Today’s semi-finals will see south teams First Citizens Clarke Road United and PowerGen Penal Sports Club in action. Clarke Road play Merryboys in the first semi-final at 3pm and will be followed by PowerGen Penal against Central Sports in the second game of the double-header at 7 pm.

There will be new champions this year as Central Sports defeated 2016 winners Queen’s Park on Saturday when action got going at the Brian Lara Stadium.

PowerGen easily brushed aside Victoria United while Clarke Road defeated Courts Orangefield and Merryboys beat Cane Farm United in the other quarter- final games.

A number of national and regional players will feature in the two semi-finals with West Indies picks Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Andre Fletcher and Delorn Johnson appearing for PowerGen Penal Sports Club.

National and West Indies “A” Team opener Kyle Hope, Yannick Ottley, promising young fast bowler Anderson Philips and Jyd Goolie will feature in the Clarke Road team.

TT Red Force captain Marlon Richards will lead Merryboys while Central Sports will be led by former national player Shazam Babwah and will have Jamaica Scorpions Super 50 player Steven Taylor in their line-up.

Admission to the games are $40 for today’s double-header and $60 for tomorrow’s final.

At 8 am, fire was seen coming from one of the company’s flare stacks.

Residents living along the Guaracara River some 100 yards away from the refinery’s border said they experienced intense levels of heat and felt the earth vibrate which left cracks on the walls of some of the houses.

Residents, unaware of the cause of the heat and shaking, feared the worst. Allister Cephus, a Battoo Avenue resident and representative of the Marabella NGO, criticised Petrotrin’s Health and Safety protocols, saying there was no alarm to warn residents of the flare and Petrotrin took too long to send officials to quell their fears.

“HSE needs to do something. It is 2017. We looking to go into first world status but watch the dilapidated state of the refinery,” Cephus said as he pointed to rusted tanks and pipes in the distance which he said only heightens the fears of the nearby residents.

“If that is the way they keeping the refinery, what about our lives? We need this present government to attend to the people. Dr Keith Rowley, we want you to come and attend to the people please because this thing is getting out of hand.” In a release, Petrotrin described the incident as an “upset condition at the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery accompanied by higher than normal flaring.” Flare stacks are used to burn off unusable gases released by during unplanned over-pressuring of plant equipment.

Petrotrin’s communications department explained to Newsday that th term “upset condition” meant there was an unusually high amount of excess gas to be burned off, thus resulting in the fear-inducing flaring yesterday morning.

Petrotrin said the situation was normalised and company officials were dispatched to the Marabella community in its wake. Asked whether there was the possibility of the flare occurring again and if there was the possibility of any adverse effects for nearby communities, Petrotrin said there were inherent risks associated due to the nature of its business.

But Cephus said the flare was just the latest in a series of woes residents are growing tired of enduring, including oil spills and gas emissions which make some of them sick. He called on the relevant authorities to assist residents in being relocated.

Cuffie, in a release on Tuesday, commemorating World Press Freedom Day which was observed yesterday reported that the most recent installment of the World Press Freedom Index has seen Trinidad and Tobago jumping ten places from our 2016 position to be 34th out of 180 countries in 2017, “a far cry from 2012 when we occupied position 50.”

He said that this day, like every other celebration, it affords an opportunity for introspection and this year’s theme, “Critical Minds for Critical Times: Media’s Role in Advancing Peaceful and Inclusive Societies”, “is especially apropos, given the current state of affairs, locally, regionally and internationally.”

“The phenomenal rise in the use of social media has certainly contributed to a more knowledgeable citizenry.Perhaps unwittingly though, it has given free rein to those with less than noble intent to spread a level of misinformation or ‘alternative facts’, hate-inspired rhetoric and xenophobic hysteria that is unprecedented.”

Cuffie said that wholeheartedly concurs with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres who, in his message to mark the occasion, said that “a free press advances peace and justice for all” which can be achieved by the media “giving voice to a diversity of experiences, by conflict- sensitive professional reporting, by promoting mutual understanding in particular in societies that have become polarized by hate speech or antagonistic political discourse; by dispelling prejudice and by countering the spread of misinformation.”

Cuffie said that as a former journalist entrusted with the management of a news team, he is aware that there are occasions when the media could be found “guilty of not taking cognizance of the enormity of the challenges and responsibilities that we carry on our shoulders.”

“And so I encourage our news room heads, our editors, our reporters and talk show hosts, and our media house owners to accept in its totality, the sacred responsibility upon which they embark every day – to inform, inspire, educate and entertain. I am confident that the more we encourage critical minds to flourish unimpeded in these critical times, the more valuable would be our contribution to the growth and development of both the profession of journalism, and our beloved country.”

On April 30, Venezuelan authorities said some of the oil reached their eastern coast and the TT-Venezuela bilateral oil spill plan was triggered by a diplomatic note from the Foreign and Caricom Affairs Ministry.

In the Senate on Tuesday, Energy Minister Franklin Khan said it was “too early to say” regarding the cost of the clean-up although he agreed there were “clear protocols in incidents like this.” “The oil spill originated from TT, we cannot deny that fact,” he said, adding, “joint negotiations will take place as to what cost we will stand and what cost they will stand.” Speaking yesterday with reporters after a career guidance seminar at Naparima College, San Fernando, Ramnarine described the cleanup operations along Venezuela’s coast as an “open-ended situation” for Petrotrin.

“The bilateral oil contingency plan which they have activated says that Venezuela will take care of cleaning up on their side and then they will deal with the whole issue of cost afterwards,” Ramnarine said.

“But we don’t know what it will cost Venezuela to clean the oil on their side so there’s an open-ended situation for Petrotrin.

“What the minister said was that the cleanup of the spill on the Venezuela side would be the responsibility of the Venezuelans and after that is finished, they will sit with the Venezuelans to determine how cost is shared.

So it means obviously that Petrotrin would have to write a cheque to the Venezuelans unless the Venezuelans say, ‘You know what, don’t bother we’ll handle it.’ But Venezuela is in a state right now where they themselves don’t have money to do basic things.”

Dear Doubting, You may be surprised to hear this, but this conundrum is quite common among job hunters nowadays, especially for young professionals.

There may be many things churning in your mind that can have you swimming in a sea of self-doubt, ultimately prohibiting you from applying for a new job. Sometimes your inner critic can be you worst enemy getting in your own way.

Fighting those inner demons may be tough, but here are a few pointers to help overcome them.

Confidence is EVERYTHING! Tony Schwartz, the president and CEO of The Energy Project and the author of Be Excellent at Anything: The Four Keys to Transforming the Way We Work and Live said, “Confidence equals security equals positive emotion equals better performance.” The first thing that should be addressed is your confidence.

Having insecurities doesn’t mean that you are inadequate.

We all feel this way sometimes.

The key is to identify and acknowledge it and make steps towards improving on the things that stifle your confidence.

What are the things that make you feel insecure in applying for a job? Change? – Inevitable.

Competition? – It will always exist. Lack of experience or qualifications? – Focus on what you can ultimately contribute to the job. What exactly are your abilities? Don’t undervalue yourself, be honest with about what you can do and what you know.

Have a winning resume Your resume is one document that you shouldn’t be too modest about. Remember this is where you make a first impression to recruiters who will be looking at deciding whether to even consider you among hundreds of other applicants. Now don’t let that be intimidating – let it be a challenge to showcase how awesome you are.

Challenge is good. Give yourself credit but don’t exaggerate. Don’t just highlight your tasks as outlined in your current and past job description.

Focus on things you have accomplished, projects you have worked on successfully and targets met. Grab a pen and a notepad right now and start writing down some of your achievements.

Success is 90 percent preparation, ten percent perspiration The next part of presenting yourself is the interview.

Practice, practice, practice! Conduct your research and practice the responses to potential questions that can be asked in an interview until they become second nature.

List the attributes of an ideal candidate for the job and use it to construct relevant responses.

Knowledge is power, so the better you are prepared, the more you will slowly start to diminish some of your inhibitions that hold you back.

Sometimes you win.

Sometimes you learn – Take the risk.

Be open to new possibilities and take some risks. Many people don’t know what they are capable of until they are truly tested. Go ahead and apply for the job and go to the interview. Research has shown that even if you are not successful in an interview, often times there are things you can do to improve on to increase your chances next time. At the very least, you should feel as though you have learnt something through the interview process.

Consider it a test drive for the real job awaiting you.

Positive energy Positive energy is a must! Many a times, this comes in the form of your network or the people you are frequently around – be it your family, friends or co-workers. These people are also the ones who can highlight some positive things about you that you are unaware of. This support system picks you up when you’re down and injects positivity in you whenever you need it.

However, in their absence, you can be that person for yourself.

Give yourself your own pep talk occasionally, if necessary.

Say “I’ve got this”, read an inspirational Pinterest quote, write something that’s beautiful about yourself on a sticky note.

This is all part of promoting a healthy attitude about yourself.

So, the next time a vacancy pops up that seems to have your name on it – release your inhibitions and go for it. Also, remember not to be too hard on yourself. The more you undervalue yourself and focus on your shortcomings, the more you will continue to pass up potential life changing opportunities.

Interestingly, once applied, these tips can not only improve on your career but also, your everyday life. The right mindset will significantly boost your overall state of being and performance. When you think positively and believe in your abilities, you’ll recognise success.

AFETT is a not-for-profit organisation formed in 2002 with the goal of bringing together professional women and engaging in networking opportunities, professional training and business ideas. ASK AFETT is a column meant to address issues and concerns of professionals seeking advice to assist in progressing in their careers.

Today’s response was written by AFETT member, Candice Fermine (MBA), compliance professional with over nine years’ experience in finance, investments and risk analysis. Learn more about AFETT at www.afett.

com, search for AFETT Events on Facebook, follow us @AFETTEXECS on Twitter or contact us at 354- 7130. Email us your career-related questions at admin.afett@gmail.com

Further downstream, approximately three kilometres from the cave, there is a confluence of the Rio Grande and the Cumaca River to form the North Oropouche

This area where the two rivers merge contain energising pools to refresh and situated on the Rio Grande, just 200 metres away, there is a sulphur spring

The river meanders south-easterly passing through uninhabited regions of the Cumaca Valley to supply water to the WASA North Oropouche Treatment Plant for the people of Sangre Grande, Arima, and surrounding districts

A distinct feature of its channel is the limestone rocks which contain deposits of calcium carbonate (CACO3). This action filters the water to create crystal- clear pools. Hindering the view of its course are interlocking spurs which jut out from the sides of each bend. Although the favourite spot for a river lime is at the Valencia Bridge, however, the hidden beauty of the river is upstream where there are fascinating pools and gorges

The expedition to the upper Bathing at Rincon Basin

regions of the North Oropouche River starts with an hour drive along the undulating Cumaca Road to a landmark house known as Bald Head Springs. The walk to the basins will take 35 minutes and is along a distinct open track that leads through the heart of the Cumaca Forest to the river. Further upstream –a ten-minute walk along the Rio Grande– one can discover the sulphur spring. There is the option to return via the same route or do a short circuit hike down the river channel to the Platanal Bridge. Life jackets will be supplied and are necessary for those wishing to explore the river

Assembly: 7 am at the corner of O’Meara Road and Churchill Roosevelt Highway Arima. (next to FT Farfan) Rating: Fair Hiking time: 35 minutes Walking Distance: 2 kilometres to the river

Suitable for kids seven years and up Note: a slow, one-hour drive along the bumpy Cumaca Road

Life jackets provided For more info: islandhikers.com

For the second time in its five-year history, a young Tobagonian woman has won the region’s biggest Slam competition with a first-time winner’s prize of $50,000.

Alexandra Stewart took second place and won a cash prize of $20,000. Bruno and Stewart were two of five young women among this year’s 13 finalists.

Idrees Saleem, 2014 Slam champ, came in third, for the second consecutive year, but this time, taking home $10,000.

In a surprise announcement at the 2017 NGC Bocas Lit Fest media launch, Slam title sponsor First Citizens raised the stakes of the National Poetry Slam by adding a hefty $45,000 to the total prize, effectively doubling the second and third place prizes while increasing the prize for first by $30,000.

In another big move, the final round of the competition and closing event of the five-day NGC Bocas Lit Fest was held for the first in the Lord Kitchener Auditorium of the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA).

Port-of-Spain. Maintaining the trend of sold-out shows, this year’s Spoken Word finale was met with the now characteristic gusto of a packed auditorium of over 1,100 loyal fans and “hungry” supporters, well-wishers and newcomers, said a media release.

Founder of the Bocas Lit Fest Marina Salandy-Brown said in the release: “The poetry, the stories, the performances showcased a sophistication of thought and skill among our people that seems out of sync with so much that is wrong with TT .

Spoken Word demands an attentive audience and the depth of our love and appreciation for words and wordplay is impressive.

Everyone left uplifted and happy, no matter their age or background.” Addressing the quality of the show, First Citizens group corporate communications manager Dexter Charles admits, “This event has completely exceeded my expectations from back in 2013 when we first came on board. I’m simply blown away by the spectacle these young people have managed to create here tonight with the guidance of the Bocas team.

“The moving Walcott tribute by Wendell Manwarren, DJ Rawkus on the stage giving us regular musical interludes, the real-time projection of the poets onto that fantastic screen and, of course, the extraordinarily talented competitors: they all made it very special.” Jean-Claude Cournand, Bocas Youth Outreach Co-ordinator and founder of the 2 Cents Movement said: “The future of spoken word poetry is in the creation of spaces in schools where students can use the craft to explore language and themselves. We see a day where every student could have access to mentorship through the art form, and a safe space to share and be heard.” The final round of competition was judged by a first-class panel of award-winning local and international authors and poets, led by UKbased Trinidadian poet, novelist and musician, Anthony Joseph.

The title sponsor of the annual literary festival is the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago, First Citizens is the lead sponsor, One Caribbean Media and the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Arts are main sponsors. Other sponsors are the Massy Foundation and UWI.

That was the pronouncement of chairman of the Tobago Jazz Festival Committee John Arnold, on the Tobago Jazz Experience (TJE) 2017, even as he noted an unusually low turnout of patrons to the shows.

“In terms of the buy-in from the stakeholders, in terms of the variety of events and also the culture of the events, I think it was a major success,” Arnold told the media at the Beach Jazz Fiesta, the last event of the annual music festival, at Pigeon Point Heritage Park last Sunday.

“From where I sit I would say yes, it was a success for several reasons.” The buy-in we got from many more fringe festivals, from many more stakeholders,” he said, noting two major fashion events, two major community events at Charlottesville and Plymouth, Jazz in the Garden at Kariwak and Sea, Sun and Jazz at Pigeon Point Heritage Park.

“…overall I think it was a great week Wyclef was a great addition to the cast and basically what we have was a general feeling that great buy-in from the attendees to the event,” he added.

He did note an unusual low turnout at many of this year’s events, however, saying the committee must evaluate its plans for the festival to determine the cause.

“There are several things we have to look at, the factors on the table will be obviously the element of the artistes… some of the artistes were not what you would call ‘mega’ but in terms of the calibre of the artiste, we were constrained by a budget which speaks to every event you going to do.

“Once you are constrained with the budget there is so much you can do…we did our best to see how we can give some really good quality acts and ensure that the entertainment was up to par,” he said.

“In terms of having a major act that would draw visitors, we wanted to build the brand that we have for the festival so with the reduced numbers, this would be one reason. The second factor obviously is the disposable income and we are definitely in an economic recession,” Arnold stated.

Asked about reports that the sudden cancellation of D’Angelo (Michael Eugene Archer) for the World Music Night on April 28 was not due to the death of his grandfather as he had told the media, Arnold said the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) has used the same agency to book artistes for the past eight years.

“On this occasion the artiste has now informed us this is what happened, we have to go with that information. Our role at that time was to go to the same agency that pulled it off in three days to bring Wyclef Jean and because of the agency’s relationship with Wyclef we were able to get him,” he said.

Wyclef Jean and a contingent of seven people cost US$150,000 plus and US $15,000 travelling expenses, Arnold said. D’Angelo, he said, costs US$430,000 with a cast of 12 people. He said a down payment was made and the THA has given a timeline of three months for a refund from the artiste.

“Our job right now is not to search to find out if his grandfather really died; we have an agency to do that on our behalf.

We are just going with the information that is given to us by the agency” he said.

The festival will be reassessed before plans are put in place for its tenth anniversary next year. So said Secretary for Tourism Culture and Transportation Nadine Stewart-Phillips.

The Jazz Festival Committee and the THA will be evaluating the festival before beginning discussions for the tenth anniversary in 2018, she said.

Jude Neil Ready and his son, Julio Armando Ready, who was the subject of the news items, took legal action seeking close to $2 million for libel and slander against CCNTV6, and its news presenters, the Trinidad Express and its reporter and photographer, the Trinidad Guardian and its reporter and photographer as well as the Newsday and its reporter and photographer.

In all, there were 11 defendants in Ready’s lawsuit – the first being PC Herbert Gabriel.

In a 111 page ruling on Tuesday, Justice Margaret Mohammed found that the articles and television broadcasts of the police’s discovery of Ready’s practice of putting his son in an enclosed, homemade, wooden playpen with a cover in the bar he owned in Siparia in November 2000, was not defamatory.

As it related to Newsday, Mohammed said the words complained of were not defamatory of Ready’s son.

She said he would have elicited sympathy from a reasonable reader and would not have been discredited, shunned or ridiculed, but rather would have been viewed as a victim of neglect by his caretaker.

The caretaker, in the lawsuit, said the child would be left in his care and was kept in the cage which he described as a playpen, for an hour at a time, since he would run into the restaurant area.

He also said there was a padlock on the playpen.

Mohammed said based on the Readys evidence in support of their case, the facts in Newsday’s article were true.

She said the treatment of children was a matter of public interest and concern and, having regard to this, the Newsday article was reasonable.

Mohammed also held that the Newsday article also gave Ready’s side of the story.

“In my opinion, the Newsday article was moderate in its tone and phrasing,” she said.

Mohammed also found that having established its defence of qualified privilege, the issue of malice did not arise, nor was there a conspiracy between the media houses and police to re-create the rescue of the boy.

Ready and his son, who is now 21 years-old, were ordered to pay almost $300,000 in legal costs to each of the media houses they sued.

Newsday was represented by attorneys Ian Benjamin and Jewel Ann Troja while Michael Persadsingh and Chanka Persadsingh represented Ready and his son.

Since the beginning of this year, approximately 720 have been officially recorded.

Most bush fires are the result of fires that have been deliberately – though not maliciously – set. Sometimes things quickly go awry during a random activity. For example, an attempt to burn dry leaves and cuttings in a backyard, or to clear a plot for agricultural purposes, or discarding a cigarette butt; if done carelessly, any or all of these can lead to disastrous effects on people, property, communities and the environment on the whole.

Reports suggest that the Central and Northern Ranges have been hardest hit, with fire officers being called out regularly to fight blazes in those areas. Home-owners must shoulder some of the blame because necessary precautions are clearly not being taken before striking that match in the open.

It is against the law to set fires outdoors during the dry season. Strong winds can carry a spark several metres and ignite a dry blade of grass or even a tree. The result might be a blaze that engulfs acres of forest and vegetation, fruiting and flowering trees, wildlife, honey-producing bees, and, of course, as mentioned before – it might even threaten property and life.

Bush fires destroy the forest cover; the now exposed land becomes parched and hardened from direct sunlight.

When the rains eventually come, the water just runs off the cement-like surface, leading to widespread flooding.

Reforestation efforts are severely hampered, as well, because of the hardened earth. Consider the potential difficulties in planting food crops and how this can impact negatively upon the nation – in terms of the scarcity of some items or the cost.

With such far-reaching and dire consequences, one might expect that there would be dedicated resources for addressing this yearly challenge – an anticipated one at that. But, it is interesting to note that there is really no agency specifically resourced for addressing bush fires.

The Police, the Forestry Division, the Regional Corporations all assist from time to time, with the Fire Service naturally being the first responder. But there are still instances of less-than-satisfactory responses to callers when they attempt to lodge reports about bush fires.

The TT Chamber has noted the calls from several key community advocacy groups, for a dedicated agency to prevent and suppress wildfires. Those calls must not go unnoticed. Any such agency must be properly resourced with trained personnel, equipment and gear, all-terrain vehicles to negotiate specially developed and much-need access roads and much more. Far more effective awareness and public education is also required throughout the country.

Successful models exist worldwide, and the relevant authorities should move expeditiously to establish an entity to treat with this type of emergency – even while we foster a culture of precaution and prevention. In the interim and continuing, each of us must exercise caution and above all, obey the relevant laws of the land with respect to starting fires, particularly during the dry season.