NEWS
Teachers’ backpay hits bank accounts
The nation’s teachers, for the most part, have received their long-awaited backpay for salaries covering 2020 to 2023, according to Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA) president Crystal Ashe. Ashe told Guardian Media yesterday that only a small number of teachers had not seen the payments reflected on the IHIRIS platform, which allows public officers to view their payslips online. He said those teachers contacted the Ministry of Education, which made arrangements for them to receive their payments by vouchers. “But all in all, teachers over Trinidad and Tobago would have received their long-awaited arrears of Salaries for the period 2020-2023,” Ashe said. Read more here
Gas scent a week earlier
Fire officers returned to R&M Plaza on High Street, San Fernando, yesterday to investigate the cause of an explosion that damaged the third floor on Monday evening. A team conducted investigations at the scene as the building’s owner, Greater San Fernando Area Chamber of Commerce president Kiran Singh, looked on. The plaza remained closed yesterday, with tenants awaiting clearance from the Trinidad and Tobago Fire Service to re-enter and assess their businesses. Read more here
POLITICS
PM addresses 81st Session of UN General Assembly
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says the illicit flow of firearms and narcotics remains one of the most pressing security threats facing Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean, and she intends to use this country’s seat on the United Nations Security Council to press for stronger international cooperation to eradicate this scourge. Speaking at the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York yesterday, Persad-Bissessar outlined the plan as this country prepares to serve on the Security Council for the 2027-2028 term. She warned that transnational organised crime continues to pose a serious challenge to small states, with major international criminal networks operating across borders. “Small states face an asymmetric challenge from sophisticated criminal networks that move people, weapons, narcotics and illicit finance across national borders,” she said. Read more here
Padarath threatens to sue CWU head
PUBLIC Utilities Minister Barry Padarath has threatened legal action against Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) secretary general Joanne Ogeer over statements she made at a union press conference last week. Attorney Jared Jagroo on Monday issued a pre-action letter to Ogeer demanding a public apology, retraction and damages over statements concerning the minister’s alleged involvement in matters at the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT). Also representing Padarath are Anand Ramlogan, SC, and attorney Ganesh Saroop. Read more here
BUSINESS
First Citizens gets new chief internal auditor
First Citizens Group has announced the appointment of Sharda Nanan as its new chief internal auditor, effective September 21, 2026, while confirming that the acting appointment of Julia Maria Daniel has come to an end. The appointments were disclosed in notices published by the financial institution yesterday. According to First Citizens, Nanan brings more than two decades of experience in auditing and senior management to the role. The group said she holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Management. She is also a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA), a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), a Certified Forensic Public Accountant (FCPA) and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). Read more here
Samlalsingh takes T&T flavours to the world
For Devon Samlalsingh, the idea began with a flower. Butterfly pea, known locally to some as blue bell, was becoming increasingly popular as an ingredient in drinks while becoming less common in the landscape around him. Samlalsingh wanted to grow it for his own use, but also for the bees in his garden. That simple decision became the starting point for a bigger question: what happens when the things Trinidad and Tobago grows are connected more deliberately to what people eat, drink and experience? That question now sits at the centre of Samlalsingh’s Garden to Glass work, which he is taking to two international gatherings in Europe this month. Read more here
REGIONAL
President Ali promotes Guyana’s investment opportunities at UNGA business roundtable
President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has used a business roundtable on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly to promote Guyana’s expanding investment opportunities and economic diversification agenda. Ali joined private-sector and business leaders at the roundtable hosted by the Americas Society/Council of the Americas in New York, where he highlighted the country’s strong economic growth and opportunities across several non-oil sectors. According to the President, agriculture, mining, construction, eco-tourism and financial services are among the areas offering opportunities for increased investment as Guyana seeks to broaden its economic base. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
White House rolling out red carpet for historic Xi Jinping visit
US President Donald Trump will host Chinese leader Xi Jinping this week in Washington, with everything from AI to trade and Taiwan on the agenda for the leaders of the global superpowers. Xi is expected to be greeted personally by Trump at Andrews Air Force Base on Wednesday, followed by a White House welcoming ceremony on Thursday featuring a military flyover and nearly 500 military personnel. The trip marks Xi's first state visit to the US in just under a decade and his third meeting with Trump since the US president began his second term in office. Adding to the high-stakes state visit, a US-China trade agreement reached last year is set to expire in November. Read more here
23rd September 2026