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Police are on the hunt for a man, who has only been identified as Orlando so far, following the alleged abduction of an 11-year-old girl at the Double Day Hotel, Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo.

Police said the girl, Adrianna Younge, went to the hotel’s pool with her grandmother, Carol Xavier, and other relatives at about 13:02 hrs Wednesday. The grandmother told ranks that she gave Adrianna money to purchase a band needed to swim in the pool.

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

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

Upon arrival at the scene, Police reportedly 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 manager indicated that they were not in working order.

The Command Centre in Regional Division #3 was contacted, and footage reviewed showed that Adrianna entered a red and black Raum motor car bearing registration number PSS 4684, which drove off in an eastern direction heading towards Vreed-en-hoop.

Information was received about the registered owner, who, when contacted, claimed he rented the car to one Orlando (no last name provided) since last week. Checks were made for the said Orlando at an address provided by the car owner, but Orlando was not found.

A trace of the vehicle from Georgetown Command Centre at about 20:58 hrs showed the vehicle in Onderneeming, West Bank Demerara at ‘White Shop’ shortcut.

Police Headquarters said officers are in pursuit as the investigation continues.

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Three women are now dead after a man went berserk and killed them at their house located along the Linden/ Soesdyke Highway on Wednesday night.

Dead are Maline LaCruz; her mother, Waveney LaCruz, and her sister, Sueann LaCruz. Seon LaCruz, Waveney’s son and the girls’ brother, is critically injured.

The News Room understands that Ramzan Ramdial, the killer who was Maline’s partner, opened fire on the family. The three women died on the spot.

Deon was rushed to the hospital in an unconscious state.

It is alleged that Ramdial was abusive, and Maline tried to leave him fearful for her safety.

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Kellon Fredericks, a 23-year-old man who was wanted for questioning concerning several murders and over 30 armed robberies, has been found dead at Onderneeming Sand Pit, Essequibo Coast.

He was found with suspected gunshot wounds to his head and back

Police Headquarters reported that Fredericks was seen lying motionless, with his head facing down, in an open area surrounded by vegetation.

The man’s body was clad in long black jeans and a long-sleeved jersey. Also found next to the body were a pair of rubber slippers, a black ski mask, and a grey cap with suspected blood.

The body was examined, and a gaping wound was seen on the right side of his head; there were also suspected gunshot wounds to the right side upper back. Both areas were covered with blood.

Crime scene ranks who processed the scene, also discovered a single mattress, several empty snack packs, one live 7.62 X 39 ammunition round, two cards of panadol tablets, and several pieces of clothing, a short distance away from the body.

Alleged serial robber among two wanted for Arimu Backdam double murder

Fredericks’ body was subsequently escorted to the Suddie Hospital, where an official pronouncement of death was given by a doctor on duty

The wanted man’s body was positively identified by his 38-year-old aunt and was later escorted to the Suddie Hospital Mortuary, awaiting post-mortem examination.

Kellon Fredericks, called El Chappo, and his brother, Kevin Fredericks, along with several others, are wanted in connection with over 30 armed robberies in Regions Two, Three and Seven between 2023 to 2025.

They are also wanted for the murders of a Bartica businessman and his worker, as well as a businessman of Adventure, Essequibo Coast.

Further investigations are ongoing.

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Education Minister Priya Manickchand on Wednesday said the results for this year’s sitting of the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) will be announced in June.

Minister Manickchand was at the time delivering remarks at the ministry’s S.T.E.A.M. Fair, being held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

“We just concluded the NGSA last week, we already are able to tell you that the results will be in, on or before June 26 this year.

“The Caribbean Examination Council is already in possession of papers and will begin, I believe on Friday, to start doing some standardization, which means they’ve already batching and doing other things that they usually do,” the Minister said.

The examination, written on April 16 and 17, had the highest turnout of students across the country since the COVID-19 pandemic. The Education Ministry noted that Region Five had the highest attendance rate with 98.8 per cent.

Additionally, 115 special education needs pupils wrote the exams, while 91 wrote the exams in Spanish. The Spanish version of the secondary entrance exam was introduced last year.

Access to education has changed significantly and the ministry will continue its efforts to acquire universal education in Guyana at all levels. Currently, Guyana has accomplished universal education at the primary level.

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Storytelling, ring games, masquerade and the wake being used to invoke the recent dead are just some of the cultural practices, traditions and beliefs that some believe are changing or becoming extinct.

These cultural practices, passed down from generation to generation, are a direct link to a group’s identity. To preserve these in Guyana, UNESCO and Merundoi hosted an opening ceremony on Wednesday, at Herdmanston Lodge for a workshop on the ratification of UNESCO’s 2003 Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage. The workshop was declared open to a small intimate crowd of creative, arts and culture enthusiasts.

The workshop will span a total of three days and will examine the 2003 convention, the ratification of the convention and a declaration on the way forward.

al creighton, jnr Director of the National School of Theatre Arts and Drama (Photo: Deandra Daniels/ April 23, 2025)

Intangible Cultural Heritage or ‘living heritage’ is important because it offers communities and individuals a sense of identity and continuity. It can promote social cohesion, respect for cultural diversity and human creativity, as well as help communities and individuals connect with each other.

“The technological age, the new alternative modes of entertainment, and particularly the very powerful social media. These things have had a devastating effect upon the survival of intangible culture”. Director of the National Theatre Arts and Drama, al creighton, jr stated.

In 2003, the UNESCO General Conference adopted the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. As of 2019, 178 states have ratified the convention. This encourages and supports countries to take the necessary measures to ensure that communities safeguard their living heritage.

David Brown, the UNESCO Global Facilitator for the 2003 Convention, shared fond memories of his first time visiting Stabroek Market in Guyana where some of Guyana’s unique cultures stood out. Brown heard the Guyanese creole being spoken in different dialects, experienced the smells and tastes of curries and pepperpots, the aroma of incense and admired the textured cloths on display. Buyers and sellers expressed themselves through dance, music and their mode of dress, hand crafted items and tea bushes.

“All of these things constitute and complement your intangible culture. You did find that cultures were being preserved by different groups but they were not communicating with each other so it did not have a cohesive hold,” Brown stated.

Benefits of the intangible cultural heritage workshop include ensuring the safeguarding of the cultural heritage at the national and international levels, strengthening both local and national identities and ensuring openness towards other cultures, access to the intangible heritage fund and Guyana can now count on the mutual commitment of all state parties.

As the United Nations specialised agency for culture, UNESCO is tasked with safeguarding living heritage and ensuring its transition to future generations.

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Last week, Mumbai Indians (MI) had straightjacketed Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) batters on an atypically slow surface at the Wankhede Stadium.

On Wednesday, they did the same in the reverse fixture at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, cantering to a seven-wicket win after restricting SRH to 143 for 8.

Getting to that total was an achievement for SRH after they had slumped to 35 for 5, with Heinrich Klaasen hauling them to something like respectability with a superb 71 off 44 balls.

Respectable as the total may have been, it was far from enough to put pressure on MI, who raced to victory with 26 balls remaining, with Rohit Sharma continuing his return to form with a second successive half-century.

The defining performances of the match came from Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar, who picked up two new-ball wickets each as SRH slumped to the lowest powerplay score of the season, 24 for 4.

They were in danger of collapsing to a double-digit total when they lost their fifth wicket in the ninth over, but Klaasen and Impact Player Abhinav Manohar ensured that didn’t happen, putting on 99 for the sixth wicket in 63 balls.

The damage had already been done, though, as 144 proved to be no challenge at all for an MI team that seems to be building ominous momentum after the customary slow start to their season. After winning just one of their first five games of IPL 2025, they have now won four out of four.

SRH, meanwhile, are second from bottom with just two wins in eight games. They took a net run rate hit too; theirs is now -1.361, only marginally better than bottom-placed Chennai Super Kings’ -1.392. (ESPNcricinfo) 

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The Vryman’s Erven housing scheme in New Amsterdam, Berbice, is currently inundated with floodwaters as a result of heavy rainfall in recent days.

Many streets in the area are submerged, and despite no rain on Wednesday, the flooding persists in this municipality.

Residents are fed up with the ongoing issue, which has plagued them for over a decade.

One resident pointed out that the drains are clogged with thick vegetation, causing the streets to vanish under water after even a brief downpour.

Flooding at Vryman’s Erven housing scheme

In these dire conditions, some residents are forced to carry their footwear, navigating the floods with great difficulty, while others must seek refuge in higher ground, like Angoy’s Avenue.

Taxi services are similarly affected; many refuse to operate on flooded streets, and those that do have significantly increased their fares from $500 to $1000.

The New Amsterdam Mayor and Town Council acknowledged the problem in a Facebook post, stating,” Dear citizens of Vryman’s Erven. We have experience another block at our Smythfield culvert.  We are working on getting the stuff cleared from the GWI pipes that run across the culvert. Thank you for your patience.”

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The Ramkarran family helped shape Guyana’s political landscape and in recognition of those contributions, a street in Bel Air, Georgetown, was this year named ‘Ramkarran Street.’

The once unnamed street is home to the prominent Guyanese family.

Ralph Ramkarran, during an interview with the News Room on Wednesday, said his family lived here for many years. He made the proposal to have the street named after their family because of their history in the community that was once a plantation, back in December 2024. It was approved by the Mayor and City Council in January 2025.

“Because my great-great grandfather came here in 1875, indentured to Plantation Bel Air, and the Ramkarran Family, in different names, continue to live here throughout the period for 150 years, we thought that it would be a fitting memorial to my father,” Ralph said.

Ralph Ramkarran during his interview with the News Room on Wednesday. (Photo: News Room/ April 23, 2025)

Bany [no last name], the first Ramkarran to live in Bel Air, arrived in Guyana on January 19, 1875. He was among the first East Indian immigrants who arrived in Guyana to work on the plantations. He eventually resided in Bel Air, where the plantation was.

Ralph’s late father, Boysie Ramkarran, was a politician and unionist who also lived here.

“The most significant position was General Secretary of the Guyana Agricultural & General Workers Union (GAWU) and he held that position for about ten years but it was a very turbulent period in Guyana’s political life and the Union was not recognised at those times and there were some very long and brutal strikes,” Ralph said.

Mr. Boysie’s political career started after he joined the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) which led to the formation of the People’s Progressive Party in 1950. In 1953, he won a seat at Parliament and eventually became a Minister (he was a minister two times for separate ministries). In 1954 he was imprisoned for breaking emergency regulations.

Ralph himself followed in his father’s footsteps and got involved in politics; he is a former speaker of the National Assembly.

“Given the Bel Air family’s deep connections to the country’s political development, Ralph thought it fitting that the Ramkarran name be etched in the place they have called home for decades.”

“I always had the idea, for many many years, decades. I acted on it last year

“When I went to him [Georgetown Mayor Alfred Mentore] he said he would be happy to put forward a proposal if I were to make it,” Ralph said.

He is happy that the history of Bel Air and his family’s contributions to the nation are tied to the newly-named street.

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Troyden Trellis, 30, of Savannah Park, New Amsterdam, Berbice, has been remanded to prison following his appearance at the Reliance Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.

He appeared before Magistrate Michelle Matthias. The Court heard that on Thursday, April 17, Trellis murdered 53-year-old Hemchand Utan during a robbery.

He was not required to enter a plea to the indictable charge at this stage.

During the proceedings, Police Prosecutor Sergeant Mark Edwards informed the court that the case file is complete. Edwards sought three weeks to make the necessary disclosures, a request that Magistrate Matthias granted without hesitation.

On the day of the incident, police apprehended Trellis, recovering a vehicle, a 9MM pistol, and a motorcycle used in the commission of the crime.

Trellis is scheduled to reappear in court on May 19, with the matter now transferred to the New Amsterdam Magistrates Court.

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While continuing to lobby for the removal or reduction of U.S.-imposed tariffs, Guyana is actively exploring alternative strategies to ensure its exporters and broader economy remain competitive globally. This is according to the country’s Chief Investment Officer Dr. Peter Ramsaroop during an exclusive interview with the News Room on Tuesday.

The Guyanese Government has been engaged in ongoing dialogue with the United States regarding new tariffs, including those placed on Chinese-manufactured ships and the tariffs affecting various imports.

“The government has been actively engaging the U.S. across the board on the tariff issue,” Ramsaroop stated.

“Some of the numbers initially circulated were standardised estimates and, when examined more closely, reflect a much smaller impact. Nonetheless, we’re advocating strongly on behalf of exporters,” he added.

Despite the temporary pause on the 10% baseline tariff, Guyana believes that exporters should not suffer competitive disadvantages, especially as the measure is being applied uniformly across jurisdictions.

Rather than relying solely on tariff negotiations, Guyana is positioning itself as a hub for manufacturing and investment, inviting global businesses, particularly from the Asia region, to consider relocating production facilities to the Caribbean.

“Why sell your car to CARICOM? Why not come and build it here in Guyana?” the Chief Investment Officer quizzed.

“That’s the opportunity we’re putting forward—bring your manufacturing to the region and take advantage of the benefits available here,” Dr. Ramsaroop added.

Citing Guyana’s vast reserves of natural resources, including an estimated 1.5 billion tonnes of bauxite, he highlighted the country’s potential for downstream industries such as glass and solar panel production.

“Why should we be importing solar panels from China or Indiana when we have the silica and the capacity to manufacture them right here?” he added.

Guyana is also leveraging its preferential trade relationships, including duty- and tariff-free access to the European Union under the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement. This arrangement allows CARICOM member states, including Guyana, to export their products to the EU without additional duties or tariffs—an opportunity the government is encouraging local producers to fully capitalise on.

Emphasising a stable investment climate, the government is promoting a long-term, integrated development strategy that includes infrastructure, education, healthcare, and macroeconomic stability—conditions which, the official said, have already begun attracting international attention.

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