Category: CANA News

The United States Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) has issued a Notice to Airmen/Air Missions (NOTAM) temporarily downgrading the Argyle International Airport (AIA) forcing the cancellation or delayed of several flights over the last weekend.

The AIA was informed on Sunday that it had been temporarily downgraded to accommodate aircraft with a maximum take-off weight below 225,000lbs

The measure follows the ongoing problems of holes appearing in the runway with the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) reporting since February about the issue of the hole appearing in the runway, as quickly as they are patched.

On Saturday night, CMC witnessed a Miami-bound American Airlines flight AA3098, a Boeing 737-823, taxing out to the runway around 5:24 pm(local time). The aircraft then turned around and taxied back to the ramp.

Two pick-up trucks then drove to a section of the runway, and the occupants exited, appeared to be picking up items from the surface and placing them in plastic buckets

Inquiries by CMC later revealed that the aircraft had refused to take off because of a hole that had appeared in the runway.

The situation delayed a Caribbean Airlines flight, BWA554 to New York, a Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft, which departed the airport at 7:56 p.m.

However, the American Airlines flight was cancelled because the crew had run out of duty time.

The decision by the FAA led to the cancellation of the Virgin Atlantic flight, which was scheduled to operate between London and St. Vincent via Barbados.

The ruling New Democratic Party (NDP) administration, which came to office last Tuesday, is yet to comment on the ongoing situation, but on October 13, CMC asked then-prime minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves about the cause of the issue and the permanent solution his government was considering.

‘There is a challenge with the part. And this is not unusual, with the aerodrome at Argyle or anywhere else, and the management at Argyle International, they’re doing temporary fixes, but they have a more permanent fix what they’re dealing with. and they have assured me that they have Everything in hand, and they’ve given me all the reports, and that’s basically it,’ he said then.

However, one source familiar with the situation told CMC that AIA management has little choice but to close the airport if they are to implement a lasting fix to the runway issues, but has been trying to avoid doing so.

The source, however, said that with the developments this past weekend weekend, might force the authorities to do what they have been trying to avoid for more about a year.

Prime Minister Gaston Browne says government will next year launch a public ‘citizens’ portal’ where all government purchases and contracts will be published as part of a wider governance reform effort sparked by recent controversy over vehicle acquisitions within state entities.

Speaking on his weekly radio programme, Prime Minister Browne said the new platform will allow any member of the public to review state spending.

Prime Minister Gaston Browne

‘We’ll have a citizens portal. So all the purchases that we make, all the contracts that we give will be on that portal so anybody can go and examine.’

The issue surfaced in October after reports indicated that several government vehicles were procured for various ministries without full Cabinet or ministerial approval, prompting questions about procurement oversight and the handling of public assets.

Housing and Works Minister Maria Browne, who is also the wife of the prime minister, has rejected calls for her resignation as public pressure builds for an independent probe into the controversy now being called ‘Vehicle-Gate.’

Browne has insisted that her ministry’s role has been misrepresented, telling reporters ‘the vehicles were purchased without proper authority. The 30 vehicles were returned. It’s as simple as that, clean cut,’ adding that efforts to connect her ministry to a separate customs-related duty-free matter are misplaced.

On his radio programme, Prime Minister Browne linked the initiative to concerns raised during the vehicle-purchase dispute and said the government intends to strengthen oversight systems to prevent misuse of state resources.

He described instances in which individuals resisted accountability measures and suggested that the portal will help curb abuse by making procurement information fully accessible.

Browne said the administration is actively ‘plugging gaps’ across government systems and expects the digital portal to form a central part of a modernized procurement framework in the coming year.

The former first lady of Haiti, Martine Moïse, is renewing calls for ‘justice’ for her husband, President Jovenel Moise, who was assassinated on July 7, 2021.

‘From the beginning of the year until this past month, our message has not changed. We continue to demand justice for Jovenel Moïse. Many of you may doubt this because justice in Haiti is not guaranteed,’ she said in a statement.

Moise, who was also injured and had to seek medical treatment in the United States when the gunmen attacked and killed her husband at their private residence, said ‘justice is a tool in the hands of a small group that manipulates an entire population.

‘President Jovenel Moïse has never ceased to denounce the system that holds the country’s justice system hostage, allowing it to operate with complete impunity,’ she said, adding ‘they are using the judicial system to destroy President Jovenel Moïse’s character while he is still alive and to spit on his remains after he has been killed.

‘This judicial system is a tool of political persecution for all those who continue to demand and seek justice for the President. Those unfortunate enough to lack powerful connections die in prison. People with money don’t go to prison, even if there is solid evidence against them.’

She alleged that on February 7, 2021, citizens ‘woke up to find the judiciary plotting to overthrow a president whom the people had entrusted with their power,’ a reference to the report by the Haitian authorities that they had foiled an attempt to overthrow President Moise, who at the time was facing mounting anger from opposition leaders and the Haitian public over when his mandate ends.

Justice Minister Rockefeller Vincent said then that an ‘attempted coup d’etat’ took place on that day, while authorities said 23 people had been arrested, including a Supreme Court judge and senior police official.

‘Where are the judges who issued the warrant against President Jovenel while he was carrying out the duties the people had entrusted to him? It was this same warrant they used to kill him,’ Moise asked in her statement.

She said ‘many thoughtful people must be asking themselves, how can the country’s justice system participate in a crime and then be the very same system that is supposed to judge him?

‘But we remain convinced that the defeat of justice is only temporary. Money and power can always go to their heads; they can even make them feel all-powerful. But don’t forget that karma exists; there’s a price to pay for every action. Justice cannot die.’

She said it is now 53 months since ‘certain oligarchs and politicians bought fake court rulings and illegal warrants to attempt a coup, assassinate the President, and shoot me on July 7, 2021’.

She claimed that bandits committed acts of violence for four years and five months, paralyzing the country and holding the people hostage.

‘Oligarchs, corrupt politicians, and globalist whites sacrificed the People by assassinating President Jovenel Moïse. Today, they are putting all their strategies in place to renew their hold on power on February 7th. They want to keep the people under the violent, enslaving system that sucks their blood.’.

Moise said that the level of violence is beyond words.

‘ It’s as if the devil is turning people against their fellow human beings, against their brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers. Imagine someone brutally attacking another person with an axe as if they were a piece of wood! Where did this come from?

‘My friends, we have lost our way! We are crushing people in Arcahaie, Montrouis, Saint-Marc, Pont-Sondé, Savien, L’Estère, Mirebalais, Lascahobas, Sodo, Carrefour-Feuilles, Martissant, Kenscoff, La Saline, Croix-des-Bouquets, and elsewhere. We act as if we’ve forgotten what a blood debt is.

‘It is in the face of this violence, in the face of this savage system, that Padrejean, Makandal, Boukman, Toussaint, and Dessalines had only one rallying cry : ‘Liberty or death,’ she wrote in the statement, adding President Moïse, during his lifetime, asked in a video, ‘What will we do in the face of these criminals, these lawless bandits ?’

‘The psychopaths who revel in violence for a scrap of power and money will never want peace,’ she said, adding ‘the people have had enough. The time has come for the system to collapse’.

President of Cricket West Indies (CWI), Dr Kishore Shallow has maintained that there is no intention to fire West Indies head coach Daren Sammy, despite his losing record since taking charge of all formats earlier this year.

The 41-year-old Sammy, who was appointed all-format coach in April, has faced mounting pressure following a string of bad results.

Since then, the Windies were swept by Australia (3-0) and India (2-0) in their Test series and have won just six of their last 18 T20Is and three of their nine One Day Internationals.

However, speaking during an exclusive interview on Isports i95.5 FM on Thursday, Shallow said Sammy’s job would not hinge on the results of the ongoing Test series against New Zealand.

West Indies head coach, Daren Sammy

‘I don’t think that whether we win this series or not will be a result of the current composition of our selection system. It is not, because before each series if we go across and ask across the region if it is the correct squad chosen for the tour, most people will be in agreement, so clearly that is not the issue.

‘And even if a player is unavailable due to injury, you can’t blame a selector for that either and we are without two of our leading fast bowlers in the current Test series against New Zealand in Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph,’ Shallow pointed out.

‘So, we understand the issue and you won’t get a knee-jerk reaction from me, because I understand fully well what it takes for us to be successful consistently, but we have to address the fundamental deficiencies in our system which we haven’t done well over the years.’

Shallow admitted, though, that he was less than impressed by the team’s recent performances.

However, he said CWI was fully aware of what needed to be done to improve West Indies cricket and was in the process of doing so.

‘We haven’t seen the sort of performances and I would be the very first to put up my hand and say I’m not pleased with the young team’s performance, but this isn’t anything new. We’ve been inconsistent at best with our performances, meaning we haven’t been doing well.

‘Whenever we’ve been performing, and we see glimpses of brilliance we’ve been inconsistent in that case,’ Shallow said.

‘But it goes back about three decades now, so it is not new. I said from the very start that it is not an overnight fix for West Indies cricket.We are not going to produce the results that we are dying for, that we have been waiting for almost impatiently.

‘We know our talent, and we’ve been here before where we have gained a little success that we believe that we can return there. I have no doubt that we can return there but it takes now the implementation of systems and infrastructure across the region and stabilising our financial situation,’ he added.

Forty one Guyana Defence Force (GDF) soldiers departed for Jamaica to support reconstruction efforts following the devastation of sections of the island by Hurricane Melissa.

In a statement the GDF said the contingent that left on Friday, is made up of both regular and reserve ranks, demonstrating the Force’s flexibility and depth in responding to regional emergencies.

The contingent comprises one officer and 40 other ranks from the GDF’s Engineer Battalion.

‘The Engineers, many of whom have previously participated in similar regional missions, will work alongside Jamaican authorities to help restore infrastructure, rebuild affected communities, and support ongoing humanitarian efforts,’ the GDF added.

The GDF said the deployment underscores Guyana’s strong sense of regional responsibility and solidarity as Caribbean neighbours continue to recover from the storm’s severe impacts.

Acting Chief of Defence Staff, Colonel Kenlloyd Roberts reportedly briefed the troops before departure, reminding the ranks that their professionalism and experience remain critical to the success of the mission.

He emphasised that the team carries the responsibility of representing their unit, the GDF, and the nation.

‘Expectations are high, but I am confident you will deliver and represent the Commander-in-Chief with pride. Guyana is emerging as a leader in regional disaster response, and your continued excellence ensures we are always welcomed,’ he was quoted as saying.

He praised the Force’s strong record on previous deployments and encouraged the contingent to uphold the same standard.

Roberts also acknowledged the timing of the deployment, noting that although the Christmas season is traditionally a time for family and celebration, the ranks have reported fully and are prepared to serve.

Caribbean-American Democratic Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke on Saturday condemned what she described as President Donald Trump’s ‘racist attack’ on Somalia-born Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and Somali immigrants in Minnesota.

‘Between falling asleep in his own Cabinet meeting, President Trump somehow finds the time to launch hateful attacks against Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and Somali immigrants in Minnesota,’ Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who represents the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, New York, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).

‘If only President Trump put half as much energy into governing as he does into catching a nap and spreading hate, our country would be much better off,’ added Clarke, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.

‘Rather than focusing on lowering the cost of living for hardworking American families, ensuring that all Americans have access to quality and affordable healthcare, and bringing our country together, President Trump has once again turned to the same racist and ignorant strategy of targeting Black and immigrant communities to distract from his enormous failures and historically low poll numbers on health care and the economy,’ she continued.

‘From the recently leaked texts of Republican officials using the n-word and praising Hitler to President Trump’s comments in the Cabinet Room, it’s beyond clear that the Republican Party’s racism truly knows no bounds,’ she said. ‘To be clear, since coming to Congress in 2019, Congresswoman Omar has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of her constituents. She-nor any member of Congress, or any community-deserves to be targeted by the president this way.

In an email message to her constituents on Friday, the Minnesota Congresswoman acknowledged that: ‘This week has been tough for a lot of people in our community.

‘The Trump administration’s policies are targeting Somalis in Minnesota and across the country, trying to end Temporary Protected Status and sending ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents into our neighborhoods,’ she added. ‘The policies that sent ICE into Minnesota is meant to scare people and make immigrants feel like they do not belong here.

‘It is painful to see that the president’s policies are focused on punishing and blaming people who are simply trying to work, raise their kids, and be part of their community,’ Omar continued. ‘But the truth is that Somalis are part of the fabric of this state. We are business owners, working professionals, parents, students, and neighbors.

‘We help build our economy and make Minnesota a better, more vibrant place to live,’ she said. ‘Minnesota is our home, and we are not going anywhere.’

Caribbean immigration advocates and Clarke have strongly condemned the Trump administration’s immediate, indefinite ‘administrative hold’ on all processing of immigration paperwork by immigrants from 19 countries, including Somalia and Haiti, which it placed under a travel ban in June 2025.

Besides those two countries, the other 17 non-European countries include Afghanistan, Burma, Burundi, Chad, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, Laos, Libya, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela and Yemen.

All 19 countries, which have either partial or full travel restrictions, have been deemed of concern to the administration.

The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), an umbrella policy and advocacy organization that represents over 200 immigrant and refugee rights groups throughout New York, said the pause suspends green card applications and US citizenship requests, prevents refugees and some others from getting or renewing work authorization, and stops individuals from getting protection for torture and persecution by indefinitely pausing asylum applications.

The Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Natural Resources, will on Tuesday, be signing off on a Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) with Cybele Energy for exploration activities in Block S 7.

Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat announced that Cybele Energy – a petroleum company out of Ghana – is among six companies that were awarded a total of eight blocks offshore Guyana.

‘Cybele has really advanced the negotiations with us to a stage where we would have finalized the agreement with them, and that is the company we will be signing with Tuesday at 9am (local time). And so, we are very happy to have them in country as well. They will be bringing a partner from one of the major operators in Nigeria as their operator,’ h

He said the PSA would be identical to the one signed in November with TotalEnergies along with its co-venturers Qatar Energy and Petronas.

The PSA includes a Royalty of 10% on all petroleum produced and sold by the contractor, 50-50 profit-sharing provisions after cost recovery, and 65% cost recovery.

Once the agreement is signed, Cybele would be required to pay a signing bonus of US$15M to the Government of Guyana.

The agreement signed with TotalEnergies and its partners, covers shallow water Block – S4. The group is the first from among the six bidders to have signed off on a PSA since the initiation of the 2022 Licensing Round.

TotalEnergies has a 40% share in Block S4, while QatarEnergy and PETRONAS have 30% each. Block S4 spans an area of approximately 1,788 square kilometers, located 50 to 100 kilometers off Guyana’s coast in water depths ranging between 30 and 100 meters.

The Natural Resources Minister said the Government still negotiating with the other companies that were awarded blocks based on the 2022 Licensing Round.

Those companies are: Sispro Inc.; International Group Investment Inc. and Montego Energy; ExxonMobil, Hess and CNOOC; and Delcorp Inc, Watad Energy and Arabian Drillers.

‘During the bid round there were a few companies that were awarded blocks, of course, TotalEnergies, Qatar and PETRONAS consortium, we would have signed with them. Exxon was awarded one, we are still in talks with Exxon on the S8 Block, and then there was the Investment Group from Africa, they were awarded one too. Delcorp was awarded a deep water block too, Sispro too as well and Cybele,’ Bharrat said.

A third PSA is expected to be signed before the end of the year. Currently, only US oil giant ExxonMobil, and its partners are operating in the Stabroek Block.

Guyana began oil production in December 2019.

The country has moved from producing an average of 80,000 barrels of oil in 2020 to an average of 930,000 barrels of oil per day in the Stabroek Block .

Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw netted a brace and also provided an assist in Manchester City’s dominant 3-0 win over Leicester City in the Women Super League (WSL) here on Sunday.

The Jamaican international scored in the 74th and 83rd minutes and then set up Kerolin’s goal in added time, to extend City’s lead at the top of the table to six points with a ninth win in 10 league games. With Shaw having wasted six opportunities – including four in the first half – to put her side in the lead, the match seemed headed for a goalless draw entering the final minutes of the second half.

But she made amends by breaking the deadlock on her seventh try after pouncing on a botched clearance from Celeste Boureille and sending a low shot past Leicester’s goalkeeper Janina Leitzig.

Shaw found the back of the nets again nine minutes later, this time picking out the target with a header following a cross by Lauren Hemp.

Kerolin then completed the rout by adding a third goal in the fourth minute of injury-time after running onto Shaw’s through ball.

With her performance, Shaw also carried her goal tally to the season to eight goals, the most of any player in the WSL.

Barbados Men and Trinidad and Tobago Women won all of their preliminary matches to book their spots in their respective finals at the 2025 Bolivarian Games.

Barbados Men got off to a winning start on Friday by defeating Trinidad and Tobago Men by 34 runs on Friday, posting 150 for five from their 20 overs and then bowling out T and T for 116 in 19.4 overs. They then recorded victories over Jamaica and Peru on Saturday to remain unbeaten after their three matches.

Jamie Hay (4-18) and Ryan Francis (3-20) put Jamaica in a good position after they combined to help bowl out Barbados for a paltry 102 in 19.2 overs.

However, Deswin Currency returned to grab 3-14, while Amari Goodridge (2-13), Shaquille Cumberbatch (2-13) and Tariq Oneale (2-24) provided good support, as Jamaica were routed for 82 runs in 17.3 overs to give Barbados victory by 20 runs.

Barbados also completed an easy seven-wicket win over the home side, with Currency, Oneale and Jerome Jones taking three wickets apiece to skittle them out for just 42 in 14.1 overs.

They then eased to 44-3 in 5.4 overs, with Yvan Grant scoring an unbeaten 29 off 14 balls, with three fours and two sixes.

Barbados will face T and T in Sunday’s final, after they finished second in the group.

In the Women’s tournament, T and T qualified for the final after winning all four of their matches.

They thrashed the winless Barbados Women by 74 runs in their final preliminary match on Saturday to set up a meeting with Jamaica Women in the final.

After being sent in to bat, Britney Cooper scored 53 off 48 balls and Samara Ramnath added 21 in their total of 120 for seven from their 20 overs.

T and T then bowled out their opponents for just 46 in 19.3 overs with pacer Kirbyina Alexander grabbing 3-4, and Brianna Harricharan taking 2-9.

The Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Natural Resources, will on Tuesday, be signing off on a Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) with Cybele Energy for exploration activities in Block S 7.

Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat announced that Cybele Energy – a petroleum company out of Ghana – is among six companies that were awarded a total of eight blocks offshore Guyana.