NEWS
Rain halts National Carnival King semifinal
A late-night downpour at the Queen’s Park Savannah brought this year’s National Carnival King semifinal to an abrupt end. The T&T Carnival Bands Association stopped the competition as rain began when only five of the 20 competitors had crossed the stage. The Association said it took the decision to ensure the safety of the masqueraders and to protect the structural integrity of their already rain-drenched costumes. The decision means the 20 semi-finalists will now compete in the finals at the Dimanche Gras show on Sunday. They will compete alongside 10 Carnival Queens, who judges selected from a pool of 20 earlier last night. Read more here
POLITICS
PM expects ‘fairly safe’ Carnival despite end of SoE
Despite the State of Emergency ending before the height of the current Carnival season and the failure of the Zones of Special Operations (ZOSO) Bill in Parliament, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says she expects a fairly safe 2026 Carnival. Speaking at the Siparia Women’s Association’s 28th annual Kiddies Carnival celebrations in Penal yesterday, Persad-Bissessar said the protective services, under the Ministries of Homeland Security and Defence, were fully mobilised for the season, with all reserves called out and ready to be deployed. “We are always concerned about crime. Tomorrow, I have a National Security Council meeting, and we will have further discussions about the way forward,” Persad-Bissessar said. Read more here
BUSINESS
PoS hotels full for Carnival, small hotels not seeing much benefit
Carnival accommodation in Port of Spain is already in high demand ahead of the February 16 and 17 festivities, with major hotels either fully booked or offering limited rooms at premium rates, highlighting the pressure on visitors trying to secure last-minute stays.Checks with several leading hotels revealed that from today (February 12), there are no available rooms in Port-of-Spain. The Hyatt Regency confirmed it was fully booked from February 12 to 19, with no rooms available under either local or standard rates. Limited availability is open briefly on February 17 and 19. When rooms become available, the average nightly rate was US$US$640.01 before taxes, excluding breakfast, and US$660.56 including breakfast and taxes, subject to change depending on demand. Brix Hotel also confirmed it was fully booked for the same period. Reservation staff indicated that room rates during the Carnival window reached approximately US$700 per night for single occupancy, with prices increasing for double or triple occupancy. Read more here
Tancoo knocks Transparency
Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo says Trinidad and Tobago is expected to be removed from the European Union’s list of non-compliant countries within weeks. This even as the country recorded a score of 41 on the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index and ranked 81 out of 182 countries and territories. The Corruption Perceptions Index, published annually by Transparency International since 1995, measures perceived levels of public sector corruption based on assessments by experts and business executives. The latest report was released on Monday. Transparency International is a Germany-based organisation. Read more here
REGIONAL
‘Greater value for your assets!’
OVER 430 residents from several communities along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway on Monday received their official leases for their lands, and, according to President Dr. Irfaan Ali, this is just one of many land regularisation programmes being pursued in the area. The Head of State, while addressing scores of residents, said the government’s intention is to support livelihoods through sustainable housing and long-term wealth creation. “The very fact that you own your lease now has increased your worth by over 400 per cent, overnight. You can take that to the bank, you can get a loan, you can build your home, and the value of land in this area is growing exponentially,” the President said. Simultaneously, works are underway to create some 1,600 new house lots in Hauraruni, a community along the Soesdyke-Linden highway. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Police identify 18-year-old as suspect in Tumbler Ridge shooting
An 18-year-old has been named as the suspect in a shooting that killed eight people and injured dozens more in British Columbia, Canada. Police said Jesse Van Rootselaar was found dead at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot injury. The motive for the attack is not yet known. Six people were killed and at least 25 others were injured at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. Two others - the suspect's mother, 39, and step-brother, 11 - were found dead at a nearby home. Hundreds of mourners gathered to exchange comfort and moments of silence in Tumbler Ridge's main square and outside the British Columbia legislature in Victoria on Wednesday night. Read more here
12th February 2026