Asianet Pakistan Private Limited

The former president of the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Sir Dennis Byron, Monday said the region has every confidence that under the stewardship of Justice Winston Anderson, the court ‘will not only flourish but will firmly secure its place as the indispensable guardian of justice in our region’.

Addressing a special sitting of the CCJ to commemorate the inauguration of the Jamaican-born jurist as the CCJ’s fourth president, Sir Dennis said that Justice Anderson’s life’s work has prepared him for ‘this very moment.

‘In welcoming Justice Winston Anderson to the presidency of the Caribbean Court of Justice, we place our trust in a jurist of profound intellect, unwavering principle, and a heart dedicated to the people of this region,’ said Sir Dennis, who served as the court’s second president, adding that in Justice Anderson, his record speaks with a clarity and force that needs little embellishment.

‘He combines scholarship of the highest order with an unswerving commitment to justice, fairness, and the service of our Caribbean people. His intellect is not just sharp; it is generative.

‘He is not only a consumer of jurisprudence but a creator of it. As the author of seminal textbooks and a wealth of publications, he has shaped the minds of a generation of Caribbean lawyers. It is not just his learning but the clarity with which he applies his knowledge.

‘He thinks deeply about the law, not as an abstract set of rules, but as a living instrument for justice. His judicial legacy already speaks for itself. We need look no further than the landmark cases he himself identifies as pivotal,’ said Sir Dennis, himself a jurist of international repute who served as president of the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR)..

He said that Justice Anderson’s concern for a just criminal system didn’t end in the courtroom and that it fuelled his visionary leadership as founder of the CCJ Academy for Law, culminating in the historic Needham’s Point Declaration.

‘Its recommendations, for laws to support convictions with forensic science and recorded confessions, are precisely the tools needed to build effective cases against the guilty while protecting the innocent.

‘And its significance was amplified by its unanimous endorsement by CARICOM governments, a powerful testament to the region’s acceptance of Justice Anderson’s leadership. This has provided a concrete, regionally-approved framework for our collective fight against crime.’

Sir Dennis recalled other cases involving the new CCJ president, saying ‘these cases reveal a unifying thread: a mind dedicated to principle, a spirit committed to fairness, and an indefatigable drive to raise the standard of Caribbean jurisprudence.

‘He possesses all the human virtues one would hope for in a judge: integrity, humility, and an unshakeable belief in the principles of humanity and the fundamental equality of all people before the law’.

Sir Dennis said that through the CCJ Academy, Justice Anderson has nurtured the next generation of lawyers, judges, and scholars.

He has also served the community in many other capacities, from West Indian cricket governance to International environmental law, from global arbitration to education, always with a sense of duty and distinction.

‘His judicial leadership has already been accepted internationally, not only in the citation of his decisions across jurisdictions both in and beyond the Caribbean, but also in the fact that he was chosen to serve as the head of the Apex Court in the Seychelles.’

Sir Dennis said that he worked with Justice Anderson and that he understands, in his very soul, ‘the value of a Caribbean court for the Caribbean people, a court that commands the confidence of our entire community, from the shores of Jamaica to the islands of Trinidad and beyond.

‘He is a leader who embodies integrity, intellectual excellence, and humanity. At the heart of his vision lies a simple but profound truth: justice is for people, not abstractions. He believes, as I do, in the inherent dignity and equality of all.

‘His leadership will resonate with all our communities, including the Indian diaspora in Trinidad and the wider Caribbean family, because he stands for justice that is inclusive, humane, and fair to all.’

He said that it s this unique combination, his towering intellect, his demonstrable leadership, his deep humanity, ‘and his unwavering belief in our regional project, that makes him the ideal President for this moment.

‘He is uniquely suited to win the confidence of the Caribbean community and to eloquently demonstrate the value of finally and fully embracing our own court. It is this unique combination, his towering intellect, his demonstrable leadership, his deep humanity, and his unwavering belief in our regional project, that makes him the ideal President for this moment.

‘He is uniquely suited to win the confidence of the Caribbean community and to eloquently demonstrate the value of finally and fully embracing our own court,’ Sir Dennis added.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Senior Women’s National Team Head Coach Angus Eve has named a strong training squad to begin their final preparations for the upcoming 2025/26 Concacaf W Qualifiers, the first step on the road to the next FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The squad, which sees a blend of experienced veterans and emerging talent, will assemble for a domestic training camp later this week.

The sessions are designed to build fitness and cohesion ahead of a busy international schedule, starting with a high-profile friendly against regional rivals Jamaica at home next month.

This friendly falls within the October international window and serves as a vital tune-up before the competitive action begins.

In November, the team will enter the preliminary stage of the 2025-26 Concacaf W Qualifiers.

The expansive qualifying tournament will see 29 member associations compete across the FIFA Women’s International Match Windows of November 2025, February 2026, and April 2026. Trinidad and Tobago has been drawn in Group F alongside Barbados, Honduras, and El Salvador.

The group stage format will see each team play two home and two away matches. The ultimate prize is a place in the 2026 Concacaf W Championship, with only the six group winners advancing.

‘The details on the Jamaica friendly during the October international window and the November games will be announced in due course,’ a statement from the TT Football Association confirmed.

Coach Eve’s selection features a formidable roster. The experienced Kimika Forbes is expected to provide leadership alongside Keri Myers and Malaika Dedier between the sticks.

The defensive unit boasts names like Victoria Swift, Rhea Belgrave, and Nathifa Hackshaw, who will be tasked with solidifying the backline. The midfield is packed with creative and combative options, including Asha James, Chelcy Ralph, and the versatile Karyn Forbes.

Leading the attack line will be veteran striker Kennya Cordner, supported by the likes of Aaliyah Prince, Tyeisha Griffith, and Afiyah Cornwall, offering a potent mix of pace and power.

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO WOMEN’S TRAINING SQUAD

GOALKEEPERS: Kimika Forbes, Keri Myers, Malaika Dedier, Tenesha Palmer

DEFENDERS: Victoria Swift, Rhea Belgrave, Chrissy Mitchell, Nathifa Hackshaw, Jade Bekai, Shaunalee Govia, Tsai-Anne Fernandez, Tamara Smart, Kaitlyn Darwent, Kanika Rodriguez

MIDFIELDERS: Asha James, Orielle Martin, Chelcy Ralph, Cherina Steele, Naomie Guerra, Renee Mike, Karyn Forbes, Alexcia Ali, Mariah Williams, Shurella Mendez, Shenieka Paul, Rasheda Archer

FORWARDS: Kennya Cordner, Aaliyah Prince, Nikita Gosine, Afiyah Cornwall, Kayla Prince, Tyeisha Griffith, J’eleisha Alexander, Jovanah Moreno, Sydney Pollard.

The Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) says it will host the two-day 2025 Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) Privacy Symposium that gets underway here on Wednesday.

It said the event brings together privacy professionals from international development institutions to share best practices and address emerging data protection challenges.

The region’s premier financial institution said that since its inception in 2017, the MDB Privacy Symposium has served as a vital platform for collaboration among MDBs, focusing on the development and implementation of privacy programmes.

It said that this year’s edition will place special emphasis on the intersection of data privacy and artificial intelligence (AI), a rapidly evolving area of concern for global institutions.

The symposium will feature interactive sessions on topics related to ensuring privacy programmes are AI-ready, conducting privacy assessments of AI tools, embedding privacy in the project lifecycle, advancing the MDB Privacy Toolkit and reviewing lessons learned from privacy audits and assessments.

‘Hosting the 2025 MDB Privacy Symposium reflects CDB’s commitment to embedding global best practices in data privacy across our operations,’ said CDB’s acting Vice-President of Corporate Services, Ian Durant.

‘This forum will ensure that we can remain informed, proactive and aligned with international standards in the face of AI and digital technologies that are reshaping development,’ he added.

He said that the symposium also supports CDB’s broader strategic goals of deepening partnerships and enhancing institutional capacity.

‘This gathering of experts is not only about compliance, it’s about collaboration. By working together, MDBs can build stronger, more responsive privacy frameworks that will protect individuals and support innovation in development.’

Participants will include privacy officers, legal experts, and digital governance professionals from major global, regional, and sub-regional development banks. The event is expected to generate actionable insights, strengthen the MDB privacy community, and advance collective responses to shared challenges.

The Belize government has confirmed that an unexploded and exploded ordnance (UXO) found last week in San Jose Nuevo Palmar Village, northwest of here is a ‘training bomb’ and that the general area was once used as a training ground, ‘and therefore, similar findings may occur’.

In a statement, the Ministry of National Defence and Border Security said it wanted to provide ‘critical information to the public’ regarding the the UXO incident that occurred on October 4.

It said that the UXO was identified as a MK1, General Purpose Medium Capacity/ Aircraft Bomb and that it was ‘confirmed to be a training bomb.

‘These MK1 General Purpose Medium Capacity Bombs are typically armed with TNT; however, this particular training bomb contained only a ‘spotting charge.’ This charge serves as an exploder, producing a small explosion to mark the point of impact during training exercises,’ the ministry said.

It said that the explosion caused by this UXO created a crater measuring approximately three feet wide and two inches deep and that ‘two additional UXOs of the same type were discovered at the site’ and ‘were safely stabilized and relocated by the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team of the Belize Defence Force (BDF).

‘The Ministry wishes to advise the public that this general area was once used as a training ground, and therefore, similar findings may occur.’

The ministry said that the BDF Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team, which serves as the national expert authority in such matters, emphasises that ‘if any person encounters a suspected UXO, do not touch, move, or tamper with it, immediately report the finding to the Belize Defence Force so that the ordnance can be safely disarmed and removed’.

Just over a month after leading his newly formed We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) political party to become the main opposition party in the National Assembly, businessman Azruddin Mohamed, has been indicted by a United States grand jury on several fraud related charges.

US authorities said that Mohamed and his businessman father Nazar ‘Shell’ Mohamed have been charged with wire and mail fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, stemming from tax evasion on gold exports and the importation of a Lamborghini luxury car

If found guilty on the charges of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, the Mohameds, who were sanctioned by the United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in June last year, could separately face a maximum of 20 years on each count, as well as maximum supervised release of three years, a maximum fine of US$250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss.

On the charges of wire fraud, the politician businessman could also be sentenced to 20 years imprisonment and maximum supervised release of three years and a fine of US$250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss.

The Grand Jury is also seeking a maximum of 20 years imprisonment, three years supervised release and a fine of US$500,000 or the value of the property involved in the transaction for conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The US is also asking the court that ‘upon conviction.as alleged in this Indictment, the defendants ‘shall forfeit to the United States any property, real or personal, which constitutes or is derived from proceeds traceable to such offense.’

The indictment states that the property directly subject to forfeiture as a result of the alleged offenses includes, but is not limited to, the following: a shipment containing approximately US$5.3 million in gold bars shipped from Guyana by Mohamed ‘s Enterprise seized at Miami International Airport on June 11 , 2024.

The unsealed indictment states that in the case of Azruddin Mohamed, from in or around 2017, and continuing through on or about June 11 , 2024, in Miami-Dade County in the Southern District of Florida, and elsewhere, the defendants, did knowingly, and with the intent to further the objects of the conspiracy, combine, conspire, confederate, and agree with each other and others, known and unknown to the Grand Jury, to commit offenses against the United States.

The indictment states that the purpose of the conspiracy was for the defendants to unlawfully enrich themselves and defraud the government of Guyana in connection with taxes and royalties owed.

The US accuses the Mohameds of reusing empty boxes with intact Guyana Revenue Authority and Guyana Gold Board seals for ‘shipments of gold to make it appear that Mohamed’s Enterprise had paid Guyana taxes and royalties on shipments of gold when, in truth and in fact, Mohamed’s Enterprise had not paid them on those shipments of gold.’

The Grand Jury also accuses the Mohameds of paying bribes to Guyanese government officials, including customs officials, so that customs officials would accept shipments of gold by Mohamed’s Enterprise with duplicate paperwork and reused seals thereby avoiding the proper payment of Guyanese taxes and royalties GRA and GGB seals from Miami to Mohamed’s Enterprise office in Guyana.

‘Nazar Mohamed and Azruddin Mohamed reused empty boxes with intact GRA and GGB seals for shipments of gold to make it appear that Mohamed’s Enterprise had paid Guyana taxes and royalties on shipments of gold when, in truth and in fact, Mohamed’s Enterprise had not paid them on those shipments of gold,’ the court document states.

In terms of the Lamborghini purchase and exportation to Guyana, the US Grand jury states he directed an unnamed individual to acquire a Lamborghini from California that cost approximately $680,000 for his benefit, caused the shipment of the Lamborghini via private and commercial interstate carrier from Miami to Guyana.

He also directed ‘Individual 1’ to create an invoice to make it falsely appear that the Lamborghini cost $US75,300 when, in truth and in fact, the Lamborghini cost approximately US$680,000, and caused the false Lamborghini invoice to be presented to the GRA and thereby avoided over one million dollars in taxes he owed to the GRA.

The West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) expresses condolences at the passing of Bernard Julien.

Bernard Denis Julien, born in 1950 in Carenage, Trinidad, played for the West Indies between 1973 and 1983 and was part of the winning 1975 World Cup team.

Bernard Julien was one of the players who received a life ban for touring South Africa in 1982-83. Julien died on Saturday, October 4, 2025, at the age of 75.

WIPA President and CEO, Wavell Hinds, remarked, ‘WIPA expresses sincere condolences to the friends and family of former West Indies cricketer Bernard Julien. May you find strength and peace amid your grief. We honour Bernard Julien’s lasting contribution to the game we love; may his soul rest in peace.

Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has launched a scathing critique of the West Indies’ dramatic decline in Test cricket, branding their current pace attack as looking ‘more like net bowlers’ after a meek surrender to India in the first Test.

Sunil Gavaskar said only pacer Jayden Seales looked the part during the just-concluded Test against India.

The match, which India won by an innings and 140 runs, was so one-sided that it was overshadowed by other news, a stark contrast to the era when a victory over the West Indies would have sent shockwaves across the globe. The

Caribbean side’s performance, both with bat and ball, painted a picture of a team far removed from its storied past.

Gavaskar, in his column for Sportstar, expressed his disbelief at the toothless West Indies bowling, reserving criticism for all but one bowler.

‘In Ahmedabad, apart from Jayden Seales, the other two were simply trundlers,’ Gavaskar wrote.

‘No disrespect intended to them, but to see the first bouncer being bowled after half a dozen overs had been bowled made one ask, ‘Is this really the West Indies pace attack?”

He acknowledged the effort required for a bouncer but emphasised its importance as a ‘surprise weapon’ to intimidate batters, a tactic famously synonymous with the West Indies teams of yesteryear.

The gulf between the two teams was even more evident with the bat. While Indian batsmen, including centurions KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel, and Ravindra Jadeja, piled on the runs, the West Indies’ resistance was minimal.

Gavaskar noted that only Alick Athanaze and Justin Greaves showed any appetite for a fight, with their top scores of 38 and 32, respectively, underscoring the team’s batting frailties.

The former India captain drew a painful comparison with the legendary batsmen of Caribbean cricket’s golden age.

‘For a team that once boasted of the likes of Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd, Gordon Greenidge, and Brian Lara, there is simply nobody in this current team who looks like getting a million country miles close to them,’ Gavaskar lamented.

The current state of affairs represents a dramatic reversal of fortunes. During Gavaskar’s own playing career (1971-1987), India won only five of the 31 Tests against the West Indies.

Incredibly, the West Indies have not managed a single Test victory against India since 2002, with India dominating the last 25 encounters with 15 wins.

The St. Vincent and the Grenadines government says it has collected EC$70 million (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) in tax revenue during the first eight months of the year, compared to the same period of 2024.

But it acknowledged that spending outstripped receipts slightly, leaving a current account deficit of EC$718,000, down from EC$19.3 million last year.

Finance Minister Camillo Gonsalves told Parliament that the current revenue of the Ralph Gonsalves’ government’s fiscal performance during the first eight months of the year amounted to EC$583 million, compared to EC$517 million up to that same period last year.

‘So we’re almost EC$70 million up – 60-odd million, and at 2023 at this period, we were at EC$481 million. So current revenue is up over EC$100 million over 2023,’ he said, adding that total revenue and grants was EC$624 million compared to EC$559 million year to point in 2024, and EC$514 million in 2023.

‘So that’s up $110 million over the two-year-ago period,’ he said.

The EC$70 million in taxes collected through August 31 is an 11 per cent increase over the EC$62 million of the year-ago period. Corporate taxes stood at EC$40 million, a 22 per cent increase over the 2024 period, when it was EC$33 million.

‘That always suggests that businesses are doing a little more business, making a little more money, and that’s good for everybody,’ Gonsalves said, adding that taxes on goods and services generated EC$182 million as opposed to EC$175 million in 2024 and EC$167 million in 2023.

Taxes on international trade was at EC$159 million, compared to EC$132 million in 2024 and EC$115 million in 2023. The sale of goods and services generated EC$75.4 million as opposed to EC$61 million last year and EC$51 million in 2023.

Capital revenue and grants was flat year-on-year at EC$41 million this year, compared to EC$32 million in 2023.

Gonsalves said total expenditure was EC$841 million on August 31, as compared to EC$728, year-on-year and EC$601 million in 2023, adding ‘you will notice that although the current revenue is increasing dramatically, so, too, is the expenditure’.

The finance minister said current expenditure stood at EC$584 million at the end of August, while it was 536 million in 2024 and EC$484 million in 2023.

‘You’re seeing the trend that if you go back two years, everything is up in the neighbourhood of $100 million, going back from the 2023 period to now.’

Gonsalves said one of the ‘big-ticket items’ is the compensation of employees, which was EC$262 million, up from EC$244 million in 2024 and $232 million in 2023.

He said the salary increase that came into effect this year contributed to the higher spending.

On the capital side, capital expenditure was EC$257 million.

He noted that in 2024, the government set a record of EC$568 million in capital spending, even as the number was EC$191 million on August 31, 2024.

‘So we are far outstripping last year’s record pace,’ Gonsalves said, adding that capital spending was up 34 per cent.

‘The current balance is $700,000 in deficit as opposed to last year, when we were $19 million in deficit. And the primary balance is a deficit of 130 as opposed to a deficit of 97 last year,’ he said.

The finance minister said the current expenditure of EC$584 million was almost the same as the current revenue, hence the deficit was less than EC$1 million. As of August, 31, the government recorded revenue totalling 1.05 billion, including current revenue and capital receipts.

‘This represents 57 per cent of the amount budgeted to be collected for the year on the expenditure side,’ Gonsalves said, noting that current expenditure, amortisation, sinking fund contributions and capital expenditure added up to approximately one billion EC dollars or 54 per cent of the budget.

‘The total budget would be broken down as follows: current revenue, of EC$583 million; capital receipts of EC$471 million, of which grants are 36 million, external loans are 292 million, local loans of 107 million, disposal of land of 1 million, and other receipts of 35 million .’

He said expenditure was EC$584 million, made up of financing of EC$158 million, amortisation of EC$146 million, sinking fund contributions of EC$11 million and capital expenditure of EC$257 million.

Gonsalves said that with two-thirds of the year having passed, current revenue has performed well, increasing significantly by 12.8 per cent and so far accounting for just over 64 per cent of the budget.

‘We’ve had good performance from taxes on income and profits, which increased by 13 per cent because all subcomponents performed better than last year, especially corporate taxes, which outperformed their respective year-to-date budget targets.’

Similarly, taxes on international trade went up by 21 per cent and the sub-components of import duty, vehicle surtax and VAT also outperformed the previous year and the year-to-date budgets.

Revenue from sales of goods and services went up by 24.5 per cent, driven by increased collections on driver’s licenses, which also outperformed their target to date. Recurrent expenditure saw an 8.9per cent increase in spending, approximately 64% of the budget to date.

‘This is driven by increased expenditure on the compensation of employees, which went up by 7.1 per cent due to the 2.5 per cent salary increase for public servants, along with increases in increments and allowances and also some new hirings.’

Gonsalves said the one per cent increase in the National Insurance Services contribution rate also contributed to part of this 7.1 per cent increase in compensation.