标签： Trinidad and Tobago

A sudden significant leak on a critical 36-inch water transmission main in Trinidad’s Beetham Gardens has triggered widespread water service disruptions across more than 20 communities in and around Port of Spain, prompting the country’s Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) to launch an emergency repair operation with a clear phased timeline for full service restoration. The incident was first reported on Monday, with WASA confirming the leak stemmed from a faulty air valve weld on the main artery that feeds the region’s water distribution network. According to WASA’s official statement, the leak immediately forced an unplanned shutdown of the El Socorro Booster Station and the adjacent El Socorro High Lift Station — two key facilities that maintain water pressure and flow to the greater Port of Spain area. The outage rippled across a wide swath of the capital region, cutting supply to neighborhoods including Knaggs Hill, Picton II Reservoir, Black River, Barataria, Laventille, Morvant, East Dry River, St Barbs, Gonzales, Long Circular, Dundonald Hill, Dibe, Woodbrook, St James, Cocorite, Belmont, Cascade and St Ann’s. An additional five zones along Boundary Road, Boundary Road Extension, Aranjuez Main Road, El Socorro Road and Don Miguel Road lost service when the High Lift Station went offline. WASA officials confirmed that responding teams activated emergency public safety protocols immediately after receiving the leak alert. To create a safe working environment for repair crews, teams have begun adjusting control valves and draining the affected section of the 36-inch booster line, a necessary preparatory step before full repairs can commence. The authority has laid out a step-by-step timeline for restoring service to affected areas: by 6 a.m. on the day following the leak detection, the El Socorro Booster Station will restart operations at 50 percent capacity, and the High Lift Station will be brought back online. Full 100 percent production at the booster station is projected to be achieved by 8 p.m. on April 7, 2026, bringing water systems back to full pre-leak operational capacity. WASA acknowledged that the unplanned outage has caused major inconvenience for residents and businesses relying on the distribution network, noting that crews are working around the clock to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. In a statement, the organization emphasized that the safety of frontline repair workers and the general public remains its top priority, and that repairs will not be rushed to cut timelines at the cost of long-term infrastructure integrity or worker safety. It also thanked affected communities for their patience during the restoration process. While WASA moves forward with repairs, the incident has drawn public criticism from local environmental non-governmental organization Fishermen and Friends of the Sea. Corporate secretary Gary Aboud, who shared a video of the active leak on social media, claimed that the leak is tied to broader systemic issues: he alleged that private residents have been illegally constructing properties directly on top of WASA-owned utility lines, creating avoidable risk to critical public water infrastructure. Aboud called on WASA to intervene to address the illegal construction and end the waste of clean drinking water, noting that the communities most in need of reliable water access are the ones hit hardest by the resulting outages. “It’s just not right that we should be so wasteful. It’s not right that lawlessness should be allowed to endanger the public good. And the people who need it (water) the most are suffering the most,” Aboud said in his social media post.

Unconfirmed reports of a planned poisoning campaign targeting stray cats at Trinidad and Tobago’s iconic Caroni Bird Sanctuary have sparked urgent action from animal welfare advocates and concerned community members, who gathered at the ecologically sensitive site on Wednesday to demand the adoption of long-term, humane population control strategies instead of lethal cruelty.

A group of 12 demonstrators, led by Clifford Tardieu, founder of the Valencia-based Tardieu Kitten and Puppy Sanctuary, used the gathering to feed at-risk stray cats and rescue vulnerable animals—just moments before speaking to local media outlet *Express*, Tardieu pulled three abandoned kittens from the sanctuary grounds, animals he noted would almost certainly have perished without human intervention. Tardieu explained the demonstration was organized after advocates received unconfirmed tips that local parties intended to poison the feral cat colony that roams the popular tourist site.

Tardieu, a lifelong animal rescuer, emphasized that poisoning is not only morally abhorrent but also ecologically destructive and ultimately ineffective at solving overpopulation. Unlike quick, painless death, he explained, poisoned animals suffer prolonged, agonizing decline, creating dangerous ripple effects throughout the Caroni ecosystem. Scavenging species native to the sanctuary—including vultures and local crab populations—often feed on the carcasses of poisoned animals, leading to secondary poisoning across the food chain. Toxic compounds from poison can also seep into local soil and water systems, damaging the fragile wetland habitat that draws thousands of tourists to the site each year.

“It becomes a trickle-down effect—this is no longer just an issue for the cats, the entire ecosystem is put at risk by one single cruel action,” Tardieu told reporters. He further argued that the premeditated nature of poisoning, which requires hiding poison in food to lure unsuspecting animals, reveals a dangerous lack of conscience that could extend beyond harming animals.

Beyond the environmental and ethical harms of poisoning, Tardieu noted that culling entire feral colonies does nothing to fix the root cause of overpopulation: the ongoing abandonment of unsterilized pets. Even if all current stray cats were killed, he explained, the empty territory created by a cull would quickly be repopulated by new fertile stray animals that are dumped in the area, allowing populations to rebound rapidly. Tardieu added that many of the existing stray cats at the sanctuary have already been sterilized, meaning their removal would only clear space for unsterilized animals to breed unchecked.

Instead of lethal control, Tardieu called for cross-sector collaboration between the Trinidad and Tobago government and private businesses to build a network of professionally managed, humane animal sanctuaries across the country. His vision for these facilities includes large, open enclosures—some as big as a football field—where rescued animals can live in near-natural conditions with consistent access to food and veterinary care, with humane euthanasia only used as a last resort for terminally ill or severely injured animals that cannot be saved.

Tardieu also highlighted the potential economic benefits of such a network, noting that the Caroni Bird Sanctuary already generates significant foreign exchange from international tourism, many of whom enjoy interacting and feeding the site’s stray cats. A purpose-built sanctuary on-site could become an additional tourist attraction, generating ongoing revenue to support animal care while addressing the overpopulation problem. Decentralizing sanctuaries across regions including Arima, Valencia, San Fernando and Mayaro, he added, would prevent overcrowding at any single facility and reduce the incentive for people to dump unwanted animals in protected natural sites like the Caroni Bird Sanctuary.

While the most proven long-term solution to stray overpopulation remains widespread trap-neuter-return (TNR) programs, Tardieu explained that independent rescuers across the country—estimated at roughly 100 people total—are stretched dangerously thin by a lack of funding and resources. All 256 animals currently housed at his own sanctuary have been sterilized, he noted, but independent operations cannot keep up with growing demand without public and private support. He called for the government to subsidize spay and neuter procedures and for private companies to contribute funding and logistical support to expand access to population control services.

In a public statement released amid the demonstration, Nanan Caroni Bird Sanctuary Tours, the main tour operator at the site, distanced itself from any planned poisoning, noting that it has already implemented its own humane TNR program for the sanctuary’s cat colony, which an official estimates numbers between 50 and 75 animals. The company emphasized that it shares advocates’ commitment to cat welfare and has already taken steps to manage the population humanely, including organizing regular feeding stations, advocating for cat adoptions, and collaborating with animal welfare groups to monitor the colony.

“There is no verified evidence of intentional harm to cats at the sanctuary,” the company’s Facebook post read. “What we do know is that unmanaged populations lead to suffering, and that’s what we are addressing with a structured humane programme.” The company echoed Tardieu’s point that culling and removal do not solve overpopulation, noting that removing entire colonies creates a “vacuum effect” that draws new stray cats into the area. “The only proven humane method is sterilisation and population control,” the statement read, adding that the sensitive ecological status of the site requires a structured, thoughtful approach that protects both cats and native wildlife. The company called on all stakeholders to work together toward a shared solution and shared contact information for anyone with information about potential harm to cats.

In an official press release responding to the public outcry, Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries reminded the public that animal cruelty is a criminal offense under the country’s Summary Offences Act and Animals (Diseases and Importation) Act. While the ministry did not directly reference the reported planned poisoning at Caroni, it condemned animal cruelty as “heinous and inhumane” and reiterated the government’s unwavering commitment to protecting animal welfare across the country. The ministry called on any member of the public with information about actual or planned animal cruelty to contact local police or the ministry via its dedicated toll-free tip lines, to ensure offenders are held accountable under the law.

On a routine Saturday journey from Kingston, Jamaica to New York City, a Caribbean Airlines flight delivered far more than just travelers to its destination: a healthy newborn baby, born unexpectedly mid-flight before the plane touched down at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The surprise delivery unfolded on flight BW005, which departed Kingston’s Norman Manley International Airport at approximately 7:12 a.m. local time. As the jet began its approach to JFK, the crew noticed a pregnant passenger had gone into active labor, prompting the pilot to alert air traffic control to the unplanned medical event. In transcribed radio communications released from the exchange, the pilot requested a priority direct routing to the airport to speed arrival, and confirmed that on-ground medical staff would be needed upon landing. Air traffic controllers quickly adjusted the flight’s approach path, cleared it for an expedited landing on runway 04R, and coordinated with airport authorities to have emergency medics standing by at the gate.

By the time the plane landed at JFK’s Terminal 4 at 11:55 a.m. ET, the baby had already been safely delivered. In a lighthearted exchange after landing, a JFK ground controller joked with the flight crew that the new baby should be named “Kennedy” after the airport, a suggestion the pilot promised to pass along to the new mother.

Caribbean Airlines confirmed the unplanned “medical event” in an official statement released the following day, noting that both the mother and newborn were immediately evaluated by on-ground medical personnel after arrival and are currently receiving appropriate care. The airline emphasized that its crew followed all established emergency protocols to manage the situation, and commended the team for their calm, professional response that kept all passengers on board safe and comfortable throughout the incident. Notably, no general emergency declaration was needed during the flight, despite the unexpected delivery.

Out of respect for the family, the airline has requested that the public honor their privacy, and no identifying details about the mother or child have been released to the media.

This unexpected mid-flight birth is not the first time a baby has been born on a service heading to JFK. In 2005, a passenger named Candy Midtlyng delivered a healthy baby just 10 minutes before landing at the New York airport on a BWIA West Indies Airways flight, a predecessor carrier to Caribbean Airlines. That child was nicknamed “Baby Bwee” by immigration officials after the incident.

Caribbean Airlines maintains clear, standardized policies for pregnant travelers, which align with guidance from most global commercial carriers. According to the airline’s official website, expectant mothers are permitted to fly without mandatory medical clearance through the end of their 32nd week of pregnancy. However, the airline still recommends that all pregnant travelers carry a doctor’s note confirming their expected due date to avoid boarding issues or entry problems at their destination. Between the 32nd and 35th week of pregnancy, a formal medical clearance certificate confirming a low-risk, healthy pregnancy and estimated delivery date is required to board. After the 35th week of pregnancy, the airline does not permit expectant mothers to travel, out of an abundance of caution for both maternal and fetal health. In all cases, the airline encourages pregnant passengers to consult with their obstetrician before booking air travel.

A bold act of self-defense has left a would-be robber injured and on the run, after a 57-year-old woman from Chaguanas fought back against a street attack in El Socorro this past Saturday.

The confrontation unfolded at approximately 3:41 p.m., as the victim was walking northbound on El Socorro Road, just steps from the intersection of Bissessar Street. According to official police accounts, an unidentified man suddenly approached the woman from an unknown direction and made a grab for the gold-toned chain around her neck, aiming to steal the piece of jewelry.

Instead of freezing or surrendering to the attack, the local resident refused to give up her property without a fight. In a quick, instinctive move to stop the robbery, she grabbed hold of one of the suspect’s fingers and bit down hard enough to tear off a section of his fingernail and surrounding skin. Even in the chaos of the struggle, the victim was not able to confirm exactly which of the attacker’s fingers suffered the injury.

Following the unexpected counterattack, the injured suspect fled the scene immediately. Witness descriptions shared by police paint a clear picture of the perpetrator: he is described as a man of African descent, standing roughly 5 feet 10 inches tall with a slim frame. At the time of the attempted robbery, he was wearing a plain purple short-sleeved T-shirt and dark three-quarter length pants. He ran west along Bissessar Street to make his escape.

After the suspect fled, the woman contacted local police to file an official report of the incident. Responding officers traveled promptly to the attack site to conduct on-scene investigations and interview the victim about what had transpired. As part of their ongoing probe, investigators have begun canvassing nearby businesses and residential properties to collect any available closed-circuit television footage that might capture the suspect’s face, escape route, or pre-attack movements. They have also reached out to the North Eastern Division Operations Centre to coordinate access to any public or traffic surveillance recordings from the area.

Investigators have also followed up on another key lead: checking every nearby health clinic and hospital in the region for any patient who came in seeking treatment for a finger injury matching the description from the attack. As of the latest updates, those checks have not turned up any persons of interest matching the profile. To ensure no potential lead is missed, police have notified the department’s central Command Centre to put all frontline officers on alert. If any individual matching the suspect’s description seeks medical care for the specific injury, patrol officers will be notified immediately to respond.

At present, the investigation remains open and active, with Police Constable Ball leading ongoing enquiries into the attempted robbery.

Trinidad and Tobago’s ongoing state of emergency (SoE) to curb violent gang crime is facing growing backlash after more than 30 homicides were recorded across the country since the measure took effect last month, with a former top security official demanding the administration completely rewrite its approach to public safety.

As of the most recent count, the national 2026 murder toll has reached 94. The latest fatality was identified as 38-year-old Ryan Morris, who was fatally stabbed in a public confrontation outside a Barataria bar on Saturday morning. While this year’s toll remains slightly lower than the 99 recorded by this point in 2025 and far below the 143 recorded in the same period of 2024, the sharp uptick in killings since the SoE was implemented has undermined the government’s justification for the extraordinary measure.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar first announced the new SoE on March 2, 2026, with the measure entering into force the following day. At the time of its declaration, she argued the step was necessary in response to a documented surge in gang-related violence and credible intelligence confirming planned attacks against law enforcement and security personnel. Following the expiration of the previous SoE on January 31, Persad-Bissessar noted violent criminal activity had spread across the nation, with most incidents linked to organized criminal networks. She added that recent attacks included multiple mass shooting events with multiple fatalities, warning that unregulated retaliatory gang killings would spiral into widespread chaos if no action was taken.

framing the SoE as a natural extension of her administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy on violent crime, the Prime Minister pointed to 10 months of successful joint operations conducted by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and the national armed forces, alongside new legislative measures and ongoing reforms to the criminal justice system. She emphasized that the core goal of reimposing the state of emergency was to protect hard-won progress in reducing murder rates and violent offenses, and to shield law-abiding residents from escalating gang violence.

When the SoE took effect, the national murder tally stood at 63. In the month following its implementation, however, at least 31 additional people have been killed, a figure confirmed by Deputy Police Commissioner Suzette Martin late last week. Martin told reporters the current average rate of homicide is at least one killing per day.

The victims of these post-SoE killings include people from all walks of life: prominent local businessman Danny Guerra, a teenage boy, two young men killed in a mass shooting at a family apartment, a female professional cricketer, and an 11-month-old infant who was shot and killed while sleeping next to his father. Joseph Sutton, shot in mid-March, ultimately died alongside his son Jayden Sutton in a March 31 incident that shocked the nation.

Marvin Gonzales, who previously served as the country’s Minister of National Security, has emerged as a leading critic of the government’s handling of the crisis and its public justification for the SoE. Gonzales argues that administration officials have deliberately misrepresented the stated purpose of the measure to the public.

“Our core concern is that the Prime Minister and the Attorney General keep lying to the Trinidad and Tobago people,” Gonzales said. “The presidential statement submitted to Parliament, which drew directly on intelligence from the National Security Council, stated the SoE was called to address specific, concrete gang threats. It was never framed as a measure to control the overall murder rate. But government spokespeople keep talking about the murder toll instead of the specific threats they claimed justified extraordinary measures.”

Gonzales pointed to the killing of the 11-month-old infant as a stark illustration of how deeply violent crime has penetrated the country. “The murder of an 11-month-old child is a deeply disturbing development that shows how severe and entrenched violent crime and murder have become in Trinidad and Tobago. Criminals are not deterred by a perpetual state of emergency, and it is long past time for this government to do the hard work required to address crime at all levels – including its root causes, investment in social programs, education reform, overhauls to the judicial and prison systems, and rooting out corruption within the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.”

The former security minister added that the continuation of rampant homicide during the SoE raises serious questions both about the effectiveness of the measure and the government’s overall preparedness to tackle the national crime crisis.

“Let us not fool ourselves: this government is completely out of its depth. This is an abysmal failure, and the government must return to the drawing board to develop a real strategy,” Gonzales said. “The Prime Minister must release the full details of the crime plan she campaigned on during the 2025 general election. If she cannot do that, she must admit she lied to the public, and that the United National Congress never had a serious plan to fight crime at all. More than 30 murders committed while a state of emergency is in effect is astonishing. This measure must be discontinued immediately.”