I see you as no less or more than any other grouping that makes up the mosaic of this country.

Like all of us you would make mistakes from time to time, and we have no choice but to forgive you because that’s what Christian brothers do.

ANISA GRANT via email

Reading from a Moody’s report dated June 30 and titled “Government of Trinidad and Tobago: Mid-year budget review signals benefits from higher oil prices, but fiscal challenges remain sizeable”, she expressed concern that the country had not been informed about the report.

Persad-Bissessar was addressing a large contingent of flag-waving supporters at the party’s Monday Night Forum meeting at the McBean Hindu primary school, Couva on Monday night.

“I do not believe that anybody in this country is aware of this plan by the government and if they are, come out and tell us. I call on the government to tell me is Moody’s lying? “And when I read this statement, tell me what this is about because 25,000 jobs…it looks as though many thousands and thousands more will lose their jobs,” she said.

She then read a line from the report: “Further pending reductions could materialise during the rest of the year as the government plans to cut three billion dollars from public salaries this year.” Persad-Bissessar asked: “Is this true? Who are you going to fire? Are you going to fire police officers? Defence force officers? Public servants in the Ministry?” In a wide ranging speech, a fiery Persad- Bissessar said Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s press conference on Monday to explain his sacking of Marlene McDonald from the post of Public Utilities Minister, (a post which she had only been sworn into last Friday) had reminded her of the words of former prime minister Patrick Manning who had once described Rowley as a “raging bull.” She said Rowley’s statement that the Integrity Commission had “no integrity” showed his ability to “flip flop” whenev- er the situation was against him and cited Rowley’s statement during the “emailgate” scandal saying Rowley had once expressed “full confidence” in the body. “Fast forward to last week, June 29, 2017, ‘The Integrity Commission has cleared Marlene Mc- Donald.’ And then we come to today, July 3, 2017, ‘The Integrity Commission has no integrity.’ Is this man for real?” She said Rowley has given no explanation why he fired McDonald, and when he rehired her, he used the same letter from the Integrity Commission from October last year which he used that to fire her.

“And when he rehired her, he used the same letter from the Integrity Commission.

“When you heard the Prime Minister speak today, it was the voice of a very desperate man to justify his own incompetence, when he knows he has run out of excuses, desperate to blame other people when it is his responsibility,” she said, adding, “We are now facing a deepening crisis of leadership in our country.” And regarding the issue of crime, Persad- Bissessar said while she did not want to “politicise ” the suffering of the victims’ families, told supporters she had been unable to sleep properly since the funeral of murdered schoolboy Videsh Subar. She said the blood of the innocents were on the hands of the ruling party.

“I went to that funeral and Greg (Bissessar) would tell you, I have not been able to sleep peacefully since I went. And that day I had to go to two funerals because our councillor Lezama, his sister had been murdered, stabbed to death just a few days before.

“Why is it that every time that the PNM is in power, murder and kidnapping increase, serious crimes increase, why?”

She returned saying he would not comment on anything said by Rowley about the commission.

Rowley made the remark on Monday during a news conference explaining his revocation of the Cabinet appointment of MP for Port of Spain South, Marlene McDonald.

St Andrew’s Anglican also secured the third place on the island with Kareah Manning who will also be attending Bishop’s High.

Overcome with emotion yesterday, Shenice told Newsday, “I feel really ecstatic. I didn’t expect this, I tried but I really wasn’t looking forward to this kind of result. I did put in a lot of work, late nights and long school days but I wasn’t always in my books. I still did extra-curricular activities like swimming, singing and piano.

I want to be a psychologist or cardiologist when I grow up.” Her father Frank Stanisclaus was also surprised by his daughter’s achievement.

“I have to give it to her,” he said.

“She worked hard. We ensured that she did a certain amount of work every day, but quite apart from that we allowed her to do her music. She does piano. She does swimming and so on. So, she had those types of relaxation.” Her schoolmate Kareah experienced mixed emotions.

“I feel happy, scared… I am not an emotional kind of person. I wanted to go to Bishops and I feel excited knowing that I would be going there come September.” Principal Nicole Henry-Waldron could not contain her excitement as it was the first time St Andrew’s had secured the top place in the examination on the sister isle.

“I am very elated and I feel very motivated,” she told Newsday.

As she congratulated the staff at the school, Henry-Waldron also encouraged parents to continue to be a part of their children’s lives as the school copped four spots in the top ten.

Second place went to St Nicholas Private’s Chelsea Low who said she never expected to be placed at her first choice.

“I would be going to Bishop’s High School. I want to encourage other students like myself to never give up because it pays off. It was a lot of hard work and long hours but I think it was worth it.” Scarborough Methodist’s Jordan Langley was the only boy to secure a spot in the top ten. Langley placed sixth in Tobago and 742 nationally having obtained a total score of 238.74. He was assigned to Bishops High School.

Team TT pulled off an upset at the Championships, finishing first overall over four disciplines. The historic achievement for TT as the only English-speaking country to top the points table of 26 countries over the event’s 70- year history is simply astounding.

In a media release issued yesterday, Rowley saluted the young athletes. “You have made the entire country proud of your accomplishments.

Success does not come easy but your hard word, passionate commitment, grit and determination has paid off. Team TTO is today an inspiration for all who aspire to greatness in our nation.” Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Darryl Smith was happy that the country was able to host a successful Championships. “We were confident that the Aquatic Centre would adequately meet the demands of such a large tournament, which was ably managed by ASATT (Amateur Swimming Association of TT),” Smith said.

“Equally, as the first time hosts of all five disciplines of the Championships, we never doubted that Team TTO’s home crowd advantage would be a factor in the athlete’s performances. We congratulate all the athletes and their coaches for the commitment and dedication shown over the past few months. The entire aquatics community should be proud of the record- breaking accomplishments at CCCAN 2017, both in and out of the pool.” TT did not only emerge champions overall, but earned a record haul of 73 medals, the most in the country’s history of participation at CCCAN. Among the additional firsts recorded by TT during CCCAN 2017 were a competitive diver Alyssa Ramlakhan winning gold in the springboard events, as well as registering more than half a dozen meet records.

“These feats bode well for the present and future of aquatics in TT, as we look ahead to cheering on one of the CCCAN stars Dylan Carter at the World Championships to be held from July 14 to 30 in Budapest, Hungary,” the media release ended.

The charge was read to the accused man who was not called upon to plead as he was charged indictably by PC Joseph. On Saturday morning at about 9 am the girl was on her way to a parlour near her home when she was approached by a man. Reports said the man snatched her and dragged her into some nearby bushes. He then raped her and left her there. The child sought help and a report was made at the Chaguanas Police Station after which the man was arrested and charged. The accused who was remanded into police custody is expected to reappear before a Chaguanas magistrate today.

“They were placed at the home earlier this year by the court,” she said.

“Before, he was involved in a number of different activities including breaking into people’s homes. Only about a month later we got a call from an official who said that he along with three other boys had escaped.” The woman explained that a report was made to the police and since March two of the four boys have been held. However, her relative and one other youth remains at large. She said despite reported sightings of the teen in Gasparillo, she has no idea where he may be and is calling on officers in the Southern Division to look into the matter.

“My sister-in-law told me she caught a glimpse of him at a bar in South and then again in Moruga. He is a danger to himself at this point because from what I’m being told by other relatives, he is still breaking into people’s homes.”

He is alleged to have smashed the windscreens a n d windows of the vehicles when he ran amok in the village. A police report stated that between 2.30 am and 4.40 am on Friday, the owners of the vehicles were awakened to loud noises and, upon checking, found their vehicles badly damaged. Total damage to the vehicles have been estimated to be $12,000. The suspect of Stanley Ville, Ste Madeleine was expected to appear before a magistrate in the San Fernando Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

He was arrested and charged by PC James of the Ste Madeleine Police Station.

Moonsammy, 25, of Petit Caf? Road was attempting to recover $140 owed by the man who, during an altercation, stabbed him at a car wash business place.

Police reports stated that around 5 pm, Moonsammy, a labourer, went to the business place located near his home where a heated argument ensued after he asked the man to repay the money he owed. The 20-year-old suspect stabbed Moonsammy who ran home and collapsed. He was taken to the Princes Town District Health Facility where he died. His sister Sarswatee Moonsammy told Newsday the funeral is scheduled for tomorrow at the home then to the Shore of Peace cremation site at La Romaine under Hindu rites. Police confirmed that an arrest is yet to be made.

There were no abstentions.

According to the explanatory notes, the Bill allows a prosecutor and an accused person, which includes a person suspected of committing a criminal offence and a defendant in proceedings before the court for criminal proceedings (whether on his own or represented by an attorney), to engage in plea discussions aimed at arriving at a plea agreement.

The plea discussions may be initiated by either the accused person or prosecutor in both summary and indictable offences. Under the plea agreement, the accused agrees to plead guilty to a specified offence or undertakes to perform any other obligations contained in the plea agreement in exchange for the prosecutor’s undertaking to take a particular course of action.

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