Category: CANA News

The Jamaican senior women’s national team has been forced into a significant squad reshuffle just days before their international friendly against Trinidad and Tobago, with four players ruled out due to injury.

Jamaica’s Reggae Girls.

The Reggae Girlz technical staff confirmed the news on Sunday, revealing that first-choice goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer, midfielder Atlanta Primus, and defenders Vyan Sampson and Shania Hayles will all miss Tuesday’s encounter.

In their place, Head Coach Hubert Busby has called upon a quartet of players who have been training with the squad at their camp in Trinidad.

The incoming players are defender Mia Mitchell, midfielders Lola Nesbeth and Ricshya Walker, and defender Serena Mensa.

The absence of Spencer, the experienced Tottenham Hotspur keeper, is a particular setback for the Girlz, who will now likely turn to Sydney Schneider or Liya Brooks to start between the posts.

Primus and Sampson, both mainstays in the midfield and defence respectively, also leave notable gaps in the team’s core, while Hayles’ absence reduces attacking options from the wing.

Despite the setbacks, the coaching staff is projecting some amount of confidence. The promoted quartet of Mitchell, Nesbeth, Mensa, and Walker have been fully integrated into the camp, ensuring they are familiar with the team’s tactical plans.

The friendly match, scheduled for Tuesday evening at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, serves as a crucial preparation fixture for both teams as they continue their campaigns in various international competitions.

The high hopes of a nation were dashed on Sunday, as Trinidad and Tobago’s cycling sensation, Nicholas Paul, suffered a gut-wrenching defeat, finishing just outside the medals in the Men’s Sprint event at the 2025 Tissot UCI Track World Championships.

The 27-year-old Paul saw his campaign for a medal end in the bitterest of fashions, a fourth-place finish after losing the bronze medal race to Australia’s Leigh Hoffman.

The evening began with immense promise for Paul, who qualified strongly and powered through the earlier rounds.

His quest for gold, however, was halted by the seemingly unstoppable Dutch dynamo, Harrie Lavreysen.

The reigning champion proved his class, dispatching Paul in two straight races in their semi-final showdown.

Lavreysen first won by a margin of 0.056 seconds, and then sealed the deal with a 0.050-second victory, ending Paul’s dream of a world title.

This set up a final chance for redemption in the bronze medal race against Hoffman. In a brutal twist of fate, Paul was again defeated in two consecutive races.

Hoffman took the first race by a significant +0.356 seconds, and despite a fierce effort from the T and T star, the Australian sealed the bronze by an even larger margin of +0.721 in the second race.

Meanwhile, 19-time world champion Lavreysen reaffirmed his status as the king of track sprinting, claiming the gold medal and another title by defeating Great Britain’s Matthew Richardson in the final.

Lavreysen had earlier won the men’s keirin and 1K time trial individual titles.

The Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) is investigating a series of robberies believed to be linked to a coordinated criminal group operating across multiple districts in the territory.

According to a recent statement, investigators have made progress in identifying connections between several incidents.

‘Our detectives are working around the clock to bring those responsible to justice,’ Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police Dariel Robinson stated. ‘We are confident that the evidence being gathered will lead to key breakthroughs. These incidents have our highest priority,’ he concluded.

The RVIPF’s Armed Response Unit (ARU) has also increased its patrols across the territory, maintaining a visible policing presence through operational checks and community engagement. Officers have also conducted school-based safety exercises to enhance public confidence and preparedness.

Although no weapons were recovered during these operations, police said the ARU’s continued presence has helped foster safer communities.

‘The Force remains fully engaged in both enforcement and prevention. We are addressing a wide spectrum of issues and our officers continue to demonstrate professionalism and dedication in every division. We thank the public for their cooperation and encourage continued vigilance and partnership with the RVIPF,’ Robinson stated.

The police also reassured the business community that the territory remains a safe environment for commerce, with increased patrols and intelligence-sharing among their ongoing measures.

The Trinidad and Tobago government Sunday night denied that the presence of the USS Gravely in Port-of-Spain constitutes a ‘hostile provocation’ of Venezuela.

‘The government of Trinidad and Tobago has repeatedly made it clear that it values this country’s relationship with the people of Venezuela given our shared history and close fraternal relations,’ the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs said in a statement.

Vice President, Delcy Rodriguez condemned the arrival here of the USS Gravely on Sunday that the government said will involve in a joint military training exercise with the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF) and engage in other social activities.

‘Venezuela denounces the military provocation of Trinidad and Tobago, in coordination with the CIA, aimed at provoking a war in the Caribbean,’ Caracas said in a statement.

Rodríguez described the presence of the US guided missile destroyer so close to Venezuela t as an act of ‘military provocation’ and accused Trinidad and Tobago of coordinating with the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to ‘provoke a war in the Caribbean.’

Hours after the USS Gravely docked on the island of Trinidad, Caracas added that it had arrested ‘a group of mercenaries’ whom it accused of mounting a ‘false flag attack’ that could escalate into ‘a full-blown military confrontation’.

‘This planned action perfectly evokes the provocations of the Battleship Maine and the Gulf of Tonkin, which gave rise to the war against Spain to seize Cuba in 1898, and which allowed the US Congress to authorize involvement in an eternal war against Vietnam in 1964, respectively, from which they emerged defeated by the Vietnamese people after facing incalculable destruction and regrettable human losses,’ Rodriguez said, adding that Venezuela will always defend its sovereignty, its territorial integrity, and its right to live in peace against foreign enemies and its vassals’.

But Port of Spain said that it has taken ‘note’ of the statement issued by Venezuela regarding the presence of the US warship, insisting that both Port of Spain and Washington ‘have been clear about the specific purpose of this visit’.

‘The visit of the USS Gravely aims to bolster the fight against transnational crime and build resilience through training, humanitarian activities and security cooperation.

‘it will also strengthen the longstanding partnership between both countries which has provided enhanced medical care and disaster preparedness, improved lives and strengthened communities in Trinidad and Tobago’.

The government also sought to reassure the wider CARICOM saying ‘it once more reiterates the commitment to the people of the Caribbean for the creation of a safer, stronger and more prosperous region’.

Last month, President Donald Trump ramped up US military presence in the Caribbean Sea ordering an amphibious squadron to the southern Caribbean as part of his effort to address threats from Latin American drug cartels.

A nuclear-powered attack submarine, additional P8 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft, several destroyers and a guided-missile cruiser have also being allocated to US Southern Command as part of the mission.

The United States military has carried out four deadly air strikes in Caribbean waters over the past few weeks against what Washington alleges are Caracas-backed drug traffickers. The Venezuelan government denies the charge, accusing the administration of being a threat to the peace and security of the whole region.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar has said that she is ‘happy that the US naval deployment is having success in their mission,’ and that ‘the pain and suffering the cartels have inflicted on our nation is immense. I have no sympathy for traffickers; the US military should kill them all violently’.

The path of Hurricane Melissa has forced a significant reshuffling of the 2025 Concacaf Caribbean Cup schedule, impacting two key playoff series.

Concacaf announced that the decisive second leg between Jamaica’s Mount Pleasant FA and Trinidad and Tobago’s Defence Force FC has been postponed due to the severe weather expected to impact Jamaica.

The match, originally set for this Thursday, October 30, at the National Stadium, will now be played on Wednesday, November 5, with a 6 p.m. ET kickoff.

The governing body stated the decision was made ‘to ensure the safety of all parties’ following consultation with local authorities and in close coordination with the involved clubs.

This marks the second schedule change for the Caribbean Cup playoffs in as many days. The announcement follows the rescheduling of the entire two-legged series between O and M FC and Cibao FC.

Their matches will now be played on the vacated date of Thursday, October 30, and a week later on Thursday, November 6.

Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit Sunday reiterated the need for the Caribbean to be a zone of peace, warning that any military action now will have severe consequences for the entire region.

Addressing the 86th annual conference of the ruling Barbados Labour Party (BLP), Skerrit echoed a similar call made by Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley for an end eo the United States military build up of the coast of Venezuela, allegedly to fight the illegal drugs trade.

‘We have to be counted, we cannot cower under fear, we have to stand for principle and stand on the shoulders of the sacrifices of our foreparents who fought for our freedom and who fought for our independence,’ Skerrit said, adding that he had extracted parts of Prime Minister Mottley’s speech and placed in the social media page of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM leaders.

‘We must always speak truth to power and your speech yesterday was absolutely truth to power, representing what .this great country stands for and what our foreparents had fought for so many generations.

‘And so we stand with you on this and this Caribbean must continue to be a zone of peace. We do not want any war in our region. We solve problems by discussions, dialogue, diplomacy and we sometimes have to agree to disagree.

‘But we must do so peacefully and respect for each other,’ Skerrit said, warning ‘if a war breaks out in the Caribbean we will have some serious challenges in our respective countries’.

Skerrit said there is an opportunity to ‘prevent this from happening by adding our voices that reason prevail and common sense come to our being and let us work out our problems together.

‘We in Barbados and Dominica and indeed the wider Caribbean offer ourselves as intermediators so that we can bring the two forces together and let us understand that there can be common sense and agreement and disagreement.

‘But we have to ensure that we do not have a situation of our region descending into turmoil ,’ he said, adding ‘we have to speak to this’.

On the first day of the conference, the Barbados Prime Minister said that the region is now facing ‘an extremely dangerous and an untenable situation in the southern Caribbean and as a people with a tragic history of being subjected to centuries of big power orchestrated genocide, terrorism and warfare and as a small state, we have invested tremendous time and energy.in establishing and maintaining our region as a zone of peace.

‘Peace is critical to all that we do in this region and now that peace is being threatened we have to speak up,’ she said, thanking the former prime minister for their ‘very strong statement issued by them for the fundamental principle that was agreed upon the formation of the Caribbean Community.

‘I want to thank them because without their statement we are possibly going to have others think that those who now lead governments are speaking in vain without reflecting on the fact that this has been a core principle of the Caribbean Community from its very inception.

‘Thank you, thank you, thank you, prime ministers,’ Mottley said, adding that she believes the time has come for the region not to accept any entity ‘has the right to engage in extrajudicial killings of persons they suspect of being involved in criminal activities’.

Mottley, who is also an attorney, said ‘as I said we stand for the rule of law, and we believe if there is other intelligence available that would cause you to take action that is an immediate threat to you as a nation then you have a duty to share it with us.

‘But on the face of it, conflating law enforcement with military action is a dangerous step,’ Mottley said, adding ‘we equally do not accept that any nation in our region or the greater Caribbean should be the subject of an imposition upon them of any unilateral expression of force and violence by any third party or nation’.

Last week, the Donald Trump administration announced that it is intensifying its military build-up in the Caribbean with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth ordering the deployment of the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, and its carrier air wing, to the Caribbean in aid of what the administration says is its counter-drug initiative.

Washington said the enhanced US force presence in the USSOUTHCOM AOR will bolster US capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities that compromise the safety and prosperity of the United States homeland and its security in the Western Hemisphere.

In recent times, the Trump administration has deployed several warships and over 10,000 troops to the Caribbean in what pundits claim is a pretext for an eventual land invasion of Venezuela.

At least two Trinidad and Tobago nationals have been killed as the US military bombs vessels it claim are transporting illegal drugs on the international seas. It has provided no proof to substantiate the allegations and Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar has said that the US should kill all those engaged in the illegal drugs trade ‘violently’.

Earlier this month, Trump confirmed that he had permitted the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to spy on Venezuela.

On Sunday, the USS Gravely, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer docked in Port-of-Spain, until October 30.

The Trinidad and Tobago government, which has been very vocal about its support for the United States military action, said that the 22nd US Marine Expeditionary Unit and the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF) will conduct joint training exercises.

‘The visit strengthens US-Trinidad and Tobago military-to-military cooperation through expert exchanges focused on core infantry tactics, maintenance procedures, and advanced medical capabilities, leveraging the TTDF’s facilities to enhance tactical proficiency and enhance mutual trust,’ the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs said in a statement.

The Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO) said on Friday that governments, civil society, youth representatives and international partners from across Latin America and the Caribbean have renewed their commitment to end violence against children and adolescents.

PAHO said the commitment was made during a high-level regional consultation that it co-hosted with the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF).

PAHO said the region continues to have the highest rates of violence against children and adolescents worldwide.

It said nearly two out of three children aged 1 to 14 experience violent discipline at home, and one in five girls experience sexual violence before reaching 18.

PAHO said interpersonal violence remains a leading cause of death for young people.

‘Despite progress and political commitments, efforts to protect children from violence remain insufficient,’ PAHO said.

Over two days of dialogue, held virtually on October 23 and 24, PAHO said more than 300 participants – including ministers and senior officials from the health, education, justice, and child protection sectors, as well as representatives of civil society, youth leaders, and international partners – came together to discuss concrete actions to build safer environments for children and adolescents.

‘Every child has the right to grow up free from violence, safe in their homes, schools, and communities, and to enjoy a childhood full of opportunities,’ said PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa. ‘The change we want to see in the health system is clear: health services must be in daily contact with communities.

‘When health workers identify individuals who are at-risk early and provide them with quality support, it makes a real difference to survivors of violence, their families, and communities,’ he added. ‘It is a unique opportunity to improve public trust in the response system and decisively demonstrate that violence is never justified.’

Anne-Claire Dufay, UNICEF Deputy Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, said: ‘For millions of children in Latin America and the Caribbean, violence remains in their homes, schools, communities or online, undermining their mental health, fueling cycles of poverty, and even perpetuating violence into the next generations.

‘The good news is we know what works to end violence,’ she added. ‘We need bold investments to ensure every child is protected-investments in prevention, in early detection, in quality services, and in justice systems that respond with dignity and care.

‘When we protect children from violence, we are not only saving lives-we are shaping the future of the region,’ Dufay continued.

PAHO said the consultation advanced an ‘evidence-to-action agenda’ structured around four key areas for preventing and responding to violence: Legal and policy frameworks to prevent and respond to violence; parenting programs to break cycles of violence against children and adolescents; safe and enabling learning environments; and comprehensive health and protection services to respond to survivors.

PAHO said each session featured examples of good practices from countries across Latin America and the Caribbean, showcasing concrete solutions that have delivered results.

Participants underscored that effective prevention requires whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches, with particular attention to early childhood, mental health, digital safety, and social-protection systems, PAHO said.

It said contributions from survivors, youth representatives, artists, and international experts underscored the importance of working together to drive real change.

PAHO said they reaffirmed their determination to consolidate multisectoral partnerships and strengthen collaboration between the health, education, social protection, and justice sectors, together with civil-society, survivor and youth networks, to accelerate progress toward ending violence.

Countries also made commitments to strengthen national health and protection systems that are coordinated, data-driven, and responsive to the needs of every child and adolescent, PAHO said.

It said it and UNICEF convened the Regional Ministerial Consultation on Ending Violence against Children and Adolescents in Latin America and the Caribbean ‘to exchange experiences, identify effective strategies, and strengthen regional cooperation toward achieving the commitments made at the Global Ministerial Conference to End Violence Against Children (Bogotá, 2024) and the Sustainable Development Goals 16- which calls on all countries to promote peaceful and inclusive societies, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions, including the specific target (16.2) to end abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of violence against and torture of children.’

West Indies head coach, Daren Sammy has described his team’s performance in the just concluded ODI series against Bangladesh as ‘poor and disappointing’.

The regional side produced an abysmal performance in the third and final One Day International on Thursday, losing by a mammoth 179 runs to surrender the series 2-1.

Their bowlers were scrappy, allowing the visitors to pile up 296 for eight in their 50 overs – the highest total of the three-match series – and in response they were bundled out for 117, with only Akeal Hosein, who batted at number nine, scoring more than 20.

Speaking in a post-match press conference, a visibly frustrated Sammy admitted that his troops underperformed in almost every aspect of the game.

West Indies head coach Daren Sammy

‘I’m really disappointed in the way we’ve bowled. I mean look at the ODIs we’ve played this year [against] Ireland, England, even at home against Pakistan.

‘You come in Bangladesh and spinners should be licking their lips, because that’s the area where you will get to execute your plans in the most favourable conditions for you, and what we displayed over the last three games have been very poor,’ Sammy said.

‘We’ve not been consistent enough, and all three games we’ve allowed Bangladesh to score above [average]. I thought it was more like a 3.5 runs an over pitch and every game we’ve had to score over four runs an over.

‘And with the bat, again every time the challenge comes we lie down and die, except for when a Keacy Carty or Shai Hope put their hands up in challenging times.

‘I’m very disappointed. Bangladesh played pretty well, kudos to them, but we didn’t match them skill for skill with ball, bat or in the field, so they are deserving winners,’ the head coach maintained.

Sammy said while the West Indies were not at their best in any of the three matches, he was particularly upset with the manner in which they approached the series decider.

He said even though the team had spoken about the importance of the match, their performances on the pitch left a lot to be desired.

‘I think it’s a mindset. When we explained in the dressing room what this game means; you know we’re looking for automatic qualification, we have two teams fighting for the last spot before the cut off period and then you have a series decider on the line.

‘Your mindset must be ‘I’m the one to do that’. You saw the mindset of the [Bangladesh] batters; they were like, ‘I’m going to be brave on that wicket, I’m going to set the tone’ and the score didn’t reflect the wicket. The batsmen came in, decided to be brave in the Power Play and that put us under pressure and we took so long to answer.and we paid heavily for it,’ Sammy said.

Tropical Melissa has strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane, with forecasters warning that it could rapidly intensify into a major hurricane as it nears Jamaica.

At 2 p.m., the National Hurricane Centre (NHC) reported that Hurricane Melissa’s centre was located about 145 miles (230 kilometres) southeast of Kingston, moving slowly toward the west-northwest at just 1 mile per hour (2 km/h).

Maximum sustained winds have reached 75 miles per hour (120 km/h), and forecasters say the system could strengthen significantly over the next 48 hours.

‘Melissa is expected to move near or over Jamaica during the weekend and early next week,’ the NHC said. ‘Rapid intensification is forecast to occur over the next couple of days, and Melissa is forecast to become a major hurricane by Sunday.’

A hurricane warning remains in effect for the entire island, meaning hurricane conditions are expected within 36 hours. Authorities are urging Jamaicans to rush all preparations to completion before conditions deteriorate.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness is urging Jamaicans to take the impending weather threat seriously.

‘You have nothing to lose even if it doesn’t come. If it doesn’t come and you’re prepared, fine, you have lost nothing. The greater loss is if you didn’t prepare and it came,’ he reasoned.

While encouraging Jamaicans of faith to pray, Holness cautioned citizens living on gully banks, river courses and areas that were flooded during Hurricane Beryl last year.

‘Expect that this will happen again – that there will be flooding. Take the necessary measures. I have not yet said evacuate, but if we declare a disaster, evacuation orders will be in effect,’ he said.

‘During Beryl, I received the terrible news of a youngster, I believe, playing football and running after a ball, who fell into a gully and was washed away. I urge all Jamaicans to protect themselves. There’s no need to be playing football, no need to be climbing any trees. You have been given enough notice that this weather event is coming and that it could be disastrous, so take all measures to protect yourself,’ the prime minister added.

He also reminded Jamaicans to pay attention to the bulletins and the updates.

More than 881 shelters are on standby across the island to accommodate persons during and after the passage of the system.

Acting Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Richard Thompson, said on Friday that special attention is being given to critical parishes that are expected to be more affected by the storm based on its projected path, and there may be a need for evacuations.

These parishes are St. Mary, Portland, St. Thomas, Kingston and St. Andrew, St. Catherine, Clarendon, Manchester, St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland and Hanover. Thompson noted that focus is being placed on areas within these critical parishes that tend to experience high levels of flooding during heavy rainfall.

‘Within our evacuation protocols, transportation is critical. We have been having meetings with the transportation cell of the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC), and we have stated what we will be doing in terms of transportation if we have to do evacuations,’ he said.

Cricketer Alessandro Morris is the new president of the Cayman Islands Cricket Board (CICB), having been elected unanimously.

Morris, who represented the Caymans in the ICC World Cup qualifier in Canada earlier this year, was recently elected during an emergency board meeting.

The former vice-president takes over the position previously held by Courtney Myles, who was elected back in 2021.

Alessandro Morris

Other members of the executive include vice-president Ricardo Roach; treasurer Majin Paul; secretary Jalon Linton and directors Bruce Jalim, Cedric Gidarisingh, Andrew Ledger, Gerri-Ann Foster and Rakesh Baxani.

Morris, 43, said he was looking forward to his new role where he hoped to make a positive impact.

‘I am happy to serve my country off the field as well. I have played for the national team with some success and hopefully I can continue in the same manner off the field as well.

‘I want to thank the outgoing president, Courtney, for his work in taking the cricket up to this point and now is the time to take it even further,’ Morris said.

‘I have a strong executive with professionals on board and we will be looking to aggressively take the game forward on the island. As an Associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC), we want to take our national team up the rankings and hopefully, not too far in the future, we can land ourselves in the World Cup.

‘We have spoken about creating a vibrant and robust youth programme and this we see as the feeder to our national ambition in becoming better,’ he further added.

Morris has played 27 T20 Internationals and has taken 35 wickets at a credible average of 16.22 and an economy rate of 5.85.