Commentary Newsday Friday 30 January 2026 Kamla Persad-Bissessar – Wayne Kublalsingh Many of our TT officials are casting a long eye on Venezuela’s crude. But the Kamla Persad-Bissessar government has a rap sheet of wrongs against the Bolivarian Republic. With this rap sheet, how are we getting Vene crude again? On January 23, 2019, Donald Trump posted the following on social media: “Today, I am officially recognizing the President of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Juan Guaidó, as the interim president of Venezuela.” Two days later, Mrs Persad-Bissessar, the then Leader of the Opposition rose in Parliament to effusively announce, “We’re preparing to join with the Venezuelan people and the free world in recognising Juan Guaidó as the interim president of Venezuela.” No sooner had Trump spoken than the current PM rose to parrot his words. The US instigated an uprising to have the Bolivarian revolution replaced by Guaidó. The uprising...

Letters to the Editor Newsday Friday 30 January 2026 – THE EDITOR: The University of the West Indies (The UWI) St Augustine Campus wishes to formally convey its appreciation to the Newsday newspapers for the many years of dedicated, professional and insightful media coverage provided to the university and the wider national community. Throughout its history, Newsday has played an invaluable role in informing the national community about the work, achievements and intellectual contributions of The UWI. Through dedicated columns such as UWI on the Ground, the newspaper has consistently highlighted the breadth of research, scholarship and societal impact emerging from the campus. Newsday has also demonstrated a strong commitment to nurturing student voices by publishing articles from students across multiple faculties. This support continues to the present, most recently evidenced by the publication of the student article, UWl’s Institute of Gender and Development Studies – Advocating for women’s equality,...

News Clint Chan Tack Friday 30 January 2026 Clint Chan Tack, from left, Laurel Williams, Allyson Fahey, Yvonne Webb and Betty-Ann Hosein, the team at Newsday’s office in San Fernando. Chan Tack, Williams and Webb have more than 50 years combined in journalism. Hosein and Fahey were part of the administrative staff. – IN the never ending story that is our lives, the book contains many chapters. Looking back, I would never have contemplated having spent 27 years in one place as I have at Newsday. Nor would I have thought I would have experienced the things that I did. Finishing my Bachelor’s of Arts degree at UWI’s St Augustine campus, it was September 1998 which found me at the doors of the old Newsday office on Chacon Street, Port of Spain. The place had the aroma of newsprint and then chief news editor John Babb interviewed me for a...

News Jada Loutoo Friday 30 January 2026 A Newsday reader catches up on the major news of the day in San Fernando on October 14, 2024 – As the pages turn for the final time, I find myself reflecting on a journey that spanned almost three decades—one defined by stories told, lessons learned, and bonds formed. The criticisms came. I’d like to think I developed a thick skin, but instead, it was my stubbornness (from birth) that made me persevere. We were always told as journalists that if someone praises you, then you aren’t doing something right and that if they don’t, then you are doing it right. I’ve had my fair share over the last almost three decades. I thank each and everyone who supported me over the years, who trusted me to tell your stories. I joined the newsroom towards the end of June 1996, just days shy...

News Angelo Marcelle Friday 30 January 2026 Photojournalist Angelo Marcelle “lived” on the streets in Arima to feel the isolation that the the homeless feel. – To my readers, thank you. Thank you for walking this journey with me since 2005. What began as a simple moment of pride seeing my name printed beneath a photograph quickly grew into something far greater. It became a calling. A responsibility. A deep passion to tell the stories of the people and communities that make our country so beautifully diverse. Along the way, you allowed me to step into lives beyond my own. I slept on the streets of Arima as a homeless man, not for spectacle, but to understand the silence, the hunger, the fear, and the resilience that many carry every day. I worked as a sanitation worker, lifting garbage under the hot sun, gaining respect for the unseen hands that...

Faith Ayoung I am the youngest photographer who joined the Newsday family in 2024 – January 3. I joined the week of former prime minister, Basdeo Panday’s funeral and as much as I would love to say, it was easy, I would be the biggest liar. I was not a nervous wreck, but I essentially got a baptism of fire in that experience. It was to me the most major event I had in the first six months of what I consider, my first official ‘adulting’ job. I was guided well by Jeff K Mayers, Chief Photographer for Newsday at the time, and shown how to handle the situation from capturing colour (crowd shots, people’s reaction, what was happening around the event) to the event itself and all the elements of a state funeral. Exhausted is not the word I would describe at the end of that day; however, emotionally...

News Kathy Ramdeen Friday 30 January 2026 Independent Senator Dr Desiree Murray speaking during the Senate debate on January 20. – Lincoln Holder THE Law Association of TT (LATT) has expressed its concern over the accusations made by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar against the Independent Senators who voted against the Law Reform (Zones of Special Operations) (Special Security and Community Development Measures) Bill, 2026. The UNC-led government was seeking to introduce zones of special operations to replace the July 18, 2025 state of emergency (SoE) which ends on January 31. The bill was passed in the House of Representatives at 3.30 am on January 17 with a vote of 27 for and 11 against. On January 27, the bill was defeated in the Senate after eight Independent Senators and six Opposition Senators voted against it. Independent Senator Courtney Mc Nish abstained. In a Facebook post on January 28, Persad-Bissessar accused...

Features Newsday Reporter Friday 30 January 2026 – Horizons Art Gallery will present a one-day silent art auction, offering collectors and art enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire select original works from a private collection. – A media release said, the auction features notable local and regional artists, including Lisa O’Connor, Joanna Aldred, Colin Boothman, Shawn Peters, Ken Crichlow, Glen Roopchand, Sarah Beckett and more. – Attendees may view and bid on a carefully curated selection of artworks, selected for their quality and individuality. The silent auction format allows for a relaxed and thoughtful viewing experience, encouraging personal connection with each piece, the release said. – This intimate, one-day-only event invites both seasoned collectors and first-time buyers to engage with the artwork in a refined gallery setting and participate at their own pace. Space is limited, and guests are encouraged to arrive early to view the collection and place their bids....

Features Newsday Reporter Friday 30 January 2026 – This February, Studio Joli will host the second joint exhibition for Justyna Burkowska and Dominic Telfer. Cool, lush gouache paintings will be juxtaposed with warm, vibrant oils, all focused on the sights and scenes of the season. Back in the 1970s in Oxford, Telfer had abandoned the idea of art as a vocation. This led to a 40-year career in telecommunications. But his artistic leanings were always simmering under the surface. In Telfer’s own words, “After 40 years, minding machines and databases, it has been a joy to return to Trinidad and paint the local everyday scenes… which are fast disappearing.” This joy is reflected in the paintings themselves and helps form a strong connection with the viewer,said a media release. – Since then, Telfer has become a familiar sight to those who frequent the Queen’s Park Savannah and environs. Many a...

Features Newsday Reporter Friday 30 January 2026 Sashta Jebodh. Photo courtesy Playwrights Workshop Trinbago – Playwrights Workshop Trinbago (PWT) continues its 2026 season with the Monthly Readers Theatre Series (MRTS) on February 4, featuring a new script by actress and budding playwright Sashta Jebodh titled A Work of Art. The MRTS, which takes place on the first Wednesday of every month at 7 pm, at the Trinidad Theatre Workshop (TTW) remains a vital platform for local dramatists to share their developing work and engage in constructive dialogue with a live audience, said a media release. In A Work of Art, two workers in a museum clash over a piece of art. The script is about perspective and the meaning attached to things. There is no “right” or “wrong” to how we see things. Or is there? It is a thought-provoking exploration of perspective and the subjective nature of meaning. The...