Category: CANA News

West Indies rising star Ackeem Auguste has signed with MI Emirates for the upcoming season of the DP World International League T20.

Auguste, who will join fellow West Indians Romario Shepherd and Andre Fletcher on the squad, is expected to strengthen MI Emirates’ batting lineup with his elegant stroke play during the tournament, which runs from December 2, 2025, to January 4, 2026.

The 22-year-old left-handed batsman was part of the West Indies team that played Nepal in a three-match T20I series recently, scoring an unbeaten 41 in the third match which the Windies won by 10 wickets.

Auguste, a Saint Lucian, earned the callup after a solid showing for the Saint Lucia Kings in the recently concluded Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League, where he averaged 25.44.

He follows in the footsteps of fellow Saint Lucian McKenny Clarke, who was signed by the MI Emirates franchise in 2022.

Antigua and Barbuda and Sri Lanka have officially established diplomatic relations, following the signing of an agreement on Friday in Washington, D.C.

The agreement was signed by Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders, and Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the United States, Mahinda Samarasinghe, on behalf of their respective governments.

‘The establishment of diplomatic ties between Antigua and Barbuda and Sri Lanka will enhance the existing friendly relations and cooperation in the political, socio-economic and cultural spheres for the mutual benefit of the two countries,’ said a joint statement from the ministries of the two countries.

The agreement comes as Antigua and Barbuda prepares to host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in 2026. Sri Lanka previously hosted the summit in 2013.

‘Antigua and Barbuda and Sri Lanka can work together to ensure the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting is a success for the Organisation and all member states,’ Ambassador Sanders said.

He said that before CHOGM in Antigua and Barbuda, Prime Minister Gaston Browne was ‘working toward establishing diplomatic relations and visa waiver agreements with as many Commonwealth countries with which such arrangements do not already exist’.

Ravendra Jadeja followed up his unbeaten century with a four-wicket haul as West Indies’ batting capitulated once again to gift India a dominant victory by an innings and 140 runs inside three days in the opening Test here on Saturday.

The all-rounder ended on 104 not out after India declared their innings overnight on 448 for five, leaving the visitors with the mammoth task of having to score 287 runs to make them bat again.

However, Jadeja, who was named Player-of-the-Match, returned to bamboozle the top order with his left-arm spin and help bowl out the West Indies for 146 before tea on the third day and give the home side a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

It was yet another disappointing batting performance by the Windies, and marked the fourth consecutive Test match that they were beaten inside three days, dating back to the three-match Test series against Australia in July.

Left with the unenviable task of having to bat three days to save the match, openers John Campbell and Tagenarine Chanderpaul would have been hoping for lengthy stays at the crease following their failures in the first innings.

But pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj made their short stays at the crease uncomfortable, especially Chanderpaul, who was lucky not to have been dismissed on at least two occasions.

India didn’t have to wait long for the breakthrough though, with Nitish Kumar Reddy pulling off a spectacular catch diving to his left to get rid of Chanderpaul for eight after he skied his pull shot off Siraj to square leg.

Following a similar script from the first innings, Campbell was dismissed soon after when he guided a delivery from Jadeja straight into the hands of Sai Sudharsan at short leg to be out for 14, as West Indies slipped to 24 for two.

Brandon King made just five before his outside edge off Jadeja was snapped up at slip by KL Rahul and the match was all but over when skipper Roston Chase was bewildered by a ball from spinner Kuldeep Yadav that spun past his bat to hit the top of off stump and leave the visitors in tatters at 35 for four.

Sha Hope faced 14 balls for his solitary run before he tried to cut a short delivery from Jadeja and was caught by Yashasvi Jaiswal at short third man to hasten West Indies’ demise at 46 for five.

The pair of Alick Athanaze and Justin Greaves carried their side to lunch without any further losses at 66 for five, but the writing was already on the wall.

They shared a 46-run partnership, the best of the innings, to give West Indies faint hope of possibly pushing the match into a fourth day.

But 12 runs away from a well-deserved half century, Athanaze tried to turn off spinner Washington Sundar into the leg side, but the ball found the leading edge and popped into the air for the bowler to take the simplest of catches.

The Windies then lost the wickets of Greaves for 25 and Jomel Warrican for a duck, in the space of two balls to slump to 98 for eight.

It took the efforts of last man Jayden Seales, who scored a counterattacking 22 off 12 balls, Johann Layne, who scored 14 and Khary Pierre, who ended unbeaten on 13, to get the West Indies up to their eventual total.

The match came to an end when Yadav had Seales caught and bowled, to give India captain Shubman Gill his first Test victory on home soil.

Jadeja ended with figures of 4-54, Siraj took 3-31 and Yadav 2-23.

The second Test match bowls off at Delhi on Friday.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Akeem Stewart continued his impressive showing at the World Para Athletics Championships by capturing silver in the men’s F44 discus here on Friday.

Competing at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Stewart produced a season’s best throw of 59.64 to finish behind eventual winner, Andres F Mosquera Neira of Colombia, who won gold with a personal best effort of 60.26 metres.

Former Paralympic gold medallist, Dan Greaves of Great Britain was third in 52.42 metres.

The F44 classification is for field athletes, who demonstrate normal functionality with their throwing arm but have lower limb impairments.

During the 2017 edition of the championships, Stewart broke world records in the men’s F44 javelin with a golden effort of 57.32 and in the F44 shot put with a throw measured at 14.08 metres.

Sixteen-year-old Jolé St. John, Tobago’s Junior Secretary of Tourism, has been crowned winner of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s (CTO) 21st Regional Tourism Youth Congress, held Thursday at Hilton Barbados Resort.

Part of the State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC), the Congress saw St. John impress judges and delegates with innovative ideas on sustainable tourism, digital transformation and heritage experiences. Her performance earned her the title of Regional Junior Minister of Tourism until the 2026 Congress.

The event brought together 15 students, aged 14-17, from across the Caribbean, each serving as a Junior Minister/Commissioner of Tourism. Participants delivered prepared presentations on key topics reshaping the industry, including the shift from the traditional three S’s of Caribbean tourism (sea, sun, sand) to the new three S’s (smart technology, sustainable practices, social inclusion).

They also tackled mystery questions designed to spark imagination and problem-solving – from how to position their destinations in new and creative ways to how tourism products can evolve to remain fresh and impactful. Their responses showcased both quick thinking and genuine passion for the sector.

Second place went to Caleader Lewison, Junior Minister of Tourism for Jamaica, who will serve as CTO’s Junior Secretary-General of Tourism. Third place was awarded to Aylani Morris Seymour, Junior Minister of Tourism for the Cayman Islands. In addition, Isaiah Toney, Junior Minister of Tourism for St. Vincent and the Grenadines, received an honorary mention for outstanding qualities beyond the standard scoring.

The Congress, chaired by last year’s winner Keyana Warner of Nevis, featured a judging panel of tourism leaders: Rosetta West-Gerald, CEO of the Montserrat Tourism Authority; Paul Pennicook, Interim CEO of Experience Turks and Caicos; and Chief Judge Charlene Drakes, Manager of Stakeholder Engagements, Caribbean Region for Carnival Corporation and plc.

In the lead-up to the competition, participants joined enrichment activities including a masterclass on AR/VR in tourism led by Ed and Claudia Limon and Scott Bowie of Winged Whale Media; a career readiness workshop on personal branding and leadership with Davina Layne of Your Corporate Image; and a field trip by Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI) to highlight sustainable initiatives such as the Oceana Innovation Hub and Barbados’ cultural history.

Ian Gooding-Edghill, Chairman of the CTO Council of Ministers and Commissioners and Barbados’ Minister of Tourism and International Transport, praised the delegates: ‘What I saw in each and every one of you is not only dedication, commitment, but I saw passion, real passion . you certainly were not shy and you delivered with grace.’

Event emcee Sharon Banfield-Bovell, CTO’s Director of Resource Mobilisation and Development, underscored the significance of the forum: ‘Our Congress is more than a friendly competition . it is a launchpad propelling the next wave of tourism visionaries, advocates and innovators who will guide the future of this vital industry for the Caribbean.’

The 2025 Congress featured students from 15 CTO member countries and territories: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Tobago.

India declared on their overnight score of 448 for five, an overall lead of 286 runs against West Indies, at the start of play on the third day of the first Test here at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday.

Scores

WEST INDIES 162.

INDIA 448-5 in 128 overs (Dhruv Jurel 125, Ravindra Jadeja 104 not out, KL Rahul 100, Shubman Gill 50, Yashasvi Jaiswal 36; Roston Chase 2-90).

Scoreboard of the third day of the first Test between India and West Indies here at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday.

WEST INDIES 1st innings 162

INDIA 1st innings 448 for five dec’d

WEST INDIES 2nd innings

John Campbell c Sadharsan b Jadeja 14

Tagenarine Chanderpaul c Reddy b Siraj 8

Alick Atahanze c and b Sundar 38

Brandon King c Rahul b Jadeja 5

*Roston Chase b Yadav 1

+Shai Hope c Jaiswal b Jadeja 1

Justin Greaves lbw b Siraj 25

Khary Pierre not out 13

Jomel Warrican c Gill b Siraj 0

Johann Layne c Siraj b Jadeja 14

Jayden Seales c and b Yadav 22

Extras (b4, nb1) 5

TOTAL (all out; 45.1 overs) 146

Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-24, 3-34, 4-35, 5-46, 6-92, 7-98, 8-98, 9-122, 10-146.

Bowling: Bumrah 6-1-16-0, Siraj 11-2-31-3, Jadeja 13-3-54-4, Yadav 8.1-3-23-2, Sundar 7-1-18-1.

Toss: West Indies elected to bat after winning the toss.

Result: India defeat West Indies by an innings and 140 runs to lead the two-match series 1-0.

Player-of-the-Match: Ravindra Jadeja.

Umpires: Alex Wharf, Richard Illingworth.

TV Umpire: Paul Reiffel.

Reserve Umpire: Jayaraman Madanagopal.

Match Referee: Andy Pycroft.

The 121st Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED – Agriculture) has been hailed a success, with regional leaders agreeing to three landmark measures designed to transform intra-regional trade and strengthen food security across the Caribbean.

Chairman of the meeting, Barbados’ Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Indar Weir, said the decisions taken would empower farmers, agribusinesses, and regional supply chains.

Among the agreements reached were: a pre-clearance mechanism for goods, aimed at simplifying and harmonising customs processes to allow freer movement of goods within CARICOM; a regional risk analysis framework, ensuring clarity, transparency, and consistency in how agricultural risk assessments are conducted, reducing barriers to trade; and an e-agriculture strategy, enabling electronic sharing of market information and the online marketing of agricultural goods, creating more efficient regional markets.

India dismissed West Indies for 146 in their second innings to win by an innings and 140 runs on the third day of the first Test here at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday.

Scores

WEST INDIES 162 and 146 in 45.1 overs (Alick Athanaze 38, Justin Greaves 25, Jayden Seales 22, Johann Layne 14, John Campbell 14, Khary Pierre 13 not out; Ravindra Jadeja 4-54, Mohammed Siraj 3-31, Kuldeep Yadav 2-23).

INDIA 448-5 dec’d in 128 overs (Dhruv Jurel 125, Ravindra Jadeja 104 not out, KL Rahul 100, Shubman Gill 50, Yashasvi Jaiswal 36; Roston Chase 2-90).

West Indies trail India by 220 runs after reaching 66 for five at lunch on the third day of the first Test here at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday.

Scores

WEST INDIES 162 and 66-5 in 27 overs (Alick Athanaze 27 not out, John Campbell 14; Ravindra Jadeja 3-20).

INDIA 448-5 dec’d in 128 overs (Dhruv Jurel 125, Ravindra Jadeja 104 not out, KL Rahul 100, Shubman Gill 50, Yashasvi Jaiswal 36; Roston Chase 2-90).