THE EDITOR: The fireworks debate is pure political theatre.
Government talks about curfews on use while knowing full well the police service does not have the manpower or vehicles to police hillside communities once celebrations begin. History proves law enforcement avoids hot areas when tensions are high.
Here’s the real hypocrisy: The Commissioner of Police authorises the permits for fireworks to enter the country. So permits are granted first, then citizens are threatened after the fact.
That is not public safety. That is double standards.
THE EDITOR: As some of us make resolutions for the New Year, let us be gentle with ourselves. Remember that if we falter in any of them, that’s okay. We have to try and try again to do the things we know will make our lives better.
If hydration is a goal, get a big water bottle so you can monitor your progress and if sometimes you don’t reach your goal, don’t despair. Tomorrow is a new day to renew your effort.
If exercising is your goal, then try tai chi or yoga. If you can find a class to join in-person, the sense of community would be a bonus. If you can’t, there are many free resources online. There is definitely a greater probability of you sticking with something you enjoy.
Set realistic goals. Maybe write them down. Journalling is also a wonderful activity to try. It has been scientifically proven to reduce stress, improve mental clarity and increase overall well-being.
Ask a friend or family member to check in regularly to see how you’re doing and for encouragement.
Life is a work in progress, sometimes a wonder to behold and every effort we exert to make it better for ourselves and others is a step towards a laudable goal.
MEN’S professional football will return to Sangre Grande as a Trinidad and Tobago Premier Football League (TTPFL) double-header will be held at the Sangre Grande Sporting Complex on Boxing Day.
Eagles FC and San Juan Jabloteh will meet in the first match from 5 pm, before Police FC and Prison Service clash in the second match from 7 pm.
After being discarded for years, the venue was reopened in September by the Sport Company of TT in conjunction with the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs. The Sangre Grande Sporting Complex includes an outdoor playing field and two indoor courts, which can host multiple sports such as basketball, netball and volleyball.
In the past, Sangre Grande has held many professional matches and was once the home of the former club North East Stars, a club no longer in existence.
The Sangre Grande Sporting Complex will give the TTPFL another option in East Trinidad to host matches, as the La Horquetta Recreation Ground and Arima Velodrome are two venues used regularly this season. TTPFL organisers will be hoping residents in Sangre Grande support the league, as the community is known for backing football through other leagues like the Sweet Sixteen Football League and the Fishing Pond League.
IN just under two years since its opening in February 2024, the Giskar Multi-Purpose Indoor Sports Facility has transformed into one of southern Trinidad’s most important sporting assets — a world-class, all-weather training base where young hopefuls and seasoned national cricketers now prepare side by side.
Located in Boodoo Trace, Debe, the international-standard indoor complex was purpose-built to address a long-standing gap in infrastructure across the southern region.
For decades, South Trinidad has produced exceptional cricket talent despite limited access to specialised facilities. With Giskar Sports, that narrative is changing.
“Our goal is to multiply that potential and transform sport into opportunity for athletes, for families, and for the wider national landscape,” said owner and director Keshava Ramphal, a High Performance Level 3 cricket coach and performance analyst with Cricket West Indies (CWI).
Ramphal currently works across the West Indies Under-19, West Indies A Team, and the West Indies Academy, bringing a rare combination of elite-level expertise and grassroots commitment to the facility’s programmes.
At the heart of Giskar Sports is its cricket high-performance zone — three full-length indoor lanes equipped with bowling machines, specialised lighting, and integrated video analysis technology.
The controlled indoor environment allows year-round batting, bowling, and technical refinement, unaffected by weather or ground conditions.
Additionally, the multi-sport venue was built and is operated by die-hard, certified cricket enthusiasts who have all played cricket at the highest levels.
Former West Indies and Red Force player Dinesh Ramdin with a budding cricketer at Giskar Multi-Purpose Sports Indoor Facility in Debt. – Photo courtesy Giskar
Facility manager Satesh Persaud highlighted the venue’s modern design, noting that its tech-driven setup brings pro-level training standards to athletes of all ages.
“This is complemented by a fully equipped gym built for sport-specific conditioning, from strength and power development to mobility, injury prevention, and rehabilitation,” Persaud said.
He added that there is also a dedicated health and recovery zone which offers therapy services, ice baths, and structured wellness programmes, described as an “essential but often overlooked component of long-term athlete development,” by Persaud.
The facility also houses a growing coaching academy for children aged five to 19, giving young cricketers early access to structured training systems once available only to professional setups.
Giskar’s reputation has quickly made it a preferred training base for several of TT’s top cricketers. Among those who regularly utilise the facility are Evin Lewis, Denesh Ramdin, Jason Mohammed, Jyd Goolie, Navin Bidaisee and national youth players Mbeki Joseph, Ryan Bandoo, and Steffi Soogrim, among others.
Regional franchise players and emerging prospects also frequent the centre. During the recently concluded CG United Super50 Cup, members of the TT Red Force and Leeward Islands Hurricanes used the facility to train and prepare ahead of matches.
Under the direction of co-owner and director Shirley Ann Ramphal, Giskar Sports has evolved into a community hub hosting corporate functions, sports events, gym classes, and outdoor wellness initiatives.
Ramphal holds a Master’s degree in biodiversity and conservation and is a certified tour guide, overseeing events management, fitness programmes, and wellness-based activities.
West Indies Academy player Mbeki Jospeh takes a knock inside one of three indoor nets available at Giskar Multi-Purpose Indoor Sports Facility – Photo courtesy Giskar
Her focus on holistic health and environmental stewardship adds a broader dimension to the facility’s offerings, blending athletic development with community well-being.
Giskar is now an important centre of activity for several surrounding clubs and schools, including premiership team Victoria Sports Club, championship side Woodland Sports Club, South UWI Women, and Secondary Schools Cricket League’s Presentation College (San Fernando), and Shiva Boys’ Hindu College.
For these organisations, Giskar provides reliable indoor space, high-grade equipment, coaching support, and opportunities to incorporate emerging technology into their training cycles.
When Newsday visited the facility, Red Force women and West Indies Academy player Steffie Soogrim was taking a knock in the indoor nets, alongside Caldrac Achievers women’s teammate Lyrisha Paul.
Soogrim is currently recovering from a Women’s CPL injury she sustained earlier this year, and is using Giskar’s facility to stay active ahead of surgery. She is expected to be unavailable for selection for the next nine months, but remains intent on staying abreast in her craft.
“Once I’m in the country, I come here to get some work in. I’m doing all-around work right now, to keep tuned in and focused. It’s been really good here and I’m grateful for it to be in South. It’s easy for me to come in and get some work done,” she said.
On being forced off the competitive circuit owing to her injury, Soogrim said it remains an uphill climb.
“Mentally, it’s challenging, emotionally and physically. I’d love to be in action, but now that I have to take a break, it’s just for me to get myself back in order. So I do what I can at Giskar Academy,” she added.
Caldrac teammate Paul, 28, is currently fine-tuning her batting skills ahead of the upcoming women’s premiership season, set to bowl off in January.
“I’m working on my batting technique,” said the right-handed batter. “I come here to train and develop myself further in cricket. The facility has all that I need as a budding cricketer. If you want to really become a cricketer, you have to put your mind to it and put in the work.”
Merryboys Sports Club and West Indies Academy left-arm unorthodox spinner Ryan Bandoo is one of the newest athletes to join the Giskar Sports programme, and despite living in Couva, he makes the daily drive to Debe to keep his game sharp. Bandoo, who is also a right-hand batsman, said the decision has already paid off.
“Training has been really good. It’s a top-class facility,” he said. “You can get your bowling, batting, spot bowling, batting machines, and the gym. I’ve been using all of it,” he said.
While he continues to refine his bowling, Bandoo told Newsday that much of his current focus is on developing into a genuine all-rounder. He spends significant time on physical conditioning and technical batting work, taking advantage of the controlled environment and high-tech equipment available inside the three indoor cricket lanes.
“The batting machine has been helping me a lot,” he said. “I can bat pace or spin, and I work on sweeps, pulls, drives — everything I need to keep improving.”
With a sporting goods store set to launch by year’s end and increased demand from academies across the region, Giskar Sports is positioning itself as South’s flagship venue for athlete development.
Those interested in connecting with Giskar can log on to their social media pages at Giskar Sports on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, or contact manager Persaud at 741-5547.
A near-flawless defensive record and a flood of goals underlined Indy Premier’s dominant performance in the Jewels of the Caribbean invitational football tournament last week in Trinidad.
The Indianapolis-based football academy left Trinidad with silverware in both hands by capturing the Under-17 crown and then edging Jamaica’s Under-20 team to complete a dominant sweep at the tournament.
Indy Premier’s U-17 team was impressive, winning all their games and notching 20 goals without conceding any.
Reflecting on their performance, Trinidad-born head coach Kenrick Ramirez said their performance stems from a player-development model, rather than a results-driven approach.
He and his team, which included Indiana Coaching Hall of Fame inductee Russell Gee and U20 defender Aubrey Robertson, emphasize game intelligence, decision-making, fitness, positional fluidity, and data-driven analysis over rigid position coaching.
“We don’t really focus on teams to begin with. We don’t teach positions,” Ramirez said, “When you teach positions, decision-making becomes an issue.”
“We have players who play in several different roles because they know the game of football.”
More impressively, Indy Premier beat the national teams of TT (4-0) and Jamaica (5-0 and 3-0) on its way to the title.
During the seven-day tournament, the academy’s management rotated players in and out of the team constantly to manage workload, without any change in results.
In preparing for national teams, Indy Premier’s management adjusted their preparation mode and pivoted to face TT and Jamaica.
Ramirez and his team focused on three aspects of play: decision-making in the attacking third, transition to attack, and transition to defend.
“We played a lot of forward passes. When they lost the ball, we attacked because we didn’t think they would have transitioned well defensively,” he said.
Indy Premier SC attacker Olivia Jones (right) takes TT’s Nikita Gosine for a run during their Jewels of the Caribbean under-17 matchup at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo on December 15. – Photo courtesy TTFA Media
Ramirez emphasized the collective nature of the team and rejected the idea that the team had “unsung heroes.”
“Every role is respected,” he said, “Some players have special qualities, but for those with special abilities to just play, others have to do certain roles.”
Indy Premier’s Under-20 team was no less impressive, conceding only two goals in four games and netting 12.
On and off the field, the US-based academy weathered a logistical nightmare to achieve success.
Indy Premier came to Trinidad with only 11 Under-20 players and filled out their roster with U-17 players.
Club staff in Indianapolis were carefully monitoring their workload through GPS trackers.
Ramirez heaped praise on this player’s commitment and the TT Football Association for its part in easing logistical complications.
“TT football did a fantastic job getting us where we needed to be, when we needed to be. The organisation and hospitality were outstanding,” he said.
Ramirez and his team ensured that their players had the full “Trini experience,” taking them to have bake-and-shark on Maracas beach, and a trip to Frederick Settlement to watch the East-West Corridor League. Ramirez also laughingly revealed that two of his players—after hearing a reference to a “bush-bath” to rid oneself of bad luck—took extra-long baths after ordinary performances in matches.
One of them broke her scoring drought in the next game, and the other was voted tournament MVP.
“We would have wanted to do more from a tourist standpoint, but we really want them to feel the heart of things while fitting into the schedule that we have because our schedule is tight,” Ramirez said.
The Trinidad-born head coach was once a promising player, shining during QRC’s 1997 championship-winning run.
His coaching journey came after his playing career was curtailed by a serious accident that required multiple surgeries and a prolonged absence from the game.
Ramirez’s pathway changed during that enforced pause—after settling in Columbus, Indiana, he returned to football through coaching after working with a gifted young player, Lindsay Fox.
“You just need somebody to put everything together, and we could produce a lot like her and not just one every four or five years,” Ramirez said.
The experience opened his eyes to the untapped potential of football in basketball-centric Indiana, if the sport was properly structured.
Success followed. At just 26, Ramirez became the youngest club director in Indiana, leading the Columbus Express Soccer Club while contributing to the player-development framework with US Soccer and Indiana Soccer.
During the next decade, the player-first philosophy served Columbus Express well, producing a steady pipeline of scholarship athletes and national team players.
A move to Indianapolis and Indy Premier marked the next chapter.
Within six months, Ramirez was elevated to sporting director, where he and the Indy Premier leadership team oversaw significant growth at the non-profit club through unified leadership and a clear development vision.
“Winning is a component of development, but if you are developing well, winning becomes a subset, not something that is focused on,” he said.
Yet, for Ramirez, legacy is not measured by titles but by people.
As he sees it, winning should follow development, and football’s greatest success lies in shaping responsible, well-rounded human beings.
“(An era where) the kids had the freedom to become who they want to be, and ultimately an era where a lot of players became good human beings,” Ramirez said.
“We just want everyone to become good stewards of society.”
AFTER losing sponsorship for all its youth tournaments in 2024, the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) enters 2026 with renewed sponsorship for several of its youth competitions.
TTCB president Azim Bassarath made this welcome announcement at the board’s annual end-of-year luncheon, held at the National Cricket Centre in Balmain, Couva, on December 17.
Bassarath described this timely boost as a signal of strengthened confidence in the organisation as it enters a packed calendar year with an intensified focus on grassroots development.
The sponsorships will cover the Under-13 and Under-15 inter-zone and North/South Classics, as well as the four-team Under-17 and Under-19 competitions.
“The return and growth of sponsorship signal that confidence in the TTCB has not only been restored but strengthened,” Bassarath said.
The renewed backing comes as the TTCB sharpens its emphasis on youth cricket in 2026.
The board’s loss of sponsorship came in early 2024 as backlash from a now-concluded administrative dispute with then-treasurer Kiswah Chaitoo and a police investigation into another ex-employee’s mismanagement of funds.
Bassarath, however, confirmed that all inter-zone tournaments were completed in 2025, reinforcing the board’s grassroots strategy, and that commitment paid dividends when TT were crowned champions of the West Indies Rising Stars Under-17 50-over tournament at home.
Another significant milestone was the staging of the Under-23 Cup, which concluded recently at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy. Bassarath confirmed that the 2025 edition deliberately featured an Under-19 team competing against older opposition.
The initiative was designed to fast-track the growth of the country’s most promising players, exposing them to higher physical, mental and tactical demands in preparation for regional and international cricket.
Additionally, level one coaching courses were completed across most zones in 2025, with arrangements already in place to reach the remaining areas.
Bassarath said that while it was a testing 2025 for the TTCB, it also strengthened the organisation, providing clarity and direction heading into 2026.
He added that the U15 inter-zone tournament bowls off on January 28, followed by the U19 inter-zone competition from February 20. The U19 tournament begins on March 25, the U17s on April 1, and the U13 inter-zone tournament from April 23.
Despite the absence of a regional Under-17 competition in 2026, the TTCB has opted to retain its local U17 tournament, stressing the importance of protecting and developing players in that age group.
Beyond the field, the TTCB will partner with SporTT to host club development seminars across all zones and in Tobago, aimed at improving governance, administration and sustainability.
A coaching caravan is also set to launch early in the new year, travelling to Toco, Blanchisseuse, Mayaro and Point Fortin, targeting boys and girls under 20 years.
TTCB general secretary and attorney Henry Chase echoed the president’s sentiments, noting that the return of sponsorship was a positive indicator of restored confidence in the board, after what he described as a “turbulent 2025.”
HELLO World is the name on the lips of every turfite set to descend on Santa Rosa Park on December 26 for a high-stakes Boxing Day card that promises to bring a stirring end to the 2025 TT racing season.
The five-year-old, which has won its last 12 races, will aim to become the first horse to win in the Gold Cup three years in a row since 1958.
Hello World is bidding to rub shoulders with the immortal Airofaith, which completed the treble of wins at the Queen’s Park Savannah 67 years ago.
The spotlight burns brightest on the prestigious Gold Cup, but the day’s programme has a distinct Caribbean flair, with the simulcast of the 113th running of the Wayne DaCosta OD for Jamaica two-year-olds.
The railbirds will be out in full force to take in the electric atmosphere of Day 12 of Arima Race Club (ARC), which offers a blend of local tests of stamina and international sprint power.
The centerpiece of the local action is Race 5, the $110,000 Gold Cup (Grade I), where champion trainer John O’Brien seems to hold the keys to the kingdom once again.
O’Brien will saddle a formidable trio in the seven-horse field in the 2,000-meter race, which stands as the ultimate test of stamina and class for thoroughbreds.
His triumvirate includes the history-seeking Hello World, Headliner (Brian Boodramsingh), and the exciting US import The Goddess Nike.
Dillon Khelawan is booked to pilot Hello World, which carries the top weight of 57.0kg.
The Poon Tip Stud Farm-owned horse has earned a reputation for grit and will need every ounce of his class in the unforgiving 2,000-meter trip.
The Goddess Nike, which has a featherweight assignment of 54.0kg, has been identified as a dangerous threat to Hello World’s history-making ambitions.
The American-bred filly, with Ridge Balgobin in the irons, could make the weight advantage count over the long stretch run, and rain on her stablemate’s party.
The duo will not have it their own way, as trainer Jonathan Lyder is set to send out El Chico Malo, another top contender at 57.0kg.
Jovika Boodram is engaged to ride El Chico Malo in the Gold Cup, which has a small field of seven horses.
With a compact lineup, tactics will come into sharp focus, and the 2025 Gold Cup would produce a chess match in the saddle.
If the early fractions are slow, the race could turn into a sprint for home, which could favor the US-bred runners like Sneaky Cheeky (Shaffick Mohammed) and Striking Chrome (Ricky Jadoo).
While the Gold Cup will dominate the chatter among the old heads and new punters alike, the simulcast monitors will be the center of attention at 6:10 pm for Race 8.
The ARC has included the 113th running of the Wayne DaCosta OD on the betting card, to allow local punters to wager on one of the Caribbean’s most historic juvenile contests.
Named in honor of the 18-time champion trainer Wayne DaCosta, the 1,600-meter event has drawn a massive field of 12 runners, representing the cream of Jamaica’s juvenile crop.
Riding talent abounds with top Jamaican jockey Dane Nelson aboard Fernando, and Shane Ellis set to take the mount on God’s Plan.
Also expected to attract significant attention are Salute the Don (D. Dawkin) and Midnight Traveler (J. Innis).
Local fans will also have the chance to glimpse the future of local racing at 2:00 p.m., with the Grade II Juvenile Championships over 1,200 meters.
The field of six includes John O’Brien’s Sweet Bird, King Jumbie, and Power House in a wide-open race.
Also aiming to claim the title as the top juvenile for 2025 is Dream Maker, which carries 55.0kg for Dillon Khelawan.
SAN Fernando mayor Robert Parris hosted a Christmas Day luncheon at the San Fernando City Corporation’s (SFCC) auditorium on Harris Promenade, as part of an initiative aimed at bringing cheer for what he described as a challenging year for many families.
He said the event was organised in response to growing unemployment, which he attributed in part to the government’s decision to close make-work programmes like Cepep, URP, and reforestation.
“I thought it would be a good gesture because this year was a difficult one,” Parris said.
“We are showing them some love and appreciation, letting them know we are still thinking about them, and the reason for the season, which is celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.”
The mayor pledged to “continue to do what is right and charitable.”
He highlighted that the mayor’s and chairmen’s funds of most of the corporations have been affected by a lack of approval, particularly in corporations controlled by the opposition PNM.
Despite those challenges, Parris said SFCC was able to secure over 400 hampers for distribution through support from the private sector.
He thanked the corporate community for its contributions, noting that the hampers were smaller than in previous years.
He highlighted that Christmas is about giving and not getting.
“Therefore, it is within that vein that I continue to do what it is I was taught to do. We were all taught, as children and as adults, to give back,” he said.
Stressing that economic conditions are challenging for many people, he added that increasing numbers are seeking assistance.
In an effort to ease unemployment, the mayor said the corporation has been engaging short-term casual workers from his electoral district of Pleasantville as well as from San Fernando West to help maintain communities “until better can be done.”
On behalf of SFCC’s management and staff, Paris extended Christmas greetings to the people of San Fernando, and by extension Trinidad and Tobago.
“The outlook right now looks kind of bleak. But we will continue to do all that we can to sustain those who cannot sustain themselves.”
A FAMILY of seven in Sesame Street, Pinto, Arima awoke to terror and gunshots on Christmas morning when gunmen stormed their modest home, shooting dead a 14-year-old schoolboy and a 23-year-old man, and leaving the teen’s eight-year-old brother badly wounded by a stray bullet.
The deadly attack, which occurred shortly before 6 am on December 25, has left the Pinto community in a state of shock and horror. Pinto residents pointed out to Newsday that mere hours before, on Christmas Eve, parang music was heard in the community as people prepared for Christmas Day.
Instead, body bags and spent bullet shells, policemen and undertakers, were what greeted residents in the hours after the shooting rampage.
Dead is Fabius Malchan, 14, a student of Johnson’s Finishing School. Also killed was a 23-year-old man who had been staying at the Malchan family home for the past three months. Newsday was unable to get the man’s identification.
Fabius’s younger brother, Jordan Malchan, eight, spent Christmas Day at the Arima General Hospital, where he remained under medical care after being struck by a stray bullet.
Newsday visited the house around 1 pm and met relatives gathered together and talking quietly. A relative, who asked not to be identified, described the incident as tragic but not entirely unexpected, alleging that another man who was also staying at the house, was the real target of the gunmen.
That man managed to escape by jumping through a window and running off. He has not been seen since.
In the front yard, another relative was busy scrubbing bloodstains from the ground with a yard broom. Inside the house, blood still stained the floor and walls.
The relative who spoke with Newsday claimed that the intended target, who is a friend of a family member, arrived sometime ago and began staying at the house after narrowly escaping previous attempts on his life.
“They came to kill him before, but they ended up killing his brother in Valencia,” the relative said. “He got away from that. Then somewhere else again, they came for him, and someone else got killed. Now he came here and brought death with him.”
The relative said ever since the man arrived unfamiliar vehicles began arriving at the house regularly. “All of a sudden, different vehicles started pulling up. He had all kinds of vehicles that he was renting. Then they started doing illegal stuff. We told them to stop it, but they never took us on.”
Another family member said when the gunmen entered the house, panic erupted. In the confusion, the man who is believed to be the intended target, managed to jump through a window and flee.
“We didn’t realise what was going on. There were innocent children in here at the time,” the relative said.
The relative had a stern warning to parents and young people about the dangers of associating with the wrong crowd.
“Stay away from crime. Watch your company,” she urged. “And parents, know where your children are and who they are with. That’s the big thing. Where are your children?”
She emphasised the importance of constant guidance and communication. “Talk to your sons about the company they keep. Talk to your daughters as well. When you talk to them, they forget. You have to encourage them.”
Asked if there were photographs of Fabius and Jordan, the relative visibly became emotional. She said there were not many photos of Fabius.
Other relatives described Fabius as being “just there,” noting his lack of interest in sports or any particular hobbies. Police sources were generally tight-lipped about the incident only saying that investigations were ongoing.
Newsday tried reaching Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander and Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro for comment on the Christmas Day double murder but calls went unanswered.
Subsequent WhatsApp messages were sent to both men asking how concerned authorities were about the involvement of minors in violent incidents, and what immediate policing measures have been implemented in Pinto and surrounding communities to ensure residents’ safety after the shooting.
Questions were also sent regarding longer-term strategies being considered to curb violent crime and better protect vulnerable communities and children. Up to the time of publication, neither Alexander nor Guevarro had responded.
The Pinto double murder came less than 24 hours after another murder. On Wednesday – Christmas eve – a 68-year-old grandmother was beaten to death at her home in Bamboo Settlement No 1.
The victim, Shaffina Hosein of Nanan Street, was discovered in a pool of blood after her 60-year-old companion allegedly confessed to the killing. Reports say the man later attempted to take his own life by ingesting a poisonous substance.
Fr Matthew D’Hereaux has called on worshippers to hold fast to hope and confront the challenges posed by political, economic and social systems.
Delivering the homily in the Christmas Day mass at the Pro-Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help RC on Harris Promenade in San Fernando, on December 25, D’Hereaux told the congregation that God’s word is rooted in hope and challenge.
He cautioned against allowing systems, including politics, classism and technology, to divide people.
“When, in our own lives, we feel like the systems are grinding us down, do not lose your focus. Do not lose your purpose when the systems are grinding us down, whether it is politics, economics, sociology, the internet, ways of thinking, or culture. Some things could grind us down if we only allow it,” he said
“Look at this country, or many countries in the world, the political system is meant, in many ways, to divide people. But you must not allow politics to grind you down and divide you. We have to find creative ways to deal with the politics.”
The priest recalled that during the last election campaign, the news reported “red and yellow from the south” and there were fetes on the road.
“If you see waist throwing. A foreigner would not have thought for one moment that that was a political campaign. They would have thought they (the people) were friends having a street party. And that is the creativity that we must employ as Trinbagonians.”
The priest suggested that people find creative ways to build bridges between one group and the other.
He added, “With technology, people could end up being sucked into a virtual world. We have hundreds of people on our contact list, but only a few friends. We have this system where you must get likes. Likes do not make you.”
He suggested that when politicians try to divide people, they should “throw a fete and invite the parish priest.”
D’Hereaux drew parallels as he reflected on the circumstances of Jesus’ birth.
He said that Mary and Joseph had to relocate because of politics and economics while she was nine months pregnant with Jesus.
The couple found themselves at an inn, but there was no room for them there.
Their circumstances, brought on by politics and the sociology of the time, did not lead them to act violently against the innkeeper. Mary and Joseph were not grinded down by the politics of the day.”
He recalled the saying, “if you can’t beat them, join them,” saying it does not apply to the challenges people face.
“We cannot do that. We cannot join a corrupt system, an anti-human system. We cannot allow it to grind us down, to frustrate us.”
He warned that people should not be sucked into open marriages and called for people to reject promiscuity.
D’Hereaux highlighted that, as Joseph and Mary did, people should find ways to address their challenges.
Regarding challenges within the home, he charged that some homes have become like hotels.
The priest said some people are busier in the virtual world than with their families.
“I say to you, play some Rummy for water, play some All-Fours, play some Uno, play some Monopoly. Do things together as a family, as a creative way to deal with the system of technology that has failed the family relationship because we are busy with virtual relationships,” he told the congregation.
“That is the hope. Hope that we can respond to the system that sucks us in.”
D’Hereaux stressed he importance of prayer and family life.
He added that people should not be sucked into the anti-immigration agenda, which prevents people from “seeing the beauty of another human being.”
He also raised concerns about the impact of pornography, particularly on young people.
D’Hereaux said in TT and around the world, pornography has consumed people, causing them to miss out on family relationships and healthy relationships.
“What is it that a 13-year-old, a 14-year-old, with the click of a mouse could find himself or herself down a road of addiction, down a road of unhealthy sexual relationships, down a road of just being consumed by this?”
“We have to challenge ourselves. Are we being sucked into the sexualised culture? Reject the pornographic culture.”
AN additional 12 restored police vehicles have been handed over to the TTPS, bringing the total to 52 in three weeks.
The last handover was on December 12 at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s, and was attended by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
A TTPS media release on December 24 said the handover being done before Christmas was a fulfilment of Persad-Bissessar’s mandate.
Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander thanked the Vehicle Management Corporation (VMCOTT) and other stakeholders for their quick work.
The restored police vehicles. –
“The vehicles, some of which had been out of service for several months to a couple of years, have now been returned to full operational readiness. The government reaffirms its commitment to equipping the police with practical and reliable resources to strengthen national security and enhance public safety. Promise made, promise kept,” the release said.
Attending the handover was Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Eli Zakour, DCP Junior Benjamin, VMCOTT chairman Amrall Mohammed, acting CEO Brian Aliendre, as well as other VMCOTT board members and managers.
FOUR men are in custody after an early-morning break-in at the Office of Disaster Preparedness Management’s (ODPM) Mausica office on Christmas.
A police media release said officers from the Northern Division intercepted the suspects shortly after they fled the scene in a car at around 2.20 am. A quantity of mattresses and white plastic tables belonging to the ODPM were recovered.
The suspects are from Beetham Gardens, Arima and Barataria, and are between the ages of 25-43.
“Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander joined the Task Force and Arima Criminal Investigations Department officers on the ground during the operation,” the TTPS release said.
In a statement issued hours later, the ODPM condemned the break-in at its storage facility and thanked Alexander and the police for their response.
The ODPM said there were previous incidents in December with storage containers, housing relief and emergency response supplies being stolen on multiple occasions.
“These criminal acts targeted assets intended for national disaster preparedness and emergency response. These resources are essential to protect lives, communities and critical infrastructure. Such actions represent a direct attack on the safety and resilience of the nation and will not be treated lightly,” the TTPS release said.
Issuing his own statement, which was within the ODPM’s release, Alexander said, “This successful operation is a testament to the vigilance, professionalism and commitment of the police. Crime does not take a holiday, and neither do our security agencies.
“We will continue to pursue those who threaten public safety and national resilience and we will ensure that those responsible are brought before the courts. This government takes crime seriously and we will act decisively to protect the people and institutions of TT.”
In an unrelated incident, after investigating reports of a robbery, Western Division police arrested a man in Diego Martin for possession of a gun loaded with 26 rounds of ammunition in an extended magazine.
The suspect is 21.
The investigation was led by Snr Supt Williams and acting ASP Aguillera.
IN a time marked by fear, uncertainty and isolation, Archbishop Fr Charles Jason Gordon delivered a sermon of hope on Christmas morning, urging Trinidad and Tobago to look forward to brighter days ahead despite the current darkness. However, he acknowledged that recent changes have impacted this Christmas season more than ever before.
“It’s different because we’re lying in a high sense of anxiety right now….plenty people in this country right now just don’t have what it takes to even put something on the table today. The stream of people who used to be able to support themselves and organise their lives and now cannot, is overwhelming. That’s different.”
This has been felt nationwide.
Just a week before Christmas, MPs throughout TT said they were bombarded with requests for food hampers and food cards by their constituents. The requests, they said, came by the thousands, showing an unprecedented need for basic items, especially in eastern Trinidad including Arima, Sangre Grande, Tunapuna and Malabar.
The Salvation Army reported a similar trend.
Despite giving out around 1,000 hampers between December 17-18, a representative said demand exceeded what the organisation could supply. The case was the same with several other charity organisations which all reported that demands for assistance far exceeded previous years.
Alongside this, grocery prices throughout the country have also spiked.
Although the inflation for November rose by only 0.1 per cent, grocery price comparisons done by the Consumer Affairs Division showed increases in items like meat, eggs and dry goods in some stores.
ENTER INTO JERUSALEM: Roman Catholic faithful worship on Christmas morning at Sacred Heart RC Church. – Photo by Angelo Marcelle
For Fr Gordon, food affordability and insecurity were not the only things weighing heavily on people’s minds. Although joking that TT must now be the “most secure nation in the world”, as he alluded to increased military presence of the US in the southern Caribbean Sea, Gordon noted the genuine fear recent geopolitical events have brought.
“What will we wake up to tomorrow morning,” he asked.
He said recent events have also turned the tables on locals accustomed to seeing conflict unfold in other parts of the world on international news.
International reports over the past months have documented not only the killing of over 100 alleged narco traffickers off the coast of Venezuela, but also TT’s stance on the US-Venezuela tensions. An article published by CNN on November 19 listed TT among the Caribbean nations “supporting US military moves.”
It noted events like the arrival of the US Navy destroyer USS Gravely in October and quoted Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar saying, “I have no sympathy for traffickers; the US military should kill them all violently.”
Other events like the visit of Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff General Dan Caine in November, visits by US Marines for military drills with the local Defence Force and the recent installation of a military-grade radar in Tobago have also caught international attention.
Archbishop Gordon reads from the Holy Scriptures during the Christmas Day mass. – Photo by Angelo Marcelle
“We are now the people everybody is commenting on. It’s us you’re seeing on Fox and BBC and CNN…we have to be aware of that anxiety because we really don’t know what this whole thing in the gulf (of Paria) will take up. We can’t see yet how that will impact our lives going forward,” Gordon said.
He added that this, along with increased feelings of isolation among youths and the elderly, put a significant strain on what was meant to be a merry season. He remained resolute in his message of hope, quoting the biblical refrain, “The people living in darkness have seen a great light!”
“If you’re filled with wonderful joy and exuberance and you just can’t believe how wonderful this Christmas is, I thank God for you and don’t lose your joy for nobody eh.
“But if this Christmas, you’re feeling a little darkness, a little worried, a little afraid, just remember that a people who lived in darkness have seen a great light. And remember, John said a light came into the world, a true light that darkness cannot overpower. And that’s why we celebrate today.”
Gordon delivered the sermon during Christmas Mass at Sacred Heart Boys RC, Port of Spain.
DEPUTY Commissioner of Police (DCP) Junior Benjamin said the sharp drop in the murder rate – 358 as of December 23, compared to 600 in 2024 – shows that the TTPS is doing its work effectively, notwithstanding a drop in the public’s confidence, as stated in the Police Service Commission’s (PSC) annual report for 2024.
During an interview with Newsday on December 23, Benjamin said this sharp decline in murders was proof that the TTPS’ anti-crime initiatives were bearing fruit and was a strong rebuttal of criticisms which followed the PSC’s 2024 report.
Since the time of that report – which was recently laid in the House of Representatives – Trinidad and Tobago has seen a change in government, appointment of a full substantive police commissioner plus two states of emergency within a 12-month period.
In the commission’s report, were the results of a public trust survey conducted in December 2024, which sought the public’s viewpoints on police performance, police trust, police confidence and personal fear of crime. The PSC had likewise commissioned such a report in December 2023.
The 2024 public trust survey showed some significant worsening of the public’s perception of the TTPS since the previous 2023 report, in the areas of police performance, police trust and police confidence. There was a slight improvement (lessening) of people’s fear of crime although those figures remained extremely high up to December 2024.
In the bar-chart on police performance, most strikingly, the public’s dissatisfaction with how the police dealt with white collar crime was at 79 per cent (from 75 per cent in the 2023 survey).
Some 77 per cent of people were dissatisfied with how the police dealt with corruption in the police service (from 70 per cent in the 2023 survey).
Some 73 per cent were not happy with the job the police was doing in the country (from 66 per cent in 2023). Some 62 per cent were dissatisfied with the job the police were doing in their community and 56 per cent did not think the police had a sufficient visibility in their community.
The public perception of the police had also slightly worsened in the broad area of public trust, between the 2023 and 2024 surveys.
Some 63 per cent of people were dissatisfied with the police’s follow-up on reports made (from 60 per cent in 2023). Likewise, some 65 per cent did not think the police gave sufficient feedback to their customers, a figure worsened from 61 per cent in 2023.
Some 61 per cent did not think the police responded promptly to calls for assistance, 62 per cent did not think the police understood their community’s needs, and likewise, 58 per cent did not think the police were dedicated to their community.
Things were a bit better in terms of the public’s confidence in the police’s ability to address crime.
A minority of 47 per cent of people were dissatisfied with the police’s ability to solve crimes (from 43 per cent in 2023), with 50 per cent saying they were satisfied.
Only 46 per cent disbelieved in the police’s ability to apprehend criminals (from 42 per cent in 2023). Fifty per cent of people believe the police could catch criminals.
FEAR LEVELS HIGH
The final table showed quite high levels of people’s personal fear of crime, across eight categories, and compared with the three years prior.
Some 75 per cent of people were afraid to be on their neighbourhood streets at night, and 52 per cent at daytime.
Some 64 per cent were afraid to drive in their community at night, 62 per cent afraid to be outside their home or in their yard at night, and 76 per cent to leave their home doors open when they were awake.
A whopping 79 per cent of people feared being victims of robbery or home invasion (improved from 82 per cent in 2023). Some 72 per cent feared being attacked by a stranger in their community, improved from 75 per cent in 2023.
Interestingly, people were actually more afraid for the safety of their loved ones than for themselves.
Some 84 per cent of people said they were afraid of a friend or family member being a victim of crime. This figure was 80 per cent in 2020, 81 per cent in 2022 and 85 per cent in 2023.
DCP Junior Benjamin. – File photo
Benjamin, in reply, said 2024 had been a challenging year for the TTPS which was hamstrung by lacking two DCPs until their appointment in March that year. Since then, the top brass had implemented procedures, systems and policies. He cautioned that: “It (improvements) would not happen overnight.”
After the 600-plus murders in 2024, CoP Allister Guevarro had asked government for an SoE, which was in line with the TTPS’ broader strategy to tackle lawlessness.
“January and February (2025) saw a reduction in those numbers. We are now in one of the lowest years in terms of homicides,” Benjamin said.
Reflecting on the data in the commission’s public trust survey, Benjamin said the very, very high murder rate in 2024 meant it was understandable that public trust and confidence would be low. However, this year has seen a change in the posture of the TTPS, especially to be more community-driven, he said.
“DCP (Suzette) Martin is out there doing a lot, especially with Operation Festive Shield, showing a softer side of the police.” Benjamin welcomed the appointment of Guevarro, mid-year, as causing greater stability and focus in the TTPS, and building trust and community partnerships.
He questioned the survey’s criticism of alleged police corruption, claiming that police have been arresting and prosecuting errant officers.
Benjamin added, “The TTPS is judged by one thing: the murder rate. We set the groundwork, so the mistakes of 2024 were not repeated in 2025.”
Newsday asked about public disquiet, namely a lack of the police getting back to reassure victims after crime, with almost two-thirds of people saying they were dissatisfied. Benjamin said this was a low-hanging fruit which the TTPS could and would address.
“That is one of the areas that is presently assisting us and has assisted us in terms of seeing such a phenomenal reduction in the number of homicides to date. We are now at 358 murders compared to 600 in 2024. In 2023 we had 563. We are now 358.
“Again, that is testimony to one, that even our very style…We are seeking to build in our regime where police officers should call and give feed-back to people. We can also seek to do that by having more police officers be more visible in areas, so people are able to communicate more with the police.”
He boasted of the police holding more town meetings for people to share and for the police to give feedback on their communities, to build safety and police legitimacy. “When we talk about legitimacy, it is where we want the public to want the police to police them.
“We are moving that into our strategic plan and operational plan. Individual commanders are employing those strategies and all of those things are what are really helping us right now to reap such a great success as we come to the end of the year.” That success could only come about by the public’s help, he said. “We are hoping to improve as we go along into 2026.”
Cops now more ‘approachable’
Newsday asked about the third table, the public’s confidence in the police’s ability to solve crimes, which had slightly worsened from 2023 to 2024.
Benjamin said, “When you have crime at a high rate, the confidence level would be certainly low. But for 2025, we have shown we are able to have a greater control with not just reducing crime, but it is how we reduce it.”
He said the police have successfully used intelligence-led and evidence-based approaches to crime-fighting. “The police are now much more approachable.”
Benjamin said the police have worked hard in getting officers into schools and into community groups like churches and other religious organisations. “It is a problem-solving approach that we are doing, quite a number of things we are doing.
“You will see a reversal in 2026. We have looked at the situation in 2024 and we have made the necessary adjustments. We are seeing the fulfilment of the hard work by the CoP, his executive and the first and second division officers, and unsworn people in the police service, to achieve the goals and vision of the police service, to make every place safe in TT.”
On the final table, about people’s fear for their safety including 84 per cent of people fearing a loved one becoming a crime victim (down from 85 per cent in 2023), Benjamin expressed optimism. “The fact we saw improvement I think is a plus even in the midst of a negative situation (2024 high crime-rare).
“If that happened, you could imagine now where the situation is positive and expecting to see a tremendous increase/improvement in that regard.
“I’m saying not only have we solved more and seen less home invasions, but we now have legislation to support it.
“I think it gives further backing to the police and even bolsters the power the individual has to deal with home invasions. That will auger well to see a greater improvement in the stats in that regard.
“I am saying the fear of crime is something I am certain that when you look at the number of homicides – the fact we only have 358 compared to 625 last year – certainly that should do a lot for the confidence of the people.”
He said for the first time, TT was not in the top list of most violent countries.
“If we really want to deal with the fear of crime, we need to constantly look, as an organisation, to improve the way in which we speak to the public and communicate with the public. I think those are the small things, the low-hanging fruits, that we can work on. That is what we are committing ourselves to, as we step into 2026.
“We are certainly not comfortable with the murder situation. We still want to see it reduced. Therefore, we are going to be working hard at that and we want to work on how we can communicate even more with the public so that we can really build that bridge of friendship, so that people could really feel more comfortable on the streets, in their homes and in the workplaces.”
THE police made a list and checked it twice and, through its police in school initiative, found out which students were naughty or nice.
Police confirmed that 29 students from different schools were arrested for different offences during the school term.
“We had things like possession with a weapon, possession of marijuana and assault with a weapon. We even had one or two cases of robbery. We had quite a number of assault because of the number of fights we had. Also, there was possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police Junior Benjamin in a phone conversation with Newsday on December 24.
He said the students were taken to the courts where it was decided what level of action should be taken to give remedial help to the students who ran afoul of the law in one way or another.
“The TTPS is not there to take a hard approach, what we are there for is to really show support. So we are talking to them,” he said.
After a rash of violence in schools during the year, the Prime Minister, in July, announced that the government would be introducing police in specific at-risk schools across the country.
A total of 95 officers took specialised school-oriented policing training, in order to curb school violence and promote peer counselling. The programme involved 50 schools and officially started on September 8.
Police, while at the schools, were able to nab students engaging in various illegal acts.
On September 17, a 13-year-old student from Coryal Secondary School, Cumuto, was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking. The student was one of the first arrested by police under the initiative. Another student was arrested and charged on October 1, after being found with ganja in his bookbag during a search by security.
On October 22, two students from La Romaine High School were found with marijuana on the school grounds.
The two students ages 14 and 15 were arrested and charged with possession of a dangerous drug in a school with students present.
On November 17, another student, this time a 16-year-old from Valencia Secondary School, was arrested after he was allegedly found with marijuana and a concealed weapon during a routine search.
Despite the successes there were still incidents that occurred in schools that were both in and out of the initiative.
At Arima North Secondary several fights led to staff raising concerns over management at the school.
On September 10, a fight broke out between a female teacher and a female student at the school, which was captured on video by students and uploaded to social media. Another fight broke out in the same school in October, which was also captured on video.
Arima North Secondary is not one of the 50 schools selected for the initiative.
In November a massive brawl involving both male and female students broke out a short distance away from Barataria North Secondary. A police officer was at the scene of the brawl but a video depicted him being overwhelmed by the situation as several students were involved in the fracas.
Despite the incidents Benjamin said the number of fights has reduced.
“It is not that we have not had fights, but compared to last year, as far as our records are concerned, we have seen a decline,” he said.
He said further analysis of the data is still needed and the police is expected to meet with the Ministry of Education soon to see what adjustments may be needed to move the initiative forward.
Benjamin said police also plan to add new features to the initiative.
“We are seeking to add a mentorship element to the programme so we can really bring our students into being productive citizens of TT.
“We also want to ensure that we empower the school safety officers as we move forward. We are the ones that are supposed to bring law and order to the schools, but we would want to empower them. Therefore we will be working hand in hand with them and with the MTS so they can maintain that level of law and order.”
TTUTA president Crystal Ashe said while it did not have empirical evidence of the number of incidents in schools and whether police’s presence has reduced it, information coming to the union suggests that the police are doing good work at the schools.
“So we see it as a positive thing,” he said. “We are not seeing it as a negative thing. We are looking to see what sort of impact in terms of statistical information we will get presented to us next year. We have asked the ministry for that and we are hoping that they will present it to us in the near future.
“What we have been getting in terms of feedback from the school personnel is that they seem to be comfortable with the fact that the police are there, but at the end of the day, it is children. So the police presence would not stop everything. The homes and everyone in society must get on board.”
Newsday reached out to Minister of Education Dr Michael Dowlath for comment, asking him to respond to information of the number of students arrested and future plans for the initiative.
An assistant called back and said that verification of information was needed before the ministry could respond.
“HOW MANY of us have stopped to give a thought to the millions in Asia, in Africa, in Latin America, even to those among us to whom this Christmas Day is just another day of want? How many of us have given a thought that while we feast, millions are mourning the absence of their loved ones in a war which is threatening to divide several nations and for which a solution is still out of sight.”
This seems like a relevant message or statement that was made a few days ago. It was actually an editorial of the Trinidad Guardian titled The Spirit of Christmas and had been published on December 25, 1972. This depressing scene was not restricted to the 1970s, it still exists this Christmas Day and will continue in the future.
Amidst the tense Cold War era, prime minister Eric Williams, in his Christmas message in 1963, asked citizens to consider “peaceful solutions” and “reasonableness.” The editorial of the Trinidad Guardian on December 25, 1963, highlighted concerns in a “bomb-haunted world” and that the society is “unsure” and “hopeful” in the season of peace.
The final Christmas message of Pope John XXXIII appealed, “Let peace then be our objective at all times; let us aim at creating peace around us so that it may spread throughout the world…” These sentiments and messages have been ignored and make me wonder if we have learnt lessons from the past and still view Christmas as a season celebrating peace and goodwill.
The power of peace at Christmas has often been underestimated. For instance, during World War One, temporary peace occurred on Europe’s Western Front in December 1914. On Christmas Eve, troops from both sides (Germans and the Allies) sang patriotic songs and carols. They later spontaneously agreed to a temporary ceasefire which would later be known as the Christmas Truce of 1914. The result was German and British soldiers meeting on Christmas Day, in an area known as “no-man’s land” and playing football, exchanging photos and small gifts. This was temporary and fighting eventually resumed.
In other parts of the Western Front there was neither peace nor a truce and casualties continued on Christmas Day 1914.
Few would realise that it was once illegal to celebrate Christmas in England. This briefly occurred in the 17th century when Puritans (a radical Protestant group) were in the majority of the Parliament. In 1647, a proclamation was issued by Parliament banning all observances of Christmas in England. The decree stated that on December 25 there would be a day-long fast for the British to reflect on their sins.
Despite the oppressive law, many clergy risked prosecution and held secret Christmas services. Families also held their private celebrations at homes on December 25. Freedom to observe Christmas in England eventually occurred when King Charles II returned from exile in May 1660.
Recently, amidst the usual distribution of hampers, exchanging of gifts, cooking and cleaning homes, there was an illegal activity that made headlines. On December 16, the focus was on Carenage, as the police caught a ship with contraband items – packets of cigarettes and alcohol. Cases of premium alcohol including Absolut Vodka and Johnny Walker Whisky, worth millions of dollars, were seized. This should be no surprise. Christmas, for some people, is associated with alcohol. And I am not dealing with the consuming of foods with some alcohol, as traditional black cake.
We need to accept the uncomfortable fact that the abuse of alcohol is certainly not seasonal. Alcohol has been part of our culture. A significant percentage of people cannot attend a Christmas party, cricket and football games or a beach lime without indulging in some alcohol. Imagine fetes without alcohol! Surely this scenario could never occur anywhere in our Caribbean.
We celebrate with alcohol and we mourn with it and use it to drown our sorrows. Unfortunately, because of its addictive nature, no one is safe from its ugly clutches. Occasionally, the wealthy and professionals drink alone, often to avoid public scandal. Some might refer to themselves as a “social drinker” rather than the unpleasant title of – drunkard or alcoholic.
Rev Dr Donald Soper, a Methodist minister, contended, “Despite the commercialisation of Christmas, it has given us one overwhelming gift – Christianity.” More than 2,000 years ago, most of the world was oblivious to the birth of the Prince of Peace, in a simple manger. Today, it is obvious that Christ is still not the main focus of this joyous season.
FOR THE last two Christmases, businesses in Bethlehem have been shuttered and its dense network of streets left deserted. Not anymore.
Today, December 25 dawns with a hopeful change.
Businesses have reopened, festive lights have been strung up, and families have dared to return to the Palestinian city that had been off limits ever since war broke out in Gaza.
Christmas celebrations are returning to the walled city, which many Christians believe to be the birthplace of Jesus, marking a dramatic shift within the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
A fragile ceasefire made all of this possible years after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed at least 1,200 people, and the subsequent offensive by Benjamin Netanyahu, which killed at least 70,000 Palestinians.
If today’s holiday comes with the hope of a return to peace in the Middle East, it also comes amid bristling tensions in our neck of the woods that threaten to drag the Americas into all-out warfare. This year, Donald Trump’s unhinged sabre-rattling must temper the traditional joy of the holiday.
Clinging on as the scandal involving his close ties to paedophile and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein continues to embroil his administration and ignite civil war within his MAGA base, Mr Trump seems the epitome of everything that is not Christmas.
His is a poisonous playbook that exploits racist hate and bigoted fear, deploys propaganda and misinformation, and stokes imaginary “culture wars” against regional blocs, invisible “elites,” and international human rights bodies in order to blunt the moral compass of politics.
His fans, at home and abroad, are already deploying his strategies here.
In this respect, Trinidad and Tobago and its prime minister are not isolated; Canada’s Liberal government is poised to bring sweeping laws targeting refugees soon.
So much for the message of the Nativity, in which Mary and Joseph were forced to flee Egypt to escape Herod’s decrees. Wilfully forgotten by many these days is that Jesus was a refuge, for whom there was no room at Bethlehem’s inns.
Today is a moment for people to take a break, to eat pastelles and ham, to drink sorrel and ginger beer and to exchange gifts. That might be hard to do with warships floating around, GPS signals being jammed and near-misses in the air.
You might also find it difficult to enjoy yourself knowing of the rampage of gun crime and the unprecedentedly high number of people who begged charities, NGOs, and constituency offices this year for meals, hampers and relief.
But if a city like Bethlehem can, like Christ himself, be reborn, maybe we can have, even against the odds, faith in tomorrow, too. Bright is the endurance symbolised by this season of goodwill.
THE EDITOR: The current US/Trump military agenda that is unfolding incrementally towards Venezuela and the Nicolás Maduro regime has mushroomed from anti-narco-trafficking to regime change, to naval/air space blockade, to military base/radar in Tobago and to recover the nationalised assets of US energy companies.
While TT firstly piggy-backed on the reduction of the illicit trade in illicit drugs, it remained clear of the regime-change agenda. But PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar was complicit in supporting seizures of tankers breaking US sanctions and hosting of military assets both in Tobago and at our airports.
It seems to me that while the US has a clearly defined regime-change agenda in Venezuela, Venezuela also has a regime change agenda in TT given the PNM’s Keith Rowley-driven rapprochement with Maduro.
One can glean this from the unending threats issued to the Persad-Bissessar administration by various senior government operatives in Caracas, inclusive of invasion.
It appears to me that the issue having evolved and TT becoming deeply involved this far in the American anti-Venezuelan demarche, the sustainability, the future prospects and longevity of the Persad-Bissessar administration hangs delicately on the outcome of the current military stand-off.
Were hostilities to begin, God forbid, and TT is adversely affected, local opinions can be become enraged, outraged and even militant with its own set of regime-changing repercussions in Port of Spain and Scarborough.
Right now it appears to me that the government has come so far down the US alignment military path that it will be tedious to disengage from its support of the US expanding open-ended military agenda.
The only credible solace, respite and sanctuary for TT can be delivered by a regime change in Caracas, but even that is hazardous and unpredictable.
Are we now between the devil and the dark blue Gulf of Paria or between a rock and a hard place?
The current scenario is delicately and precariously balanced but the stocks are not assembled in our favour.
THE EDITOR: Christmas coincides with the winter solstice. To the people in the northern world the sun seems to continually be going further south since the fall, with the days getting shorter. Around December 21-22 the sun almost comes to a stop on that journey. At that time they experience the shortest day of the calendar year.
Then around December 25 the sun begins to move again, and the days begin to get longer. Many European cultures celebrate this end of shorter days as the rebirth of the sun after three days of stagnancy. And for most of them this is a time for celebration for renewed hope for a promise of warmer days, and of new crops and of new life.
Around the world this period coincides with Christmas. No other festival celebrates the brotherhood of humanity as Christmas. It is a time of singing, gift-giving and caring for people regardless of their colour or race. Christmas offers us a glimpse of what is possible if we see each other as brothers and sisters, children of the universe rather than sects, races, classes, and political rivals.
In TT, this Christmas sees the start of political campaigning in Tobago, and tremendous uncertainty about the conflicts that are in our Caribbean Sea. These activities can lead to anxiety and a damper to the feeling of goodwill that usually exists at Christmas.
My hope and prayer for TT and the world at large is for us to do like the northern people of ancient times and learn to hope. They experienced the shorter days, the coldness, the darkness, the lack of crops as the sun went along the journey south. But around Christmas it stopped, it changed course and began on its upwards journey. The days began to get longer, and the promise of spring was now a reality. There was now the possibility of warmth, new crops, and moreover the hope for life again. The people had renewed hope in tomorrow.
As we celebrate this fantastic season of Christmas, let us dare to hope. Let us hope that our leaders would see the importance of camaraderie and togetherness instead of dominance and oppression. Let there be renewed hope in the civility, dignity, intelligence, and love that reside in the heart of humankind. Let our sharing of gifts and food be more meaningful this season. Let there be a sharing of forgiveness, love, and a determination to make every life better through our intervention.
There is a woman who I knew. Before her sudden passing, she spent the day reaching out to almost everyone she knew, telling them simply how much she loved them. Her message of love is exceedingly pertinent this Christmas season. Let us find it in our hearts to love one another. Reach out to family, friends and strangers and let them know that Christmas is a period of renewal and love.
AS THE year winds down and the entire Yuletide season culminates today – Christmas Day – many people are quietly thinking the same thing: “I don’t want to be in the exact same position this time next year.”
The good news is you don’t need to go back to school, quit your job, or learn anything overly technical to change your income trajectory in 2026.
What you do need is a marketable digital skill — something you can learn over a few weeks of focused effort and turn into a side hustle that earns real income, including foreign exchange.
Thanks to AI, no-code tools, and global freelance platforms, the barrier to entry has never been lower. But the market has also become more competitive. Generic skills and vague services don’t get paid. Clear outcomes do.
Below are the top digital skills you can realistically learn over the Christmas break and monetise in the new year.
* Short-Form Video Editing & Content Repurposing
Short-form video continues to dominate attention online. Brands, creators, and businesses are producing long-form content – podcasts, interviews, webinars – but most don’t have the time to turn that content into TikToks, Reels, Shorts, or LinkedIn clips.
Learning how to identify key moments, add captions, format content for different platforms, and deliver consistently is a high-demand service. You don’t need to be on camera or use expensive software.
Clients are paying for time saved and reach gained, not just editing.
* UGC (User-Generated Content) Creation for Brands
UGC isn’t about being an influencer. It’s about creating authentic, creator-style videos that brands use as ads or organic social content.
Follower count doesn’t matter. Production doesn’t need to be perfect. Authenticity does.
Brands want real people demonstrating products, explaining benefits, or telling short stories on camera. With a phone, natural light, and an understanding of hooks and storytelling, this is one of the fastest ways to earn your first online dollar.
* No-Code Website & Landing Page Building
Despite the rise of social media, businesses still need websites – especially simple landing pages that convert visitors into leads or customers.
Using platforms like WordPress, Wix, Shopify, or similar tools, you can learn how to set up clean layouts, structure pages for clarity, and launch quickly.
The value isn’t the tool. The value is speed and execution.
* AI-Assisted Website Building
AI has made website creation even faster, but most business owners don’t know how to use these tools effectively.
Learning how to generate a site with AI, refine layouts, adjust messaging, and deploy properly creates a strong service offering. Clients don’t care how it’s built – they care that it works and is live. Learn tools like Loveable or Bolt AI in order to build out AI websites.
This is a clear example of AI as your assistant, not your replacement.
* Basic Marketing Automation Setup
Many businesses still do repetitive tasks manually – sending e-mails, following up with leads, moving contacts between tools, or onboarding clients.
Using tools like Zapier, Make, Mailchimp, ConvertKit, and Calendly, you can connect systems so key actions happen automatically. You’re not selling “automation” – you’re selling time back, and once businesses experience that benefit, they rarely go back.
* AI Content Editing & Quality Control
AI can generate content quickly, but much of it isn’t publishable without human input.
There’s growing demand for people who can edit AI drafts, improve tone and clarity, fact-check, and align content with a brand’s voice. Businesses don’t want more content – they want usable content.
* Freelance Profile & Offer Packaging
Many people fail at freelancing not because they lack skill, but because they don’t know how to package what they offer.
Learning how to structure freelance profiles, create clear service packages, and position services around outcomes is a powerful skill. Once you understand this, you can apply it to your own work or help others do the same.
* Social Media Page Setup & Optimisation
A surprising number of businesses have incomplete or poorly-structured social media pages.
Optimising bios, links, highlights, and content structure is low effort for you, but high value for the client. It’s a quick-win service that builds trust and opens doors to bigger projects.
* E-mail Marketing Set-up
E-mail remains one of the highest-ROI digital channels, yet it’s still underused. Learning how to set up email platforms, build lists, create welcome sequences, and send newsletters gives you a skill businesses consistently need, regardless of trends.
* Digital Research & Market Insight Support
Not everyone wants to create or design. Some people are analytical.
Providing competitor analysis, content research, keyword insights, or audience analysis is valuable for businesses making decisions. AI helps you work faster, but insight and interpretation remain human skills.
The Bigger Picture
The goal of learning a digital skill over the Christmas break isn’t to get rich quickly.
It’s to build leverage, create optional income, reduce dependence on a single pay cheque, and earn globally – not just locally.
Use the quiet of the break to build a skill. Use the momentum of the new year to monetise it. Do that consistently, and next Christmas will feel very different.
