Category: CANA News

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says theeconomy of The Bahamas has strengthened in recent years with a robust post-pandemic tourism sector being the key driver of economic growth and fiscal revenues.

The IMF executive board has completed the Article IV Consultation with Nassau considering and endorsing staff appraisal.

According to the IMF, real gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 3.4 per cent in 2024 and that growth remained resilient in the first half of 2025, supported by construction and cruise tourism. It said that the unemployment rate stood at 9.3 per cent in the second quarter of 2025, while inflation decelerated (1.3 per cent in July 2025), partly reflecting lower global energy prices.

The fiscal position continued to improve in the last fiscal year. Driven by tax revenues and expenditure containment, the primary balance remained in surplus and the fiscal deficit narrowed to 0.5 per cent of GDP in the financial year 2024/25.

The IMF said that growth is expected to be around 2.8 per cent in 2025, and then it would gradually slow toward 1½ per cent.

In its appraisal, the IMF executive board said risks to economic growth are broadly balanced, with downside risks including a potential global slowdown and natural disasters, and upside risks entailing greater-than-expected effects of public and private infrastructure projects linked to tourism and the electricity reform. Inflation remains low.

‘Additional policy measures are necessary to achieve the authorities’ medium-term target for central government debt. A primary surplus was reached again in financial year 2024/25, and the financial year 2025/26 budget targets an overall surplus.’

The executive said while declining, public debt remains elevated and that going forward, new revenue-enhancing and expenditure-optimizing measures should be prioritised to achieve the authorities’ 50 per cent of GDP target for central government debt.

It said that these measures can include introducing corporate and personal income taxes, rationalising tax expenditures, raising the standard value added tax (VAT) rate, and reducing transfers to state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

The executive board said that these efforts can give space to invest more in priority areas, such as education and resilient infrastructure.

But the board acknowledged that more work is needed to strengthen fiscal institutions and reduce fiscal risks.

It said an immediate priority should be to improve fiscal reporting and enhance the institutional framework for private public partnerships (PPPs). The board is also critical to accurately assess and mitigate fiscal risks arising from SOEs.

The IMF executive board said financial sector policies should continue to aim at preserving financial stability.

‘Systemic financial stability risks remain moderate. As bank credit to the private sector increases, safeguarding banks’ resilience is crucial, including by monitoring potential risks stemming from banks’ exposure to the sovereign.

‘The oversight of nonbanks should be strengthened, and closing data gaps is a priority. Operationalizing real estate price indices is still needed. Planned legal reforms can help improve resolution frameworks and safety nets. Reducing the ceiling on central bank advances to the government would support the exchange rate peg, and it is essential to maintain efforts to implement the 2024 DARE Act. Actions to enhance risk-based AML/CFT supervision and promote financial inclusion should continue.’

The IMF said that fostering economic resilience and investing in human and physical capital should ease supply-side constraints to growth.

‘Policies to raise productivity, together with fiscal consolidation, can help narrow external imbalances, given that the external position is moderately weaker than the level implied by medium-term fundamentals and desirable policies. Ongoing infrastructure projects in hotels and airports can alleviate capacity constraints in tourism.

‘To reduce vulnerable employment and lessen informality, it is important to cut red tape for businesses, strengthen education, and continue expanding training and upskilling opportunities.’

The IMF said trade diversification could strengthen economic resilience and reduce import costs with more benefits for consumers if coupled with greater product market competition.

A year like 2025 rarely hands us a single turning point. It hands us a pattern.

Across four different venues-Cape Town, Sevilla, Belém, and Brussels-leaders and institutions kept returning to one underlying idea: The challenges people feel most directly (jobs, prices, disasters, water, health, security) are connected. Financing that treats them as separate silos will always feel too slow, too small, or too costly.

Four signposts

In Cape Town, the Finance in Common Summit articulated the experiential learning of public development banks: Cooperation is not only about co-financing. It is about acting ‘as a coherent system’ with ‘seamless inter-operability’ across institutions and with the wider financial system. Practically, when standards, data, and processes travel with capital, money moves faster into quality projects and draws in partners instead of creating friction.

In Sevilla, the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development provided a whole-of-finance map for that intuition. It recognized the cost of capital cannot be lowered if debt architecture is ignored; private investment cannot scale if rules and reporting are fragmented; tax capacity matters for resilience; trade rules matter for industrialization; and the financing system cannot learn without better data. The Sevilla Commitment provides a comprehensive framework for a modern financing ecosystem, including a follow-up process with in-depth reviews on a regular cycle.

The ‘make it workable’ spirit is infusing climate diplomacy. The Belem Package and the ‘global mutirão’ decision promote initiatives aimed at implementation and ambition, while the Baku Adaptation Roadmap sets up work for 2026-2028, including a just transition mechanism that puts people and equity at the center of the transition.

Brussels added nature and finance. In July, the European Commission launched its Roadmap Toward Nature Credits, framing nature as something that belongs on the balance sheet. Descriptively, nature credits are meant to reward verified nature-positive actions-restoring wetlands, expanding forests, improving ecosystems-so those who steward land and seas can see tangible value and investors can back credible outcomes. The roadmap also places emphasis on standards and certification to build trust and reduce greenwashing.

Together, 2025’s milestones point to convergence: a financing system that is more interoperable, more focused on implementation, and more explicit about nature and resilience as economic foundations. In 2026, implementation capability will require translating this pattern into routines that planners, finance ministries, banks, regulators, and communities can use.

Three bridges

This is where systems thinking stops sounding abstract and starts sounding like common sense. By organizing finance into integrated portfolios rather than isolated projects, the Development Bank for Resilient Prosperity-the ‘Nature Bank’-addresses systemic bottlenecks and mobilizes diversified capital. When finance is organized this way, interoperability becomes the way for institutions to build a lower-risk, resilience-oriented investment strategy.

A ‘planetary balance sheet’ framing helps as a second bridge. It takes the EU’s simple phrase-put nature on the balance sheet-and connects it to tools that already exist. Environmental-economic accounting frameworks backed by the UN, and comprehensive wealth accounts tracked by institutions such as the World Bank, are increasingly able to complement GDP by tracking the stocks we rely on: produced capital, human capital, and natural capital.

The third bridge is appraisal. Traditional benefit-cost analysis often fails to capture systemic risk reduction or the benefits of nature-based, resilient infrastructure. Yet, nature-based solutions deliver multiple benefits over time and narrow benefit definitions can disadvantage communities and undervalue resilience. A simple example is a restored mangrove: It can reduce storm damage, support fisheries, and strengthen local livelihoods. Broadening appraisal to reflect systems risk and systems return does not change the physics of floods or heat; it changes how decision-makers value investments that prevent loss before it arrives.

None of these bridges requires everyone to agree on one grand theory. They invite practical steps: shared definitions and interoperable data; pipelines that bundle related investments into portfolios; and evaluation tools that reflect how people actually experience risk and benefit.

If 2025 was the year the dots (four milestones) started to connect, 2026 can be the year the connectors are built and a test produced.

One test

For political leaders: Can interoperability and better appraisal make it easier to fund priorities that citizens most directly feel-safer coasts, reliable water, healthier cities-while keeping an eye on debt and fiscal space?

For technical advisors: Can more value come from making existing frameworks talk better to each other-taxonomies, data platforms, standards for outcomes, and project portfolios that are resilient, inclusive, and ready for finance?

For the general public: Can nature on the balance sheet advance prosperity-protecting and regenerating living systems and stabilizing livelihoods?

Responding yes to all attests to an evolving transformation in the development narrative.

*Gene Leon is Executive Director, Development Bank for Resilient Prosperity and former president of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) while Ashaki Goodwin is the Director of Government Affairs and the United Nations Representative for the Development Bank for Resilient Prosperity (DBRP).

Bermuda has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperation on Public Finance Management with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Premier and Minister of Finance David Burt signed the MOU with the UAE’s Minister of State for Financial Affairs, Mohamed bin Had Al Hussaini, with the two countries saying they will begin discussions following the conclusion of the World Governments Summit, with a view to convening an inaugural meeting in the third quarter of this year focused on areas of mutual interest.

‘The cooperation set out in this MOU is focused on practical improvements that support stability and better value for money in the delivery of public services,’ said Burt.

‘The technical discussions and follow-up work will continue after the Summit through technical officials within the Ministry of Finance and their counterparts in the United Arab Emirates, providing continuity within the current Government beyond my term as Premier,’ he added.

A Bermuda government statement said that a priority for the British Overseas Territory will be leveraging technology that the UAE has already tested and deployed to strengthen how the Ministry of Finance utilises data to support macroeconomic and fiscal policy.

It said that other areas of cooperation include budgetary systems, sustainable finance, and capital markets.

The statement said that following the signing, Premier Burt participated in a closed-room discussion at the Arab Fiscal Forum on digital transformation in public finance and the scope for AI.

Four Caribbean nationals. Including two Jamaicans, have been named as regional finalists for the 2026 Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work.

The other finalists are from Asia, Africa, Europe and Canada and the Pacific.

The London-based Commonwealth Secretariat said that 977 applications had been received from across the across the Commonwealth, a voluntary association of 56 independent countries, mostly former British colonies, collaborating on shared goals of democracy, peace, and prosperity.

The Secretariat said that after a rigorous two-stage judging process led by 57 Pan-Commonwealth adjudicators, the four Caribbean nationals have emerged from a list of 20 young social entrepreneurs, climate champions, innovators, and health advocates this year’s finalists.

The Caribbean finalists are Moesha Allen and Nahjae Nunes of Jamaica, Kaveer Phillip of Trinidad and Tobago and Ishmael Nicholson of Belize.

Allen is a member of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), the founder of Helping Youths Pursue Excellence (HYPE), an initiative that reaches more than10,000 youths through mentorship, literacy programme, behaviour modification modification, Police Youth Clubs and the Safe School Programme.

Nunes is an international development policy practitioner reducing inequality by embedding children and youth evidence in public decision-making. He helped negotiate several UN General Assembly resolutions adopted by 193 states and co-chaired the CHOGM 2024 Youth Taskforce that produced the Apia Youth Declaration. At UNICEF, he has authored flagship publications on child poverty and supports several Commonwealth countries on social development concerns

For his part, Nicholson is a founder of RISE Belize that serves as a uniter for youth organisations, inspiring them to become agents of change. He successfully led advocacy efforts to initiate the update of the National Youth Policy in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, Youth, Sports and Diaspora Relations.

The Trinidadian Phillip is the founder of The Carbon Sync, a non-profit organization that focuses on increasing awareness of nature-based solutions through tree planting. It has planted over 450 trees and directly educated and benefitted more than 4,000 people.

As a decarbonisation professional, Kaveer has led work on carbon dioxide removal technology, electric vehicles, recycling and climate finance that has positively impacted communities, companies and entire countries.

Commonwealth Secretary-General, Shirley Botchwey, in congratulating the 20 finalists said ‘at the Commonwealth Secretariat, we believe that young people must be at the forefront of shaping solutions. Their research, innovation and voice are essential to the future we are trying to build. A future where these young leaders are empowered to tackle poverty, fight for climate justice, advocate for education, and bring hope to communities in need across our 56 nations.

‘We are committed to recognising, nurturing and celebrating these young changemakers by creating platforms such as the Youth Awards that spotlight their potential on a global stage.’

For over a decade, the Commonwealth Youth Awards has provided a platform for young people to utilise international networks and access funding to support their projects.,’ she added.

The Secretarat said that the 2026 ceremony will showcase the impactful contributions of the Commonwealth’s partners and accredited organisations. It said breaking new ground, this year sees six additional finalists shortlisted for the inaugural Patsy Robertson Award for Outstanding Communication Skills in honour of Robertson, described as ‘a powerhouse in journalism and a tireless advocate for women in media’.

The Secretariat said that the prize celebrates the voices shaping a fairer, more open world.

The top regional winners and the winner of the Patsy Robertson Award will be announced during a special ceremony on March 11 with one of the 20 finalists being awarded the Commonwealth Young Person of the Year.

The finalists will receive a £1,000 (One GBP=US$1.35 cents) grant, a trophy and a certificate. Five top regional winners will receive an additional £2,000. The Commonwealth Young Person of the Year will receive an additional £2,000, bringing their total to £5,000.

The winner of the Patsy Robertson will receive a trophy, a certificate and a £1,000 cash prize.

When the West Indies take on Scotland in their opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on Saturday, they will do so as heavy favourites.

However, the regional team can ill afford to be overconfident against a team that shocked them at the 2022 World Cup.

Scotland are only in India after the ICC removed Bangladesh from the tournament following their refusal to travel to the sub-continent to play their opening group matches, citing security concerns.

The West Indies have not arrived in India in the best of form, having won just two of their last seven T20Is within the last month.

They will be hoping to turn those fortunes around with the help of their usually reliable captain, Shai Hope and the in-form Shimron Hetmyer and Sherfane Rutherford, with the pitches in India expected to be batter friendly.

Much will also be expected from the hard-hitting trio of Rovman Powell, Matthew Forde and Romario Shepherd, who will be counted on to shepherd the middle and lower order.

On the bowling side, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie and Roston Chase – the three spinners in the squad – will shoulder much of the responsibility, with pacers Shamar Joseph and Jayden Seales providing support.

The Windies have slipped to seventh in the ICC’s T20I rankings but are still seven spots ahead of Scotland.

On paper, they are the better team, but Scotland has made it clear they are not there just to make a number, despite having not played a T20I since losing to Jersey in July.

Foremost on their mind is their 42-run victory over the West Indies at Hobart four years ago.

According to veteran player Mark Watt, they are determined to make the most of the opportunity.

‘I mean, firstly, we’re very sympathetic towards Bangladeshi players, but we still massively believe that we should be here.

‘We believe that we can beat teams higher ranked than us. So, there’s no second guess in our invite into this tournament. We’re all ready to go,’ he said.

‘We’re definitely going out there to win the game. We’ve beaten them twice very recently, so I don’t see why we can’t do it again. We’re all very confident.’

Prime Minister Phillip Davis Friday said that period when he global economy felt like it ran on autopilot with low interest rates and money was easy to borrow, is now something pf the past and no longer applicable.

‘Inflation sat quietly in the background. Capital flowed across borders as if nothing could stop it. If you were lucky enough to be plugged into those flows, life could feel comfortable. If you were not, there was at least a feeling that the tide might eventually lift your boat too,’ Davis told the opening of the Invest Fest Bahamas conference.

The event is organised by The Bahamas International Securities Exchange (BISX) and has brought together regional and international leaders, investors and innovators to shape the future of wealth in The Bahamas and in the Caribbean.

Prime Minister Davis said that with the changing global environment ‘interest rates have teeth again’ adding ‘climate events can wipe out assets in a single night.

‘Technology is racing ahead of our habits. Geopolitics has returned in a very raw form, with trade, sanctions and payment systems used as tools of power. For a small island nation like ours, this new reality can feel unforgiving. We are exposed to storms, to swings in tourism, to movements in oil prices, to rules and standards we did not write.’

Davis said the country cannot pretend that none of this is happening, warning however ‘we also must not talk ourselves into helplessness’.

He said there is a big difference between living in a tough neighbourhood and having no say over your own house.

‘We do not control the global weather, but we control how strong our foundations are. We do not control every movement of international capital, but we control what it finds when it comes here.

‘We do not control the pace of technology, but we control how ready our people are to use it.

That is where capital markets come in,’ he said, adding that at the simplest level, a capital market is a meeting place between savings and ideas.

‘It is where a nurse’s pension meets a company’s expansion plan. Where a young founder with a promising concept meets a crowd of small investors willing to take a chance. Where a government that wants to build airports and energy plants meets citizens and institutions who want a safe place to put their money.’

He said that if all those meetings happen in New York or London, ‘then we are passengers’ adding decisions about what to build and who owns what are taken somewhere else, under someone else’s rules.

Prime Minister Davis said that if more of those meetings happen in The Bahamas ‘on our exchange, under our laws, with Bahamian people at the table, then we start to move from passengers to participants’.

He said Invest Fest Bahamas is described as the region’s premier financial conference, connecting investors, entrepreneurs and innovators to shape the future of wealth, with keynotes, live investment opportunities, curated networking and hands-on workshops that spotlight Bahamian capital markets, unlock access to capital, advance financial literacy and drive growth.

‘Those are impressive words, but they are also a mirror of what our country needs. Because the truth is that The Bahamas is at a fork in the road.’

Prime Minister Davis said that one path leads to a future where serious financial decisions continue to be taken mostly somewhere else, where the role is to comply, to adjust, to make the best of whatever others have decided.

The other path he said leads to a future where local institutions are strong, markets are deep, people participate, and the country uses global capital to serve Bahamian goals.

But he urged the delegates to be honest as to where ‘we are.

‘We are an island people. We know storms in our bones. We know what it is to watch the sea change colour and feel a knot in the stomach. We know what it is to board up a window, fill a bathtub, check on a neighbour. We know that hope is good, but preparation is better.’

Prime Minister Davis said that the experience should shape how the people of the country think about finance, adding ‘we should never again build an economy that looks sturdy in good weather but falls apart at the first sign of trouble.

‘We already have some important strengths. We have a central bank that is respected across the region. We have regulators who have earned credibility. We have professionals who are trusted in major financial centres.

‘We have BISX, our own exchange, which exists because earlier leaders refused to accept that every serious listing had to take place in someone else’s market. So we start from a position of experience and capacity,’ Prime Minister Davis said adding the challenge is to use that base to build something even stronger, something that fits this new world.

He said the world which developing countries we are heading into is defined by three big shifts, namely climate, digital revolution and social pressure.

‘If we ignore these shifts, they will push us around. If we face them squarely, they can open doors. Climate risk can become climate opportunity when capital is directed into clean energy, resilient infrastructure and the blue economy.

‘Digital change can become a chance for our people to sell services to the world without leaving home, if they have the skills and the tools. Social pressure can become social progress if more people feel that they have a stake in growth through pensions, funds and shares that they understand.’

Against this backdrop, Prime Minister Davis said that resilience will be among the priroties going forward in developing the economic, saying ‘we know that shocks will come.

‘Hurricanes, global financial scares, sudden moves in interest rates, cyber incidents. We cannot prevent all of them, but we can choose whether they knock us flat or simply knock us back a little.

‘Resilience means sound banks and insurers. It means a public debt path that is believable. It means regulators who act early when they see trouble. It means clear arrangements for how we manage stress, so that ordinary people are not left in the dark.

‘Our capital markets must be built on that kind of foundation. Investors, whether local or international, will bring serious money only if they believe that the system can weather a storm.’

He said another priority would be to build depth, noting that right now, while BISX does good work, the exchange does not yet reflect the full variety of the economy.

‘There are sectors that never appear on the ticker. There are companies that could benefit from listing, but are unsure about the process. There are instruments that would suit our needs that are not yet offered here.

‘We need more issuers across more sectors: energy, logistics, food production, digital services, culture and creative work, the blue economy.

‘We need a ladder of markets: private placements and crowdfunding for the earliest stages, growth segments for mid-sized firms, the main board for large and mature companies, active markets for both equity and debt.’

Davis said that there is also need for better information, adding ‘you cannot invest wisely in what you cannot see.

‘Regular, honest reporting from companies and from government is part of building depth,’ he said, making reference to inclusion as a third priority for building the economy.

‘If the capital market feels like a private club .it will always be smaller than it could be. Inclusion begins with financial literacy. People need clear explanations of what different products are, how risk and reward relate, what diversification means.

‘They do not need to be told that risk disappears. They need to be shown how to manage it. Inclusion also means access,’ he added.

The Electoral Office says it will resume voter registration on March 9, amid criticism from opposition political parties and at least one leading businessman and hotelier.

The voter confirmation process began on October 15 last year, but the leader of the main opposition United Workers Party (UWP), Dr. Thomson Fontaine, had raised concerns about the situation noting that one of the contributing factors in the very slow process of confirmation.

The United Progressive Party (UPP) said that the Chief Election Officer had informed the public that the suspension of new voter registration was as a result of software and hardware development and training of registration officers.

It recalled a recent account published in local media describing how a prospective voter was denied the opportunity to register on January 12, 2026, because officials claimed the required software or technology was ‘not ready’ to process first-time registrations.

‘By turning away new registrants for any reason, including technological or administrative unpreparedness, the Electoral Commission and the government of Dominica are in direct violation of this statutory requirement. There is no provision in law for the suspension of new voter registration due to software delays or any other administrative inconvenience.’

Prominent businessman and hotelier, Gregor Nassief, said that the situation ‘is troubling because it comes at the end of a long and often painful journey towards electoral reform.

‘The passage of the electoral reform bills in March 2025 was meant to turn the page, yet important elements of (former president of the Caribbean Court of Justice) Sir Denis Byron’s recommendations – including campaign finance rules, residency requirements, safeguards against bribery and treating, fair media access, and the use of state resources – are not fully resolved and remain contentious.

‘These issues already challenge the perception of free and fair elections, and the ongoing inability of new voters to register poses an even greater threat,’ Nassief wrote in a letter to the media.

But in a statement announcing the resumption of the voter registration exercise, the Electoral Office said that temporary suspension of voter registration was due to the enactment of the new legislation, which necessitated the implementation of an advanced computerized voter registration system and revised eligibility requirements for electors.

It said that the legislation also stipulates that all current voters must confirm their registration, and it required the Electoral Commission to publicly announce the voter confirmation period within one month of the legislation’s approval.

Consequently, the processes of voter confirmation and voter registration were developed and launched as separate programs.

The Electoral Office said to meet the legislative deadlines it prioritised the voter confirmation process, which was initiated in October 2025, marking the first phase of the new law’s implementation.

During this period, the Electoral Office said it was legally restricted from processing voter registrations through the previous system or using the old registration forms. Additionally, a new system for generating voter identification numbers, compliant with the legislation, had to be developed.

The Electoral Office is now confirming that it is fully prepared to commence the second phase of the registration of voters using the newly developed, modernized system.

It said the updated system encompasses advanced software, a highly technological registration platform, and specialized training for a team of skilled personnel, including registering officers and assistant registering officers.

These officers will utilise computerized devices capable of entering data, scanning required documents, and capturing photographs of applicants to facilitate the registration process.

The Trinidad-based regional conglomerate, Massy Group, is reporting a strong performance for the three month period ending December 31, with revenue increasing by six per cent to US$650 million.

Massy Group president and chief executive officer, James Mc Letchie, said in spite of inflationary pressures, foreign exchange constraints and other competitive dynamics, Massy has entered 2026 focused on executing its long-term strategy as well as ‘delivering consistent performance, strengthening governance, allocating capital responsibly, and investing for sustainable growth, while maintaining clear, timely communication with shareholders and stakeholders to drive value creation’.

The Massy Group said that based on the financial reports, the board of directors has declared an interim quarterly dividend of TT$3.54 (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents) per share.

In a statement, it said some key highlights of the Group’s performance include earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) growing by 12 per cent to US$79 million.

Profit after tax from continuing operations increased by nine per cent to US$33 million.

The group with operations in several Caribbean countries, said its integrated retail portfolio increased revenue by four per cent to US$0.4 billion and its gas products portfolio EBITDA increased by 10 per cent year-on-year to US$21 million.

At the same time, the motors and machines portfolio, when compared to the prior-year quarter, saw third-party revenue increase by 17 per cent to US$0.2 billion.

The integrated retail portfolio, including Massy Distribution and Massy Stores retail outlets, remained the Group’s largest contributor, driven by volume growth, improved merchandising, and continued focus on enhancing customer experience and value across operations.

Mc Letchie expressed confidence in Massy’s ability to successfully navigate the complexity facing the region and to deliver sustainable growth for shareholders, customers, employees, and the communities served by the organisation.

The following is the CANANews and SPORTS Schedule for Friday, February 6, 2026.

GEORGETOWN – President Irfaan Ali says the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) needs to undertake continuous strategic transformation to meet modern security threats and safeguard national development acknowledging that the country still faces the same threat over the mineral and biodiversity-rich Essequibo Region that had been claimed by Venezuela.

ROSEAU -The Electoral Office says it will resume voter registration on March 9, amid criticism from opposition political parties and at least one leading businessman and hotelier.

DUBAI – The Antigua and Barbuda government has announced plans to undertaking a multi-faceted overhaul of its tourism industry which it says is designed to create greater visitor experiences while providing more benefits to the local economy.

BRIDGETOWN – A year like 2025 rarely hands us a single turning point. It hands us a pattern CMCFeature by Gene Leon and Ashaki Goodwin).

LONDON -Four Caribbean nationals. Including two Jamaicans, have been named as regional finalists for the 2026 Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work.

SPORTS:

ADELAIDE – Despite being thrashed 72-41 by Australia in the opening game of their three-match Test series, Sunshine Girls head coach Sasha Gaye-Henry says there were some positive takeaways.

The Antigua-based airline, Liat Air, says it has entered into discussions with the state-owned Surinam Airways (SLM) with the aim of establishing an interline partnership, which both airline say would mark ‘an important step in enhancing connectivity between the Caribbean and South America.

‘This strategic collaboration would enable passengers to travel seamlessly across both airlines’ networks with a single ticket, coordinated baggage handling, and smoother connections. The initiative aims to make regional and international travel more convenient, flexible, and accessible,’ the two airlines said in a joint statement.

They said that the partnership would extend Liat Air’s reach beyond its current route network, while allowing Surinam Airways to strengthen its presence in key Caribbean markets.

‘This expanded network would create new opportunities for tourism, business travel, and broader regional mobility. Most importantly, travelers will benefit from increased choice, improved connectivity, and a more streamlined end-to-end travel experience,’ they added in the joint statement.

The two airlines said that they were looking forward ‘to advancing these discussions continuing their shared commitment to improving regional air travel’.

SLM is the flag carrier of Suriname and operates regional and long-haul scheduled passenger services. Its hub is at Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport.

The Antigua-based Liat Air is a 30/70 venture between the Antigua and Barbuda government and the privately-owned Nigerian airline, Air Peace, that was formed following the collapse of the LIAT (1974) that officially ceased operations on January 24, 2024.