Category: CANA News

Nicholas Pooran hammered an unbeaten half century and together with Muhammad Waseem carried MI Emirates to a convincing eight-wicket victory over the struggling Gulf Giants when the International League T20 continued on Tuesday.

Playing at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Pooran blasted 69 not out off 49 balls, with six fours and three sixes, while Player-of-the-Match Waseem hit an unbeaten 59 off 42 deliveries with three sixes and three fours, as the Emirates easily overhauled the Giants’ total of 141 for six, racing to 142 for two in just 16.3 overs.

Following the early losses of Jonny Bairstow and Tom Banton, who both fell for ducks to see the Emirates reduced to two for two, Pooran and Waseem shared an unbroken partnership of 140 runs to comfortably see their side to victory.

Earlier, Romario Shepherd took two wickets to restrict the Giants to a below par total.

Shepherd bowled captain James Vince for two and had Asif Khan caught for 12, to see the Giants slump to 27 for three in the fourth over.

Only Moeen Ali, who struck 51 off 48 balls with two sixes and two fours and Barbadian Kyle Mayers, who scored an unbeaten 28 off 18 balls, inclusive of four fours and one six, put up any resistance.

Fazalhaq Farooqui was the pick of the Emirates’ bowlers with 2-17, while Shepherd claimed 2-36 from his four overs.

The win propeled the Emirates to second in the standings on 12 points from their nine matches, two points behind leaders Desert Vipers.

Meanwhile, the Giants maintained fourth position on six points with a 3-6 record.

The Trinidad and Tobago government Wednesday criticised the use of drones to acquire photos of ‘military installations and equipment’ noting ‘with great concern’ drone activity in close proximity to both the Piarco International Airport in Trinidad and the ANR Robinson Airport in Tobago.

In a statement, the Ministry of Defence, which said it is responsible ‘for securing our borders, including the airspace and territorial waters,’ said it had taken note of ‘recent drone activity’ near the two airports.

Earlier this week, the Trinidad Guardian newspaper published a photo what it said showed images of ‘several trucks and utility vehicles positioned within the restricted area, along with a small tent and another temporary structure located close to the equipment, suggesting use for operational or shelter purposes. A number of portable toilets were also observed at the site’.

But Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar dismissed the suggestion that the image is that of a military base, saying the photo shows ‘support offices’ for the US military radar system on the island.

While she did not explicitly describe the compound as a military base, Persad-Bissessar told the newspaper ‘the picture is self-explanatory. There is a radar with the support offices to operate it’.

Persad-Bissessar would later describe the newspaper and the main opposition People’s National Movement (PPNM_ of ‘appearing obsessed’ with getting the ‘radar and the Americans out of the country,’ saying that the only people who would benefit from such an outcome would be drug traffickers.

In its statement, the Ministry of Defence said that ‘objective verification shows drones were flown within the five kilometer no fly zone of our airports, contrary to claims made that the drones operated outside five kilometers from our airports.

‘The Ministry of Defence wishes to highlight the reckless endangerment created by drone operators from the obvious and inherent danger posed to both incoming and outgoing commercial aircraft during which drone operations with the real possibility of collisions which potentially lead to loss of life on a massive scale’.

It said quite apart from the obvious dangers posed ‘the desire to obtain footage of military installations and equipment to disseminate same to media houses and by extension the world at large, is inimical to national security interests and exposes the citizenry to those who would benefit from the use of such information to our detriment’.

Last month, Persad-Bissessar defended her decision to withhold details about the installation of United States radar systems in Tobago, even as she criticised the previous administration for leaving Trinidad and Tobago’s borders ‘exposed.’

She had also dismissed suggestions that the US presence in Tobago was military in nature. ‘They are helping us with something to do at the (Arthur NR Robinson International) airport,’ she said, pointing to work connected to a roadway near the airport. ‘It is not a military force as such. We are not about to launch any campaign against Venezuela.’

Persad-Bissessar has denied being part of the efforts by the United States to effect regime change in Venezuela, where Washington has accused President Nicolas Maduro of being a narco trafficker, a term the prime minister is now using to refer to the administration in Caracas.

Two American nationals were denied bail after they appeared in a magistrate’s court charged with raping a 25-year-old woman on a cruise ship, the Carinival Sunrise.

The prosecution alleges that Sayjuan Readous and Antoine Meadows raped the woman on December 15. Readous also faces a charge of abetment to rape, while Meadows is charged with a second count of rape by himself.

Magistrate Abigail Farrington denied bail to the men and advised them of their right to seek bail in the Supreme Court as they were not required to enter pleas to the charges.

In an era where international relations are often dominated by headlines of discord and unilateral action, the recent and successful engagement between Antigua and Barbuda and the United States over new security proclamations stands as a masterclass in mature, effective diplomacy.

The outcome, which safeguards the interests of our citizens while respecting U.S. security imperatives, is not a matter of luck. It is the direct result of calm, professional and persistent diplomatic efforts, led with distinction by our Ambassador to the United States and the OAS, Sir Ronald Sanders.

Faced with the potential disruption caused by the U.S. proclamation of December 16, 2025, our government moved with swiftness and strategic clarity. Under the direct guidance of Prime Minister Gaston Browne and my ministerial leadership at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Ambassador Sanders was instructed to engage immediately with the highest levels of the U.S. State Department.

He did not go to Washington to protest or posture but to negotiate, clarify and secure the interests of every Antiguan and Barbudan citizen

The results, as detailed in Ambassador Sanders’ statement, are unequivocally positive. The U.S. has confirmed it will respect all existing visas, providing immediate certainty to our students, business travellers, tourists and families. It has guaranteed no revocation of pre 2025 visas, protecting the substantial investments and plans of our people.

This immediate clarity alleviated the foremost anxieties of our citizens, a testament to diplomacy that listens to and acts upon the concerns of the people.

For future arrangements, Ambassador Sanders, working in lockstep with the Cabinet, secured a cooperative path forward.

The alignment of biometric systems is a practical measure of enhanced security cooperation and must not be seen as a punitive barrier. As he emphatically stated, the process for our citizens will be no different; only the technology will be harmonized. This was a key concession achieved through negotiation, ensuring our systems are compatible while preserving the dignity and ease of travel for our people.

Throughout this delicate process, Ambassador Sanders exemplified the highest standards of diplomatic service. He kept Prime Minister Browne, Attorney General Cutie Benjamin and myself continuously abreast of all developments, ensuring our leadership was fully informed and that our national strategy was executed with precision. His approach, combining unwavering advocacy for Antigua and Barbuda with a deep respect for the U.S’s security prerogatives, created the atmosphere of the mutual trust necessary for a rapid and fair resolution.

This successful outcome also speaks to the receptive and professional conduct of the officials within the United States Department of State. We express sincere appreciation for their expeditious and good-faith response to our request for engagement. Their willingness to listen and work constructively reflects the enduring strength of the bilateral relationship our nations have nurtured over decades.

This entire episode underscores the outstanding and effective leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From the strategic direction set at the political level to the expert execution by our ambassador in the field, our diplomatic machinery proved its worth.

We demonstrated that a small state, when guided by principle and professional diplomacy, can engage with the world’s largest power not from a position of weakness but from one of respect and reasoned partnership

Antigua and Barbuda has reaffirmed our commitment to being a responsible international partner, pledged to security cooperation and steadfast in protecting the rights and interests of our citizens. This is what effective governance looks like.

We have achieved clarity, preserved vital people-to-people ties while at the same time strengthening the framework of our cooperation with the United States. For this, the nation owes a debt of gratitude to the diplomatic team, led by Sir Ronald Sanders, whose skill and dedication turned a potential challenge into a demonstration of diplomatic excellence.

Grenada’s first retail bond programme, which was launched in October with the aim of raising five million EC dollars (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) on the Regional Securities Market has failed to raise the targeted amount.

When the bidding process closed on November 21, only EC$4.3 million had been raised.

The bonds were auctioned from October 31 to November 21 and were assigned on a first come first serve format for citizens of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU), namely Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The brokers were those already approved by the Eastern Caribbean Securities Exchange (ECSE) with the minimum investment being EC$500 and the maximum EC$50,000.

In a pre-recorded interview disseminated by the Ministry of Finance, Kerry Pierre, head of the Debt Management Unit described the auction as successful despite not being able to achieve the targeted amount.

‘We have been very successful in the completion of the auction of the first pilot retail household bond. On the fifth of December when the auction closed, we closed with a total bid of EC$4.3 million. So, for an auction of five million EC dollars we were able to close at EC$4.3 million,’ he said.

‘While some may query why not five million EC dollars given the pre-interest shown, we have to remember that this is the first time for this particular auction and it was learned along the way,’ he said in the interview with the Ministry of Finance Communications manager, Kerry Pierre.

‘We had the interest, we saw the bids coming in, albeit they started a little bit slowly, as persons were trying to get they feet wet, to make certain they had all of they document ready or prepared, they transfers prepared, as the time pass we saw the number of bids increase right down to the 05 December when we closed at 2:00pm.’

More than 350 people participated in the auction which is a two-year government-backed bond offering a fixed annual interest rate of 4.25 per cent with semi-annual payments in May and November of each year.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Private Sector Organisation (CPSO) has reaffirmed its commitment to regional integration and the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) in light of the ongoing spat involving regional leaders and the future direction of the 15-member grouping.

In a statement, the CPSO said since it became an ‘associate institution’ within CARICOM, it has worked with fellow private sector companies and business organisations ‘to advance projects and representations to pursue the noble objectives of the CSME,’ which allows for the free movement of goods, skills, labour and services across the region.

The CPSO said that the CSME has ‘delivered tangible benefits to firms and workers throughout the region, supporting significant intra-regional trade, strengthening regional supply chains and contributing meaningfully to foreign exchange earnings and economic activity in member states, including Trinidad and Tobago’.

In recent days, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne has called on Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar to ‘produce the evidence’ that CARICOM, including Antigua and Barbuda had aligned itself with ‘the Maduro narco government headed by a dictator’ in Venezuela.

She said that Venezuela has been threatening to invade Guyana for years and since last June they began making similar threats that Trinidad and Tobago is a part of Venezuela.

‘Yet CARICOM has chosen to support the Maduro narco government through the fake zone of peace narrative which is clearly designed to get the American military to leave the Caribbean region and therefore enable Maduro to remain as dictator in Venezuela.

‘An organisation that chooses to disparage our greatest ally the United States but lends support to the Maduro narco-government headed by a dictator who has imprisoned and killed thousands of civilians and opposition members as well as threatened two CARICOM members is one that has clearly lost its way,’ Persad-Bissessar said in a statement.

‘My priority is in the best interests of the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago,’ she added.

In its statement, CPSO which serves as the umbrella body for at least seven national private sector organisations, said it places great value on the benefits derived both from intra-CARICOM trade ‘and from the Community’s strong trading relationships beyond the region, including with the United States, the largest collective external trading partner for CARICOM.

‘From a private sector standpoint, these relationships are not in competition, they are complimentary, reinforcing economic resilience and diversification’.

The CPSO said at a time of global economic uncertainty, ‘the private sector depends on confidence, stability and constructive engagement among member states.

‘In these times, the phrase ‘stronger together’ is particularly relevant. CARICOM continues to serve as the forum for leaders, governments, institutions and the people of our Community to join hands and stand shoulder to shoulder. In solidarity to transform vulnerabilities inti assets by building resilience and strategically integrating into the global economy.’

The CPSO warned that in a world of increasing isolation ‘we recognise that CARICOM and the CSME vision are critical for our joint sustainability.

‘We acknowledge the collaborative and inclusive framework afforded to the regional private sector by the CARICOM Heads in our pursuit of the full implementation of the CSME. We in the private sector across the region are committed to working together with our governments and other stakeholders in CARICOM to achieve this vision,’ said the CPSO in the statement that was also signed by the Private Sector Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago, the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, Barbados Private Sector Organisation, Private Sector Commission of Guyana, the OECS Business Council, the Suriname Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The following is the CANANews and SPORTS Schedule for Wednesday, December 24, 2025.

BRIDGETOWN – The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Private Sector Organisation (CPSO) has reaffirmed its commitment to regional integration and the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) in light of the ongoing spat involving regional leaders and the future direction of the 15-member grouping.

BRIDGETOWN – The Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL) is calling on regional leaders to recommit to the principles of ‘respectful engagement, collective responsibility, and meaningful consultation’ within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in the wake of the ongoing spat involving Caribbean leaders and the future direction of the 15-member grouping.

PORT OF SPAIN – Pan Trinbago has expressed its ‘deep disappointment’ at the decision of the Trinidad and Tobago government to extended the use of the existing coat of arms until January 2, 2031, despite the approval of a new national emblem earlier this year.

ST. GEORGE’S – Grenada’s first retail bond programme, which was launched in October with the aim of raising five million EC dollars (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) on the Regional Securities Market has failed to raise the targeted amount.

BRIDGETOWN – Health authorities are reporting at least two deaths and a ‘growing’ increase in cases of respiratory illness, especially in adults in Barbados, even as they acknowledge that this is not uncommon at this time of the year.

SPORTS:

PORT OF SPAIN – Trinidad and Tobago centre back Kobi Henry has signed a two-year deal to play with Major League Soccer (MLS) team, Real Salt Lake.

ABU DHABI – Prolific middle order batsman Shimron Hetmyer will take no further part in the International League T20 tournament after picking up a hamstring injury.

As United States President Donald J. Trump expands the US military build-up in the Caribbean, Democratic legislators are demanding that the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigate the US military’s strikes on suspected narco-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea as crimes.

Congressmen Ted Lieu and Jamie Raskin, the Ranking Member of the House of Representatives’ Judiciary Committee, have sent a letter to US Attorney General Pam Bondi demanding that the DOJ open a criminal investigation into the Trump administration’s lethal military strikes in the Caribbean.

The members cite ‘deeply troubling reporting’ that, on September 2, 2025, following an initial strike on a small vessel in international waters off Venezuela, US forces carried out a second attack on two survivors clinging to the wreckage, raising ‘serious concerns that senior Defense Department officials ordered or condoned conduct that violates both the laws of war and federal criminal law.

‘To be clear, the entire Caribbean operation appears to be unlawful. Congress has never authorized military force against Venezuela; a boat moving towards Suriname does not pose a clear and present danger to the United States; and the classified legal memoranda the Trump administration has offered us to justify the attacks are entirely unpersuasive,’ they wrote in the letter.

They said deliberately targeting incapacitated individuals constitutes a clear violation of the Department of Defense’s Law of War Manual, which expressly forbids attacks on persons rendered helpless by shipwreck.

‘Such conduct would trigger criminal liability under the War Crimes Act if the administration claims it is engaged in armed conflict, or under the federal murder statute if no such conflict exists.’

The lawmakers claimed that Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth has offered ‘shifting and contradictory’ explanations for the September 2 incident, including ‘claims of confusion due to the ‘fog of war’ and assertions that he delegated or did not personally issue an order to kill survivors.

‘Issuing or executing a general order to kill survivors is unlawful under any circumstances and ‘acting pursuant to orders’ is not a defense when those orders are manifestly illegal. Any suggestion that classified or prior Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) memoranda could immunize the targeting of survivors after an initial strike is legally baseless.’

The legislators said prior OLC opinions were limited to congressionally authorized armed conflicts against enemy combatants posing imminent threats ‘conditions that are plainly absent here’.

Lieu and Rankin said that even conservative legal scholar John Yoo, former deputy assistant attorney general and author of the ‘now infamous’ OLC ‘torture memos’, which ‘condoned and defended torture by US officials, has said that the administration violated both federal law and the law of war.

‘Outside of war, the killing of unarmed, helpless men clinging to wreckage in open water is simply murder. The federal criminal code makes it a felony to commit murder within the ‘special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States,’ which is defined to include the ‘high seas.”

Lieu and Rankin said it is also a federal crime to conspire to commit murder and are demanding that Bondi investigate Hegseth’s ‘apparent and serious violations of federal criminal law’.

In remarks from the Senate floor last Thursday, US Democratic Senator Peter Welch raised alarm about Trump’s mobilisation of National Guard troops, warships, and fighter jets to the Caribbean, urging the US Congress to enforce the War Powers Act before the United States embarks on another unauthorized war.

The senator said that the Trump administration has not provided Congress with adequate information about its recent military strikes in the region, and demanded transparency and accountability for attacks that have killed nearly 100 people.

‘The question is: Why are our warships, a carrier group, and support assets in the Caribbean? They are not there for drug interdiction. The reason they’re there is obvious, and it’s even acknowledged. President Trump wants Maduro gone. He wants regime change,’ Welch said.

In October, Welch voted in support of a War Powers Act Resolution to stop Trump’s ‘unconstitutional attacks’ in the Caribbean Sea and urged the Senate to question Trump’s legal authority to take the United States to war.

Under pressure to publicly release a video of a boat strike that killed survivors in the Caribbean Sea, Hegseth declined to do so.

‘Of course, we’re not going to release a top secret, full, unedited video of that to the general public,’ Hegseth told reporters last Tuesday.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Private Sector Organisation (CPSO) has reaffirmed its commitment to regional integration and the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) in light of the ongoing spat involving regional leaders and the future direction of the 15-member grouping.

In a statement, the CPSO said since it became an ‘associate institution’ within CARICOM, it has worked with fellow private sector companies and business organisations ‘to advance projects and representations to pursue the noble objectives of the CSME,’ which allows for the free movement of goods, skills, labour and services across the region.

The CPSO said that the CSME has ‘delivered tangible benefits to firms and workers throughout the region, supporting significant intra-regional trade, strengthening regional supply chains and contributing meaningfully to foreign exchange earnings and economic activity in member states, including Trinidad and Tobago’.

In recent days, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne has called on Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar to ‘produce the evidence’ that CARICOM, including Antigua and Barbuda had aligned itself with ‘the Maduro narco government headed by a dictator’ in Venezuela.

The Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL) is calling on regional leaders to recommit to the principles of ‘respectful engagement, collective responsibility, and meaningful consultation’ within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in the wake of the ongoing spat involving Caribbean leaders and the future direction of the 15-member grouping.

In a statement, the CCJ, which is the voice of organised labour representing workers and trade unions across the Caribbean, has expressed deep concern regarding the ‘tone and implications of statements made in the public domain’ by the Trinidad and Tobago prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and the Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne in relation to CARICOM, regional relations and international partners.

In recent days, Browne has called on Persad-Bissessar to ‘produce the evidence’ that CARICOM, including Antigua and Barbuda had aligned itself with ‘the Maduro narco government headed by a dictator’ in Venezuela.

She said that Venezuela has been threatening to invade Guyana for years and since last June they began making similar threats that Trinidad and Tobago is a part of Venezuela.

‘Yet CARICOM has chosen to support the Maduro narco government through the fake zone of peace narrative which is clearly designed to get the American military to leave the Caribbean region and therefore enable Maduro to remain as dictator in Venezuela.

‘An organisation that chooses to disparage our greatest ally the United States but lends support to the Maduro narco-government headed by a dictator who has imprisoned and killed thousands of civilians and opposition members as well as threatened two CARICOM members is one that has clearly lost its way,’ Persad-Bissessar said in a statement.

‘My priority is in the best interests of the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago,’ she added.

In its statement, the CCL said it is of the firm view that this public exchange risks undermining regional cooperation and solidarity ‘at a time when Caribbean working people are already confronting profound economic, social, climate-related, and security challenges.

‘In such circumstances, unity, restraint, and constructive dialogue are essential to safeguarding regional stability and advancing the collective interests of Caribbean citizens.’

The CCL said that it ‘further emphasises that regional consultation and the articulation of collective CARICOM positions do not constitute hostility toward international partners.

‘Constructive, respectful, and mutually beneficial engagement with allies such as the United States can and must coexist with robust regional dialogue, cooperation, and solidarity. Unity among Caribbean states should never descend into ideological posturing; rather, it must be grounded in strategic necessity and a shared commitment to protecting the rights, dignity, and livelihoods of Caribbean workers and communities.’

The CCL said that it has consistently advocated for ‘reform, transparency, accountability, and People-centred governance across the region.

‘At this critical juncture, Caribbean workers require leadership that prioritises cooperation over division, consensus over confrontation, and social and economic justice over political posturing.

‘The Caribbean Congress of Labour therefore calls on regional leaders to recommit to the principles of respectful engagement, collective responsibility, and meaningful consultation within CARICOM. The strength of the Caribbean integration movement lies in its ability to resolve differences through dialogue and to present a unified front in defence of the region’s people,’ the CCL said, adding it remains steadfast in its commitment to ‘a reformed and strengthened CARICOM that truly serves the interests of Caribbean people and protects the dignity, rights, and livelihoods of workers across the region’.