Category: CANA News

The United States government says it is providing nearly US$12.6 million in additional emergency, ‘life-saving assistance’ to Jamaica and Haiti as the countries recover from the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

The US Department of State said in a statement that the latest aid is ‘part of the ongoing support in our region in the wake of Hurricane Melissa’. It said that, in Jamaica, the additional funding will help implementers to clear debris, restore access to hard-to-reach areas, and provide shelter, emergency healthcare, child protection, water, sanitation, hygiene, and food assistance.

In Haiti, the additional US$2.5 million will support ‘similar life-saving efforts for those affected by the hurricane’s devastation.’

With this additional support, the State Department said the United States has provided nearly US$37 million to date in emergency, life-saving assistance and on-the-ground support throughout the region in response to Hurricane Melissa, including over US$22 million to Jamaica, US$11 million for Haiti, three million dollars for Cuba, and US$500,000 for The Bahamas.

‘This funding has enabled critical efforts by our Disaster Assistance Recovery Team (DART) and search-and-rescue teams from Los Angeles and Fairfax Counties to assist communities in need,’ the State Department said.

‘The United States remains steadfast in its commitment to helping our neighbors recover from this disaster and will continue to explore additional ways to provide meaningful assistance during this critical time,’ it added.

Last Tuesday, the Trump administration said it was providing an initial US$24 million in ’emergency, life-saving assistance’ for Jamaica, Haiti, the Bahamas, and ‘the people of Cuba’ to assist those affected by the destruction caused by Hurricane Melissa.

The aid came Schumer, the US Senate Minority Leader, said he had sent a letter toUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio, stating that ‘officials in the Caribbean have reported early assessments of damage to be widespread, where homes and buildings have collapsed, roadways have been demolished, parishes are completely underwater and currently 77 per cent of Jamaica remains without power.’

New Zealand won the toss and elected to field against West Indies in the fifth and final T20I here on Thursday at University Oval.

West Indies have made one change with Jayden Seales replacing Amir Jangoo while New Zealand has named an unchanged squad.

SQUADS

WEST INDIES: Shai Hope (captain), Alick Athanaze, Amir Jangoo, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Ackeem Auguste, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde, Shamar Springer.

NEW ZEALAND: Mitchell Santner (captain), Tim Robinson, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, Ish Sodhi, Jimmy Neesham, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy.

Umpires: Shaun Haig, Wayne Knights.

TV Umpire: Chris Brown.

Reserve Umpire: Kim Cotton.

Match Referee: Phil Whitticase.

Haiti has been identified among 16 countries and territories worldwide by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) of a major hunger emergency, with acute food insecurity set to worsen between now and May 2026, putting millions of lives at risk.

A report released by the two UN agencies identifies six that are at the highest risk of famine or catastrophic hunger, namely Sudan, Palestine, South Sudan, Mali, Haiti, and Yemen. The report notes that in these areas, some communities are projected to reach famine or near-famine conditions.

Other countries of very high concern include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, and Afghanistan. Additional hotspots include Burkina Faso, Chad, Kenya, and the situation of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

The UN said acute food insecurity means families cannot meet their basic food needs and often resort to desperate measures, such as skipping meals or selling essential possessions. At Phase 4 (Emergency) and Phase 5 (Catastrophe/Famine), hunger becomes life-threatening.

‘Famine is not inevitable. We have the tools and the knowledge to prevent it, but we need the resources and the political will to act now,’ said Cindy McCain, the WFP’s Executive Director.

The agencies say children are especially vulnerable. Malnutrition weakens immunity, making them more susceptible to disease and death. The report warns that delayed action will cost lives and increase humanitarian costs.

The report highlights four main drivers, namely conflict and violence, the leading cause in 14 of the 16 hotspots, economic shocks with fragile economies, high debt, and soaring food prices; climate extremes such as floods, droughts, and cyclones linked to La Niña conditions and reduced humanitarian aid where funding shortfalls have forced ration cuts and limited malnutrition treatment.

‘Conflict remains the single biggest driver of hunger,’ said Dongyu Qu, the FAO Director-General. ‘But climate shocks and economic instability are compounding the crisis, leaving millions with no safety net.’

The two UN agencies are calling for urgent action to prevent famine. They are urging humanitarian assistance to save lives and livelihoods, early interventions before crises escalate and investment in resilience to tackle root causes, not just symptoms.

The agencies stress that the international community faces a narrowing window to act. Failure to respond will deepen hunger, destabilize regions, and lead to preventable deaths.

New Zealand defeated West Indies by eight wickets in the fifth and final T20I here on Thursday at University Oval.

Scores

WEST INDIES 140 in 18.4 overs (Roston Chase 38, Romario Shepherd 36, Jason Holder 20, Shai Hope 11, Rovman Powell 11; Jacob Duffy 4-35, Jimmy Neesham 2-31).

NEW ZEALAND 141-2 in 15.4 overs (Devon Conway 47 not out, Tim Robinson 45, Rachin Ravindra 21, Mark Chapman 21 not out).

The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) has launched a student census that it says will provide the opportunity to directly influence the future of education in the sub-regional grouping.

‘Today across our islands, we make history. For the first time anywhere in the world, every student, from kindergarten to secondary, will take part in a single, region-wide student census. Not a sample. Not a survey of a few. A true census giving every child the chance to be heard,’ said Dr. Didacus Jules, the OECS Director General. ‘The OECS is the first region in the world to undertake this total student-voice census and we do it because transformation begins with listening,’ he added.

The head of the Human and Social Division at the OECS Commission, Mrs. Sisera Simon, said the student census represents a truly transformative step in regional education development in the OECS.

‘It presents an opportunity to capture accurate, up-to-date information on every student, we gain the insights needed to shape policies that truly respond to their needs and aspirations. This initiative empowers us to make informed decisions, close gaps, and unlock the full potential of our young people across the region.’

The OECS Student Census initiative is intended to capture the authentic voices of students from kindergarten to Form 5, providing invaluable insights to help governments, educators, and policy-makers build more inclusive, equitable, and student-centred learning environments.

Students in Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts-Nevis, Montserrat, the British Virgin Islands and Anguilla are being invited to anonymously share their honest views and experiences about learning, teaching, and school life.

The OECS said that their voices will provide critical insights to help education leaders understand students’ needs and challenges, improve classroom teaching and school environments, and design inclusive and future-ready education systems.

It said that the data collected will inform the new 10-Year OECS Education Sector Strategy (2027-2037), anchoring it in the lived experiences of students.

The OECS Commission said that all data collected will be made anonymous and kept confidential, ensuring that students can express themselves freely and safely.

‘The OECS Student Census will serve as a powerful platform to amplify the voices of over 100,000 learners across the region. It is a bold step toward building more inclusive, equitable, and student-centred education systems that reflect the true realities of learners today.’

ExxonMobil Guyana Limited Wednesday announced that the daily production in the Stabroek Block has increased to 900,000 barrels.

‘Guyana’s story is one of continuous achievements because of the close collaboration with the Government of Guyana, our co-venturers, suppliers, contractors, and employees. Together, we are building a world-class energy sector that is delivering significant value for the people of Guyana,’ said ExxonMobil Guyana President, Alistair Routledge.

In a statement, ExxonMobil said the achievement together with its co-venturers, Hess Guyana Exploration Limited, and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, comes just months after the successful startup of Guyana’s fourth offshore oil project at Yellowtail.

It said the project has now achieved its initial annual average production capacity of 250,000 barrels of oil per day.

‘We continue to safely deliver industry-leading performance, providing the oil and gas the world still demands,’ said Routledge.

The Stabroek co-venturers have committed more than US$60 billion to develop seven projects on Guyana’s offshore Stabroek block including Uaru, Whiptail, and Hammerhead.

The Uaru and Whiptail projects, Guyana’s fifth and sixth projects, are each expected to produce approximately 250,000 bopd.

The projects are expected to begin operations in 2026 and 2027, respectively, while the Hammerhead, the seventh project, is expected to add approximately 150,000 bopd when production begins in 2029.

Exxon said the eighth project, Longtail, is currently undergoing regulatory reviews. Once approved, ExxonMobil Guyana expects to have total production capacity of 1.7 million bopd from eight developments.

Scoreboard of the fifth and final T20I between New Zealand and West Indies here on Thursday at University Oval.

WEST INDIES

*+Shai Hope c +Conway b Duffy 11

Alick Athanaze c and b Jamieson 1

Ackeem Auguste b Duffy 8

Roston Chase c +Conway b Neesham 38

Sherfane Rutherford c +Conway b Duffy 0

Rovman Powell c Chapman b Bracewell 11

Jason Holder c Neesham b Sodhi 20

Romario Shepherd c Neesham b Duffy 36

Matthew Forde c Neesham b Santner 0

Shamar Springer not out 9

Jayden Seales c Mitchell b Neesham 0

Extras (lb2, w4) 6

TOTAL (all out; 18.4 overs) 140

Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-20, 3-21, 4-21, 5-48, 6-90, 7-92, 8-94, 9-137, 10-140.

Bowling: Duffy 4-0-35-4, Jamieson 2-0-13-1, Neesham 3.4-0-31-2, Bracewell 2-0-14-1, Sodhi 4-0-29-1, Santner 3-0-16-1.

NEW ZEALAND

Tim Robinson b Shepherd 45

+Devon Conway not out 47

Rachin Ravindra c Rutherford b Springer 21

Mark Chapman not out 21

Extras (lb3, nb1, w3) 7

TOTAL (two wickets; 15.4 overs) 141

Did not bat: Mitchell Santner, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, Ish Sodhi, Jimmy Neesham, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy.

Fall of wickets: 1-69, 2-106.

Bowling: Forde 3-0-17-0, Seales 3-0-41-0, Holder 2-0-23-0, Chase 3-0-28-0, Shepherd 2.4-0-21-1, Springer 2-0-8-1.

Toss: New Zealand elected to field.

Result: New Zealand won by eight wickets to win the five-match series 3-1.

Player-of-the-Match: Jacob Duffy.

Player-of-the-Series: Jacob Duffy.

Umpires: Shaun Haig, Wayne Knights.

TV Umpire: Chris Brown.

Reserve Umpire: Kim Cotton.

Match Referee: Phil Whitticase.

The Senate has referred the motion regarding the highly controversial safe third country agreement to the Constitution and Foreign Affairs Committee after legislators Tuesday debated the matter.

If the motion is successful, Belize will start taking in asylum seekers from Central America and the Caribbean who have been turned away by the United States.

Opposition legislators are against the accord saying it is surrendering Belize’s sovereignty and is challenging the John Briceño government to take the matter to the population even as the government maintains that the agreement is about championing human rights. ‘The Briceno administration, in our view Madam President, is compromising Belize’s dignity and independence in exchange for, let me put it the way my friend the Senator put it over there, for a diplomatic favour or diplomatic friendliness,’ said former deputy prime minister and opposition leader, Patrick Faber.

‘ We Madam President ask that we abandon this agreement or at very least, that the government comes clean, telling us the details. Let’s get the details. Go out and do whatever consultations you need to do with the citizenry of this country and then you bring this back because as you said, it cannot be enacted until the Senate passes it.

‘What is the rush? What is the rush,’ he added.

But government legislator, Hector Guerra, disagreed with the views of the opposition saying ‘as much as you hear that the heavens are falling down, that we are ceding our sovereignty as a country, in fact this agreement is an exercise of our sovereignty.

‘It reserves our right to accept, to reject, to even terminate the agreement at any time -suspend at anytime, if we believe that we do not at a particular point in time have the capacity to deal with these individuals.

‘And so I’d really just like to end by saying that this agreement, contrary to what the Opposition and Senator Faber wants the Belizean people to believe is not about Belize becoming a dumping ground. It’s not about Belize ceding sovereignty. It’s about control, compassion, a recognition of human rights,’ Guerra said.

Legislators representing the social partners also addressed the issue.

‘Nobody will gaslight me into thinking that supporting or withholding my support for this agreement is saying whether or not I want to uphold the rule of law,’ said Glenfield Dennison, who is representing the labour sector.

‘Nobody will gaslight me or bring any invalid argument to me that whether or not I support this agreement or don’t support this agreement is a reflection of my position on human rights. Nobody will make me believe that this is a simple arms length transaction between two friends because inherent in a request by a friend to do something is the ability to say no thank you,’ he added.

Business Senator, Kevin Herrera, said ‘when we are pressured to become a logistical backwater for their immigration challenges even though we have a comparable challenge or a larger challenge that clearly shows the old assumption that our security and social welfare are secondary.

‘We are not merely a convenient holding cell for the U.S. asylum system. We are a sovereign nation that needs to look after the best interest of its citizens first. It is for this reason madam president that I believe issues as weighty as this one should’ve perhaps been put to a referendum. Let the people decide,’ he said.

Last month, the government said it intends to make public the agreement it signed with the United States to act as a ‘safe third country’ for migrants as they seek asylum in the North American country.

Prime Minister said the two-year deal, which still needs approval from the Belize parliament, will mean that migrants deported from the US could apply for asylum here instead of returning to their home countries.

The US State Department called the agreement ‘an important milestone in ending illegal immigration’ and ‘shutting down abuse’ of the US asylum system.

The agreement applies to Central American and Caribbean nationals, except Guatemalans, and human rights groups in the US and abroad have strongly criticised such deals, saying migrants face the risk of being sent to countries where they could be harmed.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Francis Fonseca, said the document has already been shared with the clerk and Senators, insisting ‘it’s not a secret document’.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) have called on counries, including those in the Caribbean, to strengthen surveillance, laboratory diagnosis, outbreak response, and vaccination campaigns amid concerns that the Region of the Americas has lost its verification as free from endemic measles transmission.

PAHO said that the decision follows the conclusion of the PAHO Measles, Rubella, and Congenital Rubella Syndrome Elimination Regional Monitoring and Re-Verification Commission, which met in Mexico City earlier this month to review the epidemiological situation across the region.

It said the Commission determined that endemic measles transmission has been reestablished in Canada, where the virus has circulated for at least 12 months. As a result, the Americas, which was the first region in the world to eliminate measles twice, has now lost its measles-free status. All other countries continue to maintain their measles elimination status.

‘This loss represents a setback, but it is also reversible,’ said PAHO Director, Dr. Jarbas Barbosa.

‘Until measles is eliminated worldwide, our region will continue to face the risk of reintroduction and spread of the virus among unvaccinated or under-vaccinated populations. However, as we have demonstrated before, with political commitment, regional cooperation, and sustained vaccination, the region can once again interrupt transmission and reclaim this collective achievement,’ he added.

PAHO said that as of November 7, this year, 12,596 confirmed measles cases have been reported across 10 countries, approximately 95 per cent of the region’s cases in Canada, Mexico and the United States, a 30-fold increase compared to 2024.

It said 28 deaths have been recorded, 23 in Mexico, three in the United States, and two in Canada.

PAHO said active outbreaks are ongoing in Canada, Mexico, the United States, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Belize, mostly triggered by imported cases.

‘Transmission has primarily affected under-vaccinated communities, with 89 per cent of cases occurring in unvaccinated individuals or those with unknown vaccination status. Children under one year of age are the most affected, followed by those aged one to four year,’ PAHO said.

It said Canada’s measles outbreak began in October 2024 in the province of New Brunswick and has since spread nationwide, with more than 5,000 confirmed cases reported nationwide. Although declining, transmission persists in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.

Measles is highly contagious. A single infected person can transmit it to up to 18 others. Severe complications can include pneumonia, encephalitis, blindness, and death. Outbreaks also disrupt daily life and place additional pressure on health systems.

PAHO said vaccination remains the most effective means of protection and that over the past 25 years, the measles vaccine has prevented more than six million deaths across the Americas, and an estimated 15 million deaths over the last 50 years.

It said nevertheless, in 2024, regional coverage for the second dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR2) averaged 7 per cent, well below the 95 per cent needed to prevent outbreaks.

In addition, only 31 per cent of countries reached 95 per cent or more coverage for the first dose, and just 20 per cent achieved that level for the second dose.

PAHO said it is continuing to provide technical support to countries to strengthen surveillance, laboratory diagnosis, outbreak response, and vaccination campaigns. Experts have been deployed to several countries and the organization is monitoring risks in Belize, Brazil and Paraguay.

‘Every case we prevent, every outbreak we stop saves lives, protects families, and makes communities healthier,’ said Dr. Barbosa.

‘Today, rather than lamenting the loss of a regional status, we call on all countries to redouble their efforts to strengthen vaccination rates, surveillance, and timely response to suspected cases-reaching every corner of the Americas. As a region, we have eliminated measles twice. We can do it a third time.’

PAHP said it is strongly encouraging countries to continue strengthening surveillance, immunization and outbreak rapid response activities for every suspect case, expand and consolidate electronic immunization registries across all countries, following PAHO’s established guidelines.

It is also urging countries to maintain sustainable laboratory surveillance by allocating sufficient financial and human resources, adding that for suspected cases with clinical and epidemiological risk factors and a negative measles IgM result, with specimens collected within 0-3 days after rash onset, perform PCR testing to confirm or rule out infection.

PAHO reiterated that the Americas have previously faced setbacks, including temporary loss of measles elimination status in Venezuela (2018) and Brazil (2019).

‘The region regained elimination status in 2024 through coordinated regional action.To regain measles elimination status, a country must demonstrate interruption of endemic transmission for at least 12 consecutive months, supported by comprehensive vaccination, surveillance, and outbreak-response data,’ it said.

Dr. Barbosa said that cooperation, solidarity, and science are stronger than any virus ‘because when we work together, we protect the health and lives of all people in the Americas’.

Antigua and Barbuda has signed an agreement with China for the the provision of 1,500 solar-powered street lights and 200 residential photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage system (ESS) units.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the ongoing 30th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) taking place here. The director of the Department of Environment, Ambassador Diann Black-Layne, signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China.

A government statement said that this initiative represents a major step in advancing the country’s renewable energy transition and aligns with Antigua and Barbuda’s ongoing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance energy efficiency, and build climate resilience.

It said that the installation of solar street lights will improve public safety and visibility in communities, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and lower electricity costs for local authorities.

Additionally, the inclusion of residential PV and ESS systems will allow households to generate and store clean energy, promoting energy independence and ensuring greater stability during power disruptions caused by extreme weather events.

Ambassador Black-Layne said that the partnership underscores the growing spirit of international cooperation in addressing the global climate crisis and demonstrates China’s continued support for small island developing states (SIDS) in achieving their sustainable development and energy transition goals.