NEWS
Concerned that State’s terrorist blacklist will impact funding; say it’s an attack on Islam
Muslim groups across Trinidad and Tobago met in an emergency session yesterday to discuss Government’s decision to officially designate three organisations - Hezbollah, Hamas and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) - as terrorist entities. The decision has not only triggered a major legal and financial response under Trinidad and Tobago’s Anti-Terrorism Act but also placed Muslim bodies locally in a bind, as it could also affect funding to their organisations locally. Guardian Media was told last evening that the groups may either issue a media release or host a joint media conference today to highlight their concerns over the decision. Individuals who were part of the meeting revealed that the Shia Muslim community in Trinidad and Tobago is made up of multiple independent organisations and centres, rather than a single unified body, hence the reason for yesterday’s meeting to discuss the development. Sources told Guardian Media that discussions centred on the implications of the Government’s position on Iran and the designation of the IRGC and wider geopolitical fallout. Read more here
POLITICS
Nakhid: AG will provide more details on terror listing in time
Government Senator David Nakhid says the Attorney General will eventually provide further details on questions swirling around the State’s sweeping designation of three major Middle Eastern organisations as terrorist entities. Speaking outside Parliament yesterday, Nakhid backed the move amid public questions over how it was rolled out. “My position is always with the Government,” Nakhid said. “People will make their own judgement either way and the AG will give you the information that you need in subsequent time.” Read more here
BUSINESS
Technovation 2026: T&T’s smoke-free shift faces misinformation, illicit trade hurdles
As the global conversation around tobacco harm-reduction intensifies, Trinidad and Tobago is emerging as a focal point for shifting consumer habits and the ongoing battle against illicit trade. In an interview yesterday with Guardian Media at the pre-opening of Technovation 2026—an international summit dedicated to the science of smoke-free alternatives—industry experts highlighted a significant transition occurring within Trinidad and Tobago, as smokers increasingly pivot towards reduced-harm products. “The idea of this event is to explore every science that is behind smoke-free products. Smoke-free products are alternatives to smokers, so they can use products less harmful than traditional cigarettes,” Raúl de León, External Communications manager for Philip Morris International (PMI) in the Caribbean, further explained about the two-day event taking place at the Hamilton Hotel in Washington, DC. Read more here
Point Lisas under pressure despite NGC profit surge
While the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago (NGC) has recently reported a $3.285 billion after-tax profit, conditions at the Point Lisas Industrial Estate point to a downstream sector under pressure. A health check of the estate by Express Business shows a significant number of plants are currently offline. Read more here
REGIONAL
Appeal Court a ‘steady hand’ in judicial system
PRESIDENT, Dr Irfaan Ali has praised Guyana’s appellate court as the “vigilant conscience” of the nation’s legal system, as he presided over the swearing-in of Justice Damone Younge as a Justice of Appeal on Tuesday. Speaking at the Office of the President during the formal ceremony, which brought together senior members of the judiciary, Dr Ali reflected on the central role of the Court of Appeal within Guyana’s legal architecture. “It is the system’s steady hand, its corrective voice and his enduring memory. It is there within the appellate court that the law should speak with greater clarity. It is there where legal errors are examined without fear. It is there where legal principles are shaped with deliberation and care,” he said, adding: “It is there that the law is refined, harmonised and given authoritative expression for generations to come.” Against this backdrop, Dr Ali said Justice Younge’s appointment “attests to the confidence reposed in her intellect, integrity and judicial temperament,” and affirms the “enduring vitality” of Guyana’s legal institutions. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
More than 200 Iranian sailors stranded after US torpedo attack return home
More than 200 Iranian sailors left stranded in Sri Lanka after a US torpedo attack are returning home after being stuck in the country for more than a month. On Wednesday, Sri Lanka's Deputy Defence Minister, Aruna Jayasekara, confirmed 32 sailors rescued from the Iris Dena and 206 from Irins Bushehr, had left the country. The Iranian warship, Iris Dena, sank on 4 March about 40km (25 miles) from Sri Lanka's southern coastline after it was hit by a torpedo from a US submarine, killing 104 sailors. On March 5, Sri Lanka took control of the Iranian naval vessel, Irins Bushehr, after it had requested to dock at one of country's ports after one of its engines malfunctioned. Read more here
15th April 2026