NEWS
Miss Central Trinidad delegates to make positive difference in society
Young ladies taking part in the 2026 Miss Central Trinidad Queen Pageant are expected to make a positive contribution to society. This is one of the clear objectives of the pageant, according to coordinator Marcia Merrick-Mohamed. “We are looking for bright young women between the ages of 18 to 29. They must be positive, articulate and confident. One of the main qualities we are expecting from the young women is that they must not be satisfied with just winning a pageant, but are eager to make a positive difference in society. The show strives to empower young women and encourage them to be their best in every aspect of their lives,” explained Merrick-Mohamed, herself a former Miss Central Trinidad pageant winner. Merrick-Mohamed gave an update on the screening of prospective contestants, which was held at the Lisas Gardens Community Centre, Couva, on January 3. The Miss Central Trinidad Queen Pageant is the marquee event of the six-day festivities organised by the Couva Carnival Committee (CCC). Read more here
HDC launches billion-dollar mismanagement probe
Housing Development Corporation (HDC) chairman Feeroz Khan has alleged significant financial mismanagement at the state-owned agency, which he said occurred under the previous administration. Khan said the HDC is now in a difficult financial position, with bills owed to contractors and suppliers in excess of $600 million, a deficit in the employee pension fund of more than $300 million, and bank overdrafts exceeding approved limits by about $100 million. He also said the corporation has close to $1 billion in receivables that may be questionable. Despite the scale of the challenges, Khan said the HDC has a clear strategy to stabilise its finances. “All our future construction is going to be on the basis of design, build, finance at fixed prices, so those overruns and variations and the mismanagement would not happen. Those monthly maintenance contracts that amount to $150 million a year now are being reorganised and re-tendered in accordance with the rules and some of these services are going to be provided in-house by the HDC, and we will save $100 million annually from the management of these contracts,” Khan said yesterday during a United National Congress media conference at the party’s headquarters in Chaguanas. Read more here
POLITICS
Dragon deal in doubt after Maduro’s removal
There is no certainty of Trinidad and Tobago securing a long term arrangement to explore and develop Venezuela’s Dragon gas field after the capture and extraction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from the South American nation on January 3. But government is certain of its full support for the US National Security Strategy 2025 document, published by the White House last November, because this strategy can guarantee the country’s long term protection from all external security threats. Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Sean Sobers made these points when he addressed a news conference at UNC headquarters in Chaguanas on January 4. Read more here
PM not surprised as US indictment links Caribbean politicians to Maduro’s cocaine network
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said she was not surprised that the United States’ indictment of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro includes allegations that Caribbean politicians were complicit in cocaine trafficking. The superseding indictment, unsealed by a US federal grand jury in the Southern District of New York on Saturday (January 3), details grand jury charges against Maduro and other high-ranking Venezuelan officials. The document claims that Caribbean politicians financially benefited from drug traffickers in exchange for protection from law enforcement. According to the indictment, Maduro and “corrupt” members of his regime enabled a system of corruption fueled by drug trafficking across the region. Cocaine shipments through Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico were allegedly supported by systemic bribery, with traffickers paying off politicians who, in turn, used illicit funds to strengthen and entrench their power. Read more here
BUSINESS
‘Economy stable, but needs to address structural issues’
T&T’s economy stood at a point of cautious optimism at the start of 2025. The banking sector remained in strong position, with the energy sector still stirring from progress concerning the possibility of Dragon Gas field exploration. There were also significant strides being made in other energy projects. However, the worry came from the fact that these projects were expected to contribute later, rather than sooner, as reduced returns from the energy sector coupled with increased expenditure in the year, had continued to place pressure on T&T’s foreign exchange reserves. Indeed, this was one of the concerns raised by UK bank Barclays when it released a report on the country in March. Barclays stressed that the country’s returns from the energy sector had begun to dwindle, while expenses continued to be high. The report said, “When assessing T&T’s external sector, we note that despite strong current account surpluses (driven primarily by energy exports), reserves have still been trending lower in recent years. “ Read more here
JMMB halves debit card limits
FROM February 1, JMMB Classic Debit Card holders will see their monthly US-dollar spending limit halved to US$100, a move that has drawn concern from business groups struggling with persistent foreign exchange shortages in Trinidad and Tobago. Responding to questions from the Express, JMMB said the decision was driven by limited foreign currency availability. “The decision to reduce USD limits on our classic cards is based on the availability of USD and was not taken lightly. Our Gold Card and our Visa Business Debit Card remain the same; our Visa Business Debit card is the only debit card on the market that provides a USD allowance to businesses,” the bank stated. Read more here
REGIONAL
National prosperity will translate more directly into personal, community advancement
President Ali says, highlights govt’s plans to strengthen manufacturing sector, expand tourism, support small and medium-sized enterprises. GUYANA is moving beyond unrealised promises and embracing measurable progress, marked by deliberate policy choices and a clearer sense of national direction, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has said. While strong economic growth is expected to continue this year, the President during his New Year’s address said the government’s priority would be to deepen the quality of that growth and how it translates at the community level. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Thirty-two Cubans killed during US attack on Venezuela
The Cuban government has said 32 of its nationals were killed during the US operation to seize Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. It said the dead were members of its armed forces and intelligence agencies, with two days of national mourning declared. A short statement did not elaborate on the role of the Cubans in Venezuela, but the two governments are long-standing allies, with Cuba providing security support in exchange for oil. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said they had been providing protection to Maduro and his wife "at the request" of Venezuela. Read more here
5th January 2026