admin

Strong St Lucian contingent aims to upset Guyana’s aspirations Aug 08, 2024 Sports GETTING READY: Coach Hunte ‘gloves up’ one of his charges for a sparring session. Winfield Braithwaite Caribbean Schoolboys/girls Boxing Extravaganza Kaieteur Sports – It’s approximately eight days to show time and the boxers from several Caribbean countries will soon deplane at the Cheddie Jagan International Airport, Timehri, to engage in 3 nights of fistic fury when the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) stages the 7th edition of the Winfield Braithwaite Caribbean Schoolboys and Schoolgirls Boxing Extravaganza, August 16-18 next. Several Caricom countries have already confirmed their participation and will field strong teams. Trinidad and Tobago, St Lucia, Suriname, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, and The Bahamas, also aim to cart off top honors. Most of those boxers selected from the various territories have recently engaged in tournaments in their respective countries and according to their respective coaches, “they are fit and rearing to get into action.” Amidst the hype and fantasy, the coach of the St Lucian boxers Conrade Fredericks, a former top Guyanese pugilist, is super confident that his charges will make a strong impact in the tournament.  “I am Guyanese and I am fully aware of the strength of those boxers in my country.”  He said that he has much faith in his charges and feels that they are capable of handling the situation.  Hunte made this declaration during a brief telephone interview with this writer last Wednesday morning. He said that he is also cognizant that, other than Guyana, the other teams will be strive for honours and will field their strongest boxers. “This means that we also have to be wary of the other boxers in the Region,” he admitted. As such, the St Lucian coach has indicated that he is urging his charges not to be so distracted by the ability of the Guyanese fighters to the extent that they become complacent of the other teams. Mr. Fredericks said that the St Lucian team comprises many skillful boxers including Nervon Merderick, Devil Sealy, Kirt Zachary Kirton, and Lammend Alexander among others. The St Lucian coach indicated that while the entourage of boxers might be overwhelmed in numbers by their Guyanese and other counterparts, they are well-skilled and capable of holding their own among the best in the region. Coach Fredericks will share administrative duties with Arthur Langillair, a former top St Lucian pugilist, David Christopher, President of the St Lucian Boxing Association (SLBA), and Shannon Lebourne. The tournament, meant to unite the region, is now in its 7th year and has produced the best punchers within the community.  Guyana has won the tournament on every occasion but has to be wary of the other sister Caricom States, all combating with a stringent mission. Fight time on the opening night is 19:00hrs. Related Similar Articles

Canada-based Guyanese Nishal Dass slams 101 for Berbice Vipers in CPSCL T20 Aug 08, 2024 Sports Kaieteur Sports – Canada-based Guyanese middle-order batsman Nishal Dass slammed a scintillating 101 to help Berbice Vipers thrash VP Boys by 158 runs in their Canadian Premier Softball Cricket League (CPSCL) Gold Conference T20 fixture at Grenoble ground, Brampton, recently. Nishal Dass Dass clobbered 13 sixes and two fours during his 46-ball show propelling Berbice Vipers to a daunting 252-5 from the allotted 20-overs. VP Boys, in reply, were all out for 94 in the 14th over. Dass got support from Cassius Waithe who hit a fiery 57 as Lesroy Bristol and Garfield Benjamin grabbed 2 wickets apiece conceding 69 and 44 runs from their maximum four overs respectively. When VP Boys batted, Saheed Rahim scored a fighting 51. Zaheer Ali finished with 2-4 from two overs and he was backed up by Trevin Yusuf who took 2-19 in his four-over outing. The 7-team completion continues on Sunday in this Conference. Related Similar Articles

“Take a page out of the Guyana Cup organizers book” – Director of Sport tells other sport organizers Aug 08, 2024 Sports Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle addressing the horse racing fraternity at the Guyana Cup Press Conference and drawing. Kaieteur Sports – The 2024 Guyana Cup will be an event of great difference. While the quality of horse racing will be a spectacle, the day’s event at Rising Sun Turf Club on Sunday August 11 will be a family-oriented event. The Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee decided to have a fun park, where kids and the entire family will have access to great fun while enjoying the races. Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle was delighted with this imitative where the Guyana Cup organizers have made the 16th running of this prestigious event a family affair. The Director of Sport also gave an update on the horse racing legislation while speaking at Sunday’s Guyana Cup press conference and drawing. “The government of Guyana is moving a pace with the legislation, since it will make it easier for horses. This speaks of order, and it is important that the organizers are making this event a family friendly environment and other sports organization should take a page out of the Guyana Cup organizers,” the Director of Sport said. Furthermore, the Director of Sport, who was a former sport journalist, highlighted the growth of the sport. He reminisced on his days while covering the sport of kings at various racetracks around Guyana, including Rising Sun, Alness, Bush Lot and Port Mourant. Meanwhile, Dr Dwight Waldron, Chief Executive Officer of Guyana Livestock and Development Authority shared that significant progress has been made on horse passports in Guyana. “Good progress on horse passports for horses to travel to the Americas. Guyana will be able to move horses once legislation is implemented,” Waldron said. Ten races are listed will be on the 2024 Guyana Cup programme and over G$40 million in cash and prizes will be up for grabs. With this year’s Guyana Cup purse being the biggest in the Caribbean, horses from various countries will be traveling to Guyana and battle for supremacy. Rising Sun Turf Club will be transformed into an electrifying atmosphere for the entire family, where kids will be treated to a fun park and fans will be thrilled to great vibes when the DJ competition takes center stage after the race. Race time is 12:00 hours local time at Rising Sun. Related Similar Articles

The United States’ interest in Guyana is economic not political Aug 08, 2024 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom Kaieteur News – The United States’ interest in Guyana is primarily economic rather than political. The significant investments by American companies, particularly in the oil sector, are a primary driver of this interest. The roots of the contemporary US’ economic involvement in Guyana can be traced back to the opposition of US oil giants ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips to the nationalization of Venezuela’s oil resources under Hugo Chávez.  As a result of its failure to force Chavez to bend to its will, ExxonMobil decided to punish that country by belatedly upping exploration in Guyana. It will be recalled that ExxonMobil had rights to do so since 1999 when it signed a Production Sharing Agreement with the PPPC government of Janet Jagan. But it was not until it was forced to depart Venezuela that it undertook any major efforts at exploration in Guyana.  The strategic timing of these actions, particularly after it became clear that the Venezuelan government had no intention of inviting ExxonMobil back, can be seen as a calculated move to “punish” Venezuela. The US has effectively utilized Guyana as a counterbalance to Venezuela. By fostering a strong economic presence in Guyana through its corporations, ExxonMobil and Hess, the US indirectly is hoping to open to pressure Venezuela and, in so doing, exploit tensions between Guyana and that country. In Guyana, the US’ economic interests have been safeguarded by the agreement signed by the APNU+AFC government. This agreement has been widely criticized as disproportionately favoring ExxonMobil. The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPPC), owes a political debt to the US, given the strong stance the latter took against the attempt to rig the 2020 elections, an effort aimed at keeping the APNU+AFC in power.  This act of defending democracy was not a consistent stance by the US in the region but was necessitated by the blatant nature of the fraud and the potential crisis of credibility it would face if it did not act. The head of the Organization of American States (OAS) observer mission even labeled it the most transparent attempt to rig an election he had ever seen. The US’s intervention in Guyana’s electoral process, however, is an exception rather than a rule in its foreign policy.  The US has a history of inconsistent actions concerning democracy in Latin America and the Caribbean. It had instigated a military coup in Honduras because the then President resisted the overtures to privatize the country’s telecommunication sector to US companies. The US was behind the legislative coup against Dilma Rousseff in Brazil. It was also behind the charges against President Lula, Rousseff’s predecessor. The US was also behind the legislative coup against President Lugo in Paraguay. And it engineered protests leading to the toppling of Bolivia’s President Evo Morales. These are all examples of the US’ role in destabilizing democratically elected governments that do not align with its interests. In Guyana’s case, the US’ decisive intervention against electoral fraud was driven more by the need to maintain credibility and to uphold a certain image rather than a genuine commitment to democratic ideals. The involvement of the US in Guyana’s 2020 elections was more an exception than the norm. The US has long been orchestrating a regime change in Venezuela. The US has already indicated support for that country’s losing opposition candidate in last month’s elections. The US has said that recognizes this candidate as the elected President even though at the time it had not seen the tallies which were supposed to have signaled the Opposition’s victory in the recent elections. The Opposition has claimed it won and the US says it accepts this but neither it nor the Opposition have produced the tallies that vindicate this victory. Instead, it wants Maduro to produce his tallies, knowing that by law it is the National Electoral Council that is supposed to do so.  Now US allies are contending that it does not “believe” that Maduro won the elections. It is not for anyone to “believe” but to “establish” who won. For Guyana, this situation poses a diplomatic challenge. While the current government might feel a sense of obligation to align with US policies due to the support received during the 2020 electoral crisis, it has to ensure that its actions regarding the recognition of Maduro do not undermine the democratic will of the Venezuelan people. In the meantime, Guyana has to bear the social costs associated with the floodgates of Venezuelan government escaping the economic crisis in Venezuela, a crisis that can be traced to US punitive sanctions against that country in order to get its hands on Venezuela’s oil. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.) Related Similar Articles

The elevated risks associated with consuming a high fruit and vegetable diet in Guyana Aug 08, 2024 Letters Dear Editor, Around December 2023, I went to shop at my regular fresh produce importer, only to discover upon entering the facility, that heavy insecticide was sprayed in the small enclosed air conditioned building, where consumers purchased retail and wholesale produce for personal use or to re-sell in the local markets. I immediately raised my concern with an employee who brushed it aside, and denied insecticides were used, and I left out of concern for my safety and without purchasing any fresh produce from the supplier. Given food is porous (liken to a sponge) and would absorb whatever is in the environment it is transported/packaged/housed/stored in, I did not want to take the risk to buy any food from this supplier. However, one week later, I went back to the same seller and found that nothing had changed.  I then phoned them to report the issue, which they again continued to deny. I went a third time a few weeks later, and again, the insecticide was still heavy in the air, and I again left without purchasing any produce there. Over the last couple of years, I would typically frequent this particular supplier 2 or more times per week, and after this third visit with no change to the insecticide in the environment, I decided to no longer purchase from them. I later visited another fresh produce importer, also in December 2023, and was with someone, who also noticed the heavy use of insecticide at that facility, again, we left without purchasing any fresh produce from this food importer. I then tried to purchase imported produce from the largest supermarket chain in the country, which included broccoli, cauliflower, grapes, carrots and strawberries. Upon unpacking and washing the items at home, I noticed along with other family members that the broccoli was imbued with insecticide (not pesticide, but bug spray), and the grapes and strawberries had a distinctive smell of disinfectant/cleaning agent and the grapes also smelt of insecticide. I immediately reported it, and they communicated that they don’t import foreign produce but purchase from local suppliers and did not even try to address the smell of disinfectant/insecticides on the vegetables and fruits. After another report, having purchased fresh produce a few weeks later and having the same experience, they promised to address the concern, but several months later nothing transpired to fix the problem, even after I attempted to purchase these same items, time and time again, and from their different branches as well as other supermarkets in the city, I found the food was still contaminated with insecticides and of course had to discard them, every time. The local sellers in Bourda Market, also said most of them purchase from the same two suppliers previously mentioned above. Additionally, market vendors have sprayed insecticides in the vehicles that they use to transport fresh produce, which I had the unpleasant experience to discover after purchasing fresh produce from them that was tainted with insecticides which I again discarded, and upon returning a week later, I was then told by the vendors (two of them) that this was done since they found cockroaches in the buses they used to transport the produce. One month later, and the produce was still contaminated, and thereafter, I stopped purchasing from these vendors. After numerous complaints to the sellers, both suppliers and supermarkets, and with no resolution, I finally found an alternative supplier, but this supplier uses scented candles and/or air fresheners in their facility where fresh produce is stored and sold. I told them about these scents (which are essentially chemicals) being absorbed into the food and they too ignored the concern. Their strawberries have the distinctive smell and taste of the scented candles/air fresheners they use in their store, so I no longer purchase un-sealed food from them. This experience has resulted in a significant loss of finance (over a seven month period), as well as fear in purchasing and consuming imported fresh produce (fruits and vegetables), which could be contaminated with toxic chemicals/insecticides due to actions of the importers and some retailers. Finding imported food that is safe to eat is a growing problem for me personally, as a result. I noticed that since the emergence of Covid-19, an environment of fear has been created and has resulted in excessive and unnecessary use of numerous toxic chemicals in facilities that transport, store and sell fresh produce. The presence of pesticide residues on fresh produce (including local produce) is already a real concern, the additional use of insecticides, disinfectants/cleaning agents, and other scented products in areas that transport/package/store fresh produce, whether for later or immediate sale has elevated the health risk and risk for food poisoning in consuming a frequent or high volume of fruits and vegetables diet, especially for persons who are vegans or vegetarians. On a side note, many regular retail and wholesale stores unrelated to food, have also, based on my numerous personal experience within the last year or so, have been applying on a frequent basis and in excessive amounts, insecticides in their facilities, including the larger malls and larger hardware stores, exposing people to high levels of toxic chemicals/poisons, as well as food facilities since these malls also have supermarkets and food stalls. This indiscriminate use of these chemicals is a new phenomenon that seems to be spreading in the city, and posing a high risk to regular consumers/customers. The use and excessive use of toxic chemicals to spray grass in residential areas has also increased, and continuous and/or frequent exposure to all these chemicals in our food and environment seem to be going unnoticed, and is essentially slowly poisoning us. I am writing in eager anticipation that your paper can raise this issue (food safety and chemical exposure) either with relevant authorities or to better educate the importers/suppliers, distributors and sellers to correct this issue, since this became a serious concern for me since December 2023 and remains a serious concern, and I’m sure is unknowingly affecting others consuming these foods, and is especially worrying for people with sensitivities and children. My many attempts in trying to resolve this issue with the individual companies and persons have proved futile. It became apparent, that most people do no check their fresh produce, whether before or after washing, or whether eating raw or cooked, and are likely unknowingly consuming dangerous chemicals in these foods. The continuous exposure in consuming foods contaminated with these chemicals have been linked to numerous health issues, from food poisoning from chemicals (which can cause numerous organ failure or be fatal) to allergies. I am hoping your paper can shed some light on this matter. Thank you. Best Regards, Hansranie Seebaran Related Similar Articles

The Assassination of Ismail Haniyeh Aug 08, 2024 Letters Dear Editor, News of the assassination of the political leader of HAMAS, Ismail Haniyeh in Iran early on the morning of July 31 is a blatant act of State Terrorism. The fascist regime in Israel is doing everything to sabotage every effort for peace in the Middle East and this is Israel’s deliberate intention to widen the conflict and to get the United States involved to save it from disaster. Israel has been committing state terrorism for years without any sanctions. Indeed, they are being encouraged. They have killed scores of Iranian scientists and important functionaries of Iran. Instead of the US, which professes to be a champion of Human Rights, condemning the terrorism it has encouraged it. The Donald Trump government assassinated Qasem Soleimani at Iraq’s airport on January 2020, while he was on his way to meet the Iraqi Prime Minister. In this action the U.S. had joined Israel in the act of state terrorism. Only recently we saw Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, being embraced by the US leaders from both Republicans and Democrats. This man is responsible for the murder of almost 200,000 Palestinians in GAZA and the West Bank since October 7, 2023. During his address to the joint houses, Congress and Senate, the Prime Minister received some fifty-eight (58) standing ovations. He was given that reception even after he insulted American citizens who were protesting his presence in the Nation’s highest bodies. It is apposite to note that he carried out this latest assassination immediately after his return to Israel from his “successful;” visit to the United States. Few people would believe that the US authorities did not know about this. After all, US officials giving evidence before the Congress and Senate often admit that the CIA shares intelligence with Israel on the whereabouts of the Palestinian leaders. It is clear that Israel’s power in the United States is very great. Many Congress and Senate leaders have been receiving large sums of money for their election campaigns, including for the Presidency, by the pro- Israeli lobbying groups. That has given them enormous influence not just in the legislative bodies but also in the Executive. A casual look would see that the US administration is dominated by Israeli, Zionist sympathisers.  To have an idea of the depth of influence or control that Israel has, just take a look at Press Conferences by the White House and State Department spokespersons and you would see how much the Zionist influence has saturated the US administration. This could be seen at the United Nations too. Here the US sees its greatest task is to protect Israel so that it can continue its barbarism against the Palestinians and Arab countries, that refuse to bend to Israel’s world in the Middle East. So widespread is Israel’s influence in the US that many serious analysis are suggesting that the mighty United States of America has become a colony of Israel. People are asking what is next? It is clear that we are in for more of the same as morality has taken its leave from people in power in Israel and the global west. This reflects a decadence of the western system of governance. Sincerely, Former President, Donald Ramotar Related Similar Articles

Guyana is currently in the mood for Liberty, Equality and Fraternity Aug 08, 2024 Letters Dear Editor, Bob Marley sang, “Better to die fighting for freedom than be a prisoner all the days of your life.” Despite gaining independence from Great Britain in 1966 to claim sovereignty, Guyana was denied the blessings of what true deliverance meant to be relieved from the grasp of the colonial masters. Guyanese ended up in the clutches of a callous conniver who morphed to become a corrupted criminal until his ironic death in 1985. But he became an iconic sore sight for those who think they will survive from an end in order to live forever. Guyanese had to endure to fight an internal battle to remove the knee of despotism from the necks of Guyanese, as the tyranny of the PNC lead by dictator Burnham, suffocated any hope of democracy. After 28 years of gruesome PNC hardship, Guyana was able to breathe a sigh of relief and strive towards recovery for the next 23 years under the astute leadership of the PPP/C government. J. R. R. Tolkein wrote, “Not all those who wander are lost.” Dr. Cheddi Jagan who was banished for 28 years by the PNC to “Banbas,” returned successfully with the PPP in 1992 to reclaim the Government after winning the much challenging election in 1992. A much-demurred President Hoyte had to rescind the PNC’s ruthless reluctancy and venomous violence, and, caved in to the US advise to recognize and accept the unquestionable winner (the PPP), as the new Administrator. Former US President Jimmy Carter, himself led the Carter team to observe the election and to deal with PNC” s “hooliganism,” as the PNC Party took to the streets in Georgetown with their thugs engaged in illegal activities to protest and prevent Dr. Jagan and the PPP from being declared the new government. In that perilous period, Hoyte and the PNC were in the safety net of all the armed forces and the PPP protection was poignantly precarious. But a call from Carter to his President, George Bush, straightened the wavering and intolerable vehemence of the diabolic PNC. The texture of emancipation changed with a different shade of freedom in 2015 when Granger and his PNC party narrowly recouped the governance by winning a questionable election., a challenged result which remains unheard in the court to date. From 2015 to 2020, the irascible PNC party, absconded from the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr, “Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.” Instead, they unleashed a path of archaic animosity and executed a plan of destruction from day one, much to the chagrin of Guyanese, especially those from their embarrassed constituents. Crowning themselves with  loyalty to royalty, the impoverished PNC band of imposters, improvised the art of deceit to disfigure the 23 years of PPP/C glorious gains and to generate the next five years in glamorous galore for only the boys and girls in the PNC Party. A positive three-letter potent word, “yes,” from one of their own (not their kit and kin), brought them to their trembling knees and back to their crumbling world, as their cushioned blanket was miraculously yanked from under their firm feet in December 2018. Guyana is currently in the mood for Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. This state of mind has not changed the stage since 2nd August, 2020, when the PPP/C government was sworn in legally to legitimately manage the affairs of the country, after convincingly winning the General and Regional Elections as per the will of the people. But this suttle subtlety may become unsettled, as, daily, insurgents internally and externally, attempt to tarnish the image of the country, the government and the people. Miscreants undermine the peace, progress and prosperity of the people and nation by peddling false information. It was an uphill task to win the 2020 mother-of-all elections because, the former PNC Government attempted to rig the election in front the eyes of the whole, wide world and even refused to vacate their seats even after a recount of the votes validated the PPP/C victory. It was the diligence and vigilance of an entire international community which brought the PNC to its defeat and ordered them to do the right thing by respecting the law and acknowledging their loss by conceding. From day two in August 2020, a rejuvenated, young and fully composed President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, after being sworn in, hit the ground running and not walking, started working and not skylarking, and became proactive and not passive. With the constraints of a pandemic, provoking priority, the consternation of a pilfered Treasury, supporting bankruptcy, the contamination of a pampered bureaucracy, accruing uneasiness and, the corruption of a pained PNC, brewing vengeance, the knitted PPP/C Executive, functioned as a united team determined to overcome all obstacles and impediments. They were prepared for the worse scenario as reality slowly but surely unfolded as the days to come, went by. Man is culpable of making major mistakes and capable of minimizing instead of maximizing mistakes. Mahatma Gandhi confirmed, “Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.” The PPP/C government has achieved most of their promises made in their 2020 election campaign. Their manifesto is almost exhausted with all the projects they have accomplished in their 4-year transformative execution which has catapulted Guyana to unsurmountable heights, envied by the rest of the world. The PPP/C has abstained from duplicating the mistakes undertaken by the PNC during their 5 years of pompous and bombastic reign of arrogant irritability. The PPP/C has been on the defense and not to offend the nation by slipping through the cracks. Armored with the suite of resilience and the tool of vision, President Ali and the PPP/C Government have managed to harness the confidence of the country and win the worthiness of the world, to establish freedom, justice, honour and hope, as a dutiful servant and patriotic party to this nation and the people, for a “One Guyana.” Yours respectfully, Jai Lall. Related Similar Articles