Category: CANA News

The Bermuda government says it has extended by three months the moratorium on ‘closed job categories’ ranging from administrative assistant to warehouse clerk.

In a statement, the Ministry of Economy and Labour the new extension came into effect from December 1 and is unchanged from the prior three-month period ending November 30, this year. The authorities also announced that the list of restricted job categories included under the Work Permit Policy is also unchanged from the prior three-month period ending November this year.

The list includes tennis instructor and waiters and the ministry said that according to the Work Permit Policy, ‘the application process for jobs in the Restricted job categories is the same as that for the Open category, except the employer must apply for a maximum term of one (1) year’.

In addition, the employer will have to submit evidence that any candidates screened and recommended by the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) have been appropriately considered.

The government said that the DWD is expected to respond to enquiries by employers within 10 working day and that should no response be forthcoming from DWD, the employer may submit the application with written evidence that they made enquiries.

‘.the partner of a Bermudian, Permanent Resident Certificate holder, non-Bermudian on a work permit, or other legal residents of Bermuda who have already received permission to reside may apply to seek employment.

‘Partners who do not have permission to reside may apply to reside and seek employment,’ the statement said, adding ‘the policy relating to partners was updated in September 2025.’.

The Ministry of Economy and Labour says it ‘remains focused on ensuring that our policies create meaningful job opportunities for Bermudians’ and that the Closed and Restricted Job Categories ‘are designed to encourage employers to prioritise Bermudian talent and invest in their development.

‘s Bermuda’s employment landscape evolves, the Ministry will continue to adjust these policies to reflect changing workforce needs and ensure that Bermudians remain at the centre of our economic progress,’ it added.

The United States has praised the ‘extraordinary’ role being played by Kenya in ‘trying to help stabilise Haiti’ where criminal gangs are seeking to overthrow the interim government in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.

Kenya has contributed the most troops to the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), authorised by the UN Security Council in October 2023. Despite an international embargo, arms and ammunition continued to be smuggled into the country. allowing the gangs to extend their control to new territories with the United Nations saying that their actions have led to the murders of thousands of people and the displacement of thousands more, mainly women.

US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, speaking at a signing ceremony for a health framework with Kenya described the African country as ‘one of our strongest partners in so many different fields, whether it’s the fight that we’ve fought together against terrorism on the continent but beyond that, and in our own hemisphere.

‘Kenya’s played an extraordinary role, a really heroic role in trying to help stabilize Haiti – it’s a very difficult situation,’ he told the ceremony attended by President William Ruto of Kenya.

‘They’ve carried a huge burden as a country for the better part of two years now, and had it not been for the role they played, what we are hoping to do next in Haiti would have been impossible, which is to transition to a gang suppression force.’

On September 30, this year, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2793 to authorise a new, more robust Gang Suppression Force (GSF) for Haiti. This force, which replaces the MSS mission, is mandated to conduct active counter-gang operations to neutralize, isolate, and deter armed groups.

The GSF has an initial 12-month mandate with explicit authority to use ‘all necessary measures’ and lethal force to carry out its operations while strictly adhering to international law. Its objectives include securing critical infrastructure, facilitating humanitarian aid access, and supporting conditions for elections.

It has an authorised personnel ceiling of 5,550 individuals, including 5,500 uniformed personnel and the UN resolution also called for the establishment of a UN Support Office in Haiti to provide logistical and operational support, such as food, fuel, medical care, and transportation, which the previous mission lacked.

Rubio told the ceremony the United States is ‘going to be very involved in being helpful in bridging that’ transition from the MSS to the GSF.

‘And we want them, and we hope to encourage them to continue to be engaged moving forward as we move into this new phase of trying to bring stability to Haiti, but we understand and believe they cannot do it by themselves’

Rubio said he was using the occasion here ‘to continue to encourage countries in the region and around the world to step up and contribute and be a part of this effort.

‘We need their money, we need their funds, and we need their personnel as well to make this work. If we had five or 10 countries willing to step forward and do just half of what Kenya’s done already it would be an extraordinary achievement.

‘And we hope that that will happen. It needs to happen. If we’re serious about it it needs to happen. We, everybody loves to have press conferences and put out statements about how terrible the situation is in Haiti.

‘It’s time to do something about it. And I particularly point to the countries in our hemisphere, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Caribbean Basin and beyond, that we need to step up in this hemisphere and do more. The United States will continue to do its part, but I just wanted to express, again, our gratitude,’ he told the ceremony.

Guyana Friday launched its first ever digital school with President Irfaan Ali the country must move from a resource-based economy to a knowledge-based one as well as from dependence on extraction to dependence on invention.

Ali said the school is not only a milestone for Guyana but also for regional integration and the dream of a unified Caribbean learning space.

‘Today is a very important day for our region. It is a day that many who came before us hoped for, when children from Barbados, St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat and Guyana can be in one classroom, in one environment, sharing one story. ‘How beautiful is that, when children across our region can be in the same lab, conducting an experiment, fusing our different cultures, telling our different stories and building truly the one Caribbean region we all want?,’ he said, noting that for the first time, students across CARICOM states can learn from each other’s cultures

‘This is not only about education, this is about dismantling barriers; removing differences,’ he said, noting that over the years, generations of Guyanese were subjected to lives of poverty, not because they didn’t want better, but because they lacked opportunity.

Ali said they were denied access to education, and with it, the chance to break the cycle and create a different future.

‘Today marks a historic moment. Every Guyanese now has the opportunity, a real chance, to learn, to grow, and to transform their lives.’

He said that the Guyana Digital School must not be seen simply as ‘an educational project’ but a ‘national development project.because a digitial economy requires a digital workforce.

‘A digital workforce requires digital skills. Digital skills require digital learning and digital learning requires digital institutions like the GuyanaDigial School’.

The authourities say that more than 30,000 students from across the Caribbean have already registered for the Guyana Digital School that they have described as ‘revolutionary, student-centred online and AI-powered learning platform’.

Ali told the ceremony that a child in rutal Guyana ‘must have the same access to quality learning as achild in Georgetown.

‘A student with disabilities must be able to access learning in formats that empower them. A working adult must be able to upskill from wherever they are,’ he said, noting that such a situation must also exist for teachers.

President Ali explained that the world is changing faster than ever as nations transition into what is widely regarded as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, driven by artificial intelligence, automation, biotechnology and digital integration.

Guyana, he said, refuses to be left behind.

‘The world has changed and is changing faster than any time before in human history. If we are to survive, we have to get on board now,’ he said, adding that before the the end of next year, Guyana will perform its first robotic-assisted surgery, with specialists conducting the procedure in the United States while the patient is in an operating theatre in Guyana, demonstrating the digital future that students must be prepared to navigate.

Prime Minister Gaston Browne says Antigua and Barbuda has recorded one of its strongest fiscal performances in modern history, with a primary surplus of EC$254.9 million (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) and an overall surplus of $116.3 million.

He made the revelation as he presented the 2026 national budget on Thursday.

Browne said the surpluses reflect a decisive turnaround from the deficits inherited 11 years ago and mark a period of disciplined fiscal management, steady economic expansion and increased revenue flows across key sectors.

West Indies require 511 more runs to win with 10 wickets remaining after reaching 20 without loss against New Zealand at lunch on the fourth day of the opening Test here at Hagley Oval on Thursday.

NEW ZEALAND 231 and 466-8 dec’d in 109 overs (Rachin Ravindra 176, Tom Latham 145, Devin Conway 37, Michael Bracewell 24, Will Young 23, Zak Foulkes 11 not out, Jacob Duffy 10; Kemar Roach 5-78, Ojay Shields 2-74).

WEST INDIES 167 and 20-0 in 11 overs (John Campbell 11 not out).

Chief Executive Officer of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Robbie Rambarran, is sounding the alarm over a troubling surge in kidney disease cases across the country, warning that Guyana is facing a health crisis that reflects a worrying global trend.

Rambarran noted that local healthcare facilities are struggling to manage the growing number of patients requiring specialised renal treatment.

‘At Georgetown Hospital alone, from 2023 to date, we have registered 2,200 new patients in our nephrology clinic. We currently have 368 patients on dialysis, and of those, 246 began treatment just this year. These are alarming numbers and they don’t even account for cases being managed at other public hospitals or in the private sector,’ he said.

Even more troubling, he explained, is the increasing number of patients being hospitalised in severe condition due to missed or irregular dialysis sessions.

‘We have seen an increase in patients being admitted, very sick, and the majority of them because they don’t get their dialysis treatment.’

He also expressed concern that despite the government providing annual subsidies of GUY$600,000 for haemodialysis treatment, many eligible patients are still not utilising the support.

With demand for dialysis and kidney transplants now far outstripping national capacity, the GPHC CEO issued a strong call for action, warning that the situation requires urgent intervention and public awareness to prevent further escalation.

Jamaica has taken another significant step towards fulfilling its aspiration of becoming a major logistics hub with the deployment of two new ship-to-shore (STS) cranes at Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited (KFTL).

The equipment, which arrived in October, was officially commissioned into service by Prime Minister, Dr Andrew Holness, during a ceremony at the terminal on Wednesday.

The deployment followed a rigorous certification process to guarantee peak performance, safety, and operational optimisation.

In his address, Holness commended KFTL for investing in the new cranes, emphasising that ‘every dollar of investment brings Jamaica closer to the realisation of this aspiration to be considered one of the major [global] logistics hubs’.

He noted that with the volume of cargo shipments increasing annually, and many vessels unable to travel directly from point of origin to point of distribution, Jamaica is strategically positioned to benefit.

‘[Those ships] have to stop somewhere. They have to stop to be refuelled, they have to stop for water, and they may have to stop to split their cargo, which presents a need for trans-shipment.’

He emphasised that Jamaica is strategically located in proximity to and aligned with most of the established shipping channels in the region.

‘Therefore, it gives us an economic advantage, and it gives the shipping industry an advantage as well, to utilise our geography, to take goods coming from all over the world, break them, and send them off to their final destination,’ the Prime Minister said.

He further highlighted the opportunity for Jamaica to expand into near-shore operations, noting that this includes ‘moving goods produced in Jamaica, assembled in Jamaica, onto ships to elsewhere, or our exports to elsewhere’.

‘Now if we get very good at this, then people shipping goods will look at Jamaica and say, ‘you know, there is great efficiency. I can save a few dollars off every container ship if I stop in Jamaica, move them, and place them on another ship, because the time to do this has been reduced’,’ Dr. Holness pointed out.

He emphasised that every dollar invested at KFTL is intended to enhance the efficiency of Jamaica’s port as a processing hub for containerised goods.

The Prime Minister stated that the new cranes will reduce the offloading and reloading time for vessels, thereby improving the overall capacity of the terminal.

He added that, despite the impacts of Hurricane Melissa – one of the strongest tropical cyclones on record – Jamaica’s logistics sector remains strong, bolstered by recent investments in storage capacity at KFTL through the Westlands Port Expansion Project.

Holness emphasised that the Government remains firmly committed to facilitating Jamaica’s push to become a logistics hub.

He reiterated plans to undertake a major investment to reorganise and redevelop the area surrounding the port, thereby creating the necessary space and infrastructure to support its expansion.

‘We will use the opportunity that [Hurricane] Melissa has brought us, to expand and finance the expansion of our port. but in a resilient way to ensure that, should the climate not favour us and, God forbid, there is any weather event that impacts Kingston or this corridor, we are able to withstand and recover quickly,’ he affirmed.

The Prime Minister encouraged KFTL to continue investing in the terminal to further boost its capacity, while pledging the Government’s support ‘in terms of financial partnership and in terms of the support for the continuation of this partnership in expanding our port’.

In his remarks, KFTL’s Chief Executive Officer, Carlos Cabrera, noted that the new cranes are equipped with advanced technology to prevent collision incidents between cranes and ships, dedicated lashing platforms to keep employees outside of danger zones, and pedestrian detection systems.

Tourism Minister Gary Rutty is promising a new era for cruise tourism over the next few years, with the sector already beginning to enjoy a rebound although voters emphatically rejected the need for cruise piers in April’s referendum.

Despite the fears from within the industry that the territory could say goodbye to cruisers without berthing facilities, the arrival of the Celebrity Xcel, which made its inaugural call to Grand Cayman last Friday, marks the beginning of a transformative partnership between this destination and Celebrity Cruises.

The cruise line’s newest ship and the fifth in their Edge Series ships set sail last month, and is set to visit the Cayman Islands once a fortnight during peak season, bringing up to 3,260 guests.

‘This magnificent new ship represents the future of premium cruising, and her arrival demonstrates the strength of our partnership with Celebrity Cruises and their confidence in our destination,’ Rutty said. ‘As we continue to enhance our cruise tourism and visitor experience, partnerships like this with Celebrity Cruises are essential to ensuring the Cayman Islands remains a premier Caribbean destination.’

According to Rutty, having recently met with cruise line executives at the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association Conference, ‘our cruise sector is not disappearing’. During a dozen meetings, cruise executives reaffirmed Cayman as a high-demand port of call, with positive passenger forecasts from most major cruise lines.

By the end of the year, more than 1.1 million cruise passengers will have visited Grand Cayman. Next year, the number is expected to increase to 1.3 million passengers, and as many as 1.7 million in 2027. Rutty also said he was exploring the possibility of more cruise ships calling at Cayman Brac.

Cruise passengers visiting Cayman spent an average of US$116 per person in 2023-2024, making it an important contributor to the economy. Cruisers are expected to have contributed over US$129.2 million to our economy by the end of this year, which is expected to rise to US$159.6 million in 2026.

‘This is in addition to the passenger fees collected by the Port Authority that cruise lines submit for every passenger aboard their ships. Economic contribution is an important measure of success, but it only tells part of the story.

‘The true value of tourism lies in how the revenue translates into training, development and opportunities for our people – opportunities that strengthen the industry, make it more inclusive, and ultimately enhance the experience for our visitors,’ he said as he promised to ensure that tourism works for Cayman and Caymanians who work in tourism.

Rutty is also promising investment in new tenders and attractions, as well as improvements to existing ones.

He said tendering remains the most significant operational challenge, particularly for larger vessels and during peak arrivals, which is why, with the pier project off the table, local tender operators can safely invest in more new boats.

Opposition Leader Emmalin Pierre on Thursday, described the 2025 Budget or Estimates of Revenue and Estimates presented by Finance Minister Dennis Cornwall earlier this week as one that is disconnected from the people and telling a story of financial mismanagement.

Emmalin Pierre

‘Mr Speaker, the 2026 Budget, despite its glossy summaries, which are captured in carefully rehearsed talking points, it tells a deeply troubling story. A story of financial mismanagement, underperformance, misplaced priorities, selfishness, collapsing grant inflows, weakened fiscal discipline, and, most obviously, a serious disconnection of the Government from the daily realities and what is really happening on the ground,’ Pierre said in her rebuttal.

Claiming that the EC$1.9 Billion (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) 2026 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure is no better than the 2025 Budget, the Opposition Leader said that Grenadians are still waiting for that ‘wow’ factor from a budget delivered just weeks before Christmas and just before the dawn of a new year.

‘I find this 2026 Budget to be such a profound disappointment because it does not address in any serious way the reality facing Grenadians at this time,’ said Pierre as she told the House that Grenadians are crying out not for a budget speech loaded with political rhetoric or glossy themes but ‘for a Budget that sees them, a budget that hears them, a budget that responds to them with urgency, empathy, and compassion.’

‘This budget provides no hope,’ she said while focusing on cost-of-living issues.

‘The cost of living has become unbearable, and every trip to the supermarket feels like a painful exercise in survival. Electricity bills have skyrocketed, squeezing already-stretched incomes. Many are choosing between keeping the lights on and buying medication,’ said Pierre as called on the government to provide the necessary assistance to people who were affected by Hurricane Beryl in July 2024.

Expressing her opinion on the economic context of the budget, Pierre said that 2026 is projected to be worse than 2025 with a predicted deficit of EC$309.8 million or negative 7.3% of GDP, EC$30.4 million more than 2025 in deficit.

‘This means that for two consecutive years, this Government has run an overall deficit, averaging approximately 300 million dollars per year, after inheriting reserves of over 500 million dollars in 2022,’ she said. ‘Mr Speaker, that is not a misfortune, not bad luck, that is a clear case of mismanagement,’ she added.

The Opposition Leader told the House that while it’s concerning that the government plans to borrow $450 million to address the rising deficit,’ what is even more alarming is the disconnect between this expenditure and the actual needs of the people, as well as a seemingly intentional effort to mislead the public with a new classification of expenses,’ she said while explaining the new initiative in the 2026 budget.

‘The 2026 budget outlines three expenditure categories: recurrent, capital, and initiative expenditures, with allocations of $1.7 billion, $370.4 million, and $206.7 million, respectively,’ she said while explaining the new initiative category.

‘Mr Speaker, the introduction of the new expenditure category labelled ‘initiatives’ creates the impression that the government is launching a portfolio of new projects and programs totalling EC$206.7 million. This suggests an investment outlay of EC$577.1 million. Mr Speaker, this is far from the truth and represents an unfortunate attempt to mislead the public,’ Pierre claims.

Pierre was the first to contribute to the 2026 budget debate.

All members of Parliament in the Lower House are scheduled to contribute to the debate and then the debate will move to the Upper House in order to be implemented on January 1.

The Ministry of Health says the number of leptospirosis related deaths has increased.

In a statement on Wednesday , the Ministry said there have been 12 deaths, seven of which have been confirmed as leptospirosis-related.

The country now has on record, 71 suspected, probable or confirmed cases of leptospirosis after the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

Of that number, 26 are confirmed cases. Meanwhile, the ministry says its continuing its management of the disease, across the island and is giving special attention to the parishes of St. James with 15 cases, St. Ann with 12 and St. Elizabeth 8.

Those parishes have the highest number of suspected, probable or confirmed cases.

The public is reminded that leptospirosis is preventable, treatable, and survivable, if detected early and taken seriously.

The advisory is to wear protective gear during clean-up; avoid floodwater; secure food and water supplies and keep the environment clean.

Jamaica recently declared an outbreak of leptospirosis, following Hurricane Melissa.

The Category 5 storm, which struck the Caribbean island on October 28, caused catastrophic flooding and landslides with 76 cm (30 inches) of rain.

Officials state the resulting stagnant, contaminated water has created a breeding ground for the disease.