Category: CANA News

Thousands are expected to gather in Brooklyn on Saturday for the inaugural Jamaica Day Parade, the first parade in the United States dedicated exclusively to celebrating Jamaica, its people, culture and global contributions.

Organised by the Brooklyn-based Jamaica Rising Day Parade organisation, the event, which comes two days after Jamaica celebrated its 64th anniversary of Independence, is expected to attract participants from across New York, the United States and the wider Jamaican diaspora.

The parade will be held under the theme, ‘Jamaica Rising: One People. One Legacy. One Future’. Organisers said the theme reflects the resilience, achievements and aspirations of Jamaicans while highlighting the country’s contributions internationally.

The parade will assemble at Bob Marley Boulevard, formerly Church Avenue, and proceed north along Ocean Avenue through Brooklyn, which is home to one of the largest Jamaican communities outside Jamaica.

It will feature cultural groups, schools, churches, community organisations, elected officials, businesses, entertainers, marching bands, youth organisations and athletes.

‘Thousands of participants and spectators are expected to line the parade route as colourful floats, marching bands, cultural performers, community groups, and special guests create a spectacular celebration of Jamaican excellence and pride,’ the Jamaica Rising Day Parade organisation said.

According to the organisers, the event is intended to celebrate Jamaican heritage and culture, inspire young people, strengthen community unity, promote economic opportunities, connect members of the global Jamaican diaspora and showcase Jamaica’s contributions to the world.

The organisation said the parade will also provide a platform to preserve Jamaican culture and build connections across generations.

It pointed to Jamaica’s contributions in areas including music, sport, entrepreneurship, education, healthcare, public service and innovation.

‘The Jamaica Day Parade will honour these achievements while creating a lasting tradition that unites generations and celebrates the enduring spirit of the Jamaican people,’ the organisation said.

Businesses, schools, churches, cultural groups, sponsors, vendors, volunteers, performers and individuals were invited to participate in the event.

Nurses and community advocates staged a vigil at Maimonides Medical Centre in Brooklyn to protest the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian immigrants, warning of potential consequences for healthcare workers and patients.

The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), which organised the vigil, said the termination of TPS for Haitian immigrants was contributing to a climate of fear among healthcare workers and could worsen staffing shortages at healthcare facilities in New York City.

NYSNA President Nancy Hagans called for the federal government to reverse the termination and renew work authorisations.

‘Today, we’re back because our hospitals are once again facing staffing shortages-this time because the federal government has chosen to end Temporary Protected Status for hundreds of thousands of Haitian immigrants,’ Hagans said.

‘When healthcare workers live in fear of going to work, patient care suffers. This is more than an immigration issue; it’s an issue of public health,’ she added. NYSNA said nurses at the vigil highlighted the contributions of Haitian healthcare workers and expressed concern about the potential impact of the TPS termination on patients.

Staci Wright, a NYSNA Executive Committee member and an EP Lab nurse at Maimonides, said immigrant healthcare workers make significant contributions to the US healthcare system.

‘It’s time for the Trump administration to stand up for public health, and the selfless caregivers who deliver quality care, by reversing course on ending TPS for Haitian immigrants,’ Wright said.

Other NYSNA members also warned that losing immigrant healthcare workers could further strain an already stretched healthcare system.

‘American patients will suffer,’ said Alana Hunter, RN. ‘Without immigrant healthcare workers, including our Haitian colleagues, access to quality healthcare will become even more difficult across this country.’

Russell Pinsker, RN, said Haitian colleagues were ‘critical’ to the work carried out at Maimonides.

New York Attorney General Letitia James also expressed opposition to the TPS termination, describing Haitian TPS holders as community leaders, small business owners and an important part of New York’s healthcare system.

‘The way this administration has targeted them is a cruel injustice, and my office has fought back against it from the start,’ James said.

Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, said the end of TPS would have a significant impact on Haitian communities in New York.

She also warned that removing Haitian nurses, certified nursing assistants and aides from the healthcare workforce could worsen staffing challenges at facilities such as Maimonides.

New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams said the termination of Haiti’s TPS designation endangered thousands of people in New York City and could affect both healthcare workers and patients.

Williams, the son of Grenadian immigrants, said immigrant New Yorkers could be discouraged from seeking medical care because of concerns about encounters with immigration authorities.

New York City Council Member Mercedes Narcisse, who is Haitian-born and a nurse, also criticised the decision as ‘cruel and…short-sighted’.

‘Stripping TPS from Haitian nationals not only upend their lives, it puts patients at risk by pulling skilled healthcare workers out of a system that is already stretched thin,’ Narcisse said. ‘Congress needs to act now to protect these essential workers.’

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso described the termination as ‘a gut punch to hundreds of thousands of Haitian families who have built their lives here, and a direct threat to the healthcare system we all rely on’.

‘Haitian nurses, CNAs, and home health aides provide vital patient care across New York City. Stripping their status erodes our healthcare infrastructure and creates worse outcomes for everyone,’ he said.

NYSNA, which represents about 45,000 members in New York State, called for the restoration of TPS for Haitian immigrants, saying this would provide legal protection from deportation and allow affected healthcare workers to regain work authorisation.

The Trinbago Knight Riders won the toss and elected to field against the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the second match of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League here at Arnos Vale on Saturday.

SQUADS

TRINBAGO KNIGHT RIDERS: Akeal Hosein (captain), Colin Munro, Alex Hales, Mathew Tromp, Joshua da Silva, Matthew Breetzke, Terrence Hinds, Sunil Narine, Dominic Drakes, Jyd Goolie, Dexter Sween.

ST KITTS and NEVIS PATRIOTS: Jason Holder (captain), Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Kyle Mayers, Alick Athanaze, Kevin Wickham, Navin Bidaisee, Ashmead Nedd, Obed Mccoy, Saurabh Netravalkar, Waqar Salamkheil.

Umpires: Leslie Reifer, Ryan Banwarie.

TV Umpire: Deighton Butler.

Reserve Umpire: Christopher Taylor.

Match Referee: Denavon Hayles.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says it has arrested a 20-year-old Haitian national in Massachusetts who is facing criminal charges including possession of child pornography, indecent assault and battery, and extortion. ICE’s Boston field office said officers apprehended Pierre Andy Jean-Louis during a vehicle stop in Fall River, Massachusetts.

According to ICE, Jean-Louis has pending charges for possession of child pornography, indecent assault and battery on a person over 14, and extortion by threat of injury.

‘There is no person more disturbing than one who stands accused of preying upon the most innocent members of our communities,’ said David Wesling, acting director of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston Field Office.

‘ICE Boston will continue to prioritise public safety by working tenaciously to remove alleged child sex predators from our New England neighbourhoods,’ he added.

ICE said US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) arrested Jean-Louis after he entered the United States at Nogales, Arizona, on September 24, 2024.

The agency said CBP subsequently released him on two-year parole.

ICE said officers arrested Jean-Louis during the recent vehicle stop and served him with a notice to appear before a Justice Department immigration judge.

‘He will receive full due process under federal immigration laws,’ ICE said.

Several port employees have been taken into custody as law enforcement authorities investigate a suspected drug smuggling syndicate operating at the Kingston Container Terminal.

The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) said the detentions followed the seizure of approximately J$1 billion (US$6.3 million) worth of cocaine earlier this week.

A statement from the JCF said a major multi-agency operation was conducted at the terminal on Friday by its Firearms and Narcotics Investigation Division (FNID) and the Jamaica Customs Agency, with support from the Specialised Operations Branch.

‘Several employees suspected of being part of a drug smuggling syndicate operating at the facility have so far been taken into custody,’ it disclosed.

The JCF added that the investigation is ongoing and further updates will be provided.

The Jamaica Gleaner reported that Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited was under a virtual lockdown for several hours on Friday as security forces carried out the operation.

Citing a source close to the investigation who was not authorised to speak publicly, the newspaper reported that at least eight employees were detained and that their personal vehicles were searched.

According to the newspaper, investigators had been monitoring the movement of containers as part of an operation that led to the discovery of the cocaine.

The probe has also reportedly extended beyond Kingston, with premises in St Thomas and other parishes searched as authorities followed additional leads.

The latest operation comes amid a significant increase in cocaine seizures in Jamaica this year.

In June, the FNID said more than 5,100 kilogrammes of cocaine, valued at approximately J$3 billion (US$18.9 million), had been seized during the first six months of 2026.

According to figures reported by the FNID at the time, the amount had already surpassed the combined cocaine seizures recorded during the previous six years and was more than twice the previous single-year record of 2,508 kilogrammes seized in 2024.

The Court of Appeal of Trinidad and Tobago has overturned a High Court finding of negligence against Republic Bank Ltd in a case arising from a 2022 break-in at its Couva branch, ruling that the bank had exercised reasonable care in securing its premises and safe deposit facilities.

In a judgment dated August 6, 2026, Justices of Appeal Mark Mohammed, Maria Wilson and Ricky Rahim overturned the High Court’s earlier finding of negligence against Republic Bank in a case brought by former bank employee Curtis Mathura.

The case stemmed from a break-in at the Couva branch between May 29 and 30, 2022, during which intruders drilled through a wall and gained access to the bank’s vault and several safe deposit boxes, including Mathura’s.

Mathura, who had worked at Republic Bank for nearly 31 years before retiring, sued the bank for damages over the loss of valuables from his safe deposit box, alleging negligence and breach of contract relating to the security of the facility.

In October 2024, High Court Justice Carol Gobin ruled in Mathura’s favour, finding that the bank’s security systems had fallen below the required standard of care. Mathura claimed to have lost approximately TT$300,000 (US$44,409) in jewellery and foreign currency.

The Court of Appeal, however, found that Republic Bank had implemented comprehensive security measures at the Couva branch and that its employees had exercised the expected level of ordinary care in operating the bank’s security systems and securing the premises.

The court found no evidence of negligence by the bank’s employees and emphasised that the law requires reasonable care, rather than infallibility.

The Court of Appeal therefore concluded that the bank had met the applicable legal standard and ordered Republic Bank to recover its prescribed costs in the High Court and two-thirds of its prescribed costs in the appeal.

Republic Bank President and Managing Director Nigel Baptiste welcomed the decision.

‘We welcome the Court of Appeal’s decision, which confirms that Republic Bank exercised reasonable care in relation to the operation of our employee procedures and security systems,’ Baptiste said.

‘While the events at our Couva Branch in 2022 were regrettable, the Court has affirmed that the Bank acted responsibly and diligently in the circumstances.’

Baptiste said protecting customers, employees and the bank’s assets remained fundamental to its operations.

‘Our customers can be assured that we remain committed to serving responsibly and doing all that we can to maintain the trust and confidence they have placed in us,’ he said.

Mathura’s attorneys have indicated that they intend to take the matter to the Privy Council.

The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) has defended its decision to deploy new mobile police units, saying they will strengthen the force’s operational reach and response to crime.

The TTPS said in a statement on Friday that mobile police units are not new to the country, but that the force has decided to procure a new generation of ‘micro-police units’ with greater capacity and technology.

According to the police service, the units can be moved throughout the country with only minimal foundation construction and can accommodate more officers and advanced technology than older models.

The TTPS said the locations for the units will be determined using data from its Crime and Problem Analysis Branch, allowing them to be strategically positioned in response to crime trends. The units will serve several functions, including community engagement and rapid response to local issues, major incident planning and coordination, and serving as forward operating bases for specialised operations.

They will also be used for on-the-ground incident command during emergencies and to support tactical deployments and crime suppression initiatives.

Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro acknowledged criticism that followed the announcement of the strategy but said the TTPS would remain focused on its public safety responsibilities.

‘Yet it is passing strange that individuals who claim to possess security expertise fail to grasp such a basic concept, choosing instead to dismiss any and all initiatives introduced by law enforcement,’ Guevarro said.

‘The TTPS will not be distracted by such commentary. Our responsibility remains the protection of public safety, and these mobile units are a strategic tool designed to strengthen our operational reach, enhance responsiveness, and improve overall effectiveness,’ he added.

The Commissioner said the public could be assured that initiatives undertaken by the TTPS are based on data, statutory responsibility, transparency and accountability.

‘The mobile police units represent another step in building a modern, responsive and trusted Police Service,’ he said.

The TTPS said the units form part of its current anti-crime strategy.

The Trinbago Knight Riders defeated the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots by 17 runs via the Duckworth/Lewis/Stern method in the second match of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League here on Saturday.

Scores

PATRIOTS 109-9 in 20 overs (Kevin Wickham 38, Johnson Charles 21, Ashmead Nedd 18, Obed McCoy 13 not out; Sunil Narine 3-7, Drakes 2-20, Terrance Hinds 3-33).

KNIGHT RIDERS 94-2 in 15 overs (Matthew Breetzke 35 not out, Joshua Da Silva 18 retired hurt, Colin Munro 17).

Caribbean-American Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke has condemned the Trump administration’s decision to rescind federal rules that allow schools and other institutions to be challenged over policies that disproportionately harm racial and ethnic minorities, even when there is no evidence of intentional discrimination.

Clarke, Chair of the US Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and daughter of Jamaican immigrants, said the move would weaken longstanding civil rights protections and make it harder to challenge policies that have a discriminatory impact on Black students and other communities of colour.

‘The Congressional Black Caucus condemns the Trump administration’s decision to abandon decades of civil rights enforcement by eliminating the longstanding disparate impact standard under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act,’ Clarke told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) on Wednesday.

‘This reckless action will make it harder to challenge school policies that disproportionately harm Black students and other communities of color, even when the discriminatory effects are clear,’ she added.

Clarke, who represents New York’s 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, which includes a large Caribbean-American population, accused the administration of weakening protections designed to promote equal opportunity.

‘Instead of working to lower costs for families and expand opportunity for the American people, the Trump administration returns time and again to its racist playbook – using the federal government to weaken civil rights protections and target Black and minority communities with discriminatory policies,’ Clarke continued.

‘By refusing to recognise policies with discriminatory effects unless there is proof of intentional discrimination, the administration is turning its back on the promise of equal educational opportunity and undermining decades of progress toward educational equity.’

She said the CBC would continue to fight to protect the civil rights of students and ‘ensure our nation’s schools remain places where every child has an equal opportunity to succeed.’

The comments followed a July 23 announcement by the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) outlining what it described as ‘significant deregulatory actions to ensure equal educational opportunities and treatment for students across the country.’

In accordance with Executive Order 14281, the Department said it was rescinding several disparate-impact provisions from its regulations implementing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The Department said the provisions had allowed demographic data alone to establish that a school violated federal civil rights laws, even where there was no facially discriminatory policy, practice or evidence of discriminatory intent.

‘This has effectively required educational institutions to consider race and engage in racial balancing in order to comply with federal civil rights law,’ the Department said.

It said removing the disparate-impact provisions ‘aligns the Department’s regulations with Title VI’s statutory provisions and advances President Trump’s promise to restore equality of opportunity and meritocracy.’

The Department also accused the Obama administration of having ‘weaponised’ disparate-impact rules, particularly in relation to school disciplinary policies.

‘Indeed, under Democrat administrations, OCR found schools guilty of violating Title VI for even-handedly applying race-neutral policies – with no discriminatory intent – solely because data indicated the school disciplined more minority students,’ the Department said.

‘Today’s regulatory changes put a stop to such distortion of educational opportunities, ensuring that federal law is upheld while teachers retain control over their classrooms across America,’ it added.

Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey defended the changes, saying they would prevent demographic data from being used in ways that could interfere with schools’ ability to maintain safe classrooms.

‘A child is so much more than a number in a data set,’ Richey said. ‘The left’s notion of ‘equity’ should never prevent teachers from keeping their classrooms and students safe.’

She said the regulatory changes would ‘help ensure fair enforcement of Title VI, as intended by Congress’.

‘The Trump administration will always hold schools accountable for discrimination and ensure all students in America receive the equal educational opportunities and equal treatment to which they are entitled by law,’ she said.

The Department noted that Trump signed Executive Order 14281 in April 2025, making it the policy of the United States to eliminate the use of disparate-impact liability ‘in all contexts’.

In December 2025, the US Department of Justice updated its Title VI regulations to eliminate disparate-impact liability.

Title VI and its implementing regulations prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, colour and national origin in educational programmes and activities receiving federal financial assistance, according to the US Department of Education.

The match between Barbados Women and Guyana Women in the CWI Rising Stars Under-19 Women’s Championship ended in a no-result at Liberta Sports Club here on Saturday.