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WORLD NEWSFriday 8 January 2016
Jamaica homicides jump 20 pct, to highest level in 5 years
KATE CHAPPELL year. There were 1,005 kill- ranked Jamaica in the top minister in early 2012. the United States. Fighting
Associated Press ings in 2014, the lowest an- five in 2013. By comparison, Bunting, who had called between gangs has long
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — nual total since 2003 in this Chicago, which has rough- the reduction in 2014 a been blamed for the ma-
Violent rivalries among Ja- country that has long strug- ly the same population as breakthrough in the fight jority of Jamaica’s homi-
maica’s lottery scam rings gled with violent crime. Jamaica at 2.7 million, had against crime, said officials cides. Herbert Gayle, an
have helped drive the Ca- Jamaica had about 45 468 killings in 2015. “will not be deterred or anthropologist of social vio-
ribbean island’s homicide slayings per 100,000 people Last year’s total is a long daunted by this setback.” lence at Jamaica’s Univer-
rate to the highest level in in 2015, keeping it ranked way from National Secu- Authorities attribute the rise sity of the West Indies, said
five years, according to po- among the most violent rity Minister Peter Bunting’s in killings to clashes among Wednesday that authori-
lice. The Jamaica Constab- countries in the world. In goal of reducing the an- lottery scam rings fight- ties have not addressed
ulary Force said the country recent years, the U.N. listed nual homicide numbers to ing over money and “lead the root cause of violence
had at least 1,192 slayings in the island as having the 320 killings by 2017. He first lists” containing identity in Jamaica so it was only a
2015, a roughly 20 percent world’s sixth worst homi- stated this goal shortly after information about targets matter of time before kill-
increase from the previous cide rate. The World Bank starting as national security living abroad, mostly in ings ticked upward.q
Haiti candidate needs major changes to participate in runoff
DAVID McFADDEN In this November, 2015 photo, presidential candidate Jude Celestin, from the LAPEH party, gives a “take all steps necessary to
Associated Press press conference in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. A spokesman for Celestin said on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016 ensure a peaceful transfer
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) that the second-place candidate will only participate in an upcoming runoff if sweeping changes of power to a newly elect-
— A spokesman for Hai- recently recommended by a special commission are adopted to improve the vote. ed president” by the Feb. 7
tian presidential contender constitutional deadline.
Jude Celestin said Thurs- (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery) On Wednesday, U.S. State
day that the second-place Department Counselor
candidate will participate pledged to improve trans- President Michel Martelly ently no will to hold even Thomas Shannon and the
in an upcoming runoff only parency for the final round, this week issued a decree a minimal dialogue,” Des- U.S. special coordinator
if sweeping changes rec- commission spokesman making Jan. 24 the new roches said. for Haiti visited the coun-
ommended by a special Rosny Desroches said he date for the postponed The United Nations, the try and met with a number
commission are adopted has seen very little progress runoff without first holding U.S. government and rep- of people, including the
to improve voting. to solve electoral tensions a political dialogue with resentatives of other na- two presidential candi-
Campaign spokesman since the special panel’s those involved in the elec- tions making up the “Core dates slotted for the Jan.
Gerald Germain said Ce- recommendations were re- toral impasse, a key recom- Group” that monitors Haiti 24 runoff. It is unclear what,
lestin has been urging leased Sunday. mendation. have urged state institu- if anything, was accom-
Haiti’s outgoing president For instance, he noted that “For now, there is appar- tions and political actors to plished. The pair departed
to ensure that the commis- Thursday.
sion’s recommendations U.S. Ambassador Peter Mul-
are put in place before rean, who participated in
the two-candidate presi- the meetings, said that he
dential runoff. They include would not divulge specifics
major changes to the elec- but that conversations with
toral machinery, with inves- both presidential candi-
tigations and possible res- dates focused on the chal-
ignations of those accused lenges facing Haiti, their vi-
of corruption, and politi- sions for the future and “a
cal dialogue to achieve bit about where they stood
consensus about the next on moving ahead with the
round. “Only when the rec- second round.”
ommendations are imple- “I can tell you that we cer-
mented would Mr. Celestin tainly hope that he (Ce-
take part,” German said in lestin) will participate and
a phone interview. that the elections will move
While Haiti’s Provisional forward,” Mulrean told The
Electoral Council has Associated Press. q
US to help Guyana crack down on gold smuggling
BERT WILKINSON ment of Homeland Secu- cies reached out after they agencies,” he said. “All the or cash, but we tell miners
Associated Press rity are helping track down noticed large amounts of relevant departments are to sell to the board or to li-
GEORGETOWN, Guyana the money generated by gold were being declared cooperating with us.” censed buyers,” Sparman
(AP) — The U.S. govern- the smugglers. Guyana es- at American ports but not Miners Association spokes- said.
ment is helping Guyana timates that some 15,000 in Guyana. man Colin Sparman Small miners earned $500
crack down on a massive troy ounces of raw gold are Sydney James, who over- blamed the smuggling op- million from 451,000 ounc-
smuggling operation that smuggled out of the coun- sees Guyana’s Special Or- eration on buyers who fly to es sold to the government
ships gold to New York, Mi- try each week via planes ganized Crime Unit, said jungle mining camps with board last year.
ami, and boats, representing several suspects have al- large suitcases of cash and Guyana’s gold exports
Europe and other countries roughly 50 to 60 percent ready been prosecuted offer miners higher prices generated nearly $1 billion
in South America, authori- of production mined by its and that several more cas- than the government’s in revenue in 2013. Howev-
ties said Thursday. small- and medium-scale es will be filed soon. gold board. er, the price of gold slid to
Guyanese Mining Minister miners. Gold is Guyana’s “We are now getting in- “Sometimes miners do sell a six-year low in 2015 amid
Raphael Trotman said the main export. formation we had always to them in a hardship situ- a sluggish global economy.
FBI and the U.S. Depart- Trotman said the U.S. agen- wanted from the federal ation where they need fuel q
