GNN Online Newspaper - Dec 21, 2015

Monday December 21, 2015

DETECTIVE IN CRUM EWING INVESTIGATION HONORED -PAGE 10

Income tax threshold likely to raise next year -PAGE 6

-PAGE 3

ROHEE DISAGREES WITH GRANGER PARDONING OF PRISONERS

Income tax threshold likely -2016 and 2017 Budgets to to raise next year be presented in same year

With the engine of any progressing economy heavily reliant on the National Budget, Guyana will be presented with both the 2016 and 2017 Budget next year, while the income tax threshold for workers is likely to raise, says President David Granger.

This disclosure was made by the President on Friday last, during his weekly television show, “The Public Interest” which was aired on the state-owned National Communications Network (NCN).

According to the President, when

quizzed on when the 2016 National Budget is likely to be presented in the National Assembly, the deadline slated is January 31. However, he further revealed that before the end of 2016, the 2017 Budget will also be presented.

Though the reason for this is was not disclosed, he disclosed that he is unsure whether there are any fiscal measures in the 2016 Budget to support salary increases for public servants.

He offered however, that it is possible that if this is not catered for in the 2016 Budget, it

will be facilitated in the 2017 one. Further, the Head of State noted that there is a sympathetic view towards raising the national threshold, which is currently fixed at $50,000. In light of this, and repeated calls for this figure to raise, President David Granger assured that it is likely to happen next year.

Earlier this year, the seven months old APNU+AFC Government had provided a 5-25 percent increase for public servants in the 2015 Budget. However, it was only retroactive to

President David Granger

July 1, which translated to all public servants only receiving half of the benefits for the year. In addition to

this however, a $5000 increase for all workers was also awarded. But despite these increases which now establishes a

public servant minimum wage of $50,000, the income tax threshold remains at $50,000.

Learning Centre gets $2M boost from President Learning Centre At both locations, he experience the joy continues into the next encouraged residents of the festive season. year. I am very happy to continue to maintain He also spoke with the results that an atmosphere of of the importance of have been coming out peace and goodwill family, saying that of this Learning Centre as Guyanese prepare it is for this reason year after year… as far to celebrate Youman that he made the as I am concerned, Nabi on Thursday and decision to pardon 11 this Learning Centre Christmas on Friday. mothers from the New is helping you to help At the Wilson Amsterdam Prison. yourself,” Granger said. Gas Station tarmac in The women, who were

He also assisted Buxton, the President imprisoned for nonnon-drug in the distribution thanked Morris and violent, of toys to hundreds Jocelyn Wilson, who related crimes, are of children from for several years have expected to be released President David Granger presents a $2M cheque to Administrator of the Good Lusignan and its been instrumental in to their families today.

Hope-Lusignan Learning Centre, Ms. Annette Roopchand, while Ministers Ms. Annette Ferguson and Ms. Amna Ally look on environs, as well as at ensuring that children The Good-Hope- commitment to ensure that the work of the Buxton-Friendship. in that community Lusignan Learning Centre yesterday received a cheque for $2M from President David Granger. The donation was in keeping with a promise made to the residents of Lusignan and is intended to support the work of the Centre.

The President made the presentation during a visit to the Centre to spread holiday cheer to children in the community. He was accompanied by Minister of Social Cohesion, Ms. Amna Ally, and Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Ms. Annette Ferguson.

A brave little girl engages President David Granger’s full attention, while the others look on, during his visit today at the Good HopeLusignan Learning Centre

“This is our

President and First Lady spread holiday cheers

President David Granger and First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger, (first and second right), along with Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General, Mr. Basil Williams, accompanied by his wife, led the gathering at the National Park in a rendition of “We wish you a Merry Christmas” to start off the re-enactment of the Christmas Story.

As the season of sharing and goodwill continues, President David Granger and First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger continue to usher in the Christmas season.

Yesterday the First Couple joined with the members of the Disciplined Services for a re-enactment of the Christmas Story, along with caroling, dance and skits at the National Park.

The cast which included members of National School of Dance, the National Steel Orchestra, the Woodside Choir, Success Elementary School, Korokwa Folk Group and the New Amsterdam School’s Choir, delighted the audience.

The gathering was particularly

impressed with the staging of the nativity scene starting from ‘Mary and Joseph’ begging for a room at the inn, to the arrival of the magi to pay homage to the Christ child. The President encouraged the nation to remember that Christ is the reason for the season and to take the spirit of goodwill and peace into the New Year.

On Saturday, the President and his wife treated more than 350 children from around Georgetown to a Christmas Party at State House.

The event was coordinated jointly with the Ministry of Social Cohesion and featured face painting booths, a bouncy castle and other forms of entrainment. The

children were served with their meals by the President and the First Lady.

The couple wished them a merry Christmas, and the President reminded that while Christmas is a time to eat, drink and be merry, it should also be a time to reflect on Christ, his birth and teachings.

According to Minister of Social Cohesion, Ms. Amna Ally, the event was successful, noting that while the party only targeted children from the city, efforts were made to ensure that a wide cross section of communities, including vulnerable children, were reached.

Other government ministers including, Ms. Simona Broomes, Ms. Annette Ferguson

First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger (first right) flips the switch to light up the Christmas Tree as Minister of Tourism, Mrs. Catherine Hughes (first left) and another representative wait with eagerness for the lights to come on

and Ms. Nicolette Henry all participated.

Yesterday, the First Lady joined residents and members of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club to launch their first ever ‘Christmas Village and Christmas Tree Lightup’ at the Rose Hall Town Primary School, Berbice, Region Six.

She praised the initiative, noting that

it captures the true reason for the season, as well as advertises the local producers.

Mrs. Granger also recognised the efforts of the students from the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Training Centre, who pooled their skills and creativity to make the entire Christmas tree from recycled

plastic bottles and other materials.

“I commend the ingenuity of the GuySuCo trainees with their sustainable Christmas Tree which is both imaginative and environmentally friendly,” she said.

Minister of Tourism, Mrs. Catherine Hughes also attended the event.

President David Granger and Minister within the Ministry of Education, Ms. Nicolette Henry, share Christmas gifts to the children

Fire destroys Lusignan home

Fire ravages home just days before Christmas

Eight persons are now homeless after a fire ripped through and destroyed their home at 99 Lusignan Pasture Road, East Coast Demerara, on Saturday night.

According to the owner of the home, Patrick Sebastian, everyone was asleep when the fire started in an upper-flat bedroom

plunging the family into despair.

In the panic, nothing could have been saved and all efforts were concentrated on saving the children who were apparently trapped in the building.

According to reports, the fired spread rapidly aided by strong winds and by the

time the Guyana Fire Service reached the scene, it was too late.

Sebastian estimated his loss to be in the vicinity of $8M. It is not clear what caused the fire and from reports, the fire tenders arrived within reasonable time.

Man died week after robbery attempt Minibus driver, J e r m a i n e Barrow, who was shot along the Liliendaal Railway Embankment, died on Saturday

at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

Twent yeight Year-old Barrow was shot during a foiled

robbery after he stopped to pick up a man on December 14 last.

The gunman and an accomplice attempted to

Residents of the Essequibo River island of Wakenaam is to benefit from ferry services on an extra day and the trip will now run directly to Parika instead of stopping at Leguan. These were among improvements to the service discussed during a recent visit to Wakenaam by Minister in the Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MPI), Annette Ferguson.

According to a statement from the Ministry; “Minister

Ferguson indicated than an extra day would be added to the ferry services to Wakenaam.

This day was set as Monday. Furthermore, it was agreed upon that the ferry would ply directly from Wakenaam to Parika rather than stopping at the island of Leguan.

This, it was agreed, would save much time for the residents of Wakenaam.”

The minister also indicated that ways will be looked at the cut

down on travel time by technical persons of the Transport and Harbors Department.

During a previous visit to the island, residents were particularly vocal about what they deemed substandard service at the Wakenaam stelling During Friday’s meeting, residents once again highlighted issues and problems they would have experienced as recently as last week. Amongst the complaints were erratic services, long waits, and

rob Barrow who accelerated his vehicle after realizing the situation.

The gunman fired hitting Barrow to his back causing him to lose control of the vehicle which

reportedly ended been arrested as yet up in a trench at as investigations Blygezigt Gardens. c o n t i n u e .

No one has

Wakenaam to benefit from improved ferry services

Minister Annette Ferguson speaks with the residents of Wakenaam

Some of the concerned residents who turned out for the meeting

unprofessionalism on the part of T&HD staff.

“It’s not fair for us to sit on a ferry for hours, and this is happening very often,” a resident said. The man, a driver by profession, further said that he has eased up on working due to the ongoing situation.

He emphasised that he has no other job.

“Nobody wants to turn up and hear the time change or the boat ain’t coming,” another resident chimed in.

O t h e r s complained that the alternative of speedboats was too expensive, even for those with small families.

S e v e r a l residents further provided suggestions on how the situation could be rectified.

Residents indicated that if a fixed schedule is in place, regardless of the time, they would make themselves available.

M i n i s t e r Ferguson pointed out

that the professionalism of T&HD employees would come under scrutiny as she put other solutions in place to address the issues.

“If employees of T&HD cannot adhere to what they are supposed to do, then somebody will have to feel the brunt of it,” Minister Ferguson emphasised. She added that those who do poor jobs will be disciplined.

divisional headquarters here in Georgetown has moved to the area with the Commander.

E f f o r t s to ascertain if the infrastructure has been

fully installed at the new location except the telephone that the police force mentioned, were not unsuccessful

Police relocates ‘F’ Division headquarters to Bartica The Guyana Police Force has finally taken a decision to relocate its Police ‘F’ Division within the confines of the division, a move that is geared at better serving the public and making the Commander who will also be there accessible to the persons in that area.

T h e

headquarters will commence functioning in the area as of today, Monday December 21.

The office is located a Lot 12 Third Street Bartica.

P r e v i o u s l y persons would need to travel to the city to the force Headquarters Eve Leary if they needed to see the Commander

of the division. That division is being headed

by Senior Superintendent Ravindradat Budhram.

The Guyana Police force announced that thus far the divisional headquarters does not have a land line telephone number but the mobile of the commander was shared

with the members of the public and they can make contact with the commander on Telephone number 648 0171.

This morning efforts to make contact with Commander Budhram were futile. It is unclear if the entire staff that functioned in the

Jagdeo’s official office still to be set up

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

There has been no further movement in the setting up of the leader of the opposition’s office since the transfer of assets from the former leader of the opposition’s Hadfield Street office has halted.

This is according to Peoples Progress Party/Civic (PPP/C’s) Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira who has responsibility in this area.

She noted that there has been some movement to purchase new assets by the government based on a budget submitted

by the PPP/C for that purpose.

However, she lamented that that process is moving slow.

“There has been some progress, it’s very slow, and we anticipate that today we might get a few things from that budget, but it’s been extraordinarily slow.”

The PPP has accused the government of “double standards” in its move towards transparency and accountability as far as State assets were concerned.

This accusation

Minister of State Joseph Harmon

was made against the backdrop of Government’s inability to hand over State assets to furnish the Office of the Opposition Leader, which has stymied the work of Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo.

Among the items outstanding are: eight desktop computers, thirteen laptop computers, one Samsung Galaxy tablet, nine printers, three seater couch, water dispensers, two filing cabinets, fifty all-weather folding chairs, four all-weather

tables, ten APC backup storage containers, one television, one microwave oven, and one table with five chairs.

P u b l i c pronouncement, according Teixeira, by Minister of State Joseph Harmon and Governance Minister Raphael Trotman have indicated that no further assets, including computers will be transferred.

At a press conference last month took the government to task for disregarding the constitution

Gail Teixeira

on this matter.

“The APNU+AFC administration appears to have scant regard for the constitution and the constitutionality of the post of leader of the opposition and to the leader of the opposition act by withholding the transfer of these assets purchased under the Parliamentary office, budgetary allocations for the leader of the opposition.”

GNN had reported that the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock

Isaacs said the delay in transfer of the remaining assets centered on the computers which the government claimed that even though they had erased information from them, they could be retrieved. Isaacs had said he was engaging minister Harmon on the way forward.

Ho w e v e r, Harmon denied to this publication that he had anything to do with the transfer, citing that it was in the hands of Parliament.

SARU not set up to witch hunt anyone-President President David Granger has denied witch hunting members of the opposition peoples Progressive Party/ Civic through the setting up of the State Asset Recovery Unit (SARU).

Speaking on his weekly televised programme “The public Interest,” the Head of State sought to explain why the unit was set up.

“As far as State Asset Recovery is concerned, we’re not in a witch hunt, we want to make sure that the state assets are in good hands and if there is any misdemeanor, if there is any corruption, we try to identify it, but we’re not hunting down people,” Granger said.

He said he wants the state to run in a more orderly manner and to ensure

that the situation he found when he was sworn in as President would not be repeated.

According to the President the transition was done in a hap hazard manner and as such his government was not the beneficiary of a normal handover.

He cautioned against this in the future.

“ I think this is something we should put in place, there must be some form of transition in which every outgoing Minister would meet the incoming Minister and explain not only how the Ministries function but what assets those Ministries possess”, he noted.

Questioned whether it happened when the APNU+AFC was taking over

-opposition disagrees government, Granger said it did not happen to their satisfaction since it only happened at the level of the Minister of State. He said there were other areas whereby the Ministers did not get a full brief from the outgoing Ministers.

“As far as the assets were concerned I did not get the impression that there was a very careful inventorising of all of the state resources and that’s one of the reason we had to go from place to place trying to identify what vehicles, what properties were owned. There was no schedule of properties,” the President added.

SARU is looking into the issue of State assets that have been siphoned off, both locally and

President David Granger

abroad, by various people and bodies, the government said.

On the other hand, the opposition might not be supporting the bill to empower SARU when it comes up in Parliament.

The party believes that the body was set up to conduct witch hunting activities.

F o r m e r Attorney General

and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall at a press conference last week deemed SARU a “legal bastard.” He said the nation should be advised to ignore it.

A t t o r n e y General and Minister of Legal Affairs Basil had conceded that the unit is operating illegally. He is expected to table a bill in the National Assembly to empower SARU.

PPP/C Chief Whip Gail Teixeira told the media that the party will have to carefully consider supporting the empowerment of the body. Further, she expressed the view that “the devil is in the details.”

SARU is headed by Professor Clive Thomas.

Road condition and health workers’ accommodation, among concerns of Port Kaituma residents The roadway to central Port Kaituma is reported to have been reduced to a one-way path forcing vehicles to wait on others from the opposite direction. This concern of the residents has been compounded given the present location where the new regional hospital is being constructed.

As a result residents are calling for an alternative road to the hospital to facilitate emergencies including medivac to the local airport. Vice President and Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, recently visited the area and residents took the opportunity to air their concerns.

He also visited the hospital site prompted following a community meeting during which persons spoke raised issues pertaining to the construction of the

Minister Sydney Allicock

facility and its location which is away from Central Port Kaituma.

Issues raised included the absence of a morgue at the location, the road to the hospital, its distance from the airport and the quality of health care that residents expect to receive when the facility is completed.

Residents were also peeved at a proposed hospital storage bond and accommodation for health workers,

including maternity ward staff. It appears that residents are unhappy with the proposed accommodation in terms of its size as against the facility earmarked for the storage bond.

Allicock said he understands the views being given with respect to a proposed switch in the two areas and promised to raise it with the subject ministers.

He admitted that one of the first things that

would need to be done for the proposed storage bond to be redesigned for staff accommodation would be the roof, sanitation blocks and sectionalizing the facility so that each staff can have their own quarters.

The proposed storage bond was previously used by the Barama Company as a sport club for the senior workers. It was suggested to the Minister that the proposed storage bond

facility be renovated to accommodate the staff which seems more practical and will save the government money.

T h i s consideration by residents was based on the understanding that lands adjacent to the new hospital have been proposed for the construction of houses for the health workers. They believe the renovation of the proposed storage facility would be far less costly than

building new structures.

During the visit he observed that several aspects of the scope works are yet to be completed at the facility including landscaping, some amount of plumbing and the fencing of the compound. The Minister and his team were not able to have access to the interior of the building as the visit was impromptu and the contractor was not at the location at the time.

Rohee disagrees with Granger pardoning of prisoners Clement Rohee

Former Home Affairs Minister and General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Clement Rohee has taken a swipe at the President for his move to pardon eleven women for the Christmas holidays, saying it “undermines the rule of law.”

Speaking at

his weekly media conference today, Rohee said the pardoning of persons sentenced by the Court having been proven guilty makes the Court system look foolish and ineffective.

He insists that if persons do the crime, then they should also be made

to do the time and not be considered for a Presidential pardon.

Rohee reasoned if as the logic goes young people “belong in college, school and University instead of being in prison” then the government should first amend the law to exempt the potential students from being

charged by the police, never to pass through Court and never to be incarcerated.

“As the logic goes the potential students should be free to roam and to pounce on law abiding citizens rob them of their property, possess and traffic ganja since they have a guarantee that there is a get out of jail card in the form of a pardon reserved for them,” he added.

Rohee argued that persons that steal phones and commit other violent crimes can now look forward to a pardon from the President.

“Under the PPP/C administration Presidential pardons were not abused. This does not mean that the PPP/C Presidents were

not compassionate, on the contrary, their compassion was more weighted in favour of the victims and upholding the rule of law,” the former Home Affairs Minister said.

Reference was made to former President Donald Ramotar who just before he left office pardoned a convicted child killer. However, Rohee replied that he was not consulted on the pardon issued by Ramotar.

President Granger at the weekend announced that he will be pardoning eleven mothers for the Christmas holidays.

“My emphasis is on women, women who are mothers and also parents of young children.

I want them to be home for Christmas,” said Granger.

The President presented the argument that the longer a person remains in prison, the higher the likelihood that the person may become a repeated offender. In this regard, he posited that it is imperative that some persons be given a second chance.

Forty prisoners were released in June of this year after being pardoned by the President for Guyana’s 49th Independence last year. This, he indicated will be an annual feature.

CONTESTANTS EAGER TO BE FIRST MAYORS OF NEW TOWNS Preparations are in high swing for the upcoming Local Government elections in Bartica and Lethem as persons are eager to be elected as the first Mayor in the History of those towns.

According to the Official Gazette (Extraordinary) published on October 21, Bartica Region Seven ( Cu y u n i - Ma z a r u n i ) ; Lethem, Region Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo) and Mabaruma, Region One (Barima-Waini) have been named as towns. This will see the full development of the districts to join Guyana’s six other towns. They will also compete the 2016 Local Government Elections as Towns.

GNN spoke to

Chairman of Region Nine; Bryan Allicock who noted that persons are excited to be the first Mayor of Lethem, making the environment is very competitive at this time.

“We are not a large municipality; we only have five constituencies…People are vying for it (LGE), because it will be the first time there will be a Mayor and Councilors here.

It is very competitive at this time as a lot of people want to become the first mayor in history of Lethem. They are not campaigning like Regional and General Elections but they are going their own way house to house trying to win people for them” the Chairman said.

He added that

the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and the political parties are also doing their work in the communities which including the populace on the process of LGE. Meanwhile, in Bartica, Region Seven Chairman Gordon Bradford stated that the residents are enthusiastic about the changes in the district which will bring more income.

“Political parties, mainly the AFC/APNU and the PPP are campaigning at the moment and the provisions relating to the selection of candidates and ‘what have you’ are being made because it is a new system. Efforts are being made and persons are gearing up for the contest.”

Part of the Lethem Shopping area

However in Region one, Mabaruma, Deputy Chair Sarah Browne stated that there are a number of communities in which residents are not well educated on LGE, however the Guyana Elections Commission is in the area conducting verifications and transfers and such.

“For the communities that I would’ve visited, the

people of Kubarimo and Barabina, they are not keen because most of the people who are living there are Amerindians and they are accustomed to having their Toshaos and the Amerindian kind of way of doing it so they are not too keen on being a part of the town.

The other communities we wouldn’t have had any consultations with them and the Ministry did not meet each community

either” Browne said.

L o c a l Government Elections will be hosted on March 18, 2016 in 62 Neighborhood Democratic Councils (NDC) and 9 Municipalities with the declaration of Mabaruma, Bartica and Lethem as towns.

Nomination will be on January, 26, 2016.

NICIL accuses Goolsaran of misrepresenting facts

Anand Goolsarran

The National Industrial and Commercial I n v e s t m e n t s Limited (NICIL) is accusing former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran of deliberately misrepresenting facts regarding the accounting during his forensic audit of the holding company.

NICIL, via a statement, said that over the past two weeks, the final draft forensic audit report of the entity

and Atlantic Hotel Incorporated (AHI) has been serialized in the media, even before NICIL was given the opportunity to review and comment.

It said the holding company was assured in writing by Goolsarran, that the final draft would be available to the body.

According to the statement, Goolsarran in his final report claimed that the audited accounts of NICIL for 2012 showed

some $103.2 million as having been written off as loss on disposal.

However, based on explanation, this was a consequence of the fire in Linden which destroyed buildings belonging to NICIL. Goolsarran is contending in the report that in accordance with Section 346 of the Companies Act, bad debts can only be written off with the approval of the Minister and there was no evidence to show this approval was granted.

NICIL on the other hand is disputing this claim.

The company is claiming that the forensic auditor was misrepresenting the facts.

According to NICIL, section 346 of the companies act states that “a Government company shall not later than six months after the end of each calendar year submit

to the Minister a report containing an account of its transactions throughout the preceding calendar year in such detail as the Minister may direct; and a statement of the accounts of the company audited in accordance with Section 345.”

The holding company is contending that at no point did this Section refer to bad debts.

According to NICIL, the forensic auditor’s statement is inconsistent because it refers to loss of assets and bad debts as interchangeable terms which can be accounted for in a like manner.

Goolsarran, in his audit report also claimed that in 2003, LINMINE was recorded in the books of NICIL as a subsidiary with a value of $3.483 billion; however, in 2004, the value was reduced to zero, and up to

Winston Brassington

the time of reporting LINMINE remained a subsidiary of NICIL.

He said that in 2002 and 2003, the Auditor General disclaimed his opinion of LINMINE’s financial statements because of uncertainties of a fundamental nature mainly relating to fixed assets, inventories, accumulated losses and lack of evidence that the entity had the ability, for the foreseeable future, to survive as a going concern.

On the contrary, NICIL said that on December 8, 2004, LINMINE was privatized to OBMI, a joint venture company with the Government of Guyana and the remaining assets that

did not form part of the privatization were transferred to NICIL, pursuant to Cabinet’s Decision and Vesting Order# 36 of 2004.

According to NICIL, every question asked by the forensic auditor was answered prior to submission of his report, adding that there was no evidence of Goolsarran seeking to clarify any of these matters.

The holding company is claiming that the audit fails to show what information was sought, what NICIL provided, and how the conclusions were drawn.

CIOG to host several programs for Youman Nabi Muslims will on December 24, observe Youman Nabi, a national holiday in Guyana.

According to the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG), the anniversary in observed on the 12th of Rabbi ul Awwal and signifies the birth anniversary of the Holy Prophet, (Peace Be Unto Him).

The organization has planned a series of programs for the event to commemorate the life of the holy Prophet. It is

extending an invitation to the general public to attend these programs in an effort to have a better understanding about the real message of Islam, and the noble personality of the Prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Unto Him. The programs will be spread across the country from December 23 to January 10, 2016 and will be held at various Masjids. The programs are as follows:DEC. 23RD VRYHEID

MASJID, B’CE, 6:00PM;

G/TOWN, 10:00AM

DEC. 24TH BUSH LOT NO.1 MASJD, B’CE, 9:30AM;

DEC. 24TH WAKENAAM ISLAND, ESQBO RIVER, 10:00AM

DEC. 24TH CUMBERLAND MASJID B’CE, 10:00AM; DEC. 24TH BLAIRMONT MASJID, B’CE, 1:00PM;

DEC. 25TH PROVIDENCE (GAY PARK) MASJID, B’CE 2:00PM

DEC. 24TH FYRISH MASJID, B’CE, 1:30PM;

DEC. 25TH ANNA REGINA MASJID, ESSQ, JUMMUAH-

DEC. 24TH MYO, WOOLFORD AVENUE,

DEC. 25TH QUEENSTWON

MASJID, ESSQ, 6:00PM DEC. 25TH PETERSHALL MASJID, EBD, 10:30AM DEC. 26TH ALBION MASJID, B’CE, 1:00PM DEC. 27TH EAST SUNNATUL, G/TOWN, 10:30AM

JAN. 03RD KINGSTON MASJID, B’CE, 1:00PM JAN. 10TH ALBION MASJID, B’CE , 10:00AM JAN. 10TH NEW AMSTERDAM MASJID, B’CE, 6:00 PM

TOURISM MINISTRY TO ENHANCE SERVICE QUALITY AT MOLESON CREEK The Ministry of Tourism is spearheading an intensive programme to enhance both the physical space and operational procedures

at the Moleson Creek Ferry Terminal to ensure that persons entering Guyana at the terminal is properly greeted.

According to

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has expressed satisfaction with the fact that discussions at various levels have already began with regard to electoral reforms in Guyana,

something it has been pushing for sometime now.

The party’s General Secretary Clement Rohee said following the May 11, 2015, General and Regional elections the

a statement from the Ministry, the project was conceived and is being led by the Ministry’s Director General, Donald Sinclair in close collaboration with the Guyana Tourism Authority, the Canawaima Authority, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and the other entities.

The Tourism Ministry says its “chief objective is to ensure

that the physical facilities remain welcoming and that the passengers’ experience at the Guyana terminal is always hassle-free and orderly.”

A team that included several Tourism Development Officers, spent the day at the Terminal continuing the informal training and sensitization of workers, minibus drivers and conductors last weekend.

They were all

presented with new ‘uniforms’, t-shirts emblazoned with the nation’s new tourism brand: Guyana - South America Undiscovered.

T o u r i s m Director General, Donald Sinclair said his Ministry over the next few weeks will engage the relevant authorities and lay out proposals for further enhancement of the facilities and improvements in the

Party is convinced of the need for reforms of the electoral system and at the Guyana Elections Commission ( G E C O M ) .

“Just as how good sense prevailed in recognizing the need for electoral reforms in the past, in the same way the spirit of cooperation and compromise should prevail to allow for unfettered passage in the National Assembly of electoral reform legislation for future elections in Guyana,” said Rohee.

“Long before the May 11, 2015 elections the PPP

had made public its displeasure with a number of legal policy and operational aspects related to the electoral system, the Representation of the People’s Act and at GECOM itself,” Rohee told the media today.

The Party had made it known that all was not well at GECOM and had found itself once again fighting for free and fair elections as it is called upon to do at each and every elections albeit under different conditions on each occasion.

According to Rohee, the PPP has always held the

view that GECOM’s elections machinery known as the Secretariat had developed a life of its own and was not effectively controlled by the Elections C o m m i s s i o n .”

He said prior to the May 11 elections the PPP had pressed for the internationalization of certain aspects of GECOM’s operations especially its Secretariat. T h i s eventually came to pass with the recruitment of an Information Technology expert whose activities were brazenly frustrated

quality of services.

Additional training in Customer Services is on the cards for front line operators who interact daily with the people passing through the terminal.

The GTA has already started a language programme aimed at improving the operators’ ability to communicate in Dutch and Portuguese.

Opposition pleased with movement towards electoral reforms Clement Rohee

by the Chairman and certain members of the Commission as well as staff at the Secretariat, as a result, the expert was forced to leave.

The Party had also pressed for the establishment of a Joint Independent Technical Advisor (JITA) to exercise oversight with respect to the inputting of critical data and the evaluation of that data at GECOM.

Detective in Crum Ewing investigation honored

Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud presenting Rodwell Sarrabo with his trophy

The police earlier today showed their appreciation to a 30 year old police Detective Sargent and father of three for his role in in the Courtney Crum Ewing investigation.

Rodwell Sarrabo from the Major Crime Investigation Unit of the Criminal Investigation Department, was

rewarded for his hard work in helping to solve the case.

The award took place during a Christmas luncheon for the ranks of the CID hosted by their immediate supervisor and Crime Chief, Senior Superintendent Wendell Blanhum.

C o u r t n e y Crum Ewing was

widely regarded as a fierce government critic who staged a one man picketing exercise in front of the Office of the then Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General, Anil Nandlall in Georgetown.

In addition to that investigation, Sarrabo has been able to solve other high profile

A ‘GREEN CHRISTMAS TREE’...

murders inclusive of that of the Mont Rose Granny in August and the gunning down of a cash crop farmer who was travelling in a minibus in June of this year.

He was instrumental in the solving of eleven murder cases, thirteen robberies under arm, ten firearm possession matters, and fifteen other cases.

He received $100,000 complements of the Guyana Police Force, a trophy, a plaque and a cheque, footwear and other monetary donations from cooperate Guyana who partners with the police.

Meanwhile Police Constable Andre Forde was the second runner up. He is attached to the Narcotic Branch and is mostly based at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri.

According

to the police, between February and April of this year the police constable was responsible for the interception of one hundred and seventy eight pounds of cocaine.

He was rewarded in his absence as a result of duty, for his hard work with $50,000 and a plaque from the Criminal Investigation D e p a r t m e n t .

In his remarks Blanhum said that the year 2015 was not without its challenges for the ranks of the CID who also had to deal with staged robberies.

He noted that in his years of policing he cannot recall coming across the number of staged robberies and as was evident in 2015.

Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud applauded the CID for its work in 2015 and the major support that it

has given to the various police divisions. He reminded that the role of the department is to target organized crimes and develop capacities to do so through team work which clearly the CID has been doing.

Persaud, himself a former Crime Chief, awarded the department $400,000 for its efforts as he said that they have truly proven the saying that, “A system is far bigger than its part”. He made reference to the success of the department over the last few months and also encouraged them to tap themselves on their shoulder in light of the recent comment by the Commander in Chief who told them that they “were finally able to make it around the corner” in reference to strides they have been making.

Members of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sport Club and the GuySuCo Training Centre employed considerable ingenuity to create ‘The Sustainable Christmas Tree’, which was made entirely from recycled materials

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Wrong winner announced in Miss Universe contest; Harvey apologizes wholeheartedly to Miss Colombia and Miss Philippines for my huge mistake,” the talk-show host tweeted. “I feel terrible.”

In subsequent tweets, he apologized to viewers of the live pageant, saying that his announcing

Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez as ultimate winner was “an honest mistake.”

At the very end of the telecast Sunday, Harvey mixed up the names of Gutierrez and Miss Philippines Pia Wurtzbach. The error wasn’t addressed until after Gutierrez had already been

outfitted with the Miss Universe crown and sash; Harvey had to stop her during her winning walk in order to rectify the situation.

“I don’t want to take away from this amazing night and pageant. As well as the wonderful contestants.

They were all amazing.”

In a tweet that was

Miss Puerto Rico 2015 has been suspended indefinitely for posting a series of anti-Muslim messages on Twitter.

Destiny Velez tweeted filmmaker Michael Moore last week after he launched a campaign that encouraged people to make signs saying

“We are all Muslim” and post photographs of themselves holding the signs online. Her Twitter page has since been taken down, and Velez has apologized.

CNN obtained a screen grab of the page, and among the messages she originally sent

were: “Muslims use our constitution to terrorize USA & plant gas stations,” “there’s NO comparison between Jews, Christians & Muslims.

Jews nor Christians have terrorizing agendas in their sacred books, and “all what Muslims have done is provided oil & terrorize this country & many others!!!!!!.”

The Miss Puerto Rico Organization issued a statement over the weekend distancing itself from her comments. “In regards to Miss Puerto Rico, Destiny Velez’s, recent actions and

While many countries across the world celebrate Indian cinema and Bollywood by holding several Indian Film Festivals around the year, this time around, yet another country that has joined the league is Vietnam.

The Indian Film Festival kick started on December 18 in the city of Ho Chi Minh which was organized by the Indian Embassy in Vietnam and the Directorate of Film Festivals Ministry of I&B, Government of India.

From what we hear, many renowned Bollywood films from varied genres like Dil Chahta Hai, Taare Zameen Par, Jodhaa Akbar, Paheli, 3 Idiots, Maqbool, Wake Up Sid, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Oh My God will be screened at

Just as swiftly as the Miss Universe crown was given to — and then taken away from — Miss Colombia Sunday night, host Steve Harvey quickly issued a public apology for his role in the mix-up.

“I’d like to apologize

later removed, he added: “This was a terribly honest human

mistake. I am so so regretful.”

(MSN)

conduct; the Miss Puerto Rico Organization feels that her words do not represent the integrity and esteem of our program, nor that of our board members, our sponsors and partners, or the National Organization,” it read.

“Miss Velez’s actions were in contradiction to the organization, and therefore as a consequence of her actions, she has been suspended indefinitely.

The Miss Puerto Rico Organization will not tolerate any actions or behavior contrary

to the Miss Puerto Rico Organization.”

The organization’s statement also included an apology from Velez. “I apologize to the people I have offended with my words. I am first and foremost an #UpStander and as such I stand up against bullying. The last thing I wanted to do was to bully anyone. Again, I apologize to anyone who felt offended with my words,” she said.

Velez competed in this year’s Miss America contest.

The Miss America Organization similarly tried to distance

itself from her comments, releasing a statement saying it does not agree, condone or support what she said. MOA also said that it was working with the Miss Puerto Rico Organization to “resolve the issue.”

Last week, Moore posted a picture of himself holding a sign reading “We are all Muslim” in front of Trump Tower in New York City. He was taking aim at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has called for a ban on all Muslims entering the United States. (CNN)

the said festival.

Many celebrities like Rakeysh Omprakash

Mehra, Umesh will Shukla, producer the Rahul Mishra among others

Miss Puerto Rico suspended after anti-Muslim tweets

The first Indian Film Festival in Vietnam to screen popular Bollywood films

be

gracing event.

Woman says drug-sniffing dog detected her cancer A Baltimore woman’s lung cancer is in remission after she said her dog tipped her off about the disease and compelled her to visit the doctor’s office.

Fox 8 Cleveland reported that 53-yearold Anne Wills’ 9-yearold shepherd-lab mix,

Heidi, wouldn’t let her owner get up anytime she would sit down.

“She would scratch my arm, and she was very panic stricken and panting a lot,” Wills told the news station.

Next, Wills said Heidi “started taking her nose and stuffing it in

my chest and keeping it there and breathing in really deeply.” Heidi was professionally trained to sniff out drugs, and find missing people and pets.

Tests at the doctor’s office revealed that Wills had lung cancer despite the woman not

having any symptoms.

Wills’ doctor, Dr. Esner Cole, an oncologist at Saint Agnes Hospital in Baltimore, told ABC News that if Heidi hadn’t let her owner know about the cancer, the disease likely would have metastasized and been incurable.

the simple reason that hearing loss cannot be repaired.

Once your hearing is gone, it’s lost forever.

While undoubtedly some noise causing all that damage is environmental and often unavoidable, such as traffic, or workrelated and so necessary

to your survival, such as machinery, a good portion of ear-bending noise is purely optional.

It’s coming from your personal listening devices, whether phone or music player, linked directly to your ears via earbuds or headphones.

Quiet sounds are not harmful, only high volume sounds need to be avoided. The amount of hearing loss you can expect from any overlyloud sound is related both to the volume, measured in decibels (dB), and the duration of exposure time, according to Dr. David Schessel.

“This dog diagnosed the cancer before the doctors did, and it’s

just something to marvel at,” Dr. Cole told ABC. (Fox News)

Sound at 85 dB or below is considered safe. By Schessel’s reckoning, if you listen to sounds louder than 90 dB for an average of eight hours per day, hearing loss will most likely result. And, as volume increases, the amount of safe time decreases.

Schessel measures a soft whisper at 30dB; busy traffic at 75dB; a subway train at 90dB; a gunshot blast at 100 dB, a jet plane at 140 dB; and a rocket launching pad at 180 dB. “Most MP3 players today can produce sounds up to 120 decibels,” said Dr. James E. Foy. “At that

level, hearing loss can occur after only about an hour and 15 minutes.”

For this reason, the rule of thumb is you should only play your music at 60 percent of maximum volume for a total of 60 minutes a day. Second rule of thumb: if you can’t hear anything around you, the decibel level is too high. Turn it down!

To preserve your hearing, doctors recommend headphones, which sit on your head like earmuffs, rather than earbuds, which fit inside your ear. The main reason is earbuds naturally add about 9 dB of volume

because they are closer to the ear canal. Add to that, earbuds do not block out as much background noise, so most of us will crank up the volume to unsafe levels.

Plus, there are many cheap earbuds on the market which may be great in a pinch, but these poorly made products will distort sound or produce uneven levels of sound and this leads most of us, once again, to increasing the volume to harmful levels. (Adapted from MSN Health)

treatment for anxiety and insomnia: “night milk.”

That would be milk taken from cows at night; it’s been found to be naturally higher in sleeppromoting compounds.

South Korean researchers recently put the theory to the test in a study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food. In this case, the subjects were lab mice that were fed milk in powdered form that had been collected either during the day or at night.

The latter contained notably higher levels of tryptophan (24% more) and melatonin (almost 10 times more), and the researchers found nightmilk “shortened the sleep onset and prolonged the sleep duration” of drug-induced sleep.

On the anxiety front, the Journal reports that those mice who received night milk were more likely to explore open spaces, “an indication of reduced anxiety”; further, their behavior was similar to that of mice who had been administered the antianxiety drug diazepam.

The big “but” in this study is that the subjects were, again, mice, not humans. But that

doesn’t mean humans haven’t tried night milk.

The New Zealand Herald reports on a night-milk powder called iNdream3 that’s produced by Synlait. A sleep trial partly funded

by Synlait at Otago University found that the product “reduced the time to onset sleep [and] increased the deepest phase of sleep” in humans.

It’s apparently only available in South Korea right now; Sleep Review Magazine reports that a German company also makes its own version, a crystallized product called Nacht mi lch k r ist a l le.

(It also apparently pays to sleep naked.)

(Yahoo Health)

Earbuds vs. Headphones: Which Is Better For Your Hearing?

The real question is: Which of the two is more likely to hurt your ears? Short answer: earbuds are more likely to cause harm, though headphones can also do you wrong.

The answer requires further explanation.

This is a big deal for

Cows’ ‘Night Milk’ may help you sleep better

If you’ve tried a warm glass of milk to help ease you into sleep at night and

it hasn’t worked, perhaps it was just milked at the wrong time. The Wall

Street Journal reports on a somewhat whimsical sounding potential

New Jersey Boy Scout leader fights off black bear with hammer A New Jersey Boy Scout leader fought off an attacking black bear with a hammer while hiking at a local reservoir Sunday afternoon, authorities said.

Christopher Petronino, 50, was showing a cave to three young Scouts when the bear grabbed him and pulled him inside.

Department of Environmental Protection spokesman

Bob Considine said Petronino suffered bites on his leg and both shoulders.

Considine said that after hitting the bear twice in the head with the rock hammer, Petronino “pulled his sweatshirt over his head and curled into the fetal position. He yelled to the scouts, who were outside the cave, to leave and go get help.”

The spokesman said the young scouts called authorities, who tracked the group’s coordinates on a cell phone and dispatched a helicopter in the hope of finding them.

Meanwhile, Petronino instructed the scouts to place any food they had at the entrance to the cave in an attempt to draw the bear out.

Ultimately, a dog traveling with the

group barked at the bear, drawing it out of the cave and up a nearby hillside.

Considine said that Petrnino spent approximately 80 minutes inside the cave.

Petronino was airlifted to a local hospital for treatment. He told authorities that he had visited the cave at the Split Rock Reservoir regularly since the 1980s and had never

it actually physically hurt,” said the former New York City fire battalion chief. Even though he’s been retired for over a decade, he said, the effects of the sirens linger in hearing loss that has left him unable to understand

rapid conversation or follow along in church.

Nardone is among about 4,400 current and former firefighters nationwide who are suing Federal Signal Corp., an Oak Brook, Illinois-based company that makes sirens, claiming it didn’t do enough to make them safer for those on fire trucks who have to listen to them nearly every day.

They say the company could have designed them in a way that directs the volume away from areas where

firefighters sit in the engines, shielding them from sound blasts that lawyers say reach 120 decibels, roughly equivalent to a rock concert. Said the 73-year-old Nardone: “The manufacturer had the means and ability to do something about it and they didn’t.”

Federal Signal argues that directing the sound defeats one of the main purposes of a siren — to warn motorists and pedestrians that a truck is coming.

And it says it has long supported what

seen a bear before. The scout leader said he did not see any ear tags or collars on the animal.

Police told NJ.com that Department of Environmental

Protection employees have set traps in the area in hope of capturing the bear, but so far it has not been found. (Fox News)

many departments have advised its firefighters to do: wear ear protection.

The lawsuits, which began surfacing more than a decade ago, have been in places such as New York, Philadelphia, Boston, New Jersey and the Chicago area, said attorney Marc Bern, who’s leading all the lawsuits.

The company also has settled in some cases without admitting any wrongdoing. The largest settlement, reached in 2011,

required the company to pay $3.6 million to 1,069 firefighters for cases filed in Philadelphia.

Bern said Federal Signal could have made the sirens with a shroud to warn those in its path instead of a more generalized blare.

Federal standards take into account the intensity of the sound and the duration. The higher the decibel level, the shorter the time workers can be exposed to it. (Adapted from Fox News)

Firefighters sue siren maker over their hearing loss

There were times by the end of his shift that firefighter Joseph Nardone’s head would be pounding, his eyes crossing from the noise of the siren on his truck.

“The siren was so loud inside the cab that

Man gives fiancée his kidney for Christmas For Christmas, Bairon Garzon gave his girlfriend his heart — and his kidney, too.

Raquel Gomez, 27, was born with Alport syndrome, a genetic disorder that can cause kidney disease. About two years ago, she began to feel sick and run-down.

In September 2014, Gomez began requiring dialysis, connecting herself every night to a machine through a tube in her stomach for 10 hours. Since she had to be plugged into her dialysis machine by 9 p.m. each night, it put a damper on her social life with her boyfriend of six years, Garzon, 29.

The couple from Woodside, Queens, could no longer travel, one of their favorite pastimes.

Gomez would be constantly exhausted ¬after

the nightly treatment.

The uncertain future didn’t scare Garzon: He proposed to his girlfriend on Christmas Day last year. But they knew the only way to a normal life was a new kidney.

Gomez was already on the donor list, but average wait times for kidneys in New York are to be donors, but their blood types made five to 10 years, the longest in the nation. them ineligible.Garzon was her knight Her father also suffers from kidney disease in a shining hospital gown. (Fox Health) and he’s been on the list for six years so far.

Gomez’s mother and sister both offered

Venezuela frees workers detained for not making enough Pepsi

Employees at a PepsiCola Venezuela plant have been freed after being detained by the government for halting operations, Empresas Polar, the owner of the local Pepsi division, said late on Sunday.

The company blamed the production pause on a lack of raw materials but the country’s president, Nicolas Maduro, has routinely accused Polar, the country’s largest food and

beverage producer, of slowing production or hoarding goods to spur product shortages in the Opec nation’s struggling economy.

“Pepsi-Cola Venezuela managed to obtain full freedom for its Caucagua plant workers, who were arbitrarily detained on Friday,” tweeted Polar, which has denied Maduro’s claims. Polar said labor ministry inspectors arrested several workers on Friday and ordered

There were reports yesterday that Trinidad and Tobago has suffered a fourth swine flu death after a 28-year-old woman who was warded in critical condition at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) in Mt Hope died on Saturday. The woman gave birth to a baby two weeks ago which died not too long after delivery.

Health officials said they could not officially list the woman’s death as being cause by swine flu until an autopsy, scheduled

for sometime this week, points to that cause.

The woman remained warded at the Complex’s Intensive Care Unit where she was connected to machines which aided in her breathing. Her death came a day after Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh, at a news conference, confirmed 29 swine flu infections and three deaths.

But even in confirming the three deaths as being attributed to swine flu, Minister Deyalsingh said underlying or pre-existing health

conditions led to the three victims succumbing to the flu. He also urged no panic saying the nation has adequate stocks of swine flu vaccines.

However, President of the Public Services Association (PSA) Watson Duke yesterday called for government to better contain the spread of the disease by having a specific identified area designated to treat persons with swine flu.

He also accused Health Minister Deyalsingh of trying to get public opinion against the

One of two bandits who robbed a Chaguanas bar yesterday was killed during gunfight with police before they’d even got away.

Police are searching for his accomplice.

According to a report, three Chaguanas patrolmen were driving along the Caroni Savannah Road around 1 yesterday morning when they noticed

two men sprinting out of Vegas Bar and crossed the street.

Police said the officers called on the men to stop, but instead of surrendering, one of the men then pulled out a gun and fired four shots at the officers.

They said they returned fire. The gunman was then said to have thrown his gun onto the roof of C&R Mini Mart

and both ran back to the Caroni Savannah Road where they tried to lose the officers by running into some bushes.

The officers got out the vehicle and continued the chase and on reaching Ibis Circular, they found one of the men lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to is shoulder. He was taken to the Chaguanas District

the reactivation of its plant in the town of Caucagua in the central state of Miranda.

Polar said production lines were halted because of delays due to the country’s currency control system that left it unable to import the necessary raw materials. Venezuelan media reported that labor ministry inspectors, along with local police, ordered the arrest of the manager, two human resources workers and

a lawyer at the plant.

Maduro has described the country’s chronic product shortages as the product of an “economic war” led by opposition leaders and private companies.

His critics say currency controls have left companies unable to obtain imported machine parts and raw materials while price controls have made it unprofitable to produce many basic consumer goods.

The decaying state-led

model created by the late socialist leader Hugo Chavez has also suffered heavily from the collapse in 2014 in the price of oil, which provides nearly all of the country’s export revenue.

The ruling Socialist party lost control of Congress for the first time in 16 years in a sweeping opposition victory in December that was driven largely by anger over the economic crisis. ( R e u t e r s / Ya h o o )

nation’s health workers by claiming that nurses and other workers in public health were refusing to be vaccinated.

“Health workers are begging for the vaccines but are not getting it.

They are begging for gear to be provided to protect them as they treat with the nation’s sick... but they are not getting it,” Duke said.

Last week Wednesday, nurses and some patients at the Sangre Grande District Hospital were in a panic when a man arrived at the

hospital displaying symptoms similar to those of swine flu.

Deyalsingh, at the press conference last Friday, said that man did not have swine flu.

He accused the media of harassing him when calls are made to him to get information on this and other health issues

affecting the country.

Duke yesterday accused government of not dealing seriously with the swine flu scourge asking why the 29 confirmed cases were not kept isolated as they recover from the disease. (Adapted from the Trinidad Newsday)

Swine Flu reportedly claims another life in T&T

Bandit killed after robbing bar

Health Facility but was he dead by the time he arrived.

Crime scene officers responded to the shooting, processed the scene and coordinated a

search for the other suspect. A Ruger P89 pistol loaded with five rounds 9mm ammunition was recovered.

Ashmeed Syne, 22, the manager of Vegas

Bar later reported to Chaguanas CID that two men, one armed with a gun, and entered his bar and robbed him of $5000 in sales. He identified the dead man as one of the men who robbed him. (Adapted from the Trinidadian G u a r d i a n )

Greece moves to recognise the state of Palestine Greece is set to recognise the state of Palestine in a parliamentary vote to be attended by the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, a government source said.

A solemn ceremony

will accompany the vote on Tuesday as Greece joins dozens of other countries that accord recognition to Palestine, the source told the AFP news agency.

Abbas arrived for a two-day visit in

Athens and is meeting President Prokopis Pavlopoulos and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, the Associated Press reported.

Last week, the Greek parliament’s foreign affairs committee unanimously

approved a motion to recognise Palestine.

Tsipras travelled to Israel last month when he met with both Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Palestine’s flag was hoisted for the first time at UN Abbas of then took recognition headquarters in New to the podium to Palestine. (Al Jazeera) York on September 30, call for universal in a symbolic gesture.

Huge China landslide buries buildings; leaves 85 missing

Some 85 people were missing Monday after a huge landslide caused by illegal soil dumping buried more than 30

factory and residential buildings in a sea of mud, China’s second industrial disaster in four months.

Witnesses of the

landslide late Sunday morning described a mass of red earth and mud racing towards an industrial park in

A group of Kenyan Muslims travelling on a bus ambushed

by Islamist gunmen protected Christian passengers by refusing to be split into groups, according to eyewitnesses.

They told the militants “to kill them together or leave them alone”, a local governor told Kenyan media.

At least two people were killed in the attack, near the north-eastern

village of El Wak on the Somali border.

The Somali based al-Shabab group is the main suspect for the attack. It has not said if it was responsible, but often carries out attacks in Kenya’s north-east.

The bus was travelling from the capital Nairobi to the town of Mandera.

When al-Shabab killed 148 people in an attack on Garissa University College

in April, the militants reportedly singled out Christians and shot them, while freeing many Muslims.

Last year, a bus was attacked near Mandera by alShabab militants, who killed 36 nonMuslims travelling to Nairobi for C h r i s t m a s celebrations. “The locals showed a sense of patriotism and belonging to each other,” Mandera governor

the city of Shenzhen in “huge waves” before burying or crushing homes and factories, twisting some of them into grotesque shapes.

Drone footage showed waves of mud had swept through and over buildings and tossed aside trucks like discarded toys.

The landslide covers an area of 380,000 square meters -- about 60 football fields -- and in many areas is more than 10 meters thick, said Liu Qingsheng, the vice mayor of the city bordering

Hong Kong, at a press conference Monday.

“It is the first time in China that we have seen a landslide on this scale,” said Liu Guonan of the China Academy of Railway Sciences. “The soil on the slope is very high in water content so it’s hard to even walk across it -- people’s feet sink into it,” he added.

The official Xinhua news agency said 85 people were missing, adding authorities had revised down the previous estimate of 91 after further checks.

The landslide was

caused by the improper storage of waste soil from construction sites, according to the official newspaper of the Ministry of Land and Resources.

The soil was allegedly illegally stored in heaps 100 meters (330 feet) high at an old quarry site and turned to mud during rain Sunday morning, the state-run Global Times reported.

(Adapted from MSN)

Kenyan Muslims shield Christians in bus attack

Ali Roba told Kenya’s private Daily Nation newspaper.

The militants decided to leave

after the passengers’ show of unity, he added. One of the victims was shot dead after trying to run away from

the militants after passengers had been forced off the bus. (Adapted from the BBC)

Monday December 21, 2015

Blatter and Platini banned

by FIFA for eight years

Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini were each banned for eight years by the FIFA ethics committee in a stunning takedown of world football’s most powerful leaders.

FIFA President Blatter and his one-time protege Platini were kicked out of the sport for conflict of interest and disloyalty to FIFA in a $2m payment deal that

is also the subject of a criminal investigation in Switzerland.

A defiant Blatter said he would appeal against the ban. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I’m still a punching ball,”

he said. “But I will fight. I will fight for me and I will fight for FIFA.” UEFA President Michel Platini said he will also appeal the ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

In statement, Platini described the FIFA ethics commission’s procedure against him as a “true mockery”, saying that it had been “orchestrated... by governing bodies that I know well” to tarnish him.

Platini’s bid to succeed his former mentor in the February 26 presidential election is now likely to be over, though both are expected to appeal to the FIFA appeals

committee and the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Blatter had already suggested he could pursue a lengthier appeal to Switzerland’s highest court, the federal tribunal, which can intervene if legal process was abused. Ethics judges decided that Blatter and Platini broke FIFA Code of Ethics rules on conflicts of interest, breach of loyalty and offering or receiving gifts.

Both denied wrongdoing in 2011 when Platini took $2m of FIFA money approved by Blatter as uncontracted salary for work as a presidential adviser from 1999 to

2002. Blatter was fined 50,000 Swiss francs ($50,250) and Platini, a FIFA vice-president and head of European football’s governing body UEFA, was fined 80,000 Swiss francs ($80,400).

Platini, the judges said, “failed to act with complete credibility and integrity, showing unawareness of the importance of his duties and concomitant obligations and r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s ”.

(Adapted from Al Jazeera)

break with much zeal, the Huston side were not intending to go down without a fight and after several valient efforts, converted thanks to Kevin Richards in the 76th.

Well on the path to

recovery was the Huston Stars side but they were jolted to reality when Amos Ramsey in the 83rd minute completed the Riddim Squad’s third and final goal of the evening to pave the way for an interestingly

poised tournament.

Matches continue on December 23rd where Sunburst Camptown take on Northern Rangers in game one at the GFC ground while Beacon go toe to toe with Flamingo FC.

Santos; Riddim Squad into GFA/ Banks Beer Quarterfinals Two more teams advanced to the next round of the 2015/2016 Banks Beer Cup/ Georgetown Football Association Knock out football tournament following wins at the Georgetown Football Club Ground on Sunday Evening.

Riddim Squad and Santos FC are the latest teams to make it to the quarter finals of the knock out tournament which commenced on December 13th at the Police Sports club ground In game 1, Santos mopped the floor with their competition after putting on a 5-1 performance for the persons in attendance at the GFC. Captain Dwayne

McLennon produced the first goal just 15 minutes in before returning to add his second in the 38th.

Josh Parvantan in the 60th minute put the game out of the Black Pearl’s reach before Orin Yarde (74th minute) and Ryan Hacket in the 77th minute rounded out the teams scoring.

Captain McLennon spoke to the media after the win, contending that “it’s all about possession, we had more possession of the ball and we moved it around so the team with the less mistake win the game and we made the least mistakes.”

“Me anit got me eye on no team right now because , me team right now is a unit that working hard

and we come through it victories in the end this tournament,” contended the skipper.

Game two started off physically with the referee having to issue several warning and eventually a red card during the first 20 minutes of action.

However, it was within that first 20 minutes that the Riddim squad opened their scoring account and took the lead to the competition, Seyon Hope making his strike count in the 17th.

Teon Jones would sink the needle further into the arms of the Huston stars side when he successfully converted a strike on the borderline of half time (44th minute) Returning from the