06122023 NEWS AND SPORT

PM: INDECENT NOT TO ACT OVER HAITI

Davis warns there may be no perfect solution for nation facing crisis

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunmedia.net

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said that doing nothing about the crisis in Haiti “violates every notion of decency”.

Mr Davis spoke in Jamaica at a conference focusing on the issues in Haiti, in his official capacity as chair of CARICOM.

Mr Davis insisted on the

importance of ending the suffering of the people of Haiti.

“Today, the fight is to end the suffering of the people of Haiti. We have heard the many, many stories of the killings; the rapes; the kidnappings; the wanton acts of violence; the robberies and lootings; and the intimidation of the gangs, which currently plague large parts

FTX CASE RULING NO T swayed by ‘nukes’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas’ status as a non-nuclear power did not influence the decision to refuse FTX’s local liquidators relief from the worldwide asset freeze imposed by Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, a Delaware judge has asserted.

Judge John Dorsey, in

Friday’s ruling on the bid by the failed crypto exchange’s Bahamian liquidators to have this stay lifted, reassured all sides and their attorneys that he did not arrive at his verdict based on perceptions that this nation wields relatively little clout and influence internationally, Christopher Shore, of the US law firm White & Case, who represents FTX

FAMOUS MAGICIAN PAYS $2.2M OWED PROPER T Y TA X

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A WORLD-RENOWNED magician/illusionist paid $2.235m in outstanding real property taxes to the Government within 24 hours of the Chief Justice branding him “evasive” in a verdict that found the monies were owing.

Sir Ian Winder found that David Copperfield, once described by Forbes magazine as the most

commercially successful magician in world history, and his Imagine Nation Company Inc owed tax arrears for the period 2007-2014 on two Exuma cays that formed part of his Musha Cay purchase in 2006.

During his trial testimony, Mr Copperfield alleged that he had been given an “understanding” by both former prime

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net

RESIDENTS in Exuma suffered “severe flooding” over the weekend, Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper said yesterday, adding a Royal Navy vessel has been called in to help pump out water from affected areas.

The island experienced knee-high floods gushing through the streets, roads cut off, and cars submerged under muddy water. While some residents were stuck in their homes as gallons of rainfall arose at their doorstep.

Mr Cooper, Exuma and

POLICE BULLE T FIRED AT DOG ‘hits woman accidentally’

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunmedia.net

A WOMAN was being treated last night after a bullet fired by police was said to have hit her after ricocheting off a pit bull dog. The 27-year-old was said to be in serious condition last night after the police-involved shooting - which came after the pit bull reportedly tried to attack police officers.

N AVY CALLED IN AS SEVERE FLOOD LEVELS HI T EX UMA

TAGS COLLECTION

Navy called in as severe flood levels hit Exuma

from page one

Ragged Island MP, assured residents that help is on the way to assist with the massive flooding across Exuma.

“As you would be aware, we have experienced a significant amount of rain over the past few days that has caused severe flooding all across the mainland,” Mr Cooper said in a statement.

“I’ve spoken with the Minister of Works, the Minister for Local Government, the Island Administrator, the Chief Councillor, RBDF, WSC, NEMA, and the roads contractor to ensure support and collaboration. I thank them all for their cooperation.”

“The HMBS Lawrence Major has been dispatched to Exuma to bring as many pumps as can be found to pump out as much water as possible away from the pooled areas. We are also engaging heavy equipment to create run-offs.”

Videos have shown residents driving through deep passages of water, praying their cars would not stall in the flooded areas. One woman screamed in a video posted: “Please don’t come on the road if you don’t have to.”

Mr Cooper cautioned residents to be careful when navigating the roads.

“It is extremely difficult to gauge the depth of the water and where the edges of the road are,” Mr Cooper said. “Please be careful. Stay put as much as possible and only travel when necessary.”

He added a team of professional engineers is expected to assess the situation on the island today and to develop plans to mitigate for the future. Mr Cooper

said he will continue to monitor the matter.

Although many residents were affected by the heavy flooding one resident in the western part of

Exuma said there had been mostly rain in his area but no major flooding. The resident said: “Where I live in my part, I haven’t experienced it.”

Last week, Donald Rolle, the Family Island administrator for Georgetown, Exuma, said torrential rain brought the community’s

prolonged drainage issues to the fore. Mr Rolle explained the rain and flooding affected several homes and businesses.

from page one

Police said the incident took place shortly before noon yesterday in the area of Sunset Park, when they were trying to

execute a search warrant on a home. As officers entered the property, a pit bull reportedly attempted to attack them and was subsequently shot.

During the incident, the woman - who is said to frequent the property - was shot in her upper body. Officers said the ammunition ricocheted off the pit bull. The woman was taken to hospital.

olice bullet i ed at do ‘hits woman accidentally’ body o man ound by o e on h a bou island beach olice in esti atin his death

POLICE are investigating after a man died on Pink Sand Beach in Harbour Island. He was found partially submerged in the sand by a jogger.

Officers were alerted to the discovery on the eastern side of Harbour Island at about 6.25am on Sunday.

The dead man was wearing blue and purple swim trunks, and had no visible signs of injury. An autopsy will be carried out to confirm the cause of death.

the early hours of Sunday morning in Bain Town while at a friend’s home.

The shooting took place at about 1.35am at a

residence on Meadow and Augusta Streets. Police say that a man known to the victim got a gun from his vehicle and opened fire, hitting the victim in the lower body. The suspect then fled in an unknown direction. The victim was taken to hospital by private vehicle and is in stable condition.

Police are asking for the public’s help in locating the man responsible - and urged people to find alternative ways to resolve their conflicts.

Anyone with information or who knows of people in possession of illegal weapons, is urged to contact police at 911, 919, the

Criminal Investigations Department at 502-0991/2 or Crimestoppers at 328TIPS (8177).

Sunday after being found in possession of an illegal firearm and ammunition.

The resident of Palm Beach Street was detained around 1.35am when officers attached to Operation Ceasefire conducted saturation patrols in the area. They reportedly observed the driver of a black Japanese vehicle acting in a suspicious manner. The vehicle was stopped and searched and the items were reportedly found and confiscated.

lo ida man a ested in b when olice ind un and ammunition on his essel

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

AN American man was arrested in Grand Bahama after an illegal firearm and ammunition were discovered following a search of a vessel on Thursday.

A 38-year-old resident of Key West, Florida, is in police custody assisting police with their investigation.

According to reports, officers attached to the Grand Bahama Marine Support Unit conducted a

search on a vessel owned by the suspect, who was found in possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition shortly before 7pm in the area of Juniper Lane and Coral Drive. Investigations are continuing into this matter.

PICTURES of flooding in Exuma circulted on social media

PM: Indecent not to act over Haiti

of Port-au-Prince and other areas of the country.

“My friends, we are here to help. Ultimately, there must be a Haitian solution led by the people of Haiti. We have heard the many cries for help and we cannot, in good conscience, stand by and watch the continued suffering of the Haitian people.

“To do nothing violates every notion of decency, every idea of what it means to be a good neighbour and a fellow human being. We believe that a solution can be found, and we are determined to do all that we can to find that solution, and support its success.”

He noted that bringing a workable resolution to the hardships of Haiti serves as a step in redeeming the

“once magnificent land”. “We see a land and a people brought to their knees, and yet know that we can inspire the people of this region to help to rebuild that once-magnificent land,” Mr Davis said yesterday.

“Let us commit to try and keep trying and keep on trying until we find a workable solution. We must not give up. Failure is not just an absence of success; failure equals more suffering and death. Failure cannot be an option.”

Meanwhile, Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry called for a “rebirth of our nation”, He highlighted the challenges facing Haiti, saying that “the price to be paid for the most vulnerable is far too high” and adding that “we do not have any more time to waste”.

Mr Henry spoke of the

difficulty for Haitian representatives in speaking to international groups and politicians and having to admit to the failure of the nation at present.

There have been calls for an international force to be deployed in Haiti, but as yet no confirmation of when or if such a deployment would take place.

Last week, during her visit to The Bahamas, US Vice President Kamala Harris said: “The international community must continue to support the Haitian people in light of the devastating humanitarian and security crisis in that country.”

Ms Harris pledged $53.7m in new humanitarian funding to the country.

Last week, it was reported that Haiti is facing increasing problems over access to food and clean water. Last year, 185

inmates in Haiti prisons died, many from malnutrition-related diseases. This year, more than 20 have died so far. More than 80 percent of the country’s

inmates are in detention awaiting trial, and face a wait of years before seeing a judge, if at all, say human rights experts.

Gangs continue to control

large areas of the country, while vigilante actions have seen a number of accused gang members being killed, with their bodies sometimes burned in the street.

MUNROE WELCOMES US SUPPORT IN FIGHTING GUN TRAFFICKING

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe welcomed the support of the United States on combating gun trafficking – but warned it was not a solution on its own to the country’s crime problem.

Mr Munroe made his comments following last week’s visit by US Vice President Kamala Harris. She announced the appointment of a coordinator for Caribbean Firearms Prosecutions at the US Department of Justice to help crack down on firearm smugglers.

“We still have a lot of guns here,” Mr Munroe said. “We have knives here, we have ways that people can kill other people. The ultimate answer to this is to work on stopping people going out and killing people.”

The minister said even if all the guns were effectively removed in the country, there are still people with

the intention to kill.

Asked if he was pleased with the efforts of the US on gun trafficking, Mr Munroe said, “Yes, of course.”

Mr Munroe noted that Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis had said that despite the constitutional right to bear arms in the US, that does not mean guns should be trafficked to The Bahamas.

“He has pointed out to them that any right that they have in America to actually have guns does not include a right to traffic guns illegally to The Bahamas. And this is one indication that they’re listening to him because this is a positive response to it,”

Mr Munroe said.

Mr Munroe added that he attended the bilateral meeting with the US last week, along with the other multilateral meetings.

In terms of combating crime, Mr Munroe explained he wants a more collaborative approach from Bahamians in being a part of the solution.

“The police are finding

firearms, high-powered rifles in homes with young men and other persons - mothers, sisters, brothers. We all have to become a part of this fight.

“Because if their sons get involved in this street life, then eventually the statistics show that they are the ones not only who are committing the murders, but who are the victims of the murder. So, we just can’t sit back and say it’s for the police to do this, it’s for the Americans to do this. I stress in order for us to stop people killing people we have to work on the attitude in the person.”

He continued: “What we’re seeing coming out of the pandemic is the age of people doing this is falling as well. So, we have to pay attention to our young men. They are the perpetrators, and they are the victims.”

Vice President Harris co-hosted a US-Caribbean leaders meeting on June 8 with Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, the chairman of CARICOM.

e builds on ‘o e looked’ omotions

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

DOZENS of financial and accounting officers gathered outside the Prime Minister’s office Friday in a show of frustration at the lack of promotions in the Finance Ministry.

Bahamas Public Services Union president Kimsley Ferguson, who represents the workers, said for far too long they have been overlooked.

“These are the people who ensure that vendors who have contract with the government are sorted, and these are the persons who have to process payment for promotions for other persons,” he said.

“And every day they do these things is a constant reminder that nothing is happening for them. They’re not begging for anything. They’re asking for what they rightfully deserve.”

He claimed that certain directives were given to the financial secretary from the

prime minister but were never followed.

Mr Ferguson said as a result, the union’s patience was running out. He also called for Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis to meet with staff at his ministry so their concerns can be addressed.

“The instructions that were given in the meeting to the financial secretary by the prime minister was whatever was left as a recommendation by the previous administration to adjust the salary scales of the persons standing behind me in accordance with public service policy, that should have been carried out,” Mr Ferguson said.

“Instead of a scale upgrade, these persons were given a post upgrade which is totally different from a scale upgrade. A scale upgrade impacts the money. A post upgrade impacts the position.”

He continued: “So, we’re appealing to the prime minister again to hear the cry of these individuals

who are so important. No budget can take place without these people. They can’t be executed.”

According to Mr Ferguson, more than 100 employees are waiting to advance in their careers after years of dedicated service.

Gail Charlow, a finance officer, is one of them.

She told reporters Friday the situation has lowered staff morale.

“I haven’t been promoted for 11 years,” said Ms Charlow. “I joined the service in 1998 and since then, there were persons who superseded me. I never received a supersession letter which is the right way to go, and I’m really discouraged.”

Mr Ferguson added: “We have been pursuing this particular concern, trying to exhaust every diplomatic avenue that we can to no avail so hence we’re here. We cannot say from this point what is going to happen but the squeaky wheel, I understand, gets the oil.”

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunmedia.net

THE Public Hospital Authority (PHA) has pledged that complaints made to the newly established 24-hour hotline will be taken seriously.

The hotline is expected to be launched today, allowing members of the public or PHA employees to confidentially report fraud, waste, mismanagement, misconduct, or abuse.

When asked what prompted the need for the hotline, PHA noted that the hotline is aimed at strengthening the department as its implementation serves as a measure to strengthen the quality of care as a response to claims and ensure accountability.

“The 24-hour ethics hotline is an evolution of the

internal audit department operations creating a confidential point of access for the public, our stakeholders and employees of the PHA to report suspected incidents of waste, fraud, abuse or other misconduct with the simple slogan, “if you see something, say something,” PHA said.

“The aim of the hotline and of the Internal Audit department is to strengthen the PHA. The hotline allows everyone an opportunity to play a part in safeguarding the integrity of the services provided, and the institutions and agencies that provide them.”

People making a report can remain anonymous, adhering to strict confidentiality protocols with respect to callers.

PHA said: “The public should expect that every

complaint or referral made to the Ethics Hotline will be taken seriously and investigated by competent professionals from the Internal Audit department. “PHA will adhere to strict confidentiality protocols with respect to callers, however, based on the nature of the complaint or alleged breach, ‘mandatory’ reporting and police intervention, including the name/identity of the complainant for investigative purposes, may be required.”

The number for the hotline will be 502-9124, where callers can leave a recorded message and authorized officers of the internal audit department will review all messages received and conduct investigations as appropriate.

BPSU CALLS FOR MEETING WITH PM WHILE an

PHA PLEDGES COMPLAINTS CONFIDENTIAL AND ‘will be taken se iously’ on new hotline

NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe welcomed the support of the United States on combating gun trafficking – but warned it was not a solution on its own to the country’s crime problem; “We still have a lot of guns here.”

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said that doing nothing about the crisis in Haiti “violates every notion of decency” while speaking in Jamaica at a conference focusing on the issues in Haiti, in his official capacity as chair of CARICOM.

DPM announces new and returning airlines for GB, airport opening on target for first quarter 2025

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter Dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

DEPUTY Prime Min-

ister Chester Cooper, Minister of Tourism, Investment, and Aviation, said the development of a new airport in Grand Bahama is still on track for opening in the first quarter of 2025.

“I have seen conceptual designs, it is certainly taking shape; it is going to be beautiful; it will add to grandeur of Grand Bahama,” he said Friday at the official opening of the Bahamasair City Ticket Office in the new Tropical Plaza.

“We are still on track for

opening in 2025 first quarter, and we expect that you will see the action...on the ground in short order.”

Mr Cooper also revealed that in the first quarter of 2025, they are anticipating some new routes to Freeport, Grand Bahama.

He indicated that Grand Bahama could soon see the return again of routes from Cincinnati, Cleveland, Ohio, and Nashville, Tennessee.

The minister of tourism said there are plans for the national flag carrier to add more international routes.

“Recently, we announced that another airline is going to be beginning a direct non-stop service to Nassau

from Los Angeles,” Mr Cooper said. “And, I envisioned over time that we are going to see Bahamasair doing more and more international routes. I talked about the long haul to California.”

“I want to know the future of Bahamasair is aspirational. We will not stop until we see Bahamasair playing an even more critical role on the international scene,” he added. That is my vision for Bahamasair. And that is what we aspire to do.”

As the Minister for Aviation, Mr Cooper pointed out that over the past 50 years of its existence, Bahamasair has had a reputation

for an outstanding safety record.

“We are proud of the company that management, the board, and staff; they have built an airline that stands the test of the aviation industry around the world,” he said. The reopening of the Ticket Office in downtown, Freeport, provides immediate access to customers. The office was relocated from downtown to the airport for three years following Hurricane Dorian. Mr Cooper said: “We care about our customers and want to send a signal that Freeport is back and poised for rebound, as is the fortunes of Bahamasair.”

The Deputy Prime Minister stated that Bahamasair has been a major stakeholder of the country’s number one industry, driving the growth of tourism in various destinations.

In addition to providing service throughout the islands of the Bahamas, he said the national flag carrier flies to the US, Cuba, Haiti and the Turks and Caicos.

Turning to tourism, Mr Cooper said the industry has achieved a spectacular rebound postCovid, recording visitor arrivals in 2022 just shy of the 7.2 million of the standout year in tourism, in 2019.

“As indicated by future

bookings, the prospect for record-breaking visitor arrivals for 2023 and beyond are also looking great,” he said.

“Bahamasair will be called on to play an even greater role in the future expansion of our destination tourism business.

Mr Cooper said the airline will play a critical role in helping “to bring tourism back to levels where we belong”.

He acknowledged staff, including retirees, at Bahamasair who have contributed to the building of the country’s national airline.

‘st on in es to inte es t in and bahama’ s ays coo e

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter Dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

DEPUTY Prime Minister Chester Cooper, Minister for Tourism, Investments, and Aviation, said there is strong investor interest in Grand Bahama and that there are some big announcements coming soon for the island.

“I met investors a few days ago in Nassau, there are some big announcements coming for Grand Bahama,” he revealed on Friday while in Grand Bahama.

Mr Cooper said that Grand Bahama Minister Ginger Moxey is expected to speak to them during the Budget Debate.

He said the government is seeing consistent levels of investment in both private-sector projects and government investments in Grand Bahama.

“We expect this is going to continue over the course of time,” he stated. “I indicated before that we are pressing forward with the opening of the airport and the date is

still the first quarter of 2025, and there are significant levels of work being done.

“The conceptual designs have already been reviewed by all local stakeholders, and once we finalise those designs there will be even more consultation overall, but I am satisfied we are moving in the right direction,” Mr Cooper stated.

He mentioned the announcement of the $300m hotel in the West, and the Six Senses resort project in the East. In Freeport, he said there have been many ribbon cuttings that have indicated a renaissance in downtown.

“We are still working on Grand Lucayan and there are many other projects in the pipeline. Statoil has been approved and we expect that is going to open,” he said.

Asked whether the current relationship that exists between the government and the Grand Bahama Port Authority will hamper further investments, Mr Cooper said he was not concerned because, in business, people sometimes disagree.

“The Prime Minister has made clear what his position is in relation to the GBPA,” he said. “I believe the conversation that the Prime Minister is having is at the shareholder level.

“Operations continue and licensees ought to feel confident that it is business as usual, and certainly over the course of time, there will be clarity as to the ongoing discussions. It is important that the government continues to have discussions with stakeholders like the GBPA for the betterment of Grand Bahama, and I think that is what is happening.”

Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, during his contribution to the Budget Debate, reported that the Grand Bahama economy declined by nine percent the previous year. He further noted that the statistics show a prolonged decline in the Grand Bahama economy.

Mr Davis said the government would take “decisive action” on the Grand Bahama Port Authority, saying the Hawksbill Creek Agreement model

is not working and that the GBPA’s governance model needs to change. The Grand Bahama Port Authority said Freeport’s economy is showing signs of recovery, and that “decisive

action” by the government is needed to further facilitate the continued “promise” of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement. Business licensees in Freeport have called

for the government and the Grand Bahama Port Authority to work collectively to stimulate the Grand Bahama economy and attract more investments to the island.

DEPUTY Prime Minister Chester Cooper, Minister of Tourism, Investment, and Aviation, said the development of a new airport in Grand Bahama is still on track for opening in the first quarter of 2025.

The Tribune Limited

Less than perfect solution better than none at all

IN October of last year, Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry called for foreign military support to intervene as the nation slumped further into crisis.

That call was repeated by the UN envoy to Haiti, Helen La Lime, but so far there has been no sign of those boots on the ground.

It is worth bearing that in mind in light of the latest gathering to discuss the situation in Haiti. A meeting held in Jamaica featured prominent partners in efforts to assist Haiti.

These were the people who went to Haiti on a special mission in February.

These are the people who form the eminent persons group tasked with finding a solution. These are leaders from around the region.

And yet, listening to the speeches at yesterday’s event, there was a palpable sense of perhaps not frustration, but of the difficulty of attaining meaningful agreement on a way forward.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis was perhaps the clearest in expressing the challenges of finding a solution.

He said: “If there existed a perfect solution, we probably would have found it by now. And so, I think it is important that we recognise that what we are striving for, may, in the end, not be perfect, but will likely be something that, in the immediate term, is effective.”

He added: “What lies short of perfection is something that requires us to hold some degree of an open mind. Within each of us, we have to think it possible that our own ideas may not be perfect.

“We have to think it possible that listening, empathy and compromise is the most likely path to a solution, one which is not perfect for any of us, but by far the best for the Haitian people, and the survival of the Republic. Think it possible, and I believe we may find it.”

Read between the lines of that speech and it is clear that no agreement is in place, and no agreement can be

expected at present that will be perfect for all parties.

The stakes are clear – and Mr Davis reiterated them, highlighting the killings, the rapes, the kidnapping, the violence, the looting, the robberies and the gang warfare taking place in our neighbour country.

Haiti has a famous place in history, the first independent nation in the region, the first country in the Americas to eliminate slavery, the only state to have been established after a slave revolt.

When Prime Minister Henry talks of the need for a “rebirth” of his nation, that is exactly what is required. Haiti as it stands has faltered. In many ways, it must begin again.

The challenges are deep. There is talk of finding a solution that comes from Haitian partners – but who are those partners? There remains no one in elected office in Haiti. Prime Minister Henry was sworn in as acting prime minister by the country’s president, Jovenel Moise, just two days before the latter’s assassination in 2001. Every elected representative has seen their term of office expire. Henry’s position is questioned by political rivals, and his nation is paralysed by gangs who control significant parts of territory and substantial amounts of movement around the country. Police officers have suffered a number of fatalities in clashes with gangs, officers have gone on strike, vigilantes are executing suspected gang members, and people are struggling to find food and clean water.

In all of that, who is it in Haiti that we listen to? How do we get from where we are to a point where free elections can be held securely?

That is presumably why Mr Davis talks of a possible solution that is less than perfect. But far worse would be no solution at all.

Anyone who has observed the antics of the “International Criminal Court” over the years will note that its modus operandi is to observe international conflicts from the sidelines, then rush in to drag off the loser to face a “justice” whose outcome was already determined on the battlefield.

That is why most of its convictions have been of sub-Saharan African strongmen, whose real crime has been to lose power in a conflict with either an (equally bad) local rival or a (worse) imperial power. Typically, the imperial power helps to deliver the vanquished “defendant”, while never having to face questions about its own motives in his country.

In other words, it is a purely political tool whose utility resides in maintaining a “rules based order” where western politicians make the rules and yet are exempt from them.

The US government knows this. That is why Congress has actually passed legislation dubbed the “Hague Invasion Act”, authorizing the President to physically destroy the institution if it ever attempts to

subject serving US military personnel to a “justice” that is intended only for others.

If that prospect sounds extreme, it is no more so than what is likely in store for any country that takes up the ICC’s recent invitation to detain the President of the (nuclear-armed) Russian Federation on some dubious charges relating to the western-engineered proxy war in Ukraine.

It is interesting (though not surprising) that the ICC takes no such action against the many blatant war criminals now enjoying the lucrative lecture circuits of western countries.

Even the wreckage of Libya (destroyed on an even more absurd and dishonest pretext than Iraq) or the misery of Syria (where western destabilization efforts have produced, in turn, a civil war, an Islamic “caliphate” and the world’s worst refugee crisis) did not lead to “warrants” against the complicit western politicians.

But in Ukraine, rather than merely turning the usual blind eye to the west’s serial wars of aggression,

the ICC is upping the ante and actually joining this one. If the calculus is that this “warrant” against Mr. Putin will somehow distract from the west’s imminent military defeat in Ukraine, then the calculators should go back to the drawing board.

This desperate and silly act will simply hasten the inevitable decline of western global influence, by exposing the real purpose of this and other institutions of ‘soft power’, which were once relied upon to dignify western imperial impulses with at least some semblance of global legitimacy.

More ominously, it suggests that some in the west will never accept the limits of their hegemony or the reality of its decline, even when the only obvious alternative is escalation to the unthinkable.

In this respect, today’s ICC is, like NATO, an otiose and harmful anachronism that urgently needs to be put back in the west’s antique closet of worlddomination toys – before it triggers a thermonuclear war.

ANDREW ALLEN Nassau, June 11, 2023

Shut down ICC before it starts WWIII Free breakfast programme good, if it lasts

EDITOR, The Tribune

I write this letter regarding the Davis administration’s recent announcement of the National Free Breakfast Programme (NFBP), an initiative designed to benefit public school students across The Bahamas. As a parent and advocate for equitable education, this proposal has captured my attention and sparked a flurry of thoughts concerning its potential implications.

Firstly, it’s heartening to see the government’s recognition of the integral relationship between nutrition and educational attainment. The NFBP, by promising a nutritious breakfast to every student, acknowledges numerous international studies underscoring the critical role that a balanced breakfast plays in enhancing cognitive functions, memory, and overall academic performance. This move could be a catalyst in not just addressing the nutritional needs of our students, but also in augmenting learning outcomes across Bahamian public schools.

However, like every policy decision, the implementation of the NFBP is as pivotal as the concept itself. The task of ensuring every student starts their day with a nutritious meal, especially those grappling with food insecurity, necessitates detailed planning and seamless execution. It poses questions concerning the sourcing and preparation of balanced meals, maintaining

cultural appropriateness, and effective distribution mechanisms across all public schools.

Furthermore, there is the question of sustainability. Will this programme be resilient in the face of financial or logistical challenges that might arise in the future? It would be encouraging to see the government establish partnerships with local farmers and businesses to create a sustainable supply chain that could also bolster the local economy.

The world offers successful examples of similar programmes, like the United States’ School Breakfast Programme and the United Kingdom’s Magic Breakfast initiative. These programmes, while inspiring, have flourished due to robust planning, continuous evaluation, necessary adjustments, and the ability to meet their specific community needs. I am hopeful that the Davis Administration will take these examples into account and adapt the NFBP to the unique needs of Bahamian students.

Regular assessments and a robust monitoring and evaluation system are critical to measure the programme’s progress and effectiveness. Tracking parameters like student performance, attendance, and overall health can provide valuable insights and guide adjustments to the programme as required. Involvement of key stakeholders can significantly

contribute to the programme’s effectiveness. Constructive engagement with parents, educators, students, and community leaders can provide diverse perspectives and innovative solutions to potential challenges. The establishment of a feedback mechanism would ensure that the voices of those directly impacted by the programme are heard and their concerns are addressed.

Transparent and regular communication from the government can foster a sense of community involvement and trust. Regular updates about the programme’s progress, challenges encountered, and success stories can reassure stakeholders and build community support.

While the National Free Breakfast Programme promises to be a gamechanger in enhancing the educational experience of our students, its success hinges on the intricacies of its implementation.

The collective efforts of the government, schools, and the wider community are imperative for this initiative to realise its full potential. As we anticipate further details about the programme, I hope that it will mark a significant stride towards a more inclusive and effective educational environment.

ALICE LOWE Abaco, June 11, 2023

AN ART installation called “Double Ducks” by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman is seen at Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong.

Photo: Louise Delmotte/AP

Former DNA leader Komolafe pays tribute to predecessor Christopher Mortimer

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunmedia.net

FORMER Democratic National Alliance Leader

Arinthia Komolafe said she was “deeply saddened” by the death of her former colleague, Christopher Mortimer, and expressed condolences to his family.

Mr Mortimer, the former interim leader of the DNA, died on Thursday, age 53.

In a press statement, Ms Komolafe reflected on her fond memories of Mr Mortimer.

“When I joined the Democratic National Alliance in 2016, I instantly realised that Chris and I had a lot in common. We were both policy makers and we believed in good order and discipline which in a political party environment

sometimes worked to our disadvantage,” the statement said.

“We both came from the same political lineage and often spoke of the courage to follow our conviction to defy the status quo for the sake of future generations of Bahamians. We also both had a passion for small business development as the backbone of the Bahamian economy.

“Chris once told me that he never wanted to enter frontline politics, but was compelled to do so because many people believed in him and his vision for a better Bahamas. It was indeed a privilege to serve with and alongside Chris as his deputy during his interim leadership, as we sought to make our contribution in the national

interest.”

Mr Mortimer was the former president of Galleria Cinemas and Outback Steakhouse. He had two children. His recent ventures included preparing to introduce Red Lobster to The Bahamas. According to his LinkedIn page, he was the president of Island Bloom and Pinnacle Franchise Brands.

Speaking highly of Mr Mortimer, Ms Komolafe described him as a kind heart and gentle soul.

“He sacrificed much of his personal resources to bring about the change he wanted to see in our country,” she said yesterday.

“I recall spending several hours in meetings with him and other nation builders discussing ways to bring

positive change to our beloved Bahamaland.

“I witnessed him talk to and entertain persons from all walks of life without discrimination and he did so with an open and tolerant mindset without judgment.”

Many former colleagues have also expressed their condolences at the loss of the well-known businessman.

Police categorised the death of the 53-year-old male resident of Lockhart Lane off Davis Street as an accidental death, after previously reporting the death as a “suspicious car accident”.

The incident reportedly happened shortly before 4pm and involved a black Ford Escape.

The driver drove west along Lockhart Lane when

he reportedly got out of the vehicle. Police said on arrival at the scene, officers found the car in the reverse

gear and the driver pinned against a chain link fence. He died of his injuries at the scene.

TRANSGENDER AC T IVIS T APPLAUDS SUPPOR T FROM US VP KAMALA HARRIS ON RECEN T VISI T

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net

TRANSGENDER activist Alexus D’Marco applauded the support of United Vice President Kamala Harris for the LGBTI community, saying it was a sign of having an ally in pressing for an end to discrimination.

Ms D’Marco was one of the special guests chosen to meet Vice President Harris during the VP’s visit. In a short video clip, Ms D’Marco is heard saying she is fighting for LGBTI rights in The Bahamas, as the Vice President responded: “We’re here to support you, you know that, right?”

Ms D’Marco, the founder of the Bahamas Organisation of LGBTI Affairs, said the encounter signified so much for the LGBTI community. “It was a moment of

being valued. And it was a moment of knowing that you have allies that support the work of human rights within the country,” Ms D’Marco said.

Ms D’Marco noted that she was informed during Ms Harris’ visit that there were discussions with the government about LGBTI rights.

“I was informed that those small talks did take place as it relates to bridging the gap of LGBTI Bahamians,” she said “How do we include them, as relates to the access to justice, the access to education, the access to health care, the access to employment. And to make them free from violence, stigma, and discrimination.”

“I know those talks are in the making with also the Sustainable Development Goals that the Bahamas have some commitments to. To ensure that no

M AN REMANDED ON SEXUAL ASSUAL T AND DECEI T C H ARGE

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was jailed for deceit of a public officer after being charged with sexually assaulting a woman in her apartment while she was quarantined for COVID-19 last year.

Khirv Daxon stood before Senior Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans on charges of burglary, assault with intent to rape and deceit of a public officer.

Daxon allegedly entered the apartment of a woman at 5.30am on July 30, 2022.

The woman awakened to find Daxon standing naked above her bed with a condom in his mouth. He then grabbed her hips before she managed to evade her assailant and identified him as her landlady’s son.

The defendant pleaded guilty to the deceit of a police officer charge.

Magistrate Vogt-Evans sentenced Daxon to two months for the deceit charge and informed him the more serious charges would proceed to the Supreme Court.

Daxon is expected to be served his Voluntary Bill of Indictment on October 2.

M AN GE T S FOUR YEARS PRISON FOR $2M WOR TH OF HEMP

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was sentenced to four years in prison for having nearly $2m worth of marijuana in two separate drug arrests.

Basil Johnson, 44, admitted to having $1m worth of marijuana when found in waters off Crooked Island on May 18. He also admitted to having $872k worth of marijuana in Exuma in 2021.

Johnson appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney on charges of conspiracy to possess dangerous drugs with intent to supply and possessing dangerous drugs with intent to supply. Johnson faced similar charges with Alfraido Poitier, 43, stemming from the 2021 incident.

According to police reports, authorities encountered a go-fast vessel forty miles southwest of Crooked Island around 1.30pm on May 18th during a joint operation involving the Drug Enforcement Association, the US Coast Guard and local law enforcement officials.

Johnson, along with another man, were seen

citizen is left behind and no vulnerable communities left behind, including LGBTIQ Bahamians.”

The advocate said she is satisfied there has been progress in the cultural attitude towards LGBTI Bahamian citizens, but stressed there is still more work to be done.

“There has been a vast

sensitisation in education within the community itself. For them to be able to advocate for themselves that they have a right to exist, they have a right to housing, a right to health care.”

“However, there’s still no policy to protect them. For example, a landlord can throw out a perceived

or known LGBTI Bahamian citizen because of their perceived or known sexual orientation, or their gender identity. That’s what the advocacy is about, how do we ensure that they are protected.” She continued:“We’re not talking about special rights, there are no special rights the community is

looking for. They’re looking for the same rights that you have as a Bahamian citizen.”

The exchange between Ms D’Marco and Ms Harris comes after the US Embassy in Nassau marked the start of June with a statement highlighting Pride Month.

throwing packages of suspected drugs overboard after they saw the officers. When officers approached their vessel, the defendants allegedly attempted to flee, but were captured following a brief chase.

Officers then recovered 33 crocus sacks containing marijuana. The confiscated drugs collectively weighed 1,142 lbs.

The Exuma incident happened on May 30, 2021. Officers seized 872 lbs of marijuana found in 29 crocus sacks on a vessel.

In that incident, Johnson was charged with Alfraido Poitier and Kevin Dean, 51.

Johnson and Poitier both pleaded guilty to that charge.

Johnson was sentenced to four years in prison for the 2023 drug offence. He was further fined $12,000 or risk six additional months in prison.

Johnson and Poitier were both sentenced to three and a half years in prison for the 2021 offence. They were both fined $12,000 for which failing to pay would incur an additional six months in custody. Johnson’s sentences are to run concurrently.

FORMER DNA leader Christopher Mortimer

Trump allies cite Clinton email probe to attack classified records case. There are big differences

WASHINGTON

Associated Press

AS FORMER President Donald Trump prepares for a momentous court appearance Tuesday on charges related to the hoarding of top-secret documents, Republican allies are amplifying, without evidence, claims that he is the target of a political prosecution.

To press their case, Trump’s backers are citing the Justice Department’s decision in 2016 not to bring charges against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, his Democratic opponent in that year’s presidential race, over her handling of classified information. His supporters also are invoking a separate classified documents investigation concerning President Joe Biden to allege a twotier system of justice that is punishing Trump, the undisputed early frontrunner for the GOP’s 2024 White House nomination, for conduct that Democrats have engaged in.

“Is there a different standard for a Democratic secretary of state versus a former Republican president?” said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Trump primary rival. “I think there needs to be one standard of justice in this country.”

But those arguments overlook abundant factual and legal differences — chiefly relating to intent, state of mind and deliberate acts of obstruction — that limit the value of any such comparisons.

A look at the Clinton, Biden and Trump investigations and what separates them.

Clinton relied on a private email system for the sake of convenience during her time as the Obama administration’s top diplomat. That decision came back to haunt her when, in 2015, the intelligence agencies’ internal watchdog alerted the FBI to the presence of potentially hundreds of emails containing classified information.

FBI investigators would ultimately conclude that Clinton sent and received emails containing classified information on that unclassified system, including

information classified at the top-secret level.

Of the roughly 30,000 emails turned over by Clinton’s representatives, the FBI has said, 110 emails in 52 email chains were found to have classified information, including some at the top-secret level. After a roughly yearlong inquiry, the FBI closed out the investigation in July 2016, finding that Clinton did not intend to break the law. The bureau reopened the inquiry months later, 11 days before the presidential election, after discovering a new batch of emails. After reviewing those communications, the FBI again opted against recommending charges.

The indictment filed by Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith alleges that when Trump left the White House after his term ended in January 2021, he took hundreds of classified documents with him to his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago — and then repeatedly impeded efforts by the government he once oversaw to get the records back.

The material that Trump retained, prosecutors say, related to American nuclear programs, weapons and defence capabilities of the United States and foreign countries and potential vulnerabilities to an attack — information that, if exposed, could jeopardize the safety of the military and human sources.

Beyond just the hoarding of documents — in locations including a bathroom, ballroom, shower and his bedroom — the Justice Department says Trump showed highly sensitive material to visitors without security clearances and obstructed the FBI by, among other things, directing a personal aide who was charged alongside him to move boxes around Mar-aLago to conceal them from investigators.

Though Trump and his allies have claimed he could do with the documents as he pleased under the Presidential Records Act, the indictment makes short shrift of that argument and does not once reference that statute.

All told, the indictment includes 37 felony

counts against Trump, most under an Espionage Act statute pertaining to the willful retention of national defence information.

A lot, but two important differences are in willfulness and obstruction.

In an otherwise harshly critical assessment in which he condemned Clinton’s email practices as “extremely careless,” thenFBI Director James Comey announced that investigators had found no clear evidence that Clinton or her aides had intended to break laws governing classified information.

As a result, he said, “no reasonable prosecutor” would move forward with a case. The relevant Espionage Act cases brought by the Justice Department over the past century, Comey said, all involved factors including efforts to obstruct justice, willful mishandling of classified documents and indications of disloyalty to the US None of those factors existed in the Clinton investigation, he said.

That’s in contrast to the allegations against Trump, who prosecutors say was involved in the packing of boxes to go to Mar-a-Lago and then actively took steps to conceal classified documents from investigators.

The indictment accuses him, for instance, of suggesting that a lawyer hide documents demanded by a Justice Department subpoena or falsely represent that all requested records had been turned over, even though more than 100 remained in the house.

The indictment repeatedly cites Trump’s own words against him to make the case that he understood what he was doing and what the law did and did not permit him to do.

It describes a July 2021 meeting at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, which he showed off a Pentagon “plan of attack” to people without security clearances to view the material and proclaimed that “as president, I could have declassified it.”

“Now I can’t, you know,

but this is still a secret,” the indictment quotes him as saying.

That conversation, captured by an audio recording, is likely to be a powerful piece of evidence to the extent that it undercuts Trump’s oftrepeated claims that he had declassified the documents he brought with him to Mar-a-Lago.

The White House disclosed in January that, two months earlier, a lawyer for Biden had located what it said was a “small number” of classified documents from his time as vice president during a search of the Washington office space of Biden’s former institute. The documents were turned over to the Justice Department.

Lawyers for Biden subsequently located an additional batch of classified documents at Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, and the FBI found even more during a voluntary search of the property.

The revelations were a humbling setback for Biden’s efforts to draw a

clear contrast between his handling of sensitive information and Trump’s. Even so, as with Clinton, there are significant differences in the matters.

Though Attorney General Merrick Garland in January named a second special counsel to investigate the Biden documents, no charges have been brought and, so far at least, no evidence has emerged to suggest that anyone intentionally moved classified documents or tried to impede the FBI from recovering them.

While the FBI obtained a search warrant last August to recover additional classified documents, each of the Biden searches has been done voluntarily with his team’s consent.

The Justice Department, meanwhile, notified Trump’s vice president, Mike Pence, earlier this month that it would not bring charges after the discovery of classified documents in his Indiana home. That case also involved no allegations of willful retention or obstruction.

EX-SCOTTISH LEADER STURGEON RELEASED AFTER ARREST IN PARTY FINANCE PROBE

LONDON

Associated Press

FORMER Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who dominated politics in Scotland for almost a decade, was arrested and questioned for several hours on Sunday by police investigating the finances of the governing, pro-independence Scottish National Party.

Police Scotland said a 52-year-old woman was detained Sunday morning “as a suspect in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party.”

She was “released without charge pending further investigation” about six hours later, the force said. British police do not identify suspects until they are charged.

Sturgeon said after her release that her arrest had been “both a shock and deeply distressing.”

“Obviously, given the nature of this process, I

cannot go into detail,” she said in a statement on social media. “However, I do wish to say this, and to do so in the strongest possible terms. Innocence is not just a presumption I am entitled to in law. I know beyond doubt that I am in fact innocent of any wrongdoing.”

The SNP said the party had been “cooperating fully with this investigation and will continue to do so. However, it is not appropriate to publicly address any issues while that investigation is ongoing.”

Scottish police opened an investigation in 2021 into how more than 600,000 pounds ($754,000) designated for a Scottish independence campaign was spent. Two former SNP officials, Colin Beattie, who was treasurer, and Peter Murrell, who was chief executive, were previously arrested and questioned as part of the investigation.

MAN CHARGED OVER UNLICENCED FIREARM AND BODY ARMOUR

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was granted bail on Friday after he was accused of having an unlicenced loaded gun and body armour earlier this month.

Hornsby Rolle, 34, appeared before Magistrate Shaka Serville. There he faced charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm, possession of ammunition and possession of unauthorised body armour.

On June 6 in New Providence, Rolle was allegedly

found with a black Taurus G2C 9mm pistol with the serial number. At the time of his arrest he was also allegedly found with five unfired rounds of 9mm ammunition and a blue Export Erez bulletproof vest without approval from the licensing authority.

The accused pleaded not guilty to all charges. Bail was granted at $8,500 with one or two sureties each. Rolle is expected to sign in at Central Police Station every Monday and Thursday by 7pm. This trial will begin on August 22.

FORMER President Donald Trump speaks during the North Carolina Republican Party Convention in Greensboro, N.C., Saturday. As former President Donald Trump prepares for a momentous court appearance this week on charges related to the hoarding of topsecret documents, Republican allies are amplifying without evidence claims that he’s the target of a political prosecution.

Photo:George Walker IV

While US VP visit shows value of PM’s travels, accountability is still needed

By Malcom Strachan

THE streets of The Bahamas came to a halt last week as the cavalcade of Kamala Harris came to town.

Roads were blocked and curious onlookers peeped out as the US Vice President’s convoy swept past – one, two, ten, 20 - I lost count of how many vehicles were part of the procession.

Amid all the pomp and ceremony, however, one thing has gone relatively unmentioned – this visit, by the most senior US politician in office since Independence, is somewhat of a vindication for Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis.

There has, rightly, been a lot of talk about our leader’s travels. It seems he is constantly getting on board planes and heading off to here, there or just about anywhere. With that, there has been a share of criticism. Why must the PM be always jetting off instead of dealing with issues here at home, how much of our money is he spending … and so on.

Last week, Mr Davis defended his travels in Parliament, calling it a “non-issue”. He added: “If we are to be a respected voice on the world stage to represent our interests, then travel is necessary. If we are to forge alliances and build partnerships to benefit the nation, these kinds of things take time, especially when the previous prime minister represented the nation so poorly on the world stage, preferring to call us corrupt than highlight our

excellence.”

The arrival of Vice President Harris last week was an example of how such travels are paying off.

Mr Davis has repeatedly touted the need to deal with climate change and its effects while on his travels. He has also petitioned the United States for assistance in dealing with the problem of gun trafficking that brings so many deadly weapons to our streets.

Well, here was Ms Harris, arriving in Nassau to discuss those very issues – along with what to do about the problems in Haiti. She arrived with more than $100m in announced funding for various issues – although let’s be honest, that is a rounding error in the US foreign budget. That’s like you or me showing up to a friend’s house with a nice bottle of wine. Very welcome, of course –let’s not do it down, but it’s not going to end the threat of climate change or take all the guns off our streets on its own.

But the fact that Ms Harris arrived and spoke to Bahamian and Caribbean issues on our turf and on our terms says a lot about the influence that Mr Davis has garnered with his travels.

Mr Davis also highlighted recently his trip to London for the coronation of King Charles III, where he said in his audiences with the King that “it was made clear that The Bahamas was a priority”.

He promised there would

as well as with the UK government. All well and good. That’s not to say that issues do not remain.

We still do not know the cost of that trip to London – and there seems no urgency on the part of the government to ever tell us such things. Certainly, Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell was dismissive of the suggestion that he should have to account for foreign travel costs.

But here’s the thing. The cost doesn’t have to be a divisive issue. The Prime Minister says our travels are paying off – great, let’s account for it.

When the government packed off a substantial group to Dubai, for example, there should be no reason afterwards why we cannot have a proper accounting of the cost, the actual benefits and the potential benefit. What did we get out of it? What do we get out of each of these trips?

The Prime Minister’s political courting of the US Vice President has brought tangible benefits in terms of the $100m plus that came with her visit – so why not stack that against actual figures for how much it cost in his previous trip to the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles and the cost to host last week’s bilateral meeting of Caribbean leaders?

We can acknowledge value while still holding to account. If I invest $1m and gain $100m, that’s a good investment – and then some. There can also remain some concerns about the size and composition of

some of our delegations. During the London trip, more than a few peered at photographs and wondered why this person or that person was there. The value our nation gains from any such delegates and any such visit is a valid thing to query. That sounds like I am being critical – but to return to my point, last week’s visit was a vindication of such a policy of travel. Drawing closer to our neighbours and being

able to work with them on issues affecting our region is a positive for The Bahamas. Will last week’s visit end the risk of climate change to our country? No. Will it mean we no longer have guns on our streets? I’m not sure that’s ever possible as long as guns are made in a place just a short boat ride away. Asking for one visit to solve all such problems would be unrealistic. But it is a step. And it is an indication that our voice is being heard.

How often in the past would we be crying out and left to feel as if our voice went unheard?

So credit to Mr Davis –our voice is not just being heard, but our message is being taken seriously.

I still think we should put a price tag on such travels – surely we can be mature enough to have a discussion not just about cost but about value. But for now, Vice President Harris’ visit has shown what value looks like, and that is no small thing.

US Vice President Kamala Harris and Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis in a relaxed moment as they prepare to pose for a picture together.

Photo: Austin Fernander

US Vice President Kamala and Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis speak during thring the meeting with Caribbean leaders.

Photo: BIS

‘Mirrors don’t lie’, but there is more to see beyond the reflection

MIRRORS are a tool of visual self-reference extensively used and universally trusted, so much so that the expression “mirrors don’t lie” has become near commonplace. But a strange thing happens as we age. We can find ourselves looking straight at the reflection in the mirror and momentarily ignoring skin tone and hair texture, gazing into our past and seeing instead remnants of the child that once was. My patient, hereafter referred to as Aaliyah, previously looked in a mirror and saw a truly happy child, never sick, laughing and playing with her brother and sister on the island of Abaco. Today, she’s 23 years old and when she looks in a mirror, that cherished reflection of a joyous, stress-free child is long gone.

Eight years ago, Aaliyah began developing rashes on her arms and legs that gradually spread, eventually sparing no part of her body or face. The shocking change in appearance paralysed her every time she looked in a mirror. Adding insult to injury, the rash was incredibly itchy and coupled with other symptoms like extreme tiredness, fever, chest pain and headaches, it made life almost unbearable. After a week, her symptoms progressed. Aaliyah began experiencing pain and stiffness in all her joints and she was taken to a local physician.

Initially, her mother assumed the rash was caused by sea lice (jellyfish larvae) which so tiny they can rarely be spotted while swimming in the warm and clear turquoise ocean during the summer. To their surprise, the doctor diagnosed Aaliyah with early onset arthritis and referred her to a rheumatologist in Nassau for treatment.

Somewhat bewildered, they took his advice and met with the rheumatologist at his earliest available appointment, less than a week later.

Blood was drawn and after a thorough examination, Aaliyah was diagnosed with Lupus. The news sent shock waves through her mother as Aaliyah turned to her to understand what was said and how to react.

The next few days were blurred by the shadow of her overwhelming disbelief.

The only thing Aaliyah can remember from that week of her Lupus diagnosis is speaking to her beloved grandmother who hugged her tightly and told her that everyone has a cross to bear. It’s up to her to lift that cross high on her shoulders and walk with faith or let its weight drag her down to the ground.

Lifting it will strengthen you, she said, but giving it the power to burden your existence will weaken your mind, your body and your soul. Those words and her grandmother’s loving embrace resonated deeply and with her mother’s unyielding support, that day Aaliyah was determined to push forward.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an incurable autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system attacks multiple organs and tissues. It creates a life-threatening inflammatory reaction which left untreated can inflict severe damage on the skin, lungs, heart and kidneys. Lupus is characterised by the distinctive malar face rash that’s shaped like a butterfly incorporating the cheeks, bridge of the nose and forehead. While the cause is still unknown, Lupus affects women nine times more than men and is more prevalent in individuals of African descent. Treatment is aimed at improving symptoms and preventing flares.

Aaliyah travelled back and forth to Nassau every three months to have her medication dosage adjusted. The steroids prescribed to mitigate her inflammation caused weight gain and as a teenage girl, she struggled with the changes to her appearance. Her eyes were puffy and so swollen they constantly ached, forcing her to wear shades while at school.

Then, by the time she got to grade 12, her cross became heavier and Aaliyah began having seizures, at one point having five epileptic fits back-to-back. Her medication dosage was quickly adjusted and she was started on anti-seizure medication.

After graduation, Aaliyah was accepted to the University of The Bahamas in its Education programme preparing her to qualify for a teaching position upon graduation. But the curriculum was intense and the stress caused flares so severe she had to be hospitalised on four separate occasions. The pain in her joints was crippling. Aaliyah experienced hair loss and a headache so crushing that her head felt like it would explode. The inflammation in her brain was also deeply concerning and doctors suspected that she’d have a stroke at any moment. So, after four months, Aaliyah was forced to leave university and return home.

At home, Aaliyah initially worked on one of the Abaco cays but the heat took a toll and caused her to faint. She was relegated to working an office job performing secretarial duties with constant air-conditioning, shielded from the sun. It’s not the career she envisioned, and she hasn’t given up on her dream of becoming a teacher but, she enjoys her work and finds it fulfilling.

Aaliyah’s message to others facing similar trials is to take your medication on time because when she didn’t, her flares were infinitely worse. She also advocates trying to keep your stress levels in check.

She’s in pain everyday but the pendulum swings from nagging to unbearable anytime she gets anxious and upset. She’s learned not to

By DR KENNETH D KEMP

worry about things she can’t change and to focus on the good in every situation, especially those precious moments associated with motherhood.

During her pregnancy, her heart rate dropped precipitously without warning and an emergency C-section was performed when she was 34 weeks along. Following delivery, her son was in acute distress and dangerously close to death’s door. He had to be placed on oxygen for two days and monitored for an additional two weeks before being discharged from the hospital weighing five pounds, eleven ounces. He is four years old now and seeing him smile and hearing him laugh reminds Aaliyah daily that she is blessed and that for every cross, there is a crown.

The significance of seeing one’s own reflection cannot be overstated. The first mirror was constructed over 8,000 years ago in Turkey (at the time referred to as Anatolia) using ground then polished obsidian. This glass, made by rapidly cooled volcanic lava, was challenging to collect so surprisingly, it would take several centuries before polished stone, copper and bronze were the preferred source elements for mirror production. Then in 1835, a German scientist applied a thin layer of metallic silver to one side of a clear pane of glass yielding the reflective mirrors widely used today.

During the medieval period, the use of mirrors fell out of favour because of religious protestations that it was a gateway to hell and a tool used by Satan to spy on humans. In modern times, however, it’s hard to imagine any home anywhere bereft of mirror adornment. But what may be the most interesting fact is the sheer volume of differences a mirror can reflect. With a world population of some eight billion people, a single mirror were it able to travel to every person everywhere could reflect eight billion different images with eight billion stories to share.

When Aaliyah looks in a mirror today, she no longer sees the younger stress-free version of self that haunted her for years. Today she sees a mother, a survivor, eyes filled with hope and more often than not, shoulders broad enough to bear the weight of whatever cross she’s forced to carry.

This is The KDK Report.

Kemp is the founder and medical director of Bahamas Foot and Ankle located in Caves Village, Western as the deputy chairman for the Health Council for five years and he currently sits on the board of directors Hospital Foundation in his role as co-vice-chairman.

straight at the reflection in the mirror and... gazing into our past and seeing instead remnants of the child that once was.’

As aspiring member states grow, views that the Commonwealth is in decline are unjustified

By Dr Anne T Gallagher

Predictions of the imminent end of the Commonwealth are legion, with major events such as the death or ascension of the British monarch provoking especially dire warnings of the Commonwealth’s certain and justifiable collapse. In the public mind this sounds reasonable. Isn’t it true that Barbados jumped ship, and that other countries including Australia, Canada, and Jamaica, are heading in that direction?

Isn’t it true that the very idea of the Commonwealth is a tragic, deluded artefact of a world we’d all prefer to leave behind?

Well, actually no. Like Barbados, the countries mentioned above — and many more besides — are indeed likely to leave the ‘realm’ over the next few years; in other words, they will remove the British monarch as their official Head of State. But none of them, not one, is abandoning the Commonwealth. Rather than diminishing, the Commonwealth’s list of Member States and aspiring Member States is growing at a rate not seen for decades. Most are from Francophone Africa, and it is worthwhile to reflect on what they want from their association — and reasonable to ask what they might be expected to contribute. But such questions do not distract from the reality of a strong trend of steady growth that runs directly counter to much of the mainstream narrative about the health of the Commonwealth.

And what about the charge that the Commonwealth is not much more than a sad relic of a bygone and best-forgotten era, some kind of British empire 2.0? While this is a bit more difficult to untangle, similar misunderstandings have clouded the debate. The Commonwealth is indeed a successor to the British empire. But the association is voluntary. No country is compelled to join or to stay. Every member can be presumed to be making a rational calculation about costs and rewards. It has been argued that some of the small former colonies of the UK cannot exercise a meaningful choice to leave the Commonwealth because they need it to thrive and be noticed. That the Commonwealth is useful to its 32 small states is undoubtedly true. But this can hardly be turned into a credible argument for ditching the organisation. None of these countries is claiming they would be better off without it. Understanding why independent states have chosen to remain in association with their former coloniser

is also made easier by appreciating that the Commonwealth owes its origins as much to ideas of anti-imperialism as imperialism. When the modern organisation was formed in 1949, India rejected the notion that formal allegiance to the British crown should be a condition of membership, paving the way for the majorityrepublican grouping we see today. In the 1960s — and again in the 1980s — the Commonwealth agenda was dominated by debates regarding overturning the white-settler regimes in Southern Rhodesia and South Africa.

Today, the Commonwealth is again being used to challenge colonial ills, including a legacy of antiquated and inhumane laws.

It is the Commonwealth’s unique relationship with

— and sensitivity to — issues of imperialism that gives it such an important role to play in this work — and it’s why attempts to instrumentalise the Commonwealth in favour of narrowly Western foreign policy goals are misguided and doomed to fail.

The fact that the Commonwealth isn’t a neo-colonial enterprise — as its critics often claim —doesn’t mean that it is OK. Like counterpart intergovernmental organisations established in the mid-twentieth century, its inclination lies heavily towards complacency and stagnation rather than genuine innovation. And, just as I experienced during a lifetime of service to the United Nations, the Commonwealth’s Member States sometimes forget, often in a fog of mutual recrimination, that this is their organisation, established and owned and funded by them. If they really want a different, better Commonwealth, then they have the power to make that happen.

Any renewal or reinvention will have to start with a new story of what the Commonwealth is and what it is striving to do. The old story, which spoke to the idea of a voluntary grouping of like-minded, independent countries, united by ties of history, law and language, is no longer fit for purpose. A new story could reaffirm the Commonwealth as a values-based organisation — one that elevates principles of human rights, democracy and equality in ways that resonate for the Commonwealth’s 2.5 billion citizens. In practical terms, that would require the organisation

to pay closer and more careful attention to what matters for its people: issues such as environmental degradation; inadequate health care; public sector corruption; economic underdevelopment; and the slow, inexorable erosion of personal liberties we see right across the wider Commonwealth.

Second: Member States should appreciate that the benefit they derive from being part of a valuesbased organisation will naturally diminish the more this aspect of the Commonwealth’s identity is eroded. The Commonwealth used to be better at demanding, (if somewhat unevenly), a certain standard of conduct from its Members. It famously stood up to South Africa (and the United Kingdom) over apartheid. Suspension has also been occasionally used, especially in response to military coups. But the timidity that has marked its more recent years is disappointing. Members should be prepared to demand of each other a basic standard of governance and human rights. To be paralysed in the face of egregious violations of the Charter reflects badly on everyone.

Third: The Commonwealth could do much more to walk the talk of familial solidarity. It is frankly an embarrassment that its smallest and most vulnerable countries remained unvaccinated through the worst of the Covid pandemic, especially when fellow Member States were stockpiling greater supplies than they could ever have needed. And there are missed opportunities when it comes

to climate change. The Commonwealth is home to most of the world’s small island developing states, for whom global warming is a genuinely existential threat; it should be leading the charge on the world stage when it comes to basic issues such as loss and damage compensation. Instead, it appears constrained and muted.

Finally, while the Commonwealth should never be mistaken for the British Empire, we cannot afford to ignore the history that intimately connects both institutions. The King of England is the ceremonial Head of the Commonwealth and many of the countries that suffered terribly under British colonialism are members of the organisation he leads. I’m unsure that the Commonwealth is the right forum to take on issues such as reparations. But I do know that most Commonwealth countries will be rightly dissatisfied with confident assertions that unpicking history around slavery and exploitation is ‘not the right way forward’. It is naïve and dangerous to turn a blind eye to resentments that are bubbling very close to the surface. Ignored, they will eat away at the heart and soul of this ‘family of nations’ until there is little left but a hollow shell. The Commonwealth must remain open to dialogue and determined to find unity in diversity. Its survival has always depended on both.

director general of the Commonwealth Foundation.

BRITAIN’s King Charles III meets with guests during a reception for the inaugural Queen’s Reading Room Literary Festival at Hampton Court Palace, London, Sunday June 11, 2023.

Photo: Adrian Dennis/AP

DR Anne T Gallagher

Caribbean’s role as a voice of reason in a fractured OAS

ON MAY 31, the Organization of American States (OAS) faced a prolonged and contentious debate that lasted from 2:30 in the afternoon until well past midnight. This episode, marked by acrimony and political undercurrents, which was webcast publicly and instantly to the world, is likely to be revisited during the upcoming OAS General Assembly from June 21 to 23 in Washington, D.C., the headquarters of the OAS.

The discussion on May 31, was officially about the Budget of the Organization, but there were many undercurrents in the contentious debate. Among them were antagonistic attitudes by a few countries toward the OAS Secretary-General which were unreasonably morphed into hostility to the OAS as an institution.

At the end of the debate, which was characterized by classic filibustering techniques by representatives of four countries, a ceiling for the Budget, proposed by Antigua and Barbuda on behalf of all 14 CARICOM countries, was adopted by 25 of the 32 active member states of the Organization, with five countries against

World View

By SIR RONALD SANDERS

and two abstentions. The five countries that opposed were: Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia and Mexico, and the abstaining countries were El Salvador and Honduras. The current estimated cost for the Organization to fulfil its mandates is $115 to $120 million, but its real Budget for 2023 is a mere $82.8 million. This had led to a severe reduction in staff and many of the beneficial programmes in development, security, functional cooperation, technical assistance and even in human rights monitoring. The proposal by CARICOM countries for a Budget ceiling was $92.1 million, woefully short by as much as $28 million of actual costs but, nonetheless, an attempt to keep the Organization from ineffectiveness and inefficiency.

Yet, resistance persisted. The OAS has been in a financial crisis for many years. Over the last seven years, there has been no increase in the contributions of the member states to the Organization, except by 14 countries since 2021. The quota increase for the 14 countries was occasioned by a decision of the U.S. Congress to limit the U.S. share of the Budget to no more than 49.9 percent. It fell to 14 countries to fill the gap; among them were 9 CARICOM countries whose quotas increased by 33.33 percent. At no time did the 14 affected countries threaten or seek to disrupt the functioning of the Organization by refusing to pay the increased burden that fell upon them.

Yet, a few countries, faced with an increase in their quotas - at the highest

end, of approximately 36 per cent – a mere 3 percent higher than the sum that 9 CARICOM countries have been paying for the past three years (2021-2023) -strenuously objected to the Budget ceiling proposed by CARICOM countries in the contentious budget debate of May 31.

The OAS is the only regional or international organization in which there is no penalty if member states never pay their assessed contributions. Hence, there are member states that have not paid for years, affecting both the actual money available to the Organization and its cash flow. The truth is the organization is limping along, a shattered shadow of its former self.

The External Audit Committee of the OAS has officially warned the member states that “For over a decade, the in-year budget is dramatically insufficient to meet the programmatic and administrative requirements of the OAS.” It repeated five recommendations to improve the dire situation. But no action has been taken as the OAS drifts relentlessly into paralysis.

Ministers and Ambassadors of the 32 active member states of the OAS will gather from June 21 to 23 for the OAS General Assembly with little prospect of revitalizing and rejuvenating the OAS whose ancient Charter and outdated rules desperately require change to save the Organization from being strangled by them. The Charter has not been amended since 1993 and it is not fit for purpose in a world where events connect every nation. The Organization’s rules also urgently need change.

So why should CARICOM countries care? The answer is that, properly functioning, the Organization has the capacity to maintain peace and security in the Hemisphere, which is crucial to trade and investment, political stability and economic growth. The OAS also provides valuable mechanisms for functional cooperation between states on a range of issues such as combating crime; drug abuse control; advancing the interests of women; and education.

Further, the OAS is the only hemispheric organization in which small states

have a voice and a vote equal to the larger states, like Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the US.

It is in the OAS that CARICOM countries can influence decisions and advance ideas in the Americas that redound to the benefit of its own peoples. That is why CARICOM’s role in the work of the OAS, including at the General Assembly in a few days’ time, should be that of an honest broker, providing a bridge to narrow differences between others, and a voice of reason when reasonableness can be of the greatest benefit to all. Responses and previous commentaries: www. sirronaldsanders.com

(The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organization of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are entirely his own. Responses and previous commentaries: www.sirronaldsanders.com)

1942 BLAZE LEADS TO MODERNISATION AND TRAINING FOR RBPF

ON JUNE 28, 1942, 11 buildings on Bay, George, and King Streets caught fire. The Bahamas Police Force responded to the blaze and with the help of volunteers it was successfully extinguished. However, concerns arose within the community regarding the workload and capabilities of the force.

A newspaper article, published six days after the fire, highlighted the need for better equipment, emphasising that the police were overburdened with additional responsibilities.

The following year, in 1943, Sir Harry Oakes, a wealthy individual, was found dead at his residence.

Two police officers from Miami were brought in to assist in the investigation.

In response to this incident and other challenges faced by the force, an inquiry was conducted a year later. The inquiry revealed that the force was understaffed, lacked adequate training, and had insufficient resources to carry out their duties effectively.

To address these issues, the inquiry committee recommended several changes, which included: hiring a full-time instructor; organising lectures by European

officers, magistrates, and other relevant departments; making attendance at the police training school mandatory for officers with less than four years of service and voluntary for those with more years; and implementing performancebased promotions through examinations. While some of these recommendations were immediately implemented, others were gradually adopted over the course of the following decade.

During the 1950s, the force underwent significant organisational improvements and expansions. Although there was a notable presence of nonBahamian officers, Edward Sears became the first Bahamian to act as Commissioner in 1954. His successor, EJH ColchesterWemyss, played a pivotal role in modernising the force and addressing officer welfare concerns.

Under his leadership, several police stations were constructed or renovated, providing improved working conditions.

Commissioner ColchesterWeymms introduced a canteen facility for officers to socialise, implemented a flag for the force, and

changed the work shift system from 24-hour shifts to 8-hour shifts with a three-shift schedule.

He also introduced annual events for officers and their families, including an Annual Ball, Christmas Dinner, Children’s Christmas Party, and police sports. Additionally,

he established proficiency examinations for Constables and Corporals, and implemented the Force Orders, which outlined regulations and procedures for the daily management of the Force. These changes laid the foundation for the modernisation of the Bahamas Police Force.

Overall, the fire of 1942 and subsequent events led to a realization of the challenges faced by the force, such as understaffing, inadequate training, and limited resources. Through inquiries, recommendations, and the leadership of Commissioner Colchester-Weymms, significant improvements

were made to enhance the capabilities, organisation, and welfare of the force. These changes played a crucial role in shaping the modern Bahamas Police Force. a series provided by the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

NEW members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force standing at attention during graduation ceremony last year.

REGULAR Meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organisation of American States on June 7 in Washington DC.

Photo: Juan Manuel Herrera/OAS

WILDCATS AND AVENGERS UPSET IN FLAG FOOTBALL

SEMIFINALS

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas Flag Football League (BFFL) semifinals saw both defending champions ousted from the playoffs this past weekend.

The day of upsets at the Winton Rugby Field started with the Fidelity/ Money Maxx Phoenix Fire toppling the Paradise Games Wildcats.

Avengers, the men’s defending champions, saw their chances of repeating thwarted by the Oasis Team Red Dot.

Among the other teams to advance to the finals were the EDLC Lions and the Caro Contractors Lady Avengers.

The finals are now set for the Lady Avengers to match up against Phoenix Fire.For the men’s division, the Lions will battle Team Red Dot for a chance to be crowned the 2023 BFFL champions.

GAME ONE

The Wildcats came into their matchup against the Phoenix Fire on a quest to collect their fourth straight title win.

As the pennant winners and the first women’s team to go undefeated in the regular season, expectations were high.

However, the Phoenix Fire stomped out their chances of making history after defeating the team 8-6. The Phoenix Fire got to work early in the first half after scoring a safety to go up 2-0 on the three-time champions. In the second half, the team completed a pick six to go up 8-0. The defending champions scored a touchdown late in the second half but ultimately were unable to get over the hump.

Jayson Clarke, head coach of the Phoenix Fire, talked about the upset of the defending champions.

“During the season I have been telling my players I believe we have the talent, the skill, and the coaching ability. The first time we played them a lot of their scores were low percentage and the second time we played them we held them 0-0 at halftime and 8-0 in the second half,” Mr Clarke said.

The coach added each time they played the defending champions they gained more confidence and yesterday’s message was to trust the coaching, trust our strategy, and trust the plan to be executed.

Although the team closed this season’s title window for the Wildcats, the coach said that game is now behind them and while it was a great victory they cannot get relaxed.

After coming up short in their championship quest, Wildcats’ general manager Dwight Marshall talked about the loss.

“Phoenix played an excellent game they executed a good game plan and it was obvious that they wanted to control the tempo of the game… we made a lot of mistakes our defence played well and we had a lot of chances on offence but once you lose momentum in sports its hard to get it back but respect to the Phoenix Fire they beat the three-time defending

SEE PAGE 16

Rhema Otabor wins NCAA javelin title

By BRENT STUBBS Senor Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

NEBRASKA’S junior Rhema

Otabor got the early lead and held on for a personal best and collegiate leading mark to win the women’s javelin title at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Austin, Texas.

Otabor headed a list of Bahamians in action over the four days of competition, including Terrence Jones, Charisma Taylor, Shaun Miller Jr and Anthaya Charlton, who all participated in their individual events at the Mike A. Myers Stadium.

In Thursday night’s final on the campus of the University of Texas, Otabor’s huge toss of 195feet, 2-inches or 59.49 metres in the second round was good enough for her to secure the win as she broke her own school record of 194-6 (59.28m).

She became the second Nebraska javelin thrower to win a national title, joining 1995 champion Denise Thiemard. She was also the first Bahamian to clinch the title. Retired national record holder Lavern Eve was a finalist for Louisiana State University.

Otabor now has the second best throw by a Bahamian, trailing Eve, who threw 63.73m for her national record feat in Nashville, Tennessee on April 22, 2000. The 20-year-old Otabor was elated with the victory more than anything else.

“I was really proud about my performance and I was really happy that I was able to execute my technique and my throws the way I wanted to, so I was very happy with my performance,” Otabor said.

From the first round, Otabor dropped the gauntlet on the field with a 193-8 (59.04m) heave to snatch the lead. Although she wasn’t challenged, she pushed

her mark further for the winning toss with the spear on the second attempt.

With a comfortable cushion, Otabor relaxed and watched as her nearest rival, Lianna Davison, a sophomore at Texas A&M, could only muster a 182-10 (58.78m) on her fifth attempt.

“I wasn’t concerned about going into the rest of my throws because essentially after I released the first throw and I knew it was a really good throw to get me into the final, I was a little relieved and I was able to be more aggressive with my second throw,” Otabor said.

After she was declared the winner, Otabor could be seen getting a big congratulatory hug from her coach Justin St. Clair.

“After I found out that my first place was solidified, I could not put my feelings into words,” she remembered.

She had to go into anti-doping immediately afterwards, so she really couldn’t celebrate with her family and friends on hand. But she took advantage of it the next day with lunch with her aunts Latina Lightbourne and Letitia Dean, who made the trip from The Bahamas for the event.

They were joined by Otabor’s brother Michaelangelo Bullard,

a javelin thrower as well, who is attending Texas State, but Bullard didn’t compete as he had to redshirt this season because of an injury.

Otabor, a graduate of Nassau Christian Academy. will compete in another meet in the United States before returning home for the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ National Championships, July 5-7 at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.

Hopefully by then she will have surpassed the qualifying standards of 209-4 (63.80m) for the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary from August 17-26. If she doesn’t, Otabor feels she should be able to secure an invite from World Athletics based on her world ranking.

The member of the Blue Chip Athletics Throwers Club, headed by coach Corrington Maycock, thanked all who supported her in her journey so far and said that she “hopes to continue to make you proud.”

JONES THIRD IN 200M

After missing out on an opportunity to advance to the final of the men’s 100m, Terrence Jones

SEE PAGE 16

mo an’s blu and os to host bahamas ames sloo sailin

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

MORGAN’S BLUFF

Andros will host the sloop sailing competition during the return of the Bahamas Games next month – with all other events being staged in New Providence.

The Rev Harrison Thompson, who serves as the acting chairman of the Games Secretariat, confirmed over the weekend that Andros has been granted the rights to stage their All Andros Regatta as the sloop sailing on competition for the Bahamas Games from July 13-16.

“I support that. I trust the day will come when we have other sports in different islands,” said Rev Thompson, who recently took over from the ailing Martin Lundy as the chairman of the Games Secretariat.

The Rev Dr Philip McPhee, who is working with the regatta committee, expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis for securing their bid to the Games Secretariat to hold the regatta as a component of the Bahamas Games.

“We are very delighted and pleased to announce that the All Andros Regatta is on and will be held in conjunction with the Bahamas Games,” Rev McPhee said. “There has been some glitches with that, but it has finally been crystalised now.

“But the sloop sailing segment of the Bahamas Games will be held in Morgan’s Bluff, Andros. The Prime Minister has given his blessing to it. It will be the only sailing competition during that time.”

Since the formation of the regatta as a part of the Independence celebrations from 1973, sloop sailing has been staged in Morgan’s Bluff and Rev McPhee said it’s only fitting that they continue that tradition with the Golden Jubilee celebrations.

Frank Hanna,

all

now deceased, were a part of the organising committee that got the All Andros Regatta up and running. Rev McPhee, however, said over the years they lost some of the luster, but they hope to rejuvenate the interest this year.

Rev McPhee, who was also a part of the steering committee for the All Andros Regatta, said they owe a debt of gratitude as well to the then Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Algernon Allen for making the provisions for the construction of the Regatta Village in Morgan’s Bluff.

With sailing having been declared the national sport of the country by the government during the National Family Island Regatta in Georgetown, Exuma in April, Rev McPhee said Androsians are going all out to ensure that the All Andros Regatta is a tremendous success.

“This year alone, Androsians have built six E Class boats and by the end of the year, we should have 8-10 boats being build this year by young Androsians, who have come together because they want to be a part of the sailing fraternity in our nation.”

All E Class boats from the length and breath of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas have been invited to participate in the All Andros Regatta at the Bahamas Games, according to Rev McPhee.

He thanked Dallas Knowles and Buzzy Rolle from Exuma for helping to facilitate the two-man sailing class.

However, in the other class of competition, Rev McPhee revealed that only one boat will be allowed to represent each island or grouping of islands, as constituted by the Games Secretariat.

Andros, Rev McPhee said, Revelations 3:21 will represent the C Class; a boat will be drafted for the B Class as there’s none attached to the island and they have also drafted the Ruff Respect out of Long Island to represent Andros in the A Class.

“Hopefully at the next Bahamas Games, Andros will be able to sail with its own

the classes, but we don’t have one on the stern of a B and an A boat that is Andros owned,” he said.

Rev McPhee joined Rev Thompson in expressing his sentiments that the Bahamas Games could and should be spread around the archipelago with the possibility of softball

SEE PAGE 16

BAHA MAR RESORT FOUNDATION HOSTS FIRST GOLF INVITATIONAL

RHEMA Otabor getting ready to throw the javelin.

RHEMA Otabor wirth her Nebraska coach, Justin St Clair.

Alphonso Smith, Carl Spencer and Sir Durward ‘Sea Wolf’ Knowles,

THE REGATTA site in Morgan’s Bluff, Andros.

THE BAHA Mar Resort Foundation hosted an inaugural golf invitational this past weekend at the Royal Blue Golf Club and raised $100,000 from local sponsors. See page 16 for more.

Photo: Tenahj Sweeting

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

The New York Liberty picked up two consecutive wins on the road and at home this past weekend. The most recent win came on Sunday after the team earned a 9-point win over the 5-4 Dallas Wings 102-93. Both teams were evenly matched at the start of the game and the first period of play ended with the Wings leading 25-23.

The Wings kept the bout close throughout the first half and after two quarters of play they led the Liberty 51-45.

However, the Liberty turned the tides in the third quarter outscoring the Wings 34-17. Bahamian Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) player Jonquel Jones nearly earned a double-double in the game. After 27 minutes of play, the Freeport forward put up 8 points, along with 8 boards, and 3 assists.

Additionally, Jones’ teammate Breanna Stewart led the charge in the third quarter where she scored 13 game-changing points.

In the midway mark of the third period the game was tied 60 apiece. However, Jones’ Liberty scored 19 of the next 24 points in the game. On the day, Stewart stuffed the stat sheet with 32 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 dimes to continue her early season momentum.

The third-seeded New York team had the advantage going into the final period of the game. Jones’ team had Dallas on the ropes leading the 5-4 Wings 79-68. Although the team was able to trim the lead to single digits at the midway mark of the fourth quarter, Jones’ teammate Stewart nailed a turnaround shot on the baseline followed by a trey from Sabrina Ionescu to quell the Wings late-game momentum. On the night, Ionescu turned in 22 points to pair with 6 rebounds and assists leading to the win. The point guard was still riding the momentum from her brilliant performance this past Friday.

The 6-2 Liberty were able to complete the weekend sweep on Sunday after they had defeated the Atlanta Dream by 23 points on Friday night. The Liberty pummeled the Dream 106-83 at the Gateway Center Arena. The Bahamian Jones scored 11 points and grabbed 8 boards in the game. The team’s leading scorer was Ionescu who amassed a career-high 37 points alongside 4 rebounds and assists. Ionescu also scored 20 points in the second quarter to help the team seal their win.

Jones’ team will look to build on this weekend’s two consecutive wins on Tuesday at the Barclays Center. The third-seeded club will seek to defeat the Dream once again for the season. The matchup starts at 8pm.

BAHA MAR RESORT FOUNDATION

HOSTS FIRST GOLF INVITATIONAL

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

The Baha Mar Resort Foundation hosted an inaugural golf invitational this past weekend at the Royal Blue Golf Club.

The 18-hole course, which was designed by Jack Nicklaus, featured play among golfers from many different organisations vying for a chance to win first place honours but also to give back to a worthy cause.

The Baha Mar Foundation raised $100,000 from local sponsors at this first golf invitational and all proceeds from the competition will be donated to initiatives and organisations in local communities. The event saw over 42 teams with a total of 84 players play in a two-scramble format.

Melvern Williamson, Baha Mar Resort Foundation Manager, talked about the purpose of this year’s event. “We planned this to ensure that we are always doing our part,” she said.

“It is our corporate responsibility we feel to make sure that we are always doing what we can and this being

the first will continue for years to come knowing that we can always give back.”

She added that the support from the various companies that sponsored them was overwhelming.

This first golf invitational was sponsored by John Bull, Sysco, Deltec Bank & Trust Limited, Caribbean Bottling, Commonwealth Bank, Bahamas Waste, Encore, Young’s Fine Wine and others.

On the day, the twoperson team of John Davis and Kristen Visalli from DTEC Plant Services won the competition with a total net of 52.6. Bahamasair’s Ian Sweeting and Rodwell Knowles finished in second place. Trevor Knowles and Colin Lightbourn of Caribbean Bottling finished the competition in third.

John Zaremba, senior vice president of casino operations and first time golfer, talked about his experience at the event.

“It’s fantastic, the weather could not be better and we are at Royal Blue – which is a phenomenal golf course. And I am with a bunch of friends and we are enjoying the day as we are doing it for a great cause. The foundation is a

tremendous opportunity to assist everybody on the island and I am happy to be apart of it,” Zaremba said.

Brenton “Boo” Rolle, first time participant and founder of Fix It Enterprises, talked about why he decided to participate and sponsor the event.

“We are a family with Baha Mar,” he said. “We deal with all the drainage stations and giving back is a part of FIE’s mantra… I am from the inner city community and I know what it is like in the community and giving back is very essential as we believe in sponsoring, and partnering.”

Larry Wilson, chief financial officer at the New Providence Ecology Park, said they decided to partner with the Baha Mar Resort Foundation because it aligns with what his company does as they are into clean energy, green waste

ANDROS TO HOST BAHAMAS GAMES SLOOP SAILING

FROM PAGE 15

being played in Eleuthera, basketball in Grand Bahama and swimming on another island.

“I think it defeats the purpose when everything is centre in and around New Providence,” Rev McPhee said.

“The government is prepared to spend a lot of money on developing these islands and so we hope that they can benefit in the future like we are doing with sloop sailing in Andros.”

It’s the second time that Morgan’s Bluff has played host to the sloop sailing in the Bahamas Games. Andros Sports Council chairman Brian Cleare said they are ready to welcome the rest of the Bahamas to Andros, known as the Big Yard.

“I think it will stimulate the economy in Andros and it will give the local youth on the island, who are interested in sailing, the opportunity to see a high quality of sailing from some of the best skippers the country,” Cleare said.

“For the past two summers, we had a number of sunfish sailing as a part of our youth month and summer activities and those kids who sailed in the sunfish are some who have expressed an interest in sailing in the main regatta.”

Having staged the arm of sloop sailing for the Bahamas Games in Andros before, Cleare said they are eager to duplicate their efforts, but this time they are intensifying their efforts because of the economic boost that will come to the island.

“The preparation for the Regatta Village is ongoing. We did some

repairs to it last year and so we have some minor repairs to be done to the site and so hopefully it will be ready in time for the regatta,” Cleare noted.

The North Andros District, according to Cleare, has also approved the naming of the regatta site after the Alphonso Smith, who was the commodore for the regatta for many years.

He said they are working towards the possibility of having that done during this year’s regatta and Bahamas Games celebrations.

Cleare, who doubles as the Sports Officer for the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, said although they had some damage to their facilities during the hurricane season, they are still optimistic that Andros will be ready for the games.

“We will be bringing out a very young team for the Bahamas Games, especially in track and field, but the kids are excited,” Cleare said.

“A lot of the older athletes who participated in the last Bahamas Games 20 years ago have retired, but they are now assisting the younger athletes.

“The last Bahamas Games, a lot of the younger athletes were not born, so we have to teach them about the concept of the games and they are now enthused. The games are coming along very well.”

This weekend, Cleare said they will host the Battle for Andros where all settlements of Andros will come together in their basketball competition in North Andros – they will then make their final selection for the Andros team.

and

trying to improve the environment. Although Wilson said he is not the best golfer, he enjoyed the event and format because it was a lot of fun to compete with friends.

The Baha Mar Resort Foundation Golf Invitational did not only give an opportunity for sponsors to enjoy themselves and give back but junior golfers did as well.

Georgette Rolle, head of the Fourteen Club Golf Academy, talked about the experience of the juniors.

our youth golfers here, because of all they have been afforded through the Foundation, most times youth will not have the opportunity to learn the importance of giving back. But the juniors that are here today did not have to be forced to come out which shows they are learning the true meaning of what it means to give back,” Rolle said. The Baha Mar Resort Foundation will look to continue its charitable efforts with more events like these in the future.

WILDCATS, AVENGERS UPSET IN SEMIS

FROM PAGE 15

champions,” Marshall said.

GAME TWO

The Avengers were unable to book their ticket to another finals after Team Red Dot closed them out 29-0. Team Red Dot were aggressive from the start of the game. In the first half, the team put 20 points on the scoreboard which went unanswered by the defending champions. However, in the second period of the game the Avengers looked to score on multiple occasions but the game belonged to Team Red Dot. The team added another nine points to their second half total to advance to their first flag football finals.

Edward Campbell, head coach of Team Red Dot, talked about how it felt to knock out the defending champions.

“It feels really good that’s a great team [that] I have battled for many years trying to get out of the semifinals round so it feels good to beat the defending champions to advance to the championships for the first time,” Campbell said.

The team’s mindset going into the playoffs was to forget the regular season records and pennant winners because it does not matter in the postseason. The coach said the team is not satisfied just yet and will look to claim another win.

GAME THREE

In a competitive matchup, the Lions took down the Predators 10-6 to solidify their spot in the finals. Despite the score, the game went right down to the wire as both teams battled ferociously to advance to the finals. The Predators and Lions

finished the first half 6-3 after they scored the first touchdown of the game but the opposing team followed it up with a field goal. In the second half, the Lions followed up their field goal with a pick six and extra point to make the score 10-6 giving them the lead. The Predators tried to score late in the game but were unsuccessful.

Travis Thompson, head coach of the Lions, said it felt amazing to get the win because all season they had some ups and downs with the league but overall they preserved and stayed together as a unit and will now play in the championships to finish the job.

GAME FOUR

The Lady Avengers won against the Sands Passion Fruit Hawks 7-6. The Avengers scored a touchdown early on in the first half and completed the play for the extra point. The team went up 7-0 going into the second half of play. Although the Hawks were able to score a touchdown to make the score 7-6, the Avengers did not allow them to score again sealing their spot in the finals.

Shericka Sands, team captain of the Avengers, said it felt good and it has been a long time coming for the team to make it to the championships.

Sands said the overall strategy in the win or go home game was to play their game and execute their plays and that strategy will remain unchanged for the finals.

The BFFL playoffs will take a brief hiatus and will resume on Sunday, June 25 for the men and women’s championship games.

Rhema Otabor wins NCAA javelin title

made up for it in the final of the 200m on Friday night. with a lifetime best of 19,.87 for fourth place.

The Grand Bahamian, competing for Texas Tech, sped out front in lane nine coming off the curve to hold the lead on the home stretch. He maintained his position for the majority of the race until he was caught and passed in the winding metres by Udodi Onwuzurike, a sophomore at Stanford, who took the tape in 19.84 with Jones’ teammate Courtney Lindsey picking up second in his PR of 19.86.

Jones trailed through the line behind the duo to become just the second Bahamian to dip under the 20-second barrier, Only national record holder Steven Gardiner, whose best of 19.75 from April 7, 2018 in Coral Gables, Florida, is faster. This has been a sensational year for Jones, who on April 15, matched Derrick Atkins’ national record of 9.91 that he set at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan in 2007 for the bronze medal, Jones, however, missed a chance to compete for the sprint double at the nationals, He could only

muster a 10.06 for 11th place in the 100m semis on Wednesday night. More disappointment came Friday when he anchored Texas Tech to an apparent victory in the men’s 4 x 100m, but they were eventually disqualified.

TAYLOR FOURTH/SIXTH

The women’s triple jump on Saturday was the last event for Tennessee’s senior Charisma Taylor to shine as she brought her collegiate career to a close. She soared 45-81/2 (13.93m) on her first attempt that had her

sitting in third place until Ruta Lasmane of Texas Tech shot past her with 46-71/2 (14.21m) on her third try to hold onto third. Taylor dropped to fourth place.

Jasmine Moore of Florida surged ahead of the chart with 48-6 (14.78m) for a PR, collegiate lead, meet and collegiate records with 48-6 (14.78m) over second place finisher Ackella Smith of Texas with 47-81/2 (14.54m).

The performance came after she had a heavy work schedule on Thursday. Taylor was sixth in the long jump final with her leap of 21-1/2 (6.41m). She was also 10th in the semi-finals of the 100m hurdles when she ran 12.94.

The ninth and final spot went into the final with 12.91.

MILLER TIED FOR FOURTH

In one of the most keenly contested finals in the men’s high jump, Shaun Miller Jr of Ohio State finished tied with four other competitors at 7-1 (2.16m) for fourth place overall.

Romaine Beckford of South Florida beat out Vernon Turner of Oklahoma on fewer knockdowns at 7-51/4 (2.27m) for the win. Roberto Vilches of Missouri was third

with 7.41/4 (2.24m).

CHARLTON 11TH

In her debut at the NCAA Championships for the University of Kentucky, Anthaya Charlton ran 11.18 for 11th place overall in the semifinals on Thursday night. That eliminated her from the final.

She made up for her exit by running the second leg for Kentucky in the women’s 4 x 100m relay final on Saturday as they clocked 42.46 to trail Texas with their winning time of 41.60.

Charlton was in the same spot as she helped Kentucky win their heat in a season’s best of 42.30 for the second fastest qualifying time behind Texas with the collegiate leading, facility, meet and collegiate records in 41.55.

Joining Charlton on the team were Victoria Perrow, Masai Russell and Karima Davis.

MOSS AND KENTUCKY

SIXTH

Megan Moss, running on the second leg, helped Kentucky to a sixth place finish in the final of the women’s 4 x 400m relay as the curtain came down on the meet on Saturday night. Moss and her teammates

Karimah Davis, Tamila Fuller and Dajour Miles clocked a season’s best of 3:27.47. But Arkansas emerged as the champions in their season’s best of 3:24.05. In the semifinals, the same quartet ran 3:29.95 for second place in their heat behind Duke (3:28.84) and the tenth overall, but the ninth fastest on the qualifying standard to book the final spot into the final. Duke ended up eighth in the final.

VALCOURT DIDN’T FINISH

In the women’s 400m semi final on Thursday, Javonya Valcourt started the last of three heats of the women’s 400m semi final, but she stopped running at the crack of the gun. There was no indication of whether or not she suffered an injury.

MCCOY AND CLEMSON DIDN’T FINISH

Wanya McCoy, running the pop off leg for Clemson, watched in disbelief as their men’s 4 x 400m relay team fail to finish the race after their third leg runner couldn’t hold onto the baton on the exchange from the second runner.

RHEMA Otabor throwing the javelin.

PHOTOS: Tenajh Sweeting

HSIEH AND WANG WIN FRENCH OPEN women’s doubles AFTER BEATING FERNANDEZ AND TOWNSEND

PARIS (AP) —

Unseeded Hsieh Su-Wei of Taiwan and Wang Xinyu of China won the French Open women’s doubles on Sunday after beating 10th-seeded Leylah Fernandez of Canada and Taylor Townsend of the United States 1-6, 7-6 (5), 6-1.

It was another upset victory for Hsieh and Wang after they beat sixth-seeded Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Perez to reach the final, and three other seeded pairs before that.

The feat was made more remarkable by the fact it was only their second tournament together after teaming up at Strasbourg last month.

“We were not thinking too much about winning or losing,” Wang said. “We were just really enjoying each other’s company on court.”

Champion

The 37-year-old Hsieh is now a five-time Grand Slam doubles champion — with the other three coming at Wimbledon. Hsieh and Peng Shuai won the women’s doubles title at the 2014 French Open.

Hsieh had not played a Slam since 2021 due to injury and was doubtful she could even play at Roland Garros.

“It’s very special because I was not expecting to play (here) and don’t know who I play with,” Hsieh said. “Because at this time on the clay-court season, the middle of the year or something like this, it’s hard to find a partner.”

She found the perfect one in the 21-year-old Wang, whose first major came on her Roland Garros debut.

It was the first major final in doubles for Fernandez, the 2021 U.S. Open singles runner-up. Townsend, in her only Slam final, was runnerup with Caty McNally at last year’s U.S. Open doubles to Barbora Krej íková and Kate ina Siniaková.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC WINS HIS 23RD GRAND SLAM TITLE BY BEATING CASPER RUUD IN THE FRENCH OPEN FINAL

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer

PARIS (AP) — Novak

Djokovic made clear for years this was his goal. What drove him. What inspired him. The biggest titles from his sport’s biggest stages were Djokovic’s main aim and now he finally stands alone — ahead of Rafael Nadal, ahead of Roger Federer, ahead of every man who ever has swung a racket.

If Djokovic could wait this long to hold this record, he certainly could wait for the half-hour or so it took to straighten out his strokes in the French Open final. And so, after a bit of a shaky start in thick, humid air and under foreboding clouds Sunday, he imposed himself. The opponent at Court Philippe Chatrier, Casper Ruud, never really stood a serious chance after that.

Djokovic earned his men’srecord 23rd Grand Slam singles championship, breaking a tie with Nadal and moving three in front of the retired Federer, with a 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-5 victory over Ruud that was not in doubt for most of its 3 hours, 13 minutes.

Djokovic puts this one alongside the French Open titles he earned in 2016 and 2021, making him the only man with at least three from each major. He won his very first at the 2008 Australian Open and now possesses a total of 10 trophies from there, seven from Wimbledon and three from the U.S. Open.

“I knew that going into the tournament, going into the match, especially, today, that there is history on the line, but I try to focus my attention and my thoughts into preparing for this match in the best way possible to win, like any other match,” Djokovic said, wearing a red jacket with “23” stitched on the chest. “Of course I would lie if I say that I didn’t think about the finish line that is right there and that one more match is needed to win a trophy — a historic one.”

Also worth noting: He again is halfway to a calendaryear Grand Slam — winning all four majors in one season — something no man has achieved since Rod Laver in 1969. Djokovic came close in 2021, when he won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon and made it all the way to the title match at the U.S. Open before losing to Daniil Medvedev.

Djokovic will resume that pursuit at Wimbledon, which begins on the grass of the All England Club on July 3.

“He has this software in his head that he can switch (on) when a Grand Slam comes,” said his coach, Goran Ivanisevic. “The day we arrived here, he was better, he was more motivated, he was more hungry. Every day, he played better and better.”

Entering the 2011 season,

this is how the Slam count looked: 16 for Federer, nine for Nadal, one for Djokovic.

“Pretty decent 12 years, I must say, for me,” Djokovic said with a smile.

The climb began with a trio that year and accelerated lately: He has clutched the trophy at 11 of the last 20 Slams, a remarkable run made even more so when considering that he did not participate in two majors during that span because he did not get vaccinated against COVID19. Djokovic was deported in January 2021 before the Australian Open, and he was not allowed to fly to the United States ahead of last year’s U.S. Open under a rule that since has been lifted.

Getting to 23 not only sets the mark for men, but it also lets Djokovic equal Serena Williams, who wrapped up her career last year, for the most by anyone in the Open era, which began in 1968. Margaret Court won some of her all-time record of 24 Slam trophies in the amateur era.

Points

At 20 days past his 36th birthday, the Serb is the oldest singles champion at Roland Garros, considered the most grueling of the majors because of the lengthy, grinding points required by the red clay, which is slower than the grass or hard courts underfoot elsewhere.

Nadal’s 22nd major arrived in Paris a year ago, two days after he turned 36. He has been sidelined since January by a hip injury and had arthroscopic surgery on June 2.

“Many congrats on this amazing achievement,” Nadal tweeted shortly after the final concluded. “23 is a number that just a few years back was (impossible) to think about, and you made it!”

Djokovic’s triumph on

Sunday means he will return to No. 1 in the ATP rankings on Monday, replacing Carlos Alcaraz. Djokovic already has spent more weeks at the top spot than any player — man or woman — since the inception of computerized tennis rankings a half-century ago.

It was Djokovic who eliminated Alcaraz in the semifinals on Thursday, wearing him down over two thrilling sets until the 20-year-old Spaniard’s body cramped up badly. Alcaraz continued to play, but the scores of the last two sets of the four-set match told the story: 6-1, 6-1.

This was the third Slam final in the past five events for Ruud, a 24-year-old from Norway, but he is now 0-3. He lost to Nadal at the French Open a year ago and to Alcaraz at the U.S. Open last September.

Perhaps due to an awareness of all that was at stake, Djokovic, in his 34th major final, was the one who got off to a shaky start.

“Maybe feeling a bit nervous, little stressed,” Ruud said about his opponent.

But by the close of the first set, Djokovic was downright Djokovic-esque, as he was while taking 12 of the last 13 points of the match, most accompanied by spectators’ thunderous chants of his twosyllable nickname, “No-le! No-le! No-le!”

When one last miscue from Ruud landed out, Djokovic dropped onto his back with limbs spread wide.

“He kind of pressures you, in a way, to go for more risks, and that’s tough,” Ruud said. “He just stepped up, like he knows how to do.”

At first, though, Djokovic kept missing forehands — into the net, wide, long — then made a different sort of mistake, shanking an overhead from near the net way beyond the opposite baseline to get broken and trail 2-0.

For whatever reason, that

SERBIA’S Novak Djokovic kisses the trophy as he celebrates winning the men’s singles final match of the French Open tennis tournament against Norway’s Casper Ruud in three sets, 7-6, (7-1), 6-3, 7-5, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Sunday, June.

(AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

shot always has been Djokovic’s “bête noire,” and he missed another overhead later in the set.

Soon, Ruud led 4-1, thanks in part to Djokovic’s troubles. By then, Djokovic accumulated 13 unforced errors, while Ruud made just four.

And then everything changed.

After finishing the first set with 18 unforced errors, Djokovic recalibrated himself, with merely 14 over the last two sets combined.

Then it was Ruud’s turn to flub an overhead, rocking back and depositing his into the net to end a 29-stroke point. Djokovic’s first service break made it 4-3, and he shook his right fist.

“A bit devastating,” Ruud called it.

Tiebreaker

They went to a tiebreaker, truly Djokovic’s dominion. When the import rises, along with the tension, he simply excels.

“He sort of just goes into this mode,” Ruud said, “where he just becomes like a wall.”

During the first-to-7 segment, Djokovic contributed four winners and zero unforced errors.

That made his career mark in tiebreakers 308-162, a winning percentage of .655. In 2023, he is 15-4, including 6-0 in Paris — there were 55 points played across that halfdozen, and Djokovic’s sum total of unforced errors was zero.

“He just steps up,” Ruud said. “Either he plays ridiculous defence or he plays beautiful winners. Just doesn’t do any mistakes.”

That set alone lasted 1 hour, 21 minutes, chock full of extended exchanges, the sort of points about which entire stories could be written. There

were those that lasted 20, 25, 29 strokes. One was won by Ruud with the help of a backto-the-net, between-the-legs shot. On another, Djokovic tumbled behind the baseline, smudging his red shirt, blue shorts and skin with the rustcoloured clay.

Djokovic’s scrambling and stretching and bending and twisting on defence shows up on the scoreboard, for sure. But all of the long points also sap an opponent’s energy and will.

“It’s just annoying for me,” Ruud said, “but it’s very, very impressive.”

When Djokovic broke to lead 3-0 in the second set, his powers now on full display, he jabbed his right index finger against his temple over and over and over. He wheeled to face his nearby box in the stands, where the group included Ivanisevic, Djokovic’s wife and two children, his parents, his agent and even seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady.

The retired Brady is widely viewed as the NFL’s “Greatest Of All Time” — or “GOAT,” for short — and there has been a debate in the tennis world for quite some time over which among Djokovic, Nadal or Federer deserves that sobriquet. If the barometer is Grand Slam championships, no one can argue against Djokovic’s status at the moment.

“I leave those kind of discussions of ‘who is the greatest?’ to someone else. I have, of course, huge faith and confidence and belief (in) myself and for everything that I am and who I am and what I am capable of doing,” Djokovic said at his news conference, the Coupes des Mousquetaires at arm’s length. “So this trophy obviously is another confirmation of the quality of tennis that I’m still able to produce, I feel.”

IGA SWIATEK TOPS KAROLINA MUCHOVA IN THE FRENCH OPEN FINAL

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer

PARIS (AP) — Iga Swiatek suddenly seemed lost in the French Open final. Her strokes were awry. Her confidence was gone. Her big early lead vanished, too.

She kept looking up into the stands, seeking guidance from her coach and her sports psychologist.

So much was amiss right up until she was two games from defeat against unseeded Karolina Muchova on Saturday. And then, when she needed to most, Swiatek transformed back into, well, Swiatek. The No. 1 player in women’s tennis for more than a year. The defending champion at Roland Garros. Aggressive. Decisive. Full of clarity.

Swiatek overcame a second-set crisis and a third-set deficit to reel off the last three games, topping Muchova 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 to collect a third career championship at the French Open and fourth Grand Slam title.

“It’s pretty surreal, everything. But the match was really intense, a lot of ups and downs. Stressful moments and coming back,” said Swiatek, now 4-0 in major finals. “So I’m pretty happy that at the end I could be solid in those few last games and finish it.”

Looking comfortable as can be at the outset, she raced to a 3-0 lead after just 10 minutes in Court Philippe Chatrier — taking 12 of the initial 15 points — and then was ahead 3-0 in the second set, too, before Muchova made things more intriguing.

“I could see that she was a little bit struggling, a little bit more tense,” Muchova said.

Swiatek seemed out of sorts, unable to find the right strokes and unable to figure out why. Players are allowed to communicate with their coaches, but whatever Tomasz

wasn’t

away. “For sure, in second set, I was more looking for some kind of advice,” Swiatek explained, “and just a view of what I’m doing wrong

sometimes.”

Muchova grabbed five of six games on the way to pulling even at a set apiece. She carried that momentum into the deciding set, going ahead by a break twice.

“I came a live, a little bit,” Muchova said.

Sure did. And yet that’s when Swiatek returned to her usual brand of crisp, clean tennis, scurrying around the red clay with sublime defense and finding just the occasions to try for a winner.

“I just kind of felt like I need to be more courageous,” Swiatek said, “and make some good decisions.”

When it ended on a double-fault by Muchova, Swiatek dropped her racket, crouched and covered her face as she cried.

The 22-year-old from Poland has won the French Open twice in a row now, along with her 2020 title there and her triumph at the U.S. Open last September. That makes Swiatek the youngest woman with four Grand Slam trophies since Serena Williams was 20 when she got to that number at the 2002 U.S. Open.

“When she’s on a roll, it’s tough to break in,” said Muchova, who is ranked 43rd and was participating in a championship match at a Slam for the first time.

The contest was filled with sections where Swiatek — the dominant player in women’s tennis for more than a year now — was better, and sections where Muchova was.

Every time one woman or the other seemed to be wresting control, every time one or the other raised her level enough that the end appeared in sight, the road curved in a different direction.

Swiatek’s brilliant beginning meant little.

As did Muchova’s edges of 2-0 and 4-3 in the third set.

One point in particular captured the essence of Muchova’s

unwillingness to count herself out.

Serving for the second set at deuce while ahead 6-5, Muchova pushed to the net and ranged well to her right for a forehand volley. Swiatek then sent her scrambling to the left, and Muchova somehow slid and stretched for a backhand volley while losing her balance. Her racket fell, and so did she, placing her hands on the clay to brace herself.

The ball, somehow, landed in to take the point, and a moment later, when Swiatek’s backhand return sailed long, Muchova raised her right fist and let out a yell.

Suddenly, it was a set apiece. Suddenly, the outcome was entirely in doubt.

“I could see that she was a little bit struggling, a little bit more tense,” Muchova said.

So then the question became: Might Muchova be able to fashion another dramatic comeback, the way she did in the semifinals on Thursday? In that match, against No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, the reigning Australian Open champion, Muchova faced a match point while trailing 5-2 in the third set and then completely reversed things, taking 20 of the last 24 points and each of the last five games to win.

That result made Muchova 5-0 for her career against foes in the Top 3.

Any hope she had of making that 6-0 dissipated down the stretch.

“I kind of stopped thinking about the score,” Swiatek said. “I wanted to use my intuition more, because I knew that I can play a little bit better if I’m going to get a little bit more loosened up. It helped, for sure, in the third set.”

Once again, she produced what it takes to win. Once again, she was holding a trophy — although, less steady than when holding a racket, she bobbled the silverware during the postmatch ceremony, causing its top to fall.

Wiktorowski — or sports psycholo-

gist

Daria

Abramowicz — might have been trying to tell Swiatek, either the message wasn’t getting through or it

working right

POLAND’s Iga Swiatek kisses the trophy as she celebrates winning the women’s final match of the French Open tennis tournament against Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in three sets, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)

e y t’s al ahly WINS AFRICAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WITH LATE GOAL AGAINST DEFENDING CHAMPION WYDAD

CASABLANCA, Morocco (AP) — Egypt’s Al Ahly won the African Champions League on Sunday for a record-extending

11th continental club title as a late header by defender Mohamed Abdelmonem wrestled the crown away from defending champion Wydad at its home stadium in Morocco.

Abdelmonem’s 78thminute goal saw the second leg of the final end 1-1 in Casablanca and gave Al Ahly a 3-2 aggregate win.

It is the Egyptian giant’s third title in four years and was revenge for a loss to Wydad at the same Stade Mohammed V in the one-off final a year ago.

Net

Yahia Attiyat Allah put Wydad ahead in the 27th minute when his left-footed free kick from out on the right side drifted past everyone and into the far corner of the net.

At 1-0 on the night, Wydad was winning on away goals and the home fans let off fireworks from that point on, causing referee Bamlak Tessema Weyesa to stop the game for a few minutes in the second half for the clouds of thick white smoke to clear.

Abdelmonem ended the celebrations for the Wydad supporters about 10 minutes after the short delay when he met Ali Maaloul’s corner with a glancing header to take Al Ahly back to the top of African club soccer.

As the Al Ahly players celebrated the goal near a tiny pocket of their supporters, plastic bottles rained down on them from the Wydad fans.

There was a heavy security presence for the North African showdown, with lines of police emerging to surround the field in the final minutes of the game.

Supporters

Ahead of kickoff, there were scuffles between Wydad supporters and Moroccan police near the stadium, with some fans bundled into police vans.

The 45,000-seat Stade Mohammed V was full two hours before kickoff.

Wydad, buoyed by a late goal of its own in the first leg to come away from Cairo with a narrow 2-1 loss, was in charge for most of the game in Casablanca.

Morocco international Attiyat Allah had two similar curling free kicks from the same place saved by Mohammed El Shenawy before his third attempt — which was more of a cross than a shot — went over everyone and past El Shenawy’s right hand for the opening goal.

As the second half progressed, Wydad retreated in an attempt to defend its lead and was made to pay when Abdelmonem met Maaloul’s corner first and the ball skimmed off his head, across the goal and into the same corner that Attiyat Allah scored in.

Al Ahly was voted Africa’s club of the 20th century and now has six more African club titles than its nearest challengers, Cairo rival Zamalek and Congo’s TP Mazembe.

GUARDIOLA LOOKS TO BUILD ON SUCCESS OF MAN CITY IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

By JAMES ROBSON AP Soccer Writer

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Almost immediately after leading Manchester City to its first Champions League title on Saturday, Pep Guardiola spoke of the need to build on that success.

Real Madrid’s record haul of 14 European Cups is safe for some time yet –but there is every reason to believe City will go on to win the competition again and again.

This was, after all, its second final in three seasons.

The 1-0 win against Inter Milan in Istanbul’s Ataturk Olimpiyat Stadium had been coming. And the wealth of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family, combined with Guardiola’s apparent insatiable drive for perfection, means City has the potential to become even stronger in the coming years.

Guardiola is a huge fan of Michael Jordan. And just as one title wasn’t enough for the Chicago Bulls icon, who went on to win six NBA championships, Guardiola knows City’s legacy in Europe depends on repeated success.

Madrid is a serial winner, having lifted four Champions League titles between 2014 and 2018, and winning again in 2022. That is the benchmark for City.

“There are teams that win the Champions League and after one or two seasons disappear,” Guardiola said.

“Knowing me, this is not going to happen.”

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of City’s treble of trophies this season, including the Premier League title and FA Cup, is that it came in a year of transition in which a new striker in Erling Haaland was added, along with a change of system as Guardiola adopted a threeman defence.

There is the potential for further evolution in midfield with captain Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva possible departures.

Left back Joao Cancelo was loaned to Bayern Munich midway through the campaign and could leave permanently in the summer.

Guardiola was a big admirer of England international Jude Bellingham, but Real Madrid has won the race for the highly rated midfielder.

An alternative may be sought, particularly if Gundogan or Silva go. In Phil Foden, City has a highclass option ready for more involvement than he managed during this season.

Guardiola is not the type of coach to stand still and City’s Abu Dhabi backers have consistently provided with the funds to improve his team with the world’s best players.

Jack Grealish became English soccer’s first 100 million pound ($139 million) signing after City was beaten by Chelsea in the Champions League final of 2021.

Last year, Haaland, who

every top club in Europe, was added to a team that had just won back-to-back league titles.

Having finally made the breakthrough in the Champions League, Guardiola will not want to risk taking a backward step. That is likely what he will tell Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who was in attendance to watch City’s crowning glory.

There was a 12-year gap between Guardiola’s last European Cup win with Barcelona in 2011 and his latest.

He has triumphed in this competition on three occasions and knows how difficult it is to win.

Only Madrid has successfully defended the trophy since it was rebranded as the Champions League in 1992, winning it in three successive seasons from 2016-18.

That is a measure of the standard required to dominate the European game. And while City may have bold ambitions, the competition could hardly be more intense.

Here’s a look at which country’s clubs could get in the way of repeat success for Guardiola’s Man City next season:

SPAIN

Madrid has already moved to sign Bellingham in a deal that could reach $139 million. Karim Benzema’s decision to head to Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia means a world class

striker is needed and Tottenham’s Harry Kane has already been linked.

Vinicius Junior is establishing himself as one of soccer’s global stars and, along with Eduardo Camavinga and Aurélien Tchouaméni, is part of the Spanish giant’s next generation of potential “Galacticos.”

Barcelona is back on top in Spain after winning the league title this season and will look to build on that. While it missed out on the re-signing of Lionel Messi, it has been linked with moves for City pair Gundogan and Silva.

ENGLAND

Arsenal pushed City hard for the Premier League title and after qualifying for the Champions League will reportedly try to strengthen with the signing of West Ham midfielder Declan Rice.

Manchester United has made forward steps under manager Erik ten Hag, winning the League Cup and qualifying for the Champions League. If a buyout of the club can be completed soon, it could go big in the transfer market this summer, with a top striker the priority.

Newcastle completes the list of English clubs that will compete in Europe’s top competition and its Saudi owners will, surely, look to bring in more star signings.

City also faces a potential threat from the Premier League which has hit the club with more than 100 charges of financial wrongdoing. City is accused of providing misleading information about its finances over a nine-year period from 2009-18 and the punishments could include a deduction of points or even expulsion from English soccer’s top division. City denies the charges and has already had a two-year ban from European competitions overturned by the Court

of Arbitration for Sport in 2020, after a UEFAappointed panel found “serious breaches” of financial rules from 2012-16.

FRANCE Qatari-backed Paris Saint-Germain is still waiting to make the same breakthrough as City has in Europe and is planning to move in a new direction following the departure of Messi.

Brazil’s Neymar could also leave, with the French champions looking to focus on young and home-grown players.

Having gone down the superstar route without success in the Champions League, it will be fascinating to see if a shift in strategy changes PSG’s fortunes.

GERMANY It took a dramatic 89thminute winner on the last day of the season to see Bayern Munich lift the German league for the 11th successive season.

Bayern was swept aside by City in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, but has the resources and recruitment expertise to ensure it should always remain a force in Europe.

ITALY

Inter threatened to pull off one of the biggest Champions League final shocks and lost by the finest of margins against City on Saturday night. In Simone Inzaghi it has a coach that went head-to-head with Guardiola and pushed him to the limit.

On that basis Inter could well go far again.

But league champion Napoli was the standout team in Italy last season –and for a long time looked like a potential Champions League winner. How it copes after the departure of inspirational coach Luciano Spalletti remains to be seen, while a number of its star players like

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Victor Osimhen and Kim Min-jae could be coveted by rivals.

MANCHESTER City’s head coach Pep Guardiola kisses the trophy after winning the Champions League final soccer match between Manchester City and Inter Milan at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday. Manchester City won 1-0. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

MANCHESTER City’s Ilkay Gundogan holds up the trophy after the Champions League final soccer match against Inter Milan. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

MANCHESTER CITY’S RODRIGO, second left, celebrates after scoring his side’s opening goal during the Champions League final soccer match between Manchester City and Inter Milan. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

AS NUGGETS NEAR TITLE, MURRAY HAS BECOME ALL-AROUND POINT GUARD MALONE LONG ENVISIONED

By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Sports Writer

DENVER (AP) — Even back when Jamal Murray was racking up 50-point games in the NBA bubble, Denver coach Michael Malone marveled as much over his Canadian point guard’s pinpoint passes as his magnificent moves and fadeaway baskets.

“Well, I’ve long said that Jamal is not just a scorer,” declared Malone, who early on even had to convince Murray himself. “That’s been my challenge to him.”

Murray averaged 3.4 assists in his first season as Denver’s starting point guard in 2017-18. That number jumped to 4.8 the next season and stayed there for two more years.

After missing the 202122 season while recovering from knee surgery, Murray averaged a career-high 6.2 assists in his return to the lineup this season.

That number has climbed to 7.1 in the playoffs, thanks to the 10, 10, 10 and 12 assists Murray has posted against the Heat in becoming the first player in history to reach double-digit assist totals in each of his first four games in the NBA Finals.

Murray’s whopping 42 assists are one more than Nikola Jokic has in this series, which Denver leads 3-1 and can close out Monday night at Ball Arena, securing the first championship in franchise history.

Just as impressive as Murray’s dozen assists in Game 4 were his zero turnovers against Miami’s relentless double-team pressure.

“That’s a point god right there,” Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon said. “Twelve assists, no turnovers, not forcing, hitting big shots, timely shots, and really just being a floor general out there, being steady, rock solid, even when they’re trapping, giving him different looks.

“He’s making the right play, and that’s what we need from him night in and night out.”

Never had Murray been a better orchestrator of Malone’s offence.

“It just felt like they were blitzing every pick-and-roll, just basically trying to limit my shot attempts, and I just wasn’t fighting it,” Murray said after that game. “We’ve got a squad. We’ve got a lot of guys that can come and impact the game, a lot of guys playing with confidence, so I’m not going to fight it. Make an easy pass,

and that’s why I’ve got four other guys out there.

“You don’t have to fight it. I’m not on a team where I’ve got to force it or hold the ball too long. I’ll gladly give up if we’re winning games.”

Malone may have said it a lot, but he couldn’t have said it better.

Together, Murray and Jokic are averaging a combined 53.4 points, 19.8 rebounds and 20.8 assists in the finals, making them an almost impossible pick-androll duo to decipher, much less defuse.

“That should be an affront to him, that people just look at him as a scorer,” Malone said Sunday, “because ever since he became a starting point guard, he is charged with the responsibility of running this team, making every one of his teammates better, on top of being an aggressive scorer looking for his shot, on top of being a rebounder at his size and physicality, as well as being an engaged defender.”

And while Jokic’s popularity has exploded this summer, the Nuggets are hoping Murray will finally get his due as a distributor.

“The challenge is always for you to be an All-Star and All-NBA player, and for you to be the guy that is, along with Nikola, putting this team on your back, it requires commitment and effort all across the board,” Malone said.

“I know that he’s capable of making his teammates better. He’s shown that in the past.

“I think it’s just constantly striving to become the best version of yourself. Jamal is really committed to trying to be the best version. That’s allowing him to be a historical player and allowing him to have that in his first four finals games is just incredible.”

Murray’s offensive game hasn’t suffered from his increased assist totals, either.

He’s averaging 26.7 points in these playoffs, up from his 20-point average in the regular season as he worked his way back from a knee injury that sidelined him for the Nuggets’ two previous playoff appearances.

“I’m just happy to be in this position, knowing that everything I did to rehab was solid,” Murray said.

DENVER Nuggets guard Jamal Murray speaks during a news conference, Sunday, in Denver. The Nuggets take on the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday.

(AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)