06212023 NEWS AND SPORT

NIB MAY INCREASE EVERY TWO YEARS

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

MYLES Laroda said the government is considering increasing National Insurance Board’s contribution rate every two years for “a period of time” to stabilise the fund, noting next year’s rate increase will be shared

BPL SENDS HELP AS SEARS SAYS WEATHER HIT P OWER IN ABACO

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

WORKS and Utilities

Minister Alfred Sears said Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) is sending engines to Abaco to improve the island’s electricity generation capacity after bad weather affected the company’s distribution lines, causing recent outages.

His comment came after Central and South Abaco

MP John Pinder lashed out at BPL in the House

of Assembly on Monday, calling the frequent power outages a “disgrace”.

Mr Pinder said power has been on “less than 30 per cent of the time” in the last week.

Yesterday, Mr Sears said many legacy issues facing BPL won’t be solved overnight.

He said recent outages in Abaco, Acklins and Mayaguana prove that the government cannot do the “same old” thing, adding:

equally between employees and employers. He did not say what the contribution rate will increase to. However, he discussed what would happen if the rate increased by 1.5 per cent.

“If the rate is 1.5 per cent, the employer’s portion rises from 5.9 per cent

to 6.65 per cent, and the employee’s portion rises from 3.9 per cent to 4.65 per cent,” said Mr Laroda, the state minister responsible for NIB in the Office of the Prime Minister. He spoke during his contribution to the Budget debate in the House of Assembly

Birth certificate enough for citizenship

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIANS born to unwed Bahamian men and foreign women will get a passport without facing unique requirements as long as their father is identified on their birth certificate, Attorney General Ryan Pinder said yesterday. However, he said, those without a father on their birth certificate would have to produce genetic test results proving paternity to get a passport, which signifies Bahamian citizenship.

Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell, responsible for the Passport Office, told The Tribune he would

inform the permanent secretary in his ministry about the new rules, kick-starting the process by which people can get a passport if their father’s name is on their birth certificate.

“We’ve vetted those rules now with the Passport Office, the Minister of Immigration and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who has portfolio responsibility of the Passport Office,” Mr Pinder told reporters before a Cabinet meeting.

“They have provided their comments and we revised those and circulated a revised draft to that group

C AFE MATISSE TO CLOSE DOORS PER M ANENT LY

By LETRE SWEETING Tribune Staff Reporter lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

CAFE Matisse, a popular restaurant in the heart of Nassau, is closing down after 28 years in operation, according to owner Greg Curry.

Mr Curry confirmed the permanent closure of the eatery yesterday,

but declined to comment further, saying he is not currently participating in interviews.

It is not clear how many employees will be affected by the closure. The restaurant draws its name from famous French painter Henri Matisse, while it specialises in Italian food.

C A LL S FOR GOVT TO REPAY VICTIMS OF CL ICO AND FUL FILL PROMISE

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE government was yesterday urged to “make it a new day” for long-suffering CLICO (Bahamas) policyholders amid concerns that zero of the $3.8m compensation allocated in the 2022-2023 Budget has been paid out.

Its food is among the most highly rated in the country.

As rumours of its closure spread recently, some have taken to social media to lament.

“Tbh I haven’t been able to think straight since I found out Cafe Matisse

Bishop Simeon Hall, who was among those impacted by the life and health insurer’s 2009 implosion, told Tribune Business that too many Bahamians are stuck “in the wilderness” more than 14 years later and have yet to recover all - or anyof their life and retirement savings.

He agrued it was “taking too long” to make CLICO’s Bahamian victims whole and renewed calls for the government to fulfill its promises to those who continue to die in increasing numbers without ever recovering their full investments.

TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURES TO BE AWARE OF FOR THURSDAY

POLICE have announced a number of temporary road closures as well as traffic diversions for Thursday.

The closures and divisions are to facilitate the Royal Bahamas Police Force hosting its graduation ceremony and passing out parade.

The graduation, which is open to the public,

commences at 6pm and will be held in Rawson Square. Bay Street will be closed to all vehicular traffic between 4pm and 9pm.

The following roads also will be closed: West Bay Street between Nassau Street and Navy Lyon Road; Cumberland Street between Duke Street and Marlborough Street;

Woodes Rodgers Walk between Charlotte and East Streets; Charlotte Street between Bay and Shirley Streets; Bank Lane between Bay and Shirley Streets; East Street between Bay and Shirley Streets.

Traffic travelling east on West Bay Street will be diverted south on Nassau Street; Traffic travelling

west on Duke Street will only be permitted to travel west onto West Hill Street; No vehicles will be allowed to travel north on Cumberland Street; Traffic travelling north on East Street will be diverted west on Shirley Street. No vehicles will be allowed to travel west and east along Woodes Rodgers

Walk between Charlotte Street and East Street.

Local traffic in the affected areas will be diverted out of the area.

Parking will not be permitted between 1am and 9pm on: Bay Street between Navy Lyon Road and East Street both sides; Parliament Street between Woodes Rodgers Walk

and Shirley Street; Woodes Rodgers Walk between Charlotte Street and East Street. Between 5pm and 9pm today, Bay Street will be closed to all vehicular traffic to facilitate the dress rehearsal for the graduation ceremony and passing out parade.

ROYAL Bahamas Police Recruits attended a luncheon hosted by the Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander. The 138 Recruits will be graduating on Thursday.

Photos: Austin Fernander

AG says birth certificate will be enough for citizenship

yesterday. Effectively, if you are born in The Bahamas to two unwed parents, so you’re illegitimate at the time of birth, and your father was Bahamian, and that’s reflected on your birth certificate, then the citizenship is naturally automatic because you presume paternity through the birth certificate.”

“The issue comes down to when you don’t have a father in that situation listed on the birth certificate, then how do you prove paternity and that

the father was Bahamian?

We’re looking at a protocol involving DNA evidence in those circumstances and we’re working with the Ministry of Health to properly define that protocol. As you can imagine, it has to be by way of certified laboratories and properly recognised DNA results and only down so many generations in these types of questions.”

Once that protocol is in place, then naturally we will be able to proceed on the DNA element of it when the father is not on the birth certificate. We look to finalise

that in short order.”

Kingsley Smith, the chief passport officer, said his office would soon issue a notice indicating when it will begin accepting applications of people affected by the Privy Council’s ruling if their father is on the birth certificate.

He said his office must be satisfied that the father is a Bahamian.

“If the father born after 1973, then obviously we have to go as far back as the person born before ‘73 to show entitlement,” he said. “That’s how our constitution works. When we ask sometimes for

the grandmother or the great grandmother, that is because we’re going back to the first person to be born before ‘73.

“Then, we would need their birth certificate and, depending on the marriage situation, their marriage certificate.”

Mr Smith said accepting the applications of people affected by the Privy Council’s ruling in addition to the usual applications will be challenging.

He said his office is preparing to deal with the challenge.

He said officials are considering work shifts “that go

into the night” to deal with the influx of applications.

“Those persons renewing an e-passport don’t have to come in,” he added. “If they are 15 or over, we would encourage those persons to use an online portal to make sure those perps who have to come in, there are slots available for them.”

Immigration Minister Keith Bell has said about 1,500 applications for Bahamian citizenship at the Department of Immigration are affected by Privy Council’s landmark ruling.

DRAFT CANNABIS BILL TO BE RELEASED FOR CONSULTATION NEXT MONTH,

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

ATTORNEY General

Ryan Pinder said once

the government releases its draft cannabis bills next month, a two-month public consultation phase will follow.

He confirmed that the draft would address decriminalising small amounts of marijuana.

He said the bills, which will involve a regime for medical and religious use

of cannabis, should be released after the independence celebrations.

“Cabinet has authorised public consultation to commence,” he told reporters before a Cabinet meeting. “We look to launch that shortly after independence.”

“It’ll take place for probably two months. We want to be thorough. We want to go to all constituents that matter and are interested and that have opinions. We want to ensure that we have widespread consultations

through the Family Islands. We want to talk to the medical community and let them weigh in. We want to talk to the religious community and let them weigh in. We certainly want to talk to the agriculture and agri-business community and let them weigh in.”

“So, this is going to be pretty widespread, very organised. We’ll have a social media and a digital component to it as well as in-person consultations. We have the website created with all

of the legislation, and this isn’t just one bill. These are bills, regulations and rules, orders –– the whole scope of what it will take to put this regime in place, and that’s why it’s taking some time because we just don’t want to throw a bill out there.”

Mr Pinder said the government wants the public’s views on decriminalising marijuana and making it legal for recreational use.

“We are certainly going to take feedback from the public on recreational

19-YEAR-OL D ACCUSED OF SEX ASSAULT OF 83-YEAR-OL D WOMAN

POLICE are questioning a 19-year-old youth concerning a sexual assault incident involving an 83-year-old woman.

The incident reportedly happened around 2.30pm on Monday.

Police said the woman was at her home on Market Street when a man beat and assaulted her.

Police arrested the suspect around 7.30pm on Monday in the Soldier Road area.

The attack comes amid concern about escalating sexual assault attacks.

Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander told reporters yesterday that while sexual assaults are rising, the incident

use,” he said. “We have chosen to put a regime out for medical and religious use in the first instance, and the consultation’s going to be widespread.”

“With respect to decriminalisation, there’s a decriminalisation framework that we’re going to be releasing in July that would effectively decriminalise a smaller amount and treat it effectively like a traffic ticket.”

Several countries around the region have already decriminalised marijuana.

PINDER SAYS

Last June, Mr Pinder said the Davis administration intended to advance comprehensive legislation to regulate a medical cannabis industry and a separate framework for industrial hemp.

At the time, he said this would be done in the first six months of the fiscal year –– by the end of 2022. However, that did not happen. It remains unclear when marijuana legislation will be tabled in the House of Assembly.

involving the older woman was isolated.

“That is an isolated matter, you’re not seeing that, and that is a matter that is under investigation to see what went wrong,” he said.

BAHAMIANS born to unwed Bahamian men and foreign women will get a passport without facing unique requirements as long as their father is identified on their birth certificate, Attorney General Ryan Pinder said yesterday.

Photo: Austin Fernander

last night. “In the first year, paying the minimum weekly range of $260 will increase the employer’s portion from $15.34 to $17.29. Employer’s contributions on the minimum weekly wage will increase $10.14 to $12.09.

For both the employer and the employee, this represents a difference of $1.95 per week.

“For those salaries on the minimum wage of $1,127.67, employers and employees will pay a difference of $8.45 per month. This is less than the cost of a meal at any one of our local restaurants. This is a small price to pay to secure our pensions for the future.”

“Employers’ weekly

payment on the ceiling of $740 per week will increase from $43.66 to $49.21.

Employees’ contribution payments on the ceiling of $740 per week will increase from $28.86 to $34.41. For both the employer and employee, this represents a difference of $5.55 per week. For monthly salary on the ceiling of $3,207, employers and employees will pay a difference of $24.05.”

Mr Laroda noted that, according to the latest actuarial report, the NIB fund could be depleted by 2028.

The actuarial report considered the lowering fertility rate, women having fewer children, and the growing life expectancy.

“Today, we have approximately four contributors for each pensioner. By 2078,

MYLES Laroda said the government is considering increasing National Insurance Board’s contribution rate every two years for “a period of time” to stabilise the fund, noting next year’s rate increase will be shared equally between employees and employers.

it is projected that we will have 1.4 contributors for each pensioner, a sharp decline,” he said.

“Over the last ten years,

the average number of pensioners being paid every month has increased by over 35 per cent. This is driving the increase in

benefit expenses, coupled with the fact that each year the average benefit for recipient increases as firsttime pensioners are being

paid higher benefits than in the prior years.”

Mr Laroda noted NIB is projected to lose $97m this year.

NatioN al orga N t ra Nspla N t programme to be lauNched before year’s eNd

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH and Wellness

Dr Michael Darville said the government expects to launch the Bahamas National Organs Transplant Programme before the end of the year.

During his Budget contribution yesterday, he said as officials determine what is required to execute and sustain the programme, kidney transplants will be the first performed through the programme.

“My ministry, along with our local transplant nephrology team, have been working closely with United Kingdom based consultants who have advised us of what is needed to execute and sustain a local Bahamas National Organs Transplant Programme,” he said.

“We have also collaborated with partners in

Cuba for guidance on the implementation of such a programme and expect to launch this programme before the end of this year.

“Much of the work to support the programme has been completed, and the funding in this budget will be used to train additional staff and purchase the balance of equipment and supplies needed to perform these lifesaving procedures at the Princess Margaret Hospital.”

Dr Darville defended the hospital’s “lifesaving procedures” capabilities.

He said: “You know a lot of people don’t have nothing much good to say about the Princess Margret Hospital, but I want to let you know that we have some of the finest physicians, some of the finest nursing teams and allied healthcare professionals at the Princess Margaret Hospital.

“We have the capability to do some great things at

that institution, and I want to commend them because we always hear the bad, and we never really hear the good, but they’re working hard on a daily basis saving lives and creating opportunities for the improvement of lifestyles.”

The Bahamas National Organs Transplant Programme is expected to start with kidney transplants from live donors to improve the quality of life for haemodialysis patients.

“This initiative is expected to reduce the ministry’s cost for the current public haemodialysis programme where more than 600 public patients receive treatment,” Dr Darville said.

He also said the government would add new drugs to the National Drug Prescription Plan to facilitate improvements in clinical outcomes of patients suffering from noncommunicable diseases and transplant rejection drugs.

“The plan has drugs to treat non-communicable diseases, but the advancement of new drugs is not incorporated into the plan,” he said.

“We have taken a great look at this because we

intend to add some additional drugs so we can get better outcomes for our patients and keep our patients out of the hospital. This new drug prescription plan will also add transplant rejection drugs.

“You see, it’s very

difficult to do transplants, and then the patients who get transplants cannot afford the transplant medication, and so as part of the National Drug Prescription Plan, we will add anti-rejection drugs to the plan.”

DARVILLE: DETENTION CENTRE MEDICAL FACILITIES BEING BUILT IN KEEPING WITH UN MANDATES

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH Minister Dr Michael Darville said work has started on a new Detention Centre clinic.

“My ministry and the Public Hospitals Authority are finalising protocols for urgent and emergency care services at that location in keeping with the United Nations mandates for the care of inmates,” he said.

Dr Darville unveiled plans for other work involving clinics.

He said the Ministry of Agriculture acquired a four-acre plot of land to construct a new clinic

just north of the National Insurance Board on Baillou Road.

He said the facility would replace the old Coconut Grove Clinic, which does not meet structural standards for a medical facility and licensing requirements.

Dr Darville said epidemiological evidence verified the need for the clinic in the community.

He said upgrades to the Ann’s Town clinic would be completed in one month.

He said the Elizabeth Estates Clinic redesign is also near completion and will be fully functional with improved access to clinical services

in two months. He said the facility would be augmented by the existing general and family medicine groups and primary care specialist physicians, “eliminating the need for persons utilising the Princess Margaret Hospital”.

Dr Darville said nine new clinics would be constructed, nine will be retrofitted, and 15 isolation units and bays will be created to contain and manage patients suffering from infectious diseases.

He said ground would be broken this year on a new Mangrove Cay clinic, a new Black Point clinic and a new Staniel Cay clinic.

HEALTH and Wellness Dr Michael Darville said the government expects to launch the Bahamas National Organs Transplant Programme before the end of the year.

Photo: Moise Amisial

Photo: Austin Fernander

BPL sends help as Sears says weather hit power in Abaco

“We have to use the Godgiven sunlight that we have and convert that into electricity so that we have more sustainable power generation.”

“In Abaco, I’m advised that there was a weather incident which affected the distribution lines as well as the generational capacity in Abaco,” he added. “Also similarly, we had a situation in Acklins and also in Mayaguana.

“What they have done with respect to Abaco, they’re sending additional engines. In Acklins, we’re sending in Salina Point a 300-kilowatt engine. In Crooked Island, a 500-kilowatt engine so that there could be more resilience.”

Asked about Mr Pinder’s calls for BPL’s management to be decentralised, Mr Sears said the power provider was

designing a business plan to make the corporation more “nimble”.

“Nimble within the context of an archipelago clearly involves evolution so that the people on the ground have the opportunity to innovate, the opportunity to address the matters which may arise in a much more quick and efficient manner,” he said.

“So, it’s not just a question of evolution. It’s a total strategic overhaul of BPL and also of the Water and Sewerage Corporation.”

He said the government is constructing two 10MW solar utility-scale facilities to address power generation issues.

“This facility, along with a number of power purchase agreements with private solar providers, will enable BPL to be more resilient,” Mr Sears said, “but what I’m also asking is that all of us in

WORKS and Utilities Minister Alfred Sears said Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) is sending engines to Abaco to improve the island’s electricity generation capacity after bad weather affected the company’s distribution lines, causing recent outages.

our country, we understand what’s happening in the world in terms of the global supply chain of

MOW CONSIDERING RELOCATING ROADS DUE TO CLIM ATE CHANGE IMPACTS, SAYS SEARS

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE government is considering relocating some roads and highways due to climate change impacts, Works and Utilities Minister Alfred Sears said yesterday. He revealed this while reflecting on recent flooding events in Exuma.

“We have our experts reviewing the situation, but where you have –– as in some of our islands, including Exuma –– where you have a port on both sides of the road, and you have an

unusual downpour of rain as happened two and a half weeks ago, the challenge is if you pump, where do you pump the water.”

“What we have to do, and this is what we’re doing within the ministry, is looking at the whole ecosystem of islands, especially in light of climate change. We have to make decisions based on evidence, and there may have to be relocation of certain roads, of certain highways or causeways are built which would have the elevation. These are matters that we are looking and reviewing because climate

change is really a very clear and present danger for us in The Bahamas.”

Mr Sears said his ministry is also looking to improve infrastructure throughout the country.

“For example,” he added, “the University of The Bahamas, how could you have students walking across a highway to get to one building to the next and I’ve asked the ministry to design a footbridge. We travel all over the world and we see over the road, you have a footbridge that enables one to safely move to one side of the road to the next.”

energy that we conserve.”

“As BPL is pivoting, we have to conserve in terms of our consumption of our energy, utilising LED light fixtures.”

$6.6M REQUESTED FOR UNREGULATED COMMUNITIES ACTION TASK FORCE BUDGET

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

WORKS & Utilities Min-

ister Alfred Sears said the Unregulated Communities Action Task Force has requested $6.6m to fulfil its tasks. That budget would cover overtime salaries, travel and subsistence, strategic communication, supplies and materials, tablets for data collection, services, heavy equipment and rental for demolitions, trucks and jeeps for the Royal Bahamas Police and Defence Force and consultancy fees for environmental assessment.

Mr Sears noted that while $6.6m has been requested, the 2023/2024 budget only has $600k for the task force.

“A secretariat has been established, which will be attached to the Ministry of Works whose overall composition will be made up of constituents from the Royal Bahamas police force, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, Bahamas Power and Light, and other ministries of the government as may be necessary from time to time,” Mr Sears said during his contribution to the budget debate yesterday.

Mr Sears said officials are contacting the international community to request as much assistance

and understanding of how to facilitate the task force’s work as possible. He said the Cabinetappointed inter-ministerial committee had met regularly to design an action plan to address this matter and consider this process’s humanitarian and social implications.

Mr Sears noted Chief Justice Ian Winder’s recent ruling ordering the demolition of shanty town structures belonging to just two people in the country. The chief justice ordered that “offending structures” be removed within 45 days. He did not say when the Ministry of Works would demolish the structures.

Photo: Austin Fernander

The Tribune Limited

night, no fanfare and no answers

LATE in the evening, a Minister of State rises to tell the nation what it would take to save the National Insurance Board fund – a bill that will be delayed by a year despite the urging of former ministers and fellow party members. It hardly inspires confidence, does it?

That Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis seems not to want to be anywhere near this announcement is telling.

First came a press release saying there would be no increase for a year, and then the details of the next step have been handed off to Myles Laroda – for whom NIB falls under his remit, absolutely, but if more money was going into people’s pockets rather than going out, one suspects it would be more lauded, in daylight, at the top level.

Former PLP ministers Shane Gibson and Leslie Miller have both suggested that if the rate has to be increased, then get on with it.

As Mr Gibson said, there’s no telling what might be around the corner – the pandemic and the impact of Hurricane Dorian have both shown that we cannot count on avoiding the unexpected.

The reasoning behind delaying the increase is ostensibly to give businesses the chance to plan ahead.

However, if that is the case, then why is the passenger tax increase on cruise ships similarly not delayed? After all, cruise passengers have already paid for their tickets up to a couple of years ahead, and now the bottom line is changing.

The government appears to be scrambling to adjust their demands a little given pushback from the cruise industry – but if planning for the future is a consideration, should that not be the case for all extra taxes and payments?

Meanwhile, the NIB hole grows ever larger as millions of dollars are lost every month.

Perhaps Shakespeare’s Macbeth might be the better advisor – “If it were done when ‘tis done, then ‘twere well it were done quickly”.

Of course, that we have reached this point has been due to the lack of action by successive administrations.

For all the words of Mr Gibson and Mr Miller, nothing about NIB’s dwindling funds was done during the administrations they were part of. Nor can the FNM claim the high ground here.

So this is where we have come to.

Mr Laroda gets the job of announcing the increase. Except last night he didn’t even do that. Instead he got to announce there may well be more than one increase. We may get increases every two years.

It should be noted Mr Laroda also gets no small measure of credit – of being a consistent voice since his appointment saying that action needs to be taken.

Well, action is on the way. Delayed. Deferred. And deep in the night, perhaps in the hope that bad news will not carry so far that way.

We do not yet know what the increase will be, though an example given of a 1.5 percent increase may well be a hint. Examples seemed to focus on the impact on a minimum wage, which of course would be a smaller dollar amount in total which perhaps sounds less frightening.

Mr Laroda says it is a small price to pay to save the NIB fund, and that may be so, but it is easy to say that when you’re not the one paying it.

And so we wait again. Quite why we must wait is hard to fathom. Government should rip off the bandage quickly rather than this slow peeling back. If government really wants to give businesses and people the chance to plan, then let’s hear it all.

Perhaps from the top of government next time.

EDITOR, The Tribune

I had the most unfortunate incident happen to me on May 25th, 2023. I deposited $1,500 into the ATM machine at Nova Scotia Bank on Soldier Road, immediately $100 came out of the machine. I then looked at it and put it back in, the receipt came out and it showed that I only put in $1400 and not $1500.

When the bank opened I spoke to the clerk who advised me to wait for about two days to see if anyone reported an overage

in their system, after two days I saw nothing and spoke to the manager, Mr Mackey, who gave me no consolation. I then went to the Southern Police station and the lady Sgt on duty acted like I was a senile senior citizen who didn’t know what he was saying when I went to file a report. I then called the Consumer Protection Hotline and

gave them pertinent information. I have not heard from them since. I caution the public to be careful depositing money in the ATM because the staff act like the machines can’t make mistakes, they are only machines. In my opinion some dishonest person took $100 from a retired senior citizen who depended on those small funds.

G T HEPBURN

Nassau, June 20, 2023.

EDITOR, The Tribune.

We have to be careful not to incite and create an expectation for those who understand their father was Bahamian and that their mothers were not citizens of The Bahamas.

Nothing changed as to the required qualifications... absolutely nothing except as I understand those who can show their father was-is Bahamian and their mother was not can apply and will if proof is proven their father

is a full blooded Bahamian then the Privy Council said they have the right to citizenship.

Inciting of a large segment of the non-Bahamian community needs to stop the media personality’s mentor has made it very clear consideration and requirement to show proof will require a DNA blood test. The admittance of the father, not verbal but in a sworn Affidavit. Inciting needs to stop.

Wait AG Office so they say are drafting Regulations to which all must abide and comply with, it’s not a hearsay issue and you certainly cannot walk up to the Passport Office and demand a passport.

It is time someone called in the media - Talk Show hosts –and inform them of how things will be...

JACOB BETHELL

Nassau, June 19, 2023.

EDITOR, The Tribune.

There was a time when being a doctor, nurse, fire fighter, EMS operator, police was nothing more than a person with a hell of a career ahead of them. Good money, respect and kudos to them all. Something has changed and continues to mindfully change for us all. You know how you come to appreciate something or someone when you most need it, or when it or they cannot be found?

In the past, precious few of us hoped to need their assistance, but now we all need a helping hand, don’t we? The clouds of smoke remind us of the fire fighters and emergency workers across the nation battling forest fires, floods and other environmental disasters that climate change has thrown at us. Thousands have been forced from their homes seeking shelter where they can find it, whether in strangers’ homes or community centres. The fires rage continually, and 2023 will certainly be remembered by us all as “The Big Burn”.

If you are in need of medical attention, and a trip to

the hospital is at hand, the heroes whom we played bang the pan are still there available to us all, just their numbers are way down indeed. Waiting times in hospitals remain very high, while our healthcare professionals make every effort to assist us with the staff and equipment at hand.

Many regional emergency centres close for days or a week because there simply is no way to properly assist patients. Staffing will continue to be a problem, as private healthcare centres open snatching experienced nurses from our hospitals with higher pay.

Whether these workers are nurses, emergency or EMS operators, airline pilots, border guards, paramedics or healthcare professionals we have come to support them as they have always supported our communities. The people who maintain our electrical grids that heat and cool us during what’s going to be a hot summer. Is every job becoming essential? Perhaps essential to someone indeed. For a moment consider all the services you are dependent upon, and the many people whose work

maintains your livelihoods, homes, schools and basic existence. Teachers should be essential workers, teaching, molding and preparing our little ones for a generational futuristic challenge.

The working man and woman, your neighbour, friend, family member perhaps are all essential to our community and societies betterment. That a child can look at a cop, fire fighter or nurse and see a hero before them, someone who has invested their lives in the betterment of their community is a pivotal moment, something to celebrate. Celebrate the people who make your nation as wonderful as it is, as liveable as it can be. Raise a glass to the Hero’s you know, those in protective gear, medical scrubs, or those with a smile on their face each day you return to your school room or office. Perhaps if you look real hard, you’ll notice they don’t need caps, super strength or special abilities to be your life savers, protectors and friends.

STEVEN KASZAB Bradford, Ontario June 18, 2023.

SCOTLAND’s Aaron Hickey (2) controls the ball under pressure during the Euro 2024 Qualifying Group A soccer match between Scotland and Georgia at Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland, yesterday.

Photo: Andrew Milligan/PA via AP

Cafe Matisse to close doors permanenetly

from page one

is closing down,” said one Twitter user.

On Facebook, a user said: “My favourite restaurant is about to close its door for good in August 2023. I am going to miss them. The ambience, the servers, the food, everything!

Another Twitter user said: “I asked my boy if Cafe Matisse closure will open the door for

someone to bring something new to the game and got a real answer. He said no. The closure of Cafe Matisse is the end of a standard among Nassau locals that we will never see again due the times. So sad, so real, so true.”

“The exact same servers have been on staff for the beginning of time. The staff retention speaks volumes about this brand.

I love you, Cafe Matisse. I will miss you.”

REPAIRS AND RENOVATIONS AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE

CAFE MATISSE, a popular restaurant located on Bank Lane in the heart of Nassau, is closing its doors after 28 years in operation, according to owner Greg Curry.

WORK is ongoing at Government House to repair and restore the buidling and premises. Here we see men woking on finishing the outer walls.

Photos: Austin Fernander

Things to consider when hosting workshops and conferences

AS WE progress in our careers, move from one industry to another, and seek both promotions and raises, continued education becomes a priority for many of us.

For some, this requires a return to university for advanced degrees, for some it is certifications that may be done in-person or online, and for many people it is getting practical experience, learning from the experiences of others, being exposed to new approaches and ideas, and expanding networks.

For people who want to build and deepen knowledge, it is important to participate in trainings, workshops, and conferences. These undertakings can also be helpful for network building and developing new partnerships. Funders and organisers usually put significant effort into planning and workshopping the content of these events, promoting the events, selecting participants, and managing logistics. There is often less attention on the day-to-day experiences of the participants during the event, and this can result in unsatisfactory experiences and issue that could have been avoided.

Here are nine key components to develop, share, and action during events to both make the most of the limited time participants have together and safeguard against common issues.

1. Preparatory material.

Before the event, ensure that speakers and participants have all of the information and documentation they need for travel, access to accommodations,

By Alicia Wallace

use of transportation services, and entering the venue. This includes the invitation letters to present to immigration, names of people who will greet them at airports, hotels, and venues, the national currency and per diem amounts where applicable, average temperature at that time of year, the average cost of a meal, accessibility features and services such as wheelchair accessible entrances and language interpretation, safety precautions, and needs for special events such as national dress and souvenirs from home countries. Make it as easy as possible for people to pack appropriately, and reduce the number of things they need to ask about or would otherwise by confused by as they wait for information to be shared.

2. Orientation. As unnecessary as it may be deemed by some, orientation is important, even if it is optional. Preparatory material is great, but things are often a bit different when everyone is in the same physical space. This is an opportunity to remind people of key points and add answers to the frequently asked questions. Where are the elevators and the stairs?

Where are the restrooms?

When will there be breaks, and for how long? Are the

spaces for bilateral meetings, and are they first-come first-served or do they need to be booked in advance?

Where are the welcome packs and name badges?

Where is the breastfeeding and pumping station?

How can people report harassment that occurs at the event? How can participants identify staff and volunteers? Share this information at the opening and reiterate key points at the beginning of each day. It is also helpful to have posters and a dedicated webpage with this information.

3. Community agreements. For large conferences, it is usually best for organizers to present guidelines and expectations to participants. These can be included in the welcome packet, posted on walls, and printed on the backs of badges for easy access. For smaller groups, it is good practices to engage participants in the process of developing community agreements or guidelines. These are usually short, simple phrases that are easy to remember, even if the ideas behind them are more complicated. “Be on time” and “Come prepared” are very clear and need no further explanation. Phrases like “Step up, step back” may be new for some people, so the explanation that people

who speak often should be conscious of that and try to speak less frequently and for less time, and people who do not usually speak much should make the effort to contribute more. It is important that everyone is aware of the agreements/ guidelines, commits to them, can reference them easily, and knows who to speak with when there are violations so that the issues can be addressed and, hopefully, resolved.

4. Non-negotiable items. Many things are often up for discussion during trainings, conferences, and workshops. When there is a specialised area of work, people tend to be interested in interrogating old and new ideas, challenging ways of thinking, and coming up with new ways of being and doing. There are some things, however, that need to be accepted as true, unchanging, and not up for debate, and these may vary from one industry or thematic area to another. Some non-negotiable items are becoming a standard across many areas of work. For example, antiracism is a commitment and a way of working and sharing space that is not be questions or violated. This can also be integrated into the group agreements, and a person or team of people should be equipped to respond to complaints related to it.

5. Parking lot. This is used in many spaces, but usually not very well. The parking lot is a place to put questions and ideas that are off topic, but should or could be explored at another time due to its generally relevance to the event. One of the mistakes facilitators often make is never revisiting the parking lot to address whatever has been (temporarily) put there. Allocated time in the schedule to go back to items

in the parking lots, moving them to planned sessions or addressing them on the spot.

6. Reasonable scheduling. Conferences, trainings, and workshops are often dayslong and exhausting. It is difficult to keep the energy up and the brain function high during a week of a ten-hour days packed with back-to-back sessions. It is always a good idea to leave room for rest. One-hour lunches usually do not work well, especially when everyone has to go to the same place with a long line to be served. People will, without a doubt, be late to the next session. Lunch breaks are not just for eating lunch, but also for checking in with coworkers at the office, catching up with family members, and responding to emails.

To help people to be fully present while in sessions, ensure that they have time to get other things done, understanding that no one’s life stops for an event. It is also helpful to have time and, where possible, space allotted for networking. People will hear from speakers they would like to engage and meet other participants with whom they would like to share their work. Make it possible for people to connect while there, before returning to their regularly scheduled programs outside of the event. Without this opportunity, some people will try to follow up with each other later, but some will decide to step into the hallway to have conversations before they forget their points and lose business cards.

7. Flexibility. These events do not always go as planned. Especially in small groups, it can become clear that a particular session is too short, comes to early in the program, or is not as important as another. It is okay to make adjustments to meet

the needs of the group. A programme that is responsive to the dynamics in the room and among the participants is sure to be more valuable and productive than one that is stringent and prescriptive.

8. Conflict resolution. It is better to have a plan that you do not need to put into action than to be without a plan when you need one. When an organiser brings people into a space, they assume the responsibility to ensure that people are safe and respected, and that any issues are addressed swiftly, safely, and in nonviolent ways. It is advisable for the organising team to identify issues that may arise and how they can be resolved. It is best to have at least one person who is trained in nonviolent communication and conflict resolution who can be called upon to address issues, mediate, find resolutions, and follow up with the involved parties.

9. Regular check-ins. Everyone may not offer their immediate feedback, but if you ask, people will tell you what is and is not going well. Are the sessions long enough? Are the breakout groups small enough? Would people like to go outside for one of the sessions? Is there too much use of jargon? Are there enough breaks? Maybe people need to be reminded to speak more slowly for the interpreters. Maybe it would be helpful to have more than one screen in the room so everyone can see the slides. Ask for feedback, use it to make and/or change plans, implement the revised plans, and reassess with the group. Participants should share ownership of the space, and this deepens their commitment to the event, to each other, and to the intended outcomes.

‘For people who want to build and deepen knowledge, it is important to participate in trainings, workshops, and conferences.’

INSIDER Q&A: LITHIUM BATTERIES HAVE A 4-HOUR LIMIT – MATEO JARAMILLO HOPES TO SOLVE THAT

By ISABELLA O’MALLEY Associated Press

Wind and solar power are sometimes dinged for not producing electricity 24 hours a day, but one of the most abundant minerals on the planet, iron, could be key to changing that.

Form Energy, founded in 2017, recently broke ground in West Virginia on its first commercial-scale factory to make iron-air batteries — totally different from lithium ion. The company’s goal is to one day help supply the electrical grid across the United States with renewable energy 24 hours a day and slash the need for burning coal and natural gas, polluting energy sources we currently rely on.

CEO Mateo Jaramillo spoke with The Associated Press about progress toward achieving this vision. The interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Q: Why do you consider batteries a climate solution?

A: When I left divinity school in 2004 I made a sector bet and figured at some point, society will want effective energy storage. I grew up in Salinas, California, which is an agricultural town, and my parents worked for the farmer community. I’ve seen how many enjoy the benefits of traditional energy, but only some communities carry the burdens. I was compelled to figure a way to make a difference and felt that innovation was needed.

Q: Lithium ion batteries have some limitations and can only pump out power for four hours max. Why are iron-air batteries a good choice?

A: Lithium ion is an established, accepted technology being deployed at great volumes. But there isn’t a clear alternative on the market yet. We’re doing something different, storing energy for 100 hours at dramatically lower costs, to solve a multi-day storage

problem as opposed to single-digit hours. Multi-day storage does not crowd out something like lithium ion, they complement each other very nicely. We see this over and over and over again in the modeling we do: Our lowest cost, most reliable, most decarbonised system has multiple types of energy storage.

Q: How much iron will you need?

A: About 2 billion tons of iron are mined globally every year — we would be in the single digital percentage of that total. Iron is available pretty much wherever you want to find it, there are massive deposits on every continent.

Q: Why did you choose West Virginia for the battery manufacturing facility?

A: The Mississippi River and Ohio River are essential for moving several million tons of material in a cost effective way. There are rail lines and a highway system nearby, so from a logistics perspective, it is a compelling site. Many people in

the area also had great experience working in industrial environments given the community’s history of producing steel, iron, and mining.

Q: How did you build trust with the local community?

A: Being transparent and committed to the region. We held a meeting at the local community centre and a few hundred people came by. We had team members there just to say hello, answer questions, and to start to talk. There is excitement about the new jobs and work that is happening very actively. Early next year we will start to turn on the factory, so this is not a long wait and see process, this is moving immediately.

Q: Are batteries necessary for the U.S. to achieve net zero emissions?

A: The right kinds of energy are a core part of net zero, but there is no panacea or silver bullet. A lot of work over the next 20-30 years is needed across all industries that touch the power sector. It’s not just technology, much less one

company, showing up and saying, “We’ve got the whole thing fixed.” It’s going to take everybody.

Q: Have you had any moments of doubt since Form Energy was founded in 2017?

A: Whenever you embark on a deep technical challenge, you never know if the universe works the way you hope it does. There were moments of uncertainty, but very few, if any, moments of doubt. I was sure we had characterised the problem correctly, and that there was a big market need, and the solution would show up at the right time. It’s been a fairly linear pathway, which speaks volumes to the capabilities of our technical team.

Q: What does Form Energy need to accomplish for you to feel that the company’s mission has been achieved?

A: We won’t begin talking about our achievements until we are delivering to customers successfully because that’s what distinguishes a venture from a business. Right now we are a well-funded venture and have raised more than $800 million in venture capital funding. A business requires producing and selling to customers for value, so we won’t do that until close to the end of 2024. That’s when we can say, what else?

Where do we go from here?

But to me, that’s the very beginning of what we hope to accomplish. The goal is to have a big impact for a very, very long time by building a categorydefining company that positively impacts the economy and people who rely on electricity.

Q: What would you say to someone that is anxious about climate change?

A: I am a techno optimist, but there are a lot of good approaches in policy and business pointing to the solutions we need. Everybody has a role to play and all voices have to be part of technology, policy, and individual actions.

TESLA TECHNOLOGY INCHES CLOSER TO BECOMING INDUSTRY STANDARD AS RIVIAN JOINS CHARGING NETWORK

By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer

DETROIT (AP) —

Electric vehicle maker Rivian says it will follow General Motors and Ford and join Tesla’s charging network next year.

The startup truck, SUV and delivery van maker says Tuesday that like GM and Ford, it also will adopt Tesla’s charging connector, another step toward making it the industry standard.

Existing Rivian vehicles will need an adapter to link to a Tesla charger. But Rivian says vehicles manufactured in 2025 and beyond will come standard with a Tesla charging port.

It is another domino to fall as the auto industry considers switching to Tesla’s connector, which it calls the North American Charging Standard. At present, nearly all automakers other than Tesla use what is called a CCS connector developed with the Society of Automotive Engineers.

Tesla’s Superchargers are coveted by other automakers because it has more direct current fast-charging

EUROPE, US URGED TO INVESTIGATE THE TYPE OF AI THAT POWERS SYSTEMS LIKE CHATGPT

LONDON (AP) — European Union consumer protection groups urged regulators on Tuesday to investigate the type of artificial intelligence underpinning systems like ChatGPT, citing risks that leave people vulnerable and the delay before the bloc’s groundbreaking AI regulations take effect.

In a coordinated effort, 13 watchdog groups wrote to their national consumer, data protection, competition and product safety authorities warning them about a range of concerns around generative artificial intelligence.

A transatlantic coalition of consumer groups also wrote to U.S. President Joe Biden asking him to take action to protect consumers from possible harms caused by generative AI.

plugs in the U.S. than any other network, and its stations are in prime locations along freeway travel corridors.

Other automakers also are looking into the switch.

On Monday, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said his company’s U.S. teams are studying the change and will make a decision in a few weeks.

“We right now are evaluating that possibility,”

Tavares said in a brief interview with The Associated Press.

“It can have good things and bad things.”

He said the good things are being evaluated, and the bad things include dependence on Tesla.

Currently Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler, has no fully electric vehicles on sale in the U.S., but it does sell three plug-in gaselectric hybrids that can go

short distances on battery power. The company plans to sell an electric commercial van this year, followed by an electric Ram pickup and other vehicles.

Rivian is a relatively small player in the U.S. automotive market, selling just under 30,000 vehicles from 2021 through the first quarter of this year. But the Irvine, California, company is viewed as a key Tesla competitor. Like GM and Ford, Rivian owners will get access to more than 12,000 Tesla Supercharger plugs. In the U.S., Tesla has 1,797 Supercharger stations and more than 19,000 plugs, according to the Department of Energy. Since the stations are direct current fast-chargers, they can charge EVs relatively quickly as people travel.

ChargePoint has the biggest charging network in the U.S. with more than 32,000 stations and 55,000 plugs, but most of them

are Level 2 chargers that can take up to eight hours to get a battery up to a full charge.

The Energy Department says there are about 54,000 public charging stations nationwide with more than 136,000 plugs.

While most are slower Level 2 chargers, the network of DC fast chargers is growing.

Still, industry analysts say there is growing momentum to switch to Tesla’s connector to become the standard in the U.S., although vehicles likely will need to be able to use both connectors for a while.

GM and Ford say they’re not paying Tesla anything for access to the network, but owners will pay Tesla to charge just like any other charging system.

Rivian said in a statement that in addition to joining Tesla’s network, it will continue to expand its own charging system, where it will incorporate Tesla’s connector.

Shares of Tesla closed Tuesday up 5.3%. They’re up about 40% since Ford first announced it would join the charging network on May 25.

Europe has led the world in efforts to regulate artificial intelligence, which gained urgency with the rise of a new breed of artificial intelligence that gives AI chatbots like ChatGPT the power to generate text, images, video and audio that resemble human work.

The EU is putting the finishing touches on the world’s first set of comprehensive rules for the technology, but they are not expected to take effect for two years.

The groups called for European and U.S. leaders to use both existing laws and bring in new legislation to address the harms that generative AI can cause.

They cited a report by the Norwegian Consumer Council outlining dangers that AI chatbots pose, including providing incorrect medical information, manipulating people, making up news articles and illegally using vast amounts of personal data scraped off the internet.

The consumer groups, in countries including Italy, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, Greece and Denmark, warn that while the EU’s AI Act addresses some of the concerns, they won’t start applying for several years, “leaving consumers unprotected from a technology which is insufficiently regulated in the meantime, and developing at great pace.”

Some authorities have already acted. Italy’s privacy watchdog ordered ChatGPT maker OpenAI to temporarily stop processing user’s personal information while it investigated a possible data breach. France, Spain and Canada also have been looking into OpenAI and ChatGPT.

MATEO JARAMILLO, CEO and co-founder of Form Energy, poses for a photograph inside the company’s lab, Thursday, in Berkeley, Calif. The company recently broke ground on its first commercial-scale iron-air battery manufacturing facility in West Virginia. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

TESLA electric vehicles are charged at a charging station in Anaheim, California. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

THE CHATGPT app is seen on an iPhone.

Pinder says 12 percent of sunken ship salvaged as legal action is to be taken

By LETRE SWEETING Tribune Staff Reporter lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

ATTORNEY General

Ryan Pinder said 12 per cent of a ship that sank off Abaco last year has been salvaged.

He said after the exercise, an environmental assessment of the incident will be undertaken to determine legal action against the ship owners.

The Onego Traveller cargo ship, registered in Antigua and Barbuda, sank with heavy fuel on board on December 29, 2022.

In February, Mr Pinder said the government ordered the ship to be removed from The Bahamas within 45 days.

In April, following the selection of the salvage company for salvaging of the ship, Mr Pinder said his office was looking at imposing fines for the delay in removing the vessel.

The Ministry of Transport and Housing said on January 11 that the vessel had some 3,119 tons of steel coils at the time of the incident, along with an unspecified amount of heavy fuel.

“The salvage company has a barge on site,” Mr Pinder told reporters yesterday. “They’ve been on site for maybe a couple of months now, maybe a month and a half, undertaking salvage activities on that vessel. They have removed 144 steel coils, so those are

the big steel coils out of the cargo hold and have transported those to Freeport for storage.

“Now they are back on site, and they have started to cut up the ship to move it. They have had certain challenges with the weather. As you can imagine, you know

the weather we have been having lately, and they’re on the oceanside, so the wind and the waves really build up when the weather gets bad there. So they’ve had some delays because of the weather, but the barge is on site.

Mr Pinder said officials

are “under the mercy of the process and the weather” regarding when the rest of the ship will be salvaged. He added: “Once that ship has been salvaged and removed, we can put divers in the water through the Department of

Environmental Protection and Planning to make an assessment to see the scope of damage that may have occurred to our reefs and other ecosystems.

“Then at that point in time we will assess new litigation, fines, or some other penalty to issue.”

MAN WITH PENDING MURDER CHARGE DENIED BAIL FOR AIDING IN ANOTHER MURDER ATTE MPT

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was denied bail after being accused of aiding in a murder attempt last year.

He was denied bail after the prosecution showed evidence that he had rented the getaway vehicle.

Antonio Thompson, 23, allegedly aided in the attempted killing of Theo Williams in New Providence on March 24.

In his initial bail application, Thompson admitted

he had pending murder charges for the death of Sean Augustin in 2018.

After reviewing the evidence, Justice Gomez sided with the prosecution, concluding he is reasonably suspected of being involved in the crime because he rented the getaway vehicle.

“The Crown produced three witness statements in support of their objection to bail,” she said.

“The crux of the evidence against the applicant is that he rented a vehicle used by the individuals

who shot at Theo Williams.

“However, the applicant was not identified in any of the statements as one of the shooters. He was identified by one of the witnesses in one of the statements as the individual who paid to rent the vehicle, a black Nissan Cube, during the period when the offence was committed. Another witness confirmed that he saw individuals exit a black Nissan Cube and shoot at Theo Williams.”

involved in a plot to kill a police officer was granted bail while awaiting trial for that and other murder charges yesterday.

Roger Wallace, 30, made a bail application before Justice Camille Darville Gomez on a charge of conspiracy to commit murder.

Wallace and others allegedly conspired to murder Sergeant Raphael Miller on March 13.

At the time of this alleged offence, Wallace was on bail accused of murder. He is accused of causing the deaths of

Navarda Nairn and Antone

Brown in 2021. The bail applicant also allegedly attempted to kill police officers SGT Seymour and PC McKenzie last May.

In his initial application, Wallace acknowledged he had pending charges before the court beyond the conspiracy charge.

Despite the prosecution’s objection to the defendant’s bail because of his extensive list of pending charges, Justice Weech Gomez granted him bail, citing the presumption of innocence until proven

guilty. She also noted that the prosecution failed to adequately show that Wallace was at risk of missing his trial date.

Wallace’s bail was set at $30,000 with two sureties on condition he is fitted with a monitoring device and signs in at the Grove Station every Wednesday and Friday by 6pm. The accused is also expected to surrender his passport and obey a 10pm to 6am residential curfew.

Wallace was warned not to interfere with the witnesses.

ATTORNEY General Ryan Pinder said 12 per cent of a ship that sank off Abaco last year has been salvaged.

Photo: Austin Fernander

New NATO member Finland swears in government regarded as country’s most right-wing in decades

HELSINKI Associated Press

FINLAND, which recently became NATO’s 31st member, swore in a new coalition government Tuesday that is considered the most right-wing one in the Nordic country’s modern history.

President Sauli Niinistö appointed the 19-member Cabinet of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, the leader of the conservative National Coalition Party, after Finnish lawmakers approved the lineup of ministers.The National Coalition Party won the most seats in an April 2 parliamentary election. Following seven weeks of

coalition talks, the party announced a deal to form a government with three other parties, including the far-right, euroskeptic Finns Party.

The two junior partners in the coalition are the Christian Democrats and the Swedish People’s Party of Finland. Due to the dominance of the two senior partner parties, Finnish media described Orpo’s government as “national conservative” in nature.

The four parties hold a majority of 108 seats in the 200-member Parliament.

Political analysts said the new Cabinet was Finland’s most right-wing government since World War II

41 INMATES DIE IN GRISLY RIOT IN women’s prison in Honduras t H at president blames on gangs

HONDURAS

Associated Press

A GRISLY riot at a women’s prison in Honduras Tuesday left at least 41 women dead, most burned to death, in violence the country’s president blamed on the “mara” street gangs that often wield broad power inside penitentiaries.

Most victims were burned but there also were reports of inmates shot or stabbed at the prison in Tamara, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northwest of the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa, said Yuri Mora, the spokesman for Honduras’ national police investigation agency.

At least seven female inmates were being treated at a Tegucigalpa hospital for gunshot and knife wounds, employees there said.

“The forensic teams that are removing bodies confirm they have counted 41,” said Mora.

Local media interviewed one injured inmate outside the hospital who said prisoners belonging to the feared Barrio 18 gang burst into a cell block and shot other inmates or set them afire.

Honduran President Xiomara Castro said the riot was “planned by maras with the knowledge and acquiescence of security authorities.”

“I am going to take drastic measures!” Castro wrote in her social media accounts.

Julissa Villanueva, head of the country’s prison system, suggested the riot started because of recent attempts by authorities to crack down on illicit activity inside prisons and called Tuesday’s violence a reaction to moves “we are taking against organized crime.”

“We will not back down,” Villanueva said in a televised address after the riot.

Gangs wield broad control inside the country’s prisons, where inmates often set their own rules and sell prohibited goods.

The riot appears to be the worst tragedy at a female detention centre in Central America since 2017, when girls at a shelter for troubled youths in Guatemala set fire to mattresses to protest rapes and other mistreatment at the badly overcrowded institution. The ensuing smoke and fire killed 41 girls.

The worst prison disaster in a century also occurred in Honduras, in 2012 at the Comayagua penitentiary, where 361 inmates died in a fire possibly caused by a match, cigarette or some other open flame.

Tuesday’s riot may increase the pressure on Honduras to emulate the drastic zero-tolerance, noprivileges prisons set in up in neighbouring El Salvador by President Nayib Bukele.

While El Salvador’s crackdown on gangs has given rise to rights violations, it has also proved immensely popular in a country long terrorized by street gangs.

Finland’s economy was the central issue in April’s election. While campaigning, conservative candidates accused the centre-left Cabinet of former Prime Minister Sanna Marin of excessive spending, contributing to rising state debt and other economic problems.

Despite Marin’s personal popularity and high international profile, voters shifted their allegiances away from her Social Democratic Party and to parties on the political right. The Social Democrats finished third in the election, after the National Coalition Party and the Finns Party. Orpo, a 53-year-old veteran politician, is a

former finance and interior minister and has headed the N CP, Finland’s main conservative party, since 2016.

The party’s other key Cabinet posts include Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen and Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen, who is the NCP’s vice chair.

Häkkänen’s post is particularly significant since Finland joined NATO in April. The country of 5.5 million, which shares a long border with Russia, is in the process of integrating its military systems and infrastructure into the alliance.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine prompted Finland to abandon decades of military non-alignment and to

seek NATO membership together with Sweden in May 2022. Under Marin’s leadership, Finland was one of Ukraine’s most vocal and active European supporters in terms of military and civilian aid.

Häkkänen offered assurances that the new government would not change Finland’s position toward Ukraine.

“Finland’s support to Ukraine will continue to be very strong. There will be no changes to this policy,” he told The Associated Press on the sidelines of the new Cabinet’s first news conference.

The populist Finns Party, which follows a largely nationalist and

anti-immigration agenda, received several important Cabinet posts. Party leader Riikka Purra was made finance minister in the new government, and other party members were named to lead Finland’s interior and justice ministries. While Finland’s strategy on Ukraine may stay the same, Orpo’s Cabinet is expected to carry out major social policy and labour reforms, as well as budget cuts, over the next four years. It seeks to substantially decrease Finland’s government debt and is taking a hard stance on immigration, including tightening the requirements for residence permits and citizenship.

t ropical s torm bret spins toward eastern c aribbean as forecasters warn of Heavy rainfall

PUERTO RICO

Associated Press

TROPICAL Storm Bret chugged toward the eastern Caribbean on Tuesday as the region prepared itself for an unusually early storm and the torrential rains that are forecast.

Bret had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph) and was moving across the Atlantic Ocean at 18 mph (30 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, which warned that it’s been unable to get “a better handle on the system’s intensity and size.”

The storm was located some 780 miles (1,255 kilometers) east of the Windward Islands and is expected to pummel some

eastern Caribbean islands on Thursday at near hurricane strength. A tropical storm watch was issued for Barbados, St. Lucia and Dominica, where the meteorological service said Tuesday that the storm poses a “high threat” to the island and warned of landslides, flooding and waves of up to 12 feet (4 meters).

“Landslides are highly likely as we are coming out of a relatively dry period where grounds may be compromised or developed cracks,” said Fitzroy Pascal with Dominica’s Office of Disaster Management.

Meanwhile, the hurricane center urged people in the Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands to closely monitor the storm

and have their hurricane plans in place. Given the uncertainty in the track and intensity forecasts, it is too early to specify the location and magnitude of where Bret’s associated hazards could occur,” the center said.

Up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain were forecast from the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe south to St. Lucia, and up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) of rain for Barbados and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The government of Guadeloupe warned that inclement weather would start Wednesday evening and continue until late Friday, with waves of up to 10 feet (3 meters).

“Be careful!” officials warned in a statement. Unfavorable winds and drier air are expected to later weaken Bret as it swirls through the central Caribbean region, with some models showing the storm could dissipate after affecting islands in the eastern Caribbean.

The storm formed Monday — an early and aggressive start to the Atlantic hurricane season that began on June 1. A tropical disturbance with an 80% chance of cyclone formation is trailing Bret. No June on record has had two storms form in the tropical Atlantic, according to meteorologist Philip Klotzbach at Colorado State University.

un agencies decry Humanitarian crisis in Haiti and seek Help for Hungry families fleeing violence

HAITI Associated Press

THE EXECUTIVE directors of two UN agencies warned Tuesday that Haiti’s humanitarian crisis has reached unprecedented levels amid reports of widespread hunger and gang violence.

Per capita, the number of Haitians facing emergency-level food insecurity is the second highest in the world, with nearly 5 million struggling to eat every day, said Cindy McCain, executive director of the World Food Program.

More than 115,000 children younger than 5 also are expected to struggle with malnutrition this year, a 30% surge compared with last year.

In many ways, Haiti is forgotten,” she told The Associated Press while on a three-day trip to the Caribbean country. “It is urgent that we pay attention.”

Overall, more than 5 million people in the country of more than 11 million need urgent humanitarian support, according to the UN agencies.

“Humanitarian needs are even greater today

that after the devastating 2010 earthquake, but with far less resources to respond,” said Catherine Russell, UNICEF’s executive director.

Both Russell and McCain met with Prime Minister Ariel Henry and other officials during their trips to Haiti.

McCain also travelled to the southwest coastal city of Jeremie, which was recently hit by a 4.9 magnitude earthquake that killed at least four people. It also is struggling to recover from heavy floods earlier this month that affected most of

the country and killed more than 50 people.

McCain met with children at a local primary school where the World Food Program helps feed more than 600 children whose meals are prepared with local crops.

Among them is Jules Evanse, an 11-year-old student who told the AP that the free meals have helped him and his family.

“If I can’t find food at home, I know that I will find food at school,” he said. “The food gives me energy to work.”

FINLAND’s new Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, center, stands with some of his cabinet members, on the occasion of a complimentary visit to the President of Finland Sauli Niinisto at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland, yesterday.

Photo: Jussi Nukari/Lehtikuva via AP

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 2023

Davis Cup: Heartbreaking loss for Team Bahamas

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

It was another heartbreaking loss yesterday for Team Bahamas at the American Zone III Davis Cup Tie in Asuncion, Paraguay. After dropping a 2-1 decision to the Dominican Republic in their opening match in pool B on Monday, the Bahamas suffered a 3-0 whitewashing against the host Panama yesterday.

In the first match against Paraguay, Denali Nottage

of Grand Bahama went the distance, losing 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 to Martin Antonio Vergara del Puerto in a match that lasted two hours and 26 minutes.

Kevin Major Jr, the top seeded player, played

against Paraguay’s top seed Adolfo Daniel Vallejo, losing in identical set scores of 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 29 minutes.

With the tie already wrapped up in favour of Paraguay, the Bahamas

played in doubles with veteran Marvin Rolle teaming up for the second time with Donte Armbrister.

But after winning the only match for the Bahamas on day one against the Dominican Republic, the

BAHAMIAN PUBLIC IN FOR A TREAT AT BAHAMAS GAMES

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

Bahamas was unsuccessful against Paraguay, who came off a 3-0 sweep over Costa Rica in their opener on Monday. Rolle and Armbrister lost 6-4, 6-2 to

SEE PAGE 13

BLTA JUNIOR TENNIS CHAMPIONS UNITE

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THREE junior champions were crowned after their finals matchups at the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s (BLTA) Junior Tennis Nationals.

Patrick Mactaggart, Chase Newbold, and Vonteneke Rolle were among the first champions to be crowned as the remaining finals matchups and doubles competition will continue today at the National Tennis Centre (NTC).

The championships got underway on Friday last week and will wrap up today after hosting 100 tennis players in singles and doubles matches for the under 12 through 18 divisions.

Mactaggart vs Ayai Bethel

Mactaggart took down one of Eleuthera’s top junior tennis players, Ayai Bethel. He came into the junior tennis nationals fresh off a win in the under-14 boys category at the Spring Classic tourney.

Mactaggart defeated Bethel in the under-14 boys singles matchup in two sets 6-0, 6-0 to once again win the championship of his age group. The newest champion talked about his comfortable win. “I played pretty

SEE PAGE 13

WE ARE THE

WITH the sixth edition of the Bahamas Golden Jubilee Games set to take place in less than three weeks, the Bahamas Basketball Federation (BBF) released the schedule for the sport this past weekend.

The games will feature two pools ( A and B) and continue from July 11 to July 15. The games will be played by the 10 men’s basketball teams and the six women’s teams at both the DW Davis Gymnasium and Kendal G L Isaacs Gymnasium.

Eugene Horton, president of the BBF, talked about the excitement surrounding the return of The Bahamas Games for the 50th year of Independence.

“I am excited to see the Bahamas Games returning as a former participant I experienced good, friendly competition and camaraderie I am sure this year’s will not disappoint,” Horton said.

With the last Bahamas Games taking place in 2001, nearly 22 years ago, the Olympic-style competition will have some surprise elements for the basketball sporting discipline starting 9am on Tuesday, July 11. Bahamians were able to get a sneak peek of the competition-level of the Family Island teams at the round robin tournament in April.

“If the round robin in April was any indication the Bahamian public is in for a treat as the competition is expected to be better…. we will have the opportunities to see the ladies in action which we didn’t get to see,” Horton said.

The BBF president added that the women’s games will be highly competitive as they will feature a good mix of veteran players, current national team players along with current and upcoming national standouts.

The teams expected to battle on the court are the Abaco Survivors, Andros Chiccharnies, Bimini and Berry Islands Marlins, Columbus Isles Arawaks (Cat Island, Rum Cay, and San Salvador), Eleuthera Adventurers, Exuma and Ragged Island Navigators, Grand Bahama Lucayans, Long Island Sheep Runners, MICAL (Mayaguana,

SEE PAGE 16

G-BALL ANDRE RODGERS NATIONAL BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS BACK IN NP

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WITH the opening of the new Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium, the Bahamas Baseball Association has decided to bring its G-Ball Andre Rodgers National Baseball Championships back to New Providence.

The event, which was moved to Grand Bahama about 10 years ago, will be in New Providence for the second consecutive year and will be played from Thursday to Sunday at the new stadium for teams in the youth under-16 and senior 20-and under divisions. The coach pitch for 8-and-under, minors 10-and-under, the majors 12-and-under and the juniors 14-and-under will get started on Friday at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

BBA secretary general Theodore ‘Teddy’ Sweeting said this will be the 20th edition of the championships that got started back in 2003.

This year’s honoree will be the late Calvin ‘Cow’ Martin of Grand Bahama, who passed away last year. Martin was instrumental in assisting the BBA in the formation of the championships.

“We just want to show our respect to him as his daughter will be there to receive an award from us during the opening ceremonies on Thursday night at the new Andre Rodgers Stadium,” Sweeting said.

The ceremonies will get started at 6:30pm with an awards presentation, led by Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg. The featured game in the youth 16-and under division will be played between

Freedom Farm and the Legacy Baseball League out of Grand Bahama.

“It will be a very interesting matchup because Legacy has a very strong team, composed of a lot of players who are playing in the various academies and high schools in the United States,” Sweeting said.

“They feel they are very strong and feel they deserve to be highlighted in that area. But they will no doubt have their hands filled with Freedom Farm, who also boast of having some very

talented players of that age group who are also playing overseas.”

Tickets are priced at $7 for children and $12 for adults for the one day pass, but persons purchasing their ticket for Thursday’s opening will be allowed to use their band for Friday’s action, which will get started at 8am at both the new stadium with the under-18 and at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex with the other age group competition.

Tickets for the three days combined are priced at $30 for adults and $15 for children, which will allow them access into both the new stadium and the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

Teams will be participating from the Abaco Youth Baseball and Softball League, North Abaco Big Nige Baseball League, Community Baseball

League, Ed Armbrister Baseball League, Freedom Farm Baseball League, Junior Baseball League of Nassau, Grand Bahama Little League, Grand Bahama Amateur Baseball League and Legacy Baseball League. The Brice-Newball Foundation is this year’s title sponsor. They will be joined by other sponsors, including Vitamalt, Global Sun, G-Ball, Reloaded Baseball, Insurance Management, Gatorade, Focol out of Grand Bahama and Bahamasair, the national airline of the Bahamas.

Sweeting said the sponsors are banding together to help the association put on a spectacular show as they christen the new stadium during this year’s championships.

“It’s going to be a wonderful time for everybody to come out and watch us

as we celebrate baseball in this country during our national championships,” Sweeting said.

The championships was originally staged in New Providence for 10 consecutive years, but it was switched to Grand Bahama, which became the home of the championships for almost a decade.

“The fans can expect a lot of competition from our top leagues, Freedom Farm, JBLN and Grand Bahama Aamateur League as well as Legacy Baseball League,” Sweeting projected.

“They will be providing a lot of competition for the scouts who will be in town. We will have some college coaches in town as well as they get to see some of our best talent compete and do their evaluation.”

SEE PAGE 16

CHAMPIONS: Chase Newbold (under 12 boys singles champion) with the runner up Khai Rees and Patrick Mactaggart (under 14 boys singles champion) alongside runner up Ayai Bethel yesterday at the National Tennis Centre.

BAHAMAS LAWN TENNIS ASSOCIATION JR TENNIS NATIONALS WRAPS UP TODAY

MARVIN ROLLE DONTE ARMBRISTER DENALI NOTTAGE KEVIN MAJOR JR

MARIO BOWLEG

Basketball Smiles camp gets underway

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE Basketball Smiles camp returned to The Bahamas for the 24th year this week.

The basketball camp from the United States got underway on Monday at the Kendal G L Isaacs Gymnasium and will wrap up by the end of this week.

The camp hosted over 200 girls and boys between ages 4-16 with the aim of teaching them the basic fundamentals of basketball.

Sam Nichols, retired head coach of women’s basketball at McMurry University, talked about the success of the 24th edition of the camp so far.

“It has been great, we have been fortunate enough to have Kendal G L Isaacs [gym] which helps because what makes for a great camp is coach to player ratio and having adequate facilities.

“The coaches that came with me from Texas are great coaches and with the facilities here it has allowed us to have a quality camp with more kids,” Nichols said. With more than 200 boys and girls in attendance at Basketball Smiles, the retired Hall of Famer

BLTA

FROM PAGE 12

women’s coach said the coaching experience of his team has helped them to manage the different personalities at the camp.

“Our coaches have a lot of experience, we have coaches that have won state championships, collegiate championships, and they have kids from different ethnicities and backgrounds at home [and]

we view this as a sacrifice so when we come here it is not about us, it’s about that boy or that girl,” he said. Although he acknowledged that it can be difficult at times, he knows that kids are just being kids so his team of coaches practices an adequate amount of grace but discipline at the same time. Among some of the basketball skills to be

acquired at this year’s camp are footwork, ball-handling and shooting skills, and defensive abilities.

Accasico Nottage, a two-time returning camp participant, talked about his experience this year.

“I am enjoying it a lot. I learned that the game of basketball is a lot more about teamwork. And I have learned how to

Basketball Smiles this time around.

He said his first time felt great and everything has been going good so far.

The 14-year old decided to join after being referred by a friend and has learned better ball-handling skills.

The girls usually practice at Basketball Smiles between 9am to noon.

Coach Nichols believes that this year has been one of the best years talentwise for the ladies.

In attendance was Bahamian junior women’s basketball player and CARIFTA bronze-medallist Terrell McCoy. She said she has been attending the camp since knowing coach Johnson and it has been very helpful to her.

well, it’s always good finishing off with a 6-0, 6-0 but overall I had a pretty good tournament,” he said. He added that his game plan was to keep the ball in play, do not push it, and hit it.

Bethel, the under 14 boys runner up, said despite it being a tough loss it was a great match and he credited Mactaggart for simply being a better player in the matchup.

Overall, he said it was a good time making it to his first finals and he will hope for a better showing next time.

Newbold vs Khai Rees

Similar to Mactaggart, Newbold not only left the Spring Classic tourney as a champion but followed it up with another win at the junior tennis nationals this week.

Newbold closed out Rees in the under 12 boys singles matchup in two sets. He ended the match 6-3 in set one and 6-1 in set two.

Newbold talked about adding another championship hardware to his collection.

“In the first set I don’t think I did as well as the second set I had to push myself and push my energy also but overall in the tournament I think I did good,” he said.

He added that it felt good to be the champion of his age group because he felt that he worked hard enough in practice to put it into play on the tennis court.

He said the feeling was indescribable winning two straight titles in his final year of primary school. He will now look to continue his success at St Andrew’s next.

Rolle vs Caitlyn Pratt

In one of the more competitive matchups on the day, Rolle versus Pratt was must-see action at the NTC. The two competitors gave it their all and seemed evenly matched most of the game with Pratt taking the first set 6-0.

However, Rolle was determined to stay in the under 12 girls singles competition. In a tightly-contested second set, Rolle finished 7-6 over

Pratt. With one tiebreaker set remaining, Rolle collected another win after scoring 6-4 to topple Pratt in set three.

The under 12 girls champion talked about how it felt to earn a comeback victory over the Spring Classic champion for their age group.

“I just had confidence and I pushed my way back…I started putting a spin on my ball and just hitting with more power,” she said. With the remaining finals resuming today, including the doubles competition, Jerald Carroll will look to come out on top as a triple crown champion. Carroll will compete in three matches, including doubles competition, today to complete the triple crown feat once again.

“I am excited. I have to prepare for my match tomorrow, get some good sleep and just come out and play my game and I know I can win if I play how I usually play,” Carroll said. Matchups get underway 9am this morning at the NTC.

dribble a lot better and it has helped me to slim down a bit,” Nottage said.

The 16-year-old credited coach Patricia “Patty” Johnson for encouraging him to join the camp over the years.

Although there were few return participants due to COVID-19, Reonardo McKenzie was one of the first timers to join

DAVIS CUP

FROM PAGE 12

Paraguay’s duo of Vallejo and Vergara del Puerto. Paraguay wanted to make sure that they didn’t give the Bahamas a chance against them.

Rolle, the team captain, said despite the loss, the team played well.

“Denali played a guy with points, so that gave him some confidence that he could go the distance,” Rolle said. “It was definitely a tough match with long points, very emotional. He was giving it his all. He made the Bahamas proud.”

Reflecting on his performance, Nottage said as a rookie on the team, he felt he held his own.

“I felt I played better than yesterday. I was nervous, overthinking from the start,” he stated. “But today, I felt a whole lot more comfortable.”

As for Major Jr’s match, Rolle said he was steady and solid.

“It just wasn’t his luck on his opponent’s serve. Most games, KJ was up 30-0 and the guy just got lucky on a few points,” Rolle said.

“KJ is playing so well, but it’s just those key points.”

Major Jr said it was a difficult time playing against Paraguay before their home crowd.

“The guy came up with some really good shots in some key moments,” Major said. “I did what I could. I just fell a little short.”

“Basketball Smiles is a very good camp. I have been here about five years, it’s an amazing camp for them to come down and teach us new things and be very patient and hardworking with us,” McCoy explained.

She added that she is working on her ball-handling skills to complement her abilities as a post player.

The Basketball Smiles camp is scheduled to resume at the Kendal G L Isaacs Gymnasium today at 9am.

Against Costa Rica, Major said he’s looking forward to getting the Bahamas in the win column.

“From here on in, it’s do or die. We can’t afford to give away any more matches,” he said. “We just have to keep on fighting.”

In their doubles match against Paraguay, Armbrister said he and Rolle played well.

“The first set, it was very competitive. We ended up losing the first set by a few points,” Armbrister said.

“The second set, we started off good, but we got broken early to give our opponents the advantage.

“But I was pretty happy with our performance. It was good playing with Marvin Rolle in these Davis Cup competitions.

“He’s just a veteran in doubles, which makes my job easier. He just knows what shots to hit.”

Rolle said he enjoyed the experience playing with Armbrister as well.

“We had a tough one. The guys played well. They got revenge from last year because I beat them last year. They say they were going to beat us to get their revenge,” Rolle pointed out.

“But it was a good match overall. We had our chances.”

Against Costa Rica today, Rolle said they just have to come out strong because they can’t take any team for granted.

He said they will definitely try to get in the win column.

Flamingos Women’s Golf Club 242 marks Women’s Golf Day

THE Flamingos Women’s Golf Club 242 celebrated Women’s Golf Day this month, hailing the women who are blazing trails in the sport, and encouraging new members to join.

Women’s Golf Day is more than just one day; it’s a week-long celebration that takes place around the world, highlighting women and girls playing golf and learning skills that last a lifetime.

This year’s week was commemorated from May 30 to June 6.

Flamingos president Agatha Mona Delancy rallied club members to celebrate one another and to never forget the path laid in a sport that will ultimately grow with women’s participation in the future.

“For this year, Flamingos Women’s Golf Club 242 decided that a most fitting way to honour some of the movers and shapers of women’s golf in The Bahamas was to present them to those of us who are a part, or desirous of becoming a part of this community of golfers,” Delancy said.

The list includes more than 40 women in New

Providence, and seven Grand Bahama women - all who have made significant contributions to women’s golf in The Bahamas. Among those recognised were Georgette Rolle-Harris, founder of Fourteen Clubs, Inc., which includes about 100 skilled tournament golfers as well as some 800 juniors from public schools.

Other women who were highlighted for Women’s Golf Day include National Amateur Championship Golfers Raquel Riley, Ingrid Black and Alena Hutchinson.

National team members and golf administrators were also highlighted, including: Paula Newchurch-Cooper; Giselle Pyfrom; Jamecia Duncombe; Jaqueline (Jackie Longley); Pauline Curry; Gina Rolle-Rodriguez; Jenna Bayles; Inecia Rolle; Anja Charles; Sharon Cleare; Ann-Marie Hepburn; Janet (Jan) Pyfrom; Dr. Patti Symonette; Stephanie Carey; Vanria Munnings; Ethelyn Davis; Danielle Roninson; D’Andrielle Robinson; Michelean Poitier;

President Delancy was also lauded for her immeasurable contributions to the sport of golf in The Bahamas. Sixteen years ago, she was elected as president of the Bahamas Golf Federation.

It marked the first time in history that this position was held by a woman. With her leadership and guidance, the federation grew by leaps and bounds, and more women were inspired to take up the sport of golf.

Paula Newchurch Cooper was celebrated as a repeat outstanding member of the CAGC George Teale Cup Team. Her phenomenal performances earned her the distinction as one of the best women competitors of the game.

She accomplished the feat of being the only female player to make a hole-in-one on a Par Four Hole (the former Cable Beach Golf Course).

Flamingos have plans in the works to help increase the amount of golf players in the country, rally support for young golfers, and advance the sport nationally.

Donnett

Bain; Paula Von Hamm; Fran Dillett; Maria Campbell; Sheila Taylor; and Beryl Higgs. Posthumously, Muriel Eneas; Eloise Lochkart-Pinder; Gerry Smith; Yvonne Shaw; and Bettye Stubbs were recognised.

SHOWN, from left to right, are Agatha Mona Delancy, Flamingos Women’s Golf Club 242 Founder and Executive Coordinator; Laurie Bethel Lightfoot, Executive Committee Member/ Constitutionalist; Diane Miller, Club Treasurer/ Membership Chair; and Anja Charles, Executive Committee/ Coordinator, Special Events.

RAINING BUCKETS: Over 200 girls and boys combined gathered at the Kendal G L Isaacs Gymnasium yesterday to learn basketball fundamentals courtesy of the Basketball Smiles summer camp.

Photos by Tenajh Sweeting

GIRL POWER: Vonteneke Rolle, winner of the under 12 girls singles competition, is alongside runner up Caitlyn Pratt.

Wembanyama’s long frame, versatile game has him topping list of ‘bigs’ in NBA draft

By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer

VICTOR Wembanyama has long been earmarked to be the No. 1 overall selection in the NBA draft, a player so unusual that he defies traditional categorisation.

He headlines The Associated Press’ list of big men in the draft with a 7-foot-3 frame that eventually could help him dominate inside to go with his perimeter skills.

The AP previously noted the top guard prospects in the draft, along with forwards and international players to watch.

big-men likely to hear their names called Thursday night:

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA, France STRENGTHS: An incomparable combination of skills and size have made the French star a generational prospect with can’t-miss expectations unseen since LeBron James. He can roam the perimeter, handle the ball and shoot off the dribble like a guard, but his length helps him score over defenders inside along with racking up blocks and deflections. And with San Antonio holding the top pick, he’ll soon be under the tutelage of a five-time NBA champion in Gregg Popovich.

Among his countless highlights, one play from April stands out: the sight of Wembanyama missing an off-the-dribble stepback 3-pointer — only to fly in and tip dunk his own miss.

CONCERNS: Essentially none. The 19-year-old could probably stand to add strength to handle physical defenders.

DERECK LIVELY II, Duke STRENGTHS: The lean 7-foot-1 freshman arrived at Duke as 247sports’ No. 2-ranked national recruit and came on in the season’s

second half as a strong rim protector nimble enough to defend in open space. He ranked ninth nationally in blocked shots (2.41). The highlight came in a February win against rival North Carolina, when the first-round prospect dominated while scoring just four points thanks to 14 rebounds and eight blocks.

Duke coach Jon Scheyer said Tuesday that Lively’s role “directly translates” as a modern big capable of handling defensive switches and being a lob threat.

“I think that’s the hardest adjustment for a lot of college players: They’re used to always having the ball

in their hands and always scoring,” Scheyer said. “... For him, it can be seamless. I know obviously you can talk about potential with him, but I think about readiness with him because of what he’s done this past year and who he is as a player.”

CONCERNS: The 19-year-old wasn’t a dominant rebounder despite his length (5.4 average, six double-digit outings in 34 games). His offensive game was limited beyond putbacks and alley-oops, including a scoreless game with no shot attempts in 36 minutes against a physical Tennessee team as Duke

fell in the NCAA Tournament’s second round. Adding bulk to a 230pound frame could help both areas.

TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS, Indiana

STRENGTHS: The Indiana senior was an Associated Press AllAmerica first-team pick, mixing reliability, versatility and athleticism. He ranked sixth in Division I in rebounding (10.8) and eighth in double-doubles (18) while also ranking in the top 20 in scoring (20.9) with multiple post moves. And he stepped up his production heading into the

March spotlight, averaging 24.7 points on 61.5% shooting in his final six games.

Defensively, he ranked fourth nationally in blocked shots (2.88) with a 7-1 wingspan, making him a well-rounded interior presence who could hear his name called in the back half of the first round.

CONCERNS: He’s a bit undersized (6-8, 240) for an interior-focused player who has shown little outside of 15 feet.

He’s a career 67.6% shooter at the foul line who never hit 70% in a season, and his 3-point history consists entirely of going 0 for 3 as a junior. He also is one

of the oldest prospects at 23 years old.

OTHERS TO NOTE

— NOAH CLOWNEY.

The 6-10, 210-pound freshman became an every-game starter for an Alabama team that was the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAAs. Clowney, who turns 19 next month, averaged 9.9 points and offers potential as a rebounder (8.0) with the ability to step outside (eight games with multiple made 3s). That could help him land in the late first round.

— JAMES NNAJI: The center from Nigeria turns 19 in August and has been playing in Spain, where his team lists him as 6-11 and 249 pounds. He offers intrigue as a raw developmental prospect with a 7-5 wingspan and defensive potential. Some mock drafts have him sneaking into the first round.

— ADAMA SANOGO.

The junior powered Connecticut to a fifth NCAA championship as the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player. He’s a bit undersized for a big (roughly 6-7 without shoes at the NBA combine) and is a secondround prospect, but he has a strong frame (roughly 255 pounds) and added a step-outside element to his game last year by making 19 of 52 3-pointers (36.5%). His nearly 7-3 wingspan measured fifth-best at the combine.

— OSCAR TSHIEBWE.

The senior from Kentucky rode a relentless-rebounding mindset into being named as AP men’s national player of the year in 2022 and a second-team All-American in 2023.

It’s unclear whether the 23-year-old — measuring roughly 6-7 and 255 pounds with a better than 7-3 wingspan at the NBA combine — will be drafted. But he averaged national bests of 15.1 rebounds in 2022 and 13.7 in 2023 while racking up 48 double-doubles, so his motor might intrigue a team to take a flier.

Twins Amen and Ausar Thompson set to be taken in top-10 tomorrow night

By PAT GRAHAM AP Sports Writer

FOR all the things the Thompson Twins share — middle name, appetite for burgers, dynamic basketball skill sets — matching suits on draft night won’t be one of them.

Amen and Ausar Thompson are dressing for success in their own unique style as they prepare to go in their own separate directions for really the first time. The 6-foot-7 guards out of Overtime Elite are projected in the AP mock draft to be selected in the top 10 Thursday night in New York.

That means, barring a daring move by a team, they will wind up in different cities.

It’s a situation that’s still hard to fully fathom for the 20-year-olds from California. It’s also a situation that reveals another shared trait: Their sense of humour.

“We’ll just constantly text each other,” explained Amen, who’s the older twin by a minute.

“But you don’t check your phone,” Ausar quickly countered.

“He’s lying,” Amen responded.

Kidding aside, their aim is to live up to their shared middle name of “XLNC” (pronounced excellence), which was bestowed on them to convey a sense of power.

“Just so with every time you’re saying their name, there’s that power behind it,” their dad, Troy, said. “Excellence, greatness — we always use all these power words and so do they, in their own expressions, so

they’re always thinking on that high note.”

The Thompsons moved from the San Francisco Bay Area to Florida when the twins were in eighth grade to enhance their basketball careers.

The playmakers shined at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, leading the team to a state title. They received offers from several traditional Power Five basketball programmes.

Instead, they pivoted.

The twins took the road less travelled to the NBA draft by signing with Overtime Elite, a professional basketball league based in Atlanta that’s opening another door to the pros for talented young players.

It was a chance to focus on basketball full-time and build up their strength.

They did, too, adding 25 pounds of muscle over their two-year tenure with the league. An opportunity at a pay cheque, too — Overtime Elite, which launched in 2021, compensates players with annual salaries of at least $100,000.

Their first year, the twins played on different Overtime Elite teams.

This past season, they combined — and dominated.

Amen (rhymes with “a pen”) averaged 17.2 points, 9.2 assists and 7.2 rebounds in the playoffs to lead the City Reapers to the championship.

Not to be outdone, Ausar (rhymes with “a car”), had a postseason in which he averaged 21 points, 4.8 assists and 5.2 rebounds.

When it came time to vote for the league’s regular season MVP award, it was

no surprise who voted for whom.

Ausar for Amen.

Amen for Ausar.

Ausar earned MVP (along with the postseason version, too).

“It would have been funny” if Ausar won by one vote, Amen joked. “I would’ve taken mine back.”

They enjoy teasing one another — and pushing each other. They’re always in the gym, hoisting up shots or working on their footwork. They’re competitive, too, whether it be in friendly games on the court or in the video game NBA 2K, where they’re in agreement — Ausar reigns

supreme on the video-game controller in hoops.

Their go-to meal comes from In-N-Out Burger. Ausar prefers a double cheeseburger with lettuce and special sauce, maybe grilled onions.

Amen likes the same, just hold the cheese.

Amen’s scouting report reads like this: Explosive athleticism, with exceptional court vision. Can break down defenders with his ball-handling skills and elite first step.

Ausar’s report: Essentially the same as his brother.

Ausar projects as more of a combo guard and Amen

as a ball handler in the NBA. Amen is predicted to go fourth overall to Houston and Ausar sixth to Orlando.

Their dad saw a path to the twins being elite when they were around eight and going against players three, sometimes four, years older.

“You knew that their forward trajectory was going to be fast, because they were already improving at such a high rate,” Troy stated.

“From here on, I just want to enjoy watching them continue to grow into this dream and just achieve the greatness they always talked about.”

They describe their bond as “twin telepathy,” which Ausar said comes in handy not only on the basketball floor but in life.

Don’t ask for specifics, though, because that’s top secret.

“It would be bad for the world if everybody knew how to do it. I just know where he’s going to be at all times,” Ausar said.

Leading into the draft, they’ve been travelling to work out for interested teams.

In Portland, they met Damian Lillard.

A year ago, they were introduced to Golden State Warriors great Stephen Curry at his camp.

“It’s super cool meeting them,” Ausar said.

Amen and Ausar said they’ve competed against many of the big names in the draft class with the exception of Victor Wembanyama, the French star who is expected to go No. 1 to the San Antonio Spurs.

The twins are bracing for the likely separation and distance between them. They’re even planning for the big moment when both meet on the same NBA court at a soon-to-be-determined spot.

“That,” Amen said, “is going to make for one cool picture.”

IN this photo provided by Overtime Elite, City Reapers basketball players Amen Thompson, left, and Ausar Thompson, right, pose after winning the Overtime Elite Finals on March 7 at OTE Arena in Atlanta. Amen and Ausar will share the stage at the NBA draft tomorrow night. The 6-foot-7 guards out of Overtime Elite are projected to be taken in the top 10 on Thursday night in AP’s mock draft.

(Photo by Adam Hagy/Overtime Elite via AP)

BOULOGNE-LEVALLOIS’ VICTOR WEMBANYAMA, top, dunks during the Elite basketball match Boulogne-Levallois against Paris at the Palais de Sports Marcel Cerdan stadium in Levallois-Perret, outside Paris on May 16. Wembanyam is among the headliners of the top big men in the NBA draft on Thursday night.

(AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Alcaraz finds some late inspiration to win 1st match at Queen’s Club, Murray exits

LONDON (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz’s first grass-court match outside Wimbledon proved to be a tricky one.

Playing for the first time at the Queen’s Club Championships, the top-seeded Alcaraz came from a set down yesterday to win 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (3) against lucky loser Arthur Rinderknech — a No. 83-ranked Frenchman who only found out he was playing following the withdrawal of Arthur Fils a couple of hours before the match.

“It has been a really tough match,” Alcaraz said. “It was really difficult for me at the beginning to adapt my tennis, my game, to the grass.”

Alcaraz faced difficulties in dealing with the tall Rinderknech’s big serve and net coverage in what was the No. 2-ranked Spaniard’s seventh career match on grass, and first away from the All England Club. Alcaraz rallied from going down a break early in the third set and dominated the tiebreaker, which started with an epic point that saw Alcaraz tumble to the ground after racing to the net to hit a cross-court winner.

The fourth point, which put Alcaraz 3-1 ahead, was also memorable because of his outrageous lob on the run that landed on Rinderknech’s baseline and set up another forehand

winner. Alcaraz then converted his third match point.

“For me, it’s tough playing here but I enjoy playing on grass and it’s a tournament I really wanted to play,” Alcaraz said.

It was Alcaraz’s first match since losing to Novak Djokovic in the French Open semifinals, after which he went to Spanish party island Ibiza.

Earlier at the Wimbledon warmup tournament, second-seeded Holger Rune of Denmark beat bigserving American Maxime Cressy 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3) for his first grass-court ATP win, after losing three in the first round last year — including at Wimbledon.

SPAIN’s Carlos Alcaraz returns the ball to France’s Arthur Fils during the Men’s Singles Lucky Loser Qualifying match on day twomat The Queen’s Club, London, yesterday. (Adam Davy/PA via AP)

Britain’s Andy Murray, on a 10-match winning run on the back of two straight grass-court Challenger Tour titles, lost 6-3, 6-1 to seventh-seeded Alex de Minaur of Australia. That all but ends his hopes of

being seeded in the draw for Wimbledon, where he is a two-time champion.

London after winning the grass-court Stuttgart Open title on Sunday to climb to a career-high spot of No. 10 in the rankings. Another American, third-seeded Taylor Fritz, beat Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-4, 7-5.

AUSTRALIA WINS ASHES CLASSIC AS CUMMINS FINISHES OFF 2-WICKET WIN

By BRIAN CHURCH Associated Press

BIRMINGHAM, Eng-

land (AP) — Pat Cummins threw off his helmet, tossed away his bat and wheeled away in celebration after playing a captain’s innings to win an Ashes classic for Australia on Tuesday.

England’s “Bazball”

cricket revolution got a lesson from Down Under in an opening test of the series that went down to the wire on the final day.

Chasing 281 at a raucous Edgbaston, the Australians reached the target inside the final hour for a twowicket win after Usman Khawaja hit a patient 65 and Cummins finished the job with an unbeaten 44 containing two sixes and four fours.

“Both teams spoke a lot about playing your own style,” Cummins said about triumphing over England’s aggressive approach under Ben Stokes. “And that’s the beauty of this series. Two contrasting styles, playing to our strengths

and that made for great entertainment.”

Cummins shared a match-winning ninthwicket partnership of 55 with Nathan Lyon (16 not out), hitting the winning boundary against Ollie Robinson — Harry Brook failed to stop the ball at the rope — as Australia finished on 282-8. It disappointed the majority of a loud crowd that sensed another memorable victory at the Birmingham ground after England’s two-run win in the second Ashes test in 2005.

“We are, of course, absolutely devastated,” Stokes said. “The lads are in pieces up there. But if that’s not attracting people to the game we love then I don’t know what will.”

Jubilant and possibly surprised Australian fans at the stadium chanted “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi” after their team’s remarkable win.

Khawaja, who hit his first test century in England in the first innings, faced 197 deliveries as he

AUSTRALIA captain Pat Cummins celebrates after beating England during day five of the first Ashes Test cricket match, at Edgbaston, Birmingham, England, yesterday.

anchored most of Australia’s successful run chase on a still-docile pitch before being dismissed by Stokes.

Khawaja was taking the game away from England with Australia at 209-6, but Stokes’ fiery delivery was hit onto his stumps by the batter.

Khawaja was named the player of the match and said “it was an unbelievable game.” “I watched

Edgbaston 2005 on TV as a kid, I stayed up late,” Khawaja said. “I was there when Stokesy played that unbelievable innings at Headingley in the last Ashes (in England in 2019) but this has definitely got to be one of my favorite test matches I’ve ever played in.”

Eight wickets down, Australia was still chasing the win — with very good reason as it turned out — and Cummins smashed Joe Root, who was bowling spin while Moeen Ali was nursing a hurt spinning finger, for two sixes in the 83rd over.

England had delayed taking the new ball at 227-7 and it worked perfectly as Root claimed Alex Carey (20) to make the score 227-8 with Australia still needing 54 runs.

Cummins and Lyon then came to the crease and never left it, though Lyon was dropped by a flying Stokes at backward square leg in what could have been another twist. England must win the five-match

series to retake the urn from Australia. The tourists take the bragging rights into the second test at Lord’s but both teams achieved their aim of making the series opener a showpiece for the longer format of cricket as it fights to keep players and TV viewers from focusing on franchise cricket.

The morning session was lost to rain and players took an early lunch before Australia resumed batting on 107-3, still needing 174 more runs.

They were contained early on by Jimmy Anderson and Broad, who had claimed the wickets of top-ranked Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith late on Friday to help set up a final-day thriller.

Despite losing in “Bazball” style, attack-minded England has shown almost anything can now happen in test cricket under Stokes’ captaincy. His early declaration — on the first day, no less — with England at 393-8 drew grudging admiration from Australian

fans. Bringing on part-timer Brook early on the second day to bowl at Smith drew gasps and left Australia batters not knowing what to expect next. Brook had previously remarked his gentle medium-pace was only employed “if the other boys are knackered.”

As well as the batting heroics, Lyon moved closer to joining the exclusive 500wicket club in tests after finishing with match figures of 8-229 on the fourth day when England finished its second innings 273 all out. Root reverse-ramped his way to 46 after his 118 not out in the first innings.

Lyon, who has taken 495 wickets, expressed genuine sympathy for England’s spinning spearhead Ali, who came out of test retirement but struggled with a blistered spinning finger after bowling 33 overs for 2-147 in Australia’s first innings of 386.

Ali bowled again in the second innings, taking 1-57 from 14 overs, but was badly missed in the final hours.

Column: Rory McIlroy is going on nine years without a major and the questions won’t stop

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP)

— The only thing worse for players than getting asked about winning their first major are endless questions about when they will win another one.

That’s what Rory McIlroy is facing. The scrutiny no longer is limited to the spring, with Augusta National on the horizon and the reminder that a Masters green jacket is all that keeps McIlroy from the career Grand Slam. Any major will suffice at this point.

And about the only answer is what Wyndham Clark offered not long after the tears, the hugs and the hoisting of the U.S. Open trophy.

“I just feel like it was my time,” Clark said. Sometimes there’s no better explanation.

Clark never had to face the “when” question because he earned his first PGA Tour victory only six weeks ago, and because the U.S. Open was only the seventh major he had ever played.

He showed big game at Los Angeles Country Club, from the par saves around the turn to his deft touch with a wedge and putter over the last two holes to

preserve his one-shot win over McIlroy. Perhaps five years from now it won’t seem like such a surprise, at least for Clark.

Tiger Woods never faced those questions, either. Much of those 11 years between his 14th and 15th major was more about when he would play than when he would win.

Woods had reconstructive knee surgery and four back operations. McIlroy missed one major after hurting his knee playing soccer.

McIlroy is a massive talent, and so it’s reasonable to at least consider whether a four-time major champion has underachieved. Worth noting is winning majors has become tougher than ever as golf gets deeper and younger.

Of the 33 majors McIlroy has played since his last win, 21 of those winners were younger than him.

More alarming is not that McIlroy failed to win Sunday, rather that he has given himself so few chances over the last nine years.

Since his last major title in near darkness at Valhalla in 2014 at the PGA Championship, he has played in the final group only twice — he was three behind Patrick Reed in the 2018 Masters and tied with

Viktor Hovland last year at St. Andrews in the British Open. Los Angeles allowed for natural comparisons with St. Andrews. It’s not so much what McIlroy did wrong as what he failed to do — make putts. He hit all 18 greens and took 36 putts in the British Open. He didn’t make a putt longer than 7 feet over the final 33 holes of the U.S. Open. The final day at LACC wasn’t quite that bad, but it wasn’t great. McIlroy had 16 pars, one bogey and one birdie. That’s a round that often wins a U.S. Open. It’s just that this Open featured two 62s and a 63 before the week was over. McIlroy didn’t make a birdie over the last 17 holes. There wasn’t much left for him when he finished but to hope for Clark to

three-putt — yes, he was hoping for such an outcome because it was all he had — and when that 60-foot putt settled a foot next to the hole, McIlroy didn’t bother to stick around in the scoring trailer to watch him finish.

“As soon as he cozied it up there, I was like, ‘OK, get through this, and then go home and regroup,’” he said.

By “get through this,” that would be mean a brief inquisition. He knew what was coming. What happened? How come? What’s next?

When?

The next chance — the last chance this year — was 32 days away from when McIlroy signed for an evenpar 70. The British Open is at Royal Liverpool, where McIlroy won the claret jug in 2014 when he took a sixshot lead into the final day and was never seriously challenged. That was his time.

Sunday at LACC was not, just like so many others, some of them recent. He was tied for the lead at the Memorial and shot 75 to finish four back. He was two behind going into the final round at the Canadian Open and shot 70 to finish five shots behind. This time he was in the penultimate group, one

shot behind and playing in the group in front of two players — Clark and Rickie Fowler — who had never won a major.

His regret was not making putts — that’s true with everyone — and not waiting for a gust to settle when he had a wedge in his hand going into the par-5 14th. Stranger still was why he chose to lay up from a reasonable lie in the left rough. But that’s hindsight. Reality is coming up short

and taking bogey to lose ground when he could least afford it.

“I’m getting closer,” McIlroy said. “The more I keep putting myself in these positions, sooner or later it’s going to happen for me. Just got to regroup and get focused for Hoylake.”

That’s what Fowler used to say when he was finishing in the top five at all the majors in 2014, and what he can say again with the turnaround in his game.

(Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

RORY McIlroy at the U.S. Open golf tournament. (AP)

On Thursday, Sweeting said there will be a College Showcase in the stadium from 10am to 4pm where at least 10 players coming from the United States will be joining a number of local players.

And the action will be viewed by about four college coaches coming in for the championships.

“We want to do it every year before the nationals so that we can give our young men the opportunity to be exposed to the visiting college and pro scouts who come down for the championships,” Sweeting said.

The championship will conclude on Sunday with the bronze and gold medal games. In the event that there is rain this weekend, Sweeting said there have been some provisional plans to play at various sites at Freedom Farm and the JBLN’s Field of Dreams.

21st annual Duke of Edinburgh Cup Charity Golf Tournament in Paradise at Ocean Golf Club on Sunday

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE 21st annual Duke of Edinburgh Cup, the Bahamas’ semifinals of the Charity Golf Tournament, is all set for Sunday at the Ocean Golf Club on Paradise Island.

And according to Viana Gardiner, the vice president of public affairs and special projects for the host Atlantis resort, they are anticipating one of the most exciting events staged so far. The event, which supports the Governor

General’s Youth Award Programme, will tee off at 8am. It will close out with the awards ceremonies, which will be attended by Governor General CA Smith.

“We put on this tournament every year so that the proceeds can go to the Governor General’s Youth Award Programme,” Gardiner said. “They are like a youth organisation.

“Their sole purpose is to empower young people. They do a lot of outdoor physical activities and camping. So it’s their way of trying to prepare these young people to be world

ready and to take on life changes and so we have partnered with them to help raise some funds.”

The tournament is designed for teams of four, which is broken down into a pair of teams where the top twosomes of the winning team get an all-expense paid trip to England to participate in the finals, which is the top prize.

Tireflex is offering a brand new Mercedes Benz for a hole in one; Atlantis will provide multiple weekend stays at its resort and dinners at various restaurants; John Bull gives an assortment of jewellery and

there’s also dinner prizes at Graycliff.

This year, as a part of the 50th anniversary of the Bahamas, Gardiner revealed that Fidelity Bank & Trust and Doctor’s Hospital are both coming on board as gold sponsors, providing $15,000 each.

Cable Bahamas silver sponsors at $10,000 and there are several bronze sponsors.

“A really important aspect of the tournament this year is the fact that we have added a special day on Saturday where we will once again host a student golf clinic for the students

of the GGYA,” Gardiner said.

“Last year, we entertained about 70-75 students from the programme, who got to come over to the golf course and they were instructed by the golf course pro instructor.”

Gardiner said they intend to host their second GGYA clinic on Saturday starting at 10am. “Some of them have never been exposed to the game of golf and don’t understand the game,” Gardiner said.

“So it’s like a tutorial introduction to the game. This gives us a chance to

spend some time with them because the tournament on Sunday is for the adult golfers.

“So this gives them a chance to get their chance to enjoy themselves.”

So far, more than 108 players have already registered to participate in the tournament on Sunday.

“The tournament could not take place without corporate sponsors and so we are so very grateful for all of the corporate sponsors, who assist us year after year,” Gardiner said.

“The funds go directly to the students of the GGYA programme.”

RONALDO SCORES LATE WINNER IN RECORD 200TH GAME FOR PORTUGAL IN EUROPEAN QUALIFYING

BERLIN (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo became the first men’s player to make 200 international appearances and celebrated the milestone by scoring the winning goal in the 89th minute as Portugal beat Iceland 1-0 yesterday in European Championship qualifying.

The 38-year-old Ronaldo was honoured by Guinness World Records before kickoff for reaching 200 games for Portugal almost 20 years after he made his debut. And he was celebrating at the end, too, after being on hand to score the later winner from close range and keep Portugal on track for Euro 2024 qualification with its fourth win from four games in Group J. Erling Haaland scored twice in Norway’s 3-1 win at home over Cyprus, as did Romelu Lukaku in

GAMES

FROM PAGE 12

Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins, and Long Cay) Flamingoes and the New Providence Buccaneers.

With the countdown for the Bahamas Golden Jubilee Games drawing closer to July 7-15 for the 16 sporting disciplines, the BBF is trying to stay ahead of the game for basketball.

“After speaking with the coaches and island associations, preparations are going very well, we are on target, schedule is completed, and Freddie Brown and team are starting initial dialogue with teams on rules and what is expected,” Horton said.

The basketball games will be played for five consecutive days leading

Belgium’s 3-0 victory over Estonia.

But another star forward – Robert Lewandowski –was left disappointed as his Poland team squandered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 away to Moldova. Euro 2024 host Germany lost 2-0 to Colombia in a friendly game.

GROUP J Ronaldo padded his record for international goals as well, by netting his 123rd for Portugal — making it another memorable night for the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star.

“So happy. It’s that kind of moment that you never expect to do it, 200 caps.

For me it’s an unbelievable achievement,” Ronaldo told UEFA’s website. “Of course, to score the winning goal, it’s even more special.”

up to a championship game for both the men and women on July 15 at Kendal GL Isaacs Gymnasium.

The BBF is anticipating high crowd turnouts for the games and for individuals unable to attend in-person due to time conflicts the games can be followed online at https:// bbfbasketball.com/.

The Bahamas Games were established in 1989 by Peter J Bethell and previously took place in 1991, 1995, 1998, and 2001. This year’s return coincides with the celebration of the 50th year of Independence with the slogan ‘Our Nation, Our Islands, Our Games’.

The sixth edition of the Olympic-style event will showcase 16 sporting disciplines at 16 different locations July 7-15.

Ronaldo’s teammates Rafael Leão and Bruno Fernandes had looked more likely top provide an opening in Reykjavik, until Iceland midfielder Willum Willumsson was sent off with 10 minutes of normal time remaining for a second yellow card.

Ronaldo had missed several chances and was booked for diving in the 83rd, before he finally got the winner when Goncalo Inacio headed the ball down for the forward to score from close range. Even then there was an anxious wait for a VAR check before Ronaldo could celebrate in his own distinctive style. Also, Luxembourg upset Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 away thanks to goals from Danel Sinani and Yvandro Borges Sanches, while Slovakia beat Liechtenstein 1-0.

GROUP A

Despite Haaland’s goals for Norway, Scotland stayed top of Group A with a 2-0 win over Georgia in a game that was suspended for about 1 hour, 40 minutes because of heavy rain and a waterlogged field.

Callum McGregor gave hosts an early lead before play was suspended. Scott McTominay made it 2-0 early in the second half despite lots of water still on the field.

It was Scotland’s fourth win from four games and it lifted the team four points above Georgia.

Norway is third with four points from four games, while Spain is a point further back after playing just two. Spain won the Nations League on Sunday.

GROUP E

Lewandowski scored but couldn’t prevent Poland slumping to a loss in Moldova, its second in three

games. Albania earned a 3-1 away win over the Faeroe Islands to stay second in the group, one point behind the Czech Republic after three games played. Poland dropped to second last in the group with three points.

GROUP F Lukaku scored twice in the space of three minutes to lead Belgium to a 3-0 win in Estonia. Lukaku broke the deadlock with a flick after an uneventful first half-hour and doubled Belgium’s lead with another clinical finish for his 75th goal in 108 internationals.

Johan Bakayoko marked his first start for Belgium by adding the third goal in the 90th minute. Christoph Baumgartner scored twice for Austria to defeat Sweden 2-0 in the other group game. Austria leads the group with 10 points from three games, three points ahead of Belgium.

GROUP G Hungary defeated Lithuania 2-0 and Bulgaria drew with Serbia 1-1.

It left Hungary top of the group on seven points, ahead of Serbia on goal difference.

PORTUGAL’s Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal during the Euro 2024 group J qualifying soccer match between Iceland and Portugal in Reykjavík, Iceland, Tuesday, June 20, 2023.

(AP Photo/Árni Torfason)

NORWAY’S ERLING HAALAND, front and Cyprus’ Alex Gogic battle for the ball during the Euro 2024 group A qualifying soccer match between Norway and Cyprus at the Ullevaal stadium in Oslo, Tuesday, June 20, 2023. (Terje Pedersen/NTB via AP)

TEE-OFF THIS SUNDAY: The 21st annual Duke of Edinburgh Cup, the Bahamas’ semifinals of the Charity Golf Tournament, is all set for Sunday at the Ocean Golf Club on Paradise Island.

Temporary road Closures To be aware of for Thursday

POLICE have announced a number of temporary road closures as well as traffic diversions for Thursday.

The closures and divisions are to facilitate the Royal Bahamas Police Force hosting its graduation ceremony and passing out parade.

The graduation, which is open to the public,

commences at 6pm and will be held in Rawson Square. Bay Street will be closed to all vehicular traffic between 4pm and 9pm.

The following roads also will be closed: West Bay Street between Nassau Street and Navy Lyon Road; Cumberland Street between Duke Street and Marlborough Street;

Woodes Rodgers Walk between Charlotte and East Streets; Charlotte Street between Bay and Shirley Streets; Bank Lane between Bay and Shirley Streets; East Street between Bay and Shirley Streets. Traffic travelling east on West Bay Street will be diverted south on Nassau Street; Traffic travelling

west on Duke Street will only be permitted to travel west onto West Hill Street; No vehicles will be allowed to travel north on Cumberland Street; Traffic travelling north on East Street will be diverted west on Shirley Street. No vehicles will be allowed to travel west and east along Woodes Rodgers

Walk between Charlotte Street and East Street.

Local traffic in the affected areas will be diverted out of the area.

Parking will not be permitted between 1am and 9pm on: Bay Street between Navy Lyon Road and East Street both sides; Parliament Street between Woodes Rodgers Walk

and Shirley Street; Woodes Rodgers Walk between Charlotte Street and East Street. Between 5pm and 9pm today, Bay Street will be closed to all vehicular traffic to facilitate the dress rehearsal for the graduation ceremony and passing out parade.

Royal Bahamas Police Recruits attended a luncheon hosted by the Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander. The 138 Recruits will be graduating on Thursday.

Photos: austin Fernander

AG says birth certificate will be enough for citizenship

from page one

yesterday. Effectively, if you are born in The Bahamas to two unwed parents, so you’re illegitimate at the time of birth, and your father was Bahamian, and that’s reflected on your birth certificate, then the citizenship is naturally automatic because you presume paternity through the birth certificate.”

“The issue comes down to when you don’t have a father in that situation listed on the birth certificate, then how do you prove paternity and that

the father was Bahamian?

We’re looking at a protocol involving DNA evidence in those circumstances and we’re working with the Ministry of Health to properly define that protocol. As you can imagine, it has to be by way of certified laboratories and properly recognised DNA results and only down so many generations in these types of questions.”

Once that protocol is in place, then naturally we will be able to proceed on the DNA element of it when the father is not on the birth certificate. We look to finalise

that in short order.”

Kingsley Smith, the chief passport officer, said his office would soon issue a notice indicating when it will begin accepting applications of people affected by the Privy Council’s ruling if their father is on the birth certificate. He said his office must be satisfied that the father is a Bahamian.

“If the father born after 1973, then obviously we have to go as far back as the person born before ‘73 to show entitlement,” he said. “That’s how our constitution works. When we ask sometimes for

the grandmother or the great grandmother, that is because we’re going back to the first person to be born before ‘73.

“Then, we would need their birth certificate and, depending on the marriage situation, their marriage certificate.”

Mr Smith said accepting the applications of people affected by the Privy Council’s ruling in addition to the usual applications will be challenging.

He said his office is preparing to deal with the challenge.

He said officials are considering work shifts “that go

into the night” to deal with the influx of applications.

“Those persons renewing an e-passport don’t have to come in,” he added. “If they are 15 or over, we would encourage those persons to use an online portal to make sure those perps who have to come in, there are slots available for them.”

Immigration Minister Keith Bell has said about 1,500 applications for Bahamian citizenship at the Department of Immigration are affected by Privy Council’s landmark ruling.

Draft cannabis bill to be releaseD for consultation next month, PinDer says

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

ATTORNEY General

Ryan Pinder said once the government releases its draft cannabis bills next month, a two-month public consultation phase will follow.

He confirmed that the draft would address decriminalising small amounts of marijuana.

He said the bills, which will involve a regime for medical and religious use

of cannabis, should be released after the independence celebrations.

“Cabinet has authorised public consultation to commence,” he told reporters before a Cabinet meeting. “We look to launch that shortly after independence.”

“It’ll take place for probably two months. We want to be thorough. We want to go to all constituents that matter and are interested and that have opinions. We want to ensure that we have widespread consultations

through the Family Islands. We want to talk to the medical community and let them weigh in. We want to talk to the religious community and let them weigh in. We certainly want to talk to the agriculture and agri-business community and let them weigh in.”

“So, this is going to be pretty widespread, very organised. We’ll have a social media and a digital component to it as well as in-person consultations. We have the website created with all

of the legislation, and this isn’t just one bill. These are bills, regulations and rules, orders –– the whole scope of what it will take to put this regime in place, and that’s why it’s taking some time because we just don’t want to throw a bill out there.”

Mr Pinder said the government wants the public’s views on decriminalising marijuana and making it legal for recreational use.

“We are certainly going to take feedback from the public on recreational

19-year-ol D accuseD of sex assault of 83-year-ol D woman

POLICE are questioning a 19-year-old youth concerning a sexual assault incident involving an 83-year-old woman.

The incident reportedly happened around 2.30pm on Monday.

Police said the woman was at her home on Market Street when a man beat and assaulted her.

Police arrested the suspect around 7.30pm on Monday in the Soldier Road area.

The attack comes amid concern about escalating sexual assault attacks.

Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander told reporters yesterday that while sexual assaults are rising, the incident

involving the older woman was isolated.

“That is an isolated matter, you’re not seeing that, and that is a matter that is under investigation to see what went wrong,” he said.

use,” he said. “We have chosen to put a regime out for medical and religious use in the first instance, and the consultation’s going to be widespread.”

“With respect to decriminalisation, there’s a decriminalisation framework that we’re going to be releasing in July that would effectively decriminalise a smaller amount and treat it effectively like a traffic ticket.”

Several countries around the region have already decriminalised marijuana.

Last June, Mr Pinder said the Davis administration intended to advance comprehensive legislation to regulate a medical cannabis industry and a separate framework for industrial hemp. At the time, he said this would be done in the first six months of the fiscal year –– by the end of 2022. However, that did not happen. It remains unclear when marijuana legislation will be tabled in the House of Assembly.

BAHAMIANS born to unwed Bahamian men and foreign women will get a passport without facing unique requirements as long as their father is identified on their birth certificate, Attorney General Ryan Pinder said yesterday.

Photo: Austin Fernander

last night.

“In the first year, paying the minimum weekly range of $260 will increase the employer’s portion from $15.34 to $17.29. Employer’s contributions on the minimum weekly wage will increase $10.14 to $12.09. For both the employer and the employee, this represents a difference of $1.95 per week.

“For those salaries on the minimum wage of $1,127.67, employers and employees will pay a difference of $8.45 per month. This is less than the cost of a meal at any one of our local restaurants. This is a small price to pay to secure our pensions for the future.”

“Employers’ weekly

payment on the ceiling of $740 per week will increase from $43.66 to $49.21. Employees’ contribution payments on the ceiling of $740 per week will increase from $28.86 to $34.41. For both the employer and employee, this represents a difference of $5.55 per week. For monthly salary on the ceiling of $3,207, employers and employees will pay a difference of $24.05.”

Mr Laroda noted that, according to the latest actuarial report, the NIB fund could be depleted by 2028.

The actuarial report considered the lowering fertility rate, women having fewer children, and the growing life expectancy.

“Today, we have approximately four contributors for each pensioner. By 2078,

MYLES Laroda said the government is considering increasing National Insurance Board’s contribution rate every two years for “a period of time” to stabilise the fund, noting next year’s rate increase will be shared equally between employees and employers.

it is projected that we will have 1.4 contributors for each pensioner, a sharp decline,” he said.

“Over the last ten years,

the average number of pensioners being paid every month has increased by over 35 per cent. This is driving the increase in

benefit expenses, coupled

with the fact that each year the average benefit for recipient increases as firsttime pensioners are being

paid higher benefits than in the prior years.”

Mr Laroda noted NIB is projected to lose $97m this year.

NatioN al orga N t ra Nspla N t programme to be lauNched before year’s eNd

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH and Wellness

Dr Michael Darville said the government expects to launch the Bahamas National Organs Transplant Programme before the end of the year.

During his Budget contribution yesterday, he said as officials determine what is required to execute and sustain the programme, kidney transplants will be the first performed through the programme.

“My ministry, along with our local transplant nephrology team, have been working closely with United Kingdom based consultants who have advised us of what is needed to execute and sustain a local Bahamas National Organs Transplant Programme,” he said.

“We have also collaborated with partners in

Cuba for guidance on the implementation of such a programme and expect to launch this programme before the end of this year.

“Much of the work to support the programme has been completed, and the funding in this budget will be used to train additional staff and purchase the balance of equipment and supplies needed to perform these lifesaving procedures at the Princess Margaret Hospital.”

Dr Darville defended the hospital’s “lifesaving procedures” capabilities.

He said: “You know a lot of people don’t have nothing much good to say about the Princess Margret Hospital, but I want to let you know that we have some of the finest physicians, some of the finest nursing teams and allied healthcare professionals at the Princess Margaret Hospital.

“We have the capability to do some great things at

that institution, and I want to commend them because we always hear the bad, and we never really hear the good, but they’re working hard on a daily basis saving lives and creating opportunities for the improvement of lifestyles.”

The Bahamas National Organs Transplant Programme is expected to start with kidney transplants from live donors to improve the quality of life for haemodialysis patients.

“This initiative is expected to reduce the ministry’s cost for the current public haemodialysis programme where more than 600 public patients receive treatment,” Dr Darville said.

He also said the government would add new drugs to the National Drug Prescription Plan to facilitate improvements in clinical outcomes of patients suffering from noncommunicable diseases and transplant rejection drugs.

“The plan has drugs to treat non-communicable diseases, but the advancement of new drugs is not incorporated into the plan,” he said.

“We have taken a great look at this because we

intend to add some additional drugs so we can get better outcomes for our patients and keep our patients out of the hospital. This new drug prescription plan will also add transplant rejection drugs.

“You see, it’s very

difficult to do transplants, and then the patients who get transplants cannot afford the transplant medication, and so as part of the National Drug Prescription Plan, we will add anti-rejection drugs to the plan.”

Darville: Detention centre meDical

facilities

being built in keeping with un manDates

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH Minister Dr

Michael Darville said work has started on a new Detention Centre clinic.

“My ministry and the Public Hospitals Authority are finalising protocols for urgent and emergency care services at that location in keeping with the United Nations mandates for the care of inmates,” he said.

Dr Darville unveiled plans for other work involving clinics.

He said the Ministry of Agriculture acquired a four-acre plot of land to construct a new clinic

just north of the National Insurance Board on Baillou Road.

He said the facility would replace the old Coconut Grove Clinic, which does not meet structural standards for a medical facility and licensing requirements.

Dr Darville said epidemiological evidence verified the need for the clinic in the community.

He said upgrades to the Ann’s Town clinic would be completed in one month.

He said the Elizabeth Estates Clinic redesign is also near completion and will be fully functional with improved access to clinical services

in two months. He said the facility would be augmented by the existing general and family medicine groups and primary care specialist physicians, “eliminating the need for persons utilising the Princess Margaret Hospital”. Dr Darville said nine new clinics would be constructed, nine will be retrofitted, and 15 isolation units and bays will be created to contain and manage patients suffering from infectious diseases. He said ground would be broken this year on a new Mangrove Cay clinic, a new Black Point clinic and a new Staniel Cay clinic.

HEALTH and Wellness Dr Michael Darville said the government expects to launch the Bahamas National Organs Transplant Programme before the end of the year.

Photo: Moise Amisial

Photo: Austin Fernander

BPL sends help as Sears says weather hit power in Abaco

“We have to use the Godgiven sunlight that we have and convert that into electricity so that we have more sustainable power generation.”

“In Abaco, I’m advised that there was a weather incident which affected the distribution lines as well as the generational capacity in Abaco,” he added. “Also similarly, we had a situation in Acklins and also in Mayaguana.

“What they have done with respect to Abaco, they’re sending additional engines. In Acklins, we’re sending in Salina Point a 300-kilowatt engine. In Crooked Island, a 500-kilowatt engine so that there could be more resilience.”

Asked about Mr Pinder’s calls for BPL’s management to be decentralised, Mr Sears said the power provider was

designing a business plan to make the corporation more “nimble”.

“Nimble within the context of an archipelago clearly involves evolution so that the people on the ground have the opportunity to innovate, the opportunity to address the matters which may arise in a much more quick and efficient manner,” he said.

“So, it’s not just a question of evolution. It’s a total strategic overhaul of BPL and also of the Water and Sewerage Corporation.”

He said the government is constructing two 10MW solar utility-scale facilities to address power generation issues.

“This facility, along with a number of power purchase agreements with private solar providers, will enable BPL to be more resilient,” Mr Sears said, “but what I’m also asking is that all of us in

our country, we understand what’s happening in the world in terms of the global supply chain of

MOW cOnsidering relOcating rOads due tO cliM ate change iMpacts, says sears

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE government is considering relocating some roads and highways due to climate change impacts, Works and Utilities Minister Alfred Sears said yesterday. He revealed this while reflecting on recent flooding events in Exuma.

“We have our experts reviewing the situation, but where you have –– as in some of our islands, including Exuma –– where you have a port on both sides of the road, and you have an

unusual downpour of rain as happened two and a half weeks ago, the challenge is if you pump, where do you pump the water.”

“What we have to do, and this is what we’re doing within the ministry, is looking at the whole ecosystem of islands, especially in light of climate change. We have to make decisions based on evidence, and there may have to be relocation of certain roads, of certain highways or causeways are built which would have the elevation. These are matters that we are looking and reviewing because climate

$6.6M requested fOr unregulated cOMMunities actiOn task fOrce budget

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

change is really a very clear and present danger for us in The Bahamas.”

Mr Sears said his ministry is also looking to improve infrastructure throughout the country.

“For example,” he added, “the University of The Bahamas, how could you have students walking across a highway to get to one building to the next and I’ve asked the ministry to design a footbridge. We travel all over the world and we see over the road, you have a footbridge that enables one to safely move to one side of the road to the next.”

WORKS & Utilities Minister Alfred Sears said the Unregulated Communities Action Task Force has requested $6.6m to fulfil its tasks.

That budget would cover overtime salaries, travel and subsistence, strategic communication, supplies and materials, tablets for data collection, services, heavy equipment and rental for demolitions, trucks and jeeps for the Royal Bahamas Police and Defence Force and consultancy fees for environmental assessment.

Mr Sears noted that while $6.6m has been requested, the 2023/2024 budget only has $600k for the task force.

“A secretariat has been established, which will be attached to the Ministry of Works whose overall composition will be made up of constituents from the Royal Bahamas police force, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, Bahamas Power and Light, and other ministries of the government as may be necessary from time to time,” Mr Sears said during his contribution to the budget debate yesterday.

Mr Sears said officials are contacting the international community to request as much assistance

and understanding of how to facilitate the task force’s work as possible.

He said the Cabinetappointed inter-ministerial committee had met regularly to design an action plan to address this matter and consider this process’s humanitarian and social implications.

Mr Sears noted Chief Justice Ian Winder’s recent ruling ordering the demolition of shanty town structures belonging to just two people in the country. The chief justice ordered that “offending structures” be removed within 45 days. He did not say when the Ministry of Works would demolish the structures.

energy that we conserve.”

“As BPL is pivoting, we have to conserve in terms of our consumption of our energy, utilising LED light fixtures.”

WORKS and Utilities Minister Alfred Sears said Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) is sending engines to Abaco to improve the island’s electricity generation capacity after bad weather affected the company’s distribution lines, causing recent outages.

Photo: Austin Fernander

The Tribune Limited

LATE in the evening, a Minister of State rises to tell the nation what it would take to save the National Insurance Board fund – a bill that will be delayed by a year despite the urging of former ministers and fellow party members. It hardly inspires confidence, does it?

That Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis seems not to want to be anywhere near this announcement is telling.

First came a press release saying there would be no increase for a year, and then the details of the next step have been handed off to Myles Laroda – for whom NIB falls under his remit, absolutely, but if more money was going into people’s pockets rather than going out, one suspects it would be more lauded, in daylight, at the top level.

Former PLP ministers Shane Gibson and Leslie Miller have both suggested that if the rate has to be increased, then get on with it.

As Mr Gibson said, there’s no telling what might be around the corner – the pandemic and the impact of Hurricane Dorian have both shown that we cannot count on avoiding the unexpected.

The reasoning behind delaying the increase is ostensibly to give businesses the chance to plan ahead.

However, if that is the case, then why is the passenger tax increase on cruise ships similarly not delayed? After all, cruise passengers have already paid for their tickets up to a couple of years ahead, and now the bottom line is changing.

The government appears to be scrambling to adjust their demands a little given pushback from the cruise industry – but if planning for the future is a consideration, should that not be the case for all extra taxes and payments?

Meanwhile, the NIB hole grows ever larger as millions of dollars are lost every month.

Perhaps Shakespeare’s Macbeth might be the better advisor – “If it were done when ‘tis done, then ‘twere well it were done quickly”.

Of course, that we have reached this point has been due to the lack of action by successive administrations.

For all the words of Mr Gibson and Mr Miller, nothing about NIB’s dwindling funds was done during the administrations they were part of. Nor can the FNM claim the high ground here.

So this is where we have come to.

Mr Laroda gets the job of announcing the increase. Except last night he didn’t even do that. Instead he got to announce there may well be more than one increase. We may get increases every two years.

It should be noted Mr Laroda also gets no small measure of credit – of being a consistent voice since his appointment saying that action needs to be taken.

Well, action is on the way. Delayed. Deferred. And deep in the night, perhaps in the hope that bad news will not carry so far that way.

We do not yet know what the increase will be, though an example given of a 1.5 percent increase may well be a hint. Examples seemed to focus on the impact on a minimum wage, which of course would be a smaller dollar amount in total which perhaps sounds less frightening.

Mr Laroda says it is a small price to pay to save the NIB fund, and that may be so, but it is easy to say that when you’re not the one paying it.

And so we wait again. Quite why we must wait is hard to fathom. Government should rip off the bandage quickly rather than this slow peeling back. If government really wants to give businesses and people the chance to plan, then let’s hear it all.

Perhaps from the top of government next time.

EDITOR, The Tribune

I had the most unfortunate incident happen to me on May 25th, 2023. I deposited $1,500 into the ATM machine at Nova Scotia Bank on Soldier Road, immediately $100 came out of the machine. I then looked at it and put it back in, the receipt came out and it showed that I only put in $1400 and not $1500.

When the bank opened I spoke to the clerk who advised me to wait for about two days to see if anyone reported an overage

in their system, after two days I saw nothing and spoke to the manager, Mr Mackey, who gave me no consolation. I then went to the Southern Police station and the lady Sgt on duty acted like I was a senile senior citizen who didn’t know what he was saying when I went to file a report. I then called the Consumer Protection Hotline and

gave them pertinent information. I have not heard from them since. I caution the public to be careful depositing money in the ATM because the staff act like the machines can’t make mistakes, they are only machines. In my opinion some dishonest person took $100 from a retired senior citizen who depended on those small funds.

G T HEPBURN

Nassau, June 20, 2023.

EDITOR, The Tribune.

We have to be careful not to incite and create an expectation for those who understand their father was Bahamian and that their mothers were not citizens of The Bahamas.

Nothing changed as to the required qualifications... absolutely nothing except as I understand those who can show their father was-is Bahamian and their mother was not can apply and will if proof is proven their father

is a full blooded Bahamian then the Privy Council said they have the right to citizenship. Inciting of a large segment of the non-Bahamian community needs to stop the media personality’s mentor has made it very clear consideration and requirement to show proof will require a DNA blood test. The admittance of the father, not verbal but in a sworn Affidavit. Inciting needs to stop.

Wait AG Office so they say are drafting Regulations to which all must abide and comply with, it’s not a hearsay issue and you certainly cannot walk up to the Passport Office and demand a passport.

It is time someone called in the media - Talk Show hosts –and inform them of how things will be...

JACOB BETHELL Nassau, June 19, 2023.

EDITOR, The Tribune.

There was a time when being a doctor, nurse, fire fighter, EMS operator, police was nothing more than a person with a hell of a career ahead of them. Good money, respect and kudos to them all. Something has changed and continues to mindfully change for us all. You know how you come to appreciate something or someone when you most need it, or when it or they cannot be found?

In the past, precious few of us hoped to need their assistance, but now we all need a helping hand, don’t we? The clouds of smoke remind us of the fire fighters and emergency workers across the nation battling forest fires, floods and other environmental disasters that climate change has thrown at us. Thousands have been forced from their homes seeking shelter where they can find it, whether in strangers’ homes or community centres. The fires rage continually, and 2023 will certainly be remembered by us all as “The Big Burn”.

If you are in need of medical attention, and a trip to

the hospital is at hand, the heroes whom we played bang the pan are still there available to us all, just their numbers are way down indeed. Waiting times in hospitals remain very high, while our healthcare professionals make every effort to assist us with the staff and equipment at hand.

Many regional emergency centres close for days or a week because there simply is no way to properly assist patients. Staffing will continue to be a problem, as private healthcare centres open snatching experienced nurses from our hospitals with higher pay.

Whether these workers are nurses, emergency or EMS operators, airline pilots, border guards, paramedics or healthcare professionals we have come to support them as they have always supported our communities. The people who maintain our electrical grids that heat and cool us during what’s going to be a hot summer. Is every job becoming essential? Perhaps essential to someone indeed. For a moment consider all the services you are dependent upon, and the many people whose work

maintains your livelihoods, homes, schools and basic existence. Teachers should be essential workers, teaching, molding and preparing our little ones for a generational futuristic challenge.

The working man and woman, your neighbour, friend, family member perhaps are all essential to our community and societies betterment. That a child can look at a cop, fire fighter or nurse and see a hero before them, someone who has invested their lives in the betterment of their community is a pivotal moment, something to celebrate. Celebrate the people who make your nation as wonderful as it is, as liveable as it can be. Raise a glass to the Hero’s you know, those in protective gear, medical scrubs, or those with a smile on their face each day you return to your school room or office. Perhaps if you look real hard, you’ll notice they don’t need caps, super strength or special abilities to be your life savers, protectors and friends.

STEVEN KASZAB Bradford, Ontario June 18, 2023.

Cafe Matisse to close doors permanenetly

from page one

is closing down,” said one Twitter user.

On Facebook, a user said: “My favourite restaurant is about to close its door for good in August 2023. I am going to miss them. The ambience, the servers, the food, everything!

Another Twitter user said: “I asked my boy if Cafe Matisse closure will open the door for

someone to bring something new to the game and got a real answer. He said no. The closure of Cafe Matisse is the end of a standard among Nassau locals that we will never see again due the times. So sad, so real, so true.”

“The exact same servers have been on staff for the beginning of time. The staff retention speaks volumes about this brand.

I love you, Cafe Matisse. I will miss you.”

RepaiRs and Renovations at GoveRnment House

CAFE MAtissE, a popular restaurant located on Bank Lane in the heart of Nassau, is closing its doors after 28 years in operation, according to owner Greg Curry.

Work is ongoing at Government House to repair and restore the buidling and premises. Here we see men woking on finishing the outer walls.

Photos: Austin Fernander

Things to consider when hosting workshops and conferences

As we progress in our careers, move from one industry to another, and seek both promotions and raises, continued education becomes a priority for many of us.

For some, this requires a return to university for advanced degrees, for some it is certifications that may be done in-person or online, and for many people it is getting practical experience, learning from the experiences of others, being exposed to new approaches and ideas, and expanding networks.

For people who want to build and deepen knowledge, it is important to participate in trainings, workshops, and conferences. These undertakings can also be helpful for network building and developing new partnerships. Funders and organisers usually put significant effort into planning and workshopping the content of these events, promoting the events, selecting participants, and managing logistics. There is often less attention on the day-to-day experiences of the participants during the event, and this can result in unsatisfactory experiences and issue that could have been avoided.

Here are nine key components to develop, share, and action during events to both make the most of the limited time participants have together and safeguard against common issues.

1. Preparatory material.

Before the event, ensure that speakers and participants have all of the information and documentation they need for travel, access to accommodations,

By Alicia Wallace

use of transportation services, and entering the venue. This includes the invitation letters to present to immigration, names of people who will greet them at airports, hotels, and venues, the national currency and per diem amounts where applicable, average temperature at that time of year, the average cost of a meal, accessibility features and services such as wheelchair accessible entrances and language interpretation, safety precautions, and needs for special events such as national dress and souvenirs from home countries. Make it as easy as possible for people to pack appropriately, and reduce the number of things they need to ask about or would otherwise by confused by as they wait for information to be shared.

2. Orientation. As unnecessary as it may be deemed by some, orientation is important, even if it is optional. Preparatory material is great, but things are often a bit different when everyone is in the same physical space. This is an opportunity to remind people of key points and add answers to the frequently asked questions. where are the elevators and the stairs? where are the restrooms? when will there be breaks, and for how long? Are the

spaces for bilateral meetings, and are they first-come first-served or do they need to be booked in advance? where are the welcome packs and name badges? where is the breastfeeding and pumping station? How can people report harassment that occurs at the event? How can participants identify staff and volunteers? share this information at the opening and reiterate key points at the beginning of each day. It is also helpful to have posters and a dedicated webpage with this information.

3. Community agreements. For large conferences, it is usually best for organizers to present guidelines and expectations to participants. These can be included in the welcome packet, posted on walls, and printed on the backs of badges for easy access. For smaller groups, it is good practices to engage participants in the process of developing community agreements or guidelines. These are usually short, simple phrases that are easy to remember, even if the ideas behind them are more complicated. “Be on time” and “Come prepared” are very clear and need no further explanation. Phrases like “step up, step back” may be new for some people, so the explanation that people

who speak often should be conscious of that and try to speak less frequently and for less time, and people who do not usually speak much should make the effort to contribute more. It is important that everyone is aware of the agreements/ guidelines, commits to them, can reference them easily, and knows who to speak with when there are violations so that the issues can be addressed and, hopefully, resolved.

4. Non-negotiable items. Many things are often up for discussion during trainings, conferences, and workshops. when there is a specialised area of work, people tend to be interested in interrogating old and new ideas, challenging ways of thinking, and coming up with new ways of being and doing. There are some things, however, that need to be accepted as true, unchanging, and not up for debate, and these may vary from one industry or thematic area to another. some non-negotiable items are becoming a standard across many areas of work. For example, antiracism is a commitment and a way of working and sharing space that is not be questions or violated. This can also be integrated into the group agreements, and a person or team of people should be equipped to respond to complaints related to it.

5. Parking lot. This is used in many spaces, but usually not very well. The parking lot is a place to put questions and ideas that are off topic, but should or could be explored at another time due to its generally relevance to the event. One of the mistakes facilitators often make is never revisiting the parking lot to address whatever has been (temporarily) put there. Allocated time in the schedule to go back to items

in the parking lots, moving them to planned sessions or addressing them on the spot.

6. Reasonable scheduling. Conferences, trainings, and workshops are often dayslong and exhausting. It is difficult to keep the energy up and the brain function high during a week of a ten-hour days packed with back-to-back sessions. It is always a good idea to leave room for rest. One-hour lunches usually do not work well, especially when everyone has to go to the same place with a long line to be served. People will, without a doubt, be late to the next session. Lunch breaks are not just for eating lunch, but also for checking in with coworkers at the office, catching up with family members, and responding to emails.

To help people to be fully present while in sessions, ensure that they have time to get other things done, understanding that no one’s life stops for an event. It is also helpful to have time and, where possible, space allotted for networking. People will hear from speakers they would like to engage and meet other participants with whom they would like to share their work. Make it possible for people to connect while there, before returning to their regularly scheduled programs outside of the event. without this opportunity, some people will try to follow up with each other later, but some will decide to step into the hallway to have conversations before they forget their points and lose business cards.

7. Flexibility. These events do not always go as planned. especially in small groups, it can become clear that a particular session is too short, comes to early in the program, or is not as important as another. It is okay to make adjustments to meet

the needs of the group. A programme that is responsive to the dynamics in the room and among the participants is sure to be more valuable and productive than one that is stringent and prescriptive.

8. Conflict resolution. It is better to have a plan that you do not need to put into action than to be without a plan when you need one. when an organiser brings people into a space, they assume the responsibility to ensure that people are safe and respected, and that any issues are addressed swiftly, safely, and in nonviolent ways. It is advisable for the organising team to identify issues that may arise and how they can be resolved. It is best to have at least one person who is trained in nonviolent communication and conflict resolution who can be called upon to address issues, mediate, find resolutions, and follow up with the involved parties.

9. Regular check-ins. everyone may not offer their immediate feedback, but if you ask, people will tell you what is and is not going well. Are the sessions long enough? Are the breakout groups small enough? would people like to go outside for one of the sessions? Is there too much use of jargon? Are there enough breaks? Maybe people need to be reminded to speak more slowly for the interpreters. Maybe it would be helpful to have more than one screen in the room so everyone can see the slides. Ask for feedback, use it to make and/or change plans, implement the revised plans, and reassess with the group. Participants should share ownership of the space, and this deepens their commitment to the event, to each other, and to the intended outcomes.

‘For people who want to build and deepen knowledge, it is important to participate in trainings, workshops, and conferences.’

INSIDER Q&A: LITHIUM BATTERIES HAVE A 4-HOUR LIMIT – MATEO JARAMILLO HOPES TO SOLVE THAT

By ISABELLA O’MALLEY Associated Press

Wind and solar power are sometimes dinged for not producing electricity 24 hours a day, but one of the most abundant minerals on the planet, iron, could be key to changing that.

Form Energy, founded in 2017, recently broke ground in West Virginia on its first commercial-scale factory to make iron-air batteries — totally different from lithium ion. The company’s goal is to one day help supply the electrical grid across the United States with renewable energy 24 hours a day and slash the need for burning coal and natural gas, polluting energy sources we currently rely on.

CEO Mateo Jaramillo spoke with The Associated Press about progress toward achieving this vision. The interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Q: Why do you consider batteries a climate solution?

A: When I left divinity school in 2004 I made a sector bet and figured at some point, society will want effective energy storage. I grew up in Salinas, California, which is an agricultural town, and my parents worked for the farmer community. I’ve seen how many enjoy the benefits of traditional energy, but only some communities carry the burdens. I was compelled to figure a way to make a difference and felt that innovation was needed.

Q: Lithium ion batteries have some limitations and can only pump out power for four hours max. Why are iron-air batteries a good choice?

A: Lithium ion is an established, accepted technology being deployed at great volumes. But there isn’t a clear alternative on the market yet. We’re doing something different, storing energy for 100 hours at dramatically lower costs, to solve a multi-day storage

problem as opposed to single-digit hours. Multi-day storage does not crowd out something like lithium ion, they complement each other very nicely. We see this over and over and over again in the modeling we do: Our lowest cost, most reliable, most decarbonised system has multiple types of energy storage.

Q: How much iron will you need?

A: About 2 billion tons of iron are mined globally every year — we would be in the single digital percentage of that total. Iron is available pretty much wherever you want to find it, there are massive deposits on every continent.

Q: Why did you choose West Virginia for the battery manufacturing facility?

A: The Mississippi River and Ohio River are essential for moving several million tons of material in a cost effective way. There are rail lines and a highway system nearby, so from a logistics perspective, it is a compelling site. Many people in

the area also had great experience working in industrial environments given the community’s history of producing steel, iron, and mining.

Q: How did you build trust with the local community?

A: Being transparent and committed to the region. We held a meeting at the local community centre and a few hundred people came by. We had team members there just to say hello, answer questions, and to start to talk. There is excitement about the new jobs and work that is happening very actively. Early next year we will start to turn on the factory, so this is not a long wait and see process, this is moving immediately.

Q: Are batteries necessary for the U.S. to achieve net zero emissions?

A: The right kinds of energy are a core part of net zero, but there is no panacea or silver bullet. A lot of work over the next 20-30 years is needed across all industries that touch the power sector. It’s not just technology, much less one

company, showing up and saying, “We’ve got the whole thing fixed.” It’s going to take everybody.

Q: Have you had any moments of doubt since Form Energy was founded in 2017?

A: Whenever you embark on a deep technical challenge, you never know if the universe works the way you hope it does. There were moments of uncertainty, but very few, if any, moments of doubt. I was sure we had characterised the problem correctly, and that there was a big market need, and the solution would show up at the right time. It’s been a fairly linear pathway, which speaks volumes to the capabilities of our technical team.

Q: What does Form Energy need to accomplish for you to feel that the company’s mission has been achieved?

A: We won’t begin talking about our achievements until we are delivering to customers successfully because that’s what distinguishes a venture from a business. Right now we are a well-funded venture and have raised more than $800 million in venture capital funding. A business requires producing and selling to customers for value, so we won’t do that until close to the end of 2024. That’s when we can say, what else?

Where do we go from here?

But to me, that’s the very beginning of what we hope to accomplish. The goal is to have a big impact for a very, very long time by building a categorydefining company that positively impacts the economy and people who rely on electricity.

Q: What would you say to someone that is anxious about climate change?

A: I am a techno optimist, but there are a lot of good approaches in policy and business pointing to the solutions we need. Everybody has a role to play and all voices have to be part of technology, policy, and individual actions.

TESLA TECHNOLOGY INCHES CLOSER TO BECOMING INDUSTRY STANDARD AS RIVIAN JOINS CHARGING NETWORK

By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer

DETROIT (AP) —

Electric vehicle maker Rivian says it will follow General Motors and Ford and join Tesla’s charging network next year.

The startup truck, SUV and delivery van maker says Tuesday that like GM and Ford, it also will adopt Tesla’s charging connector, another step toward making it the industry standard.

Existing Rivian vehicles will need an adapter to link to a Tesla charger. But Rivian says vehicles manufactured in 2025 and beyond will come standard with a Tesla charging port.

It is another domino to fall as the auto industry considers switching to Tesla’s connector, which it calls the North American Charging Standard. At present, nearly all automakers other than Tesla use what is called a CCS connector developed with the Society of Automotive Engineers.

Tesla’s Superchargers are coveted by other automakers because it has more direct current fast-charging

EUROPE, US URGED TO INVESTIGATE THE TYPE OF AI THAT POWERS SYSTEMS LIKE CHATGPT

LONDON (AP) — Euro-

pean Union consumer protection groups urged regulators on Tuesday to investigate the type of artificial intelligence underpinning systems like ChatGPT, citing risks that leave people vulnerable and the delay before the bloc’s groundbreaking AI regulations take effect.

In a coordinated effort, 13 watchdog groups wrote to their national consumer, data protection, competition and product safety authorities warning them about a range of concerns around generative artificial intelligence.

A transatlantic coalition of consumer groups also wrote to U.S. President Joe Biden asking him to take action to protect consumers from possible harms caused by generative AI.

plugs in the U.S. than any other network, and its stations are in prime locations along freeway travel corridors.

Other automakers also are looking into the switch.

On Monday, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said his company’s U.S. teams are studying the change and will make a decision in a few weeks.

“We right now are evaluating that possibility,”

Tavares said in a brief interview with The Associated Press.

“It can have good things and bad things.”

He said the good things are being evaluated, and the bad things include dependence on Tesla.

Currently Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler, has no fully electric vehicles on sale in the U.S., but it does sell three plug-in gaselectric hybrids that can go

short distances on battery power. The company plans to sell an electric commercial van this year, followed by an electric Ram pickup and other vehicles.

Rivian is a relatively small player in the U.S. automotive market, selling just under 30,000 vehicles from 2021 through the first quarter of this year. But the Irvine, California, company is viewed as a key Tesla competitor. Like GM and Ford, Rivian owners will get access to more than 12,000 Tesla Supercharger plugs. In the U.S., Tesla has 1,797 Supercharger stations and more than 19,000 plugs, according to the Department of Energy. Since the stations are direct current fast-chargers, they can charge EVs relatively quickly as people travel.

ChargePoint has the biggest charging network in the U.S. with more than 32,000 stations and 55,000 plugs, but most of them

are Level 2 chargers that can take up to eight hours to get a battery up to a full charge.

The Energy Department says there are about 54,000 public charging stations nationwide with more than 136,000 plugs.

While most are slower Level 2 chargers, the network of DC fast chargers is growing.

Still, industry analysts say there is growing momentum to switch to Tesla’s connector to become the standard in the U.S., although vehicles likely will need to be able to use both connectors for a while.

GM and Ford say they’re not paying Tesla anything for access to the network, but owners will pay Tesla to charge just like any other charging system.

Rivian said in a statement that in addition to joining Tesla’s network, it will continue to expand its own charging system, where it will incorporate Tesla’s connector.

Shares of Tesla closed Tuesday up 5.3%. They’re up about 40% since Ford first announced it would join the charging network on May 25.

Europe has led the world in efforts to regulate artificial intelligence, which gained urgency with the rise of a new breed of artificial intelligence that gives AI chatbots like ChatGPT the power to generate text, images, video and audio that resemble human work.

The EU is putting the finishing touches on the world’s first set of comprehensive rules for the technology, but they are not expected to take effect for two years.

The groups called for European and U.S. leaders to use both existing laws and bring in new legislation to address the harms that generative AI can cause.

They cited a report by the Norwegian Consumer Council outlining dangers that AI chatbots pose, including providing incorrect medical information, manipulating people, making up news articles and illegally using vast amounts of personal data scraped off the internet.

The consumer groups, in countries including Italy, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, Greece and Denmark, warn that while the EU’s AI Act addresses some of the concerns, they won’t start applying for several years, “leaving consumers unprotected from a technology which is insufficiently regulated in the meantime, and developing at great pace.”

Some authorities have already acted. Italy’s privacy watchdog ordered ChatGPT maker OpenAI to temporarily stop processing user’s personal information while it investigated a possible data breach. France, Spain and Canada also have been looking into OpenAI and ChatGPT.

MATEO JARAMILLO, CEO and co-founder of Form Energy, poses for a photograph inside the company’s lab, Thursday, in Berkeley, Calif. The company recently broke ground on its first commercial-scale iron-air battery manufacturing facility in West Virginia. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

TESLA electric vehicles are charged at a charging station in Anaheim, California. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

THE CHATGPT app is seen on an iPhone.

Pinder says 12 percent of sunken ship salvaged as legal action is to be taken

By LETRE SWEETING Tribune Staff Reporter lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

ATTORNEY General

Ryan Pinder said 12 per cent of a ship that sank off Abaco last year has been salvaged.

He said after the exercise, an environmental assessment of the incident will be undertaken to determine legal action against the ship owners.

The Onego Traveller cargo ship, registered in Antigua and Barbuda, sank with heavy fuel on board on December 29, 2022.

In February, Mr Pinder said the government ordered the ship to be removed from The Bahamas within 45 days.

In April, following the selection of the salvage company for salvaging of the ship, Mr Pinder said his office was looking at imposing fines for the delay in removing the vessel.

The Ministry of Transport and Housing said on January 11 that the vessel had some 3,119 tons of steel coils at the time of the incident, along with an unspecified amount of heavy fuel.

“The salvage company has a barge on site,” Mr Pinder told reporters yesterday. “They’ve been on site for maybe a couple of months now, maybe a month and a half, undertaking salvage activities on that vessel. They have removed 144 steel coils, so those are

the big steel coils out of the cargo hold and have transported those to Freeport for storage.

“Now they are back on site, and they have started to cut up the ship to move it. They have had certain challenges with the weather. As you can imagine, you know

the weather we have been having lately, and they’re on the oceanside, so the wind and the waves really build up when the weather gets bad there. So they’ve had some delays because of the weather, but the barge is on site.

Mr Pinder said officials

are “under the mercy of the process and the weather” regarding when the rest of the ship will be salvaged. He added: “Once that ship has been salvaged and removed, we can put divers in the water through the Department of

Environmental Protection and Planning to make an assessment to see the scope of damage that may have occurred to our reefs and other ecosystems.

“Then at that point in time we will assess new litigation, fines, or some other penalty to issue.”

Man with pending Murder charge denied bail for aiding in another Murder atte Mpt

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was denied bail after being accused of aiding in a murder attempt last year.

He was denied bail after the prosecution showed evidence that he had rented the getaway vehicle.

Antonio Thompson, 23, allegedly aided in the attempted killing of Theo Williams in New Providence on March 24.

In his initial bail application, Thompson admitted

he had pending murder charges for the death of Sean Augustin in 2018. After reviewing the evidence, Justice Gomez sided with the prosecution, concluding he is reasonably suspected of being involved in the crime because he rented the getaway vehicle.

“The Crown produced three witness statements in support of their objection to bail,” she said.

“The crux of the evidence against the applicant is that he rented a vehicle used by the individuals

who shot at Theo Williams.

“However, the applicant was not identified in any of the statements as one of the shooters. He was identified by one of the witnesses in one of the statements as the individual who paid to rent the vehicle, a black Nissan Cube, during the period when the offence was committed. Another witness confirmed that he saw individuals exit a black Nissan Cube and shoot at Theo Williams.”

• A MAN allegedly

involved in a plot to kill a police officer was granted bail while awaiting trial for that and other murder charges yesterday.

Roger Wallace, 30, made a bail application before Justice Camille Darville Gomez on a charge of conspiracy to commit murder.

Wallace and others allegedly conspired to murder Sergeant Raphael Miller on March 13.

At the time of this alleged offence, Wallace was on bail accused of murder. He is accused of causing the deaths of

Navarda Nairn and Antone Brown in 2021. The bail applicant also allegedly attempted to kill police officers SGT Seymour and PC McKenzie last May.

In his initial application, Wallace acknowledged he had pending charges before the court beyond the conspiracy charge.

Despite the prosecution’s objection to the defendant’s bail because of his extensive list of pending charges, Justice Weech Gomez granted him bail, citing the presumption of innocence until proven

guilty. She also noted that the prosecution failed to adequately show that Wallace was at risk of missing his trial date.

Wallace’s bail was set at $30,000 with two sureties on condition he is fitted with a monitoring device and signs in at the Grove Station every Wednesday and Friday by 6pm. The accused is also expected to surrender his passport and obey a 10pm to 6am residential curfew. Wallace was warned not to interfere with the witnesses.

ATTORNEY General Ryan Pinder said 12 per cent of a ship that sank off Abaco last year has been salvaged.

Photo: Austin Fernander

New NATO member Finland swears in government regarded as country’s most right-wing in decades

HELSINKI Associated Press

Finland, which recently became naTO’s 31st member, swore in a new coalition government Tuesday that is considered the most right-wing one in the nordic country’s modern history.

President Sauli niinistö appointed the 19-member Cabinet of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, the leader of the conservative national Coalition Party, after Finnish lawmakers approved the lineup of ministers.The national Coalition Party won the most seats in an april 2 parliamentary election. Following seven weeks of

coalition talks, the party announced a deal to form a government with three other parties, including the far-right, euroskeptic Finns Party.

The two junior partners in the coalition are the Christian democrats and the Swedish People’s Party of Finland. due to the dominance of the two senior partner parties, Finnish media described Orpo’s government as “national conservative” in nature.

The four parties hold a majority of 108 seats in the 200-member Parliament.

Political analysts said the new Cabinet was Finland’s most right-wing government since World War ii

41 inmates die in grisly riot in women’s prison in Honduras t H at president blames on gangs

HONDURAS

Associated Press

a gRiSly riot at a women’s prison in Honduras Tuesday left at least 41 women dead, most burned to death, in violence the country’s president blamed on the “mara” street gangs that often wield broad power inside penitentiaries.

Most victims were burned but there also were reports of inmates shot or stabbed at the prison in Tamara, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northwest of the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa, said yuri Mora, the spokesman for Honduras’ national police investigation agency.

at least seven female inmates were being treated at a Tegucigalpa hospital for gunshot and knife wounds, employees there said.

“The forensic teams that are removing bodies confirm they have counted 41,” said Mora.

local media interviewed

one injured inmate outside the hospital who said prisoners belonging to the feared Barrio 18 gang burst into a cell block and shot other inmates or set them afire.

Honduran President Xiomara Castro said the riot was “planned by maras with the knowledge and acquiescence of security authorities.”

“i am going to take drastic measures!” Castro wrote in her social media accounts.

Julissa Villanueva, head of the country’s prison system, suggested the riot started because of recent attempts by authorities to crack down on illicit activity inside prisons and called Tuesday’s violence a reaction to moves “we are taking against organized crime.”

“We will not back down,” Villanueva said in a televised address after the riot. gangs wield broad control inside the country’s prisons, where inmates often set their own rules and sell prohibited goods.

The riot appears to be the worst tragedy at a female detention centre in Central america since 2017, when girls at a shelter for troubled youths in guatemala set fire to mattresses to protest rapes and other mistreatment at the badly overcrowded institution. The ensuing smoke and fire killed 41 girls. The worst prison disaster in a century also occurred in Honduras, in 2012 at the Comayagua penitentiary, where 361 inmates died in a fire possibly caused by a match, cigarette or some other open flame.

Tuesday’s riot may increase the pressure on Honduras to emulate the drastic zero-tolerance, noprivileges prisons set in up in neighbouring El Salvador by President nayib Bukele.

While El Salvador’s crackdown on gangs has given rise to rights violations, it has also proved immensely popular in a country long terrorized by street gangs.

Finland’s economy was the central issue in april’s election. While campaigning, conservative candidates accused the centre-left Cabinet of former Prime Minister Sanna Marin of excessive spending, contributing to rising state debt and other economic problems. despite Marin’s personal popularity and high international profile, voters shifted their allegiances away from her Social democratic Party and to parties on the political right. The Social democrats finished third in the election, after the national Coalition Party and the Finns Party. Orpo, a 53-year-old veteran politician, is a

former finance and interior minister and has headed the n CP, Finland’s main conservative party, since 2016.

The party’s other key Cabinet posts include Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen and defence Minister antti Häkkänen, who is the nCP’s vice chair.

Häkkänen’s post is particularly significant since Finland joined naTO in april. The country of 5.5 million, which shares a long border with Russia, is in the process of integrating its military systems and infrastructure into the alliance.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine prompted Finland to abandon decades of military non-alignment and to

seek naTO membership together with Sweden in May 2022. Under Marin’s leadership, Finland was one of Ukraine’s most vocal and active European supporters in terms of military and civilian aid.

Häkkänen offered assurances that the new government would not change Finland’s position toward Ukraine.

“Finland’s support to Ukraine will continue to be very strong. There will be no changes to this policy,” he told The associated Press on the sidelines of the new Cabinet’s first news conference.

The populist Finns Party, which follows a largely nationalist and

anti-immigration agenda, received several important Cabinet posts. Party leader Riikka Purra was made finance minister in the new government, and other party members were named to lead Finland’s interior and justice ministries. While Finland’s strategy on Ukraine may stay the same, Orpo’s Cabinet is expected to carry out major social policy and labour reforms, as well as budget cuts, over the next four years. it seeks to substantially decrease Finland’s government debt and is taking a hard stance on immigration, including tightening the requirements for residence permits and citizenship.

t ropical s torm bret spins toward eastern c aribbean as forecasters warn of Heavy rainfall

PUERTO RICO Associated Press

TROPiCal Storm Bret chugged toward the eastern Caribbean on Tuesday as the region prepared itself for an unusually early storm and the torrential rains that are forecast.

Bret had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph) and was moving across the atlantic Ocean at 18 mph (30 kph), according to the national Hurricane Center in Miami, which warned that it’s been unable to get “a better handle on the system’s intensity and size.”

The storm was located some 780 miles (1,255 kilometers) east of the Windward islands and is expected to pummel some

eastern Caribbean islands on Thursday at near hurricane strength. a tropical storm watch was issued for Barbados, St. lucia and dominica, where the meteorological service said Tuesday that the storm poses a “high threat” to the island and warned of landslides, flooding and waves of up to 12 feet (4 meters).

“landslides are highly likely as we are coming out of a relatively dry period where grounds may be compromised or developed cracks,” said Fitzroy Pascal with dominica’s Office of disaster Management.

Meanwhile, the hurricane center urged people in the lesser antilles, Puerto Rico and the Virgin islands to closely monitor the storm

and have their hurricane plans in place.

given the uncertainty in the track and intensity forecasts, it is too early to specify the location and magnitude of where Bret’s associated hazards could occur,” the center said.

Up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain were forecast from the French Caribbean island of guadeloupe south to St. lucia, and up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) of rain for Barbados and St. Vincent and the grenadines.

The government of guadeloupe warned that inclement weather would start Wednesday evening and continue until late Friday, with waves of up to 10 feet (3 meters).

“Be careful!” officials warned in a statement. Unfavorable winds and drier air are expected to later weaken Bret as it swirls through the central Caribbean region, with some models showing the storm could dissipate after affecting islands in the eastern Caribbean. The storm formed Monday — an early and aggressive start to the atlantic hurricane season that began on June 1. a tropical disturbance with an 80% chance of cyclone formation is trailing Bret. no June on record has had two storms form in the tropical atlantic, according to meteorologist Philip Klotzbach at Colorado State University.

un agencies decry Humanitarian crisis in Haiti and seek Help for Hungry families fleeing violence

HAITI Associated Press

THE EXECUTiVE directors of two Un agencies warned Tuesday that Haiti’s humanitarian crisis has reached unprecedented levels amid reports of widespread hunger and gang violence.

Per capita, the number of Haitians facing emergency-level food insecurity is the second highest in the world, with nearly 5 million struggling to eat every day, said Cindy McCain, executive director of the World Food Program.

More than 115,000 children younger than 5 also are expected to struggle with malnutrition this year, a 30% surge compared with last year. in many ways, Haiti is forgotten,” she told The associated Press while on a three-day trip to the Caribbean country. “it is urgent that we pay attention.”

Overall, more than 5 million people in the country of more than 11 million need urgent humanitarian support, according to the Un agencies. “Humanitarian needs are even greater today

that after the devastating 2010 earthquake, but with far less resources to respond,” said Catherine Russell, UniCEF’s executive director. Both Russell and McCain met with Prime Minister ariel Henry and other officials during their trips to Haiti.

McCain also travelled to the southwest coastal city of Jeremie, which was recently hit by a 4.9 magnitude earthquake that killed at least four people. it also is struggling to recover from heavy floods earlier this month that affected most of

the country and killed more than 50 people.

McCain met with children at a local primary school where the World Food Program helps feed more than 600 children whose meals are prepared with local crops. among them is Jules Evanse, an 11-year-old student who told the aP that the free meals have helped him and his family.

“if i can’t find food at home, i know that i will find food at school,” he said. “The food gives me energy to work.”

Finland’s new Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, center, stands with some of his cabinet members, on the occasion of a complimentary visit to the President of Finland Sauli Niinisto at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland, yesterday.

Photo: Jussi nukari/Lehtikuva via AP

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 2023

Davis Cup: Heartbreaking loss for Team Bahamas

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

It was another heartbreaking loss yesterday for Team Bahamas at the American Zone III Davis Cup Tie in Asuncion, Paraguay.

After dropping a 2-1 decision to the Dominican Republic in their opening match in pool B on Monday, the Bahamas suffered a 3-0 whitewashing against the host Panama yesterday. In the first match against Paraguay, Denali Nottage

of Grand Bahama went the distance, losing 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 to Martin Antonio Vergara del Puerto in a match that lasted two hours and 26 minutes. Kevin Major Jr, the top seeded player, played

against Paraguay’s top seed Adolfo Daniel Vallejo, losing in identical set scores of 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 29 minutes. With the tie already wrapped up in favour of Paraguay, the Bahamas

played in doubles with veteran Marvin Rolle teaming up for the second time with Donte Armbrister. But after winning the only match for the Bahamas on day one against the Dominican Republic, the

BAHAMIAN PUBLIC IN FOR A TREAT AT BAHAMAS GAMES

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

Bahamas was unsuccessful against Paraguay, who came off a 3-0 sweep over Costa Rica in their opener on Monday. Rolle and Armbrister lost 6-4, 6-2 to

SEE PAGE 13

BLTA JUNIOR TENNIS CHAMPIONS UNITE

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THREE junior champions were crowned after their finals matchups at the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s (BLTA) Junior Tennis Nationals.

Patrick Mactaggart, Chase Newbold, and Vonteneke Rolle were among the first champions to be crowned as the remaining finals matchups and doubles competition will continue today at the National Tennis Centre (NTC).

The championships got underway on Friday last week and will wrap up today after hosting 100 tennis players in singles and doubles matches for the under 12 through 18 divisions.

Mactaggart vs Ayai Bethel

Mactaggart took down one of Eleuthera’s top junior tennis players, Ayai Bethel. He came into the junior tennis nationals fresh off a win in the under-14 boys category at the Spring Classic tourney.

Mactaggart defeated Bethel in the under-14 boys singles matchup in two sets 6-0, 6-0 to once again win the championship of his age group. The newest champion talked about his comfortable win. “I played pretty

SEE PAGE 13

WE ARE THE

WITH the sixth edition of the Bahamas Golden Jubilee Games set to take place in less than three weeks, the Bahamas Basketball Federation (BBF) released the schedule for the sport this past weekend.

The games will feature two pools ( A and B) and continue from July 11 to July 15. The games will be played by the 10 men’s basketball teams and the six women’s teams at both the DW Davis Gymnasium and Kendal G L Isaacs Gymnasium.

Eugene Horton, president of the BBF, talked about the excitement surrounding the return of The Bahamas Games for the 50th year of Independence.

“I am excited to see the Bahamas Games returning as a former participant I experienced good, friendly competition and camaraderie I am sure this year’s will not disappoint,” Horton said.

With the last Bahamas Games taking place in 2001, nearly 22 years ago, the Olympic-style competition will have some surprise elements for the basketball sporting discipline starting 9am on Tuesday, July 11.

Bahamians were able to get a sneak peek of the competition-level of the Family Island teams at the round robin tournament in April.

“If the round robin in April was any indication the Bahamian public is in for a treat as the competition is expected to be better…. we will have the opportunities to see the ladies in action which we didn’t get to see,” Horton said.

The BBF president added that the women’s games will be highly competitive as they will feature a good mix of veteran players, current national team players along with current and upcoming national standouts.

The teams expected to battle on the court are the Abaco Survivors, Andros Chiccharnies, Bimini and Berry Islands Marlins, Columbus Isles Arawaks (Cat Island, Rum Cay, and San Salvador), Eleuthera Adventurers, Exuma and Ragged Island Navigators, Grand Bahama Lucayans, Long Island Sheep Runners, MICAL (Mayaguana,

SEE PAGE 16

G-BALL ANDRE RODGERS NATIONAL BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS BACK IN NP

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WITH the opening of the new Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium, the Bahamas Baseball Association has decided to bring its G-Ball Andre Rodgers National Baseball Championships back to New Providence.

The event, which was moved to Grand Bahama about 10 years ago, will be in New Providence for the second consecutive year and will be played from Thursday to Sunday at the new stadium for teams in the youth under-16 and senior 20-and under divisions. The coach pitch for 8-and-under, minors 10-and-under, the majors 12-and-under and the juniors 14-and-under will get started on Friday at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

BBA secretary general Theodore ‘Teddy’ Sweeting said this will be the 20th edition of the championships that got started back in 2003.

This year’s honoree will be the late Calvin ‘Cow’ Martin of Grand Bahama, who passed away last year. Martin was instrumental in assisting the BBA in the formation of the championships.

“We just want to show our respect to him as his daughter will be there to receive an award from us during the opening ceremonies on Thursday night at the new Andre Rodgers Stadium,” Sweeting said.

The ceremonies will get started at 6:30pm with an awards presentation, led by Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg. The featured game in the youth 16-and under division will be played between

Freedom Farm and the Legacy Baseball League out of Grand Bahama.

“It will be a very interesting matchup because Legacy has a very strong team, composed of a lot of players who are playing in the various academies and high schools in the United States,” Sweeting said.

“They feel they are very strong and feel they deserve to be highlighted in that area. But they will no doubt have their hands filled with Freedom Farm, who also boast of having some very

talented players of that age group who are also playing overseas.”

Tickets are priced at $7 for children and $12 for adults for the one day pass, but persons purchasing their ticket for Thursday’s opening will be allowed to use their band for Friday’s action, which will get started at 8am at both the new stadium with the under-18 and at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex with the other age group competition.

Tickets for the three days combined are priced at $30 for adults and $15 for children, which will allow them access into both the new stadium and the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

Teams will be participating from the Abaco Youth Baseball and Softball League, North Abaco Big Nige Baseball League, Community Baseball

League, Ed Armbrister

Baseball League, Freedom Farm Baseball League, Junior Baseball League of Nassau, Grand Bahama Little League, Grand Bahama Amateur Baseball League and Legacy Baseball League.

The Brice-Newball Foundation is this year’s title sponsor. They will be joined by other sponsors, including Vitamalt, Global Sun, G-Ball, Reloaded Baseball, Insurance Management, Gatorade, Focol out of Grand Bahama and Bahamasair, the national airline of the Bahamas.

Sweeting said the sponsors are banding together to help the association put on a spectacular show as they christen the new stadium during this year’s championships.

“It’s going to be a wonderful time for everybody to come out and watch us

as we celebrate baseball in this country during our national championships,” Sweeting said.

The championships was originally staged in New Providence for 10 consecutive years, but it was switched to Grand Bahama, which became the home of the championships for almost a decade.

“The fans can expect a lot of competition from our top leagues, Freedom Farm, JBLN and Grand Bahama Aamateur League as well as Legacy Baseball League,” Sweeting projected.

“They will be providing a lot of competition for the scouts who will be in town. We will have some college coaches in town as well as they get to see some of our best talent compete and do their evaluation.”

SEE PAGE 16

CHAMPIONS: Chase Newbold (under 12 boys singles champion) with the runner up Khai Rees and Patrick Mactaggart (under 14 boys singles champion) alongside runner up Ayai Bethel yesterday at the National Tennis Centre.

MARVIN ROLLE DONTE ARMBRISTER DENALI NOTTAGE KEVIN MAJOR JR

MARIO BOWLEG

Basketball Smiles camp gets underway

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE Basketball Smiles camp returned to The Bahamas for the 24th year this week.

The basketball camp from the United States got underway on Monday at the Kendal G L Isaacs Gymnasium and will wrap up by the end of this week.

The camp hosted over 200 girls and boys between ages 4-16 with the aim of teaching them the basic fundamentals of basketball.

Sam Nichols, retired head coach of women’s basketball at McMurry University, talked about the success of the 24th edition of the camp so far.

“It has been great, we have been fortunate enough to have Kendal G L Isaacs [gym] which helps because what makes for a great camp is coach to player ratio and having adequate facilities.

“The coaches that came with me from Texas are great coaches and with the facilities here it has allowed us to have a quality camp with more kids,” Nichols said. With more than 200 boys and girls in attendance at Basketball Smiles, the retired Hall of Famer

BLTA

FROM PAGE 12

women’s coach said the coaching experience of his team has helped them to manage the different personalities at the camp.

“Our coaches have a lot of experience, we have coaches that have won state championships, collegiate championships, and they have kids from different ethnicities and backgrounds at home [and]

we view this as a sacrifice so when we come here it is not about us, it’s about that boy or that girl,” he said. Although he acknowledged that it can be difficult at times, he knows that kids are just being kids so his team of coaches practices an adequate amount of grace but discipline at the same time. Among some of the basketball skills to be

acquired at this year’s camp are footwork, ball-handling and shooting skills, and defensive abilities.

Accasico Nottage, a two-time returning camp participant, talked about his experience this year.

“I am enjoying it a lot.

I learned that the game of basketball is a lot more about teamwork. And I have learned how to

Basketball Smiles this time around.

He said his first time felt great and everything has been going good so far.

The 14-year old decided to join after being referred by a friend and has learned better ball-handling skills.

The girls usually practice at Basketball Smiles between 9am to noon.

Coach Nichols believes that this year has been one of the best years talentwise for the ladies.

In attendance was Bahamian junior women’s basketball player and CARIFTA bronze-medallist Terrell McCoy.

She said she has been attending the camp since knowing coach Johnson and it has been very helpful to her.

well, it’s always good finishing off with a 6-0, 6-0 but overall I had a pretty good tournament,” he said. He added that his game plan was to keep the ball in play, do not push it, and hit it.

Bethel, the under 14 boys runner up, said despite it being a tough loss it was a great match and he credited Mactaggart for simply being a better player in the matchup.

Overall, he said it was a good time making it to his first finals and he will hope for a better showing next time.

Newbold vs Khai Rees

Similar to Mactaggart, Newbold not only left the Spring Classic tourney as a champion but followed it up with another win at the junior tennis nationals this week.

Newbold closed out Rees in the under 12 boys singles matchup in two sets. He ended the match 6-3 in set one and 6-1 in set two.

Newbold talked about adding another championship hardware to his collection.

“In the first set I don’t think I did as well as the second set I had to push myself and push my energy also but overall in the tournament I think I did good,” he said.

He added that it felt good to be the champion of his age group because he felt that he worked hard enough in practice to put it into play on the tennis court.

He said the feeling was indescribable winning two straight titles in his final year of primary school. He will now look to continue his success at St Andrew’s next.

Rolle vs Caitlyn Pratt

In one of the more competitive matchups on the day, Rolle versus Pratt was must-see action at the NTC. The two competitors gave it their all and seemed evenly matched most of the game with Pratt taking the first set 6-0.

However, Rolle was determined to stay in the under 12 girls singles competition. In a tightly-contested second set, Rolle finished 7-6 over

Pratt. With one tiebreaker set remaining, Rolle collected another win after scoring 6-4 to topple Pratt in set three.

The under 12 girls champion talked about how it felt to earn a comeback victory over the Spring Classic champion for their age group.

“I just had confidence and I pushed my way back…I started putting a spin on my ball and just hitting with more power,” she said.

With the remaining finals resuming today, including the doubles competition, Jerald Carroll will look to come out on top as a triple crown champion. Carroll will compete in three matches, including doubles competition, today to complete the triple crown feat once again.

“I am excited. I have to prepare for my match tomorrow, get some good sleep and just come out and play my game and I know I can win if I play how I usually play,” Carroll said.

Matchups get underway 9am this morning at the NTC.

dribble a lot better and it has helped me to slim down a bit,” Nottage said.

The 16-year-old credited coach Patricia “Patty” Johnson for encouraging him to join the camp over the years. Although there were few return participants due to COVID-19, Reonardo McKenzie was one of the first timers to join

DAVIS CUP

FROM PAGE 12

Paraguay’s duo of Vallejo and Vergara del Puerto. Paraguay wanted to make sure that they didn’t give the Bahamas a chance against them.

Rolle, the team captain, said despite the loss, the team played well.

“Denali played a guy with points, so that gave him some confidence that he could go the distance,” Rolle said. “It was definitely a tough match with long points, very emotional. He was giving it his all. He made the Bahamas proud.”

Reflecting on his performance, Nottage said as a rookie on the team, he felt he held his own.

“I felt I played better than yesterday. I was nervous, overthinking from the start,” he stated. “But today, I felt a whole lot more comfortable.”

As for Major Jr’s match, Rolle said he was steady and solid.

“It just wasn’t his luck on his opponent’s serve. Most games, KJ was up 30-0 and the guy just got lucky on a few points,” Rolle said.

“KJ is playing so well, but it’s just those key points.”

Major Jr said it was a difficult time playing against Paraguay before their home crowd.

“The guy came up with some really good shots in some key moments,” Major said. “I did what I could. I just fell a little short.”

“Basketball Smiles is a very good camp. I have been here about five years, it’s an amazing camp for them to come down and teach us new things and be very patient and hardworking with us,” McCoy explained.

She added that she is working on her ball-handling skills to complement her abilities as a post player.

The Basketball Smiles camp is scheduled to resume at the Kendal G L Isaacs Gymnasium today at 9am.

Against Costa Rica, Major said he’s looking forward to getting the Bahamas in the win column.

“From here on in, it’s do or die. We can’t afford to give away any more matches,” he said. “We just have to keep on fighting.”

In their doubles match against Paraguay, Armbrister said he and Rolle played well.

“The first set, it was very competitive. We ended up losing the first set by a few points,” Armbrister said.

“The second set, we started off good, but we got broken early to give our opponents the advantage.

“But I was pretty happy with our performance. It was good playing with Marvin Rolle in these Davis Cup competitions.

“He’s just a veteran in doubles, which makes my job easier. He just knows what shots to hit.”

Rolle said he enjoyed the experience playing with Armbrister as well.

“We had a tough one. The guys played well. They got revenge from last year because I beat them last year. They say they were going to beat us to get their revenge,” Rolle pointed out.

“But it was a good match overall. We had our chances.”

Against Costa Rica today, Rolle said they just have to come out strong because they can’t take any team for granted.

He said they will definitely try to get in the win column.

Flamingos Women’s Golf Club 242 marks Women’s Golf Day

THE Flamingos Women’s Golf Club 242 celebrated Women’s Golf Day this month, hailing the women who are blazing trails in the sport, and encouraging new members to join.

Women’s Golf Day is more than just one day; it’s a week-long celebration that takes place around the world, highlighting women and girls playing golf and learning skills that last a lifetime.

This year’s week was commemorated from May 30 to June 6.

Flamingos president Agatha Mona Delancy rallied club members to celebrate one another and to never forget the path laid in a sport that will ultimately grow with women’s participation in the future.

“For this year, Flamingos Women’s Golf Club 242 decided that a most fitting way to honour some of the movers and shapers of women’s golf in The Bahamas was to present them to those of us who are a part, or desirous of becoming a part of this community of golfers,” Delancy said.

The list includes more than 40 women in New

Providence, and seven Grand Bahama women - all who have made significant contributions to women’s golf in The Bahamas.

Among those recognised were Georgette Rolle-Harris, founder of Fourteen Clubs, Inc., which includes about 100 skilled tournament golfers as well as some 800 juniors from public schools.

Other women who were highlighted for Women’s Golf Day include National Amateur Championship Golfers Raquel Riley, Ingrid Black and Alena Hutchinson.

National team members and golf administrators were also highlighted, including: Paula Newchurch-Cooper; Giselle Pyfrom; Jamecia Duncombe; Jaqueline (Jackie Longley); Pauline Curry; Gina Rolle-Rodriguez; Jenna Bayles; Inecia Rolle; Anja Charles; Sharon Cleare; Ann-Marie Hepburn; Janet (Jan) Pyfrom; Dr. Patti Symonette; Stephanie Carey; Vanria Munnings; Ethelyn Davis; Danielle Roninson; D’Andrielle Robinson; Michelean Poitier; Donnett

Bain; Paula Von Hamm; Fran Dillett; Maria Campbell; Sheila Taylor; and

President Delancy was also lauded for her immeasurable contributions to the sport of golf in The Bahamas. Sixteen years ago, she was elected as president of the Bahamas Golf Federation.

It marked the first time in history that this position was held by a woman. With her leadership and guidance, the federation grew by leaps and bounds, and more women were inspired to take up the sport of golf.

Paula Newchurch Cooper was celebrated as a repeat outstanding member of the CAGC George Teale Cup Team. Her phenomenal performances earned her the distinction as one of the best women competitors of the game.

She accomplished the feat of being the only female player to make a hole-in-one on a Par Four Hole (the former Cable Beach Golf Course).

Flamingos have plans in the works to help increase the amount of golf players in the country, rally support for young golfers, and advance the sport nationally.

Beryl Higgs. Posthumously, Muriel Eneas; Eloise Lochkart-Pinder; Gerry Smith; Yvonne Shaw; and Bettye Stubbs were recognised.

SHOWN, from left to right, are Agatha Mona Delancy, Flamingos Women’s Golf Club 242 Founder and Executive Coordinator; Laurie Bethel Lightfoot, Executive Committee Member/ Constitutionalist; Diane Miller, Club Treasurer/ Membership Chair; and Anja Charles, Executive Committee/ Coordinator, Special Events.

RAINING BUCKETS: Over 200 girls and boys combined gathered at the Kendal G L Isaacs Gymnasium yesterday to learn basketball fundamentals courtesy of the Basketball Smiles summer camp.

Photos by Tenajh Sweeting

GIRL POWER: Vonteneke Rolle, winner of the under 12 girls singles competition, is alongside runner up Caitlyn Pratt.

Wembanyama’s long frame, versatile game has him topping list of ‘bigs’ in NBA draft

By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer

VICTOR Wembanyama has long been earmarked to be the No. 1 overall selection in the NBA draft, a player so unusual that he defies traditional categorisation.

He headlines The Associated Press’ list of big men in the draft with a 7-foot-3 frame that eventually could help him dominate inside to go with his perimeter skills.

The AP previously noted the top guard prospects in the draft, along with forwards and international players to watch.

• Here’s a look at the top big-men likely to hear their names called Thursday night:

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA, France

STRENGTHS: An incomparable combination of skills and size have made the French star a generational prospect with can’t-miss expectations unseen since LeBron James. He can roam the perimeter, handle the ball and shoot off the dribble like a guard, but his length helps him score over defenders inside along with racking up blocks and deflections. And with San Antonio holding the top pick, he’ll soon be under the tutelage of a five-time NBA champion in Gregg Popovich.

Among his countless highlights, one play from April stands out: the sight of Wembanyama missing an off-the-dribble stepback 3-pointer — only to fly in and tip dunk his own miss.

CONCERNS: Essentially none. The 19-year-old could probably stand to add strength to handle physical defenders.

DERECK LIVELY II, Duke STRENGTHS: The lean 7-foot-1 freshman arrived at Duke as 247sports’ No. 2-ranked national recruit and came on in the season’s

second half as a strong rim protector nimble enough to defend in open space. He ranked ninth nationally in blocked shots (2.41). The highlight came in a February win against rival North Carolina, when the first-round prospect dominated while scoring just four points thanks to 14 rebounds and eight blocks.

Duke coach Jon Scheyer said Tuesday that Lively’s role “directly translates” as a modern big capable of handling defensive switches and being a lob threat.

“I think that’s the hardest adjustment for a lot of college players: They’re used to always having the ball

in their hands and always scoring,” Scheyer said. “... For him, it can be seamless. I know obviously you can talk about potential with him, but I think about readiness with him because of what he’s done this past year and who he is as a player.”

CONCERNS: The 19-year-old wasn’t a dominant rebounder despite his length (5.4 average, six double-digit outings in 34 games). His offensive game was limited beyond putbacks and alley-oops, including a scoreless game with no shot attempts in 36 minutes against a physical Tennessee team as Duke

fell in the NCAA Tournament’s second round. Adding bulk to a 230pound frame could help both areas.

TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS, Indiana

STRENGTHS: The Indiana senior was an Associated Press AllAmerica first-team pick, mixing reliability, versatility and athleticism. He ranked sixth in Division I in rebounding (10.8) and eighth in double-doubles (18) while also ranking in the top 20 in scoring (20.9) with multiple post moves. And he stepped up his production heading into the

March spotlight, averaging 24.7 points on 61.5% shooting in his final six games.

Defensively, he ranked fourth nationally in blocked shots (2.88) with a 7-1 wingspan, making him a well-rounded interior presence who could hear his name called in the back half of the first round.

CONCERNS: He’s a bit undersized (6-8, 240) for an interior-focused player who has shown little outside of 15 feet.

He’s a career 67.6% shooter at the foul line who never hit 70% in a season, and his 3-point history consists entirely of going 0 for 3 as a junior. He also is one

of the oldest prospects at 23 years old.

OTHERS TO NOTE

— NOAH CLOWNEY.

The 6-10, 210-pound freshman became an every-game starter for an Alabama team that was the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAAs. Clowney, who turns 19 next month, averaged 9.9 points and offers potential as a rebounder (8.0) with the ability to step outside (eight games with multiple made 3s). That could help him land in the late first round.

— JAMES NNAJI: The center from Nigeria turns 19 in August and has been playing in Spain, where his team lists him as 6-11 and 249 pounds. He offers intrigue as a raw developmental prospect with a 7-5 wingspan and defensive potential. Some mock drafts have him sneaking into the first round.

— ADAMA SANOGO.

The junior powered Connecticut to a fifth NCAA championship as the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player. He’s a bit undersized for a big (roughly 6-7 without shoes at the NBA combine) and is a secondround prospect, but he has a strong frame (roughly 255 pounds) and added a step-outside element to his game last year by making 19 of 52 3-pointers (36.5%). His nearly 7-3 wingspan measured fifth-best at the combine.

— OSCAR TSHIEBWE.

The senior from Kentucky rode a relentless-rebounding mindset into being named as AP men’s national player of the year in 2022 and a second-team All-American in 2023.

It’s unclear whether the 23-year-old — measuring roughly 6-7 and 255 pounds with a better than 7-3 wingspan at the NBA combine — will be drafted. But he averaged national bests of 15.1 rebounds in 2022 and 13.7 in 2023 while racking up 48 double-doubles, so his motor might intrigue a team to take a flier.

Twins Amen and Ausar Thompson set to be taken in top-10 tomorrow night

By PAT GRAHAM AP Sports Writer

FOR all the things the Thompson Twins share — middle name, appetite for burgers, dynamic basketball skill sets — matching suits on draft night won’t be one of them.

Amen and Ausar Thompson are dressing for success in their own unique style as they prepare to go in their own separate directions for really the first time. The 6-foot-7 guards out of Overtime Elite are projected in the AP mock draft to be selected in the top 10 Thursday night in New York.

That means, barring a daring move by a team, they will wind up in different cities.

It’s a situation that’s still hard to fully fathom for the 20-year-olds from California. It’s also a situation that reveals another shared trait: Their sense of humour.

“We’ll just constantly text each other,” explained Amen, who’s the older twin by a minute.

“But you don’t check your phone,” Ausar quickly countered.

“He’s lying,” Amen responded.

Kidding aside, their aim is to live up to their shared middle name of “XLNC” (pronounced excellence), which was bestowed on them to convey a sense of power.

“Just so with every time you’re saying their name, there’s that power behind it,” their dad, Troy, said. “Excellence, greatness — we always use all these power words and so do they, in their own expressions, so

they’re always thinking on that high note.”

The Thompsons moved from the San Francisco Bay Area to Florida when the twins were in eighth grade to enhance their basketball careers.

The playmakers shined at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, leading the team to a state title. They received offers from several traditional Power Five basketball programmes.

Instead, they pivoted.

The twins took the road less travelled to the NBA draft by signing with Overtime Elite, a professional basketball league based in Atlanta that’s opening another door to the pros for talented young players.

It was a chance to focus on basketball full-time and build up their strength. They did, too, adding 25 pounds of muscle over their two-year tenure with the league. An opportunity at a pay cheque, too — Overtime Elite, which launched in 2021, compensates players with annual salaries of at least $100,000.

Their first year, the twins played on different Overtime Elite teams.

This past season, they combined — and dominated.

Amen (rhymes with “a pen”) averaged 17.2 points, 9.2 assists and 7.2 rebounds in the playoffs to lead the City Reapers to the championship. Not to be outdone, Ausar (rhymes with “a car”), had a postseason in which he averaged 21 points, 4.8 assists and 5.2 rebounds. When it came time to vote for the league’s regular season MVP award, it was

no surprise who voted for whom.

Ausar for Amen.

Amen for Ausar.

Ausar earned MVP (along with the postseason version, too).

“It would have been funny” if Ausar won by one vote, Amen joked. “I would’ve taken mine back.”

They enjoy teasing one another — and pushing each other. They’re always in the gym, hoisting up shots or working on their footwork. They’re competitive, too, whether it be in friendly games on the court or in the video game NBA 2K, where they’re in agreement — Ausar reigns

supreme on the video-game controller in hoops.

Their go-to meal comes from In-N-Out Burger. Ausar prefers a double cheeseburger with lettuce and special sauce, maybe grilled onions. Amen likes the same, just hold the cheese.

Amen’s scouting report reads like this: Explosive athleticism, with exceptional court vision. Can break down defenders with his ball-handling skills and elite first step.

Ausar’s report: Essentially the same as his brother.

Ausar projects as more of a combo guard and Amen

as a ball handler in the NBA. Amen is predicted to go fourth overall to Houston and Ausar sixth to Orlando.

Their dad saw a path to the twins being elite when they were around eight and going against players three, sometimes four, years older.

“You knew that their forward trajectory was going to be fast, because they were already improving at such a high rate,” Troy stated.

“From here on, I just want to enjoy watching them continue to grow into this dream and just achieve the greatness they always talked about.”

They describe their bond as “twin telepathy,” which Ausar said comes in handy not only on the basketball floor but in life.

Don’t ask for specifics, though, because that’s top secret.

“It would be bad for the world if everybody knew how to do it. I just know where he’s going to be at all times,” Ausar said.

Leading into the draft, they’ve been travelling to work out for interested teams.

In Portland, they met Damian Lillard.

A year ago, they were introduced to Golden State Warriors great Stephen Curry at his camp.

“It’s super cool meeting them,” Ausar said.

Amen and Ausar said they’ve competed against many of the big names in the draft class with the exception of Victor Wembanyama, the French star who is expected to go No. 1 to the San Antonio Spurs.

The twins are bracing for the likely separation and distance between them. They’re even planning for the big moment when both meet on the same NBA court at a soon-to-be-determined spot.

“That,” Amen said, “is going to make for one cool picture.”

IN this photo provided by Overtime Elite, City Reapers basketball players Amen Thompson, left, and Ausar Thompson, right, pose after winning the Overtime Elite Finals on March 7 at OTE Arena in Atlanta. Amen and Ausar will share the stage at the NBA draft tomorrow night. The 6-foot-7 guards out of Overtime Elite are projected to be taken in the top 10 on Thursday night in AP’s mock draft.

(Photo by Adam Hagy/Overtime Elite via AP)

BOULOGNE-LEVALLOIS’ VICTOR WEMBANYAMA, top, dunks during the Elite basketball match Boulogne-Levallois against Paris at the Palais de Sports Marcel Cerdan stadium in Levallois-Perret, outside Paris on May 16. Wembanyam is among the headliners of the top big men in the NBA draft on Thursday night.

(AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Alcaraz finds some late inspiration to win 1st match at Queen’s Club, Murray exits

LONDON (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz’s first grass-court match outside Wimbledon proved to be a tricky one.

Playing for the first time at the Queen’s Club Championships, the top-seeded Alcaraz came from a set down yesterday to win 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (3) against lucky loser Arthur Rinderknech — a No. 83-ranked Frenchman who only found out he was playing following the withdrawal of Arthur Fils a couple of hours before the match.

“It has been a really tough match,” Alcaraz said. “It was really difficult for me at the beginning to adapt my tennis, my game, to the grass.”

Alcaraz faced difficulties in dealing with the tall Rinderknech’s big serve and net coverage in what was the No. 2-ranked Spaniard’s seventh career match on grass, and first away from the All England Club. Alcaraz rallied from going down a break early in the third set and dominated the tiebreaker, which started with an epic point that saw Alcaraz tumble to the ground after racing to the net to hit a cross-court winner. The fourth point, which put Alcaraz 3-1 ahead, was also memorable because of his outrageous lob on the run that landed on Rinderknech’s baseline and set up another forehand

winner. Alcaraz then converted his third match point.

“For me, it’s tough playing here but I enjoy playing on grass and it’s a tournament I really wanted to play,” Alcaraz said.

It was Alcaraz’s first match since losing to Novak Djokovic in the French Open semifinals, after which he went to Spanish party island Ibiza.

Earlier at the Wimbledon warmup tournament, second-seeded Holger Rune of Denmark beat bigserving American Maxime Cressy 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3) for his first grass-court ATP win, after losing three in the first round last year — including at Wimbledon.

By BRIAN CHURCH Associated Press

BIRMINGHAM, Eng-

land (AP) — Pat Cummins threw off his helmet, tossed away his bat and wheeled away in celebration after playing a captain’s innings to win an Ashes classic for Australia on Tuesday.

England’s “Bazball” cricket revolution got a lesson from Down Under in an opening test of the series that went down to the wire on the final day.

Chasing 281 at a raucous Edgbaston, the Australians reached the target inside the final hour for a twowicket win after Usman Khawaja hit a patient 65 and Cummins finished the job with an unbeaten 44 containing two sixes and four fours.

“Both teams spoke a lot about playing your own style,” Cummins said about triumphing over England’s aggressive approach under Ben Stokes. “And that’s the beauty of this series. Two contrasting styles, playing to our strengths

and that made for great entertainment.”

Cummins shared a match-winning ninthwicket partnership of 55 with Nathan Lyon (16 not out), hitting the winning boundary against Ollie Robinson — Harry Brook failed to stop the ball at the rope — as Australia finished on 282-8. It disappointed the majority of a loud crowd that sensed another memorable victory at the Birmingham ground after England’s two-run win in the second Ashes test in 2005.

“We are, of course, absolutely devastated,” Stokes said. “The lads are in pieces up there. But if that’s not attracting people to the game we love then I don’t know what will.”

Jubilant and possibly surprised Australian fans at the stadium chanted “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi” after their team’s remarkable win.

Khawaja, who hit his first test century in England in the first innings, faced 197 deliveries as he

AUSTRALIA captain Pat Cummins celebrates after beating England during day five of the first Ashes Test cricket match, at Edgbaston, Birmingham, England, yesterday. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

anchored most of Australia’s successful run chase on a still-docile pitch before being dismissed by Stokes.

Khawaja was taking the game away from England with Australia at 209-6, but Stokes’ fiery delivery was hit onto his stumps by the batter.

Khawaja was named the player of the match and said “it was an unbelievable game.” “I watched

SPAIN’s Carlos Alcaraz returns the ball to France’s Arthur Fils

during the Men’s Singles Lucky Loser Qualifying match on day twomat The Queen’s Club, London, yesterday. (Adam Davy/PA via AP)

Britain’s Andy Murray, on a 10-match winning run on the back of two straight grass-court Challenger Tour titles, lost 6-3, 6-1 to seventh-seeded Alex de Minaur of Australia. That all but ends his hopes of

being seeded in the draw for Wimbledon, where he is a two-time champion.

Frances Tiafoe won his first match as a top-10 player by defeating Botic van De Zandschulp 6-2 6-4.

London after winning the grass-court Stuttgart Open title on Sunday to climb to a career-high spot of No. 10 in the rankings. Another American, third-seeded Taylor Fritz, beat Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-4, 7-5.

AUSTRALIA WINS ASHES CLASSIC AS CUMMINS FINISHES OFF 2-WICKET WIN

Edgbaston 2005 on TV as a kid, I stayed up late,” Khawaja said. “I was there when Stokesy played that unbelievable innings at Headingley in the last Ashes (in England in 2019) but this has definitely got to be one of my favorite test matches I’ve ever played in.”

Eight wickets down, Australia was still chasing the win — with very good reason as it turned out — and Cummins smashed Joe Root, who was bowling spin while Moeen Ali was nursing a hurt spinning finger, for two sixes in the 83rd over.

England had delayed taking the new ball at 227-7 and it worked perfectly as Root claimed Alex Carey (20) to make the score 227-8 with Australia still needing 54 runs.

Cummins and Lyon then came to the crease and never left it, though Lyon was dropped by a flying Stokes at backward square leg in what could have been another twist. England must win the five-match

series to retake the urn from Australia. The tourists take the bragging rights into the second test at Lord’s but both teams achieved their aim of making the series opener a showpiece for the longer format of cricket as it fights to keep players and TV viewers from focusing on franchise cricket.

The morning session was lost to rain and players took an early lunch before Australia resumed batting on 107-3, still needing 174 more runs.

They were contained early on by Jimmy Anderson and Broad, who had claimed the wickets of top-ranked Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith late on Friday to help set up a final-day thriller.

Despite losing in “Bazball” style, attack-minded England has shown almost anything can now happen in test cricket under Stokes’ captaincy. His early declaration — on the first day, no less — with England at 393-8 drew grudging admiration from Australian

fans. Bringing on part-timer Brook early on the second day to bowl at Smith drew gasps and left Australia batters not knowing what to expect next. Brook had previously remarked his gentle medium-pace was only employed “if the other boys are knackered.”

As well as the batting heroics, Lyon moved closer to joining the exclusive 500wicket club in tests after finishing with match figures of 8-229 on the fourth day when England finished its second innings 273 all out. Root reverse-ramped his way to 46 after his 118 not out in the first innings.

Lyon, who has taken 495 wickets, expressed genuine sympathy for England’s spinning spearhead Ali, who came out of test retirement but struggled with a blistered spinning finger after bowling 33 overs for 2-147 in Australia’s first innings of 386. Ali bowled again in the second innings, taking 1-57 from 14 overs, but was badly missed in the final hours.

Column: Rory McIlroy is going on nine years without a major and the questions won’t stop

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer

— The only thing worse for players than getting asked about winning their first major are endless questions about when they will win another one.

That’s what Rory McIlroy is facing.

The scrutiny no longer is limited to the spring, with Augusta National on the horizon and the reminder that a Masters green jacket is all that keeps McIlroy from the career Grand Slam. Any major will suffice at this point.

And about the only answer is what Wyndham Clark offered not long after the tears, the hugs and the hoisting of the U.S. Open trophy.

“I just feel like it was my time,” Clark said. Sometimes there’s no better explanation. Clark never had to face the “when” question because he earned his first PGA Tour victory only six weeks ago, and because the U.S. Open was only the seventh major he had ever played.

He showed big game at Los Angeles Country Club, from the par saves around the turn to his deft touch with a wedge and putter over the last two holes to

preserve his one-shot win over McIlroy. Perhaps five years from now it won’t seem like such a surprise, at least for Clark.

Tiger Woods never faced those questions, either. Much of those 11 years between his 14th and 15th major was more about when he would play than when he would win.

Woods had reconstructive knee surgery and four back operations. McIlroy missed one major after hurting his knee playing soccer. McIlroy is a massive talent, and so it’s reasonable to at least consider whether a four-time major champion has underachieved. Worth noting is winning majors has become tougher than ever as golf gets deeper and younger. Of the 33 majors McIlroy has played since his last win, 21 of those winners were younger than him.

More alarming is not that McIlroy failed to win Sunday, rather that he has given himself so few chances over the last nine years. Since his last major title in near darkness at Valhalla in 2014 at the PGA Championship, he has played in the final group only twice — he was three behind Patrick Reed in the 2018 Masters and tied with

Viktor Hovland last year at St. Andrews in the British Open. Los Angeles allowed for natural comparisons with St. Andrews. It’s not so much what McIlroy did wrong as what he failed to do — make putts. He hit all 18 greens and took 36 putts in the British Open. He didn’t make a putt longer than 7 feet over the final 33 holes of the U.S. Open.

The final day at LACC wasn’t quite that bad, but it wasn’t great. McIlroy had 16 pars, one bogey and one birdie. That’s a round that often wins a U.S. Open. It’s just that this Open featured two 62s and a 63 before the week was over. McIlroy didn’t make a birdie over the last 17 holes. There wasn’t much left for him when he finished but to hope for Clark to

three-putt — yes, he was hoping for such an outcome because it was all he had — and when that 60-foot putt settled a foot next to the hole, McIlroy didn’t bother to stick around in the scoring trailer to watch him finish.

“As soon as he cozied it up there, I was like, ‘OK, get through this, and then go home and regroup,’” he said. By “get through this,” that would be mean a brief inquisition. He knew what was coming. What happened? How come? What’s next?

When?

The next chance — the last chance this year — was 32 days away from when McIlroy signed for an evenpar 70. The British Open is at Royal Liverpool, where McIlroy won the claret jug in 2014 when he took a sixshot lead into the final day and was never seriously challenged.

That was his time.

Sunday at LACC was not, just like so many others, some of them recent. He was tied for the lead at the Memorial and shot 75 to finish four back. He was two behind going into the final round at the Canadian Open and shot 70 to finish five shots behind.

This time he was in the penultimate group, one

shot behind and playing in the group in front of two players — Clark and Rickie Fowler — who had never won a major. His regret was not making putts — that’s true with everyone — and not waiting for a gust to settle when he had a wedge in his hand going into the par-5 14th. Stranger still was why he chose to lay up from a reasonable lie in the left rough. But that’s hindsight. Reality is coming up short

and taking bogey to lose ground when he could least afford it.

“I’m getting closer,”

McIlroy said. “The more I keep putting myself in these positions, sooner or later it’s going to happen for me. Just got to regroup and get focused for Hoylake.”

That’s what Fowler used to say when he was finishing in the top five at all the majors in 2014, and what he can say again with the turnaround in his game.

LOS ANGELES (AP)

RORY McIlroy at the U.S. Open golf tournament. (AP)

BASEBALL FROM PAGE 12

On Thursday, Sweeting said there will be a College Showcase in the stadium from 10am to 4pm where at least 10 players coming from the United States will be joining a number of local players.

And the action will be viewed by about four college coaches coming in for the championships.

“We want to do it every year before the nationals so that we can give our young men the opportunity to be exposed to the visiting college and pro scouts who come down for the championships,” Sweeting said.

The championship will conclude on Sunday with the bronze and gold medal games. In the event that there is rain this weekend, Sweeting said there have been some provisional plans to play at various sites at Freedom Farm and the JBLN’s Field of Dreams.

21st annual Duke of Edinburgh Cup

Charity Golf Tournament in Paradise at Ocean Golf Club on Sunday

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE 21st annual Duke of Edinburgh Cup, the Bahamas’ semifinals of the Charity Golf Tournament, is all set for Sunday at the Ocean Golf Club on Paradise Island.

And according to Viana Gardiner, the vice president of public affairs and special projects for the host Atlantis resort, they are anticipating one of the most exciting events staged so far.

The event, which supports the Governor

General’s Youth Award Programme, will tee off at 8am. It will close out with the awards ceremonies, which will be attended by Governor General CA Smith.

“We put on this tournament every year so that the proceeds can go to the Governor General’s Youth Award Programme,” Gardiner said. “They are like a youth organisation.

“Their sole purpose is to empower young people. They do a lot of outdoor physical activities and camping. So it’s their way of trying to prepare these young people to be world

ready and to take on life changes and so we have partnered with them to help raise some funds.”

The tournament is designed for teams of four, which is broken down into a pair of teams where the top twosomes of the winning team get an all-expense paid trip to England to participate in the finals, which is the top prize.

Tireflex is offering a brand new Mercedes Benz for a hole in one; Atlantis will provide multiple weekend stays at its resort and dinners at various restaurants; John Bull gives an assortment of jewellery and

there’s also dinner prizes at Graycliff.

This year, as a part of the 50th anniversary of the Bahamas, Gardiner revealed that Fidelity Bank & Trust and Doctor’s Hospital are both coming on board as gold sponsors, providing $15,000 each.

Cable Bahamas silver sponsors at $10,000 and there are several bronze sponsors.

“A really important aspect of the tournament this year is the fact that we have added a special day on Saturday where we will once again host a student golf clinic for the students

of the GGYA,” Gardiner said.

“Last year, we entertained about 70-75 students from the programme, who got to come over to the golf course and they were instructed by the golf course pro instructor.”

Gardiner said they intend to host their second GGYA clinic on Saturday starting at 10am.

“Some of them have never been exposed to the game of golf and don’t understand the game,” Gardiner said.

“So it’s like a tutorial introduction to the game. This gives us a chance to

spend some time with them because the tournament on Sunday is for the adult golfers.

“So this gives them a chance to get their chance to enjoy themselves.”

So far, more than 108 players have already registered to participate in the tournament on Sunday.

“The tournament could not take place without corporate sponsors and so we are so very grateful for all of the corporate sponsors, who assist us year after year,” Gardiner said.

“The funds go directly to the students of the GGYA programme.”

RONALDO SCORES LATE WINNER IN RECORD 200TH GAME FOR PORTUGAL IN EUROPEAN QUALIFYING

BERLIN (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo became the first men’s player to make 200 international appearances and celebrated the milestone by scoring the winning goal in the 89th minute as Portugal beat Iceland 1-0 yesterday in European Championship qualifying.

The 38-year-old Ronaldo was honoured by Guinness World Records before kickoff for reaching 200 games for Portugal almost 20 years after he made his debut. And he was celebrating at the end, too, after being on hand to score the later winner from close range and keep Portugal on track for Euro 2024 qualification with its fourth win from four games in Group J. Erling Haaland scored twice in Norway’s 3-1 win at home over Cyprus, as did Romelu Lukaku in

GAMES

FROM PAGE 12

Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins, and Long Cay) Flamingoes and the New Providence Buccaneers.

With the countdown for the Bahamas Golden Jubilee Games drawing closer to July 7-15 for the 16 sporting disciplines, the BBF is trying to stay ahead of the game for basketball.

“After speaking with the coaches and island associations, preparations are going very well, we are on target, schedule is completed, and Freddie Brown and team are starting initial dialogue with teams on rules and what is expected,” Horton said.

The basketball games will be played for five consecutive days leading

Belgium’s 3-0 victory over Estonia.

But another star forward – Robert Lewandowski –was left disappointed as his Poland team squandered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 away to Moldova.

Euro 2024 host Germany lost 2-0 to Colombia in a friendly game.

GROUP J Ronaldo padded his record for international goals as well, by netting his 123rd for Portugal — making it another memorable night for the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star.

“So happy. It’s that kind of moment that you never expect to do it, 200 caps.

For me it’s an unbelievable achievement,” Ronaldo told UEFA’s website. “Of course, to score the winning goal, it’s even more special.”

up to a championship game for both the men and women on July 15 at Kendal GL Isaacs Gymnasium.

The BBF is anticipating high crowd turnouts for the games and for individuals unable to attend in-person due to time conflicts the games can be followed online at https:// bbfbasketball.com/.

The Bahamas Games were established in 1989 by Peter J Bethell and previously took place in 1991, 1995, 1998, and 2001. This year’s return coincides with the celebration of the 50th year of Independence with the slogan ‘Our Nation, Our Islands, Our Games’.

The sixth edition of the Olympic-style event will showcase 16 sporting disciplines at 16 different locations July 7-15.

Ronaldo’s teammates Rafael Leão and Bruno Fernandes had looked more likely top provide an opening in Reykjavik, until Iceland midfielder Willum Willumsson was sent off with 10 minutes of normal time remaining for a second yellow card.

Ronaldo had missed several chances and was booked for diving in the 83rd, before he finally got the winner when Goncalo Inacio headed the ball down for the forward to score from close range. Even then there was an anxious wait for a VAR check before Ronaldo could celebrate in his own distinctive style. Also, Luxembourg upset Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 away thanks to goals from Danel Sinani and Yvandro Borges Sanches, while Slovakia beat Liechtenstein 1-0.

GROUP A

Despite Haaland’s goals for Norway, Scotland stayed top of Group A with a 2-0 win over Georgia in a game that was suspended for about 1 hour, 40 minutes because of heavy rain and a waterlogged field.

Callum McGregor gave hosts an early lead before play was suspended. Scott McTominay made it 2-0 early in the second half despite lots of water still on the field.

It was Scotland’s fourth win from four games and it lifted the team four points above Georgia.

Norway is third with four points from four games, while Spain is a point further back after playing just two. Spain won the Nations League on Sunday.

GROUP E

Lewandowski scored but couldn’t prevent Poland slumping to a loss in Moldova, its second in three

games. Albania earned a 3-1 away win over the Faeroe Islands to stay second in the group, one point behind the Czech Republic after three games played. Poland dropped to second last in the group with three points.

GROUP F Lukaku scored twice in the space of three minutes to lead Belgium to a 3-0 win in Estonia. Lukaku broke the deadlock with a flick after an uneventful first half-hour and doubled Belgium’s lead with another clinical finish for his 75th goal in 108 internationals. Johan Bakayoko marked his first start for Belgium by adding the third goal in the 90th minute. Christoph Baumgartner scored twice for Austria to defeat Sweden 2-0 in the other group game. Austria leads the group with 10 points from three games, three points ahead of Belgium.

GROUP G Hungary defeated Lithuania 2-0 and Bulgaria drew with Serbia 1-1.

It left Hungary top of the group on seven points, ahead of Serbia on goal difference.

PORTUGAL’s Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal during the Euro 2024 group J qualifying soccer match between Iceland and Portugal in Reykjavík, Iceland, Tuesday, June 20, 2023.

(AP Photo/Árni Torfason)

NORWAY’S ERLING HAALAND, front and Cyprus’ Alex Gogic battle for the ball during the Euro 2024 group A qualifying soccer match between Norway and Cyprus at the Ullevaal stadium in Oslo, Tuesday, June 20, 2023. (Terje Pedersen/NTB via AP)

TEE-OFF THIS SUNDAY: The 21st annual Duke of Edinburgh Cup, the Bahamas’ semifinals of the Charity Golf Tournament, is all set for Sunday at the Ocean Golf Club on Paradise Island.