THE TT Mathematics Olympiad (TTMO) contingent left for the UK on Sunday to participate in the 60th anniversary of the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), which will run from July 11 to 22 in Bath, England.
The IMO is one of the most prestigious Olympiads worldwide and is an annual competition which started in 1959. Today, over 100 countries participate by sending its best six mathematical minds, chosen after a series of rigorous testing and elimination rounds.
Students must be under 20. This year’s contingent includes Rajeev Gopeesingh, a sixth form student of Hillview college who participated in the 2018 IMO; Joshua Davis (6th Form) of Bishop Anstey Trinity College East; Rahul Gopeesingh (5th Form) of Presentation College Chaguanas;
Celine Roodal (6th Form) of Lakshmi Girls Hindu College; Alex Adams (6th Form) of St Mary’s College and Justin Llanos, a sixth former of Fatima College.
The team is headed by Dr Indra Haraksingh with the deputy head being Jagdesh Ramnanan. The competition looks deceptively simple as each participant from around the world has to solve three problems within a four-and-a-half-hour period, each day for two days.
These six problems carry seven marks each, so a total score is 42 points. No calculators are allowed and if a participant solves one entire problem only, for seven marks, he is given an honorary mention.
Gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded according to standards set by the IMO. The TTMO has been sending participants to the IMO fairly regularly since 1991. The TTMO is headed by Dr Haraksingh, Lecturer in Physics at UWI, and a Director of the International Mathematical Olympiad Foundation (IMOF), which is a Charity that supports the IMO.
To date, TTMO has brought home two silver and five bronze medals, and has received several Honorary Mentions (HMs). Source: Newsday, July 2019

A pupil of the Grant Memorial Presbyterian Primary School in San Fernando has topped the country at the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) examinations.
The name was kept a closely guarded secret until shortly before 9a.m when Education Minister Anthony Garcia, and Chief Education Officer Harrilal Seecharan arrived in San Fernando.
At 9.48a.m Garcia named Siri Vadlamudi as the top pupil. She will be attending the Naparima Girls High School.
Vadlamudi's parents are from India, and her father is a medical doctor.
The child told reporters she wanted to thank God and her teachers. 
Siri, who said she felt 'okay' after writing the SEA, said she wants to be a doctor.
About 18,849 pupils across Trinidad and Tobago who wrote the Secondary ­Entrance Assessment (SEA) examination will get their much-anticipated ­results today.
Chief Education Officer Harrilal Seecharan also said the top three SEA pupils will be named. All three top schools are from south Trinidad.
On June 17, Education Minister Anthony ­Garcia said the results would be published, and those parents who didn’t wish to have them published could request they be withheld by writing to the ministry.
A small number of ­parents had made the ­request, he said.
In a release yesterday, Garcia cautioned anxious parents: “Your response to your child’s results will dictate your child’s self-esteem and the way they view their results.
“If the child feels as though they have disappointed their parents, that feeling can transcend the results and be transferred into the attitude the child carries into their new school.
“The SEA is a placement examination and will not dictate how a child will perform in the next five years.
“A seed, once nurtured, can bloom and thrive in some of the toughest environments. The nurturing at this time is the support of parents.”
Parents should be able to collect results from 9 a.m. at the respective primary schools after principals collect their school’s packages at the Education District Offices.
Source: Sunday Express, June 28 2019.

Ramgopaul Roop, a 71-year-old farmer from Trinidad continues to inspire others and prove that with hard work and dedication you can realise your dreams.Roop is the owner of Rocrops Agrotec, a smallholder family farm established in 1990 in Trinidad; owned and managed by him and his wife Beena Roop. At the age of 71, Roop graduated on July 5th, 2019 from the Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland with a Master of Science Degree (MSc) with Distinction in Business Management specialising in Human Resource Management.
In addition to this, he is the winner of the University Medal for topping his class. This is a follow-up to his achievement just (3) years ago, back in 2016, where at age 69 he was awarded a Master of Business Administration (MBA), also with Distinction.
Rocrops Agrotec has been a Partner of the Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) for the past eight (8) years. The development of Rocrops Agrotec, has always revolved around an integrated system of agroecology practices to rehabilitate degraded heavy clay soils for horticultural and agricultural production.
Amongst its many activities, on the farm Roop has steered significant promotion of climate-smart agriculture and water management. He works to promote sustainable agricultural techniques and practices with the potential to contribute to rural development and food security of Trinidad and Tobago. Additionally, soil and water management in climate change adaptation is critical to the way in which Rocrops Agrotec is managed.
The farm has been Roop’s family home providing a year-round source of income for the past 30 years. It is an innovative and model farm in the Caribbean. During these 30 years, Rocrops has successfully implemented soil and water adaptation measures to mitigate against the negative impacts of climate change. Source:  Global Water Partnership Caribbean, July 2019.

This book shop hut on a drive through Manzanilla run by Ishmael Samad - books + the ocean. So much interest was shown that her now has his own Facebook page
​​ https://www.facebook.com/The-Book-Junkie-Manzanilla-347420562587563/

Nine-year-old Keri Alfred, of Mt. Pleasant, Tobago, is well on her way to becoming an exporter of milk and cheese, and diversifying Tobago's economy.  Watch her here  or copy this URL into your browser https://bit.ly/2xxlR94.
Source: Omardarth Maharaj

NEW YORK (AP) — A former Caribbean soccer official fighting extradition in the FIFA bribery scandal has been ordered to pay $79 million in damages from a related U.S. lawsuit.
U.S. District Judge William Kuntz ordered the default judgment against Jack Warner in the 2017 civil action accusing him of embezzling tens of millions of dollars from the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football. The written ruling was issued in federal court in Brooklyn on Tuesday after Warner failed to contest the claim.
The soccer association "intends to pursue all available avenues to enforce the judgment in any jurisdiction where CONCACAF has reason to believe Mr. Warner may have assets," plaintiff lawyer John Kuster said in a statement Wednesday.
Warner, 76, is a defendant in a sprawling criminal investigation that has resulted in convictions of several top soccer officials. He's out on bail while challenging a U.S. extradition request to Trinidad and Tobago, where he's denied any wrongdoing.
There was no immediate response Wednesday to an email sent to one of his lawyers.
The suit accused Warner and Chuck Blazer, another soccer official who died after it was filed, of negotiating bribes and kickbacks in connection with lucrative broadcasting rights for tournaments including the confederation's Gold Cup championship. Allegations in the suit also mirrored criminal charges saying that Warner, while he and Blazer were members of FIFA's executive committee, took a $10 million payment to influence voting on which country should host the World Cup.
Warner "agreed to provide Blazer with $1 million of the $10 million bribe," according to the suit. "Unsurprisingly, when the FIFA Executive Committee vote was held on May 15, 2004, South Africa was selected over Morocco to host the 2010 World Cup. Warner and Blazer both voted for South Africa."
Blazer's estate agreed earlier this year to pay $20 million in damages in the civil case.
Warner's sons, Daryll and Daryan, pleaded guilty to fraud charges in the criminal case in 2013 as part of a cooperation deal. They're both out on bail with travel restrictions within the U.S. and are awaiting sentencing.
Source: Daily Express, July 10, 2019

​Blog name has been changed to "News and Bits", as it is not a blog in the true sense of the word.  Since this is really a mix of news from Trinidad and Tobago and about Trinis making news elsewhere, jokes, recipes and other items of interest, the new name better describes the content of this section.  I hope you will check it often.