NEWS
State Faces SoE Lawsuit
At least 25 people detained under Preventive Detention Orders (PDOs) during the ongoing State of Emergency (SoE) are considering legal action against the State in a bid to secure compensation for their incarceration, according to attorney CJ Williams. Speaking with Guardian Media yesterday, Williams said Quantum Legal is currently representing at least 25 former detainees, but he expects that number to rise as more individuals seek advice on their legal options. “I would say approximately 25 minimum,” Williams said. “However, from our clients inside, there are a number of persons who wish to come and ask CJ what’s next.” Read more here
Seized at sea
Law enforcement officers have busted a massive cocaine shipment valued at an estimated $204.5 million after intercepting a pirogue carrying more than 440 kilogrammes of the illegal drug off Trinidad’s north-western coast yesterday. The drug seizure resulted in the arrest of four men—three Trinidadians and one Venezuelan—after the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard (TTCG) intercepted the vessel near Huevos Island early yesterday morning. Read more here
POLITICS
Padarath defends TSTT against union’s claims
Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath has defended state-owned Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) against recent allegations by the Communications Workers’ Union (CWU), dismissing the claims as “weekly bogeys that are neither factual nor coherent.” Speaking hours after the union’s media conference yesterday, Padarath said the union’s repeated criticisms lacked evidence and substance. “These tirades by the CWU secretary general, Joanne Ogeer, are mostly clouded in mauvaise langue and personal insults, without any basis or evidence,” he said. One of the union’s principal concerns relates to Maritime and whether the company could receive preferential treatment in matters involving TSTT’s finances. Read more here
PM’s ‘West gangs’ warning ‘reckless, unfortunate’
“This puts a target on our backs!” That was the reaction of a Westmoorings resident yesterday to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s warning on Sunday that she intends to go after “filthy, greedy” gangs operating out of Westmoorings, St Clair and Federation Park. She said these gangs were flooding Trinidad and Tobago with illegal drugs and guns. The Express visited the Westmoorings community yesterday and spoke with several residents about the Prime Minister’s statement. None of those interviewed wanted their names published or to be photographed. Read more here
BUSINESS
Mourners hail Akaloo’s humility
Legal Affairs Minister Saddam Hosein said yesterday there is a void in the business community following the death of Sheik Lisha Ltd managing director Churchill Azad Akaloo. In an address at his funeral, Hosein hailed the humility of Akaloo, stating that it informed how he approached business. “When you see the level of his humility, you would never believe that he was one of the business magnates in the Caribbean. From a very small business, he was able to grow one of the largest industries in Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean,” said Hosein. Read more here
Touchstone boosts Trinidad gas output
Touchstone Exploration says it is ramping up natural gas production from its Cascadura field in Trinidad while advancing a new two-well drilling campaign and further well optimisation work across its local operations. The Canadian-listed energy company said average gross natural gas production at Cascadura increased to 12.6 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) in August, up from 9.7 MMcf/d in July and 6.6 MMcf/d in June. The increase followed the start-up of the Cascadura booster compressor on July 9. Read more here
REGIONAL
Massive relief package cushions effects of rising prices
THE government has moved on multiple fronts this year to contain rising prices and cushion households from their impact, according to its Mid-Year Report 2026. The response combines direct price controls, record cash transfers, and targeted investment in food production, which is considered the most extensive cost-of-living package the country has deployed to date, spanning everything from a frozen fuel-excise tax and stable utility tariffs to a universal cash grant, expanded farmer subsidies and an overhaul of support for pensioners, students and vulnerable households. At the centre of the response is a set of direct price-containment measures. The government has maintained a zero per cent excise tax on petroleum products and is working to limit how much of any increase in international fuel prices reaches consumers at the pump. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
AI regulation faces political deadlock as calls grow for Congress to act
When President Donald Trump responded to mounting calls for a slowdown in the development of artificial intelligence (AI) on Monday, he was unequivocal. "AI taking over the World, destroying Humanity, and all other things bad, is a HOAX," he wrote on social media. He earlier argued that "the only control or 'guardrails' that AI needs" is a "strong and smart" president. Trump's view, unsurprisingly, is not shared by senior Democrats in Congress. It is also opposed by leading figures in the AI sector, who have in recent days issued stark safety warnings and made the case for government regulation. Read more here
15th September 2026