Category: CANA News

President Jennifer Greelings-Simons has sought to clarify reports that the Suriname government has been holding talks with the Chinese multinational Chinalco, insisting that her administration is not holding discussions with Chinalco.

President Greelings-Simons, who returned here over the last weekend from Brazil, told reporters that she is aware of discussions between Vice President Gregory Rusland, and a delegation from the Chinese company last week regarding the bauxite sector.

President Jennifer Greelings-Simons, speaking at the news conference on her return from Brazil.

‘He said people had asked to talk, and he would listen. And I think he did. Chinalco requested a meeting with the vice president, and that happened,’ President Greelings-Simons told reporters.

A statement issued last week by the official Directorate for Public Communications (DVC) indicated that the cabinet will renegotiate with the Chinese company to reach a more favourable agreement for Suriname.

‘The Memorandum of understanding (MoU signed by the Santokhi/Brunswijk government with bauxite company Chinalco in November 2024 will be reevaluated. According to Acting President Gregory Rusland, the intention is for the new round of negotiations to result in an agreement that better aligns with Suriname’s national interests,’ according to the press release that had been issued by DVC under the heading ‘Government Re-Engages in Negotiations with Chinalco’.

The government statement said that the Chinalco’s plan involves mining bauxite in West Suriname and that the agreement in principle with the previous government signed in November last year included an investment of approximately US$426 million for the construction of a mine and associated infrastructure near Apoera.

Suriname would hold a 13 per cent stake and be represented in the management of the joint venture, the statement said.

However, the project’s implementation stalled after residents of Apoera and surrounding villages fiercely protested the agreement.

But President Greelings-Simons insists that the government has not held formal discussions with Chinalco.

‘We don’t refuse to talk to people; we talk to everyone,’ she said, adding ‘we have said, under no circumstances will we export bauxite’.

Rusland told the online publication, Starnieuws, that the President has been kept informed of all important matters, saying ‘I regularly contact the President for coordination, even when she is abroad’.

According to Rusland, he received a request to receive the Chinalco chief executive officer during the weekend of November 1 and that the Chinese official had arrived here on November 3 for a short visit.

Rusland said that he met with the Chinese official ‘and informed the president in advance,, adding that during the meeting he made it clear he disagreed with the agreement presented by the previous government.

‘It can never be the intention for Suriname to only export raw materials, as stated in the initial MOU. My position remains unchanged: raw materials must be processed here so that added value is created and Suriname benefits more.’

He said that any agreement must also consider the interests of local communities and the country’s environmental requirements.

‘The CEO indicated he wanted to discuss this. I indicated that the government will formulate its position,’ said Rusland, adding that he believes Suriname should remain open to discussions with legitimate investors, but only on the basis of clear conditions.

‘We must be mindful of international power dynamics, but at the same time, we must clearly define our own goals. We’re not chasing away serious investors, but they must contribute to sustainable development and local added value.’

President Greelings-Simons during the news conference, also addressed the perceived contradiction between forest conservation and the need for economic development, insisting that in keeping with the government’s policy direction, Suriname aims to maintain at least 90 per cent forest cover.

However, the soil also contains enormous mineral resources, so choices will have to be made.

‘We’re going to have to make choices, I’ve said that internationally as well. And if the international community wants us to have an easier time with those choices, they’ll have to compensate us for the forest, because then we can weigh up our options.’

She believes that Suriname’s oil reserves can help curb the pace of potential deforestation ‘because we expect that to generate revenue’.

However, President Greelings-Simons said that the drive for economic development also requires care ‘otherwise, you’ll have other problems’.

The Head of State also provided an update on the sale of carbon credits, saying ‘there has been a meeting with the German bank, and two potential buyers, Bayer and Siemens, have been identified.

‘This is the first step in the complex process of monetizing the credits,’ she added.

The body of a 63-year-old man, who was reported kidnapped and a TT$100,000 (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents) ransom demanded for his release, has been found in Central Trinidad.

The Hunters Search and Rescue Team (HSRT), which had been part of the team searching for Vishnu Lalla, who had been reported as being abducted last Saturday, said his body had been found in Couva on Sunday night. Lalla is the brother of Krishna Lalla, the founder of Super Industrial Services, a general contracting and construction company offering services to the companies on the Point Lisas Industrial Estate.

‘We have some sad news, for the entire evening the Hunters Search and Rescue Team had been searching with the relatives.unfortunately we have to report the body was found in the Brechin Castle,’ the HSRT said in a post on its Facebook page.

Police had earlier reported that Lalla was attending to the family’s farm animals outside their home when, Jennifer Lalla, went to look for him, and observed her husband’s vehicle speeding away from the house.

Later, on Saturday night, she received a phone call from her husband’s phone number, and a male voice demanded a ransom of TT$100,000 by midnight for her husband’s safe return

The police said that officers of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit as well as other units of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) had been seeking to access closed-circuit television footage of the streets surrounding Lalla’s home.

Police said the victim’s vehicle was later found burned and taken to the Special Evidence Recovery Unit for forensic processing.

Dominica will take part in the CONCACAF Series for the first time in its history when the tournament kicks off this week in St Kitts.

Dominica has been placed in Group B alongside Belize, St Martin, Sint Maarten, and the host country, St Kitts. The CONCACAF Series provides matches for member nations that have already been eliminated from qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Dominica Football Association (DFA) recently named a 23-member squad to participate in the tournament, which will kick off on November 13.

Coached by Ellington Sabin, the team features a mix of experienced players and four newcomers, including five based overseas.

Dominica will play its first game on Wednesday, against Saint Martin (French), and will be back in action on Saturday against Sint Maarten (Dutch).

SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Jerome Burkard, Donte Newton, Jaheem Cuffy.

Defenders: Eustace Marshall, Jaylan Jnoville, Marcus Bredas, Ethan Nichols, Nick Anthony, Lyan Edwards, Mosiah Bonney, Durelle Durand.

Midfielders: Savio Anselm, Nathan Newton, Jervanie Xavier, Briel Thomas, Malachai Bonney, Gylles Mitchel.

Forwards: Audel Laville, Travist Joseph, Javid George, Donte Warrington, Antawn Larocque, Troy Jules.

Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) says it is cracking down on persons who exploit the elderly and other vulnerable members of society after a man was sentenced to 14 months in jail after pleading guilty to 58 counts of obtaining money by fraudulent use of a bank card.

The TTPS did not name the man or the victim, but said that between November 2024 and April this year, the victim, an elderly woman, had securely maintained possession of her automated teller machine (ATM) card. However, in June this year, upon reviewing her bank account, she discovered that sums totalling TT$115,000 (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents) were missing.

The police said upon visiting her bank, she was informed that the withdrawals had been made via ATM transactions. But the victim denied conducting or authorising any of the transactions, noting that she had never lost or misplaced her card.

She was later permitted to view surveillance footage of the transactions, during which she recognized the suspect, a man she had known for nearly 40 years and who was a frequent visitor to her home.

The police said as a result of their investigations the suspect was arrested in Arima, east of here.

‘The suspect was interviewed .and admitted to committing the offence,’ the police said, adding he was charged with 58 counts of obtaining money by fraudulent use of a bank card.

‘The accused later appeared before Master Lisa Singh-Phillip at the Arima Master’s Court, where he pleaded guilty to all charges. He was sentenced to 14 months’ hard labour on each count, with the sentences to run concurrently,’ the police said, urging members of the public to remain vigilant and to avoid engaging in criminal activities, particularly those that exploit the elderly and other vulnerable members of society.

Austin Jack Warner has cautioned Trinidad and Tobago not to underestimate Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz when they meet in their crucial CONCACAF World Cup Qualifier clash on Thursday.

Warner, a former FIFA vice-president and CONCACAF president, believes that Jamaica will still be a threat even as they continue to recover from the devastation left behind by Hurricane Melissa.

Former FIFA vice-president and CONCACAF president, Jack Warner

The two sides meet at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in a must-win game for T and T, who currently sit third in Group B on five points, behind leaders Jamaica on nine points and Curacao on eight points.

Warner, who also served as the president of the Caribbean Football Union, said T and T needed to be at their best if they were to have any chance of defeating Jamaica.

‘I would like to urge the players to be calm, to take the game as normal as possible and hope for the best.

‘Jamaica is a strong team and they must not believe at all that Jamaica is weak, not even because of Hurricane Melissa, should they feel so,’ Warner cautioned during an interview on Isports i95.5 FM recently.

‘So I urge them to take the game one step at a time, be very strong and I think that they can pull it off. If not that’s the end.’

When the two sides met on September 9 at the National Stadium in Jamaica in the first leg, the home side emerged victorious 2-0.

However, Warner said playing at home could sometimes be a double-edged sword.

‘It is always an advantage to play at home, but if they were playing away I think it might have been better, because the thousands of fans will be beating down upon them, and this could cause some upset in the team’s psyche.

‘On the other hand, I think a large crowd supporting them, urging them on can do wonders and that is what I hope will happen,’ Warner said.

The following is the CANANews and SPORTS Schedule for Monday, November 10, 2025.

GEORGETOWN – Extradition proceedings against businessman Nazar Mohamed and his son, Azruddin Mohamed, and opposition legislator to the United States, have been adjourned to November 24.

GEORGETOWN – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) foreign ministers says they are ‘gravely alarmed’ at the escalating conflict, immense suffering, displacement, tragic loss of life, and dire humanitarian crisis in Sudan.

PARAMARIBO – President Jennifer Greelings-Simons has sought to clarify reports that the Suriname government has been holding talks with the Chinese multinational Chinalco, insisting that her administration is not holding discussions with Chinalco.

KINGSTOWN – Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves says he sent EC$15,500 (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) of his personal funds to St. Vincent and the Grenadines students in Jamaica following the passage of Hurricane Melissa late last month that left a trail of death and destruction.

SANTA MARTA – The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Monday released a new document examining the structural challenges that Latin America and the Caribbean region faces for moving towards more productive, sustainable and inclusive development.

SPORTS:

NELSON – West Indies will now have to fight to level their T20I series against New Zealand after the fourth match was rained out here on Sunday.

The Guyana government says it has injected more than GUY$7.2 billion (One Guyana dollar=US$0.004 cents) int the rice industry so far this year to cushion farmers against a decline in global prices, improve yields, and reduce production costs.

Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, speaking with rice farmers in Region Three over the last weekend, said the country is set to produce an estimated nine million bags of paddy for the second crop of 2025.

Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha

Mustapha told farmers that the target had been achieved through increased investment in new rice varieties and strong government support, reminding farmers that the government recently announced an initiative of a GUY$300 payment per bag of paddy sold, totalling GUY$2.7 billion, to offset lower earnings caused by a global surplus.

He said that this comes on top of previous fertiliser distributions and cash support programmes that brought total direct government contributions to over seven billion dollars for the year.

Mustapha said that Guyana’s national rice yield has increased from 5.4 tons per hectare before 2020 to between 6.5 and 6.8 tons, with the intention of reaching seven to eight tons per hectare in the future.

He said that the next major focus will be on reducing the cost of production, which he described as the biggest threat to long-term survival in a competitive global market.

In addition to subsidies and support measures, the government is advancing major infrastructural works to modernise the drainage and irrigation (D and I) network, including the construction of a Hope-like Canal in Region Three, rehabilitation of 63 sluices, and the installation of new pump stations to reduce flood risks.

‘We have a project that we call the CARes programme, that we are working now to rehabilitate 63 sluices, and you are in the first tranche, and your region will benefit from a number of those sluices.’

‘We want a modern DNI sector that you will not be flooded out when it rains heavily,’ Mustapha said, outlining also initiatives to diversify production through expanded coconut cultivation and ongoing discussions to secure new export markets in Mexico, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, alongside traditional buyers in Europe.

He said that the Ministry of Agriculture is moving to address high land rental fees, especially from absentee leaseholders, under reforms guided by the Rice Act to make land access more affordable for active farmers.

The Grenada government says weaker performances in taxes and domestic goods and services led to a decline in revenue collection during the month of July this year, despite the country recording almost EC$750 million(One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) during the first seven months of this year.

The Ministry of Finance said that revenue for July was EC$97.1 million, an estimated EC$3.3 million below the target.

‘This shortfall was primarily driven by weaker performance in taxes on domestic goods and services. Compared to July 2024, collections in July 2025 were EC$$162.9 million lower, reflecting the exceptional revenues received from the CCRIF payout and the CBI programme,’ according to the July 2025 fiscal report published by the ministry.

But it said despite the shortfall in July, total revenue collections for the period January to July this year amounted to EC$$749.2 million, which was EC$$20.8 million above target as compared with the total collections for the same period in 2024 which stood at EC$$988.6 million.

‘From January to July 2025, Grenada’s fiscal performance was largely in line with expectations, reflecting prudent fiscal management and a commitment to meeting budgetary targets,’ according to the ministry, noting that revenue received through grants amounted to EC$15.8 million in July.

‘Grant Inflows amounted to EC$15.8 million in July 2025-EC$9.7 million above target and EC$14 million higher than receipts in July 2024. Total income from Grants stood at EC$44 million at the end of July 2025. This was EC$8.3 million above projections and EC$30.5 million higher than receipts during the corresponding period of last year,’ according to the July 2025 fiscal report.

In the area of expenditure, the report states that Current Expenditure exceeded projections in July 2025 by EC$4.6 million, reaching EC$89.4 million, EC$$25.7 million higher than current spending in the corresponding period of last year.

‘Total Recurrent Expenditure stood at EC$$540.3 million for the period January to July 2025, EC$$56.4 million below programmed level. However this performance was $46.4 million more than the $493.9 million realized during the same period in 2024, driven primarily by higher transfers and subsidies related to pension payments and IMA(Immigration Migration Agency) expenses,’ said the report.

With regards to Capital expenditure, in July 2025 that amounted to EC$51.4 million, surpassing both the monthly target of EC$41.8 million and the July 2024 figure of EC$19.9 million.

‘For the period January to July 2025, capital expenditure amounted to EC$264 million, EC$29.3 million more than programmed level and EC$127 million more than actual spend in the same period in 2024, reflecting accelerated implementation of capital projects,’ the report noted.

The 30th Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) began here on Monday, with a clear message that the era of half-measures is over and that climate change is real, devastating communities and driving up costs, but solutions are within reach.

UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, Simon Stiell, said that commitments and agreements made by successive COPs were beginning to show impact, with the global emissions curve now starting to bend downward.

Simon Stiell

The former senior Grenada government minister acknowledged that much work remains but highlighted that Belém ‘home to the mouth of the mighty Amazon River’ can serve as inspiration.

‘The Amazon is not a single river, but a vast system sustained by more than a thousand tributaries. In the same way, implementation of COP outcomes must be driven by multiple streams of international cooperation.’

Stiell urged delegates to focus on turning ambition into action, saying ‘your job here is not to fight one another, your job here is to fight this climate crisis, together. This is the growth story of the 21st century – the economic transformation of our age.’

Stiell warned that ‘no national plan can solve this problem on its own,’ stressing that no country can afford the economic shock of climate disasters that slash gross domestic product (GDP) by double digits.

‘It makes neither economic nor political sense to stand idle while catastrophic droughts destroy crops and drive food prices sky-high,’ he said, calling it ‘unforgivable’ that extreme weather continues to claim millions of lives when proven solutions already exist.

Among the key priorities for COP30, highlighted by Stiell are a just and orderly transition away from fossil fuels, tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency, mobilizing US$1.3 trillion annually for climate action in developing countries as well as approving a global framework of adaptation indicators and advancing the Work Programme on Just Transition and the Technology Implementation Programme.

Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in his address said the conference provides the moment to match opportunity with urgency, calling for a decisive defeat of climate denial and faster action to keep the 1.5°C goal alive.

A preliminary assessment by the UNFCCC, which convenes the yearly COPs, suggests these pledges could cut emissions by 12 per cent by 2035. It’s progress, but not yet enough to guarantee the 1.5°C goal. The challenge now is turning promises into action at a pace that matches the scale of the crisis.

President Lula warned that ‘climate change is not a threat to the future – it is a tragedy of the present.’

Citing Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean and a tornado in Paraná, the President said described COP 30 as ‘the COP of truth,’ warning that denial and delay are no longer options. ‘We are moving in the right direction, but at the wrong speed. Crossing 1.5°C is a risk we cannot take.’

He called for an end to climate denialism, underscoring that ‘in the age of disinformation, obscurantists reject not only scientific evidence but also the progress of multilateralism.

‘They control algorithms, sow hatred, spread fear, and attack institutions, science, and universities. It is time to impose a new defeat on denialists. Without the Paris Agreement, the world would be heading toward catastrophic warming of nearly 5°C by the end of the century.’

President Lula pressed world leaders to adopt ambitious climate pledges and keep adaptation at the heart of national strategies. He called for ‘a roadmap for humanity to overcome, in a just and planned way, its dependence on fossil fuels, reverse deforestation, and mobilize the resources needed to do so.’

To back that vision, he announced a new fund to support energy transitions in developing countries, financed by revenues from oil exploration.

The Leaders’ Summit, held on November 6 and 7, has already mobilized US$5.5 billion for the Tropiccal Forests Forever Facility – a fund designed to reward nations for protecting rainforests.

Other collective commitments include recognizing Indigenous land rights, quadrupling sustainable fuel production, and linking climate action to the fight against hunger, poverty, and environmental racism.

Bringing COP30 to the heart of the Amazon was, in Lula’s words, ‘a difficult but necessary task,’ giving the world a chance to witness the realities of the planet’s most biodiverse biome-home to more than 50 million people and 400 Indigenous groups.

‘May the serenity of the forest inspire the clarity of thought needed to see what must be done,’ he said.

COP30 President, André Corrêa do Lago, presiding over the official opening of the summit, urged delegates to make this the ‘COP of implementation, adaptation, and economic integration of climate policy – and above all, the COP that listens to and believes in science’.

He recognized the crucial role of Indigenous Peoples as guardians of the Amazon, the region now at the centre of the world’s attention.

Meanwhile, the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) said against the backdrop of a devastating hurricane season that once again underscored the region’s extreme vulnerability, it is taking will take the Caribbean’s climate agenda to the global stage.

The region’s premier financial institution ill lead and participate in a series of events, high level discussions and bilateral engagements aimed at securing greater access to concessional climate finance and strengthening partnerships for sustainable development.

‘The Caribbean’s climate reality has never been clearer or more urgent,’ CDB President Daniel Best said, adding that this intensified engagement reflects both the urgency and opportunity of the moment

‘The recent passage of Hurricane Melissa has underscored what we’ve been warning for years: without predictable, concessional finance, small island states cannot keep pace with escalating climate impacts.

‘COP30 is one of the most consequential arenas for advancing our case for climate justice and fair financing, and the Caribbean Development Bank will ensure our region’s voice is heard.’

At COP30, the CDB said that it strategically engage governments, international partners, and private investors to deepen partnerships and advocate for increased concessional financing and innovative mechanisms to mobilise resources for the region.

On Monday, November 17, CDB will co-host three side events that reflect key priorities for climate action and resilience in the Caribbean.

The first session, ‘Leveraging Private Sector Financing for Transport and Energy Sector Transformation in the Caribbean,’ will explore strategies to unlock private capital through blended finance models, risk-sharing instruments, and innovative partnerships to accelerate investment in renewable energy and sustainable transport systems.

A discussion on ‘Agriculture and Food Security in the Caribbean: Scaling Innovative Solutions for Climate-Resilient Agriculture’ will spotlight climate-smart agricultural practices and investment opportunities that can strengthen food security and reduce the region’s dependence on imports.

CDB is also collaborating with the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) and the CREWS Secretariat to turn attention to disaster preparedness with a panel on ‘Climate Information and Early Warning Systems for Latin America and the Caribbean’.

That discussion will explore initiatives by the three institutions to finance and implement early warning systems for the region.

‘CDB’s agenda at COP30 underscores our approach to climate action, which is practical, innovative, and built on partnerships. The Caribbean is helping itself by developing our own solutions to protect lives, preserve livelihoods and transform our energy, transport and agriculture systems to secure our future, but we need the global community to stand with us,’ Best said.

CDB said that it is targeting 30-35 per cent of its resources to climate finance demonstrating its commitment to helping Borrowing Member Countries (BMC) adapt to the accelerating climate crisis.

‘The Bank is also better positioned to deliver transformative regional interventions through a recent increase in its GCF financing threshold to US$250 million and its new Climate Change Project Preparation Fund, both of which will help countries design and finance concrete, high-impact projects faster and more effectively,’ it added.

Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves says he sent EC$15,500 (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) of his personal funds to St. Vincent and the Grenadines students in Jamaica following the passage of Hurricane Melissa late last month that left a trail of death and destruction.

Gonsalves, campaigning for the November 27 general election, told a ‘North Star’ rally of his ruling Unity Labour Party (ULP) over the weekend that his contribution is in contrast to an earlier pledge by Opposition Leader, Dr. Godwin Friday to help students from the Southern Grenadines, who were impacted by Hurricane Beryl on July 1, 2024.

‘Ask Friday about his money way he promised students,’ Gonsalves said, referring to the EC$100,000 that the main opposition New Democratic Party(NDP) said it would raise for the students.

Friday said that people had made pledges to the effort but some of them did not follow through. But he claimed to have matched the amount raised and it was distributed equally among the students. But Godwin did not disclose the amount of money given.

‘Let me tell you something. Friday cheap like a church mouse; that’s a cheap man,’ Gonsalves told party supporters.

‘Let me tell you this. I don’t like to boast about things, but for young people, I will mention this,’ Gonsalves said, adding that Jamaica is in ‘turmoil’ following the impact of Hurricane Melissa in late October.

‘We have 200 and something students there. And I asked the leadership of the student body, the Vincentian Student Association (VINSA) . to tell me if any of the students need any special help, and what they need right away.’

He said he received last Thursday evening a letter indicating that 31 students needed help. ‘And the student organisation say they need the help right away, if they go get EC$500 for each of those 31. So that could tide them over for a couple of weeks with food until we can replenish more.’

The prime minister said the government would have taken a few days to send the money to Jamaica, ‘because you have to sign this piece of paper, you have signed that piece of paper.

‘Friday morning, I call my banker and tell him to send the $15,500, which is 31 by 500 to the account of the Vincentian Students Association,’ Gonsalves said.

The NDP is seeking to prevent the ULP from winning an unprecedented six connective term in office . In the last general election, the ULP won nine of the 15 seats in the Parliament.