Category: CANA News

Police say they have detained a man who doused a 51-year-old woman with gasoline and then set her on fire last weekend.

In a statement, the Suriname Police Force (SPF) said that the woman, whose initials were given as HA, was asleep at her home last Saturday when there was a knock on her front door. Upon opening the door, she saw the man, who is not known to her, informing her that her daughter owed him money and that she had presumably infected him as well.

The woman told police that her daughter was not at home at the time and that she told the man she knew nothing of his complain and was about to lock the door.

But he kicked it in and then doused her with gasoline, setting her on fire. The suspect then fled and rhe woman said she ran outside and rolled in the sand to extinguish the flames while calling for help. But the police said that the man returned with a piece of wood, striking the woman multiple times

The police said that the woman sustained severe burns over her entire body and is now a patient at the Academic Hospital Paramaribo.

Police said that following consultation with the Public Prosecution Service, the suspect has been taken into custody,

Guyana police say a ‘go-fast’ vessel with the Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed among several people on board, had been intercepted on Tuesday night after it allegedly failed to stop when asked to do so by law enforcement personnel.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) in a statement said that about 9:4 pm (local time), a routine joint maritime patrol involving the Coast Guard and Police observed a ‘go-fast’ vessel entering the mouth of the Demerara River at a high rate of speed.

Police said the vessel was signalled by siren to stop but failed to comply, prompting a pursuit. It was subsequently intercepted at a wharf at Friendship, East Bank Demerara.

Police said three three persons, including Mohamed, were found aboard the vessel, and five other persons, suspected to have travelled aboard the vessel, were observed at the wharf facility.

The police said also that during the pursuit, officers reported observing a bag being thrown from the vessel into the Demerara River, but could not determine the contents of the bag or who threw it.

They said efforts are ongoing to locate and recover the bag adding ‘the Guyana Police Force and Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard are jointly investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident’.

But in a statement posted on Facebook, WIN General Secretary Odessa Primus, who was among those on the vessel, has disputed the police statement.

In a statement, Primus said the police had signaled their intent to have the Opposition Leader arrested, claiming that he needed to produce the documents for the boat immediately. She said the Mr. Mohamed indicated that the boat was docked at the time and that he did have any documents on him.

She said the police came to search the boat because of some ‘high speed chase’, but that quickly moved to being a suspicion on illegal substances on the boat. She said a search was conducted on the boat and its occupants and absolutely nothing illegal was found.

The opposition said that another legislator, Natasha Singh, has been taken into custody after a bag was found with a licensed firearm that belongs to another legislator, Dawn Hastings, who at the time had reportedly stepped off the boat, leaving the bag behind with the licensed firearm.

Mohamed and his opposition colleagues were reportedly returning to Georgetown from Region One after spending the day meeting with survivors and relatives of those who died in the July 18 MV Barima ferry tragedy, regarded as one of the country’s worst maritime disaster.

More than 100 people are reported to have died in the disaster.

Britain’s King Charles is to pay a visit to several Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries in October as part of a week-long tour, Buckingham Palace announced Wednesday.

It said that the King and Queen Camilla will visit The Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda and Guyana.

The Royal Couple will visit Nassau ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which will be held in Antigua and Barbuda from November 1 to 4 and his visit to The Bahamas will be his first since ascending the throne in 2022. Buckingham Palace said the King will then make a state visit to Guyana.

‘Their Majesties The King and Queen will undertake an Autumn Tour from Tuesday, 27th October to Wednesday, 4th November 2026. This will include a Royal Visit to Antigua and Barbuda to coincide with Their Majesties’ attendance at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2026,’ the statement read.

‘Prior to CHOGM, The King will undertake a Royal Visit to The Bahamas, of which His Majesty is also Head of State. His Majesty will then undertake a State Visit to Guyana, at the invitation of the President of Guyana and at the request of the UK Government. The visit will mark 60 years of bilateral relations between the UK and Guyana.’

It added: ‘Their Majesties’ Autumn Tour will celebrate communities, cultures and Nature within the Commonwealth family.’

The visit fulfils an intention King Charles expressed in 2024 when he apologised for missing The Bahamas’ 50th Independence celebrations because of cancer treatment and told Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis he hoped to visit the country.

The Belize government has launched has launched a new project aimed at strengthening the competitiveness, climate resilience, and inclusiveness of selected Article 164 industries in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.

CARICOM’s Article 164 promotes industrial development in the Less Developed Countries (LDCs) of the region by allowing temporary tariff protections. It also helps the LDCs build competitive manufacturing sectors and share fairly in the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) which allows for the free movement of goods, skills, labour and services across the 15-member grouping. The government said that through the Directorate General for Foreign Trade (DGFT) and in coordination and grant funding from the Barbados-based CARICOM Development Fund (CDF), it has launched the 36-month ‘Strengthening Climate-Resilient and Inclusive Value Chains in Article 164 Industries through ESG-Driven Research, Capacity Building and Policy Reform,’ project to be implemented from September 2026.

The initiative forms part of a wider CARICOM effort to strengthen industries benefitting from Article 164 and Belize is serving as the pilot country for this initiative, putting the regional programme into practical action at the national level.

In Belize, the project will focus on three priority areas, namely furniture, animal feed, and turmeric. These areas were identified through regional and national consultations, engagement with Article 164 firms, and analysis of the challenges and opportunities facing the sectors.

The project will provide practical support in areas including industry research, policy development, business and technical capacity building, export readiness, climate resilience, sustainable practices, and value chain development. The aim is to help businesses and industry stakeholders better understand and address the challenges affecting their growth and competitiveness.

The project was formally launched through a Stakeholder and Ministry Kick-Off Session, which brought together representatives from government ministries and agencies, technical institutions, industry representatives, and other partners.

The session provided an opportunity to establish a shared understanding of the project, discuss roles and responsibilities, and identify the information, expertise, and industry perspectives needed to support implementation.

The CDF acting regional director Kyron Barker, and Oscar Arnold, the chief executive officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, addresses the session, with Janina Choj, the project lead and trade economist responsible for the CSME, providing an overview and implementation approach to the project.

Government said that stakeholder collaboration will remain an important part of the project throughout its implementation, including through consultations, information and data sharing, technical input, review of project outputs, monitoring, and identification of challenges and lessons learned.

‘Through this partnership, the Government of Belize and the CARICOM Development Fund aim to support stronger, more competitive, climate-resilient, sustainable, and inclusive Article 164 industries, while generating lessons that can contribute to the wider CARICOM regional effort,’ it added.

The following is the CANANews and SPORTS Schedule for Wednesday, August 26, 2026.

KINGSTOWN – The Searchlight newspaper Wednesday said it will cease publication on September 25 this year, after ’31 years of continuous publication’.

UNITED NATIONS -The United Nations says the massacre that occurred last Sunday in Kenscoff overlooking the capital, Port-au-Prince is one of the deadliest recent attacks on the once relatively peaceful area, which has increasingly become a target for armed groups seeking to expand beyond the capital.

GEORGETOWN – Guyana police say a ‘go-fast’ vessel with the Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed among several people on board, had been intercepted on Tuesday night after it allegedly failed to stop when asked to do so by law enforcement personnel.

BRIDGETOWN – The Barbados government says it is advancing a major programme of battery energy storage, grid modernisation and regulatory reform as the country works towards achieving 50 per cent renewable energy penetration by the end of 2027.

ST. JOHN’S – Amid reports that more than 200 cases of physical and sexual abuse involving children have been recorded in Antigua and Barbuda so far this year, Minister of Social and Urban Trans formation Rawdon Turner is advocating stringent measures including a minimum 15-year prison sentence for anyone convicted of sexually abusing a child.

SPORTS:

NORTH SOUND – The Antigua and Barbuda Falcons soared to the top of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League with an emphatic 30-run victory over the Barbados Tridents on the back of a superb performance by their bowlers here on Tuesday night.

The Saint Lucia Kings reached 211 for four in their 20 overs after being sent in by the Trinbago Knight Riders in the 17th match of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League here at the Queens Park Oval on Wednesday.

ST. LUCIA KINGS 211-4 in 20 overs (Tim Seifert 105 not out, Charith Asalanka 33, John Campbell 27, Kamil Pooran 25; Kieron Pollard 1-24, Sunil Narine 1-27)

A new chapter in Caribbean athletics is being written as Guyana officially kickstarts preparations to host the 2027 CARIFTA Games, marking the first time in history the nation will welcome the region’s premier youth track and field championship.

With the prestigious event scheduled for March 27-29, 2027, at the National Track and Field Centre in Leonora, a high-powered delegation from the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) has arrived on Guyanese soil to launch the initial assessment phase.

Led by NACAC President Michael Sands and Technology Commission Chair John-Paul Clarke, the regional athletics governing body conducted an extensive walkthrough of the Leonora facility on Monday, evaluating the venue that will serve as the centrepiece of the three-day spectacle. The site visit brought together key stakeholders, with Ministers of Culture, Youth and Sport Charles Ramson Jr. and Steven Jacobs joining Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle, National Sports Commission Vice-Chairperson Cristy Campbell, and Guyana Athletics Association President Sheryl Hermonstine alongside the NACAC officials.

The joint inspection allowed regional and local authorities to assess the country’s current infrastructure and map out the logistical blueprint required to deliver a successful championship.

Critical discussions centred on facility upgrades, technical operations, security arrangements, host capacity, and overall event readiness.

‘This represents a monumental occasion for Guyanese sport,’ the delegation noted during the visit, as the nation prepares to welcome the Caribbean’s finest junior athletes.

The awarding of the 2027 edition to Guyana carries profound significance for the country’s sporting fraternity. Despite being a long-standing participant in the CARIFTA Games and consistently producing standout athletes who shine across regional and international circuits, the nation has never before hosted the event.

First inaugurated in Barbados in 1972 by Austin Sealy to mark the historic transition from the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the annual competition has evolved into the Caribbean’s ultimate proving ground for junior athletic talent, launching countless careers on the global stage.

For Guyana, the 2027 Games represent more than just a hosting opportunity; they signal the nation’s emergence as a legitimate destination for major regional sporting events and a chance to showcase its athletic infrastructure and hospitality to the Caribbean community.

With the groundwork now officially underway, all eyes will be on Guyana’s progress as it embarks on this historic journey to deliver a memorable edition of the region’s most anticipated junior athletics championship.

The state-owned Caribbean Airlines (CAL) Wednesday announced that it would discontinue the direct routing of its Trinidad/Tobago/Barbados return services, effective September 2.

In a statement, CAL said that the BW212 and BW213 flights are being discontinued ‘ as part of on-going schedule optimization across its regional network’. CAL said it would continue to provide connectivity between Trinidad, Tobago and Barbados ‘through its existing schedule services, with multiple travel options across these markets’.

It said that customers with existing bookings on the affected flights will be re-accommodated on alternative same day CAL flights and that the ‘airline will contact affected customers directly ih details of their revised travel arrangements.

‘This adjustment supports Caribbean Airlines’ ongoing efforts to align its schedule with customer demand while maintaining reliable and convenient connectivity across the region’.

In May, CAL announced that it would discontinue services on the Dominica, St Kitts, and Ogle in Guyana to Suriname routes from June 1, this year as it continues to ‘focus on operational reliability, customer experience and long-term financial stability.’

The airline also said it will reduce the frequency of its flights to the French islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe to twice weekly.

Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Eli Zakour had told Parliament that a comprehensive review by Caribbean Airlines’ Route Oversight Committee found that several routes introduced during the airline’s 2023 Eastern Caribbean expansion were launched without sufficient commercial justification and have since generated sustained financial losses.’

He told legislators then that, as of April 2026, the affected routes had recorded combined losses of more than US$18.84 million.

CAL gave no financial details regarding its decision to terminate the BW212 and BW213 flights along the Barbados-Trinidad route.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul says the statewide ban on 287(g) agreements as part of a comprehensive package of protection for Caribbean and other immigrants, has gone into effect.

Hochul said the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act ensures that law enforcement agencies remain focused on keeping New York communities safe, rather than being used for US President Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration enforcement, diverting critical resources to do the job of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

‘Here in New York, we need local police focused on keeping our communities safe-not serving as de-facto ICE agents, not conducting civil immigration enforcement, and not carrying out the Trump Administration’s callous immigration agenda,’ Hochul said.

‘That’s why I championed our new law banning 287(g) agreements and ensuring local cops remain focused on real crime in our communities,’ she said, adding that ‘starting today, ICE can no longer commandeer locally-funded police to aid an out-of-control federal agency with an US$85 billion budget’.

New York Attorney General Letitia James said the authorities expect all law enforcement agencies in New York to uphold New York’s laws.

‘Through the Office of Immigrant Trust, my office will continue to work with law enforcement professionals across the state to ensure they understand their obligations, and we are prepared to enforce the law if those responsibilities are not upheld.

‘True public safety requires public trust, and we are committed to ensuring all New Yorkers are kept safe,’ she added.

Hochul said that, prior to 2025, only one of New York’s 62 counties had a 287(g) agreement with ICE with 53 counties in New York having never entered into a 287(g) agreement that allow local officers or employees to engage in or assist with federal civil immigration enforcement or otherwise perform the functions of federal immigration officers.

Last month, Attorney General James sent letters to the 12 local law enforcement agencies in New York that had 287(g) agreements with ICE, informing them that state law requires they unwind the agreements by August. 25, 2026.

In June, the US Department of Justice filed a lawsuit in federal district court seeking to block certain provisions of the governor’s immigration protection laws, including the 287(g) prohibition in the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act.

A federal court then denied the DOJ’s motion for a preliminary injunction and on Tuesday, 15 county sheriffs filed a lawsuit challenging the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act’s ban on 287(g) agreements with ICE.

But Hochul and James retorted in a joint statement noting ‘as we have said from the start, the ‘Local Cops, Local Crimes Act’ keeps New Yorkers safe by ensuring public safety resources go toward combating crime in our communities, not carrying out the work of ICE.

‘The claim that these sheriffs cannot do the same says more about them than it does about the law,’ Hochul and James said, adding that ‘this lawsuit is nothing but a frivolous waste of taxpayer dollars.

‘The courts have already declined to block this law once, and we are confident they will do so again. In the meantime, we expect all law enforcement agencies in New York to uphold state law,’ they added.

Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed was on Wednesday released on GUY$100,000 (One Guyana dollar=US$0.004 cents) station bail after a ‘go-fast’ vessel was intercepted on Tuesday night with several people on board.

The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) said that based on its records the ‘go-fast’ vessel was being operated illegally.

‘In relation to the recent detention of a fast craft reportedly owned by Mr. Azruddin Mohamed, the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) wishes to clarify that, based on its records, neither the fast craft nor Mr. Azruddin Mohamed is licensed or otherwise authorised to operate,’ MARAD said in a statement.

Mohamed and his opposition colleagues were reportedly returning to Georgetown from Region One after spending the day meeting with survivors and relatives of those who died in the July 18 MV Barima ferry tragedy, regarded as one of the country’s worst maritime disaster.