NEWS
Opposition, Independent senators back fireworks legislation
OPPOSITION Senator Foster Cummings and Independent Senator Anthony Vieira, SC, expressed their support for fireworks regulations outlined in the Summary Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2025. they expressed their views in their respective contributions to debate on the bill in the Senate on December 10. The House of Representatives passed the bill on December 9, with government and opposition MPs supporting it. Cummings, a former La Horquetta/Talparo MP before the April 28 general election, said it is an encouraging development when government and opposition come together "to pass progressive legislation for good order in Trinidad and Tobago." He viewed the bill in this way, adding it was a continuation of work started under the former PNM administration to deal with regulating the use of fireworks. "It is an industry that needs regulation." Read more here
POLITICS
Trump announces new action against Maduro government: US forces seize oil tanker
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump announced that American forces seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela amid deepening tensions with the Maduro administration. The Trump administration believes Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro should face narcoterrorism charges in the US. It remains unclear under which flag the tanker was sailing. The seizure came one day after Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar described unidentified vessels as “pirates” if they do not display their flag. She made the comments outside the Red House on December 9. Persad-Bissessar said boats that do not display their country of origin are treated as pirate vessels and do not receive the protections normally afforded to law-abiding ships. Read more here
BUSINESS
Exporting food crops: Government eyes ports and packing expansion
Despite rich resources and rising innovations, TT's agriculture sector continues to contract. A 2.9 per cent dip was recorded in 2025's first quarter following the 2.7 per cent drop in 2024's final quarter, according to the Finance Ministry's annual economic review. And as non-energy exports followed, with a 4.8 per cent decline for the same period, concerns remain about the viability of an industry that continues to contribute single-digit percentages to national GDP. But the government’s plan to generate US$1 billion in agri-export revenue could bring hope to farmers, agro-processors and packagers. Read more here
Exporters eye US$5b
Chairman of the newly established Private Sector Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago (PSOTT) Richard Lewis says the collaboration between 25 business organisations and interest groups with the Ministry of Trade is expected to help the ministry achieve its targets for export growth. He said, from examination of data received from exporters, this appears “very achievable, being US$2 billion in two years”. Read more here
REGIONAL
‘Trust is the foundation’
PRESIDENT Dr. Irfaan Ali has underscored that the future of public safety in Guyana depends on a strong bond of trust and collaboration among the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Government, and the wider public. Addressing ranks at the Force’s annual Christmas breakfast on Tuesday, President Ali said that while officers daily demonstrate selflessness, compassion, and commitment to the well-being of citizens, their effectiveness ultimately rests on the confidence and cooperation of the people they serve. He noted that officers are not just law enforcers but also parents, spouses, children and siblings, and their human connection should be the foundation for deeper engagement with communities. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Panic in France as children fall victim to lethal violence of Marseille drug gangs
A group of children spotted Adel's body on their way to school, just as his parents were heading to the police station to report him missing. A grotesque, charred silhouette, reclining, with one knee raised, as if lounging on one of Marseille's nearby beaches. He was 15 when he died, in the usual way: a bullet in the head, then petrol poured over his slim corpse and set on fire. Someone even filmed the scene on the beach, the latest in a grim series of shoot-then-burn murders linked to this port city's fast-evolving drug wars, increasingly fuelled by social media and now marked by chillingly random acts of violence and by the growing role of children, often coerced into the trade. Read more here
11th December 2025