NEWS
Baby Angelo feared dead
The frantic search for a missing toddler in Tobago turned into frustration and anger yesterday as tensions flared. Hours after little Angelo Tobias went missing from his Goodwood home, emotions were as tumultuous as the sea where a body, believed to be the two-year-old’s, was briefly spotted yesterday morning around 6.30 at the nearby Goodwood Beach. However, before a recovery was made, the body slipped below the choppy water and was not seen again. A female relative of little Angelo, who went missing from his home around 7.30 pm on Monday night, had to be held back as she expressed outrage over another villager’s comments to the media. She later charged at the woman, exchanging blows before she was restrained by relatives. Read more here
Elias: NH ‘secretly disbarred’
Executive chairman of NH International (Caribbean) Ltd (NH) Emile Elias has accused the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) of “secretly disbarring” his company from tendering for contracts under the now-suspended $3.4 billion housing programme. NH filed an application on April 21 with the Office of Procurement Regulation (OPR) for a review of the HDC’s April 8 notice awarding the 11 contracts. Read more here
POITICS
PM slams Beckles over inaction on John-Bates resignation
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has doubled down on her criticism of Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles for what she described as a failure to take decisive action regarding the future of Opposition Senator Janelle John-Bates, as controversy continues to swirl over the senator’s resignation and her role on key parliamentary oversight committees. The Prime Minister’s comments came as a Government motion to replace John-Bates on a parliamentary committee on National Security continued in the Senate yesterday, following allegations of improper conduct linked to a document submission now under scrutiny. John-Bates tendered her resignation nearly two weeks ago, but Beckles has yet to publicly state whether she has formally accepted it. Read more here
Faris removed from Privileges Committee
Opposition Senator Faris Al-Rawi has been removed from the Privileges Committee, which is expected to commence its investigation into him and Opposition Senator Janelle John-Bates over their assistance in the preparation of a witness statement for former health minister Terrence Deyalsingh. At the Senate sitting yesterday, Senate President Wade Mark announced the appointment of members to serve on the Privileges Committee of the Senate for the duration of the consideration of the two matters referred to it on May 1, 2026. He said the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation will serve in lieu of Government Senator Darrell Allahar. Read more here
BUSINESS
Stronger demand for engineers coming, says minister
Engineers will be in high demand for several important government projects, Minister of Tertiary Education and Skills Training Prakash Persad has said. Speaking at the Association of Professional Engineers of Trinidad & Tobago’s (APETT) Technical Conference 2026 entitled ‘ Engineering Our Future: Sustainable, Smart, Resilient’, Persad noted that the government’s revitalisation project, as well as the ongoing energy transition plans in the country would require the skills of engineers. “Engineering is about making the lives of people better, we should never lose sight of that, and that should be embedded in education as you go forward. So when we speak about engineering of the future, we are not just talking about roads and bridges or buildings. We are talking about design systems that support economic growth, digital transformation, environmental sustainability and social inclusion,” said Persad, during the event at the Hyatt Regency in Port-of-Spain. Read more here
Energy gains and manufacturing boom lift T&T economic performance
Macroeconomic stability was maintained in 2025, supported by continued strength in the energy sector and a notable expansion in non-energy activity, according to economist Dr Vaalmikki Arjoon. In an interview with Express Business, Arjoon highlighted that the energy sector grew by 2.2% in the first three quarters of 2025, supported by increased gas production from the Cypre and Mento fields. “However, the most striking development was recorded in the non-energy manufacturing sector, which expanded by 12% over the same period,” he said. Read more here
REGIONAL
President Ali outlines major road expansion to ease Region Three traffic woes
PRESIDENT Irfaan Ali on Tuesday inspected several critical road networks and proposed alignments across Region Three as the government moves to address mounting traffic congestion and support rapid housing and industrial expansion along the West Coast of Demerara. During the inspection, the president said the government is advancing plans to expand and interconnect existing roads from La Jalousie to Tuschen as part of a broader strategy to ease severe traffic bottlenecks currently affecting commuters between Ruimzeight and Tuschen. The head of state explained that the initiative complements the ongoing four-lane highway project from Crane to Parika and is intended to divert light traffic away from the congested West Demerara Public Road. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
A decade on, Trump returns to a stronger and more assertive China
When China's leader Xi Jinping hosts his American counterpart in Beijing this week, Donald Trump will be reminded of his last visit in 2017 – he was wooed hard, complete with dinner inside the Forbidden City, an honour no US president before him had received. This week's reception promises to be just as grand, including a stop inside Zhongnanhai, the rarefied compound where China's top leadership lives and works. The agenda too will be just as thorny, with Iran being a new source of tension, alongside trade, technology and Taiwan. But a lot has changed as Trump returns to a stronger and far more assertive China. Now well into an unprecedented third term, an ambitious Xi has been pushing forward with plans for "new productive forces" with heavy investments in renewable energy, robotics and artificial intelligence. Read more here
13th May 2026