Category: CANA News

IFBB Elite Bikini Fitness Pro, Melissa Seaforth is looking forward to next month’s Masters World Championships after capturing bronze at the IFBB Grand Prix PEPA PRO here over the weekend.

The Antiguan finished behind eventual winner, Michelle Reis of Germany and Spain’s Barbara Beneitez, who claimed the silver medal.

It follows her gold medal winning performance in the Bikini Pro Masters Division, and second-place finish in the Bikini Pro Open Division of the IFBB Pro Grand Gala, which was held on October 19 in Italy.

Seaforth will now turn her attention to the Masters World Championships slated for November 1 in Malta and the Santa Susanna on November 16 in Spain.

Speaking with Observer media following her podium finish in the Czech Republic, Seaforth said she saw critical improvements heading into the World Championships.

‘In terms of preparing for my next two outings in Malta and Spain, which are the World Championships both in Masters and Open, I think this puts me at a very competitive place because you want to be in the top callouts; you want to be placing on the podium, especially ahead of these bigger championships.

‘Coming away from this show, I feel that I was able to improve just that one per cent more and noticeably, I would have seen it in my midsection, which is the area I struggle with a lot. I was a lot leaner and able to see the conditioning in my abs and it helped with creating more of an hourglass figure on my physique,’ Seaforth said.

‘But most importantly, I’m very proud of presenting for the 2025 season, the best conditioning to date overall. I think my presentation was flawless and I would have presented a new look that I think worked for me. It all came together, and I am walking away very pleased and happy with what I was able to present here.’

The United Kingdom on Wednesday announced that it is deploying US$3.36 million in emergency humanitarian funding to assist the Caribbean region’s recovery from Hurricane Melissa, with targeted support for Jamaica.

The aid package includes the rapid delivery of shelter kits, water filters, and blankets to help prevent injury and disease outbreaks, the government said.

Emergency supplies have been positioned in Antigua to allow swift deployment to affected areas, it said, adding that British humanitarian and technical experts were being deployed to the region to assist with the coordination and delivery of aid.

UK’s Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, gave assurances in parliament after the matter was brought up by Member of Parliament for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, Diane Abbott.

Meanwhile, the UK is preparing flights to boost commercial capacity and transport British nationals out of Jamaica and the government says it will launch a flight registration form for British nationals to register their details and interest in flights

The UK is in close contact with travel companies who are working to restore flights for holidaymakers and British nationals.

In addition, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has chartered a limited number of flights from Jamaica for British nationals who are unable to fly home commercially, following the impact of Hurricane Melissa on the island.

All British nationals who have already registered via the Register Your Presence portal will automatically be contacted and provided with a link to the booking portal once airports are open.

‘The strong links between the UK and Jamaica mean many British nationals were there during the devastation of the hurricane, and we need to ensure they can get safely home, as we know how worrying and difficult the last few days will have been.

‘The UK government is chartering flights to bolster commercial capacity and ensure people who wish to return to the UK can do so as soon as possible,’ said Cooper.

She added that two specialist Rapid Deployment Teams are travelling to Jamaica to facilitate the charter flights and provide consular assistance to British nationals.

Cooper’s office also said a Royal Navy ship stood ready to assist and Britain’s Ministry of Defence has sent a team to the Turks and Caicos Islands to support disaster management efforts.

Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell says he will make a statement to Parliament next Tuesday on the request by the United States to temporarily install a radar at the Maurice Bishop International Airport (MBIA) and the deployment of US military assets on or near Grenada.

Speaking at a town hall meeting on Wednesday night, Mitchell told the audience that while he had intended to address the matter in a statement to Parliament earlier this week, this was not possible and he would now be making the statement on Tuesday when legislators meet.

He said while he did not intend to address the matter in the town hall setting, the fact that a question on the issue had come from a member of the audience ‘you deserve a response and .that the request had been made (and) that we are considering the request and we are still in the process of doing so’.

Mitchell said that he wanted to emphasize that Grenada has always had cooperation with the United States in matters pertaining to narcotics, criminal activity and the trade in firearms among other areas.

‘This cooperation continues and will continue and even as part of the request for the installation of the radar, other requests were made which we have agreed to pursuant to our cooperation to the narcotics trade.

‘It is simply because I am aware and the Cabinet is aware that he radar request would do exactly what would have happened here which is to evoke significant debate, significant discussion, significant emotive reaction because of the nature of the request and the place that it is requested to happen that we are taking our time, first to be able to address the technical challenges that it possesses.’

Mitchell said that the MBIA is a civilian airport, the country does not have a military and a result ‘we don’t ordinarily have military cooperation, what we have is law enforcement and national security cooperation to deal with crime.

‘The request will of necessity disrupt operations at the airport and so all of these issues had to be understood and understood clearly. So while the concept is clear.and until those technical investigations are complete, we are not in a position to answer something you don’t know what the impact are.

‘So when we said we are considering the request we actually need the time to do all those things,’ he said, reminding the audience that the airport here is regulated by the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority (ECCAA).

He said that ECCAA, for example, is yet to sign off on the new air passenger bridge facilities at the airport to accommodate passengers boarding and leaving an aircraft because ‘we have to have things like a new security plan.so until ECCAA gives us the final go ahead.and even if it is our airport and built at considerable costs, we have not been able to open them yey’.

He said that Grenada as part of several regional regulatory bodis must comply with the policies of these organizations ‘and the presence of any thing such as a radar , those things also have to be factored in and we have to get the go ahead from ECCAA’.

Mitchell said most importantly, his administration is also weighing the views of the population ‘and I think we can say quite categorically there has been perhaps more debate on this matter than I think any other matter that has come across in recent time on any national policy.

‘An so we are happy with people having the opportunity to share their views.and all of those things will be factored in if we get to the point where a decision needs to be made.

‘But it is important for us to emphasize that from a law enforcement cooperation point of view, it is not just the United States, it is the United States and all of our regional partners , we are part of a number of regional security apparatus. so I appreciate the emotive responses and emotions because we are dealing with the Maurice Bishop International Airport .

‘We all know the history, we all know what happened there, but before we get to the emotions we have to deal with the technical stuff first and if we can’t get past that then the emotions probably will never be triggered because we will not be in a position to say yes or now as the case may be.’

Prime Minister Mitchell said that his administration has not informed the main opposition on the issue ‘because some of the questions we have asked have not yet been answered completely and if we were to give them information it will be disingenuous to say to them this is the request that was made and not give them all the work we have done, the questions we have asked..so they are actually properly briefed.

‘So until we get to that stage we will not present half baked or an incomplete summary to them.so that they could properly form an opinion on the matter as well,’ Prime Minister Mitchell told the audience.

On Wednesday, former prime minister Dr. Keith Mitchell told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that the main opposition New National Party (NNP), has not asked him to make any comment on the matter.

‘This is a request made by a government to government and clearly they have a responsibility to respond,’ Mitchell said, adding ‘what .could have happened is that the government should be able to consult with its citizens before, which include a broad section of the society before it responds.

‘But it appears nothing like that has been done. So I have no comment on a mater of this serious nature,’ the former prime minister told CMC.

Last Thursday, Grenadians took to the streets in a peaceful protest, urging the government to blank the US request.

‘We are here demanding that our region be maintained as a zone of peace,’ former foreign affairs minister, Peter David, told the ‘Peace March’ that was organized by the Grenada Coalition Zone of Peace and Concerned Citizens

David, an independent legislator, told the protest march, ‘we are not here to fight down anybody.we say Grenada first, the Caribbean first.

‘We are here fighting to maintain peace. I have stated my position quite clearly. But we need you, the members of the community, the churches, the trade unions, the political organizations, all organizations, to come together on this issue.

‘This is not a partisan issue, this is an issue of sovereignty and integrity for the people of Grenada,’ he said, adding ‘we all must be united on this’

The Donald Trump administration has been building up a military presence off the coast of the South American country allegedly as part of its fight against the illegal shipment of drugs to the United States. Washington has confirmed that it has bombed several vessels, killing all but two people, in recent times as it puts its policy into action.

Earlier this month, the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat said that Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders had met earlier this month to discuss 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.

International human rights watchdog Amnesty International on Wednesday urged the US Congress to stop airstrikes in the Caribbean .

‘The US air strikes in Latin America and the Caribbean, which have killed at least 57 people since early September, are illegal, and Congress must act now to stop the US government from carrying out further bombings,’ Amnesty International said.

Daphne Eviatar, Amnesty International USA’s director for human rights and security, said that, ‘in the last two months, the US military’s Southern Command (SOUTHCOME) has gone on a murder spree by following the Trump administration’s illegal orders.

‘The administration has not even named its victims, nor provided evidence of their alleged crimes,’ she said. ‘But even if they did, intentionally killing people accused of committing crimes who pose no imminent threat to life is murder, full stop.

‘It is well past time for Congress to exercise its oversight role over the administration’s unlawful behavior, put an end to these illegal air strikes, and hold those responsible for these murders accountable,’ added Eviatar, noting that US officials have announced 13 air strikes so far, with eight in the Caribbean and five in the Pacific.

‘The Trump administration has tried to justify its actions by claiming-without presenting any evidence-that the targets were drug-smuggling ‘narco-terrorists”, she continued.

Eviatar said stopping suspected drug boats is a law enforcement operation, subject to international human rights law, ‘which holds that all people have the rights to life and a fair trial and only allows states to use lethal force when an imminent threat to life exists and less extreme means, like capture, are insufficient.’

She said a state intentionally killing someone outside those circumstances is committing ‘an extrajudicial killing, a form of murder, no matter any alleged crime the victim might have committed.’

In the case of these bombings, Eviatar said the Trump administration has not provided any proof that its victims posed imminent threats to human life.

‘Even if the boats or individuals were smuggling narcotics, carrying such drugs alone is not an imminent threat to life that could possibly justify using lethal force,’ she said.

Eviatar said Trump administration officials have also not shown that they could not have stopped and boarded the vessels, as the US Coast Guard does regularly.

In fact, she noted that Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the US could have intercepted the first boat they struck but chose to bomb it instead.

‘The US SOUTHCOM air strikes are rogue actions by an administration acting lawlessly,’ Eviatar stressed. ‘If Trump’s administration wants to address drug addiction, it should fully fund public health programs for treatment and prevention in the US instead of illegally blowing up boats in Latin America and the Caribbean.

‘Regardless of the crimes committed by drug cartels, it is a crime under both international and domestic law for US officials to execute someone they claim is part of a drug cartel transporting drugs,’ she added. ‘They cannot do that on the streets of the US, and they cannot do that in international waters.’

Eviatar said Trump administration officials have claimed that the US is ‘at war’ with drug cartels, ‘suggesting the administration believes the laws of war, which permit killing enemy fighters on the battlefield, apply to the Caribbean and Pacific.

‘That argument is wrong,’ she said. ‘The US is not party to any armed conflict in the Caribbean or Latin America. No one, including drug traffickers, has attacked the US in any way that would justify a military response.’

Further, she said the US Congress has not authorized using military force against cartels.

‘However, even if Congress does so, these air strikes remain illegal under international human rights law,’ Eviatar said.

Daniel Noroña, Amnesty International USA’s advocacy director for the Americas, said that ‘the laws of war simply do not apply here.

‘The Caribbean and eastern Pacific are not warzones, where the US military can bomb boats the White House claims carry enemies,’ he said.

‘Deploying the army on alleged law enforcement grounds is an old and failed trick of the authoritarian playbook that has repeatedly led to serious human rights violations in Latin America,’ Noroña added. ‘These air strikes also send a chilling message of tacit approval to other leaders seeking to extrajudicially execute people.’

Amnesty International urged the US Congress to do everything in its power to stop these air strikes ‘so the administration does not murder more people abroad or in the US.

‘Congress must also demand that the people responsible for these killings are brought to justice, including both the direct perpetrators and the people who gave the orders,’ it said. ‘To that end, lawmakers must undertake thorough and independent investigations, reaching the highest levels of the US government, to determine responsibility.’

Amnesty International noted that Trump has already publicly claimed responsibility for ordering the killings.

It said both he and senior administration officials have also ‘openly bragged about them while dismissing congressional oversight and concerns about international law.’

‘Congress, the US public, and the international community should be ringing every alarm bell to put an end to these dehumanizing, cynical air strikes, and demand accountability,’ said Ana Piquer, Amnesty International’s Americas director.

‘Human life cannot be left to the mercy of a ruler’s whim,’ she said. ‘No president has the right to kill arbitrarily and without accountability.’

The Cayman Islands Government has pledged US$1.2 million in essential supplies to assist Jamaica’s recovery efforts following the devastation of Hurricane Melissa.

Cayman’s Premier André Ebanks made the announcement during a media briefing on Thursday morning noting that when the Cayman Islands suffered from devastation caused by Hurricane Ivan, Jamaica was quick to offer support.

He said the donation would include critical relief items to be shipped directly to Jamaica.

Accompanied by a team of ministers, Ebanks said he had also travelled with US$200,000 worth of supplies that were ready to be handed over immediately.

‘On behalf of myself, the Government, and the ministers who are here, including Minister Nick DaCosta and the leader of the Opposition, Cayman stands with Jamaica,’ Ebanks said.

The pledged assistance will support national recovery efforts currently underway, as Jamaica continues to grapple with widespread power outages, infrastructure damage and displacement across several parishes.

Information Minister Dr Dana Morris Dixon expressed gratitude on behalf of the Jamaican Government, noting that the donation came as a surprise.

Meanwhile, The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) has announced the mobilisation of all members of the first class of the Jamaica National Reserve (JNR), who are being directed to report to their respective duty stations effective Thursday.

According to the JDF, the deployment forms part of its nationwide response and recovery operations following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.

Reserve personnel will assist with relief distribution, search and rescue missions, logistics coordination, and the protection of high-risk areas, working closely with the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) and other government agencies.

The activation of the reserve is being carried out under directives from Governor General Sir Patrick Allem as part of Jamaica’s national emergency management framework aimed at safeguarding lives and property and restoring normalcy to communities impacted by the storm.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has set a firm target for Jamaica’s tourism industry to return to full operation by December 15 – the official start of the winter tourism season.

According to Bartlett, in order to deliver on that goal, the ministry has activated a high-level Hurricane Melissa Recovery Task Force and a companion Tourism Resilience Coordination Committee to synchronise public and private sector action.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has set a firm target for Jamaica’s tourism industry to return to full operation by December 15 – the official start of the winter tourism season.

According to Bartlett, in order to deliver on that goal, the ministry has activated a high-level Hurricane Melissa Recovery Task Force and a companion Tourism Resilience Coordination Committee to synchronise public and private sector action.

‘Recovery cannot be left to chance. We are aligning marketing, communications, infrastructure repairs, aid, logistics, and every enabling support behind a single objective – full industry operation by December 15,’ said Minister Bartlett. ‘Progress will be tracked through the Ministry of Tourism with regular public updates, so workers, visitors and partners can plan with confidence,’ he added.

The recovery task force is chaired by John Byles, the executive deputy chairman of Chukka Caribbean Adventures, with Bartlett serving as chairman emeritus.

The Task Force comprises a cross-section of public and private sector leaders, including Tova Hamilton, minister of state in the Ministry of Tourism; Professor Lloyd Waller, executive director of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC); and Jennifer Griffith, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Tourism.

Also serving on the task force are Adam Stewart, executive chairman of Sandals Resorts International (SRI).

Supporting the work of the recovery task force is the Tourism Resilience Coordination Committee, Tourism Cares, chaired by Jessica Shannon, Chief Experience Officer at SRI.

The Hurricane Melissa Recovery Task Force will drive the operational restart of the sector, prioritising rapid assessments, product rehabilitation and service readiness across resorts, attractions, airports/ports, and key corridors.

Working through agency and private-sector leads, it will assist with the clearing of bottlenecks, sequencing repairs and coordinate go-to-market readiness to restore safety, service quality and visitor confidence by December 15, 2025.

The Tourism Resilience Coordination Committee will organise the giving and goodwill that accelerates recovery. It will identify, coordinate and mobilise assistance in cash, in-kind goods, skilled volunteers, and technical expertise from across the tourism community and, in alignment with the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), route it efficiently via supportjamaica.gov.jm.

Bartlett noted that both task forces will coordinate closely with the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) to integrate lessons from previous recovery efforts, including Jamaica’s record-breaking post-COVID-19 recovery, and ensure a comprehensive approach to rebuilding the sector.

‘Tourism’s strength lies not just in its product offerings, but in its people and partnerships. The speed and synergy of our response show the industry’s resilience and our unwavering commitment to recovery with empathy, compassion and innovation,’ the minister added.

In the wake of destruction caused by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica, Caribbean immigration advocates in New York are urging United States President Donald Trump to protect Jamaicans in New York by granting them Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), an umbrella policy and advocacy organization that represents over 200 immigrant and refugee rights groups throughout New York, on Wednesday noted that Hurricane Melissa caused catastrophic destruction in Jamaica, leaving residents across the island reeling from its impact.

‘Everything from homes to local businesses has been destroyed, widespread power outages have occurred, and families are struggling to recover,’ NYIC President and CEO Murad Awawdeh told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).

‘Currently, Jamaica is not designated for TPS,’ he added. ‘Given the scale of this natural disaster and humanitarian crisis that is unfolding, the Trump administration must act with urgency to grant TPS to Jamaica, ensuring that all 230,000 Jamaicans in New York state can stay without the fear of being deported as the island faces a long road to recovery.

‘Hurricane Melissa’s aftermath reveals the devastating reality of natural disasters,’ Awawdeh continued. ‘Across Jamaica, many are left with destroyed homes and businesses, and the painful task of rebuilding their lives. As the island faces a long road to recovery, the Trump administration must meet this moment and designate TPS for Jamaica.’

In New York, he said TPS has ‘enabled our immigrant neighbors to work legally, support their families, and contribute to the local economy.

‘In contrast, deporting Jamaicans back to a country in the middle of a humanitarian crisis would be reckless and inhumane,’ he said. ‘We urge the administration to immediately designate TPS for Jamaica, ensuring they have legal protections, stability, and dignity to continue to rebuild their lives without the fear of being ripped away from their loved ones.’

Meanwhile, as Hurricane Melissa moved north of Jamaica on Wednesday, the head of the United Nations team there said that preliminary damage assessments from the category 5 storm showed a level of devastation ‘never seen before’ on the Caribbean island.

UN Resident Coordinator Dennis Zulu emphasized the UN remains closely engaged with governments across the region, on-the-ground UN agencies, and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), noting the ‘tremendous and unprecedented destruction of infrastructure,’ across Jamaica, where Melissa made landfall on Tuesday.

Looking to the months-long reconstruction and recovery effort ahead, he told reporters in New York via video conference that it would take ‘a lot of resources’ to rebuild and put the thriving economy back on its feet.

‘I don’t think there’s any single soul on this island that was not affected by Hurricane Melissa’, Zulu said.

UN World Food Program (WFP) Director for the Caribbean Multi-Country Office, Brian Bogart, said: ‘This is a terrible tragedy, and there is a real sense of urgency here on the ground.

‘What we’re really focused on now is trying to get food and logistics support to enable the entire humanitarian community to respond in coordination with the government’, he said, speaking from Kingston, the Jamaican capital.

Bogart said the agency’s primary focus is to deliver 2,000 emergency food boxes, which are ready to be airlifted from Barbados as soon as the airport reopens, which would be enough to support 6,000 people for a week.

As the leading logistical agency, the UN said WFP is also loading a vessel in Barbados from the Logistics Hub run alongside the CDEMA, with essentials – such as hygiene kits, shelter, generators – and other items from UN agencies and partners to support the humanitarian effort in Jamaica.

The UN noted that, early Wednesday morning, Hurricane Melissa crossed into Cuba, bringing 120 mph winds, heavy rain, and a warning of ‘life-threatening’ storm surges.

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said the slow-moving storm was ‘yet another demonstration of climate science and why we must fight for a world at 1.5 degrees Celsius.’

The UN said data from its aid coordination office, OCHA, shows Melissa ranks among the most intense storms to strike Cuba in recent decades, with maximum sustained winds near 138 mph (222 km/h) and two-day rainfall totals approaching 145 millimeters.

On Wednesday, the UN said it allocated US$4 million each to Haiti and Cuba from its Central Emergency Fund to help communities prepare for the storm and reduce its impact.

According to news reports, at least 20 Haitians – including 10 children – died due to river flooding as Melissa barreled across the region.

Conveying his heartfelt condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives, UN Secretary-General António Guterres reiterated his solidarity with the governments and communities affected by the hurricane.

‘Guided by Resident Coordinators on the ground, the UN is working hand in hand with authorities and humanitarian partners to assess needs, assist those impacted, and prepare in areas that may yet face the storm’s impact,’ he said.

UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock tweeted that, for small island developing States, ‘the climate crisis is a lived reality, and the cost of inaction is measured in lives and livelihoods.

‘Adaptation isn’t optional, it’s survival,’ she said. ‘Solidarity must become sustained, scaled-up climate action.’

The median fraternity across Jamaica is mourning the death of legendary broadcaster Barrington ‘Barry G’ Gordon.

Barry G, died at the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital in the western parish of Westmoreland on Wednesday . He was 70.

He started his career in the late 1970s at the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC) in the late 1970s, and hosted shows such as the Boogie Down Show on Saturday nights .

Through the 1980s he hosted the two to six Supermix which made him the number one disc jockey in Jamaica for most of the 1980s.

After leaving JBC 1987, Barry moved to Radio Jamaica and also had stints at Power 106, KLAS FM and Hot 102. He later enjoyed a career revival at Mello FM in Montego Bay .

Barrington ‘Barry G’ Gordon was awarded the Order of Distinction – Jamaica’s sixth-highest honor – for services to broadcasting in 2010.

Former West Indies Test captain Kraigg Brathwaite has been named in a 14-man Barbados Pride squad for next month’s CG United Super50 Cup in Trinidad and Tobago.

However, no room has been found for teenaged leg spinner Zishan Motara or exciting top order batsman Shaqkere Parris, who have both been named as reserves.

The Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) announced the squad on Wednesday, with Kyle Mayers once again named as captain for the tournament that will run from November 19 to 29.

Kraigg Brathwaite

The 32-year-old Brathwaite, who stepped down as Test captain back in March, will most likely open the batting with Zachary McCaskie.

Despite selecting four spinners in the squad, the 19-year-old Motara, who represented the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) in the last tournament and recently made his senior debut for the West Indies on the recently concluded tour of Nepal, has been omitted.

Instead, the selectors have opted for leg spinner Javed Leacock, off spinner Kemar Smith and the left-arm spinning duo of Joshua Bishop and Matthew Jones.

All-rounder Shamar Springer returns to the team after spending the last few seasons with the Windward Islands Volcanoes and will form part of the Pride’s pace attack along with Akeem Jordan and Dominic Drakes.

Barbados, who made it to the final in last year’s competition, will come up against the home side, Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in their opening match on November 19 at the Sir Frank Worrell Cricket Ground.

SQUAD

BARBADOS: Kyle Mayers (captain), Kraigg Brathwaite, Zachary McCaskie, Leniko Boucher, Jonathan Drakes, Dominic Drakes, Kevin Wickham, Demetrius Richards, Shamar Springer, Kemar Smith, Joshua Bishop, Matthew Jones, Javed Leacock, Akeem Jordan.