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The post ‘Butter’, 19, arrested after cutlass attack on elderly labourer appeared first on News Room Guyana.

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.

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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.”

The post APNU closed estates, now pretends to care – Mustapha rejects Norton’s ‘shameless attempt to rewrite history’ appeared first on News Room Guyana.

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.

The post Holness lauds Guyana’s push for regional food security appeared first on News Room Guyana.

A Memorandum of Understanding that will pave the way for a regional food hub at Yarrowkabra, along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, was signed between Bloomberg Grain and the Government of Guyana on Wednesday.

The MoU signing was conducted at the Ministry of Agriculture’s main boardroom on Regent Street, Georgetown. Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha said this memorandum will bolster the country’s agriculture sector to serve as a regional food hub.

“We’ve moved away from that kind of labour-intensive form of production to a more modern and scientific form of production,” Mustapha said.

Bloomberg Grain’s Chairman, Philip Bloomberg, said the renowned U.S.-based agricultural company intends to designate Guyana as its official hub in the Caribbean.

“We’re prepared to invest in processing our Guyanese agricultural products. That means higher value for farmers and an easier way to export.

“We will look to invest in a manufacturing plant because we don’t just do food security — we cover the whole spectrum, and the manufacturing plant will be used to produce the most advanced shade houses,” Bloomberg said.

There have been discussions for further investments in farming. He said President Dr Irfaan Ali has challenged the company to make the project expandable to allow entry into the U.S. market.

Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, reaffirmed agriculture’s central role in Guyana’s development strategy.

“This project represents an important deployment of science and technology in the agricultural production and supply chain to realise greater efficiency,” Dr Singh said.

U.S. Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot, hailed the agreement as a transformative moment in regional development. This strategic partnership marks a pivotal step in the country’s ability to build a sustainable agricultural sector.

The post Landmark MoU signed between Bloomberg Grain & Guyana to develop food hub appeared first on News Room Guyana.

The United States of America (USA) has dedicated efforts to supporting the Guyana Police Force and local and international observers for the Regional and General Elections, U.S. Ambassador Nicole Theriot has said.

During an interview with reporters on the sidelines of an event on Wednesday, the Ambassador said the Force reached out for this support.

“It was just a result of a request from the GPF that this was something they could use, and we’re happy to provide it. As you know, our elections, no matter how contentious they might be, are always peaceful for the most part, and so we do have a lot of expertise in that in the United States, so we were happy to help,” the Ambassador said.

She said the strength of Guyana’s democracy is a serious concern and, as such, officials from Las Vegas and Miami-Dade are expected to arrive in Guyana soon.

The U.S. Embassy will also have about 50 persons available to support observers on September 1.

“We’re also supporting the observers coming from the OAS, and we assisted with the embedded advisors in GECOM who took up their positions last week. They are from the UNDP — we assisted with that, although the funding came from the UK,” she said.

Additionally, the Ambassador said the observers are coordinating to avoid redundancy, including working with the Private Sector Commission, CARICOM, and the Carter Center.

She also said that the U.S. Embassy has met with GECOM, and based on feedback received, the U.S. believes that this will be a free and fair election if all protocols are followed as needed.

“Having those international observers there, having those party observers there, is going to be very instrumental,” Theriot said.

The post U.S. to support Guyana Police Force, observers for Sept. elections appeared first on News Room Guyana.

From ISKCON of Guyana Hare Krishna Study Centre:

The Ratha Yatra festival has become a common sight in most major cities worldwide since 1967, through the Hare Krishna movement. Its founder-acharya, His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, successfully transplanted this ancient celebration, which now occurs annually in London, Paris, New York, and other major cities around the globe.

Ratha Yatra is a significant religious and cultural festival honouring Lord Jagannath (Krishna) traditionally held at Puri, in the state of Orissa, India, where the oldest and most revered Jagannath Deity resides. Once a year, around mid-June, Lord Jagannath, along with his brother Baladeva, and sister Subhadra, are carried from the temple and pulled on huge chariots through the streets of Puri. These massive chariots are the origin of the English word ‘juggernaut’. Millions of devotees attend this festival every year.

ISKCON devotees from our Georgetown Centre dedicate months of planning and hard work to make their annual Ratha-yatra a success. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the festival in Georgetown; the celebration will span four days from July 10 through July 13.

Festival Schedule:

• Thursday, July 10: The celebration begins off at our Temple located at Lot 1, UG Road, ECD, with a three-hour Kirtan Festival from 6:00 pm, featuring ecstatic chanting of devotional melodies to uplift the soul.
• Friday, July 11: Day 1 RathaYatra parade starts at3:00 pm from Delhi & Dennis Streets, Belair to the Hare Krishna Temple at UG Road, followed by a Cultural Program at 6:00 pm.
• Saturday, July 12: Day 2 Ratha Yatra parade begins at 2:00 pm from Better Hope Community Centre to the Hare Krishna Temple at UG Road, with another cultural program from 6:00 pm.
• Sunday, July 13: The celebrations culminate with the observance of the 9th anniversary of the Temple, with the program starting at 3:00 pm. There will be expressions of heartfelt gratitude and reflections on the years of service.

Each day’s festivities will feature ecstatic Kirtan, drama performances, spiritual discussions, and various displays to enhance your spirituality. This year’s festival will be graced by special guest His Holiness Guru Prasad Swami, Governing Body Commissioner for ISKCON Guyana. Everyone is cordially invited to enjoy the wholesome entertainment, awaken their inner spirituality, and be delivered from material distress.

Traditional Stories of Ratha Yatra

Two fascinating stories are associated with Ratha Yatra. The first tells how Krishna appeared to His great devotee, King Indradyuma, instructing him to carve a Deity from a log that would wash up on the seashore. King Indradruma found a mysterious old Brahmin carpenter to carve the Deity, who insisted on working undisturbed. After a period of silence, the worried king opened the doors – only to find the Deity half-finished and the carpenter vanished! The mysterious carpenter was none other than Vishvakarma, the celestial architect.

The distraught king lamented that the Deity had no arms or legs. His remorse at interrupting the carving was only eased when the sage Narada appeared and explained that these Forms were legitimate manifestations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna, His brother Balaram, and sister Subhadra-devi.

The second story explains how Krishna was eavesdropping on His beloved devotees, the gopis (cowherd girlfriends), as they spoke of His pastimes and their love for Him. Sister Subhadra was supposed to keep watch but became so captivated by the gopis’ devotion that she failed to notice Krishna and Balaram approaching. As the brothers listened, their hair stood on end, their arms retracted, their eyes widened, and they similed broadly in ecstasy – explaining the distinctive appearance of Lord Jagannath, Balarama and Subhadra.

A third story reveals the inner meaning of Ratha Yatra. During His earthly pastimes 5,000 years ago, Lord Krishna, with Balaram and Subhadra, visited Kurukshetra in north-central India. There, Krishna met friends and relatives from Vrindavana who longed for Him to return to His childhood home. The Ratha Yatra festival embodies this sentiment – the emotional process of bringing Krishna back to Vrindavana and into the hearts of devotees.

Spiritual Significance of the Rath Yatra Festival

This festival commemorates these divine pastimes of Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Though Krishna is the source of the entire cosmos, He periodically appears within it in human form while displaying His supreme powers and opulences. His earthly pastimes aim to reestablish the essence of all religious principles – pure love for God.

The Ratha Yatra festival gives everyone an opportunity to remember and celebrate Krishna’s pastimes. The wooden Deity forms of Jagannath, Baladeva, and Subhadra are not mere idols but authorized incarnations of the Absolute Truth, who appears in these forms at the request of His pure devotees. Participants in the Festival of the Chariots experience a blissful transcendental connection with Lord Krishna through these Deity forms. The entire celebration fosters love and devotion that promotes universal peace, harmony, and goodwill for all creation.

Scared scriptures repeatedly glorify this special festival. It is said that even touching the chariot or the ropes used to pull it confers the benefits of numerous pious deeds or years of penance. According to the Bhavisya Puräna, whoever joins in the Ratha Yatra parade and festival will be elevated to the kingdom of God.

You will be captivated by the sight of devotees in white and saffron robes playing double-headed drums and brass hand-cymbals, leading the crowd in dancing and chanting: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare.

Come and be blessed!

The post Hare Krishna presents Ratha Yatra 2025 – Festival of the Chariot appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Two construction workers were remanded to prison for the murder of a teenager from Litchfield.

Antwone Campbell, 19, and Rayon Frank, both residents of Number 40 Village, appeared before Magistrate Michelle Matthias at the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday morning.

The court heard that Campbell and Frank murdered 18-year-old Jerroy Gordon of Litchfield Village on Thursday, July 3.

The defendants were not required to enter a plea regarding the serious murder charge.

Police Prosecutor Sergeant Garfield Edwards indicated to the court that while the case file is complete, the postmortem examination report for the deceased is still pending.

Following this, Magistrate Matthias reminded the two defendants of the gravity of the charges they face and ordered their remand in custody.

The case has been scheduled to be heard at the Weldaad Magistrate’s Court on August 8.

According to reports, around 21:30 hours July 3, Jerroy and his 16-year-old brother Jerry were returning home on a motorcycle after buying food when they were ambushed a short distance from their home. Jerry recounted that one of the attackers ran across the road with a rope at Number 40 Village, forcing them off the motorcycle. Both brothers fell to the ground, and when Jerry looked back, he saw several men charging at them armed with cutlasses. Fearing for his life, Jerry ran to Litchfield to alert relatives, only returning to the scene later to find his brother critically wounded.

Jerroy was rushed to the Fort Wellington Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. He had sustained a deep wound to his neck and other injuries. Investigators revealed that Jerroy had previous disputes with some of the suspects earlier this year—a matter that was before the court but has since concluded.

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