Category: CANA News

Prime Minister Gaston Browne Tuesday said that he is ‘seeking public advice’ regarding the removal of ‘under-performing members of the Judiciary from the jurisdiction’.

In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Browne said the Parliament has increased the maximum sentence to 15 years for gun crime in Antigua and Barbuda.

‘We were advised by members of the judiciary that no minimum sentencing should be legislated, which will fetter discretion and would constitute a trespass on the domain of the judiciary,’ Browne wrote.

‘However, we find that some in the judiciary are abusing the discretion in law, by imposing lenient sentences on repeat offenders and others who have committed heinous crimes. ‘

Browne said that these short sentences have now resulted in approximately 250 repeat offenders, who are stretching law enforcement capabilities and putting the entire society at risk.

‘The Executive has the authority to ask for the removal of these under-performing members of the Judiciary from the jurisdiction,’ he said, asking ‘alternatively, if the court refuses to remove them from the jurisdiction and they are non-belongers – should the Executive exercise its right to remove them from the state in the interest of national security and protection of the citizenry from these criminals ?

‘Seeking public advice,’ Browne wrote.

Prime Minister Browne latest statement follows Monday’s meeting of security officials here which he chaired in which he called for greater cooperation between the judiciary, parliament and the executive in addressing the recent increase in crime and violence, while emphasizing the need for sentences that are proportionate to the seriousness of criminal offences.

Prime Minister Browne told the meeting that he is particularly concerned that repeat offenders and persons convicted of gun-related crimes were receiving sentences which, in his view, did not adequately reflect the seriousness of their offences.

While he acknowledged the constitutional separation of powers among the Judiciary, Executive and Parliament, Browne said there must nevertheless be a degree of cooperation among the three branches in fulfilling their respective responsibilities for the governance and security of the country.

‘We are asking for your cooperation. We are demanding it in order to keep our country safe,’ he told the meeting even as reiterated that his comments were not intended to undermine the independence of the Judiciary.

In March this year, Prime Minister Browne called on Caribbean courts to comply with legislation approved by parliaments that increases fines and jail terms for persons involved in gun-related crimes.

‘The magistracy, the judiciary generally, I’m saying here, step up. Otherwise, you’re going to destroy these countries inadvertently by showing that you’re all-powerful and you’re independent.

‘That is not the type of, let’s say, governance ethos that we wish to see within the judiciary. We know you’re independent, but God damn it, man. We say increase the fines, increase the penalties, increase the custodial sentences of people involved in gun crimes,’ Browne said as police investigated the murders of 17-year-old Omari Lewis and his 18-year-old friend, Brianna Clark, in what residents had described as an execution-style shooting, believed to be carried out from a moving vehicle.

The Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has established a new regional reference referral laboratory here, boosting the region’s capacity to track, test and respond to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Health and wellness Minister, Dr. Christopher Tifton said that the facility will strengthen surveillance, improve clinical decision-making and reduce the Caribbean’s dependence on overseas testing.

‘The establishment of the lab will significantly strengthen our ability to identify resistant organisms more quickly, improve surveillance, guide appropriate treatment decisions, and provide valuable evidence supporting national policy and clinical practice.

‘It also reduces dependence on overseas referral testing while improving access to high-quality laboratory services across the Caribbean,’ he added.

Tufton said that the facility complements the work of Jamaica’s National Public Health Laboratory, hospital laboratories, infection prevention and control teams and clinicians and pharmacists, while supporting the country’s National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance.

He said Jamaica has been strengthening its surveillance systems, promoting responsible antibiotic prescribing, advancing antimicrobial stewardship and increasing public awareness about the appropriate use of antibiotics.

‘We are not sitting down and doing nothing. What this does is add capacity, and it also allows us to do even more,’ he added.

The AMR Regional Reference Referral Laboratory will serve as a regional hub for advanced testing, surveillance and technical support, enhancing the Caribbean’s ability to detect and respond to drug-resistant infections, while supporting evidence-based public health decision-making across CARPHA member states.

United States Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau, Monday said the re-opening of a steel company here reflects a commitment made by the leaders of the two countries ‘to stimulate economic growth in each of our respective countries’.

Landau, who is expected to hold talks with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, told the the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Ibis Steel Company at Point Lisas in central Trinidad, on the site of the former ArcelorMittal plant, which closed in 2016, that the event represents a new chapter in relations between Trinidad and Tobago and the United States.

‘Both President Trump and Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar came into office last year pledging to stimulate economic growth in each of our respective countries, and I think you can see at a place like this that both our countries over the last several decades have faced serious challenges in industrial development and in manufacturing’.

He said both countries have experienced closure of several plants and that both leaders came ‘ into office pledging to restart industrial economies that had fallen by the wayside.

‘That was a promise made to the voters, and that was a promise that both these leaders fully intended to fulfil. These weren’t just going to be words, they’re going to be actions, and so …our mission is to actually take our leader’s vision and transform it into reality’.

Landau said both countries are ‘free market economies, and so we in the government can’t just direct with the waving a magic wand, well this will now happen.

‘In the United States, we did many terrible things over the last several decades, and I don’t know you in Trinidad what your experience is, but in our country we basically destroyed our own mining industry, our own processing industry through excessive environmental regulations, really counterproductive ones.

‘Everybody wants a clean and safe environment, but at some point layers of regulation upon regulation don’t really materially help the environment, but they just certainly create a nightmare for people who are trying to run a business.’

He said such difficulties allowed for many US factories to relocate to China ‘and we saw factories like this shuttered across our country, and now I see it’s not just our country, it’s other parts of the world that face the same thing.

‘I think there is nothing more beautiful, frankly, than being able to see a plant like this that’s been shuttered come back to life. It’s like Lazarus arising from the dead again, and this is not just the metal that we’re seeing here, it’s the lives that are impacted’

Ibis Steel Company is a local subsidiary of the US-based Pinnacle Steel and Vanadium Corporation occupying the site of the former ArcelorMittal steel mill that closed in March 2016 due to prolonged financial losses, a crash in global steel prices, mounting debt, and fears over rising domestic electricity and natural gas costs, resulting in the abrupt dismissal of over 600 worker.

Landau said that the Trinidad and Tobago government has spoken ‘very eloquently’ about the 644 jobs, adding ‘those jobs are coming back, as well as all the many other jobs.

‘And that’s a win not only for Trinidad, but also for the United States, because this is one of the things that we lost, then, is not only the jobs, but also the strategic positioning. We let a lot of our critical supply chain completely fall out of our hands, so that we found that if we need certain minerals or other essentials for life, guess what?

‘We’re dependent on a foreign country that may not have our best interests at heart. It is a strategic imperative for us as the United States to revitalise these kinds of projects. It’s all about the private sector, ultimately, so I just want to give a huge shout out to Pinnacle for really recognising this opportunity here and for stepping into the breach,’ the US Deputy Secretary of State said.

He said he is pleased that Pinnacle has recognised the value of international investments for the good of the American people, adding ‘mean, this plant is exactly what we’re talking about in diplomacy when I say there are so many win-win situations.

‘I mean, we need these critical minerals. You need jobs. You have tailings and industrial residue that’s been left over from 100 years of industrialisation. This is a perfect example of what we’re talking about.

‘I mean, that is great for Trinidad. It’s great for the United States, and I’m just really grateful to a company like Pinnacle for stepping into the breach,’ he said, praising the private sector for looking for opportunities’.

‘I want to, again, thank the government of Trinidad for also recognising that you had a serious company here and coming to the table. I know these were tough negotiations …(and) that this was still in play through last night or maybe even early this morning.’

He said re-opening the plant would be advantageous to the United States that rely on rock and ore that used to produce steel ‘which goes into our battleships, into our skyscrapers…

‘When we’re talking about the strategic imperative of ensuring our critical mineral supply chain, this is exactly what we’re talking about. And so again, it is amazing to be here in Point Lisa’s Trinidad,’ Landau said, adding that Prime Minister Persad-Bissesar ‘has just been an incredible partner’.

United States Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau, Monday said the re-opening of a steel company here reflects a commitment made by the leaders of the two countries ‘to stimulate economic growth in each of our respective countries’.

GEORGETOWN – Guyana’s two main political parties are expressing concerns and alarm over the administration of the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) with on of the parties calling on the head of the court, Justice Winston Anderson to resign.

PORT AU PRINCE – Planning and Cooperation Minister, Sandra Paulemon, says the staging of elections in Haiti remains a major priority for the government as efforts continue to ensure complete coherence in the implementation of the electoral calendar.

NASSAU -The Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) has released a preliminary report into the fatal plane crash that occurred in North Andros on July 10 this year, killing all 10 people on board.

ROSEAU – Police say one of their colleagues is assisting their investigations into the disappearance of a 16-year-old, who had been reported missing since leaving her home in the Georgetown/Granvilla area of Portsmouth, north of here on July 24 this year.

SPORTS:

DUBAI – West Indies all-rounder Justin Greaves is among three players nominated for the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s Player of the Month award for July.

ARNOS VALE – In a pulsating Caribbean Premier League contest that swung like a pendulum until the very last ball, the St Lucia Kings held their nerve to defeat the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons by four runs in a high-octane finish at the Arnos Vale Ground here Sunday night.

West Indies will officially have to go through next year’s Qualifiers if they are to book their spot in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

Afghanistan secured the final spot and ruled out any mathematical chance the West Indies had of automatically qualifying for the 2027 World Cup by defeating Ireland by three wickets in the third One Day International (ODI) on Monday to take a 2-0 lead.

The West Indies needed Ireland to win the five-match ODI series either 4-1 or 5-0 to have a chance of securing an automatic spot.

The 10th ranked Windies have two ODIs against India remaining before the cut-off date, but even two wins still wouldn’t push them back into contention.

It marks the third successive time that the Men in Maroon will have to go through the Qualifiers to reach the marquee event.

The West Indies were unable to make the 2023 ODI World Cup via direct entry and had to play the Qualifier, where they finished fifth in the Super Six stage and ultimately lost out.

It was the first World Cup that they ever missed, which in turn led to their missing the 2025 Champions Trophy, a competition they haven’t played since 2013.

While a venue has yet to be named by the ICC for the Qualifier, it is scheduled to be held in February next year.

The winner of the Qualifier will get direct entry to the second round of the 2027 World Cup, while the teams finishing second, third and fourth will play the first round called the Super Series. The top team from that tri-series will then proceed to the second round.

In a pulsating Caribbean Premier League contest that swung like a pendulum until the very last ball, the St Lucia Kings held their nerve to defeat the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons by four runs in a high-octane finish at the Arnos Vale Ground here Sunday night.

Chasing a competitive 188 for victory, the Falcons looked destined to cruise to back-to-back wins, with the match predictor at one stage giving them a near-90% chance. But cricket, in its cruellest form, had other plans. The chase came down to the final over with 13 runs required, and when the dust settled, it was Kings’ seamer Matthew Forde who emerged as the coolest man in the stadium, conceding just eight runs to seal a dramatic victory.

The Falcons’ reply began with intent, as Evin Lewis and Rahkeem Cornwall tore into the Kings’ new-ball attack, racing past 30 inside the first three overs.

Cornwall fell soon after to Maheesh Theekshana for 27, but Lewis continued his assault, propelling the Falcons to 65 in the powerplay and a commanding 109 at the halfway mark, despite Theekshana striking again when he got rid of Tim Robinson for 30.

Lewis looked set for a match-winning knock until the 11th over, when left-arm spinner Joshua Bishop got him to hold out to a nervy Darren Need in the deep for a well-constructed 48 off just 24 balls.

That triggered a mini-collapse. Skipper Roston Chase decided to turn his arm over with his off-spin, and he sent back Karima Gore for two and Tajinder Singh for 21 in quick succession, and by the 16th over, the Falcons had stumbled to 142 for 5, needing 46 from the final four overs.

The 17th and 18th overs produced just 13 runs between them, turning the screws on coach Paul Nixon’s men.

Skipper Fabian Allen, with 28 not out, was at the crease, but he managed to face only two deliveries in the final over, as Jahmar Hamilton, who had struggled through a 10-off-20-ball innings at a critical juncture, was unable to rotate strike.

Hamilton eventually got run out, but Shamar Springer, despite hitting a four, could not come up with the goods as Forde kept his lengths immaculate, and the Falcons fell agonisingly short, finishing on 183 for 7.

Earlier, Kings captain Roston Chase won the toss and elected to bat, and it was Player of the Match Andries Gous who anchored the innings with a masterful 82 off 51 balls.

The American wicketkeeper-batter took strike from the very first ball and batted through to the 18th over, holding the innings together even as wickets tumbled around him.

Ackeem Auguste was the only other batter to offer meaningful resistance with a laboured 18 off 20 balls at No. 3, as the Falcons’ bowling attack kept striking at regular intervals.

Alzarri Joseph continued his fine form with figures of 3 for 32, following his 3 for 34 in the tournament opener, while Springer chipped in with 2 for 39.

But Gous’s timely boundaries and clever rotation ensured the Kings posted a defendable 187 for 8.

Actor, filmmaker, and media personality Borger Breeveld, best kknown for his starring role as Roy in the film ‘Wan Pipel’, died on Monday, his family has confirmed.

Breeveld, who was born on July 20, 1944, developed into a multifaceted personality within the Surinamese media and film gaining widespread fame with his portrayal of Roy in the 1976 film. Besides Wan Pipel, he appeared in various other productions over the years

Breeveld was instrumental in establoshing the Film Institute Paramaribo and was also involved with the Surinamese Film Academy.

In addition, Breeveld was closely associated with the Surinamese Television Foundation (STVS), where he held various positions and also contributed behind the scenes to numerous television and film productions.

A senior United States government official Monday said he has been ‘saddened’ that over the years, Washington’s relationship ‘with our friends in the Caribbean have not been as close as they should be’

‘I mean, the United States and the Caribbean countries seems to me are united in many ways by geography, by history. There’s so much that we can do together. And I feel, I really do feel like this Prime Minister here in Trinidad today is really opening the door for a new vision of US-Caribbean relations that nobody has ever opened before,’ said United States Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau.

Landau, who was speaking at the re-opening of the Ibis Steel Company, a local subsidiary of the US-based Pinnacle Steel and Vanadium Corporation occupying the site of the former ArcelorMittal steel mill that closed in March 2016, said that his presence here ‘is really a sign of recognition and respect and appreciation for that kind of partnership’ .

Ever since she led her United National Congress (UNC) led coalition to victory in the Apri 28, 2025 general elections, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has pushed Port of Spain firmly towards the United States, defending Washington’s war on illegal drugs in the Caribbean even as regional countries urged that the Caribbean remain a zone of peace.

In March, she joined President Donald Trump at the ‘Shield of the Americas’ summit as he launched the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition to fight regional transnational crime.

Last week, US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, Jim Risch, publicly thanked Trinidad and Tobago for an ‘active role’ in the arrest and extradition of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro.

But Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar has maintained that local military personnel were not involved in the January 3 operation in Caracas, even as she declined to clarify what Risch meant by an ‘active role,’ telling reporters that they should ask the US senator directly.

In July, she said that her discussions with Deputy Assistant Secretary, Barbara Feinstein were aimed at ‘deepening cooperation between Trinidad and Tobago and the United States.

Last week, last week, former Jamaica prime minister Bruce Golding expressed the hope that ‘the United States will soften the tone of its relationship with Jamaica and rekindle the strong, decades-old bond between both nations which Jamaicans cherish.

He said current current demands by Washington are ‘at odds with the very essence of true friendship’, pointing to the many challenges facing the island as established rules are being discarded and ‘new rules are being handed down, not after discussions and negotiations, but unilaterally by social media postings at 2:30 in the morning when most of us are asleep’.

The United States has frequently expressed concern over China’s expanding economic and infrastructural footprint in the Caribbean, viewing Beijing’s investments in local ports, telecommunications, and construction as a strategic challenge to its security and influence in the region.

Landau, who will hold talks with Persad-Bissessar before he flies out of Guyana to meet with President Irfaam Ali, told the ceremony that Persad-Bissessar, much like President Trump, campaigned on economic renewal and security renewal.

‘And those are both really important, critical objectives for both our governments. And so we are delighted to work together. And again, I am here to show that both sides are reaching out their hands of friendship and this plant is probably as concrete a symbol of that friendship and that cooperation as can possibly be imagined.’

He said that the private sector in the US has played a supporting role in ensuring the US’s vision for the socio-economic development of the region, adding that ‘it’s not the government that has made the United States the leader of the free world.

‘It’s our dynamic private sector. And I feel very proud as an American to be represented by our colleagues from Pinnacle here and by Pinnacle in general. I know you guys really are going to be (12:36) real ambassadors for our country here in Trinidad and Tobago.’

He said that the plant ‘is a great symbol of the renaissance that we have in our relationship and really the incredible opportunities in the future, not just for Trinidad, but really across the entire Caribbean region.

‘I think it’s a region with huge economic opportunities. And it’s one, frankly, that, you know, the United States is refocused on this region under President Trump, under Secretary of State Marco Rubio.’

The chief executive officer of the US-based Pinnacle Steel and Vanadium Company, Edwin Bennet, says the refurbishment of the former ArcelorMittal steel facility, is aimed at transforming Trinidad and Tobago into a major producer of vanadium.

‘Our vision for this facility is that it will be one of the most technologically advanced, lowest cost, and environmentally friendly steel mills in the world, putting Trinidad on the map not only as a steel producer, as a critical minerals producer, but as on the forefront, the leading edge of steel production technology,’ he told the ribbon cutting ceremony that was also attended by United States Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau.

He said that the initial investment in the Ibis Steel Company at Point Lisas in central Trinidad, on the site of the former ArcelorMittal plant, which closed in 2016 is planned at US$250 million.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) has released a preliminary report into the fatal plane crash that occurred in North Andros on July 10 this year, killing all 10 people on board.

One person, 24-year-old Macaro Rolle had initially survived the crash, but he died of his injuries while awaiting medical transport a short time later.

In its preliminary report, the AAIA said that the 45-year-old Franklyn Cambridge, who had over 13,000 hours of total flight time, was fully licensed to fly the Cessna 402C, a Flamingo Air airplane that crashed in a wooded area one nautical mile away from the runway at San Andros Airport in North Andros.

The report states that the ‘non-scheduled commercial flight into Andros was conducted as a charter flight by Flamingo Air’ and that the aircraft left Nassau without incident on July 10, its third such flight of the day and flew flew westbound en route to San Andres, making a slight right turn to a northwesterly track consistent with joining a traffic pattern for runway 12 on its approach to the San Andres Airport.

The preliminary report noted that at that time, radar recorded data showed the aircraft was at a height of approximately 2,500 feet and shortly after at approximately 12.46 pm (local time) it made a left turn consistent with following traffic pattern procedures in its approach to land.

During the final data recorded by radar, the flight showed an altitude of approximately 300 feet at an indicated airspeed of 62 knots at approximately 12.48 pm, the exact time the aircraft is believed to have made impact with tall pine trees in a wooded area.

‘Preliminary observations of fire signature markings on the aircraft wreckage suggests that a post-crash fire ensued. The main debris zone was confined to an area of approximately 2,455 square feet.

‘There were several [felled] trees within the main debris zone with a few of them observed to be laying perpendicular to and on top of the aircraft wreckage. Within the main debris zone, evidence of fire and associated damage to the environment were noted by the charred barks of tree trunks as well as the observed brown colored foliage on the tops of trees.

‘The outer debris zone extended to cover an area of approximately 15,500 square feet in which the furthest piece of aircraft debris (left wing navigation light) was observed at a distance of approximately 85 feet from the main wreckage.

‘Based on the distribution of the wreckage, it would appear that a low velocity, low angle impact would have occurred,’ the report noted adding that the fire that ensued destroyed the fuselage of the aircraft.

‘The left propeller was observed still attached to the propeller hub with minimal signs of impact damage to the three propeller blades. The right engine was extensively damaged by a combination of fire and impact forces. The right propeller remained attached to the propeller hub with substantial signs of impact damage to all three propeller blades. All three propeller blades were observed twisted and bent.’

The report states that the certifications of both Flamingo Airlines and the pilot of the aircraft were valid and that in the aftermath of that deadly Independence Day crash, the airline’s operations were immediately suspended.

The AAIA is expected to release its final report on the incident within 12 months of the crash.