And while it is well known that women feel shame and embarrassment which frequently keeps them from reporting domestic violence to the authorities, the participants were asked to imagine the plight of men who fear being ridiculed when reporting to the police that they are being abused by their wives, especially when the victim is a policeman himself .

Indeed, Snr Superintendent of Police Joanne Archie, who heads Police Tobago Division, told the women that for the first ten months of this year there have been nine hundred and ninety-one incidents of domestic violence reported to the police. She lamented that far too often the response to these incidents is too slow. She also said that often those responding underestimate how dangerous the situation is for the victim. She related one incident in which she dealt with a woman who was being abused .

She said she and the woman developed a plan to get her out of the situation but regretted that she acted too slowly and one day while shopping she heard on the radio that the woman and her daughter had been killed. “While I was in the store trying on the shoe, the twelve o’clock news came on and I heard a mother and daughter chopped to death in St. Margaret’s.” She said that she was shaken and had to sit down. The store attendant noticed her distress and asked whether she was all right but she responded that she was unable to talk at the moment .

“Because we were planning, we were planning to get her out.” She said that serving restraining orders on those committing acts of domestic violence merely makes the situation worse. She added that the issue of abused men is not adequately recognised, relating the case of one of her colleagues, a police officer, SRP Eric George, who confessed to her that he was being abused by his wife. George was said to be well-known for his single- handed campaign against drug traffickers in the late 1990s .

She said she was taken aback when the officer told her that he was being abused by his wife, but he showed some improvement through counseling. However, she said that one day he approached her and she was not able to listen to him. George later shot and killed his wife, Tara, and then killed himself .

Archie told the women: “People tell me ‘Well no, Joanne, there is only so much you can do,’ but I forgot him. And I feel that if I was able to speak with him, because I think that was the final straw, he reached out.” She said those two incidents have made her stress the importance of a swift response to incidents of domestic violence .

Gillian Wall, co-founder of the group, Powerful Ladies of Trinidad and Tobago (PLOTT), acknowledged that the Trinidad and Tobago society is a highly aggressive and violent one and that women have become a lot more aggressive .

“There are many homes across Trinidad and Tobago where the aggressor is the female and if there are so many women out there that feel ashamed to come out and say they are subject to violence, what do you think is happening to the men who are being abused?” She said that in the course of the day’s session, the participants were told of a case where the person being abused was a police officer that was being abused by his wife and the immediate response was laughter .

“So we need to become more emphatetic as a society, we need to understand that these are our sisters, our brothers, our neighbours. If we do not take care of our people, our people won’t take care of us. If a nation fails its people, it fails itself and we have got to do a better job.” The forum was held to commemorate the international day for the elimination of violence against women .

This was disclosed by Community Development, Culture and the Arts Minister, Dr Nyan Gadbsy Dolly, as she deputised for Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley at the National Merikin Community Award and Recognition Ceremony at the Central Bank Auditorium in Port-of-Spain last Thursday night.

The Merikins were Af rican-American refugees of the War of 1812, freed black slaves who fought for the British against the USA in the Corps of Colonial Marines and then, after post-war service in Bermuda, were established as a community in the south of Trinidad in 1815 to 16. “Today the Merikin community is calling on the Government to grant them legal rights to land which they have been occupying for generations,” Gadsby-Dolly told her audience. She then revealed, “ The Prime Minister of TT has asked me to assure you that the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government is already actively examining this long outstanding request with a view to designating the approximately 6,608 acres of land already earmarked in South Trinidad as a heritage site.” The audience applauded and cheered loudly in response.

Gadsby-Dolly further disclosed that in recognition of the Merikins celebrations and in keeping with Government’s thrust, “to document the history of TT for posterity,” the Prime Minister has requested Public Administration and Communications Minister Maxie Cuffie to collaborate with the Merikin community with the aim of establishing a programme of nationwide education on the history of the Merikins and their overall contribution to national development.

As she highlighted some aspects of the Merikins’ history, Gadsby-Dolly observed that the freeing of these African American slaves could be regarded as an, “isolated and unplanned forerunner to the abolition of slavery.”

He also promised Carenage residents a plot of land to farm at Chaguaramas. Rowley spoke at a People’s National Movement (PNM) spot meeting last Friday night at Frisco Junction, corner Haig and Abbe Pujadas Streets, Carenage, where his Diego Martin West constituents heard speeches from a galaxy of Cabinet Ministers and then aspiring councillors.

“The Prime Minister’s Best Village will be coming back to you and ramped up, because it is a good, positive activity,” Rowley said.

“We want to encourage young people to direct their energies, and we want to unearth talent that they never knew they had.” On a cultural note, he said new community centres are earmarked for Four Roads and Bagatelle, both in Diego Martin. Rowley also encouraged Carenage residents to get into farming, in contrast to the dubious allocation of Chaguaramas lands to “Tom, Dick and Harry”, days before the 2015 General Elections.

He said the new Board of the Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA) has decided to encourage a number of Carenage residents to access farmland in the Chaguaras Valley. “The Board has my support and those of you who are willing to convert Chaguaramas Valley from bush to farming plots, to contribute to the national food import reduction effort, some plots will become available to you to grow vegetables and other crops and you will be encouraged to do so by the Board.” “By the same token, we will ensure that as we look at Chaguaramas as an area of development, the people of this area – Point Cumana, Diego Martin, Carenage, L’anse Mitan – you get a share of what Carenage is.” Relating past residents’ support for PNM founder, Dr Eric Williams’, fight to get back Chaguaramas from the United States military, Rowley vowed, “If there are things to be had in Chaguaramas, you are not to be left out.” Rowley vowed to build a new Carenage Police Station, and to resume work to build a Carenage Fish Market just as done for the new St Joseph Police Station, the two latter both put on hold for five yearsby the former People’s Partnership Government.

The OWTU recalled, “While many speak of a need for so-called ‘democracy’ in Cuba we must not forget that life in Cuba under Fulgencia Batista was brutal and oppressive, particularly for the lower and working classes; yet still, America, the so-called greatest ‘democracy’ led by Dwight Eisenhower, openly and unashamedly supported the America-friendly Batista regime from 1952 till the end of his reign on January 1, 1959.”

The union noted that despite great limitations, and countless attempts by successive US administration to destroy the Cuban Revolution started by Castro, “Cuba, remarkably, didn’t only survive, she surpassed many other states in the region in critical key areas, like sustainable food production, poverty reduction, literacy and universally accessible quality health care.”

The OWTU said Castro’s outstanding example of leadership and his extraordinary vision for a better Cuba and world, stands out, “in a time when the forces of capital and neoliberalism continue to rear their greedy heads.” The union added, “We in the progressive trade union movement and social movements the world over must draw strength from his life and example and march onward for the love of humanity towards achieving social justice for all, dignity for all people and self-determination, independence and sovereignty for all nations.”

As is my wont whenever I travel, and because CAL configures its aircraft to seat midgets, dwarfs and children and because I have very long legs, both of us being of sound mind and body, we checked in three hours before departure.

At that time I requested and got emergency exit seats from a very nice attendant, who could clearly ascertain that we were not infirm, not requiring any assistance, not in a wheelchair, not dribbling, had no walking sticks, and, most importantly, not drunk.

We boarded without incident and just prior to takeoff I was approached by a flight attendant who asked me if I knew that I was seated in an emergency exit seat.

I responded that I did, as it was what I had requested and went in to my spiel of my long legs, that I had been travelling for many years, that I was fully au courant with the emergency drill.

She took no notice of me and told me I would have to move. I refused. I had paid full fare and absolutely refused to move. Three other attendants came up, one after the other, with the same thing and then a member of the ground crew. Same result — I refused to move.

Then up comes the purser, who appeared to be elderly herself, accompanied by but two security guards, who announced, “Let me break it down for you. The policy of the company is that elderly people are not allowed in the emergency seats and if you do not move, I will put you off.” I was flabbergasted. I stood up, put my hands behind my back and told the guards to handcuff me and take me off bodily. They politely declined.

Because my wife and I were now in serious distress and embarrassment and not wishing to compound the stupidity and ignorance that was going on, I finally agreed to move to a bulkhead seat.

What took place here was unacceptable, showed poor training and judgment by the CAL staff, gross disrespect (I hasten to add that they were not disrespectful in their tone towards me) and discrimination to the elderly. In another jurisdiction CAL could be sued for millions of dollars. I will be looking at my options.

F MOUTTET Westmoorings

Young reported that he was contacted on Sunday afternoon by CNC3 television about the state of the grounds, “and I was quite surprised to hear the report that the grounds had not as yet been cleaned”. He said that he made a number of phone calls and he was happy to report, albeit late, the grounds were subsequently cleaned.

“And we do apologise for that.

It seems to be a little hiccup in the machinery. But the grounds were cleaned yesterday (Sunday) and the full clean-up, the pass-by clean-up was supposed to take place (yesterday) morning,” he said. Young said that from the reports and photographs he received on Sunday evening “it had been dealt with”.

At 9.45 pm, the results showed the PNM retained control of the Port-of-Spain City, San Fernando City, San Juan/ Laventille Regional, Pt Fortin Borough, Diego Martin Regional and Tunapuna/Piarco Regional corporations.

The UNC retained Penal/Debe, Princes Town, Couva/Tabaquite/ Talparo, Chaguanas Borough, Siparia and Rio Claro/Mayaro Regional corporations. The Sangre Grande Regional Corporation, which the PNM won in the 2013 Local Government Elections, ended in a tie with the PNM and UNC each winning four districts.

Speaking with reporters in Sangre Grande as the results came in, Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan said, “Clearly, we got the popular vote. We fought a good fight and that is the result.” “What is significant is that the PNM made a significant amount of ground in the UNC controlled seats.” He added that the numbers in the Vega de Oropouche and Cumuto/ Tamana showed the PNM lost by slim margins to the UNC.

In 2013, the PNM won eight of the 14 local government corporations in Trinidad, including the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation.

This result came against the backdrop of one of the lowest voter turnouts in the history of local government elections in Trinidad.

Preliminary reports suggest that overall, approximately only 200,000 out of a total of 1,036,731 eligible voters cast their votes in yesterday’s election.

Speaking at the party’s Balisier House in Port-of-Spain last night, Prime Minister and PNM political leader Dr Keith Rowley expressed satisfaction with the outcome. “We in the PNM are very, very pleased with the results. We entered this campaign at a particularly difficult time for TT. From the moment, we got into Government we were governing in very straightened circumstances,” he said. “To have gone into a local government election promptly and to have held our position as well as we have done. I am particularly pleased,” Rowley said.

The Prime Minister said the PNM held all its seats in Diego Martin, Port-of-Spain, San Fernando, Arima and Point Fortin.

He noted despite the tie in Sangre Grande, the PNM did very well in seats it would have lost by 1,000 votes, losing only by hundreds of votes, on this occasion. Rowley was unfazed by the low voter turnout and did not see it as an indictment against his Government. “For those who came out to vote, they chose the PNM resoundingly. We won 83 of the 137 seats and the UNC won 54. So I will call that a handsome victory for which we are very grateful,” he declared.

Replying to reporters questions on the low voter turnout, the Prime Minister said, “Tonight. We are concerned about those who came out to vote. I think they were turned on. That’s why they came out to vote. I have not heard about anybody being prevented from going to the polls. Wide open choices and those who came to the polls supported the PNM’s position.” Noting the comments made earlier in the evening by various analysts about the outcome of the elections, Rowley, “We campaigned very strongly on local government reform. We are quite happy that those who came out to vote, chose the PNM.” Rowley promised the local government reform programme will be accelerated.

PNM chairman Franklin Khan agreed with Rowley that the party performed well in the elections, gaining ground in several UNC controlled areas and gaining some new seats. “I don’t know where this hullabaloo came from the UNC that they won the elections. The UNC did not win the elections.

The PNM has resoundingly won the local government elections.” Khan noted that with a two party (PNM-UNC) fight in the elections, “we have done equally well and some cases, better.” Khan stated, “I think we have gained more ground, politically and numerically in the election results than the UNC has ever done in this election.” On the future of Sangre Grande, Rowley said this may involve a process of drawing straws to determine who controls the corporation. Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi supported Rowley’s view that the PNM won the popular vote in Sangre Grande. Al-Rawi explained that based on this and the proportional representation system of electing aldermen to corporations, Al-Rawi said the PNM will get three aldermen in that corporation while the UNC will get one.

Speaking to supporters at the UNC’s headquarters in Couva in Penal last night, Opposition Leader and UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar declared the results, “ a victory for the people” as she pledged to closely monitor government’s performance and expose them, “when necessary.” “We asked the people to send a message to the government that there is so much pain and suffering, that the time for change had come. And so it is, the people have sent that message to the Rowley government and we trust they have received the message and take the necessary steps to ease the pain and suffering of the ordinary people,” she said. Persad-Bissessar pledged to continue to monitor the performance of the government, “And I pledge as God is my witness, I pledge we will hold the Rowley government to account.”

(Additional reporting by Corey Connelly and Richardson Dhalai)

Models adorning bridal dresses festooned the ramp with their grooms and got appreciation from the spectators.

Red of course was the reigning colour for not only the bride but for the whole party as well, but what was interesting was the inclusion of other pastel shades of blue and peach into the collections as well.

The designers also showcased dresses for the family members of brides with red velvet, banarsi and silk touch.

The event started off with a bang with collections from designers such as Mehdi, Sweet Touch, MNR, Anees Malik, Mohsin Naveed Ranjha (who showcased only menswear), Zonia Anwaar and Sobia Nazir.

On the other hand, some designers, showed off western dressing with a black theme also amused the audience.

Diet is one of the important areas that I have always emphasised when discussing hair and scalp care. The state of your hair often reflects the quality of your diet.

If you practise self-care, you will practise eating the right types of food in the right portions, since too much of one thing is not good. If you do not fall into this category, then let me give you a few categories of foods that you can add to your meals, to improve the health of your hair and body.

To recap, the glands that are working together to give you the most healthy and luscious hair are your pituitary, adrenal and thyroid glands. As a healthy hair and scalp doctor, I am sharing with you a few categories of foods that can assist in strengthening these glands.

Protein-rich foods: The hormones secreted by pituitary, thyroid and adrenal glands are mostly amino-based in nature.

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. In order for these glands to secrete good types of hormones, it is important that you include the right amount of protein in your diet.

Sources of protein are lean beef, poultry, fish, nuts, soy and eggs.

Manganese-rich food: For these glands to function, they need manganese as their booster.

Think of this mineral as their main food. The best sources of manganese are organ meats and legumes. This is because they contain heam iron. Heam iron facilitates proper and faster absorption of manganese. Green leafy vegetables and whole grains are also good sources iron. However, the non-heam type of iron present in these foods can affect the absorption of manganese.

Vitamin- rich food: Vitamins are known for its immune boosting effect on the body, including the minute members of your body, such as the pituitary, thyroid and adrenal glands. Vitamins E and D are the best for these glands. Vitamin E protects them from harmful free radicals that you easily get from the UV rays and air pollution. Vitamin D, on the other hand, maintains the integrity of these glands and promotes their ability to secrete hormones. Almonds and plant oils are the best sources for Vitamin E, while Vitamin D can be obtained through eating fatty fish like tuna and salmon as well as dairy products.

In spite of what is said above, please be reminded that a good diet is not the only solution to your hair problems. Expert advice, from trichologist, is still the best option.

Trichologists are holistic care practitioners who examine your hair and scalp in order to identify the underlying cause of the problem that you are experiencing.

When the issue is related to hormonal imbalances, you will be referred to the right specialist in order to obtain proper medical management.

As a healthy hair doctor, I understand that having severe hair loss is difficult to deal with especially for first timers. Yes, we address those problems through medications and therapies but we also make sure your self-esteem is intact.

You have the choice of what to do with your body and you always have to be responsible with your choices. Think right, do right and eat right.

Germaine Williams Beckles is a doctor of trichology (DT, TECT) and a nutrition consultant (NC), http://germainewilliamsbeckles.

com http://www.geesexclusive.

com, or 627-4659. Email us your questions to info@drgees.com

The group which will officially be launched on Saturday at the Savannah’s VIP Lounge is a non-profit organisation. Its purpose is to plan and implement programmes and events that would promote social and educational activities for the blind and vision-impaired community, said a media release.

These activities would in turn provide the necessary exposure, awareness and education to encourage self-support and camaraderie among the blind and vision-impaired community and a trustworthy relationship with the sighted to help cope with everyday living. Assistance to those in need, in this community, is one of the main priorities, the release said.

The group held its first function in August titled “Blind People Can Cook Too” which was a success. The official launching will take the form of a dinner and dance at the VIP Lounge, Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain at 6 pm.

There will be entertainment and a guest appearance by the Mighty Lingo, DJs are Sir Charles and Storming Tom and Los Amigos en Musica (Friends in Music) will also be performing.

Tickets cost $250 and anyone wishing to support or get more info can contact 681-2094 or 482-0856 or prosstaurus@yahoo.

com Cash donations can go to Scotia Bank Acct. no. 4007026.