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President of the Public Services Association is being described as reckless, because of his position on the order for workers to return to their regular schedules.

Mr. Duke has called on workers not to leave their children unattended at home.

One of the teams going up against Mr. Duke in elections later this month is appalled by the instructions given to PSA members.

Speaking with Newscenter 5 yesterday Oral Saunders said Mr. Duke is taking the wrong approach.

Mr. Saunders who is the presidential candidate for Team United Public Servants said there needs to be dialogue with the powers that be to resolve existing issues.

The call to stay home was made by Mr. Duke on Sunday. 

Thirty-one Venezuelan nationals are discovered and detained along the Los Iros Beach.

The group is made up of 13 females and 18 males.

Two Trinidad and Tobago nationals, aged 36 and 61 are currently assisting Southwestern Division Detectives with their investigations into the incident.

Reports say at 11.55am Sunday police were told of a large group breaching the border along the beach in Santa Flora.

Officers of the division’s Emergency Response Patrol and Siparia Criminal Investigations Department immediately responded.

When they arrived at the location, the officers intercepted 2 vehicles, which were reportedly carrying a number of persons.

Police say a count revealed a total of 31 Venezuelans and 2 Trinidad and Tobago men who were the drivers of the vehicles.

All parties have been taken into quarantine following which charges are expected.

The immigrants are expected to be repatriated to their homelands.

In a release, the TTPS thanked the public for continuing to report illicit activities and suspected illegal immigrants to its 555 hotline.

The Member of Parliament for Moruga /Tableland Michelle Benjamin fears for the lives of some of her constituents because of what she says is a worsening landslip in the area.

The landslip, which occurred last week, left Indian Walk impassible and many homes on the verge of collapse.

Seven families have appealed to government to repair the massive landslip before their homes are destroyed.

Ms. Benjamin says residents have been forced to do stabilization work on their own.

However, Ms. Benjamin yesterday said inclement weather has prevented the work.

Speaking with Newscenter 5 yesterday, Ms. Benjamin said flooding is now an issue.

The landslip has already left the road impassible and over the weekend heavy rainfall resulted in more destruction to their properties.

Residents have been appealing to the government to fix the landslip for the past 4 years.

The court has dismissed charges against all 12 people charged with breaching the Public Health Regulations.

The 12 are said to have attended a “COVID Sex Party” in April this year at the Alicia’s Guest House in St. Anns.

The police prosecution’s failure to follow the orders of the court resulted in charges against 5 nationals and 7 Venezuelan women being thrown out.

The matter was to be heard virtually before Magistrate Sarah Desilva yesterday afternoon.

But when it was called the prosecution said it was not in a position to proceed.

Police Inspector Rajesh Lall asked the court to allow the prosecution to forward its file to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions so that a State attorney could be appointed.

But defence attorneys Renuka Rambhajan and Seana Baboolal objected.

The persons charged are locals Bruce Bowen, Christopher Wilson, Dominic Suraj, Colin Ramjohn, and Marlon Hinds.

The Venezuelan women are Dana Fuentes Madurra, Luz Marina Vargas Ibarra, Mudarra Goncalez, Gresel Goncalez,  Yulangi Array, Luisneidis Marino and Mariangel Lopez Ramos.

A passenger on board a Caribbean Airlines flight has died while on his way to Trinidad and Tobago.

Last Saturday Henry Sebastian Grant was on his way back to Trinidad and Tobago as part of a repatriation flight, when he fell ill and died on board.

Efforts to resuscitate Mr. Grant on board the plane last Saturday failed.

The flight left JFK in New York for Piarco Trinidad.

The CAL flight had to be diverted to Puerto Rico so that help could be provided.

Paramedics and emergency responders boarded the flight in Puerto Rico and sought to revive Mr. Grant but it was too late.

Ninety-nine passengers on board the flight were instructed to disembark and await guidance.

The passengers were subsequently placed at a hotel near the airport until they got word from Caribbean Airlines.

CAL’s Communications Manager, Dionne Ligoure said yesterday the measures taken were in accordance with the protocols in the event of a medical emergency.

There is no official word released to the media, which tells of the cause of death.

Mr. Grant was travelling with his son.

Investigations are continuing into the killing of Cocorite couple Randy Ali and Cindy Chatar.

They were shot dead at their home on Saturday night.

Their killing baffles relatives of the couple.

Fifty-four-year-old Mr. Ali and 50-year-old Ms. Chatar were found dead in a room downstairs their Harding Place, Cocorite home on Saturday night.

Relatives were in another part of the house when they heard the gunshots.

They later found the couple dead.

They were both shot multiple times.

Mr. Ali was unemployed because of an injury to one of his hands.

Ms. Chatar was a supervisor at a food outlet at the Falls At West Mall.

And police are now investigating the killing of 49-year-old Norman Benn of Henry Road in Tunapuna.

Mr. Benn was at Rock River Road when he was chased and shot on Saturday night.

He was found with bullet wounds to the head and chest.

The 3 killings take the murder toll to 341 so far this year.

The government gets a tongue lashing for insisting public servants return to work full time.

The order from the Prime Minister was given 2 weekends ago.

But yesterday President of the Public Services Association, Watson Duke told his members, stay at home and look after their children.

The PSA President called the order by the Prime Minister irresponsible and insensitive.

Mr. Duke is promising to cover public servants who stay at home because there is no one to look after their children.

He also suggested that such workers put in writing their situation.

The PSA leader feels once the public service follows the order and threats of the Prime Minister the private sector would do the same.

Former government Minister Vasant Bharath says if elected leader he will heal the racial divide within the opposition United National Congress.

Nomination papers for the UNC’s December 6^th Internal Elections became available yesterday.

So far, only Mr. Bharath has confirmed that he will be battling incumbent Kamla Persad-Bissessar for the party’s leadership.

Mr. Bharath tells Newscenter 5 inclusion is lacking in the UNC.

Yesterday he said he plans to address this issue if successful at the polls.

Mr. Bharath pointed to the Tobago east and west seats where he said the UNC is never represented.

He further noted that the party has not been able to get a grip on the electorate as bright minds have been discarded.

Kamla Persad-Bissessar has been under pressure to call Internal Elections since her loss at the August 10^th General Election.