Court, General T&T, Law, Media, PNM, Politics, UNC

Imbert seeks clarity on LifeSport

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By Clint Chan Tack
October 27 2016 – newsday.co.tt

Colm ImbertFINANCE Minister Colm Imbert said on Tuesday that he will not comment at this time about the quashing of the 2014 audit report into the controversial LifeSport programme. In a ruling on Monday, Justice Mira Dean-Armorer quashed the report of the Ministry of Finance’s central audit committee into Life Sport. Imbert said he will not commenton this matter until he receives the written judgement or, “until I get clarity on excactly what the judge ordered.”
Continue reading Imbert seeks clarity on LifeSport →

General T&T

Making the ordinary look extraordinary

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By Raffique Shah
October 26, 2016

Raffique ShahWhen an act of kindness that should be an everyday occurrence is cause for national celebration you know the society is in moral decay.

Further, when academic achievements by pupils who come from ordinary homes in so-called depressed communities are hailed as extraordinary, Trinidad and Tobago, we have a serious problem.
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General T&T, Racism Watch, USA

Black Lives Matter: A Footnote to History

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Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
October 25, 2016

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeI delivered these remarks at the “Battle of Ideas Festival” organized by the Institute of Ideas and held at the Barbican Center, London, England. The panel, entitled, “From Black Panthers to #Black Lives Matter: Race in America” was sponsored by Newsweek, the European edition. These remarks, “A Footnote to History,” were delivered on Saturday, October 22, 2016.
Continue reading Black Lives Matter: A Footnote to History →

General T&T, PNM, Police, Politics

Baying for Al-Rawi’s blood

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By Raffique Shah
October 19, 2016

Raffique ShahTrinidadians, as they would themselves say, “like too much confusion”.

The latest bacchanal began when Opposition MP Roodal Moonilal displayed and tendered in Parliament two photographs that purportedly show the teenage children of Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi “gallerying” (Moonilal’s word) with what appears to be a short-barrel rifle or a sub-machine gun.
Continue reading Baying for Al-Rawi’s blood →

Africa, General T&T, Politics, Race and Identity, Racism Watch

Black Advocacy in T&T

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By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
October 18, 2016

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeI wish to take up where I left off last Sunday to examine the implication of the “Report of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Dissent on Its Mission to the United States” for Trinidad and Tobago since there is an assumption that these reports have no relevance to our society. Sometimes we even refuse to believe that the slave experience lies at the base of our society masking our origin under the umbrella of an illusionary multiculturalism.
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General T&T, Law, Media, PNM, Police, Politics

Police probe ordered on AG’s children gun issue

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Images which surfaced online allegedly showing a cabinet minister’s relatives with high-tech weapons
Images which surfaced online allegedly showing a cabinet minister’s relatives with high-tech weapons

By Renuka Singh
Oxctober 14, 2016 – trinidadexpress.com

Acting Police Commissioner Harold Phillip has ordered an investigation into how the children of Attorney General Faris al-Rawi came to be holding high-powered military weapons.
Continue reading Police probe ordered on AG’s children gun issue →

General T&T, Law, Media, PNM, Politics

AG: Leave My Family Alone

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By Sean Douglas
October 12, 2016 – newsday.co.tt

PNM Senator Faris Al-RawiAMIDST Opposition claims that photos exist of persons resembling children of top Government officials holding firearms resembling those commonly used by the Defence Force, Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi could not ascertain if those featured in these photos are his children, but admitted members of his family have undergone “threat assessment” training at Cumuto Army Base as part of security protocols for families of State officials deemed to be at high risk.
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General T&T, WASA

Water at $2 a day

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By Raffique Shah
October 11, 2016

Raffique ShahThe Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) came perilously close to prompting me to gather a truckload of raw sewage and dump it on the doorsteps of the executive suites of the utility’s offices.

Recently, I received a bill from WASA which warned that I owed an outstanding balance of $590.40 that was due immediately, as well as $196.80 for the current billing cycle, October-December.
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Crime in T&T, General T&T, Law, PNM, Politics

Powers he does not have

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By Raffique Shah
October 04, 2016

Raffique ShahThe unseemly public spat between President Anthony Carmona and Prime Minister Keith Rowley, if it gets any nastier, could bring both offices and office-holders into further disrepute, and add to the list of public offices, officials and institutions in which citizens have lost or are losing confidence.

We can take it as fact that based on the structural political divide in the country, at least half the adult population believes that Dr Rowley is wrong, that he is lying. We should not be ashamed to admit that most people judge politicians not on facts or evidence adduced, but on partisan politics, whatever the issue or whoever happens to be under scrutiny.
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Africa, Caribbean, CARICOM, Education, General T&T, International, Media, Race and Identity, Racism Watch, USA

Always Remember

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By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
October 09, 2016

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeIn academic and political lectures, when I refer to the negative psychological and economic impact slavery has had on black people, my questioners usually retort: “You have to bring up slavery again?”

The same people who object to my bringing up slavery’s impact upon black people have no objections when Jews urge their people: “Never forget!”
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