NEWS
Economist warns NIB shortfalls require broader reforms
Economist Dr Vaalmikki Arjoon has warned that simply increasing contributions will not be enough to sustain the National Insurance Fund, calling for broader reforms such as gradually raising the retirement age to reflect longer life expectancy. Arjoon also recommended increasing the fund’s investment allocation to international markets to strengthen its long-term viability. “A higher allocation to global markets could increase fund value over time, as international equities may bring stronger returns than domestic assets, particularly given deeper liquidity, broader sector exposure—like technology, healthcare, AI—and stronger long-term growth trends in developed markets,” he explained. His comments came following the presentation of the 2025 corporate annual report on the operations of the National Insurance Board (NIB) of Trinidad and Tobago in Parliament on Friday. Read more here
4 shot in early morning attack outside Valencia club
Four men are nursing gunshot injuries following a shooting outside a recreation club in Valencia early Saturday morning. The incident occurred around 1 a.m.] at the Villaz Recreation Club, located along Valencia Old Road. Police identified the injured men as Shurlan Latren, 51, of San Pedro Extension, Valencia; Kristoff Paponette, 33, of Eastern Main Road, Silver Mill, San Juan; Shivan Keston Lakheram, 34, of Benny Road, Valencia; and Elijah Phillip, 22, of Sunset Drive, Benny Road, Valencia. Read more here
POLITICS
THA chief praises PM’s Caricom leadership, stays neutral on Middle East tensions
Chief Secretary Farley Augustine has praised Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for her handling of issues at last week’s Caricom Heads of Government meeting in St Kitts and Nevis, calling her approach “principled” and suggesting she “has more balls” than her male counterparts in the region. Augustine highlighted the Prime Minister’s analysis of the geopolitical situation between the United States and Venezuela, saying she demonstrated a superior understanding of global power dynamics. During her address on February 24, Persad-Bissessar chastised Caricom for failing to defend Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana when Venezuela allegedly threatened violence. Augustine reflected on the events surrounding US troops’ capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on January 3. Read more here
BUSINESS
Decision reserved in RBL safety deposit box case
THE Court of Appeal has reserved its decision in an expedited challenge brought by Republic Bank Ltd (RBL) against a High Court ruling that ordered it to compensate a retired employee whose safety deposit box was raided during a break-in at its Couva branch in 2022. Justices Mark Mohammed, Maria Wilson and Ricky Rahim heard submissions from senior counsel Kerwyn Garcia for the bank and attorney Kiel Taklalsingh for former employee Curtis Mathura at the Hall of Justice in Port of Spain last Monday, before announcing that judgment would be delivered in writing at a later date. Read more here
REGIONAL
Over 100,000 children to benefit from life-long digital health records — President Ali
More than 100,000 Guyanese children are set to benefit from life-long digital health records under the government’s expanding electronic healthcare system, as President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali on Saturday outlined a transformative shift towards proactive, data-driven healthcare delivery. The Head of State made the announcement during commissioning of the new Outpatient Pavilion at Dr Balwant Singh’s Hospital on East Street, Georgetown, where he detailed sweeping reforms aimed at modernising and future-proofing the national health sector. The initiative builds on the January launch of the National Electronic Health Record System (NEHRS), a US$3.3 million project implemented through a contract with UK-based company RioMed Limited. The system is designed to significantly improve how patient information is accessed, managed and shared across public-health institutions nationwide, while eliminating inefficiencies associated with manual record-keeping. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
India and Canada reset ties with 'landmark' nuclear energy deal
India and Canada have announced a host of agreements, including a 10-year nuclear energy deal, after their prime ministers met in Delhi to reset ties that plummeted due to diplomatic tensions. Narendra Modi and Mark Carney also struck agreement in areas such as technology, critical minerals, space, defence and education. Carney said they agreed to conclude a free trade deal, years in the making, by the end of 2026. Both countries want to reduce exposure to punitive US trade tariffs. Under Carney, the two governments are trying to repair ties that were strained when his predecessor accused Delhi of a link to the 2023 assassination of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil. Read more here
2nd March 2026