NEWS
Brave return to Holy Faith: Student back in class after horrific assault
Three months after she was savagely beaten by five female students outside her school compound, a 15-year-old Holy Faith Convent, Couva student returned to class for the first time on September 8. The student's mother said it was a nerve-racking moment for her child, but she was given a warm welcome by school officials and students, helping make the re-entry a comfortable one. "When she came into school, the principal greeted her, the teachers, some of her peers greeted her. They all welcomed her back and assured her that everything was good and that everything would be all right. Read more here
Debe student earns 9 Grade Ones; credits mental health for success
Seventeen-year-old Debe Secondary School student Alexander Sookraj, who earned nine Grade Ones in his Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations, says true success comes with protecting mental health, not sacrificing it. Speaking with Guardian Media yesterday, Sookraj admitted his journey was filled with sleepless nights and self-doubt, but his resilience came from two vital supports—his parents and his school community. “My biggest problem was my low confidence in my capabilities and the anxiety I faced before each exam. I managed to overcome these problems by repeatedly reassuring myself that I was prepared for my exams and that I did put in all the work required for me to perform well in the subject. The crash courses I participated in helped relieve my anxiety and improved my confidence in what I knew,” he said. Through it all, he said, his parents, Sarah and Alvin Sookraj, supported him. Read more here
POLITICS
Blow them to pieces: PM rejects Colombia's call to search for people killed at sea
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has rejected a call from Colombian president Gustavo Petro to search for the bodies of those killed by the US in an airstrike on an alleged drug boat on September 2. In an immediate response to Newsday, via Whatsapp on September 9, Persad-Bissessar said the TT government will not waste resources on searching for the remains of the 11 people who were killed. However, she said, “Any carcass that washes up on our shores, we will recover it.” Read more here
PM to attend UN General Assembly meeting in NY later this month
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has confirmed that she will attend the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), marking her first overseas trip since taking office in April. The annual session began yesterday at the UN headquarters in New York. The high-level general debate, where heads of state and governments deliver their speeches, is scheduled to begin on September 23. Persad-Bissessar told Guardian Media yesterday that the dates are yet to be finalised, after which Cabinet approval will follow. This will be Persad-Bissessar’s first overseas working trip after she failed to attend the 49th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), which was held in Montego Bay, Jamaica, from July 6 to 8. At the time, Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Sean Sobers said the PM had pressing national issues to attend to. Persad-Bissessar also did not attend the Second Africa-Caricom Summit, which was held on September 6 to 7 at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Read more here
BUSINESS
Agostini extends PHL offer closing date for a third time
AGOSTINI LTD (AGL) has extended the closing date on its offer to take over Prestige Holdings Ltd (PHL), owners of franchises KFC, Subway, TGI Fridays and Starbucks, to October 21 at 4 pm. This is the third extension to the share-swap offer since it was made on June 17. It was originally supposed to close on July 20. Agostini announced the extension through a notice to shareholders on the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange website on September 9. The notice said the extension was to "allow further time for shareholders of the company to participate in the offer and to await all regulatory approvals including the merger application made to the TT Fair Trade Commission." Read more here
Tokenised CIS could transform Caribbean finance
Blockchain tokenisation is being explored as a way to break down barriers to investing, increase operational efficiency, and attract new capital to the Caribbean, according to a new report from the Unit Trust Corporation’s investment team. The report, “Tokenisation of Collective Investment Schemes: Opportunities and Challenges in the Caribbean Context,” examines the feasibility of tokenising Collective Investment Schemes (CIS), exploring regulatory, legal, and financial implications of a proposed tokenised fund. Authored by Andrew Maharaj, Cedric Thompson, Lenice Lewis, Philip Williams, Savio Keith, Sharlene Dabideen, and Terry-Ann Bronte Tinkew, the report positions tokenisation as a potentially transformative tool for the Caribbean’s financial system. Read more here
REGIONAL
Accelerating Guyana’s digitalisation
The government’s commitment to accelerating Guyana’s digital transformation remains intact, according to President, Dr Irfaan Ali, during a meeting with information technology (IT) systems heads across all government agencies, at the Office of the President (OP), on Tuesday. According to information on Dr. Ali’s official Facebook page, the objective of the meeting was to outline his administration’s commitment to digitisation, artificial intelligence (AI), and the integration of technology across public-sector operations. The government’s Chief Technology Officer, Darryl Akeung, and the Director of Presidential Affairs, Marcia Nadir-Sharma, were also in attendance. This meeting cemented the new People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration’s commitment to continue right where it had left off prior to the recent elections. It formed part of Guyana’s broader “Digital Guyana” initiative, which includes an ambitious agenda that is being rolled out under President Ali’s leadership. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Bowen: Diplomacy in ruins after Israel strikes Hamas leaders in Qatar
Almost exactly a year ago I interviewed the Hamas leader and chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya in Doha. I met him in a house not far from the building that Israel attacked on Tuesday afternoon. From the beginning of the war in Gaza, al-Hayya had been the chief Hamas negotiator, sending and receiving messages to the Israelis and Americans via Qatari and Egyptian intermediaries. At moments where ceasefires were thought likely, al-Hayya, along with the men who were also targeted this afternoon, were only a short distance from the Israeli and American delegations. When they were attacked, al-Hayya and the other top Hamas leaders were discussing the latest American diplomatic proposals to end the war in Gaza and free the remaining Israeli hostages. Israel's swift declaration of what it had done immediately fuelled speculation on social media that the latest American proposals were simply a ruse to get the Hamas leadership in one place where they could be targeted. Read more here
10th September 2025