PNG ready for test against Malaysia
Looking to build towards next year’s third stage of World Cup qualifying, PNG coach Flemming Serritslev says it’s exactly what his side needs.After winning plenty of hearts and minds with their spirited Nations Cup campaign, Serritslev also sees the game against Malaysia as another opportunity to promote football in PNG.“Again, it’s about momentum and if we play well we can attract more fans and broaden the support for the national team and the game in the country,” says the former Danish international.“Hopefully we can motivate a lot of children to start playing football.”Despite the penalty shootout heartbreak against New Zealand last weekend, Serritslev insists his players will be mentally and physically prepared for their next challenge.“I have no trouble motivating the players, they love playing football and they are looking forward to test themselves again.“They are keen to show that we are capable of competing with a team ranked higher than us,” says the 69-year-old coach.“It will also teach us where we might have some deficits and how some of our more inexperienced players can handle a tough opponent.”Friday’s match will be Malaysia’s first of their three-match Oceania tour before they visit New Caledonia on June 22 and Fiji four days later.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has indicated that he is open to extending his stay at the Premier League champions beyond 2021 when his current contract ends even though the club faces a potential two-year Champions League suspension.City were banned from European competition for the next two seasons and fined 30 million euros ($32.53 million) by European soccer‘s governing body UEFA last week after an investigation into alleged breaches of Financial Fair Play rules.Guardiola, who this week stated that he had no reason to leave the club in the close season, said he would take a call on an extension after talking to City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak “at the end of the season or in the middle of next season.”“I’m working with exceptional players and I have the feeling that they follow us 100%. Knowing how it’s not easy working with us and with me, but I’m happy,” Guardiola told reporters.“That’s the only reason why, when I move from one place, always it’s because I’m thinking I can be happier than the place that I was before.“We’ve got incredible owners and a good relationship, so I think it will not be a problem to understand both sides, if we decide to stay three more years or stay in the time we are together.”Guardiola, who has never spent more than four years at his previous clubs Barcelona (2008-2012) and Bayern Munich (2013-2016), signed a one-year contract extension at City in 2018 — a decision he said he did not regret.“The important thing is that I didn’t regret one second to come here and extend the contract,” he added. “After that results dictate our job… Every manager is sacked, every manager has problems, every manager has good and bad moments.“I am no different. I don’t regret one moment the decision we made together and I want to finish this contract and after that we will see.”
Dear Editor,The political landscape in Guyana is a vicious one, and it is very easy to peddle lies and misinformation and slander ones character for political gains.The A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) has a strategy to retain power in 2020. It is ruthless, and relies on the unscrupulous tactics the People’s National Congress had been using effectively for years against the People’s Progressive Party (PPP). Tactics that have resonated well with their political base. The APNU/AFC re-election campaign strategy is now known. The strategy has been leaked by the Basil Williams emails and focused on three main areas:1. They will “keep propagandising on the issue of having inherited an empty Treasury” from the PPP in 2015.2. They will “continue to restate that the economy was surviving on drug money”, and3. They will “continue to prod favourable media houses and social media operatives so that they further fuel the perception that the PPP is racist.”It is now apparent from the content of (a KN editorial) that someone is using that newspaper to help the governing APNU/AFC achieve this objective.With all the scandals; lack of performance and broken promises, the APNU/AFC is getting more desperate now. They can no longer play the “anti-corruption” card because they are now corrupt. They can no longer play the “economic development” card because the economy is struggling and there are no investors lining up to come to Guyana. Neither can they play the “increase social welfare” card because with the lack of jobs, increased taxes and 14 per cent VAT on water and electricity, more poverty and criminals are being created. All the good campaign rhetoric has been destroyed in their first two years in Government. So now, as people start drifting from them, they pull out the only option left available, the race card. And they will use whatever means necessary, with the aid of “favourable media houses”, Commission of Inquires, Eric Phillips and others to get that message out, even though they have no credibility on improving race relations. After all, this is the same Government who fired every Permanent Secretary (PS) of Indian descent after taking office, and only sent home one PS that was Afro-Guyanese. And this had nothing to do with the politics, qualifications or competence of those fired, for they were all highly trained and competent civil servants. But rather, their ethnicity.While there is no doubt that the bulk of the PPP supporters comes from Indo-Guyanese, I have heard the Party General Secretary mentioned repeatedly at the PPP Congress and at meetings through Guyana, that the PPP is a multi-racial party and has welcomed Afro-Guyanese to be part of this culture.As I have said before, the Granger Administration’s greatest fear is having to compete against a highly motivated PPP/C in 2020, with Bharrat Jagdeo as its Presidential Candidate. So, for this KN editorial to suggest that the PPP “is no longer a vibrant political party and has no centralised message”, tells me that the writer has not been reading the news, the letter columns, nor attending the weekly press conferences at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition. For this “editor” is either deliberately propagating misinformation, or maliciously trying to plant the seed of doubt in the minds of our supporters by insinuating that there is confusion and rivalry within the Party structure. The editorial writer wrote, “Although they will not speak publicly about it, many of its supporters have never really trusted their present leader or have truly respected his intellect, but would not speak publicly about it. They wanted an infusion of transformative and visionary leadership but this will not happen with its current leader at the helm.”I am stunned that this piece of garbage was allowed to be published and defame the column that is associated with my friend, Editor-in-Chief, Adam Harris. This is not his style, he did not write this. But I will say this emphatically: There is no division within the rank and file of the People’s Progressive Party. Those rice farmers who were fooled by the 00 a bag for paddy, and the sugar workers conned into believing they would get a 25 per cent increase, have already returned home. The members of the People’s Progressive Party stand firmly and united behind our Leader and General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo. There is no other politician in Guyana today that is more loved, admired, respected and knowledgeable like Jagdeo, and there is no other that is more feared too, just ask the leaders of the governing APNU and AFC.Unlike the Granger Administration that governs by trial and error, the PPP has an abundance of visionary leaders with the proven track record to run this Government from day one. Those that were once anxious to see the backs of the PPP are anxiously awaiting their return to Government. The good news is 2020 is just around the corner.Harry GillPPP/C Member ofParliament
A wife placed her husband before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts for unlawfully assaulting her.Henry King, 39, who is a bus driver of Mabaruma, Region One (Barima-Waini) appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan to answer to the unlawful assault charge.He pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that on October 23, 2016, at Mabaruma, North West District, he unlawfully assaulted Verna King. Henry was not represented by an Attorney.The prosecution had no objections to bail but asked the Magistrate to add a condition or place the defendant on a bond to keep the peace.His wife was advised to acquire a protection order against her husband.The defendant was placed on ,000 bail and ordered to return to court on November 14.
Burnley striker Danny Ings joined the boys on Drivetime to look ahead to the beginning of the Premier League season and discuss his hopes of an England call-up.The 22-year-old was in brilliant form last season, netting 22 goals in the Championship to help the Clarets finish second and seal automatic promotion to the top flight.And Ings chats with Adrian Durham and Ray Parlour about his hopes for the season and what fans can expect to see from Burnley – who kick off their campaign against Chelsea on Monday evening – this season.The England Under-21 striker, who has four caps and two goals to his name, also discusses whether he might be able to break into the senior set up this year.
AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MOREChargers go winless in AFC West with season-ending loss in Kansas CityVeteran county police officers draw base salaries of about $52,000, compared with $76,000 for sheriff’s deputies. County police officers recently lost a lawsuit that sought to bring their pay in line with that of deputies. County Chief Executive Officer William T Fujioka said a Sheriff’s Department takeover is one of several options he’s considering. The county police currently report to the CEO’s office, an arrangement that Fujioka finds uncomfortable. “I’m not a law enforcement person,” Fujioka said. “The sheriff is our chief law enforcement officer. He knows how to supervise a law enforcement or security function. It seems to me it would be appropriate to look at that as one of the options.” For the last few weeks, sheriff’s employees have been visiting facilities that the county police supervise to determine how much a merger would cost. The Board of Supervisors would ultimately decide whether a merger was appropriate. ————————————- For the latest news and observations on crime in Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley, check out the Daily News’ crime blog by clicking here.160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, who already leads the largest sheriff’s department in the nation, may soon try to make his agency even bigger. At the request of the county’s top administrator, Baca has assigned a team to explore taking over the county Office of Public Safety, a police force that patrols parks, hospitals and government buildings. Although relatively obscure, it is the county’s fourth-largest police department with more than 460 sworn officers. The department, led by former Los Angeles police executive Margaret York, has struggled to retain officers, in part because it pays far less than other agencies. 
AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MOREGame Center: Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, 10 a.m.Gunmen drove up and fought with police immediately after the blast, which tore through nearby buildings. At least 18 people were killed and 27 wounded, police said. Nobody claimed responsibility for the attacks in Baghdad and Samarra, but they bore the hallmarks of al-Qaida in Iraq militants who had promised an offensive during Ramadan to undermine U.S.-Iraqi claims of success in quelling the violence in the capital with an 8-month-old security operation. The fasting month ended this weekend with the three-day Eid al-Fitr festival that began on Friday for Sunnis and Saturday for Shiites. Also killed on Sunday were a U.S. soldier struck by a roadside bomb during combat operations in southern Baghdad and an Iraqi journalist who was shot while on assignment for The Washington Post elsewhere in the capital. Salih Saif Aldin, 32, who wrote under the name Salih Dehema for security reasons, was killed in the neighborhood of Sadiyah, according to a statement from the newspaper. It said details of the incident were still unclear. Another U.S. soldier died in a noncombat related incident in the northern Ninevah province, the military said The car bombing in Baghdad tore through a minibus that was to carry passengers to the revered Imam al-Kadhim shrine in the northwestern Kazimiyah district. A 9-year-old boy and two women were among those killed. Police banned cars from the area until further notice, an officer said. 160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! By Kim Gamel THE ASSOCIATED PRESS BAGHDAD – A bomb in a parked car struck worshippers heading to a Shiite mosque Sunday in Baghdad, killing at least nine people as Iraqis celebrated a Muslim holiday, while the death toll rose to 18 in a coordinated suicide truck bombing and ambush north of the capital. Relatives and rescue workers pulled bodies from under piles of concrete bricks and rubble in the Sunni city of Samarra, where a suicide truck bomber detonated his explosives late Saturday. Guards had opened fire before he could reach the targeted police headquarters. 
AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MOREOregon Ducks football players get stuck on Disney ride during Rose Bowl event“It’s just an anecdotal observation, but I do think interest is increasing,” said Kathryn J. Smith, chair of the department of biblical studies at the undergraduate division of the theology school at Azusa Pacific University. The Seder is a tradition thousands of years old, in which elements of a meal are used to symbolize the Jews escaping slavery from Egypt. Smith said many Christians cannot help but find Christian symbolism in the meal, such as the presence of lamb, which is Christian symbol for Jesus Christ, or the theme of deliverance. In three of the four Gospels, Jesus has a Passover meal with his disciples before he is arrested and crucified. But Smith cautioned Christians to remember that the Seder is meant to be symbolic of the Jewish people’s escape from slavery. “Christians need to make sure they accept the fundamental story of the Exodus as the reason for Passover,” she said. “This should not cause Christians to ignore the story that is so meaningful in the Jewish world.” Smith also said that modern archaeology and scholarship are leading many Christians to explore the “Jewishness” of Jesus. German scholars, who dominated the study of the New Testament in the 1800s, tended to “de-Judaize” Jesus, she said, painting him as separate from other Jews. But modern scholarship leads Christians to think of Jesus as part of the Jewish religious conversation, she said. “That’s probably a much more accurate picture of who he was,” she said. Rabbi Haim Dov Beliak of Beth Shalom in Whittier said he was happy about increased interest in Judaism, noting that many Jews he knows enjoy sharing their traditions. A few weeks ago, he hosted a Seder meal at his home, which was attended by Muslim Palestinian neighbors, he said. But he too is wary of Christians imposing their beliefs on the celebration. “Christians, they have a bad track record of the colonization of people’s rituals,” he said. But he said he appreciated that people find symbolism for salvation, redemption and transformation in the Seder. “Nobody wants to put the kibosh on that,” he said. “I think everybody would want to say that’s wonderful.” Nelson said he definitely found a message of salvation in the Seder ritual. ben.baeder@sgvn.com (626) 962-8811, Ext. 2703160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! WEST COVINA – The bitter herbs that symbolize the bitterness of slavery; the salt water for the tears of the Jewish people; the lamb, representing the one sacrificed on the eve of the Exodus from Egypt. Element by element, Dennis D. Nelson explained the symbolism of the Passover Seder meal to his congregation last week. But he is not a rabbi. He is a pastor at Christ Lutheran Church in West Covina. Passover and Easter coincide this year, and many Christians are taking the opportunity to explore Christianity’s roots by participating in a Seder. 
England lined up without the dropped Rooney and injured left-back Ryan Bertrand as Southgate made only two changes from the XI that defeated Malta 2-0 on Saturday. Eric Dier replaced 117-cap Rooney and Danny Rose came into the side, meaning another chance for Lingard, preferred again to Manchester United team-mate Marcus Rashford, and a 50th cap for centre-half Gary Cahill.The hosts were nearly ahead after ten minutes when sloppy play by the Three Lions allowed Slovenia to break, after Dier played a clumsy backpass from the halfway line to the edge of the box. Roman Bezjak was first to the ball and Hart made a vital sliding challenge to prevent the 27-year-old from scoring.The danger was still on and the ball eventually made its way on the left of the box to Kurtic, who came inside on his right foot and curled the ball into the far post, Bezjak blasting the rebound wide.Theo Walcott had a go when he snatched a 20-yard shot over the bar shortly after the 20-minute mark, but Southgate’s men could not cope with Slovenia’s pressing approach.England were often their own worst enemy and they looked all over the place at the back in the early stages of the second half.Hart tipped away Bostjan Cesar’s effort from an initial corner before City’s on-loan shot-stopper made a world-class save to deny Kurtic. The Atalanta midfielder, after hitting the frame in the first half, sent a near-post header towards the top corner and Hart did brilliantly to push the ball around the post and out for a corner, injuring himself in the process.Southgate made his first change, with Townsend replacing Walcott and the Crystal Palace winger soon stung the gloves of Atletico keeper Oblak after coming inside.Henderson was the next play to send a misplaced pass towards Hart. Cahill failed to cover and the goalkeeper saved the day once again to prevent Josip Ilicic. 3 3 Joe Hart turned in a standout performance to save England a precious point in Slovenia, as the decision to drop Wayne Rooney for the 2018 World Cup qualifier failed to unlock a brave new era.A clunky England could – and should – have been beaten but Hart produced a match-defining display with brave blocks from Roman Bezjak and Josip Ilicic and a stunning goal-line stop to deny Jasmin Kurtic.Kurtic also hit the post in the first half, while Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak was rarely tested at the other end, making a couple of good saves to deny Jesse Lingard and Andros Townsend, as England took a fortunate point in Group F. 3 England’s captain on the night Jordan Henderson Under-fire Rooney replaced Dele Alli on 73 minutes and the Manchester United man soon went close from 20 yards, sending a low effort just wide of Oblak’s goal.Oblak showed just why he is so highly rated in LaLiga when he made a vital save with little over ten minutes remaining. Lingard, who had a quiet game, sent a low shot through a number of bodies on the edge of the box and the Slovenia goalkeeper did well to get to the ball and palm it away from danger.Rashford was introduced with eight minutes left on the clock and it looked like the script was written for the Manchester United starlet, but it finished goalless in Ljubljana.
Gareth Barry has become the Premier League’s all-time record appearance holder.The West Brom midfielder made his 633rd appearance at Arsenal on Monday night, surpassing the mark set by former Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs.Barry was named Baggies captain for the night in recognition of the achievement.The 36-year-old, who drew level with Giggs when he played in West Brom’s goalless draw against West Ham last weekend, also made his 601st start in the top flight.Barry made his debut for Aston Villa at the age of 17, appearing as a substitute in a 3-1 victory at Sheffield Wednesday on May 2, 1998.His landmark appearance came against the Gunners, who twice tried to sign him during his long career.Instead Barry went on to play for Manchester City – with whom he won the title in 2012 – and Everton before joining West Brom on a free transfer this summer.Now in his 21st season as a professional, Barry, who also has 53 England caps, this week admitted he could carry on playing until he is 40.He also has his sights set on Giggs’ top-flight record of 672 appearances – the Welshman played 40 times in the old First Division before the Premier League was introduced. 1 The 36-year-old made his 633rd appearance at Arsenal 