Category: CANA News

Both Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago will have to navigate their way through challenging Concacaf Nations League groups when the competition kicks off in September.

Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz have been drawn in a tough Group B of League A with fellow Concacaf powerhouses Honduras and Guatemala, as well as Suriname, Martinique, and El Salvador.

Meanwhile, T and T will battle in Group A with Haiti and Curacao, who took part in the recently concluded FIFA World Cup, along with Costa Rica, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.

Following group-stage play in the September to October FIFA match window, the top two finishers from each group will advance to the quarterfinals, joining the four highest-ranked League A teams – Mexico (1), United States (2), Canada (3), and Panama (4) – who receive direct entry.

The quarterfinals will be played in a home-and-away series in November, with aggregate winners advancing to the Concacaf Nations League Finals, to be played at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium.

Chairman of the main opposition People’s National Movement (PNM), Marvin Gonzales, has burnt a copy of the High Court ordered unexplained wealth order granted to the Trinidad and Tobago Police last week, saying it ‘was born in sin and it was shaped in political iniquity’.

The High Court order compels the political party to provide financial and other records to explain the funding for the reconstruction of the PNM’s ‘Baliser’ headquarters. It was officially reopened on January 27, 2024, coinciding with the party’s 68th anniversary.

Earlier this month, High Court Judge Margaret Mohammed granted an order to the police to compel the PNM to explain its funding for the multimillion-dollar headquarters. Watch video

On July 10, Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro, who appointed acting Assistant Commissioner of Police Ramdath Phillip to lead the investigation, authorised him to make an application in the High Court for a Preliminary Unexplained Wealth Order, in accordance with Section 58(1) of the Civil Asset Recovery and Recovery and Management and Unexplained Wealth Act, 2019.

The application names the trustees of the PNM as the first respondent; and the PNM, represented by its general secretary, as the second respondent.

In his affidavit, ASP Phillip stated that investigators have identified property during the course of an investigation into what is described only as a ‘specified offence’.

The application alleges there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the total wealth of the respondents exceeds the value of their lawfully obtained wealth; the total wealth of the respondents exceeds $500,000; the property in question is owned by the respondents or is under their effective control; and the property was obtained through the commission of a specified offence.

But as he addressed a public meeting dubbed ‘In Defence of Our Democracy and Freedom,’ Gonzales said that the legal move is political prosecution, telling supporters ‘enough is enough. The time has come for us to act in this country’.

He said that the country should not be afraid of the ruling United National Congress (UNC) or the ‘despicable’ Homeland Security Minister, Roger Alexander.

‘Let us not be afraid of none of them because Trinidad and Tobago belong to all of us. If they want, they can threaten us… but our voices will always be heard in the communities, in the streets, in the highways and the byways because as long as we have the People’s National Movement, our voices will not be buried .

‘Therefore this order that was served on the People’s National Movement to ask what we are doing and how we came about with funds to construct our Baliser House. We will not be afraid of this order because the PNM, ladies and gentlemen, is not only in brick and concrete and mortar.’

Gonzales said that the PNM lives in the heart and the dreams of every single citizen of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

‘You can burn it down. You can rip it apart. The PNM lives in the hearts of every single citizen and we will not be covered by this order because this order, we will confine it to where it’s supposed to be because as the Psalmist say, just like the UNC and John Jeremy, it was conceived in political sin….

‘It was born in sin and it was shaped in political iniquity just like John Jeremy and Kamala Prasad-Bissessar and therefore tonight we will burn this court order. We will burn this court order because it will not desecrate the grounds upon the People’s National Movement was built upon and we will send them to the political ashes in the political cemetery of the people of Trinidad and Tobago,’ Gonzales told supporters.

Speakers at the public meeting maintained that the party will legally defend itself and challenge the High Court order requiring the party to disclose the financing sources used to construct the headquarters, maintaining that the funds were acquired legally.

‘I want to give every member of this movement the firm assurance that the People’s National Movement is standing strong. Its officers are at their posts. Its affairs are being managed. Its attorneys are ready,’ said the party’s general secretary Foster Cummings.

‘Nobody inside Balisier House is packing up any bag, searching for no backdoor, or negotiating any surrender of the People’s National Movement. We are ready and determined to defend our people, our party, and to defend our party headquarters.’

The Antigua and Barbuda government says it is holding discussions with several other airlines following the decision of the US-based carrier, Jet Blue Airways, to discontinue servicing the route.

Leader of Government Business in the Senate, Shenella Govia, told legislators that JetBlue’s withdrawal was the result of an internal commercial decision made by the airline without prior notice to the the government here.

‘As per public knowledge, JetBlue, without advance notice, indicated that they had made an internal commercial decision as part of their wider strategy to redeploy their aircraft to fill the slot in Fort Lauderdale that became available through Spirit Airlines,’ she said.

Govia said that the airline had also cited rising fuel prices and increasing operational costs among the factors influencing its decision to redeploy aircraft within its network.

But she said despite the development, officials from the Ministry of Tourism have already intensified efforts to secure replacement service and that the Director of Tourism for North America has been holding talks with American Airlines.

‘Our Director of Tourism is currently in negotiations with American Airlines, of which I am not at liberty to disclose what is being discussed, but we look forward to greater arrivals from American Airlines,’ Govia said, adding that discussions are not limited to American Airlines and that discussions are ongoing with other US airlines, including Delta Air Lines, United Airlines as part of a roader strategy to maintain and expand Antigua and Barbuda’s airlift.

‘Our Ministry of Tourism officials are currently in negotiation-not limited to American Airlines-but all other airlines, Delta, United Airlines, and I can assure you that for the 2026-2027 tourism period and beyond, we will see that slot being replaced or filled,’ she said.

Govia said that Tourism Minister Charles Fernandez and representatives of the Antigua and Barbuda Hotels and Tourism Association (ABHTA) met with JetBlue officials earlier this week to discuss the airline’s decision.

According to Govia, the airline reiterated that its withdrawal was based on commercial considerations rather than issues specific to Antigua and Barbuda and maintained that tourism officials have been working diligently to ensure the destination experiences little to no

disruption from the loss of the service.

‘Our Ministry of Tourism officials have been working tirelessly to ensure that it does not impact us at all,’ she told legislators.

Two Venezuelan nationals, including a five-year-old child, have died after a pirogue carrying 29 people overturned off Los Iros Beach, on the south coast of Trinidad, during an illegal sea crossing to Venezuela on Wednesday.

The child has been identified as Brithanny Linneth Yanett León Palacios, who would have turned six years old on October 6, while the body of a man was retrieved by members of the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard.

The girl’s body was discovered by members of the Hunters Search and Rescue Team (HSRT) headed by Vallence Rambharat who told the Trinidad Express newspaper that the child had boarded the pirogue with her mother and grandmother as they attempted to return to their homeland.

Rambharat said all the other persons on board the boat, including five other children, had been accounted for.

A resident of Los Iros, who spoke to the Express on the condition of anonymity, said the tragedy unfolded before midday, when items of clothing and other personal belongings were seen floating near the shoreline.

The incident is the latest in a string of fatal incidents involving Venezuelan migrants attempting the perilous sea crossing between Trinidad and Venezuela.

Opposition Leader Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has been appointed to serve as a member of the Global Advisory Council on Reparatory Justice.

In a letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ghana, Gonsalves, a former prime minister here, was recognised for his ‘distinguished statesmanship, long standing contribution to Caribbean integration and unwavering advocacy for reparatory justice.

‘It is my honour to to invite you to serve as a Member of the Global Advisory Council on Reparatory Justice,’ said the letter signed by Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, adding ‘your leadership and experience would make an invaluable contribution to the work of the Council and help strengthen the political leadership, strategic direction and international partnerships required to advance the implementation of the Resolution’.

Ghana had in June staged a two-day High-Level Consultative Conference on the Next Steps following the adoption of the United Nations General Assembly Resolution on the Trafficking of Enslaves Africans and Racialised Chattel Enslavement of Africans.

That conference brought together several heads of states, eminent jurists, scholars and representatives of regional and international organisations among others to consider the measures required to advance the implementation of the Resolution.

In a brief statement, Gonsalves said he is ‘deeply honored’ to be invited to serve on the Global Council and expressed his ‘gratitude as well to the government and people of the Republic of Ghana for their leadership in this struggle’.

Ghana, which is serving as the Secretariat for the Council said it will ‘communicate further details regarding the programme of work, terms of reference. Modalities of engagement and the inaugural meeting in due course’.

Recovery teams have retrieved one more body from the wreck of the MV Barima, as a multi-agency operation involving local and international divers continued on Friday to locate those still missing following the maritime tragedy.

President Irfaan Ali, providing an update while meeting with the families of those still missing at the Operations Centre in Charity on Friday, said specialist divers had already completed two dives and would be a third as they worked to safely penetrate the wreck.

‘They are making progress in cutting things open and clearing, and as a result, they have been able to recover one more body so far from the wreck,’ he said, confirming that the body recovered is that of a male.

The death toll from the tragedy has now risen to 72, following last weekend’s incident when the 87-year-old vessel capsized after being hit by a wave, as it made its way from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, a small village within the Barima-Waini administrative region of the country.

The official manifest had 116 passengers and a 17 member crew, but the authorities said that as many as 179 passengers and crew may have been on board the vessel. The authorities have so far said 76 people survived the ordeal.

Ali said that the recovery operation remains highly technical, with divers carefully cutting through sections of the vessel and removing obstructions to gain access to additional compartments where victims may still be trapped.

‘So that will be the process all day today. The divers (will be) working throughout the wreck all day,’ he said, adding that the recovery efforts would continue uninterrupted and that the operation is being supported by an international team of French and Trinidadian divers working alongside local divers.

Guyanese and Brazilian helicopters continue aerial searches over the surrounding waters.

Prime Minister Mark Phillips, speaking on a radio programme here Friday said that the government is strengthening compliance with standard operating procedures across the country’s ferry service following MV Barima tragedy.

He said immediate action is being taken to ensure stricter adherence to existing ticketing and passenger management procedures after it was confirmed that individuals boarded the MV Barima without being ticketed.

Prime Minister Phillips said a review of CCTV footage from the departure stelling established that 179 people were on board the vessel when it sank. The footage was examined overnight by a team of officials and that the independent Commission of Inquiry being established will investigate how the discrepancies between the official passenger manifest and the actual number of passengers were allowed to occur at the Transport and Harbours Department (T and HD).

Meanwhile, the parliamentary opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) on Friday called on the Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, to allow legislators to discuss and agree on the terms of reference for a commission of inquiry into the tragedy.

General Secretary of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR)- APNU’s largest partner – Sherwin Benjamin has warned of mass protests if government refused to give into his party’s demands.

‘We intend to ensure that we bring the necessary pressure to bear so that this matter can be dealt with with much dispatch and by that, I mean, if it means that we have to organize mass political activities,’ he said.

In his letter to Nadir, the APNU parliamentary leader, Dr Terrence Campbell, is proposing that the Assembly meet next Monday consider the establishment of the commission.

He said the APNU has listed a number of measures to establish the facts surrounding the sinking of the MV Barima on July 18, including timeline, passenger and manifest records, cargo, weather and navigation conditions as well as to determine causes and contributing factors, including vessel maintenance and seaworthiness, crew qualifications and training, compliance with national maritime laws, licences and safety standards.

In addition, the APNU wants legislators to examine the adequacy and timeliness of the search-and-rescue response and actions taken by relevant agencies as well as assess the regulatory framework, oversight, inspection regimes and enforcement practices of maritime and port authorities, and identify any systemic failures.

It is also urging an examination of any allegations of negligence, misconduct, corruption or breach of statutory duties by any individual or entity and recommend any appropriate legal or disciplinary action and to recommend measures to improve passenger and crew safety, emergency preparedness, regulatory oversight, and to prevent recurrence.

The APNU wants the production of documents and the summoning of witnesses, and to produce a full public report with findings and recommendations within a specified timeframe and to adopt such interim measures and recommendations as necessary to protect the public interest and safety pending full inquiry outcomes.

APNU parliamentarian, Saiku Andrews said government’s tender for the docking and rehabilitation of the MV Barima published in March 2026 reveals that the e Bills of Quantities required the examination of approximately 10,000 square metres of hull plating and frames, with deteriorated sections to be renewed where necessary.

‘The real issue is that the Government’s own engineers identified the need to examine the hull, replace deteriorated steel, replace wasted hatch beams, replace zinc anodes, service critical components and carry out ultrasonic thickness testing only months before the tragedy,’ said Andrews.

Another APNU legislator, Dexter Todd said a team of 15 lawyers had been assembled to protect the interests of the survivors.

He said the captain and two crew members were still in police custody.

Pakistan’s top-order batter Abdullah Fazal is set to miss the upcoming two-match Test series against Pakistan after sustaining a lower back injury.

According to a statement from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Fazal was injured during a training session on Thursday at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, the venue for the opening Test that bowls off on Saturday.

The PCB statement did not specify how the injury was sustained during the training session, but said that ‘following an MRI scan and clinical assessment, the team’s medical panel confirmed that Abdullah will require a period of rehabilitation.’

The injury will come as a significant blow at this early stage in Fazal’s career, who had an opportunity to consolidate his position in the national side on two high-profile away tours. Following the two Tests in West Indies, Pakistan travel to England for a three-Test series in August.

The 23-year-old emerged in recent months as one of Pakistan’s brightest prospects since making his debut against Bangladesh in May, where he scored half-centuries in each innings.

In Pakistan’s tour game against a West Indies Select XI earlier this week, he was unbeaten in both innings, scoring 50 and 48, and was a guaranteed starter for the first Test.

The PCB has not yet named a replacement for Fazal.

Fazal’s absence paves the way for middle-order batter Awais Zafar to make his debut, while Imam-ul-Haq, who missed Pakistan’s most recent Test against Bangladesh is now expected to regain his spot as opener.

The following is the CANANews and SPORTS Schedule for Friday, July 24, 2026.

GEORGETOWN – Divers have returned to the site of the sunken MV Barima on Friday hoping to retrieve bodies as the death toll has risen to 72, President Irfaan Ali has said.

PORT OF SPAIN – Two Venezuelan nationals, including a five-year-old child, have died after a pirogue carrying 29 people overturned off Los Iros Beach, on the south coast of Trinidad, during an illegal sea crossing to Venezuela on Wednesday.

PARAMARIBO – Public Health, Welfare and Labour MInister, André Misiekaba, is calling for an urgent and national approach to suicide after figures released by the police show a significant increase in cases in the month of June.

PORT OF SPAIN – Chairman of the main opposition People’s National Movement (PNM), Marvin Gonzales, has burnt a copy of the High Court ordered unexplained wealth order granted to the Trinidad and Tobago Police last week, saying it ‘was born in sin and it was shaped in political iniquity’.

ROSEAU – The Dominica government says it will commission its 10-megawatt geothermal power plant on July 31 as the country continues with efforts to transition to a cleaner, more resilient energy sector.

SPORTS:

PORT OF SPAIN – West Indies head coach Daren Sammy has maintained that the recent performances of both Joshua Bishop and Kirk McKenzie merit their selection to the West Indies squad for the upcoming Test series against Pakistan.

The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) Friday warned business owners, retailers, service providers, and members of the public of fraudulent cheques being used to obtain goods and services.

The TTPS Fraud Squad said in this scheme, fraudsters present counterfeit, altered, forged, or stolen cheques as payment for goods or services, while they often create a sense of urgency, requesting that goods be released or delivered immediately.

‘Businesses that release goods before confirming that the cheque has been successfully cleared, may suffer significant financial losses when the cheque is subsequently returned unpaid,’ the TTPS said.

It said that the fraudsters may request quotations for large orders via the telephone or WhatsApp as well as present a fraudulent cheque to purchase high-value goods or services.

In other instances they present a screenshot of the fraudulent cheque or deposit slip and claim that the payment has already been processed or will clear shortly, the TTPS said, adding that the fraudsters would also pressure staff to release goods immediately due to an alleged emergency or urgent deadline or arrange for a third party or courier to collect the goods before the cheque is dishonoured,

The police said that businesses should be alert if the purchaser places a large order over WhatsApp or via telephone and or insists on taking possession of goods before the cheque has cleared.

The police said that other warning signs include the cheque appearing to have been altered, damaged, or containing inconsistencies and that the purchaser is reluctant to provide valid The TTPS Fraud Squad is recommending that businesses should never release goods or provide services until the cheque has been fully cleared and the funds have been confirmed by their financial institution,

Business es are also urged to maintain detailed records of all cheque transactions, including invoices, customer information, identification details, and vehicle registration numbers where applicable. They are also urged to install and maintain CCTV systems to capture customer transactions,

‘A cheque being deposited does not mean that the funds have been cleared. Always wait for confirmation from your financial institution before releasing goods or completing services,’ the TTPS said, adding ‘when viewing your bank statement online, ensure the funds are available and not current balance’.

A mother and three of her children were laid to rest on Friday as a sense of unimaginable heartbreak engulfed Bush Lot in Region Five as friends and relatives said a final goodbye to the latest victims of Guyana’s worst maritime disaster when the MV Barima that capsized last Saturday night, with unofficial figures indicating that more than 100 people may have died as a result .

The caskets bearing the bodies of Rachel Wells, her children Natalia and Ezekiel Matevik were wheeled into the yard of their West Coast Burmese home as persons overcome with grief wept openly.

Wells, along with her husband, the three children and other relatives, were travelling to Region 1 to visit her parents for the first time in nine years and in a tragic twist of fate, her husband was among the few who survived the tragedy.