Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly
Govt. lifts three days ICJ orders Venezuela
…OppositionpartiessayGPF needscompleteoverhaul Calls grow for …sayscountryhasreturnedtonormalcy
to back off from holding elections in Essequibo
A large crowd gathered at the Kitty seawall Wednesda evening for a vigil in honour of AdrianaYounge.
Owner of the Double Day International Hotel, Bhojnauth Bhola
Dead: Adriana Younge
Former Commander of Regional Division #3, Assistant Commissioner of Police Khalid Mandall
Calls grow for Hicken to go
Leaders from the Alliance For Change (AFC), the Assembly For Liberty & Prosperity Party (ALP), Vigilent For a New Guyana (V-PAC), The People’s Movement and sitting Members of Parliament from the People’s National Congress (PNC) during a press briefing on Wednesday in the vicinity of the Double Day International Hotel at Tuschen, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
…Opposition parties say GPF needs complete overhaul
Several Opposition partiesonWednesdaycalled fortheimmediateremovalof theCommissionerofPolice, Clifton Hicken, pending the outcomeoftheinvestigation intothedeathof11-year-old AdrianaYounge.
Notingitisnotapolitical alliance but rather a united stand for national peace, justice, and transformation, Leaders from the Alliance For Change (AFC), the Assembly For Liberty & Prosperity Party (ALP), Vigilent For a New Guyana (V-PAC), The People’s Movement and sitting MembersofParliamentfrom the People’s National Congress (PNC) hosted a pressbriefingonWednesday in the vicinity of the Double Day International Hotel at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo(EBE)wherethey madethiscall.
The group highlighted the failures of the government and the Guyana Police Force (GPF), particularly in the Adriana Youngecase.
Businessman and
member of the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Investment Committee, Dr Terrence Campbell, who readthejointstatement,said the unrest following Adriana’s death is not just about one tragic loss; it is about a deeper, ongoing injustice.
“Itisaboutasystemthat treats poor and workingclassyouthasdisposable,”
Continued on page 16
Two young girls reported missing
On Thursday, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) issued a missing person’s report for two girls, ages 12 and 14, who were last seen on Monday evening in Sisters Village, West BankDemerara(WBD).
The missing girls have been identified as 12-year-old Alicia Moore and 14-year-oldAmela Ramdeo.According to police,thetwowerelastseenaround22:00hrs.
Bothgirlsareofmixedancestry,withlongblackhairand are fair in complexion. Police have not disclosed what clothingthegirlswerelastseenwearing.
AnyonewithinformationaboutthewhereaboutsofAlicia MooreorAmelaRamdeoisurgedtocontactthepoliceat2271149, 225-8196, 643-1198, or 645-2669, or report to the nearestpolicestation.
Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken
Alicia Moora Amela Ramdeo
Before autopsy Jagdeo says he believed Adriana was murdered
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said that before the autopsy results, he believed 11year-oldAdrianaYoungewasmurdered.
Jagdeomadethecommentsashereacted to the ongoing saga concerning the child’s death.The results from the autopsy gave the cause of death as drowning, but her family believes there was foul play involved in her death.
Speakingtothemediaathisweeklypress conference at Freedom House, Robb Street onWednesday, the former president said the pathologists have delivered their report, whichstatedthatthechilddrowned.“Imyself sharedtheviewthatthischildwasmurdered. I, for a moment, I did not even think about drowning.”
Withtheresultsnowpublicandthefamily calling for an independent investigation, he stated that the family deserves to know the truth, and the first step would be to thoroughly investigate the circumstances underwhichthechildlostherlife.“AsIsaid before, was it by foul play, or was it just drowning in the pool while she was there swimming there? I believe more than anythingelsethatthefamilyneedsthistruth,” headded.
Jagdeo was asked whether the government is open to facilitating an independent investigation, as Younge’s
familyandthepublichavebeencallingforit. Heresponded:“Onthatmatter,thePresident has made it clear there would be a thorough investigation… we have to leave that to be determined, but a thorough investigation is whathepromised.”
He said further that he does not want to second-guessthePresident,whohasalready made it clear that the investigation will be thorough.Hesaidanythingfurtherwillbeleft to him as well. “I have great faith that the investigation will be thorough. We want to findoutthetruth,weinthePPPtoo,”Jagdeo added.
Agriculture Ministry
building $4.5M guard
TheMinistryofAgricultureis currently s ki contractors to build a guard hut, which it said estimated to cos approximately $4 5 million.
The ministry, in its invitationforbids,noted that the guard hut is for t h e F i s h e r i e s Department.Itisslatedto be the main guard hut at the Fish Feed Mill, located at Agriculture Road, M Repos, East Coast Dem (ECD).
hut
According to the tender document, theconstructionperiodissetfor60 days. It should be noted that bidding will be conducted through the National Competitive Bidding (NCB) procedures, specified in the Procurement Act 2003 andisopentoallbidders. Bids for the project are expected to open on May 15, 2025 at the tional Procurement and r Administration Board (NPTAB)office.
Guyana's President, Dr Irfaan Ali, has found his groove. He is slipperier than a greased eel, and then some more. The head of state is slowly developing a confidentmasterywithshiftingthewicketofdiscussion on important issues to suit his own objectives. Whatever they are, they are usually not in the best interests of Guyanese. The most recent example of President Ali's caginess involved the abduction and eventual discovery of a dead child's body The president blames a civilian for sharing incorrect information, which enjoyed wide circulation. The family is at odds with the president, for their information tracks directly to the Police Regional Commander,Asst.CommissionerKhalidMandall.
According to two family members, Adriane Younge's mother and her aunt, Commander Mandall repeatedlyclaimedthatthepolicewasinpossessionof video evidence confirming that the missing child was seenleavingthepremisesofthenownotoriousDouble Day hotel in a vehicle. Did Commander Mandall misspeak, or did Adriane Younge's mother and aunt mishear him? Mandall has since been removed from hispost,anditisdoubtfulthathewillbeallowedtoshed any light, for the time being, on what he said to the family PresidentAli,however,isnotknowntohesitate fortoolongwhenpeopleunderhisgovernmentconduct themselvesinaless-than-convincingfashion. Likethe proverbial overweight elephant, he simply charges in andscatterswhatisonthetable. Hepointstoacivilian who was irresponsible and provided misleading information.
Reason compels being skeptical on who is coming up with their own narratives and defences, when it is convenienttodoso. Fromtheinception,PresidentAli hasbeenaboutoneconsistentline. Hewantstogetto thebottomofthecircumstances,andwillleavenostone unturnedtogettothetruthofYounge'sdeath. Usinghis ownstandard,theremustbelesshastetostuffacivilian into this sordid matter of a dead child, and more listeningtowhatagrievingmotherisinsistingwastold to her Not by one police rank or one officer, but the most senior officer in Regional Commander Mandall. Also, according to the child's aunt, evidence of her leaving in a vehicle was stated to her by Mandall: 'We have a video here…we have a video showing that the girl left…” To a reasonable person, that sounds very plausible,butthepresidenthashiscivilian,whoisnow beingheldupasascapegoat.
Scapegoat manufactured, or the slipperiness for which the government and the president keep developinganimpressiverecord. Hehadcommittedto leading a lot of remedial efforts relative to the 2016 ExxonMobilProductionSharingAgreement. Itisanoil contract that is so one-sided that it capsizes over and over from that pronounced tilt. Once his leadership reign got going, however, PresidentAli slipped out of hisparty'spriorcommitments,andhisown'reviewand renegotiate' posture, under the banner of “sanctity of contract.” Even an eel that is long past its best days wouldhavebeenproudofthepresidentforhiseasewith the slippery In the proven manner of his mentor and rolemodel,VicePresidentJagdeo,PresidentAliisfast becominganexpertatevadingtheheatofthemoment or distracting Guyanese with red herrings. He does a wiggleofhishand,andofhislips,andsendsGuyanese chasing after phantoms. His newfound civilian whippingpostisthenewestexample.
Trytopindownthepresidentonaccountability,and his appallingly incredible response is that his government has been transparent. It is so transparent that an office funded by taxpayers with over $40M to provide information on how the government conducts itsbusinessunearthsthreeresponses. Acommissioner
Time for urgent and meaningful increase in the national minimum wage
DearEditor, Comrades, brothers and sisters of the working class, membersofourtradeunions, friends of labour across Guyana and the Caribbean, and all citizens Good Morning and Happy Labour Day2025.
Today, as we gather in unitytohonourthesacrifices and contributions of the working people of Guyana, wedosoundertheweightof national grief and uncertainty BeforeIspeakto the triumphs and challenges ofourmovement,letmefirst express, on behalf of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), our deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of Adrianna Younge, a young lifecutshortfartoosoon.
Adrianna's passing has stirred profound sorrow across our country It is a tragedy that must not be ignored or politicised but mustinsteadcompelusallto seek truth, and protect the dignity of every life in this nation. We support and note the efforts made by the authorities and independent professionals to investigate this case with transparency and integrity We welcome the involvement of international expertise and await the final toxicology report, which we hope will bringgreaterclarity
However, even as we mourn, we must also speak clearly and without hesitation—we condemn in thestrongesttermsallactsof violence, aggression, and looting that have followed this tragedy These acts do not honour Adrianna's memory, nor do they reflect the peaceful, respectful society that we strive to
build. Violence and chaos have no place in our democratic and civilised country
Equally, we denounce those who are leading and influencingourpeopletoact r e c k l e s s l y a n d irresponsibly those who sow discord for their own gain,andthosewhomislead our youth into acts of destruction rather than peacefuladvocacy
The working class has alwaysbeenthemoralcentre of our country—builders of communities and defenders ofpeace.Letusnotlosesight ofthatlegacy.
Today, we also pause to pay tribute to the continued a n d u n w a v e r i n g contributions of the Guyanese working class. In thefields,inthefactories,in the public service, on construction sites, in hospitals, classrooms, and offices—our workers power thisnation.Despitetheodds and challenges of adjusting to a fast-growing economy, ourworkerscontinuetogive their best You are the foundation upon which Guyana'sprogressstands.
And yes, comrades, Guyana is progressing. We are seeing a transformation that not long ago felt like a dream. Massive investments in infrastructure, expansion of social services, and renewed attention to agriculture,housing,energy, education,andhealthcareare allreshapingourcountryfor thebetter
Weacknowledgethatthe government has undertaken several pro-worker initiatives. From improved access to education and vocational training to expanded healthcare coverage and housing solutions, these are policies
with a human face
Significant investments in roads,bridges,hospitals,and school facilities are not just signs of development; they aresignsofacommitmentto inclusionandmodernisation.
B u t l e t u s b e clear—while we recognise theseadvancements,wealso reaffirm the responsibility that comes with national growth. We in the labour movement insist that workers must not be left behind. Guyana's rise must also be the workers' rise.As oureconomyexpands,asoil revenues grow, and as international attention turns to our shores, we say with one voice: the Guyanese worker must benefit fairly andfully
In this context, we call foranurgentandmeaningful increase in the national minimum wage Our working families deserve a wage that reflects the reality ofdailylife.Anationcannot prosper if its workers face difficulties We urge policymakersandemployers toactdecisivelyontheissue of improving the national minimumwage.
Comrades,ourcallisnot isolated. Around the world, weareseeingarenewedrise inworkerconsciousnessand activism.
From Latin America to Europe,fromNorthAmerica to Africa and Asia, workers are demanding fair wages, better conditions, and corporate accountability In recentmonths,wehaveseen majorstrikesinthetransport, education,andhealthsectors across continents. Workers arestandingup!
Thisglobalmovementis also a reminder that our struggle is not unique—it is shared by workers everywhere. It affirms our
place in an international brotherhood and sisterhood of labour And it reinforces the importance of solidarity, unity, and collective strength.
HereinGuyana,wemust continue to organise, educate, and empower our members We must strengthen the institutions that protect worker rights and prepare our workforce for the demands of a rapidly changingeconomy Wemust ensure that trade unions remain dynamic, inclusive, and responsive to new generations of workers, especiallyouryoungpeople, who will inherit the society wearebuildingtoday.
Brothers and sisters, in these complex times, we must remain united, not divided by politics, race, class,orgeography Wemust reject those who stoke fear and mistrust, and instead build a nation rooted in cooperation, equity, and respect.
We must ensure that the social contract between workers and the state is upheld, that workers are protected,andthateconomic gainsaredistributedfairly
As we celebrate this Labour Day 2025, let us honour the memory of those who came before us—the sugar workers, bauxite miners,teachers,nurses,and public servants who fought forbetterlifeforustoenjoy L e t u s r e n e w o u r commitment to building a Guyana where every worker hasavoice,everyfamilyhas the opportunity, and every childhashope.
May the workers of Guyanacontinuetoleadwith pride, purpose, and in unison.
Regards
SeepaulNarine
The State must bear responsibility for the riots
DearEditor,
In every society, the stabilityofanationrestsonthe conduct of its institutions most importantly, the police andthepoliticalleadership In thecaseofthetragicdeathof Adriana Young, what we have witnessed is not just institutional failure, but a betrayal of the public trust. The recent protests, which
escalated into violence and civil unrest, were not spontaneousactsofchaos— they were symptoms of deep-seated frustration with a system that appears indifferent, slow, and politicallymotivated.
Letusbehonest Nooneis naivetothefactthatprotestsin Guyana asinmanypartsof the world are often e
hiding behind a curtain, and a letter to the press that is a drooling,woozytiradeagainstthosepicketingthelegally mandatedofficeforaccesstoinformation. Guyanesegot thatfortheir$40Mplusthatpropsuptheoperationsofthat office. The third response was from PresidentAli, who was at his slipperiest best: protestors are “politically motivated.” It'svintageAli,aneelonabananapeel.
xploited by opportunists.
Looting and violence are wrong and must be condemned. But to simply point fingers at protesters while ignoring the government's role in fueling the anger is dishonest. The state had multiple opportunities to lead with clarity, compassion, and decisiveness.
Itfailedateveryturn Ifthe police had handled the Adrianna Young matter with professionalism and empathy from the beginning, the situation may never have escalated Instead, their actions or lack thereof
becameacatalystfornational outrage. People watched as calls for accountability were met with silence or minimal action The public demanded that the Regional Commander be removed pending investigation, but only after significant public pressure was he placed on administrative leave — a gesture that came too late to restorepublicconfidence
Thencametheautopsy On a day when transparency and tactwereneededmost,wesaw chaos and confusion There was no clear communication, nodetailed
(Continueonpage6)
A nation in mourning for Adriana Younge: gone too soon
DearEditor,
On Thursday April 24, 2025 Guyanese and the world learned of the tragic deathof11-year-oldbeloved Adriana Younge which occurred at the Double Day HotelinTuschen,EastBank, Essequibo. It was very said to watch what transpired on thatfataldayatthehotel.The nation'speacewasshattered, and their hopes and trust in those who were sworn to protect them were crushed. And although most of us do notknowherpersonally,yet the shock and grief we felt were great Based on information received, Adriana was a happy, vivacious and jovial child withaninfectioussmile.She wascutdowninthespringof herlife.Wemourn,weweep and we shed tears for this child of God who departed her earthly life far too soon. Hers was not a full life. Her cruel and untimely death should not have happened. Her life was snuffed out of herinfantbodyinoneofthe most heinous and dastardly acts ever perpetrated by a humanonahuman.
Now lies her dead, allegedly deliberately murdered as a sacrifice for the benefit of others. What AdrianaYounge did wrong? What sin did this infant committed that led to her death. Did she die in vain? No! We are told that the cause of her death is by drowning,butwheredidshe drowned? According to eye witness report, Adriana did
notdrowninthepool. We as a people at home and in the diaspora and millions around the world mustsupportherparentsand relatives call for truth and justice After all, she is Guyana and the world's daughter And as we collectively mourn her loss in the face of such horrible and violent act, we must reaffirmedourconvictionfor the dignity of life. We must commend her parents, relatives,lovedonesandthe residentsofTuschenfortheir resilienceandtirelessefforts tofindAdrianna.Butasfate wouldhaveit,shewasleftat the mercy of her killers and enablerstofendforherself.
As I understand it, the beautiful Adrianna was an angel,ayounggirlwithgreat ideals and with a bright future which claim the admiration of all of us who believeinthepreservationof life.AccordingtoAdrianna's mother, Amecia Simon, her daughter was her life, a happy,quietandlovingchild ofGod.
She recalled her daughter's early life at Vergenoegen before moving toParika.Shewasdevotedto her Christian faith and attended Sunday school and Church regularly. At times, she would admonish her mother about not attending church. She was very bright and this is revealed in her positive reaction following her recent completion of the Grade Six Assessment examination. The beautiful
Adrianna Young had hoped toattendQueen'sCollegeor anyotherprestigiousschool, butiswasnotmeanttobe.
No one but the insensitive can ignore or overlook or underestimate the enormous pain and sufferingsheenduredduring such vicious ordeal.And no oneIthinkinGuyanaandthe world with a place in their hearts for compassion can but bemoan the death of the late. Adriana Younge. At moments like this, her parents and relatives and mostofuswouldhavehoped that she could have lived to fulfill her dreams and enjoyedthefruitsofherlife. Shewillnot.
The loss which her parents and relatives have sufferedasaresultoftheact of her killer(s) is a loss shared by us in this country and I am sure shared by the entire world As we expressed our deepest sympathy to her parents, relatives and loved ones, we must pray that God grant unto them peace and solace as the entire nation mourns and join with them in their pursuit of truth and justice forthebelovedAdriana.Iam convinced that her short life willbeashiningexamplefor many.Hernamewillliveon foralongtimeifnotasfaras human memory will permit. On behalf of the Macedonia JoppaVoluntaryCommittee, mayherprecioussoulrestin eternalpeace.
Sincerely, Dr AsquithRose.
May Day vs Labour Day
DearEditor, I wish to address the increasing use of the term "LabourDay"asasubstitute for "May Day" or "Workers' Day” While "Labour Day" is widely recognized in the UnitedStates,itisimportant to note that this designation is unrelated to the historical significance of May Day and Workers' D a y MayDay,celebratedonMay 1st, has its roots in the international labor m o v e m e n t a n d commemoratesthestruggles
and achievements of workersaroundtheworld. In contrast, "Labour Day"intheU.S.isobserved on the first Monday in September and has evolved into a more generalized celebration of workers rather than a specific recognition of their s t r u g g l e s By adopting the term "Labour Day" in place of May Day, we risk diluting the important historical context and solidarity that Workers' Day represents Itiscrucialthatwehonorthe rich legacy of labor unions and their membership by preserving the original terminology associated with thisobservance.
Condemn Violent Protests and Attacks on Innocent People
DearEditor,
The Guyana Democracy Project based in New York expresses condolence to the family of the child who autopsyreportsaiddrowned, and the organization also condemn the violence and hate unleashed on people on account of race carried out by protesters in the name of the deceased child over the lastseveraldays.
The girl's lifeless body was found in the pool at a hotel inTuschen on the East BankofEssequibo.
Guyanese in USA praised President Irfaan Ali for his leadership in responding to the requests anddemandsofthefamilyof the child for an independent autopsy and investigation of what happened The Presidentdisplayedempathy and comforted the grieving family in a manner of a fatherlyfigure.
He agreed to all their demands to investigate how andwhythechilddied.
Nowthatthedemandsof the family have been met, there should not be any hindrance to an independent investigation, certainly not violence (by opportunists) that put the nation at a standstill. Guyanese in USA that this writer conversed with strongly condemn the violent protests in various parts of the country relating to the death of the child. Reports said that protesters attacked the hotel and
destroyed the home of its owners, blaming them for the death of the child and accusingofsomesinisteract.
Asitturnedout,thegirldied by drowning, according to three different independent pathologists who performed the post-mortem as requested by the family of the deceased child Protesters should allow the lawtotakeitscourse.
Innocent people who simply went about their business and with no connection with the hotel (and its owners) were attacked over several days. Several businesses and public buildings were destroyed, and people injured. Acid was thrown at students going to school. There was looting of businesses and robbing of people based on race. There is no justification for the violence. The father of the child has reportedly condemned the violence in thenameofhisdaughter
The Guyana Democracy Project notes that violence cannot solve any problem and most certainly will not bringbackthechild.
Thepublicneedstoknow whatreallyhappened--how did this tragedy occur and whatcantheauthoritieslearn fromittopreventarepeat.
Attacking people on the roadsanddestroyingprivate and public property will not leadtoanyresolutiononthe girl'sdeath.
F o r t o o l o n g , opportunistic protesters turned to violence attacking individuals based on their raceorperceived(suspected) politicalaffiliation.
T h i s m u s t b e condemned. No one should be attacked, and most certainly not on account of race or faith. Violence is a serious threat to peace and security And violence inevitablybegetsviolence.
The attacks on people and destruction of property a r e c r i m i n a l a n d unjustifiable, regardless of motivationandemotion.
Theattacksaresenseless. Such acts must be condemned by all (politicians, civic society religious leaders) The Guyana Democracy Project calls on the authority to identify the attackers and go afterthem. Theperpetrators, organisers, and sponsors of attacksandlootersandother criminal elements must be held accountable and broughttojustice.
Guyanese in New York express support and solidaritywiththevictimsof violence including those whofeelthreatened. Their thoughts and prayersarewiththefamilyof thechildandthoseattacked. And they urge the President to pursue an independent forensic investigation of the drowning.
Yourstruly, VishnuBisram
Sincerely,
RupnauthHardyal
The CCWU's Six Demands for Change (2025-2030)
DearEditor,
This may be Day! Workers stand united for a betterworld!
May Day celebrates workers' solidarity, struggle, andcommitmenttobuilding abetterworldforall.
Butthechallengesfacing
w o r k e r s a r e intensifying from the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and attacks on trade union rights to the climate emergency and the erosion ofpublicservices—theneed for a powerful, united working-class movement hasneverbeengreater
Across the globe, trade unions are rising to demand decent work, secure jobs, fair wages, and bold climate action. Simultaneously, they
arepushingbackagainstthe g r o w i n g t i d e o f authoritarianism, corporate greed,andfar-rightdivision. Today's converging crises make that fight more urgent than ever As billionaires
increasingthreat.
ThisMayDay,weaimto convey a clear message: we are organised, united, and determined to build a brighter tomorrow Across borders and industries, we stand together fighting for democracy, climate justice, safework,anddignityforall.
Focus on key priorities
y, occupational safety, supply c
y, sustainability, equality, and
fundamental labour rights.
breakdown:
1. Future of work
The CCWU emphasises the need for: Collective bargaining regarding new technologies such asAI and digital platforms aims to
workplace.
T
n t management of workers' data and rights. Funding for lifelong learning, retraining, and upskilling as workers adjust to technological changes. Regulation aligns with the decent work principleinthegigeconomy
2 Occupational Safety and Health (OSH)
The CCWU advocates
for: Governments and employers should establish robust OSH policies and enhance global working conditions. OSH policies
usive, addressingbothphysicaland mental health Employers should involve workers in policy design and ensure safeworkcommutes.
3 Supply Chain Accountability
CCWU aims to: Hold multinational companies accountableforlabourrights andsafetythroughoutsupply chains. Promote legislation for better oversight and greaterunioninvolvementin
Formulate a global strategy toenhancelabourconditions in the transport and e-
commercesectors.
4. Sustainable Transport
CCWUcallsfor: Commitment to a zerocarbon transportation industry by 2050 with
investments in climateresilient transportation infrastructure Cooperate with CCWU to develop and fundajusttransitionplan.
5 Equality
6. Fundamental RightsTheCCWUstresses: Respectforrightssuchas freedom of association, collective bargaining, and therighttostrike.Campaign to safeguard democracy and workers' rights globally Supporting unions in litigation, law reform, and leveraging international frameworkssuchastheILO. Together with our membersworldwide,weare not only resisting; we are also building the world forward.
Regards
SherwoodClarke
GeneralSecretary
Clerical & Commercial Workers'Union(CCWU)
The CCWU's demands focuson:Policiesaddressing workplace discrimination and enhancing gender equality among young workers. Ratification of the ILOConvention(C190)that safeguards women and minorityassociations. Supporting trade union activismtopromoteequality andinclusiveness.
The State must bear responsibility for the riots
Frompage4 reportpresentedtothepublic VicePresidentJagdeohimself called for the full video footagetobereleased—yet it still has not been. Instead, wesawapatternofevasion. When asked directly about theCommissionerofPolice, President Ali walked away from the question a symbolicactofavoidanceat a time when the nation needed leadership, not silence.
Whatmademattersworse
was the politicization of the tragedy Instead of unifying the nation around a demand for truth and justice, certain PPP/C-affiliated pages took to social media to fan the flames of division. Pages associated with known supporters such as MP Vikash Ramkissoon and Priya Persaud — along with platformslikeGuyanaDaily News, Backlash, and Bacoo Speaks relentlessly pushed a narrative blaming opposition figures like
Azruddin Mohamed and the PNC. It appeared less about seeking justice for Adriana and more about scoring political points. In doing so, theydeflectedattentionfrom the state's own failures and irresponsibly deepened the riftamongcitizens. Meanwhile, the official report listed drowning as the causeofdeath Butit did not explain how she drowned. Was she pushed? Was she runningfromsomeone?Was she unconscious? The
silence on these critical questions is deafening. Yet the President, in a national press conference, casually suggesteditwas"notforced" prematurely shaping public perception before a thorough investigation had concluded.Whythehastein drawing conclusions when somanyquestionsremain? Contrast this with the swiftness with which arrests weremadeforthoseinvolved intheriots.Thestateshowed thatitcouldactquicklywhen
its own authority felt threatened. But where was that urgency whenAdrianna firstwentmissing?Whereis thatsameurgencyinfinding those who threw acid on teachers and school children?Justicemustbefor all — not just for those who disruptthestatusquo.
TotheaverageGuyanese, thisismorethanjustpoliticsor headlines This is about a young girl, the value of a human life, and a nation's soul. It is about how it feels to be a parent and imagine your own child going missing. It is about seeing leaders post about mangopicking and other trivialities on social media while the country mourns and riots.
That lack of emotional intelligence cuts deeply It tells ordinary people that their grief is secondary to publicimage.Thetruthis,this country is hurting Trust is being eroded, not because of what the people did in the streets, but because of what the state did not do in its chambers. If Guyana is to heal, there must first be honesty, accountability, and the courage to admit when our institutions have failed us. Until then, no amount of arrests, press releases, or deflectionswillbringpeace. This was avoidable And forthat,thegovernmentmust beheldresponsible
Sincerely, K.Nanda
BLUNT BLUNT
Call in the FBI to probe Adriana’s
death
The Government of Guyana (GoG) is yet to commit to an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of 11-year-old Adriana Younge.
The child mysteriously went missing at the Double Day Hotel last week, and her corpse was found floating in the hotel’s pool less than 24 hours later. The family is adamant that, although an independent autopsy shows she died from drowning, it is possible her body may have been planted in the pool after searches were conducted.
So far, the GoG has only given its word for a “thorough” but not an independent investigation. The question, therefore, is why are they afraid to commit to an independent probe?
The truth is, with elections just around the corner, the death of Adriana Younge will expose the glaring inconsistencies and failures of the Guyana Police Force, for which this government is responsible
The administration is not taking any risks and is hoping that the current storm will soon pass, but that child deserves justice, and her family deserves the truth. If the government is truly committed to ensuring justice, it would ensure a credible, independent body probes the death of little Adriana Younge.
Govt.liftscurfewafterthreedays
Af t e r w h a t
appeared to be a t h r e e - d a y experiment, the government has officially revoked the nationwide curfew that was imposed earlier this week in response to violent unrest andwidespreadlooting.
Observers say the early revocationofthecurfewisa
clear sign that the government does not know how to handle the security crisisinthecountry “People are still scared, businesses are iffy about opening, and the government is removing the curfew after three days, clearly this was an experiment,”aformersenior policeofficerwhoaskednot to be named told this newspaper
Theannouncementofthe lifting of the curfew was made via the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Facebook page on Thursday The curfew, which had restricted public movement and gatherings between the
…says country has returned to normalcy
hoursof12:30a.m.and5:00 a.m.,wasinitiallyintroduced under the Public Safety Order 2025 following nationwideprotestsandriots triggeredbythereleaseofan autopsy report confirming that 11-year-old Adriana Younge died by drowning. Theincidentsparkedoutrage and led to a wave of fiery demonstrations, particularly onMondaynight,prompting thegovernmenttoactswiftly torestorepublicorder In a statement, the ministry declared, “In exercise of the powers conferred upon me by Section 6 of the Public Act Order, this order may be cited as the Public Safety RevocationOrder2025.The Public Safety Order 2025 is herebyrevoked.”
The Ministry of Home Affairs also expressed optimism regarding the
country’s current trajectory, stating, “The Ministry welcomes the steady and very encouraging return to normalcy after a period of unrestandlaw-breakingina numberofareas.”
Despite lifting the curfew, the ministry urged continued vigilance and civic responsibility Citizens are encouraged to remain cautious,safeguardpersonal property, and promptly report any suspicious or disruptive activity to the Guyana Police Force. “The Ministry is calling on all citizens to exercise care, caution and restraint in respect of personal property safety and to report to the GuyanaPoliceForceanyact which may disrupt good public order, safety, and peace.”
MinisterofHomeAffairs Robeson Benn had told
2 cops fired over Adriana’s death
…Commander Mandall still on leave
Two policemen, a constable and a corporal, have been fired as police intensify their investigation into the death of Adrian Younge at the Double Day Hotellastweek.
In a statement on Thursday, it was disclosed that as the investigation continues, a Corporal and a Constable were relieved of their duties due to neglect. However, the names of the ranks were not disclosed. Further, it was stated that former Commander of Regional Division #3, Assistant Commissioner of Police Khalid Mandall, is still on administrative leave to facilitate an investigation intothedeathofthechild.
AfterAdriana’sbodywas discoveredonthemorningof April 24 in the swimming pool of the Double Day International Hotel, located in Tuschen East Bank Essequibo, Commander Mandallwastransferred,and three ranks were placed underclosearrest.
H o w e v e r , a m i d widespread public outrage overthepolice’shandlingof the case, Mandall was sent on administrative leave Adriana disappeared on the afternoon of April 23 while onaswimmingoutingatthe
Former Commander of Regional Division #3, Assistant Commissioner of Police Khalid Mandall
Double Day Hotel. Despite searches of the pool and the premises, she was not located on Wednesday That night, police issued a statement claiming that the childwasabducted. However, in a dramatic turn of events following the discovery ofAdriana’s body in the swimming pool at the hotel, the Police stated that the initial statement on the child’s disappearance was inaccurate.
According to reports, Adriana’s mother, Amecia Simon, and her aunt,Amika Lewis, had recounted their experiencewithCommander Mandallandhisranksonthe evening Adriana went
Kaieteur News on Tuesday that authorities were reviewing the curfew and wereconsideringmovingthe start time to 10:00 p.m. “They [relevant authorities] are considering it, we are reviewingit,”MinisterBenn said He continued, “Basically, it means everybody, including you (reporter), should go home by10:00.”
missing.
Simon stated that when she arrived at the hotel, police were already on the scene, but her pleas for a thorough search of the building were ignored. She said an officer insisted her daughter was abducted, though they did not believe Adriana would leave the premises without notifying anyone. “I said, my child is right in there. I said she wouldn’t leave this place. She’s right in there.Then he said they get footage that is showing that she left, she came out, and she left in a vehicle,”Simonstated.
Similarly,Adriana’saunt said that several police
o
, repeatedly claimed they had video footage showing
A
he premises, but they never showed it to the family
“Mandall told me we have a videohere.Hehashisphone inhishand.Wehaveavideo here showing that the girl left. So I said, show us the video up to now, Mandall never showed us that video, but was insisting that we cleartheroadandthatwego home,becausehehasavideo on his phone showing that sheleft,”sheadded.
Norton also warned of the risks of extrajudicial violence and said the solution lies in restoring
implementingacurfew
David Pa
terson, ChairmanoftheAllianceFor Change (AFC), had called for calm but urged the government to keep the curfewshort-term.“Ithinkit is a limited curfew, and obviously we have to give some sort of support to the police, but I do think it should be, and I hope it’s a very limited curfew; it doesn’tgoonforanylonger ifit’snecessary.”
Inaninvitedcommenton the curfew, Leader of the Opposition Aubrey Norton had criticised the government and police for “mishandling” Younge’s situation, which led to the uproar the country is currently in “First, this entire scene was created by the incompetence of the Guyana Police Force and the government Had they acted properly, we would havenotarrivedatwherewe a rrived.”Hecontinued,“Why would you want a curfew from 12:30 to 5:30 in the morning, when most people are at home? There’s something sinister about it.”
Some citizens also had mixed views on the curfew Roy McKenzie, a citizen interviewed by Kaieteur News, expressed sympathy, but noted that imposing a curfew at this time is a drastic measure “It’s a strongmeasureandmaybeit is necessary to restore calm, however, it puts a lot of pressure on residents who need to work, buy food, or care for their families.” He added, “I just hope the authoritiescanfindabalance
respectingourdailyneeds.” N
citizen, said the curfew mighthelpreducecrime,but added, “It would have been moreeffectivehaditbeenin place at an earlier time.” A resident identified only as ‘Darky’ dismissed the curfew entirely, by stating, “The curfew ain’t make sense, girl. You ain’t see is before 12 them people start lootandbunupderoad,and
Civilian staff who provided false information that Adriana was abducted sent on leave …reportedly told investigators she entered wrong date
TheGuyanaPoliceForce (GPF) confirmed on Thursdaythatacivilianstaff memberandasergeantfrom theSpecialConstabularyare at the centre of the false report that 11-year-old
Adriana Younge was abducted.
In a statement, the GPF disclosed that the civilian staffer, who was on duty at the command centre on the day in question, admitted to detectives that she entered the wrong date while checking the camera system near the Double Day International Hotel, East Bank Essequibo. She had been tasked with verifying whetherAdrianahadleftthe hotel.
As a result of her error, she misled police ranks by reportingthatsheobserveda female matching Adriana’s descriptionleavingthehotel withamale,policesaidinthe statement.
The police also revealed that a sergeant from the Special Constabulary Unit falselyclaimedthatwhileon duty in the Region’s Operation Room, she received a call from an anonymous male informing her that Adriana was seen leaving the hotel and entering a black Raum
Dead, 11-year-old
Adriana Younge
motorcar Detectivestracked thecallandarrestedtheman, who turned out to be well acquainted with the special constable.Hetoldpolicethat he and the officer had a 10minute conversation during w h i c h h e r e l a y e d information he claimed to have overheard outside the hotel. Call logs confirmed the duration of the conversation, the police statementread.
Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken
It was stated that the “Civilian employee and police ranks, respectively, were sent on administrative leave pending the outcome oftheinvestigation.”
This disclosure by the police comes days after PresidentIrfaanAlirevealed that a civilian was responsible for the false informationbeingdisclosed. On April 24, the GPF officially admitted that their earlier statement, which claimed Adriana had been abducted,wasfalse.
That initial release, issued after the child was reported missing during a family outing at the hotel, claimedthatfootageshowed her leaving and being taken awayinaRaummotorcar
Children were never treated better
Last week, our nation's Grade 6 students sat for the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) a two-day academic ordeal that, quite frankly, should have its own national holiday. The atmosphere around the country was electric. Schools were sanctified. Homes were transformed into meditation retreats. And most notably, parentsturnedintoapeculiar blend of star chefs, therapists, and motivational speakers,allrolledintoone.
If you had strolled past any school last week, you might've thought you were witnessing a scene from a coming-of-age film. There they were mothers and fathers, eyes moist with emotion, kissing their children goodbye like they were boarding a space shuttle to Mars. Hugs were dispensed generously, encouraging words flowed like honey, and in some cases,Isuspectincensemay have been lit to ward off negativeenergy
And why not? On exam days, these children are not just children they are precious vessels of promise. For two glorious mornings, they get hot breakfasts with names like “brain-boosting porridge” and “omega-3 omelettes ” Parents, who normally struggle to locate their child's school shoes,
were suddenly wide awake at 5:00 a m , making smoothies, packing tissues, and asking if their children “felt mentally ready ” Mentalreadiness,mindyou, wasnotatopicofdiscussion duringtheprecedingyears. Lunch was no longer a cheese roll or a sandwich. No, no.Thesechildren were treated to gourmet experiences: Church's Chicken,PizzaHut,Chinese from“theniceplace,notthe usual one,” and in a few reportedcases,afour-course meal – because nothing screams “Excel on that Composition paper!” like havingagoodmeal. And it wasn't just food. Stationery was upgraded Extra pencils were bought –HB 4 Sharpeners and erasers were counted and recountedwiththeprecision ofaNASAlaunchsequence. Parents walked their kids to school as though guiding them through a minefield of academic doom.And before the afternoon session? More hugs. More kisses. More encouragement. You'd think thefateoftheWesternworld depended on these kids correctly identifying the subject and predicate in Sentence3.
Naturally, the children wereecstatic.Theybeganto wonder why exams couldn't happenmoreoften.Afterall, it's not every day you get to
Dem Boys Seh...
eat fried chicken in the car while being told how wonderful and capable you are.Iftherewereapetitionto make NGSA a monthly event, the student body wouldsignitunanimously.
But here's where the comedy turns tragic the majority of those doting, cooing, well-intentioned parents are going to be deeply, profoundly, h e a r t b r e a k i n g l y disappointed. Most of their childrenwillnotbeawarded a spot at the elite schools of their dreams Queen's College, The Bishops' High School, St Rose', St Stanislaus and St. Joseph's, thelasttimewechecked,do not have the square footage toaccommodatethenational population. Supply simply cannot meet the tsunami of parentalexpectations.
And when those results arereleased,whenthenames are not on the list, the narrative will change. Oh, howitwillchange.
The same parents who massaged their children's temples before exams and whispered affirmations into their ears will now look bewildered and betrayed “After all I did? After the extra pencils? After the pizzas?”Theheartbreakwill quickly spiral into blame. And who better to blame than the small human who dared to score below the
De weather forecasts too technical!
Dem boys remember de time lang ago when dem fuss hear a weather forecast fuh Guyana.Theannouncersaid:Theinfluence of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) remains dominant across coastal Guyana, with enhanced convective activity expectedthroughthe48-hourperiod.
An embedded lower-level trough, interactingwithanapproachingupper-level divergence zone, will aid in vertical moisturetransport,resultinginmoderateto heavy precipitation, particularly over Regions3,4,and6.
Model guidance indicates precipitable water values exceeding 60 mm, suggesting thepotentialforhighrainfallaccumulation. Saturated soils from previous episodes increase the risk of inundation, particularly inurbanareaswithpoordrainage.
Aweaktropicaldepressionsituatedeast of the Lesser Antilles is forecast to track west-northwestward but is unlikely to directly impact Guyana However, associated outer bands may enhance moisture inflow and increase relative humidity levels, leading to uncomfortable heat indices exceeding 38°C during dry intervals.
Residentsareadvisedtomonitorofficial bulletinsaslocalizedflooding,gustywinds, and isolated thunderstorm cells may develop, especially during afternoon convectivepeaks.
invisible line of parental satisfaction?
Thetruth,ofcourse,isfar more boring and far more inconvenient: love and learning are not things you can microwave. They don't respond well to last-minute panicandasideoffries.You can'treverseayearofyelling and indifference with two days of hugs and pepperoni pizza You can't undo a childhood of neglected reading habits with a heartfelt note tucked in a lunchbox.
But try telling that to the parents, many of whom genuinely believe that their two-day transformation into paragons of parenting should've guaranteed a scholarship and a marching band.
The tragicomic twist is that children notice these things.They'renotfooledby
last-minute affection. They know when the kindness is temporary, when the love is conditional, and when the attention is purchased by a $4.500pizzaorder.
Wo r s e , a l l t h i s pampering can backfire. Childrenbegintointernalize the notion that love is performance-based. Do well, and you get fattyfoodsaplenty Fail,and you get silence—or worse, scolding.That's a dangerous lesson to teach a ten-yearold.
The point is not that parents shouldn't support their children during exams they absolutely should. But they must also support them every other week of the year The home should be a loving, stable, nurturingenvironment,nota two-daycarnivalofaffection tied to a national test
And as for the parents who feel let down by their children's results, maybe just maybe they shouldaskthemselvesiftwo days of kindness were ever enough to make up for a year'sworthofneglect.Orif thatextrapencilreallystood achance.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
Dem boys had to go to de village elder fuh find out what all that technical jargon mean and whether we gan get rain or sunshine.
Devillageeldertelldemboysthattoday gonbeoneofdemdayswhenyuhumbrella, yuh boots, and yuh sense of humour better stickclosetoyuh.
De ITCZ—dat big fancy name fuh de rain belt—decide fuh park heself over Guyana like he paying rent. And wid he comehetwopartner-in-crime:onebottomleveltroughandonetop-leveltrough.Dem twomekkinbabyrainallovadeplace.
De place already soak from de las setta rainfall, and now more water comin Georgetown deh like one basin—wan lil sprinkleandyuhduckswimminoutsideyuh door Imagine when de clouds open up like onemanpensionfile—everybodyfloodout! Meanwhile, some tropical depression eastdehwatchinwe,likeittryinfuhdecide iffuhcomevisitornot.Demboyssehlehit stay far! We gettin he mood swings already—de breeze pickin up and de sun playinhideandseek.
Humidity?Tekoffyuhclothes,yuhstill gon sweat. It feel like yuh walkin through steamfromabigpotofpepperpot. According to de village elder, de Met Office seh tek precautions. Dem boys seh tektwotowel,abucket,andlearnfuhswim. Talkhalf.Leffhalf!
H@RD TRUTHS
Poorpayfeedscorruption-startover
I am surprised that even the UnitedStatesmakesthepointthatit does with underpaid public servants and its relationship to corruption. Becausethepoliceand SOCUareunderpaid,someoftheir people weaken a whole range of law enforcement efforts. I agree, but only to a point. In doing so, I recognize where the US is going with its position about underpayment, but also make my own point. The US knows better Becausethat’sonlyhalfofthedrug story Andwhatastoryitis,vastfor a start, and more richly rewarding than working in, well, almost all other industries. I think that even fabulouslypaidWallStreetershave competition from the opulent drug business.
I endorse that low pay has its weight,andallthatitdoestomorale and performance in any business. Unlike most other businesses, the businessofpolicinghas,Ishallsay, itsalternativesourcesofincome. A little moonlighting for a master drug dealer during the daylight hourshasitspaybacks. Howmuch pay will make a difference?
Double? Tripling? Whatever the multiple, the global deep-pocketed drug industry has the bankroll to
outlast, outmatch, and out-pay that number Reality, I submit. Any arguments,anyone?
Now, for some parallels snatched straight from real life to support my reasoning about the limits of increased pay I limit myself to the last 10 years; a small window, but one with big insights. T
APNU+AFC Coalition took over the reins of government in May 2015. It gave itself a nice, hefty 50% raise in quick time. In less time,arainofprotesteruptedfrom its own supporters in the services lefttomanagewiththeirpaltrypay packets. The Coalition’s master spokesman then stepped forward under the hot lights and made his casefortheincreaseinpay Itwas to incentivize sufficiently the then government’s members of parliament(andothers),sothatthey would be better equipped to resist the lures of corruption. And, not have to get bogged down by other jobs that devour their time. Thus, their governance duties enjoy serious priority from them and actually get done. Now, far be it frommetobethemanintheblack hat,andpointtothecorruptionsthat bedevilled the Coalition’s time in
office. But the returning PPP had ChristmasandEasterinone,asthe litany of malfeasances with land and dollar extractions was broadcast. I sum this one up: of whatgood,andhowfardidthatfat pay raise for those supposedly underpaid MPs and others go in helping some of them to remain untouched by the corruption sicknessesthathauntGuyana?
Parallel number two shifts the spotlight to the present PPP Government. Itisthesameonethat is always howling about how corrupt the PNC was. Follow the rollcall of ministers, and quite a number of them collect the equivalent of close to two million dollars as their total pay and allowanceenvelope. Acorruptionproofpacket,ifanybodyaskedme. Nobody has. Now, I ask the Guyanese people to consider what follows How many in that monthly million-dollar rewarded ganginthePPPGovernmentdon’t have some trace or swath of unexplainedwealthstickingtotheir skinlikesomeoutbreakofeczema? Perhaps, most of them have rich ancestors (or relations) who left themcountlessinheritances. Tomy delight,Idon’t. Bywayofaswift
aside, note that I made it my duty today to exclude those threemillion-dollar-a-month Guyanese, someofwhosenameshaveprideof place in certain kinds of conversations. Foremphasis,some ofthosehighlypaidhighfliers,not allofthem.
Glancing over to the public service, Guyanese never stop marvellingatthemansionsofsome who work in Customs. And law enforcement And drug management. For sure, they can rightly complain about being underpaid, but I nod towards Guyana’sminimumwageworkers. Notmanyofthemcanaffordtobuy a house for themselves, much less for their mother, grandmother, and cousinstwiceremoved.
Mypointisthatifthereareany Guyanese who can lament about their pay, it would be those in the privatesector,whosepayisaround US$300amonth. Theymaysteala toilettankfromtimetotime,butnot abank.
Thoughpoorpaydefinitelyhas itsrole,theUSisgivingpriorityto the low-hanging fruit- police and other public service personnel When the kingpins are sent running, and their businesses are
disrupted, then the little clerks and corporals (and their senior controllers) soon find themselves outofbusiness. Inotherwords,no head, no tail. Another consideration for local intelligentsia: no disrespect, but who’s going to entrust a billion dollars of coke to a pauper? The problem with the kingpins is that they are virtually inseparable from the PPPGovernment. The US has beenupinarmsforalongtimethat assetseizurefeaturessoscantilyin the current government’s mix of measures against the drug trade. Will somebody get real over there inWashington?
Forthatwouldbetheequivalent ofconsentingtotheseizureofone’s own assets. Take the bad people holdings, and many in the PPP Government would be left holding an empty bag. Such are the links and quid pro quos in operation in narcoticsGuyana.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
Fire destroys three Kitty houses
Firefighters trying to save the third house from complete destruction
The remains of Barne's home
A trail of devastation left behind by a Labour Day fire.
Guyana gets prestigious EXIM Bank award for borrowing big
Guyana’s Senior Minister with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, accepted the award on behalf of Guyana whilerepresentingPresidentIrfaanAliatthe bank’s 2025 Annual Conference in Washington,DC.
Dr Singh shared the news on his official Facebook page on Wednesday night, describing the award as a testament to the transformativenatureoftheGTEproject.He highlightedthattheinitiativewilldoublethe country’selectricity-generatingcapacityand cut electricity tariffs by 50%, benefiting householdsandindustriesalike.Theminister alsonotedthatthisisthefirstprojectGuyana has undertaken with the US EXIM Bank, calling it a sign of the strengthening relationshipbetweenGuyanaandtheUnited States.
The minister further revealed that the
Government intends to advance discussions with the Bank on additional projects, including those aimed at enhancing port security, boosting trade, and improving food security across the Caribbean and the wider hemisphere. In January, the government signed the US$527 million loan agreement with US EXIM Bank to finance the GTE project.
The signing took place at the project site in Wales, West Bank Demerara. The loan supports the construction of a Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) facility and a 300-megawatt powerplant.Gaswillbetransportedfromthe offshore StabroekBlock’s Lizaoilfieldviaa 12-inchpipelinetothesite,where50million cubicfeetofgaswillbeconvertedintopower daily
The project is being executed by a joint venture between CH4 and Lindsayca, companies based in Texas and Puerto Rico, respectively Hiredin2022,thejointventure isconstructingtheplantandfacilityatacost of US$759 million, with completion expectedthisyear
Several families are now homeless following a massive fire that ripped through three houses between Pike and Thomas Street,Kitty,Georgetownyesterday
Thefirereportedlystartedsometimeafter midday, eyewitnesses said. One of them recalledthathewaswalkingalongPikeStreet when he saw a fire quickly spreading near a dogpenandamangotreebetweentwoofthe houses, a two-story and a three-story building.
WhenKaieteurNewsarrivedatthescene, the two houses were already burnt to the ground,andfirefighterswerefightingtosave the third house, another two-storey building locatedonthewesternendofthethree-storey one.
Despite their efforts, the fire swept throughtheentiretopflatandbegantogutthe
bottom.
As firefighters continued to battle the blaze, a woman arrived on the scene and beganpraying.
She owned a house under construction thatwasclosetothefire.Thefirehadalready startedtoscorchsomeplantsinheryardanda partofherroof.
She began wetting the walls of her unfinishedhouseinadesperatebidtosaveit.
Two other women arrived shortly after saying, “Workplace burn down, now tomorrowweain’tgotnowork”. Accordingtooneofthem,sheworkedin thethree-storeybuilding.
She claimed that it was owned by a woman living overseas who was renting the property
Kaieteur News learnt that some elderly persons lived on the bottom flat of the property while she worked on the second floor Onthetopfloorlivedanelderlywoman andherson.Alloftheoccupantsmanagedto escape the fire. The elderly woman and her sonreportedlyhadtobehelpedoutofthe Continued on page 17
Guyana’s Senior Minister with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh (first left) after he accepted the US-EXIM Bank “Deal of the Year” award.
Hotel owner released, DNA samples taken from him & Adriana sent overseas for testing
The owner of the Double Day International Hotel,BhojnauthBhola,was releasedfrompolicecustody last Sunday after he was arrested 72 hours prior for questioninginrelationtothe deathof11-year-oldAdriana Younge.
Younge’s lifeless body wasdiscoveredinthehotel’s pool less than 24 hours after she was reported missing by herrelatives.
Bhola and several of his staff were arrested last Thursday after the child’s bodywasfoundinthehotel’s pool at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo.
Despite repeated inquiries by journalists, includingquestionsposedin the police media WhatsApp group,whichincludesHome Affairs Minister Robeson
B e n n a n d P o l i c e Commissioner Clifton Hicken, the Guyana Police Force(GPF)remainedsilent until yesterday, when a
statement was issued indicating that Bhola was released.
The Police Force said thatBholawasreleasedafter the statutory detention period had elapsed and was instructedbyinvestigatorsto report daily to the police station until the outcome of the investigation into the death of the child. Further, theImmigrationDepartment has blacklisted/ prohibited Bhola from leaving the jurisdiction.
The police’s disclosure comes one day after Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said that the GPF must provide clear and timely updatesontheinvestigation.
At a press conference, Jagdeo made it clear that operationalupdatesfromthe police are not for the politicianstodo.“So,Idon’t know who they are, I don’t i
politicians should stay away from police investigations.
Ferguson appeared at the Friendship Magistrates’Court fortheoffenceofPossessionofNarcoticsforthePurposeof Trafficking. He pleaded not guilty and was remanded to prison.
ThematterwasadjournedtoMay22,2025.
It was reported that the car, which was driven by the officer,wassearchedandthreelargetransparentplasticbags that contained a large quantity of leaves, seeds and stems suspectedtobecannabiswerefound.
Ferguson was cautioned and subsequently arrested. The narcotics were weighed in his presence and amounted to 34.6kg,theequivalentofjustover70pounds.
Butthisisaquestionthatyou should pose to the Commissioner of Police or thePRunit,”hesaid.
He noted that media houses are part of the p o l i c e ’s o f f i c i a l communication channels and urged them to press for answers there, rather than expect political figures to provide operational details. “Why don’t you pose the questioninthatgroup,rather than ask a politician to tell you?”Jagdeoasked.
Pressed further on the lack of response from the police PR unit despite multiple requests, Jagdeo acknowledged the gap and called on the Force to improve its public communication
“The PR groupmustdealwithit…the police have their own PR group and they must deal with these matters too and p r o v i d e t i m e l y information… they have to step up on the PR front,” he asserted.
The vice president’s response came amid growing public and media concerns over the handling of the investigation. Bhola, who previously faced a murder charge in 2012, was reportedly taken into custody on the morning of April24,2025.Hisstaffwas detained the same day after Adriana’s body was recovered. However, nearly a week later, the police
remained silent on whether the suspects are still being heldorhavebeenreleased.
DNAsentoverseas
A forensic autopsy was conducted on Adriana’s body on Monday, and the tests concluded that she drowned. However, it was stated that toxicology tests are still outstanding to determine the type of water foundinAdriana’ssystem.
In the update, the Police
also disclosed that DNA samples taken from Bhola, alongwithsamplesfromthe body of Adriana Younge, will be sent overseas Thursday evening for testing.
“DNA samples obtained from the said individual and thoseofAdrianaYoungewill beescortedthiseveningbya forensic investigator for advanced testing and analysis at the Mount Sinai Health System in New York,”policesaid.
Police officer
Sherman Ferguson
Owner of the Double Day International Hotel, Bhojnauth Bhola
Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken
Dead: Adriana Younge
Adriana’s death will be catalyst to drive changes in Guyana
ByShaniaWilliams
Given recent concerns regarding the inefficiency and lack of transparency within the Guyana Police Force(GPF),Presidentofthe Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), Norris Witter,saidonThursdaythat the outpouring of grief acrossthecountrywillbethe catalyst to drive changes in thecountry
Witter made the commentsduringhisaddress
at the union’s Labour Day rally held under tents at the burnt-out Critchlow Labour College. Witter, during his address,statedthat 11-yearold Adriana’s death will not go in vain and will be a “catalyst for great revolution”, calling for systemic reforms within the State.
The preceding rally and march saw a low turnout of unions participating in the heavy rainfall The procession began at Parade
Ground around 9:00 hrs, withworkersmarchingfrom the intersection of Middle andCarmichaelStreets,onto AlbertStreet,thenWoolford Avenue, before gathering at the Critchlow Labour College. Marchers walked underthetheme,“Weneeda change where the state respects workers’ rights ”
The unions that marched under the GTUC banner were: Guyana Post and Telecommunication Workers Union (GPTWU),
- Witter tells Labour Day rally
...can be fined up to $75 million for failing to reimburse State Companies responsible for oil spill must pay Govt. for loss of revenue
TheGovernmentofGuyana(GoG),inaproposedOilSpill Legislation, has set a strict requirement for the cost of all damagestobepaidbytheresponsibleparty.Thisincludesthe lossofrevenuefortheStateasaresultoftheincident.
General Workers Union (GWU), Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GBGWU), Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), Clerical and Commercial Workers’ Union (CCWU), and the Guyana Labour Union(GLU).
However, the overall turnoutwaslow,andseveral other unions, including the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG),chosenotto
Continued on page 16
This is outlined in the proposed oil spill law which was tabledintheNationalAssemblyonTuesday.TheOilPollution Prevention, Preparedness, ResponseAnd Responsibility Bill under Part 6 (17) states, “Aresponsible party is liable for all damagescausedbyanoilspillincident,removalandremoval costs,andrestorationoftheenvironmentasfaraspracticable, andforanycostsarisingtherefromorconnectedtherewith.”
Section 18 explains that removal costs referred to above shall include all costs associated with removal action, in accordancewiththeNationalOilSpillContingencyPlan,by anypersonorbytheStateoranyagencyoftheState.
Meanwhile,theproposedlegislationmakesitexplicitthat companies will be liable for costs including damage to property and economic losses associated with the loss of taxes,royalties,rents,fees,orprofitshares,lossofprofitsor impairmentofearningcapacityduetotheinjury,destruction,
Additionally, the responsible party will also be liable for othercosts,includingdamagetotheenvironment.
Meanwhile, the Bill makes provision for where two or morevesselsareinvolvedinanoilspillincident,thetwoshall be jointly and severally liable for all damage and removal costs.
Additionally, the proposed legislation states, “An indemnificationoranylikeagreementshallbeinvalidforthe purposes of transferring the liability of a responsible party underthisAct.”
Moreover,theBillmakesitclearthatanycostincurredby the state or any third party as a result of an oil spill shall be recoverablefromtheresponsibleparty
FailurebytheresponsiblepartytoreimbursetheState,in accordance with Section 22 of the proposed legislation, commitsanoffenceandshallthereforebeliableonconviction onindictmenttothepenaltyprescribedbyparagraph(b)ofthe Third Schedule and payment of removal costs and damages. Additionally,thecompanymaybeliabletoforfeitureoftheir assetslocally,uptothevalueoftheamounttobereimbursed.
ICJ orders Venezuela to back off from holding elections in Essequibo
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered that,pendingafinaldecision in the case, Venezuela must refrain from conducting elections or preparing to conduct elections in the EssequiboRegion.
The order was handed down on May 1, 2025. According to information released by President Irfaan Ali, the ICJ also noted that the Court reaffirmed the provisional measures of its order of December 1, 2023, which it said should be immediately and effectively implemented.
Last March, the ICJ acknowledged Guyana’s Request for provisional measures in the case concerning the Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899
(Guyana v Venezuela). The ICJwasaskedtotakeurgent action in response to Venezuela’s plans to hold elections in the Essequibo region.
Government had sought the measures from the court afte
had announced that elections werescheduledtotakeplace on 25 May 2025 in the Essequibo region. Guyana asserted that the conduct of these elections, along with any preparatory acts, would violate its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence
Furthermore,Guyanaargued that such actions would breach the ICJ’s provisional orderissuedonDecember1, 2023 Guyana had also warned that Venezuela’s
electoral activities could cause irreparable harm and underscored the urgency of provisionalmeasures.
Inreactingtotheorderof the ICJ, the Government of Guyanasaiditwelcomesthe orderissuedon1May2025. “
Guyana reiterates its unwavering commitment to
o f international law, the peaceful resolution of disputes and to the ICJ Process for a final, peaceful and lawful resolution of the controversy concerning the validity of the 1899Arbitral Award that determined the land boundary between Guyana andVenezuela,” the government said in a statement.“TheGovernment ofGuyanafurthercallsupon
Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugh Todd
the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to comply fully with the ICJ’s orders, which are legally binding, and refrainfromanyactionsthat violate Guyana’s territorial integrityordisruptthepeace and security of the Latin American and Caribbean region,” the statement added.
WANTED VACANCY
Job openings: Truck drivers,Excavator operator, AC Technician & Health & safety officer Apply via Whatsapp : 689-1111/ 6082114.
Puri/ Roti Marker & Porters
neededatRabbiesSnackette 266 Thomas & New Market St.Call:648-8279/231-6591.
One male office assistant must be computer literate. 673-1313/655-6283.1DX140 longboomforrent655-6283.
Calls grow for Hicken to go
From page 2 he said. With that being said, the joint political parties are callingforanimpartialinvestigation into Adriana’s death to be led, managed, and conducted by a credible international law enforcement agency- Scotland Yard, RCMP, or the FBI, with the appropriateforensiccapacity under the constitutional auspicesoftheGPF
Notably, he said they are callingfor“TheimmediateremovaloftheCommissionerof Police pending the outcome of investigations (and) the establishment of an Independent Civilian Oversight Authority to review and investigate allegations of misconduct within the Guyana PoliceForce.”
When asked about their calls for an independent investigation and the removal of the top cop, AFC Leader, Nigel Hughes explained that there is a lack of confidence in the ability of the Police Force, given the manner in which they responded to the initialreportofAdrianabeing missing.
HeaddedthattheGovern-
ment of Guyana has the abilitytomakearequesttoeither the British, United States or Canadian Government, who he is confident will immediately indicate whether their lawenforcementagenciescan come forward and render assistance.
“Finally, in relation to Commissioner having to go, for the reasons that I have just said and because of the actions of the Guyana Police Force even before this body was found and most importantly, the complete absence of the Commissioner during any stage of this investigation to provide any information,thecompleteabsenceof the Minister of HomeAffairs to provide any information when speculation was rife, I think is in addition to the other obvious reasons, those arereasonswhyheshouldgo immediately,” Hughes commented.
Further, theAFC Leader said that the issue with a misleadingpolicereportthatAdriana was seen leaving in a car raised a series of questions. He reminded that the child’s mother told a police officer,
after seeing the footage provided by police, that it was not her daughter entering the car
“Why would the police, after having been informed by the mother of the child, ‘that is notmychild’.Whywouldthe police make a public statementsayingthatthechildleft inamotorvehiclewhichwas identifiedatthespecifictime? So that means that the police are saying she was alive at that time, and more importantly, on what basis would they reject a statement from the mother who, having seen the same footage that they wererelyingonsay,whosaid tothem,thisisnotmydaughter Why would they reject that?”heexplained.
Commenting on the revised Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), which wasissuedbytheGPFfollowing her death, Hughes stated thatitisanimprovement,but it is too little and unfortunately, in this specific case, too late.
“I think one of the things that is evident from not only this incident, from the shootinginLinden,andparticularly
thefailureoftheGuyana Police Force to carry out the recommendations of the 2013 COI [Commission of Inquiry], is that the Guyana Police Force is in need of a complete overhaul,” he expressed.
He added that the Police Forcehashadspecificrecommendations from the best in the Caribbean and the best locally,buthasrejectedthem. “So, it’s not just a question of passing an SOP As a matter of fact, that’s an insult to hustle to pass an SOP in the hopethattheywillpacifythe absolute rejection that the public has and the lack of confidence they have in the police,” he noted.
Meanwhile, the political partiesthatwerepresentcondemned the looting and destruction of private and public property They have since rejected the broader system that“Shootsfirstandexplains never.” In light of what took place, the political group is calling for respect for the right to peaceful protest, a ceasefire, and an end to the use of deadly force as a first resort.
Adriana’s death will be catalyst to drive...
From page 14 participate in the march, expressing concerns about the safetyofworkersinthewake of Monday’s riot across the country Addressing workers attheCollege,muchattention was given to 11-year-old AdrianaYounge,andthesystemic failure of proper management and protection of citizens. Witter expressed deep concern over the state’s treatment of workers and the lack of accountability within the Guyana Police Force
“The theme is ‘we need a change, and the state must respectworkers’rights.’That themeislaudable,”Wittertold attendees. “But I would like to say something to you today: I do not have any faith inthecurrentregime.Despite the demands of the GTUC to respect workers’ rights, the statehasn’tdoneso.Overthe past four years or thereabouts, we have seen where the state has violated the rights of workers with impunity.”
Witter called for a complete shift in governance to restore public trust and upholddemocraticvalues.“Ifwe decidetohaveastatethatwill not only respect the rights of workers but will subscribe to the theme of good governance, then there must be a change of the status quo. And that’s why, for those who don’t understand, we need new faces, new right faces.”
Inaparticularlyemotional
moment during his speech, Witter referenced recent instances of alleged state violenceandfailuresoftheGPF, callingforjusticeandreform.
“We are not saying all police are bad. We are saying that there are enough rogue elements within the police force to make the society unsafe. YouhavetheshootinginLinden, and we had the heinous death of Adriana Younge,” Witter said. “I am suggesting toyouthatthecriminalsmurdered her, or the state assassinatedher Thestatemustbe held responsible for the fact that it was one of the arms of the state, by not giving her thekindofprotectionthatshe needed and practicing hatred.”
He added, “If we are to have good governance, or haverespectforlaw,personal security, for life and liberty, there must be new faces and right faces.” With visible emotion, Witter emphasized the significance of Younge’s death. “It is my view that
Adriana’sdeath—murder— assassination will not go in vain!Strangethingsarehappening not only in Guyana but in the world. But I do believe thatAdriana will be the catalyst for a great revolution.Adrianawillbethecatalystthatwillensurethatthere will be new faces and right faces in the state. And I say to you, each and every one of you: speak her name.”
The Labour Day observance, rooted in a tradition dating back to the 1930s under the leadership of Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow and his BritishGuianaLabourUnion, continuestobeaplatformfor workers to voice demands. Since being declared a nationalholidayonMay1,1958, Labour Day has symbolized unity and resistance.
This year, workers not only called for improved wagesandtheremovalofPay AsYouEarn(PAYE)taxation but also demanded systemic reforms and respect from the State.
VACANCY
Kamla takes charge of T&T
- pledges love, justice, and transformation
(Trinidad Express)
Kamla Persad-Bissessar has been sworn in for a second time as Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, promising a new era of compassion, fairness, decisiveleadership,andlove following a resounding electoral victory for the United National Congress (UNC).
The swearing-in ceremony was held on Thursday at President’s House in Port-of-Spain and officiated by President
Christine Kangaloo Attorney General-designate John Jeremie also took his oathofoffice.Therestofthe cabinet will be sworn in on Saturday
In her inaugural address, Prime Minister PersadBissessarspokeaboutashift in national governance priorities, pledging to put “the real people of Trinidad andTobago”attheforefront ofanewfive-yearterm.
“My role as your newly
elected Prime Minister is simple: it is to love you and to do everything possible to make you and your loved oneshappy,”shedeclared.
She dedicated her return to public office to “the forgotten people”, those living in underserved and o f t e n o v e r l o o k e d communities beyond the capital.
“If you are living on the fringes of the Guanapo, in thecoconutestatesofIcacos, in Kernahan village in the Nariva swamp, on the coastline in Charlotteville, Tobago, or the lagoons of Barrackpore, I see you. You will be treated equally and fairly.”
Persad-Bissessar warned her newly elected ministers that accountability will be non-negotiable.
“If you treat the citizens with callousness, contempt, and corrupt ways, I guarantee you retribution willbeswiftandbrutal.”
She cautioned against
mistaking her physical appearance or kindness for weakness and vowed to uphold the values of integrity, transparency, and equity throughout her government.
Reflecting on her previous time out of office, Persad-Bissessar described the past decade as a time of personalandpoliticalexile.
“For ten years, I was a woman scorned, a pariah to many.Iknowhowitfeelsto be humiliated and written off. But I also know that the poorestandhumblestpeople came to my aid ” That period, she said, deepened her understanding of those who feel forgotten by the politicalsystem.
She drew on Christian scripture to underscore her message of resilience and hope, quoting from 1 Peter 3:8-12 and calling on the nation to choose “courage over fear” and “hope over despair.”
Persad-Bissessar also
extended an olive branch to those who did not vote for theUNC.
“To those citizens who supported other political parties, I see you too. You will be treated equally Everybodywillwin.”
She reminded the nation that democracy, though imperfect, remains the great equalizer, referencing “eatah-foodfinanciers”andselfinterested elites who, she said, had looted the country overthepastdecade.
Outlining the vision for thenextfiveyears,thePrime Ministerpromisedtorebuild the economy, restore national security, revolutionise access to technology, diversify revenue streams, and renew publicfaith.
“Some of the seeds we will plant in this five-year journey will blossom into treeswhosefruitwemaynot eat, but our children and grandchildrenwill.”
She assured the public
Broomes knocks selfish labour leaders
Pr e s i d e n t i a l
Candidate of the Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity (ALP) has criticized labour unionsacrossthecountryfor their poor showing at the LabourDayparadeandrally onThursday
Broomes, who attended theeventsoftheday,saidshe w a s p a r t i c u l a r l y disappointed with the low turnout for the day’s events.
“AsweobserveLabourDay, we wish to commend the diligentGuyanesepeoplefor t h e i r i n v a l u a b l e contributions and reaffirm
our commitment to championing meaningful changes for the workforce.
As we reflect on the activities today, it is hard to ignore how subdued the Labour Day rallies and marcheshavebecome.Some union leaders expressed that they did not feel safe participating, given the current state of affairs.This, however, did not deter their feasting at State House as they shirked their responsibilities,” Broomes said.
“We urge these union leaders to remember that
thathergovernmentisready to deliver, saying: “We have doneitbefore,andwithyour help,wewilldoitagain.”
Persad-Bissessar’s swearing-in follows the UNC’sdecisivevictoryover the incumbent People’s National Movement (PNM) in Monday’s general election.
Thewinmarksherreturn to the country’s highest office after previously serving as Prime Minister
becoming the nation’s first femaleheadofgovernment.
“This day starts the journey,” Persad-Bissessar said.
“We will rebuild Trinidad and Tobago person by person, community by community, heart by heart. Trinidad and Tobago is too blessedtobebroken.”
Sheconcludedbytelling the country “Everything is goingtobealright”.
Firedestroysthree...
Frompage12
rally
their duty is to the working Guyanese and not to themselves or political parties,” the ALP leader added. According to Broomes: “To the workforce of Guyana, we encourage you to hold your union leaders accountableanddemandthe respect, representation, and advocacy you rightfully
deserve as workers and members of your respective unions.”
Broomes said her party stronglybelieves“thatevery worker in this country deserves livable wages, fair treatment, the protection of theirrightstosafeandsecure workingenvironmentsanda decentstandardofliving.We extend sincere gratitude to
the workforce for their contributions and commitment to Guyana’s growth and development
We assure all that the ALP stands with you and we remaincommittedtosecuring the meaningful changes you deserve,” Broomes, a former labour minister in the David Granger administration, said.
building.Meanwhile,JosephBarnes,oneofthefirevictims and owner of the two-storey house located on the eastern side of the three-storey building, said that he was resting whenthefirestarted.Whenhesteppedoutofhishome,the entireeasternwallofthethree-storeybuildingwasonfire. His housewas notyetonfire,buthisneighboursurged himtoleavethehouseimmediatelybeforethethree-storey buildingstartedcavingin.
Barnes obeyed. The first fire trucks, according to him, arrivedwithinthreetofourminutesbuttheyreportedlycame with limited water resources to tackle the blaze, which quicklyturnedintoamajordisaster
“The water done and by time they get more and come back, the fire began spreading rapidly and engulfed my homebeforeketchin thewhitehouse...”
Barnes had no choice but to stand and watch his home burntothegroundalongwiththethree-storeybuilding.
Headded,“Ilostalotofthingsofsentimentalvalue”. Looking back at the disaster, Barnes said that he had a five-minute window to salvage some valuable items from hishomebeforeitcaughtfire,buthedidnotexpectthefire wouldhavespreadsoquickly
Heblamedhis“stateofmind”atthetime,too.
Barnes said, “I listened to the people (his neighbours who raised the alarm, they were shouting come out, come out,thethingcouldcavein,yuhlife, yuhlife,rememberthe firemanthatgetkilledbytheschool”.
The origin of the fire is unknown at this time, and fire investigators,uptopresstime,werestilltryingtoascertain theexactlocationwhereitstarted.
Investigationsareongoing.
…bemoans poor attendance at May Day parade,
Leader of the ALP, Simona Broomes
New T&T PM, Kamla Persad-Bissessar
Israel attacks kill dozens of Palestinians collecting food in Gaza
…as UN demands lifting of ‘cruel’ Gaza blockade …Qatar tells ICJ Israel executing ‘genocidal war’ against Palestinians
Aljazeera - Israeli forces are accused of targeting Palestinians collectingfoodfortheirfamiliesin Gaza, as the hunger crisis deepens in the enclave due to Israel’s ongoingtotalblockade.
Evenasithasbeenreportedthat dozens have died at the hands of IsraeliforcesonThursday,asenior Qatari diplomat told the International Court of Justice that Israel is conducting a “genocidal waragainstthePalestinianpeople” andweaponisinghumanitarianaid.
He joined a long list of representatives from governments across the world condemning IsraeliactionsinitswaronGaza.
Israeli air attacks on the Gaza Striphavekilledatleast29people, Gaza’scivildefenceagencysaid,as the United Nations demanded that Israel lift its blockade of the Palestinian territory and allow humanitarianaidtoenter
Atleasteightpeoplewerekilled in an Israeli attack that hit theAbu SahlulfamilyhomeinKhanYounis refugee camp in southern Gaza, according to civil defence official Mohammedel-Mougher
Witnesses told the AFP news agency about a trail of devastation inKhanYounis.“Wecamehereand found all these houses destroyed, and children, women and young people all bombed to pieces,” said AhmedAbuZarqa.“Enough,we’re tired. We don’t know what to do with our lives any more. We’d ratherdiethanlivethiskindoflife.”
‘Aidshouldneverbea bargainingchip’
The bombardment comes amid dire warnings about the humanitarian situation in the besieged territory, which has been under a total Israeli blockade for twomonths.
Volker Turk, the UN human rights chief, said the conditions being imposed by Israel on Palestinians in Gaza are “increasingly incompatible with their continued existence as a group”. He warned that starvation as a method of warfare could amounttoawarcrime.
Fourotherswerekilledinanair strikeintheTuffahneighbourhood of Gaza City, east of Shaaf, and at least 17 more were killed in other assaults across the enclave on Thursday, including a strike on a tent housing displaced civilians nearDeirel-Balah.
ThehumanitariancrisisinGaza has reached a catastrophic level, with Palestinians teetering on the edge of mass starvation, according toAl Jazeera’sTareqAbuAzzoum reportingfromtheground.
“Parentshaveliterallystartedto skip meals and children are now eating spoiled food. Canned food hasbecomealuxury,”hesaid.Aidsupportedbakerieshaveshutdown due to severe shortages, while the World Food Programme has reportedlyrunoutofstock,leaving soup kitchens overwhelmed and barelyoperational.
“Locals are calling for safe, sustained humanitarian corridors, but say meaningful aid can only enter when Israel permits it,” he added.Withtheblockadenowinits second month, many in Gaza feel they are not just enduring a humanitarian emergency but “an engineered misery” that has unleashed famine on a devastating scale.
Tom Fletcher, the UN’s humanitarian chief, echoed those concerns on Thursday “Aid, and the civilian lives it saves, should never be a bargaining chip,” he said.
Islam Abu
“Blocking aid kills. It inflicts cruel collective punishment.” He criticised an Israeli proposal for private distribution of aid in Gaza, calling it insufficient and not aligned with basic humanitarian principles.
“To the Israeli authorities, and those who can still reason with them, we say again: lift this brutal blockade. Let humanitarians save lives,”hesaid.
UN agencies, including UNRWA,saidmorethan3,000aid trucksarestuckattheGazaborder, unable to deliver essential supplies Some one million childrenaresaidtobeatrisk “The siege must be lifted,” UNRWA saidinapostonX QatarslamsIsraelatICJ Israel’s obligations to provide humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank are also the
subjectofaweeklonghearingatthe InternationalCourtofJustice(ICJ), followingarequestforanadvisory opinion from the UN General Assemblylastyear Inthefourthdayofhearingson Thursday, Qatar’s ambassador to the Netherlands, Mutlaq alQahtani, told the court Israel has continued its “genocidal war againstthePalestinianpeople”and increased settlement efforts in the occupiedWestBank.
PalestiniansinGazacontinueto face “famine-like conditions” as Israel continues to block “any delivery of life-saving aid”, said Mutlaqal-Qahtani
Israel has jeopardised the existence of the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, which is the “backbone” of humanitarian and development assistanceintheoccupiedterritory, addedtheQataridiplomat.
US wants to start tariff talks with China, state media says
BEIJING/WASHINGT
ON, May 1 (Reuters) -The United States has approached China seeking talks over President Donald Trump’s 145% tariffs, a social media account affiliated with Chinese state media said on Thursday, potentially signalling Beijing’s openness to negotiations.
“ T h e U S h a s proactively reached out to China through multiple channels, hoping to hold discussions on the tariff issue,” Yuyuan Tantian said in a post published on its official Weibo social media account, citing anonymous sources.
U.S. officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett,alsoexpressedhope for progress in easing trade tensions.
Hassett told CNBC that there have been “loose discussions all over both governments” about the tariffs and China’s easing of duties on some U.S. goods
last week was a sign of progress.
Beijing has made little effort to contain its anger at the tariffs, which it says are tantamount to bullying and cannot stop the rise of the world’s second-largest economy Instead, it has directed its fury at rallying public and global condemnation of the import curbs-showingnointerestin areprieve.
That said, alongside leveraging its propaganda machine to hit back at the duties, China has quietly created a list of U.S.-made productsitwillexemptfrom its retaliatory 125% tariffsi n c l u d i n g s e l e c t pharmaceuticals,microchips andjetengines-Reutershas reported, to ease the duties’ impact.
Bessent mentioned no specific talks during a Fox BusinessNetworkinterview, but said that high tariffs of 145% on the U.S. side and 125% on the Chinese side neededtobede-escalatedfor negotiationstobegin.
“I am confident that the
Chinesewillwanttoreacha deal. And as I said, this is going to be a multi-step process,” Bessent said “First, we need to deescalate,andthenovertime, we will start focusing on a largertradedeal.”
He said that among the firststepswouldbetorevisit China’sfailuretomakegood on purchase commitments forAmericangoodsmadeas partofTrump’s2020“Phase 1” trade deal that ended his first-term trade war with Beijing.
Democratic Republic of Congohaslaunchedabidto strip former President JosephKabilaofhislifelong immunity
That deal called for China to increase purchases of American manufactured and agricultural products and services by $200 billion annuallyovertwoyears,but theCOVID-19pandemichit justafteritssigning.
Bessent also said that “insidious” non-tariff trade barriers and intellectual property theft also would be part of negotiations over
tariffs with China, adding: “everything is on the table f o r t h e e c o n o m i c relationship.”
TARIFFSTOOHIGH
Once Trump’s tariffs topped 35% they became prohibitively high for Chineseexporters.
Nomura Securities said thatsome16millionChinese people could lose their jobs once the long-term ripple effects of a 50% drop in Chinese exports to the U.S. work their way through the economy
Bessentsaidthepressure was on China because it is more dependent on exports totheU.S.thanviceversa.
“They sell us about five times more than we sell them So their factories are closing down as we speak,” Bessent said “We’re going into the holiday season Orders are placed for that now So if those orders aren’t placed, it could be devastating for the
Chinese ”
Still, Beijing has been adamant it will stand and fight, rather than rush to the
negotiation table - with the foreign ministry likening yieldingtoTrump’stariffsto “drinking poison.” “Before the U S takes any substantiveaction,Chinahas no need to engage in talks withtheU.S.,”thepostfrom Yuyuan Tantian added, citing anonymous experts.
“However,iftheU.S.wishes toinitiatecontact,thereisno harm at this stage for China toengage.”
“China needs to observe closely, even force out the U S ’ true intentions, to maintain the initiative in both negotiation and confrontation,”itconcluded.
Trump said in a U.S. media interview published last Friday that his administration was talking with China to reach a tariff deal and that Chinese President Xi Jinping had calledhim.Beijinglastweek repeatedly denied such talks were taking place, accusing Washington of “misleading thepublic”.
NOKNOWNTALKS
Guo Jiakun, a Chinese f o r e i g n m i n i s t r y
spokesperson, said on Wednesday: “as far as I know, there have been no consultationsornegotiations between China and the U.S. ontariffs”.
Chinese officials have consistently stated that Beijingisopentotalks,with thecaveatthat“dialogueand negotiationmustbebasedon equality, respect and mutual benefit.” Yuyuan Tantian is not among China’s most authoritative state media outlets.
TheGlobalTimes,which is owned by the newspaper ofthegoverningCommunist Party, People’s Daily, has often been first to report China’s next steps in trade disagreements over the past fewyears.
T r u m p s a i d o n Wednesdayhebelievedthere wasa“verygoodchance”his administration could do a deal with China, hours after Xicalledonofficialstotake actiontoadjusttochangesin t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l environment, without explicitly mentioning the UnitedStates.
Sahloul, centre, mourns the death of her sister Lamia, 32, who was killed when an Israeli army strike hit a house killing at least five people, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, May 1, 2025 [Abdel Kareem Hana/AP]
NovakDjokovicpullsout...
Frompage22
we'll see what it all means when we get to Roland Garros,”Courieradded.
ItwillbeDjokovic'sfirst time since making his main draw debut in 2007 that he won'tbeattheInternazionali BNLd'Italia.
Hisdecisiontowithdraw comes amid a string of losses.
The Serbian most recently fell to world no. 44
Matteo Arnaldi in his openingmatchoftheMadrid Open. Before that, a loss in theRoundof32toAlejandro Tabilo at the Monte-Carlo MastersinearlyApril.
Djokovic's best performance this year came in March and gave some hope for a return-to-form.
Hemadeittothefinalofthe Miami Open where he eventually lost to Jakub Menšík Now, that
performance seems more of ablip.
The current world No. 5 was also forced to retire in the semifinal of the Australian Open – the first slam of the season – in Januarywithaleginjury
It's a new experience for Djokovic.
At a press conference after his defeat toArnaldi in the Spanish capital, he said, “Kind of a new reality for
me,Ihavetosay
“Trying to win a match ortwo,youknow,notreally thinking about getting far in thetournament.
It's a completely differentfeelingfromwhatI had 20-plus years of professionaltennis.
“A challenge for me mentally to face these kind ofsensationsonthecourt but,youknow,that'sIguess thecircleoflifeofthecareer Eventually, it was going to happen.”
Edward’s Five-Wicket...
Friday May 02, 2025
ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)
Passionandromanceareinthe air, so make the most of the great atmosphere! Everyone seemstobeinafestivemood. You feel close to others and feelprofoundgratitudeforthe lovedonesinyourlife.
TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)
You may receive some upsetting news from a family member today It could have you reeling for a moment,but whenyoutakethetimetothink about it some more you'll realize that things aren't as troublingastheyfirstseemed
GEMINI(May21–June20)
Youmustweighyourphysical limitationswithyourdesireto get everything done, Gemini. You run the risk of wearing yourself out and getting sick justasyoufinishyourtasks.
CANCER(June21–July22)
Todayyoucouldrealizethata friend is actually your soul mate, Cancer You've been spendingalotoftimetogether attending social events, and you've come to realize how much you look forward to eachother'scompany
LEO(July23–Aug.22)
Youmayfeelatoddswiththe restoftheworldnow,Leo,as youyearnforsomequiettime alone. See if you can find a balance between spending time with your family and timealone.
VIRGO(Aug 23–Sept 22)
Youhaveawarmandsensitive nature, Virgo, and today you could be feeling especially tuned in to the feelings of others.Romanceisverymuch onyourmind,asareallthings sensual.
LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)
Thismaybeatrickyday,Libra, as you feel the pull of conflicting demands and desires. On the one hand, you feel obligated to your career and fulfilling the demands of youremployer
SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)
It doesn't seem fair that your workload has increased these last few days Never mind that youstillhaveallofyournormal tasks to do, your boss expects youtofinalizeanewbudgetand writeaproposalaswell?
SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)
You've been extremely busy these past few months, working extra hours at the office, then going out with friendslateatnight.Thissortof behaviorisknownas"burning thecandleatbothends,"andit rarelyhasahappyending.
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)
Expect today's planetary energies to raise your social consciousness,Capricorn.You may be distracted with thoughts of the homeless person you saw today, or the television special you saw on babieswithAIDS.
AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)
You may be asked to swallow your pride and give in to someoneelse'swilltoday This will be difficult for you to do. Try to concentrate on your good reasons for obedience, and work out your frustration bytakingabriskwalk.
PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)
The planetary energy makes this a good day for contemplation rather than action, Pisces. If you feel the urgetobuy,don't.
Frompage22 from Edward, Cameron Pennyfeather (2-18) and Anderson Mahase (1-14) bowledwithgoodcontrolto keepthePelicansincheck.
Inreply,Thunder'schase wassetupbyanassured47run opening partnership between Jamie Cornelius (18) and Kofi James (35 off 31), who struck six boundaries.Afterbothfellin thespaceof20runs,thepair of Mikyle Louis and Jewel Andrewtookcontrol.
Louis remained unbeaten on 25 from 27 balls,whileAndrewplayeda sparklingknockof36notout off 25 deliveries, lacing seven boundaries Their unbroken 53-run stand for thethirdwicketsawThunder cruiseto129-2in16.3overs.
Edward's Five-Wicket Burst, Top-Order Composure Fire Thunder Past Pelicans
SportsMax - A devastating five-wicket haul from Nathan Edward and composed knocks from Mikyle Louis and Jewel Andrew powered the Leeward Islands Thunder to a commanding eight-wicket victory over the Barbados Pelicans in the WestIndiesBreakoutLeagueonWednesday attheBrianLaraCricketAcademy
Barbados, electing to bat first, were restrictedto127alloutin19.5overs,largely due to a fiery spell from Edward, who claimed5-27infourovers.
He ripped through the top order, removing Kadeem Alleyne (10), Shian Brathwaite (0), Nathan Sealy (0), and Shaqkere Parris (5) within the first five overs, and later returned to dismiss the innings' top-scorer Leniko Boucher, who made a fighting 48 from 51 balls with two foursandtwosixes.
Boucher held the innings together amid the collapse, but lacked meaningful support. KevinWickham(13)andNyeemYoung(10)
offeredbriefcameos,whilelatehittingfrom Joshua Bishop (24 off 16) and Sion Hackett (13off5)pushedthetotalpast120.Aside (Continue on page 19)
Novak Djokovic at the Monte-Carlo Masters before his first match exit on April 9. (Pascal Della Zuana/Icon Sport/Getty Images)
CNN-FormerworldNo. 1NovakDjokovichaspulled out of the Italian Open amid a three-match losing streak and months of struggling withhisform.
The withdrawal means the 24-time grand slam singles champion will go into the French Open at the endofMaywithoutawinon claythisseason.
He's won at Roland Garros three times previously–thelastofwhich
Novak Djokovic pulls out of Italian Open ahead of French Open
camein2023.
The tournaments in Madrid and Rome are often used as warmup events for Roland Garros – a time for players like Djokovic to get into a rhythm on the clay before the second major of theseason.
Noreasonwasgivenfor his withdrawal, something thatconcernsformerFrench Open champion Jim Courier
“It's worrying because
that's the best place to get ready for Roland Garros,” CouriersaidonTCLive.
“The conditions are very similar You're back at sea level.Ifyou'regoingtoplay one between Madrid and Rome, Rome would be the oneyou'dwouldwanttoplay to get ready for Roland Garros.
“It's a very strange thing to announce a pull-out now, wellinadvanceofit.And (Continue on page 19)
Nathan Edward
Suryavanshi, 14, out for duck after record century
BBC Sport - Fourteenyear-old batter Vaibhav Suryavanshiexperiencedthe lows of elite sport just three days after his recordbreaking century as he was dismissed for a two-ball duck in the Indian Premier League.
The prodigious talent became the youngest player tohitamen'sT20centuryin Monday's victory over Gujarat Titans, but in his followingoutinghelobbeda catchtoWillJacksinsidethe first over of Rajasthan Royals'chase.
His dismissal was just thestartofhisside'swoes,as Mumbai Indians' bowlers tore through the Rajasthan line-up, bowling them out for 117 in the 17th over to winby100runs.
A sixth consecutive win takes Mumbai top of the tablewhileRajasthanremain in eighth and can no longer qualifyfortheendofseason play-offs.
Having struck 101 from 35 balls in just his third outing in the IPL, all eyes were on Suryavanshi as Rajasthan embarked on a chaseof218.
Hewasunabletorepeat his feat of hitting his first ball in the competition for six, fending his first ball into the covers before chipping to Jacksatmid-on from Deepak Chahar's next delivery His opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal struck two sixes off Trent
Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s 35-ball hundred on Monday was the second fastest hundred in IPL history and the fastest by an Indian player. (Getty Images)
Boult in the following over, but the veteran New Zealand seamer then took his revenge, bowling the Indiainternational.
Rajasthan slid to 47-5
as Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer with consecutive deliveries, before 37-year-old spinner Karn Sharma took three wicketsfor23toensurethere would be no Rajasthan fightback.
Jofra Archer held up the Mumbai victory, topscoring with 30, but he became the last man out as Boult returned to have the England seamer caught at shortfine-legandfinishwith figuresof3-28.
Having been put into bat,MumbaiopenersRohit
S h a r m a a n d Ry a n Rickelton got their team off to a strong side with an opening partnership of 116
South African Rickelton was bowled by Maheesh Theekshanafor61andRohit followed in the next over, lofting Parag to Jaiswal at long-offhavingscored53.
The wickets brought Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya to the crease and they each scored an unbeaten48from23ballsas Mumbai closed on 217-2, a total Rajasthan proved incapableofchasing.
Mumbai move up two placesfromthirdandnowsit at the top of the standings
with seven wins and four losses - ahead of Royal Challengers Bengaluru on net run-rate, having played onegamemore.
S c o r e s : M u m b a i Indians 217-2 (20 overs): Rickelton 61 (38), Rohit 53 (36)
Slingerz hold solid lead going into weekend matches in GFF Elite League Season 7
Slingerz FC hold a solid fourpointsleadatthetopof the most recent standings in the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Elite LeagueSeason7.
TheWestDemeraraside haverecorded15pointsfrom five perfect matches which they all won, scoring an impressive 30 goals with only two against with an impressive plus 28 goal difference.
Training Slingerz are: Guyana Police Force FC with 11 points, and Santos with 10 points from six games,whileWesternTigers alsohave10pointsbutfrom fivematches.
Monedderlust is next with9pointsfromsixgames,
Guyana Defence Force and Den Amstel have 7 points from five games, Fruta ConquerorsandAnn'sGrove are on five points and Mainstay Goldstar yet to record a point all from six gamesplayed.
Meanwhile, the GFF has announced that the Elite League matches originally scheduled for May 3 and 4 will proceed as planned, following the official lifting of the curfew by the GovernmentofGuyana.
Theyexpressedthanksto all stakeholders and fans for t
continuedsupport.
This weekend's matches scheduled for the National
Training Centre, Providence willseeonSaturdayWestern Ti g e r s F C v e r s u s Monedderlust Football Club at 6:30pm in the opening encounter, while Guyana DefenceForceFootballClub oppose Ann's Grove United FC from 9:00pm in the nightcap.
On Sunday at the same times, Slingerz Football Club tangle with Fruta ConquerorsFootballClubin the opener, while Den Amstel FC collide with the Guyana Police Force Football Club in the nightcap. The league action is fueled by sponsorship from Turbo, GBI, BACIF, Blue Water Shipping, and Namilco.
Gauff routs Swiatek to reach Madrid Open final, Ruud beats Medvedev
MADRID (AP) Coco
Gauff overpowered defending champion Iga Swiatek6-1,6-1toreachthe Madrid Open singles final forthefirsttimeThursday Gauff broke Swiatek's serve three times in the first setandtwiceinthesecondto cruise to a 64-minute
semifinal victory over the second-ranked Swiatek at theclay-courttournament.
“ThementalitythatIhad in the whole match was aggressive,” the fourthrankedGauffsaid.
“Maybe it wasn't her bestleveltoday,butIthinkI forced her into some
Grimmond duo fire as Guyana women open T20 Blaze with confident win
SportsMax - Guyana kickedofftheirWomen'sT20 Blaze campaign in dominant fashion, as they secured a comfortable seven-wicket victory over the Leeward Islandsinalow-scoringclash atArnosValeonThursday
Powered by sharp bowling from Sheneta Grimmond and Ashmini Munisar and anchored by a composed chase from Realeanna Grimmond and Shemaine Campbelle, Guyana stifled the Leewards to a modest 88-7 and then surpassedtheirtargetat89-3.
Themorningbelongedto the bowlers, and none more so than Sheneta Grimmond, who turned in a matchdefining spell of 3-15 that choked any momentum the Leewards hoped to build. Supported brilliantly by leftarm spinner Munisar, who grabbed 2-17, Guyana ran amokthroughtheopponents' lineup.
Leeward Islands' decision to bat quickly lookedill-advisedastheylost wicketsatkeyintervals.Only Qiana Joseph, who made 25 off 41, and skipper Amanda Edwards, with 28 off 29
balls, provided any resistance. Edwards' effort, laced with two sixes and a four, brought a spark of aggression, but no real partnerships materialized, as the rest of the lineup crumbled under pressure, with Divya Saxena (12 not
awkwardpositions.”
Swiatek had recovered fromlosingthefirstset0-6to M a d i s o n K e y s o n Wednesday
Gauff will face either top-rankedArynaSabalenka or Elina Svitolina in the final.
I n t h e m e n ' s quarterfinals, Casper Ruud advanced by defeating DaniilMedvedev6-3,7-5to become the first player born in 1990 or later to reach 30 tour-levelsemifinalsonclay
The 15th-ranked Norwegian had been 0-3 against Medvedev in his
career
“Ilookedatourstatslast nightandsawhebeatmeon grass, outdoor hard and indoorhard.Thelastsurface wasclaysoIthought,'please don't make it 4-0,'” Ruud said. “I tried to use the surface to my advantage. I thought the level was pretty good from both players, I
Coco Gauff overpowered defending champion Iga Swiatek. (USA TODAY)
out) the only other batter to reachdoubledigits.
Guyana's chase was not without hiccups, but a levelheaded approach ensured they crossed the line in 18.2 overs. Opening batter Realeanna Grimmond provided early stability with a run-a-ball 33 that included two fours and a six. She partnered with Katana Mentore(six)forasteady42run opening stand before fallingtoRozelLiburd.
A mini wobble saw Guyana slip to 65-3, with Mentore and Shabika Gajnabi (10) falling in quick succession, but skipper Shemaine Campbelle brought her experience to bear The West Indies stalwart calmly steered the chasewithanunbeaten23off 25 balls, finding the boundary twice, while Cherry-Ann Fraser provided steady support with 11 not out.
Iga Swiatek was on the wrong end of the one-sided first set (Getty Images)
was impressed with Daniil's ability to produce power hereonclay."
Ruud will next face Francisco Cerundolo, who rallied to defeat teenager JakubMensik3-6,7-6(5),62.
Cerundolo had beaten top-seeded Alexander Zverev in the previous round.
The Madrid Open was disrupted on Monday because of the major blackout that brought Spain and Portugal to a standstill. Morethan20matcheshadto be postponed at the Caja Magica tennis complex, creating a packed schedule therestoftheweek.
Sheneta Grimmond
Realeanna Grimmond
United States' Coco Gauff, left, shakes hands with Iga Swiatek of Poland at the end of the match during the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (APPhoto/Manu Fernandez)
