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VOLUME:115 No.202, SEPTEMBER 12TH, 2018
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ALICIA WALLACE: WHY’S SERENA HELD TO A HIGHER STANDARD?
Banks backing down on fees
MARINE’S KILLER GIVEN 27 YEARS BEHIND BARS By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net A FORMER wanted suspect has been sentenced to nearly 30 years in prison for fatally shooting a Royal Bahamas Defence Force marine at a nightclub three years ago. Justice Carolita Bethel sentenced Emmanuel Rolle to 27 years after being SEE PAGE THREE
...and tracker will be used to keep check on charges By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net SOME local clearing banks have agreed to lower various banking administrative fees and consider changes to cheque cashing procedures following discussions with the government and other officials, Labour Minister Dion Foulkes said yesterday. The Central Bank of The Bahamas and the Clearing Banks Association will also list fees consumers are likely to pay, similar to the published gas tracker, so
consumers are able to regularly compare fees across local banks. The changes are in response to consumer concerns about surmounting banking fees and come after three meetings between various representatives. Mr Foulkes explained banks had raised certain fees to recoup losses where loans were on the decline. He would not reveal specifically which banks lowered fees, but told reporters some institutions had already started to do so. SEE PAGE FIVE
Us!
‘OBAN 2’ STILL NOT AGREED FLORENCE, ISAAC AND HELENE NOW THEY DON’T LOOK HAPPY By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
THE government is still in good faith talks with the principals of Oban Energies over a proposed oil refinery in Grand Bahama and such discussions will continue until the Heads of Agreement can be amended to the satisfaction of the Minnis administration. Labour Minister Dion Foulkes said this much yesterday, but would not reveal whether there was
anything alarming in the draft technical report he received from a government appointed technical advisory committee. He said the final document is taking longer than he anticipated. Mr Foulkes, who co-chairs the Cabinet subcommittee and this technical advisory group, told reporters outside of Cabinet yesterday Oban officials remained committed to the $5.5bn project. SEE PAGE SIX
AN ENHANCED satellite image shows Tropical Storm Florence, upper left, in the Atlantic Ocean yesterday at 3.30pm with, centre, Tropical Storm Isaac and, right, Hurricane Helene. The US is bracing itself for the arrival of Hurricane Florence - see page 12 for more.
LUCAYAN MANAGERS: UNION BOSS ‘WAY OFF’ ON BLAZE BILL ‘MOST WANT OUT’ By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
A “SUBSTANTIAL number” of the Grand Lucayan’s middle management staff want to take a severance package and leave the resort, said Obie
Ferguson, the Trades Union Congress’s president, yesterday. He said “a sizeable number” of Bahamas Hotel Managerial Association members would exit if the terms were right. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
BAHAMAS Power and Light CEO Whitney Heastie last night dismissed claims recent fires at the company’s Clifton Pier Plant could cost the energy provider as much as $150m. The huge price of the potential repair bill was flagged up on Monday by
Bahamas Electrical Workers Union President Paul Maynard who claimed three blazes over 72 hours had left one engine destroyed, another damaged and the building housing them “finished”. SEE PAGE TWO
BROKERS BANNED IN SECURITIES CLAMPDOWN By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
EDISON SUMNER
TWO well-known Bahamians have been barred from the securities industry for violations. Chamber of Commerce chief executive Edison
Sumner has been given a ten-year securities industry ban and $210,000 in fines. Meanwhile, Owen Bethel, of Montaque Capital Partners, has been given a lifetime ban after the firm’s $17m collapse.
FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
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OWEN BETHEL
PAGE 2, Wednesday, September 12, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
EMERGENCY crews at the scene on Sunday night at the BPL Clifton plant.
Photo: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff
Union boss ‘way off’ on blaze bill from page one
Yesterday, Mr Heastie told The Tribune Mr Maynard’s number was massively wide of the mark. “What I think he is doing is really stirring the pot,” said Mr Heastie. “He’s told everyone we have assets that were destroyed which will cost $150m to replace when clearly that is not the case. “Mr Maynard should know that current world trends in power projects
show that one megawatt of power equates to roughly $1m in cost. “The two assets affected by the fires, their combined output was 63 megawatts - 31 and a half each. We’ve lost one so that’s going to be just over $30m, not $150m, and that includes the cost of structure to house it. I just don’t know where Mr Maynard is getting his numbers from.” Mr Heastie explained the engines concerned were both around 20 years old and would have had to be
replaced anyway. “In truth we could have got more megawatts out of them but over the years simply weren’t doing enough to maintain them,” he added. “I think one important thing here is that when we are putting information out into the public domain it should be accurate.” Another BPL executive added: “We can almost build a 200mw plant for $150m. Mr Maynard’s figure is ridiculous.” Meanwhile, yesterday press secretary Anthony
Newbold said Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis remains concerned about recent developments at BPL, including the fires. Dr Minnis said last month he would initiate an investigation into BPL after its previous board was dissolved due to infighting and the numerous allegations that have emerged since then. “The prime minister was first concerned about what was happening which is why he’s ordered an investigation,” Mr Newbold said
at his weekly press briefing. “His mindset hasn’t changed that much. He wants that utility to function the way it is supposed to be functioning. He’s monitoring what’s going down there. BPL, like all the other institutions, has a function. It has a job to do and he wants it to do that job, provide electricity, keep the confrontations to a minimum so that people get what they pay for which is consistent, reliable and hopefully cost-effective electricity.”
Nonetheless, Dr Minnis has taken no concrete steps as yet to launch the investigation into any matter related to BPL, including the recent disintegration of its board, Mr Newbold admitted. “He hasn’t indicated what he’s done,” he said. “He has said he’s moving to make that investigation happen. In his own mind and who he has talked to, he’s not ready to reveal that as yet but as he said he is concerned about what is happening down there.”
STUDENTS LEFT STRANDED AS BUS DRIVERS ‘GO ON STRIKE’ BUS drivers in Eleuthera were said to be on strike yesterday, stranding students attending schools in the central and southern districts. The drivers reportedly withdrew service following allegations of nonpayment for several months; however, officials contacted by The Tribune did not respond up to press time. Derek Smith, the Democratic National Alliance’s 2017 candidate for the area, yesterday stressed the service disruption was the result of failures by successive governments. “This late paymènt to bus
YOUR
drivers and governmental housing rentals have been going on for more than 40 years ago,” Mr Smith said in a post to his Facebook page. “But persons that had those contracts dare not complain openly, for fear of victimisation or losing their contracts. The pay will come..but when?” He continued: “In the meantime the owners have families to feed, fuel to find, drivers to pay - which is not cheap. Now kids are exposed to the dangers of being on the road hitchhiking.” Mr Smith predicted the issue would be quickly
resolved due to the public protest, adding “the squeaking wheel gets the oil”. “Let the bus drivers have their say,” Mr Smith wrote. “It is their way of crying out for help. Watch how quickly they will get their funds or some satisfaction. “Let’s pray for the safety of our kids as they travel to and from school and that the bus owners and drivers get what is theirs..they have provided a service and deserve payment. “Want is more,” he added, “demand more and vote for best..not just better.”
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Marine’s killer given 27 years behind bars
from page one found guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter concerning Angelo Dorsett’s death at the G-Spot nightclub on January 25, 2015. Rolle was also sentenced to 17 years for attempting to murder Tameko Coleby and Victron Burrows. Both sentences are to run
concurrently. According to the evidence led at trial, a fight between two gangs broke out in the club on the date in question. Rolle was among the people embroiled in the argument. He and a friend subsequently left. A car pulled up later and a person armed with a firearm got out of the vehicle and started
firing shots inside the club while still outside the building. Afterwards, Rolle, armed with a firearm, entered the club and fired several shots before leaving. However, one of the shots hit Defence Force Officer Dorsett and killed him. According to police reports at the time of the shooting, Dorsett died
at the scene after he was shot in the back. Another man was shot in his arm and stomach leaving him in hospital in serious condition. A third victim was listed as stable after being struck in the face. However, senior police officers claimed at the time that the gunman’s intended target escaped the scene unharmed.
Wednesday, September 12, 2018, PAGE 3
EMMANUEL ROLLE
FALLING TO PIECES
A GOVERNMENT building just off East Bay Street, where pieces of the roof have collapsed.
Photo: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff
P0LICE TO COMPLETE PROBE INTO STUDENT BEATING By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
POLICE are expected to close their investigation into the alleged student beating at CH Reeves Junior High School in the coming days, The Tribune understands. Royal Bahamas Police Force press liaison officer, Superintendent Shanta Knowles yesterday confirmed that officers attached to the South-Central Division could finalise their investigation and review of the case as early as today, with a view to making a decision on the matter this week. The announcement of the investigation came after advocacy group Rights Bahamas called on the Minnis administration and the Ministry of Education to address an incident of corporal punishment at the school as a violation of both human rights and child laws. According to reports, a male student was reportedly beaten by an official after he allegedly verbally disrespected his teacher
last week. Since then, a photo purportedly of his visibly bruised posterior has been circulated on social media. In the wake of the posting and urging by Rights Bahamas, the Ministry of Education issued a statement in which it announced the commencement of its own investigation. That release read, in part: “The ministry has commenced an investigation in the matter and will be making a public statement when that investigation concludes. In the meantime, the ministry advises that it acknowledges, respects and protects the inherent (dignity) and sacred value of all persons. It guards most especially the critical values of the very vulnerable children in its care, and is most jealous of its responsibility to ensure their safety and optimum health – be it physical, psychological, mental, spiritual, intellectual, social and cultural.” It added: “Therefore, the ministry will not tolerate, in any circumstances, the maltreatment,
abuse or neglect of any child or person under its jurisdiction whatsoever, howsoever. To the extent that the ministry becomes aware that any such illegal, unethical or unacceptable behaviour has been or is being committed, it will be addressed with the swiftest
repudiation and sanction by this ministry.” Education officials have not made public the scope of its investigation or provided a timeline for its results to be made public. Up to press time yesterday, calls placed to both Education Minister Jeffrey
Lloyd and Education Director Marcellus Taylor went unanswered. In March, following a similar incident, Mr Lloyd told The Tribune that under his leadership, education officials may revise school policies on corporal punishment, insisting modern
research shows it to be an ineffective way of disciplining children. In that interview, the South Beach MP insisted that children should only be beaten in schools if all other options have been exhausted and in the most egregious of circumstances.
PAGE 4, Wednesday, September 12, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
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In America’s ‘darkness’, Trump is a symptom not the cause IT has never been clear why US President Donald Trump appears to so despise his elegant predecessor. Perhaps it’s because Barack Obama so epitomises everything Trump isn’t. Obama was inspirationally articulate. His election caused the United States to soar. Americans have seldom felt so good about themselves in recent decades as when they chose him to lead the nation. In stark contrast, for many Americans, Trump’s shocking victory in 2016 led to a profound despair from which they have not yet recovered. Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize. World leaders, excepting possibly Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un, cannot witness soon enough Trump’s departure from the world stage. Some feel the current president is simply jealous of the high regard in which his predecessor is still held in world popular opinion. No one with compassion can favour Trump over his predecessor. Obama’s signature achievement, the Affordable Care Act, that aims to reduce some of the entrenched, institutionalised bias against poor people in America, is completely antithetical to the greedy pro-rich policies Trump has favoured. There are those who feel the reason for Trump’s disregard is much more simple. They believe Trump is, at his core, racist. Even before his election, Trump is reported to have been routinely discriminatory toward various minorities, but toward blacks in particular. Trump’s ignorant and shameful response to the white supremacy rally in Charlottesville, Virginia last year did seem to reveal at the very least a significant insensitivity toward matters of race. And who can forget the nonsense of birtherism that Trump so enthusiastically championed? No national figure since the reprehensible Alabama governor George Wallace has so openly appeared to sympathise with and pander to the most base levels of American society as has the current president. From his inauguration, when Trump began immediately to lie to the American people in claiming his crowds dwarfed Obama’s inaugural throngs, Trump has sought to compete against Obama. It is almost as if he knows he will fall short in virtually any comparison, so why not attack Obama and his record at every turn?
In America’s ‘darkness’ As if to underscore his virtue in the face of such gratuitous assaults, Obama has adopted a markedly restrained posture since reluctantly turning over the keys to the White House. Such had been the practice for former presidents for many years. Obama’s own predecessor, George W Bush, very rarely rose to criticise Obama even as his Republican party savaged him at every turn. Bill Clinton and George HW Bush formed a respectful alliance around issues both strongly supported. Now, though, as the pivotal November elections loom large on the American political horizon less than eight weeks away, Obama appears to have emerged from his self-imposed political silence. In a recent speech, Obama likened Trump to foreign demagogues who pursue “politics of fear and resentment and retrenchment” while plundering the countries they lead. Obama said America is in a period of “darkness,” but that its moral slough did not originate with Trump. “He is a symptom, not the cause,” Obama said. The former president’s sarcastic side also emerged. In discussing the Trump administration’s calamitously poor response to Hurricane Maria that devastated Puerto Rico and parts of The Bahamas, Obama said “I know Republicans favour less government. But government should at least make sure 3,000 Americans don’t die in a hurricane.” Some observers feel that Trump was impelled into politics by the humiliation he suffered at the White House Correspondents Association dinner in 2011. Then, President Obama ridiculed him to his face. “Donald Trump is here tonight. I’m sure no one is happier than Donald to put this birth certificate matter to rest. That’s because he can now get back to issues that really matter. Like, did we fake the moon landing?” Host Seth Myers piled on at the same dinner. “I hear Trump will run as a Republican for president,” Myers deadpanned. “I assumed he was running as a joke.” Later, Myers noted Trump’s comments that he had good relations with blacks. “Only true if it was a white family named Black,” Myers said. Trump looked ashen. November’s elections in the US will give us a hint as to who will have the last laugh.
Web shops not victims EDITOR, The Tribune.
The travels and travails of Davis EDITOR, The Tribune.
THE Bahamas’ thrives on its favourite pastime, gossip, bad news and I daresay “fake news”. They run to their groups and, without substantiating their juicy news, they repeat it. But what is so sad, the gullible populace believe garbage, without pause. The propaganda that the government is sending out about Philip “Brave” Davis leader of the opposition’s inability to travel, should have worn itself out by now. It’s nauseating. But no, it is so insatiable that every so often it rears its ugly head. There are some things that do not need defending,
but exposing how foolish many of us are who cannot wait to celebrate someone’s misfortune, if it exists. Why do we do cartwheels when others are having a bad day. Why do we “make sport” of people. This must only bring comfort to a person with the lowest self esteem and absolutely no self respect. Losers gossip and absolute fools believe the gossip. Those of us who have very little happening with us of any consequence, do all we can to bring people we don’t like down to our level, if we could. I would offer my unsolicited advice, instead of
worrying about the leader of the opposition’s “frequent flying mileage” we would do better if we could find things to lift our own spirits and cleaning up our communities. Mr Davis is busy, he has much work to do, let him continue, because you will benefit, one way or the other, sooner than later. What is so sad is that too many of us are unashamed to be called fools. Who the cap fits, let them wear it. IVOINE INGRAHAM Nassau, September 18, 2018.
W.
Use a cattle prod... EDITOR, The Tribune. Re: STUDENT’S BEATING: POLICE TO INVESTIGATE. The Tribune, September 7, 2018. IT’S heartbreaking to hear that a school administrator allegedly beat a disrespectful student to the extent where he had bruises
on his posterior. Especially since in this enlightened day and age there are alternatives available - such as the application, with appropriate dignity, of an electrified cattle prod. KEN W KNOWLES, MD Nassau, September 9, 2018.
victims in this industry. In the US, even as their tax THE sheer duplicitoustake increases, the gambling ness of some of our fellow owners are still swimming letters@tribunemedia.net citizens can take your in cash, even after they pay breath away. from the increase in property out prize money and a tiny Never mind that the taxes versus the economic portion on administration majority of Bahamians who benefits to both the Treas- and overheads. voted in the referendum on ury and to the country from Our government budget whether to bring gambling the ancillary spending by tells us a lot about our out of the shadows and into part-time residents on things priorities as a nation. It the light decided it was best like year-round salaries for is both carrot and stick. to keep it hiding in plain sight. domestic staff, year-round We encourage certain And never mind that payments for property main- behaviour by granting voters chided Perry Christie tenance and landscaping tax incentives and we disand the PLP for ignoring that and increased consumption courage other behaviour referendum and giving legiti- spending whenever they or by imposing additional macy to the “numbers boys”, their guests are in situ. taxes and fees. That has it is mind boggling how some These specious argu- been standard practice in have done a complete about ments are old canards and democracies. face and are fighting tooth the likes of Opposition There is the argument and nail for the millionaire Leader Philip “Brave” that taxing gambling is web shop owners to rake in Davis, the irrepressible highly regressive and even more profits. discriminates gadfly legal beagle Wayne unfairly Recently there was con- Munroe and even commen- against poor people. But sternation from the usual tators like Philip Galanis that argument falls flat on suspects of functionaries and ought to know better. its face when the evidence beneficiaries of the numbers Wilchcombe claimed shows that the lion’s share boys’ largesse in one form or that web shop owners were of the tax take comes out of another (such as free cars, being targeted. On that the the pockets of the owners houses or campaign dona- entire chorus of naysay- of the web shops. They tions), who are incensed that ers should find agreement. won’t refund it to the losing the government is asking the So-called sin taxes are the bettors if the government gamers to pay their fair share targets of every government eliminated the tax. in tax revenues in order to on every inch of this planet. So the real argument is help us get our financial Sin taxes, such as those about whether we want the house in order. imposed on booze, gam- tycoons who own and profit Oh, the irony of some bling, cigarettes, sugary from gambling to pay their PLP politicians who now cry drinks, marijuana where fair share. Sadly, neither foul without once acknowl- it is legal (and hopefully higher taxes nor higher edging their role in driving soon the indiscriminate betting charges will signifithe economy into the ditch. use of plastics) are now cantly discourage people The former Minister commonplace. wagering on chance. of Tourism, Obie WilchThe debate we should be Originally these taxes combe, a patron saint of the were not imposed to raise having is what is the best numbers boys accused the revenue for the Treasury rate for a tax on gambling government of victimizing but rather to control the houses, not if we should the web shop owners. Well abuse of particular indul- be doing it. Taxes should mudda take sick! gences such as alcohol and not be so high as to run If there are any “victims” gambling. the operators out of busiin the gambling business, it As early as 1643 the Brit- ness, or worse, to send the is surely not the “House” ish began imposing a sin tax industry back into the shadand more likely the punters on distilled spirits such as ows were the tax take to be who bet their last grocery rum and gin. The US came throttled back to zero. dollar on the dream of win- late to the party taxing booze The sweet spot is probning big the next time a in 1791, banning alcohol alto- ably right where the number drops. gether then taxing it again government has proposed Calling multi-millionaires after prohibition in 1933. it and that is what keeps victims is a bit nauseating. Gambling taxes did not the owners up at night. If And we should not allow start out as such. They they are able to pay the tax the debate to be ambushed were imposed as outright and still show that they are by those who cry racism penalties to discourage the raking in millions, then the because the web shop “sin”. But then the more government may have it owners are black while the people sinned, the more the right for now. operators of the hotel-based gambling operators made The government should casinos are white as are and the more they paid in set a revenue target for all some of the legendary Bay taxes to the government. sin taxes, including gamStreet Boys some of whose Just three years ago bling. And then back off. millions once had the stench casinos in Nevada paid $2 Never mind our double of booze and prohibition. billion in taxes and fees talk in and outside of And there is a false making it the third largest churches about opposing equivalence between the source of revenue for the gambling in all its forms, it government’s climb-down government there behind is here to stay. And so are on a property tax assessment sales tax and property tax. the taxes we must impose for wealthy land owners such In fact, both sales and prop- on them. as those winter residents in erty taxes are kept lower For now though, because Lyford Cay and the imposi- for Nevadans (and helps the operators have taken tion of higher taxes and fees them avoid state income the government to court on the higher earnings of the taxes altogether) because of over the tax we’ll just have web shop operators. the tax take from gambling. to wait to see what falls. For starters, there is an We have never seen the economic trade-off between books of any of our web THE GRADUATE the extra money that would shop operators but it’s a Nassau, flow into the Public Treasury safe bet that they are not September 11, 2018.
LETTERS
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, September 12, 2018, PAGE 5
Banks backing down on fees from page one
“As you know we started talks with the Clearing Banks Association last October and we had a meeting with them in November and we had a meeting again with them yesterday. “I am very pleased to announce that some of the banks had lowered their administrative fees for their various services. Also all of the banks have embarked upon an educational programme with respect to their services. Additionally the Central Bank and the Clearing Banks Association, they have agreed to embark upon a listing of all of the bank fees or at the minimum the main fees that the banks charge us. “Just like the gas stations do when you open the business sections of the dailies, you see the various price per gallon of gas - we intend to do the same thing with the clearing banks so that consumers can know exactly which bank is charging which fees so that consumers can make a decision as to which bank to do business with.” He continued: “We are very pleased that the Central Bank has embarked upon a literacy programme
called Get Money Smart Bahamas and we encourage persons to go to the Central Bank website to take a look at that programme.” Concerning cheque cashing he said: “Each bank has addressed that specific issue with respect to the cashing of cheques.” Now that the government has intervened with favourable results, the minister said consumers must also do their part. He said customers must be smart in examining banks to make a decision on which one suits their needs. “I would encourage consumers, and that’s practically most Bahamians who deal with commercial banks, to go in and talk to your banks and make comparisons and make a judgment call as to which bank you wish to bank at. “But at the end of the day the consumer has to be smart and the consumer has to examine each bank. Each bank has different fees and different schedules for their services. I encourage people, you are not married to a particular bank and if you are get a divorce go to the bank that offers you the best possible arrangement,” Mr Foulkes said.
SENATOR DION FOULKES, Minister of Labour.
DISCLOSURES DELAY ‘A SIGN OF FNM FAILURES’ By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net THE Minnis administration’s slow pace in the prosecution of those three persons who failed to meet the March 31 public disclosures deadline, is in line with the government’s common practice of deceiving the voting public, claimed Progressive Liberal Party chairman Fred Mitchell yesterday. Responding to questions raised by The Tribune on the matter, Mr Mitchell criticised the Free National Movement for what he called “mamaguying” — a West Indian expression used when another is deceived by flattery or untruths. Mr Mitchell, who also serves as the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, said the government has done nothing to follow through on its promise to prosecute persons who failed to make their annual disclosure of assets and liabilities in accordance with the Public Disclosure Act, ahead of the deadline. The Public Disclosure Act empowers only two people to act on such information: the prime minister and the leader of the opposition. Either of them can publish the information through a communication in the House of Assembly or cause for it to be laid in the Senate. Either can authorise that the information be presented to the attorney general or commissioner of police so those who failed to disclose could face a penalty. The
SENATOR Fred Mitchell. Photo: Shawn Hanna/ Tribune Staff penalty for not disclosing is a $10,000 fine and/or up to two years in prison. The hard deadline was initially set at July 3, 2017, by Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis. However, that deadline was pushed back on multiple occasions, ultimately ending at the March 31 date. Despite the extensions, it was revealed last month that three persons, two senators and a parliamentarian, had not disclosed by the deadline. In the days that followed, press secretary Anthony Newbold revealed that Prime Minster Hubert Minnis had instructed the chairman of the Public Disclosure Commission, Myles Laroda, to give the Office of the Attorney General information on the officials who had not complied. However, the government has remained silent on
what will become of the process and those who failed to disclose. Addressing the matter yesterday, Mr Mitchell branded the government “notorious double talkers”. “We could tangle spiders in the webs the FNM weaves,” he told The Tribune. “How else do you explain the Minister of Health and his admissions of breaking the rules when he campaigned on anti-corruption. “Yet Minnis has not fired him.” Mr Mitchell added: “How else does the corrupt actions surrounding BPL today go unpunished?” “How do you commit $65m of public funds when you campaign that the country is broke, with no idea how deep the hole of expenditure will be? “Public non-disclosure is small potatoes next to that,” he remarked. The PLP has consistently, over the past few weeks, criticised the government’s handling of public disclosures. Late last month, Opposition Leader Philip “Brave” Davis called Dr Minnis to live up to his pre-election promises and identify those who had not filed their disclosures in accordance with the act. Mr Davis said he received a letter from Mr Laroda earlier this year informing him of several Progressive Liberal Party members who had missing disclosures. Since then, he said, all PLPs are up to date with their disclosures, adding the three people who missed the recent deadline are not from his party.
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PAGE 6, Wednesday, September 12, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
‘Oban 2’ still not agreed from page one However, he said, he did not want to get into specifics about the group’s funding and other matters at this point, adding his only mandate was to revise the Heads of Agreement to improve the environmental protection and to improve the economic benefits to The Bahamas. “We are still awaiting the technical report from the Oban technical advisory committee.
It’s taking a little longer than I had anticipated,” he said, “I have received a draft. It’s a fairly comprehensive document but I’ve still not received the final document.” Asked if there was anything alarming in the draft report he said: “I prefer to have an opportunity to present it to Cabinet for my colleagues to take a look at first and get Cabinet directions as to how to proceed.” Mr Foulkes said he could not say if this would happen
by the time the House of Assembly convenes on September 19 after its summer break. Of funding concerns, he told reporters: “I prefer not to get into that at this point. Our main focus and my mandate as chairman of the Oban committee is to revise the Heads of Agreement to improve the environmental protection and to improve the economic benefits to The Bahamas.” He also responded to assertions the government could be stepping away
from the deal considering its controversial nature. “We are in talks in good faith with the principals of Oban and we intend to remain in talks with them. “If we can amend the Heads of Agreement to the satisfaction of the government then that would be the best outcome. “They have agreed to enter talks pursuant to the terms of the agreement, which makes provision for amendments to the Heads of Agreement,” he added. Progressive Liberal Party
Chairman Fred Mitchell last month told The Tribune even if the government does manage to sign a new Heads of Agreement with the developer, the hard reality is the deal is “dead on arrival”. He said it can go nowhere, claiming Grand Bahamians did not support the $5.5bn proposed oil refinery and storage facility. “I understand that they are working to get a new deal together and they will keep up appearances,” Mr Mitchell said previously.
“They will make all the noises and soundings. Perhaps they might even sign a new deal but the hard, cold reality is the deal is dead on arrival. It can go nowhere. Their own people in Grand Bahama don’t support it.” Asked his views on the government’s communication strategy regarding the controversial deal, Mr Mitchell said the PLP suspected the government’s strategy was “don’t ask, don’t tell” with the hopes that it goes away and dies a quiet death.
THE GRAND Lucayan Resort.
REASSURANCE FOR STAFF IN GRAND LUCAYAN DEAL By RASHAD ROLLE and DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Staff Reporters AS the handover process for the Grand Lucayan entered a new stage yesterday, government officials assured staff that their employment will be protected. “Further information will be provided and a full statement will be given by the prime minister in Parliament next week,” said Michael Scott, chairman of the Hotel Corporation and the special purpose vehicle established to facilitate the purchase and eventual sale of the Grand Lucayan resort. That SPV, Lucayan Renewal Holdings LTD, took over the resort from owner Hutchinson Whampoa yesterday, with the sale expected to be finalised on September 21.
In his statement to the media, Mr Scott did not provide details about the terms and conditions of service for the 423 people employed at the resort. His statement said: “The handover process has begun. The chairman Michael Scott will be meeting with the staff tomorrow morning (Wednesday) in Grand Bahama. This should take place before any statements to the press. Out of respect for the staff and to ensure there is no misinformation the board intends to address the staff in full on all matters before statements are made to the press. Employees can rest assured that their employment will be protected.” Nonetheless, The Tribune understands most employees will be retained and the terms of their employment will be similar to what they previously received.
On Monday they received a letter from Lucayan Renewal Holdings informing them that their salaries and benefits will remain unchanged. Tribune Business reported that some of them will be offered a severance package while others will stay on. The government has already paid $10m to purchase the resort and will pay another $20m to close the deal. Another $35m will be split into semi-annual $5m payments over threeand-a-half years. When Parliament resumes next Wednesday, a resolution is expected to be moved to allow the government to borrow the money needed to facilitate the resort’s purchase. During a press conference in Grand Bahama yesterday, Pleasant Bridgewater, lawyer for the
FROM left, union treasurer Samuel McKinney, attorney Pleasant Bridgewater, Commonwealth Union of Hotel Services and Allied Workers President Michelle Dorsett, and Angelique Russell, general secretary, held a press conference to update workers about the government’s purchase of Grand Lucayan resort. Commonwealth Union of Hotel Services and Allied Workers, said they have been assured the government will assume the liabilities relating to workers that existed before the takeover. Ms Bridgewater said the union is seeking a substantial amount of money owed to it since 2008, including gratuities and salary increases. She declined to say exactly how much is owed. She agreed with the government’s decision to step in and acquire the resort.
“To avoid the hotel closing and so many people being out of jobs, and a further blow to the economy of Grand Bahama, the government felt they were between a rock and a hard place and made a decision based on the circumstances,” the former Progressive Liberal Party senator said. “I am hopeful based on what the minister of state for Grand Bahama has said that they will do everything to offload the hotel as soon as possible and
bring in private owners. At this stage, the union is supporting it because we want people to be working so they can provide for their families.” One employee, Leroy Jennings, hailed the government’s take-over of the resort as good news. He said Hutchinson Whampoa showed no interest in the hotel industry. “They had a hold on the hotel for many years and were doing nothing,” he said. “The government had to purchase it because Hutchison did not care about the hotel industry; they were degrading the hotel industry if you look at it. Now that the hotel is out of their hands we can look forward to prosperity on the island of Grand Bahama again.” Last month, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said among the Grand Lucayan’s three hotels, the Lighthouse Pointe, currently open, will remain open. An assessment will take place before a decision is made about whether to open the Memories property. That property will require renovations after being damaged during Hurricane Matthew in 2016.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, September 12, 2018, PAGE 7
Hospital administrator put on leave after memo row By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net AS Princess Margaret Hospital grapples with an ongoing “crisis” in its dialysis unit, PMH administrator Mary Lightbourne-Walker has been placed on administrative leave after the hospital faced fierce backlash over a leaked internal memo proposing a new fee structure for patients of the unit who use wheelchair transport. Health Minister Dr Duane Sands confirmed Ms Lightbourne-Walker’s leave, but would not reveal yesterday what prompted it. He would only tell reporters she was put on leave for two weeks. It began on August 31, The Tribune understands. However, inside sources told this newspaper yesterday the administrative leave was a form of disciplinary action after the memo was released to hospital staff and patients in the absence of consultation with the Public Hospital’s Authority and the government. The memo was also circulated on social media. Asked whether this had happened because of an internal investigation, Dr Sands said: “Every staff member is due due process and so if you are on administrative leave there is obviously a process that is followed so that we adhere to the human resources policies and procedures. I think that is about as much as I’d like to say about that.” Earlier in the interview, he was asked if there was a situation with upper management at the hospital, to which he replied: “Well, we are always trying to identify the right team for the management of the hospital. “I don’t want to conflate issues. At the end of the day what we are trying to do is ensure that the right persons are in place at the right time in order to provide services to the Bahamian people.” In the midst of this administrative issue, patient dialysis times have been reduced. This is because, as Dr Sands put it, there are not sufficient dialysis nurses to cater to the nearly 200 people who need renal therapy. Asked if it was a crisis situation, Dr Sands said it was. “Dialysis has been a huge challenge for more than 10 years,” he explained. “We have a dialysis unit at Princess Margaret Hospital that was designed for 125 patients. “The public dialysis
service provides renal replacement therapy to almost 600 patients and so some of those patients are managed in Grand Bahama and some are managed in Abaco, many are managed at Princess Margaret Hospital — almost 200 – and then some are outsourced to Renal House to other private dialysis units in New Providence. “But we continue to have challenges because we don’t have enough nurses because the equipment requires upgrades and all of these now we are trying to address to determine what is the appropriate way forward.” He also said: “There is not enough time in the Princess Margaret Hospital dialysis unit and so some people have had their total dialysis time reduced. Sometimes people only get 2.5 hours sometimes people get three hours. “The typical is three to four hours and so these are real problems. We don’t have the dialysis nurses to provide the level of care that we would like to provide and yet we are mandated to soldier on.” Late last month, PHA said it did not implement a new fee structure for wheelchair transport services for dialysis patients after concerns were raised about an internal memo that was made public proposing such a move. Englerston MP Glenys Hanna Martin rebuked the proposal. A weekly charge rate of $150 for transport to and from the dialysis unit three times a week was outlined in the memo by Ms Lightbourne-Walker, who noted the proposal for the new charges was reviewed and supported by PMH’s executive management team. In a statement at the time, PHA confirmed it had not executed the new fee structure. “Presently,” the PHA statement read, “transport services are being provided via private services at prices determined by the private contractor. Additionally, the dialysis treatment fee per session has not increased from its gazetted fee of $275. “The Public Hospitals Authority apologises for any inconvenience caused as a result of the circulation of this information and assures the public that the authority remains committed to its mandate of delivering the best in quality healthcare.” The PHA would not confirm the name of the private company nor the cost of the service.
VOLUNTEERS READY TO CLEAN UP THE COAST THE 33rd annual International Coastal Cleanup Day is fast approaching and volunteers in The Bahamas will be suiting up to clean up during the two hour event this Saturday from 8am to 10am at the western end of South Beach. “Thanks to volunteers around the world, the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) has become a beacon of hope, leading and inspiring action in support of our ocean,” organisers said in a press release. “Many walk, others set out on boats and thousands more don scuba gear to seek trash below the water’s surface. “Last year, nearly 800,000 people from more than 100 countries, picked up more than 20.5 million pounds of trash along 25,188 miles of coastline. More than eight million tons of plastic waste flow into the ocean every year. “That’s the equivalent of one dump truck full of plastic every minute, every hour, every day going into the ocean. Marine debris and ocean plastic doesn’t just foul our beaches and
coastlines, it also impacts more than 800 species of marine life.” “There is no question that more and more people are becoming aware of the destruction that debris, particularly plastic, causes to our marine environment,” said Te-Shalla Clarke, education supervisor for Dolphin Encounters on Blue Lagoon Island and coordinator of ICC in New Providence. “It is vitally important that together we educate our community about preserving and protecting our coastline and oceans and that we are all engaged in being a part of the solution. This year, we return to South Beach from 8am - 10am and encourage members of the public to join us.” The public is invited to volunteer and are advised to wear closed-in shoes, sunscreen and gardening gloves. Coca-Cola, is the global sponsor for ICC and Caribbean Bottling Company, the producers of Coca-Cola in The Bahamas will be providing refreshments during the cleanup.
MINISTER of Health Dr Duane Sands with Mary Lightbourne-Walker n Princess Margaret Hospital. Photo: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff
PAGE 8, Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Funeral Services For Full Military Funeral Service For
PC 1817 James Alfred Jolly, 55 of Step Street, Fox Hill will be held on Friday, September 14th, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at William Thompson Auditorium, Jean Street off Prince Charles Drive. Officiating will be Rev. Hartman Nixon assisted by Bishop Carl Rahming, Bishop Marilyn Thompson and Fr. E. R. Stephen Davies (RBPF Chaplain). Interment will follow in Macedonia Baptist Church Cemetery, Bernard Road. Left with the memories of this giant of a man are his loving Mother: Iva Jolly; Sisters: Minister Helen Mortimer, Mary and Marion Jolly; Brothers: Henry and Samuel Jolly; Brother-in-law: Eugene Mortimer; Aunts and Uncles: Samuel and Princess Moss, Lizenenc Hall and family; Nieces and Nephews: Elmon and Simone Mortimer, Deanna and Janice Butler, Daval and Moika Moss, Doyle and Tanya Miller, Sharan Wallace, Deangelo, Mickelle, Sara and Samuel Jolly Jr.; Grand nieces and nephews: Trey Davis, Yasmine and Amarie Miller, Javania, Sania and Jai Wallace, Gabrielle Moss, Oamari, Janell and Janico Butler; Numerous Cousins: Louise Smith and family, Floyd and Margie Deveaux, Millie Culmer and family, John and Gloria Pinder and family, Oral Newbold and family, Merial Newbold and family, Gladys Knowles and family, Linda Newbold and family, Dr. Sidney Smith and family, Dr. Guina, Joseph, Calvin, Roy, James, Alfred, Tyrone, Jackson, Alice and Creola Jolly and Ruby Newbold; Other relatives and friends including: Margaret Burrows and family, Sharon Timothy and family, Carnetta Burrows and family, Stephanie Banister and family, Tami Culmer and family, Rev. Hartman Nixon and the Macedonia Baptist Church family, Bishop Ross Davis and the Golden Gates World Outreach Church family, Pastor Cleo Cash, Pastor Bernese Major, Pastor Inez Pinder and Intercessory Prayer group, Davon and family, Lebitt Newbold, Charles Mortimer and family, Beulah (Pleasant) Moss and family, Elvie Pratt and family, Blossie and family, Naomi Lloyd and family, Mavis McKenzie and family, Cindy and family, Errol and family and Oleen and family Dorcas and family, Essie Ferguson and family, Alicia brown and family, Helen Johnson, Shelia Fernander and family, Brian Moss and family, Christopher Moss and family, Erica McIntosh and family; Special Friends: Nurse Monique Green, W/Sgt. 252 Rodgers Bethel, Roselda, Jackie, Rochelle, Andrea, Ronnie Culmer, Cherryann, Jeffery, Vala, Pastor Paul and Marion Thompson, Kevin and Keno, The Royal Bahamas Police Force (Fire Dept.), ACP Samuel Butler (Freeport, Grand, Bahama) Sgt. Jermaine Pratt, Supt. Denise Rose, Chief Supt. Loretta Mackey, Supt. Ernest Hanna, Chief Supt. Patrona Bethel, W/ACP Esmella Delancey and Sgt. Dennis Anderson (Freeport, Grand Bahama); Step Street family, Eleuthera family, Kathleen McKenzie and family, Jacqueline Saunders and family, Reginald McKenzie and family, Anna Mae McKenzie and family, Van Bain, Felicia Newbold, Audley Butler, Tino Robinson and family, Lydia Rahming and family, Martha Roberts, Allision and Darnly Sealy, the family and staff of the Rand Memorial Hospital and the family and staff of Doctors Hospital, Dr. Delton Farquharson. Please forgive us if we have inadvertently missed your name we thank you for your prayers, words of sympathy and encouragement. Viewing will be held in the Foyer of The Paul H. Farquharson Conference Centre, Police Headquarters, East Street from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Thursday and at the church on Friday from 9:30 a.m. until service time.
Funeral Service For
Dudley Livingstone Adderley Sr., 83 affectionately called “Decker” of Johnson Road will be held on Friday, September 14th, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Anselm’s Catholic Church, Bernard Road, Fox Hill. Officiating will be Fr. Jude Muokwe, MSP. Interment will follow in the Fox Hill Cemetery, Fox Hill Road. He was predeceased by his brother: George; sister: Leona; Cherished memories will forever remain in the hearts of his Loving and devoted wife: Genesta Adderley; Children and children-in-law: Barbara & Melvin Johnson, Doreen & Ettienne Chipman, Dudley Jr. & Melanie Adderley, Brenda Adderley, Gregory ‘Cat’ Adderley, Deborah Adderley, Samuel Adderley, Daffla & Stephen Curry, Sheridan Wilson & Daron Ellis, Marsha Richardson, Whitney & Odell Adderley, Dwight & Terran Brice, Troy & Yvette, Don & Sherry, Felix & Margaret, Tyrone, Henry, Lincoln & Nickia Adderley; Grandchildren: Kermaine & Rositta Adderley, Heslyn & Joseph Simmons, Alys & Zurie Adderley, Anjil Adderley & Wilton Ash, Alando and Alex Stubbs, Antonio Bullard, Crystal & Dane Knowles, Dherad Taylor, Whittia & Santana Forbes, Johnell, Sherrelle and Faith Adderley, Louisha, Stephen Jr, Stephanie and Megan Curry, Racquel & Bruno Darville, Ricardo & Annisa Adderley, Radario Humes, Sameko & Suzzane Adderley, Delano Adderley, Melanie & Marco McFall, Sian & Jason Saunders, Olander, Calvern and Marva Johnson, Micah Richardson, Bernard Wilson, Lakeisha, Genesta, Ashley, Lanardo, Roshanda, Gerez, Kedeshia, Deiandra, Shaquille and Shaquea Adderley, Lashornda & Otereo O’Bainyer, Denico & Sophia McSweeney, Aaron Lindsay, Dwanya Adderley, Devinche Adderley, Devaughn, Dashya, Dudleyann, Deangelo, Deandrea, Davanda, Vandyette Adderley; Great grandchildren: Tariq Munroe, Rashay Adderley, Kamille Adderley, Kenjil, Aaliyah, Allisha, Dario Jr., Joseph, Johnathon, Zuri, Zion, Kevinya, Vashad, Delon, Trevor, A’zari, Samuel, Savannah, Alena, Keithrell, Ternair, T’andre, Courtney, Cody, Emorej, Santana Jr., Santanj, Dheranyae, Dheraya, Dherad Jr., Deangelo Jr., Katyln, Delilah, Denico Jr., Omeisha, Treyanna, Ria, Dynastacia, Carlos Jr., Ciara, Destiny, Skye, Apryll, Trinity, Layla, A’shan, Gerez Jr, Soniyah, Johnathon, Sadie, Mira, Joshua, Channin, Kareese, King, Rhea, R’Shanti, R’Shaunte, R’Chea, Ashley, O’mari, Chardonae, Shaniya, Sameko Jr, Deandro, Lataio, Lavietra, Gabby, Calell; Great great grandchild: Emma Adderley; Brothers and Sisters-in-law: Ezra & Jane, Vincent & Lucille Adderley, Donald Adderley, Timothy & Ethel Dames, Althea Tinker, Hester Rolle, Daisy Bain, Isolena Taylor; Nieces and Nephews: Lynda Bethel, Telica McKenzie, Keith and Kevin Tinker, Judy Dorsette, Theresa & Leroy Albury, Claudette Capron, Janette & Ivor Gumbs, Rochelle Hepburn, Jilliette Thompson, Ian Adderley, Raquel Adderley, Janice McKenzie, Donald Jr, Dave, Dawn, Lorraine, Shawn, Alvardo and Shaqueel Adderley, Carolyn McCully, Sherry Rolle, Shanny, Teka, Sheryl, Evangeline, April, Monique, Larry, Terrance, Roosevelt and Michelle Adderley, Shantell, Donnell & Carvel Rolle, Misty & Sean Johnson, Latoya & Chris Oliver, Caroll Dames, Nathania Finlay, Laura Glinton, Mary and Ricardo Turner, Louise Morris, Debra and Rudolf Taylor, Julia Lysaith, Arnette Davis, Rose Burrows, Coralie Demeritte, Sandra Hutcheson, Milicent Demeritte, Tony and Maxwell Demeritte, Shirley Ambrister, Melanie Moultrie, Rosetta Ettiene, Mr. & Mrs. John Forbes, Albert Brice, Clarence & Charlotte Brice, Rendol & Chevette Rolle, Burkley & Meltoria Rolle, Erica and Stacy Hayes, David Storr, Haroline Brown, Fredricka Ferguson, Michael & Darnell Bain, Shane & Juliette Taylor, Marva and Myra Humes, Holly & Nivado Ferguson, Gerard Edgecombe; Other family and friends: Kendal Richardson, Lucille Archer, Sharrelle Cash, Marsha Patton, Ruthmae Adderley, Sheila Knowles, Cynthia Johnson, Hazel Taylor, Anthony Arnette, Claudia Ferguson and many others too numerous to mention; Special thanks to: Cedric Dorsette, Earl Johnson, St. Bede’s Church Family, Doctors and Nurses of PMH – Male Surgical II, Doctors and Nurses of Family Medicine Clinic, Dr. Patricia Forte, Dr. Derwin Johnson, Brian and Monique Bethel, Marva Storr, Deidre & Tyrone Morris, Maureen Newchurch, Amaryllis Bethel and Family, Mortimer Family of Model Bakery, Cora Green and friends. Viewing will be held in the Celestial Suite at Restview Memorial Mortuary and Crematorium Ltd., Robinson and Soldier Roads on Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and at the church on Friday from 8:30 a.m. until service time.
THE TRIBUNE
Why should Serena be held to a higher standard? WHEN I became aware of Venus and Serena Williams, my interest in tennis increased exponentially. Andre Agassi and Stefi Graf were fine to watch, but it was exciting to see, not only girls, but black girls on the courts. They played tennis and they did it well. Bit by bit, I learned about their shared background and the challenges they faced as interrupters — of an otherwise white world — who came without apology and, eventually, dominated. I watched as they became so well-known they were called by their first names only. I do not follow the game as much as now as I did in my teens, but whenever Venus or Serena is playing, I find a way to tune in. If they are playing against each other, it is even more important to watch the game. They have each said before that the other knows them better and knows their game better than anyone else and this makes them their toughest competitors. There is nothing quite like seeing the sisters at their best, in their respective zones, playing each other with the intent to win, but showing each other love on the court. Serena Williams vs. Naomi Osaka vs. Carlos Ramos On the weekend, Serena Williams played against 20-year old HaitianJapansese Naomi Osaka at the US Open for her 24th record-making Grand Slam title, tying with current record-holder Australian Margaret Court. Osaka won the game, but the atmosphere was less than celebratory for everyone because of what happened between Serena and the chair umpire, Carlos Ramos. It was alleged that Serena’s coach made coaching signals from the box (a fact he later admitted doing but claimed she had not seen his signalling instructions and so what, Osaka’s coach had been doing the same thing). The umpire warned Serena, and she did not appreciate being called a cheat. She asserted she has never cheated, and would rather lose than cheat to win. She later smashed her racket in frustration and was given another violation which resulted in a point penalty. Serena, already incensed, told the chair umpire he was a thief. She note male players say much worse and are not penalised. This led to a full game penalty. After a conversation with some US Open officials, Serena returned to the game and Naomi Osaka went on to win the set which gave her the title. Double standard in 2018 tennis It is important to note this occurred on the heels of two moments that disgusted tennis fans. Alize Cornet was penalised for momentarily taking off her shirt to turn it around as she realised she had been wearing it backwards. A few weeks ago, the French Open decided it would ban catsuits after Serena Williams wore one — primarily to prevent blood clots. Tennis, like much of the rest of the world, expects women to play by different, more oppressive rules. The double standard stands strong. A strange ceremony The US Open award ceremony after the Williams-Osaka game was strange. Photos show both players looking somber
By Alicia Wallace as the crowd booed in response to the officiating of the game. When Serena saw Naomi crying, she put her arm around her and said something that made her briefly smile. It was a lighter moment in a completely awkward situation. Serena later took the mic to tell the crowd to stop booing and use the opportunity to celebrate Naomi’s win. In a short space of time, she had the role of advocating for herself and having Naomi’s back. Contrary to what many are saying, she did not do this because the booing and the generally mood of the ceremony was her fault. She did it because she knows what it is like to be a young black woman playing tennis and to feel a tremendous amount of pressure, and she knows what winning the US Open is supposed to feel like. She was being what so many black women are every day — mother, aunt, sister, friend, mediator, and peacemaker. Racism and sexism combined What Serena Williams dealt with on Saturday is often called “unconscious bias”. This is a special kind of racism and sexism. The person does not necessarily know themselves to be antiwomen or anti-black, but has certain racist and sexist ideas that lead to racist and sexist behaviour. They claim innocence and insist they would be behaved the same way if it had been someone else, but those familiar with issues of race and gender know better. Those who have seen them in different situations know the truth. Many of have said the chair umpire is a stickler for the rules and does this with everyone, but files have been pulled and that is not the truth. In fact, there is a recording of him doing the same thing in recent years to Venus Williams who also told him she does not cheat. It was recently reported that Serena Williams has been tested for performance-enhancing drugs more than any other player. It may be hard to believe, but tennis has a problem with some of its most popular players. Who gets to feel? While there is a lot to be said about the rules and how and when they are applied, there is one other issue that sticks out to me. Serena Williams is treated differently from other tennis players — not only the men, but also the white women. Where others can express rage and their frustration is understood, Serena is seen as a monster for her expression of a range of emotions that are normal. This is evident in a cartoon circulating which depicts Naomi Osaka as a small, white, blonde woman, Carlos Ramos as a white man, and Serena Williams as an angry, oversized monster. This is the way some people see a black woman who dares to express her emotions, stand up for herself and demand that wrongs are rectified. A few days before the US Open final, Cardi B attempted to fight Nicki Minaj. The two are known
to have a less than amicable relationship, but no-one expected Cardi B to launch at Nicki Minaj at a New York Fashion Week event. She did not actually reach Nicki who was completely surrounded by security, but this did not stop Cardi from shouting and warning Nicki not to speak about her child again. The response to this incident has been, for the most part, predictable. Cardi B has been called ghetto, Nicki Minaj has been ridiculed for not being able to fight and people have expressed disappointment in the way they treat each others as women in a male-dominated industry. The one that closely parallels the policing of Serena Williams’ emotions and expressions is the criticism of black women “misbehaving” in a predominantly white space. There is no shortage of negatives in this situation. There are dozens of observations that can be made about the scuffle. Why are these women in rap not supporting each other? Why is Nicki baiting Cardi? What might Cardi be blaming on Nicki? Why did Cardi resort to violence? Instead of asking these questions, people are expressing their displeasure at the location and timing of this incident. As black people, we are supposed to be on our best behavior in the presence of white people. Respectability politics has not gotten us anywhere, but we still try to be well-behaved and excessively moderate ourselves as if it is a form of protection, but it is not. Racism persists, including “unconscious bias,” whether or not we deny ourselves the opportunity to say how we feel. Cardi B and Serena Williams are two very different people, yet they are both entitled to their feelings and to defend themselves against people who, whether intentionally or unintentionally, assign unacceptable characteristics to them. Cardi B was allegedly upset about Nicki Minaj questioning her ability to take care of her daughter. Carlos Ramos called Serena’s professional and personal integrity into question. Both of these are insulting and demand a response. As black women, however, they are expect to take a deep breath, swallow their words, and wait for the “appropriate” time to speak or act. Not only does this not work, but it is an unfair expectation reserved for black women. Men can throw tantrums on the tennis court without reprimand. White women can confront each other in public spaces, and on camera. When black women do it, it is “ghetto”, “inappropriate”, and “unprofessional”. Human beings experience a range of emotions. This is normal. Expressing those emotions is normal. We need to learn to do it in healthy ways, but they do not differ based on race, gender, or any other identity marker. If this was an unconscious bias for you before, consider yourself fully conscious now. The rules need to apply to everyone.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, September 12, 2018, PAGE 9
Using AI, immersion to teach students Chinese TROY, NEW YORK Associated Press TO LEARN Chinese in this room, talk to the floating panda head. The Mandarin-speaking avatar zips around a 360degree restaurant scene in an artificial intelligencedriven instruction program that looks like a giant video game. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students testing the technology move inside the 12-foot-high, wraparound projection to order virtual bean curd from the panda waiter, chat with Beijing market sellers and practice tai chi by mirroring moves of a watchful mentor. “Definitely less anxiety than messing it up with a real human being,” says Rahul Divekar, a computer science graduate student working on the project. “So compared to that anxiety, this is a lot more easy.” The “Mandarin Project” is a joint venture of RPI and IBM. Cognitive and Immersive Systems Laboratory researchers are developing a sort of smart room that can understand students’ words, answer their questions and perceive their gestures. Lessons are presented as games or tasks,
RENSSELAER Polytechnic Institute graduate students Xiangyang Mou, left, and Rahul Divekar interact with a panda avatar that helps teach students Mandarin, at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. The “Mandarin Project” is a joint venture of RPI and IBM. Cognitive and Immersive Systems Laboratory researchers are developing a sort of smart room that can understand students’ words, answer their questions and perceive their gestures. Photo: Michael Hill/AP like ordering a meal out. Divekar orders Peking duck — “Beijng kaoya” — and the panda fetches the virtual dish. Divekar says the food was good — “Cai hen hao chi” — but he can’t pay the bill. No problem, the panda replies — “ni keyi xi pan zi” — you can wash the dishes. Other scenes include
an outdoor market and a garden, each a high-tech twist on cultural immersion. “Our plan is to complete several scenes of real life in China, to let the student be able to have a virtual trip over there,” says Hui Su, director of the lab at RPI. Tests on the room with students studying Mandarin will continue this school
year as they work on additional scenes, including an airport. A six-week course is being readied for the summer. Artificial intelligence, or AI, is ubiquitous in everything from call-centre chat-bots to home assistants. Even some language instruction products on the market feature AI or
virtual reality. The Mandarin Project is notable for its scale and sophistication. Computers simultaneously interpret speech and gesture to keep a dialogue going. When a student points to a picture and asks “What’s that?” computers can come up with an answer. And feedback is immediate. When Divekar orders “dou fu” — or tofu — a voice responds “here’s how close you got” and illustrates it with a graph of his intonation. Another voice gives the precise pronunciation. Still, language teachers need not fear for their jobs just yet. Developers of the Mandarin Project say it isn’t sophisticated enough right now to completely replace classroom instruction. RPI president Shirley Ann Jackson foresees the same type of technology being applied to other spaces, such as corporate boardrooms. When the executives discuss a potential acquisition, the room will follow the group discussion and produce relevant information seamlessly into the debate. “We’re not at the end of the line,” Jackson says, “but closer to the beginning.”
Spaceport Colorado sells the future AURORA Associated Press THERE was a time we would have marveled at flying to 380,000 feet to experience the curvature of the Earth, weightlessness, and the darkness of space. In the next few decades, space travel may become so ordinary that we don’t even bat an eye. In Colorado that will be a reality thanks to Dave Ruppel, CEO of the newly-dubbed Spaceport Colorado. “Our goal is to make this more commonplace,” Ruppel said from the Spaceport headquarters. Outside, planes from Denver International Airport, about five miles away, thundered overhead. “That is reality in the future.” Maybe not yet. Ruppel, who calls himself a “space geek”, has taken the small Front Range Airport near Watkins on Aurora’s eastern edge through preliminary approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to become Colorado’s first hub for space tourism and the 11th in the nation. In the next decade, the airport cum spaceport will count down to launching spacecrafts from the likes
DAVE RUPPEL, Air and SpacePort Director of SpacePort Colorado, has his eyes on the future as the former Frontrange Airport transitions from an airport to a spaceport in Aurora, Colo. Photo: Philip B Poston/The Aurora Sentinel/AP of Virgin Galactic, Airbus, and Reaction Engines to carry commuters and thrill seekers. The FAA’s green light allows for ships that will takeoff like normal planes and fly east, away from the metroplex, but quickly climb to altitudes of 50,000 feet — about 14,000 feet higher than current commercial planes. Then, planes engage rocket engines and soar as high as 380,000 feet, into the darkness. At that point, passengers could begin to float out of their seats.
IT’S ROCKET SCIENCE These hybrid-plane-rockets would not only fly high, but fast. A 17-hour flight to Tokyo could be reduced to 90 minutes when it’s all said and done — the time it takes to finish “Lost in Space”. Or, you could take the trip into the Earth’s orbit just for fun before dramatically re-entering the atmosphere. The details are still up in the air as aerospace companies develop suborbital flight technology, although there are several prototypes and plenty of concepts for horizontal takeoff
space-planes. UK-based Reaction Engines, which works out of a Castle Rock office for US operations, is already testing their technology at Spaceport Colorado. Adam Dissel, president of Reaction Engines Inc, said the company put a couple of million dollars into a testing site on the edge of the airport for an air pre-cooler on a military jet engine. The goal is that the part would be on a Sabre engine that allows planes to move at rocket speeds. But because no aircraft can fly that fast yet, Dissel said, the company is recreating that scenario on the ground at Spaceport Colorado. For right now, there’s no immediate change the spaceport designation will bring for Reaction Engines. But that could all change. “In the further term, our technology would enable horizontal spacecraft to launch,” Dissel said. Any prototype flying out of the spaceport would have to be approved by the FAA before taking off from Watkins. The industry is so emerging, that when the FAA conducted its environmental impact study before granting the spaceport’s license, authorities studied the impact of a hypothetical “objective space object”.
There are no prototypes currently on the table. When an aircraft is chosen, the study will have to be adapted to that particular space-plane. Rocket-like ships, such as the Blue Origin New Shepard, are off the table for now. That’s because of the potential for debris to fall from crafts and the sheer amount of energy required to vertically lift a sizable payload that would include space tourists. Ruppel said the goal is to get everything squared away for the rocket-boosted planes. SPACEPORTLANDIA That’s a lot of potential for a small stretch of tarmac in rural Colorado. The spaceport is also slated to boost Colorado’s growing aerospace industry — which is already a big contributor to the economy in Aurora and the metro region. There’s more than 400 aerospace firms in the state, according to data from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. That equates to about 163,000 existing employees and a $3.2bn payroll, making Colorado the largest space economy in the US in 2013, according to the most recent statistics available.
• NASA technology designed to protect spacecraft from heat and pressure when entering a planet’s atmosphere will be launched from Spaceport America in New Mexico as part of testing. NASA said Friday the system will be aboard a suborbital rocket being launched today by UP Aerospace. Once the rocket reaches space, the umbrella-like shield will deploy. The shield is made from woven carbon fabric and supported by semirigid ribs. NASA says it would allow exploratory spacecraft larger than the Curiosity rover to successfully land on other planets within the solar system. The shield was designed and built by NASA’s Ames Research Center in California. As part of the launch, NASA also will be testing other technology for launch vehicles and measuring the internal environment of suborbital vehicles that are carrying experiments. • RESEARCHERS at the University of NebraskaLincoln are planning to lead the largest dronebased study of tornadoes and severe storms ever conducted. More than 50 scientists and students from four universities will participate during the 2019 and 2020 storm seasons. The project has received a $2.5m in support from the National Science Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. University officials say the study is the largest of its kind, based on the geographical area covered and the number of drones and other assets deployed. The University of Colorado Boulder, Texas Tech University, the University of Oklahoma and the National Severe Storms Laboratory are also participating. The research is intended to improve the conceptual model of super cell thunderstorms. • APPLE is expected to unveil its biggest and most expensive iPhone today as part of a lineup of three new models aimed at widening the product’s appeal amid slowing sales growth. Most of the buzz is swirling around a rumored iPhone that is supposed to boast a 6.5-inch OLED screen, up from 5.8 inches on the existing iPhone X. If the speculation pans out, the even-bigger iPhone would represent Apple’s attempt to feed consumers’ appetite for increasingly bigger screens as they rely on smartphones to watch and record video, as well as take photos wherever they are.
PAGE 10, Wednesday, September 12, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
URCA loses power in radio case By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net
THE attorney general has stripped the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority of the responsibility to continue criminal proceedings against ZSR Sports Radio’s operator for allegedly operating without a licence, it was revealed yesterday. Khalil Parker, attorney for Navette Broadcasting, revealed the Office of the Attorney General has requested the files concerning URCA’s claims against Navette about the latter’s actions sometime between November 2017 and April of this year. No reason was given in court yesterday for the AG’s Office request of the files from URCA’s legal team, however, Mr Parker said hopefully it is evidence that “reason has prevailed” and that it would be the end of URCA’s attempts at pursuing his clients criminally. He submitted it was an “abuse” for URCA to be in discussions with the AG’s Office over the eventual discontinuation of those criminal proceedings, but
not inform his legal team of those developments until yesterday morning. The revelations came during a hearing before Justice Ian Winder over Navette’s application to have a rolled-up hearing in response to URCA’s indications that it would continue to pursue criminal proceedings against Navette and its principal, Vann Ferguson. According to Mr Parker, a rolled-up hearing is one in which both the application for leave to commence judicial review and the “substantive” stages of those proceedings are heard together. Normally, the court has to grant leave for the judicial review to be heard in order for the matter to move on to the substantive stage. In June, URCA had attempted to issue a criminal summons on Navette to have it answer to allegations that between November 2017 and April of this year, it operated, maintained or provided a carriage service with a licence contrary to Section 16(1) of the Communications Act. At the time, URCA further asserted that between
those same dates, Navette used communication equipment for the purpose of interfering with wireless telegraphy contrary to Section 33 of the same law. However, URCA’s attempts at doing so were struck down by Assistant Chief Magistrate Subusola Swain, who found that the document, which was handwritten, was irregularly and improperly constituted. And the attempts to issue the criminal summons on Navette came notwithstanding a pending ruling by Justice Winder on the substantive issue of whether URCA was right to find that Navette was not the true holder of the 103.5 FM radio licence. Yesterday, Mr Parker indicated that it was URCA’s “draconian” and “inappropriate” actions that prompted his client to want to pursue the matter in rolled-up fashion, with the rationale that a rolledup hearing would be in the “interest of justice” given the circumstances. Mr Parker claimed that yesterday morning, URCA indicated that the AG’s Office has taken carriage of
the matter, notwithstanding an affidavit claiming the regulator was anticipating concluding the criminal proceedings against Mr Ferguson and Navette in the last quarter of this year. And that revelation, Mr Parker submitted, was a “very central element” to the application before the court. Mr Parker insisted URCA never disclosed to his legal team that it was being divested of its power to pursue his clients criminally, or that it was being considered. He further stated that if the court is minded to dismiss his application for a rolled-up hearing, in light of URCA’s action, his legal team would ask for costs. In response, Diane Stuart, URCA’s lead attorney, objected to Mr Parker’s application for a rolled-up hearing, asserting that in doing so, Mr Parker was seeking to “circumvent the court” in making its decision on the application for leave for judicial review, which she said has already been heard. She further submitted that Mr Parker’s attempt at
having the rolled-up hearing, when “one-half” of the proceedings have already been dealt with, is a waste of time and costs. She said rolled-up hearings are only ordered in “very limited” and rare circumstances, and should never be made as a means of avoiding a decision where a claim is arguable. Alfred Sears, QC, lead attorney for Paramount Systems, the second respondent in the matter, adopted Mrs Stuart’s submissions, and further said having already argued the application for leave to commence a judicial review, it is “curious” that as Justice Winder is about to give a decision on whether to grant leave or not, an application is made to essentially “jump the queue”. On June 15, 2017, URCA found Olympic triple-jump medalist Frank Rutherford and the late sports broadcaster Phil Smith were the true holders of the 103.5 FM licence. URCA further found that Navette Broadcasting only operated ZSR Sports Radio on Messrs Rutherford’s and Smith’s behalf, with the two men being the actual licensees. Navette countered by claiming URCA ignored the fact the licence could not have existed without it following passage of the 2009 Communications Act, which required all broadcast licences to be held by incorporated companies. ZSR’s licence, issued pre-2009, was in the names of Messrs Rutherford and Smith and thus non-compliant with the new law. Navette sought to appeal URCA’s decision, but the attempts were rejected by both the Utilities Appeal
Tribunal (UAT) and the Supreme Court. Both judicial forums declined to hear the matter on jurisdictional grounds. Navette then sought relief from the Court of Appeal on the issue, and was only waiting for a date to have its matter heard. Last month, however, the appellate court dismissed Navette’s appeal of URCA’s decision, but only after it was informed that Navette, by way of a notice of discontinuance filed on April 17, withdrew its own appeal against the regulator’s decision. The matter then shifted back to the Supreme Court before Justice Winder, who, after hearing submissions from counsel on the issue, reserved his decision on whether or not URCA’s June 2017 decision can be sustained. Navette’s battle with URCA stems from the former’s opposition of Island Luck chief Sebas Bastian’s radio joint venture, Paramount System’s majority takeover of ZSR Sport’s Radio’s FM licence. Mr Bastian’s majorityowned Paramount Systems joint venture was supposed to use the 103.5 FM frequency formerly employed by ZSR Sports Radio. Mr Rutherford and Mr Smith’s widow are Mr Bastian’s minority partners in Paramount Systems, but they - and the 103.5 FM frequency - subsequently became embroiled in the legal challenge mounted by Navette Broadcasting. Navette Broadcasting had opposed the station’s majority takeover by Mr Bastian on the basis that it – and not Mr Bastian – is the true holder of the 103.5 licence.
$90,000 AID HANDOUT By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net
THE National Emergency Management Agency has now issued more than $90,000 in financial assistance to Ragged Island households in the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma last year. Last month, NEMA director, Captain Stephen Russell, and other officials visited the island and issued more than $70,000 in cheques to 18 households on behalf of the government. During a press conference held yesterday, Captain Russell revealed since that visit, the government has provided the maximum amount of $4000 per household to five more Ragged Islanders, bringing the told amount of aid provided thus far to $92,000. The NEMA director added more people have contacted NEMA saying their properties were not assessed. He said government officials are going to follow up those claims to ensure these were owneroccupied properties at the time of Hurricane Irma, in accordance with policy. Captain Russell also reiterated the government cannot lift the “uninhabitable” status from the island until key infrastructure such as a clinic and school have been rebuilt. However, he said the Ministry of Works has completed the plans for these structures. “We’ve provided assistance to an additional five persons,” Captain Russell said. “So 23 persons (total). “I’ve had a number of persons who’ve came into the office (and) called into the office during the past two weeks saying that they were not assessed.” Captain Russell said these individuals were not on the island during NEMA’s visit, and the organisation doesn’t “necessarily” go onto private properties if the owners are not present. “They came and we’re going to follow up with the Ministry of Works and the local council in Ragged Island to confirm that those…were owner-occupied properties at the time of the event. “And it’s one thing to have a home on the island as your winter or your summer home, away from home. But the policy calls for owner-occupied property at
the time of the event. And once we can verify that, that they evacuated from the island and never went back because nothing was (there), we can find out how we can best assist them.” In an interview with The Tribune last month, Restoration Ragged Island Association Chairman Ellery Lockhart called for the prime minister to “reconsider” the uninhabitable status of the island. Captain Russell said he has also discussed this matter with association officials. “My response then was we cannot, unless the basic infrastructure is in place and key persons are in place. In fact, they are asking for a house so the doctor can come back or the nurse. “In terms of a nurse and a doctor, the police, social services, school for the kids…unless those basic institutions or structures are in place, it’s hard for the government to sanction it as liveable.” Captain Russell described a medical situation involving a young man on Ragged Island who was stuck with a rusty nail. The injured person had to be flown to a hospital in Nassau and has been trying to recover “ever since”. “Had a nurse or doctor been on the island initially, it might have minimised the overall effect. So, until facilities are in place for (medical personnel) to stay, it’s difficult for us to…lift the status on that particular island at this time.” However, Captain Russell said plans for the re-establishment of these essential services are complete. He expressed hope the next stage of the initiative could begin by October. “Again, after being in contact with officials from the Ministry of Works, they have to complete some drawings to replace the school, the police station, the administrator’s office, as well as the clinic,” he said. “Those four structures, plans would have been completed for them. It’s just a matter of being approved and funds being directed to rebuild these facilities. “Hopefully they can get started as early as next month. It has to go through the (tender) process and the appropriate persons are selected to complete these projects.”
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, September 12, 2018, PAGE 11
$1.8M SUPPORT FROM JAPAN FOR NEMA By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net
THE National Emergency Management Agency has received $1.8m worth of assistance from the government of Japan to help improve the organisation’s logistics capability in the event of a major hurricane. During a media tour held yesterday, NEMA director Captain Stephen Russell showed the new vehicles and freezer containers which will help the Royal Bahamas Defence Force in moving personnel and equipment around the country before and in the aftermath of hurricanes. Chief meteorologist Basil Dean added the likelihood of a major hurricane affecting the Bahamas is “pretty high,” although the country is not as yet in the direct path of any named storm systems. However, Mr Dean said the sea swells caused by Hurricane Florence could be as high as 18-20 feet. These will especially affect Abaco, Eleuthera, and Cat Island. Mr Dean warned beachgoers to “stay out of the water”, with the high swells expecting to start today and last straight through Friday before they begin to subside. As a result, Mr Dean said the Glass Window Bridge in Eleuthera will “certainly be impacted”, and asked residents and motorists to cease using the bridge “until conditions subside”. When asked about preparations NEMA is taking during this “peak period” of the hurricane season, Captain Russell referred to the Japanese aid, which is a result of an agreement — the Japan Grant Aid — signed in 2015 in the wake of Hurricane Joaquin. The equipment will help reduce the time needed to deliver assistance. “We saw that there was a need for heavy lifting
CAPTAIN STEPHEN RUSSELL, right. equipment, and that’s why we made the request,” he said, noting all the vehicles were produced in Japan. He added they were inspected, licensed, and insured this week and 15 marines and Ministry of Works personnel have been trained in operating the crane in particular. “Over the past month, we had an agreement with the Japanese government where we’re trying to improve our logistics capability and we received two brand new trucks, a tractor head, there’s some freezer containers and a crane. “They’re all a part of what we call our logistics and transport mechanism. It ties in with our defence force and enhances the (equipment) they have, to help us move equipment around the country. “Last year, we commissioned the warehouse in Inagua. We have a warehouse in New Providence and a warehouse in Grand Bahama. So this equipment that we requested from the Japanese government, they are to help us with the logistics of moving personnel and equipment around the country as necessary— prior to and in the aftermath of a disaster.” Captain Russell said
centre, at the NEMA press conference yesterday with Basil Dean, Photo: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff these assets arrived within plan that will allow them to the past two to three weeks. quickly resume operations He added the government after a storm. has also ordered 40 base Captain Russell also radios and 200 handled asked church leaders to radios from the Japanese underscore this message to government. These will be parishioners during their shipped by September 26 weekly services. and NEMA should have He added the agriculture them by the end of October, and marine sector should he said. ensure those in the industry Captain Russell said this properly secure their sailequipment will assist the ing apparatus, saying “too government with improving often” in the aftermath of communications, particu- a storm, large freight, fishlarly with Family Island ing and sailing vessels are administrators. washed ashore. “Our aim is to make sure Mr Dean said there are every district where there currently “two unnamed is an administrator, there systems, none tropical” is a radio camp set up with in the Atlantic Ocean. He 8-12 handheld radios to said weather experts antichelp them better communi- ipate they will become a cate within their district, as tropical or sub-tropical persons move between the depression within the next shelters and their transport day or two. systems are operating in Another area of low prestheir islands.” sure in the north-western Regarding other prepa- Caribbean is “likely to ration initiatives, Captain become a tropical cyclone” Russell said at the end of within the next couple of August, NEMA received days as it moves into the assurance that all gov- Gulf of Mexico. ernment agencies and He added Tropical Storm departments are “prepared Isaac is expected to affect to respond” in the event of the Lesser Antilles this a storm. weekend, while HurriHe urged all Bahami- cane Florence will move ans to complete household “between the Bahamas and preparations and locate Bermuda.” nearby shelters. He added The Category 4 storm business should also be is not expected to have secured and have a business any direct impact on The
Bahamas as it heads for North and South Carolina, where it is expected to make landfall on Thursday. “As it makes its way towards the Carolinas, we will have some indirect impact from Florence. Starting tomorrow morning (Wednesday), we anticipate very large sea swells, which would propagate southward. “We anticipate wave heights as much as 18, possibly 20 feet, hitting the coastlines of some of our more easterly islands, namely Abaco to our north, Eleuthera and Cat Island.” He added the waves will be “amplified” during high tide. The high tide for Wednesday morning in New Providence will be 9.20am, and 9.48am in Eleuthera. In March, large sea swells in Eleuthera resulted in the death of a 19-yearold American man at the Queen’s Bath, south of the Glass Window Bridge. During that same period, seven people were swept off the bridge by the severe swells. When asked about the likelihood of the Bahamas being affected by a major storm, Mr Dean said: “What I would say is the probability is pretty high. When you have the number of systems that we do have and there’s more to come, there’s always that likelihood that one of them could impact us.” Regarding lessons learned from previous storms, Captain Russell said what was a “first” was the evacuation of people from islands. “When we’re evacuating the island, we’re…going to evacuate the whole island and not leave some persons. “The issue of mandatory evacuations, that has to come here at some point in time. And then that’s a legislative decision. We have to make it mandatory that if persons (refuse) to leave a district if they know a major
hazard is approaching, (they) have to sign a document (saying they refuse to leave).” He added the government has to look at securing additional shelter space to support people who are evacuated, particularly more vulnerable members of society such as the elderly, disabled, and children. Captain Russell also defended the government against the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) report that the Bahamas is just 17 percent prepared to cope with major disasters. “In terms of our financial protection, insurance, as well as the funds available, we have improved tremendously,” he said. “And that was not factored into the grade that we got from them, with the 17 percent.” Captain Russell referred to the country signing off on the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Fund (CCRIF), which has provided the country with improved insurance coverage as the government is now paying premiums of $4 million a year. The country will receive a pay-out if any of the three sectors —north, central, or south Bahamas— are affected by a storm. He also noted the government’s $100 million credit facility with the IDB, which can provide the country with “quick access to funds” in the event of a major storm. Captain Russell also said the Japanese assets were not factored into the report and called for agencies to take into consideration that the country has been affected by three major storms in three consecutive years, with over 100 government structures affected. “It’s harsh to knock us on our recovery operations,” he said. “I think we have one of the better recovery programmes in the region.”
PAGE 12, Wednesday, September 12, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
SANCTUARY FOR WHALES REJECTED
FLORIANOPOLIS, Brazil Associated Press A PROPOSAL to create a whale sanctuary in the South Atlantic was defeated yesterday at a meeting in Brazil of the International Whaling Commission, amid a clash between countries that think whales can be hunted sustainably and others that want more conservation measures. Opponents argued the science didn’t support the case for a sanctuary and said that it wasn’t necessary. The measure received support from 39 countries at the meeting with 25 opposed — falling short of the three-quarters majority to pass. Countries such as Brazil, which proposed the measure, said it would have addressed threats to the mammals beyond whaling. Humane Society International called the defeat a “bitter disappointment” and said it would have helped protect whales from entanglement in fishing gear and ship strikes.
55 KILLED IN BUS CRASH HYDERABAD, India Associated Press
A BUS carrying pilgrims from a Hindu temple in the hills of south India plunged off a road yesterday, killing at least 55 people including four children, officials said. At least 33 others were injured. The driver lost control as he hit a speed bump on a road leading from the popular Anjaneya Swamy temple in Telangana state, about 190km (118 miles) from Hyderabad. The overcrowded bus pitched into a gorge. Crowds often throng the temple on Tuesdays. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Hanuman, and Tuesdays are seen as auspicious for offering prayers to him.
32 DEAD IN SUICIDE BLAST KABUL, Afghanistan Associated Press
A SUICIDE bomber detonated his explosivesfilled vest among a group of people protesting a local police commander in eastern Afghanistan yesterday, killing 32 and wounding about 130, a provincial official said. Attahullah Khogyani, spokesman for the provincial governor said all 32 people killed in the attack were innocent civilians gathered for a protest. A number of wounded people are in critical condition, he said.
A GAS station in Mt Pleasant, South Carolina, alerts motorists that it is out of gas due to the heavy demand caused by Hurricane Florence.
Photo: Mic Smith/AP
US prepares for furious Florence WASHINGTON Associated Press TO whip up a monstrous storm like the one chugging for the Carolinas you need a handful of ingredients — and Florence has them all. Warmer than normal sea temperatures to add energy and rain to a storm. Check. A wind pattern that allows a storm to get strong and stay strong. Check. Higher sea levels to make a storm surge worse. Check. A storm covering enormous area, to drench and lash more people. Check. And an unusual combination of other weather systems that are likely to stall Florence when it hits the Carolinas, allowing it to sit for days and dump huge amounts of rain. Check. “The longer it stays, the more wind, the more rain. That means the more trees that could fall, the more power outages,” National Hurricane Center director Ken Graham said. “This one really scares me,” Graham said. “It’s one
of those situations where you’re going to get heavy rain, catastrophic, lifethreatening storm surge, and also the winds.” The National Hurricane Center yesterday increased its rainfall forecast to 15 to 25 inches of rain and 35 inches in isolated spots. But a computer simulation known as the European model predicts some places could get 45 inches. Sound unlikely? It’s the same model that accurately predicted that last year’s Hurricane Harvey, which also stalled over land, would drop 60 inches. “It does look a bit similar to Harvey in a sense that it goes roaring into shore and then comes to a screeching stop,” said MIT meteorology professor and hurricane expert Kerry Emanuel. “This is not a pretty sight.” Florence is unusual in that it is aiming at the Carolinas from the east. Usually storms come to the Carolinas and mid-Atlantic from the south — and those usually curve safely out to sea.
But a weather formation known as a high-pressure ridge is parked over the US East coast, preventing Florence from doing the normal turn. After Florence makes landfall, that ridge, now over Washington and New York, will move east — but be replaced by another one forming over the Great Lakes that will likely keep the storm stuck. Florence’s path remains uncertain. It may move a little north into Virginia or a little south into South Carolina. But it’s such a large storm that the rain will keep coming down in the region no matter where it wanders. And with the Appalachian Mountains to the west, there could be flooding and mudslides, experts worry. Florence’s large size — tropical storm force winds extend 170 miles from the center in all directions — means its fury will arrive long before the centre of the storm comes ashore, Graham said.
PRESIDENT Donald Trump talks about Hurricane Florence yesterday. Photo: Susan Walsh/AP
TRUMP: PUERTO RICO RESPONSE ‘SUCCESS’ WITH a powerful hurricane bearing down on the southeast coast, President Donald Trump yesterday turned attention back to the federal government’s response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico a year ago, deeming it “incredibly successful” even though a recent federal report found that nearly 3,000 people died. The administration’s efforts in Puerto Rico received widespread criticism. But after visiting the island last September, Trump said that Puerto Ricans were fortunate
that the storm did not yield a catastrophe akin to Hurricane Katrina, which killed about 1,800 in 2005. Puerto Rico’s governor last month raised the US territory’s official death toll from Hurricane Maria from 64 to 2,975. “I actually think it was one of the best jobs that’s ever been done with respect to what this is all about,” Trump said yesterday of the response in Puerto Rico. He said: “I think Puerto Rico was an incredible, unsung success. ”
INTERNATIONAL COURT ‘UNDETERRED’ BY US THREATS ISLAMABAD Associated Press
AFGHAN rights workers warned yesterday that a blistering US attack on the International Criminal Court investigating war crimes allegations will strengthen a climate of impunity in Afghanistan, prolong the war and embolden those committing acts of violence. In a speech on Monday, US National Security
Adviser John Bolton said Washington would not cooperate with The Haguebased court and threatened it with sanctions, saying it put US sovereignty and national security at risk. The CIA and US forces have been accused of committing war crimes in Afghanistan. “It’s very unfortunate because delivering justice to victims will help to facilitate the peace process in Afghanistan,” said Sima
Samar, head of Afghanistan’s Human Rights Commission. “Justice is not a luxury. It is a basic human right.” In The Hague, the ICC said it will continue to do its work “undeterred”, despite Bolton’s condemnation. The court said in a statement that it was established by a treaty supported by 123 countries. It says it prosecuted cases only when those countries failed to do so or did not do so “genuinely”.
Afghanistan is a signatory. During a three-month period that ended in January, the court received a staggering 1.7 million allegations of war crimes from Afghanistan, although some of those accusations involved entire villages. Still, thousands of individual statements as well as those filed on behalf of multiple victims were received by the ICC in The Hague. The statements were collected by organisations
based in Europe and Afghanistan. Bolton’s speech came as an ICC judge was expected to announce a decision soon on a request from prosecutors to formally open an investigation into allegations of war crimes committed by Afghan national security forces, Taliban and Haqqani network militants as well as US forces and intelligence officials in Afghanistan since May 2003.