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Pupils of the Saxacalli Primary and Nursery Schools were encouraged to see themselves as environmental leaders during the launch of the ‘Saxacalli Rainforest Activity Book’ on Friday at the Saxacalli Rainforest Centre on the left bank of the Essequibo River.

The publication was officially launched by the EMC Foundation, the non-profit arm of Environmental Management Consultants (EMC), in what organisers described as a significant private-sector contribution to environmental literacy in Guyana. Delivering the keynote address was Minister of Education, Sonia Parag.

Minister Parag praised the initiative for empowering young learners to become “agents of change.”

“A leader doesn’t always look like the President or a Minister — it looks like you, whether you are six or eleven years old,” she told the pupils.

The Minister underscored that despite Guyana’s rapid economic transformation, the country’s greatest wealth remains its biodiversity and its people.

“When we are protecting our country and preserving our environment, we are protecting our wealth and our own self,” she stated.

She also referenced President Irfaan Ali’s launch of the Global Biodiversity Alliance, noting that Guyana continues to position itself as a global leader in ecosystem protection.

Friday’s event also highlighted the Foundation’s Environmental STEM (E-STEM) programme, which integrates science, technology, engineering and mathematics with environmental education. Through the programme, students are introduced to modern tools such as camera traps and digital applications to study the unique flora and fauna of the Essequibo region.

Managing Director of EMC, Shyam Nokta, reflected on his more than 20-year relationship with the Saxacalli community, commending Toshao Helen Williams and local educators for sustaining a balance between development and conservation.

A key component of the initiative is a strategic partnership with the Ministry of Education to establish and support environmental clubs in primary and secondary schools across Guyana. These clubs work closely with the Foundation to implement the E-STEM curriculum, adopting a “learn by doing” approach that transforms the rainforest into a living laboratory.

Through continued support from the Rainforest Centre, the EMC Foundation aims to equip the next generation of citizens and researchers with the skills and awareness necessary to safeguard Guyana’s environmental assets.

The launch ceremony was attended by several conservation and education stakeholders, including Ms. Alona Sankar, Commissioner of the Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission (GWCMC); Ms. Suzanne DeAbreu, Guyana STEM Initiative Lead at ExxonMobil; Mr. Ramnaresh Sarwan, former international cricketer and EMC Foundation Patron; and Ms. Sasha Lall of Hyde Park Conservation.

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Alex Arjoon and Mary Fung-A-Fat will go head-to-head in a blockbuster Elite final on Sunday as the Bounty Farms Handicap Squash tournament reaches its climax at the Georgetown Club Courts.

In a day of high-octane action, the tournament’s handicap system continued to test the nerves and fitness of Guyana’s top players, producing several nail-biting finishes and narrow escapes for the pre-tournament favourites.

Alex Arjoon [3] secured his path to the final with a tactical masterclass against Ashley Khalil. Despite the pressure of the handicap deficit, Arjoon showed remarkable composure to take the match 15-11, 15-14, narrowly avoiding a deciding third set in a tense final rally.

He will face an in-form Mary Fung-A-Fat, who looked clinical in her semi-final victory over Ashante Smith [4]. Fung-A-Fat dictated the tempo from the outset, moving her opponent effectively around the glass to secure a 15-12, 15-6 win.

Elsewhere in the Elite bracket, Jason-Ray Khalil [2] survived a major scare against Peter de Groot, clawing back to win 15-5, 15-14, while Taylor Fernandes-Henry required three sets to overcome a resilient Steven Xavier 15-8, 13-15, 15-9.

The Open category threw up arguably the match of the day in a brotherly duel.  Ethan Bulkan [3] eventually triumphed over Egan Bulkan [5] in a 7-15, 15-2, 15-14 thriller that came down to the final point of the third set.

In the Rising category, top seed Nicholas Mohamed [1] justified his ranking with a professional 15-10, 15-11 victory over Averi Simon, while Samara Sukhai pulled off the upset of the afternoon by knocking out fifth seed Fola Cadogan in a three-set marathon (15-13, 14-15, 15-13).

Key Results

Elite: Alex Arjoon def. Ashley Khalil 15-11, 15-14

Elite: Mary Fung-A-Fat def. Ashante Smith 15-12, 15-6

Open: Ethan Bulkan def. Egan Bulkan 7-15, 15-2, 15-14

Rising: Samara Sukhai def. Fola Cadogan 15-13, 14-15, 15-13

 

FULL RESULTS: https://www.sportyhq.com/tournament/view/Bounty-Farm-Ltd-Mash-Handicap-2026

 

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A fish vendor was on Thursday robbed of an undisclosed quantity of jewellery and cash at his River View, West Ruimveldt, Georgetown home.

Police said the 36-year-old man was standing in the front of his yard at a about 10:00h when he was reportedly approached by two unidentified males, one armed with what appeared to be a handgun.

The police said preliminary investigations revealed that the armed suspect reportedly discharged several rounds in the victim’s direction, causing him to receive injuries to his upper right thigh and right hip.

The then robbed him of the items and fled the scene on foot.

The victim was escorted to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, where he is receiving medical attention. His condition is listed as stable.

Investigations are ongoing.

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Police in the Regional Division 4 ‘C’ have detained five men in connection with a simple larceny at a supermarket located on La Bonne Intention Public Road, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

The incident occurred at about 13:25hrs on Friday February 27, 2026.

Initial enquiries revealed that two males entered the supermarket, and one of them allegedly removed eight packs of cheese, valued at $8,640, and concealed them on his person. The act was observed on the establishment’s CCTV system.

The suspects, along with other occupants of a motor car, subsequently attempted to leave the scene. However, police ranks responding to the report intercepted the vehicle at Triumph Public Road, ECD where five men were detained and escorted to the Beterverwagting Police Station. They are:

1. A 48-year-old construction worker of Campbellville, Georgetown (driver).
2. A 35-year-old construction worker of Stevedore Housing Scheme, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown.
3. A 28-year-old of Section ‘C’, Sophia, ECD.
4. A 35-year-old gold miner of Princess Street, Lodge, Georgetown.
5. A 19-year-old stevedore of South Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

A cutlass was recovered from the vehicle, which has since been lodged.

Investigations are ongoing.

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(BBC News) Donald Trump has just announced that Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei has been killed. Here is his whole post on his Truth Social Platform:

 

Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead. This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS. He was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do. This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country. We are hearing that many of their IRGC, Military, and other Security and Police Forces, no longer want to fight, and are looking for Immunity from us. As I said last night, “Now they can have Immunity, later they only get Death!” Hopefully, the IRGC and Police will peacefully merge with the Iranian Patriots, and work together as a unit to bring back the Country to the Greatness it deserves. That process should soon be starting in that, not only the death of Khamenei but the Country has been, in only one day, very much destroyed and, even, obliterated. The heavy and pinpoint bombing, however, will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD!

 

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

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(BBC News) There are several options for “off ramps” to de-escalation after the US’ military operation in Iran, Donald Trump says.

“I can go long and take over the whole thing, or end it in two or three days and tell the Iranians: ‘See you again in a few years if you start rebuilding [your nuclear programme],’” he tells Axios.

It’s the first time the US president has commented on the operation since announcing the strikes on Saturday morning.

He says he finally took the decision to green-light the strikes due to the lack of progress over nuclear negotiations this week.

“The Iranians got close and then pulled back — close and then pulled back. I understood from that that they don’t really want a deal,” he says, according to the US outlet, which says they spoke to Trump for five minutes over the phone.

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Guyana’s Lady Jags have reignited their CONCACAF Women’s Qualifying campaign with a commanding 3-0 victory over Dominica, shaking off their opening-round disappointment.

Following a tough 3-1 defeat to Nicaragua in December, the Lady Jags returned to the National Track and Field Facility on Friday evening with a point to prove.

Goals from Otesha Charles, Adelina Ritchie and Sandra Johnson secured a win that was as much about tactical control as it was about the scoreline.

The hosts’ intent was clear from the opening whistle as Alexis Bayley sent a warning shot over the bar in the third minute, and it took just five minutes more for the deadlock to be broken.

Otesha Charles found space on the right side of the area, unleashing a precise right-footed strike into the top-left corner to give Guyana the perfect start in the eighth minute.

Guyana dominated possession for the remainder of the half, though they may rue missed opportunities to inflate their goal difference—a crucial factor in group standings.

Charles saw two headers go agonisingly wide, while Brianne Desa went close from distance.

Dominica, looking to bounce back from a bruising 18-0 loss to Jamaica, showed significantly more vigour after the restart.

Lady Jags’ keeper Arden La-Rose was called into action early in the second half to deny Ronia Pierre-Louis, while Trinity Esprit flashed a shot wide following a dangerous corner.

However, Guyana’s class was eventually told in the 75th minute as Annalisa Vincent turned provider with a pinpoint cross, allowing Adelina Ritchie to poke home from close range.

Two minutes later, Sandra Johnson added the finishing touches to a performance that saw the hosts maintain total authority in the middle of the park.

The victory keeps Guyana in the extremely challenging hunt for the top spot in the group.

Under the tournament format, only the six group winners will progress to join the United States and Canada in the eight-team CONCACAF W Championship.

The stakes could not be higher: that final championship serves as the gateway to both the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027 and the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

The Lady Jags will remain in camp on home soil before departing on March 3 for a high-stakes clash against Antigua and Barbuda.

Kick-off is scheduled for March 5 at 18:00h

Guyana Starting XI: Arden LaRose, Hope Windebank, Brianne Desa (c), Alexis Bayley, Otesha Charles, Samantha Banfield, Annalisa Vincent, Savanna Mondesir-Singh, Sandra Johnson, Jenea Knight, Savannah Singh

Dominica Starting XI: Dymond Daniel, Jessica Pierre-Louis, Alianne George, Trinity Esprit, Annesa Laurent, Salena Lancaster, China Tulloch, Eden Lander, Kimra Joseph, Chole, Lecointe, Ronia Pierre-Louis

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We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), the political party led by U.S.-indicted and OFAC-sanctioned Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, has retained a U.S. lobbying firm and made an advance payment of US$250,000 for services aimed at engaging the United States Government.

Records filed with the U.S. Department of Justice list Linden Global Strategies LLC as the registrant and identify Stephen Payne and Logan Somera as representatives of WIN. The filing states that the firm will advise the party in “developing and cultivating its relationships within the United States government and private sector.”

According to the registration document, the US$250,000 advance payment for contracted services was made on February 13, 2026. Serious questions are now being raised about the Mohameds and what critics describe as a series of delay tactics aimed at stalling their extradition to the United States.

President of Linden Global Strategies, Stephen Payne said his firm is in contact with another member of the WIN party who facilitated the payment and signed the contract.

It should be noted that Azruddin previously revealed that he is the financier of WIN, raising concerns as to who exactly is paying the U.S. firm and whether he is circumventing the OFAC-sanctions.

U.S. Treasury regulations under OFAC generally prohibit transactions that directly or indirectly benefit sanctioned individuals, including transactions that may involve third parties acting on their behalf. In addition, lobbying firms operating in the United States are subject to disclosure requirements under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), which mandate transparency regarding clients, services provided, and payments received.

Azruddin and his father, Nazar Mohamed, were sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on June 11, 2024, over allegations related to tax evasion on gold exports.

At the time, the U.S. Treasury stated that “Azruddin and Mohamed’s Enterprise evaded Guyana’s tax on gold exports and defrauded Guyanese of tax revenues by under-declaring their gold exports to Guyanese authorities. Between 2019 and 2023, Mohamed’s Enterprise omitted more than 10,000 kilograms of gold from import and export declarations and avoided paying more than US$50 million in duty taxes to the government of Guyana.”

Both men have also been indicted in the United States and are currently challenging extradition proceedings. Following the imposition of the sanctions, Azruddin formed WIN and contested Guyana’s 2025 General and Regional Elections, after which he became Leader of the Opposition.

The formal extradition request from the United States was signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, underscoring Washington’s direct involvement in seeking the Mohameds’ transfer to face charges in the United States. The signing of the request by the top U.S. diplomat signals the seriousness with which U.S. authorities are pursuing the case.

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Unbeaten Georgetown emerged champions of the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) Inter-Association Under-19, 50-over tournament, defeating West Demerara in a top-of-the-table clash in the fifth and final round on Friday.

Playing at the Police Sports Club Ground, the Dave Mohabir-led city boys defeated West Demerara by seven wickets to lift the title in a tournament where they were hardly challenged.

Coming into the contest, Georgetown had already comfortably defeated East Bank by eight wickets, East Coast by 181 runs and Upper Demerara by 254 runs.

Chasing a target of 150 in the final round, Georgetown coasted to the target in 27.1 overs with Emmanuel Lewis ending on 50 not out off 53 balls (7x4s) and Shamar Apple unbeaten on five.

The foundation for victory was laid by an opening stand of 62 in 9.5 overs between Khush Seegobin and Kishawn Silas. Seegobin made a quick 47 off 27 (3x4s, 4x6s) and Silas 31 off 69 (2x4s).

Tashant Argyle (1-8), Amrit Persaud (1-15) and Navendra Sankar (1-41) were the wicket-takers for West Demerara.

Batting first, West Demerara slipped from a position of relative strength at 125-3 in the 33^rd over, losing their last seven wickets for just 24 runs.

Danvir Seegobin was the pick of the bowlers with 4-15 off five overs, while Lewis took 3-19 off 5.3 and his new-ball partner Shane Prince 2-56 off 10. Leg-spinner Reyaz Latif chipped in with 1-33 off 10.

Skipper Parmeshwar Ram topscored with 35 off 31 (6x4s), Argyle made 31 off 78 (1×4, 1×6) and Sankar 23 off 58 (1×4). Extras were 27.

In the other final round game, East Coast whipped Upper Demerara by nine wickets in a one-sided contest at the LBI Ground.

Opting to bat first, Upper Demerara managed 102 all from 22.3 overs, their first triple figure score in the tournament. The total was built around a fifth-wicket partnership of 54 between Nathan Bishop and Tyric Henry, who mixed aggression with calculated running.

Bishop made a brisk 33 off 35 (2x4s, 2x6s) and Henry struck three sixes and a four in a quick 25 off 19. Opener Alex Ragubeer was the only batter into double figure with 10, while extras were 15.

Bowling for East Coast, skipper Arun Gainda continued his fine form, taking 4-20 with his left-arm spin to end the competition with 13 wickets, the most overall.

Lively left-arm seamer Vijai Kalpu took 2-14, leg-spinner Kaylon Callendar 2-23, seamer Kyle Gibson 1-8 and off-spinner Munesh Outar 1-30.

In reply, East Coast blazed to victory in a mere nine overs, with the in-form opener Yannick Newton blasting an unbeaten 51 off 26 balls (7x4s, 2x6s).

Newton dominated an opening stand of 41 in 2.1 overs with Trilok Nanan, who made four, as he belted seamer Errol Alder for five fours and two sixes in the second over, which went for 35 runs, inclusive of two wides and a no-ball.

Newton and Outar then closed out the game with an unbroken second-wicket partnership of 63, with the left-handed Outar making a solid 32 not out off 23 (5x4s, 1×6).

Seamer Ragubeer (1-40) was the lone wicket-taker for Upper Demerara, who lost all four of their games. East Coast ended second behind Georgetown with an impressive run of three wins and a solitary defeat.

Tournament round-up 

• Round One: Victories for Georgetown and East Coast
• Round Two: Ram, Suknanan and Sankar power West Dem to massive win; East Coast beat East Bank
• Round Three: Georgetown romp to win over East Coast; East Bank beat Upper Dem
• Round Four: Georgetown thump Upper Dem, West Dem beat East Bank

Most Runs: Parmeshwar Ram of West Demerara (192)

Most Wickets: Arun Gainda of East Coast (13)

MVP: Parmeshwar Ram (192 runs and eight wickets)

How the teams ended (total points in bracket) 

• Winner: Georgetown (20.60)
• Runner-up: East Coast (14.80)
• Third: West Demerara (12.20)
• Fourth: East Bank (6.60)
• Fifth: Upper Demerara (1.00)

 

 

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New Amsterdam, February 27, 2026: Camex Restaurants Inc. today celebrated its 20th anniversary in Guyana with the grand opening of its transformed and expanded location in New Amsterdam, Berbice. The facility is the first in Berbice to house the Company’s three flagship brands – Church’s Chicken, Mario’s Pizza, and Dairy Queen – under one roof, signaling a major investment in the community and a new chapter of growth.

The launch event, held at the new premises, kicks off a year-long national celebration under the theme “Feel The Love”, commemorating two decades of service, community partnership, and growth since Camex opened its first Church’s Chicken restaurant in Guyana in 2006.

The ceremony was attended by local dignitaries, including the Mayor of New Amsterdam and a representative of the Berbice Chamber of Commerce, alongside corporate partners to celebrate the significant investment in the Berbice region. The investment has created 20 new jobs, reinforcing the Company’s commitment to contributing to Berbice’s vibrant economic transformation.

Speaking at the ceremony, Dhara Cumberbatch, Operations Director at Camex Restaurants Inc., reflected on the company’s journey and highlighted its ambitious plans for the future:

“This is about more than a store expansion; it’s about celebrating 20 years of partnership with the people of Guyana and continuing to grow alongside the communities we love. We are investing in this location at a truly remarkable time for Guyana. Today, I am thrilled to announce that our investment here is only just beginning. We are already in the advanced planning stages for new locations along the Berbice coast, bringing even more choices and opportunities to people in Berbice.”

Marketing Representative Latoya Martin emphasized the broader vision for the anniversary year: “Feel the Love is our promise for 2026 and is built around three commitments: love for customers, love for growth, and love for community. Our focus for this year is on giving back, expanding our reach, celebrating community, and creating moments of joy across Guyana. New Amsterdam is just the beginning.”

The event also featured the official reveal of new brand ambassador Samuel Medas, who shared in the celebration.

Looking forward, Camex Restaurants Inc. reaffirmed its commitment to serving not only meals, but also communities. From Berbice to Bartica, the Company’s promise is to create welcoming spaces where families gather and memories are made.

About Camex Restaurants Inc.

For 20 years, Camex Restaurants Inc. has been a leader in Guyana’s quick-service restaurant industry. The Company operates franchises for Church’s Chicken, Mario’s Pizza, and Dairy Queen. Since its first store opening in 2006, the Company has been committed to quality, customer service, and community development across Guyana.

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