column’s to engage Roxanne Burnham Van West Charles on a historical research project. There is a photo image from Mass Games in the early 1980’s and the young lady wearing glasses is said to be one of the late LFS Burnham’s daughter. The other participant directly to her right could very well be Morag Williams, daughter of the late Anthropologist, Denis Williams. Can R.B. Van West Charles say if it was her or perhaps a sister? Which year was it? Did Mass Games start in 1980 or 1981?
During one of the Mass Games event, LFS Burnham was chauffeured in a ‘Black Vintage English made vehicle which I found in storage/ holding bay and shared the photos with all newspapers. Subsequently my correspondence was published in at least two newspapers. I understand that the said vehicle could have also chauffeured ‘QUEEN ELISABETH 11’ during her 1966 Independence visit. Can R.B. Van West Charles say for sure if that ‘Black Vintage English Made Vehicle’ in question was indeed the same vehicle? T.Pemberton
Thoughts on public service... From page 5 all be able to buy the average basket of good. Finally, it is my opinion that the increment system be used as a basis for one’s performance which would give a yearend bonus. e.g. 2% to 5% bonus for outstanding performance.
This system may be effective but on the flip side who determines your performance was outstanding? This is where brains need to get together to work out an ideal system because humans would always be human. Nkasi Carter
Thursday September 08, 2016
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Kaieteur News
BaiShanLin: A track record of wrongdoing BaiShanLin is headquartered in the Cacique Banquet Hall and Hotel, Providence. It owes Government $600M.
BaiShanLin’s local chief, Chu Hongbo
One day after Government announced that it was seizing the forest concessions of BaiShanLin International Forest Development Inc. for failing to honor commitments, there is news that the Chinese company has racked up hundreds of millions in debts across the country. The Chinese company reportedly owes small loggers and others in the Kwakwani area, Region Ten, millions of dollars for some time now. The situation appears to be the same in other area, including Regions Seven, Eight and Nine. It seemed that the company knew it had overextended itself and was in a cash crunch since 2014 when it forked out millions of dollars to buy a prime plot of 100 acres of land, at Providence, East Bank Demerara. By the time the Providence housing land, 100 acres of it, was purchased from BK International for US$8M that year, a massive nearby mall being built by BaiShanLin that would have showcased Chinese products had stalled, signaling that monies had run out. BK International claims that BaiShanLin owes US$4M and has taken the logging company to court for its money and the return of the land. But BK had secured the very plot for US$4 million.
At Linden, a US$70M wood processing plant never materialized. Instead, BaiShanLin invested millions of dollars in dredges for gold mining and other activities. The company also bought up the Cacique Banquet Hall, located behind the Ramada Princess Hotel and Casino, Providence, East Bank Demerara. It still owes Government over $600M for that property which currently houses workers and offices. According to Government officials yesterday, the company has been under pressure from its creditors to pay its debts for some time now. To raise cash, BaiShanLin reportedly started selling out the steel that it had imported under its duty free concessions and even use its logging trucks to illegally compete in the transportation sector. Its barges were also competing in the river transportation business. But for all the hundreds of millions of dollars it owed, the straw that broke the camel’s back was a mere $80M accumulated payment to the Guyana Forestry Commission representing payments for logging related activities. The Government regulator said it had been
trying since April to collect the monies and even to get BaiShanLin to bring in its majority Chinese partner that it had announced earlier this year. That partner, China Longjiang Forest Industry (Group), did not appear in Guyana to meet GFC. It was supposed to bring billions of dollars in to the country as the major partner in BaiShanLin. But BaiShanLin’s public track record along appeared to cause China Longjiang Forest Industry (Group) to change its mind. On Tuesday, the GFC’s Board of Directors recommended that over 600,000 hectares of lands that BaiShanLin controlled be confiscated. In effect, the repossession of the lands would end all the company’s logging activities in the country. Last year, the David Granger administration, upon assuming office, halted all log exports by the company. Earlier this year, the Guyana Revenue Authority moved in and seized two vehicles, including a Lexus SUV, from BaiShanLin for unpaid import taxes. BaiShanLin appeared to been using its contacts in
Government to not only questionably buy up forest lands, but also mining concessions. At the labour level, hundreds of Chinese workers were brought in from China under the guise that they were destined to work on the Linden processing plant. However, there is no evidence that any of them went back and BaiShanLin is refusing to provide the Guyana Embassy in China with any details. When that embassy threatened to stop issuing business visas, BaiShanLin reportedly turned to the Clement Rohee-led Ministry of Home Affairs, under the P e o p l e ’s Progressive Party/Civic, and received permission for workers to enter the country through a back door — visas on arrival. Europe’s immigration authorities warned that BaiShanLin is likely involved in human trafficking and may have had connections with the Chinese underworld. The company even appeared to have come under the spotlight with Suriname where authorities
refused to grant any visas applied for by BaiShanLin. GFC this year started investigating after it was found that the company allegedly covered up the burning of a huge swath of forest land in Berbice. B a i S h a n L i n ’s chequered history in Guyana would also be a big embarrassment to the Chinese Government which had granted billions of dollars in concessions to the company to help spur its business in Guyana. Between 2012 and 2015, BaiShanLin benefitted from over $1.8B in local duty free concessions. Throughout it all, it is unclear how much Guyana benefitted from the concessions it granted. What is known is that tens of millions of US dollars in prime species logs were exported to China with Guyana receiving a mere pittance.
There is no indication that any gold has been officially declared despite the company being actively involved in mining. BIFDI was incorporated in September 2006 under the Guyana Companies Act 1991 with the main objective of timber harvesting and establishing downstream wood processing operations in Linden, GFC explained. BaiShanLin’s presence in Guyana had been an extremely uncomfortable one for especially the last administration of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/ C), under President Donald Ramotar, after it became known that the company was virtually given a blank cheque to carry out operations here. In Guyana, BaiShanLin was the third largest holder of state forests behind Barama Company Limited, a Malaysian company, and the Indian-owned Vaitarna Holdings.
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Thursday September 08, 2016
SARA’s powers to snoop around Massive gold production masking citizens’ private accounts worrying Guyana’s economic decline – Opposition - Agency poses danger to Constitutional rights-Private Sector Ensuring that citizens’ banking information is protected and only seen by the authorized bodies has been an issue of interest as of late, particularly for the Private Sector Commission (PSC). In relation to this sensitive subject, the Commission specifically refers to the financial access that would be made possible for the State Asset Recovery Unit (SARU) when it becomes formally established. Once its draft Bill is passed by the National Assembly and assented to by President David Granger, it will become the State Asset Recovery Agency (SARA). The PSC accepts that all assets or resources belonging to the State that were unlawfully or criminally transferred to any beneficiary must be recovered and returned to the State, once such unlawful transactions become known and criminal convictions obtained. However, the Commission is of the view that the current draft State Asset Recovery Bill 2016 (SARA Bill) is deeply flawed and inconsistent with many
of the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution. The PSC said that it has obtained legal representation and will be making known its objections to the legislation to the Attorney General and to members of the Legislature. The Commission also stated that the SARA Bill is not a good signal to investors who will require access to state resources such as land, licences, access rights etc. It believes that the Bill provides opportunities for legitimate investors to be harassed and politically victimized. The Commission said, “The Bill has been drafted from the perspective that the Government of Guyana does not know what it owns or what the State has lost over the years. As such, it provides all-encompassing investigative and surveillance powers to the Director and Staff of the Agency to snoop around into private accounts and financial records of citizens to determine what assets of the State were lost and need to be recovered.” It added, “This is a complete affront to the
fundamental rights of citizens and if such powers are granted they can be used to marginalize, suppress and take advantage of vulnerable members of the population through political intimidation.” With this in mind, the PSC said that it is extremely concerned that the powers provided to the Director of SARA will blur the lines of separation of functions of the Executive and the Judiciary. The Commission also questioned the need for Ministers to designate to the Director and Staff of SARA, as they see fit, the power of a revenue or customs officer, of a police officer and immigration officer rather than requesting collaboration and coordination of efforts amongst these agencies. The PSC believes that the SARA Bill is premature and redundant. In this regard, it said that many of the intelligencegathering mechanisms to be used by SARA have already been enacted in the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Legislation, and included in the mandate of the Integrity Commission, both of which have not been fully functional to date. With the aforementioned in mind, the PSC is calling on the Executive and Members of the Legislature to completely reexamine the dangers to civil liberties modeled by the SARA Bill in the context of the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.
The gold sector has delivered a remarkable performance thus far for 2016. In fact, a holistic view of that sector along with other revenue earners would give the impression that the economy seems to be doing just fine. But is the performance of the gold sector masking an unsavory truth? According to the political opposition, what lies below the flowery picture of continued economic growth under the Government, is a worrying economic decline. Specifically speaking to this matter was Opposition Member, Irfaan Ali. He believes that there is now consensus among many that the economy is backpedaling or in reverse gear. Ali said, “The contraction is felt by all and sundry and after a prolonged period of silence, even some apologists are provoked by their conscience to admit that the economy is on a slippery slope.” He continued, “At first, some of the apologists were out and about arguing that the economic slowdown was transitory and linked to the anxiety associated with the 2015 elections. However, since the elections ended 15 months ago, evidence shows that the economy is regressing at lightning speed. It has become difficult for the spin doctors to sell the story that ‘elections jitters’ is stifling our economic performance.” The Opposition Member added, “The harsh reality is that every major economic sector recorded lower output except the mining and q u a r r y i n g s e c t o r. A s I had explained before, the production of gold by two foreign companies, which set up operations under the PPP/C government, masked our economic decline. As a matter of fact, if we were to exclude the production of gold by these companies from the computation of the real growth rate we would be posting negative growth rather than the 2.0 percent reported by the Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan.” According to the 2016 Mid-year report, the mining an d q u a r r y i n g sector grew by 65.7 percent during the first half of the year buoyed by significant growth in the gold industry and i m p r o v e d p e r f o r m ance from the bauxite industry. The report said that production in the gold industry reached 322,493 ounces during the first half
Finance Minister, Winston Jordan
Opposition Member, Irfaan Ali
of 2016, an increase of 94.3 percent over the same period in 2015. Improved oversight of the industry and granting of concessions to the sector were among factors that contributed to an increase in output. Statistics however show that other sectors did not perform so well. In the case of the f o r e s t r y s e c t o r, t h i s contracted by 13.1 percent during the first half of 2016 compared to the same period in 2015. This was due to the fact that several concessions issued by the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), were not fully operational. It is anticipated that the second half of the year will see operators fully mobilized and a corresponding increase in production as compared to the first half, where mobilization of labour and equipment happened late in the second quarter. The manufacturing sector contracted by 14.1 percent during the first half of 2016, largely as a result of the decline in output of rice and sugar. Overall, the agriculture, fishing and forestry sectors contracted by 10.0 percent, in spite of growth in the livestock, other crops, and fishing subsectors. The report said that sugar production for the first half of 2016 was a disappointing 56,645 tonnes, or approximately 30 percent below production at mid-year 2015. This shortfall in production was mainly due to the severe El Niño dry spell, from September 2015 to April 2016, which affected the growth of the canes which, in turn, resulted in lower yields. This, combined with the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo)’s inability to irrigate the fields, coupled with delays in the acquisition of fertilizer and
fertilizer application, further compromised the quality of canes harvested. Following the shortfall, the industry’s target for 2016 has been revised to 218,188 tonnes from the budgeted 231,145 tonnes. Ali said that since the economic decline has touched all the major economic sectors as well as every Guyanese, it is not easy for “the spin doctors” to sell the story that the country is prospering. He said that they are now serving large dosages of outlandish excuses. He said, “The excuses range from claims that our economic slowdown was due to contraction in the underground economy to the weather phenomenon commonly known as El Niño. When they can’t blame it on the rain they just blame the sun and dry weather or something which is not observable.” The Opposition Member said that those who understand the workings of the country’s economy would accept that the economic decline is due to several factors. He said that these include the general decline in domestic income and consumption caused by the notable collapse of the major economic sectors; lower foreign and domestic investments and slippages from the poor implementation of the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP). Ali opined that the lower consumption is manifested in lower Value Added Tax collection, reduction in retail and whole trade and the 2.5 percent reduction in currency in circulation as reported by the Bank of Guyana for the first six months of 2016. The PP P E x e c u t i v e Member said it is for this very reason the ‘good life’ that the economic growth was supposed to deliver is simply considered a mirage by the average Guyanese.
Thursday September 08, 2016
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Kaieteur News
Questions must be raised about the process The Head of the National Aids Programme Secretariat (NAPS) has resigned. She is to be replaced by someone whom we are told is to be seconded from her present job at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. The big questions are: Why was the position of the Head of the National Aids Programme Secretariat not advertised? How will the public know that the best person has been chosen for the job? The government promised better. They should show they are better by making appointments based on a competitive and meritorious process. The position of the Head
of NAPS is a very high paying position. There may be persons out there who may feel that they should have been given a chance to apply for the position, which is one of the highest paying positions in the health sector. Why have those persons not been given a chance to apply for the job? If the person now earmarked for the job is the best candidate, then what is there to lose by having a competitive process? Is there a consistent policy in the government as to which positions will be advertised and which will be filled by handpicked persons? How does the government expect qualified
persons within the National Aids Programme Secretariat to feel, seeing that someone from outside of their department has been earmarked to succeed the head who has resigned? Persons within NAPS may have felt that they should have succeeded the person who resigned, as is the custom in many institutions. Why is someone being seconded from another government agency to head NAPS? Should the person not resign from her old job in order to take up the new job? Is there a probation period and who assesses the performance of the person who is being appointed?
Dem boys seh...
Watch out fuh some deal or de other As old people does seh, “De longest rope got an end.” BaiShanLin was a long rope, but de end reach de other day when Soulja Bai tek a decision to tek back all dem lands that BaiShanLin get by hook or by crook. But dem boys seh de story now start, because nuff things can happen. Dem expect to see some more out-of-court settlement. Two of dem could involve BK, because it look like if some people in Soulja Bai administration like to do business wid BK. Dem same people did settle fuh US$5.7 million when BK only threaten. De same BK carry BaiShanLin to court fuh money owe pun some land in
Providence. BK seh that BaiShanLin owe him US$4 million. Now that government tek back de land, BK might threaten dem fuh de money that BaiShanLin owe him. He might even threaten to sue fuh another US$10 million. But then again, he might argue that he should get back he land, because was he own in de first place. Of course dem boys want to know how he get it, but dem ain’t know who to ask because these days people don’t like talk. BaiShanLin also got equipment in de bush and BK does deal wid equipment. He like collect wha people lef behind. When he get de contract fuh de Haags Bosch site he collect a whole heap of
equipment wha somebody lef behind. That thing get dem boys friend wha dead, Walter Willis, really vex and when he talk, Ramotar g e t v e x . B u t d e m boys watching to see if anybody gun try any cock and bull. And since Soulja Bai plan to tek back de land from BaiShanLin, dem boys expect to see people trying to get that forest land, and of course dem waiting to see who gun cut a deal. De government want to put up a water treatment plant, suh dem put out tender. Five company people bid and guess who deh in de thick of things? BK. He team up wid a Trinidad company. A Chinee company bid too and one from Israel. Talk half and watch de tender board.
These questions are not intended to indicate that the person appointed is not suited for the job. She may well be more than suited for the job. The questions are intended to indicate the total absence of transparency with which some appointments are being made. For such an important and high-paying job, the position should have been advertised and persons should have been invited to apply. The media needs to question how and who it is that decided who should replace the head of NAPS. The person selected looks relatively young. But there are other positions which are being filled by retirees. One such position is the Head of the Civil Aviation Department which is being headed by a retired pilot who once worked in the army and at the Guyana Airways Corporation, but who also had experience in the aviation sector overseas. The person certainly has the experience, but the question is whether someone else in the Civil Aviation
Sector and someone younger, and who is not a retiree, could not have been selected for the job. This position may have been advertised. I cannot say, but it is strange if it was advertised that there would not have been many other serious contenders for the job. Perhaps the Kaieteur News can check and see if the position of the Head of Civil Aviation was advertised and the successful candidate emerged from a competitive interview system. The Minister of Public Infrastructure should be able to provide answers to these questions. These questions are being raised because of the controversy which has erupted at Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI). A person appointed to the position of Debt Recovery Manager was said to not be a university graduate. The person claimed that the position only required a secondary school education and CXC subjects. It is confusing that such an important position should
carry such low academic requirements when public sector positions at an equivalent level require a university degree. The Board of the GWI eventually terminated the services of the Debt Recovery Manager on the grounds that he was not qualified. The Board needs to ask itself how this person was appointed in the first place, and why it took so long for the Board to ascertain that the person may have been under-qualified for the job. Political appointees have been placed in many other public sector jobs. Persons have been appointed to senior positions in the public service without a competitive process. This has happened in quite a few agencies. It will happen again, unless questions are raised about the process through which appointments take place.
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Thursday September 08, 2016
Kaieteur News
=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===
Royston King will destroy the careers of Granger and Nagamootoo Since the APNU+AFC government came into power, the Town Clerk, Royston King has been acting in a power drunk manner. The question is why? My answer is that he feels he has protection from the Government. Another question becomes relevant. Is the central administration offering a canopy to King for the abominable violations he has been committing since
Carol Sooba demitted office? My answer is yes, and it has to do with the PNC party. The key figure in this power madness is the Mayor, Patricia Chase Green. Ms. ChaseGreen just won a seat on the PNC’s central executive. No doubt there were PNC stalwarts who facilitated her election. Or was it a selection? Someone is protecting King, because King has
become an unruly king. The violations keep stacking up. Sooner rather than later, King is going to destroy the careers of David Granger and Moses Nagamootoo. An enumeration of King’s kingly excesses makes for disgusting reading. King cordoned off the avenue between the two sections of East Street between Middle and New Market Streets, made it into a paid car park, and began charging people $500 an hour and $200 every hour a f t e r. T h e s t a ff a t t h e Georgetown Hospital and the residents in the area rejected King’s imposition. The parking lot is now a graveyard. Next, the vendors on Merriman Mall between Orange Walk and Cummings Street were evicted. Protest allowed them back in, but their stalls were reduced to a size smaller than a dog kennel. Next, the Stabroek Market vendors were unceremoniously evicted. Then King moved to clear the
entire Stabroek Square. Fortunately, the photographer who operates a service there sought and got a court order restraining King. Next, the Beharry Group of Companies complained that King has held up the processing of their permit to house the Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise. Next, King and his sidekick signed a parking meter contract that was so disgraceful and sickening that King and the Mayor should have been banished from public office for life. This has to be the most ill-shaped, opaque and silly contract ever signed between two entities. The contract is to run for 49 years. It cannot be cancelled unless the investor is compensated by 80 percent of what he should have earned for the 49 years. Yet against this backdrop, King remains as Town Clerk, accepted by an elected City Council and the Mayor won election last week to the central executive of the party led by President David Granger. Next, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) accused King of granting a permit to a developer in violation of a court order and against the decision of the CH&PA. Next,
without adequate notice, King removed over one hundred vendors who for years plied their trade on that spot. But here is the thing. The Granger/Nagamootoo regime told public servants the State can only give a ten percent salary increase to lower income public servants because of constraints of central funds. Against this limited Treasury, it is alright for King to put over one hundred small earners out of their income. Two questions need to be asked of the Prime Minister and the President. Why is an unelected city official allowed to abuse power like that when the Cabinet has jurisdiction to curtail his kingly madness? The Cabinet, in the form of the Minister of Communities, in the absence of the Local Government Commission, can reverse many of King’s authoritarian decisions. What this refusal by central government means is that the President, Prime Minister and Minister of Communities do not see that what King is doing is against the interest and future of poor people, and against the fundamental principles of post-PPP Guyana. It is reckless and irresponsible
Frederick Kissoon politics on the part of both city and central governments to allow the power madness of King to roam over the city of Georgetown How can the credibility of Granger, Nagamootoo and Minister Bulkan survive this power intoxication of Royston King? How can the APNU+AFC government condone what King is doing, yet have the moral barefacedness to criticize the PPP’s excesses when that party was in power? What Granger, Nagamootoo and Bulkan have failed to see is that they are damaging their party’s chances in 2020, more so Bulkan. It is doubtful that Granger and Nagamootoo will contest general elections in 2020. Maybe Bulkan wouldn’t either. Minister Bulkan and Prime Minister Nagamootoo have been my friends for a very long time. But I simply cannot remain silent at their lack of recognition of the mistreatment of the poor and powerless in my country.
Thursday September 08, 2016
Ministry of Foreign Affairs launches probe into ambassador’s background Following reports that Guyana has appointed a convicted felon as Ambassador to Kuwait, Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge has said an investigation has been launched to ascertain the accuracy of the information. Minister Greenidge was at the time, responding to questions on the appointment of Dr Shamir Ally, Guyana’s current Ambassador to Kuwait. Kaieteur News had reported that Ally was convicted on March 4, 2003 by United States District Court Judge, Michael M. Baylson, for dissemination of false financial information by Acrodyne Communications, Inc. (“Acrodyne”) in press releases and Commission filings in 1998, 1999 and 2000. The conviction was specifically for violations of the antifraud and recordkeeping provisions in keeping with the United States Securities regulations. Ally, who was charged jointly with A. Robert Mancuso and Ronald R. Lanchoney, was fined US$10,000. His coconspirators were fined US$50,000 and US$10,000 respectively. After the news broke, there was some amount of speculation that Minister Greenidge either did not do thorough background checks on his appointees to ambassadorial positions, or he was reckless with his appointments. Minister Greenidge has since debunked such theories. In a brief interview with Kaieteur News, the Minister underscored that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would have carefully “vetted’ all persons who were
Guyana’s current Ambassador to Kuwait, Dr Shamir Ally. considered for ambassadorial positions. “We would have exercised due diligence, but these processes are never perfect,” Greenidge added. He promised nonetheless that the Ministry would launch an investigation into the matter. According to Minister Greenidge, Ambassadors are taken from two groups of officials - those in the Foreign Service and those that are not from the Foreign Service. He said that Ally was not from the Foreign Service. Greenidge explained that as it is with other territories, there are certain criteria that must be satisfied before persons are appointed for such positions. Minister Greenidge said that for example, the
appointee must possess the special skill needed for the intended territory such as a language skill and that person must be a trusted individual, possessing the adequate repertoire with the Head of State of their home country. Questioned further about the appointment process, Minister Greenidge said that Dr. Ally is suitably qualified for the position. In addition to his involvement in a number of local organizations, Greenidge said that Ally has had been extensively involved with the nation’s Middle Eastern counterparts at religious and academic levels “So, one needs to look at what specifically, are the misdemeanours. We had no idea about this and we will now look at it. But in terms of qualifications and appropriateness of skills he is suitable.” Greenidge said however, “We are going to look into it, investigate and decide what action it warrants. Based on our findings, we will also be asking Mr. Ally some questions as well.” He noted that it would not be enough for the Ministry to rely and take action based on what is printed in a newspaper article. According to information obtained by Kaieteur News, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission alleged that Mancuso (Acrodyne’s former CEO and president), Lanchoney (Acrodyne’s former Chief Financial Officer), and Ally ( A c r o d y n e ’s former controller) were aware of numerous and significant
problems with Acrodyne’s accounting controls, but failed to assure that A c r o d y n e ’s financial transactions were accurately recorded. The Commission claimed that, as a result of the actions of Mancuso, L a n c h o n e y a n d A l l y, Acrodyne engaged in inaccurate and improper cost accounting and revenue recognition. The Commission also alleged that, starting in the second quarter of 1999 and continuing through the first quarter of 2000, Ally directed that unsupported journal entries be made to the cost of sales and inventory accounts to bring Acrodyne’s financial statements in line with the gross margin percentage he had estimated for the period. The Commission claimed that Mancuso approved these fraudulent adjustments for the first quarter of 2000. Given the conviction, Ally cannot vote in the United States. Earlier this year, Ally was also named as Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Guyana Office for Investment (GOInvest). In this age of advanced t e c h n o l o g y, t h e r e a r e legitimate means of ascertaining if a person has a criminal background. For example, Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) website is a source of accessing criminal and civil court history in the United States. PACER service provides on-line access to U.S. Appellate, District, and Bankruptcy court records and documents nationwide.
Alleged cop bribing case…
Statements to be filed in three weeks City Magistrate Judy Latchman instructed that the prosecution serve statements on the defence, in the matter for which city hotel owner Veersammy Narine is accused of bribing a detective attached to the Major Crimes Investigations Unit for him to suppress evidence in a murder case. It is alleged that on August 20, at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown, Narine, 52, of Bourda, Georgetown offered Detective Inspector Suraj Singh, an officer employed by the state, the sum of $400,000, as a reward or inducement for him to show favour to Dennis Veersammy in relation to his principal’s
affair. The Magistrate’s order comes a few days after the defendant was granted bail by the High Court. The statements will be disclosed to Attorney Glenn Hanoman, who is representing the defendant, on September 30. Narine is believed to be a relative of Berbice businessman, Dennis Veerasammy, one of the three men charged for the murder of Shameer Ali Mursalin, a former businessman. Mursalin called ‘Kazac’ a trader formerly of Grant 1805 Crabwood Creek, Corentyne, Berbice was fatally shot to the head on October 24, 2015. According to reports, police were investigating a report of threatening
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Kaieteur News
CHARGED: Veersammy Narine language and damage to property at Mursalin’s home. However, when police arrived at the home and called out for
him they reportedly got no response. It was reported that police officers ventured into the yard and found Mursalin’s body lying in a pool of blood. It was reported that Narine turned up at the CID Headquarters on August 20, to hand over $100,000 of a $400,000 sum, to the policeman. According to reports, after appearing to agree to the offer, the detective notified his superiors and a trap was arranged. Narine was taken into custody when he showed up with the cash. Police reportedly have video and audio evidence of the accused offering the bribe and handing over the money.
Doctors and nurses in hinterland regions trained to detect leprosy In an effort to detect and manage leprosy, a workshop is currently being held for doctors and nurses from several hinterland districts at the Ministry of Public Health’s Skin Clinic, located in the Palms Brickdam compound. The training is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) and the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO). It concludes on September 16. Guyana has eliminated leprosy at the national level and the fight continues to have it eradicated at the subnational level. In the last two decades, the country has reported 31 new cases of Hansen’s disease also known as leprosy. The disease is caused by a slow-growing type of bacteria. It primarily affects the skin and the nerves
outside the brain and spinal cord. The main symptom of leprosy is disfiguration of the skin, sores, lumps, or bumps that do not go away after several weeks or months. PA H O / W H O ’ s representative, Dr. William Adu-Krow said that the Ministry’s training for leprosy diagnosis, assessment of disability, prevention and management and promotion of self-care, are to strengthen the leprosy control programme. Dr. Adu-Krow explained that the main objective of the training is to develop the capacity of health workers from the hinterland regions to recognize, treat and manage cases of leprosy, and to prevent and/or minimize impairments and disability. “It’s not to say that people are not exposed to management of leprosy, but training like this increases the (Continued on page 23)
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Kaieteur News
Thursday September 08, 2016
Thursday September 08, 2016
Kaieteur News
Ministry ready to address issues that might arise from J’cans deportation KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade says it is aware of Tuesday’s deportation of 42 Jamaicans from the United Kingdom by way of Charter flight. The ministry said it will remain in contact with both the Jamaican High Commission in London as well as the Ministry of National Security to address any issues which might arise for their attention. In a news release yesterday, the ministry said it is also aware of Tuesday’s protest action outside the Jamaican High Commission in London by a small group of people, in relation to the planned deportation. “We have been advised by the Ministry of National Security, which has lead responsibility for such matters, that such flights have previously been used over the past several years, under a Memorandum of Understanding between the Governments of Jamaica and the United Kingdom, which addresses such
Kamina Johnson Smith matters. “The ministry will remain in contact with both the Jamaican High Commission in London, as well as the Ministry of National Security, to address any issues which might arise for our attention,” the ministry said. In the interim, the ministry moved to assure Jamaicans at home and abroad that while the appointment of a
new Jamaican High Commissioner is being finalised, the staff of the High Commission, including an acting high commissioner, are seized with the circumstances and remain available to advise members of the Diaspora in the United Kingdom who have specific concerns in respect of relatives, of any appropriate action which may be open to them. (Jamaica Observer)
Son of Cayman’s chief justice busted in J’ca on drug charges
David Anthony Ronald Smellie and Chief Justice, Anthony Smellie (R) KINGSTON, Jamaica — In what was described by Loop News as “A smelly affair”, the news service reported on Saturday that the son of Anthony Smellie, the chief justice of the Cayman Islands, has been busted in Jamaica, along with another man, on drug trafficking and other drug-related charges. However, according to Loop News, the arrests were kept quiet until it was tipped off to the bust when the men pleaded guilty in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court and on August 19 were given slap-on-the-wrist sentences – total fines of just US$123. David Anthony Ronald Smellie, 34, was arrested on July 24, six days after he attempted to send a package containing ganja from Kingston to a woman in Quebec, Canada. The package contained three T-shirts, three wrist bands and a pair of leather slippers. The slippers were found to contain hashish weighing approximately 8.63 ounces. Smellie, a website designer, was arrested along with 48-year-old Anthony Johnson.
The men were charged with possession of, dealing in, taking steps preparatory to export ganja and conspiracy to export ganja. Cautioned by police about the illicit substance, Smellie said that a Rasta man might have sold him the wrong pair of slippers. He, however, changed his story. “I bought the leather and give it to a friend of mine name Biggs along with $3,000 to make a slipper for me. I alone drive my van to FedEx with the shipment,” Smellie said, according to documents of the arrest. Smellie later pointed out Johnson to the police as the man who gave him the slippers. But Johnson gave a different story when cautioned by the police.They were arrested and charged. Smellie was fined $2,250 (US$18) or three months on the count of possession, $4,500 (US$35) or three months for dealing, and $9,000 (US$70) or three months for taking steps preparatory to export ganja. No evidence was offered on the conspiracy to export ganja charge. (Caribbean News)
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SALE @ STAR CARS: PREMIO, RUNX, IST, AXELA, RZ BUS, SPACIO, FIELDER. CALL: 679-3140
30 Acres at Yarrowkabra Linden, Soesdyke Highway. Creek available. Call: 6635524/ 661-5033
LEARN TO DRIVE C. Persaud & N. Outar Driving School formerly Soman & Sons Driving School @ Maraj BuildingCall: 644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997 (affordable packages)
VEHICLE FOR SALE
Office Clerk (senior/junior) with CXC English/ Mathematics, computer knowledge an asset. Call: 223-7500
85.6 Acres titled farm land with timber/water access, located @ Loo Creek E.B.D River. Call: 625-8589; (518) 859-5313 SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.-CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620
Thursday September 08, 2016
Kaieteur News
House and land for sale in Sharpe Street Leonora, price negotiable. Call: 686-3512 One end lot, concrete structure 24X40 – Contact Nirmala Singh: 265-3769/ 6533381 Brand new property @ Craig E.B.D 3 rooms, 1 self contained, House: 28X45ft land: 90X50ft -Call: 679-8091 or 718-213-6496
3 TON CANTER ENCLOSE AND OPEN BACK WITH 4D ENGINE, PRICE -$3.6M, NEVER REGISTERED – CALL: 617-2891 AT192, 212, Allion, Premio, Hilux Surf, BRR, RZ & Pitbull, Pajero Junior, Spacio: Cash / terms- Call:680-3154 We buy & sell vehicles for cash, also parts available & 30 seater buses; Extra Cab pickups; 2006 Tacoma- Call: 680-3154
WINGS CAR & PICKUP RENTAL: LOW DOWN PAYMENT, CHEAP REATES,SPECIAL OFFER FOR THE SUMMER. CALL: 690-6494
We l d e r / F a b r i c a t o r , Machinist, Mechanic with technical background Apply in person @ Technical Services , 18-23 Eccles Industrial Site. Contract cars and taxi drivers. Call: 231-0002; 2310316 Live in waitresses to work in Bar - Call:692-4649 Indian, age 47 and older, we are looking for an couple (husband & wife) to work in Suriname- Contact: 3225442 / 6516666 Waitress, between ages 1825 years. Call: 638-6669/ 6890113 Experienced Drivers, cashiers, Roti/Puri cook, cleaners. Apply @ Hack’s Halaal with written application, 5 Commerce Street. 1 Salesgirl & 3 Labourers. Apply with police clearance & reference. Alpes Variety Store, 74 Robb St. G/town.
One female cleaner for Office in Eccles. Call: 233-2745 One experienced cook to work in snackette & bar –Call: 647-7432; 223-5798 EDUCATIONAL
CAR RENTAL PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS& SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 6560087 , EMAIL: PRO_ AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO. COM
Attractive live in waitressCall: 327-0252/674-4665
CARPENTERS & MASON. CALL: 225-3234
Residential Property for sale, located at second Avenue, Diamond, East Bank Demerara, price $14M negotiable. Call: 609-7863 / 691-2372 6 Bedrooms house at Lot 2 Coghlan Dam, Pouderoyen. Call: 672-3992/ 618-7483
Waitress, live in or live out. Call: 664-1804; 681-4653
Dynamic Training Institute; USA standard, Diploma Course: Human Resource Management, Customer Service Relation. Call: 6165204 to register IAE – CXC Jan/June 2017 – full time school; lessons/ classes for students, adults, repeaters & beginners. Call Mr. Roberts: 683-5742 Register your child for our after school program for slow learners in Maths, Reading, Spelling Etc. Call: 675-4379 Register@ Xenon Academy; Grove, E.B.D- Tel: 266-2551/ 643-4045: Nursery & Secondary classes, now offering CXC evening classes Mon-Fri, 5-7pm.
Factory workers from 18yrs and older with working experienced for more information. Call: 223-0090 1 Canter driver from WBD area ( La Parfaite Harmonie), must be able bodied & have sound secondary education. Call: 618-4257
VACANCY We l d e r / F a b r i c a t o r f o r interior location. Applicants must be experienced with verifiable references. Call: 618-2020 Receptionist between 25-35 years apply within 233 South Road Lacytown. Call: 2250198 FULL TIME WAITER/ WAITRESS AT AAGMAN INDIAN RESTAURANT, SHERIFF STREET, EXPERIENCEDPREFERRED. CALL: 219-0158 1 Qualified pharmacist to w o r k a t Tr u e Va l u e Pharmacy. Call: 618-4027 between 8am-4pm, attractive salary offer. Exist for one experienced dispatcher at confidential cabs. Call: 231-5784/ 2314000 Kitchen Assistant: 2 males &female, experienced a plus, must be able to work weekends. Call Mr.Khan: 695-6550; 656-9313 Experienced bartenders and cleaners. Call: 225-8572 between 7am -9am Cashiers & sales clerk apply in person with written application at Nirva Supermarket. Call: 227-5771 One general domestic & one gardener. Apply @ R.Sookraj & Sons, 108 Regent Street opposite GBTI. 1 Cleaner for growing business, must have excellent recommendations. Call: 655-1560 from 08:00hrs15: 00hrs Mon-Fri. One legal computer clerk. Phone: 624-7087; 226-4283/ e m a i l : husainsaphier@yahoo.com Delivery Riders – Call: 2235273/4 One handyman between ages 30-40. Contact:2235273/4 1 Male able bodied clerkCall: 616-5954; 231-2029
Land to buy @ Tuschen, Zeelugt, Uitvlugt, La Parfaite Harmonie, best price offered. Call: 642-1252 Labourers & experienced garbage truck drivers. Kindly contact: 670-7920 Live in family: Husband to do driving & welding, wife to do domestic. Call: 227-1830 One bartender, security & cleaner. Call: 668-8332/ 638-5303
HEALTH Improve your health with Herbal Supplements. Contact Hazel’s Herbal Store. Call: 226-9136 FOR SALE/RENT American Pool Table. Call: 277-0578 Continue page 23
Thursday September 08, 2016
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Kaieteur News
West Demerara School defaced on first day of new term Imagine the shock and disgust of students and teachers of the Saraswat Primary School when they showed up for the new school term on Monday morning only to be greeted with graffiti-covered walls bearing indecent language and perverse images. The persons had used spray paint to apply the graffiti. The school is located in the village of De Willem, West Coast Demerara. Teachers of the school had been cleaning classrooms on Sunday and had left the school shortly after midday. The school is reportedly guarded only at nights and some persons believe that the culprits may have sneaked into the building sometime during Sunday afternoon and did their mischief. A source close to the school told Kaieteur News that the dastardly act may have been done by several unemployed young men in the village who are known marijuana smokers. Others called on the police to round up persons and question them in a bid to find out the culprits behind the defacing of the school. The matter was reported to Regional Education Officer Dennis Jaikarran, and he is now attempting to get some paint, as persons from the community have volunteered to repaint the defaced walls. One parent is of the opinion that the school needs to be guarded during the day and not only at night. Defacing of schools seems to be a norm on the West Coast of Demerara as it was only last term that the Zeeburg Secondary School was also treated in a similar fashion.
From page 22
FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Vreed-en-Hoop Junction: office, church, storage bond lessons, internet, stationery & photocopy shop, other place -$20,000 per month. Call: 603-6400 2 Apartments @ 62 Victoria Avenue Eccles. Call: 6672536; 628-0016 Apartments for rent @ Nandy Park, E.B.D, 2 bedrooms -$70,000 -Call: 2275194 3 Bedrooms apartment for rent. Call: 267-1446/674-6080 2 Bedrooms apartment with toilet & bath @ Lot Q19 Pigeon Island, Chateau Margot E.C.D. Call Bibi: 2206799/ 603-9547 1 New & spacious 2 bedrooms apartment 5th Avenue Diamond, New Scheme. Call: 610-0652/ 6878113 Restaurant/Bar or doctor’s office, business place, at Lot ‘C’ Hydronie Parika –Call: 664-9245; 665-6138 Bottom flat supermarket located @ First Bridge Diamond E.B.D- Call: 6017749; 216-3069; 626-7064; 691-4808
The defaced walls of the Saraswat Primary School
Doctors and nurses in hinterland... From page 11 index of suspicion,” Dr. Adu-Krow said. The Public Health Minister, D r. G e o rg e N o r t o n , addressing the mostly hinterland health care providers said that the training will create awareness and build the capacity of the hinterland health workers, and simultaneously, boost the national leprosy programme. He commended the p r o g r a m m e ’s coordinators for involving Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine, since the training will aid the health workers in recognizing, treating and managing cases of leprosy early, and also to prevent and/or minimize impairments. “It is the Ministry’s
vision to concentrate on prevention …on most of the diseases and sicknesses from an early stage,” the Minister said. In relation to children, the Public Health Minister pointed out that there are still a number of challenges in detecting the disease among children. Also there is the challenge of stigma and discrimination with persons affected with leprosy. “That is why I am happy that the hinterland is included in the training, because we must not wait for affected persons to come to us, but we must go out to them and assess them so they can be treated,” Minister Norton explained.
Facilitator of the t r a i n i n g , B r a z i l i a n D r. Jaison Barreto, explained that migration can cause l e p r o s y, s o n o o n e i s completely free from the disease.
The doctor encouraged the health workers to seek persons who might be affected and not be afraid to treat them for the disease can be eliminated from Guyana completely.
Fully furnished 2 storey house with 3 AC bedrooms, security & sensor lights, etc at Gated Community. Call: 685-5845; 668-8714; 612-3400 Bachelor’s Apartment to rent. Call: 233-0327 from 5:00pm to 9:00pm
FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. 1-Hyster Forklift With 1000 Series, Perkins Engine$1.2M, 1-CAT DP-40 3-Ton Forklift-$2.9M. Contact#6500402 33.6 Acres farm land @ Kuru Kururu, Linden Soesdyke Highway. Call: 679-1151; 6190673 2 Tug boat (ocean going), 12000 HP, 1-2200 HP. Call: 6630633 1 Gas station in Cotton Tree Village Berbice. Call: 6630633 57 Acres transported land before Soesdyke Junction also power tools. Call: 2654180; 615-3054 Cargo Trawler. Call: 682-8724; 616-5954 Carpets, water tank, printer, stereo & speakers, tea cups & saucers, plants & plant pots, massage oil, baby strollers. Call: 231-1284/2239719 Household, Restaurant & hotel Items: 3pcs living room set, ceiling fans, 4X3ft glass sliding doors, clothing. Call: 231-1284/ 223-9719 Elevator (good condition) Diesel Generator (23KVA, 110/220V). Call: 231-1284/ 223-9719 Text Books: My Lady Cosmetology, Barbering, Taber’s Medical Dictionary, Clinical Procedures @ Anointed Christian Bookstore, 59 Robb St. 1-4 Piece Stereo set, 1 bass box -$65,000. Call: 665-4944 Pit bull pups for sale, already vaccinated. Call: 625-0356 Aluminum heat resistant paint, 2 USA made, 37 KVA transformer, 120-240V, S.Q.D – $350,000 each. Call: 2653541/ 6163411 Dachshund pups mixed with Pekingese for sale-$20,000 (one female only remaining). Call: 677-2476
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Thursday September 08, 2016
Kaieteur News
Iraq militia fighters join battle for Syria’s Aleppo A still image taken yesterday from a video posted on social media said to be shot in Aleppo’s Al Sukari, Tuesday, shows a boy breathing with an oxygen mask inside a hospital, after a suspected chlorine gas attack, Syria. Social Media via Reuters TV
Reuters - An Iraqi Shi’ite militia said yesterday it had dispatched more than 1,000 fighters to the frontline in neighbouring Syria, escalating foreign involvement in the battle for Aleppo, the biggest prize in five years of relentless civil war. New footage emerged of civilians choking in the aftermath of an apparent attack with poison chlorine gas on an opposition-held district as the battle for Syria’s biggest city approaches what could be a decisive phase. Aleppo has been divided for years into government and rebel sectors, but President Bashar al-Assad’s army has put the opposition areas under siege and now hopes to capture the whole city in what would be a devastating blow to his enemies. Government forces are backed by Russian air power and battle-hardened Lebanese and Iraqi Shi’ite militia fighters under the apparent oversight of an Iranian general. The arrival of reinforcements from Iraq, where Shi’ite militia are fighting their own war against the Islamic State group, shows how the Syrian and Iraqi conflicts have leapt borders, to become a broad sectarian war across the Middle East. Hashim al-Moussawi, a spokesman for the Iraqi Shi’ite militia Harakat alNujab, said its fighters would reinforce areas captured from the rebels in southern Aleppo. The militia’s Twitter account showed pictures of its fighters at the Syrian front with Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani, commander of foreign operations for the elite Revolutionary Guards, who has led operations by Tehran’s allies in both Syria and Iraq. Rebel commanders said they are preparing to launch their own counter-offensive aimed at breaking the siege of
the city, which was reimposed in recent days following weeks of intense fighting around a military complex. Rebels lost the complex of military colleges to pro-government forces on Sunday near the Ramousah area of southwestern Aleppo, where they had opened a way into the city. Five years after the multisided war began, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and 11 million - half of Syria’s pre-war population - displaced. But there is little sign that any party is poised for victory or can restore stability, and foreign powers are becoming more involved. In recent weeks, Turkey has sent its troops across the border to combat Islamic State and Kurdish fighters. The United States, which is trying to negotiate a ceasefire with Russia, has backed Kurdish forces advancing against Islamic State. Meanwhile, the plight of some 250,000 civilians trapped
in rebel-held districts of Aleppo has spurred international efforts to agree a new humanitarian truce. But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry have not reached agreement over the details of a ceasefire. Western countries, Turkey and most Arab states oppose both Assad’s government and Islamic State, while supporting other anti-Assad factions. Russia and Iran support Assad. The latest apparent poison gas attack adds to a litany of what Assad’s opponents say is deliberate targeting of civilians, often with banned weapons, to force rebels to surrender. Footage of the apparent chlorine gas attack on the Sukari district, near Aleppo’s main battlefield in the city’s southwest, showed crying children being doused with water and then lying on hospital beds and breathing through respirators.
Duterte, Obama shake hands and chat after rift over insult Reuters - U.S. President Barack Obama and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte shook hands and had a brief chat on Wednesday, officials said, easing a standoff after Duterte called Obama a “son of a bitch” ahead of a summit of Asian leaders in Laos. The presidents of the two longtime allies were due to hold talks on Tuesday but the White House cancelled the meeting after Duterte’s insult. “I’m very happy that it happened,” Philippines’ foreign minister, Perfecto Yasay, said of their short meeting. “It all springs from the fact that the relationship between
the Philippines and the United States is firm, very strong.” Duterte had his outburst on Monday when he was defending his war on drugs that has killed at least 2,400 Filipinos. Notorious for his tirades and for cursing during interviews and speeches, he later expressed regret for offending Obama. The two men shook hands and chatted for about two minutes as they waited to take their seats at a gala dinner ahead of Thursday’s East Asia Summit, according to Yasay and several of Duterte’s aides.
Thursday September 08, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Thursday September 08, 2016
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New York Mayor rules out cancelling Caribbean J’ouvert NEW YORK - CMC – New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has ruled out cancelling J’ouvert activities in the Caribbean community here, saying that it is an event that’s “important to the community.” But he said one day after the grand West Indian American Day Carnival on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn ended, that the city would consider changing the hours of the predawn event. “I think it was very clear yesterday that we were not including the option of ending something which has gone on for decades and decades,” de Blasio told reporters at a news conference with police officials. “We have to find out a way to make it safer.” Police said four people were shot, two of them fatally, during J’ouvert. The two killed were Trinidadian Tyreke Borel, 17, who was shot in the chest, and Tiarah Poyau, 22, who was shot in the face. “All the right things were done in advance, including targeting gangs and getting additional guns off the street,
Bill de Blasio
but we have more to do,” de Blasio said, noting “even with the right steps being taken, there’s more we have to do. “We have to find new ways and additional ways to address this situation.” De Blasio noted that the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the Puerto Rican Day Parade in Manhattan and the West Indian American Day Carnival Parade in Brooklyn have all managed to clamp down on violence at their respective events. “And each one of
them was brought under control. We’ll do the same here with J’ouvert.” On Tuesday, Walter T. Mosley, a New York State Assemblyman in Brooklyn, called for suspension of J’ouvert in the Caribbean community in Brooklyn. “This celebration of cultural heritage, on a day fought so hard for by our brothers and sisters in the labour movement, has unfortunately become synonymous with gun violence,” he wrote on his Facebook page.
Brazil’s new president booed at Independence Day parade
Supporters of Brazil’s impeached president Dilma Rousseff demonstrate against President Michel Temer in Brasilia yesterday (AFP Photo/Andressa Anholete) Brasília (AFP) - Brazil’s new president, Michel Temer, was booed at an annual military parade in the capital Brasilia yesterday, his first public outing since taking power last week. “Out with Temer!” shouted protesters at the heavily policed ceremony. Supporters of Temer applauded the new leader. Temer, who was sworn in as president after the removal from office of his rival Dilma Rousseff in an impeachment trial, ditched the traditional open top Rolls Royce used for the parade, instead using a closed presidential vehicle. Apparently wishing to remain lowkey, the new president also did not wear the usual sash over his dark suit.
The military parade in the centre of Brasilia kicked off nationwide events marking Brazil’s September 7 Independence Day. However, there were also protests around the country in support of Rousseff, an unpopular leftist leader who was found guilty by the Senate of breaking accounting laws. Yesterday, Temer was to attend the opening of the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Temer, also shown by polls to be deeply unpopular, promises to embark on deep reforms to steer Brazil further to the right in hopes of ending the deepest recession since the 1930s. At the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games last month he was loudly booed.
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Britain to start building anti-migrant wall in Calais London (AFP) - Britain is to start building a wall in the northern French port of Calais to stop migrants jumping on trucks, under a deal agreed earlier this year, the interior ministry said yesterday. The four-metre (13-foot) high, one-kilometre long barrier will be built on a port approach road starting this month and should be completed by the end of this year, officials said. The wall, which will be funded by the British government under an agreement struck at a summit in March, will complement a security
fence already put up around the port and entrance to the Channel Tunnel. “We are going to start building this big new wall very soon. We’ve done the fence, now we are doing a wall,” junior minister Robert Goodwill told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday. Green Party MP Caroline Lucas called the wall “monstrous” while campaign group Citizens UK asked Britain to use the money instead to transfer child migrants with families in Britain from Calais. Richard Burnett, chief executive of Britain’s Road Haul-
age Association also told the BBC the plan was a “poor use of taxpayers’ money”. He said funding for a wall “would be much better spent on increasing security along the approach roads”. The wall, which is expected to cost 2.7 million euros ($3.0 million), will be the latest barrier to go up around Europe as the continent struggles with its biggest migrant influx in decades. Hungary has built a reinforced fence on its frontier with Serbia and Austria has announced plans for a massive new fence along its bor-
der with Hungary in a bid to shut down the Balkan migrant route. Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump has said he plans to build a wall along the border with Mexico funded by the Mexican government if he is elected. Many commentators on Twitter drew comparisons with Trump’s proposal, with @fleetstreetfox saying: “And now we’re the United Kingdom of Trump”. The wall in Calais was agreed following tens of thousands of attempted Channel crossings last year by migrants sneaking onto lorries
boarding ferries and the Eurotunnel. Angry French truckers and farmers blocked the main routes in and out of Calais on Monday to call for the closure of the sprawling “Jungle” migrant camp. The Jungle, a squalid camp of tents and makeshift shelters, is home to some 7,000 migrants but charities say the number might be as high as 10,000 after an influx this summer. Migrants from the camp sometimes use tree branches to create roadblocks to slow trucks heading for Britain,
their destination of choice. When the trucks slow down, migrants try to clamber into the trailers to stow away aboard. Drivers say migrants and people trafficking gangs have attacked their vehicles with metal bars. The drivers say despite the deployment of 2,100 officers around the port, the police are overstretched and unable to secure the roads. French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve promised during a visit to the Jungle last week to close the camp down “as quickly as possible” but said it would be done in stages.
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Trump seeks to build up U.S. military, commander in chief test looms Reuters - Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump pledged yesterday to launch a new U.S. military buildup as he and Democratic rival Hillary Clinton compete over who would be more competent at leading the armed forces as commander in chief. Buoyed by polls showing him regaining some ground on Clinton, Trump portrayed himself in an address in Philadelphia as a defender of traditional Republican values on national security but with a distinct unwillingness to launch new wars in the Middle East. He said he would ask Pentagon leaders to present a plan within 30 days to destroy Islamic State if he wins the Nov 8 election. But he said any action would be “tempered with realism” and would avoid “toppling regimes with no plan for
what to do the day after.” “I am proposing a new foreign policy focused on advancing America’s core national interests, promoting regional stability, and producing an easing of tensions in the world. This will require rethinking the failed policies of the past,” he said. The New York businessman gave yesterday’s speech in measured tones and offered more policy details than he often does at campaign rallies. He called for hundreds more new U.S. ships, planes and submarines, and vowed to train thousands more combat troops as well as develop a “state of the art” missile defence system, starting with modernizing 22 Navy cruisers at a cost of about $220 million apiece. He told supporters at the invitees-only event in the Union League of Philadelphia
that America is under threat like never before from foes like radical Islamists, North Korea and China. “Our adversaries are chomping at the bit,” he said, blaming President Barack Obama and his former secretary of state Clinton for allowing the United States to lose global influence. He accused Obama of wanting to reduce the size of the Army to 450,000 troops. Trump said he would raise U.S. troop levels to 540,000. He echoed late President Ronald Reagan in calling for “peace through strength.” Trump has some convincing to do on foreign policy. Many national security experts from past Republican administrations have declared him unfit for the Oval Office due to his temperament and lack of experience.
PM May cannot take any part of Britain out of EU single market - Sturgeon Reuters - Prime Minister Theresa May does not have a mandate to take any part of Britain out of the European Union’s single market, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said yesterday, upping the stakes in talks for Britain to leave the bloc. May has said Britain will be leaving the EU after 52 percent of voters backed Brexit at a June 23 referendum. While England and Wales voted to leave, the Scots and Northern Irish backed staying in the bloc, complicating divorce proceedings. “We will seek to use whatever influence we have to shape the best, or the least bad option,” Sturgeon told the Scottish parliament, providing an update on Scotland’s drive to keep its EU membership. “In my view, that does mean the UK continuing as a member of the single market.
Nicola Sturgeon
I accept that the Prime Minister has a mandate in England and Wales to leave the EU, but I do not accept that she has a mandate to take any part of the UK out of the single market.” Continuing to have access to the single market without being an EU member would mean taking part in the trade area without having a say over its rules.
Support for EU membership among Scots in the June “Brexit” referendum was 62 percent, putting Scotland at odds with much of the rest of Britain. Sturgeon, who leads the devolved Scottish government, has raised the possibility of another independence referendum. Scots voted against secession just two years ago.
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Rio Paralympics 2016: Brazil president booed at opening ceremony BBC Sport - Brazilian president Michel Temer was booed as the 2016 Paralympic Games opened in Rio de Janeiro to a backdrop of colour, music and a powerful message of inclusivity. Thousands of performers were involved either side of the two-hour procession of competing countries at the Maracana. Competition begins today, when Britain’s Dame Sarah Storey can become the most successful female Paralympian. Storey goes for gold in the C5 pursuit (qualifying:
15:19 BST, finals: 21:12). Fireworks, stunts and a beating heart The opening ceremony began with American Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham, in a wheelchair, jumping from a massive ramp from the Maracana stands and performing a back flip through a giant ring. The Brazilian national anthem was played on the piano by Carlos Martin, whose right hand is severely disabled, before the parade of athletes, with the loudest cheer of the night reserved for competitors from the host nation.
Each nation carried a piece of a jigsaw, which bore the name of their country on one side and faces of competing athletes on the other. Once completed, the jigsaw was adorned by the faces of every competitor at the 2016 Games. All of the faces came together to form a beating heart, which began beating in time to the music. One of the most striking parts of the ceremony was when bright lights temporarily ‘blinded’ the crowd to try and show spectators the reality Paralympic athletes face, forcing them to rely on other
Thursday September 08, 2016 ARIES: (MAR. 21APRIL 20) Overindulgent people will cause disruptions in your life. You may find that your documents are not in order. Your attitudes are changing rapidly.
position among your peers. You may have been too nice to a friend who just wanted to take advantage of you. Do not give your heart to someone who may not live up to your standards.
TAURUS: (APR. 21MAY 21) Visit friends you don't get to see that often. You may find it difficult to communicate. You must get out and mingle.
SCORPIO (OCT. 24 NOV. 22): Your lover will be extremely sensitive and now will not be a good time to make changes that they won't like. Be sure to take care of any minor ailments. Control your anger.
GEMINI (MAY22-JUNE 21) Problems with peers is apparent. Art investment will pay big dividends in the long term. You may want to pull out some of those unfinished project you've got tucked away. CANCER: (JUNE 22JULY 22) Try not to get involved in other people's problems. This is a great day to start that new health regimen you've been talking about. Your temper may get the better of you if a colleague has tried to ruin your reputation. LEO (JULY 23-AUG 22) Try not to hurt your partner's feelings. Self-improvement projects will payoff in more ways than one. Mishaps due to preoccupation will be upsetting. VIRGO: (AUG. 23 SEPT. 23) Socially, you need a fast paced form of entertainment. Catch up on overdue phone calls and correspondence. Sudden changes in your financial situation are likely. LIBRA:(SEPT. 24 OCT. 23) Strengthen your
SAGITTARIUS: (NOV. 23 -DEC. 21) Feeling under the weather may be a result of overindulgence. Try out for a local sports team such as volleyball, tennis, lawn bowling, or whatever interests you. Be creative in your efforts. CAPRICORN: (DEC 22.- JAN. 20) Travel for business or pleasure. A need to be in love may fool you. Beware of someone who is trying to make you look bad. AQUARIUS: (JAN. 21 FEB. 19) This could be the cause of a dispute that may result in estrangement. Your temper may erupt if you have allowed others to cost you too much money. Don't let the cat out of the bag. PISCES: (FEB. 20MAR. 20) Opportunities for new friendships are apparent. Get involved in creative projects that will enhance your earning power. You may overspend if you travel today; however, the trip will be one to remember.
senses such as hearing. Political figures booed Rio 2016 organising committee president Carlos Nuzman was booed during his speech, as was President Temer a short while later. The South American country has been beset by political unrest and, just 24 hours earlier, former Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff left her official residence for the last time following her impeachment and removal from office. Nuzman did manage to finish his speech, which spoke of building a “new world, more accessible to all and with no obstacles”. Temer’s role was brief as he officially opened the Games and handed over to more performers. Finally the flame was lit, in driving rain, in front of a cheering crowd - the passion of which helped influential official Marcia Malsar to her feet as she fell while carrying the torch. A difficult build-up to the Games Funding The biggest concern for the Games was around a shortfall in funding, with the struggling Brazilian economy and low ticket sales meaning Rio’s organising committee had not raised enough money to fund the event. Rio’s mayor Eduardo Paes had to secure an additional £36m of funding and £24m in sponsorship from state-run companies, meaning the Paralympics will go ahead, but with cuts to the workforce and transport services as well as the closure of some media centres. Tickets Ticket sales have improved, with 1.6 million sold of the 2.5 million available, after only 12% had been bought just three weeks ago. The London 2012 Paralympics sold a record 2.7 million tickets. Prince Harry has made a donation to the #FillTheSeats initiative, which is working with Paralympics organisers to buy 10,000 tickets for local children. Russian doping There was also the ongoing saga of whether Russian athletes would be able to compete, after a report commissioned by the World AntiDoping Association found evidence of widespread doping across Russian sport. Unlike the Olympics, which allowed individual sport federations to decide if Russians could compete at Rio 2016, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has applied a blanket ban, which Russian officials un-
successfully appealed against. Athlete classifications And concerns have been raised about whether the system used to determine the classifications athletes compete in is being manipulated to boost medal chances. British T37 200m sprinter Bethany Woodward, who has cerebral palsy and will not be competing in Rio, has criticised the British Paralympic Association (BPA), saying “they’ve brought in people who are not like me in terms of disability”. BPA boss Tim Hollingsworth said no advantage was being sought for Britain’s 264 athletes in Rio. The IPC says the system is always under review, while UK Athletics said it will look
at classifications after Rio, standard practice for the body after every Games. Who are the big hitters? China are the Paralympics superpower, having topped the medal table at London 2012 with 231 medals, 95 of which were gold. Russia came second four years ago, with 36 gold medals, but will not be in Rio because of their ban, giving Great Britain, third in 2012 with 34 golds, a great chance of moving up a place. Among the global stars in Rio are Brazilian swimmer Daniel Dias, American swimmer Elizabeth Marks, Australia’s Olympic and Paralympic table tennis player Melissa Tapper and the Netherlands’ ‘Blade Babe’ Marlou van Rhijn.
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Kaieteur News
Kei Nishikori stuns Andy Murray GDF coming in force in five sets to reach semis National Intermediate boxing...
for Republicans All is set for the Lennox Blackmoore National Intermediate boxing competition which starts at the National Gymnasium tomorrow. Action commences at 7:00pm and fans can be assured of an entertaining three days of action. The Guyana Defence Force has upped the ante, informing that they are coming full force to challenge closest rival the Republican Gym. The GDF disclosed that it will field a 30man strong team that is capable of retaining the Champion Gym title dwarfing the 20 member team presented by the Republicans on Tuesday. The size of the GDF contingent indicates its intention to retain the coveted title. On Tuesday the Republicans revealed that their main threat was the feared middleweight Geraldo Phillips and welterweight Joshua Joseph, Best Boxer in the National Novice. However, the army has countered with threats of its own. The soldiers said flyweight Don Cumberbatch, lightweights Travis Hubbard and Jamal Brisport, junior welterweight Colin Hinds and light heavyweight Renaldo Niles have been whipped into shape by AIBA certified Three Star coach Terrence ‘Cool’ Poole and are determined to halt any attempt at a
Republican invasion. The Republicans claimed the title in 2014 after upstaging the Guyana Defence Force at the East Ruimveldt Community Centre Ground (California Square). They were then coached by Wincell ‘Nacker’ Thomas and literally assaulted the soldiers in every department inside the ring to earn the coveted title. The army rebounded to wrestle the title back last year. However, the Republican Camp has promised to give them another California Square experience because they are coming with vengeance in mind to upstage the army. The Republicans have been turning in excellent performances which many have attributed to the support given by Prison Director Carl Graham. The National Intermediate competition will commence tomorrow evening at the National Gymnasium begging at 7:00pm and fans are being encouraged to come out and support the young boxers and in the process be entertained with a choc-full of action. Over eight gyms from across the country, including two from Linden, and 70 boxers would be participating.
Suspended Solo forced our hand with repeated actions :coach
Nishikori reached his only Grand Slam final to date at the 2014 US Open. (Getty images)
BBC Sport - Britain’s Andy Murray made his earliest Grand Slam exit of the year as Japan’s Kei Nishikori fought back to win their US Open quarter-final in five sets. Murray, seeded second, led by two sets to one but eventually lost 1-6 6-4 4-6 6-1 7-5 in three hours 57 minutes. The Wimbledon champion lost his rhythm after rain brought the roof across, and his cool when the stadium sound system interrupted a break point. Sixth seed Nishikori goes on to face Juan Martin del Potro or Stan Wawrinka. “It was too exciting on the court, but I tried to stay calm,” said Nishikori, the 2014 runner-up. “In the beginning I didn’t start well, he has a great return, but I finished well. The rain delay helped me to change tactics. I tried to hit a few more drop-shots than usual today and it worked really well today.” Murray, 29, had been on course to become only the
fourth man since the Open era began in 1968 to reach all four major finals in the same year, having finished runner-up at the Australian and French Opens, and won Wimbledon. SOUND SYSTEM ‘MALFUNCTION’ UPSETS MURRAY The decision to keep the roof closed, despite the weather quickly improving, and a “malfunctioning digital audio sound processor” - as described by the United States Tennis Association upset Murray’s rhythm and composure, in contrast to the impressive Nishikori. “When we stopped the point at break point at the beginning of the fourth set, it was the fourth time it had happened in the match and the first time we had stopped the point,” Murray said of the loud noise that halted play as he held set point in the fourth set. He added: “Under the roof he was able to dictate more of the points and playing closer to the baseline than me.”
NISHIKORI HOLDS HIS NERVE IN DECIDER Murray began in terrific form, overpowering Nishikori in a 35-minute first set, but lost control of the match when a passing rain shower led to the new roof being brought over Arthur Ashe Stadium. Nishikori levelled at one set all and infuriated Murray by breaking straight back three times after losing his serve. Murray’s frustration only grew when he let a 40-0 lead slip at 4-4 in the third, but when the Scot took the next two games he looked to have finally taken control. His momentum stalled dramatically early in the fourth set when he was seemingly in charge of a rally on break point, only for the stadium sound system to emit a loud noise that caused the umpire to halt the point. Murray was furious, arguing with both umpire and tournament referee, but the point, the game and within half an hour the set went Nishikori’s way. A persistent butterfly only added to Murray’s annoyance as the 2012 champion lost seven straight games, but twice fought back from a break down in the fifth set to edge ahead at 5-4. With 16 service breaks between them, there seemed every chance Murray would finally get over the finish line, but Nishikori played a superb love hold and it was the Japanese who then claimed the 17th and decisive break. There was to be no final set tie-break as Nishikori proved the stronger with another nerveless hold that ended Murray’s hopes.
WARRIORS DESTROY HUMANITARIANS
Goalie Hope Solo of USA reacts during a game. (REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino) (Reuters) Hope Solo’s repeated actions “forced” U.S. Soccer to hand a six-month suspension to the outspoken goalkeeper, United States women’s soccer coach Jill Ellis said on Tuesday. Solo received the ban from internationals two weeks ago after she branded opponents Sweden “a bunch of cow-
ards” at last month’s Rio Olympics. It was not the only incident that led to the penalty, Ellis said in her first public comments since the suspension was announced. “Over time, there’s been off-the-field distractions and the federation has taken action,” Ellis said in comments
released by U.S. Soccer. “Each time action has been taken, there’s been made clear an expectation that this would be the last time such a step would be necessary. “It wasn’t a decision just made about comments, it was a sum total of actions that have unfortunately shone a negative light on our program.” Solo, 35, was previously suspended for 30 days in early 2015 for her conduct after a domestic violence case that was dismissed after she pleaded not guilty to striking her sister and nephew during a dispute at her home in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland.
The New Amsterdam Warriors showed no mercy to the hapless new comers Guyana Humanitarian Development Centre (GHDC), pounding them into submission when play continued in the A. Ally and Son’s First division Basketball competition for teams in Berbice with one game. The Warriors came prepared for battle even as they were playing in unfamiliar environment in the game which was played on Sunday at the GHDC court. They made their host really uncomfortable as they took charge from the start to come out 71-36 winners. The Warriors were in a different class from their opponents as they executed well with some smooth and sometimes bullish play. By the time the first session ended the score was 17-6. With pressure being added in the second quarter the Warriors were finding it easier as they ended the first half with a 14 points lead at 32-18. At the start of the second half the sharp Warriors continued to press, pouring in 22 points to the host 2. The segment ended
54-20. The Warriors showed no mercy as they continued to pour in baskets at will. Even as the GHDC made a game of it they were happy to hear the final whistle as the Warriors bucketed another 17 points to the GHDC 16 for the 71-36 blowout. Leading the board for the winning New Amsterdam Warriors were Shamiar France with a game high 23 with support coming from Quesi Mickle 21 and Shamar Halley 17. For the GHDC team Bobby Tashir scored 17 with Carl Hooper 10 and David Gomes 8. The competition is expected to continue on Sunday with Rose Hall Town Jammers being at home to New Amsterdam Warriors at the Rose Hall Town Court in a game postponed from last week in what is expected to be a tough affair. Tip-off is 16:00 hrs. Cash, trophies and other incentives will be presented to the top three teams with the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and other outstanding individual performers also being rewarded. The coordinator is Vibert Garrett. (Samuel Whyte)
Thursday September 08, 2016
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Altidore fires U.S. to 4-0 Exclusive: rout of Trinidad & Tobago Ecclestone says new F1 owners would want him to stay
(Reuters) Jozy Altidore scored a second half brace as the United States routed Trinidad & Tobago 4-0 at home on Tuesday to win Group C in World Cup qualifying. With the Americans nursing a 1-0 lead in an initially tight contest, Altidore put the match away with a flurry, striking home in the 59th minute and adding a second just four minutes later in Jacksonville, Florida. The 26-year-old striker reached 16 career goals in World Cup qualifying, moving two past Clint Dempsey to own the U.S. record. The U.S., who blasted St. Vincent and the Grenadines 6-0 on Friday, will bring confidence into the next round of qualifying which begins with a match against Mexico in November. “First in the group. Our goal achieved,” coach Jurgen Klinsmann told reporters. “We’re now looking forward to an exciting November game. It’s a huge opportunity to start the hexagonal and send a message.” Guatemala also thrashed St. Vincent 9-3 on Tuesday but finished third in Group C, a point behind Trinidad & Tobago. Sacha Kljestan put the Americans on the scoreboard in the 44th minute while Paul Arriola
added a late goal to cap the demolition. The U.S. enjoyed timely performance from veterans and young players alike. Captain Michael Bradley returned from his suspension with a solid effort. Kljestan was active all night, and was praised by Klinsmann who noted the midfielder has been in form since entering training camp. Seventeen-year-old playmaker Christian Pulisic became the youngest man ever to start a qualifier for the U.S. team, breaking the record of Altidore who was 18 when he started against Cuba in 2008. Pulisic proved worthy of the big stage and repeatedly created offensive chances but it was Altidore who took the spotlight to continue his roller coaster year. In May, Altidore suffered his fourth hamstring injury in two years and was sidelined for two months. Altidore, who missed most of the 2014 World Cup with a hamstring strain, has also endured a rocky relationship with Klinsmann and was sent home from last summer’s Gold Cup over fitness concerns. After his latest display, it is safe to say Altidore is back in Klinsmann’s good graces.
U.S. swimmer Lochte gets 10-month suspension over Rio scandal: media
Ryan Lochte. (REUTERS/David Gray/File Photo)
(Reuters) American swimmer Ryan Lochte has been suspended for 10 months, U.S. media reported on Wednesday, following a scandal involving the U.S. Olympic athlete and three other swimmers at the Rio Games. The suspension was handed down by the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Swimming, USA Today reported, citing an unnamed source. Celebrity gossip website TMZ, citing unnamed sources, also reported the suspension. No further details were available. Reuters could not inde-
pendently confirm the reports. Neither the U.S. Olympic Committee nor USA Swimming immediately responded to requests for comment. Lochte, 32, was dropped by four of his major sponsors after admitting he “overexaggerated” a tale about being robbed and held at gunpoint with the three other swimmers after a party during the Rio Olympics. Brazilian authorities said the group destroyed a bathroom and urinated in public, and have recommended that Lochte be charged with falsely reporting a crime.
USA Today also reported that the three other swimmers were suspended, although for shorter lengths of time, and that Lochte would be banned from a championship swim meet in Budapest in 2017. Late last month, ABC television said Lochte was joining the cast of “Dancing With the Stars,” a competition in which celebrities are paired with professional ballroom dancers. That announcement came as the gold medalist said he thought reaction to his Rio de Janeiro tale had been blown out of proportion.
Fury rematch with Klitschko confirmed for October (Reuters) Tyson Fury’s world heavyweight title rematch with Wladimir Klitschko will take place in Manchester on Oct. 29, the British fighter’s camp confirmed on Wednesday. Fury ended Klitschko’s 11-year unbeaten run on points in Dusseldorf last November to claim the WBO, WBA and IBF belts but pulled out of a July rematch with an ankle injury. “I’m delighted that we can finally get the fight back on. We can now focus on giving the fans what they deserve,” Fury’s uncle and
manager Peter said on Twitter. Ukrainian Klitschko, who had held the belts since 2006, also confirmed the fight, saying on Twitter that he would avenge his surprise defeat. “Finally the rematch is fixed,” the 40-year-old said. “I’ll remedy my mistake on Oct. 29 at Manchester Arena. See you there!” Fury was stripped of the IBF belt after he failed to face the mandatory challenger. That belt is owned by fellow Britain Anthony Joshua.
President and CEO of Formula One Management Bernie Ecclestone before practice. (REUTERS/Ralph Orlowski) LONDON (Reuters) Formula One’s commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone has been asked to stay on for three years after an imminent takeover of the sport is completed by U.S. cable TV mogul John Malone’s Liberty Media. “They want me to be here for three years,” the 85-yearold, who over the decades has built the sport into a business with annual turnover of around $1.9 billion, told Reuters on Wednesday. Media reports have suggested the first part of a broader deal between outgoing rights holders CVC and Liberty Media could be announced on Wednesday. However Ecclestone and CVC chairman Donald Mackenzie voiced some scepticism about the time frame at last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix. “Honestly, I don’t think anybody knows - including our friends from Liberty, and Donald,” said Ecclestone, who still expected the deal to get over the line. The Briton said he would not be attending next week’s Singapore Grand Prix, the social highlight of the sport’s Asian calendar, because of the negotiations. “Because all this is going through, they (CVC) want me to be there (in London) to help them with all sorts of things. I can’t afford to be away for five to six days.” TUESDAYMEETING A Formula One board meeting is scheduled for next Tuesday, by which time the deal should have been finalised and a new chairman introduced. Ecclestone expects that to be Chase Carey, executive vice-chairman of Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox and a director of Sky News owner Sky Plc, who would replace Austrian Peter Brabeck-Letmathe. Brabeck, 71, has been chairman since 2012 but has recently recovered from can-
cer and is due to step down as chairman of Nestle, the world’s largest food and drink company, in 2017. Ecclestone, famously unwilling to delegate in the past, indicated he would be happy to share the workload. “He (Carey) can do lots of things that I haven’t done with this social media, which he seems to be in touch with. He’s been dealing with sponsorship with his TV people. Between us we’ll get on with it,” he said. Ecclestone’s future had been called into question, with former team owner and television pundit Eddie Jordan saying on Sunday that Monza could even be the Briton’s last race. “That’s Eddie Jordan. If he had any money, and wanted a small wager, I’d give him good odds,” said Ecclestone. BIGGEST SHAKE-UP The takeover, which values Formula One at more than $8 billion according to media reports, would represent the biggest shake-up in the cashrich sport for decades. A deal with Liberty would also herald a new era for a European-dominated sport that has long sought to break into the U.S. market and win fresh audiences, with team principals already welcoming the possibility of a bigger push. Liberty Media has interests in the Atlanta Braves baseball team, satellite radio
service Sirius XM, entertainment group Live Nation and minority interests in Time Warner and Viacom. Malone’s Liberty Global is the world’s largest international TV and broadband company, operating in more than 30 countries in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean through a series of different brand names. One bump in the road ahead could be the need for the deal to be approved by the sport’s governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) and other global motorsport series, and European anti-trust regulators. The FIA has a one percent stake in Formula One’s parent company Delta Topco, which could be worth around $90 million according to forbes.com, and that has been held up as a possible conflict of interest. The privately-owned Force India and Sauber teams have also filed a complaint asking EU authorities to investigate the sport’s governance and distribution of revenues. Ecclestone expected the European Commission to take a closer look at the sport as a result. “It’s like the police. You get stopped for a rear light and they want to know if you’ve got a driving license and insurance. So I don’t know what effect that will have,” he said.
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Thursday September 08, 2016
Williams fights off Halep to Haiti blank Boyz 2-0 to reach U.S. Open semi-finals claim bragging rights
Serena Williams of the United States after defeating Simona Halep of Romania on day ten of the 2016 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. (Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports) NEW YORK (Reuters) Simona Halep did something no one else was able to do against Serena Williams at the U.S. Open on Wednesday but still could not stop the world number one from advancing to the semi-finals of the year’s final grand slam. The scrappy fifth seeded Romanian managed to take the first break points from Williams during the Flushing Meadows fortnight and the only set surrendered by the top seed but at the end of the day the result was the same, the 34-year-old American walking off court with a 6-2 4-6 6-3 win.
What had appeared to be a straight sets stroll into the last four for Williams turned into a tense battle when Halep dug in during a wildly entertaining second set that saw the Romanian fend off all 12 break points she faced. But Williams, playing in her 46th grand slam quarter-final, would not be shaken and took the only break to go up 3-1 in the decider and then serve out for the win. Williams will now face 10th seeded Czech Karolina Pliskova, a 6-2 6-2 winner over Croatian teenager Ana Konjuh, for a place in Saturday’s final.
Carlens Arcus (left) of Haiti and Jamaica’s Joel McAnuff challenge for the ball during their CONCACAF Word Cup qualifier inside the National Stadium Tuesday night. Haiti won 2-0. (Photo: Garfield Robinson) Jamaica Observer - The curtain came down on Jamaica’s CONCACAF qualifying Group B campaign pretty much like it started — with a pathetic loss inside the National Stadium. Last November it was a 02 defeat to Panama, while last night it was a 0-2 spanking at the hands of Caribbean neighbours Haiti. Kevin Lafrance scored the opener for the visitors in the 68th minute in front of ap-
Port Mourant Training Centre wins another competition under lights at D’ Edward The Berbice Volleyball Association (BVA) on Sunday last once again successfully completed another volleyball tournament with the playing off of the Three Door Strikes one day Volleyball extravaganza which was played under lights at the Three Doors Court at D’Edward, West Bank, Berbice. The day began with prayer and blessing by the executives. Present was President of the Guyana Volleyball Federation (GVF) John Flores who
was welcomed by President of The Berbice Volleyball Association (BVA) Levi Nedd and all those in attendance. Nedd also applauded Three Doors Strikers for the initiative of having flood lights at the venue. Flores for his part congratulated Three Doors Strikers on the initiative and congratulated the BVA for the wonderful work being done. A total of 13 teams participated in the day’s competition which saw three different categories played - males, female and juniors. Among the males teams that competed were Port Mourant Training Centre (PMTC), Port Mourant Jaguars, Guysuco Training Centre/ Port Mourant, Rollers Volleyball Club of New Amsterdam and host Three Doors Strikers. Top team Port Mourant Training Centre (PMTC) although not considered to rep-
resent Guyana at the recently held Border Games in neighbouring Boa Vista Brazil continue to dominate the game on these shores with a comfortable 2-0 defeated host Three Door Strikes (25-15, 2520). For the win PMTC walked away with a trophy and $20,000. Second place Three doors Strikers copped $10,000 and trophy. Port Mourant Jaguars held strong against GTC/PM to cop third place with a 3025 win and take home the $3,000 and trophy. The female competition which saw three teams participating was keenly contested among the evenly matched combinations. The final was a cliff hanger and went all the way down to the wire with Corriverton Jets coming from behind to eke out a hard fought win against Port Mourant the scores being 159, 18-16, 15-13. They took
home a trophy and $7,000. The Port Mourant girls collected a trophy for placing second. The other team in the competition was Rollers. The junior male category saw five teams taking part which is a good sign for the development and sustainability of the game. The teams were teams Three Doors Strikers, GTC/ PM, Black Bush Gemeni, Corriverton Jets and Rollers Volleyball Club. This competition was played on a round robin basis with Rollers coming out winners ahead of Three Doors Strikers. Both teams received trophies for the good showing. At the end of the competition both GTC/PM and Three Door Strikes were selected to represent Berbice in the Tradewind Tankers Volleyball Competition to be played shortly. (Samuel Whyte)
proximately 2,000 in attendance at the stadium. And Duckens Nazon ensured the Haitians’ first win in the semifinal round of the 2018 World Cup qualifying with an 88thminute strike. Jamaica, who had beaten Haiti 1-0 in the away fixture in Port-au-Prince, finished with four points. Haiti also ended with four points, while Costa Rica (16 points) topped Group B after a 3-1 defeat of visitors Panama (10 points). Costa Rica and Panama are the two teams to advance from the group to the final round. Going into Tuesday night’s game Jamaica were already out of contention of progressing, and the coaching staff gave starts to several fringe players, including a number of home-bred players. In an additional twist, the Boyz, without Head Coach Winfried Schaefer on the bench, were taking instructions from his assistant Miguel Coley. In a release issued Tuesday, the Jamaica Football Federation said Schaefer is out as coach pending an investigation into his alleged poor conduct toward a videographer on Saturday. It was a remarkably lacklustre show from the hosts as both sides created numerous chances, but were largely wasteful in front of goal. Cory Burke, one of the fringe players to get a start, created space early and set up striking partner Dever Orgill, whose tame effort crept wide of goal. Moments later, Sébastien Thurière was left with plenty room after a
neat Haiti build-up. He let fly with a powerful right footer that beat the Boyz goalkeeper Andre Blake, but cannoned into the crossbar. Before 15 minutes had passed the Jamaicans had another good opportunity when Haiti gave away possession just outside their own 18yard box, but Orgill miscued his shot at goalkeeper Johny Placide. Just past the half-hour mark, Nazon caught the Jamaican defence back-pedalling, and he dribbled just inside the box to blast a shot on goal, but the agile Blake was equal with an excellent low save to his right. In the third minute of the second half, defender Michael Hector stung the palms of the diving Placide with a free kick. And Orgill got another chance to score five minutes later when midfielder Joel McAnuff’s pass left the forward with space, but his leftfooter fizzed wide of goal. Burke soon headed wide with the goal at this mercy. At the other end, the Haitians eventually took the lead. Lafrance was on hand to slide a low curling, closeranged effort past Blake after Jamaica failed to break up a Haitian attack. It took another 20 minutes for them to find their second. Nazon was again escorted into the 18-yard box by defender Westley Morgan, who inexplicably retreated several metres toward his own goal, and the Haitian took his time and weaved his way to goal before striking low into the net from just about 10 yards out.
Thursday September 08, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Champion of Champions dominoes commence on Sunday T
he Champion of Champions dominoes tournament is set to commence on Sunday at 1223 Gaulding Place, South Ruimveldt. Entrance fee is $12,000 and double six time is 15:00hrs. The winning team will take home a trophy, medals and $175,000, the runner up $60,000 and third place $20,000. The finals will be played on Monday night at Dynasty Sports bar. All GNDA rules will be in effect and teams are asked to provide a pack of dominoes. Among the teams slated to take part are Mix Up, Gangster, Transport Sports Club, Killers, Strikers, Frankies, Rage, Scramblers, F and H, All Seasons, Phantom, Falcons, Royal, In Time, NA Killers, C7, Spartons, Royal, Rugged, Beacons and Thunder. Strikers Sports bar, Faye Joseph, Big Boss Trucking Service and Dynasty Sports bar are among the sponsors. Teams are asked to contact Mark Wiltshire on 665 5855 for more information.
Senior organising secretary of the Georgetown Dominoes Association (GDA) Mark Wiltshire (2nd from right) with Lindon Boston (right), Faye Hunte (2nd from left) and Neville Cadogan display some of the prizes.
Emrit questions his exclusion from Windies squads for Pakistan series Emrit questions his exclusion for Windies squads to play Pakistan.
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC- Out-offavor West Indies all rounder Rayad Emrit is questioning his exclusion from newly announced regional squads for T20 and One Day International series against Pakistan starting later this month. Emrit, 35, says he is “very disappointed” that he has not been selected since he has been a “consistent” performer throughout the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and the WICB Super 50 tournaments. Selectors announced squads on Monday to play three T20 matches against Pakistan from September 23 to 27 and the same number of ODI games from September 30 to October 5. “I`m obviously very disappointed by not being selected,” said Emrit who has taken 54 wickets in CPL and 30 wickets in the last three seasons of Nagico Super 50). “I have been very consistent throughout the CPL and Super 50 tournaments and the teams are supposedly selected from there.” The former Red Force captain has been
amongst the wickets and the occasional runs in all formats since debuting for West Indies against India in January 2007. So far, the former Stanford Superstar has claimed 171 wickets and scored over 2,000 runs, including three centuries, in 83 FirstClass matches. He has played in the last three finals of both the CPL and Nagico Super 50 and was retained for another year by the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force franchise for the 2016- 2017 WICB Professional Cricket League Regional FourDay Tournament. “I can guarantee you that I’m the only bowler not to be selected on the West Indies team after totalling so many wickets regionally,” said Emrit. “I’ll just have to work even harder, stay fit, continue to get wickets and score more runs and hopefully they will consider me.” A three-Test series between West Indies and Pakistan follow the limited overs tour and will run from October 13 to November 3.
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Thursday September 08, 2016
Spartons win semi final encounter Proposed S
Players in action during the semi final encounter.
partons marked 71 games to win the semi final of the Pieces Dominoes tournament which was contested on Monday night at Dynasty Sports Bar. C7 finished second with 66 games, while Frankies placed third on 61. Leroy Edwards made 16 and Navin Singh 16 for the winners while Marvin Thom got 17 and Ryan Edwards 16 for C7. Kerry Boyce and Terrence Boyce made 16 each for Frankies. The final will be played tonight at Strikers Sports Club, Meadowbrook.
two-tier Test structure scrapped Cameron’s WICB reported to be in support of two-tier Test structure.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, CMC- A proposal to split Test cricket into a two-tier structure was withdrawn on Wednesday during a meeting of the chief executives’ committee (CEC) of the International Cricket Council (ICC). According to reports from Dubai where the meeting took place; there was no vote but a consensus to remove the proposal, despite six Full Members supporting the idea. Dave Cameron’s West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), reports suggest, joined boards of Australia, England, South Africa, New Zealand and Pakistan in backing the proposal for a two-tier structure for Test cricket, opposed by India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. “There was a significant compromise and it was subsequently decided to withdraw the two-tier proposal,” a chief executive
who attended the meeting told ESPNcricinfo. According to the proposal, the two-tier system would involve seven teams in the top tier and five in the bottom, with promotion and relegation based on performance. Afghanistan and Ireland, as the leading Associate teams, would join the three lowest-ranked Test playing nations in the bottom tier, with other Associates having a chance at promotion based on performance. “Whilst we await full details of the outcomes of the meetings at the ICC, and the reasons for various proposals not being taken forward, it would be disappointing if the concept of Test leagues or other similar workable structures were shelved so early in this process,” said To n y I r i s h e x e c u t i v e chairman of the players’ global body FICA. “We look forward to confirmation of plans regarding the future of all three international formats, and continue to urge the ICC to explore all options in relation to a new structure for international cricket”. The two-day CEC meeting in Dubai was specially convened for M e m b e r B o a r d representatives to discuss international cricket structures in all three formats.
Kaieteur News
Thursday September 08, 2016
PAGE 35
Baird’s scholarship illustrates Yassin’s deficiency
in the study of Sport By Rawle Welch Upon reading an article captioned ‘GOA pledges $1M yearly for Baird’ in the Guiyana Chronicle dated Wednesday, September7, 2016, I immediately realised why President of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) K Juman Yassin found it impossible to convince six previous Heads of State about the need to invest substantially in sports development. That pronouncement was a stunning illustration of how illequipped he is pertaining to the study of sports even after serving over two decades at the helm of an institution that is supposed to give guidance and solicit expertise for sports development to its affiliates. Not to deny the hard working Army personnel and national javelin record holder Leslain Baird a reward for his efforts over the years, Yassin now tries to hoodwink this nation about providing a partial scholarship for him to pursue further training and study in Jamaica. This is a shameful
attempt to cop out for what undeniably has been a wretched performance by the GOA Chief Steward after so many years in office, a period that has been typified by failure more than any sort of success. Here is Yassin recommending a 29 year-old athlete for a scholarship to enhance his ability when his best throw in 2015 was 67.60 metres which incidentally is the national record, but way below the 98.48 metres that Czech Jan Zelezny threw in 1996 in Germany. Even if you come closer to home, Trinidad and Tobago 2012 Olympics champion Kishorn Walcott, who was born in 1993, has a best throw of 90.16 metres achieved in 2015. Walcott managed to win a bronze medal at the just concluded Rio Olympics, a feat he said was commendable considering that very often Javelin is one of the disciplines that is rarely identified with consistent winners. The issue here is that it is virtually impossibble for Baird to improve to a standard 85 metres
which is the regular distance that throwers achieve today. At the age of 29, it is known that outside of performance enhancing drugs use, the average improvement in athletics is usually marginal even after years of hard training and steady competitions. As I had articulated in a previous article, the GOA Head seems to lack the kind of influence that could command support from major stakeholders. My suggestion is that Baird be pointed in the direction of coaching since his future as a contender regionally and internationally is realistically difficult. Maybe, the President quite aware of December being the month of elections tried a maneuver to possibly sway the body of voters, but even if it was an honest scheme, clearly it was not the right one. Yassin has always used this period to highlight various barriers for Guyana’s poor performances, naming the lack of substantial investment as the chief one, but should we continue to have someone who has repeatedly failed to inspire stakeholders’ confidence for better results. He can point to no significant
K Juman Yassin success during his tenure, but the acquisition of Personal Best (PBs) which are often times way outside standard times. This is not to bash our young athletes, who I will continue to represent for their sheer dedication and commitment to hard work, but at the same time, I will remain unfaltering in calling for administrators who under-perform after lenghty periods in office to
leave and give someone else the opportunity. It is obvious that Yassin has become complacement in office, there is no drive to do better for our athletes when one considers the expertise that are available through the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Solidarity Programme. The isolated travels of a Coach, Fitness Instructor or Administrator to Courses or Seminars are insufficient to Sports Development, especially when it is known that they struggle to impart such knowledge on return. Yassin is not the only person to blame for the affliction that is affecting Sport in Guyana, but because he leads a very important sports institution that has the technical and administrative connections due to being an affiliate of the IOC, he has to share a lot of the blame for the current quagmire we’re in currently. Jamaican superstar Usain Bolt had given the world a timeline for his departure from the track even before the Rio Games and it would serve Yassin and Company well to be guided by that announcement. In summing up the GOA performance it is safe to conclude that it has failed.
Djokovic into semis after another opponent retires NEW YORK (Reuters) Novak Djokovic’s strange U.S. Open took another bizarre turn as he advanced to the semi-finals on Tuesday when Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga retired at the start of the third set, trailing 6-3 6-2. Tsonga took a medical timeout during the changeover at 5-2 of the second set and had the area below his left knee taped. World number one Djokovic held serve to love to close out the set and the Frenchman walked off, giving the Serbian passage into the last four for a 10th consecutive time. It has been an unusual tournament for Djokovic who has played only two full matches. He was gifted a walkover in the second round and a retirement after six games in the third before Tsonga. “I’m in the semi-finals, so that’s what matters for me the most,” Djokovic told reporters after 83 minutes in Arthur Ashe Stadium. “I know Jo for a long time, we grew up playing in the junior circuit as well. He’s a fighter, he’s somebody who loves the big stage. This is something I’m sure he didn’t wish for.” The first five games progressed on serve to offer promise of a bighitting battle. But Tsonga wobbled
in the sixth game, committing three double faults to lose serve, the first of three successive breaks that left the Serb with a 5-3 lead. From that point, Djokovic dominated. Tsonga said when he felt pain in his knee, he knew it was over. “It’s something I had already in the past,” he said. “When I have my knee, of course, it’s already tough to play against one of the best tennis players. “But when I don’t have my knee, I have no chance to come back from two sets to love.”
Australian and French Open champion Djokovic came to New York with question marks, having lost in the third round at Wimbledon and the first at the Rio Olympics while battling a nagging left wrist injury. He was unfazed by his sparse time on court. “In this stage of the season, considering some physical issues I have had ... this was the scenario that I needed and I wished for,” he said. “I got a lot of days off and recovered my body. Right now I’m
Novak Djokovic (Geoff Burke-U
SA TODAY Sports)
feeling very close to the peak.” Djokovic will play for a place in the title decider against another Frenchman in 10th seed Gael
Monfils, who beat compatriot Lucas Pouille in straight sets. Monfils has yet to beat Djokovic in 12 career meetings.
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