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FAMILIES’ AGONY AS THREE SHOT DEAD
Yet another bloody toll on our streets as gunmen strike again By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
THE mothers of two men who were shot and killed during a triple homicide in Fort Fincastle on Friday night both said they are struggling to come to terms with their sons’ brutal deaths. Police said they received reports of the shooting, which claimed the lives of three young men, shortly after 7pm.
They said when they arrived on Prison Lane, they found three men on a porch of a residence suffering from gunshot wounds. Emergency Medical Services were called to the scene and, following their examination, pronounced two of the men dead. While the third man was taken to the hospital and initially reported to be in stable condition, police confirmed yesterday that he later died from his injuries. SEE PAGE THREE
‘CASE DECLINE DOESN’T SIGNAL WE CAN RELAX’ By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
DESPITE a notable decrease in COVID-19 infections and hospital admissions over the last several weeks, health officials still believe the country has not defeated the third wave of the virus. This is according to Dr Nikkiah Forbes, the country’s top infectious disease
expert, who warned Bahamians shouldn’t let their guards down anytime soon as the country’s fight with the virus is still not over. She spoke after the country recorded 30 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, with 15 cases confirmed on Thursday. Eleven new cases were recorded on Saturday. The latest figures have pushed the nation’s overall SEE PAGE FOUR
THE SCENE of a triple murder in the Fort Fincastle area where two men died on the scene and a third died of his wounds later. Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff
WORKPLACE ACCIDENTS INSURERS’ ANGER AT VAT CONCERN FOR NURSES MOVE ON HOMEOWNERS By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas Nurses Union has threatened to file a trade dispute over “poor” working conditions at public health facilities
after several nurses were left seriously injured on the job last month. BNU President Amancha Williams told The Tribune that safety at the workplace, among other SEE PAGE 11
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net INSURERS have warned the Government it would be “totally asinine” to reintroduce VAT on residential homeowner premiums
given that this will create a multi-million dollar hurricane liability for itself. Anton Saunders, of RoyalStar Assurance, said the industry wants to meet the Davis administration. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
RUSH FOR JOBS IN SANDALS RELAUNCH INSIGHT Upgrade your combo for a chance to win a
By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net IMMIGRATION and Labour Minister Keith Bell has estimated 800 people turned out for a job fair hosted by the Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort and Spa and Department of Labour. On Saturday, the department partnered with the resort to host the job fair to fill 300 positions at Sandal’s
THE SANDALS job fair. New Providence and Exuma locations. When he spoke with The Tribune yesterday, Mr
Bell called the job fair a resounding success. He said Sandals is set to employ more than 800 people — the bulk of which will be existing employees who have been furloughed since the resort’s shutdown in March 2020 brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Bell said the recruitment will result in an “automatic reduction” in the country’s unemployment rate. SEE PAGE FIVE
Oct 11th to Nov 21st, 2021 TM & © 2021 Burger King Corporation. Used under license. All rights reserved.
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Monday, November 1, 2021, PAGE 3
Families’ agony as three shot dead from page one When he spoke to reporters at the scene on Friday, Assistant Superintendent of Police Audley Peters said initial investigations revealed a “group of persons were on a porch in Prison Lane, when two suspects armed with firearms discharged the weapons in their direction fatally injuring two and causing one to receive injuries about his lower extremities.” He said the two gunmen then fled the scene on foot. While officers have not released the names of the victims, family members say the two men who died on the scene were Gromyko “Yellow” Symonette, 23, and Kenneth Eulin Jr, 39. Symonette’s mother, Monalisa Lee, told The Tribune that Mr Symonette’s relatives were devastated and distraught over his death. “Me and my family was home and some little boys who live through the corner was up on the hill and they heard some gunshots and when they ran to see, they saw it was my son. So, they come run down the hill calling my name saying ‘Yellow get shoot,’” she said. “We still can’t believe it. He has a four-year-old child. I haven’t seen her yet but they tell me she can’t stop crying.”
KENNETH EULIN JR, left, and Gromyko “Yellow” Symonette. Ms Lee said her son, who was employed as a lifeguard at a popular hotel, was a “charming, jokey person, who loved to have fun”. She also said he and his sister were her only children and the two of them were practically inseparable. “He was a fun person and he liked to kid and joke around so his presence will be missed a lot,” she said. “It’s really rough right now and my daughter isn’t doing too well either. A few people told me that some people were saying negative stuff about my son, but they are people from the neighbourhood who disliked him because he was a striving young man. I grow my
children up striving to get what they want out of life and he always had a job. He was always working to take care of himself and people didn’t like that...but I’d like for them to stop with the negative talk because they don’t know my son.” Yesterday, Eulin Jr’s mother, Lori Francis, also spoke highly of her son’s character. “Kenny was a loving, friendly person and he never been in the police’s hands, ever,” she told this newspaper. “My son was always kind and caring and he helped anybody who he could help.” Mrs Francis said she lives on one of the Family Islands
and learned about her son’s death after receiving phone calls from relatives in New Providence. She said her son was a jack-of-all-trades who worked hard for himself and his loved ones. “Everybody’s been calling me but the family isn’t holding up well. We are not doing well at all. My son was a good person, even the
neighbours could tell you how good and nice he was. He left behind two children; one is 17-years-old and the next one is four-years-old. Now both of them are girls without a father.” On Friday, ASP Peters said officers were “unable to say” whether the shooting was gang related. He also said while retaliation is a “possibility”, the police force is “ready to respond.” “Officers are on the ground and we could say conclusively that we were present as soon as we received the reports,” he said. “We’re appealing to members of this community who may have any information in regards to this incident to contact the police department at 5029991/2. Additionally, I ask the community or individuals in the country, in particular New Providence, who are aware of persons in possession of firearms to report them to the police.” ASP Peters said officers were “encouraged” lately due to the number of people who were arrested for being
in possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition. He urged the public to “continue to do their part” in contributing to the “eradication” of firearms from the streets so that local communities can be safe. “It’s a sad situation that two persons could walk up on a gathering that were enjoying their Friday evening and now we have here two individuals who have succumbed to injuries as a result of the use of firearms,” he said. “I’ll go further to say that parents should be concerned in the rearing of their children (and) community members should be concerned in the rearing of the children of their neighbours, because any incident that is a misdemeanour, it grows from misdemeanours and becomes felonies. And so we can nip these attitudes, actions and behaviours in the bud (with the) community raising our children so we could see better behaviour from our citizenry; in particular our young men.”
VICTIM IS SHOT DEAD IN HIS CAR By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net POLICE are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a man who was shot in his car in the Carmichael Road area on Friday. According to police reports, sometime after 9pm they were alerted to a shooting in that vicinity, just hours after responding to a triple shooting in the
Fort Fincastle area. When officers arrived at the scene, they found a man sitting in a vehicle suffering from gunshot wounds to his upper body. The victim was taken to hospital by Emergency Medical Services, where he was listed in critical condition. However, police said the man died of his injuries the following day. “Initial investigations revealed the victim
was seated in his vehicle outside a business establishment when a male approached him and discharged a weapon in his direction, hitting him,” police reported. “The suspect fled the scene in an unknown direction. Investigations into this matter continue.” Police are appealing for anyone with information who can assist with their investigations to contact them at 502- 9991/2.
FAMILY DESPAIR AT ‘SENSELESS’ KILLING By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net A FAMILY is devastated by the “senseless” killing of 43-year-old Charles Taylor, who, they say, was an innocent bystander shot at the Platinum Sporting and Hookah Lounge at Eight Mile Rock last Tuesday. Mr Taylor was hit in the neck by a stray bullet when several men discharged a firearm in the establishment. He died on the scene. A second man was also shot and taken to hospital. Ian Taylor said his brother was not the intended target. He said he learned that some men were shooting at another man in the establishment when his brother was shot. “He was an innocent bystander,” he told The Tribune. “I am taking it pretty hard because we were very close – he was my little brother.” Police have classified the incident as a homicide. According to reports, the shooting occurred shortly after 10.30pm on Tuesday. Police reports said two men were standing outside in front of the business when an unknown man approached them. The suspect produced a firearm and fired in their direction. Both men sustained injuries to the body. EMS pronounced one of the men dead at the scene, and the second man was taken by ambulance to the Rand Memorial Hospital. On Sunday, ASP Stephen Rolle confirmed the deceased is Charles Taylor, 43, of Jones Town, Eight Mile Rock. He said there is no further update and an investigation is continuing. Meanwhile, Mr Taylor’s brother said he was made to understand that some guys had a quarrel with someone else, and not his brother. “What I understand is
CHARLES TAYLOR the guys were coming to the club shooting after another gentleman they were chasing. One of the shots missed and hit my brother in the neck, killing him,” the brother claimed. “I got the phone call from my mother that my brother got shot. She was not sure and asked me to please find out if it was him.” Mr Taylor went to the Rand Memorial Hospital to check, but the ambulance had not arrived. “When I went to the hospital, people were saying that two got shot – one dead and one is alive. So not knowing which was dead and alive, I stayed there for an hour and the ambulance finally came. “I looked in to see if that was my brother because the ambulance doesn’t bring dead people to the hospital. So, when I saw the other guy come out of the ambulance holding his shoulder, I was like it got to be my brother.” Mr Taylor said his brother had just dropped his wife home before he was killed. “They were home relaxing, and he just went down there for a little ride, not even 10 minutes he was there for; his life was gone in a quick ten minutes. “It is rough for my family. My mother is hanging in there pretty good. I am actually taking it hard
because we were very close and tight. You could not get between us. “So, it was rough for everybody, but a little harder for me. I have been trying to stay around people to keep positive and from blowing my mind out. It is pretty rough... We always talked about what we gone do and how we will watch our kids grow up.” Mr Taylor said his brother was the father of a one-year-old. “That was his only child. Now he must grow up without his daddy who died by accident. And that is the worst part about this – it is a senseless death.” Mr Taylor said his brother was a hardworking man – he was a wonderful painter and carpenter, and a good fisherman. “You know when people in the street doing fool and die, you know that it was coming. But when someone dies senseless who does not cause problems, and they die like that unexpectedly, it is devastating. So that is why it is so hard. Every day you got to cope with it. “His wife is taking it hard also. It is hard when you got a whole healthy person with no sickness – went out and then you hear (he) got killed over some foolishness. Yes, family is taking it hard.” Mr Taylor believes the police have three to four men in custody. He also said he understands there was video footage of the shooting. He said he and his brother were supposed to hang out the night after his shooting. “My nephew them came from Bimini on Wednesday and so we all were supposed to hang out, relax, and talk about old times, but it didn’t turn out that way. We are now talking about making funeral preparations,” he said.
THE SCENE of the shooting in the Fort Fincastle area.
Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff
PAGE 4, Monday, November 1, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
TRAVELLING TO THE US? FROM NOVEMBER 8, ADULTS NEED TO BE FULLY VACCINATED STARTING on November 8, foreign national air travellers (those who are not US citizens or US permanent residents) to the United States will be required — with only very limited exceptions — to be fully vaccinated, and to provide proof of vaccination status prior to boarding an aircraft to fly to the United States.
A statement from the US Embassy in Nassau said this is a global policy that applies to travellers from all around the world, including The Bahamas. All fully vaccinated travellers will still be required to show documentation of a pre-departure negative COVID-19 test taken no more than three days before travel to the United
States, the notice said. According to travel.state. gov, PCR tests and antigen tests qualify for the test requirement. This applies to all travellers — including US citizens, lawful permanent residents (LPRs) and foreign nationals. All US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and World Health Organization
‘Case decline doesn’t signal we can relax’ from page one
tally to 22,407 and the total case count for October to 1,209. The numbers confirmed for October are still considerably lower when compared with September, which saw 2,738 infections reported. In August, more than 3,500 COVID-19 cases were recorded. Yesterday, Dr Forbes cautioned that while overall virus cases and hospitalisations are trending downward, the country is still not out of the woods yet. She said: “The cases are going down and hospitalisations are also decreasing and the percentage of total positives are also decreasing. At last report, that was 15 percent of total tests. So, when we look at the epidemic curve, what is clear is that the cases are trending down. There’s a definition for when you’re at the end of the wave or the wave is ended and that’s when you have a sustained decrease to a very low level that goes on over a sustained period of time so what we can say is cases are trending down and hospitalisations are also trending down as the positive percentages are reducing, but we are not at the end of the third wave yet.” According to health officials, 643 people have died from the disease since the start of the pandemic, 38 of whom died in October. Yesterday officials said seven additional deaths are under investigation, bringing the number in this category to 67. At last report, 58 people were in hospital with COVID-19, a situation Dr Forbes described yesterday as a significant improvement. She said the drop in hospital numbers has also lessened the strain on public health. “There is a definite improvement as it relates to hospital numbers so when we were in the middle of
DR NIKKIAH FORBES the surge for example, at Princess Margaret alone, we had more than 100 patients that had COVID and that number is almost half that amount so there is a definite improvement,” Dr Forbes said yesterday. As for what contributed towards the drop in infection, Dr Forbes said there could be several factors, one of which includes the nation’s climbing vaccination rate. “So, when we look at the entire epidemic curve, there was a surge that happened just at the end of August and September and we are now past that period so there are a number of things that are contributing to it,” she said. “So, even in summer months there are a number of holidays that happened relatively closely together between May and I would say August and there was also an uptick in travel associated with those periods and that may be associated with that surge that we had. Additionally, The Bahamas had reached the point where I believe 32 percent of the population had been vaccinated and the vaccination programme is gaining traction and that is certainly helping.” Even with the positive vaccination trend, Dr Forbes warned there will be periods of high and low COVID transmission “depending on certain factors like behaviour, climate in some places and emerging variants.” This, she added, is why it’s important for Bahamians to remain on guard and continue following the recommended public health
guidelines. “We have to do those things because there are reports of persons who, for example, have not followed the protocols and regardless of vaccination, there can still be clusters and transmission,” Dr Forbes said. “So, if we do want cases to be manageable, we have to socially adapt and combine mask wearing with vaccination. It’s a two-part strategy to keep cases low so it’s absolutely necessary.” This comes as the government is preparing to end the current COVID19 emergency orders and transition the country into a “new normal”. Asked which restrictions she recommends the government maintains once new legislation is enacted, Dr Forbes said the matter is for policymakers to decide. However, she advised that many of the restrictions can be eliminated once Bahamians adhere to current public health measures such as mask wearing and social distancing. “When you look at the epidemic curve, when you look at some measures that have been put in place, it did reduce cases and you can see the effect of that on the epidemic curve,” she said. “However, there would be other things that would be impacted by it and of course there is some sense of COVID pessimism because people want their life to go back to how it was before and they don’t want any kind of restrictions but we do know that with some restrictions, even an earlier curfew, it did reduce the number of cases. “Now, do you need that in place? No, you don’t. You just need a population that is going to follow the social distancing, mask wearing and stay home if sick. However, the problem is there is a variable degree of adherence to those things. Not everyone does it and if everybody doesn’t do (it), that’s all you need for COVID to rise and spread and so that’s where the policies come in.”
(WHO) approved vaccines — and any combination thereof — will be accepted; that includes AstraZeneca. “There are very limited other exceptions to the new requirements; those exceptions (such as humanitarian exemptions, etc) will not apply to the vast majority of travellers,” the notice said. Children under the age
of 18 are exempt from the vaccination requirement; however, children between the ages of two and 17 still need to present a negative COVID-19 test result. US citizens and LPRs who are not fully vaccinated, but who are otherwise eligible to travel, will need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken one day before
their flight’s departure. US citizens and LPRs who are fully vaccinated will need to present airlines with proof of vaccination, and will also still need to provide a negative COVID-19 test taken three days before their flight. Read the full details on the new requirements at travel.state.gov and CDC. gov.
DARVILLE WELCOMES CHINA GIFT HEALTH and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said that the latest donation of medical equipment from the People’s Republic of China will go a long way in the country’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. He made the statement during the signing ceremony of a handover certificate transferring medical equipment to the Ministry of Health on Friday at the ministry on Meeting Street. Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis and China’s Ambassador to The Bahamas Dai Qingli, among other officials were in attendance. The donation is the seventh batch of medical supplies and equipment offered by the Chinese government to The Bahamas since the COVID-19
pandemic started. Included are 10 high flow oxygen machines, 30 patient monitors, and 10 portable ventilators to assist patients with respiratory and other COVID-19 related issues. “You come at a time when we were assessing the weaknesses that have emerged from this global disease,” Dr Darville told the Chinese ambassador. “COVID-19 has revealed shortages in manpower, weakness in our health infrastructure and worsening health of our citizens because of deferred care. COVID-19 has brought the need for further resources.” Dr Darville said that The Bahamas is thankful to China, which is also fighting challenges brought on by the COVID19 pandemic. Dr Darville also told the ambassador that it is a
goal of the ministry to have 200,000 Bahamians and residents vaccinated by the end of the year. Officials said 133,081 people have been fully vaccinated as of October 31. Ambassador Dai Qingli underscored the importance of relations between both countries. “Let me underscore how much we hope to work for new progress of China-Bahamas relations,” she said. “We live in an interconnected world, a community with a shared future for humanity. “This virus is our common enemy. China has been providing assistance in vaccines and medical supplies to more than 100 countries. As a responsible global citizen, we will certainly do more to help our fellow human beings.”
THE COVID testing site in Eleuthera.
Photo: BIS
FREE TESTING EXPANDS TO ELEUTHERA AFTER a successful launch of its free COVID19 testing pilot programme in Inagua, the government, in partnership with Dr Tyneil Cargill and his team at Bay Street Medical, travelled to North Eleuthera on Wednesday to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 on that island. “We share the government’s free testing vision and mandate and wish to reiterate our strong belief that free COVID antigen mass testing for all Bahamians represents a core component in this fight against the coronavirus,” said Dr Cargill during his two-day stay on the island. Free rapid antigen testing was offered to residents of North Eleuthera in the settlements of Harbour Island, Gregory Town and Lower Bogue due to the spike of
COVID-19 cases recorded in those areas. “Many admitted that the free testing programme brought them peace of mind to know their COVID-19 status,” said Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville in his communication in the House of Assembly on Wednesday, as he explained the effectiveness of the programme thus far. Free rapid antigen testing remains a key component of the government’s plan to reduce the spread of COVID-19, a press release from the Office of the Prime Minister said.
In conjunction with the free testing programme, the government said it plans to enhance its COVID-19 response by strengthening public health surveillance through contact tracing, focusing on the case management of those who have tested positive, increasing public health education and promoting the vaccination of eligible citizens and residents. On Friday, representatives from the Ministry of Health were on the ground in the Berry Islands to complete the final phase of testing for the pilot programme.
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Monday, November 1, 2021, PAGE 5
‘Police need training in women’s rights’ By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
A LOCAL activist has highlighted the need for more police training as it relates to women’s rights in the country, days after a woman was indecently assaulted by a man with whom she was forced to share a cell. Rochelle Dean, a representative of Women’s Human Rights Campaign Bahamas, said the recent assault of a woman who was in police custody has renewed concerns about women’s rights in the nation, including societal views about the issue. She spoke after a 32-yearold man was charged on
Monday with the indecent assault of a 25-year-old woman in whose presence he masturbated. The woman said the accused also threatened to rape her while the two were detained in a holding cell at the East Street South Police Station on October 21. The man pleaded guilty to the assault charge during his arraignment. Speaking to The Tribune on Friday, Ms Dean raised alarm about the incident which she described as deeply concerning. “We were concerned about what occurred as it relates to women being subjected to indecent assault while detained by the Royal Bahamas Police Force so our concerns definitely
speak to the social architecture of the country and how officers within the organisation view women’s rights and particularly matters that arise from gender and sex,” she told this newspaper. “So, of course, we know just the mere fact that they had both of these individuals in the cell that were male and female, it speaks to sex within itself and these concerns arise from whether or not due to lack of resources, they placed both of them in the cell or whether they felt that they were minor offences that they didn’t see an issue with, both of them being in the cells, which of course speaks to women not being protected.” The activist said the
troubling incident speaks to the need for more educational awareness about women’s rights, especially among police officers. She also called for law enforcement officials to conduct a review of their current policies to ensure that they are “aligned with making sure women are protected” and added that the body is open to having discussions on the matter. “We are concerned about women’s rights and it’s a huge issue for us,” she continued. “Neutral spaces are not a part of our societal framework. Of course, we know the recommendations by UNESCO were rejected. We still maintain Christian values within our culture and so for that reason, that’s
a major concern as to how that happened, whether it was malicious because as you know it’s very baffling to consider that that happened…so these are things very important for us and we’re also looking at whether or not those policies need to change in particular to protect women and that has to do with the organisational structure of the police force.” She also said: “So we kind of wanted to make the minister of national security aware that we are prepared to sit and meet with him and determine exactly how the policies are aligned with making sure that women are protected.” National Security Minister Wayne Munroe has
previously said that the officers on duty during the incident will be “held to account” while stressing that his ministry has no interest whatsoever “in defending or protecting slack people”. “The system will hold whoever is responsible to account and these things must be explained,” Mr Munroe told reporters on Tuesday. “Firstly, it is astounding that it could happen and secondly, if it was a detention officer and he is not honest in what he writes on the detention record, that is even more problematic and so none of us have any issues (or) any interest in defending or protecting slack people.”
PM LEAVES FOR CLIMATE CONFERENCE BEFORE leaving for the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, over the weekend, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said he hoped to use the event to sensitise world leaders about the impacts the crisis has on small nations like The Bahamas. He said he also hopes to have discussions about easier access to climate change funding as well as monetising the country’s “carbon sinks” as another revenue stream. Mr Davis spoke to reporters at Lynden Pindling International Airport before leaving for the event, COP 26. “Well first of all, we do appreciate that climate change is real and countries like ours are most vulnerable to the impacts and effects
of climate change and we are the least amongst the nations to contribute to climate change, to the climate conditions that we are now experiencing,” he said when asked why it was so important for The Bahamas to have a seat at the table at a conference like COP 26. “We do hope to rally up our allies, to join our voices for better access, easier access to funding, to the Climate Fund and the Green Fund in particular to assist us in building more resilience and to be able to withstand the impact and consequences of climate change. “Our voices will be heard and I expect that many will join me in holding accountable those who are more responsible for climate change and having them contribute to our efforts to adapt and to mitigate
against the consequences of climate change.” He said during the week he and his delegation will be engaging with world superpowers to discuss the way forward in respect to their commitment to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. “We hope to engage them and to have them sensitised to the reality of it... We also wish to seek how we can monetise our carbon sinks in The Bahamas. We think that’s a wonderful opportunity to create another revenue for the country, we’ll be pursuing all of those matters.” A carbon sink is a forest, ocean, or other natural environment viewed in terms of its ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Mr Davis will be back in the country at the weekend.
IMMIGRATION and Labour Minister Keith Bell speaking to the media at Sandals.
RUSH FOR JOBS IN SANDALS RELAUNCH from page one
“Sandals is going to be hiring 850 employees,” he said. “Those numbers, as I am advised, include persons who were previously employed there who were (furloughed). And so, they are looking for 300 new employees; 200 new employees for the property here in New Providence and 100 additional employees for the property in Emerald Bay. I was there with the general manager and their executive team and they told me they were impressed, so I think they are going to actually expand that number.” Mr Bell said the job fair had a fairly large turnout and hundreds of people were interviewed. He also said although the event was scheduled to begin at 8am and end at 4pm, organisers had to “extend” the time due to the volume of people who attended. “At the end of the day when they were ready to close down, they still had about 200 more persons,” he added. “But in total I would estimate the crowd to be about 800 persons who came applying for jobs. We are planning on holding more job fairs in the future because that is the way to go. We have a labour bank already and so really that’s a part of our role; exposing Bahamians to these opportunities after they become available.” Mr Bell said there are several investments the
Department of Labour was “looking at”. He said once those projects “come on stream”, the public will see the “job market opening up” and the department will host more job fairs to ensure the people in their labour bank who are looking for jobs are given the opportunities to be gainfully employed. While the Sandals career fair focused on jobs in the tourism and service industry, Mr Bell revealed that the Department of Labour will also “target a number of other areas from across the board.” “Me and the director (of labour) along with his team, have a meeting right now to discuss perhaps looking at one or two other areas, now that I’ve seen how (the fair) works and how it has been very successful,” he said. “We want to make sure to put the right people in the right place to make sure that they are doing the right thing that they want to do. So obviously we are going to have to look at other areas and reach out to them to see how we could best, with the government systems, ensure that they fulfil what they want to do.” Speaking to the demographic of persons who attended the fair, Mr Bell said some of the attendees were “more than qualified” for the positions for which they were applying. “As a matter of fact,” he continued, “I met two young persons who wanted to be bartenders and when I looked at their applications,
one of them had seven BJCs and a number of BGCSE and the other had very similar qualifications. And so here it is, they wanted to be bartenders, now if that’s what they want to do fine, but certainly, I sought to encourage them to perhaps look at another area that may better suit their qualifications.” Several industries were impacted by COVID-19 and thousands of people lost their jobs at the height of the pandemic. Now that the country is slowly returning to some level of normalcy, Mr Bell said he is optimistic that the country’s unemployment rate will continue to decrease. “More opportunities are becoming available and I am aware of several major projects that have already commenced and they’re looking to hire people. The job market is opening up. “And that goes not just for Sandals, but a number of places are now opening up. And as a government, we are looking at opening up a number of other places, even those that are operated by the government, including the Straw Market. Obviously, it’s being talked about, so I anticipate that and I’m pushing to get it fast to make sure that people are able to make an honest living and ensure that people can go back to work when these places open.” Sandals Royal Bahamian in New Providence will reopen in January after undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation.
PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis and his wife Ann Marie escorted by Police Commissioner Paul Rolle as they departing for the UN Climate Change Conference in Scotland. Photo: Kristaan Ingraham/BIS
PAGE 6, Monday, November 1, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
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Time to get loud over climate change CLIMATE change is a threat to our nation’s existence. That’s not just our opinion. That’s how Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis described it just last week, when he called it “the greatest existential threat that The Bahamas has ever faced.” It’s how former Prime Minister Perry Christie described it when Mr Davis was his deputy in 2015, when he spoke at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change in Paris, when he warned of an “existential threat to the survival of a number of small island developing states.” It’s how former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis described it when he asked world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in 2019 to treat climate change as the greatest challenge facing humanity, asking: “When one storm can obliterate an island-state or a number of states in one hurricane season: how will we survive, how can we develop, how will we continue to exist?” Even back in 2009, then Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham warned the UN Convention on Climate Change that climate change “is a serious threat to our economic viability, our social development and our territorial integrity.” When was the last time four Prime Ministers of this country agreed on anything, let alone on something so substantial for our future? Today, the latest UN Climate Conference – known as COP26 – begins in Glasgow. Mr Davis will be among leaders from around the world in attendance. In 2019, The Tribune published maps showing the projected effect of climate change and rising seas – with most of Grand Bahama, Abaco and Spanish Wells to be under flood levels by 2050. Much of Crooked Island, Acklins, Andros and Cat Island will also be under flood levels, as well as eastern and southern parts of New Providence. When we say existential threat, that’s what we really mean. The land will be
gone. The places we live will be under water. Where will the people living in those places go? Where will they run to? Some nations look at the threat of increased migration as a problem they will have to deal with – for us, some of those migrants will be Bahamians, leaving behind flooded homes in search of somewhere safe to live. So what’s going to be different with this conference? Mr Davis will go along, give a speech, just like his predecessors have at various international venues. And then what? We know the problem. There is widespread acknowledgement of the scale of the challenge that faces us – just a lack of determination to rise to that task. So Mr Davis shouldn’t just say his bit and move along. Nor should the leaders of the other nations at risk from rising sea levels. It’s long past time for business as usual. It’s time to get loud. Mr Davis has an important chance to make allies at this conference to speak with one voice. To make such a noise that it can’t be ignored. Mr Christie has indicated a willingness to help Mr Davis, while Mr Ingraham feels his voice was not wanted under the previous FNM administration – so how about recruiting them both to lead the charge on climate action? Add Dr Minnis too if he’s willing. And more than that, acknowledge that words are one thing, but actions are more. What will we do here at home to show that we are doing more than just mouthing platitudes? What action will we take, small as our nation is, to show the way for others? If we truly are facing an existential threat, and that is what has been said by administration after administration now, then it’s time to fight for our nation’s future. The time for starting that fight is long past, but it can be left no longer. The world needs a voice to lead the way. It’s time to rise to the challenge.
Street lighting, ground fog and joggers EDITOR, The Tribune. I WRITE to complain of a very dangerous situation that has been evident for several weeks and months. I leave for my office early each morning in order to prepare for the day. My route every day takes me along Carmichael Road to Sir Milo Butler highway. I head north. There are a large number of individuals who are out getting their morning exercise and I think that is good to see as my life is dedicated to health care, however several things are scaring me more and more each day. A tragedy is waiting to happen. My first complaint being some joggers refuse to jog on the concrete sidewalk placed there for their safety and enjoyment. When questioned to joggers why they refuse to jog on the concrete and only use the “black top” their reply usually is using the black top is softer and easier on their foot and ankle. Yes concrete is hard on the ankle, however there is also grass adjacent to the concrete you can jog on and that
makes it even better than the black top. I can hear it now...yeah, but the grass has dew on it and it is slippery and makes you slide. The second complaint is everyone out at that time of the morning knows how dark it is and how much fog falls in that area sometimes making it impossible to see. I have seen Bahamians being warned over and over to wear light coloured clothing or reflective tape so that there are no accidents or hit and runs. When questioned most reply they always wear black because it retains heat and body warmth at that time of the morning which is much cooler. Yes, but if you are run over by a car and killed the only place you will be getting cooled off is the morgue. The third complaint is for government officials. Upon entering Sir Milo Butler Highway through three six-legged roundabouts I counted this morning more than thirty-five (pole lights out......yes, I said thirty-five and that does not include the flickering ones. This is surely a dangerous position as most cars in the Bahamas
are not equipped to see through thick low ground fog. When finally getting to the end of Sir Milo Butler highway at Saunders Beach you then encounter at least 10 more pole lights completely out. I exit off at the Girl Guides headquarters to enter my office place, but I could still see beyond my exit heading east on Bay that there were still a number of pole lights out. This is West Bay Street, a major roadway. I don’t jog and know that jogging is a passion for countless numbers of Bahamians, but a word to the wise should be sufficient what good will all the jogging do to that great physique if you find yourself under the wheels of a vehicle? Concrete sidewalks. Bright coloured clothing. Soft green grass they are there for your safety. Please avail yourself of their availability. Be well to all of you and continue getting in health safely. DR DEREK PINDER Nassau, October 29, 2021.
Legacy of the FNM EDITOR, The Tribune.
I RECENTLY heard Tommy Turnquest, a former leader of the Free National Movement, listing his party’s accomplishments after four terms in office. Prime among the accomplishments he listed were the reversal of the traffic flow on Bay and Shirley streets in the early 1990’s and the redevelopment of Goodman’s Bay a decade later. In other countries, matters like traffic management and the maintenance of parks are the business of local municipal authorities, not central government. So his invoking them actually illustrates the inadequacy of another FNM “accomplishment”: a local government regime that excludes 70 percent of the country’s population. It also underscores the general impoverishment of the FNM’s legacy in terms of real accomplishments. On the other hand, the party does have a rich legacy of regressive milestones. The first that comes to mind is the repeal of the Immovable Property Act and the failure to implement a regime of property taxes that would have balanced the negative effects of foreign competition for limited land resources.
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net Incredibly, the property tax enforcement initiative they pursued in their last term actually targets Bahamians and exempts foreigners! Today, while Lyford Cay billionaires enjoy a $60,000.00 cap on real property taxes (unheard of in their home countries), land prices for locals have skyrocketed to the point that middle class professionals require state housing assistance – a fact acknowledged without apparent shame or introspection by Mr Turnquest’s party. In its third term, the FNM racked up two more regressive achievements. It gave BTC to foreigners and a newly monopolized port to a group of rich Bahamians – both entities built on infrastructure paid for with the taxes of poor Bahamians. Having bought BTC for just $210m in 2011, four years later the new owner, Cable and Wireless, assigned it a book value of $1.3bn when it sold itself to Liberty Global for $7.4bn. What happened in the ensuing years? Not much for Bahamians. Rather, the privatized BTC sent home 1,000 highly paid,
middle-class Bahamian professionals, moved its call centre to Trinidad and failed to lay one inch of fibre in the southern islands. Grotesquely, as part of the deal, the FNM transferred responsibility for the pensions of BTC employees (a liability now in excess of $100m) back to the Bahamian taxpayer. And, since the rich are given huge and senseless tax breaks, this means principally back to the poor. Lastly (lest we forget the single FNM achievement that can be conceded without sarcasm) there was the freeing of the airways in the early 1990’s. Yet even this has been a mixed blessing. While private broadcasters have flourished, public broadcasting has plummeted both in scope and quality, in line with the FNM’s philosophy of downsizing public services. The result is a media environment in which a legacy characterized by the shrinkage of the middle class, the giveaway of public assets and the widening of the income gap is obscured by trivial niceties like reversed traffic flows and landscaped parking lots. ANDREW ALLEN Nassau. October 31, 2021
Heavy hand of URCA EDITOR, The Tribune. THANK you for the opportunity to share my experience in your newspaper. Our company is a very small one with a staff count of just one that provide wireless services to customers in New Providence, and the family of islands. We hold a business licence to operate from Inland Revenue. While our business licence is one that allows us to operate, URCA also saddles us with another licence to operate which they call an operators licence. I always thought my business licence was a licence to operate. What is more frustrating, every year URCA operating license fees could be
three times higher than our original business license from Inland Revenue. Their fee structures is unsustainable for small operators in the sector. Their take it or leave it attitude is not becoming of a regulator. The way they calculate their fees is boarder line illegal. Here is how they present their fees, they give you an option of paying a flat rate of $3,000.00 annually, or submit your audited financials and they will calculate a fee, and at the end of the day they will use whichever one is higher, either the $3,000.00 or your audited financials. While we understand that URCA does need to charge something to cover their operational cost, it is our view that the $3,000.00 annually is much too high
for small businesses to pay, especially in this COVID environment. The one-man operation in the sector with very little revenue will pay the same as a larger company with far more resources. My suggestion to URCA would be to review that $3,000.00 ceiling for small companies in the sector. This is the only way to encourage more entrepreneurship into the sector, and give small enterprises a fighting chance. I will be watching closely to see if URCA takes these recommendations seriously as having meetings with them always end with no meaningful change over the years. KYLE SHERMAN Nassau, October 22, 2021.
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THE TRIBUNE
Monday, November 1, 2021, PAGE 7
NO CASE TO ANSWER Man who killed FOR COMEDIAN ACCUSED his own father OF INCITING A RIOT has 45-year By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net
THE SON of former Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes will receive a court-appointed lawyer to appeal his prison sentence for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl entrusted to his wife’s care, The Tribune understands. Officials at the Court of Appeal confirmed Joseph Andrew Foulkes will
By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
A MAGISTRATE on Friday ruled that comedian Wellington Roberts, who was last year accused of inciting a riot, does have a case to answer. The social media entertainer was arrested in October 2020, when furloughed Atlantis workers seeking severance pay organised a demonstration on Bay Street. At the time, Roberts was accused of inciting a riot and behaving in a disorderly manner. Although he maintains his innocence, one of the prosecution’s witnesses said during the protest, a group
of people were shouting slogans and in the midst of the crowd was Roberts, who was holding a megaphone in his hand. The officer said at one point, Roberts even encouraged the crowd to follow him to the House of Assembly so he could throw the mace out. While ruling on Robert’s no case submission, Magistrate Samuel McKinney noted that a riot is defined as three or more people coming together to execute the common purpose of obstructing legal authority. In view of this fact, he told the accused he did have a case to answer in respect to disorderly behaviour
because he used a “blow horn” to amplify his voice and create a disturbance. Magistrate McKinney also said inciting a riot means encouraging others to do a particular act. “Your words and actions encouraged the crowd to follow you to the House of Assembly to throw the mace out the window while they were in session,” he told Roberts. “You incited others to follow you (therefore) the court finds you do have a case to answer.” After the magistrate’s ruling, Robert’s attorney told the court that his client would give sworn evidence and call witnesses. The matter continues on December 6.
return to court on January 22, 2018 concerning his appeal, which stems from the ten-year prison sentence given him nearly three years ago. A Supreme Court jury returned a 7-2 guilty verdict against Foulkes for unlawful sexual intercourse on March 11, 2015. The trial was held before Senior Justice Stephen Isaacs. Foulkes had pleaded not guilty to the single count of unlawful sexual intercourse
with which he was charged. At trial, the girl testified that on a Sunday morning during the period in question, she was at her guardian’s house, a normal practice for her on weekends. The accused had taken his wife, who was her guardian, to work before returning to the house to inform his son that he was going to take him to church. When he returned from
taking the child to church, he came into the bedroom where the victim was watching television and sat on the bed before putting his hand on her chest, the girl testified. When she looked into his eyes as instructed, he threatened to kill her if she told anyone about his actions. She told the court that she was asked to disrobe and that her alleged attacker instructed her to bend over near the dresser.
He then proceeded to sex with her for five t minutes. “I told him I was hu and he told me to shut the girl said while testif previously, adding that he was done, the man fi let her go to clean up. She said her abdom area and genitals wer pain when she urinated upon wiping herself, saw blood. Moments l the man entered the b room and tossed her clo
sentence upheld By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
THE Court of Appeal has affirmed the 45-year prison sentence of a man who was convicted two years ago of killing his father. In 2017, Lee Sweeting was charged with the murder of his father. He was found guilty almost two years later in April 2019 and was subsequently sentenced to 45 years in prison minus the one year, eight months and two weeks he spent on remand awaiting trial. He recently sought to appeal his sentence on the grounds that it was unduly harsh. He also argued that the end of his trial. the judge failed to order a In his ruling, the magis- psychiatric report. trate noted that McPhee After listening to submisdid not attempt to challenge sions and reserving their LEE SWEETING, pictured in 2017. any of the evidence of the decision on the matter, officer who testified against Justices Jon Isaacs, Milton killed his father to pre- who is capable of the cunhim. He also said the fact Evans and Carolita Bethell vent him from informing ning execution of a family his family and the police member with whom he held that the cocaine was found LEE SWEETING, 21, outsideSweeting’s Magistrate’s Court yesterday, denied exten-where he was charged in connection with his father’s death. on McPhee, proved that the sion of time application that the intended appel- no grudge and for whom he Crown’s allegation of dan- and affirmed his murder lant had broken into the ought to have some affinfather’s home. This suggests ity would, in all likelihood, gerous drug possession was sentence. a degree of premeditation pose a danger to other rightly “established.” In their ruling, deliv“The drugs were found ered by Justice Isaacs, the and poses a motive for the members of the community father’s death. There is no with whom he did not share in your trousers,” he from told page panel one Bahamas Department of right hand was entirely injuries on Thursday noted the theinvestigation. fact that a of affinity oris was notapparent Correctional involvement Services in the bandaged, was degree on pre- Friday of last week, of any McPhee. “Even if you had jury convictedSweeting Sweeting required to enter aof plea to interim. scribed antibiotics for his for a follow up visit consanguinity. drug use or deprivation to innocent possession That ofevening, police conDecember 1. the charge and “did the matter Subsequent to having the injuries. murder suggested they amthat satisfied firmed a 21-year-old was adjourned to Januarycause theread murder.” charges to Sweeting, Mr Seville“Isaid The the chief senmagis them, why was it hidden in thatnot find ofthat provocation male suspect, a relative 25 for service of a volun- Justice his attorney,Isaacs Shaka Serville, Sweeting, who received noted the by information, tence meted out the said there your waistband?” the deceased, was in police bill was of indictment. at the Princess said she would ensure was involved,tary nor there He told the chief magistrate treatment judge notthegone custody and assisting with was remanded to thewas “nothing disclosed that his client, whose lower Margaret Hospital has for his prison’s‘further doctor is adv Magistrate McKinney any justification for the killand exceeded the generous said because of these facts, ing, nor any partial excuse”. in the circumstances” of Sweeting’s case that would ambit within which a reathe court found that the “Moreover, there was prosecution had proven no evidence led in the trial motivate the Court of sonable disagreement was its case and subsequently that the intended appel- Appeal to find that the trial possible,’” he said. “Inasconvicted McPhee of the lant was suffering from any judge made a mistake when much as I am satisfied that he chose not to order a psy- this appeal holds no prosoffence. disorder of the mind at the Before he was taken into time of the murder,” Justice chiatric or psychological pects of success, I do not accede to the EOT custody, McPhee told the Isaacs noted. “Indeed, the report for Sweeting. By NICO SCAVELLA Street, stoodapplibefore C Staff ReporterConsequently, Magistrate Joyann cation. theFe He said he could notTribune find court he “meant well” and probation report discloses nscavella@tribunemedia.net son-Pratt facing one c sentence arein insisted he had “made a that the intended appellant fault with the judge’s rea- conviction and of attempted murder A 20-YEAR-OLD man nection with the Novem affirmed.” soning mistake”. Francis Peter Noronha, 84because a “person was charged with attempt-
18 MONTHS IN JAIL OVER COCAINE ‘FOUND ON BEACH’ By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
A MAN caught with a brick of cocaine he claimed he found on a local beach was on Friday sentenced to 18 months in prison. If he doesn’t pay an accompanying $10,000 fine, he could risk spending an additional six months on remand. Gregory McPhee was charged with possession of dangerous drugs with the intent to supply after officers in Crooked Island found a quantity of cocaine stashed in his pants in September. When PC 3822 Jarad Butterfield gave evidence on Thursday, he said that around 10.35am on the day in question, he and his partner proceeded to True Blue settlement in South Crooked Island. He said
while they were in that area, they observed a grey Nissan Note travelling north. PC Butterfield said the driver appeared to look in the direction of their marked police car before acting suspiciously. As a result, they used fog horns and sirens to beckon for the car to stop. He said when the car stopped they informed its three male occupants that they would be searched. The court was told that during PC Butterfield’s investigation, he found a blue bag inside McPhee’s pants in the waist area. He said when he examined it, he discovered a square clear wrapped package with cocaine, which McPhee claimed he found on an Acklins beach. Although he denied the allegations, Magistrate Samuel McKinney found him guilty of the offence at
SON IN COURT OVER FATHER’S MU
20-YEAR-OLD ACCU HOSPITAL LANE MU
Death Notice For
of Nassau, Bahamas and formerly of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania East Africa, died on Wednesday, November 22nd, 2017.
Public Notice Lighthouse Point
Predeceased by his father, Dr. Robert Francis Noronha and mother, Altina Maria Noronha, nee Souza-Cordeiro. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Yvonne Noronha nee Hilton; daughter, Indira; Sons, Ravi and Roshan; one grandson, Ragesh; sisters, Sheila Clarke of Nottingham, England and Gabriella Champion of London, England; Brother: Dr. Michael Noronha of Manchester, England; Sisters-in-law: Dr. Enid Noronha of Manchester, England, Alma Perry and Sylvia Price of Nassau; Brothers-in-law: Mr. Christopher Clarke of Nottingham, England, Dr. Benny D’Mello of Nottingham, England, Dr. Brandon Donaghy of Sussex, England, Martin Champion of London, England, Cecil and Spurgeon Hilton of Nassau. We remember also his beloved nieces, nephews and many friends. He will be missed.
The public is advised that the Construction Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for Funeral Arrangements will be announced at a later date. Disney Cruise Line’s project at Lighthouse Point, Eleuthera, The Bahamas, has been available for public review since October 15, 2021. The EMP was submitted to the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP) and reviewed by DEPP and third-party international firm Black & Veatch, under DEPP’s direction. The development, a Cruise Ship Destination, will include an open-trestle pier and marina that don’t require dredging, open-air buildings and other structures, walking paths, a new public roadway, service roads, and back-of-house support areas. The development will utilize 16% of the 758-acre site, with Disney donating 25% of the site to the people and Government of The Bahamas. Bahamian residents and citizens will have access to the site. Information about the project and a downloadable version of the EMP are available at http://www.lighthousepointbahamas.com. The EMP is available to the public for review at DEPP offices in Nassau and the Eleuthera Administrator’s Office in Rock Sound, Eleuthera, during normal business hours. The public is invited to send written comments to
inquiries@depp.gov.bs no later than 14 working days after the public posting of the EMP or November 4, 2021, by 5:00pm.
ing to murder another individual in the Hospital Lane area last week. Javar Ferguson, of King
20 incident. It is alleged that on day in question, Fe son attempted to mu Latrell Johnson.
AMERICAN WOMAN DROWNS POLICE are investigating the apparent drowning of an American woman in waters at Great Sturrup Cay off the Berry Islands on Sunday. Shortly after 11am, the American woman was swimming with family members in the water near Great Sturrup Cay when she became unconscious, police were told. The woman was taken to shore and despite extensive CPR efforts was declared dead by a medical doctor.
An autopsy will be formed to determine exact cause of death. Investigations continuing. • Police are looking two men who robbed a shop on Cowpen Road. The robbery occu shortly before 1pm Sunday, police said, w two men, one armed a handgun, entered gambling establishm and robbed the cashie money. The men escaped silver vehicle.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2021
THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS THE CROWD at the scene of the shooting in the Fort Fincastle area on Friday. Photos: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff
A bloody reminder that we need more than promises in a manifesto By MALCOLM STRACHAN WHILE the pandemic along with the election and its aftermath have been front and centre in public discussion for a long time now, make no mistake – the spectre of crime has not gone away. The news of four deaths from shootings over the weekend in two different incidents is a stark reminder of that. In the first shooting on Friday, a group was doing nothing more than sitting on a porch when two gunmen approached and opened fire. Two men were killed at the scene and another died later from his wounds. Then, just two hours later, a man was sitting in his car outside a business on Carmichael Road when a gunman approached and shot him. He died the next day. You wouldn’t think from the election campaign that crime was much of a problem these days. The focus instead was on COVID recovery, both from the virus itself and the economic effects it brought with it. The PLP manifesto had just one short section on crime – in which it pledged to “ensure that the necessary reforms are executed for a safe Bahamas”. The party said it would “strengthen the nation’s border protection with increased funding to RBDF and Immigration Department,” “increase investment in the Community Policing Unit for community policing throughout The Bahamas,” “introduce research-based analysis and policies on countering anti-social behaviour, violence and crime,” and “establish partnerships between the Department of Corrections, BTVI, UB and the National Training Agency.” Since coming into office – and it is early days, let us not forget – we have heard little of any of that. The
A BODY being taken from the shooting in the Fort Fincastle area on Friday - an all-too-familiar sight in The Bahamas. National Security Minister seems to have been more focused on staffing issues, whether it is moving prison staff around, or criticising police over leaving a woman in a cell where she was subjected to an indecent assault from a male cellmate or for the secrecy over tribunal outcomes. Some of those are important subjects to tackle – but there’s no sign of the new government’s plan for a safe Bahamas yet. Earlier this month, Police Commissioner Paul Rolle revealed a 26 percent rise in crimes against the person. That includes murder, robberies, rape and more. Murder alone is up by 61 percent.
Despite that, Commissioner Rolle was keen to focus on crime being down overall by two percent. However, when asked if curfews and emergency orders had played any part in that crime reduction, his hackles rose. “Which curfew are you referring to? Are you telling me that the work that these officers did day-in and day-out, that it didn’t have anything to do with that? I don’t accept that,” the police chief said. “Why don’t we look at the officers and the work that the officers have done? I have said that the officers have done a tremendous amount of work. I gave you the facts of what we
did. I don’t have anything (about) what curfew did because curfew did not give me a report, but I gave you a report about the officers. Let’s just focus on that. I can speak to that.” Well, let’s focus on that. After all, back in January Commissioner Rolle was saluting the reducing in murder figures then – down by 23 percent. He proudly said: “This is the least amount of persons killed in a year in 15 years.” Again, he dismissed the suggestion that COVID restrictions which kept people off the street for hours each day might have played a part in the reduction as “nonsense” and credited the hard work of
police officers instead. He said: “Y’all have to give us the credit because we have done a whole lot and when crime goes up, we take responsibility.” Fine then, murders have now gone up, take the responsibility. What are police doing differently since it hit that low number, if COVID restrictions really had no effect, Commissioner Rolle? Or did they really play a part? More importantly, as we face this new rise in cases, what is this “researchbased analysis and policies on countering anti-social behaviour, violence and crime” which the PLP feels will make a difference now that it is in government?
All this current focus on promotions and staffing looks a lot like rearranging the deckchairs – but we’re still on the Titanic when it comes to our murder rates. These killings shatter homes, destroy families, leave children without parents. Worse, they can lead to reprisal shootings as gangs take on gangs. Our crime rates are a frequent feature of warnings from the US, something we can well do without as we try to rebuild our economy. Four killings in one weekend have reminded us there is a long way to go to solve this problem – and that it is time for this new government to show us how it plans to do so.
EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net
INSIGHT
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2021 PAGE 9
What Big Oil knew about climate change and when By BENJAMIN FRANTA PhD candidate in history, Stanford University FOUR years ago, I travelled around America, visiting historical archives. I was looking for documents that might reveal the hidden history of climate change – and in particular, when the major coal, oil and gas companies became aware of the problem, and what they knew about it. I pored over boxes of papers, thousands of pages. I began to recognise typewriter fonts from the 1960s and 70s and marvelled at the legibility of past penmanship, and got used to squinting when it wasn’t so clear. What those papers revealed is now changing our understanding of how climate change became a crisis. The industry’s own words, as my research found, show companies knew about the risk long before most of the rest of the world. On October 28, 2021, a Congressional sub-committee questioned executives from Exxon, BP, Chevron, Shell and the American Petroleum Institute about industry efforts to downplay the role of fossil fuels in climate change. Exxon CEO Darren Woods told lawmakers that his company’s public statements “are and have always been truthful” and that the company “does not spread disinformation regarding climate change”. Here’s what corporate documents from the past six decades show.
SURPRISING DISCOVERIES
At an old gunpowder factory in Delaware – now a museum and archive – I found a transcript of a petroleum conference from 1959 called the “Energy and Man” symposium, held at Columbia University in New York. As I flipped through, I saw a speech from a famous scientist, Edward Teller (who helped invent the hydrogen bomb), warning the industry executives and others assembled of global warming. “Whenever you burn conventional fuel,” Teller explained, “you create carbon dioxide… Its presence in the atmosphere causes a greenhouse effect.” If the world kept using fossil fuels, the ice caps would begin to melt, raising sea levels. Eventually, “all the coastal cities would be covered,” he warned. 1959 was before the moon landing, before The Beatles’ first single, before Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, before the first modern aluminium can was ever made. It was decades before I was born. What else was out there? In Wyoming, I found another speech at the university archives in Laramie – this one from 1965, and from an oil executive himself. That year, at the annual meeting of the American Petroleum Institute, the main organisation for the US oil industry, the group’s president, Frank Ikard, mentioning a report called “Restoring the Quality of Our Environment” that had been published just a few days before by President Lyndon Johnson’s team of scientific advisers. “The substance of the report,” Ikard told the industry audience, “is that there is still time to save the world’s peoples from the catastrophic consequences of pollution, but time is running out.” He continued: “One of the most important predictions of the report is that carbon dioxide is being added to the earth’s atmosphere by the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas at such a rate that by the year 2000 the heat balance will be so modified as possibly to cause marked changes in climate.” Ikard noted the report
had found that a “non-polluting means of powering automobiles, buses, and trucks is likely to become a national necessity.” As I reviewed my findings back in California, I realised that before San Francisco’s Summer of Love, before Woodstock, the peak of the 60s counterculture and all that stuff that seemed ancient history to me, the heads of the oil industry had been privately informed by their own leaders that their products would eventually alter the climate of the entire planet, with dangerous consequences.
SECRET RESEARCH REVEALED THE RISKS AHEAD
While I travelled the country, other researchers were hard at work too. And the documents they found were in some ways even more shocking. By the late 1970s, the American Petroleum Institute had formed a secret committee called the “CO2 and Climate Task Force,” which included representatives of many of the major oil companies, to privately monitor and discuss the latest developments in climate science. In 1980, the task force invited a scientist from Stanford University, John Laurmann, to brief them on the state of climate science. Today, we have a copy of Laurmann’s presentation, which warned that if fossil fuels continued to be used, global warming would be “barely noticeable” by 2005, but by the 2060s would have “globally catastrophic effects”. That same year, the American Petroleum Institute called on governments to triple coal production worldwide, insisting there would be no negative consequences despite what it knew internally. Exxon had a secretive research programme too. In 1981, one of its managers, Roger Cohen, sent an internal memo observing the company’s long-term business plans could “produce effects which will indeed be catastrophic (at least for a substantial fraction of the earth’s population)”. The next year, Exxon completed a comprehensive, 40-page internal report on climate change, which predicted almost exactly the amount of global warming we’ve seen, as well as sea level rise, drought and more. According to the front page of the report, it was “given wide circulation to Exxon management” but was “not to be distributed externally”. And Exxon did keep it secret: We know of the report’s existence only because investigative journalists at Inside Climate News uncovered it in 2015. Other oil companies knew the effects their products were having on the planet
too. In 1986, the Dutch oil company Shell finished an internal report nearly 100 pages long, predicting that global warming from fossil fuels would cause changes that would be “the greatest in recorded history,” including “destructive floods,” abandonment of entire countries and even forced migration around the world. That report was stamped “CONFIDENTIAL” and only brought to light in 2018 by Jelmer Mommers, a Dutch journalist. In October 2021, I and two French colleagues published another study showing through company documents and interviews how the Paris-based oil major Total was also aware of global warming’s catastrophic potential as early as the 1970s. Despite this awareness, we found that Total then worked with Exxon to spread doubt about climate change.
BIG OIL’S PR PIVOT
These companies had a choice. Back in 1979, Exxon had privately studied options for avoiding global warming. It found that with immediate action, if the industry moved away from fossil fuels and instead focused on renewable energy, fossil fuel pollution could start to decline in the 1990s and a major climate crisis could be avoided. But the industry didn’t pursue that path. Instead, colleagues and I recently found that in the late 1980s, Exxon and other oil companies coordinated a global effort to dispute climate science, block fossil fuel controls and keep their products flowing. We know about it through internal documents and the words of industry insiders, who are now beginning to share what they saw with the public. We also know that in 1989, the fossil fuel industry created something called the Global Climate Coalition – but it wasn’t an environmental group like the name suggests; instead, it worked to sow doubt about climate change and lobbied lawmakers to block clean energy legislation and climate treaties throughout
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the 1990s. For example, in 1997, the Global Climate Coalition’s chairman, William O’Keefe, who was also an executive vice president for the American Petroleum Institute, wrote in the Washington Post that “Climate scientists don’t say that burning oil, gas and coal is steadily warming the earth,” contradicting what the industry had known for decades. The fossil fuel industry also funded think tanks and biased studies
that helped slow progress to a crawl. Today, most oil companies shy away from denying climate science outright, but they continue to fight fossil fuel controls and promote themselves as clean energy leaders even though they still put the vast majority of their investments into fossil fuels. As I write this, climate legislation is again being blocked in Congress by a lawmaker with close ties to the fossil fuel industry.
People around the world, meanwhile, are experiencing the effects of global warming: weird weather, shifting seasons, extreme heat waves and even wildfires like they’ve never seen before. Will the world experience the global catastrophe that the oil companies predicted years before I was born? That depends on what we do now, with our slice of history. • Originally published on theconversation.com
Memorial Service for Senior Customs Officer Sean Livingstone Gomez, 51 of Bethel Avenue, Stapledon Gardens, will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 4th, 2021, at The Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, Plane Street, Pinewood Gardens. Officiating will be Pastor Daniel A. Nottage, Minister Denver Pratt, assisted by other Ministers of the Gospel. Interment will follow at Lakeview Memorial Gardens & Mausoleum, John F. Kennedy Drive & Gladstone Road. Due to current Government regulations in respect of Covid-19, masks and physical distancing are required. Graveside attendance is limited to thirty (30) persons. Sean is preceded in death by his Mother: Agnes Gomez; Siblings: Eddison, Philip and Dennis Gomez. Left to cherish his life are his Loving and Devoted Wife: Mikia Gomez; Children: Ashley-Marie (Antonio) Munroe, Shawn-Gabrielle, Ri’ShaunTimia and Sean Gomez Jr.; Siblings: Michelle Colebrooke, Dr. Shacara Wilson, H. Valencia Saunders, Sheila Bethel, Florinda Bowe, Elaine, Glen and Keith Gomez, Ivan Prosper and Thomas Barry; Mother-inLaw: Brenda Davis; Father-in-Law: Anthony Stubbs; Sisters-in-Law: Cloretta Gomez, Rosamon, Dorothy, Jeanine Weech-Gomez, Candece Mortimer and Chrissy Prosper; Brothers-in-Law: George Saunders, Corey Dean, Gregory Davis and Sean Mortimer; Aunts and Uncles: Theresa Fernander, Tanya Burrows, Lloyd Johnson, David, Leslie and Maxwell; Nieces and Nephews: Valetina, Ingrid (Constable Colin), Nyoka, Michelle, Deidre, Monique (Winston), Kasey, Phillippa (Andrew), Denise, Glendia, Deborah, Shonice, Edria, Anson, Justin, Ascarra, Jackson, Carlyle (Suzette), Jervaise (Desiree), Trevor (Mitzi), Jamaal (Vicavia), Chrispin (Christa), Geoffrey, Wescott (Tamika), Jevon (Randi), Paul, Mario, Trevor, Keith-Andrew, Keith-David Sr. (Monica), Kemaro, Pancho and Pasqual, Corey Jr. and Sean Jr.; Numerous grandnieces and grandnephews; Cousins: Sharmine, Bonnie, Delice Lynch, and Shari Laduet; Auntsin-law: Marguerette, Kiva, Dominique, Lillis (Joseph), Christine, Mary and Edris; a Host of other Relatives and Friends: Margaret French, The Bahamas Customs Department, Maylene Bowe, Sharon Thompson, Antoinette Bowe & Family, Barron & Tammie Andrews & Family, Sharon Colebrooke & Family, Clint Cox, Harriet Pierre & Family, Ryan Ferguson & Family, Melissa Clarke & Family, Tony Archer, Allan Cunningham & Family, Cranston Evans & Family, Garfield & Dash Burrows, Giovanni Bain, Rhema Rolle, Edward Hanna & Family, Rosinique Smith & Family, Godfrey Williams & Family, Shenique Storr & Family, Kendrick Bowe & Family, Maxine Bain, Ambrosine Higgs & Family, John Butler, Charlene Harris & Family, Darren, Dakeisha Sturrup & Family, The Smith Family, Des & Cassandra Bethel, The entire Dean’s Family, Dorsett & Family, Overseer Randolph Deleveaux & Lady Deleveaux, Pastor Daniel A. Nottage & Lady Rosalyn Nottage, Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church Family, Hon. McKell Bonaby, M.P. for Mount Moriah, The Mount Moriah Community, Department of Inland Revenue (RCEU), The Liberal Caucus, The Entire Long Island Community, GQ Diplomat Barber Shop, St. Augustine’s College (SAC) Class of 1988, C.C. Sweeting Class of 1988 and a host of other relatives and friends too numerous to mention. Special Thanks To: The Doctors, Nurses and Staff of Doctor’s Hospital (ICU) Department. May His Soul Rest in Peace! Friends may pay their last respects at Bethel Brothers Morticians & Crematorium, #44 Nassau Street, on Wednesday November 3rd from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
PAGE 10 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2021
INSIGHT
THE GLASGOW CLIMATE TEST By ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
THE climate crisis is a code red for humanity. World leaders will soon be put to the test at the UN Climate Conference – known as COP26 – in Glasgow. Their actions - or inactions - will show their seriousness about addressing this planetary emergency. The warning signs are hard to miss: temperatures everywhere are reaching new highs; biodiversity is reaching new lows; oceans are warming, acidifying, and choking with plastic waste. Increasing temperatures will make vast stretches of our planet dead zones for humanity by century’s end. And the respected medical journal The Lancet just described climate change as the “defining narrative of human health” in the years to come — a crisis defined by widespread hunger, respiratory illness, deadly disasters and infectious disease outbreaks that could be even worse than COVID-19. Despite these alarm bells ringing at fever pitch, we see new evidence in the latest UN reports that governments’ actions so far simply do not add up
to what is so desperately needed. Recent new announcements for climate action are welcome and critical — but even so, our world is on track for calamitous global temperature rises well above 2 degrees Celsius. This is a far cry from the 1.5-degree Celsius target to which the world agreed under the Paris Agreement – a target that science tells us is the only sustainable pathway for our world. This target is entirely achievable. If we can reduce global emissions by 45 per cent compared to 2010 levels, this decade. If we can achieve global net-zero by 2050. And if world leaders arrive in Glasgow with bold, ambitious, and verifiable 2030 targets, and new, concrete policies to reverse this disaster. G20 leaders - in particular - need to deliver. The time has passed for diplomatic niceties. If governments - especially G20 governments - do not stand up and lead this effort, we are headed for terrible human suffering. But all countries need to realise that the old, carbon-burning model of development is a death
sentence for their economies and our planet. We need decarbonisation now, across every sector in every country. We need to shift subsidies from fossil fuels to renewable energy, and tax pollution, not people. We need to put a price on carbon, and channel that back towards resilient infrastructures and jobs. And we need to phaseout coal – by 2030 in OECD countries and 2040 in all others. Increasing numbers of governments have pledged to stop financing coal – and private finance needs to do the same, urgently. People rightly expect their governments to lead. But we all have a responsibility to safeguard our collective future. Businesses need to reduce their climate impact, and fully and credibly align their operations and financial flows to a net-zero future. No more excuses; no more greenwashing. Investors – public and private alike – must do the same. They should join front runners like the netzero asset owners alliance, and the UN’s own pension fund, which met its 2021 carbon reduction investment objectives ahead of
EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net
UNITED Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres at a press conference in Rome on Friday. Photo: Domenico Stinellis/AP time and above its target, with a 32 per cent reduction this year. Individuals in every society need to make better, more responsible choices in what they eat, how they travel, and what they buy. And young people - and climate activists - need to keep doing what they’re doing: demanding action from their leaders and keeping them accountable. Throughout, we need global solidarity to help all countries make this shift. Developing countries are grappling with debt and liquidity crises. They need
support. Public and multilateral development banks must significantly increase their climate portfolios and intensify their efforts to help countries transition to net-zero, resilient economies. The developed world must urgently meet its commitment of at least $100 billion in annual climate finance for developing countries. Donors and multilateral development banks need to allocate at least half their climate finance towards adaptation and resilience. The United Nations was
founded 76 years ago to build consensus for action against the greatest threats facing humanity. But rarely have we faced a crisis like this one: a truly existential crisis that, if not addressed, threatens not only us, but also future generations. There is one path forward. A 1.5-degree future is the only viable future for humanity. Leaders must get on with the job in Glasgow before it’s too late. • António Guterres is Secretary-General of the United Nations.
A little big-boned ONE of my favourite subjects in high school was English literature. I easily excelled in all sciences but literature, while I found it fascinating, was initially a struggle. There was just too much complex vocabulary employed coupled with ambiguous, often audaciously hidden, linguistic interpretations. The highly rated works of William Shakespeare, George Orwell, John Steinbeck and the like notably come to mind. But by grade nine there was a shift. My teacher, Mr. Cox, taught me to look beyond the words and instead focus on the intention of those words to truly understand every character and the meaning behind their actions. Once I understood that, my grades skyrocketed and I graduated with the second highest score in the class. It’s a life lesson that I’ve carried with me and continue to utilize on a daily basis. In medicine it’s very
much the same. It’s really not what people say that helps me the most diagnostically – it’s what they do, body language cues, how they walk, the wear patterns in their shoes – the story is always there if you know where to look and are willing to take the time to explore. You have to search for the clues. In doing so, what the patient tells me simply augments and never supplants the evidence I’ve already found. When Brutus talks to Cassius in scene three, act four of Julius Cesar, he tells him that ‘there’s a tide in the affairs of men which taken at the flood leads on to fortune’. In plain English, what he was espousing is that the key to success in life is being able to differentiate warning signs from opportunities and then seizing upon the moment. He was telling Cassius that it’s now or never. I’ve used that lesson on multiple occasions with
By DR KENNETH D KEMP
patients inspiring them to recognize body warning signals and to seize the opportunity to alter course and live a better healthier lifestyle. Studies have shown, however, that people rarely change their habits even when their life is threatened. In the past 40 years the rate of obesity has increased exponentially in almost every country across the globe and no nation has been able to curb this increase. Social media is the litmus test for popularity in today’s world and in that world being fat is unacceptable; obesity abhorrent. But it’s the juxtaposition of being large
and yet so invisible that is most striking. Nearly three-quarters of the Bahamian population is classified as either overweight or obese. Many of the physicians and nurses in the public and private health system – individuals who stand at the reins of safeguarding the health of our country – comfortably fall within this category. The question then becomes how is this affecting the nation as a whole and what can we do about it? Obesity has been linked to multiple health abnormalities like high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, cancer, back/ hip/ knee and foot
arthritic joint pain, stroke, cardiovascular disease, heart attack, snoring, sleep apnea, difficulty sleeping, fertility problems, gout and incontinence to name a few. One of my most beloved patients suffered with obesity for most of his life. In his early 60s he stood 6’3” tall and weighed over 350 pounds. Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. A BMI of 25-29.9 signifies being overweight while 30 or higher is regarded as obese. His BMI was 45.2. His medical history included diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, peripheral vascular disease and three heart attacks over the span of 10 years. I treated him during this time for a Charcot (collapsed) foot deformity, foot swelling, loss of sensation, recurrent foot wounds and infections. He had a larger-than-life, caring and incredibly funny personality but unfortunately, he died after a fourth fatal heart attack. Truth be told it did not come as a surprise because simply walking from his car to the front door, with the minimal exertion that it requires, left him sweating profusely and near breathless. One potential reason why many Bahamians are overweight is that they consistently underestimate their daily caloric content. They assume they’re consuming a 1,000-calorie meal for example but it may in fact be over 3,500+ calories. Couple that with minimal exercise and in short order the weight alarmingly increases. People certainly don’t become 350 pounds overnight so given that the transition is so gradual, it takes a while for individuals to realize that their clothes are a little snugger than usual. Comparing themselves to old pictures months to years later is a rude awakening for many but quite often even that
does little to inspire change. Fixing symptoms without addressing the cause is a futile application of one’s time. As such, and over the upcoming weeks, I will be collaborating with Mr. Jimmy Mackey (owner of MacFit360 and one of the country’s leading fitness experts) in a multi-part series that highlights the obesity epidemic in The Bahamas. I’ll additionally be speaking with local family physicians, nutritionists and psychologists to gauge where we stand as a nation and offer concrete solutions in this regard. I challenge readers today to heed Brutus’s advice and, in a time, when the entire world faces a crippling pandemic, seize this opportunity to get healthier because prevention is always better than a cure. Any tangible measures taken to address the health of our nation must first include obesity awareness and reform as a fundamental building block within this noble pursuit. Perhaps this steady messaging will increase the national appetite for wellness. Stay tuned. This is the KDK report. • Nick-named ‘The Prince of Podiatry’, Dr Kenneth D Kemp is the founder and medical director of Bahamas Foot and Ankle located in Caves Village, Western New Providence. He served as the Deputy chairman for the Health Council for 5 years and he currently sits on the board of directors for the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation in his role as co-vice-chairman. He is the recipient of over 15 global awards and certifications and has treated royalty, billionaires, celebrities, Oscar winning actors, Grammy winning singers, world-renowned super models, professional athletes, ambassadors and both local and international politicians.
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, November 1, 2021, PAGE 11
Workplace accidents concern for nurses from page one issues, continues to be a cause of concern for healthcare workers, who have been calling for upgrades to infrastructure in public health. She also claimed that in the past month there have been several industrial accidents involving nurses. “We’ve been recently having issues with infrastructure in the hospitals such as PMH,” Ms Williams said. “We’ve had an electrical shock in ICU by a nurse and a doctor. We’ve had a nurse fall through the floor in Legacy (Ward). Now all of these nurses and their supervisors had previous complaints about the environment or the safety about the workplace.” According to the BNU president, the industrial accidents occurred in September. She also explained that one particular incident has left one nurse unable to walk properly. “It is serious,” Ms Williams added. “We have a nurse home right now from an industrial injury. Nobody called. An electrical shock at Baillou Hill Road Clinic
left the nurse with challenges, using a walker and then somebody gon’ tell me it’s due to wearing a white shirt and white pants and your shoes (caused) static shock. Then you gon’ tell the BNU to leave it alone?” What’s most disappointing, Ms Williams said, is the fact that the industrial mishaps could have been avoided. “We’ve chatted, recorded and we asked for various persons to come and check to ensure the safety but here again, these industrial injuries could’ve been avoided (if we had) ongoing assessments and we still have air condition issues and other challenges right here in Nassau,” she said. “The Colina building where we service the community, some persons come in with symptoms sometimes and no air conditioning. The nurses were working four hours and now they’re back to eight hours and still no air condition and it’s been two months. It’s ridiculous and for me, it’s unacceptable.” She said nurses are also upset about a number of outstanding promotions and long overdue payments
- a situation that has lowered staff morale. “We still have an outstanding of two increments and a lump sum and we’re asking when is that going to be paid,” the BNU president added. “That’s the question I’ve been asking the new minister. Just give us a date. We know the Prime Minister stated in his speech that the increments will resume in December or in January. I understand that, but I need to see in black and white when the increment is going to be given because the increment was promised from July. The lump sum was promised. Please let me know when PHA is going to pay the lump sum and double increment. “We know we have some outstanding issues that are in the commission that need to be rectified. We know some bond letters need to be signed from the Ministry of Health and so we’re challenged because these persons from on this listing, this was from 2015 and so they’ve waited a long period of time. Almost eight to ten years they’ve been waiting for these promotions. Okay, so we have
a backlog but we’ve spoken to (Minister of State for Public Service Pia GloverRolle) and we’ve agreed to come every three weeks until we rectify and sort out our issues.” Regarding the honorariums, Ms Williams said there are still some workers who have not yet received the payments. However, she said the union is grateful for what has been given so far. As for what’s next for nurses, Ms Williams said the union is considering filing a trade dispute if their concerns are not addressed. When contacted for comment yesterday, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville confirmed the industrial accidents and said an investigation has since been launched. “I’m quite familiar with the two incidents and those cases are now being looked at very, very aggressively to get the full understanding,” he told The Tribune. “Both of them are on the job injuries and the normal protocol is for them to be reported to the National Insurance Board. With that being said, NIB is reviewing them and in one instance, the review time was a bit
delayed and it was important for us to intervene. National Insurance is now addressing the matter and hopefully the complete situation will be resolved in short order.” Speaking to the working conditions, Dr Darville admitted there is a need for upgrades in public health which he said the government hopes to address soon. He said: “In many of the clinics there is a desperate need for essential upgrades and our tertiary facilities as well as the clinics. We are aware of the necessary upgrades and we now have supplementary budgetary funding that we will be debating very shortly to address many of these essential upgrades to ensure that our healthcare teams are able to work in a safe and decent environment and so the reality is the hospital is engaging with a lot of challenges as a result of the physical plan and it’s our responsibility as a new government to address these concerns which we are already in the promise of doing.” Pertaining to nurses’ claims on outstanding
promotions, etc, Dr Darville said upon coming to office, he learned some of the union’s issues of concern were not budgeted under the previous administration. However, he said the Davis administration is committed to addressing the problems. Dr Darville continued: “There’s no question that we need to come to the table to address their promotions and other concerns... but on coming to office, we realised that some of the concerns were not budgeted and this is one the reasons why my permanent secretary and myself had to sit down in the early stages of planning to ensure that some stuff relating to budgetary allocations are brought to the Ministry of Health as soon as possible so that we can not only address the challenges we have at the hospital with the physical plan, but also to address the promotions and what that means in terms of dollars and cents.” The Tribune understands a meeting between the various unions, including the BNU, and Dr Darville, is scheduled for later this week.
ACCORD SIGNED FOR LITIGATION OVER CLIMATE DAMAGE THE Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda – current chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) – and the Prime Minister of Tuvalu has signed an historic accord that opens the way for ground-breaking litigation before international courts. This offers a novel legal path to address the severe damage to Small Island States caused by climate change. The agreement establishes a Commission of Small Island States on
Climate Change and International Law, creating a body for the development and implementation of fair and just global environmental norms and practices. The Commission is also authorised to request advisory opinions from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on the legal responsibility of States for carbon emissions, marine pollution, and rising sea levels. Membership in the commission is open to all Small Island States whose leaders
have long complained about the absence of effective mechanisms for States most responsible for climate change to compensate for the resulting loss and damage. At the signing ceremony in Edinburgh, the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, explained that: “Small Island States’ emission of greenhouse gases is negligible, but they bear the overwhelming burden of its catastrophic effects, including persistent destruction,
repeated costs of rebuilding and huge debts to finance resilience. This injustice must end. We insist that those States most responsible for this dire situation respect their legal obligations to stop global warming and to provide compensation to its victims. The time for empty promises is over.” Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Kausea Natano, stressed that: “For us, climate justice is a matter of survival. Rising sea levels, extreme weather events, the decline
of marine resources – these threaten our very existence. We see better than anyone else what is being done to our beautiful planet. It is time to put words into action, to save Small Island States, and to save the world from impending disaster.” The legal counsel to the commission, Professor Payam Akhavan of Massey College, University of Toronto, and Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague, said that: “Small Island
States are the canary in the coalmine of climate catastrophe. Their fate is a warning to all humankind that the disastrous consequences of global warming are happening now, not in a distant future. The fundamental principle of international law not to cause harm to others has now taken on an unprecedented dimension. This historic initiative to pursue climate justice should be welcomed by all who care about the future of our planet.”
‘Last, best hope’ GLASGOW, Scotland Associated Press A CRUCIAL UN climate summit opened Sunday amid papal appeals for prayers and activists’ demands for action, kicking off two weeks of intense diplomatic negotiations by almost 200 countries aimed at slowing intensifying global warming and adapting to the climate damage already underway. As UN officials gaveled the climate summit to its formal opening in Glasgow, the heads of the world’s leading economies at the close of their own separate talks in Italy made pledges including stopping international financing of dirty-burning coal-fired power plants by next year. But much of the agreement was vague and not the major push some had been hoping for to give momentum to the climate summit. Government leaders face two choices in Glasgow, Patricia Espinosa, head of the UN climate office, declared at the summit’s opening: They can sharply cut greenhouse gas emissions and help communities and countries survive what is becoming a hotter, harsher world, Espinosa said. “Or we accept that humanity faces a bleak future on this planet.” “It is for these reasons and more that we must make progress here in Glasgow,” Espinosa said. “We must make it a success.” India Logan-Riley, an Indigenous climate activist from New Zealand, had a more blunt message for negotiators and world leaders at the summit’s opening ceremony. “Get in line, or get out of the way,” Logan-Riley said. But G-20 leaders offered more vague pledges than commitments of firm action, saying they would seek carbon neutrality “by or around mid-century”. They also agreed to end public financing for coal-fired
PEOPLE walk past a wall with a message on climate eduction at the COP26 UN Climate Summit in Glasgow, Scotland, yesterday. The UN climate summit in Glasgow formally opened yesterday, a day before leaders from around the world gather in Scotland’s biggest city to lay out their vision for addressing the common challenge of global warming. Photo: Alastair Grant/AP power generation abroad, but set no target for phasing out coal domestically — a clear nod to China and India. The G-20 countries represent more than threequarters of the world’s climate-damaging emissions and G-20 host Italy and Britain, which is hosting the Glasgow conference, had looked for more ambitious targets coming out of Rome. But major polluters including China and Russia had already made clear they had no immediate intention of following US and European pledges to zero out all fossil-fuel pollution by 2050. Russia said on Sunday that it was sticking to its target of 2060. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson struck a grim tone Sunday. He said G-20 leaders “inched forward” on curbing global warming,
but the goal of limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) struck in a landmark deal at the end of the 2015 Paris climate accord - was in danger of slipping out of reach. “If Glasgow fails then the whole thing fails,” Johnson told reporters in Rome. Some observers said the pledges from the G-20 countries were far from enough. “This weak statement from the G-20 is what happens when developing countries who are bearing the full force of the climate crisis are shut out of the room,” said Mohamed Adow, director of Power Shift Africa. “The world’s biggest economies comprehensively failed to put climate change on the top of the agenda ahead of COP26 in Glasgow.” While the opening ceremony in Glasgow
formally kicked off the talks, known as COP26, the more anticipated launch comes Monday, when leaders from around the world will gather to lay out their countries’ efforts to curb emissions from burning coal, gas and oil and deal with the mounting damage from climate change. The leaders of two of the top climate-polluting nations - China and Russia — were not expected to attend the summit, though seniors officials from those countries planned to participate. For US President Joe Biden, whose country is the world’s biggest climate polluter after China, the summit comes at a time when division within his own Democratic party is forcing him to scale back ambitious climate efforts.
At the Vatican Sunday, Pope Francis urged the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square: “Let us pray so that the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor” is heard by summit participants. Negotiators will push nations to ratchet up their efforts to keep global temperatures from rising by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius this century compared with pre-industrial times. The climate summit remains “our last, best hope to keep 1.5 in reach,” said Alok Sharma, the British government minister chairing climate talks. Scientists say the chances of meeting that goal are slowly slipping away. The world has already warmed by more than 1.1C and current projections based on planned emissions cuts over
the next decade are for it to hit 2.7C by the year 2100. The amount of energy unleashed by such planetary warming would melt much of the planet’s ice, raise global sea levels and greatly increase the likelihood and intensity of extreme weather, experts say. US climate envoy John Kerry warned last week of the dramatic impacts that exceeding the 2015 Paris accord’s goal will have on nature and people, but expressed optimism that the world is heading in the right direction. Sharma noted that China, the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, had just raised its climate targets somewhat. “But of course we expected more,” Sharma told the BBC earlier Sunday. India, the world’s third biggest emitter, has yet to follow China, the US and the European Union in setting a target for reaching ‘net zero’ emissions. Negotiators are hoping India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi will announce such a goal in Glasgow. Some of the issues being discussed during the talks have been on the agenda for decades, including how rich countries can help poor nations tackle emissions and adapt to a hotter world. The slow pace of action has angered many environmental campaigners, who are expected to stage loud and creative protests during the summit. One big worry at the talks is that not all the delegates will be able to meet in person, as the venue and room capacities have been limited due to COVID concerns. Meanwhile, hundreds of passengers hoping to reach the summit in a climatefriendly way were stuck in London after a fallen tree halted train services to Scotland. Train operator Avanti West Coast said it was advising customers not to travel.
SPORTS PAGE 12
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2021
Ayton sidelined with right leg contusion by RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net
Suns centre posts 2nd straight double double
eandre Ayton had his second consecutive double double of the season but was also sidelined with a right leg contusion. Ayton finished with 17 points, 12 rebounds and three steals in just 24 minutes of his Phoenix Suns’ 101-92 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, on Friday night. “It’s one of those deals where when you get hit, it lingers for a minute,” Suns head coach Monty Williams said postgame. “We should be able to get a better evaluation soon but we think he’s going to be okay.”
Ayton played a key role for the Suns from the midpoint of the second quarter to the late portion of the third quarter that put the game away. Cleveland had a 31-24 lead at the end of the first quarter before the Suns were able to turn the game around. The Suns’ run eventually turned a 14-point deficit into a 24-point lead. Ayton is listed as day-today on the injury report but is expected to play when the Suns host the Pelicans on Tuesday night. Through five games this season he is averaging 13.8 points and 11.4 rebounds per game on 62 percent shooting from the field.
D
‘BUDDY’ GRABS SEASON HIGH 8 REBOUNDS
KINGS guard Buddy Hield (24) looks to pass against the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas yesterday. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)
PHOENIX Suns centre Deandre Ayton grabs a rebound against the Cavaliers during the first half on Saturday in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D Franklin) After a pair of singledigit scoring outputs on a back-to-back October 22 and 23, Ayton produced a 21-point, 21-rebound effort against Sacramento on October 27. Chavano “Buddy” Hield had another sharpshooting display against his former team Friday night as the Kings won their third road game of the season. Hield finished with 20 points, six rebounds and two steals off the bench in the Kings’ 113-109 win over the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King
Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. He scored five points in an 11-0 run to close the second quarter as the Kings took a 59-48 lead into the half. The Pelicans rallied to take a 72-69 lead in the third but Hield answered with six points on an 8-0 run to put the Kings ahead for good. Hield made a three pointer and on the next possession was fouled on his three-point attempt. He converted all three free throws to give the Kings a 75-72 advantage. Hield was drafted No.6 overall by the
Pelicans in the 2016 Draft, but was traded to the Kings at the All-Star break of his rookie season in 2017. The Kings lost game two of the road trip yesterday (105-99) to the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Hield finished with 11 points and a season high eight rebounds. Through six games he is averaging 18.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game on 43 percent shooting from the field and 44 percent from three-point range.
ASTROS’ Jose Altuve hits a single during the 8th inning in Game 5 of the World Series against the Braves last night in Atlanta. (AP)
WORLD SERIES: ASTROS FORCE GAME 6 ATLANTA (AP) — Just in time, Carlos Correa and the Houston Astros broke out the bats. Because if they had waited any longer, this World Series would’ve been over. Staggered by Adam Duvall’s grand slam in the first inning, Correa and Alex Bregman ended their slumps in a hurry. They kept swinging, refusing to let their season slip away and rallying past the Atlanta Braves 9-5 early Monday to cut their Series deficit to 3-2. Correa, moved up to third in the lineup for Game 5 while Bregman was dropped to 7th, delivered three hits. Martin Maldonado found three different ways to drive in runs and pinch-hitter Marwin Gonzalez blooped a twoout, two-run single in the fifth inning for a 7-5 lead. A matchup of bullpens turned into the first highscoring game of this Fall Classic, and the highestscoring team in the majors this year won it. Couldn’t hold down the Astros forever, a parade of Braves pitchers found out as the clock passed midnight and the calendar flipped to November.
COWBOYS STOP VIKINGS 20-16 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Cooper Rush subbed for the injured Dak Prescott and passed for 325 yards and two second-half touchdowns, the last a 5-yarder to Amari Cooper with 51 seconds left in the Dallas Cowboys’ 20-16 victory over the Minnesota Vikings last night.
Aftershock Boxing Club hosts its first show in COVID-19 pandemic By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net VALENTINO Knowles and Keishno Major, two former top notch amateur boxers turned coaches and now organisers, were both quite impressed with what they saw from their newly formed Aftershock Boxing Club on Saturday night. The club hosted their first show in the COVID-19 pandemic at the National Boxing Gymnasium in the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex where a large crowd showed up to watch the showdown between the Aftershock Boxing Club and the Southside Marlins Boxing Club. Newly appointed Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg and his director of sports Timothy Munnings were on hand to view the show. Bowleg said he was impressed with what he saw, especially from the turnout by the parents and young people. He said this only bodes well for the future of the sport, the first to hold a major local event with such a large audience since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and halted sports up to now. Although all of the fighters on the card were making their debut, Knowles said they couldn’t ask for a better lineup as they entertained the crowd in every match staged from the older to the younger competitors. “I think it was a wonderful show. For our first timer, I think the guys really put on a hell of a show. I am pleased and happy with their performances,” said Knowles, who thanked Lawrence Hepburn and
Andy ‘Smudge’ Ford from the National Sports Authority in helping to get the facilities ready. “I think they did a good job. The young guys are all enthused and I think we will see a lot more coming from them in the future.” Aftershock’s Tyrone Humes was named the most valuable fighter of the show after he forced Marlins’ John Saint to get a standing eight count from referee Gregory Storr in the first round of their three-minute bout. Humes stayed in control the rest of the fight. “It was amazing. I’m so happy I won my first match. I can’t believe how hard I wanted this,” said the 19-year-old Humes. “I was more concerned before the fight because I was anxious to get in my first one. “The crowd was nice and it was good to have my family in the front row to watch me perform. Since I won the first match, I’m going back into the gym to work on my hand movement and I will be better than I was in this one.” In the second bout, Aftershock got another victory as southpaw Eric Williams was able to jab and counterpunch through the defence of Marlins’ Keyshawn Cox. “It was so great. I didn’t come into the fight in the shape that I wanted to be, but I listened to my coaches and so I’m thankful for the victory,” Williams said. I just wanted to see what he had, test his power and then I went to work.” Cox, 18, said despite the loss, he knew the mistakes he made, especially not concentrating as much as he should on what was going on in the ring and not so much concentrating on the
THE newly formed Aftershock Boxing Club hosted its first show in the COVID-19 pandemic at the National Boxing Gymnasium in the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex where a large crowd showed up to watch the showdown between the Aftershock Boxing Club and the Southside Marlins Boxing Club on Saturday night. instructions he was getting from his coaches on the sideline during the bout. Simeon Forbes put the Marlins in the winners’ circle when he secured the win over Aftershock’s Christoff Thompson. “It was great. He couldn’t stop my movement. He had to get wild, so I had to stop that,” said the 17-year-old Forbes. “I dominated all of the rounds. From the beginning, I knew it was over. Only time will tell what will happen after this.” Chrisoff Robinson, 21, got Aftershock back on track when he managed to out-slug Maddox Byrd. “I was a little nervous going in, but once I got in and the fight started, I did what I had to do. I did what the coach told me,” he said. “I didn’t know what to expect. My coach taught me never to go into the ring underestimating my opponent.” At just 17, Byrd said he was pleased with his
performance, considering that he only had one month to prepare for the show. “It was a really good fight. I enjoyed it because it was my first fight I ever had,” said the 17-year-old home schooled student. “I would fight him again if I get a chance. Everyone here has more experience than me, but if I can improve on my movement and not be an easy target to hit, I know I can be right up there.” In what turned out to be one of the fights of the night, Aftershock’s Mario Pratt got the better of Marlins’ Brandon Johnson as they slugged it out from start to finish. They had the crowd cheering for every punch they threw. “It was awesome. I had him. I had him from the second round,” said the 13-year-old eighth grader at SC McPherson Junior High School. “It was a great fight. I’m glad I won.”
Higgs, back for his second fight, faced his Marlins’ team-mate in Lavardo Collie, who was warned by referee Alvin Sargent not to use the “Ali” shuffle in his feet movement. Once he settled down, Collie took the fight to Higgs and they slugged it out. Collie, however, landed a few more combos to clinch the win. “I figured out my opponent and I tried to keep my distance and work on getting him worn out,” said Collie, a 12th grader at Doris Johnson Secondary High. “This was my first fight, so I just wanted to make sure that I did what I had to do.” At the end of the night, the other individual awards went to Milton Newbold as the most improved boxer after he won over Jarvis Masiah, while the fight of the night was between Ondray Byrd and Pharrel Knowles. Byrd was the winner.
There were a few bouts that featured some of the younger boxers. However, the results of those matches were not available. Kayla Johnson, the head coach of the Marlins, said although they have about 20 boxers in their stable at her parents home where they train in Pinewood Gardens, she only had seven in action on the show. Another one got a walkover after his opponent didn’t step into the ring. “I’m definitely happy with their performances. These guys were only able to train for one or up to three months,” said Johnson, the first Bahamian female amateur boxer and coach. “So it shows me where they are. “I’m really happy and excited about where they are going in the future. I was happy about their performances. We just want to get them more exposure and experience like this, so we will continue to partner with Keishno and Valentino in their Aftershock Club and any other club in the Bahamas to get them the experience. We really do need it.” Among those on hand to view the show was former bantamweight and lightweight champion Ray Minus Jr, who coached both Knowles and Major, as well as professional fighter Tureano ‘Reno‘ Johnson, the master of ceremonies. The show was sponsored by Y-Cares Fashion and Howard Nelson “Chippie” Chipman.’ While Sargent and Storr served as referees, former amateur and professional fighter Jermaine ‘Choo Choo’ Mackey, who won numerous titles, was the judge for the bouts.
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, November 1, 2021, PAGE 13
Williams’ interception helps Saints beat Brady, Bucs 36-27 NEW ORLEANS (AP) — P.J. Williams intercepted Tom Brady and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown with 1:24 left, helping New Orleans seal a dramatic but potentially costly 36-27 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers yesterday. Saints quarterback Jameis Winston injured his left knee during a scramble early in the second quarter when he was pulled down from behind by Devin White, who was flagged for a horse-collar tackle. Saints coach Sean Payton said he thinks the injury is “significant.” Backup Trevor Siemian took over for Winston and completed 16 of 29 throws for 159 yards and a touchdown without a turnover. New Orleans (5-2) earned its third straight victory. Brady passed for four TDs, but also turned the ball over three times on a pair of interceptions and a fumble. Tampa Bay (6-2) had won four in a row. JETS 34, BENGALS 31 EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Mike White threw for 405 yards and three touchdowns in his first NFL start, leading the Jets to a wild comeback victory. White, starting in place of injured rookie Zach Wilson, pulled off an improbable victory for the Jets (2-5) while going 37 of 45 — setting an NFL record for the most completions in a player’s first start. He joined Cam Newton (2011) as the only players since at least 1950 to throw for 400 or more yards in their first career start. White overcame two early interceptions and also became the Jets’ first 400yard passer since Vinny Testaverde on December 24, 2000, a span of 327 games. And he even left for a few plays with a neck injury. Joe Burrow threw for 259 yards and three touchdowns for the Bengals (5-3), who led 31-20 midway through the fourth quarter. Rookie Ja’Marr Chase finished with just three receptions for 32 yards, including a 2-yard TD in the second quarter. PATRIOTS 27, CHARGERS 24 INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — New England’s Adrian Phillips intercepted two passes, returning one for the go-ahead touchdown against his former team. Nick Folk kicked four field goals for the Patriots
(4-4), who earned their second straight win. Rookie Mac Jones completed 18 of 35 passes for 218 yards. STEELERS 15, BROWNS 10 CLEVELAND (AP) — Ben Roethlisberger handed Cleveland yet another loss as Pittsburgh survived losing kicker Chris Boswell for the entire second half. Roethlisberger threw a touchdown pass and rookie Najee Harris had an 8-yard TD run after halftime for the Steelers (4-3), who were handicapped by Boswell suffering a concussion on a blown trick play. The Browns (4-4) had plenty of chances, but wide receiver Jarvis Landry had a costly fumble and then couldn’t handle two passes from Baker Mayfield in the final 6:04. Roethlisberger improved to 24-3-1 in starts against the rival Browns, including 12-2-1 in Cleveland. The 38-year-old finished 22 of 34 for 266 yards — 193 in the second half when the Steelers had no margin for error. Roethlisberger’s 2-yard TD pass — on fourth down — to tight end Pat Freiermuth put the Steelers up 15-10 with 11:04 left. EAGLES 44, LIONS 6 DETROIT (AP) — Boston Scott and Jordan Howard each had two touchdowns on the ground, helping Philadelphia run over winless Detroit. The Eagles (3-5) ended a two-game losing streak against a team that was very accommodating. The Lions (0-8) go into their bye week as the NFL’s only winless team. The break gives first-year coach Dan Campbell extra time to figure out how to avoid leading the league’s first 0-17 team after being a tight end on the first 0-16 team in Detroit 13 years ago. Just to make the setback sting a little more for the Lions and their fans, former Detroit cornerback Darius Slay scooped up D’Andre Swift’s fumble and returned it 33 yards make it 38-0 late in the third. The offensively challenged Lions avoided a shutout midway through the fourth quarter when rookie Jermar Jefferson scored on an 8-yard run for his first NFL touchdown. RAMS 38, TEXANS 22 HOUSTON (AP) — Matthew Stafford threw for
NEW York Jets quarterback Mike White celebrates after catching a two-point conversion during the second half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, yesterday in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Noah K Murray) 305 yards and three touchdowns in three quarters, and the Rams dominated the inept Texans. It’s the fourth straight victory for the Rams (7-1) and the seventh loss in a row for the Texans (1-7), their longest skid since dropping the final 14 games of the 2013 season. Stafford threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp with about 9½ minutes left in the third, lifting Los Angeles to a 31-0 lead. Kupp caught seven balls for 115 yards and Darrell Henderson had 90 yards rushing and two TDs, one on the ground and one on a 3-yard reception in the first quarter. Houston scored each of its points after Stafford left the game. Rookie Davis Mills passed for 310 yards and two touchdowns. Rex Burkhead had a 1-yard scoring run with about eight minutes left. BILLS 26, DOLPHINS 11 ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo’s Josh Allen shook off the rust from a bye week and a shaky first half to throw touchdown passes on consecutive second-half drives. After managing just 100 yards net offence through Buffalo’s first possession of the third quarter, Allen found his rhythm in overseeing a pair of scoring drives which combined for 22 plays and covered 151 yards. The Bills went ahead 10-3 in the third when Allen found a wide-open Gabriel Davis for an 8-yard touchdown reception. He then capped a 69-yard drive by hitting Stefon Diggs for a 19-yard TD. Jordan Poyer sealed the victory by intercepting a
BURROWS AND TIGERS GET WINS OVER WOODSWIDE AND CAPERS, GIBSON AND HUSKIES OPEN SEASON VICTORIOUS By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net THE 2021-22 Atlantic University Sport men’s basketball season tipped off on October 29 and several Bahamians were active for their respective programmes in opening weekend double headers. Shamar Burrows and the reigning AUS champion Dalhousie Tigers won both matchups against Diangelo Woodside and his Cape Breton Capers while Qyemah Gibson and the St Mary’s Huskies also opened the season with a pair of wins. Burrows had a pair of double doubles in the Tigers’ wins. In the opener, he finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and three assists in the Tigers’ 63-54 win over the Capers on the road at Sullivan Field House in Nova Scotia, Canada. Woodside finished with five points and three rebounds for the Capers. In game two, Burrows finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and two assists in the Tigers’ 70-68 win and was named the Subway Player of the Game.
Woodside finished with six points and eight rebounds in just 17 minutes. Burrows scored six of the Tigers’ final 10 points down the stretch to gain the late edge in what had been a back and forth contest for much of the night. He continues his marked improvement in his third year with the Tigers’ programme. In his first season with the Tigers, Burrows averaged just 3.3 points per game in 19 games off the bench. He improved those numbers in his second season with the programme when he appeared in 20 games with six starts. He averaged 8.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting 54 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free throw line. Woodside is in his first season with the Capers programme after spending year one with the Mount Allison Mounties. The Tigers continue their schedule against the University of Prince Edward Island (November 5 and 6). Gibson struggled offensively after a dominant preseason, but the Huskies had two comfortable wins over the Acadia Axemen.
He finished with six points and five rebounds in the Huskies’ 77-57 win. He shot just 2-11 and 1-6 from three-point range. In game two, the third year forward had nine points on 3-10 shooting (1-5 from three point range) and four rebounds in his team’s 90-81 win. The Huskies will host the New Brunswick Reds in next weekend’s matchups, November 5-6. In his first year with the programme, Gibson averaged 5.9 points in just over 10 minutes per game as a reserve. In his second year with the Huskies, he started all 20 contests and played just over 31 minutes per game He led the team in scoring and was seventh in the league at 15.4 points per game. Gibson was also eighth in rebounding at 6.5 rebounds per game. He was also named a Second Team AUS Tournament All-Star. The regular season concludes on Saturday, February 19. The 2021 AUS championships will be hosted by the AUS conference office at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia and is scheduled for February 25-27, 2022.
pass Tua Tagovailoa sailed over the middle while facing third-and-26 from his 19 with 2:21 remaining. TITANS 34, COLTS 31, OT INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Randy Bullock made a 44-yard field goal with 4:03 left in overtime, lifting Tennessee to the wild road win and control of the AFC South. The teams combined for two touchdowns in the final 86 seconds of regulation. Colts quarterback Carson Wentz threw two interceptions in the final 7 1/2 minutes after throwing only one all season. Tennessee (6-2) has won four straight overall to take a three-game lead in the division. Indianapolis (3-5) has lost three straight in the series — this one coming in improbable fashion. Wentz passed for 231 yards and three TDs, but he was picked off by Kevin Byard with 5:48 left in overtime — setting up Bullock’s winning field goal. A.J. Brown had 10 receptions for 155 yards and a touchdown for Tennessee. Derrick Henry finished with 68 yards rushing on 28 attempts. SEAHAWKS 31, JAGUARS 7 SEATTLE (AP) — Geno Smith ran for one score and threw a pair of touchdown passes to DK Metcalf, and the Seahawks stopped a three-game slide. In what may be his final start while Russell Wilson recovers from finger surgery, Smith was terrific while picking apart the Jaguars defence for one of the best performances of his career. Smith completed his first 14 passes in the longest streak to start a game in the NFL this season. He finished 20 of 24 for 195 yards, and his 83.3 percent
completion percentage was a career best with at least 20 pass attempts. BRONCOS 17, WASHINGTON 10 DENVER (AP) — Justin Simmons and Denver’s defence held after a fumble gave Washington the ball back, and the Broncos blocked two field goals while stopping a fourgame slide. Melvin Gordon III caught a touchdown pass and ran for the go-ahead score from 7 yards out with 4:27 remaining. He also fumbled with 21 seconds to go, giving Washington the ball at the Denver 24-yard line. The defence forced Taylor Heinicke to throw the ball out of the back of the end zone on the last play of the game. PANTHERS 19, FALCONS 13 ATLANTA (AP) — Zane Gonzalez kicked four field goals and Chuba Hubbard scored on a 6-yard run with 6 1/2 minutes remaining, helping the Panthers stop a four-game skid. Carolina’s defence totally stuffed Matt Ryan and the Falcons, who managed just 213 yards total offence. Ryan had one of the worst games of his career, throwing for just 146 yards with two interceptions. He was sacked three times and sustained a bloody cut on his nonthrowing hand when a Panthers defender stepped on it, though Ryan didn’t miss any plays. Atlanta (3-4) had won two straight games, but the Falcons squandered a chance to climb above .500 for the first time since 2017. 49ERS 33, BEARS 22 CHICAGO (AP) — Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 322 yards and ran for two touchdowns, and San Francisco snapped a fourgame losing streak. Garoppolo led three touchdown drives in the second half and another possession that ended with a field goal. He scored from the 2 in the third quarter and ran it in from the 5 in the fourth to make it 30-22. Deebo Samuel had six catches for 171 yards. That gave him 819 through seven games, breaking Hall of Famer Jerry Rice’s club record of 781 set in 1986. Elijah Mitchell carried 18 times for 137 yards and a touchdown, helping San Francisco (3-4) win for the first time since beating both Detroit and Philadelphia on the road to start the season.
JAZZ HAND SHORTHANDED BUCKS THIRD STRAIGHT LOSS, 107-95 MILWAUKEE (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 28 points and the Utah Jazz beat the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks 107-95 yesterday to hand the defending NBA champions their third straight loss. Both teams were coming off losses Saturday night. Mike Conley added 20 points, Jordan Clarkson had 15 and Bojan Bogdanovic added 14 to help Utah rebound from its first loss of the season. Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Milwaukee has dropped three home games over the last five nights and has shot 27.5 percent (36 of 131) from 3-point range during that stretch. The Bucks opened the home stand with a 113-108 loss to Minnesota. Khris Middleton missed Sunday’s game with an illness, causing one more obstacle for a Milwaukee team that already has been playing without its usual starters. MAVERICKS 105, KINGS 99 DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic made a 36-foot 3-pointer to beat the shot clock and blunt a late Sacramento rally and finished with 23 points in Dallas’ victory, The Kings cut a 12-point deficit to 92-89 with 4:53 to play. With about two seconds left on the 24-second clock, Doncic hit the 3 from just past the center-court logo. Doncic shot 10 for 21 from the floor and had eight rebounds and 10 assists. The long buzzer-beater was his only make on seven 3-point attempts. HORNETS 125, TRAIL BLAZERS 113 CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — LaMelo Ball had 27 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, Kelly Oubre Jr scored 13 of his 26 points in the decisive fourth quarter and Charlotte beat Portland. Miles Bridges added 19 points and a career-high nine assists, and P.J. Washington had 17 points to help give coach James Borrego his 100th career victory. Charlotte finished 20 of 42 from 3-point range, with Oubre hitting six. C.J. McCollum had 25 points for Portland, and Jusuf Nurkic had 13 points and 14 rebounds. The Blazers had won two in a row.
PAGE 14, Monday, November 1, 2021
ENGLAND GIVES OLD RIVAL AUSTRALIA EIGHTWICKET THRASHING DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Jos Buttler was near his brutal best as England thrashed old rival Australia by eight wickets with 50 balls to spare at the cricket T20 World Cup on Saturday. Buttler smashed 71 not out from 32 balls with five thumping sixes and five fours as England’s batters quickly finished off what its bowlers had started by knocking the Aussies over for 125. Buttler dismantled a vaunted Australian bowling attack, punishing both quick bowlers and spinners — and scattering the crowd with huge hits into the top tiers of the stadium — as England powered home in Dubai by making 126-2 in 11.4 overs.
THE TRIBUNE
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Afghanistan gave a perfect farewell present to Asghar Afghan with a thumping 62-run victory over Namibia in the T20 World Cup yesterday. Asghar made 31 off 23 balls in his last international appearance, which lifted Afghanistan to 160-5 after captain Mohammad Nabi won the toss and opted to bat in the Group 2 game. Namibia batsmen fell against the slower deliveries of Afghanistan fast bowlers and limped to 98-9 with David Wiese
top-scoring with 26 off 30 balls. Fast bowler Hamid Hassan, playing his first T20 international in five years, picked up 3-9 while Naveen-ul-Haq polished off the top order to finish with 3-27. Asghar, who announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Saturday, was given a guard of honour by Namibia fielders as he walked out to bat midway through the innings. He belted three fours and a six before scooping a catch to backward point in the penultimate over.
Nabi remained unbeaten on 32 off just 17 balls and dominated in the last five overs with Asghar in support. Wicketkeeperbatsman Mohammad Shahzad (45) and Hazratullah Zazai (33) gave Afghanistan a decent start before legspinner Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton (2-21) put on the brakes in the middle overs. But the experience of Nabi and Asghar gave Afghanistan enough runs to roll over the inexperienced batting of Nambia. Afghanistan, which has two tough games in hand against New Zealand and
5-Day Forecast
TODAY
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Partly sunny
Partly cloudy
Partly sunny with a shower or two
Partly sunny and beautiful
A couple of afternoon showers
Cloudy with thunderstorms possible
High: 83°
Low: 73°
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89° F
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High: 79° F/26° C Low: 66° F/19° C
The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.
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High: 81° F/27° C Low: 69° F/21° C
MIAMI
High: 81° F/27° C Low: 71° F/22° C
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High: 81° F/27° C Low: 74° F/23° C
NASSAU
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High: 82° F/28° C Low: 75° F/24° C
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5:21 a.m. 5:39 p.m.
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6:10 a.m. 6:28 p.m.
3.2 3.1
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Wednesday 6:58 a.m. 7:17 p.m.
3.5 3.1
12:44 a.m. 0.0 1:20 p.m. 0.0
Thursday
7:46 a.m. 8:05 p.m.
3.7 3.1
1:29 a.m. -0.3 2:11 p.m. -0.2
Friday
8:35 a.m. 8:54 p.m.
3.8 3.1
2:15 a.m. -0.4 3:02 p.m. -0.3
Saturday
9:25 a.m. 9:45 p.m.
3.9 3.0
3:02 a.m. -0.5 3:54 p.m. -0.3
Sunday
9:17 a.m. 9:39 p.m.
3.8 2.8
2:52 a.m. -0.5 3:48 p.m. -0.2
sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset
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Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 82° F/28° C Low .................................................... 69° F/21° C Normal high ....................................... 83° F/28° C Normal low ........................................ 71° F/22° C Last year’s high ................................. 88° F/31° C Last year’s low ................................... 78° F/25° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.00” Year to date ............................................... 29.39” Normal year to date ................................... 35.55”
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High: 83° F/29° C Low: 73° F/23° C
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — New Zealand inflicted a crushing eight-wicket defeat on India at the cricket T20 World Cup yesterday which put the tournament favourite on the brink of elimination. India’s much-trumpeted batters flopped for the second time — after a 10-wicket defeat to Pakistan — reaching only 110-7 after New Zealand chose to bowl. Daryl Mitchell (49) and captain Kane Williamson (33 not out) eased New Zealand to 111-2 in 14.3 overs in a lopsided Group 2 game. Williamson scored the winning single.
India, has four points from three games. It lost a nail-biting game to Pakistan by five wickets when the hard-hitting Asif Ali smashed four sixes in the penultimate over. Namibia has two points from two games after beating Scotland in the opening game. Its three remaining games are against much tougher opposition in New Zealand, India and Pakistan. Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus, who was clean bowled by Hassan for 12, said he expected tough matches in the Super 12s.
THE WEATHER REPORT
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INDIA CRUSHED AGAIN, THIS TIME BY NEW ZEALAND
Afghanistan thumps Namibia by 62 runs in T20 World Cup
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MAYAGUANA High: 84° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 85° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C
GREAT INAGUA High: 87° F/31° C Low: 78° F/26° C
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H
High: 85° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C
E
W
E
W
N
S
S
10-20 knots
6-12 knots
marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR
Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday:
WINDS NE at 7-14 Knots NNE at 7-14 Knots NE at 6-12 Knots NE at 7-14 Knots NNE at 7-14 Knots ENE at 7-14 Knots ENE at 7-14 Knots E at 7-14 Knots NNE at 6-12 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots NNE at 7-14 Knots N at 6-12 Knots NE at 7-14 Knots ENE at 6-12 Knots E at 6-12 Knots E at 7-14 Knots NE at 10-20 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots NE at 6-12 Knots E at 7-14 Knots NNE at 6-12 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots NE at 10-20 Knots NE at 8-16 Knots NE at 6-12 Knots E at 7-14 Knots
WAVES 3-5 Feet 2-4 Feet 0-1 Feet 0-1 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-5 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-2 Feet 0-1 Feet 0-1 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-5 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet
VISIBILITY 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles
WATER TEMPS. 83° F 83° F 81° F 81° F 84° F 83° F 85° F 85° F 83° F 83° F 81° F 80° F 82° F 83° F 85° F 85° F 84° F 84° F 83° F 84° F 83° F 83° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 84° F
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, November 1, 2021, PAGE 15
PRINCE CATCHES 3 TDS By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net
I-Elite Bahamas team members at the fifth annual World Comes to the Palm Beaches International Baseball Tournament at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches stadium in West Palm Beach, Florida.
I-Elite Bahamas-plus takes 18-under title By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net BIRTHDAY boy Albert Cartwright and Geron Sands were quite pleased with the way their I-Elite Bahamas-plus team played at the fifth annual World Comes to the Palm Beaches International Baseball Tournament. I-Elite Bahamas-plus, coached by Cartwright and Sands, captured the 18-under title on Saturday at the FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, which is considered the best baseball facility on planet earth. The team, consisting of seven Bahamians and the rest from the United States, Venezuela and Mexico, won the title in an 8-2 win over Jamaica to finish the international tournament with a 4-0 record. They advanced to the championships earlier in the day with 7-1 win. Sebastian Walcott, Sheriff Neymour and Toby Simmons all had a pair of hits in leading the I-Elite team offensively. Andru Arthur and Chad Delancy were the defensive sparks behind 15-year-old pitcher Janero Miller - a six-foot, 3-inch 185-pounder - as well as Anthony McKenzie. Cartwright, who celebrated his birthday with the team over the weekend, said it was a big accomplishment for the players to earn the rights to participate in a championship game at the international level. “It’s so hard to win because you need the guys
to be locked in every game because if you lose a game, you could be out,” he said. “But they came each day and they fought hard. “A few games they didn’t like how it was going for us, but they fought through it and put up runs and we won.” Since May, Cartwright said they were working with the players in I-Elite to get to this point and all the hard work paid off with them securing their championship rings. Sands said with a little more love and appreciation for their players, the Bahamas is looking forward to a bright future in the sport. “The guys that are there have been working their butts off for the past 12 months playing in the United States against tough competition internationally and domestically,” Sands said. “These are some of the guys who you will be seeing at the next level professionally throughout the year or next year.” Sands said once they can continue to develop the players in the proper environment, not just with the new Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium, which is not completed, but also the use of a proper weight room facility. The tournament, which also saw Bahamian Martin ‘Pork’ Burrows officiate, featured a 12-and-under, 15-and-under and open division, but the Bahamas was only represented in the 18-and-under by I-Elite Bahamas.
Revived under Moyes, West Ham keeps on winning BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — West Ham has an unusual situation on its hands. It can’t stop winning. Top of its Europa League group with three wins in three games, West Ham won its third straight Premier League game yesterday, beating Aston Villa 4-1 to move level on points with third-place Manchester City. The victory at Villa Park came only four days after the Hammers ended City’s four-year reign as English League Cup titleholder, knocking Pep Guardiola’s team out to reach the quarterfinals. West Ham is level on 20 points with third-place Manchester City in the Premier League but it won’t be relaxing any time soon. “It’s been a great week. But you know what happens in football, it can quickly turn around and bite you,” West Ham manager David Moyes said. “But I think we’ve got
to the stage where we’re really confident in a lot of the things we do. The players are understanding their roles and what’s expected of them. “We can’t let up, though, I’ve told them that if we think we’re doing great and it’s all easy it’ll fail, so we’ve got to keep at it.” West Ham has experienced a revival under Moyes, finishing sixth last season, but hasn’t secured a major trophy since winning the 1980 FA Cup. A fourth straight loss leaves Villa just three points above the relegation zone. “I saw a lot of character from my team today and I am certainly sure we can turn it around with the squad we’ve got,” said Villa manager Dean Smith, whose job could be in doubt. “There are reasons why we’ve had the results we’ve had.” In the other EPL game Sunday, Leeds won 2-1 at last-place Norwich.
PRINCE Strachan continues to post standout numbers in his senior season of prep football. Strachan finished with five receptions for over 150 yards and three touchdowns for his John Carroll Catholic Golden Rams in their 42-14 win over the King’s Academy Lions in West Palm Beach, Florida, on October 29. John Carroll improved to 4-2 and will look to close out the regular season on November 5 against Melbourne Central Catholic. It was his second threetouchdown game this season. He finished with eight receptions for 100 yards and three touchdowns in his Golden Rams’ 21-19 loss to Orlando Christian Prep on October 15. On opening day, Strachan led his offence with eight catches for 158 yards in his team’s 27-9 win over Calvary Christian. He also had three receptions for 61 yards in his team’s 20-0 win over the South Fork Bulldogs in week four. He also caught a pair of touchdown
passes in a 54-21 win over the St John Paul II Academy Eagles in. The Golden Rams had a delayed start to the season and have also missed two weeks due to several scheduling issues which have included weather delays and cancellations due to COVID-19 protocol. Strachan, the 6’4” 17-year-old dual sport athlete who also runs the 400m, emerged as a star on the gridiron for the Golden Rams as a junior when he finished with a team-leading 33 receptions for 633 yards and eight touchdown. His yardage and touchdown totals were second on the team. He also averaged 18.6 yards per catch and 57.5 receiving yards per game. He was also named to the ESPN West Palm Top 63 List for the class of 202. Strachan has picked up several NCAA offers at various levels including Lenoir Rhyne, St Thomas, and Notre Dame College. Strachan has previously received an offer from the Charleston Golden Eagles. In addition, he has also drawn interest from the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers.
PAGE 16, Monday, November 1, 2021
THE TRIBUNE