PAGE 10, Monday, June 27, 2016
Summer break safety tips for motorists
MOTORISTS - school is out! And unfortunately this is also a time when children are at increased risk of transport-related injuries from pedestrian, bicycle and motor vehicle crashes. The reason is obvious: there are many more children on the streets each morning and afternoon, as well as an overall change in motorists’ patterns. Therefore during the
Police advice
By CORPORAL MAKELLE PINDER
summer break, it’s time for motorists to improve their traffic safety practices. The following tips from Royal Bahamas Police Force Na-
LOW TURNOUT - BUT BERMUDA SAYS NO IN REFERENDUM ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE HAMILTON, Bermuda Associated Press
A STRONG majority of voters in Bermuda have opposed same-sex marriage in a non-binding referendum in the British island territory. Results showed large majorities voting against samesex marriage and civil unions in separate questions, but the referendum was invalidated because turnout was below 50 percent, officials said Friday. Premier Michael Dunkley said his government was evaluating the results of Thursday’s vote, in which 69 percent opposed same-sex marriage and 63 percent rejected civil unions. He said the results mean those supporting same-sex marriage in Bermuda will likely go to court to challenge the ban on its recognition. “This has been and will continue to be a highly
sensitive matter,” he said. “Despite our differences we must progress forward. And my hope is that as we move forward as a country, we move ahead with greater tolerance, understanding and respect and appreciation for one another.?” Dunkley’s government scheduled the non-binding referendum after it considered legalizing same-sex marriage in May 2015 amid strong opposition in the Atlantic Ocean island territory. Officials held several public meetings ahead of the referendum that Dunkley said were aimed at educating the public and fostering discussion. Shadow Home Affairs Minister Walter Roban urged everyone to respect the referendum’s results. “We must unite and come together and heal our divisions,” he said in a statement. “There was much energy expended on this issue by both sides.”
tional Crime Prevention Office can help make this a safe and happy summer for the entire Bahamas. • Slow down. Obey all
traffic laws and speed limits. • Be extra cautious while driving, slow down and watch for children on their way to summer school and camps. • When driving in neighbourhoods, watch out for children who are riding their bicycles or playing in the streets. • Allow children waiting at a pedestrian crossing to cross.
• Be alert and ready to stop. Watch for children walking in the streets, especially where there are no sidewalks. • When using an intersection where children are trying to cross, slow down; make eye contact with the children to determine what they are going to do next. • Always stop for a jitney that has stopped to load and unload passengers. • Before entering a pe-
BASKETBALL DIPLOMACY AS SHAQ COMES TO CUBA HAVANA Associated Press
THE Shaq show came to Havana on Sunday as NBA great Shaquille O’Neal put on a basketball clinic for local youngsters, becoming the latest emissary for American outreach to the people of Cuba. The 2016 Hall of Fame inductee and four-time NBA champion led star-struck kids in layup drills and coached scrimmages while onlookers cheered from the sidelines, part of a US State Department-sponsored visit to foster people-to-people exchanges with Cuban citizens. Recent months and years have seen a string of American sporting, diplomatic and cultural missions to the island as Washington and Havana mend relations that were openly hostile for over five decades. Ties were formally restored last year under presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro. “Baseball, soccer, basketball — it’s about sports, you know,” O’Neal said. “We
NBA Hall of famer Shaquille O’Neal plays with a youngster during a clinic with young players in Havana yesterday. share a lot of things in common. We just want to come over here and extend our friendly hand and just start smoothing things out.” “It was great for (Obama) to reopen the door, regain a better relationship with this beautiful island,” he added. Basketball aficionado Juan Navarrete, 13, was thrilled to see the NBA legend up close. “I would really like to become great, a great player,” Navarrete said. “Maybe I can become a great player
like Shaquille O’Neal.” Last year retired basketball stars Steve Nash and Dikembe Mutombo and former WNBA player Ticha Penicheiro joined NBA coaches in holding a fourday camp in Cuba. This March, the Tampa Bay Rays played Cuba’s national baseball team in a Havana exhibition game that was attended by both Obama and Castro. O’Neal’s goodwill tour of Cuba runs through Tuesday.
THE TRIBUNE
destrian crossing area, be sure there are no children in the lane or adjacent lanes. • When passing a parked vehicle, check for children who may run out into the street. Please share this information with every driver in your family. Let’s all work together to ensure that we have a safe and enjoyable summer. Remember that safety is everyone’s concern.
50 CENT CHARGED OVER PROFANITY IN ST KITTS SHOW BASSETERRE, St Kitts and Nevis Associated Press
US rapper 50 Cent and a member of his entourage were detained in St Kitts and Nevis for using “indecent language” during a performance at a music festival, local police said Sunday. A police statement said 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, and a member of his entourage named Bajar Walter were arrested and charged after a Saturday night performance. The rapper’s representative Amanda Ruisi said in a statement Sunday that Jackson initially had been booked only to host the St Kitts Music Festival. But then, festival organisers insisted he also perform and “there were profanities used during his performance, “said Ruisi. She said Jackson will make sure to leave the profanity in the US during his next trip to the Caribbean country. Jackson paid a fine and was on his way home on Sunday, she added. Police employees said they didn’t know what exact words were allegedly used during the performance.