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Joe Root’s masterful unbeaten 99 held England together on an attritional first day of the third Test against India at Lord’s.

In lethargic conditions, Root showed supreme grit and determination to take the home side to 251-4.

On a slow, dry pitch that looks set to turn and grow uneven as the match progresses, England were forced to curb their attacking instincts in a crawl of barely three runs an over.

In the extreme heat of London, the home crowd cheered when Ben Stokes won the toss and finally chose to bat first. What followed was a battle to score runs because of the surface and collective relentlessness of India’s bowling.

Twice England found themselves up against it: first when Nitish Kumar Reddy removed both openers in the same over to leave the hosts 44-2, then when Ollie Pope and Harry Brook fell after tea in a slide to 172-4.

But the peerless Root added 109 with Pope, who took 104 balls over his 44, then an unbroken 79 with Stokes, the captain moving to 39 not out despite struggling with what looked like a groin injury.

India did little wrong, but captain Shubman Gill’s drop of Pope off his first ball could prove to be vital.

The tourists are also waiting on the fitness of explosive batter Rishabh Pant, who injured his finger keeping wicket and spent most of the day off the field. (BBC)

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Three men have been remanded to prison after they were charged in connection with the recent seizure of more than 24 kilograms of foreign marijuana by the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) on the West Coast Demerara.

Kenner Arjun, Antonio Bobb, and Pooran Seemangal appeared before Magistrate George at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 10th July, 2025. They all pleaded not guilty to the charge of possession of 21.714 kilograms of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

Additionally, Kenner Arjun pleaded not guilty to a separate charge for possession of 3.128 kilograms of cannabis for trafficking.

Bail was denied for all three men, who were remanded to prison until August 20, 2025.

The charges stem from an operation on Monday, 7th July, when CANU officers intercepted a motor car in De Kinderen, West Coast Demerara, and found several parcels of marijuana known locally as “Creepy”. A follow-up search in Hauge led to the discovery of more foreign marijuana at a residence linked to Arjun.

Investigations into the matter remain ongoing.

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A 77-year-old man has died following a tragic accident on the Friendship Public Road, East Bank Demerara, on Thursday morning.

Dead is Mike Dasrat of Lot 24 Brickery, East Bank Demerara. The accident occurred at around 09:42hrs and involved Dasrat’s motor jeep, PLL 8152, and a motor lorry, GAE 5317, driven by 37-year-old Aubrey Herman Lim of Timehri.

According to police reports, the lorry was travelling north along the western drive lane of the Friendship Public Road, while Dasrat’s jeep was heading south on the eastern drive lane. The lorry driver told investigators that he was near the Friendship Secondary School when he saw the jeep suddenly swerve into his lane and continue driving directly towards him.

In an attempt to avoid a collision, Lim said he applied brakes, swerved westward and stopped the lorry. Despite this, the short braking distance resulted in the jeep colliding head-on with the lorry.

The impact left Dasrat with severe injuries. Emergency Medical Technicians arrived promptly and transported him to the Diamond Public Hospital, where he was examined by a doctor but succumbed to his injuries at 10:34hrs, without regaining consciousness.

His body is currently at the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, awaiting a post-mortem examination.

Police have served a Notice of Intended Prosecution on the lorry driver, who was breathalysed at the scene and tested negative for alcohol.

Investigations into the fatal crash are ongoing.

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Residents living along the B-Field Sophia Access Road can soon expect major improvements to their daily commute, following the award of a $1.5 billion contract for the reconstruction and widening of the carriageway.

On Thursday, Ministers Deodat Indar and Kwame McCoy met with residents in the area to provide details about the project and address any concerns.

The scope of works includes the full reconstruction of the existing roadway with an asphaltic concrete finish. Sections of the road will also be widened and resurfaced to ease traffic congestion. Additionally, a PVC sheet pile retaining wall will be constructed alongside the drainage canal, and bridges and culverts will be upgraded to boost structural capacity and resilience. Utilities will be relocated where necessary, and modern road safety features will be installed.

Minister Indar assured residents that the PPP/C Government remains committed to ongoing consultations to minimise disruptions as the works progress.

Once completed, the rehabilitated road is expected to significantly improve traffic flow for thousands of commuters travelling between South and East Georgetown daily.

The contract has been awarded to Erin Lall Civil Engineering Works, which has one year to complete the project.

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Twenty-three-year-old Joshua Taylor was fatally wounded early Thursday morning during attempts to restrain him after he took possession of his father’s licensed firearm and began shooting indiscriminately.

The incident occurred between 00:15 hrs and 01:15 hrs at South Turkeyen, Georgetown, outside Taylor’s home.

The News Room understands that investigations revealed Joshua’s father, Garvin Taylor, was at home sleeping when he was awakened by an argument between Joshua and his cousins, Kevin Murray and 16-year-old Alvin Taylor.

The cousins claimed that Joshua had broken some blocks belonging to Kevin. This prompted Joshua’s father to approach them in an attempt to calm the situation.

During this process, Joshua allegedly ran to his father’s room, took possession of the firearm, and discharged several rounds into the air.

A police patrol responded to the scene and, upon noticing the officers, Joshua ran into a nearby yard where he was apprehended by a 49-year-old security guard.

He was held to the ground and disarmed. At that point, it was discovered that Joshua was injured. He was picked up and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

An examination revealed a wound to his shoulder. In an interview with reporters, the deceased man’s aunt, Subrina Taylor, described the incident as a “war break”.

Subrina said she retired to bed on Wednesday night and woke up to shouts coming from her nephew.

It was followed by rapid gunshots.

“I put on my glasses and I see this boy with the firearm in his hand…And I see people running pun the road,” Subrina said.

She added, “I check my gate make sure my gate lock. I go in back and lock me door. The boy jump pun me fence and climb pun the house top and start losing fire pun top the house top”.

Subrina said she woke up her husband but by that time she saw Joshua was laying in front her entrance.

“I left bazodee. When I look close at the boy and go close and zoom into the boy that’s my nephew. He said aunt go down pun the ground.

“I watching through the hole you know…I watch he coming again and he duck again…and I keep praying,” Subrina related.

According to Subrina, Joshua’s father pleaded with him to surrender but he didn’t listen.

“Bullets all over. I weary… My whole body numb…right now is more than wah yuh could tek.

“Shoot fah shoot. Is war break,” Subrina said.

Police recovered one 9mm spent shell and one warhead at the scene.

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Big promises of cash transfers made by the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) at its campaign launch on Sunday have been shot down by General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, as “extravagant and unsustainable.”

“It is a lot of unsustainable promises. They are very extravagant on promises as they were in 2015. And they did not do anything to implement it,” Jagdeo said today during the PPP’s weekly press conference.

Betting big on oil revenues, the APNU dished out a menu of promises which included $1 to $2 million direct cash transfer to every Guyanese citizen, 35% salary increases for all public servants, and $120,000 annually for all children.

Elections 2025: APNU launches 2025 campaign with big spending pledges

The campaign launch, held at the Square of the Revolution, was the poorest showing for the APNU at a campaign launch in the last decade.

In examining the figures proposed, Jagdeo explained that just the annual 35% salary increases will take the public sector wage bill to $1.1 trillion by 2030. Guyana’s 2025 budget was $1.382 trillion.

The APNU is also proposing to cut revenues by billions of dollars through a massive increase in the income tax threshold to $400,000.

“So, they had a lot of extravagant promises. And people are disillusioned with the APNU because of their performance,” the PPP General Secretary said, reflecting on the APNU’s inability to fulfil many of their promises made to Guyanese in 2015.

In 2015, the APNU + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) coalition campaigned heavily on the provision of jobs for young people, but contended after taking office that it was not the responsibility of the government to provide jobs for young people.

(more…)

Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, has rejected recent statements by Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton about the future of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) under a possible APNU-led administration, calling them “disingenuous” and a “shameless attempt to rewrite history.”

In a statement on Wednesday, Mustapha reminded the public that it was the APNU — which Norton now leads — that shut down the Rose Hall, Skeldon, Wales, and Enmore sugar estates between 2015 and 2020, putting more than 7,500 sugar workers out of jobs and plunging entire communities into economic and social crisis.

“These reckless decisions were made despite a report from the Commission of Inquiry into GUYSUCO, commissioned by the APNU/AFC themselves, which warned of the devastating long-term impacts of closures,” Mustapha said. “They ignored it, and thousands of families paid the price.”

He accused the previous government of not only shuttering estates but also refusing to pay sugar workers their full severance, forcing them to fight lengthy court battles for what was rightfully theirs. According to Mustapha, it was only after the return of the PPP/C to government that the outstanding severance was finally paid.

He noted that the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) later found that the closures led to rising suicide rates, crime, and alcohol abuse, exposing the deep social scars left behind.

Mustapha criticised Norton for now promising to “transform” GUYSUCO and claiming there will be no estate closures under a future APNU government. “These are hollow promises built on the ruins APNU themselves created,” Mustapha declared. “They cynically called it ‘right-sizing’ then — now they pretend to care.”

He contrasted this with the PPP/C’s record since returning to office, highlighting the reopening of the Rose Hall Estate, re-employment of workers, and new investments in mechanisation, diversification, and recapitalisation.

“The sugar industry does not need empty rhetoric. It needs leadership — and that leadership is already in place under President Dr. Irfaan Ali,” Mustapha said.

He reminded Guyanese, especially sugar workers, that they know who “stood with them and who abandoned them.”

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The Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Health, is engaging Medversity, a training institution in India, to have medical professionals trained there.

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony said that given the country’s rapid development in the health sector, there have been discussions to have persons studying in the medical field sent to India.

He also said it would be of great support for professionals to visit Guyana and conduct sessions. He was at the time addressing a virtual launch for the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) and Medversity Health Sciences programmes.

“We are hoping to pursue some of the courses in a mixed way. You do the theory online, and then if there are practical things that need to be done early, we can send those persons to India to get those types of practical skills,” the Health Minister said.

He added that medicine, apart from knowing the theory, also requires hands-on training.

“You need to have some practical skills, and we look forward to sending some of our people to India to get those skills,” Dr Anthony said.

He said the courses launched will be online, but a blended approach would work best for Guyana’s growing economy.

“We have been discussing, as well, the possibility of some of your specialists coming to Guyana and teaching in Guyana, where we are able to license your specialists to practise here, so you can teach here in Guyana as well. So I think it’s exciting. It’s one of the ways in which we want to develop as we expand the health sector here,” the minister said.

He said that through partnerships like this, Guyana will be able to deliver a high quality of medical care.

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Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Jamaican Prime Minister, Dr Andrew Holness, on Tuesday commended Guyana’s President, Dr Irfaan Ali, for his leadership in advancing food and nutrition security across the Caribbean.

“I wish to thank President Ali of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, who has been expertly leading the region’s efforts under this portfolio [food security],” Holness said during the 49th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM in Montego Bay.

President Ali currently holds responsibility for agriculture, agricultural diversification, and food security in the CARICOM quasi-cabinet.

The CARICOM Chair further highlighted the importance of agriculture to the region’s economic resilience.

“Food and nutrition security continue to be key elements of the agenda as we seek to reduce the region’s food imports through the transformation of our agriculture sector,” Holness said.

He also reminded those in attendance of the decision to extend the region’s ambitious ‘25 by 2025’ food security initiative to 2030, with additional resilient and sustainable goals. The ‘25 by 2025’ initiative was developed during the COVID-19 pandemic to cut food imports by 25 per cent by 2025.

The extended 2030 food security agenda will incorporate a tech-driven agricultural sector and encourage greater participation from women and young people.

The Heads of Government at the 49th Regular Meeting also endorsed the Food Security Formulation and Design Plan, which will guide future investments and programmes to boost regional food production and distribution.

During his remarks, Holness also referenced a recent study published in Nature Food, which found that out of 186 countries, only Guyana produces enough food to self-sufficiently feed all its citizens without foreign imports.

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