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(Reuters) – Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro was convicted by a Supreme Court majority on Thursday of plotting a coup to remain in power after losing the 2022 election, a powerful blow to the populist far-right movement he created.

The presumptive ruling by a majority of a panel of five justices in Brazil’s Supreme Court makes Bolsonaro the first former president in the country’s history to be convicted for attacking democracy.

“This criminal case is almost a meeting between Brazil and its past, its present, and its future,” Justice Carmen Lucia said before she voted to convict Bolsonaro of attempting a coup, a reference to previous attempts to overthrow democracy in the country’s history.

There was ample evidence, she added, that Bolsonaro acted “with the purpose of eroding democracy and institutions.”

Three judges so far have voted to convict the former president of five crimes: taking part in an armed criminal organization, attempting to violently abolish democracy, organizing a coup, and damaging government property and protected cultural assets. One judge acquitted him, and one remains to vote.

The conviction of Bolsonaro, a former Army captain who never hid his admiration for the military dictatorship that killed hundreds of Brazilians between 1964 and 1985, echoes legal condemnations this year for far-right leaders elsewhere, including France’s Marine Le Pen and the Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte.

It is likely to further enrage Bolsonaro’s close ally U.S. President Donald Trump, who has already called the case a “witch hunt” and slammed Brazil with tariff hikes, sanctions against the presiding judge, and the revocation of visas for most members of Brazil’s high court.

The justices are expected to decide on a prison sentence, and how it would be served, by Friday. Bolsonaro, who is currently under house arrest as part of another case, faces a maximum potential sentence of 40 years.

The verdict was not unanimous, with Justice Luiz Fux on Wednesday breaking with his peers by acquitting the former president of all charges.

That single vote could open a path to challenges to the ruling, potentially bringing the trial’s conclusion closer to the run-up of the 2026 presidential elections, in which Bolsonaro has repeatedly said he is a candidate despite being barred from running for office.

Fux’s vote also ignited a surge of righteous relief among the former president’s supporters, who hailed it as a vindication.

“When coherence and a sense of justice prevail over vengeance and lies, there is no room for cruel persecution or biased judgments,” Michelle Bolsonaro, the former president’s wife, posted after Fux’s vote.

FROM THE BACK BENCHES TO THE PRESIDENCY

Bolsonaro’s conviction marks the nadir in his trajectory from the back benches of Congress to forge a powerful conservative coalition that tested the limits of the country’s young democratic institutions.

His political journey began in the 1980s as a city lawmaker after a brief career as an army paratrooper. He went on to be elected as a congressman in Brasilia, where he quickly became known for his defense of authoritarian-era policies.

His reputation as a firebrand was fueled by interviews like one in which he argued that Brazil would only change “on the day that we break out in civil war here and do the job that the military regime didn’t do: killing 30,000.”

While long dismissed as a fringe player, he refined his message to play up anti-corruption and pro-family values themes. These found fertile ground as mass protests erupted across Brazil in 2014 amid the sprawling “car wash” bribery scandal that implicated hundreds of politicians – including President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, whose conviction was later annulled.

Burning anti-establishment anger helped lay the path for his successful 2018 presidential run, with dozens of far-right and conservative lawmakers elected on his coattails. They have reshaped Congress into an enduring obstacle to Lula’s progressive agenda.

Bolsonaro’s presidency was marked by intense skepticism about the pandemic and vaccines and his embrace of informal mining and land-clearing for cattle grazing, pushing deforestation rates in the Amazon rainforest to record highs.

As he faced a close reelection campaign against Lula in 2022 – an election that Lula went on to win – Bolsonaro’s comments took on an increasingly messianic quality, raising concerns about his willingness to accept the results.

“I have three alternatives for my future: being arrested, killed or victory,” he said, in remarks to a meeting of evangelical leaders in 2021. “No man on Earth will threaten me.”

In 2023, Brazil’s electoral court, which oversees elections, barred him from public office until 2030 for venting unfounded claims about Brazil’s electronic voting system.

PROTECTING DEMOCRACY

Bolsonaro’s conviction and its durability will now emerge as a powerful test for the strategy that Brazil’s highest-ranking judges have adopted to protect the country’s democracy against what they describe as dangerous attacks by the far-right.

Their targets included social media posts that they say spread disinformation about the electoral system, as well as politicians and activists. Sending a former president and his allies to jail for planning a coup amounts to its culmination.

The cases were largely led by the commanding figure of Justice Alexandre de Moraes, appointed to the court by a conservative president in 2017, whose stance against Bolsonaro and his allies was celebrated by the left and denounced by the right as political persecution.

“They want to get me out of the political game next year,” Bolsonaro told Reuters in June, referring to the 2026 election in which Lula is likely to seek a fourth term. “Without me in the race, Lula could beat anyone.”

The historic significance of the case goes way beyond the former president and his movement, said Carlos Fico, a historian who studies Brazil’s military at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.

The three justices also ruled to convict Bolsonaro’s seven allies, including five military officers.

The verdict marks the first time since Brazil became a republic almost 140 years ago that military officials have been punished for attempting to overthrow democracy.

“The trial is a wake-up call for the Armed Forces,” Fico said. “They must be realizing that something has changed, given that there was never any punishment before, and now there is.”

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The Guyana Fire Service is currently battling a massive fire on James Street, Albouystown, Georgetown, that has already destroyed several buildings.

The News Room understands that an apartment building was destroyed. The chaotic scene on Thursday afternoon saw many residents in tears and inconsolable as their homes and possessions were reduced to ashes.

One resident described the terrifying moment when the fire broke out. The man said he lived in the apartment building and was asleep when the fire started. He was awakened by neighbours banging on his door, alerting him to the fire.

The Guyana Fire Service is currently battling a massive fire on James Street, Albouystown, Georgetown, that has already destroyed several buildings

“I move my bus and when I come around back and decide to see what I can retrieve from my apartment, the only thing I could retrieve is my documents and my TV,” the man said.

“All my lil money, my savings I was saving to buy a car, all of that burn up in there. I does work hard pon the wharf, and now everything gone up in flames,” the man said while holding back tears.

Divisional Officer Otis Charles, in an update, said the Guyana Fire Service received a call about the blaze and responded with six fire tenders.

“When we arrived, one building was already fully engulfed in flames, and another was starting to catch, so we immediately got into firefighting mode,” Charles explained.

Firefighters continue to work tirelessly to ensure the blaze is fully extinguished and to prevent further damage to surrounding properties.

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Police have arrested a 20-year-old Orthopedic Technician after he admitted to videoing social media star and artiste Lolita Callendar, called Lola Doll, while she was receiving treatment for gunshot wounds at the Georgetown Public Hospital. 

According to a release from Police Headquarters, officers detained the man as part of their investigations into the video shared online. The video has been viewed as an invasion of the patient’s privacy. 

“The Orthopedic Technician has since admitted to videoing the victim at the hospital with his cellphone. He, however, claimed that he did not share it on Facebook, but he only sent it to his ex-girlfriend via WhatsApp, and after he saw the video circulating on social media he deleted same from his phone,” Police said.

Police investigating unauthorised video of ‘Lola Doll’ from G/town hospital

Police said the cellphone was seized and taken to the Criminal Investigations Department headquarters, where it was handed over to the Head of the Cybercrimes Unit to be analysed. The suspect is presently in custody, and checks are presently being made to locate the ex-girlfriend.

Meanwhile, Police also reported that the 72-hour detention period for the detained suspect Paul Daby Jr., called Randell, had elapsed and, as such, the man was placed on $1 million bail, with strict reporting conditions.

Lola Doll, a 33-year-old artiste, was shot multiple times outside her home at Texas Square, East Ruimveldt, Georgetown on Saturday night.

According to initial Police reports, she sustained gunshot wounds to her neck, face, hands, and right leg. Lola Doll was allegedly attacked by a man on a motorcycle while sitting in her car. She was rushed to the hospital, where her condition is listed as stable.

Lola Doll, widely recognised for her music, flamboyant parties, and outspoken social media presence, has built a large following over the years.

(more…)

A body that was discovered along the Melanie, East Coast Demerara seawall on September 2, 2025 has been identified as 54-year-old Christopher Andrew Sergeant.

Sergeant, a driver employed at the Guyana Revenue Authority, was identified by his wife, Rosanna Phillips.

Police said the identification was done in the presence of a Detective Sergeant and Government Pathologist, Doctor Nehaul Singh, at the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home.

Dr Singh performed a post-mortem examination on the body and upon conclusion, the cause of death was found to be inconclusive due to the decomposed state of the remains.

Police had reported that Sergeant’s body was found by a 17-year-old teenager who was riding his motorcycle proceeding east on the Melanie Seawall.

The teen immediately alerted his neighbour, Brian Chin, a 61-year-old security consultant.

The matter was reported to the Police via phone, and detectives visited the scene.

The body was discovered lying face upwards in a north-to-south position, clad in a white T-shirt, white vest, and blue long jeans. Both wrists and both insteps were missing, and the face was in a state of complete decomposition with bones exposed. The body was examined for marks of violence and none were observed.

 

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Captain Litton Das hit a 33-ball half-century to guide Bangladesh to a comfortable seven-wicket win over Hong Kong in the Asia Cup.

Having restricted Hong Kong to 143-7, Bangladesh – led by Das’ 59 from 39 balls – knocked off the runs with 14 balls to spare.

The Tigers opted to field first in Abu Dhabi and struck twice during the powerplay, and despite Nizakat Khan leading a recovery, top-scoring with 42 from 40, Hong Kong were never able to get away from their Test-playing opponents.

Seamer Tanzim Hasan Sakib was the pick of the Bangladesh attack, taking 2-21, while his fellow quick Taskin Ahmed and wrist-spinner Rishad Hossain also took two wickets.

Bangladesh also lost two wickets in the powerplay, but the experienced Das quickly got them back on track in the chase, hitting six fours and a six, as he put on 95 for the third wicket with Towhid Hridoy.

Das fell with just two needed for victory so it was left to Hridoy, who finished unbeaten on 35, to hit the winning run in the 18th over and get Bangladesh’s campaign off to a winning start. (BBC)

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Guyana Basketball Federation (GBF) Vice-Presidents Rawle Toney and Jermaine Slater will represent the local basketball governing body at this year’s FIBA Americas Mid-Term Assembly, scheduled for October 1-5 in Mexico City, Mexico.

While this will be their first time attending the Assembly together, both Toney and Slater are making their second individual appearance. Toney previously attended in 2023 in Miami, while Slater participated last year in Aruba.

According to a GBF release, the two will join delegates from across FIBA’s Americas Zone at the Assembly, which will address several critical areas of basketball development and governance within the Americas and the Caribbean.

GBF President Michael Singh said the Federation remains committed to exposing its executive members to the highest level of basketball governance, ensuring that Guyana’s voice is included in shaping the sport’s direction.

Singh noted that the GBF is pleased to have both Vice-Presidents at the Assembly, which will also be attended by the Federation’s General Secretary, Patrick Haynes.

However, Haynes will participate in his capacity as President of CONCENCABA (the Central America and Caribbean Basketball Confederation) and Vice-President of FIBA Americas.

Haynes is the first Guyanese to head CONCENCABA, one of three sub-zones within FIBA Americas’ governance structure.

“So in reality, Guyana will have three members of the GBF present at the Assembly, and we’re hoping to contribute meaningfully to some of the key areas of discussion,” Singh said.

Meanwhile, Toney, a veteran sports journalist and former President of the Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA), and Slater, the current President of the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA), both expressed their enthusiasm for attending the Assembly.

Since their election to the GBF executive in January 2023, both Toney and Slater have played instrumental roles in advancing local basketball.

They spearheaded transformative initiatives, organised national tournaments, coordinated all national team programmes for both men and women, and successfully staged the historic FIBA 3×3 Quest earlier this year, which was the first of its kind in the English-speaking Caribbean.

Singh added that their participation in Mexico will further strengthen the GBF’s capacity to deliver on its mandate, adding, “Their attendance is not only about being present but about representing Guyana basketball on the international stage and ensuring that our impact is felt.”

The GBF continues to stand out among local sports federations for its commitment to building structures, creating opportunities, and working tirelessly to elevate basketball in Guyana.

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Relatives of 25-year-old Alvin Bhawani, also known as ‘Pinky’, from Soesdyke Junction, East Bank Demerara, are pleading for answers after he went missing in the interior nearly three months ago.

Bhawani reportedly left for Mabura, Region 10, on July 13, 2025, to work with a gold mining operation. Two days later, on July 15, relatives received troubling news that he had gone missing. Despite repeated reports to several police stations, including at Mabura, relatives say they have received no updates on his whereabouts.

A relative, Selena Johnson told the News Room that Bhawani reportedly left his phone, clothing and other belongings at the mining camp. Johnson said the family is worried since this is unusual for the young man.

“He does call he mother, like if he want credit or so, he does call he mother,” Johnson said.

According to Johnson, the camp’s General Manager claimed Alvin left the camp on July 15, saying he was going to the toilet but he was never seen again.

“The GM [General Manager] said how he left and said he going in the toilet and they never see he back in the camp,” Johnson explained.

According to Johnson, Bhawani left to work in the interior with a friend known only as ‘Boy’. Boy reportedly told the family that they received reports that Bhawani was spotted on a pontoon heading to Mahdia.

The missing man’s belongings left at the camp were also returned home by Boy.

“…one of the boys that went working with him from the camp, a friend of him, bring home his phone and his music box,” Johnson said.

The family is hoping to find answers about Bhawani’s disappearance and Johnson further added that it is unusual for him to stay away so long from home.

“He mother worry about it but we know when he go in the interior he don’t stay so long… we just want know if anything happen to him or if he is alive, let him come back home,” Johnson said.

His relatives are now planning a trip to the interior to search for him themselves.

Anyone with information about Alvin Bhawani’s whereabouts is asked to contact the nearest police station or his mother, Shelly Jhaman, at +592-730-9993.

 

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The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) on Thursday said the unauthorised video recording of a patient while she was receiving treatment in the emergency department is under Police investigation.

The GPHC did not name the affected patient. However, the News Room understands that the probe is in relation to Lolita Callendar, popularly known as “Lola Doll. A video of her has been circulating on social media, in clear violation of her privacy rights. The GPHC said the suspect is an orthopaedic technician who was not scheduled for duty at the time of the incident.

Lola Doll, a 33-year-old artiste, was shot multiple times outside her home at Texas Square, East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, on Saturday night.

See below the full statement from the GPHC:

The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) is aware of a video that has been circulating on social media over the past few days, depicting a patient in our Emergency Department while in a vulnerable state and receiving emergency medical care.

The Corporation takes this matter extremely seriously and immediately launched an internal investigation. Through this process, a suspect who is an orthopaedic technician was identified. It is important to note that the individual was not scheduled for duty at the time of the incident. The matter has since been handed over to the Guyana Police Force to be pursued under cybercrime laws.

The GPHC wishes to remind all staff, patients and the general public that video recording or photography within our facility is strictly prohibited unless expressly authorized by Management. Any breach of this policy is a violation of patient privacy, hospital policy, professional ethics, and the trust placed in us by those who seek care.

We deeply regret this incident and extend our sincerest apologies to the patient and her relatives. Safeguarding the dignity, privacy, and well-being of our patients remains our highest priority, and we will continue to take all necessary measures to uphold these standards.

 

 

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In his first week since being re-elected as President of Guyana, Dr Irfaan Ali has been meeting with a number of officials from different sectors to discuss new projects and areas of collaboration.

Recently, the Head of State met with Alistair Routledge, the President of ExxonMobil Guyana, and Andrew Feldman, the CEO and Co-Founder of Cerebras, a technology company specialising in Artificial Intelligence (AI) development and training.

Discussions focused on advancing Guyana’s data centre agenda and its vision for data sovereignty, the President’s official Facebook Page noted.

President Ali also met with a team from Northwell Health led by Vice President and Founding Director of Northwell Health’s Centre for Global Health, Dr Eric Cioè-Peña.

This meeting focused on the implementation of the National Emergency Medicine Authority and on working in collaboration with ExxonMobil to establish a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Centre in Guyana.

Last month, President Ali announced that a proposal was made for Guyana’s first data centre to be developed at Wales, West Bank of Demerara.

The Head of State did not provide further details on the data centre but noted that the facility will position Guyana as a hub for healthcare provision, training, and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

President Ali also met with a team from Northwell Health led by Vice President and Founding Director of Northwell Health’s Centre for Global Health, Dr Eric Cioè-Peña.

The data centre is also intended to be a research institution on data analytics, artificial intelligence development and translational science.

The development comes as the country’s significant offshore gas reserves open doors to multiple industrial ventures. At the 2025 Guyana Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo, President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge, highlighted opportunities to use the resources for refining bauxite into alumina, powering data centres, and supplying energy to fertiliser plants.

Already, about 50 million cubic feet per day (mcf/d) of gas will be supplied to the mega energy project at Wales, West Bank Demerara. The gas will be transported via a pipeline from the Liza project in the Stabroek Block.

A 300-megawatt (MW) power plant is being constructed in Wales; it will use natural gas from the Stabroek Block to generate cleaner, cheaper electricity. Additionally, a Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) processing plant will treat the gas, removing liquids such as propane and butane for commercialisation.

At what ExxonMobil believes will be its eighth development, Longtail in the southeast portion of the Stabroek Block, about 1 to 1.2 billion cubic feet per day can be produced. And with that, Routledge said, comes the opportunity to pursue several ventures, be it alumina production or powering the data centres.

 

 

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An expedition team is raving at what they describe as the “biggest archaeological and cultural experience we have ever had on an expedition.”

Explorers from The Wild Tales, working with villagers from Kopinang in the North Pakaraimas, entered a cave whose walls were covered in ancient paintings and symbols.

“This site is likely one of the best preserved and most remarkable places with cave paintings and drawings in all of Guyana.

“It was beyond anything we could have imagined,” the group posted on Facebook.

The expedition was supported by local guides Ian Haramottoo, Milford Pablo, Francis David, Jude Perreira, Elbert Thomas and Compton Francis.

“It was absolutely worth the three and a half days of tough mountain travel to reach,” the group posted.

The Wild Tales, specialises in jungle expeditions and survival training, relying heavily on indigenous expertise. The company promotes the country as one of the world’s last frontiers of untouched rainforest, home to jaguars, tapirs, giant anteaters and anacondas.

The team said more details of the cave and its artwork will be released in the coming weeks.

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