Former Trinidad and Tobago president dies

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Aug 25 (Reuters) Noor Hassanali, who served as president of Trinidad and Tobago from 1987 to 1997, died today at age of 88.

Hassanali died in his sleep after a brief illness, radio reports quoted family members as saying.

Members of Parliament remembered the former president with a moment of silence during their session today.

A retired High Court judge, Hassanali was the first person of Indian descent to hold the presidency of the southern Caribbean country, where the population is evenly divided between people of African and Indian descent.

His cousin, Dr Jean Ramjohn-Richards, is the wife of the current president, George Maxwell Richards.

REUTERS VJ BST0130