Category: CANA News

Prime Minister Phillip Davis is warning of a ‘crisis among males’ in the country, saying he wants a Bahamas where ‘our sons walk beside our daughters as equals in education, in work and in leadership’.

Addressing the installation ‘Banquet of Pride of Grand Bahamas Lodge No 7,’ on Sunday night, Davis said the current situation has been ‘heavy on my heart’ and wanted to speak ‘plainly’ to the audience.

He said as fellow Bahamian man, a father and grandfather, and as someone who has seen what is happening to boys and young men up close, ‘there is a crisis among males in this country.

Prime Minister Phillip Davis addressing the installation ‘Banquet of Pride of Grand Bahamas Lodge No 7,’

‘I feel it in my spirit long before I read it in any report. I see it in the funerals I attend, where the casket is small, and the tears are loud, and a mother keeps saying, ‘He was just starting to change, Prime Minister. He was just starting to turn his life around.’

‘I see it when I visit the prison, and a young man, barely in his twenties, says to me, ‘Mr Davis, I never thought my life would come to this.’ And when I look at him, I do not see a stranger. I see a boy who was once in a school uniform, who once had a laugh, who once had dreams,’ Prime Minister Davis said.

He said after the funerals and after the private conversations, he sits with statistics, and ‘they confirm what I already know in my heart’.

Prime Minister Davis said fewer than half of high school students leave school with a diploma, only about 46 per cent meet the minimum requirements and the rest leave school without the qualifications that open doors.

‘Our boys are heavily represented in that half that slips away. Girls are racing ahead in the classroom. They receive most of the top grades in the BGCSEs. At the University of The Bahamas, women fill about three quarters of the seats.

‘Our daughters are showing tremendous drive and discipline, and I am proud of them. At the same time, I cannot ignore what this means for our sons, who are drifting away from the very institutions that should be preparing them for adulthood.’

He said a look at the violence in the country shows that in recent years, almost every name on the murder list has belonged to a man, most of them between 18 and 35.

‘It is as if we have a silent war taking place against our young men, and many of them are both the victims and the perpetrators. Behind prison walls, the picture is the same. Over 90 per cent of the inmates are male. Many are still in their youth. Many have not yet been convicted, but they are already cut off from family, from opportunity, from the ordinary rhythm of life.’

He said within the labour force, men struggle more to find steady work and among young males, close to one in five is unemployed.

‘That is a large number of young men waking up with no job to go to, no pay cheque coming, no clear path ahead,’ he said, noting that the situation within the health sector is alarming.

‘A baby boy born in The Bahamas today can expect to live several years less than a baby girl. A young Bahamian man is far more likely to die before he reaches 60 than a young Bahamian woman.

‘And then there is the area that is often whispered about, but seldom addressed head on. Suicide. Most of those deaths are males. Our men are leaving this world by their own hand far more often than our women. That tells me that many men are carrying pain, shame and confusion in silence,’ Prime Minister Davis said, adding ‘this is what I mean when I speak of a male crisis.

‘These are our sons, our grandsons, our nephews, our godsons. These are the boys who once ran up and down in the yard, who once fell asleep on someone’s shoulder after a long day at school or church. Somewhere along the way, they lost their footing, and too often, we were not there to catch them.’

He said that he grew up in a country that did not offer him much in material terms, but that he had something that made a difference.

‘I had men who believed in me, corrected me, and expected me to carry myself with respect. They did not always use fine words. Sometimes it was a look, sometimes it was a firm voice, sometimes it was a simple, ‘Boy, you can do better than this.’

‘Those men gave me something that I still carry. They convinced me that my life had value, that my mind could be stretched, that my future could be different from my present.’

Prime Minister Davis acknowledged that the country has to be honest and that ‘homes have changed.

‘Our communities have changed. Violence and drugs have filled spaces where mothers, fathers and elders used to stand. Social media tells our boys to chase quick money and short-term recognition, instead of steady work and a good name. They are told that to be a man is to never show fear, never show sadness, never ask for help. Then we act surprised when they explode in anger, or collapse in silence.’

He said that while he is not standing in judgment, he also has a responsibility.

‘I am their Prime Minister, yes. I am also a man who knows what it is to face hardship, to feel overlooked, to have to fight for every inch of progress. I look at these young men, and I see pieces of my own story, twisted by different times and harsher pressures.

‘So when I speak about this issue, I am not speaking as a distant official reading out a list of figures. I am speaking as someone who has sat with the grieving, walked through the prison gates, and listened to the stories that never make the headlines.’

Prime Minister Davis said that as a government, his administration is trying to change the conditions that keep producing this crisis.

‘We are making sure children have a proper breakfast in school, because no child can learn on an empty stomach. We are expanding technical and vocational paths, so that boys whose gifts are practical and creative can find their way into trades and professions with dignity.

‘We are investing in youth programmes that offer discipline, skills and national service. We are working to improve mental health support, so that people have somewhere to turn before they reach breaking point,’ he said, adding that while these steps matter, they are not enough on their own.

‘The truth is this. No policy paper can love a boy. No budget line item can sit with a young man who is about to make the wrong choice and talk him out of it. That is the work of people, of families, of communities, of men who care,’he said, telling the audience ‘this is where you come in.

‘You are the Pride of Grand Bahama Lodge. You already understand brotherhood, accountability and service. You understand what it means to take a young man into your circle and help him grow.

‘I want to ask you, from my heart, to look beyond these walls tonight and see the faces of the boys who need you. See the boy who is hanging around the corner every evening, because he does not want to go home to a house full of shouting.

‘See the boy who has stopped coming to school regularly, because he has already decided that he is ‘a failure’, and no one has told him otherwise. See the boy who seems angry all the time, because anger is the only emotion he has ever been allowed to show. See the boy who is quiet and withdrawn, because he has already started to give up on himself.

‘Then ask yourselves, as a lodge, what you can do together, in partnership with us in government, to reach them before the streets do, before the gangs do, before the prison does, before the grave does,’ Prime Minister Davis added.

Fishermen and other stakeholders who violate the new fisheries regulations could face maximum fines of EC$100,000 (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents), according to an official published document .

The regulations have been posted in the latest edition of the Government Gazette, three weeks after Parliament approved an amendment to the Fisheries Act, indicating that they will now become the working guidelines for the fishing industry and also mandates the releasing and reporting of certain mammals caught or seen in Grenada’s marine space.

Grenada’s decision to amend its Fisheries Act and establish the new regulations will make the island become compliant with the United States Marine Mammal Protection Act, averting a January 1, 2026 ban of fish and fish products from Grenada into markets in the North American country.

The ban was announced in August this year and since then the Dickon Mitchell government has been seeking to amend the relevant policy, law or regulation that will avert the ban for the industry which brings in revenue of more than EC$50 million annually to the island.

Labelled as SRO 43 of 2025, besides a maximum fine of EC$100,000 for various offenses, the Fisheries (Marine Mammals) Regulations also requires that a marine mammal that has been caught accidentally or entangled while a fishing vessel is fishing or farming or preparing to fish or farm a species of fish other than a marine mammal, shall be returned to the fishery waters as soon as possible after discovery.

It also states that the mammal, as far as is possible, be promptly freed in a manner that causes the least amount of stress or harm to the marine mammal.

‘When requested to do so by the master or operator of a fishing vessel, a member of a fishing vessel shall assist in the release of a marine mammal accidentally caught or entangled unless he or she fears for his or her personal safety,’ said the regulations which explains that a person who fail to comply with the request to set the mammal free commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine and or imprisonment or both fine and imprisonment together.

The list of marine mammals includes, Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae); Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus); Short-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus); Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus); Spinner Dolphin (Stenella longirostris); Atlantic Spotted Dolphin (Stenella frontalis); False Killer Whale (Pseudorca crassidens); Pygmy Sperm Whale; West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus); Pinnipeds (Seals) or Reporting Unknown Species.

‘If a marine mammal cannot be identified the fishing vessel shall record and photograph the mammal; Report as ‘Unidentified species’ with descriptive notes and Submit materials to the Fisheries Division for scientific verification,’ according to the regulations.

Despite the heavy fines for violating the fisheries regulations, there are exemptions and according to the regulation, ‘It is not a contravention of these Regulations to take or harass a marine mammal if the taking or harassing is authorised by the Minister for the purposes of research into fisheries’.

It will also not be a contravention of these regulations to take a marine mammal ‘if the taking is imminently necessary in self-defence to save the life of a person in immediate danger nor it is imminently necessary to avoid serious injury, additional injury, or death to a marine mammal entangled in fishing gear or debris’.

The regulations states that reasonable care should be taken to ensure the safe release of the marine mammal, taking into consideration the equipment, expertise and conditions at hand; and reasonable care is taken to prevent further injury to the marine mammal.

The master or operator of a fishing vessel shall report a taking or harassing to the Chief Fisheries Officer within 48 hours and the Chief Fisheries Officer may seize and dispose of any carcass.

A secondary school teacher, who was fired in November 2021 under the then government’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, is returning to the classroom, less than a week after the Godwin Friday administration took up office here following the November 27 general election.

Ann-Marie Ballantyne, a French and Spanish teacher, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that she received a call from the Ministry of Education last Thursday to report for duties at the St. Vincent Grammar School (SVGS), where she had been teaching before the mandate came into effect.

She said that she had first acted based on information provided by Prime Minister Friday on December 1, as he arrived at the Administrative Complex in Kingstown for his first day at work after being sworn into office November 28.

‘. I heard him say what he said. I can’t remember his words verbatim now. I decided I will go and register my interest at my former workplace. . I went (last) Tuesday. I told them that I was still interested. My interest in my job is unchanged,’ Ballantyne told CMC.

‘I spoke with the deputy principal, because the principal is out on leave, so I told her of my interest, and I asked her to please convey that information to the necessary authorities.’

Ballantyne said she received a call last Thursday from a senior education officer, informing her to report to work at SVGS.

Hundreds of public sector workers lost their jobs for failing to take a COVID-19 vaccine by November 2021, as the then Ralph Gonsalves administration had mandated.

The Public Service Union, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Teachers Union and the Police Welfare Association challenged the government’s action and the High Court ruled in March 2023 that the government’s actions were illegal and unconstitutional and that the workers never ceased to be employees of the state.

However, in February 2025, the Court of Appeal overturned that ruling in a 2-1 decision and has since given permission for the matter to be heard by the London-based Privy Council, the island’s highest court.

The New Democratic Party (NDP) had long committed to reinstating the workers with their benefits intact and in the lead lead-up to the general election, which the NDP won by taking 14 of the 15 parliamentary seats, Friday had said that an NDP government would reinstate the workers within 60 days of coming to office.

Ballantyne said she asked the education officer about a letter of reinstatement because that had always been one of her issues.

‘He told me the letter will follow, but for now, I must report to Grammar School, ‘she said.

Last Monday, Prime Minister Friday told CMC in response to a question regarding the implementation of the public servants that ‘we have made a commitment, and we intend to honour that commitment.

‘I know some persons may come to work and so forth today (December 1), as we had said, but that is a process of essentially saying, ‘Listen, I’m ready to come back to where I have been.’

‘The process of taking the proper information and making sure that people are properly positioned and that they can be assured that they will be rehired and put in the positions that they can function effectively, but it starts the process today,’ he said, acknowledging that it would take some time to get everything in place, noting that some things have changed since the workers were dismissed.

‘Some positions may not be available. Some positions may have changed. Persons may be there, but we will honour the spirit and the commitment that we’ve made to the public servants who were fired under the vaccine mandate. We intend to do so starting now,’ he said.

Ballantyne’s husband, Shefflorn Ballantyne, a Community College lecturer who also lost his job under the mandate, also reminded his former workplace last week of his interest in returning to work, but is yet to receive a call.

The cricket finals at the 2025 Bolivarian Games in Lima, Peru, delivered some high-octane action as Barbados and Jamaica emerged victorious to claim the coveted gold medals in the men’s and women’s competitions, respectively, here at the Lima Polo club.

Barbados cricket team at the Bolivarian Games.

In a tightly contested men’s final, Barbados defended a modest total with grit and discipline to overcome Trinidad and Tobago by 11 runs.

Sent in to bat, the Bajans found themselves in trouble early, struggling against a precise off-break of Vikash Mohan, whose excellent spell of 4 for 22 kept the pressure on.

The innings was salvaged by a crucial 55-run knock from Shian Brathwaite, who was well-supported by Tennyson Roach’s 42, which lifted Barbados to a competitive 137 for 8 from their 20 overs.

In reply, Trinidad and Tobago’s chase never found fluent momentum. Despite starts from Crystian Thurton 31 and Teshawon Castro 22, the batting order faltered against a disciplined Barbadian bowling unit.

Deswin Currency 2-19 and Jerome Jones 2-25 applied the brakes at critical moments, and T and T ultimately fell short, finishing at 126 for 8.

The women’s final saw a dominant performance from Jamaica, who clinically chased down a target set by Trinidad and Tobago to win by six wickets with 15 balls to spare.

The Jamaican bowlers set the stage for victory, expertly restricting their opponents to a below-par 94 for 8. Medium pacer NeishaAnn Waisome 2-12 and off-spinner Chedean Nation 2-21, along with part timer Kate Wilmott 2-22, shared the wickets, with only Anisa Mohammed’s resilient 24 not out providing late resistance for T and T.

In response, Jamaica’s chase was anchored by the tournament’s standout all-rounder, Chedean Nation. The former West Indies player came in at a delicate moment; her composed, unbeaten 35 steered her side home with authority.

She received solid support from Chrishana McKenzie, 21 and Waisome, 12, as the Jamaican team reached 95 for 4 in the 18th over, sealing a comprehensive victory.

The National Integrity Action (NIA) Monday confirmed that its principal director, Danielle Archer has resigned from the country’s leading anti-corruption and transparency watchdogs.

In a statement, it said that the resignation of Archer, an attorney, who had replaced the NIA founder Professor Trevor Munroe in May 2023, comes into effect as of December31 this year.

‘It has been an honour to lead NIA in its mission to build cultures of integrity. I remain committed to supporting Jamaica’s reform journey and to advancing the principles of integrity and accountable governance wherever my path leads,’ said Archer, who has been a vocal critic of Jamaica’s governance framework.

NIA, the local chapter of Transparency International, credited Archer with providing ‘visionary leadership, strategic clarity, and an unwavering commitment to integrity in public life’ and that during her tenure, she r led several initiatives aimed at strengthening accountability frameworks, advancing democratic safeguards.

‘Archer’s leadership has been instrumental in shaping NIA’s reform agenda. Her dedication to values-driven governance and her ability to inspire change will continue to resonate across the institutions she has touched,’ said NIA Chairperson Dr Lynden Rose.

‘During her tenure, she advanced NIA’s mission to strengthen accountability frameworks, championed reforms that reinforced democratic safeguards, and sustained the organisation as a trusted partner in governance transformation,’ NIA added.

It said Archer’s departure marks the closing of a challenging chapter in NIA’s history, adding that arrangements are now being made to appoint a new principal director.

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.