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The government on Saturday officially commissioned more than $7.7 billion in bridges along the critical Linden to Lethem corridor, marking a major step forward in national connectivity and regional development.

A total of 45 bridges were constructed, significantly enhancing access between Regions Nine and Ten.

A total of 45 bridges were constructed, significantly enhancing access between Regions Nine and Ten. (Photo: Prime Minister Mark Phillips/Facebook)

These upgrades improve the link between northern Brazil and the Atlantic Ocean, via Port Georgetown. Therefore, the area is better positioned as a growing hub for trade and commerce. The newly completed bridges and ongoing road network also aim to reduce travel time, unlocking opportunities in key sectors like agriculture and tourism.

The bridges were declared opened by Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips and Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill.

“We see this moment as a signal that the old days of division between Guyana’s coastland and hinterland are over. It is a declaration that development is for all, and it is a commitment to build, connect, and elevate every community and every one of our people’s futures in Guyana,” the Prime Minister said.

A total of 45 bridges were constructed, significantly enhancing access between Regions Nine and Ten. (Photo: Prime Minister Mark Phillips/Facebook)

In 2025, more than $12.9 billion was allocated for continued development along the Linden/Lethem corridor. Nationally, $209 billion has been earmarked to advance road and bridge infrastructure across Guyana.

Complementary projects underway across the country, include the Linden to Mabura Hill Road, new bridges over the Corentyne, Berbice, and Demerara rivers, and major highways linking communities from Palmyra to Moleson Creek and Ogle to Eccles.

A total of 45 bridges were constructed, significantly enhancing access between Regions Nine and Ten. (Photo: Prime Minister Mark Phillips/Facebook)

“These projects are the firm foundation of a fully connected Guyana,” Prime Minister Phillips affirmed.

“We are bridging our future by creating access and opening up opportunities.”

The commissioning was attended by regional officials, engineers, community leaders and residents.

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Two local artistes will soon have the chance to share the stage with internationally acclaimed Dancehall icon, Vybz Kartel. This opportunity is being made possible through a collaborative initiative between the Government of Guyana and the artiste’s management team.

The move follows a recent visit by Vybz Kartel to Guyana, during which he met with President Irfaan Ali and a group of local musicians. As part of his commitment to supporting the growth of the Guyanese music scene, Kartel pledged to feature local talent during his upcoming performance. He also opened the door for collaborations with local artistes.

To ensure a fair selection process, the Government has announced open auditions, from which one male and one female artiste will be chosen based on specific criteria.

President Dr Irfaan Ali hosted Jamaican and international dancehall artist Adidja Azim Palmer, better known as Vybz Kartel, at State House on February 28, 2025 (Photo: President Irfaan Ali/Facebook)

On Friday, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond, along with Kwame McCoy, Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister responsible for Public Affairs, met with aspiring artistes at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

Minister McCoy emphasized the Government’s ongoing support for the creative industries, highlighting initiatives such as grants for recording studios. He noted that the music industry has the potential to become a billion-dollar sector and encouraged artistes to refine their craft to appeal to both local and global audiences.

Minister Walrond echoed this sentiment, outlining the Government’s broader vision for developing the local music industry. She emphasized the importance of creating opportunities for international exposure and collaborations, with the ultimate goal of positioning Guyanese artistes as globally recognized talents.

“We are stronger as a collective, and this initiative helps bring us together as creatives and artistes,” Minister Walrond stated.

As part of the selection process, all interested artistes are required to submit samples of their work. A shortlist of ten will be selected for a final audition, from which the top two performers will be chosen.

Vybz Kartel is scheduled to perform in Guyana on May 24.

[Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Press Release]

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President Irfaan Ali has announced plans to build at least 1,000 core homes across Region Nine (Upper Takutu- Upper Essequibo) if the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is elected for a second term.

“In our next term in government, we are going to expand the housing project and core homes project in Region Nine. We have to build at least 1,000 of those core homes across Region Nine,” the President stated during his visit to Yupukari Village on Saturday.

The Head of State highlighted that some significant investments have already been made, noting that $450 million has been invested in infrastructure in Katoka, Yupukari, Fly Hill, and Kaicumbay villages in recent years.

President Dr Irfaan Ali engaged with residents from several Region Nine Villages followed by a visit to the Lethem Rodeo on Friday night. (President Irfaan Ali/Facebook)

“As we work together, we also know and part of our philosophy is, every day we think about how we can bring initiatives to further strengthen and enhance the communities,” President Ali added.

In response to transportation needs in Yupukari and its surrounding satellite villages, President Ali assured residents that the government is taking action.

“You want minibuses, you want further help in transportation. The Ministry of Amerindian Affairs has already procured two buses to support the satellite communities,” the President stated.

President Ali and the First Family is in Lethem Region Nine for the 2025 Rupununi Rodeo (Photo: President Irfaan Ali/Facebook)

Reflecting on the growth and development in Indigenous Villages, President Ali said: “When we were going to these communities first, the big request used to be a fork and shovel and cutlass. Today, we have grown to the extent that our requests are ATVs, chainsaws, minibuses, boats, engines, health centres, and schools.”

The President also addressed the need for emergency services and said an ambulance has also been procured for Yupukari.

To improve connectivity, upgrades are also planned for infrastructure such as roads and bridges for several villages. The Yupukari and Fly Hill Bridge will be upgraded from a wooden to a concrete bridge.

Further, the road from Katoka Junction to Fly Hill, about 3 km long, will continue to be upgraded, and the six-kilometre stretch from Parishara to Kaicumbay is already being assessed by engineers for improvements.

Another project has also been earmarked for 516 households, where each household will receive a tank to harness rainwater. President Ali announced that Kaicumbay’s sports ground will also be enhanced as the government explores the establishment of a housing scheme there.

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West Indies have failed to reach the Women’s World Cup for the first time in 25 years after finishing their qualifying games 0.01 behind Bangladesh on net run-rate.

After restricting Thailand to 166, West Indies needed to chase their target down in 10 overs to overhaul second-placed Bangladesh’s net run-rate advantage.

They made a blistering effort but fell just short, reaching 156-3 after 10 overs – the highest powerplay total in women’s ODIs.

Hayley Matthews’ side completed victory on 168-4 just five balls later to finish level with Bangladesh on six points. However, West Indies ended with a net run-rate of 0.63, meaning Bangladesh squeezed through on 0.64.

West Indies began the final day of qualifying in third position in the table, with only the top two teams advancing to this autumn’s 50-over World Cup.

Matthews kickstarted the brave attempt with a 21-ball fifty – the second-fastest in women’s one-day internationals – before she was dismissed for 70 from 29 balls.

Elsewhere, Pakistan won all five of their matches to qualify comfortably, while Bangladesh will also compete at the eight-team tournament. (BBC)

 

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President Irfaan Ali commissioned two new secondary schools in Region Nine (Upper Takutu- Upper Essequibo) on Saturday, highlighting significant progress in education development in the region.

The Katoka Secondary and Yupukari Secondary schools were built to eradicate ‘primary tops’ in the region. These primary tops are departments within primary schools that cater for children of secondary school age who have no formal secondary school to attend. And the government has been building new secondary schools as part of efforts to achieve universal secondary education.

With the two schools, some 465 children are expected to be enrolled – 265 at Katoka Secondary and 200 at Yupukari.

Yupukari Secondary School

President Ali said that it is not just about building schools but also ensuring that teachers are trained to deliver quality education. Already, some 491 trained teachers are in Region Nine. He also added that teachers’ stipends have been increased from $10,000 monthly to a full salary every month. Additionally, more than 473 teachers are currently under training in Region Nine.

“It is because of the investment we have made to ensure that your children have access to secondary education that gives them the basis on which they can now enter the teaching profession,” the Head of State said.

President Irfaan Ali at the Katoka Secondary School commissioning

The newly commissioned Katoka Secondary School has 12 secondary teachers, 10 of whom are trained. A teachers’ quarters was also commissioned on Saturday. The school is equipped with a home economics department, an Information Technology and smart classroom, and a science classroom.

“In that secondary school, there is a science lab, and two young girls came up and said, ‘Mr. President, we can now dream of being doctors without fear, because we now can do science in this secondary school,” President Ali said.

Katoka Secondary School

He urged the young people to take advantage of the opportunities available to them adding: “And I always tell the young people, don’t take this for granted. It is not because you are better than your parents or grandparents. It is because they never had the opportunity that you have. They never had the access that you have. They never had the GOAL scholarship. They never had free university education like you have. They never had access to Secondary School.”

Meanwhile, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand, speaking at the commissioning of the Yupukari Secondary School, said seven new secondary schools are currently being built in Region Nine.

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A violent altercation between two neighbours resulted in the death of  Enque Hintzen, 24, a poultry farmer of the Number 51 Village in Corentyne, Berbice.

Reports are that on Monday, at around 20:00 hrs, Hintzen was at home when Kelly France, 25, entered his yard uninvited.

Hintzen asked France to leave, but the men reportedly got into a heated argument that quickly escalated into a physical confrontation. France allegedly threw bricks at Hicken before violently slamming his head into a concrete wall. France then reportedly fled the scene.

Following the assault, Hintzen collapsed and was rushed to Skeldon Public Hospital. He was later transferred to New Amsterdam Public Hospital, and finally, he was taken to Georgetown Public Hospital in a critical state.

The incident was reported to the Number 51 Police Station.

In an interview with News Room, Hintzen’s sister, Merisa Johnson, explained that her brother spent four days in the Intensive Care Unit of Georgetown Hospital but never regained consciousness.

Johnson stated that around 08:00 hrs Saturday, a doctor pronounced Hintzen dead.

“We want justice. Because what I was made to understand was that the two had an altercation and he was kicked in his head and his side and so forth. So we want justice out of this situation,’’ she said.

She also highlighted that Hintzen’s girlfriend is nine months pregnant, making her brother’s passing all the more tragic.

Johnson described her brother as a loving and humorous person who will be deeply missed

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The ORIGINS Organising Committee has announced that e-ticket passes for ORIGINS: Guyana Fashion Festival are available now.

This is according to a release from the Guyana Tourism Authority.

Set for May 2-4, at the Railway Courtyard, the festival will showcase over 40 Guyanese designers, creatives, and cultural talent. It’s an open call to celebrate fashion, art, and identity, Guyana’s way. E-ticket passes are available to attend the runway events, workshops and panel discussions now via https://originsticketpasses.voltagecompong.org/.

Thirty-one local designers and nine international designers will be participating in the Origins Guyana Fashion Festival.

The diverse lineup of designers will span several fashion disciplines, including African and Indian-inspired designs, Indigenous wear, contemporary fashion, jewellery, and other specialty lines.
In addition to runway shows, the festival will feature a series of industry-focused workshops and developmental activities aimed at building capacity within the creative sector.

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Kevin Cadogan, a 34-year-old man who allegedly set his partner on fire, has succumbed to injuries he received during the incident.

Mezona Ronaldo, a young mother of one, was reportedly set afire by Cadogan at Moblissa, Linden/Soesdyke Highway just after midnight on Thursday, and she subsequently died.vCadogan was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Police Headquarters in an update said he succumbed to his injuries at about 03:30hrs on Saturday.

Mezona’s father, Foster Ronaldo, who spoke with the News Room, said his daughter had been in a relationship with Cadogan for about a year. During this time, Foster alleged that his daughter was abused by Cadogan and just a few weeks ago, he [Cadogan] cut off her hair. He shared that Mezona had been planning to leave the relationship and had asked him to build her a house.

“She did tell me that she need a house and I was working on her house and she tell me that as soon as her house finish she will move out,” the grieving father said.

While Foster and other relatives insist that she was deliberately set alight by her partner, a different account was given by Kevin’s mother to the police.

The mother, Patricia Williams, claimed she was awakened to screams of “Help!” from her son, Kevin. Williams said she found the couple with burns on their bodies.

Williams said she spoke with the couple, and they said Mezona was cooking in the kitchen and the gas bottle caught afire, and he (Kevin) went and held onto (Mezona) to put the fire out.

Mezona’s father said he is doubtful that she would have been cooking at 1:30 a.m., the time the incident reportedly occurred. Foster also told the News Room that the gas bottle was fine, and he added that the chair his daughter was sitting in was the only burnt item in the house.

“Just where she went in the chair she get burn up cause nowhere else in the house burn, just the chair burn up,” the father said.

Foster further disputed claims that Mezona spoke to Kevin’s mother after the incident to confirm that it was the gas bottle that exploded and said his daughter could not speak after the incident.

Mezona was a part-time worker, and according to Foster, she was very hardworking.

After the incident, the couple was taken to the Mackenzie Hospital, where they were both seen and medically examined by a doctor who referred them to the Georgetown Public Hospital for further medical attention.

Mezona succumbed while receiving medical attention.

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The body of 17-year-old Vishal Parmanand, a fisherman from Lot 23 Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice, was discovered on the foreshore of Kendalls Village, East Coast Berbice, after being reported missing on April 8, 2025.

The discovery was made by a fellow fisherman on Friday, who promptly alerted Parmanand’s relatives and the police.

Authorities quickly responded, accompanied by the victim’s father, Mohit Parmanand, 54, and brother, Rohan Parmanand, 30, both from Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice.

According to reports, Parmanand’s body was found motionless and in an advanced state of decomposition, dressed in the same multicoloured short pants and pink T-shirt he was wearing at the time he went missing.

The remains have been transported to Baileys Funeral Home. A post-mortem examination is expected to be done.

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A 21-year-old security officer attached to the U.S. Embassy was brutally attacked and stabbed on Tuesday while travelling in a route 31 minibus.

The suspect, who was eventually apprehended, later succumbed to injuries sustained while being restrained by members of the public.

Police Headquarters said the incident occurred at around 21:00 hrs on March 15, when chaos erupted aboard the minibus as it was travelling along the La Grange Public Road, West Bank Demerara.

The injured woman has been identified as Fiona Jones, 21, who became the target of the unprovoked attack.

According to a statement from Police Headquarters, enquiries revealed that Jones was seated at the back of the minibus near a window when the incident unfolded.

After beaten and left unattended, block maker dies in Police custody

Police said the suspect, who was seated nearby, suddenly drew a knife from his waist and began threatening Jones and other passengers.

This caused the driver to pull over as passengers scrambled to safety. However, everyone except Jones managed to escape.

The suspect then grabbed Jones by the hair and stabbed her repeatedly, slashing at her head, neck, face, and hands. Despite her injuries, Jones managed to flee the bus, but the assailant pursued her relentlessly.

During the pursuit, alert citizens intervened, wrestled the suspect to the ground, and restrained him until police arrived.

Jones was rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, where she received treatment and was later discharged.

Meanwhile, the suspect, who had sustained injuries from the citizens, reportedly resisted arrest. Police said he attacked one of the ranks, lifting and slamming the officer to the ground and placing him in a chokehold.

The suspect was eventually subdued and taken to the La Grange Police Station. While in custody, police described his behaviour as aggressive. Emergency Medical Technicians were summoned, and due to his conduct, the suspect was relocated to the Parfaite Harmonie Police Station and placed in a monitored holding area.

Initially responsive, police said his condition later deteriorated. At approximately 01:57 hrs the following day, the suspect was found unresponsive and was pronounced dead at the scene.

“An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident and the suspect’s death is ongoing,” Police Headquarters stated.

However, relatives of the suspect, identified as Delon Lawrence, have provided a different account of events.

They alleged that Lawrence died while in police custody because he was not given medical attention despite his injuries.

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