Category: CANA News

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Wednesday announced that it had approved a US$100 million grant to help Haiti rebuild essential health services in its three northern departments to save lives and prevent disabilities.

The IDB said that the project will contribute to improving the health system, conduct key health surveys and analyses for health management, and advance the digitalization of health care, using the information to develop a medium-term investment master plan.

The initiative will also build on interventions carried out since 2022 through IDB-supported social protection operations and will directly support the delivery of essential services aimed at preventing and treating prevalent noncommunicable diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, as well as infectious diseases including cholera, tuberculosis, malaria, HIV, and human papillomavirus.

The IDB said to help empower underserved groups, such as internally displaced people, return migrants, vulnerable women, and people with disabilities, the programme will develop care protocols that reflect their preferences.

‘The greater part of the grant resources will go toward strengthening health infrastructure to enhance the response capacity of the network of facilities serving priority communities. This will be the first stage of a longer-term commitment to rebuild the public health network’s response capacity, beginning with the greater northern region.’

The IDDB said that the grant will be disbursed and implemented over 84 months and is expected to directly benefit 750,000 people in specific communities starting in the country’s three northern departments.

The Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs on Wednesday donated over TT$1.5 million to 15 athletes and sporting organisations to assist with their development.

The cheques, totaling $1,585,000.00, were presented in the Ministry’s conference room, Nicholas Towers.

Director of Sports, Gabre Jesu McTair said the donations underscore the Ministry’s steadfast commitment to empowering athletes, coaches, and youth leaders through meaningful financial partnerships.

Athletes and sporting organisations on hand to receive the $1.6 million in donations from the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs

The assistance provided will bolster international competition preparation, stimulate community-based youth programmes, and strengthen the fabric of local sport and development projects across Trinidad and Tobago.

McTair, reaffirmed the Ministry’s dedication to nurturing opportunities for young people and athletes to achieve their fullest potential.

‘Today’s disbursement represents more than financial assistance; it reflects our belief in the potential of our citizens to represent Trinidad and Tobago with pride, purpose, and excellence.

‘We remain committed to ensuring that our sporting and youth sectors are vibrant, well-supported, and continually inspired,’ McTair said.

The recipients thanked the Ministry for its ongoing support, while noting that the funds will play a vital role in their preparation, training, and community engagement efforts.

A police constable was released on TT$250,000 (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents) bail after he appeared in the Port-of-Spain Criminal Court charged with misbehaviour in public office arising from the alleged larceny and tampering of court exhibits at police station.

In a statement, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) said that Constable Kerdell Bernard Castillo appeared in court on Monday and that as part of his bail conditions, he must surrender his passport immediately to the Registrar of the High Court.

The TTPS said that the charge stems from an incident on September 15 this year, when officers at the Barataria Police Station, on the outskirts of the capital, discovered that several exhibits, including 27 black plastic packages containing plant-like material resembling cannabis had been removed and replaced with Styrofoam, red bricks, and grass.

The TTPS said that the exhibits had originally been lodged on September 6, as part of an active High Court matter and were secured in the station’s Strong Room.

‘Investigations revealed that between 11th and 14th September 2025, the accused officer allegedly accessed the Strong Room on multiple occasions during his shift and removed a portion of the exhibits. The matter was immediately reported and referred to the Professional Standards Bureau (PSB),’ the TTPS said in the statement.

‘The TTPS takes any allegation of misconduct by its members seriously and reaffirms its commitment to transparency, accountability, and public trust,’ the statement added.

Government and opposition lawmakers Tuesday closed ranks and elected retired Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Davidson Bostic as Barbados’ second president.

None of the legislators in the two Houses of Parliament raised any objection to the election of Bostic, who will replace Dame Sandra Mason and assume office on Independence Day, during a transition ceremony marking Barbados’ 59th anniversary of Independence from Britain on November 30.

retired Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Davidson Bostic

His election was greeted with loud desk-thumping from members of the ruling Barbados Labour Party (BLP) and the Democratic Labour Party (DLP).

Bostic’s nomination had been jointly submitted by Prime Minister Mia Mottley and Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne, and political commentators said that his unanimous endorsement reflected widespread confidence in his leadership, experience and unifying presence.

The former health minister and University of the west Indies graduate, served as the director of operations at the Barbados-based Regional Security System (RSS) before retiring from active military service.

He later entered public office, representing the City of Bridgetown and serving as Minister of Health and Wellness from 2018 until his retirement from public life in 2022. In recognition of his service, he was awarded the Order of Freedom of Barbados, the island’s highest national honour.

The Speaker of the St. Lucia Parliament, Claudius Francis, who attended the parliamentary session on Tuesday, described the event a ‘moment of Republican maturity.

‘The occasion was solemn, dignified, and quietly momentous. It marked the end of an era and the beginning of a new one,’ he wrote on his Facebook page on Wednesday.

‘Bostic brings to the presidency a reputation for discipline, service, and quiet resolve. His elevation was expected, yet it carried the weight of continuity and national confidence,’ he said, noting that in ‘a political climate often marked by sharp division and rhetorical sparring, Thorne’s unfiltered support was anything but regular.

‘It was a gesture of national unity, a moment of statesmanship that transcended party lines. His words, devoid of hedging or partisan caveats, signaled a maturity in political discourse that Barbados-and indeed the wider Caribbean-should take note of,’ Francis wrote.

The Guyana government has signalled its preparedness to extradite the leader of the recently formed We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, Azruddin Mohamed, and his father, Nazar ‘Shell’ Mohamed, who are wanted in the United States on several fraud related charges.

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, speaking on his weekly ‘Issues in the News,’ Facebook programme on Tuesday night, said that Guyana is both ready and willing to facilitate an extradition request for the Mohameds once requested by the United States authorities.

‘Guyana is ready, willing and most able to diligently discharge its legal duties and obligations under the current extradition framework that exists with the United States of America in relation to this matter, and we remain committed to that course.

‘At this point in time, we are awaiting the request, and once the request is received then the requisite legal process will unfold in accordance with the procedure set out in the law,’ Nandlall told viewers to his programme.

On Monday, it was revealed that the United States authorities had indicted the WIN leader and his father on charges related to wire and mail fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, stemming from tax evasion on gold exports and the importation of a Lamborghini luxury car.

Denying the allegations contained in the 11-count indictment, Mohamed said he and his father would fight any extradition request by the United States.

‘We are going to fight it here in the court. We are innocent,’ he said, adding ”I’m going to defend myself vigorously because I’m innocent. I am innocent of all these charges and I know it’s heavily political with this administration’.

The indictment come just over a month after Mohamed led his newly formed political party to become the main opposition party in the National Assembly.

If found guilty on the charges of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, the Mohameds, who were sanctioned by the United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in June last year, could separately face a maximum of 20 years on each count, as well as maximum supervised release of three years, a maximum fine of US$250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss.

On the charges of wire fraud, the politician businessman could also be sentenced to 20 years imprisonment and maximum supervised release of three years and a fine of US$250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss.

The Grand Jury is also seeking a maximum of 20 years imprisonment, three years supervised release and a fine of US$500,000 or the value of the property involved in the transaction for conspiracy to commit money laundering.

‘I have noted the allegations peddled against me and my family. While there are legal constraints on how much I can share at this juncture, I am permitted to say this much in the interim; the leadership of the (ruling) PPP (People’s Progressive Party) has been advancing a sustained narrative against the Mohameds aimed at discrediting us,’ Mohamed said in a statement posted on his Facebook page.

But Nandlall said Guyana’s extradition treaty with the United States dates back to more than 100 years and has been repeatedly used by both countries, dismissing the allegation of a political motivation.

‘It is nonsensical for anyone to contend that these processes or this process is being motivated by some political agenda, is inspired by some political incentive or is in any manner whatsoever tainted by politics or some other irrelevant consideration’.

Nandlall said that a review of the US indictment against the Mohamed would show that their alleged crimes covered two different Guyana Governments and two different US Governments also.

‘You would quickly realize that they (indictment) spans a period that goes back to 2017 and what that means is that this process commenced long before long the PPP government got into office. In fact it spans two governments of Guyana and two governments of the United States.

‘The charges as set out in the indictment is between 2017 and 2024 and for most of that period, by their own pronouncements, the Mohameds were close to the PPP. How is it now that the PPP has some narrative and the PPP is somehow involved in some process that can be described as political persecution.

‘One has to be delusional to entertain that type of thinking that the conceive that the PPP has the ability to influence the mighty Department of Justice of the United States of America and their accompanying law enforcement agencies of the US to carry out political agendas of the PPP, to think that the PPP is able to persuade those mighty organisations to carry out its political agenda, that must be the product of a special mind,’ the Attorney General said.

He described Mohamed’s ‘political persecution’ claim as outrageous, saying ‘once that (US) request is made, a process which is outlined both in the Fugitive Offenders Act is triggered, and a series of legal steps have to be followed, all of which are outlined in the legislation.

‘Guyana has made it very clear that it is ready, willing, and most able to diligently discharge its legal duties and obligations under the current extradition framework that exists with the USA in relation to this matter, and we remain committed to that course.’

An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.0 rattled several Caribbean countries on Wednesday, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The Trinidad-based Seismic Research Centre (SRC) of the St. Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) said that the quake, which occurred at 5.07 am (local time) was at a depth of eight kilometers (km).

It said that the quake was felt 206 km east north east of Point-à-Pitre, the capital of the French country of Guadeloupe, 233 km east of Saint John’s in Antigua and Barbuda and 246 km north east of Roseau, the Dominica capital.

The following is the CANANews and SPORTS Schedule for Wednesday, October 8, 2025.

BELMOPAN – Belizeans residing on the island of Caye Caulker are on Wednesday voting to decide whether marijuana should be legalised for production and sale three years after the process had been shelved.

PARAMARIBO – Suriname is seeking to become the first country in the world to issue Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs), a new mechanism within the Paris Climate Agreement, similar to carbon credits and is looking to the German-based Deutsche Bank for assistance.

PORT OF SPAIN – Prime Minister Kamla Persad says she remains confident that the courts will ‘deliver a just result’ with respect to her Housing Minister, Dr. David Lee, who along with a businessman, had been taken into custody by police on Tuesday.

GEORGETOWN – The Guyana government has signalled its preparedness to extradite the leader of the recently formed We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, Azruddin Mohamed, and his father, Nazar ‘Shell’ Mohamed, who are wanted in the United States on several fraud related charges.

KINGSTON – Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton says he welcomes the conclusion of a report by the Integrity Commission(IC) even as he expressed ‘regret’ at ‘any hurt or reputational damage that may have resulted from the prolonged public scrutiny.

SPORTS:

NEW DELHI – West Indies head coach Daren Sammy is looking forward to a much-improved showing from his side when they take on India in the second and final Test match here on Friday.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad says she remains confident that the courts will ‘deliver a just result’ with respect to her Housing Minister, Dr. David Lee, who along with a businessman, had been taken into custody by police on Tuesday.

‘We have respect for the courts of the land. Minister Lee was acquitted of these allegations before. Now that the charges have been relaid we have confidence in the courts to deliver a just result,’ she said in a brief statement.

On Tuesday, the police said that judicial warrants had been issued for the ‘apprehension’ of Lee and businessman Hugh Leong Poi.

The statement gave no details why the warrants were issued , but added that ‘in accordance with the legal mandate and without delay, both individuals were taken into custody by officers of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, and are presently undergoing standard processing procedures.

‘The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service remains committed to upholding the rule of law and executing all judicial instructions with integrity, impartiality, and procedural rigour,’ the statement said.

Opposition Leader, Pennelope Beckles, has called on Prime Minister Persad Bissessar to immediately inform the country whether Lee will continue to serve as a minister of Government while facing criminal charges.

‘The PNM is calling on the Prime Minister to act in accordance with established protocols, in the face of the issuance of an arrest warrant for Dr Lee. Public trust and confidence in the integrity of the Cabinet must be protected. Leadership demands accountability,’ the party said in a release signed by Beckles.

‘Due process and respect for the rule of law are cornerstones of our democracy, and every citizen is entitled to a fair trial before the courts. However, public confidence in the integrity of the Cabinet and the governance of Trinidad and Tobago must also be protected,’ said Beckles, who is also an attorney.

She recalled that when former attorney general Anand Ramlogan SC and former national security minister Jack Warner were both arrested while serving in previous Persad Bissessar-led governments, they were immediately removed from office.

Prior to the April 28 general election, Lee was cleared of fraud charges related to tax exemptions on his vehicle as a parliamentarian.

Acting Chief Magistrate Christine Charles dismissed the charges of conspiracy to defraud and misbehaviour in public office after upholding a no-case submission presented by Lee’s legal team, led by Wayne Sturge and Mario Merritt.

The magistrate ruled that the prosecution presented insufficient evidence to sustain the charges or proceed to trial. She also acquitted Leong Poi of Sport Outlet Limited, who faced a joint charge with Lee for conspiracy to defraud.

In September 2022, authorities accused the pair of conspiring to defraud the state of TT$1.4 million (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents) in tax revenue related to the importation of a Mercedes Benz G63 AMG, valued at over two million dollars.

The charges involved TT$293,094.02 in Value Added Tax (VAT), TT$298,650 in motor vehicle tax, and TT$824,548.62 in customs duty.

Prosecutors had alleged that Lee falsely claimed ownership of the vehicle to benefit from tax exemptions granted to MPs. The alleged offences occurred between 24 March and 8 June 2019.

Meanwhile, Lee remained under the care of medical professionals at the Port of Spain General Hospital on Tuesday night after complaining of feeling unwell following his arrest.

The Trinidad Express newspaper reported Wednesday that shortly after his arrest, Lee complained of feeling unwell and was taken to the Port of Spain General Hospital, after he had what may have been a panic attack.

Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell Wednesday urged the international community to support the Caribbean’s efforts to advance sargassum valorisation as he called for scalable and sustainable responses to the sargassum crisis affecting the Caribbean region.

Addressing the third European Union-Caribbean Global Gateway Conference on Sargassum here, Mitchell said that the ‘time has come to move from research to results,.

Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell speaking at the the third European Union-Caribbean Global Gateway Conference on Sargassum

‘Our islands cannot wait for another wave of sargassum to tell us what we already know that we must turn this challenge into an engine for sustainable growth, job creation, and environmental renewal,’ he told the delegates to the conference convened within the framework of the Global Gateway Forum.

The event has brought together high-level decision-makers, industry leaders, academics, and financial institutions from across the Caribbean, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Europe. The aim is to accelerate the shift from pilot projects to scalable, sustainable, and commercially viable solutions to the region’s growing sargassum challenge.

Prime Minister Mitchell told the conference that Grenada is committed to transforming what has long been perceived as an environmental burden into a catalyst for resilience, innovation, and green economic growth.

But as he emphasised the urgency of collaborative, action-oriented partnerships, Prime Minister Mitchell called on the international community to support the Caribbean’s efforts to advance sargassum valorisation through three strategic measures.

He said these were immediate technical assistance to establish robust monitoring systems, enhance laboratory testing capabilities, and deploy modular pilot units capable of demonstrating commercially viable value streams within the next six to 12 months.

In addition, the Grenadian prime minister called for what he described as blended finance and grant support to de-risk early-stage investments and empower community-based enterprises through targeted incubation programs and workforce development initiatives.

He is also urging market and policy support to stimulate sustained demand via public procurement, facilitate regional trade access, and support the development of standards and certification mechanisms essential for market integration.

The conference here is organized under the auspices of the EU-LAC Global Gateway Investment Agenda (GGIA) and represents a significant milestone in fostering tangible cooperation between the European Union, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

It also serves as a strategic steppingstone toward shaping actionable outcomes in the lead-up to the EU-CELAC Summit 2025.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has launched new guidelines designed to support health workers and other professionals in identifying and responding to vaccine misinformation,, which it describes as a growing phenomenon that threatens to undermine confidence in immunization and jeopardize public health progress across the region.

The guides provide practical tools for key audiences, including health workers, national immunization program managers, health communicators, journalists, educators, and content creators, to strengthen their capacity to recognize and counter false or misleading messages about vaccines.

‘Studies have shown that exposure to vaccine misinformation, even for a short period of time, can negatively influence people’s perceptions and their decision to get vaccinated,’ said Daniel Salas, Executive Manager of the Special Programme for Comprehensive Immunization al PAHO.

‘Even individuals who have been vaccinated in the past can be negatively influenced by misinformation.’

The documents outline common strategies used to spread false information, such as using data without scientific evidence, appealing to strong emotions, promoting conspiracy theories, discrediting experts or institutions, and selectively using true information to make false claims appear legitimate.

They also offer guidance on identifying red flags in misleading materials, including frequent spelling or grammatical errors, sensationalist headlines, and the excessive use of capital letters or exclamation marks.

PAHO said given the vital role that health workers play as the most trusted source of information on immunization, the materials include recommendations on how to respond with empathy and transparency to patients who express doubts or fears due to misinformation. PAHO said it has also developed tailored guidance for journalists, offering suggestions on how to provide balanced, evidence-based coverage of vaccination while avoiding the inadvertent spread of anti-science narratives.

For educators, the guides propose classroom activities to help strengthen students’ media, digital, and health literacy, encouraging them to critically assess the information they encounter on social media and other platforms.

The guidelines emphasize that combating misinformation must go hand-in-hand with broader efforts to build trust and increase vaccination coverage.

‘Human behavior is complex, and while addressing misinformation is essential, it’s not a silver bullet,’ Salas said.

‘In areas with low coverage, we encourage countries to apply tools such as microplanning and the guidance on social and behavioral drivers of vaccination to gain a deeper understanding of community perceptions, social norms, and potential logistical barriers.’

PAHO said that through the publication of these new guides, it aims to support countries of the Americas, including the Caribbean in strengthening vaccine confidence, reinforcing national immunization programs, and sustaining the region’s long-standing leadership in vaccination, one of the greatest public health achievements in the Americas.