NEWS
Guns missing from Penitence Street municipal police office
More guns have been reported missing from under the purview of the municipal police—this time from an office on Penitence Street, San Fernando. Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro yesterday confirmed the incident in response to questions from the Express. He stated: “I can confirm the incident involving firearms assigned to a municipal police facility in San Fernando. This matter came to light following the recent suspension of a municipal police officer and the subsequent directive that all firearms be placed under the care and control of the TTPS...read more
China urges T&T not to be “blinded” by US as Panama Canal dispute escalates
China is urging Trinidad and Tobago and other countries backing the United States in the Panama Canal dispute not to be “blinded” or used to advance US interests in the escalating diplomatic standoff. T&T has joined the US and five other countries in a strongly worded joint statement warning against what they describe as China’s “targeted economic pressure” and actions affecting Panama-flagged vessels. However, China has fired back, calling the statement a “sheer lie...read more
POLITICS
Penny: Govt yet to visit Caracas on Dragon gas
Uncertainty over Venezuela
Political Leader of the People’s National Movement (PNM) Pennelope Beckles has criticised the United National Congress (UNC) Government over what she describes as a deteriorating relationship between Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela and the impact this is having on the country’s ability to secure key energy contracts. Beckles argued last night that strained diplomatic relations have weakened Trinidad and Tobago’s negotiating position at a time when the energy sector remains central to national revenue, exports and economic stability. She said uncertainty surrounding engagement with Venezuela was now affecting the pace of major cross border energy initiatives, including the Dragon gas project...read more
South business leaders optimistic after UNC's first year
As the United National Congress (UNC) Government celebrated its one-year anniversary on Tuesday, business leaders in south Trinidad remain optimistic about the performance of the Government. Some of the issues that southern Trinidad faces include unemployment, the closure of state-owned Petrotrin and the possibility of it reopening, the opening of the University of the West Indies (UWI) South Campus and the ease of doing business and crime among other issues. President of the Greater San Fernando Area Chamber of Commerce Kiran Singh told the Business Guardian that he acknowledges that it has only been one year since the UNC administration assumed office, and within this relatively short period, there have been “encouraging signs” of renewed focus, engagement and direction for the national economy...read more
BUSINESS
Auditor General flags $1.7B spend on short-term public service staffing
The Auditor General’s latest report has highlighted the State’s continued reliance on contract and short-term employment alongside shortcomings in policy and compliance, pointing out that Government spent more than $1.79 billion on temporary staffing arrangements across the public service in 2025. The report shows $1.414 billion was spent on contract employment, while a further $374.8 million was expended on short-term employment, bringing total spending on temporary staffing mechanisms to approximately $1.79 billion for the financial year. Contract employment, as defined in the Estimates of Expenditure, is intended for cases where there is an urgent need for staff, where work is tied to projects of limited duration, or where specialised skills are unavailable within the established public service...read more
MasOS: Fixing the operational chaos behind Carnival bands
There is a version of Carnival most people never see. Not the costumes. Not the road. Not the music you feel before you hear it. The version people miss runs for months before any of that exists. Held together by group chats, disconnected spreadsheets, and a few people who carry the entire operation in their heads because nobody built anything better. Matthew Houllier grew up inside that version. His family had their own band in Trinidad. He watched how much depended on people knowing things that were never written down anywhere. He spent over 17 years in point-of-sale systems and more than a decade in Carnival e-commerce. By the time he started building MasOS, he wasn’t solving a problem he had read about...read more
BP signs MoU with Venezuela for Loran field
BP and the Venezuelan government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the exploration of natural gas in the Loran offshore area, international news agencies reported yesterday. The MoU establishes “potential areas for co-operation in material gas and future exploration,” BP said yesterday in an emailed statement. Venezuela state firm Petroleos de Venezuela SA also announced the pact. The deal followed an energy conference in Caracas that drew a large turnout from international companies and investors. European oil companies have been particularly keen to advance in Venezuela. Italian major Eni SpA announced an oil project on Tuesday and has a plan to start exporting natural gas with Spain’s Repsol SA starting in 2031...read more
REGIONAL
Guyana to implement major legal reforms, targets misconduct, fake lawyers
GEORGETOWN, Guyana, (DPI) – The government of Guyana is moving to modernise Guyana’s legal profession through major amendments to the Legal Practitioners Act, following growing public complaints and concerns about professional standards. Speaking on his weekly Issues in the News programme, attorney-general and minister of legal affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC, said he has already engaged the judiciary and the Guyana Bar Association on the proposed reforms to bring greater transparency, accountability, professionalism and higher ethical standards to the legal sector...read more
INTERNATIONAL
US gas jumps to highest price since 2022, as Trump mulls extended blockade of Iranian ports
Energy prices spike: As the critical Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed, the average price for a gallon of gas in the US hit $4.30, the biggest one-day jump in the last six weeks. Brent crude oil prices briefly reached the highest price in 4 years amid uncertainty on an Iran deal. Keeping options open: US President Donald Trump will hear about updated military options for Iran from Pentagon officials today, as a possible way of forcing Tehran into an agreement. His current strategy is inflicting economic pain on Iran...read more
30th April 2026