Category: CANA News

A High Court judge has sentenced a former police officer to four years in jail after he was found guilty of trying to intimidate a woman into trading sex for her freedom.

Justice Renae McKay also imposed a two year probation on Shaquille Williamson, who had been fired after he was convicted of procuration on June 4. The unmarried father of two will also serve an additional year in prison if he violates the terms of his probation.

The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on July 5, 2023 when during the early hours of the morning the woman and her boyfriend were having sex on the hood of a car when they were startled by a patrol car’s flashing lights.

They scrambled to get dressed, and Williamson, who was in a marked patrol car, ran a name check on them.

The court heard that while he told the woman’s boyfriend that he had no outstanding matters, she had an outstanding warrant for an unpaid traffic ticket.

Williamson suggested that he could make the warrant go away if the woman went with him.

When she told him that she had just had sex with her boyfriend, he allegedly said, ‘I don’t care.’

The woman made a panicked call to Police Control Room while Williamson was talking to her boyfriend. A patrol unit came and Williamson was arrested.

But Williamson said that it was the woman who had suggested swapping sex for her freedom.

Justice McKay in handing down the sentence, said Williamson would have to live with the consequences of his actions, given the publicity surrounding the case.

But she said that a clear message needed to be sent to members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force, and other military, that to whom much is given, much is required.

The West Indies drew first blood in their five-match T20I series against New Zealand, defending a modest total of 164 to claim a nail-biting seven-run victory at Eden Park here on Wednesday.

The win, which saw them successfully defend the lowest-ever total at the venue, was set up by a captain’s knock from Shai Hope and a masterful all-round performance from Roston Chase, before a late onslaught from New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner provided a heart-stopping finish.

Sent into bat, the West Indies top order struggled to adapt to the bouncy Auckland pitch after coming off less juicy surfaces on tours of Bangladesh and India.

They found themselves in early trouble at 43 for 3, after Jacob Duffy sent back Brandon King in the first over for three, and then Kyle Jamieson had Alick Athanaze caught for 16.

Jimmy Neesham then got in on the act, as he sent back the inform Akeem Auguste for two.

But skipper Shai Hope orchestrated a rescue mission. Overcoming a sluggish start, Hope weathered the storm and accelerated to a vital 53 off 39 balls, anchoring the innings.

He found a reliable partner in Roston Chase (28), who was involved in the two biggest partnerships of the innings. Hope and Chase added 54 for the fourth wicket, after which Chase and Rovman Powell put on 49 runs for the fifth wicket.

Powell (33), who was dropped twice, helped push the total to 164 for 6, with Romario Shepherd finishing off the innings with a couple of boundaries.

For New Zealand, Duffy was the pick of the bowlers, with a miserly 2 for 19 from his four overs.

The West Indies defence was ignited by a fiery spell from returning seamer Matthew Forde. Playing his first competitive cricket since July, Forde was menacing with the new ball, troubling the Kiwi top order with swing and pace.

He clean-bowled Devon Conway for 13, in a powerplay burst that yielded just 9 runs from his first three overs.

From the other end, the spin of Roston Chase proved devastating. On a ground known for its short boundaries, Chase’s clever off breaks yielded 3 for 26, tearing through the New Zealand middle order and reducing the hosts to a precarious 107 for 9 in the 17th over.

Jayden Seales wasn’t to be undone, as he bagged three for 32 to help break the heart of the Kiwi batting lineup.

Just as a comprehensive victory seemed certain, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner launched a stunning counter-attack. He smashed an unbeaten 55 from just 28 balls, single-handedly turning the chase on its head.

His late fireworks, which included a 23-run over off Forde, electrified the sparse crowd and brought New Zealand back from the brink.

The match went down to the final over, with the Black Caps needing 20 runs. Santner clubbed a six off Romario Shepherd to keep hopes alive, but the bowler held his nerve under extreme pressure to seal the win by seven runs.

West Indies bowling coach Ravi Rampaul was pleased that his troops were able to come away with the victory.

‘We’re very happy with our performance. You know, we didn’t have much time here, and coming and seeing how the guys performed with the energy that they put in and the execution that they did in the match was really commendable. ‘

St. Lucia Wednesday welcomed the Doha Political Declaration describing it as a framework to ‘accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), strengthen implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action, and foster inclusive and sustainable development.

Equity, Social Development and Ecastical Affairs Minster, Joachim Henry, addressing the second World Summit for Social Development here, said as a small island developing state, St. Lucia seeks to build a resilient, inclusive society where all individuals have access to opportunities, participation and dignity through a ‘people-centred approach’

Equity, Social Development and Ecastical Affairs Minster, Joachim Henry, addressing DOHA conference in Qatar on Wednesday.

He said key initiatives include promoting decent work, making thousands of women permanent employees, establishing a Ministry for Persons with Disabilities, ensuring free maternal and child healthcare, expanding social housing and pensions, and providing early childhood and tertiary education.

Global leaders meeting here have adopted a landmark pledge to build a fairer, more inclusive and sustainable future for all people, a guiding document the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described as ‘a booster shot for development’ and ‘a people’s plan’.

The UN said that by adopting the Doha Political Declaration by consensus, countries agreed to step up efforts to deliver on the promises made 30 years ago at the first Social Summit in Copenhagen and to accelerate progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Declaration renews and expands the 1995 commitments to meet today’s complex challenges, strengthening action on the interlinked pillars of poverty eradication, decent work, and social inclusion. It calls for universal, gender-responsive social protection and equitable access to health and education while emphasizing the need to counter misinformation and hate speech that threaten democratic values.

Cuba’s Prime Minister, Marrero Cruz, said that three decades after Copenhagen, humanity faces unprecedented challenges under an unjust international order.

He said millions still suffer from hunger and conflict, denouncing ‘genocide by Israel’ and threats by the United States against Venezuela.

He emphasized that unilateral coercive measures, including the economic blockade imposed on Cuba for over 60 years and its designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, remain among the greatest obstacles to sustainable development.

The Cuban prime minister said most countries, as demonstrated at the General Assembly, stand against this ‘criminal policy’, calling for the establishment of a new, fairer international order.

Several countries focused their statements on expanding safety nets and improving food security and other basic social services.

‘Place people at the heart of development,’ urged the representative of the Gambia, who said his country is prioritizing social development by expanding opportunities for all, particularly women and youth.

The Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) Wednesday issued a donor alert to mobilise critical resources for the health response following Hurricane Melissa, which has left a trail of destruction across Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic.

The alert, now available online, outlines the most pressing health needs and the funding required to address them over the next six months in Jamaica.

The hurricane has claimed more than 50 lives and displaced over one million people across the Caribbean. Jamaica has been particularly hard-hit, with 2.8 million people exposed to destructive winds and flooding.

Destruction in Jamaica caused by Hurricanes Melissa

As of Monday, the country recorded 32 death, 94 injuries treated, and over 7,000 people remain in shelters. Five major hospitals are severely damaged in Western and Southern regions of the country.

Seventy water supplies were inoperable due to high turbidity and electrical outages. Forty per cent of the facilities island-wide still have power instability further complicating recovery efforts.

Initial health assessments reveal a dire situation in Jamaica. The continuity of essential health services is under severe strain, especially for vulnerable populations such as children, pregnant women, the elderly, and those with chronic conditions. Infrastructure damage and service disruptions have made access to care extremely difficult.

Mental health needs are also emerging as a critical concern. Communities are grappling with trauma and loss, and the demand for psychological support and community-based interventions is growing rapidly.

The risk of disease outbreaks is substantial. Flooding, sanitation breakdowns, and widespread displacement have created conditions ripe for the spread of waterborne, foodborne, mosquito-borne, and respiratory illnesses, particularly in shelters where overcrowding heightens transmission risks.

At the same time, logistical challenges continue to hinder access to affected communities, delaying damage assessments and the delivery of life-saving supplies.

To respond effectively, PAHO/WHO say they are seeking US$14.2 million in donor support, adding that this funding will help restore health care delivery, intensify disease surveillance, ensure safe water and sanitation, and improve coordination of humanitarian assistance.

The largest portion-US$10.2 million-is earmarked to support the continuity of essential care delivery, including critical mental health support, and restore the capacity of damaged health services.

The two UN agencies say they have already activated emergency procedures and contingency plans. Twelve international experts have been deployed to Jamaica to support infrastructure damage assessment, environmental health, mental health and psychosocial assistance, emergency medical teams, logistics, and coordination.

Daily collaboration is underway with the national Health Emergency Operations Center, the United Nations Country Team and other humanitarian partners.

PAHO/WHO is also leading health sector coordination and participating in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) efforts, while mobilizing medical supplies from its regional reserves in Panama and Barbados.

Additional resources are urgently needed to scale up and sustain critical health response operations on the ground to protect the lives and health of affected populations.

Antigua and Barbuda has called for a renewed era of global solidarity, one that recognizes the shared responsibilities of all countries in addressing poverty, inequality, and the climate crisis.

Addressing the second World Summit for Social Development here, Foreign Affairs, Trade and Barbuda Affairs Minister, E.P. Chet Greene, underscored his country’s steadfast commitment to inclusive growth, climate resilience, and the protection of human dignity.

Foreign Affairs, Trade and Barbuda Affairs Minister, E.P. Chet Greene, addressing second World Summit for Social Development (UN webTV)

Greene said that there was need for a renewed era of global solidarity, noting that despite strong national initiatives and progressive social policies, ‘national action, however robust, cannot withstand global headwinds alone’.

He said that the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS), which emerged from the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States, presents a framework for a new global partnership rooted not in charity, but in justice.

‘We demand that developed nations honour their Official Development Assistance pledges as a moral imperative, not as an act of benevolence,’ he said, adding ‘we insist that access to finance be based on our multidimensional vulnerability, not an outdated GDP (gross domestic product) metric.’

Greene called for the revitalization of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 17) that deals with global partnerships, urging the international community to reignite the promise of Copenhagen by placing people once again at the centre of development.

‘Let us vow, here in Doha, that no child’s potential will be stunted by hunger; that no mother’s life will be lost for want of care; and that no island nation will be sacrificed to the rising seas of global inaction.’

Greene reaffirmed Antigua and Barbuda’s determination to translate resilience from concept to action, noting that social development must remain the foundation for peace, prosperity, and stability.

Global leaders meeting here have adopted a landmark pledge to build a fairer, more inclusive and sustainable future for all people, a guiding document the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described as ‘a booster shot for development’ and ‘a people’s plan’.

The UN said that by adopting the Doha Political Declaration by consensus, countries agreed to step up efforts to deliver on the promises made 30 years ago at the first Social Summit in Copenhagen and to accelerate progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Declaration renews and expands the 1995 commitments to meet today’s complex challenges, strengthening action on the interlinked pillars of poverty eradication, decent work, and social inclusion. It calls for universal, gender-responsive social protection and equitable access to health and education while emphasizing the need to counter misinformation and hate speech that threaten democratic values.

Blessed by nature with lush forests, coral reefs and a strategic location near Mexico and the United States, Belize’s economy is highly reliant on tourism, which directly contributes about 12 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). But infrastructure bottlenecks restrict the future growth of the tourism industry.

To unlock its full potential, Belize seeks to boost investment in infrastructure to address tourism capacity constraints, expand financing to the private sector, and create more opportunities for its labor force.

In 2024, Belize received over half a million ‘stayover’ tourists (those who stay in hotels, as opposed to cruise ships visitors), growing by 18 per cent relative to 2023 and outpacing many more famous Caribbean destinations.

However, three quarters of these visitors arrived in the country’s only international airport in Belize City, which has hotel capacity for only about a fifth of them. Although overall the country has enough room capacity, according to our estimates, the distribution does not align with its most popular touristic sites, some of which require long drives or boat rides that create additional bottlenecks.

Strong growth in tourist arrivals in Belize. Caribbean tourism Board February 2025 and IMF staff calcuations

Other operational and infrastructure constraints also exist. Our analysis shows that flights to Belize are already close to capacity (compared to other countries in the region), suggesting that a future surge in stayover visitors (like last year’s) could run into issues like airport terminal capacity limits or airlines’ ability to quickly add more flights.

The country is trying to address these issues with diversification and infrastructure investment. Examples include eliminating border fees for short-stay Mexican visitors; the planned developments of a new airport in the resort island of San Pedro and a potential international airport in Placencia in the south; the modernization of the Port of Belize; and the Tren Maya, which would connect Mexico and Guatemala through Belize, enhancing regional mobility and expanding tourism capacity.

Expanding access to finance

Luckily for Belize, its banks have the capacity to support this expansion, holding ample liquidity and capital. However, since access to financing is still challenging for many businesses, the government and the central bank took several initiatives to increase the formalization of firms and to expand the range of assets they can use as guarantees for loans.

Dwindling active labor force

Expanding access to finance can also create more opportunities for women to participate in the labor force, which is critical for future growth. Belize’s population is growing more slowly, and the labor force participation has declined, from 65 percent of the working age population before the pandemic to 57 percent in 2024. The situation is particularly concerning among women, as only just about half of them are in the work force, compared to three quarters of the male working age population. This gap is one of the highest in the Caribbean.

Our estimates suggest that fully closing this gap could boost GDP by over 20 percent in the long run. But achieving that will require additional actions from the government, including raising educational levels and reducing salary disparities and higher unemployment among women. Improving access to affordable, high-quality childcare would reduce the economic and logistical barriers, enabling more women to join and remain in the workforce.

The government is expanding access to childcare and training programs, along with initiatives to promote entrepreneurship and foster job placement. Supporting greater female labor force participation will be critical for boosting Belize’s growth potential.

*Ziad Amer, Bunyada Laoprapassorn, and Shane Lowe are economists in the IMF’s Western Hemisphere Department.

Haiti has appealed to the international community to help restore security in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country where criminal gangs have taken over most, if not all of the capital, Port-au- Prince and surrounding neighbourhoods.

‘I specifically call on all States to make effective contributions to the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), approved by the United Nations Security Council on September 30th,’ President of the Transitional President Council (TPC), Laurent Saint-Cyr, as he addressed the second World Summit for Social Development here.

President of the Transitional President Council (TPC), Laurent Saint-Cyr, as he addressed the second World Summit for Social Development in Doha (UN Web TV).

‘Making the Gang Repression Force operational as soon as possible, while learning from the experience of the Multinational Security Support Mission, is an imperative of international solidarity, fully in line with the spirit of this Summit.

‘The social development that the Haitian people and people around the world deserve requires peace, stability, and security,’ he added.

Authorised to have up to 5,550 personnel, the GSF’s mandate is to proactively neutralise, isolate, and deter criminal gangs, which currently control significant parts of the country. The GSF will conduct intelligence-led operations to combat violence, secure critical infrastructure, and support humanitarian access.

Saint-Cyr said that the TPC, created in April 2024 to lead the country until elections can be held, is commitment to restoring security, with the support of international partners, and to preparing free and credible elections to meet the legitimate aspirations of the Haitian people.

In his address, Saint-Cyr, said social development is not a choice but a duty of the international community.

He thanked partners for support after Hurricane Melissa, which exposed Haiti’s structural weaknesses and community vulnerabilities, emphasizing that development requires peace, security, and stability.

The Haitian government Tuesday announced that the death toll from Hurricane Melissa had risen to 43, with 21 injured and 13 people still missing.

It said rescue teams continued their efforts to reach communities in the southwest of the country, where landslides and flooding devastated more than 30 towns and villages.

Saint-Cyr said Haiti is prioritizing security, elections, humanitarian response and economic recovery. He said the government is reintegrating children and youth formerly involved with armed groups through vocational training and relocating displaced people with dignity.

He stressed the need for urgent international support to move from short-term aid to sustainable investment.

Meanwhile, Saint-Cyr met with the United Kingdom Under-Secretary of State, Chris Elmore, on the sidelines of the meeting.

It said that during their discussions, Saint-Cyr reiterated the crucial importance of restoring security for the success of the transition and advocated for the swift implementation of the Foreign Relations Guarantee (FRG), an essential condition for holding free and credible elections and returning to democratic order.

He also requested British support in the maritime domain to curb the illicit flow of arms into Haiti, as well as increased cooperation in maritime surveillance and intelligence sharing to contribute to restoring security in the country.

Elmore is reported to have expressed London’s concern regarding the humanitarian situation in Haiti and commended the efforts undertaken by the transitional government to address it.

West Indies reached 164 for six after being sent in by New Zealand in the first T20 International here at Eden Gardens on Wednesday.

Scores:

WEST INDIES 164-6 in 20 overs (Shai Hope 53, Rovman Powell 33, Roston Chase 28; Jacob Duffy 2-19, Zak Foulkes 2-35).

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is warning members of the fisherfolk community not to venture beyond the territorial waters of Trinidad and Tobago, reiterating the country’s support for the United States war on drugs in the region.

‘I saw some international media said that Trinidad and Tobago is a nation of fishermen. Nothing is further from the truth. We have fishermen but we have industries and other forms of income.

‘The impression is being made that fishermen from Trinidad and Tobago are being bombed out of the sea. What are you doing out here? Why are you so far off? Why don’t you stay in your zone? Why don’t you stay in Trinidad and Tobago waters and you’ll be safe.

‘Trinidad is not a target. Tobago is not a target. So I totally disagree with the narrative out there by some, you know, that we’re exposing our nationals to danger,’ she told reporters as she wrapped up a visit to the sister isle on Tuesday.

In recent weeks, the United States military has been bombing vessels in the international waters claiming that the occupants were drug traffickers without offering any evidence of such activity.

The families of two Trinidad and Tobago nationals, who were reported to have been casualties of the US bombings, have since made ‘missing persons’ reports to the police here.

The United Nations UN High Commissioner for Human Rights also strongly condemned the airstrikes carried out by the United States against alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean and Pacific.

Volker Trk said in a statement that the strikes ‘violate international human rights law’, demanding that they be stopped immediately.

Last month, the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat said that regional leaders had discussed several issues on the regional agenda, including the security build-up in parts of the Caribbean and its potential impact on member states.

It said that the position at that meeting was not endorsed by the government of Trinidad and Tobago.

Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar said that as a result of the US action, the illegal drug flows to the country have decreased.

Police Commissioner, Allister Guevarro, speaking at a news conference in Port of Spain, also indicated that the war on the illegal drugs trade is having an effect on local supply.

‘The intelligence indicates that there is a current shortage of the illicit drugs, particularly from those trafficked from Venezuela and Colombia and the disruption has directly affected the availability of the narcotics in Trinidad and Tobago, which as you know in business terms, when there is a shortage in supply, you know what goes up.

‘So we have detected there has been a marked increase in the price of narcotics on the streets,’ Guevarro said, adding this has led to those in the illegal drugs trade seeking to develop alternative routes.

‘You know Trinis really ingenious. Here is the first thing they want to do. They going and plant weed and we already treating with that. They have men looking for particular breed of seeds from abroad to bring in, we treating with that already’.

He said the police were already treating with marijuana eradication across the country and that on September 12, law enforcement officers seized 268 kilogrammes of Colombian creepy marijuana with a street value in excess of TT$29 million (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents).

He said on September 30, another operation led to the seizure of 201 Colombian creepy marijuana and that the US military activity has also curbed the influx of other illegal items into Trinidad and Tobago.

Meanwhile, the secretary of the non-governmental organisation, Friends and Fishermen of the Sea, Gary Aboud, said its members have been advised by the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard that ‘it is dangerous to go off shore, and they are right, because we could be murdered at any time like many others who have been murdered before.

‘We respect the warning and we urge our members to err on the side of caution, to stay close in land, not to drive at any speed because things that are moving at more than 20 knots can be blown to pieces and we support the prime minister’s statement about having respect for the rule of law that respect should also be the government and the United States should not conduct extra judicial killings. It is wrong’.

Aboud said that the Coast Guard is also urging that the fisherfolk stay within ‘the line of sight’ adding ‘instead of chasing our members out of a livelihood, shouldn’t the Coast Guard consider the activation of radars because without radars the Coast Guard are blind and blind national security is the easiest to out maneuvered.

‘We strongly support the Coast Guard safety measures, but we think that there is more that should be done rather than just prohibit our members and denying them the right to make a living.

‘If it is our members are being denied the right to make a living, with great respect I ask the Right Honourable Prime Minister of the Republic to please consider some kind of compensation for our men because we are at the bottom of the economic ladder,’ Aboud added.

The Bureau of Standards Wednesday issued a mandatory national recall for the product ‘Milonga – Cannabis Infused Tea: Yerba Mate’ (ALL FLAVOURS), saying it has not been approved for trade or distribution in the twin island Federation.

‘The presence of this unauthorised cannabis-infused beverage in public traded spaces such as supermarkets and bars pose a significant risk to public health and safety, especially to children,’ the Bureau said in a statement.

It said ‘this product was found for sale in local retail stores’ and that consumers are warned that the product label states it contains 10mg of THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol).

‘THC is classified as a Class A Controlled Drug under the nation’s Drugs Act, making the sale of this product illegal,’ the Bureau said, adding that the recall is being enforced under the Bureau of Standards Regulations as well as the Drugs (Prevention and Abatement of the Misuse and Abuse of Drugs) Act, and the Customs and Excise Act.

‘Consumers are urged to NOT consume this product and to dispose of it immediately. All retailers and distributors are legally required to remove this product from their shelves and stop all sales within 48 hours,’ the Bureau said, warning ‘failure to comply with this recall order will result in enforcement action’.