Carib Scope

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  • Nayla Martin Defies Germany’s Best To Claim Top 5 National Spot!

    Nayla Martin Defies Germany’s Best To Claim Top 5 National Spot!

    BIELEFELD, GERMANY — A new name has emerged as one to watch in international youth fencing, after 13-year-old rising talent Nayla Martin turned in a career-defining performance against Germany’s most promising young fencers at the 2025 German National U13 Fencing Championships held over the weekend in Bielefeld.

    Going up against 65 of the country’s top ranked youth fencers, Martin balanced natural athletic ability with sharp strategic decision-making to secure a fifth-place finish in the individual competition on Saturday, followed by a seventh-place result in the team event on Sunday. The two top-10 finishes cement her status as one of the most formidable young fencers in the nation, and have left the global fencing community eager to track her progression in coming years.

    The first day of competition, held on May 9, pushed every athlete to their limits, testing both physical endurance and technical skill under pressure. From the opening preliminary rounds, Martin made her ambitions clear, delivering a flawless run that saw her win every match to enter the knockout stage as the only undefeated fencer in the individual draw.

    Her dominant streak continued through the elimination rounds: she advanced smoothly through the Table of 64, Table of 32 and Table of 16, overwhelming every opponent with explosive, rapid footwork and pinpoint accurate strikes that left her competitors struggling to keep up. By the end of the opening day, Martin had fought her way into the quarter-finals, the final eight fencers remaining in the competition, where she faced off against another top-ranked contender in a high-stakes match that kept the entire audience on their feet. Though she ultimately fell just short of a podium spot, her run earned her a prestigious fifth-place national ranking, a breakthrough result for the young athlete.

    The following day, May 10, brought the team competition, where Martin was called on to lead her regional squad just 24 hours after the grueling individual event. Already carrying the physical and mental fatigue of the previous day’s intense battles, Martin stepped up to demonstrate the mental fortitude that defines elite champions, guiding her team against other top regional squads from across Germany. The group showcased remarkable on-court synergy and unwavering determination throughout the competition, and their combined effort secured a seventh-place finish overall, giving Martin two top-10 national accolades to take home from the event.

    Fencing analysts note that entering a national championship with a field of 66 elite youth fencers and emerging undefeated from the preliminary stage is a rare achievement that few competitors ever pull off. By breaking into the national top five in the fiercely competitive U13 division, Martin has solidified her reputation as a rising powerhouse in German youth fencing.

    Whether competing individually or fighting alongside her teammates, Martin has already proven she has the clutch performance ability required to succeed at the highest levels of youth sport. “Nayla’s performance in the quarter-finals was a masterclass in grit and effort,” said one commentator following the event. “She didn’t just show up to compete — she proved she belongs among the top competitors in the country.”

    Far from resting on her new achievements, Martin is already preparing for her next challenge: the U15 German National Fencing Championships, scheduled to take place next weekend.

  • Antigua Driver Nicolas Geleyns Opens Euro RX3 Season With Podium Finish

    Antigua Driver Nicolas Geleyns Opens Euro RX3 Season With Podium Finish

    The 2025 FIA Euro RX3 Championship kicked off its season in Riga, Latvia, this weekend, and Antigua-based racer Nicolas Geleyns delivered a remarkable display of resilience to secure a third-place finish in the opening round, capping off a rollercoaster weekend for the Volland Racing driver.Competing behind the wheel of a tuned Audi A1, Geleyns faced a disappointing setback right out of the gate, when he clocked in at 11th place in the first qualifying session. Rather than letting the slow start derail his campaign, the driver dug in and turned his fortunes around with three consecutive top-three results in the subsequent qualifying rounds. This consistent late push catapulted him to third place in the intermediate rankings, locking in a coveted front-row starting position for the semi-final, where he lined up alongside title rival Julien Meunier.The semi-final provided one of the weekend’s most dramatic moments. On the very first lap, Geleyns made contact with Meunier that sent his Audi careening into the trackside barrier. The collision was severe enough that race officials immediately called a red flag to stop the session, giving Geleyns’ Volland Racing crew a narrow window to conduct urgent repairs on the damaged chassis. Working at blistering speed, the team patched up the car enough to get it back on the grid for the restart, keeping their driver’s title hopes alive. Despite carrying residual damage from the crash, Geleyns held his nerve and fought his way through to the final round.In the final race, he once again proved his ability to compete under pressure, defending his position against chasing drivers to take the final spot on the podium. The race was won by Lithuania’s Gurklys, with Meunier claiming second place ahead of Geleyns. Reflecting on his performance after the checkered flag, the Antigua-based driver acknowledged that there was still room for improvement, but said he could not be unhappy to leave the opening event with a podium result.”Even though I know I could have done better, I’m obviously very satisfied to leave the opening weekend of the season with a podium finish,” Geleyns noted. With the opening round in the books, the championship will next head to Hungary for its second event. Geleyns currently sits third in the overall season standings, just 12 points adrift of current championship leader Meunier as the series prepares for the next chapter of competition.

  • IMF Warns Global Uncertainty and Middle East Conflict Pose Risks to Antigua and Barbuda

    IMF Warns Global Uncertainty and Middle East Conflict Pose Risks to Antigua and Barbuda

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has issued a cautionary assessment of Antigua and Barbuda’s economic trajectory, noting that while the Caribbean nation is currently recording solid expansion and cooling price growth, mounting global uncertainty and geopolitical friction stemming from U.S.-Iran tensions threaten to derail its progress.

    In its most recent Article IV consultation report, the global financial body underscored that downside risks to the small island economy remain at unusually high levels. Key threats cited include volatile commodity pricing and the potential for broad economic slowdowns among Antigua and Barbuda’s major trade partners.

    IMF Executive Directors specifically flagged ongoing conflict in the Middle East as a top concern, emphasizing that escalated geopolitical tensions would disproportionately hurt small open economies that rely almost entirely on imports for critical goods and energy. Antigua and Barbuda fits exactly this high-risk profile, the report confirmed.

    Recent outbreaks of violence and persistent instability near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most vital chokepoints for global oil shipping, have stoked widespread market fears that international fuel and commodity costs could spike sharply in the coming months. For Antigua and Barbuda, which imports nearly all of its energy and many core consumer goods, such a spike would filter directly into higher living costs for households and higher operating costs for local businesses.

    The IMF further emphasized that the country’s long-standing economic structure leaves it uniquely exposed to external shocks. Its heavy reliance on international tourism, imported goods, and cross-border foreign direct investment means any contraction in major global economies or prolonged rise in oil and maritime shipping costs would immediately weigh on local output and household disposable incomes.

    Against this uncertain backdrop, the report nevertheless acknowledged positive near-term performance. Antigua and Barbuda’s economy continued its upward momentum in 2025, with the IMF estimating real gross domestic product growth hit 3% for the year, driven largely by robust construction activity across the islands. Inflation also cooled far faster than many peer economies, dropping from more than 6% in 2024 to just 1.4% in 2025, according to the fund’s data.

    Looking forward, the IMF noted that a stronger long-term outlook remains achievable if global geopolitical and economic conditions stabilize. The organization pointed out that rising tourism demand, improved air and sea connectivity, and ongoing reforms designed to boost domestic productivity could all combine to lift growth and resilience in Antigua and Barbuda, should external headwinds ease.

  • Gopeesingh slams ‘mischief’

    Gopeesingh slams ‘mischief’

    A brewing public dispute over healthcare service integrity has emerged in Trinidad and Tobago, after the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) launched a forceful rebuttal of circulating social media claims surrounding recent nurse resignations and a critical oxygen system incident at two of its major facilities. NCRHA chairman Dr Tim Gopeesingh has labeled the spreading narratives “mischievous” efforts to sow unnecessary division and public anxiety, pushing back against assertions that the departures of three nursing staff were tied to poor working conditions or operational failures at a newly opened hospital ward. As the public health body pushes back against what it calls deliberate misinformation, it has also revealed new details about ongoing nursing recruitment and service improvements across its network.

    The controversy ignited after unsubstantiated claims began spreading across social media platforms, prompting the NCRHA to issue two formal official statements on Friday and Saturday, followed by additional comments to local media outlet *The Express* from Gopeesingh. Addressing the nurse resignation claims first, the NCRHA clarified that none of the three departing registered nurses were ever assigned to or worked at the recently opened Adult Medical Ward at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) — directly contradicting rumors that their departures stemmed from problematic operations or unsafe conditions at the new facility. All three resignations, the authority confirmed, were driven exclusively by personal circumstances: two nurses moved to new roles at other regional health authorities that were closer to their homes, while the third opted to leave to pursue full-time advanced academic study.

    Gopeesingh emphasized that out of the NCRHA’s total workforce of approximately 1,200 practicing nurses, the overwhelming majority remain deeply committed to delivering high-quality patient care, and the small number of recent departures has not disrupted service delivery across the authority’s footprint, which serves half a million residents and handles roughly 20,000 patient encounters each month. Contrary to claims of a mass staffing exodus, Gopeesingh noted that the authority has recently hired 51 new nursing professionals, 48 of whom have already been placed in key roles across high-demand departments including Accident and Emergency and intensive care units. These new hires are currently completing hands-on supervised training alongside experienced senior nursing staff, and the NCRHA has already published new open recruitment advertisements to continue expanding its nursing complement.

    The second set of social media claims addressed by the NCRHA surrounded an incident at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Mt Hope Women’s Hospital, where online posts suggested a prolonged oxygen outage put vulnerable infant patients at severe risk. The NCRHA confirmed that a temporary low-voltage fault did occur at approximately 1:58 p.m. during the incident, which did impact line pressure in the facility’s oxygen system and triggered automatic safety alarms. But the authority stressed that its established contingency protocols were activated within seconds: a standby reserve oxygen supply was immediately brought online to ensure uninterrupted care, and engineering and maintenance teams from the NCRHA, alongside technical representatives from the system’s external supplier, were on site rapidly to resolve the underlying fault. At no point during the incident were any patients denied oxygen or placed in danger, the NCRHA confirmed, and all ventilated NICU patients received continuous medical care and support throughout the incident. The fault was fully stabilized quickly, and the system has remained under close continuous monitoring by clinical, technical and supplier staff ever since.

    The NCRHA has directed sharp criticism at the Trinidad and Tobago National Nursing Association (TTNNA) for spreading what it calls “unverified, sensational and alarmist statements” about both incidents before pursuing any independent fact-checking or verification of the claims. Gopeesingh specifically called out TTNNA president Idi Stuart, accusing him of deliberately peddling false information to create disharmony among nursing staff and win professional support through fearmongering. The authority warned that the spread of these false narratives poses real harm: it undermines public confidence in the country’s public healthcare system, causes unnecessary emotional distress to vulnerable patients and their families, and can disrupt the smooth delivery of critical care services. The NCRHA also confirmed that it is reserving all legal rights and remedies to pursue action over what it deems false, defamatory statements that have damaged the reputation of the authority, its leadership and its frontline healthcare professionals.

    Alongside its rebuttal of misinformation, Gopeesingh highlighted tangible recent service improvements across NCRHA facilities. Previously, 30 to 35 patients from the emergency department often faced extended waits for available inpatient beds, but recent operational adjustments have created 51 additional available beds, making it possible to place patients from the ER on short notice — a shift Gopeesingh called unprecedented at the authority. The NCRHA is also currently working to strengthen its patient escort system and refine inpatient admission criteria across all wards to further improve care flow and service quality. Reaffirming the organization’s commitment to transparency, patient safety and uninterrupted care delivery, the NCRHA assured the public that all services remain fully operational, and oxygen supply systems across all its facilities continue to be monitored closely to prevent future incidents. Gopeesingh closed by extending public recognition to the NCRHA’s nursing workforce, praising their ongoing professionalism and dedication to patient care, and urging staff to maintain their focus on delivering compassionate, high-quality care with full institutional support.

  • Support for Nelson name change

    Support for Nelson name change

    A planned renaming of Trinidad and Tobago’s Nelson Island, announced by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar during a joint visit with Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, has drawn broad approval from local historical experts—though many are calling for the new title to honor the site’s full, multifaceted past rather than centering only its connection to Indian indentureship.

    Persad-Bissessar framed the change as a long-overdue tribute to the so-called jahaji legacy, marking the entry point for more than 143,000 Indian indentured laborers who arrived at the island between 1845 and 1897, after the abolition of chattel slavery in the British colony. To guide the process, the Prime Minister announced a steering committee led by Natasha Barrow, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, in partnership with the National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago. A public-facing website will also be launched to open the naming process to community input, allowing residents to submit their own suggestions for the island’s new title.
    In her announcement, Persad-Bissessar did not ignore the island’s other layers of history, noting that long before the indentureship era, enslaved Africans were forced to build British military fortifications on the site. In the 1930s, it served as a detention camp for Jewish refugees fleeing rising Nazi persecution in Europe, and it later held prominent Trinidadian labor leaders including Tubal Uriah “Buzz” Butler and George Weekes. Still, the Prime Minister emphasized that the island’s core historical identity is most strongly shaped by the hundreds of thousands of indentured laborers who passed through its quarantine and processing facilities before being dispatched to work on Trinidad’s sugar and cocoa plantations.
    Leading local historians have broadly praised the initiative to replace the current name, which derives from 19th-century island owner Dr. Thomas Neilson, a figure historians agree made no lasting meaningful contribution to Trinidadian national life. “There is no problem in setting aside his name,” noted retired history professor Bridget Brereton, one of the nation’s most prominent scholars of colonial Caribbean history. Brereton called the renaming plan “quite appropriate,” arguing that the site’s central role in processing indentured immigrants makes a name honoring that legacy fitting. “Thousands of indentured immigrants from India went to the island to be inspected, examined, and in some cases quarantined before they were sent out to the plantations,” she explained. For her own suggestion, Brereton proposed “Arrival Island,” a simple title that acknowledges the moment that shaped the ancestry of a large share of modern Trinidad and Tobago’s population. She added that while it is impossible for any single name to capture every chapter of the site’s past, a title centered on the arrival of indentured communities is a reasonable and respectful choice.
    Other historians, while supportive of the renaming as a whole, have pushed for a more inclusive approach that accounts for the island’s full timeline of use. University lecturer Dr. Jerome Teelucksingh commended the government for moving to preserve and elevate the island’s history, but emphasized that the site’s story stretches back long before the indentureship era, starting with its original occupation by Trinidad’s First Peoples. In addition to the Jewish refugees and colonial-era labor leaders detained there, Teelucksingh noted the island was also used to incarcerate Black Power movement leaders including Khafra Kambon and Makandal Daaga in the 1970s. “Nelson Island isn’t just about indentureship; it goes further than that,” he explained. “I support the name change, but whatever name the committee comes up with has to encompass the broad history that reflects the island.”
    History lecturer Dr. Sherry-Ann Singh echoed that call, urging the process to be carried out responsibly to honor all layers of the site’s past. While she acknowledged that the island served its longest and most prominent role during the indentureship era, it functioned for other critical purposes before and after that period. Done correctly, she said, the renaming will become a meaningful commemoration of a core part of Trinidad and Tobago’s shared national history.
    Historian Dr. Aakeil Murray also welcomed the government’s move, framing the renaming as an opportunity to reflect the modern identity of Trinidad and Tobago’s diverse population. “It is necessary that a change in name reflects who we are becoming and who we are now as a people,” he said, adding that the new title should account for the island’s diverse history rather than being tied exclusively to the arrival of Indian indentured laborers.

  • Moonilal: No secrecy over oil spill

    Moonilal: No secrecy over oil spill

    A cross-border environmental incident has sparked diplomatic discussion between Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela after a small offshore oil spill from the Caribbean nation triggered complaints of widespread ecological damage to Venezuela’s Gulf of Paria coast.

    The incident dates back to May 1, 2026, when Heritage Petroleum Company Ltd. detected the leak in its Main Field offshore operations, according to official confirmations from Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Energy. Immediately following detection, the company activated its emergency response protocols, notified national regulators including the Ministry of Energy, the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, and the Environmental Management Authority, and secured approval to deploy chemical dispersants by 9:50 a.m. the same day.

    Early spill trajectory modeling revealed that untreated hydrocarbon from the leak could drift across the shared maritime border between the two countries in the Gulf of Paria. Dispersants were deployed roughly six to eight nautical miles off the Trinidad and Tobago side of the border, and officials confirmed the chemicals successfully broke up the oil slick. By the end of May 1, the source of the leak had been identified and sealed, with the site repaired and restored to normal operations on May 2. Trinidad and Tobago authorities estimate the total volume of spilled oil at just 10 barrels.

    Public information about the spill did not emerge until the government of Venezuela, led by acting President Delcy Rodríguez, released an official communiqué to the international community Saturday night condemning the incident. In the statement, Venezuela said the spill originating from Trinidad and Tobago had caused severe environmental damage to coastal areas in the Venezuelan states of Sucre and Delta Amacuro.

    Venezuela’s preliminary technical assessments confirmed widespread harm to marine habitats, shorelines, sensitive regional ecosystems, and local fishing communities that rely on the Gulf of Paria for livelihoods. The communiqué noted damage to ecologically critical mangroves, wetlands, marine wildlife, and key hydrobiological resources that underpin regional food security and ecological balance, with impacts recorded for vulnerable species and high-sensitivity ecosystems. The Venezuelan government instructed its foreign ministry to request full details on the incident, a formal mitigation and containment action plan, demand compliance with international environmental law obligations, and call for urgent reparations for the damage caused. Venezuela also reaffirmed it would continue all necessary actions to protect affected ecosystems and support impacted communities.

    Following the release of Venezuela’s statement, Trinidad and Tobago officials have pushed back against suggestions the government attempted to cover up the incident, framing it as a minor spill that received an immediate, protocol-aligned response. Energy Minister Dr. Roodal Moonilal told local media the government had no reason to keep the spill secret, noting that the leak was contained within 48 hours while it remained in Trinidad and Tobago’s territorial waters.

    “Isolated small oil spills are a known risk in the energy sector, and we have established protocols in place to deliver swift containment and remediation,” Moonilal explained, adding that the government is already engaged in a decade-long project to upgrade and rehabilitate aging energy infrastructure across the country. He emphasized that Trinidad and Tobago takes Venezuela’s concerns seriously and remains committed to constructive cross-border cooperation with Caracas to manage shared maritime incidents.

    Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Sean Sobers echoed that sentiment, confirming that ongoing communication between the two governments remains active. “In the spirit of good neighbourly relations and mutual respect, Trinidad and Tobago remains committed to continued engagement and open communication with Venezuelan authorities to address all concerns through transparent and cooperative channels,” Sobers said.

    Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Energy also released a formal statement reaffirming its commitment to collaborating with local and Venezuelan authorities to provide any requested additional information. The ministry noted it is working to develop a formal joint framework with Venezuela to prevent and respond to future cross-border environmental incidents, aligning with the national government’s commitment to environmental protection under both domestic law and international obligations. Daily offshore inspections since the incident have not detected any new spills, the release added.

  • Young slams Govt over Pt Lisas plant shutdowns

    Young slams Govt over Pt Lisas plant shutdowns

    A sharp political backlash has hit the ruling administration of Trinidad and Tobago over its stewardship of the country’s critical energy industry, with former energy minister Stuart Young leveling sweeping accusations of incompetence, policy missteps and regulatory negligence that he warns threaten thousands of jobs, critical foreign exchange revenue and long-term investor confidence. Young made the allegations public in a detailed Facebook post published over the weekend, targeting both Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissesar and current Energy Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal for a series of missteps that have already disrupted operations at the country’s key Point Lisas Industrial Estate, where major global petrochemical players operate.

    At the core of Young’s criticism is the government’s revised natural gas allocation policy, which he argues has diverted critical gas supplies away from established ammonia and methanol producers at Point Lisas to Atlantic LNG, a move driven purely by the short-term appeal of elevated global LNG prices. Young calls this decision a short-sighted and fundamentally flawed policy that has already forced operational shutdowns at a nitrogen plant run by Nutrien, one of the world’s largest fertiliser manufacturers, and prompted major methanol producer Methanex to issue explicit warnings that it could be forced to shutter its operations next if the current policy framework remains in place.

    Young emphasized that the current administration’s mismanagement unfolded in less than a year in office, tying the industrial disruptions directly to what he describes as the government’s fundamental ignorance of how the energy sector operates, as well as eroded business confidence among international investors that have long anchored Trinidad and Tobago’s industrial energy economy. “In less than a year Kamla Persad-Bissesar’s incompetence and mismanagement of the energy sector has led to the shut-down of the plants of one of the largest global fertiliser companies Nutrien, at Pt Lisas, and now one of the largest global methanol producers Methanex is signalling that they may follow suit,” Young wrote in his post.

    Beyond the gas allocation controversy, Young also took aim at Moonilal over the delayed response to an offshore oil spill in the Gulf of Paria first detected on May 1. He accused the minister of failing to detect and disclose the spill for nine days, noting that the incident was only publicly confirmed by the Trinidad and Tobago government after Venezuelan authorities exposed the spill. “It is clear that Moonilal has no say—in fact, sadly, as Minister of Energy he did not even know the oil assets under his stewardship were responsible for an oil spill on May 1 and it took the Venezuelans exposing the spill for the government to tell us today, May 10 (9 days later), that there was an offshore oil spill. Total incompetence or dishonesty,” Young said.

    Young also raised serious legal questions about the leadership of the National Gas Company (NGC), the state-owned entity responsible for managing the country’s gas supplies, arguing that the board and senior management will face fiduciary legal scrutiny over the controversial policy shifts that have triggered the industrial shutdowns. “Furthermore, the board at NGC has serious legal questions to answer as in a few short months under their tenure major petroleum chemical companies at Pt Lisas have shut down and are indicating further shut downs which are due to the change in gas allocation policies at NGC. These decisions will be subject to legal fiduciary scrutiny of the board and management at NGC,” he added.

    Closing his statement, Young left a provocative question for both the administration and the public of Trinidad and Tobago, challenging the government’s record on one of the country’s most economically vital sectors: “So once again Trinidad and Tobago, who exactly is winning?” Young warned that if the current policy course is not reversed, the full consequences will be felt across the national economy: permanent job losses at Point Lisas, permanent reductions in critical foreign exchange earnings, collapse of local service companies that support the petrochemical sector, and a lasting drought of foreign direct investment in the country’s energy industry.

  • I don’t know, says Lee

    I don’t know, says Lee

    A growing corruption controversy surrounding Trinidad and Tobago’s $3.4 billion suspended housing development program has put the government in the spotlight, after a local newspaper exposed an attempted bribe to scrap an investigative report into alleged bid-rigging at the state-run Housing Development Corporation (HDC).

    The Sunday Express, the outlet that broke the story, revealed that a self-described intermediary for an HDC official under investigation arranged a closed-door meeting with the paper’s investigative journalist Mark Bassant last Thursday on Ariapita Avenue in Woodbrook. During the meeting, the intermediary, a well-known figure in local political circles, offered a substantial cash compensation package to Bassant on the condition that the outlet drop the story entirely. In addition to the payout, the man also promised the journalist exclusive internal documents detailing alleged mismanagement of the HDC during the previous People’s National Movement (PNM) administration, according to the report.

    The intermediary explicitly noted that senior figures at the HDC wanted to avoid the negative public scrutiny that would come from the publication of the collusion allegations. The Sunday Express immediately rejected the bribe offer, reiterating that the probe into the HDC contract awards is a matter of critical public interest that demands full transparency.

    The sequence of events that led to the attempted bribe began last week, after the newspaper received complaints of collusion in the awarding of two large contracts under the housing program. Reporters then sent formal questions to both the implicated HDC official and the two contractors that received the contracts. The day after the queries were sent, the intermediary reached out to the paper, claiming the HDC official was willing to discuss the contract issue openly, and arranged Thursday’s meeting.

    Following the publication of the report on Sunday, Housing Minister David Lee moved quickly to distance himself from the entire affair. When contacted by the outlet for official comment, Lee stated he had no prior knowledge of any bribe attempt or the underlying allegations of collusion. He emphasized that as the cabinet minister overseeing the housing portfolio, he does not interfere in the daily operations of the HDC or any other state agency under his jurisdiction, nor does he involvement in any public procurement processes managed by those entities.

    In response to the newspaper’s investigation, legal action has already been threatened by one of the two contractors. Last Thursday afternoon, Denelle S Singh, an attorney based in Chaguanas, submitted a pre-action protocol letter to the Sunday Express on behalf of the contractor and his firm. The letter denies all collusion allegations and warns that the contractor will file a lawsuit if the outlet publishes his client’s name in connection with the story.

    The second contractor, who secured a multi-million-dollar contract under the program and spoke briefly with Bassant earlier that week, took a different approach. In a detailed set of responses sent via WhatsApp late Friday evening, the contractor said his company is unable to release any information related to confidential client relationships, commercial agreements, or project-specific details unless compelled by law or given formal permission by all relevant involved parties.

  • National prosthetics centre launched

    National prosthetics centre launched

    On a historic Saturday in Siparia constituency, Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar formally opened the country’s first permanent National Prosthetics Centre, a landmark collaborative project between the Trinidad and Tobago government, the Government of India, and U.S.-based non-profit Jaipur Foot USA. The opening ceremony was attended by India’s Minister of External Affairs Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, marking another milestone in the deepening bilateral partnership between the two nations.

    In her keynote address delivered at the centre’s Penal compound on Clarke Road, Persad-Bissessar framed the new facility as a transformative step forward for the Caribbean nation’s differently-abled community. For years, Trinidadian patients requiring prosthetic limbs faced a daunting set of barriers: they were forced to travel abroad for care, absorb prohibitive treatment costs, and endure months-long waiting periods for life-changing support. Now, all essential prosthetic and rehabilitation services will be provided completely free of charge to citizens right at home, eliminating those systemic barriers.

    “This centre does more than provide physical devices—it restores dignity, confidence, and independence to thousands of our citizens,” Persad-Bissessar emphasized. “It opens the door for people to return to work, to participate fully in their communities, and to live life on their own terms.” The project embodies her administration’s core promise to expand specialized healthcare access and ensure no citizen is left behind due to disability, she added.

    Beyond serving domestic needs, the new centre is poised to reshape prosthetic care across the entire Caribbean. Persad-Bissessar noted that the facility positions Trinidad and Tobago as a regional hub for specialized rehabilitation, with capacity to treat patients from across the Caricom bloc and eventually grow into a regional training centre for prosthetic expertise. She tied the project’s success to the 2025 state visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the centre stands as tangible, people-centered proof of what bilateral cooperation can deliver for ordinary communities.

    This latest initiative expands a growing healthcare partnership between the two nations, which already includes joint development of haemodialysis units, pharmaceutical cooperation, and the deployment of two sea ambulances to Trinidad and Tobago. Persad-Bissessar offered public gratitude to both the Indian government and Jaipur Foot USA for their partnership, noting that she was moved to “tears of emotion and joy” after reviewing patient testimonies from a preliminary prosthetic fitment camp held at Divali Nagar last year. That camp, organized with support from the Indian High Commission in Trinidad and Tobago, was the first of its kind held outside of India, a distinction she highlighted while praising the work of High Commissioner Dr. Pradeep Singh Rajpurohit and his team.

    Speaking at the ceremony, one early beneficiary of the partnership, limb recipient Joshua Gloud, shared his excitement about the permanent centre. “It is an encouragement to see that something like this is taking place in our nation,” Gloud said. “I really thank the honourable prime minister and everyone that has done everything possible to get this done, and I look forward to all the good this centre will do in the years ahead.”

    Trinidad and Tobago Health Minister Lackram Bodoe echoed that sentiment, framing the centre as a practical, compassionate response to a long-unmet national need. Operating under the oversight of the Ministry of Health and the South-West Regional Health Authority, the facility will clear the existing backlog of patients waiting for prosthetic care while meeting ongoing demand into the future. Local energy firm Heritage Petroleum Company Ltd supported the project by facilitating acquisition of the centre’s building, Bodoe confirmed.

    The centre will deliver a full spectrum of care, from initial patient assessment and prosthetic fitting to long-term follow-up care, while also building local capacity by providing technical training for Trinidadian healthcare workers. “Right now, more than 200 patients are on our waiting list for prosthetic services and follow-up care, and work is already underway to see those patients,” Bodoe said. He added that clinical teams have already taken measurements for the first two patients, who will receive their custom limbs in the coming weeks.

    In his remarks at the inauguration, Jaishankar reaffirmed the Indian government’s long-term commitment to supporting the centre and expanding access to care. He noted that demand for prosthetic services was far higher than initial projections from last year’s fitment camp, and India is prepared to go the extra mile to meet that growing need.

    “Following the success of last year’s camp, we as partners to Trinidad and Tobago recognized how transformative this permanent service would be for this country,” Jaishankar said. “This initiative does more than restore mobility—it reduces vulnerability, strengthens human dignity, and imparts the self-confidence that lets people rebuild their lives.” He commended Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar for prioritizing the project and locating the centre in her own constituency, a choice that reflects her deep personal commitment to supporting vulnerable communities, and confirmed that India will continue providing all necessary support to the centre as it grows.

  • Opnieuw nat en zwaarbewolkt; kans op onweersbuien blijft groot

    Opnieuw nat en zwaarbewolkt; kans op onweersbuien blijft groot

    After days of extreme rainfall that already saturated soils across the country, unstable atmospheric conditions are set to bring another round of erratic, stormy weather on May 11, raising fresh concerns over flooding and agricultural damage.

    Early on Monday morning, moderate to locally severe rain showers are already sweeping across inland regions, while scattered light precipitation is also expected along coastal areas. Through the remainder of the morning, persistent overcast skies will dominate. Combined with lingering moisture and limited sunlight, the conditions will create a stuffy, oppressive atmosphere for residents across the nation.

    Starting in the afternoon, the probability of more intense precipitation will climb steadily. Widespread moderate to heavy downpours are forecast to hit both coastal and inland zones, with many areas likely to see thunderstorms and localized gusty winds. Because the soil is already completely saturated from previous days of heavy rain, low-lying regions and poorly drained roadways face an elevated risk of renewed waterlogging and flooding.

    Among the most at-risk sectors are agricultural areas, which remain particularly vulnerable to additional damage from the ongoing streak of excessive rainfall, with crop losses and field saturation already reported in many hard-hit regions.