UN Secretary-General race: Guyana’s UN envoy Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett moved narrowly ahead in the Security Council’s second secret straw poll, winning eight “encourage” votes—just one more than Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan and Argentina’s Rafael Grossi, as the process heads toward a formal recommendation to the General Assembly. US-UN process dispute: The United States criticised the UN General Assembly’s role in the selection process, calling recent polling “unfair” and “untransparent,” and warning against bypassing the Security Council’s authority. Local governance & courts: WIN Region 10 councillors launched court action after the REO failed to reconvene the Regional Democratic Council to elect a chairman and vice-chairman, keeping the region without top leadership. Electricity crackdown: GPL intensified action against electricity theft, including a Coverden operation targeting illegal connections that overload the grid and raise safety risks. Cost of living policy: Government is considering permanent farmers’ markets to narrow the gap between farm-gate prices and what consumers pay, while stressing VAT removal, subsidies, and broader farm-to-table fixes. Security capacity: Thirteen officers graduated from Guyana’s inaugural Certificate in Defence Studies at the National Defence Institute, with a focus on evolving security architecture, including cyber readiness. Energy sector: Energy Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal said investor interest is growing in restarting operations at the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery as demand for refined products rises. Defamation case: GuySuCo boss Paul Cheong filed a GY$10M defamation lawsuit against Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed over allegations made on social media.