01192026 NEWS

ILLEGAL FISHING VESSELS

‘WE’RE COMING FOR YOU’

‘We don’t want pirates’ who disregard our laws and our country

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

INVESTIGATORS are warning “hundreds” of suspected illegal foreign fishing charter operators that “we’re coming for you”, with Bahamian fishermen asserting: “We don’t want pirates and folks that don’t give a damn about our country.” Mike Cenci, who has spent three decades investigating prohibited fisheries practices, and was part of the operation behind last week’s apprehension of a vessel suspected of conducting illegal sports fishing charters in Bahamian waters, told Tribune

Business such activities are “out of control” and it will take time for law enforcement and its partners “to turn this around”.

Hailing The Bahamas for cracking down on such practices, with the latest apprehension marking the third such vessel seizure in just 13 months, he voiced optimism that - as word of the latest vessel seizure spreads among the Florida and US boating community - “the bad guys will realise the risk is not worth the reward and are hopefully deterred”.

A senior law enforcement advisor for WildAid,

SANDS WARNS VOTERS BEWARE OF CAMPAIGN-SEASON PROMISES

By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

FNM chairman and former minister of health

Duane Sands warned voters to be cautious about campaign-season promises, suggesting the Davis

administration would borrow heavily to finance short-term commitments aimed at winning support.

Dr Sands spoke with The Tribune on Friday in response to recent comments by Minister of By

Police probe string of armed robberies across New Providence

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

POLICE are probing a string of robberies and attempted robberies across New Providence on Saturday night, as armed suspects targeted

motorists and business establishments in a matter of hours. The first incident occurred shortly after 8pm at a business on Village Road, where a female employee was confronted by the occupants of a dark-coloured vehicle.

US seeks five-year prison term for terminally ill former officer

UNITED STATES prosecutors are urging a federal judge to impose a prison sentence of at least five years on former Royal Bahamas Defence Force officer Darrin Roker when he is sentenced on Wednesday, arguing that despite his advanced cancer

Police say one male suspect brandished a firearm and attempted to rob the employee and remove the cash register. The attempt was unsuccessful, and the suspects fled west along Bernard Road.

diagnosis, his role in a major cocaine trafficking conspiracy warrants significant punishment. In a sentencing submission filed on January 14 ahead of sentencing, the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said the former chief petty officer abused his position of public trust to

Five traffic deaths recorded in first weeks of January

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

SEVEN people were killed in road traffic accidents in January 2025, compared with five fatalities recorded so far in January 2026, based on The Tribune’s records.

Police declined to provide official traffic fatality statistics of 2025 when contacted, stating that the information would be released at a later date.

The January 2025 fatalities were recorded across New Providence, Grand Bahama, Bimini and Eleuthera, and involved motorists, motorcyclists and a toddler.

The first traffic fatality for 2025 occurred on January 1, when an adult male motorist was killed in a crash on University Boulevard, New Providence. Later that same

day, 14-month-old Kengdom died following a three-vehicle collision on Queen’s Highway in Freeport, marking Grand Bahama’s first traffic fatality for the year.

On January 4, a 15-year-old male driver died after his vehicle collided with a flatbed truck on King’s Highway in Bailey Town, Bimini. Two days later, on January 6, a male motorcyclist was killed after colliding with a trailer on Carmichael Road near Guinea Drive, New Providence.

Another adult male motorist died on January 9 following a crash on Queen’s Highway in Tarpum Bay, Eleuthera. On January 27, a 30-year-old man was killed in a motorcycle collision near Saunders Beach, New Providence, an incident police did not initially report. The final fatality for the month occurred on January 28, when a male believed to be in his 50s or 60s died after a

collision with a garbage truck on East Street South near Sapodilla Boulevard, New Providence. By comparison, five traffic fatalities have been identified during January 2026, based on incidents confirmed through police statements and Tribune records.

The first fatality occurred on January 3, when a 64-year-old man was struck and killed while using a pedestrian crossing on Bahamas Games Boulevard, New Providence. Police did not initially issue a report on the incident.

On January 7, a collision along Queen’s Highway in Palmetto Point, Eleuthera, claimed the lives of two men aged 21 and 28.

Another fatality was recorded on January 11, when a 27-yearold male police officer died after his vehicle collided with a wall on East Bay Street, New Providence.

The fifth fatality occurred on January 12, when an 18-year-old died following a motorcycle crash in Eight Mile Rock, Grand Bahama.

While January 2026 has so far recorded two fewer traffic fatalities than the same period last year, The Tribune’s review of reported incidents indicates that the timing and completeness of official disclosures may affect the accuracy of month-to-month traffic fatality comparisons.

The continued loss of life on Bahamian roads comes amid findings outlined in an Inter-American Development Bank study reported in December 2025, which described road safety in The Bahamas as a significant public policy issue.

The IDB study found that approximately 40 percent of New Providence residents reported that they or a close family member had been involved in

a traffic accident within the past five years. It also noted that more than 6,000 traffic accidents are reported annually nationwide. According to the report, contributing factors include reckless driving, inadequate pedestrian infrastructure, traffic congestion and inconsistent enforcement of traffic laws. The study further highlighted the impact of population growth and increased vehicle ownership, noting that New Providence’s population grew by more than 20 percent between 2010 and 2022, alongside a corresponding rise in motorisation.

The IDB warned that several major intersections in Nassau exceed their design capacity, particularly during peak hours, increasing congestion and collision risks. It also found that fewer than 60 percent of surveyed residents believe traffic laws are enforced consistently.

Rare whisky debut as Graycliff hosts ‘breaking of column’ event

Bahamian family on Family Feud

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

SHALAH Beneby and her family, who have lived in Toronto for nearly 16 years, recently represented The Bahamas on Family Feud Canada, an experience she described as “nothing short of surreal.”

“From the moment we entered the CBC Broadcasting studios in downtown Toronto to stepping under the bright lights of the set, every second felt electric,” Ms Beneby said. “There was excitement, anticipation, and a healthy dose of nerves.”

She said the live audience, fast pace and behind-the-scenes preparation added to the intensity of the experience.

“We learned the rhythms of the show quickly — cues, smiles, claps and constant energy,” she said. “It was a whirlwind, but one filled with pure joy.”

The family proudly carried a Bahamian flag during the show, underscoring the importance of sharing their culture on a national platform.

For Ms Beneby, the experience was as much about family as it was about heritage.

“There is no group of people I would have rather shared this experience with,” she said.

“Our chemistry, humour and distinct personalities made the journey

“No matter where life takes us, we always bring a piece of The Bahamas along,” Ms Beneby said. “With such a small Bahamian community in Canada that is only beginning to grow, representing our country carried deep meaning.”

unforgettable. Each laugh, playful jab and moment of support reminded me how special a strong family bond truly is.”

The episode aired on January 15, 2026, on Canadian Broadcasting Corporation at 7.30pm.

The Beneby family faced a two-time champion and, while they did not win the cash prize, Ms Beneby

said being selected from among thousands of families already felt like a victory.

She said the journey began with her brother Sherod, who has ties to the entertainment industry.

“A producer noticed his energy through an audition tape and believed our family would be a great fit,” she said. “After submitting an application, completing a Zoom interview and waiting patiently, we received the call that changed everything.”

Ms Beneby said family game nights are a staple in their household and that Family Feud has long been part of their traditions.

“We love the excitement, the competition and the chaos that comes with it,” she said.

“What started as a leap of faith turned into a memory we will cherish forever,” Ms Beneby added. “We never imagined the odds would fall in our favour, but today we live with gratitude for the experience, the platform and the story we were able to share with the world.”

Wong to seek PLP nomination for St Anne’s constituency

By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

KENO Wong has announced plans to seek approval from the Progressive Liberal Party Leadership and Candidates Committee later this month, outlining a community-focused vision for St Anne’s centred on youth development, public safety and social support.

If selected, Mr Wong is expected to challenge incumbent Free National Movement MP Adrian White, who is seeking to defend his seat.

In a message circulated on Wednesday and addressed to “the great people of St Anne’s”, Mr Wong, 51, said his platform emphasises community unity, opportunities for young people, improved support for senior citizens and safer neighbourhoods. He framed the initiative as a pathway toward broader

social progress within the constituency.

Mr Wong said the community’s past experiences — both positive and difficult — should inform future growth rather than limit it, adding that effective leadership requires drawing on lived experience to guide decision-making.

He identified youth empowerment as a key priority, calling for education initiatives and job-training programmes aimed at preparing young people for the workforce.

Mr Wong also highlighted the needs of senior citizens, saying older residents require improved access to healthcare, social services and community activities, and should be supported and valued within the constituency.

On public safety, the former chairman of the National Neighbourhood Watch Council said strengthening neighbourhood watch initiatives

and partnerships with law enforcement could help foster safer communities across St Anne’s.

He also stressed the importance of what he described as second-chance opportunities, saying individuals seeking to rebuild their lives should be supported rather than marginalised.

Community cohesion was another focus of his message, with Mr Wong encouraging activities and events designed to bring residents together, alongside additional resources for families in need.

Mr Wong said he is committed to working collaboratively with residents to advance the vision, emphasising shared responsibility and collective effort in achieving community goals.

He invited residents to support him when he appears before the PLP Leadership and Candidates Committee on January 20 at the Sir Lynden Pindling Centre.

Researcher seeks PLP nod in Bimini and Berry Islands race

By

A NOTHER contender

has stepped forward in the emerging race for the Bimini and the Berry Islands constituency, with researcher Dr Melony

Thompson declaring her intention to seek the PLP nomination.

Dr Thompson said her decision was grounded in long-standing family ties and decades of community involvement in both island communities. In a statement, she

underscored her family roots tracing back to Loyalist James Braynen and Scottish lighthouse keepers stationed at Great Stirrup Cay. She is also the granddaughter of the late Eula Gaitor, proprietor of the historic Calypso Club, and the late Harold

Gaitor, a former educator and catechist who served in Whale Cay and Bullocks Harbour.

Dr Thompson said her lineage is closely linked to families that have shaped both islands over generations, including Braynen, Roberts, Winder, Bain, Thompson, Gaitor, Gomez, Pople, Ellis, Francis, Levarity, Saunders, Weech and Sherman.

Beyond family history, she pointed to what she described as sustained community service, including support for Vacation Bible School programmes at St Bartholomew’s Anglican Church, involvement in summer school initiatives at R N Gomez Comprehensive School, participation in Berry Islands homecoming events and service as mistress of ceremony for community and homeowners’ association functions.

She added that she has been researching the history of the Berry Islands, documenting family and community narratives, for more than 20 years.

“As someone deeply connected to these islands by blood, service and commitment, I believe this is a moment to offer myself in service,” Dr Thompson said. “Bimini and the Berry Islands deserve representation that listens,

respects our heritage and works intentionally to create opportunities for our people.”

She said her focus would include economic empowerment beyond tourism, with emphasis on education, skills development, youth opportunity and sustainable community growth, while preserving cultural and historical identity. Dr Thompson is reportedly scheduled for an interview early this week as part of the PLP’s nomination process, and said she looks forward to engaging residents and stakeholders in the coming weeks.

Her announcement comes as interest continues to build around the new constituency. As previously reported by The Tribune, names being discussed include Randy Rolle, a sitting PLP senator with family roots in Bimini, and Carlton Bowleg, the former North Andros and Berry Islands MP. Natasha Bullard-Hamilton has also been mentioned as a possible PLP contender. The Bimini and Berry Islands constituency was recommended by the Constituency Boundaries Commission and is projected to have 2,253 registered voters.

US Prosecutors reject a “time-served” sentence for Darrin Roker

and onward to the United States, relying on corrupt officials for protection and logistical support.

help facilitate the planned importation of nearly a thousand kilograms of cocaine into the United States.

While prosecutors acknowledged Roker’s serious medical condition, they said his lawyer’s appeal for a sentence of “time served” would be inappropriate given the gravity of the offence and the need for deterrence.

“The defendant’s crimes are exceedingly serious,” the submission stated, noting that Roker used his position in the RBDF to access sensitive law-enforcement information and provide traffickers with advance warnings about maritime interdiction operations.

Roker, 57, pleaded guilty in October to a lesser conspiracy charge after being indicted alongside 12 others in a sweeping transnational drug trafficking case. Prosecutors allege the network moved multi-tonne loads of cocaine from South America through The Bahamas

According to court filings, Roker participated in meetings with co-conspirators in late 2024 and accepted a $20,000 bribe as an upfront payment for his assistance. He allegedly offered advice on avoiding detection by law-enforcement agencies, including the location of patrol vessels and the timing of operations.

Under the plea agreement, Roker faced a maximum sentence of 20 years, though probation officials have recommended a downward variance to 60 months’ imprisonment. Prosecutors said that recommendation strikes the appropriate balance between compassion and accountability. “The Government does not believe that a Guidelines sentence of 240 months’ imprisonment would be appropriate,” the filing said. “Nor, however, would the time-served sentence requested by the defendant be appropriate,

given the seriousness of the defendant’s offense conduct and the need to deter others from engaging in similar courses of conduct.”

Roker’s attorney Martin Roth has argued that his stage-four metastatic prostate cancer had returned aggressively, making further incarceration unnecessary and inhumane. Prosecutors acknowledged the illness as a “powerful mitigating factor” but said the Bureau of Prisons is equipped to manage his medical care, including placement at a federal medical centre if required.

The submission also stressed the broader implications of the case, warning that corrupt officials play a critical role in enabling large-scale drug trafficking through the region.

“The sentence imposed should send a clear message to other police and government officials considering a similar path that such conduct will not be tolerated,” prosecutors wrote.

US District Judge Gregory Woods is expected to sentence Roker on January 21.

ARMED SUSPECTS TARGET MULTIPLE LOCATIONS IN SATURDAY SPREE

ROBBERIES from page one

One suspect was described as a dark-skinned male wearing a purple hoodie and a white mask, while the second was described as light-skinned and wearing a blue hoodie with the words “Los Angeles” printed on it. Less than an hour later, shortly after 9pm, a man reported being robbed of his vehicle on West Bay Street. According to

preliminary reports, the complainant was approaching his parked car when he was confronted by two male occupants of a darkcoloured vehicle. One of the suspects produced a firearm and robbed him of his grey 2025 Honda CR-V, licence plate AD0300. The suspects fled west along West Bay Street in the stolen vehicle, followed by the dark-coloured car.

Another robbery was reported shortly after 9:30pm at a business along

Prince Charles Drive, where a female employee was approached by two male suspects who arrived in a grey vehicle. Police say the suspects robbed the employee of the business’s cash register, which contained a substantial sum of cash, before fleeing in an unknown direction.

Police are also investigating an alleged theft at another business on Prince Charles Drive around the same time. Preliminary information indicates that

an employee was serving a customer when two male suspects approached her. One suspect reportedly entered the business

through a window and stole cash and other property before the suspects escaped.

Police Press Liason Sheria King said they are

investigating each incident but cannot confirm any connections at this time, as they still need to do more investigating.

The Tribune Limited

NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI

“Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”

LEON E. H. DUPUCH,

Publisher/Editor 1903-1914

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Publisher/Editor 1919-1972

Contributing Editor 1972-1991

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Publisher/Editor 1972-

Published daily Monday to Friday Shirley & Deveaux Streets, Nassau, Bahamas N3207

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A long-overdue crackdown

There is one thing more than any other to say about the warning that investigators are “coming for” potentially hundreds of suspected illegal foreign fishing charters: About time. Last week, a vessel accused of running illegal spots fishing charters in our waters was seized. The operators are now before the courts.

Operating in our waters comes at a cost for Bahamians, even if not to the freeloading fishermen. As investigator Mike Cenci says: ‘Every fish they catch, that’s a fish, conch and lobster that’s not available for a Bahamian business or Family Island community member.”

More than that, if such charters cannot respect the authority or sovereignty of our waters, why would we expect they would respect such things as closed seasons to protect fish stocks?

The thing is, much of this business has been carried out in plain sight. A simple search online will find many charters being offered in The Bahamas for hundreds and thousands of dollars a day. Sifting through which is legal and which is not? There is an easy place to start.

As long as proper businesses do not get caught in the pursuit, then clamping down on the illegal charters is more than welcome. Just make sure we do not overextend the way we have with marina charters, and this is a good thing.

It is also a welcome sign that having money is not a get out of jail free pass for offenders.

At the opening of the legal year, Bishop Laish Boyd lamented the “disgraceful” treatment of the poor in the courts compared with the wealthy. He was not wrong, though he was criticised for the points he made. He asked how it was a rich man or a white man might commit the same

crime as a poor man or a black man “yet received different treatment or a different sentence”.

One unusual case last year featured a wealthy US businessman who admitted bringing 14 guns and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition into The Bahamas aboard his yacht in Bimini. Rather than being sent to jail, he was fined $1.4m and sent on his way. Upon payment, his vessel was to be returned.

A senior attorney at the time called it “highly irregular and unlawful”, but noted it was likely to stand because it was part of a plea deal.

Often, The Tribune has reported on cases where people guilty of such charges are sent to prison instead. The disparity in appearance often matches what Bishop Boyd has described. So if a clampdown on illegal charters is perhaps the beginning of a reversal of such matters, then it is very welcome. Justice should, after all, be blind to the background of those who stand before it, be that colour, nationality, the size of their bank account and more.

It is also a way to stand up on behalf of Bahamian fishermen. If people want to book charters, they can do so with our businesses. If they want to book through companies based elsewhere, those companies had better have filed the right paperwork and paid the necessary fees.

Well done to all concerned in this case. We await the final outcome of the case, but regardless of the outcome, it represents merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the use of our waters. We would say may this case be the first of many, but we hope not – rather we hope that it is a lesson to others to get everything in order, or risk paying a hefty price.

Sovereignty requires more than leadership changes

EDITOR, The Tribune.

WHAT makes anyone believe that removing Nicolás Maduro would suddenly bring “independence” to Venezuela?

How does the departure of a single individual dismantle an authoritarian system that has been carefully structured, militarised, and entrenched in the state over decades? This system includes command structures, security services, party networks, patronage pipelines, and institutional capture.

It doesn’t. While individual leaders may change, regimes rarely do, at least not easily or predictably, and certainly not just because of a headline. The underlying coercive architecture remains intact, maintained through incentives and fear, reinforced by institutions designed to survive beyond any one leader. What typically changes is the external posture: new calculations, new leverage, and new terms of engagement. The machinery of

power persists; only the negotiation strategies shift. This leads us to the concept of the “New Economy,” not merely as a buzzword, but as a battleground of systems design. In this context, global hegemony, emerging multipolar power, supply chain realignment, financial systems, sanctions regimes, and strategic resource control intersect. In that arena, Venezuela represents less of a moral narrative and more of a geopolitical focal point.

For years, experts have predicted the decline of the United States, claiming it is unable to shape outcomes, enforce order, or influence events beyond its borders. Nevertheless, the reality remains that US power is disproportionately strong, characterised by its military reach, financial systems, alliances, and its capacity to impose consequences on a large scale. Even as China rises and the global economy becomes more complex and fragmented, Washington continues to

PICTURE OF THE DAY

Legacy lost to cultural inertia

EDITOR, The Tribune.

demonstrate that hard power and institutional authority set the boundaries of what is deemed “possible” for many states. If what we are witnessing is a revived Monroe Doctrine, we might call it Monroe Doctrine 2.0. In this case, the region should stop treating it as mere rhetoric and begin to view it as a matter of operational reality. The blunt lesson is clear: you don’t gain sovereignty by waiting for someone else’s chosen villain to disappear. Instead, you achieve it by building domestic capacity, institutional resilience, economic redundancy, and strategic autonomy before the next set of “terms of engagement” is imposed. The directive is not poetic; it is operational: adapt, evolve, or be overwritten. Hopefully Optimistic. NOĒSIS—CRITICAL THINKER

Freeport, Grand Bahama January 14, 2026.

THIS new year has become an election year, where the air is thick once more with promises. Yet, for many of us who have witnessed the cycles of hope and disillusionment, a profound and wearying truth has settled in. Bahamians have become tragically accustomed to feasting on the false hopes of a rosy future, while being forced to live in the persistent negativity of the now.

We are offering visions of tomorrow to anaesthetise us against the realities of today. As a senior Bahamian, a father, and a grandfather whose children and grandchildren were all born after the hopeful dawn of Independence, I write not with anger, but with the heavy, definitive heart of one who is watching the dream dissolve for the next generations.

We must acknowledge that our national challenge is far deeper than any future political manifesto can address. It is, as I, an insightful observer, have noticed, a matter of culture - the invisible “dark matter” that fills every gap in our national life.

Our culture was not forged in the revolutionary fires that temper a nation’s steel through collective struggle and sacrifice. Ours was, in historical terms, a “given freedom.”

That legacy has shaped a society where the hard, accountable work of true nation-building can be sidelined by a preference for stability, consensus, and an unspoken resistance to the disruptive, merit-based flow of ideas. We have cultivated a fluency in complaints, but a stammer when it comes to the grammar of radical accountabilities.

This cultural reality is the bedrock of our political stagnation and the country’s lack of growth. It is why we cycle through administrations, each offering a new future, while the foundational systems of governance, transparency, and justice remain stubbornly resistant to change.

The well-educated, critical thinkers among us are often “hundred” (words of my grandson) - silenced not by law, but by a culture that subtly punishes disruptive truth-telling in favor of comfortable conformity.

My personal consequence is this. I have lost hope in the stability and promise of this country as a place to build a future. Of my nine children, I am now actively encouraging them, and a college-graduated adult grandchild, to see The Bahamas as a heritage, not a home base. I tell them to cherish their roots, their accent, and their memories, but to plan their lives, careers, and families elsewhere.

This is the most devastating sentence a patriot can utter. The dream of a sovereign, thriving Bahamas that my generation inherited and believed we were building for them now feels like a historical artifact. I will continue to fight here - to advocate, to vote, to speak, to demand better.

I owe that to my ancestors who cleared the bush and dreamed of this nation. But I fight with the clear-eyed understanding that it may be in vain. If nothing changes - if we do not undergo the drastic, collective self-review

required to shatter this cultural inertia - then I will tell my children a simple truth: a fight was fought for you here. We tried. You are free, with a clear conscience, to build where the soil is more fertile for growth. They, and so many of our brightest, who have gone off to be educated, already understand this. They do not return not out of a lack of love, but because of a rational calculation. They see the loss, or perhaps the eternal lack, of a true culture of meritocracy. They see a system where who you know too often outweighs what you know or what you can do. They see a society that celebrates title over talent, and connection over competence. In a globalised world, they will not mortgage their potential to such a system. The message for this election year, therefore, is not which party can paint the prettiest future. It is whether we, as a people, are finally ready for the “complete culture shock” necessary to save ourselves. We must shock ourselves out of complacency, out of political tribalism that serves no master but the status quo, and into a fierce, united demand for a governance of accountability, merit, and transparent opportunity.

If not, we will remain fluent only in nostalgia and regret, abandoning not just our children’s future, but the very dreams of our ancestors for a great nation. The choice, as it always was, is ours. But time, madam, is no longer on our side.

Sands slams ‘sweetened’ deals and VAT on life-saving medicine

PROMISES from page one

Economic Affairs Michael Halki-

tis, who said that Value Added Tax will remain at zero on all unprepared grocery items if the Davis administration is returned to office after the next general election.

He said: “It is pretty obvious that we’re election season now, and the promises are going to come fast and furious, and they will borrow in order to be able to make a down payment on these so-called commitments. And they will say whatever they believe will sweeten the deal in order to get the electorate to give them another shot. But the devil is a liar.”

On Thursday, Mr Halkitis furthered reductions to VAT on medicines would be arbitrary and would not significantly lower costs for consumers during an Office of the Prime Minister press briefing last week.

Dr Sands rejected this position, arguing that even a reduced VAT rate continues to place an undue burden on Bahamians already struggling with rising healthcare costs.

He said that argument ignored the reality facing many patients who rely on prescription medication to manage chronic illnesses. He said for individuals paying about $100 a month for medication, even a reduced VAT charge made treatment increasingly

unaffordable.

“There are people who have to choose between buying prescription medicine and paying their rent or paying their light bill,” Dr Sands said. “It may not seem like much to those in power, but for

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune

Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

LONG-STALLED

benefit and industrial matters at the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute have begun moving forward following the departure of former president Dr Linda Davis, according to Bahamas Union of Auxiliary Professionals in Education president Ernesto Williams. Speaking with The Tribune, Mr Williams said progress began shortly after an acting president took office, following months of dispute that culminated in industrial action by unionised faculty late last year.

“Well, it’s only been like two weeks,” Mr Williams said. “The executive management team has been processing matters and complaints. We continue to meet. They’re dishing out, even as we speak, members’ increments. Those are going out now as well.”

He said payments were being issued in stages to avoid disruption and described the process as smooth so far.

“There are no hiccups. There are no preventions. There are no barriers,” he said. “So things are moving.” The Tribune  previously

reported faculty unions accusing the former BTVI president of blocking annual salary increments due from July 1, 2025, certification allowances, degree appreciation payments, and confirmations of permanency and pensionable status.

Unions also alleged that negotiations on a new industrial agreement were deliberately stalled and that approvals for professional development — including fully sponsored programmes — were repeatedly refused. Those concerns led to a sit-out by faculty and public appeals for intervention as Dr Davis prepared to demit office.

At the time, BTVI’s board of directors rejected claims that benefits had been withheld, stating that compensation decisions fell under the board’s authority and were made in consultation with the Ministry of Finance.

The board said all staff and faculty owed benefits under established policies would be compensated, adding that assessments of academic and professional qualifications were handled by the National Accreditation and Equivalency Council of The Bahamas.

Despite those assurances, union leaders

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what he described as repeated attempts by the government to shift blame onto the private sector.

“They have also now decided to take aim at the pharmaceutical industry, as they have done before, with the implicit assumption that somehow legitimate business operators are fundamentally gouging the public,” he said.

He argued that the administration should instead focus on reducing wasteful public spending, saying savings could be redirected to reduce or eliminate VAT on medicines and other health-related costs.

Despite Mr Halkitis suggesting that the National Prescription Drug Plan would ease the burden on patients, Dr Sands said the programme was already under financial strain. The drug plan is expected to be merged with the National Health Insurance system later this year.

Bahamians every dollar counts.”

He said the policy was particularly troubling given the country’s high rates of non-communicable diseases and cancer, arguing that it made little sense to increase the cost of healthcare while acknowledging the scale of the public health crisis.

maintained that benefits remained outstanding at the time of Dr Davis’ departure, warning that delays risked leaving staff in limbo during the leadership transition.

Mr Williams said the pace of recent developments reinforced the union’s position that the dispute was not driven by unreasonable demands.

“I do not want the general public to think that this was a year of just complaining,” he said. “This is clear evidence that not

Dr Sands also rejected suggestions that pharmaceutical companies were responsible for high medicine prices, criticising

only can someone make themselves the thorn on one side and the issue of contention for the benefit of the workforce, but once removed, things can process well.”

He said members began reporting changes almost immediately.

“One of my members came to me in the very first week and said, ‘President, you feel it?’ I said, ‘What?’ That’s what happens when you remove the enemy from the camp.”

Despite the progress, Mr

Dr Sands stressed that healthcare providers were owed months of unpaid claims and were effectively being forced to carry the cost of the programme, adding that government officials had publicly acknowledged arrears within the system, making any expansion unrealistic.

He said the government was relying on credit while failing to meet existing obligations, likening the situation to a shopkeeper offering goods on trust while already owing suppliers.

Williams said several matters remain unresolved, including ongoing industrial negotiations and the recognition of academic qualifications.

“The increments are going out now,” he said. “Industrial negotiations are still taking place, and it is expected that that will be signed soon as well.

The issue regarding recognition of certificates and degrees is being handled now.”

He added that discussions were continuing on permanency and pensionable status for remaining members.

“We’re hopeful that permanent and pensionable status can be afforded to the remaining of our

members soon,” Mr Williams said.

Mr Williams said the union was cautiously optimistic as the institution prepares for permanent leadership, adding that recent developments demonstrated what could be achieved when long-standing obstacles were removed.

“With less inhibitions in the way, we’re expecting things to move a little smoother,” he said.

“We’re expecting that the new president will be transformational and labour-progressive, knowing what it means to work with unions and to ensure what happens is for the benefit of all, and not one.”

University of The Bahamas aims for full international accreditation by end of 2027

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

THE University of The Bahamas aims to complete its long-running accreditation process by the end of 2027, UB President Dr Robert Blaine III said on Friday.

Speaking at a press conference, Dr Blaine said the university was encouraged by its approval last November as a candidate for accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). He described the designation as a major milestone toward full international academic recognition.

He noted that UB has been pursuing accreditation since 2016 and must complete two additional cycles before being considered for full approval.

“We will be having a site visit from our accreditation partners, that will happen next year, and then we have what’s called a compliance certificate, which is essentially a new application that the university has to prepare,” Dr Blaine said.

“Our goal is to complete full accreditation by the end of 2027.”

Candidacy confirms that UB has met the standards outlined in its initial application, following a visit from the SACSCOC Candidacy Committee in November. The university will now move into the next phase of the process, which includes preparing a Compliance Certificate and seeking approval for

a follow-up accreditation visit. UB’s status will be updated on the SACSCOC website to reflect its candidacy in Category III, which applies to institutions

authorised to award up to master’s degrees.

The university said it is also pursuing national accreditation through the National Accreditation and Equivalency Council of The Bahamas.

APPEAL COURT REJECTS AMERICAN MAN’S BID TO CHALLENGE DRUG SENTENCE

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Digital Editor aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

COURT of Appeal judges have dismissed an American man’s attempt to challenge his prison sentence for importing marijuana into The Bahamas.

In a written decision delivered last week, the Court of Appeal rejected an application by Tyrell Alsup for an extension of time to appeal his sentence, ruling that the punishment imposed was neither excessive nor wrong in principle. Alsup was arrested after arriving in The Bahamas from Fort Lauderdale on January 21, 2024, carrying two suitcases containing 75.4 pounds of marijuana. He pleaded guilty to importation of dangerous drugs, conspiracy to import dangerous drugs, and possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply.

Magistrate Samuel McKinney sentenced Alsup to two-and-a-half years’ imprisonment on each charge, to run concurrently. On the importation count, Alsup was also fined $20,000 or, in default of payment, ordered to serve an additional six months in prison.

From prison, Alsup later sought to appeal the sentence, filing a handwritten application more than a year after the deadline. He argued that the sentence was unduly severe, particularly the fine, citing his lack of financial means, foreign status, absence of family in The Bahamas, and early

guilty plea.

The Court of Appeal acknowledged that Alsup had experienced delays in securing legal assistance but ruled that the decisive issue was whether his proposed appeal had any realistic prospect of success.

Delivering the reasons for decision, Chief Justice Sir Ian Winder said the court found no error in principle in the magistrate’s sentencing approach. He noted that appellate courts will not interfere with a sentence merely because it is harsh unless a legal mistake has been shown.

The judgment held that the effective three-year sentence, which reflected the custodial term and possible additional imprisonment for non-payment of the fine, fell within an accepted sentencing range of two to five years for similar offences.

Sir Ian also rejected Alsup’s reliance on earlier appellate cases in which fines were overturned, explaining that those decisions turned on specific concessions made by prosecutors and did not establish a general requirement for magistrates to assess a defendant’s ability to pay before imposing a fine.

“The proposed grounds of appeal had no prospects of success,” the court ruled, adding that strong deterrent sentences for drug importation offences remain necessary given their social impact.

As a result, the application for an extension of time was dismissed and the original sentences were upheld.

Abaco residents raise alarm over toxic Snake Cay landfill fires

By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

DUMPSITE fires on Abaco have returned to public focus after political hopeful Crystal Williams shared a video showing an active blaze at the Snake Cay landfill, renewing calls for action on an issue residents say has persisted for years.

In the video, recorded on Sunday, thick black smoke can be seen rising from the Snake Cay Road landfill as Ms Williams drives toward the site. She said the fire involved the burning of construction debris, tyres, tar and other mixed materials — which she said produced the dark smoke visible in the footage and posed a health hazard to nearby communities.

In the video, Ms Williams, the Coalition of Independents’ candidate for Central and South

Abaco, alleged that the fires were intentional and used as a method of garbage disposal.

“The smoke from the debris that is being burnt here at this dump site is very hazardous to the health of Abaconians,” she said. “This smoke is going to end up in the community of Spring City.”

Speaking with The Tribune , Ms Williams said she has called for a town hall meeting on Wednesday and hopes the media will attend to draw wider attention to what she described as a long-running problem on the island.

She said she has written to Central and South Abaco MP John Pinder, North Abaco MP Kirk Cornish, and the Office of the Prime Minister, but has received no response.

Ms Williams said her primary concern is the impact the smoke is having on residents, particularly those living in Spring City.

“Most of our elderly are suffering from respiratory problems,” she

said. “If you are inhaling toxic smoke every day and you’re constantly coughing, can’t sleep, and have to go to the doctor, for many of them their blood pressure is through the roof.”

She also said she knows residents who paid “almost $1,800” in medical expenses related to respiratory issues she linked to smoke exposure. Ms Williams said nebulisers were distributed to some residents but claimed that some were unable to obtain the medication needed to use them.

Roscoe Thompson, chairman of the Marsh Harbour and Spring City Township, said the Snake Cay dumpsite is “burned almost every day,” adding that he has personally smelled smoke in Marsh Harbour “for the last couple of days.”

Mr Thompson said burning has become a routine waste-management practice.

“What happens is a dump gets filled up so quickly, and if it’s not pushed in time, somebody will go there and burn it, and then they’ll push it,” he said. “That’s the only way they can get rid of the trash — they burn it and

then they push it.”

He said responsibility for the site does not fall under local government but under central government through the Department of Environmental Health, adding that the Snake Cay landfill has “probably tripled in size in the last two years.”

“They took a lot of stuff out of the Spring City dump site and dumped it out at Snake Cay,” he said.

Mr Thompson said local government previously explored conducting air-quality testing during periods of active burning but was unable to proceed due to cost, with professional testing estimated at around $20,000.

He said the long-term solution would be to restore Snake Cay as a properly operated landfill, rather than relying on open burning. Waste, he said, should be segregated — with household garbage placed in lined landfill cells and vegetation and construction debris handled separately.

Mr Thompson added that Abaco once had a functioning landfill system, but said the infrastructure was damaged and never fully restored.

THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS

Innovation making modern times in The Bahamas most promising for medicine

By Dr. Kenneth Kemp

THESTART ofa newyear carries withit thepromise of opportunity. As weshout and cheer at midnight on New Year’sEve, thatpromisefeels intoxicating, fillingus with the hope - andeven a momentary belief - that better days lie ahead. And yet, for so many patientsacross ourislands, thathope is testedby a cold,harsh truth.Accessto advanced medical care remains a burdensome challenge.

Thepace andscale ofmedicalprogress throughoutour outer islands have been embarrassingly slow.To thisday, evenfor manypatientswith uncomplicated healthconcerns, thingsare difficult.Annual medical, dental, optical and podiatric exams with routine diagnostic tests and an interpretationby theappropriate specialist should, under ideal circumstances,require no more than a single appointment just a short drive away. But formany FamilyIsland patients, especiallythose in the most remote islands, the challenge isn’t thediagnosis. It s thedistance. Toreceive treatment, they must travel to Nassau because the care they seek isn t available down the street, itlives acrossthe water.

Thatjourney comeswith costs far beyond their doctor bill. There s airfare, ground transportation, missed work, and the uncertaintyof where they will sleep if they don’t have familyor friendswho live in thecapital. That short consultation now turns into days awayfrom homeand a simple appointmentbecomes a financial burden. Even worse,these obstaclesdelay care,sometimes longenough that a conditionbecomes far more serious than it ever needed to.

Doctor sHospital inEight Mile Rock andboth Bahamas Wellness Hospital and Eleuthera Medical Center in Eleuthera arehelping to bridge this divide by providingaccess toadvanced care options, but they remain the exception ratherthan the norm. Ofall theFamily Islands,Eleuthera isthemost advanced with a rotation scheduleof severalspecialists, twoground ambulances and contracts with two air ambulance servicesshould an emergency require further treatment, allpart ofthe Bahamas Wellness Health system thatcould serveas a model for other islands.

Fortunatelyfor manyofmy outer island patients,my office isclose to theairport so they’re able to fly in to see me and return to the airport immediatelyfollowing theirappointment, in most cases returningtowork assoonas they land.But othersaren’t as lucky.

Today,however, thegap betweenwhere peoplelive andwherecareexistsisbeginning to close and the hope each new yearbrings, now more than ever, feels closer to home. Andfor nationslike The Bahamas,modern innovations are well poised to make it the mostpromising era of medicine we’ve ever seen.

Telemedicine, for example, has evolved beyond video calls,having growninpopularity during and after the Covid-19 pandemic.Digital stethoscopes, remoteultrasoundprobes, andAI-assisted consultations allowBahamian physicians to collaborate with specialistsaroundtheworldin realtime, withoutpatients boarding a plane. This represents a profound shift where care no longer depends solely on geography.

What once required multiplespecialistscannowbegin

with a single digital scan interpreted instantly.Remote monitoringdevices allowpatients with heartdisease, diabetes, orrespiratory conditionsto befollowedsafely from theirhomes. Point-ofcarediagnostic testinghas also transformed frontline medicine. Lab-levelresults for infection, inflammation, and cardiacconditions canbe obtained withinminutes thereby improving emergency decision-making andultimatelysaving lives.Serious telemedicineputs thepatient in touch withdoctors remotely, not with blogs, Dr. Googleand suggestionsthat areall toooften risky,lack medical verificationand do notrecognize theindividual differences in each case.

Innovation isn’t only changinghowwetreatpatients,but also how wetrain the physicianswho carefor them.By leveraging advanced VR technology, medicalstudents in Grand Bahamaand junior physicians throughout the country can now practice complex procedures and realworld clinicalscenarios becomingmore skilledandconfident in diagnosis, treatment andsurgery withouttheethical andlogistical limitations ofcadaveric oranimal models.In TheBahamas, these technological advances are critical becausethey decrease the needfor costly overseas educationand training.

Advancements inweightloss medicationsand injectables haveemerged asone of the mostsignificant publichealth breakthroughs in moderntimes,quicklygaining popularitybecause ofwide-

spread usage amongst celebrities. For Caribbean nations,where obesityratesare disproportionately high, these therapies are a powerful tool to aid in the reduction of diabetes, highblood pressure, heart disease and joint degeneration. When combined with lifestyle changes,they can helppatients achievesustainableweight lossandprevent manyof thechronicconditionsthatoverwhelmourlocal healthcare systems.

Amidst allthese scientific breakthroughs andadvancements, perhaps mostmeaningful forour regionis western medicine s renewed appreciation fornature. Modernresearchisnowvalidating whatCaribbean cultures have long understood, that plant-derived compoundsand naturally occurringenzymes possess remarkable healing potential when properly formulated andstudied. Having formulated a (soon-to-launch) naturallyderived skinrecovery cream with a US partner and friend, I stand appreciative of this global shift.

Andwhile thesechanges are exciting, thereis cause for concern. Bad actors exist throughout the world, willing and able to pervert these advances for their financial gain. So, therequirement forstrong data protectionmust beintensive as should the ethical oversight regarding the use of AI algorithmsfor clinicaldecision-making. Despite that, whatmakes these breakthroughsextraordinary isnot theircomplexity,but theiraccessibility. The futureof healthcarein The Bahamas will not be defined by the size of our hos-

Virtual reality opens doors for older people to build closer connections in real life

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Technology Writer

LOS GATOS, Calif. (AP) Like many retirement communities, The Terraces serves as a tranquil refuge for a nucleus of older people who no longer can travel to faraway places or engage in bold adventures. Butthey canstillbethrust backto their days of wanderlust and thrillseekingwhenever caretakersatthe community in LosGatos, California, schedulea dateforresidents many ofwhom arein their80s and90s to taketurnsdonningvirtualrealityheadsets.

Within a matterof minutes, the headsets can transport them to Europe, immerse themin the oceandepths or send them soaring on breathtaking hang-glidingexpeditionswhiletheysit by each other. Theselection of VR programming wascurated by Rendever, a company that has turned a sometimes isolatingform oftechnology into a catalyst for better cognition and social connections in 800 retirement communities in the United States and Canada.

A groupof TheTerraces residents whoparticipated ina VRsession earlier this year found themselves paddling their armsalongside their chairs as they swam witha pod of dolphins while watching one of Rendever's 3D programs Wegot togounderwater and didn't even have to hold our breath! exclaimed81-year-old Ginny Bairdfollowing thevirtualsubmersion.

During a session featuring a virtual ride ina hot-air balloon,one resident gasped, Ohmy God! Another shuddered, “It's hard to watch!”

The Rendevertechnology canalso beused tovirtuallytake olderadults backto theplaces wherethey grewup aschildren.Forsome, itwillbethe first timethey've seentheir hometowns in decades. Avirtual tripto herchildhood neighbourhood in New York City's Queens borough helpedsell Sue Livingstone, 84, onthemeritsof theVR technology eventhough shestill is able to get out more often than many residentsofTheTerraces,whichislocatedinSilicon Valleyabout55miles

pitals, butby howwisely we adoptinnovation. Byembracing smart technology, evidence-based naturalmedicine, and global collaboration, we stand positioned not behind the world, butalongside it. But the true measure of medicalprogresswon tbehowadvanced our technology becomes; it’ll relyon whetherit eliminates the need for patients tocross thewater in search of care.

Asweenter thisnewyear, myhope isthat modernmedicine is finallyshrinking the distance between patients and care. Because forsmall na-

south of San Francisco.

“It isn'tjust about being ableto see it again,it's about allthe memories thatit bringsback,” Livingstone said. There are a fewpeople living here who neverreally leavetheir comfort zones. But if you could entice them to come down to tryout a headset, they might find that they really enjoy it.”

Adrian Marshall, The Terraces' community lifedirector, saidthat once word abouta VR experience spreads from oneresident to another, more ofthe uninitiatedtypically becomecurious enoughtotryit out evenif itmeansmissing outon playing Mexican Train, a dominoeslike boardgame that's popularin the community.

It turns intoa conversation starter for them. Itreally does connect people,” Marshall said of Rendever's VRprogramming. Ithelps createa human bridge that makes them realise theyshare certainsimilarities andinterests.Itturnstheartificialworldinto reality.”

Rendever, aprivately ownedcompanybased inSomerville,Massachusetts, hopes to buildupon its senior living platformwith arecent grant from theNational Institutesof Health that will provide nearly $4.5 million to study waysto reducesocial isolation amongseniorslivingathomeandtheir caregivers.

Some studies have foundVRprogrammingpresented inalimited viewingformatcan helpolderpeople maintainand improvecognitivefunctions, burnish memories andfoster social connections with their families and fellowresidents ofcare facilities Experts saythe technologymaybe useful asan additionto andnot areplacement for other activities.

Thereis alwaysa riskof toomuch screen time," Katherine Kate Dupuis, a neuropsychologist and professorwhostudies agingissuesat SheridanCollegeinCanada,said.“But if youuse itcautiously, withmeaning andpurpose,itcan beveryhelpful.It canbeanopportunityfortheelderlyto engage with someone and share a sense of wonder.”

VR headsets may bean easier way

forolder peopleto interactwith technology instead of fumbling aroundwitha smartphoneoranother device that requiresnavigating buttons or other mechanisms,saidPallabiBhowmick,aresearcherat theUniversityof IllinoisUrbana-Champaignwhois examiningthe useof VRwith older adults.

The stereotypes that older adults aren’twilling totry new technology needs to change becausethey arewillingand wantto adapt to technologies that are meaningfulto them,” Bhowmick said."Besideshelping themtorelievestress, beentertainedand connect with other people, there is anintergenerational aspectthat might help them build their relationshipswith youngerpeople who find out they use VR and say, Grandpa is cool!

Rendever CEO KyleRand's interestinhelping hisowngrandmother dealwith theemotional and mental challengesof aging pushed himdown apath thatled himtocofound thecompanyin 2016 after studying neuroengineering at Duke University. What really fascinates me about humans isjust how much ourbraindepends onsocialconnection andhow muchwe learn from others, Rand said. A group of elderly residentswho don't reallyknoweach otherthatwell can cometogether, spend30 minutes in a VR experience to-

gether and then find themselves sitting down to have lunch together while continuinga conversation about the experience. It'sa largeenough marketthat another VRspecialist, DallasbasedMynd Immersive,competes againstRendever withservices tailoredfor senior living communities. Besides helpingcreate social connections,theVRprogramming frombothRendeverandMyndhas been employed as a possible tool for potentially slowingdown the deleterious effectsof dementia. That's how another Silicon Valley retirement village, the Forum, sometimes uses the technology. Bob Rogallo, aForum resident withdementia thathasrendered him speechless, seemed to be enjoying takinga virtualhike through Glacier NationalPark in Montana as he nodded and smiled while celebrating his 83rd birthday with his wife of 61 years. SallieRogallo, whodoesn't have dementia, saidthe experience brought back fond memories of the couple's visits tothe same parkduringthemorethan30years theyspent cruisingaroundthe U.S. in their recreational vehicle. ItmademewishIwas30years younger so I coulddo it again,” she said of the virtual visit to Glacier

“Thisletsyou getoutofthe same environment and either go to a newplace or visitplaces where you have been.

Time to make your own list of issues, as the clock ticks down to elections

By Malcolm Strachan

THE START ofthe year in

The Bahamasis alwaysa strangetime.Youbarelygetin yourstride afterNewYear whensuddenly thereisanother holiday – Majority Rule. Italmostseems asifevery year has a delayed start.

The trouble is,there are things todo. There isno time towaste.Even moresoinan election year, inwhich we now find ourselves.

The sip-sip says that election willbe comingin May –though that’s beenwrong plentyof timesbefore. Weare nowmid-January, whichdoes notleavelong forthegovernment to sort out some big items on theirto-do list that ought to beimportant to them before going to the people.

I amquite sure eachof you hasyour ownlist – the timeis ripe to call your Member of Parliament andsay hey,what have you done about this?

For me, I am picking out five thatought tobe bigdeals to sort out – or costly if the government falls short.

Grand Bahama

At the start of the year, ForeignAffairs MinisterFred Mitchellsaid residentsof Grand Bahama should be confident overredevelopment projects onthe island – including the airport, thenew hospital andprobably biggest of all the Grand Lucayan.

Atthe time,MrMitchell said people should see progress “soon”– thoughin the twoweeks sincetherehas been little sign.

Opposition leader Michael Pintard has been quick to pointout thatpromisedup-

grades have not happened. Some ofthese thingsare connected. The hotel needs the airport upgrade. But it is hard to see where the progress is happening right now. Add tothat thestalemate between thegovernment and the GrandBahama PortAuthority (GBPA) that awaits the outcomeof pre-Christmasarbitration talks and the government does not havemuch of a winning caseto presentto voters on the island. Yet. Last week sawwhat seems likeanimplausiblebidtoraise $400mtobuy uptheGBPA that seemsto fallwoefully short ofthe scaleof theassets involved. Itwould beinitial capital, but it is hard to make muchofacaseforwhypeople should puttheir faithin this group ofcapital-short investors rather than the current figures behind the GBPA.

Moretothe point,ifpeople are going tomarket to raise funds to buythe GBPA, it speakslittle ofthecurrent statebehindthe scenesofthe arbitrationoutcome – as surely if a resolution had been reached,that wouldaffectthe likelihood of going to market.

Grand Bahamaremains muchasit hasformanyyears – fallingshort ofits potential. The solution torevive the formerMagic Cityhasnot been achieved underthis administration, justas withits predecessors.

Stopover tourism

Therevival aftertheglobal interruption of COVID-19 has been very welcome – but after the initial burst, where the worldyearned toget backout from withinfour wallsagain, there have beensome speed

Why Greenland is strategically important to Arctic security

By DANICA KIRKA and STEFANIE DAZIO Associated Press

LOCATION,location,loca-

tion: Greenland’s position above the Arctic Circle makes the world s largestisland a key part of security strategy. Increasing international tensions, global warming and the changing world economy haveput Greenlandatthe heart of the debate over global trade andsecurity, andU.S. President Donald Trump wantsto makesurehis countrycontrols the mineralrich island that guards the Arctic and NorthAtlantic approaches to North America Greenland is a self-governing territoryof Denmark, a longtime U.S. allythat has rejected Trump s overtures. Greenland’s owngovernment also opposes U.S.designs on theisland, sayingthepeople of Greenlandwill decidetheir own future.

The island, 80% of which lies above the Arctic Circle, is home toabout 56,000mostly Inuit peoplewho until now have been largely ignored by the rest of the world.

Here s whyGreenland is strategically importantto Arctic security: Greenland’s locationis key Greenlandsitsoffthenortheastern coast ofCanada, with morethantwo-thirdsofitsterritorylying withintheArctic Circle. That has made it crucial to the defence of North America since WorldWar II, whenthe U.S.occupied Greenlandto ensureitdidn’t fallintothe handsofNazi Germanyand toprotectcrucialNorth Atlanticshipping lanes.

FollowingtheColdWar,the Arcticwas largelyan areaof international cooperation.But climate change is thinning the Arctic ice, promising to create a northwest passagefor international tradeand reigniting competition with Russia, Chinaand othercountries over access tothe region’s mineral resources.

Security threats In 2018, Chinadeclared itself a near-Arctic state in an effort to gainmore influence

bumps. The Bahamascontinues to seesurges incruisetourism, including that being driven by the Nassau Cruise Port’s creationand bycruise linesestablishing theirown exclusive island destinations. However, stopovertourism continues to struggle.

LastMay, DirectorGeneral ofTourism LatiaDuncombe

inthe region.China hasalso announcedplans tobuilda “PolarSilkRoad”aspartofits global Belt and Road Initiative, whichhas createdeconomic links with countries around the world.

Then U.S. Secretary of StateMike Pompeorejected China smove,saying: Dowe want theArctic Oceanto transforminto anewSouth ChinaSea, fraughtwithmilitarisation and competing territorial claims?”

Meanwhile, Russiahas sought to assertits influence overwideareas oftheArctic in competition withthe U.S., Canada, Denmarkand Norway. Moscow has also sought toboost itsmilitary presence inthe polarregion, hometoitsNorthernFleetand asite wherethe SovietUnion tested nuclearweapons. Russianmilitary officialshave said thatthe site isready for resuming thetests, ifnecessary.

Russia's military has been restoring old Soviet infrastructurein theArcticand buildingnew facilities.Since 2014, the Russian military has opened severalmilitary bases inthe Arcticand workedon reconstructing airfields. European leaders concerns havebeen heightenedsince Russia launched awar in Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

Lastyear,RussianPresident Vladimir Putin noted that Moscow is worriedabout NATO’s activitiesin the Arcticand willrespondby strengtheningthecapabilityof its armed forces there. But he said that Moscow was holding thedooropentobroaderinternational cooperationin theregion.

U.S. military presence The U.S. Departmentof Defense operates the remote PituffikSpace Baseinnorthwestern Greenland, which was built afterthe U.S. and Denmark signedthe Defense of Greenland Treatyin 1951. It supports missile warning, missile defence and space surveillance operations for the U.S. and NATO.

Greenland alsoguards part of what is known as the GIUK (Greenland, Iceland,United Kingdom) Gap,where NATO

visa processing should not be an issue,as it onlyaffects migrants not tourists. Still, theUS remainsour biggestmarket – and frankly always willbe – and turbulence there can be a factor.

The reason why stopover tourismis soimportantis simple – stopover tourists spend way more than cruise visitors. You ve seenit your-

My list could easily run longer. Tackling corruption or the international investigations featuring The Bahamas are possibly bigger than all the others combined.

pinpointed global uncertainty aspartof thereasonbehinda drag in stopovertourism figures. Given thecurrent international landscape, withmore talk of tariffs, annexation of Greenlandand more,thatuncertainty has notchanged. US visa issuesremain atalking point of concern too – which canbean issueforpeople passing through the US to The Bahamasas well – although the mostrecent suspensionof

self,cruise visitorswaving aside vendors as they head from the ship to the beach and back again.They aren’t, in general,here forthat.They also have all the food they can eat back on theboat so why would they be stopping at local restaurants?

It isprobably too latein the term to crack the stopover market, butwhoever leadsthe next government will find this in their in-tray.

Poverty The announcement of a cut inVAT onuncookedfood itemswas anobviouselection ploy – but whatwasinterestingwas thewordfrom charity groupsthat whilethe VAT cut wouldhelp them to help others, needwas very much on the rise.

Hands for Hunger has seen the number offamilies being helpedincreaseto 7,000 – up from5,000.That isamassive jump, especially at a time when the government keeps talking up the strength of the economy.

There is a disconnect between how well we are supposedly doing, and how people are feeling it on the streets.

For anyone who saw the long lines before Christmas of peopleseeking helpat giveaways, or who drives past the regular gatherings at the likes of the Salvation Army or theGreat CommissionMinistries,itdoesnotcomeasasurprise.

People withempty bellies don t vote for those in office.

Equality

Anyone with aninterest in equality for women ought to bedisappointed inthisgovernment. There hasbeenlittle to no interest in tackling a series of issueswith regard to equality.

The governmenthas avoidedthe subjectofmarital rape despitecalls foraction locally and internationally, it hasmadeno progressoncitizenship inequality affecting women, and itwatered down its gender-basedviolence legislation to become the Protection Against Violence Bill.

Add to thatan ever-shifting set of answers on providing a domestic violenceshelter, and itlookedvery muchlikethe government wasnot putting women as a priority.

Freedom of Information

Itwas interestingtosee overthefestive periodthata numberof mediahouses spoke up on the importance of freedom of information. The silence that greeted those comments was just as telling.

Two years ago, Prime Minister Philip Davis saidimplementing theFreedom ofInformation Act was not one of his top priorities. No kidding. However, he did say he was committedto fulfillingthe pledge to fully enact the system this term.

Timeisrunningout,andyet the Information Commission still has no budget to speak of, and there has been no timeline given for implementation.

Atthe time,FNMchairman DrDuane SandssaidBahamians should notexpect this administration to ever implementthe FreedomofInformation Act.

Rightnow,it lookslikeDr Sands will be right, and Mr Davis’ pledge will fall short. As I wrote this, there were plentyofotherthingsthatkept popping into my head – the list could easilyhave run longer. I haven’teven mentioned issues such astackling corruption orthe international investigations featuringThe Bahamas – and theyare possibly bigger thanall the above combined.

Make your ownlists – and see what answers you can get. Theclock isticking.Good luck.

monitorsRussiannavalmovements in the North Atlantic.

ThomasCrosbie, anassociateprofessor ofmilitaryoperations atthe RoyalDanish Defense College, saidthat an American takeover wouldn't improve upon Washington s current security strategy.

“The United States will gain no advantage if its flag is flyingin Nuuk(Greenland's capital) versus the Greenlandicflag, hetoldTheAssociated Press. “There’s nobenefitsto thembecausethey alreadyenjoyall oftheadvantages they want.

"If there’sany specificse-

curityaccess thatthey wantto improve American security, they llbe givenitas amatter ofcourse, asatrusted ally.So thishasnothingtodowithimproving nationalsecurity for the United States.”

Denmark s parliamentapprovedabilllastJunetoallow U.S.military basesonDanish soil. It widened a previous military agreement, made in 2023 with theBiden administration, where U.S.troops had broad accessto Danishair bases inthe Scandinavian country.

Danish Foreign Minister LarsLøkke Rasmussen,ina

response to lawmakers questions, wroteover thesummer that Denmark wouldbe able to terminate theagreement if the U.S. tries toannex all or part of Greenland.

Danish armedforces in Greenland Denmark is moving to strengthen its militarypresence around Greenlandand in thewider NorthAtlantic.Last year,the governmentannounced a roughly14.6billion-kroner ($2.3billion) agreementwith partiesincluding thegovernments of Greenland and theFaroe Islands, another self-governing

territory of Denmark, to improvecapabilities forsurveillance andmaintaining sovereignty in the region.

Theplanincludesthreenew Arcticnavalvessels,twoadditional long-rangesurveillance drones and satellite capacity.

Denmark’s JointArctic Command is headquartered in Nuuk, andtasked withthe “surveillance, assertionof sovereignty andmilitary defence of Greenland and the Faroe Islands, according to its website. It has smaller satellite stationsacross theisland.

The Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, an elite Danishnaval unit that conducts long-range reconnaissanceandenforcesDanish sovereignty in the Arctic wilderness, is also stationed in Greenland.

Mineral wealth Greenland is alsoa rich sourceof theso-calledrare earthmineralsthat areakey componentof cellphones, computers, batteriesand other high-tech gadgetsthat areexpected to power the world’s economy in thecoming decades. That has attracted the interestofthe U.S.andother Westernpowersas theytryto easeChina sdominanceofthe marketfor thesecriticalminerals. Development of Greenland’s mineralresources is challenging because of the island’sharsh climate,while strict environmental controls haveproved anadditional hurdle for potential investors.

US man fined for drugs as illegal fishing case proceeds

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

AN American man was fined $300 on Friday for possession of dangerous drugs as court proceedings continued against him and another American accused of illegally operating a fishing vessel in Bahamian waters on multiple occasions.

Prosecutors allege that Matt Vinson Blodgett, 45, of Miami Lakes, Florida, and Isfrain Miguel Ferreiro Jr, 30, of Hialeah, Florida, engaged in fishing activities in Bahamian waters aboard the vessel Rayne Check without a licence on 17 occasions between

March 23, 2024, and January 12. The men were reportedly found with three THC vape pens in Black Point, Exuma, on January 12. The drugs seized were valued at $60. Last Thursday, both men were charged with 17 counts of engaging a fishing vessel without a charter fishing licence. They are to stand trial before the Supreme Court. Ferreiro Jr pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of dangerous drugs before Senior Magistrate Raquel Whyms. The drug charge against Blodgett was withdrawn.

Defence attorney Sheanda Cooper-Rolle

said her client had spared the court’s time with an early plea and asked the court for mercy. She said Ferreiro suffers from irritable bowel syndrome and used the drug to manage pain while at sea. Ferreiro was fined $300 or, in default, one month in prison.

Following sentencing, Mrs Cooper-Rolle applied for bail on behalf of both men, submitting that neither had prior convictions in any jurisdiction and that there was no risk of witness interference.

Addressing concerns about the defendants absconding, she said Blodgett’s vessel — valued at approximately $500,000

— had been seized by authorities and that he intended to contest its forfeiture. She also said Ferreiro is a newlywed and that both men’s families were awaiting their return. She described both defendants as “upstanding” and said they would comply with any bail conditions imposed.

Prosecutor Sergeant 2257 Wilkinson requested that, if bail were granted, conditions be attached and that the defendants’ assets remain confiscated until the matter is concluded.

Magistrate Whyms set the bail hearing for January 22. Both men were remanded until then.

In addition to Mrs Cooper-Rolle, Alphonso Lewis also represented the accused.

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN who admitted to detaining his infant son and the child’s mother last month in Abaco was fined on Friday for harm caused to both. The 20-year-old defendant, whose name is being withheld to protect the identity of the infant, locked the child’s mother and their three-week-old son inside his home in Marsh Harbour against their will following a verbal altercation on December 22, 2025.

Prosecutors said the defendant injured the young woman during the incident and caused unnecessary suffering to the infant.

The defendant was initially arraigned before Deputy Chief Magistrate Shaka Serville on December 29,

2025, where he pleaded not guilty to charges of unlawful detention, causing harm, and cruelty to children.

However, after spending the past three weeks in custody, he changed his plea to guilty on all counts. In addressing the court, the defendant apologised for his actions, saying he did not intend to hurt either complainant.

After cautioning the defendant about controlling his anger, Magistrate Serville fined him $2,500 for unlawful detention and $2,000 for cruelty to children. Failure to pay either fine would result in an 18-month prison term. He was also fined $500 for causing harm, or risk one month in prison. Inspector Cordero Farrington prosecuted the matter, while Levan Johnson represented the accused.

MAN REMANDED IN ADELAIDE VILLAGE

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN accused of fatally shooting Ricardo Jean after he was lured outside his Adelaide Village home earlier this month was remanded to prison last Friday.

Prosecutors allege that Darrio Wilson, 30, shot Jean, 35, in the chest after Jean stepped outside his residence at around 1am on January 11, when a man known to him called him

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

TWO Defence Force officers accused of possessing a forged firearm licence were granted bail on Friday.

outside.

Jean reportedly managed to flee back inside his home, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Police allege that both the shooter, who fled the scene on foot, and the man who called Jean outside were known to the deceased.

Wilson, who remained silent in court, was not required to enter a plea to the charge of murder when he appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Shaka Serville.

Prosecutors allege that Able Seaman Andrew McKenzie, 34, and Able Seaman Anvard Johnson, 40, were found with a forged firearm licence on January 8 in New Providence while allegedly attempting to evade law enforcement.

The defendant was informed that the matter will proceed to the Supreme Court by way of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI) and that he has the right to apply for bail through the higher court.

Wilson was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until May 7, when his VBI is expected to be served. Ryszard Humes represented the accused, while Inspector Cordero Farrington prosecuted the matter.

The men pleaded not guilty to a charge of possession of a forged document when they appeared before Senior Magistrate Algernon Allen Jr. Bail was set at $5,000 for each accused, with one or two sureties required. The defendants are scheduled to return to court for trial on February 23.

Bjorn Ferguson represented the accused, while Sergeant 3004 Forbes prosecuted the matter.

Rector: Restore integrity as a core national value

BY DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

REVEREND Fr Kirk-

land H. Russell, Rector of the Pro-Cathedral of Christ the King, called on the legal professionals and the wider Bahamian society to reclaim integrity as a core national value.

Speaking during the annual ecumenical service marking the start of the 2026 legal year in Grand Bahama, Fr. Russell lamented what he described as a growing erosion of integrity in various sectors of the country, including law enforcement, the church, and the legal profession.

“Many of our people have no integrity,” he said, pointing to a widely circulated social media video allegedly showing a police officer attempting to solicit money from a visitor. He warned that such behaviour threatens tourism, which he described as “the lifeblood of our economy.”

“The most vulnerable tourists are the ones that come here, have a nice time, and keep coming back,” he said. “And we are playing around with that.”

Fr. Russell did not spare the church, noting that some religious leaders appear more focused on financial gain than on spiritual guidance, caring for the poor, or preaching the gospel.

Referencing a popular social media skit that satirizes church fundraising practices, he said the portrayal resonates with many Bahamians because it reflects their lived experiences.

“Sad to say, but a lot of our people feel that way about our church,” he said.

Turning to broader societal issues, Fr. Russell criticized what he described as an entrenched “tip culture,” recounting a personal experience in which a store clerk suggested he deserved a tip for performing a routine job duty.

“Why do I need to give you extra for what you have already been paid to do?” he asked.

Addressing members of the legal profession directly, Fr. Russell acknowledged that while most lawyers practice honestly, the profession has suffered reputational damage due to unethical conduct by some.

“There are people out there who believe that ‘crooked’ and ‘lawyer’ are synonymous,” he said. “That’s a shame, but some can rightly say so because money was taken from them unjustly.”

Calling for national renewal, Fr. Russell urged Bahamians to “make integrity great again,” invoking scripture from Matthew 5:37: “Let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no.’” He encouraged legal professionals to conduct themselves with honesty, professionalism, and mutual respect, even in contentious courtroom settings, and reminded them that children are watching and learning from their behaviour.

Following the service, members of the judiciary participated in annual procession from the church to the Garnet Levarity Justice Centre. Attorney General Ryan Pinder was also in attendance. Students from various schools throughout the island were also present.

After the march, Chief Justice Ian Winder outlined progress and priorities for the judiciary as the new legal year begins, emphasizing ongoing criminal justice reform.

“We’re looking to continue enforcing criminal justice reform,” Chief Justice Winder said, noting that new rules implemented over the past year now allow for active case management, defence statements, and evidentiary hearings to help identify issues early and resolve matters more efficiently.

He also highlighted the establishment of a Criminal Justice Board comprising key stakeholders tasked with identifying systemic challenges and developing solutions.

On the status of the

PROCESSION of legal professionals on their way to Pro-Cathedral

courts on Grand Bahama, the Chief Justice said there are three magistrates sitting in Freeport and one in Eight Mile Rock. Additionally, three Supreme Court judges serve the island, with two assigned exclusively to

criminal matters and one handling civil cases.

Addressing concerns about case backlogs, Chief Justice Winder acknowledged that progress remains a challenge.

“I’m never pleased with the backlog,” he said,

adding that efforts are underway, in collaboration with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, to remove cases that are no longer viable due to deceased parties, uncooperative witnesses, or matters no longer in

Europe warns of ‘dangerous downward spiral’ after Trump threatens tariffs over Greenland

BERLIN Associated Press

THE eight European countries targeted by US President Donald Trump for a 10% tariff for opposing American control of Greenland blasted the move Sunday, warning that his threats “undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral.”

The joint statement by some of America’s closest allies signalled a possible turning point in the recent tensions over sovereignty and security nearly 24 hours after Trump’s threat.

It was also the most forceful rebuke of Trump from the European allies since he returned to the White House almost a year ago. In recent months, Europeans have mostly opted for diplomacy and flattery around him, even when seeking an end to the war in Ukraine.

Sunday’s statement, as well as some European countries sending troops to Greenland for a Danish military training exercise, appeared to be a step away from that strategy.

The unusually strong joint statement from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland said troops sent to Greenland for operation “Arctic Endurance” pose “no threat to anyone.”

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen told reporters in Oslo that a dialogue was opened with the US last week and “we will not give up on that. ... So we will stay on track — unless US decides differently.”

Added Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide at the same news conference: “We will not allow ourselves to be put under pressure, and those types of threats (of US tariffs) are unacceptable between close allies,”

Six of the countries targeted are part of the 27-member European Union, which

operates as a single economic zone in terms of trade.

Following emergency talks among the EU’s national envoys Sunday, EU Council President Antonio Costa said the bloc’s leaders agree “that tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and are incompatible with the EU-US trade agreement.” They expressed “readiness to defend ourselves against any form of coercion,” Costa said in a statement. He is expected to convene a summit of the bloc’s leaders later this week.

Solidarity with Denmark and Greenland

Trump’s Saturday announcement sets up a potentially dangerous test of US partnerships in Europe. He appeared to indicate that he was using the tariffs as leverage to force talks over the status of Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark that he regards as critical to US national security. “We stand in full solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland,” the group said.

“Building on the process begun last week, we stand ready to engage in a dialogue based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity that we stand firmly behind. Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral.”

There are immediate questions about how the White House could implement tariffs against the EU. It was unclear, too, how Trump could act under US law, though he could cite emergency economic powers that are currently subject to a US Supreme Court challenge.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said China and Russia will benefit from divisions between the US and Europe. She added on social media: “If Greenland’s security is at risk, we can address this inside NATO..”

Europe has been trying to keep Trump on its side to ensure US support for Ukraine, including Washington sharing intelligence with Kyiv and its involvement in security guarantees if a peace agreement is reached with Russia.

Rasmus Søndergaard, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, called Trump’s announcement “unprecedented” because tariff threats normally stem from trade disagreements, not territorial disputes between allies.

“That’s of course why we’re seeing the response from European countries saying ‘enough is enough,’” he told The Associated Press. “I think there’s in part probably a strategic calculation, of course, from the governments in these countries that if you give in to Trump on this, what will be the next thing? And at some point you have to sort of push back.”

Søndergaard also said Trump levelled the playing field for Europe with the tariff threat. Europeans cannot compete militarily, but the EU can wield an economic weapon through reciprocal tariffs.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte wrote on social media Sunday that he’d spoken with Trump. Rutte has been criticized in recent days for largely sidestepping questions about Trump and

Greenland and any NATO tensions over the island.

“We will continue working on this, and I look forward to seeing him in Davos later this week,” Rutte said.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer also spoke to Trump and told him that “applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of NATO allies is wrong,” a Downing Street spokeswoman said. That call followed conversations with Rutte, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Trump’s move was also panned domestically.

US Sen. Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat, said Trump’s threatened tariffs on US allies would make Americans “pay more to try to get territory we don’t need.”

“Troops from European countries are arriving in Greenland to defend the territory from us. Let that sink in,” Kelly said on social media. “The damage this President is doing to our reputation and our relationships is growing, making us less safe. If something doesn’t change we will be on our own with adversaries and enemies in every direction.”

Former US Vice President Mike Pence said he supports the United States ultimately owning Greenland, but not how Trump is trying to accomplish it. He said he had concerns whether Trump had the constitutional authority to impose unilateral tariffs on NATO allies, as well as about a threat of a military invasion. Trump’s current position threatens “to fracture that

strong relationship, not just with Denmark, but with all of our NATO allies,” Pence said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Trump’s populist allies criticize the tariff threat

The tariff announcement also drew blowback from Trump’s populist allies in Europe.

Italy’s right-wing premier, Giorgia Meloni, considered one of Trump’s closest allies on the continent, said she had spoken to him about the tariffs, which she described as “a mistake.”

The deployment to Greenland of small numbers of troops by some European countries was misunderstood by Washington, Meloni said, adding it was not a move against the US but aimed to provide security against “other actors” that she didn’t identify.

Jordan Bardella, president of Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally party in France and a European Parliament lawmaker, posted that the EU should suspend last year’s tariff deal with the US, describing Trump’s threats as “commercial blackmail.”

Trump also achieved the rare feat of uniting Britain’s main political parties — including the hard-right Reform UK party — all of whom criticized the tariff threat.

Also in London on Sunday, a heckler yelled “leave Greenland alone!” while Vanessa Williams sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” before an NBA game between Memphis and Orlando. The outburst drew scattered laughs and applause.

$1bn gets a permanent seat on Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ for Gaza, as India and others invited

By CARA ANNA and JOSH BOAK Associated Press

AT least seven more countries said Sunday the United States has invited them to join President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace,” a new body of world leaders meant to oversee next steps in Gaza that shows ambitions for a broader mandate in global affairs. Two countries, Hungary and Vietnam, said they have accepted.

A $1 billion contribution secures permanent membership on the Trump-led board instead of a threeyear appointment, which has no contribution requirement, according to a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity about the charter, which hasn’t been made public. The official said the money raised would go to rebuilding Gaza.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has accepted an invitation to join the board, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó told state radio on Sunday. Orbán is one of Trump’s most ardent supporters in Europe.

Vietnam’s Communist Party chief, To Lam, also has accepted, a foreign ministry statement said. India has received an invitation, a senior government official with knowledge of the matter said, speaking on condition of anonymity as the information hadn’t been made public by authorities.

Jordan, Greece, Cyprus and Pakistan also said Sunday they had received invitations. Canada, Turkey, Egypt, Paraguay, Argentina and Albania have already said they were invited. It was not clear how many have been invited in all.

The US is expected to announce its official list of members in the coming days, likely during the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

Those on the board will oversee next steps in Gaza as the ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10 moves into its challenging second phase. It includes a new Palestinian committee in

Gaza, the deployment of an international security force, disarmament of Hamas and reconstruction of the war-battered territory.

In letters sent Friday to world leaders inviting them to be “founding members,” Trump said the Board of Peace would “embark on a bold new approach to resolving global conflict.” That could become a potential rival to the United Nations Security Council, the most powerful body of the global entity created in the wake of World War II. The 15-seat council has been blocked by US vetoes from taking action to end the war in Gaza, while the UN’s clout has been diminished by major funding cuts by the Trump administration and other donors.

Trump’s invitation letters for the Board of Peace noted that the Security Council had endorsed the US 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan, which includes the board’s creation. The letters were posted on social media by some invitees.

The White House last week also announced an executive committee of leaders who will carry out the Board of Peace’s vision, but Israel on Saturday objected that the committee “was not coordinated with Israel and is contrary to its policy,” without details. The statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office was rare criticism of its close ally in Washington. The executive committee’s members include US Secretary of State Rubio, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, World Bank President Ajay Banga and Trump’s deputy national security adviser Robert Gabriel, along with an Israeli business owner, billionaire Yakir Gabay. Members also include representatives of ceasefire monitors Qatar, Egypt and Turkey. Turkey has a strained relationship with Israel but good relations with Hamas and could play an important role in persuading the group to yield power in Gaza and disarm.

UB, Disney extend Leading LIGHT programme to Abaco

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net

THE Leading LIGHT

tourism and hospitality training programme will head to Abaco next month as the University of The Bahamas in partnership with Disney Cruise Line moves into Phase II of the programme.

The 10-week course is designed to strengthen hospitality leadership and workforce readiness as tourism arrivals continue to increase.

The programme was first launched in Eleuthera in February 2024, and is delivered through UB’s Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning (CeLEARN).

Officials confirmed during a press conference on Friday at the university that phase two of the programme will be rolled out in both Abaco and Eleuthera.

UB President Dr Robert J Blaine III said graduates from the Eleuthera cohort gained job-readiness skills and were connected to economic opportunities, adding that the university remains committed to national development,

particularly through education in the Family Islands.

Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs

Ms Maria Woodise-Oriakhi said the second phase focuses intentionally on the people behind the tourism experience, noting that daily interactions play a critical role in shaping visitors’ impressions and determining how communities benefit from tourism-led growth.

Officials said 120 participants gained essential hospitality skills during the programme’s initial launch in Eleuthera, with some securing new jobs, earning promotions, or starting their own businesses.

Disney Cruise Line regional public affairs director Mr Joey Gaskins said the initiative forms part of the company’s broader commitment to investing in development within port communities where it operates. He expressed appreciation for UB’s partnership in strengthening Bahamian capacity. The initiative focuses on workforce development in tourism and hospitality and will offer training in

technology, customer service, and soft skills. Each island will accommodate 25 participants through live and synchronous

learning sessions.

Training specialist Dr Willisa Nyobi Mackey said participants will receive a certificate of completion, noting that the programme is fully funded by Disney Cruise Line at no cost to students. She added that participants will also receive a stipend in recognition of their commitment throughout the programme.

NTA TRAINEE GRADUATES RECEIVE CERTIFICATES, PINS, AND JOBS

By

SEVENTY-SIX trainees graduated from the National Training Agency last week with many securing employment before completing the programme. The graduation ceremony for Cohort 26 was held at the agency’s Gladstone Road and Munnings Drive facilities on January 16. The graduates completed the NTA’s mandatory workforce preparatory programme, which is designed to deliver competency-based training aligned with the needs of the workplace. The programme includes 14 weeks of instruction, comprising four weeks of soft-skills development and ten weeks of technical training.

Training was offered in a range of areas, including auto body service and care, business applications and technology, teacher’s aide support, culinary and baking, office procedures, butler service, and food and beverage operations.

At the ceremony, graduates received certificates and programme pins, marking the successful completion of their training. Officials said several participants were hired before the end of the programme, reflecting strong demand for job-ready skills among employers. The NTA said the programme forms part of its mandate to build a flexible, responsive workforce training and job placement system that supports national development.

RBDF renews partnership with RI National Guard

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

THE Royal Bahamas Defence Force andthe RhodeIsland NationalGuard have renewed theirpartnership under the United States NationalGuard State PartnershipProgram,extendingasecurityrelationshipthathas beeninplacesince 2005.

Therenewal wasformalisedlast Friday at the US Embassay Headquarters inNassau withthe signingof arenewed commitmentby RBDFCommander CommodoreFloydMoxeyandRhodeIsland Adjutant GeneralMajor General Andrew Chevalier.

The partnership focuseson joint training, operational exchanges and capacity building inareas including border security, disaster response, cyber se-

curity, intelligence,engineering andlogistics.

Major General Chevaliersaid the relationship wasdeliberately structuredto deliver long-term results.

Our successfulpartnership isn t an accident. It was bydesign,” he said. We ve stood shoulder to shoulder, sharingknowledge andexperienceand pushing one another to be better.

He saidcontinuity withinthe National Guard allowed relationships to develop over decades,noting, You don t build thatkindof relationshipthroughmemos. You buildit through years andyears of friendship.

Commodore Moxeysaid thepartnership had significantly strengthened the RBDF’s operational capacity. Thiscollaborationwas builtinservice to our respective countries, pursuing a coursegreater thanourselves,” he said.

It hasalways been aboutthe greater good.”

HesaidThe Bahamas geographic position madecooperation essential, adding, “The Bahamashaslong beenrecognised as the gatewayto the United States. Activitieswithin ourwaters directlyaffectthe UnitedStates,bothpositively and negatively.”

USAmbassador toThe BahamasHerschelWalkersaidthepartnershipdirectly supports shared security objectives.

Thebottom lineisthat BahamiansecurityisAmericansecurity,”hesaid.“By working together, we are better equipped toconfront whateverchallengescome our way.”

Officials saidthe partnershiphas expanded beyond military engagement to include disaster responseand public health, includingjoint effortsduring the COVID-19 pandemic.