NEWS
DOMA head: Nothing good comes from panic
The Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (DOMA) president Gregory Aboud said nothing good comes from panic when called for comment on the Defence Force being on high alert and all military personnel being ordered to report to their bases on October 31. peaking in a largely personal capacity in a phone interview on November 2, Aboud said the calling up of the police and regiment on Friday did not really cause any trouble for Port of Spain or any difficulty, but it was the reaction of the people that caused the problem. He added that he did not see that there was any reason for people to feel like there was impending danger. “There was no information other than this constant barrage of threats and counter-threats coming between the US and Venezuela and the presence of so many military personnel and aircrafts and so on.” Read more here
Dookeran wants innovative diplomacy to restore peace
A former Foreign Affairs minister is calling for greater diplomacy as tensions rise between Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago, following Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s support for US President Donald Trump’s anti-narcotics campaign in the Caribbean. In his feature address at the Rapidfire Kidz Foundation (RKF) dinner at Achievors Banquet Hall in San Fernando on Saturday, economist Winston Dookeran said the geopolitics playing out in the waters of T&T and Venezuela is a reminder that politics, like life, is unpredictable in its journey. However, he said peace and development walk in synergy and dialogue is powerful. “The challenges are real but so too are possibilities. So, it is time once again for innovative diplomacy and back-channel diplomacy to take the front seat and to ensure that peace and stability in the region is insured,” he advised. Read more here
POLITICS
Sturge: PM to be briefed on Defence Force orders
Defence Minister Wayne Sturge says Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar will be briefed about decisions to recall TT Defence Force (TTDF) personnel to base and a subsequent order for them to stand down. He made this comment on November 2 in response to an order issued on October 31 for active military personnel to be recalled to base by 6 pm on that day, all military installations being locked down and then an order being issued at 11.15 pm, for personnel to stand down. These decisions fueled speculation that US military strikes against targets in Venezuela were imminent. This saw some schools closing early on October 31 and some people engaging in panic buying at supermarkets. Read more here
Alexander defends Govt as stakeholders slam poor communication on army alert
The Government would not have left the public in the dark if there were a serious security threat to the country and will not do so in future. This was the assurance of Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander yesterday, even as the Opposition People’s National Movement and other stakeholders condemned the Government’s handling of the matter. In defending the Government’s handling of the situation, Alexander urged the public not to source information on such security matters via social media. “Before you go to social media and build your opinion from it, know the truth. And I speak to what happened on Friday. Stop going to social media for guidance when there are leaders in your community who should tell you what will happen next? If something was to happen, we will not hide that from anybody. How can we?” said Alexander. Read more here
BUSINESS
Clarity sought on import list changes
The Trinidad and Tobago Contractors Association (TTCA) wants the Government to clarify who will benefit from the removal of building materials from the import negative list under the country’s Trade Ordinance. In an interview with the Express at the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI) compound in Macoya recently, TTCA president Lisa Ramoutar and general manager John Cardenas said while they had no problem with foreign competition, there were local operators who were also producing some of the items on the list. Read more here
REGIONAL
‘The mission is not yet complete’
President Dr Irfaan Ali has reaffirmed the pivotal role of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) in safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, emphasising that while much has been achieved over the past six decades, “the mission is not yet complete.” Speaking at a ceremony marking the GDF’s 60th anniversary and its continued transformation and commitment to innovation, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces lauded the men and women of the Force for their unwavering dedication to protecting Guyana’s borders, airspace, rivers and coastline. “From its inception, the Guyana Defence Force was entrusted with a sacred mission to safeguard our territorial integrity and sovereignty, to protect our independence and to defend our citizens against armed aggression. This mission spans both land and sea. This mission remains as vital today as it was 60 years ago,” President Ali said. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Israeli military's ex-top lawyer arrested as scandal over video leak deepens
The former top lawyer in the Israeli military has been arrested, as a political showdown deepens over the leaking of a video that allegedly shows severe abuse of a Palestinian detainee by Israeli soldiers. Maj Gen Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi resigned as the Military Advocate General of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) last week, saying that she took full responsibility for the leak. On Sunday, the story took a darker turn when she was reported as missing, with police mounting an hours-long search for her on a beach north of Tel Aviv. She was subsequently found alive and well, police said, but was then taken into custody. Read more here
3rd November 2025