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‘TAX THE RICH’ Minnis: Charge wealthy property buyers and scrap breadbasket VAT By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net FORMER Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday suggested that the government increase taxes on wealthy property buyers and eliminate value added tax on breadbasket items to alleviate the burden on struggling Bahamians. Dr Minnis made the suggestion as he called for the Davis administration to place greater focus
on how it can better assist the Bahamian people rather than attacking the work done under his administration. His comments come amid soaring inflation in the country. Since assuming office last year, the Davis administration has been critical of the former government’s performance, often attacking its response to Hurricane Dorian and the COVID-19 pandemic. SEE PAGE THREE
‘DOUBLE DIGIT RISE’ IN VEHICLE REPAIR COSTS By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMIAN insurers yesterday warned they are examining “high double digit increases” in auto repair costs to determine if an increase in motor vehicle premiums is justified over the medium to long-term. Patrick Ward, Bahamas First’s president and chief executive, told Tribune Business that the carrier will avoid any “knee jerk reaction” through premium price hikes in the near-term as it explores whether the inflation and post-COVID supply chain
disruption driving higher repair costs are likely to be long lasting. Describing the increase in motor vehicle repair costs, and insurance claim payouts as “significant”, he had previously informed the BISX-listed property and casualty insurer’s shareholders that current inflationary pressures are “presenting operational challenges both in terms of pricing our products and adjudicating claims. However, we are taking proactive steps to mitigate the risks associated with each of these inflationary pressures”. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
GETTING READY FOR THE ROAD THE MASQUERADERS team working on costumes for the upcoming Carnival weekend, with the Survival Weekend running from May 20-22, with the road parade on Saturday. See PAGE TWO for more photographs. Photo: Racardo Thomas/Tribune Staff
TEACHERS: USE WISDOM FIVE WEEKS OF RISING OVER SHUTTING SCHOOLS COVID CASES IN REGION By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas Union of Teachers is “closely monitoring” the spread of COVID-19 in public schools, its president Belinda Wilson urging the
Ministry of Education to “utilise wisdom” as examinations get underway. According to Mrs Wilson yesterday, the union has noted an increase in positive virus cases on school campuses or cases involving SEE PAGE FOUR
By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net FOR the past five consecutive weeks the Caribbean has experienced a rise in new COVID-19 infections, according to Pan American Health
Organisation Director Dr Carissa Etienne yesterday. This has equated to a 9.3 percent raise in cases and a 49 percent increase in deaths. During a virtual press briefing yesterday, she SEE PAGE FOUR
$636,000 BUDGET FOR ROYAL VISIT By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
THE government earmarked $636,194 to honour all expenses associated with their Royal Highnesses‘ visit to The Bahamas in March. However, as of Monday, May 16, approximately 96 percent or $625,186 of the money has been paid out. The payments were managed by the Office
WILLIAM, the Duke of Cambridge, with Governor General CA Smith during the Royal visit. of the Governor General in consultation with the secretariat.
A preliminary expenditure statement released by the government said the lion’s share of the funds went to New Providence vendors and businesses. That is $566,828.93 paid out in the capital, $50,063.92 to Abaco vendors and $18,107.15 paid out to Grand Bahama vendors. Over 100 individuals and businesses have been SEE PAGE THREE
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
FRONT PORCH: DEMOCRACY IS THREATENED
- SEE PAGE EIGHT
PAGE 2, Thursday, May 19, 2022
THE TRIBUNE
GETTING READY FOR THE ROAD
THE MASQUERADERS team working on costumes for the upcoming Carnival weekend, with the Survival Weekend running from May 20-22, with the road parade on Saturday. Photos: Racardo Thomas/Tribune Staff
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, May 19, 2022, PAGE 3
PASSENGER WHO LANDED PLANE SAYS ‘HAND OF GOD’ WAS WITH HIM IN this still image from video by WPTV shows emergency personnel surrounding a Cessna plane at Palm Beach International Airport on Tuesday in West Palm Beach, Florida. A passenger with no flying experience was able to land the plane safely with help of air traffic controllers after the pilot was too sick to handle the controls. A MAN with no flying experience, who kept his cool on board a small plane that took off from The Bahamas, says “the hand of God” was with him after the pilot collapsed at the controls. Darren Harrison, of Florida, told NBC’s “Today” show that he was relaxing with his feet up in the back of the single-engine Cessna after a fishing trip in The Bahamas when the pilot told him and another passenger: “Guys, I gotta tell you I don’t feel good.” “He said, ‘I’ve got a headache and I’m fuzzy and I just don’t feel right,” the 39-year-old flooring salesman recalled. “And I said, ‘What do we need to do?’ and at that point he didn’t respond at all.” Harrison climbed into
the cockpit and saw that the plane was diving, and fast. “All I saw when I came up to the front was water out the right window and I knew it was coming quick. At that point I knew if I didn’t react, that we would die.” Harrison said he reached over the unconscious pilot and grabbed the controls, slowly pulling back the stick to level the plane. It was a commonsense move, he said. “I knew if I went up and yanked that, the airplane would stall,” he said. “And I also knew that at the rate we were going, we were going way too fast, and it would probably rip the wings off of the airplane.” That, he said, was “the scariest part of the whole story.”
With help from the other passenger — a friend of the pilot, he said — they moved him out of the pilot’s seat. Harrison jumped in and put on the headset, only to realise that the wires were frayed and the plug was gone. So he got the headset from the other passenger. He reached an air traffic controller in Florida. Asked if he knew the plane’s position, Harrison said the GPS was out so he had no idea. According to Flight Aware, the plane had taken off earlier Tuesday from Marsh Harbour International Airport. The air traffic controller then asked what he could see. “I see the state of Florida and I see a small airport,” Harrison told him. At this point, he refused
to let fear set in. “When I was flying and saw the state of Florida, at that second I knew I’m going to land there,” he said. “I don’t know what the outcome’s going to be, I don’t know how it’s going to happen, but I knew I’m going to have to land this airplane because there’s no other option.” Harrison said he had to get home to his wife Britney, seven months pregnant with their first child. “People said what if you had crashed and died? You could have at least called her, you could have reached out to her, you had time,” Harrison said. “In my mind I knew I wasn’t going to die, and the thought never crossed my mind to call and tell my wife ‘bye.’” Air Traffic Controller
Robert Morgan, who coached Harrison into a safe landing at Palm Beach International Airport, told him the runway would appear bigger and bigger as he approached. At around 200 feet, Harrison said Morgan told him he needed to slow down. “At that point I told the other guy, hey take the throttle and dump it on the floor. Just dump it on the floor as far as it will go,” Harrison said. The plane touched down safely. “I said thank you for everything and I threw the headset on the dash and I said the biggest prayer I’ve ever said in my life,” Harrison recalled. “That’s when all the emotion set in,” he added. He said he offered up a
“thankful prayer for the safety and everything that had happened. But the last part of the prayer and the strongest part was for the guy in the back because I knew it was not a good situation.” The pilot was taken to a hospital and is expected to be released early this week, Harrison said. Harrison then called his wife, who wasn’t expecting to hear from him so early. She said that last year, her sister was six months pregnant when her husband died, “so honestly I took a deep breath and prepared myself for it not to be him on the other line.” “I told myself, God we can’t do this again. I don’t think I could do it again. And thankfully we didn’t have to.”
Minnis: Charge wealthy property buyers and scrap breadbasket VAT from page one A number of investigations have also been launched recently into government agencies, including the Water and Sewerage Corporation. While some members of Parliament have accused the government of targeting certain FNM MPs, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis has dismissed claims that his administration is on a political witch hunt. Yesterday, Dr Minnis was asked about his thoughts on the investigations related to WSC. However, the Killarney MP said while he did not know many details surrounding matters related to
the corporation, it appeared to him that the Davis administration “have been looking to find faults” with the FNM party. “Davis and his government recognised, they have checked and they recognise that my government had done an excellent job under the circumstances. You must remember that when we came in we were hit with (Hurricane) Irma,” Dr Minnis reminded reporters outside of the House of Assembly yesterday. “Our southern shores were threatened. We did something that was never done in the history of the Bahamas and even when we said that we wanted to do it, many said it was impossible. We air evacuated
individuals from the southern islands and no lives were lost. “We ensured their safety. Then immediately after that we were struck with (Hurricane) Dorian. In spite of that, our economy was growing and then after Dorian came COVID and we managed all three of those disasters efficiently. “Davis and those have been looking to find faults here and there and they are basically grabbing at straws and now we’re faced with inflation. Rather than them trying to denigrate or degrade or hit the FNM in any manner that they see fit, they should be concentrating on what the people are experiencing now, the high cost of living.
“The high cost of food, the high cost of gas, the high cost of unemployment. Individuals can’t pay their rent. They can’t pay their mortgages. They’re having great difficulty meeting these costs and Davis and those should be concentrating on how they’re going to assist to alleviate the problems that individuals are feeling and experiencing now because if they’re not prepared, then the Bahamas will be in for a difficult time over the next year or two.” Asked about his recommendations to tackle rising inflation, Dr Minnis replied: “I’m not here to solve their problem,” adding that his administration already had plans in place to deal with
rising prices because they had predicted it. “Inflation is not new to the world. So, one has to review history and make your adjustments and make your plans and properly communicate to the people exactly what they’re experiencing and what you’re doing,” Dr Minnis added. “They have essentially increased tax on breadbasket items but what they did is they decreased tax for the rich in that once you’re buying property for $2m or more, rather than paying 12 percent you now pay ten percent. So, what they could do if they’re looking for money is that they could put that back to twelve and the
extra monies that they would get from that one factor they can use that to alleviate the breadbasket items. So, they’re always asking where they can get money from, but they have a list of areas that they can obtain money from, it’s just a matter of them doing their own work.” Gas prices are currently at well over $6 a gallon at fuel stations in New Providence, with fears the number could continue to rise this summer. There has also been a spike in costs for some food items in grocery stores. However, officials have said there is little that can be done to offset rising prices due to inflation among other factors.
$636,000 BUDGET FOR ROYAL VISIT from page one
processed for payments to date, the statement said. A more definitive break down outlining some of the larger expenses included $76,141.96 to Wild Flowers for décor of the Royal Ball, school and One Montague; $66,440.50 to the Movi Company for large Jumbo screens, digital and electronic work at school, the Royal Ball and regatta; and $37,247.88 for Bahamasair’s air charter services from New Providence to Abaco and Grand Bahama and return to New Providence. Other big ticket costs were to Bahama Prints in the amount of $34,806 for Welcome Billboards, mesh, airport mesh; accommodations at Atlantis for the Royal couple and staff, Bahamian defence/police and protocol officers, inclusive of meals in the amount of $34,657.30; $29,480 to the Broadcasting Corporation for broadcasting services; and $21,000 to the JCNP for participants in Junkanoo event, downtown along with related costs. There was also a $12,000 price tag attached to uniforms for sloop sailors and payments to participants in the regatta event. Other payments went to smaller vendors. These were not included in the report. Officials also noted some challenges with expediting payment to vendors and businesses. Those challenges included, but were not limited to, a number of businesses and persons engaged were non-compliant in the government’s paying system, while some people submitted
inaccurate banking information, which presented challenges for direct payment. Further, some people submitted approved quotes rather than invoices for payment and banks themselves were challenging, the statement said. However, the government said there were savings and “tremendous benefits” to the country from the Royal Visit. “The Local Organising Committee realised significant assistance by not having to engage or issue contracts for government buildings upgrade and improvements as the Ministry of Works technical teams were very active and responsive in this area. Additionally, it should be noted that the cleaning of the main street arteries were upgraded by the Department of Environment. “Secondly, the assistance of Corporate Bahamas in assisting with the Royal Black-Tie Ball realised a savings of $100,000. Thirdly, the infrastructural upgrade was necessary as the public thoroughfares, public lavatories, etc, needed to be improved. All expenditure with respect to infrastructural improvement and upgrade will reduce the need for same as The Bahamas prepares for its annual independence celebrations.” It continued: “It is difficult to quantify the tremendous benefits of the Royal visit to The Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Over 40 international media houses from the United Kingdom and internationally graced our shores and recorded the wonders of The Bahamas, its beauty, charm and warmth of our people. “The soon to be National Sport of
The Bahamas regatta, was showcased to the entire world. Both the Duke and Duchess participated in the sailing event at Montagu Bay. Their Royal Highnesses snorkelling in the waters off Grand Bahama in the area of Coral Vita was breathtaking and is expected to yield significant results in years to come. This group won the His Royal Highness Earth Shot prize (in their) category as a result of growing reefs. “The Bahamas Junkanoo experience in Rawson Square was nothing short of spectacular, even in the face of inclement weather and since the onslaught of the pandemic. Their Royal Highnesses are on record as highlighting their visit to Abaco as the best of all experiences. They were most impressed by the strength and resilience of Abaconians following the passage of Hurricane Dorian. “There is no dollar value one can place on the recent visit by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Bahamians demonstrated that as a people we can entertain Royalty with class and pride.” The report said back up receipts are available upon request. The Bahamas was one of three Caribbean countries invited to host the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen on the occasion of Her Platinum Jubilee. The other two countries, Belize and Jamaica, preceded The Bahamas during Royal visits in the Caribbean region. The official visit to The Bahamas began on Thursday, March 24, and ended on Saturday, March 26.
PAGE 4, Thursday, May 19, 2022
THE TRIBUNE
World Bank urges schools to stay open By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net A WORLD Bank official has said schools should remain open, while unpacking how the Caribbean region suffered the impact of learning loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Human Development Programme leader Tim Johnston said while there was a learning crisis prior to the pandemic in the Caribbean there was now a need to recover ground that was lost during the last two years. Meanwhile, children born in the region could on average expect to reach only about 55 percent of their productivity capacity by age 18, despite enjoying full
education and health. For the countries where there is sufficient data to make accurate measurements, Caribbean children on average complete 12.4 years of school by age 18, but this was only equal to 7.8 years of school prior to the pandemic. He also noted the impact of COVID on school closures and the learning crisis. “The Latin America and Caribbean polled had some of the longest school closures in the world as a result of the pandemic and while the length and intensity of those closures varied from country to country quite a bit, on average schools in the Caribbean were partially or fully closed almost 57 percent of the time and if you add that up over two
years of the pandemic that’s almost equal to 237 days of school on average,” Mr Johnston said during a virtual briefing yesterday. He added that the attendance rate, even with virtual and online learning, dropped as compared to before the pandemic. “If you compare the beginning of the pandemic with just over a year later in May or July of 2021, their team estimated about one in four students were not actively engaged in any learning activities just over a year later despite the availability of online learning.” He highlighted the significant consequences of the pandemic’s forced school closures. “So, what was the
consequence of all this? There was online learning, there were challenges with it, but also a lot of drop outs and otherwise. A consequence is that there were significant learning losses in the Caribbean as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. “So, the stimulation or the estimates from our team is that Caribbean countries risk losing up to 1.3 learning adjusted years of schooling on average following the pandemic, but in some, like Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Guyana, and Jamaica, the learning loss is expected to be higher because the school closures were longer.” He included a “call for action”, adding that the World Bank had developed a framework called
‘RAPID’ to direct the course of action. It means reach every child and retain them, access learning levels regularly, prioritise teaching the fundamentals, increase catch-up learning, and develop psychosocial health and wellbeing. “First reopen schools and leave them open,” he stated “Second launch an enrollment programme to bring students back to school. Third, strengthen systems to identify students at risk of dropping out because particularly those students that have fallen behind may become discouraged and finally where it’s appropriate, think about particularly for the disadvantaged students, cash transfers to help students boost attendance.”
Lilia Burunciuc, the Bank’s Caribbean Countries Director, for her part warned of the impact if no action is taken. She said: “Schools in the Caribbean were closed for an average of one and a half to two years, which is actually amongst the world’s longest and we estimate 170 million students in Latin America and (the) Caribbean were deprived of in-person education for roughly two out of three effective school days to date. “If urgent remedial action is not taken, projected annual earnings of the average Caribbean student in school today could decline by approximately 12 percent over her or his lifetime,” she said.
FIVE WEEKS OF RISING TEACHERS: USE WISDOM COVID CASES IN REGION OVER SHUTTING SCHOOLS from page one
warned: “COVID is again on the rise in the Americas”. She went on to note: “New infections and fatalities of COVID-19 have been rising steadily over the past four weeks. Last week, our region reported more than 918,000 cases - a 27.2 percent increase compared with the previous week. Over 3,500 deaths were reported. COVID-19 hospitalisations increased in 18 countries, and admissions to Intensive Care Units rose in 13 countries and territories.” She added that more than half of the infections were reported in North America where cases have been climbing for the past seven weeks. The surge is driven by new infections in the United States which recorded more than 605,000 cases, which is a 33 percent increase. Central America saw the largest rise in cases with infections soaring by 80 percent. “Across the Caribbean, COVID19 cases have been increasing for five consecutive weeks with a raise of 9.3 percent in cases and a jump in deaths of 49 percent as compared with the previous week. Fourteen countries and territories in the Caribbean reported increases in hospitalisations,” Dr Etienne said. This comes as health officials last week previously said the country is in another surge of COVID-19. Asked what should be in place to deal with the case increases, Director of Health Emergencies Dr Ciro Ugarte noted the recommendation for continued
surveillance. He said: “We need to take into account and remember that the pandemic is not over yet and all individual collective precautions, including health and social measures, must be in place, but also they must be adopted to the level of transmission also to the new cases that are reported, the availability of health services and, of course, the vaccination coverage, particularly for the population at higher risk to develop severe disease or death. “In that regard, we recommend continued active surveillance for early detection of new cases, particularly the community level.” Asked what touristic countries like The Bahamas should do as the pandemic rages on, Dr Ugarte said: “Each country must adopt corresponding measures to protect their own population and continue to reduce the national and international transmission of COVID-19. “At the end it comes to the adoption of the most efficient measures that will continue to reduce transmission and social and economic impact of the pandemic.” He added that actions for early detection must be implemented to ensure the protection of those who will come into contact with visitors. “So it is important to establish that surveillance that we have already mentioned several times because in large epidemics when the virus is already present in the countries the most important feature is to early detect the cases that are community level and implement all the measures to reduce the transmission and control those surges,” he said.
from page one
teachers, students and support staff at various schools in both New Providence and a few Family Islands. She claimed that there were hundreds of students who were either in or remain in quarantine due to COVID-19 exposure. Her concerns were outlined in a voice note disseminated to the media. “Schools such as C R Walker, T G Glover, C C Sweeting Senior, Garvin Tynes Primary School, Stephen Dillet, C V Bethel, Arthur’s Town Comprehensive, S C McPherson, Laura Anderson in North Eleuthera, North Eleuthera High, Doris Johnson, Gambier Primary, Gerald Cash, Eva Hilton, all have seen one or more positive cases,” the BUT president said yesterday. “Again the BUT is urging our members to continue to use physical distancing and adhere to all of the health and safety protocols that have been laid out by the Ministry of Health (and Wellness). “We are closely monitoring the situation because there are hundreds of
students who were or are still in quarantine. Some schools had to close an entire unit or had to send into quarantine various grade levels or a full class of students.” She continued: “So, as I said earlier, we are monitoring this very closely. However, we want to urge the Ministry of Education to utilise wisdom as the examination dates are upon us. External examinations have begun and internal examinations should start very shortly. “So, again we are monitoring the situation and we will advise our members to ensure that safety is first. We care about the students getting their education and sitting their examinations, but we must also ensure that safety comes first.” The Tribune tried to contact Education Director Marcellus Taylor but did not receive a response up to press time. Earlier this week, Education Minister Glenys Hanna Martin said officials were discussing how best to accommodate students who are in quarantine. She said: “Certainly, we would want all of our children to be able to take examinations. If they contract it, it’s not
a fault-based situation. So, we’re discussing now how we would deal with situations like that, but, of course, the undergirding rationale would be to do all that we can to ensure that our young people can take their examinations.” This comes as several schools reverted to online learning after reporting virus cases on campus last week. They included St Augustine’s College and St Anne’s School which in letters last week said they were reverting to virtual learning. It was also confirmed that Queen’s College went back to virtual learning because of COVID-19 on campus. Stephen Dillet School in the days before suspended face-to-face learning due to an increase in cases. During a press conference last week, health officials confirmed more than three dozen COVID19 cases among staff and students at schools in New Providence over the last several weeks. However, the Ministry of Health and Wellness has said the cases did not reflect a community outbreak and as such, did not warrant campus closures. Mrs Wilson last week said there could be more schools with positive cases.
HOSPITAL LIMITS PUBLIC VISITATION PRINCESS Margaret Hospital as of yesterday has limited visitation from the public due to an increase in COVID-19 positive cases in the country. Patient visitation is now limited to two people for a duration of no longer than 15 minutes at bed time. A press statement yesterday said: “Based on the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ reporting of
the increase in COVID19 positive cases, hospital administration has made the decision to alter visitation policies. “All visitors will be processed via the Critical Care Block entrance and are required to adhere to all COVID-19 prevention protocols, including maintaining social distancing inside the hospital and wearing face masks, at all times.
“The Public Hospitals Authority and Princess Margaret Hospital request patience as we continue to prioritise patient and staff safety. “The public is encouraged to follow all advisories and updates from the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Public Hospitals Authority for further information regarding hospital service.”
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, May 19, 2022, PAGE 5
Pintard hits out at govt over food programme criticism By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net OFFICIAL Opposition leader Michael Pintard has said it is quite unfortunate that the government chose to publicise “fallacious” and “incomplete” information regarding the former administration’s food programme. Mr Pintard’s criticism followed Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis’ revelation on Monday that the government had no record of how more than $10m doled out to two NGOs under the the now disbanded National Food Distribution Task Force was spent. He also criticised the Davis administration for sullying the reputations of the many NGOs who had made historical contributions to Bahamian society at the height of the pandemic. “We listened quite attentively to the prime minister laying the food task force report on the table of this House of Assembly,” the Marco City MP told parliamentarians yesterday. “We have been, we believe, very clear in saying earlier that it is most unfortunate that the government has chosen to drip feed the public with fallacious details surrounding a wide range of issues, inclusive of the food task force. “It’s always a painful experience to listen to private organisations that historically made contributions to The Bahamas and private individuals’ reputation taking a beating and the perpetrators are no less than policy makers who
FNM leader Michael Pintard in the House of Assembly. Photo: Racardo Thomas/Tribune Staff are the caretakers of our if he had read the audit However, he claimed the country and by extension report that was laid, then government had no record he could see whether what of how the money was spent citizens. “It is possible to be I have said detracts from and could not get the inforresponsible and to hold anything that was put in the mation it required from former governments report. I’m saying that there the NGOs despite multiple responsible for the deci- has not been cooperation requests. sions made or the oversights and at the end of the day, While the prime minister that they’ve yet permitted I don’t have the power to did not name the NGOs, the to slip through. It is possible compel anyone to co-oper- auditor’s report indicated to hold individual organi- ate with me.” that it was Lend a Hand Concerns about the Bahamas and IDEA Relief, sations that are the beneficiaries of resources former Minnis adminis- which received $11.159m from the Bahamian people tration’s National Food and $3.988m of taxpayer without savaging the repu- Distribution Task Force monies respectively. tation of persons who are were reignited this week But, Mr Pintard took not in this place to defend after Prime Minister Davis issue with those assertions on Monday tabled an audit yesterday, arguing that the themselves.” The remarks later report on the task force in report never claimed that prompted a response the House of Assembly. $10m had vanished, but While tabling the report, rather had said that certain from Mr Davis, who suggested that his remarks he revealed that some $10m details were not available at were misunderstood by the of taxpayers’ money that the time. was meant to offer COVID MARCO City MP. He also claimed that He said: “Whatever I food assistance had “simply there was no evidence to have said, I noticed the vanished.” show corruption or othAccording to Prime erwise and urged the member said I’m smearing the NGO’s and smearing Minister Davis, the funds government to stop paintthe FNM, but you know – a combined total of over ing the narrative that again, that’s a view that he $10m - was sent to two non- wrongdoing was done. has deduced perhaps, but governmental organisations “So, as I listened to the what I have said, but maybe working under the task force. report and to the hyperbole,
DAVIS SAYS MINNIS LACKED CONFIDENCE TO TRAVEL AS PM By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net PRIME Minister Philip Davis yesterday chided his predecessor at Parliament saying the Killarney MP did not travel on the country’s behalf because he could not speak to people and lacked the self confidence to appeal to world leaders. The Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador MP’s blistering remarks came in response to Dr Minnis’ criticism that was directed at the number of times Mr Davis has travelled abroad since taking office. In his remarks to members of Parliament yesterday, Dr Minnis said in his view, Mr Davis had been gone from the country for two months out of the eight that his administration had been in office. Dr Minnis told members that at this rate, he estimated Mr Davis’ travel would amount to a one-year absence from the country by the time the administration reached its five year mark. He was of the view that there were many pressing matters in the country that required Mr Davis’ presence. When he stood to rebut the comments, Mr Davis said whenever he travelled he did so on “the people’s business”. He also dismissed a previous assertion that the travel had come at the expense of taxpayers so that he could see the world. “I’m happy to report that the standing of this country as a result of my traveling has been reset,” Mr Davis said in the lower chamber. “They didn’t know (about) The Bahamas
anymore and I don’t want to speak to some of the embarrassing encounters, but I can safely say that when I travel, I travel on the people’s business. “Seeing the world? I’ve seen the world. I ain’t just reach. I’ve been there and done that.” He also said: “When he travelled he’s talking about how corrupt the country was, remember? He didn’t go over there to talk about how we get into the geopolitical affairs of this world and how we could benefit and how we could stand up to the world to ensure that what’s for us, is for us and what we need to get, we ought to get. “And to let the world know the state of our vulnerabilities and responsibility that the world has to respond to those vulnerabilities. You ain’t gonna do that sitting in the chair here. “You ain’t travel because you couldn’t speak to people. You were afraid you didn’t have the confidence in yourself to talk to world leaders and to talk to people and put the case for the Bahamian people,” Mr Davis quipped. Dr Minnis responded saying: “(It is) very difficult for the pot to be calling the kettle black, so may I proceed? There are such things as deflection and I won’t be deflected, not today.” The Davis administration since taking office has been criticised, mainly in the political arena, for their frequency of travelling. Most notably there was a wave of criticism over the administration’s decision to attend Expo 2020 in Dubai back in January. The trip saw more than 100 people attend.
There was also criticism over the decision to send a delegation to COP 26, a climate change conference held in Glasgow, Scotland, last year. The prime minister has also travelled abroad in addition to these trips. However, the administration has maintained that it is vital for The Bahamas to make representations internationally to advance the country’s cause.
to the use of terms that suggest things that were not in the very report referred to this public by this prime minister, the chorus of this presentation was ‘read the report,’ the Marco City MP added. “But the report didn’t say that $10m vanished. At the time of the report, certain details were just unavailable. The reality is if any citizen, public servant, NGO or anyone associated with them engage in mis or malfeasance or anything illegal or unethical, any government is duty bound to clearly investigate and to take the relevant action required to hold them into account.” “We support that, but what we do not support is the presentation of incomplete information, leading the discussion with a conclusion that we have not yet arrived at and that is essentially what the member for Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador did.” “They gave the conclusion but merely just innuendos but made concrete statements about persons who sought to use the public purse to enrich themselves without putting on the public record the evidence thereof.” Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis also defended the work of the programme yesterday, warning that Mr Davis’ comments could make it difficult to attract private sector assistance in the future. He also maintained that all funds expended by the task force could be accounted for. “Should a disaster hit The Bahamas, God forbid,
they would be needed again, but some may be very reluctant to help this government knowing the path that the prime minister is following and knowing what he is saying about them. You can’t try to impugn individuals who are working for the country and doing their best to ensure Bahamians have a great quality of life,” he told reporters outside the House of Assembly. Yesterday, Mr Pintard also said it was interesting that the prime minister and his team did not seek to present the Auditor General’s report to provide Bahamians with a more wholesome understanding of the programme’s operations. “All of us would like to know the complete details and all of us want to make sure that no resources of the Bahamian people have been misused in any respect, but the prime minister has chosen to not travel that road,” he said. The Auditor General’s probe is ongoing, The Tribune can confirm. The report that was tabled and released on Monday was conducted by Kershala Albury, president and principal consultant at her own firm, ATI Company Ltd. According to Mr Davis, the report uncovered “18 categories of major deficiencies” largely relating to what he branded as poor record-keeping, lack of documentation and the absence of internal controls over how taxpayer monies were spent to feed more than 55,000 Bahamian families after the economy collapsed almost overnight.
PAGE 6, Thursday, May 19, 2022
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If there has been wrongdoing, then prosecute THE ongoing row over the role played by the National Food Distribution Task Force has been an unpleasant one. From the start, there have been accusations without solid evidence being produced to back up the claims. For example, there was the claim that there were no records of the activities of the task force, led by Mrs Susan Holowesko-Larson, only for extensive records to be shown to The Tribune and provided to the government. There was wild rhetoric, with Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis suggesting that NGOs should be volunteers and not incur costs, and making a lot of noise about nine percent of funds being used for administration costs – despite the average charity spending about 15 percent on administration costs, a significantly higher sum. So when Mr Davis made a new wave of accusations on Monday about spending on food support during the pandemic, it was hard not to take things with a pinch of salt. FNM leader Michael Pintard was also keeping a packet of salt handy, it would seem, and claimed that the government had decided to “drip feed the public with fallacious details”. Mr Davis made a claim, for example, that $10m of taxpayers’ money had “simply vanished”, having been sent to two nongovernmental organisations. Mr Pintard said of the report that had been brought forward: “The report didn’t say that $10m vanished. At the time of the report, certain details were just unavailable.” So is this like the records that the government claimed weren’t there that The Tribune was then invited to see? That is too early to say too. However, what we can say is that we agree with something else Mr Pintard had to say on the matter. He said: “The reality is if any citizen, public servant, NGO or anyone associated with them engage in mis or malfeasance or anything illegal or unethical, any government is duty bound to clearly investigate and to take the relevant action required to
hold them into account.” It’s as simple as that. If there is wrongdoing, prosecute the wrongdoers. But for all the sound and fury being spouted about how terrible these NGOs have been that came forward to help in the height of the pandemic, there’s precious little being talked about in the way of consequences. Where is the police investigation? Where are the laws being put forward to ensure such things never happen again? If you’re not seeing these happen, and what Mr Davis is saying is true, why on Earth isn’t there any action being taken? If money has indeed vanished, to the tune of $10m, where is the court case? Where are the theft charges, the fraud charges? And meanwhile, if transparency of accounts and contracts is so important to Mr Davis, why is his government failing to comply with the Public Procurement Act? Mr Pintard accused Mr Davis of applying “different sets of rules for others than what he is prepared to abide by himself” and one can see the case he is making when Mr Davis presents himself as a stickler for the rules when it comes to the food support scheme but his government is not complying with a law requiring the publication within 60 days of the award of a contract to a successful bidder. These two things do not seem to add up. So, for the avoidance of any doubt, if there has been any wrongdoing or financial malfeasance, then it should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. But if there hasn’t, and it is hard to tell with the piecemeal picture we keep being presented with, then as Mr Pintard points out, we are risking alienating the very organisations that have come to our aid in our time of need, and what will happen next time a disaster befalls our country? Who will we turn to then? So we’d better be right when we make such accusations, because if we’re not and we drive away the friends who wanted to help us, we may well have cause to regret that.
Judicial propriety EDITOR, The Tribune.
OVER a 30-plus year career in law and as a former magistrate, I am pleased to say there has been a steady positive evolution in both our judiciary and our jurisprudence. Unlike in the past, the present complement of our judiciary each possesses the comportment and temperament the esteemed position demands. They are in all respects judicious, something which those of us who are senior attorneys truly appreciate. The quality of the judgments in the Supreme Court has also markedly improved. Of course, there will always be dissection in the final rulings they deliver but the better defined and expressed rationale and reasons included in the rulings make it easier to accept or appeal than they have been in the past. However, as in any profession or any jurisdiction, the fact that there is still room for improvement was demonstrated in a recent matter that exploded beyond the courtroom to the public domain. It reminded us that it is not just the rulings that are relevant when trying to create the finest judiciary possible, it is also the practices and principles of those who sit in the highest seat in the courtroom. As practitioners, we tend to know the tolerance level of our justices to our arguments and our own personal antics. With experience we not only get a better understanding of the law but also our judges. So, there is nothing more disheartening for a lawyer, no matter how expert or experienced, than not being able
to defend yourself in the very courtroom where you make a living defending others. I cannot countenance being confronted with anything nearly as egregious as what was accounted in a letter to the Chief Justice penned by my friend and colleague Christina Galanos. While I don’t speak to the truth of the contents of the letter I am confident that there is no sitting justice of our Supreme Court or Court of Appeal who would condone or emulate such reprehensible conduct. I stand with each of them and my fellow colleagues who believe that judges as well as attorneys and clients should be accountable when they conduct themselves in a non-judicious manner. The power of magistrates and justices in the courtroom is almost absolute subject only to appeal, but that comes after. We are admonished upon entering this profession to present our argument TO the judge but never argue WITH a judge. We know that no good can come from alienating a judge from the soundness of your argument and sadly there is an unspoken rule never to complain publicly about a judge you may end up before in another matter. I say the power is almost absolute because there is accountability in the hierarchy of the judiciary and there can be accountable through public scrutiny. Mrs Galanos did the right thing although she felt constrained to do so. As attorneys we should be at the forefront to defend our right to loosen these constraints. Our timidity in the face of wrong
only perpetuates our selfpreservationist conduct by cowardice. The situations in which we see a less than judicious act by a justice are rare but that does not mean they should be overlooked. Every justice I have ever known has been hard-working, diligent, striving to do the right and honourable thing, knowing lives are at stake and their rulings matter. They have also been under-resourced so I what I am offering is accompanied by absolute respect for the role of justice. But justices, when they do err, must be held accountable just as we as lawyers are accountable and our clients are accountable. That means we must be more prepared to call out all conduct which has the potential to compromise the gigantic strides we have made in shoring up our judiciary. Whether it is failing to disclose a conflict of interest or coming into information in the absence of one or more parties to the action or failing to adhere to the rule of law during the process, the old adage that “Justice must not only be done but must manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done” rings true. Finally, one of the biggest challenges to the integrity of the judiciary is where one of its members fails to conduct him or herself judiciously. For this there should be strict accountability and if attorneys continue to feel constrained to call this out when it occurs it will fester and corrupt the entire process. TANYA N. WRIGHT Attorney-At-Law Nassau
TAYLOR Swift speaks during a graduation ceremony for New York University at Yankee Stadium in New York, yesterday. Photo: Seth Wenig/AP
Reimagining education EDITOR, The Tribune. THROUGHOUT its 47 short years of existence, The College of The Bahamas (COB), now University of The Bahamas, has been marked by tides of change. Similarly, in more recent times, we have had change thrust upon us as a nation; first through Hurricane Dorian’s devastation resulting from climate change, and then the catastrophic health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Globally, societies must embrace change by necessity, while creating change for sustainability. As The Bahamas adapts to a new environment and circumstances, we must forge a paradigm shift in the delivery of education and training. Recent disruptions, along with significant advances in technology and artificial intelligence, have triggered what is now being referred to as the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Unfortunately, many societies are attempting to maintain the education delivery system that was created in the 1800s rather than pivoting, leveraging technology, and implementing progressive changes. Pandemics normally happen once in a lifetime; every 100 years or so and spark changes that propel the world into a newly defined paradigm. This means that today’s academicians, as learning facilitators, have a once-ina-lifetime opportunity to be part of redefining, re-imagining, and re-envisioning educational delivery for generations to come. Today, one of the key challenges that colleges and universities around the world are facing is declining enrollment due in part to declining applications and fears associated with returning to face-to-face learning. Surveys reported in Inside HigherEd and the Chronicle of Higher Education, two leading academic publications, indicate that almost 50% of the faculty surveyed want virtual teaching and learning opportunities to remain. As it evolves and grows from a transitional period of emergency remote instruction, University of The Bahamas will be adopting the use of smart, interactive classrooms that will allow students to be taught using a hybrid approach, both face-to-face and virtually. Though challenged, our academic and training institutions must seize the opportunity to evolve, create an economic paradigm shift, and help lead the country in addressing transition and transformation through digitalization, online and expanded modular skills training. On a national, regional and global level, there must be significant expansion of online degree offerings, certifications, global partnerships, and dualenrollments with colleges and universities. We must capitalize on niche training opportunities and work collaboratively across disciplines, while engaging in new research focusing on the delivery of teaching and extension services and providing solutions to current
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net community needs that may not have even have existed before March 2020. As we adjust to this new environment, we must adhere to a model of research that expands certifications along with graduate and professional studies, particularly as new technological and artificial intelligence specializations are created. Over the past 24 months, on many levels, the focus has been on a return to what we considered “normal”. However, going backwards must not be our destination, or even our direction. There is no getting back to normal. It is time to focus on “now” and what we create for the future in the delivery of education in the 21st Century. Sadly, for the many children who have missed significant periods of learning over the past two years because of gaps in access to education, even heightened remedial interventions will not fully bridge what they have missed in their social, educational and emotional development. Moving forward, what is needed is problem - and project-based learning, student-centered education and individualization. We need to implement “Flexible Learning Pathways” across all levels as the 21st Century key to providing equal access to education for all and meeting the needs of diverse students. In the summer of 2021, the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) hosted a forum where Sustainable Development Goal 4: Planning for Flexible Learning Pathways in Higher Education was launched “to support efforts to promote equity and life-long learning opportunities for all by investing in flexible higher education systems” (International Policy Forum Background Paper written by Michaela Martin and Uliana Furiv, June 2021). The UNESCO definition of Flexible Learning Pathways is the creation of “entry points and re-entry points at all ages and all educational levels, strengthened links between formal and non-formal structures and recognition, validation and accreditation of the knowledge, skills and competencies acquired through non-formal and informal education” (UNESCO, 2015, p.33). To foster progressive and adaptable skills, all college students should be required to complete at least one Computer Information Systems course and learn how to work and create in augmented virtual environments within the first year of their studies. Conversely, this means creating an enabling environment to ensure that this is sustained. Academicians are being challenged to develop more inter-institutional partnerships, especially through new technological avenues. They have been challenged to reach out to colleagues around the world, creating virtual study-abroad options, and developing co-faculty
teaching opportunities. They have been challenged to envision engagement in more faculty and student exchange opportunities, using online, virtual reality, augmented reality and inperson channels. In this fourth industrial revolution, we must also stretch ourselves into exploring the widespread use of virtual labs, across all grade levels, as we prepare a new generation of productive citizens for a dynamic world. For the benefit of students at the post-secondary level, this should incorporate creating internships through business and industry; subsequently redefining and increasing avenues for faculty and students to learn and grow in this new era. Over the next several months and years, we will continue to see a transformation of educational systems around the world. There will be an increased emphasis on individualized learning through the use of artificial intelligence. As we increase the use of technology to allow our students to learn at their pace, under the supervision of “Learning Facilitators” we will see a blurring of the lines between the grade level systems that were created in the 1800s; what some have called a factory-model approach to the delivery of education. We will see systems with more flexible learning pathways that will allow young children to absorb more knowledge and information at a much faster pace than the traditional face-to-face delivery mode. We will also see more adults taking advantage of the use of flexible learning pathways. They will maximize the use of acquired knowledge, both formally and informally, while attaining new knowledge through the supervised and unsupervised use of artificial intelligence. Through all of these learning pathways, the evaluation of the acquisition of new knowledge will be completed almost instantaneously. Our brains are all wired differently. We should not expect our children to all learn in the same way. As a former school psychologist, I have never tested two children with the same analytical or emotional approach to learning. This is why, many years ago I helped teachers design and implement Individualized Educational Programmes (IEPs) to help children progress, at their own pace, from one level of learning to the next. Today, in a post-pandemic era, IEPs are needed on a more massive level if we are going to bridge the gaps caused by these most recent disruptions. We stand on the cusp of a moment that offers us the opportunity to harness accelerated technology and flexible approaches to equip our human capital for new age demands, to increase our capacity to thrive as a country. Our next steps are crucial. DR RODNEY D SMITH, President and CEO University of The Bahamas May 18, 2022
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, May 19, 2022, PAGE 7
ALARM OVER SWEETING’S CAY HEALTHCARE By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net KWASI Thompson, MP for East Grand Bahama, has again called for government to address the pressing issue concerning the lack of medical professionals on Sweeting’s Cay. He also pointed to the need for furniture at the Police Station in the Administration Building in McLean’s Town and a proper dock facility at Waters Cay. Mr Thompson raised these issues during his contribution to the Amendment of the Digital Assets and Registered Exchange Act in the House of Assembly on Wednesday. He indicated that one of the major issues Sweeting’s Cay residents are facing is the reopening of the clinic there. “The clinic is completed in terms of renovation, however, due to the shortage of staff and the need for other items, the clinic has not yet been opened,” he said. Additionally, MP Thompson stated, there is a need for the residents to have regular visits from the doctor and nurse. He said there had been two or three recent medical emergencies on the cay. The MP went on to note that the cay is about a 15-minute boat ride from McLean’s Town and about 45 minutes to an hour from
Freeport to McLean’s. Mr Thompson said thankfully the last medical emergency on the cay had not resulted in anyone dying. The MP said after sending a letter to the Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Michael Darville about the matter, they were put in touch with medical professionals who indicated that there will be visits for a doctor and nurse. “We are appreciative of a response, but we still continue to say it has not started yet, we want to keep it to the forefront for attention because God forbid something happens and there is a medical emergency and someone passes,” said Mr Thompson at Parliament yesterday. Minister Darville said they are fully aware of the challenges in East Grand Bahama, specifically in Sweeting’s Cay. He explained that the facility is near completion, but the challenge is to find residences for medical staff. “I can assure him, and the residents of Sweeting’s Cay, that this administration is very serious about providing essential services, particularly in outlying settlements. And through an IBD loan facility, we are moving diligently to resolve many challenges that exist, not only in GB, but in some of our far southern islands,” Dr Darville said. “The people of Sweeting’s Cay are very important
to this government like everyone else in New Providence and GB proper, and we will do all in our power to ensure services are fixed and up and running in the shortest time possible,” he promised. Dr Darville added that a nurse is on standby. On the matter of the Police Station in McLean’s Town, Mr Thompson said the station - which serves the communities of McLean Town, Sweeting’s Cay, and other communities in the East – is completed. He said the police are awaiting furniture to move in. The East Grand Bahama MP said that this has been an issue for a number of months. “They really want the furniture, and I am urgently asking the government’s assistance in facilitating and ensuring this happens,” he said. As for the dock in Water Cay, Mr Thompson said residents must jump off the vessel to get on land. He said that they wait for the government to assist in resolving that issue. Works Minister Alfred Sears explained that they are awaiting the scope of work to be completed. He also urged the Grand Bahama Power Company to ensure they complete work at Water Cay where there is no access to power. He said Water Cay residents are willing to go back and live there, but without electricity, there is no access to water.
GN- 2714
KWASI THOMPSON MP
PAGE 8, Thursday, May 19, 2022
A PROTESTER holds a sign during a rally against presidential frontrunner Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos and running mate Sara Duterte, daughter of the current president, during a rally in Pasay, Philippines, on Friday. Allies of the Philippines’ presumptive next president, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, appear set to strongly dominate both chambers of Congress, further alarming activists after the late dictator’s son scored an apparent election victory that will restore his family to the seat of power. Photo: Aaron Favila/AP “IN every region of the a deterioration in condi- obsequiously appease their world, democracy is under tions that will have global base and Trump. attack by populist leaders implications for the cause What are we witnessing and groups that reject plural- of human freedom.” in America? How cancerGiven the tremendous, ous is its politics and at ism and demand unchecked power to advance the par- perhaps innate, fragility of what stage? ticular interests of their democracy, viable instituThose in The Bahamas supporters, usually at the tions and practices, and who perpetually and often commit- blindly rush to fetishize expense of minorities and democratically other perceived foes.” – ted political leaders and a American democracy responsible citizenry are would do well to reflect on Freedom House. essential for democratic and appreciate the genesis THE threats to democ- resilience and survival. and history of our system of “Remember, democracy government. racy have always been myriad and often com- never lasts long. It soon Experiments in democplex. Today, as in the wastes, exhausts and mur- racy over the centuries and past, these threats include ders itself. There never was in different locales have authoritarians encouraging a democracy yet that did yielded myriad results, and helping to radicalize not commit suicide,” sug- with certain parliamentary extremists, who share the gested US President John democracies proving resilAdams. authoritarian’s goals. ient, though not without the Adams, like other need for reform, deepening There are antecedents to authoritarian leaders such democratic theorists and and modernisation. as India’s Narendra Modi politicians, deeply appreciOur purposefully and his Hindu national- ated the inherent weakness designed system of conism, and the Philippines’s of democracy and the need testation exemplifies Rodrigo Duterte, both for countervailing meas- Benjamin Disraeli’s adage: democratically elected and ures and forces to arrest its “No government can be potential decline and sui- long secure without a forwidely popular. People like strong- cidal instincts. midable opposition.” More pessimistic than men leaders, who employ Political power easily machismo and bellicose many other philosophers corrupts humans and instirhetoric. A recent news and practitioners of democ- tutions in every form of report described the admi- racy, Adams, the second government. Democracy ration by many female American president, offers survives or falters, fades or useful caution about the revives, depending on those voters for Modi. Countries like The threats to democracy. What who defend its core values Bahamas, which enjoy would Adams and other of rights and freedoms, the benefits of democ- American Founders think restraint of power, tolerracy, should never take of the current moment in ance for difference, the rule for granted how easily America? of law and other principles. The extremist forces on and quickly these benefits Democracy demands a can be eroded, just as we the right, including media shared civics. An underare witnessing around the personalities and politicians, standing of or lack therefore have been entering the of this civics in citizens and world. Freedom House further mainstream for a number leaders is determinative of warned: “Incumbent lead- of decades. The election of democratic health. What ers and ruling parties are Donald Trump was a kind constitutes a shared civics corrupting governance and of apogee, with his re-elec- in The Bahamas, in the spreading antidemocratic tion quite possible. United States, and in other The next congres- countries in the second practices across the region that stretches from Central sional election cycle this decade of the 21st century? November will bring more Europe to Central Asia. Suppose a shared civics “These actions are extremists to Congress, fractures or can no longer opportunistic, but are with the Republican Party be agreed in a polity? What often cloaked in an ideo- likely to have majorities happens when we no longer logical agenda. And as in both chambers. More share common values? Or they become increasingly Republicans in Congress even basic agreement on common, they are fueling will have to even more constitutional precepts such as handing power over to the victor of an election? The lack of basic civic education in many of Bahamians and the general ignorance of our democratic heritage and • Hands on, proactive household live-in constitution by a new genhandyman. eration of politicians over the past two decades is • Must have at least five years’ experience. more than worrying. It is chilling! It is frightening! • Will be required to perform some When one does not occasional driver duties. grasp nor appreciate basic norms, rules, conventions, • Must be able to carry out simple history, practices and princarpentry repairs. ciples, one’s unfettered egoism and the tempta• Will be required to undertake work tions of power are breeding both inside and outside of the property grounds for the abuse of which will include pool maintenance, power and the seemingly never-ending lowering of gardening, painting and ensuring the
LIVE-IN HANDYMAN
property is in excellent condition at all times. • Responsibility for the maintenance and security of the property during the employer’s absence. • Should possess a clean driver’s license and police record. Salary will commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Interested persons should send resume and supporting documents to: P.O. Box N-9240 Nassau, Bahamas OR email address: mediavacancy242@gmail.com All applications must be submitted on or before May 27, 2022.
THE TRIBUNE
DEMOCRACY THREATENED AROUND THE WORLD standards in every branch of government. The perennial threats to democratic well-being are today ubiquitous, including in countries with long-held democratic heritages, such as India the United States of America, as well as in Brazil, all among the world’s largest democracies. Writing recently on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s website, Stan Grant, Vice Chancellor of Australian/Indigenous Belonging at Charles Sturt University, and formerly the ABC’s international affairs analyst, proposes: “The 21st century will be defined by the struggle of democracy and autocracy. Faith in progress is not enough. History does not run in a straight line. Tyranny is always laying in wait for justice and freedom. “Power corrupts democracy. Power is to politics what atoms are to matter. The laws of politics are like the laws of physics. As esteemed Australian historian Christopher Clark – who has written extensively of Germany and World War I – said: ‘As gravity bends light, so power bends time.’ “ One of the grave threats to democracies has always been extremist ideologies, which typically utilises violence to meet certain ends. Across the globe, extremists are in full march, often with the full-throated, obvious nod and blatant wink, or other support of mainstream politicians, media houses and activists. The 2011 mass killing of 77 young people in Norway and the 2019 attacks on Muslims at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, were extremist attacks, which researchers like JM Berger have tracked in order to understand the base motivations of such
individuals. Berger continues to chronicle the “rising tide of extremist movements [that] threaten to destabilize civil societies around the globe.” His definition of extremism, as noted by Elizabeth Neumann, a former US Department of Homeland Security official, is “any time an in-group believes an out-group poses a threat to you or to the in-group’s success or survival. “And they think that hostile action is necessary. Hostile action can be bullying, it can be intimidation, it can be hate crimes. It can be terrorism. It can be war. There’s the whole spectrum of it.” The young man who brutally killed ten African Americans last week in Buffalo, New York State, is an ethnonationalist determined to preserve white culture from what he deems the existentialist threat of non-whites. There are many layers of tragedy, including that of those killed and the brutal pain felt by their families and loved ones. There is another tragedy: the killings are not going to stop in America, especially given its gun culture and the inability to enact more common sense gun laws. Just as there have been previous mass killings of Jews, Asians and African Americans, we are going to continue to be horrified for decades to come. Let us not forget the 2015 mass shooting of nine African Americans at Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. The killings by these white supremacists are a blood-soaked part of the violent determination to preserve white so-called purity and privilege in America amidst changing demographics. Such “purity” is based upon a master false myth about America’s founding and history. Marine Le Pen and her far right party in France continued to improve their electoral prospects in the country’s recent presidential elections. In both countries, the white privilege battle cry against immigrants, Muslims and non-whites is now mainstream. How far will the supremacists go in America? For a white supremacist worldview that inflicted genocide on native peoples, and sustained and fought a
brutal war over slavery, the manipulation and upending of democratic institutions and traditions to save its economic, political and social privileges, is near child’s play. Those like Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who believed he could appease and outwit an authoritarian like Trump, and manipulate and circumvent democratic norms in judicial appointments, might live to see the consequences, intended and unintended, of his craven actions. Are the words of John Adams reverberating in 21st century American history? “[Democracy] soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.” Is American democracy committing suicide at the hands of its own leaders as it continues to be beset by extraordinary inequality? Stan Grant laments: “Gross inequality is a cancer eating American democracy alive. In the richest nation on earth, life expectancy has been decreasing amidst what has been called an epidemic of gun violence, suicide, substance abuse, poverty and despair.” America should not be naïve. Just like other authoritarians around the world, Donald Trump pays only lip service to the US Constitution and to democratic norms. Given another chance at the presidency, he will continue to belligerently lead a white supremacist and Christian nationalist movement capable of more than a failed insurrection to secure and to maintain power. The conceit that certain things cannot happen in America is a dangerous one. Karl Hess, something of an anarchist and a libertarian, was Barry Goldwater’s speechwriter for his 1964 Republican presidential nomination acceptance speech. Hess placed these infamous words in Goldwater’s remarks: “I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice!” Approximately 60 years later, how might Donald Trump and the supremacists use similar language to defend their narrow concept of liberty? Stan Grant once more: “We are democracy: the demos, the people. As we bend to tyranny so do our institutions.”
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, May 19, 2022, PAGE 9
A different kind of politician for Washington
STATESIDE
with Charlie Harper
JOHN Fetterman doesn’t look like a Washington politician. And that’s an understatement. This former mayor of a Rust Belt relic and current lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania is an NBA-sized white man with a shaved head, goatee, visible tattoos and, to put it politely, an eccentric taste in clothing on the campaign trail. He has hardly followed a traditional path to political prominence, either. And yet, Fetterman won a resounding primary election victory this week to secure his place on the November ballot as the Democratic nominee for a US Senate seat from Pennsylvania that is critical to his party’s hopes to cling to its present precarious majority in the Senate. Fetterman was a Bernie Sanders supporter as long ago as the 2016 presidential primary campaign, and while he certainly embraces many parts of his party’s “progressive” agenda, he has made clear that he decides on issues on their individual merits. This giant man, seeming even larger than his six-foot eight-inch height by the way he dresses and his casual grooming, has built a reputation for something largely missing in American politics these days: Integrity.
ONE MILLION DEATHS THE COVID death toll in the US just passed one million, almost three percent of the total American population. That would be equivalent to more than a thousand deaths here in The Bahamas, where the toll is presently reported to be 801. Several American publications have studied the pandemic’s course and have reached some interesting findings. Here are some of them: The first death in the US was reported on the last day of February 2020. Within seven weeks, the reported death toll reached 34,800, more losses than in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars combined plus the awful potential tally of nine attacks like the 9/11 terrorist assaults Here’s what former Pennsylvania governor and Philadelphia mayor Ed Rendell had to say recently about Fetterman: “In part because of his history, in part because of his personality and in part because of just the way he is, he is
on New York and Washington. Within eight more months, the tally of COVID victims had exceeded 300,000, and that was just before January 2021, the worst month of the pandemic so far, when 96,000 Americans died. However, within six months by last July, that grisly monthly toll had dropped to less than 9,000. By the end of October 2021, fueled by the arrival of the delta variant, the total reached 744,000 and exceeded the number of Americans who died in the infamous 1918 influenza epidemic. Now in the grip of the omicron variant, the US is staggering again. And the anti-vaxxers and mask protests proliferate. a guy who a working-class blue-collar Democrat can look at and feel like he is looking at one of them.” Fetterman has run a strong, smart campaign, and has raised a whopping $16m through this spring. He has also made headlines by
JOHN Fetterman signs a campaign poster at the Holy Hound Tap Room in downtown York, Pannsylvainia while running for the Democratic nomination for US Senate. Photo: Mark Pynes/The Patriot-News via AP regularly visiting Democrats isolated in the hills and vales of Appalachian central Pennsylvania where Republicans have predominated since the days of Ronald Reagan. In a four-way race in Tuesday’s primary election, Fetterman captured 60 percent of the total vote. He won every county in the state. To win an absolute majority in a contested four-way race is uncommon, to say the least. Republicans, whose Pat Toomey is retiring from the seat Fetterman seeks, should be wary in November. They
may be facing a politician in whom voters may be able to believe. It’s presently unclear whom Fetterman will face in November. There was a three-way Republican primary race between a hedge-fund millionaire, David McCormick; a TV doctor, Mehmet Oz, and an improbably radical right-wing zealot named Kathy Barnette who is also a black woman. That race was close, and the two men are headed for a recount as the margin between them is really small. Whoever ultimately
prevails for the GOP is not heading for an easy contest in six months. Increasingly rarely, but still every so often, an American politician emerges from national obscurity to develop a solid base and generate real momentum that can prove to be irreversible. On the evidence so far, John Fetterman may be one of those mesmerizing mysteries. “At the core of his argument is that he is one of those unique candidates that really forms a connection with voters,” one party strategist told reporters. How refreshing.
GOOD NEWS ON THE ICE AND ON THE COURT IN FLORIDA A CHECK-IN with South Florida’s ice and hoops playoff teams is at least partly reassuring. The Florida Panthers took care of business against the Washington Capitals and Alex Ovechkin, who may yet break the all-time NHL scoring record now held by Wayne Gretzky. Ovechkin, whose outspoken Russian patriotism has put him on the wrong side of US public opinion during the Ukraine war, trails Gordy Howe by only 21 goals and Gretzky by 114. He is 36 years old. He is still a prolific and ruthless scorer, but the Panthers are becoming recognised as a ruthless team themselves. Once they got over first-playoff-in-forever jitters, they prevailed. Now the Cats face crossstate rival Tampa Bay, which defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in their first-round
matchup. The Leafs, one of pro hockey’s Original Six franchises, haven’t won the Stanley Cup since 1967, nor any playoff series at all in 18 years of sustained futility. The Leafs play in Canada’s great metropolis, have a rich if ancient history of success, and are certainly one of the most revered franchises in the game. Their long lack of success, especially in light of rival Montreal’s continued playoff relevance, has been a frustration for many hockey fans, in Canada and elsewhere. But the Leafs were up against a juggernaut in the Lightning, the two-time defending NHL champions. And now, so too are the Panthers. The Cats are not favored by many oddsmakers despite their superior regular season record. Their grit and comeback skills will be sorely tested by the
Tampa stars. In the opening game on Tuesday, the Panthers fell apart in the third period against Tampa’s relentless power play and lost 4-1, squandering their home ice advantage for the series. If you support the Panthers, it’s very hard to be optimistic about their chances. Meantime, the Miami Heat are hosting the Boston Celtics along Biscayne Bay in the NBA’s Eastern Conference finals. The Heat have had a much easier path to this round, and that can be an indication of ongoing success. Still, the Celtics, who have an even richer history in basketball than the Leafs do in hockey, are good. In dethroning the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks, the Celtics remained committed to their league-leading team defensive approach and got enough individual scoring
from their stars to oust Milwaukee. However, the top-seeded Heat have the overall number four rated defense themselves. And both of these teams are playofftested. The Heat will make their eighth postseason appearance in the past 18 seasons, while the Celtics will make their seventh in the past 15. Miami is looking to make the NBA finals for the sixth time in the past dozen years. Boston will be hoping to snap a streak of four straight losses in the conference finals, including two to the Heat, most recently two years ago. The Heat and Celtics should
offer a fascinating, balanced matchup. In the West, the manchild, 23-year-old Slovenian Luka Doncic, forced the Dallas Mavericks past the heavily favored Phoenix Suns. The Mavs will now face those wily championship veterans, the Golden State Warriors. Seth Curry, Klay Thompson and especially Draymond Green will likely prevail over Doncic and Company, but it was amazing to watch Doncic on the floor against Phoenix. He looked like a man against boys at many times, moving around the perimeter and then toward the basket with an easy,
almost effortless-looking efficiency. But Green and Thompson know how to play defense, as does this entire second-rated overall defensive team. Curry will light up the scoreboard. The Warriors should win. Who will they face in the NBA finals? On Tuesday, the Heat fiddled around for the first half. Then their talisman, Jimmy Butler, scored 17 points in a decisive third quarter that the Heat won by 16 points. The hosts cruised to a crucial firstgame triumph. If they keep this up, the Heat should find themselves matched with the Warriors in the final. That will be a treat.
PAGE 10, Thursday, May 19, 2022
THE TRIBUNE
Bail granted for man accused of cruelty to five-year-old girl
By PAVEL BAILEY A MAN was granted bail in a Magistrate’s Court yesterday after being accused of abusing a five-year-old girl. Renado Dorsett, 32, represented by attorney Barry Sawyer, stood before
Magistrate Kendra Kelly as bail determination was made for his charge of cruelty to children. Sometime between March 13 and 18 in New Providence, Dorsett is accused of physically abusing the girl, who is not related to him. After the prosecution
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requested a deferral on Tuesday to determine if the accused had a prior record, they confirmed Dorsett’s claim that his only previous conviction was for a COVID curfew breach in 2020. For that offence, Dorsett was placed on a one-year probation or risk a fine of
$300. As the accused had no other matters outstanding and the court had verified that the child was residing with her father, the prosecution had no objections to bail. The magistrate set Dorsett’s bail at $8,000 with one or two sureties
on condition that he sign in at the Grove Police Station every Monday before 6pm. Before being released from custody so that he could return to his pregnant girlfriend, Dorsett was warned not to have any contact with any of the witnesses or complainants in
this matter. Failing to do so or breaching any of the other conditions of his bail will result in it being revoked and his immediate return to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. Dorsett’s trial is set for July 8.
By PAVEL BAILEY
were accused of giving into the possession of Antonio Charles a $250 32” Westinghouse TV from the A&J’s restaurant on Exuma Street, New Providence knowing it to have been stolen. Since their arrest the TV was put into police custody. In court, both accused pleaded not guilty to the charges against them and elected to continue their trials in a Magistrate’s Court. However, after his plea
Johnson claimed that his girlfriend, Pratt, was nowhere near the alleged criminal act before her arrest. Johnson further explained that Pratt was only visiting him at his residence when they were arrested and that another man had stashed the stolen TV near his home. Johnson also claimed that he was never officially charged with the offence after his arrest on Sunday at 6pm. Despite his
frustrations over the whole situation, Johnson said he is most pained to see his girlfriend in jail over the matter. He told the magistrate that he was prepared to take all the charges on himself. While Pratt was granted $2,000 bail with one or two sureties, on condition she sign in at the Grove Station every Wednesday before 6pm, Johnson’s bail hearing was deferred to Friday. The trial for the two has been set for July 5.
COUPLE IN COURT ACCUSED OF RECEIVING STOLEN TELEVISION
A COUPLE was charged in a Magistrate’s Court yesterday with receiving a stolen item. Victor Johnson, 45, and Melba Pratt, 32, appeared before Magistrate Kendra Kelly on a charge of receiving. Johnson faced a further charge of stealing in connection with the same incident. On May 13, both suspects
ONE PLEADS GUILTY AS FIVE DENY DRUG POSSESSION By PAVEL BAILEY SIX MEN were charged in a Magistrate’s Court yesterday in connection with a single drug offence. Devon Ferguson, 36, along with Carl Taylor, 39, Tyrone Bastian, 36,
Carlos Colebrooke, 28, James Henchel, 55, and Joseph Charlton, 19, appeared before Senior Magistrate Samuel McKinney to answer to a charge of possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply. At 4pm on May 16 at Ferguson’s residence, the
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accused were arrested after officers discovered five and 1/2 ounces of Indian Hemp in the bathroom toilet bowl in 58 clear Ziplock bags. After their arrest at the subsequent police interview, they denied all knowledge of the drugs. However, in court, Ferguson was the sole accused who pleaded guilty to the charge against him while the remaining five accused pleaded not guilty. Ferguson further informed the court that the other men charged with him were only there to watch a basketball game that night. As a part of Ferguson’s plea of mitigation, the court was told that he was the sole provider for his four children as a landscaper and had no previous drug convictions up to this point. In view of this and Ferguson’s early plea of guilt the court was asked not to impose a custodial sentence on him. Following this Magistrate McKinney ruled that Ferguson pay a fine of $600 or face three months in prison on the charge. The remaining accused were discharged.
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Thursday, May 19, 2022, PAGE 11
Bill aims to expand nursing and midwifery By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
MINISTER of Health and Wellness Michael Darville yesterday.
Photo: Racardo Thomas/Tribune Staff
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THE Davis administration tabled the Nurses and Midwives Bill 2022 in the House of Assembly yesterday, which once enacted will expand the nursing and midwifery practice in the country. Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville told parliamentarians the bill was a long in the making, adding he was pleased to finally present the legislation in Parliament. According to the minister, the bill has been widely consulted by various agencies and as such, seeks to “catapult the practice of nursing from where the country is today into the 21st century.” “I am so pleased that finally this particular Bill is now being laid in this place,” he said. “It’s a combination of hard work that supersedes many various administrations and will take the practice of nursing and midwifery to the next
level of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. “The Bill has been circulated extensively through the various different agencies and this particular bill is a bill for an act to expand the practice of nursing and midwifery to continue the nursing council of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas; to provide for the training and regulation and registration and licensing of registered nurses, midwives and advanced practice nurses; to provide for the training, regulation and enrollment and licensing of licensed practical nurses; to provide for the regulation and licensing of nurses interns; to provide for the regulations of unlicensed assisted personnel and to provide for the regulations and registration of the licensing of nursing agencies.” He also said the Bill, once enacted, will repeal the Nurses and Midwives Act 1971. During his contribution, Dr Darville also thanked healthcare workers for their dedicated years of service
and announced May 15 -21, 2022 as National Emergency Medical Services week. “Our emergency medical technicians, paramedics, first responders and emergency nurses play a critical role in the delivery of healthcare services in our country. Theirs is a profession that is often taken for granted but if truth be told, our healthcare system would collapse without this critical support,” he said. “These are the people on the other end of the 911 call who handle in excess of 25,700 lifesaving calls per year. They are the emergency room on wheels and these highly trained experts use their specialised vehicles to save lives and give everyone in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas in their care a chance for better medical outcomes while enroute to hospital... and once again I would like to take this opportunity to thank the EMT team led by Dr Alvery Hanna for their commitment and hard work sometimes in some of the most challenging circumstances.”
PAGE 12, Thursday, May 19, 2022
THE TRIBUNE
Two face court on drugs charges By PAVEL BAILEY TWO men were arraigned in a Magistrate’s Court yesterday on separate drug charges. Keno Kemp, 31, stood before Senior Magistrate Samuel McKinney on a charge of possession of dangerous drugs. At 11.30pm on May 15 at Junkanoo Village on Arawak Cay officers on mobile patrol reported that they spotted the accused acting suspiciously. Upon stopping Kemp and searching him, officers found 14 grams of Indian Hemp in his pocket. In a subsequent police interview, Kemp admitted
to the offence and said that he had bought the drugs for $40. In court, he pleaded guilty to the charge. In view of Kemp’s early plea of guilt and his clean record up to this point, Magistrate McKinney bound him over to keep the peace, failing which he would be fined $500 or spend three months in prison. The other man, Raquon Johnson, 19, stood before Magistrate McKinney for the original charge of possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply before it was reduced to simple possession. At 6pm on May 16 on Melvern Road, Johnson was arrested by officers on mobile patrol after he was found in
possession of one ounce of Indian Hemp contained in 10 foil wrappings. After his arrest the accused admitted to the offence. In court, Johnson pleaded guilty. He explained that just before his arrest he had just finished working with his father. For his efforts, Johnson’s father gave him $50, which he said he decided to do something “stupid” with, which led to him buying the “weed”. While Johnson had a prior stealing and receiving charge the Magistrate ruled that he would be placed on an 18-month probation for the offence. Failing which would result in $500 or three months in prison.
MAN ACCUSED OF STEALING $8,000 WORTH OF GOODS By PAVEL BAILEY A MAN was charged in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday with stealing goods worth more than $8,000 from another man’s home. Daren Henry, 21, appeared before Magistrate Kendra Kelly on charges of housebreaking and stealing. Between Friday, February 11, and Saturday, February 12, Henry, in collaboration with five others,
is accused of breaking into Dino Rolle’s home on Poinciana Avenue. It was there that they are alleged to have stolen a refrigerator, stove, microwave, a brown bedroom set, a ductless a/c, a portable and a stationary generator, two bathroom toilets, one container of chair coverings, an electric handsaw and an air compressor among other things. The total value of these items
carries an estimated value of $8,750. Henry pleaded not guilty to both charges against him and elected to have his case continued in the Magistrate’s Court. His bail hearing was deferred to May 20 for the prosecution to review his criminal record. Henry was returned to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until that time.
72 MIGRANTS REPATRIATED SEVENTY-TWO foreign nationals were repatriated on Tuesday, according to the Bahamas Department of Immigration yesterday. According to a press statement from the Bahamas Department of Immigration the group included 62 Haitians - 46 men, 12 women and four minors, who were sent
back to Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The first Bahamasair flight left with this group at 7.40am. There were also ten Cuban nationals - nine men and one woman, returned on another flight to Havana, Cuba, at 1.20pm. “The Department’s Deportation Unit led both
escorts with all COVID19 protocols strictly observed as the health, welfare, and safety of our officers, law enforcement counterparts, and migrants remain the highest priority.” Anyone with a tip about unlawful migration can call the hotline anonymously at 1-242-502- 0574.
THE TRIBUNE
Polio outbreak declared in Mozambique HEALTH authorities in Mozambique declared a polio outbreak Wednesday after confirming that a child in the country’s northeastern Tete province had been paralysed by the disease. The case in Mozambique is the second imported case of polio in southern Africa this year, following a case discovered in Malawi in mid-February. It’s the first case of wild polio in Mozambique since 1992, although cases linked to a mutated virus from the oral vaccine were detected in 2019. The latest case in Mozambique was found in a child who experienced signs of paralysis in late March, according to a statement issued by the World Health Organization. Sequencing indicates that the case in Mozambique is linked to a strain of polio
spreading in Pakistan in 2019, similar to the case reported in Malawi earlier this year. WHO declared Africa free of the wild polio virus in August 2020 even though numerous countries across the continent have reported outbreaks linked to the vaccine in recent years. There is no difference between the disease caused by the wild virus or the mutated virus from the vaccine. “The detection of another case of wild poliovirus in Africa is greatly concerning, even if it’s unsurprising given the recent outbreak in Malawi. However, it shows how dangerous this virus is and how quickly it can spread,” said Matshidiso Moeti, the World Health Organization’s Africa director. In response to the case
in neighboring Malawi, Mozambique recently carried out two mass vaccination campaigns in which 4.2 million children were vaccinated against the disease, said WHO. Disease surveillance is being strengthened in five countries: Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Vaccination campaigns in the coming weeks are planned to reach 23 million children aged five years and below. Polio is highly infectious, spread mostly via water and largely affects children younger than five years. There is no cure for polio, and it can only be prevented by immunization. WHO and its partners began an effort to eradicate polio globally in 1988 and have missed numerous deadlines to wipe out the disease.
NATO TALKS WITH FINLAND AND SWEDEN FALTER - BUT CONTINUE BRUSSELS Associated Press NATO envoys failed to reach a consensus yesterday on whether to start membership talks with Finland and Sweden, diplomats said, as Turkey renewed its objections to the two Nordic countries joining. The envoys met at NATO’s headquarters in Brussels after Finland and Sweden’s ambassadors submitted written applications to join the military organization, in a move that marks one of the biggest geopolitical ramifications of Russia’s war on Ukraine — and which could rewrite Europe’s security map. The diplomats, who did not want to be named because of the sensitive nature of the proceedings, declined to say who or what was holding up the procedure. They pointed to the messages from many of the 30 NATO allies welcoming Finland and Sweden’s request. Lithuanian Ambassador Deividas Matulionis told Swedish and Finnish media that the envoys had exchanged views about their national security. “The discussion was about that, but it is up to Turkey to comment,” he said. NATO officials also refused to provide details. They underlined remarks earlier Wednesday by Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, that “we are determined to work through all issues and reach a rapid conclusion.” Meetings and diplomatic outreach aimed at resolving the problem will continue. US President Joe Biden voiced optimism on the matter. “I think we’re going to be OK,” he said. Turkey is the only ally to have clearly voiced its opposition — and while Croatia’s president on
yesterday suggested his country could do the same to secure a tradeoff from Western powers, he’s unlikely to derail the Croatian government’s support for the Nordic pair’s NATO accession. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan insists Finland and Sweden must show more respect for Turkish sensitivities about terrorism. He is refusing to budge over what he says is their alleged support for Kurdish militants. Erdogan accuses the two countries of turning a blind eye to activities of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, even though the group is on the European Union’s anti-terror blacklist. “You will not hand over terrorists to us, but you will ask us to allow you to join NATO. NATO is a security entity ... Therefore, we cannot say ‘yes’ to depriving this security organisation of security,” he said yesterday. Croatian President Zoran Milanovic said his Balkan country should follow suit. Milanovic is feuding with Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on domestic issues. “We should follow Turkey’s example,” Milanovic said. “Turkey will sell its NATO status at a high price.” Before Croatia’s lawmakers ratify the Nordic pair’s NATO bid, Milanovic — a socialist — wants a change of neighboring Bosnia’s electoral law in favor of Bosnian Croats. But Plenkovic’ conservative party enjoys a small majority over the socialists in parliament, and would likely carry the vote on Finland and Sweden’s NATO bids. The day had started off on an upbeat note in Brussels. Stoltenberg had said the military alliance stands ready to seize a historic moment and move quickly
on allowing Finland and Sweden to join its ranks, after the two countries submitted their membership requests. The official applications set a security clock ticking. Russia, whose war on Ukraine spurred them to join the alliance, has warned that it wouldn’t welcome such a move, and could respond. “I warmly welcome the requests by Finland and Sweden to join NATO. You are our closest partners,” Stoltenberg said. “We all agree that we must stand together, and we all agree that this is an historic moment which we must seize.” “This is a good day at a critical moment for our security,” a beaming Stoltenberg said, as he stood alongside the two envoys, with NATO, Finnish and Swedish flags at their backs. Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded that the alliance stop expanding toward Russia’s borders, and several NATO allies, led by the United States and Britain, have signaled that they stand ready to provide security support to Finland and Sweden should the Kremlin try to provoke or destabilize them during the time it takes to become full members. The countries will only benefit from NATO’s Article 5 security guarantee — the part of the alliance’s founding treaty that pledges that any attack on one member would be considered an attack of them all — once the membership ratification process is concluded, probably in a few months. A senior US defence official said the Pentagon is having ongoing discussions with Sweden and Finland on their security needs to deter Russia as they move toward NATO membership.
Thursday, May 19, 2022, PAGE 13
A BABY receives a polio vaccine during the Malawi Polio Vaccination Campaign Launch in Lilongwe, Malawi, on March 20. In neighbouring Mozambique, health authorities declared yesterday that an outbreak of wild poliovirus after confirming that a child in the country’s northeastern Tete province had contracted the disease. Photo: Thoko Chikondi/AP
PAGE 16, Thursday, May 19, 2022
THE TRIBUNE
Fox Foundation Lucayan
All-Star Weekend THE Lucayan Basketball Club, fresh off their recent college tour in Florida, hosted a successful Fox Foundation Lucayan AllStar Weekend at the AF Adderley Gymnasium. “We had the best male and female athletes from our public and private schools in New Providence this past weekend,” said club organiser Ricardo Lees. “This event was organised to encourage our student athletes to give the public an opportunity to view and support them.” “We also hosted our first combine, which enabled coach Baker, coach Nixon, coach Ernest, coach Sabds coach Moncur, Mrs Douglas Sands, Mr Cunningham and Mr Cox, to assess and evaluate our All-Stars as they journey to the top 60 in the country.” In the games played between all-star teams from the public and private schools, the private schools prevailed in both the girls
and junior boys games, while the public schools came out on victorious in the senior boys game. “At the end we awarded the top 15 players in each division,” said Lees, who is assisted by Tamaro Butler in the club’s front office. “Our goal is to help develop young people and point them in the right direction. “Basketball has been one of the tools we use at the Lucayan Youth Organization to reach the youth in our nation. Coach Butler and I are now working on our summer Camp and our summer trip and summer college tour. At the completion of the tournament, Lucayan Basketball Club recognised the following players as they presented them each with an award for their accomplishment: Top 15 ranked junior boys players – 1. Rayjin Smith, 2. Laterro Young, 3. Tashon Butler, 4. Marcian Pickstock, 5. Trey Clarke,
6. Cavalle Ferguson, 7. Raymone Woods, 8. Aiden Brooks, 9. Lee Miller, 10. Sammy Joseph, 11. Nathan Rolle, 12. Taj Stubbs, 13. Khaden Adderley, 14. Rhiaughn Ferguson and 15. Seth Taylor. Top 15 ranked senior boys players – 1. Bryan Rolle, 2. Don Stuart, 3. Tayshaun Wallace, 4. Elijah Roker, 5. Michael Albury, 6. Jamie Vil, 7. Leonardo Burrows, 8. Shabazz Hinds, 9. Andre Pierre, 10. Ralfie Madius, 11. Barett Newton, 12. Brian Carey, 13. Aaron Pierre, 14. Lavardo Saunders and 15. John Stone. Top 13 girls players – 1. Antonicia Moultrie, 2.Raven Nixon, 3, Leiyah Bain, 4. Dominiqua Rolle. 5. Jada Francis, 6. DoirRae Scott, 7. Gereniqua Bethel, 8. Traineia Greene, 9, Jonique Cunningham, 10. Azaria Smith, 11. Shanell Stuart, 12. Kovanne Strachan, 13. Tayler Smith, 14, Deshante Sears and 15. Claire Ferguson.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, May 19, 2022, PAGE 17
DEFENDING CHAMPION RUUD WINS, 3 SEEDS GO OUT AT GENEVA OPEN GENEVA (AP) — Defending champion Casper Ruud eased into the quarterfinals of the Geneva Open on Wednesday, while three seeded players went out in the second round. The second-seeded Ruud won 6-3, 6-1 against Benoit Paire to confirm his status as the favourite to retain his title after second-ranked Daniil Medvedev was beaten Tuesday by Richard Gasquet. Third-seeded Denis Shapovalov also lost his opening match, 6-4, 6-7 (2), 6-3 against Ilya Ivashka. In a match with few break points, Ivashka saved the only one he faced against Shapovalov and converted one chance in each of the two sets he won. Ivashka will next face unseeded Joao Sousa who won 6-4, 6-3 against fifth-seeded Nikoloz Basilashvili. Seventh-seeded Federico Delbonis fell to a 1-6, 7-5, 7-5 loss against Thanasi Kokkinakis, who will face Ruud in the quarterfinals Thursday. Fourth-seeded American Reilly Opelka ended a streak of early tournament exits in Munich, Madrid and Rome by beating Australian qualifier Christopher O’Connell 6-3, 7-5.
SWEDEN BEATS FINLAND, SWISS EDGE SLOVAKIA AT HOCKEY WORLDS TAMPERE, Finland (AP) — Sweden prevailed in a penalty shootout to edge host Finland 3-2 Wednesday for its fourth straight victory at the ice hockey world championship. Emil Bemstrom was the only player to score in the shootout to lift Sweden to the top of Group B in Tampere with 11 points. Finland is a point behind in second. After Adam Larsson gave the Swedes a 1-0 lead in the opening period, Mikko Lehtonen and Sami Vatanen rallied the Finns to a 2-1 advantage after the second. Joel Kellman scored 6:38 into the final period for Sweden to force overtime. In Group A in Helsinki, Denis Malgin scored a short-handed goal and added an assist to lead Switzerland to a 5-3 win over Slovakia. The Swiss top the group with 12 points after four wins from four games. Canada has nine points in second with a game in hand. Earlier, Hugo Gallet scored 1:04 into overtime to give France a 2-1 comeback victory over Italy, the team’s second win in the tournament. In another Group B game, Norway beat Austria 5-3 for its second victory.
SAN Francisco Giants catcher Joey Bart, right, fields a pop foul off the bat of Colorado Rockies’ C.J. Cron in the sixth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Cron helps Rockies end 12-game skid vs Giants with 5-3 win By MIKE CRANSTON Associated Press DENVER (AP) — C.J. Cron hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in a threerun eighth inning, and the Colorado Rockies stopped their 12-game losing streak against San Francisco by rallying past the Giants 5-3 on Wednesday. Logan Webb retired 16 straight batters in pursuit of becoming the major leagues’ first six-game winner and led 3-2 when pinch-hitter Connor Joe singled leading off the eighth. José Álvarez (1-1) relieved, Charlie Blackmon sacrificed and Yonathan Daza extended his hitting streak to 11 games with an RBI single. Cron followed with a 454foot drive to left on a 3-1 changeup for his 10th home run. It was the first homer allowed by Alvarez since May 29. “It was huge,” said Cron, who hadn’t homered since May 3. “We haven’t been playing the best baseball recently, especially at home. So to be able to get that one today, especially against those guys — we haven’t had much success against them either — it was a big game for us.” Blackmon hit his 37th leadoff home run and Brendan Rodgers added an RBI single in the first for Colorado, which stopped a three-game skid overall. Tyler Kinley (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth, and Daniel Bard pitched a perfect ninth for his 10th save after blowing his last opportunity as the Rockies ended two seasons worth of frustration against San Francisco. The consecutive losses against one opponent had neared the Colorado record of 16 to Atlanta from 1993-94. After walking two in the second, Webb got out of trouble and used a dominant slider to shut down the Rockies through seven innings with six strikeouts.
COLORADO Rockies’ Yonathan Daza, left, congratulates Charlie Blackmon as he crosses home plate after hitting a solo home run off San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb to leadoff the bottom of the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) “He was cruising up to that point,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “It was a consideration to not have him go back out (for the eighth), but he felt good and we felt good about it.” Mike Yastrzemski, who entered 20 for 59 over the previous 17 games, was dropped to ninth in the Giants order against a lefty starter. He delivered an RBI single in a two-run second and had a leadoff double and scored the go-ahead run on Darin Ruf’s sacrifice fly in the fourth. Kyle Freeland needed 65 pitches through three innings but settled down to allow seven hits and strike out eight in six innings. Blackmon pulled an 0-2 changeup to right in what was only the second homer allowed by Webb in 41 1/3 innings.
“I pride myself on even if I don’t have great stuff to try to win the game,” Webb said. “And we didn’t win the game. But there are some good takeaways from it.” TRAINER’S ROOM Giants: Tommy La Stella was out of the lineup against a lefty starting pitcher, but was feeling fine in his return from Achilles’ tendon surgery, Kapler said. Rockies: Kris Bryant (back) hit an oppositefield double, reached on an error, grounded out and struck out Wednesday as the DH in his second and last scheduled rehab game with Triple-A Albuquerque. Bryant, out since April 25, went 2 for 7 over the two games in Salt Lake City. “We’re hopeful that he’ll be back with us on Friday,” manager Bud Black said. The Rockies optioned RHP
Ashton Goudeau to TripleA after the game to open a roster spot. HERE YOU GO, MOM Rockies catcher Brian Serven fouled off the first pitch in his first major league at-bat. And his mother ended up with the ball. It landed just over the heads of the Serven family, and a fan nearby gave them the souvenir. Serven went 0 for 2 in his debut before being pinch-hit for in the eighth. The 27-year-old California native was a fifth-round pick out of Arizona State in 2016. ODD DAY A fan ran onto the field about an hour before the game holding what appeared to be hedge clippers or bolt cutters. He was subdued by
security and later pinned against the wall in the tunnel beyond left field. Then a ball person picked up Thairo Estrada’s fair ball down the left-field line and tossed it into the stands in the sixth. Estrada was given a double. UP NEXT Giants: RHP Jakob Junis (1-1, 1.74 ERA) is to start the opener of a six-game homestand Friday night against San Diego LHP Sean Manaea (2-3, 3.77). LHP Carlos Rodón will start Saturday and LHP Alex Wood on Sunday. Rockies: In the midst of the team’s season-long nine-game homestand, RHP Germán Márquez (1-3, 6.16) faces the NL East-leading New York Mets on Friday night. But rain — and later up to 6 inches of snow — are in the forecast through Saturday.
REDS AND GUARDIANS POSTPONED BY RAIN, WILL PLAY TODAY
A TARP covers the infield as the start of a baseball game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Guardians is delayed by rain Wednesday in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)
CLEVELAND (AP) — Steady rain and a wet forecast postponed Wednesday night’s series finale between the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians. The game will be made up Thursday with a matinee. The Reds and Guardians were both scheduled to be off but will now play at 1:10 p.m. Both teams pushed back their starters by one day, with Cincinnati’s Tyler Mahle (2-4) going against Cleveland’s Cal Quantrill (1-2). The Guardians have been postponed at Progressive Field by bad weather four times already this season, forcing them to play three doubleheaders. Cincinnati won the series opener on Tuesday night, scoring the go-ahead run on a bases-loaded walk in the 10th inning to win 5-4. At 10-26, the Reds have baseball’s worst record.
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MATCHDAY: EVERTON CAN SECURE EPL SURVIVAL BEFORE FINAL FIXTURES A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Thursday: • ENGLAND Before the final round on Sunday, the Premier League have three games on tap that had been postponed earlier in the season. Everton can guarantee their Premier League place by beating Crystal Palace before heading to Champions League-chasing Arsenal on the final day. Everton have centreback Michael Keane and midfielder Donny van de Beek fit again, while manager Frank Lampard is also hopeful defender Ben Godfrey will return after a month out with a thigh problem. Lampard is still without midfielder Fabian Delph and defender Yerry Mina. Burnley go to Aston Villa having slipped back into the relegation zone after losing back-to-back games. Burnley are a point behind Leeds and are now playing their game in hand on Jesse Marsch’s team. At the upper end of the standings, Chelsea will clinch third place with at least a draw against Leicester. Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel said he does not know whether Andreas Christensen has already played his last match for the west London club. The defender withdrew himself from selection for Saturday’s FA Cup final loss to Liverpool on the morning of the Wembley game. • GERMANY Hertha Berlin host former Bundesliga heavyweights Hamburger SV for the first leg of their relegation-promotion playoff to see which club plays in Germany’s top division next season. Hertha finished third from bottom in the Bundesliga after failing to win any of their last three games and losing the last two, when a draw in either would have been enough to avoid the playoff. Hamburg, in contrast, are full of optimism after winning their last four games to grab third place in the second division. “The momentum is on our side,” Hamburg coach Tim Walter said. Counterpart Felix Magath, who steered Hertha away from a direct relegation place after replacing the luckless Tayfun Korkut with eight rounds remaining, joked shortly after taking over that he envisaged the team playing against his former club Hamburg in the playoff. Magath is still a club hero at “his” Hamburg after a playing career that lasted a decade at the club and included the winning goal in the 1983 European Cup final against Juventus.
FRANKFURT players lift the trophy for winners of the Europa League final soccer match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers FC at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in Seville, Spain, Thursday. (AP Photo/Pablo Garcia)
Frankfurt beat Rangers in penalty shootout to win Europa League By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer SEVILLE, Spain (AP) — Eintracht Frankfurt’s 42-year wait for a European trophy is over. The German club ended their title drought with a penalty shootout win over Rangers in the Europa League final on Wednesday. Goalkeeper Kevin Trapp came up with a big save at the end of extra time and another in the shootout to help give Frankfurt the 5-4 win on penalties. The game ended 1-1 after regulation and extra time. Colombia striker Rafael Borré, who scored a secondhalf equaliser for Frankfurt, converted the decisive penalty to clinch the club’s first European trophy since the 1980 UEFA Cup, a predecessor to the Europa League. The win also secures a first appearance in the Champions League next season for Frankfurt. “It feels incredible,” Trapp said. “I’m trying to catch my breath still. For us, for Frankfurt, for the region. For the whole of Germany I think it’s a wonderful thing. To be able to give back to our fans this way is so special.” Trapp, a former Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper, made a key save in the final minutes of extra time by stretching out a leg to stop
FRANKFURT’S goalkeeper Kevin Trapp, right, and Frankfurt’s Kristijan Jakic, left, block Rangers’ Ryan Kent during the Europa League final. (AP Photo/Pablo Garcia) a close-range shot by Ryan Kent. The veteran goalkeeper used his left leg to stop Aaron Ramsey’s penalty in the shootout, setting off huge celebrations by Frankfurt’s “white wall” of fans behind the opposite goal. There were also wild celebrations back in Germany as Frankfurt fans packed the club’s stadium to watch a telecast of the final. Joe Aribo gave Rangers the lead in the 57th minute and Borré equalised in the 69th for Frankfurt, who became the third team to go
through the Europa League unbeaten after Chelsea in 2019 and Villarreal in 2021. Ramsey, the former Arsenal and Juventus midfielder, entered the match in the final minutes of extra time to be in the shootout. Christopher Lenz, Ajdin Hrustic, Daichi Kamada and Filip Kostic also converted penalties for Frankfurt, while James Tavernier, Steven Davis, Scott Airfield and Kemar Roofe found the net for Rangers in the shootout. “It’s the small margins when you get to this stage of competitions,” Rangers captain Tavernier said. “It was in our own hands but we conceded that goal and then Trapp makes a great
save from Ryan Kent. Then he makes the save in the shootout and we are all just devastated.” Rangers coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst said Kent’s miss made the difference. “You have to score those, especially in the last minutes,” he said. Rangers were trying to win their first European title since the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1972. The Scottish club also lost to Zenit St. Petersburg in the 2008 UEFA Cup. They was trying to cap a comeback 10 years after they were sent to the lower divisions because of a financial meltdown. “It’s going to be a sore one to take,” Rangers midfielder
Davis said. “We know how difficult it will be to get to this stage again.” Frankfurt will return to the top flight of European competition for the first time since 1960, when they lost in the European Cup final to Real Madrid in Glasgow. The game had been mostly even until a mistake by Frankfurt’s Brazilian defender Tuta, who tripped while trying to chase down a routine back header. That allowed Aribo to speed past him to open the scoring at Sevilla’s Ramón SánchezPizjuán Stadium by calmly sending a low shot past Trapp. Tuta had to be substituted after getting injured in the incident. It was Aribo’s first Europa League goal this season. Frankfurt equalised 12 minutes later with Borré sliding in between two defenders to convert a cross by Kostic from the left flank. He came from behind central defender Calvin Bassey to send the ball past veteran goalkeeper Allan McGregor. There was fan violence outside the stadium before the match, with supporters from both clubs throwing chairs and tables at each other. Five German fans were detained the night before after a confrontation with police. More than 150,000 fans came to the southern Spanish city, most of them without tickets for the final at the 43,000-capacity stadium.
FRANKFURT’S Rafael Santos Borre, right, celebrates after scoring the winning penalty during the shootout at the end of the Europa League final. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
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DECHAMBEAU WITHDRAWS FROM PGA AFTER TESTING REPAIRED WRIST
TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Bryson DeChambeau withdrew from the PGA Championship on Wednesday after practicing for two days at Southern Hills to test his surgically repaired left wrist. The former U.S. Open champion practiced with a wrap that extended several inches up his left forearm.
He tweeted Tuesday it had “held up nicely” after his initial practice round. The 28-year-old had surgery to repair the hamate bone in his wrist on April 14, a procedure that was expected to sideline him for up to two months. He removed his cast and bandages more than a week ago, and teased an early return when he posted an online
video of himself hitting a driver. DeChambeau missed the cut in three of his past four starts and has just one top-25 finish in five starts this season. His withdrawal leaves 95 of the top 100 players in the field for Thursday’s first round. Denny McCarthy replaces DeChambeau.
BRYSON Dechambeau walks to the 13th green during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament, Wednesday, in Tulsa, Okla. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)