Category: CANA News

The following is the CANANews and SPORTS Schedule for Tuesday, November 11, 2025.

KINGSTON – The death toll from Hurriccane Melissa, which slammed into Jamaica late last month, has climbed to 45, Information Minister Dr. Dana Morris Dixon announced on Tuesday.

CASTRIES – The leader of the main opposition United Workers Party (UWP), Allen Chastanet, is urging voters to elect the party into government on December 1, insisting that ‘everything I have ever done in public service has been driven by a desire to make life better for Saint Lucians’.

GEORGETOWN – The Guyana government has confirmed that it is meeting the legal expenses of the Jamaican-born lawyer representing the United States in the extradition matter involving billionaire businessman, Nazar Mohamed and his son, Azruddin Mohamed, an opposition legislator.

PARAMARIBO -Justice and Police Minister, Harish Monorath, says he was unaware that he was still receiving payment as a member of the Foreign Exchange Commission (FCO) despite being appointed a government minister.

SANTA MARTA – Guyana has called for enhanced security cooperation, urgent climate financing, and stronger multilateral mechanisms as representatives from Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries met with European Union (EU) officials as part of the IV Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) -EU Summit here.

SPORTS:

PORT OF SPAIN – With their World Cup dreams hanging in the balance, Trinidad and Tobago’s senior men’s National team have received a clear message from the backline: start fast, or risk it all.

ST. JOHN’S – With the regional cricket season just a week away, Leeward Islands Hurricanes Head Coach Steve Liburd is setting his sights firmly on championship glory, declaring it’s ‘about time we get some hardware’ for the passionate fans of the region.

With the regional cricket season just a week away, Leeward Islands Hurricanes Head Coach Steve Liburd is setting his sights firmly on championship glory, declaring it’s ‘about time we get some hardware’ for the passionate fans of the region.

Leeward Islands Hurricanes Head Coach Steve Liburd

Entering his second year at the helm, Liburd is building on a promising debut season that saw the franchise reach the semi-finals of the CG United Super50 Cup and the final of the CWI Breakout League. Now, with final preparations underway, the goal is not just improvement, but a trophy.

‘We made it to the semifinals last year. We lost to Jamaica in this competition,’ Liburd reflected.

‘Hopefully, we’re looking to go two steps further, not just one step further. We’re looking to go two steps further, playing in the finals and then obviously winning the finals.’

The squad is coming together after a busy period, fine-tuning their skills for the challenge ahead.

‘The guys would have been playing the Leeward Islands tournament last week,’ Liburd explained. ‘We started doing fitness testing, and then we started our skill session. So the Leeward Islands have always been a talented team.’

He pointed to the blend of exciting youth and experienced campaigners like Jewel Andrew, Jahmar Hamilton, and West Indies star Alzarri Joseph as a key strength.

However, Liburd believes talent alone is not enough. ‘We have always had a talented team, it’s just for us now to get over the line and make the people of the Leeward Islands proud.’

Adding a significant boost to their camp is the presence of legendary West Indies fast bowler Sir Curtly Ambrose, who has been acting as a mentor.

Liburd confirmed that Ambrose’s vast expertise is already paying dividends for the bowling unit and the team as a whole.

The Hurricanes will have an immediate chance to test their mettle when they open their Super50 Cup campaign against arch-rivals the Windward Islands Volcanoes next Wednesday.

The Guyana government Tuesday signed a production sharing agreement for the shallow-water Block S4 offshore Guyana with a consortium of international companies comprising QatarEnergy, TotalEnergies, and PETRONAS.

The Ministry of Natural Resources said the award, made under the 2022 Guyana Licensing Round, marks another milestone in the country’s ongoing efforts to responsibly develop its hydrocarbon resources and reinforces international confidence in Guyana’s transparent and robust petroleum framework.

Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat, seond from left, signing production sharing agreements with international oil and gas companies on Tuesday.

‘Block S4, located 50 to 100 kilometres off the coast and covering 1,788 square kilometres in water depths ranging between 30 and 100 metres, will be explored in accordance with local regulations and international best practices as we continue to strengthen our position as a responsible and emerging energy producer.’

Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat, in welcoming the signing, said ‘we are pleased to welcome QatarEnergy, TotalEnergies and Petronas as new partners in Guyana’s petroleum sector.

‘This investment demonstrates continued international confidence in Guyana’s transparent and robust licensing framework, and it reflects our government’s commitment to ensuring that the development of our natural resources is done sustainably and for the benefit of all Guyanese.’

The ministry said that exploration activities will be conducted in keeping with Guyana’s regulatory requirements and international best practices for environmental protection and resource management.

‘The Ministry of Natural Resources reiterates the government’s commitment to ensuring that all petroleum operations are conducted with the highest levels of environmental stewardship, transparency, and local participation’ the statement said, adding that the ministry ‘looks forward to collaborating closely with the consortium as Guyana continues to strengthen its position as a responsible and emerging energy producer’.

The death toll from Hurricane Melissa, which slammed into Jamaica late last month, has climbed to 45, Information Minister Dr. Dana Morris Dixon announced on Tuesday.

She told the daily news conference that the highest number of casualties from the category 5 storm that hit Jamaica on October 28, came from St Elizabeth where 18 fatalities have been recorded to date, followed by Westmoreland with 15

She urged Jamaicans to pray for the families of the 45 people killed , saying ’45 families are hurting and we pray for those families and ask God to comfort them’.

She said 33 post-mortems have been conducted to date.

Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (OPDEM), Commander Alvin Gayle, said that 15 people have been reported missing.

He said more than 130 buildings have reported some level of damage ranging from partial roof loss to complete collapse. He said an estimated 30,000 households have been displaced as a result of the storm.

‘Just over 182 communities have been officially recorded as having sustained damage, primary in western Jamaica.Currently some 88 shelters remain open across nine parishes with just over 1,100 persons remaining in these shelters.

‘While some persons have remained home, many continue to rely on the shelters as we work to restore access and provide restoration to damage homes,’ he said, adding that the OPDEM is in contact with more than 90 per cent of the shelters in western Jamaica.

He said that just over 76 per cent of customers are back on the water system and as of Monday night 34 roadways remained completely blocked.

He said the two major telecom companies are reporting at least 50 per cent restoration of mobile services.

Gayle said that relief drops are continuing and it is coordinating the work f the various agencies as well as international partners to ensure that the aid received is distributed in a fair manner.

To date, just over 14,000 donors, both local and overseas have ‘inputted cash to our system at just over J$400 million (One Jamaica dollar=US$0.004 cents)’in addition to receiving over J$500 million in aid with an over 80 per cent rate of distribution of the relief items.

On Monday, the United States announced an additional US$10 million to support Jamaica’s hurricane recovery efforts, bringing total US emergency assistance to US $22 million, the Senior Official for Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs, and Religious Freedom, Jeremy Lewin, said.

Gay;e said that the OPDEM has ‘also received some significant support from our partner organisations.the partnerships have generally provided air craft services, field hospitals, food, mapping aid, search and rescue services, operational and logistical support, all of which are critical to the current relief efforts.

‘The past two weeks have tested our strength resolve but our unity and our discipline and compassion have carried us through. As we move forward let us continue to support each other,’ Gayle added.

Fifty-two prisoners have died in Haiti’s overcrowded prisons between July and September this year in conditions that have been described by the United Nations as ‘inhuman and degrading.

Most of those people died ‘as a result of lack of medical care, unsanitary cells, insufficient food, and limited access to drinking water,’ according to the latest UN human rights report about the situation in the Caribbean island nation.

Haiti is facing a dire humanitarian, political and security crisis due to gang violence, compounded by deep-rooted poverty and a series of devastating natural disasters, including most recently Hurricane Melissa.

The country’s justice system has struggled to function effectively amidst these crises. Cases are not being tried quickly enough and 82 per cent of prisoners are being held in detention while they await their trial.

Here’s what you need to know about prisons in Haiti and how the UN is helping to improve the situation for detainees.

Prisons under pressure

At the end of September 2025, over 7,200 men, women, boys and girls were held in Haitian prisons. Convicted criminals are often held alongside detainees waiting for trail and children are frequently being detained alongside adults in contravention of international standards, including the Nelson Mandela Rules, the universally acknowledged blueprint for prison management in the 21st century, named in honour of the former South African president who was incarcerated for 27 years as a political prisoner.

The occupation by gangs of urban areas where several prisons are located and high-profile breakouts, some led by gang members, have further reduced the capacity of the prison system and led to overcrowding.

Some prisons accommodate at least three times the number of people they were built for.

Subhuman conditions

Conditions in Haiti’s prison have been described by the UN as inhuman and degrading but what does that mean in reality? William O’Neill the United Nations Designated Expert on the Human Rights Situation in Haiti has visited many of them: ‘The conditions are subhuman, frankly. Unbelievably crowded and hot. There’s not enough food. There’s very little access to medical care. Prisoners are kept in cells for many, hours in a day with very little air or light, or access to water, toilets and showers.’

Fifty-two people have died in detention in the last three months in Haitian prisons many ‘of diseases that should not kill them,’ said Mr. O’Neill, adding that ‘they are so weakened by the conditions and the lack of adequate nutrition and access to enough water, it’s a deadly combination.’

There is an allocated budget in the penal system to provide food to prisoners but often that money is corruptly diverted elsewhere.

Detained for the theft of two pairs of shoes

The deadly conditions have to a great extent been driven by accommodating too many detainees in insufficient space.

This chronic overcrowding is a direct result of the practice of incarcerating people ahead of a trail. Known as pre-trail detention, in Haiti 82 per cent of the national prison population is awaiting trial, so innocent in the eyes of the law, until proven otherwise at trial.

One prisoner told William O’Neill that he had been waiting for a trail date for two years; his alleged crime? The theft of two pairs of shoes.

‘There’s a backlog because the court system doesn’t function,’ said Mr O’Neill. ‘There are not enough trials and they keep on arresting people. Police will often arrest people en masse. Literally, they will come to a scene of an alleged crime, and arrest everybody they find. People get caught up in this kind of dragnet and spend a lot of time in prison even though they have nothing to do with the crime.’

Gangs of Port-au-Prince

Violence in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, where gangs are said to control 90 per cent of the territory, has led to the shuttering of numerous courts further slowing down the justice system.

Meanwhile, in March 2024, the capital’s two main prisons, the National Penitentiary of Port-au-Prince and the Croix-des-Bouquets prison, were attacked by gangs leading to the escape of 4,600 inmates, including several notorious gang leaders.

Local sources indicated that many of the escapees joined and strengthened the ranks of several gangs.

Rebuilding justice

Supporting prison reform and improving detention conditions in Haiti has been a key focus of the UN political mission in Haiti, BINUH, the Human Rights Office and the Designated Expert and a key pillar of the UN’s broader mandate to strengthen the rule of law and human rights. The aim is to bring long-term structural reform to address systemic deficiencies in the justice sector.

Initiatives have included supporting prosecutors and judges to attend hearings in prison which has led to the release of some young people and the reduction in pre-trail detention. Training has been provided for police and prisons officers, and the UN has supported the rehabilitation of detention facilities, including the installation of basic infrastructure such as latrines, water access points and ventilation systems.

Ultimately, it is Haiti’s Ministry of Justice which is responsible for prison and police reform and according to the Designated Expert, William O’Neill, the UN can support the authorities ‘by providing expertise and resources, but also demanding results. We’re not just going to keep providing training and equipment. There need to be results and sustainable results.’

The leader of the main opposition United Workers Party (UWP), Allen Chastanet, is urging voters to elect the party into government on December 1, insisting that ‘everything I have ever done in public service has been driven by a desire to make life better for St. Lucians’.

In a nationwide radio and television broadcast on Monday night, Chastanet, who served as prime minister from 2016-2021, said ‘I’m not the same man I was in 2021.

‘I am firm, fearless, and focused, asking the hard questions and finding real solutions to make your lives better. And with the unusually early election, I had to ask: are we really better off today,’ Chastanet said, questioning the move by Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre to call the general elections 11 months ahead of the constitutional deadline.

‘As a St. Lucian, despite all that has been said, I understand your struggles. But just like many of you, I did not choose my circumstances. What I have chosen is how I use them. I have chosen to use every blessing, every resource, and every ounce of experience I have to serve the people of St. Lucia,’ he added.

In a radio and television broadcast on Sunday night, Prime Minister Pierre said that the elections will be held on December 1 and that Governor General, Errol Charles, dissolved the Parliament on Monday. Nomination Day will be November 21.

Pierre, who leads the ruling St. Lucia Labour Party (SLP), said that the last election was on July 26, 2021 and the parliament met in August of that year. He said under the St. Lucia Constitution, the election is constitutionally due ‘for the latest three months after the first sitting of Parliament, which was held on 12th August 2021.

Chastanet said when the UWP had been in office, there were a number of policies and projects undertaken by his administration as part of the overall strategy of caring for the population and the socio-economic development of the country.

‘We did these things because we love this country. I love our people. And everything I have ever done in public service has been driven by a desire to make life better for St. Lucians. If you doubt my words, I ask you to look at our list of achievements.

‘In contrast, over the last four years under the Labour administration, life has only gotten harder for ordinary St. Lucians. More people feel betrayed by the Philip J. Pierre administration today than ever before. And now, with an election called months ahead of time, you have to ask: what are they running from?

‘After years of betrayal, corruption, and neglect, is this early election just their final attempt to pull wool over your eyes before the truth finally catches up to them? Is this early election their attempt to get ahead of the outrage before you can ask the real questions?’

Chastanet said that whilst his administration may not have been perfect, ‘we can all admit that things were better.

‘Life was better. St. Lucia was actually moving forward. And since 2021, we’ve been on a journey of transformation, starting with me, and extending to our entire party, our candidates, and the movement we represent.

‘We’ve changed. We’ve improved. Because you deserve better from us – and you will get better from us. Our candidates embody that renewal. We are presenting the strongest, most capable team St. Lucia has ever seen: men and women ready to serve, ready to deliver, ready to lead. And our plans? They aren’t just better, we are the only party with a plan.’

He said immediately on coming to office a UWP administration will eliminate the 2.5 per cent tax that has been driving up the cost of living and making everyday life harder for St. Lucians.

‘We will make St. Lucia safe again, no more excuses, no more ‘escalated crime zones. Our comprehensive national crime plan will leave no stone unturned from securing our borders to providing our police with the tools and support they need to protect you and your family.’

He is also promising health insurance for every St. Lucian, completing the St. Jude Hospital in the south of the island and launching a Digital Learning Academy ‘the first of its kind in St. Lucia offering certification in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, programming, and robotics’.

He said a EC$25,000 (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) Youth Start-Up Grant will empower young entrepreneurs to turn ideas into businesses, especially in the creative industries, technology, agriculture, and hospitality.

‘And through our Mortgage Guarantee Programme, we will open the doors to ownership by helping young first-time buyers finally achieve the dream of owning affordable starter homes,’ Chastanet said, promising also to honour any commitment to make public servants’ positions permanent, and to provide Christmas bonuses.

‘In fact, under a UWP government, we will explore ways through dialogue to ensure civil servants receive an annual bonus they can count on every single year,’ Chastanet said, appealing to those voters who did not exercise their franchise in the last general election to re-think their position this time around.

The United Nations Tuesday sad that two weeks after Hurricane Melissa first made landfall in the Caribbean, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is reporting that people in Cuba, Jamaica and Haiti continue to rely on government-led humanitarian responses.

UN deputy spokesman, Farhan Haq, told the daily media briefing that in Cuba, more than 54,000 people are still living away from their homes, including 7,500 in official shelters.

Hurricane Melissa, a category 5 storm left a trail of death and destruction in Cuba, Haiti and Jamaicca.

He said the reported damage continues to exceed initial estimates and that the number of affected health facilities has increased from 460 to more than 600, while the number of damaged homes has climbed from 60,000 to 90,000.

‘The UN system in Cuba continues to support national response efforts. The World Food Programme (WFP) has helped some 140,000 people in shelters and supported community kitchens, while the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is distributing agricultural tools and livestock feed to help restore livelihoods,’ Haq said.

He said the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is delivering supplies to strengthen disease control and prevention, and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) is bolstering sexual and reproductive health services by distributing medical supplies.

In Jamaica, assessments and relief operations continue with only two communities remaining inaccessible, down from 27 last week, although further rainfall could isolate some areas again.

Haq said shelter remains a major concern, with 40,000 tarpaulins unable to be delivered due to damaged and blocked roads.

He said the WFP has helped 9,000 people in the parishes of Westmoreland and St. Elizabeth and intends to extend cash assistance to up to 90,000 households.

Turning to Haiti, OCHA reports that the UN and its humanitarian partners are scaling up the response. Hurricane Melissa claimed more than 40 lives in the country and caused severe damage across several departments.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and its partners have distributed hygiene kits across the country. They have also restored power for the cold chain for vaccines, while UNESCO and its partners provided psychosocial support in schools.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), UNICEF and other partners have distributed tarpaulins and other supplies.

‘Today, WFP is delivering 15-day rations to some of the most heavily impacted areas in the south, following the completion of Government-led targeting to identify those most in need.

In the community of Petit Goave, WFP is delivering food for more than 40 thousand people. Registration of recipients and delivery of food assistance will continue in the south throughout the week’ Haq said.

He said the WFP is aiming to assist an overall total of 190,000 people in its response to the hurricane, with a combination of food rations and cash assistance where markets are accessible and functioning.

‘So far, WFP has assisted more than 60-thousand people – including those who received anticipatory payments to help them prepare before the hurricane hit. The UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) has expanded its operations, with five new access points to reach isolated communities,’ Haq told reporters.

Prime Minister John Briceño Tuesday announced a re-shuffle of his cabinet eight months after he led his ruling People’s United Party (PUP) to a convincing victory, winning 26 of the 31 seats with the remainder going to the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP).

According to the announcement from the Office of the Prime Minister, Foreign Affairs Minister, Foreign Trade, Culture and Immigration Minister, Francis Fonseca has been given the added portfolios of Education and Technology.

Prime Minister John Briceño

The statement said Jose Abelardo Mai, will remain as Minister of Agriculture, Food Security with the added portfolio of New Growth Industries.

Kareem Musa, who previously was the Minister of Home Affairs and New Growth Industries will now be responsible for Immigration, Governance and Labour with the new Minister of Home Affairs and Enterprise being Henry Charles Usher, the former Public Service and Governance and NEMO Minister.

Oscar Requena, who was the Minister of Education, Science and Technology, will now assume the portfolios of Rural Transformation Local Government and Community Development, while Florencio Marin, the Minister of Rural Transformation, Community Development, Labour and Local Government is now the Minister of Public Service and Disaster Risk Management.

The announcement from the Office of the Prime Minister did not give any reasons for the cabinet changes, noting only that they will become effective from Monday, November 17.

The 65-year-old Briceño was re-elected as prime minister in March this year.

The Assistant Principal of the Pierre Charles Secondary School (PCSS) in Grand Bay, south of here, died at a health center, after complaining of feeling unwell while at school.

Claudia Toussaint, who was also an assistant examiner with the Barbados-based Caribbean Examination Council (CXC), had collapsed at the school on Monday afternoon after complaining of feeling unwell.

The head of the modern language department at the school was rushed to the Grand Bay Health Center, but efforts to revive her failed, and she was pronounced dead by a medical doctor.

The teacher with 23 years experience is survived by her daughter. Police say they are investigating the death.

The Grenada National Swim Team is once again atop the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), having dethroned reigning champion Antigua and Barbuda at the OECS Swimming Championships this past weekend.

Held from November 7-9 at the Shrewsbury Aquatic Centre, the competition saw Team Grenada end a five-year title drought, securing its first championship since 2019 after a hiatus during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The victory was decisive. Grenada amassed a massive total of 1,263.50 points, powered by a staggering haul of 84 medals.

Their closest rivals, St. Lucia, finished second with 1,239 points, while the former champions from Antigua and Barbuda settled for third with 1,117 points.

The rest of the field included St. Kitts and Nevis (160), Dominica (72), and Anguilla (8).

The team’s dominance extended beyond the overall title, as Grenadian swimmers captured five age-group championships. The individual champions are: Brianne De Roche (8 and Under Girls), Mateo Thomas (9-10 Boys), Kristin Gresham (13-14 Girls), Jacob Collymore (13-14 Boys), Zackary Gresham (18 and Over Males).

Adding to the medal rush, three other Grenadians secured overall third-place finishes in their age groups: Sydney Joseph (8 and Under Girls), Ethan Chu Fook (11-12 Boys), and Anaika Otway (18 and Over Females).