NEWS
UK flags T&T gangs
International relations lecturer at the University of the West Indies, Dr Michal Pawinski, believes the latest report from the United Kingdom on gangs in Trinidad and Tobago places the country in a negative light. Pawinski said yesterday that this report, coupled with last year’s visa restrictions imposed on the country after the number of asylum seekers to the UK grew exponentially, does not help the country’s image. The report was published on June 5 by UK Visas and Immigration as part of its Country Policy and Information Note series and was designed primarily to assist British officials in evaluating asylum applications. Read more here
Teen brain cancer survivor overcomes challenges
Diagnosed with an aggressive cancer of the brain at age ten, Aamir Khan underwent multiple surgeries and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stays. Determined to have an education, he went on to write the Secondary Entrance Examination (SEA) and attend his first-choice school, Trinity College East. That was six years ago. On Monday, Aamir graduated, despite daunting odds. When he developed seizures in Form Three and was warned against returning to physical school, Aamir’s mother, Adita Khan, took on the challenge of homeschooling. On Monday, Aamir returned to Trinity College—this time, as part of the school’s graduating class. Read more here
POLITICS
Manning: THA entitled to seek $4.12B funding
Former minister in the ministry of finance Brian Manning says the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) is entitled to seek whatever level of funding it believes is necessary to meet the needs of Tobagonians. However, he stressed that any decision on the final allocation must take into account the country’s broader fiscal position and competing demands on the national budget. THA is seeking a record $4.12 billion from Central Government for fiscal 2027. This is $400 million more than what the assembly asked for last year and represents 6.6 per cent of the projected national budget. Speaking with Guardian Media yesterday, Manning said the THA allocation is not the only source of Government spending directed towards Tobago, as ministries also fund projects and programmes on the island through their own budgets. Read more here
BUSINESS
Hanamji set to take helm of Private Sector Organisation of T&T
RUDOLPH Hanamji was just 15 years old when he began his professional career, balancing classes at Queen’s Royal College with a part-time communications role for a United Nations-backed publication. The opportunity came after his success in Model United Nations competitions caught the attention of development agencies seeking young talent. He was recruited by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UNAIDS to serve as a public relations officer for a youth publication. Read more here
REGIONAL
President Ali urges stronger food safety surveillance
President Dr. Irfaan Ali, accompanied by Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony and Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha, met with leadership and staff of the Government Analyst-Food and Drug Department (GAFDD) to review the country’s food safety oversight. During the engagement on Tuesday, the President reinforced the need for robust surveillance, monitoring and testing systems to ensure that food products sold in supermarkets and markets across Guyana meet established standards for quality, safety, labelling, product description and nutritional content. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Ten years on, Brexit's economic impact is becoming clearer
Not long after the UK left the EU in 2020, a Bristol-based firm called Eskimo started selling a new kind of high-fashion and energy-efficient electric radiator, based on new technology developed by academics in the city. They planned to send them around Europe using the Channel Tunnel. It was a timely product given Europe's green ambitions, and with orders flowing, its Birmingham factory was being kept busy. The boss Phil Ward tells me his start-up has continued to grow, but that in his view it could have been so much more without what he calls "the Long Brexit effect": in 2020, 40% of his exports went to the European Union, and by 2025 it was just 5%. Read more here
24th June 2026