US-sanctioned Nazar
BRIDGE OPENINGS
The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Saturday, August 30 –20:55h–22:25h and Sunday, August 31 – 22:00h–23:30h.
The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Saturday, August 30 –07:55h–09:25h and Sunday, August 31 – 08:55h–10:25h.
FERRY SCHEDULE
Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily.
WEATHER TODAY
Rain and occasional thundery showers are expected during the day, and rain showers followed by mist and fog are expected at night. Temperatures are expected to range between 23 degrees Celsius and 32 degrees Celsius.
Winds: North-Easterly to East South-Easterly between 0.89 metre and 3.12 metres.
High Tide: 08:35h and 20:48h reaching a maximum height of 2.28 metres and 2.29 metres.
Low Tide: 14:22h reaching a minimum height of 0.99 metre.
US-sanctioned Nazar "Shell" Mohamed caught on video leaving the Venezuelan Embassy …visit
raises national security concerns, Venezuelan ties
Weeks after challenging the Government to provide proof, evidence has now emerged to show United States (US)-sanctioned businessman, Nazar “Shell” Mohamed, leaving the Venezuelan Embassy in Georgetown.
CCTV footage obtained by this publication shows Mohamed walking out of the Venezuelan Embassy in the company of another person at about 14:01h on August 7, 2025. He could be seen entering a vehicle, which subsequently drove off. This publication has since confirmed that the vehicle, PAG 3664, is registered to the Mohameds.
The emergence of the CCTV footage now raises questions as to what was discussed and why the Mohameds were reluctant, in the first place, to admit that a visit was indeed made to the embassy.
Nazar and his son, Azruddin Mohamed, the latter of whom founded the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party and is contesting the September 1 elections as the Presidential candidate, have been sanctioned along with several of their businesses by the US over gold smuggling and public corruption.
Earlier this month, Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Hugh Todd had expressed concerns over the Mohameds’ frequent visits to the Venezuelan Embassy in Georgetown.
Todd said that he had previously summoned Venezuela’s Ambassador to Guyana, Carlos Amador Perez Silva, to a meeting on the issue, and the diplomat indicated that the Mohameds “visited the embassy to apply for visas to go to Venezuela, specifically Caracas” – something which the Minister said is alarming in light of recent concerns raised by at least two US Congress members over what they had described as Venezuela’s attempt to influence internal affairs in Guyana, specifically through the younger Mohamed.
Congress members Carlos Gimenez and María Elvira Salazar called Azruddin Mohamed a “puppet” of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro earlier this year, an accusation the Guyanese businessman has refuted.
Moreover, Azruddin Mohamed has also denied visiting the Venezuelan Embassy, but Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo subsequently said that there is video evidence of the elder Mohamed going to the embassy.
At a previous press conference, the VP had challenged the Mohameds to prove his claims wrong, saying he is even willing to put his political career on the line.
In an article published by the Stabroek News on August 17, however, Nazar Mohamed refused to answer whether he did in fact visit the Venezuelan embassy here and was quoted as saying, “The allegations are just so totally foolish and absurd.”
“What were you doing there?”
According to the Stabroek
US-sanctioned businessman, Nazar “Shell” Mohamed caught on CCTV footage existing the Venezuelan Embassy in Georgetown
News article on August 17, 2025, the sanctioned businessman also claimed that the allegations were made to paint his son in a bad light.
With Venezuela making claims to more than two-thirds of Guyana’s landmass and portions of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) offshore, a matter that is currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for settlement, coupled with the country’s upcoming elections, VP Jagdeo just last week expressed concerns about the Mohameds’ association with Venezuela.
“What were you doing there? Why would you want to go to Venezuela on a vacation a couple weeks before the elections? Or was it a visa you were applying for? Or were you getting some information? And how often did you go there to the embassy? Were you collecting something, information or otherwise? Was he getting information from the Venezuelans to help their campaign? Was he trying to flee Guyana? Was he there for a benign purpose? But how benign could it be if weeks before the elections you go there? Nobody wants to go to Venezuela now. Now, why would you want to go to Venezuela at this stage, especially in light of several US congressmen saying
he’s Maduro’s puppet and the Mohameds are Maduro’s puppets, and especially in light of reports that Venezuelan generals were linked to the gold smuggling in Guyana?” Jagdeo questioned.
He went on to add, “This is what they’re avoiding. And it’s a huge issue. It’s a national security issue for Guyana. So, all they could have done is to have a simple statement; ‘He did not go’. I’m still looking forward to them putting out this statement to make me a liar.”
Pro-Maduro puppet
On June 30, US Congressman Gimenez had also raised concerns over what he describes as Venezuela’s attempt to influence internal affairs in Guyana, specifically through a controversial figure. Gimenez stated, “In the US Congress we are alarmed by the regime in Venezuela’s attempt to undermine Guyana through its pro-Maduro puppet candidate Azruddin Mohamed, who is sanctioned by OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control).”
In 2024, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed, as well as several of their companies, for smuggling
more than 10,000 kilograms of gold into the US and avoiding paying over US$50 million in duty taxes in Guyana.
Moreover, US Congresswoman Salazar subsequently cautioned that “We remain deeply concerned about efforts to undermine democracy in Guyana. As a strategic ally of the United States, Guyana deserves leaders who respect democratic values. Individuals sanctioned for illicit activities must not be allowed to jeopardise this vital relationship.”
The US has already designated Venezuela as a narco-state and has deployed several warships with over 4000 troops off the coast of Venezuela as part of efforts to crack down on the drug trade in the region.
Washington has stated that designated narco-terrorist organisations like Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles are using the region’s air and sea corridors to funnel drugs into the US, thus posing a direct threat to American lives and security.
The Guyana Government has already welcomed the US sending resources to the Caribbean region to clamp down on the illicit drug trade.
In fact, with elections just days away, incumbent President Irfaan Ali has been underscoring the need for Guyana to have strong and globally trusted leadership as the region faces rising military tensions between the US and Venezuela.
According to Ali, who is seeking a second term in office at the September 1 elections, only the incumbent People’s Progressive Party/Civic has demonstrated the ability to lead the country with support from global partners to face regional security issues, such as illegal drug trafficking and threats to national security and territorial integrity.
Editor: Tusika Martin
News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761
Marketing: 231-8064Accounts: 225-6707
Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Industrial Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown
Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com
Confronting domestic violence with urgency & resolve
Domestic violence continues to exact a devastating toll on families and communities across Guyana. Recent events have once again underscored the barbarity and human cost of this scourge, demanding more than statements of sympathy and condemnation. The killing of Teekadai Atiya Solomon at the hands of her partner, who also turned a weapon on their child, is not an isolated act of violence but a grim reflection of a systemic crisis that remains deeply embedded within society.
The stark reality is that domestic violence has become both a national emergency and a profound societal failure. Despite years of advocacy, legal reforms, and community initiatives, countless women remain trapped in cycles of abuse, with their children often left as both witnesses and victims. When homes, the very spaces meant to be safe havens, become sites of terror, the collective conscience of the nation must respond with both urgency and determination.
Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo’s recent remarks reflect an acknowledgement that measures already in place are no longer sufficient. By describing domestic violence as “barbaric” and “medieval”, the Vice President has correctly identified the magnitude of the crisis. His pledge to pursue a dual approach, strengthening legislation while also reshaping societal values through civic education, signals recognition that laws alone cannot eradicate entrenched behaviours. Without cultural transformation, the cycle will continue.
The commitment to engage civil society, non-Governmental organisations, and religious leaders is particularly significant. Domestic violence is not a matter confined to the private sphere; it is a community issue, a national issue, and ultimately a moral issue. Any strategy must therefore be inclusive, drawing on the influence of trusted local institutions to promote prevention, support survivors, and challenge destructive norms. Partnerships of this kind, however, must be adequately resourced, systematically co-ordinated, and consistently monitored to ensure real impact rather than symbolic gestures.
At the same time, legislative frameworks must move beyond deterrence to encompass comprehensive protection. Stronger laws must be matched with accessible and effective enforcement mechanisms. Too often, survivors report that restraining orders, police interventions, and court rulings provide little tangible safety. Without proper enforcement, legal remedies risk becoming hollow promises. Specialised training for law enforcement officers, dedicated support services for survivors, and swift judicial processes must therefore be integral components of any reform agenda.
Equally important is the role of education. Introducing civic programmes that teach values of equality, respect, and nonviolence from a young age represents an investment in long-term cultural change. Such programmes can begin to dismantle the harmful stereotypes and toxic masculinity that underpin many abusive behaviours. Change at the societal level will not occur overnight, but the foundations can only be laid by starting early.
The words of President Dr Irfaan Ali further highlighted the profound social consequences of domestic violence. His reminder that “when families break, society bleeds” captures the broader implications of these tragedies. The loss is not only borne by individuals and their immediate relatives; it reverberates across communities and weakens the moral and social fabric of the nation. In this sense, domestic violence is not simply a private or personal matter; it is a matter of public concern and national security.
The brutal murder of Teekadai Solomon and the trauma inflicted on her young son should serve as a turning point. This tragedy must galvanise leaders, institutions, and citizens alike to treat domestic violence with the same seriousness accorded to other national crises. Expressions of outrage, though important, must now translate into concrete, sustained, and measurable action.
Ending domestic violence requires confronting deeply ingrained attitudes, strengthening the capacity of institutions, and ensuring survivors are empowered. It requires moving beyond reactive responses to preventive measures that instil respect, compassion, and equality as non-negotiable values. Above all, it demands that the sanctity of human dignity and the right to live free from fear are upheld as fundamental principles of a humane society.
The Cracker Barrel mess exposes the cynicism of the right-wing culture war
By Sidney Blumenthal
First they came for the Smithsonian. Then they came for Cracker Barrel.
Whether it’s the museums or the corporations – or the universities, law firms, federal departments and agencies –the attack lines of the Trump culture war and its culture warriors are the same. The vicious full-scale assault on the Cracker Barrel restaurant chain after the company naively wandered into the battle zone by altering its “Old Timer” logo exposes the cynicism of the whole operation and its ulterior motive to impose an authoritarian regime over every aspect of American society.
On 19 August, Donald Trump launched his purge campaign against the Smithsonian with a post denouncing it as “the last remaining segment of ‘WOKE’ …where everything discussed is how horrible our country is, how bad slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been.”
Within 24 hours, the son echoed the father, but with a different target in the crosshairs. The day after Trump denounced the Smithsonian, Donald Trump Jr took umbrage at Cracker Barrel, joining a right-wing social media mob.
Cracker Barrel’s sales had gone flat partly due to its creaky image, symbolised by a logo featuring a geezer in overalls seated cross-legged and leaning on a barrel, promoted as the “Uncle Herschel” of the store’s founder. At the company headquarters in Lebanon, Tennessee, the “Uncle Herschel Memorial” features statues of “Uncle Herschel” seated on a bench listening to a Cracker Barrel waitress.
Marketing research, however, showed that the rickety ambience was off-putting to a younger suburban clientele. So “Uncle Herschel” was retired, the logo was cleaned up with just the brand name front and centre, and the interiors with dark brown log cabin walls were whitewashed and more brightly lit. But this marketing facelift, a common corporate design “refinement”, as it is known, was a new frontier beyond “the last remaining segment of ‘WOKE’”. Don Jr retweeted a post by an account called the “Woke War Room” attacking Julie Felss Masino, the Cracker Barrel CEO: “She scrapped a beloved American aesthetic and replaced it with sterile, soulless branding. She should resign and be replaced with leadership that will restore Cracker Barrel’s tradition.” If Don Jr had ever eaten at a Cracker Barrel, he would have had to leave the confines of Manhattan and Palm Beach. There is not a single Cracker Barrel to be found in any borough of New York City, or on Long Island either. His personal experience with “tradition” is not located in the biscuit mix section of the country store. If Don Jr’s complaint is with “soulless branding”, it does not extend to the sale of the $DJTJR (Donald J Trump Jr) crypto meme coin. But this bit of brazen hypocrisy is lost in the ocean of the Trump family’s grifting.
When the right launched its version of Mao’s Cultural Revolution, now with the power of the Trump Administration behind it, nobody predicted that Cracker Barrel would become collateral damage. The Tennesseebased chain, founded in 1969, trafficked in faux rustic pre-Second World War nostalgia, an image from before the
existence of supermarkets, shopping malls and the interstate highways where most of the restaurants are located. Cracker Barrel was a little theme park. Customers entered through a retail outlet that resembled a country store. On the restaurant’s walls hung old advertising signs, farm implements and framed antique photos of 19th-century folk with a grim American Gothic look. The menu consisted of “homestyle food”, including “the best classic meatloaf” with mashed potatoes and gravy.
But in the 1990s and early 2000s the business suffered protests after the firing of employees suspected of being gay and reached an agreement with the justice department to change its management practices after allegedly segregating Black diners. The clientele that favoured the kitsch decor also dwindled. In response, the company shed its old prejudiced practices and recently unveiled its makeover to update its tired image. That provided the pretext for the calculated MAGA explosion.
Hillsdale College, a rightwing citadel in eastern Michigan that has been vehement in ramping up the culture wars, posted on X the plain Cracker Barrel logo on one side of a frame with a statue of George Washington splattered with red paint on the other under the line: “Same energy.” The Hillsdale account added: “Cracker Barrel is a beloved cultural icon, tied to the lifestyle and memories of truth-seeking Americans.”
According to this college, a centre of conservative thought, the restaurant chain is apparently the cultural equivalent of the Smithsonian or should be exhibited there, and its customers who have pulled in for
the chicken fried steak are “truth-seeking Americans”, presumably as opposed to those who stop for the chicken wings at Chilli’s. The culture war doesn’t stop at the logo’s edge.
The Woke War Room that roused Don Jr used the attack line that Cracker Barrel perpetrates a “DEI regime”. The CEO’s picture was placed next to the rainbow logo of the LGBTQ+ Alliance. The post also noted that America First Legal, a far-right group founded by Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy involved in ICE raids, the culture war against universities and apparently much else, had filed complaints with the Equal Opportunities Employment Commission and the Tennessee attorney general alleging racial discrimination by Cracker Barrel because of its DEI policy. The MAGA mob piled in with misogynistic tweets against the female CEO.
A MAGA social media influencer, Robby Starbuck, advancing himself within the right-wing constellation as an anti-DEI activist, threatened, “Oh my goodness. When you see what we’ve got on Cracker Barrel… Wow. I don’t think anyone knew it was as bad as the stuff we received. We’re talking total capture by leftism at the exec level. We have photos, videos, etc. Should I put it all in 1 video or release 1 by 1?”
In 2022, Starbuck, whose given name is Robert Newsom, was excluded from running in the Republican primary for the Tennessee fifth congressional district by the Tennessee Republican Party, which found that he was not “a bona fide Republican”. His exclusion was upheld by the Tennessee Supreme Court.
Nine-year-old Ferdinand and his eight-year-old brother channeling their inner cowboys at Annai, Region Nine (Upper Takatu – Upper Essequibo) on Friday (Education Minister Priya Manickchand photo)
FGM vs GECOM
Applicant’s argument of GECOM discriminating against voters from particular regions malicious – Judge
…hit with $2M in court costs
Noting that Guyana’s electoral system was deliberately set up to favour participation of persons from disadvantaged regions, acting Chief Justice Navindra Singh on Friday ruled that the placing of a party on the ballot of a geographical constituency where that party did not submit a Geographical Constituency List of Candidates would amount to a breach of the Constitution, thereby dismissing the case brought by Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) party against the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). The judge awarded costs of $1 million each to the Attorney General (AG) and GECOM, payable by September 8.
Speaking on the sidelines of the court, following the ruling, FGM Presidential Candidate Amanza WaltonDesir and Attorney for the Applicant, the United States (US)-based Vivian Williams, noted their “disappointment” with the ruling and indicated that the party will be appealing the case within the coming days. This comes even as the country prepares to head to General and Regional Elections on Monday, September 1.
In his ruling, the Judge posited that the omission of parties that do not submit a Geographical Constituency List of Candidates does not result in the violation of any citizen’s Constitutional rights. Moreover, the Judge found that Applicant in the case FGM Candidate, Krystal
Hadassah Fisher, put forth no evidence to support her challenge that the practice violates her rights under Article 13, and 149 of the Constitution. “A party being lawfully omitted from the ballot paper cannot result in applicant’s right under Article 13 [being breached]… in any event the Applicant has not presented any evidence of a breach of this article to her,” the judge noted.
“The Applicant’s assertion is speculative… The applicant has not in any way alleged that she has been or may be or will be prevented from voting in General and Regional elections on September 1. Or that any other persons will be prevented from voting… In this regard the court finds that the applicant has not in any way established that her rights under Article 149 of the constitution have been violated.”
“Malicious” In Guyana’s Constitution, Article 13 speaks to the participation of citizens in Guyana’s democracy, while Article 149 enshrines citizens’ protection from discrimination on the grounds of race or other demographic characteristics. The Judge noted that the applicant has not built out a case for discrimination, describing the applicant’s assertion as “malicious”.
“The applicant’s argument that GECOM is discriminating against voters from particular regions is malicious in that no evidence has been provided to show that GECOM has in any way
limited or restricted the participation of any party in the upcoming elections. The applicant has not shown in any way that GECOM unlawfully determined which party appears or not appears on the ballot paper of any geographical constituency,” the judge said. The applicant filed the case challenging the omission of the FGM from the ballots in Regions Seven, Eight and Nine, all regions where the party did not submit Geographical Constituency Lists of Candidates. The judge highlighted that the provisions of both the Constitution and the Representation of the People’s Act (ROPA) are set up to ensure that political parties source their candidates from within the region/ geographical constituency from which they want the voters to vote for them, allowing for voters within respective regions to select Parliamentarian representation that comes directly from their Region. This is done to offset Parliamentary seats awarded based on the countrywide popular votes, where regions with smaller popula-
tions have less weight.
“Not by mere coincidence”
“It is not by mere coincidence that 10 geographical constituencies correspond to the 10 administrative regions. By allocating these regions, the system guarantees that every area of the country has a voice in Parliament. This prevents smaller or more remote regions from being overshadowed by the larger population centres in the national count. A pure proportional representation system… risks making the system distant from local communities, because citizens are only voting for national party lists and not for representatives from their region,” the judge said.
In Guyana’s electoral system in order to qualify to contest in the General Elections, and vie for seats in the National Assembly, a political party must submit a National Top Up List of Candidates, as well as Geographical Constituency Lists of Candidates to contest in at least six of the geographical constituencies. In the 65 seat National Assembly
The Cracker Barrel mess exposes...
On 23 August, Fox News featured his video denouncing Cracker Barrel for its involvement in gay pride events – “a microcosm of the parasitic operating procedure of left-wing activists” with a “soulless, godless, hedonistic vision of the future”. This month, he began advising Meta “on efforts to curb what they describe as political bias in its AI tools”, according to the Wall Street Journal. His advisory role comes amid a defamation settlement after a Meta AI chatbot inaccurately said he had been involved in the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol. He has only been part of social media mobs.
Stoking the ferocity of the onslaught against Cracker Barrel, Starbuck spoke with Christopher Rufo, who has positioned himself among the chief culture war activists on the right. He had been the key adviser to the Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, in his crusades to ban books, attack the Walt Disney Company as “woke” and assail universities.
Rufo is a certain kind of zealot who has achieved his greatest influence under Trump, like Miller and Project 2025’s Russell Vought,
now the head of the Office of Management and Budget, selfstyled ideological commissars with a Bolshevik mentality.
In a speech in 2022 at Hillsdale College, which Rufo titled Laying Siege to the Institutions, he boasted of his “very aggressive” campaign against Disney. “You have to be ruthless and brutal in pursuit of something good,” he said, in a Leninist spirit, describing a “narrative war” with American corporations and institutions. Rufo decided that Cracker Barrel was a worthy target for the overarching culture war. “Some might dismiss the Cracker Barrel campaign as minor, or even embarrassing… But there is enormous value in making an example of the company and cementing a fear that conservatives can spontaneously lash out at any institution that crosses the line. Today, it’s Cracker Barrel; tomorrow, it might be Pepsi, Target, or Procter & Gamble.”
Cracker Barrel’s “Old Timer” logo had to be manufactured into a cause célèbre for a larger purpose. “Even if we don’t care about Cracker Barrel in particular,” Rufo wrote, “we should all care about the ideo-
logical capture of American institutions and use whatever power we have to reverse it. And for that to occur, the Barrel must be broken.”
With that call to arms, Rufo gives the game away. He doesn’t really take the conspiratorial fiction seriously. It is useful only as an instrument for bludgeoning those designated as objective enemies in order to build toward absolute power. In the gradation of his hierarchy of conservative principles, the highest value is cynicism. Rufo’s rhetoric has the characteristic tone of Stalin’s statement on 29 July 1936 declaring his Great Purge: “The inalienable quality of every Bolshevik under present conditions should be the ability to recognise an enemy of the Party no matter how well he may be masked.”
On 26 August, Trump entered the fray, saying that Cracker Barrel should “admit a mistake… Make Cracker Barrel a WINNER again. Remember, in just a short period of time I made the United States of America the HOTTEST country anywhere in the world. One year ago, it was DEAD. Good luck!”
That evening, Cracker Barrel executives reportedly called the Trump White House to offer unconditional surrender. “They thanked President Trump for weighing in on the issue of their iconic ‘original’ logo,” Taylor Budowich, the cabinet secretary, posted. “They wanted the President to know that they heard him … and would be restoring the ‘Old Timer.’ So smart! Congrats, Cracker Barrel and America!”
The White House issued an official statement announcing the restoration as if it were a decisive presidential action: “Congratulations, Cracker Barrel!” Nobel Prize!
“Uncle Herschel” was back, the “woke” conspiracy again defeated, another victory in the culture war. Today, Cracker Barrel. Tomorrow the Federal Reserve. (Excerpted from The Guardian)
(Sidney Blumenthal, former senior adviser to President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, has published three books of a projected five-volume political life of Abraham Lincoln: A SelfMade Man, Wrestling With His Angel and All the Powers of Earth. He is a Guardian US columnist.)
25 of the seats are awarded based on results in the votes in geographical constituencies while 40 of the seats are awarded based on the results of the popular vote. “The system is essentially a compensatory proportional representation system. As such, parties not fielding a Geographical List of Candidates from any respective geographical constituency defeats the aim of diverse representation that provisions in Guyana’s Constitution attempts to create,” the judge noted. “Logically, placing a party on a geographical constituency list, despite the fact that they are not fielding candidates in that constituency would defeat what the system is built to achieve, which is inclusivity and a voice for distant, smaller communities.”
The Judge noted that the legislation is framed to give an advantage to individual geographical constituencies, in that a party can only appear on a ballot paper of a geographical constituency for which the party has provided a Geographical Constituency List of Candidates. “In this regard, the omission of those parties for the ballot papers for those geographic constituencies by GECOM was perfectly lawful. In fact, I go further to say placing those parties on the ballot papers of those geographical constituencies would have been a breach of the constitution and ROPA,” the judge said. “Section 39 of ROPA stipulates the requirements for the ballot paper and 39A stipulates the requirements for the ballot paper for geographical constituencies. It is clear from these provisions that a party can only appear on a ballot paper for a geographic constituency if that party
submitted a list of candidates for that geographical constituency thereby signalling that they are contesting the seat or seats allocated to that geographical constituency. The Judge’s ruling comes after presentations in the case wrapped up on Wednesday with response from Williams to presentations made by AG Anil Nandalall and Attorney for GECOM, Arudranauth Gossai on Tuesday.
Following the Judge’s ruling on Friday, Gossai appealed for the awarding of $1.65 million in costs, while the AG was asking for $2 million. Speaking on the sidelines after the ruling, Nandalall dismissed the case as an absurd one.
“It should never have been filed. The stupidity of it is alarming. That’s why it was an exceptional case. You can’t be part of a contest that you have not formally entered and that is what the case is about: [FGM] trying to get on a ballot paper where they are not contesting the Geographical Constituency of that place. I don’t understand how [FGM] expected to win such a case… In Guyana you can’t put anything beyond these political parties, they file anything that seems to come to their head,” Nandalall noted. Nandalall noted that he is pleased with the ruling.
“I’m happy that the case was decided the way that it did but I’m a little disappointed that I didn’t get more than $1 million in costs. I feel the judge is very very kind, he should’ve awarded much more than that,” Nandalall said.
Nandalall noted that the AG Chambers would move forward and fight any appeals as they arise.
FGM Presidential Candidate Amanza Walton-Desir
Chair of GECOM, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh
Triangles cont’d
Another way of thinking about triangles is to look at the length of the sides. If all three sides are the same length, the triangle is equilateral. If two sides are the same length, but the third is different, the triangle is isosceles. And if all three sides have different lengths, the triangle is scalene
Exercises:
Identify: Determine if the triangle is equilateral,
By Mark Wunderlich
They brought it. It was brought from the field, the last sheaf, the last bundle the latest and most final armful. Up up over the head, hold it, hold it high it held the gazer’s gaze, it held hope, did hold it. Through the stubble of September, on shoulders aloft, hardly anything, it weighed, like a sparrow, it was said, something winged, hollow, though pulsing, freed from the field where it flailed in wind, where it waited, wanted to be found and bound with cord. It had limbs, it had legs. And hands. It had fingers. Fingers and a face peering from the stalks, shuttered in the grain, closed, though just a kernel a shut corm. They brought him and autumn rushed in, tossed its cape of starlings, tattered the frost-spackled field.
Source: Poetry (March 2009)
Hidden images
WORD SEARCH
Copy and colour the above illustration as desired
isosceles or scalene.
General and Regional elections Pres Ali meets with OAS, Carter Center & CARICOM observers
President Dr Irfaan Ali, who is also Presidential Candidate for the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), has met with representatives of several Elections Observation Missions (EOM) that are in Guyana to monitor the upcoming General and Regional Elections on Monday, September 1, 2025.
Among the groups he met with was the Organisation of American States (OAS) Electoral Observation Mission. Former Jamaican Prime Minister (PM), Bruce Golding, is leading the 27-member OAS mission in Guyana.
Golding, along with core members of the team including Deputy Chief of Mission Melene Glynn, Specialists Coordinator Clarissa Ribeiro, and Press Officer Diego Paez attended the recent engagement with President Ali at State House in Georgetown.
During the engagement, President Ali briefed the team on electoral legislative amendments to prevent the reoccurrence of the attempted rigging that occurred in 2020. He explained that the changes were
and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Gail Teixeira; and Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, who is also the PPP/C’s Executive Secretary. Together, they underscored the Government’s commitment to strengthening democratic institutions and highlighted the critical role of the OAS in safeguarding transparency and integrity throughout Guyana’s elector-
also based on recommendations from previous electoral observer mission reports. The Head of State further shared that the Government is committed to the constitutional reform process to promote democracy. During the recent engagement, President Ali was joined by key members of his Cabinet including Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall; Governance
al process.
At the March 2, 2020 elections in Guyana, Golding that also headed the OAS mission here and had said in his preliminary report that he “has never seen a more transparent effort to alter the results of an election.” This was after the senior officials of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) attempted to inflate voting figures from Region Four in favour of the then A Partnership for National
Unity and the Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) Coalition regime. Golding had said in his statement that, “It takes an extraordinarily courageous mind to present fictitious numbers when such a sturdy paper trail exists.”
The OAS EOM comprises 27 experts and observers from 18 countries. The Mission will focus its work on electoral organisation and registries, electoral technology, political-electoral financing, electoral justice and the political participation of women. This will allow the team to analyse the process in a structured and technically rigorous manner. Meanwhile, the President also met with the United States (US)-based Carter Center Observation Mission that is here for Monday’s General and Regional Elections. During the engagement at State House, the team was led by its Leader of Mission Jason Carter. Additionally, President Ali and his Cabinet Ministers also met with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Electoral Observer Mission (CEOM) that is currently in Guyana to observe Monday’s election. Chief of Mission Josephine Tamai from Belize, led the CARICOM team to meet the Government officials on Friday at State House.
The CARICOM Mission also met with the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) party officials on Friday. CARICOM has mounted a 10-member Election Observation Mission to observe the electoral processes for the General and
Regional Elections, from August 26 to September 3, 2025. The Mission comprises Electoral Officials from eight CARICOM Member States. In addition to Tamai, who is the Chief Elections Officer
Parliamentary Commissioner in The Bahamas; Fatima Gordon, a Supervisor of Registering Officers, Elections and Boundaries Department also from Belize; Ambassador Felix Gregoire, Chairman of the Public Service Commission in Dominica; Michael Paul Millette, an Information Systems Administrator at the Grenada Parliamentary Elections Office; Herman St Helen, the CEO in Saint Lucia; Reita Joemratie and Sonja Galimo, Members of the Independent Electoral Council in Suriname; and Lena Champa Sahadeo, Deputy Chief Elections Officer of Trinidad and Tobago. The CEOM will be supported by eight staff members from the CARICOM Secretariat in Georgetown.
In a statement on Friday, CARICOM said the CEOM members arrived in Guyana during the course of this week. Since their arriv-
(CEO) of the Elections and Boundaries Department of Belize, the other members of the CEOM are Deputy Chief of Mission, Ian Hughes, who is a Supervisor of Elections in Antigua and Barbuda; Harrison L Thompson, a
al, meetings have been held with the Chairman and CEO of GECOM, the Guyana Integrity Commission, the Commissioner of Police, the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) and the Women and Gender Equality Commission,
the media, and various civil society groups. Having already met with President Ali and representatives of the PPP/C as well as APNU, the mission will be engaging the other political parties ahead of Monday’s polls including We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), Alliance for Change (AFC), Assembly of Liberty and Prosperity (ALP) and Forward Guyana Movement (FGM). The team will also engage with additional civil society institutions and stakeholders, including local and international observers. These meetings are expected to provide the CEOM with a general idea of the atmosphere and level of preparedness for the elections. The CEOM will continue to observe the pre-elections period, elections day and post-election activities. The role of the CEOM Observers on election day is to observe the electoral process, including preparations for the start of the poll, the casting of votes, the closure of the polling stations, the counting of the ballots, the preparation of the statement of polls and the tabulation of results. Qualitative and quantitative information regarding the voting process and the results will be collected to facilitate the preparation of an Independent Final Report on the General and Regional Elections to the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.
Following the conclusion of the Election Day activities on September 1, and prior to the Mission’s departure on September 3, a Preliminary Statement will be issued, outlining the Mission’s initial assessment of the electoral process. The Mission will, thereafter, prepare a detailed Independent Final Report on the elections for submission to the CARICOM SecretaryGeneral, Dr Carla Barnett.
President Dr Irfaan Ali and Cabinet Ministers engaged the CARICOM Elections Observation Mission that is in Guyana to monitor the upcoming elections
President Dr Irfaan Ali and Cabinet Minister with the core members of the Organisation of American States Electoral Observation Mission at State House
President Dr Irfaan Ali and other Government officials met with the Carter Center officials who are in Guyana to observe the upcoming General and Regional Elections
Trio granted bail on 2 robbery charges
Three men were on Friday brought before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on two counts of robbery totalling $20.8 million in cash.
The accused, 24-year-old Joshua Haynes, 24-yearold Beris Parkinson and 18-year-old Randy Crossman appeared before Magistrate Annette Singh and each entered a not guilty plea. According to the first charge, the trio, while acting together on Tuesday, August 19, at Independence Boulevard, Albouystown, allegedly robbed Paul Calendar of $20 million. The second charge
alleges that on the same date and location, the men robbed a Chinese national of $800,000.
Attorney Dominic Bess, representing Haynes, told the court that his client is a small business owner with no pending matters or prior convictions. Bess explained that on the day of the alleged robbery, Haynes was simply giving the other two defendants a drop to Albouystown before leaving the area.
He argued that Haynes had no involvement in the crime and upon learning that police were seeking him, voluntarily turned
himself in, where he denied the allegations. Bess, who also represented Parkinson, stressed that Parkinson similarly had no criminal history. He claimed his client was arrested in Annandale and assaulted by police while in custody. Bess added that Parkinson was pressured into a video-recorded interview, during which he denied any wrongdoing.
He further argued that the charges were bailable and asked the court to grant both Haynes and Parkinson reasonable bail.
Meanwhile, Attorney Stacy Goodings, representing Crossman, described
her client as a young labourer appearing in court for the first time. Goodings stated that Crossman has no passport and categorically denies the allegations.
She explained that Crossman was actually the victim of a bus accident on the day in question and was speaking with the driver when a group of unknown individuals swarmed the bus. Goodings said video evidence exists that supports her client’s version of events. The attorney also emphasised that no wanted bulletin was issued for Crossman, nor was he placed on any identification parade or face-to-face confrontation with the complainants. She urged the court to consider reasonable bail, even with strict reporting conditions. The prosecutor objected to bail, citing the seriousness of the charges, the penalties they attract and the overall nature of the offence. The court was informed that CCTV footage captured the robbery and that each defendant identified themselves in the recording.
The prosecution also noted that Haynes had only recently been released from prison after serving a fiveyear sentence for robbery.
When the footage was played in court, the prosecutor pointed out the men, who appeared to be on bicycles, but Bess countered that nothing in the recording clearly established that a crime had taken place.
Magistrate Singh ruled that the evidence and disputes raised would be settled at trial. She granted each defendant bail in the sum of $300,000.
The matter has been adjourned until September 26.
Duo slapped with larceny, assault & damage charges, remanded
Two men were on Friday remanded to prison after being slapped with a series of charges ranging from larceny to assault and malicious damage to property.
The accused, Alex Lyte and Brenton Charles, appeared before Magistrate Annette Singh at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, where they pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The court heard that on August 19, at Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown, the men allegedly stole a Samsung phone valued at $160,000, a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses worth $45,000, and $75,000 in cash, property of Jennifer Williams. On the same date, they are accused of stealing a Samsung Note 10 worth $95,000 from Carol Magnerson.
Further, on August 26, 2025, also at Carifesta Avenue, the duo – reportedly in the company of others – allegedly robbed Cadie Reed of a handbag worth $40,000, $100,000 in cash, a Samsung smartwatch val-
Alex Lyte and Brenton Charles
ued at $60,000, and personal care items worth $20,000. Lyte, represented by attorney Dominic Bess, told the court that on August 26 he was operating his taxi when Charles entered his vehicle with items in hand. Shortly after, he heard shouts of “thief” and saw Charles running with items. Lyte claimed he urged Charles to return the property, but some belongings remained missing. Charles, however, gave
a different account, saying he and Lyte had gone to the National Park to exercise when another man snatched a woman’s bag and ran past him. He alleged he only fled to Lyte’s car for safety but was mistakenly identified as the thief. Lyte denied this version, insisting he was never exercising at the park.
Magistrate Singh, noting the conflicting accounts, denied bail and adjourned the matter until September 26.
Separately, Lyte faces
other charges. On August 17, at Stabroek, Georgetown, he allegedly assaulted Steven Arthur and used threatening and abusive language. On May 21, at Gordon Street, Georgetown, he is accused of using abusive language toward Quinton Samson.
Charles also faces an additional charge of unlawfully damaging the lock of a Honda Vezel valued at $45,000, the property of Reed, during the August 26 incident.
When given a chance to respond, Lyte denied assaulting Arthur, claiming that Arthur – a police officer – confronted him after an argument and was the aggressor. He alleged that Arthur ran to his brother’s shop to retrieve a weapon and said there is video evidence supporting his version.
Arthur, who was present in court, countered that Lyte frequently insults him whenever he denies him unauthorised access through the prison compound where he works.
Boosting…
…tourism
On the campaign trail, Pressie announced that his new administration gonna be soliciting expressions of interest for all-inclusive resort development at key locations across the country. Among those he mentioned were Orinduik Falls, Number 63 Beach, the Linden Blue Lakes, Stabroek and Vreed-en-Hoop waterfronts, Lethem, Leguan, and Bartica, among others. Your Eyewitness noticed that our iconic Kaieteur Falls wasn’t specifically mentioned – and suspects the Government might be attempting to not despoil its pristine beauty and grandeur.
Now for the uninitiated, an “all-inclusive resort” is a holiday resort that generally includes – in the price of booking a stay – a flight to the destination, local transportation, lodging, unlimited food (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), and drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic), entertainment, and other recreational activities. A pool at the resort is de rigueur – even if it’s near a beach. It all started back in the mid-1950s with Club Med – and how it spread to most tourist destinations for both the well-heeled and plebs!! Ask your relatives from Reg 11 – NY and Toronto, and they’ll be more than happy to regale you about their all-inclusive vacations in Punta Cana in the DR or Cancun in Mexico!! Your Eyewitness has been reliably informed these locales might be thinking of applying a surcharge for Guyanese since they’d only catered for Europeans who peck away like birds at tiny portions. We don’t just go back for “seconds” – but fifths and sixths!! And let’s not even talk about alcoholic drinks!!
Anyhow, your Eyewitness must give credit to Pressie for sticking to his vision for developing our tourism potential from the moment he entered office. Now, we all know we don’t have the “sun, sea and sand” tourism product of our Caribbean brothers and sisters – so up to now we’d been pushing our “eco-tourism” potential. Last year, the World Bank Director for the Caribbean pointed out that after COVID, “adventure tourism” is now eclipsing the older, lolling-on-the-beaches variant. And this is where we come in. Our interior’s tailor-made for adventure – whether it’s hiking in the foothills of the Pakaraimas, safaris into the mountains themselves, scaling Mt Roraima, or paddling up the Cuyuni to follow the old slave-escape route. Folks just gotta book “A Ticket to Adventure”!!
But there’s always gonna be the tourist who just wanna “get away from it all” – and just let it all hang out!! And that’s where the all-inclusive resorts come in. However, your Eyewitness wants to alert Pressie to the biggest hurdle we gotta overcome before this model can be successful –Guyanese workers who’ll be willing to provide all-inclusive SERVICE to the tourists!!
We can’t be serving them food by throwing it on the table and saying, “Heh!!”
…food tourism
Now, your Eyewitness is what’s now called a “foodie”. That is, he just loves to experience food from all peoples and cultures. Right now, he’s been getting into – and wolfing down – Korean food and just can’t get enough of kimchi! Now don’t for a moment think your Eyewitness is a glutton!! Others like him from across the world have created a food tourism – also known as culinary tourism – industry!!
Food tourism’s more than just tasting new dishes. The unique flavours and dishes of a country are deeply connected to its culture, heritage, geography, and customs. So it’s a way to learn about cultures, connect with communities, and create lasting memories. Whether it’s exploring local markets, attending cooking classes, or participating in foodrelated cultural events, food experiences often become the highlight of a trip.
In our land of six peoples, we have that many cuisines to tempt foodies of the world to head down to our dear Mudland!!
Seven curry in lotus leaves - eaten with fingers - Pressie??
…peace of mind
Some folks think Minister Edghill was cavalier by saying no additional stress tests were needed for the new DHB. Fifteen loaded trucks don’t stress it more than the 700-tonne crane it supported.
But Pressie gave us peace of mind!!
Joshua Haynes, Beris Parkinson, and Randy Crossman
Vote early – Jagdeo tells PPP/C supporters
…“don’t be deterred by
With just days remaining before Guyanese head to the polls, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) General Secretary (GS) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has urged supporters to turn out early on Election Day, urging that neither threats nor intimidation from opposition forces should deter them from exercising their democratic right.
Speaking during his weekly press conference on Thursday, Jagdeo revealed that Freedom House has been inundated with calls from supporters across the country, particularly those who now reside in regions different from where they are registered to vote. “A lot of people have been calling; people from Region One who are now in Georgetown
threats”
and want to go back and vote, or people from Region Three who now have to go to Region Five,” Jagdeo explained, assuring them that logistical support will be provided through activists on the ground and a dedicated WhatsApp line that will soon be announced. He encouraged voters to cast their ballots early in the day and not be swayed by “the usual threats” from the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) camp. “That’s the usual thing. When they see defeat staring them in the face, they always start using threatening language. APNU has done this in its entire history,” Jagdeo said, pointing to the rhetoric of certain candidates aligned with the Opposition. Jagdeo stressed that both the Guyana Elections
Commission (GECOM) and the security forces have given assurances that systems are in place to safeguard the integrity of the polls. “We’ve been assured by the security forces that they can deal with any attempt to disrupt the poll. GECOM has stated it’s ready. We are ready as a political party,” he affirmed.
The GS urged citizens not to be distracted by fearmongering, but to remain focused on their role in shaping Guyana’s future. “It’s about your future. Don’t take a risk with it,” he declared. The upcoming elections will determine the composition of Guyana’s 13th Parliament, with both national and regional seats up for grabs. Six political parties have had their Candidates Lists approved by GECOM, effectively paving the way for them to contest the upcoming General and Regional Elections on September 1.
These are: PPP/C, which is the current Government; APNU; the Alliance for Change (AFC); and We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), led by United States (US)sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed, which will be contesting in all 10 Administrative Regions of Guyana. The Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity (ALP), led by former APNU/AFC Minister Simona Broomes, will be contesting in six regions, and Forward Guyana, led by former APNU parliamentarian Amanza Walton-Desir, will be contesting in seven regions.
WIN failed to meet deadline for submitting polling agents – GECOM …slammed for misleading public
The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has responded to a press release by the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) Party on Friday evening regarding the approval of polling agents, stating that the party’s claims misrepresent the facts.
According to GECOM, while it is not the Commission’s responsibility to appoint polling agents, the Chief Election Officer (CEO) sent an email on August 11, 2025, to the Election Agents of all contesting parties. The email reminded them that party agents must submit in writing, the names and addresses of any assistant agents, counting agents, polling agents and alternate polling agents no later than the seventh day before Election Day to the Returning Officer (RO). The WIN Party did not comply with this requirement within the stipulated timeframe. GECOM described the party’s sug-
gestion that the Commission failed in its duties as “inaccurate and misleading.”
The Commission said it was prepared to consider flexibility regarding late submissions at its meeting on Thursday, August 28, 2025, to ensure that all contesting parties, including the WIN Party, could have polling agents in place. However, the meeting could not proceed due to a loss of quorum.
GECOM noted that the matter is likely to be addressed at a Commission meeting scheduled for Saturday, August 30, 2025, by Chair of GECOM, Justice of Appeal (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, a schedule set prior to the WIN Party’s press release.
The Commission urged all political parties to comply with the law and communicate responsibly, warning that spreading misleading claims could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
PPP/C General Secretary Dr Bharrat Jagdeo and President Dr Irfaan Ali at a recent public meeting
Chair of GECOM, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh
September 1 polls
Choose peace over division – Roman Catholic Bishop appeals to Guyanese
As Guyana prepares for its September 1
National Elections, Bishop of Georgetown, Francis Alleyne, has called on citizens to embrace peace, unity and justice, urging that the country must not allow past wounds to fuel division.
In a statement released this week, Most Reverend Francis Dean Alleyne, OSB, the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Georgetown, Guyana, reminded the electorate of their sacred responsibility, quoting scripture: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a people set apart to sing the praises
of God who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Pet 2:9)
The bishop stressed that the nation stands at a crucial crossroads – facing both the risk of unrest and the promise of transformation. “We are at a moment of great possibility – a time to choose peace rooted in justice and democracy grounded in truth,” he said. Reflecting on a recent civic initiative titled “Just Electoral Peace,” which brought together regional experts from Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago, Bishop Alleyne noted that Guyana could draw lessons from its neighbours, where respect for electoral
systems, independent institutions and civil society helped to sustain peace amid ethnic and political differences.
“Electoral peace is not merely the absence of violence, but the presence of reconciliation, fair systems, mutual respect and shared values,” he emphasised. “Guyana, too, can walk this path, but peace must be cultivated. It requires trust – in our systems, in one another, and most importantly, in the values of justice, equality and truth”.
Bishop Alleyne underscored the importance of cultivating trust – both in democratic systems and in one another – while encourag-
ing citizens to support institutions that are transparent and to strengthen civil society. He highlighted the need for honesty about the country’s history and a collective commitment to healing. Special emphasis was placed on the youth, whom he described as the torchbearers of a new political culture. “Many are disillusioned, yet they carry the hope of a society free from ethnic division. Let us listen to them, empower them, and walk beside them,” Bishop Alleyne urged.
Calling on the faithful and the wider public, he appealed for a spirit of conscience and reconciliation on election day.
“Engage peacefully and faithfully in these elections – not as partisan followers, but as bearers of light and life that emanates from faith. Vote with conscience. Reject division. Support justice. And pray without ceasing for our nation.”
The upcoming elections will determine the composition of Guyana’s 13th Parliament, with both national and regional seats up for grabs.
Among the contesting parties are the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), which forms the current Government; A Partnership for National Unity (APNU);
the Alliance for Change (AFC); and We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), the Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity (ALP), Forward Guyana Movement (FGM).
OSB Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Georgetown, Guyana, Most Reverend Francis Dean Alleyne
EU observers dispatched across Guyana ahead of Monday’s E-Day
As citizens gear up for the upcoming elections, approximately 50 observers from the European Union (EU) have been deployed across Guyana as part of an effort to ensure transparency, neutrality and adherence to international standards.
The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) for the September 1 General and Regional Elections has dispatched 20 short-term observers (STOs) and 14 long-term observers (LTOs) across all ten administrative regions to monitor the electoral process. The observers will oversee key aspects of election day, including the opening of polling stations, voting, the counting of ballots and the tabulation
of results. The short-term observers will be stationed in towns and villages across all regions of Guyana, and operate in multinational teams of two.
Prior to deployment, they completed extensive briefings covering election day procedures, voting and counting protocols and relevant national and international standards. This was announced by the EU EOM’s Chief Observer during a press briefing held Friday morning.
“I want to especially welcome our 20 short-term observers who just recently arrived. Welcome, everyone. They will do excellent work in the field—I know—because they represent the crème de la crème of our
short-term observers.”
As preparations continue, he noted that some of the long-term observers are already out in the field.
“We also deployed 14 long-term observers, who will work alongside our shortterm observers in all regions of Guyana. The long-term observers are already in the field, working hard to monitor what’s happening. They are attending campaign rallies, meeting stakeholders, engaging with the media, and talking to citizens. They gather observations because we are here to observe and document the entire electoral process.” While emphasising their thorough preparation, the Chief Observer made it clear that their role is solely to observe—not to
Serial thief sentenced to two years for break-in
A26-year-old Kitty, Georgetown man with a long record of theft-related crimes, was on Friday sentenced to two years in prison after admitting to yet another offence.
Shaquille Mentore appeared before Magistrate Annette Singh at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, where he pleaded guilty to a charge of breaking and entering with larceny.
The court heard that on Sunday, Mentore broke into the Bel Air Park residence of Luciana Oliveira and stole a computer valued at $200,000, two backpacks worth $9000, and $50,000 in cash. According to the prosecutor, the victim was awakened by strange noises coming from the lower flat of her home. After checking her cameras, she observed Mentore leaving through her front door before jumping her fence and escaping with the items.
A report was subsequently made to the police, who launched an investigation. Mentore was later arrested and, during an audio and video interview, admitted to the crime. He later led investigators to Leopold Street, where all of the stolen items were recovered.
When asked by Magistrate Singh why she should not impose the maximum penalty, Mentore of-
fered only that he was sorry for what he had done. The prosecutor, however, reminded the court that Mentore had served time and was fined for similar offences before.
After considering his record, Magistrate Singh sentenced him to two years’ imprisonment.
This latest conviction adds to a long string of brushes with the law. In January 2019, Mentore was sentenced by Acting Chief Magistrate Sherdel IsaacsMarcus after admitting to stealing a $140,000 cellphone from Nicholas Gangaram on
Croal Street.
A year later, in February 2020, he was again charged after robbing a woman, Louisiana Campbell, of a bag valued at $49,240 along William Street, Campbellville.
Mentore and his nowdead accomplice, Randy Bowen, attempted to flee after snatching the bag but were chased by public-spirited citizens into the yard of a licensed firearm holder.
Shots were fired, fatally wounding Bowen, while Mentore was shot in both legs.
After being discharged from the hospital, he was brought before the court, fined $70,000, and placed under probationary supervision for 12 months.
His criminal activity continued into 2021 when he was refused bail and remanded to prison after being charged with three separate robberies in Georgetown.
He pleaded not guilty to those charges but was remanded to prison until August of that year.
In March 2021, he was once again fined $70,000 after admitting to stealing Campbell’s bag in a separate incident that occurred along Duncan Street, Georgetown.
Despite repeated arrests, fines, and even jail time, Mentore has continued on a path of crime.
interfere.
“Our goal is to observe, not to intervene. I know it’s very tempting for many of you, especially journalists, to ask us difficult questions, but we are here to observe. We are not interfering at any stage of these elections.”
He added that the team is well-prepared, equipped with a methodology that allows them to conduct in-depth assessments. In addition to onthe-ground observation, the EU team is monitoring both traditional media and social media activity, led by spe-
cialised members of the core team. He stressed that they are observing closely not only in the capital but also throughout the country.
“You can be assured that this observation—like all EU missions—will meet the highest standards, including those that Guyana and other countries have signed on to, with support from the United Nations. We follow international and regional obligations, as well as national legislation. We are operating under a robust legal framework.” He also an-
nounced that the EU EOM will present a preliminary report two days after the elections, based on first-hand observations. This will be followed by a comprehensive final report, which will include detailed findings and recommendations for improving future electoral processes. The EU EOM was deployed at the invitation of the Government of Guyana. The Chief Observer will present the mission’s preliminary findings at a press conference two days after the elections.
Chief Observer, Deputy Chief Observer, short-term observers and other members of the EU EOM team at Friday’s deployment
Chief Observer Robert Biedroń (centre) speaks to the press, flanked by Deputy Chief Observer Vania Anguelova (left) and Legal Analyst Colm Fahy (right)
Shaquille Mentore
No place for “barbaric, medieval” violence in modern society – Jagdeo on domestic violence
Declaring that domestic violence has “no place in a modern or humane society,”
People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) General Secretary (GS) and Vice President (VP) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday vowed that a re-elected PPP/C Government will strengthen laws and expand civic education to combat the scourge of gender-based violence. Jagdeo, speaking at his weekly press conference, described the recent spate of brutal domestic violence cases as “barbaric” and “medieval,” underscoring the urgency of tackling both the legal and cultural dimensions of the problem.
“It's really grotesque sometimes what we see in Guyana, barbaric, medieval type of violence. And it has no place in a modern society or a humane society. Barbaric and medieval, those are the only ways I can think of about this, the violence,” the GS said. Jagdeo explained that the party’s next-term agenda will focus on a dual approach: strengthening the legisla-
tive framework to ensure justice for victims, while simultaneously reshaping societal values through early civic education.
Jagdeo further pledged immediate collaboration with religious leaders and civil society organisations, including Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) to mount a coordinated, community-level response aimed at prevention and cultural change.
“We have to ensure that it's not acceptable in any
quarter for this to happen. And that's why we've made it clear in the next storm, we have to not just work in the school, to the civic programme, to work at a very young age with people to promote values that are really important to the growth of our society, a more humane society. But immediately we have to start doing what the President promised, that is working with our religious leaders and the NGOs to try to get ahead of this,” he pledged. Jagdeo’s
comments came on the heels of a horrific incident that saw a 36-year-old man, Alroy Solomon, storming into the Charlotte Street, Georgetown apartment and chased after, then killed his partner, 36-year-old Teekadai Atiya Solomon. Their 10-year-old son, Jeremiah Solomon, was shot by his father but survived. Teekadai, who had been married for just over six years but had been in a relationship with the man for more than 13 years, was described by her friends as “trapped” in a cycle of domestic abuse.
While the nation rallied against the gruesome act, President Dr Irfan in a statement, said he was deeply distressed and saddened by the tragic incident. He stated that the family remains the basic cell of human society and its preservation is essential to our nation’s well-being.
“When families break, society bleeds. But when families thrive, a nation stands tall. I remain firmly committed to working to provide all the help and sup-
port that families need to be nurtured, to grow stronger, and to flourish”, he said. He also visited the injured child on Tuesday evening, and stated that he assured him that he carries with him the love and compassion of an entire nation.
“…we will stand firmly by
his side as he works to overcome this painful trauma and ordeal. I call upon our religious leaders and indeed all our people, to lift this child in prayer and to ask the Almighty to surround him with strength, comfort, and healing in the days and months ahead,” he said.
Govt invests $371M in security infrastructure across Georgetown – aims to improve, enhance and support city’s security operations
Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn, on Thursday commissioned four security infrastructure upgrades totalling GUY$371 million in Police Regional Division 4A, aimed at strengthening law enforcement capacity, enhancing community safety, and supporting modern policing operations. The projects commissioned included the reconstructed North Ruimveldt Police Station; Special Constabulary Headquarters; and the Ruimveldt Police Station, as well as the completion of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) Marine Wing at Ruimveldt, Georgetown.
The newly reconstructed North Ruimveldt Police Station, completed at a cost of $123.8 million, offers modern facilities and enhanced resources to strengthen policing services within the community and surrounding housing schemes.
Minister Benn emphasised the importance of these investments in supporting evolving security needs: “These buildings are not just structures; they are platforms for better policing and community trust. With new housing schemes expanding around North Ruimveldt, we must adapt, modernise and ensure security keeps pace with development.”
In addition, the Special Constabulary Headquarters, reconstructed at a cost of $119,953,850, provides modern office spaces, improved infrastructure and enhanced
training facilities to support specialised operations.
Superintendent Fredella Boyce, Officer in Charge of the Special Constabulary, highlighted the facility’s transformational impact:
“This marks a proud and transformative moment for the Special Constabulary. This modern building symbolises progress, resilience, and renewed commitment as we continue to serve 236 locations nationwide,” she declared.
Assistant Commissioner Michael Kingston commended Government’s investment in both infrastructure and personnel:
“For decades, the Special Constabulary faced challenges with inadequate facilities, but today, we see a bold step toward change. This building reflects the Government’s balanced approach to developing infrastructure while uplifting our people.”
Further, the Ruimveldt Police Station, reconstructed at a cost of G$55,632,913,
now features modern amenities, enhanced workspaces and integrated technology systems to improve policing services and strengthen community engagement.
Meanwhile, the newly completed GPF Marine Wing, constructed at a cost of $71,641,489, plays a criti-
four hours every day and four hours every night, covering from the Demerara River mouth to Timehri.
The Marine Wing also has 23 ranks stationed at the facility, ensuring continuous security coverage of the nation’s waterways.
This strategic upgrade strengthens the GPF’s ability to respond swiftly to riverine incidents, protect coastal communities and safeguard the country’s maritime borders. Permanent Secretary Andre Ally also praised the scale of Government investment and urged officers to match the new facilities with high performance:
“We are providing you with modern infrastructure and the tools you need to succeed. Now, it is up to you to match these resources with professionalism and dedication to deliver bet-
cal role in maritime policing and riverine security.
The facility currently operates seven police boats that conduct patrols
ter policing for the people of Guyana.”
Deputy Commissioner Errol Watts, also making remarks at the event, reflect-
ed on the progress achieved through these projects:
“Fifteen years ago, we worked out of deteriorating structures with limited re-
Accompanying Minister Benn at the commissioning ceremony were Permanent Secretary Mr Andre Ally,
sources. Today, we are commissioning modern, state-ofthe-art facilities designed to empower officers and better serve the public,” he noted.
A commitment to continued improvement
At the commissioning, Minister Benn concluded his address by reaffirming the Government’s dedication to continuous security improvements: “We are building a safer, more prosperous Guyana. These investments, combined with modern technology and stronger community partnerships, will ensure our police force is equipped to meet today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities.”
The projects are part of the Government’s ongoing security modernisation initiatives, which integrate modern infrastructure, advanced surveillance systems, and digital policing tools to enhance national security and improve public safety.
Deputy Commissioner of Operations Mr Errol Watts, Deputy Commander 4A Assistant Commissioner Mr Michael Kingston, Woman Superintendent Fredella Boyce, Officer in Charge of the Special Constabulary, Assistant Superintendent Garfield Campbell, Officer in Charge of the GPF Marine Wing, senior and junior officers, a team from the Ministry of Home Affairs, and other special invitees. Through the Government of Guyana and the Ministry of Home Affairs, by the end of 2025, more than G$2 billion will be expended on completed projects within Regional Division 4A, with 38 projects already completed and several others still ongoing. These investments form part of a broader security modernisation programme aimed at improving facilities, strengthening operations, and enhancing public trust in policing.
Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo
Alroy Solomon and Teekadai Atiya Solomon
The vessels docked at the GPF’s Marine Wing at Ruimveldt, Georgetown
The newly commissioned Special Constabulary Headquarters
Helmets were also distributed at the commissioning of the Ruimveldt Police Station
Election Day declared a national holiday
The Guyana Government has announced Monday, September 1, 2025, as a national holiday to facilitate the holding of General and Regional Elections in the country.
According to Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn, this decision was made “pursuant to the powers conferred on me by Section 6 of the Public Holidays Act, Chapter 19:07, of the Laws of Guyana”.
On Monday, Guyanese will be heading to the polls to select a President and new Government for the next five years.
Incumbent President Dr Irfaan Ali is returning
Partnership for National Unity (APNU) with Aubrey Norton as its Presidential candidate and Juretha Fernandes as the Prime Ministerial (PM) candidate, Alliance For Change (AFC) with Nigel Hughes
on the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) ticket, alongside Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, to seek a second term in office at the upcoming polls.
They will be contesting against five other political parties, including A
as the Presidential candidate and Laura George as the PM candidate, and the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, led by United States-sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed, who is yet to name a running mate. The four parties will be contesting all 10 administrative
regions (districts) across Guyana.
On the other hand, the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), with former parliamentarian Amanza Walton-Desir as the Presidential candidate and PM candidate Nigel London, will be contesting seven regions, while former Minister Simona Broomes is contesting solo in six regions under her party, the Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity (ALP).
The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has already declared its readiness for the upcoming elections.
According to the Elections Commission, there will be 2970 polling stations across Guyana on Monday with a final count of 757,690 total voters registered on the Official List of Electors (OLE) as eligible to vote.
This marks an increase of 631 more polling stations than were established for the 2020 General and Regional Elections,
with the OLE increasing by 14.63 per cent, or 96,692 voters.
Prior to Monday’s polling day, or E-Day, members of the Disciplined Services in Guyana – the Guyana Police Force (GPF), Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Guyana Prisons Services (GPS) – cast their ballots on August 22.
Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Vishnu Persaud, earlier this week, reported that 83 per cent of the 10,481 Disciplined Services members successfully cast their ballots on D-Day. These include 5729 police officers, 2,575 soldiers, and 397 prison officers who exercised their franchise.
The turnout, Persaud said, represents the highest participation rate since the 2018 Local Government Elections, surpassing figures recorded in both the 2020 General and Regional Elections and the 2023 Local Government Elections.
Disciplined Services members are allowed to cast their ballots 10 days before the general population, ensuring that they are available for deployment at polling stations and other key locations on Election Day.
Meanwhile, in preparation for the upcoming Elections Day, the Police Force has been conducting several training exercises and musters to prepare ranks for posting at various locations across the country.
GECOM rejects reports of GDF involvement as Presiding Officers on Sept 1
The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has firmly rejected recent reports suggesting that members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) might be called upon to serve as Presiding Officers in the upcoming General and Regional Elections scheduled for 1 September 2025.
In a statement issued on Friday evening, GECOM described the claim as “entirely false” and stressed that it has no basis in law, policy, or practice.
The Commission clarified that Presiding Officers are civilian functionaries appointed through a public recruitment process. All officers undergo mandatory training in accordance with the Representation of the People Act and established GECOM protocols.
“There is no provision in the electoral framework, either legislatively or operationally, that allows for military personnel, including members of the GDF, to serve as Presiding Officers or carry out polling day responsibilities on behalf of GECOM,” the statement said.
GECOM also addressed concerns over recruitment, noting that while some individuals have declined offers for certain
positions, these individuals have instead been assigned to roles where they are comfortable serving.
The Commission emphasised that it continues to manage its recruitment programme and remains on track to fill all required positions with trained and vetted civilians.
The Commission warned that claims suggesting military involvement in the electoral process are “inaccurate, misleading, and irresponsible”, particularly at a time when maintaining public confidence and calm is critical.
GECOM urged media houses and public commentators to verify information with the Commission before publishing reports that could cause confusion or alarm. The body reaffirmed its commitment to conducting a credible, peaceful, and lawfully administered election on 1 September.
PM Phillips assesses flooding impact in Bartica
Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips visited Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), on Friday to assess the impact of recent flooding in the Second Avenue area.
The Prime Minister, who has Ministerial responsibil -
…relief supplies distributed
ity for the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), was joined by Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat. The two officials toured the affected community, inspected the extent of the flooding, and engaged residents on their concerns.
As part of the Government’s emergency response, the CDC mobilised immediate relief supplies for affected households. Cleaning hampers were officially handed over to the Regional Executive Officer (REO) for distribution to residents impacted by the floodwaters.
Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn
Bartica boat operator stabbed to death at EBD hotel
…female companion on the run
A40-year-old boat operator from Mongrippa Hill, Bartica, Ryan Fredericks, was fatally attacked on Thursday night at the Safari Inn Hotel, located at Friendship, East Bank Demerara.
Reports indicate that Fredericks was allegedly killed by a female suspect, whose identity remains unknown. He had reportedly rented a room at the hotel with the woman prior to the incident.
Earlier in the day, Fredericks had hired Navindra Kanhai, also a boat operator from 2nd Avenue, Bartica, to take him to Parika. Around 17:45h, they arrived at Parika and met the female suspect waiting in a black motorcar. Both Fredericks and Kanhai joined the
woman in the vehicle and later went to the Safari Inn Hotel, where two rooms were booked. Fredericks went into a room with the female suspect while Kanhai stayed in the other room.
According to Kanhai, between 23:00h and 23:30h, he was awakened by knocking on his door. He found Fredericks bleeding from a wound to his left arm, reportedly stating that he had been robbed and chopped.
The incident was immediately reported to the Police, and the ambulance service was summoned. Emergency Medical Technicians pronounced Fredericks dead at the scene at approximately 24:55h.
Crime scene investigators observed a deep wound on the inner side of
Fredericks’ left upper arm. His body was transported to Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, where it awaits a post-mortem examination.
Kanhai has been taken into custody and is assisting with the ongoing investigation. Police continue to search for the female suspect and the black motorcar linked to the attack.
Most Trump tariffs are not legal, US appeals court rules
Adivided United States (US) appeals court ruled on Friday that most of Donald Trump's tariffs are illegal, undercutting the Republican President's use of the levies as a key international economic policy tool.
The court allowed the tariffs to remain in place through October 14 to give the Trump Administration a chance to file an appeal with the US Supreme Court.
Trump has made tariffs a pillar of US foreign policy in his second term, using them to exert political pressure and renegotiate trade deals with countries that export goods to the US.
The tariffs have given the Trump Administration leverage to extract economic concessions from trading partners but have also increased volatility in financial markets.
"The statute bestows significant authority on the President to undertake a number of actions in response to a declared national emergency, but none of these actions explicitly include the power to impose tariffs, duties, or the like, or the power to tax," the court said.
The Treasury, the US Trade Representative's office and the Commerce Department had no immediate response to the ruling.
The 7-4 decision from the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in
Washington, DC, addressed the legality of what Trump calls "reciprocal" tariffs imposed as part of his trade war in April, as well as a separate set of tariffs imposed in February against China, Canada and Mexico.
Democratic Presidents appointed six Judges in the majority and two Judges who dissented, while Republican Presidents appointed one Judge in the majority and two dissenters.
The court's decision does not impact tariffs issued under other legal authority, such as Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminium imports.
Trump justified both sets of tariffs – as well as more recent tariffs – under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. IEEPA gives the President the power to
address "unusual and extraordinary" threats during national emergencies.
"It seems unlikely that Congress intended, in enacting IEEPA, to depart from its past practice and grant the President unlimited authority to impose tariffs," the ruling said. "The statute neither mentions tariffs (or any of its synonyms) nor has procedural safeguards that contain clear limits on the President’s power to impose tariffs."
The 1977 law had historically been used for imposing sanctions on enemies or freezing their assets. Trump, the first President to use IEEPA to impose tariffs, says the measures were justified given trade imbalances, declining US manufacturing power and the cross-border flow of drugs. (Excerpt from Reuters)
UN confirms “staggering” 490% spike in child rights violations in Haiti
– Guyana joins call for urgent global response
The humanitarian crisis in Haiti has reached a devastating new peak, with the United Nations (UN) reporting a 490 per cent increase in grave violations against children in 2024 alone, placing the Caribbean nation among the five worst-affected countries worldwide. Delivering a statement on behalf of the A3+ (Algeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and Guyana) during a Security Council briefing on Friday, Guyana’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Trishala Persaud, underscored the catastrophic scale of the crisis.
According to the Secretary-General António Guterres’ latest Children and Armed Conflict report, more than 2000 violations against children were verified last year – figures that UN officials stressed still under-represent the true extent of the violence. “With over two thousand violations verified, placing Haiti among the five countries most affected worldwide, and bearing in mind that these figures do not reflect the full scale of violations against children. Women and girls face heightened risks with pervasive incidents of gang rape, cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment,” Persaud lamented.
“Meanwhile, the humanitarian response is faltering. The Humanitarian Response Plan is only 10 per cent funded. Gangs continue to impose access impediments by expanding their territorial control, while insecurity further constrains humanitarian operations. The situation is also compounded by the rising deportations of Haitian nationals, which place additional strain on already scarce resources. The A3+ acknowledges the ongoing efforts of the Haitian authorities, supported by bilateral, regional, and international partners, to strengthen institutions and improve the national response capacity,” the Guyanese envoy went on to state.
Persaud, speaking for the A3+ outlined three immediate priorities for action, which include restoring justice institutions, ensuring the safety of humanitarian staff and guaranteeing aid delivery and coordinated international action across all sectors.
“First, the crisis in Haiti is multidimensional, and so too must be our collective response. The A3+ underscore the urgency of coordinated international action across the political, humanitarian, security and economic tracks, each of which is inextricably linked and must be addressed in tandem. For any
solution to endure, it must be comprehensive, tackling both security and socio-economic challenges, while remaining firmly Haitianled, Haitian-owned, and Haitian-focused. This must also inform a comprehensive disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration process for children, who should be treated primarily as victims. This is necessary to prevent an entire generation of boys and girls from being lost, and to break recurring cycles of violence against children”.
“Second, the security situation is urgent. Addressing it is fundamental to unlocking progress in all other areas. Without stabilisation, humanitarian goods and personnel cannot reach those most in need.
In this regard, discussions on safety and security must also address challenges to the safety of humanitarian personnel and the continuity of aid operations… Third, we wish to underscore the need to restore the rule of law and judicial institutions, which are indispensable for long-term peace. In this regard, we support ongoing efforts to combat corruption, impunity, and the collapse of justice systems. We reaffirm the need to build resilience and safeguard the future of Haiti’s children. To achieve this, it is essential to address the root causes of the crisis, strengthen good governance, the rule of law and accountability; ensure ac-
cess to public services, especially education and healthcare, including physical and psychological care; foster economic development and ensure social inclusion for sustainable peace, she explained.
The group also called for sustained assistance to Haiti’s security forces, with emphasis on child protection, capacity-building, and institutional strengthening.
“The acute security and humanitarian crises must be addressed in a coherent and balanced manner, including through a carefully calibrated international response… As the Security Council deliberates on the way forward in implementing the recommendations of the Secretary-General issued in February this year, and as we collectively consider avenues to further broaden support for the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, we wish to underscore the continued importance of sustained assistance to the Haitian security forces. In this regard, we stress the need to prioritise capacity-building efforts, including specific provisions for dedicated child protection resources, and to reinforce the institutional effectiveness of national agencies entrusted with the implementation of Security Council resolutions and the administration of related sanctions measures,” Persaud added.
Guyana’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Trishala Persaud
Navindra Kanhai
Around the World
OOIL NEWS
Oil prices fall with expected low demand, upcoming supply boost
il prices fell on Friday as traders looked toward weaker demand in the United States (US), the world's largest oil market, and a boost in supply this autumn from OPEC and its allies.
Brent crude futures for October delivery, which will expire on Friday, were down 49 cents, or 0.71 per cent, at $68.13 a barrel by 12:55h CDT (17:55 GMT), while the more active contract for November was down 57 cents, or 0.84 per cent, at $67.41.
West Texas Intermediate crude futures were 60 cents, or 0.93 per cent, lower at $63.99.
The market was in part shifting its focus toward next week's OPEC+ meeting, said Tamas Varga, analyst at PVM Oil Associates.
Crude output has increased from the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, known as OPEC+, as the group has accelerated output hikes to regain market share, raising the supply outlook and weighing on global oil prices.
The US summer driving season ends on Monday's Labour Day holiday, signalling the end of the highest demand period in the US, which is the largest fuel market.
Crude supply increases have not made their way into the US market yet, raising the possibility supply and demand will be in a tighter balance, said Phil Flynn, senior analyst with Price Futures Group.
Prices rose earlier in the week due to Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil export terminals, but reports of talks between Ukraine's European allies about a possible ceasefire helped tamp down prices, Phil Flynn, senior analyst with Price Futures Group, said.
Investors are also watching for India's response to pressure from the United States to stop buying Russian oil, after Trump doubled tariffs on imports from India to as much as 50 per cent on Wednesday. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Sir Ronald Sanders awarded Ukraine’s Order of Merit
Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States (US), Sir Ronald Sanders, a Tribune columnist, will receive Ukraine’s Order of Merit for his advocacy in defence of the country’s sovereignty, according to a statement from the Embassy of Antigua and Barbuda.
The Embassy said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the decree on August 24, recognising Sir Ronald “for a significant contribution to strengthening interstate cooperation, supporting the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.” The award will be presented
at a ceremony in Washington, DC, in September.
According to the release, Sir Ronald has championed Ukraine’s case in international bodies, including the
Organisation of American States, where he piloted resolutions and declarations in support of the country. He has also pressed for global backing of the Ukrainian peo-
ple in his syndicated column. “I am greatly honoured by the award from President Zelenskyy,” Sir Ronald said. “I regard it as an award not only to me but to my Government in Antigua and Barbuda for its stance in standing up for the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter and international law.”
He added, “The courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people against superior odds to maintain their autonomy and identity is an example to all small states that are confronted with unfairness and injustice.”
[Excerpt from The Tribune (Nassau)]
Trump cancels $4.9bn in congressionally approved foreign funding
Donald Trump said he would not be spending $4.9bn in congressionally approved foreign aid, in a letter to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson.
The rare move, known as a “pocket rescission”, is a request to Congress for the president to not spend appropriated funds towards the end of the fiscal
Kashmir floods, landslides kill dozens
At least 40 people have died and scores have been injured as torrential rains in Indian-administered Kashmir triggered major landslides this week, with flash floods sweeping away homes and knocking down telecommunication networks and power lines.
The majority of those killed were pilgrims travelling to the Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu’s Katra. The shrine, one of the most popular Hindu pilgrimage spots, is located about 60 km from Jammu city. Devotees trek about 12–13 km uphill from the base camp to reach it.
“There was chaos. Death had never seemed [so] close. Some people are still missing,” said Rakesh Kumar, 42, who had come to Katra from Madhya Pradesh, a central Indian state. “The internet and phones were dead, which created a lot of panic.”
Jammu recorded its heaviest-ever 24-hour rainfall on Tuesday – 380 mm, compared with the previous record of 270.4 mm in 1988 – triggering
widespread devastation across the region.
Some of the deceased pilgrims visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine have been identified as residents of Punjab, Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh states.
The latest crisis came days after a series of flash floods in the remote regions of Kishtwar and Kathua districts killed dozens in Indian-administered Kashmir.
In Jammu, the floods surged through the city
and swept away bridges on the Tawi, a major lifeline for the region. Images showed policemen in Jammu desperately trying to halt traffic approaching a damaged bridge before a side of it collapsed.
While extreme weather events continue to occur regularly across India, environmental experts in Kashmir say poor natural resource management and a flurry of reckless developmental projects have amplified threats. (Al Jazeera)
year – which ends on 30 September. Normally, the law stipulates that funding can be paused for 45 days while Congress considers such a request. But a pocket rescission means that lawmakers don’t have enough time to act before the funds expire. This would be the first time a president has used the provision in 50 years.
It’s already attracted ire from several legislators. Susan Collins, the Republican senator from Maine who chairs the appropriations committee, called the president’s actions a “clear violation of the law”.
Meanwhile, Democrats decried Trump’s actions.
Senator Elizabeth Warren, the ranking member of the
finance committee, said the president [...] a “wannabe king is defunding support that prevents hunger and sickness worldwide”, while Congressman Joaquin Castro of Texas said the decision to scrap billions in foreign funding was “wrong and illegal” and urged his Republican colleagues to “say hell no”. (Source: The Guardian)
Venezuela arrests two Trinidadians in latest spat over US-Caribbean military activities
Amere two days after calling T&T’s Government “shameful” after Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar promised to allow the United States (US) military to use T&T as a base if Venezuela invades Guyana, Venezuela’s Justice Minister Diosdado Cabello has hit out at T&T again.
In his latest accusations against T&T, Cabello said two T&T nationals, along with criminals from other countries, were arrested on Wednesday in the Venezuelan state of Delta Amacuro, which borders T&T.
This comes after an incident two weeks ago where three Trinis were among five men arrested at sea by Venezuela’s Guardia Nacional on August 15.
Speaking on his weekly TV programme, “Con el mazo dando”, on Wednesday night, Cabello said officials have discovered some things that can only come by boat from T&T.
“We have found some
things in our Delta Amacuro region that can only be brought in by boat from Trinidad; we have found them. Today, we arrested 12 people in that area; eight are Colombian, two are Venezuelan, and two are Trinidadian,” Cabello said.
Cabello also lashed out at US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s latest statement on the US deployment of military assets in the Caribbean and criticised T&T for joining the campaign.
Reading a letter live on air, Cabello noted that “an example is occurring with our Trinidad and Tobago neighbours. Marco Rubio is obsessed with Venezuela, and that is why he has been making moves in the Caribbean for months.”
He added, “Part of Latin America and the Caribbean hasn’t realised that the supposed anti-drug war led by Marco Rubio isn’t aimed at creating a region free of illicit drug abuse, but rather at attempting to impose US Government control
and manipulation on the larger Latin American geographic neighbourhood.”
Cabello also claimed that Rubio sees T&T as the “pawns” of the Caribbean, referring to the failed Dragon gas deal between T&T and Venezuela.
He also said T&T’s relationship with the US is like “selling its soul to the devil.”
“The US State Department sabotaged the Dragon gas project for two reasons. If it had materialised, T&T’s income could have exceeded $2 billion annually in the first phase. This would have strengthened the position of T&T as the energy hub of the Caribbean and helped T&T to depend less on the United States,” Cabello said.
“In the second place, Rubio is playing hardball so that the British company (Shell) in charge of the project left Trinidad in this way to favour the US company ExxonMobil, the principal financier.” (Source: Trinidad & Tobago Guardian)
Water from the overflowing Tawi River floods a temple of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, following heavy rain in Jammu, Indian-administered Kashmir
Antigua and Barbuda’s ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders
SUDOKU
HOROSCOPES
Put your energy, discipline and ingenious ideas to work for you. Enjoy physical challenges and strive for victory. Balance and equality are necessary to your success.
Protect your health, wealth and emotional well-being. Refuse to let what others do ruin your plans. Get what you want in writing, and don’t mix business with pleasure.
Review your situation and be the one to initiate change. A domestic change will touch you emotionally. Be sure to follow through. Concentrate on what you want to achieve.
Focus on opportunity and investing more time and effort into simplifying your life. Walk away from those who hold you back or complicate your life. Happiness is a choice. Do your best.
If you’re fun to be with, everyone will want to be around you. Keep your emotions and troubles to yourself. Smile, be happy, and let go of the past. Choose fitness, not indulgence.
Eliminate frustration over money matters by avoiding joint ventures or shared expenses. Channel your energy into personal and physical pursuits that promote your health, happiness and overall well-being.
Set your sights on your goal, and don’t look up or back until you reach your destination. The journey you embark on will help you discard what’s no longer purposeful.
Map out your path before you take off. Look at every angle, and abide by the rules to avoid getting caught up in someone else’s misfortune. Stick to what you know and do best.
You’re ready to take the plunge, update your image or change your direction. Keeping up with the times will offer a boost to your confidence, helping you find your way.
Rethink what’s important to you, and choose to use your money to benefit you. Research will help revise your plans to ensure you benefit from the results. Don’t overreact; work quietly toward reaching your objective.
Don’t be afraid to apply pressure when necessary. If you believe in something, follow through. Your money will serve you best if you invest in yourself.
Finish what you start. Pour your energy into doing and add your unique touch to ensure you get the credit you deserve. Emotional turmoil will arise if you allow someone to use criticism to make you feel inadequate.
ARCHIE
Aspectacular Dilshan Madushanka hattrick derailed a scintillating Zimbabwe chase in the final over, which Sikandar Raza had valiantly revived through the middle overs.
Raza had brought Zimbabwe to the cusp of what would have been a famous victory. They needed ten off the last over; he himself was on strike and batting beautifully on 92 off 86 balls, and at the other end was Tony Munyonga, with whom he’d shared a 128-run stand.
But Madushanka backed his speed and went for the stumps. Raza attempted an over-the-shoulder scoop with the fine leg in the circle. But he could not get a touch on the ball, which sent the middle stump flying.
With ten now needed off
five, Zimbabwe were still in with a shot if someone could find the boundary. But Madushanka kept going full and fast and kept finding wickets. Brad Evans tried a scoop as well but wound up only giving a short, fine catch. Richard Ngarava tried to swipe across the line next ball and also found his stumps rearranged. Only two runs were possible off the last three deliveries –Madushanka sticking to fuller lengths and staying tight on the stumps. Though he had been expensive earlier, he had produced the defining over of the match in his first ODI this year. He took 4 for 62. Asitha Fernando took 3 for 50 from his ten overs.
Before that Madushanka finale, Raza had Zimbabwe sailing through the death overs. He and Munyonga
had come together when Zimbabwe still needed 138 for victory off 120 balls, and the pair had produced a dynamic partnership, Raza always leading the way, manipulating the field expertly as the early assistance the pitch had offered died out. (Sri Lanka’s lower middle order had also found batting conditions improved substantially as the ball wore.)
Raza largely milked the spinners and reserved his big shots for the seam bowlers, punishing them severely when they missed their lengths. Sri Lanka’s fielding was sloppy through this period, and their over rate also suffered to such an extent that they were punished with having an extra fielder in the circle for the last two overs. Raza kept the singles and twos flowing, and in Munyonga he had a partner who could turn the strike back over to him fairly efficiently.
Munyonga was dropped
on 35 at deep point, with Zimbabwe needing 32 off 22 balls, and from there Zimbabwe’s victory felt fairly assured, as Raza continued to whittle down the score with boundaries and sharp running. Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka had his more reliable quicks –Dushmantha Chameera and Fernando – bowl out by the end of the 49th over, hoping one of them could take the breakthrough wicket. In the end, they left Madushanka with enough runs to defend that batters still had to hit a boundary in that over.
Kamindu 57 off 36 before being bowled by Richard Ngarava off the last delivery of the innings.
Although batters above them had been watchful, Liyanage and Kamindu were more severe on the bowlers’ errors in length, as the spinners attempted to continue rushing through the overs, and the seamers tried to exploit the extra bounce in the surface. They found boundaries square of the wicket –Liyanage favouring the offside – and the two were also excellent between the wickets.
Sri Lanka’s innings had also centred around their sixth-wicket partnership, and those batters had – like Raza and Munyonga – been joined with the score 161 for 5. Janith Liyanage and Kamindu Mendis added 137 off 83 balls to electrify what had been a slow Sri Lanka innings until that point. Of those runs, Liyanage hit 70 not out off 47 balls, and
Kamindu was the busier of the two, but Liyanage got more strikes towards the end of the innings and did not fail to land some big blows, hitting an especially memorable helicopter-shot six off Ngarava in the final over. Trevor Gwandu had earlier conceded a 23-run over to the pair.
There had been good top-order contributions in both innings. For Zimbabwe, Sean Williams and Ben Curran both hit fifties in their 118-run partnership, having come together with the score at two wickets for no runs. For Sri Lanka, Pathum Nissanka had struck a patient fifty. (ESPNcricinfo)
Tony Munyonga and Sikandar Raza put on a century stand for the sixth wicket but it wasn’t enough Ben Curran scored 70
Dilshan Madushanka the hero
Pathum Nissanka top scored with 76
n un-
Abeaten half-century from captain Salman Agha and a disciplined quartet of bowlers saw Pakistan ease to a 39run victory in the first game of the tri-series against Afghanistan. After batting first on a surface curiously supportive of quick runs in Sharjah, Pakistan flew out of the blocks before Rashid Khan dragged them back after the powerplay. But their game plan encourages attack right through the innings, and equipped with a deep batting line-up, they had the ammunition to keep going hard till the end. It was
best summed up by their Nos. 6, 7 and 8 – Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Haris and Faheem Ashraf – combining to score 50 runs in 29 balls. Afghanistan’s pursuit combined purpose with craft, tempering their strokeplay in favour of faithfully tailgating the required rate. Rahmanullah Gurbaz had the licence to take advantage of the powerplay, but with Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal more cautious, it was clear Afghanistan were trusting their lower order to make up if they fell behind. It worked nicely until the 11th over, but that plan
aaa
Pakistan (20 overs maximum)
Sahibzada Farhan c Mujeeb Ur Rahman
b Azmatullah Omarzai 21
Saim Ayub c Fareed Ahmad
b Rashid Khan 14
Fakhar Zaman c Ibrahim Zadran
b Mohammad Nabi 20
Salman Agha (c) not out 53
Hasan Nawaz c Sediqullah Atal
b Fareed Ahmad 9
Mohammad Nawaz c Darwish Rasooli
b Mujeeb Ur Rahman 21
Mohammad Haris † c Sediqullah Atal
b Fareed Ahmad 15 Faheem Ashraf run out (Mujeeb Ur Rahman/†Rahmanullah Gurbaz/ Fareed Ahmad) 14
Extras (b 4, lb 6, nb 1, w 4) 15
Total 20 Ov (RR: 9.10)
182/7
Fall of wickets: 1-26 (Sahibzada Farhan, 2.3 ov), 2-55 (Saim Ayub, 6.5 ov), 3-63 (Fakhar Zaman, 7.3 ov), 4-83 (Hasan Nawaz, 11.1 ov), 5-136 (Mohammad Nawaz, 15.4 ov), 6-167 (Mohammad Haris, 19.2 ov), 7-182 (Faheem Ashraf, 19.6 ov)
Bowling O-M-R-W
Fazalhaq Farooqi
3-0-31-0
Mujeeb Ur Rahman 4-0-22-1
2-0-28-1
Azmatullah Omarzai
Mohammad Nabi 3-0-18-1
Rashid Khan 4-0-26-1
Fareed Ahmad 4-0-47-2
Afghanistan (T: 183 runs from 20 ovs)
Rahmanullah Gurbaz †
b Mohammad Nawaz 38
Ibrahim Zadran b Shaheen Shah Afridi 9
Sediqullah Atal c Shaheen Shah Afridi
b Haris Rauf 23
Darwish Rasooli c & b Sufiyan Muqeem 21 Karim Janat c Hasan Nawaz
b Haris Rauf 0
Azmatullah Omarzai st †Mohammad Haris
b Mohammad Nawaz 0 Mohammad Nabi c Faheem Ashraf
b Sufiyan Muqeem 3
Rashid Khan (c) c Hasan Nawaz
b Haris Rauf 39 Mujeeb Ur Rahman b Shaheen Shah Afridi 4 Fareed Ahmad c Saim Ayub b Haris Rauf 1
Fazalhaq Farooqi not out 1
Extras (lb 1, w 3) 4
Total 19.5 Ov (RR: 7.21) 143 Fall of wickets: 1-17 (Ibrahim Zadran, 2.6 ov), 2-68 (Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 7.6 ov), 3-93 (Sediqullah Atal, 11.3 ov), 4-93 (Karim Janat, 11.6 ov), 5-93 (Darwish Rasooli, 12.1 ov), 6-95 (Azmatullah Omarzai, 13.3 ov), 7-97 (Mohammad Nabi, 14.1 ov), 8-141 (Rashid Khan, 17.6 ov), 9-141 (Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 18.1 ov), 10-143 (Fareed Ahmad, 19.5 ov)
Bowling O-M-R-W
Shaheen
Salman,
good for Afghanistan in tri-series opener
was blown to shreds with a double-wicket maiden from Haris Rauf in the 12th over, which triggered an Afghanistan capitulation. It saw them lose five wickets for four runs in 16 balls, and though Rashid gave his side fleeting hope with a delightfully entertaining 16-ball 39, Afghanistan had drifted far out of the game to swim their way back into it.
Farhan’s start gives Pakistan early ground Afghanistan had the better of all Pakistan batters in the powerplay bar one, and that was the one who counted. Sahibzada Farhan had made up his mind; he would take on Fazalhaq Farooqi straight from the outside. The intent crystallised into action when he drove him back over his head off the game’s fourth ball. A four followed that six, before Azmatullah Omarzai was greeted with another piledriver over midwicket.
He was gone by the 15th ball of the game when Omarzai strangled him
down leg to short fine, but there had been time enough to smash his way to 21 off 10 balls. Afghanistan’s spinners applied the squeeze effectively for the next eight overs as Pakistan kept losing wickets and scored just 51 in that period, but the buffer Farhan had provided his side meant they hadn’t lost too much ground before they picked up the pace again.
Captain Salman takes on Captain Rashid Rashid is arguably the best T20I bowler, while Salman is inarguably not the best T20I batter. However, in this battle of captains, it was the less fancied Pakistan skipper who landed all the telling blows. Having dispatched a couple of boundaries off Fareed Ahmad in the previous over, he took on Afghanistan’s talisman, slapping a couple of on-side sixes in an over that leaked 17.
Mohammad Nawaz, watching from the other end, would join the action
when Omarzai returned, taking his captain’s lead and slapping a couple of sixes in that 15th over. Salman continued along, and though that kind of explosiveness wasn’t ever-present, he still finished with an unbeaten 53 off 36 by the end of the innings; Pakistan scored 99 in the final 9 overs, and it had all begun with Salman’s unlikely takedown of an Afghan superstar.
Rauf’s double-wicket maiden leads to Afghanistan’s capitulation
Well-managed chases are not Afghanistan’s renowned strength, but you could have been fooled for thinking otherwise halfway through the chase. Atal and Darwish Rasooli had struck up a menacing partnership, and Rashid’s side were nicely placed at 93 for 2 with nine overs in which to launch their onslaught.
Until Rauf returned to the attack. A couple of furious hard-length deliveries that flirted with the 150 kph mark elicited no runs, and
as the pressure built, Atal grew desperate. He lashed out at a slower ball only to find Shaheen Afridi at deep third. Karim Janat failed to get bat on ball on the first two deliveries and then smeared one to deep square leg, bringing down the curtain on a double-wicket maiden. Afghanistan imploded over the next few minutes. Sufiyan Muqeem removed Rasooli the following delivery and Mohammad Nabi in his next over. Mohammad Nawaz accounted for Omarzai as he charged down the pitch, leaving Haris with a straightforward stumping. From the 12th to the 16th over, Afghanistan scored a mere 6 runs in 24 balls and lost five wickets. It left Rashid’s ensuing onslaught as light entertainment in an already lost cause. (ESPNcricinfo)
Pakistan win in tri-series opener
Haris Rauf claimed 4 wickets
Salman made a 36-ball 53 not out
Rashid Khan had a good all-round game
One of the most anticipated matches of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is here. The Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) head to Trinidad and Tobago to face off against their fierce rivals, the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR).
The Brian Lara Cricket Academy will be the stage tonight at 19:00h local time, with the two CPL heavyweights battling for supremacy in front of a sold-out crowd.
The Warriors have played three matches so far, with two wins and one defeat. TKR, meanwhile, have three
victories from four games and enter the contest with home support and strong form.
Leading the Knight Riders is Nicholas Pooran, one of the premier T20 batters in world cricket. Their lineup is stacked with international firepower and rising talent. Alex Hales and Colin Munro have been consistent with the bat, while Keacy Carty struck a fine fifty in the last game. Veterans Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, and Sunil Narine bring unmatched experience and match-winning ability. With the ball, Mohammad Amir and Usman Tariq have
Fireworks to ignite Brian Lara Academy with GAW, TKR showdown tonight
led the way, Amir in particular producing a dominant player-of-the-match spell in their most recent outing.
Reflecting on their recent win, Pooran said: “It feels good to win especially against Antigua as they have got the better of us in the last few games. We didn’t plan anything specific for them. Amir led the way for us, gave Ali Khan the new ball because was swinging. Akeal and Narine bowled well in the middle and death overs. The discipline sticks out. We had to work really hard, and CPL is a difficult tournament, all of us need to come together and do our jobs. Trinidad is
Jumbo Jet Events launches
Jockey Academy in tribute to Kishawn Pereira
Jumbo Jet Events, one of Guyana’s leading promoters of Thoroughbred racing, has announced the launch of the country’s first-ever Jockey Academy.
Based at the Bush Lot United Turf Club, this landmark initiative will serve as the foundation of a broader Horsemen’s School designed to provide training across every aspect of the equine industry.
The academy honours the late jockey Kishawn Pereira,
with courses emphasising the use of protective gear, safe handling, and emergency protocols to protect both jockeys and horses. Under the guidance of renowned trainer Robert Pierce, who brings global expertise, jockeys will also receive instruction in race strategy, fitness, mental preparation, and discipline to compete at the international level.
Recognizing the vital role of grooms, the programme will introduce struc-
whose tragic passing highlighted the urgent need for improved safety, discipline, and education in the sport.
“His passing has underscored the urgent need for greater emphasis on safety, discipline and education in the sport. By launching this academy, the industry is turning tragedy into legacy,” Jumbo Jet Events said in an official statement.
Far more than riding lessons, the academy seeks to professionalise horse racing in Guyana and create a self-sustaining industry. Its impact will extend beyond jockeys to include trainers, grooms, farriers, owners, breeders, and the wider community.
A central focus is safety,
tured training in nutrition, daily care, stable management, and disease prevention to improve the health and performance of Guyana’s Thoroughbred stock. Farrier training will address hoof care and injury prevention, reducing race-day scratches and extending horses’ competitive careers.
Aspiring trainers will study conditioning, nutrition, veterinary basics, and campaign planning, while future programmes will expand into breeding, rehabilitation, bloodstock management, and racing administration. All courses will highlight physical fitness and weight management.
The academy – funded by Jumbo Jet Events alongside
Kris Jagdeo Racing Stable, Slingerz Racing Stable, and J’s Racing Stable – aims to generate sustainable jobs and foster growth within Guyana’s racing community. With the nation’s booming oil economy, the initiative positions horse racing for a major transformation.
amazing and we know whenever we come here, they turn
up, hope we continue to put smiles on their faces.”
Crucially, Guyana now becomes the first Caribbean and South American nation to establish a dedicated horsemen’s school, offering opportunities for local talent while preparing them for global recognition. Plans are already in motion to collaborate with regional and international racing bodies to develop certification programmes that can open doors worldwide.
“The launch of the Jockey
Academy is not just a project; it is a promise. A promise that the life of the late jockey will be remembered not with silence, but with opportunity. A promise that future generations will ride, train, and care for horses with skill, respect, and professionalism. And a promise that Guyana’s Sport of Kings will finally have the foundation it deserves” the statement concluded.
With this pioneering academy, Guyana takes a historic step toward transforming horse racing into a thriving, world-class industry.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan legend, Amir was happy with the surface at Brian Lara Cricket Academy. “The wicket was offering some help early on. When there is help, I always try to swing the new ball. Everybody is doing it on social media so I thought I will also do it.” he added, referring to his popular “aura farming” celebration.
From the Warriors’ camp, skipper Imran Tahir will be hoping his side bounces back after their defeat to the St Lucia Kings. The powerplay will be crucial, both with bat and ball, and catching opportunities must be taken.
Shai Hope, Ben McDermott, Shimron Hetmyer, and Romario Shepherd have all shown form with the bat, though Kevlon Anderson remains under pressure at the top of the order.
Hetmyer, who is building a reputation as a finisher, has been inconsistent, with scores of 3, 65, and 0 in his last three outings. A big knock from him could be de-
Guyana’s three-member cycling team is heading to Barbados to compete in the Caribbean Junior Cycling Championship, scheduled for August 30 and 31, 2025.
Representing the country are Alex Newton (Evolution CC), Alexander Leung (Continental CC), and Sidwell Sandy (Kaieteur Attack CC).
The competition begins on Saturday, August 30, with the individual time trial, followed by the individual road race on Sunday, August 31.
The championship provides a valuable platform for the
cisive tonight. The powerplay is arguably the most important phase to set up the game for a win, and this season, Anderson has not produced at a fast pace. But with Kelvon Anderson as an opener and who has not stepped up to the task as an explosive opener, the Warrior might want to make some changes. In the middle order, overseas stars Moeen Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, and Dwaine Pretorius will be key to steadying the innings and producing match-winning contributions. Tahir himself will look to replicate his brilliant 5-21 against the Falcons, while Gudakesh Motie continues to impress with his accuracy and electric fielding. His spell could be pivotal, especially in the duel with TKR’s left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein.
This is the first match of CPL 2025 to sell out more than a month in advance, underlining the excitement surrounding the contest. With star players on both sides and two passionate fan bases, all signs point to a grand showdown under the lights.
region’s top junior cyclists to showcase their talents. Racing will take place on a 5.7 km circuit between the Garfield Sobers Roundabout and the Edwy Talma Roundabout (Kendal Hill). Seventeen countries are expected to participate, competing for eight championship titles. Among the nations represented are Guyana, Barbados, Anguilla, Antigua, Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Grenada, Curaçao, Jamaica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, St Maarten, St Lucia, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.
TKR recorded three wins
GAW will be hoping to bounce back
From left Alex Newton (Evolution CC), Alexander Leung (Continental CC) and Sidwell Sandy (Kaieteur Attack CC)
Jumbo Jet Events Launches Guyana’s First Jockey Academy, Pioneering a New Era for Thoroughbred Racing
Kishawn Pereira
The Trinbago Knight Riders continued their strong form at home, cruising to a seven-wicket victory over the Barbados Royals in the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.
Chasing 176, TKR made light work of the target, sealing the win in just 17.2 overs. Colin Munro (67) and Nicholas Pooran (65) dominated
the Royals’ bowlers in a destructive partnership, while Kieron Pollard (19* off 9) added the finishing touch. Opener Alex Hales chipped in with 19 at the top. Only Ramon Simmonds and Jomel Warrican managed to claim a wicket each as the Royals’ attack struggled.
Earlier, TKR won the toss and chose to bowl first. Quinton de Kock looked threatening before Ali Khan uprooted his stumps for 21 in the
fourth over. The Royals posted 44-1 in the powerplay, with Brandon King and Kadeem Alleyne steadying the innings. King struck a six off Andre Russell before falling the very next ball for 29. The pair had added 56 from 43 deliveries. Sherfane Rutherford then joined the party at 77-2, launching a blistering counterattack and smashing 45 from 22 balls with four sixes and two fours – his best
knock of the season. Captain Rovman Powell supported with a quick 31 off 15. Despite their efforts, Russell’s 3-37 and Mohammad Amir’s 2-38 kept the Royals in check, restricting them to 175-6.
TKR’s emphatic chase underlined their growing dominance at home as they look ahead to their clash with the Guyana Amazon Warriors tonight at 19:00h, again at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.
QDK is cleaned up
Andre Russell claimed three wickets
Munro unleashed again
Pooran scored a fine fifty