Category: CANA News

As a tribute to former West Indies cricketer Sir Garfield Sobers, Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced that admission to Kensington Oval for the final two One Day Internationals between West Indies and New Zealand will be free.

Sir Garry, widely regarded as the greatest cricketer of all time, passed away at his home in Barbados on Friday at the age of 89 after ailing for some time.

As a mark of respect, CWI took the decision to allow free entry into the venue for the two ODIs on Sunday and Tuesday.

Patrons who have already purchased tickets will receive a full refund, which will be processed within seven days.

In a statement issued on Friday, CWI said the matches would “serve as a celebration of the greatest cricketer the game has ever known, with tributes planned to commemorate Sir Garfield’s extraordinary contribution to cricket, Barbados, the Caribbean and the world.”

CWI’s chief executive officer, Chris Dehring said the decision to open the gates free of charge reflects the immeasurable impact Sir Garfield had on generations of West Indians and cricket lovers around the world.

“Sir Garfield Sobers belonged to all of us. While Barbados was his home, his brilliance united the Caribbean and captivated the cricketing world. Kensington Oval is a fitting place to honour his life and incomparable career, a venue where so many unforgettable chapters of his remarkable journey were written.

“We want every individual in Barbados to have the opportunity to come together as one cricket family to honour a man who inspired millions and whose legacy will live forever. These matches will be more than international cricket fixtures; they will be celebrations of an extraordinary life and a chance for all of us to say thank you to the greatest cricketer the game has ever known,” Dehring said.

Pakistan’s duo of Azan Awais and Shan Masood were the standout players on a rain-affected first day of play in their four-day warmup match against a West Indies Select XI.

On a day where only 60.4 overs were possible, Awais and Masood scored contrasting half centuries to help their side up to 184 for two.

Awais added 39 runs for the first wicket with Imam-ul-Haq, before fast bowler Ojay Shields dismissed the latter for 10.

Awais then joined forces with Masoon, with the pair sharing a 108-run partnership for the second wicket.

The home side’s captain, Jomel Warrican broke the stand by having Masood caught for 70 off 100 balls, inclusive of 10 boundaries.

His dismissal brought Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam to the crease, and together with Awais they added a further 37 runs before the end of play.

Awais finished the day unbeaten on 78 off 189 balls and has so far struck seven boundaries, while Azam was on 14 not out.

Below is a statement issued by Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley on Friday following the passing of Sir Garfield Sobers.

“My fellow Barbadians, friends of Barbados, and lovers of cricket in every corner of the world. This is a solemn hour for our nation. It is with profound sadness that I now advise the people of Barbados, the region and the wider cricketing world of the passing of The Right Excellent Sir Garfield St. Aubrun Sobers, our beloved Sir Gary. Across Barbados and across the world, we hold him with gratitude, with reverence, and with the tender sorrow that comes when a people have to say farewell to one of their greatest sons.

“Sir Garfield St Aubrun Sobers, our Sir Gary, did not begin life among privilege or parade. He began in Walcott Avenue, Bay Land, a boy of Barbados, shaped by family, community, loss, discipline and faith.

“He travelled from Bay Land to Kensington, from Kensington to Sabina Park, and onto the world stage, carrying his country Barbados, carrying the West Indies, and carrying the Caribbean as a whole with distinction.

“Long before people spoke about the GOAT, the Greatest of All Time, the Mighty Sparrow settled the debate in song. He asked, “Who is the greatest cricketer on earth or Mars?” Anyone can tell you. It is the great Sir Garfield Sobers.

“He is remembered as the greatest cricketer, the greatest all-rounder the world has ever seen, not simply because of his records, but because he became the standard by which greatness would forever be measured.

“We remember the image of him kneeling to receive his knighthood in 1975, less than a mile from where he was born in the Bay Land, knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, knowing full well that his people had already crowned him in their hearts.

“For many years, Sir Gary was our only living National Hero, though the world had recognised him long before Barbados made it official.

“There is a story from Swansea in 1968 that still feels larger than sport. On the fifth ball of that immortal over, Roger Davis held the catch, then the momentum carried him beyond the rope. The boundary itself could not contain Sir Gary. That was his life.

“Every innings, however great, must at some point come to a close. The finest innings do not end in silence. They end with a whole ground rising, and with a grateful people saying thank you and yes we love you.

“I had the opportunity to speak to his children, and I therefore publicly now say that, on behalf of the Government and people of Barbados, I extend my deepest condolences to them, to Matthew, to Daniel and to Genevieve, Matthew, Daniel and Genevieve, and to his stepchildren Stuart and Trisha, children of Sir Gary’s longstanding partner Jackie White, who predeceased him; to his grandchildren, we say we are so sorry, especially Gabriel, who lived with him; to his former wife and the mother of his children, Prue; and to his younger brother, Cecil, whom we know as Saul; and to all of his family, loved ones, friends, cricket lovers, cricketers, admirers across Barbados, the Caribbean and the world.

“The Government has declared today [Friday], July 17, a Day of National Mourning. There will also be a Day of National Mourning on the day of interment of Sir Garfield. On these two days there will be no official functions. The flag will immediately be flown at half-staff and will remain so until the interment of Sir Gary. Further information regarding the place and date of the State Funeral and all other arrangements will be provided by Senator Lisa Cummins, who has been given the responsibility of coordinating the funeral with Cabinet Office and the Barbados Defence Force.

“Sir Gary, Barbados stands for you. The West Indies stands for you. The world stands for you.

“For an innings that was so well played, Sir Gary, so well played. We will always love you.”

St. Vincent and the Grenadines has joined other member states within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in providing humanitarian assistance to Venezuela following the earthquakes on June 24.

St Vincent contributed to the initiative alongside Guyana, Grenada, Belize, The Bahamas, Jamaica, and St . Kitts and Nevis, complementing humanitarian support from other CARICOM member states.

According to Prime Minister Godwin Friday his administration understands firsthand the devastating impact of natural disasters and the importance of standing together in times of crisis

“We have faced our own difficult times, and we know how much it means to have friends and neighbours stand with you when you need them most,” Friday said.

“So, stand with our CARICOM partners and to extend a helping hand to the people of Venezuela. We hope this contribution will bring comfort and support to families and communities working to recover and rebuild,” the prime minister said.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dwight Fitzgerald Bramble, said the regional response underscores the importance of cooperation and solidarity among Caribbean nations.

“When our neighbours face hardship, we must be prepared to stand together and respond. This humanitarian effort demonstrates what we can achieve through regional cooperation and collective action,” Bramble said.

“St. Vincent and the Grenadines is pleased to contribute to this CARICOM initiative and to stand with the Government and people of Venezuela during this difficult period.”

The shipment was received on behalf of the government and people of Venezuela by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yván Gil, accompanied by the Vice Minister for the Caribbean, Raúl Li Causi.

During a brief meeting with CARICOM representatives, Interim President Delcy Rodríguez expressed gratitude to the leaders of the participating CARICOM member states for their humanitarian assistance and requested that her appreciation be conveyed to Prime Minister Friday and the people of St. Vincent .

Gil also expressed his appreciation to CARICOM, describing the bloc as a steadfast friend and partner whose solidarity reflects the strength of regional cooperation in times of need.

The twin earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, caused catastrophic damage across north-central Venezuela, resulting in over 4,800 confirmed deaths, with thousands more reported missing following building collapses.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs further said that nearly 17,000 individuals were wounded and required medical care.

Over 18,000 people lost their homes and were placed in temporary transitional camps.

The regional humanitarian initiative delivered 88 containers of relief supplies to La Guaira.

The shipment included food, medicines, construction materials, debris-removal equipment and 300 water tanks to support affected communities.

The House of Representatives has passed the Mediation Act, which seeks to establish a regulatory framework for the conduct of mediation in Jamaica.

The act governs community, court-directed, and international mediation, the registration of mediators, and the licensing and regulation of mediation service providers.

The legislation will also give effect to the provisions of the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting From Mediation, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in New York on December 20, 2018.

The Bill, which was piloted by Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Delroy Chuck, was passed with two amendments.

Among the changes are amendments to clause two, with the term “habitual resident” being replaced with “ordinary resident”.

In addition, amendments were made to clause 11, which deals with the offence of operating as a mediation service provider without a licence.

Chuck explained that the offence carries a maximum fine of $1 million but is being amended to also include a prison term.

“So, clause 11, we will put after $1 million, the words ‘in default of payment of the fine, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months’,” he stated.

The Mediation Act is in keeping with the country’s alternative dispute resolution framework, transforming mediation from an informal option into a structured cornerstone of the justice system.

The legislation will, among other things, provide legal certainty by clearly codifying the mediation process into domestic law and eliminating confusion for global businesses.

It also establishes the “rules of the game” giving local courts a clear framework to seamlessly recognise and enforce mediated settlement agreements.

The Bill will now be sent to the Senate for its approval.

The cricketing fraternity has been thrown into mourning following the death of Barbados’ National Hero, Sir Garry Sobers on Friday.

Sir Garry passed away at the age of 89 at his home in Highgate Gardens, 11 days shy of his birthday.

Considered as the greatest all-rounder in this sport’s history, his son Daniel Sobers, who was at his father’s side at the time of his death, said he had been ailing for some time.

‘His breathing had increased and we had him on oxygen. I couldn’t believe how powerful he is; he just refused to go.

A High Court judge Friday issue an order that the extradition proceedings against the former vice president of the International Football Federation (FIFA) Jack Warner to the United States ‘be permanently stayed’.

In addition, Justice Karen Reid ruled that the defendants should shall pay to Warner ‘damages in respect of the breaches’ of his constitutional rights that would be assessed by the Court in default of an agreement. In the 71-page ruling, the defendant, the Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago, is also ordered to pay Warner’s costs certified fit for Senior and Junior Counsel and that the assessment of damages is fixed for case management conference on September, 30 this year.

Warner, 82, faces 29 charges from United States authorities for fraud, racketeering, and illegal wire transfers that allegedly took place in the United States, Trinidad and Tobago, and other countries between 1990 and June 2011.

He was arrested on a provisional warrant under the extradition request and later released on TT$2.5 million (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents) bail. Warner is one of several senior FIFA officials indicted following a 2015 US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Justice probe into corruption in international football.

In August last year, Attorney General John Jeremie launched an internal investigation into how the State handled Warner’s extradition case, after serious allegations emerged regarding misrepresentation and misconduct tied to a 2015 agreement with the United States.

Former chief magistrate Maria Busby Earle-Caddle had in June 2023 said that there was no formal written agreement between Trinidad and Tobago and the US authorizing Warner’s extradition.

The extradition proceedings were halted following the grant of an application made by Warner to refer a number of questions to the High Court for determination pursuant to section 14(4) of the Constitution.

On 21 September, 2015, the then Attorney General issued an Authority to Proceed (‘ATP’) pursuant to section 9 of the Extradition (Commonwealth and Foreign Territories) Act, which authorises the commencement of the formal extradition proceedings before the Magistrate.

On 27 November, 2015, Warner commenced judicial review proceedings challenging the legality of the ATP, but those proceedings were dismissed by the trial judge on 27 September, 2017.

Warner appealed against the trial judge’s order and that appeal was subsequently dismissed by the Court of Appeal on 11 June, 2019. The Court of Appeal’s order was then appealed and dismissed by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council on 17 December, 2022, making way for the resumption of the extradition proceedings before the Magistrate.

The extradition proceedings then recommenced before the then Chief Magistrate, following which Warner made an application on 3 March, 2023 to refer certain constitutional questions to the High Court, which questions now form the subject of this judgment.

These constitutional questions concern what Warner alleges are breaches of his constitutional rights arising from what he asserts to be an alarming breach of the state’s duty of candour during the proceedings

In her ruling Justice Reid said that the issuance of an Authority to Proceed in the absence of an arrangement with the Requesting State that guarantees the protections on specialty required under section 8(3) of the Extradition (Commonwealth and Foreign Territories) Act, ‘constituted a breach of the claimant’s right to liberty and his right not to be deprived thereof except by due process of law’ as enshrined in the Trinidad and Tobago Constitution as well his right to the protection of the law.

She said that continuing the extradition proceedings against Warner following the proceedings in Privy Council Appeal of 2020 in which the defendant ‘falsely’ represented that a special or bespoke arrangement on specialty had been entered into between the United States and Trinidad and Tobago regarding Warner, and ‘wrongfully obtaining an order permitting the continuation of the same on the basis thereof, constituted a breach of the Claimant’s right to liberty’.

She ruled that it also breached Warner’s ‘right not to be deprived thereof except by due process of law as enshrined in Trinidad and Tobago Constitution.

The judge said that the continuation of extradition proceedings against Warner in the absence of an arrangement between the US and Trinidad and Tobago that guarantees certain protections constituted a breach of Warner’s right to liberty and his right not to be deprived of that liberty except by due process of law as in the Constitution.

She issued an ‘Order that the extradition proceedings against the Claimant be permanently stayed’ as well as ‘an Order prohibiting and/or a final injunction restraining the Defendant from enforcing the costs orders made against the Claimant in the earlier judicial review proceedings’.

The death toll from the early morning vehicu;ar accident involving a truck and a minivan along the Trelawny leg of the North Coast Highway has climed to seven, health officials have confirmed.

Five of the victims died at the scene of the accident, while two of three injured passengers died at the Falmouth General Hospital from their injuries. The driver of the Toyota Regius bus is reported to be the lone survivor

The identities of the deceased have not yet been released.

Media reports said that the death toll in traffic crashes in Trelawny since the start of the year has risen to 20, five more than what had been recrded for the corresponding period last year.

out recovery operations while investigators work to determine the cause of the crash.

President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has maintained that the Caribbean has lost a giant with the passing of former West Indies cricketer Sir Garfield Sobers.

Sir Garry, as he was affectionately called, passed away at the age of 89 on Friday.

Reflecting on the life of Sir Garry, a Barbados National Hero, Dr Ali said his death would be felt throughout the region and the world.

‘A giant has fallen. And the cricketing firmament seems a little dimmer today. The news of the passing of Sir Garfield St. Aubrun Sobers has swept across the Caribbean, carrying with it a tide of grief that touches every shore. For we have not just lost a cricketer; we have lost an icon,’ Dr Ali said in a statement. ‘Sir Garry adorned the game of cricket with a flamboyance that was pure, uncut poetry. He defined what it was to play cricket the West Indian way. He was, in my humble estimation, the greatest all-rounder the game has ever known. His batting was pure genius; his fielding, especially close to the wicket, was breathtaking, and his bowling, whether pace or spin, was a master class in cunning and control.

‘His significance transcended the boundary. In the nascent, hopeful dawn of West Indian independence, Sir Garry was a colossus striding across a global stage, embodying the very essence of our West Indian identity. He carried the hopes of a region still finding its voice, and he roared with a style that was defiantly and, beautifully ours. His flair, his grace, and the class with which he conducted himself were a balm to the spirit of the Caribbean. For decades he was our champion, our talisman, our hero,’ he further added.

President Ali described Sir Garry as a ‘gentleman of the game’ and its ‘most glorious master’.

‘Guyana, with its rich cricketing heart, salutes this beloved son of Barbados and the wider West Indies. He belongs in the pantheon of great West Indians. He is the standard by which all others are measured, the foundation upon which our legends are built. He was a gentleman of the game; and the game’s most glorious master.

‘To his beloved family, Guyana offers its deepest condolences. To the people of Barbados, we share your immeasurable loss, for a jewel has been stolen from your crown. And to the cricketing world, which has lost a figure of mythic proportions, we say: cherish the memory of this supreme artist,’ Dr Ali added.

‘His spirit will forever dance in the sunlight. In the sound of leather on willow, in the roar of a packed stadium, in the dreams of a young boy or girl picking up a cricket ball for the first time, Sir Garry lives on.’

West Indies batting coach Floyd Reifer is confident that the regional side will put up a much-improved batting showing against New Zealand in the remaining two One Day Internationals at Kensington Oval.

The West Indies’ batters were undone by the visitors’ spinners, led by Jayden Lennox, for the second straight match, to slump to a six-wicket defeat at Providence Stadium on Thursday.

After winning the opening contest, the home side was skittled out for scores of 138 and 140 in the following two matches after being asked to bat first and now trail the five-match series 2-1.

Speaking in a post-match press conference on Thursday, Reifer said while the conditions in Guyana were challenging, there was no excuse for the Windies’ disappointing display with the bat. ‘Obviously the last two games we didn’t bat to the best of our ability, but the conditions were very challenging. Batting first in Guyana the toss is a major factor where we know the ball will spin, the pitch is slow and stuff like that, then on evenings you have the dew factor which is easier to bat.

‘However, saying that, I still thought that we could have put up a better batting performance. If we had gotten anything past 200 or 210 runs, we would have made a game of it, but there is no excuse really for the batting performance that we displayed over the last couple of games,’ Reifer admitted.

He said based on the team’s batting performances over the past 18 months, and especially at home, he was confident there would be major improvements in the final two matches of the series in Barbados.

‘If you look back at the games that we played in the past year and a half we’ve been batting really well in this format…We have two more games left in the series and we go to Barbados and two bad batting performances don’t make a bad batting side.

‘I’m still confident in the guys, the guys are still confident that when we get to Barbados, we will put up some good batting performances,’ Reifer said.