NEWS
Cop faces manslaughter charge in SRP's death
Police have received instructions to charge a 22-year-old police officer for the shooting death of his colleague. SRP Jamal Charles was fatally shot at the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government headquarters in Maraval on September 11. Charles, who was assigned to the municipal police, was on duty with two other officers when the incident occurred. Charles and a colleague were handling their service-issued Glock pistols while talking in the guard booth. Read more here
ANSA McAL partners with WizdomCRM for regional stock market competition
The ANSA McAL Group of Companies has partnered with WizdomCRM Caribbean Ltd for Cycle 11 of the Sustainable Stock Market AI Platform Competition, which runs from October 1 to December 31, 2025. The regional programme targets thousands of secondary school students in Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, offering training in financial literacy and stock market participation. As part of the partnership, ANSA McAL is sponsoring 2,000 students this cycle. In previous years, ANSA-sponsored schools accounted for over 95,000 trades and produced 76 top-performing students, including consistent winners from Trinity College East in Trinidad and Camperdown High in Jamaica. Read more here
POLITICS
Justice Minister surprised by CJ Archie's retirement
Justice Minister Devesh Maharaj says Chief Justice Ivor Archie’s announcement that he will retire early from the position came as a surprise to him. Archie, 65, addressing members of the judiciary during the ceremonial opening of the law term on September 16, revealed he intends to step down from his post he has held for the past 17 years. He did not give a timeframe but noted someone else will be delivering the feature address at next year’s ceremonial opening. Speaking with the media outside the Hall of Justice, Port of Spain, where the ceremony was held, Maharaj said while there were rumours about Archie’s resignation, he never expected him to leave. Read more here
Alexander promises report on HDC projects
Imagine spending almost half the cost of your home on repairs and still fearing it may collapse. This is the reality for one Moruga family, a problem reportedly occurring across Housing Development Corporation (HDC) communities. Minister in the Ministry of Housing Phillip Edward Alexander said these issues will be presented to Parliament soon. During a tour of the HDC’s Gomez Trace Development on Monday, Alexander noted that the problems raised by Moruga/Tableland MP Michelle Benjamin pointed to systemic issues. Alexander said the HDC’s engineering team must conduct a full assessment in the community, as some houses may need to be demolished. He said Housing Minister Dr David Lee will meet with the HDC board and technocrats to decide the next steps. Read more here
BUSINESS
CSO: Small decrease in inflation, food prices
The Central Statistical Office (CSO) reported small decreases in the inflation rate and the prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages in the latest consumer price index for August 2025. In the report, released to the media on September 16, the CSO said the inflation rate for August – a measure of the percentage change in the all items index for that month over the same period the year before – was 1.4 per cent. The figure is a decrease from the previous period (July 2025/July 2024), which was 1.5 per cent. The inflation rate for the comparative period (August 2024/August 2023) was 0.4 per cent. Read more here
ESG a strategic imperative, says minister
Minister of Trade, Investment and Tourism, Satyakama Maharaj, is urging the local business community to focus on tangible, measurable actions that lead to real-world results through its ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) programmes. The Minister was speaking at AMCHAM T&T’s ESG Conference 2025 at the Hyatt Regency yesterday. He said, “ESG is not merely a philanthropic or ethical consideration but a strategic imperative. The Government’s strategy aligns closely with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), placing the environment at the core of socio-economic development.” He continued, “Moreover, the concept of ESG must not be seen just as a cost but as an investment that can be utilised strategically to the advantage of Trinidad and Tobago and for future generations. We must acknowledge that responsible investment attracts high-quality foreign direct investment (FDI), which in turn helps local businesses access new and lucrative markets.” Read more here
REGIONAL
Active plan underway to transform, position Georgetown as one of the ‘finest capitals in the world’
Outlining a clearly defined strategy to transform Guyana’s capital city, Georgetown, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has announced the launch of ‘Rescue Georgetown,’ a city revival plan for sustainable urban development. During a press conference on Tuesday, President Ali acknowledged the city’s longstanding challenges, including mismanagement and inefficiency at the municipal level and declared that the current state of affairs could “no longer be tolerated.” He announced the launch of a comprehensive city revival plan, developed with the support of the Kings Foundation, aimed at restoring Georgetown’s status as a source of national pride. Over the past five years, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic government has invested billions of dollars in infrastructure projects across the city, including upgrades to drainage systems, roads, and public spaces, effectively stepping in where a cash-strapped Georgetown Mayor and City Council (GM&CC) failed. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Thousands of Palestinians flee as Israeli troops push into Gaza City
Thousands of Palestinians are continuing to flee Gaza City, as Israel's major ground offensive aimed at occupying the city enters a second day. Amid large-scale bombardment overnight, Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said al-Ranitisi children's hospital was targeted in three separate Israeli attacks, forcing half of its patients and their families to flee. The Israeli military said it was looking into the report. Other hospitals said at least 35 people had been killed by Israeli fire across Gaza so far on Wednesday, most of them in the north. Earlier, the Israeli military announced that it had struck more than 150 "terror targets" across Gaza City in two days in support of its ground forces. Read more here
17th September 2025