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Senate President Christine Kangaloo orders a member out of the chamber after his cellular phone goes off.

Newly minted Government Senator Jason “JW” Williams was asked to leave the Upper House on Thursday.

The Soca star turned politician, is the PNM candidate for the key marginal seat of Barataria/San Juan.

He found himself temporarily leaving the chamber during his second sitting since replacing of former Public Utilities Minister Robert Le Hunte.

During the period of urgent questions, Senate President Christine Kangaloo rose in annoyance to complain of a noise from a smartphone.

The President said can the member, the Senator whose cellphone it is, please leave the chamber and return in ten minutes time.

Mr. Williams is reported to have calmly rose and left the chamber.

Twenty-six nationals stuck in India, after the borders of this country closed, are pleading with the government to allow them to return home.

Among the group are students who were on a scholarship facilitated by the Indian High Commission in Trinidad and Tobago

They were studying Hindi and were due to return home on May 2^nd 2020.

One of the students, Vishala Siewdath tells Newscentre 5 due to the COVID-19 pandemic their classes and exams were cancelled and they have been trying for many weeks now to get permission to come back home.

Ms. Siewdath says she has contacted the Ministry of National Security but the options given to them are not favorable.

Ms. Siewdath says she and her fellow classmates are willing to book flights but they need an affirmative answer on their return home.

And some 70 nationals have booked a flight from London due to return on July 14^th.

When contacted on the matter yesterday National Security Minister Stuart Young said the borders are currently closed to both nationals and non-nationals.

Minister Young in a Whatsapp message noted that this measure is based on the advice of local medical public health experts and is an important part of the government’s effort to restrict the spread of COVID-19.

He said they continue to manage the borders and entry into Trinidad and Tobago very carefully to protect the population.

Further minister young noted there are currently no commercial flights being permitted.

He explains that at this time he cannot say where things will be with border control in July but what he can say is that government will continue to be guided by the advice from medical public health experts and science.

Minister Young said to comment on any commercial flights being permitted into Trinidad and Tobago in July is premature.

Senior Counsel Martin Daly and former Diplomat Reginald Dumas have issued a joint statement expressing concerns about the Trinidad and Tobago/Venezuela issue.

The two say the row over the visit to this country of Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez is not good and has the potential to damage relationships.

They feel it is time for an end what they call “megaphone diplomacy” on this issue.

Mr. Daly and Mr. Dumas issued the statement yesterday saying what is required is sober assessment, above the incessant noise of partisan party politics.

Before the statement was issued, former Independent Senator Daly said Minister Stuart Young was toying with words in his response to a question in the Senate on May 13^th.

Ambassador Joseph Mondello has said he raised the issue of the Rio Treaty during the conversation with Minister Young.

Mr. Mondello earlier this week said he mentioned the country’s obligations under the treaty.

Speaking on The Morning Show on i95.5fm yesterday, Mr. Daly said the Minister did not appear to be deliberately misleading the parliament, and the question posed by Senator Wade Mark, was answered.

On Wednesday, Senator Mark sought to get Minister Young sent to the Privileges Committee of the Parliament but this attempt failed.

The state is accused of turning a blind eye to the unauthorised entry of Venezuelan migrants in Icacos.

Councillor Shankar Teelucksingh says they are coming in by the droves.

Councillor Teelucksingh’s comment comes in the wake of 32 Venezuelans who were rescued from a sinking pirogue in waters off Icacos during the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The immigrants are now detained at the Coast Guard base in Chaguaramas.

There are reports that at least one of them has exhibited flu like symptoms.

Yesterday Councillor Teelucksingh said the Siparia Regional Corporation has been calling on the government to put proper mechanisms in place to prevent the influx of Venezuelans through Cedros, but to no avail.

He maintained the state has a duty to give the corporation the necessary tools and funding to deal with the migrant situation.

Mr. Teelucksingh lamented the living conditions under which the group has been living.

Speaking with Newscenter 5, Mr. Teelucksingh further noted that the state has failed to give out a parcel of land for temporary housing for the migrants.

He described the situation as shameful.

A Nigerian man has appeared in a Port of Spain Magistrates Court charged with scamming a woman $128,500.

48-year-old Charleson Oba-So-Anya is alleged to have pretended to be the long lost godson of an 82-year-old woman, whom he scammed out of the money.

He is now on charges of Larceny By Trick and Money Laundering.

The accused lives in El Socorro and was remanded after his appearance in court.

He has to return to court today.

Thousands of maxi taxi owners and operators are to get their $2,000 grants from the government by next week.

Yesterday in the Senate, Minister of Finance Colm Imbert said the funds are available for disbursement to the Ministry of Works and Transport.

Minister Imbert said the government is close to making a decision on whether the Fuel Support Grant would take the form of a cash option or a fuel card.

He also said the number of maxi taxis is now being tallied.

Government decided on the one off grant to help owners and operators of maxi taxis, affected by measures implemented to curb the spread of the Coronavirus.

Investigations are continuing into the deaths of retired Police Corporal Kenneth Machan and his wife Leela Marchan.

The two were found dead at their Cunupia home on Monday morning.

Their bodies were badly decomposed.

The Police Social and Welfare Association is expressing its sadness at the passing of a former colleague.

General Secretary Ancil Forde said yesterday he is confident whoever is responsible will be held.

Mr. Forde also called on people to be vigilant.

One man was held for questioning after he was reportedly found driving the car, which belonged to Mr. Marchan.

There are now Opposition calls for the resignation or removal of Stuart Young as Minister of National Security.

The calls spiked yesterday after a release from the U.S. ambassador to this country, Joseph Mondello.

In the release Mr. Mondello contradicts Minister Young’s statement that the Rio Treaty was never raised during his talks with Mr. Mondello earlier this month.

The Ambassador said since the government has spoken publically about the conversation he had with Minister Young, he has decided to comment.

He said in his May 6^th conversation with Minister Young, he expressed concern about what he called the consistency of Delcy Rodgriguez’s visit to Port of Spain, with Trinidad and Tobago’s obligations as a party to the Rio Treaty.

With that release, Opposition MP Dr. Roodal Moonilal said yesterday the Minister must go.

In the Senate on May 13^th the Minister was asked about his conversation with the Ambassador.

In response to the Ambassador last night Minister Young said his comments in the Senate were misconstrued.

The minister said he has noted the statement of Ambassador Mondello.

MP Roodal Moonilal is now saying the Minister has soured relations with the United States.

Last night the Minister again denied any wrongdoing in the issue.