NEWS
Missing elders found in trunk of burnt out car
Police are investigating a suspected double homicide after burnt skeletal remains were discovered inside the trunk of a charred vehicle in Valencia on Monday afternoon, hours after two elderly men were reported missing. The missing men were identified as 71-year-old Bernard Mahabir, of Prescott Lane, Pasea Village, Tunapuna, and 67-year-old Kenneth Gill, of Fifth Street East, Cazabon Gardens, Trincity. According to police reports, around 9:40 a.m. on Monday, relatives of the two men visited the Arouca Police Station and reported them missing...read more
Senator Nakhid falls victim to robber
SENATOR DAVID NAKHID was robbed of $10,000 plus thousands more in perfume when a bandit broke into his car that was parked in Cascade on Monday. The robbery took a total of two minutes. Police said that around 4.15 p.m. Nakhid had parked and secured his black coloured Mercedes Benz at the car-park of Simple Choice Mart and walked in. After purchasing a few items he walked out the mart at 4.17 p.m. and found that the rear right side door glass had been smashed...read more
PHASE 2 STARTS
THE implementation of a “one nurse for six patients” ratio at healthcare facilities formed the second phase of action meant to trigger Government action towards settling outstanding wage negotiations. So said Trinidad and Tobago National Nursing Association president Idi Stuart in an interview on i95.5 FM, where he stated that the significance of the action which began yesterday, is that it coincided with the Government’s first year in office. He recalled that the first phase included a recent mass protest through the streets of Port of Spain, in which TTNNA’s membership and other healthcare workers turned out in their thousands...read more
POLITICS
PM shrugs off Venezuelan leader’s trips
to other Caricom countries: I have no concerns
...But Amery says it’s the result of ‘undiplomatic belligerence’ on Kamla’s part
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says she has “no concerns” that Trinidad and Tobago is being deliberately sidelined by acting President of Venezuela Delcy Rodríguez, despite her recent meetings with regional leaders in Barbados and Grenada. Persad-Bissessar sought to assure Guardian Media that talks between both countries continue, following her announcement this month that a diplomatic delegation would be sent to Venezuela to secure T&T’s “just share” of cross-border oil and gas resources. On April 27, Rodríguez met with Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, securing agreements on energy, food production, and air connectivity, along with an invitation to invest in Venezuela’s oil and gas sector. Earlier, on April 9, she held talks with Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell, where both sides agreed to deepen cooperation in energy, agriculture, and trade, and to pursue a roadmap on maritime boundaries and regional transport...read more
Al-Rawi cites PNM disconnect as party reflects on election defeat
While the United National Congress (UNC) marks its first anniversary of returning to power, the People’s National Movement (PNM) is facing a period of introspection following its 26-13 defeat in the April 2025 general election. Opposition Senator Faris Al-Rawi, assessing the one-year milestone, suggests the result was less an overwhelming mandate and more a reflection of systemic voter apathy. Citing the more than 100,000 citizens who abstained from voting, Al-Rawi argued that the outcome was a direct consequence of a disconnect between the party and the public. “I wasn’t very surprised by the election result in last year’s turn of the polls. It definitely was either going to be very narrow or this result that we had. I thought that the PNM had a lot of work to do in terms of engaging the public. I definitely think that is something that reflected in the poll. And Trinidad and Tobago has the clear knowledge now that democracy has consequences, right?” Al-Rawi stated...read more
Citizens react to Govt’s one year in office
It’s been 365 days since the United National Congress (UNC) assumed office, ending a decade-long stint on the opposition benches. After ten years in opposition, the party re-emerged with a fresh face. Several Cabinet members, including Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander and Defence Minister Wayne Sturge, are newcomers to the political arena, while the Prime Minister chose two former People’s National Movement (PNM) ministers, John Jeremie and Kennedy Swaratsingh, to sit on the Senate bench. The new Kamla Persad-Bissessar-led administration also came into office with a manifesto filled with major promises to the nation, from reducing crime to economic growth. With high expectations, the Government has spent the last year under a national microscope as the country watched and waited to see what will come to pass with this new administration...read more
BUSINESS
Republic hiking fees from May 1
Republic Bank Ltd will implement a series of fee increases on select products and services from this Friday, May 1, prompting concern from business groups who warn the changes could add pressure to already strained enterprises. The bank, in a notice posted on its website, indicated that the adjustments form part of “an ongoing review of our products and services.” The changes affect a wide range of transactions, including cheque books, foreign currency drafts, manager’s cheques and penalty fees tied to insufficient funds and overdrawn accounts. Among the adjustments, the fee for official cheques or manager’s cheques will increase from $20 to $30, while charges for foreign currency drafts will move from $28.75 to $35. The cost of cheque books for commercial customers will move from $43 to $76 for a 100-leaf book...read more
ANSA McAL selling down Roberts shares
T&T conglomerate ANSA McAL Ltd is seeking to raise US$15.31 million through the sale of shares in the Barbadian company, Roberts Manufacturing Ltd, which is preparing to list on the island’s stock market next month. ANSA McAL and Jamaica’s Proven Group Ltd now own 49.50 per cent and 50.50 per cent of Roberts Manufacturing, respectively. The current owners of Roberts are selling part of their holdings and are expected to receive a combined US$30.16 million from the sale of ordinary shares priced at US$0.50 or BB$1.00 each. If the share offer is fully subscribed, ANSA McAL would retain a 25 per cent stake in the company, while Proven would remain with 25.5 per cent...read more
Hyatt Regency Trinidad recognised for leadership and service by PALI
Bridging continents through excellence:
The Pan-African Leadership Institute (PALI) recently recognised Hyatt Regency Trinidad with a distinguished award for leadership and service excellence. This acknowledgement not only highlights the hotel’s high standards but also underscores the growing ties between Africa and the Caribbean through institutional collaboration and shared development goals. A global institute with African roots. Though headquartered in Africa, PALI operates with a distinctly international outlook. Established as a leadership development and capacity-building institution, its programmes bring together professionals, executives and public sector leaders from across continents, fostering a global network grounded in African perspectives but outward-facing in its reach...read more
REGIONAL
Rodriguez’s Essequibo brooch draws concern
As Venezuela’s Interim President Delcy Rodriguez met with Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley inviting the country to invest in Venezuelan oil and gas earlier this week, she wore a brooch appearing to depict a map of Venezuela that includes the disputed Essequibo region of Guyana on her chest. Rodriguez, a regime loyalist who has been functioning as Venezuela’s Head of State in the aftermath of the US military operation that extracted former President Nicolas Maduro, has reportedly worn the same accessory during a previous meeting with Grenada’s Dickon Mitchell last week, drawing condemnation from Guyanese President Irfaan Ali, and a number of other local bodies...read more
Caricom backs Guyana; warns against using regional platforms to advance territorial claims
Caricom has warned that its platforms must not be used to advance territorial claims, even as it reaffirmed strong support for Guyana’s sovereignty following concerns raised by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali over recent actions from Venezuela. The response comes after President Ali wrote to Caricom chairman and St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew, raising alarm over what he described as a “provocative” display by Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez during recent visits to regional states. In his letter, Ali objected to the use of imagery depicting Guyana’s Essequibo region as part of Venezuela during official engagements, warning that such actions risk undermining regional unity. “I note with grave concern the public display of a map purporting to incorporate Guyana’s Essequibo region as part of Venezuela,” Ali wrote...read more
CARICOM responds to Guyana’s President Ali formal objection, portraying Guyana’s Essequibo region as part of Venezuela
GEORGETOWN, Guyana – The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has taken note of recent official engagements within the Community during which material asserting Venezuela’s claim to Guyana’s Essequibo region was on public display. CARICOM also notes the letter of 28 April 2026 from president Mohamed Irfaan Ali expressing Guyana’s grave concern. CARICOM reaffirms that each member state retains the sovereign right to conduct bilateral relations with external partners. This principle is well established and respected within the Community. Those engagements are conducted in a manner consistent with the shared obligations and collective commitments of CARICOM...read more
INTERNATIONAL
Will King's US visit make a political difference?
The jokes landed, the warm words resonated, the pageantry looked good on the evening news. But as the applause fades and the plates are cleared from the White House banquet, what from the King's historic visit to the United States will sustain? How much of the pomp will translate into politics?Before King Charles arrived in the US, British diplomats were pragmatic about how much the state visit could achieve. They knew it could not reset the UK-US relationship entirely. The differences over Iran, Nato, Ukraine, trade and President Donald Trump's rhetorical barbs against Sir Keir Starmer were too deep to be overcome by one royal tour...read more
How traffic through the Strait of Hormuz shrank to a trickle – a visual deep dive
As the war in Iran enters its ninth week with no clear end in sight, shipping traffic in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz has been completely reshaped, heavily disrupting global markets and supply chains for oil, natural gas, fertilizer and other essential products. Before the United States and Israel launched their attacks on Iran in late February about 3,000 vessels typically passed through the Strait of Hormuz each month, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence. Oil tankers passing through accounted for an estimated 15 million barrels per day of crude and other oil product exports, data from the analytics firm Kpler shows, amounting to about one-fifth of the world’s oil trade...read more
29th April 2026