02232026 NEWS

POWER OUTAGE ‘PLAYED

ROLE’ IN COACH’S DEATH

Hall of Fame coach Bonnie Basden died after bomb threat power cut shut down her vital oxygen machine

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE family of Grand Bahama coach and 2025 Sports Hall of Famer Bonnie Basden believes an islandwide power outage in response to a bomb threat on Thursday morning played a role in her death. Basden, 64, who relied on an electric oxygen machine, was found unresponsive on the foor of her bedroom at her home at Tasmania Road shortly after 7am. She was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

The outage began shortly after 7am when the Grand Bahama Power Company initiated an emergency shutdown and evacuation of its operations following a reported bomb threat at its generation plant on West Sunrise Highway and Peel Street. Police, frefghters and a bomb assessment team searched the facility. No explosive device was found. The outage lasted several hours.

“I absolutely think the power outage contributed to Bonnie’s demise,” Adrianne Sands said at the

COACH - SEE PAGE FIVE

Court rules ‘redeployment’ of fve Family Island Administrators unlawful

By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

THE government unlawfully moved fve Family Island Administrators out of their posts in 2021 by calling the change a “redeployment”, a step the Supreme Court found was, in substance, an unauthorised transfer that had no legal efect. In a recently released judgment, Justice Carla Card-Stubbs declared the letters that directed the ofcers to report to other ministries “null, void and without legal efect”. The claim was brought by Arimentha Newman, Elizabeth Collie, Ernestine Fernander, Lauretta Marshall and Carletta Turnquest against the Attorney General. The Bahamas Public Services Union, their bargaining agent, was the second claimant.

Justice Card-Stubbs found that letters dated November 29, 2021

UNLAWFUL - SEE PAGE FIVE

IMMIGRATION Minister Alfred Sears.

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net

THE head of the union representing customs and immigration ofcers has called for Immigration Minister Alfred Sears to be fred, accusing him of ignoring months of complaints over promotions, pay and insurance.

The demand came during a press conference on Friday where the BCIAWU detailed what it described as deepening frustration among ofcers in the Immigration and Customs departments. Mr Brooks said staf

SEARS - SEE PAGE FOUR

HEROIC WORKER TACKLES ARMED MAN IN BRAZEN ROBBERY

By TRIBUNE STAFF REPORTER

AN heroic kitchen worker tackled a man armed with a hand-held machine gun during a brazen restaurant robbery in which three British ex-pats had a $20,000 Rolex and a $2,000 gold ring stolen. Staf at the upmarket Island Brothers café and restaurant, outside Lyford Cay, fed for their lives when

a balaclava-clad gunman, dressed all in black, entered the premises through a back door at 10pm on Saturday evening.

As one brave worker grabbed the nozzle of the weapon and grappled with the gunman, he yelled at his colleagues to run and they fed through the restaurant and out into the street, leaving the few remaining diners stunned at the commotion.

GUNMEN - SEE PAGE THREE

Davis joins Ministry of Youth Sports and Culture in Cat Island mural painting

Gun ‘clicked twice’ during struggle with armed robber

The gunman then entered the restaurant and pointed the gun, said to be similar to a MAC-10, a compact American submachinegun capable of very rapid fre, directly at three young British friends waiting at a corner table to pay their bill. Unbeknown to them at the time, a second gunman was waiting outside the front of the building.

As two of the men moved towards the door, the third sat paralsyed to the spot with the gun pointed directly at his chest.

Recounting the terrifying ordeal, the man, who asked not to be named, recalled:

“The gunman was wearing a ski mask and had the gun basically pointed directly at my chest. He was young, maybe around 20, slim, maybe 5ft 10’, and in truth, he looked pretty terrifed. I didn’t want to do anything to freak him out, so I just did as he asked.

“I could see it in his eyes that he was scared, and I was just thinking, in my head, if he’s scared, and he’s not calm, he’s in a position right now to be trigger-happy, and pull that trigger and shoot me. It looked like he had no idea what he was doing and he was petrifed despite him being the one to have to have the gun.

“He just kind of said like, ‘give it me, give it me…’ at frst I had no idea what he was referring to, like my wallet or whatever. I’d kind of forgotten I had my watch on my wrist. I said ‘give you, give you what?’ And he goes, ‘your wrist, your wrist.’ And then he goes, ‘your watch.’ I slowly unclipped my watch, a Rolex, and handed it to him. Then he noticed my gold ring and demanded that, so I gave it to him and said no problem, no problem.

“It felt almost surreal, like, you know, in the

movies, it seems more dramatic, it just seems so surreal that it’s happening. I was almost thinking, is the gun real? I think it was. That’s all that ran through my head. I didn’t for a minute think of trying to be a hero or anything like that. I just tried to stay calm and do what he asked me to do. Then I kind of just put my hands up and I slowly walked towards the door.

“All this happened within the space of a minute. When it was happening it felt like a lifetime. It felt like I was getting robbed for like ten minutes, but it was literally ten seconds. I would describe these man as cowards. In a way, it’s lucky it was us as we all stayed pretty calm. It could have had bad consequences if it had been someone else who might have panicked.”

The man rejoined his waiting friends and they ran out into the car park and hid behind their vehicle.

A second gunman, bizarrely wearing a bright orange top and a red shirt or scarf tied around his face, was also briefy in the restaurant. They ran out and jumped into a white Nissan Note, driven by a third accomplice, which left at speed in the direction of the Mt. Pleasant Village area.

One of the victim’s colleagues said they were later told the pin of the gun had actually gone of at least twice during the struggle with the kitchen worker, an Hispanic man, so whether it misfred or wasn’t loaded, he was not sure.

“It sounds like he was very brave tackling the gunman,” said one. “We’ve heard that the assailant, the guy in black, actually tried to pull the trigger and just the clicking sound went of, insinuating that perhaps the gun may not have been loaded, but it was a real gun.”

A black handbag containing $50 in cash and some documentation was also

stolen during the raid.

Part of the drama, caught on a security camera of one of the victim’s vehicles, was handed over to police.

The victims said they regularly frequented Island Brothers and this was the frst time there had ever been even a hint of trouble.

“It is a shame because this sort of thing does make you think twice about where you go to eat on the island,” said one of the men, “and maybe you’re safer inside a hotel or casino complex.”

FNM Deputy Leader Shanendon Cartwright issued a statement last night, saying: “The most recent reports of a robbery at a restaurant in the western district of New Providence in the St James consituency continues to highlight the need and

MITCHELL TELLS MPS TO PREPARE FOR ‘NO INCOME’ IF THEY LOSE THEIR SEAT

Mr Mitchell said PLP parliamentarians do not come from wealth and rely on their salaries.

AS The Bahamas moves closer to a general election, Progressive Liberal Party chairman Fred Mitchell is warning Members of Parliament to brace for the financial fallout if they lose their seats.

“We are facing a general election shortly. In the UK, when you lose your position in Parliament or the cabinet there is a law which provides severance income. No such law exists here, so all MPs ought to prepare for when the house is dissolved for a period of no income,” Mr Mitchell said in a voice note on Friday. His message was blunt: there is no safety net.

“I say this to reinforce that, at least for us as PLP partisans, we are not a party of the wealthy, but we come from the belly of the country, ordinary men and women of modest means, and we depend on the income we and the people of the country are together as one,” he said. Mr Mitchell also turned his attention to the opposition Free National Movement, which recently ratified candidates for the upcoming contest. He dismissed attention given to one candidate’s well-known family name and said voters would judge on substance.

“Martin Luther King

necessity for stronger police presence and engagement.

“Over the last year and a half residents have seen an increase in criminal activity including murders and robberies in both the most western and southwestern portions of the constituency.

“Residents have been calling for more patrols and engagement with crime watch associations and and overall crime strategy for the surrounding communities. There is currently the Carmichael Road and Airport police station that covers the constituency

said that what counts is the content of your character,” he said. “The public will be looking at policies, not names.”

He criticised the FNM’s stated plan to “rightsize” the public service, describing it as a euphemism for mass layoffs. He referenced the party’s actions after the 2017 election and warned against a repeat.

“What we know is, we want to remind the public of this policy the FNM leader has promised, when he comes to power, God forbid, to right-size the public service. That's a shorthand for firing public servants. They did it in 2017 and if we let them get back, God forbid, they'll do it again, so be warned,” he said.

Low morale driving some offcers to quit

morale is low. Some ofcers, he said, have left their posts out of frustration or for better opportunities.

“I saw someone in one of the departments just recently did that,” he said.

“The earlier part of last year, left the department to go into the private sector.”

“I’ve seen one or two persons just retire early, take early retirement. I talked to them. They said they just had enough. It’s a personal decision. They just got tired.”

The union outlined a string of unresolved issues: outstanding promotions, unpaid overtime, per diem and uniform allowances, delays in appointment letters and what it described as inadequate insurance coverage.

In July 2025, the government promoted 340 immigration ofcers, calling it the largest promotional exercise in the department’s history. Mr Brooks acknowledged the scale of the exercise but said many ofcers were left without promotion or were superseded without explanation. He said ofcers promoted to the same rank now receive the same salary despite signifcant diferences in years of service.

The union also criticised what it described as poor communication in the Customs Department.

Another grievance centres on the hiring of contract workers in customs.

Mr Brooks said the practice blocks career ofcers from advancing. Insurance coverage

Mr Brooks said the union learnt of promotions in January only after congratulatory messages began circulating among staf. He said there was no prior consultation on the number of ofcers being promoted or the efective dates.

remains a major fashpoint. Mr Brooks said that in April 2023, coverage for new hires was unilaterally changed, efective July 2023, so that dependants would be covered only at the employee’s expense. He said that in October last year, some ofcers experienced claims

that were not honoured and that some employees hired before 2023 were unable to add spouses or children to their policies.

He said he supports the position taken by the Police Staf Association, which has raised similar concerns about ofcers not receiving full insurance coverage.

At the centre of the dispute is the union’s relationship with Mr Sears. Mr Brooks said the BCIAWU has made repeated attempts for months — through calls, letters and emails — to secure a meeting with the minister, without success.

“This union has written to the Minister of Immigration several times, and even though he’ll go on the podium and say that he has an open-door policy, and he does things in collaboration with the union, the truth is not his friend,” Mr Brooks said.

Asked when the last meeting between the union and Mr Sears took place, he said the minister has never met with the BCIAWU. He noted that representatives of both the Trade

Union Congress and the BCIAWU have attempted to contact him.

“If we could meet with all these ministers, and all them made the time to see us, why can’t we meet with the Minister of Immigration?” Mr Brooks said.

“He doesn’t care. If he cared, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

During the press conference, Mr Brooks held up a pair of dominoes as a visual aid, describing them as “hard cards” he was pushing on the minister. He then slammed the dominoes on the desk as he renewed his call for Mr Sears’ dismissal.

Trade Union Congress president Obie Ferguson said he recently met with afliates and told them they must do what is necessary to obtain what they are entitled to. He added that a decision was seemingly made to take action, although the matter has not yet been fnalised and remains in progress.

Asked whether the BCIAWU is considering industrial action, Mr Brooks said the focus

remains on resolving the issues without taking that step.

The union shared copies of correspondence dating back to July 2025 addressed to Mr Sears, Minister of Labour and Public Service Pia Glover Rolle and Financial Secretary Simon Wilson.

Mrs Glover Rolle told reporters she did not receive some of the union’s emails because of technical difculties, but confrmed she received a written letter on Thursday. She said she is not aware of any outstanding matters for the BCIAWU within the public service. She added that Mr Brooks recently contacted her about outstanding promotions for immigration and customs ofcers and that she directed him to the permanent secretary in the relevant ministry. Up to press time, Mr Sears did not respond to The Tribune’s calls or messages. In June, the Member of Parliament for Fort Charlotte announced that he would not run in the next general election.

GB mourns loss of Hall of Fame coach

family home. “We’re not blaming anyone. We know it was God’s timing. But the power outage caused her machine to shut down, which is unfortunate.”

“I don’t like that the power went out — and all of that is why that happened,” Yvonne Sands, Basden’s sister, said.

Basden sufered from lung disease and depended on an electric oxygen machine 24 hours a day. A hired caregiver, Carol Johnson, assisted her. Two of her sisters also lived in the home and helped with her care. Basden was the youngest of 10 siblings.

Adrianne Sands said she left for work around 6:30am, leaving Basden with the caretaker and her sister Michelle, who has Parkinson’s disease and uses a walker. Another sister was expected to arrive later that morning.

Around 7.30am, she said, Michelle called to say the power had gone out and that Basden was on the foor.

Adrianne, who worked nearby, drove home and called her nephew to start the generator because Bonnie’s oxygen machine required electricity. When she arrived, she said Basden was face down on the tile foor with her oxygen mask still on her face. She checked for a pulse and breathing but found none.

She called 911 and said she

was told the call had gone to New Providence and would be transferred to Grand Bahama.

She contacted a family friend and others familiar with the medical equipment. With their help, they turned Basden onto her back. A niece who is a registered nurse in Canada guided them through CPR by phone until emergency medical personnel arrived and took over.

Basden was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead a short time later.

“I was in another world when I walked through these doors where I live with Bonnie, my sister Michelle, Ms Johnson, and her seven boys who live here,” Adrianne Sands said. “This is unbelievable. It has not processed for me yet.”

Those seven boys were in New Providence attending a basketball tournament when they learned of her death.

Basden was a fxture in Grand Bahama’s sporting and youth development circles. A standout athlete, she played for the Bahamas National Women’s Basketball Team before becoming one of the country’s most respected female coaches.

Twenty-seven years ago, she founded House of Hoops & Dreams, housing, tutoring, coaching and mentoring hundreds of young men from Grand Bahama and the Family Islands. Many earned scholarships and went on to university. Some

became professionals and entrepreneurs. In November, she was inducted into the Grand Bahama Sports Hall of Fame and received national

Judge rules reassignment was an unlawful ‘transfer in all but name’

UNLAWFUL from page one

and December 21, 2021 amounted to a de facto transfer carried out without the approval of the Public Service Commission and without action by the Governor-General.

According to the judgment, the fve ofcers had been appointed and promoted to the post of Family Island Administrator IV by the Governor-General acting on the advice of the Public Service Commission, then deployed to specifc Family Island districts. They later received letters, issued by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of the Public Service, directing them to report to other ministries, in some cases immediately.

Although the government described the action as redeployment, the court found the reality was diferent.

“It is my determination that the reassignment of each Five Family Island Administrator amounted to a transfer in all but name,” Justice Card-Stubbs said.

The ruling turned on process. Transfers of public ofcers must be made by the Governor-General acting on the recommendation of the Public Service Commission, in accordance with the Public Service Commission Regulations and the General Orders, the court found.

The judge rejected the idea that the transfers could be accomplished through the Permanent Secretary’s letters.

“This means that a Permanent Secretary may not, by

letter, bring about the efect of a transfer of a public servant,” Justice Card-Stubbs said, fnding the move was ultra vires the governing framework.

The government argued the changes formed part of a “three-pronged” reorganisation process involving redeployment, transfer and reclassifcation. Justice CardStubbs found the evidence did not support that claim.

The court said the so-called reorganisation appeared to have involved only the fve claimants, with no demonstrated stafng need in the receiving ministries and no evidence of an ofcial transfer process underway.

The judge also noted that, on the government’s own case, neither a transfer nor reclassifcation could lawfully occur without the ofcers’ consent.

The judgment found additional breaches under the Industrial Agreement between the government and the BPSU, which sets conditions for how transfers are to be handled. The court found that the employer was required to give notice to both the employee and the union before a transfer took efect, but no such notice was provided before the letters were issued.

Justice Card-Stubbs also found the process breached the principles of natural justice. The letters were directives to leave their posts with immediate efect, the judge said, and the ofcers were given no fair opportunity to respond before being told to move.

The decision stressed that

management authority does not override the rules that govern the Public Service.

“To ignore the rules and regulations governing the Public Service would serve to undermine the entire prerogative, powers and customary functions of management,” Justice CardStubbs wrote.

The claimants also asked the court to rule that their constitutional rights, including freedom of association and trade union representation, had been breached. The judge declined to make any constitutional fnding, noting that no specifc constitutional provisions were properly set out or argued at trial.

The court held that the attempted redeployment was unlawful and had no legal efect once declared so by the court. In reaching that conclusion, Justice Card-Stubbs referenced the Privy Council’s decision in McLaughlin v Governor of the Cayman Islands.

Justice Card-Stubbs also found the claimants were entitled to remedies, including declarations of breach and damages. The court reserved questions of reinstatement and the assessment of damages for further submissions and directed that the parties return for a hearing on those matters.

Costs were awarded to the claimants, with the defendant ordered to pay costs to be assessed by a registrar if not agreed.

Submissions on damages are expected to be heard on May 14.

Adrianne Sands said. Basden is survived by her son, Anthony Basden Jr., 36, who lives abroad.

The family said he is devastated but determined to honour his mother’s legacy.

honours for her contribution to youth and sports.

“She touched lives not just in Grand Bahama, but throughout The Bahamas and internationally,”

On Thursday morning, one of the last people Basden asked for was her adopted son, Donald “Ping” Basden, whom she took in from Abaco at age 13 after Hurricane Dorian.

Community activist Dudley Seide, founder of Reach Out Ministries, said Basden’s infuence on his

life began nearly 40 years ago when she coached him. She had called him just days earlier.

“So when that message came to me, it was devastating,” he said. “She helped me in my life, and every week, I assisted Bonnie in some form or fashion.”

“I hope it doesn’t die with her. She devoted her life to changing young men’s lives, and to say she will be missed is an understatement.”

“We need to name a building or something after her.”

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

SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH, Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .

Publisher/Editor 1919-1972

Contributing Editor 1972-1991

RT HON EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON, C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B.

Publisher/Editor 1972-

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

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They chose bravery

Sometimes, we do not say enough about the heroes in our country. The last few days have produced two such examples – and both deserve to be saluted.

There was shock over the weekend at a brazen robbery that took place on Saturday night at a restaurant outside Lyford Cay.

Island Brothers was the target, and across social media there was a reaction as people spoke of the sheer nerve of robbers striking at a restaurant in one of the richer parts of the island.

Of course, a robbery is a robbery, whether it is in an area near Lyford Cay or one that more regularly crops up in crime reports. But yes, it was out of the ordinary, and a worrying sign that anywhere might be a target.

What deserves recognition, though, is the action of one kitchen worker at the restaurant who intervened as a gunman entered.

When the gunman came through the back door, the worker grabbed the nozzle of the gun and shouted to his colleagues to run. They did, into the restaurant.

His actions did not stop the robbery – the gunman went on to rob diners – but he may well have saved the lives of his fellow workers.

Among the items taken in the raid were a $20,000 Rolex watch and a $2,000 gold ring, along with cash.

The gunman was not alone, a second gunman was outside the front of the building. Consider that for a moment, one entered through the front, one through the back, a coordinated raid where no one had a chance to get away.

All the more impressive that a kitchen worker risked his own life and limb to save others.

One of the diners described the gunman, despite the ski mask the attacker was wearing, as young, perhaps 20 years old.

That in itself is a warning sign to the continuing manner in which the young men of this nation become drawn into crime. Time and again it happens, and time and again we see cases of people dying young, or becoming destined for prison. It is a dead end in so many ways.

Another victim said that the robbery made you think “maybe

tribune news network

you’re safer inside a hotel or casino complex”.

We cannot wind up with a situation where we are under siege. We cannot retreat inside properties aimed at tourists – or even accept that somehow tourists should be better protected than citizens of the nation.

There should be no fear in going with family or friends for a meal at a restaurant, whether that is at Lyford Cay or anywhere else.

The second case of heroism took place last week.

Sergeant Michael Farrow was driving to Nassau Street Police Station when he saw a vehicle with smoke billowing from beneath its hood.

A family of four were inside.

Sgt Farrow did not hesitate. He parked his vehicle and ran to help.

As the family emerged from the vehicle, including a young baby, Sgt Farrow led them to a vacant lot as fire consumed the vehicle. There were repeated explosions, which shows how much danger there was both to the family – and to Sgt Farrow as he came to their aid.

It is easy to focus on the shock and horror of the restaurant robbery, but we should not neglect the bravery of a worker who risked his own safety to warn others.

It is easy to focus on criticism of the police at times – rather than to recognise the risk to life and limb that officers take every day. That danger can be from the armed robbers on the streets – police will now have to track down those restaurant raiders at their own risk. That danger can be from an encounter on the drive to the police station, as Sgt Farrow found.

Such bravery, from both individuals, is surely the better measure of our society than the cowardice exhibited by thieves who hide behind guns and only dare to target people who are defenceless at a restaurant.

Bravery is not an easy choice. It wouldn’t be called that if that were the case. But it is always the better chance for our nation.

To dare to do the right thing is not just a challenge, it is the challenge by which we aspire to greater.

Thank you to both the restaurant worker and Sgt Farrow. May you be an example to us all.

China Exim Bank taking advantage

EDITOR, The Tribune.

NEITHER the Princess Margaret Hospital or the Rand Memorial Hospital were built by a Bahamian government. The latter was purchased by the Progressive Liberal Party government in 1970 and the former was built under the British Government. So, in nearly 53 years since Independence and 59 years since Majority Rule, no major hospital has been built by the PLP or the Free National Movement. The talk by the Davis administration is that the planned New Providence Specialty Hospital will alleviate pressure on PMH. Don’t get me wrong -- The Bahamas needs another major healthcare facility. I feel like Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis wants to leave behind a lasting legacy. And this hospital will provide just that. But I have my misgivings about this deal. The PLP government has entered into a deal to borrow $195 million from the China EXIM Bank -- which represents over 70 percent of the $268 million estimated to build this facility. After reading comments made by Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville about the ratio of Bahamians to Chinese workers for

the construction phase being 50-50, I am inclined to believe that the Chinese are taking advantage of a desperate PLP government. What kind of deal that would call for a borrower to attain a massive loan from a foreign lending institution, with a binding condition that requires you to allow the said institution to have its countrymen to work on the project?

If 200 men are needed to work on the construction of this new hospital, it would then mean that 100 Chinese will work on the construction site. What’s more, this deal also requires that the Chinese will spearhead the construction of the hospital: China Railway Construction Company. So, does this mean that this Chinese company will be get paid from the $195 million we taxpayers will have to repay China EXIM Bank? If so, this means that the Chinese Communist Party has hoodwinked this nation. Half the funds borrowed will trickle right back to China. It’s a win-win situation for China EXIM Bank. What’s more, the Chinese are also importing their own heavy duty equipments, according to Darville, which will hurt Bahamian contractors. I am

Time to reject political tribalism

EDITOR, The Tribune.

AS we approach yet another general election, the air in the Bahamas is thick with the familiar noise. Rally cries echo across the family islands, partisan fags adorn vehicles, and social media feeds are fooded with tribal warfare between the usual factions. It is a spectacle we have come to know by heart. And it is precisely this spectacle - this comfortable, predictable theatre - that has led us to the precipice of national ruin.

This upcoming election is not a solution. It epitomises the problem. It is the living, breathing symbol of decades of administrative failure, not only in developing our country but also in shaping the thinking of its citizens. We have become the walking embodiment of the prophecy that we would own nothing and be happy - provided we are kept busy fghting amongst ourselves.

Look at the state of us. Our education system is in crisis, churning out graduates unprepared for a modern economy. Our healthcare system groans under the weight of neglect. Housing is unattainable for the average Bahamian, while land - our fnite, sacred land - is gifted to foreign investors with an enthusiasm that borders on self-abandonment. Crime ravages our communities, unemployment and underemployment strangle our youth, and our immigration policy is a patchwork of reactionary measures rather than a coherent strategy for the future.

Are any of these issues being substantively discussed on the hustings? They are not. Instead, we are treated to character assassinations, historical grievances, and the same recycled promises that have evaporated into thin air the moment the votes are counted.

Why? Because the system works perfectly well for those who run it.

While the masses wave their party colors, a quiet and ruthless extraction continues. The major industries of this country - the engines

that should be generating generational wealth for Bahamian families - are predominantly owned by foreigners. We have become a nation of service workers in our own homeland. We greet tourists, mix drinks, and clean rooms, while the profts fy out of the country to build schools and hospitals in faraway lands. Our banks, many of them foreign-owned, practice a quiet economic apartheid, denying the very citizens of this country the capital necessary to own land, start businesses, or build equity. And what of our own government? It has become the gatekeeper for this arrangement.

Institutions designed to help Bahamians prosper are so poorly managed, so riddled with nepotism, that they are accessible only to the politically connected. The rest are left with scraps. The government preaches Bahamian empowerment while practicing land giveaways that ensure the next generation will have nowhere to call their own. This is the true nature of the “tribe.” The political parties are not vehicles for liberation; they are mechanisms of division. They keep us focused on the enemy within - the other party, the other family, the other island - so that we never turn our gaze upward to see who is really walking away with the store.

Many Bahamians have adopted a poverty mindset disguised as contentment. They say, “I have a comfortable life. I have a car, a phone, and a place to rent.

So what if I don’t own the ground beneath my feet?” This is the delusion in its fnal stage. We have confused access with ownership, comfort with wealth. The truth is that the vast majority of us are one weekly salary away from bankruptcy. One health crisis away from destitution. We own nothing

and have been convinced that this is happiness. Meanwhile, the political and oligarchic class - alongside their foreign partners - continue to reap the harvest of a nation they do not love, served by a populace too busy cheering for their team to notice they are being picked clean.

This country is hurtling down the well-worn path of the third world. It is a road paved with good intentions and signed legislation, but it leads only to the same destination. A land where the many serve the few, where resources are extracted, and where the people are left with nothing but their pride and their politics.

How long will this continue? How many election cycles must pass before we realise that the noise never changes and our condition never improves? How long will we be happy owning nothing, fghting for nothing, while our country is signed away piece by piece?

It is time for the Bahamas to wake up. It is time to stop looking for saviors in the same faces and the same parties that built this bus of despair.

We need leadership that will slam on the brakes. Leadership that will turn this vehicle in a direction that leads to economic independence, genuine governmental reform, and a system that resembles a developed nation rather than a colonial outpost dressed in modern clothing. We must demand a discussion on the issues that matter. We must reject the tribal wars that serve only to distract us. We must decide, once and for all, that we will not be happy until we own a piece of the country we call home.

The future is not yet written. But if we walk blindly into this election singing the same old songs, we will get exactly what we have always gotten: Nothing.

Vote as if your country depends on it because it does.

RABBI COMMON ZENSE

Freeport, Grand Bahama February 16, 2026.

e soul of our nation is on trial

not surprised at how lopsided this deal is in favor of China. China EXIM Bank is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. China President Xi Jinping is a Marxist-Leninist. His Marxist political party is currently rewriting the Bible. There have been talks about both the PLP and the FNM honoring Lent. Well, Bahamians should know that in China Christians are not allowed to worship at any church not afliated with the Chinese Communist Party. And there are only two religious institutions that are recognised by the state: Patriotic Catholic Association and the Protestant Three-Self Patriotic Movement. Last year about 30 Chinese pastors who led house churches were arrested by the government. I just thought that this information should be conveyed to the readership of this daily. We have absolutely nothing in common with the Chinese government. I wish the government would have sought fnancing elsewhere. I believe that the Chinese are playing Bahamians for fools.

KEVIN EVANS

Freeport, Grand Bahama

February 18, 2026

EDITOR, The Tribune. THE recent sentencing of the man convicted of killing Adriel Moxey has stirred deep emotions across our nation. For many, the lengthy prison term brought a measure of relief — a sense that justice has, in some way, been served. But let us not deceive ourselves: no prison term, no matter how long, can resurrect a life taken or return a daughter to her mother’s embrace.

Adriel did not deserve such a horrifc death. She should be here — laughing with friends, playing in the schoolyard, singing her favorite songs, dancing without care, growing into the fullness of her gifts. Instead, her light was extinguished, and her time with us was cut tragically short.

Though I never had the privilege of meeting Adriel, hearing how vibrant and gifted she was piercing my heart. Her absence weighs heavily. While her mother may fnd some comfort in knowing the man responsible will spend decades behind bars, she carries a wound that will never fully heal. No parent should have to bury a child — especially one whose life had barely begun.

Bahamas, we have dropped the ball.

Not only with Adriel, but with the many children whose lives have been cut short in recent years. We mourn briefy, protest

momentarily, pray publicly — and then grow quiet again. This pattern is far too familiar. Painful as it is, the truth must be faced: our outrage has not become sustained action. We must do more — all of us. Not just the police. Not just the courts. Not just social services. Every one of us. We must become a true village again.

Whether or not we know a child’s name, their safety must concern us. A suspicious situation cannot be dismissed as “none of my business.” A struggling single mother cannot be “not my problem.” A vulnerable child cannot be “someone else’s responsibility.” Community must be more than a word spoken at funerals — it must be a practice we live daily. Some may say it is too harsh to declare that no child is truly safe. But when we examine these recurring tragedies, we must admit we have not done enough. This is not about blaming one institution or individual. It is about acknowledging a collective failure — a failure to intervene sooner, to check in more often, to build systems that are proactive rather than reactive.

Perhaps this tragedy could not have been prevented in every detail, but in some measure it might have been avoided if we had paid closer attention, been more involved, and

extended tangible support where it was needed.

As Nelson Mandela said, “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.” If that is true — and it is — we must confront what these tragedies reveal about us.

This is our reckoning.

No policy announcement, court ruling, or social media tribute can fll the emptiness left behind. But we can ensure that Adriel’s name becomes more than a memory recalled when the next tragedy strikes. Let her name be a turning point.

Let it move us beyond words — into sustained mentorship, vigilant communities, stronger advocacy for child protection, meaningful support for vulnerable families, and intentional conversations with our sons and daughters about respect, accountability, and self-control.

We cannot aford to drop the ball again. For Adriel. For every child whose laughter still flls our playgrounds.

For every parent who trusts this nation to be a safe place to raise a child. The soul of our nation depends on what we do next.

SAVE OUR CHILDREN ALLIANCE Nassau, February 17, 2026.

FNM: Bahamians will bear cost of

PLP’s ‘bad deals’ on energy reform

THE Free National Movement has accused the Davis administration of locking Bahamians into “bad deals” that could push electricity costs as high as 50 to 55 cents per kilowatt-hour and saddle consumers with a recurring $1m monthly burden.

In a statement yesterday, FNM leader Michael Pintard said the party has begun reviewing 3,260 pages of energy reform agreements recently released and claimed the documents reveal arrangements designed to favour private interests over the public.

“What we can already tell the Bahamian people is this: these are bad deals,” Mr Pintard said. “And when you see who benefts and who pays, it will be clear that these agreements were structured with private interests in mind, not yours.”

At the centre of the FNM’s criticism are the contracted generation rates under the new power purchase agreements. Mr Pintard said some agreements reach as high as 30.4 cents per kilowatt-hour for certain islands.

“The mathematics are straightforward,” he said.

“When you add fuel surcharges on top of these base rates, Bahamian consumers could face a combined cost of up to 50 to 55 cents per kilowatt-hour. That is not modernisation, that is a generational tax on every household, every business, every school, and every

“When you add fuel surcharges on top of these base rates, Bahamian consumers could face a combined cost of up to 50 to 55 cents per kilowatt-hour.”

hospital in this country.”

The FNM cited a rate of 22.96 cents per kilowatt-hour from the Power Purchase Agreement between Bahamas Power and Light and Energy Bahamas Holdings Limited. It said the 30.4 cents fgure refects the efective calculated rate for Cat Island based on its analysis of the agreements.

Mr Pintard also argued that the agreements lack meaningful enforcement mechanisms.

“In any legitimate public-private partnership of this scale, one principle is non-negotiable: clear, enforceable performance standards,” he said. “If a private company is being paid public money over 20 to 25 years, the public must

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have the right to measure what it is getting and to get its money back, or terminate the arrangement, if the company fails to deliver.”

He said the performance

indicators and liquidated damages provisions in the documents reviewed so far fall below what comparable international agreements require.

“In plain terms: these private companies have been handed guaranteed payments with no efective mechanism to hold them accountable,” Mr Pintard said.

The FNM further raised concerns about the cost of the government’s policy providing the frst 200 kilowatt-hours of electricity free to residential customers. It said that amounts to roughly 17 million kilowatt-hours per month for which BPL collects no revenue.

Under the new arrangements, Bahamas Grid Company will bill BPL 5.5 cents per kilowatt-hour for every unit transmitted, including those provided free to consumers, the FNM said. The party estimates that could cost about $1m per month.

“That someone is the Bahamian people,” Mr Pintard said, referring to

who would ultimately bear the cost.

He called on the government to release detailed billing models and revenue projections if it disputes the FNM’s estimates.

The statement also alleged that multiple private entities stand to beneft from comfort letters, minimum of-take guarantees and long-term provisions embedded in the agreements.

“We will name them. We will follow the money. And we will ask, on behalf of the Bahamian people, the question this government refuses to answer: whose interests do these deals actually serve?” Mr Pintard said. The FNM described its fndings as preliminary and said it will continue reviewing the 3,260-page document release and issue further statements.

Union returns to bargaining table with Bridge Authority amid ‘uneasy truce’

By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Communications and Public

Ofcers Union is returning to the bargaining table with the Bridge Authority after management reversed decisions the union said breached an industrial agreement that expired in December 2024.

But union president Sherry Benjamin made clear the truce is uneasy.

“It was a win in terms of us protecting the rights of our members,” Ms Benjamin said. “But this is not the frst time that they would have breached in

that sort of way. We would have called them out on it and they would have reversed their decision. It is a repeated cycle.”

Negotiations for a new agreement began in March 2025 and have stretched on for nearly a year. Talks stalled around June over an unresolved clause. More recently, tensions fared not over the outstanding provision but over what the union described as violations of the existing contract.

The BCPOU walked out of a recent meeting after raising those concerns.

One dispute involved a union member who was sent home and later had his

salary deducted, the union said, without the grievance procedure being followed.

“There is a grievance process outlined in the industrial agreement and we expect that that grievance process be followed,” Ms Benjamin said. “He asked for union representation and it was denied. They sent him home and deducted his salary. We asked them to reverse that decision and give him back his money.”

The union also objected to certain positions being advertised externally without frst being posted internally or discussed with the union regarding salary scales.

“If there is a position that is vacant, it must be advertised internally frst,” Ms Benjamin said. “If you are creating a new position, sit with the union and negotiate the salary scale. You cannot unilaterally decide what salaries those new positions should take.”

After the walkout, the union sent a letter outlining what it said were breaches and setting conditions for a return to negotiations.

Ms Benjamin said management subsequently agreed in writing to reverse the disciplinary action and adhere to the industrial agreement.

“They have agreed that they are going to abide by the industrial agreement

going forward,” she said. “We will honour our commitment to get back to the table because they have reversed the decisions that caused us to walk out.”

Still, she warned that trust remains fragile.

“If management is going to repeatedly ignore the industrial agreement and do whatever they feel like doing, then why should we sit to negotiate another agreement,” Ms Benjamin said. “We need them to fx what is broken now so that we can complete the process.”

The Tribune understands that Chief Labour Consultant Bernard Evans has been mediating between

the parties following earlier intervention by a deputy permanent secretary, who urged both sides to resume negotiations and complete the agreement. The current industrial agreement expired nearly a year ago. The union previously fled a trade dispute over a separate clause relating to salary increments, which remains before a tribunal. About 40 employees are afected by the stalled negotiations.

Ms Benjamin said the union hopes to conclude the agreement soon, but made clear that it expects management to honour its written commitments as talks resume.

Prison officer denies smuggling drugs and contraband into jail

By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

PROSECUTORS have closed their case in the drug smuggling trial of prison ofcer Tomico Major, with the defence indicating it intends to fle a no-case submission before Senior Magistrate Raquel Whyms. Major, 47, denies allegations that he smuggled marijuana, alcohol and cigarettes into the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. He faces two counts of taking prohibited articles — cigarettes and alcohol — into a correctional facility and one count of possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply. The alleged prison

incident occurred on March 31, 2025.

Sergeant Leslie Wilson of the Drug Enforcement Unit told the court that on April 4, 2025, he went to the correctional facility after being contacted by a trainee ofcer. He said he was handed a black garbage bag containing two blue bottles of suspected Gordon’s alcohol, two packs of rolling papers, fve packs of cigarettes, a white bleach bottle and six plastic packages containing suspected marijuana. Sgt Wilson said the marijuana weighed approximately 1.5 pounds. The items were labelled and dated for identifcation. The court also heard from Detective Inspector Devon Clark, who testifed

that on April 9, ofcers executed a search warrant at 115 Lumumba Lane. A police canine alerted ofcers to a macaroni box inside a kitchen cupboard, where suspected marijuana wrapped in plastic was allegedly discovered. Additional suspected marijuana was reportedly found beneath an open bathroom window in the enclosed backyard. All occupants were arrested and cautioned. A search of Major allegedly revealed $3,280 in cash, which police seized as suspected proceeds of crime.

Sgt Wilson testifed that Major told police he saw inmate Eric Gordon pick up a garbage bag from a grassy area but maintained he did not know the bag contained marijuana. He

also denied knowledge of drugs allegedly found at the Lumumba Lane residence and said the money found on him was from his savings.

Other occupants of the residence declined to participate in recorded interviews and responded “no comment” to questions, the court heard. Sgt Wilson confrmed none of the accused signed their records of interview.

Under cross-examination, defence attorney Bjorn Ferguson questioned Sgt Wilson about aspects of the investigation.

Sgt Wilson confrmed he did not personally visit the Lumumba Lane residence and relied on Inspector Clark’s report.

Mr Ferguson argued that fairness required the chief

investigator to attend the scene rather than accept another ofcer’s fndings, but Sgt Wilson said he did not consider it necessary. He acknowledged that fngerprints were not analysed in connection with the garbage bag or drug packaging and confrmed no forensic reports were produced regarding prints.

Sgt Wilson further admitted that although inmate Eric Gordon was located, he could not recall conducting a recorded interview with him. When pressed by Mr Ferguson, he agreed Gordon should have been treated as a suspect and interviewed.

Mr Ferguson also questioned whether surveillance footage was obtained or procurement records were examined

to determine the brand of garbage bags used at the correctional facility. Sgt Wilson said he made inquiries regarding the garbage bags but could not provide details of the brand or size and confrmed no surveillance footage was obtained.

Lawyers debated whether a negative inference could be drawn from any refusal to answer questions. The magistrate indicated it was not for police ofcers to advise accused people how the court might interpret silence and noted that not all magistrates necessarily draw negative inferences from non-answers.

The matter was adjourned to March 17, 2026, for further submissions from the defence.

$18,000 FINE FOR POSSESSION OF INDIAN HEMP WOMAN GRANTED BAIL ON STEALING CHARGES

By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

A 39-YEAR-OLD man was fned $18,000 after being convicted on drug possession charges in the Magistrate’s Court this week. Valentino Armbrister of Dignity Gardens, Carmichael Road, was found guilty of possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply and possession of dangerous drugs. The charges stem from an incident on February 17, 2026, in New Providence, when he was found in possession of Indian hemp with intent to supply. He was also separately charged with possession of dangerous drugs without proper authority.

By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

Armbrister was convicted and ordered to pay an $18,000 fne. He was also placed on 18 months’ probation.

A 20-YEAR-OLD woman was granted $2500 bail after being arraigned in the Magistrate’s Court on stealing and receiving charges.

Philesha Major of Pinedale pleaded not guilty to both counts.

Prosecutors alleged that Major, on February 12 2026, while at Paradise Island stole several items belonging to Anthony Carey. The items listed included an Bluetooth speaker valued at $300, a pair of Beats earbuds valued at $250, Givenchy cologne valued at $150, Boss cologne valued at $150, and Invictus cologne valued at $170.

The receiving charge alleges that Major received the same items, knowing them to have been obtained or appropriated by an ofence. She was granted bail in the sum of $2,500 with one or two sureties.

The matter was adjourned to March 25, 2026, for trial.

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THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2026

"So said, so not done" a better slogan for PLP?

By Malcolm Strachan

IT'S NO surprisethat the PLPcanthrow agoodparty.

The electioncampaign launch last week was certainly that. Andyet, thistime, itfelt like a misfire.

I’m not just talking about the fact the party launched just aheadofLent andthencommitted to holding nopublic campaignevents duringthe period ofobservation. Frankly, I don treally believe thatwill bethe case.Maybe no big rallies, butyou can be sure social mediawill be full of party and candidate promotion. The FNM says it s going tocampaign regardless,andI can t imagine the PLP will allow a vacuumfor the FNM to fill. No, more notable was the lack of bigselling points by theparty duringthelaunch. That s going tobe a hurdle they will have to overcome betweennow andelection day. One thing was particularly striking forthis so-called “NewDay government” (my WhatsApp wasfull ofpeople pointing itout): Timeand again, speakerstalked about the impactof COVID-19and HurricaneDorian onTheBahamas, even though those were the exact circumstances thathindered theprevious FNMgovernment. Ifanything, it was moreof an acknowledgement ofwhat this administration’s predecessors had togo throughthan a touting of its own success.

Prime Minister Davis has previously blastedthat FNM government for its handling of both those terrible disasters, saying in 2021 in the House that “incompetence matters. Hereit ledto moretragedy, more heartbreak, more anguish.

Withouta doubt,anysensible view ofrecent Bahamian historyshould notglossover the impactof thosetwin

hammer blows. A reportby theInterAmerican Development Bank and the Economic Commission forLatin America in2022 reported the costof COVID tothe Bahamian economyas $9.5bn, and$13.1bn for the cost of Hurricane Dorian. Bahamian workerslost an estimated$2.4bn in wages between 2020 and2023, affecting about15 percent ofthe workforce.

Allthat istrue. Butifthat isstillthe talkingpoint ofa government that cameto officeafter the immediateimpact, then the listof achievements is woefully short. It’s also a smokescreen.

Sure, there was a huge economic impact,but thatshould not have stopped a governmentwith amassive majority from passing or fully implementingat least some of the legislation thatit promised.

and led to recent headlines about failures to pay providers and healthcare workers.

thingabout thatpromisesince someoneputit inthe2021 election document.)

Weallknow howthegovernmenthas treatedFreedom ofInformation legislation,for example.

Marijuana legislation

whatever youthink ofit

seems to have dragged on.

Thesame canbe saidfor anti-gang legislation, which hasnot broughta singlecase to court yet.

Anti-corruption legislation ain t going anywherein a hurry. The Revolutionin Education” pledgedat thelastelection has seenno revolution, and very little evolution. Promises to prioritise health with NHIand affordable healthcare have petered out

Pledges of amasterplan for eachisland seemtohave come to nothing. Nowsome ofthepromises can justifiablybe saidto have beenhitby theneedforthe economy to rebound – you can’t reshape theeducation or healthcare systems without themoney todo it.Equally, there were some promises-suchas the “Home-SweetHome programme--which pledged toincentivise Bahamians to build homes throughout theFamily Islands asan investmentopportunity for second homes and AirBNBs thatyou cantotally understand beingput ona shelf until funds allow. (Not that Ithink we’veheard any-

The travertine quarries of ancient Rome building a new generation of temples

By NICOLE WINFIELD and FRANCESCA PRIMAVILLA Associated Press

TIVOLI, Italy(AP) Long ago,when Romans wanted to build a new temple, they would head to the nearby quarries of Tivoli, chisel out blocks of porous rock called lapis tiburtinus now known as travertine and float the cargo downstream on rafts to craftsmen in town. That’showthey madetheColosseum2,000 years ago. That s how they made St. Peter s Basilica and Bernini’sgreat colonnade hundreds of years later.

Today, thesame quarries thatbuilt Rome withtheir distinctivepock-markedtravertine are still being dug out to build a new generation of churches, temples and mosques around the world as wellas banks,museums, government buildings and private homes. While other countries have versions of the sedimentary limestone, Roman travertine is unique because it is quarried underground in thesulfuric springsandbasins aroundTivoli. Made up mostly of calcium carbonate minerals, Roman travertine wasformed hundreds of thousands ofyears agoby depositsof calcium, sulphur and other minerals,and shows the region's history of volcanic eruptions, forests and fossils in its striated layers.

It is prized by architects for a number of reasons: It s strong, plentiful and can withstand any number of climactic and environmental assaults. Dependingon how andwhere it scut, it

hasa varietyof looks:rough orsleek, froma warm white with irregular black holes to sandy beige with grey, brown or even greenish veins.

A new Latter-daySaint temple in travertine For four generations, the Mariotti Carlo SpA stonecutting firm has been carving travertine to order, fulfilling some ofthe world s most distinctive architecturalcommissions: theGetty Center inLos Angeles,the Bankof China headquarters in Beijing, the Great Mosque in Algiers, Algeria, to name a few.

On arecent workday,pieces ofa temple beingrebuiltbyThe ChurchofJesusChristof Latter-day Saints,widely knownas the Mormon church,are lying neatly onthe floor of Mariotti'sTivoli warehouse hunks of travertine carvedfrom the nearbyquarries and cut inmade-to-measure puzzlepieces thatwill be assembled on-site in New York City.

After providing the travertine for the Latterday Saint temple in Rome, Mariotti was chosen by thechurch s architectsto restorethe temple on Manhattan’sUpper WestSide.Thetemple sits acrossBroadway from LincolnCenter and the Julliard School, both built with Mariotti-cut travertinedecadesago whentherockfirst reached the U.S. market.

“Travertine isa classic stone knownall over theworld. It sabit likecarryingthe lightof Rome everywhere,because theway travertine reflectslightis veryspecial, said Fabrizio Mariotti, headof the familybusiness.

A quarrythat Bernini loved All aroundthe Tivoli quarries,the air isheavy with the stench of sulphur and the constant pounding, clinking and cracking of giant jackhammers blasting ancient rock into pieces. At theDegemar quarries, drilled down to30 meters (yards) under sealevel, bright blue ponds of sulphur springs

Some of thoseissues are low-hanging fruit, though, that couldhave beendone by any government witha large majority.The promiseson equality could have been stampedthrough butwere not.

So,when thegovernment now comes back to the people and--straightout ofthegate-starts talkingabout theimpact ofCOVID andDorian, frankly, it s just showing up its utter lackof a recordto boast about.

It s even doingthe almost impossible – rehabilitating the record of the previous Prime Minister, DrHubert Minnis, who wastossed outof office in a landslide.

If indeed the PLP holds toits pledge not to campaign during Lent, then it needs to come out of the Easter period with a re-launch, and tostop talking about COVID and Dorian. The electorate is not going to care about why you couldn t do what you promised, it s goingto want tosee what you actually did.

The FNM s social media team is already out there, talking about howthere have been no new schools or clinics built.

Party leaderMichael Pintard hasnot wonthe heartsof voters as yet,but he’s been quick inthe wakeof thePLP launch to hop aboard some of the major concernsof the moment, talking last week of how the big issuereally is healthcare” and also “dealing with the issueof mentalhealth. Mental healthwas another issue that the PLP promised to address, but thathas gone nowhere. So,credit toPintard for spottingthe weakness. Frankly,he couldjustgo through the entire PLP Blueprint for Change” and pick off the issues wherenothing was done.That wouldbe agood start.

There isa feelingfrom severalin thePLPthat Ihave

spoken to, that Pintard is a weakness for the FNM and that he willnot win people over. But I think they overlook howsplit theFNM waswhen Dr Minnis won and became prime minister – having come through a period where the Rebel Sevenformed anew Oppositionin theHouseof Assembly and ousted him as Opposition leader. For the FNM tohave beenso split aheadof anelection andfor Minnisstill tohavewon shows what can happen when the levelof discontentwith the governmentis high enough. Anyqualms overthe leader can be ignored.

IfMinniswas abletowin, Pintard can win. The economyhas rebounded. There arethings the PLP should be boasting about. Weseemto havedonebetter than someother economiesin managing the rebound, even if we seem to have stalled a little whenit comestoovernight stays, for example.

Grand Bahama needs some big, big announcements and actual progressbefore the election ifthe partyis tohave a hope there (although I think it s unlikely the PLP can count on the votesof those being sent home from the Grand Lucayan.)

Itshouldalso benotedthat this government was voted in on avoter turnout ofjust 65 percent, the lowest in modern Bahamian history.A lotof peoplestayedhome. IfIwere to puta beton it,turnout will be low again. That should be a comfort to neither theFNM northe PLP. Perhaps the COImight gain somehopefrom thefactthat fewervotes willbe neededto sway the outcome.But more than anything it shows the disconnect andfrustration of voters.

Nomatter whatparty, people are tired of hearing promises andnot seeingthem delivered. And thatshould be a lesson for everyone.

pool the travertine residue as flat-bed trucks haulstone slabsweighing 33 tons up to street level.

It washere thatGian Lorenzo Bernini, the greatBaroque sculptor and architect, sourced the brilliant white travertineforthe 284columnsand88 pillars of the colonnade embracing St. Peter s Square, as wellas his other Catholic and Roman marvels.

Berninispent somuchtime hereselecting his rock that he had a home overlookingthe quarry,whichstill stands today.

The quarry’s currenthead,Vincenzo De Gennaro,reminds visitorsthat Bernini’stower stillfeatures thecoop for the homingpigeons that would transporttheorders tothequarryfrom Romefor themeasurements ofrocks that were needed.

Nowadays, the quarry is filling orders much fartherafield: thenew airportin Riyadh,Saudi Arabia,thenew headquarters of China's governing party in Shenzhen, among others.

“It isspecial, a specialstone because it is a living stone, a stone that is born in a cocktailof mineralwaters, De Gennaro said as hedodged earth movers and walked among the sulphur pools.

A 2,000-year guarantee

Lest anyone question travertine's durability, they need only look to Rome, he said.

There is the concrete experience of a civilisationdating backthousandsof years thatstands inthe lightof dayand hasbeen shiningundisturbed for2,000 years,” he said. “That is the guarantee.”

MarcoFerrero, professorofcivil engineeringat Rome’s LaSapienza University, saidpart of travertine’s appeal is that it harks back to ancient Rome and therefore also to the magic of the classical world.” He said it embodies Rome's spirit in many ways: Travertineissolid,resistant andnoblebutnotshowy like its cousin, marble, which doesn’t fare as well over time when exposed to the elements.

“We can make this comparison: Marble speaks to us inbeautiful Italian,in literaryItalian, whiletravertine speaks to us in Roman dialect,” he said. “It is truly the stone of the Romans. Andlike Roman cuisine, which ismadeup ofsimpledishes,often usingdiscardedingredients, travertineis agenuine andtraditional stone.

Follow the Money

What the Bahamas pays for US preclearance (and what it gets back)

THE US–Bahamas relationshipis oftendescribedin the high-mindedlanguage of “partnership.” However, at the airport, it s moreoften experienced through the narrow lens of permission. If they want to understandwhy somany Bahamians now describe US travel as a source of anxiety characterised byunpredictable questiottening and anatmosphere ofsuspicion theyneed tostop looking atthe law fora moment and startlooking at the ledger.

Follow the money

The US-Bahamasrelationship is built on cash flow, not courtesy. Byany practical measure, the Bahamasis a reliableand significantrevenue generator for the United States. Bahamians spend heavilyin theUSevery year on everything from wholesale groceries and construction supplies to luxury retail,university tuition,and high-endmedical carein Florida. The figure that should anchorthis discussionisthe US tradesurplus withthe Bahamas: approximately $4.5 billion. This is not a symbolic figure. This is direct economic stimulus flowing from Bahamian pocketsinto USbusinesses. Now,compare thatto what the US returns to the Bahamasin theform ofdirect

foreign aid and security assistance: roughly$2.5 to$4 million. From a purely spreadsheet perspective, theBahamas is getting the shortend of the stick. They providethe US with amassive tradesurplus, payforthe USborderfacilities ontheir ownsoil,andin return,its citizensfaceincreased scrutiny.

If that disparity appeared in a privatebusiness contract,it would be laughed out of the room. And yet, the public narrative stillexpects Bahamians to treatUS accessas a"favour" somethingto berequested quietly and accepted gratefully. A$4.5 billionsurplus isnot a favour, it sa commercial relationship. And commercialrelationships typically come with an expectationof mutualrespect and predictable treatment. There’san evenmoreuncomfortable realitybuilt into thetravel experienceat Lynden Pindling International Airport(LPIA). TheUSCustoms and Border Protection (CBP) preclearance facility was built and is maintained by the Bahamiangovernment throughthe NassauAirport Development Company. Furthermore, the operationis funded through “user fees” embeddedin everytraveller ’s ticket. In thesimplest terms, Bahamians arepaying forthe lightbill inthe veryrooms

where they are being questioned.

Bahamians areessentially the landlordsof theirown interrogators. They paythe fees that keep the machinery running, yet they often feel like intruders in theirown airport. It’s a sovereignty question that rarely gets asked: Why should afacility onBahamiansoil, funded by Bahamian travellers,feel likean offshoreenforcement zonewhere basic dignityis treatedas asecondaryconcern to"discretionary vetting"?

Sovereignty vs. convenience: The "protection payment"

The 2024 Preclearance Agreement was framedas a necessary modernisationto savethe Bahamiantourism economy. Thelogic waspragmatic: keep thepipelineof American touristsmoving or faceeconomic collapse.In many ways,the agreement was a "protectionpayment" to ensuretheir primaryindustry stayed afloat.

But pragmatism has a price. Sincethe signingof thismodernised agreement,they have seen an increasein "security hardening." Thisisn't just about longer lines. It’s about a shift inposture. Theyare seeing more Bahamians often those with decades of trouble-free travel suddenly facingaggressive questioning about Medicaid reimbursements, old police records, oreventhe birth circumstances of their children.

The most visible sign of this shift is the rise of the I-275 Withdrawal of Application. Framed by officers as a "kind"

alternativeto aformaldeportation, it’s often a high-pressure choice made by travellers without legal counsel. It leaves a permanentmark on a traveller s record,turning a simpletrip intoa legalnightmare. The irony isglaring: Bahamiansare aprimarysource ofUS commercialrevenue, yet the enforcement posture at preclearance increasingly resemblesthat ofahigh-risk border crossing.

The "Ask" for accountability The United Stateshasan absolute rightto enforceits immigration laws. However, the Bahamas has an equal right to protect its citizens from arbitrary treatment on its own soil.If theBahamas effectivelypays amulti-billiondollar "subscription"into the US economy, and if Bahamian travellers underwrite the pre-

Amazon scraps partnership with surveillance company after Super Bowl ad backlash

By The Associated Press

Amazon's smartdoorbell maker Ring hasterminated a partnership with police surveillance tech company Flock Safety.

The announcement follows a backlash that erupted after a 30-second Ring ad that aired duringthe Super Bowl featuring a lost dog that is found through anetwork ofcameras,sparking fearsofa dystopian surveillance society. But that feature, called Search Party,was notrelated toFlock. AndRing'sannouncementdoesn't citethe ad asa reasonfor the joint decision" for the cancellation.

Ring and Flocksaid last year they wereplanning on workingtogether togive Ring camera owners the option to sharetheir video footage in response to law enforcement requests made through aRing feature known as Community Requests. Following acomprehensive review, we determined the plannedFlock Safety integration would requiresignificantly moretime and resourcesthan anticipated,” Ring's statement said. “The integration never launched, so no Ring customer videos were ever sent to Flock Safety.”

Flock reiterated thatit never received Ring customer videos and that endingthe plannedintegration was amutual decision that allows both companies to best serve their respective customers.” In a statement, Flockadded thatit “remains dedicated to supporting law enforcement agencies with tools that are fullyconfigurableto locallawsand policies.

Flock is one of the nation’s biggest operatorsof auto-

mated license-platereading systems. Its cameras are mounted inthousands of communities across the U.S., capturingbillions ofphotos of licenseplates eachmonth. The companyhas faced publicoutcry amidthe Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement crackdown. But Flock maintainsthat itdoes not partner with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), or contractout with any subagency of the Departmentof HomelandSecurity

fordirectaccess toitscameras.The company paused pilot programswith Customs and BorderProtection and Homeland SecurityInvestigations last year. Still,Flock saysitdoesn t own the data captured by its cameras, its customers do. So if a police department, for example, chooses to collaborate with a federalagency like ICE, Flockhas noabilityto overridethat decision,” the company notes onits website. Beyond the Flockpartner-

ship, Amazon has faced other surveillanceconcerns overits Ringdoorbellcameras.

IntheSuper Bowlad,a lostdog isfound withRing's Search Party feature, which thecompany sayscan reunite lost dogswiththeir familiesand trackwildfires threatening your community.” The clipdepicts the dog being trackedby cameras throughout a neighbourhoodusing artificialintelligence.

Viewers took to social media to criticise it for being sinister, leavingmany wonderingifit wouldbeusedto trackhumans andsaying they wouldturn thefeature off.

The ElectronicFrontier Foundation, anonprofit that focus on civilliberties relatedto digitaltechnology, said this week that Americansshould feelunsettled over the potential loss of privacy.

“Amazon Ring alreadyintegrates biometricidentification, like face recognition, into its products via features like Familiar Faces which dependson scanningthe faces of those in sight of the cameraand matchingit against alist ofpre-saved, pre-approved faces,"the Foundation wrote Tuesday.

“It doesn’t take much to imagine Ring eventually combining thesetwo features: facerecognition andneighbourhood searches.”

Democratic Sen.Edward Markey of Massachusetts also urgedAmazon todiscontinue its Familiar Faces technology.

In a published letter addressed to Amazon CEO Andrew Jassy, Markey wrote that the backlash to the Super Bowl commercial confirmed publicopposition to Ring’s constantmonitoring and invasive image recognition algorithms.”

clearance system themselves, shouldthatnot buyabaseline standard of respect?

Thisisnot askingforimmunityor shortcuts.Thisis simply asking for: Transparency: Clear and consistent screening criteria that don't changebased on which officer is standing at the booth.

Restraint: An end to coercive "voluntarywithdrawals" thatfunction asunofficial penalties.

Reciprocity: A recognition that the$4.5 billiontrade surplus should earn Bahamian citizens a level of professional courtesy thatreflects their value as "customers" of the US economy.

The bottom line This is notan anti-American sentiment. It’sa call for professional accountability.A relationship thatproduces a $4.5 billion surplus for one

side and lessthan $4 million in return isnot a partnership it s an arrangement. The Bahamas shouldnot be expected to bankroll an airport enforcement zone that normalises the interrogationof its ownpeople. Ifthey re paying for access, they’reentitled to askwhatthat moneyisactually buying. It’stime Bahamiansstarted demanding that"respect" be added to the invoice.

For travellersnavigating complex US immigration matters or experiencingadverse outcomes atpreclearance, professional legal guidance is essential. Donnette Russell-Love, LLC providestargeted representationfor Bahamianand Caribbean families and professionals facing visa denials, I275withdrawals, andrelated cross-border legalchallenges. Contact ouroffice fora confidential consultation.

JAPAN'S Prime MinisterSanae Takaichispeaks duringa meetingwithTaiwan SemiconductorManufacturingCompany'sChairman C.C.Wei atthe primeminister's officein Tokyo, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026.

Taiwan's TSMC to manufacture advanced chips in Japan

TOKYO (AP)

Taiwan s chipmaker TSMC said Thursday it will be manufacturingsome ofthe world's mostcutting-edge semiconductorsin Japanto meet booming artificial intelligence-related demand, in a boostfor the country's chipmaking ambitions.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp., a majorchip suppliertocompanies suchas Nvidiaand Apple, said Thursday it plans tomake 3-nanometer semiconductors advanced chips that are used in areas suchas AIproducts and smartphones at its second factory in Japan s Kumamoto Prefecture, whichis underconstruction. The decisionby TSMC, the world s largestcontract chipmaker,was acoupfor Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ahead of a general election onSunday, where she hopesto securethe public s mandate for her policies riding on high ap-

proval ratings. The announcementcame whileTakaichi wasmeeting withTSMC's CEOand Chairman, C.C. Wei, in Tokyo.

“It is very meaningful fromthe perspectiveofJapanese economic security, and I wouldlike the project to move forwardas proposed,by allmeans," Takaichi said during the meeting. The advancedchips setto be made in Kumamoto will be usedin AI,robotics and autonomous driving, sectors that Takaishi’s cabinet has designated asstrategically important fields.

TSMC's firstKumamoto plantstarted massproduction inlate 2024and makes less advanced chips. The company also is building new plants in Arizona in the U.S. tocreate afabrication plant clusterand meet growingdemand fromcustomersbuilding onthe global AI frenzy.

Blizzard warnings cascade across East Coast with winter storm’s approach

NEW

YORK Associated Press

SNOW and rain began falling Sunday across parts of the East Coast, the first jabs of an intense winter storm expected to wallop the region through the day and overnight, with blizzard alerts and weather warnings buzzing in communities from Maryland to Massachusetts.

The National Weather Service said 1 to 2 feet (some 30 to 60 centimetres) of snow was possible in many areas, along with heavy winds and potential flooding in certain spots.

Blizzard warnings have been issued by the weather service in New York City and Long Island, Boston and coastal communities in New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. State of emergency declarations were issued in New Jersey, Delaware, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts and parts of New York as officials mobilized readiness efforts.

“It’s been a while since we’ve had a major nor’easter and major blizzard of this magnitude across the Northeast,” said Cody Snell, a

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meteorologist at the service’s Weather Prediction Center.

“This is defnitely a major winter storm and a major impact for this part of the country,” he said. The weather service had said the storm would start out as rainfall in some areas before turning into snow as temperatures drop. Some of the heaviest snow is expected to fall overnight Sunday, with as much as 2 inches

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(5 centimetres) of snow per hour accumulating at times in some areas, before tapering of by Monday afternoon.

The weather service warned that the storm’s strong wind gusts could cause whiteout conditions, potentially downing power lines and causing outages. The service warned of a “Potentially Historic/Destructive Storm” southeast of the Boston-Providence corridor,

writing on X that it was “very concerned” about heavy snow and winds causing power outages.

In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani warned of wet, heavy snow incoming — potentially 2 feet (.6 meters) — and said city officials are instituting a “travel ban” that would close roads to all non-essential traffic from 9 p.m. Sunday until noon Monday.

“These are blizzard

conditions. New York City has not faced a storm of this scale in the last decade,” he said at a news conference Sunday. “We are asking New Yorkers to avoid all non-essential travel. Please, for your safety, stay home, stay inside and stay off the road.”

Mamdani also cancelled in-person and virtual classes for city schools on Monday, calling it the “first old-school snow day since 2019.”

“And to kids across New York City, you have a very serious mission if you choose to accept it: Stay cozy,” he said. In addition to their robust plow operations, city officials have recruited people to shovel snow on foot, some of whom will begin work Sunday night to get an early start on the first wave of snowfall, Mamdani said.

Meanwhile, outreach workers have also been out working to coax homeless New Yorkers off the street and into shelters and various warming centres.

New Jersey officials on Sunday put in place an order lowering speed limits to 35 mph (56 kph) on state and interstate highways and will be in place

until further notice, advising people to avoid driving.

More than 3,500 fights were cancelled across the US as of Sunday afternoon, according to the fight tracking website FlightAware. Airports in the path of the storm were also seeing widespread cancellations on Monday, with almost all departures out of New York City and Boston already called of.

With the storm zeroing in, John Berlingieri scrapped plans for a family trip to Puerto Rico. Instead he was preparing his company, Berrington Snow Management, for what could well be a mammoth task: Clearing snow from millions of square feet of asphalt surrounding shopping malls and industrial parks across Long Island. Employees spent the last few days recharging batteries on the company’s 40 front-end loaders and replacing windshield wipers on snow-removal vehicles, before resting up Saturday.

“I’m anticipating at least one week of work around the clock,” Berlingieri said. “We’re going to work 24 to 36 hours straight, sleep for a few hours and then go back.”

Armed man shot and killed after entering secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, Secret Service says

WASHINGTON Associated Press

AN armed man drove into the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s resort in Palm Beach, Florida, before being shot and killed early Sunday morning, according to a spokesman for the US Secret Service. Trump was not there but was at the White House in Washington.

The man, who was in his early 20s and from North Carolina, had a gas can and a shotgun, according to Anthony Guglielmi, the

spokesman. He had been reported missing by his family a few days ago, and investigators believe he headed south and picked up the shotgun along the way.

Guglielmi said a box for the weapon was discovered in the man’s vehicle after the incident, which took place around 1:30 a.m. The man killed was identified by investigators as 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin, according to a person familiar with the matter. The person was not authorized to publicly discuss details

of the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Trump has faced threats to his life before, including two assassination attempts during the 2024 campaign. Although the president often spends weekends at his resort, he and first lady Melania Trump were at the White House when the breach at Mar-a-Lago occurred.

The man entered the north gate of the property as another vehicle was exiting and was confronted by two Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy, according to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw.

“He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with him. At which time he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position,” Bradshaw said at a brief press conference. The two agents and the deputy “fired their weapons to neutralize the threat.”

The FBI asked residents who live near Mar-a-Lago to check any security cameras they may have for footage that could help investigators.

In a post on X, FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau would be “dedicating all necessary resources” to the investigation.

Investigators are working to compile a

psychological profile, and a motive is still under investigation. Asked whether the man was known to law enforcement, Bradshaw said “not right now.”

On Sunday afternoon, vehicles blocked the entrance to a property listed in public records as an address for Martin at the end of a private road in Cameron, North Carolina.

Braeden Fields, Martin’s cousin, reacted with disbelief. He described Martin as quiet, afraid of guns and from a family of avid Trump supporters.

“He’s a good kid,” Fields, 19, said. He said they grew up together. “I wouldn’t believe he would do something like this. It’s mind-blowing,” Fields said. He said Martin worked at a local golf course and would send money from each paycheck to charity.

“He wouldn’t even hurt an ant. He doesn’t even know how to use a gun,” Fields said.

He said his cousin didn’t discuss politics.

“We are big Trump supporters, all of us. Everybody,” Fields said, but his cousin was “real quiet, never really talked about anything.”

The incursion at Mara-Lago took place a few miles from Trump’s West Palm Beach club where a man tried to assassinate him while he played golf during the 2024 campaign.

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Customs Dept holds drill and deportment module completion

Comptroller of Customs Mr. Ralf Munroe giving brief remarks at Drill and Deportment Module Completion.