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Lotto Winner In Slater, Missouri

Not long before dusk on Sunday night, several thousand Tamil protesters flowed onto the Gardiner Expressway, shutting it down shortly thereafter, to protest the ongoing violence in Sri Lanka. The Gardiner would remain shut down until about midnight, when the protest migrated off the roads and on to Queen’s Park.

Link to story

when the boat they were on caught fire. Due to Aussie immigration policy the boat was not allowed to reach the mainland instead the Navy caught it and was towing ti to an Island. Some desperate person/people on board the ship then poured petrol(Gasoline) on it and the boat caught fire. Refugees are now in custody of the Aussie Navy and the burn victims are in hospital on the mainland. I wonder if there are unaccompanied children cos last our government said we’d take the children. Being further away it’s hard for refugees to get here. as the main route is via Indonesia.

Also big news down here is the new Kiwi government is on Israel’s side and refused point blank to go to the UN meetings on racism. Our last bunch of liberal school teachers turned statespeople declared neutrality so at last we pick a side, personally I think it’s the wrong one but there you go.

In Fiji the military junta has tightened the strings on media, then lessened them then tightened them again. We respond by maintaining all the sanctions and not letting any Melanesian Fijians with military links come here. Indo-Fijian refugees continue to flood in. We now threaten to kick them out of the commonwealth, after all that worked so well with Zimbabwe right? In Fiji people continue to suffer their dollar got devalued by the government that many believe will lead to run away inflation. It continues to be the prime New Zealand holiday destination cos at least we don’t get blown up like happens in Bali. And given where Thailand’s at we ain’t going there no else is cheap most Polynesian nations now survive on ex pats working in Aussie or NZ sending back money so it costs actually more than say Kaitia and we can still drive there.

1. Smiling Obama lands on T&T soilUNITED States President Barack Obama set foot on Trinidad and Tobago soil at 3.24 pm yesterday, after waving at the crowd at Piarco International Airport and briskly trotting down from Air Force One in a black suit and cobalt tie. Special treatment was afforded to the US President who was allowed to land and disembark from Air Force One, notwithstanding the fact that Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper had landed in a sleek silver-grey jet at Piarco 45 minutes earlier. Obama emerged from Air Force One, waved and then swaggered confidently down the staircase as he arrived in the country. He was met by Foreign Affairs Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon and as they shook hands, he pointed to the sky as if speaking about the weather. Mr. Obama waved and gave a cool, calm smile before stepping into his official vehicle, called “The Beast”. The imposing “Beast”, which was parked on the tarmac, bore the Trinidad and Tobago flag on the front left and the US flag on the right.

2. Chavez flies in over the Gulf
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez thought he had escaped the glare of the media when he quietly flew in on his military jet over the Gulf of Paria from Sucre, Cumana, to Trinidad and landed at the helipad in Chaguaramas shortly after 4 pm yesterday. Chavez did not arrive by the same route as the visiting 33 heads of state who disembarked from their jets at Piarco International Airport. Instead, he flew to Chaguaramas from Cumana, where he yesterday held a mini summit of Bolivarian leaders where he declared he would not vote for the Declaration of Commitment of Port-of-Spain in protest over the treatment of Cuba.

3. Obama passed through back as Chavez steals spotlight
“Hail, Presidente!” The cry emitted from the lips of the Venezuelan contingent of media personnel who had gathered at the entrance to the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain, yesterday. When Chavez and his contingent arrived, reporters mobbed him. They closed upon him and cameras clicked like wildfire. Chavez chatted animatedly in Spanish before joining the other 33 heads of the Americas. Spreading his arms, Chavez basked in the outpouring of warmth and affection. He reciprocated quite nicely. All eyes are locked on Chavez who had indicated Venezuela would vote against the Declaration of Port-of-Spain, the final declaration of the Summit of the Americas in protest against the US. strike to be at the summit where trade, health crime and terrorism are expected to be discussed. Former trade unionist, Brazil’s Luiz Inacio da Lula joined the illustrious leaders.

Meanwhile, disappointment marked many faces of international media, summit delegates, staff and fans who, having for hours awaited the arrival of US President Barack Obama at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Port of Spain yesterday, were finally cheated of the opportunity of seeing him. Rather than being driven through the hotel’s entrance , like the other Heads of Government/State, Obama was taken through Dock Road to enter the hotel through the rear.

4. Obama and Chavez shakes hands
Before the opening ceremony of the 5th Summit of the Americas, US President Barack Barack Obama approached the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Hugo Chávez to greet him. Both leaders shook hands in what the press office described as a historic greeting, after several years of tension during the Bush administration when relations between Washington and Caracas had deteriorated.

President Chávez reportedly expressed his desire for change in US-Venezuelan relations to President Obama. “With this very hand eight years ago I greeted Bush. I want to be your friend,” the Venezuelan President told Obama when the latter came over to greet him. President Obama reportedly thanked the Venezuelan leader for the gesture. President Chávez has reiterated on several occasions that all he expects from the United States is that it respect Venezuela and its sovereignty.

5. Prime Minister welcomes Heads and says: Let’s be friends
Prime Minister Patrick Manning last night set the tone for the Fifth Summit of the Americas, when he called on leaders to be politically mature and not allow any one subject to cause discord, as he made reference to the contentious issue of the US trade embargo against Cuba.

“It will be a mistake if we allow any one issue to dominate our deliberations, so many important matters on the agenda. It will be a tragedy if we allow any one issue to be a great source of discord among us and it will be an error of existential proportions if we are not able to conduct our business on the basis of cordiality and mutual respect,” Manning said, as he delivered one of several speeches during the opening ceremony yesterday at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Port of Spain.

“And let it not be said that we failed our people in their hour of need because we lacked the maturity and good sense to conduct our business in a rational and objective manner,” he continued.

The Prime Minister, however, made it clear that the time had come to see the proper reintegration of Cuba into the Western hemisphere. He said the words of US President Barack Obama, who spoke before him, were a great cause for optimism. “And let this Fifth Summit of the Americas be the first in a new approach that heralds in the western hemisphere the dawn of a new and brighter and better day. God bless you all.” The audience gave loud and sustained applause.”

Oh jeez…it start!

On the firm advice of the United States Secret Service, the high-level red zone around the Hyatt Regency Hotel will be activated from 6 am today, instead of midnight, to allow agents to conduct a security sweep of the Port-of-Spain International Waterfront ahead of the arrival of US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the Fifth Summit of the Americas.

Obama and 32 heads of state are to attend the summit which begins tomorrow night at the five- star Hyatt hotel.

Local security officials agreed to move up the time the red zone takes effect to early this morning, one day after the evacuation of the International Finance Centre Tower C, on Tuesday evening, during what officials said was a false fire alarm. The Hyatt, Tower C, Tower D, the port, where the cruise ships, Caribbean Princess and Carnival Victory are docked, and a summit village will be closed to public access and only persons with official accreditation would be allowed into the waterfront. Traffic will also be restricted along Wrightson Road from the lighthouse to Colville Street, Woodbrook.

However, the public can still move around to conduct their last minute business in the streets on the outskirts of the red zone throughout the day, as the blue and yellow zones do not take effect until midnight when access will be limited.

Sources said the Secret Service agents arrived in Trinidad on Monday and began their security sweep of the Hyatt Hotel and IFC towers late yesterday and will conclude tomorrow in for the arrival of Obama and Clinton and the opening ceremony of the summit later in the evening.

Selected members of the Special Branch and Special Anti-Crime Unit will also take part in the exercise, which entails searches for bombs, spy equipment or any device which could endanger the lives of the heads of state and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, who has accepted Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s invitation to attend the summit.

Newsday has also learned the decision to step up the security measures coincides with the arrivals last night of Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer and Barbados Prime Minister David Thompson. Many more Caricom and Latin American leaders are also expected to continue arriviving throughout today.

Although no decision was taken yesterday to activate the red zone around Piarco International Airport, ahead of the original midnight time, it is expected that with the arrivals of the hemispheric leaders, security will be tight along the main roadways, including the Churchill Roosevelt Highway. A security sweep is also to be done at the airport and the old southern terminal which has been refurbished to accommodate the arrivals of leaders, especially those flying on their own aircraft. Obama will arrive on Air Force One and Clinton flies in on her own jet.

An additional security concern around the Hyatt was prompted by the presence of huge crowds at the summit village which was opened to the public on Easter Monday. It was originally scheduled to close on Tuesday evening, but up to late yesterday, hundreds of people danced the music played by popular radio DJs at the village. Traffic backed up on Wrightson Road for hours and pedestrians risked their lives by passing through the lines of vehicles.

Secretariat spokesman Dennis McComie confirmed the congestion was one of the reasons for the activation of the red zone. He gave the first public alert of the 6 am start of security restrictions in an announcement to delegates at the end of the first session of the Civil Society Forum held on board the Carnival Victory. Speaking with Newsday afterwards, McComie said the change was made because of “security considerations.”

RED ZONE from Page 3A

“This is because of the influx of citizens on the promenade. Our citizens are anxious and curious to see the new waterfront promenade and of course, it’s theirs. We had to take into consideration the number of cars on Wrightson Road and then we have delegates arriving and media coming in. Remember, it is the red zone only,” McComie said.

Minister of Trade and Industry Mariano Browne, who leads an inter-ministerial team charged with organising the summit, last night also said the earlier start to the red zone was due to arrival of the Antigua and Babardos prime ministers as well as the traffic problems on Wrighton Road.

The congestion will however ease up with the red zone alert which is also going to affect operations at the Water Taxi terminal which will be closed. Passengers who had planned to use the ferry service to sail Tobago may be inconvenienced too by the sudden move to activate the red zone along the water front. Sailings to Tobago will be restricted to only one over the weekend.

President of the Downtown Owners and Merchants Association Gregory Aboud expressed concern that business people would lose another full day of business because of the sudden security alert. “My official position is that we had heard a rumour and we called today on more than one occasion and we had been assured by the Secretariat that Wrightson Road would be closed only at midnight on Thursday 16,” Aboud said.

“We would be extremely surprised if changes have been made and the announcement of these changes takes place at the last minute when there is no means of recovery or communication with staff and customers,” Aboud added.

He said there was no need to explain just how devastating this would be to the business community. “That would be felt amply if this is done,” he said.

Corporate communications manager of Republic Bank, Anna Maria Garcia-Brooks, said they had not been informed about any changes and as far as she knew, it would be business as usual today.

Banks have already altered their business hours, opening from 8 am to 12 pm and 3 pm and 5 pm today, closing their Port-of-Spain branches tomorrow.

US First Lady Michelle Obama is not coming to Trinidad and Tobago with her husband, President Barack Obama, for the Fifth Summit of the Americas, which starts tomorrow at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Port-of-Spain. The T&T Guardian was informed by an official of the US Embassy in Port-of-Spain, that Michelle has decided to stay at her White House residence with her daughters, Malia, ten and Sasha, seven, who are enjoying an Easter break from school. She has also decided to abort the Mexico trip which her husband embarks on today, for one day, before he flies into Trinidad tomorrow.

Obama will fly in tomorrow afternoon aboard Air Force One, with his personal staff, Secret Service agents and a number of US journalists. Also expected on the same flight is Mexican President Felipe Calderon, with whom Obama will hold talks later today on Mexico’s battle against drug cartels operating in Latin America.

Another reason Michelle has opted out of the two-nation tour was that she is continuing her tour to thank employees of various Cabinet agencies for their service to the US. The T&T public has been looking forward to the visit of the Obamas. While Obama may be inaccessible to the public because of the intense security around him, the public felt that seeing and meeting Michelle was a real possibility.

Had she come, Michelle would have gone with the spouses to a special programme arranged for them on Saturday. The spouses are being taken by water taxi to the Wild Fowl Trust, Pointe-a-Pierre, and the Caroni Bird Sanctuary facilities. Security officials in Trinidad have remained tight-lipped as to where Obama will be staying during his two-day visit to Trinidad. There is a booking for him at the Hilton where 1,000 members of the US delegation will be housed during the Summit. There was a report last night that Obama may be the guest of Prime Minister Patrick Manning at his official residence at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s. But, this remained unconfirmed.

PRIME Minister Patrick Manning yesterday declared open the Fifth Summit of the Americas which he dubbed, “the People’s Summit”, as he launched the Civil Society Forum onboard the cruise ship, Caribbean Victory, which is docked in Port-of-Spain.

“I welcome you to the Fifth Summit of the Americas,” he told hundreds of guests from civil society and public life.

Manning said: “The effects of civil society’s work have often been lost to those of us who toil in other vineyards.” However, he thanked these groups for helping many people over the years and said they had a critical role to play in the development of a people and society.

He said civil society must be facilitated. (See Page 8A) “To maximise the potential of the societies, the people must have their say.” Manning said governments must not govern in their own interests but in the interests of the people.

Saying a nation is judged on how it treats its least fortunate citizens, he said civil society has the potential to make nations great. Each government in the hemisphere, he said, has the duty to boost the spread and effectiveness of its civil society groups.

Manning hoped the forum would help clarify the role of civil society groups, and advance their relationship with the State.

He warned that while State help is available to civil society groups, access can be fettered by the failure of some groups to properly organise themselves. He said this was partly due to the voluntary nature of the work of civil society, but is compounded when such groups fail to define their purpose.

“This results in its mission remaining unfocused and its target population unidentified,” he cautioned.

Civil society groups, he added, also suffer from a perception that anybody can do what they want to do. “Our civil society groups therefore need to be highly organized and focused. This is mandatory.” Such actions, he said, would legitimize and authenticate their efforts and operations. He urged civil society be helped to access a valuable reservoir of support that is available in this information age, adding the summit recognizes that governments are increasingly heeding such groups. He said there was an inextricable link between the civil society forum and the mission of the summit of human prosperity, energy security and environmental sustainability.

“This my dear friends is a People’s Summit. In the end it will be the people who benefit.” He urged the development of as many civil society groups as possible, especially for the elderly, ill, differently-abled, less fortunate and specially- gifted. “Your deliberations will go a considerable way to improving the lives of the people in the hemisphere.”

for this Summit weekend.
_{I wanted to reach 43 articles anyway}

A British MP barred from Canada is considering suing the federal government for having branded him a terrorist.

Lawyers for George Galloway say he has contacted civil litigation attorneys and been advised that he could win financial damages in a defamation suit. The Harper government says the five-time MP is inadmissible to Canada because he engaged in terrorism and was a member of a group that engaged in terrorism.

That charge is apparently based on the fact that Galloway delivered humanitarian goods to war-torn Gaza and gave $45,000 to the Hamas government.

Hamas is a banned terrorist organization in Canada.

Galloway’s lawyers are already challenging the entry ban in Federal Court, and they say he has also spoken with other attorneys about a civil suit.

“I know for a fact that he had consulted with lawyers and they told him he has grounds,” said Hadayt Nazami, a Toronto lawyer on Galloway’s legal team.

Galloway has won at least two defamation suits in the past.

A spokesman for Galloway said lawyers are “absolutely” working on a defamation case, and now trying to establish whether the government could defend itself by invoking privilege.

The federal government advised Galloway in a letter last week that he could not enter Canada because he violated provisions 34.1c and 34.1f of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

That first provision says someone can be barred from Canada for “engaging in terrorism.” The second says someone can be barred for “being a member of an organization” that engages in terrorism.

Galloway says he not only doesn’t belong to Hamas, but he wouldn’t even support its political faction if he could vote in Palestinian elections.

However, his opponents have pointed to his repeated, virulent criticisms of the Israeli state and cast him as anti-Jewish.

The Jewish Defamation League of Canada sent two cabinet ministers a letter last week declaring Galloway a “hater” and urging that he be kept out.

The next day, the Canada Border Services Agency declared Galloway would be inadmissible.

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced the decision later in the week and said he would not use his ministerial power to overturn it. Kenney said he did not ask the CBSA to rule the way it did.

Galloway bristles at the accusation of anti-Semitism and last year successfully sued a London radio station for making the charge, forcing the station to shut down.

He also successfully sued – and was awarded over $350,000 Cdn in damages from – a London newspaper that accused him of profiting from the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq.

In policy debates, Galloway has frequently sided with Israel’s most bitter enemies. But he says he’s not anti-Jewish and, on his radio phone-in show, has chastised callers for making anti-Semitic remarks.

He was to visit Canada for a three-city speaking tour organized by anti-war activists. He is currently in the United States on a similar tour.

Galloway’s supporters say he will still attempt to cross the border, likely on Monday.