Category: CANA News

Afghanistan Under-19s defeated the West Indies Under-19s by 138 runs in the eleventh match of the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup here at the High Performance Oval on Sunday.

AFGHANISTAN U19S 262-6 in 50 overs (Osman Sadat 88, Mahboob Khan 86, Khalid Ahmadzai 34; Jakeem Pollard 3-39, Vitel Lawes 3-48).

WEST INDIES U19S 124 in 33.2 overs (Jewel Andrew 57, Jakeem Pollard 11 not out; Nooristani Omarzai 4-16, Khatir Stanikzai 3-20, Wahidullah Zadran 3-36).

The light and power company – the Jamaica Public Service (JPS), has warned the public about a report and video circulating online which falsely claim that the company has launched an investment programme for Jamaicans

In a statement on Saturday, JPS, said the information is completely false and is part of a scam.

The company said it is not requesting money from anyone for an investment programme.

‘Members of the public are strongly advised not to click on any links associated with the fake article or video, not to fill out forms or share personal or financial information, and not to send money to anyone claiming to represent JPS in this way.’

The JPS has urged customers and the wider public to remain vigilant and to verify information before taking action.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday held brief talks with Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness in the wake of deep regional concern over the United States’ recent intervention in Venezuela, the US military’s strikes on suspected narco-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea and the US’ freezing of all visa processing for several Caribbean countries.

‘Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke today with Prime Minister Holness to discuss ongoing US assistance in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa and shared regional priorities,’ said State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott in a statement.

‘Secretary Rubio reaffirmed US support for Jamaica’s recovery and reconstruction,’ he added. ‘Secretary Rubio thanked Prime Minister Holness for his leadership as a strong and reliable regional security partner.’

Pigott said Rubio, the son of Cubans immigrants, who migrated to Miami, also congratulated Holness on Jamaica’s ‘significant reduction in the number of crimes in 2025 and underscored shared concerns about drug and firearms trafficking, narco-terrorists, and transnational crime, and the importance of continued security cooperation.’

The talks come as the Trump administration announced on Wednesday that it will be freezing indefinitely all visa processing for 75 countries, including many in the Caribbean, effective Wednesday, January 31.

‘The State Department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people,’ said Pigott in a statement.

‘Immigration from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassess immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits,’ he added.

Im addition to Jamaica, Caribbean countries affected by the visa pause include Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Notably absent from the list are Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname and the Dominican Republic, which, reportedly, have been cooperating with Washington in its military strikes in the region.

Other countries on the list for the visa pause are Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Yemen.

The State Department said the freeze to the 75 countries will continue until the department reassesses visa processing.

Afghanistan delivered a powerful, all-round performance to crush the West Indies by 138 runs in their ICC U19 World Cup clash on Sunday, securing their place in the Super Six stage of the tournament in emphatic fashion. The contest was always going to be the trickiest one for the regional side against a confident Afghan side that came off a morale-boosting victory over South Africa in their opneing fixture.

Choosing to bat first after winning the toss, Afghanistan’s innings was built on a series of strong partnerships.

Openers Khalid Ahmadzai and Osman Sadat laid a solid platform with 86 runs after the pair weathered the early threat from seamers Jakeem Pollard and Shaquan Belle.

The West Indies found a brief spark through spinner Vitel Lawes, who broke the stand and ripped through the middle order with two quick wickets to leave Afghanistan at 110 for three in the 26th over.

Lawes, twirling his back of the arm, left-armers first, Ahmadzai caught by Francis for 34, before getting one to spin back and rattle the stumps of Faisal Shinodza for 4.

Lawes then induced an aerial drive from Uzaiullah Niazai, who was caught by a diving Jonathan van Lange for 12.

However, any hopes of a Caribbean resurgence were snuffed out by a decisive 77-run partnership between Captain Mehboob Khan and the composed Sadat.

The pair drove, pulled and swept their way to well-deserved half-centuries, although Mehboob could count himself lucky after he was put down earlier by wicket-keeper Jewel Andrew.

Sadat anchored the innings with a top score of 88, while Khan provided vital stability with 86, steering Afghanistan to a competitive total of 262 for six from their 50 overs.

Lawes and fellow bowler Jakeem Pollard shared six wickets between them for the West Indies.

The Afghan reply with the ball was immediate and devastating. Their combined pace and spin attack ripped through the top order, reducing the West Indies to a perilous state with three wickets lost inside the first five overs.

Opener Tanez Francis looked in touch after a sweet extra cover drive, but when he got to 9, he swept at the off spinner Zadran and was well caught in the deep.

Zadran was once again in the thick of things. This time, opener Zacary Carter had a big swipe across the line and was castled for three.

The offspinner was having so much fun at this time that he decided to produce another peach of a delivery to rattle the off stump of captain Joshua Dorne for a duck.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Andrew mounted a lone act of defiance, battling to a resilient half-century, but found no ally at the other end as wickets fell consistently.

Andrew looked imperious with his driving, as the right-hander showed his class with four fours and three sixes in his 70-ball knock of 57.

But the disciplined Afghan bowlers maintained a stranglehold and pegged away at wickets, with Nooristani Omarzai leading a clinical display.

Omarzai was the standout, claiming an impressive four-wicket haul, while Wahidullah Zadran and Khatir Stanikzai chipped in with three wickets apiece. The West Indies innings crumbled for a mere 124 in the 32nd over.

With this commanding victory, Afghanistan advance confidently to the Super Six. They will next face Tanzania on Wednesday. The West Indies, meanwhile, must regroup quickly for a crucial encounter against South Africa on Thursday.

Scoreboard of the eleventh match of the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup between West Indies and Afghanistan here at the High Performance Oval on Sunday.

AFGHANISTAN U19s

Khalid Ahmadzai c Francis b Lawes 34

Omar Sadat b Pollard 88

Faisal Shinozada b Lawes 4

Uzairullah Niazai c Van Lange b Lawes 12

Mahboob Khan (c)† c Apple b Pollard 86

Azizullah Miakhil b Pollard 21

Nooristani Omarzai not out 3

Abdul Aziz not out 5

Did not bat: Khatir Stanikzai, Roohullah Arab, Wahidullah Zadran

Extras (lb3, w6) 9

TOTAL (six wickets; 50 overs) 262

Fall of wickets: 1-86, 2-90, 3-110, 4-187, 5-225, 6-256

Bowling: Pollard 10-2-39-3, Belle 8-0-45-0, van Lange 7-0-53-0, Miller 5-0-41-0, McKenzie 10-0-33-0, Lawes 10-0-48-3,

WEST INDIES U19s

Tanez Francis c Stanikzai b Zadran 9

Zachary Carter b Zadran 3

+Jewel Andrew c Miakhil b Stanikzai 57

*Joshua Dorne b Zadran 0

Shamar Apple lbw Omarzai 5

Jonathan van Lange c Shinozada b Omarzai 9

Matthew Miller c Khan b Omarzai 2

Shaquan Belle c Ahmadzai b Stanikzai 9

Micah McKenzie b Stanikzai 5

Jakeem Pollard not out 11

Vitel Lawes c Niazai b Omarzai 9

Extras (b1, w4) 5

TOTAL (ten wickets; 33.2 overs) 124

Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-21, 3-21, 4-51, 5-75, 6-80, 7-96, 8-101, 9-105, 10-124.

Bowling: Aziz 5-0-27-0, Zadran 9-1-36-3, Omarzai 7.2-2-16-4, Arab 7-0-24-0, Stanikzai 5-2-20-3.

Toss: Afghanistan U19s.

Result: Afghanistan U19S defeat West Indies U19s by 138 runs

Player-of-the-Match: Mahboob Khan

Umpires: Faisal Afridi, Shaun Haig

TV Umpire: Virender Sharma.

Reserve Umpire: Iknow Chabi

Match Referee: Prakash Bhatt.

Afghanistan elected to bat after winning the toss against West Indies Under-19s in the eleventh match of the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup here at the High Performance Oval on Sunday.

Afghanistan U19: Khalid Ahmadzai, Osman Sadat, Faisal Khan, Uzairullah Niazai, Mahboob Khan (c and wk), Aziz Mia Khil, Khatir Stanikzai, Nooristani, Rohullah Arab, Abdul Aziz, Wahid Zadran

West Indies U19: Tanez Francis, Zachary Carter, Jewel Andrew (wk), Joshua Dorne (c), Shamar Apple, Jonathan Van Lange, Shaquan Belle, Matthew Miller, Micah McKenzie, Jakeem Pollard, Vitel Lawes

Umpires: Faisal Afridi, Shaun Haig

TV Umpire: Virender Sharma.

Reserve Umpire: Iknow Chabi

Match Referee: Prakash Bhatt.

Afghanistan Under-19s post 262-6 in 50 overs batting first against the West Indies Under-19s in the eleventh match of the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup here at the High Performance Oval on Sunday.

AFGHANISTAN U19S 262-6 in 50 overs (Osman Sadat 88, Mahboob Khan 86, Khalid Ahmadzai 34; Jakeem Pollard 3-39, Vitel Lawes 3-48).

The police on Saturday confirmed the seizure of more than J$5 million worth of cocaine at the Sangster International Airport , leading to the arrest of two senior government employees. Detectives assigned to the Firearms and Narcotics Investigation Division (FNID), say the suspects, a man and a woman, were taken into custody on Friday during an operation at the airport.

According to the police, the two were intercepted around midday by Port Security and FNID personnel at a security checkpoint while attempting to board a flight destined for New York.

A search of their luggage reportedly revealed several false compartments containing rectangular packages of cocaine, weighing 9.25 kilograms, with an estimated street value of J$5.4 million.

Police also found a sum of cash in United States currency inside a handbag.

Following the arrests, FNID conducted secondary operations at the suspects’ residences, where they seized a Glock 19 pistol, 13 rounds of ammunition, and one ounce of cocaine.

Police further disclosed that one of the suspects admitted to having ingested more than 70 pellets of cocaine.

He has since been admitted to a medical facility and remains under police guard.

Director of FNID, Superintendent Patrae Rowe, said the operation reflects intensified efforts by the JCF to disrupt the illegal firearms and narcotics trade.

President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali says Guyana is rapidly emerging as one of the Caribbean and South America’s premier tourism destinations

Delivering remarks late Saturday at the opening of the Plaza Court Hotel here, he said driven by strategic investments in infrastructure, safety, and human capital, he said the country’s tourism expansion is no longer aspirational but firmly underway, with new hotel developments that signal Guyana’s readiness to compete in the global tourism market.

‘Guyana is not waiting for a tourism boom. The boom has already begun,’ Ali said. ‘We are not speculators anymore. We are coming for the market, and we are coming to be successful.’

He emphasised that the growing number of hotels must operate collaboratively, noting that the sector is collectively selling a single product: Brand Guyana.

‘You are not selling separate brands. You are selling one product, one brand – Product Guyana,’ the President said, noting,’That requires collaboration, shared standards, and shared accountability.’

Ali identified safety, service and experience as the three pillars of a successful tourism sector, outlining government investments to support each one.

He noted that enhanced security infrastructure in several areas have significantly strengthened public safety, while continued investments in technology have modernised monitoring and response systems.

To strengthen service quality, the President announced continued work toward a world-class Hospitality Institute to upgrade skills across the sector and ensure Guyanese workers meet international service standards.

On the visitor experience, he highlighted improvements in airport processing, public spaces, historic corridors and connectivity to entertainment and recreational areas, all contributing to a seamless tourism product.

‘Tourism does not happen in brochures. It happens on runways, in ports, in hotels, and in communities that are accessible, prepared and proud,’ he said.

The president also revealed that Guyana is attracting increased interest from international organisations seeking to host conferences and major events, citing recent engagements with multiple groups planning to bring large delegations to the country this year.

He credited the private sector for its confidence and investments, reaffirming the government’s role in creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, create jobs and raise living standards.

‘We want our private sector to be successful, profitable and expanding,’ Ali said. ‘That success must translate into opportunities, growth and better wages for our people.’

Looking ahead, the president said Guyana’s emergence as a premier sustainable tourism destination is being built deliberately through unprecedented investments in roads, bridges, ports, airports, hinterland airstrips and community infrastructure.

As he marked the opening of the Plaza Court Hotel, the president said the development represents a clear signal of Guyana’s readiness for the global tourism stage.

‘Brick by brick, runway by runway, room by room, we are laying the foundation for shared prosperity,’ he said.

Ali congratulated the investors and workers behind the project and encouraged continued partnership between the government and the private sector as Guyana advances its tourism and development agenda.

West Indies won the toss and elected to field against Bangladesh in the opening One Day International here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Saturday.

WEST INDIES: Shai Hope (captain), Brandon King, Alick Athanaze, Keacy Carty, Sherfane Rutherford, Justin Greaves, Roston Chase, Romario Shepherd, Gudakesh Motie, Khary Pierre, Jayden Seales.

BANGLADESH: Mehidy Hasan Miraz (captain), Soumya Sarkar, Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Mahidul Islam Ankon, Nurul Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman.

Umpires: Gazi Sohel, Jayaraman Madanagopal.

TV Umpire: Chris Gaffaney.