Category: CANA News

Youth, Social Development and Seniors Minister, Tinee Furbert, says a new report on dementia in Bermuda is intended to bring clarity, coordination, and compassion to a system that has too often left families feeling overwhelmed and alone.

‘Dementia affects not only those living with the condition, but also the families and caregivers who support them every day,’ she said, adding the report provides a foundation for a more responsive and inclusive approach to dementia care in Bermuda

Youth, Social Development and Seniors Minister, Tinee Furbert

The Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors, in collaboration with the Bermuda Health Council and the Ministry of Health, released the Dementia Integrated Care Pathway (ICP) Report 2025, which provides a comprehensive, evidence-based framework to improve how dementia is prevented, identified, treated, and supported across Bermuda.

‘As the island’s population continues to age, the report responds to the growing need for coordinated, person-centred dementia care that better supports individuals living with dementia, their families, and caregivers,’ the ministry noted..

Acting Health Minister, Alexa Lightbourne, said Dementia is one of the most urgent public health challenges facing Bermuda, and the Dementia Integrated Care Pathway is essential to delivering a coordinated, person-centred response.

‘A clear, structured mechanism for early identification, prevention, and integrated care is critical, given the pressure dementia places on our health system and long-term care services.

‘This pathway provides a practical framework to close service gaps, reduce stigma, and better support individuals and families, ensuring that no one faces this journey alone. By embedding dementia-friendly practices across our health and social systems, we can protect dignity, improve quality of life, and ensure our seniors are supported both now and for generations to come.’

The Dementia Integrated Care Pathway outlines a seven-stage approach covering awareness and risk reduction, early detection, diagnosis, ongoing medical and social care, community-based support, and end-of-life care.

According to the report, dementia poses a growing clinical, social, and economic challenge for Bermuda and with nearly a quarter of the population projected to be 65 or older by 2026, the British Overseas Territory faces mounting pressures on acute care, long-term.

The report noted that in 2020-21 dementia ranked as the second highest condition by local insurance claims, and using global dementia costs, 1.5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) translate to an estimated US$94.5 million annual impact on Bermuda’s US$6.3 billion economy.

Among the key findings of the report is that the public and providers lack a consistent understanding of dementia’s causes, progression, and local support services.

‘Fear of losing independence leads to late help-seeking, often only after crises such as wandering or hospital admission,’ the report said, adding that no standardised screening in primary care, a disjointed care pathways and the absence of a central access point.

It said that wealthier patients fare better and that vulnerable groups such as low-income, immigrant, or isolated seniors, bear a disproportionate burden and that late discussions on power of attorney and palliative options result in unnecessary hospitalisations.

National Security Minister, Michael Weeks, has condemned the latest killing in Bermuda even as the police said that a month long weapons amnesty had resulted in about 40 mostly bladed articles being handed in to surrender bins and police stations around the island.

‘I want to start by saying this plainly. Another family in Bermuda is grieving today because of gun violence, and there is no way to dress that up. My heart is with the loved ones of the person who lost their life in Pembroke,’ Weeks said, adding that the killing of the unidentified man came ‘days before Christmas, a time when families should be together in peace.

‘Instead, another household has been shattered. We cannot keep accepting this as normal. I fully support the Bermuda Police Service as they investigate this incident. I am urging anyone who saw something, heard something, or has home camera footage to come forward. Silence protects violence. Information saves lives,’ Weeks said.

Police said they were called to the Pemborke area over the last weekend after residents reported gunshots being heard in the area.

‘Officers were dispatched to the location and confirmed that shots had been fired into a nearby residence. An unresponsive victim was located at the residence.

‘Officers immediately commenced life-saving measures and Emergency Medical Services was contacted and attended the scene where they continued life saving measures and conveyed the victim to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later,’ the police said.

Meanwhile, the authorities say that the month long amnesty had netted 40 mostly bladed articles being handed in with most being antiques, memorabilia and decorative items for display purposes only.

The collection did include items that have long been prohibited as well as newly prohibited weapons including a zombie knife and butterfly knife.

Under the Criminal Code (Prohibited Weapons) Order 1980, there are 11 items listed as ‘prohibited’ and a further eight were added recently ahead of the amnesty, giving people the opportunity to dispose of them.

‘Some of them are obviously not intended for harm, but you also see weapons with sharpened edges, so they are not just for display. However, all of this stuff is dangerous.

‘We had the rifles come into the police stations, as dropping a firearm of any kind into the bins is not safe,’ said Assistant Commissioner of Police Martin Weekes.

‘We had the rifles come into the police stations, as dropping a firearm of any kind into the bins is not safe. We also had one that appears to be an imitation pistol that was mounted onto a wall plaque.’

The authorities said that the amnesty began on November 18 as a proactive approach to removing ‘dangerous items’ in circulation from the community.

A devastating spell of fast bowling from Jacob Duffy, who claimed a career-best match haul of 9 for 128, powered New Zealand to a crushing 323-run victory over the West Indies in the third Test here on Monday, clinching the series 2-0.

Jacob Duffy took 5-42 against the West Indies to seal the win for New Zealand.

Set an improbable 462 for victory, the West Indies’ resistance, which had been stoic for the first session on the final day, evaporated in a spectacular collapse from 87 for one, to 138 all out in the final session.

The tourists had begun the day with disciplined intent. Openers Brandon King and John Campbell survived the first hour, with King in particular looking assured on his way to a fluent 67. The pair took the score to 87 without loss, suggesting a long day of toil for the hosts.

The breakthrough, however, triggered a catastrophic chain reaction. Duffy, extracting awkward bounce, forced King to glove to gully.

From there, the innings unravelled at dizzying speed. Spinner Ajaz Patel, claiming his best home figures (3-23 and 6-136), removed Campbell (16) and Kavem Hodge (0) in quick succession, the latter to a spectacular reflex catch by Rachin Ravindra at short leg.

Duffy then took centre stage, running through the middle order with a masterclass in hostile seam bowling. Alick Athanaze (2) and Justin Greaves (0) fell to edges behind, and when Duffy removed captain Roston Chase for 5 with a sharp bouncer after lunch, the West Indies had slumped to 104-6

The resistance of Shai Hope, who absorbed 78 balls for just three runs, was ended by Patel via DRS, and the tail offered only fleeting defiance.

Duffy returned with the new ball to clean bowl Jayden Sealed and complete his five-wicket haul (5-42), sealing the match and the series.

The victory was built on a mammoth first-innings total of 575 for 8 declared, founded on a historic opening stand. Devon Conway (227) and Tom Latham (137) became the first-ever opening pair to score centuries in both innings of a Test, a record-breaking platform that ultimately gave New Zealand’s bowlers an insurmountable advantage to attack with.

For the West Indies, a morning of promise dissolved into familiar fragility, their final nine wickets adding just 51 runs to hand New Zealand a comprehensive and commanding series win.

Caribbean Community (CARICCOM) Secretary General, Dr. Carla Barnett, Monday said that the challenges faced by the 15-member regional integration grouping ‘have thrown our vulnerabilities into sharp relief, and more than ever’ while underscoring the purpose and value of a united region

In an end of year message, Barnett said that on the heels of the devastation caused by Hurricane Beryl in 2024, Hurricane Melissa in October this year left death and destruction in its wake in Jamaica and in Haiti.

Dr. Carla Barnett

‘Recovery will take considerable resources and time. In addition, unprecedented geopolitical headwinds threatened export earnings, regional peace, and sovereignty.’

Barnett said that amid these and other challenges, CARICOM’s ‘characteristic resilience shone through’ noting the region ‘pulled together urgently to help address critical needs in the aftermath of the devastating hurricanes, and pivoted creatively to safeguard businesses and livelihoods’.

The region’s top public servant said that ‘commendable progress’ had been made in the implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) that allows for the free movement of goods, skills, labour and services across the region.

She said that Barbados, Belize, Dominica, and St Vincent and the Grenadines made the decision to commence full free movement of persons among themselves, paving the way for increased economic activity and people-to-people contacts.

Barnett said also that the framework for a comprehensive CARICOM Industrial Policy and Strategy is also well advanced, laying the foundation for stronger and more integrated productive capacity, innovation and economic diversification.

‘In agriculture, the continued implementation of the 25 by 2025+ strategy yielded growth in production, although the hurricane and other climate related events caused significant setbacks for farmers and agricultural communities. ‘

She was full of praise for the Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA), which was held this year in Barbados.

On the political front, the Secretary General said that CARICOM maintained its ‘tradition of democracy’ with seven member states and five Associate Members holding ‘peaceful general elections’ during the year.

‘Importantly, we have been actively focusing on human capital development and inclusivity, and especially, supporting young people and women to participate more fully in economic activity, decision-making and in regional affairs.’

She said that as governments move towards equipping the region for the future, ‘we will continue to explore the implications of Artificial Intelligence on how we do business, while striving to expand physical and digital connectivity to drive economic development.

‘Building resilience against disasters and continuing our programmes to enhance the food and nutrition security of families, will also be paramount.’

In her message in which she praised the staff of the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat and other CARICOM institutions, she also extended ‘thanks’ to the international partners, civil society organisations, the private sector, labour movement and the CARICOM diaspora, ‘for their advocacy and engagement’.

Barnett in her statement made no reference to the ongoing tension in the region regarding the United States military engagement in its fight against the illegal drugs trade that has so far divided the grouping.

But she said ‘as we prepare to embrace a New Year, I have every confidence that the Community will continue to respond with clarity and resolve to our challenges.

‘The outcomes on trade, regional security, community and foreign policy coordination, reparations, governance, human development issues and climate change from this year’s Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government, including those held in Barbados in February, and in Jamaica in July, are clear indications of the strategic focus and commitment to action,’ she added.

She said she was urging all CARICOM stakeholders, in the region and beyond, to move forward together as we work to achieve our vision of a ‘Community for All’, that is resilient, prosperous and united.

A sombre Roston Chase conceded his West Indies side was ‘outmanoeuvred and outplayed’ after a comprehensive defeat in the third Test sealed a 2-0 series loss to New Zealand.

West Indies captain Roston Chase

The hosts’ tactical mastery, particularly in Mount Maunganui, proved decisive. After grinding the tourists down with a mammoth first-innings total of 575 for 8, New Zealand identified their moment on the fourth day, declaring their second innings at a blistering 306 for 2, scoring at 5.66 runs per over.

This aggressive acceleration left ample time to exploit a rapidly deteriorating pitch, a calculation that paid off brutally.

From a promising start of 87 without loss, West Indies crumbled to 138 all out, undone by Jacob Duffy’s five-wicket haul and the supporting spin of Ajaz Patel.

‘As I said, disappointed,’ Chase stated. ‘We really wanted to get a win here for the first time since 1995. That was the ultimate goal, and we fell short.’

The Barbadian specifically pointed to the unexpected speed of the pitch’s decline, which ultimately led to the visitors’ downfall.

‘We thought it would have spun, but we didn’t look for it to deteriorate as much as it did. This wicket got brown very, very fast.’

While Chase highlighted the rare achievement of ‘three hundreds over the three-game period’ as a batting positive for his side, his personal struggles cast a long shadow over the tour.

His captaincy has coincided with a profound batting slump, marked by nine single-digit scores in 16 innings as skipper, with a highest score of 44 and an average of under 14.

Five of those failures came in New Zealand. His overall Test average has now dipped below 25, and his bowling returns as captain have been similarly lean.

‘Yeah, I think I had a tough series, very below par for my standards. I didn’t really lead from the front on the field. I thought that leading, in terms of words and encouragement, was all good and well. But in terms of producing, I thought I let myself down and the team down as well.’

The defeat leaves the West Indies with a long wait to resurrect their World Test Championship campaign. Their next opportunity for points will not arrive until June-July 2026, when Sri Lanka tours the Caribbean.

A home series against Pakistan and a tour of Bangladesh will follow later that year, offering a distant chance for redemption for a team and a captain, in urgent need of answers.

The Court of Appeal has denied Jamaican-born Kings Counsel, Vincent Nelson, from going before the London-based Privy Council to challenge a 2019 corruption conviction.

The Court of Appeal refused Nelson’s application for conditional leave to approach the Privy Council, which is Trinidad and Tobago’s highest and final court, agreeing with the state that the matter was procedural and raised no issue to warrant a challenge.

Justice Nolan Bereaux, who delivered the oral ruling on behalf of Justices James Aboud and Ricky Rahim, said the decision of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) o prosecute did not breach Nelson’s constitutional rights and that due process safeguards were fully observed during the plea agreement process.

The Court of Appeal found Nelson’s application was not a final appeal against his conviction and sentence but merely a request for permission to pursue one.

The ruling follows a July decision in which Bereaux, Aboud and Justice of Appeal Geoffrey Henderson found that Nelson failed to establish misconduct by the DPP and had waited too long to file his appeal.

Henderson, in delivering that decision, said Nelson, a UK-based tax attorney, voluntarily entered a plea agreement in 2019 and had ample opportunity to disclose any alleged promises or threats to the trial judge at the time.

The Court also noted that Nelson was represented by senior counsel during the proceedings and raised no concerns about improper inducements.

Nelson had pleaded guilty in June 2019 to conspiracy to commit corruption and money laundering arising from a legal-fee kickback scheme. He was fined TT$2.25 million (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents) in March 2020 after agreeing to testify against former attorney general Senior Counsel Anand Ramlogan, and former government senator, Gerald Ramdeen.

Those prosecutions were discontinued in 2022 after Nelson refused to testify until a TT$95 million civil claim tied to an alleged indemnity agreement was resolved. But that claim has since been dismissed by the High Court, and Nelson has appealed the ruling.

In his application for permission to appeal, Nelson argued that former attorney general Faris Al-Rawi promised him immunity, a pardon and payment of legal fees, and that he provided a self-incriminating statement believing he was protected.

But Justice Henderson said Nelson failed to support those claims with sworn evidence from the attorney who allegedly conveyed the promises, and that the record showed Nelson acted voluntarily throughout the plea process.

On the issue of delay, the Court found Nelson’s October 2023 appeal was filed more than four years after his conviction and more than three years after sentencing.

Justice Henderson rejected explanations offered by Nelson, including illness and an expectation of a pardon, describing them as insufficient to justify the delay.

Nelson’s appeal notice was filed five years after the 14-day deadline, with his attorneys, led by King Counsel Edward Fitzgerald, arguing that the delay resulted from alleged state misconduct surrounding the plea agreement.

Justice of Appeal Mark Mohammed dismissed an earlier application, last year, prompting Nelson’s renewed bid before the three-judge panel.

Fitzgerald told the court Nelson acted as a confidential informant and only provided a self-incriminating statement after assurances of immunity, a pardon and payment of outstanding fees.

‘Why would he put his head in a noose unless he believed he was protected,’ Fitzgerald asked, noting Nelson received one million pounds (TT$8.99 million) days after giving the statement.

He said Nelson was ‘tricked,’ adding: ‘It may have been a false promise.an overreach, but we say that a promise was made.’

But Senior Counsel, Ian Benjamin, representing the DPP’, argued that Nelson was a seasoned barrister who knowingly entered the plea agreement and delayed challenging it for strategic reasons.

‘He wanted leverage, a ‘strong bargaining position,” Benjamin said, describing Nelson’s affidavit as contradictory and self-serving.

Benjamin also maintained that prosecutorial authority rests solely with the DPP and that pardons may only be granted by the Mercy Committee, not the attorney general. Nelson has not yet paid the TT$2.25 million fine imposed by the court.

In a tension-soaked, low-scoring classic at the Zayed Cricket Stadium here on Monday, the Sharjah Warriorz snatched a dramatic four-wicket victory off the very last ball against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, injecting high drama into the DP World ILT20 playoff race.

Sherfane Rutherford of Abu Dhabi Knight Riders plays a shot during Match 25 of the DP World International League T20 between the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders and the Sharjah Warriorz, held at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on 22nd December 2025.

Chasing a modest 135, the Warriorz’ innings mirrored the Knight Riders’ own stuttering progress, culminating in a nerve-shredding finale.

Requiring 12 runs from the final over, the cool-headed duo of James Rew and Adil Rashid managed to scrape home, with Rew sealing the win with a decisive final stroke to finish on an unbeaten 42 from just 29 balls.

The victory, powered by Rew’s composure and a vital 57-run partnership with Sikandar Raza, who made 28, lifts the Warriorz to six points, setting up a ferocious battle for the remaining postseason spots with two group games left.

The match was decisively shaped in the power play of the first innings, where the Warriorz’ new-ball attack wreaked havoc.

Taskin Ahmed and Wasim Akram unleashed carnage, reducing the Knight Riders to a disastrous 10-4 inside four overs.

Akram’s wicket maiden to dismiss Liam Livingstone marked the first ever bowled by a UAE player in the league’s history.

A recovery of sorts was mounted by West Indian Sherfane Rutherford, whose combative 44 off 36 balls, and a 52-run stand with Unmukt Chand (24), dragged the Knight Riders to respectability.

A late blitz from Andre Russell (18) and Jason Holder (14), who clobbered 25 runs off Taskin’s 19th over, threatened a strong finish.

However, Adil Rashid’s triple-wicket intervention in the death overs, including removing both set hitters, restricted the Knight Riders to 134-9.

In reply, the Warriorz found themselves in similar dire straits at 38-3, stifled by early strikes from Holder and Ajay Kumar. Tom Kohler-Cadmore, 30, and Raza, 28, began the rebuild, but it was the arrival of James Rew that changed the tempo.

Counter-attacking against Russell and rotating strike intelligently, Rew guided his side to the brink before the equation tightened.

Skipper Holder’s superb penultimate over, conceding just three runs, set up a grandstand finish. But Rew, embodying ice-cool temperament, partnered with Rashid to navigate the final six balls and secure a priceless two points for Sharjah, leaving the Knight Riders to rue a top-order collapse that ultimately proved insurmountable.

Prime Minister Gaston Browne has reiterated his call for his Trinidad and Tobago counterpart, Kamla Persad-Bissessar to ‘produce the evidence’ that the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) including Antigua and Barbuda has aligned itself with ‘the Maduro narco government headed by a dictator’ in Venezuela.

In the latest spat between the two regional leaders, Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar reiterated her condemnation of the 15-member regional grouping, saying CARICCOM is supporting Maduro ‘who has imprisoned or killed thousands of Venezuelans who oppose him.

‘Trinidad and Tobago wants no part of that alignment, we don’t support dictatorship and drug trafficking and we don’t support CARICOM in their zone of peace fakery.

‘Gaston and Ronald Sanders should worry less about my comments and spend more time explaining to their citizens as to why their visas were restricted,” she said in her latest post on X.

But in a statement on Facebook, Prime Minister Browne said ‘we never sought the support or solidarity of CARICOM, or Trinidad and Tobago on the issue with the United States, we resolved the issue on our own volition.

‘However, we were dismayed by the gaslighting of the issue by PM of Trinidad and Tobago, who falsely stated that we have been ‘badmouthing’ the United States,’ Browne said, adding ‘that is an outright lie; I challenge her once again to produce the evidence’.

Last week, Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar in a warning to her fellow citizens spoke against ‘bad-talking’ Washington when thousands of Trinidad and Tobago nationals have US visas ‘because people like to go and visit the US’ and that this country remained in partnership with the US and more so if Trinidad and Tobago were to be attacked, ‘who will stand up to defend us?’ .

‘Careful you don’t end up like Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica.bad-mouthing the US and guess what happened.all their visas rescinded now,’ she told those attending the ruling United National Congress (UNC) Christmas Supper at the Diplomatic Centre.

But Browne said that ‘no evidence has been offered because none exists,’ to support the statement by the Trinidad and Tobago leader.

In her statement, Persad-Bissessar 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.

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

The state-owned Investment Facilitation Center (CFI) is warning Haitians against participating in a scam circulating on social media offering a purported investment scheme with promises of substantial financial returns under the name ‘Haiti Investment-CFI’.

The CFI said that the false advertisement is using its name and logo on Facebook under the heading ‘Trading forex’ and that it ‘has NO connection whatsoever with this fraudulent activity’.

The CFI said it does not offer any such investment scheme, neither has it ever solicited financial investments from the public.

‘This use of our name and logo is ILLEGAL and FRAUDULENT. NEVER transfer any money to this organization,’ the CFI said, reminding the public that it ‘is the government agency responsible for promoting and facilitating private investment in Haiti.

‘We assist entrepreneurs and investors with their administrative and regulatory procedures. We do not manage investment funds nor do we promise financial returns,’ it added.

A Jamaican-born pastor at a church in Brooklyn, New York has pleaded guilty in federal court to a tax evasion scheme.

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) said that Paul Mitchell, 60, the lead pastor of Changing Lives Christian Centre in the East New York section of Brooklyn and president of the church’s educational daycare, pleaded guilty to ‘a criminal information charging him with one count of tax evasion.’

According to court filings, Mitchell, who resides in West Hempstead, Long Island, New York, was the founder of both the church and the educational daycare centre.

The DOJ said that, between 2015 and 2022, ‘Mitchell used the organisations’ credit cards to pay for his personal expenses, including men’s clothing, thousands of dollars in jewellery, luxury watches, and life insurance premiums.’

Pastor Mitchell also wrote checks from the church’s bank accounts to pay his own credit card bills and personal income taxes.

‘As part of the scheme, Mitchell frequently withdrew large amounts of cash from bank accounts for the church and the daycare and transferred funds from those accounts into his own bank accounts,’ the DOJ said.

‘He failed to report his use of the stolen funds as income on his personal income tax returns, which significantly reduced his tax burden and allowed him to evade the payment of personal income taxes,’ it added.

As a result of his conduct, the DOJ said Mitchell ’caused a tax loss’ of about US$2,906,072 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and about US $316,699 to New York State between 2015 and 2022.

The DOJ said Mitchell faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, restitution, and fines of up to US$250,000.

Changing Lives Christian Centre says on its website that Mitchell is the senior pastor and visionary for the church.

‘Pastor Mitchell believes that, as human being we have a responsibility to empower one another,’ it says. ‘He believes that the human spirit, which houses the purpose for which we’ve all been created, must be nurtured, both naturally and spiritually.

‘He believes that everyone is intrinsically designed with a gift that has the power to propel them into their destiny,’ it adds.

Changing Lives Christian Centre says that Pastor Mitchell was born in Kingston, Jamaica, the sixth of seven sons to Alfred and Myrtle Mitchell.

In 1971, it says the Mitchell family migrated to the United States.

Changing Lives Christian Centre says that Pastor Mitchell was a successful banker for over 14 years.

‘Working with well-known banks like Chase, First Card and EAB, helped to prepare him for the leadership role that he now holds today, naturally and spiritually,’ it says, stating that, on January 1, 2003, ‘Pastor Mitchell was called to a new role.

‘He transitioned from banker to pastor, seemingly effortlessly,’ the church adds.

‘Pastor Mitchell is a man of integrity and uprightness,’ it continues. ‘He’s a giver of himself. Most importantly, he is a man of God that seeks to honour and obey God in all his ways.’