NEWS
Tru Valu supermarkets, Long Circular Mall up for sale
Liquidators Grant Thornton have started the process for the divestment of Tru Valu’s chain of supermarkets. Several officials at Grant Thornton confirmed to Newsday that the process had started but added it was still in the early stages. “All we're doing at this point in time is advertising the asset so that interested parties will notify us to be included in the process,” the liquidators said. An advertisement for an investment opportunity in the form of Tru Valu was placed in local newspapers on Tuesday. Read more here
Father, son, customer beaten, robbed in home invasion
Even with the country under a State of Emergency (SoE), brazen bandits carried out a brutal home invasion in Ste Madeleine around 3.30 pm on Monday, beating and robbing the victims. The three masked bandits exited a white Toyota Aqua at the Corinth Road premises of a 59-year-old man and his 29-year-old son, who were conducting work on a customer’s vehicle. They were armed with firearms and batons. The assailants ransacked the house and robbed the 37-year-old customer of $400 and a $1,400 Samsung A04 cellphone. They also stole $9,000 and US$500, a Samsung A15 cellphone, a Samsung A20 cellphone, and gold jewellery. One of the suspects then took a knife from the kitchen to inflict head wounds on the father and son. The other two suspects then struck the customer on his head with a baton. Read more here
POLITICS
Duke tells PM: Learn from my mistakes
Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) political leader Watson Duke has warned the Prime Minister about making the same "mistakes" he did by endorsing the wrong person. Duke was speaking in a video posted to his social media page on January 6, moments after the Prime Minister announced that the PNM caucus had chosen Port-of-Spain North/St Ann's West MP Stuart Young as his replacement. On January 3 Dr Rowley announced that he will be retiring from electoral politics after 45 years. Rowley later added that he would be resigning prior to the end of his term of office. Read more here
Robinson-Regis: No animosity in PNM after vote in favour of Young
Leader of Government Business Camille Robinson-Regis is denying there is any friction or animosity within the People’s National Movement (PNM), despite the fact that almost half of its Members of Parliament did not support Stuart Young to succeed Dr Keith Rowley as Prime Minister. Guardian Media received confirmation yesterday that the count was nine votes for Beckles and 11 for Young at the end of the party’s two-day retreat at the Magdalena Grand Beach and Golf Resort on Monday. While leaving the resort yesterday, Robinson-Regis said there were no issues with the voting process and as far as she was aware, all was well within their ranks. “I have not heard of any animosity, it was fair, we did say what the vote was, and it shows we have people in our ranks who could lead, if the Prime Minister resigns as he said. But the majority, as far as I recall, 11 continues to be more than 9, and the majority reigned,” she said. Read more here
BUSINESS
Agostini's Ltd appoints new director
Pharmaceutical and health-care group Agostini’s Ltd has announced the appointment of Nicholas Sinanan as a director of the company, effective January 6. In a notice published on the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange (TTSE) website on January 7, Agostini's said Sinanan is an attorney-at-law with extensive experience in corporate and commercial law, with his area of speciality being corporate finance. "Sinanan currently serves as the managing partner and head of the corporate and commercial practice group at the law firm Johnson, Camacho & Singh. He is also a Notary Public of TT," the notice said. Read more here
T&T productivity grows ‘significantly’ over last four years
THE productivity levels in Trinidad and Tobago have grown significantly over the last four years, according to a recently published report on Caribbean Economics by the Inter-American Development Bank. The report is titled “Innovation for Faster Economic Growth in the Caribbean: Are We There Yet?” “A key factor determining growth is productivity, the measure of efficiency by which firms can produce more with the same amount of resources. Productivity levels of firms in Trinidad and Tobago have significantly improved since 2021,” it stated, The IDB stated that the Central Statistical Office (CSO) produces an Index of Productivity, defined as the volume of production divided by hours worked. Read more here
REGIONAL
Comprehensive solid waste management programme on the cards
THE 2025 Budget will include a comprehensive programme to address solid waste management, nationwide, as part of the government’s bid to enhance community livelihoods. The national street lighting programme, which provides for the installation of street lights along the roadways in communities, will also be expanded this year. This promise was made by President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali during a community engagement in Foulis, on the East Coast Demerara. The president’s visit is part of the government’s ongoing effort to engage with communities, and ensure that their key concerns are appropriately reflected in the coming budget. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Trump ramps up threats to gain control of Greenland and Panama Canal
President-elect Donald Trump has reiterated his desire for the US to acquire Greenland and the Panama Canal, calling both critical to American national security. Asked if he would rule out using military or economic force in order to take over the autonomous Danish territory or the Canal, he responded: "No, I can't assure you on either of those two. "But I can say this, we need them for economic security," he told reporters during a wide-ranging news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Read more here
8th January 2025