Category: CANA News

West Indies were dismissed for 205 after tea against New Zealand on the opening day of the second Test here at the Basin Reserve on Wednesday.

WEST INDIES 205 in 75 overs (Shai Hope 48, John Campbell 44, Brandon King 33, Roston Chase 29, Tevin Imlach 16, Justin Greaves 13; Blair Tickner 4-32, Michael Rae 3-67).

Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday has warned members of his newly formed his Cabinet against neglecting their constituents while focused on their ministerial responsibilities.

‘Even as we are being sworn in as ministers of government, we must remember it all started for each of us by first being elected by the voters of our respective communities,’ he said .

‘They elected us, not as ministers, but as their representatives. We must never forget this, and if we do, we do so at our peril.’

Friday led the New Democratic Party (NDP) to a 14-1 victory at the polls on November 27, ending the Unity Labour Party’s (ULP) 25 years of governance in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

‘So, my colleagues, I remind you again, stay close to the people, be accessible, be attentive, be a friend before you are a minister,’ he said, thanking the population for the ‘immense trust’ they have placed in the NDP’s team.

‘I am honoured to serve as your prime minister. I am humbled by the trust you have placed in me. I know I am here to serve you. I beg you, don’t ever let me forget that,’ said Friday, who was elected to a sixth term as parliamentary representative the Northern Grenadines.

‘High office should not increase the distance between the people and those whom they have chosen to represent them. Rather, it should provide opportunity to affect more lives for the better.’

Friday 66, said it is important that parliamentary representatives remain ‘close and connected to people, seeing their problems as our own, taking their hopes and expectations as our marching orders, making their priorities our priorities.

‘If we do so, our country will be better for it. Our democracy will be strong and vibrant. It will not just be a five-year exercise, but will be continually renewed through our contact with the people and will be vibrant and responsive.’

Friday said there is ‘a new dawn’ in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and that ‘there are so many possibilities ahead of us to provide jobs and good pay for our people, to build our communities and make them safe’

He said there were also opportunities ‘to improve our health care infrastructure and services, to give our children a hopeful start in life and to look after the elderly and the vulnerable as if they were our own. Because, in truth, they are.’

The new prime minister said his administration was there to continue the work of government rather than to reinvent government.

‘Where there are things that have been done and need to be completed, I will complete them. Where there are lessons from the past to be learned, we will learn them and put them into practice for the benefit of the people of this country,’ the prime minister said.

‘These things we can do by working together, by each being our brother’s keeper, our sister’s keeper, by placing faith in God to know that with prayers, all is possible, and we must never, never lose hope.’

He quoted Isaiah 40:31, which says those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint.

‘I was reminded last Sunday by my parish priest . that hope is not passive. It requires courage. It requires work. I know we have the courage for we are, after all, children of Chatoyer, and we are ready to do the work. So let’s get it done,’ Friday said.

Principal Magistrate, Judy Latchman, Wednesday dismissed a motion filed by the leader of the main opposition We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), Azruddin Mohamed and his businessman father, Nazar Mohamed, in the latest challenge to their extradition to the United States on fraud related charges.

Attorneys for the Mohameds, Rajiv Persad of Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyanese Roysdale Forde and Siand Dhurjon, had asked the magistrate to refer amendments to the Fugitive Offenders Act to the High Court to determine whether they are constitutional.

But the magistrate said virtually all of the issues raised by the defence were already settled by previous decisions by the superior courts such as the High Court.

The Mohameds remain on bail and must report periodically to a police station until the hearing and determination of the proceedings.

Magistrate Latchman has since set January 6, 2026 for substantive arguments to commence after the United States authorities had indicted the WIN leader and his father on charges related to wire and mail fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, stemming from tax evasion on gold exports and the importation of a Lamborghini luxury car. They have denied the allegations.

If found guilty on the charges of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, the Mohameds, who were sanctioned by the United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in June last year, could separately face a maximum of 20 years on each count, as well as maximum supervised release of three years, a maximum fine of US$250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss.

On the charges of wire fraud, the politician businessman could also be sentenced to 20 years imprisonment and maximum supervised release of three years and a fine of US$250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss.

The Grand Jury is also seeking a maximum of 20 years imprisonment, three years supervised release and a fine of US$500,000 or the value of the property involved in the transaction for conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Denying the allegations contained in the 11-count indictment, Mohamed said he and his father would fight any extradition request by the United States.

Ahead of the commencement of a hearing to challenge the extradition request, defence lawyer, Siand Dhurjon told the Court that the magistrate’s Authority to Proceed (ATP) is a ‘nullity on law and confers no jurisdiction on you to proceed’.

Admitting that the Court of Appeal had already ruled on that point in a previous case, he said the ATP ‘confers no jurisdiction on your worship to properly proceed to hear this case’.

Dhurjon made it clear that he and his other colleague defence lawyers believe that the Court of Appeal ‘authority we submit is wrong and bad in law.’

He said there’s a settled corpus of law on the point that the ATP must disclose only Guyanese offenses and that the ATP is likened by the case law to the indictment for the charge and that the accused or those requested must have notice under Guyanese law of the allegations to which they must meet or answer.

Bermuda’s economy demonstrated strong economic performance last year growing by 1.9 per cent in real terms to reach US$7.1 billion, marking four consecutive years of economic growth and expansion.

According to the 2024 Annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) report from the Department of Statistics released here, the government said the continued growth trajectory is a positive and stabilising development.

‘Importantly, 12 of the 19 industrial groups contributed to this increase in value added, demonstrating broad-based resilience across much of the economy,’ according to the document.

It showed that Bermuda’s economy increased by 6.9 per cent in nominal terms in 2024. At current purchasers’ prices, the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita rose to US$143,878 at the end of 2024. This compares with a GDP per capita of US$134,450 in 2023.

Bermuda’s economic growth in absolute terms was led by International Business Activities, which grew by US$48.5 million.

The Department of Statistics said that this industry, which had a historic 5,040 filled jobs in 2024, was the largest contributor to the GDP at 29.3 per cent of total GDP. Businesses engaged in reinsurance, insurance management and portfolio advisory experienced increases in value added.

The Information and Communication industry experienced the second-largest increase in value added, rising 16.4 per cent or US$25.1 million, driven primarily by growth in telecommunications services.

The Human Health and Social Work industry also recorded strong performance, increasing 6.3 per cent or US$21.5 million, with notable growth in private health services and continued expansion in social work activities.

Construction and Quarrying was another positive contributor, rising 8.8 per cent or US$21.1 million due to increased construction project activity throughout the year.

The document said several other industries also demonstrated positive economic performance, namely administrative and support services, which increased 12.3 per cent or $16.8 million, while transportation and storage, expanded 5.9 per cent or US$6.9 million with accommodation and food services recorded a moderate increase of 0.3 per cent or US$0.7 million.

The document shows several sectors contracted during the year. These include the wholesale and retail trade industry declined by 3.4 per cent or US$10.5 million, insurance activities decreased 1.1 per centor US$10.1 million and education fell 3.2 per cent or $3.9 million.

Small declines were also observed in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing; Manufacturing; Electricity, Water Supply and Waste Management; and Public Administration.

Overall, the Annual GDP report on economic activity for 2024 indicates that Bermuda’s economy continues to grow, supported by strong diversified performance in key industries. Local business activity represented 67 per cent of the total growth recorded in 2024, while International Business represented 37 per cent.

A child expert is urging the authorities to note the importance of play as an essential intervention in supporting the well-being of children affected by Hurricane Melissa that slammed into Jamaica late October killing at least 45 people and leaving a trail of destruction estimated at nine billion US dollars.

Emeritus Professor of Child Health, Child Development and Behaviour at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Maureen Samms-Vaughan, said that ‘high amounts of play are associated with low levels of cortisol, and children who play are more resilient to toxic stress and can better cope with adversity.

‘We’ve seen the reduction in stress, the reduction in anxiety, and the development of resilience, in adverse situations,’ she said, adding ‘we need to ensure that children are playing, providing them with the play material and the resources because play reduces stress hormones. Play is an important aspect of addressing adversity.’

Professor Samms-Vaughan was addressing educators, policymakers, researchers, and child-advocates from the region at the Early Childhood Education Colloquium hosted by the JN Foundation in partnership with The UWI School of Education and the Dudley Grant Early Childhood Resource Centre, under the theme, ‘Let’s shape tomorrow, together’.

She said that while play is vital for recovery, stabilising families and restarting schools, must also be a priority.

‘We really need to provide good physical and mental health support and place children back in schools as soon as possible. UNICEF is providing tents to get children back together, that alone is going to improve their mental health because once children get together, they are going to start playing’.

Highlighting the effects of disasters on children, Professor Samms-Vaughan drew parallels with Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, in the United States of America, in 2005, pointing to long-term research showing sustained impacts on children’s health and education.

‘Children suffered the most intense and prolonged effects from the hurricane. One year later, parents were three times more likely to describe their children’s health as fair or poor. Two years later, children were four times more likely to be rated in fair or poor health.

‘It took 10 years for mental health problems to return to an average level. Forty-three per cent of children had post traumatic symptoms after one year. Four to five years later, 45 per cent of children still had psychological or emotional problems that were not there before. In terms of education, more than half the children had a drop in their grades,’ she told the conference.

Professor Samms-Vaughan noted that children who were relocated quickly following Hurricane Katrina, performed better in school than those who experienced prolonged displacement or were placed in schools far from their homes.

The child expert further stressed the impact of play on children’s physical, emotional, cognitive, and social well-being.

‘Play has been shown to actually build the brain. It has direct and indirect effects on brain structure and functioning,’ she said, adding that play supports learning, pro-social behaviour, and overall health.

‘As long as the play is just not in front of a screen and it’s outside, then you get impacts on health,’ Professor Samms-Vaughan said, cautioning that children are not playing enough, outlining factors limiting children’s access to play, including cultural attitudes, academic pressure, work-related time constraints among parents, and unsafe community environments.

‘Play is not seen as important. How many of us have been told that we romp too much?’ she asked, noting the value families place on academics which overshadows the significance of play.

‘There’s an over focus on academic achievement. It’s really great that our parents want children to achieve, and we have to build on that expectation, but we also have to build in that play is still really important for children.’

She said that limited access to safe outdoor spaces also hinders children’s ability to play.

‘Some children live in communities where parents tell you they keep them inside because it’s not safe,’ she said, adding that more parks and community play areas are needed.

To remedy the situation, Professor Samms-Vaughan urged stakeholders to ensure safe play spaces in communities, incorporate play in the curriculum of professionals working with children and families, strengthen parenting programmes, and ensure proper supervision and maintenance of facilities.

‘Teachers need to be encouraged to play with children. We have a habit in Jamaica, of early work. I would just love us to have early play too; that some days it’s early play rather than early work,’ she said.

Guyana has signed an agreement with the United States expanding military cooperation between the two countries.

‘The two countries also signed a Statement of Intent to expand joint military cooperation with full respect for the sovereignty and laws of both countries,’ President Irfaan Ali said, following talks here with senior US officials, including US Senior Advisor to the Secretary of War, Patrick Weaver, and the Acting Assistant Secretary of War for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Joseph Humire on Tuesday.

Ali said that the agreement is part of an evolving process between Washington and its allies in South America and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to work on defence and security.

‘The US government now is launching what they call the ‘Southern Spear’ of security where they are now coming up with a strategy for the Western Hemisphere and the US government is to invest more and pay attention more to the CARICOM and Western Hemisphere so basically the countries and allies in the region signalling their intention for more collaboration and cooperation,’ he said.

The Bermuda government says investments totalling more than US$600 million had been invested in the local economy.

The Ministry of Economy and Labour said that the continued success of the Economic Investment and Residential Certificate (EIRC) programme, highlights investor confidence in e Bermuda and the positive impact on the economy.

Economy and Labour Minister, Jason Hayward.

‘The Economic Investment and Residential Certificate Policy remains an essential tool in supporting economic activity and strengthening global confidence in Bermuda,’ said Economy and Labour Minister, Jason Hayward.

‘The objective of the EIRC is to harness immigration as a catalyst for growth. The results speak for themselves, this programme has continued to attract high-value investment that supports jobs, fuels business activity, and reinforces Bermuda’s position as a premier place to live and invest.’

He said that as of November 5 this year, the EIRC Policy had generated over $604.9 million in total associated investments across several key sectors, representing a substantial contribution to Bermuda’s economy.

Hayward noted that EIRC holders are required to invest a minimum of US$2.5 million into Bermuda’s economy, but most invest significantly more.

‘Affluent individuals continue to choose Bermuda because we offer safety, stability, a sophisticated regulatory environment, and a globally connected jurisdiction. These investments, across real estate, business ventures, and other sectors, demonstrate continued global confidence in our island and in the Government’s ability to lead.’

The Ministry said that it would continue to monitor and manage the EIRC Policy to ensure it supports Bermuda’s long-term economic and social priorities while attracting individuals committed to making meaningful contributions to the island.

The Episcopal Conference of Haiti (CEH) says it hopes that next year’s elections in Haiti will be ‘democratic, inclusive and transparent’ and begin the process of healing in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.

‘As for the elections, which we hope will be democratic, inclusive, and transparent, they will only be so if the state authorities work tirelessly to establish a secure environment throughout the country,’ the Roman Catholic Bishops said in the traditional Christmas message released here.

‘Security is the priority for organising well-prepared elections. While we speak, it is incumbent upon national and international actors to expedite the actions necessary to create this essential condition for holding general elections.’

The Bishops quoted Pope Leo XIV as saying the path to peace requires hearts trained to recognize the common good.

‘On the road that must lead us to peace and In the elections, we call for a new kind of leadership, one based on integrity, service, and selflessness. True civic engagement can extend to a form of martyrdom, not through physical death, but through the costly truth and the courage to relinquish privileges to serve the people.’

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is urging countries in the Americas, including the Caribbean, to adjust their health service preparedness and response plans as the Northern Hemisphere enters the season of increased influenza and other respiratory virus circulation.

PAHO said based on a recent epidemiological alert, the combination of vaccination, surveillance, hospital preparedness, timely access to diagnosis and treatment, and personal preventive measures are crucial to reducing disease burden, protecting vulnerable populations, and avoiding potential strain on health systems.

It said global influenza activity, driven by influenza A viruses, continues to rise and that a sustained increase is being observed, particularly in North America, while activity remains relatively low in the rest of the Americas.

In the Caribbean and Central America, influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 predominates, while in Canada and the United States, there is greater circulation of the A(H3N2) subtype, including a progressive increase in subclade K, already widely detected in Europe and Asia.

PAHO said that although no significant increase in severity has been observed so far, A(H3N2)-dominated seasons tend to affect older adults more severely and that preliminary evidence suggests that the current vaccine maintains protection levels similar to previous seasons, particularly in preventing severe cases and hospitalisations.

PAHO is urging countries to strengthen surveillance for influenza, RSV, and SARS-CoV-2, ensure continuous data reporting, and maintain regular sample submission for sequencing to detect variants that could alter virus transmission or severity.

It is also reminding countries that unusual respiratory events-such as severe cases with no identified cause or outbreaks outside expected circulation periods-should be promptly investigated and reported under the International Health Regulations (IHR).

PAHO recommended reviewing and updating national clinical management guidelines as needed, strengthening access to early diagnosis, and ensuring the availability of antivirals for those at higher risk of complications.

Health services should prepare for a potential increase in hospitalizations during the winter months when multiple respiratory viruses circulate simultaneously.

PAHO reiterated the importance of vaccination against influenza, COVID-19, and RSV, especially for older adults, people with chronic conditions, pregnant women, young children, and healthcare workers.

For COVID-19, priority groups are recommended to receive booster doses every six to 12 months.

PAHO said simple measures such as handwashing, respiratory etiquette, and staying home when experiencing fever or symptoms are essential to limit transmission.

The executive secretary of the Economic Commission forLatin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Jose Manuel Salazar Xirinachs, Tuesday called on countries in the Caribbean region modernise their statistical legislation and governance systems to foster a culture of independence, access to administrative data, and improve data protection.

Addressing the 22nd Session of the Monitoring Committee of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC), Salazar Xirinachs, said the onde-day event will discuss among topics, the standout issue of how the subregion can improve its official data and statistics to strengthen resilience and development in the Caribbean as well as the role of the CDCC in supporting member states as it turns 50 and the implementation of ECLAC’s programme of work for the Caribbean.

Executive secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Jose Manuel Salazar Xirinachs (left) and Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development, Kennedy Swaratsingh.

He told the ministerial council that Monday’s seminar attended by officials, ‘provided rich food for thought on how the Caribbean could leverage South-South Cooperation to advance its development,’ adding ‘we highlighted the many and varied challenges facing the subregion’.

He said among these are that sluggish growth is insufficient to provide adequate employment for citizens of the region, partly youth whose unemployment rate exceeds 20 per cent across the region, inadequate productive development policies and structural change to shift specialisation away from low-value-added commodities and services, to high-quality, innovation-based production in green energy, Greentechnologies, telemedicine and cross-cutting AI-enabled solutions across many sectors.

‘Nevertheless.even as we recognised the challenges, we also focused on the opportunities that South-South and triangular cooperation present for the Caribbean in a world that is becoming more multipolar.

‘We acknowledged the Second Resolution of Regional Conference on South-South Cooperation as a transformative vehicle for optimising cooperation between Latin America and the Caribbean in boosting productive development capacities, increasing trade and financial flows, while bolstering social inclusion and reducing inequalities. ‘

Salazar Xirinachs told the conference that Caribbean is now living in the knowledge and information age and like gold in the past, data and information are a major currency of development.

‘Moreover, in small, vulnerable states such as ours, it is even more important to harness data, including real-time data, in decision-making. Given the multiple challenges to its development, the Caribbean must now invest in modernising the production and dissemination of high-quality official data and statistics to drive its development.’

The ECLAC official said good-quality, high-frequency, timely, trusted and tailored macroeconomic, social, and environmental data can provide a basis for deeper analysis of the development challenges and opportunities facing the subregion.

Salazar Xirinachs, said a number of practical measures are needed for the Caribbean to upgrade its data systems for development.

‘First, the subregion needs to modernise its statistical legislation and governance systems to foster a culture of independence, access to administrative data, and improve data protection.’

He said indeed, the CARICOM Regional Strategy for the Development of Statistics (RSDS) 2019-2030 already address some of these issues.

He said secondly, the subregion must upgrade its data and information infrastructure by including digital and other tools, saying the goal should be to build a seamless, integrated statistical system that links various types of data, such as surveys, civil and administrative records, tax records, and social protection records.

‘Crucially, the subregion needs to scale up investment in geospatial technologies to update hazard mapping, early warning systems, and monitoring of coastal, land-use, and risk factors to critical infrastructure such as major roads, airports, and ports.

‘Furthermore, the Caribbean must close data gaps relating to disaster risk and resilience, indicators of digital inclusion, e-commerce and AI adoption and accelerate the harmonization data systems, including classifications and published metadata.’

He said ECLAC has been playing a role to facilitate data for development in the Caribbean and that the Port of Spain-based Subregional headquarters is currently implementing a Development Account project aimed at strengthening the capacity to design and implement policies to enhance resilience in Caribbean small island developing states (SIDS).

Under this project, ECLAC is carrying out national capacity-building workshops on statistical analysis in countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, and Suriname and Salazar Xirinachs, said ECLAC has also provided technical assistance and training on climate indicators for monitoring the UN Sustainable Development Goal Number 13.

‘Crucially, ECLAC Port of Spain’s Caribbean Knowledge Management Centre (CKMC) serves as a vital information and knowledge hub for the subregion, driving digitalisation, data, and ICTs for development.’

Salazar Xirinachs said that as the CDCC turns 50 this year, ‘we must seriously consider the progress we have made and how we might reinvent the institution to meet the thorny challenges of the future.

‘It is indisputable that the CDCC has been a boon for Caribbean development and for strengthening cooperation with Latin America. Since its inception, the CDCC has provided much-needed technical assistance, promoted regional cooperation and acted as a platform for a unified Caribbean voice in Latin America’.

He said concrete achievements of the CDCC include creating the first formal UN platform to address the peculiar needs of Caribbean SIDS with a focus on trade and regional cooperation, capability building in critical areas and vulnerability reduction and enhanced resilience.

In addition, the CDCC has been a forerunner in strengthening statistical capacity and development planning in the subregion.

In statistics, CDCC has supported the adoption of SNA for harmonised gross domestic product (GDP) statistics, tourism satellite accounts, population and gender statistics and environmental data.

Salazar Xirinachs said that ECLAC through the CDCC has been instrumental in institutionalising the Damage and Loss Assessment (DaLA) methodology across the subregion.

He said this has enabled the Caribbean to harness post-disaster recovery and reconstruction financing and technical assistance, thanks to the credibility the assessments bring.

Further, the CDCC has helped Caribbean countries coordinate their positions on the 2030 Agenda by providing timely technical assistance on SDG mainstreaming into national plans, advancing gender equality through its gender equality observatories, the design of social protection systems and population and demographic analysis.

‘Nevertheless, delegates, as we know, the global environment has become more challenging for SIDS. The UN itself is going through a period of adjustment marked by staff cuts and retrenchment aimed at right-sizing the organization

‘In this environment the CDCC must reform to remain relevant,’ Salazar Xirinachs, said, proposing four important areas of reform.

He said the CDCC must strategically position itself as the main vehicle for advancing productive development policies and structural transformation in the Caribbean.

‘It must produce cutting-edge research and technical assistance on value chain upgrading, especially in the green, blue, orange and digital economies. It must promote innovation and technological upgrading and productive integration of the Caribbean with Central and South America. These are crucial for driving competitiveness and growing high-value added exports to relieve the foreign exchange constraint in Caribbean economies.’

Salazar Xirinachs said that the CDCC must also position itself as a centre of excellence in facilitating integration and functional cooperation across Latin America and the Caribbean.

He said it should promote production and service-sharing agreements and joint institution-building in key areas such as education and skills exchanges, joint research and development and problem-solving research, the digitalisation of ports and customs agencies, and the joint procurement of pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, and the creation of digital health systems.

In addition, the CDCC must invest in becoming the Caribbean’s central hub for high-quality regional data and digital data-related public infrastructure. ECLAC’s knowledge management Centre could be upgraded to standardize and fully digitize various data sets

Salazar Xirinachs said the CDCC must raise its profile as convening body to raise the concerns of the Caribbean in regional and international fora.

He said this could include the presentation of a joint Caribbean Report on key issues to ECLAC’s annual session and continued advocacy for the full operationalisation of the MVI, better debt-swap mechanisms, and the reform of the global financial system to better meet the needs of SIDS.