NEWS
Parliament committee queries accountability — $80M in drugs left to expire
Concerns have been raised over issues of due diligence and accountability as a committee of Parliament heard on Monday that a whopping $80 million worth in drugs earmarked for the national health system was allowed to remain in storage over a ten-year period at the Ministry of Health until they all became expired and useless. The issue was discussed during a sitting of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) whose members emphasised the need for stronger oversight to protect public health resources and give taxpayers value for their money. Chief Chemist and Acting Director of the Chemistry Food and Drugs Division of the Ministry of Health, Hasmath Ali, stressed the importance of careful management, noting that ensuring public safety requires strict due diligence. Read more here
CPO gets death threat
Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) Darryl Dindial says a recent threat to his life made on social media has been “uncomfortable” for him as he is simply doing his job, but has thanked the T&T Police Service (TTPS) for their response in finding the person responsible. A police media release yesterday reported that 49-year-old Tobago handyman, Jason Wright, was arrested and charged for making a statement prejudicial to public safety. However, he was ordered to serve community service after pleading guilty and showing remorse for his actions. It was reported that the issue arose when Wright commented on a TikTok video referring to Dindial, “He is a PNM, he will not pay that money at no time ... people need to fix him good ... take his life people.” A report about the social media post was made by Dindial and Tobago police arrested Wright at his home, where he admitted to making the comment. Read more here
POLITICS
Labour minister says unions must live with their choices
SAYING trade unions have to live with the consequences of agreements they broker at the bargaining table, Labour Minister Leory Baptiste said the Public Services Association (PSA) knew it was taking a gamble on the UNC – and it has paid off. He made this comment while defending Minister in the Ministry of Public Utilities Clyde Elder, who has been catching flak, in some quarters, for saying trade unions who accepted a four per cent wage increase from the then PNM government, cannot now expect the same ten per cent increase the PSA got, as promised by the UNC during the general election campaign. Last week, the PSA shook hands on a ten per cent wage increase after long and delegate negotiations at the office of the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO). Read more here
THA election set for Jan 12
Tobagonians will go to the polls on January 12, 2026. Chief Secretary and Tobago People’s Party (TPP) leader Farley Augustine officially announced the date for the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) election late last evening. Speaking to supporters at D'Esplanade in Scarborough, Augustine said, "I have so advised the Prime Minister and together we will advise the President. And the President is expected to issue the election writ on or about December 5th this year. And so we are going to the polls on January 12th, 2026." He added, "In this election, big crowd don't win election. Votes win election. We will walk from house to house. We will knock on every door. We will talk to every Tobagonian and we will bring the votes out in large number on January the 12th, 2026." But there was another major announcement aside from the election date. Read more here
BUSINESS
Cable TV viewers could lose channels over IP rights
CABLE TV customers may soon lose access to US free-to-air channels ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX if their service provider does not secure the required intellectual property (IP) rights. In a notice yesterday, the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) stated that it has been working with the Intellectual Property Office, the Ministry of Trade, Investment and Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs and local subscription television broadcasters (Cable TV providers) to ensure that content carried over the local cable television networks complies with required IP rights. Read more here
REGIONAL
‘We know what our commitments are’
CENTREING his message on a bold assurance that his government will deliver “faster, better, and greater,” President, Dr Irfaan Ali recently reaffirmed the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration’s commitment to fulfilling its promises. The President pushed back against claims that his government has fallen short on its pledges. He stressed that the administration remains fully focused on executing its development agenda and meeting the needs of citizens. The government, he reaffirmed, is committed to building prosperity and ensuring that citizens benefit from real policies to improve their livelihoods. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
US Navy admiral ordered second deadly Venezuela boat strike, White House says
A top US Navy admiral ordered a second round of strikes on an alleged Venezuelan drug boat, the White House has confirmed. The "double tap" strike on 2 September has drawn bipartisan scrutiny among US lawmakers. The Washington Post recently reported that two people survived the first blast and were still clinging to the burning vessel when they were killed, raising fresh legality questions. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth authorised the strikes but did not give an order to "kill everybody", as the report said. Read more here
2nd December 2025