NEWS
‘Nurses alone on wards’...TTNNA claims NCRHA forcing single coverage amid staffing gaps, wage action
The management at the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) has been forcing nurses and midwifery staff to work alone on hospital wards. So said president of the Trinidad and Tobago National Nursing Association (TTNNA) Idi Stuart. Stating the action by the NCRHA is their response to the April 28 roll-out of phase two measures by the TTNNA, where nurses have been advised to perform their duties under a strict nurse-to-patient ratio, Stuart called on NCRHA chairman Dr Tim Goopeesingh to account for the alleged practice and operation within the authority...read more
Family welcomes conviction
Man sentenced to death for killing estranged wife, daughter...
The family of Tara “Geeta” Ramsaroop and her infant daughter Shermaya, who were killed by her estranged husband, are grateful to the judge and the judicial system following his conviction and death sentence. On Monday, Justice Nalini Singh found Rishi Motilal, 31, guilty on two counts of murder. Motilal was convicted for the deaths of Ramsaroop, 31, and their 14-month-old daughter, Shermaya Motilal. In the judge-alone trial, the court heard that the killings unfolded on October 8, 2024, at Motilal’s home on Rig Road in Barrackpore, after a dispute between the couple escalated violently...read more
Belmont man waiting on son killed in QPS
A Belmont father of three was yesterday killed minutes after he arrived at the Queen’s Park Savannah (QPS), Port-of-Spain, to collect his son from football training in what his common law wife believes was a reprisal. Masud Prosper, 49, a driver attached to the Ministry of Health, was shot several times as he sat in his black Lancer car, which was parked along the area referred to as the “Drag.” Although the incident around 5.30 pm forced some people to abandon their daily exercise routines, many others continued as normal, with food vendors also conducting the usual sales. Guardian Media was told that Prosper, who lived at Belle Eau Road, Belmont, had earlier attended the funerals of two of the victims who were killed during a fatal shooting on April 19 along Lady Young Road, Morvant...read more
POLITICS
Govt rejects Penny’s 6/10 self-assessment
The Government has strongly challenged Opposition leader Pennelope Beckles’ self-assessment of her first term leading the Opposition People’s National Movement (PNM). Responding to Guardian Media yesterday, several Government Ministers rejected Beckles’ six out of ten rating of her party’s performance over the last year, double the score she gave to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. While Beckles admitted that the PNM has more work to be done, several ministers and a senator slammed the Opposition’s analysis of its year-one performance. Energy and Energy Industries Minister Roodal Moonilal said, “More like -6 out of 10 !!!” Minister of Land and Legal Affairs and Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Saddam Hosein said, “The Opposition Leader is being generous to herself and her pick up side of a party...read more
BUSINESS
RFHL declares $1.07B profit in six months
Just one day before the Republic Bank was set to introduce increased banking fees for customers Republic Financial Holdings Limited (RFHL), announced profits attributable to its equity holders of $1.07 billion for the first half of the 2026 financial year. In a release on Thursday, Yashmid Karamath, Chairman of RFHL stated this was an increase of $54 million or 5.4 per cent over the $1.01 billion recorded in the same period of the prior year. Karamath said, “Despite this positive momentum, the operating environment across our markets remained challenging. Geo-political uncertainty, economic headwinds, inflationary pressures, tighter liquidity conditions, and uneven growth trajectories have impacted government, consumer and corporate activity across the countries in which we operate. These factors have required careful navigation, particularly in managing credit risk and maintaining prudent capital and liquidity positions, while the Group’s diversified portfolio provide inherent counterweights...read more
Central Bank visits Tobago
Central Bank Governor Larry Howai took the Bank’s senior leadership to the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) last Friday, sharpening focus on Tobago-specific policy and closing long-standing data gaps that have constrained planning. In a news release, the Central Bank said Howai, deputy governor Dr Dorian Noel, the board, and senior management met Chief Secretary Farley Augustine and Assembly members as part of ongoing stakeholder engagements, with particular attention to Tobago’s distinct needs. The visit coincided with the Bank’s April board meeting in Tobago. Talks ranged from financial literacy and digital-payments modernisation to the macroeconomic outlook and tighter institutional collaboration. The Bank signalled readiness to provide research and statistical support to the THA to strengthen economic modelling, an intervention aimed at improving evidence-based policymaking on the island...read more
Republic VP responds to fee backlash: Banks face security, compliance costs
Newly installed president of the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Karen Yip Chuck, has said while customer concerns about the increase in the bank’s fees are valid, there has been a “complex and costly environment” created by cybsercurity concerns and regulations required for anti-money laundering frameworks. In response to a query from Guardian Media, Yip Chuck said, “Firstly, it is entirely understandable that businesses and individuals are concerned about any increase in banking fees. For micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in particular, transaction costs, overdraft charges and penalty fees can have a real impact on cash flows and day-to-day operations, especially in a challenging economic environment.” She continued, “From the standpoint of the Chamber, these concerns are valid and should be heard. Transparency, fairness, and clear communication are essential to maintaining trust between financial institutions and the communities they serve...read more
REGIONAL
PM Browne leads ABLP to victory in Antigua general election
Prime Minister Gaston Browne’s gamble of calling a general election nearly two years ahead of the constitutional deadline paid off on Thursday, when he guided his ruling Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) to a commanding victory. Preliminary results show that the ABLP had won 15 of the 17 seats at stake in the election, reversing the slim victory it had achieved in January 2023, when the party scraped home by a 9-7 margin. “We are humbled and honoured by your support and confidence. Now is the time to move forward together, build on our gains and continue our work on this long journey toward the betterment of our society and the upliftment of our people. From each and every one of us, THANK YOU,” Prime Minister Gaston Browne wrote on the official Facebook page of the ruling party...read more
Caribbean Export – RevUP Caribbean signs MOU to strengthen regional entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) and RevUP Caribbean Limited (RevUP) have formalised a strategic partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), aimed at advancing entrepreneurship, innovation, and private sector development across the Caribbean. The MOU was signed during the Caribbean Women Generating Resilient and Inclusive Trade (GRIT) Project activation week in Jamaica, marking a significant step towards strengthening support systems for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), particularly those led by women and youth...read more
INTERNATIONAL
US diplomatic security service investigation exposes counterfeit passport fraud network
WASHINGTON, USA – The US Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) uncovered a sophisticated, multi-state fraud scheme built on counterfeit US passport cards and stolen identities, resulting in significant federal prison sentences for two central figures. On April 7, 2026, Ciera Julieth Blas, 32, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents. Kelly Josek, 41, of New York, New York, was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison in January 2026 for the same charges. The investigation began with a routine traffic stop by the Flower Mound Police Department in Texas, which uncovered seven counterfeit US passport cards. DSS investigators determined that Blas and Josek used the personal identifying information of more than 80 individuals to create counterfeit passport cards and access victim financial accounts nationwide. Victims lost more than $1.3 million, with further analysis connecting Blas to additional fraud totalling more than $8 million and approximately 2,500 victims...read more
Iran has sent a fresh peace proposal to mediators, sources say
Meanwhile, US gas prices have surged to their highest since July 2022.
Peace talks: Iran has sent its latest proposal for negotiations with the United States to Pakistani mediators, according to sources. US President Donald Trump said earlier no one knows the status of talks with Iran aside from himself and a handful of others. Pain at the pump: As the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed, US gas prices are now at an average of $4.39 per gallon — their highest level since July 2022 — marking an increase of 33 cents just in the last week...read more
1st May 2026