Category: CANA News

West Indies Women defeated Zimbabwe Women by eight wickets in the second T20I at the Takashinga Sports Club here on Monday.

Scores

ZIMBABWE WOMEN 106-7 in 20 overs (Beloved Biza 35, Kelis Ndhlovu 25, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano 25; Jahzara Claxton 3-14).

WEST INDIES WOMEN 108-2 in 9.1 overs (Eboni Brathwaite 57, Realeanna Grimmond 23 not out).

The Bermuda government Monday said that while the country had ‘held out hope for best’ the worst fears have been relaised after the authorities named the two Bermudians who were on board the ill-fated air ambulance aircraft that crashed soon after taking off for the United States last Saturday.

In a brief statement, the Bermuda Police Service (BPS) said it can now confirm the identities of the two Bermudian nationals as 66-year-old Marilyn Lavonne Bean and her 41-year-old son, Sergio Wayne Lottimore.

‘The investigation into this incident is being conducted by the U.S. National Transportation and Safety Board, in conjunction with Transport Safety Board, Canada,’ the BPS said, adding that a BPS Family Liaison Officer has been appointed to assist the relatives of the deceased during this difficult time.

The two were among six people who were on board the aircraft, a Gulfstream G100 jet, which went missing off Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, in the United States shortly after 1:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 3, 2026,

‘While we held out hope for the best, the worst fears have been realised and so our first thoughts are with the families of those so tragically lost,’ Premier David Burt said in a statement, adding ‘let us open our hearts to the families in the hope that our expressions of love, support and compassion will bring some comfort as they attempt to deal with this terrible loss.’

Health Minister Kim Wilson, said her heart is with the families, friends, colleagues, and loved ones of everyone involved in this tragic incident.

‘This is an incredibly difficult time for all those affected, and I know many people across Bermuda are holding them in their thoughts and prayers. We also recognise the dedicated crew who came to Bermuda to provide a service that has supported many families during some of life’s most difficult moments.

‘For that, we are deeply grateful. On behalf of the Ministry of Health, I extend my sincere support to all those affected and keep them in my thoughts and prayers during this profoundly difficult time,’ she added.

Searchers found a ‘debris field’ off the coast of the island, but with no sign of the six people on board after a 66-hour search that spanned more than 4,400 miles, the US Coast Guard suspended rescue efforts Sunday.

Warwick Academy, the school Lottimore attended in Bermuda, remembered him as a school prefect and an ‘outstanding person’ while Hamilton Re, the Bermuda insurance firm where he served as a senior vice president, said it had lost a ‘ respected leader, colleague and friend.’

The names of the plane’s crew have not been released, but Latitude Air Ambulance, the Ontario-based company that owned the plane, said ‘our four crew members were valued members of the Latitude family.

‘They dedicated themselves to providing care to people at some of the most difficult moments in their lives, and they were carrying out that mission when this tragedy occurred. We are grieving their loss deeply.’

President of Latitude Air Ambulance, Peter Byl, said the company’s immediate focus was on supporting the victims’ families and cooperating fully with authorities.

‘We will not speculate about the circumstances or cause of the accident while that work is underway,’ he wrote in an email.

The Canadian-registered jet had departed Bermuda’s L.F. Wade International Airport on a nighttime flight to Massachusetts.

Canada’s Transportation Safety Board said it will send investigators in the coming days to assist in the search for and recovery of the aircraft.

A High Court judge has ordered the state to pay more than TT$1.8 million (One TT dollar=US$-.37 cents) in compensation to six men who were removed from remand yard to a dilapidated and overcrowded building at the Maximum Security Prison in Arouca.

High Court Judge Devindra Rampersad upheld the motion filed by the men – Stefon Austin, Ayokie Charles, Kerry Valentino, Brent Johnson, Joshua Janet and Darrel Dias – challenging the decision to transfer them on July 24, 2021.

Austin died in custody while the case was pending. His mother was substituted as a claimant and will receive his compensation.

The men had claimed that were subjected to inhumane conditions, including being denied medical care. They were relocated on different dates between December 2022 and April 2023. Through their attorneys, Justice Rampersad was asked to decide whether the transfer was an irregular and improper exercise of the then-Prisons Commissioner’s discretion under the Prison Act to move prisoners between facilities.

The judge noted that the then-Prisons Commissioner had refused to disclose his reasons for transferring the men, citing national security concerns. He said that a blanket assertion that the commissioner had acted properly did not help the court decide the issue.

‘The court is therefore left without any evidential foundation upon which it could conclude that the considerations advanced by the claimants were weighed, or that the decision struck a balance that was rationally open to the Prisons Commissioner,’ he said.

The judge upheld the men’s complaints about the conditions they endured, partly because the Prison Service had not fully responded to their allegations.

‘The evidence advanced on behalf of the defendant, confined as it is to the later medical treatment of three of the six claimants, does not engage with the conditions in Building 13, and there was no evidence before the court denying the leakage of sewerage, the overcrowding, the failure of the ventilation, the constant lighting, or the absence of potable water,’ he said.

The judge found that the conditions amounted to cruel and unusual treatment, in breach of the men’s constitutional rights.

‘They went well beyond the harshness that is the inevitable incident of lawful incarceration,’ he said.

‘To require humans to sleep on a floor across which human sewerage has leaked, in an overcrowded and unventilated space, deprived of clean drinking water and of rest, and surrounded by the presence of their own and others’ waste, is to subject them to conditions that disregard the inherent dignity of the person,’ he added.

Justice Rampersad set compensation at TT$250 a day for the time each man was held in Building 13 at the Maximum Security Prison. He ordered additional compensation for Charles, Johnson and Dias, who successfully claimed that they had been assaulted by prison officers before being transferred.

He also awarded each man TT$150,000 in vindicatory damages for the breach of his constitutional rights.

‘The sum is not scaled to the period each claimant spent in Building 13, because the vindicatory element does not respond to the duration of an individual’s suffering; it responds to the value of the right and to the conduct of the State, which is the same in the case of each of these six men,’ Justice Rampersad said.

The State was also ordered to pay the men’s legal costs.

Veteran West Indies spinner Akeal Hosein has revealed that the use of data will be key for their bowlers in the upcoming five-match T20I series against India’s powerful batting lineup.

The Windies come into the series as major underdogs, having won just one of their last 10 T20Is in India, with that lone victory coming way back in 2019.

Hosein is on the verge of becoming the fourth West Indian to play 100 T20Is, with Rovman Powell (120), Nicholas Pooran (106) and Kieron Pollard (101), being the others.

Known for his accuracy in bowling during the power play, he is set to be tested by the likes of India’s hard-hitting Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan.

Speaking during a pre-match press conference on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s opener, Hosein said data would be crucial in determining the team’s bowling plans.

‘Bowling in the power play in general, it’s pretty scary, especially when you’re a spinner. It’s also extra difficult when you have good batting surfaces, and these guys who strike at high strike rates.

‘Even though I might not have played against these guys a lot, there’s a lot of data around, so you can have your planning done,’ Hosein said.

‘If you’re playing in every one [of the five T20Is], then the opposition can plan better for you each time. So, it’s always about trying to stay one step ahead of the batter, trying to be as clever as possible, and just trying to get the job done for the team. I think that’s my general game plan.’

He said with the pitches expected to be batter-friendly as shown in the preceding ODI series, sticking to the plan was crucial.

However, he admitted that at times there was the need to ‘let instincts take over’.

‘Don’t get too greedy or go trying things or experimenting. Just try and stick to what’s working, stick to what is the most difficult delivery for the batters to get away and that should be your game plan,’ Hosein said.

‘I think, sometimes, you have to let instincts take over, because just as you’re looking at data and trying to exploit guys’ weaknesses, they are also looking at the data as well and trying to get better.’

And while the 33-year-old Hosein acknowledged that the Windies’ record against India was not impressive, he said it was up to them to change that narrative.

‘For us it’s just about going out there and planning well and going out there and execute. I think the past is the past, and all we can do is control our output now and go out there change that result,’ Hosein said.

National Security Minister Rayburn Blackmoore Monday urged the judiciary to impose sentences that reflect the seriousness of the fight against the importation of illegal weapons after disclosing that the police had recently intercepted a person with a rifle that is used on the battlefield.

Blackmoore, speaking at the launch of the Ministry of National Security’s ‘Missing Persons Alert System,’ praised the police and customs officials for ‘actually intercepting and recovering lethal weapons, illegal firearms.

‘And those firearms can only do one thing, it’s to kill people,’ Blackmoore said, adding that he had recently been informed by the Police Commissioner, Lincoln Corbette, as to the number of illegal firearms that have been interceptedHe said within a one-week period last month, six firearms were recovered, one of which is a 7.62 rifle.

‘This rifle is meant for the battlefield and Dominica is not a place for that. Now there’s no battlefield in Dominica, this is a beautiful, peaceful country and as we move into the Creole Festival and the celebration of our independence as a nation, it is critical for us to welcome our visitors and our friends in an environment of peace.’ Watch video

Backmoore said that so far this year, 21 firearms have been recovered including four rifles.

‘Among the pistols, they are convertible, which means they can be used as rifles and semi-automatic, very dangerous. I want to commend the police and the custom officers for demonstrating that sense of seriousness and the investment we have done in the procurement of the scanners at the various points of entry.’

Blackmoore said that these ‘interventions are helping’ praising the work of the anti-firearm task force, saying that the population should not grudge them when they receive salary increases.

‘.. nobody should feel jealous, because it’s not easy to confront folks on the waters. And let me just say why we appreciate, and there has to be an appreciation for the rule of law, for due process,’ Blackmoore said, calling for what he described as ‘a sense of seriousness in the manner in which those matters are disposed before the court.

‘And so, we had several gun amnesty programmes in this country. People were told, if you bring in the firearms, you’re not going to be prosecuted. They were cash reward for people to provide information. And we declared, and we know, and there is consensus within society, that gun crimes are the most serious crimes right now confronting the country and the Caribbean by extension…

‘So, it is one thing to talk about something when somebody is shot and killed, sadly, for everybody to be singing in one tone. And then those of us with our respective roles to discharge, we are not being consistent with that level of consensus…’

Blackmoore said that within society gun related crimes are serious, ‘and therefore the sentencing must reflect that sense of seriousness.

‘So, while we cannot tell those who sit on the bench what to do, but those who sit on the bench are part of society, isn’t that so’ and they have a responsibility to society. So, when the police go before the court, and you have someone who is brought before the court with previous gun offences, illegal gun offences, and an application is made for no bail, there is a bail act,

‘…the bail act stipulates the various offences being not to be granted unless the accused, not the state, because you have the responsibility to tell the court and the proof to the court that you are going to make yourself available when the matter has been heard. And we must own us to call that.

‘That is not that of the state. If you are a flight risk, it is not the state to prove that you are a flight risk. It is you to prove that you are not. Isn’t that so? And then when I hear of comments like, it’s within the rights of an accused under the constitution to get bail, are you saying that the bail act is ultra-virus?

‘Are you saying that the bail act contravenes the constitution? The answer is no. So that level of seriousness, everybody seems to be that person’s friend. And therefore, there is a sense of not taking our responsibility and the issue of public safety seriously. ‘

Blackmoore said he was calling on everyone ‘to try to solve our problems peacefully.

‘But for the bad boys, when the police confront you with illegal firearms, when they are on duty and they take action to protect themselves and to preserve public safety, when you get your rope ah dope, that’s your business, my friend.

‘It’s bad bad, when you get your rope ah dope, you can’t behave yourself. If the police stop you with illegal firearms, you have to stop. You’re wrong already. So we have to have a sense of seriousness in this country, and we will continue to provide the police with the resources and the Customs Department the resources.

‘But at the end of the day, it is our responsibility to strive as a nation, as communities, to ensure that Dominica remains as peaceful as possible,’ the National Security Minister added.

The Canadian fertiliser giant, Nutrien Ltd. Monday announced it will indefinitely shut down its Trinidad Nitrogen operations at the Point Lisas Facility following an extensive review of strategic alternatives and engagement with relevant stakeholders.

‘Due to ongoing natural gas constraints and uncertainty, this was determined to be the optimal path to enhance free cash flow and return on invested capital,’ Nutrien Ltd said in a statement.

The company said it has previously implemented a ‘controlled shutdown’ of the facility on October 23, 2025, in response to port access restrictions and a lack of reliable and economic natural gas supply that reduced the free cash flow contribution of the Trinidad Nitrogen operations over an extended period of time.

‘We greatly appreciate the contributions and dedication of our Trinidad team and are committed to managing the transition responsibly and safely,’ said Dean Perkins, Senior Vice President, Upstream, Nitrogen and Proprietary Product Operations.

The statement said that there will be no impact to Nutrien’s 2026 Nitrogen sales volume guidance as the company assumed no production from its Trinidad Nitrogen operations. ‘Nutrien remains well positioned to meet customer demand for nitrogen and grow volumes from its North American Nitrogen assets through reliability improvements and low-cost debottleneck projects,’ said one of the leading global providers of crop inputs and services.

Last year, Nutrient, which states that it operates a world-class network of production, distribution and retail facilities, had ‘shut down’ its operations resulting in an estimated 350 contract workers being sent home while Nutrien’s permanent employees remained on the job.

Ammonia and urea sales volumes from Nutrien’s Trinidad operations are approximately 85 and 55 thousand tonnes per month, respectively.

A Bahamian is among 16 foreigner who have been arrested and charged by the United States Justice Department for allegedly casting a ballot in the 2024 federal general election.

The Justice Department Monday said that the 16 were held in connection ‘with illegal voting, fraudulent voter registration, and related election crimes across the country. ‘The cases include voting by aliens in federal elections, false claims of U.S. citizenship to register or vote, and false statements on citizenship applications.’

According to the Justice Department, Bahamian national Terrance Patrick Evans, 37, ‘a lawful permanent resident, has been charged by information with one count of voting by an alien’.

The U authorities said according to the information, ‘Evans voted in the 2024 federal general election despite knowing that he was not a citizen of the United States’.

The US has also arrested ‘lawful permanent residents’ from Cuba, Nicaragua, Mexico, Liberia, Ghana, Germany, Bosnia, Brazil , Canada and South Africa.

‘The cases include voting by aliens in federal elections, false claims of U.S. citizenship to register or vote, and false statements on citizenship applications,’ the Justice Department said, adding ‘all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.’

So far there has been no evidence or official findings support the claim that the 2024 United States elections were conducted illegally.

According to federal oversight bodies like the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) , alongside bipartisan state election officials across the country, the 2024 voting process was secure, orderly, and verified

The Latin American and Caribbean Energy Organization (OLACDE) MOnday announced plans to release two white papers examining a US$35 billion opportunity in critical minerals and the potential of energy efficiency to reduce costs and improve competitiveness.

The intergovernmental organization for energy in Latin America and the Caribbean said that the region holds approximately 60 per cent of the world’s lithium reserves and more than 30 per cent of its copper reserves, yet its energy efficiency is improving at less than half the global rate.

It questioned how can the region harness this wealth and use energy more efficiently? Noting that these are the challenges addressed by two new white papers, which will be presented jointly with the Ministry of Energy and Mines of the Dominican Republic during the XI Energy Week which takes place here from October 6-9.

The White Paper on Mining Development and Energy Planning in Latin America and the Caribbean examines how to translate mineral resources and an electricity mix that is nearly 70 per cent renewable into competitive, sustainable projects with greater added value.

‘If the region significantly expands its refining and processing capacity, the economic value of the critical minerals it produces could rise from US$185 billion to US$220 billion by 2035, a US$35 billion opportunity that requires coordinated investment, infrastructure development and energy planning.’

OLACDE, whose Caribbean members include Barbados, Belize, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, said that the White Paper on Energy Efficiency warns that the region’s energy efficiency improved by just 0.54 per cent annually between 2000 and 2023, compared with 1.37 per cent worldwide. It said only eight of OLACDE’s 27 member countries have a publicly identifiable numerical target, and just five have a recent useful energy balance.

‘The opportunities for savings are tangible: industry accounts for more than 28 per cent of the region’s final energy consumption, and 66 cases of ISO 50001 implementation avoided more than US$70 million in energy expenditure.

Jamaica is observing Mental Health Awareness Week 2026 with a campaign dedicated to promoting understanding, reducing stigma, and connecting people with the support they need.

‘This week is about reminding everyone that is okay to ask for help, and that each of us has a role to play in supporting the people around us. Let us hear, understand and help each other,’ said Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. Christopher Tufton,

‘As we celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week, it is important that we listen to people with lived experience – those living with mental illness, but also their families and friends and ensure that listening leads to action.

‘When people with lived experience help design services, inform policies, and guide conversations in schools, workplaces, and communities, support becomes more relevant and more effective,’ Dr. Tufton added.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness said mental health conditions affect people of every age, background, and community.

It said despite this, many people still face misunderstanding or barriers to care and that this year’s activities under the theme ‘Lived experiences heard: Real voices, real change’ is in alignment with the mental health campaign ‘Do Your Share’ which aims to help change that by encouraging open conversations and making practical resources easier to find and to use.

The week’s activities will feature the annual National Mental Health Conference, which brings together mental health practitioners and policymakers, among other stakeholders on October 7. Additional activities include the opening of a Child and Adolescent Wellness Centre and the staging of the now annual Wellness in the Park event,.

The week will culminate on World Mental Health Day, observed annually on October 10.

Premier David Burt, who is preparing to step down as head of the Bermuda government later this month, says he is doing so knowing that the economic performance of the British Overseas Territory is on a solid foundation.

‘So, now, as I prepare to step down, this is the progress that I leave to the next Minister of Finance. Not record deficits, not an economy in decline, but an economy that is growing, stronger public finances, increased investment in Bermuda and greater capacity to meet the needs of our people while reducing the burden of debt,’ Burt said.

Premier Burt is scheduled to step down as leader of the ruling Progressive Labour Party (PLP) and as Premier this month, fulfilling a pledge he made in 2022 to leave office during his current term.

In a statement he said that while audit work of the government’s Consolidated Fund Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2026 is ongoing, based on the preliminary 2025/26 financial performance analysis, total revenue for fiscal year is projected at US$1.57 billion, 10 per cent above the original estimate of US$1.43 billion.

Burt said that the continued growth in the economy improved the revenue estimates with an increase in Corporate Income Tax collections, which are projected to be US$291 million, which is $103.5 million above the original estimate of $187.5 million, along with Payroll Tax receipts of $637 million, $15 million above the original estimate of $622 million.

Burt said that the current account expenditure, excluding interest, is expected to be US$1.13 billion, a 2.2 per cent increase above the 2025/26 original estimate of $1.11 billion.

According to the government capital account expenditures are projected to be US$142 million, an estimated US$7.8 million below the 2025/26 original estimate of $149.8 million. It said interest and guarantee management costs are projected to be US$127.8 million, compared with the original budget estimate of US$127.5 million.

Burt said that the preliminary analysis projects a budget surplus of $169.6 million for 2025/26. ‘That is US$126.3 million above the original budget estimate of US$43.3 million, and almost four times the surplus originally projected. It is a significant improvement in Bermuda’s public finances, achieved while continuing to invest in the services and infrastructure our people need,’ Burt said.

He said this included a US$30 million subsidy grant to the Bermuda Hospitals Board to support its obligations to employees following wage negotiations; US$2.4 million for Public Service Superannuation Fund overhead costs; one million dollars for mental health support for the government Employees Health Insurance clients and one million for additional police officers.

He said capital expenditure also supported essential investments with US$18.5 million in capital grant funding for the Bermuda Hospitals Board, US$8.9 million for the Bermuda Housing Corporation to invest in more affordable housing and US$8.6 million for two new fast ferries,.

Burt said that stronger public finances give the government the capacity to invest in the services and infrastructure Bermudians depend on.

‘This government has made those investments before, and we will continue to do so. But we know that many Bermudians are still struggling with the cost of food, housing, healthcare and other necessities. An improvement in the government’s finances must mean relief for those families and more of their hard-earned money staying in their pockets.’

Burt said his government’s record over the last four years is clear in that ‘we have reduced taxes, provided relief and returned more money to hardworking Bermudians.

‘As our finances continue to improve, this Government will continue to share that success with the people we serve,’ he said, adding that when Parliament resumes in November he will provide a further update on the government’s financial performance for the current fiscal year and announce the next phase of tax reductions and relief for Bermuda’s workers and families.