Friday November 20, 2015
FINALLY! LOCAL GOV’T ELECTIONS MARCH 18, 2016
‘Winds of change blowing favourably in our direction’ – Guyana Legion Head -Gets $1M from GDF
President David Granger laying a wreath at the monument
President of the Guyana Legion, Lt Col Retired George Gomes, says the organization currently has a register of “Shut ins” numbering eighty five persons who are either disabled or aged. He stressed that of the eight persons, thirty six of them are diabetics while nineteen of that thirty six are already blind and another eight of them are amputees. There are twenty seven cases of stroke among the eight five persons Gomes was at the time addressing former and present member of the Guyana Defence Force
who gathered at the monument site of the men and women who served in the British Guiana and the Cooperative Republic of Guyana’s military on this morning. The event was held at the Base Camp Ayanganna in Georgetown. He stated that it remains a challenge when members of the veterans’ association has to visit public health facilities for medical attention and have to wait like everyone else before they can see a health practitioner. Gomes explained that there is need for urgent medical support and
care for veterans and requested that there be a weekly visit by a medical team to the Legion’s Carifesta Avenue Headquarters where veterans can access care and be able to receive prescriptive medication. Also of concern for him was the present diet within the Guyana Defence Force to safeguard them from the health complications when they become older and after exiting the army. His comments came as a direct result of the medical conditions which are being experienced by the veterans.
He also spoke of provisions in established housing developments such as Diamond and Parfaite Harmonie, telling the gathering that it is his belief that special allocations should be set aside for the joint services in those two schemes. “In days gone by and I speak of the 1970s’ and 1980s’ there was not a housing project anywhere in Guyana where special allocations were not made for the joint services, South Ruimveldt, Tucville, Vryheid’s Lust, Melanie Damishana, Vergenoegen, Samantha Point, Tucber
Park, Shirley Field- Ridley Scheme and Bent Corton Scheme, all these new projects e.g. Diamond, Parfaite Harmonie I believe special allocations should be set aside for the joint services” The Veterans’ Legion Headed explained. “At this present time I have already started to observe the wind of change, the winds of change blowing favorably in our direction and I know and I believe that good things are going to happen. At this time I am extremely proud of the high level of service being given to our veterans from right at the very top and here I am Speaking of President David Granger” he continued. Gomes said that services and facilities such as the ones listed above should be basic rights for those serving in the country’s military. He reminded that in his speech as at a similar event last year he was very critical of the then administration for the attention that was being given to the veterans of the country. Meanwhile in support of the Guyana Defence Force to those who would have served, Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defense Force Brigadier Mark Phillips presented a cheque for one million dollars to the
president of the Guyana Veterans Legion. He stated that the contributions of the former service men and women have contributed also to the development and protection of democracy in Guyana and the serving members of the force will forever be grateful in that regard. “We in the force as we observe our anniversary we all remain committed to the welfare and wellbeing of our military veterans and we continue to support the operations of the National Veterans Home and the activities of the Guyana Veterans Legion” Phillips noted as he wished then veterans a happy Veterans Day. He acknowledged the recent move by the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces President David Granger who is also a retired head of the Guyana Defence Force to establish a National Veterans Commission in keeping with resolution 60 passed by the National Assembly in November of 2013. He reminded that the commissioner will conduct investigations into and conduct recommendations for the improvement of our military veterans.
PSC concerned about crime situation Acknowledging that the Guyana Police Force has recorded some major successes, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) is still concerned about the existing crime situation in Guyana which is threating investor’s confidence and restricting employment in some communities. This was according to Chairman of the PSC, Norman Mclean, who unveiled a “Strategies for the reduction of crime in Guyana” document which he will be presenting to the Guyana Police Force next week. Despite com-
-Recommends joint patrols when necessary
ments made by Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum that the crime situation in Guyana is not out of control, the PSC notes that it has been observing trends in the escalation of crime, which appears to have been going unchecked. According to the commission, “every day’s [news]paper brings more and more bad news about the state of crime in Guyana.” They referenced an article published in the Guyana Times on Saturday October 31, which read: “Gunmen hit Goed Fortuin Shop.” The
article revealed that the owner was gun butted and the gunmen escaped with over $900,000. Additionally, on Sunday November 1, there was an article in one of the local print which reported that a Kitty businessman was shot and robbed shortly after leaving his Barr Street business. But these were just a few of the cases where business persons were targets for criminals, the PSC Chairman said, adding that it is against this backdrop that he is offering the document which aims to support the po-
lice force in the execution of their duties. In the document which is considered a revised version of the original one, the role of the Community Policing Group (CPG) which still exists in Guyana was underscored. According to McClean, this body, if equipped and promoted more vigorously, could help in crime prevention. Another recommendation coming from the document was the need to facilitate more officers in the training process which only allows 800 persons to be trained annually. Third-
Norman Mclean
ly, the utilization of retired officers to execute training sessions for these additional recruits was recommended. Other recommendations including the option of having joint patrols, should the need arise was also listed in the document which Mc-
Clean says he expected to be discussed, debated and considered by the force. The body also recommended the reactivation of the Law and Order Commission which they say play an integral role in domestic security affairs.
City Council to investigate allegations not confirmed of gross corruption -Allegations or denied
Public Relations Officer at the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) Debra Lewis stated that she will be looking into allega-
tions of contracts being awarded to family members of High Officials at the Council to conduct works around the city. This accusation was made by the Opposition, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) during a recent Press Conference where the Party’s Spokesperson on Public Infrastructure Juan Edghill, stated that “What we are hearing, and we call on those responsible to bring to public notice the truth about the allegations we are hearing, we hoping they are not true; that
family members of High Officials in the Mayor and City council are the ones responsible for executing of these contracts”. He added that this is “an allegation of gross corruption which we are hearing”. The Public Relations Officer who was neither able to confirm or deny this allegation said there is a process for the awarding of contracts. “Maybe I’ll have to do some investigation” she said. However she explained that “We have in place the tender committee and
so all of the applications will have to go through, even though it will go to the Town Clerk’s office, it goes to the tender board committee where it is chaired by the Mayor and has several other councilors and senior officers as a part of it…and the selection is made”. Edghill also alleged that while there is a lot of work taking place around the city, there no information available on the scope of works to the public and how it should be completed. “How will the public know if the
work is done in keeping with the contract that is awarded…None of that is available” he said. He further claimed that “in the dispensation of the PPP/C government, one of the things that communities were always aware of is an on price, bill of quantity would be placed at prominent places in communities so communities will know exactly what is to be done…so you’ll know the quantities, how much truck load of sand, how much tonnes of earth is to be
removed, how wide the drains are to be…everything was so spelled out. We are not hearing that”. To this Lewis stated that “what I know is that persons from the Community, would have been invited to come and bring their applications in to be a part of the whole clean-up exercise… I know from some of the communities, there are community groups and we have the names of the leaders, all of the names and they will be aware of the scope of works”.
Cabinet approves $2.9B in contracts -Extended works to be done in Sophia
In its recognition of the importance of public infrastructure in contributing to a good life for all Guyanese Cabinet has approved billions of dollars in the award of contracts, particularly in this field. This is according to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, who was briefing the press on matters deliberated on by Cabinet during this week’s meeting. Cabinet gave its no objection for a number of contracts for the rehabilitation and construction of urban roads in region four. In excess of GYD$66M dollars has been approved for the Water
street/Tiger Bay road network. The contract was awarded to Associated construction services. Cabinet also gave its no objection to the tune of GYD$32M for the West Ruimveldt road network. That contract was awarded to Colin Talbot construction services. Further, some GYD$12M was given for upgrade of the main road at Pattersen Georgetown, while a total of GYD$21M was awarded for the upgrade of the Cummings Lodge old road. That contract was awarded to Puran Brothers Disposal Inc. Some eight contracts
were awarded to be executed in the Sophia area, including roads, bridges to connect the community, and street lighting. These projects, Harmon said will serve as a means of providing employment since the contractors were told to hire persons from within the communities in the execution of the works. Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson has included an inspectorate division that will be inspecting the quality of work in all of the communities. Harmon encouraged residents in the respective areas to be the watchdogs of the works
being done in their communities by contractors. “It makes no sense a contractor getting a contract, he’s being paid the money and the work is not done to the specification and then the community complains afterwards. We’re encouraging the communities to become involved in this. This is all part of the whole process of government funds and state funds being expended for the benefit of the Guyanese people,” the Minister encouraged. He stressed that the coalition government would like to see communities with proper roads, proper lights, and proper water facili-
ties. “While it might not be a part of every single contract the government does I believe it’s the government intention to ensure that every community receives that facility,” said Harmon. The State Minister said the projects are part of the good life the APNU/AFC coalition spoke about after winning elections.
“This is why we moved away from a Ministry of Housing to a Ministry of Communities because we believe housing is a part of the community, and the community must comprise of certain things like schools, police stations, street lights and so forth so it’s a total package,” the Minister emphasized.
Caribbean Medical Supplies Inc. has been awarded in excess of GYD$35M for the procurement of HIV rapid tests kits for the National Aids Programme Secretariat (NAPS) at the Ministry of Health. Cabinet’s approval for the contract was disclosed by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon this morning, at his post-cabinet media briefing. Recently, reports
surfaced in the media that there was a shortage of HIV testing kits at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and several other Health Centres countrywide. Activist Sherlina Nageer, in a letter had stated that she personally checked testing sites in Guyana and discovered the shortage, which have been the cry of health workers for months. She referred to
the fact that a lot of money and time have been spent over the years to get persons to be tested and now they are being turned away because of a shortage of kits. Ho w e v e r, Nageer’s disclosure had prompted a response from Public Health Minister, George Norton. He was quoted as saying that Nageer’s statement was “true to an extent” but that there were enough
testing kits to last until others were procured. He said the Ministry was in the process of procuring a fresh set of testing kits. Norton said the Minis-
try has since contacted the activist and offered to have her tested at another public health facility, since she had expressed hope that she
would have been able to get the test done before the end of the year.
Millions approved for procurement of HIV testing kits
Forensic lab’s work critical to modern crime fighting - Ramjattan
Minister Khemraj Ramjattan
Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan says the role of the National Scientific Forensic Laboratory is critical to
the modern crime fighting process and as a result the Government is investing heavily in capacity building of its staff.
According to the Government Information Agency (GINA), Ramjattan pointed out that the Forensic lab is operational and it is using scientific techniques to solve crimes which is part of the strategy of the modernisation process in keeping with international best practices. He said, “Those who have come from overseas and that have seen the lab are so impressed with it, the facilities there, the quality
of the personnel and a number of other things. They are very good at finding out forged documents, they are now getting capacity in relation to specimen counterfeit money and managing to detect it very quickly.” He added that efforts are also being made to train the scientists to respond to defend their results in a Court of Law and noted that continuous training of the key personnel at the facility is critical to maintaining
the integrity and credibility of its officers, its specimens and its results. “So they have to learn that aspect of it too, they might be good scientists but it’s one thing when you are a good scientist and you know this is a forgery, but when you go in a court of law and you hear the questions asked of you, you really realise that you are green at this thing so that kind of preparation is now going in to the personnel there.”
The state of the art facility has a highly specialised evidence recording system for lab information management that keeps track of evidence submitted for examination. It concentrates on the analysis of toxic substances, narcotic drugs, pharmaceutical drugs, alcohol, forged documents and biological fluids among others. The construction of the facility was funded by the Inter-American Development Bank at a cost of $1.4B.
Norton orders report into baby’s death at GPHC -Family alleges negligence by Nurses Following the death of an unborn baby who allegedly suffocated in its mother’s womb, the family is pointing blame to the Nurses on duty at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). According to the East Coast of Demerara family, the attitude of the Nurses in question in the maternity ward allegedly led to the death of the unborn baby. Reports are that the baby’s mother, Sumarie Balwant, of Good Hope, ECD, went into labour for her second child after a full term of
pregnancy. She claims that on reaching the hospital, the Nurses refuse to have the baby delivered citing that the time was not right. This, according to Balwant, was despite her water-bag being broken. This she believes is a clear case of negligence that resulted in the death of the baby. Balwant relatives claim that she visited the clinic last Monday, her expected delivery date, and was informed that she would give birth anytime. Following repeated pains, she was taken to the GPHC
early Tuesday morning where she was examined but was allegedly told she is not ready to deliver and was admitted. However, Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton, told GNN that the mother unfortunately suffered from a condition call Velamentous Cord Insertion which is an extremely high risk scenario. He explained that such conditions result in blood vessels of the cord being exposed making them vulnerable to rupture. “The conditions under which the mother
suffered from was high risk”, he emphasized. He said normally, the umbilical cord is in the middle of the placenta, but wasn’t so in this case and pointed out that the exposed blood vessels can rupture early in labour leading to a stillbirth. He noted that such conditions can be diagnosed in advanced institutions and could result in Caesarian around thirty-five weeks. The Health Minister said he has since ordered a report from the Chief Executive Officer of the Georgetown
Minister George Norton
Hospital in an effort to get to the bottom of the issue. He was clear that he is not in any way defending the Nurses and is not inferring that they are not negligent. A relative stated that Balwant’s water-bag broke on Wednesday,
but still the nurses allegedly insisted that she was not ready to give birth. The unborn baby allegedly died in the mother’s womb sometime after. The family believes that if the Nurses had acted when they should, the incident could have been avoided.
UN TEAM RETURNS FOR DISCUSSION ON GUYANA/VENEZUELA CONTROVERSY The Government of Guyana last evening received a United Nations Mission which was again dispatched by the United Nations Secretary General to discuss options under the Geneva Agreement for a resolution of the contention of Venezuela that the 1899 Arbitral Award is null and void.
The team which is headed by Chef de Cabinet, of the United Nations Secretary General; Ms. Susanna Malcorra, and includes Ms. Yvette Blanco, Mr. David Hutchinson and Mr. Guillermo Kendall will depart on Saturday, November 21st. While here the team is expected to make
a courtesy call on H.E. President David Granger and meet with Foreign Affairs Minister, Hon. Carl B. Greenidge and other officials for detailed discussions intended to inform the Secretary General’s choice. This visit is part of the ongoing effort of the United Nations Sec-
retary General to assist Guyana and Venezuela in the search for a solution to the controversy that arose from the Venezuelan contention that the Arbitral Award of 1899, that established the land boundary between the two States, is null and void.
‘Appreciate the progress Agriculture has made since Independence’ - Holder
Agriculture Minister Noel Holder, Permanent Secretary George Jervis and General Mananger of GRDB Mr Nizam Hassan with some of the awardees
The Ministry of Agriculture this morning
honoured persons who dedicated years of ser-
vice to the ministry, at an award ceremony held at
Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo says that the closely through a more consultative process with the pposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic in ensuring that the Eleventh Parliament is productive. Speaking to the Government Information Agency (GINA) Nagamootoo, who leads government business in the National Assembly, stated that he is looking forward to a closer and fruitful working relationship with the Opposition to move government’s parliamentary agenda. He noted that the 11th parliament is now managed by a Parliamentary Man-
agement Committee chaired by Speaker of the House, Dr. Barton Scotland. It includes an equal number of members from both government and Opposition. This approach, he said, is the path the coalition government intends to pursue to achieve its parliamentary objectives. “As leader of the government business, my role there is to ensure that government presents its parliamentary agenda in a way that allows consultation…those campaign promises that we have made that we will do x, y and z that will require that the law be changed or new laws
be introduced that’s the role of the leader of the government business in the House, and to work with the speaker and the leader of the Opposition,” the Prime Minister reaffirmed. The government has proposed to re-table a number of legislations that were not finalised by the Tenth parliament. This, the Prime Minister stated, is being done is the national interest. “I give credit to the Attorney General for having gone back into the archives and bringing out all those pieces of legislations that were tabled before by the then government…
the Georgetown Cricket Club Ground. The
ceremony saw a total of 31 current and retired staff of the ministry receiving certificates and tokens for their service. The Government Information Agency (GINA) reported that Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, George Jervis, mentioned that the work done by awardees was not in vain and that it was their duties that helped others in attendance to strengthen their abilities. “At some point we have to stop and ask why it is that when there was so little media and technology that the work was done?” Jervis asked as he urged persons to strive to perform in a selfless manner. He further stated that there is room for development as he encouraged all the staff to work together to make agriculture in Guyana great.
During his feature address, Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder stated that the main purpose of this award ceremony was to acknowledge the staff ’s contributions. “When you honour people, you are giving a form of recognition to the person being honoured,” he stated. Holder indicated that there needs to be an appreciation for the vast progress that the sector has made since independence. He also spoke of the fact that the Ministry has embarked on a number of plans, some of which have already commenced, to further develop the human capital. These include short - term training overseas, post - graduate studies for staff at the Masters and Doctoral levels, and continuing education in-house.
Gov’t looks forward to closer working relation with Opposition –Nagamootoo
Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo
our approach is not to throw out the window anything that might have been associated with the former government, but to treat them on their merit and incorporate those that are positive and to put on the side, on the waiting list those that
we think could have further consultations and we could develop them together as parliamentary partners.” According to the Prime Minister, the coalition government’s vision for the parliament is one which there will be no con-
frontation, less expression of animosity and hatred and one where all the members of Parliament, on both the government and Oposition benches work in harmony for the greater good of Guyana, and its peoples.
EAST COAST MEN ARREST FOR ILLEGAL DRUGS The police today in separate incidents, arrested two men who were found to be in possession of illegal drugs along the East Coast of Demerara. According to a police statement, a search was conducted at around 11:30 this morning on the home of Randolph Moore of Haslington
New Scheme. 11 grams of cocaine were found. The fifty-eight year-old Moore was arrested and charged. He subsequently appeared before Magistrate Ms. Alicia George at the Vigilance Magistrate Court and pleaded “guilty”. He was sentenced to three years
imprisonment and fined $30,000.00. The police also conducted a search on a house in Middle Walk, Buxton, during which 355 grams of marijuana were found. A man was arrested and is in police custody assisting with the investigations.
Ministry working to resolve - Patterson Ogle issue
Minister David Patterson meeting with National Air Transport Association and the Correia Group
Following meetings with the National Air Transport Association (NATA) and the Correia Group, Minister of Public Infrastructure;
David Patterson stated that the members of both parties have agreed to submit crucial documentations to the Ministry with
the view of reaching an amicable solution to the ongoing dispute. Through a statement from the Ministry, he stated
that “the two groups will put forward their necessary documentations and objections. I will review same, and make a submission to His Excellency President David Granger. I am hopeful it will be something that both parties can work with for the benefit for the aviation sector”. Minister Patterson who met with NATA on Wednesday, November 18 and Correia Group on November 19, 2015 at his Wight’s Lane office, said the parties have to submit “Articles of Incorporation of all operators at Ogle International Airport (OIA), a Copy of the Lease between Corpo-
rative Republic of Guyana and OIA, Aircraft Owners Association Inc. original documentation, Lease Agreement, i.e, copies for all lessees, Cabinet decision issued, which was presented by former Public Works Minister, Robeson Benn, and a summation pointing out the difference in requirements and operational procedures between Ogle Airport Inc. and OIA”. The Minister said he also requested that both parties refrain from making public pronouncements until the issues/ differences of the two groups are resolved. Issues at the OAI sparked after a Draft
Airport operators agreement was presented to the OAI Board of Directors for consideration which allows for a levy on property if domestic operators do not pay their taxes and a suggestion from President David Granger to have the Airport renamed ‘Eugene F. Correia Airport’ to honor the first Minister of Communication, Shipping and Civil Aviation. NATA claimed that the airport is already “Correia controlled” and called for several things to be put in place to ensure fair competition and security.
GOVT. SERIOUS ABOUT UNITY TALKS WITH PPP -Promises to examine Opposition’s concerns
Minister Joseph Harmon
The A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) government has reiterated its seriousness with regard to holding national unity talks with the Opposition Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C). During his post-cabinet media conference today at the Ministry of the Presidency, Minister of State Joseph Harmon stated that the government continues to remain open to talks with the PPP/C. General Secretary of the
PPP, Clement Rohee on Monday November 16 announced that the Party will not be engaging the government in national unity talks, noting that the environment was not conducive for such. The party had laid out certain conditions that it wanted the government to address before any talks can be held. The party is calling on the government to stop the discrimination and termination of people based on their ethnic or political affiliation, restore collective bar-
gaining with the sugar workers and their unions with GuySuCo, address problems in the rice sector and assist farmers in the same way they have done with the miners. In addition, the PPP/C says it wants the coalition government to stop usurping the Parliamentary norms, rules and conventions and muzzling the Opposition’s role in Parliament, as in the case of the unknown fate of the motion to annul the salary increase, among other issues. “ As far as uni-
The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) says it is not surprised that the Granger-led administration is found flip-flopping once again, this time with regard to the construction of the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project. The Party, in a statement said this is becoming a characteristic feature of the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) coalition administration. According to the PPP, the government’s track record speaks for itself. The statement said government’s position on the Specialty Hospital, the Airport Expansion Programme, salary in-
creases for Government Ministers, and the BaiShanLin investment illustrate its flip-flopping proficiency. The statement quoted Chief Government spokesperson, Joseph Harmon, who publicly said in August 2015 that the Amaila Hydro Project “has been dead for a long time.” The Party said Harmon had also pointed out that “there was no project so there was nothing for the IDB to fund.” The PPP also quoted Finance Minister, Winston Jordan who declared in the National Assembly that “The problem, Mr. Speaker, is that it would not only be irresponsible but a downright criminal
act of deception were we to proceed with the Amaila Falls Project” The Party says four months after they had buried Amaila Hydro Project, they are now resurrecting the “dead” project. “Since they had declared that there was no Amaila Falls Project, where did the same project suddenly come from now? In the same way the APNU+AFC coalition had said there was no money in the treasury, the question now being asked is, where did all the money come from that is being spent now and so lavishly?” the Party questioned. The PPP has reiterated that the Amaila Hydro Elec-
ty talks are concerned, we are opened to the talks. We continue to be open to the talks and it is really up to the PPP/C to really come to the table. We went back as far as we could, Minister Harmon said. Questioned whether the coalition is willing to examine the conditions set out by the PPP before it engages the government on talks, Harmon replied in the affirmative. “If there are conditions which the PPP set out we will look at them. We will look at them objectively,” the Minister assured. He however, called on the PPP to indicate whether it is really serious about unity talks with the government, since according to Harmon, it is vital for the country to move forward. “You don’t just get up on a Monday
morning and decide that national unity can’t work because of A,B,C,D and you just release it in the newspaper because we have to think these things through,” Harmon stressed. With regard to the concerns raised by the Opposition, Harmon noted that “You can’t come every week and throw out new menu of measures and asking the government that unless you do this, we can’t do that, and then next week when we we’re dealing with this first set you come and with another set next week.” According to Harmon, national unity is not an option for the coalition government, but is a requirement to move the country forward. He reiterated the government’s commitment to having conversation with
the Opposition to see how best they can move the country forward. “Social cohesion is not just a gimmick to us, it is a serious matter and that is why a Minister was appointed to deal with social cohesion, an entire section of a Ministry dedicated to that purpose to demonstrate the seriousness which we place on national unity and social cohesion,” the Minister said. Meanwhile, Harmon chided the PPP/C for the channel which it chooses to express its concerns with the government. “They can write the government or the leader of the Opposition himself has access to the President that those things can be communicated. That is the way I believe responsible government and political parties operate,” Harmon noted.
GOVT. “FLIP-FLOPPING” ON AMAILA FALLS -PPP
Members of the Opposition
tric Project has always been a viable developmental project that would benefit all Guyanese particularly the manufacturing sector. “It is unfortunate that the private manufacturing sector did not press energetically for the project to
be realized. Much time has been lost and now that the government has run aground with its posture towards the controversy with Venezuela it has back-peddled and returned to the Amaila Hydro Project for cheap, clean energy in a green economy,”
the statement added. Finance Minister, Winston Jordan recently revealed that a study to determine the viability of the project is being conducted.
Local Government Elections set for March 18
Minister Ronald Bulkan
Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, today disclosed that Local Government Elections is set for March, 18, 2016. He pointed out the cur-
rent Local Government System is rotten and must be made fully functional. He said “The new leaders will not just replace the old ones. The
democratically elected officials will be empowered according to law and they will be expected to perform their decision-making roles, ac-
cording to law. They will not be subjected to domination and control by Central Government… they will have the power to make decisions that affects citizens living within the respective Municipalities and NDC’s”. Asked about funding for the hosting of LGE, he noted that while it will be more costly than the General and Regional Elections, however “the administration is absolutely convinced that the investment in these elections are essential because it arises out of our unmistakable commitment as
to the importance of local government and local democracy, and human development”. He further explained that “At General and Regional Elections, we are actually dealing with ten ballot papers; unique to each region. Given the constituency representation and the fact that there are 585 constituencies within the 71 organs, it means then there will be 585 unique ballot papers for each so the logistics relating to the conduct and management of these elections, are more elaborate”. During a re-
cent Press Conference the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) stated that it has embarked on an awareness exercise to ensure that citizens are aware of the local government system and how they can participate at whatever level. I t was disclosed that the Local Authority Areas still stands at 71, however instead of 65 Neighborhood Democratic Councils (NDC) and 6 Municipalities as previously existed, there is now 62 NDC’s and 9 Municipalities with the declaration of Mabaruma, Bartica and Lethem as towns GECOM is currently conducting its Claims and Objections which will conclude on December 13.
Felix challenges Teixeira to produce evidence he fostered corruption Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix, claims the allegation that he fostered corruption at the level of the General Registrar’s Office (GRO) while he was Commissioner of Police, is a “blatant lie.” According to him, former Home Affairs Minister Gail Teixeira is claiming that in the past, he would failed to act on reports of fraudulent activities at the GRO. A story carried
in the Guyana Chronicle today (November 20), quoted Felix as saying, “She wants to my tarnish my reputation. Nothing can be further from the truth”. According to the story, Felix recall that during his time as Commissioner of Police, there were numerous reports of false birth certificates which were being pursued and they were being discovered at a certain foreign
missions in Guyana. “My recollection of events goes like this; Matters were reported in relation to the passports and birth certificates. Investigations were conducted, it was sent to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in various cases and charges were recommended. They were placed before the courts but it failed because the witnesses who came
from the foreign mission failed to attend court and their appearance could not have been enforced because of diplomatic immunity,” he explained. This he said was explained to Teixeira at the time and as such, he is now challenging her to bring any evidence which can prove he neglected his duties. Teixeira’s allegation of dereliction of duty on Felix’s part was reportedly contained in
Minister Winston Felix
Wikileaks cable dating to when she was Minister of Home Affairs. Felix pointed that since his appointment as Minister of Citizenship, a number of corrupted practices which had existed in the areas of birth registration and immigration under the former administration, has been unearthed. He made reference to the discovery that the process for late registration of births was entirely disregarded under the former regime, especially in the hinterland regions of the country. He posited it could have been allowed then to adjust the list of registered adults pertaining to elections. On the issue of fake birth certificates, Felix noted that foreign missions and embassies here had been questioning their validity and stated that they were being printed by private companies. He pointed
that is was difficult to determine the real from the fake. To prevent this, he said that the Government will be taking full responsibility for the printing giving it complete control of the process. Felix also alluded to numerous complaints received regarding corruption at GRO including allegations that staff were facilitating dishonest requests. To this he said that the system is being cleaned up and properly monitored. “What we are doing is to make the office less available to the public by having applications made through the post office. The more crowded it becomes, is the more demands for dishonest practices you would have,” he noted. He added that loopholes which can facilitate such criminal acts have been identified.
Illegal Gun and ammunition found in East Coast home The police yesterday discovered an unlicensed 9mm pistol and a quantity of ammunition after searching a home at Section “B” Non Pariel, East Coast Demerara.
According to the police 380 rounds of .380 calibre ammunition and 14 rounds .32 calibre ammunition were found during the search. Two men have
been arrested and are in custody assisting with the investigations.
Jagdeo Administration, the project was basically scuttled by the then APNU + AFC Opposition which held a oneseat Parliamentary majority under the Donald Ramotar government. Works on the access road began a few years back but fell into controversy over the
contractor. With the non-support of the then Opposition, the project basically died despite the initial investment and the vehement pleadings of the PPPC of the benefits to Guyanese. The project, once materialized, will lower energy costs, provide an impetus for ad-
ditional economic investment resulting in the creation of many jobs and would eventually be transferred to the Guyana Power & Light (GPL) for free. The Private Sector had also urged the current government to keep the project alive.
He said that there could not be a situation such as in the past administration, when Ministers were prepared to accept “lowly” salaries, but would engage in corrupt practices. The Minister was chastised by sections of society, the political Opposition and civil society groups for his comment on October 6, shortly after the increases were gazetted. Since Harmon made the statement he
did not appear at his usual post-cabinet media briefings until today. However, when questioned by the media on the issue this morning, Harmon clarified that his “no apologies” comment was not intended for the Guyanese public, but for the Opposition Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C). “I have made a statement, in front of all of you; you would recall the circumstances under which it was made.
I said I had no apologies to make to the PPP but in the event that the Guyanese people felt offended by my statement, then to the Guyanese people I would say if they felt hurt or offended by it I would say that I apologies to the Guyanese people.” Harmon said. He made it clear that he would not apologise to the PPP because in his view they don’t deserve it.
It is not clear what prompted the police to search the home.
Amaila Falls project could be resuscitated
It appears that the government is examining the possibility of restarting the Amaila Falls Hydo-Electricity project which funding it cut while in Opposition. Then, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) combined one-seat Parliamentary majority in the Opposition, denied funding for the project on the grounds of lack of transparency and the belief of its non-viability. However, Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, recently hinted at the possibility of the project being resuscitated. He said on Wednesday that the APNU + AFC gov-
ernment is committed to providing cheap and reliable energy to Guyanese and stated that the Kingdom of Norway is keen to finance another review to determine forthrightly the viability or non-viability of the Amaila Falls project. “What we need is cheap energy to open the floodgates of manufacturing. What we need is good economic and political governance to open the floodgates of prosperity,” Jordon said while addressing the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association’s (GMSA) 20th Anniversary Awards Presentation and Dinner at the Pegasus Hotel.
He said the review is indicative of the government’s position that the project which the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) government envisaged, was flawed. While delivering the 2015 Budget earlier in the year, he ahd pointed out that it would be criminal act of deception to proceed with the project in the state it was under the PPPC. The PPP is adamant that if the government abandons the project Guyanese for many years would have to endure high electricity rates which would also impact negatively on the manufacturing sector. Started under the Bharrat
Minister Joseph Harmon
Minister of State, Joseph Harmon today apologized to Guyanese who may have been offended by his “No apologies” comment with regard to the salary increases given to Ministers of
Government, Members of Parliament, and other government officers. Public servants lamented the fact that they got a meager five percent while some government officials were
awarded fifty percent. However, Harmon was quoted in sections of the media as saying that he has “no apologies” to make over the salary increases since they were justifiable.
Harmon apologizes to Guyanese for “No Apologies” comment
ZIMBABWE TO HONOUR BOB
Thirty-five years after performing at the first Independence Day celebrations of Zimbabwe, Jamaican reggae icon Bob Marley will be posthumously honoured at the annual Zimbabwe Music Awards (ZIMA) on a date to be announced. According to the website www.chronicle.co.zw, Marley will be bestowed a Lifetime Achievement Award. ZIMA Chairman Joseph
Nyadzayo said the award is in tribute to Marley, years after he performed at the flag-raising ceremony in 1980. “We’re honouring him for giving the de facto anthem and for leading the reggae music revolution in our free nation which as influenced important music types such as our own Zimdancehall phenomenon,” he was quoted as saying. Marley penned
the single Zimbabwe, taken from his 1979 album Survival, in support of the country’s (then Rhodesia) independence. “As the Marley family comes to Zimbabwe, we hope to recreate some of the excitement that we felt years ago when our nation was born,” Nyadzayo continued. Marley died in May 1981 of cancer. He was 36. (Jamaican Observer)
JENNIFER LAWRENCE REMOVED FROM ‘HUNGER GAMES’ POSTERS IN ISRAEL
Some Israeli towns have no appetite for the new-
est “Hunger promotional
Games” posters.
The Jennifer Lawrence-starred block-
The new James Bond flick Spectre has been cleared by the Censor Board Of Film Certification (CBFC) with a ‘UA’ certification, but only after four cuts, two verbal and two visual. The visual cuts are both kisses, passionate as only James Bond can be. Says a source, “Both of Daniel Craig’s kisses with his co-stars
have been reduced by 50 percent. The censor board had nothing against James Bond kissing. But the length of the kisses were found to be unnecessarily excessive. We heard that Ranbir Kapoor’s kissing in Tamasha has also been reduced by half. We wonder how the censor board decides how much kissing is enough.”
James Bond is also not allowed to say the ‘F’ word. Two verbal cuts for Mr Bond have gagged him from uttering the ‘F’ word and also ‘a...hole’. The CBFC thinks profanity is not for gentleman on his majesty’s secret service. (Adapted from Bollywoodhungama)
buster will bow Thursday in Israel, as it will in nations across the globe, but in the run-up to the first screening of the “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2” here, a handful of cities across the Jewish State have cut Lawrence herself out of the film’s posters. Most Israeli cities have been treated to the standard poster of the final “Hunger Games” installment, featuring Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen posing with her bow and arrow. But in the ultra-Orthodox suburb of Bnei Brak, as well as in Israel’s capital city Jerusalem – where sev-
eral neighborhoods are heavily religious – residents instead received a censored version of the poster, featuring only an image of the fiery crown. Extremely religious versions of Judaism consider the female image to be licentious, and ultra-Orthodox newspapers, catalogues and advertisements routinely edit out photographs of females entirely. City posters in Bnei Brak and Jerusalem featuring images of women have been often been vandalized, and Bnei Brak specifically, the city municipality bans public images that could be deemed offensive to its religious population.
The Israeli daily Haaretz reported Wednesday that it was the film’s Israeli PR company who made the call to censor the posters, not the city governments. “Unfortunately we are subject to unofficial coercion that forces us to be more careful,” Liron Suissa, VP of marketing for the company, Nur Star Media, told the paper. “We have had endless vandalization, and clients prefer not to take the chance. We allow everything, but we recommend hanging another visual when necessary. The decision is the client’s.” (Yahoo)
Sorr y, James Bond can’t kiss; in India
PIGEONS MAY BE ABLE TO DETECT CANCER
Scientists have discovered you can teach one of the most maligned of birds how to identify cancer. It turns out pigeons may make great cancer detectives. Evolutionarily speaking, birds’ and humans’ last common ancestor lived about 310 million years ago, but pigeons’ vision is as effective as that of humans, if not better. The birds can see more wavelengths of light than we can, including ultraviolet light. And that’s impressive when you know that their brains are about one-thousandth the size of ours. Earlier studies have shown pigeons can use
visual cues to put objects into categories, they can differentiate between letters of the alphabet, and they can recognize you even if you change clothes. (Maybe it really is personal if your car, or head, is a target for droppings.) Hearing about this amazing visual recall on a radio segment, Dr. Richard Levenson wondered, out of a kind of “intellectual playfulness,” if he could harness that pigeon power for good. He wondered “if they could actually do pathology, which is all about visual recall,” Levenson said. For the experiment, eight birds were placed in a
high-tech box in which they were shown an image a scientist would see under the microscope, along with two boxes. The slides showed relatively straightforward images of cancer cells, and cells that are not cancerous, from actual breast tissue samples. The scientists trained the birds to peck at one box if the sample was malignant, the other if it was benign. The birds trained with 144 images at different magnifications and each got a pellet when it pecked at the box with the right answer. The pigeons showed “remarkable” success, getting the right an-
swer 85% of the time. The birds didn’t do as well classifying suspicious mammographic densities or masses. In that case birds mostly memorized and weren’t as successful identifying the novel cases. Inex-
perienced human students may also struggle with these same images. Levenson and his co-authors are not proposing pigeons replace human experts. But the authors do wonder if pigeons may someday be used
the way computer algorithms are used today in testing new medical diagnostic technology, as a substitute for expensive human testers in the early stages of development. (Adapted from CNN)
Conjoined twin girls
successfully separated
Doctors at a Kentucky hospital have successfully separated conjoined
twin girls. Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville said in a statement
that the eight-hour surgery was performed on the 7-week-old girls on Nov. 11. While both remain on ventilators, the statement said they are getting stronger each day. The girls were joined at
the chest and abdominal cavity. They shared some heart structures and their livers were connected, according to the statement. Doctors waited as long as they could to perform the risky procedure, mak-
ing the decision to move forward because both girls needed increased breathing support. Although their longterm prognosis is unknown, chief cardiovascular surgeon Erle H.
Austin III says doctors are “cautiously optimistic” about their future. Experts say conjoined twins occur once in about every 200,000 pregnancies. (MSN)
and 6.5 percent of those tested in hospitals were contaminated with the drug-resistant bacteria. Unlike many other disease-causing bacteria, E. coli can cause infection even if you only consume a small amount, according to the Mayo Clinic. Ground beef, unpasteurized milk, and fresh produce are all common carriers and ways people ingest the bacteria, leading to diarrhea, severe stomach cramps, vomiting, and fever. Certain
vegetables, such as spinach and lettuce are highly vulnerable to contamination, however Erikson’s research team has found tomatoes are particularly good at cross contaminating through utensils. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services warns illness-causing bacteria can survive in many places throughout your kitchen, including your hands. Washing hands for at least 20 seconds with warm or cold water and soap can stop the spread; scrub the backs of your hands, in between gingers, and under nails in
two cycles, followed by rinsing and drying using a clean towel or air. When prepping food, even if you’re going to peel fruits and vegetables, it’s important to wash them first because the bacteria can spread from the outside to the
inside of the produce. Also, be sure to scrub firm produce like melons or cucumbers with a clean produce brush. (Adapted from MSN)
Your Kitchen Knives Are Teeming With Bacteria Chopping up cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, and lettuce for a salad might take longer now that researchers from the University of Georgia’s College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences have found utensils can spread bacteria to different produce. In light of their findings, published in the journal Food Microbiology, researchers now recommend users wash utensils, like knives, peelers, and graters, before they use them
to prepare another piece of fruit or vegetable. For example, if there’s one bad tomato in the bunch, it could wind up ruining the entire meal, from the salad to side dishes and dessert. In 2014, a team of researchers from Switzerland tested the common kitchen cutting boards and found they too were also able to transfer bacteria. Roughly 3.5 percent of the cutting boards randomly tested in homes were carrying E. Coli,
Indian Muslims protest against ISIL attacks i-Hind, told Al Jazeera. Thousands of Muslims across dozens of cities came out on the streets on Wednesday chanting slogans and raising banners against ISIL and its affiliated groups, Madani said. “It’s a conspiracy to bring a bad name to the Quran, Islam, and the Prophet. We have to fight against this conspiracy. It’s a jihad for us. Those [ISIL] who are doing this are really Allah’s rebels,” the Jamiat leader said. The activists held placards with messages reading “ISIS is a threat to humanity,” and “Stop
A prominent Muslim group in India organised protests across the country against recent deadly attacks in France, Lebanon, and Turkey by the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). “Islam doesn’t permit killing of innocents. Since most of the killings are being done in the name
of Islam and jihad, that’s why it is our religious duty to raise our voice against the act,” Maulana Mahmood Madani, chief of Jamiat-Ulama-
One determined Georgia student Tommitrise Collins, let nothing stop her from finishing an exam – not even going into labor! “This is what you call ‘Strong Priorities.’ Contractions three minutes apart and still takes her psychology test! You are going to be a great mom, baby sis!” said Shanell Brinkley-Chapman. Collins, 21, was preparing to deliver a baby girl
on Nov. 12 at Coliseum Medical Center, but says she had to complete an online exam the same day. “It took me four to five hours after the opening of the test to try to put the pain to the side and do it so I wouldn’t have to do it later and I could enjoy my newborn,” Collins told said. She finished the twohour exam in about an hour and a half, and af-
ter about 20 hours, Collins gave birth to little Tyler Elise. The Middle Georgia State University student passed the exam, but, unsatisfied with her score, retook it and got a B, she told Fox. Now, Collins says she’s been enjoying every moment of motherhood. “She is my life now,” Collins told Fox of little Tyler. “And the way I look at it is, she will always have
me to depend on, so my goals will not be put on hold.” Collins, who has an associate’s degree in criminal justice, is expected to graduate from the university with her bachelor’s degree in the same field in December 2016, Fox reports. “I don’t want to just barely make it by, I want my child to live comfortably,” the 21-year-old told Fox. “And I want
much of the nation, according to a study released on Thursday. The report, from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD), said the number was down slightly from 2014. Many U.S. cities are confronting a sluggish economic recovery, stagnant or falling wages among the lowest-income earners and budget constraints for social welfare programs. Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, Oregon and Hawaii have all recently declared emergencies over the rise of homelessness, and on Thursday Seattle’s mayor toured a new encampment for his city’s dispossessed. “De-
spite national estimates, New York City continues to experience near record homelessness,” said Giselle Routhier, a spokeswoman for the Coalition for the Homeless, an advocacy group. According to HUD’s latest tally, nearly 565,000 people were living on the streets in cars, in homeless shelters or in subsidized transitional housing during a one-night national survey in January. Nearly one-fourth were aged 18 or under. That num-
ISIS everywhere.” “We have received huge support. Almost all Muslim organisations have joined us from across India,” said Madani. According to media reports, a handful of Muslims out of a population of more than 160 million have so far joined ISIL in Iraq and Syria. Irfan Ahmad, associate professor of political anthropology at the Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, told Al Jazeera the Indian protesters demonstrated because they have been stigmatized
over the false notion that they support terrorism. “They are protesting to escape a well-coordinated, mediatised stigma according to which Muslims support ‘terrorism’. One is unsure if they would be permitted to be successful because the stigma exists and persists independently of them and the facts on the ground,” Ahmad said. “Don’t most Muslims decry terrorism in the same way most believers of other religions do?” said Ahmad, author of the book Islamism and Democracy in India. India has witnessed several deadly bomb blasts in the past. In 2008, the financial hub of Mumbai was the scene of a Paris-like assault by gunmen that killed 166 people over several days. (Adapted from Al Jazeera)
Woman takes College exam while in labor at Hospital to show people that just because I am considered a young mother doesn’t mean I have to be con-
sidered a bad mother.” (Adapted from MSN)
ber was down 2 percent from the previous year’s count and 11 percent from 2007, HUD said. The actual U.S. homeless population is likely higher than HUD’s snapshot suggests because many people living without the means to put a roof over their heads are beyond the reach of the survey, sleeping on a friend’s couch or a relative’s basement. HUD reported separately this month that roughly 1.49 million individuals used a shelter in 2014, up
4.6 percent from 2013, agency spokeswoman Heather Fluit said. A lack of affordable housing, combined with slumping pay at the lower end of the U.S. wage scale, has been cited by analysts as a driver of homelessness in a number of U.S. cities. Some 7 million units are short for affordable housing for low-income people. (Adapted from MSN)
More than half a million people homeless in the US
More than 500,000 people - a quarter of them children - were homeless in the United States this year amid scarce affordable housing across
Shop owner kills bandit
Confronted by three armed bandits on Wednesday night, an Arima businessman did not cower in fear, instead he attacked them, drawing his licensed firearm and shooting one of the bandits dead while the others fled the scene. Police yesterday said the dead bandit was identified as 19-yearold Kayode Edwards. Search continues for the
tance before collapsing. A shotgun was recovered on the scene. Moore revealed is fear-
ful for his life especially as two bandits are at large. Meanwhile, the father of Edwards yesterday told Newsday he tried his best to keep the teen on the right path. Samuel Edwards, said negative influences led his son astray. “This was a total surprise to me,” Edwards said. “I don’t know what else I could have done. I think I did everything in
my capacity to set him on the right path. He described his son as a pleasant and respectful youth whose only fault was being seduced by the wrong company. The father said “negative influences” in the area where his son lived, were successful in leading him astray. (Adapted from the Trinidad Newsday)
two passengers and the co-pilots are believed to be back in Caracas and have not been charged with a crime, an unnamed source in Caracas told Fox News Latino. As is customary in this terminal, called SAR for its acronym in Spanish, the aircraft carrying the young, well-connected men was not searched. “The plane left without a hitch,” said a person with knowledge of airport operations. “As far as I know, it wasn’t even searched,” he added, explaining that outbound, small private jets are not searched at that terminal, which is used exclusively by the government, including the planes in
the Venezuelan search and rescue squadron. Simon Bolivar was also the airport from which an Air France jet departed with 1.6 tons of cocaine in September 2013, the largest drug haul in the history of France. Authorities even-
tually arrested 27 people in that case, eight of them low-ranking military officers, according to Reuters. The suspects are still awaiting trial. Just months into his presidency, late President Hugo Chavez stopped a program that
allowed the DEA to fly surveillance and interdiction planes over Venezuelan airspace. In 2005, cooperation between Venezuela and the DEA came to a complete halt. (Adapted from Yahoo)
come ceiling of $45,000 – introduced in February 2014 – has been revoked. “The reason for this decision is that we wanted to make the qualifying limit closer to what was originally en-
visaged in the Act No. 25 of 2005 which stipulated that the HDC should do everything in its power to provide affordable shelter and associated community facilities for low and middle income citizens,” said Communications Minister Maxie Cuffie. He said the previous ceiling of $45,000, “led to housing being afforded to persons of higher-income and affected the availability of houses and homes to people in the lower-income group.” Asked whether persons who previously qualified for homes would be taken off the waiting list, Cuffie said, “That is what it means, they will no longer be eligible for subsidised housing.”
The Minister said the HDC was acting unlawfully by allowing persons in the household income range of $25,000 to $45,000 access to homes. “The HDC was operating outside of the law in terms of its mandate,” the La Horquetta/ Talparo MP said. “The HDC needs to operate in accordance with the mandate as enshrined in the law. Former Housing Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal yesterday esti-
mated the policy change could result in 50,000 people being affected, with between 2,000 to 5,000 names taken off the HDC waiting list. “This is scandalous and shocking,” Moonilal said. “They have disqualified thousands of public officers, nurses, middle-range managers, teachers, members of the protective services and others.
two bandits still at large. Police said that at about 10.25 pm Raymond Moore was shutting the doors to his business place when three men approached. He noticed that was armed and grabbed onto the gunman and a struggle ensued. Moore drew his licenced firearm and shot Edwards. The other bandits fired at Moore, but missed.
They then abandoned their wounded colleague and fled the scene. Edwards ran a short dis-
ports. Francisco Flores, 29, and Efraín Campos, 30, the nephews of first lady Cilia Flores, were among four passengers and two pilots on the Haiti-bound Citation 500. Flores and Campos were arrested in Haiti last week on charges of conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the United States. They are being held without bail in New York after a federal grand jury handed up an indictment last week. They both pleaded not guilty. According to the flight log, the other two passengers were Marco Uzcategui and Jesfran Moreno. Those
Venezuelan plane caught with drugs departed from government-operated terminal Nestled between the Caribbean Sea and the Avila Mountain, the tallest on the east side of the Andes, lays Venezuela’s first airfield, the Simón Bolívar International Airport. From one of the government-operated terminals, a Cessna Citation 500 took off on Sunday Nov. 8 carrying more than 1,700 pounds of cocaine, according to the District Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. On board were two close relatives of Venezuela’s presidential family, both of them allegedly carrying Venezuelan diplomatic pass-
T&T changes Housing policy; thousands affected
Government yesterday announced a change of policy which will see thousands of names being struck off the list of eligible persons in line for homes from the Housing Development
Corporation (HDC). With immediate effect, only persons who live in households where the total income is less than $25,000 will be able to apply for a HDC home. A previous in-
Mali hotel attack ends: At least 21 dead Assailants with guns blazing on Friday attacked a hotel hosting diplomats and others in Mali’s capital, leaving at least 21 people dead and trapping dozens in the building for hours, officials in the West African nation said. Malian and U.N. security forces launched a counterattack at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Bamako and escorted guests out. By late afternoon, no hostages were believed to remain in the building, army Col. Mamadou
Coulibaly told reporters. At least six people injured in the attack have been hospitalized. The assault began about 7 a.m., when two or three attackers with AK-47 rifles exited at least one vehicle with diplomatic plates and entered the hotel with guns firing according to Olivier Salgado, a spokesman for the United Nations The attack came as the hotel hosted diplomatic delegations working on a peace process in the landlocked country,
a former French colony that has been battling Islamist extremists with the help of U.N. and French forces. The Radisson chain said that as many as 170 people -- 140 guests and 30 employees -- had been there as the attack began. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. The Radisson Blu Hotel is in an upscale neighborhood outside the center of Bamako, rising high above the dusty streets and surrounding hous-
es. With 190 rooms and suites, it is known as a hub for international guests such as diplomats and businesspeople, and it is a 15-minute drive from Bamako-Senou International Airport. Mongi Hamdi, head of the U.N. mission in Mali, said the diplomats’ meetings, which began Thursday, were a possible reason for the attack. “I think this attack has been perpetrated by negative forces, terrorists, who do not want to see peace
another 18 wounded. US-funded Radio Free Asia, which first reported the incident about two months ago, said at least 50 people had died. Attackers fled into the mountains and authorities launched a manhunt with more than 10,000 people forming an “inChinese security forces ernment-run Xinjiang escapable dragnet”, the in the far western re- Daily was the first of- Xinjiang Daily said. gion of Xinjiang killed ficial mention of the China’s government 28 “terrorists” from a September 18 attack says it faces a serious group that carried out at the Sogan colliery threat from rebels and a deadly attack at a in Aksu, in which it separatists in enercoal mine in Septem- said 16 people - in- gy-rich Xinjiang, on ber. The news carried cluding five police of- the border of Central on Friday by the gov- ficers -were killed and Asia, where hundreds
have died in violence in recent years. Xinjian is home to the mostly Muslim Uighur ethnic minority people. Rights groups say China has never presented convincing evidence of the existence of a cohesive armed group fighting the government. Much of the unrest is caused by frustration at controls over the culture and religion of the Uighur people who live in Xinjiang, rights groups say, a charge Beijing denies. The Xinjiang
Daily said two people who appeared to have Uighur names were leaders of the unnamed foreign group. Beginning in 2008, its members began watching extremist videos and communicated six times with radical elements outside of China’s borders, requesting tactical guidance, the paper said. “Members of this for-
eign extremist group transmitted orders to the gang many times and demanded pledges of loyalty,” it said, without elaborating. It was unclear why the government had not disclosed the incident earlier. (Adapted from Al Jazeera)
doing and the shooting was an accident. Reynolds, however, didn’t say that when she called a 911 dispatcher or to her 62-year-old brother who ran into the room and found her standing near their mother’s body with a gun in her hand. “She looks at him and says ‘I killed the b----,’” Deputy District Attorney Keith Burke told jurors. “She didn’t say she was sorry. She didn’t say it was an accident. Didn’t express any remorse that he could see.”
Reynolds testified that she bought the gun four years ago because she intended to kill herself, Burke said. Reynolds told a sher-
iff ’s deputy that her mother regularly told her she was a horrible person. Jurors in Orange County Superior Court deliberated for
only a few hours before returning the verdict. Reynolds faces up to life in prison when sentenced Dec. 18. (Adapted from MSN)
in Mali,” Hamdi said. Taking advantage of a chaotic situation after a military coup in March 2012, Islamist extremists with links to al Qaeda carved out a large portion of northern Mali for themselves. When the militants tried to push into the south, France,
at the Malian government’s request, sent thousands of troops in 2013.The United Nations then established a peacekeeping mission in Mali that year, hoping to keep the government secure enough to continue a peace process. (Adapted from CNN)
28 ‘terrorists’ killed in China operation
Daughter convicted for killing mother
A 72-year-old woman was convicted Thursday of first-degree murder for fatally shooting her 96-year-old mother in the Southern California home they shared. Gretchen DeStefano was sitting in a recliner on Aug. 28, 2014 talking on the phone with a relative when her daughter, Christine Reynolds, retrieved a
9 mm handgun from her car and shot her mother in the head. The two had bickered for years, and Reynolds was angry with her mother, attorneys said. Deputy Public Defender Adam Vining argued that Reynolds, who had been drinking vodka and taking antidepressants, was too drunk to know what she was
Friday November 20, 2015
Anti-corruption group study says FIFA members too secretive Too many FIFA member
federations
are
secretive about what they do and how they spend money, according to an anti-corruption monitor’s study. A total of 168 of the 209 FIFA members fail to make financial reports publicly
available,
Transparency International said in research published
Thursday.
‘’The risk of corruption at too many football associations
around
the world is high,’’ TI managing
director
Cobus de Swardt said in a statement. ‘’This problem is made worse by the lack of information such as audited financial
statements
by many associations.’’ The research follows criminal
investiga-
tions of FIFA and senior officials launched by federal prosecutors in the United States
and
Switzerland.
ters,’’ the document
the 14 were outside European body UEFA Cup income. The six
Greater scrutiny of fi-
said.
reform
Europe: Canada, Ja-
and Africa’s CAF - re-
confederations shared
nances should be a key
of FIFA will have to
pan and New Zealand.
vealed their annual
$102
part of changing the
make that a priority.’’
More than one in five
accounts, the not-for-
FIFA in that time.
culture of FIFA and
Only 14 members -
of the 209 national
profit group stated in A total 87 nation-
its members, Trans-
including
its 16-page document.
al federations scored
parency International
Italy and all three website to explain their Each of FIFA’s 209
zero in the transpar-
suggested. ‘’This lack
Scandinavian
ency
of transparency and
ations - publish the publish an annual ac- $2.05
accountability is un-
minimum amount of
tivity report. Only two
fortunately not limited
information
of FIFA’s six continen- four-year financial cy-
to FIFA’s headquar-
ed by TI. Just three of tal confederations -
‘’Any
England, soccer bodies had no feder-
suggest-
work, and 178 did not
members got at least million
from
central funds during a cle tied to 2014 World
million
test.
from
(Adapt-
ed from Fox Sports)