NEWS
BROWN WATER TEMPORARY
Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath says the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) is continuing efforts to resolve the discoloured water affecting consumers in parts of north, central and south Trinidad, assuring the issue is temporary. Padarath provided the update in Parliament yesterday while responding to a question from Opposition Whip Marvin Gonzales on whether urgent measures were being taken to address complaints from customers in areas including Diego Martin, Port-of-Spain, central and south Trinidad. Read more here
$127,000 theft: WPC, brother granted bail
A 34-year-old police constable and her brother have each been granted $300,000 bail after appearing before Master Indira Chinebas in connection with the theft of more than $127,000 from the Besson Street Police Station. The constable was charged with misbehaviour in public office, while her brother was charged with the theft of the money. The charges were laid indictably by Inspector Cadette of the Port of Spain Division. The matter was heard virtually at the Port of Spain Hall of Justice on Tuesday. Read more here
POLITICS
PM warns criminals to leave seven designated policing areas
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says the heads of special operations across the country’s seven policing districts will be put in place “soon,” as she warned criminals to leave areas where the new measures will be implemented. Responding to questions from Guardian Media yesterday, Persad-Bissessar said the Government intends to use “hard policing measures” under the Special Operations legislation, which is now law. Asked what message she had for lawbreakers, the Prime Minister said, “I suggest they leave areas where the SO (special operations) is going to be implemented. We are going to implement hard policing measures in these areas.” She added, “I can say for certain that UNC-controlled areas will have special operations.” Read more here
Contention over Prime Minister’s questions
Leader of Government Business Barry Padarath says the People’s National Movement (PNM) Opposition failed to file any questions for Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to answer during yesterday’s sitting of the House of Representatives. The PNM, however, shot back, saying it deliberately declined to submit questions because Prime Minister’s Questions had been reduced to a “shameful parliamentary charade designed not to promote accountability but to shield the Prime Minister from it”. The contention arose when Padarath informed the House that although Persad-Bissessar was present for Prime Minister’s Questions, none had been submitted by the Opposition. Read more here
BUSINESS
Courts: T&T slower than usual, but chain confident of turnaround
Despite challenges across business segments, Courts is betting on the resilience it has seen in the Trinidad and Tobago market since it opened in this country 35 years ago as a furniture, home appliance and electrical store. Shiva Mungal, the managing director of Unicomer (Trinidad) Ltd, confirmed in an interview with the Business Guardian last Thursday that the current business year has proven notably slower than usual across both physical retail and consumer financing channels. “It has been slower than usual. I don’t think I’ll be surprised if you get any other feedback from any other industry within Trinidad, but it has been a slower than usual period for us. But we continue to drive it as best as we can,” said Mungal when asked about the performance of Courts retail operations. Read more here
Concerning but not permanent
Two economists have described recent job losses across Trinidad and Tobago as concerning but not permanent. Dr Jamelia Harris said yesterday the job losses were concerning for several reasons, such as the impact on households, the economy and national data. Harris explained in a WhatsApp response to the Express, “Each job loss affects an individual and their household. It affects their ability to feed themselves and their families, to pay rent, to live. For many, it will take some time to find another job. There is a human impact for each job lost.” Read more here
REGIONAL
President Ali urges Caribbean tourism investors to plan for disasters before they strike
President Dr Irfaan Ali has called for disaster preparedness and business continuity provisions to be built into tourism investment agreements from the outset, warning that governments and businesses must be ready before a crisis hits. Addressing the opening ceremony of the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC) 2026 on Wednesday, President Ali said contingency planning should form part of negotiations over tourism projects and should not be left until a natural disaster occurs. ‘An important part of positioning this asset is resilience. From the time a project is conceptualised in our region today, we need to think about disaster preparedness, business continuity,’ he said. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Russian strike on buses kills 33, say officials, as deadly attacks on Ukraine surge
Thirty-three people have been killed in a Russian glide bomb attack on two civilian buses in the frontline city of Kramatorsk, rescue officials say. Another 18 people were wounded, said Donetsk regional head Vadym Filashkin, accusing Russia of targeting buses carrying passengers to kill as many civilians as possible. Images posted by local prosecutors showed the burning metal shell of the bus along with debris and some of the victims on the road. Read more here
8th October 2026