The rest will depart on August 20 and 22.

One of the organisers Sheriff Mohammed, said his group would be leaving with 58 pilgrims tomorrow at 1 am, to start their journey to the pilgrimage in Mecca.

Mohammed said they received the group visa’s last Wednesday from the Saudi Arabian diplomats and everything was in place for the group to leave the country.

“I want to say special thanks to the Minister of National Security Edmund Dillon and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ protocol department,” Mohammed said.

“It feels good to know everyone has their documents for the trip. All the pilgrims are looking forward to the trip.” He continued, “They have formed a WhatsApp group to get the feeling of the Hajj and get in the mood of spirituality.” Another organiser, Zabar Baksh, said their group of 60 people would be leaving Trinidad on August 20.

He said despite the challenges to get foreign exchange, which is a big issue in Trinidad and Tobago, everything was ready for their travel. “We eventually got through for those travelling to Saudi Arabia. I personally will not be going on the trip. Since 2012 I got sick and I have not been going but my son and someone will be leading the group.” In a press release yesterday, the Airports Authority of TT said they received a request to film the departure of pilgrims journeying to Mecca for the annual Hajj pilgrimage and the request was approved by the Authority.

The release added that the Airports Authority customarily approves requests for the use of its facilities by various religious and culture groups.

The reactions to this video started me thinking about creativity and protest. This woman, in an effort to get authorities to do their job, used her popularity and technology to shame them into taking action. To highlight the same issue, one artist spent her own money to create a life-sized crocodile in the centre of one of the holes to emphasise how large it was. We laugh and grumble about potholes here, but as reported in Indian online media, in “data compiled by the ministry of road transport and highways, 10,876 people were killed due to potholes in 2015 which is a slight dip from 11,106 deaths in 2014”.

At home, there is a great deal that bothers citizens every day.

What if we could fuse our creativity and technology to constantly highlight national matters, and move the focus beyond online audiences into the streets, homes, minds and consciousness of our nation? Of course, we already know about protest art in TT. From traditional Carnival Characters, to Jab Molassie, to mas portrayals, Soca, Rapso, Pichakaree, Kaiso, poetry and Spoken Word, artists use their voices to draw attention to corruption and mismanagement all the time. But are our voices loud enough, are they too seasonal and do people hear us as often as they should? I watched the moving choreography of Aisha Commissiong from Barbados recently. She used the human body to portray the plight of refugees, visually creating the effect of the ocean and of people being thrown off board and trying to climb back on. The audience held its collective breath.

Still in her twenties, Aisha understands the responsibility she carries as an artist to use her gifts to change the world. Locally, young people are using film to focus on issues like environmental degradation, and to talk about systemic inequality and its negative impact on their futures.

However, I feel that for art to have more social impact, the consciousness of “art as protest” must not be viewed as the responsibility of those who already do it, but must become part of a generational approach to activism.

The children of revolutionaries like Aisha whose father is a social and cultural activist, like Shabaka Kambon, Asha Lovelace, Nihilet Blackman, Attillah Springer and others, they have been schooled in environments of struggle, intellectual curiosity and protest. They had no choice but to confront the problems facing their nation and ultimately the world. But for young people without this background, art must be ever present, reaching into their heads, taking over the space currently occupied by Facebook fights, hypersexuality and foreign values.

The latest issue to surface on my social media news feed is that of a Social Studies text book targeted to infants, which does not include Emancipation, our First Peoples or Indian Arrival Day. After decades of Independence, talk of inclusion, national identity and transformation of our education, this is the last thing the people of TT need.

This book and the other challenges we face, serve to remind that the artist must always be vigilant, but signal that we must be more. We must be catalysts for change, and inspirations for ‘civic and social identity’ because here our ‘potholes’ also run deep. I am prepared to do more to make this possible. Who will stand with me? Dara Healy is a performance artist and founder of the NGO, the Indigenous Creative Arts Network – ICAN.

Kevon Harry, 32, of Roberston Street, pleaded guilty when he appeared before Magistrate Brambhanan Dubay in the San Fernando Magistrates Court.

The magistrate heard from prosecutor PC Cleyon Seedan that at about 7 a.m on Thursday, PC Dhanraj Matloo of the San Fernando CID led other police to Harry’s home. They searched for illegal arms and ammunition.

Seedan said Harry was at home but he denied having anything illegal in the house when the police questioned him. Police searched and found the gun and the ammunition in the living room. Police also found on the kitchen table, eight packets of marijuana which, when weighed, amounted to 298 grammes.

Harry was arrested and taken to the Marabella Police Station.

Attorney Chantal Paul in mitigating on Harry’s behalf, told Dubay her client’s apartment was recently broken into and, as a father of three children, he had the gun and the ammunition for the protection of his family. Paul told the court while Harry had a conviction for trafficking in marijuana, he had no criminal record for any violent crimes.

Dubay, in passing sentence, said it did not seem Harry was an immediate threat to society.

He fined him $12,000 for possession of the firearm. In default of payment he would serve three years in prison with hard labour. Harry was ordered to pay $8,000 for possession of the ammunition, if he fails to do so, he would serve three years in jail. And for the marijuana possession, he was ordered to pay $6,000, failing which he would serve 16 months in prison with hard labour. He was granted 60 days to pay.

The magistrate commended Matloo saying he is one of those police officers who is always equipped with all the documents that are needed to prosecute people he charges. Harry’s arrest, Dubay said, meant one less firearm on the streets. He said he hopes his commendation would reach the relevant authorities and Matloo be given $500 as a reward for exceptional police work.

The women’s scratch had a promising field of young females making their debut, however, the experienced Campbell held off her competitors to claim gold in the Women’s 10Km Scratch Race (40 laps).

Heat Wave Cycling Club’s Costa sisters, Jessica and Alexi, secured the silver and bronze, respectively, in the event.

In the Men’s 15Km Scratch (60 laps), Alexander opened a lead, in lap 30, over the rest of the field and never looked back as he pedaled to gold.

PSL riders Jovian Gomez and Akiel Campbell took silver and bronze in the category, respectively, where Campbell copped the U-23 Gold medal in the event.

Junior cyclist, Tyler Cole (Team DPS), was unable to claim a medal due to being a junior cyclist at the event, however, that did not stop the young rider from leaping out of the bunch and linking up with Gomez where they worked together to lap the main field and applied some pressure on Alexander. PSL’s Campbell and Varun Maharajh tried valiantly throughout to also take a lap on the field but Alexander ensured that the two remained in no man’s land and a half a lap down.

The Women’s Team Sprint also pedaled off on Thursday night where Kollyn St. George and Dominique Lovell of Breakaway Cycling Club rode away with the gold medal in a time of 38.21 seconds.

They were closely followed by Team DPS cyclist Tamiko Butler and her partner Alexandra Bovell (Unattached) with their time of 39.38 seconds.

Jessica and Alexi joined forces for the team sprint as the Costa sisters copped the bronze medal in a time of 42.29 seconds.

They also took part in TT ’s first ever Women’s Team Pursuit at a national event as they were accompanied by Christiane Farah and Bovell, setting a new national record with a time of 5:24.93 seconds.

Last night, the Men and Women Keirin events were contested along with the Points race events.

Cycling action continues today, starting at 11am and 5pm.

Admission is free to the public during the morning session and costs TT $20 for the evening session.

Arif Ali, 26, and Moussa Winston Peters, 22, both of Dow Village in California, appeared before Magistrate Alicia Chankar and were not called upon to plead as the charges were laid indictably. It is alleged that on July 30 at Railway Road in California, Ali and Peters and three other men shot Akeem McDonald in the head while in his car.

McDonald managed to exit the car and run away. The men, it is alleged, then set his car ablaze.

McDonald was treated at the San Fernando General Hospital.

Sgt Ken Ali and PC Anil Mohammed of Couva CID charged Ali and Peters with possession of a Taurus gun and 14 rounds of ammunition and possession of the gun and ammunition to endanger lives. The men were also charged with wounding McDonald with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm and malicious damage of the car.

Yesterday court prosecutor Sgt Vicki Ranjitsingh informed the court that a bullet is still lodged in McDonald’s head.

Chankar denied bail and remanded the men into police custody to reappear in court on September 8.

“What we’re going to do is continue to manage this 136-yearold business well, continue to celebrate the great work our 6,000 plus employees are doing and continue to manage and grow our assets and we’ll do what we know best. That’s what we’re going to do going forward,” Sabga said.

This was his response to Roget’s call asked by a reporter at a press conference on Thursday to discuss ANSA McAL’s results for the six months ended June 30.

The conference was held at the TATIL Building on Maraval Road in Port of Spain.

Sabga’s comments came days after the American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham) condemned Roget’s call as divisive, unfortunate and counter productive.

In a statement issued on August 7, Amcham called on the trade unions to return to the Tripartite Council and said that economic and social decay has been the result in every country where a minority has been persecuted, in an attempt to shift power or influence to another group.

The business group also said that Roget’s call was not in the interest of the very workers that the unions are supposed to represent.

“We acknowledge that trade unions have a very important part to play in protecting and promoting the rights and best interests of their members.

“This can only be done through dialogue leading to constructive solutions.

“In that regard, we too would like to see a return to multi party dialogue in a manner that allows all stakeholders to participate in a meaningful and constructive way.” Amcham added that the National Tripartite Advisory Council (NTAC) was that vehicle but said it is not functioning as intended.

“The world is in the midst of an economic crisis, with new political and social disruptions occurring almost daily and that at this time, the country needs leaders including those from within the trade union movement, who are willing to look past all differences and seek solutions to the challenges faced by the country.

“We believe that this is not the time for pointing fingers, but instead a time of increased collaboration and dialogue. Myopic viewpoints and unreasonable demands that seek to promote specific agendas rather that finding innovative solutions should not be the first course of action,” Amcham stated.

Ferguson and Galbaransingh along with former United National Congress (UNC) Ministers Brian Kuei Tung and Sadiq Baksh, former Airports Authority Chairmen Tyrone Gopee, Peter Cateau and Ameer Edoo all appeared before Port of Spain Magistrate Ejenny Espinet yesterday.

Temperatures rose when the attorney representing Ferguson and Galbaransingh, Rajiv Persad, was unable to attend and his colleague Christophe Rodriguez stood in his place. Rodriguez said one of the accused Amrith Maharaj, former managing director of Northern Construction Ltd was unable to attend the hearing as he was feeling unwell.

“Your worship we have a constraint this morning as Mr Maharaj was up to yesterday (Thursday) complaining of feeling ill.

I feel it may be a better course of action for us to wait until everyone is present to deal with the matter,” Rodriguez said.

Magistrate Espinet said while the questions can be posed collectively, there was no need for all of the accused to be present for the initial proceedings.

Espinet later asked the men if they would be presenting evidence under oath during the proceedings, to which Galbaransingh said he would but also wanted the liberty of airing his grievance to the court.

“I want to register my strong objection to the continuation of this matter. It is my contention that these proceedings have been instigated by the PNM government, which since its commencement, has caused me great expense and anxiety,” Galbaransingh said.

Ferguson also told the court that he too was opposed to the continuation of the inquiry. “It is my position that these charges are politically instigated under the control of former prime minister Patrick Manning (now deceased) and former Attorney General John Jeremy. I also object to this hearing until the High Court releases their decision on whether or not the matter is to proceed.” Elaine Greene, who held in the absence of special prosecutor Gilbert Peterson, SC, criticised the remarks of both Galbaransingh and Ferguson saying the statements of two were gratuitous. Galbaransingh and Ferguson are facing a number of charges relating to the construction of the $1.6 billion Piarco Airport Terminal building.

Magistrate Espinet adjourned the matter to August 18.

Ramdeen made this allegation at a news conference at his office in Woodbrook yesterday.

Referring to two documents which he said supported his claim, Ramdeen called on Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi, “to launch an investigation into the board of the Port today.” He called on the police to launch a criminal investigation into the cancellation of the contract.

Ramdeen said that investigation must involve the seizure and preservation of all written and electronic correspondence pertaining to the Ocean Flower II. He called on Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan to fire the entire board of the Port Authority, if they do not resign immediately.

Ramdeen called on Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to fire Sinanan if he himself does not resign. He also said Sinanan must hand over his computer and phone to the police to assist them in any investigation they conduct into this matter. Ramdeen also demanded a “full forensic investigation into Bridgeman Services TT Ltd and for a, “a trace on the funds that are being paid each month under the Cabo Star.” He said documentation provided to the Port Authority showed the Ocean Flower II had a plethora of defects which made it a safety hazard and unsuitable for use on the domestic seabridge. However Port Authority chairman Alison Lewis rejected Ramdeen’s claims about why the Ocean Flower II’s contract was terminated. She maintained that the contract was terminated because the vessel arrived late. Lewis said there are specific clauses in the contract which speak to this. She said the Port exercised its options in accordance with those clauses. Lewis wondered if Ramdeen wanted the Port Authority’s board to resign because it acted to save taxpayers’ money and in the country’s best interest.

She added that contrary to other allegations, “we did not incur any mobilisation fee.” Lewis reiterated that the Port Authority made a good corporate decision in this matter. Sinanan on Wednesday said he had no problem with any investigation into the cancellation of the contract.

He has also said it is Rowley’s prerogative as prime minister to dismiss him if he feels the circumstances warrant it.

The cause of the blaze which gutted the property in an area known as Dougla City in Fifth Company, Moruga was not yet known up to press time. Of the 13 homeless, five are children.

According to reports, at about 2 am, Alliyah’s relatives were awakened by crackling sounds and realised their house was on fire. After the occupants ran out of the burning house, a head count was done and both Alliyah and Gopaul, who slept together, were unaccounted for.

By this time, the entire house was on fire.

Units from the Princes Town Fire Station responded and after the flames were doused, firemen came across the burnt, skeletal remains of the child and her aunt near the kitchen area on the top floor. Alliyah’s cousin Lexi Butcher, eight, suffered burns to her right arm while her mother Natalie Gopaul suffered cuts. No one else was injured.

Alliyah was expected to enter Standard Three at the Fifth Company Baptist Primary School in the new term. Her mother, Nicole Gopaul, 32, was not at home when the fire broke out.

Yesterday, on arriving at the scene Gopaul was inconsolable and had to be carried away. Nicole, a receptionist at a gym, had spent the night at a house in South Oropouche.

Alliyah’s aunt and Nicole’s twin sister Nikeisha Mitchell, recalled that her niece had breathing problems as a newborn and was on life support for three days.

Only recently, Alliyah kept asking her mother to keep a thanksgiving in celebration of life. “She kept asking her mother to keep a thanksgiving for her. Two weeks, we had the thanksgiving for Alliyah who was her mother’s only child,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell said her sister and Alliyah shared a close bond, hence the reason why they shared the same bed.

“Neisha did housekeeping and masonry with a construction firm. She was supposed to go to Las Cuevas beach on Sunday,” Mitchell said.

Patriarch of the family Lincoln Elvin, 70, a father of 11 and grandfather of 14, said he was awakened by the crackling sounds of fire and went outside.

He immediately alerted his wife Sumintra Elvin-Gopaul and other relatives.

“I asked who was missing and they said Alliyah and Neisha.

We called out to them but heard nothing. There was no bawling. The fire people found them later,” Elvin said. Investigations are ongoing.

According to reports, residents of Cornelius Drive heard gunshots at about 4.30 pm.

Residents made a check a few minutes later and found the man’s bullet-riddled body in the drain. His identity was unknown up until press time. Supt David, ASP Mervyn Edwards, Inspector Craig and PC Sutherland visited the scene.

The body was later removed to the Forensic Science Centre in St James. Police are appealing to the public for assistance in identifying the body so that an autopsy can be done. Investigations are continuing.