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Musician Jumaine Anderson Walcott, better known as ‘Jay Anderson’, a U.S based-Guyanese is gearing up to release his first EP with one of the singles ‘Let Go’ already out.

Speaking with the News Room, Jay, who migrated to the U.S at a young age said he “sees life in colour” and this inspires his passion for music.

“I’m inspired by hope, I’m inspired by just people doing good, I see life in colour so when I also see people being colourful and not just black and white, I’m inspired by it,” the musician said.

He was born in Essequibo but his family travelled between New York and Guyana throughout his childhood.

Jay Anderson

He eventually launched his career in music and has been on the scene for more than a decade with his music popular among the youths. To his surprise, the persistent work he’s done was heavily enjoyed by fans during his performance at JamZone; he was among the artistes performing alongside Rick Ross.

His intention with his music is to take local sounds abroad.

“There’s a certain essence here that we have that has a lot to do with how I create my music. That’s why I’m doing it all home now and then taking it across the world with me because I want the world to see what I see,” he said.

For Jay, the music is a part of his experiences. Notably, he didn’t enjoy reggae and soulful music at first but from his elders constantly listening to these songs, he is now inspired by it.

“The sound of the music that I create or the type of music that I choose to write to, I grew up listening to…Growing up I learned to really appreciate the soulfulness of the songs,” he said.

Now, he is about to drop his first album, “Villain”, which will be released early next year. Speaking about what his fans can expect, he said:

“I am working on an album. I don’t want them to have any expectations but to be ready to feel joy, feel pain, there may be some songs that’ll make you cry on there, make you happy.”

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The government’s SkillsConnect platform is helping to make job searching and hiring much easier, according to Minister of Public Service, Government Efficiency and Implementation Zulfikar Ally.

SkillsConnect is a key government initiative aimed at strengthening Guyana’s labour market through digital innovation. It was by the Ministry of Labour in March of this year.

In a Facebook post, Ally said this platform empowers skilled and semi-skilled blue-collar workers by directly connecting them with employment opportunities and businesses nationwide.

“This initiative aligns with the People’s  Progressive Party Government’s strategy to advance digital transformation, enhance public service efficiency, and expand equitable access to employment and economic opportunities,” Ally said on Facebook.

How it works:

-Persons are required to download the app and sign up

– They will then be required to register and verify their account via a SMS code

– Users can post jobs and services within a few tabs. After submitting a post, it must be approved by a moderator before it goes live

– Users can also send and receive connection requests based on jobs posted and serviced advertise

– Once the connection is accepted, users can negotiate job offers

– Real time updates are also provided

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Azim Khan, a 32-year-old resident of Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice (WCB), died on Thursday after he crashed into a concrete fence at the #2 Public Road, WCB.

Police Headquarters reported that Khan was riding his motorcycle (CR 3710) at around 05:46 hrs along the #2 Public Road when he reportedly crashed into a concrete fence there.

It was noted that Khan was speeding and lost control of his bike while negotiating a left turn. He then collided with the concrete fence on the northern side of the road.

The 32-year-old man, who received injuries to his body, was picked up in an unconscious state by public-spirited persons and taken to the Bath Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead by a doctor.

Khan’s body is at the hospital’s mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination. Further investigations are in progress.

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A 15-year-old schoolboy was killed on Thursday morning after he was struck by a car driven by a female Police Corporal in what is popularly known as the “third lane” during morning traffic at Success, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Dead is Navindra Mahes, a student of Annandale Secondary School and resident of Le Ressouvenir, ECD. The fatal accident occurred around 07:30 hrs on the Success Public Road, as commuters rushed to work and school.

Police said the vehicle involved—a motorcar bearing registration number PAB 214—was being driven west along the northern carriageway of the public road, in the southern driving lane, at a time when the “third lane” system was active.

According to a Police statement, video footage showed the teenage pedestrian standing on the median that separates the two carriageways, facing north. He then attempted to cross the road using the pedestrian crossing, when the left front side of the car struck him.

Mahes was flung onto the roadway, sustaining severe injuries to his head and body. Public-spirited citizens quickly rushed him to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where doctors found that he had suffered head trauma and a fractured right leg. Despite efforts to save him, he succumbed to his injuries at 09:56 hrs while receiving emergency treatment.

His body is now at the Georgetown Public Hospital Mortuary, awaiting a post-mortem examination.

The 35-year-old Police Corporal who was driving the vehicle has since been placed under close arrest as investigations continue.

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The Government of Guyana has raised concerns over the accuracy and reliability of the World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index 2025, citing the use of outdated data and opaque research methods in determining the country’s latest global ranking.

In a statement issued by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance on Thursday, the Government acknowledged the publication of the report, which ranked Guyana 80th in the world, a slight decline from 78th in 2024. However, it emphasised that the index does not accurately reflect Guyana’s current governance and justice environment, given that the data used dates back as far as 2018 and 2022.

According to the Ministry, the household polling data underpinning the 2025 ranking originated from surveys conducted by the StatMark Group, a little-known entity whose findings were never made public. “Neither of these face-to-face surveys were ever made public at the time, nor does the public know of the StatMark Group,” the release stated.

The Ministry underscored that while the WJP report links stronger rule of law with stronger economies, it fails to align this premise with Guyana’s current economic and institutional realities. “Guyana, as one of the fastest growing economies, is a living example of this,” the statement noted, adding that the index overlooks the extensive institutional and legislative reforms implemented across the governance and justice sectors since 2022.

The Government said that while international assessments play an important role in benchmarking progress, they must be transparent, methodologically sound, and based on recent data. “The 2025 report, without question, relies on older datasets… It cannot be construed as a real reflection of Guyana’s 2025 realities,” the statement stressed.

The Ministry also questioned the credibility of the expert perception component used in the index, noting that most contributors were anonymous. “It cannot be that the perceptions of a few anonymous people are considered representative of the entire population of approximately 800,000,” it argued, calling for more rigorous sampling and validation processes to ensure accuracy.

Further, the Ministry cautioned local media and the public against uncritical repetition of international rankings, urging them instead to “consult official data sources and exercise critical review” when interpreting third-party reports. It added that while global indices may provide “attractive sound bites,” they hold little analytical value without access to nominal scores and underlying datasets.

Reaffirming its commitment to transparency and international cooperation, the Government pointed to Guyana’s recent participation in two major global reviews — under the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) — as evidence of its openness to independent scrutiny.

Nonetheless, it maintained that global agencies must ensure that their methodologies are robust and that data are current and representative, especially for developing countries. “The use of outdated data from 2018 and 2022 must not be misconstrued as depicting Guyana’s 2025 governance environment,” the Ministry concluded.

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Minister of Home Affairs, Oneidge Walrond, has firmly rejected what she described as false and dangerous claims that the government’s new Electronic Identification (E-ID) Card system is designed to legitimise illegal immigrants in Guyana.

In a detailed statement issued on Wednesday, the Minister said the E-ID programme is a legitimate national security and digital governance initiative, aimed at improving identification, border management and access to public services — not a tool to regularise undocumented persons.

“Attempts to portray the Government’s monitoring of foreign nationals as an effort to ‘legitimise illegal migrants’ are entirely false,” Minister Walrond declared. “These statements are malicious, mischievous, and intended to sow public discord.”

She explained that the E-ID system will cater to two distinct groups:

• E-ID Citizen Cards — for Guyanese nationals; and
• E-ID Resident Cards — for legally residing foreign nationals who meet the required criteria, such as those holding valid work permits or other lawful immigration status.

Minister Walrond made it clear that only migrants who have met all legal entry and residency requirements will be eligible for an E-ID Resident Card. The cards will not — under any circumstances — be issued to undocumented individuals or persons with expired immigration status.

“Resident Cards will remain valid only for the period of an individual’s approved legal stay,” she explained. “Once that period expires, the card automatically becomes invalid. There is no mechanism within the system to legitimise anyone who is in the country illegally.”

According to the Minister, the E-ID initiative also supports coordination between key government agencies such as the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), ensuring that both citizens and lawful residents remain compliant with national laws and obligations.

She said the move forms part of a broader effort by the government to modernise public services, enhance national security, and protect Guyana’s borders through technology-driven solutions.

“The E-ID system is about efficiency, transparency, and accountability — not amnesty. It gives government the ability to know who is in the country and for how long, and it allows legitimate residents to access essential services securely,” she emphasised.

Minister Walrond further urged the public to disregard politically motivated misinformation being shared on social media, which she said seeks to incite fear and division.

“I urge all citizens to rely only on verified, official information and to reject divisive narratives that undermine national unity,” she said.

The E-ID Card system is a key component of Guyana’s ongoing digital transformation agenda, which aims to strengthen data protection, improve service delivery, and enhance border and identity management across the country.

The post Minister Walrond dismisses claims that E-ID cards will legitimise illegal migrants, clarifies purpose and eligibility appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Investigators probing Sunday’s gas station attack have uncovered new details suggesting that the prime suspect and his accomplices carried out a surveillance operation before bombing the Regent and King Streets, Georgetown business.

This was confirmed by Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum, who told the News Room that during questioning, it was revealed that sometime between 11:00 hrs and noon on Sunday, Daniel and three of his accomplices – a man and a female, both Venezuelan nationals – and a Guyanese hire car driver traveled to Georgetown in a motor car. The car was recovered by the Police.

The prime suspect in the attack is Daniel Alexander Ramirez Peodomo, a Venezuelan national. He is among several others currently in custody.

Blanhum on Tuesday told a press conference that Daniel arrived in Guyana around 08:00 hrs on Sunday illegally via boat from Venezuela.

The group, Blanhum said, parked the car within the vicinity of the gas station.

The female exited the vehicle and went to KFC, which is attached to the gas station, and purchased food for Daniel and the other Venezuelan.

It was during that time that the Venezuelan suspects reportedly conducted a surveillance of the gas station before executing the act.

Afterwards, the suspects journeyed to Region Three.

Police on Tuesday afternoon arrested Daniel in Vergenoegen, Region Three. His clothing, believed to have been worn during the attack, was recovered shortly before this.

Six-year-old Soraya Bourne died, and several of her relatives were injured in the attack.

Minister of Home Affairs, Oneidge Walrond, on Tuesday announced that the government will be pursuing the death penalty in the case.

The post JUST IN: Hire car driver, other accomplices conducted surveillance hours before gas station bombing appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Guyana is positioning itself to become the new hub for elite regional motor racing, as a joint effort is ongoing to bring a GT3 racing series – GT Challenge de las Américas – to the South Dakota Circuit from 2026.

The initiative is being spearheaded by Trinidad and Tobago racing stalwart Franklyn Boodram, who is partnering with the Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club (GMR&SC) to commit to an initial three-year run for the high-performance category.

Boodram, showcasing his Renault Sport R.S. 01 at this weekend’s international race meet, confirmed the ambitious plans at a press conference on Wednesday.

“I have the franchise for the GT3 Challenge for the Caribbean, and I will work with Guyana, so it is going to become like Formula 1, where it is going to pass through here,” Boodram stated, citing the lack of adequate, high-speed facilities in his homeland as a key reason for the move.

The officials noted that the shift is necessary to address the long-standing challenge of stagnant growth in the Caribbean’s top-tier racing, which has struggled for years to attract new machinery to its traditional Group 4 category.

The GMR&SC’s decision to focus on the GT3 format aligns the region with the global benchmark in production-based racing.

GT3 racing features iconic, high-specification cars from manufacturers such as Lamborghini, Ferrari, McLaren, Audi, and Porsche.

By embracing this standard, the GMR&SC hopes to attract greater international investment, attract top driving talent, and enhance Guyana’s sports tourism opportunities.

The GMR&SC leadership remains confident in securing continued government support to develop the South Dakota venue further to meet the demands of a top-tier GT3 event.

Boodram also noted that Touring Car Racing (TCR) represents the future for regional Group Two and Three categories, potentially broadening the appeal even further.

This weekend, the transition is being previewed as a headline battle in the GT3 class takes centre stage at the Caribbean Clash of Champions.

Local hero Mark Vieira will head-to-head with Boodram in a highly anticipated duel.

Vieira’s Porsche 911 GT3 Cup will face Boodram’s R.S. 01, and an entry from AJM will also campaign a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car.

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