Guyana’s President Dr. Irfaan Ali vowed that the East Coast Demerara would significantly transform in the next five years and revealed that there are already many proposals for the community of Enmore.
In Enmore, the President revealed, there are proposals for a dairy plant, brewery expansion, private universities, and a waterfront development. Already, the Shoreline Mall is being developed here.
But the development isn’t confined to Enmore.
“The East Coast is going to be an exciting area,” Dr. Ali said on Friday night as he spoke at the commissioning of the new Enmore Regional Hospital.
He highlighted that there will be a mix of private and public developments intended to boost commercial activity and improve livelihoods along the East Coast.
Government investments will include a massive public parking lot replete with security and adequate lighting, and a commercial zone for machine shops and similar ventures.
Dr. Ali also announced that a modern feed facility will be built with support from Brazil’s State of Roraima.
These ventures complement other ongoing projects such as high expansion efforts and housing developments.
And the President said the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) government is still exploring the possibility of a railway system to link the East Coast and the East Bank of Demerara.
Police are probing what appears to be a domestic murder at Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara, which claimed the life of 50-year-old housewife Bibi Salima Persaud late Friday night.
Persaud, of Lot 193 Ivan Road, Soesdyke, was found dead inside her home with multiple wounds, including a fatal cut to her throat. Her partner, 38-year-old mechanic Dinesh Ram, called ‘Paul’, is the main suspect and is now hospitalised under Police guard after allegedly ingesting poison.
The couple, who shared a common-law relationship, lived together in a one-storey wooden house raised on stilts about three feet off the ground.
According to the victim’s son, Sankar Persaud, his mother and Ram frequently argued. The suspect reportedly accused Persaud of having an affair because she often used her mobile phone — though the couple usually reconciled after these disputes. Sankar, who lives in a separate flat concrete house east of his mother’s home, told Police that he returned home with his brother around 23:00 hrs on Friday, 4th July 2025.
As they entered the yard, they heard Ram groaning as if in severe pain and found him lying in a pool of water formed by heavy rainfall. When Sankar asked if he was okay, Ram did not respond coherently. Alarmed, Sankar began calling for his mother but received no answer. He then checked inside the house and made the horrifying discovery of his mother’s motionless body on the floor.
Ranks from the Guyana Police Force responded promptly after Sankar raised the alarm. On arrival, they found Ram still lying in the yard with a green substance around his mouth, suspected to be pesticide poison. He was immediately taken to the Diamond Regional Hospital, where he was admitted and remains under Police guard.
Police reported that Bibi Salima Persaud was found lying face up with visible wounds to her left forehead, mouth, left wrist, right hand, neck and face. A blood-stained kitchen knife was recovered from the floor near her body, along with a bottle of suspected pesticide poison near the door.
Statements have since been taken from relatives and neighbours as investigators continue to gather evidence. The suspect remains hospitalised while the investigation into the alleged murder and suspected attempted suicide continues.
Anyone with additional information that may assist the Police is urged to contact the nearest station immediately.
Police are investigating what appears to be a fatal case of road rage which left a 26-year-old mechanic dead in Georgetown on Friday afternoon.
The victim, Jamal Green of Durban Street Lodge, was fatally stabbed following a heated street confrontation with a taxi driver between Robb and Albert Streets around 13:30 hrs.
The suspect, 30-year-old taxi driver Keon Belgrave of the Sophia squatting area, was arrested at the scene and remains in Police custody as detectives continue their investigations.
Initial reports suggest the incident began when Belgrave was driving motor car PXX 7379 south along Albert Street, with Green riding his motorcycle CN 9595 behind him in the same direction. According to Police, Green rode up beside the car and told Belgrave that he “should have hit him” with his vehicle — sparking an argument between the two.
After the brief exchange, Green reportedly rode ahead and stopped his motorcycle, prompting Belgrave to also pull over and exit his car.
A 30-year-old eyewitness told investigators he saw Green armed with a piece of iron, which he used to lash Belgrave on his back. Belgrave then returned to his vehicle, retrieved a knife, and confronted Green. A struggle ensued in full view of bystanders, during which Green was stabbed three times in his back before collapsing on the street.
Emergency Medical Technicians rushed to the scene and transported Green to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). However, despite efforts to resuscitate him, he was pronounced dead by Dr Walcott while receiving treatment.
Police ranks quickly responded, arresting Belgrave and recovering both the knife and the iron rod believed to have been used in the scuffle. The scene was processed and CCTV cameras in the area reportedly captured the fatal confrontation.
In a statement under caution, Belgrave claimed he had been driving normally when Green rode alongside him and accused him of almost hitting him. After the initial argument, both men continued driving until the corner of Robb and Albert Street, where Green allegedly struck Belgrave with a steel pipe before returning to his motorcycle. Belgrave told Police he then armed himself with a knife from his car and confronted Green, leading to the deadly struggle.
The mechanic’s body is now at the GPHC mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination.
The Guyana Police Force is treating the incident as a suspected road rage killing and has assured that a thorough investigation is underway.
Anyone with additional information or relevant video footage is asked to contact the nearest Police station.
Efforts to fast-track the completion of the Linden-Lethem Road and develop Lethem into a major food and energy hub were high on the agenda during an official visit by the Governor of the State of Roraima, Mr. Antonio Olivério Garcia de Almeida, to Guyana on 4-5 July 2025.
Governor Almeida, who was accompanied by senior Roraima officials responsible for investment, agriculture, communication, and military affairs, met with President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and key members of his Cabinet at State House. The Guyanese delegation included the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Finance, Agriculture, Public Works and Tourism, along with the Foreign Secretary.
The high-level talks focused on deepening cooperation between Guyana and Northern Brazil, especially Roraima, with strategic priorities spanning agriculture, livestock, energy, infrastructure, technical exchanges, and increased private sector investment.
Top among the outcomes was a renewed commitment to complete the second phase of the Linden-Lethem Road Project, which both sides underscored as vital to boosting trade, connectivity, and food security for Guyana, Roraima and the wider Caribbean.
Additionally, plans were discussed to establish a food and livestock processing hub in Lethem to expand agricultural production and exports, alongside a proposed integrated energy complex through public-private partnerships, incorporating Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and other petroleum products.
To strengthen people-to-people ties and knowledge transfer, both sides agreed to pursue scholarship and exchange programmes between universities and research institutions in Guyana and Roraima, focusing on agriculture, technology and innovation.
Other areas of cooperation include improving customs and immigration procedures at the Lethem-Bonfim border crossing to boost efficiency and trade flows, and concluding a formal Memorandum of Understanding to advance these shared goals.
A joint working group will be set up with clear objectives and timelines to implement these initiatives and explore new opportunities for public and private sector collaboration.
The visit marks another step in Guyana’s efforts to build stronger economic links with its neighbours and position Lethem as a gateway for trade and investment connecting Brazil, Guyana and the Caribbean.
Several persons have been arrested in connection with the fatal attack on two brothers in Litchfield, West Coast Berbice, on Thursday night.
The deceased has been identified as 18-year-old Jerroy Gordon, of Lot 68 Litchfield, Region Five.
Reports indicate that Jerroy and his 16-year-old brother, Jerry Gordon, were riding a motorcycle when they were violently confronted a short distance from their home.
In an interview with reporters, Jerry recounted the harrowing ordeal. He explained that he was riding pillion while they were returning home after buying food when they encountered a group of armed men.
“All I know is one of them ran across the road with a rope and he shook my brother off the bike. We both fell off. When I turned back, I saw them running towards us. One had a cutlass coming at me, so I had to run. I ran to Litchfield, called my cousins, and it took me a while before I went back to the scene,” he revealed.
Jerroy was rushed to the Fort Wellington Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. He sustained a severe wound to his neck and other injuries.
Investigations have so far revealed that Jerroy had previous altercations with some of the assailants earlier this year. That matter had been reported to the police and was before the court but has since concluded.
Region Five Commander Lonsdale Withrite confirmed that several individuals have been detained for questioning in connection with the killing.
Businessman Azruddin Mohamed, who has been sanctioned by the United States government, has now accused local politicians of corruption in a prerecorded video message shared early Friday morning.
“A nation as rich in natural resources as ours should have citizens who are equally prosperous but that is impossible while we have corrupt politicians who care only about themselves,” Mohamed said in the video message shared on the Team Mohamed’s Facebook page, responding to concerns about a US firm hired by the government.
Mr. Mohamed has, ironically, been sanctioned for smuggling gold resources and other corrupt acts.
“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,” a release from the US Department of the Treasury noted in 2024.
The businessman defended himself in the video, stating, “I am not a danger to Guyana.”
The businessman’s video focused on recent reports that a lobbying firm was hired by the government to inform US officials of threats to Guyana. The caption of Mr. Mohamed’s video said taxpayers’ funds are being used to “smear Mohamed.” However, Guyana’s President Dr. Irfaan Ali and Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo explained that the firm was hired to inform US officials of external threats to Guyana, including from Venezuela. Jagdeo, on Thursday, said the firm was not instructed to raise concerns about Mr. Mohamed.
In preparation for his future, young Lindener David Fletchman decided to apply for a house lot back in 2017. Like many others, he waited eagerly for that call confirming his success.
But that was not the outcome. At the time, he needed additional documents and had also applied for a house lot in Region Four — the region with the highest number of applications and an existing backlog.
Based on advice, Fletchman submitted a new application, this time for Region Ten. Less than two years later, his application was successful.
“I did everything online — submitted all the documents, scanned them with my phone and whatnot — and I got the okay.
“It’s sooner than expected but, yeah, it was worth the wait. I know people with families who waited longer than I did,” Fletchman told the News Room on Friday.
Fletchman is among 1,000 individuals who were allocated house lots in the New Wismar Phase Two housing development. The allocations took place as the Ministry of Housing and Water held a ‘Dream Realised’ housing drive at the Watooka Guest House in Linden.
Lindener David Fletchman
Single mother of two, Deionna Nelson, was another allottee. She, too, applied in 2023 and had to make some changes to the information included in her application.
“It was kind of fatiguing but I managed to overcome the process.
“I feel extremely excited that I got through. I feel like I have reached a huge milestone… and for a person who is very young, I feel accomplished,” Nelson told the News Room.
Addressing those gathered, Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, said that although the government has surpassed its target of allocating 50,000 house lots in five years, allocations have not stopped.
Instead, she said, recognising the ongoing need for housing, a plan was developed to address the existing backlog of applications.
“You have a government that has already promised there will be continuity in the housing sector because we have seen the demand.
“We believe in ownership. We believe in the housing sector’s ability to empower lives,” Rodrigues said.
Of the applications made since 2020, Rodrigues noted that 90 per cent were from low-income families.
“We have been able to significantly reduce the timeline between application and allocation,” she added.
The exercise is the third of its kind to be held in Region Ten.
Meanwhile, Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, said home ownership and access remain top priorities.
“It therefore means that in all these regions, the pending applications will be cleared in this current year of 2025 for all applicants who applied by December 31, 2024,” Croal said.
Apart from allocations, Croal said significant investments are being made to develop housing areas, with infrastructure works already under way to ensure that allottees can access their lots.
“We are providing land for you to be able to access your land,” Croal said.
Since 2020, some 1,800 individuals have been allocated house lots in Region Ten.
Alisande Jaiserrisingh, Coach of Queen’s College’s basketball team, is currently representing the Guyana Basketball Federation (GBF) at the prestigious FIBA Americas Adelante Forum, held alongside the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup 2025 in Santiago, Chile.
According to the GBF, the 19-year-old’s participation signals another bold step in its mission to elevate female representation and leadership in the sport.
Running from July 2-5, the in-person gathering builds on two earlier virtual sessions and centers on analysing data-driven strategies to overcome persistent barriers to women’s basketball in the Americas.
Adelante 3.0, the latest edition of FIBA’s female empowerment initiative, aims to prepare women for leadership roles within basketball federations through mentorship, education and real-world projects.
This year’s forum theme focuses on expanding lifelong participation in girls’ and women’s basketball, a crucial objective for growing the sport’s global footprint.
Research highlights that fans of women’s basketball often have playing experience themselves, and the sport’s rising popularity hinges on more consistent investment and media exposure.
“To convince stakeholders, we need a stronger pipeline,” said FIBA Americas Vice-President Patrick Haynes.
Haynes, who also serves as General Secretary of the GBF, added: “More players mean larger audiences, better talent pools for national teams and sustainable growth.”
Meanwhile, Michael Singh, president of the GBF, added that Jaiserrisingh insights will be invaluable “as we work to break down barriers and create more opportunities for women in basketball. This isn’t just about the present, it’s about building a legacy for future generations.”
Jaiserrisingh, who is also the assistant coach for the Panthers Basketball Club, joins delegates from across the region to analyse player feedback and develop actionable strategies tailored to each country’s needs.
The GBF noted, that insights gathered will support their efforts to boost recruitment, retention and professional opportunities for female athletes.
Guyana’s involvement in the Adelante programme is part of a broader push for gender equity, with the GBF pointing out that former participants Sileena Arjune and Shauna Chester laid the groundwork for current initiatives, and Jaiserrisingh’s contribution continues to build on that legacy.
About Alisande Jaiserrisingh
Alisande Jaiserrisingh is an exceptional young leader whose accomplishments span academics, the arts and sport.
As a student of Queen’s College, she was recognised as Guyana’s Top Principles of Business Student and ranked among the Top 10 in the Caribbean, earning the Private Sector Commission Prize for Most Outstanding Business Student.
A recipient of the Queen’s College Medal and School Colours Awards, she was also honoured as the British High Commissioner for the Day in 2023 and won the GEITI Essay Competition.
Alisande is a published poet, with her piece “Where is the Justice?” featured in a Caribbean anthology.
In basketball, she has twice captained Guyana’s Under-17 Female National Team and now plays for the Demerara Panthers Female Club.
A dedicated youth coach, she mentors teams at Queen’s College and the School of the Nations across multiple categories, earning the YBG-NSBF 2024 Coach Award.
Jamie Smith and Harry Brook produced a stunning England fightback but India remain in a dominant position at the end of the third day of the second Test at Edgbaston.
Smith counter-attacked after Joe Root and Ben Stokes fell in consecutive deliveries in the second over of the day, racing to an 80-ball century and going on to make a supreme 184 not out.
He shared an epic partnership of 303 with Brook, who made a more measured yet equally as crucial 158, to haul England back into the contest.
India came roaring back with the second new ball, however, dismissing Brook and sweeping aside the lower order as the final five England wickets fell for just 20 runs.
The hosts were all out for 407 with a fired-up Mohammed Siraj taking 6-70.
That meant India took a big first-innings lead of 180, although not as significant an advantage as they looked set for when Stokes was out with his side five down and 503 behind.
India reached 64-1 in 13 overs before the close, extending their advantage to 244.
The enthralling day leaves India in control but, with England’s love for a run-chase, a memorable final two days could yet be in store as the tourists look to level the series.
Test set up by enthralling day
The first two days of this match were absorbing.
On Friday it burst into life to produce one of the most remarkable days in recent memory.
The first session was scarcely believable.
England scored 172 runs and excitement built that Smith could reach three figures in less than 76 balls to make the fastest century by an England player- a record that has stood for 123 years.
He failed in that quest but, having come in with his side 85-5 and staring down the barrel, still made the highest score by an England wicketkeeper in men’s Tests, eclipsing Alec Stewart’s 173 in New Zealand in 1997.
Either side of Smith’s mammoth stand with Brook, England lost seven wickets for 28 runs.
India deserve immense credit for the way they sensed their moment after tea.
Significant seam movement for Akash Deep helped him bowl Brook while the occasional ball has turned for the spinners and others kept low to the quicks.
That means chasing anything more than the 371 England pursued at Headingley to win last week’s first Test will be tough.
But if England do not bowl out India, their opponents will be left with an intriguing tactical decision of when to declare given England’s chasing credentials – they also pursued 378 to beat India in 2022 – and the hosts’ stated disinterest in playing for a draw.
Would India leave England four sessions to get 500?
PNCR leader Aubrey Norton on Friday dismissed concerns that Jermaine Figueira was sidelined, claiming instead that the former party member was incompetent.
Figueira, a well-known member of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) who has been seen as a key party figure in Linden, resigned from the party last weekend.
Figueira is among several prominent PNCR members who departed the party recently. At a party press conference on Friday, however, Norton said those resignations are not likely to negatively impact the party ahead of the September 1 General and Regional Elections.
Facing several questions from reporters, Norton zeroed in on Mr. Figueira’s perceived performance in the party. According to the PNCR leader, Figueira had been performing less than expected in Region 10, particularly ahead of the last Local Government Elections. He also expressed dissatisfaction at Figueria’s performance in his role as the shadow Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, and as such, sought to justify his (Figueria’s) removal from that spot.
“We don’t consider him a heavyweight because the work that was required as a party in Region 10 wasn’t being done,” Norton said.
He later added, “It had to do with competence or lack of it, not anything to do with (being) sidelined.”
Norton and the PNCR have, however, been faced with numerous resignations and public disapprovals of the current leadership style.
Several people have spoken out about being sidelined in the party despite their efforts and commitment.
At the heart of Figueira’s resignation is what he described as the party’s “troubling tolerance for rising ethnic antagonism”. Once a platform for inclusive nationalism, the PNCR, he argued, now flirts with divisive rhetoric.
Figueira also painted a grim picture of internal dysfunction, saying the PNCR’s culture has deteriorated into “sycophancy and vindictiveness”, with loyal members pushed aside in favour of political insiders.
Still, Norton believes that the party is strong and would not lose support due to the exodus of members.
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Lindener David Fletchman