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‘Christie song’ suspect wins $60k off police By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
A MAN arrested in 2016 under suspicion that he recorded a disturbing song about former Prime Minister Perry Christie has been awarded $60,000 in damages after a Supreme Court judge found that he was unlawfully arrested, falsely imprisoned and had his constitutional rights breached. The song, which went viral in August 2016, attacked Mr Christie, his wife and his children in vulgar terms. Police eventually brought the songwriter to meet Mr Christie and the former leader later recounted how the man sobbed while asking for the family’s
forgiveness. According to Supreme Court Justice Diane Stewart’s new judgement, however, police initially arrested Kevin Renaldo Collie on suspicion that he published the “libelous” song. In her judgement released yesterday, Justice Stewart wrote: “During his arrest, (Mr Collie) was humiliated in front of his peers, his mother and members of the public which no doubt caused much embarrassment to him. His unlawful arrest was excessive as he was not only unreasonably handcuffed but was unnecessarily guarded by about eight officers at various times. In the circumstances, damages are awarded to the plaintiff and assessed at SEE PAGE SEVEN
BAHA MAR RECEIVERS’ ACTIONS ‘A SHOCKER’ By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
A NEW York judge says it is “a shocker” that Baha Mar’s former receivers and contractor kept the Bahamian Supreme Court in the dark over their “backdoor” exchange of Sarkis Izmirlian’s disputed legal papers. Judge Saliann Scarpulla, during a hearing on the initial Baha Mar developer’s $2.25bn fraud and breach of contract claim against China Construction America, slammed the non-disclosure as “really a miscarriage of justice”. She hit out at both the
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Chinese state-owned contractor and Deloitte & Touche, the $4.2bn project’s ex-receivers, for failing to inform Justice Ian Winder that CCA had been provided with documents that were due to be the subject of a Bahamian Supreme Court hearing the next day. Justice Winder subsequently ruled that the two legal opinions and accompanying documents in question, which detail the potential value of Mr Izmirlian’s legal claims, should remain sealed from public view by the Supreme Court until further notice. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
BAHAMIAN basketball star Buddy Hield, the Sacramento Kings guard, has tested positive for COVID-19
Full story - see Sport
LAST CHANCE FOR FIRMS SUPERMARKETS BRACING TO MEET PLASTIC RULES FOR SALES TO PLUMMET By EARYEL BOWLEG ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
WITH the July 1 date for the full ban on single-use plastics and Styrofoam approaching, an environmental officer from the Department of Environmental Health said inspections will be ramping up to ensure business compliance. The Ministry of Environment and Housing has a
drop off site at the Department of Environmental Health Services on Farrington Road for unused “forbidden” items. The drop off site, which can be accessed from 10am5pm, will prevent these items from entering the waste stream at the landfill and will be used for “upcyling” projects, the ministry said. SEE PAGE THREE
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
SUPER Value’s president yesterday revealed he is bracing for a “below normal” sales decline as the post-COVID lockdown reality bites, and said: “If we fall 10 percent below last year we’ll be in trouble.” Rupert Roberts told Tribune Business that the
supermarket chain is preparing for “a tapering off” in groceries demand that could happen as early as this week as high unemployment and reduced incomes as a result of the economic lockdown shrink consumer spending. “We expect a drop-off. First, it’ll go back to normal and then go below normal,” he said. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
IMMIGRATION OFFICER - I’M NO RAPIST Weekend By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A CHIEF immigration officer, who was accused of raping a Jamaican woman while she was in his exclusive custody in 2014, yesterday insisted that he is not a rapist and would not sleep with a woman without her consent. Norman Bastian was accused of sexually assaulting Claudia Edwards Bethel on December 15,
ACCUSED: Norman Bastian 2014. At the time, it was reported that he took her to his home and forced her
to have sexual intercourse with him. Mrs Bethel previously waived her anonymity in an interview with The Tribune last year. Mrs Bethel launched a civil suit against the government after her rape case was tossed out of court years ago. Mr Bastian was never convicted of the offence. During a cross-examination by Mrs Bethel’s
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PAGE 2, Thursday, June 25, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
Scholar Shanea sets her sights on film and TV By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net GRAND Bahama’s Shanea Strachan is this year’s Bahamian Chevening Scholar, the British High Commission in Nassau has announced. Selected from a competitive field of candidates, Ms Strachan will travel to the UK to pursue a master’s degree in producing film and television at Bournemouth University. Chevening is the UK government’s global scholarship programme that offers future leaders the unique opportunity to study in the UK. These scholarships are awarded to professionals from all over the world to pursue a one-year master’s degree in any subject at any UK university. Ms Strachan, who is employed at the ZNS Northern Service in Freeport, plans to return home
and become a producer at the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas. She is also interested in helping to support the re-establishment of the Grand Bahama film industry, most known for Disney’s production of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. She has a bachelor of arts degree in media arts at New Mexico Highlands University. She has experience in marketing, social media coordination, and production at home and in the United States. British High Commissioner Sarah Dickson is confident that Ms Strachan will greatly benefit from the Chevening scholarship and return to The Bahamas with greater knowledge. She said: “It means a lot to me that Shanea is passionate about returning to The Bahamas after her studies in the UK and particularly to her hometown of Freeport, Grand Bahama. Having
witnessed the devastation from Hurricane Dorian, I am encouraged by Shanea’s plans to return home and focus on working in the Grand Bahama television news media and film industry. I am confident that the Chevening award will provide an opportunity for Shanea to hone her skills and bring her knowledge back to The Bahamas. I wish her all the best.” Since 1983, when the Chevening scholarship programme commenced, over 100 Bahamian students have been selected for the award and have subsequently returned to The Bahamas to become leaders in diverse fields such as law, medicine, diplomacy, law enforcement, and the military. The Chevening application process for 2021/2020 will begin in August. For more information visit https://www.chevening.org/ scholarship/bahamas/
THE TRIBUNE from page one attorney, Fred Smith, QC, before Justice Indra Charles yesterday, Mr Bastian maintained his innocence and said he did not make up stories to cover up the charge brought against him, because he was “bigger than that.” Yesterday, Mr Smith read a statement given by Marsha Curry, the woman Bastian said he used to satisfy the Department of Immigration’s policy when it came to dealing with female detainees. Mr Smith noted that in her statement, Ms Curry told officers that she “called her best friend” Mr Bastian, who told her he needed her to go to the Detention Centre and wanted her to ride with him. According to Mr Smith, Ms Curry told the officers that she had assumed Mr Bastian had work to do there since he was a senior officer. Still, Mr Smith noted that in her statement, Ms Curry, who is now deceased, implied that Mr Bastian did not tell her “the most important reason” why he wanted her to accompany him that evening. In response, Mr Bastian insisted that he told Ms Curry what he “needed her for.” He also stated that he couldn’t control what Ms Curry told the police in her statement. Mr Smith then asked Mr Bastian what time he arrived at the Department of Immigration on the evening in question. After Mr Bastian told him that he arrived after 5pm, Mr Smith accused him of repeatedly changing the “important facts and issues” of his story and claimed that the last time the immigration officer gave evidence, he was “quite adamant” that he arrived at the office after 4pm. Mr Smith then referenced a statement by Devon Adderley, who worked as a security officer for the department at the time. He said that in his statement, Mr Adderley told officers that he found it strange that Mr Bastian had no female officers with him when he brought Mrs Bethel to the office. He said at the time, Mr Adderley also told officers he saw Mr Bastian and Mrs Bethel walk to the officer’s truck around 7pm and said he thought it was unusual to see them together at that hour. “You formed a plan because you suspected her of being a weak, vulnerable immigrant you regarded as a sex worker (so that you could) throw away all protocol, including trying to get her drunk, take her to your home, and rape her
Thursday, June 25, 2020, PAGE 3
I’m no rapist, insists immigration officer repeatedly?” Mr Smith asked. “No sir,” Mr Bastian replied before stating that that night, after leaving the Department of Immigration, they stopped at a liquor store before going to Starbucks and then riding in the San Souci area. He said after that, they went back to Starbucks, then Claridge Road before heading to his residence. When asked if he told officers he thought it was okay to socialise with Mrs Bethel since she did not breach the law, Mr Bastian said that he didn’t suspect that Mrs Bethel committed an offence at the time and claimed “she was the one who needed the ride.” He also said that he told Mrs Bethel he had other errands to run and added that she had told him that she didn’t want to go home. Mr Smith then referenced a statement made by Police Corporal 3053 Gia Richardson-Butler. He claimed that Cpl Richardson-Butler said that she was concerned about Mrs Bethel’s welfare because of the way she looked when she saw the pair. Mr Smith said the corporal reported that Mr Bastian told her Mrs Bethel was under arrest. In response, Mr Bastian called the officer’s statement an “outright lie” and claimed she was in “cahoots” with Mrs Bethel. “That’s fabricated,” he said. “She don’t know me and she has a duty. If she suspected a woman was in danger why didn’t she arrest me?” Mr Smith then asked Mr Bastian if he fed Mrs Bethel at his home and why he didn’t allow her to use her phone at his house. In response, the immigration officer said that he could not recall whether he or his brother gave Mrs Bethel food, but he knew for a fact she was fed stew fish. He added that Mrs Bethel was using her phone before they arrived at his house and further claimed that she had called someone to let them know that she was okay. Mr Bastian also said that Mrs Bethel told him that her phone had died so he asked his brother to find a charger for her. He insisted that at no point did he “restrict her from making calls.”
LAST CHANCE FOR FIRMS TO MEET PLASTIC RULES from page one
As of January 1, many single-use plastics along with Styrofoam were no longer allowed to be imported into the country. During a six-month transition period, stores were permitted to sell plastic shopping bags for 25 cents to $1 as a deterrent for customers. Dr Rhianna Neely-Murphy from the Department of Environmental Health told The Tribune yesterday the department has received concerns from individuals not being able to deplete these stocks by the deadline. “Some people reached out to us indicating that they had those concerns but keep in mind we’ve been speaking with businesses for the two years leading up to this 2020 ban. We encourage businesses not to stockpile these items,” she said. “In addition, many of the items that would’ve been sold or given away during this time, even during the lockdown would have been given or sold for stores that were open during the COVID shutdown like the food stores, the convenience stores etc.” Many businesses were
shuttered during the bulk of the COVID-19 pandemic, and have only recently been allowed to reopen their doors under certain conditions. When asked if there were any considerations for some stores that were unable to open at all, Dr NeelyMurphy explained the department has not relaxed on its mandate. “Consideration has been made but a decision was made that the ban date for the implementation date will remain July 1. . .we have not turned a blind eye. These were considered but the decision was made that July 1 will remain.” Earlier on in the pandemic, Dr Neely-Murphy noted it was not deemed safe for inspections even on days when stores were open. However, inspectors will be making rounds in an anticipation prior to the July 1 date. She added: “Inspectors relaxed a lot of their going out because we are under 24 hour curfew but once we were relieved of that curfew, for the most part inspectors went out and were doing our best to cover New Providence especially and we’re in communication with (Department of) Customs.” Editorial View - Page 6
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NORMAN Bastian at an earlier hearing Mr Smith also crossexamined Byron Brown during the hearing. He was an upholster that Mr Bastian and Mrs Bethel visited that evening while the immigration officer was running errands. In his statement, Mr Brown told
Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
police Mrs Bethel appeared “happy” while she and Mr Bastian were at his shop. When asked to elaborate on his claim yesterday, he told the court that when the pair were at his store they talked about a lot of things and Mrs Bethel laughed.
During the hearing, Mr Smith also asked Mr Bastian whether the claims he “made up” after Mrs Bethel was in custody required him to keep her in custody from Saturday to Tuesday afternoon. In response, Mr Bastian told Mr Smith that
it wasn’t his decision, but the director of immigration’s (DOI) own. He also asserted that he conducted the interview with Mrs Bethel to “ascertain stuff” from her as directed by the DOI. Mr Smith then accused Mr Bastian of regarding Mrs Bethel as a “whore Jamaican migrant” and argued that Mr Bastian “flippantly decided to treat her like she had no rights.” Mr Bastian denied the accusations and insisted Mrs Bethel’s “freedom was never taken from her.” “I put it to you that you took Bethel to the Immigration Department to speak to her without anybody around so she could feel further isolated, so that you could more easily pressure her to stay in your company,” Mr Smith said. “(You) kept her in an anxious and scared environment so you could have sex with her… you thought she was a sex worker you could exploit.” “No,” Mr Bastian replied. Mr Smith furthered: “You found her in a group of vulnerable women who had been arrested and deported, you know women on spousal permits are uneasy about their status in The Bahamas. “...You in fact did most of the lying, not all the other people who gave statements different from your evidence,” he insisted. After denying all of Mr Smith’s accusations, Mr Bastian claimed that Ms Curry had omitted some information in her statement and argued that Cpl Richardson-Butler was “telling lies.” He insisted if the female officer believed Mrs Bethel’s life was in danger, “she had a right to take her” from him. When asked if he was a “rapist” who abused Mrs Bethel by raping her on two occasions and forcing her to have oral sex, he stated: “I am not a rapist. I would not make up stories. I’m bigger than that and would not sleep with a woman without consent.” The matter continues today. Editorial View - Page 6
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PAGE 4, Thursday, June 25, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
MUNROE TO FILE ACTION TO CANCEL POLICE MOVES By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
ATTORNEY Wayne Munroe
ATTORNEY Wayne Munroe says he will look at filing action next week to scrap recent senior Royal Bahamas Police Force appointments after the government failed to respond to his concerns about the legitimacy of the Police Service Commission. Assistant Commissioners of Police Clayton Fernander and Leamond Deleveaux want the
appointments of four chief superintendents to assistant commissioners rescinded. In a June 8 letter to Governor General Cornelius Smith, Mr Munroe argued that the appointments are invalid because they did not come from a properly constituted Police Service Commission. Mr Munroe, QC, said as far as he knows, the Governor General has not responded to the letter. Mr Munroe says official opposition leader Philip
“Brave” Davis was not consulted on the appointment of the commission as the Constitution requires, rendering the group invalid. He says if the appointments are not rescinded, he will take legal action on behalf of ACP Fernander and ACP Deleveaux, seeking a declaration that the commission was not properly appointed, is not properly constituted and its recommendations are void. Loretta Mackey, Craig Stubbs and Solomon Cash were appointed assistant
commissioners with effect from March 30 while Kirkwood Andrews was appointed acting assistant commissioner of police. Although ACP Fernander and ACP Deleveaux remain assistant commissioners of police along with ACP Kendal Strachan and ACP Theophilus Cunningham, these four who were directed to take vacation leave last year are not listed on the RBPF’s recently revised website page showing the senior executive leadership team.
ACP Cunningham’s vacation leave has not yet ended. ACP Strachan is currently suing the government. ACP Fernander and ACP Deleveaux were among several senior police officers directed to take vacation leave next year. Since returning to duty, they have been transferred to the Ministries of Health and Education respectively. Mr Munroe said yesterday the ministers have yet to explain their roles.
We’re working hard to get off EU blacklist, says Bethel By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net FOREIGN affairs officials are in discussions “at the highest levels” with the European Commission over its decision to blacklist the country last month, Attorney General Carl Bethel said yesterday. These discussions, according to Mr Bethel, will continue until officials are able to meet face-toface when travel has been permitted between the two countries. Speaking in the Senate yesterday, Mr Bethel explained: “Coming now to the European blacklist, regretfully based on the Financial Action Task Force grey list, which, but for COVID-19, we think we would’ve been off of in April or early June, but we couldn’t because of COVID-19. “And so, the European Union placed us on our blacklist based on the fact
that we are still on the FATF grey list. Dialogue at the highest levels is being conducted with the EU through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bahamas Mission in Brussels, Belgium and they’re also developing contacts between the Office of the Attorney General and European Commission officials.” He continued: “And, we hope that as soon as travel permits that we and senior technical officers will have a familiarisation visit so that they would be able to go and meet face-to-face with their counterparts so that you have a face to go with a name or an email address. “And we hope that this will happen as soon as travel to and from the European Union is permissible. Certainly, nothing can be done on our part until our borders are fully open in July as fully foreshadowed. “ The Bahamas was placed on the EU’s blacklist
in early May amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Explaining its rationale for placing the country on its “high risk” listing, EU officials said COVID19 enforced delay to the FATF’s “site visit” to this nation meant it “cannot confirm” whether the country has resolved the deficiencies in its anti-financial crime regime. “The Bahamas has taken steps towards improving its anti-money laundering/ counter terror financing regime and, in February 2020, the FATF made the initial determination that The Bahamas has substantially completed its action plan and warrants an onsite assessment to verify that the implementation of The Bahamas’ reforms has begun and is being sustained, and that the necessary political commitment remains in place to sustain implementation in the future,” the European Commission said. “The FATF has yet to
carry out such assessment to confirm its initial determination. Therefore, the Commission does not have in its possession information which would enable it to confirm at this stage that the strategic deficiencies have been effectively addressed.” Speaking on the matter last month, Mr Bethel argued that the European Commission was using the FATF’s initiative as a “precursor” to cloak its true motives and objectives towards The Bahamas and other targeted nations. He also accused the Commission of hypocrisy given that its representatives on the FATF had also voted in favour of The Bahamas’ site visit earlier this year. “They must have been satisfied that we had made sufficient progress to warrant an on-site visit,” the attorney general said at the time. “It’s the European Commission that’s represented at the FATF, not any other EU body or directorate. To now put us in the same category as Yemen or Myanmar, and countries of that ilk, which are only just entering the FATF process and have not made the changes The Bahamas has made, is disproportionate and unacceptable; totally unacceptable.”
ATTORNEY General Carl Bethel
AG: WE HOPE TO HAVE BAIL ACT AMENDMENTS PASSED IN JULY By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
MONTHS after the government tabled an amendment to the Bail Act in the House of Assembly, Attorney General Carl Bethel revealed yesterday officials are hoping to have the bill passed in July. Giving his 2020/21 budget communication in the Senate yesterday, Mr Bethel outlined a number of initiatives that will better improve the bail process, once the amendment has been passed. One such initiative includes full implementation of the new bail management system. Once fully implemented, Mr Bethel said, “it will provide an electronic and secure method for persons on bail to check in to meet the bail conditions using biometric finger print verification … It will also provide alerts to the police, to the court and the council should there be a breach of bail conditions and it will create a realistic statistical report for person on bail to the extent to which they complied etc. “Plus, it will give a broad picture to overall management of bail in the coming months and this has been taken over by the judiciary. The (chief justice and the judiciary) is driving it, they’re ready to go so hopefully in July we will pass the amendment to the Bail Act, in which will get this fully operational.” He continued: “It will also provide a methodology for indigent prisoners in the department of correction to make their all bail application electronically, so it’s vitally needed.”
Last December, the Minnis administration tabled the Bail (Amendment) Bill in the House of Assembly, with officials saying it will enable magistrates to grant bail in certain matters and to provide rules to regulate bail application procedures. Once passed, the new bill will likely be seen as a significant improvement in the eyes of many judges, who previously noted the 2016 amendment as “counterproductive” and a “sore issue.” Under the 2016 amendment, magistrates were not allowed to grant bail in offences involving intentional libel, assault, stealing and other previously bailable offences. However, with the new amendment, magistrates will be able to grant bail for drug possession with intent to supply and several other certain firearms matters. Addressing other initiatives aimed to be implemented in this upcoming fiscal year, Mr Bethel also said officials will be introducing a new integrated case management system, which will include an electronic filing feature, e-notifications and messaging functionality and integrated digital recording and transcript software. “Once implemented the integrated case management system will move the judiciary substantially closer to a paperless court system,” he said. “Request for proposals have already been received from seven firms and the selection process for a suitable vendor is well underway. “The second key initiative of the Office of
the Judiciary is the intent to modernise the courts through the digitisation and migration of court documents and dockets, which will subsequently result in the reduction and better management of the overall volume of hard- copy/paper information. During yesterday’s address, Mr Bethel explained the challenges faced in other departments. For example, he said there was a need for more resources at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. He said: “In terms of relevant numbers and ratios, there are only 34 prosecutors at ODPP at present, deployed to support the criminal investigations work of the Royal Bahamas Police Force and the prosecution of approximately 400 indictable matters annually entering the criminal justice system. “Nevertheless, in the face of all of its challenges, the ODPP has maintained a 70 percent conviction rate. With the addition of more reinforcing resources in due course, and God’s grace, the sky is the limit for the ODPP.” As it relates to the Office of the Public Defender, Mr Bethel also noted a need for additional attorneys at the department. “There are presently four public defenders, supervised by chief public defender, Stanley Rolle, all of whom are doing a yeoman’s job. However, additional attorneys are needed, so we encourage persons with a spirit of community mindedness and zeal for justice to consider this as a career choice,” he said.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, June 25, 2020, PAGE 5
FNM TAKING CREDIT FOR PLP WORK, CLAIMS DARVILLE By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net PLP Senator Dr Michael Darville has accused the Minnis administration of taking credit for the completion of several major projects started during the Christie administration. “The PLP finds it necessary to point out yet again that the FNM simply does
not have a record of accomplishment on which to run or hang their hat on,” said the former Minister of Grand Bahama yesterday. Dr Darville noted the new $6.55m Fishing Hole causeway, executed by the PLP on December 18, 2015, is finally complete more than four years later. “Its completion is late as the government dragged its feet on this important
project over the last three years, but it is better late than never for the people of Grand Bahama,” he said. “There were necessary structural adjustments, reinforced concrete, due to asphalt erosion caused by hurricane damage but by and large the project design was sound and three years delay is not justifiable.” Senator Darville indicated that the PLP is happy
for Grand Bahamians who now have access to “uninterrupted travel” between the west and east ends of the island. The causeway, he stated is one of the material manifestations of the aggressive $100m capital works investment by the previous PLP government. He noted that the completion of the Fire Station is another significant project constructed for the safety
and security of the people of Grand Bahama. Other projects, he said include the new government complex and school in West Grand Bahama, the northern campus of the University of the Bahamas, Baha Mar, the Pointe, the extensive road works in North Andros, and the government complex in Bimini. “(These) are all PLP projects and are just some
of the bright spots in an administration filled with bleak and dismal news and misery for the Bahamian people,” Dr Darville said. “Whatever became of the structure intended to house the northern campus of the University of the Bahamas that the PLP government began in east Grand Bahama? Bahamians are entitled to know,” he said.
Minnis reveals COVID trends at virtual meet By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said 50 percent of COVID-19 patients who have required hospitalisation had one or more comorbidities. This contrasts with the 29 percent of patients without comorbidities who required hospitalisation. His comment came during a virtual Commonwealth COVID-19 leaders meeting yesterday. “Seventy-one percent of the cases (44 cases) with no comorbidities did not require hospitalisation while 42.9 percent of the patients with one or more comorbidities who were hospitalised died, while zero patients hospitalised with no comorbidities died from COVID-19. All COVID-19 related deaths in the Bahamas occurred with patients having one or more comorbidities,” he said. He continued: “Notwithstanding that we are still rebuilding after Hurricane Dorian, our response to COVID-19 has been quick, strategic and informed. We have had a total of 11 deaths, a limited number of hospitalisations, and adequate ICU beds over the course of 99 days. “The Bahamas fully activated its Health Emergency Operating Centre on March 16, 2020. We solidified relationships; established evidenced-based protocols for case management; and strengthened our mechanisms for case identification and contact tracing, among
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis other measures. We faced challenges with the supply chain of swabs chemical reagents needed of testing, and PPEs. We continuously revised protocols and adjusted guidelines to fit our resources notwithstanding that the limited appropriate supplies decreased our ability to scale-up community testing. “Even in the face of these challenges, real-time PCR testing was enhanced in the accredited National Reference Laboratory. As we explore the characteristics of the epidemic within my country we see our epi-curve demonstrates our turning/ bending of the curve. The age profile of the cases and deaths do not necessarily follow global or regional patterns.”
MORE TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS LIFTED By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
TRAVEL restrictions from China, Europe, South Korea and Iran will be lifted on July 1 when international commercial flights to The Bahamas resumes, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced yesterday. Residents and visitors coming to this country will be required to produce a COVID-19 negative PCR test, unless they come from English-speaking CARICOM countries. The travel ban involving China was implemented on January 30, the ban
involving South Korea, Iran and Italy was implemented on March 4 and the ban against travel from Europe was implemented on March 14. Chinese embassy officials criticised the China travel ban when it was implemented in January, saying strong measures were being taken to contain the virus in that country —where the COVID-19 outbreak began — while noting that the World Health Organisation discouraged travel bans at the time. Yesterday, Haigang Yin, a top Chinese embassy official, welcomed the impending end of the travel
ban. “The epidemic has totally ended in China,” he said. “I believe it’s safe to allow Chinese tourists or visitors to come to this country. We will follow the measures requested by the government. We believe caution should remain in place for the foreseeable future. I think your government is following the situation in the neighbouring regions very closely. From our point of view, we think cautious measures should be taken moving forward.” Up to press time yesterday, 479,818 people had died globally because of the coronavirus, including
more than 120,000 deaths in the United States. A recent near two-week spike in Beijing that has led to 256 cases since June 11 was reported to be firmly on the wane yesterday, with seven cases reported in Beijing, down from 13 the day before. According to the Ministry of Health’s dashboard, the country continued its streak yesterday of no new COVID-19 case. The last new case was reported on June 14, bringing the count to 104. Only one person is hospitalised and there are only nine active cases, with 84 recoveries. Thus far, 2,366 tests have been completed.
NATIONAL FOOD DISTRIBUTION TASK FORCE GETS EXTRA $1.4M THE government has injected $1.4 million into the National Food Distribution Task Force since the public/private group was established to provide emergency food assistance for vulnerable Bahamians and residents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis made the announcement recently. The task force is delivering emergency food assistance for 12 weeks, from June 1 to August 31. The government is funding 85 percent of the costs for food distribution and its NGO partners are funding 15 percent through donations to their respective organisations. “This is one of the largest and most unprecedented such food programmes in the history of The Bahamas,” Dr Minnis said during his contribution to the budget debate on Monday. “It is a massive logistical programme comprising the entire country. It is also one of the largest ever public/ private social care initiatives in the history of The Bahamas, utilising a caring network of faith-based institutions and NGOs.” The National Food Distribution Task Force was created by the government and is built on existing models of success, leveraging existing expertise and widespread networks throughout the country, said the Prime Minister.
In order to facilitate the coordination of the food distribution plan, zones have been established. New Providence has been divided into four major zones and Grand Bahama into five zones. Other zones include Abaco, Eleuthera, the Northern Bahamas and the Southern Bahamas. Each zone has been assigned a lead NGO. In New Providence, the Nassau City Zone is being led by the Lend a Hand Bahamas organisation; the Northeast Zone, Bahamas Feeding Network; the Southeast Zone, Bahamas Red Cross; and the West Zone, Hands for Hunger. On the island of Abaco, IDEA Relief has been identified as the zone leader; in Grand Bahama, the GB Food Task Force; in Eleuthera, ONE Eleuthera; for the Northern Bahamas, Bahamas Red Cross; and in the Southern Bahamas, the Bahamas Feeding Network. Zone leaders are partnering with other groups in their respective zones to maximise outreach. The Department of Social Services will continue to provide assistance to the entire Bahamas. The first COVID-19 emergency food coupon was issued by the department on April 7. Since then, a total of 1,098 individuals have received coupons at a total value of $134,050. Outside of that amount,
a total of 120 clients of the Disability Affairs Unit received COVID-19 emergency food coupons at a total value of $6,720. Those coupons were issued from March 20 to June 5. During April and May, through NGOs and the private sector, 137,350 people were supplied with food at a cost of $2.02 million. A
total of 41,014 units, which include parcels or vouchers, were distributed. The first $900,000 provided by the government has been used to assist more than 76,000 people. A total of 5,054 units, inclusive of food parcels or vouchers, were distributed. The government released an additional $500,000 to the
task force on Friday, June 19, said the Prime Minister. “Because of the events of less than a year, it is the primary moral responsibility of my government to aid the tens of thousands of Bahamians in need of jobs, social assistance, food and tangible hope,” said Dr Minnis. “Through our expanded
support of the Department of Social Services feeding programmes, and the work of the National Food Distribution Task Force, we will ensure that all Bahamians have adequate food supply. The $25 million allocation for food support in the Department of Social Services is testament to this.”
PAGE 6, Thursday, June 25, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”
LEON E. H. DUPUCH,
SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH,
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The cost of doing things the wrong way THERE is a right way and a wrong way to do things. That is quite separate from the motive that led to the action – and it can end up costing you. In the case of the song that insulted then Prime Minister Perry Christie and his family, it’s ending up costing the Bahamian people. Let us be clear with regard to the song in question. It was vile. It insulted Mr Christie. It insulted his wife. It insulted his children, including his son, Adam, who is autistic. A month after the song, Mr Christie spoke about how he did not think he could forgive the man who wrote the song – although his wife and their son met the musician. He said he watched his wife embrace the singer and talk of how she didn’t want the young man to suffer. Criticism of the song came from across party lines – with the FNM saying “This song and its lyrics are utterly reprehensible and have no place in politics, let alone The Bahamas” and urging all Bahamians to “stop these types of gutter attacks”. The DNA leader at the time, Branville McCartney, joined in the chorus of disapproval, saying: “Not only was the language appalling, it showed blatant disrespect for the office of the Prime Minister and that in itself cannot be condoned. I personally condemn this disgusting unpatriotic and misogynistic rhetoric and hope that all right-thinking Bahamians do so as well.” Notably, at the time, the-then Chief Superintendent Clayton Fernander called it a “total dishonour, disgrace and disrespect” and went on to say: “The chips will fall where they may.” Well, the chips have fallen, with $60,000 in damages awarded to the creator of the vile song because he was unlawfully arrested, falsely imprisoned and had his constitutional rights breached. That’s the verdict of the Supreme Court. Justice Diane Stewart told of how he was “unreasonably handcuffed” and “unnecessarily guarded by about eight officers at various times”. The court found that he was detained unlawfully for 32 hours.
He was told by Chief Supt Fernander he was at Central Detective unit because he had distributed an audio recording that was derogatory of the Prime Minister and his family, said Justice Stewart. It is right to be offended by a song as repugnant as this one. But there is a difference between being offended, and accusing someone of committing an offence under the law. The procedures the police followed have ended up costing the nation $60,000. Some will even see that as a payday for the plaintiff – whose song would not likely have earned anywhere near so much in the market place. Was the singer in the wrong? Absolutely. Was he legally wrong? That’s a whole different matter. The police response, however, was excessive and inappropriate, and that’s ended up putting money in the pocket of the person who caused the offence. There was little to gain from such a detention – indeed, it looks like a show of power when society had already widely condemned the song. The police chose the wrong way to do things – and it’s cost us all. Will we learn from this? Well, let’s take a look across at the lawsuit Wayne Munroe says he is filing next week. He is asking for several recent senior police appointments to be scrapped. Why? Well, he’s pointing the finger at the Police Service Commission. He says that because the appointments did not come from a properly constituted commission, that means they are invalid. He says Opposition leader Philip ‘Brave’ Davis was not consulted, meaning the proper process was not followed. This follows a wave of senior officers being shunted off on leave and bumped off to new roles when they returned. Was the proper process followed? Was it all done in the right way? Or is this going to end up costing the Bahamian people in another legal payout somewhere down the line? We shall wait and see what the courts decide – but the lesson is simple: Do things the right way. The rules are there for us all, and for a reason – and breaking them has a cost.
Bin those bags JULY 1 is a date of ins and outs. In come the tourists, out go the last of the plastic bags. Never mind that shops have been closed for the past few months, there’s no extension on the time limit for single-use plastics and Styrofoam. Businesses that have leftovers they expected to dispose of in the course of normal trade will now have to carry them to AFTER Nassau Cruise Port confirmed it is steaming ahead with Prince George Wharf’s transformation, readers posted their reactions on tribune242.com. Hoda posted this comment: “PR . . . not that they aren’t planning on full steam ahead, but I doubt 130 mil is sufficient capital to start and complete.” Proudloudandfnm had this to say: “As it is right now even the cruise lines have no idea how they’ll survive this. I know I wouldn’t buy shares yet. Wait to see what the cruise industry morphs into after this. I suspect though the day of super ships is behind us, which does not bode well for any of the cruise lines right now . . .” St Anne’s MP Brent
the government’s forbidden zone. No forbidden fruit here, though, it’s just a drop-off on Farrington Road. We back the plastic ban – it’s a good thing, and it reduces the amount of plastic waste finding its way into our environment. Which makes us beg just one thing of the Ministry of the Environment – please don’t drop all that forbidden plastic off at the landfill.
Symonette said it may not be appropriate for the Free National Movement to have a national convention this year, prompting this response from Joeblow: “Minnis is too insecure to want to hold another convention! His leadership should be contested and the chips should fall where they may. Unfortunately political parties are too immature to do what is in the country’s best interest. They would rather destroy the country to maintain their hold on power!” And Tetelestai said: “In
other news, the sun is hot. There is absolutely no reason to host a convention this year - either party - but especially the governing party. Host a convention for what, exactly? Any convention voting, etc, can be done from the confines of home, via social media. Political party by laws are not commandments from God that should be adhered to, or else! They are nebulous ideals that can be bent, turned and amended based on the exigencies of the political party or the country. An ecclesia, every three to four years, is more than acceptable.” Don’t miss your chance to join the debate on tribune242.com.
Time to look after our own interests EDITOR, The Tribune THE Caribbean relationship with the US is complex but enduring as a result of the 1821 Monroe Doctrine that designates the region under US sphere of influence. During the cold war between the Soviet Union and the US, the Caribbean was both beneficiaries and victims of US power. The Caribbean basin initiative helped the Caribbean to develop while US intervention in Guyana, Grenada and Jamaica precipitated major social upheavals. Most countries have adjusted to US dominance of global affairs. Today the world has changed. The US is not the only hegemony. China has risen to be a global leader with the second largest economy in nominal terms but the largest in terms of purchasing power, according to the International Monetary Fund. In 2013 China launched its Belt and Road Initiative. So far, China has invested US one trillion investment in hard and soft infrastructure and has signed memorandum of understanding with 138 countries. A recent White House document states, “the CCP has chosen to exploit a free and open system and rule-based order and attempt to reshape the international system
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net in its favour”. There is a global competition between China and US for global dominance. The Covid 19 pandemic has enhanced this fight for power. This pandemic shows the world’s dependence on China for manufactured products and the wakening of US power. The US’s inability to manage the Novel Coronavirus Pandemic and its mismanagement of the George Floyd police killing has pulverised US majestic status. I view the US Constitution as the greatest political document but if they could dutifully implement it. The foundation of US power is the US dollar being the world reserve currency. The US debt being 26.3 trillion which is 132% of its GDP. 51 cents of every dollar the US spends is borrowed. According to Peter Shift, US economist and Stephen Roach, a Yale University economist, the US dollar’s exorbitant privilege as the world’s reserve currency is coming to an end. The fact that Iran has made many shipments of fuel and food to Venezuela and the US tried to prevent this but was impotent demonstrates
the US is no longer the master of the Universe. It is best to have China and US equally matched to preserve global flexibility, but China’s global power is starting to eclipse the US. The US pulling out of WHO, the Paris Agreement on Climate, the Trans Pacific Partnership and other international initiative weakens US global leadership. Conversely, China is on the rise with her made in China 2025 and China Standards 2035, China will spend US$14 trillion on digital infrastructure in order to dominate in technologies and industries of the future. Huawei owns most of the patent on 5G technology therefore any use of 5G technology benefits Huawei and that is why the US reversed its policy on Huawei. The Bahamas trades with both China and the US. In my view it does not matter which country dominates the world because power corrupts. Global politics is similar to local politics; leaders do what benefits them and candy coat their intentions. The Bahamas must secure its own interest because global hegemony reward is small but their extraction is large. BRIAN E PLUMMER Nassau, June 24, 2020.
Ready for a second wave? EDITOR, The Tribune We all, inclusive of myself, have been demanding the relaxation or even absolute abolition of the powers granted, unconstitutionally in my view, to the Competent Authority. Well, over the course of the last week or two they are being eased and many businesses, where they still exist, will be reopening next week. Omnibus will be allowed to resume operations. Banks are back to regular hours. The web shops have reopened with a BANG. Arawak & Potters Cay are back in business full time and hardly any patrons are masked. Hard liquor is flowing like the Red Sea of old. We are BACK but at what potential price? There is still no vaccination for the COVID-19.
Tourists will start to trickle back in within weeks. Are we fully prepared for a second wave, God forbid? I am not a medical man so I would hope that the health protocols being proposed by the administration will work. It is a given that our economy MUST be reopened sooner rather than later. Too many ablebodied Bahamians have been out of income producing work for three months and counting. The administration appeared for a long time to be collectively clueless as to what to do and we drifted for a long period of time. To be honest we are still adrift and the Competent Authority acts as if he is the font of all knowledge. I am all for doing what is best or appears to be
best for the unwashed masses but at what potential health care issues? It is, unfortunately for the PM and then, a case where you are damned if you do and damned even more if you don’t. Our best days as a nation and a people are yet ahead of the majority of us. I fear, however, that Minnis is a terrible motivator. ‘In the beginning there was The Word and The Word was with God.’ The Word, with all due respect could help out the Competent Authority but will Minnis heed: ‘Thus saith The Lord’ or is he on a run all to himself ? To God, in any event, in all things, be the glory. ORTLAND H BODIE, Jr Nassau, June 24, 2020.
The event attracted $1.2m in sponsorship while ticket sales and ‘other revenue’ accounted for $578,342. Last year, the government spent $11.3m on the
THE TRIBUNE from page one $35,000 as compensation for the torts of unlawful arrest and false imprisonment. Additionally, damages are awarded and assessed at $25,000 for breaches of the plaintiff’s rights as protected by Articles 20 and 21 (of the Constitution).” Mr Collie and police defendants disagreed about how long he was in police custody. Justice Stewart wrote: “The differences in time are minimal but given the inaccuracies of the defendants’ evidence, the timeline of the plaintiff is preferred. In that regard, the court finds that the plaintiff was unlawfully arrested and falsely imprisoned for 32 hours.” Mr Collie alleged that while working at the Bahamas Customs Marine Unit on West Bay Street on August 11, 2016, he was approached by a female officer and asked to exit the building. Once outside, she and seven other police officers searched his Mercedes Benz “without informing him of the reason for the search nor his arrest and removed his personal belongings from his vehicle,” he alleged. He was subsequently transported to the Central Detective Unit and was allegedly handcuffed and placed in a room for 30 minutes until he was escorted to another room and was questioned by then Chief Superintendent of Police Clayton Fernander. When Mr Collie arrived at CDU, he was taken through the front of the building instead of the back, “which caused him embarrassment after hearing someone say ‘that customs officer lock up, I wonder what he did,’” the judge wrote. Chief Superintendent Fernander, since promoted to assistant commissioner, allegedly showed Mr Collie a photo of a man he identified as Navarro Saunders, someone he knew from Facebook. “Thereafter, Chief Supt
‘Christie song’ suspect wins $60k off police By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net
TWO Royal Bahamas Defence Force marines were taken into custody over the weekend after they allegedly got into a physical argument with a Royal Bahamas Police Force officer. The incident took place around 3am on Saturday off Village Road. Details of the incident are still sketchy but The Tribune understands the marines were in the vicinity of Kingsway Academy
when they saw a man and a woman involved an argument. The marines attempted to intervene and take the male into custody. An argument followed between the marines and the man, who later identified himself as a police officer. A mobile patrol unit in the area arrived at the scene and the marines were taken into custody for alleged unlawful arrest, grievous harm and assault with a deadly weapon, The Tribune understands.
SEE PAGE FIVE
PRIME Minister Perry Christie pictured during yesterday’s tour of the
BAHA MAR BUYER ‘HAS ME By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
WHILE he remained tightlipped over key details concerning the shuttered Baha Mar resort – among them the identity of the shortlisted potential buyer — Prime Minister Perry Christie yesterday revealed that the “huge enterprise” has met the government’s
requirements for a worldclass developer. Mr Christie said the principals of the would-be purchaser met with the government and shared plans to expand on the existing project, but are still in negotiations with project financier Export-Import Bank of China (CEXIM). It is also still to be announced, according to Mr Christie, whether the future devel-
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PM: I CAN’T FORGIVE SONGWRITER R FOR HIS INSULTS TO MY FAMILY T
By DENISE MAYCOCK B ly expressed contrition. Tribune Freeport Reporter Speaking in Grand BahaLEFT: former Prime Minister Perry Christie and, above, how The T dmaycock@tribunemedia.net at a ceremony to award sd Tribune covered the story back inma 2016 nearly $4m in contracts for PRIME Minister Perry upgrades to the Rand Mearrested the officers.that He morial to recover fromMrthe ordealR Christieby said yesterday Hospital, Chriswas questioned by can police which him overtime he does not think he for- tie urged cost Bahamians not to sp officers thewrote names revenue,” the politics” judge wrote. give the about man who an engage in “ugly for n ofexpletive-filled the memberssong of aabout PLP “political Justicegain” Stewart as thesaid coun-sheli WhatsApp group went - Liberal didnears not believe arrestingau his family, which viral try electionthe season. on social media in August, Caucus. Thereafter, he was officer satisfied himself thatre SEE PAGE SEVEN although singer placed in athe cell untiltearfulabout Mr Collie, pictured, wasp
Fernander told the plaintiff that he was at CDU because of information received that he and Mr Saunders had distributed an audio recording which was derogatory of the prime minister and his family,” the judgement says. “The plaintiff denied distributing the
SHAKIEL Smith outside court yesterday.
A JAMAICAN man was charged in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday with armed robbery and attempted murder. Shakiel Smith, 22, also known as “Shak”, appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes after he was charged with six counts of armed robbery. Smith was also accused of attempting to murder one of the men he robbed. Smith is accused of robbing Samuel Stratchan of $300 on June 9 and
Thursday, June 25, 2020, PAGE 7
MARINES ARRESTED AFTER ROW WITH POLICE OFFICER
audio recording and added that he was a PLP who defended the party all the time and that Bernadette Christie was his cousin. “The handcuffed plaintiff was then transported by six police officers to his home, where they searched and subsequently removed his laptops and a tablet. He
JAMAICAN, 22, CHARGED WITH ARMED ROBBERY AND ATTEMPTED MURDER
By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
prises (SMEs) throughout the country. Referring to its impact on the tourism economy SEE PAGE SIX
Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff
attempting to kill him. He is also accused of robbing Wilbert Fils-Aime at Rubis Gas Station on West Bay Street and stealing $1,500 from a man named Owen McCafferty that same day. The prosecution also alleged that Smith robbed Ghisine Lublin of $761.59 at Mac Grab Convenience Store on June 3. He is also accused of robbing Daneisha Brooke of $200 at Trey’s Convenience and Nicky Georges of $955 at 4G’s Convenience Store that same day. According to initial police reports, shortly
before 11am on June 9, two males, one of whom was armed with a handgun, entered a business on West Bay Street and robbed the cashier of an undetermined amount of cash, before fleeing the scene. During the hearing, Smith was not required to enter a plea and the matter was adjourned to September 30 for service of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI). Bail was denied and he was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services in the interim. He has a right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.
claimed that while at CDU and during the search of his home he was never told that he was under arrest. “After the search was completed, the plaintiff was taken back to CDU, fingerprinted, photographed and informed of the reason for his arrest, more than three hours after he was initially
7pm. The plaintiff was then responsible for the offense transported to the Cable or that he was familiar Beach Police Station, with the contents placed in a cell and of the complaint. remained in police “He never stated custody until Satthat he had any urday, 12 August, knowledge of 2016 when he was the offense comreleased at 7pm.” plained of, other When Mr Collie was than what was told transferred to the Cable to him,” she wrote. “An Beach Police Station, he officer with the power to was held in an “unusually deprive a private citizen of cold cell without a blanket his liberty should not do so or a pillow,” it is claimed. just because he is told to do Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspap He described the ordeal so. He should exercise his as a terrible one and said powers of arrest only if his he suffered immeasurable belief is based on accurate, harm to his dignity. verified information that “He further stated that would cause him to believe he now suffers from post- that there is a chance that traumatic stress as he is the person has actually now afraid to be in small committed an offense.” spaces and he also had to take three weeks vacation Editorial View - Page 6
PAGE 8, Thursday, June 25, 2020
by Jennifer Silver and Noella Gray, University of Guelph, Leslie Acton, University of Southern Mississippi and Lisa Campbell, Duke University OCEANS cover 70 percent of the Earth’s surface. But, because many of us spend most of our lives on land, the 362 million square kilometres of blue out there aren’t always top of mind. While vast, oceans are not empty. They are teeming with life and connected to society through history and culture, shipping and
economic activity, geopolitics and recreation. But oceans — along with coastal people and marine species — are vulnerable, and good ocean governance is critical to protect these expanses from pollution, overfishing and climate change, to name just some of the threats. The laws, institutions and regulations in place for the oceans are a multi-layered patchwork and always a work in progress. Some characterise oceans as the “common heritage of humankind”. As such, the United Nations plays a critical role in ocean
THE TRIBUNE
How a global ocean treaty could protect biodiversity in the high seas governance, and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is a key international agreement. The agreement grants coastal and island states authority over swaths of ocean extending 200 nautical miles (360 kilometres) from the shore. These are called exclusive economic zones (EEZ). EEZs are domestic spaces. Countries enshrine law and delegate authority to state agencies that lead monitoring, management and enforcement in these zones. Indigenous peoples also assert jurisdictional
authority and coastal peoples hold critical insight about coastal and marine ecosystems. Governance is improved when state agencies share power and collaborate. For example, during the Newfoundland cod collapse, inshore fishermen had local ecological knowledge about changing cod stock dynamics that might have helped avoid the disaster. A vast portion of the ocean lies beyond EEZs: 64 per cent by area and 95 per cent by volume. These regions are often referred to as the high seas. The
high seas are important for international trade, fishing fleets, undersea telecommunications cables and are of commercial interest to mining companies. The high seas also host a wide array of ecosystems and species. Many of these are understudied or altogether unrecorded. UN agreements identify high seas using a technical term “areas beyond national jurisdiction” that refers to the water column. The sea floor is identified separately and called “the area.” UNCLOS and other pieces of international law regulate activity in these spaces and are responsible for ensuring that no single country or company dominates or benefits unfairly. Other multilateral, sector-based arrangements manage particularly complex resources. For example, regional fisheries management organisations bring nation states together to collaborate on monitoring and managing fish stocks, like tuna, that have large ranges and cross multiple borders and boundaries. The biodiversity governance gap Currently, international law does not meaningfully address biodiversity monitoring and conservation in the high seas. This “biodiversity governance gap” has been of concern for the past two decades. Without a binding mechanism under international law, countries are not obligated to cooperate on developing and implementing conservation measures in the high seas. In addition, monitoring the impacts of various economic activities, such as fishing and mining, on biodiversity is piecemeal and inadequate. Marine species or even entire ecosystems could be lost before we have had a chance to identify and understand them. On December 24, 2017, the UN General Assembly voted to convene a multiyear process to develop a treaty on “the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction.” Three of the scheduled negotiation sessions have taken place, while the fourth and final one, scheduled for March 2020, was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some progress has been made. Notably, the draft treaty addresses four key areas: marine genetic resources; area-based management tools, including marine protected areas; environmental impact assessments
and capacity building and the transfer of marine technology. Yet, many disagreements remain. For example, countries diverge on the extent to which governance should prioritise the principle of oceans as the “common heritage of humankind.” Very pragmatic questions underlie this tension: should marine genetic sequences be commercialised? If so, how would this work and will it be possible to agree on a way to share benefits fairly? These are critical and how they are addressed will determine if persistent inequities between the Global North and Global South are lessened or exacerbated. Another challenge relates to marine protected areas (MPAs), especially how they are defined and implemented. What levels of protection are needed for an area to count as an MPA? How much should the treaty predetermine processes used to establish new MPAs and how will MPA rules be enforced? COVID-19: Negotiations cut adrift? Has postponing the final round of negotiations cut high seas biodiversity negotiations adrift? A European research team is surveying participants and experts to learn what impact the disruption may have. However, it is unlikely that the treaty will fall completely by the wayside. Delegates and negotiators may well continue to informally discuss options with one another and refine positions with an eye towards reaching consensus when rescheduling is possible. A ratified treaty covering biodiversity in the high seas would be an exciting layer to add to the ocean governance patchwork. But, delegates and negotiators always have to make concessions during talks, and disagreements often persist after the treaty has been signed. Implementation can be as challenging and contentious as negotiation itself. Various human dimensions and economic challenges will also continue to need attention, including human trafficking, perverse fishing subsidies and our collective responsibility to small island states that may be submerged as sea levels rise. These challenges point to other international forums — the World Trade Organization, International Labour Organization and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change — and serve to remind us of the myriad ways that we are all connected to, and by, oceans. theconversation.com.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, June 25, 2020, PAGE 9
PEAKING BEHIND THE CURTAINS AT THE WHITE HOUSE A COUPLE of new books appeared this week. Neither aims to flatter Trump nor his wife. But they will likely make a lot of money for their authors and publishers. They offer a few insights. Former National Security Adviser John Bolton announced during the Trump impeachment hearings just six months ago that he was preparing a memoir covering his 18 months in Trump’s White House. Rumours had him receiving a $2 million advance. After a reportedly rancorous stretch at Trump’s elbow, Bolton apparently figured that living well off his book earnings was the best revenge. “The Room Where It Happened” is sure to be a best-seller. He charges that the Democratic
Party’s impeachment against Trump amounted to “malfeasance” because there was so much more than extorting Ukraine for which Trump deserved to be removed from office. Widely circulated reviews of the new book quote Bolton on various aspects of Trump’s interaction with foreign leaders and nations. “The slowness and lack of agility on Venezuela was painful to watch.” Withdrawing US troops from Syria was “the most irrational thing I ever witnessed any President do.” “Pleading with (Chinese president) Xi to help him win the November election was stunning.” The president’s faith in North Korea was “unbelievably naïve”. Impeachment testimony from
STATESIDE with Charlie Harper WHAT a mess. We’re just over four months away from a pivotal presidential election in the US - and what do we see? The incumbent president, Donald Trump persists in behaving in ways that seem to his allies and opponents alike as hobbling his re-election chances. As his polling popularity continues to sag, he yields to his own impulses and insists on travelling first to Tulsa, Oklahoma and then to Yuma and Phoenix, Arizona to hold what are clearly campaign rally events. Both states are seeing increasing coronavirus infection rates. We have all heard the medical experts – and Democratic politicians – warning about the dire public health consequences of these vanity trips. Trump, whose transparency would be admirable if its revelations were not basically so vile, makes no secret that he misses the adoration of his base of supporters at such rallies. So off he goes, never mind the health consequences. He got what many feel he deserved from Tulsa, where the big story turned out to be the quite surprisingly low turnout in the large downtown arena that his campaign had wrongly predicted could not hold half the expected number of his supporters. Then it was off to Arizona, where both Trump and his ally, appointed senator Martha McSally, may be in trouble in November. The image of thousands of true-believing college students crammed into a mega church without masks to hear Trump rant will do little to encourage anyone still undecided to support the President. Meanwhile, Trump’s November opponent Joe Biden is giving new meaning to the phrase “keeping a low profile”. If Biden’s public posture were any lower, he’d be underground. Critics say he already is
basically in hiding, to avoid chances he might make some silly, casual remark that would offend young voters and liberal activists, both of whom he will need to turn out to vote in November if he is to prevail over Trump. Last week, iconoclastic American film maker Michael Moore was interviewed on a liberal TV talk/ news show. Moore, who gained serious credibility in 2016 by warning of Hillary Clinton’s impending defeat, was asked about his forecast for this November. The interviewer sat back in her chair, clearly expecting a Biden victory prediction. Moore paused for a moment, looking soberly into the camera. “If Biden picks a vice presidential candidate who will excite black and young voters, he can win. If he does not do that, I think Trump will win again.” The interviewer was at a loss for a reply. But Moore’s solemn warning should be heeded by the Democrats and their candidate. This is especially true because Trump’s supporters will surely turn out. Rarely has an American president shown such dogged loyalty to his “base”. Trumpers can hardly be blamed for reciprocating the fanatical loyalty he has shown to them and their core beliefs during the past three-and-ahalf years. Yeah, Trump’s 35 percent will show up to vote in November. He’s counting on it, and so should we. Still, the president’s poll numbers now regularly show a ten-plus point deficit to Biden. And there is talk the Democrat is finally closing the financial gap between his campaign and Trump’s. But the best news of all for Biden may have been that the University of Michigan has declared it would not host the second of three scheduled TrumpBiden debates set for this fall. The university cited public health concerns. Biden should count
FILLING IN BLANKS ON THE SPORTS CALENDAR
A SPORTS tout months ago said the smart play was to assume there would be no American major sports leagues playing games for real this year. Was he right? The NBA looked well organised to finish up its regular season as a tune up at Disney in Orlando, then move to a much-anticipated post-season with both Los Angeles teams as reasonable bets to win the championship. Now, with the spike in COVID-19 cases in too-early-opening Florida, the hardwood stars are reportedly having second thoughts. Not that anyone’s paying too much attention, but the NHL seems to be having some misgivings, too. The NFL, lucky so far in the relationship of its schedule and that of the murderous virus, is still publicly hoping for as normal a season as possible under these dire circumstances. The virus’ expected second wave in November would defeat that hope.
FOOTBALL is back in England Major League Baseball may be finally ready to resume “spring” training on July 1, begin playing a month from now and finish a 60-game regular season by the end of September, but watch out. As COVID case reports among teams multiply, the 2020 season may still skid off the rails. Big-time soccer has resumed in Europe without fans. The major leagues in England, Germany, Spain and Italy are all playing on TV, and the late Champions League rounds are set for Lisbon in August. At least there’s that.
Bolton’s staff on Trump’s infamous Ukraine phone call was corroborated. But we knew or suspected much of that. There are more interesting revelations in a new book about Melania Trump by a Washington Post reporter. Born in Slovenia and still (along with her son Barron) a dual citizen of that country, Melania entered the US originally on a visitor’s visa and then received an H-1B work visa normally granted for “distinguished merit or ability”. She was a reasonably successful model at the time. Later, she reportedly got a green card under a programme called EB-1, reserved for those with “extraordinary ability”. While the rules were probably bent to facilitate Mrs Trump’s
MELANIA: enigmatic and glamorous status in America, she is hardly the only one to benefit from some murky or questionable visa decision making.
The big reveal from “The Art of Her Deal” is the assertion that Melania, criticised for her lack of an independent public posture since moving to the White House, is actually quite happy with her life and with her situation. The book reportedly describes Melania as “enigmatic, glamorous, secretive, strategic. She is a quiet loner and master compartmentaliser who made her deal with the devil and made it work because in many ways, deep down, she and Trump are cut from the same shiny cloth. She is as complex and complicated as her husband. She is more like him than it appears.” Looks like any tears we might shed for Melania might be unnecessary.
Love him or loathe him, Trump’s far from beaten and could easily win a second term
PRESIDENT Trump’s poll numbers now regularly show a tenplus point deficit to Joe Biden
himself lucky if this debate does not find another venue. For whatever else he is or isn’t, Trump is a formidable presence on the debate stage. Both in the lengthy series of Republican candidate debates in 2016 and in his showdowns with Hillary Clinton later that year, Trump projected a raw power that belied the weakness of his arguments and rude nonsense of many of his statements. The compelling nature of his stature and manner forces opponents into a flinching, uncertain response that gives to many observers the subliminal message of Trump’s potency. This was not insignificant four years ago and it’s unlikely to be insignificant this year. That’s why Trump’s campaign recently proposed adding a fourth debate. Biden’s people wisely refused.
PAGE 10, Thursday, June 25, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
FREE TUITION AT BAMSI TO START IN THE FALL
FULL-TIME students at the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) will be able to study for free when it resumes in the autumn. Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources Michael Pintard made the announcement during his contribution to the 2020/21 Budget debate. “BAMSI is now able to offer to its incoming students the identical arrangements made available to UB and BTVI students in free tuition,” he said. Students will have to register for full-time credits and maintain a minimum GPA to retain their grant. Executive director of BAMSI, Dr Raveenia Roberts Hanna said she is excited by the scheme.
“We are poised for this role as we have been intentional and strategic in our programme offerings to ensure that we build capacity and meet national needs,” she said. “We are proud that our students will benefit from the education grant and will continue to make the positive impacts that our graduates are known for.” The initiative will increase access to education for Bahamians and BAMSI said the move will help to fulfill the government’s mandate of free tuition for its citizens. Students will be able to enroll in one of several degree programmes, including agriculture, marine science, environmental science, agribusiness and
aquaculture. The institute recently launched five new courses - business management, art and environment, animal science, agronomy and general agriculture. The grant will fund tuition, compulsory course fees, and textbooks. Compulsory course fees covered are technology, student activities, library, course lab and studio fees, and external examination fees as applicable. The grant does not cover noninstructional fees such as the security deposit, application, and graduation. It also does not include payments for summer courses, nor the cost of repeating a course. Application for the autumn semester is open until July 1.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, June 25, 2020, PAGE 11
US virus resurgence wipes out progress HOUSTON Associated Press A CORONAVIRUS resurgence is wiping out two months of progress in the US and sending infections to dire new levels across the South and West, with administrators and health experts warning that politicians and a tiredof-being-cooped-up public are letting a disaster unfold. The US recorded a one-day total of 34,700 new COVID-19 cases, the highest level since late April, when the number peaked at 36,400, according to the count kept by Johns Hopkins University. While newly confirmed infections have been declining steadily in early hot spots such as New York and New Jersey, several other states set single-day records this week, including Arizona, California, Mississippi, Nevada, Texas and Oklahoma. Some of them also broke hospitalization records, as did North Carolina and South Carolina. “People got complacent,”
PPE for small businesses are prepared in Orlando, Florida yesterday said Dr Marc Boom, CEO of the Houston Methodist hospital system. “And it’s coming back and biting us, quite frankly.” The virus has been blamed for over 120,000 US deaths — the highest toll in the world — and more than 2.3 million confirmed
infections nationwide. Yesterday, the widely cited University of Washington computer model of the outbreak projected nearly 180,000 deaths by October 1. California reported over 7,100 new cases. Florida’s single-day count surged to 5,500, a 25% jump
THREE FACE MURDER CHARGES IN KILLING OF AHMAUD ARBERY ATLANTA Associated Press THREE white men have been indicted on murder charges in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, a black man fatally shot while running in a suburban neighborhood near Georgia’s coast. Prosecutor Joyette Holmes announced yesterday that a grand jury has indicted Travis McMichael, Greg McMichael and William “Roddie” Bryan Jr. on charges including malice and felony murder in Arbery’s death. “This is another positive step, another great step for finding justice for Ahmaud, for finding justice for this family and the community beyond,” Holmes said at a news conference outside the Glynn County courthouse in Brunswick that was streamed online by news outlets. Arbery’s death has often been invoked during protests against racial injustice that have broken out across the nation since George Floyd’s death last month
under a white Minneapolis police officer’s knee. Arbery’s death also fueled a renewed push for a state hate crimes law in Georgia, which state lawmakers passed on Tuesday. Lawyers for the McMichaels have cautioned against a rush to judgment and have said the full story will come out in court. A lawyer for Bryan has maintained that his client was merely a witness. Arbery died when the Greg and Travis McMichael, a white father and son, armed themselves and pursued the 25-yearold black man running in their neighbourhood. Greg McMichael told police he suspected Arbery was a burglar and that Arbery attacked his son before being shot. Arbery’s family has said he was out for a jog. Bryan lives in the same subdivision, just outside the port city of Brunswick. Bryan said he saw the McMichaels driving by and joined the chase, a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent Richard
Dial testified earlier this month at a probable cause hearing. It wasn’t until May 7 — two days after Bryan’s cellphone video leaked online and stirred a national outcry — that the McMichaels were arrested. Bryan was arrested on May 22, and an arrest warrant said he tried “to confine and detain” Arbery without legal authority by “utilizing his vehicle on multiple occasions” before Arbery was shot. Bryan told investigators that Travis McMichael cursed and said a racist slur as he stood over Arbery, moments after he fatally shot him, Dial testified. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over the case after the video surfaced. The state attorney general appointed Holmes, who’s the district attorney in Cobb County near Atlanta, to prosecute after the local district attorney recused herself because Greg McMichael had worked for her — and two other outside prosecutors also stepped aside.
STUDENTS AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE RALLYING FOR RACIAL JUSTICE FLORIDA Associated Press
AMONG the thousands of activists who have marched in the nation’s capital recently to protest racial injustice are survivors of a Florida high school massacre who stood in the very same place two years ago to fight gun violence. It was 2018 and the world was transfixed as the survivors of the Valentine’s Day mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland created the anti-gun violence movement March for Our Lives.
CHRISTLE VIDOR The movement raised millions of dollars, earned the students the Children’s Peace Prize and the cover of Time magazine, and spawned sister marches from California to Japan.
Now, Aalayah Eastmond, Christle Vidor and many other Parkland students are using their fame and organizing skills to join a massive call for racial justice and equality that has exploded across the nation after the death of George Floyd last month in Minneapolis. “There are black people dying and it makes no sense for us to be losing our lives to violence like this, so either we can sit back and be complacent or we can do something about it,” said Vidor, 19, now a student at Howard University.
from the record set last week. In Texas, which began lifting its shutdowns on May 1, hospitalisations have doubled and new cases have tripled in two weeks. Gov. Greg Abbott told KFDA-TV that the state is facing a “massive outbreak” and might need new local restrictions to preserve hospital space. The Houston area’s intensive care units are nearly full, and two public hospitals are running at capacity, Mayor Sylvester Turner said. Houston Methodist’s Boom said Texans need to “behave perfectly and work together perfectly” to slow the infection rate. “When I look at a restaurant or a business where people ... are not following the guidelines, where people are just throwing caution to the wind, it makes me angry.” Only one intensive-care bed was available in Montgomery, Alabama, and just 17 percent of ICU beds were open statewide, though hospitals can add more, said Dr. Don Williamson, head of the Alabama Hospital Association.
NOW CASES RISING AMONG YOUNG ADULTS FLORIDA Associated Press CORONAVIRUS cases are climbing rapidly among young adults in a number of states where bars, stores and restaurants have reopened — a disturbing generational shift that not only puts them in greater peril than many realise but poses an even bigger danger to older people who cross their paths. Young people have started going out again, many without masks, in what health experts see as irresponsible behavior. “The virus hasn’t changed. We have changed our behaviors,” said Ali Mokdad, professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle. “Younger people are more likely to be out and taking a risk.” In Florida, people ages 15 to 34 now make up 31% of all cases, up from 25% in early June. Last week, more than 8,000 new cases were reported in that age group, compared with 2,000 among 55 to 64 years old.
TENDER NOTICE
TO SUPPLY AND INSTALL Modular Temporary/Semi-Permanent Housing Solutions For Grand Bahama and Abaco Disaster Zones The Disaster Reconstruction Authority invites Bahamian businesses and Joint Ventures with Bahamian lead composition to submit Tenders for the Supply and Installation of Temporary/Semi-Permanent Modular Housing Solutions for the islands of Grand Bahama and Abaco. Modular Units can be prefabricated, made from shipping containers, welded or bolted steel framed units with insulated wall panels. Units must be easily and quickly assembled once on site. Vendors must demonstrate the ability to supply and install a minimum of twenty-five (25) units on or before August 15th, 2020. Tender Documents can be requested by emailing: procurement@drabahamas.org It is desired that the work commences immediately. Contractors are to submit proposals by July 9th, 2020. The Authority retains the right to keep all information submitted and does not commit that the project will materialize. 1. Project Scope – Provide and install between fifty - one hundred (50 - 100) Modular Housing units for Semi-Permanent Housing on the mainland and cays of the Disaster Zones of Abaco and Grand Bahama. 2. Project Schedule (Timeline) – All units must be supplied and installed no later than August 31st, 2020. Having units readily available for immediate installation is a plus. 3. Project Cost – The Contractor is to provide their best price to supply and install Modular Units. 4. High Level Project Specifications: a. 20’-0” x 20’-0” (400 sq. ft Minimum) b. Insulated Walls and Ceilings c. Flooring Included d. Two Bedrooms e. One Bathroom with Shower f. Kitchen/Kitchenette Area g. Electrical Installations Included h. Plumbing Installations Included (Water Supply & Sanitary Provisions) i. Engineered Foundations for winds up to 150 mile per hours j. Sustainable and resilient designs are essential 5. Warranty Period – 3 years 6. Construction Bonding Capacity – Five Hundred Thousand Dollars (B$500,000.00) 7. Submission Requirements Overview – (See Tender Documents for detailed submission: • Corporate Information (Corporate Entity or Joint Venture, address and email) • Business License and Tax Compliance Certificate (Corporate entity and Joint Venture) • Related experience with project history • Product Information including Engineering Foundation Information. • Financial References (Bank Letters and proof of ability to undertake project) • Ability to procure and maintain insurances (bonding, liability, professional indemnity and National Insurance) • Tax Compliance Certificate • Bid Bond – Five Thousand Dollars (B$5,000.00) • Optional presentation of innovative ‘Green’ technologies and “Smart” materials 7. Submissions must be received on or before 9th July 2020 at 12:00 pm 8. Submissions and any queries must made electronically to: procurement@drabahamas.org Address submissions to: Disaster Reconstruction Authority Cecil Wallace Whitfield Center West Bay Street, Nassau, Bahamas Attention: Wendell Grant, Project Director No Phone Calls Accepted
SPORTS
PAGE 12, Thursday, June 25, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
‘The biggest factor for me was my health’
By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net
J
onquel Jones cited COVID-19 concerns and a lack of clarity in the WNBA’s return to play proposal as the main factors behind her decision to opt out of the upcoming season. “The biggest factor for me was my health. At the end of the day, you can’t spend a cheque if you’re not alive. Yeah, you might be out there playing, the money is important to your livelihood but, at the end of the day, your health should be most important. If you’re not here you can’t enjoy the fruits of your labour,” said the Connecticut Sun star forward. “It was a combination of several things but it just came back to my health. All the other things were kind of cosmetic but my health is the big issue. I just didn’t want to put myself in a tough situation for financial gain because, at the end of
“At the end of the day, you can’t spend a cheque if you’re not alive. Yeah, you might be out there playing, the money is important to your livelihood but, at the end of the day, your health should be most important. If you’re not here you can’t enjoy the fruits of your labour.” – Jonquel Jones the day, health is the most important.” In addition to Jones, several players around the WNBA have also opted out of the season since the league announced its intention to return in July. Last week, WNBA announced a 22-game regular season at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The season is set to begin sometime in July, but no confirmed dates have been announced.
In addition to Jones, other players who announced their intentions to opt out of the season include Renee Montgomery and Tiffany Hayes of the Atlanta Dream along with Natasha Cloud and LaToya Saunders of the Washington Mystics. Players must inform their teams by June 25 whether they are playing this season. Jones said the contract
SEE PAGE 15
CONNECTICUT Sun’s Jonquel Jones reacts after competing in the skills challenge during the WNBA All-Star festivities in Las Vegas on Friday, July 26, 2019. (AP Photo/John Locher)
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THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, June 25, 2020, PAGE 13
Baseball scrambles back into action amid lingering concerns By NOAH TRISTER AP Baseball Writer RON Gardenhire and Dusty Baker are a little uneasy. Jim Crane hopes his Houston Astros can play in front of fans at some point. As baseball scrambles to start an abbreviated season, the prevailing mood is one of nervous excitement. “Is it a risk? Absolutely,” said Gardenhire, the 62-year-old manager of the Detroit Tigers. “There’s risk involved in this. We all know it, and we’re willing to go try to do this thing. I would never want to jump ship with my team, but we’re going to hopefully do everything right as far as protocol goes, and take care of each other and keep everybody healthy as best we possibly can.” Major League Baseball set a 60-game schedule Tuesday night, and now the sport will try its best to complete a season and crown a champion amid a coronavirus pandemic that still looms over much of American life. Players report to camps July 1 — hard to call it “spring training” at this time of year — and the regular season is supposed to start about three weeks later. It already feels like a whirlwind. “We knew this was a possibility so I think everybody is kind of ahead of where they normally would be for traditional spring training,” Minnesota Twins reliever Taylor Rogers said. “I don’t know if I can speak for everybody because it’s easier for the relievers. I don’t know how the starters are going to get ready or stretched out. And then the hitters, that’s a whole different ballgame.
MLB SUBMITS PLAN TO CANADIAN GOVERNMENT TO PLAY IN TORONTO By ROB GILLIES Associated Press
BASEBALL Commissioner Rob Manfred answers questions at a press conference during baseball owners meetings in Orlando, Florida, on February 6. (AP) I’m sure it’s going to be difficult for them early. They haven’t seen live pitching in three months now.” Aside from the accelerated timeline, other logistical issues could arise as teams figure out how to turn their home ballparks into training camps following an uptick in infections in Florida and Arizona. The Tigers announced yesterday they would use Comerica Park in Detroit, which obviously has less field space than the team’s sprawling spring training complex in Florida. General manager Al Avila said players would have their time on the field staggered. The Texas Rangers, who still haven’t played a game in their new retractable roof stadium, plan to use the home, visitor and auxiliary clubhouses to spread out players and staff. The
team also has access to its former stadium across the street, even though the field was converted for the XFL and soccer. Dick Williams, president of baseball operations for the Cincinnati Reds, said MLB is going to charter jets to bring in players from the Dominican Republic, and that teams are allowed to play a small number of exhibition games in July — although he doubts anybody will. All of these issues could become moot if there’s a major outbreak of the virus within baseball. Avila said one player and one staff member for the Tigers tested positive, and there have been examples from other teams as well. Gardenhire, who has dealt with cancer and diabetes, has concerns about the virus, and Baker, the manager of
the Astros, is 71, putting him in a category of older people who could be particularly vulnerable. “I’m a bit nervous,” he said. “I’ve seen the reports in Houston how COVID’s going up so I’m going to have to really be careful. I’ve got about 100 different masks. I’ve got some gloves. I’ve read all the reports on what to do and how to stay good. So in my mind and in my heart I’m in good shape and I’m ready to go.” Even at age 29, Tigers left-hander Matthew Boyd considers himself at risk because he’s had asthma his whole life — but he thinks he and his teammates will act responsibly. It will be unusual following new safety protocols that are at times incompatible with human nature on the baseball field. “It’s going to
be different not giving guys big hugs and high fives and stuff,” Boyd said. “Emotion’s going to take over. The second that we hit a walk-off home run, everybody’s probably going to jump out and be like, ‘Oh yeah, wait. Hold up.’” There’s been no decision on whether fans can attend games at some point. Commissioner Rob Manfred said the first order of business is getting comfortable with games in empty stadiums. Crane, who owns the Astros, is hoping that could change eventually. “We’ve still got to go through the player protocol. They’re very focused on that and the staff that’s going to be associated with the games once we fire up,” Crane said. “I think the intent at some point is to get the fans in the ballpark.”
TORONTO (AP) — Major League Baseball has submitted a plan to the Canadian government to play in Toronto this year and health authorities are examining it. Anna Maddison, a spokeswoman for the Public Health Agency of Canada, said yesterday the restart plan is being reviewed. “The resumption of activities in Canada must be undertaken in adherence to Canada’s plan to mitigate the importation and spread of COVID-19,” Maddison told The Associated Press. “The Public Health Agency of Canada has received, and is currently assessing, a restart plan from Major League Baseball,” she said. Maddison also said big league baseball requires the formal support of health authorities in Ontario. Anyone entering Canada for non-essential reasons must quarantine for 14 days, and the US-Canada border remains closed to non-essential travel until at least July 21. On Tuesday, the Canadian government said it was open to MLB playing in Toronto this summer, but the league had not submitted the required plan to health authorities. A senior federal government official said if MLB submitted an acceptable restart plan to the government, an exemption letter similar to the one provided to the National Hockey League could be provided. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly about the matter.
PAGE 14, Thursday, June 25, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
Martial’s hat trick leads Man United to easy 3-0 win MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Converting from a winger to a central striker is bringing the best out of Anthony Martial at Manchester United this season. The French forward scored his first hat trick for United in the 3-0 win over Sheffield United in the Premier League yesterday, taking his tally in all competitions to 19 goals — his highest in one season since joining from Monaco in 2015. There could be as many as 14 matches remaining this season for Martial to top up that number. And with Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba finally together in central midfield to increase United’s creativity, goals shouldn’t be in short supply. It was the first hat trick by a United player since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 and the type of finishes Martial delivered showed he is growing in his new role. “He’s in the box, ready to go. We have worked on that, getting in the box in that situation more often,” said Man United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, a former striker. Martial’s first two goals came at either end of the first half, the opener coming when he slid in to divert in a fiercely driven cross by Marcus Rashford from the right in the seventh minute. It was a real striker’s goal, as was his second in the 44th when he swept home another cross from the right, this time by Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Rashford was again the provider for Martial’s third goal, slipping a short pass behind the visiting defence for his fellow forward to run through and apply a deft finish over goalkeeper Simon Moore. “It’s just unfortunate he didn’t (get to) celebrate with our fans,” Solskjaer said, referring to a virtually empty stadium at Old Trafford. The hosts did, though, print large photos of 40,000 of their supporters and place them on seats in the stadium as part of a fan mosaic. The win kept United in fifth place, which will be enough to secure qualification for next season’s Champions League if second-place
MANCHESTER United’s Anthony Martial celebrates after scoring his side’s third goal during the English Premier League soccer match against Sheffield United at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, yesterday. (Michael Steele/Pool via AP) Manchester City fails in its appeal against a two-year European ban. It was a second straight loss for the visitors, who dropped five points behind Man United. Most intrigue surrounded the decision of Man United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to play Fernandes and Pogba — with Nemanja Matic anchoring the midfield — and they showed flashes to
suggest their partnership can prosper. Given the limited nature of the opposition, Fernandes had an easy time running the game while Pogba grew into the game in his first start since September 30 in an injuryinterrupted campaign. “Paul is still a bit away from his best form,” Solskjaer said. “That’s natural because it’s his first start since September. He’s been
working hard. “I thought we controlled the game. Paul and Bruno showed some quality and it’s exciting for us to be working with talent like this.” Solskjaer chose to make all five of his allowed substitutions at the same time — in the 80th minute — with temporary rules increasing the number of replacements from three.
VILLA SALVAGES 1-1 DRAW AT NEWCASTLE TO BOOST EPL HOPES NEWCASTLE, England (AP) — Ahmed Elmohamady came off the bench to score an equaliser and give Aston Villa a 1-1 draw at Newcastle that boosts the visitors’ hopes of avoiding relegation from the Premier League. Newcastle looked to be heading for a second win in four days when Dwight Gayle, who had replaced Matt Ritchie just seconds earlier, put the hosts into a 68th-minute lead with his first goal for the club in more than two years. But Elmohamady squeezed an 83rd-minute header past Martin Dubravka to salvage a point against a Newcastle side that struggled to replicate the form they showed in beating Sheffield United impressively this past weekend. However, manager Steve Bruce’s double substitution gave Newcastle an immediate spark as he sent on Andy Carroll and Gayle. Carroll was allowed to control a throw-in and squeeze it into the box, where Gayle held off a defender before firing into the net. But Elmohamady leveled from fellow substitute Conor Hourihane’s corner to spark a late flurry that nearly saw the visitors come away with all three points. Villa remained in 19th place but is level on points with West Ham in 17th.
Soccer teams turning to virtual ‘fan tokens’ to raise money By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer MADRID (AP) — Soccer clubs around Europe are increasingly turning to virtual “fan tokens” to raise money and enhance fan engagement. And the money can pile up fast. The latest club to enter the world of blockchain, Spanish champion Barcelona, generated 1.2 million euros ($1.3 million) in less than two hours on Monday. The 600,000 Barcelona cryptocurrency-based tokens, which sold for 2 euros ($2.20) each, give fans exclusive voting rights in club-specific polls and can give them a chance to win rewards that could include watching games as VIP guests or meeting with players. Blockchains are “blocks” of information or transactions that are secure and transparent. They are stored on a network of computers around the world without the need of a centralised party or authority to control the data. The information can’t be altered, and the blocks are “chained” together using cryptography to form a protected and public digital ledger. “Thirty years ago people thought that this internet thing was just about sending email, but today thanks to the internet you can do a million things,” said Alexandre Dreyfus, the CEO of the Socios.com platform where fans can buy tokens and vote on club surveys. “And it’s a bit the same with blockchain. We still don’t know how to use the technology to innovate and do something that not necessarily existed before.” Barcelona joined Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, Roma, Atlético Madrid and others using blockchain. Token buyers can also make money in return by
trading the digital assets at a price determined by the market’s supply and demand, and ultimately by the team’s performances and actions. A team signing Neymar, for instance, could see the price of its tokens go up. A club facing relegation could see the price of its virtual asset go down. Another batch of Barcelona tokens was put on sale yesterday, with the price rising 200 per cent in the first five minutes of trading, Socios.com said. The trading volume hit $1 million in the first six minutes. Owners can sell and trade their tokens using Chiliz, one of the many cryptocurrencies based on blockchain technology. The trading is done on Chiliz.net. For now, most clubs are highlighting “fan engagement” as the main advantage of their blockchain-based fan tokens. “For the biggest clubs in the world, 99.9 per cent of sports fans are not actually in the stadiums, or even in the same city or country of the club that they are supporting,” Dreyfus told The Associated Press. “There is a lack of engagement and monetisation towards this global fan base,” he added. “All these fans have no significant way to have a voice and have an influence. “By owning one of these fan tokens, suddenly you are being recognised, and more importantly, you have a voice and a right to vote on a decision that the club is asking you.” Barcelona said the fan tokens are part of the club’s world-wide expansion strategy as it looks for new digital channels and formats to generate greater engagement with its international fan base. They have been incorporated as the club tries to develop “new streams for the generation of resources” and to
become a “benchmark both on and off the field.” The first survey in which Barcelona token owners can vote on is related to the artwork of a mural that will decorate the dressing room at the Camp Nou. Juventus was the first club to launch its fan tokens about six months ago, with its supporters choosing the celebration song that is now played when the team scores a goal. The first PSG poll in February allowed fans to choose an inspirational message to go on the captain’s armband, and Galatasaray’s supporters picked the song played when the team enters the field. Roma fans voted on the name of a field at the club’s training centre, and Atlético Madrid’s supporters chose player Álvaro Morata to give exclusive insight into the club’s daily life. The tokens became a more significant engagement tool during the coronavirus pandemic. PSG players Edison Cavani and Thiago Silva sent personal messages to fans, and Galatasaray token owners gained life-sized cardboard photos of themselves in the team’s stadium. “The pandemic forced the clubs to look at the other 99 per cent of fans that can generate revenue,” Dreyfus said. “It forced them to reconsider and to try to monetise their global fan base.” Other blockchain-based actions making their way into soccer include officially licenced digital cards of players, which can be used in virtual fantasy games. Platform Sorare has deals with several clubs and leagues, including the Serie A. It said it has more than 1,800 officially licenced soccer players on the platform, with 3,000 active users who generated about $200,000 in sales in May.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, June 25, 2020, PAGE 15
Pacers’ Brogdon, Kings’ Parker reveal they have coronavirus By MICHAEL MAROT AP Sports Writer INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon and Sacramento Kings forward Jabari Parker both revealed yesterday that they have tested positive for the coronavirus. Both made announcements in the forms of statements released by their teams. And Brogdon and Parker both believe they will be with their teams when the NBA season resumes at the Disney complex near Orlando, Florida, next month. “I recently tested positive for the COVID virus and am currently in quarantine,” Brogdon said in his statement. “I’m doing well, feeling well and progressing well. I plan to join my teammates in Orlando for the resumption of the NBA season and playoffs.” All 22 NBA teams that will be part of the resumed season began mandated testing Tuesday. League officials have expected that positive tests would be inevitable, and believed that starting a testing regimen now
JONES from PAGE 12 language in the proposal was also a major factor in her decision-making process. “For me it was obviously how COVID-19 was getting back up and surged again, so that was one of the biggest things. I think there were some things in the writing that the league forwarded to the players, it wasn’t really bad but I needed more specifics. One of things was where they said if we played all 22 of the games we would get 100 per cent of our salary, but if for some reason we couldn’t play all 22, like if a hurricane or something hit, or COVID-19 started to spread throughout the teams and people started testing positive and those 22 games couldn’t be played, we would come back and negotiate in good faith - so that was one of the things I didn’t like. “In good faith is cool and all but it’s not a definite number. If something happens, we don’t know how much of our salary we will get,” Jones said. “Another thing I didn’t like is when they were talking about high risk players. They would be able to get their salary and opt out, but they didn’t really explain what ‘high risk’ was until players started asking around and they finally explained it. Those are players most susceptible to catching COVID-19 and those players would be able to get their full salary after testing and finding out they were at higher risk. There were just certain things that I wanted in writing. It wasn’t that the proposal was bad, it was just that I like we could have voted no as a WNBA players association and gotten the league to give us more specifics and be more accurate with some of the things they wrote about.” The league will be played with no fans in attendance but will work closely with broadcast partners ESPN,
— roughly five weeks before games begin at Disney — will give players with positive results time to recover and get back with their teams before those contests start July 30. “Several days ago I tested positive for COVID-19 and immediately self-isolated in Chicago which is where I remain,” Parker said in his statement. “I am progressing in my recovery and feeling well. I look forward to joining my teammates in Orlando as we return to the court for the resumption of the NBA season.” All teams will arrive at Disney between July 7 and July 9 to start a brief quarantine and training camp. The NBA is in the process of finalising the game schedule for the resumed season. Brogdon’s case is not the first that the Pacers organisation has dealt with during the pandemic. Myles Turner’s father was hospitalised in Texas with COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, but has recovered. Brogdon wasn’t healthy before the season was suspended on March 11, sitting out with a leg and hip muscle injury. But the
CBS Sports Network and NBA TV. The WNBA regularly hosts a 36-game regular season from May to September, with the playoffs concluding in October. “The Players’ Association had a meeting after the proposal and a lot of the players when they sat in on the meeting they were like ‘wow’ because they didn’t really look at it in depth, not on my team but just players around the league. I told my team before they voted that we should say no because they [the WNBA] needed to come back and give us more information, so we had a conversation about it,” Jones said. “Most players around the league said ‘yes’ because they saw that 100 per cent salary, but when we came back and talked about it they said if we had that meeting before the vote they would have said no to get more specifics and get more information.” Despite her decision having a detrimental effect on the Sun’s championship aspirations this season, Jones has the full support of her teammates and front office. “My teammates are great. There are a few I have known my entire career, I’ve been talking to them constantly. All of us are bouncing ideas off each other, bouncing feelings and thoughts off of each other so we had an idea of who was going to play and who was thinking of not playing. At the end of the day when I decided my mind was made up, I reached out to them because I didn’t want them to feel like they were blindsided. My teammates are the most important thing in the whole organisation, without them we can’t do anything and I have such a deep relationship with most of them so I just wanted to reach out to them to let them know how I felt and what was going to happen. They were cool with it and they completely understood,” Jones said.
stoppage gave him time to recover. He was averaging 16.3 points, 7.1 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 48 games
this season, his first with Indiana. “Malcolm says he’s 100 per cent, ready to go,” president of basketball
operations Kevin Pritchard said in mid-April. “He is hungry.” Parker has appeared in one game with the Kings. He was traded to Sacramento in February by Atlanta, after averaging 15 points in 32 games with the Hawks this season. Brogdon also has become a prominent voice speaking out against racial injustice. He and Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics spoke at a protest in Atlanta earlier this month following the death of George Floyd. Brogdon has said he hopes to lead a march in Indianapolis, though he did not speak at one held two weeks ago in Indy. His grandfather, John Hurst Adams, marched with Dr Martin Luther King Jr during the 1960s civil rights movement. But with other NBA players voicing concerns about resuming the season amid the continuing protests, Brogdon had decided he would play. “I think guys across the NBA have very, very mixed views, and it’s very polarised. Some don’t want to play, and I understand that,” he said earlier this month.
“Some people agreed but they said that financially they can’t make that choice right now, so I’m actually lucky that where I’m and the team that I play for overseas as well, to where I can make this choice right now, make it about my health. It’s definitely a privilege.” Jones comes off a 2019 season where she was named to the AllWNBA Second Team, the All-Defensive Team and an All-Star for the second time in her four year career. In the offseason, she was a member of UMMC Ekaterinburg in the Russian Women’s Basketball Premier League and made an immediate impact on the national basketball programme of Bosnia and Herzagovia. Jones signed a multiyear contract extension with the Sun in February as the league’s free agency period commenced. She said she now looks forward to time away from the basketball court after several seasons of yearlong competition and sees it as an opportunity to hone her skills. “It’s all about spending time with family, being able to move freely, working out and working on different aspects of my game. WNBA players, we never get an offseason. We never get that time to just add things to the game and not worry about a game that’s coming up, to just go out and perfect our craft,” she said. “[So I’m looking forward] to just to be able to move how I want to move, visit people, workout, become a better person and a better basketball player.” In 2019, the Sun fell one game short in their historic run toward a WNBA Championship last season, but Jones established herself as one of the premier players in the league with her standout season. In addition to her aforementioned accolades, she finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting and was named Eastern
Conference Player of the Week four times. Jones finished the regular season with starts in all 34 appearances, averaged 14.6 points and posted career highs in steals (1.5 per game) and minutes played (28.8 per game). She also won her second rebounding title in four
seasons. Jones led the league in rebounds with 9.7 boards and blocked shots at a career-high 2.0 per game. She also finished fourth in defensive rebounds with 6.4 per game. She grabbed 10 or more rebounds 16 times, including a season-high 22 rebounds on May 31.
INDIANA Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon (7) drives on Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the second half of a game in Indianapolis on December 17, 2019. The Pacers defeated the Lakers 105-102. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
NBA, NBPA: SPARKING SOCIAL CHANGE WILL BE GOAL OF RESTART NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association said yesterday that dealing with racial matters will be a shared goal during the resumed season. The league and union announced they will “take collective action to combat systemic racism and promote social justice” when the season restarts at the Disney complex near Orlando, Florida next month. Specific plans have not been finalised. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and NBPA executive director Michele Roberts led a meeting that included league officials and players Tuesday to go over plans, including how best to ensure greater inclusion of Black-owned and operated businesses in league matters and forming an NBA foundation “to expand educational and economic development opportunities” in the Black community. “The issues of systemic racism and police brutality in our country need to end,” union president Chris Paul of the Oklahoma City Thunder said. He added, “there is much work ahead both in Orlando and long-term to continue the momentum and bring about real, long-lasting change to our society.” Silver said talks will continue.
SPORTS SECTION E
THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2020
JONQUEL, PAGE 12
‘Buddy’ tests positive for the coronavirus By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net
S
acramento Kings guard Chavano “Buddy” Hield has tested positive for COVID-19. The Athletic first reported Hield’s positive test late last night as the NBA began league-wide testing this week in preparation for its return to the court on July 30 to conclude the 2020 season. Hield was the second Kings player to reportedly test positive, joining Jabari Parker. Several players have tested positive this week since mandated league-wide testing began, including Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets) and Malcolm Brogdon (Indiana Pacers). AZ Central has reported that two Phoenix Suns players have tested positive and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said one Western Conference team produced four positive tests - no
player details have been revealed in either case. Hield said he feels fine and will continue to quarantine in Sacramento. He expects to join the Kings in Orlando to conclude the season once he is cleared to play. Just over two weeks ago, Hield returned to the court on June 10 for competitive play for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic sidelined the NBA. The Kings sharpshooter participated in the Skinz League Tournament at the Hive Sports Complex in Edmond, Oklahoma and scored 45 points, including 13 made three pointers. The Kings will be one of 22 teams invited to the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, when the NBA resumes on July 30. Both Hield and Parker will have ample time to self isolate before they join the Kings in Orlando for training camp on July 11. The “Orlando Tournament” will feature the 16 teams currently in playoff position and eight teams
currently within six games of 8th place in the two conferences. All games will be hosted at the Walt Disney World Resort, where the players and staff will also live under strict NBA-mandated pandemic protocols. Teams will officially begin training at team sites in July and will advance to full training camps in Orlando prior to regular season play. The Kings are 28-36, No.10 in the Western Conference and 3.5 games behind the No.8 Memphis Grizzlies (32-33). The NBA has suspended its season since March 11 when Utah Jazz centre Rudy Gobert was the league’s first player to test positive for COVID-19. Through 64 games this season, Hield is averaging 19.8 points per game and is shooting 40 per cent from beyond the arc, making 3.8 three-point field goals in about 10 attempts per game. Hield also added 4.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.
POSITIVE COVID-19 TEST: Chavano “Buddy” Hield has tested positive for COVID-19. The Athletic first reported Hield’s positive test late last night. (AP)
Virtual learning: BBF launches ‘Summerfest 3-on-3 Basketball Training’ By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net NO official timeline has been given on basketball’s return to the court but the country’s governing body of the sport began a virtual learning campaign for its latest initiative. The Bahamas Basketball Federation, along with its Family Island basketball associations, launched its “Summerfest 3-on-3 Basketball Training” this week. The interactive course was designed to introduce interested persons to what has become the fastest growing version of the sport. Topics included the unique rules of the discipline, competition structure and other elements of participation. The BBF previously announced its intention to host a pilot 3-on-3 basketball tournament in August that is mandated by FIBA - the governing body for basketball worldwide. The pilot tournament will feature play in three
different categories for both men and women ages 18-35, 36-45 and 46 plus. “We’re not sure when everything will be opened, but during the month of August, we will try to play the 3-on-3 basketball tournament throughout the Bahamas,” Eugene Horton, vice president of BBF, previously told The Tribune. “We have committee members assigned to each island, so we want to ensure that everybody is aware of the rules and regulations.” The federation’s information campaign will ultimately culminate in a national tournament which will also double as the selection process for the country’s first 3-on-3 national team. According to an ESSEC Business School study commissioned by the International Olympic Committee, 3x3 is the largest urban team sport in the world. It is currently being promoted and structured by FIBA, the sport’s governing body. Its primary competition is an annual FIBA 3X3
World Tour, comprising a series of Masters and one Final tournament, and awarding six-figure prize money in US dollars. The FIBA 3x3 World Cups for men and women are the highest tournaments for national 3x3 teams. 3x3 will debut as an Olympic sport at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The FIBA 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament will take place in Graz, Austria, May 26-30, 2021. Forty teams (20 in each gender) coming from 36 different countries will compete at the FIBA 3x3 Olympic Qualifier for the six tickets (3 per gender) to Tokyo. “We just want to let people know 3-on-3 basketball is coming,” Horton said. “It’s important for players, coaches and teams to sign up and get registered with FIBA. When we had the workshop with FIBA last year, they had mandated that we start playing 3-on-3. We now have a committee to implement it.”