NEWS
Port of Spain vendors call for more days to ply trade
Port of Spain vendors are calling for an extended work week, removal of illegal operators and a more considerate approach to the mayor's announced clean city initiative. A meeting with the Port of Spain City Corporation at the City Hall Auditorium, Port of Spain, on January 6 saw dozens of vendors from Charlotte, Frederick, and other shopping streets in the city expressing their concerns about tighter regulations that have been proposed. Announced in October 2025, the initiative will see the Port of Spain City Corporation investing $18 million in garbage compactors and obtaining the Health Ministry's approval in amending public health by-laws. Deputy Mayor Abena Hartley said warnings from the National Security and Health Ministries, as well as the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management, say the current vending programme is causing too many public health and safety concerns, which are made worse by a lack of legislation to legitimise vending in TT. Read more here
POLITICS
Farley: PNM spreading fear, falsehoods
Political Leader of the Tobago People’s Party (TPP) Farley Augustine is accusing his political opponents of running a campaign driven by fear and falsehood. Addressing a campaign meeting, ahead of the January 12 THA election, on January 6 in Mt St George, Augustine said, “They are running a campaign based on fear, we are running a campaign based on hope. They are running a campaign based on allegations, we are running a campaign based on aspiration. They are running a campaign based on fiction, we are running a campaign on facts.” He said before the campaign is over, he would pull the data sheet with all “their fake pages and their slanders and all of the lies and the things that they’ve said.” Read more here
PM: Parliament to weigh 7-day ease for motorists to fix defects
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has defended the surge of traffic tickets issued in recent days but says there will be no reduction in fines. However, she said yesterday that her Government is preparing to introduce a system to give drivers time to fix vehicle defects before penalties take effect. In a statement posted on Twitter, the Prime Minister said the spike in violations confirms widespread disregard for the law, adding that many of those fined were not caught off guard but were already aware of defects or expired documentation on their vehicles. However, she said she was cognisant of the people’s complaints, saying when she was sworn in as Prime Minister, she said, “I will never be detached from your feelings and aspirations. I will never do my own thing while the country cries out for their needs. I will always be listening. I will be following you. You will be my priority. You must always know that you have leaders who cares and understands your problems.” Read more here
BUSINESS
After Maduro extracted, Delcy upgraded in Caracas...Uncertain times for TT energy
The early-morning "extraction" of a sleeping Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, by US Delta Force agents on January 3, has left several stakeholders in TT's energy sector bewildered as it marks a period of great uncertainty in terms this country's next steps in terms of dealing with its closest neighbour on the South American mainland. Former energy minister and attorney Kevin Ramnarine told Business Day that nobody really knows what the historic change in that country could mean for the Dragon and Coucina-Manakin gas projects which are vital cogs in TT's energy machinery. “I think the uncertainty around these projects is greater than it ever has been. Venezuela has around 200 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, a lot of which is located close to our (TT) waters. Read more here
Agostini growth speeds up as acquisitions drive revenue past $5B
Agostini Ltd has undergone a transformation since 2020, more than doubling the scale of its operations through a combination of strategic acquisitions and steady organic growth across its pharmaceutical, healthcare, manufacturing and distribution businesses. In 2020, Agostini was largely a local enterprise, operating in six markets with revenues of $3.43 billion and assets totalling $2.71 billion. Fast forward to today and the company has significantly widened its regional footprint, now operating in 10 markets, generating $5.44 billion in revenue and holding $4.83 billion in assets. The group's asset base should be further boosted by two ongoing acquisitions. The Christian Mouttet–chaired group marked a major milestone in July when it celebrated its 100th anniversary. Last year, as part of that centennial evolution, the company introduced two core brands aimed at unifying its identity across the region. Aventa now houses Agostini’s pharmaceutical and healthcare businesses, while Acado represents its manufacturing and distribution operations. The group also streamlined its corporate identity last year, officially rebranding from Agostini’s to Agostini in February. Read more here
REGIONAL
‘We don’t invest in infrastructure because it is easy, we invest because it is necessary’
The government has reaffirmed its commitment to inclusive national development, emphasising that infrastructure investment is being pursued as a necessity rather than a convenience. Addressing the importance of connectivity, President Dr. Irfaan Ali recently highlighted that access to modern infrastructure is essential for commerce, social development, and economic participation across the country. “We do not invest in infrastructure because it is easy. We invest because this is necessary. We invest because every community, no matter how remote, deserves access to the lifeblood of connectivity and commerce,” he said on the sidelines of commissioning a nearly $800 million airstrip at Paramakatoi, Region Eight earlier this week. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Who was Renee Nicole Good, the woman killed by ICE?
The woman shot dead by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis has been identified as Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three who had just moved to the city. She was a prize-winning poet and a hobby guitarist, and according to Minnesota Senator Tina Smith, a US citizen. City leaders have said Good was a legal observer of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities. But the Trump administration has called her a "domestic terrorist". Good's death has sparked protests across the country, with many people holding signs that read "Justice for Renee". Read more here
8th January 2026