Category: CANA News

A superb batting display by Abdullah Shafique and Babar Azam have left Pakistan in firm control of the second Test against West Indies at the close of play on the second day here on Monday.

Shafique’s unbeaten 107 off 185 balls coupled with captain Azam’s 86 not out off 126 balls, powered the visitors to a formidable 266 for two in reply to the West Indies’ total of 344 at the Queen’s Park Oval.

The pair has so far added 168 runs for the third wicket to put Pakistan on course to post a mammoth first innings total and give their side a hefty lead, as they trail by just 78 runs heading into Tuesday’s third day of play.

West Indies contributed to their own demise with their wayward bowling gifting Pakistan’s batsmen free runs, with wicket-taking deliveries few and far between.

The home side’s opening pace attack of Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales were surprisingly inconsistent, with Azan Awais hitting Roach for three consecutive boundaries in the third over of the innings.

Together with partner Imam-ul-Haq, they put on 34 runs inside eight overs, before Shamar Joseph produced a snorter off a good length that hit the top of his bat and ballooned to gully for Jomel Warrican to take an easy catch.

Awais continued to take advantage of the slack bowling on offer, hitting Joseph for four fours in the 12th over to move into the 40s, while Shafique wasted little time in joining in on the action by blasting Warrican for sixes in successive overs.

Awais eventually brought up his maiden Test half century off 61 balls by driving Warrican down to long on for a single.

It was Warrican who broke their 64-run partnership, with the West Indies needing to review a lbw decision against Awais after he was initially given not out, to dismiss him for 55 and leave the score 98 for two. Azam joined Shafique at the crease, and for the next three hours, they neutralised the home side’s passive bowling attack, which was without the services of first match hero Justin Greaves.

The skipper showed his aggressive intent early on by bludgeoning Seales for three fours in the 24th over.

Pakistan went to tea at 139 for two, while scoring at just over four runs an over, and the same continued after the break, with Shafique getting to his seventh Test half century off 79 balls with an exquisite straight drive off Roach for four.

Azam followed in the same vein by notching his 33rd half century, as Pakistan tightened their grip on the contest at 184 for two.

Azam was lucky not to have been dismissed almost immediately after, but Joseph failed to hold on to a difficult one-handed catch on the long on boundary, with the ball going over the boundary ropes for six.

With the close of play looming, Shafique reached his sixth Test century by pulling Warrican to the midwicket boundary, his first time scoring three figures since 2024.

The duo then navigated the remaining overs of play to ensure Pakistan remained in complete control of the contest.

Earlier, resuming the day on 239 for five, the West Indies’ last five wickets added 104 runs, with spinner Sajid Khan responsible for three of them to fall.

Justin Greaves only added nine runs to his overnight score of 64 before driving a delivery from spinner Ali Usman straight into the hands of point.

Captain Roston Chase reached his 12th Test half century and added 35 runs with Roach, until he was bowled off his pads by pacer Ubaid Shah for 70 to leave the Windies 304 for seven.

Khan then wrapped up the tail by dismissing Joseph, Roach and Seales, to end with figures of 4-85, while Shah (2-66), Mohammad Ali (2-67) and Ali Usman (2-80) took two wickets apiece.

Pakistan trail West Indies by 205 runs after reaching 139 for two at tea on the second day of the second Test at the Queen’s Park Oval here on Monday.

WEST INDIES 344 in 105.4 overs (Justin Greaves 73, Roston Chase 70, Brandon King 46, Shai Hope 29, Amir Jangoo 26, Kemar Roach 19, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 15, Kavem Hodge 10; Sajid Khan 4-85, Ubaid Shah 2-66, Mohammad Ali 2-67, Ali Usman 2-80).

PAKISTAN 139-2 in 32 overs (Azan Awais 55, Abdullah Shafique 37 not out, Babar Azam 32 not out, Imam-ul-Haq 14).

Scoreboard of the second day of the second Test between West Indies and Pakistan at the Queen’s Park Oval here on Monday.

WEST INDIES 1st innings

(overnight 239 for five)

Tagenarine Chanderpaul c Khan b Ali 15

Brandon King lbw b Usman 46

Kavem Hodge c +Rizwan b Khan 10

Amir Jangoo c +Rizwan b Shah 26

+Shai Hope b Ali 29

Justin Greaves c Zafar b Usman 73

*Roston Chase b Shah 70

Kemar Roach lbw b Khan 19

Shamar Joseph c and b Khan 8

Jomel Warrican not out 5

Jayden Seales c Azam b Khan 8

Extras (b12, lb21, w2) 35

TOTAL (all out; 105.4 overs) 344

Fall of wickets: 1-49, 2-65, 3-91, 4-120, 5-173, 6-269, 7-304, 8-323, 9-326, 10-344.

Bowling: Ali 22-6-67-2, Shah 14-1-66-2, Usman 35-9-80-2, Khan 32.4-4-85-4, Agha 2-0-13-0.

PAKISTAN 1st innings

Azan Awais lbw b Warrican 55

Imam-ul-Haq c Warrican b Joseph 14

Abdullah Shafique not out 107

*Babar Azam not out 86

Extras (lb1, nb3) 4

TOTAL (two wickets; 66 overs) 266

Yet to bat: Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Awais Zafar, Ali Usman, Sajid Khan, Ubaid Shah, Mohammad Ali.

Fall of wickets: 1-34, 2-98.

Bowling: Roach 6-0-34-0, Seales 9-0-35-0, Warrican 24-1-75-1, Joseph 10-0-58-1, Chase 7-0-22-0, Hodge 10-0-41-0.

Toss: West Indies elected to bat.

Position: Pakistan trail West Indies by 78 runs with eight wickets remaining.

Umpires: Alex Wharf, Jayaraman Madanagopal.

TV Umpire: Richard Kettleborough.

Reserve Umpire: Zahid Bassarath.

Match Referee: Jeff Crowe.

A magistrate has adjourned to September 7, the court case in which three people, including the captain of the ill-fated MV Barima, have been charged with murder after the 87-year-old vessel sank on July 18, resulting in the death of 72 people and more than 30 others missing and presumed dead.

Kevin Price, alias ‘KP’, the 40-year-old captain of the vessel, his 42 year-old chief mate, Rondell Dwayne Roberts and Delon Granderson, a 33-year-old goods superintendent appeared by zoom before Magistrate Ravindra Mohabir at the Charity Magistrate’s Court. Price and Granderson were represented by attorney Dexter Smartt along with a team of lawyers, including Dexter Todd. Attorney Everton Lammy-Singh appeared for Roberts.

During the proceedings, the prosecutor Mandel Moore said that he is now in possession of a fiat, the written authorisation permitting him to prosecute the matter.

The magistrate informed the court that the prosecution has provided partial disclosure to the defence and Moore requested that the matter be adjourned to August 31 to facilitate full disclosure.

But the Charity Magistrate’s Court only sits on Mondays, resulting in the magistrate indicating that he would have to adjourned the matter to September 7, the next available date.

Defence lawyers and other legal commentators as well as the opposition have criticised the decision to file the murder charges against the three men, contending that the search is still continuing and that the Commission of Inquiry appointed by the government to examine the circumstances that led to the worst maritime disaster in Guyana’s history has not started its work.

But the police have maintained that the murder charges were instituted following legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Director of Public Prosecutions Shalimar Hack said she advised that the trio be charged based on the evidence presented, the relevant principles of law involved, case law authorities from the United Kingdom, Commonwealth jurisdictions, the European Court of Human Rights, and public policy considerations.

On Sunday night, family members, friends and residents of one of the men staged a solidarity protest outside his Grove, East Bank Demerara home, saying the 72-count murder charges were trumped up to cover the failures of top government officials.

Several persons held placards outside Robert’s residence with one saying ‘we feel that he was wrongfully accused and imprisoned’.

The protestors, who said they were also supportive of the other two charged with the murders held placards that stated, among other slogans: ‘Transparency and accountability’, ‘Free Rondell, Dellon and Kevin,’ ‘Fire the fish-up Bishop,’, ‘Float the boat, bring up the evidence’ and ”Justice for these three men. Families need closure.’

One of the protestors supported the government’s decision to salvage the MV Barima instead of building a memorial site nine miles offshore where the vessel went down.

Dominica has assumed chairmanship of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)Group in Geneva, succeeding Haiti, according to the St. Lucia-based Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission.

The CARICOM Group in Geneva comprises the CARICOM ambassadors and heads of mission of diplomatic missions accredited in Geneva. Its members include The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Suriname, the OECS and Trinidad and Tobago. The missions are accredited to the United Nations and other international organisations based in Geneva, including the World Trade Organization (WTO). The Group operates in accordance with the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, which calls on CARICOM member states to coordinate their foreign policies and as a result, the Geneva-based missions meet regularly to review and align their positions on issues before the many UN agencies and international organisations that make up International Geneva. The work of the heads of mission is supported by a corresponding group of technical experts from the member missions.

Under the Group’s rotating annual chairmanship, the OECS and Dominica has taken over leadership for the coming year.

The Permanent Delegation of the OECS in Geneva is headed by Ambassador Colin Murdoch, while the mission of the Commonwealth of Dominica is led by Chargé d’Affaires Kamila Bell.

‘Our group faces a challenging year ahead because of the volatility in international relations and the many changes taking place but we will work assiduously with our colleagues to secure and promote the interests of the small states of the Caribbean region,’ said Bell during the handover ceremony, acknowledging the complex international environment the Group will navigate over the next year.

Ambassador Murdoch emphasised the importance of effective coordination and collective leadership in advancing the region’s priorities.

‘Leadership matters and the missions of the Commonwealth of Dominica and the OECS can and will coordinate the policies of the CARICOM Group in Geneva to better serve the interests of our region.’

The OECS Commission said that the transition underscores the sub-regional grouping’s continued commitment to presenting unified positions on key international issues and strengthening the voice of CARICOM’s small states within the multilateral system.

The OECS groups the islands of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis and Montserrat.

The Bermuda government says it is extending the Actuary Work Permit Policy by one year to ensure the continued timely processing of work permit applications for qualified actuarial professionals who support Bermuda’s internationally recognised insurance, reinsurance and pension sectors.

The Department of Immigration said the policy, which has been extended to July, 31, next year, remains an important component of Bermuda’s immigration framework by helping employers recruit highly skilled actuarial professionals while maintaining appropriate oversight and compliance with Bermuda’s immigration laws. It said actuaries play a critical role in assessing risk, supporting financial stability and helping regulated entities meet their legal and regulatory obligations.

‘Bermuda’s insurance and reinsurance industry is a cornerstone of our economy and depends on access to highly specialised actuarial expertise. Extending the Actuary Work Permit Policy provides employers with continued certainty and efficient processing while maintaining the integrity of Bermuda’s immigration system,’ said Economy and Labour Minister, Jason Hayward.

He said this balanced approach supports economic growth and reinforces Bermuda’s position as a leading international financial centre.

Under the policy, qualifying Actuary work permit applications will continue to be processed within 10 working days, provided that the position requires the applicant to be a qualified Actuary or hold a recognised professional actuarial designation.

The government said that the applicant must demonstrate at least three years relevant professional experience and that the position has been advertised in accordance with policy requirements.

It said that the application is complete upon submission and that no statutory body referral is required as well as evidence of professional qualifications or actuarial designation accompanies the application.

The government said that employers seeking expedited processing must notify the Department of Immigration by email immediately after submitting a qualifying application.

‘The policy applies to new work permits, including Standard, Intra-Company Transfer, Periodic, and New Business work permit applications, but does not apply to promotions or changes in job title,’ the Department said encouraging employers to review the Actuary Work Permit Policy and ensure that all application requirements are met to facilitate timely processing.

The chairman of the General Liberation and Development Party (ABOP), Ronnie Brunswijk, says his party will vote against the ratification of the border protocol between Suriname and France

Brunswijk, a former Suriname vice president, who is also the Vice-Chairman of the National Assembly, made his announcement on Sunday during the Liba Krutu indicating that his party will vote against the ratification of the border protocol between Suriname and France. ABOP is part of the governing coalition here, but Brunswijk said that as far as he is concerned, the interests of the residents of the interior outweigh unity within the coalition.

‘I will tell them that I am voting against this law, because the interior does not want it,’ Brunswijk told the gather, arguing that it became clear during the krutu that the Aucan community is opposed to the protocol.

The border protocol was by Suriname and France in 2021 when ABOP was also part of the government, and Brunswijk was Vice President under the Chan Santokhi government. However, the final approval of the protocol must be made by the National Assembly.

Following the Krutu , Parliament will subsequently consider the draft law approving the protocol between Suriname and France regarding the border between Suriname and French Guiana.

Speaker of the National Assembly, Ashwin Adhin said that Parliament has worked intensively on this subject since the initial consideration on November 17, 2025.

Meanwhile, a delegation from the National Assembly that was schedule to travel to Stoelmanseiland to attend the Krutu did not do so on Sunday.

The chairman of the committee, Rabin Parmessar, said the government had the responsibility of informing the border communities about the protocol and not the National Assembly.

Parmessar said that the necessary administrative procedures for the trip could not be completed on such short notice and that as a result, the delegation of the Committee of Rapporteurs, which was to attend the meeting as observers, remained in Paramaribo.

‘The administrative procedures could not be completed in time. In doing so, I did not want to deviate from the applicable procedures of the National Assembly and the government,’ he said.

Last week, Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Cooperation Minister, Melvin Bouva, said the government would participate in the ceremony with Granman Bono Velantie of the Aucaners regarding the border treaty between Suriname and France.

Bouva outline the government’s position to the National Assembly after legislators decided to postpone consideration of the legislation to give the traditional authorities the opportunity to hold internal consultations first.

Adhin said he had received a request from the Aucaners Granman Bono Velantie for a so-called ‘ liba Krutu ‘ be held first and scheduled for August 2.

‘Out of respect for the traditional authority, I cannot do otherwise than ask for your understanding in this matter. Therefore, I am adjourning the discussion of this agenda item until after the Krutu ,’ Adhin said.

But Parmessar said the Granman Bono Velanti himself had not traveled to the meeting. He said consultations did, however, take place with chief captains and other traditional leaders. Parmessar said it appears that the leaders and residents present still have many questions regarding the border protocol and want to be informed in detail before further steps are taken.

‘From what I understand, people want to be properly informed one more time about the entire process,’ he said, adding ‘it was a meeting of the Granman and not of the parliament.

‘The preparation and provision of information regarding the treaty are primarily a task of the government,’ according to Parmessar, noting that the concerns of many traditional authorities focus less on the determination of the border line itself than on the consequences of enforcement following ratification of the protocol.

Asked for his reaction to the statement made by Brunswijk, the committee chairman said he would be inviting the parliamentary group leaders for consultation as soon as possible.

San Francisco Unicorns are through to the 2026 ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL) T20 final after beating Desert Vipers by eight wickets in a high-stakes Qualifier on Friday evening at the National Stadium, Providence.

Unicorns will now meet defending champions Guyana Amazon Warriors in the championship game on Saturday from 7 pm in front of a capacity crowd.

Chasing a tricky 123 for victory, Unicorns reached the target with 23 balls to spare. The successful chase was brilliantly led by opener Tim Robinson with an impressive, unbeaten 68 off 54 balls.

Robinson and Oliver Peake shared a record-breaking, 97-run third-wicket stand after they lost Connor Esterhuizen for 17 and skipper Hassan Khan without scoring.

The in-form Robinson hit six fours and a six, while Peake provided steady support with 33* off 34, hitting five fours.

Left-arm spinner Khary Pierre, who made the initial breakthrough, finished with 2-22 from his four overs.

Earlier, Unicorns justified their decision to bowl first, restricting Vipers to 30-2 in the Powerplay and 61-4 by the 13th over.

Vriitya Aravind provided some late-order impetus scoring 29 not out, but it was left-arm spinner Fabian Allen who stole the spotlight with the ball, taking 3-20 in an impactful four-over spell.

He first accounted for opener Andries Gous (8), then added the scalps of Rilee Rossouw (11) and skipper Shadab Khan (14), strikes that dented the Vipers.

Unicorns’ victory was sweet redemption for the nine-wicket defeat they suffered against the same opposition in the preliminary phase, and it sets up a grand finale with the home franchise and defending champions Warriors on a night where Providence will be rocking.

The West Indies will stride onto the hallowed turf of the Queen’s Park Oval on Sunday with history in their sights and a fortress at their backs.

As the second Test against Pakistan gets underway, the Caribbean side is not just playing for a series victory; they are playing to extend a remarkable unbeaten streak and topple a two-decade-old domestic hoodoo.

The venue has been a bastion of resilience for the men in maroon. They are undefeated in their last six Tests at the historic ground, a run of form that has transformed the Oval into a genuine stronghold.

Looking back at the broader history between these two sides at the venue, the hosts hold the edge with three victories to Pakistan’s two, with the famous draw of 1988 being the only blemish on a fiercely contested rivalry.

The last time Pakistan visited this turf in 1993, they left with a scar, succumbing to a colossal 204-run defeat.

Standing in the way of Pakistan’s redemption is a West Indian unit humming with confidence. Captain Roston Chase, leading from the front, made it clear that the team’s preparation has been meticulous and their ambitions sky-high.

‘We’re very confident. We’re exactly where we wanted to be,’ Chase stated on the eve of the match. ‘After having the year last year, we sat down, we planned, and said that this is where we want to be. We’re one love up, so we want to just come into this second Test, not take anything for granted, go through the processes that we’ve sat down and talked about, and look to get that second victory.’

A victory would mark the first time since 2022 that the West Indies have won consecutive Test series. More significantly, it would seal their first home Test series win over Pakistan since the turn of the millennium, a gap stretching back to 2000.

The pitch at Queen’s Park Oval is expected to offer turn, potentially opening the door for Chase’s off-spin to play a decisive role. However, the captain is managing a finger injury that kept him from bowling in the first Test, an issue that could dictate the balance of the attack.

Chase, however, was optimistic about his fitness. ‘It’s getting better. Hopefully, I think I will be ready to bowl by Sunday. I bowled two overs today. It still has a bit of pain, but I think by Sunday, I should be able to at least bowl probably four to five overs consistently.’

The captain’s determination to be fit is reflective of a broader cultural shift within the squad, that is a desire to make the Caribbean an impenetrable fortress.

‘We’re very blessed and very happy for the results that we’ve been having at home so far,’ Chase added. ‘But I want to make home our fortress, where we make it very difficult for teams to come to the Caribbean and beat us because it’s our conditions. We know them inside out and better than the opposition. We want to really make home advantage count, and we’ve been doing that well so far.’

The final morning session of these Commonwealth Games produced a frigid, wind-whipped fury of Jamaican excellence as the nation’s track and field athletes powered their way to three more podium finishes, including two glittering golds, to push the island’s overall medal tally to 15.

On a day when the weather turned decidedly un-Caribbean, the Jamaican contingent turned up the heat on the track and in the field, headlined by a history-making performance from Dejanea Oakley in the women’s 400m.

Oakley, running with grit on the cold Glasgow tarmac, clocked a superb 50.21 seconds to become the fourth Jamaican woman in history to capture the one-lap crown.

The victory was a masterclass in front-running, as she held off a charging field down the home straight despite the blustery conditions.

The battle for the minor medals was a photo-finish thriller. 2022 champion Sada Williams of Barbados held on for the silver medal, stopping the clock at 50.99, while Nigeria’s Ella Onovujwevwo was denied by the barest of margins, claiming bronze in 51.00 seconds.

While Oakley was making history on the track, Jordan Scott was writing a new chapter in the field. The jumper delivered when it mattered most, unleashing a fourth-round effort of 16.72m to become the first Jamaican male ever to win the triple jump at this level.

Scott’s victory adds another major accolade to his growing reputation, following his World Indoor Silver medal earlier this year. His winning leap came at a crucial juncture, demonstrating the composure that has come to define his season.

In the men’s discus throw, veteran Fedrick Dacres proved that age is just a number as the 32-year-old added another piece of silverware to his collection. Dacres secured the silver medal with a best throw of 65.10m, adding to the gold he won in 2018.

The event was dominated by Australia’s Matthew Denny, who successfully defended his title with a formidable mark of 67.73m. Jamaica’s Ralford Mullings also featured in the final, finishing fifth with a solid throw of 62.85m.

With the athletics program now in full swing, Jamaica’s medal count stands at 15, placing the nation tantalisingly close to the record of 22 set in 2006 and matched in 2014.