Category: CANA News

West Indies beat New Zealand by two wickets in the fifth One Day International at Kensington Oval here on Tuesday.

SCORES:

NEW ZEALAND 268-9 in 50 overs (Tom Latham 69, Nick Kelly 64, Will Young 56; Alzarri Joseph 2-38, Vitel Lawes 2-63).

WEST INDIES 269-8 in 47.3 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 69 not out, Sherfane Rutherford 61, Ackeem Auguste 34; Jayden Lennox 3-35, Jacob Duffy 3-67)

A 39-year-old man has been charged with murdering the key witness in his upcoming armed robbery trial with the prosecution also alleging that Adnan Oliver breached the conditions of his bail by failing to report to a police station 81 times between January 3 and July 8, 2026.

Oliver is accused of killing James McPhee, 59, on July 12, before he could testify against him in a trial that’s scheduled to begin on August 10. The trial is expected to continue with McPhee’s witness statement being admitted into evidence.

Oliver had been accused of robbing McPhee at gunpoint of his Rolex watch in 2019.

He also faces charges of attempted murder, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of ammunition stemming from a shoot-out with police.

Two off-duty officers, Chief Superintendent Harris Cash and Superintendent Elvis Miller, allegedly exchanged gunfire with Oliver as they pursued him after allegedly seeing him roll over McPhee with his car.

Oliver was shot and arrested and the officers allegedly recovered a 9mm pistol and five rounds of ammunition.

Oliver was not required to enter pleas to those charges and was denied bail. Although he is accused of killing a witness, he was not charged under the section that would make him eligible for the death penalty.

The matter was adjourned to October 30 for the presentation of a voluntary bill of indictment that will fast-track the case to the Supreme Court.

Oliver pleaded guilty to violation of bail, but Magistrate Abigail Farrington did not accept his plea because his explanation amounted to a defense.

He will be tried for that matter on August 11.

The international community has overwhelmingly agreed that holding elections is the next major step in Haiti’s political transition as the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country look towards a stable and secure future.

The representatives of the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom have all urged support for Haiti’s move towards holding elections. The country has not had an elected president since 2021.

President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in July that year and since then it’s just been too dangerous for Haitians to vote. But despite the insecurity, preparations for long-delayed elections are moving ahead, with officials hoping voting can begin before the end of 2026.

Speaking at the United Nations Security Council on Monday, Russia’s Deputy Permanent Representative Anna Evstigneeva, supported calls for elections in the CARICOM country.

‘Haiti should decide its future independently, without nefarious external interference, which is what caused many of the country’s problems in the first place,’ she said, adding that insecurity must not become an excuse for further delays.

Ambassador Archibald Young of the United Kingdom in welcoming the recent progress on Haiti’s electoral timetable encouraged ‘continued momentum towards holding credible elections, which are vital for Haiti’s transition,’ while his French counterpart, Jay Dharmadhikari stressed the urgency of bringing the political transition to a successful conclusion once a minimum level of security has been restored and key national roads reopened.

‘Only the restoration of the country’s democratic institutions, through the holding of elections, will allow the laying of the foundations for renewed governance,’ he said.

For his part, the United States Ambassador Mike Waltz said Washington has played a leading diplomatic and financial role in establishing the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) which is expected to play a key role in ensuring the security of the country ahead of the polls.

The GSF is a 5,550-strong, UN-backed multinational security mission authorised under UN Security Council Resolution 2793 to neutralise armed groups controlling parts of Port-au-Prince. It operates in coordination with the Haitian National Police to secure critical infrastructure and protect civilians.

It was formed to replace the underfunded, smaller Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission. It is empowered not only to support local police but to conduct intelligence-led arrest operations.

Waltz in his address to the UN Security Council highlighted the severe humanitarian consequences of gang violence, including the recruitment of children, kidnappings for ransom and restrictions on civilians’ freedom of movement.

He said impoverished families were being forced to sell their few remaining possessions to secure the release of abducted relatives, while others had to pay gang-imposed tolls simply to leave their homes or travel along key roads.

‘The Haitian people deserve streets free of gangs, institutions free of intimidation, and a government chosen by them,’ he said.

Haiti’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Raina Forbin, said her country Haiti needs ‘free, credible, inclusive and above all participatory elections’ as she urged the international community not to abandon the country in its time of need.

Forbin said that elections which restore trust, strengthen democratic legitimacy as well as pave the way to lasting peace and stability must be encouraged.

‘This is what 12 million men, women and children in Haiti are hoping for. Today, seven of Haiti’s 10 departments are ready for electoral activities without any major security impediments.’

The Dominican Republic Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez urged the international community to accelerate the deployment of the GSF as well as to strengthen sanctions against countries and organisations that finance criminals operating in the country.

Álvarez warned that simply extending the GSF’s mandate approved last September, would not be enough to guarantee the success of security operations in Haiti, noting that of the 5,550 troops authorised to comprise the international force, barely more than 1,000 have been deployed.

‘We have committed troops, the necessary resources to support them, and an operational command structure. The main obstacle to its deployment remains logistical,’ Alvarez said, noting that the limited availability of strategic air transport has delayed the arrival of personnel and equipment.

In this regard, he called on countries with military transport capabilities to collaborate with the mission.

‘A purely logistical problem should not hinder the international community’s protection of an entire people,’ he said, urging member states to more firmly implement the sanctions stipulated in Security Council resolution 2653 against individuals and organizations that finance and support armed groups.

‘We must fully utilize this instrument to identify and punish those who support and enable the operation of these criminal organizations,’ Álvarez said, reiterating that restoring security is an essential condition for holding elections in Haiti.

‘Elections do not guarantee security. But security will make elections possible,’ he told the Security Council members.

Meanwhile, Vanessa Frazier, the United Nations Secretary-General’s representative for children and armed conflict, told the Council that Haiti’s children are being ‘targeted, exploited and instrumentalized’ by armed groups.

In 2025, the UN verified 2,088 grave violations against 1,661 children, including recruitment, killing, maiming, abduction and sexual violence. Estimates suggest children may constitute more than half of gang members.

Frazier said that children associated with gangs must be treated primarily as victims and protected in accordance with international standards.

A multi-million dollar initiative designed to close the institutional and technical capacity gaps that are slowing the Caribbean’s energy transition is to be launched here on Wednesday.

The Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE) say they will launch the Accelerated Sustainable Energy and Resilience Transition 2030 (ASERT 2030) Regional Capacity Strengthening Asertive (RCSA) programme, valued at approximately US$5.29 million, comprising US$4.4 million from the CDB and US$893,397 from the CCREEE. The two regional organisations say the programme comes at a time when renewable energy accounts for only 12 per cent of the Caribbean energy mix and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets are slipping further out of reach.

‘It will strengthen energy information and decision-support systems, advance resource and resilience planning to guide climate-resilient investments, promote gender equality, as well as support regional coordination and knowledge sharing. ‘

CDB said it will provide technical guidance through its ASERT 2030 Framework, while CCREEE will lead the implementation, drawing on its regional mandate and stewardship of platforms including the CARICOM Energy Knowledge Hub, Energy Report Cards and the Women in Renewable Energy (WIRE) Fellowship programme.

Canada’s High Commissioner to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Brenda Wills, as well as Tom Coward, Development Director for the Caribbean, United Kingdom, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and David Mogollon, Head of Cooperation for the European Union (EU) Delegation to Barbados, Eastern Caribbean States, the OECS, CARICOM and CARIFORUM, will address the launch.

The death toll from last Saturday’s boating incident has risen to 41 and eight others were rescued as the search continues along the Essequibo Coast, the Guyana government said in a statement on Tuesday.

It said that 14 bodies were recovered and that 77 persons have been rescued as of 2.00 pm (local time) as the search and rescue operation continues with 16 vessels deployed within the wreckage area.

President Irfaan Ali Irfaan Ali Tuesday said proclaimed three days of National Mourning beginning on July 22.

The government estimates that 179 persons, including 18 crew members, were aboard the 87-year old boat when it went down almost 10 miles from the Essequibo Coast late on Saturday night.

The official manifest had 116 passengers and a 17 member crew. The captain and another member of the crew have since been detained as the probe continues into the circumstances that led to the tragic incident.

‘The designated search area has been expanded by an additional 400 square miles,

extending up to Waini Point, to maximize the likelihood of locating any remaining persons,’ the government statement said, adding that French and local divers are continuing underwater search and recovery operations at the wreckage site.

‘The identification of recovered bodies is currently being undertaken by family members at Suddie Hospital,’ he statement said, adding that stakeholders involved in these efforts are advised that any bodies retrieved during search and rescue and/or recovery operations should be immediately transferred to the custody of the Guyana Police Force at the established facility at the Charity River Dam.

In the proclamation, President Ali said that ‘the tragic loss of lives, arising from the disaster involving the M.V. Barima, has brought profound and widespread sorrow and immeasurable grief throughout our nation.

‘At this time of deep national sadness, as we pause to honour the memory of those who have lost their lives, to stand with their families, to offer comfort to survivors, and to demonstrate our collective compassion and solidarity,’ he is proclaiming that the next three days starting from Wednesday ‘be observed as Three Days of National Mourning throughout Guyana in honour of the victims of the M.V. Barima tragedy’

He said during this period of national mourning all national flags of Guyana shall be flown at half-mast on Government buildings, public institutions and other appropriate locations throughout the country as a mark of respect and remembrance for those whose lives were lost.

Wednesday is also declared a National Day of Prayer and ‘on this day, Guyanese of all faiths and communities are called upon to unite in prayer, reflection and remembrance for the victims of this tragedy, for the families who mourn, for the survivors, and for the strength and healing of our nation.

‘A National Day of Prayer and Remembrance will be held at the Kingston Seawall, Georgetown, where religious leaders, families of victims, survivors, community representatives and citizens from across Guyana will gather in a spirit of prayer, reflection and solidarity.’

Ali said that Thursday shall be observed as a Night of Reflection and Prayer in Port Kaituma.

‘The people of Port Kaituma and neighbouring communities are invited to come together to remember those who have been lost, to comfort one another and to offer prayers for all affected by this national tragedy,’ Ali said, adding that Friday will be observed as a Night of Reflection and Prayer in Mabaruma.

‘The people of Mabaruma and the wider North-West District are invited to join in remembrance, prayer and reflection as the nation continues to mourn and support those impacted by this tragedy.’

Ali said he is encouraging the religious community – including churches, mosques, temples and all places of worship-together with civic organisations and citizens throughout Guyana, to host candlelight gatherings during this period of national mourning as symbols of remembrance and unity.

‘I further encourage religious communities across the country to begin tonight, Tuesday 21st July 2026, with candlelight vigils and moments of prayer in memory of the victims of this disaster.’

Meanwhile, an opposition legislator Sherod Duncan has been arrested for allegedly operating a drone close to the site where families and others waiting to identify victims of the ferry tragedy are gathered in Charity, Essequibo.

Duncan said his drone was providing coverage of the recovery boats offshore and the nearby areas and that a police officer had demanded that he discontinued his operation.

He said he had complied while expressing his disapproval with the way the officer approached him, but was later told that the officers were only following instructions.

A third senior officer later showed up and told the Member of Parliament that he would be taken into custody for operating a drone in a restricted area. The entire incident was captured on camera by other opposition legislators.

The Guyana government says the police are conducting ‘ a comprehensive investigation’ into the circumstances that led to the MV Barima capsizing last Saturday night, resulting so far in the deaths of 27 people and the rescue of 69 others.

The authorities say the search continues for the estimated 70 people still unaccounted for after the 87-year-old vessel sank as it made its way from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, a small village within the Barima-Waini administrative region of the country.

Prime Minister Mark Phillips told a news conference on Monday night that despite the official manifest indicating that 116 passengers and a crew of 17 had been on board the vessel, the authorities believe that 179 people including the crew members were on the vessel when it capsized after being hit by a large wave.

‘Notwithstanding the fact that we are recovering bodies, we still have hope that people are out there who are alive, and therefore we continue our search and rescue activities,’ Phillips said, adding that he has been told that the vessel may have pockets of air where people could survive for a few days.

In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs said that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) is conducting the investigation into the tragedy and is encouraging ‘anyone with firsthand information, photographs, videos, or any other evidence that may assist investigators to come forward and provide that material directly to the Guyana Police Force.

‘The cooperation of the public is vital to ensuring that the investigation is thorough and that all relevant facts are established,’ the ministry said.

But the of the minority opposition Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), Amanza Walton has called on the government to immediately commission an independent marine casualty investigation in accordance with the International Maritime Organization’s Casualty Investigation Code.

Walton, an opposition legislator, who is also a specialist maritime and aviation attorney, said the investigation must not stop at the bridge of the vessel, but must follow the evidence through every link in the chain of causation.

In a statement she said a comprehensive investigation must also examine the condition and seaworthiness of the MV Barima, its maintenance history, inspection records, regulatory oversight, operational policies, procurement decisions, emergency preparedness, infrastructure, ministerial oversight where relevant, and every institutional decision that may have contributed to this tragedy.

‘The Government is not merely free to conduct this kind of investigation. It is bound to. Guyana is a Contracting Government to SOLAS, the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, and since 2010 SOLAS has made it mandatory to investigate any casualty of this kind, one involving the total loss of a vessel or loss of life.

‘This is not a discretionary courtesy that the Government may extend or withhold. It is a treaty obligation. And that investigation must be independent of any criminal proceeding, because the two serve entirely different purposes. Anything less places Guyana in breach of its own international obligations,’ Walton said.

In its statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs said that it is ‘deeply concerned’ by the circulation on social media of old, fabricated, and unrelated videos and photographs that are being falsely linked to the tragedy.

‘The deliberate spread of misinformation at a time of national grief is not only insensitive and deeply hurtful to the families who are mourning, but also has the potential to impede ongoing investigations, create unnecessary fear, and mislead the public.

‘Let it be clear: anyone who knowingly creates, shares, or republishes false or misleading content purporting to depict or relate to this tragedy may be committing offences under the laws of Guyana. Such acts of public mischief and any other applicable offences will be investigated, and where the evidence supports it, those responsible will face the full force of the law.’

The ministry said that it therfore urging ‘all citizens to act responsibly, verify information before sharing it, and allow the investigative process to proceed without interference.

‘This is a time for compassion, truth, and national solidarity. We ask that everyone respect the dignity of the victims and their families and refrain from contributing to the spread of false information.’

Walton said that citizens must reject every effort to reduce the national tragedy to a criminal investigation of the crew. She said the issue cannot begin and end with the crew members who were onboard the vessel.

The vessel’s captain and first engineer have been arrested after both tested positive for narcotics.

A government statement Monday said that the entire management team responsible for the loading, dispatch, and overall management of the MV Barima has been sent off from duty so as to guarantee the ‘absolute integrity’ of the upcoming inquiry.

But Walton said that the real story of the tragedy began years earlier with decisions that were not taken, repairs that were identified but never completed, replacement vessels that did not replace, projects that were announced but never finished, infrastructure that remained incomplete, and an eighty-seven-year-old public ferry that continued carrying the people of Region One long after the Government itself had acknowledged the need for change.

‘If the integrity of the investigation required the removal of public servants, it equally requires the removal of the Minister with direct political responsibility for that Department. Accountability cannot have one standard for public servants and another for Ministers,’ Walton added.

Public Works MInister Juan Edghill clarifying what he described as misinformation regarding the cause of the incident, said ‘there was no engine problem or any mechanical problem.

‘Even the survivors who made videos from the hospital, they’re telling you what happened, and it had nothing to do with overload, or taking in water. It had to do with the tide. Please be advised that the MV Barima is licensed to carry 284 tonnes of cargo. The cargo manifest shows that we had 268 tonnes, way below the cargo load.

‘Secondly, the MV Barima is licensed to carry 397 passengers and we only had 116 passengers on board. The misinformation of overloading as the cause of this incident must be dealt with for what it is. Misinformation and something to create panic and public mischief and we deny that in the very strongest terms,’ Edghill added.

But Walton said that Edghill has publicly pronounced upon matters that lie at the heart of the investigation.

She said he had earlier categorically denied that the MV Barima was not overloaded with either cargo or passengers.

‘Later, he advanced a different position, suggesting that overloading had occurred and alleging criminal conduct. Those were definitive and contradictory public statements on issues that an independent marine casualty investigation must determine,’ Walton said, adding that a Minister cannot publicly pronounce upon the very matters that an independent investigation is required to examine and then remain in office while that investigation proceeds.

New Zealand posted 268 for nine in 50 overs after being sent in to bat by West Indies in the fifth One Day International at Kensington Oval here on Tuesday.

NEW ZEALAND 268-9 in 50 overs (Tom Latham 69, Nick Kelly 64, Will Young 56; Alzarri Joseph 2-38, Vitel Lawes 2-63).

Finance Minister Dr. Irving McIntyre, will present the 2026- 2027 national budget on August 4, with the government indicating that it will outline ‘progressive policy initiatives’ to help Dominicans cope with a changing global environment.

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, speaking on the state-owned DBS radio ahead of the presentation said the fiscal package will include measures to address the cost of living in Dominica, adding ‘it will be a very important budget.

‘The budget will be presented on the backdrop of the global uncertainties that we currently are experiencing. A number of things are causing shocks to the economy and not only Dominica but throughout the world.

‘So you have these external actions, whether geopolitical or the conflict in the Middle East, all of which impact on the way of life of every single citizen in the world,’ Skerrit said noting that every government, every country is seeking to see how they can manoeuvre around those challenges ‘which they have no control over’.

He said these challenges are having an impact on the goods on the shelves ‘because you have a supply chain issue, freight goes up, insurance goes up for the shipping lines, all of these increases are passed on to the consumers’.

But he is promisng Dominicans that his administration will continue to provide relief by ensuring that they keep more of their money in their pockets by way of their salaries in terms of taxation.

‘So there are a number of things that we do, all of which impact directly on your pockets in Dominica,’ he said, telling radio listeners that ‘you will see some very, very far-reaching and progressive policy initiatives that the government will present to the people of Dominica, which will cause there to be a reduction of the goods on the shelves….’

Skerrit is also promising to ‘make a deliberate statement on the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme in a very transparent manner’.

Last year, as he presented the EC$1.33 billion dollar fiscal package, McIntyre said that the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme continues to be a critical source of financing, mainly for capital expenditure, and accounts for roughly 58 per cent of total revenues.

Under the CBI programme, foreign investors are granted citizenship of Dominica in return for making a substantial investment in the socio-economic development of the country.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Skerrit said he was keeping an open mind as leaders of the countries of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) operating a CBI programme get ready to hold talks with the European Union (EU).

The European Commission has given the Eastern Caribbean countries operating CBI programmes until June 1, 2028 to phase out the programmes.

Skerrit said that the meeting in Brussels, a date for which has not yet been disclosed, will be important as the CBI operating countries need to put their case forward.

‘The European Union has indicated that it is prepared to sit with us, to discuss with us how they can help, because it is one thing to ask us to end or to lose the visa-free regime, but it’s another thing to talk about what’s going to replace it, especially in the medium term,’ he said.

Police say they have detained two suspects and are searching for a third person, after former national cricketer, Kenton Young, was shot as he made his way home to Double Head Cabbage last Saturday night.

Assistant Superintendent of Police, Stacy Smith, said that the 29-year-old Young is currently listed in ‘a critical but stable condition’ at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital after being shot in the face.

The police believe that the shooting may have been tied to an ongoing rivalry between villages in the Belize River Valley.

Smith said that officers were alerted to a shooting incident last Saturday night in the vicinity of Muscle Creek Bridge and upon arrival they found Young in his vehicle.

‘He reported that he was travelling when upon reaching that area he was accosted by a male person who was driving a motorcycle and that person fired several shots, which resulted in the injury of Mr. Young. He is currently listed in a critical but stable condition,’ Smith added.

Police Tuesday said a 28-year-old man was electrocuted after he came into contact with an electrical wire that was connected to a chicken coop at Dartmouth, Essequibo Coast.

The police said two children were also injured during the incident on Monday evening.

They said Kelton Benn of Ptolemy Avenue, Dartmouth, died at about 5:30 pm at his residence. Benn was also taken to the Lima Regional Hospital, where he was examined and pronounced dead on arrival.

‘Preliminary enquiries revealed that Benn had gone to use an outdoor toilet situated at the back of the yard. After he failed to return, a relative went in search of him and found him lying motionless next to a chicken coop,’ the Guyana Police Force (GPF) said in the statement

The police said that they were told that the electrical wire had been connected from the house to the chicken coop several months earlier to provide lighting.

Police said that a nine-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl, who were subsequently seen shaking while leaning against the structure, were taken to the Lima Regional Hospital, where they were admitted for observation.

The police said that the Guyana Power and Light Inc. was contacted and the electrical wire disconnected.