Category: CANA News

The Nevis Electricity Company Limited (NEVLEC) says the island’s geothermal drilling project is moving closer to drilling with a NEVLEC delegation travelling to Iceland as the 272-metric-tonne Drillmec HH-300 ‘Týr’ rig prepares to undergo its final independent acceptance inspection.

The delegation, led by NEVLEC general manager Nelson Stapleton and project coordinator Naftalie Errar, late last month oversaw the inspection at the Iceland Drilling Company (IDC) facility.

NEVLEC said that the inspection represents the ‘final major quality assurance and safety verification before the rig is mobilised to Nevis’ adding that the delegation held discussions with drilling, engineering and geothermal specialists in Iceland.

‘The rig is expected to drill five geothermal wells at the Hamilton geothermal site. Successful completion of the inspection and certification process will clear the way for its ocean transport to Nevis,’ NEVLEC said in a statement.

‘As we move closer to drilling, it is important that NEVLEC has direct oversight of the rig’s readiness and a clear understanding of what will be required once the equipment is mobilised to Nevis,’ said Stapleton.

‘Equally important is building the capacity of our team so that the knowledge and experience gained during this stage remain within NEVLEC and can support the project throughout drilling and the subsequent development of the geothermal resource,’ he added.

The inspection was conducted by Scotia Drilling Consultants, a UK-based specialist in drilling-rig inspections and technical assessments. Its review covers the rig’s structural, mechanical, operational and safety systems.

The project is being led by the Nevis Island Administration (NIA), with NEVLEC serving as the executing agency, and with support from the St. Kitts and Nevis government. The project is also supported by key development financing partners, including the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and Green Climate Fund (GCF).

‘This partnership reflects a shared commitment to developing Nevis’ indigenous geothermal resource in a manner that strengthens energy security, reduces dependence on imported fossil fuels, and supports a more resilient and sustainable energy future for Nevis and the wider Federation,’ NEVLEC said.

The statement said that during the visit to Iceland, the two NEVLEC officials visited ON Power’s Hellisheiði Geothermal Power Plant, which has an installed electrical capacity of approximately 303 MW and is recognised as the largest geothermal power plant in Europe. ‘The visit provided an opportunity to examine the operation of a large-scale geothermal facility and gain insight into geothermal wells, steam-field infrastructure, power generation, reinjection and long-term resource management.’

It said that the delegation also visited an active geothermal drilling site in the Hellisheiði area, where IDC is undertaking drilling to a planned depth of approximately 2,400 metres.

‘A further capacity-building engagement was held with the GRÓ Geothermal Training Programme (GRÓ GTP), where discussions focused on opportunities to strengthen geothermal knowledge and technical capacity in Nevis. Among the initiatives discussed was the development of a free two-day ‘Geothermal 101’ introductory course for NEVLEC staff, government officials and other relevant stakeholders.

‘The delegation also discussed the identification and nomination of a suitable candidate to participate in the six-month GRÓ GTP fellowship programme in Iceland, providing an opportunity for more specialized training and long-term institutional capacity development,’ the statement said.

The Bermuda government is urging parents with students to have them registered with the Bermuda Student Asthma Registry after a survey last year showed that 29 students were admitted to the hospital for asthma-related concerns.

In addition, 22 per cent or one in five reported experiencing an asthma attack during the year.

Asthma is a common long-term lung disease that causes inflammation, excess mucus and tightening of the muscles around the airways making it hard to breath. The Ministries of Health and Education said the online registry supports local asthma healthcare providers by helping them track students with asthma and ensure appropriate support is in place throughout the school year.

‘Each September, we ask parents to take a few minutes to update their child’s information so we can give every student with asthma the very best support. A child’s health needs can change, and registering each year ensures our asthma specialists have the most accurate, up to date details,’ said Health Minister, Kim Wilson, in emphasising the importance of annual registration .

‘When we work together, we can help our students enjoy a healthy, confident, and active school year.’

The registry is a collaborative initiative of the Department of Education, the Department of Health, the Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) Asthma Education Centre, and Open Airways, a Bermuda-registered charity. All information submitted is held in strict confidence.

‘We want every student to feel confident and supported throughout the school year, and that includes making sure children with asthma have what they need to stay healthy and fully engaged in learning,’ said Education Minister, Diallo Rabain.

‘By registering, parents help us create safer, more responsive school environments where every child can thrive,’ he added.

According to the findings of the 2025/26 Student Asthma Registry, 57 per cent of students with asthma missed school days and that 43 per cent of students were either using their spacer incorrectly or did not have one. Spacers help medication work more effectively and with fewer side effects.

The survey found that while 67 per cent of students believed their asthma was ‘well-controlled,’ more than half of those students still missed school, a clear sign their asthma was not well-controlled.

Only 39 per cent of all students surveyed actually had well-controlled asthma.

‘Our collaborative team of health providers is working with the primary aim of ensuring every child with asthma receives the proper guidance and assistance they need to have a healthy and successful school year,’ said Asthma and COPD Educator, Nicola MacDougall, from Open Airways.

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin was among guests attending the unveiling of a community mural in the Adjacency Zone between Belize and Guatemala.

The mural was created created by young people from the Zone to promote a culture of peace and the environmental protection of the Mopan River. The ceremony was also attended by Belize Foreign Affairs MInister, Francis Fonseca, and his Guatemalan counterpart, Carlos Ramiro Martínez Alvarado. The Adjacency Zone between Belize and Guatemala is a territorial strip 213 kilometers long and two kilometers wide and was established in 2000 as a key confidence-building measure to preserve stability, dialogue, and peace during the process to resolve the territorial dispute between the two countries.

Through the Office of the General Secretariat in the Adjacency Zone, the OAS maintains a continuous presence dedicated to preventive diplomacy, security, and social development.

The OAS said that the mural is the result of the artistic project developed within the framework of the binational youth communication programme ‘La Zona / The Zone’ and its innovation laboratory, ‘La Zona Lab,’ implemented by the OAS Office in the Adjacency Zone.

It said that the initiative brought together 17 young participants and encompassed the assessment of local problems, the collaborative design, and the painting of the mural, integrating cultural and natural elements representative of the communities of Benque Viejo and Arenal.

During his address to the ceremony, Ramdin highlighted how art, youth, and the presence of the OAS on the ground transform coexistence and build a lasting culture of peace between the two countries.

‘Community development is fundamental. If it is only about negotiations and dialogue, it is not enough; people want to see this result in an improvement in their lives. Involving young people in a peace process is critical. Ownership is needed at that level,’ h

‘This is the best way to guarantee peace and collaboration between both sides. The value lies in the sustainability of this process for the consolidation of peace,’ he added.

Belize and Guatemala have a long-standing territorial dispute with Guatemala claiming more than 11,000 square kilometers of Belizean land, islands and maritime areas.

In March 2000, Belize and Guatemala resumed discussions on their territorial dispute with the assistance of the OAS and on November 8, 2000, they signed the first Agreement on Confidence Building Measures, establishing an ‘Adjacency Line’ and a one-kilometer ‘Adjacency Zone’ on either side.

Jamaica is among countries from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) whose mayor is attending the 2026 Mayors Forum, one of the region’s leading platforms for discussing the future of cities and urban transformation initiatives to improve citizens’ quality of life.

The three day event, which began Wednesday, is being organised by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), through its IDB Cities Network and has brought together representatives from Kingston, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Guadalajara, San José, Cali, Panama City, Curitiba, Villavicencio Montevideo, among others.

The IDB said that the forum seeks to foster cooperation and peer learning among cities to help strengthen management capacity, attract investment, and implement solutions that deliver tangible results.

The manager of the IDB’s Climate Change and Sustainable Development Sector,

Juan Pablo Bonilla, said, ‘at the IDB, we are committed to strengthening cooperation among local governments and expanding access to knowledge, financing, and innovation to support cities in their efforts to jointly address territorial development challenges.’

Bogotá Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán thanked the IDB for creating the space for exchange, ‘where cities can share experiences and build solutions that respond to urban challenges and improve the lives of millions of people across Latin America and the Caribbean.’

For the first time, the forum is being held in two host cities. Following the opening in Bogotá, participants will travel on Thursday to Barranquilla to continue exchanging experiences on topics related to fiscal sustainability, mobilization of financing, and investment to strengthen resilience and productivity.

‘Barranquilla welcomes you with open arms and with the conviction that the best solutions to the world’s challenges are born in local territories. Nearly 20 years of our governance model, working hand in hand with our people, have transformed the way our country and the world see us today,’ said Alejandro Char, mayor of Barranquilla. ‘Enjoy Barranquilla and feel the energy of a city that never stopped believing in itself,’ he added.

Through this initiative, the IDB said it will continue to strengthen a network of local leaders committed to sharing experiences and implementing solutions that improve lives across the region.

The Belize government has described as ‘false’ statements circulating on social media purporting to come from a government agency offering tax relief for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) through a tax amnesty.

‘We herby inform the General Public that this information is false. The MSME Tax Amnesty Programme 2025 concluded on December 31, 2025 with all applicants during that period being processed officially by the Ministry of Investment through the Investment Policy and Compliance Unit and the Belize Tax Service,’ the government said in a statement. The Ministry of Investment said that it has received complaints about a Facebook page ‘BTS Msme Relief hub’ and warned that ‘there is no person or organization authorized to represent, promote or implement an MSME Tax Amnesty Programme’.

‘All members of the public are asked to take heed of communication by any entity claiming to process personal or business information or accepting applications for tax relief under the MSME Tax Amnesty programme 2025’.

The ministry said that the Investment Policy and Compliance Unit has posted on its official Facebook age ‘the names of applicants that have been approved under the MSME Tax Amnesty programme 2025.

‘The public is reminded to protect their personal information, confirm all digital requests and report any suspicious activity immediately, ‘ the ministry added.

United States Congressional representatives have strongly condemned what they described as the Trump administration’s ‘dehumanization’ of Haitian nationals and the deportation of thousands who have been denied Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

Legislators, Yvette D. Clarke and Ayanna Pressley, co-chairs of the Haiti Caucus in the US House of Representatives have issued a joint statement condemning the situation.

‘Today, thousands of Haitians are in chains because Donald Trump decided their lives are a crime. They broke no laws, yet that did not stop the Trump administration from forcing them into the grips of Haiti’s violent gangs and instability.

‘The Trump administration has declared Haiti unsafe to travel to; and, in recent days alone, gang massacres have left dozens dead, more have been kidnapped, and some of the Haitians this administration deported have already been killed.

‘The American people are sickened by the suffering and blatant targeting this administration has inflicted upon thousands of Haitian nationals, who contribute to our communities and whose Temporary Protected Status was unjustly taken away,’ said Clarke, who is chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, and Pressley who represents Massachusetts’ 7th Congressional District.

They said instead of listening to the American people, the Trump administration has doubled down on ‘its cruelty’ and that there is no excuse for treating neighbours with such contempt.

The two legislators said while the deportations of Haitian TPS holders may have only started weeks ago, ‘the vicious dehumanization of their communities began long before.

‘Cruelty to Haitians is a policy choice,’ said Clarke and Pressley, adding that the US Congress has ‘the power to stop it.’

They are calling on the US Senate to ‘immediately take the long overdue step of passing our legislation to restore TPS for Haiti,’ adding ‘the lives of Haitians and Americans alike are at stake’.

The California-based Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) has also condemned the ‘horrific violence and atrocities’ in Haiti, calling for armed groups to put down their guns, stop the violence and ‘allow Haiti to heal, rebuild and prosper’.

HBA Executive Director Guerline Jozef is calling on the Trump administration and the international community to strengthen measures to stop the flow of illegal firearms into Haiti, including guns originating in the US.

The state-owned Caribbean Airlines (CAL) Wednesday said it had recorded ‘continued strong performance’ on the domestic airbridge, carrying 75,149 passengers between Trinidad and Tobago in August during the 2026 peak summer travel season.

‘The domestic airbridge is much more than a route network, it is a vital link that brings families together, supports businesses, enables access to essential services, and connects communities across Trinidad and Tobago,’ said CAL acting chief executive officer, Varma Khillawan.

‘We are proud to have served more than 75,000 passengers in August and to play an important role in helping people stay connected. As demand continues to grow, Caribbean Airlines remains committed to providing safe, reliable, and convenient service, ensuring that our customers can travel with confidence whenever they need to move between the islands.’ Caribbean Airlines thanks its customers for their continued support,’ Khillawan added.

CAL, which last month had announced that it would discontinue the direct routing of its Trinidad/Tobago/Barbados return services, effective September 2, ‘as part of on-going schedule optimization across its regional network’, said the performance on the domestic bridge ‘ followed a strong performance in July, when the airlines transported 66,814 passengers between the islands.

‘In response to anticipated demand, the airline increased capacity in phases; first in midJuly, followed by a further increase at the beginning of August and additional capacity for the Great Race weekend. ‘

CAL said that this responsive approach enabled the airline to better accommodate peak travel demand, provide customers with greater access to seats and support reliable connectivity between the islands during one of the busiest travel periods of the year,’as it thanked its customers ‘for their continued support’.

The South Korean government Wednesday said that two Korean nationals working in Haiti and abducted on July 31, this year, by heavily armed men have been released.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the men had been kidnapped near the La Paix Hospital while driving to work.

‘One of them was released August 18, followed by the release of the other on Tuesday. Their health conditions are good,’ the ministry said in its statement.

The South Korean government had established a task force and worked closely with Haitian authorities to secure their safe release, after eceiving a report of the kidnapping to the Korean Embassy in the Dominican Republic, which is also accredited to Haiti.

The statement said that the incident occurred amid deteriorating security conditions in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country, where gangs wield significant influence over parts of the country.

Korea has imposed a travel-ban on Haiti since May 2024, and Koreans require special permission to use their passports to stay in the country.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the two Koreans had been staying there after obtaining such permission for business activities.

Last year, a Korean businessman was kidnapped and released three days later and in 2021, a missionary couple was abducted along with three other foreign nationals and released 17 days later.

The Commission of Inquiry, appointed to investigate the circumstances surrounding the July 18 capsizing of the M/V ‘BARIMA’ that resulted in the deaths of more than 100 people, says it is committed to conducting its work ‘independently, impartially, thoroughly and expeditiously, without fear or favour’ and in accordance with its terms of mandate.

The MV Barima, an 87-year-old state-owned passenger ferry capsized and sank off the coast of Guyana as it made its way from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, a small village within the Barima-Waini administrative region, resulting in Guyana’s deadliest maritime disaster with 73 confirmed deaths and 30 others missing and presumed dead.

Prime Minister Mark Phillips had despite the official manifest indicating that 116 passengers and a crew of 17 had been on board the vessel, the authorities believe that 179 people including the crew members were on the vessel when it capsized after being hit by a large wave.

The Commission said it is ‘working assiduously to commence the Inquiry later this month’.

The Trinidad-based Guardian Holdings Limited (GHL), a financial services holding company operating across the Caribbean, Wednesday announced the appointment of Dominic Rampersad as its new chairman.

The company which operates in 21 countries across the English and Dutch Caribbean, said that Rampersad succeeds Robert Almeida, who will complete his term on September 30, this year.

‘It is a privilege to take on this role at an organisation with Guardian Holdings Limited’s history and standing in our region,’ said Rampersad, who has served as a GHL director since April 2023, and has sat on the boards of several companies across the group.

‘My time on the board has given me a clear appreciation of the strength of this group, the depth of its people and the trust our customers place in us. I look forward to working with my fellow directors and the management team to build on the foundation Robert and those before him have laid,’ he added.

Almeida said that GHL has been shaped by leaders who understood both the privilege and the responsibility of stewardship.

‘It has been an honour to serve. I am confident that in Dominic, the board has found a chairman with the experience and judgement to carry this organisation forward and I wish him and the group every success,’ Almeida said.

In its statement, GHL described Rampersad, who will assume the chairmanship from October 1, as a seasoned business leader, bringing more than three decades of experience spanning executive leadership, strategy, finance, operations, technology and business development.

It said that as president of Phoenix Park Gas Processors Limited, for 11 years, he led regional expansion, international acquisitions and technological advancement as well as his membership in the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.

The GHL said that Rampersad brings considerable experience in corporate governance, risk management and capital markets.