NEWS
Homes damaged during storm in southwest Trinidad
Several residents in southwestern Trinidad were left counting their losses yesterday, after a thunderstorm associated with an approaching tropical wave damaged their homes, with some roofs almost completely ripped off. Up to last evening, between eight and 10 homes were reported to have been affected, although assessments were still being carried out by the Siparia Borough Corporation’s Disaster Management Unit. No injuries were reported. Reports of damage began surfacing around midday. Speaking from the Taylor Avenue, Quinam Road community in Siparia, a resident who requested anonymity recalled that she was at her cousin’s home when the storm struck. Read more here
Woman who claimed to find abandoned baby is infant’s mom
The woman who told police she found a newborn baby girl abandoned in a box along a South Oropouche roadway has been identified as the infant’s mother and is now in police custody as investigators probe whether a crime was committed. The 23-year-old woman initially claimed she discovered the baby inside a black plastic bag in a cardboard box last Thursday. Police sources reported investigators subsequently questioned her about the circumstances surrounding the child’s discovery and she eventually admitted that she was the mother. The development has raised questions about the circumstances in which the baby was left at the roadside and whether the woman’s actions amount to a criminal offence. Read more here
POLITICS
Gonzales criticises T&TEC’s yellow polo employee appreciation day
Former Public Utilities minister Marvin Gonzales has criticised a Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC) initiative to have employees wear commemorative yellow polo shirts on Friday (August 28), claiming the move interferes with the tradition of staff wearing the national colours ahead of Independence Day on August 31. Gonzales made the comments in a Facebook post yesterday, saying he was “reliably informed” that T&TEC employees were being instructed to wear yellow polo shirts as part of an Employee Appreciation Day planned for Friday. He questioned the decision to hold the activity just days before Trinidad and Tobago’s 64th Independence anniversary on August 31. “Traditionally, employees of the commission, at this time, proudly wear their national colours to observe our nation’s independence,” Gonzales said. Read more here
BUSINESS
Why the Caribbean may be better positioned for the AI era
The Caribbean is not behind in the artificial intelligence (AI) race. In fact, its smaller economies and businesses may be better positioned than larger markets to adopt AI without the burden of legacy technology, systems and ways of working. That was the message from Mellissa Lezama, founder and chief executive officer of HR Horizon, during a Founder Institute Caribbean session, How to Lead Your Team Through AI and be an AI-Native Leader. Lezama said Caribbean founders had an opportunity to build AI into their businesses from the outset, rather than retrofit the technology into established systems. Read more here
REGIONAL
President Ali urges Guyanese to reject hatred, division in Youman Nabi message
President Dr Irfaan Ali has called on Guyanese to draw on the teachings and example of the Holy Prophet Mohamed to foster greater compassion, justice, peace and unity, particularly in the wake of the recent MV Barima tragedy. In a Youman Nabi message, President Ali extended greetings to Guyanese at home and in the diaspora, with particular recognition of the country’s Muslim community, while urging citizens to reflect on the values associated with the life and legacy of the Prophet. He highlighted faith, humility, mercy, compassion, forgiveness, patience, truth, justice, unity and peace among the enduring values taught by the Prophet, stressing the importance of communities remaining sensitive to the suffering of others. The President said the message carries particular significance at a time when Guyana has recently been touched by profound tragedy. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Canada's retaliation tests the limit of American power under Trump
"If you listen to really anybody in state, treasury, or commerce [departments], you will hear the phrase 'economic security is national security'," said Drew Delong, head of corporate statecraft at the Kearney Foresight think tank. By the start of this year, however, as North American trade negotiations proceeded in fits and starts, Trump's attention shifted away from Canada to his military interventions in Venezuela and then the Middle East. Across every region, though, the core line of Trump's international strategy remains consistent: the US is a dominant power capable of imposing its will for national benefit. Read more here
26th August 2026