Suspects scoped out target before launching deadly attack – Crime Chief
BRIDGE OPENING
The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, October 30 –10:55h–12:25h and Friday, October 31 – 12:00h–13:30h.
FERRY SCHEDULE
Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily.
WEATHER TODAY
Sunny skies interrupted by midday to afternoon showers are expected during the day, and clear skies are expected at night. Temperatures are expected to range between 23 degrees Celsius and 33 degrees Celsius.
Winds: East North-Easterly to Easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.47 metres.
High Tide: 11:07h and 23:33h reaching maximum heights of 2.06 metres and 2.15 metres.
Low Tide: 17:01h reaching a minimum height of 1.18 metres.
Guyanese stakeholders mobilising support after Hurricane Melissa batters C'bean
...as Pres Ali reassures PM Holness of Guyana’s support
Hurricane Melissa has left Jamaica battered, with deaths, mass destruction, floods and more than two-thirds of the country without power and in shelters.
The Category 5 storm made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday as the strongest hurricane in the island’s history, with most of the destruction recorded in central and western Jamaica.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, who is performing the functions of President, convened a high-level meeting with representatives of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), and the CDC to coordinate Guyana’s humanitarian response to the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica.
The initial phase of Guyana’s relief efforts will include the provision of essential supplies such as generators, tarpaulins, and chainsaws, to be mobilised through a joint initiative between the Government and the private sector, under the coordination of the CDC and the stewardship of the Prime Minister.
During the engagement, Phillips was joined by the Director General of the CDC, Colonel Nazrul Hussain, and the Chair of the PSC, Gerald Gouveia Jr, as well as representatives from the GDF and the wider private sector.
According to the acting President, Guyana stands in solidarity with the Government and people of Jamaica during this challenging time. He also reaffirmed Guyana's commitment to regional cooperation and collective resilience within CARICOM.
He told the Guyana Times after the stakeholder engagement on Wednesday that Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) has put out a document outlining the immediate needs of the country.
According to the Guyanese official, it is based on that list, which is being regularly updated by Jamaica based on their priority needs, that the local stakeholders are mo-
bilising relief. He added too that Guyana is also working with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) on relief support to the island.
“So, a number of things
Noting that it was too early to ascertain whether there would be a request for manpower to assist Jamaica in the aftermath of the hurricane, the acting President added, “Guyana is a participating nation of CDEMA, and they will be contributing in terms of relief supplies and other forms of assistance as they see fit
in terms of working with the Jamaican Government and their Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management agency.”
are happening in terms of coordinating assistance to Jamaica… We want to arrive at the requirements based on the identification of needs by the Jamaican Emergency Management Agency, and that would guide us to whatever interventions [are needed]. But we are ready to assist,” Phillips told the Guyana Times on Wednesday evening.
Guyana’s acting President, Prime Minister Mark Phillips, engaged local stakeholders on relief support for Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa
The aftermath of Hurricane Melissa in St Elizabeth, Jamaica
Editor: Tusika Martin
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Mandatory training for truck drivers
The Home Affairs Ministry's decision to curtail the widespread practice of waiving licensing requirements for motor lorry drivers marks a critical and commendable step towards improving road safety across Guyana. By insisting that all applicants for this category of licence undergo the requisite training, the Ministry is taking a decisive stance to address one of the most persistent and dangerous trends on the nation’s roadways: recklessness among untrained or underqualified truck drivers.
For years, the country has witnessed an alarming rise in traffic collisions involving large vehicles, many of which could be traced to inadequate training and lack of experience. The policy of waiving the age and experience requirements, though introduced to meet the demands of a rapidly-expanding construction sector, inadvertently created conditions that placed inexperienced drivers behind the wheel of heavy-duty vehicles. These massive canters and trucks, often operated by drivers barely out of their teens, have contributed to a worrying pattern of accidents and fatalities that have exacted a heavy toll on families, communities, and the national economy alike.
Home Affairs Minister Oneidge Walrond, in addressing this issue, made clear that such practices can no longer continue. The decision to restrict waivers and insist on proper driver training signals a policy shift that now acknowledges safety cannot be compromised for convenience or expediency. It is an acknowledgement that while economic growth demands efficiency and manpower, development cannot come at the cost of human life.
Under existing regulations, applicants for a motor lorry driver’s licence must be at least 25 years old and have no less than four years of driving experience. However, in recent years, these requirements were frequently set aside to facilitate the urgent needs of private construction companies and logistics operations. That leniency, though perhaps well-intentioned, had the unintended consequence of flooding the roads with young, inexperienced drivers operating vehicles far beyond their capability to control safely.
By reintroducing stricter enforcement and emphasising structured training, the Ministry is helping to create a new generation of competent, responsible, and safety-conscious drivers. Proper instruction will expose young drivers to the unique handling requirements, braking systems, and spatial awareness that large vehicles demand. It will also instil a deeper appreciation for defensive driving techniques and road discipline, attributes essential for navigating busy highways and urban traffic.
Such training will serve as a safeguard for public safety as well as an investment in professionalism within the transportation sector. A formalised and structured approach to truck driver education ensures that those who enter the field do so with the right skills and mindset. It elevates driving from a simple task to a trade, one that carries prestige, accountability, and technical knowledge. This professionalisation will, in turn, benefit the logistics, construction, and mining industries that depend heavily on skilled drivers to transport materials safely and efficiently.
The ripple effects of this policy will extend far beyond individual drivers. Insurance costs associated with road accidents are likely to decline, productivity will increase as goods and materials reach their destinations safely, and the burden on emergency and healthcare systems will be eased. Most importantly, the move reinforces the message that road safety is a shared responsibility, one that begins with ensuring that every driver on the road, regardless of age or occupation, is fully trained and qualified.
The insistence on proper certification also complements broader national efforts to modernise the transportation system and promote responsible driving behaviour. As traffic volumes grow alongside economic expansion, ensuring that heavy-duty vehicles are operated by well-trained professionals becomes a matter of national importance.
The move also offers a valuable opportunity for young people. While some may view the restrictions as a barrier, they should instead be seen as an invitation to pursue structured training that enhances employability and competence. With formal instruction and certification, young drivers will not only qualify to operate motor lorries legally but will also gain a competitive edge in a demanding job market that increasingly values skill and responsibility.
In the final analysis, the Home Affairs Ministry's decision represents a necessary correction to a long-standing oversight. The era of untrained youth commanding powerful vehicles must give way to one of professionalism, preparedness, and prudence. Road safety begins long before a driver turns the ignition – it begins with training, discipline, and respect for the rules that protect everyone who shares the nation’s roads.
Guyana’s future growth and safety depend on such decisive policy shifts. By emphasising training and accountability, the Ministry has set the stage for a safer, more responsible, and ultimately more sustainable driving culture.
Culture, chaos, and noise
By Wesley GiBBinGs
How many of you want to bet that by this same time next year, we will have had to recover from the harmful impacts of noise pollution from private and public, informal and official observances justified by reference to different components of what we describe as “de culture”?
In between, there will be the usual “zero tolerance” alerts from the police, politicians, and official agencies. The collateral damage of distressed babies (Kemani?), the aged, the ailing, animals (pets and wildlife), and our general state of humanity would have been slapped to their respective knees and, in most instances, made to stand again… for more.
On this issue, there is a sad occasion to dispense with hope and to focus instead on mitigation and adaptation rather than on resolution and change. We are no longer lured by furious condemnation and spontaneous commitments to address this continued slur on our humanity.
All that’s needed are tiny chinks in the regulatory armour, the “culturally significant”, and “tradition” to extend advanced pardon to purveyors of undisputed harm and injury.
Admit it. We all saw it coming… again.
At around 13:00h on
October 16 near Lapeyrouse Cemetery along Tragarete Road in Port-of-Spain, we heard an approaching “music truck” and noticed what we thought was an accompanying police escort on motorbikes.
The noise was thunderous and defiant of hands clasping embattled ears. The motorbikes officiously escorted the travelling cacophony through the traffic lights, ahead of other lunchtime traffic.
A funeral? Somebody’s birthday? A forthcoming political rally? We didn’t know. We could not make out the words through covered ears.
Had the country’s noise pollution rules been written differently and not granted free rein to mobile sources, anyone in the vicinity could have felt entitled to rouse the EMA’s “environmental police – whatever the other available, legally actionable avenues.
“But… I thought…” went my sister.
Yes, I had also thought… Less than a week before a usually noisy Divali, there had to be hope – against considerable odds – that though promised legislation had yet to enter the public domain, firm action against such harmful practices expressed as a political “priority” would have at least been pre-emptively applied.
Following an election campaign that witnessed
gratuitous employment of music trucks to attract public attention, the PM – deafened perhaps by her party’s own catchy choruses – had seemingly reached the end of her tether. Music trucks, she contended, were “a scourge” requiring specific legislative intervention.
Then there was the question of “fireworks” – that “public nuisance” widely recognised here for its well-established negative impacts on natural fauna and humans. Relatively muted Independence activities had promised much.
State of Emergency conditions had also been inserted into the discussion. But we should have all been alert to the shenanigans. Yet, people sometimes live in hope – even when an SoE has been proven to be worthless for such a purpose… and others.
This space has been used so many times in the past to remind people that if we were to focus on what the applicable laws are, apart from our Noise Pollution Rules under the Environmental Management Act, there are the Explosives Act Chap 16:02, the Summary Offences Act Chap 11:02, and the Public Holiday and Festival Act Chap 19:05.
I have, however, also repeatedly advised that this subject is something that goes beyond what laws say and applies equally to what we as people consider to
be behaviour appropriate to the requirements of civilised society.
Note, as well, a gradual muting of dissent resulting, I believe, from sheer hopelessness and selective outrage on account of allegiances of all varieties.
Check the files, and you will find occasions when different Cabinets committed to the records an intention to change things.
We have witnessed police commissioners who have spoken eloquently and knowledgeably. “Activists” who have spoken painfully. Victims who have displayed their wounds and losses.
Yes, there are other important things to occupy the public space. But in a sense, this issue can be used to instruct the way we address the other challenges. For one, we can display a willingness to change our collective ways once clear benefits have been established.
We can also learn that our acceptance of noise is a symptom of our tolerance for disorder. A society that accepts noise without restraint also risks accepting other forms of public harm with impunity.
There is also a lesson related to the exercise of disciplined restraint to take us to a place where we distinguish between culture and chaos and can intervene humanely at times when harm appears imminent.
(Trinidad Guardian)
Men search through the wreckage of a home destroyed by Hurricane Melissa in Santiago, Cuba (The Guardian photo)
Mobil Service Station bombing Suspects scoped out target before launching deadly attack – Crime Chief
...confirms $5M reward played crucial role in apprehension of suspect
...Sol Guyana Inc launches internal review with operator
As investigations continue into the deadly bombing of the Mobil Gas Station at Regent and King Streets, Georgetown, on Sunday, new evidence revealed that one of the accomplices was sent to the location prior to the attack to survey the area.
This was according to Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum during a brief telephone interview with the Guyana Times on Wednesday.
He explained that the suspects arrived in a motorcar that was parked in the vicinity of the ACME building. "Whilst there, one man exited the vehicle, walked over to the Mobil Service
Nevertheless, he was prevented from doing so by an attendant; instead, he walked toward the western side of the fuel station, soon after which a loud explosion was heard coming from the section where bottled cooking gas was stored.
Informant led to arrest of prime suspect
The Crime Chief also stated that the arrest of the prime suspect, Daniel Alexander Ramirez Peodomo, at Vergenoegen, Sideline Dam, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), was made possible by information detectives received from an informant.
He noted that the informant will receive the $5 million reward that was offered by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) for information on the whereabouts of the suspect.
Blanhum, nevertheless, commended the informant for being brave and responsible enough to provide that crucial information, thus resulting in a major breakthrough for the Police in the matter. The nine suspects, including the prime suspect, remain in custody as investigations continue.
Following the apprehension of the suspect on Tuesday evening, Police
gators were able to locate the suspect at Vergenoegen Sideline Dam, East Bank Essequibo, where he was captured earlier today, Tuesday, October 28, 2025, in a coordinated operation led by a Superintendent," he noted.
This success underscores the integration of modern policing technology with traditional investigative work, demonstrating the Force's growing capacity in counter-terrorism and digital intelligence operations.
He also commended the work of the investigators, intelligence analysts, and all ranks involved in the swift apprehension of the suspect.
"This incident demonstrates the Force's capability, discipline, and professionalism, supported by the effective use of technology and intelligence-led policing," he added while noting that "the Force remains resolute and relentless in its duty to protect the public, ensuring that any act of terror or violence is met with decisive and lawful action."
Venezuelan gang affiliation
It was reported that hours after the clothes suspected to have been worn by the suspect were found at a location in Region Three
Station, walked around, then went into a KFC outlet, purchased chicken, and went back to the car."
He further stated that after some time, the prime suspect exited the motor car with a black bag and walked toward the service station. "And we all know what happened after that since it was all captured on camera."
CCTV footage in the area captured the suspect attempting to dispose of two black garbage bags in a bin.
Commissioner Clifton Hicken stated that the detectives, along with the Safe City Command Centre and allied intelligence agencies, utilised video forensic analysis, digital tracking, and data correlation to trace the suspect's movements before and after the incident.
Technology and intelligence-led policing
"Acting on credible information and through inter-agency coordination and field intelligence, investi-
(Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), the GPF announced a reward of $5 million for any information that may lead to the arrest of the suspect wanted for the crime.
Mere hours later, Peodomo, the prime suspect, was nabbed. It has since been confirmed that Peodomo and his accomplice, both Venezuelans, arrived in Guyana illegally by boat hours before the terror attack. More worrying is that the explosive was
transported from Venezuela by the suspect.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Wendell Blanhum on Tuesday evening stated, "What I can say is the suspect is cooperating with the investigators, and we have already secured a confession statement from him... Among other things that he mentioned to us is that the device he brought in is from Venezuela. He also indicated that the device had a switch that he activated when he exited the vehicle, which was parked within the vicinity of the gas station."
It was also confirmed that the prime suspect is affiliated with a criminal gang in his home country, which goes by the name "R", linked to the Sindicato gang.
Home Affairs Minister Oneidge Walrond, who was present at the press briefing, stated that the penalty for terrorism under sections of Guyana's law is death, and as such, the Guyana Police Force will be pursuing that in the courts. "We are making a case for the death penalty."
She added, "A young, innocent child is murdered... had this man been able to put that device in that bin, more lives would have been lost... one life, a Guyanese life, is still too much, and I am absolutely sure that our Commander in Chief and the president will sign
off on a death penalty," the Minister added.
Sol Guyana
Meanwhile, Sol Guyana Inc (Sol), the authorised distributor of Mobil fuels in Guyana, on Wednesday stated that it remains fully committed to cooperating with the authorities while launching its own internal review in collaboration with the operator of the facility.
The company stated that the authorities are on-site conducting a thorough investigation into the motive of the bombing, which is being treated as a criminal matter.
"Sol Guyana recognises the public concern surrounding this devastating incident and reaffirms that the safety and well-being of our team, customers, and community remain our top priority," the release added.
The company extended its sincere condolences to the family of Soraya Bourne while adding that their heartfelt thoughts remain with all those injured or affected.
Sol Guyana says it is committed to sharing verified updates as they become available and urged the public to follow official safety guidance and avoid the af-
fected area while investigations are ongoing, the company stated.
The blast on Sunday evening left six-year-old Soraya Bourne dead and four others hospitalised, including two minors and two adults. The two children were admitted to the paediatric ward suffering from significant injuries, while the two adult females are being treated for soft tissue injuries to the face, head, neck and thigh, with one suffering a fracture to the leg. They remain patients at the Georgetown Public Hospital, and their conditions are being monitored.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Wendell Blanhum
Arrested: Daniel Alexander Ramirez Peodomo
The scene after the explosion on Sunday evening
Dead: Soraya Bourne
Page Foundation
You see shapes everywhere – a window is a rectangle, a soccer ball is a sphere, and a cereal box is a rectangular prism. The difference is: flat shapes are 2D, and solid shapes are 3D.
The 2D shapes you know look like this:
An edge is a straight line between two faces.
3D shapes, however, look like this:
Vertices, Faces and Edges of 3D shapes
Vertices, Faces and Edges are the three properties that define any 3D solid.
A vertex is the corner of the shape
Earthquakes happen all the time, but most of them are so small that we can't feel them, and they do not cause any damage. However, large earthquakes can be quite catastrophic – destroying buildings and causing significant damage to property and loss of life. An earthquake's strength is measured on the Richter scale.
The Richter scale goes from 1 to 10. Each increase of 1 on the Richter scale means the earthquake is actually 10 times more powerful (e.g., a 2.0 earthquake is 10 times stronger than a 1.0 earthquake, not twice as strong). As of 2019, the strongest earthquake ever recorded measured 9.5 on the Richter scale.
A seismograph is a machine used to measure the motion of the ground during an earthquake. Seismographs are very sensitive and can detect earthquakes that occurred very far away (along with other things that make the ground shake, like volcanic eruptions or large explosions) that might be too faint
Let us compare the vertices, faces and edges of solid shapes with the help of a table.
for humans to feel. Seismographs are made by hanging a heavy weight from a rigid frame connected to the ground. When the ground moves during an earthquake, the frame moves back and forth along with the ground. However, the heavy weight is not connected directly to the ground, and it wants to stay in place.
The result is that the weight holds still, while the frame moves back and forth around it. The relative motion of the weight and frame can be turned into a recording called a seismogram. The seismogram can be analysed later to find out when an earthquake happened and how strong it was. While modern seismographs record this motion as an electrical signal, older seismographs would use a pen to draw the signal directly on paper. In this activity you will build your own old-fashioned seismograph that used a marker to record an "earthquake" on a paper strip.
(Adapted from Science Buddies)
It’s in the perilous boughs of the tree out of blue sky the wind sings loudest surrounding me. And solitude, a wild solitude ’s reveald, fearfully, high I’d climb into the shaking uncertainties, part out of longing, part daring my self, part to see that widening of the world, part to find my own, my secret hiding sense and place, where from afar all voices and scenes come back –the barking of a dog, autumnal burnings, far calls, close calls – the boy I was calls out to me here the man where I am “Look! I’ve been where you most fear to be.”
[Source: Ground Work: Before the War (New Directions Publishing Corporation, 1984]
Pretend your little sister ate carrots for dinner and the next morning woke up with rabbit ears! How did this happen? What do you do? Will she be a rabbit forever?
WORD SEARCH
A face is a flat surface
By RoBeRt Duncan
Walrond clamps down on waiver for inexperienced truck drivers
– laments number of young, inexperienced truck drivers on roadways; enforces training requirement
In light of the road carnage across Guyana and the prevalence of accidents involving trucks, Home Affairs Minister, Oneidge Walrond, has taken action to scale back on the number of licences being issued to young, inexperienced truck drivers.
During a recent appearance on the Starting Point podcast, Minister Walrond lamented the number of young and inexperienced truck drivers on Guyana’s roadways.
“Too many young people were allowed to drive these huge cantors and the big vehicles without the requisite training. But I understand the need at the time because we are in a construction boom. We are out of truck drivers, and so we needed to have more drivers on the road. But I believe that that needs to be scaled back,” she contended.
This publication understands that to qualify for a motor lorry driver’s licence,
an applicant must be at least 25 years old and possess a minimum of four years’ driving experience.
However, Minister Walrond revealed that there are dozens of applications to waive that experience requirement – something which she is clamping down on.
“When I got into this portfolio, I realised that there were too many applications for waivers from very young people for the requirement for the two-year or five-year requirement to drive a motor lorry…”
“But I believe that that needs to be scaled back. They need to have the requisite training. And so, those waivers have been slowed down. They have not been granted. It's going to be the insistence that you have to have the necessary number of years before you can qualify [for a truck driver’s licence],” she stated.
In fact, the Home Affairs Minister noted that since her refusal to grant these experience waivers in an effort to dial back on the scourge of too many young, untrained drivers driving on the roads, there are little to no applica-
tions being made to waive the experience requirement, compared to the high numbers when she assumed office last month.
“Within the first two weeks, there were too many [applications for waiver]. I think the message was sent very quickly that I was not doing them anymore. So, I don't see them coming,” she noted.
Moreover, Minister Walrond disclosed that she had been working with the Police Commissioner, Clifton Hicken, to ensure those persons applying for motor lorry licences undergo the requisite procedure to ensure they are equipped with the experience needed to operate trucks.
“The [Police] Commissioner and I have had that discussion. We've said we’re going to make sure that they go to the training before they can apply for a motor lorry licence,” the Home Affairs Minister stated.
Reckless truck drivers
Only earlier this year, President Dr Irfaan Ali had raised concerns about the reckless behaviour of truck
drivers on the roadways, citing the fact that too many of them are young and inexperienced.
“There is not a single person in this room who will tell me there is not an element of uneasiness if you have to drive to the airport, and it’s not [only] during the day; it’s 24/7 with the trucks… We have to implement strong measures to limit the speed of those trucks, but we also have a problem – the average age of a truck driver years ago might have been 30 plus; today, it’s 22 or 23,” the Head of State had noted at the Guyana Police Force’s Annual Officers’ Conference in February.
President Ali had pointed out that these young drivers do not have sufficient experience on the roadways before being allowed to drive trucks, which he noted are completely different from driving a motorcar, especially taking into consideration braking speed and the load factor.
In the same breath, however, the Head of State too had acknowledged that there is a gap in the human resource assets in Guyana’s
rapidly growing economy. He noted that in order to continue this development trajectory, law and enforcement will play critical roles in ensuring these truck drivers adhere to rules and regulations when operating on the roadways.
Meanwhile, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) had previously proposed a review of the issuance of driver’s licences, particularly for heavy-duty truck drivers, as well as an amendment to the Motor Vehicle Act to increase the minimum age to 21 years for commercial vehicle driver’s licences (trucks, buses, and taxis).
In recent years, the Guyana Government has rolled out a number of initiatives aimed at curbing the reckless behaviour of road users.
Earlier this month, Cabinet approved a series of new rules for trucks on roads and bridges nationwide, including a 15-tonne per axle limit for trucks as part of efforts to curb damage to infrastructure by heavy-duty vehicles and to improve transportation safety.
Guyanese stakeholders mobilising support after...
President Ali reassures PM Holness of Guyana’s support
In the face of the devastation, President Dr Irfaan Ali has continued to assure Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness of Guyana’s readiness to offer support.
In a social media post in the wee hours of Wednesday, the Guyanese Head of State said, “This evening, I spoke with Prime Minister Andrew Holness and reaffirmed Guyana’s full readiness to support the Government and people of Jamaica as they confront the impacts of Hurricane Melissa.”
President Ali, who is currently overseas on Government business, noted that he also reassured the Jamaican leader that “…the Government and people of Guyana stand in solidarity with Jamaica and that our love, prayers, and every form of support remain with them during this difficult time.”
Since Sunday, the Guyana Government has pledged its support for the Caribbean island nation.
In fact, it was revealed earlier this week that Guyana’s Civil Defence Commission (CDC) is mobilised and in contact with other regional partners to coordinate any potential support efforts.
The CDC said it is vigilant and is prepared to assist as needed, whether through technical, logistical, or relief supplies to aid in response and recovery efforts on the ground.
Guyanese in Jamaica
Meanwhile, the Guyana Government, through its
Embassy and Consular Missions, has also been actively evaluating the situation regarding Guyanese living and studying in Jamaica to ensure their safety. It was noted earlier this week that provisions for relief supplies were being made as well as repatriation support, if needed.
However, PM Phillips confirmed that no such request for repatriation was made by any Guyanese on the island. He said the Government is in constant contact with officials from the Guyana Consul and has not gotten any reports of any harm to Guyanese nations on the island.
“We haven't heard about any special needs or any injuries to any Guyanese [or Guyanese] student in Jamaica… Now, we are in the aftermath, and if there are any specific needs that
they identify…then we will have to make a decision,” he stated.
Meanwhile, following the stakeholder’s engagement on Wednesday, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) has invited the public and private sectors to join in providing much-needed relief and support to the hurricane-battered nation.
“Every contribution counts and can make a real difference in rebuilding lives and communities,” the PSC said.
On Wednesday, more than two-thirds of Jamaica was left without power or phone signal, and many areas in the western part of the country are under water, while homes and other buildings, including infrastructure, have been severely damaged by strong winds.
Prime Minister Holness
on Wednesday afternoon toured parts of the country to survey the extent of the damage.
In his latest update, the Jamaican leader said he concluded a tour of St Elizabeth, one of the badly affected areas, where, he said, “The devastation is truly heart-breaking, yet the spirit of the people remains unbroken. The strength, resilience and determination of the people of St Elizabeth are already shining through as they focus on recovery.”
Moreover, Jamaica's
Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Desmond McKenzie, has confirmed that four persons died in the St Elizabeth area.
“I am saddened to announce that four persons –three men and one woman –have been confirmed dead by the police in St Elizabeth… They were discovered after being washed up by the floodwaters generated by the hurricane,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.
After battering Jamaica, Hurricane Melissa left the
FROM PAGE 3
island and made landfall in Cuba on Wednesday morning as an “extremely dangerous” Category 3 storm, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. By 11:00h, the hurricane had moved off of Cuba as a Category 2 storm and was in the Atlantic Ocean heading towards the Bahamas, where it is expected to bring heavy rains and flooding. Additionally, Hurricane Melissa caused deadly flooding in parts of Haiti, with at least 20 deaths reported.
Home Affairs Minister Oneidge Walrond
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness with officials assessing the damage after Hurricane Melissa wreaked havoc across the island on Tuesday
2 nabbed with ganja during roadblock
Aporter and another man were arrested on Tuesday following the discovery of 4.3 kilograms of cannabis during a roadblock exercise at Four Miles, Port Kaituma, North West District, Region One.
Police stated that ranks intercepted a black Toyota Fielder wagon bearing registration number PAE 4985, which was at the time being driven by a 21-year-old man with a 35-yearold man purported to be a porter as the other occupant.
However, after initially telling the Police that nothing illegal was being transported, a search of the vehicle unearthed a speaker box containing four parcels of cannabis.
The driver, when questioned, told the Police, “This is Bobby’s weed I’m carrying,” while Daniels said, “I’m just a porter... I don’t know anything about this weed.” Both men were taken into custody as investigations continue.
The ganja that was found in the motor car
GPF seeking assistance to identify fatal accident victim
The Guyana Police Force (GPF) has published a notice re-
questing the public’s assistance in identifying a man who was involved in a fa-
tal accident on the Melanie Public Road, East Coast Demerara, on Thursday,
October 23, 2025.
According to the release, the body of the deceased is currently at the Memorial Gardens Mortuary, and anyone with information that may help to identify or locate any relatives of the individual is asked to contact the nearest Police Station or Regional Division 4C Operations Room.
Dealing with…
…midtown
bomber
Over the years, the Guyana Police Force has (deservedly) come in for an unremitting flow of invectives from John and Jane Public for their studied refusal to fulfil its stated mission – to “Serve and Protect” the aforementioned public!! But its swift action to nab the perpetrator of the dastardly bombing of the midtown gas station has earned it some (deservedly) profuse praise, which they (understandably) lapped up a bit awkwardly –seeing they’d never experienced it before!!
As you (hopefully) surmised, Dear Reader, your Eyewitness had put out yesterday’s piece before the fella was caught out in Vergenoegen on the East Bank of the Essequibo River sometime yesterday morning. But he did say that a bounty for snitching on his whereabouts would’ve flushed him out!! And so it was that the $5 million offer did the trick – and was duly collected by an anonymous tipster.
Some have complained that the fella looks nothing like the AI-enhanced pic that was created from CCTV video at the gas station. But we should know that AI works on algorithms fed into its programs – and is only as accurate as those algorithms being based on persons like the subject under consideration!! Your Eyewitness took a blurred pic of himself with his latest iPhone and asked its built-in AI program to enhance it – and he couldn’t recognise himself!!
Anyhow, your Eyewitness is pondering the Police info that the bomber was a member of a Sindicato Gang (“R”) who arrived in Guyana bringing the bomb – on the same day of the explosion!! This is very worrying since it means that either this fella had already been in Guyana or his gang is in Guyana to have reconnoitred the location to create the maximum amount of mayhem – as described yesterday!! As our law enforcement officers should know, the Sindicatos operate across the Cuyuni and have attacked our GDF troops. They’re coordinated with Mad Maduro’s military and civilian command structure in the area; they harass miners and collect gold booty for the latter. As your Eyewitness has been pointing out for years, it’s a standard practice in the kind of hybrid warfare Mad Maduro’s been conducting against us to send over subserves embedded in the waves of refugees coming over. As the Yanks have shown, this was done with the Tren de Argua gang to infiltrate the US!!
So what’s the lesson for us?? We gotta have a dedicated Spanish-speaking Police unit monitoring the Venezuelans in Guyana – to identify these gang members – and another unit to weed them out. By any means necessary!! Our humane acceptance of Venezuelan refugees must not blind us to the machinations of Mad Maduro.
Remember the story of the Trojan Horse?? How many times the tactic wasn’t used since??
…country’s interests
Mad Maduro’s foaming at the mouth at Kamla’s “impertinence” for daring to stand firm with the US and its naval moves against the Venezuelan narco-cartels that spill over the 7-mile waters to Trinidad. She’s allowed a US warship to dock in Port of Spain and had the Marines aboard conduct joint exercises with Trini troops!!
His right-hand man, VP Delcy Rodriguez, announced, “It is a matter of honour, dignity, morality, expression, sovereignty, and Venezuelan independence to declare this woman, who crawls like a worm, persona non grata to this Republic, which is the cradle of liberators, which is the cradle of free men and women!!” Wow!! To bring home the message, Mad Maduro cancelled the Dragon Field arrangement which the US had OK’d to resuscitate Trinidad’s petrochemical industry!! Imagine that!!
True to form, Kamla pointed out that Mad Maduro had made Venezuela such a living hell that 8 million of its citizens had fled the country – so why would she want to go there?!
Take that!!
…soupies
Not unexpectedly, St Vincent’s Ralph Gonsalves and Barbados’ Mia Mottley have condemned the US naval intervention against the Venezuelan narco-state – especially bombing the narco-boats. Ralph’s feeding on Mad Maduro’s Petrocaribe’s udder, and Mia’s hoping she can get a suck!!
Photo of the unknown deceased
Magistrates receive insight into gender, cultural sensitivity in judicial field
Magistrates serving in all magisterial districts across Guyana participated in a one-day workshop aimed at strengthening their understanding of gender bias, stereotypes, and the delivery of gender-responsive justice for women and girls who are survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
The workshop, titled “Applying a Trauma-Informed Gender and Culturally Sensitive Approach to the Application of Justice”, was conducted on Tuesday by Chief Justice Melissa Gillespie of the Provincial Court of British Columbia. It was hosted through collaboration between the Judiciary of Guyana and the Justice Education Society (JES Guyana) and funded by Global Affairs Canada.
The session sought to heighten awareness among members of the Judiciary
about how gender bias and stereotypes influence judicial decision-making and how trauma-informed approaches can lead to fairer and more sensitive outcomes in cases involving survivors of gender-based violence.
Globally, one in three women experiences physical and/or sexual violence by a partner or sexual violence by a non-partner, according to the World Health Organization (2013). Data from Guyana indicates that one in every two women has experienced violence. Recognising that survivors of sexual and gender-based violence often have histories of trauma, the provision of judicial and support services in Guyana requires diverse and specialised interventions.
Service providers are guided by a critical mandate to avoid retraumatising survivors who seek justice or support. This aligns
with the Guiding Principles for Working with Survivors of Gender-Based Violence established by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which emphasises respect, safety, confidentiality, and non-discrimination.
Trauma-informed approaches have been widely recognised in developed countries as effective frameworks, particularly for institutions within the criminal justice system. These approaches acknowledge the deep connections between violence, trauma, and negative health and social outcomes and seek to ensure that interactions with survivors are empathetic and empowering rather than harmful.
At the conclusion of the workshop, magistrates were expected to gain a deeper understanding of how to utilise trauma-informed, gender-sensitive, and culturally responsive methods throughout and beyond the adjudication process. This insight is expected to strengthen their capacity to integrate best practices into Guyana’s judicial system – ensuring that survivors of sexual and gender-based violence are treated with the fairness, compassion, and dignity they deserve.
This workshop significantly aligns with President Dr Irfaan Ali’s goal to “ag-
gressively” address violence against women.
Back in June, the Head of State announced the launch of a new programme to charge the fight against gender-based violence, particularly where women are victims.
According to the President, the use of technology in the fight against gender-based violence will help everyone. While he did not delve into the details of this new initiative, he was adamant that more information would soon be forthcoming.
It had been reported in December last year that Guyana recorded a 33 per cent reduction in murders caused by domestic violence for the year 2024. This had been according to Human Services and Social Security Minister
Vindhya Persaud, who had noted that the decrease in number can be attributed to a plethora of measures, including those that have been implemented by the Ministry.
“When we started with all of our measures, there was an increase in cases at first. Now, there has been a decrease, and this may be as a result of more people reporting or maybe because more responses are forthcoming. But this does not mean that we should sit around; we still have work to do,” the Minister had explained.
Some of the measures implemented by the Ministry include the Community Advocate Network (CAN), the 914 hotlines, the iMatter app and the Hope and Justice Centres. Additionally,
the 914 toll-free hotline is the Ministry’s main reporting tool for victims to reach out for help. The hotline is operated on a 24-hour basis. For last year, some 6000 calls were recorded through this medium. Out of that number, 182 calls dealt directly with domestic violence.
The Government has also been implementing measures like the Hope and Justice Centre, which provides victims of domestic violence with essential services like counselling and legal aid. Additionally, the Government has partnered with the Guyana Bar Association so that the Legal Pro Bono Unit can handle hundreds of cases annually. This allows victims of abuse to access free legal advice and support.
Walrond denounces misleading social media claims on E-ID cards
– says claim that Govt’s monitoring of foreign nationals “legitimises illegal migrants” false
Home Affairs Minister
Oneidge Walrond has denounced statements circulating on social media regarding the issuance of the new Electronic Identification (E-ID) Cards as “false and misleading”.
“I categorically reject the false and misleading statements circulating on social media regarding the issuance of the new Electronic Identification (E-ID) cards. These claims are misinformed, irresponsible, and clearly intended to create public confusion about a legitimate national security initiative,” she noted in a statement.
According to Walrond, the E-ID card will be issued to both citizens and non-citizens. There will be an E-ID Citizen card for Guyanese nationals and an E-ID Resident card for migrants who meet the required legal criteria – such as those holding valid work permits.
Berbice Expo opens tomorrow – organisers
promise biggest, safest edition yet
– the $7 billion East Bank Berbice project, Exxon’s gas-to-energy project, the new hospital, and the fourlane road. We have to be prepared to showcase what is happening and ensure that no one is left behind,” he said.
Expo Coordinator Tajpaul Adjodha said returning companies are expanding their booths and displays, reflecting the success they have experienced through previous expos.
The much-anticipat-
E-ID Resident cards issued to non-citizens will remain valid only for the period of their approved legal stay, after which they automatically become invalid.
Attempts to portray the Government’s monitoring of foreign nationals as an effort to “legitimise illegal migrants” are entirely false.
These statements are malicious, mischievous, and intended to sow public discord – tactics that serve the narrow interests of those who peddle misinformation, she charged.
As Government remains committed to modernising public services, protecting its borders, ensuring the safety of its citizens and enhancing national security through the responsible use of technology, she urged all citizens to rely only on verified, official information and to reject divisive narratives that undermine national unity.
The E-ID Resident card is designed to ensure compliance with national regulations, including those of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), while also providing secure access to Government and private sector services.
ed Berbice Expo and Trade Fair 2025 officially opens tomorrow, Friday, October 31, at the Welfare Community Centre Ground, East Canje, Berbice, and will run until Monday, November 3.
This year’s event, organised by the Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce (CCCC), is being held under the theme “Harnessing New Wealth; Modernising Traditional Sectors for Sustainable Economic Development.”
According to the President, Poonai Bhigroog, preparations are in full swing, and excitement is already building at the venue.
“We are here at the Canje Ground, and as you can see, the place is buzzing with activity. I am pleased to announce that we are fully booked with exhibitors. There’s no more space available, and that speaks volumes about the interest and confidence businesses have in the Berbice Expo,” Bhigroog said during a media tour to the site on Wednesday.
He explained that ex-
hibitors from across Guyana are already setting up their booths.
“We have all the major beverage companies, returning participants, and several new businesses,” he added.
In addressing past concerns, Bhigroog assured patrons that key improvements have been made to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience.
“One of the issues we’ve had before was parking, but this year, thanks to GuySuCo, we have adequate public parking just a short distance away from the ground. There will be free parking with security personnel to guide and protect vehicles,” he said.
He also stressed that no glass bottles will be permitted at the venue.
“We have signed a strict contract with beverage and food vendors. No glass bottles are allowed on the ground; anyone found violating this rule could be thrown
out. We are asking the public to help us monitor this,” Bhigroog noted.
On the matter of public safety, he assured that the Expo grounds will remain incident-free with the combined efforts of Queensway Security Service and the Guyana Police Force.
“No firearms will be allowed in the compound. Even licensed firearm holders will be required to lodge their weapons at the nearest police station. Over the years, our Expo has been safe and peaceful, and we intend to keep it that way,” Bhigroog said.
Showcasing Berbice’s growth and opportunities
The Chamber President emphasised that this year’s Expo carries even greater significance for Berbicians, as the region experiences rapid economic development.
“Berbice is going places.
From Palmyra to Canje, we are seeing massive projects
Entertainment will also be a major attraction this year.
“We have live bands on Saturday and Sunday nights, featuring Shakti Strings and the new group F.A.M.E. The opening ceremony on Thursday evening will be a grand affair, with high-level Government officials, including the Prime Minister and possibly the President, in attendance,” Adjodha shared.
Tickets are available at several outlets in East Canje, Rose Hall Town, and Bengal Corentyne.
The Berbice Expo 2025 promises to highlight not only the vibrancy of Berbice’s economy but also the region’s readiness to embrace modernisation and new opportunities.
“We’ve been doing this for 19 years. This one will be one of the best yet – Berbice is ready,” Bhigroog said proudly.
Preparations for the opening of Berbice Expo on Friday
Ranks to be charged for deleting body cam footage – Home Affairs Minister
...says zero tolerance on corruption
Police officers who are given body cameras to monitor their interactions with members of the public are being warned that they would face charges and even demotions if they delete footage captured by the device.
This was revealed by Home Affairs Minister Oneidge Walrond during her recent appearance on the Starting Point podcast.
Based on the Guyana Police Force’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), all ranks on duty are required to turn on their body cams, especially when interacting with the public.
Footage captured by the body cams is taken to the Command Centres in the respective policing division and stored there. It is then viewed for infractions such as traffic offences or in cases of confrontations.
“So, the footage is always there… The command centres have the capacity to keep that footage and store it... So it’s not every time [or] every day that you are viewing the footage, but the footage has to be available for viewing at any time that the Police would like,” Walrond noted.
According to the Home Affairs Minister, the introduction of body cameras for Police ranks has prov -
en to be a success, especially as it relates to holding them accountable for their actions when interacting with members of the public, and vice versa.
“The Police force treats it very seriously,” she explained when asked about the penalty for officers who delete the footage captured on their body cams.
The Minister added, “The SOP determines that it’s an offence; that under the Police rules, you can be charged or surcharged – so disciplinary matters – and as a result of disciplinary proceedings, you can be demoted.”
Admitting that there has been some level of resistance, Walrond noted that ranks on the road and those stationed at strate -
gic locations such as the airports have been getting used to the equipment. To this end, she revealed that they are now looking at expanding the programme to more officers across the country.
“It certainly helps with accountability… And we’re seeing how the recordings are working in our favour in terms of crime fighting. So, the body cams – we’re going to expand that programme in the coming year [in] this new budget, because it certainly works. It removes this element of eyewitnesses, which can be flawed in its own right, and everything is just recorded there. So the idea is to keep it,” she stated.
Moreover, the Minister noted that the body cams
also aid with escalating situations.
“You don’t have to walk with a big firearm to do ordinary policing. It’s about de-escalating... It’s quite worrying when you find the members of the public feel that they can take advantage because the Police are trained to not confront with violence. And we have seen in other jurisdictions where Police use lethal force on citizens... And we are so blessed in this country to not have to face those kinds of things with the Police force. And I think we sometimes take it for granted.”
“But ultimately, we don’t plan to change our direction in terms of how we address policing, that it’s done in a manner where violence is the last, last option. And we will continue to use cameras, the digital, the technology to deal with people who feel that they can, and treat with them very– treat with it very seriously and forcefully in the courts,” she contended.
Addressing corruption, bribery
Moreover, when it comes to bribery, the Home Affairs Minister asserted that under her leadership, there will be a zero-tolerance approach to corruption.
“Under my leadership, I can assure the public that
[reports of corruption] will be taken seriously,” she affirmed.
“Even if it’s a $200 bribe or a $200,000 bribe or $2 million [or] $200 million… it is a scourge in this society that we have to tackle head-on. It is treated with, has been in the past, a little too casually. And we have seen how it breaks down the authority of the Police when people feel that they can bypass and break laws by just bypassing a dollar,” the Minister said.
In a previous interview with the media, the Home Affairs Minister had noted that the Government’s digital transformation agenda will aid in stamping out corruption across various agencies.
Last month, the Guyana Police Force had issued a statement urging members of the public to stop offering bribes to officers.
According to Minister Walrond, “I have had the concurrence of the leadership that these things ought to be addressed.”
As such, she urged the public, “When they see these kinds of things, speak up.”
The Home Affairs Minister assured that if any such complaints reach her office, they will be firmly addressed.
“We’ve already had to, to deal with some of these instances. Take the pictures… record the thing… Policing is a partnership with the citizens where we don’t allow certain things, this scourge, to continue to grow; we have to take a stand, and a lot of that is when you see something, say something… For sure, these complaints will not fall on deaf ears under my leadership,” the Minister said.
The introduction of body cameras for Police has been successful, Minister Walrond said
Home Affairs Minister Oneidge Walrond
“Harmony begins with how we treat each other” – ERC Chair at school Harmony Club launch
The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) has officially launched its Harmony Clubs Pilot
Programme at the Stella Maris Primary School on Woolford Avenue, with approval and support from the
Ministry of Education.
The launch, which took place on Wednesday in the school’s Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) room, marks the first phase of a national initiative designed to promote respect, tolerance, cooperation, and appreciation for Guyana’s ethnic diversity among the nation’s youth.
The Harmony Clubs are envisioned as safe and inclusive spaces where students can openly discuss topics related to ethnic diversity, national identity, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence. Through guided activities, games, cultural exchanges, and interactive sessions, students will be encouraged to appreciate similarities, celebrate differences, and work collaboratively.
The pilot programme will next be introduced at North Georgetown Secondary, Comenius Primary, St Gabriel’s Primary and St
Ambrose Primary, with plans for expansion.
These schools will serve as the initial testing ground for the club’s structure, engagement activities, and student-driven initiatives.
Feedback and lessons from the pilot phase will guide the national rollout of the Harmony Clubs across all regions of Guyana.
Delivering remarks at the event, ERC Chairman Shaikh Moeenul Hack underscored the importance of cultivating understanding and unity from an early age. “Harmony begins with how we treat each other,” the Chairman said. “When we learn about one another’s backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs, we build respect and break down the barriers that divide us. The Harmony Club gives our children a space to do exactly that – to listen, to understand, and to show kindness. If we plant these values early, they will grow into a more peaceful and united Guyana.”
Representing the Ministry of Education, Deputy Chief Education Officer (Development), Volika Jaikishun, reaffirmed the Ministry’s dedication to fostering inclusive learning environments.
Meanwhile, speaking on behalf of the school,
Headmistress of Stella Maris Primary, Dayvika Ghansiam, expressed gratitude for the partnership.
“We at Stella Maris Primary School are proud to work in collaboration with the ERC and the Ministry of Education in launching this Harmony Club,” she said.
“The Harmony Club is being established to promote a simple but powerful idea – that even though we come from different backgrounds, we can live, learn, and grow together as one. Harmony doesn’t mean we all have to be the same; it means respecting each other’s differences and finding strength in our diversity. Together, we can create a melody of unity that will echo far beyond these walls.”
The ERC expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Education, school administrators, teachers, ParentTeacher Associations, and students for their enthusiasm and support. As a constitutional body mandated to promote national harmony and good relations among all ethnic groups, the Commission reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that every Guyanese child grows up in an environment of mutual respect, understanding, and shared national pride.
“This Harmony Club represents what we want for every child in Guyana – a safe space to learn not only academic lessons but lessons of heart,” she stated. “When children learn to respect one another’s cultures, beliefs, and experiences, they become more compassionate, confident, and caring individuals. The Ministry of Education is proud to partner with the Ethnic Relations Commission in nurturing these values. Together, we are helping our children build friendships rooted in understanding, respect, and unity in the classroom, at home, and throughout our beautiful country.”
ERC Chairman Shaikh Moeenul Hack interacting with a Stella Maris Primary student at the launch of Harmony Club
New centre to train micro, women entrepreneurs in management, marketing, food safety
Anew Micro and Women Entrepreneur Learning Centre was on Tuesday launched to empower women, small business owners, and agri-entrepreneurs with training in business management, marketing, financial planning, and food safety and security. The initiative, spearheaded by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), was officially unveiled during a ceremony attended by Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha, members of the diplomatic corps, private sector representatives, and regional partners.
The concept for the learning centre was born out of the GCCI’s ongoing partnership with the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) and funding from Global Affairs Canada, which supported numerous agricultural outreaches, workshops, and symposiums over the years. These initiatives benefited farmers and agri-processors by providing capacity building, networking, and access to critical information.
Located on the middle floor of the GCCI, the facility features a training room, boardroom, and three offices that will house technical officers who will support the beneficiaries through a wide range of services, including capacity building in areas including but not limited to business development, marketing, preparation of proposals, financial education, and compliance.
Delivering remarks at the launch, GCCI President Kathy Smith described the event as the realisation of a bold idea built on the desire to see micro- and women-led businesses, as well as farmers, thrive and develop sustainably. She said the new facility demonstrates the Chamber’s strong commitment to the development and
success of Guyana’s business landscape at every level and is rooted in the spirit of collaboration and shared ambition for local businesses to flourish.
According to Smith, discussions are underway with the oil and gas industry to explore future collaborations and deliver specialised training for local entrepreneurs.
“This facility represents an opportunity, an opportunity for MSMEs in Guyana to access invaluable training and information, and I'm not speaking of just members of the GCCI. Any woman entrepreneur or farmer can walk up the stairs and access our portfolio of services and support. And I say that again, any woman entrepreneur or farmer can walk up those stairs”.
“Even as we launch this facility, the conversation has already begun with members of the oil and gas industry – who might that be? – on how we can collaborate to offer more support to the businesses through strategic training. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the force of such
facility,” Smith said. Meanwhile, Minister Mustapha, in his address, described it as a “visionary initiative” that stands as “a beacon of opportunity for empowerment and innovation.”
He noted that while agriculture has traditionally been seen as a male-dominated sector, Guyanese women have always played a pivotal role – from fieldwork to agro-processing and marketing. According to a 2022 Ministry of Agriculture survey, women account for 33 percent of Guyana’s farmers, while under the current Agricultural Diversification Strategy, 35 percent of participants are women and 30 percent are youth.
The Government’s vision, he said, is that by 2030, at least 50 per cent of newly established agribusiness ventures will be led by women and young people. To achieve this, the Ministry has been implementing inclusive programmes that foster innovation, entrepreneurship, and equal participation.
“This learning centre
is more than just a physical space. It's a space of potential, a space where ideas can become enterprises, and enterprises can become engines of sustainable growth for our nation. Although agriculture is often viewed as a labour-intensive and male-dominated field, Guyanese women over the years have always been integral to this sector, from planting and harvesting in our rice fields and sugar estate to tending kitchen gardens, rearing livestock, and running agri-processing ventures… So, this launch, or the launch of this project here this afternoon, is coinciding with the Government's plan in modernising the infrastructure and making training opportunities available for our farmers,” Minister Mustapha said.
The Agriculture Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program has also seen significant success, with the construction of over 300 shade houses nationwide for high-demand crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots –
more than half of which are operated by women. This programme, the Minister explained, has already reduced Guyana’s importation of these vegetables, which stood at $2.6 billion in 2021, and has enabled local producers to supply the hospitality and oil and gas sectors.
Similarly, the Hinterland Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture Development Program, valued at US$11.1 million, ensures that 50 percent of its beneficiaries are women across 243 hinterland communities. This initiative supports projects in cattle rearing, poultry, crop production, agro-processing, bakeries, and ecotourism. Additionally, the One Guyana Cut Rose Project, executed by the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), has created employment for single mothers while reducing rose imports by 30 percent, with approximately 400 roses produced weekly.
According to Minister Mustapha, Guyana’s agricultural sector is undergoing tremendous transformation through record investment, climate-smart practices, and inclusive development, which aligns with the
Government’s five-year agriculture plan, which aims to empower women and youth through training, start-up support, access to agritech, and market expansion.
“The Micro and Women Entrepreneurial Learning Centre will play a critical role in advancing these goals. It will provide microand women entrepreneurs with the skills and tools to strive, not just in agriculture, but across retail, services, and the digital economy. It will help farmers become business owners and business owners become market leaders. By fostering collaboration and continuous learning, this centre will help ensure that our agriculture and business sectors grow together, strengthening food security, supporting job creation, and expanding private sector development.”
“The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry deserves tremendous credit for the foresight and leadership in establishing this initiative. You have recognised that knowledge is the foundation of sustainable growth. By investing in training and development, the GCCI is investing in people, especially women, who drive our local economies forward,” the Minister added.
Huawei eKit to offer cutting-edge technology solutions, boost Guyana’s digital infrastructure
Guyana has officially joined Huawei’s global eKit initiative with the launch of its first authorised Huawei eKit retail and distribution hub located at the Royal International Hotel and Mall, Mandela Ave, Georgetown.
The opening of this flagship store marks a pivotal milestone in Guyana’s digital transformation journey, delivering secure, affordable, and cutting-edge technology solutions to local businesses, including public and private institutions.
Huawei eKit is a global sub-brand designed to serve the distribution market with scenario-based solutions tailored for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Active in over 100 countries, the platform delivers highspeed, stable, and secure technologies – from smart classroom tools and hospitality networks to home automation and security systems.
“When we first started thinking about bringing Huawei eKit to Guyana, we were driven, of course, by the opportunity to sell devic-
es or technology, but significantly, this investment was a way to position ourselves alongside Guyana’s current transformative trajectory –one defined by connectivity, infrastructure, growth, and, well, possibility,” said Project Manager Janelle Persaud. Persaud explained that eKit devices are the “less glamorous” workhorses that power modern business operations such as routers, switches, access points, surveillance systems, and smart collaboration tools.
Wismar Housing Development Phase One
allottees
soon to identify lots – Min Croal
...as Housing Ministry begins Region 10 site visits to assess operations
Housing Minister Collin Croal, along with Minister within the Ministry Vanessa Benn, on Wednesday began a series of site visits in Linden, Region 10, at the new Wismar Housing Development, Phase One.
Minister Croal explained that the Phase One visit served both to evaluate the quality and pace of works and to familiarise Minister Benn with the development, particularly as the Ministry prepares to take the next steps toward lot identification for beneficiaries.
According to the housing Ministry, Housing Minister Croal assured allottees of the new Wismar Housing Development, Phase One, that they will soon be able to identify and visit their house lots.
For the most part, the first phase of infrastructure works is completed, while land clearing has commenced in Phase Two.
“In another week, we will begin showing persons their lots,” the Minister confirmed.
“By the end of November, all allottees can rest assured that they will be able to physically identify and see
the specific lots allocated to them.”
Earlier this year, the Ministry conducted allocation exercises that significantly reduced the backlog of housing applications in Region Ten. Minister Croal noted that the Government remains committed to ensuring that beneficiaries transi-
an estimated cost of $3.5 billion. Land clearing has already commenced for Phase Two, with contractors mobilised and timelines firmly in place.
“There is a completion target of May 2026, but we have engaged adequate contractors because we want to finish ahead of schedule,”
ficiency and quality delivery.
Minister Croal also reaffirmed the Government’s ongoing commitment to constructing 40,000 homes nationwide, noting that Region Ten will benefit directly from this programme.
“We want a strong
tion from allocation to homeownership promptly.
Phase One of the development represents an investment of close to $2 billion, while Phase Two carries
the Minister said. He added that the Ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, will soon meet with all contractors working on housing projects to ensure ef-
push for homeownership. That is the bottom line,” he emphasised. “We are working to remove the stress and obstacles that families often face when building
on their own. The goal is to create a system where people can own and occupy their homes more easily and quickly.”
He added that the Ministry will continue engagements, technical assessments, and planning to facilitate the commencement of home construction in the development.
Minister Benn also emphasised to contractors the importance of meeting deadlines to provide allottees with access.
The Ministers were accompanied by Regional Housing Officer Leticia Drakes, Head of Enforcement Nigel Hoppie, Community Development Director Gladwin Charles, and Senior Surveyor Shaquille Mayers, along with engineers and other technical officers attached to the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA).
The Ministers’ day began with a brief engagement at the Regional Housing Office (RHO), located at Crabwood Street, McKenzie. The RHO visit provided Minister Benn with the opportunity to meet and interact with staff mem-
bers stationed at the office.
During the engagement, Regional Housing Officer Letitia Drakes highlighted several practical recommendations aimed at enhancing both the comfort and efficiency of the workspace. These suggestions, she noted, will ultimately help to create a more accommodating environment for staff as well as residents who visit the office to conduct business.
Since the establishment of the Regional Housing Office in Linden, the Ministry has placed strong emphasis on ensuring adequate staffing and improving service delivery to meet the needs of the growing population. The office currently provides vital land allocation, processing, and community development support to residents of Linden and surrounding communities, including Kwakwani.
The Ministers’ visit forms part of ongoing efforts to assess operations across the region, strengthen community engagement, and ensure that services are delivered in a timely and effective manner.
Caribbean Mega Bounce postpones October opening due to Hurricane Melissa
Caribbean Mega Bounce has been rescheduled due to Hurricane Melissa affecting the technical team’s travel.
According to a press release by Jonathan Beepat for Caribbean Mega Bounce, key members of the technical team were unable to arrive in Guyana on time to set up for the October opening date.
The specialised technical team responsible for setting up the massive inflatable structures is currently unable to travel to Guyana as they work to ensure the safety of their operations and personnel during the severe weather event, the release noted.
“The safety of our team, attendees, and communities is always our top
priority,” said Jonathan Beepat, Founder of Wildfire Entertainment. “While we’re disappointed by this necessary delay, We’re committed to delivering the same world-class experience as our Caribbean Mega Bounce family has come to expect. We’re grateful for the understanding and patience of everyone who has already purchased tickets.”
As a result, the opening date has been rescheduled to November 7 from 15:00h to 22:00h, and the event will run until November 10 at the same YMCA Ground, Thomas Lands venue.
“We appreciate the support of the Guyanese community and look forward to bringing Caribbean Mega Bounce to Georgetown on November 7th,” added Beepat. “This postponement allows our technical team to arrive safely and ensures we deliver the premium, professionally managed experience that families deserve.”
Weekend sessions on Saturday, November 8, and Sunday, November 9, will feature extended 11-hour days from 11:00h to 22:00h.
It concludes on Monday, November 10, from 15:00h to 22:00h. All tickets remain valid, it noted. Caribbean Mega Bounce is described as the Caribbean’s largest inflatable theme park, with a
successful record of events in Barbados, Jamaica, and Antigua.
The event will feature several inflatable structures, including a 15,000-square-foot main bounce house and a fourlane obstacle course that spans more than 600 feet in length.
Additional attractions include a towering mega slide and various themed inflatable installations. A DJ booth will provide music throughout operating hours, ensuring non-stop entertainment for all attendees.
All tickets grant unlimited access to all attractions with sameday re-entry privileges, meaning attendees can leave the venue and return later on the same day.
The RHO visit provided Minister within the Housing Ministry Vanessa Benn with the opportunity to meet and interact with staff members
For the most part, the first phase of infrastructure works is completed
The Phase One visit served in part to evaluate the quality and pace of works
Police destroy $11.8M worth of ganja during Berbice River operation
Just over a week af -
ter Police destroyed some $250 million worth of cannabis plants and processed ganja during a joint operation along the Upper Berbice River, another bust on Wednesday led to the destruction of 39,000 cannabis plants worth $11.8 million.
Based on reports received, a team of Police officers travelled to Mackimoon Backdam, Upper Berbice River,
Farming
where they found two cannabis farms measuring six acres and one acre, respectively.
Police stated that the farms had a total of 35,000 cannabis plants measuring three to five feet tall.
In addition, a makeshift camp was discovered.
As such, the camp with its contents, along with the narcotic plants estimated at some $11,858,000, was destroyed.
Last week, Police swooped down on five cannabis farms covering a total of 20 acres, where an estimated 160,800 cannabis plants ranging between two and six feet in height were discovered.
In addition, three makeshift camps and five drying areas were also found, with 460 pounds of processed marijuana. The estimated street value of the destroyed narcotics is over $250 million.
Man who damaged NA banks remanded; court orders psychiatric evaluation
Aman who went on a rampage last Sunday, smashing windows and doors at two commercial banks in New Amsterdam after damaging two ATMs, has been remanded at the prison.
25-year-old Azore Joseph of Angoys Avenue, New Amsterdam, appeared at the Reliance Magistrates Court before Magistrate Michelle Matthias, accused of damaging infrastructure at Republic Bank and Scotia Bank, both situated on Strand, New Amsterdam. Joseph, when asked, told the court he did not know
his address.
Attorney at law Akim Lampkin, representing Joseph, told the court that Joseph was suffering from a psychiatric condition. According to the attorney, this started about four months ago when the accused was living in Georgetown. He was subsequently transferred to New Amsterdam.
The Magistrate said that a psychiatric evaluation will be needed before moving forward, but Police prosecutor Sergeant Mark Phillips asked the court to remand the accused.
Attorney Lampkin interjected, saying that he does not know how beneficial it would be since there is no need to have the accused remanded. He related to the court that after the incident on Sunday and videos of the accused circulated on social media, family members of Joseph made contact with the Police and assisted with his arrest.
Lampkin pleaded with the court not to remand the accused but rather to send him for a psychiatric evaluation.
However, the Police prosecutor told the court that the National Psychiatric Hospital would release the patient after the evaluation.
Sergeant Stevens called on the court to read the charge but not to have the accused enter a plea.
Magistrate Matthias said that when the charge is read to Joseph, he must be able to understand the charge. Hence, she was not going to be reading the charge to him.
Magistrate Matthias said whatever is done there needs to be controlled.
The Defence Attorney, after informing the court that Joseph is a construction worker, said he has a family member who is a part of the Guyana Police Force and that he was currently living
with his mother.
Joseph’s mother, Gloria Simon, who was in court, said that her son had been living in Georgetown for some time, and about three months ago she was informed that he was behaving abnormally. As a result, she went and brought him home.
However, she has never gotten an evaluation of his condition.
The Magistrate remanded the accused and ordered that he be taken for a psychiatric evaluation.
He will have to return to court on November 6. The matter has been transferred to the New Amsterdam
Magistrates' Court. Meanwhile, Police had reported that between 09:30h and 09:50h on Sunday, four glass windows, two glass doors, and two ATMs were destroyed at Republic Bank, and eight glass windows and two glass doors were damaged at Scotia Bank.
WCD butcher injured during altercation with carpenter
A33-year-old butcher of Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara (WCD), was admitted as a patient at the West Demerara Regional Hospital after he was injured following an altercation on Sunday.
Based on reports received, the butcher and a 32-year-old carpenter were
engaged in a heated argument which turned into an altercation during which he was injured. Police who were on patrol duty responded to the report, thereby arresting the suspect.
Both men were taken to the Leonora Police Station, but after realising that the butcher was injured, he was taken to the Leonora Cottage Hospital, where he was treated and transferred to the West Demerara Regional Hospital for further medical evaluation and treatment.
The suspected weapon used in the altercation was recovered as investigations continued.
The camp and its contents were set on fire
apparatus found on the farms
A section of one of the ganja farms
Accused: Azore Joseph (right) being led away from court on Wednesday
Guyana, A3+ reiterate calls at UNSC for safety, security of peacekeepers
– say attacks unacceptable, may constitute a war crime
Guyana, speaking on behalf of the A3+ group — comprising Algeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and Guyana — has reiterated strong calls for the safety and security of United Nations peacekeepers, stressing that attacks against them are unacceptable and may constitute a war crime.
Delivering the statement on behalf of the A3+ during the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) briefing on “The Situation in the Central African Republic (CAR)”, Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations (UN), Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, underscored the group’s commitment to supporting peace, stability, and democratic consolidation in the CAR.
“The A3+ reiterates that the safety and security of UN personnel are paramount. Attacks against peacekeepers are unacceptable and may constitute a war crime. We are concerned about the recent increase in security incidents involving
United Nations personnel. We call for full accountability and urge the host authorities to facilitate investigations and prosecutions.
The A3+ welcomes the steps taken by MINUSCA [United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic] to increase its local procurement. We encourage the mission to continue its efforts in that regard,” Birkett said.
The UNSC Peace Operations remain one of the most visible tools the international community uses to safeguard global stability.
Authorised by the Council, these operations are deployed to countries facing conflict or instability, with the aim of preventing violence, supporting fragile peace processes, and helping societies recover from war.
UN Peace Operations take different forms.
Traditional peacekeeping missions often combine military, police, and civilian components to monitor ceasefires, protect civilians, and assist with disarma-
ment and reintegration of former fighters. Alongside these are special political missions, which focus more on mediation, diplomacy, and conflict prevention without large numbers of troops on the ground. In some cases, the UN partners with regional bodies to launch hybrid missions, such as those conducted jointly with the African Union.
The scope of these operations is wide-ranging. Peacekeepers may be tasked with protecting vulnerable populations, supporting elections, strengthening justice systems, and promoting human rights in volatile environments. They are often called upon to provide humanitarian assistance in areas where local institutions are unable to cope.
The Security Council holds ultimate authority over whether such missions are established, while the UN Secretary-General oversees their implementation through the Department of Peace Operations and the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs.
Huawei eKit to offer...
“We’ve made a significant initial investment, and this store, just downstairs on the second floor, is phase one. We plan to roll out multiple locations across the country, with a particular focus on working closely with resellers and small businesses to increase access and affordability.”
Meanwhile, Director of Commercial and Distribution Sales for Multi Countries at Huawei, Lin Liang said eKit offers a wide range of solutions across education, healthcare, retail, and hospitality sectors. “By taking this initiative to provide our ultimate technology to Guyana, I do think this sub-brand will give a robust performance to our small and medium business owners to adapt the most cost-effective and leading technology in Guyana,” he said. Meanwhile, the Minister with responsibility for Public Affairs in the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame
FROM PAGE 13
land to ensure access and equal opportunities to this wonderful information and communication technology. The establishment of this hub under Huawei eKit will foster greater solutions for businesses and consumers alike. It complements the government’s efforts to improve access to technology and broaden connectivity,” McCoy said.
The launch event featured cultural performanc-
McCoy, delivered the feature address on behalf of Prime Minister Ret’d Brigadier Mark Phillips, who is currently Acting Head of State. He spoke of the many government initiatives currently implemented — and others to come — that are being advanced by digital technology.
“You've seen all the work we've undertaken as a government and continue to roll out as part of our digital transformation programme — connecting our people from hinterland to coast-
es, a live product demonstration by Huawei eKit
Representative Marlon Aaron Bally, and a networking segment showcasing the platform’s smart zone offerings.
Huawei eKit Guyana will serve as a central hub for distribution, technical support, and customer engagement, offering products such as Wi-Fi 7 access points, intelligent collaboration tools, and full-optical gateways tailored for education, hospitality, healthcare, and residential use.
Earlier this month, Guyana had issued a call to the United Nations Security Council to ensure that future peace operations are more adaptable, resilient, and adequately resourced to address today’s complex global security environment.
In addition to calling for peace operations to be more adaptable and resilient, Persaud explained that agility and efficiency must not come at the cost of core mandates such as civilian protection, promotion of human rights, and advancing the Women, Peace and Security agenda.
The Guyanese envoy emphasised that prevention should remain the cornerstone of peace efforts.
“Guyana acknowledges the decades of success of UN Peace Operations in shortening conflicts, protecting ci-
vilians and preventing spillover of crises. However, we must also take stock of the complex and multi-faceted challenges that define today’s security landscape and which sometimes transcend borders. The operating environment for UN peace operations is itself often marred by asymmetric threats, misinformation and disinformation, hostile national Armed Forces, organised crime and the effects of climate change. Consequently, UN Peace Operations must be more adaptable and resilient than ever before,” Persaud said at the time.
Bee attack at Enterprise Backlands leaves pensioner dead
Abee attack in the Enterprise Backlands, East Coast Demerara (ECD), on Wednesday has left 67-yearold Lennox Luke, also called “Mikey”, from Kitty, Georgetown, dead.
Police stated that the now deceased and Selwyn Dean, 29, a construction worker, also from Kitty, Georgetown, were erecting a fence on a plot of land owned by Luke when a large swarm of bees emerged and attacked them.
In an attempt to escape, Dean ran forward, but in the process of Luke running backward, he fell to the
ground, where he was attacked by the swarm of bees. Dean, however, escaped after sustaining a few bee stings.
Following the deadly incident, NARIE was contacted, and the area was smoked.
Meanwhile, Luke was escorted in an unconscious state to the Enmore Regional Hospital, where he later succumbed. Upon inspection, marks were seen on his back, forearm, and the back of his head. Investigations are ongoing.
Permanent Representative of Guyana to the UN Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett
Dead: Lennox Luke
CARPHA commissions mobile insectary facility to advance C’bean fight against mosquito-borne diseases
The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) on Wednesday hosted the official opening and commissioning of its Mobile Insectary Facility, marking a major milestone in the region’s fight against mosquito-borne diseases.
The event also signalled the successful close of the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) Programme of Support for Health System Strengthening for the Prevention and Control of Outbreaks of Zika and Other Mosquito-Borne Diseases in the Caribbean.
Executive Director of CARPHA, Dr Lisa Indar, hailed the project as “a significant step forward in building resilience against vector-borne diseases.”
“Over the next two days, we will review the project’s achievements, consolidate lessons learnt, and foster regional collaboration,” Dr Indar said. “Through this €4 million initiative, CARPHA has strengthened the health systems of our member states to better prevent, control, and respond to mosquito-borne disease outbreaks,” she said.
Funded by the European Union (EU), the Mobile Insectary represents a new frontier in vector control for the Caribbean. The facility will allow scientists to rear, study, and test mosquitoes to assess insecticide resistance and monitor behavioural changes – critical steps in preventing outbreaks of diseases such as Zika, dengue, and chikungunya. The data collected will strengthen regional
strategies for mosquito control and public health preparedness.
As the 11th EDF programme concludes, CARPHA’s Mobile Insectary Facility stands as a tangible symbol of progress, blending science, partnership, and innovation to safeguard the Caribbean’s health.
The initiative is hailed as strengthening the region’s capacity to respond to mosquito-borne diseases but also embodies the collective commitment to building a healthier, more resilient Caribbean for generations to come.
Dr Indar noted that under the six-year project, CARPHA conducted 15,879 antiviral tests, trained health professionals across 12 member states, and provided critical support in diagnostic testing, vector management, insecticide testing, and GIS-based surveillance. The project, she said, has built a foundation for evidence-based decision-making and improved vector control operations throughout the region.
Doreen WalsweerSore, representing the
Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), commended CARPHA and the EU for their leadership and collaboration, describing the programme as “a flagship initiative of solidarity, partnership, and scientific excellence.”
“This initiative was born out of urgency and shared purpose in 2016 when the Zika epidemic threatened lives and livelihoods across the Caribbean,” she said.
“It stands as a testament to the power of cooperation and the tangible results we achieve when we act together.”
She highlighted that the programme supported 15 countries in integrated vector management, trained nine in advanced diagnostic testing, and promoted public education campaigns to raise community awareness. She emphasised that the lessons learnt align closely with the Samoa Agreement, underscoring the shared commitment to resilience, technology-driven surveillance, and preparedness in the face of climate-related health chal-
lenges.
Representing the European Union, Ambassador Cecile Tassin praised the collaboration with CARPHA as a model of international partnership.
“This partnership has enhanced laborato-
toes. The European Union takes pride in this collaboration and looks forward to continuing our partnership in the years ahead.”
Dr Lackram Bodoe, Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Health, also underscored the importance of
ry testing capacity and improved surveillance across CARPHA member states,” Ambassador Tassin said.
“Capacity building and insecticide training have been key features of this programme and will continue to inform evidence-based strategies to reduce the harm caused by mosqui-
sustained regional collaboration.
“Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases are a significant threat to health security,” he said. “We are united by a common purpose – to safeguard the health and well-being of our people by reducing the burden of these diseases.”
Kwakwani Secondary School reopens after devastating fire
After a devastating fire completely destroyed the Kwakwani Secondary School in Pathville, Upper Berbice River, during the preterm week of the 2025/2026 academic year, the school was reopened on Monday, October 27. According to the Department of EducationRegion #10 at the reopening, “Monday, October 27, 2025, marks a truly heart-warming moment for the Kwakwani community – the full reopening of Kwakwani Secondary
School!
Heartfelt thanks to the Ministry of Education and the Regional Democratic Council, Region 10, for their continued commitment and tireless efforts to ensure the school was reopened in the shortest possible time. Your dedication has restored not just a building but a beacon of hope for our students and teachers.
Special appreciation goes out to Mr Orvil August, whose generosity and compassion made it possible for our Grade 11 students to continue their face-to-face
sessions during our most difficult period. Your support ensured that learning never stopped,” the department noted.
At approximately 03:40h on Sunday, August 24, 2025, the school, a one-storey concrete building, was engulfed in flames before firefighters could bring the blaze under control.
According to reports, a corporal stationed at the Mackenzie Police Station said he was at the annual Kwakwani Village Fair at the nearby ballfield around
03:40h when he noticed a large fire in the Pathville area.
He immediately alerted the Kwakwani Police Station. A Police Sergeant and two other ranks responded to the scene and discovered that the school was already on fire.
The ranks quickly summoned auxiliary staff and a fire pick-up vehicle and went into action. Despite their efforts, the flames had already consumed the building, leaving it com
pletely destroyed.
The school, which was powered by electricity from Kwakwani Utility Inc, had reportedly experienced power outages throughout the night.
Police further reported that a security guard attached to Homesafe Security Service, who was on duty at the time, discovered smoke coming from the headmistress’s office on the southwestern side of the building during routine checks. He immediately contacted his supervisor. The section of the school destroyed housed the information technology laboratory, the head teacher’s office, the auditorium, which was being used as classrooms, the library, the staff room, and both student and teacher washrooms.
No injuries or fatalities were reported, and while it is suspected to be electrical in origin, no exact cause has been reported, and it remains officially under investigation.
Executive Director of CARPHA, Dr Lisa Indar
Regional
Hurricane Melissa roars through Cuba after thrashing Jamaica, Haiti
Hurricane Melissa barrelled north of Cuba on Wednesday after thrashing the city of Santiago and isolating hundreds of rural communities while unleashing devastation in Jamaica and drenching Haiti, where reports surfaced of more than two dozen fatalities.
Melissa slammed into Jamaica as a record-breaking and destructive Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 185 mph (298 kph), but it had been downgraded to a Category 3 when it hit Cuba with winds of 120 mph, the United States National Hurricane Center said.
The storm moved north of the Caribbean's largest island on Wednesday afternoon and had been downgraded to a still dangerous Category 2 storm, threatening the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos with damaging winds, rain and storm surge.
At least 241 communities remained isolated and without communications following the storm's passage across Santiago province, according to preliminary local media reports, affecting as many as 140,000 residents.
"Life-threatening storm surge, flash flooding and landslides, and damaging winds are ongoing this afternoon," the NHC said.
Across eastern Cuba, authorities evacuated around 735,000 persons as the storm approached. Most remained in emergency centres.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said Cuba had suffered extensive damage and warned residents against letting down their guard as rains continued to
lash the region.
The island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic has faced days of torrential downpours, leading to at least four deaths, authorities there said.
Another 25 persons died in Petit-Goâve, Haiti, after Melissa's rains swelled a river's banks, the Associated Press reported, citing the local mayor. The NHC warned that catastrophic flash flooding and landslides were expected on Wednesday.
Jamaica's Government gave an "all clear" to begin recovery efforts after Melissa, the strongest storm ever to directly hit the island, blasted the island's western region, demolishing homes, knocking down swaths of trees and washing out roadways.
Hundreds of residents from the southeast Bahamas landed in New Providence ahead of Hurricane Melissa, which is expected to impact the central and southern Bahamas later today.
Melissa barrelled into Jamaica on Tuesday as a Category 5 storm, dealing 185-mile-per-hour winds, as one of the strongest hur-
ricanes to ever hit the nation.
Forecasters first predicted that Crooked Island and Acklins would bear the brunt of the storm; however, after the storm shifted, forecasters said Melissa is now projected to impact Ragged Island, Long Island, Rum Cay, and San Salvador.
Novelet Turnquest, a lifelong Inagua resident and part of the first group of evacuees, said she briskly left Nassau on Monday evening to return to Inagua to safeguard her home and other belongings before the storm makes landfall in the Bahamas.
“I came out of Nassau yesterday, so I had to go home,” Turnquest said at Lynden Pindling International Airport yesterday.
“I couldn’t leave nobody to do that for me because I have a lot of things to secure, so I had to fly in yesterday and catch another flight out. It was like five of us.
“You can’t predict what a hurricane could do, so it’s best to be safe than sorry.”
( Excerpts from Reuters, Nassau Guardian)
Venezuelan President suspends energy deals with T&T, but PM warns her Govt will not be blackmailed
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has confirmed the suspension of gas agreements with Trinidad and Tobago, saying this was due to the recent hostile actions taken by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s Government.
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez had made the commendation to Maduro, citing tensions arising from PersadBissessar’s welcome of the United States (US) military.
During the 95th broadcast of his programme Con Maduro two days ago, Maduro said, “On the aircraft carrier of the supremacists of the US empire against Venezuela and South America, I have ap-
proved the precautionary measure of the immediate suspension of all the effects and the agreements. That is why I have decided to take this decision. What the supremacists want is Venezuela’s riches.”
The arrival of the US naval ship the USS Gravely in T&T on Sunday generated continued stern responses from Venezuela yesterday, with several Venezuelan ministers alleging that T&T is aligning itself with the US to attack Venezuela.
However, in an immediate response, PersadBissessar said no one, including the Venezuelan Government, will pressure or blackmail her Government into retreating from the fight against
drug cartels.
“The last Government mistakenly placed all their hopes in the Dragon project. We have not done so; therefore, we’re not susceptible to any blackmail from the Venezuelans for political support.”
Persad-Bissessar, who said T&T’s future does not depend on Venezuela “and never has”, added that plans are underway for economic growth within the energy and non-energy sectors.
She said, “No one, be it the Venezuelan Government, Caricom or any other entity, will pressure or blackmail my Government into retreating from the fight against the drug cartels.” (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)
Brazil’s President “horrified” as death toll from Rio Police raid tops 100
At least 119 persons were killed in Tuesday’s bloody Police raids on drug traffickers in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro, according to local Police officials, nearly doubling the earlier toll of 60.
Among those killed in the military-style operation targeting Rio’s most powerful criminal organisation, the Comando Vermelho, were 115 gang suspects and four Police officers, the Police officials announced Wednesday.
Rio de Janeiro’s state public defender’s office put the death toll even higher at 132.
“The elevated lethality
of the operation was expected but not desired,” Victor Santos, head of security for Rio state, said at a news conference Wednesday.
The raids, involving some 2500 Police officers, were concentrated in northern Rio’s neighbourhoods of Penha Complex and the Alemao Complex.
Some angry residents accused Police of summary killings, while mourners gathered in the streets where bodies were laid.
“The state came to massacre; it wasn’t a [Police] operation. They came directly to kill, to take lives,” one wom-
an in the Penha Complex told the AFP news agency.
“There are people who have been executed, many of them shot in the back of the head, shot in the back. This cannot be considered public safety,” said 36-year-old resident and activist Raul Santiago.
Brazil’s Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski said President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is “horrified” by the scale of fatalities and surprised that such an operation went ahead without prior knowledge of the federal Government. (Excerpt from AL Jazeera)
"A colony of the US": Argentinians contemplate future after Trumpbacked Milei coasts to victory
Opposition posters
scattered across Buenos Aires before Sunday’s midterms showed President Javier Milei’s name plastered over a United States (US) flag in a bid to tap into anti-American sentiment over Donald Trump’s alleged interference in Argentina’s election.
Days before the vote, the US President announced a $40bn bailout for his Argentinian counterpart but warned that if Milei did not
win, he would withdraw his support.
Despite what has been described as the lowest point of his nearly two years in power – with an economic downturn and allegations of corruption – Milei won by a wide margin: about 41 per cent to 32 per cent, something opinion polls had failed to predict.
With the result, the President’s party, La Libertad Avanza, went from holding a modest presence in
Congress to a majority when combined with the seats of the centre-right PRO, the party of former President Mauricio Macri, which has already been an ally to Milei. The sweeping victory –which even the President admitted had taken him by surprise – left many wondering whether the result reflects genuine support for Milei or if it was merely the outcome of what many saw as Trump’s economic blackmail. (The Guardian)
St Lucia Government renews Christmas Barrel Concession Programme
Saint Lucian households will once again benefit from the Government’s annual Christmas Barrel Trade Concession, offering financial relief for families importing personal items during the holiday season.
The Ministry of Finance, through the Customs and Excise Department, announced that the concession, approved under Cabinet Conclusion No. 910 of 2025, will run from October 15, 2025, to February 28, 2026. The programme offers a 100
per cent waiver of import duties on a range of essential goods, including personal items, food, clothing, toys, and household consumables. However, electronic items remain excluded from this exemption.
Under the initiative, each household is allowed up to two barrels, with a maximum declared value of $3000 per barrel. The concession strictly applies to goods intended for personal use, not for resale or commercial purposes. The Customs Department has re-
iterated that standard penalties and fines will be enforced for violations.
Additionally, the Cabinet has approved measures to exempt these barrels from both the Health and Citizen Security Levy (HSL) and the Value Added Tax (VAT), pending the enactment of the necessary legal provisions in Parliament.
Despite these waivers, barrels that meet the criteria will still attract a six per cent Customs Service Charge. (St Lucia Times)
People walk along a street in the rain ahead of Hurricane Melissa's landfall, in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
A mourner kisses a covered body, the day after a deadly Police operation against drug trafficking at the favela do Penha, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Around the World OIL NEWS
Trump wants China’s “help” to deal with wartime Russia
Big Oil earnings expected to edge up as analysts eye 2026 outlook
Big Oil may see marginally higher oil prices and stronger refining results boost third-quarter results after declining earnings over the past year, but some analysts are more interested in how global oil majors set the stage for 2026 when they begin reporting results this week.
British oil major Shell and French major TotalEnergies will launch earnings season on Thursday and are expected to report 18 per cent and 11 per cent increases in adjusted net income, respectively, compared with the second quarter –though both figures are down from a year ago, according to analyst estimates compiled by LSEG.
Oil producers have faced a turbulent year marked by unpredictable trade tariffs and increasing oil output from OPEC+ countries, which have pushed prices down, leading to some of the lowest earnings since the pandemic.
The supply gloom is expected to continue next year as the International Energy Agency forecasts a surplus of 4 million barrels per day with sluggish demand. Average Brent crude prices during the third quarter declined 13 per cent from the same period last year and were up two per cent from the second quarter. Average United States (US) natural gas prices in the third quarter rose around 37 per cent from last year.
"Greater focus will be placed on the early 2026 outlook," Barclays analyst Betty Jiang said in a research note, adding she is watching for commentary on cost impacts from tariffs and the gas outlook for next year as power demand from AI data centres continues to ramp up. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Israeli strikes in Gaza kill 104, Health Ministry says, after Hamas accused of killing soldier
At least 104 Palestinians were killed in a wave of Israeli strikes in Gaza on Tuesday night, the territory's Hamas-run health Ministry says.
The Israeli military said it struck "dozens of terror targets and terrorists" in response to violations by Hamas of the United States (US)-brokered ceasefire deal.
Israel's defence minister accused Hamas of an attack in Gaza that killed an Israeli soldier and of breaching the terms on returning deceased hostages' bodies. Hamas said it had "no connection" to the attack and that Israel was trying to undermine the deal.
US President Donald
Trump maintained "nothing" would jeopardise the ceasefire but added that Israel should "hit back" when its soldiers were targeted.
The Israeli strikes hit homes, schools and residential blocks in Gaza City and Beit Lahia in the north of Gaza, Bureij and Nuseirat in the centre, and Khan Younis in the south.
Witnesses in Gaza City described seeing "pillars of fire and smoke" rising into the air as explosions shook several residential areas.
Gaza's health Ministry said a total of 104 persons were killed, including 46 children and 20 women, and that more than 250 others were injured.
(Excerpt from BBC News)
Both Russia and Ukraine depend on Chinesemade components for drones, jamming systems and the fibre optic cable attached to the drones to make them immune to jamming.
If Beijing wanted to end the Russia-Ukraine war, it could do so promptly and singlehandedly by banning the imports, according to one of the pioneers of drone warfare in Ukraine.
“Almost each component is made in China,” Andrey Pronin, who runs a drone school in Kyiv, told Al Jazeera. “China could cut off their side – or ours.”
Beijing supplies Moscow
with four-fifths of drones, electronic chips and other dual-purpose goods that end up on the front line, keeping the Russian war machine rolling, according to Ukrainian intelligence.
Ukraine is trying to wean off its reliance on Chinese drones amid Beijing’s restriction of exports, but they still account for a staggering 97 per cent of components, according to the Foundation for Defence
of Democracies, a think tank in Washington, DC.
United States President Donald Trump hopes that Thursday’s summit with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping can change that.
“I’d like China to help us out with Russia,” Trump said, after cancelling his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and slapping sanctions on two Russian oil companies.
Trump is scheduled to meet with Xi in South Korea’s Busan on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Their last meeting was held in 2019, in Japan’s Osaka. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)
Louvre suspects “partially admit” their role in jewel heist – Police no closer to recovering gems despite arrest last week
Two men arrested on suspicion of stealing crown jewels worth an estimated €88m (£76m) from the Louvre in Paris have “partially admitted” their role in the heist, the prosecutor has said, but Police are no closer to recovering the gems.
Laure Beccuau said the pair, arrested on Sunday, would be brought before Magistrates “with a view to being charged with organised theft, which carries a 15-year prison sentence, and criminal conspiracy, punishable by 10 years”.
Beccuau told a media conference on Wednesday, hours before the two men had to be either charged or
released, that the jewels “are not in our possession”. But, in an apparent appeal to the thieves, she added, “There is still time to give them back.”
The treasures were “clearly unsellable” as they were, she said. “Anyone who buys them would be guilty of concealment of stolen goods,”
she told journalists, adding she “would like to hope” they would be recovered “for the Louvre and for the nation”. The four-man gang pulled up outside the world’s most visited museum at about 09:30h on October 19 in a stolen furniture removal truck fitted with an extending ladder and lift, in which two climbed to the ornate first-floor Apollo gallery. Wearing hi-vis vests to resemble maintenance workers, they smashed an unsecured window and used disc cutters to slice open two glass display cases before descending in the bucket lift and fleeing on motorbikes driven by the other two men. (Excerpt from The Guardian)
Hundreds reportedly killed at Sudanese hospital as evidence of RSF atrocities mounts
Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) killed hundreds of patients and staff inside a hospital in El Fasher, according to the World Health Organization and the Sudan Doctors Network, after the paramilitary group claimed control of the city on Sunday.
The WHO Secretary General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said he was “appalled and deeply shocked” at reports that more than 460 persons had been killed at the Saudi maternity hospital, without assigning blame, in a post on X.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the Sudan Doctors Network, a medical group monitoring the civil war, said, “The Rapid Support Forces yesterday … killed in cold blood everyone they found inside the Saudi hospital.”
Fighting has been raging between the Sudanese armed forces and the RSF since April 2023, when a power struggle within the military regime broke out into open conflict in the capital, Khartoum, and quickly spread across the country.
Sudan’s army controls most of the country’s north and east, having recaptured Khartoum in March 2025, while the RSF holds territory in the west and southwest. With the army having abandoned El Fasher, the RSF now
holds all five of Darfur’s regional capitals, while fighting continues in the southern region of Kordofan.
El Fasher, once a city of more than 1 million persons, has been under siege by the RSF since May 2024. In
August that year, famine was declared in the Zamzam camp for the displaced, south of the city. In April, the RSF killed as many as 2000 persons when it seized the camp, which at the time housed 500,000 persons. (Excerpt from The Guardian)
Heathrow, NatWest and Minecraft sites down in Microsoft global outage
Heathrow, NatWest and Minecraft are among some of the sites and services experiencing problems amid a global Microsoft outage.
Outage tracker Downdetector showed thousands of reports of issues with a number of websites globally on Wednesday.
Microsoft said some users of Microsoft 365 might see delays with Outlook and some other services.
The company's Azure cloud computing platform, which underpins large parts of the internet, reported a "degradation of some services" at 1600 GMT.
It said this was due to
"DNS issues" – the same root cause of the huge Amazon Web Services (AWS) outage last week.
Amazon says AWS is currently operating normally.
Other impacted sites in the United Kingdom (UK) include supermarket Asda and mobile phone operator O2 –while in the United States (US), people have reported issues accessing the websites of coffee chain Starbucks and retailer Kroger.
Microsoft said Microsoft 365 business customers might see problems.
Some web pages on Microsoft also directed users to an error notification that read, "Uh oh! Something
went wrong with the previous request."
A Microsoft spokesperson said it is working to "address an issue affecting Azure Front Door that is impacting the availability of some services," adding that it is sharing updates on the Azure status page. It said it had found parts of its infrastructure with connectivity issues and was working to "reroute affected traffic to restore service health".
It has started a thread on X with updates after some users reported they could not access the service status page. (Excerpt from BBC News)
There has been a heavy Police presence outside the museum since the heist
Palestinians try to clear the rubble of destroyed buildings in Khan Younis, southern Gaza
A car drives along a road covered with an anti-drone net near the town of Sloviansk in the Donetsk region, Ukraine
A little primping will go a long way. Do something that makes you feel good, boosts your confidence and gives you the nudge you need to make a move. Participate in events that are geared toward a purpose.
You should sift through your options and decrease the number of your commitments. Effective communication is essential to prevent mistakes and misinformation.
Live, love and learn, and a positive change will be unveiled. Trust your instincts and let your imagination wander. Reach out, and the result will fulfill your expectations.
Avoid jumping to conclusions or taking on too much. Pace yourself and explore all options before deciding on your next step. Tone down drama and indulgence, and concentrate on self-improvement.
Look at the big picture before you make a comment or change. The impression you make and the effect you have on the people you encounter will determine what comes your way.
It’s all or nothing when dealing with domestic or work-related matters. Stand back, absorb the atmosphere in the room and let your instincts guide you in interpreting the outcome.
Effective money management encourages you to live frugally and appreciate what you already have. Consider what you can do to update your look or build your confidence. Socializing will promote romance.
Observe and take notes. Preparation is vital to getting what you want. A positive change comes with executing your plans flawlessly. Choose minimalism over excess and indulgence.
Set boundaries, offer honest assessments and pursue something tangible. Focus your energy on updating your surroundings to suit your situation and foster success.
Mixed emotions will drain you mentally and financially. Be wary of scams and people trying to separate you from your cash. Gather information regarding any event that may pose a risk of injury or illness.
Put your emotions aside and know when to walk away. A debate will not serve a purpose and will leave you feeling distraught. Pay more attention to building your physical strength.
Upbeat talks will help you gain enthusiasm to get moving and to introduce positive change into your life. Stop letting mixed emotions hinder your ability to act.
ARCHIE
ICC Women's World Cup...
Wolvaardt, Kapp power South Africa into World Cup final
Laura Wolvaardt's batting masterclass and Marizanne Kapp's five-for propelled South Africa into their maiden World Cup final, off the back of a 125-run victory over England.
Wolvaardt's breathtaking 169 in the first semi-final in Guwahati carried her side to 319 for 7 from their 50 overs, the second-highest score in World Cup knockout matches.
Asked to stage the second-highest successful chase in women's One-Day Internationals (ODIs) – behind Australia's 331 to beat India earlier in this tournament – England fell short in the face of the brilliant bowling of Kapp, who took 5 for 20. Those wickets included two in the first over of the reply, as England lurched to 1 for 3, and the prize wicket of Nat Sciver-Brunt, who had built a century stand with Alice Capsey. Later in the innings, Kapp took two more wickets in as many balls to put South Africa on the brink of victory.
South Africa face the winner of the second semi-final between Australia and India for the title on Sunday, which will be their third consecutive World Cup final, after they finished runners-up at the T20 events in 2023 and 2024.
Wolvaardt was a class above in the
South Africa batting lineup. Her innings was full of trademark elegant drives early on, followed by a brutal leg-side assault as she hit the accelerator in the closing stages. She was supported by Tazmin Brits, who scored 45, but later went off during England's innings with what appeared to be a wrist injury after landing awkwardly in the field, followed by Kapp's rapid 42 off just 33 balls. Wolvaardt shared a seventh-wicket stand worth 89 with Chloe Tryon, who finished unbeaten on 33 herself.
Sophie Ecclestone overcame a shoulder injury suffered in the previous match against New Zealand on Sunday to finish with 4 for 44, but, apart from her bowling figures and fifties for Sciver-Brunt and Capsey, there was little to celebrate for England. Only two others – Danni Wyatt-Hodge and tailender Linsey Smith – reached double figures. As if determined to model South Africa's bowling performance on Wolvaardt's batting masterclass, Kapp removed Amy Jones with a ball of the highest quality in the first over. A fuller delivery outside off stump jagged back in between bat and pad and clattered into off stump. Heather Knight was more complicit in her dismissal three balls later when, with leaden feet, she prodded at one that shaped away from outside off and edged onto her stumps. The dismissal gave Kapp figures of 2 for 0 from her first five balls.
Ayabonga Khaka made it three England ducks in a
row just two balls into the second over when she drew a faint edge off Tammy Beaumont with one that straightened off the pitch for caught behind.
South Africa let England off the hook somewhat, as Sciver-Brunt and Capsey took them from such a poor start to 108 for 4 when Capsey fell moments after reaching her maiden ODI half-century. Capsey had been dropped on 28 by substitute fielder Nondumiso Shangase at long-on off the bowling of Sune Luus as South Africa struggled to make further inroads with Kapp off the field. SciverBrunt, meanwhile, narrowly avoided being run out as she retreated to the bowler's end.
her first.
Wyatt-Hodge, playing just her second match of the tournament after being brought in for Emma Lamb to bolster a struggling middle order, faced just seven deliveries for two* against New Zealand. With more time in the middle here, she managed 34 off 31. When she and Smith fell to de Klerk, however, it was all over for England.
added just a handful more runs before Ecclestone returned with immediate impact, with Kapp skying a fuller ball outside off stump high over mid-on, where Dean ran back and settled underneath it.
Another cluster of South Africa wickets fell when Annerie Dercksen, apparently having failed to learn from Brits' downfall, tried to reverse-sweep Ecclestone. She hit the ball into the pitch outside off, then again through her swing. The second impact ricocheted into the stumps.
Having lumped Dean for a massive 82-metre six over long-on, Wolvaardt bided her time through Ecclestone's final over. She then helped herself to 13 of the 15 runs to come off the next, by Sciver-Brunt, including another six over long-on, followed by a pulled four through backward square.
Sciver-Brunt conceded 14 off her next over, which also included Wolvaardt's third maximum. This time, the shot was over deep midwicket, and she raised her 150 with a similar effort off Smith, who leaked 20 off the over, all but one of them to Wolvaardt.
(ESPNcricinfo)
No sooner had Capsey reached fifty than she picked out Nadine de Klerk at midoff with Luus the bowler once more. On either side of her dismissal, Sciver-Brunt reached her own half-century, powering Luus over long-off for six, while Brits put down a difficult chance, leaping to her right at midwicket. She fell heavily, forcing her off the field in pain and clutching her arm.
Kapp struck in the second over of her return spell to remove Sciver-Brunt, caught behind after she was enticed to drive at a length ball, which wobbled away ever so slightly off the seam and brushed the outside edge. In her next over, Kapp had Sophia Dunkley and Charlie Dean caught behind off successive deliveries. The energy with which she roared to celebrate her last wicket matched that of
South Africa's resounding victory was a result of their ability to get out of trouble. They fell from 116 without loss to 119 for 3, as Ecclestone took a sledgehammer to the excellent structure laid down by Wolvaardt and Brits, with two wickets in the space of four balls.
Brits could have been out for one off of what would have been the sharpest of return catches by Lauren Bell. She had attempted a reverse sweep off Ecclestone's fellow left-arm spinner, Linsey Smith, before ending up in an awkward heap as the ball struck her front pad well outside off stump. When Brits tried it again, it was her undoing, as Ecclestone speared one in full on the middle and leg and drew a bottom edge onto the stumps.
Anneke Bosch, brought into the starting XI to boost the batting which had failed so miserably against England last time these sides met, lost her off stump as she charged at Ecclestone, yorked herself, and departed for a three-ball duck.
Bell put down another tough chance, leaping to her left at short fine leg off Kapp, on 36 at the time. But Kapp
South Africa Women (50 ovs maximum)
Laura Wolvaardt (c) c Capsey b Bell 169
Tazmin Brits b Ecclestone 45
Anneke Bosch b Ecclestone 0
Sune Luus b Nat Sciver-Brunt 1
Marizanne Kapp c Dean b Ecclestone 42
Sinalo Jafta † b Bell 1
Annerie Dercksen b Ecclestone 4
Chloe Tryon not out 33
Nadine de Klerk not out 11
Extras (lb 2, w 11) 13
Total 50 Ov (RR: 6.38) 319/7
Did not bat: Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba
Fall of wickets: 1-116 (Tazmin Brits, 22.2 ov), 2-116 (Anneke Bosch, 22.5 ov), 3-119 (Sune Luus, 25.3 ov), 4-191 (Marizanne Kapp, 36.3 ov), 5-192 (Sinalo Jafta, 37.1 ov), 6-202 (Annerie Dercksen, 40.1 ov), 7-291 (Laura Wolvaardt, 47.6 ov) Bowling O-M-R-W Lauren Bell 10-0-55-2
Linsey Smith 10-0-69-0
Nat Sciver-Brunt 8-0-67-1
Charlie Dean 10-0-67-0
Sophie Ecclestone 10-1-44-4
Alice Capsey 2-0-15-0
England Women (T: 320 runs from 50 ovs)
Amy Jones † b Kapp
When Wolvaardt finally holed out to Capsey as she launched Bell down the ground, she walked off to warm congratulations from her opponents, as well as the gratitude of her team and the rapture of the crowd, who knew they had witnessed something special.
South Africa celebrate the final wicket and their entry into the World Cup final
Laura Wolvaardt celebrates her hundred
Marizanne Kapp struck twice in the first over of the chase
The 2025 Caribbean Clash of Champions, slated for Sunday, November 2, at the South Dakota Circuit, Timehri, is set to be bigger and better than previous editions.
As such, much work has gone into preparing for the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) marquee event of the year.
During a press briefing on Wednesday, GMR&SC President Mahendra Boodhoo announced that all boxes have been ticked, including ensuring patrons’ smooth passage on the East Bank Demerara (EBD) carriageway.
“We are able to tick most of our boxes, in terms of preparation. We have the foreign competitors here, we have the equipment here, so
all is ready to go,” Boodhoo asserted. He said regarding the bothersome East Bank traffic, “I know people have concerns about the traffic on the East Bank. Yesterday we would’ve met with the Police and the Ministry of Public Works and drove through the complete East Bank and look at all the problem points, including the contractors that is doing the East Bank road. So, it has been clear that no construction will go on on the road for the weekend.”
“Police have put things in place where they will have patrols to mitigate any traffic build-ups as soon as it happens, within minutes. So, to some extent we have that covered.”
Though still unsure about when his machine will arrive, Franklyn Boodram, out of Trinidad and Tobago, has promised a fierce rivalry in
GFF, ISG sign MoU to advance women’s football in Guyana
The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has signed a twoyear Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Supporters Group (ISG) to deepen collaboration on the development and promotion of women’s football in Guyana and across the Diaspora.
The agreement, signed by GFF President Wayne Forde and ISG President Rebecca Vaughan, establishes a framework for joint initiatives that will enhance player development, coaching capacity, and the global visibility of the Guyana Women’s National Team (GWNT).
Through the MoU, ISG will support the GFF in advancing grassroots player development and facilitating coaching internships for GWNT coaches in North America. The partnership will also focus on leveraging ISG’s extensive network across North American and United Kingdom (UK) institutions to secure college scholarships and club placements for GWNT play-
ers.
In addition, ISG will play a key role in fundraising efforts to assist with GWNT operations, player scholarships, and other developmental activities. These initiatives aim to build long-term sustainability within the women’s football programme and strengthen pathways for female players of Guyanese heritage.
“We are happy to have our football community from the Diaspora supporting the strategic development of women’s football,” said GFF President Wayne Forde. “They have demonstrated an extraordinary level of commitment, which has enabled the teams they’ve supported to deliver tangible results. ISG has been instrumental in many of our successes, and we look forward to continuing to grow this partnership. I would also like to encourage other members of the Guyanese Diaspora who wish to contribute to the development of football to reach out and explore opportunities for collabora-
the newly-introduced 12-lap GT3 class.
“My circumstances are a little bit worrying at the moment because I do not have
tion.”
ISG President Vaughan described the agreement as a continuation of a strong and productive relationship between the two organisations.
“The International Supporters Group (ISG) is pleased to continue our longstanding partnership with the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) to elevate the participation and success of football by girls and women of Guyanese heritage – both in Guyana and across the global Diaspora,” Vaughan said. “Our partnership reflects the story of Guyana itself: our greatest strength comes from harnessing the power, passion, and talent of both the homeland and the wider Diaspora community.”
The ISG is a Canadabased, volunteer-run notfor-profit organisation with board representation from the GFF. One hundred per cent of all resources raised by ISG go directly towards supporting player development, high-performance pathways, and the longterm growth and success of the GWNT.
Through this renewed partnership, both organisations reaffirm their shared vision of ensuring that every young girl who dreams of representing Guyana has the opportunity to do so, as Guyana continues to rise on the world football stage.
my car in my possession. I’ll say here now that it’s not any fault of GMR&SC, nor it’s my fault. We packed the car three weeks ago to be here way on time and the date has been changed three times already and it has all the bearing to do with the hurricane that passed by. The car is sitting, as of yesterday
[Tuesday], in the Dominican Republic,” Boodram explained.
In the same breath, he went on to challenge, “We came here to put down the best show ever. Mark and I, we do well; we’re friends, but when the flag drop and shields go down on the helmets, we don’t know each other at all. And I’ve gotten so much remarks throughout the last couple days in Guyana that they’re going to beat me real bad. Here in this conference, I at a great disadvantage with no seat time and no setup time, but I want Mark to know, and the driver from Europe, that we come here
to give the bestest of the best fight in the history of motor racing. Mark's victory, if he have one, not going to be easy as he thinks. That’s all I have to say.
Responding to his rival, the Guyanese Vieira expressed his confidence in coming away with a win.
Vieira responded, “I personally feel it’s going to be a good weekend. I’ve never driven this car before; I should be driving it tomorrow [today] to do some testing. Franklyn got one thing right: Mark will get the victory. How fast it’s going to be, I don’t know.”
“So, I want every Guyanese to come out there and show them why we’re the best in the whole Caribbean, without a doubt,” the Guyanese racer added. The action at the South Dakota Circuit on Sunday will drive off at 10:00h. General admission will see adult entry costing $4000 and $2000 for children.
“Where is the pride?”
The seventh season of the Guyana Football Federation’s Elite League is now done and dusted, and again, it was the usual suspects who finished at the top of the competition.
As Slingerz Football Club (50 points – 18 games – 16 wins, two draws) lifted their second trophy in League history, the Guyana Police Force (40 points –18 games – 12 wins, four draws, two losses) finished second, while 2024 champions Guyana Defence Force Football Club (39 points –18 games – 12 wins, three draws, three losses) had to settle for third. Western Tigers (34 points – 18 games – 10 wins, four draws, four losses) and Santos Football Club (26 points – 18 games – eight wins, two draws, eight losses) completed the top five.
Following the League’s conclusion, Slingerz Football Club gaffer Jamaal Shabazz was quizzed about what can be done to improve the League, leading Shabazz to call out the participating clubs’ administrators.
“I think it’s important that the administration of some of the clubs take a long, hard look at themselves. We all know how to judge a coach; if he don’t win matches, the coach is not a good coach. That’s what the fans say. If a player miss a goal or a defender get dribble, the fans say ‘not a good player’; what are the yardsticks that we using to measure the administrator at club and national team level?” Shabazz questioned.
He continued, “The administrators allowed to get away with having mediocre
squads, lack of sponsorship for their teams, lack of finance, no facilities. What is then the job of administrators? The job of the coach is to coach, the job of the player is to play, what are the administrators of these clubs doing to find funding? So that teams like Slingerz, like GDF, like Police could get even if it’s a match fee, it’s dif- ficult. It brings the League down to three teams, maybe four if you check Western on a serious day. To go out and train; the players have lost that desire.”
As such, the former Golden Jaguars Head Coach had made a call for the improvement of the clubs in the League.
Shabazz passionately expressed, “We made a vow in Slingerz: no team that not training could come and get less than five from us because we have to make that statement. Because whether you getting paid or you’re not getting paid, this is the Elite League of Guyana, and guys have got to come to the League with a standard.
“I could’ve played; in fact, if the registration was not closed, I would’ve registered,” Shabazz joked. “Some of the guys on some teams, bigger than me. Where is the pride? But administratively, the administrators of clubs in Guyana have got to get off of their laurels and find ways to improve their clubs.”
Cognisant of the fact that clubs need monetary support, Shabazz also made an appeal to corporate Guyana to lend their support.
“We have all these corporate entities now in Guyana,
com - ing for the oil; in the abundance of water, only the fool is thirsty. And I’m also calling Corporate Guyana to focus. You come into we country, you see the resources; help our people, invest in sports, invest in culture. Do not just take the profits from the oil and take it back to your countries. Invest in our people,” Shabazz urged. The championship-winning team in the Elite League took home a $2 million grand prize after eight months of competition this year.
Slingerz FC Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz
Members of the ISG display the new MoU
GFF President Wayne Forde
GMR&SC President Mahendra Boodhoo
Mark Vieira will put his new Porsche GT3 to the test this Sunday
West Indies took an unassailable 2-0 lead in their three-match series against Bangladesh, shrugging off a batting collapse that had taken them from 106 for 1 to 149 for 9 in Chattogram. It also marked their first T20 International (T20I) series win after seven consecutive defeats.
The West Indies bowlers –Romario Shepherd and Akeal Hosein played lead roles with three wickets each – were effective in defending the moderate total. Bangladesh could not chase 150 on a good batting pitch despite the presence of dew, which hampered the bowlers. Tanzid Hasan kept them going with 61, but the rest were often caught in two minds on a surface that encouraged playing through one's shots.
The Bangladesh lineup did not do justice to their bowlers, who engineered West Indies' batting collapse. Mustafizur Rahman picked up three wickets, while Nasum Ahmed and Rishad Hossain took two each.
Hope, Athanaze lift West Indies West Indies had luck in the first half of their innings. Litton Das dropped Brandon King first ball, and Towhid Hridoy couldn't hang on to a tough chance at mid-on off Alick Athanaze in the third over.
Athanaze launched Tanzim Hasan over square leg in the same over before Shai Hope struck Taskin Ahmed straight down the ground for his first six in the next one. The pair struck boundaries at ease during the power play and beyond. Athanaze hit five in total, while Hope picked up three.
Athanaze and Hope both reached their half-centuries off their 30th deliveries. They brought up their 100-run stand shortly afterwards too, in 10.5 overs, as the pair put West Indies in a position from where they could aim for 200 and beyond.
Nasum, Rishad wreck West Indies Athanaze fell in the 12th over, holing out on the deep square-leg boundary, giving Nasum his first wicket. Sherfane Rutherford fell next ball for his second successive golden duck.
Mustafizur then removed Hope for 55 when the West Indies Captain mistimed a slower ball and was caught at point. By the time Rishad got Rovman Powell also caught at point in the 15th over, West Indies were in free fall. Jason Holder was dismissed in the same over, caught at long-on for four.
Romario Shepherd tried to resurrect the innings, but did
not succeed. Mustafizur had him caught at deep point in the last over before hitting Khary Pierre's stumps the next ball. Hosein was run out off the last delivery to complete a remarkable turnaround for the home side.
West Indies drop four chances
Bangladesh lost Saif Hassan early in a slow start when Holder sucked him into an uppish shot against a short ball. King took the catch in the covers, making up for dropping the same batter in the second over. Litton got the chase on track with three fours in the fifth over, using Jayden Seales'
pace – twice playing the ball down to deep third and also scooping over short fine leg.
Rutherford dropped Litton, but the Bangladesh Captain could not press on for much longer. Hosein bowled him for 23. Tanzid hit big sixes over midwicket, even as another catch went down in the field: Seales dropped Hridoy in the 11th over.
Seales made amends in the 13th over when he took a tumbling catch after Hridoy top-edged Shepherd. Tanzid reached his fifty with a boundary soon after, but Bangladesh still needed 50 off the last five overs.
Shepherd, Hosein deal final blows
Tanzid started the death overs with a four past cover, but Jaker Ali could not accelerate at the other end. Tanzid perished in the hunt for boundaries, caught at deep point. He finished on 61 off 48 balls, having hit three sixes and three fours. Jaker fell in the same over to Shepherd, caught at the deep square-leg boundary for 17 off 18 balls.
Holder started the 19th over by hitting Shamim Hossain's off-stump with a yorker and gave away just five runs. Bangladesh were left needing 21 off the last over. Hosein did not concede a boundary and also took two wickets to finish with 3 for 22.
(ESPNcricinfo)
West Indies (20 overs maximum)
Brandon King c Towhid Hridoy
b Taskin Ahmed 1
Alick Athanaze c Tanzid Hasan
b Nasum Ahmed 52
Shai Hope (c)† c Shamim Hossain
b Mustafizur Rahman 55
Sherfane Rutherford b Nasum Ahmed 0
Rovman Powell c Mustafizur Rahman
b Rishad Hossain 3
Jason Holder c Towhid Hridoy
b Rishad Hossain 4
Roston Chase not out 17
Romario Shepherd c Jaker Ali
b Mustafizur Rahman 13
Khary Pierre b Mustafizur Rahman 0
Akeal Hosein run out
(†Litton Das/Mustafizur Rahman) 1
Extras (lb 2, w 1) 3
Total 20 Ov (RR: 7.45, 101 Mins) 149/9
Did not bat: Jayden Seales
Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Brandon King, 1.3 ov), 2-106 (Alick Athanaze, 11.2 ov), 3-106 (Sherfane Rutherford, 11.3 ov), 4-112 (Shai Hope, 12.5 ov), 5-117 (Rovman Powell, 14.1 ov), 6-118 (Jason Holder, 14.4 ov), 7-144 (Romario Shepherd, 19.1 ov), 8-144 (Khary Pierre, 19.2 ov), 9-149 (Akeal Hosein, 19.6 ov)
Bowling O-M-R-W
Tanzim Hasan Sakib 4-0-23-0
Taskin Ahmed 3-0-28-1
Mustafizur Rahman 4-0-21-3
Nasum Ahmed 4-0-35-2
Saif Hassan 1-0-9-0
Rishad Hossain 3-0-20-2
Bangladesh (T: 150 runs from 20 ovs)
Shamim Hossain 1-0-11-0
Alick Athanaze celebrates his half-century
Tanzid Hasan played a crucial hand in the first half of Bangladesh's chase
Taskin Ahmed appeals for a wicket
Romario Shepherd was named Man of the Match for his 3-29 from four overs
Shai Hope plays a rapid innings
Guyanese super bikers ready for battle against British competitors Caribbean Clash of Champions
With just a few days before one of the most anticipated Caribbean Clash of the Champions at the South Dakota Circuit, the super bikers are revving their engines in what is expected to be a keen battle among some of the best on the tracks.
Motor racing fanatics can look out for some big names, including British superbike rider Daniel Linfoot, who has returned, but this time, he will not be alone.
Joining him will be fellow British rider Gregg Black, as both will represent Team GuyAmerica in the superbike class, adding an international flair to the event's 70th anniversary celebrations.
At a recent press conference, both international riders were eager to compete before a packed Guyanese audience. For Black, he is looking forward to the expe-
rience since he will be testing Guyana's track for the first time.
He noted that it is his first time in Guyana with his teammate, with whom he has been riding for the past two years.
He brings his own worldclass experience as a World Endurance Champion with the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team. Being a fourtime world champion and titleholder of several other championships, Black is happy to ride alongside the locals, and hopes new records can be made.
On the other hand, Linfoot, who made history in 2024 with a record-breaking 1:15.534-second lap, returns with unfinished business to push the limits of speed once more.
This year, he will be riding a locally-built 1000cc superbike from Two Wheel Performance in a remark-
able exhibition lap record run, where he will attempt to reset the overall South Dakota Circuit record, but is presently coping with an arm injury.
"I've got a problem with my arm, which I need to try out, but my first objective is to ensure that I am safe. Normally, I can ride with that issue... but it will be nice to come back and have some more fun and be faster than last year, if that is possible. I really enjoy the track..."
When it comes to competing against the 2024 Caribbean Motor Racing Champion, Matthew Vieira, Linfoot stated, "Matthew has developed since the first time I came, which was in 2019 when we raced on the short track... now his skills have improved quite considerably, and I am looking forward to racing with him, but obviously sticking to our plan."
Together, Linfoot and Black form the core of Team GuyAmerica, a collaboration that bridges British expertise with Guyanese innovation, highlighting Guyana's rise on the international motorsport stage.
Meanwhile, they will come up against Guyana's top riders, including Vieira, Nicholas Boodram, and Kevin Persaud, ensuring fierce competition and spectacular action for fans.
While Vieira wants to retain the Caribbean Motor Racing Championships, he noted that anything is possible on race day.
"In terms of my championship, it all comes down to the day of the race, and it is possible that we can have a bad day, but we will push hard, and definitely, I will try to close the gap between these two guys (Linfoot and Black). It is an honour to
race alongside these guys, and to have your name next to theirs in a news article will be fantastic."
He is hoping to run a 1:16-second lap with the anticipation of coming close to the 1:15 seconds that was set by Linfoot.
In addition, Persaud spoke about his preparations and expectations for Sunday while adding that he has been training hard for the big day.
"My preparation has been good so far... I've made
a lot of improvements from the last race meet... I ran a 1:17 seconds lap and closed the gap between Matthew... it will be a tough battle, but I am here to fight it."
He also added that he has been a fan of Black for years and has raced alongside Linfoot; as such, he is looking forward to Sunday. The Caribbean Clash of Champions gets underway on Saturday with the time trials, followed by the heated competition on Sunday.
– Dan Linfoot eyes new track record
Guyanese ace riders Matthew Vieira and Kevin Persaud