NEWS
The dry season has started
The Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service (TTMS) has officially declared the start of the 2026 dry season. In a news release on January 8, the TTMS said, “The atmosphere over the region has transitioned to its drier state following a gradual transition from the wet into the dry season.” It added, “During early January, the climatic patterns and features (a relatively strong North Atlantic Sub Tropical Pressure cell combined with the shift in upper-level wind direction to mostly westerlies winds) have led to an observed reduction in the frequency of showery and/or rainy weather over TT. "Additionally, dry season synoptic features, such as passing mid-latitude frontal systems have induced moist low-level perturbations over the region." Read more here
Reunited at last! Tears as kidnapped wife returned to husband one month after abduction
Derrick “Stones” Tardieu and Clarabelle Tardieu held each other and wept yesterday, as they were reunited after one month apart following their traumatic kidnapping in early December. Much like her husband’s release, which took place in the early hours of December 17, 2025, Clarabelle was released around 3 am yesterday. Guardian Media was told she was taken to a vendor’s shed, just before the Lookout, along the North Coast Road, and instructed to remain there while a call was made to the authorities informing them of her whereabouts. Officers from the Anti Kidnapping Unit (AKU) and the Northern North Gang Unit, led by Sgt Caesar, were among the first to arrive on the scene, offering words of comfort and assurance to the frightened woman. Read more here
POLITICS
Gonzales: Constituents being harassed
LOPINOT/BON AIR WEST MP Marvin Gonzales says some of his constituents are being harassed. Gonzales, who is also PNM chairman and Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Representatives, claimed this harassment was connected to increased penalties for traffic and other motor vehicle offences. In a Facebook post on January 8, Gonzales said he has received "numerous reports of harassment towards drivers in the community of Lopinot/La Pastora yesterday (January 7) , that resulted in widespread inconvenience to many constituents including young women, students, children, elderly citizens etc, who had to endure hours of waiting on transportation to get to their homes." Read more here
TPP under fire as MP supports controversial traffic fines
Tobago East MP David Thomas is backing the United National Congress’ (UNC) strong stance on road traffic infringements. However, other political parties on the island believe this is yet another example of the Tobago People’s Party (TPP) selling out the interests of Tobagonians for favour with the Government. The parties also warn that after the January 12 Tobago House of Assembly (THA) elections, Tobagonians will be subjected to a series of road traffic exercises which are being experienced in Trinidad. On Wednesday night in Darrel Spring/Whim, just after a Tobago People’s Party public meeting, Guardian Media caught up with Chief Secretary Farley Augustine to get his reaction to the controversial doubling of road traffic fines. However, Augustine declined to comment and walked away. Read more here
BUSINESS
Can good governance help during a crisis?
In this week's TT Coalition of Services Industries (TTCSI) column, we take a look at the issue of good governance and the role it plays during a time of crisis. This week's column is written by Kamla Rampersad de Silva, CEO, Caribbean Corporate Governance Institute. LIFE TODAY is tough. Businesses in Trinidad and Tobago grapple with supply chain disruptions, foreign exchange shortages, a widening generational divide in values, geopolitical conflicts and the ever-present shadow of violent crime. In the face of such crises, our instinct is often to be reactive. We indulge in blame game, we seek favours to address the immediate symptom, and we take refuge in the well-known saying “God is a Trini,” praying we would not topple over the brink. Read more here
Cabinet approves Energy Accelerator Hub unit
CABINET has approved the creation of an Energy Accelerator Hub within the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries, a new oversight unit aimed at speeding up approvals and reducing bureaucratic delays in the energy sector, Minister of Energy Dr Roodal Moonilal has said. Moonilal made the statement yesterday during a post-Cabinet media briefing held at the Diplomatic Centre, St Anns. “Today (yesterday) Cabinet approved the establishment in the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries of an oversight committee called the Energy Accelerator Hub. This unit, to be housed in the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries, will interface directly and in real time with all stakeholders in the ministry,” Moonilal said. Read more here
REGIONAL
New $920M Aishalton airstrip unlocks major opportunities for Region Nine
President Dr. Irfaan Ali on Thursday commissioned the $920 million Aishalton airstrip in Region Nine, noting that geography would no longer determine who prospers and who is left behind, as the government presses ahead with a development agenda for hinterland communities centred on connectivity, food security and economic diversification. Speaking with residents and other stakeholders during the ceremonial commissioning of the 2500-foot rigid concrete airstrip, the President noted that the massive investments being rolled out forms part of a wider project to transform hinterland communities and cement their place as a valuable contributor to national and regional food security. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Huge anti-government protests in Tehran and other Iranian cities, videos show
Huge crowds of protesters have been marching through Iran's capital and other cities, videos show, in what is said to be the largest show of force by opponents of the clerical establishment in years. The peaceful demonstrations in Tehran and the second city of Mashhad on Thursday evening, which were not dispersed by security forces, can be seen in footage verified by BBC Persian. Later, a monitoring group reported a nationwide internet blackout. Protesters can be heard in the footage calling for the overthrow of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the return of Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the late former shah, who had urged his supporters to take to the streets. Read more here
9th January 2026