Category: CANA News

Scoreboard of the 22nd match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup between West Indies Women and England Women at Lord’s here on Wednesday.

ENGLAND WOMEN

+Amy Jones c Flecther b Henry 8

Danni Wyatt-Hodge run out 65

Sophia Dunkley lbw b Munisar 14

Alice Capsey c Henry b Ramharack 28

Heather Knight run out 43

Freya Kemp b Matthews 4

Dani Gibson c Alleyne b Munisar 2

*Charlie Dean not out 9

Sophie Ecclestone not out 4

Extras (lb3, w6) 9

TOTAL (eight wickets; 20 overs) 186

Did not bat: Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell

Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-38, 3-104, 4-144, 5-156, 6-172, 7-182.

Bowling: Henry 2-0-25-1, Matthews 4-0-32-1, Munisar 4-0-42-2, Alleyne 4-0-27-0, Fletcher 4-0-34-0, Ramharack 2-0-23-1.

WEST INDIES WOMEN

*Hayley Matthews c +Jones b Smith 14

Deandra Dottin c Capsey b Dean 19

+Shemaine Campbelle b Ecclestone 20

Jannillea Glasgow b Dean 6

Jahzara Claxton c Smith b Bell 21

Chinelle Henry not out 51

Aaliyah Alleyne not out 2

Extras (b4, lb3, nb1, w7) 15

TOTAL (five wickets; 20 overs) 148

Did not bat: Stafanie Taylor, Afy Fletcher, Karishma Ramharack, Ashmini Munisar.

Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-46, 3-64, 4-69, 5-132.

Bowling: Bell 4-0-20-1, Smith 4-0-35-1, Dean 4-0-31-2, Ecclestone 4-0-22-1, Gibson 2-0-16-0, Kemp 2-0-17-0.

Toss: West Indies Women elected to field.

Player-of-the-Match: Danni Wyatt-Hodge.

Result: England Women won by 38 runs.

Umpires: Eloise Sheridan, N Janani.

TV Umpire: Nimali Perera.

Reserve Umpire: Kerrinn Klaaste.

Match Referee: Shandre Fritz.

Health authorities in St. Lucia say they are concerned over reports that various medications are being offered through establishments and providers that are not licensed pharmacies.

The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Nutrition is urging the public to exercise caution when seeking prescription medications, particularly GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic, used for the treatment of diabetes and weight management.

‘We recognize that many individuals are seeking effective treatments to improve their health and wellbeing. However, the Ministry of Health is increasingly concerned by reports of medications, including GLP-1 products and compounded GLP-1 formulations, being offered through establishments and providers that are not licensed Pharmacies.’

It warned the public that prescription medications should only be used under the supervision of a qualified physician or other authorised prescriber, noting ‘these medicines require a proper medical assessment to determine whether they are appropriate, safe, and effective for an individual’s specific health condition’.

Patients are strongly advised to consult a licensed physician before starting any GLP-1 medication or other prescription treatment, obtain prescription medications only from registered and licensed pharmacies.

They should also avoid purchasing medications from unlicensed vendors, beauty establishments, social media platforms, or any source that is not authorized to dispense prescription medicines.

The ministry said that ‘obtaining medications from unauthorised sources presents significant risks, including the possibility of receiving counterfeit, contaminated, improperly stored, expired, or incorrectly compounded products.

‘Such products may not meet established standards for quality, safety, or effectiveness and may place patients at serious risk of harm,’ the ministry said, adding that its concern ‘is ensuring that patients receive safe, quality-assured medications’.

West Indies Women elected to field after winning the toss against England Women in the 22nd match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup at Lord’s here on Wednesday.

WEST INDIES WOMEN: Hayley Matthews (captain), Ashmini Munisar, Shemaine Campbelle, Deandra Dottin, Stafanie Taylor, Chinelle Henry, Jahzara Claxton, Jannillea Glasgow, Aaliyah Alleyne, Afy Fletcher, Karishma Ramharack.

ENGLAND WOMEN: Charlie Dean (captain), Amy Jones, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Sophia Dunkley, Alice Capsey, Heather Knight, Freya Kemp, Dani Gibson, Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell.

Umpires: Eloise Sheridan, N Janani.

TV Umpire: Nimali Perera.

Reserve Umpire: Kerrinn Klaaste.

Match Referee: Shandre Fritz.

West Indies Test captain Roston Chase believes his side has what it takes to open their account in this cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC) in their upcoming two-match series against Sri Lanka.

The two sides will clash in the opener at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium beginning on Thursday, with the home side having lost six and drawn one of their previous seven Test matches in the WTC.

While the West Indies will be going after their first Test series win against Sri Lanka in 23 years, Chase will be looking to secure his first Test victory since being appointed captain in May 2025.

Speaking in a pre-match interview on Wednesday, Chase said he was focused on claiming that first Test win.

‘Firstly, I’d like to get the first win on the table for the West Indies team. We’ve played a number of matches but we haven’t gotten over that hurdle in winning a game as a team, so that’s the first goal I would like to see us achieve and then to win the series as well,’ Chase said.

The 34-year-old Barbadian said playing at home and having the services of the returning Shamar and Alzarri Joseph along with fellow pacers Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales, were a big boost for the team. Both Josephs missed the last Test series against New Zealand last December due to injuries, while the 37-year-old Roach – a veteran of 88 Test matches – is three wickets away from becoming the fifth West Indies fast bowler to claim 300 wickets.

Seales is also five wickets away from 100 Test wickets.

‘I think mainly we know how to play in our own conditions, so that is the advantage for us, and we tend to utilise it very well,’ Chase said.

‘The last series we had against Australia the bowlers were on fire, and they really utilised the Caribbean wickets that we have to offer, so I think that’s where our strengths lie and we’ll be looking to utilise that as much as possible.

‘Both Josephs are mainly the spearhead of the attack, especially Shamar who had an outstanding season against Australia, so to have him back is a plus and also to have Alzarri back in his home conditions, I think this is someplace where he enjoys bowling.

‘I think when you speak about Jayden and Kemar it’s like a teacher and student kind of relationship that they have. Kemar is the kind of guy that always gives that knowledge to Jayden and Jayden is the guy who always wants to learn and improve because he’s young and Kemar’s been there and been doing it for a long time. He’s five away from 300 so that goes to show the type of class of player that he is,’ the captain added.

Chase said he also expected to see a big improvement from his batters.

He said spending longer times at the crease and showing more consistency were crucial if they were to defeat Sri Lanka.

‘I just want to see a bit more consistency. I think we have five centuries [in the Test Championship cycle] so it shows that guys have been putting up their hands, but I just think we need to do it a bit more as a collective unit so that we can get bigger scores.

‘I think once we are able to consistently put 280 to 300 on the board, we will be a force to be reckoned with as a Test playing nation,’ Chase said.

District Judge Maureen Dayala Wednesday sentenced nine people to jail terms ranging from five to six years after they were found guilty in the high-profile criminal case concerning the large quantity of cocaine found in the cockpit of a a state-owned Suriname Airlines (SLM) aircraft on March 6, 2024.

In delivering her judgement, the judge said that camera footage showed the suspects ‘took photos of the boxes after the truck arrived at the airport, which later turned out to contain cocaine. ‘That is an act outside regular procedures,’ she said, adding that ‘virtually all the suspects formed an essential link and played an important role’.

The prosecution had said that the case had revolved on the smuggling of approximately 593 kilograms of cocaine, which was discovered in the technical room behind the cockpit of the SLM.

The drugs were packed in 17 boxes and were found prior to a scheduled flight to Amsterdam.

The nine – A. Olenski, S. Denswil, E. Blijd, R. Towirono, G. Roberts, G. Bee, D. Plet, O. Zomer, and L. Gesius – were accused of violating the Narcotics Act, specifically for the export of a large consignment of cocaine.

Two of the accused – Denswil and Blijd, were sentenced to five years and six months in prison, as well as a SRD50,000 (One SRD=US$0.02 cent) fine. The remaining seven suspects received a prison sentence of six years and six months and a SRD50,000. Faiure to pay the fine would result in a jail term.

Following the court ruling, press judge Robert Praag told the media that the case came to light when the aircraft’s crew noticed a technical malfunction.

‘Upon inspection, 17 boxes were found under the cockpit, in a place where such goods do not belong. It later turned out that it involved more than five hundred kilos of drugs,’ said Praag, adding that the investigation into the origin and those involved lasted approximately two years. The cocaine had been placed in the SLM warehouse at the airport via a freight company that handles shipments to the Netherlands

According to Praag, the reduced sentence for two suspects can be explained by the fact that they cooperated with the investigation. They provided statements, were forthcoming, and helped identify other involved parties.

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) says Latin America and the Caribbean received US$194.2 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) last year, or 1.7 per cent more than in 2024.

But ECLAC in its latest report released here said that in a scenario of great uncertainty and heightened global tensions, the results were uneven across destination countries and sectors.

ECLAC said that the relative weight of FDI in the region’s economies varies significantly between countries, but on average, the FDI received by the region as a share of Gross Domestic Product (2.8 per cent) and gross fixed capital formation (14 per cent) held steady in 2025.

According to the annual report titled ‘Foreign Direct Investment in Latin America and the Caribbean 2026: Navigating the New Global Context’ the majority of countries in South America and Central America received more investment in 2025, whereas the dynamics in the Caribbean were heterogeneous.

After Brazil and Mexico, the countries receiving the most FDI in 2025 were Chile, seven per cent, Peru and Colombia, six per cent, Guyana five per cent and Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic, three per cent each.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) says despite strong scientific consensus on the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, misinformation continues to undermine confidence in immunisation and remains a challenge for health in the Americas, including the Caribbean.

PAHO said that in order to address this situation, it has published guidance for journalists and content creators, offering practical tools to help audiences identify false information.

The guidance highlights that misinformation often spreads faster and reaches wider audiences than evidence-based information, particularly when it appeals to strong emotions or contains elements that make it appear credible.

It said much of this content originates from so-called ‘superspreaders’, actors who undermine scientific evidence and, in some cases, profit from promoting unproven products or charging for access to exclusive content.

‘They use a range of strategies to make content more likely to go viral, including appealing to strong emotions such as fear, disgust or sadness,’ said Lauren Vulanovic, author of the guidance and consultant with PAHO’s Comprehensive Immunisation Programme.

‘They also tend to rely on stories-often fabricated or exaggerated-to bolster their claims, because scientific evidence does not support their arguments,’ she added.

PAHO notes that misinformation is often designed to go viral, taking advantage of emotions, pre-existing beliefs and the demand for simple explanations to complex issues.

PAHO tells journalists that in areas where there is clear scientific consensus, such as vaccination, it is not appropriate to present opposing views as equally valid.

‘Instead, reporting should reflect the ‘weight of evidence,’ giving greater prominence to information supported by scientific data,’ PAHO said, with the guidance also cautioning against repeating misinformation, ‘as this can reinforce its visibility, and advises avoiding sensationalist headlines that may mislead audiences.

‘Journalists are encouraged to verify sources carefully, disclose potential conflicts of interest, and clearly communicate the risks that misinformation poses to public health,’ PAHO said, noting that even brief exposure to vaccine misinformation can negatively influence attitudes and intentions regarding vaccination.

It is also recommending that to identify potentially false information, journalists and content providers should look for warning signs such as broken links, questionable author credentials, spelling errors or claims without verifiable sources.

It recommends avoiding amplifying misinformation, even when attempting to debunk it, and adopting an empathetic tone that supports constructive dialogue. Content creators are also encouraged to challenge incorrect information without attacking individuals, as personal confrontation can reduce trust and discourage engagement.

The guidance further emphasizes the importance of using clear, accessible language and collaborating with trusted experts to share accurate information.

PAHO said that misinformation has increased in recent years, due in part to the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI), which facilitates the creation and spread of misleading content that is increasingly difficult to distinguish from reliable information.

‘We need to be very cautious, as these tools can produce images and videos that appear highly convincing. One of the most effective ways to counter misinformation is to learn how to identify AI-generated content and share this knowledge with others,’ Vulanovic said.

In response, PAHO recommends strengthening digital literacy, promoting critical thinking, and supporting fact-checking initiatives.

PAHO said that over the past 50 years, immunisation programmes have saved more than 15 million lives in the Americas. However, vaccination coverage remains insufficient in some countries to ensure sustained population-level protection.

‘Vaccines are safe and highly effective in preventing disease, but we need to strengthen trust in them so that people are motivated to get vaccinated ,’ said Daniel Salas, the executive manager of PAHO’s Comprehensive Immunisation Programme.

‘We must counter vaccine misinformation, as it is denying individuals, families and communities the opportunity to be adequately protected.’

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), immunisation prevents between 3.5 and five million deaths each year from diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, influenza and measles.

Barbados and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Fund have launched the Vulnerability to Viability (V2V) Compact, whose goal is to provide cheaper, longer-term, and more predictable funding to countries facing severe climate shocks and high sovereign borrowing costs.

Barbados’ Senior Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Christopher Sinckler, addressing the 56th Regular Session of the Organization of American States (OAS) General Assembly, here on Wednesday, said that the initiative was launched by Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and President General of the OPEC Fund, Dr. Abdulhamid Alkhalifa, on Tuesday. The V2V Compact is a landmark international finance partnership launched by 74 climate-vulnerable economies (CVF-V20) and development banks, led by the OPEC Fund.

Sinckler said that Barbados signed the initiative in its capacity as Chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum and its V20 Finance Ministers, ‘which aims to mobilise much-needed flow and affordability of development finance to economies that have contributed the least to global emissions but suffered disproportionately from its impacts.

‘Team development partners in the financial sector, include members of the Arab Coordination Group, the African Development Bank, the Asia Development Bank, the Caribbean Development Bank, the Inter-American Bank for Development CAF, the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, and others.

‘This compact focusses on three key sectors, central to long-term resilience, water, education, and health. By combining more affordable development finance (4:38) with private capital mobilisation, to have better terms, more concessional on interest rates, and longer on tenure, from 15 to 20-year money to 30 to 40-year money.

‘We commend this new compact to members of this Assembly and of the OAS for those vulnerable climate countries who are on the forefront, the front line of the climate battle,’ Sinckler said.

Earlier, Sinckler told delegates that the hemisphere enters the second quarter of this century facing profound challenges.

‘We continue to grapple with rising debt, climate shocks, food insecurity, transnational crime, democratic pressures, and widening inequality. Yet beneath these challenges lies a deeper concern, a growing crisis in institutions, that is, the trust in institutions and in our collective abilities to deliver solutions. ‘

He said that the question before the OAS, therefore, is not whether the Americas possesses sufficient resources or knowledge.

‘The question is whether we possess the political will to act together. This is why the theme of this conference is so timely. Firm multilateralism is not a diplomatic preference. It is a necessity.’

Sinckler said that no nation, regardless of its size or power, can effectively confront today’s interconnected challenges alone, noting that for small states, multilateralism remains the principal guarantee that rules, rather than power, shape outcomes.

He said it is the foundation upon which sovereign equality, participation, and international cooperation rests.

Sinckler said that for the Caribbean, the climate crisis represents the immediate test of times.

‘Climate vulnerability is no longer solely an environmental concern. It is a developmental challenge, a fiscal challenge, an energy challenge, and increasingly a security challenge.

‘Every major hurricane or storm can erase years of economic progress in a matter of hours. This reality is why Barbados continues to champion reform of the international financial architecture through the Bridgetown Initiative and other actions.’

Sinckler said that countries must not be forced deeper into debt simply to protect themselves from climate impacts they did little to create.

‘We must align debt sustainability resilience, resilient financing, insurance, and investment into a coherent framework that allows vulnerable countries not to merely survive the shocks but to emerge stronger from them.’

Sinckler said that Barbados is supportive of the actions being taken in Haiti, ‘not only because it is an urgent problem for us, but because we know that lawlessness and bad behaviour descend into criminality and, like any other infectious human disease, can spread.

‘We have to act expeditiously and concretely to reverse the lawlessness that we have seen in Haiti because whenever one state is challenged, all the states of the Americas are challenged. ‘

He said that for the OAS to remain relevant, it too must evolve, noting that democracy cannot be reduced just to elections.

‘It must deliver fairness, opportunity, and accountability, including with trust. The Inter-American Development Charter must therefore remain a living instrument, a lived reality for all our peoples, and history will judge this Assembly not by our declarations, not by our resolutions, but by the actions and the impacts which they create,’ he added.

The Guyana government has wrtten to Meta, the parent company of Facebook, seeking to establish a formal relationship, as it is moves ahead with plans to clamp down on unregulated social media use for children.

But Attorney General, Anil Nandlal, speaking on his weekly ‘Issues in the News’ programme on Tuesday night, said there is no ulterior motive behind the Government’s move. Nandlall has rejected claims that the government’s ongoing consultations on social media regulation are aimed at censorship, insisting that the initiative is focused exclusively on protecting children from harmful online content.

‘We should have had a relationship with Facebook a long time ago,’ he told viewers, adding that any future regulatory framework would require cooperation from parents, guardians, and educators.

‘This initiative has no ulterior motive, no political content, and is not inspired or driven by any form of desire to control or censor. It is to accord paramount importance and protection to the welfare of our children,’ Nandlall said, noting that state alone cannot monitor children’s online activity.

He is also contending that there is no political move to censor anyone on the platform, but stated that the nation’s children remain at risk of being exposed to the dark side of the internet.

‘There is pornography, there is violence, there are violent materials and there are materials there that a child should be shielded from. If you don’t appreciate that then I don’t think that you belong to civilized society, if you don’t see the dangers that ban unregulated web, and unregulated social media access, if you don’t see the evil and harm that that can have on our children, then I am not speaking to you and this has nothing to do with politics,’ the Attorney General said.

Nandlall said the the Irfaan Ali government is not trying to stop the use of Facebook in Guyana, but simply putting systems in place to ensure that children are protected and that Guyana is not alone in that respect.

‘Facebook is a global platform, you can’t stop Facebook, nobody is trying to stop Facebook, every country is trying to regulate what goes on in the cyberspace and we are moving in direction.

‘The United Nation has produced a model legislation, a 177 countries have already signed. So this is not something that’s not going to happen, it is happening. How are you going to regulate this global platform if you don’t have a relationship with the global platform?’ Nandlall questioned, using the opportunity to criticise the opposition for not supporting the initiative.

‘This initiative is devoid of any disadvantage because our children will continue to have access but it will now be managed. They will continue to have access to educational programmes but they will not have access to pornography, and what they have access to would be dependent on their age,’ Nandlall said, adding that Guyana has nothing to fear as the intended legislation and initiative are not intended to control or censor, but to accord paramount importance and protection to the welfare of children.

Delegates attending the sixth Suriname Energy, Oil and Gas Summit (SEOGS)here have been told that the Malaysian state energy company Petronas has made another gas discovery in the offshore Block 52 off the coast of Dutch-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.

President Jennifer Greelings-Simons said that she had received confirmation that the oil and gas company was successful in drilling the Swartzia Aspasia Complex-1 exploration well (SAC-1).

She said she had received the information from Petronas and while she did not provide details regarding the nature or extent of the discovery, she spoke of it as an important development for the country.

‘This is truly good news for us,’ she told the conference, which ends on Friday, adding that the discovery lays ‘the foundation for multiple oil and gas developments and a better future for Suriname’. She said that the country is at a historic turning point due to large-scale developments in the oil and gas sector, such as the GranMorgu project and that the revenues flowing from this sector must benefit the entire population.

‘Every aspect of Suriname’s natural wealth must develop into broad national prosperity. What emerges from our soil and our deep waters today must be visibly and tangibly reflected in the daily lives of our people tomorrow.’

The head of state urged the Surinamese population to seize the opportunities presented by these oil and gas developments, announcing also the establishment of a specific strategic project management team to steer policy and legislation in the run-up to the first oil production.

The new discovery reinforces expectations surrounding Block 52, where Petronas is already working on the development of a natural gas project based on the previously discovered Sloanea-1 gas find.

The state-owned Staatsolie had last November announced that the commercial development plan for the Sloanea-1 gas discovery had been approved and constituted an important step on the path towards actual production.

Petronas is currently focusing on the further development of gas reserves in the bloc. A final investment decision is expected to be made in the second half of this year. If the project proceeds according to plan, initial gas production could take place around 2030

The Suriname Energy, Oil and Gas Summit and Exhibition 2026 is being held under the theme ‘Unlocking Energy, Empowering Nations,’ and has brought together policymakers, investors and industry stakeholders to discuss the future of energy development.

Meanwhile, the Energy Chamber of Trinidad and Tobago and the Suriname Energy Chamber have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) representing a significant step forward in private-sector collaboration between the two countries.

The agreement was signed by Dr. Priya Marajh, Interim Executive of the Energy Chamber of Trinidad and Tobago, and Orlando Olmberg, President of the Suriname Energy Chamber.

Under the MOU, the two parties have agreed to cooperate on institutional collaboration and energy-sector development, knowledge transfer, institutional strengthening, and local-content capacity building, the development of regional policies, investment promotion, and regional integration and joint activities, including events, research papers, and consultations.

‘The development of energy resources in the southern Caribbean requires a strong private sector to ensure that local businesses can participate in the supply chain and retain value within the economy.

‘This MOU with the Suriname Energy Chamber fosters the growth of private-sector firms in both countries and promotes the local content participation of our people and businesses. We believe that through cooperation, we can encourage stronger investment inflows and create an environment where the private sector can capitalize on the opportunities rapidly unfolding in our region,’ said Maraj.