Category: CANA News

The World Food Programme (WFP) Wednesday said that for the first time in nearly a decade there are no contingency stocks for the hurricane season in Haiti, as it warned that nearly 14 million people worldwide could face severe hunger by the end of the year.

The WFP said that the slashing of humanitarian funding is also threatening six of its most critical operations.

It said programmes in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Haiti, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan are already facing major disruptions, which will only get worse.

‘Every ration cut means a child goes to bed hungry, a mother skips a meal, or a family loses the support they need to survive,’ said WFP executive director, Cindy McCain.

The WFP said the crisis is happening as global hunger reaches record highs, with 319 million people facing acute food insecurity, including 44 million at emergency level. Famine has also taken hold in Sudan and the Gaza Strip.

WFP said it expects to receive 40 per cent less funding this year, resulting in a projected budget of US$6.4 billion, down from US$10 billion last year.

‘We are at risk of losing decades of progress in the fight against hunger,’ said McCain, with the WFP said that even hard-won gains in the Sahel region, where 500,000 people have been lifted out of aid dependence with integrated food assistance and resilience programmes, could soon be wiped out without continued support.’

The cuts could push 13.7 million people who receive WFP food assistance from crisis to emergency levels of hunger , a one-third increase, the WFP said in a new report.

‘In Haiti, hot meal programmes have already stopped, and families are receiving half WFP’s standard monthly rations,’ the agency said, while ‘support in Somalia has been downsized repeatedly’, from 2.2 million people last year to just 350,000 in November.

WFP said that its preparation efforts also have suffered. For the first time in nearly a decade there are no contingency stocks for the hurricane season in Haiti, and no pre-positioning of food in Afghanistan as winter approaches.

Although the cuts have different impacts across its operations, the agency remains committed to delivering food assistance in the world’s hungriest places.

‘The devastating harm inflicted by cuts to food assistance not only threatens lives, but also risks undermining stability, fuelling displacement, and stoking wider social and economic upheaval,’ said McCain.

‘Swift and effective food assistance is a vital bulwark against chaos in nations already struggling to cope.’

The Dominica Bar Association (DBA) says while it acknowledges the efforts to reduce the case backlogs, it has ‘serious concerns’ about the impact of the decision to re-introduce night court sittings in the country.

In a statement, the DBA said that it acknowledged the recent directive of the Ministry of Legal Affairs introducing nightly Magistrate Court sittings for a seven hour period four days a week but has ‘serious concerns about the impact of this initiative on court users and practitioners’.

It said that that extended evening hours may create significant challenges for several groups, including, rural residents, for whom returning home late at night may pose safety, cost, and transportation difficulties as well as women and parents with caregiving responsibilities, who may be unable to participate fully in hearings scheduled during evening hours.

‘Further, requiring/requesting parents/guardians to be away from their children at a critical time in the evenings and after a full day’s work may prove to be an unnecessary strain on the home,’ the DBA said, noting also that ‘accused persons held in custody, who may face extended periods of detention during the day while awaiting night hearings’.

It said that the initiative may also not be beneficial to vulnerable individuals, such as the elderly and persons with disabilities, for whom late-night hearings may be particularly burdensome, noting that ‘we have already received complaints from some elderly litigants about the inconvenience of night court, given their limited mobility’.

The DBA said that legal practitioners and support staff, whose ability to provide services at the extended hours may be impossible due to family obligations and that employers whose employees are required to attend court on their behalf, necessitating overtime payment to such employees for attending court beyond their regular hours of work.

Last month, the National Security Minister Rayburn Blackmoore announced that night court would be re-introduced here from September 8, noting that he believes that the ‘court should operate in a way that allows for greater flexibility and that will provide people seeking to access the court to actually settle grievances.

‘Whether it is civil or criminal, [they] ought to be able to be accommodated irrespective as to what type of work they do, where they actually reside,’ Blackmoore told a news conference, adding that he also believes ‘the issue of introducing night court, and let me just put [it] on the record, for everybody to understand, it is not something that is ne.

‘We look at all the logistics that need to be considered and to move forward, and I believe that the time is now, there shall be night court,’ he said, adding ‘we have to be steadfast and to ensure that all the players with the respective roles to be played do so in the most efficient manner.

‘Night court is working in other countries,’ he told reporters.

But in its statement, the DBA said it is greatly concerned about the ‘absence of meaningful consultation with the Bar, affected court users, court staff, and the public before the implementation of night court.

‘Such consultation is critical to ensure that measures designed to strengthen the justice system are workable, fair, and sustainable, and would not result in persons being casualties of the system. Upon an inquiry by the Bar to the Ministry as to whether a feasibility study was carried out, a clear answer was not returned.’

The DBA said that its concerns raise possible constitutional and administrative challenges to the implementation of the night court, which could have been averted.

‘Importantly, it is noted that the Magistrates Court is not operating to its full capacity during the daytime hours; that is to say, there is not a full complement of magistrates on staff, and all available courtrooms are not being used. There is no overflow for a night court.’

The DBA said that several alternatives exist that could achieve the Ministry’s goals without imposing such burdens.

It said these include recruitment of additional magistrates so that the court is operating at its full capacity during the daylight hours; staggered day sittings to make better use of court time; strengthened case management practices and consent-based or opt-in evening listings.

‘The Dominica Bar Association, therefore, calls for the suspension of the current implementation plan pending full consultation with the Association and other stakeholders,’ it said, adding that its concerns have been communicated to the Ministry of National Security and Legal Affairs.

‘We remain committed to working collaboratively with the Ministry to develop solutions that enhance efficiency while ensuring that justice remains accessible and equitable for all. The Association looks forward to engaging in constructive dialogue with the Ministry on this important matter.’

The St. Lucia government says it will next week sign a multi-million dollar loan agreement with the OPEC Fund for International Development to partially finance the cost of planned construction work along the Julian Hunte Highway, north of here.

Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre said that the agreement will be signed on the margins of the ongoing the World Bank meetings in New York, adding ‘so the funding arrangements needed for the Gros Islet Highway have been completed.

‘The money for the reconstruction is coming from OPEC and the Kuwaiti Fund. We got $33 million in funding,’ he said.

Pierre said that the work is now taking place to widen the Vieux Sucrieux Road, so to help help alleviate vehicular traffic during construction along the JHH.

‘We are working on the Vieux Sucrieux road in the meantime, in order to alleviate traffic when work starts on the highway, and next year, all things being equal, we will get work done on the Vieux Sucrieux bridge.

Belize has signed a US$12.5 million agreement with the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development to finance the upgrading of the George Price Highway.

The agreement signed on the sidelines of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) annual meetings here, will support critical infrastructural enhancements to one of Belize’s most important transportation corridors.

The project includes the construction of new service lanes, the upgrading of existing bridges, and the addition of 16 bus stop lanes aimed at improving safety, accessibility, and connectivity for trade.

Belize government officials said that the agreement further strengthens the longstanding partnership between Belize and the State of Kuwait, which dates back to the 1990s.

They said that over the years, the Kuwait Fund has supported several major infrastructure projects in Belize, including the development of the Southern Highway, the Hummingbird Highway, and the Caracol Road.

The agreement was signed by Joseph Waight, Financial Secretary and head of the Belize delegation to the IMF/World Bank meetings and Waleed Sh. Al-Bahar, acting Director General of the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development.

The Trinidad and Tobago government says it is clamping down on illegal gambling here that has so far resulted in the state-owned National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB) losing billions of dollars (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents) annually.

Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo, said that while the NLCB is a major contributor of revenue to the government with annual gross revenues close to three billion dollars, illegal lotteries comprising bets and pay-outs facilitated by third parties on the NLCB’s legal lottery games continue to impair the NLCB’s profit margins.

‘It is estimated that revenues generated from illegal lotteries are upwards of nine billion dollars per year,’ Tancoo said as he delivered the TT$59.2 billion (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents) budget earlier this week. Debate on the fiscal package will begin on Friday.

He said additionally, these illicit activities also rob the government of income tax, corporation tax, windfall tax and direct revenues from NLCB’s available surpluses.

‘Furthermore, these illegal operators are reportedly also involved in other forms of illicit activities, including money-laundering, black market activities and human trafficking,’ Tancoo said, adding that to combat illegal lotteries, he is proposing an increase in existing penalties under the Gambling and Betting Act.

He said that the penalty will be increased to a fine of TT$250,000 and to imprisonment for three years, or conviction on indictment to a fine of three million dollars and to imprisonment for seven years.

He said that this is consistent with the new penalties that will be implemented as soon as the Gambling (Gaming Betting and Control) Act is proclaimed.

But Tancoo said that notwithstanding the illegality of lotteries under the Gambling and Betting Act, it is essential to highlight that current illegal lotteries may not be captured under those offences.

He said modern illegal lotteries are not conducted independently but instead use the results of the NLCB’s Online lottery draws and that tickets are issued to players, usually resembling a receipt from a grocery store.

He said to combat this new mode of illegal lottery, he is proposing the introduction of a new criminal offence under the National Lotteries Act, which mirrors Section 19 of the Gambling and Betting Act but which criminalizes the receipt of a bet, issuance of a ticket or pay-out of any monies.

Tancoo said that the offence should be heavily criminalised and carry a fine of TT$250,000 and imprisonment for three years or conviction on indictment to a fine of three million dollars and imprisonment for seven years.

‘The NLCB’s evidence of the results and who are authorised agents would be prima facie evidence for these matters, therefore allowing the NLCB to give evidence to the police that can support criminal prosecutions,’ Tancoo said, adding ‘this would enable more NLCB input in fighting against illegal lotteries’.

Meanwhile, Tancoo said that owing to a lack of audits and the broad interpretation of the NLCB Act, the NLCB has been able to retain tens of millions of dollars accumulated over the years.

He said to combat this phenomenon and allow the government better access to NLCB’s revenues, it is proposed that NLCB make quarterly payments to the Consolidated Fund, as opposed to annual.

He said the NLCB would be subject to financial limits expressed by the Minister of Finance in relation to various items of expenditure.

‘This would ensure that a hard and fast budget by the NLCB would be in place, resulting in better control of revenue retention by the NLCB,’ Tancoo told legislators.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) says it is supporting the reopening of a major maternity hospital in the capital, Port au Prince, which it says is providing care for mothers and pregnant women and where almost 60 per cent of births take place without medical care.

MSF said that in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country, maternal and infant mortality rates remain among the highest in the Caribbean and Latin America, and access to health care has become severely limited amid a broader crisis of violence and insecurity.

The MSF said that it is supporting the reopening of the Isaïe Jeanty Maternity Hospital, one of the largest in the country, which had closed during a wave of violence in early 2024.

In partnership with the Ministry of Public Health and Population, MSF co-manages the facility to ensure the provision of quality sexual and reproductive health care services, addressing urgent and largely unmet needs.

MSF said that as violence and insecurity increased between February 2022 and April 2025, the proportion of maternal deaths in hospitals rose from 250 to 350 per 100,000 live births, while home deliveries became increasingly common.

It said currently, nearly 60 per cent of births in Port-au-Prince take place without medical care, increasing the risk of complications such as hemorrhage, infections, and hypertension, one of the leading causes of maternal mortality. Far too many women and pregnant adolescents die due to lack of medical care.

‘Because of the growing insecurity, several health facilities have shut down, reducing the availability of sexual and reproductive health care,’ explains Diana Manilla Arroyo, MSF head of mission in Haiti.

‘Every woman deserves a safe place to give birth, yet this basic right is too often denied. This is why reopening Isaïe Jeanty Maternity Hospital, in an especially isolated area such as Cité Soleil, is absolutely crucial,’ she added.

MSF said that the goal is to strengthen the quality of sexual and reproductive health care in an area where medical services remain extremely limited and where the population is regularly exposed to clashes between armed groups and police forces.

It said that the maternity hospital also serves as an essential training ground for the next generation of obstetric health care professionals. Its proper functioning strengthens the capacity of the health system in Port-au-Prince and contributes to the future of maternal and reproductive health across the country.

Since the beginning of the year, the facility’s activity has steadily increased. The number of prenatal consultations rose from 56 in January to 547 in July, while deliveries increased from 10 in April to 134 in August.

‘Haiti is trapped in a devastating cycle of sexual violence, unwanted pregnancies, and high-risk pregnancies, undermining the most fundamental reproductive health decisions, to choose if, when, and with whom to have a child,’ adds Manilla Arroyo.

‘With one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the region and a collapsing health system, access to safe care remains out of reach for many. Every woman and girl should have the right to live free from violence and to have control over her body, health, and future,’ she adds.

Meanwhile, MSF said that ongoing violence in the capital has forced it to permanently close its Port-au-Prince emergency care center, which had been a key lifeline in the city.

The emergency center had originally opened in the Port-au-Prince neighborhood of Martissant in 2006, but was forced to move to Turgeau in 2021 for security reasons. From 2021 to March 2025, the Turgeau emergency center treated more than 100,000 patients.

From January to June, more than 3,100 people were reported killed across Haiti and an additional 1,100 reported injured, according to the United Nations.

A Canadian business delegation arrived here Tuesday for a four day visit as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen trade and investment ties between the two countries.

A statement from the High Commission of Canada, said the trade mission includes representatives from Bionetix International, Sprig Learning Inc., 4Pay Inc., FreeBalance Inc., and E-Magic Solutions.

It said that these five companies represent diverse sectors such as financial technology (FinTech), information and communications technology (ICT), infrastructure, education, and sanitation.

members of the visiting Canadian trade mission

‘Their visit is aimed at deepening their understanding of the Guyanese market, exploring potential collaborations, and consolidating existing partnerships. Later in the week, they will be joined by a representative of Export Development Canada, Canada’s export credit and insurance agency for exporters with Canadian content,’ the statement said.

According to the High Commission of Canada, the visit forms part of Canada’s broader strategy to foster greater commercial cooperation with Guyana and the wider Caribbean.

It said that over the four-day programme, delegates will participate in a series of market knowledge sessions, high-level meetings with government ministers and heads of agencies, and an extensive business-to-business (B2B) programme connecting them with local enterprises.

The High Commission said that a key highlight of the programme will be on-the-ground site visits, providing participants with firsthand insight into Guyana’s rapidly developing infrastructure and investment climate.

‘These site visits are intended to bridge the gap between business dialogue and practical understanding of the opportunities and challenges that exist across multiple sectors.’

Canada’s High Commissioner to Guyana, Sebastien Sigouin, said that the initiative is part of an ongoing effort to connect Canadian innovation with Guyanese opportunity.

‘Canada has a long-standing relationship with Guyana built on trust, cooperation, and mutual respect.. This visit demonstrates our continued commitment to supporting Guyana’s development priorities through partnerships that encourage innovation, knowledge transfer, and sustainable growth.’

The High Commission said that the mission is not only about promoting Canadian business interests, but also about fostering partnerships that can generate long-term, inclusive benefits. ‘The delegation’s presence reinforces Canada’s confidence in Guyana’s economic trajectory and the value of building partnerships rooted in transparency, sustainability, and mutual prosperity.

‘The delegation’s visit underscores the growing momentum in Canada-Guyana commercial relations. It marks another step toward unlocking shared opportunities and building a more resilient, innovative future together,’ the High Commission of Canada added.

In an unprecedented moment for Caribbean football, three distinguished Saint Lucians have earned coveted appointments to the standing committees of FIFA, the world’s football governing body.

The appointments, confirmed at the FIFA Council Meeting in Zurich on October 2nd, will see SLFA President Lyndon Cooper, Vieux Fort Football League President Examin Philbert, and Dr Natasha Innocent serve a four-year term from 2025 to 2029 on key global committees.

This triple nomination marks a significant recognition of Saint Lucia’s growing influence on the international football stage.

Leading the charge is SLFA and Caribbean Football Union (CFU) President Lyndon Cooper, who has been named Deputy Chair of the influential FIFA Development Committee.

He will be joined by Examin Philbert on the FIFA Women’s National Team Competitions Committee, while Dr Natasha Innocent will lend her expertise to the FIFA Medical Committee.

In a statement, Cooper hailed the appointments as a testament to the quality of work being done locally.

‘I wish to extend my congratulations to Examin Philbert and Natasha Innocent,’ Cooper said. ‘The fact that their ability and work ethic have been recognised at the highest level speaks volumes. It should tell you that, as a country, we are on the right track.’

According to a release from the SLFA, FIFA expressed its ‘pleasure and honour’ in extending the appointments, acknowledging ‘the continued contribution and commitment of Saint Lucians to the development of football globally.’

These standing committees are vital to FIFA’s operations, reporting directly to the FIFA Council and providing expert advice in their specialised fields.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated that the newly formed committees are designed to foster greater inclusion and expertise.

‘The new Standing Committees will lead to the greater involvement of our member associations, increased female representation, and more focused technical expertise,’ Infantino said. ‘In other words, FIFA will be better equipped to face the future.’

Prime Minister Phillip Davis says he will not meet with trade union officials on matters concerning public sector workers, after one of the unions threatened a national strike on Tuesday.

‘After careful consideration, I have decided not to proceed with that meeting. Instead, I will speak directly to the Bahamian people and to the workers of this nation, the men and women whose effort, care, and service form the backbone of our country,’ Prime Minister Davis said in a statement.

He said that on Monday, he met with the leadership of the Bahamas Union of Teachers and other union representatives ‘to continue our discussions on matters concerning public officers’.

Davis said that he went to that meeting in good faith and with a clear purpose to work together for the benefit of the Bahamian people, but that following the meeting, the President of the Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT), Belinda Wilson, made a public statement threatening a national strike and requesting a further meeting for Tuesday.

Wilson added that the BUT and other unions are demanding retroactive pay dating back to September 2024, and that all increases be applied and paid by the October payday, not December as previously stated by the Prime Minister.

‘Senior civil servants already received their retroactive pay – thousands of dollars – backdated to September of last year. We’re saying the small man deserves the same. This isn’t a gift. It’s money already earned,’ Wilson said.’

Her comments came after the government publicly insisted that the salary adjustments would be implemented by December 2025, just ahead of Christmas, a timeline unions flatly reject as too slow.

Bahamas Public Services Union (BPSU), president, Kimsley Ferguson, speaking after the meeting, told reporters, the unions would no longer tolerate delays or mixed messages from the Davis administration.

‘The Prime Minister was receptive, but we’re not accepting excuses. If the Prime Minister’s having a memory lapse, we have the Hansard from Parliament to remind him exactly what he promised public officers,’ Ferguson said, adding that if Tuesday’s meeting failed to produce results, the unions would ‘visit the House of Assembly’ and intensify their campaign for immediate payment.

But in his statement, Prime Minister Davis said his government stands with Bahamian workers.

‘From the beginning, our mission has been to make life better for those who work hard every day, our teachers, nurses, uniformed officers, and the thousands of public servants who give of themselves for our country.

‘That is why we initiated a national salary review. This review was not done at the request of any union; it was done because my Government believes Bahamian workers deserve better. We wanted to look carefully and independently at how salaries across the public service can be made fairer and more reflective of the value of the work you do.’

Prime Minister Davis said he can now confirm that the government will make that review public.

‘Bahamians deserve to see for themselves the effort that has gone into ensuring fairness and equity in how we reward those who serve. If the question is one of payment, let me say again. Every public servant will be paid before Christmas. The Ministry of Finance and the Treasury have been working to ensure this, and I am satisfied that they are on course to deliver.’

He said that the agreements between the government and the unions remain in place, and the government will continue to honour them.

‘Some of these are approaching renewal, and as we move forward, we will do so with respect, transparency, and a commitment to the long-term wellbeing of workers and their families.

I understand the pressures many families are facing. I know the cost of living has stretched household budgets. That is precisely why this Government has been acting, not waiting, to make things better.’

Prime Minister Davis said he is asking the workers of the country to stand with him.

‘Let us choose partnership over division and dialogue over confrontation. When we work together, we achieve more for everyone. The Bahamas will always move forward when we act in unity and good faith, when we put the people first. That is the path my government is committed to,’ he added.

Despite a much better showing with both bat and ball, the West Indies were not able to stop a rampant India from coming away with a dominant seven-wicket victory on the fifth morning of the second Test here in Delhi to secure a clean 2-0 series sweep over the regional side.

The hosts needed just 17.2 overs on the final day to chase down their modest target to reach 124-3, with opener KL Rahul guiding them home with an unbeaten and composed 58.

The visitors had some respite, after they claimed the wickets of Sai Suhharsan for 39 and captain Shubman Gill for 13, both falling to skipper Roston Chase.

The win consolidates India’s position at third in the World Test Championship standings, trailing only Australia and Sri Lanka.

The foundation for this comprehensive victory was laid early. A commanding first-innings total, built on the back of magnificent centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal 175 and captain Gill 129 not out, proved insurmountable.

India’s bowlers then swiftly bundled the tourists out for 248, enforcing a follow-on that seemed to signal an early finish.

However, the West Indies, fresh from a 3-0 drubbing by Australia, finally found some fight. A dogged partnership between John Campbell and Shai Hope, both of whom scored defiant centuries, powered them to a more than respecatble 390 all out in their second innings.

Any lingering hope for the tourists was extinguished by a 79-run second wicket partnership between the assured Rahul and the impressive Sai Sudharsan, who added 39 to his first-innings 87.

For the West Indies, it marks a second successive series whitewash. Yet, skipper Roston Chase took a measure of satisfaction from his team’s late defiance.

‘I think this is the kind of fight that I wanted to see from us,’ Chase said. ‘This is a stepping stone, a building block for us to go forward and improve as a test-playing nation.’

The West Indies, currently sixth in the WTC standings, will look to build on that fight when they begin a tour of New Zealand on November 5.