Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com
Issue No. 6560
THE BEACON OF TRUTH SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2026
Guyana-Suriname ferry service resumes after ban on MV Canawaima lifted Page 3
PRICE $100 VAT INCLUDED
WHAT'S INSIDE: 2022 fiery death of Berbice woman
Husband freed of murder, manslaughter P15 charges
…stranded passengers prioritised for transport
6-MW boost in power supply for Region CoA slashes ….as Chinese companies neighbour-killer’s from 56 10, Linden-Soesdyke Highway donate generators to GPL jailtime to 15 years P8
Page 7
Trio busted for P10 attempting to rob CH&PA Director GPL ramps up P crackdown on 13 electricity theft
Regional Vice Chairman Paul Pierre and his team joined the eight delegates of the Miss Region One Amerindian Heritage Pageant 2026 for a fun-filled kayaking adventure at Acquero on Friday. The activity put teamwork, confidence, and a spirit of adventure to the test while giving Acquero residents their first taste of kayaking (Barima Waini Region RDC photos)
Pedestrian killed after 2 lorries collide in Berbice Page 14
Seawall vendors face removal over permit violations
2 Indonesian nationals killed in 3-vehicle smash-up at Timehri
Page 15
…4 others injured See story on page 11
Opposition MP’s husband allegedly caught with gun, ammo remains in P8 custody …as Police seek legal advice
Essequibo Coast youth explore wellness, P14 leadership through “Wellness Within” project
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2026 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
3 Guyana-Suriname ferry service resumes after ban on MV Canawaima lifted NEWS
SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2026 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
BRIDGE OPENING
BRIDGE OPENINGS
The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Saturday, August 29 – 17:00h–18:30h and Sunday, August 30 – 05:30h–08:00h.
FERRY SCHEDULE
Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily.
WEATHER TODAY Earl morning sunny skies are expected to be interrupted by thundery showers until late afternoon, followed by clear skies at night. Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius. Winds: East-North-Easterly to East-SouthEasterly between 2.23 metres and 4.02 metres. High Tide: 17:25h reaching a maximum height of 2.72 metres. Low Tide: 11:04h and 23:19h reaching minimum heights of 0.49 metre and 0.45 metre.
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…stranded passengers prioritised for transport
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early one week after the suspension of the ferry service between Guyana and Suriname, the MV Canawaima vessel was cleared by Dutch maritime authorities to resume operations on Friday. Last Saturday, the Maritime Authority Suriname (MAS) had temporarily suspended the Guyana-Suriname ferry service, ordering that the MV Canawaima, which plies that route, undergo repairs immediately instead of waiting until the scheduled dry docking in the coming months. This move had left scores of passengers stranded in both Guyana and Suriname. However, following a series of successful technical inspections and adherence to specific requirements of MAS, the ferry service was given clearance to resume operations on Friday – a move that was welcomed by the Guyana Government which indicated that the stranded passengers would be prioritised. “The service between Guyana and Suriname will continue according to its regular schedule. The top priority today will be transporting stranded passengers,” the missive detailed. Earlier this week, efforts were being made to secure an alternative vessel to operate the route but this proposal was turned down by the MAS. According to the Guyana Government, representatives have worked tirelessly over the past several days with their Surinamese counterparts to ensure all safety and structural compliance were met so the ferry can return to service at the soonest possible time given the importance of this link between the two countries. “We were aware of the considerable inconvenience this temporary suspension had on the public in both countries and as such, ensured that everything that had to be done was done. The safety and wellbeing of the public was never lost at any time during this period,” the Government stated. It added, “We thank all the relevant authorities and other stakeholders for their cooperation and support while this situation was being resolved. Most importantly, we thank the public for their patience during this time. As much as it was a terrible inconvenience, which we truly regret, their ultimate safety was top priority.” Meanwhile, the Government further indicated that during this period, Guyana and Suriname will continue discussions for the subsequent drydocking of the MV Canawaima and a replacement vessel to ensure a smooth and uninterrupted flow of the ferry service. The Canawaima Ferry Service is jointly owned by
the Governments of Guyana and Suriname, with each country having 50 per cent of the issued share capital. It is the holding company for the Canawaima Management Company NV, a wholly owned subsidiary which was incorporated in Suriname. Based on that joint venture agreement, Guyana supplies all fuels, lubricants and batteries to facilitate the daily operation of the ferry, while Suriname takes care of the maintenance and dry docking of the vessel. This recent suspension of service comes just over a week after the Surinamese maritime officials had threatened to halt operations if safety deficiencies on the vessel were not addressed by the end of August 13, 2026. However, service had returned to normalcy the following day after it was stated that the vessel was inspected and the concerns were addressed, with further issues to be fixed during dry-docking scheduled within the next three months. But on Saturday, August 22, passengers turned up at Moleson Creek only to find the gates to the ferry stelling closed. Later that
evening, the Canawaima Ferry Service Inc, in a public notice posted on the Facebook page of Guyana’s Embassy in Suriname, announced that the ferry service was suspended due to “scheduled works”, and no date was given for its resumption. Public Works Minister Juan Edghill had subsequently explained that two technical inspections were conducted by maritime experts from both Guyana and Suriname, who concluded that the vessel could remain in operation until it entered drydock within the next three months. “Despite these assurances which were provided in writing the Maritime Authority in Suriname insisted that certain matters which would have been addressed during dry docking should be undertaken immediately,” Edghill said in a missive on August 22. Meanwhile, the SurinameGuyana Chamber of Commerce (SGCC) had called for support for the stranded passengers on both sides of the Corentyne River, adding that this latest disruption underscores the need for a dedicated secondary vessel and, ulti-
mately, investment in a new ferry to ensure the GuyanaSuriname link is not completely disrupted whenever the Canawaima is unavailable. Some of the stranded passengers had sought alternative ways to cross the Corentyne River but initially encountered difficulties due to the absence of an arrangement on the Surinamese side to facilitate immigration processing for persons using the smallboat service. This was later resolved on Monday, when authorities in Suriname gave the go-ahead for an arrangement to facilitate those travellers. Since then, passengers have been able to have their travel documents processed at the official ports before using the small boats to cross the Corentyne River and continue their journeys between Guyana and Suriname. The Springlands–Nickerie route, commonly referred to as the “back track”, has three operators using speedboats to transport passengers across the river. Owner of Golden Gloves Boat Service, Muhammed Murcalin, had said earlier this week that the situation has returned to some level of normalcy following the introduction of the immigration arrangement. According to Murcalin, close to 200 passengers were travelling back and forth across the river daily, compared with fewer than 120 when the ferry was operating. He estimated that about seven trips are made from the location on an average day, although boats do not necessarily have to be filled before leaving.
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Enforcing tint laws for safer roads, not shutting down businesses
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he decision by the Guyana Police Force Traffic Department to intensify enforcement of the country’s vehicle tint regulations deserves public support. The approach being taken by Traffic Chief Mahendra Singh is important with respect to ensuring that road safety laws are respected consistently and that businesses involved in the installation of vehicle tint also recognise their responsibilities under the law. The issue is not whether vehicle owners should be allowed to tint their vehicles. The issue is whether tint is being installed and used within the limits established by law. The Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic (Tint) Regulations, gazetted on January 1, 2026, provide clear standards for the amount of light that must pass through vehicle windows. Front side windows must permit at least 25 per cent Visible Light Transmission (VLT), while rear side windows and the rear windscreen must permit at least 20 per cent. Tinting is prohibited on the front windscreen, apart from a permitted visor strip. These requirements were not introduced without consideration, and motorists were given a three-month amnesty period following the introduction of the regulations to test their tint and make the necessary adjustments. Full enforcement commenced on April 1, 2026, with a $30,000 fine applicable for non-compliance. There has therefore been ample time for vehicle owners and tint installers to familiarise themselves with the requirements. The reported enforcement figures indicate that non-compliance remains widespread. According to Singh, more than 100 tint-related cases have been recorded each week since enforcement began, with the majority involving excessively dark front windscreens. Such figures should not be dismissed as merely another example of police enforcement. Excessively dark tint can have serious implications for road safety, particularly by reducing visibility into and out of vehicles. The ability of motorists, pedestrians and law enforcement officers to see clearly around a vehicle is an important component of safe road use. The use of calibrated tint meters by the Traffic Department is particularly important. Enforcement must be based on objective measurements rather than personal judgement. A calibrated instrument provides a consistent means of determining whether a vehicle meets the legal standard and helps protect both motorists and enforcement officers from unnecessary disputes. The decision to extend scrutiny to tint installers is equally significant. If a business knowingly installs tint that does not comply with the law, responsibility should not rest solely with the vehicle owner. Businesses that provide specialised services have a duty to understand the regulations governing their operations and to ensure that customers are not encouraged or enabled to breach them. This is not an argument for the closure of tint businesses, as, indeed, Singh has correctly emphasised that the enforcement exercise is not intended to remove legitimate businesses from the marketplace. Rather, the objective is compliance. There is considerable room for tint installers to remain profitable while operating within the law. Compliance can become a selling point rather than a threat to the industry. Businesses that properly advise customers about permissible VLT levels and install compliant products can help motorists avoid fines while contributing to safer road conditions. The Traffic Department must, however, ensure that enforcement against installers is carried out with the same fairness, consistency and evidentiary standards expected in every other aspect of traffic policing. Before a vendor is charged, there must be clear evidence establishing responsibility and knowledge of the unlawful installation. The law must be applied firmly but also properly. When regulations are introduced but violations are routinely overlooked, respect for the law gradually weakens. Once a practice becomes widespread, reversing it becomes considerably more difficult. Effective enforcement at an early stage is therefore preferable to allowing non-compliance to become entrenched. Guyana’s roads already face significant challenges, including congestion, reckless driving and other forms of non-compliance. Every reasonable measure that can improve visibility, accountability, and adherence to established road rules should be welcomed. The traffic chief’s position that enforcement is being undertaken for the benefit of the public is therefore worthy of support. The responsibility now rests with motorists, tint installers and the business community to understand the regulations and comply with them.
President Dr Irfaan Ali joined the Brahma Kumaris and representatives of the Indian High Commission in Guyana to celebrate Raksha Bandhan, a festival that honours the bond between brothers and sisters. The observance featured the traditional tying of rakhis, symbolising love, protection, and mutual support (President Dr Irfaan Ali/Facebook)
Beyond the numbers By Ricardo E Smith
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he release of the 2026 Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) results provides Jamaica and the wider Caribbean with reason to celebrate, but also an opportunity to pause and examine what the numbers are really telling us about teaching, learning, and assessment. At the regional level, the results show modest but encouraging progress. The overall Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) pass rate increased to 72.18 per cent, while Mathematics – the perennial challenge across the region – rose to 42 per cent, up from 38 per cent the previous year. English A remained relatively strong at 80 per cent. These improvements are encouraging, although they should be viewed as progress rather than evidence that the region has solved its long-standing educational challenges. Jamaica’s results are similarly worthy of recognition. Students recorded improvements in 18 of the 34 CSEC subjects, with Mathematics recording one of the more notable gains. The country’s Mathematics pass rate increased to 48.7 per cent, continuing a three-year upward trend and placing Jamaica above the regional average. The Education Ministry has linked some of this progress to targeted interventions, including teacher training, mentorship, and programmes developed with education partners. This is important because it demonstrates what can happen when weaknesses are identified and interventions are deliberately targeted. We should, therefore, commend our students, teachers, school leaders, parents, and education stakeholders whose collective efforts have contributed to these gains. However, celebrating improve-
ment should not prevent us from asking more difficult questions. English A, for example, remained a strong area of performance in Jamaica, but the pass rate declined from 85 per cent in 2025 to 83.6 per cent this year. This is hardly a crisis, particularly since Jamaica remained above the regional average, but it reminds us that examination performance does not always move in one direction. More importantly, the circumstances surrounding this year’s examinations require us to interpret the results with some caution. Hurricane Melissa created an extraordinary disruption to Jamaica’s education system. Students and teachers were displaced, learning was interrupted, and schools in some of the hardest-hit communities faced significant challenges. In response, CXC activated its Regional Disaster and Business Recovery Protocol and gave schools in seven affected parishes – including Manchester, St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, St James, Trelawny, and St Ann – the option of using a modified examination arrangement. Under this arrangement, affected schools could use Paper One, together with the relevant School-Based Assessment or Paper Two or Three component, rather than the full traditional examination. Importantly, this was an option for affected schools, while others proceeded with the normal examination format. This distinction matters. It would be unfair to suggest that students who benefited from the modified arrangement did not earn their results. They were operating under circumstances that were entirely outside their control, and the concessions were introduced precisely to ensure that students affected by a national disaster were not unfairly penalised.
At the same time, the different assessment circumstances raise a legitimate question about how we interpret and compare the results. What does it mean when students sitting the same qualification may have been assessed through different combinations of examination components? And how should policymakers interpret yearon-year changes when the conditions under which some candidates were assessed were not entirely comparable? These are not questions about taking away from students’ achievements. They are questions about the responsible use of educational data. A student may perform differently across examination papers. Strong performance on one component can sometimes compensate for weaker performance on another. Consequently, when some candidates are assessed through a modified arrangement, it is reasonable for education planners to examine whether, and to what extent, the alternative assessment pathway influenced overall performance. That analysis should not begin with an assumption that the modified approach inflated results. Neither should we assume that it had no effect. The responsible position is to examine the evidence. The Education Ministry has indicated that further analysis is being undertaken, including examination of performance by gender, parish, and the impact of Hurricane Melissa on students in affected communities. This is precisely the kind of analysis that should guide the conversation going forward. There is also another development that could fundamentally change how we approach this conversation – CXC’s move towards modular assessment. CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
NEWS
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2026 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
Unused house lots could face repossession – Housing Minster H
ousing Minister Collin Croal has said that the Government is moving to aggressively address houselot owners who have failed to develop their properties, warning that some lots could be repossessed as authorities seek to ensure State-allocated land is put to use. While speaking during the Guyana Dialogue monthly podcast on Thursday evening, Croal said the Government is moving to address challenges, including cases where persons have been allocated house lots but have failed to commence construction. Croal noted that some beneficiaries have met the necessary criteria and acquired their house lots but have not taken steps to build on the properties. He reported that the Housing Ministry has established an Occupancy Department to address the issue of allocated house lots that remain undeveloped or neglected. The department has begun writing to persons who
Housing Minister, Collin Croal
have been allocated house lots but have failed to commence construction. Croal explained that while some beneficiaries have met the necessary criteria and secured lots, they have not yet begun building their homes. In other cases, beneficiaries
reportedly do not visit their allocated lots, resulting in the properties becoming overgrown with bush and grass. The Ministry said the neglect of these properties can create both security and public health hazards.
“This is something we are going to be addressing in an aggressive way. While the local Government laws also allow, for example, those existing areas, you can have the area cleaned as a local authority and then invoice the owner for the cleaning. It allows that. So this is something we’re going to address because it has been part of the complaints when we went to the community outreaches. Everyone is complaining.” Croal said the Ministry is also targeting persons who have acquired land but have not completed their payments. “We want to ensure occupancy. So we’re targeting those persons who have not built; we are targeting persons who have gotten land and have not completed their payments. And so there must be some bit of repossession that has to be done. Because we have to—we’re not in the business of wanting to take back from anyone. But, again, land is not in-
finite because you’ve spent money, we’ve spent money as a Government to put the infrastructure work in place.” On that note, Croal also reminded that local Government laws permit local authorities to clean overgrown or neglected house lots and subsequently invoice property owners for the cost of the cleaning. He said the measure forms part of the Government’s efforts to ensure that Stateallocated land is properly utilised and to address complaints about neglected properties. Croal said persons who acquired land for the purpose of constructing their own homes are expected to develop the lots, noting that the Government will move forward with an aggressive approach to targeting those who fail to do so. The Ministry of housing has distributed more than 50,000 house lots since 2020 and is expected to commence regional clearing of housing backlogs in September 2026. “If
you have your land on the premise that you got it for a house lot to be able to build your own property, then you should have this done. and so that is something we’re moving forward; we’ll have to target in an aggressive way.” in fact, with an investment of $5.924 billion in housing development across places such as Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) between 2020 and 2026, the Government is working to clear the housing backlog by 90 per cent by 2027. “So in a major way, from the new month in September, we will have some regional clearing of backlogs. and even on the outreaches that we’ve had recently, even in engagements, because we are, you know, we have had cabinet outreach every month going to a different region. so, for example, next week we will be in region 10 because that was scheduled since in march of this year. we have a schedule that takes us to the rest of this year.”
Beyond the...
FROM PAGE 4
The pilot of the Caribbean Targeted Education Certificate (CTEC) Mathematics Module One produced an encouraging result, with 88 per cent of the 2535 candidates who sat the pilot achieving acceptable grades. But this statistic must also be interpreted correctly. Passing one module does not mean that a student has completed the entire Mathematics qualification. Candidates must complete the remaining modules to obtain the full CSEC certification. Nevertheless, the pilot raises an important possibility. If students can demonstrate mastery in smaller, focused stages, perhaps assessment can become more responsive to different learning needs without lowering academic standards. That possibility deserves serious consideration. As CXC expands the modular approach, however, the principle must remain clear: flexibility in assessment must not mean a reduction in standards. The credibility of CXC qualifications depends on ensuring that students who receive the same certification have demonstrated the required competencies regardless of the pathway through which they achieved it. Ultimately, examination results should be treated as evidence, not as the entire story. A pass rate can tell us how students performed on a particular assessment. It cannot, by itself, tell us how much learning was lost, the
quality of instruction received, the circumstances under which students prepared, or how effectively they can apply their knowledge beyond the examination room. The 2026 results, therefore, give us two reasons to be encouraged. First, there is evidence that targeted interventions can produce improvement, particularly in areas such as Mathematics. Second, the resilience of our education system was demonstrated during an extraordinarily difficult year. But resilience should not simply mean surviving disruption. It should mean learning from it. Jamaica should document what worked during the Hurricane Melissa disruption and develop a comprehensive education emergency-response framework that can be activated during future disasters. Such a framework should address continuity of teaching and learning, assessment arrangements, student support, and the protection of examination integrity. We should celebrate our students; we should commend our teachers and school leaders; we should acknowledge the support of parents and communities, but we must also be prepared to interrogate the data honestly. (Jamaica Observer) Ricardo E Smith is a senior educator and social scientist. He is also Principal Director of the R Smith Scholars Institute.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2026 00:00 Sign Off 06:00 TVG Devotional Hour 07:00 Evening News (RB) 08:00 Cartoons 08:30 Stop Suffering 09:30 KTLT 10:00 Movie - The Sheep Detectives (2026) 12:00 Movie - Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender (2026) 13:45 Movie - Hoppers (2026) 15:30 Movie - Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012) 17:00 Documentary: Nat Geo Animals 18:00 Evangelistic Hour 18:30 Hephzibah Ministries 19:00 Movie - Johnny Tsunami (1999) 20:30 Movie - The Best Version of Love (2023) 22:00 Movie - I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007)
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Foundation ◄
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Triangles cont’d
A right triangle is a type of triangle that has one right angle. The two sides of the triangle that meet at the right angle are perpendicular.
There are two types of right triangles.
I scoop a fistful of rest From night’s soft feathers And hold it monogamously For a short and wistful breath. The bold ear shrills from stress Of headache headlines Or radio news of death and war.
In this case, side AB is perpendicular to side BC, so angle B is 900. A right angle is 90⁰, and it is symbolized using a small square inside the angle at the vertex. The longest side of the right triangle is called the hypotenuse. It is the side opposite to the right angle.
Solutions are the most common type of homogeneous mixture. It is a mixture of two or more substances that stay evenly mixed. In some solutions it is clear what the parts are, even though we cannot see them, such as sugar water. When a spoonful of sugar is stirred into a glass of water, it will dissolve and form a solution. You cannot see the sugar anymore, because the tiny sugar particles, called molecules, spread apart evenly throughout the water. Other solutions may not seem like they are made up of different parts. For example, steel is actually a mix of iron and carbon. The parts get mixed when the iron is so hot that it melts and can be stirred. Then it hardens, with the parts mixed together. Suspensions are heterogenous mixtures, where particles of a solid are mixed into a liquid or gas. The solid particles are too large to stay mixed for very long. For example, if sand is stirred into water, the sand will stay up, or suspended, in the water for a little while. However, once the stirring stops, much of the sand will settle to the bottom within minutes. Many liquid medicines are also suspensions. When the mixture sits on a shelf, the medicine settles to the bottom of the bottle. Before taking the medicine, the bottle must be shaken to mix the solid, powdered medicine back into the liquid. Other examples of suspensions are salad dressing, mud, and juice with pulp.
By Patterson Gephart
Colloids sit somewhere in between heterogeneous and homogeneous mixtures. The particles are small enough to stay mixed, but big enough that they can make the mixture look cloudy or opaque. They stay the same over time, but it is difficult or impossible to see through them. Colloids can be made of solids, liquids, or gases. Foam rubber is a colloid of a solid with air bubbles – a gas – mixed throughout. Milk and ink are colloids of liquids. Fog is a colloid of a gas and a liquid. The gas is air, and the liquid is water droplets. Other examples of colloids are perfume, smoke, butter, and cheese.
Soon I scoop again, Or worried rain snatches And I pinch with fist or finger At one soft breast of bird. No rest, for hurried motor cars Suck noise from pavement; The toys of phone bells hammer nails in dawn Before it’s seen. I oversing my threnody of dark Till the dizzy thing called day comes staggering. Dear coffee queen! (Source: Poetry [July 1949])
Start or end your story with a countdown beginning, an alarm ringing, or a timer going off. (Adapted from Britannica Kids)
WORD SEARCH
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2026 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
6-MW boost in power supply for Region 10, Linden-Soesdyke Highway ….as Chinese companies donate generators to GPL
E
lectricity supply to residents in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) and along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway has been boosted with the donation of six generator sets by Chinese operators in Guyana, adding some 6 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity in the coming months. The donation was made to the Government of Guyana, through the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL), by Bosai Minerals Group Guyana Inc and Guyana Manganese Inc Bosai is the main power supplier in Linden, Region 10. On Friday, Head of GPL’s Executive Management Committee, Kesh Nandlall, and George Zhao, representing Bosai Minerals Group Guyana Inc, inked the donation agreement, which comes weeks after the state-owned power company was forced to take a series of measures in order to stabilise electricity supply to residents in Linden, who had been experiencing short-voltage and regular outages. The signing was witnessed by Prime Minister (PM) Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips; Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar; China’s Ambassador to Guyana, Her Excellency Yang Yang; GPL Director Gary Hall; Major General (Ret’d) Norman McLean; Eric Yu; and other representatives of the two Chinese companies. According to GPL in a statement on Friday, the six 1MW generator sets are currently located at Port Kaituma, Region One (Barima-Waini) and will be transported to the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, where a new power plant will be set up. “GPL will manage the full relocation of the plant - dismantling the units, transporting them, and reassembling them as a single power plant at a strategic location along the SoesdykeLinden Highway, where it will boost supply to the highway corridor and Region 10, support voltage regulation and strengthen the stability of the grid,”
GPL Head Kesh Nandlall and Bosai’s representative George Zhao signing the donation agreement for the six 1 megawatt gen sets as Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, Public Utilities and Aviation Minister Deodat Indar and Chinese Ambassador Yang Yang along with other officials watch on
the power company said on Friday. It was noted that the relocation and installation works are expected to be completed within four months. During the signing, PM Phillips, who has responsibility over the country’s energy sector, said this additional generation will strengthen electricity supply in Linden and support communities and businesses along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway. He pointed to the pace of development in Linden, noting that increased housing and business activity reflect the impact of policies pursued by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government to stimulate investment and economic growth.
Bosai’s contribution
The PM also acknowledged Bosai’s longstanding contribution to Guyana’s economy and development. “Your donation of the six megawatts will help in that growing development and supply of electricity [and meet] that growing demand for electricity in Linden, and we appreciate this gift to the people of Guyana,” PM Phillips stated. This new 6MW plant forms part of the Guyana
Government’s short-term plan to expand generation capacity in Region 10 and along the corridor. It joins a wider programme of investments already underway, including GPL’s construction of three solar farms, totalling 15MW, in Linden and a new substation at Kuru Kururu. Additionally, Bosai is also constructing a 10MW solar farm in Region 10, which is expected to add further generating capacity by 2028. According to GPL, these initiatives are all part of the Government of Guyana’s concerted effort to respond to the growing demand for electricity in Linden and along the Soesdyke-Linden corridor – increasing generation capacity, diversifying the energy mix toward renewables, and delivering more reliable electricity to customers in Linden, Region 10 and the national grid. To this end, the power company also expressed appreciation to Bosai Minerals Group Guyana Inc and Guyana Manganese Inc for their generous donation and partnership in strengthening Guyana’s electricity infrastructure. While Bosai is the main power supplier in Linden,
the bauxite company was only generating some 14.1MW of electricity. But heightened industrial activities across Linden have pushed peak demand to over 15MW which adds pressure to the region’s electricity system. As a result, Government had engaged Bosai to provide 3MW of additional power through two 1.5MW engines to assist the grid in Linden. Earlier this week, the first 1.5MW engine was
installed and operationalised at Bosai’s Linden power house. The additional capacity came online on Monday morning, increasing Bosai’s power supply to Linden and Wismar from 14MW to 15.5MW, above the current peak demand of approximately 15.1MW. Work is continuing to bring the remaining 1.5MW into operation, which will take Bosai’s total output to the Linden and Wismar communities to approximate-
ly 17MW. Meanwhile, the Government has also engaged Linden sawmill operators to address growing pressure on Region 10’s electricity system. At a press conference on August 14, the Public Utilities Minister disclosed that there has been a significant hike in sawmill operations in the region. It was estimated that approximately 32 sawmills are operating there, utilising equipment such as Wood Mizer and high-speed motors, thus placing significant demand on the grid. In efforts to ease pressure on the system while keeping businesses operational, sawmill operators were asked to shift some of their operations to off-peak hours. “So, Linden has two peak periods. During the day between 1 to 3 PM and then in night as well between 7 to 9, there is another peak…[when] the demand spikes to a higher level. So, [the sawmill operators have] been asked to work between 10pm to 6am…and it wouldn’t tax the grid further than it is already over taxed at this point,” Indar had noted. Most of the sawmill operators have already agreed to this arrangement while efforts are being made to increase generation capacity for the region and better coordinate commercial electricity use.
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2026 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
CoA slashes neighbour-killer’s jailtime from 56 to 15 years
Dead: Courtney Porter
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he Court of Appeal has quashed the murder conviction of 55-yearold Foster Gravesande, formerly of Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD), after finding that the jury was not properly directed on the defence of provocation. Gravesande, who was convicted of murdering his 49-year-old neighbour, Courtney Porter, will now serve a sentence for manslaughter by reason of provocation instead of murder. The appellate court subsequently reduced his 56year prison sentence to 15 years. The appellate court delivered its ruling recently in Foster Gravesande v Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), allowing his appeal in part. Gravesande was represented by attorneys Nigel Hughes and Kiswana Jefford of the law firm Hughes, Fields & Stoby. Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Mercedes Glasford appeared for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The case arose from the March 25, 2017 beating of the Mahaica, ECD resident and father of three, who was struck on the head with a piece of wood during an altercation with Gravesande. Porter had been accused by Gravesande of pulling his wife’s clothing. Following the incident, Porter was hospitalised, while Gravesande was charged with attempted
murder and released on bail. Porter, however, succumbed to his injuries on April 9, 2017, about two weeks after the beating. Gravesande subsequently fled the area but was later captured in another policing division, after which the charge against him was upgraded to murder. Following a preliminary inquiry, a Magistrate committed Gravesande to stand trial at the High Court in Demerara. On December 10, 2020, Gravesande was found guilty of murder by a 12-member jury following his trial before Justice Navindra Singh, as he then was. He was sentenced in January 2021 to 56 years’ imprisonment. Justice Singh had started with a base sentence of 60 years but deducted four years for the time Gravesande had spent on remand. The Judge ordered that he would not be eligible for parole until he had served 28 years. Gravesande subsequently challenged both his conviction and sentence before the Court of Appeal. His grounds of appeal included an argument that the jury’s verdict was unreasonable and could not be supported by the evidence presented at trial. He also contended that the trial Judge had failed to sufficiently address deficiencies in the prosecution’s case, including contradictions in the evidence of eyewitnesses. The Court of Appeal rejected the argument that the jury’s verdict was unreasonable. It found that the trial Judge had adequately identified and explained inconsistencies and omissions in the prosecution’s evidence, and had properly directed the jury on how those matters should be assessed. The appellate court also found no error in the directions given to the jury con-
Convicted: Foster Gravesande
cerning self-defence and accident, noting that the jury had been correctly instructed that the prosecution bore the burden of disproving those defences. However, the Court of Appeal found a material error in the manner in which the defence of provocation was presented. While the trial Judge had correctly stated the legal principles governing provocation, the appellate court found that he had failed to adequately connect those principles to the evidence supporting Gravesande’s defence. That evidence concerned the alleged assault on Gravesande’s wife and his repeated demands that Porter release her. The defence had contended that Porter confronted and assaulted Gravesande’s wife in the street, tearing her clothing and grabbing her. According to the defence evidence, Gravesande twice demanded that Porter release his wife before throwing a stick in his direction.
Self-defence, accident & provocation
The defence had relied on self-defence, accident, and provocation. The appellate court found that the trial Judge’s failure to relate the law on provocation to the evidence deprived Gravesande of proper consideration of that defence by the jury. The court said it could
not be satisfied that a properly directed jury would inevitably have convicted Gravesande of murder. As a result, the murder conviction could not be saved by the proviso. Rather than ordering a retrial, the Court of Appeal substituted a conviction for manslaughter by reason of provocation. In determining the new sentence, the court considered that Porter’s death resulted from a single blow delivered with a weapon of opportunity during what appeared to have been a spontaneous incident. It fixed a starting point of 18 years’ imprisonment before reducing the sentence to 15 years after taking into account mitigating factors. Among those factors were Gravesande’s status as a first-time offender, his lack of a history of violence, and the fact that he had acted in response to an assault on his wife. The court found no aggravating factors warranting an increase in the sentence. The 15-year sentence is to run from the original date of sentencing, with nearly four years Gravesande spent on remand deducted. This leaves him with an effective remaining sentence of approximately 11 years. Gravesande has since applied for leave to appeal the decision to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). The law firm, Hughes, Fields & Stoby, said the ruling underscores the importance of trial Judges not only stating the law governing available defences, but also clearly relating those legal principles to the facts arising from the evidence. The firm further noted that where evidence capable of supporting a defence of provocation exists, the jury must be given a meaningful opportunity to properly evaluate that defence within the context of the case as a whole.
Opposition MP’s husband allegedly caught with gun, ammo remains in custody …as Police seek legal advice
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he Guyana Police Force (GPF) is preparing to seek legal advice on the way forward with the case involving Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Natasha Singh, who, along with her husband, is being investigated for possession of a firearm and ammunition. “A case file is being prepared for legal advice,” the GPF said in a statement on Friday. In a previous statement, the Police had reported that a Glock 19 9mm pistol along with a magazine containing 12 live rounds of ammunition, registered to another Opposition Parliamentarian Dawn Hastings-Williams,
was found in the truck of a vehicle occupied by the Opposition MP and her husband, Shane Fordyce, a 35-year-old businessman of Campbellville, Georgetown. Following the discovery at Friendship, East Bank Demerara (EBD), in the wee hours of Wednesday, the couple was taken into Police custody, where they were cautioned and, acting on the advice of their attorney, provided written statements. While Singh-Lewis was eventually released on $200,000 station bail in relation to the alleged offence of possession of a firearm and ammunition without
a licence later that same day, her husband remains in custody, according to the Police on Friday. As a condition to her bail, MP Singh is required to report to the Police, which she complied with on Friday. Meanwhile, as part of the probe, investigators have also interviewed MP Hastings-Williams at the Regional Police Division 4 ‘B’ Headquarters, where she also provided a statement and handed over a copy of her firearm licence – No. 191501, dated February 16, 2026, for the Glock 19 9mm pistol bearing serial number BBVD168. Police said the firearm, magazine and ammunition were sub-
Shane Fordyce remains in Police custody as part of firearm possession probe
sequently taken to the ballistics section at Eve Leary, where they were lodged. TURN TO PAGE 13
What’s…
P
…in a name??
res Trump has just extended his corollary to his Donroe Doctrine that focuses on toponymy – which in case you didn’t know - has to do with the naming of geographical entities like countries and rivers and such like!! First came the Gulf of Mexico, which became the “Gulf of America” and a couple of days ago - in the midst of his spat with Canada’s Carney on trade issues he announced that henceforth, Lake Ontario, is gonna be called “Lake America”!! And in case folks couldn’t understand the logic of the US President’s insistence on making things simple - without all the fancy theory and big words of the woke crowd - he helpfully explained the next step: “If you think about it, we have a gulf and we have a lake. Now, all we need is an ocean.” Logical, innit?? Think of how many problems would be solved if eventually everything on Earth is called “America”!! The Atlantic Ocean? - America Ocean; the Indian Ocean? maybe that one might require some diplomatic consultation — but ultimately, it’ll be “America Ocean” since Modi goes along with Pres Trump directives to India everytime!!! As a sop to European sensibilities, the Mediterranean might be renamed the Mediterranean America - just to remind them they’re surrounded by things that used to have other names!! Geography lessons would become wonderfully simple. “Where’s Canada?” - “America”!! “Mexico?” “America, of course!!” And so on!! Unfortunately travel agents might face a minor administrative problem when passengers arriving at an airport ask: “Which America am I flying to?” and the answer would be “All of them!!” Your Eyewitness can just imagine the formerly soothing Airline announcements that could become particularly challenging - “Passengers travelling to America on Flight 457 to America, please proceed to Gate America. The flight will depart for America at 8:15 and arrive in America at 11:40 local America time”!! But the toponymical innovation might just solve the vexed issue of illegal immigration that has so upset the Yanks!! Immigration officers seeking to deny entry and the ICE goon squads trying to cleanse America would have to abandon geography altogether!! When anyone is asked “Country of origin?” they’ll be answering truthfully, “America!!”- because that’s what everywhere is now named!! But after our Carolyn Birkett-Rodrigues becomes the Secretary General of the UN, she’s gonna have a heck of a time trying to count up votes on the pressing issues she worked so hard to get on the agenda - when every country the world answer to “America” - and vote both yes and no!! And then when the final frontier’s conquered after Musk’s manned spacecraft reaches our fourth planet imagine the Martians protesting that their planet ain’t America!! …new with Sanction Man? For your Eyewitness, one good thing about Sanction Man becoming our LOO is he can always be counted to provide grist for his (Eyewitness) mill on slow news days like today!! Never mind the grist might’ve been ground so fine you’d think it’s powder that should be blowin’ in the wind by now!! So, while we haven’t finished untangling his lies about his “go fast” boat, another of iron he had in the fire – this time in our Court of Appeal – popped up!! His battery of lawyers had appealed the High Court’s decision rejecting his claim that our extradition treaty’s enabling law – the Fugitive Offenders Act- was unconstitutional and “tried a t’ing” to stave off that orange jump suit in Miami!! But unlike the CCJ – where he’d filed another appeal – the Appellate Court hasn’t stayed Magistrate Judy from proceeding on his extradition next week!! Interestingly, however, they didn’t rule on the substantive claim of “unconstitutionality” – but reserved judgement for Oct!! More grist for your Eyewitness!! …open or closed? It’s now been exactly six months since Iran first closed the Strait of Hormuz and the Yanks said NO!! But when folks gotta declare every day that it’s open, you know that it’s still NOT open!! The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Guyana Times’ editorial policy and stance
Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com
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5 months after fatal EBE crash
Minibus driver slapped with causing death by dangerous driving charge F
ive months after a fatal accident on the Barnwell Public Road, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), Ramesh Kanhai has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving. Kanhai was charged on Friday under Section 35(1) of the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act, Chapter 51:02, as amended by Act No. 16 of 1998. The charge stems from a March 9, 2026 accident at about 19:00h involving minibus BAG 2484, driven by Kanhai, and motorcycle CR 487, driven by Angel Luis Herrera Alvardo, with pillion rider Angel Merchan, who died as a result of the collision. Kanhai appeared on
Charged and on bail: Ramesh Kanhai
Friday at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court No. 2 before Magistrate Omadatt Chandan, where the charge was read to him. He pleaded not guilty and was granted $500,000 bail. Police did not say why the charge was
instituted five months later. As part of his bail conditions, Kanhai was ordered to report to the Parika Police Station every Friday of each month. His driver’s licence was also lodged with the court. The matter was adjourned to October 28. The Police report of the accident and subsequent death was filed on March 11, 2026. Investigations at the time indicated that the minibus was travelling east along the northern side of Barnwell Public Road at a normal rate of speed, while the motorcycle was heading west along the southern side of the road at an al-
File photo: The motorcycle at the scene of the accident in March
leged fast rate. The motorcycle reportedly ended up on the northern lane and collided with the right-side front portion of the minibus. The impact reportedly
threw both riders from the motorcycle into a nearby yard. They sustained serious injuries and were taken by public-spirited citizens to the De Kinderen Regional Hospital.
Manchan was pronounced dead on arrival. Following the accident, a breathalyser test conducted on the minibus driver showed no trace of alcohol in his system.
Trio busted for attempting to rob CH&PA Director
The haversack in which one of the guns was found
The guns that were recovered after the suspects were arrested
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23-year-old man along with a 22-yearold, both labourers from Tucville, Georgetown, and a 22-year-old security guard from Cane View Squatting Area, Georgetown, were arrested on Friday after attempting to break into the home of a Director of Projects attached to the Central Housing and Planning Authority
(CHPA) at his Tuschen New Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), home. Police stated that the victim was at his home when he exited through the western door to dispose of garbage, and as he returned inside, he secured the door and proceeded to his bedroom, where he checked his security cameras and observed four males entering
his yard. They were all wearing masks and reportedly approached the door, attempting to open it, but the victim immediately contacted the Police and raised an alarm. Acting on separate information received, Police intercepted three males at Fisher Dam, Zeelugt, EBE. During a search, they found a black firearm with three matching rounds of ammunition in a haversack that was being carried by one of the men, and as such, he was taken into custody. Police added that a further search was conducted on the other suspects, during which another firearm with three matching rounds of ammunition was found concealed on the 23-year-old, thus leading to his arrest. The firearms and ammunition were taken to Leonora Police Station, where they were lodged while investigations continue. The Police have since retrieved CCTV footage that is being reviewed.
NEWS
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2026 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
2 Indonesian nationals killed in 3-vehicle smash-up at Timehri …4 others injured
The minibus that was transporting the oil and gas workers
The Route 63 minibus involved in the accident
wo Indonesian nationals were killed while four others were injured following a three-vehicle smash-up along the Timehri Public Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD), in the wee hours of Friday. Edy Ansyori Sukri and Ikomang Tedy Arsa Bantara Putra died at the scene, while those who sustained injuries were rushed to the Diamond Regional Hospital where they are currently receiving treatment. Based on reports received, the accident occurred at about 03:51h and involved a motor lorry, GAJ 3074, a Route 63 minibus with registration number BAH 6588, and a contracted minibus with plates BAF 1135. At the time, the lorry was being driven by a 36-year-old resident of Land of Canaan, EBD, while minibus BAH 6588 was driven by a 48-year-old Lusignan, East Coast Demerara (ECD)
cy medical technicians, responded to the scene where the two Indonesian nationals were pronounced dead. Breathalyser tests conducted on all three drivers showed no trace of alcohol in their systems. They remain in custody and are assisting with the investigation. At the scene, mechanics were repairing the truck after which it will be towed to the Madewini Police Outpost. Persons in the area recalled hearing the loud crashing sound and as they rushed out, they saw the two minibuses and the truck. Some of the passengers, they noted, had already exited the route 63 minibus and were assisting those from the other minibus. One man told the Guyana Times that the two now-dead men would have sustained severe bodily injuries including broken legs and arms. He added that, from all indications, they were al-
T
resident, and minibus, BAF 1135 was being operated by a 55-year-old man of Crane Housing Scheme, West Bank Demerara (WBD). However, the two dead men and the injured persons were passengers of minibus BAF 1135. Enquiries disclosed that the motor lorry was heading to Timehri, reportedly at a fast rate of speed, when the driver allegedly swerved and came into contact with minibus BAH 6588, which was proceeding in the opposite direction. Due to the collision, the driver of the lorry reportedly lost control and crashed into minibus BAF 1135, which was behind the other minibus. As a result of the smashup, the occupants of minibus BAF 1135 sustained injuries to their bodies. An ambulance attached to the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), accompanied by emergen-
ready dead when they were pulled from the wreckage. Within minutes, he stated the GDF ambulance arrived and sped off the scene with the injured persons. Meanwhile, at the Madewini Outpost, the owners of the two buses were making arrangements to remove the mangled vehicles as the Police would have released such into their custody. One of the owners related that they were contracted by a company to transport oil and gas workers. She noted that the bus had picked up the workers at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and was travelling to Georgetown when the accident occurred. The driver of the bus was also a foreign national and declined to comment when approached. This accident comes on the heels of the GPF’s installation of speed limiters for motor lorries, which are intended to
Mechanic at the scene repairing the lorry responsible for the deadly crash
help transportation vehicles, such as motor lorries, which are naturally heavy, travel at a prescribed speed. This is expected to support road safety and improve the current safety conditions surrounding motor lorries, thereby leading to a reduction in accidents and the fear of accidents occurring in those circumstances. Traffic Chief Assistant Commissioner of Police Mahendra Singh had stated that the devices are already in the possession of the GPF. “So, the update for the public now is that the speed limiters are already in the police’s possession, and the next step, the very important one, is the training of our licensed and certified officers. That has to happen by the certified specialists.” “So, the training is
scheduled to commence on Monday for all of our certified officers who have been pre-identified to this unit. After the process of training is completed, we will commence the process of installation of the speed limiters for verification and certification.” He emphasised that ensuring safety on the roadways also requires a change in driver behaviour. “There is a culture that exists already, and to actually have a change in that, the positive or the negative about, a shift in driver behaviour. Absorb the rules of the road, conform to the signs that are here, travel within the speed limits that exist within the country. Generally, operate lawfully.” He further urged motorists to respect speed limits and give priority to vulnerable road users.
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NEWS
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2026| GUYANATIMESGY.COM
GPL ramps up crackdown on electricity theft elling over long distances. The company’s total losses are pegged around 2425 per cent, of which technical losses account for around 13 per cent. During the press conference on
sion lines…they are built to accommodate the smart grid. We’re also purchasing the AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) meters now, which will facilitate [monitoring of pow-
electricity and just turn them off with the press of a button. It’s going to happen.” PM Phillips had stated. The state-owned power company is currently undertaking a US$4.869
August 14, Public Utilities and Aviation Minister Deodat Indar had noted that GPL’s Loss Reduction Department have been intensifying efforts to identify illegal connections and pursue those who steal power. “So, whenever they find people [stealing electricity], they go after them. They have procedures for how they do it. They record it, they calculate the usage, and they conduct back-billing. So, that is an ongoing process,” Indar had explained. When it comes to the technical losses, the planned upgrades to the electricity transmission network will address this. In fact, these works have already commenced with the installation of approximately 320 kilometres (km) of both 230 kilovolt (kV) and 69 kV double-circuit transmission lines as part of its major grid expansion and modernisation project. According to Indar, “All these transmis-
er use].” In fact, during that same press conference earlier this month, Prime Minister (PM) Brigadier (Retired) Mark Phillips, who has responsibility for the country’s energy sector, had said the Government will be relying on the planned upgrades to the national grid to reduce electricity theft across the country. “It’s not going to happen now – it’s part of the whole strategic outlook for GPL. In improving or modernising the whole transmission and distribution system, they’re going to depend heavily on ICT (Information and Communications Technology) and available technology to make the grid smarter. So, we will achieve a smart grid over the next five to 10 years, and we’re going to reach a point, like in many other countries, where they can sit in a control centre and identify who is stealing
billion Development and Expansion Programme 2026-2030 to transform the electricity sector. This strategic plan seeks to, among other things, expand power generation capacity, modernise and reinforce the transmission and distribution (T&D) system and implement smart grid technologies over the next five years. Under Phase Two (2026-2027) of the Development and Expansion Plan, GPL is currently installing 20,000 smart meters and an AMI datacentre. The aim, however, is to eventually provide the entire customer base with smart meters (approximately 285,000) by 2030, replacing the legacy meters. These smart meters and associated communication networks will enable remote meter reading, real-time consumption data, time-of-use pricing to optimise generation costs and quicker detection of theft or outages.
The illegal cables removed by GPL workers during the recent exercise in Lamaha Springs to curb electricity theft
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he Guyana Power and Light (GPL) is continuing its countrywide campaign to curb electricity theft. On Thursday, the power company's Loss Reduction Department conducted an exercise in Lamaha Springs, Georgetown, where they identified and removed several illegal electricity connections from its network. According to GPL, electricity theft not only affects the company but the entire community as well. It noted that illegal connections can overload transformers and feeders, damage network infrastructure, and contribute to equipment failures and power disruptions. They can also lead to electrocution and electrical fires, putting lives and property at risk. Moreover, GPL is reminding the public that electricity theft is a criminal offence, warning that persons found stealing electricity will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. “These loss-reduction exercises will contin-
ue in communities across the country as GPL works to curb electricity theft and protect the safety, reliability, and efficiency of the electricity network,” the power company stat-
ed on Friday. Earlier this month, GPL started to intensify efforts to curb electricity theft with loss-reduction exercises carried out in communities across Regions Four (Demerara-
Mahaica) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne). In fact, a three-day exercise last week at Eccles, Diamond Phase Three and Little Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) as well as sections of Sophia, Greater Georgetown, had resulted in the discovery and disconnection of over 220 illegal connections. The removal of those connections totalled approximately one megawatt (MW). It was previously reported that GPL’s commercial losses, primarily driven by electricity theft and illegal connections, are approximately 12 per cent. GPL’s losses are incurred mainly by two major factors: commercial losses, including electricity theft, and technical losses caused by power trav-
Opposition MP’s husband allegedly...
Additionally, the couple’s motor car in which the weapon was found remains lodged with the Police as investigations continue. MP Singh and her husband were arrested while leaving the Friendship property of United States (US)-sanctioned and indicted Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed in the wee hours of Wednesday. At the time, Mohamed and several other opposition parliamentarians, attached to his We Invest In Nationhood (WIN) party, were being detained
by the Joint Services after a go-fast vessel they were travelling in along the Demerara River had failed to stop at the siren signal issued by the ranks late Tuesday night. After pursuing the high-speed vessel, ranks of the GPF and the Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF) Coast Guard intercepted the vessel at a Friendship wharf, where they found the Opposition Leader and others inside the docked boat while other officials, believed to have also travelled in the vessel, were standing on the
FROM PAGE 8
wharf. The vessel, along with Mohamed and several others, was eventually escorted to the marine wing of the Ruimveldt Police Station. Based on a video from the Team Mohamed’s Facebook page, the boat was towed after failure to produce the necessary documentation to law enforcement. In fact, the Maritime Administration (MARAD) on Wednesday confirmed that based on its records, neither the fast craft nor Mohamed is licensed or otherwise authorised to operate.
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Essequibo Coast youth explore wellness, leadership through “Wellness Within” project
The young people from the Essequibo Coast who participated in the “Wellness Within” project over the weekend (US Embassy Guyana photos)
Y
oung people from four Essequibo communities over the weekend participated in the third iteration of the “Wellness Within” project, a youth-focused initiative aimed at promoting holistic health, personal growth and leadership. The two-day programme, held over the weekend, brought together youths between the ages of 13 and 17 from Tapakuma, Mashabo, Lima Sands and Mainstay, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam). According to the United States (US) Embassy in Guyana, the initiative was funded through
its
Alumni
Engagement
Innovation Fund (AEIF)
and provided participants with an opportunity to discuss mental health, social wellbeing and sexual and reproductive health. The programme also incorporated creative activities, allowing
participants to express themselves through painting, dance and guitar. The US Embassy said the project was organised by Youth Ambassador alumni, with support from facilitators and participants.
The Embassy, in a social media post, thanked the Youth Ambassador alumni for their leadership in organising the project, as well as the facilitators and young people who participated.
Pedestrian killed after 2 lorries collide in Berbice
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47-year-old woman died on Thursday afternoon after she was struck during a collision involving two lorries along the Number 67 Village Public Road, Corentyne, Berbice, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne). Dead is Priya Hunt of Lot 95B, Number 67 Village. The accident occurred at about 16:00h and involved motor lorries GAF 6180 and GAE 8823. Reports are that Hunt had crossed the roadway when the two vehicles became involved in a collision. One of the vehicles, a heavy-duty lorry reportedly transporting sand, is alleged to have collided with the other lorry from behind, causing that vehicle to overturn. During the collision, Hunt was struck and sustained injuries. She was subsequently taken to the Number 75 Public Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival. Eight occupants of motor lorry GAF 6180 were also taken to hospital following the accident. They reportedly sustained minor injuries. The drivers of both vehicles were
Dead: Priya Hunt of Lot 95B, Number 67 Village
taken into Police custody as investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding the fatal accident. This publication spoke with Hunt’s father, Pablo Hunt, at his Number 67 Village home. He was struggling to come to grips with the sudden loss of his daughter. He recalled that Priya had left home earlier in the afternoon to attend
a Hindu religious function. “She left to go to a jhandi workhouse; religious function there. And then, just one, two hours after me hear, one little girl come and tell me,” the elderly man recalled. Pablo subsequently went to see his daughter but said he was only able to see her feet. The grieving father said the loss has left him deeply saddened and worried
about how he will cope without his daughter, particularly at his age. “It’s sad, very sad. You know, stress…It’s very hard for me too,” he said. Pablo said Priya played an important role in the household and would assist him with preparing meals. He recalled helping her with cooking in the mornings, while she would normally prepare food for him later in the day. “She always like to read books and things, religious books especially,” he said as he reflected on his daughter’s life. He also recalled the assistance she provided at home. For the elderly father, Priya’s death has also painfully reversed what he had envisioned for his later years. He had expected that as his children grew older, they would be there to care for him. “Me did say like me children them gon look me, and now me had to look them. And thing come about like this, this girl happened to get in an accident like this,” he lamented. Pablo also expressed concern about the speed at
which some motorists traverse the roadway through Number 67 Village. “The truck man them who mark, you know, all kind of speed on the driveway. They didn’t think who live or who dead or what, but
they got one kind of speed on this road. Every vehicle now got one kind of speed for them,” he said. Police investigations into the accident are continuing.
NEWS
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2026 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
Seawall vendors face removal over permit violations … “Comply with the rules” – Edghill warns the Sea and River Defence Board to immediately remove vendors found to be residing at their vending locations. He said the original agreements require vendors to operate mobile units that are removed after vending hours. “Your paper says you are supposed to move at the end of vending. You are supposed to be on wheels, and when you are finished vending, you are supposed to tow your stuff and go back in,” the Minister said.
Unauthorised construction
The meeting with vendors and Public Works Minister Juan Edghill
P
ublic Works Minister Juan Edghill has issued an ultimatum to vendors operating along the Kingston Seawall, warning that continued breaches of their provisional permits could result in their removal from the area. Edghill convened an urgent meeting with vendors along the corridor, accompanied by Head of the Sea and River Defence Board Kevin Samad and technical staff from the Public Works Ministry. The meeting addressed several violations, including unau-
thorised subletting, vendors living inside their stalls, illegal electrical connections, excessive noise, unauthorised structural extensions and poor sanitation and maintenance. Edghill reminded vendors that their provisional approvals were granted subject to specific conditions, including restrictions on where they could operate. He also reiterated that “no vending” and “no noise” zones remain in effect along sections of the Kingston Seawall. According to the Minister,
vending is not permitted from the Kitty Roundabout east to Sheriff Street or west to the 1823 Monument. “I am urging you again to comply with the rules because we will have to come and move everybody,” Edghill warned. He said vendors who are removed for breaching the rules should not expect to return to the area. A major concern raised during the meeting was the conversion of mobile vending carts into permanent structures and living quarters. Edghill instructed
He also pointed to the construction of concrete foundations and unauthorised extensions as further breaches of the arrangements. Edghill warned that the Government would not entertain future claims for compensation from persons who illegally occupy the seawall reserve. “We have been lenient, but once development starts to take place, the cries of ‘I was living here and I have to get compensation’ will start,” he said. Sanitation was also highlighted as a concern, with the Minister criticising the condition of sections of the corridor despite the placement of nearly 40 garbage receptacles along the sea-
wall. He encouraged vendors to establish a committee to oversee cleanliness and maintenance, warning that continued failure to maintain the area could lead to permits being revoked. Ministry patrol teams will continue monitoring the corridor for compliance. The Ministry also stressed that maintaining the Kingston Seawall is important beyond its recreational and tourism use, as the structure forms part of the city’s coastal defence
system. It said unauthorised concrete construction, improper disposal of waste and illegal utility connections could affect the integrity and drainage capacity of the seawall. Meanwhile, Edghill announced that infrastructure works to widen the road along the seawall are expected to begin shortly. Vendors have therefore been instructed to immediately correct their boundaries and adjust their operations to avoid obstructing the planned works.
2022 fiery death of Berbice woman
Husband freed of murder, manslaughter charges
D
ipnarine Seelall, also known as “Narei”, was on Friday freed of the charge of killing his wife, Tavita Natasha Lall, after a jury at the Berbice High Court returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty. The jury also unanimously found Seelall not guilty of the lesser offence of manslaughter, bringing an end to the trial before Justice Gino Persaud. State Counsel Merissa Edwards prosecuted the case, while Attorney-at-Law Vinay Punwa represented Seelall. Lall, a 42-year-old mother of four and cleaner attached to the Tagore Memorial Secondary School, sustained severe burns during an incident at the couple’s Number 64 Village, Corentyne, home on January 7, 2022. She subsequently died while receiving treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). Before the jury retired on Friday, both the prosecution and defence made their closing addresses, presenting sharply different accounts of how Lall came to be burnt. Punwa reminded the jury that only two persons were present when the incident
Dead: Tavita Natasha Lall
occurred, Lall and the accused. The defence questioned the prosecution’s case that Seelall pushed his wife into a kerosene stove, pointing to evidence concerning the position of the stove when Police subsequently arrived. “The prosecution wants you to believe that he pushed her into the stove. The stove did not move. How does that make sense?” the Defence Attorney asked the jury. Punwa also relied on evidence which emerged during the trial concerning Lall’s previous suicide attempts. He pointed to testimony that she had said that whenever she had problems, she would kill herself, and that there had
been two previous attempts to take her own life. The defence also referred to a statement Lall had given to Police in which she reportedly related that her husband told her, “If you want to burn yourself, dead.” Punwa further drew the jury’s attention to evidence that while Lall was being transported by ambulance, she asked her mother to forgive her. “They are trying to pin the blame on this innocent man,” the Defence Attorney told the jury. Not to speculate Edwards, however, urged the jury not to speculate about why Lall asked her mother for forgiveness. The prosecutor acknowledged the evidence from Lall’s mother concerning previous suicide attempts when her daughter experienced problems with her husband, but directed the jury’s attention to what Lall reportedly told several persons following the January 2022 incident. According to the prosecution, Lall told persons she interacted with after being burnt that it was her husband who pushed her into the stove. Edwards reminded the jury that Lall’s son, daughter-in-law and a
Dead: Dipnarine Seelall, also known as “Narei”,
doctor had given evidence that she told them Seelall had pushed her. The prosecutor also drew attention to Seelall’s interviews with Police. During an earlier video-recorded interview, the accused reportedly told investigators that he had pushed Lall. Edwards replayed part of that recording for the jury, including the portion in which Seelall was heard stating
that he pushed her. At the time that interview was conducted, Lall was still alive. However, the prosecution said that during a subsequent interview, after Seelall had been imprisoned and was facing a murder charge following his wife’s death, he gave a different account. In that version, Seelall reportedly told investigators that Lall had thrown kerosene on herself and set herself alight. Edwards argued that Seelall had been coached by prisoners and subsequently changed his account. She also referred to evidence concerning the scene. Seelall had reportedly told investigators that the stove was in the hall, while a Police witness testified about observing burn marks on the floor and wall in that area. “I will fight for my life” The prosecutor further reminded jurors of Lall’s reported declaration after suffering the burns, “I will fight for my life.” “Is that someone who wants to commit suicide?” Edwards asked the jury. Justice Persaud, in summing up the case, reminded jurors that Seelall had exercised his right to give an unsworn statement and that
his decision not to enter the witness box and give sworn evidence could not be held against him. The judge reviewed the evidence presented during the trial, which included testimony from 16 witnesses, two caution statements, two video-recorded interviews and the post-mortem report. Justice Persaud also addressed the issue of suicide, cautioning jurors that they were not to speculate on the matter and explaining the evidence they were entitled to consider in arriving at their verdict. He also directed the jury on the alternative verdict of manslaughter. The judge explained that if they were not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the prosecution had established the intent necessary for murder, they were required to consider whether the evidence supported the lesser offence. After considering the case, the jury returned unanimous not-guilty verdicts on both murder and manslaughter, clearing Seelall of criminal responsibility for his wife’s death. Speaking after he was freed, Seelall said he now intends to return to working at sea as a fisherman.
16 NEWS
SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2026| GUYANATIMESGY.COM
GPF supports students with school supplies ahead of new school term
Students receiving their book bags
Centre. The participants were further exposed to areas relating to the welfare and professional development of Police ranks, providing them with a broader understanding of the force’s operations and the importance of supporting those who serve. Delivering remarks, Director of the GPF Academy, Senior Superintendent Sonia Herbert, encouraged the students to embrace every opportunity and use their ex-
leaders. She highlighted the importance of diversity, determination and commitment in building a better Guyana and challenged the students to move forward confidently, carry their dreams boldly and work diligently towards their goals. The ceremony also featured contributions from several students. Delia Isaacs of Charlestown Secondary School and Halene Frank of Tucville Secondary School
Cardel Adonis of GITC delivered the welcome address, while prayers were offered by Jaden Hameed
periences as a foundation for their future. “Every experience can
reflected on their experiences and the skills they gained during the programme.
and Sakinah Dowridge of Richard Ishmael Secondary School and Hemraj Eshwar of Houston Secondary School. Throughout the programme, participants gained valuable hands-on experience in several departments and branches of the force. They were exposed to administration, records management, technical operations, transportation and workshop activities, welding and computer skills. Several students also received training at the Zara Computer
help to shape the person you become. Never be afraid to dream big. Strive to outdo yourself,” she said, while urging the students to be punctual, respectful and disciplined. She also encouraged the students to remain kind and respectful towards their peers and elders and to have faith in the journey ahead. Superintendent Jewel Sullivan, Second-in-Charge of administration, described the programme as an investment in Guyana’s future
The programme underscores the GPF’s commitment to supporting youth development and reinforces the belief that, when provided with meaningful opportunities, young people can develop the skills, confidence and discipline needed to become productive citizens and future leaders. Lekisha July of South Ruimveldt Secondary School delivered the vote of thanks, while the ceremony was moderated by Queen’s College student Naiomi Griffith.
Students posing with certificates after work-study completion
T
he Guyana Police Force (GPF) has stepped up its efforts to support children, families, and young people ahead of the new school term, with Police divisions and community partners distributing backpacks and school supplies while 47 students recently completed the force’s work-study programme. On Friday, Regional Police Division No. 2 distributed backpacks and school supplies to children across the division as part of its back-to-school initiative. The activity was led by Regional Police
Divisional Commander Senior Superintendent Khemraj Shivbaran, Assistant Superintendent N. Lall, Sergeants from the Anna Regina and Aurora Police Stations and the
Onderneeming Sand Pit Police Outpost; as well as members of the Divisional Community Relations Department (CRD). Children from Onderneeming, Good Hope, Bush Lot, Queenstown, Anna Regina, Sparta, Lima and Henrietta were among the recipients. Youths from the Division’s Youth Groups also benefited from the initiative. The backpacks contained books, pencils, erasers and other school supplies intended to assist the children as they prepare for the new school term.
Meanwhile, a separate Back-to-School Drive was conducted by Assistant Superintendent T WilliamsSingh, assisted by Inspectors O Hicks, Devira and A Forde of the Brickdam Police
Station, on Thursday. The initiative catered to ranks posted to the Traffic, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and General Duty sections, as well as ranks working at various Police stations and outposts within Police Regional Division No. 1. During the initiative, backpacks and other school supplies were distributed to subordinates responsible for various stations and outposts, who will in turn distribute the items to children of ranks under their command. According to the GPF, the initiative is geared towards helping the children of ranks prepare for the new school term and ensuring that they have the necessary supplies for the upcoming academic year. The GPF said it will continue to support its ranks and facilitate initiatives aimed at assisting their families. A back-to-school initiative organised by ranks of the Traffic Department of Regional Police Division No. 2, in partnership with the Anna Regina Road Safety Council (ARRSC), was also successfully held on Tuesday. The initiative saw backpacks being distributed to children from communities around Devonshire Castle Old Road and Lima Scheme, as well as children attending Hampton Court Primary School.
Work-study programme
Meanwhile, 47 students from 16 schools across Guyana and the Guyana Industrial Training Centre (GITC) have successfully completed the GPF’s workstudy programme. The programme, conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, commenced on Monday, June 22, 2026, and concluded on Friday, August 28, 2026, with a graduation ceremo-
ny celebrating the students’ achievements.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2026
guyanatimesgy.com
17
Regional
US secures 65 billion-barrel ICE deports Venezuelan father from Texas to West Africa oil deal with Venezuela
P
resident Donald Trump said Friday night the United States has reached an oil agreement with Venezuela, a move he said will “more than double” American oil reserves, increase oil supply, and lower gas prices. “At my direction, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, working closely with the highly respected interim president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, and through a partnership with private business, have secured majority US control
of more than 65 BILLION BARRELS of proven oil reserves in Venezuela, at no cost to the American taxpayer,” Trump wrote on social media. “This historic transaction MORE THAN DOUBLES American oil reserves, greatly increases our oil supply, and will substantially lower gas prices for all Americans, long into the future, while helping to continue to set Venezuela on a course toward tremendous success and great prosperity,” Trump continued. A White House official told CNN the negotiated
deal will grant the United States “55% effective output of a new private joint venture that will be the second-largest private oil company by reserves in the world”. With US support, the official said, Rodriguez granted a private company 100year concessions for the oil fields. The official added the private company is a joint project of the US Government and a private operator in Venezuela. Rubio called the deal a “huge win for both the American and Venezuelan people”. (Excerpt from CNN)
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3 5 - y e a r - o l d Venezuelan man who lived in Texas for years is now nearly 6000 miles from his wife and five-month-old American son after US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported him to West Africa. Carlos Tellez Sanchez said he had never heard of Liberia until last week, when he found out he was being deported to the country that sits between Sierra Leone and Côte d’Ivoire just hours before his flight took off. He said he spent the 15-hour flight across the Atlantic in handcuffs and is now
stranded in a remote area of the West African nation. Tellez Sanchez said he now spends much of his time inside a hotel more than an hour away from Liberia’s capital, where he was placed alongside deportees from Brazil, Colombia, Honduras, and other countries. President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration has intensified this summer, with ICE making a record number of arrests. Increasingly, some detainees are being sent to countries that are not their own and banished to far-flung places. The Venezuelan native
had been in the US since 2021 after fleeing his home country. He worked at a car dealership in Dallas during the day and drove for Uber Eats at night to support his family. CBS News could not find any criminal charges or convictions for Tellez-Sanchez beyond civil immigration violations. In December 2025, Tellez Sanchez was detained by ICE during what he expected would be a routine immigration appointment. He spent eight months in ICE detention centres before his deportation to Africa. (Excerpt from CBS News)
Ecuador finds ex-President Moreno guilty in hydro-plant bribery case St Lucian brothers die in separate road accidents 1 week apart A n Ecuadorean court found former President Lenin Moreno guilty on Friday in a bribery case tied to the construction of the Andean country’s largest hydroelectric plant, the public prosecutor’s office s aid. The Attorney General’s office launched the investigation in March 2023, linking Moreno, family members and local and Chinese business partners, including Ecuador’s former Chinese ambassador to Quito, to an alleged corruption network tied to the construction of the Coca Codo Sinclair plant, which began operating in 2016 and has experienced technical problems since. “Lenin Moreno’s conduct is consistent with the
Former Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno
charges brought by the prosecution: the crime of bribery attributed to a public official,” Judge Manuel Cabrera, head of the tribunal, said while delivering
the ruling. His wife and daughter were also found guilty. Prosecutors had requested sentences of more than six years for Moreno and 19 other defendants. According to the Attorney General’s office, Sinohydro paid approximately $76.1 million in bribes between 2009 and 2018 through fraudulent consulting contracts. Investigators alleged the funds were routed via overseas bank accounts and shell companies in tax havens to Moreno’s family and business associates. The prosecution said Moreno and his close relatives received more than $1 million while he served as Vice President from 2007 to 2013. (Excerpt from Reuters)
American-born children among Haitians deported from US
S
everal children, including a one-yearold child born in the United States, were among the latest batch of Haitians deported from the United States on Thursday to the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country. Haitian authorities confirmed that the child arrived there on the ICE Air Global X charter flight A6196, carrying 57 Haitians, including several other children born in the United States when the second flight in a week landed in Cap-Haitien. Deportation flights to Haiti had been occurring on average once a month, but the Trump Administration has ramped up its programme following the US Supreme Court’s decision authorising the Government to end Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS). More than 300,000 Haitians were enrolled in this humanitarian programme, which allowed them to live and work legally in the United
Haitians deported from the United States deplane at the international airport in Cap-Haitien
States due to the situation in their country. Of Haiti’s nearly 12 million inhabitants, more than half are in need of humanitarian assistance due to escalating gang violence and worsening poverty. Furthermore, nearly 1.5 million people have been displaced by gangs, as many as during the 2010 earthquake, which prompted the Obama administration to grant the TPS. Earlier this week, the United Nations Integrated
Office in Haiti, known by its French acronym, BINUH, said at least 1408 persons were killed and 656 injured from April through June this year. It said this was about 14 per cent fewer casualties than during the first three months of the year, a modest decline masking starkly different realities across the country. By May, nearly 1.47 million were internally displaced across Haiti, more than half of them children. (Excerpt from T&T Guardian)
L-R) 28-year-old Meshack Frederick, 27-year-old Dane Frederick
A
family is mourning after two brothers died in separate road accidents exactly one week apart. Police have identified the latest victim as 28-year-old Meshack Frederick from La Resource, Vieux Fort. Frederick died following a collision in Cedar Heights, Vieux Fort, during the early hours of Friday morning, one week after his 27-year-old brother, Dane Frederick, died following a collision along the Micoud Highway. The Saint Lucia Fire Service reported that emergency crews responded around 01:55h to a car crash involving three people, including Meshack, at Cedar Heights.
St Lucia Times learned that the vehicle went off the road and crashed into a wall at a home. When emergency staff arrived, they found the car on its side with Meshack trapped underneath. Two other men, who said they were also in the car, were found by the roadside. Firefighters pulled Meshack out from under the car. He was unresponsive and showed no signs of life. Rescuers tried to save him before taking him to the hospital for further treatment. Police later confirmed that he was pronounced dead at the hospital. Around 01:30h on Friday,
August 21, officers from the Micoud Police Station responded to a collision involving a motor scooter and a backhoe on the Micoud Highway at Malgretoute. Police said their initial investigation showed the scooter was heading south when it left the road and hit a parked backhoe. Dane, who was riding the scooter, and his 22-year-old passenger were taken to St Jude Hospital with injuries. The 27-year-old later died from his injuries, while his passenger was reported to be in stable condition. Police are investigating the circumstances of both crashes. (St Lucia Times)
hour (mph). The system still had maximum sustained winds near 40mph, although those winds are expected to fall below tropical-storm strength on Saturday. On its current track, the remnants are expected to approach the Leeward Islands Saturday night into Sunday. Heavy rainfall could affect the islands during that period, with the NHC warning that the rain may pro-
duce flash flooding, particularly in areas of higher terrain. The rainfall is then expected to spread toward the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Hispaniola on Sunday and Monday. There are currently no coastal watches or warnings in effect, but residents across the Leeward Islands are being urged to continue monitoring the system. (Antigua Newsroom)
Dolly no longer tropical storm; heavy rain could still hit Leeward Islands
T
ropical Storm Dolly has lost its tropical cyclone structure and degenerated into an open tropical wave, but forecasters warn its remnants could still bring heavy rainfall and flash flooding to parts of the Leeward Islands this weekend. The National Hurricane Center said at 11:00h on Friday that Dolly’s remnants were about 1000 miles east of the Leeward Islands, moving west at 25 miles per
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2026
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Around the World
Satellite images reveal scale of OILNEWS OIL NEWS flood devastation in Nepal villages Oil settles lower on clues about Fed policy, rumours of a Hormuz deal
O
il prices settled lower on Friday, also down for the week as traders evaluated hints about the US Federal Reserve Bank’s inflation-fighting policy and rumours of a possible agreement on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude futures settled at US$89.31 a barrel, down 39 cents, or 0.43 per cent. West Texas Intermediate crude futures finished at US$83.40 a barrel, down 13 cents, or 0.16 per cent. For the week Brent settled down by more than five per cent and WTI by more than 4 per cent. Following comments by new Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh pointing to a possible rate hike later this year to curb inflation, oil prices descended further, said Phil Flynn, senior analyst at the Price Futures Group. ”The (global) product markets are looking strong on further Ukraine strikes on Russian refineries,” Flynn said. ”But there is a lot of rumbling, rumours we might see a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend.” The US-Israeli war with Iran completed its sixth month on Friday. Traders were watching as flows of oil through the strait made a choppy recovery, through which 20 per cent of global oil production flowed before the war started. (Excerpt from Reuters)
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ew satellite imagery has revealed the scale of the devastation along Nepal’s Trishuli River caused by Wednesday’s deadly flash flood, triggered by a glacier collapse. Before-and-after images show how sections of the valley, where a torrent of floodwater and debris surged through, destroyed villages, bridges and hydroelectric power stations. More than 550 persons have been killed, Nepalese officials say, with hundreds more missing. Among the worst-hit locations reviewed by BBC Verify was a key NepalTibet border crossing, which was engulfed by a rush of floodwater and captured on camera. The satellite imagery from US-based intelligen-
Satellite imagery of the border crossing before and after the flood
ce firm Vantor shows the site has been almost entirely washed away. Shocking CCTV footage showed the moment as the deluge of water swept over buildings as people tried to escape. Damage and mud can be
seen more than 2.5 kilometres (km) upstream, reaching 100 metres (m) above the area it first hit. A few miles further south is the village of Timure, which has now largely disappeared.
The walls of the valley at this point are steep, reaching up to 50m above the water line. The image shows most of the houses perched on this slope are now gone or covered in mud. (Excerpt from BBC News)
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy plans to hit Egyptian Queen’s 673-diamond necklace Russia with “1000 drones” daily stolen in Vienna smash-and-grab raid
The 200-carat platinum and diamond-encrusted necklace (Photograph: Stéphane de Sakutin/AFP/Getty)
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ustrian Police are hunting two men alleged to have stolen a 200-carat platinum necklace encrusted with 673 diamonds that was on loan to a museum in Vienna and once belonged to Egyptian royalty. Authorities in the capital released pictures of the suspects captured by security cameras during the heist at the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK), amid a rash of spectacular smash-and-grab thefts from European cultural institutions. The unmasked men bought tickets to the exhibition before shattering a glass display case with a hammer during opening hours on Thursday afternoon and making off with the diamond necklace. In an appeal for information from the public, Police said: “The perpetrators fled with the jewellery in an unknown direction.”
Officers fanned out through the city centre and deployed a Police tracking dog to search for the suspects. The Kronen newspaper said investigators believed the men were probably carrying out a “contract job” on behalf of a criminal gang. MAK said the piece had been snatched from a jewellery exhibition that had been on display since June, featuring more than 300 works by the French designers Van Cleef & Arpels. No one was hurt, although there were several witnesses in the room at the time. Documentation for the show said the necklace once belonged to Queen Consort Nazli of Egypt, who wore it at the 1939 wedding of her daughter Fawzia to Iran’s then crown prince, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who later became Shah. The necklace was sold by Sotheby’s in New York in 2015 for $4.3m. (Excerpt from The Guardian)
U
krainian President V o l o d y m y r Zelenskyy has called on his military to increase its long-range drone strikes against Russia as Moscow continues to carry out deadly attacks across Ukraine. In his evening address on Friday, Zelenskyy said he plans for the army to launch at least “1000 drones” against Russia daily, a more than threefold jump from the current estimate of
300. “There needs to be more,” the President said. “There is a concrete goal, and we will fulfil this task.” In a Telegram post, Zelenskyy also addressed reports that the US’s spy chief, John Ratcliffe, had visited Moscow for meetings. Zelenskyy said Kyiv “received information from the American side about the meetings in Moscow that took place these days”, but
did not elaborate further. “There were a number of meetings there,” he added, thanking the US “for the information and for the necessary tone of the conversation with Russia”. The Kremlin confirmed Ratcliffe met Russian intelligence officials in Moscow but said there were “no meetings of any kind with the Russian President”. The CIA director’s visit to Moscow marked a rare
high-level direct intelligence engagement amid stalled peace negotiations. Ongoing Russian attacks have killed several people and wounded dozens across Ukraine over the past day. Meanwhile in Russia, Ukraine’s army struck an oil refinery in the Yaroslavl region, located about 1000 kilometres from the front line. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)
Iran lashes out 2 airport workers die of at US sanctions malaria from mosquitoes plane in Germany; amid economic on 4 others sickened toll at home
I
ran condemned the United States’ new economic sanctions on Friday as ”state terrorism” while its supreme leader said he was banning acts that could harm ”social cohesion” amid concern that more financial pain could spark unrest at home. With the war now at the six-month mark and negotiations at an impasse, President Donald Trump’s Administration has stepped up efforts to punish Iran financially with what it has billed as an ”economic D-Day”. The sanctions drive compounds the toll of the war on Iran’s economy, where annual inflation hit 66 per cent last month. Meanwhile, the standoff over the Strait of Hormuz – which handled a fifth of world oil supplies before the war – remains the conflict’s biggest unresolved flashpoint. Washington has warn-
ed countries to cut their business ties with Iran or face secondary sanctions, though the Treasury Department stopped short of actually imposing penalties. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday that all countries were obligated under international law to refrain from implementing US sanctions against Tehran. It branded the new US measures a ”crime against humanity” that put the health and livelihood of millions of civilians at serious risk. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who was injured and has not been seen publicly since the February 28 attack that killed his father, said in a written statement on Friday that he had banned officials from ”committing anything that harms social cohesion”. (Excerpt from Reuters)
T
wo workers at Germany’s Frankfurt airport who caught malaria from a mosquito thought to have arrived on a plane have died, the city’s health authority said this week. Airport officials had earlier said one employee had perished, with six workers infected. The Robert Koch Institute said an imported Anopheles mosquito carried over by an aircraft was the likely cause. The other four infected employees were hospitalised and receiving treatment, said an airport spokesman. Traps have been installed at the airport, and mosquitoes captured will be analysed in a laboratory to determine their species and origin, BBC News reported. ”We have provided comprehensive information to all employees and encourage them to consult a doctor if
they experience any symptoms,” an airport spokesperson told the BBC. According to the RKI, Germany’s last outbreak of airport-based malaria was in 2023. The rarity of the condition means diagnosis can be delayed, increasing the chances of severe symptoms. The institute said malaria in Germany almost exclusively affects longhaul travellers who were infected in malaria-endemic areas and that malaria transmitted within a German airport is rare, the BBC reported. Officials said laboratory tests to determine the source of the infections were not expected to be available for several weeks. Caused by parasites spread via Anopheles mosquitoes, malaria can cause symptoms including nausea, headache and intense waves of fever and chills. (Excerpt from CBS News)
guyanatimesgy.com
SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2026
ARCHIE
19
DAILY HOROSCOPES
(March 21-April 19)
Keep the momentum flowing, and engage in activities that allow you to show off what you do best. Opportunity knocks, and it’s up to you to take charge and make things happen. Refuse to let anyone rain on your parade or take over. Stability comes from doing the right thing at the right time and meeting your expectations. Shed some light on what’s important to you. If you don’t express how you feel, no one will know how to help. Talk, kind gestures and being part of the solution will give you leverage and a platform to vouch for what you believe in and want. Be the one to get the ball rolling, and you’ll gain momentum.
PICKLES
(April 20-May 20)
(May 21-June 20)
Do your own thing. If you let others interfere, that’s on you. If you pursue what makes you happy, the outcome will bring you joy. Follow your heart, use your creativity to map out your path and enjoy the lessons you learn and the possibilities that develop. Put your energy where it can bring you the most in return.
(June 21-July 22)
Review what’s happening in real time, and revise what you can and will do about it. Use intelligence, not emotions, to ensure you aren’t your own worst enemy. The best results will come from what you do to make self-improvements instead of trying to change others. Stick close to home to give yourself a chance to reflect.
PEANUTS
(July 23-Aug. 22)
CALVIN AND HOBBES
(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)
SUDOKU
SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE
(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)
Opportunity knocks. Invest in your talent, skills and ability to use what you know and can do to get ahead. Personal gains are apparent if you fix up your surroundings and make changes that add to your comfort and convenience. Love and romance are on the rise, along with self-help and personal growth.
Watch the changes others make and learn from their mistakes. It’s in your best interest to pay attention to detail and to take advantage of what fulfills your needs. Take care of your health and well-being as well as your investments. Don’t follow the trends when you should be setting your own goals. When in doubt, wait. Welcome any change that comes your way. Whether it’s your environment, travel, educational pursuits or discussions that will help you put your life in perspective and your plans in motion, it will encourage you to follow your heart and to satisfy your soul. The decisions you make will ground you and point you in the right direction. Mix business with pleasure, and opportunities will manifest. Leave nothing to chance. Map out your route, and time every move. Solicit those who can help you, and give back to those who will benefit you in the future. Times are changing, and preparation is essential to ensure the highest return for the time and effort you put in.
(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)
Consider what you have before you let it go. Choose intelligence over desire, and inch your way forward in a benevolent manner. Change may be desired, but consider what’s most beneficial longterm before you make a move. Test the water before you jump in. Love who you are, recognize what you have and proceed with compassion.
(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
A dash of this and that will give your life more flavor. Protect your physical well-being from temptations that lead to limitation. Concentrate on gains, not losses, and take the path that encourages stability, not chaos. Use your reserve to your benefit, and invest in yourself and your future. Change only what’s necessary, set boundaries and invest wisely.
(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)
(Feb. 20-March 20)
Don’t search for the obvious. The more obscure, the higher the return. Trust in your creative imagination to outline the possibilities and help you follow the trends and spice them up to meet your dreams. Inch your way forward, own the platform and show everyone what you can do. Focus on self-awareness, personal growth and a brighter future. Work diligently toward your goal. Don’t reveal your plans until you are confident that you’re on the road to victory. A premature change will set you back, but a well-thought-out plan will help you excel beyond your expectations. Time is on your side, and by developing your skills, you’ll reduce your vulnerability. Play to win.
20
SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2026
Trumpelmann, Frylinck set up Namibia’s win against South Africa dle stump with a yorker. Subrayen’s analysis read: 4-0-32-3. Namibia went from 116 for one to 133 for five, and lost four wickets for 17 runs in 22 balls, which included a sequence of 10 dots.
Namibia’s young ‘uns ask South Africa tough questions
Jack Brassell provided the early breakthrough
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amibia have kept their unbeaten record against South Africa (albeit limited to two T20Is) intact, open-ing their home tri-series with a win over their much-vaunted neighbours. South Africa were not fielding a firstchoice side, but Namibia won’t care which XI players had the Protea on the badge as they de-fended 163 in a thrilling first match of the seven-game series. The advantage ebbed and flowed in front of a festive Friday afternoon crowd in Windhoek, where Namibia were put in to bat and were off to a bright start. Jan Frylinck and Louren Steenkamp put on 57 in the powerplay and 84 for the first wicket inside 10 overs to lay an impressive platform. When Steenkamp was bowled by South Africa’s standin Captain Bjorn Fortuin, Namibia unravelled. They lost nine wickets for 79 runs in the second half of their innings and may have wondered if they left some runs out there. All South Africa’s bowlers were among the wickets, apart from Lutho Sipamla. He had to abandon his participation in the match midway through his second over after hurting his left hamstring and will be assessed by their medical team. Jordan Hermann, who completed Sipamla’s over, also didn’t pick up any wickets, but the spin trio of Prenelan Subrayen, Fortuin and Dewald Brevis shared six wickets between them for 81 runs. Ruben Trumpelmann and JJ Smit left those figures in the dust as they collectively claimed six for 55 between them, but the pressure started when young Jack Brassell and Max Heingo made important
breakthroughs as Gerhard Erasmus managed his attack well. There was only one batter in South Africa’s top six who gave a good account of themselves. Brevis’ 75 off 50 kept South Africa in it, but the only support came from debutant Duan Jansen, who
his eye on the ball, but a teammate in his peripheral vision blindsided him, and the ball bobbled out of his grasp. Frylinck did not need a second invitation. He reached his fifty with a straight six off Dewald Brevis and topped up with one more before he was
Erasmus bowled the opening over, as he often does, and tasked his senior seamer Trumpelmann with the second but then handed over to the next generation to see what they could do against some of the opposition’s best. Jack Brassell, who is 21, took over from Erasmus and immediately impressed with his pace and aggression. Two of his first three balls were short, and he was rewarded when Jordan Hermann tried to hit him over extra cover but was caught by Trumpelmann to give Namibia an early break-
Ruben Trumpelmann picked up three wickets
but with the required run rate over 10 runs an over, he had to get going. And he did it in signature style. Brevis brought out the nolook six to begin an assault on Namibia’s leading T20I wicket-taker Bernard Scholtz, whose second over cost 18 runs. After Brevis lost the original ball somewhere in Friday afternoon traffic, he sent the replacement over deep mid-wicket for six and then tonked Scholtz straight down the ground for four. The required scoring rate was brought below 10. Brevis didn’t have it all his way, as Rubin Hermann and Connor Esterhuizen both went cheaply, but when he sensed an opportunity to take a bowler down, he did. Heingo was next in the firing line as he missed his yorker and was smashed for back-to-back sixes, the first of which brought up Brevis’ 50 off 39 balls. JJ Smit was next as Brevis
aaa
caught at deep mid-wicket for 60.
South Africa strike back
Frylinck’s dismissal opened the door for South Africa, and their spinners burst through it. Prenelan Subrayen took over from Brevis, tossed one up and invited Jan-Nicol LoftieEaton to slog-sweep. The big-hitter obliged in intent but made no contact and was caught behind. In the next over, Fortuin had the better of his opposite number when Gerhard Erasmus swept him straight to deep backward square. Fortuin finished with two for 17 in his four overs. Subrayen then returned for his final over and started with a double strike. He beat Zane Green on the reverse sweep to get him out lbw and then took out JJ Smit’s mid-
Namibia come up Trumps
Just as he thought he was getting them close enough, Brevis grew frustrated in a Trumpelmann over where only four runs were scored off the first five balls. The last delivery was a full toss, and Brevis tried to drag it leg-side but outside-edged it to short third. Brassell was stationed in exactly the right spot and timed his jump well to end Brevis’ innings and South Africa’s hopes. They needed 31 runs off the last two overs, and 28 off the last one after Erasmus bowled a strangling penultimate over that cost three runs and dismissed Fortuin. That left Smit with plenty to defend, and he did so in style, with two wickets in two balls to end the game. (ESPNcricinfo)
SCOREBOARD
Namibia South Africa (20 ovs maximum) (T: 164 runs from 20 ovs) Louren Steenkamp b Fortuin 41 Lhuan-dre Pretorius c Busing-
Dewald Brevis waged a lone battle with a 50-ball 75
scored 25*. South Africa will play Zimbabwe on Saturday as they look to put their first points on the board. Frylinck gets a second chance and grabs it with both hands Namibia opted for experience at the top with Frylinck and Louren Steenkamp, and they took the fight to their neighbours early on. Frylinck hit back-to-back boundaries off the last two balls of Duan Jan-sen’s opening over and one off the next ball he faced from Nqobani Mokoena to get the home side go-ing. But his fun should have ended there, on 13. In the third over, the bat turned in his hand as he tried to hit Jansen over extra cover but did not get enough distance on it. Jordan Hermann had
sent him onto the grass banks and single-handedly dragged South Africa closer.
through. Trumpelmann had Lhuan-dre Pretorius caught on the pull, and Brassell kept pressure on with a second over that cost just six runs. He had one for nine in his first two overs. South Africa ended the power-play on 34 for two, and as soon as it ended, Erasmus called on 18-yearold Max Heingo. He was accu-rate from the get-go, and when Tony de Zorzi tried to heave him across the line, he was bowled to leave South Africa 39 for three. Heingo’s figures after his first two overs were one for eight.
Brevis keeps South Africa breathing
Brevis was kept relatively quiet on 19 off 20 balls at the start of the 10th over,
Jan Frylinck c Mokoena b Brevis 60 Gerhard Erasmus (c) c Mokoena b Fortuin 19 Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton c †Esterhuizen b Subrayen 4 Zane Green †lbw b Subrayen 5 Alexander Busing-Volschenk not out 13 JJ Smit b Subrayen 0 Ruben Trumpelmann lbw b Jansen 12 Bernard Scholtz b Jansen 0 Jack Brassell c Fortuin b Mokoena 2 Extras (lb 2, w 5) 7 Total 20 Ov (RR: 8.15) 163/9 Fall of wickets: 1-84 (Louren Steenkamp, 9.4 ov), 2-116 (Jan Frylinck, 12.6 ov), 3-123 (Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, 14.1 ov), 4-133 (Gerhard Erasmus, 15.2 ov), 5-133 (Zane Green, 16.1 ov), 6-133 (JJ Smit, 16.3 ov), 7-157 (Ruben Trumpelmann, 18.3 ov), 8-157 (Bernard Scholtz, 18.4 ov), 9-163 (Jack Brassell, 19.6 ov) Bowling O-M-R-W Duan Jansen 4-0-32-2 Nqobani Mokoena 4-0-39-1 Prenelan Subrayen 4-0-32-3 Lutho Sipamla 13-0-16-0 Bjorn Fortuin 4-1-17-2 Jordan Hermann 0.3-0-3-0 Dewald Brevis 2-0-22-1
Volschenk b Trumpelmann 9 Jordan Hermann c Trumpelmann b Brassell 7 Dewald Brevis c Brassell bTrumpelmann 75 Tony de Zorzi b Heingo 9 Rubin Hermann b Trumpelmann 12 Connor Esterhuizen †c Frylinck b Smit 4 Duan Jansen not out 25 Bjorn Fortuin (c) b Erasmus 0 Nqobani Mokoena c Trumpelmann b Smit 0 Prenelan Subrayen c sub (JC Balt) b Smit 0 Extras (lb 2, w 2) 4 Total 20 Ov (RR: 7.25) 145/9 Fall of wickets: 1-15 (Jordan Hermann, 2.3 ov), 2-19 (Lhuan-dre Pretorius, 3.3 ov), 3-39 (Tony de Zorzi, 6.6 ov), 4-78 (Rubin Hermann, 11.2 ov), 5-86 (Connor Esterhuizen, 13.2 ov), 6-133 (Dewald Brevis, 17.6 ov), 7-136 (Bjorn Fortuin, 18.4 ov), 8-145 (Nqobani Mokoena, 19.5 ov), 9-145 (Prenelan Subrayen, 19.6 ov) Bowling O-M-R-W Gerhard Erasmus 2-0-7-1 Ruben Trumpelmann 4-0-24-3 Jack Brassell 4-0-29-1 JJ Smit 4-0-31-3 Max Heingo 4-0-27-1 Bernard Scholtz 2-0-25-0
SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2026
GUYANATIMESGY.COM
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CWI prepares young CWIMA targets youth women for demands of development with 80 cricket international cricket bags for schools, academies
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he Cricket West Indies Masters A s s o c i a t i o n (CWIMA) will distribute 80 cricket bags to secondary schools and cricket academies across Guyana as part of a youth development initiative ahead of the 2026 International Masters Cricket (IMC) Over-40s World Cup. CWIMA President Raj Singh said the programme is intended to help bring cricket back into schools while providing young, aspiring players with equipment and guidance to support their development. West Indies Over-40 players will participate in the distribution exercise and interact with students. They are also expected to conduct coaching clinics, giving the youngsters an opportunity to learn directly from experienced cricketers. Each bag will contain two cricket bats, two pairs of batting pads, two pairs of batting gloves, one pair of wicketkeeper pads, one pair of wicketkeeper gloves, one gear bag and a box of six cricket balls. Singh said individuals and businesses can sponsor a cricket bag for US$400, describing the programme as an oppor-
Cricket West Indies (CWI) has expanded its development programme for 22 emerging female cricketers
C tunity to make a direct and meaningful contribution to communities across Guyana. The distribution will take place shortly before the IMC Over-40s World Cup, which is scheduled to bowl off on October 17 and conclude on November 1. The 45-over competition will feature 16 teams, with round-robin matches being played across Demerara, Essequibo and Berbice. Defending champions South Africa will
be joined by hosts West Indies, Canada, the United States, Sri Lanka, India, Scotland, Pakistan, England, Australia, New Zealand, Colombia, Wales, Namibia, the Rest of the World XI, and the Rest of the Caribbean XI.
ricket West Indies (CWI) has expanded its development programme for 22 emerging female cricketers by combining on-field training with sessions on mental strength, leadership, media awareness and professional conduct. The two-week HighPerformance Camp in Antigua followed the 2026 Rising Stars Women’s Under-19 Championship and forms part of CWI’s preparations for the ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in 2027. Along with technical, tactical and physical training, the players were introduced to the psychological demands of elite sport. The sessions covered confidence, resilience, focus, mindset and coping with pressure as they advance through their
careers. The young cricketers also received practical media training. Through interactive exercises and simulated interviews, they learnt how to communicate clearly, respond to difficult questions and present themselves confidently as representatives of West Indies cricket. CWI High-Performance Manager Dwain Gill said developing the players away from the field was an important part of preparing them for the next level. “Our responsibility is not only to develop better cricketers, but to help develop young people who understand what it means to operate in a high-performance environment and represent West Indies cricket,” Gill said. He added that the sessions were intended to give
the players the confidence, awareness and other tools required to manage the transition towards international competition. The squad also participated in a meeting with CWI’s management and staff, led by Chief Executive Officer Chris Dehring. The session allowed officials to hear about the players’ experiences and explain the organisation’s plans for women’s cricket. Dehring said the interaction helped CWI to better understand the support needed by the players, while reassuring them that their development remains a priority. He also discussed plans for a high-performance centre and other facilities expected to be established across the region. According to Dehring, the enthusiasm and determination shown by the young women, despite difficult domestic circumstances, were inspiring. He reaffirmed CWI’s commitment to providing the facilities, support and development pathways needed for them to compete at the highest level. The camp was designed not only to prepare the players for the 2027 World Cup but also to help them understand their potential role in the future of West Indies cricket.
National youth cricketer Ramnauth receives gear through development project
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ational Under-13 cricketer Dashawn Ramnauth has become the 107th young player to benefit directly from the “Cricket Gear for Young and Promising Cricketers in Guyana” initiative. Ramnauth, a 14-yearold student of St Winifred’s Secondary School, represents Malteenoes Sports Club. He is a left-handed batsman and bowls rightarm off-spin. The young cricketer received a gear bag, a pair of batting pads and a protective box during a simple presentation ceremony held recently at the La Bonne Intention (LBI) Community Centre. Former Berbice senior all-rounder Luke Latiff, who now resides in Trinidad and Tobago, made the presentation while visiting Guyana. Latiff, a friend and representative of the project, congratulated Ramnauth and encouraged him to remain disciplined, work hard at his game and pay close atten-
tion to his education. Ramnauth’s mother, Tina, expressed gratitude for the donation and promised to continue supporting her son’s cricket and academic development. The initiative, coordinated by Anil Beharry in Guyana and Kishan Das in the United States, distributes new and used cricket equipment free of cost to talented young players. Recipients are selected based on their ability, discipline and commitment to education, while club officials also assist with identifying promising cricketers. Progressive and well-managed clubs with active youth programmes are also considered for assistance. The organisers said the project is intended to improve the lives of young people, keep them meaningfully occupied and encourage their involvement in cricket. Several previous beneficiaries have advanced to represent Guyana and the West Indies at different lev-
National Under-13 cricketer Dashawn Ramnauth (second from left) has become the 107th young player to benefit directly from the “Cricket Gear for Young and Promising Cricketers in Guyana” initiative
els. So far, the project has received or purchased GY$786,146 in cash and a wide range of equipment. Contributions include 49 bats, 40 pairs of batting pads, 48 pairs of batting gloves, 36 pairs of cricket shoes, 29 thigh pads, seven helmets, 15 gear bags, three pairs of wicketkeeping pads, six arm guards, two chest pads, stumps, uniforms, trophies, protective boxes, and red and white cricket balls. Twenty-eight footballs were also donated. Former national wicketkeeper-batsman Sheik Mohammed separately contributed equipment valued at more than GY$600,000. All cash received is used to purchase requested items that are unavailable among the donated supplies. To date, 107 male and female players from Demerara, Berbice, and Essequibo have directly received gear or financial assistance, while many others have benefited through
donations to clubs, schools, cricket boards, and community programmes. The project has been supported by businesses, cricket clubs and individuals in Guyana and overseas, including West Indian Sports Complex, Option Group USA, P&P Insurance Brokers and Consultants Limited, Trophy Stall, Star Sports Awards and Trophies, Cricket Zone USA, Cricket Equipment Guyana, Regal Sports Store, DX Sports, Rockaway Group of Companies, NALICO/ NAFICO, Kaieteur Cricket Club of Canada, and several US-based cricket clubs. Beharry and Das also thanked the project’s numerous individual contributors and the media for helping to promote the initiative. Distribution will continue across Guyana. Persons interested in contributing can contact Beharry on 623-6875 or Das on +1-718-664-0896.
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GUYANATIMESGY.COM
SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2026
TSU romp to 8-wicket victory over Combined Regions 4A and 4B
Tactical Service Unit (TSU) team photo
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he Tactical Services Unit (TSU) produced a dominant performance to secure an emphatic eight-wicket victory over the combined Regions 4A and 4B teams in the Commissioner
of Police T20 Cup on Thursday at the Police Sports Club Ground. After winning the toss and opting to bat, the combined Regions side posted 154 for seven from their allotted 20 overs,
with Domall Collins leading the way with a composed 38. Quacy Kendall and Troy Drakes provided valuable support with 23 and 20 runs, respectively, as Re-gions 4A and 4B
set TSU a target of 155 for victory.
Andre Baker was the pick of the TSU bowlers, claiming three wickets for just 15 runs from his three overs. Aeon Rodrigues chipped in with two for 31 from four overs, while Damion Sardinha took one for 35 from his fourover spell. Rain briefly interrupted proceedings, but the delay did little to disrupt TSU’s momentum when play resumed. The TSU batsmen attacked from the outset, racing to 155 for two in just 15.2 overs to seal a compre-hensive victory. Rodrigues was the star of the run chase, unleashing a blistering 52 from only 20 deliveries. His innings featured six sixes and three fours and effectively took the game away from the combined Regions side. Alex Burnett contributed a solid 39, while Sardinha remained unbeaten on 30 to help steer
Transport, DCC clash for direct spot in Under-17 final
remain alive and face the winner of the Eliminator for the second spot in the championship match. With the stakes high and a place in the final immediately at stake, the Transport-DCC clash is expected to be a keenly contested encounter, while Sunday’s Eliminator will determine which team remains in contention for the coveted title.
Crandon, Shillingford named in Canada squad for IMC Over-40s World Cup
Royston Crandon
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ormer West Indies players Royston Crandon and Shane Shillingford have been named in Canada’s 16man squad for the 2026 International Masters Cricket (IMC) Over-40s World Cup, scheduled for October 17 to November 1 in Guyana. The Canadian side will be led by off-spinning
all-rounder Shailesh Patel, who represented Canada at the previous Over-40s World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2024. Former Canada international Jimmy Hansra is also included in the squad after representing the country in 28 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and eight T20 Internationals. Canada will open their
campaign against defending champions South Africa at the Enmore Community Centre ground on the East Coast of Demerara. Shillingford, 43, played 16 Tests for the West Indies, while Guyanese Crandon, also 43, represented the regional side in one ODI. The 16-team tournament will be hosted by the Cricket West Indies Masters Association, with the par-ticipating teams divided into two groups. Canada has been drawn in Group A alongside defending champions South Africa, Australia, the West Indies, Namibia, Sri Lanka, Colombia and Wales. Group B comprises New Zealand, Scotland, US, India, Pakistan, England, the Rest of the World XI and the Rest of the Caribbean XI. Canada’s full squad is Shailesh Patel (Captain), Bhavneet Bhatai (Vice Captain), Royston Crandon, Shane Shillingford, Jimmy Hansra, Vijiram Krishnan, Iftikhar Khan, Summit Handa, Nitin Gosain, Siddarth Rastogi, Kumar Erramilli, Saurabh Malik, Deepada Sugith, Manpreet Khaira, Harman DoS-anjh and Harshimran Singh.
TSU com-fortably across the finish line. Odida Douglas was the most successful bowler for Regions 4A and 4B, taking two wickets for 28 runs from 3.2 overs. Drakes claimed the other TSU wicket, finishing with one for 41 from three overs. The victory underlined TSU’s batting firepower and bowling discipline as the Commissioner of Police T20 Cup continues, with teams from across the Guyana Police Force competing for honours in this year’s tournament.
CLASSIFIED ADS VACANCY
Emmanuel Lewis is the leading run scorer thus far, as he scored 336 runs in five matches
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he battle for a place in the final of the Eline Security Logistics Under-17 50-Over tournament will in-tensify this weekend when Transport Sports Club faces Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) in a crucial pre-liminary-round encounter on Saturday at the Transport ground from 09:30h. The fixture carries major significance, with the winner securing a direct berth in the championship final. Both teams will therefore enter the contest knowing that victory would eliminate the need for them to negotiate the playoff route. The loser, however, will not see their title hopes come to an end. Instead, they will await the outcome of Sunday’s Eliminator between
Georgetown Cricket XI (GT XI) and Malteenoes Sports Club. Malteenoes have been confirmed as the third-place team following the completion of their preliminary-round matches and will face GT XI, who finished fourth, in the Eliminator at the Malteenoes ground from 09:30h on Sunday. The Eliminator will provide GT XI with an opportunity to continue their campaign, while Malteenoes will be aiming to justify their position among the leading teams and advance to the next stage. The tournament’s playoff structure means Saturday’s Transport-DCC encounter could prove decisive. The winner will advance directly to the final, while the loser will
Superior Woods Inc. is inviting applications for the following positions: Moulder Operator (3), Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanic (4), Mill/Resaw Operator (3), Forklift Operators — (5), Labourers — (10). Location: Yarrowkabra, Linden-Soesdyke Highway. Contact: 642-3828/ 6262138. Email: superiorwoods.gy@ gmail.com. Superior Blocks and Pavers is inviting applications for the following positions: Blocks Machine Operator (3), Forklift/Front-end Loader Operator (3), Labourers — (6). Location: Yarrowkabra, LindenSoesdyke Highway. Contact: 6423828/ 626-2138. Email: vickash@ superiorblocksandpavers.com
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2026
GUYANATIMESGY.COM
23
Overseas players confirmed for Limacol WCPL T
he Limacol Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) on Friday confirmed the overseas players who will represent franchises in the upcoming season, with a host of international stars from South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, and Ireland set to line up alongside the region’s finest talent. The confirmed overseas signings are as follows:
looking to make an impression in their debut season by signing superstars Meg Lanning, Amy Hunter, Nonku Mlaba, Syeda Aroob Shah, a n d
Barbados Tridents
Rosemary M a i r . Lanning, the former Australia Captain with over 200 international white-ball matches and more than 150 T20s at the franchise level for various teams, is ready for her WCPL debut. The 34-yearold Lanning will be joined by Ireland’s opener and wicketkeeper Amy Hunter, South African sensational leftarm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba and White Ferns player Rosemary Mair. New Zealander Rosemary Mair is eager to make her mark in her debut season as a rightarm seamer. She will be joined by fellow WCPL debu-
Madeline Green (New Zealand) Suzie Bates (New Zealand) Pooja Vastrakar (India) Kiran Navgire (India) Defending champions Barbados Tridents have announced the overseas signings for this year’s Limacol WCPL. Suzie Bates of New Zealand will join WCPL debutants Madeline Green, the hard-hitting batter of New Zealand, along with fast bowling all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar and middle-order batter Kiran Navgire of India.
Guyana Amazon Warriors
Shabnim Ismail (South Africa) Erin Burns (Australia) Chloe Tryon (South Africa) Tazmin Brits (South Africa) Nadine de Klerk (South
The Limacol WCPL on Friday confirmed the overseas players who will represent franchises in the upcoming season
Africa) In their quest for their maiden WCPL tle,
t i t h e
Guyana Amazon Warriors have secured the services of interna-
tional super stars Shabnim Ismail, Chloe Tryon, Tanzim
Brits, Nadine de Klerk, and Erin Burns. South African Ismail, who picked up 16 wickets across two seasons in 2023 and 2024, will spearhead the fast-bowling attack with support from Nadine de Klerk, also from South Africa. The batting will revolve around Australian Erin Burns, who scored two half-centuries in 2024 for the Warriors. Burns will be supported by all-rounder Chloe Tryon and top-order batter Tazmin Brits. All of the international players have played in the WCPL before except South African Tazmin Brits.
Amy Hunter (Ireland) Nonku Mlaba (South Africa) Syeda Aroob Shah (Pakistan) Rosemary Mair (New Zealand) The new franchise, Jamaica Empress, will be
tant Syeda Aroob Shah.
Trinbago Knight Riders
Marizanne Kapp (South Africa) Shikha Pandey (India) Laura Harris (Australia) Madeline Penna (Australia) Yastika Bhatia (India) With an excellent crop of local and regional players, the Trinbago Knight Riders have contracted international stardom to round off their side for the Limacol WCPL this year. South African Marizanne Kapp, with more than 200 T20s with various franchise teams, is set for her WCPL debut alongside Australians. Laura Harris and Madeline Penna. Harris has WCPL experience, having represented the Guyana Amazon Warriors in five matches in 2025 and the Barbados Tridents in 10 matches across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, while leg-spinner Penna will be expected to lead the spin bowling attack at the Kensington Oval. The will also be joined by Indian wicketkeeper Yastika Bhatia for the 2026 season.
Guyana secures knockout spot at FIFAe Continental Championship
Jamaica Empress
Meg Lanning (Australia)
Elite League Season 8 kicks off tonight at GFF NTC
Team Guyana has advanced to the knockout stage of the FIFAe Continental Championship for North and Central America and the Caribbean (GFF photo)
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Slingerz FC will enter the new season as the defending champions
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he Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF) Elite League Season Eight will officially kick off tonight with a double-header at the National Training Centre (NTC). The opening programme is scheduled to begin at 18:30h, with Den Amstel Football Club (FC) facing Fruta Conquerors FC in the
first encounter. The Guyana Defence Force FC will then battle Monedderlust FC in the second match of the evening. The two fixtures will follow the official launch of the 2026 season, which is expected to set the tone for another competitive campaign among Guyana’s leading football clubs.
Slingerz FC will enter the new season as the defending champions and will be aiming to retain the country’s top domestic football title. Tonight’s double-header will give the four participating teams an early opportunity to make a strong start as the race for the Season Eight title begins.
eam Guyana has advanced to the knockout stage of the FIFAe Continental Championship for North and Central America and the Caribbean after finishing second in the group stage in Mexico City. The Guyanese team, represented by Christian “christian89” Harris and Jeremiya “jrboss2000” Johnson, did enough during the preliminary phase to secure a place among the
teams progressing in the Concacaf competition. With their group-stage campaign successfully completed, Harris and Johnson will now turn their attention to the knockout rounds, where Guyana will continue its bid to earn a place on the international stage. The team is being guided by Martin Massiah, who serves as head coach and head of esports. Daniel Idal is the assistant coach, of-
ficial streamer and media operations lead. Guyana’s second-place finish represents an important step in the competition, but the team will need to maintain its focus as the matches become more demanding in the knockout phase. The campaign continues in Mexico City as the Guyanese representatives aim to build on their encouraging group-stage performance.
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2026
Pg 23
Sport is no longer our game, it’s our business
Overseas players confirmed for Limacol WCPL Pg 23
Elite League Season 8 kicks off tonight at GFF NTC GUYANA TIMES - www.guyanatimesgy.com, email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, NEWS HOTLINE: 231-8063 EDITORIAL: 223-7230, 223-7231, 231-0544, 225-7761 SPORT: sport@guyanatimesgy.com SALES AND MARKETING: 231-8064 - marketing@guyanatimesgy.com - PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GUYANA TIMES INC.