He also told the victims not to let pride prevent them from seeking help. Harris addressed the topic yesterday on his live monthly Facebook chat “Ask the Archbishop Live”, hosted by Tracy Chimming-Lewis from Archbishop’s House in Port of Spain.

He was asked if there was anything the church could do to assist people who return to abusive relationships.

Saying he had worked for years in the Marriage Tribunal of the church, Harris recalled many spouses saying they expected violent behaviour to change once they had got married.

“People don’t change,” warned Harris. “If someone is abusing you before marriage, you can rest assured that they will not change after marriage. So that if your choice is an abusive person…

expect to be abused.” However, he said it was important there were places where victims and abusers could seek help,and wished every vicariate (parish group) had somewhere that, “people with difficulties in their marriage can go for counselling.” He added: “We have to have safe houses for people who really have to escape from abuse.” Harris said the abuser often returns pleading for forgiveness while promising never to do it again but, “90 per cent of the time” it happens again. He said: “So be wise and if you have been abused but your spouse wishes to come back, then ensure that your spouse gets the help, psychological and otherwise, that is needed to change him.” Harris said it is “not nice” being abused and worse yet when people know that you have been abused. But, he told victims, “Don’t let your pride keep you from getting help.”

There has been much discussion regarding the collapse in global trade. Considering trade values in US dollars, global trade fell by around 20% from 2014 to 2016 and has only increased marginally from the low in January of that year. Global trading arrangements have become a key focus for policymakers given Brexit, the US decision not to enter into the Trans Pacific Partnership, and ongoing discussions regarding renegotiating multinational trade agreements such as NAFTA.

Furthermore, it is argued that the uncertainty and likely negative environment for large global trading arrangements add a further reason why countries need to act on the regional integration agenda. The region has only to gain by having a stronger, more efficient and fully-integrated domestic market.

The gains from further integration relative to the status quo, are even greater in a more extreme scenario of global trade frictions, in which the region’s exports are likely to fall on average by at least 13%.

The arguments in favor of deeper integration are valid independent of how the global trade environment may develop. However, they become even more important if global trade frictions start to grow. If the rest of the world remains open and willing to sign trade agreements with Latin America and the Caribbean, then integration at home will help.

However, if the world becomes more protectionist and reticent to entering into agreements, then deepening integration in the region has an even larger payoff. It may not provide full protection against the negative impacts of increased global trade frictions but can serve as an important insurance device.

A recurring question is, how can Latin America and the Caribbean, a group of small and open economies constantly buffeted by global economic shocks, find a reliable and robust route to sustainable growth? The IDB report argues that adopting a set of macroeconomic policies, including sensible fiscal and monetary policies, to maintain economic stability, and taking concrete actions to deepen and improve the way in which countries trade within the region, may provide a cost-effective answer.

The large, but incomplete current network of Preferential Trade Agreements (PTA) is a powerful platform from which to launch an overhaul of regional integration. It is suggested that the objective should be a “plain vanilla” free trade zone, with a focus on goods and services.

A critical starting point would be a high-level political commitment and would include making sure that all aspiring members are integrated through bilateral or sub regional PTAs, setting up the institutional framework to manage the negotiation and address the market access negotiations, covering tariff phase-outs, rules of origin and nontariff barriers in addition to trade facilitation provisions.

Latin America and the Caribbean has a long history of trial and error, and successes and failures, pursuing regional integration, but it has to be acknowledged that as a group of small open economies, what happens in the rest of the world is critically important for the 26 regional members. Latin America and the Caribbean faces a new world with likely growing trade protectionism, higher interest rates and commodity prices below those of the previous decade. World growth may be on the rise, but the region faces the challenge of adapting to lower commodity prices, higher interest rates, and a potential backlash against the trend towards greater globalization.

Fixing regional integration is not a panacea to solve all the region’s growth problems, nor is it a full insurance policy against escalating global trade frictions. However, enhanced regional integration can offer tangible gains at modest costs; it is a low-hanging fruit in a world with few obvious alternatives.

In the context of Trinidad and Tobago, this regime is in its second year of office. There is no way a long term economic plan can be presented since we have elections in three years. Any plan will either have to be a three-year plan, or a long-term plan made up of several three-year (medium term) plans.

Our economic planning has to involve several caveats, these include increasing the value added by moving away from the sale of raw material or low level production and move to much higher up the international value chain of products.

To facilitate this we must develop an industrial policy that seeks to encourage our entrepreneurs to enter the upper trough of new product cycles. This can only make sense if placed within the context of an export strategy (we do not have a large population therefore cannot develop the internal dynamic to achieve self-sustaining growth).

Here integration is critical for us to provide an enhance market to be exploited by our export industrialist.

So you may be asking, what is meant by ventilation? Ventilation is the process of supplying fresh air (usually outdoor air) to or removing air from a space for the purpose of controlling air contaminant levels, humidity, or temperature. Ventilation means that some form of air exchange occurs within a given timeframe.

Ventilation is important in enclosed areas such as offices and homes because it prevents pollutants from negatively affecting the health of occupants and removes unwanted smells and other indoor air contaminants and controls the amount of moisture in an area. Controlling moisture is particularly important because excess moisture may lead to mold growth.

Mold growth is of extreme concern because it can have negative health effects in susceptible persons such as the elderly and children. Symptoms may be minor but longterm exposure to mold can cause major health problems. Some of the symptoms of mold exposure may include nose, throat and eye irritation, headaches, fever, respiratory tract irritation and asthma. There are a few ways that ventilation can be provided to your home or office area.

These include: • Allowing air to enter naturally through windows, doors or ventilation blocks. In the event of a bush fire or when odours or dust are present outdoors, windows and doors should be immediately closed.

• Installing exhaust fans at various spots throughout your home or office area to allow air to be pushed in or out. Examples of these are usually found over stoves (range hoods) or in bathrooms.

• Introducing filtered outdoor air into your airconditioning unit. In buildings that utilise a centralized air-conditioning system, this can be accomplished by ducting the outdoor air directly into the unit. Speak to your air-conditioning contractor to ensure that this is being done.

In buildings that use split air-conditioning units, ventilation is more difficult as such units are not designed to accommodate outdoor air introduction. Persons should consider naturally ventilating such air-conditioning spaces for short periods of time if feasible. It is important to note, that in order for air-conditioning systems to be effective in cooling areas and providing adequate ventilation, they should be maintained on a regular basis to avoid blockages and to prevent pollutants from being trapped in your home or office.

Indoor air quality testing can also be done to determine whether the ventilation system in your building is working effectively in providing adequate air exchanges as well as removing unwanted chemicals and pollutants. Indoor air sampling also can aid in the monitoring of various parameters which are indicative of indoor air quality and ventilation problems, and serve to identify the root cause of indoor air quality ailments.

It is important to note, for those of us working for example, in laboratories and office buildings that the Occupational Safety and Health Act of Trinidad and Tobago, Amended 2006 states that employers are required to provide adequate ventilation. This does not only mean that a space should be air-conditioned to provide cooling but also means that some form of air exchange should occur through the introduction of outdoor air.

Be informed as to how poor ventilation affects you and your loved ones and how to improve the quality of the air that you breathe through ventilation.

CARIRI has positioned itself as a premier technology Institute based on service quality. Quality is a hallmark of the services provided to clients in Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean and extra regional markets. As part of its commitment to providing the highest quality services, CARIRI has established several quality management systems that work together to maintain the Institute’s overall high quality standards such as ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 17025:2005. Along with our other quality certifications, CARIRI is also STOW certified.

CARIRI also has a multi-disciplinary team with extensive experience and a wide range of skills to meet the needs of the client. The team is headed by an Environmental Specialist who is supported by a cadre of professional and technical staff that are Council-Certified Environmental Consultants accredited by the American Council of Accredited Certification (ACAC) and the Council of Engineering and Scientific Specialty Boards (CESB) which is the most prestigious certification specific to Indoor Air Quality.

Some of the services offered by CARIRI in the area of Indoor Air Quality include but are not limited to:
• Air Quality testing for any indoor air pollutant
• Air-conditioning and Ventilation systems inspections
• Mold testing both in the air and on surfaces
• Environmental sampling for common allergens
• Noise surveys
• Occupational health risk assessment
• Occupant surveys

For more information on Indoor Air Quality testing feel free to contact CARIRI’s Air Quality Management Solutions department at: Trincity West Industrial Estate, Macoya, Tel: (868) 285-5050 ext. 3300 Email: iaq@cariri.com

Sturge, who is an Opposition Senator, represented by his fellow attorney Gerald Ramdeen, is questioning the appointment of the three judges to the High Court.

In his judicial review application, filed yesterday at the Port of Spain High Court, Sturge is seeking declarations that the JLSC’s failure or refusal to notify him of the approval or refusal of his request for information under section 15 of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was unlawful, illegal and irrational.

He has also asked the court to direct the JLSC, in seven days, to take steps to notify him of its decision and order the commission to provide copies of the information he wants.

On April 19 Sturge filed a request under the FOIA on the appointments of attorney Kevin Ramcharan, magistrate Avason Quinlan-Williams and chief magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar.

In the request, Sturge noted that each candidate who applied for the position of Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court was required to take a written exam and to undergo a psychometric assessment by an independent service provider.

Sturge sought a copy of the examination administered, the names of the JLSC members of the JLSC responsible for setting the examination and the names of the members responsible for marking the exam.

Sturge is also seeking the names of those who wrote the exam, the marks awarded to each candidate, the name of the independent firm carrying out the psychometric testing and the tendering process involved.

Ayers-Caesar, Quinlal-Williams, wife of acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams, and Ramcharan were sworn in by President Anthony Carmona on April 11.

Two days after, several prisoners staged a near-riot at the magistrates court and on April 25, Ayers-Caesar resigned as a judge when it was discovered she had left behind more than 50 part-heard cases, despite her claims to the contrary.

Sturge in his lawsuit said the JLSC was a public authority and its decisions were open to judicial review and subject to fundamental principles of fairness.

He said he filed the claim as a citizen, a member of the legal profession and a parliamentarian directly affected by the JLSC’s actions

Only last week, the wounded man obtained bail and was released from prison in connection with the crime against the Mayo businessman. The suspect had an unlicensed firearm and ammunition in his possession when he was arrested. He is expected to be charged with a number of gun-related charges.

The drama, which began in Mayo, ended just around 11.25 am on Monday at the front gate of the Gasparillo home of retired Assistant Commissioner of Police Cecil Santana, with the bleeding victim stumbling out of his silver Lancer begging for help. Chasing him was the shooter, who was also held, in front of Santana’s gate. PC Castillo of the Gasparillo police is investigating.

This project formed part of the efforts for Las Cuevas Beach to maintain Blue Flag Status which it has been awarded since 2014 under strict criteria, including the control of the stray animal population.

The source of the stray animals is mostly the unrestricted reproduction of pet dogs and cats and indiscriminate dumping of unwanted dogs in the area. A visitor survey at Maracas beach in 2010 revealed that the vast majority of local and international visitors were appalled by the condition of the stray animals and wished to see a humane approach to reducing the population, said a media release.

Furthermore, the level on which a tourism- focused community deals with its stray animal population demonstrates proactive community management, improves the overall aesthetic impression of a village and reduces health risks.

Las Cuevas Beach remains the only Blue Flag certified beach in the southern English- speaking Caribbean.

The initiative consisted of a school outreach programme in which representatives of the Animals 360 Foundation taught the eager pupils from standards two to five at the Las Cuevas Primary School, about the importance of spaying and neutering their pets as well as responsible pet ownership practices, courtesy of material provided by the Animal Welfare Network (AWN).

The court heard that he has ten previous convictions including robbery, larceny of a motor vehicle and robbery. The couple pleaded guilty when they appeared in court on Monday. One week ago, the couple robbed the victim, a 65-year-old pensioner, of her cash, jewelry, two laptops and a cellphone.

She was tied up, beaten and robbed by the young man and woman, who, the court heard, did not wear masks as they ransacked her house. They were held last week Thursday in Chaguanas by the Chaguanas CID who, following up on information on the robbery two days later, intercepted the vehicle they were travelling in and recovered some of the loot. PC Ramkissoon of the Princes Town police laid the charges.

CHARGED FOR MURDER A 27-year-old man appeared before a San Fernando magistrate yesterday charged for the murder of Joan Cooper, 53, who was killed last year outside her Marabella home. Roger Wallace, also called Roger Stoute of Plaisance Park, Pointe-a-Pierre is also charged with possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm to Cooper’s husband Carl Edmund.

Cooper of Harmony Hall, was found dead on December 8 in her car which was parked outside her home. Edmund was also in the car and he too was shot but survived.

Wallace appeared before Senior Magistrate Cherril-Ann Antoine in the San Fernando First Magistrates’ Court. The matter has been adjourned to June 6.

PC Desmond Mathura of Homicide Investigations Bureau (Region III) laid the charges following advice from Deputy Director of Prosecutions Joan Honor?- Paul on Tuesday.

FRAUDSTER JAILED A 33-year-old farmer from Samlalsingh Trace, Gasparillo, who pretended to be a Housing Development Corporation (HDC) engineer and collected money as down payment for two houses has been sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment with hard labour. The fraudster, who was charged with larceny by trick by PC Mitchell, reappeared in the Princes Town Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Last week Friday, he was arrested during a ‘sting’ operation at a bank in Princes Town. He collected $1,200 from a representative of a non-governmental agency as down payment for the houses he promised to obtain for her.

The banknotes were marked and after being arrested, the man was taken to the nearby Princes Town Police Station where he was charged. Police said checks revealed the conman did not work for the HDC and could not provide homes.

“Despite our consistency in removing firearms from off the streets…the TTPS is deeply concerned with the availability of firearms and its use in crimes,” said ASP Pierre during the weekly police press briefing in Port of Spain. The police spokesman said that in the continued effort to remove illegal guns, police have been working closely with the Air Guard, Coast Guard and regiment to carry out searches on land, in the air and at sea.

Newsday understands that guns have been used in the majority of violent crimes.

Statistics show that 77 per cent of this year’s murders, 32 per cent of robberies and 60 per cent of woundings, all involved the use of firearms. He added that in 2016, police seized 617 firearms the highest in a calendar year and added they would continue the work this year.

Pierre attributed the seizure this year and last year to diligent police work and assistance from the public.

Of the 350 guns seized this year, the Southern Division got the most with 58, and Tobago the least, with six.

The guns range from pistols and revolvers to sub-machine guns and high powered rifles.

Police also found and seized about 4,717 rounds of ammunition of varying calibre this year. Calibres range from 9 mm, used in pistols and sub-machine guns, to 5.56 ammo used in military type assault rifles.

FIREARMS SEIZED BY DIVISION
PoS: 29
South: 58
West: 50
North: 59
Central: 51
South West: 37
East: 33
North East: 44
Tobago:

6 TYPES OF FIREARMS Revolvers:
71 Pistols:
203 Shotguns:
26 SMG:
10 Rifles:
5 Air rifles:
2 Home-made shotguns:
23 Trapguns:
15 Modified:
2 Others: 10

Today, as Venezuela continues to grapple with shortage of food and medication, the effectiveness of the deal is unclear as some Venezuelans claim the agreement only benefits the Nicolas Maduro- led government and its supporters.

Young who was part of bilateral talks with the Venezuelan government in drafting the agreement, said while he did not have detailed information on the success of the agreement, he could confirm that provisions of the agreement are still in place.

“I don’t have much details but I am aware, based on correspondence with the Minister of Trade and the Venezuelan government, the provisions allowed under the agreement appear to be working. At least on three occasions, Trinidadian manufacturers have landed goods on the Eastern part of Venezuela and we have also received feedback from the Venezuelan market that the goods have arrived.” Despite this however, many businesses in Venezuela remain crippled by chronic shortage of goods which in turn has led to increased unrest especially in the capital Caracas.

Human-rights activist and head of humanitarian organisation Somos Organizaciones Sociales (SOS) Yesenia Gonzales said the agreement has not yielded any result as evidenced by continued disorder in Venezuela.

“The situation has not improved one bit, the only persons who really get to benefit from this arrangement are the government.

“Very few people see any improvement in the quality of life in Venezuela right now as grocery shelves remain empty. This is something that only few people seem to benefit from,” Gonzales said.

The trade deal which sought to boost the supply of much-needed goods in Venezuela was agreed during President Maduro’s vis

According to reports, the 30-year-old woman was at her business place at about 11 am when she was accosted by her husband and a heated argument ensued. The man later dragged his wife to the back of her business place where he struck her several times before raping her.

The woman went to the Penal police station and reported the incident to Cpl Ramlal and WPC Charles. She was taken to a District Medical Officer and medically examined.

The suspect was up to press time still assisting police in their investigations.