Category: CANA News

The St. Kitts and Nevis government has welcomed the decision by the St. Vincent and the Grenadines based Lynch Caribbean Brokers Ltd. To include the twin island Federation in the Regional Economical Agri-Insurance Programme (REAP).

The insurance programme was announced during the recently concluded 19th Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA 2025), held here and Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister, Samal Duggins, said that the insurance programme should be viewed as a vital pillar for national resilience and regional innovation.

Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister, Samal Duggins, (right) and Lynch Caribbean Brokers managing director, Damian Bowen (left) explaining the REAP project.

‘Agriculture and fisheries remain at the heart of our nation’s food security, livelihoods, and economic resilience. Yet, farmers and fishers are increasingly vulnerable to risks beyond their control-climate change, unpredictable weather patterns, natural disasters, pests, and market volatility’ he added.

Under the REAP project, local farmers and fishers are expected to benefit from regional insurance programme aimed at reducing vulnerability to natural disasters, market volatility, and the growing impacts of climate change.

REAP, developed by Lynch Caribbean Brokers Ltd. of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, will soon be launched here in partnership with the government through the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources.

The initiative is a flexible multi-peril parametric insurance solution tailored specifically for the agriculture and fisheries sectors. Unlike traditional insurance models, which rely on individual loss assessments, REAP uses advanced index-based data and satellite monitoring to trigger payouts when pre-defined thresholds are met or surpassed.

Coverage spans crops, livestock, and fisheries, providing a comprehensive safety net for producers across the nation.

Under the programme, the St. Kitts and Nevis government will pay the premium on behalf of registered farmers and fishers. Constant remote monitoring of insured locations ensures rapid response and once a payout index is triggered, beneficiaries are notified within two to three weeks, and payments are calculated and distributed directly per policy.

St. Kitts and Nevis is among nine Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries that have signed onto the programme. St. Lucia officially signed on to the initiative and launched REAP in July 2025.

Lynch Caribbean Brokers managing director, Damian Bowen said that the programme’s design was shaped by extensive national consultation, adding that ‘REAP’s development was the result of careful collaboration with key stakeholders during the first quarter of 2025. ‘Together with experts from the Ministry of Agriculture and members of the farming and fishing communities, we created a model tailored to real needs rather than abstract assumptions.’

In a pre-rollout statement, Lynch Caribbean Brokers Ltd noted, ‘REAP is not a product on a shelf, it is an agri-insurance value chain in motion, designed in collaboration with experts from the Ministry of Agriculture and the farming and fishing communities. It integrates technology, local knowledge, and regional cooperation to create a transparent, practical, and sustainable solution for agricultural resilience.’

Beyond financial coverage, REAP is expected to introduce livelihood protection, a national enrolment campaign, public education seminars, and digital dashboards that improve transparency and data-driven decision-making across the sector.

Duggins said that the government is committed to strengthening resilience across the agriculture and fisheries sectors.

‘It is in this context that the Ministry strongly supports the establishment and expansion of insurance mechanisms tailored specifically for our farmers and fishers. These tools are not luxuries-they are necessities that provide a safety net, ensuring that the men and women who dedicate their lives to feeding our people can recover quickly after shocks and continue their work without being pushed into financial hardship’, he added.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) says health authorities in Haiti are turning deaths caused by rabies-infected dogs into a public health awakening with the support of the UN’s health agency in the region.

PAHO said that last July, in the remote locality of Butête, in southern Haiti, nine-year-old Jonas (not his real name) lost his life to rabies.

When a stray dog bit the boy on the leg, the wound seemed minor. Like many families living far from any health facilities, his mother was unaware that immediate care was critical.

Within a week, the child began to feel weak and refused to eat. By the time he reached the nearest hospital, he had started showing the unmistakable symptoms of the rabies virus, including excruciating muscle spasms and hydrophobia, the fear of water.

PAHO said that not long after, Jonas died surrounded by his family.

The UN health agency said that the child is the most recent victim of this deadly, but wholly preventable disease that has already claimed four lives this year in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country, which is dealing with a multitude of crises, including political, economic and political instability as well as acute poverty and lack of access to health services.

Data collected between 2022 and 2024 in Haiti shows the rabies virus continues to pose a serious threat to public health where more than 8,000 suspected cases in dogs were investigated.

PAHO said of these, over 1,100 cases were considered probable and 46 were confirmed in a laboratory.

It said that during the same period, there were 24 suspected human cases probably caused by a dog bite, with eight confirmed deaths and that as soon as Jonas was admitted to the hospital, the Ministry of Public Health’s National Surveillance Network was alerted.

Supported by PAHO, a part of the World Health Organization (WHO), this nationwide network of field staff and resources, including locally-based epidemiology assistants and ‘labo-moto) health workers who visit communities on motorbikes, swiftly swung into action.

A response team was deployed to Butête to confirm that no one else in the community had been exposed to rabies.

The boy’s family was closely monitored and received post exposure care. The team also inspected the area where the dog and her puppies had died.

The investigation recommended organising a dog vaccination campaign, strengthening surveillance, and improving access to human rabies vaccines for post-exposure treatment.

A response team was deployed to Butête to confirm that no one else in the community had been exposed to rabies.

PAHO said the boy’s family was closely monitored and received post exposure care. The team also inspected the area where the dog and her puppies had died.

The investigation recommended organising a dog vaccination campaign, strengthening surveillance, and improving access to human rabies vaccines for post-exposure treatment.

To curb the spread of rabies in Haiti, a canine vaccination campaign was launched in August with the goal of vaccinating around 140,000 dogs, including stray and community animals, while also raising public awareness on prevention.

Ahead of this, training was provided to four departmental coordinators, seventeen communal coordinators, and more than 480 veterinary auxiliary agents, who were later deployed in 240 teams across priority areas in the four departments of Artibonite, Centre, Nord-Est, and Nord-Ouest.

A key innovation was the use of a mobile app to register vaccinated dogs, allowing real-time data collection, coverage monitoring, and improved data quality.

‘By vaccinating dogs on a large scale, we directly protect human communities – especially children. It’s a simple but vital action that saves lives,’ said Dr. Oscar Barreneche, the PAHO/WHO representative in Haiti, adding ‘rabies is lethal, but 100 per cent preventable’.

Achieving an estimated 80 per cent vaccination coverage among the target dog population is expected to significantly reduce rabies virus circulation in dogs.

The campaign also aims to heighten awareness of rabies prevention and promote appropriate responses to bites from suspected rabid animals.

‘Despite the challenges and limitations posed by the security situation and the overall instability in the country, we consider this vaccination campaign a significant success,’ said Dr Haïm Joseph Corvil, Protection Unit Coordinator at Haiti’s Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development.

PAHO said rabies remains one of the world’s deadliest zoonotic diseases, infections which can be transmitted from animals to humans.

Globally, it causes an estimated 59,000 deaths annually, 40 per cent of which are children.

Across the Americas, a 98 per cent reduction in cases of human rabies transmitted by dogs has been achieved, dropping from 300 cases in 1983 to just 10 cases reported over the past year, according to PAHO.

The chief executive officer of the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), Laurette Adams Thomas, has described as a defining moment for children in Jamaica the proclamation signed by Governor-General, Sir Patrick Allen, designating October 7 as National Anti-Bullying Day.

‘This is more than just a symbolic day; it is a national call to action. Every act of bullying leaves scars-some visible, some invisible-that can last a lifetime. By dedicating a day each year to awareness and action, we are saying clearly and collectively that bullying has no place in our schools, in our communities, or in our society,’ Thomas said.

‘With the Governor-General’s proclamation, Jamaica now joins countries around the world that have enshrined national observances to combat bullying. This bold step reaffirms the nation’s collective responsibility to protect its children and signals to victims, perpetrators, and bystanders alike that bullying is unacceptable and must end,’ she added.

The CPFSA had made a formal request to the Head of State to sign the proclamation, a position that was endorsed by the Ministry of Education and Youth.

‘The proclamation is a milestone, but it is only the beginning. Through schools, parents, guidance counsellors, and community leaders, we will amplify the message across Jamaica that every child deserves to learn and grow in an environment free from fear. Together, we will build safer schools and stronger communities,’ said Minister of Education and Youth, Dr Dana Morris Dixon.

She said that since 2022 the Ministry has engaged counselling psychologists and psychotherapists to provide counselling and mental health support to students, parents, and school staff free of charge to augment the in-school counselling services.

The CPFSA said the initiative is being advanced by the National Anti-Bullying Technical Working Group, a multi-agency task force comprising the Ministry, CPFSA, UNICEF, the National Secondary Students’ Council, the Early Childhood Commission, the Planning Institute of Jamaica, the Ministry of Health and Wellness, and the Jamaica Constabulary Force.

In a statement it said that the move is part of efforts to address bullying as a matter of urgent national concern and that it signals Jamaica’s unified effort to tackle the pervasive issue in schools and communities while fostering kindness, empathy, and respect among citizens.

The CPFSA said that the National Anti-Bullying Day seeks to help reinforce Jamaica’s collective resolve to confront bullying in all its forms and to protect the dignity and well-being of children and young people.

It said together with the various stakeholders, they are working to create a coordinated and sustained national response to bullying, ensuring that planned interventions are both far-reaching and impactful, the agency noted.

The Education Ministry, through CPFSA, will begin leading a slate of anti-bullying activities across Jamaica that will continue throughout the academic year.

Schools will host assemblies, workshops for principals, deans of disciplines, and teachers, and other creative showcases to encourage empathy and positive peer relationships.

A national art and essay competition is also being planned to allow students to directly engage in the movement.

A national media campaign will also be undertaken to spread the anti-bully message across television, radio, and digital platforms, with a special focus on social media.

Immigration advocates in the United States have condemned a proposed new Trump administration policy that targets undocumented Caribbean and other immigrant children.

The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), an immigration advocacy organization that comprises over 200 immigrant groups in New York, said that the administration is ‘prepping a new enforcement operation targeted at unaccompanied children’.

NYIC president and chief executive officer, Murad Awawdeh, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that, ‘according to the leaked plans, children who are in court proceedings to prove their legal rights to stay in the US will be threatened with indefinite detention and immediate transfer to ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency) on their 18th birthday-unless they drop their cases.

‘For those with parents in the US, the letter threatens the parents with arrest as well,’ Awawdeh said, adding more than 50,000 unaccompanied children have been reunified with families in New York in the past 10 years.

‘The NYIC advises any child or other person who receives a threat letter to contact an immigration attorney immediately. Children fleeing violence and seeking safety deserve compassion, stability, and fairness-not cruelty.

‘Each and every one of us, regardless of age or circumstance, also deserves a fair chance to present our case in a court of law. Instead of protecting these rights, the federal government is creating new pathways to deny safety to those who are most vulnerable.’

Awawdeh said this policy pressures children to abandon their legal claims and return to a life of fear and danger without ever receiving a fair hearing and that the chaos built into this policy will devastate families and communities, and it is targeted to hurt children.

He called on the Trump administration to ‘reverse course on this policy, respect and uphold due process.’

Awawdeh also called on New York State elected representatives to protect all young people in the state, pass the Access to Representation Act to guarantee that every immigrant-regardless of age-has legal representation in immigration court, ‘ensuring due process, protecting families, and reaffirming our country’s commitment to justice and freedom for all.’

Late last week, Caribbean immigrant advocacy groups warned of the ‘grave impact’ of the federal government shutdown on Caribbean and other immigrants.

The San Diego, California-based Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) said it was ‘gravely concerned about the impact of the government shutdown on immigrant communities.

‘A shutdown of even a few days could delay asylum hearings, stall visa and work permit applications, and slow the already overwhelming immigration court backlog,’ HBA’s Founder and Executive Director Guerline Jozef told CMC.

Awawdeh said that court appearances for many Caribbean and other immigrants were rescheduled without notice. He said immigration courts across the country have responded to the shutdown ‘inconsistently, creating chaos in New York courthouses.

The following is the CANANews Schedule for Monday, October 6, 2025.

PORT OF SPAIN – Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar has quietly carried out a minor re-shuffle of her cabinet less than six months after winning the April 28 general elections in Trinidad and Tobago.

GEORGETOWN – Guyana on Sunday evening commissioned the Chinese funded US$262 million dollar Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge, with President Irfaan Ali saying it signals the dawn of a new era of transformation.

ST. JOHN’S – Prime Minister Gaston Browne has confirmed that the government has acquired a majority stake in Blue Ocean, the company involved in critical dredging projects at the Deep Water Harbour and Crabbes Harbour.

KINGSTON – A four-year-old infant school pupil was among five people shot and killed after gunmen opened fire on a group of people playing games at a yard in Linstead, south east of here on Sunday night.

BELMOPAN – The Belize government has confirmed that an unexploded and exploded ordnance (UXO) found last week in San Jose Nuevo Palmar Village, northwest of here is a ‘training bomb’ and that the general area was once used as a training ground, ‘and therefore, similar findings may occur’.

Financial struggles and inferior playing conditions in the Caribbean are contributing to the West Indies’ poor performances on the cricket pitch, says Test captain Roston Chase.

Chase made the comments following his side’s humiliating loss by an innings and 140 runs to India inside three days in the opening Test match on Saturday.

However, he maintained that he was not looking for an excuse for his side’s recent struggles after they slumped to their fifth Test defeat in six matches this year.

West Indies Test captain Roston Chase speaking at the post-match press conference following his side’s defeat to India in the opening Test.

It was also the fourth consecutive Test match that the West Indies had lost inside three days, dating back to the home series against Australia in July.

Speaking in a post-match press conference on Saturday, Chase said there was a need for improved infrastructure as well as better pitches and playing conditions.

‘.What I would say is that obviously there is a struggle in the Caribbean for finances, so whatever help we can get I hope that they do get it so that they can strengthen the infrastructure for the cricket.

‘I think the systems in the Caribbean are a bit poor in terms of training facilities and stuff, but I’m not using that as an excuse or something to hide behind for our poor performances that we’ve been putting out lately. I still think the onus is on the players to find some way to churn out runs and wickets,’ Chase said.

The skipper said playing conditions in the region made it difficult for them to be competitive on the international stage.

He said batters in particular found it challenging to score runs, as was evident in the series against Australia where not a single batsman scored a century.

‘.The pitches in the Caribbean are not really batsmen friendly, so guys don’t really bat for long periods and score those big scores.

‘And the outfields in the Caribbean are really slow so when you hit the ball in the gaps and you think you have four you probably end up with just two, so those are some of the problems that we’re faced with in the Caribbean, so that’s why you see guys averaging so low,’ Chase explained.

‘If you look at the past series that we had against Australia, I think that’s the first time I’ve ever played an international series and a batsman never scored a hundred in three matches.’

Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw found the back of the net once again as Manchester City got past Arsenal 3-2 in a thrilling contest to move up to second place in the Women’s Super League here on Saturday.

The Jamaican international gave her side the lead in the 35th minute when she nodded in Kerstin Casparij’s cross to score her fourth goal in five matches.

Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw scored her fourth goal of the season to help Manchester City defeat Arsenal

However, Mariona Caldentey curled in a fine effort from 20 yards a minute into the second half to bring Arsenal on level terms.

City retook the lead when Casparij and Shaw combined again, this time with the former bundling home from close range in the 61st minute to make it 2-1.

Chloe Kelly looked to have given Arsenal a share of the spoils when she bent in a fine strike from the edge of the area, via a slight deflection, with seven minutes left to spark wild celebrations.

But Iman Beney netted an 88th-minute winner after evading Lotte Wubben-Moy’s weak challenge before slotting in her debut WSL goal.

The following is a statement issued by Cricket West Indies (CWI) president, Dr Kishore Shallow on the passing of former West Indies cricketer, Bernard Julien.

Julien, a member of the West Indies’ 1975 World Cup winning team passed away on Sunday at Valsayn in north-west Trinidad at the age of 75.

‘The passing of Bernard Julien invites reflection on both the brilliance of his cricketing life and the complex times through which he lived. His career reminds us that the story of West Indies cricket is not only about triumphs on the field but about the choices and circumstances that shaped generations of players and the region itself.

‘Bernard Julien was one of the quiet legends of the 1975 World Cup, a tournament that fifty years ago brought this region joy like no other as the West Indies lifted the first men’s world title in the history of the game. His skill and composure were central to that victory. He took 4 for 20 against Sri Lanka, 4 for 27 against New Zealand, and 2 for 38 in the final at Lord’s, along with a vital 26 not out that helped seal the championship. In all, Bernard played 24 Test matches for the West Indies, scoring 866 runs at an average of 30.92 and taking 50 wickets at 37.36. In One Day Internationals, he claimed 18 wickets at 25.72. As a left arm swing bowler, his delivery was smooth and rhythmic, capable of moving the ball both ways. With the bat, he combined balance and control with understated confidence. He was admired for his calm temperament and thoughtful approach to the game, a player who brought intelligence and integrity to every performance.

‘His international career came to an end following his participation in the 1982-83 and 1983-84 tours to South Africa, during a period when the world of sport was sharply divided by the moral and political challenges of apartheid. Those decisions reflected the difficult realities of that era and the pressures faced by players navigating competing demands of opportunity, conscience, and circumstance.

‘As we honour Bernard Julien, we also recognise the importance of reflection and inclusion. The time has come to view that chapter of our history not through exclusion but through understanding. Cricket West Indies believes that all who have contributed to our regional game, in whatever context, are part of our shared story. Therefore, the day will be deeply significant when CARICOM, with grace, undertakes a regional act of acknowledgement and pardon, embracing both the living and the departed, as a quiet but profound tribute to the full journey of West Indies cricket.

‘To the family, friends, and loved ones of Bernard Julien, we extend our deepest condolences. His passing reminds us that a life devoted to purpose never truly leaves us. Cricket West Indies stands with you in this moment of loss, and we hope Bernard knew he was valued and loved by the cricketing family he helped to shape, and that he found peace knowing his contribution will always endure.’

May he rest in peace.

Bernard Julien, the outstanding all-rounder and member of the West Indies team which won the 1975 Men’s Cricket World Cup, passed away on Saturday night in Trinidad.

A family member confirmed that he died at Valsayn in north-west Trinidad at the age of 75.

Sir Clive Lloyd, the legendary West Indies captain, hailed Julien as a vital member of the 1975 team which won the inaugural World Cup.

‘He always gave you ‘over 100 percent’. He never shirked his duties, and I could always rely on him with bat and ball. He gave his all every time . what a fine cricketer,’ Lloyd said on Sunday.

Bernard Julien

‘We all had total respect for him. He enjoyed himself and was loved by everyone around. I remember we won the Test match at Lords and stood there and signed autographs for a long time, He was good for us and was held in high regard everywhere we went.’

A left-arm seam bowler and classy right-handed batsman, Julien made his first-class debut at age 18 and his Test debut for West Indies at age 23 on the 1973 tour of England.

During that series he made an immediate impression with a century at Lords, a superb 121 off 127 balls. He added a record partnership with Garfield Sobers who made 150 not out.

During the famous 1975 World Cup in England, Julien claimed 4-20 in a Man-of-the-Match performance against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford and then 4-27 against New Zealand in the semi-finals at the Oval as West Indies reached the final against Australia.

He went wicket-less in the final but scored a crucial 26 not out as West Indies won by 17 runs.

Andris Pukke has been sentenced to eight years in prison by US District Judge J. Paul Oetken for leading a years-long real estate scam in Belize in which hundreds of victims-many of whom were retirees-were defrauded of about US$77 million.

‘Hundreds of hard-working Americans-many of them retirees-lost their savings to this brazen fraud,’ United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton said. ‘Andris Pukke thought he could hide behind foreign land deals and false names, but he was wrong.

‘This sentence removes a bad actor and serves as a warning to other would-be fraudsters.’

Andris Pukke

As alleged in the indictment and statements made in public filings and public court proceedings, Pukke, also known as Marc Romeo and Andy Storm, directed and controlled Sanctuary Belize, which was a vacation and retirement community under development in Belize.

Clayton said Pukke, 56, of Newport Beach, California, fraudulently induced hundreds of victims to invest more than US $100 million in lots in Sanctuary Belize.

He said victims purchased lots with the understanding that they would obtain lots in a built-out community that they could use to build retirement homes, vacation homes, or investment properties.

‘The victims were induced to invest by Pukke and his salespeople, and a large majority of the victims were never in fact able to build the homes in Sanctuary Belize that they’d hoped for,’ Clayton said.

Pukke has prior convictions for mail fraud and obstruction of justice and has a prior US$172 million judgment against him from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in connection with a prior deceptive company he controlled, AmeriDebt.

‘Knowing that victims would not want to invest in Sanctuary Belize if they were aware of the criminal background of the man who controlled Sanctuary Belize, Pukke directed his salespeople to lie and say that he was not involved in Sanctuary Belize,’ said Clayton, stating that Pukke used the aliases Marc Romeo and Andy Storm to conceal his involvement and control of Sanctuary Belize.

He also directed his salespeople to tell victims that Sanctuary Belize had no debt and that every dollar from victims would go to develop the property.

In fact, Clayton said Sanctuary Belize had more than US$12 million in debt, and that Pukke ‘stole nearly US$10 million from Sanctuary Belize for, among other things, the purchase and renovation of a waterfront home, the repayment of a personal loan, personal investments in startup companies, child support payments, purchase of land in the Bahamas, and payments to family and friends.

While under investigation by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, Pukke unsuccessfully attempted to induce another individual to create a sham document that he hoped to show prosecutors and the investigating grand jury in an effort to corruptly avoid prosecution.

Pukke was convicted of wire fraud and obstruction of justice on July 10, 2024.

In connection with his sentencing, victims sent nearly 200 letters to the court describing the harm caused to them, including, in some cases, the loss of their retirement savings.

In addition to the prison term, Pukke was sentenced to three years of supervised release.

Pukke was also ordered to forfeit US$9,912,396 and was previously ordered in litigation with the FTC to pay restitution to victims of Sanctuary Belize in the amount of US$120.2 million.