NEWS
TTPS ON HIGH ALERT
Officers reported 11 bomb threats in 40-minute period yesterday, including at a mall, ministry and 8 magistrates’ courts
Security agencies across Trinidad and Tobago, including the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) and the Trinidad and Tobago Fire Service (TTFS), were placed on high alert yesterday, after a series of 11 bomb threats targeted several courts, a shopping plaza and a government ministry. The wave of threats, received between 1 pm and 1.40 pm, prompted an immediate response from law enforcement and emergency personnel, who were deployed to locations stretching from Sangre Grande to Point Fortin, as well as Tobago. The alleged threats targeted the Valpark Shopping Plaza in Valsayn, the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government at Kent House in Maraval, the Judicial Building in Bacolet, Tobago; and magistrates’ courts in Sangre Grande, Arima, Chaguanas, Couva, Princes Town, San Fernando, Siparia and Point Fortin...read more
CoP says intelligence info prompted his sudden departure from T&T
Commissioner of Police (CoP) Allister Guevarro has revealed that confidential information from the country’s elite intelligence units led to his sudden departure from Trinidad and Tobago last week. While remaining tight-lipped about the nature of the information, Guevarro insisted yesterday that he followed all required procedures and breached no protocols. Confirming his return to the country in a voice note issued by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) Corporate Communications Department, Guevarro sought to reassure citizens that the organisation remained under capable leadership during his brief absence from the country. In the two-minute, 52-second message, Guevarro disclosed for the first time what prompted him to apply for emergency leave. “On the 10th of August, 2026, following information I received from the director of the Strategic Services Agency as well as the head of Special Branch, I applied to the Minister of Homeland Security for five days of emergency leave to travel out of the jurisdiction,” he said...read more
Pipeline leak leaves PoS without water
A leaking pipeline disrupted the supply of water to most of downtown Port of Spain yesterday, leading to some businesses, including fast-food restaurants, having to purchase a truck-borne supply of water. The incident led to the Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (DOMA) issuing advisories to its members, including 30 food outlets, as it monitored the situation until the water supply was restored shortly after 5 p.m. yesterday. DOMA president Gregory Aboud stated in a telephone interview that while incidents related to the breakdown of equipment would occur, there was a need for public utilities infrastructure in the capital city to be upgraded. In its first statement yesterday, DOMA stated “the entire downtown area is without any water supply at this time...read more
POLITICS
CWU on TSTT: We’re not in the Coalition, expect to suffer...Ogeer: I don’t want a hug up
BRACE for problems. That was the warning from Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) secretary general Joanne Ogeer to workers yesterday as the union’s dispute with Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) intensified over stalled negotiations, outstanding grievances and concerns about the company’s management and hiring practices. Speaking at a news conference at the union’s headquarters in Port of Spain, Ogeer said workers were seeking what was owed to them, and accused Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath of failing to properly address their concerns. “I am telling you all, brace for problem, because that is what Mr Padarath is good at,” Ogeer said. She stressed that the union was not aligned with any political party. “We are not politically assigned and attached. And we have no loyalty to any political party, not the PNM, not the UNC. And because we are not part of the Coalition (of Interest), we expect to suffer,” she said...read more
Manning calls on PNM to intervene after his removal from constituency group chat
Opposition MP for San Fernando East Brian Manning is calling on the People’s National Movement (PNM) leadership to address what he describes as governance issues within the constituency executive. The call comes after Manning said a message he posted in a San Fernando East (SFE) group chat was deleted by constituency executive chairman Patricia Alexis and he was subsequently removed from the group. In a statement issued yesterday, Manning said he had formally raised concerns about Alexis and was seeking greater transparency and independent oversight within the constituency. Manning referenced a complaint he submitted to the PNM’s General Council in June regarding concerns raised by members about an alleged conflict of interest involving Alexis and her reported receipt of contracts while serving as chairman of a state agency during the PNM’s time in government...read more
Padarath again rejects CWU’s 10% TSTT wage deal claim
Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath is standing by his position that there is no 10 per cent wage offer on the table for TSTT workers, directly rejecting claims made by Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) secretary general Joanne Ogeer. Padarath was responding yesterday to Ogeer’s call for an investigation into TSTT vice-president of Corporate Services Roshan Babwah, as the wage dispute between the union and the company continues. Ogeer has maintained that the union and TSTT engaged in discussions on a 10 per cent increase and that calculations were done jointly to determine the cost of the proposal. She has also argued the discussions created an understanding that an agreement had been reached. However, Padarath said both TSTT management and the company’s board have rejected that account. “I have no intention of dancing to the tune of the Communication Workers’ Union’s president,” Padarath said yesterday...read more
BUSINESS
Businesses in Maraval, St James complain about disposable income, forex and economic uncertainty
People just not shopping as much
From the commercial strips of Maraval to the vibrant, high-traffic avenues of St James, businesses are bearing the brunt of a volatile economy. Today’s owners must constantly navigate acute forex shortages, surging wholesale costs, changing consumer habits and a pervasive sense of insecurity threatening daily trade. From traditional gift merchants and retail outfits to personal care service providers, food vendors and specialised dining establishments, operators are issuing stark warnings about declining commercial activity. To stay afloat, many are forced into restructuring operations, slashing prices, adjusting opening hours or one even contemplating permanent closures. At Jono’s Gift Shop, Ellerslie Plaza, Maraval, proprietor John Hadeed describes a commercial environment significantly harsher than in previous years. Having operated for four years, Hadeed estimated that overall sales volumes have dropped by “easily 30 per cent or more” compared to four years ago, driven primarily by a sharp decline in consumer purchasing power. “People just not shopping as much as they used to,” Hadeed explained, pointing to widespread inflationary pressures across essential consumer sectors...read more
Tancoo: 5,100 more people had jobs in Q1
In the wake of claims of mass unemployment under the UNC Government, Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo said statistics show that more people had jobs in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period under the People’s National Movement (PNM). Speaking at the Government’s pre-budget consultation at the Quarry Village Community Centre in Siparia on Tuesday, Tancoo cautioned those present to be careful of information being circulated by the Opposition People’s National Movement (PNM) on social media. “If you listen to the PNM you will believe that 60,000, 50,000, 40,000 (people lost their jobs), depending on what side of the mouth they’re speaking to.” The minister said that according to recent data from the Central Statistical Office the number of people with jobs in the first quarter of 2025 under the PNM was approximately 558,900, while for the same period this year under the UNC, 564,000 people have jobs.“In what part of the world is 558,900 more that 564,000...read more
World Bank appoints T&T country manager
The World Bank Group has appointed Juan Carlos Alvarez as the new country manager for Trinidad and Tobago, unifying country-level leadership across the institution to enhance its development impact in support of job creation and T&T’s public and private sector priorities. Alvarez will lead World Bank Group institutions in T&T, including: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA). In this capacity, he will promote a more integrated agenda to mobilise financing, knowledge, and private investment. Mostly recently, he served as World Bank country manager for Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe where he led the institution’s engagements with both countries. Since joining the World Bank Group in 2000, Alvarez has worked as legal counsel across regions, including roles in Latin America and the Caribbean and South Asia, advising country management units on legal, operational and policy matters...read more
REGIONAL
Impacts of demographic changes in Latin America and the Caribbean – ECLAC reports
SANTIAGO, Chile – Latin America and the Caribbean is facing an unprecedented demographic situation, with declining fertility, population ageing, the transformation of family structures and complex international migration all occurring against a backdrop of persistent inequalities and weakening social mobility and cohesion, associated with gaps in institutional quality and ineffective governance, according to a new report by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). The document Impacts of Demographic Change in Latin America and the Caribbean: Public Policy Challenges and Options, prepared by ECLAC and the United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA), analyzes the social and economic impacts of demographic change on the region and is intended to provide input to improve countries’ public policies, in line with the Montevideo Consensus on Population and Development and with a view to ensuring the full integration of population dynamics into sustainable development with equity and respect for human rights...read more
Guyana accelerates gas-to-energy strategy with latest power project milestone
GEORGETOWN, Guyana – The appointment of Siemens Energy as operator of Guyana’s flagship 300 MW combined-cycle power plant marks a major milestone in the country’s broader Gas-to-Energy (GtE) project, which is designed to transform offshore natural gas resources into reliable, affordable power and support long-term economic development. Announced in June 2026, the agreement advances one of the Caribbean’s most ambitious energy infrastructure initiatives, positioning natural gas as a catalyst for energy security, industrialisation and a more diversified energy mix. The power plant, supplied by natural gas from the ExxonMobil-operated Stabroek Block, is expected to begin operations in early 2027. The 300 MW facility represents one component of the wider GtE development, which also includes a Natural Gas Liquids facility and upgraded transmission infrastructure supplied by gas from the Liza field. Together, these interconnected assets are expected to double Guyana’s electricity generation capacity, reduce electricity costs by approximately 50 percent, improve grid reliability, reduce dependence on imported liquid fuels and create the foundation for a domestic gas value chain capable of supporting industrial expansion, attracting new investment and strengthening national competitiveness...read more
INTERNATIONAL
At least 15 killed in Kyiv as Ukraine grapples with air defence shortages
At least 15 people have been killed in the latest Russian strikes targeting the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv's mayor said, as Ukraine continues to face a shortage of air defence missiles. Apartment blocks and warehouses were struck across the city overnight, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said, while a children's hospital and school were also damaged. The deaths were the result of a shortage of air defence missiles, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, which Kyiv relies on western allies to supply. Speaking to BBC News at a wrecked apartment block in Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said Ukraine needed "ammunition, anti-missile systems - we need support from our partners". Klitschko was in Solomianskyi district to assess the damage. Around him, emergency workers continued to sift through rubble and people stood outside their destroyed homes...read more
Israel moves forward with internationally condemned settlement plan that could ‘bury’ two-state solution
The Israeli government advanced an internationally condemned settlement plan in the occupied West Bank that could split the territory and “bury” the possibility of a two-state solution. Israel’s Housing Ministry issued a notice inviting bids for the construction of more than 1,200 housing units in E1 near Jerusalem, which aims to create a continuous bloc of Jewish settlements from East Jerusalem to the West Bank. The settlement would divide the West Bank into north and south, making a contiguous Palestinian state impossible, while splitting East Jerusalem – viewed as the capital of such a state – from the rest of the territory. The bids for construction are due one week before the Israeli elections at the end of October....read more
20th August 2026