At the Regional Under- 19 tournament in St Kitts, TT will look for another win when they face Guyana in Round Two of the three-day tournament.

Defending champions TT defeated Windward Islands by 121 runs in Round One.

Guyana may prove to be a challenge for TT , as they got past hosts Leeward Islands by 63 runs in the opening round.

In Barbados, reigning champions TT will be desperate for a win in Round Two of the Regional 50-over Under-15 tournament against Guyana. In Round One TT lost by 43 runs to Jamaica.

Guyana are also eager for a win after losing by 36 runs to the Leewards.

FIXTURES: Regional Under-19 Three- Day – Round Two (Today to Sunday): Guyana vs TT; Jamaica vs Windward Islands; Leeward Islands vs Barbados.

Regional Under-15 50-over – Round Two (Today); Barbados vs Leeward Islands – Three Ws Oval; TT vs Guyana – Lucas Street; Jamaica vs Windward Islands – Crab Hill.

The ten, all family members, are still looking for help as they were forced to stay at the homes of friends and relatives out of the Santa Cruz area. “Our family is all over the place,” said Emily Sookram.

“We have no idea how long we will be able to stay at the places we are at now, but we cannot go back to our homes.” On Saturday last, at about 2 pm, while heavy rain was falling all over Northern Trinidad, a landslide occurred further up the hill sending rocks, trees and loose soil on top of their houses. The villagers began cleaning as much of the debris from the landslide as they could, but more rain fell last week.

“At any given moment that hill could come down again,” Sookram said. “I just don’t want my family to be in danger when it does and that is why we have moved out. But we want to return home. We need help to rebuild our damaged houses.” Newsday was told that the victims have been given mattresses and bedsheets and were told they can access emergency grants to assist them in getting back on their feet. While grateful for all of this, Sookram said it is not enough and she is appealing to any Good Samaritan to lend assistance in the form of building material and roofing.

Speaking with the Newsday after yesterday’s lecture on gestational diabetes at the San Juan Health Centre, where recently appointed director of women’s health Dr Adesh Sirjusingh spoke on the issue, Deyalsingh said much pressure was being placed on women where contraception might be a non issue.

“I appreciate the unfair burden that is placed on women globally that they are the main primary caregiver. They breastfeed, they are the primary caregiver to this child and when these children grow up, they are the ones involved generally…it is women who have to manage the house, buy the groceries, go to the market, do the homework with children, cook, wash and iron and, very often, many of these women are single mothers.

“As a member of parliament I am so disappointed with the way men abdicate their responsibility to their women folk, their children and their families,” Deyalsingh said.

“I think it is important to give women some sort of redress in longterm contraception.” “Contraception is by and large the responsibility of the women.

Even if a man uses a condom, if the condom fails, who carries the burden? It is not the man, it’s the woman,” he added.

He said women car- ried an unusual burden with contraception which was why the Government was planning to bring in subdermal implants that could last for five years.

The implant is inserted in the arm.

“It has been used successfully in many parts of the world, so we are not asking our women to use any untested technology. This has been used around the world for decades, and we are now catching up to it,” Asked about the choice of a woman having tubal ligation, Sirjusingh said this was a personal choice.

“There may be clinical reasons to do so.

Somebody may have health issues and we may strongly recommend that pregnancy is not advised and they may seek something long term like tubal ligation,” he said.

Deyalsingh added there were risks for a mother after having three Caesarean sections.

“After three Caesarean sections you should have had your tubes tied because with every successive Caesarian, your chances of having a safe delivery decreases dramatically,” Deyalsingh said.

Questioned about women in the lower economic level having multiple children, Deyalsingh said it was all about education.

“We have to educate women in our lower socio-economic level because very often they are the ones with the large families they can’t support,” he said. “Contraception at those levels become important. When you have these families at the lower socio-economic level it more or less dooms that family to a life of poverty.

“Every cent that you earn has to go into minding these children and you can’t dedicate it to buying school books, a proper house, nutrition. So it is a self fulfilling prophecy when we have people in the lower socio-economic groups having large families. And that is something that we need to tackle so that people could have children and family sizes that are reasonable for their circumstance that they could support.”

Addressing this issue at the post-Cabinet news conference at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s, Rowley asked a reporter, “Do you think we are going to build a hotel on No Man’s Land?” When the reporter said no, the Prime Minister replied, “Good, thank you very much. Tell the rest of the country that.” He said the hotel was being built on Buccoo Estate .

Rowley said peop opposed to the project had been alleging “that the Government took land from this very wealthy company below value and we were probably breaking the law.” “Nothing is further from the truth,” he added .

He said the land on which the hotel was to be built was owned by two companies .

“The Government quite properly, through the relevant authority in all of this, the board, set off the monies owed for the value of those lands,” Rowley said .

He said the value of the lands was established by reputable, independent valuators in TT .

The Prime Minister said the law required the disposal of any assets held under the Central Bank to be done at fair market value and that “is exactly what the Government did.” He was confident his explanation would “put to rest” the notion that “the Government took land worth x and we paid half x for it.”

The company said it “took the lead in sponsoring pencils, rulers, copybooks, erasers, drawing books and colour pencils” for the students.

Camp Dream “promotes success and positivity” and has been in existence for the past seven years. ANSA McAl also said the camp “continues to ensure that children from high-risk areas develop holistically, by engaging them in academics, sporting activities and weekly field trips to various parts of Trinidad.” The camp runs from July 10 to August 11.

ANSA McAL said its “Group Corporate Communication Unit was delighted to visit the young campers on their first day of summer camp” and to contribute towards the school, which the late Dr Anthony N Sabga, Chairman Emeritus of the company, attended as a young boy.

Connection had taken a two-goal first half cushion in Couva but the Stars, following tactical changes by King, rebounded late with a goal each from pre-season signings Jameel Neptune and Kordell Samuel to hold the Savonetta Boys — a team managed by the most successful coach in the Pro League, Stuart Charles-Fevrier—to a draw.

King, however, preferred to shower the praise on his players for the team’s best run of form of recent years which has them positioned second on the Pro League 2017 standings and tied on 13 points with leaders Connection, and with a game in hand against three-time defending champions Central FC.

“A lot of credit must be given to the players,” said King, a 37-yearold Arima native, who unexpectedly stood in charge of a squad equipped with the likes of Rundell Winchester, Leston Paul, Kevon Villaroel, Elton John, Kerry Baptiste, Kordell Samuel, Yohance Marshall, Seon Thomas, Jameel Neptune and goalkeeper Akel Clarke.

“(Our players) are buying into how I am trying to play the team,” added the North East Stars coach.

“We’ve had no problems in the attitude of the players and they are all giving their full efforts in every session. We have a nice bunch with experience and youth. And I say youth, but these are some young guys with three to four years at the Pro League level.

“Nobody expected us to be where we are (currently) and challenging for the league title. It’s also great to put Arima back on the map like the old days with Memphis United and Arima United and to try and achieve something for the owner Darryl Mahabir and all the people that are on board with us.” King though, is fully aware that the truncated 2017 calendar (June 9 – December 17) is still in the early stages. “We haven’t won anything yet, so we are trying to keep our players focused. We also have to improve in our play because defensively we are lacking discipline and mistakes can cost us. On the other end of the field we are creating chances but not putting them away as much as we should.” King and his North East Stars side, who now calls Arima home, will return to action today when they host Police FC from 8 pm at the Arima Velodrome.

King, a former Trinidad and Tobago international, began his professional career as a player at Connection, under the club’s current coach Charles-Fevrier in 1999, but later joined rivals Joe Public. A knee injury, however, in 2002 curtailed a promising career, forcing the defender to move into coaching at Joe Public at an early age.

King went on to enjoy success as a club coach – most notably leading the Eastern Lions to a historic five-title haul in 2009, including the Pro League title as the youngest winning coach to do so at age 29. King also had various stints at the national level—his most recent being assistant coach to former TT coach Stephen Hart.

Then through luck as it may be, King, who initially joined on as North East Stars’ assistant coach, took charge of the now Arima-based club a week before competition following a failed attempt by former multiple-time Pro League winning coach, Terry Fenwick, to lead the club into the 2017 season.

“It’s good to be back coaching competitively every week in the Pro League and competing against guys who I’ve played with such as Angus Eve (Club Sando) and Dale Saunders (Central FC), and against Stuart Charles-Fevrier (W Connection) who coached me,” said King, who will have available former Trinidad and Tobago youth midfielder Duane Muckette for the first time this season when the Stars take on the Lawmen.

Pro League action will continue tomorrow with a double-header at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva when Central FC take on Club Sando, a side on a three-game winning streak, from 4 pm, followed by W Connection against Defence Force from 6 pm.

Also tomorrow, MIC-IT St Ann’s Rangers, 1-0 winners over threetime Pro League holders Central FC in their last outing, will host Morvant Caledonia United from 4pm at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Malabar.

San Juan Jabloteh’s visit to Point Fortin Civic has been rescheduled to August 18 due to the San Juan Kings away fixture against Costa Rica’s Santos de Guapiles on August 1 on the international stage in the inaugural Scotiabank CONCACAF League, which also involves Central FC.

This year’s version of the run is expected to attract the largest crowd in its existence and is increasingly popular due to its family- style atmosphere.

Defending champs Lionel D’Andrade (Guyana) and Arimian April Francis are expected to compete in search of their third successive victory in this event. If they are victorious, they will automatically be awarded the challenge trophy to take home permanently.

The run starts at Walke Street and goes along Picton Road, alongside the Sangre Grande Hospital (Katwaroo Street), then onto Ojoe Road, straight to the “roundabout”, with the final straight through the heart of Sangre Grande (Eastern Main Road) with the finish line at Walke Street.

At this location, those gathered will be entertained by the melodious sounds of hometown steel band “Jaynotes Steel Orchestra”.

Trophies, medals and prizes will be given out to the overall top three finishers, along with the participants in a range of categories from children under six years to adults over 66 years. The organisers thanked Home Centre Singer for their continued support throughout the years and are expecting a large turnout and urged the public to line the streets and support the runners in an overall “Cleansing the Mind”. The registration fee is set at $20 per person and can be done on the day or before, interested persons/ companies can contact 370-5326 for more information.

Seeking to correct misinformation in the public domain that penmanship formed a component of the SE A, Garcia said, “The SE A does not include penmanship in its table of specifications and as such will not be scored.” The Ministry of Education’s latest initiative, Penmanship with a Purpose Project is meant to ensure that all primary school students leave with the ability to read, write and count.

The initiative, Garcia said in a Ministry of Education release said, refocuses schools’ attention on the hand-writing skills of students and takes a cross-curricular approach by evaluating written work in mathematics, science, history, social studies, art and foreign languages.

“Though we live in an age dominated by keyboarding and touch screens, the contribution of writing by hand in a child’s development cannot be underestimated,” he said.

Handwriting is the primary mode of learning words, vocabulary and language, the release said. Since many students’ experience handwriting difficulties, the skill of writing by hand is being reinforced to helping students in language and learning in general.

Strategies to support the implementation of penmanship at schools include teacher modelling of best practice penmanship, monitoring of student writing across subjects, selection and application of a standard pattern across the Infant One to Standard Five, and scheduling penmanship on the timetable.

The ministry has implemented several programmes to enhance students’ receptivity and performance to improve numeracy and literacy. This includes the Laventille/Morvant Initiative. Meanwhile, the release said, the Curriculum Division has tested students across 20 primary and five secondary schools assessing their literacy and numeracy level to inform Curriculum Development moving forward.

The release quoted a 2010 Indiana University study in which students were exposed to different letter-learning instruction. The study revealed that children who had practised printing letters by hand were far more enhanced than their counterparts who had only looked at the letters.

Penmanship, the release said, contributes to students’ literacy, reading comprehension, recall, critical thinking, conceptual development and creativity. Writing by hand, the release said, is also a powerful learning tool that has links to self-esteem, creative expression, critical thinking and improved academic performance.

The gunman is said to have rushed through the tent located at the front of the house and, pointing the gun in the direction of the guests, shouted “Ah come for the bag of gold.” He ordered the family members and guests there to lie on the floor and asked, “Where the bag of gold?” A police report said the robbery occurred at about 11.30 pm – a short while after a police officer assigned to work extra duty completed his task.

It was reported that out of the group, four people became fearful for their lives and turned over their cell phones to the bandit who, it is said, also took $400 from an envelope before escaping.

Police said the property is equipped with surveillance cameras.

However, they are still awaiting the video footage to be handed over to them to assist with their investigations. As a result of the robbery Padarath, who continued with the prayers as planned on Saturday, requested the police officer on extra duty work from 7 pm to 12 am instead of 6 pm to 11 pm as the previous night. He also asked for increased police patrol in the area. Couva police are investigating.

Acting on an anonymous tip, the officers ventured a further five miles into the forest where they discovered eight marijuana fields containing approximately 20,000 fully grown marijuana trees and 7,000seedlings.

Both the trees and seedlings were uprooted and destroyed.

No arrests were made in connection with the discovery. Officers of the Central Division are continuing investigations.