Caribbean National Weekly December 2, 2021

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THURSDAY DECEMBER 2, 2021

TOP STORIES

HISTORIC

Dale Holness Sues to Get Election Primary Loss Erased

A NEW ERA

Rihanna Named National Hero of Barbados

Almost 400 years of Britain's monarchy as head of state in Barbados ended on November 30, as the island officially cut ties with Queen Elizabeth II and became a republic.

Story on B4

Immigration Group Appeals for Roadmap to Citizenship for Caribbean Immigrants

Jamaica to Review Constitution in 2022; Holness Wants Stricter Gun Laws

St Vincent Teachers Stage ‘Sit-in’ Protest against Vaccine Mandate

CHTA Mourns Passing of Tourism Stalwart Richard Williams

(From left) Barbados' Prime Minister Mia Mottley, President Sandra Mason, former cricketer Gareld Sobers, Prince Charles, and singer Robyn “Rihanna” Fenty attend the presidential inauguration ceremony in Bridgetown, Barbados on Tuesday Nov. 30, 2021. (Prime Minister's Ofce via AP)

Several Injured as Violence Spreads Across French Caribbean Islands

WHAT’S INSIDE NEWSMAKER

COMMUNITY

HEALTH & WELLNESS

SPORTS

Rihanna Becomes the 11th National Hero of Barbados A3

Pioneer, South Florida CongressWoman Dies in Miami A8

US Bans Travel from South Africa Due to New COVID Variant B1

JFF Team Lost Faith in Whitmore as Reggae Boyz Head Coach C1

A2 – NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, DEC 2 – DEC 8, 2021 | CNWNETWORK.COM

PAGE A2 Elec on Season: Jamaica's Former Prime Minister Bruce Golding makes an appearance at the Jamaica Labour Party's 78th annual conference on Sunday, November 28. He is pictured cha ng with Dr. Eldemire-Shearer, widow of former Prime Minister, Hugh Lawson Shearer. – Contributed

My Reggae Journey: Pat Chin, Author and Co-founder of global reggae label VP records, a ends the Miami Book Fair on November 20, 2021. – Contributed

A New Era: Trinidad's Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Rowley visits Barbados on November 30, to celebrate Barbados' 55th Independence Day and the island becoming a republic. From le : Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mo ley, Barbados' 11th Na onal Hero, the Right Honorable Robyn "Rihanna" Fenty, Prime Minister Rowley and his wife, First Lady Sharon Clarke-Rowley. – Contributed

Gone Digital: Jamaica’s Consul General Oliver Mair (right) helped to load some 90 digital devices (tablets) for students of the Holy Childhood High School in Kingston. The shipment was donated from proceeds from fundraisers from alumni chapters, namely the Sisterhood in Georgia, and the Holy Childhood High School Interna onal Alumni (HCHS Int’l) in Florida. Looking on is Michelle Richards of the Florida chapter and John Gu uso, Director of Facili es Warehouse, Food for the Poor, who assisted with shipping of the items. – Contributed

Food Drive: West Park Commissioner Joy Smith (le ) and Senator Shevrin Jones par cipate in a food drive for South Florida residents leading up to Thanksgiving Day last week. – Contributed

We Love Lauderhill: Vice Mayor of Lauderhill, Denise Grant (right) helps members of the Kiwanis Club of Lauderhill and the We Love Lauderhill Founda on, to hand out groceries to residents at the Bravo Supermarket in Lauderhill last week. From Le , Juliet Steadman, CEO of The Healthy Living Circle, Eric Reid, founder of the We Love Lauderhill Founda on and Vice Mayor Grant. – Contributed

The Republic of Barbados! Barbados' new President Sandra Mason, center right, awards Prince Charles with the Order of Freedom of Barbados during the presiden al inaugura on ceremony in Bridgetown, Barbados on Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021.

Barbados stopped pledging allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II on Tuesday and became a republic.(AP Photo / David McD Crichlow)

Happy Independence Panama: The Independence of Panama was celebrated in the City of Miramar on November 20 with a gala and dinner hosted by Vice Mayor Yve e Colbourne (center), who is of Panamanian and Jamaican roots. To her le is Venezuelan singer Edward Mena, and Dominican Journalist Rose Mary Santana to her right. – Contributed

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT MARIJUANA.

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A3

NEWSMAKER impressed with her demo tapes and audition that they offered her a recording contract immediately.

She earned significant recognition following the release of her first two studio albums Music of the Sun (2005) and A Girl like Me (2006), both of which were influenced by Caribbean music.

Rihanna's third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), incorporated more elements of pop music and catapulted her to greater stardom, establishing her status as a sex symbol. The album's charttopping single "Umbrella" earned Rihanna her first Grammy Award.

In 2009, Rihanna's thenboyfriend, musician Chris Brown, physically assaulted her the night before the Grammy Awards in February. He was arrested and

ROBYN FENTY

The 11th National Hero of Barbados Global Bajan superstar Rihanna, a native of Barbados, has been declared the island's 11th national hero.

On one of the most historic days the country has seen – the declaration of Barbados as a republic on its 55th anniversary of Independence, Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced that Robyn Fenty, “the girl from Westbury who used to catch ZR to Combermere School” would become the next national hero.

Rihanna, who was named a Cultural Ambassador for Barbados in 2017, will be the second living national hero, alongside Cricketer Sir Garfield Sobers. She is also the second Bajan woman to be declared a national hero. The first female

national hero was Sarah Ann Gill.

Her official title now reads: Her Excellency Robyn Rihanna Fenty.

Now a billion-dollar household name, Rihanna has always been of service to her home country, according to Mottley.

Robyn Fenty is only 33-yearsold, but her name needs no introduction, as the dynamic island girl that took the world by storm.

Rihanna was born in Saint Michael, Barbados, to Monica (née Braithwaite) and Ronald Fenty. The couple raised Rihanna and her two brothers in Bridgetown, where their home life was marred with domestic violence and substance abuse.

Ultimately, Ronald's addiction to alcohol and crack cocaine led to the

couple's divorce.

Rihanna was described as a “tomboy”, growing up in Bridgetown.

During Primary School, she was part of the cadet club and during her years at Combermere High School, she was an army cadet in a sub-military programme.

Her typical high school life was interrupted when she met American record producer, Evan Rogers at 16 years old. Rogers, who saw star potential in Rihanna, invited the teen (along with her mother) to the United States to record demo tapes that could be sent to record labels. In 2005, 17-year-old Rihanna met rapper Jay-Z who was president and CEO of Def Jam Recordings. Jay-Z and his boss, LA Reid, were so

Ambassador Robyn Rihanna Fenty has given service to Barbados which has been exemplified by visionary and pioneering leadership, extraordinary achievement and the aainment of the highest excellence that is redounded to the honor of Barbados. I, my government has the distinct honor of recommending to the president who has kindly and graciously accepted that Ambassador Robyn Rihanna Fenty tomorrow morning [November 30] shall have conferred upon her the order of national hero. – Prime Minister Mia Moley

charged with assault and making criminal threats.

Rihanna's level of fame and her wok ethic only intensified following her abusive relationship with Chris Brown. The media became even more fascinated with the island beauty as she went on to release five more albums, dabble in acting, and release several clothing lines and beauty products. She also raised millions of dollars for various humanitarian causes through her Clara Lionel Foundation, named after her grandparents, Clara and Lionel Braithwaite.

Throughout her career, Rihanna has received nine Grammy Awards and surpassed more than 100 million Gold and Platinum song certifications. In doing so, Rihanna has the most digital single awards and is the first and only artist to surpass RIAA's 100 million cumulative singles award threshold. She is the tenth bestselling artist and the second bestselling female singles artist in the United States, behind Madonna.

Throughout her career, Fenty has remained committed to helping her home country. Through her foundation, she established the Clara Braithwaite Center for Oncology and Nuclear Medicine at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Barbados. She has also started several education programs on the island. In 2020, Rihanna donated $700,000 worth of ventilators to Barbados.

In 2008, former Barbados Prime Minister, David Thompson, launched the national "Rihanna Day" in Barbados; and in 2017, Westbury New Road, the street Rihanna lived in St. Michael, was officially renamed “Rihanna Drive”. As of 2018, she also has the title of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, with special duties of promoting "education, tourism and investment for the island." . As of 2021, she is the wealthiest female musician, with an estimated net worth of $1.7 billion.

A4 – NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, DEC 2 – DEC 8, 2021 | CNWNETWORK.COM

CARIBBEAN

St. Vincent PM Wants Other CARICOM Countries to Attain Republican Status Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves says he looks forward to the day when other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries will follow Barbados, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and Dominica and adopt a republican form of government.

In a lengthy letter congratulating Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley on her island becoming the fourth CARICOM state to replace Britain's Queen Elizabeth as head of state on Tuesday, Prime Minister Gonsalves said other CARICOM countries, namely Haiti and Suriname have also adopted a republican form of government with both countries having

Gonsalves

executive presidents.

“Guyana and Dominica have been republics since independence respectively in 1966 and 1977 although Guyana has an executive Presidency and Dominica, a NonExecutive President. Trinidad and Tobago which became independent in August 1962 with a constitutional monarchial system with a largely ceremonial Governor-General, altered its constitution in 1976 to a republican one with a Non-Executive President,” he said.

Gonsalves said that prior to Prime Minister Mottley's successful leadership on this issue, only Dr. Eric Williams, “the political titan of Trinidad and Tobago”, was able to lead

triumphantly on republicanism by way of an alteration to an existing post-independence Constitution.

“So, Barbados is not doing anything novel.

But what it is doing is of utmost significance, for the better, for its people and our Caribbean civilization. It is my hope that, in my lifetime, all or most of the independent countries of CARICOM would move from a monarchial system to a republican one.

“I earnestly look forward to such a change in Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, St Kitts-Nevis, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines. These eight CARICOM member-states plus six other continues on B4 – Gonsalves

New COVID Variant Could Reverse Plans to Lift SOE in Antigua

Bahamas Opposition Party Elects New Leader The Bahamas main opposition Free National Movement (FNM) has elected former government minister, Michael Pintard as its new leader, just after a month after the party suffered a devastating defeat in the general elections, losing power to the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP).

Pintard, who served as agriculture and marine resources in the Dr. Hubert Minnis administration that lost the September 16 poll by a 32-7 margin, becomes the fifth leader of the party and has called on supporters to close ranks. continues on B4 – New Opposition Leader

The Antigua and Barbuda government has hinted at the possibility of reversing a decision to end the state of emergency (SOE) on December 23 following the discovery of a new variant of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in South Africa over the past few days.

Several countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, and some in the Caribbean have announced a travel ban on passengers coming from several African countries including South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe following the discovery of the Omicron strain which is now being described as “variant of concern”.

Prime Minister Gaston Browne said that the government may have to reconsider the decision to end the SOE next month.

“As it stands now, that policy initiative to lift the state of emergency on the 23rd still

stands, but it could be reviewed and reversed depending on any significant spread of this new variant,” Browne said.

“These are measures that are required to manage any escalation in COVID. Admittedly, COVID cases are significantly down, hospitalizations are down, beds are stabilized at 117, so at this point, we are in a relatively good place, but the situation is very fluid and could change in a couple of weeks,” Browne said.

He acknowledged that the United Kingdom, where cases of the new variant of the virus have been detected, is Antigua and Barbuda's second-largest tourism market and as a result, the island could be among the first in the region to be affected by Omicron due to the close relationship with the UK. “The Omicron could be more deadly and more transmissible, then it means it could end

up here in the Caribbean too. The fact that it is already in the UK which is one of our major source markets, you can be assured that if there is any significant spread in the United Kingdom it will end up here in the Caribbean, it will end up here in Antigua and Barbuda.

Interestingly, Antigua and Barbuda could be one of the first countries,” Browne added.

Tourism Minister Charles 'Max' Fernandez has also expressed concern over the impact of the virus on the tourism industry.

“In our case, a threat to tourism at a time where we are looking forward to a great season could be a major blow,” stated Fernandez.

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Talk Up!

TALKUP

Do you think it's right for businesses like gyms and restaurants to require proof of vaccination to enter?

Since September, Florida schools, businesses and local government agencies have been slapped with fines of $5,000 for asking for proof of vaccination. Earlier this year, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill that banned vaccine passports. But in cities like New York and San Francisco, residents are not allowed to enter businesses like gyms and restaurants without showing proof of vaccination. DeSantis says he finds a vaccine mandate for businesses offensive. We asked some of our readers if they think a vaccine policy for private establishments is the right thing to do. Here are the responses: Krystle, Bronx, NY If they are non-essential activities like entertainment, they should require vaccine or test results.

Some people can't medically take it. Otherwise, it's for the safety of other guests and the staff who don't have a choice but to show up in person for work and be exposed. They need a system in place that should allow mandatory protocols for certain activities or events.

Fred, Sunrise, FL I personally believe it's not right to coerce people into getting the vaccine just because they want “vaccination proof” to enter certain places. The vaccine doesn't stop anyone from catching COVID19 so showing proof of vaccination doesn't make a huge difference. Yes, it may save some lives but being vaccinated doesn't affect others. Also, if we don't have the right to ask someone their sexual orientation, why are businesses asking regarding vaccination documents.

Liam, West Palm Beach, FL I think it is considering the times we live in. It serves a greater purpose to reduce the spread. So we all can hurry and get back to normal. At first, I can see where one would be skeptical of taking the vaccine. But sufficient time has passed, and the vaccine has proven to be effective and moreso, safe to take. If the vaccine was as harmful as some people are making it out to be, it would have been evident by now.

Marisa, Ft. Lauderdale, FL No. Not everyone should be involved in ones beliefs nor judge anyone who has not decided against the vaccine. Businesses will lose money based on those decisions. If they start to require proof several customers will look for other places of business that offer that same service and go else where. Being told to check for vaccination documents resembles like checking for proper green cards making people feel alienated.

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Janita Martin, Coral Springs. I believe businesses that involve hands on services such as a gym or massage parlor, or beauty salons should require patrons to show proof of vaccination prior to service. However, businesses like restaurants should exercise social distancing and could operate safely with non vaccinated customers.

Lisa Seepersad, Miramar: Yes I believe gyms and restaurants should have the right to require proof of vaccination to use their services. While I understand getting vaccinated is a personal choice, so is choosing where you eat and workout. I would personally feel a little safer in knowing that the people around me in these establishments are vaccinated. Getting vaccinated saves lives so we all should be doing our part to keep our community safe as possible, this includes wearing masks and showing proof of vaccinations.

Kristina Crawford, Tampa - I think it should be a requirement for businesses to require proof of vaccination to enter their location. Just like some places require ID or shoes and shirts or having to take off sunglasses and hats in financial institutions to enter. I think for public safety it needs to be mandatory. We don't allow hospital workers to work without up to date vaccines because of the inherent public risk it would pose. This is about public safety and not politics. This is about stopping the spread and saving lives.

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A6 – NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, DEC 2 – DEC 8, 2021 | CNWNETWORK.COM

EDITORIAL

Barbados Did it! Who is Next?

Amid much fanfare, fireworks, and celebrations, Barbadians became the fourth Englishspeaking and sixth Caribbean country to say goodbye to Queen Elizabeth as head of state.

This move has been on the table since 1979, 13 years after gaining independence from Britain. And even though it has been talked about for over 40 years, not many in the Caribbean expected “Little England” to make it a reality.

Now that the dream has been realized by Barbados, which other Caribbean country will make the move? Currently there are eight Caribbean countries holding Queen Elizabeth as head of state: St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Grenada, St Lucia, and Jamaica.

Jamaica has been talking about it. In fact, both political parties have mentioned the cessation of ties to the British monarchy. And a Jamaican poll conducted by Bill Johnson for the Jamaica Observer, showed that 55 percent of Jamaicans want to go the route of Barbados.

Bahamas has already replaced the queen on its 100-dollar bill.

In 2009 St Vincent and the Grenadines tried unsuccessfully to get a referendum to replace the queen as head of state. Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves says he “looks forward to the day when other member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries will follow Barbados, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Dominica and adopt a republican form of government.”

Mr. Gonsalves in a letter to Prime Minister Mia Mottley, said “Barbados is not doing anything novel.

But what it is doing is of utmost significance, for the better, for its people and our Caribbean civilization.

It is my hope that, in my lifetime, all or most of the independent countries of CARICOM would move from a monarchial system to a republican one.”

Over in St Lucia, former Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony has called on the country's government to “follow in the footsteps of Barbados and move towards becoming a republic.”

While the move to republican status does not sever all ties with Britain, it does allow a country to have its own people at the highest level of government. It allows the sentiments of pride to permeate its citizenship and give hope that in spite of the past sacrifices, they can steer their own ship.

Prince Charles, heir to the thrown in his speech at the ceremony in Barbados, referred to the “appalling atrocities of slavery which forever stains our history.” Britain became a wealthy nation because of the countries it “owned,” and those in the Caribbean suffered tremendously. The queen serves no purpose as head of a country other than Britain.

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Britain became a wealthy nation because of the countries it “owned,” and those in the Caribbean suffered tremendously. The queen serves no purpose as head of a country other than Britain.

Buckingham Palace does not contribute to the economic survival of any place it assumes the head of state and ending such relationships would not cause any damage to any party.

MANAGING EDITOR Hugh Ferguson hferguson@cnweeklynews.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Andrew Karim akarim@cnweeklynews.com

EDITORIAL editor@cnweeklynews.com

SPORTS EDITOR Buckingham Palace does not contribute to the economic survival of any place it assumes the head of state and ending such relationships would not cause any damage to any party.

Britain and its former colonies will still continue to trade. British tourists will still come to enjoy the sands, beaches, climate. But now the people will truly be ruled by its own.

President of Barbados Dame Sandra Mason said during her swearing in: "Vessel Republic Barbados has set sail on her maiden voyage. May she weather all storms and land our country and citizens safely on the horizons and shores which are ahead of us."

We wish Barbados and its people all the best for the future. Finally, the words of its first prime minister and father of the country's independence, Errol Barrow has come to past. Now Bajans will do “no loitering on colonial premises after closing time.”

It is fully theirs. The question for the future is, which Caribbean country is next?

Don Anthony sports@cnweeklynews.com

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A7

la section haitienne Haiti marks the 34th anniversary of the massacre of the “rule Valliant”

New Justice Minister Sworn into Office in Haiti Haiti's new justice minister, Berto Dorcé, has been sworn into office promising to work for a strong, independent, efficient justice system.

Dorcé was appointed last Wednesday following the decision by Prime Minister Ariel Henry to re-shuffle his Cabinet appointing eight new ministers in a Cabinet that now only includes four women, one less than before in the 18member Cabinet.

Henry warned that difficult decisions lay ahead given the complex situation in Haiti and said his administration is doing the best it can to ensure public safety with the resources it has.

“We are doing the maximum with the funds that we have available to restore the authority of the state and put away the ones that need to be put away,” he said, adding “one of the main responsibilities of this government is to create a safe and stable environment.”

Addressing the swearing-in ceremony, Dorcé said he is committed to working towards a strong, independent, efficient justice system, accessible to all and functioning without any political influence.

He said his priority would be to deal with the spate of kidnappings carried out by armed gangs with the Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister, Samuel Saturné, reminding the new Justice Minister of the major projects that await him, the priorities of the government, in particular, security, elections, the fight against prolonged preventive detention and land insecurity.

Haiti's new justice minister, Berto Dorcé addressing the audience.

In September, Prime Minister Henry, who is facing increased scrutiny from authorities investigating the July 7 assassination of President Jovenel Moise fired Rockfeller Vincent as his justice minister, just hours after another top official resigned and accused Henry of obstructing justice in a sharply worded letter.

Meanwhile, critics have dismissed the Cabinet re-shuffle with former legislator, Steven Benoit, calling it an “improved version” of the Tet Kale party, considering that this ministerial cabinet “is the same regime which has been in power since 2011”.

“The most powerful politician in Haiti since 2011 is (Former president Michel) Martelly who has been pulling the strings of the country for a decade,” he said in a

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message on his Twitter account, adding “there will be no accountability”.

Clarens Renois from the UNIR party said the re-shuffle is “once again a division of the pie between politicians.

“Therefore, we should not expect much. The only conclusion to be drawn from this installation is that some politicians practice a facade challenge. As soon as their personal interests are satisfied, they quickly fall into line,” he added.

Head of the National Council of NonState Actors (CONHANE), Édouard Paultre, said Prime Minister Henry “continues his policy of accomplished fact.

“The government is not inclusive and continues to protect the interests of PHTK. We are heading towards an impasse which can only lead to a clash.”

Haiti marked the 34th anniversary of the massacre of the “rule Valliant” with Prime Minister Ariel Henry hoping that this “heinous and barbaric act never happens again”.

On November 29, 1987, election day, under the rule of General Henri Namphy, a group of 50 to 60 armed men, composed of soldiers in civilian clothes as well as macoutes, killed at least 16 civilians in a polling station of the Ecole Nationale Argentine Bellegarde, a school in Port-au-Prince.

The total number of victims in Port-au-Prince that day was at least 34, although it is believed that many others were killed.

“On November 29, marking the 34th anniversary of the Vaillant Lane massacre, I lay this wreath in memory of our victims, peaceful citizens and voters, killed, ballots in hand, for the cause of democracy. May this heinous and barbaric act never happen again,” Prime Minister Henry said in a message on his Twitter page.

He used the occasion to reiterate his unwavering determination to continue to work for a peaceful social and political climate, aimed at guaranteeing the organization of free, transparent and non-partisan elections throughout the country.

“It is the sine qua non condition to endow the country with a legitimately elected political staff, intended to make the democratic institutions function at full capacity,” he said.

Henry said that such acts must never happen again and in his capacity as president of the Superior Council of the National Police (CSPN) reminded the population that the National Police of Haiti (PNH), will be the “guarantor of the protection of lives and property,” and “remains the flagship symbol of a united nation” with the Haitian people “who dream so much of fully enjoying the fruits of our nascent democracy.”

Last week, Prime Minister Henry said he intends to work with the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) when it is reconstituted and civil society organizations to lead an intense media campaign for the next elections.

A8 – NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, DEC 2 – DEC 8, 2021 | CNWNETWORK.COM

COMMUNITY

Carrie Meek, Pioneering South Florida Congresswoman, Dies in Miami Carrie Meek, the grandchild of a slave and a sharecropper's daughter who became one of the first Black Floridians elected to Congress since Reconstruction, died Sunday. She was 95.

Meek died at her home in Miami after a long illness, her family said in a statement. The family did not specify a cause of death.

Meek started her congressional career at an age when many people begin retirement. She was 66 when she easily won the 1992 Democratic congressional primary in her Miami-Dade County district. No Republican opposed her in the general election.

Alcee Hastings and Corrine Brown joined Meek in January 1993 as the first Black

Floridians to serve in Congress since 1876 as the state's districts had been redrawn by the federal courts in accordance with the 1965 Voting Rights Act. In Congress, Meek championed affirmative action, economic opportunities for the poor and efforts to bolster democracy in and ease immigration restrictions on Haiti, the birthplace of many of residents of her district.

Politicians and public figures on Monday recalled Meek's pioneering career.

“Throughout her decades of public service, she was a champion for opportunity and progress, including following her retirement, as she worked to ensure that every Floridian had a

Meek

roof over his or her head and access to a quality education,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

After years as a South Florida representative, Meek decided not to seek a sixth term in 2002. Her son Kendrick succeeded in winning her heavily Democratic district, a seat he held for four terms before an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate in 2010.

After leaving Congress, Carrie Meek returned to Miami and created a foundation to work on education and housing issues. Before entering politics, Meek worked as a teacher and administrator at Miami-Dade College.

She was elected to the Florida House in 1978, succeeding pioneer Black legislator Gwen continues on B4 – Carrie Meek

Dale Holness Sues to Get Election Primary Loss Erased Jamaican-American Broward Commissioner Dale Holness has filed two lawsuits asking that the result of the special election primary for Florida’s District 20 congress seat be thrown out.

Holness lost the democratic candidacy by five votes to CEO of a healthcare company, Haitian-American Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick.

According to the Associated Press, Holness is alleging that Cherfilus-McCormick’s support of a proposal that would pay most U.S. adults $1,000 a month was an attempt to illegally bribe voters. His lawsuit also wants counted 18 overseas mail-in ballots received from military members and others that were rejected by elections officials because they arrived after Election Day and, officials said, didn’t qualify for an extension. He also says CherfilusMcCormick should be disqualified because she did not file a financial disclosure form with the U.S. House.

Cherfilus-McCormick won the Nov. 2 primary to replace longtime U.S. Rep. Alcee

Hastings, who died of cancer in April. Florida’s 20th District is overwhelmingly Democratic and she is heavily favored to win the January general election to fill the last year of Hastings’ term. The state certified her victory two weeks ago, saying she received 11,662 votes to Holness’ 11,657.

“None of the three allegations are even close to having merit. They are not in a gray area,” her campaign’s attorney, Mitch Ceasar, said Tuesday. He said the issues were already raised with the canvassing boards that oversaw the election and were dismissed.

In the lawsuits, filed jointly on Thanksgiving Eve in Palm Beach and Broward County circuit courts, Holness pointed to several campaign fliers and billboards where Cherfilus-McCormick touted her support for the “People’s Prosperity Plan.” It calls for the federal government to pay $1,000 monthly to every adult who makes less than $75,000 annually. While some progressive Democrats in Congress have supported such plans, there is no

chance one would pass in the foreseeable future.

Holness called Cherfilus-McCormick’s support “a gimmick designed only to motivate people to vote for her.”

“The ‘plan’ is intended to offer false hope to underserved communities with the intention and purpose of procuring votes,” Holness’ attorneys wrote. They said some district voters told elections officials they had cast ballots for Cherfilus-McCormick and wanted information on how to claim their $1,000.

Ceasar said Cherfilus-McCormick’s proposal is an “aspirational hope” that is protected by her First Amendment free speech rights.

Holness also claims Broward County erred when it rejected some mail-in ballots as being late. Under Florida law, mail-in ballots must be received by 7 p.m. Election Day with one exception: ballots sent by military personnel and other Floridians living outside the country have 10 additional days to arrive, if postmarked

by Election Day. Broward County officials said they rejected the ballots, which arrive in special envelopes, because they appeared to have been mailed from within the United States or had no postmark indicating where they were mailed from.

Holness argues the lack of proof that the ballots were sent from a foreign country should not disqualify them, but Ceasar said some of the ballots were postmarked within the district.

Holness also said Cherfilus-McCormick’s failure to file a financial disclosure form with the House disqualified her from running. She loaned about $2 million to her campaign and Holness argues voters have a right to know how she earned that money. While the forms are required, many non-incumbent candidates fail to file them and that does not result in their disqualification as the House cannot punish someone before they are a member. Ceasar said she has filed for an extension.

Hearing dates on the lawsuits have not been set.

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B1

HEALTH & WELLNESS

US Bans Travel from South Africa Due to New COVID Variant On Monday, the United States restricted travel from South Africa and several other nations following news of a new, potentially more transmittable COVID-19 variant dubbed Omicron.

The restrictions apply to South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi. The ban on travel will not apply to American citizens or lawful permanent residents although those individuals must still test negative prior to traveling.

The new variant, first detected in South Africa, has already been detected in Europe.

The Associated Press reported that the U.K. on Saturday tightened its rules on maskwearing and on testing of international arrivals after finding two cases. New cases were confirmed Saturday in Germany and Italy, with Belgium, Israel and Hong Kong also reporting that the variant has been found in travelers.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, America's top infectious diseases expert, said he would not be surprised if the omicron variant was already in the United States, too. “We have not detected it yet, but when you have a virus that is showing this degree of transmissibility … it almost invariably is ultimately going to go essentially all over,” Fauci said on NBC television.

Because of fears that the new variant has the potential to be more resistant to the protection offered by vaccines, there are growing concerns around the world that the pandemic and associated lockdown restrictions will persist for far longer than hoped.

Many countries have slapped restrictions on various southern African countries over the past couple of days, including Jamaica, Trinidadn, Australia, Brazil, Canada, the European Union, Iran, Japan and Thailand, in response to warnings over the transmissibility of the new variant. This goes against the advice of the World Health Organization, which has

Why Are Scientists Worried About This New Variant?

So far, the main difference with other variants appears to be that there may be an increased risk of reinfection with omicron — in other words, that people who've already had COVID-19 could get reinfected more easily.

The variant appears to have a high number of mutations — about 30 — in the coronavirus' spike protein, which could affect how easily it spreads to people. Some experts say that could mean that vaccine makers may have to adapt their products at some point.

What Sets Omicron Apart?

warned against any overreaction before the variant was thoroughly studied.

Despite the banning of flights, there are mounting concerns that the variant has already been widely seeded around the world.

What Do We Know About Omicron?

By Sunday, U.N. health agency issued a statement on omicron that boiled down to: We don't know much yet.

It said it wasn't clear whether omicron is more transmissible — more easily spread between people — compared to other variants like the highly transmissible delta variant. It said it wasn't clear if infection with omicron causes more severe disease, even as it cited data from South Africa showing rising rates of hospitalization there — but that could just be because more people are getting infected with COVID-19, not specifically omicron.

“There is currently no information to

Even though some of the genetic changes in omicron appear worrying, it's still unclear if they will pose a public health threat. Some previous variants, like the beta variant, initially alarmed scientists but didn't end up spreading very far. suggest that symptoms associated with omicron are different from those from other variants,” WHO said. It said there's no evidence — yet — that COVID vaccines, tests and treatments are any less effective against the new version.

Scientists know that omicron is genetically distinct from previous variants including the beta and delta variants, but don't know if these genetic changes make it any more transmissible or dangerous. So far, there is no indication the variant causes more severe disease.

It will likely take weeks to sort out if omicron is more infectious and if vaccines are still effective against it.

Even though some of the genetic changes in omicron appear worrying, it's still unclear if they will pose a public health threat. Some previous variants, like the beta variant, initially alarmed scientists but didn't end up spreading very far. To date, delta is by far the most predominant form of COVID-19, accounting for more than 99% of sequences .

How Did This New Variant Arise?

The coronavirus mutates as it spreads and many new variants, including those with worrying genetic changes, often just die out.

Scientists monitor COVID-19 sequences for mutations that could make the disease more transmissible or deadly, but they can't determine that simply by looking at the virus.

B2 – NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, DEC 2 – DEC 8, 2021 | CNWNETWORK.COM

ENTERTAINMENT

Caribbean Food & Rum Festival Brings A Taste of the Islands to Florida on December 12 The Caribbean Food & Rum Festival will offer South Florida residents a taste of the most delicious Caribbean cuisine on Sunday, December 12, at the Hollywood ArtsPark at Young Circle in Florida.

As one of South Florida's largest celebration of Caribbean-American heritage, attendees at this year's Caribbean Food and Run Festival can island-hop among Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad, the Bahamas, Belize, Grenada and Haiti as they indulge in all things Caribbean – food, rum, cocktails, music, arts and crafts – at this family-friendly event featuring plenty of photo opportunities.

“We are thrilled to welcome visitors and locals to join us in celebrating the beautiful Caribbean culture found here in Greater Fort Lauderdale, where we welcome everyone under the sun,” said Stacy Ritter, president and CEO of Visit Lauderdale, the official destination marketing organization for Greater Fort Lauderdale.

Celebrated chefs bring mouthwatering dishes from Jamaica, Haiti, the Bahamas and Trinidad to Festival goers. Among them is celebrity chef Maurice who has been featured on Food Network's “Chopped” and has been recognized with the 2021 Chef Award from the National Black Chef Association. Chef Maurice will serve up conch salad shots, lobster fritters with rum cream sauce and guava duff bites.

Foodies will also enjoy Caribbean specialties and fusion cuisine from other renowned chefs and a curated selection of eateries.

“Greater Fort Lauderdale has a strong Caribbean community, and we're excited to bring this experiential festival for everyone to enjoy authentic Caribbean flavors and entertainment in our inclusive, tropical paradise,” said Lindell Douglas, president and CEO of Caribbean Village Entertainment.

Live entertainment will be provided by legendary reggae-fusion band Third World, Barrington Levy, Alison Hinds, Patrice Roberts, Julien Believe, Peter Ram and Pastor Kimola Brown-Lowe.

Mixologists will offer festival signature

cocktails from Grenada, Haiti, Bahamas, Jamaica and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Tasting Pavilion will feature a wide variety of rum, whiskey and wine from the Caribbean.

Cigar enthusiasts can indulge in a large selection of fine cigars in an upscale lounge and enjoy a curated rum pairing. In addition to live musical performances, DJs will spin music throughout the day. The Kids Village will feature games and activities, including a rock-climbing wall, bounce house, face painting and more.

Shenseea Receives Grammy Nomination For Features on Kanye West Album

By Sheri-kae Mcleod Dancehall artiste Shenseea is nominated for her first Grammy award for her features on Kanye West's album.

The Recording Academy announced the nominations for the 64th Grammy Awards on November 23. Kanye West's 2021 album, Donda, received five nominations including one in the prestigious Album of the Year category. By virtue of the new Grammy rules, which were announced earlier this year, Shenseea's two features on Donda automatically earn her a Grammy nomination as well.

The Recording Academy changed the rules for the Album Of The Year category in May 2021.

"Moving forward, all credited artists (including featured artists), songwriters of new material, producers, recording engineers, mixers, and mastering engineers are eligible to be GRAMMY nominees and recipients in the Album Of The Year category," the Academy stated. This means that should Kanye win Album of the Year, Shenseea will receive a Grammy award.

For the past four years, the rule stated that all artists, songwriters, producers, recording engineers, mixers, and mastering engineers were required to be credited with at least 33 percent or more of playing time.

In September, dancehall fans were pleasantly surprised to hear Shenseea's voice on track 21 of Donda, Pure Souls and track 25, Ok Ok pt 2. According to Shenseea's A&R Donny Flores, it was her freestyle on New York's Hot 97 radio station that caught the attention of the Grammy award-winning rapper.

Shenseea is also featured on other two Grammy-nominated projects: Masego's Studying Abroad: Extended EP, nominated for Best Progressive R&B Album and Major Lazer's Music Is The Weapon (Reloaded) nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Music Album.

CNWNETWORK.COM | NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, DEC 2 – DEC 8, 2021 –

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

SUNDAY DEC. 12

B3

B4 – NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, DEC 2 – DEC 8, 2021 | CNWNETWORK.COM

CONTINUATION

A New Era

from A1

I

t was one of the most important days in history for the island once dubbed as “Little England” — and for the Caribbean as well. The region has not witnessed a country declare republic status since the 1970s, when Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana severed ties with the monarch.

The official ceremony, which also marked the island's 55th anniversary of Independence from Britain, was attended by several CARICOM leaders and dignitaries, including Ambassador Rihanna and Prince Charles.

Rihanna, a native of Barbados, was declared the island's 11th national hero by Prime Minister Mia Mottley. At 33-yearsold, she is the youngest person to be bestowed the honor.

For his part, Prince Charles denounced Britain's legacy of the slave trade and congratulated Barbados on their new status.

"From the darkest days of our past, and the appalling atrocity of slavery, which forever stains our history, the people of this island forged their path with extraordinary fortitude," Charles said.

"Emancipation, self-government and independence were your way-points. Freedom, justice and self-determination have been your guides. Your long journey has brought you to this moment, not as your destination, but as a vantage point from which to survey a new horizon," he added.

The journey to becoming a republic began decades ago, in the 1960s, when the island's first Prime Minister, now national hero, Errol Barrow cautioned Barbados against “loitering on colonial premises”. That same quote was used by Barbados' Governor General Sandra Mason in 2020, when she announced that the island would become a republic by the end of this year. Mason, 72, was sworn in on Tuesday as the island's first President - the new head of state. She was nominated for the post by Prime Minister Mottley and leader of the opposition, Joseph Atherley.

“As cautioned by our first prime minister … we ought no longer to be found loitering on colonial premises,” Mason reiterated. “We must seek to redefine our definition of self, of state, and the Barbados brand, in a more complex, fractured and turbulent world. … Our country and people must dream big dreams and fight to realize them.”

Mason is an attorney and judge who also has served as ambassador to Venezuela, Colombia, Chile and Brazil. She was also the first woman admitted to the bar in Barbados.

It comes as no surprise that Barbados declared republic status, given their moves over the last two decades. In 2005, Barbados dropped the London-based Privy Council and chose the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice as its final court of appeal. In 2008, it proposed a referendum on the issue of becoming a republic, but it was pushed back indefinitely. Last year, Barbados removed a statue of British Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson from National Heroes Square, the location of this year's festivities.

The declaration, spearheaded by Prime Minister Mottley, has triggered conversations in other CARICOM islands. A former Prime Minister of St Lucia, Dr Kenny Anthony, this week, urged the government of St Lucia to move towards republic status. Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves said he looks forward to the day when other CARICOM countries will adopt a republican form of government.

Singing a similar tune was former Prime Minister of Jamaica, Bruce Golding who said that he was disappointed that Jamaica has not yet cut ties with the Queen. Jamaica is the only island in the Caribbean's “big four” (Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago), which has not yet achieved republic status.

It's a new era for Barbados, but the island still maintains its identity.

Barbados' name, flag, coat of arms and national anthem will remain the same, but the island will no longer make references to the monarch or royal family. The Royal Barbados Police Force will become the Barbados Police Service and “crown lands” will become “state lands.”

New Opposition Leader Minnis did not contest the leadership of the party and Pintard, who has been the parliamentary representative for Marco City since 2017, received 297 votes, defeating East Grand Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson and Central Grand Bahama MP Iram Lewis who got 120 and 44 votes respectively.

The former FNM chairman follows in the footsteps of Sir Cecil WallaceWhitfield, Hubert Ingraham, Tommy Turnquest and Minnis as FNM leaders and while he was embraced by former prime minister Ingraham and Turnquest following his election over the last weekend, Minnis, with whom he has had a strained relationship, did not attend the ceremony.

“Our collective genius is always better than a single-minded focus of a leader or a small group of leaders,” Pintard said during his victory speech, adding “we need all of you.

“That's why we sent out the clarion call, asking FNMs who felt marginalized or disenfranchised or who had left.

We're saying to you, we wish for you to return home. We understand that we

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are weaker without you. You are at the center of our consideration. We are asking you to return to the organization that we built.

“I told our immediate past leader, I said sir, Dr Minnis, know that I will be blowing up your phone on a regular basis, sir. You are on speed dial. We intend to utilize the skills, the network, the talent of our former Prime Minister Hubert Alexander Minnis.”

Pintard has said he wants Bahamian politics to be less tribalistic and that under his leadership the FNM will constructively engage with the ruling PLP.

Carrie Meek Cherry, who had been killed in an auto accident. She became one of the first African Americans and the first Black woman to serve in the Florida Senate since the 1800s.

She graduated from Florida A&M University in 1946 with a degree in biology and physical education. The university named its building for Black history archives in her honor in 2007.

She accepted a position at Bethune Cookman College as an instructor and became the institution's first female basketball coach. In 1958, she returned to Florida A&M as an instructor in health and physical education. She held that position until 1961.

Meek continued her teaching career at Miami Dade Community College as the first Black professor, associate dean, and assistant to the Vice President from 1961 to 1979.

Then, she began her trailblazing

Gonsalves

“Many Bahamians are relying on us, the Free National Movement, as an opposition force to hold the government's feet to the fire. But they also want us to constructively engage the government and to make recommendations on legislation, on policies, on programs so that the government might function properly and our country can grow from strength to strength.

“It is not in our collective interest that this government fails. It is true that early indications are that there will be some who engage in excesses in the management of their portfolios but from the bottom of our heart we wish them success because more importantly, we wish our country to succeed,” Pintard said, acknowledging that while the last FNM administration did much to be proud of, it also made missteps.

“We know that part of our loss had to do with having to make very difficult decisions that were difficult for a population to embrace, but lest we make the mistake of not listening carefully to the population we also had some missteps,” he said.

from A8

political career, representing Florida's 17th Congressional District as a Democratic Florida State House Representative.

In Congress, Meek was a member of the powerful Appropriations Committee and worked to secure $100 million in aid to rebuild Dade County as the area recovered from Hurricane Andrew.

She retired in 2002 and shifted her focus to the Carrie Meek Foundation, which she founded in November 2001, to provide the Miami-Dade community with much-needed resources, opportunities, and jobs. Meek spearheaded the Foundation's daily operations until 2015 when she stepped down due to declining health.

Meek is survived by her children Lucia Davis-Raiford, Sheila Davis Kinui and Kendrick B. Meek, seven grandchildren, five great-

grandchildren and multiple nieces and nephews.

In a statement, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava called Meek a “true trailblazer.”

“She was never afraid to use her voice to speak out against inequality or to fight for the disenfranchised and the vulnerable — and her towering legacy will continue to shape our community and the nation for generations to come,” Levine Cava said.

Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness also paid tribute to Meek, saying “I have learned a tremendous amount about politics and public service from her and enjoyed many years of attending her congressional classroom held annually at the Congressional Black Caucus annual events… Her legacy will live on for many generals to come.”

from A4

countries are those outside of the United Kingdom, with the British monarch as their Head of State: Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu.”

Gonsalves said in the Caribbean as a whole, there are five British colonies or overseas territories, namely Anguilla, Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, Montserrat, and Turks and Caicos Islands. Bermuda located in the Atlantic, but with Caribbean connections, is also under British suzerainty.

“The wider Caribbean is also awash with colonial territories or departments of colonial powers of the United States of America, France, and Holland,” he wrote, adding

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Pintard

from A4

“hopefully, too, all these colonial territories will push for independence within the comity of nations globally.

“It would be good to see the end of colonialism in our Caribbean. But that initiative belongs not to me but to the people of these twenty or so colonies or territories and their national leaders,” Gonsalves wrote in his congratulatory letter to Prime Minister Mottley.

Barbadian Dame Sandra Mason was sworn in as Barbados' first head of state during a glittering ceremony at National Heroes Square in the heart of the capital, Bridgetown, in the early hours of Tuesday.

CNWNETWORK.COM | NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, DEC 2 – DEC 8, 2021 –

C1

SPORTS

JFF Lost Confidence in Whitmore as Reggae Boyz Head Coach In the second round of games, the team performed better, losing 2-0 to the US, before earning a 0-0 draw at home to Canada, then defeating Honduras 2-0 away to gather four points from nine.

In the third round of two games, the team gave up another late goal in a 1-1 result away to El Salvador, then were unfortunate to end with just a draw with the US at home 1-1. Against the USA, they missed an easy chance and then suffered further agony when the referee waved off what looked a legitimate goal by Damion Lowe late on. It was another two points from six games for a grand total of seven from 24.

By L. Bronson Head of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) technical Committee, Rudolph Speid, said his team lost faith and confidence in Reggae Boyz’s head coach, Theodore Whitmore’s ability to take Jamaica to the World Cup. He claimed that they recognized from the end of the first round of World Cup qualifiers, that the Reggae Boyz was facing an uphill task to make it to Qatar for next year’s World Cup Finals.

Speaking on a youtube.com platform, Sports Down The Middle, Speid admitted to making the recommendation to fire Whitmore because he could not lead the team to success.

Did the JFF wait too long to boot Whitmore?

Asked by a panelist if the technical committee had waited too long to pull the trigger on Whitmore, Speid was clear they did.

“In hindsight, yes, because it is a numbers game and we did work out what the numbers should be. Since 1994 to come first in this qualification round you have to score at about 2.1 points per game, 1.9 [points] per game for second, and 1.8 [points] for third, and 1.6 [points] to come fourth. We knew all of that and the coach also gave us a figure that he would end at, so it’s not like we weren’t trying to be scientific and doing our thing. We worked out all of those,” admitted Speid, the major shareholder and coach of local National Premier League champions Cavalier Football Club.

“After the first round, we realized that we were in trouble because for us to qualify again we had to score at like two points per game which only one team in CONCACAF has ever

Whitmore’s failing grade

Whitmore

done and that was Costa Rica in 1994. Not even Mexico has ever done it before, so we definitely knew we were in trouble. But our committee thought we should give it more time because of some of the obvious reasons. It just never happened and we had another meeting and we made the decision,” Speid added.

Reggae Boyz slow start The Reggae Boyz got off to a slow start, narrowly losing away to Mexico 2-1 in the closing stages when a draw seemly likely with just a few minutes to go.

They then produced a shambolic display at home to lose 3-0 to Panama, before earning a point on a 1-1 draw away to Costa Rica. In that match, they created numerous chances to win that game but ended with just one point from a possible nine.

The technical committee thought that was a failing grade under any circumstances.

“We believe that at this particular point in time seven [points] from 24 is bad any way you look at it, upside down, round the corner, round the back, but the truth is we are not full of ego, we leave it to the executive committee [of the JFF]. They are the ones who ratify or decide on any recommendations we make. They are the ones who put it forward. Sometimes it goes to the board, sometimes an executive committee, sometimes the recommendation can be handled by the general secretary and that’s how we work. So we finished our work, [and] by leakage everybody knows what our vote was.”

“It is not our legacy now, it is somebody else, we just leave it there and move on to do other work. How long they [JFF] want to take is fine, if they don’t want to do it, we [are] still fine.

We just move on and continue the work,” Speid added.

His committee voted five to two to have Whitmore removed from the post of head coach, a day after the November 16 game against the US at Kingston’s National Stadium.

The recommendation is with the JFF but it has yet to take a decision more than two weeks later.

Reggae Boyz plan for the World Cup Speid said his body, made up of seven, had asked Whitmore for his plan to prepare the team for the World Cup qualifiers from 2019 and his plan included practice games and the Gold Cup tournament.

He said those plans also included finalizing contractual agreements with the players which were eventually done and it represented a part of the cost of the plan.

The plan included two friendly games away to Saudi Arabia, one against the US in Austria, and three games in Japan, one of which fell through. There was also a 10-day training camp prior to the start of the Gold Cup tournament in the US, where the Boyz played about five or six games in nearly three weeks.

“We thought that was enough games leading up to the World Cup qualifiers,” stated Speid. “Now it is up to the coach to gel the team between all those games because remember the Covid virus dealt us a blow where we didn’t play for about eight months. So we did the best we could from a management point of view and then left it up to him to gel the team with those amount of matches.”

“Remember also he has been the coach since 2016, so everybody knows where the ultimate prize is. It is what you call like cycles in football. You get a four-year cycle, you start building your team from scratch and build it up to peak at that particular point. So to say that the JFF should peak the team I don’t understand that, it’s is not that we chopped and changed the coach from the last cycle.” continues on B7 – Whitmore

C2 – NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, DEC 2 – DEC 8, 2021 | CNWNETWORK.COM

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C3

SPORTS

Thompson-Herah: Female World Athlete of the Year Jamaican Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah was named Female World Athlete of the Year at the World Athletics Awards 2021 held virtually on Wednesday.

She earned the honour after an outstanding year of sprinting.

Meantime, Karsten Warholm of Norway was named Male World Athlete of the Year.

Thompson-Herah produced one of the finest sprint seasons in history this year, retaining her Olympic 100m and 200m titles in Tokyo and becoming the first woman in history to win back-to-back Olympic sprint doubles; and adding a third gold medal in the 4x100m relay.

On top of her Olympic triple, she also clocked world-leading times of 10.54 and 21.53 over 100m and 200m respectively, moving to second on the world all-time lists and coming within touching distance of the longstanding world records.

“I just take it year by year,” said Thompson-Herah. “I went very close to the world record so you know, anything is possible. No spikes hanging up any time soon!

“The World Championships in Oregon is most definitely my next big target,” she added. “It is close to home, I hope friends and family can come out and watch. I hope I get some crowd as well. That couldn’t happen in Tokyo but hopefully in Eugene I can get my friends and family to come and cheer me on.”

Warholm uncorked one of the most remarkable performances in athletics history when he stormed to gold in the 400m hurdles at the Tokyo Olympics. Having already broken the world record with 46.70 in Oslo in the lead-up to the Games, Warholm exceeded all expectations in the Japanese capital to claim gold in a stunning world record of 45.94. In a race of incredible depth, the top three athletes finished inside the pre2021 world record.

Olympic champions Elaine Thompson-Herah and Karsten Warholm are the 2021 World Athletes of the Year. (Photo: World Athletics/Dan Vernon)

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe congratulated all the winners and finalists on their extraordinary achievements this year.

“We have this year celebrated some jaw-dropping performances in Tokyo, at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi and through our one-day meeting circuits – the Wanda Diamond League and the Continental Tour. So we’re delighted to recognise some of our stars at tonight’s awards,” he said.

“As a sport, we are in an incredibly strong position. 2021 has been an excellent year. We cemented our position as the number 1 Olympic sport coming out of Tokyo, we have the most God-given talented athletes on the planet and our sport is the most accessible of all sports. Thank you to all our athletes around the world. I am looking forward to watching what you can all do in 2022.”

CRICKET

CWI CEO: All Systems Go for West Indies' Pakistan Tour Cricket West Indies (CWI) Chief Executive Officer Johnny Grave says plans for the regional side's tour of Pakistan are on track.

He dismissed reports that the six-match tour, which begins on December 13, was possibly in trouble, on the Mason and Guest radio program this week.

Responding to host Andrew Mason who suggested there were rumors of challenges, Grave said he spoke to CWI's security consultant earlier this week and there were plans to meet with the players to go through the medical and security plans.

“Everything is moving ahead as planned,” he said. “The Pakistan tour is on. We've had the security reports in, we've had confirmation of the security plan from the PCB [Pakistan Cricket Board]. The team will get the same presidentialstyle security, the highest level of security

provisions that any team can get when touring,” Grave insisted, adding that flights have been booked and the squads will be announced before the second Test against Sri Lanka which begins on Monday.

West Indies Women recently completed a successful tour in Karachi, winning all three ODIs, as they prepared for the Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifiers.

West Indies Men will play three T20 Internationals and three ODIs against Pakistan at the National Stadium in Karachi from December 13 to 22. The ODI Series will be West Indies' fourth series of 12 in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Super League in which the top seven teams can secure automatic qualification for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 in India.

This will be the West Indies' first tour of Pakistan since April 2018 when three T20Is were contested. The two-time former world champions will be playing ODIs in Pakistan for the first time since December 2006.

The squad is scheduled to arrive in Karachi on December 9, ahead of the first T20I on December 13. The second match will be played the following day and the third on December 16.

The ODIs are set for December 18, 20 and 22.

CRICKET

Windies Women Abandon Qualifiers Over Omicron Variant West Indies Women arrived in Oman en route to the Caribbean, following the cancellation of the ICC World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe.

A tweet from Cricket West Indies' official account on Monday said the contingent were in middle east but did not indicate how long they were expected to remain there before flying out.

“The [International Cricket Council] have made all arrangements for the team and are working assiduously to get them home to the Caribbean as quickly and as safely as possible,” CWI tweeted.

West Indies Women, along with eight other teams, face potential logistical nightmares in returning home after several major nations suspended flights from southern Africa, following the discovery of the new

Omicron strain of the COVID-19 virus.

United States, United Kingdom and several European Union states have slapped travel restrictions on Zimbabwe, along with South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi.

West Indies played only one game in the World Cup Qualifiers, beating Ireland Women by six wickets last week.

They were scheduled to face Sri Lanka in their second game on Saturday but the match was abandoned after a member of the Asian side's support staff tested positive for the coronavirus.

With the tournament's cancellation, West Indies, Bangladesh and Pakistan will advance to next year's showpiece in New Zealand, as the highest ranked teams.

Argentina Marks One Year Anniversary of Death of Diego Maradona Argentina marked the one-year anniversary of the death of soccer legend Diego Maradona with ceremonies, tributes, graffiti murals and emotional messages on social media.

Maradona died of a heart attack at age 60 after having brain surgery two weeks earlier.

Seven health professionals who tended to the star are facing criminal charges after a medical report said Maradona did not receive adequate treatment.

Only three West Indies Players Retained in IPL; Gayle, Bravo Among 9 Released MUMBAI, India (CMC) – Only three West Indies players have been retained by teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL) ahead of the upcoming mega auction.

The window for the franchises to retain players for the VIVO Indian Premier League 2022 season closed on Tuesday, and Kolkata Knight Riders kept all-rounder Andre Russell and spinner Sunil Narine, while Mumbai Indians are holding on to all-rounder Kieron Pollard.

A total of nine Windies players have been released. They are: Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran and Fabian Allen (Punjab King’s XI); Dwayne Bravo (Chennai Super Kings), Shimron Hetmyer (Delhi Capitals), Evin Lewis and Oshane Thomas (Rajasthan Royals); and Jason Holder and Sherfane Rutherford (Sunrisers Hyderabad).

Each of the eight franchises retained their decided players in accordance with the retention rule framework.

The franchises are each permitted to retain up to four players, with a maximum of three Indians, two overseas players, and two uncapped players.

Each of the eight franchises used the Player Retention option with Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians opting to retain four players each.

Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad have retained three players each while Punjab Kings have retained two. Of the 27 retained players, 8 are overseas and 4 are uncapped Indians.

(CMC)

Whitmore from B5

Tools given to Whitmore Speid also made mention of the tools Whitmore was given to make it as smooth and as comfortable for all concerned.

“As it relates to the equipment, by now we are first world and every coach should get that so let me not say it isn’t anything special we have done. We should be first world, we have drones, we have the equipment to massage your legs when you are finished playing, we have 360 cameras when you are training [so] we can assess everything, we have Instat program where we can look at the last 20 games that every player in the world plays. I mean it’s a private jet we fly on nowadays, we don’t fly on commercial flights. It’s a private jet we take to every match, [and] we have people in four-star hotels. We put out all stops to make sure everybody is comfortable and then we did something that is unique, not even Captain Burrell [Horace] did it. We were able to tie down 60 players with contracts.

You notice nobody is fighting about money these days? We have contracts with them until the end of 2023 with all the players. That was to make sure the players were available, but as to pick the team we never interfered, we gave him like 70 players and say go ahead, pick anybody you want, pick from this, and if you see anybody else, just tell us who they are and we go and get them to sign the contract and they are eligible to play, so that is what we have done.”

The Reggae Boyz will have six more matches to make the final three automatic qualifiers for a place in Qatar.

C4 – NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, DEC 2 – DEC 8, 2021 | CNWNETWORK.COM A D V E R T I S E M E N T