NEWS
Fix business models to access capital, says DFL boss
Development Finance Ltd (DFL) says access to financing is no longer the biggest obstacle facing many small and medium-sized businesses, arguing instead that weak business models are preventing entrepreneurs from securing the capital they need. That message came as the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) signed its fourth line of credit with DFL, making another US$10 million available to finance projects in sectors including manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, renewable energy, energy efficiency and the creative industries. Speaking to the Business Guardian after Monday’s signing ceremony, DFL chief executive officer Gary Awai said the institution’s focus extends well beyond approving loans. Read more here
Captain dies after rescue
Hours after the six crew members of a missing fishing vessel were found alive on Tuesday night, the ship’s captain has died. The Ministry of Defence confirmed last night that, in the hours following the rescue of the crew of the fishing vessel St Vincent VII, one member of the rescued crew, 66-year-old Trinidadian ship captain Anthony Murray, “started exhibiting signs of shallow breathing, although appearing stable and showing no signs of pain or discomfort”. He later died. In a release signed by Defence Minister Wayne Sturge, the ministry apologised for withholding the announcement of Murray’s death until his family was informed. Read more here
BUSINESS
Contour Airlines to launch nonstop T&T-Dominica service
Contour Airlines will launch nonstop service between Piarco International Airport in Trinidad and Tobago and Douglas-Charles Airport in Dominica on October 5. In a release, the airline said the route will operate twice weekly, creating a new air link between the Eastern Caribbean and one of the region’s key commercial gateways. The airline will also offer one-stop, same-aircraft service between Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan and Piarco International Airport, as well as between Piarco and Cyril E King Airport in St Thomas. Read more here
REGIONAL
Additional assets deployed at wreckage site as recovery operation continues
The search and recovery operation at the site of the tragic MV Barima disaster intensified on Wednesday with the arrival of additional regional support, as the Brazilian Navy and the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard joined efforts to recover the remaining victims and raise the sunken vessel. This was disclosed by Prime Minister (PM) Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips during Wednesday evening’s press briefing during which he stated that the two regional agencies had deployed maritime assets and personnel to assist with diving operations and other specialised recovery activities. With the arrival of the additional resources, a total of 19 vessels and three aircraft are now engaged in the operation. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
'What was their crime?': BBC visits Iran school where strike killed 120 children
This report contains distressing descriptions of the deaths of children. Amaineh Nademi walks carefully through what is left of her old school. Chunks of broken concrete hang precariously from the damaged upper floor. A few classrooms are still standing, their brightly coloured walls decorated with painted balloons and flowers. The 33-year-old teacher knows exactly what was where - the girls' classrooms on the upper floor, the boys' classrooms below, the headteacher's office, the prayer room. Rubble is all that remains of her classroom, where she taught first-grade girls at Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab, a small city in southern Iran. Read more here
23rd July 2026