Just some brief, recent (2017) items about T&T - good and bad - that we may not have read or heard about - from the international media (well at least one, anyway).
I will print all of the first article because it is so positive for T&T.
How low can you go?! Incredible moment 'Limbo queen' goes under an SUV carrying drinks - and doesn't spill a drop By Hannah Parry For Dailymail.com
Published: 20:00 BST, 9 February 2017 | Updated: 23:42 BST, 9 February 2017
This is the incredible moment that the record holding 'Limbo Queen' shimmied under an SUV holding two trays of drinks without spilling a single drop.
Shemika Charles, 23, is so agile that she can go under cars, airport seats and can even limbo just eight and a half inches from the floor - which is about the height of a beer bottle.
In her latest stunt, Charles not only proved she could limbo - but she also had some excellent balancing skills too.
Shemika Charles, 23, not only proved she could limbo - but she also had some excellent balancing skills too in her latest stunt (pictured)
This is the incredible moment that the record holding 'Limbo Queen' shimmied under an SUV holding two trays of drinks without spilling a single drop
Shemika Charles, 23, not only proved she could limbo - but she also had some excellent balancing skills too in her latest stunt (pictured)
A video shows the self proclaimed Limbo Queen - wearing a skin tight red, Lycra suit - shimmying under a silver Toyota SUV with two silver trays of drinks
Charles made it look easy as she casually leaned back, in one appeared to be a car showroom, and shuffled underneath
She emerged from the other side without spilling a drop of the drink
A video shows the self proclaimed Limbo Queen - wearing a skin tight red, Lycra suit - shimmying under a silver Toyota SUV with two silver trays with three cups balanced precariously on each.
But Charles made it look easy as she casually leaned back, in one appeared to be a car showroom, and shuffled underneath, emerging from the other side in a matter of seconds.
The 23-year-old, who hails from Trinidad and Tobago but now lives in Buffalo, New York, also made headlines last month when she wowed travelers at Philadelphia airport by limbo dancing underneath an airport bank of chairs.
She emerged from the other side without spilling a drop of the drink
Video of her feat quickly went viral after it was posted on Twitter.
Shemika, who calls herself the 'Limbo Queen', started practicing her skill when she was 14. She took after her mom Sherrie, who was a limbo dancer for 16 years - though Sherrie could only ever get down to three feet.
'I saw that I had a really unique talent for it,' Shemika said. She continued to improve as she got older, which has involved practicing for 'around six hours a day' for the past four years.
In 2010, she set the Guinness World Record during an appearance on Live! With Regis and Kelly, where she limboed eight and a half inches from the floor - which is about the height of a beer bottle.
In 2015, she set her second world record, bending herself to walk under a car. Though the bottom of the car was measured at about nine inches above the ground, unlike a limbo bar, its surface is not even and the height is not consistent.
Like mother, like daughter: Shemika takes after her mother (in yellow), who was a limbo dancer for 16 years
Shemika Charles became an online hit last month after a video surfaced of her slipping under a bank of chairs at Philadelphia airport
The 23 year old, who is also a two-time Guinness World Record holder for limbo dancing, made fellow passengers' jaws drop when she completed the move
'It does take a lot of concentration, a lot of balance, a lot of breath control,' she said, adding that she was proud of herself for reaching her goal.
In addition to being able to give a previously unheard of answer to the question 'how low can you go?', Shemika can also do other 'tricks' while shimmying under a bar. She can spin circus plates in both of her hands and from her mouth while limboing, as well as limbo blindfolded with her hands full.
The performer said that when people see what she can do, they are both amazed and intrigued - but perhaps no one is more in awe than her chiropractor, who she sees once a week to have her hips realigned.
'She really is amazing - like a freak of nature,' said Dr. John Przybylak, though he warned that if she is not careful about sticking to her strict training routine, she could get 'a little bit hurt'.
Not that she's letting up on practicing, anyway. But Shemika did admit that even if limboing does one day affect her health, she still won't stop.
Especially because she still has more records she wants to set, including for backwards limbo and distance traveled while limboing.
How low can she go? The Buffalo, New York, native set her first record when she limboed at the approximate height of a beer can, eight and a half inches
Skeleton-defying tricks: The 22-year old has to visit her chiropractor often and stick to a strict practice schedule so she doesn't get hurt
Limbo queen: Shemika can also limbo while wearing a blindfold and balancing plates in her hands
THE LIMBO QUEEN
Shemika Charles is a two-time Guinness World Record holder for Limbo Dancing.
Her first world record title was claimed in 2010, when she became the lowest limbo dancer in the world for bending under a marker that was 8.5 inches off the floor.
In 2016, she won her 2nd Guinness World Record for The Farthest Distance to Limbo under 12 inches, in Beijing - a distance of 12 feet.
Shemika is a native of Trinidad and Tobago, which is the birthplace of the Limbo Dance, but she now resides in Buffalo New York.
Following the announcement of her 2010 world record, the Mayor of Buffalo declared October 8th 2010, Shemika Charles Day.
She has performed on numerous TV shows, including America’s Got Talent, Wendy Williams Show, Bill Cunningham Show, as well as several local news programmes.
Work is currently underway to develop a line of merchandise including an official limbo dance kit, fitness books and a line of athletic wear.
She performs at NBA halftime shows around the country and hopes to one day have a residency in Las Vegas.
Read more:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z4cSb85QhoFollow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
EXCLUSIVE: U.S. border officials released immigrants by mistake, sexually abused foreigners, tried to order prostitutes on government Blackberrys and defecated in hotel hallways on overseas trips
By Wills Robinson For Dailymail.com
Published: 18:58 BST, 9 February 2017 | Updated: 18:59 BST, 10 February 2017
An investigation has found 497 officers working for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - the Homeland Security agency responsible for detaining and deporting illegal immigrants - were accused of misconduct in just two years.
In February 2015, an ICE employee was suspended for defecating in a hotel hallway during an official trip to Port of Spain (pictured) in Trinidad and Tobago.
From Brazil in July to Vietnam in October: Lonely Planet reveals the best places to go for every month of the yearBy Naomi Leach For Mailonline
Published: 08:48 BST, 12 January 2017 | Updated: 10:18 BST, 12 January 2017
March
First splash of spring: Unwind in Tobago at the dreamy Pigeon Point Beach where even the palm trees are laid back
Sicily, Cyprus, South Africa, Tyrol in Austria, the Maldives, Chile, Costa Rica, Banff in Canada, Savannah in the US, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Trinidad and Tobago are among the most desirable destinations for March travellers.
New York immigrant rights activist escapes deportationBy Afp
Published: 20:03 BST, 9 March 2017 | Updated: 20:03 BST, 9 March 2017
Ravi Ragbir )center) the executive director of the New Sanctuary Coalition of New York City and a legal immigrant who does not have a normalized status, speaks during a press conference before voluntarily attending a check-in meeting with ICE in Manhattan
For years, Ravi Ragbir has been a prominent New York immigrant rights activist who has helped protect hundreds of undocumented migrants from deportation.
But on Thursday it was his turn, a father of one born in Trinidad and Tobago and living in New York more than 25 years, to come perilously close to being kicked out of Donald Trump's America, all because of a past conviction.
"We are Ravi," "We stand with Ravi," "Ravi we love you," shouted hundreds of supporters accompanying him to his annual date with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, which can end in arrest and expulsion.
He lives in constant fear of being kicked out, now more than ever with the US president vowing to deport migrants -- who like himself have been convicted of a crime and served with deportation orders.
"This is a sea of love that's going to overtake any wall is going to be built," Ragbir told the crowd of rights activists, elected officials, undocumented migrants, priests, rabbis and pastors in Manhattan's Foley Square.
Holding hands, raising their fists, singing or praying, they walked to the court behind Ragbir. An hour later, he was released.
For 15 years, he has lived under a pending deportation order since a wire fraud conviction. He has so far been saved expulsion thanks to a series of deferrals, the last of which is due to expire in 2018.
"I am living in fear," said the tall, thin man in his early 40s with a gray ponytail.
"We worry what's going to happen tomorrow," he told AFP.
- 'Cried all day' -
Ragbir (center), who legally immigrated to the United States from Trinidad and Tobago more than 25 years ago, had a conviction for wire fraud in 2001 that put his green card under review and created the threat that he could be deported as a result of this meeting. Following the meeting he was not detained for deportation
Ragbir came to the United States on a visitor's visa in February 1991 and went on to acquire a green card, but in 2001 was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud while working for a mortgage lender.
Ragbir spent three years under house arrest appealing his sentence and two years in a US federal jail.
He was then incarcerated two more years in New Jersey and Alabama, awaiting deportation. His lawyers appealed to the Supreme Court, which declined to intervene but pending their decision he was forced to wear an electronic ankle bracelet and report to an immigration agent three times a week.
Though he has served his time, and has a US wife and daughter, the government does not want to normalize his immigration status. He does not expect that to change under Trump.
"My wife cried many, many times since November 8," Ragbir told AFP of last year's US election. "On November 9 she cried all day, because she knew the consequences," he added. She is an immigration attorney.
Today he runs the New Sanctuary Coalition of New York, which trains dozens of volunteers to accompany migrants to ICE appointments, which Ragbir says is proven to lower their chances of being deported.
The interfaith network of congregations, organizations and people works to resist detention and keep families together. Ragbir works out of an office at the Judson Memorial Church in Greenwich Village.
More than a hundred churches, synagogues and mosques are part of the coalition, a number that has soared since Trump's election. Some are willing to grant sanctuary to immigrants as a last resort in case of raids.
Protesters accompany prominent immigration activist Ravi Ragbir (C) outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office during a Solidarity Rally Against Deportation on March 9, 2017 in New York City
"We're religious people and we believe in the power of forgiveness. Our organization was founded to give sanctuary to people with priors," said Reverend Donna Schaper of the Judson Memorial Baptist Church.
The organization, founded in 2007 and with branches in other US cities, was inspired by the 1980s sanctuary movement that enlisted churches to transport, shelter and hide refugees fleeing civil wars in El Salvador and Guatemala.
Since Trump's election, Schaper says she has felt "devastated."
"We're pretty convinced we're going to have to say goodbye to all the people with whom we have been working during all these years," she told AFP.
Although Ragbir walked free Thursday, his next appointment with a deportation agent is in 2018.
Countries with a strong religious culture are WORSE at maths and science, study claimsBy Tim Collins For Mailonline
Published: 17:26 BST, 23 March 2017 | Updated: 17:26 BST, 23 March 2017
We are at #65. The lower the rank, the more religious the country.
COUNTRIES BY RELIGIOSITY RANKING
Rank Country Religiosity Score
1 Czech Republic 2.4287
2 Japan 2.9006
3 Estonia 3.5331
4 Sweden 3.5460
5 Norway 3.8893
6 France 3.9153
7 Australia 3.9772
8 Latvia 4.0265
9 New Zealand 4.1000
10 Vietnam 4.1414
11 Luxembourg 4.1451
12 Hong Kong 4.1506
13 Hungary 4.1513
14 United Kingdom 4.1638
15 Denmark 4.2019
16 Germany 4.2114
17 Spain 4.4118
18 Russian Federation 4.5171
19 Bulgaria 4.5208
20 Uruguay 4.5341
21 Netherlands 4.5381
22 Slovenia 4.6142
23 Israel 4.7425
24 Belgium 4.7429
25 Austria 4.9865
26 Switzerland 5.1248
27 Finland 5.2007
28 Korea 5.2338
29 Taiwan 5.2382
30 Ukraine 5.2607
31 Lithuania 5.3902
32 Ireland 5.4193
33 Kazakhstan 5.5005
34 Portugal 5.5815
35 Iceland 5.6637
36 Canada 5.8881
37 Slovak Republic 5.9166
38 Montenegro 6.0029
39 Croatia 6.1819
40 Argentina 6.2355
41 Italy 6.2660
42 Serbia 6.3655
43 Azerbaijan 6.4765
44 Albania 6.4769
45 Chile 6.6069
46 Greece 6.6493
47 Poland 6.6810
48 Moldova 6.7013
49 Singapore 6.8898
50 Kyrgyzstan 6.8909
51 United States 7.1149
52 Cyprus 7.1378
53 Macedonia 7.2942
54 Bahrain 7.4265
55 Lebanon 7.4931
56 Romania 7.5672
57 Peru 7.5846
58 Brazil 7.8896
59 Colombia 8.0000
60 Armenia 8.0756
61 Mexico 8.0979
62 Thailand 8.1705
63 Turkey 8.1882
64 South Africa 8.3394
65 Trinidad and Tobago 8.8732
66 Puerto Rico (USA) 8.9150
67 Iran, Islamic Rep. 9.0828
68 Malaysia 9.2705
69 Georgia 9.2756
70 Philippines 9.4454
71 Palestinian Nat?l Auth. 9.4510
72 Saudi Arabia 9.5341
73 Kuwait 9.5450
74 Ghana 9.6143
75 Algeria 9.6354
76 Morocco 9.6697
77 Tunisia 9.7808
78 Jordan 9.7933
79 Yemen 9.7956
80 Egypt 9.8369
81 Indonesia 9.8501
82 Qatar 9.9553
Read more:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... z4cSXdDmH8Guyana says future oil output could be refined in Trinidad, SurinameBy Reuters
Published: 21:15 BST, 2 March 2017 | Updated: 21:15 BST, 2 March 2017
GEORGETOWN, March 2 (Reuters) - The South American nation of Guyana could send future oil production to Trinidad and Tobago or Suriname for refining, a government official said on Thursday.
Exxon Mobil Corp and partner companies say they have found between 800 million and 1.4 billion barrels of oil off the coast of Guyana, with production expected for 2020.
"We recently had some overtures made by the government of Trinidad and Tobago ... they are operating right now below optimum and they are importing oil from Nigeria," Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman told reporters.
"Suriname has also indicated a willingness to do refining for Guyana. Why? Because they too have a refinery which is performing under par."
Guyana, which currently does not produce oil, is considering whether it would make economic sense to build its own refinery, Trotman said.
The crude discovery triggered a diplomatic dispute with neighboring Venezuela, which lays claim to a portion of Guyana as part of a long-standing border dispute. Guyana says the countries' border was settled over a century ago.
Venezuela has in the past supplied crude to Petrotrin's 168,000-barrel-per-day Pointe-a-Pierre refinery in Trinidad, but is no longer doing so amid ongoing oilfield production problems. (Reporting by Neil Marks; Writing by Brian Ellsworth; Editing by Sandra Maler)
Real-life Forrest Gump, 64, who suffers from kidney disease and is waiting for a donor has been running 20 miles a day for THREE DECADES
By Kiri Blakeley For Dailymail.com
Published: 05:48 BST, 18 February 2017 | Updated: 06:48 BST, 18 February 2017
A real-life Forrest Gump has run on average 20 miles a day for the past three decades as he fights numerous health problems, including kidney disease.
Keith Boissiere, 64, originally from Trinidad and Tobago, has become famous in his adopted city of Baltimore for his determined almost-daily four-hour runs through the streets, no matter the weather.At one point, he was able to run every single day for 12 and a half years straight.
'I’ve been through blizzards, ice storms, heat waves, everything just to keep the streak,' he told the Baltimore Sun's Darkroom. He has to buy a new pair of sneakers every few months.
Keith Boissiere, known as the 'running man' in Baltimore, starts his daily 20-mile trek
'Fitness of the body, fitness of the mind, and understanding and leaning what the whole world is about' he says
But his biggest challenge came in 2008, when his health suddenly dramatically declined. 'I couldn’t breathe, I didn’t know what was going on,' he said.
With no health insurance, he didn't try to get treatment until 'I was nearly dead.'
He eventually went to the hospital and was diagnosed with an enlarged prostate gland. Because it had gone untreated for so long, he now had a host of health problems, including Stage 4 of Chronic Kidney Disease.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... sease.html
