We are comforted by Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young’s assurance on Thursday that Khan is receiving medical care at a world-class facility and is resting comfortably, supported by his wife, Laura.

Khan is not just a senior figure in the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM), but he is also a pillar of the party and the Cabinet, a recipe for extraordinary stress which can register cardiac strain. At the political level, he is PNM chairman, and in government he serves as a senator, Energy Minister and until recently the Minister of Rural Development and Local Government.

Khan is a past Ortoire/Mayaro MP (elected in 2002) and former Minister of Works and Transport.

In his recent year as Minister of Rural Development and Local Government, he was key advocate of the PNM’s proposed reform of local government, which aims to decentralise certain governance roles to regional corporations and so be closer to the people.

Beyond just drafting policy, Khan in person presented the raft of local government proposals to communities nationwide in a series of public consultations which he very ably chaired, taking questions from all comers.

The PNM’s defence of most of its seats in the recent local government election surely owes a lot to Khan, both as the party’s leading advocate of local government reforms and as a campaign strategist.

Khan was also surely a key player in the PNM’s victory in the 2015 general election, including building the party’s credibility to take office.

Most recently, Khan has been appointed as Energy Minister, where he must work closely with Finance Minister Colm Imbert to try to maximise revenues from the country’s biggest earner — the sale of natural gas and oil.

To do this he must consider an overwhelming equation of a complex set of variables, no easy task, but one that benefits from Khan’s expertise as a chemical engineer in the oil industry.

While we salute the 14 years of political public service offered by Khan, as MP, senator, and minister, we cannot ignore the fact of yet another top politician being stymied by health woes.

The list of leaders who have each faced such issues is a long one, and includes Khan’s own leader and the country’s Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley, who earlier this year disclosed a visit to California, USA, for specialist testing of his prostate gland after initial concerns were flagged by tests in TT.

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad- Bissessar has admitted to having diabetes, a condition affecting one in seven citizens, and former prime minister, the late Patrick Manning, suffered endless complications leading to a stroke, atop the removal of a cancerous kidney and a lingering heart condition with its genesis in childhood illness.

Even within a population plagued by cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, kidney failure and cancer, our politicians seem to suffer high rates of affliction. One cannot readily dismiss that our politicians are particularly susceptible to such conditions, due to the high strain of having to fulfil the multiple roles of Cabinet/shadow Cabinet, elected MP or member of the Senate, minister, and/or party official.

So, Khan’s illness yet again underscores the need for our politicians to be proactive in the upkeep of their health — adopting lifestyles that include eating heathy, exercising and resting well, both on a daily and periodic basis including vacation leave. No one should begrudge them this.

For the moment, however, we join the many who would be concerned over Khan’s illness and we look forward to him being well and strong again, and back home quite soon.

She would have been confused by the business of Christmas now.

The fact that the global toy market is estimated at almost US$85 billion. The fact that despite competition from electronic formats, the greeting card business, started in the 1880s, is still worth about US$30 billion, while Christmas trees are a billion-dollar industry as well. “Christmas is typically the largest economic stimulus for many nations around the world as sales increase dramatically in almost all retail areas.” Interestingly, many of the Christmas activities and traditions that we continue through the decades emerged during the Victorian period, in the 19th century. “In 1848 the Illustrated London News published a drawing of the royal family celebrating around a decorated Christmas tree, a tradition that was reminiscent of (Queen Victoria’s husband) Prince Albert’s childhood in Germany. Soon every home in Britain had a tree bedecked with candles, sweets, fruit, homemade decorations and small gifts”.

Eventually the gifts shifted to below the tree, and the giving of gifts to family and friends was popularised.

It is said that the tradition of the Christmas feast began during the Middle Ages, but the form that we know today began in the Victorian period as well. The Last Supper of Jesus and his disciples has been a source of mystery and speculation, particularly with the popularity of the film Da Vinci Code starring famous Hollywood actor Tom Hanks.

The prophet felt it was important to “break bread” with the people closest to him, who he trusted the most, before being arrested and crucified. It was at this meal that Jesus offered to those around him bread as a symbol of his body and wine as a symbol of his blood. Today, these symbols are still offered as reminders of his enduring sacrifice and protection.

What is it all for? To celebrate the birth and mission of Jesus.

Christians anticipate his return.

However, I’ve felt for a long time that if he did come back, the scene would be much like his reported actions in the temple when he “drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves.” In local parlance, he would “kick up nuff people” after witnessing the questionable behaviour that takes place in his name.

Perhaps it is a clich? to speak of the many who are without food, homes and loved ones, but it remains a travesty that in a world with so much, there are so many who are forced to live on the outside of a basic decent existence.

Here at home, it seems to be normal that people live in a car park in our city, still struggle for water or are forced to watch their livestock die because of the dysfunctional nature of the transit system between our two islands.

Breaking bread is bitter sweet; even as we enjoy it, we are reminded of our shared responsibility.

I think my grandmother instinctively understood this.

Even though our beliefs are now different, I think it is why we continue her rituals today.

Blessings of the season to you all … Dara Healy is a performance artist and founder of the N G O , the Ind i g e – n o u s Creative A r t s N e t – work – ICAN

This attention-seeking ploy of not attending the FATCA debate is meant to flabbergast the citizenry.

Staying up on the sixth floor of the Parliament building looking at the FATCA debate on TV is silly teenager strategy. It can be alleged that this behaviour is the Opposition’s own form of mentally terrorising the public.

The not speaking to the business community is another form of a young pre-teen disappearing and then being found safely staying with a friend. But the public never gets to find out exactly what the youngster was doing.

So, who is the Opposition teenager vexed with? Is this a case of “for spite, we ent going nowhere?” This is not the way to run a country.

This behaviour illustrates that the UNC will not be ready in 2020 or any year. It will still be fussing and fuming because it overplayed its hand and lost office because of alleged gross mismanagement and over-spending.

It can be safely assumed that when the coalition People’s Partnership won 29 seats in 2010 it though political invincibility would keep it in government forever. The Opposition’s only hope today is to play on the insecurity of PNM supporters who it believes can be bought for a few bangles, baubles and beads.

The other scenario is to box Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley into a corner where he can be blamed for hurricane weather, bandits, human trafficking, and murders.

The alternative is to depend heavily on social media to give the Opposition a toe hold for the general election in 2020.

Some say the political lines are being drawn in the sand. It is just too bad that citizens and the economy will be collateral damage.

I wonder if Radica have enough fabric to completely cover Opposition foolishness? Lynette Joseph Diego Martin

This is the first major challenge since nationhood that TT faces to its stance on several foreign policy principles, practices and positioning as a player on the world stage since 1962.

I am totally amazed to witness the amount of ignorance being displayed on the obvious and overt violations of our international positions in treating with FATCA.

Our 55 years of establishing an enviable record in the practice of diplomacy and foreign relations engineered by our world-acclaimed pioneers post-1962 seems to have gone unnoticed.

FATCA must be referred to the Joint Select Committee on Foreign Affairs.

There we should get a judicious and insightful analysis of the sections of the Bill that adversely impact on/ compromise our foreign policies including the modalities being used by the US to put pressure to fast-track our legislative process and monopolise our parliamentary agenda.

Failure to do so will make TT a willing victim of US hegemony (the big stick approach) and cause it to lose some of its integrity and political independence, the practice of which was initiated by late prime minister Dr Eric Williams when he adopted a pro-Cuba policy during the period of American-inspired Cuban isolation.

As the FATCA saga unfolds, I am beginning to feel that as a former foreign policy practitioner I am a lonely voice crying in the wilderness.

STEPHEN KANGAL Caroni

* Stay alert.

* Shop during the day.

* Avoid carrying large amounts of cash.

* Keep cash in your front pocket.

* Do not overload yourself with packages. Ensure freedom of motion.

* Ensure your vehicle is in good condition as a mechanic might be difficult to access this time of year.

* If drinking, have a designated driver.

* Drive safely.

* Help prevent the spread of the flu. Stay home if sick. Wash hands often.

* Do not leave children unsupervised.

AV RAMPERSAD Princes Town

Not sure if they were trying to figure out what they were or just horrified at the filthy state of neglect.

It’s Christmas, surely a little soap and water could be applied.

J Knaggs St Ann’s

Nowhere in the world is a candidate for office able to conduct an election which puts him in the position.

The PNM should be ashamed of itself, because Sangre Grande Regional Corporation Chairman Terry Rondon would not have come up with a plan like this on his own.

Karan Mahabirsingh Carapichaima

It is a symbol, at once, of the old colonial and post-colonial order. It represents the seat of monolithic, despotic, authoritarian power.

Centralised, bureaucratic, bungling, and capable of horrible acts, missteps and mistakes.

It represents the old colonial hood – from Chacon to Abercromby to Rance, Beetham and Hochoy. And the neo-colonial parliaments from Eric Williams to Kamla Persad- Bissessar and Dr Keith Rowley.

It represents the will of client governors who serve the will of plantation, massa, foreign powers – the bureaucracy, technocracy, contractocracy, servants acting on behalf of the global financial, industrial and military complex.

It represent thievery of the commons and the social, cultural, spiritual and economic accomplishments, by busting into their welfare and civilization.

Who decimated the ancient civilization of the indigenous peoples? Decimated their agrarian life, their ceremonies, their captains and caciques, raped their women and children? Set them afire, ran them out of their villages and homes? Enslaved them in mines and missions? Made them jump off the cliff in Toco? Who cut down the trees, the forests, made the land into a patchwork of slave industrial plantations? Made the ports to serve plantation? The church to serve plantation? The Cabildo, the Crown Colony, Whitehall, and Parliament to serve plantation? The primary and secondary schools to serve plantation? The media to serve plantation? The monetary system and system of production to serve massa and plantation? The import economy to serve massa and plantation? The Red House to serve plantation? And who busted the best systems of economic and social production? The train? Agrarian life in our food baskets, Tobago, Aranguez, Caroni? Built the new channel, failed to maintain the sluice gates, salinated huge parts of the Oropouche food basket? And who busted Caroni 1975 Ltd? Petrotrin? The commanding heights of our economy? Corralled our children into huge ungovernable comprehensive schools? Common Entrance? Politicised everything, from Laventille to Debe/Penal to Parlatuvier? And created all our lines of suffering in the Licencing Office, the Red House, the hospitals, the remand yard, the courts and registries? The Red House represents the house of title and deeds. The gross monetisation and capitalisation of land.

So that land title and deed are beyond the reach of the average citizen, bleeding the middle classes from the nose. All the villages, built up by the people after emancipation, indentureship, now stand in danger of capitalisation, urban sprawl; that is, conversion by the technocrats and bureaucracy into assets for the contractocracy and the conglomeracy; all stamped by our Prime Ministers, their Cabinet notes and bureaucracy, the Parliament.

So no more public dollars should be spent on garnishing and sprucing up that carbuncle of centralised power. St Vincent and Abercromby Street power must go. It must be toppled and replaced all over the country, in 33 to 41 municipalities with local elders, caciques or chiefs, and village councils. Replaced with local government responsive to the detailed care of the lands, people and communities, bringing good order and relief, growth and prosperity, everywhere.

And all public buildings in the republic must play their part in economic redevelopment.

Ital development.

All those tall glass buildings, in the waterfront, where the current Parliament (which has to go too) is, must be reconfigured with solar panels.

A symbol of the new economy based on ital, that is genuine development, authentic progress, real prosperity.

It is not our natural infrastructural assets, our social, economic and ecological assets, which must be torn up, tractored, destroyed. It is the Red House that must be.

Wayne Kublalsingh via emai

The men, Kurt McIntyre and Dexter Mollino, both sustained minor injuries, but the incident has not only left them traumatised but also placed McIntyre in grave financial problems.

McIntyre estimated the damage to his van to be at approximately $47,000.

McIntyre, of Cochrane Village, located on the outskirts of Point Fortin, recalled that at about 10.30 am he was driving his Nissan Frontier along Main Road in Buenos Ayres, Erin, when the large branch from a mortelle tree came crashing on the windscreen of the vehicle.

At the time, he was in company with Mollino, and they were on their way to tend to crops in a garden nearby. “Dexter is a hunter so he was watching up in the trees while my eyes were on the roadway.

All of a sudden he shouted for me to press the brakes. I was not seeing anything in front of me, not knowing it was coming from overhead.

I pressed the brakes and we heard a loud noise,” Mc Intyre explained.

The branch fell on the bonnet and the windscreen was smashed. The crash bar, fender and bumper were also damaged.

McIntyre said, “We were on the left side of the road and the branch fell from the right side. We could have died and we are lucky to be alive today but it is costly to fix the van. I am not a rich man and I depend on my van to move around.

Schoolchildren pass here in the bus all of time. I need help.” Already he has lodged a report at the Siparia Regional Corporation with the hope of getting compensation to repair the vehicle.

Contacted yesterday, deputy Chairman Leo Doodnath, promised to look into the matter.

_Iceland In Iceland the main meal, which they refer to as the ‘Yule meal’, is traditionally a leg of roast lamb presented in the middle of the table on Christmas Day. Another speciality includes leaf bread which is made out of thin sheets of dough. The dough is cut into delicate patterns and fried before serving.

Denmark Love rice pudding? Well, you’re going to love this tradition in Denmark. Most families whip up a “Ris ? la mande”, a special rice pudding (traditionally made with milk, rice, almonds, vanilla and whipped cream) served for dessert on Christmas Day. What makes this tradition so special? A whole almond is hidden in the rice pudding and whoever finds it gets a present!

Germany A stollen is a German fruit cake packed with dried fruit and marzipan. Dusted with icing, this impressive bake is usually eaten during the Christmas season in Germany when it is called ‘Weihnachtsstollen’ or ‘Christstollen’.
The Stollen dates back from the 15th century’ when it was given as a gift at Christmas.

Mexico In Mexico, Christmas isn’t celebrated officially until January 6 which is known as Epiphany or “El Dia de los Reyes” meaning the day of The Three Kings.
During this day, families will feast on a special cake called Three Kings cake or Twelfth Night cake which has a figure of the Baby Jesus is hidden inside.
The lucky finder of the Jesus figure becomes the “Godparen”’ of Jesus for that year.

New Zealand Other than barbecue_for dinner, dessert is the main focus on Christmas Day in New Zealand.
Hot fruit pudding, fruit salad and ice cream are only a few of the desserts families feast on.
Another favourite is a classic pavlova topped with cream and heaps of fresh berries. It’s the showstopper often proudly displayed in the centre of the table – who could blame them?

Italy Panettone is the heart of Italy around Christmas time.
Packed with candied peel, sultanas, raisins and many more, this sweet bread is usually about 12-15 cm high and should roughly weigh about 1kg. It’s a tear and share bread for the whole family to feast on throughout the Christmas celebrations.

Sweden The main feast in Sweden happens on Christmas Eve. This feast is called a “Julbord” which is a buffet including cold fish, cold meats, cheese, pickles and more. One of the stars of the show is the Christmas ham also known as “Julskinka” which is made by boiling the cut and roasting in the oven until crisp. This is usually left to cool and then served cold with the rest of the buffet food.

Greece Roast lamb or pork are often the main meats served at Christmas in Greece.
This is followed by a sweet, filo pastry dish called baklava. This delicious bake combines chopped nuts with a sweet honey or syrup sauce – it’s a must-have in most Greek homes around the festive season.

France In France it’s a tradition to have Christmas lunch on Christmas Eve or early Christmas morning after the midnight church service. Roast turkey, chestnut and venison are a few of the dishes served at the feast. When it comes to dessert a chocolate log, Yule log or ‘B?che de No?l’ is traditional served with fresh cream – this favourite usually disappears in minutes, we can see why!

Poland Beetroot soup or ‘Borscht’ is served as a traditional starter around Christmas time in Poland. It can be served hot or cold and is usually served on Christmas Eve, which is the day most Polish people have their main feast.

Japan Christmas is all about food, and in Japan, this food is associated with three letters: KFC. People flock to the American fast-food chain KFC to eat – get your drumsticks out – “Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!” aka “Kentucky For Christmas!” The tradition of eating “(Fried) Christmas chicken” goes back to a marketing campaign in 1974 – and to this day, KFC records the highest sales volume each year on Christmas Eve. Historically the Japanese didn’t celebrate Christmas, as less than one percent of the population is Christian.