NEWS
Assembly of Southern Lawyers president's office firebombed – again
President of the Assembly of Southern Lawyers (ASL), Saira Lakhan, says she now fears for her safety and that of her staff after a second firebomb attack at her law office in San Fernando. The latest incident occurred around 3.30 am on October 22, at the wooden structure on Lewis Street. Lakhan said the perpetrator climbed the perimeter fence, entered the compound, and placed one Molotov cocktail at the front door and another on top of an external electrical panel close to a window. The devices caught fire but the flames went out on their own. Only part of the antique door and part of the wooden flooring were damaged. Read more here
Former Shiva Boys’ student seeks help in battle with leukaemia
At just 21, Dinesh Gadraj had his whole life mapped out. A proud graduate of Shiva Boys’ Hindu College, he had aced his exams and was set to begin training at the Kenson School of Production Technology, studying to become a drilling rig technician—a dream born from his fascination with the oil and gas offshore industry. Then, on August 5 last year, his world stopped. What he thought was “just a fever” turned into a diagnosis that would upend his future—B-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia, a rare and aggressive blood cancer. Speaking to Guardian Media at his Chester Trace, Debe home, Gadraj recalled the moment he got the news. “I thought I just had a normal fever. Then the doctor said my white blood cells were extremely high. They did tests, a bone-marrow biopsy… and that’s when they told us—leukaemia. It was scary. Extremely scary,” he recalled. Read more here
POLITICS
Alexander buffs Scotland over 'secret' drones
Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander chided Port of Spain MP Keith Scotland for seemingly exposing details of six spy drones being acquired by the police service, as the minister endured hours of grilling by opposition MPs over national budget allocations to the police service ($2.61 billion) and Minister of Homeland Security ($1.9 billion). A mix of rancour, humour and exasperation marked the sitting of the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives on October 22. When Alexander guardedly spoke of the purchase of "technical items" for the police service, Scotland pointedly asked what criteria would guide the purchase of drones. Read more here
Penny complains about rushed process to appoint new CJ
Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles had asked acting President Wade Mark to “abandon any appointment of a substantive Chief Justice at this time,” and instead revert to appointing an acting Chief Justice before the swearing-in of Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh yesterday. Beckles made the request after writing to Mark questioning what she described as a “manifest rush” to appoint a substantive Chief Justice while President Christine Kangaloo is out of the country. In her letter, Beckles said the process under Section 102 of the Constitution should be paused and that an appointment instead be made under Section 103, “perhaps in the person of the Honourable Mr Justice Prakash Moosai JA, the senior appellate Judge if he is available and so willing.” Read more here
BUSINESS
The struggles to establish a regional air carrier
The government left no stone unturned to achieve the financial viability of British West Indian Airways (BWIA) and to have it designated as the regional carrier. Since its acquisition, the government pumped billions of taxpayers’ dollars into BWIA and later its successor Caribbean Airlines Ltd (CAL) to keep the airline nose up. With the outbreak of World War II, air services by extra-regional airlines such as Pan American World Airways (Panama), Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM) and British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) were suspended. The British colonies in the West Indies were virtually cut off from each other and the rest of the world as shipping lanes became vulnerable to attacks by German submarines. The UK Air Ministry suggested that an airline be established with its base in TT to serve the Caribbean region. Read more here
$45M cut from OJT programme
The government has cut $45 million from the On The Job (OJT) Training Programme, however, the Finance Minister assures that more sustainable jobs are coming. During an analysis of expenditure for the re-established Ministry of Tertiary Education and Skills Training, St Ann’s East MP Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly questioned why there was a cut in the programme. “I notice that there is a $45 million decrease in 2026 allocation, which is $275 million. Is this the line item that is used to pay the actual OJT trainees? So with a reduction of $45 million, will the same number of trainees be able to be used or to be employed as in the previous year?” she asked Minister Prakash Persad. Read more here
REGIONAL
GDF at 60: President Ali introduces medals to honour modern military excellence
President Dr Irfaan Ali on Wednesday presented a number of newly instituted medals to deserving members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) during the force’s 60th Anniversary Medal parade ceremony. During the ceremony, which was held at the Base Camp Ayanganna, it was disclosed that a total of 871 special medals have been approved for presentation to GDF members in recognition of their distinguished service. Of this number, 32 recipients were presented with their medals on Wednesday during the ceremony. The medals include the Military Efficiency Medal, Border Defence Medal, Special Operations Medal, GDF 60th Anniversary Medal, Engineer Border Operations Medal, Search and Rescue Operations Medal, and the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response Medal. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Rubio warns against West Bank annexation after Israel's parliament advances move
The US Secretary of State has said that a move by Israel's parliament towards annexation of the occupied West Bank would threaten Washington's plan to end the conflict in Gaza. "That's not something we can be supportive of right now," Marco Rubio said before leaving for Israel as part of US efforts to shore up a fragile ceasefire deal. In an apparent attempt to embarrass Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, far-right politicians took the symbolic step of giving preliminary approval to a bill granting Israel authority to annex the West Bank. The Palestinians claim the West Bank - occupied by Israel since 1967 - as part of a hoped-for independent state. Read more here
23rd October 2025