Tuesday, February 19, 2019

THE GLEANER, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019 | WWW.JAMAICA-GLEANER.COM | INTERNATIONAL

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Haitians seek water, food as businesses reopen after riot

PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (AP): B USINESSES AND gov- ernment offices slowly reopened across Haiti on Monday after more than a week of violent demonstrations over prices that have doubled for food, gas and other basic goods in recent weeks, and allegations of government corruption. Public transportation resumed in the capital, Port-au-Prince, where people began lining up to buy food, water and gas as crews cleared barricaded streets, where hundreds of thousands of Haitians

had protested to demand the resig- nation of President Jovenel Moise. The president has refused to step down, though his prime minister, Jean-Henry Céant, said over the weekend that he has agreed to reduce certain govern- ment budgets by 30 per cent, limit travel of government officials and remove all non-essential privileges they enjoy, including phonecards. Céant also vowed to investigate alleged misspending tied to a Venezuelan programme that pro- vided Haiti with subsidised oil, and said he has requested that a court

audit all state-owned enterprises. But many Haitians remained wary of those promises, and schools remained closed on Monday amid concerns of more violence. “The government is making statements that are not changing anything at this point,”said Hector Jean, a motor taxi driver who was waiting for customers. He recently had to buy a gallon of gas for 500 gourdes (US$6), more than twice what he normally pays, and he has been unable to find customers who can afford to pay higher fares.

“It’s very hard to bring some- thing home,”he said.“I have three kids.” Other goods in the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation have also doubled in price in recent weeks: A sack of rice now costs US$18 and a can of dry beans around US$7. In addition, a gallon of cooking oil has gone up to nearly US$11 from US$7. Inflation has been in the double digits since 2014, and the price hikes are angering many people in Haiti, where about 60 per cent of its nearly 10.5million people strug- gle to get by on about US$2 a day. A recent report by the US Agency for International Development said about half the country is undernourished. The latest violent demonstra- tions prompted the US govern- ment to warn people last week not to travel to Haiti as it urged Moise’s administration to implement economic reforms and redouble efforts to fight corruption and hold accountable those implicated in the scandal over the Venezuelan subsidised oil programme known as PetroCaribe. A Haitian Senate investigation has alleged embez- zlement by at least 14 former officials in ex-President Michel Martelly’s administration, but no one has been charged. Meanwhile, Haitians have demanded a probe into the spending of the $3.8 bil- lion Haiti received as part of the PetroCaribe programme. “Corruption goes unpunished, and people are just really tired of it,” said Athena Kolbe, a human rights researcher who has worked in Haiti.“I can’t imagine that things are going to calm down.”

LONDON (AP): SEVEN BRITISH lawmakers quit the main opposition Labour Party on Monday over its approach to Brexit and anti-Semitism – the biggest shake-up in years for one of Britain’s major political parties. The announcement ripped open a long-simmering rift between socialists and centrists in the party, which sees itself as the represent- ative of Britain’s working class. It’s also the latest fallout from Britain’s decision to leave the European Union (EU), which has split both of the country’s two main parties – Conservatives and Labour – into pro-Brexit and pro-EU camps. Many Labour lawmakers have been unhappy with the party’s direc- tion under leader Jeremy Corbyn, a veteran socialist who took charge in 2015 with strong grass-roots backing. They accuse Corbyn of mounting a weak opposition to Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May’s plans for leaving the EU, and of failing to stamp out a vein of anti-Semitism in the party. Those leaving Labour have between nine and 27 years’ experience in Parliament and represent constituencies across England but still make up only a small fraction of Labour’s 256 lawmakers, or of the 650 total members of Parliament. But this is the biggest split in the Labour Party since four senior members quit in 1981 to form the Social Democratic Party. Luciana Berger, one of those who quit Monday, said Labour had become “institutionally anti-Semitic. “I am leaving behind a culture of bullying, bigotry and intimidation,” the 37-year-old politician said at a news conference alongside six colleagues. Labour leaders have admitted that Berger, who is Jewish andpregnant, has beenbulliedby somemembers of her local party innorthwest England. Brex-split: Seven lawmakers quit Labour over EU, anti-Semitism Seven MPs (from left): Ann Coffey, Angela Smith, Chris Leslie, Mike Gapes, Luciana Berger, Gavin Shuker and Chuka Umunna pose for a photograph after a press conference to announce the new political party, The Independent Group, in London on Monday, February 18. AP

Demonstrators drag the body of a fellow protester towards the police as a form of protest, after police shot into the crowd in which he died, during a demonstration demanding the resignation of Haitian President Jovenel Moise near the presidential palace in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on February 12. AP

NATIONAL HOUSING TRUST Today, Today, Today!!! at 11:30am

LOT #15, 21 OLIVER ROAD, JOHNSON PEN, KINGSTON 2. Registered at Volume 1481, Folio 205. The site accommodates a single-storey detached residence. It comprises of four (4) bedrooms, two (2) bathrooms, kitchen, living and dining area, laundry area and a verandah. The building was approximately 90% completed at the time of inspection. Lot size: 464.5 sq.m (5,000 sq.ft.) Building size: 171.54 sq.m (1,846.48 sq.ft.) STRATA LOT #63 (BLOCK 2F) UNION ESTATE, TWICKENHAM PARK, SPANISH TOWN, ST.CATHERINE. Registered at Volume 1472 Folio 139 The subject property is a ground floor apartment unit. It appears to consist of two (2) bedrooms, one (1) bathroom, kitchen, living/dining area, rear balcony and a wash area. Floor area: 69.00 sq.m (742.72 sq.ft.) LOT #422, 94 MOCKINGBIRD CIRCLE, THE AVIARY, OLD HARBOUR, ST. CATHERINE. Registered at Volume 1410, Folio 234. The site accommodates a single storey detached residence. It consists of (2) bedrooms each with clothes closet, one (1) bathroom, kitchen, living/dining area and a covered verandah. Lot size: 371.61 sq.m (3,998.54 sq.ft.) Building size: 72 sq.m (770 sq.ft.) LOT #123, 35TH CENTRAL WAY, SILVERSTONE, GREATER PORTMORE, ST. CATHERINE. Registered at Volume 1398, Folio 617 . The site consists of an improved quad unit. It APPEARS to consist of the following: Ground Floor - two (2) bedrooms, one (1) bathroom, kitchen, living/dining area and a verandah. First Floor - two (2) bedrooms, one (1) bathroom, kitchen, living/dining area and a balcony. There is also an open roof terrace which is accessible by a metal spiral staircase. LOT #683, 3 EDWARD ROAD, SAINT JOHN’S HEIGHTS, SPANISH TOWN, ST. CATHERINE. Registered at Volume 1059, Folio 986 . The site accommodates a single storey detached residence. It APPEARS to consist of two (2) bedrooms, one (1) bathroom, kitchen, living/dining area, a secured verandah and a laundry area. Lot size: 111.45 sq.m (1,199.20 sq.ft.) Building size: 195.72 sq.m (2,106 sq.ft.)

LOT #10 COCOA BOO, EWARTON, ST. CATHERINE. Registered at Volume 1448, Folio 281 . The site is a residential vacant lot, which is irregular in shape, gently sloping above road level and is fairly level towards its rear boundary. Drainage of surface water of the site appears to be good. Lot size: 869.47 sq.m (9,355.49sq.ft.) LOT #137 RHONE PARK ESTATE, OLD HARBOUR, ST. CATHERINE. Registered at Volume 1442, Folio 418. The site accommodates a single-storey detached residence. It consists of two (2) bedrooms (each with built-in clothes closet), one (1) bathroom, kitchen, living/dining area, laundry and unsecured verandah. Lot size: 362.34 sq.m (3,898.78 sq.ft.) Building size: 74 sq.m (800 sq.ft.) LOT #189, BARRY AND LLOYDS, KITSON TOWN, ST. CATHERINE. Registered at Volume 1449, Folio 116. The site accommodates an incomplete single-storey detached residence. It comprises of two sections. One Section which is practically completed appears to consist of two (2) bedrooms, one (1) bathroom, kitchen, living/dining area, carport, back porch and secured verandah. The other section which is incomplete and uninhabitable appears to comprise two (2) bedrooms, two (2) bathrooms and one other room. This section needs wall finishes, floor finishes, doors, windows and all other fixtures and fittings to bring it to completion. Lot size: 5,666.62 sq.m (60, 995.50 sq.ft. or 1.4 acres) Building size: 298.87 sq.m (3,217 sq.ft.) LOT #60 WEDGEWOOD GARDENS, SPANISH TOWN, ST. CATHERINE. Registered at Volume 1376, Folio 292. The site is a residential vacant lot that is rectangular in shape, evenly graded slightly above the roadway and slopes gently to its southern boundary, thereby facilitating good surface drainage. Its boundaries are partially secured by reinforced concrete blocked wall. Lot size: 380.71 sq.m (4,097.96 sq.ft.) LOT #19 MAHOE BOULEVARD, KENNEDY GROVE HOUSING SCHEME, PALMERS CROSS, CLARENDON. Registered at Volume 1346, Folio 125. The site accommodates an extended single storey detached residence. It appears to consists of two (2) bedrooms, two (2) bathrooms, kitchen, living/dining area and a front porch.

A man protests outside a BBVA bank building in Madrid, Spain, on February 15. Hundreds of Chinese have protested outside a Spanish bank’s premises in Madrid, claiming they are being denied access to their accounts, while the bank insists it is obeying money-laundering laws. AP

Chinese in Spain stage protest over blocked bank accounts

MADRID (AP): HUNDREDS OF Chinese have protested outside a Spanish bank in Madrid, claiming they are being unfairly denied access to their accounts, while the bank

insists it’s merely complying with money-laundering laws. Spanish media report that the protesters are demanding access to their money. The protesters yelled “Justice now, No to racism,”

and held Spanish and Chinese flags. BBVA says in a statement that money-laundering laws require customers to properly identify themselves and demonstrate that their taxable income is compati- ble with the amount entering their bank account. The statement said if those con- ditions aren’t met, the bank must take action, regardless of the cli- ent’s nationality. It said the bank is taking steps to speed up procedures and deal with complaints. No other Spanish banks have been the target of Chinese protests.

Lot size: 480.56 sq.m (5,172.74 sq.ft.) Building size: 144.46 sq.m (1,555 sq.ft.)

Lot size: 374.28 sq.m (4,028.75 sq.ft.) Building size: 80.34 sq.m (864.80 sq.ft.)

Find out more at www.nht.gov.jm/auction 10% Deposit payable immediately on all successful bids by certified cheque. Note: Bidders at the auction are no longer required to be first time home owners or active contributors to the Trust unless they intend to borrow any portion of purchase money from the National Housing Trust.