Kaieteur News

K

AIETEUR Dozens of Palestinians Sunday Edition NEWS starved to death under Israel’s blockade of Gaza May 04, 2025

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

Guyana’s largest selling Price $150 daily & New York’s most popular weekly As trucks carrying vital supplies pile up at border

with Egypt, hungry children look through rubbish for food.

Online readership yesterday 41,159

Adriana Younge to be laid to rest on Monday as family calls off second autopsy ...appeals for peaceful burial

Biker killed in accident at Linden Dead: Kellon Sumners

Dead: Adriana Younge

“Govt. this past week invited bids for a guard hut for the Fisheries Department, which is estimated to cost $4.5M. This 10X20 structure is advertising for $1M. For decades, this is what both Govts have been doing to this country, robbing the Treasury” - Glenn Lall

Shirlon Hollingsworth before he was shot by the police

Lindener shot by police seeks financial help to take pellet out of eye

AFTER

BEFORE

The car involved in the accident

An injured Shirlon Hollingsworth

Kaieteur News

PAGE 02

Sunday May 04, 2025

Adriana Younge to be laid to rest on Monday as family calls off second autopsy ...appeals for peaceful burial

Funeral arrangements are in swing at the former Parika home of Adriana Younge

A poster in memory of Adriana decorates the family’s home as calls for justice continue.

A

s loved ones of little A d r i a n a Yo u n g e continue to question the circumstances of her death, the 11-year-old who was found in the pool of the Double Day International Hotel, Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, will be laid to rest on Monday.

Adriana’s lifeless body was pulled from the swimming pool by her father, Subrian Younge, on April 24, just 20 hours after she was reported missing while on a family trip at the location.

An autopsy was conducted on April 28 by a three-member international pathology team. The specialists, Dr. Shubhakar Karra Paul from Barbados, Dr. Gary Collins, Chief Medical Examiner of Delaware, United States of America and Dr. Glenn Rudner of Mount Sinai Hospital, concluded that she died from drowning.

On Saturday, it was reported that the family was seeking a second autopsy to be performed by renowned pathologist Dr. Hubert Daisley of Trinidad and Tobago.

However, Adriana’s mother later confirmed that relatives have decided against another PostMortem Examination (PME).

This newspaper visited the former home of little Adriana in Hyde Park, Parika, on Saturday as family members, including her mother, Amecia Simon, were busy preparing for what appeared to be the traditional Guyanese ‘wake’.

Just in front of the family’s home were two small tents where red and black flags flew in honour of the child.

Inside the family home, Kaieteur News caught up with Simon, who explained that the second autopsy is no longer being pursued. She said, “No, (it won’t be done) because it will be too long.”

The grieving mother is, however, hopeful that Dr. Daisley would still be able to provide the family with more answers surrounding her daughter’s death by reviewing the recording of Adriana’s PME. “I hope so,” the grieving mother said when asked if she wanted the Trinidadian to review the autopsy.

“To be honest, this funeral is on Monday so I don’t know what he

can come and do because we had asked for people to come from the States to do a thorough investigation where this thing happened because I am sure there is something right there, probably they didn’t look for, they didn’t try to find and what a coincidence the building started burning again which I think was done by the owner of the building because he is out so he is probably trying to burn more evidence,” the mother said.

POLICE INVESTIGATIONS When asked if she was

and the owner of the hotel being sent overseas for testing, Simon said, “No”.

PME RESULTS Moreover, she complained that family members at no point shared their satisfaction with the results of the PME. Simon made it clear, “We did not have no conversation saying to nobody that we were satisfied with the results because the question still is, she drowned, where did she drown? Ok, I’m not running away from the fact if they are saying that Dead: Adriana Younge

“We don’t go pool, we does go river at the back there. I don’t know to swim but the father would take them there and they would go and swim...it had about five or six persons in the pool that were diving and combing and searching so she was never, never in there”- Adriana’s mother comfortable with the actions taken by police so far regarding Commander of Region Three Khalid Mandall being sent on leave and DNA samples for her daughter

she drowned, but the question is where did she drown, how, by who?

What is the marks on her skin?”

With a whirlwind of questions still to be addressed, the family The swimming pool, now drained and destroyed, where the body of the 11-year-old was discovered.

continues to deny that little Adriana drowned in the hotel’s swimming pool.

Simon said she refuses to believe the discoloured parts on her daughter’s body were a result of drowning. “It could never be, that is impossible because when, from the way my child came out of that pool to the point of when I identified the body before they started the Post Mortem, you couldn’t see those marks, her face got dark so this, like Continued on page 48

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 04, 2025

PAGE 03

AFTER

A Linden family is pleading for urgent financial assistance to fly 38-year-old Shirlon Hollingsworth overseas for emergency eye surgery, after he was allegedly shot in the face with a rubber bullet by a member of the Guyana Police Force, during a police operation Tuesday evening.

The incident occurred between 22:00h and 23:00h at One Mile, Wismar, Region Ten. According to Assistant Commissioner and Region 10 Commander, Kurleigh S i m o n , o ff i c e r s w e r e dispatched to the area earlier that evening to disperse protestors who were reportedly blocking roads, burning debris, and throwing missiles at law enforcement.

Simon said, “Rubber pellets were used to disperse them.” However, Hollingsworth’s wife, 35year-old Nikkisha Hollingsworth, said her husband was not part of the protest. Instead, she explained, he had stepped outside to lock up their shop, which is located in the yard of their home, and to check on their vehicle.

The victim said he had just finished locking up when he heard running on the street. As he turned to head to his brother’s house in

BEFORE

Lindener shot by police seeks financial help to take pellet out of eye

Shirlon Hollingsworth before allegedly being shot by the GPF rank the front section of the property, a police officer reportedly aimed directly at him and fired. ”Soon as I turn around fuh push in the door… the police was right at the door by the fence, aimed his gun straight in me yard, straight to my face, and shoot,” he said. He alleged that the officer fired five more shots before leaving the scene.

Hollingsworth was first rushed to the McKenzie Hospital before being

The spent shell that was recovered

An injured Shirlon Hollingsworth

transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital. Medical officials have since confirmed that a foreign object larger than a standard rubber pellet is lodged deep within his right eye. Surgery could not be performed due to the depth and size of the object.

Doctors placed him on antibiotic treatment and advised a two-week observation period to see if

the blood in the eye would clear.

But the family says they cannot afford to wait. ”I am seeking financial help to get him out of the country as soon as tomorrow (Saturday) to conduct the surgery,” Hollingsworth’s wife told Kaieteur News.

She explained that her husband has completely lost vision in the injured eye, which is in a severely

deteriorated condition. With the bullet still lodged inside, she fears that any delay in treatment could lead to permanent blindness. For this reason, she is urgently trying to take him to the United States to receive immediate medical attention.

Meanwhile, during a joint news conference by opposition political parties, Lindener and social activist Nigel London raised concerns about the manner in which the police has been enforcing the law.

“I don’t want to be in any way insensitive, but it seems to me like members of the Guyana Police Force are

given an order to shoot in the eye, because another Lindener was shot in his eye, while he was in an apartment seeking to evade the policemen gunshots, reckless gunshots,” he said.

He continued, “We are here to demand that the officer be made known, his identity to be made known and there should be justice as well.”

As the family anxiously seeks financial support, time is running out to preserve Hollingsworth’s vision.

Those willing to assist can contact the family d i re c t l y t h ro u g h M r s .

Hollingsworth’s contact number 687-2181.

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: DR. GLENN LALL - TEL: 624-6456 Editor-In-Chief: NIGEL WILLIAMS Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Adriana – no dignity, not even in death A famous saying that grows richer the more often it is repeated is “power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” We at this paper also think that the more men come into money, the more their minds get befuddled, the more they lose their bearings. A little girl died in mysterious circumstances, and politicians are quibbling, playing their usual tricky, self-serving games.

The memory of Adriana Younge sears over how her life was extinguished. When the responsible is expected, the discreditable surfaces.

This country has fallen so far, that it may be past the point of salvaging. Unquestionably, those now in charge do not even have the basics on how to comport themselves in a period of loss. A period that has provoked national outcries, and while the family is still struggling to make sense of the fate that has befallen their little girl, and they the survivor relatives. Many Guyanese are ashamed of what has happened almost on the heels of the discovered lifeless body of Adriana Younge, and then after the instruments of discovery went to work on her last Monday. It is of two days that will go down in infamy in this country.

An attempt at coverup was the first action from those who are the nation's protectors, the leading agents for the finding of facts, what really happened. Commonsense emphasizes that it could not have been the first such coverup when other situations developed. But this is Guyana, where there is covering up, instead of drilling down to get to the truth in a matter that all would like to forget, pretend didn't happen. And just maybe, that it was all a hoax, or a product of the imagination. When the community erupted in public rage and public protest, President Ali dropped what he was doing and shared his presence and sympathy with the grieving family.

This is what presidents do in a crisis situation, and what happened in Tuschen to that 11-year-old child, brought out the positive side in Guyana's president.

He showed that he had some light still left in him. But there is uncertainty about that, given what he then proceeded to do, not too long afterward. Unfortunately, the national leader in a period of national trauma went down the usual slippery track that is now so much a part of the national culture. He found the time to record his conclusion that the protests had elements of what is “politically instigated.” We have trouble determining how any of that helps a situation that is raw and distrusting. In the height of a crisis, the last area that presidents should cast their minds to is politics. But this is the caliber of national leadership that Guyanese witness day in and day out. Citizens are fast losing hope on even the most routine of issues, and when the heavily freighted hangs over the nation, then the last dregs are lost, given national leadership reactions.

The opposition made cooing statements, and that was the sum of its efforts. Unsurprisingly, when the protests for Adriana expanded, they were lacking in the type of leadership most necessary on those occasions. The opposition is apparently content to be a shadow and a bystander in the big developments in Guyana (social, oil, economics, and more). When leadership of a trusted and persuasive quality is needed, the last place that Guyanese now look to is the political opposition. It is present, but it is too caught up in its mixed-up priorities to sign the attendance register. When Guyanese need leadership on their wealth, and a death that has stealth written all across it, they have no choice but to take comfort in the handful of lone voices standing against the tide. What citizens end up with, is being trapped in the endless quarreling and finger pointing. Even in death and loss, the survivors and nation are visited by these leadership indignities. There is a postmortem report to cut through, with the political battling now just beginning. The fires and looting need an owner, so one must be found. It's the same Guyana in life and in death.

Guyanese are the most resilient people to put up with this trash.

Sunday May 04, 2025

Kaieteur M@ilbox Venezuela has a moral and legal obligation to adhere to the ICJ ruling Dear Editor, The recent decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) restraining Venezuela from conducting elections in Guyana's sovereign territory is yet another positive development. It will be recalled that a similar order was issued earlier by the Court when Venezuela

attempted to 'annex' the Essequibo region by way of a fake referendum.

These rulings by the world's highest Court are testimony to the impartiality of the Court in the dispensation of justice and the rule of international law.

Venezuela has both a moral and legal obligation to adhere to the ruling of the

ICJ, failing which it could be further sanctioned by the international community.

The consequences for violating the decision of the ICJ could be fraught with all manner of dangers for Maduro and his regime, which is already being ostracized by the international community following allegations of

rigged elections and authoritarian rule.

The People's Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) administration must be commended for dealing with the border issue in a mature and peaceful manner and within the framework of international law.

Hydar Ally

The Guyana Police Force: A Crisis of Corruption, Cover-ups, Collusion, Compromise and Complicity Dear Editor, It is with deep concern and growing frustration that I write to highlight the troubling state of the Guyana Police Force, a body that was once meant to serve and protect but has now become

a symbol of fear, mistrust, and unchecked corruption in the eyes of many Guyanese citizens.

Over the past few years, the public has witnessed a steady erosion of confidence in our law enforcement

institutions, with numerous reports and allegations pointing to the involvement of police officers in the very crimes they are supposed to investigate. From the mysterious disappearance of vital evidence such as

cocaine and marijuana seized during operations to questionable investigations that conveniently stall or vanish when high-profile individuals are involved, the pattern is becoming (Continue on page 5)

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 04, 2025

PAGE 05

Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur M@ilbox Crabwoood Creek disruptions Will the Roman Catholic Church to freedom of assembly elect its first black pope?

Dear Editor, I am a proud member of the Guyanese international community, and I am outraged by the letter from Danny Ramnarain in the Kaieteur News on May 3, 2025, titled "Glenn Lall Civic Meeting Disrupted by PPP in Crabwood Creek."

As a former fifth-form and CXC teacher at Skeldon Line Path Secondary School, I strongly condemn the disgraceful actions of Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) supporters who disrupted a meeting led by Mr. Glenn Lall.

This blatant interference undermines our constitutional right to freedom of assembly. How can Crabwood Creek residents voice their concerns when their meetings are drowned out by

relentless chants of "Vote PPP"?

During my tenure as a teacher in that community and having interfaced with numerous parents, and am very familiar with the cultural background of numerous residents of that area, where this eye-opening occurrence transpired, these parents were law abiding citizens, I wish to voice my disgust as to the approach taken by the music blarers, and ask them to desist.

Furthermore, what kind of precedent does this set for other venues across the country after the election campaign starts? This is a clear criminal act against Glenn Lall, who deserves protection from law enforcement. I urge the Officer-in-Charge at the Springlands Police Station,

along with their dedicated officers, to take immediate action.

They must conduct a thorough investigation, collect statements from Glenn Lall and other witnesses, and hold those responsible for this appalling behaviour accountable.

Failing to address this incident will only encourage thuggery during the upcoming elections, impacting not only supporters of the PPP but also those of other parties.

We must not allow chaos to take root in our society! We must protect our democratic rights!

Regards, M. Shabeer Zafar Former Criminal Defense attorney-at-law, Berbice, Guyana, 2004 – 2015

The Guyana Police Force...

From page 4 impossible to ignore.

Even more disturbing were revelations involving the very leadership of the police force. Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn has acknowledged that corrupt procurement practices are a significant problem within the force, indicating systemic issues that require urgent attention.

We should remember that the Commissioner of Police, in a statement in the matter relating to Assistant Police Commissioner Calvin Brutus, admitted to receiving $8.5 million from the owner of Sheriff Group of Companies to finance the wedding of fellow officer Brutus.

The statement further indicated that there is a stakeholders' group that the top cop uses to fund occasions for other senior officers as a form of motivation. Motivation for what exactly? At this juncture, we must also ask, w h o a r e t h e persons/businesses that are part of this stakeholder group?

This blatant crossing of ethical lines not only raises serious questions about the integrity of those at the helm but also casts a long shadow over every single operation carried out under their command. What kind of example does this set for junior ranks? How can the public believe in fair and impartial justice when those in charge openly engage in

questionable financial entanglements with individuals who may very well find themselves under the scrutiny of the law?

The culture of cover-ups, collusion, and compromise has done irreparable damage to the social contract between the police and the people of Guyana. Citizens no longer feel safe reporting crimes, fearing retaliation or inaction. Families of victims are left in the dark, with little hope of justice. Honest officers within the force are demoralized and silenced, while those who play by the rules of corruption rise swiftly through the ranks.

If this trajectory continues, the Guyana Police Force risks becoming

not just ineffective but dangerous to the very society it is sworn to serve.

We need accountability, transparency, and urgent r e f o r m . We n e e d independent oversight, a full investigation into the financial dealings of police leadership, and most importantly, we need the political will to restore the rule of law in this country.

We need to put an end to the crisis of Corruption, Coverups, Collusion, Compromise and Complicity that plagues the Guyana Police Force.

The people of Guyana deserve better. Justice must not only be done; it must be seen to be done.

Regards, Clayon F. Halley

Dear Editor, On Thursday, May 7, following the Novemdiales Masses to pray for the eternal repose of the late Pope Francis, the conclave to elect the 267th Pope will begin.

And the question on the minds of many is: will the Roman Catholic Church finally break its roughly 2000-year tradition by electing its first black Pope?

There have been three North African (but not black) popes. The last one was Pope Gelasius 1, who held this position from A.D 492 to AD 496.

And this is despite the fact that, of the estimated 1.4 billion Roman Catholics worldwide, about 281 million are African, representing 20 percent of the world's Roman Catholics.

But currently, no Vatican office is headed by an African.

That may soon change.

Of the Cardinals who are said to be front-runners, two

are Black.

They are Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson (age 76) of Ghana.

He was the first Ghanaian to be elected to the position of cardinal, but according to a BBC report, Turkson has claimed that he does not want to be pope. The other African (black) cardinal is Fridolin Ambongo Besungu (65 years), who hails from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Of the two, he is the better-known. The son of a rubber tree farmer, Besungu was ordained a priest in 1988, was appointed a bishop in 2004, rose to archbishop in 2016, and became a cardinal in 2019.

He has served in several high-ranking positions.

He campaigns strongly against the exploitation of African resources by the West.

Ambongo Besungu is currently seen as the spokesman for all of Africa's

Catholic bishops.

But he has also opposed Pope Francis' stance of blessing gay Roman Catholic couples.

It is said that this caused his status to rise among both conservative and modernleaning high-ranking Catholics.

A strong environmental and anti-corruption advocate, he has received death threats because of his fierce campaigns against corrupt corporations and corrupt government powers.

It is argued by some that it is tradition, rather than race, that has resulted in the predominance of European popes.

But with the population of African Roman Catholics constantly expanding, and with his growing popularity and influence, is it possible that, very soon, the Roman Catholic faithful will kiss the ring on the finger of a Black pope?

Yours Respectfully, C Persaud

Kaieteur News

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Sunday May 04, 2025

Port Kaituma shop owner Kaieteur M@ilbox Sir Walter Raleigh arrested for ganja possession and the Golden City The discovered cannabis

A shop owner from Port Kaituma is now in police custody pending charges, after a quantity of suspected marijuana was seized by police on Friday.

According to a statement from the Guyana Police Force (GPF), “Police in Regional Division #1, on Friday May 2nd, 2025, seized over 25 grams of suspected cannabis from a shop owner in Port Kaituma during a search of the said shop. The shop owner voluntarily handed over two (2) ziplock bags containing suspected cannabis.” Police also said that a bulky plastic bag which contained additional ziplock bags of marijuana were found during an extended search of the location. The man was cautioned and arrested.

Dear Editor, In 1595, there were plenty of rumours in England about a golden city and a golden king somewhere in South America. So, Sir Walter Raleigh, an English statesman and explorer, got together several ships and stocked them with one month's supply of food; he brought his son on the ships, he then sailed to South America. As he crossed the Atlantic, he travelled through the Orinoco River, and as he sailed through the waters, he found a stream big enough for his boat to travel.

We later learned that it was the Tokamabo River.

As he makes a left turn into the river, somewhere in Mabaruma, he saw some Indigenous people on the right-hand side of the river.

They were about forty men, women and children living under tents.

He later learned that the tents were benabs, the group that lived there were called Indians; we now call them 'Indigenous people'. The Indigenous welcomed him ashore since he flew the British flag.

They were not friendly to the Spanish but felt comfortable with the

English, so they had an open conversation with Raleigh.

So, when Raleigh came ashore, he saw hills of loam, distances of white sand and rocks that looked like gold and other precious minerals.

In the twinkling of the afternoon, he told the Indigenous why he had come, and he was told that there was a golden king who lived in a golden palace over the hill. Raleigh asked the Indigenous if he could see the king. The Indigenous then replied, "No, come back tomorrow— early. He passes here every morning; we will see him".

Raleigh agreed and went back onto his ships. That night, he dreamt of capturing the king and taking him back to England because Queen Elizabeth loved gold. The next morning, they turned early and waited for hours, but saw no golden king.

Walter then said, "Take me back to the palace."

They then walked over hills and hills, and the Indigenous kept telling him, "Just over there." He never found the golden king.

Raleigh and his men walked for hours and never found the palace.

D i s a p p o i n t e d , Wa l t e r

Raleigh decided to return to his ships.

He thanked the Indigenous and said goodbye, and sailed back to England, passing Trinidad on his way to England. He reported that he saw the golden king and the golden palace and described Guiana as the most beautiful place he had ever seen.

He talked about birds flying and deer running across the land. Raleigh's stories that he told the Englishmen of the golden king and the palace, and the mountains of gold were proven untrue, so Walter Raleigh was sentenced to fourteen years by the King for treason.

When this story was told in England, the English, the Dutch, and the French all came in numbers to this place in South America.

The Indian people described the land as the land of many waters. Suddenly, the interpretation of the Indigenous dictionary caused a misrepresentation of the land called Guiana.

The first people to fool Raleigh were the Indigenous people from Guiana.

Sincerely, Frank Debreu

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 04, 2025

PAGE 07

GPA highlights opportunities and risks associated with AI use in media As World Press Freedom Day was celebrated globally on Saturday, under the theme 'Reporting In The Brave New World: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Press Freedom and the Media', the Guyana Press Association (GPA) sought to draw attention to both the opportunities as well as the risks associated with the use of artificial Intelligence in the media.

The GPA acknowledges the growing role of AI in modern media, noting that while the technology can streamline journalistic processes and boost content creation, it must be approached with care to preserve press freedom and media integrity.

“In an era where technological advances have resulted in a reduction in the number of persons being employed, the press and the wider media are no different. For instance, the advent of digital technologies has led to multitasking. AI is no different!

This technology can aid the work of journalists, but at the same time, they and the wider public ought to be cognisant about the pitfalls,” the

GPA said in its statement.

Noting the decline in advertising revenue in traditional media as most persons have shifted to online and social media, the GPA firmly believes that AI applications can be utilized to assist in research as well as to produce engaging content at lower costs, having a greater potential for monetization.

It is expected that AI can be used for fact-checking, data analysis and visualization tools, as the outputs driven by it will be making content more appealing and credible. On the other hand, the GPA is urging media houses not to rely on AI technologies to replace human staff.

“The preservation of highly

skilled members of the media in the technical and non-technical fields must be balanced with the need to efficiently and effectively serve the public's interest,” the association said.

Further, the GPA said it holds firm to the belief that AI can have a deleterious effect on freedom of the press to the extent that the misapplication of the technology can lead to the production of content that may appear to be authentic and persuasive. Hence, the GPA cautioned the public against being “gullible to what may appear to be legitimate and authentic media production, ranging from news reports to documentaries. In short, the utilisation of AI for “Reporting In The Brave New World” can impact press freedom and the media, and ultimately, the wider public.”

This caution comes ahead of the country's scheduled General and Regional Elections, where the GPA is advising both the public and the media to be vigilant against misinformation and disinformation that may be produced by AI and appear legitimate.

Editors and publishers of both legacy and online media must ensure that all content, AIgenerated or not, meets established journalistic standards and ethics.

“You are the gatekeepers of professional content that, even without AI, ought to abide by international standards and ethics of journalism. The Association also warns politicians and their handlers against producing or facilitating the dissemination of deceptive election campaign content that may be generated by AI,” it said.

Furthermore, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) aptly notes: “AI is increasingly influencing the integrity of elections, offering tools for factchecking and combating disinformation while empowering journalists and voters to promote informed democratic participation.

However, it poses risks, as generative AI enables the creation of misleading content like deep fakes, undermining trust in democratic institutions.

Addressing these challenges requires collaboration among

governments, media, and civil society.”

Additionally, the GPA believes that AI technology can be used effectively for public relations. The Association recommended that the Guyana Police Force explore the use and possibilities of AI in generating and disseminating content on the trends off crime from a statistical as well as sociological and demographic perspectives. The GPA said such content can be compelling in telling your stories to inform and engage the wider Guyanese public as well as shape public policy.

“We envisage, too, in the nottoo-distant future a Guyana Police Force whose public relations mechanism is equipped with AI to generate accurate and timely news releases. Maybe, too, the Police Force may be able to deploy AIpowered humanoid robots that can provide interviews or hold press conferences as well as provide the most updated crime statistics.

These are things that the real human officeholders no longer provide with any detail,” the association added.

Construction of new Berbice Bridge unlikely to begin before elections – VP Jagdeo

V

ice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo has disclosed that the construction of the new Berbice Bridge planned for Region Six is likely to start after the scheduled 2025 General and Regional Elections.

The Vice President made the disclosure on Wednesday during his weekly press briefing at Freedom House, Robb Street, Georgetown.

Asked by media personnel if work on the new bridge would commence before the election, which is slated to be held later this year, the VP said, “I doubt it.

Even if you award the contract, it takes a while to actually get mobilization and all of that.”

“The way I see it, it might be very difficult to get it done, but the commitment is that the bridge will be built, it will be a four-lane concrete bridge [and] it would be completed in the next term of office,” he added. In January 2024, President Irfaan Ali announced that his government intended to construct a fixed high-span crossing bridge across the Berbice River. “ We a r e a l r e a d y understanding the future

The current Berbice Bridge

needs of this region. That is why we are accelerating the plans for a fixed high-span crossing bridge across the Berbice River just like the one in the Demerara River,” President Ali said at a sodturning event held for the US$161 million modern hospital in New Amsterdam.

He had initially announced the construction of a new bridge in Berbice in October 2022.

Following the President's announcement,

the Public Works Ministry in 2024 sought expressions of interest (EOI) for the designing, building and financing of the new Berbice River Bridge.

In October 2024, nine contractors submitted bids: China Road & Bridge Corporation (China); Ashoka Buildcon Limited (India); China Railway Construction Caribbean Limited (China) in jointed venture with China Railway Construction Bridge Engineering Bureau Group

Company Limited (T&T); Shandong High-speed Road & Bridge Company Limited (China) in jointed venture with AJM Enterprise; China Railway First Group Company Limited (China) in jointed venture with China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group Company Limited (China); Rockey & Son Construction (local); Kalpataru Projects International Limited (India); Vishwa Samudra Engineering Private Limited (India); and Aecon Global

Services (Canada).

During its end-of-year press conference, which was held in January, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill disclosed that seven prequalified international contractors were shortlisted to further bid for the project, but those firms were not identified.

Meanwhile, at another opening of bids in March, the financial proposals of five bidders were opened.

According to the National Procurement and Tender

Administration Board (NPTAB) information, the bidders were China Railway Construction Caribbean Company Limited, China Railway Construction Bridge Engineering Bureau Group Co. Limited (Joint Ve n t u r e ) – U S $255,872,559.08; AJM Enterprise, Shandong HighSpeed Road & Bridge Company Limited (Joint Ve n t u r e ) – US$279,686,679.56; China Road & Bridge Corporation – US $205,888,712; China Railway First Group Company Limited, China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group Co. Limited (Joint Venture) – US$266,432,183; and Vishwa Samooja Private Limited – US $465,510,780.

President Ali has repeatedly said that the new bridge would bring significant benefits to commuters and the region's economy. The structure is expected to mirror the US$260 million new Demerara River Bridge, which is currently under construction and is expected to be completed by August.

The government has since acquired over 50 properties to cater for the new Berbice River Bridge.

Kaieteur News

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Sunday May 04, 2025

BLUNTNESS ON INDECENCIES! In case you haven’t heard, please be informed that as part of our continued effort to channel positive changes in our country, our publisher, Dr. Glenn Lall, has dedicated our Page Seven to be “BLUNT” about on-going indecencies in our land that should matter, not only to us at this publication, but the entire nation.

Monday April 28, 2025 A rotten force The recent US Department of State report on Guyana's fight against transnational crimes gave a very damning assessment of the Guyana Police Force.

The Attorney General, Anil Nandlall and Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo sought to play down the findings, which every Guyanese has witnessed over the years under successive PPP/C administrations.

Citizens did not have to wait too long before further proof of the rottenness of the Guyana Police Force was exposed for all to see when from all appearances senior and junior ranks tried to cover up the alleged murder of Adrianna Younge at the D o u b le D ay H o tel in Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo.

That the police went so far as to issue a false official

press statement, detailing how Younge was abducted and spirited away in a Toyota Raum and then doubled down the next day to tell relatives that she was seen at a bus shed and a host of other lies, explain the criminal nature of a force that's supposed to protect us from criminals.

Wednesday – April 30, 2025 Poverty, drugs and the PPP/C T h e P P P / C Government's leadership likes to claim how clean it is and how transparent it has been, in defiance of the record. It now has its job cut out for it, with the latest US Report on narcotics in Guyana.

The corruption footprint is everywhere, and it is a big one. It is too big to hide, and so broad that many in the government are besmirched.

The report also spoke about poverty in this oil-rich

country, and the alarmingly high rate of it, notwithstanding all the leadership's boasts, or their ignoring the issue in the hope that it goes away.

It is not going away, and poverty-stricken Guyanese are finding relief by going into the direction of the rich drug trade.

Where there is money, men will flock and take a chance with the odds of not being caught, and according to the US report, the odds are low due to the depths of corruption in Guyana.

Friday – May 2, 2025 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 with her corpse found floating in the 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, GoG has only given its word for a

“thorough” but not 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.

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 04, 2025

PAGE 09

Let us call the day by its rightful name

T

here is something ungainly in calling a spade a bouquet of cut flowers. And something dishonest in asking a people to celebrate what is not truly theirs under a name that pretends it is. A nation, like a man, does not better itself by dodging the truth, or by dressing it in gauze. And so, it is with this business of "Arrival Day" in Guyana, a holiday that aims to be something for everyone and ends up being true to none.

May 5th, we are told, is Arrival Day—a day set aside to mark the arrival of immigrants to Guyana. It is spoken of as a day for the immigrants who came to Guyana from elsewhere: the Portuguese, the Chinese, the Madeirans, the Africans who came from the West Indies, the Indians.

A great coat of many colors, stitched together to honor all. But the fabric frays under scrutiny.

The seams do not hold.

For while the rhetoric is inclusive, the reality is not.

Everyone knows what May 5th is. It is Indian Arrival Day. It began as such, and in the hearts of most, it remains so.

It was the arrival of Indian indentured immigrants in 1838 that occasioned the demand for a holiday in the first place. The date is not arbitrary; it is not pulled from a hat of immigration anniversaries.

It marks the landing of the Whitby and the Hesperus in the colony of British Guiana—vessels bearing the first batch of East Indian laborers who would, in time,

shape the country's economy, cuisine, religion, music, and politics. A demography was altered that day, and with it, a nation's future.

There is no shame in that.

Quite the opposite. It is a chapter worth remembering with pride. What is troubling is the need to obscure it with a euphemism. "Arrival Day" is a title that aims at fairness but lands on farce. It pretends to be democratic, but it flattens the historical truth. It fools no one. Not the Indo-Guyanese, who rightfully mark the day with cultural events. Not the other ethnic groups, who find themselves observers at an event not their own, folded in only through political nicety.

Former President David Granger, to his credit, sought to correct the imbalance. He issued proclamations naming separate observances—Portuguese Arrival Day on May 3rd, Chinese Arrival Day on January 12th. These were gestures of respect, and they were not unappreciated. But no national holidays followed those declarations.

No public closing of offices.

No great wreath-laying at the seawall. And most tellingly, there was no call from the Portuguese or Chinese communities demanding those days become holidays.

The demand was always, and only, for a holiday to make the arrival of Indian indentured immigrants.

The PPP government, since its return to power in 2020, has quietly folded all other observances into the one May 5th affair. The pretense has grown more

unwieldy. Speeches are delivered in wide nets, trying to thank everyone, trying to honor all journeys. But this is not a day of shared arrival.

This is a day that belongs to a specific story, a particular migration, and a people who came under specific and trying circumstances.

Why then do we hesitate to name it for what it is?

Perhaps we fear the consequences of seeming to elevate one group above others. But naming a thing truly does not diminish the value of other things. A tulip is not dishonored because a daffodil has its day.

Let May 5th be Indian Arrival Day, with all the dignity, pain, and resilience that entails. Let us have the honesty to say so in the law and in our calendars.

If we truly mean to honor other arrivals, then let us do so deliberately and distinctly. Let January 12th be Chinese Arrival Day. Let May 3rd be Portuguese Arrival Day. Let other groups, if they so desire, petition for recognition.

There is room enough in the year for historical observance. But there is not room enough in the soul for historical evasion.

A national holiday, like a national anthem, must be more than a performance. It must sing with the clarity of memory. It must not ask us to pretend.

So let us end the euphemism. May 5th should be Indian Arrival Day, by name, by statute, and by spirit.

Anything else is a costume stitched too hastily and worn too long. The

Dem Boys Seh...

Wedding bun up before de altar

D

em boys seh politics is like a marriage. Yuh got to agree pon who gon wear de pants, who gon cook, and most important, who gon walk down de aisle fuss.

But de AFC and de PNCR like two lovers who decide dem want a big wedding in 2025—but dem can't decide who gon wear de ring.

Every time dem sit down to talk, is like bridal war. PNCR seh dem bringing more guests to de wedding, so dem should walk fuss. AFC seh, “Na suh! We de one who get de original invitation to the church when dem form de coalition long time.”

Dem boys seh de thing get so bad, one man even suggest a double bride wedding—two grooms or two brides—jus' to mek both sides feel equal. But dem church boys seh that gon be confusion in God house.

Now dem fighting over who gon wear de white. But AFC seh PNCR hands na so clean. PNCR seh AFC lose de veil long

time—dey done get bald in Parliament.

De caterer done cancel. De band gone back Berbice. De marriage counselor fly out. Even de guests dem start buy ticket to go another wedding—one dem seh look more promising.

Dem boys seh yuh cyah plan a wedding when every meeting turning into a divorce court. Every time dem try join up, dem end up more far apart. Is like trying to tie a shoelace wid one end in Lethem and de other in Mabaruma.

Now dem boys hearing AFC gon look fuh new suitor, and PNCR gon stand up at de altar by heself, hoping de bride show up last minute.

But if both ah dem nah decide soon, de only ting dem gon walk down is memory lane—remembering when de coalition use to wuk, and not this reality show mash-up.

Dem boys seh, if yuh cyan decide who wearing de ring, yuh better don't plan de honeymoon.

Talk half, leff half.

country will not collapse under the weight of truth.

It may, in fact, stand straighter.

Let us call the day by its rightful name. Let us, for

once, not pretend.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

Kaieteur News

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D TR

HAR

HK

BY G

LALL

Monday SundayMay May02, 04,2022 2025

H@RD TRUTHS

BY GHK LALL

Congrats to Pres. Ali, some counsel also Commendations are due to President Ali. He says the right things.

Thorough investigation of Adriana Younge's death.

Police reform. Right behind the congratulations, comes the quiet counseling. Guyanese have heard some of these things before from him and others in his government when different issues took off in the wrong direction.

The horrendous Mahdia Dorm Fire.

O i l t r a n s p a r e n c y.

Government accountability (information). The role of the conscientious and critical in a democratic society. In numerous other areas the deficits loom large. In some form or fashion, Mohamed Irfaan Ali, doctor, national leader, promiser, oath taker has failed to deliver the genuine, far-reaching, and enduring. Most of the bigger issues that he touched, boldly promised, suffer from the lifelessness of the stillborn; or weakness.

On the one hand, Pres.

Ali commits to a thorough investigation of Adriana's mystery death.

It's a

growing one.

In death, Adriana Younge takes on life, gives some spark of life to disillusioned Guyanese.

It is that inexplicable alchemy, through which sick governments are held aloft, the pus oozing and spreading, then nauseating citizens.

The fear of contamination spirals. The government of Pres. Ali is sick; perhaps, irrecoverably so. The sickness is now undeniable. A little child's tragic demise was what it took to shine light on this.

The leadership of Excellency Ali has been saturated with sickness.

Of that, let there be no mistake. He rises in bed (occasionally); he falls back i n t o d e e p e r unconsciousness.

He has promised, holds promise.

A thorough investigation is his newest one-line symphony. This was heard after the murders in Cotton Tree. What the families and Guyanese got was thorough, indeed. But with an emphasis that was thorough working over, and a thorough exempting of the

government and its loyalists from involvement. When the president is measured, he shortened himself.

On the other hand, Excellency Ali made two statements that convey how thorough he is aiming to be.

First, he pins the donkey's tail on a civilian with misrepresenting the facts of Adriana's matter, which misled many. In doing so, Pres. Ali did the impossible: turned his head a full 180 degrees and holds it there.

There was Assistant Top Cop Mandall and his phone video, per the family.

Perhaps, the president didn't know, pretend to forget.

But AC Mandall wears the uniform of the government, and he was the source that informed those weighed down with the worst anxieties, while maintaining a tight grip on fading hope. When Dr. Ali mentions a civilian, this is how he hurts the hopes of those grievously wounded folks some more. And when Pres. Ali squeezes in that sly construction of 'international advice on access to crime

scenes,' it should tell all Guyana what this national leader's true objectives are. I state a couple for the public record.

Most likely, a police-doctored story of the details of new crimes. I refer to what was initially presented -seen leaving in a vehicle. Adriana was alive, hence there was still some string of hope.

No agent of any president in any selfrespecting democratic country should do that to any citizen, much less all of them; any family, then extend that to the Guyana Family. No president with any strain of principle left in him or her should rejoice in possible perpetuation of serial police farces.

Denying access to crime scenes is sinister and selfserving, and of such farces, Mr. President.

It is my rough, regrettable duty to inform President Ali what his wellincentivized agents in Office of the President and colluding media shrink from telling him. No polish, no spit, could soften the

sandpaper of distrust that now grates on the Ali government, on Pres. Ali himself.

President Ali should be pleased that there are Guyanese who tell him, as it is.

This is what's wrong.

This is what fails to inspire trust. This is what brings the presidency into disrepute.

The climate of distrust in Guyana today, Excellency Ali, is at a level never seen anywhere that I have been.

Many places have been visited; environments absorbed. It is confirmed and reconfirmed” Guyana stands as a national cesspool of greed, duplicity, and corruption.

For Pres. Ali edification, that was the title of a book written 14 years ago, with every word my own authorship. Today, greed, duplicity, and corruption breed rampant distrust.

The distrust is so thick, like quickly tightening wet cement, that one can stand in it, and no matter how strong not a step could be moved.

The promise of a thorough

investigation sounds good in the presenting, but it is like swiss cheese, all holes, thin in its prospects.

The past haunts. And, when Guyana's leader takes away from that (thorough investigation) by thinking of limiting access to crime scenes, the fixing of the future just began. There's a pattern here.

From no access to information, to upcoming limited access (in practice no access), to crime scenes.

Blank screen, a shallow democracy.

Guyanese distrust the police. Pres. Ali just made that distrust absolute. I leave this parting gift for President Ali: I am sorry, sir, but you yourself have little to zero credibility.

Blessings.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

Sunday May 04, 2025

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Sunday May 04, 2025

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‘Justice’ for

s l l a f Adriana Younge r e t a W The

goes global

A large vigil was held in Brooklyn, New York on Wednesday

A night of reflection was held for Adriana in the BVI

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 04, 2025

Destiny Etienne

PAGE 14

Destiny Etienne is a radiant example of beauty, intellect, and purpose.

This week’s beauty is a delegate of the Miss Guyana Culture Queen pageant. Destiny is an engineer who hails from the mining town of Linden.

She is driven by a passion for math and problem-solving.

She champions innovation and the inclusion of diverse voices, especially women, in science and technology. Outside of work, Destiny finds peace in nature, hiking, watching sunsets, and running long distances. These moments allow her to reconnect and recharge. Her favourite words to ponder are “Like nature, growth is quiet, patient, and unstoppable.

You may not see it every day, but it’s always happening.”

Sunday May 04, 2025

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A Silent Emergency: Mental Health Demands Our Voice, Our Will, Our Action Across the nations of the Americas, a silent emergency is suffocating hope, stealing futures, and exacting an unbearable toll in lives lost and potential squandered. That “silent emergency” is a mental health crisis which is growing, unrelenting, and still, tragically, hidden in plain sight.

More than 160 million people in the Americas – from Canada to Argentina with the Caribbean in between – live with a mental disorder. In 2021 alone, over 652,000 souls were lost to mental illness, substance abuse, Alzheimer’s disease, and suicide. Two of our nations rank among the ten with the highest suicide rates in the world. Each year, over 100,000 people die by suicide. Yet only one in five receives treatment.

But this is not just a health crisis. It is a crisis of conscience and commitment. It affects children, teenagers, and adults—crippling productivity, corroding public trust, and fracturing families. The stigma surrounding mental health acts like a shroud, keeping this problem out of sight and out of political reach. Silence is no longer an option.

Even the wealthiest nations in our hemisphere are under siege. In the United States, suicide remains the 11th leading cause of death.

In 2023 alone, more than 49,300 Americans died by suicide—nearly 135 every day. Among high school students, nearly 40% experienced persistent

sadness and hopelessness, while one in five seriously considered suicide. The wealth of the nation offers no immunity from the affliction of the mind.

In Canada, the picture is no less grim. In 2022, over 4,850 Canadians died by suicide—an increase of nearly 9% from the year before. In 2023, 34% of youth in Canada met the criteria for a mental health or substance use disorder.

Among 2SLGBTQ+ youth, one in four experienced suicidal ideation within a single year.

If the most resource-rich countries are reeling from such devastation, how much more vulnerable are the smaller and less wealthy states of Latin America and the Caribbean? This crisis does not discriminate, but its consequences are heaviest where capacity is weakest.

The situation in the Caribbean is equally alarming. Guyana and Suriname report the highest and second-highest suicide rates in the Americas—40.8 and 25.9 per 100,000 population, respectively.

Trinidad and Tobago ranks ninth in the Americas. Youth are particularly affected.

Between 20% and 25% of adolescents in the Englishspeaking Caribbean experience symptoms of mental health problems.

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a sharp rise in mental health conditions across the Americas. The isolation of lockdowns, the sudden loss of human connection—even a m o n g f a m i l y

members—and the cruel denial of final farewells to loved ones who died alone from the virus, inflicted emotional wounds that have not healed. These experiences unleashed waves of depression, anxiety, and trauma that continue to ripple through societies.

Worryingly, the Lancet Commission on Global Mental Health and Sustainable Development found that mental health disorders were already on the rise globally even before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. The Commission issued a stark warning: if left unaddressed, mental health conditions could drain an estimated US$16 trillion from the global economy by 2030. Since that report, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) has tracked an alarming acceleration of mental health challenges in multiple regions, underscoring the scale and urgency of the crisis.

It is against this sobering backdrop that Antigua and Barbuda has taken the lead in crafting a resolution at the Organization of American States (OAS) to confront the escalating mental health crisis across the Americas.

Work is already underway in the OAS General Committee in preparation for the Organization’s General Assembly, which Antigua will host this June. This initiative aims to put real political weight behind an issue that, for far too long, has languished on the margins of regional political

policy.

We hope this resolution will serve as a call to arms, placing mental health where it belongs: at the centre of public policy and sustainable development. It builds on the foundation laid by the Pan American Health Organization’s 2022 Policy for Improving Mental Health and the 2023 Strategy for Improving Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, seeking to transform intention into action and frameworks into results.

But political will is the necessary catalyst. This resolution sets out to do four critical things: establish a Regional Mental Health Partnership to coordinate efforts; create a multiagency Working Group to guide implementation; build a robust monitoring mechanism to ensure accountability; and launch a Regional Mental Health Fund to mobilize resources.

All our countries, including governments and the private sector, know what must be done. Community-

based care must replace outdated, often inhumane institutional models.

Mental health spending, currently just 3% of national health budgets, must increase. And mental health must be woven into the fabric of education, labour, finance, and justice systems.

According to the World Health Organization, every $1 invested in scaled-up treatment for common mental disorders yields a $4 return in improved health a n d p r o d u c t i v i t y. T h e economics are clear. The ethics, even clearer.

At the OAS, I have been proud to lead Antigua and Barbuda’s effort to forge consensus among the nations of the Americas in support of this resolution. If we succeed, it will not be the first time that the smallest of voices has spoken the loudest to rally nations to do the right thing for all h u m a n i t y. We a r e determined to make the OAS General Assembly in June a turning point - a moment when the countries of the

Sir Ronald Sanders Americas declare that the wellbeing of every mind is the bedrock of a just and prosperous future.

We want this Assembly to be remembered as one that did not turn away from uncomfortable truths, but chose to confront them with courage, compassion, and resolve. In the context of mental health, let it be said: the OAS did not flinch; it acted.

The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the US and the OAS. He is also the Dean of the Ambassadors of the Western Hemisphere Group accredited to the U.S. The views expressed are entirely his own.

Responses and previous commentaries: www.sirronaldsanders.com

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Sunday May 04, 2025

WEEK-IN-REVIEW Sunday

11-year-old Adrianna Younge

“I could imagine how my child bawl for she mother and father when they do she wah they do she” - mother of dead Adriana Younge

By Davina Bagot “From the time this thing happened I told them I said my 11year- old will not leave here to go anywhere. I have three children and I can tell you about Adrianna. She is my quietest child. My nine-yearold would have to represent her 11year-old sister. All my child does is complain. She can’t represent herself and I could imagine how my child bawl for she mother and father when they do she wah they do she. I could imagine how meh baby bawl fah we.”

These were the words of a sobbing mother, Amecia Simon, who discovered the lifeless body of her eldest daughter, Adrianna Younge, in the pool of the Double Day International Hotel and Bar on Thursday morning.

The child was reported missing the previous day during an outing with her grandmother.

The grieving mom, in an interview with this publication, recalled the harrowing details of the day her daughter went missing, even as she swore to spend sleepless nights, seeking justice for her daughter.

Adrianna goes missing On April 23, Adrianna vanished from the hotel after she was reportedly sent by her grandmother to seek a ‘pool pass’. It was the last time she was seen by her loved ones. After observing that she did not return, her grandmother raised an alarm in an effort to find the missing child, but this proved futile.

The family was reportedly informed that the cameras at the hotel were not working.

When Simon arrived on the scene that evening, she spoke with the owner, Bhojnauth Bhola.

She said, “He was right there when this thing happened. When my child went missing and I got there, he was right there and when the Police came there after people came out to support me, they didn’t come there to me or none of my family or people that were concerned. They came there to protect this boy and his business.”

She said a police officer from the CID (name withheld) informed her that footage shows the child leaving the hotel, but independent checks done by the family showed otherwise. The Police would also later confirm that their statement was inaccurate.

“The neighbour footage showed over and over, from six something to after nine, that my child never came out of that place

The grieving mother of the dead child, Amecia Simon, joined protestors in front of the Leonora Police Station on Friday, demanding justice for her daughter.

and he still come out and said he got the man name and number and picture,” the child’s mother said.

The officer reportedly told the mother that he was going to review the footage again and then launch a search in La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara, to find the individual who allegedly took the child.

She said she was told by the same CID officer that the cameras at the hotel are not working. This information was reportedly passed on to the police by the owner who alleged that none of the cameras were operable. “He said now they setting it up,” the mother noted.

In response, she said she begged the Police to shut down the hotel and conduct a thorough search of the premises, but this was denied. “He said to me, ‘you want me to be left without a job? I can’t do that because I done search.’”

The woman, however, said she only observed the officer and his boss walking around the building.

To date, she said she has not seen the officer again since he informed her that he was leaving to review the footage of the man who took her daughter.

It was not until several hours had elapsed that the hotel was shut down, the woman explained. “A CID come there and shut down that place at 12:00am. Now, you tell me, from since one o’clock close to two, to 11, 12, then they come and shut down that place. At that moment, they done do what they had to do with me daughter,” the mourning mother said.

Simon added, “I beg so like a dog. I said we is villager, give me my daughter. He do like he ain’t hear me. He just deh opening rooms where you could see, but I believe that place got secret rooms. That place got a ritual room that they go there and do things inside. But this God here don’t sleep.”

Justice Meanwhile, the grieving parent said she received a call from the mother of the young man who died

at the hotel back in 2012. “The woman said I pray that you get justice for your daughter because I never get justice for my son but this here, I will get justice. I ain’t sleeping. I will get justice! He has to go to jail!”

The family is anticipating the arrival of an independent pathologist to conduct a Post Mortem Examination on the child.

The mother said she refuses to accept any report that her daughter died of drowning.

Simon cried, “God in heaven knows when they do that post mortem what more me gon hear they do to me child. I got to beg God for faith that day girl for my innocent baby…they leaving me without my 11-year-old for the rest of my life. That is my first child.”

Little Adrianna just sat the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) and was awaiting placement at a new school. She would have celebrated her 12th birthday on November 12.

Her mother, a hard-working employee at a popular fast-food restaurant said her daughter was very loving and was like a parent to her younger siblings.

“Me ain’t got money. Me ain’t rich. I does work hard. When I leave my children and I go to work, Adrianna does be like a mother to she brother and sister till she father come home to look after them. I does go and stand up on me foot at Popeyes. I am a supervisor. I does work like a staff and a supervisor.

Even to me boss called me yesterday in tears, Mr. Singh, because that man knows how I does work and that is what they gon do me child? No, I spending sleepless nights for them.”

No remorse The owner of the burnt hotel and staff that were on duty are in custody assisting with the investigation.

The child’s mother said she visited the Police station where she confronted an uncompassionate individual.

“They brought him out, the owner for the place and I told him, I said, I asked you for my daughter.

Why didn’t you give me my daughter? Why did you do you that?... and he watched me with no remorse and said he did not do it, but let me tell you, this God don’t sleep and this won’t go down like the rest wah he do,” the mother cried.

She said the man was then escorted back to a cell. In the meantime, the mother is dreading the results to come from the autopsy to be done on Monday.

“Right now I trying to keep sane for my two children but me thing very, very, very serious because I got to live without me child for the rest of me life.”

Commander sent on administrative leave; three cops under close arrest …as request for independent pathologist to do PME on Adrianna Younge being reviewed – Pres. Ali tells relatives Commander of Regional Division #3, Assistant Commissioner of Police Khalid Mandall has been sent on administrative leave to facilitate an investigation into the death of 11year-old Adriana Younge at the Double Day International Hotel, Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo.

Younge was found dead on Thursday in a swimming pool at the hotel hours after disappearing from her family without a trace.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) in a statement Saturday said that investigators have contacted and questioned the proprietor of Double Day Hotel and bar and all employees who were present at the establishment on the day of the incident. A number of police ranks of Region Three were also questioned, said police in a statement.

“In keeping with the Guyana Police Force’s Standard Operating

Procedure, Assistant Commissioner Khalid Mandall, Commander of Regional Division #3, has been sent on administrative leave to facilitate the investigation.

Additionally, three other ranks are under close arrest,” Police reported.

It was also noted that, in response to the family’s request for a pathologist of their choice to conduct the PME, the selected expert is expected to arrive in Guyana today. The examination will be carried out in collaboration with the Guyana Police Force’s a s s i g n e d p a t h o l o g i s t , D r.

Shubhakar Karra Paul.

Meanwhile, on Saturday morning, amid national outrage and growing calls for justice and transparency, President Irfaan Ali met with grieving relatives of the 11-year-old child and assured them that their request for an independent pathologist to conduct a Post Mortem Examination (PME) on the child is under active review.

The development follows the tragic discovery of Younge’s body on Thursday morning in the swimming pool of the Double Day Hotel in Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, just hours after she was reported missing on Wednesday.

Her death has since sparked national outrage, with growing concerns over potential negligence and misconduct by those entrusted with her safety.

Taking that into account, Ali explained, “I have said there is absolutely no issue. All of us want the truth; there is absolutely no issue with the pathologist. Your lawyer sent a letter about an hour ago to Mr. McBean (Deputy Commissioner of Police Simon McBean) so the request in that letter is being reviewed now by the competent authorities and they will communicate with the lawyer on that.”

According to the President, the contents of the lawyer’s request have been forwarded to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Narine Continued on page 21

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Sunday May 04, 2025

From page 20 Singh, for necessary action. He emphasized that the government has no objection to the family’s request for transparency and fairness, stating, “I’ve asked the Police to make sure everything is videoed, no missteps, everything is videoed, everything is observed as much witness the family wants is there that is medically permissible, all of that and all their requests in terms of this post mortem to be honoured.”

President Ali further informed the family that Khalid Mandall, former Commander of Regional Division Three, has been placed on administrative leave to facilitate a thorough investigation.

Additionally, the hotel’s owner and several staff members remain in police custody.

Notably, three ranks are under close arrest for questioning in relation to Younge’s incident.

During the exchange with President Ali, Younge’s mother, Amecia Simon, her aunt, Ameka Lewis, and grandmother reiterated their distrust in the police force and t h e f a m i l y ’s r e q u e s t f o r a n independent pathologist and investigation.

Lewis voiced her frustration, stating, “The action, the resources that were used last night to clear that road at Leonora could have been used…to get my niece out of that building alive.”

The family’s grief has turned into determination as they continue to push for an independent investigation. They have already identified a foreign-based pathologist of their choice who is expected to arrive in Guyana on Sunday.

Addressing the family’s right to protest, President Ali said he had no objection to peaceful demonstrations but urged against road blockages. However, his remarks were swiftly challenged by Lewis, who pointed to past instances of his own participation in street protests.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Narine Singh, in a press release, said statements uttered by the family’s attorney, Darren Wade, are inaccurate and misleading.

The CMO highlighted the seriousness of the matter and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to full transparency in the ongoing investigation into the death of Younge.

The statement said, “While Guyana possesses local pathology expertise, the appointment of Dr. Paul underscores the administration’s intent to ensure impartiality and public confidence in the integrity of the investigative process.”

The CMO said that Dr. Paul, who is an international forensic pathologist, and will conduct the PME, is a highly experienced

forensic pathologist with over 23 years in the field. He currently serves as Consultant Forensic Pathologist at the Forensic Sciences Centre under the Office of the Attorney General in Barbados, a position he has held since 2021.

Dr. Paul holds medical and forensic qualifications including an MBBS, MD, and DNB, and is a Member of the Faculty of Forensic & Legal Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians in the UK. He is registered with the Barbados Medical Council and is also certified to practice in Guyana.

Throughout his career, the CMO said that he has handled complex cases involving homicides, suicides, and drugrelated deaths, and has worked across multiple jurisdictions including the United Kingdom, where he served from 2009 to 2021 as a Forensic Medical Examiner for various police forces and healthcare institutions.

The CMO asserted that Dr. Paul also has a strong academic background and previously assisted Guyanese authorities in identifying victims of the 2023 Mahdia Secondary School dormitory fire.

“I am confident that Dr. Paul’s qualifications, experience, and independence make him wellsuited to provide a thorough, transparent, and accurate assessment in this deeply sensitive case,” the CMO further asserted.

Monday Crucial autopsy set for today …imaging tests to be performed in presence of independent specialists The highly anticipated Post Mortem Examination (PME) on the body of 11-year-old Adrianna Younge who was found dead on

Former Commander of Region 3, Khalid Mandlall Thursday at the Double Day Hotel, Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo will be conducted today at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

This was confirmed by the family’s Attorney-at-Law, Darren Wade on Sunday. In an invited comment, he told this newspaper that a time has not yet been confirmed for the autopsy since a number of tests requested by the international pathologists will first be completed. Dr. Gary Collins, Chief Medical Examiner of Delaware, United States of America and Dr. Glenn Rudner of Mount Sinai Hospital will be present during the child’s autopsy.

The parents of Adrianna Younge previously told Kaieteur News that they do not have any objections to Dr. Shubhakar Karra Paul, of Barbados, who was appointed by the government to perform the PME. They however requested the presence of Dr. Collins to observe the process which the state did not object to.

Ahead of the autopsy, Dr. Collins had requested a full X-ray of the child’s body, including a skeletal examination to determine whether s h e s u ff e r e d a n y f r a c t u r e s .

Additionally, the specialist ordered

PAGE 21

a full-body CT scan to assess for other injuries.

Wade, however noted, that the state has opted for these examinations to be performed in the presence of the specialist, requested by the family. In response to a question on the time of the autopsy, the lawyer explained, “Those logistics haven’t been sorted out because initially we had planned, as you are aware Dr. Collins had made certain requests in relation to having certain tests done before hand and certain standard operating procedures that should have been done days ago in relation to the scanning and the Xray have not been done but the state prefers to have it done while he is here and tomorrow (today) maybe a rush, we don’t know logistically how that’s going to work out…”

On Saturday, President Irfaan Ali in a meeting with relatives assured that there would be full transparency of the autopsy. He said, “I’ve asked the Police to make sure everything is videoed, no missteps, everything is videoed, everything is observed as much witnesses the family wants is there that is medically permissible, all of that and all their requests in terms of this post mortem to be honoured.”

The pathology team Dr. Paul, who is an international forensic pathologist and will conduct the PME, is a highly experienced forensic pathologist with over 23 years in the field. He currently serves as Consultant Forensic Pathologist at the Forensic Sciences Centre under the Office of the Attorney General in Barbados, a position he has held since 2021.

Dr. Collins was appointed D e l a w a r e ’s C h i e f M e d i c a l Examiner in September 2014 and according to the Delaware Government’s website worked extensively in the field of forensic science. He has performed

thousands of autopsies certifying the manner and cause of death in more than 4,000 cases. Dr. Collins also has experience in a variety of forensic, medical, and public health-related cases.

He is a graduate of the University of West Indies, where he completed his pathology residency at the University of South Florida and his forensic pathology residency at the Drexel University College of Medicine. He is also board certified in anatomic and clinical pathology and forensic pathology. Meanwhile, according to Mount Sinai Hospital, Dr. Rudner’s specialty is in Anatomic Pathology and Clinical Pathology and he studied at Wayne State University School of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Tulane Medical Center, Fellowship, Pathology, Forensic Pathology, Office of Graduate Medical Education and Armed Forces Institute of Pathology.

‘Citizens are fed up, disgusted’ - Glenn Lall says backdoor deals, injustices fueling civil unrest Guyana is enduring an excruciating pain that, if not swiftly addressed, could see the country “burning inside out.”

This is according to Publisher of Kaieteur News and human rights activist, Glenn Lall. He said Guyana needs a justice system that delivers and leaders who will stop repeating failures and begin attacking root causes.

During his radio programme “the Glenn Lall Show,” Friday evening, Lall addressed the protest actions which erupted in Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo following the traumatic death of 11-year-old Adrianna Younge at the Double Day Hotel on April 24, and the shooting death of the two Linden youths by police, 21-year-old Ronaldo Peters and 32-year-old Keon Fogenay, on April 7 and 8 respectively.

The discovery of Younge’s remains in the hotel’s pool sparked a massive protest at Tuschen on Thursday. The exercise saw the burning of roads and tires, and the fiery destruction of the hotel and the home of the hotel owner.

Younge had visited the hotel with relatives on Wednesday, and was discovered missing around 14:00 hrs. Despite repeated appeals for police to conduct a thorough search of the premises, family members claimed their cries went unanswered. The GPF also later admitted to issuing an inaccurate statement which claimed that the child left the hotel in a red and black Toyota Raum the evening she went missing.

Relatives remained adamant that little Adrianna had not left the hotel as surveillance footage Continued on page 22

Kaieteur News

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From page 21 reviewed from a neighbour ’s camera only showed her entering.

On the morning of April 8, the mining town of Linden descended into fiery chaos as well, after news of Peters’ death spread. Residents were livid over the death caused by a police officer, who they said, should have been protecting him.

The police sergeant had claimed Peters was wanted for rape, and in an attempt to apprehend him, his firearm went off, causing the fatal shot. But surveillance footage showed the police officer running a f t e r t h e y o u n g f a t h e r.

Eyewitnesses said they also saw Peters being thrown into a bus and driven around before taken to the hospital.

It was during that protest action that Fogenay, a passerby, was shot in the eye by another police officer.

Eyewitnesses stated that they saw the rank pull out his gun and fire it into the crowd where Fogenay was, killing him.

According to Lall, what unfolded in Tuschen, was not a random act, but the eruption of a long-simmering national crisis, finally giving voice to itself—”a deep, boiling, and dangerous pressure that’s been building beneath the surface of this land, far too long that is being completely ignored.”

“People are no longer just upset. They’re not simply angry.

They are fed up. Disgusted.

Exhausted and Frustrated. And yes, they are crying out, acting out, and bawling out for help. But no one in leadership is listening. Aside from being forced to live hand to mouth in one of the wealthiest countries on earth today, too much of injustices are flourishing all across Guyana,” he told listeners.

He said the deaths of Younge and the two young men in Linden should never become symbols of failure. He maintained they should have been protected. Lall said if the system was working in the way it should, they all may have been alive.

He said the situation in Linden and Tuschen are not isolated events. According to him, they are warning signs. “They are cries from a broken nation. I feel it. I see it. I hear it every day when I speak with ordinary Guyanese—there is no more joy, no more hope, no more trust. Because the very people who were supposed to protect us have become our biggest betrayers.”

The local activist said those who should be protecting and defending the people are the very ones breaking them down. He said When Guyanese look up to leaders for answers, all they receive are lies and cover-ups. “When you reach out for help, they turn their backs.

When they should unite us, they divide us. When they should lift us, they trample on us. That has been the Guyanese reality under both the

current and past governments.

“Let’s be honest, Guyana doesn’t need cosmetic fixes anymore. This country needs a restart. A full reset. We need l e a d e r s h i p w i t h h o n e s t y, compassion, and care. We need people who are not obsessed with photo ops smiling with the victims’ families, but solutions to fix the brokenness in our country.”

He continued, “how many more must die? How many more buildings must burn? How much more destruction must we witness before our leaders finally listen?

He said what was witnessed over the last three weeks was not just about the killings and corruption in the system, but also about the corruption one cannot see. “The backdoor deals, the land giveaways, the secret oil and gold arrangements. Those are the injustices that are fueling what we have all witnessed in Linden and Tuschen. When a people can’t breathe properly, they can’t think properly, when people can’t feed their families, how do you expect them to react, when people can’t buy a mattress to lay their heads when the night comes, how do they move forward in life. And that’s the trap the politicians have set for this nation.”

Lall said Guyana should be living its ‘golden age’ right now with first-class leadership, firstclass justice, and first-class living along with a world-class police force. He said hospitals should be first class, and the courts swift, “But what is the reality to get justice in this country today, you have to protest. And even then, you’re not sure if you’ll get it. So,

Sunday May 04, 2025

Businessman Glenn Lall has been calling for the renegotiation of the oil contracts with Exxon for several years now what does that say about the nation, when the dead have to fight for justice…When families have to march in the streets just to get answers,” he stated.

Tuesday Adriana drowned - autopsy reveals …autopsy rules out forced drowning …father rejects findings …lawyer renews calls for independent probe An independent Post Mortem Examination (PME) conducted on the body of 11-year-old Adriana Younge on Monday concluded that the child died from drowning.

This was revealed by her father, Subrian Younge, following a fourhour long autopsy at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). This was later confirmed by the family’s lawyer, Darren Wade and later President Irfaan Ali at a news conference. Prior to the child’s Post

Mortem, which commenced around 12:30pm, a series of scans, including X-rays and a full-body CT was conducted to assess for fractures and other injuries, including internal bleeding.

W h i l e Yo u n g e ’s m o t h e r declined to comment on the findings of the autopsy, the child’s father, who pulled her lifeless body from the Double Day Hotel pool on April 24 told reporters, “This is no result to me.” The child’s family has not accepted the findings of the PME, conducted by the threemember pathology team. The specialists included Dr. Shubhakar Karra Paul from Barbados Dr. Gary Collins, Chief Medical Examiner of Delaware, United States of America and Dr. Glenn Rudner of Mount Sinai Hospital.

In a subsequent press briefing, Wade confirmed, “based on the findings, they determined that she died by drowning.” The lawyer witnessed the autopsy, in addition to another local doctor, Caleb Mc Cloggan. The entire PME was recorded for transparency

Grieving family members of dead Adriana Younge awaiting the Post Mortem results outside the hospital’s morgue on Monday

purposes.

In his update, Wade was keen to note that no bones were discovered b r o k e n i n t h e c h i l d ’s b o d y.

Meanwhile, when asked about the possibility of Adriana drowning somewhere else, he said no determination was made in that regard. “They were unable to determine that at this stage whether tap water or pool water and so forth.

No determination was made in relation to where she drowned,” the lawyer said.

He also explained the reason for the discolouration on the body of the 11-year-old. “Based upon my understanding and what was explained to the family, these are not my words, they are consistent with water damage,” Wade noted.

While there were reports of cotton wool being observed in the child’s nostrils, after her lifeless body was pulled from the pool, the lawyer said pathologists made no such discovery when the body was examined.

In the meantime, the family’s attorney noted that relatives of the girl are continuing to press the government of Guyana for an independent and impartial investigation. Wade complained that although President Ali publicly said that no stone would be left unturned in the death of Adriana and he will support the family, there has been no effort to meet this specific request by the family. The family had requested the services of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or the Scotland Yard or the Royal Mounted Police of Canada to investigate the death. Wade stressed, “I believe it is critical at this point in time for the family and for the entire country that the state acts, that the President doesn’t just talk and that he delivers based on that promise.”

Position of body in pool Adriana’s body was found floating in the pool, but instead of her head facing downward, the child’s body was discovered in a standing position. He noted that this question was asked and there were discussions, however he was not in a position to address the issue. When asked by this newspaper if murder has been ruled out, given the findings of the report, the lawyer said this was not the job of the pathology team. He explained, “That was not the job of the pathologists and if you follow what I have just said, it is imperative and important for an impartial and proper investigation to be done. We have a case here where the police failed to cordon off the place (hotel). We have a situation where the police failed to act so that is a question more or less that should be directed to the police.”

Meanwhile, since no determination was made regarding the water that entered Adriana’s Continued on page 37

Sunday May 04, 2025

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Sunday May 04, 2025

The legacy of the Ramkarrans…

A family’s century-long connection to Bel Air and the street that bears their name

By Christal Yong The history of the Ramkarran family in Bel Air stretches back more than 150 years, intertwining the family’s journey with the transformation of the area itself.

The connection began in 1875, when Ralph Ramkarran’s greatgreat-grandfather, Beny, and his family arrived in British Guiana aboard the ship MV Dacca.

Indentured from Bihar, India, Beny and his family were among the

many, who came to work the sugar plantations of the colony. It was on Plantation Bel Air that Beny would forge the family’s long-standing relationship with the area.

Ralph Ramkarran, a former Speaker of the National Assembly of Guyana, recounted the family’s legacy in an interview with The Wa t e r f a l l s . H e s a i d , “ T h e Ramkarran family has had a connection with Bel Air since 1875—- one hundred and fifty years ago.”

At that time, Bel Air was still a sugar plantation, though its days as such ended long ago, the designation shifted, and Bel Air was the name that continued to represent both the agricultural and residential transformation of the area. By the 1970s, Bel Air became incorporated into Greater Georgetown, yet confusion between Bel Air Park, Bel Air Springs, and the original Bel Air persisted for some time.

Beny’s arrival marked the beginning of an unbroken

connection to the land that continues to this day.

Ralph Ramkarran said, “My great, great, grandfather, Beny, and his wife, Birmee, and their two children, Sanichar, Lowlassia and Burhia, came from Bihar, India, on the ship MV Dacca. They arrived in then British Guiana in January, 1875, and Beny was indentured to Plantation Bel Air on 19 January, 1875. Our family has had an unbroken connection to Bel Air since that time.”

Ralph Ramkarran, a former Speaker of the National Assembly of Guyana After completing his indentureship, Beny moved to Lilendaal, though the details of his life afterward remain unclear.

However, his son, Haripurshad, Ralph’s great-grandfather, remained Continued on page 33

Sunday May 04, 2025

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Sunday May 04, 2025

Fiery riots, looting, vandalism a price Guyana pays for misinformation The

Detective

By Shervin Belgrave

F

alse information might be the cause for two of three major violent protests that Guyana experienced within the last three years, and both have led to fiery riots, lootings, vandalism, assault of innocent civilians, and violent robberies.

Two of the violent protests were in April last, while the third took place in June 2022, over the fatal shooting of 25-year-old Quindon Bacchus by an undercover cop, Kristoff DeNobrega at Haslington New Scheme, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

The first of the two protests in April 2025, was over police’s killing of 21-year-old Ronaldo Peters and Keon Fogenay, 32, on

April 7 and 8 last, at Linden, Region Ten. While protesters in Linden blocked roads with burning debris and had violent clashes with police there were no reports of lootings,

vandalism or robberies.

However, protests demanding justice for 11-year-old Adriana Younge escalated into riots, looting, robberies and even assault of innocent civilians. The events that unfolded forced government to implement a safety curfew and turned the city of Georgetown into a ghost town for a day, as business operations seized, schools closed their doors and citizens remained inside out of fear.

Protests over Younge’s death began on April 24, when her body was found in the Double Day International Hotel’s pool at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo

(EBE), hours after police falsely reported that she was abducted.

Younge went missing between 13:00hrs and 14:00hrs, on Wednesday April, 23 during an outing with her grandmother and other relatives at the popular hotel.

Investigators visited the scene at about 15:30hrs. According to the police, around 13:02hrs, Adrianna went to Double Day Hotel pool to swim with her grandmother, Carol Xavier, who stated that at around 13:10hrs, she gave Adrianna money to buy a band to swim in the pool. Shortly thereafter, Adrianna entered the pool with her siblings.

Sometime after, the grandmother called to get her family out of the pool when it was discovered Adriana was missing.

The family launched a search in the pool and hotel but without success. The matter was then reported at Tuschen Police Station.

Upon arrival at the scene, the police searched further in and around the hotel, including rooms, a store room, the yard, and the roof, but they came up empty-handed.

Several cameras were seen attached to the building. However, when asked to view them, the

Fiery riots, looting and protests over the killing of Quindon Bacchus in June 2022

Dead, Adriana Younge

Shot dead in June, 2022, Quindon Bacchus manager indicated that they were not in working order.

Refusing to believe that the cameras were out of order, relatives and other persons began gathering at the hotel searching for Younge and seeking information. There was unrests, but nothing violent or extremely disorderly.

Persons remained at the hotel Continued on page 42

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 04, 2025

Arctic Fox

g n i t s s... e r e ture t n I ea Cr

Source: National Geographic

The Arctic Fox is an incredibly hardy animal that can survive frigid Arctic temperatures as low as –58°F in the treeless lands where it makes its home. It has furry soles, short ears, and a short muzzle—allimportant adaptations to the chilly climate. Arctic foxes live in burrows, and in a blizzard they may tunnel into the snow to create shelter.

Arctic Adaptations Arctic foxes have beautiful white (sometimes blue-gray) coats that act as v e r y e ff e c t i v e w i n t e r camouflage. The natural hues allow the animal to

blend into the tundra’s ubiquitous snow and ice.

When the seasons change, the fox’s coat turns as well, adopting a brown or gray appearance that provides cover among the summer tundra’s rocks and plants.

These colorings help foxes to effectively hunt rodents, birds, and even fish.

But in winter prey can be scarce on the ground.

At such times, arctic foxes will follow the region’s premier predator—a polar bear—to eat the leftover scraps from its kills. Foxes will also eat vegetables when they are available.

Like a cat’s, this fox’s

thick tail aids its balance. But for an arctic fox the tail (or “brush”) is especially useful as warm cover in cold weather.

Female arctic foxes give birth each spring to a large litter of up to 14 pups.

Common Name: Arctic foxes Scientific Name: Vulpes lagopus Type: Mammals Diet: Omnivore Group Name: Skulk, leash Average Life Span In The Wild: 3 to 6 years Size: Head and body: 18 to 26.75 inches; tail: up to 13.75 inches Weight: 6.5 to 17 pounds Size relative to a 6-ft man

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Kaieteur News

Sunday May 04, 2025

GNBS ENCOURAGES THE USE OF METRIC UNITS OF MEASUREMENTS Whether tracking the time, the distance we have driven, purchasing or selling an item or building a structure, measurement precision and accuracy influence the outcomes of what we do in almost every aspect of our daily lives. As the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) prepares to observe World Metrology Day (WMD) on May 20, this week’s article focuses on the importance of the International System of Units (Metric System). This standardized framework promotes clear communication and consistency globally.

The Metric System, established in 1960 by the 11th General Conference on Weights and Measures, is in use in all countries except Liberia, Myanmar, and the United States of America. The system comprises base units with values used to take measurements, making it easier for people in science, manufacturing and trade.

As Guyana’s custodian of measurement standards, the GNBS is pivotal in ensuring that measurement practices align with internationally recognised norms. Further, the Bureau encourages stakeholders to ensure the adoption and correct use of the SI Units, which is the legal measurement system in Guyana, by virtue of Order Number 04 of 2001.

Aside from the kilogram (kg), the Metric System consists of six other base units, which are the Metre (m), Mole (mol), Second (s), Candela (cd), Kelvin (K) and Ampere (A).

This decimal system of weights and measures allows easy conversion between some units simply by multiplying or dividing by 10, 100 and 1000. When multiplying, these are denoted by the prefixes deci, centi and kilo,

respectively. For example, 1000 grams of sugar = 1 kilogram of sugar.

With its legal mandate and educational support, the GNBS ensures that measurements are accurate and that SI units are used to maintain consistency, fairness, and transparency; hence, consumers receive value for their money. The Bureau, through its Legal and Industrial Metrology Departments, conducts regular verification of metric measuring instruments used in trade.

Further, the GNBS also calibrates sensitive instruments used in laboratories, manufacturing, and other industries for quality control and other purposes.

Neglecting the use of the Metric System can undoubtedly lead to unreliable conversions and inaccurate measurements, affecting the delivery of reliable products and services. Therefore, as the GNBS continues its efforts to uphold the integrity of the Metric System, consumers and businesses alike are urged to adopt and use the metric units of measurement fully. Integrating SI measurements offers a pathway to precision, consistency, and innovation. By embracing standardised units, we empower ourselves to navigate the complexities of modern life with ease and confidence. With the guidance of the GNBS, we can ensure that measurement practices align with internationally recognised standards, fostering a world where precision becomes a way of life.

Do not be left behind! For more information on using the International System of Units, contact the GNBS today on219-0064/65/66, or visit the GNBS website at www.gnbsgyorg. You can also WhatsApp us at +592 692 4627.

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 04, 2025

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A family’s century-long connection to Bel Air and the...

From page 26 rooted in the Bel Air community. Haripurshad became a cow farmer and acquired a large portion of land, stretching from what is now known as Ramkarran Street to Belvoir Court.

Ralph’s Ramkarran family was deeply involved in the growth and development of the area, with his grandfather, Ramlall, and later his father, Boysie, playing pivotal roles in the area’s history.

“My grandfather, Ramlall (in those days Indians had only one name) was the oldest son of Haripurshad. He branched out on his own sometime in the early years of the 20th century after he was married but before my father was born and lived in accommodation near to the Bel Air school,” The former National Assembly Speaker explained.

He continued, “Eventually he purchased the lease with a house of what is now known as lot 65 to which he moved at some point.”

By the 1960s, Ralph’s father, Boysie Ramkarran, acquired land from the Booker Company when it

sold off its holdings in Bel Air. Today, Ralph still resides on the same land that his ancestors established their roots upon. “Bel Air had always been a poor farming and working-class, mixed community. From the 1970s, it began to become gentrified. That process is now picking up pace,” Ramkarran said.

H o w e v e r, t h e Ramkarrans’ influence on Bel Air extends beyond land ownership. Boysie Ramkarran, the first person from the community to attend high school, played a crucial role in both the political and social fabric of Guyana. Educated at F.E. Pollard Primary School in Kitty and Modern High School, Boysie’s career at the Transport and Harbours Department led him to political activism.

“While there, he joined discussions with other junior employees in politics, world affairs, socialism, and anticolonialism conducted by a Senior Manager, Frank Van Sertima,” Ralph shared.

These discussions were the spark that ignited Boysie’s deep political involvement.

He went on to become a founding executive member and president of the clerical section of the Transport Workers Union, and later, a key figure in the People’s Progressive Party (PPP).

In 1953, Boysie contested the first elections held under universal adult suffrage and won a seat.

Though the British Government suspended the constitution three months later, his political journey continued. By 1957, Boysie was appointed Minister of W o r k s a n d Communications, and later Minister of Works and Hydraulics, after the 1961 elections.

“In 1957, elections were held again, and the PPP won.

He was appointed Minister o f W o r k s a n d Communications. After the 1961 elections, he was appointed Minister of Works and Hydraulics,” Ralph noted.

B o y s i e ’s p o l i t i c a l activism led to his imprisonment in 1953 when he was arrested for failing to report to the police station as required. Despite his imprisonment, Boysie’s political impact only grew.

Ralph reflected, “By

then, my father was thoroughly politicized and he joined the Political Affairs Committee when it was established by Cheddi Jagan, Janet Jagan, Ashton Chase, and Jocelyn Hubbard in 1946.”

His influence remained steadfast, and he helped establish the Guyana Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU), which played an essential role in securing recognition for sugar workers in 1976.

Ralph’s own political journey began at a young age, showing his dedication to the legacy of his father. “I started my political career very early by joining the PPP in April 1961, while still a minor,” Ralph recalled, while adding, “I was very active in fundraising and accompanied my father

everywhere to political meetings.” His political career further expanded when he joined the Elections Commission in 1973 and later became an important member of the PPP’s central committee.

Ralph’s legal career also paralleled his political involvement. He joined the firm of Cameron & Shepherd in 1977, eventually becoming a senior partner.

His legal work focused on defending individuals charged in connection with strikes, demonstrations, and political movements.

“During the course of my legal career, I defended

scores of defendants charged with criminal offences arising out of strikes in the sugar industry and political demonstrations,” Ralph shared.

Today, the legacy of the Ramkarran family continues to thrive, as their name now graces a street in the heart of Bel Air. The street, which once was simply a part of a plantation, now represents more than just the location of their land; it embodies the R a m k a r r a n f a m i l y ’s enduring impact on both the community of Bel Air and the political landscape of Guyana.

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Maya and the Surprise Fiesta

M

aya was a b r i g h t , curious 8year-old who loved learning about holidays from around the world. One sunny morning, her teacher, Mr. López, announced, “Class, today is Cinco de Mayo!”

Maya raised her hand.

“Is that Mexico's Independence Day?” “Good question!” said Mr. López with a smile.

“Many people think that, but Mexico's Independence Day is in September. Cinco de Mayo celebrates the Battle of Puebla in 1862, when a small Mexican army defeated the much bigger

French army.”

“Wow!” said Maya.

“That's like the underdog winning!”

“Exactly!” said Mr. López. “It's a day to celebrate Mexican bravery and culture.”

After school, Maya rushed home, excited to tell her abuela (grandma) what she had learned. But when she opened the front door, something smelled amazing. “¡Sorpresa!” shouted her family. “Happy Cinco de Mayo!”

The living room was decorated with colorful papel picado banners, and

I WANT TO BE GOOD

by Uncle Roy

I think it is only right That I must always try to be good, To say and do the correct thing, And behave as well as I could.

I will always try to be honest, In whatever I have to do, Not to take what belongs to others, And always speak what is true.

I will try to be always fair, Whenever I work or play, Always make sure I do not cheat, And do what is right in every way.

Above all, I will not be selfish, And share with those who have less than me; This will make me feel so good, As they say thanks to me.

her abuela was wearing a bright red dress with flowers in her hair. The table was full of tamales, t a c o s , guacamole, and even a piñata shaped like a cactus!

“Is this all for Cinco de Mayo?” Maya asked in awe. “ Y e s , mija,” said Abuela. “It's a day to honor our history and enjoy our beautiful culture. Let's dance, eat, and celebrate!”

M a y a danced to the music, hit the piñata with her cousins, and tasted a churro for the very first time. She felt proud, happy, and connected to something big and beautiful.

That night, as she got ready for bed, Maya whispered, “Gracias, Cinco de Mayo.”

Sunday May 04, 2025

s a c a r a M e d a m e o m y a o M H e d o c n i raft for C

– Recycled CArtsy Crafty Holidays

Paper straw Decorative tape – duck tape, washi, or similar Filler – such as rice, beans, beads Can you guess what we used to make these homemade maracas?

Plastic eggs! Such a great way to recycle all those Easter eggs into something fun. We made ours as a Cinco de Mayo kids craft. They aren't the traditional colors associated with the holiday because we wanted to use the tape we already had on hand. Instead you could make them the colours of the Flag of Mexico (green, white, and red).

Supplies needed: Plastic eggs

How to make maracas from plastic eggs: 1. We filled our eggs with lentils.

2. Cut the straws in half.

3. Tape the straw to the bottom of the egg.

4. Since the paper straw isn't sturdy, I would recommend covering the entire straw.

Wrap it around a few times.

5. Wrap tape around the crack where the 2 egg halves meet.

6. Decorate them with the tape. You could wrap the tape around it evenly or cut strips and place on it until to cover the spaces showing.

TRAIN TRACKS Complete the railroad track that connects the entrance and exit pieces.

The finished track can't fork nor cross itself. The digits show the number of track pieces in each row or column. There is a unique solution that can be found without guessing.

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 04, 2025

Determine the Principles to Govern your Life

W

hen you have developed the confidence to use your unique talents to make the best of your future career, either in a quest for higher education or to the world of work, you will need to be more serious about the direction in which your life is headed.

The world is becoming more and more complicated, with temptations all around, and the young person needs to be very careful in the next steps he will be taking, so as to ensure that he would not waste his life, and would keep on the

right path to his eventual success in the various aspects of life.

Young adulthood is a period of great challenges, and to have achieved some success in your education, and at the same time living according to some high values, is worthy of celebration.

But the world that is now beckoning is more challenging in every respect, and will need some serious consideration about your approach to it.

You will have to take more responsibility for your actions, display more discipline, and even be willing to make some sacrifices to retain your energy and direction towards your success and happiness, as well as those

Make true principles the rock on which you build your life, and you will always be assured of moving on the right path.

who should come under your charge if and when you develop a family of your own.

The right course of action then is to sit down and decide on the correct principles to govern your life from here on, and make up your mind to follow these principles in whatever you do in the future.

Some of these principles are: Following your conscience in deciding right from wrong; Trying always to be fair to others; Being kind to others; Giving some service to improve the lives of others; Getting rid of bad habits and cultivating good ones that will serve to uplift your life; Devoting some time to prayer and worship of your Creator; Gratitude to your parents and those who have helped you and will be helping you along the way; Identifying your goals in life and working hard to achieve them; Giving a fair day's work if and when you start on a career.

As is suggested before, devote some special time to think about these principles, and how you can inculcate them into your own personality.

PAGE 35

Principle of Family Integrity

Family is the basic unit in society, Created through love and integrity; Nowadays families are breaking apart, One must determine in such not to take part.

Family today is loaded with adversities, Frustrations emanate from social difficulties; Lack of job security, or single-parent dilemmas, Imminent divorce breaks troubled families in mass.

The origin of marriage had exalted family union, The Creator of humanity declared such dominion; 'What God has put together let no man put asunder', Humans were created to glorify the Creator yonder.

God had brought Adam and Eve in harmony, Husband and wife should stick in matrimony; The pursuit of life-styles now violates the holy accord, Tainting the standard set by the Almighty Lord!

Lack of family integrity causes many hardships In family life because it destroys relationships, Drains most families of quality time and camaraderie; If integrity is the centre in the family, there shall be glory!

Solutions to last week’s

CENTER-DOT

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Sunday May 04, 2025

They saw the music in me’ By: Christal Yong Long before he had a stage name, was a part of a studio, or had fans, Antonio Griffith was just a quiet boy in a Georgetown classroom.

But even then, someone saw it, a spark, a rhythm, a voice waiting to rise.

“They saw the music in me before I ever did,” says Griffith, now known as Tonio GY 19, one of the most lyrically driven rising artistes in Guyana's new wave of conscious reggae and dancehall.

He told The Waterfalls, “The teacher, I think, I should think that she saw something (in me).”

In a community where creative dreams often take a back seat to survival, it was the sharp eyes and belief of his early educators that shifted Griffith's life path.

His first experience on a real stage came not from a talent show or music video, but a poetry competition.

“I was in nursery school,” Griffith recalls.

He said, “The teacher, I should think that she saw something (in me) and she took me to the Culture Center, practice the poem and whatnot, and I went there and experienced what it is like to actually be on a stage and delivering a message to people, not knowing that later I would soon become someone doing the same thing.”

The young musical artiste added, “So, it's like the universe knows everyone's destiny.”

Song writer, and singer: Antonio Griffith also known as Tonio GY 19 He practiced, recited, and delivered in front of a crowd and though the lines of the poem have long faded from memory, the feeling never did. A seed of rhythm and music was planted.

That seed kept growing, and in grade five, another teacher watered it. Griffith was part of his school's choir when a nationwide Calypso competition was announced.

“The teachers asked me to perform,” he says, still surprised at how naturally they entrusted him with the spotlight.

He said, “I wasn't able to write any type of music back then because I didn't even know that I wanted to be an artiste, but the teachers and so on came together and we sat down and they wrote a song, a very positive song about high murder rates going on in Guyana at the time.”

The performance earned him first place in Region Four and brought him right back to the National Cultural Centre.

Too often, persons forget

the hidden heroes behind emerging artistes, those who take time to look beyond test scores and behavior charts to the quiet genius in a child.

For Griffith, these teachers weren't just instructors. They were mirrors, showing him parts of himself he hadn't yet seen.

Later, in secondary school, during Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) classes, Griffith's creative flame was reignited.

“We had projects where you could write a poem, a story, or a song. I always picked the song,” he says, smiling.

He added, “And every time I shared it, the classes were blown away, even me.

That's when I started thinking; maybe I actually have something here.”

Griffith acknowledges that his creative growth has been shaped by personal drive and a deep spiritual connection, but he emphasizes that the early encouragement he received played an equally vital role in his journey.

It's a reminder of how important belief is, how a few words, a nudge, a chance on a child, can alter the course of a life.

Now, as Tonio GY 19, Griffith stands not only as a musician but as living proof of what happens when educators recognize potential and cultivate it.

His lyrics today carry that same spirit of truth, upliftment, and awareness.

His recent release, "Nuh Safe," a reggae tribute to the late Adriana Younge, is one

- Teachers sparked the beginning of Tonio GY 19's musical journey

Antonio Griffith performing various songs

of many songs rooted in social consciousness and storytelling.

Behind every beat is not just talent but intention.

Behind every lyric is a memory to be unfolded.

With goals to perform internationally and influence the next generation of Guyanese artistes, Griffith is now a torchbearer. But he hasn't forgotten who lit the first match.

Griffith envisions a bold future for his music career.

Within the next five years, his goal is to perform in over ten countries, bringing his unique sound and message to international audiences. For him, it's not just about doing well; it's about expanding his reach and creating lasting impact through music.

When it comes to the message behind his songs, Griffith resists being boxed

into a single theme.

His music draws inspiration from everything around him social issues, personal experiences, emotions, and day-to-day realities. Rather than delivering one direct message, he sees his art as a form of raising awareness, a way of reflecting the world as he experiences it.

To aspiring artistes, Griffith offers heartfelt advice drawn from his own journey.

He urges them not to give up; especially if music is something they truly love.

“Don't work a job just to build someone else's dream,” he says, while adding, “Build your own.”

The ambitious man believes success in music requires not just talent, but also principles, discipline, and emotional awareness. In an industry that can easily steer artistes off course, Griffith emphasizes the importance of staying grounded, focused, and conscious of the message behind the music.

Antonio Griffith performing various songs

Caribbean artistes standing in solidarity, demanding justice for Adriana Younge The tragic death of 11year-old Adriana Younge has not only shaken the nation but has also reverberated across the Caribbean, prompting a wave of solidarity and calls for justice from regional artistes.

In the face of such a devastating loss, these artistes have used their platforms to honor Younge's memory and demand accountability. Jamaican dancehall sensation Grace Latoya Hamilton, known professionally as 'Spice,' expressed her profound sorrow and support for Guyana through a heartfelt message on TikTok. She stated, “What I see happening with little

Nigel Hector known as 'Nigy Boy,’

Grace Latoya Hamilton, known professionally as 'Spice'

Akeeme Campbell known as Dancehall artiste Chronic Law

Adriana, is so heartbreaking, so heartbreaking, as a mother. Meh ah tell you wickedness can't done, but justice for little Adriana, or I think maybe when I am in a better mode and when I am

stronger, I would love to elaborate on what I see happening, but I have been in bed all week, because I have been in disbelief like I said it's so much.”

Despite her own grief,

Spice commended Guyana's response to the tragedy, saying, “I am very proud of Guyana… I take my hat off to you Guyana, I am with you 100 percent.” Her words r e s o n a t e d d e e p l y,

highlighting the shared pain and the collective demand for justice.

Further, another Jamaican artiste Nigel Hector known as 'Nigy Boy,' paid a tribute to Younge during his performance at the Old Broom Lounge GY's All White Event held recently in Guyana.

Leading the audience in a rendition of Cece Winans' popular gospel song “All My L i f e Yo u H a v e B e e n Faithful,” Hector acknowledged the national grief, stating, “I came here last night and I realized that Guyana has been in a state of turmoil, grief … I just want to say condolences to Adriana's family, who lost a bright

future … I wish the family strength as they go on … whether they recover… May her soul rest in peace.”

Additionally, dancehall artiste Akeem Campbell also known as 'Chronic Law' who was in Guyana for the Slingerz Records' 24th Anniversary event when the news of Adriana Younge's death broke.

Deeply moved by the tragedy, Chronic Law collaborated with Slingerz Records and a Trinidadian composer to create a song titled “Undo Button.” The song, recorded and produced in Guyana, serves as both a tribute to Younge and a call for justice. Chronic Law shared his personal (Continue on page 41)

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 04, 2025

From page 22 body, Kaieteur News asked Wade to say if there was any possibility of investigations being conducted to verify that the water contained chemicals usually found in swimming pools. To this end, he said, “I am not sure whether or not the water found in the lungs is the water from the pool or what have you. I can’t say that. I cannot say whether or not that the result shows a different water or water from the pool or from a different location.”

The lawyer added, “I am not sure whether at this stage it is possible, but what we could do is call for a proper investigation and I believe one of the things is that the body was there for long.” He told this newspaper that the independent investigators should have already been invited to address such questions.

Wade noted too that the child’s body was examined to determine whether she was sexually molested however there were no positive indications of such. There was also no determination regarding the time of death. Wade said an explanation was provided however he was unable to recall the reason.

Additionally, the lawyer said the pathologists could not determine whether any strange DNA samples were found under the child’s nails.

Instead, he posited that this would be a question better directed to investigators.

He noted that the pathologists were initially prepared to address the media however, this was no longer facilitated due to the unrest outside of the hospital.

No forced drowning Meanwhile, in a separate press briefing last evening, the Head of States explained that the autopsy was conducted to identify signs of trauma or injuries to the body, detect signs of sexual violence and collect appropriate forensic samples to determine the cause of death. He said, “due to the state of the decomposition of Miss Younge’s body, the pathologists were unable to provide an exact time of death.”

Moreover, Ali stated, “The relatives were also informed that the pathologists ruled out theories of forcible drowning or any other means of killing followed by disposal of the body in water.” In the meantime, the President noted that the PM report will be made available to the family and the public for examination.

Bandit killed in shootout with police A robbery suspect was on Tuesday night shot dead at the GST Chinese Supermarket located at Aubrey Barker Road and Blue Sakie Drive.

Police in a statement said that ranks responded to a report of an alleged robbery at the supermarket.

International Pathologists along with family members of Adriana Younge and Attorney-at-Law, Darren Wade making their way to a briefing, following the Post Mortem Examination on Monday at GPHC. The security guard on duty, Shevon Yearwood, was shot in her left shoulder.

“In the course of a confrontation with the police inside the supermarket, one of the suspects, identified as Cordell Eastman, was shot and killed. A 9MM Glock pistol was recovered at the scene,” police said.

The investigation is ongoing.

Wednesday Pathologists never ruled out ‘forced drowning’ – Adriana Younge’s family …no such discussion took place during briefing One day after President Irfaan Ali informed the nation that the three-member pathology team, who conducted a post-mortem examination (PME) on the corpse of 11-year-old Adriana Younge, concluded that the child did not die from forcible drowning, family members are disputing this information.

Younge was reported missing on April 23 during an outing with family members at the Double Day International Hotel and Bar, Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo. She was discovered dead in the hotel pool the next day. It should be noted that after the child was discovered missing, an alarm was raised and checks were made around the hotel premises, though not thorough. The family is, however, certain that the pool area was searched several times by multiple individuals in hopes of finding little Adriana.

On Monday, three international

pathologists determined that the child died from drowning.

However, no determination was made regarding the time of death or whether pool water or tap water was discovered inside of the child’s lungs.

This has left Adriana’s family in disbelief, as they maintain the child could swim.

In fact, the child’s aunt, Amika Lewis, who was briefed by the pathology team at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) following the PME, made it clear that murder was not ruled out by the three specialists.

In an interview with Kaieteur News on Tuesday, she explained, “The three pathologists said that my niece died from drowning. Of course, the pathologists can only tell you the cause, they cannot say where she drowned.”

The woman added, “They did not rule out that she was murdered.

They explained that to us, that they are not going to rule out that she was murdered…we the citizens, we the family, we the people who were there, know for a fact she did not drown in the pool.”

To this end, Lewis discounted remarks shared by President Irfaan Ali that there was no ‘forceful drowning’ of her niece. She said, “I don’t know if it was Mr. Ali or Mr. Jagdeo who had a conference and said something that the pathologists said that she wasn’t forcefully (drown). The pathologist did not say that. They did not say that. They said other things: she didn’t have any broken bones; she was not raped. They did not say that she was not murdered. They did not say that

PAGE 37

she drowned in the pool and they explained that they couldn’t tell us that. They would need a toxicology report and some other stuff done.”

During a press briefing on Monday evening, the Head of State told reporters, “The relatives were also informed that the pathologists ruled out theories of forcible drowning or any other means of killing followed by disposal of the body in water.”

In addition to the child’s relatives disputing these remarks reportedly made by the pathologists, Darren Wade, the family’s attorney, also denied such information being communicated.

In an interview with Guyana Standard, an online news outlet, the lawyer said, “What I heard, there was no violence, there was no harm or anything inflicted on the body.

That is what I could speak of. Any word of forcible drowning, those words were not used to me. I cannot speak on that…”

He therefore maintained that he was only told that the child died by drowning.

Kaieteur News also verified with another official, that was in the briefing, that no such discussion was had.

Investigation of Adriana’s death Meanwhile, Lewis noted that the family remains completely in the dark where justice for Adriana is concerned. She noted that they are clueless as to whether any persons are in police custody, as no updates have been forthcoming regarding likely suspects who may be wanted for questioning in relation to the child’s death.

Further, she explained that citizens have since made a number of questionable discoveries at the building, including “secret doors and passages with washrooms.”

To t h i s e n d , t h e w o m a n maintained, “We know, the family knows that she was murdered. I think Guyana knows that and the world knows that. We agree with the pathologist but we know for a fact that she was killed and her body was then placed in the pool.”

Dr. Caleb Mc Mcloggan, a Guyanese medical professional, who observed Adriana’s autopsy in a live statement on Monday evening said the manner in which the 11-year-old died is still to be investigated.

According to him, “We have the cause, now we have to determine the manner in which she succumbed. We know that it was due to drowning, now we got to know how she drowned. We got to wait on the toxicology report also.”

He said a laboratory was identified to send body fluids taken from the child’s body to be tested.

These will be thoroughly examined and tested to assess whether she was injected with a tranquilizer that may have been the reason for no marks of violence of the body.

No commitment from President Ali for independent probe Even as calls continue for an independent probe into little Adriana’s death, the Government of Guyana (GoG) has not given any commitment in this regard.

Following the announcement of the child’s autopsy results on Monday, President Ali held a press briefing where he failed to commit to an international investigation into the death of the 11-year-old.

When asked a direct question on the issue, he said, “I have not addressed anything beyond what is before me now. Throughout this case, I have stuck to facts. The first request was that of an independent pathologist, they had three. This is the report, these are the facts of the report so I am not going to go beyond facts, especially on sensitive matters and any mature person, especially a leader, would confine themselves to the facts so that is where I am stopping here.”

Efforts by this newspaper to contact the Head of State for a comment proved futile.

Opposition joins call Meanwhile, Opposition parties have joined with grieving relatives of Adriana Younge in calling for an independent investigation of her death.

In a statement on Tuesday, Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Nigel Hughes said, “No parent should have to mourn a daughter under such unclear and troubling circumstances. Today, we acknowledge the preliminary report that cites drowning as Adriana’s cause of death. Yet even as that detail comes to light, the larger truth remains elusive.”

To this end, the Leader renewed t h e p a r t y ’s c a l l f o r a f u l l , transparent, and independent investigation into the events that led to Adriana’s death. “The public deserves clarity. The family deserves justice. And Guyana deserves answers,” AFC said.

Notably, it also made it clear that violence, looting, burning buildings, blocking roads and other “lawless” acts were not justice nor will they bring peace or honour Adriana’s life.

“Adriana Younge was a young woman with dreams and dignity.

She should be remembered not for the chaos her death sparked, but for the change her memory can inspire,” AFC urged.

Leader of the Opposition and P e o p l e ’s N a t i o n a l C o n g r e s s Reform (PNCR), Aubrey Norton, also reiterated calls on Tuesday for an independent probe of the child’s death.

P r e v i o u s l y, t h e p a r t y highlighted the loss of confidence in the local law enforcement and justice systems in Guyana. As such, it said, “The President must therefore fire the Commissioner of Police and invite the FBI or some Continued on page 38

Kaieteur News

PAGE 38

From page 37 other reputable international law enforcement body to investigate this heinous crime.”

Caption: International Pathologists along with family members of Adriana Younge and Attorney-at-Law Darren Wade making their way to a briefing, following the Post Mortem Examination on Monday at GPHC.

Leader of the Alliance For Change, Nigel Hughes

100 arrested for various crimes …wanted bulletins issued for dozen on causing public terror accusations The Guyana Police Force (GPF), between Monday and Tuesday, issued wanted bulletins for 26 persons for allegedly inciting public terror under the Criminal Law Offences Act. The two persons who have since been arrested have been identified as: Robin Simon and Azriel Asby.

Asby was heard stating in a video that residents from various villages should, “light up de road… uno don’t stop, we have to get justice for Adriana.” The bulletins are in response to the recent intense protests, which erupted following the death of 11-year-old Adriana Younge.

Police in a press statement said, “The Minister of Public Works aided the joint service in cleaning.

Joint Services patrols will continue to maintain a strong presence in the regions to ensure law and order.”

Notably, over the past 24 hours, 100 persons have been arrested for various offenses, including robbery under arms, said police.

In addition, 37 motorcycles were seized, which were used to perpetrate crimes. As such, charges will be laid for those in custody.

Thursday ‘Not so fast, Mr. President’ - AFC leader, others say premature for President to rule out ‘forced drowning’ in Adriana’s death - cite absence of toxicology report Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC) Nigel Hughes has said that the declaration made by President Irfaan Ali that 11-yearold Adriana Younge did not die from forcible drowning is “completely premature” in the absence of a toxicology report.

The AFC leader made these remarks while speaking at joint opposition press conference which was held outside the Double Day Hotel at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo on Wednesday. When asked by the media about the President’s statements on Adriana’s post-mortem report, Hughes said, “Let me start off by saying the President, as far as I know, is not a pathologist, neither is he a forensic

expert, nor is he a qualified investigator. The only thing we know for certain, based on the report that came from Darren Wade (attorney-at-law) is that the cause of death was drowning. The finding of drowning does not rule out it being a homicide, which is an unlawful killing.”

Hughes added that one of the obvious issues that arises as a result of drowning as a cause of death is where the drowning took place. He noted that the only way to begin to narrow the locations for drowning would be a result of the toxicology reports. “And just to give you an obvious example, if the water in the pool has chlorine, and any water that was found in her lungs or elsewhere in her body is not consistent with chlorine. It reduces significantly the possibility that she drowned in the pool. So I think it’s completely premature in the absence of a toxicology report,” he explained.

The post-mortem examination was conducted on the body of Yo u n g e o n M o n d a y a t t h e Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s mortuary by three highly trained pathologists.

Regarding the medical report from the pathologists, Hughes pointed out that it is unfortunate that the President would make an expert’s call that rules out forcible drowning when the nation has not had the benefit of seeing the professional report of any of the pathologists.

“In relation to the findings we have not seen a single report from any pathologist not one, we are getting reports from people who said they spoke to them and as far as I know the President has not spoken to them and therefore where he sits to rule out forced drowning until and unless that is specifically set out in the pathologists’ report we do not seek to rely on it and unfortunately g i v e n h i s p o s i t i o n n o w, w e unfortunately do not accept it,” Hughes said at the press conference.

Kaieteur News had reported that following the PME, President Ali, in a press briefing on Monday evening, informed the nation that

the autopsy was conducted to identify signs of trauma or injuries to the body, detect signs of sexual violence and collect appropriate forensic samples to determine the cause of death. He said, “Due to the state of the decomposition of Miss Younge’s body, the pathologists were unable to provide an exact time of death.” Moreover, Ali stated, “The relatives were also informed that the pathologists ruled out theories of forcible drowning or any other means of killing followed by disposal of the body in water.”

Not so However, the child’s family and their lawyer, Darren Wade, said there was no such discussion about the ruling out of forcible downing.

Another official who was briefed by the pathologists following the autopsy also said there was no such discussion. Adriana’s aunt, Amika Lewis, who was briefed by the pathology team at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) following the PME, made it clear that murder was not ruled out by the three specialists.

In an interview with Kaieteur News on Tuesday, she explained, “The three pathologists said that my niece died from drowning. Of course, the pathologists can only tell you the cause, they cannot say where she drowned.” The woman added, “They did not rule out that she was murdered. They explained

Sunday May 04, 2025

that to us, that they are not going to rule out that she was murdered…we the citizens, we the family, we the people who were there, know for a fact she did not drown in the pool.”

To this end, Lewis discounted remarks shared by President Irfaan Ali that there was no ‘forceful drowning’ of her niece. She said, “I don’t know if it was Mr. Ali or Mr. Jagdeo who had a conference and said something that the pathologists said that she wasn’t forcefully (drown). The pathologist did not say that. They did not say that. They said other things: she didn’t have any broken bones; she was not raped. They did not say that she was not murdered. They did not say that she drowned in the pool, and they explained that they couldn’t tell us that. They would need a toxicology report and some other stuff done.”

Dr. Caleb Mc Mcloggan, a Guyanese medical professional, who observed Adriana’s autopsy in a live statement on Monday evening said the manner in which the 11-year-old died is still to be investigated. According to him, “We have the cause, now we have to determine the manner in which she succumbed. We know that it was due to drowning, now we got to know how she drowned. We got to wait on the toxicology report also.”

He said a laboratory was identified to send body fluids taken from the child’s body to be tested.

These will be thoroughly examined and tested to assess whether she was injected with a tranquilizer that may have been the reason for no marks of violence on the body.

Younge was reported missing on April 23 during an outing with family members at the Double Day International Hotel and Bar, Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo. She was discovered dead in the hotel pool the next day. It should be noted that after the child was discovered missing, an alarm was raised and checks were made around the hotel premises, though not thorough. The family is, however, certain that the pool area was searched several times by multiple individuals in hopes of finding the child.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

10-day workers should not be forced to attend political rallies, protest - Jagdeo Vice President and General S e c r e t a r y o f t h e P e o p l e ’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), Bharrat Jagdeo, has stated that he is unaware of any part-time government workers being forced to attend the PPP rallies or risk losing their jobs.

At a recent press conference, Jagdeo was asked about certain reports that part-time workers are being forced to do things outside of what they were hired for. He responded, “So I don’t know of anybody who has been forced to come to any meeting or alternately who will be fired because of a political purpose but a lot of people in this country when they don’t perform and they get (fired) they claim political discrimination.”

Vi c e P r e s i d e n t J a g d e o explained that the government employs about 15,000 part-time workers who help in schools, hospitals, and local government agencies. To this end, he admitted that while it is difficult to monitor everyone, workers are expected to deliver on the job. “If you’re not working and delivering on the job then you should lose it.” He said, “People cannot just show up and just collect the money.” “That was not the purpose, it was to build a work ethic and it help a lot of women, a lot of single parents,” Jagdeo said.

Further, he also highlighted an instance where he intervened on behalf of a pregnant woman who was at risk of losing her part-time job due to her condition, urging local officials to act with compassion. “So sometimes you have people callously removing people, no, they just think you have to show up so they have to have a heart more and listen to people, that’s what we ask them to do a lot in these areas,” he said.

Friday Two 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 Hotel last week.

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 Continued on page 39

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 04, 2025

From page 38 into the death of the child.

After Adriana’s body was discovered on the morning of April 24 in the swimming pool of the Double Day International Hotel, located i n Tu s c h e n E a s t B a n k Essequibo, Commander Mandall was transferred, and three ranks were placed under close arrest.

However, amid widespread public outrage over the police’s handling of the case, Mandall was sent on administrative leave.

Adriana disappeared on the afternoon of April 23 while on a swimming outing at the 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 child was abducted.

However, in a dramatic turn of events following the discovery of Adriana’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 experience with Commander Mandall and his ranks on the evening Adriana went 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,” Simon stated.

Similarly, Adriana’s aunt said that several police officers, including Commander Mandall, repeatedly claimed they had video footage showing Adriana leaving the premises, but they never showed it to the family.

“Mandall told me we have a video here. He has his phone in his hand. We have a video 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 clear the road and that we go home, because he has a video

PAGE 39

on his phone showing that she left,” she added.

Guyana gets prestigious EXIM Bank award for borrowing big The Government of Guyana has received the “Deal of the Year” award from the Export-Import Bank of the United States (US EXIM) for the US$527 million loan borrowed for the Gas-to-Energy (GTE) project.

G u y a n a ’s S e n i o r Minister with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, accepted the award on behalf of Guyana while representing President Irfaan Ali at the 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 transformative nature of the GTE project. He highlighted that the initiative will double the country’s electricity-generating capacity and cut electricity tariffs by 50%, benefiting households and industries alike. The minister also noted that this is the first project Guyana has undertaken with the US EXIM Bank, calling it a sign of the strengthening relationship between Guyana and the United 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 i n Wa l e s , We s t B a n k Demerara. The loan supports the construction of a Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) facility and a 300-megawatt power plant. Gas will be transported from the offshore Stabroek Block’s Liza oilfield via a 12-inch pipeline to the site, where 50 million cubic feet of gas will be converted into power daily.

The project is being executed by a joint venture between CH4 and Lindsayca, companies based

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. in Texas and Puerto Rico, respectively. Hired in 2022, the joint venture is constructing the plant and facility at a cost of US$759 million, with completion expected this year.

Adriana’s funeral on hold, family wants new autopsy …complains that Govt. slow in responding to requests By: Davina Bagot The funeral of 11-yearold Adriana Younge has been put on hold as relatives of the dead child are seeking a second autopsy.

A source close to the child’s family confirmed this information with Kaieteur News on Friday evening.

According to documents seen by this newspaper, the family’s Lawyer, Darren Wade officially wrote to Chairman of the Medical Council of Guyana, Dr. Navindranauth Rambarran on May 1, 2025 seeking permission for renowned pathologist, Dr. Hubert Daisley of Trinidad and Tobago to perform the second Post Mortem Examination (PME) on the child.

Meanwhile, in another letter to the Medical Council on May 2, Wade explained, “The family is seeking this examination for closure and to grieve in peace. They are committed to ensuring that no stone is left unturned in understanding the circumstances surrounding

their loved one’s death.”

He pointed out that licences have previously been issued under similar circumstances even without a formal application and there are precedents for the organization expediting the issuance of such licences.

The family was hopeful of conducting the second PME before May 5, when Adriana was initially to be laid to rest but with no response up to press time, Wade notified the Medical Council that he is prepared to institute legal proceedings against the body today (Saturday).

Family members have since raised concerns over t h e M e d i c a l C o u n c i l ’s reluctance to grant approval for the second autopsy to be conducted on the child’s body.

In the meantime, Amecia Simon, the grieving mother o f A d r i a n a Yo u n g e confirmed with this publication that the child’s funeral has been postponed.

She added that relatives are yet to receive a copy of the initial autopsy report. “ F o r r i g h t n o w, i t [funeral] is on hold,” Simon told Kaieteur News.

Adriana’s PME was conducted on April 28 by a three-member pathology team. The specialists included Dr. Shubhakar Karra Paul from Barbados Dr. Gary Collins, Chief Medical Examiner of Delaware, United States of

America and Dr. Glenn Rudner of Mount Sinai Hospital.

Independent investigation Meanwhile, Wade in another letter to President Irfaan Ali, also dated May 2, 2025 reminded the Head of State of his commitment to the child’s family for a thorough investigation.

The Lawyer reminded the President that in two separate statements dated April 24 and April 25, the mother of the deceased also made this appeal which was widely circulated in the media.

To this end, he explained, “Despite these several pleadings by the family you have failed and/or neglected to invite any of these agencies, as a result I am instructed by my client as I hereby do, to remind you of a promise of a thorough investigation, one of which the Guyana Police Force lacks the necessary competence and creditability to provide and to invite the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Scotland Yard, or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to investigate the matter.”

Wade in his appeal to the President urged that this step is critical not only for the integrity of the investigation, but also to provide the family with the necessary closure.

PME findings Following a four-hour long autopsy at the

Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) on Adriana’s body, her father S u b r y a n Yo u n g e t o l d reporters that pathologists concluded that the child drown.

At a subsequent press briefing, Darren Wade told the media that no bones were discovered broken in the child’s body. Meanwhile, when asked about the possibility of Adriana drowning somewhere else, he said no determination was made in that regard.

He also explained that the team found that the discoloration on Adriana’s skin was consistent with water damage.

While there were reports of cotton wool being observed in the child’s nostrils, after her lifeless body was pulled from the pool, the lawyer said pathologists made no such discovery when the body was examined.

See the link below for more findings on Adriana’s initial autopsy. https://www.kaieteurnewso nline.com/2025/04/29/adria na-drowned-autopsyreveals/ Norton writes President Ali for Int’l probe into Adriana Younge’s death O p p o s i t i o n L e a d e r, Aubrey Norton has written President Irfaan Ali, requesting an International Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the death of A d r i a n a Yo u n g e , t h e response of the police, and the public unrests which followed.

Norton said the inquiry must be supported by neutral reputable investigators from foreign agencies like the FBI, Scotland Yard, or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He said the c o m m i s s i o n ’s m a i n functions should be uncovering the truth, ensuring that the persons responsible for Younge’s murder are brought to justice, without fear or favor, and that the confidence of the public in the rule of law is restored.

According to the letter, the degree of inaction and complacency throughout the case cannot be overlooked as decisions, omissions and public communications reveal a disturbing pattern that can be reasonably interpreted as “politically expedient incompetence.” It Continued on page 40

Kaieteur News

PAGE 40

From page 39 is in this regard that Norton is requesting an international CoI, that should be headed by a distinguished Commonwealth jurist.

Norton has proposed 13 Terms of Reference (Tors), which, he said, are critical to ensuring an authentic process, that is thorough and capable of withstanding domestic and international scrutiny. They include: to Develop a Corroborated

Chronology, which will reconstruct an accurate timeline of events from when Ms. Younge went missing to when her body was found, and the subsequent reactions; Evaluate Police Response – determine whether there was professionalism or a lack of it, timeliness, and effectiveness of the police throughout all stages; Review Breaches in the Chain of Command-

examine communications within the Guyana Police Force from the time the missing child report was filed to the lifting of the curfew imposed after the events of April 28, 2025; Assess Evidence Handling – Determine whether the failure to maintain the hotel and surrounding area as a crime scene compromised key forensic evidence.

Assess whether this failure resulted from incompetence,

or deliberate action or inaction; Evaluate Public Communication – Evaluate whether information provided to the public and to Ms. Younge’s family was a c c u r a t e , t i m e l y, a n d transparent, including statements regarding the autopsy results. Determine whether any such pronouncement was intended to mislead the public; Crowd Control and Use of Force – Determine

Sunday May 04, 2025

whether the Guyana Police Force’s failure to take preemptive action to implement crowd controlparticularly on the day of the autopsy-was the result of incompetence or a calculated decision; Explore the Unrest – Assess the extent to which the actions or inactions of the Guyana Police Force contributed to the escalation of unrest.”

Guyana travel packages It should also be determined whether the use of force, inclusive of deadly force, complied with standard operating procedures, and to what extent any breach of those procedures contributed to the unrest.

Meanwhile, in a missive earlier Friday, the People’s National Congress Reform said more than a week has passed since the suspicious death of Adriana, which many Guyanese believe is linked to murder. The political body noted that the child’s death must be urgently investigated to avoid evidence tampering and other actions that could dampen the chances of justice.

Adriana’s relatives had requested an independent probe through their lawyer, Darren Wade, due to the loss of confidence in the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

However, the government is yet to give its nod of

approval, raising questions about its commitment to justice for the child.

“Let us emphasise that there is need for urgency in starting this investigation to minimise the destroying, c o n c e a l i n g , o r contaminating of evidence and the intimidating or bribing of witnesses,” the PNCR noted. It stressed that with several unanswered questions only an independent investigation will bring satisfaction.

It claimed the government has employed delaying tactics and blatant deception to dismiss the demands for justice.

According to the party, “to date, the government has displayed no willingness and urgency to consent to the demands for (i) an independent criminal investigation into the events at the Double Day Hotel by international experts, and (ii) an international probe into the entire operations of the Guyana Police Force, including the use by the police of live rounds and deadly force during public protests.”

Instead, the party said g o v e r n m e n t ’s a t t i t u d e exposes its penchant for illegalities, callousness, and immorality at a time when the entire nation is in grief, deeply affected, and calling out for justice, fair play, and healing.

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 04, 2025

PAGE 41

Prince Harry tells BBC he wants 'reconciliation' with Royal Family Prince Harry says he can't see a world where his wife and children will visit the UK and asks for reconciliation with his family The Duke of Sussex has told the BBC he "would love a reconciliation" with the R o y a l F a m i l y, i n a n emotional interview in which he said he was "devastated" at losing a legal challenge over his security in the UK. Prince Harry said the King "won't speak to me because of this security stuff", but that he did not want to fight anymore and did "not know how much longer my father has".

The Prince spoke to BBC news in California after losing an appeal over the levels of security he and his family are entitled to while in the UK. Buckingham Palace said: "All of these issues have been examined repeatedly and meticulously by the courts, with the same conclusion reached on each occasion."

After Friday's court ruling, the prince said: "I can't see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point."

"There have been so many disagreements

between myself and some of my family," he added, but had now "forgiven" them.

"I would love reconciliation with my family. There's no point continuing to fight any more, life is precious," said Prince Harry, who said the dispute over his security had "always been the sticking point".

The prince had wanted to overturn changes to his security that were introduced in 2020 as he stepped down as a working royal and moved to the United States.

Saying that he felt "let down", he described his court defeat as a "good old fashioned establishment stitch up" and blamed the Royal Household for influencing the decision to reduce his security.

Asked whether he had asked the King to intervene in the dispute over security, Prince Harry said: "I never asked him to intervene - I asked him to step out of the way and let the experts do their jobs."

The prince said his treatment during the process of deciding his security had "uncovered my worst fears".

He said of the decision: “I'm devastated - not so much as devastated with the loss that I am about the people behind the decision, feeling as though this is

Prince Harry

okay. Is it a win for them?"

He continued: “I'm sure there are some people out there, probably most likely the people that wish me harm, [who] consider this a huge win."

Prince Harry said the decision to remove his automatic security entitlement impacts him "every single day", and has left him in a position where he can only safely return to the UK if invited by the Royal Family - as he would get sufficient security in those circumstances.

The prince said changes to his security status in 2020 had impacted not just him, but his wife and, later, his children too.

He went on to say: "Everybody knew that they

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were putting us at risk in 2020 and they hoped that me, knowing that risk would force us to come back.

"But then when you realise that didn't work, do you not want to keep us safe?

"Whether you're the government, the Royal Household, whether you're my dad, my family - despite all of our differences, do you not want to just ensure our safety?"

Asked whether he missed the UK, he added: "I love my country, I always have done, despite what some people in that country have done... and I think that it's really quite sad that I won't be able to show my children my homeland."

Prince Harry said he would not be seeking a further legal challenge, saying Friday's ruling had "proven that there was no way to win this through the courts".

"I wish someone had told me that beforehand," he said, adding that the ruling had been a "surprise". He continued: "This, at the heart of it, is a family dispute, and it makes me really, really sad that we're sitting here today, five years later, where a decision that was made most likely, in fact I know, to keep us under the roof."

Prince Harry spoke to the

BBC shortly after losing his latest legal challenge against the UK government over the level of security he and his family are entitled to when visiting.

The Court of Appeal dismissed the prince's case, which hinged on how an official committee made the decision to remove his eligibility for automatic, full-scale protection in line with what other senior royals receive.

On Friday, the court ruled that Prince Harry had made "powerful" arguments about the level of threat he and his family face, but said his "sense of grievance" did not "translate into a legal argument".

His legal complaint centred around a committee called the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec), which authorises security for senior royals on behalf of the Home Office, and was chaired at the time

by Sir Richard Mottram.

Under the committee's regulations, Prince Harry argued, his case should have been put before Ravec's Risk Management Board (RMB), which would have assessed the threats to his and family's security - but that did not happen.

On Friday, senior judges said the committee had

diverged from policy when making its 2020 decision over the prince's security, but concluded it had been "sensible" to do so because of the complexity of his circumstances.

Prince Harry said his "jaw hit the floor" when he found out a representative of the Royal Household sat on the Ravec committee, and claimed Friday's ruling had proved its decision-making process was more influenced by the Royal Household than by legal constraints.

He claimed there had been "interference" by the Royal Household in the 2020 decision, which he said resulted in his status as the most at-risk royal being downgraded to the least at risk "overnight".

"So one does question how that is even possible and also the motive behind that at the time," he added.

Prince Harry called on UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to intervene in his security case, and to overhaul how the Ravec committee operates.

In a statement released later on Friday, the prince said he would write to Cooper to "ask her to urgently examine the matter and review the Ravec process".

Caribbean artistes standing...

From page 36 connection to the incident, revealing that he had recently lost his niece, which intensified his desire to address the situation through music. These tributes from Caribbean artistes underscore a unified call for justice and a

collective stand against violence. Through their music and messages, they have amplified the voices of those demanding accountability and have shown unwavering support for the people of Guyana during this challenging time.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 42

Sunday May 04, 2025

Fiery riots, looting, vandalism a price Guyana pays...

From page 30 all night after receiving information that footage from the Command Centre in Regional Division #3 showed that Adrianna was abducted.

Police said she was seen leaving in a Red and Black Raum motor car bearing registration number PSS 4684. Police even identified the owner of the car and claimed that it drove off in an easterly direction heading towards Vreed-en-hoop.

The claim made by police was also reported widely by mainstream media houses in Guyana across all platforms but things turned ugly hours later when relatives learnt that police might be lying.

Rumors began spreading that footage from other security cameras in the vicinity of the hotel contradicted police’s claim of an abduction. It reportedly showed that Younge never left the building.

Tensions began to escalate with protests the following morning (April 24). Angry protesters blocked the roads with burning debris while demanding answers. Some even threatened to storm the hotel and look for Younge.

Police had to stand guard at the building but nothing prepared Guyana for what was to come next after news broke that Younge’s body was found in the pool, hours after it was searched and to make matters

worse, hours after police said she was abducted.

Police had still not clarified its abduction statement when Younge’s body was found and the protest descended into Chaos.

Within minutes, angry protesters stormed the hotel destroying it in the process and setting it on fire.

Vehicles parked in front of the building were also set on fire along with one of the owner’s houses.

Violent protests continued for the next 24 hours and police finally admitted that its report about Younge being abducted was false.

Relatives and protesters lost confidence in the Guyana Police Force (GPF) due to the misinformation it provided to the public.

The major hiccup by police led the entire nation to believe that Younge’s case might be murder and the police were covering it up.

Cries were made for an independent probe and an independent autopsy as protest escalated into clashes with police at various locations on the West Coast and the East Bank of Essequibo (EBE), Region Three.

Due to the escalating tensions, President Mohamed Irfaan Ali was forced to buckle and grant the parents request for international pathologists to perform the autopsy on Younge’s body and to remove

the then Commander of the Region 3 District, Khalid Mandall, from his post.

Things calmed down for a while until Monday last- the day of the autopsy, which was performed by specialists, Dr. Shubhakar Karra Paul from Barbados, Dr. Gary Collins, Chief Medical Examiner of Delaware, United States of America, and Dr. Glenn Rudner of Mount Sinai Hospital.

Citizens gathered outside of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) to offer their support and protest for justice.

What began as a peaceful protest, escalated into violent clashes with police dressed in riot gear, while the four-hour long autopsy was ongoing.

Several persons were shot as the violence became worse and worse.

When the autopsy was completed, the doctors had to be escorted by police and even left discreetly without briefing the media on their findings because they feared for their lives.

Guyana later learned from Younge’s father, Subryan Younge, that pathologists concluded his daughter had drowned. He rejected the findings along with other relatives and so did Guyana.

The mis-information had already done the damage, painting

the case as murder with a cover-up.

It was a night of pure chaos.

Fiery riots erupted across the country. Reporters were attacked, vehicles were burned, persons robbed and assaulted. Stores lootedmajority being Chinese Supermarkets.

There were no taxis or other forms of transport available that evening. Everyone went indoors for safety. Workers were left stranded at their work place.

The next day (Tuesday) Georgetown and other parts of the country were ghost towns. There were no shops or food available.

Some persons told Kaieteur News that they survived on “packet snacks” for the entire day.

As a result of the violence that evening, two persons were left dead and businesses counting millions of dollars in losses. Several persons have been arrested and charged since then.

Things have returned to some form of normalcy but the violent protest over Younge’s death is only a repeat of one that happened in June 2022 and something the country might want to prevent from reoccurring.

Just Like the protests over Younge’s death, protest for Quindon Bacchus’ killing on June 11, 2022 began peacefully. It began at Golden

Grove, the East Coast Demerara (ECD) village where he grew up and lived. Police had arrested the undercover-cop accused of killing, but protests continued peacefully for justice.

However, an online news entitynow a propaganda page- falsely reported that police had set Bacchus’ alleged killer free.

Misled, protesters believed that there will be no justice for Bacchus and the protests turned from peaceful to chaotic. There were lootings, violent attacks, robberies and yes, fiery riots.

Several stalls at the Mon Repos ECD were set ablaze by a gang of criminally inclined individuals.

Men and women on motorcycles and bicycles were seen carting off sacks of potatoes and plantains, as well as toilet tissue and other items stolen from the vendors.

Some of the vendors were badly beaten and even robbed. Vehicles were destroyed too.

At the end it all, the state had to compensate victims of the riots and lootings millions for their and damages.

Likewise, the President Irfaan Ali presently with persons who suffered major losses during the violent and criminal acts that took place during protests over Younge’s death.

Fiery riots across Guyana on Monday night during protests over Younge’s death

Sunday May 04, 2025

Kaieteur News

PAGE 43

PAGE 44

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 04, 2025

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 04, 2025

PAGE 45 Dead: Adriana Younge

Guyanese in Canada held a vigil in honour of Adriana Younge Guyanese and citizens in other parts of the world are making their voices heard as calls for justice over the death of 11-year-old Adriana

Yo u n g e c o n t i n u e t o e c h o t h r o u g h o u t t h e c o u n t r y.

Candlelight vigils and public meetings have been held in places

A night of reflection was held for Adriana in the BVI

A large vigil was held in Brooklyn on Wednesday

‘Justice’ for Adriana Younge goes global like Queens, Brooklyn New York, Toronto Canada, Brixton in the United Kingdom, Bridgetown Barbados, Jamaica, Suriname, The

British Virgin Islands (BVI), Anguilla, St Vincent and several other parts of the world.

Younge’s death has touched

Guyanese at home and abroad, as well as many citizens from other countries all of whom have expressed disgust and dissatisfaction at the manner in which the investigation into her death is being handled.

The 11-year-old was on an outing at the pool area of the popular Double Day International Hotel and Bar Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) with her relatives when she disappeared on April 23 last. And despite searches made of the pool and sections of the hotel, she was not found until her body mysteriously turned up in the pool hours later.

Since then, citizens at home and abroad have held vigils, marches and other memorial activities in honour of the child’s memory.

Locally, hundreds turned up candlelight vigils and marches were held in places like Mabaruma Region One, Annai Region Nine, New Amsterdam and other villages in Region Six, Linden and Kwakwani Region Ten. On Wednesday night, scores of people turned up at a vigil held on the Kitty Seawall; that vigil was attended by Subrian Younge, the child’s father.

A visibly emotional Younge continues to appeal for truth surrounding his daughter ’s disappearance and death to come to light. That same night, a vigil was also held by the Parika Primary School for Younge, Mabaruma also joined the call for truth, justice and peace with a vigil and walk.

Popular Jamaican dancehall singers Spice and Nigy Boy have also spoken out on Younge’s death.

Last week after the child’s death was reported, thousands of citizens across the country joined in mourning the tragic loss, in the diaspora, scores of Guyanese responded with a similar show of empathy.

The international community condemned the police action and held small gatherings and candlelight vigils in places like Queens, and Brooklyn New York.

The gatherings later spread to Bridgetown Barbados, where a Continued on page 46

Kaieteur News

PAGE 46

Sunday May 04, 2025

‘Justice’ for Adriana Younge...

From page 45 book of condolences was opened in Younge’s memory.

Guyanese in Bridgetown were joined by sympathisers from the island, several of whom learnt of the child’s tragic loss of life via social media.

Together, they lifted prayers and inspirational songs as they called for justice for Younge and her family.

On Monday, Guyanese in Brooklyn gathered yet again for a vigil, this time, in larger numbers as their collective cry for justice rang through the neighbourhood.

“What we want? Justice!

Justice for whom? Adriana!” the crowd shouted collectively, holding placards with the child’s picture.

Several participants held the Golden Arrowhead as they continued to chant “Say her name! Adriana!”

In Canada, a vigil was held at Thomas Memorial Park was attended by scores of Guyanese.

Meanwhile, Guyanese and friends in the United Kingdom gathered Tuesday evening at the Brixton Tube station to honour the child’s

memory. Those in the UK held a faith service calling for justice for the young child.

The crowd sang hymns as they lit candles in her memory.

The response from the diaspora followed several events held in honour of the deceased child. In Guyana, sympathisers, mourners and Younge’s family members held a candlelight vigil in the vicinity of the burnt Double Day International Hotel and Bar at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) while scores of persons in Linden, Essequibo and Georgetown hosted similar activities.

The body of the 11-yearold girl was pulled from the Double Day International Hotel pool last Thursday by her father, Subrian Younge, amidst a heated protest action. The child was reported missing around 14:00hrs on Wednesday during an outing with her grandmother.

Despite repeated appeals for the police to conduct a thorough search of the premises, family members claim this was not done.

Furthermore, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) later

Guyanese held a vigil and walk on the Kitty seawall

admitted to issuing an inaccurate statement, which indicated that the child had left the hotel in a red and black Toyota Raum the evening she went missing.

Relatives remained adamant that little Adriana had not left the hotel, as surveillance footage reviewed from a neighbour’s camera only showed the child entering. Her body was later

Subrian Younge attended a vigil at the Kitty Seawall in memory of his little daughter recovered floating in the hotel pool. As a result, the family expressed distrust in local investigators.

O n M o n d a y, a n independent post-mortem examination (PME) conducted on Younge’s body concluded that she died from drowning.

The result of the four-

hour-long autopsy at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) was later confirmed by the family’s lawyer, Darren Wade, and then President Irfaan Ali at a news conference.

The family has since requested the services of the Federal Bureau of

Investigation (FBI), the Scotland Yard or the Royal Mounted Police of Canada to investigate the death. Wade stressed, “I believe it is critical at this point in time for the family and for the entire country that the state acts, that the president doesn’t just talk and that he delivers based on that promise.”

A section of the vigil for Adriana Younge in Suriname

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 04, 2025

Biker killed in accident at Linden A biker was killed in an early morning accident on Saturday at Burnham Drive, Wismar, Linden, Region 10.

Dead is Kellon Sumners.

According to reports, Sumners crashed into an SUV around 02:00 hrs.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) is yet to issue a statement on the accident but the biker’s aunt, Rhonda Deane, said, “My nephew reached in an accident and died on the spot and driver fled the scene and leave vehicle behind on Burnham Drive, Wismar this morning about 2 am.”

No other details were made available.

Dead: Kellon Sumners

The car involved in the accident

PAGE 47

PAGE 48

Sunday May 04, 2025

Kaieteur News

Adriana Younge to be laid to rest on Monday...

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From page 2 this look that she had when she father take she out the pool, it wasn’t there. She face get a different colour so for me that could never be from drowning,” the mother explained.

The woman believes her daughter was killed in another location and then placed into the hotel pool.

She told Kaieteur News, “They probably had some bathtub; it had to be done somewhere (else) not in that pool because we walked there over and over and when her body was discovered, or I should say they throw my child in the pool, there wasn’t no civilian there that was protesting or helping. Is only police officers and the few workers that they had there, those are the people that were in the building, so it’s impossible.”

Simon continued, “Is just ya’ll and my child body appear in the pool that we searching since the day before, since 6 something the morning again, and over, and over again, and magically she appeared and is only officers standing there and workers.”

The mother said that the family does not accept the findings of the first PME since they are confident in Adriana’s ability to swim.

“We don’t go pool, we does go river at the back there.

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I don’t know to swim but the father would take them there and they would go and swim...it had about five or six persons in the pool that were diving and combing and searching so she was never, never in there,” Simon noted.

While her husband did not search the pool for himself, the mother added, “we had cousins, their husbands, it had a man there doing classes with kids, teaching them to swim, he assisted and even up until 10 o’ clock that night there were families in there still because the place had business going on as normal.”

To date, the family is yet to receive a copy of the preliminary post mortem report.

She however underscored that the pathologists did not inform relatives that “forced drowning” was ruled out, as was announced by President Irfaan Ali. DECOMPOSITION Although it is being reported that the child’s body was in a state of decomposition, her mother said she did not observe this. According to her, “for me it wasn’t decomposed because I saw her face, I didn’t see her entire body but I wasn’t getting any smell, but I saw her face.”

EXCUSES Simon said she believes excuses are being proffered to prevent the Trinidadian pathologist from coming to Guyana. “They are just terrible. I don’t trust none of them because it’s like they are telling you one thing, oh we gon get investigation, we gon get justice but y’all working

even and straight with the people them that do these things,” the mother said.

Furthermore, when it comes to President Ali’s commitment to justice for Adriana, the family believes more can and should be done for the child. The mother complained, “To me although he is saying he will get justice and whatever, he is not even saying anything towards our request for an independent investigation.”

Since the post mortem was conducted, the family has not been visited by the first family; however, Adriana’s mother said she received a call from First Lady, Arya Ali. While the family prepares to bury little Adriana, they continue to await the toxicology report on the samples that were taken abroad for tests.

ADRIANA’S FUNERAL Little Adriana will be laid to rest on Monday. The church she attended would not be able to facilitate a large number of persons; as such her funeral service is scheduled to be held at the Vergenoegen tarmac, East Bank Essequibo.

According to information from the child’s aunt, Amika Lewis, “Funeral will be on Monday May 5, 2025. The body will leave Ezekiel Funeral parlor at 11 (am) thence to her home, Hyde Parika thence to Vergenoegen Rice Mill Tarmac for funeral service.

Burial will take place at the Vergenoegen Cemetery.”

Lewis also appealed for a peaceful burial of the child.

She explained that the family

understands persons are planning to protest and stop Adriana’s burial until another PME is conducted. She however made it clear, “We do not agree to or condone this action. We will bury Adriana in a peaceful manner on Monday.”

HEALTH MINISTER QUESTIONS 2ND AUTOPSY Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony in a live broadcast minutes to midnight on Friday sought to question the legality of a second autopsy. According to Dr. Anthony after the child’s body was recovered it was securely taken to the hospital and later to the Ezekiel Funeral Parlour until the time of the examination by the three pathologists.

He noted too that since the body was handed over to the family after the autopsy he cannot speak to its security or whether it was compromised. He said that the integrity of that second autopsy would then be questionable since the body is outside the custody of police officers.

Dr Anthony said, “Since Monday at the completion of the autopsy, the body was handed over to the family and was no longer in police custody. This then if another autopsy is being done, it will be done but we don’t know since this body was not secured, we don’t know what would happen to the body from Monday to whenever that autopsy would be done. Also, we don’t know what would be the medical legal effect of that second autopsy.”

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 04, 2025

PAGE 49

AI and digitalisation a ‘game-changer’ for local media - President Irfaan Ali President Irfaan Ali

T

he use of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technology in keeping with international standards will prove to be a game-changer for the local media, once used responsibly, President Irfaan Ali said on Saturday.

The president was at the time speaking at a World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) brunch held at State House, Georgetown.

He told the gathering of media professionals, diplomats and members of government that the local media must position itself in the era of AI and digitalisation.

The Head of State stressed that Guyana must not be left behind during this very advanced global transformation.

President Ali said to embrace AI and digital technology, particularly digitilisation, there is a need for the Caribbean Bloc, CARICOM (The Caribbean Community), to confront the changing dynamics of media collectively.

The President disclosed that he will be presenting a paper on the subject at the next CARICOM meeting with the aim of creating a unified path to manage AI’s disruptive influence in

journalism and public information.

“We must pursue a common path, because we don’t have the capacity individually to do this,” President Ali stated, emphasizing the need for regulatory frameworks that ensure AI is used ethically and responsibly in media contexts.

He said too that AI tools now enable individuals with little professional training to produce and disseminate content, which raises complex questions about accountability and truth.

President Ali said that traditional concepts of journalism are being overturned by citizen reporters and social media commentary, which he described as a “reporting mechanism” in itself. He cautioned that while this evolution allows for broader participation in discourse, it also introduces ethical dilemmas around misinformation and sensationalism.

Despite these challenges, the President expressed admiration for Guyana’s “young, vibrant media family” and urged them to see themselves as key players in the redefinition of journalism.

Veteran Broadcaster Ron Robinson receives an award from President Irfaan Ali.

Media workers who received awards at the World Press Freedom 2025 brunch.

He called on the media to uphold fairness, professionalism, and accuracy, particularly in the lead-up to the country’s General and Regional Elections.

“Report fairly, honestly, openly,” he urged. “The responsibility you bear is immense, and it is vital that you take it seriously.”

“Our democracy depends not only on the freedom of the press but also on the ethical standards by which it operates,” he said while warning against media being used as a “tool for the perversion or distortion of news.”

Additionally, President Ali called for the integration of AI and digital tools into national development policies within 12 months, noting that such technologies now affect every sphere of public life — from policing to crisis communication.

Meanwhile, several

longstanding media professionals were honoured as part of the Department of Information and Public Affairs’ longstanding tradition of paying tribute to those who have dedicated their lives to journalism and broadcasting.

Among the recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award were Zenella Tamaira Marks, Senior Operator in the Studio Department at the National Communications Network (NCN); Tusika Martin, Editor-in-Chief of Guyana Times, Evening

News, and INews; Merrano Isaacs, veteran radio broadcaster with Radio Roraima, Voice of Guyana, and 98.1 Hot FM; and Ronald ‘Ron’ Robinson, the country’s longest-serving broadcaster, with a career spanning over five decades.

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Sunday May 04, 2025

Dozens of Palestinians starved to death under Israel's blockade of Gaza Aljazeera - At least 57 Palestinians have starved to death in Gaza as Israel's punishing blockade of food, water, and other critical aid to the besieged enclave stretches into its third month amid relentless bombardment.

Gaza's Government Media Office said on Saturday that most of the victims were children, as well as the sick and elderly, condemning the “continued use of food by the Israeli occupation as a weapon of war” and urging the international community to exert pressure on Israel to reopen the borders and allow in aid.

Gaza has been under total Israeli blockade since March 2, video obtained by Al Jazeera Arabic showing large numbers of trucks carrying vital supplies piling up on the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip on S a t u r d a y, t h e q u e u e extending south beyond the city of Arish, located approximately 45 kilometres (28 miles) from Rafah border crossing.

Al Jazeera's team identified one of the latest

As trucks carrying vital supplies pile up at border with Egypt, hungry children look through rubbish for food.

Osama al-Raqab, 5, whose mother says his cystic fibrosis has worsened since the start of the war due to the lack of meat, fish and enzyme tablets to help him digest food, at the malnutrition clinic in Nasser Hospital, Khan Younis, Gaza, on Thursday, May 1, 2025 [Abdel Kareem Hana/AP Photo] victims on Saturday, a baby girl called Janan Saleh alSakafi, who died of malnutrition and dehydration in the Rantisi Hospital, west of Gaza City.

More than 9,000 children have been admitted to hospital for treatment for acute malnutrition since the start of the year, according to the United Nations.

Reporting from Gaza City, Al Jazeera's Hani

Mahmoud said he had witnessed heartbreaking scenes of children rifling through rubbish, “looking for whatever is left of canned food products”.

The enclave, he added, had reached a “critical” point with international organisations out of supplies and community kitchens unable to prepare meals for displaced people.

“Finding a single meal

has become an impossible quest,” Ahmad al-Najjar, a displaced Palestinian in Gaza City, told Al Jazeera.

“People here have witnessed one charity after another declaring they're out of supplies, that they're shutting down their operations because they're in no position to … offer the population the needed relief.”

“It's frustrating and

infuriating to have trucks piling up on the other side of the fence be denied entrance while the people, even children, are in dire conditions.” Hospitals face 'acute shortages’ Suhaib al-Hams, the director of the Kuwaiti Hospital in Rafah, said in a statement that medical services were experiencing “acute shortages in more than 75 percent of essential medicines”, with only around a week of supplies left. He warned that most of the enclave's medical services will stop without “immediate intervention” to reopen borders and allow medical and humanitarian aid through. He added that patients, who are “slowly dying every day without treatment”, needed to be evacuated urgently.

The continued blockade is the longest such closure the Gaza Strip has ever faced, and has come as Israeli forces continue bombarding the territory,

killing at least 70 Palestinians and wounding 275 others over the two days spanning Thursday to Saturday morning, according to the Health Ministry.

Abdel Rahman Sinwar, left, carries the body of his infant son, Yahia Sinwar, while the child's grandfather carries the body of his oneyear-old grandson, Seif Sinwar On Saturday, two women were killed in an Israeli air raid on a house in the town of al-Fakhari near Gaza's southern city of Khan Younis, according to reports from Al Jazeera Arabic.

Separately, a fisherman was killed and another injured by an Israeli naval attack off the coast of Gaza City. Later in the day, two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli drone attack on southern Gaza's al-Mawasi area, once an Israelidesignated “safe zone”.

Israel's war on Gaza has killed at least 52,495 people and wounded 118,366 since October 7, 2023, according to the Health Ministry.

Thousands more missing under the rubble are presumed dead.

Trump posts AI-generated photo of himself as pope, drawing internet outrage WEST PALM BEACH, Florida, May 2 (Reuters) President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated photo showing himself as the pope ahead of this week's gathering of cardinals to choose a new leader of the 1.4-billion-strong Catholic Church, and just days after he joked he would "like to be pope".

Trump, who is not a Catholic and does not attend church regularly, posted the image on his Truth Social platform late on Friday, less than a week after attending the funeral of Pope Francis, who died at 88 last month.

The White House then reposted it on its official X account.

The image shows an unsmiling Trump seated in an ornate chair, dressed in white papal vestments and headdress, with right forefinger raised.

The irreverent posting drew instant outrage on X, including from Republicans against Trump, a group that describes itself as "prodemocracy conservative Republicans fighting Trump & Trumpism."

The group reposted the image, calling it "a blatant insult to Catholics and a mockery of their faith".

Va t i c a n s p o k e s m a n Matteo Bruni declined to comment on the image during a briefing with journalists about the process of electing a new pope, which begins on May 7.

Former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi wrote on X: “This is an image that offends believers, insults institutions and shows that the leader of the global right enjoys being a clown.

In the meantime, the American economy risks recession and the dollar loses

value."

Closer to home, the Catholic bishops of New York state also expressed their displeasure on X. "There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President," they wrote.

"We just buried our beloved Pope Francis and the cardinals are about to enter a solemn conclave to elect a new successor of St. Peter.

Do not mock us."

Trump on Tuesday had jokingly said he would be his own first choice to become pope, before adding that there was a "very good" candidate in New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

Dolan, the archbishop of New York, is not on the short list of possible contenders for the top spot, but it does include another American, Cardinal Joseph Tobin, archbishop of Newark, New Jersey.

The image depicts Presidnet Donald Trump wearing a white cassock and pointed miter, traditionally worn by a bishop. He also wears a large cross around his neck and has his finger held up with a solemn facial expression.

(X/White House) There has never been a pope from the United States.

In mid-February, both Trump and the official White House social media accounts posted a different AI-generated image of the president w e a r i n g a c r o w n and

captioned "CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!" In West Palm Beach, Debbie Macchia, 60, stood waiting with a dozen other supporters as Trump's

motorcade arrived at his golf club on Saturday morning.

"He was clearly joking.

Clearly joking," said Macchia, who is Jewish.

"But I wouldn't want to see them do anything sacrilegious with the pope, or anything.”

Sunday May 05, 2025

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Sunday May 04, 2025

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PAGE 53

Popovich steps down as Spurs coach... Four city swim clubs From page 55 Popovich first joined the Spurs in 1988 as an assistant coach, a role he held for four seasons, before taking a job as an assistant coach with Golden State for two seasons.

In 1994, Popovich returned to the Spurs as the team’s general manager and vice president of basketball operations.

After a 3-15 start to the 1996-97 season, Popovich took over the head coaching

role after firing Bob Hill and went on to turn the Spurs into one of the NBA’s most successful franchises.

“Coach Pop’s extraordinary impact on our family, San Antonio, the Spurs and the game of basketball is profound,” said Spurs Managing Partner Peter J. Holt.

“His accolades and awards don’t do justice to the impact he has had on so many people. He is truly one-of-one as a person,

leader and coach.

“Our entire family, alongside fans from across the globe, are grateful for his remarkable 29-year run as the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs.”

Johnson joined the Spurs organisation in 2016 and has spent the last six seasons as an assistant coach on Popovich’s staff, including five years on the front of the bench after he was promoted in 2020.

“I am truly grateful and

Sunday May 04, 2025 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) A family member may withdraw from you, Aries.

This person appears to be going through a private emotional crisis and isn't apt to confide in you now. Your inclination could be to push it, but this could be a mistake.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) A phone call could inform you of difficulties at home that require that you deal with them right away. This is nothing to be alarmed about, just one of those irritating little hassles that requires attention when you'd rather turn in another direction.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You could get some strange phone calls today, Taurus.

There could be a few hangups, wrong numbers, or friends who forget why they called!

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) A rather spacey friend or acquaintance from far away could call today, perhaps to propose a visit. This might not be convenient now, and could put you in a quandary as to whether or not to agree to it.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Money matters may seem up in the air today, Gemini. Your usual practicality may desert you. This could make you stressed and angry because you're perfectly capable of dealing with your finances.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) You might be in the midst of an exciting creative project with a partner, and anxious to move forward so that you can present it to the public. But you might feel distracted and unable to focus on your work.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) If you've been planning to spend a day meditating, this is the day to do it. You're in an elevated frame of mind, not in a space to focus on mundane matters. Artistic inspiration could come to you now.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Communication with friends and lovers may be limited by emotional factors today, Virgo. You may have a tendency to overreact to casual comments that are probably innocent but that you misinterpret as offensive.

SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) Financial paperwork might have you baffled today. You might not be in the right frame of mind to do it now, so if it isn't urgent, wait a day or two. If you need to take care of it immediately, don't be too shy about consulting someone else.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You and a current or potential romantic partner may be in a strange space today, Capricorn.

Intellectual awareness battles emotional doubts.

Communication could be vague and easily misinterpreted, so choose your words carefully.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Your intuition is operating at a high level, Aquarius, but you may not be able to make sense of the psychic impressions you're receiving.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Creative energy may be high today, but you may be unable to use it the way you'd like.

Perhaps you don't have a project to work on or you have writer's block. Ideas may come.

honored to receive this incredible opportunity,” he said. “I am thankful for coach Pop ... and I promise to give this responsibility everything I have to make Spurs fans proud.”

to invade Linden’s Torpedo swim meet set on Monday

Four swimming clubs from Georgetown will invade Linden tomorrow (Monday) morning to contest the Toroedo Swim Club’s annual swim meet which takes place at the Toucan Mall Swim Pool.m According to Torpedo’s swim coach and official, Ms. Mary Chung-Phillips the tour clubs from the Capital City are the Orca, Seatta, Dorado and Silver Sharks whose swimmers will challenge what Linden’s Torpedo club has to offer.

The meet director Ms. Chung-Phillips informed that 47 events are carded for the day where several trophies and medals will be on offer for the top swimmers compliments of Canada-based Lindener John Trim and his brothers.

This swim meet is expected to help raise much-needed funds to assist the Torpedo club in participating in upcoming swim meets in Georgetown later this month and in July.

Linden swimmer Fitzroy Thom who recently was voted as Chairman of the newly established Swimmers Council is among those participants from the Torpedo swimming outfit.

While all swimmers will warm up from 8:00 am, the meet begins at 9:00 am and the general public is invited to support the swim meet.

9 PAGE 1 EGA54 P

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2202 ,42Sunday rebmevMay oN y04, ads2025 ruhT

Shock Garcia loss dents prospect of Haney rematch

Rolando Romero pulled off a huge upset win on Friday night, sending Ryan Garcia to the canvas in the second round with a beautiful left hook (Photo: The Sun) (BBC Sport) - Ryan Garcia suffered a shock points loss to Rolando Romero at New York’s iconic Times Square, denting hopes of a planned rematch with Devin Haney.

American Garcia, 26, was dropped in the second round by a left hook and outboxed in large parts of the welterweight bout.

Underdog Romero, 29, was deservedly awarded a unanimous decision with scores of 115-112, 115-112 and 118109.

“He fought a good fight; caught me early. No excuses, man. Congrats to him - he did a great job,” Garcia said.

Garcia was competing for the first time since serving a one-year doping ban after testing positive for banned substance ostarine following his victory over Haney in April 2024, which was overturned into a no-contest.

“A whole year took a lot of my body physically and mentally,” Garcia said, adding that he would now go “back to the drawing board”.

Earlier, Haney, 26, kept his side of the bargain with a unanimous yet underwhelming win against fellow American Jose Carlos Ramirez.

Haney boxed on the back foot as neither fighter threw anything of note in a forgettable 12-round contest.

In the performance of the night, American two-weight world champion Teofimo Lopez defended his WBO lightwelterweight title with a stylish points win over compatriot Arnold Barboza Jr.

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 04, 2025

PAGE 55

Popovich 2025 CWI Regional Women’s T20 Blaze Championships… steps down as Spurs coach, Guyana eases to 7-wicket will become win over Windwards club president W

Gregg Popovich.

(USA TODAY Sports)

(Reuters) - Gregg Popovich has stepped down as coach of the San Antonio Spurs and will become the club’s president of basketball operations, the NBA team said on Friday.

The 76-year-old, who has the most wins by any coach in NBA history, suffered a mild stroke last November and did not return during the remainder of the season.

The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here.

“While my love and passion for the game remain, I’ve decided it’s time to step away as head coach,” said Popovich.

“I’m forever grateful to the wonderful players, coaches, staff and fans who allowed

me to serve them as the Spurs head coach and am excited for the opportunity to continue to support the organization, community and city that are so meaningful to me.”

The Spurs said Mitch Johnson, who served as acting head coach after Popovich took a leave of absence following his stroke, would take over as head coach. Terms of the contract were not announced.

Popovich is a three-time NBA coach of the year who led the Spurs to five championships and directed the U.S. men’s team to a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach in 2023.

Continued on page 51

indwards suffered a tough 7wicket loss to Guyana via the Duckworth/Lewis Method yesterday when Women’s Blaze T20 Cricket continued at the Arnos Vale Ground.

In a game reduced to 13overs per side, Guyana e m e rg e d w i n n e r b y a landslide margin after keeping the opposition to 61-

9 after 13 overs.

Apart from Windwards captain Zaida James (13), only opener Nerissa Crafton (14) and Japhina Joseph (17) added to the scoring before their departures.

Spinner Niya Latchman led with magical returns of 48, while fellow slower bowlers Ashmini Munisar (2-10) and Sheneta Grimmond (2-16) continued their form.

Despite Niesha Cherry snaring 2-14 for Windwards, it was Realeanna Grimmond who led with another top knock, this time hitting 30 with one six.

Shabika Gajnabi added 26 not out as the pair laid the groundwork for Guyana Guyana finishing on 65-3 in 12 overs.

Guyana plays Barbados on Monday under lights from 19:00h.

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UAE gain women’s ODI status, USA lose theirs (ESPN Cricinfo) - UAE have replaced USA in the list of 16 women’s teams with ICC ODI status for the 202529 cycle, which will come into effect on May 12. The 16 teams include five Associate members: Thailand, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea and Scotland, who have all retained their status, apart from UAE. Thailand and Scotland made sure of their ODI status after getting to the women’s ODI World Cup qualifier, held recently, while PNG and Netherlands retained their status based on their T20I rankings.

PNG are at 13th and Netherlands 15th on the T20I rankings. Thailand and Scotland are at 11th and 12th place on the same rankings

respectively.

A t t h e Wo r l d C u p qualifiers held in Pakistan earlier this month, Scotland beat Wes t Indies and Thailand to finish fourth out of six teams, with Thailand placed bottom after losing all their five games. Pakistan and Bangladesh made the cut for the World Cup, to be hosted later this year by India, from the tournament, though Pakistan are expected to not travel to India and will play their matches elsewhere.

UAE confirmed their ODI status as the nexthighest-ranked Associate team - at No. 16 on the T20I table - at the time of the annual rankings update.

Teams with ODI status are required to play at least eight

ODIs over a three-to-fouryear period to achieve or maintain a ranking.

Australia maintained their stronghold on the No.1 ranking with 299 rating points and even extended their lead over secondplaced England (279) from 18 points to 20 after the update.

USA are currently playing a bilateral series against Zimbabwe, where they lost the T20I series 2-1 and won the first ODI by seven wickets on Thursday.

The second and final ODI will be played on Saturday.

UAE, meanwhile, are currently in Bangkok, taking part in a quadrangular T20I series also involving hosts Thailand, Hong Kong and Kuwait.

Sunday May 04, 2025

USA are currently playing a bilateral series against Zimbabwe. (USA Cricket)

Sunday May 04, 2025

Bournemouth come from behind to stun Arsenal

Bournemouth scored twice in the second half to seal the win (Getty Images) (BBC Sport) - Arsenal’s hopes of building momentum before their crucial Champions League tie with Paris StGermain in midweek were hit as Bournemouth came from behind to win at Emirates Stadium and boost their own European ambitions.

The Gunners head to France on Wednesday looking to overturn a 1-0 loss in the first leg and reach the final of Europe’s premier club competition.

Mikel Arteta resisted the opportunity to rest his key players for the game but despite naming a strong Arsenal side against the Cherries, they were undone by a second-half fightback by the visitors.

Declan Rice had marked his 100th appearance for the Gunners with the opener in the first half, rounding Kepa in the Bournemouth goal before firing in.

But the visitors were always in the game and, after missing some decent chances in the first half, they turned the game on its head after the break.

First, Dean Huijsen equalised in the 67th minute when he headed in from Antoine Semenyo’s long throw.

The visitors then took the lead eight minutes later as Evanilson bundled in from a corner to seal a first-ever win at the Emirates for Bournemouth.

Arsenal remain second despite the loss but third-placed Manchester City are just three points behind.

Ipswich come from behind to spoil Goodison Park party Ipswich came from two goals down to secure a draw at Everton in the hosts’ penultimate game at Goodison Park.

The Toffees leave the stadium they have called home since 1892 at the end of the season to move to Bramley-Moore Dock.

In their final Saturday kick-off at Goodison Park - the first was 48,293 days ago when Everton beat Preston 6-0 in February 1893 - the players were greeted by a party atmosphere as they emerged from the tunnel to the tune of ZCars.

Graeme Sharp and Peter Reid, who won two First Division titles and the FA Cup with Everton, were among the former players in attendance.

The endorphins initially played in Everton’s favour as Beto and Dwight McNeil scored in the space of nine first-half minutes.

However, a moment of individual brilliance from Julio Enciso offered Ipswich a route back into proceedings shortly before the break.

As Everton pressed for a third, Ipswich struck on the counter with George Hirst finding space to equalise with his head at the back post.

The draw takes Everton up to 14th at the expense of Manchester United, with Ipswich remaining 18th.

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Realeanna Grimmond

s

t r o p

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Nyia Latchman

2025 CWI Regional Women’s T20 Blaze Championships…

Guyana eases to 7-wicket win over Windwards Teams with ODI status are required to play at least eight ODIs over a three-to-four-year period to achieve or maintain a ranking. (Getty Images)

UAE gain women’s ODI status, USA lose theirs Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.