https://kiskadeewatch.com/guyana/one-communications-says-services-restored-after-cable-damage/
One Communications says services restored after cable damage
One Communications says a fibre cable damaged during construction work on Carifesta Avenue caused Wednesday’s disruption to its mobile data and fibre internet services.
In a statement issued yesterday, the company said contractors working for a private company unconnected to One Communications damaged a critical section of its fibre network at about 3.16 pm on Wednesday, September 23.
Technical teams began restoration work after the damage was identified and rerouted network traffic to reduce the effect on customers, the company said. Services resumed at reduced capacity approximately one hour after the incident, and what the company described as temporary full restoration was achieved at 12.05 am yesterday.
The damaged cable remains in a temporary configuration. One Communications said its engineers were assessing the best time to make a permanent repair while minimising any further disruption to customers and businesses. It did not give a date for that work.
The company said telecommunications infrastructure supports personal communications, businesses, financial services, healthcare, education, government operations and emergency communications. Protecting it was therefore important to public safety, economic stability and national resilience, it added.
Chief Executive Officer Abraham Smith thanked the Office of the Prime Minister, the Telecommunications Agency and Minister Juan Edghill for their support during the restoration effort. He also thanked the company’s engineers, technicians and operations teams, who he said worked through the night to restore service as quickly and safely as possible.
Community and Government Relations Manager Jasmin Harris said the company’s network extended across Guyana, with infrastructure both above and below ground. Damage to those facilities could disrupt service for thousands of customers, she said.
Harris urged contractors, developers and anyone planning excavation or construction work to contact One Communications beforehand so that its assets could be identified and protected. The company said enquiries about the location of its infrastructure and planned works could be sent to [email protected]@onecommgroup.com or made by calling 0777.
Source: Kiskadee Watch
Sammy: India series a chance for West Indies to assess ODI progress
https://kiskadeewatch.com/sports/cricket/sammy-india-series-a-chance-for-west-indies-to-assess-odi-progress/
Sammy: India series a chance for West Indies to assess ODI progress
(ESPN) West Indies head coach Daren Sammy sees the ODIs against India as an opportunity to see where his team stands in the format, while also attempting to end a two-decade wait for a bilateral series win in the country.
“It’s been 24 years, we’ve not won a series here in India,” Sammy said ahead of the first game on Sunday. “So it’s a great opportunity for us as a team to come out here and challenge ourselves and measure up ourselves as to where we are in ODIs. And I think it’s a great opportunity for us, the players that we have, to come and put in a good show against India and look to win a series, something we’ve not done in 24 years.”
With West Indies set to play the ODI World Cup qualifiers early next year after missing out on automatic qualification for the 2027 tournament, Sammy also views this three-match series, starting in Thiruvananthapuram, as an important part of the team’s preparation.
“If you have to win a major ICC event, especially in the white-ball format, you have to beat India,” he said. “And we playing them here at home in their conditions and performing well and winning gives us a fair idea as to what we could do as a team and how capable we are in competing on the world stage. Heading into the qualifiers in February, you know, that is our No. 1 focus – continuing to fine-tune the team so that when we go to the qualifiers, we put ourselves in a position to book our ticket to South Africa.”
West Indies missed out on automatic qualification for the next ODI World Cup. Only the top eight – besides co-hosts South Africa – qualify directly and they are at No. 10. Even a clean sweep against India will not be enough to overturn the deficit, which means West Indies need to go through the qualifiers for the third successive time.
Sammy, however, sees encouraging signs in the team’s progress, particularly that match-winning contributions are coming from several players rather than just one or two.
“The reality of the situation [is] we’ve not made it,” Sammy said. “However if we have to look back as to where we were and what we’ve been able to achieve as an ODI team, we’ve made some strides. Missing automatic qualification by six points, starting from where we were back then, which was, I think, 19 or 20 points behind, and accumulating those points, I thought we made a lot of strides in making a claim to automatic qualification.
“Shai Hope is not the only one scoring hundreds. We’ve gotten hundreds from different players… Amir Jangoo, the way he’s played, we’ve seen a glimpse of Sherfane [Rutherford]. I think in 2024-2025, we were looking for that type of form. Alzarri Joseph is back bowling well, just helped Antigua win a CPL title. So yes, we want to give everybody an opportunity in those three games.”
Sammy was also pleased with the emergence of wristspinner Vitel Lawes. The 19-year old made his ODI debut against New Zealand in July and picked up eight wickets in five games.
“Vitel, to me, he’s a find for us. What we saw in him that caused him to debut against New Zealand was all part of the planning and the processes we put in place. You’ve heard me for years talking about a wristspinner in the West Indies team. And Vitel, he came in and he immediately had an impact on the bowling unit for us. Still got a long way to go but we will continue with his development through either playing games or the specific work we’ve put in place for him. He’s worked really well with Nikita Miller and Ravi Rampaul here on tour. So yes, we’ll continue creating those opportunities for him and hopefully he could continue to grow. A little bit fast-tracked but we’re pleased with what he’s done so far.”
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Source: Kiskadee Watch
Pres Ali rallies around Rodrigues-Birkett for UN SG post
Pres Ali rallies around Rodrigues-Birkett for UN SG post
– calling for the UN to become more effective by responding to the world’s ‘changing realities’
President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has emphasised the leadership credentials of Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, placing them firmly within the global conversation on the future of multilateralism, as he called for a United Nations capable of responding to the realities of a changing world.
Addressing the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, President Ali argued that restoring trust in the international system requires leadership prepared to bridge divisions, defend the principles of the UN Charter and transform multilateral commitments into meaningful action.
“The United Nations needs leadership that can bring its different organs, agencies, and programmes into greater unity of purpose. Leadership that can build bridges where division has become habitual,” President Ali told the Assembly.
Against this backdrop, the President formally advanced Guyana’s candidature of Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett for Secretary-General, presenting her experience, convictions and record of service as aligned with the demands of an organisation navigating profound global challenges.
“We believe that her experience, her convictions, her record of service speak directly to the kind of leadership this moment demands,” he said.
President Ali’s presentation of Rodrigues-Birkett pointed to her emergence from a small Indigenous village and the barriers she overcame as an Indigenous woman.
He described her experience as ‘one shaped by struggle, sacrifice and commitment ‘.
According to the president, her work within the multilateral system and her understanding of both its possibilities and imperfections would be invaluable to the UN.
The head of state called on the Security Council and the wider UN membership to consider her candidature on its merits, noting that the Caribbean Community has endorsed her candidacy.
“Look beyond the small country that nominated her. CARICOM as a body has endorsed her, and let us rise to the challenge of giving this Indigenous woman the chance of helping us craft together the United Nations we want to see succeed,” President Ali said.
His appeal is part of a wider call for institutional renewal, including a Security Council that reflects contemporary geopolitical realities, a strengthened General Assembly and a UN that is more transparent, accountable and responsive.
President Ali maintained that the organisation’s current challenges should not be a reason to retreat from multilateralism, but rather an impetus to renew it.
For Guyana, Rodrigues-Birkett’s candidature is being advanced within a broader vision for a UN that can restore confidence, strengthen international cooperation and remain responsive to the needs of a changing global community.
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