Category: CANA News

West Indies lead Pakistan by 155 runs after reaching 126 for seven at the close of play on the third day of the first Test at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy here on Monday.

Scores

WEST INDIES 311 and 126-7 in 43 overs (Tagenarine Chanderpaul 35, Shamar Joseph 22 not out, Justin Greaves 20, Shai Hope 10; Mohammad Abbas 3-14, Khurram Shahzad 2-36).

PAKISTAN 282 in 80.1 overs (Shan Masood 109, Imam-ul-Haq 63, Babar Azam 23, Salman Agha 20, Khurram Shahzad 19, Mohammad Rizwan 12; Justin Greaves 5-27, Kemar Roach 2-53, Shamar Joseph 2-58).

Finance and the Public Service Minister, Fayval Williams, has dismissed media reports that the Senior Deputy Governor of the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ), Dr Wayne Robinson, is the front runner to replace Governor Richard Byles, who is set to step down upon the completion of his term on August 18, 2026.

The Jamaica Observer newspaper quoting a senior government source, Sunday reported Robinson had emerged as the front-runner to become the next BOJ governor. But Williams has distanced the government from that statement, saying the committee appointed to search for the next governor has not yet submitted its shortlist to Cabinet.

In a statement, the Finance Minister said that Cabinet had not been informed of any front-runner and warned that speculation and the naming of candidates could undermine the selection process.

She said applications were received and reviewed solely by the search committee, which has not yet tendered its shortlist.

The Jamaica Observer said that before it had published its story on Sunday, it had been unsuccessful in obtaining a comment from Williams, who reminded the publication that the committee process is similar to the one used seven years ago to select Byles, with candidates interviewed before findings were presented.

She said that the committee, which was appointed in April, is expected to complete its assignment by the end of this month.

Cabinet will then consider the names and decide on the individual to be recommended to the governor general for appointment under the Bank of Jamaica Act.

The Guyana parliament was told Monday that one of the 77 persons rescued following the July 18 MV Barima tragedy that left 73 people dead and several others missing and presumed dead, has died as legislators clashed verbally as to who should take the blame for the country’s worst ever maritime disaster.

Prime Minister Mark Phillips in a prepared statement to the National Assembly said that the search and rescue/recovery operations are continuing as he gave legislators ‘an account concerning the tragedy’ as well as the support provided to the affected families.

He said two days after the incident, where it is believed that the 87-year-old vessel had capsized after being hit by a huge wave, ‘the MV Barima was found resting on the seabed approximately 31 nautical miles northwest of the point of uninitialed distress communicated by the Air Traffic Control tower’.

The Guyana parliament was told Monday that one of the 77 persons rescued following the July 18 MV Barima tragedy that left 73 people dead and several others missing and presumed dead, has died as legislators clashed verbally as to who should take the blame for the country’s worst ever maritime disaster.

Prime Minister Mark Phillips in a prepared statement to the National Assembly said that the search and rescue/recovery operations are continuing as he gave legislators ‘an account concerning the tragedy’ as well as the support provided to the affected families. He said two days after the incident, where it is believed that the 87-year-old vessel had capsized after being hit by a huge wave, ‘the MV Barima was found resting on the seabed approximately 31 nautical miles northwest of the point of uninitialed distress communicated by the Air Traffic Control tower’.

Phillips said that this was based on the report made by Haresh Singh and the assistance provided by local fisherfolk, ExxonMobil Guyana, VESHI and Sealand Survey’s Gilligan Island in confirming the vessel’s exact position.

The prime minister said that in the final operational update issued last Friday, the government advised that the coordinated search and recovery operation remained active throughout the day.

He said that the designated search area had been expanded by an additional 32 square miles, westwards to Waini Point and eastwards to Adventure, while aerial surveillance flights continued.

‘Five dives, each lasting between 45 and 60 minutes, were completed on 24 July. During one of those dives, one body was recovered from within the MV Barima. This brought the cumulative number of bodies recovered to 73, of whom 69 had been positively identified.’

Prime Minister Phillips said that ‘this tragedy has caused immeasurable grief across our country’ and that the Irfaan Ali government ‘extends its deepest condolences to every family that has lost a loved one and remains committed to supporting those affected.

‘May the families who have suffered loss find strength and comfort, and may the souls of those who perished rest in peace,’ he said, as the government extended its gratitude to the various stakeholders involved in the search and rescue operations, including the assistance provided by France, Trinidad and Tobago and Brazil.

On Monday, the Ministry of Health said that of the bodies recovered five remain unidentified, and that the authorities are seeking the public’s assistance. It said that the unidentified victims are four males and one female.

The official manifest showed that the vessel, which was travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, a small village within the Barima-Waini administrative region of the country, had 116 passengers and a crew of 17. But the authorities have since said they believe that there were 179 people on board the vessel.

The ministry said the identification of the victims is essential to ensuring that they are returned to their loved ones with dignity and afforded a respectful and proper burial.

Monday’s parliamentary session became very heated, as opposition legislators claimed that the government wanted to carry on with ‘business as usual’ even in wake of the deadly ferry tragedy.

During the Opposition’s protest for more than five hours inside the parliament, the Leader of the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), Amanza Walton, today said the one minute of silence in the National Assembly is simply not enough for the victims and their families.

‘They have come here and they have the agencies heads here because they come for money, they come for money. Because you have all the agencies heads in here, because for them it is business as usual.

‘Not a nation, we are sorry, not a nation we take responsibility. One hundred and something Guyanese lives boil down to one minute of silence and then they want to go for money. We are not having it, and to the people of Guyana, y’all need to come out because what these people are showing you is that despite how much we holler and shout in here, they are prepared to walk over you and go on with business as usual, so you all better get out here and stand up to this government’, Walton said.

The opposition’s protest became even more heated when Attorney General Anil Nandlall delivered from President Ali who called for unity as the country deals with the issue.

‘Our nation today bleeds from the calamitous loss of so many of our sons and daughters, no words can truly capture the depth of grief that has descended on our country. This tragedy has shaken our Republic to its very foundation.

‘It has left an ache in every community, in every home and in every heart. It is a wound that we will carry together and it is one that history will forever recall as among the greatest sorrows of our nation’, Nandlall said on behalf of the head of state.

But as he spoke, the opposition legislators loudly protested demanding the removal of the government ministers, including the Public Works Minister Bishop Juan Edghill, over their handling of the tragedy.

‘The magnitude of the tragedy has left countless families bearing immeasurable burdens of grief, our hearts are especially with them, and I once again extend our deepest condolences to every family and every individual that has suffered unimaginable losses. We mourn with you and we grieve beside you. Your pain has become the nation’s pain.

‘To those who survived this horrific ordeal, we know that survival itself carries its own burden. The memories of that dreadful night may remain with you for years to come. You are not alone, your country stands beside you’, Nandlall quoted from Ali’s statement.

‘Our responsibility to these families does not end with recovery operations. It will continue for as long as necessary. We shall walk with them through their grief, assist them in rebuilding their lives and ensure that they never face this burden alone,’ Nandlall said, as the opposition legislators stepped stepped towards the Attorney General, forcing the Speaker to plead with them to return to their seats.

Government legislators later surrounded the Attorney General as he continued the speech.

The following is the CANANews and SPORTS Schedule for Monday, July 27, 2026.

GEORGETOWN – A five-day meeting of the Caribbean Organisation of Tax Administrators (COTA) bean here on Monday with regional tax administrations being urged to embrace the technological and digital developments including artificial intelligence (AI) so as to improve their functions.

GEORGETOWN – President Irfaan Ali Monday announced the establishment of a national body to coordinate, mobilise, and foster the necessary work of healing as Guyana remains ‘in the shadow of that dark hour’ following the tragedy involving the MV Barima when the sea claimed the lives of so many nationals.

CASTRIES – The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) has praised Cuba for maintaining its relationship with the sub-regional grouping despite the ‘weight’ of a trade and economic embargo imposed on the Caribbean country by the United States dating back to 1962.

BRIDGETOWN – The Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) says it is providing a US$100,000 grant to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Private Sector Organization Inc. (CPSO) to support a study that will assess the feasibility and inform the design of a regional stock exchange.

PARAMARIBO – President Jennifer Simons has returned from a four-day visit to the United Kingdom optimistic of greater international involvement in the oil and gas sector in Suriname.

SPORTS:

PORT OF SPAIN – Third day of the first test match between West Indies and Pakistan at the Brian Lara Stadium at Toruba.

The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) has praised Cuba for maintaining its relationship with the sub-regional grouping despite the ‘weight’ of a trade and economic embargo imposed on the Caribbean country by the United States dating back to 1962.

‘Few nations have demonstrated that solidarity as consistently, or as generously, as Cuba. Through every challenge Cuba itself has faced: economic hardship, isolation, the weight of an embargo now well into its seventh decade, it has never wavered in extending a hand to our region and people,’ OECS Director General, Dr. Didacus Jules said as he accepted the Letters of Credence from Cuba’s new ambassador, Yenielys Vilma Regueiferos Linares.

Jules said that the OECS will continue to approach its relationship with Cuba by practical, shared priorities of sustainable development, regional solidarity, and the wellbeing of our peoples.

‘Ambassador, please know that you assume your post in a region that regards Cuba as a longstanding friend, one whose doctors have cared for our sick, whose universities have educated our leaders, and whose solidarity has never depended on the size of our states or the strength of our economies.

‘The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States looks forward to working closely with you to deepen this partnership further: in health, in education, in disaster resilience, in agriculture, in ocean governance, and in whatever new areas our shared future may call us to explore,’ he added.

The St. Lucia-based OECS Commission said that Cuba and the OECS partners have strengthened bilateral cooperation despite many challenges, delivering significant humanitarian benefits through initiatives such as EverProTe for diabetic foot ulcer treatment, the Yes I Can literacy programme, and Operation Miracle, which restored sight to thousands across the Caribbean.

It said cooperation has also included Cuban medical assistance during COVID-19, educational scholarships, and hurricane recovery support.

In her remarks, the Cuban diplomat reiterated the theme of unity saying ‘the countries and territories of the OECS can always count on the solidarity of sister island of Cuba,’ praising the grouping for supporting Havana during its current and amplified geopolitical challenges.

‘No society can survive without energy. We have only received one oil vessel in seven months, and the impact is unbelievable in hospitals, schools, senior centres, children in need and in general all sectors of society. To the OECS from the heart of every Cuban…’thank you’.

‘Solidarity in regional, multilateral and bilateral forums is highly appreciated. Donations from governments and various organisations have been a pillar for continuing this battle of morality and dignity.

‘Regional and global challenges are numerous in an unstable, unequal and complex world. Only through unity and integration will we be able to respond to the chaotic landscape in which we live.’

The OECS groups the independent islands of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis as well as Montserrat, Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands.

The United States has sharply escalated its economic pressure on Cuba through executive actions targeting energy supplies, financial transactions, and foreign trade.

In recent months, Washington has imposed a strict fuel and energy embargo on Cuba by blocking oil shipments and sanctioning state oil company Unión Cuba-Petróleo. In addition, the North American country has established secondary sanctions against foreign companies and financial institutions dealing with Cuba and is also threatening nternational banks and third-country suppliers with severe penalties.

The Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) says it is providing a US$100,000 grant to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Private Sector Organization Inc. (CPSO) to support a study that will assess the feasibility and inform the design of a regional stock exchange.

The CDB said the initiative will be for CARICOM member states participating in the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) which allows for the free movement of goods, skills, and labour across the region. The CDB said that the funding is from its Special Development Fund (SDF) 11, and will the first phase of a broader initiative aimed at assessing viable models for establishing a regional securities exchange and advancing deeper capital market integration across the Caribbean.

The study will examine opportunities to create a more connected and efficient regional capital market capable of mobilising investment, improving liquidity, reducing financing costs, and expanding access to capital for businesses across CARICOM member states.

The CDB said that despite the presence of several stock exchanges across the region, Caribbean capital markets remain fragmented, limiting cross-border participation and constraining the scale of investment opportunities available to businesses and investors.

It said that a more integrated regional market could help unlock new sources of financing, particularly for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), while supporting greater economic resilience and competitiveness.

‘The Caribbean’s long-term growth depends on our ability to create stronger, more accessible financial markets that support entrepreneurship, innovation and investment,’ said Lisa Harding, Division Chief, Private Sector Division at CDB.

‘This feasibility study will provide the analysis needed to determine how a regional stock exchange can strengthen access to finance, support private sector development, and advance regional economic integration. It also reflects CDB’s commitment to building institutions and financial systems that foster inclusive and sustainable growth across our member countries.’

The feasibility study will analyse capital market demand across CARICOM member states, assess legal and regulatory requirements for greater market integration, evaluate international stock exchange models, and engage stakeholders from across the public and private sectors. The study will also explore opportunities to improve access to financing for women-led enterprises, youth entrepreneurs, and other traditionally underserved groups.

The initiative is being implemented by CPSO with support from CDB and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Together, the institutions are contributing US$324,700 toward the completion of the first phase of the study.

The CDB said that upon completion, the findings will be presented at a regional symposium, providing policymakers, regulators, private sector stakeholders and development partners with evidence-based recommendations to guide decisions on the future of regional capital market integration.

It said that the project aligns with CDB’s strategic objective of building economic resilience and supports regional efforts to strengthen financial markets, promote private sector development, and advance Caribbean integration.

High Court Judge, Vigel Paul, Monday ordered the release of 69-year-old Star Sabga, a relative of Genevieve Hadeed, who along with her businessman husband, Dominic, were released last weekend after the Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander revoked a preventative detention order (PDO) that kept them behind bars for a month.

The Hadeeds and Sabga had been detained amid allegations that they were conspiring to assassinate Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Attorney General John Jeremie and other members of her government.

Alexander had revoked the PDOs after he said he had reviewed the legal, medical and constitutional issues surrounding the Hadeed’s detention, adding that their continued detention was no longer proportionate while the police investigation continued. In his decision, Justice Paul questioned the need for Sabga to remain detained after the Hadeeds were released when Alexander revoked the PDOs against them last week.

‘If persons set to be at the centre of conspiracy can safely be at large, the court cannot see how the continued detention of this elderly woman can be said to be necessary to prevent danger,’ Justice Paul said.

He said that he found there was no evidence that Sabga was involved in furthering the alleged conspiracy to assassinate key government officials after she made statements in an intercepted telephone conversation with Genevieve in June.

‘There is absence of any evidence that she engaged in any conspiracy or engaged in any step other than initial conversation. A case of ongoing danger must require more than intelligence,’ Justice Paul said.

Sabga’s lawyer Rishi Dass had argued that an intercepted telephone conversation between Sabga and Genevieve Hadeed on June 11 had been given a ‘twisted’ or ‘farcical’ interpretation by law enforcement officials.

He noted that conversation took place after Jeremie made comments in relation to the ‘one per cent’ while piloting a motion in Parliament to extend the ongoing State of Emergency (SoE) by three months.

‘It came a day after the AG’s attack on a minority ethnic group in this country. They were venting in a private conversation as anyone may do after being subject to such an attack,’ Dass said, describing the claims of a murder conspiracy as far-fetched.

‘There must be evidence of conspiring not just two women venting among themselves. Worse is said on political haustings everyday It is practically a thought crime,’ Dass said, adding that while Alexander had initially claimed that Sabga and the Hadeed were part of a conspiracy to assassinate key government officials when he issued the PDOs against them, he subsequently claimed that Sabga’s continued detention was necessary as her statements had the potential to incite violence against public officials.

‘There is now the wholesale abandonment of assassination plot,’ Dass said, telling the Court that Sabga’s statements could not amount to sedition as they were not broadcast to the public.

Dass argued that the statements linked to Sabga were initially ascribed to the Hadeeds before Alexander disclosed a transcript of the intercepted communication, last week, saying ‘it casts a dark shadow on the intelligence services of Trinidad and Tobago if they cannot get that right’.

Dass also questioned the need for Sabga’s detention while the probe continues, noting that the police were still in the process of analysing the electronic devices of the Hadeeds, who were released from PDOs last week.

‘No electronic devices were taken from Miss Star Sabga,’ Dass said, telling the Court that his client had lost 29 pounds while detained in prison over the past month.

Dass said that the probe could continue while she remains under house arrest.

‘We are not seeking to detain Jason Bourne but a 69-year-old cheese maker,’ he said, accusing the state of leaking the recording of the 15 minute intercepted conversation which was widely shared on social media over the weekend.

But in his response, state attorney Gerald Ramdeen called on Justice Paul to deny the request, arguing that Sabga could not seek interim release after filing a constitutional motion alleging a breach of her rights and should have sought to judicial review Alexander’s decision to disregard the decision of the SoE Review Tribunal to recommend her release.

He said that a panel of the Court of Appeal ordered the Hadeeds’ conditional release before the SoE Review Tribunal recommended that their and Sabga’s detentions should be lifted.

‘The court is being asked to grant interim relief in a constitutional motion, while the minister’s decision under the constitution remains intact. Relief under the constitution is discretionary,’ Ramdeen said, calling on the judge not to second guess the risk assessment done by Alexander, the police, and the Strategic Services Agency (SSA).

‘Judges do not have jurisdiction to assess the assessments of intelligence services. The judiciary is not qualified to undertake assessments of risks,’ Ramdeen said, adding Is it permissible for the Judiciary to trespass on the constitutionally protected realm of the executive?’.

Ramdeen also called on Justice Paul to give deference to Alexander’s assessment based on his responsibility in relation to national security issues and his role in issuing PDOs under the SoE.

‘If you take the decision to release the applicant and tomorrow the Prime Minister is executed, are you responsible to the electorate?’ he said.

Jamaica suffered their first loss of the Commonwealth Games when their Sunshine Girls went down to New Zealand 53-48 in their second preliminary game at the Hyra Arena here on Sunday.

Fresh from winning their opener against Trinidad and Tobago, the Jamaicans trailed New Zealand for the majority of the game in the highly anticipated encounter. Led by a standout performance from Grace Nweke, who scored 47 goals from 56 attempts, New Zealand held a slim 14-12 advantage after the first quarter and were up by one goal (26-25) at the half. They then extended that lead to 39-35 heading into the final period before holding on to win by five goals.

Romelda Aiken scored 34 goals from 38 attempts and Shanice Beckford scored 14 from 15 attempts for the Jamaicans.

The Sunshine Girls will now look to rebound in their Group B contest against Uganda, who have won both of their matches so far over Wales (59-50) and Trinidad and Tobago (80-36).

President Jennifer Simons has returned from a four-day visit to the United Kingdom optimistic of greater international involvement in the oil and gas sector in Suriname.

‘The people have been positive, and I am positive about that too. The ultimate goal is for Suriname to receive support from major financial institutions around the world for the trajectory we are now entering,’ Simons said on her return at the Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport. ‘There was an invitation to speak with the top management of Bank of America, as well as with other companies involved in finance and the oil and gas sector. As a country, we are facing major developments, and it is particularly important now to establish the right contacts, obtain information, and organize international backing,’

President Simons said the discussions with representatives of international financial institutions and companies from the oil and gas sector yielded valuable contacts that are important for Suriname’s economic future.

Simons, who headed a delegation that included the Minister of Finance and Planning, Adelien Wijnerman, said the talks focused on strengthening international partnerships and attracting investments to support Suriname’s economic development.

She described the visit as ‘working mission’ noting that discussions were held with the top officials of the Bank of America and other international organisations and companies active in the financial world and the oil and gas sector.

‘Suriname is on the eve of major developments. Precisely now, it is important to establish the right contacts, gain knowledge, and organize international support,’ said Simons, indicating that the discussions focused primarily on the economic transition Suriname will undergo in the coming years, partly due to expected oil and gas revenues.

‘There will be revenues from oil and gas, and we must handle them well. All information and expertise that can guide us in the development of, among other things, a sovereign wealth fund are necessary,’ she said adding that international expertise is indispensable for managing these resources responsibly.

A report by the state-owned Suriname Communication Service (CDS) noted that Simons spoke of constructive meetings and expressed satisfaction with the willingness of international financial institutions to support Suriname.

‘We will have to do a lot in our country during this transition phase, such as the further development of the airport and other sectors. Therefore, it is very important to maintain good international contacts and make agreements,’ she added.