Category: CANA News

The West Indies have suffered a major setback with opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul ruled out of the second Test against New Zealand because of injury

Tagenarine Chanderpaul

Chanderpaul, who scored a crucial half century in the first innings of the opening Test, suffered a side strain while practicing in the nets on Tuesday.

The left-handed batsman is currently being examined by the medical team to determine the full extent of the injury as well as his availability for the remainder of the series.

Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro says abduction of a 70-year-old man and his 47-year-old wife at their Monos Island home over the last weekend is at a ‘sensitive stage’ and it would not be prudent to reveal operational details publicly.

The kidnappers are demanding a random of US$2.5 million for the release of Derek and Claribel Tardieu, who appeared on social media pleading for their lives.

Screen shot shows husband and wife being held by abductors armed with guns and a grenade and demanding US$2.5 million ransom

‘What I can assure is that several of our specialised units are actively engaged in this investigation. I urge members of the public who have any information to please co-operate with the TTPS (Trinidad and Tobago Police Service) so as to ensure that Mr Tardieu is returned safely to his family,’ Guevarro said.

‘Kidnapping for ransom will be met with decisive action, and the TTPS remains fully committed to protecting citizens and bringing perpetrators to justice,’ he added.

Media reports said that a family friend had received a voice note from a cellphone with a Colombian registration number informing them of the kidnapping.

In the message, Tardieu, confirms being snatched with the abductors demanding ‘2.5 million US for meh release’.

A video of the couple was circulated on social media and showed what appeared to be a gun pointed at Tardieu’s head and hand with a grenade under his head. The suspects holding the weapons to Tardieu’s head were not seen in the video, however.

Tardieu is heard appealing to a relative in English and Spanish, asking for money for the release of himself and his wife.

Monos Island located about half a mile off the northwestern end of Trinidad, in the area known as Bocas del Dragon (Dragon’s mouth) which is 19km wide and is subdivided into four islands: Monos Island, Huevos, Chacachacare and Gaspar Grande.

West Indies reached 175 for four at tea against New Zealand on the opening day of the second Test here at the Basin Reserve on Wednesday.

WEST INDIES 175-4 in 54 overs (Shai Hope 48, John Campbell 44, Brandon King 33, Roston Chase 29 not out, Justin Greaves 10 not out; Blair Tickner 3-27).

West Indies Test captain, Roston Chase is of the view that his side is heading into the second Test against New Zealand ‘on top’ after their heroics in last week’s drawn opening Test at Christchurch.

Given 531 to win, the West Indies batted almost two days in one of the best displays in Test history, to reach 457 for six, the highest total in the fourth innings of a Test match in 84 years.

With the second Test scheduled to begin here on Wednesday, Chase said that performance had given the regional team a major boost. ‘The guys have settled well, and I think the Test match that we played is going to give us a lot of confidence going forward in this series knowing that we can compete and come close to almost having a chance of winning in the first Test match, so the guys’ spirits are high right now,’ he said during a pre-match press conference on Tuesday.

‘Everyone seems raring to go, full of confidence and energy to prove that we can actually go a step further and win

‘I don’t want to say that we’re favourites now, but coming out of that last game I think we would have ticked more boxes than them and came out the game with more positives than them, so I would say that we’re on top right now.’

Despite their spectacular play in the fourth innings, Chase maintained that the West Indies needed to put bigger scores on the board in the first innings.

He said if they were able to do that, it would put them in a better position to win.

‘The main topic we spoke about is our first innings, because we find that in these New Zealand conditions the first innings is usually the tougher part, where usually in Test cricket the second innings is the tougher part to bat.

‘But with the green on the wicket and the way the ball is nipping around, we think that once we can get a decent total in the first innings it would put us closer to the point of winning a match,’ Chase said.

‘We just think that we need to shut down that lead from early and once we put the New Zealand batsmen under pressure in the second innings, we’ll be fine.’

The Organization of American States (OAS) Electoral Mission (OEM) says on the night of the elections in St. Lucia on December1, the transmission process did not work precisely as anticipated with results ‘bypassing the verification stage in some instances’.

The OEM was among regional and international groups that monitored the elections that resulted in the ruling St. Lucia Labour Party (SLP) of Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre winning 14 of the 17 seats with two seats going to ‘independents’ who had previously been part of the Pierre first administration.

The others eat was won by the leader of the main opposition United Workers Party (UWP), Allen Chastanet.

A member of the OAS Electoral Mission watches as preparations begin for the casting of ballots in St. Lucia’s general election on December 1, 2025

In its report, the OEM said that St. Lucia has transitioned to an electronic election results transmission process whereby, following the conclusion of the manual count, preliminary election results are transmitted and recorded in the Election Tabulation and Publication System (ETPS).

It said that the current electronic results system is configured in such a way that after a Presiding Officer uploads a polling station’s results, the Returning Officer (RO) verifies and approves the data after receiving the physical Statement of Poll (SOP).

‘The Mission noted that the system’s design prevents the RO from approving a verified SOP until all SOPs for that entire constituency have been received and are ready for approval. This can create a significant processing delay, which negates the speed advantage of digital reporting and potentially delays the timely release of results to the general public.’

It said that on election night, the transmission process ‘did not work precisely as anticipated, with results being uploaded to both the ROs and to a public results website, thus bypassing the verification stage in some instances’.

But the OEM noted that ‘this did not appear to be an issue of undue concern for the electoral authorities.

Asa result, the OEM is recommending revising the application design to allow the RO to approve and publish each SOP independently as soon as its physical copy has been verified, adding ‘this will eliminate potential bottlenecks and ensure the results are published in a timely fashion’.

It is also calling for an enhancements of the system, so that it works both online and offline, automatically syncing data to the central database when a connection is available.

‘This hybrid approach ensures the process,’ the OEM said, adding that there should also be efforts to improving the software freezing procedures to ensure that the software as well as the database are not tampered with or modified, thus preserve their integrity and availability.

The OEM is also recommending that there should be enhanced training for all poll workers prior to each election in order to ensure greater familiarity with the results transmission web application and the required steps in the confirmation and verification process.

It also wants an enhanced transparency through Digital SOP publication, noting that ‘the current ETPS does not include the scanning, digital capture, and upload of the SOPs for public viewing.

‘The digital publication of SOPs can greatly improve public trust by allowing citizens to view and download official SOPs from a secure, central location as soon as they are verified. The Mission therefore recommends integrating the following capabilities into the ETPS to facilitate the secure and timely publication of SOP images’

The OEM said that equipping each RO’s receiving location with high-speed scanners to immediately capture digital images of the physical SOPs upon their arrival.

‘Developing a dedicated software module for the indexing, classification, and secure uploading of SOP images to a central database. This ensures efficient data management,’ the OEM said, recommending that ‘before uploading the SOPs, utilizing a secure algorithm to generate a digital signature (hash) for each SOP image. This digital signature must be included with the SOP record to prove its integrity and detect any unauthorized tampering.

‘Immediately encrypting all SOP images upon scanning and securing the receiving laptops with full-disk encryption and multi-factor authentication (MFA) to protect sensitive data at the local level.’

It is recommending the creation of a user-friendly online interface that allows voters to easily search for and download SOPs by constituency or polling location.

‘Implementing an online dashboard showing the public the live status of the SOP scanning, verification, and uploading process nationwide. This will help citizens track the progress of results in real time,’ the OEM added.

United States Democratic Senator, Adam Schiff, is calling on on President Donald Trump to dismiss his Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for his involvement in boat strikes in the Caribbean Sea and the killing of survivors.

In addition, Schiff says Hegesth should be fired for the national security breaches that endangered the US military through his use of the social media platform, Signal, to discuss sensitive national security information.

‘[Hegseth] should be fired over this killing of these survivors at sea, and he should be fired for endangering our pilots,’ said Schiff on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, where he reiterated that the unauthorised and illegal boat strikes in the Caribbean Sea are ‘dragging the United States closer to war with Venezuela.

‘That Inspector General report made it clear that his actions in using this commercial app to Signal military strike plans ahead of those strikes endangered our pilots. It also endangered the success of the mission. That is more than enough reason to get rid of him.

‘That kind of dangerous incompetence puts everyone at risk. His claim of exoneration is based on the fact that he has the authority to declassify information, and he is deeming it declassified because he went through this reckless step of texting it out on Signal to a journalist and family members and others.

‘But the threat to our service members and to the mission remained whatever you call it. That material was classified before he sent it out, and I think it was classified when he did. So, there needs to be some accountability, or other people are going to be put in harm’s way,’ Schiff said.

He called on the Trump administration to publicly release the full video of the second attack on survivors of the suspected drug-trafficking boat in the Caribbean Sea in early September, stating that he and his colleagues will call for a War Powers Resolution to force a debate and vote in the US Congress that would block the use of US forces in hostilities against or within Venezuela, if Trump should follow through on his threat to strike Venezuela on land ‘very soon.’

Schiff stressed that the US military continued strikes on suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean Sea are ‘unauthorised and illegal.

‘They’re unlawful. They’re unconstitutional, and killing two people who are shipwrecked at sea is also morally repugnant.’

Schiff said, while he agrees that the US ‘should do everything lawfully’ to stop the scourge of drugs coming into the country, the boat strikes are ‘not at all lawful or constitutional.

‘And, frankly, if the Pentagon and our defense secretary is so proud of what they’re doing, let the American people see that video. Let the American people see two people standing on a capsized boat or sitting on a capsized boat and deliberately killed and decide for themselves whether they’re proud of what the country is doing. I can’t imagine people will be proud of that.’

Schiff said the manual on the law of war ‘makes it explicit that killing people who are shipwrecked is illegal, is a violation of law. They’re a form of extrajudicial killing.

‘These boats are not invading the United States in an armed assault. They are thousands of miles away. Some of them, maybe even this vessel -if reports are accurate – wasn’t even heading to the United States.

”And for us to be engaged in this kind of unauthorized campaign of extrajudicial killing couldn’t be, I think, a more clear violation of the law.’

The US lawmaker said the American people don’t want to go to war with Venezuela.

Schiff predicted that more legislators may support the third War Powers Resolution that he plans to introduce soon, as more legislators are able to view footage of the boat strikes in the Caribbean Sea.

Senators Tim Kaaine and Rand Paul had joined Schiff in introducing the previous two resolutions in the Republican-controlled Senate.

‘One of the reasons that we began introducing these resolutions is we wanted to protect our troops who might be put in harm’s way, but we also wanted to protect them, not just from physical harm, but from legal harm,’ Schiff said.

In his appearance on ABC TV’s ‘This Week’ on Sunday, Congressman Adam Smith, the top-ranking Democrat on the House of Representatives’ Armed Services Committee, said that surveillance video of the US military strikes on the alleged narco-trafficking boat in the Caribbean Sea, contradicts descriptions by Hegseth and other Republicans.

‘When they [the survivors] were finally taken out, they weren’t trying to flip the boat over. The boat was clearly incapacitated. A tiny portion of it remained, capsized, the bow of the boat. They had no communications device. Certainly, they were unarmed.

‘Any claim that the drugs had somehow survived that attack is hard, hard to really square with what we saw,’ he added, describing the video as ‘deeply disturbing.’

Caribbean-American American Democratic Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke has condemned what she described as the Trump administration’s ‘unauthorised’ military strikes on alleged drug boats off the coast of Venezuela and in the Caribbean Sea.

‘Since September, the Trump administration has carried out a series of unauthorized military strikes off the coast of Venezuela, across the Caribbean, and the Eastern Pacific,’ Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who represents the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, New York, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).

‘These operations have resulted in more than 80 deaths across 20 separate strikes-actions undertaken without congressional authorization, in clear violation of our Constitution.

‘This ‘kill first and ask questions never’ approach is not only unlawful but fundamentally un-American,’ added the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, Dr. Andrew Wheatley, says the Jamaica government is focused on ‘building forward’ following the passage of Hurricane Melissa that tore into the country on October 28, killing at least 45 people and causing billions of US dollars in damages.

Wheatley, who has responsibility for Science, Technology and Special Projects, said that the strategy is not just aimed at restoring damaged infrastructure but strengthening the country’s climate resilience.

Dr. Andrew Wheatley

‘We must build forward colleagues. We cannot just think about recovery or rebuilding in the traditional sense. We must build forward, smarter, stronger and fundamentally more resilient,’ he told the Scientific Research Council’s (SRC) Conversation in Science 2025.

The World Bank estimates that Melissa caused approximately US$8.8 billion in physical damage to Jamaica, equivalent to 41 per cent of the country’s 2024 gross domestic product (GDP), making it the costliest storm in the country’s history.

Wheatley noted that the cost of damage from Melissa alone, which does not take into account economic losses such as revenue earnings, has eclipsed the cumulative damage from disasters between 2000 and 2021.

‘During that 21-year period, intense hydro meteorological events such as hurricanes, storms and droughts caused damage and losses exceeding US$870 million to our nation. Over those 21 years, the damage was under a billion US dollars,’ Wheatley said.

‘So, that one event (Melissa) eclipsed the 21 years . and right now, we are facing a situation, with just preliminary analysis; we’re not looking at the cost associated with manpower [and] working hours. We’re just looking at the infrastructure, road networks, buildings, homes. We’re not looking at the contents of these buildings, homes, and we are at US$8.8 billion,’ he added.

In addition, with the category five storm coming15 months after Hurricane Beryl, Wheatley said that the region is facing the reality of stronger, faster and more frequent storms, and building the country’s resilience to withstand and recover from disasters is imperative.

‘The persons who are into data management and mapping and climate change will tell you that these events are coming more often than before,’ he said, noting that ‘we [cannot] continue to do the same things that we always do and expect to get a different result if another hurricane should pass our way.’

‘We must prepare ourselves now to brace for future events of this nature. The only way we can protect ourselves as a people, as a country, is to be smarter in our approach and build out in a more resilient manner.’

Wheatley said that the SRC, now in its 65th year of service, has a mandate that will facilitate the development of Jamaica’s resources through scientific research, but more importantly, to transfer that technology to all sectors of society and be a bedrock of the practical areas of research.

He said this will help greatly in the rebuilding process and help guide the affected persons in a better way.

Former prime minister Edison James has welcomed a ruling by the High Court that upheld his challenge of a decision by a magistrate who had committed him to a holding cell while awaiting possible bail in the incitement case involving senior members of the main opposition United Workers Party (UWP).

James said he regards the ruling by the High Court as ‘a vindication of his constitutional rights,’ which he said were ‘violated,’ stressing also that the appeal was ‘not about money but about vindicating his rights.

‘The law provides the opportunity to request bail, and for bail to be considered before any further action is taken; instead, I was committed to imprisonment without that right being respected. The High Court has now affirmed that my freedom cannot be taken away in such a manner,’ the 80-year-old former prime minister added.

James, who served as prime minister 1995-2000, has been at the center of an alleged incitement case with former opposition leader Lennox Linton and the current UWP leader Dr. Thomson Fontaine.

They have been charged with ‘encouraging, persuading, or instigating by words, causing persons to jeopardize the safety or endanger the public peace, following a United Workers Party (UWP) on February 7, 2017, at which calls were made for the resignation of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit.

James had been released on EC$50,000 bail with one surety after spending an estimated 20 minutes in the holding cell in the magistrate’s court after he was committed to stand trial at the High Court on the charge of incitement.

The matter has since been was thrown out at the High Court but the State has appealed.

The High Court in its ruling found that the magistrate erred in his decision to have James immediately placed in the cells and awarded EC$8,000 (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) as compensation. The state is also to pay all its legal costs for the matter.

James said he had always expected the magistrate to have him placed in a cell saying ‘I said to him directly that I do not believe it is appropriate for a magistrate on contract to handle highly political cases, as the case involving me.

‘He is under pressure, and I did not expect him not to send the matter to trial. So, I understand the process once it is decided to send it to trial. It could involve committing to jail or a secure place until the trial is held. But then there is bail available, and the magistrate could have offered bail straight away.

‘I get the distinct impression that he was bent on sending me to jail.which he did,’ James said, adding ‘I don’t know why.’

‘I have never been in a cell before, but life goes on,’ James said, noting that the police ‘felt a way’ in accompanying him to the holding cell.

James expressed regret that ‘Magistrate Laudat had found himself in a situation where his actions breached the rights of a citizen,’ stating that the case should serve as ‘a reminder of the judiciary’s responsibility to uphold the rule of law.’

He said that the ruling by the High Court ‘sends a wider message about accountability, and breaches of rights by judicial officers not only harm individuals but also cost the state thousands of dollars.’

In a landmark moment for Saint Lucian sport, 19-year-old John Didier delivered a dominant and historic performance at the IBA Men’s World Boxing Championships on Friday, becoming the first boxer from his nation to ever advance past the opening round of the global tournament.

John Didier

Competing in the light heavyweight (80kg) division at the Dubai Tennis Centre, Didier announced his arrival on the world stage with a commanding and technical display against the Ivory Coast’s Fofana Moussa Ben Ali.

From the opening bell, the Saint Lucian teenager seized control. Fighting from the red corner, Didier unleashed a relentless barrage of powerful, precise shots, overwhelming his more experienced opponent.

His superior ring generalship, technique, and power were evident as he swept the first round 10-8 on all five judges’ scorecards, forcing two standing eight-counts and a point deduction against Ben Ali.

Though the second round was more competitive, Didier maintained his edge, winning on a 4-1 split decision. The contest was ultimately halted at 1:04 of the third and final round when Azerbaijani referee Gadirov Rovshan disqualified Ben Ali for excessive holding, cementing Didier’s place in the Round of 16.

Speaking in the aftermath of his historic win, an elated Didier dedicated the victory to his homeland, which was simultaneously celebrating the inauguration of a new Prime Minister.

‘Today is a big day at home, and so I wanted to go out and make it special,’ said Didier. ‘I am happy with the result. This win is for Saint Lucia and everyone who continues to support and believe in the national boxing programme.’

The monumental achievement was celebrated courtside by David ‘Shakes’ Christopher, President of the Saint Lucia Boxing Association, who hailed the teenager’s performance.

‘It was nothing short of exceptional,’ stated Christopher. His discipline, determination, and technical brilliance are a testament to the hard work he has put in. The entire nation is proud.’

Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development, Kennedy Swaratsingh, Monday said some of the main structural vulnerabilities persistently facing the Caribbean have restricted the region’s fiscal spaces and slowing down productivity growth among other challenges.

Swaratsingh, who is chairing the 22nd meeting of the Monitoring Committee of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC), said that the region stands at a critical juncture.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development, Kennedy Swaratsingh, addressing the 22nd meeting of the Monitoring Committee of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC).

‘Some of the main structural vulnerabilities we have persistently been working to alleviate include high debt, exposure to climate shocks, limited economies of scale and an overreliance on a narrow set of economic sectors,’ he told delegates to the conference being held under the theme ‘Unlocking Caribbean potential: enhancing growth and development through South-South cooperation’.

‘ While these factors have restricted our fiscal space, slowed productivity growth and hampered our ability to invest in more rapid and wholistic diversification, human capital, and innovation, we have never given up as a region or made our presence felt on the world stage in terms of advocating for ourselves.

‘Over time, we have also been strengthening a solution that is deeper; more structured and strategic cooperation with our neighbours in the global South, especially within Latin America,’ Swaratsingh told the opening ceremony, adding ‘this is the focus of our conversation today’.

Swaratsingh told the conference which is being held in collaboration with the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) that So

‘It allows us to build partnerships that reflect our realities, our ambitions, and the unique vulnerabilities of Small Island Developing States (SIDS). For Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean, the question is no longer whether South-South cooperation is useful.

‘The real question, and the one this seminar invites us to answer is how we can leverage it more deliberately to support structural transformation, increase resilience and expand opportunities for our society and citizens.’

Among the topics on the agenda are financing for development: finding ways to increase the Caribbean’s access to climate finance and other innovative financing for development mechanisms as well as digital bridges for Caribbean integration and institutional strengthening: a South-South cooperation perspective

Swaratsingh said whether in the digital sphere, resilience-building, innovation, the sustainable use of natural resources or governance reforms, there is tremendous value in learning from the experiences of countries that have tackled similar challenges and achieved meaningful progress.

‘For the Caribbean, one of our greatest assets is our proximity to a diverse and dynamic Latin American region. This diversity provides us with a range of development experiences, policy innovations and institutional models that can help inform our own national and regional strategies.

‘As we confront the long-term imperatives of economic diversification, climate resilience, food and energy security and institutional strengthening, this network of Southern partnerships becomes even more valuable.’

But, Swaratsingh said cooperation must be purposeful, saying that the Caribbean region must focus on building the capabilities and systems that allow us to translate collaboration into measurable development outcomes.

He said this requires modern, adaptable public institutions; stronger coordination among ministries and agencies; and a clear sense of national and regional priorities, adding these are the foundations upon which meaningful cooperation is built.

‘Equally important, is the need for the Caribbean to approach South-South cooperation from a position of confidence. Our region is not only seeking support, but we also have expertise to share.

‘The Caribbean has made meaningful strides in areas such as disaster preparedness, renewable energy integration, financial regulation, public service innovation, and cultural and creative industries. These experiences can add value to South-South initiatives and help shape a more balanced model of cooperation.’

Swaratsingh said as chair of the CDCC, Trinidad and Tobago is committed to supporting a more coherent and coordinated Caribbean voice within the wider Latin American and Caribbean framework.

‘We believe that our collective priorities, sustainable development, economic transformation, social inclusion, and resilience are best achieved when tackled together. Strengthening our institutional platforms, improving information-sharing, and fostering a culture of collaboration are critical steps in this direction.’

He said today’s event is an important space to reflect on how South-South cooperation can help us advance these shared objectives.

‘But it is also an opportunity to reaffirm long-standing principles of solidarity, mutual benefit, equality of partnership, and respect for national priorities. These principles must continue to guide our efforts as we pursue new forms of cooperation and explore innovative ways of supporting the development of our people.’

He told delegates that they should use the time together not only to examine what is possible, but to identify practical, forward-looking approaches that will carry the region into the next decade of sustainable development.

‘The future we seek is one that is resilient, competitive, and inclusive, which depends on our ability to work together, to learn from one another, and to act with clarity and purpose,’ Swaratsingh added.