NEWS
Schoolboys sorry for fighting at start of academic year
Four students of Northeastern College have publicly apologised for fighting on the very first day of the new academic year last week. But despite the apology, the boys have been placed on extended suspension following the fight outside the school compound in Sangre Grande. The students were initially suspended for seven days and instructed to attend the Sangre Grande Suspension Centre, where they would take part in a youth development programme focused on restorative practices, rehabilitation and conflict resolution. Read more here
Cooking oil clogging PoS drains
Restaurant and other food establishments in Port of Spain are dumping used cooking oil into the city’s drains, clogging slipways and contributing to flooding in the capital, Works Minister Jearlean John has said. John made the statement yesterday while delivering the feature address at the American Chamber of Commerce of Trinidad and Tobago’s fourth annual Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Port of Spain. Read more here
POLITICS
PM: $1B in illegal drugs seized since UNC took office
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says security services have seized approximately $1 billion worth of illegal drugs since the United National Congress (UNC) came into office last year. Persad-Bissessar made the statement in response to questions from Guardian Media following two major drug busts in September, with a combined estimated street value of nearly $400 million. The first seizure took place at a warehouse on Pokhor Road, Longdenville, where police and Customs officers reportedly discovered 420 packages of cocaine weighing about 416.5 kilogrammes. The drugs were estimated to have a street value of $193.5 million. In a separate operation, the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard intercepted a pirogue near Huevos Island on Monday, recovering 394 packages of cocaine weighing approximately 440.2 kilogrammes. The estimated retail street value was more than $204.5 million. Read more here
Senator awaits Govt changes to ZOSO
Independent Senator Marlene Attzs says she wants to see what changes the Government has made to the Zones of Special Operations (ZOSO) Bill before deciding whether amendments proposed by the Independent Bench will be considered again. The Government is expected to reintroduce the ZOSO legislation as the state of emergency comes to an end on September 17. “I don’t want to go with the word ‘support.’ I think the consideration would be whether or not the amendments that were proposed on the last occasion and I don’t know if you’ve checked, but there were 50-odd, about 52 amendments proposed on the last occasion, and about half of them came from the Independent Bench,” she said. She was speaking to reporters outside Parliament yesterday. Read more here
BUSINESS
Trinidad and Tobago must build through uncertainty
Trinidad and Tobago should not allow economic uncertainty to become a reason for inaction, but should instead use the moment to strengthen established industries, develop new ones and build an economy capable of absorbing future shocks, American Chamber of Commerce of Trinidad and Tobago president Anna Henderson has said. Henderson, addressing AMCHAM T&T’s fourth annual Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Conference, said the country was at a point where the scale of the challenges facing the economy should inspire greater ambition rather than caution. Read more here
REGIONAL
Early action cushions households, farmers from brunt of global price shocks – President Ali
PRESIDENT, Dr Irfaan Ali says Guyana moved early and aggressively to cushion households and farmers from soaring global prices, reversing hefty fees, cutting taxes and investing billions of dollars in food production and infrastructure, while keeping inflation near four per cent. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the Head of State said Guyana has been “one of the leading nations” in adopting innovative measures to tame rapid global price increases, while preserving and even boosting productivity. These measures, he pointed out, were taken against the backdrop of shocks stemming from the lingering impact of COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war, as well as climate-related disasters and instability in the Middle East. Dr Ali told reporters that since 2020, the world has been grappling with a combination of supply-chain disruptions, trade sanctions, currency depreciation and rising global demand, all of which have driven up the cost of food, fuel, fertiliser and other essentials. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
EU chief backs plan for Canada to become 'associate member'
The president of the European Commission has backed proposals for Canada to become the EU's first "associate member". Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament on Wednesday she wanted to work on "opening the door" for Canada, which would involve closer ties on various key sectors. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney last week spoke of seeking a "unique alliance" with the EU. The country currently faces tense relations with the US, compounded by an intensifying dispute over trade. Read more here
16th September 2026