A heavy week closes with a heavier morning. Saturday rundown.
Belmont: toddler, father, and friend killed in daycare ambush
A routine drop-off ended in horror Friday morning when gunmen intercepted a family vehicle on Upper St Francois Valley Road in Belmont. Toddler Akini Kafi, his father Aquil, and a family friend were killed. Mother Antonia Cain-Kafi survived and brought her son to Port-of-Spain General Hospital, where staff and witnesses are now calling for political unity and family support.
Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles has condemned remarks made by Housing Minister Phillip Alexander following the shooting, saying the political tone in the aftermath has been wrong. The full statement is being parsed in two directions — for what it says about the response, and what it says about the underlying conditions that put a family at a daycare in the line of fire in the first place.
Foreign and CARICOM Affairs Minister Sean Sobers, in a separate statement Friday, said international partnerships and intelligence sharing are being strengthened to help T&T contain the violence trend. The country has heard versions of that promise before.
Jaishankar arrives for solo two-day visit
India’s Minister of External Affairs Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar begins a historic solo two-day visit to T&T today. The agenda includes a laptop handover and the launch of a National Prosthetics Programme in Penal alongside Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar.
The visit comes as both nations build on the Indian-origin diaspora connection and broaden into cooperation on technology transfer and health infrastructure. Watch for movement on pharmaceutical manufacturing partnerships and education exchanges; those have been queued for some time.
NGC: cross-border Venezuela talks active
NGC Chairman Gerald Ramdeen confirmed Friday that the company is involved in all current gas agreements happening in Venezuela on the cross-border fields. Speaking at a gas supply agreement signing at the Hyatt Regency, Ramdeen said bp’s London team has been advancing talks on the cross-border Manakin-Cocuina field.
Separately, NGC has rejected an online claim that it sponsored the Air Supply concert at the Queen’s Park Oval. Worth noting the denial — the misinformation has had a longer shelf life than it deserved.
Quick hits
- Hantavirus watch: Health Minister Lackram Bodoe says the ministry is carefully monitoring unusual respiratory illnesses amid international concern over a cluster of hantavirus cases linked to a Canary Islands–bound cruise ship.
- Drainage push: The Ministry of Works has intensified desilting and drainage assessments across flood-prone areas ahead of the 2026 rainy season.
- Princes Town: A 47-year-old construction worker has been arrested in connection with a fire that destroyed a house along St Julien Road.
- UTT exam delays: Students forced to wait an extra week to sit examinations after a global cyberattack on Canvas LMS crippled access.
- Bocas Lit Fest: Guyana-born, Canada-based writer Tessa McWatt won the OCM Bocas Prize 2026, dedicating her win to her mother.
Tradewinds Brief Newsroom. Sources: Trinidad Express, Newsday, Trinidad Guardian.