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A claim by the head of the Joint Trade Union Movement that Special Branch Officers are monitoring teachers at some schools in the country.

Ancel Roget made the allegation at a news conference yesterday as the trade union body stood by teachers who have been rejecting government’s 4% wage increase offer.

Mr. Roget said government’s stated intention not to budge from its 4% wage offer to public sector workers is an attack on labour.

Mr. Roget said the stance being taken is firm.

Teachers and their union had to abandon the planned rest and reflect action on Monday after the Industrial Court upheld an injunction filed by the government the day before.

General Secretary of the National Trade Union Centre, Michael Anisette said the teachers are standing for a better Trinidad and Tobago.

Mr. Anisette said workers must go the distance to achieve what they want.

Present at the press conference yesterday was TTUTA president Antonia De Frietas.

Ms. De Freitas staged a 1-woman protest outside the Hall of Justice condemning the Industrial Court’s order of last Sunday.

The death of an 11-month-old child is now being probed.

The baby died after she reportedly choked on a meal of mashed potatoes.

The child was pronounced dead at her relatives Eastern Main Road, Manzanilla home on September 6^th.

Police are saying the child’s godmother was feeding her when she began choking.

The Emergency Health Services were contacted and paramedics gave instructions via the phone.

Later when the paramedics arrived at the home they tried to resuscitate the toddler but failed.

Police officers of the Manzanilla station went to the house where they found the child on the ground wrapped in a multi-coloured sheet.

A District Medical Officer ordered the body be removed to the Sangre Grande Mortuary pending a post mortem.

The child’s Venezuelan mother was at work at the time of the incident.

The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service blames gangs for the high level of violence in the country.

Media Ambassador Sgt. Ancel Forde says most of the victims and perpetrators are young people.

Speaking on the TV6 Morning Edition program yesterday Sgt. Forde said additionally most of these incidents are gang related.

Sergeant Forde also said the police service can do so much, but called for parents and guardians to step up to the challenge.

Sergeant Forde said these gang-related incidents are actively engaging the attention of the police service.

The fatal shooting in Malick continues to engage the attention of police.

Dead is 28-year-old Josimar Nero.

He was killed on the eastern main road and 3^rd Avenue around 8:52am yesterday.

Newscenter 5 understands Mr. Nero was seated in his vehicle when he was approached by an armed man who opened fire on him.

Reports say the armed assailant then went over to the driver’s side of the car and fired more shots at Mr. Nero before running away.

Passers by went to Mr. Nero’s aid and called the police.

He was taken to hospital where he died.

Investigations are ongoing.

Kristin Paul is killed in a drive-by shooting in Penal.

Two months ago she witnessed her husband’s murder.

Thirty-year-old Ms. Paul was shot several times yesterday afternoon as she sat in a vehicle along Mohess Road.

It is reported she was sitting in the Nissan Frontier, which belongs to her brother-in-law while he was checking the engine of her car.

Another vehicle slowly passed, a man jumped out and fired several shots at the frontier, hitting Ms. Paul.

The shooter returned to the car and sped off.

Ms. Paul died at the scene.

Her husband Amit Boodoo died after he was chopped 3 times on the head during a fight on July 22^nd.

The incident occurred in the driveway of the couple’s home in Jaipaulsingh Trace, Barrackpore.

It is reported she witnessed the fight and tried to intervene.

Her husband was a 36-year-old fisherman.

Investigations into her killing are ongoing.

There is to be a 3-day shut down of the Desalination Plant and has been told several areas in central and south will be affected.

The shutdown takes effect from tomorrow until Thursday.

The plant provides WASA with 40 million gallons daily, which is used to supply the Point Lisas Industrial Estate and augment the supply to areas in central and south Trinidad.

WASA says several measures will be enforced to help the situation.

It says special emphasis will be placed on supplying schools, health institutions and homes for the aged with water.

WASA also says there will be a re-distribution of supply from the Caroni and Navet Water Treatment Plants and implementation of temporary supply schedules.

Areas to be affected include Claxton Bay, San Fernando, Central Caroni, Cunupia, Chaguanas, Fyzabad, Debe and Siparia.

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh reveals the reason for his recent hospitalisation.

At the time of his hospitalisation the Ministry never revealed the diagnosis but addressing an event hosted by The Medical Association yesterday Mr. Deyalsingh said it was not COVID-19 but another virus…Swine Flu.

The Minister was in high praises of the nation’s health services vowing to come to their defense every time.

At the TTMA’s annual conference the Minister also lamented the situation regarding blood collection and availability.

He said there are plans to have a cadre of blood donors who can do so on a regular basis.

The Minister said the planned system will be helpful in the long term.

The reported drowning of a teenager is now being investigated.

Seventeen-year-old Evan Hannays is said to have drowned at Turtle Bay Monos, down the islands yesterday.

Initial reports say the boy jumped off a chartered boat in the bay and was swimming towards the beach when he got into difficulty.

Evan went under and a search was conducted in the area.

He was found and pulled onto a nearby vessel

It is said efforts were made to resuscitate him but those attempts failed.

Opposition MP Rodney Charles says the snail pace within the judiciary lies squarely at the feet of the Chief Justice Ivor Archie and Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley.

He says an international report done on extra-judicial killings show the head of the judiciary must take blame

At the opposition’s media conference yesterday, Mr. Charles had some harsh words for the head of the judiciary.

MP Charles also said it is time all police officers are outfitted with body cameras.

Several weeks ago Acting Commissioner of Police Mc Donald Jacob said the distribution of body cams had started.

He said several units in the police service had begun receiving the cameras.