06052024 NEWS AND SPORT

PINTARD: FNM WILL NOT INCREASE VAT

Party leader says he will add exemptions and won’t raise rate

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement leader Michael Pintard said he does not intend to increase the value-added tax rate above ten percent if elected prime minister, despite vowing to remove the tax from certain healthy foods, medicines and feminine and infant care products. The Minnis administration raised VAT to 12 percent, insisting this was needed to accomplish its fiscal consolidation plans. The administration simultaneously removed VAT from breadbasket items as a concession.

SUNKEN EXCAVATOR IN EXUMA WATERS RAISES SAFETY CONCERN

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

Reporter

AN excavator submerged in Exuma waters since last year caused a boat accident this week, sparking fears among residents as a regatta festival nears.

Clayton Smith, the island’s deputy chief councillor, said yesterday: “The problem is this is a busy weekend in Long Island, and there are dozens and dozens of boats travelling between Great Exuma and Long Island, and the biggest fear is that someone’s going to run into that thing before this weekend is out and this time it may be fatal.”

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

MONTHS after a Jamaican woman claimed she was sexually assaulted at the Carmichael Road

Detention Centre, police said they are still investigating her allegations. Chief Superintendent Michael Johnson could not give a timeline when the probe would be completed, telling The Tribune: “It is still ongoing.” Last December, a 40-year-old Jamaican woman and her 11-yearold son were released from custody after The Tribune

GOVT TO BUILD ‘CAT-5 READY’ HURRICANE SHELTERS

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

DISASTER Risk Management Authority managing director Aarone Sargent said the government is seeking to build at least five hurricane shelters that could withstand category five storms over the next two years. Hurricane Dorian highlighted the insufficiency of such facilities as schools, which are usually used as shelters, and prompted officials to say they would construct hurricane-resistant shelters on each island. This year’s hurricane season is projected to be the most active in years, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration projecting 17 to 25

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

PHILIPPE Gagnon, a businessman accused of slapping the son of an Albany executive during a New Year’s Eve party, said “justice was served” after the causing harm trial against him was dismissed on Monday. Mr Gagnon allegedly slapped Spencer Charrington, son of Peter Charrington, during a Moulin Rouge New Year’s Eve event at the resort. He claimed he did this because

AARONE SARGENT, managing director of the DRM.

Photo: Nikia Charlton

FNM party leader Michael Pintard speaking during the 2024 FNM convention held at Baha Mar on Saturday.

Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff

Sunken excavator in Exuma waters raises safety concern

He said the owners have taken little action to remove the excavator, adding: “It fell into the water since late last year. He was supposed to move it, but never did and we’ve been communicating with him ever since. He’s made numerous promises to move, but has not moved it.”

Mr Smith said the excavator is stuck in an area frequented by boat captains heading to Long Island.

“We have people who move in the morning and come back in the evening,” he said. “So people are travelling back and forth in that area at dark, and we’re trying to avoid something extremely serious.”

Captain Alistino Smith said he and his family were enroute to Long

Island from Hog Cay on Sunday when they struck the object during high tide.

He said no one was injured, but his engine was damaged.

“I had two of my kids and then my mummy and my aunt,” he told The Tribune. “They didn’t have any buoy on it, so you couldn’t see where the excavator was exactly, and I ended up running over it, damaging my engine. At low tide it does be out of the water and at high tide, it does be underneath.”

Acting port controller Lieutenant Commander Berne Wright confirmed that the port was aware of the submerged machinery and had contacted the machine’s owner.

“The excavator was properly marked, but I am advised that in the last weather condition, the buoy

that was on it came off,” he said. “It was re-marked yesterday. The intent by the owner is to go with some stuff shipped in tomorrow to properly mark it with light and weather reflector material, etc.”

Commander Wright said removing the machine is not straightforward.

“To remove that is not so simple as calling one of your boys to get a truck and get it removed,” he said. “It requires a particular crane that, to my understanding, is not readily available in the country, so the owner is trying to source a crane that is capable of moving the excavator.”

He could not give a timeline for moving the equipment, but said officials want it done “as quickly as possible”.

A BOATER shows damage to the lower unit of an outboard boat motor allegedly sustained due to the sunken excavator in the Exumas.

‘JUSTICE WAS SERVED’, SAYS GAGNON AS HIS CAUSING HARM CASE IS DISMISSED

from page one

the younger Charrington groped his wife’s buttocks despite being told to leave her alone.

Magistrate Algernon Allen, Jr, dismissed the case against Mr Gagnon after Mr Gagnon’s attorney, Bjorn Ferguson, told him Peter Charrington was coaching witnesses Spencer Charrington and Lavardo Bethel during their testimonies.

Mr Ferguson said Mr Bethel is an Albany employee, and it appeared Mr Charrington was exerting pressure on him to prompt the desired

testimony.

Magistrate Allen admonished Mr Charrington for his actions before dismissing the case. His influence over the witnesses would have prejudiced the case against Mr Gagnon.

Mr Charrington apologised profusely to the magistrate.

In an interview with The Tribune yesterday, Mr Gagnon expressed his satisfaction with the trial’s outcome. He also said he hopes Spencer Charrington is charged with indecent assault.

“It’s my understanding that the case is still open and still under

investigation and I don’t believe that it has been closed,” he said. “We believe that it is still open and we hope that he is going to be charged because he did something wrong and he must live with the consequences of what he did wrong.”

Police questioned Mr Charrington in April about this alleged incident, but as of press time, no formal charges have been made against him.

Asked how he felt about Spencer Charrington crying in court after the case was dismissed, Mr Gagnon said he was entitled to his reaction.

EMPTY water jugs tied to the excavator arm marks its location.

EXUMA’s deputy chief councillor said despite the council’s requsts and numerous promises from the owner an excavator remains sunken in waters in the Exumas posing a risk to boaters.

Pintard: FNM will not increase VAT

from page one

The Davis administration, in turn, reduced the VAT rate to ten percent but eliminated VAT exemptions. Removing exemptions angered some, especially because the Progressive Liberal Party did not foreshadow this during its election campaign.

Yesterday, Mr Pintard said he does not intend to increase the overall VAT rate to compensate for the potential revenue loss of removing VAT from certain items. He discussed his VAT exemption plan during Saturday’s one-day FNM convention.

He said yesterday: “There are areas that affect the most vulnerable Bahamians, where there is a substantial amount of purchases that are carried out in those areas and we believe that Bahamians need relief in those particular areas and that we should find a way to do that.”

Mr Pintard said other revenue-generating measures would offset the VAT concessions.

“If you do what you need to do in terms of collecting outstanding revenue, if you do what you need to do in terms of improving the health of Bahamians, you will reduce the amount of money you have to spend to correct the health dilemma that emerges,” he said.

“I believe that if you protect Bahamians on the front end, meaning healthy foods that help them, less chance of them getting sick, and demanding millions more on the back end for treatment, then that is a good thing.”

Likewise, he said if people can afford medicine, this would reduce the fiscal strain on the government.

“I don’t buy that there’s going to necessarily be some substantial increase or shortfall in revenue,” he said. “The longterm benefit will not only be good for people’s health, but also for us to better manage the scarce resources that we have.”

Former BIBA chief says RTA changes on insurance not

By KEILE CAMPBELL kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

GREGORY Ritchie, the former president of the Bahamas Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA), said some proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Act to ensure compliance with vehicle insurance requirements “doesn’t sound workable to our culture”.

Legislation tabled in the House of Assembly last week would require

‘Delayed

people to renew their insurance policies in their birth month. Furthermore, people would not be able to renew their car licences with insurance policies that expire in less than six months.

Mr Ritchie called this “ridiculous” and “impractical”. He also criticised the proposed requirement that insurers issue a notice of cancellation to the road traffic controller within

48 hours after a certificate of insurance has been cancelled, the failure of which would incur a fine of up to $5,000.

“The industry doesn’t work that way because we can cancel retroactively, so you cancel a policy. That’s a common thing because people who have significant premiums don’t always pay in full, so when they don’t pay the balance, our only option is to cancel,” he said.

“This will have a

domino effect that will create a hardship, cause I can tell you right now we will just do away with financing, period, just to make sure that we don’t have to incur a fine.”

Mr Ritchie supports impounding unlicensed and uninsured cars.

“We’ve been pushing for that,” he said. “That’s what you do, that’s what they do in other countries: impound the vehicle, and then the onus is then on the vehicle

‘workable to our culture’

owner to get it released by bringing insurance and license in order to have the vehicle released and then, of course, pay the appropriate fine, that is sufficient right there, that is all that is needed, that penalty alone which is fair, which is common to other countries is all that is needed.”

When asked why he thinks some Bahamians do not insure their cars, he said: “Don’t ever think for one minute that it’s

because of lack of money. What we pay a year here is what they pay for a month in the US, and those Bahamians that travel there, they know that.”

“Bahamians find money for what they want to find money for.”

Current BIBA president Bruce Ferguson told The Tribune on Monday that he supports the government’s proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Act.

but not denied’: Katrina’s long journey to earning her bachelor’s degree

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

KATRINA Michelle Nixon exemplified the saying, delayed but not denied when she obtained her bachelor’s degree in primary education at 48 last week, calling her journey beautiful despite the hurdles.

Ms Nixon started her tertiary education journey at 41 in 2017, dropped out a few times and changed her major, but completed her education with a 3.72 GPA last week.

“There were a lot of times that I wanted to give up,” she told The Tribune yesterday.

“I actually did drop out. I dropped out of college in 2021. That was the year I started teaching, and I stayed out for about a year.

“I changed my major and I went back, but then I changed my major back to education because I love teaching, and I realized that I was shortchanging my kids in the classroom by not going all the way with my education.”

Ms Nixon said her university journey faced many challenges and she was usually the oldest in her classes. She said she felt out of place “99.999 per cent of the time”.

“I didn’t feel like I belonged there,” she added.

“I honestly never felt it, even right up to this minute of earning that degree. I never felt like I really

belonged or fit in there or anything like that.

Ms Nixon said she is grateful to have accomplished this goal despite it taking her 30 years to get here. She has her eyes set on homeownership and pursuing a master’s degree in education leadership.

“We have two choices,” she said. “You can sit back and cry and wish you did it or you can go ahead and actually do it. Being an older person does not take away from the enthusiasm you’re going to feel when you change your life.

“Going into a new career at 48, this is still beautiful. I still absolutely love it. I can’t believe I’m a teacher. I’m in people’s classrooms. This is still exciting. Age doesn’t change that.”

In a Facebook post that got over 1.3k shares yesterday, Ms Nixon said her graduation photos “represent battle wounds that will never heal, painful memories that will forever surface every time this photo comes into view, and maybe that’s all the more reason to post it.”

“I’ve been all over this country, just about on the majority of the islands of this country, working various positions, but they were just jobs,” she said yesterday.

“It’s a difference when you pick a career, see, because I can tell you now that I’m a teacher. If you asked me back then, I couldn’t tell you what I was doing. I’d say okay, I work

advantage

KATRINA MICHELLE NIXON

FNM LEADER MICHAEL PINTARD

Police: Investigation ‘still ongoing’

Detention Centre sex assault claim

from page one

contacted immigration officials and people from the Jamaican Consulate in The Bahamas asked about her condition.

The woman said she was sexually assaulted in immigration custody and continually abused after complaining about an officer’s actions.

Since the alleged incident, she said she has made several statements to police –– the most recent last month –– but has not yet heard back from them.

“To me, they just don’t care,” she said. “I am a human. I’m still feeling pain. I just need justice.”

She claimed her alleged

assailant continued to harass her by showing up at her home and at court whenever she appeared for an unrelated matter.

“Last week Friday when I went to court, the immigration officer said my life is in danger. He told me he not leaving me. He told me that,” she said. “I am scared.”

She said she could not leave the country because authorities had not returned her or her son’s passports and other personal items.

“I have my 11-year-old son, and I’m trying to get him to school. Last week, I gone see my lawyer and she tell me I need to go get counselling,” the woman claimed.

GOOMBAY PUNCH ON BOARD AS SPONSOR FOR 55TH LONG ISLAND REGATTA

LONG Island’s 55th regatta runs from today until June 8 - with Goombay Punch on board as a sponsor again.

The annual event promises to be an explosion of Bahamian culture. From delicious native foods, to live entertainment, and exciting competition from the sailors, regatta attendees have a lot to look forward to in Salt Pond, Long Island. Chester Fox, commodore of the Long Island Regatta and Best of the Best Regatta, said the 2024 Regatta is not one to miss.

“People can expect some great sailing and fierce competition between most of the top sloops in classes A, B, C and E. They can also expect some good on shore fun as well.” Fox said.

Each year Goombay Punch sponsors the Long Island Regatta as a way to build up Family Island communities and Bahamian culture as a whole. The involvement also inspired the creation of the Goombay Punch Cup.

“Regattas are a major cultural event in the country. So, we thought it would be great to further amplify this aspect of our culture and to give Bahamians more reasons to visit the Family Islands,” Karla

Wells-Lisgaris, director of Caribbean Bottling Company said.

The Goombay Punch Cup measures the performance of various sailing sloops across the Best of the Best Regatta, National Family Island Regatta and Long Island Regatta.

During the Long Island Regatta, the team with the most points across the three events is crowned the winner. The winners are also awarded $5,000 and an $8,000 stipend is granted to the junior sailing club of the winner’s island.

Members of Long Island’s New Legend sloop took first place last year at the inaugural Goombay Punch Cup for the 2022/2023 sailing season. “That award has meant a lot to both the junior club and New Legend. They were both able to upgrade to a certain extent because of the award. I feel confident that the award will stay in Long Island,” said Mr Fox.

Next week’s Long Island Regatta marks the end of the 2023/2024 Goombay Punch Cup season, with Susan Chase leading the sloops on the scoreboard.

To follow the Goombay Punch Cup’s scoreboard, visit www.cbcbahamas.com.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that SULTANE VALCOURT P.O. Box CB 12299 Wilson Track, Nassau, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 5th day of June, 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

Colina donates $10k to the Bahamas Red Cross in preparation for hurricane season

COLINA made a $10,000 donation to the Bahamas Red Cross to assist with preparations for the Atlantic hurricane season which started June 1 and ends November 30. The company has been a consistent supporter of The Bahamas Red Cross for many years.

“Colina is a Bahamian company, and we are committed to our communities,” said Maxine V Seymour, director of Corporate Communications, Colina. “The Bahamas Red Cross and Colina are in the business of risk management.”

The donation was presented at a ‘Lunch and Learn’ event held to educate Colina team members on hurricane preparedness.

“According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOOA), we’re expecting 17 to 25 storms, total named storms, this year and eight to thirteen of them will become hurricanes, and between four to seven of them major hurricanes,” said Alicia Pinder, director general of the Bahamas Red Cross.

“Due to our archipelagic nature, and the fact we are a small island nation located directly in the hurricane belt, we have an increased probability of hydro-meteorological disasters.”

She also gave hurricane preparedness tips including explaining the importance of establishing an evacuation route in the event of flooding or downed trees or power lines. She stressed the importance of developing a family emergency kit

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that FRANKEITA DUVERNE Gambier Heights, Nassau, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 5th day of June, 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE

to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 29th day of May, 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

with critical items.

“Include in your emergency kit as well, battery-operated radios, flashlights, fans and USB, charges,” she said. “House important documents in a water-tight sealed Ziploc

bag or a container that will prevent against damage –this includes your passport and possibly even your driver’s licence.” Edison Sumner, president of The

was also in attendance.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that ERVENS CHARITE of Queen’s Highway, North Andros, The Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas and that any person who knows any reason whyregistration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 5th day of June, 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

THE CARMICHAEL Road Detention Centre.

PICTURED left is Paulette Dormeus, CBC Brand Manager Associate, and Dwight Burrows (on right), Long Islander’s Association Representative.

Bahamas Red Cross,

PICTURED left to rignt: Kino McCartney, Branch Manager, Collins Branch; Patricia Bain, Director, Human Resources; Maxine V. Seymour, Director, Corporate Communications, Colina; Alicia Pinder, Director General, The Bahamas Red Cross and Edison Sumner, President, The Bahamas Red Cross

COLINA staff gained key tips and reminders to help them prepare for this year’s hurricane season.

EDISON SUMNER, President of The Bahamas Red Cross thanked Colina for the Company’s donation that will provide assistance for individuals across The Bahamas.

Govt seeking to build five ‘cat-5 ready’ hurricane shelters

storms, eight to 13 hurricanes, and four to seven major hurricanes.

Mr Sargeant said officials are working with regional partners and the United Kingdom to get funding for “purpose-built shelters”.

He noted that the construction of a shelter in Central Pines, Abaco, is moving “full speed ahead.”

The building would be able to withstand category-five storms with winds up to 200 miles per hour. It will be complete by the end of this year, but will be usable this summer in an emergency.

Officials are also set to open a similar building in South Andros.

Officials said 144 hurricane shelters would be available this hurricane season, and shelter inspections were complete as of May 30.

Alex Storr, chairman of the DRM authority, said the country is ready to handle a strong storm.

“The infrastructure is in

place,” he said. “I can’t say we are ready for a Hurricane Doriantype storm because nobody could be, but we are ready to tackle whatever comes our way. You can be confident in that.”

The DRM Authority results from a merger between the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Disaster Reconstruction Authority (DRA).

Economic Affairs Minister Michael Halkitis noted last week that the government has a loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to help post-storms.

Mr Sargent said the law allows the government to send funds to the DRM Authority for preventative and post-disaster measures.

The funds would help the authority prepare and procure relief items and provide aid after a hurricane.

He said officials want the funds established by the end of June.

CLAIM JOURNALIST WAS BANNED FROM OPM PRESS BRIEFING DENIED

THE director of communication at the Office of the Prime Minister, Latrae Rahming, yesterday refuted a claim in a press release from the Bahamas Press Club, published in The Tribune on Tuesday as a letter, that a journalist had been banned from attending the government’s weekly press conferences.

The claim followed an altercation between Guardian reporter Youri Kemp and Financial Secretary Simon Wilson last week.

Mr Rahming said: “I can confirm that no journalist has ever been banned from attending our weekly press conference. I am proud that we have been able to give members of the media a structured envrionment to hold our administration accountable and be informed on the Davis administration’s work on a weekly basis.

“We will continue to strive to provide a respectful environment for both the members of the press and senior government officials.”

MINISTER Leon Lundy gives the keynote address at 2024 hurricane season launch press conference.

CAPTIAN Stephen Russell gives a tour of the Emergency Operation Center at the DRM Authority’s launch of 2024 Hurricane Season.

Photos: Nikia Charlton

A NEW hurricane shelter recently completed in Andros

The Tribune Limited

NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI

“Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”

Publisher/Editor 1903-1914

PICTURE OF THE DAY

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Publisher/Editor 1919-1972

Contributing Editor 1972-1991

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

Publisher/Editor 1972-

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

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Will first female president of Mexico help women’s lot?

MEXICO will have its first woman president following a landmark vote on June 2, 2024.

After an election period marred by violence, ruling Morena party candidate Claudia Sheinbaum, a former Mexico City mayor, emerged as the victor with about 60% of the vote – a larger share of the vote than her mentor and predecessor, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, won in 2018. Sheinbaum beat rival Xóchitl Gálvez, a senator for the center-right National Action Party, who trailed with less than 30% of the vote.

Acknowledging the significance of the occasion, Sheinbaum said: “For the first time in the 200 years of the republic I will become the first woman president of Mexico.”

But as scholars who study politics and gender in Mexico, we know that optics are one thing, actual power another. Seventy years after women won the right to vote in Mexico, is the country moving any closer to making changes that would give women real equality?

Women now represent half of Congress, after electoral reforms nearly a decade ago mandated gender parity in nominations to Mexico’s legislatures. And two women, Ana Lilia Rivera and Marcela Guerra Castillo, occupy the top posts in both chambers of Congress. Meanwhile, Norma Lucía Piña is the first woman to serve as chief justice of Mexico’s Supreme Court. Preliminary election night results also favour Sheinbaum’s Morena party, giving them a supermajority in Congress. As such, Sheinbaum will very likely have ample support for a feminist political agenda should she pursue one.

But electing women to high office doesn’t necessarily shift power in meaningful ways. It’s what experts on women in politics call “descriptive representation” – when political leaders resemble a group of voters but fail to set policies designed to protect them. In contrast, “substantive representation” occurs when officials enact laws that truly benefit the groups that they claim to represent.

Scholars who study the difference between the two, including Sonia Alvarez, Mala Htun and Jennifer Piscopo, have found that wins in public spheres, such as the right to vote or hold office, have rarely led to progress for women in private spaces – such as the right to reproductive freedom or protections against domestic violence.

In other words, Mexico may have surpassed many countries, including the US, in promoting women to political leadership positions, but it still hasn’t shed its stigma of machismo and its history of authoritarianism.

In the 1990s, a resurgent feminist movement throughout Latin America led to major breakthroughs in women’s rights. By the end of the decade, many countries had passed legislation against gender-based violence and reforms requiring gender quotas in party nomination lists. In the past 17 years, seven women have been elected president across Central and South America.

Yet the fight for gender equality has advanced unevenly. Mexico is a country still rattled by high rates of femicide. Government data shows that, on average, 10 women and girls are killed every day by partners or family members.

A big question now is whether Sheinbaum will be able to address the issue of gender violence, which her predecessors failed to do.

Any skepticism surrounding the willingness of Sheinbaum’s government to implement a truly feminist agenda would be justified: Her campaign theme was one of continuity, and she has

hesitated, to date, to deviate much, if at all, from López Obrador’s agenda.

Under López Obrador, Morena was accused of downplaying the extent of the femicide crisis, with at least one critic claiming that López Obrador was “the first president to outright deny” the violence.

Rather, López Obrador used his daily “mañanera” news conference to issue verbal assaults against women in office, including Sheinbaum’s defeated rival, Gálvez. In July 2023, the independent National Electoral Institute found López Obrador guilty of targeting Gálvez in derogatory statements related to her gender.

López Obrador also denounced Piña, the Supreme Court chief justice, in what Mexico’s National Association of Judges has described as hate speech and the federal judiciary condemned as “gender-based violence” and hatred against her. His statements at a rally in March incited his followers to burn Piña in effigy, prompting critics to suggest that such attacks don’t simply reflect López Obrador’s distaste for checks and balances but aim to undermine women in positions of power.

Observers see Sheinbaum as López Obrador’s handpicked successor: He publicly endorsed her, and she has vowed to continue his “fourth transformation,” a campaign promise to end government corruption and reduce poverty that’s had mixed results.

Sheinbaum’s record as mayor of Mexico City is equally mixed. She has publicly described herself as a feminist and has criticized state prosecutors for covering up the killing of Ariadna Lopez, a 27-year-old woman. At the same time, Sheinbaum attempted to criminalise participants of a mass protest over the thousands of women who’ve disappeared in recent years, claiming that these demonstrations were violent.

Political scientists have shown that even when the faces of politics change, the operatives behind the scenes can stay the same – especially in Mexico, where political parties are mired in patronage politics – when party leaders reward loyalty by deciding who gets to run for office and who gets to keep their jobs when the government is handed over to a new administration.

Sheinbaum will likely still be beholden to the Morena coalition and will rely to a large degree on López Obrador to help push through her policies. On the campaign trail, Sheinbaum, along with her rival, Gálvez, championed women and shared their experiences as women.

But in the closing stages of the campaign, neither Sheinbaum nor Gálvez offered much more than the “historic first” argument to potential voters. As a result, the extension of women’s rights under the new government remains uncertain.

Aside from front-line politics, women’s rights in Mexico have moved forward when leaders have committed to substantive change.

Notably, Mexico’s Supreme Court under Pinã has declared all federal and state laws prohibiting abortion unconstitutional. When Piña took office, she promised to take on women’s rights in her agenda. So far, she’s delivered.

If Sheinbaum hopes to have similar success, she’ll need to follow Pinã’s lead by centring her platforms on the issues that most affect women in their day-to-day lives, beginning with rising femicide rates. Women may be gaining political power in Mexico, but the question now is whether they’ll use it to fight for the women they represent.

FNM

EDITOR, The Tribune.

CONGRATULATIONS are in order for the newly reelected leader of the rump FNM and its Convention Committee on hosting what appears to have been a glittery convention. It would seem that attendees had a great time even if no real public policy initiatives were announced for it and a long shot if, they ever return to power in this life time. The convention also sealed the political fate for former PM, the Hon Doctor Hubert A Minnis (FNM-Killarney).

The difference between the enlightened Progressive Liberal Party and the FNM have been showcased. The FNM appears to be the party of the elites and the remnants of the former United Bahamian Party (UBP) by just a casual observation of the attendees. The PLP on the other hand remains the party of the least of the least within our nation. The stark battle lines have been drawn in the proverbial sand. The wide divisions within the FNM have also been exposed and it will be interesting to see just how those critical divisions will be settled or solved anytime before the next general elections.

The Davis administration has its work cut out for it. Inflation and the cost of living are two of the most vexing issues confronting the nation. The fast forward construction of the proposed new hospital here in New Providence and at least four additional Senior High Schools cum vocational

institutes are critical if we are to elevated our long challenged educational and vocational systems. The construction of a dedicated Parliamentary Complex and the modernization of the Public Service are also mandatory for PM Davis and his administration. Lastly, state owned organisations must be divested, where possible, so as to rationalise the exorbitant amounts of taxpayers’ dollars and what some say are bloated employment levels.

The PLP will get these things done well within the next three years of its mandate bestowed in 2021. Davis has had the benefit of under studying All of our Premiers and Prime Ministers to date, in addition to preparing himself for the role which he is now in. He, more than anyone else, except for myself, with all due respect, fully understands the expectations of the Bahamian citizens. He would have learned what to do; what to not do and, for sure, how to actually govern.

None of the voluminous speakers at the now mercifully concluded one day convention of the rump FNM addressed any of the real issues confronting the nation much less possible solutions, from their view point. Apart from reelecting Pintard and the apparently ‘laziest’ National Chairman in its

history all that most right thinking Bahamian listeners and viewers heard and saw was glitter and more glitter. In the main time the enlightened Davis administration has consistently and without slowing down or stopping its stellar governance of the nation. Glitter is one thing but actual governance is critical. In fact, the mini convention was organised and presented by what I term ‘mini’ men and women, with all due respect. They wanted to first of all humiliated and demonise Minnis. Secondly, they wanted to prop up a visionless but ‘glittery’ Dauphin Prince and a Pretender to the high office of Prime Minister. In short these ‘mini’ men and women simply desired to have a glittery occasion and they got those things. Now, it will be the job of Pintard of bringing the rump and badly divided FNM together once again. Like Humpty Dumpty, however, all of the King’s horses and all of his men/ women will not be able to put him together again. The Davis administration will roll the FNM out, again. At least, the defeat which will be meted out, Big Time, to Messrs Pintard & Company come 2026 will easily eclipse the abject political flogging suffered by both the Ingraham and the Minnis led FNM interregnums. To God then, in all things, be the glory.

ORTLAND H BODIE, JR Nassau, June 2, 2024.

US soldiers attend a wreath laying ceremony at the 1st Infantry Division Monument as part of ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day, yesterday near Omaha Beach, Normandy. Veterans and world dignitaries gathered in Normandy to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the landings.

Photo: Jeremias Gonzalez/AP

BTVI staff protest over industrial agreement terms ‘not being enforced’

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net

SCORES of Bahamas

Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI) staff protested yesterday that the terms of their industrial agreement are not being enforced.

Employees held signs bashing BTVI’s president, Dr Linda Davis. One sign said: “BTVI president ––a dismissive, disrespectful dictator.”

An industrial agreement was signed to much fanfare last July, promising salary increases and other benefits.

Vice president of the Union of Tertiary Educators of the Bahamas (UTEB) Anastasia Brown said despite that signing, BTVI has been trying to renegotiate the terms of the deal.

“We are tired,” she told reporters. “A year later, we are still fighting for the execution of the terms that we have agreed to. The administration continues to obstruct what was agreed to.”

“Negotiations are over and we need the minister of labour and education minister to intervene to deal with the administration.”

In particular, she said, BTVI has been trying to renegotiate work hours.

“People think because we are teachers, we only work a certain amount of hours,” she said. “They don’t know the planning that goes behind the marking and the preparation that goes behind it.”

Ms Brown said some

BTVI workers are on employment contracts, an issue the union wants addressed. She said no one wants to wonder “whether they have a job today or tomorrow.”

She said Dr Davis appears unable to solve the issues.

“If we have to come out here every day until this matter is addressed we will be out here,” she said, adding that the concerns are particularly distressing because Labour Day is on Friday.

Yesterday, Labour Minister Pia Glover Rolle said the demonstration disheartened her.

“When an industrial agreement is signed, it is important that the employees are able to access the benefits that were negotiated through the agreement as soon as possible,” she said, adding that communication is critical when challenges arise.

“From my cursory knowledge of this particular institute and the matters surrounding the industrial agreement, there are still some supplementary clauses, some fiscal matters that are being worked on, and these are, of course, the points of contention. There is some delay in communication.”

BTVI said in a statement yesterday that under the industrial agreement signed last year, some clauses must still be negotiated.

“Some of the outstanding matters are being reviewed and addressed as quickly and systematically as the institution

Man who admits inappropriately touching a woman while drunk ordered

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was bound to keep the peace for one year after admitting to indecently assaulting a woman on Thompson Boulevard last week.

Assistant Chief Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans charged Lowell Watson, 49, with assault and indecent assault.

Watson reportedly assaulted and inappropriately touched a woman near Sanpin Motors at 6.40am on May 31. The defendant pleaded

to counselling

guilty to the charges and admitted to being intoxicated at the time of the offence. Under the terms of his conditional discharge, Watson must attend alcohol abuse counselling for six months. Failing to do this would result in six months’ imprisonment.

MAN AND WOMAN CHARGED WITH GUN POSSESSION

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN and a woman were granted $8,000 bail after they were allegedly found with a loaded gun and drugs in their Myrton Avenue residence last weekend.

The accused men pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Prosecutor Assistant Superintendent of Police Lincoln McKenzie made

Magistrate Lennox Coleby charged Marcel Flowers, 34, and Denea Capron, 31, with possession of an unlicensed firearm, possession of ammunition and possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply. The defendants were allegedly found with a black and silver coloured Smith and Wesson pistol and eight rounds of 9mm ammunition at their residence at 7pm on June 1. Officers also reportedly seized 7.4oz of marijuana, which they allege the male defendant threw out of a bathroom window while they were on the premises.

no objections to their bail.

The men must sign in at the Quakoo Street Police Station every Monday, Wednesday and Friday by 6pm.

Ms Capron must also obey a 9pm to 7am curfew, and Flowers will be fitted with a monitoring device.

The magistrate warned Flowers not to tamper with his monitoring device. He was further instructed not to leave New Providence.

The trial in this matter begins on September 4.

Bjorn Ferguson represented the accused.

MAN CHARGED WITH STABBING IN ELEUTHERA

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was granted $7,000 bail yesterday after being accused of stabbing a person in Eleuthera last weekend.

Magistrate Algernon Allen, Jr, charged Donniko Greenslade, 33, with grievous harm.

Greenslade is accused of stabbing Travaughn Evans in the shoulder and slashing him across his face at the Bluff Dock in Eleuthera on June 1. After pleading not guilty to the charge,

Greenslade was informed that he had to sign in at his local police station every Monday, Wednesday and Friday by 6pm. Greenslade’s trial begins in Governor’s Harbour, Eleuthera, on June 24. Ian Cargill represented the accused.

is able. Meanwhile, Dr Davis has provided information consistent with

the board’s directives and continues to have the full confidence of the board. She has acted in good faith throughout this entire process and in accordance with good labour relations,” BTVI said.

BTVI staff engaged in a silent protest yesterday over terms in their industrial agreement not being enforced.

Photos: Jade Russell

Supporting parents protecting children

MISSING children continue to be in the headlines and the topic of many uninformed discussions. We, far too frequently, see flyers with the photos, names, and descriptions of children who have been reported missing. Marco’s Alert does not seem to be functioning as promised, so families depend on us to watch the news and be attentive to social media so that we become aware of missing children.

Response to the abuse of children continues to be wrongheaded. Police, who are accustomed to operating with authority that is asserted and maintained based on fear (rather than law enforcement for the betterment of communities) are now using the fears of parents, calling on them to “police” their own children.

Superintendent Nathaniel Gilbert spokeabout the use of social media by predators to contact children which, of course, invokes fear, particularly in parents and guardians of children who have access to the internet. He spoke of the need for parents to know where their children are at all times, including when they themselves are at home and in bed. These are reasonable, yet insufficient, suggestions.

By Alicia Wallace

Parents and guardians need to be provided with tools to support them in educating their children, building trust, and increasing responsibility with appropriate security mechanisms.

As Gilbert noted, many children have their own devices that they can access independently, connect to the internet, and engage in any manner of activity. It is not enough to tell parents that they need to know who their children are connecting with online and meeting in person. A higher level of involvement is required along with a more uncomfortable, unfortunately

uncommon practice to prevent violence against children — education. Children need to know that predators exist, and that they may encounter them in any space, in person and online. They need to know that they, as children, have rights, and to understand what those rights are and how they access them. As there are laws to protect children and give children access to justice, children need to know the laws. It is the responsibility of the adults in their lives to ensure that children have the information they need to assess the situations they may be in and to identify people who are safe and will listen to their reports. Comprehensive sexuality education cannot be skipped or avoided when we are prioritising the health, safety, and wellbeing of children. Too many of us had to learn about sex and sexual relationships on our own, often through much unnecessary and completely avoidable trial and error, because the adults in our lives prioritised their own comfort above our education which is directly linked to our health, safety, and wellbeing. Too many of us learned about sexual abuse through our own experiences and, in many cases, only knowing that it was abuse and that there was recourse many years later.

All children need to be taught be taught about consent. All children need to be taught and given permission to exercise bodily autonomy. They must be able to say “no.” We have to get past the belief that children saying “no” is rude in all circumstances. They need to be encouraged to say “no” when they are uncomfortable. They need to be encouraged to tell adults when an interaction makes them uncomfortable. Children need to know the real names of their body parts, and to be unafraid and unashamed in using those names with their parents and guardians. They need to be able to say who touched or tried to touch them and where. They need to be able to speak truthfully, without fear that they would get in trouble, or that the adults in their lives would believe the other adult instead of them.

Parents and guardians need to build relationships of trust with their children. Children need to know that parents and guardians have accurate information, are willing to share information in appropriate ways, are willing and ready to listen to them, and will believe and advocate for them. Since trust is important in the relationships that adults build with their children, it can be challenging to appropriately restrict and monitor access to devices and the internet. Parents and guardians first need to know how to use the internet and the websites, apps, and other products that children will engage with, hear about, or come across in their regular use. If a child has an email account, their parents and guardians need to know the email address and how it is being used. Adults need to know, for example, that email addresses can be

connect to other products and services, some of which enable communication. If children need to use computers or tablets to complete their schoolwork, it is difficult for adults to supervise at all times. A plan needs to be developed to allow children to benefit from technology while minimising the risks. Adults may, for example, set screen time limits, make use of two-factor authentication, use an app to monitor and set alerts for certain types of use, or password protect devices and apps. This should not be done and presented as punishment or lack of trust in the children, but as a security measure that is necessary and that will change as they get older and more capable of assessing situations for themselves.

Parents and guardians need to be provided with tools to support them in educating their children, building trust, and increasing responsibility with appropriate security mechanisms. They need to have reliable access to the internet. They need to know about tools, like Aura, Qustodio, and Net Nanny, that can help them to restrict and monitor their children’s online activity. They need to be able to pay for these products. They need to have accurate sexuality education material and guidance on sharing information with their children, especially if they — like most adults in The Bahamas — have never received comprehensive sexuality education. Everyone is not equipped to do all of this work, and it does not mean that they do not deserve to be or cannot be good parents. It means they need support, and enough people need this kind of support to warrant the development of national resources, especially if we are serious about child protection.

As children continue to go missing, whether they are running away, abducted, or lured by predators, there are more calls for parents to pay attention to their children’s whereabouts. The general public is often surprised by what it deems to be a lack of supervision

and discipline in children. How could the parents not know? Why was no one there? What kind of parent leaves children of that age home alone? Eventually, someone makes mention of the “village” they would like to believe still exists or can exist for everyone. This, today, is fantasy. It is not because we, as a people, have changed, but because our conditions have changed.

Just twenty years ago, many grandparents were doing school pickup, sometimes going to more than one school to get all of the children. The children would spent the afternoon at the grandparents’ house, doing homework, having snacks, playing in the yard under watchful eyes, watching television, and, if they were lucky, talking to friends on the telephone. At the end of their work shifts, parents would pick their children up and take them home. Today, most parents cannot depend on grandparents to provide free childcare. Grandparents are still working. This is not, as some may suggest, because grandparents are in their 40s, but because people have to work longer. Many people cannot afford to retire. Everyone does not have a job that allows them to bring their children for two or three hours after school (or ignores it). Everyone does not have friendly neighbours who are at home in the afternoon. Everyone cannot afford to pay babysitters.

Many children are responsible for picking up their younger siblings from school, walking or taking the bus together, getting into the house, and preparing meals or snacks. Sometimes this level of responsibility is taken to mean that a certain amount of freedom is earned.

Sometimes responsibility is placed on children who are at “a certain age”, but have not been provided with the necessary education, beyond firm instructions or threats, to recognise unsafe situations.

The instruction from the police to parents and guardian to “police” their children is unhelpful. Children need to be

treated like human beings. They are people. They are people with rights. They are people with the right to education. They are people with the capacity to learn. Children who do not have what might be considered to be regular, consistent supervision at particularly at risk. Telling parents and guardians—who are at work because that is how they get money to pay the bills — to police their children does not reduce the risk.

We are, somehow, still being expected to, as individuals, solve problems that are systemic. The disintegration of the “village” is systemic. The inflexible, anti-family work environment is systemic. The lack of a living wage is systemic. The exhaustion of parents and guardians at the end of the day, when they have little left to offer their children or the “policing” strategy, is systemic. People and households are underresourced and taxed over and over again, not just on products and services, but taxed in time and energy to do, all alone, what our taxes should do for us. We need after school programs for children. We need digital security training in all schools, and courses and resources for parents and guardians. We need law enforcement to focus on identifying, apprehending, and charging predators. We need a living wage. We need an effective social security system that respond to today’s reality. Yes, parents and guardians need to be more involved in the lives of their children. They need to spend more time with them. They need to have more conversations with them. They need to know more about what they are doing, what they like, who they are talking to, and what they would like to do. They need to teach life skills and, in some cases, to gain life skills for themselves. To do any of this, they need to be able to afford it, in time, money and energy. This is not an individual problem or a household problem. This is an issue of national concern, and it requires systemic solutions.

China lands spacecraft on the far side of moon

BEIJING Associated Press

A CHINESE spacecraft landed on the far side of the moon on Sunday to collect soil and rock samples that could provide insights into differences between the less-explored region and the better-known near side.

The landing module touched down at 6.23am Beijing time in a huge crater known as the South Pole-Aitken Basin, the China National Space Administration said.

The mission is the sixth in the Chang’e moon exploration program, which is named after a Chinese moon goddess. It is the second designed to bring back samples, following the Chang’e

5, which did so from the near side in 2020. The moon programme is part of a growing rivalry with the US — still the leader in space exploration — and others, including Japan and India. China has put its own space station in orbit and regularly sends crews there.

The emerging global power aims to put a person on the moon before 2030, which would make it the second nation after the United States to do so.

America is planning to land astronauts on the moon again — for the first time in more than 50 years — though NASA pushed the target date back to 2026 earlier this year.

US efforts to use private-sector rockets to launch spacecraft have been repeatedly delayed. Last-minute computer trouble

nixed the planned launch of Boeing’s first astronaut flight Saturday.

Earlier Saturday, a Japanese billionaire called off his plan to orbit the moon because of uncertainty over the development of a mega rocket by SpaceX. NASA is planning to use the rocket to send its astronauts to the moon.

In China’s current mission, the lander is to use a mechanical arm and a drill to gather up to 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of surface and underground material over about two days.

An ascender atop the lander will then take the samples in a metal vacuum container back to another module that is orbiting the moon. The container will be transferred to a reentry capsule that is due to return to Earth

in the deserts of China’s Inner Mongolia region about June 25. Missions to the moon’s far side are more difficult because it doesn’t face the Earth, requiring a relay satellite to maintain communications. The terrain is also more rugged, with fewer flat areas to land.

The South Pole-Aitken Basin, an impact crater created more than 4 billion years ago, is 13 kilometers (8 miles) deep and has a diameter of 2,500 kilometers (1,500 miles), according to a report by China’s Xinhua News Agency.

It is the oldest and largest of such craters on the moon, so may provide the earliest information about it, Xinhua said, adding that the huge impact may have ejected materials from deep below the surface.

THE DRONES ARE COMING - MORE AMAZON DELIVERIES BY AIR

By HALELUYA HADERO

AP Business Writer

FEDERAL regulators have given Amazon key permission that will allow it to expand its drone delivery programme, the company has announced.

In a blog post published on its website, Seattle-based Amazon said that the Federal Aviation Administration has given its Prime Air delivery service the OK to operate drones “beyond visual line of sight”, removing a barrier that has prevented its drones from traveling longer distances. With the approval, Amazon pilots can now operate drones remotely without seeing it with their own eyes. An FAA spokesperson said the approval applies to College Station, Texas, where the company launched drone deliveries in late 2022. Amazon said its planning to immediately

scale its operations in that city in an effort to reach customers in more densely populated areas. It says the approval from regulators also “lays the foundation” to scale its operations to more locations around the country.

Businesses have wanted simpler rules that could open neighborhood skies to new commercial applications of drones, but privacy advocates and some airplane and balloon pilots remain wary.

Amazon, which has sought this permission for years, said it received approval from regulators after developing a strategy that ensures its drones could detect and avoid obstacles in the air.

Furthermore, the company said it submitted other engineering information to the FAA and conducted flight demonstrations in front of federal inspectors. Those demonstrations were also done “in the presence

of real planes, helicopters, and a hot air balloon to demonstrate how the drone safely navigated away from each of them,” Amazon said.

The FAA’s approval marks a key step for the company, which has had ambitions to deliver online orders through drones for more than a decade. During a TV interview in 2013, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said drones would be flying to customer’s homes within five years. However, the company’s progress was delayed amid regulatory setbacks.

Last month, Amazon said it would close a drone delivery site in Lockeford, California - one of only two in the nation - and open another one later this year in Tolleson, Arizona, a city located west of Phoenix.

By the end of the decade, the company has a goal of delivering 500 million packages by drone every year.

WITH Global Accessibility Awareness Day having taken place on May 16, Samsung has been highlighting features that can improve accessibility.

• The Relumino Mode was designed to improve the lives of those with low vision by increasing the visibility of on-screen text and images. This feature enhances the screen’s contrast and brightness and sharpens image outlines and shapes, enabling users to easily discern content on their devices.

To understand their users’ perspectives and needs, they’ve collaborated with advisors with low vision, researchers, engineers, programmers and testers to develop a solution for inclusive visual displays. It is available in the Samsung Galaxy S24 series and beyond.

• The TalkBack feature, also known as Voice Assistant, is designed to help users with low or no vision to get the most out of their device experience without looking at their screens. As users navigate their devices, Talkback can provide speech feedback for anything they touch, highlight or select, such as menus, emails and notifications. TalkBack shortcuts can also be enabled for more seamless navigation.

• Live Captions helps those who are hard of hearing to follow their favorite media and audio content effortlessly. The feature transcribes audio as it plays through the device in real-time. Live Captions are available in English, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish.

• The Galaxy Buds2 Pro features an Ambient Sound setting that adapts background noise at five levels of amplification, which is designed to cater to a diverse range of needs and situations. This feature gives users the ability to customise how they want to hear and experience sound.

• Universal Gestures offers a way to use your Galaxy Watch touch-free. With four gestures, Make Fist, Make Fist Twice, Pinch and Double Pinch, users can navigate their Galaxy interface, open apps, scroll messages and more, without needing to push down or touch the screen with force.

For more details, visit http://news. samsung.com.

FIXES MADE AFTER AI SEARCH ERRORS

GOOGLE said on Friday it has made “more than a dozen technical improvements” to its artificial intelligence systems after its retooled search engine was found spitting out erroneous information.

The tech company unleashed a makeover of its search engine in mid-May that frequently provides AI-generated summaries on top of search results. Soon after, social media users began sharing screenshots of its most outlandish answers.

Google has largely defended its AI overviews feature, saying it is typically accurate and was tested extensively beforehand. But Liz Reid, the head of Google’s search business, acknowledged in a blog post on Friday that “some odd, inaccurate or unhelpful AI Overviews certainly did show up.”

While many of the examples were silly, others were dangerous or harmful falsehoods. Adding to the furor, some people also made faked screenshots purporting to show even more ridiculous answers that Google never generated.

IN this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, technical personnel work at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC) in Beijing, on Sunday. A Chinese spacecraft landed on the far side of the moon Sunday to collect soil and rock samples that could provide insights into differences between the lessexplored region and the better-known near side.

Photo: Jin Liwang/Xinhua via AP

Last WWII vets converge on Normandy to remember D-Day and cement their legacy

UNDER their feet, the sands of Omaha Beach, and in their rheumy eyes, tears that inevitably flowed from being on the revered shoreline in Normandy, France, where so many American young men were cut down 80 years ago on D-Day.

Veterans of World War II, many of them centenarians and likely returning to France for one last time, pilgrimaged Tuesday to what was the bloodiest of five Allied landing beaches on June 6, 1944. They remembered fallen friends. They relived horrors they experienced in combat. They blessed their good fortune for surviving. And

they mourned those who paid the ultimate price.

They also bore a message for generations behind them, who owe them so much: Don’t forget what we did.

“They probably wouldn’t be here if we hadn’t be successful,” said Llilburn “Bill” Wall, who flew bombers in WWII and will celebrate his 101st

birthday this week as world leaders gather in France to pay homage to the D-Day generation.

As decades pass, D-Day anniversaries in Normandy have become increasingly fun-fair like, clogging the region’s leafy roads with WWII-era fans dressed in the uniforms and driving restored vehicles of the time. But the presence of

D-Day veteran Bob Pedigo attends a ceremony on Omaha Beach, Tuesday, June 4, 2024 in Normandy. World War II veterans from across the United States as well as Britain and Canada are in Normandy this week to mark 80 years since the D-Day landings that helped lead to Hitler’s defeat.

an ever-dwindling number of veterans keeps the commemorations real, inevitably raising questions about whether the memories, pathos and lessons of WWII will fade when they are gone.

“There are things worth fighting for. Although I wish there was another way to do it than to try to kill each other. But sometimes you’re called upon to do something and you just do it. You know? That’s it. These people looked death in the face and just kept right on coming,” said Walter Stitt, who turns 100 in July and fought in tanks — surviving the destruction of three.

“All those young men that never had a chance to go home and find a love of their life and hold their children in their arms,” he said on Omaha, wiping away a tear. On the bluffs above Omaha, at the Normandy American Cemetery with 9,387 immaculately tended graves, 100-year-old Bob Gibson paid tribute to comrades who fell on D-Day, when he landed on the other, less-bloody American landing beach, code-named Utah.

“You don’t want other people to go through the same thing,” he said.

“Because I’ve seen a lot of these boys that never even made the beach, believe me. And we were all 18, 19 years old.”

“I’m glad I made it. The old boy upstairs took care of me,” he said, gesturing skyward.

Across the Normandy coast where the largestever land, sea and air armada punctured Adolf Hitler’s defenses in western Europe on D-Day and helped precipitate his downfall 11 months later, Allied veterans are the VVIPs of this week’s 80th anniversary celebrations.

More veterans were on their way Tuesday, traveling by ferry from southern England across the English Channel that 23,000 Allied airborne troops flew over to drop on D-Day

into Normandy and which more than 132,000 others crossed aboard thousands of ships that stretched as far as eyes could see, landing on Utah and Omaha and three other codenamed beaches: Gold, Juno and Sword.

“It looked like you could walk across the Channel using boats as stepping stones,” recalled 100-yearold Robert Pedigo, who was a nose gunner aboard a B-24 bomber that flew over the landing beaches on D-Day to pound German forces from the air. He was part of the veteran group that visited Omaha on Tuesday, brought to France for the 80th anniversary by American Airlines.

Back at base on D-Day night, he was told the Allies had suffered thousands of casualties.

“Overwhelming,” he recalled. Although his bombing mission that day proved to be among the “easiest” of 30 he flew over occupied France and Nazi Germany, “the emotional impact was the greatest.”

More than 4,400 Allied troops were killed on D-Day, including more than 2,500 Americans. The Allied toll grew appallingly in the Battle of Normandy that ensued, with 73,000 killed and 153,000 wounded.

Eight decades on, veterans are making more pleasant new memories to go with painful old ones.

Aboard the Mont St. Michel ferry carrying them Tuesday to France, about 20 British veterans gathered on deck and waved like rockstars to well-wishers who cheered them off.

A pipe band struck up a stirring rendition of “Brave Scotland.” Sailors stood at attention. Fireboats blasted their hoses in an arc. A military transport plane flew past twice. RAF veteran Bernard Morgan, who worked in communications on D-Day, chuckled: “It was more pleasant coming today than it was 80 years ago.”

OMAHA BEACH

Associated Press

Photo: Jeremias Gonzale/AP

SPORTS

11

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 2024

Blue Chip Athletics Club adds new athletes to its talent pool

Issa earns Golden Boot

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

The last week and-a-half has been pretty phenomenal for 14-year-old Issa Bournas, who not only had a good showing at the Bahamas Aquathlon and Triathlon National Championships but also dominated competitors at the Samuel P Haven Jr High School Soccer Nationals.

The eighth grader, who attends Lyford Cay International School, played a pivotal role in helping the Lady Dragons to improve from last year’s early tournament exit to a championship finish against the St Andrew’s Hurricanes.

She concluded the tournament with 11 total goals, which made it an easy decision for her to be named the winner of the Golden Boot and Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards.

Bournas gave insight on what made it so easy for her to successfully fire the ball to the back of the net against multiple teams.

“I feel like the way that my team plays is the reason why I was always able to score all of those goals. It is just the way that they were able to pass the ball and get

Most valuable player Bournas scores 11 goals at Jr High School Soccer Nationals

it to me so that I can finish it for them,” she said. She gave the defenders of the CV Bethel Stingrays, CR Walker Knights and St Andrew’s Hurricanes problems all tournament long. Her success in the tourney began with her memorable performance against the Stingrays. In the opening game of the tourney, Bournas scored six goals, five of which were earned in the first half, in the 14-0

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE Blue Chip Athletics Club, powered by Norwegian Cruise Line, hosted team trials at the Queen’s College campus in hopes of adding a new generation of throwers to their arsenal.

Since its inception, the decorated club has birthed numerous national record holders, CARIFTA medallists and record holders as well as helped athletes to attract collegiate scholarships.

With that being said, about 40 Blue Chip Athletics hopefuls partook in Saturday’s team trials with the goal of taking the initial

or next step on their athletic journeys.

Acacia Astwood, former NACAC under-23 champion, is giving back to the Blue Chip Athletics programme in the coaching role. And she spoke about the importance of team trials.

“This is definitely important. We lose people every year in terms of school. You see that coach Maycock goes into these schools because most of the time you see athletes at BAISS and GSSSA but not at track meets because they are not in track clubs.

“But going into the schools, finding these athletes and having these trials is a good opportunity to see the new crop of athletes

that you could potentially develop,” Astwood said.

The field events have certainly become the star of the show in track and field in recent years.

Most recently, The Bahamas placed second at the 51st CARIFTA Games hosted in St George’s, Grenada, claiming a total of 33 medals with 23 won in the field events.

Additionally, the Blue Chips Athletics Club along with the Air Assault Club for javelin throwers has amassed over 20 CARIFTA medals in the last five years.

For Astwood, it was simply amazing to witness the growing number of

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THE SPORTS CALENDAR

BASKETBALL

PEACE ON DA STREETS

THE annual Peace On Da Streets Basketball Classic, dubbed “Shooting Hoops instead of Guns,” is scheduled for July 15-21 at the Michael ‘Scooter Reid” Basketball Center at the Hope Center. All games will start at 6pm each day. Categories include 12-and-under, 16-and-under, 20-and-under, government ministry, church and open divisions. The event is being promoted by Guardian Radio and Radio House Outreach.

CLERGY VS POLITICIANS

AS a part of the annual Peace ON Da Streets Basketball Classic, organisers will once again stage the showdown between members of the

PAULINE DAVIS’ BOOK GOES GLOBAL

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor

GOLDEN Girl Pauline Davis’ award-winning book

“Running Sideways” has gone global.

The book, which portrays her rise from running barefoot out of the grassroot to international acclaim as an Olympic champion, will be translated into Chinese for studies by students in colleges and universities in China, according to Davis and her publicist Jeff Todd. Todd, who wrote the book, revealed that Davis signed and sealed the deal that was delivered to her on Monday by a Chinese professor who, after reading the script, was intrigued by her journey.

“A Chinese printing press will be translating the book and putting into the hands of hundreds and thousands

THE Bahamas Football Association announced its final roster for the men’s national soccer team as they prepare for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World CupCONCACAF Qualifier. The team is set to depart on Thursday, June 6, for St. Kitts, where they will face a challenging schedule in their quest to secure a spot in the World Cup. The team roster comprises of the following: Goalkeepers - Amard Adderley and Michael Butler.

Defenders - Duane Beneby, Quinton Carey, Alexiou Cartwright, William Gardiner, Evelt Julmis, Johnathan Miller, Kai Perez, Lesly St. Fleur and. Jean Tilo.

Midfielders - Brandon Adderley, Jordan Cheetham, Reuben Edgecombe, Deron Ferguson, Michael Massey, Daylan Russell and Jordin Wilson.

June, 2024

Clergy against the Members of Parliament.This game is scheduled for 8pm Sunday, July 21 at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

BASEBALL

BBA SENIOR NATIONALS

THE Bahamas Baseball Association’s Brice Newball Foundation Senior National Baseball Championships will be held this weekend at the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium and the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex. Here’s a look at the schedule of games on tap: Thursday night - 5:15 pm 18U FFBL vs EABL (Stadium). 7 pm 23U JBLN vs CBL (Stadium).

FOUR WALLS SQUASH AND SOCIAL CLUB HOSTS OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

FOUR Walls Squash and Social Club proudly hosted the 2024 Four Walls Squash Open Championships May 23-25, marking the largest tournament since the club’s inception during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event featured four highly competitive divisions, a first for the club, underscoring the growth and increasing popularity of the indoor racket sport.

“We are thrilled with the incredible turnout and the high level of competition displayed at this year’s championships. The event showcased the competitive spirit of our squash community and talent across all skill levels,” said Michael Fields, tournament director.

“The success of this event is a testament to the dedication of our players, the support of our sponsors – International Private Banking Systems (IPBS),

Technical Adjusters, and Seven Seas – and the vibrant squash community that has flourished here since our opening,” said Fields. Both seasoned players and emerging talents competed, culminating in thrilling finals that captivated a large and enthusiastic audience.

The winners of the respective divisions were: · Men’s Division A: Jon Hope

· Open Division B: Vibert Williams

· Men’s Division C: Dhurai Ferguson

· Women’s Division C: Kristin Whylly

“This tournament came on the heels of our rookie tournament hosted in March and it was notable to see Kristin win a nail-biter as the Division C champion after recently winning the rookie tournament. Squash is a game where you can have fun and be competitive at every level,” said Fields. The Four Walls Summer Squashathon To further its mission of promoting the fun and competitive sport, Four Walls is also launching an exciting new event, the Four Walls Summer Squashathon, June 10-15. This event will offer a week of free squash classes,

Issa Bournas took home the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and

the 2024 Samuel P Haven Jr High School Soccer Nationals. Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr

NEW CROP: The Blue Chip Athletics Club, powered by Norwegian Cruise Line, hosted a team trials at Queen’s College this weekend to add to their growing talent pool of athletes.

SPECTATORS at the 2024 Four Walls Squash Open.

GOLDEN GIRL PAULINE DAVIS’ BOOK ‘RUNNING SIDEWAYS’ GOES GLOBAL

of Chinese university students and maybe more people in China as well,”

Todd revealed. A retired Davis, who is now working as a consultant at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, said she’s over the moon.

“I am beyond belief. I am scratching my head because I never believed something like this would happen to me,” Davis said.

“I just wanted to tell my story.

“I wanted things to be better for my fellow Bahamian athletes and athletes all around the world. I want them to know that at times you will run through road blocks and speed bumps, but you just have to push through them. You have to run them over.”

When she collaborated with Todd in writing the

script, Davis said she never thought in a million years that it would eventually be translated into another language, especially Chinese.

“My mother calls me ‘Sweet P’ because she said I have a good heart. She said my heart always touches people,” Davis said. “She said ‘baby, you have a really good heart.’

“I think part of that is because I naturally love people. I want to reach out and help people. I always wanted to help people. My mom said from I was young, I was always like that. That is why she called me “Sweet P.’” As a result of her nature, Davis said she believes that God has and continues to bless her as she goes through the obstacles that she has to endure.

“When I was down, the Bahamian people were giving me all types of love,

so what I did running track and field, I did it for them,” she stated. “They show me so much love every day I walk the streets. I am so blessed to be a part of this beautiful country we call The Bahamas.”

For Todd, who has wrote quite a few manuscripts, it’s the first time that any of his publications has gone international. “It’s pretty special to have your book translated into another language,” Todd said. “It’s not something that Pauline or I could have prevented. It’s just been a great ride. “I’m so happy that we worked together to put this book together. We’ve gone from winning two international awards to printing a second edition to now getting it translated into Chinse, one of the most populace country in the world. It’s amazing. It means a lot.”

So far, more than 10,000 copies of the book have been printed. With this deal in China, the numbers could escalate as they read into her genuine experience.

“I’m really happy for Pauline. I know she’s been waiting a long time for this deal to be done,” Todd said.

Davis said she can’t believe that all these college students in China will be reading her book.

She is expected to travel to China at some point in the future to promote her book to a wider audience.

“I’m just over the moon,” said Davis as she eagerly awaits a trip to the Orient where she would have competed at some point during her long and illustrious track career.

The 57-year-old Davis shined from the top regional junior CARIFTA

Games as the Austin Sealy award winner in 1984 in Nassau as the most outstanding athlete in prominence at the global World Championships and Olympics, both individually and as a member of the Golden Girls women’s 4 x 100 metre relay team. She competed in five Olympics, winning her first medal in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia with the women’s relay team of Savatheda Fynes, Chandra Sturrup, Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie and Eldece Clarke. And she won her first gold with the same team at the Sydney, Australia, games in 2000.

At those same games in Sydney, after American Marion Jones was banned nine years later for a doping violation, Davis was elevated from silver to her first individual gold in the 200m.

Four Walls Squash and Social Club hosts Open Championships

open to the general public. Participants can register online to experience squash through a week of complimentary coaching sessions.

8:45 pm 23U FFBL vs EABL (Stadium). Friday’s schedule - 8:30 am 18U FFBL vs GBLL (Stadium). 9 am 18U EARL vs JBLB (Billou Hills). 10:15 am 23U EABL vs JBLN (Stadium). 10:45 am 18U Legacy vs AYBL (Baillou Hills). Noon 23U CBL vs FFBL (Stadium). 12:30 pm 18U JBLN vs GBLL (Baillou Hills). 1:45 pm 18U FFBL vs LEgacy (Stadium). 2:15 pm 18U EARL vs AYBL (Baillou Hills). 3:30 pm 23U CBL vs EABL (Stadium). 4:45 pm 18U Legacy vs GBLL (Baillou Hills). 5:15 pm 18U FFBL vs JBLN (Stadium). 8 pm 23U FFBL vs JBLN (Stadium). Saturday’s scheduleCollege Showcase - 8am - 1 pm. 1:45 pm -18U FFBL vs AYBL (Baillou Hills). 1:45 pm 18U GBLL vs EABL (Stadium). 3:30 pm 18U JBLN vs Legacy (Baillou Hills). 3:30 pm 23U Seed #1 vs Seed #4 (Stadium).

Registration is available on the Four Walls website for all skill levels and individuals over the age of 18. Whether you are inspired by the thrilling matches from the recent tournament or curious to try squash for

5:15 pm 18U AYBL vs GBLL (Stadium). 5:15 pm 18U Legacy vs EABL (Baillou Hills). 7 pm 23U Seed #2 vs Seed #3 (Stadium). 8:45 pm 18U AYBL vs JBLN (Stadium). Sunday’s schedule - 8:30 am 16U Bronze medal game (Stadium). 10:30 am 23U Bronze medal game (Stadium). 12:30 pm 18U Gold medal game (Stadium). 2:30 pm 23U Gold medal game (Stadium).

SWIMMING

BLACK MARLINS MEET THE Black Marlins Swim Club will hold its Spring Invitational 2024 on Saturday at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex. The one-day meet will begin at 9am with the first session. The final session will get underway at 5pm. The meet will serve as the final meet for swimmers to qualify for the Bahamas Aquatics’ Swimming National Championships at the end of the month.

SOFTBALL NPSA ACTION THE New Providence Softball Association

the first time, this event is designed to welcome everyone.

“It’s a fantastic way to stay active, beat the summer heat, and discover a new form of exercise. We invite the public to bring a friend

will continue its regular season action this week at the Bankers Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex. The following games are scheduled:

Today 7pm - Sunshine Auto Wildcats vs R&B Operators (L). 8:30 pm Renegades vs Cyber Tech Blue Marlins (M).

Thursday 7pm - Sunshine Auto Wildcats vs Cyber Tech Ladies Blue Marlins (L). 8:30 pm Cyber Tech Blue Marlins vs Titans (M).

Saturday 7pm - UB Mingoes vs R&B Operators (L). 8:30 pm Cyber Tech Blue Marlins vs Chances Mighty Mitts (M).

SOFTBALL

NPOTSA ACTION THE New Providence Oldtimers Softball Association will continue its regular season action over the weekend at the Archdeacon William Thompson Softball Park at the Southern Recreation Grounds this weekend. Here’s a look at the games on tap:

and sign up for a class.

The Squashathon is a perfect opportunity to be part of our growing squash community,” said Noelle Nicolls, managing director.

For more information about Four Walls Squash

and Social Club and upcoming events, please visit www.fourwallsbahamas.com or contact (242) 394-5042.

Contact: Noelle Nicolls Managing Director noelle@fourwallsbahamas.com (242) 376-9794

Saturday’s gamesNoon Drifters vs Dozer. 2 pm Rebels vs Corner Boys. 4 pm Divers vs KC Construction. Sunday’s games - 1:30 pm Da Boyz vs Vipers. 3:30 pm Corner Boys vs Home Boys.

SOFTBALL BBSF

MEETING

THE newly formed Bahamas Baptist Sports Federation, formerly the Baptist Sports Council, will hold a meeting on Saturday at 5pm at the Bahamas Baptist College, Jean Street, for all churches interested in participating in the 2024 Co-Ed Softball Tournament. All churches interested are urged to have at least two representatives present.

JOHNSON’S BASKETBALL CAMP

GET ready for the annual Coach Kevin Johnson’s Basketball Camp 2024. Coach Kevin ‘KJ’ Johnson has announced that his camp will run from June 24 to July 12 at the CI Gibson Secondary High

Blue Chip Athletics adds new athletes to talent pool

FROM PAGE 11

athletes interested in throws. “In my time, we didn’t have a lot of throwers so seeing the amount of kids that came out today was really nice. It is really nice to see the amount of kids that are trying to take initiative and learn a new sport and you can definitely see the sport is growing. I appreciate it and it really makes my heart warm because we really didn’t have this back in the day so to see the throwing events develop is pretty awesome,” she said.

The 24-year-old coach believes the programme is moving in the right direction thanks to coach Corrington Maycock and Laquel Harris along with other top athletes who have paved the way.

“It is definitely moving forward in the right direction. I think myself along with a lot of other athletes are true testaments of Blue Chip Athletics. We could see ourselves in the future whether that is school or national records being broken almost every week. It is a true testament that you can be a high school athlete and venture into other opportunities if you would like,” she said.

One of the Blue Chip potential club members was K’Yiesha Andrews.

The 14-year-old student of St John’s College decided to try out at the team trials to follow in the footsteps of her father who was also a shot put performer.

Andrews found the experience to be enjoyable.

“My experience here was certainly eye opening. I engaged in stuff that I never would have thought were included in throwing or any of the field events. It was a great experience and I enjoyed it. I definitely feel encouraged as I leave here today to continue furthering my sports journey whether it be with Blue Chip or not,” she said. When asked how she felt about her efforts at the team trials, she said she did her best.

“I feel as though I did my best in all aspects and I pushed myself to limits that I never thought I would have reached,” she said.

School and will run daily from 9am to 1pm. Campers will get a chance to play and learn the fundamentals of the game of basketball from professional instructors. Interested persons can sign up by contacting coach Johnson at 636-9350 or email: coachkjjohnson@ gmail.com

BASKETBALL

NEX-GEN

THE third annual Nex-Gen Elite Training Basketball Camp, hosted by JR Basketball Academy, is all set for June 24 to July 13 from 9am to noon at the Telios Indoor Gymnasium on Carmichael Road. The camp, powered by Frazier’s Roofing, will provide training for game situations, shooting, passibng, ball handling, defense and footwork for boys and girls between the ages of 8-19 years. Registration is now open. Interested persons can contact Cadot at 535-9354, email jrcbasketballacademy.com or go online to www.jrcbasketballacademy. com

Trevayne Forbes Ferguson, who attends QC, tried his hand at the javelin and discus throw events on Saturday. He gave insight on his experience at the team trials.

“My experience here at the team trials was interesting. I really didn’t think that we were gonna be tested to our limits. I found that this was good for me to continue doing throwing and to know my skill level in throwing,” he said. Ferguson outlined his goals if selected to be a part of the Blue Chip programme.

“My ultimate goal is to take it to the national level and represent The Bahamas and go off to college. I think Blue Chip can help me with having more discipline and going to a good college and having a better chance of representing The Bahamas,” he said.

The Blue Chip and Air Assault programmes continue to produce some of the best throwers in the country and will look to keep that success going with this new crop of athletes.

Celtics stars Tatum and Brown

feel better equipped to tackle second chance in NBA Finals

By KYLE HIGHTOWER AP Sports Writer

BOSTON (AP) — For almost the entirety of their time together in Boston, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have been linked.

They were drafted by the Celtics third overall in back-to-back years.

They possess similar skillsets — two explosive and skilled wing players with an ability to score from nearly every spot on the court.

And they both have been central to the success of a Celtics team that has reached the NBA Finals for the second time in three seasons. It helped Brown earn the NBA’s first $300 million contract last summer. And, Tatum is expected to get one this offseason.

The team has branded the All-Stars as “The Jays” in a marketing campaign shown during games that pitted them against one another in mini competitions.

It has created natural comparisons between them along the way, fostering an atmosphere in which fans and sports pundits alike have tried to parse out which one of them is better, whose spot is most untouchable on the roster and which of them is more pivotal to the Celtics’ success as they prepare to lead the team to the franchise’s 18th NBA title.

It reached a new level last week during a segment on ESPN’s “Get Up” in which panelists debated whether the 26-year-old Tatum expressed excitement or disappointment while watching the 27-yearold Brown garner Eastern Conference finals MVP honors.

“I think it’s unfair to both of them,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said of what he viewed as an attempt to manufacture friction between the two stars.

But even as Tatum and Brown have distinguished themselves as the most important players on Boston’s roster and the keys to the Celtics’ fate in their NBA Finals matchup with the Dallas Mavericks, Mazzulla has hope that people will start viewing them differently.

“They’re, like, two completely different people. They’re two completely different players,” Mazzulla said. “They’re great teammates, they love each other and they go about winning and they go about their process in a different way. Why they have to always be lumped together I think is unfair.”

Tatum and Brown, along with Al Horford, are the only returning starters from the 2021-22 team that lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games in the Finals after holding a 2-1 series lead.

While Horford has taken on mostly a reserve role this season, backing up 7-footer Kristaps Porzingis, Tatum and Brown have taken their play up a notch.

Tatum’s scoring numbers have remained steady from the regular season (26.9 per game) into the playoffs (26.0), while his rebounding has increased from 8.1 to 10.4 per game in the postseason. Brown, too, has seen jumps in those categories, going from 23.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game to 25.0 points and 6.1 rebounds in the playoffs.

Tatum believes they’ve both used lessons from the 2022 NBA Finals’ loss, as well as last year’s conference finals loss to Miami, to grow into players more equipped to accomplish their championship goal this time around.

“Obviously, we’ve been there before, we came up short,” Tatum said. “You don’t always get a second chance, so really just looking at it as a second chance

By KYLE HIGHTOWER AP Sports Writer

and trying to simplify things as much as we can.”

And being each other’s biggest cheerleaders, too.

After Brown made a game-tying 3-pointer late in Game 1 of the conference finals matchup with Indiana to send the game to overtime in an eventual Celtics’ victory, the highest praise came from Tatum.

“Big time players make big time plays,” Tatum said of Brown.

For Brown, this season has been about focusing on the expectations he has for himself and not worrying about others’ perception of him. Initially, when he was asked about not being

included on either the AllNBA or All-Defensive teams, he shrugged it off, saying his attention was focused on getting back to the NBA Finals.

After he was named conference finals MVP, he acknowledged it did offer at least some motivation, particularly on the defensive side of the ball which he said he put most of his work into this past offseason.

“As time has gone by and I got to this point, I stopped caring,” Brown said.

“I don’t care who sees what, as long as my city knows my value, my team knows my value, my family

— that’s all I really care about.”

Mazzulla believes the reason the relationship between Brown and Tatum is so often talked about is rooted in outside disbelief that their dynamic doesn’t breed any rivalry between them.

“At the end of the day, like, those two guys, their relationship is their relationship,” Mazzulla said.

“They love each other. They push each other every single day in practice. They communicate with each other, but they go about it differently.

“And, I think they both get it unfair being compared to each other. They’re different. And we see other duos around the league don’t have to go through that. ... It’s because they’ve been so successful their entire careers, they’ve been able to for so long stay in success at a high level.”

REFLECTIVE SIDE OF IRVING HAS BEEN FRONT AND CENTRE

By SCHUYLER DIXON AP Sports Writer

DALLAS (AP) — Kyrie

Irving directed obscene gestures and profanity at a hostile crowd in Boston the last time the star Dallas guard saw the Celtics, one of his former teams, in the playoffs two years ago.

It was one tumultuous moment of many in a tension-filled tenure with Brooklyn that ended with his trade to the Mavericks about 10 months later.

Healthier and happier, as he likes to say, Irving is back on the biggest stage in his sport with the Mavs set to face the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals starting Thursday night. Throughout the deepest playoff run for Dallas in 13 years, the reflective side of Irving has surfaced frequently, stopping short of mea culpas but making clear he’s learned a lot along the way.

“I will say last time in Boston, I don’t think that was the best — not this regular season, but when we played in the playoffs and everyone saw me flip off the birds and kind of lose my (stuff) a little bit — that wasn’t a great reflection of who I am and how I like to compete on a high level,” Irving said.

“It wasn’t a great reflection on my end towards the next generation on what it means to control your emotions in that type of environment, no matter what people are yelling at you.”

Before jilting Boston fans by signing with the Nets and joining Kevin Durant in free agency in 2019, Irving was already a polarizing player. Then came the COVID-19

pandemic and Irving’s refusal to get vaccinated, which meant he couldn’t play home games for Brooklyn because of New York City’s vaccine mandate for employees.

Next was Irving’s social media post of a link to a movie containing antisemitic material, which led to a suspension from the Nets and the end of his longtime business relationship with Nike.

Ultimately, Irving asked out of Brooklyn, and he and Durant were traded days apart last year, giving Irving a new co-star in Mavs point guard Luka Doncic. The former No. 1 overall pick out of Duke had never been anywhere near Texas in his career but was greeted by two familiar faces. Mavs general manager Nico Harrison used to work for Nike, and coach Jason Kidd was the point guard of the then-New Jersey Nets when Irving was growing up in that area. Irving caught up with the team in Los Angeles after the trade, and the Mavericks won their first two games with him.

“You could see the smile,” Kidd said. “You

could see the relief, or you could see that he was ready to have fun and play the game that he loves.”

The partial season together didn’t work out for Irving and Doncic.

Dallas missed the playoffs. The first full season together was what the Mavs expected when they pulled off Harrison’s first blockbuster trade.

A late-season surge lifted the Mavs to fifth in the West, although they’ve been the lower seed throughout these playoffs.

Dallas beat the Los Angeles Clippers in six games in the first round, ousting Tyronn Lue, Irving’s coach from his championship season alongside LeBron James in Cleveland in 2016.

“He’s very, very patient,” Lue said after that series of the difference between the Irving he coached and today’s version. “You couldn’t get this Kyrie when I had him. He wants to kill you every moment, every second. But now you can see, he’s just letting the game come to him.”

The Mavs beat topseeded Oklahoma City in six games before knocking out No. 3 Minnesota in five games in the Western

Conference finals, the clincher giving Dallas a five-game road winning streak in the playoffs.

“I feel like it’s a great chapter that’s being written right now,” Irving said. “I’m enjoying every step of the way. I’m not taking anything for granted. I’m enjoying the hot weather right now. I’m enjoying the Dallas community. We talked about this early in the season, just how much I felt embraced.”

Irving went on to say it went deeper than that, reminding reporters of an entire career spent in the other conference.

“Seasonal depression is real when you’re growing up in the north,” Irving said. “I spent 12 years in the Eastern Conference in three cold cities that deal with four seasons. So you come out here and you’re able to get outside and ground yourself a little bit more and spend some time with your family. Watch your kids run outside.”

Irving and Doncic have at least another season together. Irving has a player option for 2025-26, Doncic for the season after that.

Kidd believes a preseason trip to Madrid, where Doncic grew as a teenaged pro in the EuroLeague, helped the two superstars bond.

Now, winning is cementing that bond, one of the most poignant moments for the pair coming in the final seconds of Game 3 against the Timberwolves, after the Mavs knew they had clinched a 3-0 lead.

“The greatest thing I learned from Boston was just being able to manage not only my emotions, but just what’s going on on a day-to-day basis of being a leader of a team or being one of the leaders and having young guys around you that have their own goals,” Irving said.

“You have to learn how to put the big picture first,” he stated.

BOSTON (AP) — Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis plans to be ready for Game 1 of the NBA Finals. His left calf is another issue.

“I don’t know. We’ll see,” the 7-footer said Tuesday. “I have a couple of more days. I’ve done a lot of work up until this point and I’ve done everything needed to get back into playing shape. ... (Being available to play) is the plan right now. But, again, it’s a couple of more days, and I think that can make a difference. Every day gives me a bit more time to get even better.”

Porzingis hasn’t appeared in a game since sustaining a strained calf in Game 4 of Boston’s first-round playoff series against Miami on April 29.

He called the rehab process challenging, despite his team going 9-1 without him and dispatching of Cleveland and Indiana to earn a Finals pairing with the Dallas Mavericks, a team he played for from 2019-22.

“It’s been a long process, I’m not going to lie,” Porzingis said. “But I’ve tried to stay as engaged as I can and be around the team and do my work, and hang with the team.”

The Latvian big man has ramped up his participation level on the court this past week, going through light 5-on-5 workouts with the team. But it’s been limited, with no real scrimmaging.

“So, in that sense, it hasn’t been perfect, obviously,” he said. “But I’ve tried to build up as much as I can to this point from all aspects.”

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said Porzingis is “on pace” to be ready on Thursday and said he wasn’t worried about his long layoff.

“Obviously, you can’t simulate the intensity and speed of the game. It just comes with a little bit of reps,” Mazzulla said. “KP’s a great player. I think just because you’ve been out for month doesn’t mean you have to relearn how to play basketball. He’s been doing a lot of great things for his career, he’s done a lot of great things for us this season on both ends of the floor. ... I expect him to pick up right where he left off. But, obviously, there will be a little bit of rust. Just not concerned because of the work he’s put in.”

Asked if he was able to run without pain in his calf, Porzingis paused briefly, before saying, “Yes.”

“I have to feel confident. I don’t want to go out there and thinking about something,” he said. “Once I’m out there, it has to be full focus on playing my best basketball and trying to help this team win. ... I just try to be the best I can be with the given circumstances.”

But he also said he’s confident that the training staff is secure that he is ready to return.

“I’ve done the things necessary to check the boxes. Of course, it’s hard to imitate the same intensity at practice,” he said. “But I have to be confident that it’ll be alright.”

Porzingis said he is looking forward to facing the Mavericks.

BOSTON Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) congratulates guard Jaylen Brown (7) after they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series on Monday, May 13, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

MAVERICKS guard Kyrie Irving holds the Western Conference Trophy after Game 5 of the Western Conference finals. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Issa Bournas scores 11 goals to win MVP, Golden Boot awards

FROM PAGE 11

shutout against CV Bethel. The versatile athlete then got a go-ahead goal in the final minutes of regulation time against the Lady Knights to propel the Lady Dragons 2-1 and hand the defending champions their first loss of the season. In the final stage of the competition, the

Lyford Cay student rose to the occasion once again. She closed out her tournament experience by sending four goals past the St Andrew’s goalkeeper in the title game. Her team kept the clean sheet and won the match 7-0 in the end. She said it felt very good to capture the title with the team this season.

SAMUEL P

“It was a really good feeling. Last year we weren’t able to make it to the finals but this year we put a really good team on the pitch so we were able to have a really good season,” she said. As far as the MVP and Golden Boot honours, Bournas said she really put in a lot of practice and effort to get to this point

with her teammates. “It feels really good. I put a lot of practice and effort into this and my teammates really helped me a lot with it,” she said. The MVP is hoping that the Lady Dragons’ celebration is something that they could have a good time doing together and that next year they can win it all again.

The 14-year-old might be done with the soccer season but is now looking to reign supreme at the upcoming 2024 CARIFTA Triathlon and Aquathlon Championships to be hosted in Barbados August 17-18. She was named to the girls’ 13-15 division of the CARIFTA Aquathlon and Triathlon team.

JR HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER NATIONALS

FROM PAGE 11

Forwards - Nahum Johnson and Wood Julmis.

The management team is comprised of the following: Head Coach - Nesly Jean; Assistant Coach - Kevin Davies; Head of Delegation - Frederick Lunn; Manager - Larry Minns; Assistant Manager - Carlton Adderley and Medical Staff - Daniel Miller.

Group B Challenge and Schedule

The Bahamas will compete in Group B alongside teams Costa Rica, Trinidad & Tobago, St. Kitts & Nevis, and Grenada.

Facing such competitive teams, our squad is eager to rise to the occasion and demonstrate their capabilities on the field.

Bruce Swan, technical director of the Bahamas Football Association, expressed his confidence in the team’s preparation and potential.

“Our players have shown tremendous dedication and skill in their training sessions,” he said. “We are ready to showcase the talent of Bahamian football on the international stage.”

CONCACAF has confirmed the schedule for the region’s World Cup Qualifying matches during the FIFA Match Windows of June 2024 and June 2025.

A total of 30 nations divided in six groups will be competing for three berths in the FIFA World Cup 2026 and two Play-off slots. Group winners and runners-up will progress to the Final Qualification Round. CONCACAF nations have the opportunity to fill eight spots in 2026 World Cup with Mexico, USA and Canada already qualify as host nations.

Match Schedule:

June 8: Bahamas vs Trinidad and Tobago, Kickoff 5:30 pm EST, St. Kitts

ON THE REPLAY: Juniors compete in the

(Note: Due to renovations at the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium, the Bahamas will host this match at the SKNFA Technical Center in Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis).

June 11: St. Kitts vs Bahamas, Kickoff 4:00 pm EST, SKNFA Technical Center, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis.

June 13: Team returns to Nassau.

Venue Update: Due to ongoing renovations at the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium, the Bahamas will host its home match against Trinidad and Tobago in St. Kitts.

“We appreciate the understanding and support of our fans and community during this time,” the BFA wrote. “The Bahamas Football Association encourages all fans to rally behind the team during these key matches.

“The support from our community will be vital as the players strive to make history and qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”

MBAPPÉ FINALLY JOINS REAL MADRID IN UNION OF SOCCER’S TOP PLAYER, CLUB

By TALES AZZONI and JOSEPH WILSON Associated Press

MADRID (AP) — Kylian Mbappé is finally a Real Madrid player.

Madrid said on Monday it reached a deal with the France star for the next five seasons, bringing together one of soccer’s top talents and its most successful club.

Madrid did not release any financial details. It also didn’t immediately say when it will officially introduce Mbappé, who is with France preparing for the European Championship.

The announcement came after years of flirtation by Madrid with the player who inherited the status of the best in the game from Lionel Messi.

“A dream come true,” Mbappé said on X. “So happy and proud to join the club of my dream. Nobody

can understand how excited I am right now. Can’t wait to see you, Madridistas (Madrid fans), and thanks for your unbelievable support. ¡Hala Madrid!”

The post, with the message written in English, Spanish and French, was accompanied by photos of a young Mbappé wearing a Madrid jacket while visiting the club. One photo was with Madrid great Cristiano Ronaldo.

The club also posted a video on its website showing Mbappé highlights. At the beginning, a voiceover says, “Are you watching closely?”

The 25-year-old World Cup winner joins a Madrid team that is already loaded with talent and still celebrating its latest European triumph — and sixth in 10 seasons. Just two days ago, Madrid won a recordextending 15th European

Cup title when it beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the Champions League final in London. Mbappé joins a team that already features young stars in Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham. His signing could revive Madrid’s “galatico” squads, when it had some of the world’s top players including Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Brazil’s Ronaldo, David Beckham, Luis Figo and Karim Benzema, among others. The current Madrid players were quick to welcome their newest teammate.

“Welcome to the best club in the world,” forward Brahim Díaz said.

“I don’t know if we won the Champion League on Saturday or if we won it today with Mbappé’s signing,” former Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas said.

Until now, Mbappé has played club soccer only for French teams — first at Monaco and for the past seven seasons at Paris Saint-Germain, which he left as a free agent after it failed to persuade him to renew his contract.

Mbappé didn’t take the option for an extra year on the deal he signed two years ago.

Monaco wished Mbappé success.

And the organisation posted a photo of the player as a youngster holding Monaco’s jersey in front of several posters of Madrid players, including Ronaldo. The Spanish league said “a new star in the universe of Real Madrid.” In 2021, Madrid was rejected after offering

a bid of

Mbappé years earlier.

HAVEN

Photos by Chappell Whyms Jr

Samuel P. Haven Jr. High School Soccer Nationals at the Roscow A L Davies Soccer Field.

GAUFF AND DEFENDING CHAMPION SWIATEK WILL MEET IN SEMIFINALS

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer

PARIS (AP) — Coco Gauff’s long and successful Tuesday at Roland Garros began when she arrived at about 8:15am. There was a warmup session. A couple of meals. A couple of matches. Oh, and a couple of victories — first, one to reach the singles semifinals, and then one to reach the doubles quarterfinals, which wrapped up a little past 4:30pm.

“It goes by really fast, I will say,” the 20-year-old American said. “When you’re playing the match, it just goes by really fast.”

There is more work to be done, and there are more long days on the horizon, for Gauff, who will meet defending champion and No. 1-ranked Iga Swiatek in singles on Thursday.

“It’s good to just keep going and not think about this match as something huge — just another match — to not put too much baggage on your shoulders,” Swiatek said. “But I guess Coco is not easy. She really likes playing on clay, especially here. I’ll just focus on myself and I’ll prepare tactically and we’ll see.”

Swiatek picked up yet another lopsided victory, beating Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 6-0, 6-2 and stretching her French Open winning streak to 19 matches as she seeks a third trophy in a row in Paris and her fourth in five years.

“She’s, I feel like, way better than anyone else on clay, and especially here. It’s very tough,” Vondrousova said. “I feel like on the court, you have nothing to maybe offer. She’s just too strong here.”

No. 3 Gauff came back to defeat three-time major finalist Ons Jabeur 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 to reach the semifinals at a third consecutive Grand Slam tournament.

“I’ve been trying to do better at being consistent in the big tournaments,” Gauff said, “and I’m reaching that level of consistency.”

She won her first major title at the U.S. Open in September, then made it to the semifinals at the Australian Open in January. Gauff was runner-up to Swiatek at the French Open in 2022.

Overall, Swiatek has won 10 of 11 meetings against Gauff, including a 6-4, 6-3 semifinal win on clay last

month en route to the Italian Open title.

“I definitely think I have to find a better way to play her than the last times I played on clay, because I’ve obviously been unsuccessful the last couple of times we’ve played — regardless of the surface and anything,” Gauff said. “She’s definitely a tough opponent for me. And for anybody.”

Sure is.

The day’s biggest news was that defending champion Novak Djokovic withdrew from the men’s bracket because of a torn meniscus in his right knee. He will be replaced at No. 1 in the ATP rankings by Jannik Sinner next week.

Casper Ruud, the runnerup in Paris the past two years, got a walkover into the semifinals, where he will play Alexander Zverev or Alex de Minaur. Sinner beat Grigor Dimitrov on Tuesday and next meets Carlos Alcaraz, a winner at night against Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Other than a tough threeset triumph over Naomi Osaka in the second round, Swiatek has been dominant in this French Open. Take away the 17 games Osaka managed to win, and

Swiatek has dropped a total of only 11 games in her other four matches.

Swiatek followed up her 6-0, 6-0 shutout of Anastasia Potapova in the fourth round by grabbing the initial seven games against Vondrousova.

“I felt,” Swiatek said, “like I was in the zone.”

And make no mistake: Vondrousova is no slouch. In addition to being a Grand Slam champion, she was a finalist at Roland Garros in 2019, won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics and currently is ranked No. 6.

But she never stood a chance against Swiatek, who compiled 25 winners to just 10 unforced errors. Swiatek, a 23-year-old from Poland, faced just one break point — and, naturally, she saved it.

“Everything worked,” Swiatek said.

Against the eighthseeded Jabeur, Gauff pulled away to lead 5-2 lead in the last set, then needed a trio of match points to close things out, acknowledging afterward that she grew a little tight. In the last game, Gauff needed to save a break point, before Jabeur dismissed one match point

with a disguised drop shot that earned a roar from the stands. The 29-year-old Tunisian responded by putting her right index finger to her ear.

But on Gauff’s next opportunity to seal the victory, Jabeur badly flubbed an overhead. Gauff smiled, then raised her arms and yelled.

“My favourite thing about Coco is her fighting spirit. I think she’s playing, like, great tennis right now, but I saw her playing better before,” Jabeur said. “Obviously she’s such a fighter. She always tries to find ways. She’s really smart on the court.”

With the crowd at the main stadium loudly supporting Jabeur at times, Gauff did not play badly in the opening set. But Jabeur was superb, winning 17 of 18 first-serve points, never facing a single break point and accumulating a 12-5 edge in total winners.

When she delivered an ace at 114 mph (184 kph) to end the set, Jabeur nodded repeatedly.

“She’s a tough opponent and she’s well-loved on tour,” Gauff said. “I could tell by the crowd today — I know you guys wanted her to win. Honestly, whenever she’s not playing (me), I cheer for her, too.”

Djokovic withdraws from French Open with knee injury, will lose No. 1 ranking

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer

PARIS (AP) — Novak Djokovic pulled out of the the French Open with an injured knee yesterday, an abrupt end to his title defence and to his current stay at No. 1 in the rankings.

“I am really sad to announce that I have to withdraw from #rolandgarros,” Djokovic posted on social media.

“I played with my heart and gave my all in yesterday’s match and unfortunately, due to a medial meniscus tear in my right knee, my team and I had to make a tough decision after careful consideration and consultation.”

The tournament said the extent of the injury was found during an MRI exam Tuesday.

Djokovic was hurt during a fourth-round victory against No. 23 Francisco Cerundolo on Monday that lasted five sets spread across more than 4 1/2 hours.

It was his second consecutive five-setter, with his total time on court across the two exceeding 9 hours.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion was supposed to face No. 7 seed Casper Ruud, the runner-up each of the past two years at Roland Garros, in the quarterfinals today. Instead, Ruud gets a walkover into the semifinals, where he will face No. 4 Alexander Zverev or No. 11 Alex de Minaur.

With Djokovic, the owner of three French Open titles, gone from the bracket, and Rafael Nadal — owner of a record 14 — eliminated in the first round, someone will be holding the French Open men’s trophy for the first time on Sunday.

The group of remaining contenders includes No. 2 seed Jannik Sinner, a 22-year-old Italian who defeated No. 10 Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (3) on Tuesday to get to the semifinals and now is assured of replacing Djokovic atop the ATP rankings next week.

Sinner won the Australian Open in January and becomes the first man from his country to reach No. 1. His match against Dimitrov was in progress when news of Djokovic’s withdrawal spread. So Sinner had no idea until he was asked about it during an on-court interview after his win.

“Seeing Novak (injured) is, for everyone, disappointing,” Sinner said, “so I wish him a speedy recovery.” And as for his newfound status?

“It means a lot to me, for sure,” said Sinner, who will renew his exciting rivalry with No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz in Friday’s semifinals. Alcaraz reached the final four in Paris for the second year in a row — he cramped up and lost to Djokovic in 2023 — by defeating No. 9 Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6 (3), 6-4 on Tuesday night. Sinner and Alcaraz have played eight times, splitting them 4-4. They have played twice at majors, splitting those 1-1.

“Well, it’s a really difficult challenge. I’m not going to lie. Right now, he’s the best player in the world — or the player who is playing the best tennis right now,” Alcaraz said. “It is the match that everybody wants to watch.”

Amid a season in which Djokovic is only 18-6 and has not reached a final at any tournament, let alone won one, he needed to get back to the title match at the French Open to continue to add to his record for most weeks at No. 1.

For years and years, Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer ruled men’s tennis as the so-called Big Three, accumulating a total of 66 major championships among them. But Federer, now 42, is retired, and Nadal, who turned 38 on Monday, is trying to figure out how much longer he can compete after missing most of the past 1 1/2 seasons with injuries.

No one knows yet how long Djokovic, 37, will be sidelined or what, if any, effect this might have on his future.

Wimbledon, where has won seven titles, starts July 1, and the tennis competition at the Paris Olympics starts at Roland Garros on July 27.

“I saw that he was obviously physically struggling (Monday), and I honestly thought ... he was on the verge of losing,” said U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff, who made her way into the women’s semifinals with a three-set win over Ons Jabeur and will play No. 1 Iga Swiatek on Thursday.

Seeing Djokovic pull out the win against Cerundolo, Gauff said, made her think “that he would win the title.” Djokovic’s knee had been bothering him for a couple of weeks before he arrived in Paris for the French Open — something he kept to himself until after the win against Cerundolo. Early in the second set Monday, Djokovic tweaked his knee and took a medical timeout. A trainer worked

SERBIA

fence and meaning he will relinquish the No. 1 ranking. (AP

on the joint then and during subsequent changeovers, and Djokovic took what he said a tournament doctor told him was the maximum

dose of pills allowed to dull the pain and reduce any inflammation.

“I don’t know what will happen tomorrow — or,

after tomorrow, if I’ll be able to step out on the court and play,” Djokovic said Monday evening. He trailed by two sets to one, and was

down a break at 4-2 in the fourth, against Cerundolo before raising his level of play once the medication kicked in. “I was,” Djokovic said afterward, “maybe three or four points away from losing this match.”

Yes, he stuck it out, and, yes, he came back to win — it was his 370th victory in Grand Slam play, breaking a tie with Federer for the most in tennis history — but it was costly.

And Djokovic said Monday he thought it could have been prevented if the clay inside Court Philippe Chatrier had been cared for better. Both in that match — and during his 4 1/2-hour victory in the third round, which ended after 3am Sunday — Djokovic tried to get the chair umpires to have the court swept more frequently to improve traction.

“I mean, today I injured myself. Yes, I survived. I won the match. Great. But will I be able to play next one?” he said, tapping his palms on a table for emphasis.

’s Novak Djokovic slipped and fell during the fourth round match of the French Open tennis tournament against Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris Monday. Djokovic withdrew from the French Open with an injured right knee yesterday, ending his title de-

Photo/Christophe Ena)

COCO Gauff of the U.S. plays a shot against Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur during their quarterfinal match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Tuesday, June 4, 2024.

(AP Photo/Thibault Camus)