The Star
Meat for guns - Cop says stolen animals shipped to Haiti
by
October 03, 2017
Animals are being stolen, slaughtered and shipped to Haiti to be exchanged for guns, the police have said. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kevin Francis, who made the claim, said Jamaica is currently losing some $6 billion annually to praedial larceny.
"Praedial larceny is a big organised business in Jamaica. The thieves steal the animals, slaughter them for the meat, which they ship to Haiti, where it is exchanged for guns," said Francis, who heads the Jamaica Constabulary Force's Praedial Larceny Prevention Unit.
"It is a serious problem and it is affecting our crime rate negatively." Francis said.
The cop, who was speaking at last Thursday's awards ceremony at the Rural Agricultural Development Authority boardroom in Hague, Trelawny, said the thieves have even managed to drive fear into their victims.
LEGAL ACTION
In relating a story of a farmer who recently lost four of his prized goats to thieves, Francis said that after the thieves were apprehended by the police, the farmer refused to provide a statement so that legal action could be taken against them.
"When we found the thieves and decided to take action against them, the farmer flatly refused to give a statement against them or come to court," said Francis. "According to him, he is fearful of getting caught up in the 'informer fi dead' mentality, which is common across the country."
In declaring that the police cannot fight the battle against praedial thieves on their own, Francis has urged the farming community to step up to the plate and play their part.
"The police need your help. When information is lacking, it affects our success rate, so you need to play your part by providing information and going to court when these thieves are caught."
Meanwhile, four outstanding farmers, who have collectively given over 131 years of service to agriculture, were honoured at the ceremony. They are Sylvester Green, Hebert Bell, Rupert Brown, and Headley Brown.
In addition to being outstanding farmers, the four awardees are long-serving members of the Jamaica Agricultural Society, which is the official umbrella organisation for farmers in Jamaica.
Popular pirate radio station for Haitian music in Miami hit by hefty FCC fine
BY JACQUELINE CHARLES
OCTOBER 05, 2017 7:00 AM
It’s the pulse of the Haitian music industry in Miami, organizing some of the most popular big-ticket parties while promoting bands and guiding konpa musicfans to the next hit.
But Radio Touche Douce is a pirate radio station, an underground operation that the federal government is accusing of illegally broadcasting from a shed in a North Miami backyard.
“There’s nothing funny about pirate radio, which interferes with the lawful use of the airwaves and can disrupt public safety communications,” FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said last week, announcing the decision against Touche Douce, which broadcasts in English and Haitian-Creole.
“The FCC won’t tolerate the unauthorized and illegal use of the radio spectrum,” Pai said. “Towards that end, I’ve made it a commission priority to crack down on pirate radio operations. And with today’s action, we again back up these words with action.”
Polynice, who has owned the station for 24 years, refused to talk about the case. Harold Sido, who own the North Miami property with the shed along with wife Veronise, did not respond to the Miami Herald’s request for comment.
Polynice and the Sidos have 30 days to respond to the proposed fine.
Factbox: New war on cholera aims to consign killer disease to history books
REUTERS
3 MIN READ
LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The World Health Organization and other agencies will launch an ambitious plan on Wednesday (October, 4th) to slash cholera deaths by 90 percent by 2030 and eventually consign the disease to the history books.
Here are some facts:
- Cholera affects more than 40 countries across the globe, resulting in an estimated 2.9 million cases and 95,000 deaths
- It is spread by consuming food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholera.
- Cholera causes acute watery diarrhea and vomiting, which can lead to extreme dehydration and cause death within hours.
- As many as 1.2 billion people - or one in six - are at risk globally.
- On average cholera costs the world an estimated $2 billion a year in treatment and hospitalization as well as loss to productivity.
- The disease occurs where people lack access to clean water
and hygienic toilets.
- Outbreaks often occur after natural disasters or during humanitarian emergencies.
- In Yemen, the most explosive outbreak on record has caused nearly 700,000 suspected cases and more than 2,000 deaths since late April.
- There have also been recent outbreaks in Nigeria, Haiti and Democratic Republic of Congo.
- WHO-approved oral cholera vaccines cost $6 per person, offering protection for up to three years.
- The new global plan focuses on tackling cholera hotspots, where outbreaks occur at the same time each year, by improving water and sanitation services, and through use of oral vaccines.
- The strategy could help eliminate cholera in 20 affected countries by 2030, according to the WHO.
- India is the worst affected country with more than 675,000 cases a year, according to the charity WaterAid. It also has the greatest number of people living without access to clean water, and the most living without a decent toilet.
- Ethiopia and Nigeria, which follow in second and third place, also have the second and third highest number of people living without clean water.
- Other countries in the top 10 are Haiti, DRC, Tanzania, Kenya, Bangladesh, Uganda and Mozambique.
Sources: WHO and WaterAid
Editing by Ros Russell; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, which covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change. Visit news.trust.org to see more stories.
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.