OECS union to be formed with or without TT

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – DESPITE media reports that the new government of Trinidad and Tobago will not go ahead with the proposed economic union with countries of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), the sub-grouping is prepared to move on without that nation.

Days after the historic June 18 signing of the revised Treaty of Basseterre, establishing a single market for the OECS, news broke that Trinidad and Tobago’s new Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar would not allow her government to join the new regional framework as was expected for 2013.

According to the BBC, Persad-Bissessar said her predecessor Patrick Manning made a “unilateral decision” regarding joining the union and did not take it to Parliament or seek national consensus on the matter.

In response, Chairman of the Joint Committee of the OECS Authority and the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) Monetary Council Hon. Dr. Ralph Gonsalves said the decision for Trinidad and Tobago to join the Union should rightfully be determined by the public policy of the current Trinidadian government.

He added, however, that the OECS will continue its work toward closer integration with or without Trinidad and Tobago as part of the Union.

'Dudus' given 30 days to finalise legal representation

Alleged crime boss Christopher 'Dudus' Coke has been given 30 days by a US judge to conclude the details his legal representation and to prove that the money he will use to retain his lawyers is not from the proceeds of any alleged criminal activities.

Coke appeared in court today with Judge Robert Patterson giving the defence 30 days to prepare a case and for him to finalize his legal representation. He was not given bail.

He did not speak during the brief hearing which lasted for 15 minutes. The conditions of his solitary confinement were also discussed in the hearing. His court appointed lawyer Russel Newfeld as well as government prosecutors also surveyed documents relating to the case.

Coke has a court appointed lawyer, but he has the right to retain up to three lawyers.  Coke had last appeared in the Manhattan federal court in New York on Friday where he pleaded not guilty to charges that he ran a massive international drug and gun ring.
Coke was taken to court by United States authorities less than 24 hours after being extradited to the United States to answer to the charges that were laid against him last year.

 

Britain to cap non European migrants

Britain is to impose a cap on immigration from outside the European Union (EU) from next month.

Around 24,000 migrant workers from non-EU countries will be allowed into the country until April next year.

The plans will be formally announced on Monday by the UK Home Secretary, Theresa May.

She will then begin a consultation process leading to a permanent limit on non-European migrants.

One of Britain's main recruitment organisations, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, criticised the cap, saying it would lead to a shortage of skilled workers.

Haiti general election in November

BBC Caribbean News in Brief

Haitians will go to the polls in November to elect a new government, ten months after a major earthquake destroyed parts of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

President Rene Preval has announced 28 November as the date for presidential and legislative elections.

He has also issued a decree mandating the country's nine-member provisional electoral council to prepare for the poll.

Mr Preval's five-year term ends next February.

Parliament recently voted to allow him to remain in office until 14 May 2011, exactly five years after he assumed his post, if his successor is not chosen by the 7 February constitutional deadline.

Last month Mr Preval said he plans to do everything in his power to ensure that general elections were held before the constitutional deadline.

A high court ruling nullified PM Baldwin Spencer's election

BBC Caribbean News in Brief

Lawyers for the governing United Progressive Party (UPP) in Antigua go to court on Tuesday to try to overturn a high court ruling that nullified the elections of Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer and two of his Cabinet colleagues.

In March, Justice Louise Blenman ruled that the late opening of polling stations in the three constituencies during the 2009 elections affected the outcome of the results.

Chairman of the UPP Harold Lovell has said he is confident that the high court ruling will be overturned.

The opposition Antigua Labour Party, however, believes the original ruling will be upheld.

More than 100 Buried in China Landslides

in southwestern China has cut off a village and may have buried more than 100 people in their homes.

The official in Guizhou province says at least 107 people were trapped Monday by the landslide that struck the village of Dazhai after days of heavy rainfall. The number of deaths was not immediately known. Rescue workers were searching for signs of life.

Widespread flooding hit southern China last week, killing at least 235 people and leaving more than 100 others missing. The heavy rains that sparked the floods have caused economic losses.

Army spokesman says McChrystal to retire

Washington (CNN) -- Gen. Stanley McChrystal, removed last week as the top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan, has told the Army he will retire, Army spokesman Gary Tallman said Monday.

No date was set for the retirement of McChrystal, a four-star general who assumed command of U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan last year.

McChrystal was replaced on Wednesday by President Obama after disclosure of a magazine article in which the general and top aides disparaged top administration officials including Vice President Joe Biden and National Security Adviser Jim Jones.

Obama praised McChrystal's service record but said the general exhibited poor judgment. Gen. David Petraeus, the U.S. Central Command commander, was named to replace McChrystal in Afghanistan.

The Dudus Episode Continues

Former Tivoli Gardens strongman, Christopher "Dudus" Coke, who was extradited to the United States from Jamaica, pleaded not guilty to drug and weapons charges in a New York courtroom Friday.

Dudus, or Prezie, as he is affectionately called, entered a full courtroom at 2:03 p.m. and acknowledged his few family members present with a nod. The judge greeted him with "Good afternoon,

Mr. Coke," to which the seemingly calm Coke didn't respond. After entering his plea, Coke stood and answered "yes sir" to every question regarding understanding his indictments.

The court-assigned attorney told the judge he has not been permanently assigned to case because the Coke family hired attorneys Frank Doddato and Steven Rosen. Doddato is the lead attorney.

Coke was extradited Thursday, two days after he was taken into custody in Jamaica and several hours after he had waived his right to an extradition hearing there. Coke arrived at White Plains-Westchester County Airport outside New York City around 7 p.m.

Armed Drug Enforcement Administration agents and U.S. marshals escorted him to a waiting SUV. Coke was dressed in a blue shirt and black pants with his hands cuffed behind his back. He appeared subdued, a smirk on his face.

"I love the people of Jamaica," he said in response to a question from a Jamaican reporter.

Coke, 40, said in a statement that he decided to waive his right to an extradition hearing of his own free will, and did so "even though I am of the belief that my case would have been successfully argued in the courts of Jamaica."

According to a superseding indictment filed in Manhattan federal court, Coke has led a criminal organization known as the "Shower Posse" since the early 1990s, with members in the United States, Jamaica and other countries.

"At Coke's direction and under his protection, members of his criminal organization sold marijuana and crack cocaine in the New York area and elsewhere, and sent the narcotics proceeds back to Coke and his co-conspirators," the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York said in a news release.

"Coke and his co-conspirators also armed their organization with illegally trafficked firearms," the release said.

Coke is charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana and conspiracy to illegally traffic in firearms. If convicted on the narcotics charge, he would face a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, as well as a fine of up to $4 million.

Drug traffickers looking beyond the region to export drugs

Go Jamaica News

UNITED NATIONS, CMC – The importance of the Caribbean as a conduit for cocaine imported into the United States has “greatly diminished” over the past 15 years, according to a new report issued by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The report, released here on Friday, said during the early days of the trade, traffickers preferred the Caribbean corridor and it was used preferentially from the late 1970s.

“In the 1980s, most of the cocaine entering the United States came through the Caribbean into the southern part of the state of Florida. But interdiction successes, tied to the use of radars, caused the traffickers to reassess their routes.

“As a growing share of cocaine transited the southwest border of the United States, Mexican groups wrested control from their Colombian suppliers, further directing the flow through Central America and Mexico.”
But UNODC said that the decline has not necessarily led to increased stability or lowered violence in the transit countries.

Missing woman’s body found stuffed in canal

Newsday Trinidad

A family’s search for a missing woman ended early yesterday morning, when she was found stuffed in a canal under the Churchill Roosevelt Highway in the St Augustine area.

Tessa Fonrose, 20, of Stella Street, St Augustine, was last seen going to do laundry at her boyfriend’s home, mere houses from hers.

When she did not return home Friday night, a report was made to the Tunapuna Police Station and investigators immediately picked up two male friends for questioning.

The family’s worst fears were realised when they found Fonrose’s body stuffed in a concrete cylinder under the east-bound lane of the highway, just before St Augustine Girls’ High School.

Her death sparked outrage from angry relatives who emerged from the nearby Stella Street, where Fonrose lived.
“He just kill my daughter and leave her in a drain? In a drain?” Fonrose’s father shouted, before looking to the heavens and clasping his hands.
Another relative shouted, “He better stay inside the jail. He safer inside.”
He was referring to one of the suspects who remained in police custody, reportedly a close friend of Fonrose.

New Australia PM rejects population growth plan

SYDNEY — New Prime Minister Julia Gillard signalled a change in the government's approach to population growth on Sunday, saying she did not believe in a "big Australia".

Gillard, a former lawyer who wrested leadership of the Labor Party and the government from Kevin Rudd on Thursday, said population policy needed to strike the right balance between growth and sustainability.

"I don't believe in a big Australia," Welsh-born Gillard said.

"Kevin Rudd indicated that he had a view about a big Australia, I'm indicating a different approach. I think we want an Australia that is sustainable," she told the Nine Network.

With 22 million residents, Rudd had expressed optimism about a "big Australia" with a population of more than 36 million people by 2050, achieved through rising birth rates and immigration.

Somaliland: 4 killed in election-day skirmish

(AP)

HARGEISA, Somalia — Officials in Somaliland say a voting-day skirmish killed four people in a contested area of the self-declared republic.

The election board says a militia from neighboring Puntland region tried to raid a polling station in an area claimed by Somaliland and Puntland. Officials said late Saturday the disturbance forced them to close 34 stations early in that area.

The International Republican Institute, a U.S. observer group, said Sunday their observers found few voting irregularities in the region.

Three men ran for president of the region, a haven of relative peace in northwest Somalia that declared its independence in 1991. Somaliland has its own security and police forces, justice system and currency, but is not recognized by any other state.

Aussie revelers in hospital after boat crash

Seven Australians were injured when the two speed boats collided while ferrying revelers to and from the monthly full moon party on Koh Pha Ngan.

Four of the Australians have been hospitalized and at least one is believed to have head injuries.

Drew Oliver is a friend of Australian tourist Katie who has abrasions and a back injury.

"Her father's on his way over there at the moment, a flight organized by the Foreign Affairs Department," he said.

Mr. Oliver says the passengers were thrown into the ocean when the boats collided.

"The vessels collided head on and the girls with Katie were thrown into the water and they were retrieved from the water last night," he said.

A total of 42 people were hurt in the collision and it is believed poor weather may have been a factor in the crash.

Protests Turn Violent at G-20 Summit in Toronto

Hundreds of demonstrators protesting the G-20 global economic summit in Toronto broke windows and set fire to some police cars during a noisy march near the site of the summit Saturday.

At least 75 people are in custody and police say there will be more arrests.

A column of thick black smoke rose from the burning police cars in a chaotic scene that included throngs of police in riot gear and many protesters.  Police say some were anarchists, wearing black clothing, including masks.

Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair says his officers were pelted with rocks and bottles, and used teargas to control one large crowd.

He says the violence may not be over. "I do not believe the individuals bent on vandalism and violence in our city are finished with their intent," Blair said. "And so we will remain vigilant, and we will be on the street a

France resumes WCup training day after strike

AP

KNYSNA, South Africa — France resumed training at the World Cup on Monday, one day after the squad went on strike to protest the French soccer federation's decision to send striker Nicolas Anelka home.

Monday's session went ahead without any of the drama of Sunday, when captain Patrice Evra had an altercation with the team's physical trainer, one FFF official resigned, and coach Raymond Domenech was put in the embarrassing position of explaining why the players were on strike.

Anelka was thrown out because his clash with Domenech at halftime of last Thursday's 2-0 loss to Mexico was made public by sports daily L'Equipe, which published Anelka's expletives on its front page.

France plays South Africa on Tuesday and must win to stand any chance of reaching the next round. If Mexico and Uruguay draw the other Group A match, France will be eliminated.

France defender Marc Planus sustained a slight knock on his right knee and had to cut short his training session. The injury was not thought to be serious, team spokesman Francois Manardo said.

46 dead in explosion in central China mine

AP

BEIJING — State media say at least 46 miners were killed when an explosion ripped through a coal mine in the central Chinese province of Henan.

The State Administration of Work Safety said the blast early Monday hit a mine in Pingdingshan city in the province.

The official Xinhua News Agency reported 72 miners were trapped initially but 26 escaped. State broadcaster CCTV reported on its website that many of the deaths were caused by carbon monoxide poisoning set off by the explosions.

The report said an investigation is under way into the cause of the explosion.

Safety has improved sharply in recent years, but China's mining industry is by far the world's deadliest. Accidents and blasts killed more than 2,600 coal miners last year

China Official Pushes Australia Ties

CANBERRA—Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping used his visit to Canberra Monday to push for deeper ties over energy and resources, underscoring China's role as a major consumer of Australia's mineral wealth.

Xi Jinping, China's vice president, right, speaks with Simon Crean, Australia's trade minister, at the Australia China Trade and Economic Forum lunch, at Parliament House, in Canberra, Australia, on Monday.

Mr. Xi, seen as the probable successor to China President Hu Jintao, also called for mutually beneficial free-trade deal to be sealed at an "early date." Negotiators are due to begin the 15th round of talks on the long-coveted trade pact in Beijing next week.

The trade relationship with Australia is becoming "more innovative" as it develops and an FTA would be of "strategic interest to both countries," Mr. Xi said.

The Chinese vice president's remarks, made through an interpreter, could give the talks fresh momentum. Still, Australian Trade Minister Simon Crean noted Monday that substantial obstacles remain, chiefly because China has never before negotiated a trade pact with a country with such extensive agricultural and resources interests as Australia.

China flood toll rises to 175 dead, more rain forecast

BEIJING — Torrential rains battering south and central China have left 175 people dead and forced the evacuation of 1.7 million, as washed out roads and railways hampered rescue work Monday.

Premier Wen Jiabao called for greater efforts to battle flooding that has also left 107 people missing since June 13, as more rains are forecast in the next few days, the government said.

"In the coming days another round of heavy rain will hit areas in the south. We are facing a bigger test, so we need to make better preparations to avoid disaster," Wen said on state television.

"We are in a crucial period. We must be fully prepared and step up organisation of disaster response work," he said on a visit to the water-logged region of Guangxi.

The torrential rains and flooding have affected over 25 million people and caused 29.6 billion yuan (4.3 billion dollars) in estimated economic losses, the Civil Affairs Ministry said.

The ministry's latest death toll was up from the 147 dead and 93 missing reported on Sunday

2 UN Inspectors Barred from Entering Iran

The head of Iran's nuclear energy agency says two United Nations inspectors have been barred from entering Iran for presenting what he described as "false information" on Iran's nuclear work.

The Iranian Students News Agency quoted Ali Akbar Salehi Monday as saying the two International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors will not be allowed into Iran to visit its nuclear facilities.

Salehi accused the officials of disclosing information before it had been officially examined and filing a false report. He did not give details.

The move comes after the U.N. Security Council voted to impose a fourth round of sanctions on Iran for a nuclear program Western countries suspect is aimed at building weapons.  Iran says its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes.

Whaling talks suspended as deadlock continues

Within an hour of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) opening in Morocco, official talks were suspended for two days.

Representatives from more than 80 nations had gathered for the annual IWC meeting, set to be the most controversial in years.

But the deputy chair of the IWC has called for private talks to break the deadlock.

Australia is concerned by the development and says it "shuts down the official process which has been underway for two years".

The sticking point remains over a proposal to overturn a 24-year ban on commercial whaling.

Under the IWC draft proposal, which Australia is opposing, Japan would be allowed to catch 120 whales a year in its coastal waters.

Six arrested over shooting of Rwandan in South Africa

Lt Gen Nyamwasa used to be a close ally of President Kagame

Six people have been arrested in South Africa over the shooting of a Rwandan dissident, police say.

Police spokesman Govindsamy Mariemuthoo refused to give the nationalities of the suspects but said more arrests were likely.

Lt Gen Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa, a critic of Rwanda's president, is recovering in hospital after what his wife called an assassination attempt.

Rwanda has denied any involvement in the shooting in Johannesburg.

Late Polish president's twin heads to runoff vote

AP

WARSAW, Poland — The socially conservative twin of the late Polish president was headed for a runoff Monday with the moderate, pro-European leader who took his brother's place after he died in a plane crash.

The outcome is expected to shape the country's direction on a wide range of issues, including the adoption of the euro, welfare reform and even its mission in Afghanistan.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski and interim President Bronislaw Komorowski will face each other on July 4 after neither was able muster the 50 percent needed for outright victory.

Kaczynski's policies are essentially identical to those of his deceased brother and he would be widely expected to pursue the same platform. Lech Kaczynski who was killed along with his wife and 95 other people in the crash of a plane of dignitaries trying to land in heavy fog in Smolensk, Russia, on April 10. Many called it the worst tragedy to strike Poland since World War II.

Lech Kaczynski, often considered the less forceful and charismatic of the two brothers, favored a strong welfare state and was skeptical of closer ties to the EU. The Kaczynskis' base is made up of older, rural and observant Catholic Poles who favor upholding the country's strict abortion laws and oppose gay rights.

BP pegs spill at worst-case 100,000 bpd

Louisiana (Reuters) - BP shares fell on Monday after a U.S. lawmaker released an internal company document over the weekend pegging the worst-case scenario rate for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill far higher than government figures.

The oil giant's stock, which has nearly halved in value since an explosion on an offshore rig on April 20, slid over 4.0 percent after the document estimated the rate at 100,000 barrels per day (15.9 million liters) versus the government estimate of 60,000 barrels.

BP spokesman Toby Odone said the document appeared to be genuine but the estimate applied only to a situation in which a key piece of equipment called a blowout preventer is removed.

"Since there are no plans to remove the blowout preventer, the number is irrelevant," Odone said.

BP also said in a statement on Monday, the 63rd day of the spill, that the cost of its response had hit $2 billion and it had paid out $105 million in damages to those affected.

Commonwealth Games to do without world’s fastest man

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Sprint superstar Usain Bolt will miss this year’s Commonwealth Games in India, his coach Glen Mills has confirmed.

Organisers were hoping the World record holder in the 100 and 200 metres would show up for the October 3-14 Games scheduled for Delhi, but the latest announcement is sure to be a huge blow.

“Bolt made it known long ago that he is not going to the Commonwealth Games,” Mills said.

Bolt’s absence is expected to allow him to continue his preparation for the London 2012 Olympics where he will defend his sprint titles in the 100 and 200 metres.

Before that, the 23-year-old will also defend both sprint titles at next year’s World Championship in Daegu, South Korea.

It will be the second successive time Bolt has missed the Commonwealth Games after pulling out of the 2006 edition in Melbourne because of injury.

He will also be a no-show at the Jamaica National Championships next weekend, another meet Mills said the Jamaican was never carded to attend.

“He was never down to run at trials,” Mills said.

Bolt is currently on the mend from an Achilles tendon injury which forced him out of the last IAAF Diamond League event in New York.

He has already shown glimpses of his ominous form this year, posting 19.56 seconds in the 200 metres in Jamaica g earlier this month before returning to run 9.86 seconds in the 100 metres in Daegu.

GRENADA: Government wants retraction of British whale bribe story

THE GRENADIAN government has refuted a British newspaper story that the island has received bribes from Japan to vote in favour of lifting a 1986 global ban on commercial whaling and allow hunting in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary around Antarctica.

“There is absolutely no truth that Grenada has received any bribe from Japan or any other country with regards to voting or supporting the whaling issue.

And it is clear that this is part of a smear campaign by the anti whaling initiatives against the islands in the Caribbean,” said Junior Information Minister

Arley Gill.

LETTER

“In fact, our Cabinet directed the Attorney General to issue a letter to the (newspaper) immediately. We will not sit idly by and allow any newspaper in any part of the world to tarnish the good name of the Government and people of Grenada. We will do all that we can to preserve the good name of our country,” Gill told reporters.

The Sunday Times said it had evidence that the Grenada and the St Kitts and Nevis governments were among developing nations voting in support of

Japan in exchange for financial and other aid when the proposal is debated during the June 21-25 International Whaling Commission meeting in Morocco.

J'can Winston Anderson now CCJ judge

Jamaica Observer

EXECUTIVE director of the Caribbean Law Institute Centre Professor Winston Charles Anderson created history yesterday by becoming the first Jamaican to be sworn in as a judge of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) during a ceremony at King's House.

Professor Anderson, who had requested that the swearing-in ceremony be held in Jamaica for the first time, said he was very humbled by the opportunity afforded him by the Caribbean Community (Caricom) to serve.

Professor Winston Anderson takes the oath of office at his swearing-in ceremony at King’s House yesterday. Anderson became the first Jamaican to be appointed a judge at the Caribbean Court of Justice. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)

"From the austerity of a rustic upbringing in a rural community in the 1960s in St Ann, to secondary education in a school surrounded by depressed inner-city communities in Kingston, to a home in August Town, St Andrew, my journey to this moment has been made possible only by the love and support of many who held lamps to my feet so that I would not walk in darkness," .

West Indies team for 2nd Digicel Test

The West Indies selectors have named the following players for the 2^nd Digicel Test match against South Africa at Warner Park in St Kitts from Friday, June 18 to Tuesday June 22:

Chris Gayle (Captain)                            Dwayne Bravo (Vice Captain)

Travis Dowlin                                        Brandan Nash

Shiv Chanderpaul                                  Narsingh Deonarine

Darren Bravo                                        Denesh Ramdin

Darren Sammy                                       Sulieman Benn

Shane Shillingford                                 Ravi Rampaul

Nelon Pascal                                          Kemar Roach

West Indies training schedule ahead of the 2^nd Digicel Test

Wednesday, June 16: at Warner Park – 2 pm (A team member will be available to speak to the media before training)

Thursday, June 17: at Warner Park – 9 am (Captain Chris Gayle will be available for pre-match presser at approximately 10.30 am)

LIAT snubs pilots' ultimatum

LIAT had said on Monday that the three-member arbitration panel which was set up to rule on various matters within the LIAT-LIALPA Collective Bargaining Agreement is expected to hand down a ruling shortly.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, Wednesday LIAT’s management has ignored an ultimatum issued by its pilots who were demanding that, by midnight Tuesday, it withdraw several statements made in a release issued to the media the previous day.

Following a meeting with LIAT officials in Barbados yesterday, the Leeward Islands Airline Pilots Association (LIALPA) informed the airline’s management that unless they retracted and apologized for the “blatant lies”, its members would have no other choice but to “withdraw enthusiasm and issue strong resentment”.

There has been no response from LIAT so far.

The pilots had said since Monday pilots would “withdraw work enthusiasm” until critical outstanding matters are addressed by the shareholders, Board and management of LIAT.

It’s therefore unclear in what way the latest “ultimatum”, as LIALPA put it, will affect the airline.

Caribbean 360 News

St Kitts: Bribery claims part of "evil" smear campaign

The Sunday Times claimed it had evidence that Grenada and St Kitts and Nevis were among six African, Caribbean, Pacific nations which were getting aid and cash in return for giving their support to Japan’s pro-whaling stance.

BASSETERRE, St Kitts, Wednesday June 16, 2010 - The St Kitts and Nevis official named in a British newspaper report on countries accepting bribes to support Japan’s pro-whaling stance has described the article as being part of “an evil and vicious effort” to smear the twin-island federation and other small nations.

Marine Resources Minister Dr Timothy Harris made his own allegations as he dismissed the report in The Sunday Times.

Both his country and Grenada are denying that they were selling or willing to sell their whaling vote.

US$20,000 reward for Dudus capture

 KINGSTON, Jamaica, Wednesday June 16, 2010 –There’s now a US$20,000 bounty on Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke’s head.

With the 41-year-old alleged drug lord refusing to turn himself in and lawmen unable to locate him after three weeks of searching, they’ve turned to offering a reward for information leading to his capture.

“The police would like to find Coke to execute a warrant of arrest issued by the Courts of Jamaica for him to face extradition proceedings,” said a statement issued yesterday.

“Persons knowing the whereabouts of Christopher 'Dudus' Coke can contact Operation Kingfish at 811, Crime Stop at 311 and Police Control at 119.”

Coke is wanted by United States law enforcement agencies for drug and gun running offences.

Despite several joint police/military operations, including the first in Tivoli Gardens where security forces and Coke supporters clashed in gun battles that claimed the lives of 76, the wanted man has continued to elude capture.

Kyrgyzstan Ethnic Violence Leaves Many Unanswered Questions

 

There are no exact figures on the scale of ethnic unrest that has hit southern Kyrgyzstan.  They are lost in the chaos of what happened.  No one is even certain why the violence erupted. 

Official casualty figures are contradictory and considerably lower than unofficial estimates.   All that is known is that many people are dead and as many as 100,000 refugees, perhaps more, have been forced to abandon their homes in Osh and Jalalabad and other towns.  

The United States and United Nations have condemned the violence in Kyrgyzstan.  So, too, has Russia.  But the international community has not responded to official and unofficial Kyrgyz requests for military assistance to stop the bloodshed.

In Moscow, a member of the local Uzbek community, Sherzad Rakhmanov, cited the need for urgent outside help.  He spoke at the Kyrgyz Embassy.

Bajan Hoteliers Learning To Boost Business

Brian Parker of Choice Hotels International

Generating business during a recession is what acclaimed American hotel executives will share with Barbadian counterparts next week.

One of the Choice Hotels executives, Brian Parker, vice president of emerging markets and new business development, visits Barbados on Wednesday, June 16 to help local properties find ways of boosting business during the recessionary environment.

Parker, who this year was named to Savoy magazine's "Top 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America," arrives in Barbados next week with Jose Salvador Icaza, Director of Caribbean Franchise Development, to identify hotel owners and investors in Barbados interested in exploring affiliation or franchising opportunities for mid to upscale properties.

In partnership with the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association, Parker and Icaza will deliver a punchy 15-minute "Power of Choice" presentation at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre on Wednesday, June 16, highlighting Choice's Ascend Collection membership program.

Jamaican Tourism Award Recipients Celebrated At Caribbean Tourism Awards Luncheon

NEW YORK – On Friday, June 11 the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) in association with the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) presented two distinguished travel industry individuals, Ed Kritzler, author of Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean and former JTB public relations executive; and David Swanson, contributing editor for National Geographic Traveler Magazine, with awards of excellence for their efforts in marketing the Caribbean as a premier travel destination.

The presentations were made during the CTO’s Allied Awards Luncheon held at The New York Helmsley Hotel as this year’s Caribbean Week in New York comes to a close.

The Marcia Vickery-Wallace and Marcella Martinez awards honor significant achievements of individuals whose work has shared the Caribbean experience with the world.

'Holy Father, what shall we do?'

BBC News

As the Roman Catholic Church suffers one of its worst crises in modern times, more than 10,000 priests from around the world have travelled to Rome to celebrate the end of the International Year of the Priest.

Priests from more than 90 countries attended a rally in Rome on 10 June

It has been a bad year for the priesthood.

Hardly a week has gone by in recent months without some new scandal involving a paedophile Catholic priest - or even the odd bishop - emerging somewhere in the world.

The Vatican has done what it can to limit the damage to the image and the credibility of an organisation that demands unlimited trust on the part of believers.

Some of them are now asking themselves whether they should in future entrust their children of tender age to Catholic institutions run by priests.

Catholic priests are the Pope's foot soldiers.

Russia halts sale of air defense missiles to Iran

Washington Post

Russia has frozen the sale of S-300 air defense missiles to Iran, Russian news agencies reported Friday, in a victory for the Obama administration in the wake of new U.N. sanctions imposed on Iran.

The sanctions ban the sale of eight categories of conventional weapons, including "missiles and missile systems," but a loophole in the language of the resolution suggested that defensive ground-to-air missile systems such as the S-300 were not covered by the ban.

On Thursday, the day after the U.N. Security Council vote, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman indicated that the $800 million sale was still on and would not be affected by the sanctions.

On Friday, the Kremlin contradicted that suggestion. "S-300s fall under these sanctions," a Kremlin official was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying. "Therefore, these type of weapons cannot be supplied to Iran."

The statement was amplified by news reports out of France, where Prime Minister Vladimir Putin met Friday with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, that Putin had told Sarkozy that Russia would "freeze the delivery of the S-300 missiles."

Goal to Eliminate Child Labor Running out of Steam

Photo: AP Kapil Kumar, 6, polishes shoes at a makeshift shop on a pavement, on the World Day Against Child Labor in Gauhati, India, 12 Jun, 2010

 

The International Labor Organization says progress toward eliminating the worst forms of child labor is slowing down.  To mark the World Day Against Child Labor, the ILO is urging countries to do more to end this abhorrent practice. 

This year's World Day Against Child Labor coincides with the World Cup in South Africa. But, for millions of children the beautiful game is just a distant dream.

Patrick Quinn is Senior Technical Specialist in ILO's International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor.  He says while billions of people are caught up in the excitement of the World Cup, some 215 million children are laboring for survival.

Teen sailor safe aboard fishing vessel, parents confirm

(CNN) -- The parents of the 16-year-old girl rescued when she was stranded on a yacht in the Indian Ocean say they are relieved and thankful that she is safe.

"She's bumped and bruised but doesn't have anything obvious or major wrong," Abby Sunderland's mother, Marianna, told reporters Saturday.

A fishing vessel from Reunion Island rescued the Thousand Oaks, California, girl Saturday, a day after she set off distress signals when her boat, Wild Eyes, was crippled by heavy seas.

Abby Sunderland was about halfway through her quest to become the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe alone in a sailboat.

Mexican President Condemns Drug Rehab Shooting

Mexican President Felipe Calderon has condemned an attack on a Chihuahua drug rehabilitation facility that left 19 people dead.

Mr. Calderon issued a statement from Johannesburg where he attended the opening of the World Cup.  He said the attack by more than 24 armed men reinforces the conviction to fight criminal gangs that carry out such "barbaric acts."
On Thursday, a gang of gunmen killed 20 people in another northern Mexican town known for drug-related gang warfare. 

Authorities say some of the 18 men and two women killed in the series of shootings in Madero were bound in handcuffs.

An estimated 23,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence in Mexico since President Calderon began a crackdown on the drug cartels after taking office in December 2006.

Children find newborn in canal with throat slit

An undertaker assist a detective in removing the newborn’s remains from the Cowan Street canal.

Police are investigating what looks very much like the murder of a newborn boy whose partly decomposed body with its throat slashed was fished out of the Cowan Street Canal in Kingston, around midday yesterday.

The gruesome discovery was made by a group of school children who subsequently raised an alarm.

Investigators are treating the situation as a murder since initial evidence suggests that the child was killed, then wrapped in a blanket and disposed of near the Kingston koker.

From all appearances the baby could not be older than a day, since according to eyewitnesses, the umbilical cord was still attached.

However, the police in a press release stated that at about 12:20 hours yesterday the decomposing body of an unidentified male child, about one year old, was found floating in the Kingston Canal, with a wound to his throat.

IFC helps banks increase small business access to finance in Caribbean

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is helping bankers develop their operations and provide financial services to improve access to finance for small and medium enterprises in the Caribbean.

IFC, in collaboration with the government of Japan, the Commonwealth Secretariat, and the Canadian International Development Agency, is training bankers on building sustainable small and medium banking operations in Port of Spain from June 8 to June 11.

The training program covers strategy and market segmentation, product design, credit risk management, and information management systems.

It also includes a training-of-trainers component that will ensure sustainability of the training offering in local markets beyond IFC's workshop.

Ex-Royal Caribbean employee accused of robberies

A former Royal Caribbean employee has been charged with burglarizing the homes of nearly two dozen South Florida customers while they were away on cruises.

Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputies arrested 38-year-old Bethsaida Sandoval Thursday. She is being held on $70,000 bond.

Detectives say she got customers' information at the company's Miramar offices, where she was a vacation planner.

Authorities say she and her husband, John Lopez, began the robberies in 2009. Lopez is being held at a Broward County jail on unrelated charges. He has also been charged in the case.

Royal Caribbean said that Sandoval was fired. The company said it doesn't tolerate any form of criminal activity in its work force or operations.

It wasn't immediately known if Sandoval or Lopez had attorneys.

GDF Corporal charges with Armed Robbery

Stabroek News

A Guyana Defence Force corporal appeared before Magistrate Hazel Octive- Hamilton yesterday at the Georgetown Court charged with robbery under arms while in the same matter another man was accused of discharging a loaded firearm at him.

However both were granted bail after their attorneys informed the court that they did not wish to give evidence against each other.

GDF corporal Elroy Newton was charged with robbery under arms.  He was not required to plead to the charge which alleges that on June 4 at Georgetown being armed with a gun, he robbed Safraz Khan of $2M, being the property of Abdul Khan.

Imran Khan was not required to plead to the charge which states that on June 4 at Georgetown with intent to maim, disfigure or cause bodily harm to  Newton he unlawfully and maliciously discharged a loaded firearm. He was represented by attorney Adrian Thompson in association with Pamela DeSantos.

In her bail application, De Santos said that Khan was attacked and robbed by three persons who were later apprehended by the police.

Two of them were released and one was charged.  The robbery involved the theft of $2M from Khan’s brother

Woman Jumps From Building To Escape Arrest By Martina Johnson

Antigua Observer

The woman jumped from a second-floor window and lay in a crumpled heap before help arrived

A 39-year-old Friar’s Hill woman yesterday plunged from the top floor balcony of a two-storey building on Cross and Redcliffe streets to escape being arrested, and survived with a suspected fractured neck, among other injuries.

At about 10:45 am, the woman reportedly attempted to get away from lawmen when they approached her, her husband and other individuals to question them about a report of fraud.

She squeezed through the rails on the balcony at the back of the building and jumped, even as police tried to hold her back.

When the mother of three hit the ground, she was not moving and appeared unresponsive.

One eyewitness who saw the commotion leading up to the woman’s jump from the building which houses Superman’s cellular phone repair shop, a lawyer’s office and other businesses, said there were several other people on the balcony at the time, possibly her husband and police officers.

Post mortem completed on Tivoli body

Go Jamaica News

A post mortem was today conducted on the body, which was found in a shallow grave in the section of Tivoli Gardens, west Kingston called Rasta City.

The body was discovered last Friday but was not exhumed by crime scene detectives until yesterday.

In a statement this afternoon, the police high command said the government pathologist determined that the remains are that of a man under 30 years old.
The body was approximately 5 feet 10 inches long. However, the statement did not indicate when the man was killed.

It was also revealed that the cause of death was multiple gunshots to the abdomen and face and a high calibre shot to the throat.

The police say four 9 milli metre casings and one AK47 calibre cartridge with an expended bullet were recovered from the grave.

Jamaica Chief Justice throws out ‘Dudus’ application

Go Jamaica News

The chief justice Zaila McCalla today threw out an application by lawyers representing alleged crime lord Christopher 'Dudus' Coke to block his extradition.

This means that the warrant of arrest remains in force for Coke to face extradition proceedings in Jamaica to determine whether he should be sent to the United States to answer to drug and gun running charges.

In her 22 page judgement, Chief Justice Zaila McCalla said there are no exceptional circumstances in the case that would entitle her to grant leave to apply for judicial review.

She also disagreed that there are no alternative remedies available to Coke as was argued by Coke’s attorneys.  According to the chief justice, there are alternative remedies available to him under the Extradition Act.

She also described the application as premature.  Chief Justice McCalla further ruled that the legal authorities have established that at the stage where the authority to proceed is issued an abundance of evidence is not required.

$50M needed to correct construction flaws

Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

AT least $50 million will have to be spent on correcting construction flaws with respect to the construction of the Housing Development Corporation’s houses so that homeowners are not short-changed .

Housing and Environment Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal made the revelation yesterday during a tour at housing sites in south Trinidad.

The purpose of the tour was to get a first-hand view of the defected houses which are part of a probe into allegations of flaws in the construction of the houses particularly in the Debe, Golconda, Retrench and Corinth housing developments.

President names 5 new Independent Senators

Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

PRESIDENT George Maxwell Richards yesterday appointed five new Independent Senators, while retaining just four of the previous bench that he had appointed after the 2007 general election.

The five new Independent Senators are mathematician Prof Harold Ramkissoon, obstetrician/gynaecologist Dr Victor Wheeler, attorney Elton Prescott SC, development planner Dr James Kenneth Armstrong, and business administrator/academic Dr Rolph Balgobin. He previously acted as a temporary senator.

The four senators retained are retired engineer Basharat Ali, former banker Helen Drayton, stockbroker Subhas Ramkhelawan and retired diplomat Corinne Baptiste-McKnight.

Altogether, the President appointed nine Independent Senators. The former senators who were not reappointed were attorney Dana Seetahal, criminologist Prof Ramesh Deosaran, Tobago-based Annette Nicholson-Alfred, businesswoman Gail Merhair and trade unionist Michael Annisette.

UDECOTT IN 'DOGFIGHT'

Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

Udecott is demanding that contractor Hafeez Karamath Ltd (HKL) remove ferocious pitbulls from the $885 million Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba where they stand guard round-the-clock, along with their handlers, blocking sub-contractors and Udecott employees from completing construction and outfitting work at the overdue sports facility.

Sources revealed HKL had the unmuzzled dogs placed at the stadium on May 21, following a fallout with Udecott over final payment for work on the project, which includes a cricket academy named after retired star batsman Brian Lara.

HKL was awarded the contract to build the stadium, which was originally scheduled to be completed by 2007 in time for the ICC Cricket World Cup.

Its cost estimates have ballooned and the final figure may be an estimated $1 billion.

JACK IN A CORNER…… Integrity Commission says ministers must divest private interests

Trinidad Express

The Integrity Commission says it could give no ruling on the matter of Works Minister Jack Warner also holding the post of FIFA vice-president, but noted yesterday Cabinet ministers must divest their private interests.

Warner, who has been a member of the FIFA executive committee since 1983, was sworn in as this country’s Works and Transport Minister two Fridays ago.

The possibility of Warner’s two portfolios being a conflict of interest was raised by Rowley last Friday and culminated in an official letter being sent to Integrity Committee chairman Eric St Cyr, seeking advice on the situation.

Mexico protests shooting death of teen at Texas border

For the second time in less than two weeks, the death of a Mexican national at the hands of U.S. border agents is outraging Mexicans and testing relations between the two countries.

The Mexican government Wednesday vigorously protested the shooting this week of a 15-year-old boy at Mexico's border with Texas.

The boy, Sergio Hernandez Guereca, died of a wound to the face. U.S. officials say he died after a Border Patrol agent opened fire Monday night on a group of Mexicans throwing rocks at the agent, who was attempting to arrest suspected illegal immigrants.

Gambia puts 12 on trial for drugs trafficking

Twelve foreigners arrested in The Gambia last month, and whose capture aided a major drugs bust, have appeared in court.

Their arrests led to the discovery of at least two tons of cocaine with an estimated street value of $1bn (£686m), bound for Europe.

They were apprehended in May and face drugs trafficking charges in relation to 3kg of cocaine.

West Africa has become a major transit point for drugs trafficking.

All the accused, who include Dutch and Venezuelan nationals as well as citizens of West African countries, have pleaded not guilty.

The BBC's Mark Doyle in Banjul says that the early charges against them for the small quantity of cocaine will likely be followed by more serious offences relating to the massive haul announced on Tuesday.

Our correspondent says the suspects appeared in court looking dishevelled, confused and scared - and had no defence lawyer.

The Gambia has not had a drugs case on this scale before, our correspondent adds.

NATO helicopter shot down in Afghanistan

Four U.S. soldiers are killed in the attack in volatile Helmand province. A roadside bomb leaves another coalition service member dead and brings the number of troops killed in June to 29.

A medevac chopper lifts off from Camp Nathan Smith in Kandahar, southern

Insurgents shot down a NATO helicopter in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday and killed four U.S. soldiers while another coalition service member died in a roadside bombing.

The attacks made the first nine days of June one of the deadliest spans this year for Western troops mired in the nearly nine-year war against the Taliban insurgency.

The five coalition service members were killed in the country's volatile Helmand province, part of the Taliban's heartland in the south and a key focus of President Obama's troop buildup aimed at crippling the insurgency and forcing it to negotiate an end to the war.

So far this month, 29 coalition troops have been killed in Afghanistan, a rate of more than three deaths a day.

Suicide attack kills 40 at Afghan wedding party

(AP)

NADAHAN VILLAGE, Afghanistan — A suicide bomb ripped through a wedding party for a family with ties to police in the Taliban's heartland in Afghanistan, killing at least 40 people and wounding dozens more, officials said Thursday.

The Taliban denied carrying out the attack, but strong suspicion fell on the insurgent group because of previous attacks and killings of people seen as allied with the government or Afghan security forces.

The blast hit in an area that is largely considered a Taliban haven, and village residents said they believed they were attacked in an air bombardment. Mohammad Rassool, a cousin of the groom, said helicopters were circling above the compound before the explosion.

NATO said no service members from the alliance were involved or operating in the area at the time of the explosion. U.S. military spokesman Col. Wayne Shanks said the deaths were not the result of an airstrike.

South Africa waves the 'Mandela Magic' wand

As the World Cup opening game nears, Mexico is healthy and Bafana Bafana and their fans are amped. Adding to the excitement: South Africa's former president plans a drop-in.

Reporting from Johannesburg -- Forget South Africa's talented midfielder Steven Pienaar, hulking defender Matthew Booth or strapping goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune.

The man who may give Mexico the most trouble in Friday's World Cup opener is a frail 91-year-old great-grandfather.

Former South African President Nelson Mandela is expected to make a brief appearance at Johannesburg's Soccer City Stadium, where he will greet players and fans before South Africa and Mexico kick off the first World Cup to be played on African soil. And that could be bad news for Mexico because when Mandela is in the stadium, South Africans swear that strange things happen.

Iran Dismisses New UN Sanctions

VOA News 10 June 2010

Iran has dismissed new sanctions imposed by the U.N. Security Council to try to curb the country's controversial nuclear activities.

Iran's ambassador to the U.N. nuclear agency, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, insisted Iran will not stop enriching uranium.
Twelve of the Security Council's 15 members voted Wednesday in favor of the resolution, while Brazil and Turkey voted "no" and Lebanon abstained.

Russia's Interfax news agency reported Thursday that Russia is freezing a contract to sell S-300 missile systems to Iran in line with the sanctions.  Russia and China, both key allies of Iran, backed the resolution after succeeding in watering down the measures sought by Western nations.

Latest developments on the Gulf oil disaster

By the CNN Wire Staff

(CNN) -- Here are the latest developments on the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, which unfolded after the oil rig Deepwater Horizon exploded on April 20:

President Barack Obama will host the families of the 11 workers killed in the BP oil rig explosion at the White House Thursday.

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis heads to New Orelans Thursday to meet with fishermen affected by the gushing oil.

Capitol Hill holds three more hearings Thursday on the oil disaster in the Gulf.

PREVIOUSLY REPORTED

CLEANUP

Federal authorities gave BP until Friday to come up with a contingency plan for collecting gushing oil. In a letter written Tuesday to Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles, the government instructed the British energy giant to submit redundancy plans in the event of operation failures or severe weather that could disrupt the continuous recovery of oil.

Dominica opposition to compete in by-elections

(AP)

Opposition says it will field candidates to contest two by-elections next month even as it continues to boycott the Caribbean island's Parliament.

Two of three opposition lawmakers surrendered their seats last month because they failed to attend three sessions in a row.

United Workers Party chief Ron Green told reporters Tuesday that participating in the July 9 by-elections is "unfortunate but necessary."

Opposition leaders have been boycotting Parliament over alleged fraud and other irregularities in December general elections.

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit's ruling Dominica Labor Party won 18 of 21 seats in that vote.

Dominica opposition to compete in by-elections

(AP)

opposition says it will field candidates to contest two by-elections next month even as it continues to boycott the Caribbean island's Parliament.

Two of three opposition lawmakers surrendered their seats last month because they failed to attend three sessions in a row.

United Workers Party chief Ron Green told reporters Tuesday that participating in the July 9 by-elections is "unfortunate but necessary."

Opposition leaders have been boycotting Parliament over alleged fraud and other irregularities in December general elections.

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit's ruling Dominica Labor Party won 18 of 21 seats in that vote.

opyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Beenie Man in jail awaiting bail

JamaicaObserver.com

DANCEHALL artist Moses Davis, more popularly known as Beenie Man, has been arrested by the Hunt’s Bay police, resulting from an incident on Saturday with entertainment personality, L A Lewis.

Beenie Man’s manager, 'Blue' said in a telephone interview with the Observer a short while ago, that he was in the process of getting bail for the deejay.

“Yes … it has to do with the LA Lewis incident. Right now we don’t have a lawyer. I am dealing with getting him bailed myself,” Blue said in a hurried conversation.

Last Saturday, after the funeral service for Voicemail member, O’Neil Edwards, LA Lewis reportedly ran into the back of Beenie Man’s spanking Audi Q 7. It is alleged that Beenie Man came out of his vehicle and physically accosted LA Lewis.

The police said they got reports that guns were drawn in the incident and say they will be questioning the Deejay about the reports.

Politics of Clinton's B'dos meeting

Trinidad and Tobago Express

for a one-day meeting tomorrow with Caribbean foreign ministers to discuss issues pertaining to mutual cooperation with a special focus on security and crime.

The meeting, which comes on the heels of the just-concluded General Assembly of the Organisation of American States (OAS) in Peru, is an initiative of President Barack Obama’s administration and the suggested agenda largely reflects the concerns and priorities of Washington.

Although Caricom is aware of the US government’s interest in having tomorrow’s meeting with Ms Clinton, at which a ’framework for security arrangements’ will be a core feature of discussions, no approved agenda has been circulated, according to some foreign ministers and prime ministers.

Cane toad threat spreads beyond Australia to Caribbean

By Matt Walker
Editor, Earth News

Cane toads, one of the world's most destructive invasive species, have started killing native wildlife outside of Australia.

Cane toads are poisonous, secreting a toxin that kills predators not adapted to eat them, and as a result the toads have caused a decline in native Australian reptiles and marsupials.

Now scientists have discovered that the toads are also killing boa snakes in the West Indies, suggesting that other predators in the Caribbean and elsewhere may also be at risk.

The cane toad is a large toad species, which secretes a powerful bufogenin toxin.

Dr Byron Wilson
University of West Indies

Its native range extends from northern South America through Central America and into the southern United States.

In the early to mid 19th Century, the toad was intentionally introduced to islands in the Caribbean, including Jamaica in 1844, and then through the South Pacific.

The toad was introduced to eat and control pests of sugar cane, including rats and beetles.

LIAT flies regional officials to Guadeloupe for Sports seminar

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, June 09, 2010 – Regional airline LIAT has collaborated with the French Athletic Federation to facilitate the participation of three officials from the sporting fraternity in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and St. Vincent and the Grenadines in a recent international seminar on Athletics in the Caribbean.

LIAT provided air transportation for Senator Cecil McKie, the Junior Sports Minister in St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Anne Jonas, Coordinator Planning  and Project Management in the Office of the Minister of State for Sports in Antigua and Barbuda; and Patrick Best, Board Member of the Barbados National Sports Council.

The aim of the seminar was to discuss the need for better sporting structures and to look at ways to facilitate closer collaboration between Athletic Federations throughout the Caribbean.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Senator McKie said that the initiative was both important and timely, noting that for too long now there has been a distinct separation between sporting activities in the French-speaking territories and those in the English-speaking  Caribbean.

FIFA VP Warner asked to step down

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – DAYS before the FIFA World Cup kicks off in South Africa, association Vice-President Jack Warner has been asked by the Trinidad & Tobago Opposition Leader to either give up his position in FIFA or his ministerial appointment over a perceived conflict of interest.

Following the May 24 general elections in Trinidad & Tobago, Warner was returned as the Parliamentary representative for Chaguanas West and was subsequently appointed as the Minister of Works and Transport by Prime Minister Kamla Persaud-Bissessar.

Opposition Leader Dr. Keith Rowley stated late last week, however, that his first order of business in his newly appointed position would be to investigate a conflict of interest on Warner’s part by holding executive positions in both FIFA and the government.

Speaking at his appointment ceremony, Rowley said that Warner’s holding of both positions violated Trinidad & Tobago’s Integrity in Public Life legislation.

“One of the first things I would do is to write a letter to the Integrity Commission for an opinion as to whether in fact it is proper for a Minister of Government to hold office in any organisation, especially fee-paying office, outside of the Cabinet.

“I have some serious concerns about the propriety of a Minister of Government of Trinidad and Tobago holding executive authority in an organisation, local or foreign,” Rowley stated at the ceremony.

Soldiers save woman’s life

Trinidad Guardian

Soldiers lift an injured Kristy Auguste into the back of an army mini van after she was struck by a car on Knox Street, Port-of-Spain, yesterday. In the absence of an ambulance, the soldiers took the woman to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. PHOTO: KRISTIAN DE SILVA

For one hour yesterday, Kristy Auguste lay on the roadway, in the middle of Port-of-Spain, having been struck by a car.

She could not move, and despite efforts by many people, there was no ambulance to take the woman to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. As one woman put it, “the injured lady was left for dead.”

The crowd which grew, became agitated as no one seemed to be doing anything for Auguste, who was in severe pain, and crying. Jones P Madeira, court information and protocol manager for the judiciary, became angry when he was told several times on his mobile phone, that “we have the report and ambulance is on its way.”

To Madeira’s amazement, that ambulance was responding from Chaguanas. It never arrived. Soldiers assigned to the nearby Knox Street headquarters gave up on the ambulance and literally took things into their own hands and transported Auguste to the hospital. The drama unfolded around 11.20 am.

Re-enactment, formal charges in store for van der Sloot in Peru slaying

Lima, Peru (CNN) -- Joran van der Sloot, the longtime suspect in the disappearance of Alabama teen Natalee Holloway, could be formally charged as early as Wednesday in the death of a Peruvian woman, authorities said.

Also Wednesday, van der Sloot is expected to re-enact for investigators the crime in his room at Hotel Tac, said Peru National Police Col. Abel Gamarra.

That re-enactment was originally slated for Tuesday but was delayed for security reasons.

Stephany Flores Ramirez' body was found in van der Sloot's hotel room last week. The 21-year-old woman was killed after she discovered information on his laptop linking him to Holloway's disappearance, a source with direct knowledge of the investigation told CNN.

Van der Sloot was interrogated for seven hours Monday, the source said.

The Dutch citizen told investigators that he left the hotel room to buy bread and coffee at a gas station next to the hotel, the source said

Drugs And Ammunition Found

Royal Grenada Police Force

As a result of Traffic check conducted by Officers attached to Grenville Police Station on Thursday 3rd June, 2010, in the Grand Bras and hope area in St. Andrew’s.

A vehicle driven by one Mark Dowden Assistant Manager of L.L. Rhamdhanny was stopped and searched on the Balthazar public road at 2:45 hrs. During the search one ounce marijuana, one 9 millimeter hand gun and two 9 milimetre rounds were found in his vehicle.

As a result he was arrested and charged for the offences of being in possession of arms and ammunition and controlled drugs.

He is presently on bail to appear in Grenville Magistrate Court on 28th June, 2010 at 9:00 hrs.

Source: Office of the Commissioner of Police

Contact: Community Relations Department 440-3764