Category: CANA News

A magistrate has set October 19 as the date for handing down his ruling as to whether or not the charge of murder against three men following the sinking of the MV Barima on July 18 this year, amounts to an ‘abuse of process’ by police.

Magistrate Ravindra Mohabir sitting at the Chairty Magistrate’s Court, set the date after hearing submissions from the police legal adviser, Mandel Moore on October 12 and the defence lawyer Dexter Todd on October 28. The three accused, Kevin Price, the 40 year-old captain of the vessel, chief mate Rondell Dwayne Roberts 42, and goods superintendent, 33-year-old Delon Granderson have been charged with multiple counts of murder following legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC.

The 87-year-old MV Barima capsized on July 18, 2026, 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 has told a news conference 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.

The paper committal proceedings are scheduled to begin on November 16.

Todd told the court on Monday that the sections of the Shipping Act provide first for the holding of marine accident investigation first before a criminal investigation by police. He submitted an application for the Court to stay the criminal proceedings on the grounds that it the murder charges amount to an abuse of the law.

Todd argued that the men have not been given protection of the law urging that the case for the criminal proceedings to be halted and that a proper investigation be conducted in accordance with the Shipping Act.

At the last court hearing, Moore said all evidence and material information gathered by the state had been disclosed with the defence then requesting seven days to review the material and determine whether statements would be filed on behalf of the accused.

The three accused have since been remanded to prison until November 16.

Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre Monday said Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries will maintain its position regarding the 1.5 degree Celsius climate target to limit global average warming even as the developed countries continue to hedge on adopting measures linked to the Loss and Damage Fund.

The Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) is a global climate finance mechanism designed to help vulnerable developing countries pay for the economic and non-economic devastation caused by climate change.

It was agreed upon at 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt in 2022 and formally operationalised at COP28 in the United Arab Emirates in 2023-24.

While wealthy countries have promised between US$750 million and US$822 million to the UN-backed a major gap exists between what has been promised and what is actually available.

Pierre who has responsibility for Sustainable Development within the CARICOM Quasi Cabinet, whose portfolio includes, the environment, climate change, disaster management and water security, told a news conference here that the 15-member grouping has adopted a position that ‘we should stick to that the climate, the temperature should not go up by more than 1.5 degrees.

‘That’s us. 1.5 to stay alive.To stay alive, that’s first position. Second position is our constant claim for loss and damage in that we are not the largest emitters but we pay the most. We don’t admit, but we pay the most for it.

‘But again, and again, it’s a situation that’s a catch-22 situation,’ said Pierre, the CARICOM chairman, adding ‘all the terms that we make to diversify our revenue sources are under pressure. ‘

Pierre said that diversification of the economy is necessary ‘so that we can stop having to always be begging’.

He said in the case of St. Lucia his administration has started a sovereign wealth fund, adding ‘we said to the world we are ready to save’.

He said Castries has also informed the global community of its Citizenship by Investment Programe (CBI) through which foreign investors are granted citizenship of the island in return for making a substantial investment in the country’s socio-economic development.

But he said Europe has asked ‘us to end the CBI programme in the next two years, even though we have set up a regulatory body where all the countries that have CBI programmes…got together and said what do you want from us?

‘We are forming that body, but we’ve been told to close the programme in two years. Now, we’ve been asked for all levels of due diligence, which we continue to do step by step,’ Pierre said, acknowledging that ‘some people may slip through the cracks.

‘But all the due diligence will be asked for. We are doing it. But we are a country of laws. So we’re going to try our best to work with our European partners. We’re going to try our best to observe all the due diligence processes that they require to stay within the law.

‘But all we are asking as a country is give us the scope to create our own sources of revenue so we don’t have to beg you for loss and damage, because when … there are weather events, all of us suffer, and these things do not reach the world news.’

Pierre said that St. Lucia is now experiencing a drought situation and ‘so what we ask in the world to do is as small states, give us the opportunity, not for us to beg you, but the opportunity with your help to create our own destiny for our people,’ Pierre told reporters.

Last week, Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said that the leaders of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) whose countries operate a Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme are hoping to mount a ‘high-level mission’ to Brussels later this month.

The sub-regional leaders had in July announced plans for the mission after the European Union announced it would be moving towards ending the visa free programme for the regional countries.

In July, the leaders of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and St. Kitts and Nevis said they would undertake the mission ‘at the earliest appropriate opportunity’ to engage directly with the President of the European Commission, the President of the European Council, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

‘These engagements will seek to deepen mutual understanding of the unique vulnerabilities and development realities of small island developing states, to explore practical and mutually beneficial solutions to the issues identified by the European Union, and to strengthen the longstanding partnership between the European Union and the Eastern Caribbean.

‘But the plan was to have a meeting towards the end of September and we are hoping that both sides can stick to keep looking at it, but we haven’t pinned down the date, precise date yet,’ Skerrit told reporters.

The St. Lucia government says while it will continue to provide subsidies on petroleum products to cushion the impact of higher international prices on consumers, it has had no choice but to adjust the retail price for these products.

In a statement, the Office of the Prime Minister said that the price changes take effect from September 14, 2026 and will apply for the three-week period ending October 4, 2026.

‘The public is hereby notified that, in keeping with changes in international oil prices and the Government’s application of the modified market pass-through petroleum pricing mechanism, the retail prices of gasoline, diesel and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) have been adjusted,’ it said, noting that the retail price of kerosene remains unchanged.

But the price of gasoline has increased from EC$16.75 to EC$17.25 (One C dollar=US$0.37 cents) per imperial gallon, while diesel increased from EC$16.75 to EC$17.25 per imperial gallon.

The government said that a 20-pound LPG cylinder increased from EC$34.00 to EC$36.00 per cylinder, a 22-pound LPG cylinder increased from EC$38.00 to EC$40.00 while a

100-pound LPG cylinder increased from EC$288.50 to EC$314.88 per cylinder. It said bulk LPG increased from $2.76 to $3.02 per pound.

The government said it will continue to provide subsidies on petroleum products to cushion the impact of higher international prices on consumers.

‘For the period September 14 to October 4, 2026, subsidies will continue to apply to diesel, kerosene and all LPG products.

‘The adjustments reflect movements in international crude oil and refined petroleum product prices during the reference period from August 17 to September 6, 2026. During that period, the average price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil increased by 6.7 per cent to US$86.08 per barrel,’ the government statement added.

Americans Kenneth Bednarek and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden upstaged Olympic champions Oblique Seville and Julien Alfred respectively, to win gold in the 100 metres at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship final here on Saturday.

Competing in the men’s event, Bednarek clocked a season’s best 9.85 seconds to relegate Jamaica’s Seville to second in 9.90 seconds, with the USA’s Ronnie Baker claiming bronze in 9.93 seconds.

Seville got the better start, overhauling early leader Christian Coleman midway through the race, but just as he did Bednarek appeared on his left, the US sprinter’s 200m strength paying dividends over the latter half.

Bednarek was elated after capturing his first global 100m title.

‘It means a lot to me, because we had a really tough field, and to be able to come out on top with a really stacked field, it’s definitely something to take note of.

‘I definitely feel like it’s more of a relief, just because silver, silver, silver over the last few years,’ he said when asked what it felt like to finally win a title,’ Bednarek said after the race.

‘And to be able to get a win over a good event like this, it definitely means a lot because it just proves that I’m capable of doing it and I belong here.’

Just moments earlier, his compatriot Jefferson-Wooden ran a blistering, world leading 10.62 seconds – the seventh fastest of all time – to relegate Saint Lucia’s Alfred to silver in 10.74 seconds, with Sha’Carri Richardson of the USA a close third in 10.76 seconds.

The Jamaican duo of Jonielle Smith and Tina Clayton, finished fourth and fifth respectively, with both timed at 10.94 seconds, while another Jamaican in Lavanya Williams was seventh in 11.07 seconds.

Jefferson-Wooden got off to a strong start but trailed Clayton early, before putting the pedal to the metal in the final 50m, pushing ahead of the field for a comfortable win.

‘This feels amazing. I crossed the line with a smile on my face because only I know all the things I have done to get to this moment,’ Jefferson-Wooden said.

‘When I got into the blocks today, I just told myself that this is my moment. I worked so hard to be where I am today. I didn’t want the moment to be too big. I just had to focus on myself and everything would work out well.’

Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem ‘The Dream’ Richards and Jamaica’s Nickisha Pryce copped bronze medals in their respective 400m events.

Richards crossed the finish line in 44.23 seconds to finish behind Rai Benjamin of the USA (44.15) and winner Busang Kebinatshipi, who set a new national record of 43.39 seconds.

The women’s event was expectedly won by Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic in 49.07 seconds, with Henriette Jager of Norway (49.28) taking home silver ahead of Pryce (49.56).

Jamaica’s Tajay Gayle produced a sub-par performance to finish fifth in the men’s long jump with a leap of 7.90 metres.

St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew Sunday confirmed that he had suffered a stroke late last month but that he is recovering well and that he has since been discharged from a hospital here.

Drew 49, was flown out to Florida for further medical evaluation on September 2, after initially being hospitalised in the neighbouring French island of Martinique. He was first treated for symptoms including nausea, dizziness, and balance issues, and was admitted to the Joseph N. France General Hospital here on August 30. ‘ I want to thank you for your prayers and well wishes. I first of all want to thank God Almighty for having me here. Without Him, I would not be here. And again, to thank all of the medical practitioners …,’ Prime Minister Drew said in an eight minute broadcast to his twin island Federation.

‘After all of the analysis, I suffered a stroke. This stroke was a dissection of one of the arteries in the back of my brain called the vertebral artery, and even though I suffered that stroke, the limitations on my mind and body, those limitations have been well controlled and well managed,’ said Prime Minister Drew, himself a medical practitioner.

‘I can move all my limbs, speak well. My mentation, my coordination, my intelligence have been well and I am now at the stage where I have left the hospital here in Florida, and I’m now doing rehab, both occupational therapy and IOT as well.’

He said his rehabilitation exercises ‘are going extremely well,’ adding ‘so at this point in time, I can say, both mentally and psychologically and also physically, I’m doing much better than my ailment will suggest.

‘And I thank God over and over for his many, many blessings and praise from all those who have been praying for me,’ he said.

Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew updating the people of St. Kitts and Nevis and the wider Caribbean from a rehabilitation center in Florida (CMC Photo)

Prime Minister Drew, who has been leading the government since August 6, 2022, said his administration is a mature and serious one with ‘ multiple contingency plans in place from the worst case scenario to a minor disruption.

‘In this case, I suffered an acute illness and had to leave the country in short order to seek medical care,’ he said, noting that whilst he was in hospital in Basseterre he met with the entire cabinet.

‘I was able to basically explain the plan to them and delegate responsibilities to the whole of cabinet. So everything was in place. Everything has been left in place and all of my responsibilities are delegated to the pertinent ministers.

‘And I want to say, thus far, I’ve been monitoring. They’re doing a very good job and the transition has been extremely smooth. The government has been functioning extremely well,’ he said as he thanked all stakeholders for playing their respective roles.

‘And so I ultimately want to thank my support group, my wife who has been by my side, my son who came to visit me, my mother, my sisters, even people from the St. Kitts Nevis Labour Party and even those beyond the politics who have been sending support and reaching out.

‘So, so many people to thanks, and all I can say is thank you, thank you, thank you. But ultimately, the greatest thanks goes to God Almighty, for without him, I would not be here and having suffered what I suffered, and in such short order to be able to speak well, move well,…and getting to have already left the hospital and getting ready to leave the rehab centre…that alone is a great testimony in and by itself.

‘So I want to thank God for all that he is doing, and all that he has done. But I also want to reiterate that my general health has been extremely good. My blood sugar, extremely good, my cholesterol, the control of my blood pressure. So my baseline health status is extremely robust and strong.

‘And that has given me…I will say basis for my quick rebound. Of course, that is in tandem with my spiritual life as well. I take my prayer life seriously, my meditation life seriously, and these things have really helped me through this most difficult time,’ Prime Minister Drew said, adding that he is looking forward to returning home to get back to work.

‘But at this time, what I fundamentally want to say is thank you, and I cannot say it enough,’ he added.

The Barbados Tridents defeated the Guyana Amazon Warriors by six wickets in the 35th match of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League at Kensington Oval here on Sunday.

Scores

GUYANA AMAZON WARRIORS 99 in 18.1 overs (Glenn Phillps 24, Romario Shepherd 22, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 18, Quentin Sampson 12; Johann Layne 3-14, AM Ghazanfar 3-17, George Linde 2-13).

BARBADOS TRIDENTS 100-4 in 14.5 overs (Brandon King 44 not out, Shadrack Descarte 32; Mehidy Hasan Miraz 2-25).

A lawsuit against the United States government over the alleged deaths of two Trinidadian fishermen in a US military strike in the Caribbean Sea has been put on hold pending proceedings before the local court .

Nearly a year after Chad Joseph and Rishi Samaroo disappeared while attempting to return home from Venezuela, the Burnley v United States lawsuit is awaiting a local court ruling formally declaring the men dead and allowing their relatives to administer their estates.

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) senior staff attorney Steven Watt told the Sunday Express newspaper that, following the filing of an amended complaint in June, the US government asked for the case to be stayed until the Trinidad and Tobago proceedings are completed.

Joseph’s mother, Lenore Burnley, and Samaroo’s sister, Sallycar Korasingh, are being represented by the ACLU and the Centre for Constitutional Rights.

The lawsuit alleges that Joseph and Samaroo were killed in one of 69 lethal US military strikes carried out in the Caribbean and Pacific since September 2025. The strikes have reportedly killed 230 people.

The families believe the two men were aboard a fishing vessel struck in the Caribbean Sea on October 14, 2025. US authorities said six people killed in that operation were ‘narcoterrorists’ transporting drugs along a known trafficking route.

Relatives have strongly denied that Joseph or Samaroo was involved in drug trafficking, saying both men had been working on a farm in Venezuela before arranging transportation back to Trinidad.

The lawsuit seeks damages for their relatives, alleging the men were victims of extrajudicial killings and that their deaths amount to wrongful deaths under the US Death on the High Seas Act.

Burnley and Korasingh had been due to appear before the High Court in July seeking declarations that Joseph and Samaroo were legally dead. According to the amended complaint, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and Coast Guard were also summoned to provide updates on missing-person investigations.

Watt said a new hearing date has not yet been set.

He also criticised the Trinidad and Tobago government, saying the families had received little support apart from efforts by the protective services to investigate the disappearances.

Watt referred to previous statements by Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Sean Sobers that the government had no evidence the men were killed in a US strike.

He also criticised the government’s broader support for the US military operations, arguing that the strikes amount to unlawful extrajudicial killings without due process.

Watt said that even if people aboard targeted vessels were suspected of drug trafficking, they should be arrested, detained and investigated rather than killed.

He also dismissed suggestions that Joseph and Samaroo may simply be missing or may have remained in Venezuela, describing such claims as disrespectful to their families.

The Guyana Amazon Warriors were dismissed for 99 in 18.1 overs after being sent in by the Barbados Tridents in the 35th match of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League at Kensington Oval here on Sunday.

GUYANA AMAZON WARRIORS 99 in 18.1 overs (Glenn Phillps 24, Romario Shepherd 22, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 18, Quentin Sampson 12; Johann Layne 3-14, AM Ghazanfar 3-17, George Linde 2-13).

The Barbados Tridents Women reached 158-7 in 20 overs after being sent in by the Guyana Amazon Warriors Women in the sixth match of the Women’s Caribbean Premier League at Kensington Oval here on Sunday.

BARBADOS TRIDENTS WOMEN 158-7 in 20 overs (Hayley Matthews 50, Kiran Navgire 38, Suzie Bates 22 not out, Qiana Joseph 15, Maddy Green 14; Sheneta Grimmond 3-28, Erin Burns 2-19).

London-listed United Oil and Gas Plc has commissioned a study into drilling rig availability and costs as it advances plans for possible exploration on its Walton-Morant licence off southern Jamaica.

The company said NRG Well Management has been appointed to assess rig suitability, indicative day rates, mobilisation requirements, long-lead equipment and procurement schedules for a potential drilling campaign.

United’s newly appointed chief operating officer Donal Meehan said the study was an important step in preparing the licence for a possible future drilling programme.

He said it would provide an up-to-date market assessment of rig availability, commercial conditions and the equipment needed to drill prospects including Colibri and Thunderball.

Colibri lies in about 750 metres of water and is estimated to contain gross unrisked mean prospective resources of 406 million barrels. Thunderball, in about 1,900 metres of water, is estimated at 603 million barrels.

Together, the two prospects account for more than one billion barrels of the approximately seven billion barrels of unrisked mean prospective resources identified across the 22,400-square-kilometre licence area.

United stressed that the study does not amount to a commitment to drill, saying any exploration well would require Jamaican regulatory approval and completed commercial agreements.

The study is expected to be completed within weeks and will also support ongoing discussions to bring a partner into the project.

United holds a 100 per cent interest in Walton-Morant but has repeatedly said it needs a partner before drilling can begin.

Under a farm-out arrangement, United would surrender part of its interest in return for another company helping to fund exploration. The company said in June it was aiming to secure an agreement this year, with several potential partners involved in discussions under confidentiality agreements.

United reported an after-tax loss of US$1.25 million for 2025, down from US$2.4 million the previous year, and ended the year with US$1.7 million in cash.

The rig study follows Meehan’s promotion this week from head of commercial to chief operating officer. He said his immediate priorities include advancing the farm-out process, ensuring operational readiness and moving the Jamaica licence into its next phase.

Chief Executive Officer Brian Larkin said the appointment came at an important stage as the company seeks to conclude the farm-out process.

No wells have been drilled on the Walton-Morant licence and United has made no discovery there.

About 11 exploration wells have been drilled in Jamaica since the 1850s, including two offshore, but none tested the prospects now being marketed by United.

The company’s exploration case was strengthened by a seabed survey completed earlier this year, which detected butane and pentane hydrocarbons in core samples from parts of the licence.

An independent study in 2025 subsequently raised the estimated chance of exploration success at Colibri from one in five to one in three.