GNN Online Newspaper - Dec 02, 2015

Wednesday December 02, 2015

-PAGE 6

GOV’T LAUNCHES MASSIVE OPERATION TO TACKLE CRIME Chronicle General Manager and Editor FIRED -PAGE 3

-PAGE 5

Getaway vehicle found; driver turns self in over fatal Sherriff St. accident After days trying to find the driver who fled the scene of a fatal accident in the City, the Police yesterday found the vehicle allegedly involved while the driver turned himself in this morning.

Last Thursday, 17 year old Travis Bollers, was killed after the motorcycle he and a pillion rider, Quacy McAlman, were riding at the time, were struck by a vehicle in the vicinity of Pike and Sherriff Streets.

According to reports, after hitting the motorcycle, the driver then came out of his vehicle, looked at the victims and subsequently drove away.

Following intense efforts and leads and information received, the vehicle, a white pick-up, GHH 5201, was discovered in North Sophia yesterday.

The Police indicated that they were in receipt of information which suggested that the vehicle

was somewhere in North Sophia on Monday.

Traffic Chief Dion Moore said that the traffic department will be looking to verify the information from the vehicle including its rightful owner.

Meanwhile, earlier today thirty-four year-old Dellon Duncan of Block F Sophia turned himself over at the Kitty Police Station in the company of a lawyer.

D u n c a n reportedly admitted to

the police that he was the errant driver in the hit and run accident in question that resulted in Bollers’ death.

GNN was informed that the vehicle which is registered to a hardware store on Hadfield Street is usually used to do delivery for the said store. Duncan reportedly works with the company.

It is not clear if the man was under the influence of alcohol when he allegedly

The vehicle which Duncan was reportedly driving at the time of the accident (iNews Photo)

caused the accident.

Yesterday relatives and friends of the dead man

picketed and called for the dead teenager.

Parliament to reconvene

on December 17

Minister of State Joseph Harmon today disclosed that the National Assembly will resume sitting on December 17, 2015.

“We’re having a meeting of a sub-committee and I think that the 17th of December is the next date that Parliament will sit,” Harmon told the media.

H i s announcement is in keeping with statement by government’s Chief Whip, Amna Ally that there will be sitting in the month of December.

Government postponed the scheduled November 12 sitting until further notice. It had said that a number of Ministers of government has to travel overseas and that the Clerk of the National Assembly and a number of officers were to attend a training programme in the United Kingdom during the same period.

However, the opposition PPP/C has argued that the legislature of a country should not

await the travel schedule of some Ministers.

G ove r n m e nt’s Chief Whip, Amna Ally has given the assurance that there will be multiple sittings in the month of December.

Only yesterday the United States Embassy says it is looking forward to the resumption of the National Assembly and is urging the Speaker of the House to announce a date.

In an invited comment by the Guyana News Network (GNN) on the non-sitting of Parliament, the Embassy said it “considers the regular sitting of the legislative bodies to be a critical feature of democratic governance.”

The Embassy urged all Members of Parliament to continue to find ways to work together on legislation that advances Guyana’s national interest.

On Saturday last at a press conference,

former President Bharrat Jagdeo spoke about the silence of Diplomats

on the suspension of Parliament to an indefinite date. Jagdeo,

in condemning the government’s move to suspend the sitting of the House noted that “the guardians of democracy are not saying anything.”

He made reference to when former President Donald Ramotar had prorogued the 10th Parliament the issue attracted widespread interest, including members of the Diplomatic corps.

Many Diplomats and organisations had called on Ramotar to convene the Parliament and

condemned his move to suspend sittings.

Howe ve r, according to the opposition leader, “I don’t hear the same guardians of democracy speaking out against this.”

There has been no sitting of Parliament since October 22.

The opposition Parliamentary party is planning to re-table its motion to annul the salary increases given to government Ministers, Members of Parliament and other officers.

Chronicle General Manager and Editor sent packing

The Board of Directors of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited (GNNL) has taken a decision to fire General Manager, Michael Gordon and Editor Mark Ramotar with immediate effect.

The decision was made at a meeting yesterday.

“The Board of Directors has taken these two decisions with a view to strengthening both the administrative leadership and management and the editorial department as

Michael Gordon

the newspaper seeks to rebrand and reposition itself as a credible national newspaper,” the board said in a statement.

GNNL and the Chronicle newspaper have been suffering from weak management and circulation numbers have been steadily declining, the statement added. The Board of Directors is of the view that fresh and competent leadership is needed administratively and new editorial direction and support is required.

“The Board

of Directors thanks Mr. Gordon and Mr. Ramotar for their service to GNNL and wishes them both the best in their future endeavours,” the board said.

It said Mr. Godfrey Wray will serve as acting editor in support of Mr. Nigel Williams, Editor-inChief and Mr. Neil Marks, Sunday Editor.

Meanwhile, Mrs Moshamie Ramotar has been appointed Acting General Manager for the period of three months.

The board

promised to immediately commence the search for a substantive General Manager following the decision to discontinue with the services of Mr. Michael Gordon. The post will be publicly advertised and an appointment made following the successful completion of the process.

Efforts to contact Gordon for a comment proved futile, while Ramotar declined to comment.

This publication was made to understand that the two Officers could lose their benefits given the manner in which they were fired.

R a m o t a r became Editor-in-Chief (ag.) of the Chronicle newspaper in January 2008, one month shy of his 30th birth anniversary, making him the youngest Editor in charge of Guyana’s oldest newspaper company.

However, he recently stepped down from that position and was serving

as an editor in the Editorial department.

In 2004, Mr. Ramotar was awarded a Government of Guyana scholarship to study Journalism at the Jawaharlall Nehru University in New Delhi, India. He won the Best Graduating Student award and the Press Trust of India award. Over the years, he attended numerous Media workshops and seminars, and acquired several certificates in Journalism, including from Thomson-Reuters

and the prestigious Commonwealth Press Union (London, 1997).

Meanwhile, Gordon who served in the media for more than two decades took up the post of General Manager at GNNL last year after serving in the capacity of Chief Executive Officer (ag) at the National Communications Network (NCN) for some time.

He also served in the capacity of Editor-InChief at the same entity for a number of years.

improved through the upgrade of the galley while the vessel’s crew will be more comfortable thanks to improved beds and washroom facilities.

Additionally, the offloading and loading capabilities were improved while all of the vessel’s plates were changed. In terms

of safety, the vessel now holds 100 life rafts. The underwater propellers were also completely rebuilt.

With this overhaul, it is expected that Lady Northcote will arrive at its destination in less than 24 hours, a considerable decline from its previous 36 hours travel time.

L a d y

Northcote was last week taken for a test sail along the Demerara River, which was deemed successful by the engineering team.

At 78-years-old, the vessel is the oldest in the Transport and Harbours D ep ar t ment (T&HD) fleet.

Mark Ramotar

Refurbished Lady Northcote sets sail for Port Kaituma Motor Vessel Lady Northcote today set sail for Port Kaituma, Region One, months after it was docked for major repair works.

According to the Government Information Agency (GINA), the ferry loaded with people, cargo and vehicles, departed from the Water Street Wharf, Kingston shortly after 11:00hrs. The wharf was a hive

of activity; crew members of Lady Northcote milled around to ensure that everything was in working condition while passengers prepared themselves for the long journey.

In September, Lady Northcote was docked at the E.C. Vieira Dockyard in Houston, East Bank Demerara to undergo major rehabilitation. E.C.

Vieira Investments Limited completed the job last week to the tune of $140M.

Amongst the extensive works done to Lady Northcote were the repair of its hull; servicing of all on-board machinery; improvement of interior and exterior decking and upgrades to the main and passenger decks. The facilities on-board were also

Gov’t grants award of title to Uncle Eddie’s Home

The Uncle Eddie’s Home located at Jackson Street, Tucville, Georgetown

Cabinet has approved the award for title of the 3.1127 acres of state land on which the Uncle Eddie’s home for the elderly sits. The home at Jackson Street, Tucville, Georgetown, will now have the opportunity to forge ahead with further development.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon made this announcement during a post-Cabinet

press briefing today at the Ministry of the Presidency. He noted that, “The Government has found it necessary to grant title to the association of Uncle Eddie’s Home to facilitate the further development of the home for care of the elderly.

The Uncle Eddie’s Association was registered as a friendly society since April 1973,

and has been occupying the state land since then. The development of the home was stymied because the land was not titled.

“It is Cabinet’s hope that with the granting of this deed of gift, so that the home can have a title, it will facilitate better facilities for our elderly who live there,” Minister Harmon reiterated.

Guyana to participate in Microsoft Training Programme in Miami Advisor on E-Government to the Government, Floyd Levi, will be representing Guyana at a Microsoft Training Programme in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, United States of America.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon made this announcement today

at a weekly postCabinet media briefing at the Ministry of the Presidency.

According to Harmon said the training will address how cloud computing can transform the workplace, and is in keeping with government’s commitment to deliver Information

Communication Technology (ICT) services to all public agencies in Guyana.

The training programme is fully sponsored by Microsoft. “We are of that view that it is very important for the development the E-Government Unit,” Minister Harmon said.

Floyd Levi

Cecil Cox to receive CAPE top award this week

Cecil Cox

Guyana’s Cecil Cox will be the first Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) regional top awardee to receive a Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) top award when the 2015 annual governance meetings of Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) opens

tomorrow in Belize.

CXC stated in a press release that “This year Cecil Cox, a student of Queen’s College in Guyana, will become the first CSEC regional top awardee to receive a CAPE regional top award.

He will receive the Dennis Irvine Award for Most Outstanding performance in

the May/June 2015 CAPE sitting.”

C X C announced that, “The meeting of the School Examinations Committee (SEC) will be held on Thursday, 3 December 2015 and the 47th Meeting of the Council will be held on Friday, 4th December at the Radisson Hotel.”

The SEC deals with examinations and technical issues, while the Council deals with administrative, staff and financial matters.

The Council meeting will be officially opened with a formal ceremony where Belize’s Education Minister, Hon. Patrick Faber, is slated to deliver the feature address.

Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, CXC chairman, and Glenroy Cumberbatch,

CXC Registrar, are also slated to speak.

During the opening ceremony, nine CAPE awardees and eight CSEC awardees from Antigua and Barbuda, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago will be presented with the regional top awards.

B r a n d o n Judnarine, the Most Outstanding Candidate Overall in the May/June CSEC examinations, will become the first student from a school in Antigua and Barbuda to win a Regional Top Award.

Cox earned 13 grade ones and 1 grade 2 while Judnarine

got 22 CSEC passes.

According to the CXC release, the awardees will pay courtesy calls on His Excellency, Sir Colville Young, Governor General of Belize; Honourable Dean Barrow, Prime Minister; Leader of the Opposition

Honourable Francis Fonseca, as well as Minister Faber.

They will get to see some of Belize’s world famous attractions, such as the Xunantunich archaeological site.

Privatization of Sugar industry -‘A backward step’ - Ramotar recommended

Minister Noel Holder

The Government has requested further information from the Commission investigating the operations of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). This is according to Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder during a telephone interview with this news entity today.

M i n i s t e r Holder confirmed that privatization of the industry is one of the recommendations made by the Commission Of Inquiry (COI) into GuySuCo. The minister explained that “We had recommendations for privatization, expansion into other areas like

ethanol, we had consideration of going into other areas like cogeneration there are a number of things on the table, Commission of Inquiry had to look at all possibilities; one of which was privatization”.

He stated that this decision was made after an outreach at the weekend and

he is awaiting on the questions from cabinet members to submit to the commission.

“Cabinet was very much informed last Saturday; many of them didn’t understand the sugar industry so they really learned a lot; so cabinet has asked for further information from the Commission because they want to hear more. They took some information from them…after cabinet met yesterday again, they have come to a decision that cabinet wants more information…so there will be another meeting with the commission of inquiry. I am waiting to get the queries from the cabinet members and when I have those together compiled, I will have the commission come back and talk to

Former President Donald Ramotar

them but I will have to brief them on the issues that cabinet wants clarity on so they can come prepared” Holder said.

A d d i t i o n a l l y, Minister of State Joseph Harmon stated that the magnitude of information that was presented to cabinet required additional clarification.

Meanwhile, Former President Donald Ramotar, said

privatization of the industry would be a ‘backward step and a ‘great mistake’. Speaking to GNN today, he noted that, “the industry has great possibilities of doing extremely well and needs investments.

The government should make these investments.”

He said is firmly oppose to privatization and that the industry needs to be transformed.

Fight leads to man being shot A fight between two men this morning resulted in one being shot to his foot.

According to the police, a thirtynine year-old man, Lawrence Moore, was involved in an

altercation with another man at Aubrey Barker Street, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown at about 09:15 hrs today.

M o o r e sustained a gunshot wound to his left

foot and has been admitted to hospital as investigations c o n t i n u e .

The suspect has not been arrested as yet.

Gov’t launches massive “Operation-Dragnet” to tackle crime and terrorism

Minister of State Joseph Harmon

Aimed at tackling crime and combatting any terrorist threat that may confront Guyana, the government has launched a massive joint service operation effective December 1 to June 2016.

The operation, dubbed “Dragnet” will see joint patrolling by

the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) across the country.

“Operation Dragnet is a joint services operation in which the joint services in coordination with other law enforcement and government agencies will conduct intensified

security operations throughout Guyana,” Minister of State Joseph Harmon told reporters. He explained that all statutory security operations will be integrated into operation “Dragnet” with the end result that there will be enhanced national security.

On the borders there will be increased presence of the armed forces and at ports of entry there will intensified scrutiny by the Immigration department. “In the towns and villages there is going to be an increase presence of Police ranks,” Harmon said.

This decision was taken following President David Granger’s return from Malta who subsequently briefed Cabinet on the terrorist threat in countries around the world. He noted that Guyana is not exempted from such threat, hence security should be beefed up.

M i n i s t e r Harmon also reasoned that the move was also necessary taking into consideration the hype in economic and criminal activities during

the festive season. “At Christmas time there is always an increase presence of ranks on the streets because you have increased level of economic activities, businesses are open for longer period of time, you have more people shopping, there is a lot of actual cash because of the type of economy that we have people move about with large sums of cash,” he further explained.

Prompting the move to establish the operation too was the consideration given to the upcoming elections in neighbouring Venezuela with which Guyana is currently embroiled in a row with over its border and maritime space. “We have to take these things seriously,” Harmon said.

He emphasised that it would be remiss of a government not to put security arrangements

in place. According to the Minister, “we are not waiting for something to happen, we are putting in place arrangements which will make our citizens safe and that it will not come as a surprise if something were to happen” Meanwhile, following the announcement this morning, the Guyana Police Force in a release stated that during the period of the operation, there will be increased movement of Joint Services personnel and the conduct of intensified security operations, both by individual Services and jointly, which may result in some inconvenience to members of the public.

The Joint Services is advising citizens not to be alarmed and calls for their support during “OPERATION D R A G N E T . ”

Government appoints 30 “Honorary Titles”-PPP questions appointments

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is questioning the appointment of 30 persons as “Presidential Advisors” in the United States and Canada.

During a press conference this morning, PPP spokesperson; Anil Nandlall highlighted that “we have not heard any announcements emanating from the Ministry of the Presidency about this.

We want to know who these people are, how they were selected, what their qualifications are, what are their sectorial responsibilities, what are their portfolios, what are their remuneration packages…unless all of these persons are volunteering their services.”

W h e n questioned on the matter, Minister of State Joseph Harmon confirmed the

appointments and noted that the APNU+AFC government has appointed thirty persons in the United States and Canada as “Honorary Titles,” who are responsible for promoting the government’s image in the Diaspora.

He stated that “these are all Honorary works to be done so there is no pay, its actually a recognition of these people in the

diaspora who can help to promote Guyana and they can help promote business for Guyana”.

When asked for the names of the persons, he stated that he does not remember the names, pointing out that they are “persons who have distinguished themselves in the Diaspora in the US and Canada.”

Ad d it i on a l ly, PPP Parliamentarian, Gail Teixeira made

Minister of State Joseph Harmon

it clear that the President has the right to appoint as much advisers as he wants but it’s the secretive manner in which the appointments were made that is of concern.

The PPP also alleged that the

government made these appointments under party hats; Alliance For Change and A Partnership for National Unity, despite them having to do with government’s business.

PPP signals challenge to Fedders Lloyd Specialty Hospital deal

Anil Nandlall

If government proceeds with a contract with Fedders Lloyd to construct the Specialty Hospital, the Opposition People’s Progressive Party will legally challenge the Government. This is according to PPP spokesperson and Attorney-at-law Anil Nandlall during a press conference today.

The Ministry of Finance on Wednesday (November, 23) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Fedders Lloyd that will see works restarting on the construction of the Specialty Hospital.

Nandlall noted that “the MOU is not a binding document but if they move towards

signing of a contract, then the actions will have to be taken at that stage…

If the government insists on proceeding with the project in the manner in which they have signaled, we reserve the right to Challenge the process legally and bring an abrupt halt to it.”

While the government is claiming that Fedders Lloyd is the second bidder in the previous procurement process and thereby was selected by the government in the interest of time, Nandlall is claiming that “the Procurement Act governs public procurement in Guyana. It relates to every contract over and above a particular sum for which this contract obviously qualifies. This is several million dollars…this hand-picking of Fedders

Lloyd is outside of the Procurement Act”.

He added that “...let us assume that they came in second, that procurement process came to an end, there is nothing in the act that says you can go to the second bidder.

None at all. You have to begin a procurement process all over again.

I see someone arguing that the government will gain some and lose some but Democracy is a burden something.”

Nandlall also speculated whether the Indian government will release money for the completion of the hospital based on a MOU. Ho w e v e r, Minister of State; Joseph Harmon, during his post cabinet media briefing noted that provisions are made in

the agreement with the Indian Government for such transactions.

He said “What we will do is to publish some of the contractual arrangements for the Specialty Hospital. Our objection has always been about transparent, how things were being done about it, what has happened is that we now get access to some of these documents, inside the document, there is a provision for if one of the contractors, for some reason, either through fraud (all of these words are listed in the contract) or any other matter, the party; the government can move to either the next person, or any other company so it is stipulated in the contract with the Government of India of what can be done”.

Under the MOU between Fedders Lloyd and the Government, the company will “review the works already started (by Surendra Engineering Company Limited); conclude a design of the Hospital that is acceptable to the GOG; and commit to fully equip the facility on completion of its construction.”

The Ministry of Finance’s statement said Fedders Lloyd was approached in interest of time.

The Government was granted $14M for the completion of the Specialty Hospital and an additional $14M for the development of three primary health care facilities.

West Bank road expansion 15% complete- Project engineer The West Bank Road Project between Parika and Vreed En Hoop is approximately 15 percent complete as works are moving apace with minor challenges.

This is according to Project engineer Kester Hinds of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure.

Among the minor challenges that Hinds listed were encumbrances within the project right-ofway, complaints about dust pollution by some residents, timely delivery of materials on site and relocation of mainly utilities belonging to the Guyana Water Inc.

He was however very quick to state that all those issues are being addressed effectively and the projects continues to move apace.

“The cost of the project took into consideration utilities relocation to a large extent. As it relates to GTT and GPL the relocation costs are covered fully but as it relates to GWI we are

somewhat foreseeing a slight increase in the financing for the relocation of their utilities but there are funds within the project to deal with that to some extent” he added.

The expansion works are being done with a loan from the Caribbean Development Bank with support from Government from Guyana. The project which is expected to run for three years was signed off by the previous government and works commenced in January of this year. It has a price tag of approximately

$US 44.3Million. That figure is however likely to increase given the removal and relocation of GWI’s utilities.

The contract in its present form currently provides for the full removal and replacement of utilities belonging to GPL and GT&T. Once completed the expansion will sport among other things, facilities for peddle cyclists and pedestrians in areas which are populated.

“We have also done utility location, both GPL and GT&T we have completed two lots thus far and

we lot it out. The road work is being done in one lot, as it regards to GT&T infrastructure and the fiber optical cables we have divided those into lots but they are all part of the work” Hinds explained.

He said that the utility companies have been cooperating fully with the contractors and the ministry thus causing the work to flow properly.

Related Road Safety seminars, school lectures and even exhibitions have all taken place already and continues to take place to as the work are ongoing.

‘Two and a Half Men’ Star Holland Taylor is Dating Actress Sarah

Holland Taylor, 72, has been dating 40-year-old actress Sarah Paulson for “a few months,” a source tells ET. Holland recently

talked about her sexuality for the first time to public radio station WNYC, and while she declined to name her current

partner, she did reveal the significant age gap.

“There’s a very big age difference between us which I’m sure shocks a lot of people, and it startles me,” Taylor said, before joking, “but as they say, ‘If she dies, she dies.’”

Taylor wouldn’t be the first older woman Paulson has dated. The American Horror Story: Hotel star dated 59-yearold actress Cherry Jones for five years, before splitting in 2009.

Paulson talked about her sexuality last month, and stressed that she doesn’t want to be attached to “any kind of label.”

Ranbir Kapoor is being ruthlessly trolled

by Salman Khan’s fans on the social network.

The reason, according to sources close to Ranbir, is Katrina Kaif.

Says a source close to Ranbir, “Who Katrina ko lekar Ranbir ke peeche padd gaye hain haath dho ke (they are after Ranbir because of Katrina). So much hatred from one actor’s fans...it’s not healthy.”

Apparently the Salmaniacs, angry and unhappy with Ranbir “stealing” Salman’s girlfriend have unleashed an unprecedented fury of personal and professional vitriolic against the younger actor. “Salman fans want to sabotage Ranbir’s new release Tamasha because they want the uninterrupted run of Prem Ratan Dhan Payo at the box office to continue,” says the

source close to Ranbir.

Alarmingly the aggressive attack on Ranbir has acquired a communal colour.

Says the source close to the Kapoor khandaan, “It was never like this during Ranbir’s grandfather Raj Kapoor and father Rishi Kapoor’s times. They co-existed with their colleagues most harmoniously. Now we have Ranbir being attacked on communal grounds.

Salman stands for secular values should rein-in his fanatical followers.”

Ironically Ranbir himself remains distanced from all the malice directed at him. He is not part of any social

Chris Brown canceled plans for a Down Under tour Wednesday after Australian authorities earlier warned the troubled R&B singer they were likely to refuse him a visa because of his criminal conviction for assaulting pop star Rihanna.

Ticketing agency Ticketek posted a statement from Brown’s promoters saying the planned December tour of Australia and New Zealand had been canceled and those

who had bought tickets would get refunds. In the statement, Brown thanked his fans and said he remained hopeful he could tour “in the near future.”

Citing privacy concerns, Australia’s immigration department on Wednesday declined to say whether they had refused Brown a visa. But in September, the department issued Brown a “notice of intention to consider refusal” which gave him 28 days

to explain why he should be allowed into the country.

That notice came days after former Immigration Minister Michaelia Cash urged authorities to refuse the 26-year-old American a visa on character grounds.

“People need to understand if you are going to commit domestic violence and then you want to travel around the world, there are going to be countries that say to

you: ‘You cannot come in because you are not of the character we expect in Australia,’” Cash, who is now minister for women, told reporters at the time.

As part of his tour, Brown had been scheduled to play one show in Auckland, New Zealand. Immigration authorities in New Zealand said Brown had withdrawn his application for a visa to work and travel there before they ruled on it.

New Zealand au-

Well here’s an adorable May-December romance you might not have seen coming! Former Two and a Half Men star

“All I can say is, I’ve done both, and I don’t let either experience define me,” Paulson said. “I don’t let having been with a man make me think I am heterosexual, or make me want to call myself that, because I know I have been attracted to women -- and have lived with women.”

At the November junket for her recently released film Carol, Paulson told ET, “It matters not at all what the gender is. And I think that’s a testament to both the evolution of your own mind and also the reality that when

you can see it from that vantage point, it’s very clear that love is love.”

And could there be wedding bells in store for the future?

Taylor doesn’t rule it out.

“I would not do that publicly,” she told WNYC of the possibility of getting married. “My relationship is with a woman, and I have not -- given my generation it would not be something that would automatically occur to me.”

(Adapted from Yahoo)

network or micro-blogging site. But Ranbir’s father Rishi Kapoor who is very active on twitter has to face the

brunt of Salman’s fans’ ire against Ranbir. (Bollywoodhungama.com)

thorities said that because Brown had been banned from some other countries, he would have needed a special visa to be allowed

entry. They said Brown had applied for a visa once previously, in 2008, which they had granted. (Fox Entertainment)

Ranbir Kapoor threatened by Salman Khan’s fans; family worried

Chris Brown cancels Down Under tour after visa issues

The UN says dating apps increase HIV Dating apps are causing cases of HIV to increase amongst Asian teenagers, according to new research by the United Nations. The report, which covered a twoyear period, showed the highest increase in HIV was in 10-19 year olds, who are also the second highest age group to use paid for dating services.

It found that the increased use of dating apps has amplified

the opportunity for spontaneous sex and that HIV is growing fastest among men who have sex with other men.

The Unicef advisor Wing-Sei told The Guardian that dating apps create networks of men in which infections rapidly spread among users. “Mobile dating apps essentially hook you up to a central network”.

She went on to explain that the study

looked at trends around the region reported by United Nations officers and local community works who said their HIV strategy urgently needed to adapt to the vastly enlarged use of mobile dating apps.

“HIV is a covert issue, it is very hidden. So data is not available.”

Researchers found “that with the rise of these apps, the probability and risk of

infection will increase multifold because it makes it so much easier for them to date other guy and hook up for sex.”

A n o t h e r contributing factor to the increased levels of HIV in these areas and age groups is that adolescents are less likely to seek treatment - especially those who are under 18 and will need parental consent as is the case in many countries - for

fear of being persecuted or forced to explain Other factors that increase the spreading of the disease are that eighteen countries in the Asia-Pacific region deem

same-sex relationships illegal. This causes men not to seek medical help, or for tests to be on offer.

(Adapted from MSN)

Does cracking your knuckles really give you Arthritis?

You’ve heard it before. You’re in a quiet room in among a gathering of people, and then—POP!—a little cracking noise rings out, followed by another, and another, and another. For some, cracking knuckles is a habit, while for others that little pop brings relief.

And it’s not just reserved for tough guys before they beat people up: Between 25 and 54 percent of all people crack their knuckles multiple

times a day. But is the old wives’ tale true? Are these knuckle-crackers more likely to hurt their hands and gradually develop arthritis as they get older?

In short, nope! Despite the rumor that kids constantly hear, it turns out there is no scientific correlation between cracking your knuckles and developing arthritis in your joints, which is when one or more of the points where your bones meet develop inflammation.

When you crack your knuckles, you’re actually doing more bursting than cracking.

The popping noise you hear is caused by small bubbles bursting in your synovial fluid, a yolklike substance that lubricates the areas between bones and reduces friction for ease of movement.

When you make the motion to crack your knuckles—either by stretching your fingers or bending them backwards—you expand the joint. This causes the pressure between the joint to decrease, as well as the ligaments that connect the bones and the joint capsule that holds all of it together.

Some mornings it feels like the side of the bed on which you woke up is full of thorns and decaf coffee.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

According to a recent survey conducted

by Sealy UK, there really may be a “wrong” side of the bed. The survey results suggest that those who usually get out of the left side of bed were four percent more likely to be in a good mood in the morning, eight percent

becoming a “deeper sleeper,” according to a press release.

More research needs to be done to look into the reasons why left is right, but in the meantime, if you’re one of the one in 10 couples who argue about who gets to sleep on which side, you might want to hide this news from your partner.

Learn more about the study in the video above. (MSN Health)

That depressurization causes gasses like carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and oxygen that are dissolved in the synovial fluid to form into little bubbles that rush into the empty space. As the joints settle back into place, the fluid also returns to its rightful place and pops those little bubbles, causing that recognizable cracking sound.

The sensation of cracking your fingers feels good because the stretching of the joint also stimulates nerve endings found along the fingers; joints can’t be cracked more than once within 15 minutes to a half hour, which is about how long it takes for those gasses to dissolve back into your synovial fluid.

Dr. Donald Unger’s finding, published in 1998 in a journal called Arthritis & Rheumatism, found there was no discernible sign of arthritis in his left hand as opposed to his right. So don’t listen to what mom says, everybody—feel free to crack away! (Adapted from MSN Health)

There really is a ‘wrong’ side of the bed more likely to like their job, 9.5 percent more likely to have a positive outlook on life and eight percent more likely to have a lot of good friends compared to those who exit the bed on the right.

The survey, which queried 1,000 people from across the United Kingdom, was commissioned

by Sealy to better understand the factors that can contribute to

Did man feeds son’s body to pigs?

A coroner in Kansas said Tuesday that a child’s bones were found among the pigs on the property of a Kansas City man suspected of killing his 7-year-old son.

However, it has not been determined whether the bones are those of the son of Michael A. Jones.

Jones, 44, is accused of abuse of a child, aggravated assault and aggravated battery.

The case generated

national headlines after claims by anonymous sources that Jones beat his son to death and fed his body to pigs.

Police have refused to address those claims.

Police were initially called to the home last Wednesday for a domestic violence situation involving the suspect’s wife, 29-yearold Heather Jones. While they were on the scene, police were told that

Scientists have created a substance that blings even brighter than diamonds, but chances are you won’t wear it.

You’ll take its byproducts as medicine instead. It’s called Q-carbon, and researchers at North Carolina State University have made it by zapping a kind of loose carbon with a laser beam that lasts a fraction of a fraction of a blink of an eye -- 200 nanoseconds.

That’s only 200 billionths of a second, but it’s enough to heat the carbon to about

3,700 degrees Celsius.

That’s not far from double the heat many scientist say it took to make natural diamonds when they were formed a billion or more years ago.

Then the researchers let that carbon cool immediately, snapping its atoms into a special crystalline structure. The result is a new substance that may have never existed on Earth before and has some unique properties.

Carbon gets a lot of bad rap these days as a culprit of global

the couple’s son had not been seen for some time, the district attorney said.

The next day, authorities announced they had discovered human

remains on the property.

Authorities have taken six other children living in the home into police protective custody. The children are

warming. But that’s mostly carbon dioxide -- carbon joined in a molecule with oxygen.

In its pure form, carbon is something very different altogether. It only exists in a few solid forms, which contrast sharply from one another because of how they are put together.

Got a pencil?

Look at the “lead.” It’s not lead; it’s graphite, which is a solid form of pure carbon, a very common one.

When you’re writing, you can see how soft it is as it comes off

onto the paper with ease.

Then there’s the rare stuff, the bling -diamonds. Same carbon, very different crystalline structure. It’s a lot tighter and smaller, which makes it the hardest naturally occurring substance on Earth, according to the University of Illinois at Ur b a n a - C h a mp a i g n .

Q - c ar b on has an even stronger brilliance, glowing even in the lowest light, the researchers said. But it’s not diamond, and it’s not graphite. It’s its own thing, which means that

all girls younger than 11.

“From my discussions with the officers who’ve been out there, they’ve described this as one of the worst things that they have ever seen,” Wyandotte County District Attorney Jerome A. Gorman said.

“And for officers who have been on the street and have been detectives, for them to come up and say that this case has made them

angry ... you can surmise from that what kind of scene it must have been.”

Jones’ bail was set at $10 million. “It’s the largest bond I’ve seen in my 34 years as a prosecutor,” Gorman said. Jones himself owns a bonding company, but he is not licensed in Wyandotte County, where he’s being held.

(Adapted from CNN)

scientists have created a new form of solid carbon that probably otherwise does not exist on Earth.

I t ’ s ferromagnetic.

That means it can be magnetized. It could

become a very useful material, researchers say.

Its intense glow could make electronic displays brighter and clearer.

(Adapted from CNN)

do what we can, working alongside many others.”

The post also included the announcement of a new organization.

“As you begin the next generation of the Chan Zuckerberg family, we also begin the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to join people across the world to advance human potential and promote equality for all children in the next generation.

Our initial areas of focus will be personalized learning, curing disease, connecting people and building strong c o m m u n i t i e s .”

Zuckberberg has been on a

philanthropic hot streak lately.

Earlier this week, he teamed up with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and other technolog y entrepreneurs to create a multibillion-dollar clean energy fund. The Breakthrough Energy Coalition includes several billionaire entrepreneurs in addition to governments and university.

The coalition has stated its goal as bringing cleanenergy ideas to the marketplace and encouraging the use of sustainable energy.

(MSN)

Diamonds, move over: Scientists make harder, brighter Q-carbon

Facebook CEO is Donating 99% of shares

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced today that he will be donating a large portion of his wealth to “advancing human potential and promoting equality.” He made the announcement in a lengthy Facebook post addressed to his daughter.

“We will give 99% of our Facebook shares -currently about $45 billion -- during our lives to advance this mission,” he said.

“We know this is a small contribution compared to all the resources and talents of those already working on these issues.

But we want to

Maduro’s popularity bounces before election years at winning the National Assembly from the ruling Socialists.

But in a boost to the hopes of government candidates, Maduro’s popularity jumped more than 11 points to 32.3 percent in late November, according to the survey

by Datanalisis seen by Reuters on Tuesday.

The firm’s head, Luis-Vicente Leon, said this week the ruling “Chavista” movement, named for Maduro’s

predecessor, Hugo Chavez, had reaped reward for going on the attack against foes, distributing resources in key districts, and reviving the memory of the popular former president during the campaign.

However, the Democratic Unity coalition, which groups all main opposition parties, remains in pole position, with 55.6 percent planning to back the opposition, and 36.8

percent the government, the survey said.

The opposition is benefiting from Venezuelans’ anger at the world’s highest inflation, widespread product shortages and long lines to shop for basics. A whopping 89.5 percent are unhappy with the OPEC nation’s situation, Datanalisis said in its survey of 999 people with a margin of error of 3.04 percent.

But “Chavismo”

retains formidable election mobilization machinery, and some aspects of the voting system - such as a bigger weighting of seats in rural areas where government support is stronger - favor them too.

The government campaign has focused

heavily on accusations that the opposition will dismantle popular Chavezera welfare policies, while the opposition has been lambasting the government for economic incompetence and corruption.

(Adapted from Yahoo)

A hotline telephone number has been set up to allow people to share information they may have on T&T nationals who may be heading to join international terrorist group ISIS. The information, which can be given with anonymity,

will be gathered and passed on to the relevant authorities, including officials of the Ministry of National Security.

The hotline has been set up by Muslim activist Inshan Ishmael, even as word is coming that three more Trini

nationals are preparing to head to Syria to join ISIS fighters. Speaking with the T&T Guardian yesterday, Ishmael confirmed the increasing number of people leaving to join ISIS and urged those who may have information to call the hotline: 645-6397.

“If anyone knows anything and any such person, please call. Many people are selling out all their assets and even taking their children out of school so that they can leave to join ISIS but what they don’t realise is that they are walking into an inferno,” Ishmael said.

The T&T

Guardian has received vital information that three men in their late 20s from the Maloney area will be leaving on Friday for the United States and from there will fly through Europe and on to Syria, where they will be met with ISIS recruiting officials.

A relative of one of the men, who wished not to be identified, told the T&T Guardian that family members were now concerned and afraid for their relative’s life when he leaves T&T and from the ramifications of his actions of their own as well.

Ye s t e r d a y, Ishmael said after learning that 89-plus T&T citizens had already left the country to join ISIS, he, along with a local imam, had launched a series on ISIS educating the Muslim community, especially the new converts, on the reality of the terrorist group and what it gave.

“A lot of people are not properly educated and some of them are going to various mosques which do not offer the true teachings of Islam

and whose leaders are not well educated and are being carried away.

“The true teaching of Islam is all about peace and not violence. We do not believe in hurting a plant, much less killing an innocent person and this is what ISIS is teaching people, to be violent, to kill and really and truly ISIS is fighting us, the Muslims,” he said. (Adapted from the Trinidad Guardian)

Chief Medical Officer Dr Marion Bullock DuCasse says given that the Zika virus has entered the Caribbean region, Jamaicans should be stepping up their mosquito prevention activities for its possible introduction into the country.

She says the Ministry of Health has also taken note of reports of a possible link of zika virus infection to birth defects. After the Zika virus outbreak, several babies in Brazil were found to have microcephaly, which results in an abnormal

growth of the brain and stunting of the growth of the head of the foetus arising from infection in the first months of pregnancy.

“Pregnant women are among the high-risk group for severe symptoms of Zika virus. Children under five years old, the elderly and persons with chronic non-communicable diseases are also at greater risk. We therefore appeal to all Jamaicans, but especially those who fall in this group, to take precautions and prevent being bitten by mosquitoes as best

as possible,” she said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Health Horace Dalley says it is the task of every citizen to get rid of the mosquito that spreads the Zika virus. “The Aedes aegypti is the mosquito that spreads the Zika virus as well as dengue and chikungunya and so you should check your homes for it; hunt it and kill it,” Minister Dalley said.

The Health Ministry advised that people can destroy mosquito-breeding sites by looking for anything around the home, school, churches, and business

places that may collect water and either cover it, keep it dry or dispose of it.

Repair leaking pipes and outdoor faucets, cut the grass short and trim shrubbery, clear roof gutters and eaves to prevent water from settling and fill in and drain any low places in the yard such as areas where there are usually puddles when it rains, the release also said.

According to the Health Ministry, people should also protect themselves from mosquito bites by using insect repellent containing DEET,

putting mesh on windows and doors, and wearing long-sleeved clothing where possible.

The Zika virus has not been detected in Jamaica to date. However, the Ministry of Health says it is continuing its

preparedness activities for the possible introduction of the virus. (Adapted from the Jamaican Observer)

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s popularity has jumped in the run-up to Sunday’s crucial legislative election, but probably not enough to prevent an opposition victory, a new survey by a leading pollster said.

Thanks to public ire with a brutal economic crisis caused by dysfunctional controls and the oil price plunge, the opposition has its best shot in 16

T &T sets up Hotline to expose ISIS recruits

Jamaicans cautioned as Zika virus linked to birth defects

Russia accuses Turkey’s President’s family of trading oil with Islamic State Russia’s defence ministry has accused the family of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of being directly involved in the trade of petroleum with the Islamic State group.

Deputy Defence Minister Anatoly Antonov said Turkey was the biggest buyer of “stolen” oil from Syria and Iraq.

Mr Erdogan has promised to resign if the smuggling claims are substantiated. Russia and Turkey have been locked in an angry dispute since

Turkey shot down a Russian jet last month.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has already accused Ankara of downing the plane on its Syrian border to protect oil supply lines.

“According to available information, the highest level of the political leadership of the country, President Erdogan and his family, are involved in this criminal business,” Mr Antonov told journalists in Moscow.

“The Turkish leadership has demonstrated extreme cynicism.

Look at what they are doing!” he said. “They have invaded the territory of another country and are brazenly plundering it.”

The defence ministry cited satellite images that it said showed oil tankers travelling from IS-held territory to Turkey. The trucks, it said, travelled to three locations - including refineries - in Turkey and

some was then moved on to a third country.

Russia said it was producing only “part of the evidence” for now. On Monday, Mr Erdogan challenged his Russian counterpart to produce evidence to back up the claim - and said he would resign if it was found to be true.

“As soon as such a claim is proved, the nobility of our nation requires [me] to do this,” he said. “I will not remain in this post. But

I am asking Mr Putin, would you remain?”

After the downing of the jet Moscow imposed visa requirements for Turkish

visitors, and placed restrictions on trade with Ankara. (BBC)

would be thrown to their deaths from the roof of the nearby Wael Hotel.

He asked one of the men if he was satisfied with the sentence.

Death, the judge told him, would help

cleanse him of his sin.

“I’d prefer it if you shoot me in the head,” 32-yearold Hawas Mallah replied helplessly. The second man, 21-year-old Mohammed Salameh, pleaded for a chance to repent, promising never to have sex with a man again, according to a witness among the onlookers that sunny July morning who gave The Associated Press a rare first-hand account.

“Take them and throw them off,” the judge ordered. Other masked

extremists tied the men’s hands behind their backs and blindfolded them.

They led them to the roof of the four-story hotel, according to the witness.

Notorious for their gruesome methods of killing, the Islamic State group reserves one of its most brutal for suspected homosexuals.

Videos it has released show masked militants dangling men over the precipices of buildings by their legs to drop them head-first or tossing them over the edge.

At least 36 men in Syria and Iraq have been killed by IS militants on charges of sodomy. The fear of a horrific death among gay men under Islamic State rule is further compounded by their isolation in a deeply conservative society that largely shuns them.

Many Muslims consider homosexuality to be sinful. Gay men are haunted constantly by the possibility that someone, perhaps even a relative, will betray them to the militants —

whether to curry favor with IS or simply out of hatred for their sexual orientation. Islamic State group fighters sometimes torture suspected homosexuals to reveal their friends’ names and search their laptops and mobile phones.

Even among IS opponents, gays find little sympathy. Some in the public who might be shocked by other IS atrocities say killings of gays is justified. Syrian rebel factions have killed or abused gays as well.

(Adapted from MSN)

program in February.

India’s AIDS program has largely been seen as a success but it began to signs of breaking down last year as payments to companies that provided drugs to the program were delayed. Those problems were made worse when the government cut

its share of funding for the program.

As state governments scrambled to find funds, there were reports of shortages of condoms and antiretroviral drugs as well as syringes for needle-exchange programs. Across the country health workers

complained of not being paid for months.

Government data released Tuesday showed that India recorded 86,000 new HIV infections in 2015, compared to 128,000 in 2007, but the rate of decline has slowed.

(Yahoo/New York Times)

Islamic State group targets gays with brutal public killings

Before a crowd of men on a street in the Syrian city of Palmyra, the masked Islamic State group judge read out the sentence against the two men convicted of homosexuality: They

India’s federal government said it will restore funding to the country’s HIV-AIDS program months after it cut its contribution and asked regional governments to fill in the gaps.

Health Minister J.P. Nadda said late Tuesday the government was committed to combatting HIV-AIDS and that the federal government would resume fully funding India’s National AIDS

Control Program. Nadda was speaking at an event to mark World AIDS day.

Health activists had criticized the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi when it slashed funding for the

India’s Gov’t restores funding for HIV-AIDS Program

Tiger Woods says he has ‘nothing to look forward to’ Former world number one Tiger Woods says he has “nothing to look forward to” in his recovery from back surgery. The 39-year-old 14-time major winner has not swung a golf club since operations in September and October.

Asked about his return, he said: “I’ve no answer. Neither does my surgeon or physio. There’s no timetable. “There’s nothing I can look forward to, nothing I can build towards. Where’s the light at the end of the

tunnel? I don’t know.”

Woods had two operations to alleviate pain from a pinched nerve. Revealing that he has spent most of his time playing video games, the American said he had not done any rehabilitation work on his back and that physical activities were limited.

“I walk and I walk. I’m just walking, and that’s it,” said Woods, whose last major victory was at the US Open in 2008. “It’s different from the other surgeries

I’ve had in the past.

For nerves there are really no timetables.”

W o o d s , who turns 40 on 30 December, missed the cut at three of the four majors this year and played in only 11 events.

He remains on 79 PGA Tour victories. He played only seven tournaments in 2014, having missed three months of the season after surgery on a pinched nerve in his back in March 2014.

“For my 20 years out here I achieved a

Tiger Woods

lot,” he said. “I think pretty much everything beyond this will be gravy.

If that’s all it entails then I’ve had a pretty good run. But I’m hoping

that’s not it. “I’m hoping I can get out here and compete against these guys. I really do miss it.”

This is the bleakest picture Woods

has ever painted of one of his injuries. He just has to wait for it to heal and it’s clearly not done that so far. (Adapted from BBC Sports)

Usain Bolt’s impressive performance in track and field this year has landed him yet another international sports nomination.

The Jamaican super star is one of six athletes nominated for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC’s) Overseas Sports Personality of the Year 2015.

The award recognises the overseas athlete who has made the most contribution to sport this year and will be presented at the annu-

al BBC Sports Personality of the Year award ceremony on December 20.

Bolt’s exploits this year include victory in the men’s 100m and 200m at the World Championships in Beijing after recovering from injuries.

The public in the United Kingdom is being invited to cast their votes to decide on the overseas athlete of the year for the first time in the history of the annual awards.

Athletes competing for the award are

Usain Bolt (athletics) Jamaica, Dan Carter (rugby union) New Zealand, Novak Djokovic (tennis) Serbia, Katie Ledecky (swimming) USA, Jordan Spieth (golf) USA and Serena Williams (tennis) USA.

Just last week, Bolt missed out on The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) male athlete of the year award for 2015, an event he has won five times.

(Jamaican Observer)

Root, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Stuart Broad, Trent Boult, Yasir Shah, Josh Hazlewood, R Ashwin (12th man) ODI team of the year: Tillakaratne Dilshan, Hashim

Amla, Kumar Sangakkara (wk), AB de Villiers (capt), Steven Smith, Ross Taylor, Trent Boult, Mohammed Shami, Mitchell Starc, Mustafizur Rah-

man, Imran Tahir, Joe Root (12th man) (Adapted from Espncricinfo)

Bolt in the running for BBC award

Usain Bolt

Smith, Boult in ICC teams of the year Australia captain Steven Smith and New Zealand fast bowler Trent Boult have been included in both the ICC’s Test and ODI teams of the year.

Alastair Cook, who led England to a 3-2 Ashes victory during the summer, was named the Test captain of the year.

South Africa’s AB de Villiers was selected as the ODI captain, having scored the format’s fastest fifty and hundred during the qualification period from September 18, 2014 to September 13 2015. The teams were chosen by a specially appointed selection panel, chaired by the ICC’s cricket committee chairman Anil Kumble.

Smith was one of three Australia players to make the Test team, along with opener David Warner and fast bowler Josh Hazlewood. Pakistan were the other team to have three representatives in the Test side, with Yasir Shah, the leading wicket-taker in the qualification period, Younis Khan and wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed all rewarded for their consistent performances.

Stuart Broad, who was the most successful bowler in the Ashes with 21 wickets, was included in the Test XI for the fifth time since 2009. So was his countryman Joe Root.

Kane Williamson found a place in the Test team, but

was surprisingly left out of the ODI side, despite being the leading run-scorer in the concerned period.

The other major surprises in the Test side were the omissions of Azhar Ali, who had four hundreds and five fifties from 10 matches, and R Ashwin, who could only find a place in the squad as the 12th man.

Mustafizur Rahman became the first Bangladesh cricketer to be included in the ICC’s ODI team of the year, thanks to a barnstorming 11 wickets in his first two matches.

Test team of the year: David Warner, Alastair Cook (captain), Kane Williamson, Younis Khan, Steven Smith, Joe

Wednesday December 02, 2015

-SEE PAGE 13

BOLT IN THE RUNNING FOR BBC AWARD