NEWS
Valedictorian: Graduates play a role in fixing failing society
As dozens graduated from the Faculties of Science and Technology and Food and Agriculture on October 23, valedictorian Josef Paty urged them to consider their upcoming roles not only in the workforce, but in a society and world faced with continuous challenges. Remembering the loss of young lives like Jayden Lalchan, Mariah Seenath, Akiel Chambers, Samantha Chadee, Jomol Modeste and many others, Paty noted the impacts of a "failing societal system" and the potential of the graduates to impact it. "We see the need more than ever for co-operation, kindness and humility. Diplomatic fallouts, greed and arrogance are at their strongest, and we as a region are particularly vulnerable…humanitarianism has been overshadowed by media coverage of worldwide negativity and as graduates it is our duty to serve a world that is in dire need of positivity." Read more here
US warship to dock in Trinidad on Sunday
Container operations at the Port of Port-of-Spain will be suspended on several berths from October 26-30 to accommodate the USS Gravely (DDG-107), a United States Navy vessel scheduled to arrive here on Sunday. This was confirmed last evening in a release by the Ministry of Caricom and Foreign Affairs, which also revealed that the 22nd US Marine Expeditionary Unit will conduct joint training with the T&T Defence Force (TTDF) during the same period. The versatile US warship, with a crew of approximately 300 sailors, is capable of performing a range of missions, including anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare and is equipped with a five-inch cannon and vertical launching systems for missiles. The ministry said the visit by the USS Gravely will strengthen US-T&T military-to-military cooperation through expert exchanges focused on core infantry tactics, maintenance procedures and advanced medical capabilities, leveraging the TTDF’s facilities to enhance tactical proficiency and enhance mutual trust. Read more here
POLITICS
Tancoo: $475m to help fund 20,000 new jobs
Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo said $475 million allocated to an employment fund under his ministry in budget 2026 will help finance the government's new recruitment drive to create/fill 20,000 jobs. Tancoo was answering opposition questions in the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives on October 23. However, St Ann's East MP Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, by a quick calculation, said the sum was only enough to pay for jobs below the minimum wage. Port of Spain North/St Ann's West MP Stuart Young demanded to know if and how this sum would help former workers of the Cepep and URP programmes. Read more here
PM again assures public there’s no need to panic over rising US-Venezuela tensions and fears of T&T backlash
With growing fears of conflict between the United States and Venezuela and its possible impact on Trinidad and Tobago, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is again pleading with citizens to remain calm. As tensions continued to mount between the US and Venezuela yesterday, reports of more military airstrikes against drug vessels, CIA operations, and missile deployments continued to dominate headlines. But speaking at the Government’s latest National Recruitment Drive at the National Cycling Velodrome in Couva, Persad-Bissessar urged the public to stay calm, saying, “I think there are some people who are just fearmongering, hysteria. Fearmongering. I assure you to be calm. If and when we know more, we will let you know. You will be informed about what is happening. “I have no information of a war. I have no information of missiles landing in Venezuela. Again, we are speculating, and some are determined to spread fear and hysteria. Please be calm. My name is Kamla, be calm.” Read more here
BUSINESS
UTC signs eKYC agreement with NPIC-TT, TSTT
The Unit Trust Corporation (UTC), the National Payment and Innovation Company of TT (NPIC-TT) and the Telecommunications Services of TT (TSTT) have signed an agreement to introduce a national electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) platform, branded NOBIS. In a release on October 22, NPIC-TT said the agreement is a decisive step towards a fully digital future. Built locally by the Innovative Centre – the technology arm of NPIC-TT – NOBIS lets citizens verify identity and open accounts online. It replaces manual, in-person checks with a faster, secure, paperless process that aligns with government’s push to modernise national payments and public services. Read more here
Young slams Govt over negotiations
Former prime minister and energy minister Stuart Young has slammed the Government’s handling of the Nutrien negotiations, saying the shutdown of the company’s nitrogen operations in Trinidad and Tobago could ripple through local manufacturing, particularly disrupting the supply of carbon dioxide. Nutrien yesterday officially shut down its Trinidad Nitrogen operations at the Point Lisas Industrial Estate, despite having been granted permission on Wednesday to continue using the ports until the end of the year. At the heart of the dispute is a bill of $190 million (US$28 million) that National Energy says Nutrien owes. Read more here
REGIONAL
First sitting of 13th Parliament set for November 3 -President Ali announces
President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has announced that the first sitting of the 13th parliament is scheduled for Monday, November 3, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC). The President made the announcement on Thursday during a live broadcast. Article 69(1) of the Constitution mandates that each parliamentary session be held at a location and time appointed by the President. President Ali said that the ACCC has been designated as the place where the inaugural session will be held from 14:00hrs. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Trump says trade talks with Canada 'terminated' over anti-tariffs advert
US President Donald Trump has announced an immediate end to all trade negotiations with Canada over an advert critical of the tariffs he has imposed on the nation. The advert, sponsored by the government of Canada's province of Ontario, quoted Trump's predecessor, Ronald Reagan, an icon of US conservatism, saying tariffs "hurt every American". Trump wrote on social media that the advert was "FAKE" and "egregious", adding that trade talks were "HEREBY TERMINATED". Read more here
24th October 2025