NEWS
Scrap iron dealers call for ban, centralised control to tackle copper theft
President of the Trinidad and Tobago Scrap Iron Dealers’ Association (TTSIDA), Allan Ferguson, says one recommendation to address copper theft is to centralise all scrap yards in order to better monitor dealers’ inventory. His suggestion came during a stakeholder meeting that included officials from the Ministry of Trade, Investment and Tourism, the Attorney General’s Office, Customs and Excise Division, police and other stakeholders. The meeting, which took place yesterday, followed an incident a day earlier in which a man allegedly broke into a Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC) substation at Brechin Castle to steal copper. The suspect reportedly came into contact with a 132 kV breaker, causing a fault that resulted in a voltage dip. Read more here
RHA wage talks moving to next stage
Public Services Association (PSA) president Felisha Thomas says negotiations for regional health authority (RHA) workers have reached a key milestone, with the Ministry of Health completing the salary calculations needed to advance the process to the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO). In a release posted on Facebook yesterday, Thomas told the workers they had not been “forgotten” in ongoing wage talks, and dismissed suggestions the PSA had neglected RHA employees. Read more here
POLITICS
PM outlines Govt’s anti-crime plan in justifying SoE extension
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says the Government’s anti-crime plan is already delivering measurable results, but criminal syndicates remain sufficiently organised and dangerous that authorities require a further three months under the State of Emergency (SoE) to complete intelligence-led operations and secure long-term gains. Contributing to Wednesday’s parliamentary debate on the motion to extend the SoE, Persad-Bissessar rejected Opposition People’s National Movement (PNM) claims that Government’s crime-fighting strategy amounted to emergency powers alone, insisting the SoE forms only one component of a broader anti-crime framework being implemented across multiple ministries. “You asked me about the crime plan and I have to keep telling you we do not have a crime plan. We have an anti-crime plan,” she told the House. Read more here
PM: No one is above the law
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has defended Attorney General John Jeremie following controversial statements about the “1%”, saying the law applies to everyone. “My Government’s position is clear. Pursuant to the maxim ‘Justice is blind’ the law applies equally to every citizen, regardless of their financial status, social standing, political connections, or influence,” said Persad-Bissessar yesterday. She was responding to questions from the Express about Jeremie’s statement in Parliament Wednesday that some of the “1%” have had their visas revoked by the United States government based on security intelligence. Read more here
BUSINESS
West Indian Traders extends IPO deadline
Local distribution company West Indian Traders Limited (WIT) has advised that the closing date for its Initial Public Offering (IPO) has been extended from its original closing date of June 5 to June 22, 2026. “The decision to extend the offer period was made to accommodate continued investor interest and to provide additional time for prospective investors to complete the application process and participate in this significant investment opportunity,” WIT said in a release yesterday. “Since opening, the IPO has generated strong market engagement from both individual and institutional investors. The extension is intended to ensure that all interested investors have a fair opportunity to review the prospectus, seek financial advice where necessary, and submit their applications,” it stated. Read more here
REGIONAL
Guyana expands robotic surgery with series of regional firsts
The successful completion of a series of first-of-its-kind robotic surgeries has positioned Guyana as the pioneer of a multi-speciality robotic surgery programme in the English-speaking Caribbean, less than two weeks after the technology was officially introduced at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). According to GPHC, a landmark week of robotic surgical procedures conducted between June 1 and June 5, 2026, built on the country’s historic launch of robotic surgery on May 26, which featured the world’s longest robotic telesurgery spanning more than 20,000 kilometres using the SSI Mantra 3 Robotic Surgical System. The hospital noted that each procedure completed during the week represented a historic first for Guyana and the English-speaking Caribbean, “further positioning Guyana as a regional leader in surgical innovation and advanced healthcare delivery.” Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Tehran says 'nothing' finalised after Trump claims deal to end Iran war near
Iran has insisted that a final decision on an agreement to end the current conflict with the US has not yet been reached, despite President Trump again claiming a deal was likely to be signed imminently. Trump had declared the US would strike Iran "very hard" again on Thursday, but later said he was cancelling the strikes because negotiators had "just made a great settlement" with Iran. He told reporters it was "subject to finalisation of documents, which should get done, over the next few days" and that there would "probably" be a signing ceremony in Europe. But Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said reports of an agreement were "speculative" and "nothing has been finalised". Trump has previously claimed a deal with Iran was close without one materialising. Read more here
12th June 2026