Friday, October 23, 2015
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WEST COAST ROAD WIDENING BEGINS -PAGE 8
Road widening work ongoing at Hydronie, East Bank Essequibo, Region Three (GINA Photo)
DIWALI CONTROVERSY TURNS POLITICAL -PAGE 6
First Lady Calls for protection for young girls First Lady Sandra Granger, has issued a call for those responsible for statutory rape to be pursued and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. During her address to the gathering at the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association's (GRPA) Fundraising Dinner on Thursday evening, at the Pegasus Hotel, she also called for improved and equitable access to sexual reproductive health services for young girls and boys. In an effort to reduce the incidence of teenage pregnancy and Sexual Transmitted Infections (STIs) in Guyana, the first lady noted that there must be no
First Lady Sandra Granger addressing those in attendance last evening
excuses in finding the culprits responsible for statutory rape and having them prosecuted.
"This is where the might and majesty of the law must come into play. Sexual intercourse
with a child under 16 is statutory rape and all loopholes must be closed. I do not want to hear any
excuses... like he didn't know the girl was under aged. Yes we do have adolescent school boys fathering children but in many cases girl children are forced to have sex with older men or forced by family members to become a sex worker," Mrs. Granger said. She added that more young girls and boys should have access to sexual reproductive health services. "The GRPA has done and continues to perform a valuable service to Guyana by providing a service such as this... The importance of these services cannot be over emphasised. By informing our young people, we are protecting
and keeping them safe," F i r s t L a d y, S a n d r a Granger said. Often, she said, the victims of these situations lack the critical information on sexual reproductive health (SRH) and family planning, contraception and STIs and as such, become vulnerable. "Responsible parenthood and family planning has many benefits. These are in the areas of employment opportunities, financial security, stability, more decision making power, and opportunities to join social and civic organisations, earning power and independence among others," she said.
Short term plans underway to achieve social cohesion Several short term recommendations which were suggested at the Roundtable on Social Cohesion about two months ago, are already being implemented. Minister of Social Cohesion, Amna Ally, told GINA today that while the report is not yet complete, the Ministry has managed to extract some of the short term suggestions, which were made by stakeholders at the event. She disclosed that programmes and events are being planned to ensure that the recommendations given at the national conversation are acted upon. “There were ten working groups and these groups c a m e u p w i t h recommendations, which they believe we should implement. We are putting together the programme and the activities for the achievement of social cohesion for the next five years but what we have done is to put them in three
categories. Short, medium and long term, We are focusing on the short term programmes, which we believe can be achieved between 2015 and 2016,” Minister Ally said. One of the short term recommendations coming out of the event was the need for national conversations and engagement and as such, the Minister said that a number of events are being planned to engage Guyanese people and develop national buy-in for the Ministry's scope of work. “Because this is a new ministry, we need to have a lot of conversations to sensitise people on what the Ministry is about, what are our objectives and so on and we have begun this but more than this, we still have to continue conversations after these programmes, so that there c a n b e a f u l l understanding of what we
– Ally do,” Ally noted. She stated that the work will soon begin in Region 6, touching first at the school levels, before moving to the other sections of society. A d d i t i o n a l l y, the stakeholders at the National Roundtable recommended that booklets on the mandate of the Ministry should be produced and placed in schools. Minister Ally disclosed that this is actively being pursued by h e r M i n i s t r y. Government and the Ministry recognise that social cohesion cannot be achieved in the absence of equitable access to education and employment. “We know that poverty is widespread and not helpful for social cohesion so we are looking at some small projects like providing school boats to the children, who cannot
Minister of Social Cohesion, Amna Ally during the interview at her office today
afford the costs of going to school. We will now be looking to put out some school buses along the West Coast of Berbice to assist those students there. We found that because of poverty children were going to school bare feet and we tried to provide
some foot wear to those students,” she said. While the medium term and long term plans have not yet been completely finalised, Minister Ally disclosed that the Government was looking at the feasibility of reintroducing Civic
Education, as was recommended by Sir ShridathRamphal, in the school system as well as expanding the booklet production to target the nursery and secondary s c h o o l populations.(Adapted from GINA)
TRANSPARENCY INSTITUTE AND PRESIDENT DISCUSSED TACKLING OF CORRUPTION Given the Transparency Institute of Guyana Incorporated's (TIGI) concern with corruption in Guyana and its implications on investment, means of collaboration to tackle any incidence of corruption, within state agencies, were discussed when the organization paid a courtesy call on the President David Granger and Minister of Social Cohesion, Amna Ally today. Those who attended the meeting included the President of the organisation, Calvin B e r n a r d , D i r e c t o r, Christopher Ram, Ayana
Mc Alman, First Vice President, Troy Thomas, Member, Aruna Budhram, Second Vice President, and Compton Meerabux, Director. Following the meeting, Christopher Ram, in an invited comment, said that discussion were hosted on corruption, of course, and the ranking of Guyana on the Corruption Perception Index," Ram said. " We t a l k e d about corruption in the public service; we talked about some of the legislation, the Police Complaints Authority. The President expressed
his own views on the Public Service College, which he thinks is going to go some way in dealing with the issue of corruption," Ram explained. Noting his satisfaction with the outcome of the meeting, Ram said the President has committed to facilitating another meeting with the Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman and the Minister of Legal Affairs. This meeting Ram explained will allow the President and his team peruse the points raised by his organisation, with the aim of addressing the issues.
JAGDEO DENIES RIFT WITH ROHEE
President David Granger and President of Transparency Institute of Guyana Incorporated, Calvin Bernard during their meeting earlier today at the Ministry of the Presidency
in the party people have their own views on matters, but Rohee and I have no difference on where we are going and where our party is taking,” he clarified. He said he don't see the issue as major. Jagdeo opined that the speculation emanated from the issue of salary increases whereby Rohee was asked about it. “Rohee sat at the MPs meeting and we all reiterated the same thing”, Jagdeo stated. Meanwhile, Rohee took to his facebook page on Friday
denying also that any rift exists between him and Jagdeo. “I am not aware of any “friction” between myself and Comrade Jagdeo.” He added that “if there is friction between any two Party comrades, Party rules provide for resolution of such matters.” According to Rohee, this is not the first time rumors have circulated about differences between himself and Jagdeo but “they have all remained just that; rumors.” “It is not unusual for Comrades in any
Former President Bharrat Jagdeo
Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, has denied having any spat with General Secretary of the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP), Clement Rohee.
During a media conference on today at the Party's Robb Street Headquarters, Jagdeo denied having asked Rohee to leave the
position as General Secretary. “There is no problem between me and Rohee”, the Opposition leader stated clearly. “The thing is that
Clement Rohee
political party to have differences of views, in fact, it is healthy and should be encouraged as constructively as possibly,” he stated. It was reported that Rohee was asked to leave the post of General Secretary, however, Rohee denied same. “Any departure from the post of General Secretary (GS) of the Party must be a decision of the Central Committee unless the sitting General Secretary opts to resign from the post on his own,” said Rohee.
PPP/C MPs MAY GIVE SALARY INCREASES TO CHARITY
Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo addressing the media this afternoon
The Opposition Peoples Progressive Party/Civic Members of Parliament are still to make a definitive decision on what they will be doing with the salary increases that they have, and will be receiving from the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) government. Briefing the press
on Friday, Opposition leader Bharrat Jagdeo said that they are discussing how to proceed with the matter after having received the increases, despite them saying that they did not want it. “Either to return the money to the treasury with a cheque or to hand it over every month to charity. Definitely the members on
our side will not take the increase” Jagdeo stated. The PPP/C prepared two motions to Parliament to annul the increases which now sees all Parliamentarians earning $2.4 million yearly as opposed to $2 million. Mr. Jagdeo said when the motions come up
FORMER PM SON SENTENCED ON WOUNDING CHARGE, GRANTED BAIL
Samuel Hinds Jr.
Samuel Hinds Jr, the son of former Prime Minister Sam Hinds has been sentenced to two months jail for the offense of wounding. He was immediately granted $50,000 bail, pending his appeal to the sentence. Thirty-three year old Hinds appeared before Magistrate Annette Singh on Friday, where he was sentenced and fined $10,000 for the abusive behaviour charge. Hinds Jr, a miner, was found guilty
of unlawful wounding of his sister- in-law, Tenza Lane on February 6 by former Magistrate Geeta Chandan-Edmond. The court also heard that he brandished a gun, cranked it and threatened to kill Layne. H e w a s scheduled to be sentenced by the very Magistrate on February 20 but on that same day, Chandan-Edmond was dismissed by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
in Parliament they are prepared to debate it. One of the motion will be tabled in the name of PPP/C Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira and former Housing Minister, Irfaan Ali while the other was tabled in the name of former Junior Finance Minister Juan Edghill and again Gail Teixeira. The Opposition leader was firm on his
position that the increases are illegal since they should have been approved by the National Assembly before they were paid out. He reiterated that the increases cannot be justified. Jagdeo pointed to statements made by the APNU+AFC government that the economy is “bankrupt.” He said for Cabinet to pay out those astronomical increases “defies all logics.” H e m a d e reference to the fact that the APNU+AFC told the public servants that they cannot afford to give them the 20% increase as promised on the campaign trail and in their 100 plan, should they be elected to office. However, he questioned how the Ministers can get the increases if they cannot afford to give it to public servants.
In addition, the government told pensioners that they cannot afford to double their pensions as promised in their manifesto. They also removed the water and electricity subsides from the pensioners “but the cost of funding this increase for 26 persons will be more than paying the water subsidy for 44,000 pensioners, Jagdeo said. “ We ' v e h e a r d how people used to make large sums of money in the past and therefore they had to maintain the parity in the pay. Well we are hopeful that the motion that we have before Parliament to release ten years of income tax payment would reveal how much money people were actually making in the past, Jagdeo asserted.
BANDITS TERRORIZED FORGED FIREARM WEST BANK FAMILY APPROVALS IN
CIRCULATION
A West Bank Demerara family is still grappling with the trauma of being robbed by five bandits yesterday. A P o l i c e statement indicate that at around 8:30 last night, five men, one of whom was armed with a handgun and
the others with cutlasses, invaded the home of fiftyfour year-old Andy Sookram, 82, of Samaroo Dam, Pouderoyen. The bandits tied up Andy and the other occupants, Andrew Sookram, 18, and Esardai Sookram, 47. Following
the ordeal the men took away two generators, a weeding machine, eight gold finger rings, two gas cylinders and four cell phones and escaped. According to the police, no arrest was made and investigations continue. .
ORDERS SENT TO GECOM FOR LGE DATE
Minister Ronald Bulkan
The Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, is awaiting a response from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) stating the exact window period that is available for the hosting of Local Government Elections (LGE).
Addressing municipal representatives today, at an Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building Development workshop, at the Arthur Chung International Convention Centre, the Minister said two orders were sent to
There is circulation a number of forged firearm approvals according to the Police. In a statement release to the media, the Guyana Police force is informing the public of this development and pointed out that no money is required for the processing of firearm applications. In an effort to prevent persons from this scam, the police is also advising that the procedure on the results of their application is via a mail through the post. The police has provided a copy of one of the forged approvals in their effort to warn the general public.
GECOM relating to the holding of the elections, adding that all the administrative orders are in place. He explained that with these two orders, the way is virtually paved for another piece of administrative necessity,
that is, a third order, which will give the actual date for the elections. “In that regard, I am awaiting a definitive response from GECOM, to be told what is the window, the minimum date, the earliest or latest date, by which those elections can be held, given the fact that these administrative requirements are now all in place,” Bulkan noted. The first order given to GECOM
identifies the 71 Local Democratic Organs (LDOs) that will be participating in these elections, and the composition of their councils. Minister Bulkan explained in this first order, are the three districts (Mabaruma, Bartica and Lethem), for which 'township orders' for their creation were yesterday laid in the National Assembly. The second order establishes the boundaries of the 71
LDOs. Minister Bulkan said that he is hoping that with the given information, GECOM will soon set the date for these elections, “But given my advantage, I could state clearly that those elections will be held before the end of next year, and it will signal part and parcel of the administration's commitment to democratic renewal,” he added.
PPP STEPS IN DIWALI CONTROVERSY;
SUPPORTS VINDY -“It's politicization and a mockery”– Ramjattan
Minister Khemraj Ramjattan
The controversy surrounding the 2015 date for the Hindu festival of lights, Deepawali, continues unabated. The People's Progressive Party (PPP) today noted its unequivocal support for its colleague and Member o f P a r l i a m e n t , D r. Vindhya Persaud, who heads the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha. She is daughter of the late PPP stalwart, Pt. Reepu D a m a n P e r s a u d . D r. Persaud's grouping is claiming that Deepawali 2015 must be on November 11 while the Viraat Sabhaa claims she
is wrong and that the date is November 10. The PPP in a statement today berated Minister of Public S e c u r i t y, K h e m r a j Ramjattan, claiming he was picked by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) to “make this unpopular decision to bring the Alliance For Change (AFC) and its principal leaders into disrepute and to make the AFC unpopular among Indo-Guyanese in general, the Hindu community in particular”. The Statement labeled the
Dr. Vindhya Persaud
Minister's action as a “political act on the part of APNU+AFC by inserting themselves in the longheld religious and cultural traditions of our country”. It also noted that Ramjattan, by his “feral blast” unto the Hindu community, has shattered Minister of Social Cohesion, Amna Ally's call and “platitudinous exhortations about social cohesion”. However, in a comment to GNN, Ramjattan was definitive that President David Granger nor APNU had anything to do with the decision. He said it was
never discussed at Cabinet and that his decision was made based upon compelling information submitted to him by some ninety Pandits and Hindu leaders. The Viraat Sabhaa, which boasts of having the support of a vast majority of Pandits and Hindu leaders across Guyana, presented a petition with supporting documentation to the Minister showing why the festival cannot be on November 11. Ramjattan said that having received the petition he requested
that Dr. Persaud submit information to support her claim. One basic argument and tradition is that the festival must be observed during the darkest night of the year. Both the Dharmic and Vi r a a t S a b h a a h a v e agreed that the new moon would commence sometime around 13:47 h r s o n We d n e s d a y, November 11. Therefore, according to the Viraat Sabhaa, to celebrate the festival on the night of November 11 would be during the new moon which clearly contradicts the Dharmic Sabha's agreed position on the birth of the moon and would be inappropriate for Deepawali. Ramjattan noted, that, along with other information, were compelling and could not have been ignored. He pointed out, that according to the wisdom of Hindu religious leaders that Deepawali must be in the darkest night of the year, based on the information he received from both sides and his own judgement, the night of November 10
was derived as the date. “ I s Vi n d y a Pandit or a Swami? She is foremost a Doctor and politician for the PPP. Is it a case whereby a politician like Vindy can instruct on the date and when the learned Pandits advise on what is right, they are deemed wrong”, Ramjattan questioned. “Don't the religious leaders have a say about what concerns and affect their religion?” he added. He explained that this is a clear case of the PPP trying to politicize the issue given Dr. Persaud political affiliation. “It is a mockery that the PPP is pronouncing on a religious issue when most of its leaders do not believe in religion and do even use a religious book when taking an oath of office”, Ramjattan stated. He also noted that there was already a split in opinion within the Hindu community before the matter reached him. He was forthright that the date of November 10 would not be changed as the national holiday in observance of Diwali.
“Doctors never left jobless”- Norton
Minister of Health George Norton
Cuban trained doctors that graduated in August are being registered at various Hospitals across the c o u n t r y. T h i s w a s
disclosed by Minister of Health George Norton who told GNN that the process which will see the doctors being fully
employed was delayed as a result of the many changes that took place after the 2015 General and Regional Elections.
He says the 92 doctors are being registered at the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH), the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and the New Amsterdam Suddie Hospitals. The Minister deemed reports in sections of the media stating that the doctors were jobless as untrue as he noted that “they were never left jobless…there might have been some layback with respect to them being employed...it most likely would have had a system in place but with all the changes taking place, that
might have caused a little delay in the process. It is only a question of time and we have manifest things in place and so they are now becoming registered and they are already placed” Media reports stated previously that the doctors who graduated from the Guyana-Cuba Medical Scholarship programme were unemployed and unsure of how soon they would be given the go ahead to begin practising in Guyana. After studying for six years in Cuba, the students were required to complete a one-year stint at hospitals across the
country during which time they were being paid a stipend. However, it was stated that they were last paid in August of this year. In this regard, the Minister said the monies owed to the doctors in the past months is also being paid while their post at the hospitals will now afford them a full salary as opposed to the stipend. “So they are getting a salary rather than the stipend and what might have been owed to them in the past would now be corrected” the Minister said.
State Assets Recovery Unit's objective is Political - PPP
Minister Joe Harmon
The Opposition Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) has described as “secretive and shady State Assets Recovery Unit (SARU),” in reaffirming its apprehension and concerns over the unit. The Party, in a statement issued on Friday October 23, noted that this unit is yet to be clothed legally and its staff and Terms of Reference are unknown to the public. The PPP said until and unless these issues are clarified to the satisfaction of the public questions will continue to be raised concerning the locus standi of this sinister Office of the President outfit. The Opposition
Clement Rohee
Party noted that while the public is in the dark, “questionable staffers, continue to press ahead with their political agenda targeting high ranking officials of the former PPP/C administration.” The statement said SARU's objectives are clearly political and aimed at proving the APNU/AFC, Stabroek and Kaieteur news correct as regards front page stories they carried in the past, and continue to carry, alleging wrong-doings by the PPP/C administration while in office. “The blanket allegation against the PPP/C by Joe Harmon that PPP Ministers were
thiefing all over the place became the Mission Statement for the State Assets Recovery Unit.,” the PPP statement highlighted. The party said “the outfit's hyperfocus on Pradoville 2 was engineered by the Kaieteur News.” On assumption to office the APNU+AFC took up the cudgels of what was a personal vendetta on the part of the owner of the Kaieteur News and transformed it into reality. “Eventually, a morphed opposition media/government vendetta became a civil juridical matter thanks to a conspiracy between the APNU+AFC and the
Kaieteur News,” the statement added. The PPP believes that SARU was established for the purpose of transforming projects initiated by the PPP/C administration as “controversial” and tarnishing them up as corrupt and unnecessary. “In fact, the nature and intent of the body is just as untrustable as its highly salaried architects who parade the corridors of the Office of the President, and who, by virtue of their deliberate actions fan the flames of division and intolerance.” The PPP says it is confident that the truth will out and the facts and
evidence will not support the heavy politics fuelling this and any future allegations. Meanwhile, Minister of State Joseph Harmon is on record saying that more than double the country's national budget was methodically being siphoned off in a wellcoordinated scheme using contractors and other means. He said the figures are alarming. He said the government, under pressure to recover the monies, is going after those monies, or at the very least the assets tied to them. The Minister said it is estimated by the
World Bank that almost $500B was being stolen annually. Harmon, said the issue is not about witch-hunting as is being claimed by the Opposition- the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C). “We call it cleaning up Government. It is about making people more accountable.” Members of SARU were drawn from the Guyana Bar Association, the business community and the Guyana Human Rights Association. It will be reporting directly to the National Assembly.
Red Thread pickets Gov't salary increases R e d T h r e a d m e m b e r, Vidyaratha Kissoon, is contending that “something is definitely wrong with Guyana,” given that the Executive arm of Government which previously reportedly comprised “thieves”, now allegedly has “inherent thieves” who must be paid handsome salaries to keep their hands out of the state's coffers. Kissoon, who was supported by a few others armed with their placards and banners, was speaking at a picketing exercise, held outside of Public Building yesterday and which greeted the reconvening of the National Assembly following its annual recess. The activity had been the second leg of a two-phase exercise, aimed at coinciding with the recommencement of the Eleventh Parliament.
Birthed out of the fact that an unwavering decision was made to increase the salaries of all Government Ministers and Members of Parliament (MPs), the Red Thread member explained that while the increases were not welcomed, what made the issue worse, was the justifications given by the Ministers. Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, at a postCabinet press briefing, had told reporters that Government Ministers need to be paid well if to prevent corruption. explained that the former salary which were fixed at approximately $500,000, was what a legal practitioner would be receiving on a monthly basis at his firm. By this, he suggested that Ministers should be working for more than what they would have paid their employees in
private practice But according to Kissoon, if this is the case, then these beneficiaries who would have been earning more in the private sector, should return there and not hold public offices. “We are saying, let them go back to their private practice. In our economy it's really crazy; it's a big gap. Public and private sector wages are not comparable.” His said his conclusion was drawn, based on the fact that since that remark was made by Harmon, no official or representative of the Government has made any attempt to denounce it. “That is not something I thought this administration would have said of themselves. So what about the rest of our public servants? And even the President didn't challenge that. Something is definitely
Karen De Souza and others in the protest yesterday
wrong with this country” he stated. He recommended too, that a comparable study be done on the wages of public servants including teachers and nurses, who are the
backbone of this country, and that of the politicians, to assess just how expanded the wage-gap is. Also participating in the protest was head of Red Thread, Karen De Souza and Rights' activist,
Sherlina Nageer. The group were supported by about 10 others who braved the heat of the midday sun to express their dissatisfaction with the actions of the five-month o l d A P N U + A F C Government.
TRINIDADIAN TEAM CONDUCTING FREE EYE SURGERIES A team of Doctors from the Trinidadian based group 'World class eye surgeons' is presently in Guyana and will be conducting squint surgeries on children at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) on Friday October 23 and Saturday October 24. The surgeries will be done free of cost. The Ophthalmologists
will also be doing Retina surgeries, removal of silicone oil and other complex eye surgeries. Their presence in G u y a n a i s a collaborative effort b e t w e e n t h e Government of Guyana and the group. One of the Ophthalmologist, Dr. Ronnie Bhola told GNN that they were in
Guyana some six weeks ago and met with Public Health Minister, George Norton where a number of initiatives were discussed. The Minister requested that they visit Guyana every six months to conduct surgeries that cannot be done locally. Dr. Bhola said during their last visit here they conducted laser surgeries on four
patients. T h e Ophthalmologists will also be training local eye care providers. An “OPHTHALMIC CME SESSION” is planned for today (Friday) at the Herdmanston Lodge, located at Lamaha and Peter Rose Streets, Queenstown from 19:00 hours.
Dr. Ronnie Bhola
Guyana Goldfields stands by 1899 Arbitration Agreement Guyana Goldfields Inc. Is standing by the 1899 Arbitration Agreement which clearly defined the boundaries between Guyana and Venezuela. The company made this comment as it recently "received an unfounded notification of a possible legal claim from Venezuela", it said. According to a press release which can be found on Canada Newswire, the Canadian based company noted that "the Venezuela-Guyana border dispute was
resolved and agreed upon by all parties under the 1899 Arbitration Agreement and any claims made outside of such agreement violate international law. The matter is currently before the United Nations, h o w e v e r Ve n e z u e l a ' s border claim is widely v i e w e d b y t h e international community to be without merit." G u y a n a Goldfields is an emerging gold producer with the onset of its Aurora Gold Mine and has been
exploring and developing in Guyana since 1996. T h e m i n e achieved first production in mid-2015. The Aurora Gold Mine has a total gold resource of 6.54 million ounces in the measured and indicated categories (62.83 million tonnes at 3.24 g/t Au) as well as an additional 1.82 million ounces in the inferred category (16.93 million tonnes at 3.34 g/t Au). Ye s t e r d a y, President David Granger told the National Assembly that Venezuela
continue to impose on Guyana's territory and is scaring away investors and hampering the country's development. He disclosed t h a t Ve n e z u e l a ' s Ambassador to Ottawa's issued a letter to the Chief Executive Officer of Guyana Goldfields Inc, warning that the opening of the gold mine would be, infringing on the territorial sovereignty of Ve n e z u e l a a n d committing unlawful actions which could incur legal consequences. As
such, you are hereby fully given notice of the respective legal actions that could herein occur.”
He noted that this recent development portrays an approach adopted by former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
West Coast Demerara road being widened
Engineers testing the density of the Hydronie road, East Bank Essequibo, Region Three which is being expanded
The Ministry of Public Infrastructure's Works Services have begun w i d e n i n g We s t C o a s t Demerara road from Vr e e d - e n - H o o p t o Hydronie, East Bank Essequibo. The project, which is being completed by an overseas construction company; Surrey Paving and Aggregate Company Ltd and BK International, costs US$46.8M. The road project is being completed by the G o v e r n m e n t i n collaboration with the
Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) Coordinator of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure's Works Services Group, Geoffrey Vaughn, said that works have commenced from the Hydronie end. “ T h a t ' s approximately six kilometres from Hydronie coming down where utilities have been moved…we will see some amount of widening taking place in those areas …” Vaughn said. He added that the
project will see the road being improved to three lanes along with the introduction of sidewalks and bicycle lanes which enhance safety of pedestrians and cyclists. The narrow roads in Region three has been the top for complains over recent years as large housing schemes continue to develop in the Region. With the new housing schemes also comes more vehicles which the roads does not cater for causing traffic to back up in the mornings and afternoons.
GOV'T TO RE-ENGAGE FIRED CSOs The A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) government will be reengaging the 1,972 Community Support Officers (CSOs) that were previously fired. The CSOs will be trained under the recentlylaunched Hinterland Employment and Youth Service (HEYS) Programme, which is expected to provide productive employment for close to 3000 Amerindian youths.This was revealed by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo during the post-Cabinet press briefing on Wednesday. The HEYS Programme was created by the APNU+AFC administration after Indigenous People's
Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock terminated the Youth Entrepreneurship and Apprenticeship Programme (YEAP) which left close to 2000 young Amerindians without jobs. The Prime Minister said the HEYS Programme will see the recruitment of 3000 youths from the hinterland communities who would then be, at the end of the programme, employed or assisted to find employment. He added that the former CSOs who the Government claimed were political hacks under the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration, would be reengaged and facilitated into the HEYS initiative. The young p e o p l e w i l l u n d e rg o
training at various institutions including the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) and the Kuru Kuru Training College, among other technical institutions. They will be receiving monthly stipends, of which Nagamootoo did not state the amount. Under the YEAP programme the Amerindian youths received $30,000 monthly. The Opposition Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) had condemned the move with its leader Bharrat Jagdeo saying that it was the largest single act of ethnic discrimination in the history of post independent Guyana and there may have few precedence of similar
Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo
nature around the world. “Apart from the devastating impact that this discriminatory action will have on these individuals and their families, it removes from the Amerindian village economy at least 270 million dollars per annum,” Jagdeo has said.
He noted that the act violated all international practices, norms and laws relating to indigenous people. “We call on the APNU government to immediately reverse this grave injustice perpetuated on our Amerindian brothers and
sisters.” President of The Amerindian Action Movement of Guyana (TAAMOG), Peter had Persaud filed a $10M lawsuit against the government on the grounds that the CSOs were unlawfully dismissed.
Teixeira grades APNU+AFC 'F' on governance
Gail Texeira
The APNU+AFC fivemonth Governance performance has landed them a grade 'F', according to Gail Texeira, former Advisor to the President on Governance, under the People's Progressive P a r t y ( P P P ) administration. Speaking with G N N y e s t e r d a y, following the
adjournment of the 20th sitting of the Eleventh Parliament, Teixeira explained that she would grade the coalition's performance, nothing better than a F, given the fact that a number of governance issues are being challenged. According to her, the posture of the Government, especially during the height of the
2015 Budget debates, has been “very disturbing” since the examination of real issues have not emerged from their side of the floor in the legislative house. She noted, these real issues will emanate when it is Opposition's day at the next sitting, since it will facilitate debates. Some of these
issues, she added, include the recent salary increases for Ministers and MPs and the introduction of a system which requires all MPs to make their income tax returns available to the public. In addition to this, she questioned the presentation or existence of agendas and bills in the National Assembly, given that the reconvening would have followed a recess. “They've been in five months and most of the bills are old bills which were brought back. So the legislative agenda appears to be extremely thin. Although they're talking about a lot of bills and consultations, we're not seeing the product of that” Teixeira said. She suggested too, that if one is to e x a m i n e t h e Government's position on issues, they can easily realize that a number of issues which they would have fought against when they were in Opposition, they have reversed. Referencing the Rule of Law, she hinted at the perceived issue of
ethnic and political discrimination which continues to prevail. “These are some issues of appointment that we are concerned about; which includes the ethnic and political discrimination which continues and the forfeiting of people's benefits. Also, party members and candidates who were members on the party list are the ones being appointed on boards. And the generational issue of what seems to be a preponderance of people taking the place of young people who were fired” the former advisor said. She weighed in too on the salary increases granted to Ministers, by themselves, which she boasted that the PPP was never guilty of. She reasoned that the intention of the PPP was always to keep Government officials' salaries at the level of increases that the Public Servants receive. This, she added, was a conscious decision, given that the issue is an extremely sensitive one. According to
her, “these astronomical increases, they're (Government) extraordinarily insensitive to it, and I think it's rather cavalier on their part, within 5 months, to give themselves such a large increase and then to date it back to July, which is just five and a half weeks after they had started working. Suggesting that some would call it bravery on the part of the Government, Teixeira offered that it is stupidity to her, and a level of disregard for the ordinary Guyanese. This, coupled with the justifications which followed, she said, are absolutely absurd. Given this analysis, the former advisor to the President on Governance stated that if she were to grade the performance of the Executive arm, they would be awarded an “F” since that is what is reflected in their five months tenure.
ENTERTAINMENT
PRINCE JACKSON HINTS MICHAEL JACKSON 'MIGHT NOT BE HIS BIOLOGICAL FATHER' Prince Jackson has hit back at paternity critics on Twitter, whilst hinting that Michael Jackson may not be his biological father. mThe 18-year old felt inclined to address the rumours when he saw (yet another) tweet claiming that he wasn't “a Jackson”. The troll wrote: “Everyone knows you are a Rowe-Klein NOT a Jackson!! Yall should stop trying to put on a FAKE front and get real.” The eldest son of Michael Jackson quoted the tweet and responded: “'The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.' I was raised by my dad with my brother and sister.”
Even though the tweet doesn't explicitly deny that Michael was his b i o l o g i c a l f a t h e r, i t suggests that they might not be blood related. Prince and his siblings, Paris and Blanket, have been subjected to rumours surrounding their parentage ever since they were born – more s p e c i fi c a l l y t h a t D r. Arnold W. Klein was the one who fathered the children with Michael's ex-wife Debbie Rowe. The Beverley Hills Dermatologist, now 70-years old, only added fuel to the fire back in January 2013 when he posted an old driver's license alongside a photo
of Prince and cryptically captioned it: 'Hmmmm.' One of the late singer's friends, Jason Pfeiffer, has also previously claimed that both Prince and Paris were not Michael's biological children. In an interview with The Mirror he said: “One day as we talked about his children and Debbie Rowe, he just came out and said that his children were actually fathered by [British actor] Mark [Lester].” “Michael calmly said, 'My friend Mark donated the sperm'. I was taken aback, but I didn't think to ask any more questions about the procedure. He looked proud as he delivered the
Prince Jackson
news.”
trio's upbringing, Prince is W h o e v e r w a s insistent that Michael was responsible for the Jackson the only father he had ever
known – and that's good enough for us! (Yahoo)
'QUANTICO' STAR PRIYANKA CHOPRA SIGNS WITH WME Priyanka Chopra has signed with WME, Variety has learned. Currently starring on ABC's Sunday night hit “Quantico,” Chopra was also crowned Miss World in 2000. WME (William Morris Endeavor) is an American talent agency with offices in Beverly Hills. The company was founded in April 2009, after the merger of the William Morris Agency and the Endeavor Agency Leading the
Priyanka Chopra
“Quantico” ensembler, Chopra plays Alex, a top FBI recruit who finds herself accused of masterminding a terrorist attack. Her role recently earned her a People's Choice nomination for favorite actress in a new TV series. “Quantico” was the second new fall series to land a full-season order. One of the fall's hottest new shows, the drama is averaging about 6.4 million viewers overall in
same-day ratings and about 10 million in delayed viewing. Before making her major stateside series debut, Chopra had starred in over 50 Bollywood films. She also has a rabid fanbase with over 11 million Twitter followers. Chopra was previously with CAA (Creative Artists Agency a talent and sports agency headquartered in Los Angeles, California and incorporated in Delaware) (Yahoo)
JAY-Z & BEYONCE ONCE SPLIT OVER RIHANNA? Has the truth finally come out? Did Jay Z and Beyonce split up for a year? Was Rihanna the reason for Jay's infamous elevator spat with sister-inlaw Solange? So claims an explosive new unauthorized biography by best-selling writer J Randy Taraborrelli titled "Becoming Beyonce: The Untold Story." According to the book, Beyonce and Jay Z, who had started dating in 2000, allegedly took a break in 2005 due to Rihanna. At that time, Jay scouted RiRi, who was then 17, and managed the launch of her debut single "Pon De Replay." A short time later,
rumors started circulating that the then 35-year-old was having an affair with Rihanna. The rumors, though, were all concocted by RiRi's publicist Jonathan Hay to boost the singer's first single, J Randy reports. "It was all a stunt," Jonathan said and has admitted several times in other interviews. According to the biography, Jay Z only had one complaint when the story broke. "Dude, she's a minor!" he allegedly said. While Bey thought the situation was a lot was worst. "Beyonce didn't know what to make of this, and it
actually ended up breaking them up for a time," J Randy told Entertainment Tonight. "They spent maybe a year apart from each other because Beyonce just wasn't sure of what to make of the situation with Rihanna." Despite the reported split, the power couple reunited; and once Beyonce put on a ring on it, Jay Z put his cheating days behind him. "He is basically nothing at all -- and I mean absolutely nothing -- like what you would expect him to be," a source told J Randy. "Sure he has the swagger, he has the bad boy vibe, he has the dangerous
gangster thing. But when it came to Beyonce Knowles, all that s--- had pretty much melted away by 2007. Everyone could see that she was his biggest concern." But the issues with Rihanna weren't quite over. The singer allegedly was the reason for the infamous fight between Jay Z and his sisterin-law Solange Knowles at the 2014 Met Gala afterparty at the Standard Hotel. According to the new book, Solange attacked Jay because he wanted to party with Rihanna and Beyonce wasn't having it. But what about now? The author says, "It's
Beyoncé and Rihanna with Jay Z safe to say that Rihanna and Beyonce tied the knot in 2008 B e y o n c e a r e f r i e n d s . " and have one child together, Despite the alleged 3-year-old Blue Ivy. t u r b u l e n c e , J a y Z a n d (Adapted from MSN)
AMAZING WORLD
“DOOMSDAY” VAULT MAY SAVE US ALL
Sparkling amid the gray gloom of autumn in the Arctic, the jewel-like entrance juts out of the snow and ice. Built of angular concrete, it looks like a stylish supervillain's lair. But this isn't a Bond bad-guy's hideout. Instead it is home to
something that could help save the world in the wake of environmental catastrophe: Seeds. Millions and millions of seeds are stored here, deep beneath the icy permafrost of Svalbard, midway between Norway
and the North Pole, and well out of reach of warfare and rising sea levels. "This vault is built for humanity to survive," explains Michael Koch, from the Crop Trust, leading us along a tunnel, into the Global Seed Vault. Svalbard was chosen to house the vault because it is geologically stable, and because, despite its remoteness, regular scheduled flights make it relatively accessible. "It is like a holy place," says Koch, standing in the vast space, carved into the side of a mountain. "Every time I come here I feel like I'm in a cathedral. This is a place to pause and to think. It's a
unique place, a very important place for humanity." This is our insurance policy: 837,931 samples -- an estimated 556 million seeds in total -(though new shipments are arriving all the time) stored at a constant temperature of -18 degrees Celsius (-0.4 degrees Fahrenheit) to prevent them degrading. The permafrost creates a natural refrigerator - even if the power failed, the temperature inside would eventually stabilize at -8 degrees Celsius (17.6 degrees Fahrenheit) -- low enough to keep the vault's precious contents safe for decades. The
seeds are carefully packed inside airtight, triple-layered aluminum bags, and locked into crates before being shipped here from Nigeria, India, the U.S., Peru and almost every other country on the planet. T h e v a u l t functions like a bank's safety deposit: Once placed inside, the boxes cannot be opened or removed by anyone outside the institution which sent them -- they are simply kept safe, their contents untouched, until they are needed. Earlier this month, seeds stored inside the socalled "Doomsday Vault" were withdrawn for the first time -- as a result of the
Syrian civil war. From maize, wheat and barley to lettuce and potatoes, the seeds stored here represent a diverse collection of food crops from across the globe. As world leaders and environmentalists grapple with the tricky problem of reducing the impact of climate change, the seeds of the future have been banked here, in a "natural freezer" in the middle of the Arctic, as a failsafe against natural or man-made disasters. If the worst were to happen, says Koch, "you could go back to Svalbard and recreate agriculture in the world." (Adapted from CNN)
VIRTUAL REALITY MAZE 'PREDICTS ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE' Alzheimer's disease can be detected decades before onset, using a virtual reality test, a study suggests. People aged 18 to 30 were asked to navigate through a virtual maze to test the function of certain brain cells. Those with a high genetic risk of Alzheimer's could be identified by their performance, according to German neuroscientists. The findings could help future research, diagnosis and treatment, they report in the journal Science.
The scientists, led by Lukas Kunz of the German C e n t r e f o r Neurodegenerative Diseases in Bonn, say the high risk group navigated the maze differently and had reduced functioning of a type of brain cell involved in spatial navigation. The findings could give an insight into why people with dementia can find navigating the world around them challenging, they say. "Our results could provide a new basic framework for preclinical
research on Alzheimer's disease and may provide a neurocognitive explanation of spatial disorientation in Alzheimer's disease," they report in Science. Although genes play a role in dementia, their effects are complex with many unknowns. Dr Laura Phipps of Alzheimer's Research, said the latest study focused on healthy younger people at higher genetic risk of Alzheimer's, suggesting they may already show alterations in spatial navigation several
decades before the disease could start. She added: "Although we don't know whether the young people in this study will go on to develop Alzheimer's, characterising early brain changes associated with genetic risk factors is important to help researchers better understand why some people may be more susceptible to the disease later in life. "The risk factors for Alzheimer's are diverse,
including age, genetics and lifestyle, and research is vital to allow us to unpick how each of these factors could
contribute to a person's risk of the disease." (BBC)
MAN DRESSED AS WOMAN 'TO LURE MEN TO HOTELS, AND ROB THEM' A former stylist in China robbed men he'd met online by dressing up as a beautiful woman, luring them to a hotel and drugging them, police said. The 48-year-old, surnamed Tang, pretended to be a well-off, divorced woman who was just “looking for a good time.” He'd entice men with sexy snaps over social media to hotel rooms in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. But once
they were together, he'd slip them sleeping pills and make off with their cash and valuables. Tang, who used the alias “Black Rose,” targeted at least six people with the sophisticated scam. But he was finally captured when he invited 22year-old Zhang Jun to a hotel. Zhang awoke the next morning to find his mobile phone and cash had been pinched, and contacted
police. Cops had previously been unable to gain a good description of Tang. But Zhang gave such a detailed account of what he looked like that officers were able to arrest him at another hotel later that day. Reports said that not even police realised Tang was a man when they brought him into custody. They had originally thought he was a female con artist, until he
removed his wig and makeup. Ta n g t o l d authorities that he learnt how to do make-up when working in a barber shop during his younger years. He is apparently married but separated from his wife, with whom he has a son in his 20s. Tang is being held by police and will be charged on multiple counts of fraud and robbery. (Yahoo)
MAN WANTS TO SAY PRAYER TO SATAN ATMEETING A South Florida man is threatening to sue Lake County if officials pray during a commission meeting but don't allow him to give a satanic invocation. Chaz Stevens, a self-described atheist, tells local news outlets his request this week is part of his “Satan or Silence Project.” His goal is to persuade elected officials to either drop prayers before meetings or allow him to lead a satanic prayer. Commission
Chairman Jimmy Conner says he won't allow the request. In the past, Stevens has helped sway several cities to have a moment of silence before meetings instead of a prayer. He says he will consider filing a lawsuit if Lake County denies his request. Conner says he'll rally churches to raise money for a defense, should he need to. He has no plans to forgo the invocation. (Yahoo)
Regional
Regional
Cops raid cop's office
F r a u d S q u a d o ffi c e r s raided the office of a senior police officer inside the St James Police Station yesterday. The police exercise lasted for several hours inside the station where the senior officer's office is located. According to reports officers armed with a search warrant went to the police station shortly after 1 pm yesterday. The officers then began searching the office and allegedly seized close to $500,000 which reportedly represents
money paid for police officers' extra duties (for example police guarding a party or event). The Fraud Squad officers counted the money and then removed a quantity of computers and d o c u m e n t s . The police raid created quite a stir in the St James Police Station as officers on duty looked on as their colleagues carried out the search on the senior officer's office. At the end of the exercise, officers were seen carting several boxes containing
documents as well as computers and other documents seized from the office. Last month, Fraud Squad officers also raided the offices of the Police Social Welfare Association (PSWA) and removed a quantity of documents and computers. The seizure and raid was ordered by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) following a police probe into allegations of wrongdoing relating to monies being demanded so that police officers could secure Housing D e v e l o p m e n t Corporation (HDC) homes. The allegation was disputed by President of the Police Social We l f a r e A s s o c i a t i o n Inspector Anand Ramesar. (Adapted from Trinidad Newsday)
No witch-hunting – T & T PM
Prime Minister Keith Rowley
There will be no witchhunting by the Cabinet of T&T but Government will not be turning a blind eye and allowing wrongdoing to become fashionable in the country. That was the promise of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley as he addressed the post-Cabinet press conference yesterday. Rowley said that while speaking about
reports of wrongdoing, which ministers discussed during the budget debate. “During the debate many ministers reported on w h a t t h e y h a d encountered in their ministries. “Some of what they have reported have been quite shocking and scandalous with respect to the discharge of responsibilities, both
from the end of the public service and from ministerial control. “ I n s o m e instances there might even be criminal conduct involved,” Rowley said. He said based on these revelations, there was a general sentiment that these developments should not to go unattended and that people are to be held accountable for their actions.” Rowley said the Government's position was that if situations w h e r e s e r i o u s wrongdoings were involved, the information would be forwarded to the Office of the Attorney General for action. “To do otherwise will be a dereliction of duty on the part of any minister who would have found serious misconduct and loss of public assets in any ministry,” he added. Refusing to comment on specifics, Rowley cautioned the public to behave in a civil way
toward these matters. “We are a society governed by the rule of law and the rule of law is guided by process. “Do not assume
we will be turning a blind eye and allowing wrongdoing to become fashionable in T&T but we are not about bussing mark and scoring political
points,” he added. He said the Cabinet had no authority to prosecute anybody and certainly no intention to persecute anybody. (Adapted from the Trinidad Guardian)
Caribbean tourist arrivals outpacing other major regions The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) is forecasting a five to six per cent growth in tourist arrivals for the region in 2015. The news comes as the region outpaces all other major regions globally, with record numbers for the first six months of 2015. "For the first six months the Caribbean welcomed 14.8 million, approximately 800 thousand or 5.8 per cent higher than the corresponding period in 2014, well above the 4.1 per cent recorded g l o b a l l y, " R i c h a r d Sealy, CTO chairman told journalists at a press conference at the close of the State of the Industry Conference (SOTIC), now on in Willemstad, Curacao. The Caribbean share of global arrivals stood at 2.8 per cent. Sealy said the Dutch Caribbean saw the fastest relative growth across the subregions, with an 8.5 per cent increase in arrivals. He said all destinations in this subregion had considerable growth benefiting from increase demand from the US and South American markets. "Of the other five subregions only the French West Indies recorded a slight decline," he said. The US continues to be the most important source
Richard Sealy
market, registering 7.3 million visits between January and June representing a 5.3 per cent rise. "The thawing of the relationship between Cuba and United States resulted in greater number of Americans transiting through other countries like The Bahamas, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands in order to visit Cuba," revealed Sealy. The Canadian market continues to perform well with 2.1 million visits during the p er io d , h o w ev er, arrivals from Europe increased only by a modest 1.1 per cent, moving from 2.58 million in 2014 to 2.61 in 2015. He pointed out that the intra-regional market recorded strong growth of 5.5 per cent, with some 400
thousand visits. Cruising the Caribbean continued to be in high demand up to the end of June, said the CTO chairman, noting that there were an estimated 13.7 million cruise passenger visits to region in the first six months, an overall three per cent rise over the corresponding period last year. "The numbers suggest that the prospects for Caribbean tourism are good, and we remain cautiously optimistic that we will maintain the pace during the second half. Overall, the CTO's research department projects a 5 to 6 per cent growth this year." ( A d a p t e d f ro m t h e Jamaican Gleaner)
INTERNATIONAL
42 pensioners die bus crash
At least 42 people, most of them elderly, were killed when a coach collided with a
lorry and caught fire in southwest France on Friday, in the country's worst road
accident for three decades. The coach was carrying a club of elderly people on an
excursion when it collided with the lorry near the village of Puisseguin among the vineyards of the St Emilion region, east of Bordeaux. Many of the victims were thought to have died in the fire, according to emergency workers and local authorities in the department of Gironde. Images shown on French television showed the coach as a charred shell that had been entirely burned. The driver of the coach was thought to be among the dead. The rest of the victims were passengers on the coach, officials said. Eight people managed to escape the burning coach -- four of
them seriously injured, according to a local official. It was not clear if the lorry driver, who was transporting wood, also died. Unconfirmed reports said he had managed to escape his burning vehicle to help the coach passengers. "The French government has fully mobilised after this terrible tragedy," President Francois Hollande said from Athens, where he is on an official visit. "We are plunged into sadness due to this drama." It has not been ruled out that Hollande might cut short his visit to Greece. The crash is the deadliest in France since August 1982, when 53 people including 44 children were killed in a motorway
pile-up. Some 60 firemen and 20 fire engines were dispatched to the scene on F r i d a y, s u p p o r t e d b y helicopters. A psychological crisis cell and information hotline were also set up. Details of how the crash happened were still unclear. "Apparently, the bus slid into a bend," a local shopkeeper from Puisseguin told French radio station RTL. "The truck and bus were in flames. We saw smoke from 10 kilometres away." The group were part of a club for retired people and were heading south to the nearby region of Landes for a visit. (Adapted from MSN)
“Catostrophic” Hurricane Patricia to hit Mexico Hurricane Patricia headed toward southwestern Mexico Friday as a monster Category 5 storm, the strongest ever in the Western Hemisphere that forecasters said could make a "potentially catastrophic landfall" later in the day. Residents of a stretch of Mexico's Pacific Coast dotted with resorts and fishing villages on Thursday boarded up homes and bought supplies ahead of Patricia's arrival. Wi t h m a x i m u m sustained winds near 200 mph (325 kph), Patricia is the strongest storm ever recorded in the eastern Pacific or in the Atlantic, said Dave Roberts, a hurricane specialist at the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Patricia's power was comparable to that of Typhoon Haiyan, which left more than
7,300 dead or missing in the Philippines two years ago, according to the U.N.'s World M e t e o r o l o g i c a l Organization. In Mexico, officials declared a state of emergency in dozens of municipalities in Colima, Nayarit and Jalisco states that contain the bustling port of Manzanillo and the posh resort of Puerto Vallarta. The governor of Colima ordered schools closed on Friday, when the storm was forecast to make what the Hurricane Center called a "potentially catastrophic landfall." Evacuations were under way in Puerto Vallarta Friday, with officials taking people to 14 shelters, mostly in schools, according to the Jalisco government's
webpage. Exact numbers of those evacuated were not immediately available. Rain pounded Manzanillo late Thursday while people took lastminute measures ahead of Patricia, which quickly grew from a tropical storm into a Category 5 hurricane, leaving authorities scrambling to make people safe. At a Wal-Mart in Manzanillo, shoppers filled carts with non-perishables as a steady rain fell outside. The Hurricane Center in Miami warned that preparations should be rushed to completion, saying the storm could cause coastal flooding, destructive waves and flash floods. "This is an extremely dangerous, potentially catastrophic
hurricane," center meteorologist Dennis Feltgen said. Feltgen said Patricia also poses problems
for Texas. Forecast models indicate that after the storm breaks up over land, remnants of its tropical moisture will likely combine
with and contribute to heavy rainfall that is already soaking Texas independently of the hurricane, he said. "It's only going to make a bad situation worse," he said. (Adapted from MSN/AP)
Woman may face hefty bill for US plane birth
A Taiwanese woman who gave birth on a flight to the U.S. in what may have been an attempt to give her baby American citizenship could
face a hefty bill for forcing the plane to divert to Alaska. The insurance firm of China Airlines will decide whether to ask the unnamed
passenger to cover the cost of the stopover to ensure the health of her baby, airline media affairs staffer Weni Lee said Friday. The flight made an emergency landing en route from Taipei to Los Angeles on Oct. 8. Taiwanese media have estimated the bill at $33,000, although the airline said its insurer is still calculating the cost. The local media have widely reported that the woman evidently wanted to give the child American citizenship. Taiwan's China Times newspaper's website said that, before giving birth, she repeatedly asked the cabin crew, "Are we in U.S.
air space?" Those comments couldn't be verified, and Lee said she could not confirm whether the passenger had made them. Alaska state officials say the baby is eligible for U.S. citizenship. A baby born in flight has the right to be a U.S. citizen if that is where the child first arrives, even if born in international air space, said S u s a n M o r g a n , spokeswoman for the Alaska Department of Social Services. The incident has garnered widespread attention in Taiwan, even rising to the level of
parliamentary debate earlier this week. "This is a selfish act," ruling party legislator Luo Shu-lei shouted to the transportation minister during a session Monday. "It was clearly an act carried out to give the child U.S. citizenship. She affected the travel of other passengers. Is there no punishment?" The China Times website said the woman was 36-weeks pregnant, but that she told the airline she was less than 32-weeks pregnant. U n d e r Ta i w a n e s e l a w, passengers must provide a medical certificate saying they are fit to fly if they have
passed the 32nd week of pregnancy. Before the 1980s, w h e n Ta i w a n w a s s t i l l developing economically, some mothers tried to give birth in the United States, but nowadays that is rare. A cottage industry has sprung up in recent years facilitating the travel of women from mainland China to the U.S. to give birth and obtain automatic American citizenship for their babies. (Adapted from MSN)
SP
RTS
nd
WI vs SL – 2 Test
West Indies crumble; again West Indies were bowled out for 163, giving Sri Lanka a 37-run lead by tea on the second day, at the P Sara Oval. The lead was built further by Kusal Mendis and Kaushal Silva, who added 54 together, the highest partnership of the Test so far at the end of the second day of the second Test. K r a i g g Braithwaite had earlier mounted some fight for West Indies with 47 off 101 balls, and it was extended through a 32-run seventhwicket partnership between Denesh Ramdin and Jason Holder. Prasad, who led the attack, finished with figures of 5-2-8-2 in an energetic first spell. Nuwan Pradeep exploited the uneven bounce well
enough to complement Prasad. Devendra Bishoo, the nightwatchman, was the first to fall on the second day when he threw his bat outside off, nicking Prasad behind, for 14. Prasad then welcomed Darren Bravo with one that misbehaved, snaking away wide outside off and beat the outside edge with a full tempter. Prasad got the big eyes and the big smile going. The pressure on Bravo eventually told, with the batsman offering an indecisive angled bat and chopping Prasad on for 2. J e r m a i n e Blackwood flickered briefly - he drilled Pradeep through mid-off after a slow start and launched Siriwardana for a straight
six - before Prasad returned and struck with the first ball after lunch. Holder also showed intent when he jumped out of the crease and sent Dilruwan clattering towards the media box. H o w e v e r, Ramdin and Holder exited in a space of 19 balls and the tail did not wag, as the hosts gained what appeared to be a substantial lead on a pitch that already had puffs of dust exploding from the surface. This was only the first time since 2006 that Sri Lanka had managed a first-innings lead after making 200 or fewer when batting first. (Adapted from Espncricinfo)
Eng vs Pak – 2nd Test
England make steady reply England were 182 for 3 at the end of day two of the second Test in reply to Pakistan 378 all out. At the crease are Joe Root on 76 and Johnny Bairstow on 2 7 . E a r l i e r, C a p t a i n Alistair Cook went for a solid 65 while Moeen Ali and Ian Bell went cheaply scoring 1 and 4 respectively. Pakistan's having resumed day two on 282 for 4, lost their remaining 6 wickets for 96 runs. Pakistan lost its Captain, Misbah-ul-Haq in the first over of the morning for a stubborn 102. Asad Shafiq was the mainstay following Misbah's departure being last out for a smoothly assembled innings of 83. Misbah had struck a blow for the over40s club on the opening day, but perhaps the old limbs were a bit stiff and mind a bit weary on the
resumption. Stuart Broad took five balls of the first over to dismiss him, firing in three short balls, letting the fourth go astray down the leg side then finding a full length with the fifth delivery to have him lbw. It was only the 13th incident of a Test hundred by a batsman of 41 or older and no Pakistan batsman had previously managed it. It was a classic Misbah innings: long periods of judicious inertia interspersed by sudden bouts of aggression. Many over-40s would recognise the symptoms only too well. Mark Wood took 3 for 39 while Moeen Ali 3 for 108. England now trail by 196 runs with 7 wickets in hand. (Adapted from Espncricinfo)
Friday, October 23, 2015
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GAY RUGBY TEAM TURNS 20 The first time Mark Bithell and his all-gay rugby team lined up against a straight side, he was overcome by a sense of his own m a s c u l i n i t y. F o r much of his life, the British lawyer had been told that being gay somehow made him less of a man. Yet standing shoulder-toshoulder with his gay
teammates, he felt liberated. On the sports pitch at least, the ultimate judge of muscle wasn't sexuality -- it was the scoreline. "I think I probably had a little bit of an inferiority complex growing up," says the 41-yearold, "So I really enjoyed playing
rugby against straight men, with my gay teammates, because for me it kind of proved that we were just as masculine as they were -- that we can be just as physical as they are." Bithell was one of the early players to join the Kings Cross Steelers, the world's first gay rugby club,
which this year celebrates its 20th anniversary. What started when six friends met in a bar in north London in 1995, with the idea of forming a gay-inclusive rugby team, has since turned into a club with over 150 members and three teams. The Steelers
have won the E u r o p e a n competition for gay rugby clubs, the Union Cup, on four occasions. How far have we really come in the last 20 years? As the 2015 Rugby World Cup enters its final stages, there are no openlygay players in the tournament.
However, widely-respected gay referee Nigel Owens officiated in three pool g a m e s a n d a quarterfinal, but is not involved in this weekend's semis. The Welshman came out in 2007 after a battle with depression which reportedly drove him to suicide. (CNN)