Category: CANA News

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday met with Sylvanie Burton, the president of the Commonwealth of Dominica, underscoring the deepening of the diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Burton is in in Beijing for the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women and in his discussions with the visiting Dominica head of state, President Xi, said that Dominica is a close friend and partner of China in the Caribbean and that Beijing stands ready to work with the Caribbean island to elevate bilateral relations to a higher level and deliver more benefits to both peoples.

President Xi said China and Dominica should consolidate political mutual trust, strengthen exchanges of governance experience, and enhance interactions between governments, legislative bodies, and political parties.

He said China stands ready to continue supporting Dominica in enhancing its capacity in climate change response, and disaster prevention and reduction.

President Xi said China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Dominica in infrastructure, clean energy, healthcare, agriculture and women’s empowerment, and promote cultural, educational, tourism and other people-to-people exchanges.

He urged enhancing multilateral coordination and jointly implementing the four global initiatives to build a community with a shared future for humanity and called also for implementing the consensus reached at the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women and stepping up cooperation in women’s capacity building.

President Burton said that Dominica firmly upholds the one-China principle and stands ready to deepen cooperation with China in economy, trade, agriculture, the green economy, new energy, healthcare, and climate change response.

She described China as an important force for global peace and stability, noting that Dominica is willing to work closely with China in opposing unilateralism and hegemonism and in safeguarding the common interests of developing countries.

The St. Lucia-based Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission Tuesday said it has signed a ‘landmark’ Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) to strengthen collaboration in advancing digital learning, open education, and teacher development across the region.

It said that the MoU establishes a framework for joint action to expand access to quality education through technology, build resilient, flexible education systems, promote lifelong learning, and enhance equity and inclusion.

‘Through this partnership, the OECS and COL will jointly pursue initiatives that include developing knowledge infrastructure, creating and sharing Open Educational Resources (OER), supporting digital pedagogy training for educators, and providing technical and advisory support for education transformation,’ according to a statement issued by the OECS Commission.

It sad that the partnership aligns with the sub-regional grouping’s vision for the OECS Digital Learning Ecosystem (ODLE), positioning it as a regional hub for accessible, high-quality digital learning content.

It also strengthens the region’s advocacy voice for Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-enabled education policies, both regionally and internationally, reinforcing the OECS’s commitment to the global education agenda, including achieving SDG 4 aimed at quality education, and advancing the achievement of OECS Strategic Priority 5, which is to Advance Equity and Inclusion, reducing disparities in health, education and social outcomes.

‘Through the establishment of this framework for cooperation, the implementation of Microcredentialing in the OECS will be supported. The pilot of Microcredentialing through the OECS MyPD platform for teacher professional development is anticipated to be one of the first activities supported by this partnership,’ said Mrs Sisera Simon, Head, Human and Social Division, at the OECS Commission.

She said that this groundbreaking initiative will empower participants to earn skill-specific credentials, spotlighting their expertise and dedication to continuous professional growth.

‘The goal of integrating Microcredentialing is not simply to enhance professional development, but to reimagine it, creating more personalised, meaningful learning journeys for every educator in the OECS,’ she added.

OECS Director General, Dr Didacus Jules, said this partnership represents a significant step forward in the mission to create an inclusive, future-ready education system in the OECS.

‘By joining forces with the Commonwealth of Learning, we are equipping our region with the tools, policies, and support needed to make digital learning a reality for every learner,’ he added.

President and chief executive officer of the Commonwealth of Learning, Professor Peter Scottechoed, said his institution is delighted to partner with the OECS Commission in advancing digital learning and inclusive education across the Eastern Caribbean region.

‘The OECS continues to demonstrate leadership in reimagining education systems for resilience and relevance in the 21st century. Through this collaboration, we will leverage our collective expertise and resources to accelerate innovation-ensuring that all learners in the OECS, regardless of circumstance, can access and benefit from quality, technology-enabled education opportunities.’

The agreement will provide opportunities for teacher professional development and digital leadership to improve the uptake and effectiveness of digital learning tools, as well as equity-focused initiatives to ensure underserved and vulnerable communities benefit from digital learning opportunities.

It will also allow for joint projects and resource mobilisation to expand financing and support for regional digital transformation in education as well as research and knowledge exchange to keep OECS innovations evidence-based and globally benchmarked.

A Joint Committee, with representatives from both organisations, will oversee the implementation of the MoU, ensuring progress, monitoring outcomes, and fostering sustainability.

The MOU will remain in effect for three years, with the possibility of renewal, the OECS Commission said.

The OECS groups the islands of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts-Nevis, Montserrat and Anguilla.

India defeated the West Indies by seven wickets on the fifth day of the second Test here at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday.

Scores

INDIA 518-5 dec’d and 124-3 in 35.2 overs (Kl Rahul 58 not out, Sai Sudharsan 39, Shubman Gill 13; Roston Chase 2-36, Jomel Warrican 1-39).

WEST INDIES 248 and 390 in 118.5 overs (John Campbell 115, Shai Hope 103, Justin Greaves 50 not out, Roston Chase 40, Jayden Seales 32, Tevin Imlach 12, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 10; Jasprit Bumrah 3-44, Kuldeep Yadav 3-92, Mohammed Siraj 2-43).

Belize has taken over the presidency of the chairmanship of the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE), allowing the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country to chair both the Ministerial and the Council of Experts meetings of the organization.

Belize replaced Barbados in that role, whose representative, Keisha Reid, the Deputy Permanent Secretary, deputising for Energy Minister, Lisa Cummins, said it was a profound honour and privilege for Barbados to serve as president.

‘Among the notable advances of Barbados’ term have been important technical proposals that laid the foundation for the future of our region, such as the pursuit of a just energy transition for communities, as well as the adoption of joint declarations such as the Regional Electricity Storage Target.

‘These steps demonstrated not only our capacity to set ambitious goals, but also our determination to ensure that the benefits of the energy transition are shared across all our societies.’

Reid strongly encouraged OLADE to continue along its path of creating dedicated spaces to address the unique challenges and vulnerabilities of small island developing states (SIDS) like Barbados.

‘Our realities may differ, but our goals are united, and we must ensure that no one is left behind in the region’s transition,’ she said, assuring Belize of Barbados’ unwavering, steadfast and insightful support over the next year, as it assumes the chairmanship.

OLADE is an intergovernmental, public cooperation, coordination and technical advisory body, launched on November 2, 1973, through the signing of the Lima Convention. It was ratified by 27 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, with the fundamental objective of promoting the integration, conservation, rational use, commercialisation, protection and promotion of the energy resources of the region.

OLADE is a significant contributor to the sustainable development and energy security of the region.

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.

Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne, says his country has absolutely no interest in hosting any form of military assets, and that the situation regarding Grenada is ‘really a sovereign issue’ for the government of that island.

‘If they decide to accommodate the United States, there is nothing we can do. We would have to respect the decision,’ Browne told reporters on a conference call from St. John’s.

Last week, the Grenada government confirmed that the United States had written seeking permission to install radar equipment and associated technical personnel at the Maurice Bishop International Airport (MBIA).

‘The Ministries of National Security, Legal Affairs and Foreign Affairs are carefully assessing the request and reviewing the request in technical consultations, in coordination with the Grenada airports Authority and other relevant agencies,’ the Dickon Mitchell government said, adding that it is carefully reviewing the request in accordance with established national procedures.

Antigua and Barbuda Tuesday called on the Inter-American Committee on Sustainable Development (CIDS) to establish financing terms that match vulnerability, clear delivery timelines with partners, and a short quarterly public report to track results.

Addressing the seventh Regular Meeting of the CIDS, Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), Sir Ronald Sanders called for financing terms that match vulnerability, clear delivery timelines with partners, and a short quarterly public report to track results.

Sir Ronald Sanders

‘Sustainable development, for small states, is practical: keeping electricity on after storms; ensuring there are schools for children to attend; rebuilding infrastructure to keep the economy running; and making sure debt payments leave fiscal space to provide medical services, keep people employed, and pay pensions,’ Sir Ronald said, adding ‘we cannot meet these needs with vague promises and slow money’.

The purpose of the CIDS is to promote inter-American dialogue and cooperation in the area of sustainable development, propose the formulation of the policy of the OAS on this issue, and promote the development and execution of the Inter-American Programme for Sustainable Development, as well as orient the coordination and follow-up of the various decisions of the Summit of the Americas on Sustainable Development.

In his address, Sir Ronald outlined three immediate priorities including financing terms that fit risk.

He said standardize 30-year maturities, five-year grace periods, and automatic payment pauses after disasters in loans to high-vulnerability states. Base access to grants and low-cost loans on vulnerability, not income averages.

He noted the UN General Assembly’s acceptance of the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI) and urged lenders to embed it in their rules.

The Antigua and Barbuda diplomat said there should be partner commitments on the record. He said that by June 30, 2026, each partner should publicly state how much funding they will provide for Caribbean projects, and how much of it will be grants versus low-cost loans.

He again urged creation of a dedicated fund for Caribbean transport and basic services-ports, runways, inter-island ferries, water systems, and small local power systems.

Sir Ronald said the third priority should be quarterly public accountability.

He said CIDS should publish a short quarterly report tracking: coastal-protection coverage; days to restore water and power after Category-5 events; renewables share, and diesel import spend relative to GDP; inter-island logistics costs; debt service vs. revenue and the concessional share; private capital mobilized per public dollar; independently verified mangrove/reef restoration; and days from disaster declaration to first insurance or support payment.

Ambassador Sanders also called for the creation of a small OAS project-preparation team on coastal defences and water security, as well as a public timeline Internet page listing who is responsible for each commitment and the deadline to be reviews at board meetings of the multilateral banks.

‘Provide resilience financing up front. Make pausing loan repayments at times of disaster a condition of loans’ Sir Ronald concluded.