NEWS
Republic Bank suspends Banking at Your Fingertips feature
Republic Bank has suspended the Banking at My Fingertips feature on the RepublicMobile app, effectively immediately. The feature allows users to see their own pre-selected account balances on the app's login screen without needing to sign in. In an e-mail to customers on September 10, the bank said the feature had been suspended effective that day. It said the change had become necessary to simplify customers’ overall banking experience and further protect their information. Read more here
Cedros fishermen: Venezuela-US tensions forcing us into pirates’ path
Fishermen in Cedros say the escalating tensions between the United States and Venezuela in Caribbean waters have now led them directly into the path of pirates. They say in a bid to avoid being caught in the middle of the diplomatic dangers far out at sea, they have been forced to change their routines in order to secure their livelihoods. At Bonasse Village, Cedros, Guardian Media caught up with a group of fishermen who had just returned from sea yesterday. Pran Boodoo said that since the US sent a large naval deployment to the southern Caribbean to curtail drug trafficking from Venezuela and the recent deadly strike by the US on a Venezuelan vessel, they’ve been forced to change their routes, opting to fish no further than three miles from shore. Read more here
POLITICS
PM: Government working to resolve Coast Guard's 'shameful management'
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says the government is taking steps to address inadequacies in the TT Coast Guard (TTCG) as she described its management as "poor and shameful." Persad-Bissessar told Newsday that work is expected to begin next week at the Cedros Security Complex. She said this would begin with T&TEC upgrading the lighting system around the facility, National Petroleum upgrading the fuel systems and the Urban Development Corporation of TT inspecting and creating a scope of works to upgrade the buildings. "The facility was left in a total state of disrepair. The coast guard officers working there are working in horrible conditions. The facility is in desperate need of upgrades. It is only because of the visit of the Minister of Defence (Wayne Sturge) a couple of weeks ago that we were able to find out what is happening there," she said in a WhatsApp message. Read more here
400 URP workers fired
The Government has terminated 400 workers from the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP). This was confirmed by Rural Development and Local Government Minister Khadijah Ameen yesterday. The termination letters were distributed to workers across the URP’s 12 regional offices yesterday. The decision drew sharp criticism from the People’s National Movement (PNM), a union representative and terminated workers, who condemned the move as “unfair,” even as Minister Ameen denied any political motivation. However, during an interview at her constituency office in Tunapuna, Ameen defended Government’s actions, saying a restructuring of the "make work" programme was a necessary step to combat decades of entrenched corruption. She rejected accusations that the dismissals were politically motivated, stating, “For decades, whenever there is a change in government, they would fire all the persons working in URP and replace them with people who are politically aligned to the government. This time, we did not do that.” Read more here
BUSINESS
Forex sales for credit cards triple in 10 years
The foreign exchange market in T&T, as monitored and regulated by the Central Bank, serves as a vital barometer of the nation’s economic health and international engagement. Through its oversight of authorised dealers, the Central Bank facilitates the sale and purchase of foreign currency across a wide array of sectors, each reflecting distinct patterns of demand. The bank uses these dealers to intervene in the market by selling foreign currency to them to help meet demand. Data provided by the Central Bank Governor Larry Howai at a media engagement on September 4, 2025 offered a valuable insight into the sale and demand for foreign currency by various sectors of the economy. This analysis dissected the figures from 2015 to 2024 to identify overarching economic trends, sectoral performance and the underlying drivers of foreign exchange transactions. Read more here
S&P reaffirms First Citizens’ BBB- credit rating
S&P’s report, dated September 8, 2025, lauds the bank’s “very strong capitalisation, good business diversification and its position in the market as the second-largest bank in Trinidad and Tobago”, First Citizens said in a release yesterday. The report indicated the rating agency expects “First Citizens Bank Ltd to maintain good intrinsic creditworthiness through 2026” and “continue to benefit from sound capital, liquidity, and credit loss reserves, protecting its creditworthiness from hypothetical strains on asset quality”. Read more here
REGIONAL
President Ali pledges stronger international partnerships to safeguard sovereignty, drive development
Stressing that collaboration on the global stage will be key to safeguarding national sovereignty and advancing the country’s long-term development, President Dr. Irfaan Ali reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to deepening international partnerships that deliver tangible benefits for the Guyanese people. “I remain committed to engaging our international partners in ways that safeguard Guyana’s sovereignty and advance our national interests. We will strengthen co-operation where it brings tangible benefits to our people, while ensuring that our resources and opportunities are managed to secure prosperity for this and future generations,” the Head of State said at the weekend, after taking the oath of office following the September 1 general and regional polls. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Killing of Trump ally lays bare America's bloody and broken politics
Moments before the crack of a gunshot changed everything, thousands of students had gathered under clear blue skies at an idyllic Utah college to hear from a man considered a rock star in conservative campus politics. As the 31-year-old Charlie Kirk sat under a tent, debating political opponents taking their turn at a microphone, many gathered on the lawns cheered – and some protested. Seconds later, they were all running in terror. The activist was struck in the neck by a bullet, mortally wounded. The episode playing out as cameras rolled, some showing the murder in bloody detail. Read more here
11th September 2025