08222024 NEWS AND SPORT

The Tribune

FEARS OVER IMPACT

O F $290M HOSPITAL

Miller concerned over deforestation threat at Perpall Tract wellfield

By JADE RUSSELL

Reporter

Tribune Staff

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

AN environmental advocate is calling on the government to stop its plans to construct a new $290m hospital, citing concerns over the destruction and deforestation of Perpall Tract Wellfield.

Terry Miller, executive director of The Bahamas Association for Social Health and founder of EARTH Village, told The Tribune yesterday that he has already seen workers marking areas, placing stakes, and cutting roadways through Perpall Tract Wellfield for the 50-acre medical facility, which will

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff

Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

AGRICULTURE and Marine Resources Minister Jomo Campbell said yesterday the Office of the Attorney General will address concerns about the recently passed cannabis legislation, particularly from the Rastafarian community. Mr Campbell responded to questions about potential legal action from the Rastafarian community, saying while his ministry hasn’t had further discussions with them, the Office of the Attorney General has been in communication.

‘GBPA disPute not hinderinG investments’

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter

FOREIGN Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell has refuted claims that the government’s dispute with the Grand Bahama Port Authority over $350m allegedly owed to the administration is hindering investments on the island. His comments came in response to remarks from a GBPA spokesman who suggested that the dispute

is “unhelpful” and a distraction preventing investments in Freeport.

While in Grand Bahama yesterday, Mr Mitchell dismissed these claims and accused the GBPA of trying to exert public pressure on the government and turn Grand Bahamians against the PLP administration.

“I find this, the PLP finds this an incredible statement

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

AS the Davis administration prepares to debate legislation that would allow those sentenced to life in prison to be eligible for parole, Prison Commissioner Doan Cleare said it’s time for the public to accept this and “move on”. His comments came as he addressed concerns from several residents who contacted this newspaper after spotting Kevin Patrick

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrusssell@tribunemedia.net

THERE has been an apparent increase in applications for help with school uniform costs this year, according to the Department of Social Services. Charlamae Fernander, acting director of Social Services, noted that in 2023, 651 households in New Providence and 572 households in Grand Bahama applied for the uniform assistance programme, totalling 1,223 households. She said the statistics were

FOREIGN Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell.

drawing close, children gathered at St Andrew’s Presbyterian Kirk on Mar-

Street for

giveaway, with McDonald’s pitching in to send them back to the classrooms with new bags and more.

PAGE TWO for more photos.

Photo: Nikia Charlton

Fears over impact of $290m hospital

be located in the western part of New Providence.

The 200-bed specialty hospital will primarily serve women and children, offering a neonatal unit, imaging services, morgue and pathology services, and telemedicine.

The Perpall Tract Wellfield, a 212-acre plot secured by the government in the late 1930s, was originally intended to provide water to the city of Nassau.

Mr Miller said the coppice forest is the worst possible location for the new hospital, describing it as the most ecologically sensitive area in New Providence. During a 2005 rapid assessment of Perpall Tract, Mr Miller said there was a discovery of over 150 plant species and more than 50 medicinal plants in the area.

He also noted that birds have made the forest their home for decades and that the construction of the hospital would destroy their nests.

Mr Miller said the Davis

administration’s intent for the proposed hospital contradicts their strong stance on climate change and being aware of the environmental challenges the country faces.

The government plans to break ground on the new $290m hospital by September 2024, despite opposition from some residents in the surrounding community.

The 50-acre facility will be located off the New Providence Highway between the six-legged roundabout and Saunders Beach roundabout.

Dr Michael Darville, Minister of Health and Wellness, pledged to Tribune Business in May that the hospital would be “a Bahamian hospital” after the China Export-Import Bank agreed to fully fund it through a 20-year loan with an interest rate of just two percent.

The study, conducted by JSS Consulting, noted that drainage swales and flood control ditches would be necessary to prevent flooding in nearby residential areas. It emphasised that developing an adequate drainage system to manage floodwater will be crucial to minimising the hospital’s environmental impact.

During a rowdy town hall meeting in May, residents also voiced their opposition to the construction of a $290m hospital. Residents from the Stapledon, Rock Crusher, Dolphin Drive and West Grove communities gathered to discuss their grievances at the Stapledon school auditorium.

In June, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the proposed facility revealed that historic wellfields are located at the Perpall Tract site, which currently acts as a natural drainage area for surrounding communities.

Dr Gemma Rolle, president of the Medical Association of The Bahamas, said doctors were unaware of the plan and questioned how the government would staff the facility given the burden and current lack of manpower at Princess Marget Hospital. from page one

Ministry of Agriculture facilitates three-day food safety course

BY KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

A THREE-DAY course began yesterday aiming towards improving food safety in The Bahamas.

THE Ministry of Agriculture facilitated the course at the British Colonial Hilton, with Agriculture Minister Jomo Campbell emphasising the importance of the training for both domestic food safety and international export opportunities. He said the course was designed to meet FDA requirements for processed food import certification, potentially opening up new markets for Bahamian food products in the US.

“Food safety is not just a regulatory requirement, it is a fundamental aspect of public health and community welfare,” he said. “Our food supply is one of the most critical components of

our society. It supports our economy, sustains our families, and fosters our way of life.”

Mr Campbell highlighted challenges such as logistical issues due to the country’s archipelagic nature and the heavy reliance on imported food. He stressed this training was part of a broader initiative to create more economic opportunities for Bahamian agribusinesses and decrease the country’s agricultural trade imbalance.

“With over 700 islands and cays, transporting food safely and efficiently can be a logistical challenge. This can lead to longer shipping times and potential spoilage or contamination of perishable goods,” he added.

“Many small-scale and local producers may lack access to the necessary resources such as funds, training and technology to implement effective food safety measures and

comply with standards.

“Additionally, The Bahamas largely relies on imported food products – something that we are working diligently to change.”

Participants included producers, processors, quality assurance professionals, and regulatory inspectors, with the course said to cover a wide range of topics, from hazard analysis and preventative controls determination to hygienic zoning and environmental monitoring.

Mari Dunleavy, an official representative from the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), said the workshop represents a standardised curriculum recognised by the FDA to meet food safety requirements, which are also mandated by many hotels in The Bahamas, with a qualification on completion.

TERRY MILLER

US Charge D’affaires Kimberly Furnish

AGRICULTURE stakeholders attend a course three day course which began yesterday aiming to improve food safety in The Bahamas.

Photos: Keith Bryan Jr

‘GBPA dispute not hindering investments’

from page one

to be made after the two families who own the GBPA were fighting like cats and dogs in the streets over who owns what and who is going to do what, and so the Port could not move forward for almost a decade,” he said.

Rupert Hayward, executive director of the GBPA, had publicly stated that the conflict is impacting investor confidence and is a distraction, adding that investors are observing how the government handles the situation.

To which, Mr Mitchell replied: “It is rubbish. This is a spoiled brat who is speaking rubbish in public trying to manipulate public opinion and trying to get into a political battle that he does not know anything about and he ought to stay out of it.”

He emphasised that the matter concerns the government’s demand for $357m, claimed under the provisions of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement (HCA), and is being resolved through legal channels.

The minister also

highlighted economic challenges in Grand Bahama, noting a decline in the island’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“The fact is that evidence shows that the GDP of Grand Bahama, unlike other islands, has gone into reverse. Something seems to be amiss. The question is whether these folks were actually performing to according the provisions of the HCA. That is the only argument which is going on now. There is a provision that you are said to owe funds to that provision and there is a process. So, don’t tell us about what’s unhelpful,” he continued.

He pointed to incomplete infrastructure projects, such as the unfinished bridges to Taino Beach, Dover Sound, and the Grand Lucayan Waterway, as responsibilities of the Port that remain unmet.

Mr Mitchell also mentioned that the GBPA’s claims about regulating utilities will soon be addressed in court.

Despite these challenges, he expressed optimism about Grand Bahama’s

potential.

Reflecting on the HCA’s broader implications, he questioned its relevance as it approaches expiration in 30 years.

He added that when the HCA expires, the land should return to the Bahamian people to decide its future model.

While he acknowledged no functional issues between the government and GBPA, he said: “What is happening is the spokesman for the families, I don’t know whether it is plural, but it appears to be singular. They are trying to map out a path to create public pressure on the government and persuade citizens to turn against the government. That is all happening here.”

“It is a very dangerous thing to me to get involved in a political contra-tangle with the government of the day.The predecessors would never have engaged this. The problem is that we can’t have a situation where the public domain and the well is being poisoned everyday by one side without some countervailing view being put.”

Celebration Key hosts supplier readiness workshops in GB

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

CARNIVAL’S Celebration

Key is launching a series of supplier readiness workshops for more than 300 local suppliers in Grand Bahama. The first workshop will be held on Thursday at the Royal Palm Ballroom at the Grand Lucayan Resort.

Javonte Anyabwele, vice president of strategic sourcing for hotel, corporate, indirect, and onboarding revenue at Carnival Corporation & plc, announced that Celebration Key is set to open next year.

“We have different RFPs and RFXs for various projects. We have over 50 active projects right now, and that list will continue to grow and expand,” Mr Anyabwele said. Additional workshops are planned for September, October, and November, targeting suppliers in transportation, housing, landscaping, and more.

Carnival Corporation, which includes nine cruise line brands such as Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises,

Holland America, P&O, and Cunard, will bring these brands to Freeport over time.

“These brands will be coming to Celebration Key, and we must ensure readiness. We’re conducting these workshops to guide suppliers on how to engage with Carnival Corporation and hopefully become part of our supply chain,” Mr Anyabwele explained. Thursday’s workshop will include two sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, each lasting three hours. The sessions will consist of an informational segment followed by a Q&A.

Erika Claxton, senior manager of Celebration Key, confirmed additional workshops are scheduled for September 12 and 24, October 17, and November 14.

“We are super excited about the supplier readiness workshops, starting tomorrow at the Royal Palm Ballroom,” she said.

Interested participants can register online via Celebration Key Grand Bahama’s Facebook and Instagram pages or at celebrationkeygrandbahama.com.

ORG encOuR aGes supp OR t Of uRca’s p ROp O sed chan Ges t O ‘electi

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

A CAMPAIGNER has welcomed proposed changes on election day media coverage - but has warned that it is important voters are able to identify misinformation and verify sources.

The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) announced proposed changes to the “election silence” rules, allowing the broadcast of political discussions on election polling days.

Mr Aubry highlighted the low voter turnout during the 2021 general election, although that may have

Organization of Responsible Governance (ORG) executive director Matt Aubry said the government and civil society organisations as well as media houses need to do more work ahead of the next election to inform voters.

been affected by COVID-19 restrictions.

He noted that research shows voters are less likely to participate in future elections if they did not vote in the previous one. Therefore, he says educating the public about the voting process and how to make their votes count is essential in preparation for the next election.

“The reality is people get information from a lot of sources and in an instance where we do see low levels

of public trust it’s going to be important that they are more educated on how to establish where that information comes from. But I think that becomes a more important process versus establishing the legitimacy of sources of media for people to access or not access or to be silent or not silent.

“The reality is if we can do more work ahead of time and giving people a chance to how to use your vote in a critical way, how to be more mindful and assessing and establishing what is valid media, where sources coming from, that’s going to be more effective than limiting information that can come out at a different time based on source A, source B, or source C.

“So I think it’s important that we look at providing

legitimacy in terms of media channels. However, I think the truth is the emphasis needs to be more on ensuring that voters are inept to take advantage of their rights and do so in a way that they’ve been exposed to their own criteria of how to determine what’s important to them or not.”

URCA explained the tradition of election silence originated when traditional broadcasting was the dominate medium.

“However, with the rise of social media, the tradition of election silence may no longer be suitable, particularly in smaller, developing states like The Bahamas, without the resources to regulate third-party digital content-sharing platforms effectively.”

“The inability of licensed

media to report on political issues in the 24 hours leading up to an election while anyone else with an internet connection can continue to spread disinformation can seem absurd when viewed from this perspective.”

URCA said there are “legitimate concerns about disinformation” and moratorium periods are a “vulnerability” as they prevent licensed media outlets from reporting or rebutting disinformation spread on social media prior to poles closing.

The regulator said “supports and recommends” the removal of polling day restrictions placed on the media and excluding licensed platforms from sharing information on poling days is a “disservice to the public”.

MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS FRED MITCHELL

ERIKA Claxtion (left), senior manager of Celebration Key, and Javonte Anyabwele, vice president of strategic sourcing at Carnival Corporation, announced that a series of supplier readiness workshops will commence in Grand Bahama on Thursday at Grand Lucayan Resort.

Rastafarians seek legal help over cannabis bill concerns

A Rastafarian leader, speaking anonymously, told The Tribune yesterday they are still considering legal action and recently held a fundraiser cookout to raise funds for legal counsel.

Regarding the timeline for implementing the cannabis industry, Minister Campbell emphasized the need to address concerns raised during parliamentary debates. He stated, “We still want to make sure that we address some of the concerns. I’m sure you all remember all of the remarks that were in the press, in the dailies, after the bill was debated in Parliament and in the Senate. And so, as we have the opportunity to iron out some of those wrinkles, we want to take full advantage of it. So when we produce this to the Bahamian public, it’s the best product that it could possibly be.”

Mr Campbell also revealed that the land unit is conducting an audit as his ministry moved to secure approximately 25 acres for qualified participants in the medical marijuana industry.

The minister confirmed ongoing discussions with the Health Minister Dr Michael Darville, and Mr Pinder. He said they plan to meet again soon to finalise the establishment of the regulatory authority for the cannabis industry.

Increase seen in uniform assistance applications

based on households due to the fact that a number of children could be in one household.

“The trend seems to be upwards this year based on the number of applications we see coming in on a daily basis,” Ms Fernander told The Tribune yesterday.

She added many parents/ guardians applied for uniform assistance last minute, hoping to afford their children’s uniforms on their own but circumstances didn’t work out.

The programme operates by issuing purchase orders to various uniform and shoe stores partnered with the government. Parents receive documentation showing the number of uniforms approved, which they present at these stores. Uniform assistance is available for children in preschool tup to high school.

Officials urged parents and guardians to submit their uniform assistance

Currently, there is high demand for uniform assistance in New Providence and Grand Bahama, with significantly fewer applications from the Family Islands. Ms Fernander could not provide the current number of applications for this year due to a backlog still being processed. She encouraged parents and guardians to apply by mid-June when school first closes, to prevent such delays.

applications before September 13. Applications can be made online at https:// promis.gov.bs/service/ uniform-assistance or by visiting the nearest outreach centre under the Department of Social Services.

In September 2022, the late Minister of Social Services and Urban Development Obie Wilchcombe said there was a slight increase in the number of persons who sought school uniform assistance from the government. Mr Wilchcombe told The Tribune that while 839 people in New Providence sought assistance, 918 needed the help in the Family Islands for a total of 1,757. from

UB CONTINUES QUEST FOR ACCREDITATIONS

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

AFTER 18 months, the University of The Bahamas is set to submit its candidacy application for accreditation this fall.

The institution is pursuing accreditations from the National Accreditation and Equivalency Council of The Bahamas, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in the United States, as well as from accrediting bodies in the European Union and the United Kingdom.

University of The Bahamas Acting President Janyne Hodder said the quest for accreditation reflects the institution’s commitment to continuous improvement. Ms Hodder noted the

university plans to address long-standing issues, including facility maintenance, further digitalisation, security upgrades, and ensuring the presence of qualified faculty as part of its preparations for accreditation.

She acknowledged that while the process should be a source of national pride, she could not provide a specific timeline for its completion due to uncertainties in the candidacy process. “We have substantial evidence from our 50 years of operation, including over 22,000 alumni in prominent positions worldwide. However, receiving validation from external observers would further affirm our achievements,” Ms Hodder said.

She also highlighted that accreditation would facilitate student and faculty

exchanges, as well as joint research projects.

“As we have an internationally accredited standard, it’s easy then for a student from, I don’t know, the University of Wisconsin to come and spend a semester with us, or for student here at UB to go spend a semester at University of Wisconsin and carry their credits have them automatically recognise,” she said.

Ms Hodder commended the government for its financial support in the recent budget, which has assisted with capital projects essential for the accreditation process.

During the 2024/25 Budget Debate, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis announced a planned $12m investment to support the university’s accreditation efforts.

AGRICULTURE AND MARINE RESOURCES MINISTER JOMO CAMPBELL

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Sharks taking a bite out of anglers’ catch in the gulf

FISHERMEN across the Gulf of Mexico are reporting that something is eating fish off their lines. What’s to blame? Many recreational anglers point a finger at sharks.

This conflict has caught politicians’ attention. Congress has directed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which regulates fishing in U.S. waters, to review shark and dolphin interactions with fisheries, and the U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the SHARKED Act, which would create a task force to address the problem.

I’ve studied this conflict, which is formally called depredation, for the past decade. While some shark populations in the Gulf of Mexico, such as bull sharks, are increasing, my colleagues and I have found evidence that human perceptions are also an important factor.

The Gulf of Mexico is home to more than 70 species of sharks – and those are just the ones that scientists know about. The field of shark research has grown dramatically in recent decades, and new species are still being discovered.

For example, the American pocket shark, which is literally pocket-size, wasn’t discovered until 2019. This tiny shark lives in deep water far from shore and secretes a glowing blue fluid from small “pocket” glands near its front fins, for a purpose scientists have yet to determine.

Many other species, including bull sharks and sandbar sharks, are found in coastal waters. This creates the potential for conflict with anglers.

Shark predation on captured fish isn’t new. In Ernest Hemingway’s 1952 Pulitzer Prize-winning novella “The Old Man and the Sea,” an aging Cuban fisherman struggles to catch a giant marlin, only to see it eaten by sharks on his voyage home.

Hemingway himself contended with shark depredation as he attempted to land bluefin tuna in Bimini, the Bahamas. Kip Farrington, a longtime Field & Stream magazine editor and Hemingway confidante, noted that “none of these magnificent fish have ever been boated near Bimini unmarked by sharks.” Today, anglers often refer to sharks as “the tax man.” Sharks have been harvested commercially in the Gulf since the 1930s. Catches increased during World War II, partly because shark livers were used in the production of Vitamin A, and declined after 1950 with the development of synthetic vitamins.

Shark catches surged again in the 1980s, encouraged by federal regulators, who saw sharks as an “underutilized resource.” Yet within a decade, scientists determined that several stocks of Gulf sharks were overfished, including sandbar sharks and dusky sharks.

In 1993, NOAA issued the first federal fishery management plan for sharks in U.S. waters of the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico. These regulations created a pathway to rebuild stocks by requiring permits and establishing recreational trip limits and commercial catch quotas. Today, many of the Gulf’s overfished

shark stocks are recovering. As evidence grows that sharks are an important component of healthy oceans, this is a conservation success story. However, many anglers blame increases in depredation on regulations enacted to rebuild shark populations.

Experts agree that there are more sharks in the Gulf of Mexico today than there were 30 years ago. But how do these populations compare with levels before 1989, when commercial shark fishing spiked?

Over time, this question becomes increasingly difficult to answer as people gradually accept environmental decline.

Marine biologist Daniel Pauly calls this habituation “shifting baseline syndrome.”

For fisheries, each new generation of fishermen accepts the current, often reduced, status of a fish population as the baseline and forgets that there was a time when these species were much more abundant.

In this case, modern anglers are comparing increased numbers of sharks in the Gulf of Mexico to the past 30 years – a time when many shark populations were overfished.

The recovery of populations that were once overfished can create an opposite situation, known as lifting baselines, with conservation and management efforts leading to population increases.

Instances where populations have been overfished and then rebuilt can create a perception of overabundance. When the species that’s recovering is a predator, that can lead to human-wildlife conflict.

For example, recovering populations of California sea lions now compete with fishermen for their catch along the Pacific coast. Off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the same thing happens with gray and harbor seals. The seals, in turn, are attracting white sharks.

Sportfishing is a popular and lucrative year-round industry across the Gulf of Mexico. As reports of depredation increase, so do calls for culling shark populations.

Similar action has been proposed elsewhere for other marine predators, including sea lions in California and goliath groupers in Florida. Studies show, however, that predator removal is rarely an effective strategy. It’s particularly ineffective for species such as sharks that move around a lot and will readily recolonize areas that have been culled. Predator culls also pit people with different values, such as fishing boat operators and conservationists, against each other.

Unfortunately, there is no silver-bullet solution for shark depredation. The Gulf’s sportfishing industry has grown, and it’s likely that sharks learn to associate the presence of boats with an easy meal.

NOAA-funded research has identified sandbar sharks and bull sharks as the species that prey most often on catch. The agency is analyzing ways to better measure depredation and assess stocks of these two species to understand their population trends.

James Marcus Drymon, Mississippi

State University

PM Davis struggles to lead

EDITOR, The Tribune

THE Bahamian people made the decision to elect the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) in September 2021. The PLP set out a blueprint filled with many promises to make the lives of Bahamians better.

Nearly three years into their term, the party is adrift, without direction, and faltering. Its leader, Prime Minister Philip Davis, is clearly unfocused and lax when it comes to governing.

He does not like doing the work of prime minister, which is a difficult job. Instead he constantly travels at taxpayer expense. Jetting in luxury from conference to conference and event to event, he finds comfort and happiness socializing with wealthy foreigners while The Bahamas is left leaderless with national problems of all kinds.

The bold change the PLP promised has not come. All that has happened is the PLP has spent nearly three years enriching PLPs. So many of their supporters now have new cars and new houses. The PLP is using many, many millions of state wealth and taxpayer funds to ensure PLP contractors, consultants, and other supporters live the good life.

Meanwhile, our people watch their concerns and needs go unaddressed. Lingering problems have worsened, often because of inaction or mistakes made by the PLP. New ones emerge with no policy or programmatic response from the governing party.

Bahamians are increasingly frustrated with a PLP administration that seems detached from their daily needs and realities.

CRIME REMAINS A VEXING PROBLEM

The PLP promised on the campaign trail to bring forward policies to reduce crime in The Bahamas. They were bold in saying they knew what to do. The Bahamian people voted to give the PLP a chance to prove what it could do. Now, nearly three years into their term, it is clear that the governing party has failed to deliver on reducing crime and violence in our communities.

In their first full year in office in 2022 there were 128 murders. This was the second highest murder total in our history.

This year we are on pace for a similarly high total with there already being more than 80 murders in August.

The gunmen shoot and kill wherever and whenever they like, day or night. They are not afraid of the police, the courts, or of going to jail.

We have lost too many of our young people to senseless violence. Too many have been maimed and suffered life-altering injuries due to shootings.

It is clear to all

right-thinking Bahamians that the prime minister has no crime plan, despite saying that he has a plan.

Murders are not our only problem, though they are very high for a country with our population.

There are too many break-ins, robberies, car thefts, and property crimes for a country as small as ours. These crimes cause fear and deep anxiety. They cost money to residents and businesses, having to find money to replace what was stolen.

The PLP made campaign promises but they have failed to deliver. The opposition Free National Movement (FNM) has repeatedly called on the prime minister to act, but Mr. Davis seems unable to meet his responsibilities as head of government when it comes to the crime crisis.

Bahamians deserve better from their elected government.

FRUSTRATION WITH LACK OF BASIC SERVICES

One of a government’s top priorities is ensuring that citizens are provided with basic services in a modern society. People expect electricity, water and paved roads.

They expect basic access to health care, a functional Road Traffic Department, a competent Ministry of Finance and Inland Revenue Department. Residents of New Providence expect the island to be kept clean and public spaces to be maintained.

They expect the services they have to pay for to be reasonably priced. The PLP is struggling to deliver on these most basic functions and responsibilities of government. Electricity problems exist across the country. Residents in Andros, Eleuthera, and Harbour Island have suffered particularly in recent weeks and months.

Protests occurred by residents on these islands, lamenting the failure of the government to deliver basic services such as electricity and water.

The response from the PLP administration is always the same. They say they are working on it. They say contracts have been signed. They say the problem will be fixed “soon”.

Instead of solutions, the PLP keeps promising and talking. What “soon” means is you have to wait a lot longer with no light or water. It means if you have bad roads filled with potholes, maybe something may happen for you in the future. For now under this PLP administration, the unsatisfactory status quo remains. The PLP is the very face of the status quo. In 2024, Bahamians

should not have to protest and beg for electricity and water. Bahamians should not have to beg for paved roads or license plates. This is what happens when a government’s focus is not on its people. This PLP primarily thinks of PLPs first. Hence, the dayto-day work of governance too often goes undone. Meanwhile, the people suffer. The people are deeply frustrated.

PLP failing to act on bank fees

Bahamians are frustrated with our commercial banks. There are too many unfair fees that eat away at people’s hard-earned savings. And, the banks keep cutting back on services, making more profits while providing poorer service.

Leader of the Opposition Michael Pintard recently proposed a series of measures to help address these problems. I wholeheartedly support the proposals of the FNM.

These include ensuring fees are transparent, fair and not just junk fees with no justification; increasing the regulatory role of the Central Bank to assess the validity of banking fees; and, tasking the Central Bank with streamlining interbank transaction protocols in order to ensure they are efficient and cost effective while using bestin-class technology.

The FNM is leading on this issue because the PLP is doing nothing on the matter.

Here again, the Bahamian people are rightfully complaining and suffering with no adequate or meaningful response from the governing party. We need action now to stop the banks from unjustifiably increasing fees even more to take away money from ordinary Bahamians just to enrich those who already have enough.

A FAILED LEADER

Philip Davis has been a disappointment as prime minister for many Bahamians. These issues could be addressed if we had a leader who was committed and interested in doing his job. Mr. Davis has been the most absent leader in our history.

The Bahamian people are increasingly raising their voices in peaceful protest just to get the constantly travelling prime minister’s and his government’s attention.

As increasing numbers of Bahamians publicly express their discontent, maybe, just maybe, the prime minister will finally get it, though no one should hold their breath. Much more needs to be done to improve the lives of Bahamians. The PLP’s performance has been poor. The Bahamian people, including poorer Bahamians, are suffering as a result.

DR HUBERT MINNIS

Killarney MP Former Prime Minister August 21, 2024

Accept parole system and move on, says Doan Cleare

Hanna, convicted of killing his family, in public, and questioned whether he had been released.

Commissioner Cleare explained that Mr Hanna is part of a prison work release programme, which is why he has been seen in public.

Hanna was sentenced to life in prison for killing his father, mother, brother, and two sisters in 1984 when he was a teenager. Details of the case were widely publicised.

He was reportedly acquitted of murder charges but was found guilty of manslaughter by “reason of diminished responsibility” after a doctor testified that he suffered from mental health issues.

Four decades later, Hanna is said to be fully rehabilitated and regarded as one of the prison’s “best residents”, having participated in all available rehabilitative programmes at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

“Kevin Hanna is one of the best residents we have in this institution. He ain’t showing no signs, he is rehabilitated,” Mr Cleare told The Tribune yesterday. “There is no more programme I can push Kevin Hanna into in this institution. He has been through all of them, some

six, seven or eight times. He’s now over 60 years old.”

He noted that Hanna has been on the prison’s work release programme for over four years and dismissed concerns about his public appearances, saying “society has more dangerous people on the road than Kevin Hanna right now”.

We have to realise that 99 percent of the persons who come to prison will be released eventually,” Mr Cleare added.

“Anyone who has been given the latitude of going to work on the release programme, they have an extremely good chance of being released.”

Mr Cleare explained that those sentenced to life in prison can be released after serving a period of time if the Prerogative of Mercy Committee decides they’re no longer a threat to society.

Although Mr Cleare believes Hanna would be a good candidate for release, he refused to say if his case was currently under consideration Prerogative of Mercy committee.

Concerns about the release of those sentenced to life in prison comes as the government prepares to debate Conditional Release of Offenders when Parliament returns after summer recess.

The bill, which has been in the works for over a

KNIFE ASSAULT ACCUSED GETS BAIL

BY PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was granted bail yesterday after he allegedly stabbed and injured a man last week in New Providence.

Senior Magistrate Anishka Pennerman arraigned Edward Williams, 46, on charges of causing harm and assault with a dangerous instrument.

The defendant allegedly

assaulted and injured Quinton Russell with a knife during a physical altercation on August 16.

Williams pleaded not guilty to the charge. His bail was set at $3,000 with one or two sureties. The defendant must sign in at the Central Police Station every Monday by 7pm. Williams was also warned not to interfere with the complainant or any witnesses in this matter.

The defendant’s trial begins on November 7.

MAN FINED $500 FOR BAIL BREACH

BY PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was fined yesterday after he admitted to breaching his bail for pending shopbreaking and stealing charges in San Salvador last month.

Senior Magistrate Shaka Serville arraigned Dave Major, 26, on seven counts of violation of bail conditions.

Major was granted bail after he was accused of breaking into the Riding Rock Inn and Marina in Cockburn Town and stealing a safe containing $12,848 in cash between

August 18 and 19, 2023.

Major while on release for these charges reportedly failed to sign in at his local police station on July 3.

Major also allegedly failed to sign in at the same police station six times between July 10 and August 14.

Magistrate Serville withdrew six of the bail violation charges against the defendant.

Major pleaded guilty to the one remaining charge.

Major was fined $500 or must risk a one-month prison term. He was fined an additional $200 for a prior warrant.

decade, outlines the parole regime for convicts, including those sentenced to life inprisonment When sentencing people for life imprisonment, courts would be required to specify the minimum

period of incarceration that offenders must serve before being eligible for parole consideration. The bill says that period must “satisfy the requirements of retribution, deterrence, and

rehabilitation”. Murderers sentenced to life must serve at least 25 years. Commissioner Cleare said when the bill passes, the prison work programme will end, making way for for day parole.

People who are not sentenced to life imprisonment could be eligible for full parole consideration after serving at least sixty percent of their sentence and for day parole after serving 50 percent.

seen in a previous Tribune

Why do we continue parking in spaces for disabled individuals?

Decadent: (adjective) characterized by or reflecting a state of moral or cultural decline; (noun) a person who is luxuriously self-indulgent.

WHEN we think of decadence, it is often employed to characterise human excess in terms of materialism, sexual promiscuity, greed of all sorts, and other forms of self-indulgence which deprive us of a more moral and genuinely pleasing life.

Decadence may also describe the broader ethical state of an institution, society, or nation. A telling and sad symptom of the decadence and self-indulgence of our social culture is the large number of us who blithely and blatantly park in spaces reserved for disabled individuals.

What is the depth of entitlement and selfishness that allows many of us to callously park in such a reserved spot?

What do we communicate to our children and others in a boisterously selfavowed Christian nation when we force a disabled person to find an alternative parking space because we do not want to have to walk our rumps a few extra steps?

This is the same poor quality of moral indifference that would likely heartlessly ignore the robbery victim in the ditch in the Good Samaritan story. This level of selfishness, cold-heartedness, and uncaring is widespread in

our community. A recent thread following a story in this journal suggests the lack of moral care, empathy, and regard for others.

“As a disabled person who had to jump through all kinds of hoops to get a disabled parking decal, I am appalled at this behaviour. Many times, I have to either walk a long distance to get to the store, or choose to go elsewhere for what I need.

“Many stores are kind enough to have cones in the handicapped spots and the security guard moves them for me, but so many times I see perfectly able-bodied people parking in these spots – many of them who look like they could use the exercise anyhow!

“Yesterday, I saw a perfectly able-bodied lady get into her car that was in a

handicapped spot. I had to park quite a bit further out, and asked her if she was handicapped. She said, No, but I was only in the shop for a minute!’ ‘Not an excuse, people!’”

This lame excuse may be translated: “My comfort, laziness, and needs entitle me to disadvantage you.” So much for our Christian commitment to neighbour, to losing oneself for others, to acting like Jesus. Jesus would heal the sick and the disabled, not park in spaces reserved to assist those in need.

We delight in endlessly beseeching God to give us something. However, when it comes to our disabled neighbors, the attitude is: to hell with you, my convenience is more important than your needs.

Thankfully, more people are increasingly sensitive to the needs of disabled individuals. There are a number of commercials on television reminding us to not park in reserved spaces.

Still, we have a long way to go and scores of selfish individuals who still illegally park in these spaces.

A friend recalls watching a young man in his late teens or early twenties pulling into a clearly marked space for disabled individuals. The friend calmly reminded the young man that the space was reserved and that there were near adjacent spaces.

The arrogant response from the young man was typical, defensive and

belligerent: “You handicapped hey?” Thankfully, a security guard forced him to move.

At this same grocery store, a security guard told this columnist of an ablebodied man in a luxury car who bullied and forced the guard out of the way so that the former could park in a reserved space. When the guard told his manager about it, she said there was nothing she could do.

This same aggressive man continues to park in the reserved space regularly despite other available spaces. Because he is breaking the law without consequence, he will continue to park in the space.

This is precisely why are becoming ever more decadent, more open and belligerent in breaking the law, and more prone to criminal conduct. There are often few to no consequences for our illegality and incivility.

The term wilding “originally referred to teenage gang violence against randomly chosen victims, impulsive mugging or rape, and similar terrorising. It also has been transferred to unruly but less violent outings.”

A recent social media post showed a group of young men on motorised bikes in the middle of a busy intersection downtown in a wild display of testosterone, stupidity, aggression, and indifference to the law and other motorists. A police officer looked on haplessly. Have the police contacted these individuals?

This behaviour sometimes occurs in parking lots and other locales. That these young men though they could do so in the middle of the day on Bay Street is a prime example of the widespread lawlessness, feral behaviour, and continued decline we are ignoring and tolerating.

It is akin to an increasingly non-controllable cancer that is spreading and will metastasize into our gated lives and gated communities.

It is an advanced cancer affecting us all with a ferocity that pervades our sick and septic culture of moral indifference and rapaciously materialistic society that mostly only pays lip service to the common good, while rejecting a deeper spirituality based on Christian and human values such as a care for neighbors and fellow citizens.

A recent Tribune story

reported another example of decline and indifference:

“State Minister for Housing and Urban Renewal Lisa Rahming apologised after her government-issued vehicle was photographed in a disabled parking space on West Bay Street.

“Ms Rahming, the former State Minister for Social Services and Urban Development, said her aide was responsible. She called the action ‘careless’ and contrary to her values, emphasising that it disrespected the rights and dignity of the ‘differentlyabled community’.

“‘As a minister of state, before coming into my present portfolio, I had the great honor to represent and advocate for those with disabilities,’ she said in a statement.

“‘I understand only too well how access and accommodation can make all the difference in the lives of individuals who depend on such spaces for mobility and independence. Therefore, I wish to make it clear that I maintain strong support, respect and am anti-discriminatory to all persons with special needs.’

“Ms Rahming said she spoke to her aide to ensure respect for designated spaces in the future.”

Questions for the minister: What other disciplinary action has she taken for her driver who illegally parked in the reserved space? Given the minister’s previous assignment and self-proclaimed concerned for the disabled community, why didn’t her driver know better?

Why was he so poorly trained? Did she only issue the apology after it became public? Where was she when the driver parked in the space? When did she become aware of this? Has this happened before?

There is a broader point at stake: The minister’s driver broke the law in a state vehicle. What is the necessary repercussion beyond an apology? If there is none, her apology will ring hollow to many, especially to the disabled community. The minister needs to set an example in terms of sending a message to the public about the rule of law and respect for individuals with disabilities. If she wants to express her “values”, is there not more she can do to demonstrate these “values”?

This is not a politically partisan matter. Bahamians

of all political stripes would be annoyed and concerned that a minister of either party would be involved in this circumstance. It is thoroughly inconceivable in numerous jurisdictions that a chauffeur for a minister would park in such a space. That a minister’s driver, of all people, would park there is representative of a broader mindset and feral culture.

Moreover, rather than throwing the driver under an official vehicle, a minister who found herself in such a circumstance abroad, would have made greater public amends by paying a fine and/or making a donation to an organisation advocating for the disabled.

The proverbial buck must stop with Ms Rahming, not her driver. She needs to do and say more beyond her limited apology. She might push to ensure that all drivers of official vehicles do not park in reserved and no parking spaces.

She might go on television to address the widespread problem of Bahamians parking in reserved space, and the need to observe the law.

In addressing the abuse of disabled parking spaces we need moral suasion including, homilies and sermons; marketing campaigns, especially on social media; education in our schools; and the vocal support of political leaders. We also need greater enforcement by the police, who should ticket more offenders. While a number of private businesses are doing their part, these and other establishments may need enhanced protocols. This might include security guards and managers not intimidated by various offenders. There should be more towing of offending vehicles. Stores might photograph or video those parking illegally and forward this to the police. They may also give out flyers. There could be more public and private signage promoting greater respect for individuals with disabilities. In some jurisdictions there are clamps placed on those who park illegally. Repairing a culture requires both persuasion and enforcement. When it becomes a normal practice or social taboo for the vast majority, parking in disabled spaces will become increasingly rarer, and a sign of a greater culture of care and mutual respect.

A MINISTER of Parliament recently apologised after her vehicle was spotted in a disabled parking space. Photo: Inigo ‘Naughty’ Zenicazelaya

Harris draws comparisons to former President Obama

CHI CAGO, Illinois

WHEN California attorney general Kamala Harris began campaigning for a US Senate seat in 2016, many people noticed something right away. Another Californian recalled that

“Harris was the female version of Barack Obama. She was trim and good looking. She spoke clearly, forcefully, and without any particular accent. Her hair looked normal. No braids or wild curls, nothing that would draw critical attention. And her skin was kind of café-au-lait, like Obama’s. This black woman was not at all scary.”

The rest is history. But in recent weeks the comparisons with Obama have returned. USA Today wrote about it this week:

“Like Obama in the early days of his campaign, Harris is breaking fundraising records, energising previously sluggish voters, attracting pop stars and drawing massive crowds in the summertime months when many people are on vacation. Both their fathers have PhDs in economics and have a sister named Maya. And Harris has a unique first name, too.”

“And they are very similar in the way in how they do politics. It is very relational, with an air of joy,” said a Democratic strategist who served as Obama’s national African American vote director in his successful 2012 reelection bid.

“They’re both trailblazers, and they both have risen to power at a time when the country was at a crossroads,” said a consultant who also served as a senior advisor to the BidenHarris campaign in North Carolina during the 2020 election.

There’s another similarity. Both Obama (in 2008) and Harris (now) are poised to basically take over from Joe Biden. If timing is everything in life, Biden must really be shaking his head this morning, wondering what in the world he did wrong to get aced out by two of the more spectacular politicians to have crossed the American political stage in recent memory.

The fact that Obama and Harris both happen to be black and the product of interracial marriages seems to be, charmingly, somewhat coincidental. Or not. In her memorably brilliant and incisive speech on Tuesday evening, Michelle Obama reminded Donald Trump that maybe the US presidency has become a “black job.”

The convergence and possible continuum of the Obamas and Harris was vividly on display Tuesday at the Democratic National

STATESIDE

Convention at the United Center here in Chicago. The evening actually began, and continued for several occasionally excruciating hours, as a fairly insipid exercise. Appearing on stage were the grandsons of Presidents John F Kennedy and Jimmy Carter (now nearing his 100th birthday). Stand-ups and interviews dotted the landscape just outside the United Center where various hopefuls for jobs in a new Harris administration extolled her virtues while excoriating Trump, his administration and his current campaign. As a sellout crowd settled into their seats, various speakers offered either brief personal reminiscences of friendship with Harris or indictments of GOP efforts in Alabama and potentially elsewhere to outlaw in vitro fertilisation. Nothing special there, and in fact the IVF issue feels like an exaggerated scare tactic by the Democrats in an attempt to build on and expand the abortion issue.

Then, for 78 excruciating minutes, a “ceremonial” roll call was conducted by a balding, bespectacled

distinctly unglamorous fellow from New Jersey who serves as the secretary of the national Democratic Party. Fifty states plus various other elements of the contemporary American empire (Guam, Puerto Rico, American Virgin Islands, etc) dutifully recast votes that had officially been recorded two weeks earlier to ensure that Harris would be the nominee. An MC provided musical accompaniment that enchanted some in the audience.

There were two things that were particularly noteworthy about this roll call. One was the prevalence of women leading their states in declaring their allegiance to Harris-Walz as the nominees. The second was the small but noticeable number of “present” votes recorded for delegates who would not agree to join their colleagues in enabling the party to register their state’s support for Harris as unanimous.

Some of this dissent may be attributable to the lingering resentment of Biden’s mostly unqualified support of Israel in its overwhelming response to Hamas’ sneak attack back

in October. Protests about the continuing war in Gaza continued near the convention site, but may be making news more in the absence of alternative controversies than for any other reason.

Meantime, Harris and Walz were at a rally in nearby Milwaukee before 15,000 fans that was cleverly simulcast to the national convention in Chicago. Various other luminaries offered in-person remarks, including crusty Vermont senator and real-life socialist Bernie Sanders, and the feisty Illinois senator Tammy Duckworth, crabbing up to the podium on two war-ravaged legs fitted with prostheses to deliver several wry zingers in the direction of Trump and the GOP.

But what followed was worth the lengthy wait.

Speeches by Harris’s husband Doug Emhoff, Michelle Obama and finally Barack Obama were sensational, and maybe transformative for this campaign.

Emhoff, who in an earlier life and during an earlier marriage had crafted a very successful career as a litigator in Los Angeles, offered to the crowd and millions

watching on television a clearly loving and admiring portrait of his wife. Coining the phrase “joyful warrior” to describe his bride of ten years with whom their honeymoon phase has obviously not yet worn off, Emhoff came across as unabashedly a fan of his wife. He talked, charmingly, about their first date; about how Harris has faced down bullies, and of her determination to stand up for the downtrodden. It was great theatre. Unassuming in manner but assured in his delivery and content, Emhoff gave evidence of how he succeeded in courtrooms. If there were any lingering doubts about his ability to serve as a real asset in the campaign to come, there can be none now.

Then, at 10.40 eastern time, Michelle Obama took the stage and, after a memorable, powerful and incisive speech, introduced her husband.

These two are one of the great power couples of the modern American political era. And they complement each other surprisingly well. Michelle produced and delivered an outstanding oration by almost any imaginable standard. Poised, still beautiful and admirably articulate, she commanded the stage with her presence and with her words. And those words eviscerated Trump, a man

she clearly dislikes and despises. The contrast between the Obamas and the Trumps, and now by obvious extension between Harris-Emhoff and the Trumps, should be one of the most consequential determinants of this November’s election. Michelle and Barack, both strong and confident individuals, no doubt have their issues as a couple. But in public on Tuesday evening, their love and mutual respect shone through. A partnership endures that sustained them and their family – and the Democratic Party – through eight often tumultuous years in the White House. Michelle’s mother lived with them in the White House, charmingly and often quite visibly. Michelle talked about recently losing her mother. She compared her own mother’s influence with the influence of Harris’s mother as they raised their now-famous daughters. Michelle several times referred to “the outrageous power of hope”, and the dream her and Harris’s mother had shared that America could provide the setting for a dream fulfilled for their daughters. No one,” Michelle said pointedly with an unspoken jab at Trump and his nativist rhetoric, “has a monopoly on being American.” She said, in a later direct reference to Trump and his MAGA followers, that “we simply deserve so much better”.

But like her husband later on, Michelle warned that “no matter how good we feel tonight, we must remain vigilant. We must stand up for what we know is right. And above all, when we are outraged by some if the things (Republicans) will say about us Democrats, we must not slump down in discouragement on the sofa. We have to do something”.

Following that, as Barack Obama said, was tough. Unlike his wife, he delivered heartfelt praise for Biden and his decision to step down. Noting that “a lot of Americans don’t believe government can help”, Obama said that Biden had disproved that.

Looking a bit older at 63 than many recall, Obama still has the magic on a stage with microphone in hand. He’ll be an asset in the coming weeks.

“We’ve seen the Trump movie before,” he concluded. “We all know the sequel is always worse.”

with Charlie H arper

DEMOCRATIC presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the Fiserv Forum during a campaign rally in Milwaukee, on Tuesday.

Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Man found ‘not guilty’ of atte Mpted ar Med robbery of M an on Wulff road

BY PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN appeared relieved yesterday as a Supreme Court jury found that he was not guitly of an alleged attempted armed robbey near Wulff Road in 2018. Justice Guillimina Archer-Minns presided as the attempted armed robbery trial of Mark Cleare concluded.

Cleare was alleged to have attempted to rob Christopher Wilkinson in his car outside a business

on Wulff Road on November 7, 2018.

Mr Wilkinson testified that the alleged suspect opened his car door and demanded his belongings causing him to be afraid for his life. He further claimed that his assailant pulled a gun from his waist before he was successfully able to drive away from the scene.

Jiram Mangra, the defendant’s attorney, maintained his client’s innocence throughout the trial.

Mr Mangra also previously suggested that Mr

Wilkinson fabricated the alleged robbery to cover up for damages he made fleeing the business’s parking lot.

A nine-person jury after reviewing the evidence against Cleare unanimously found him not guilty of attempted armed robbery. An 8-1 not guilty verdict was also reached in the lesser charge of attempted robbery.

At the conclusion of his trial, Justice ArcherMinns informed Cleare that he was free to leave. Janessa Murray served as the prosecutor.

$32,000 fine for man pleading guilty to having over 31lbs of marijuana

BY PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was fined $32,000 yesterday after he admitted to having 31.8lb of marijuana in his home in Sunset Meadows last weekend.

Senior Magistrate Raquel Whyms arraigned Tedrick Forbes, 28, along with Alexia Forbes, 30, Shania Williams, 20, and Stanford Russell, 42, on charges of possession of dangerous drugs with

intent to supply.

Police during a raid of Forbes’s residence near Cowpen Road found 31.8lb of marijuana at 1.30am on August 18. The street value of the seized drugs is estimated at $31,800. Tedrick Forbes was the sole defendant to plead guilty to the charge, the three remaining defendants all pleaded not guilty. The charges against those defendants were withdrawn. Forbes was ordered to

pay a fine of $32,000 or risk a two-year sentence at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. He was also placed on a two-year probation period for which breaching would carry an eight-month prison term.

The defendant must pay $5,000 before his release with his next payment of $5,000 set for August 30. Thereafter, Forbes will continue to make monthly payments until his debt is settled.

Key mediator Egypt expresses scepticism about the

Gaza cease-fire proposal as more details emerge

CAIRO Associated Press

KEY mediator Egypt expressed skepticism Wednesday about the proposal meant to bridge gaps in cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas as more details emerged a day before negotiations were expected to resume in Cairo.

The challenges around the so-called bridging proposal appeared to undermine the optimism for an imminent agreement that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken carried into his latest Mideast visit this week.

Diplomatic efforts have redoubled as fears grow of a wider regional war after the recent targeted killings of leaders of the militant Hamas and Hezbollah groups, both blamed on Israel, and threats of retaliation.

President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, the White House said, without immediately giving details on what was said.

Officials in Egypt, in its unique role as both a mediator and affected party since it borders Gaza, told The Associated Press that Hamas won’t agree to the bridging proposal for a number of reasons — ones in addition to the long-held wariness over whether a deal would truly remove Israeli forces from Gaza and end the war.

One Egyptian official with direct knowledge of the negotiations said the bridging proposal requires the implementation of the deal’s first phase, which has Hamas releasing the most vulnerable civilian hostages captured in its Oct. 7 attack on Israel that sparked the

war. Parties during the first phase would negotiate the second and third phases with no “guarantees” to Hamas from Israel or mediators.

“The Americans are offering promises, not guarantees,” the official said.

“Hamas won’t accept this, because it virtually means Hamas will release the civilian hostages in return for a six-week pause of fighting with no guarantees for a negotiated permanent cease-fire.”

He also said the proposal doesn’t clearly say Israel will withdraw its forces

LOAN RECEPTIONIST

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from two strategic corridors in Gaza, the Philadelphi corridor alongside Gaza’s border with Egypt and the Netzarim east-west corridor across the territory. Israel offers to downsize its forces in the Philadelphi corridor, with “promises” to withdraw from the area, he said.

“This is not acceptable for us and of course for Hamas,” the Egyptian official said.

A second Egyptian official, briefed on the latest developments in negotiations, said there were few chances for a breakthrough since Israel refuses to

commit to a complete withdrawal from Gaza in the deal’s second phase. The official said Israel also insists on keeping its forces in the Philadelphi corridor and having full control of the Netzarim corridor.

He also said Egypt told the United States and Israel that it won’t reopen the Rafah crossing into Gaza, a crucial entry point for humanitarian aid, without the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian side and from the Philadelphi corridor — where Israel wants to prevent Hamas

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from replenishing its arsenal through smuggling tunnels. Israel’s defence minister says over 150 such tunnels have been destroyed. Both Egyptian officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the negotiations. Mediators are scheduled to meet on Thursday and Friday in Cairo for more talks on the proposal before submitting it officially to Hamas.

Hamas political official Bassem Naim said Tuesday that the bridging proposal adopted several new demands from Netanyahu, including that Israeli forces remain in Rafah, Philadelphi and Netzarim and search displaced Palestinians returning to northern Gaza. Israel has said the searches are necessary to find militants.

Naim said the proposal also includes unspecified changes to the exchange of hostages held in Gaza for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel and doesn’t guarantee that a cease-fire would remain in place during negotiations on the transition from the deal’s first phase to the second.

In previous versions of the cease-fire plan, the second phase would entail a permanent cease-fire, full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of remaining male hostages, both civilians and soldiers.

Blinken after his visit to Egypt and fellow mediator Qatar said the bridging proposal is “very clear on the schedule and the locations of (Israeli military) withdrawals from Gaza,” but no details on either have emerged.

Blinken added that because Israel accepted the proposal, the focus turns to doing everything possible to “get Hamas on board.”

Egypt’s state-run Al-Ahram daily reported that Blinken received a “clear Egyptian demand for the US to work towards a well-framed deal with clear deadlines and clear objectives to encourage Hamas to sign.”

But there is skepticism, along with fatigue, among many in Israel about

RIMON Buchshtab mourns during the funeral of her husband Yagev Buchshtab at a cemetery of the Kibbutz Nirim in southern Israel yesterday. Buchshtab’s body was one of six bodies of hostages, taken in Hamas’ October 7 attack, recovered by Israel’s military during an operation in the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu’s commitment to securing an agreement.

“As long as the entire group of professional negotiators believes that Netanyahu is scuttling a deal, there won’t be any confidence,” commentator Nadav Eyal wrote in daily newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.

The war in Gaza, now in its 10th month, has caused widespread destruction and forced the vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents to flee their homes. Aid groups fear the outbreak of polio and other diseases.

The Oct. 7 attack by Hamas and other militants killed some 1,200 people in Israel, mostly civilians. Over 100 hostages were released during last year’s cease-fire. Hamas is still believed to be holding around 110 hostages. Israeli authorities estimate around a third are dead. Six bodies of hostages were recovered this week in Gaza.

“In what world do families have to beg and cry for the return of their family members alive and murdered?” Esther Buchshtab, the mother of one, 35-year-old Yagev Buchshtab, asked at his funeral Wednesday.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed over 40,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count. On Wednesday, Israeli tank and drone strikes in Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah killed at least 17 people, according to hospital staff and AP journalists who counted the bodies.

Also on Wednesday, Netanyahu made his first visit to northern Israel since Israel’s killing of a top Hezbollah commander last month in Beirut, as focus returns to the increasing crossfire along Israel’s border with Lebanon.

“We are ready for every scenario, both defensive and offensive,” he said while meeting troops.

Photo: Leo Correa/AP

Franco Miller Jr joins the professional ranks

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

Franco Miller Jr, a former member of the men’s national basketball team, concluded his Olympic-qualifying run in Valencia, Spain, nearly a month ago and now that is where he will officially begin his pro journey in basketball.

The crafty combo guard was added to the Fibwi Palma roster for the 202425 season in the FEB Second League.

Miller is very excited to begin this new endeavour overseas. “I am very excited. It’s like closing one chapter and starting another which is always pretty exciting. I am looking forward to getting together, meeting everybody and getting acclimated with the team as well as living in Spain,” he said.

The 6-foot-3 guard wrapped up his collegiate career last season with the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles. In his senior year, he averaged 6.5 points per game (ppg), 3.4 rebounds

Taysha Stubbs ready for the World Under-20 Championships

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

WITH the 2024 World Athletics Under-20 Championships less than a week away, CARIFTA gold medallist Taysha Stubbs is anticipating a strong performance in Lima, Peru.

The premier javelin thrower is one of 16 members selected to represent The Bahamas at the global athletics meet from August 27-31 at the National Stadium of Peru.

Stubbs is certainly coming into the World Athletics U20 Championships with momentum and confidence on her side.

Since the start of the 2023-24 track and field season, the 16-year-old has dominated javelin in her debut to the under-20 division and intends to keep up with her winning ways next week.

“I definitely do not want to put a limit on what I want to do when I get over there. I can definitely say that I have been putting in the work, the time, energy

and hard work, so over in Peru I definitely want to get a couple big throws. I want to throw a huge PB, get as close to 60m as possible and of course medal.

“At the end of the day, I want to leave Peru and come back home knowing I did my best and knowing I am proud of what I did out there. Hopefully, I can see it all payoff,” she said.

The Queen’s College (QC) student owns a personal best heave of 50.94 metres in the javelin event. It was a feat that would give her the first CARIFTA gold medal of her athletics career.

As for her performances this season, Stubbs has claimed the gold medal spot in eight of the nine meets she has competed in which also includes a victory at the 2024 Penn Relays.

After months of arduous preparation alongside coaches Laquell Harris and Corrington Maycock, the University of NebraskaLincoln commit expressed

SEE PAGE 16

THE SPORTS CALENDAR

and 1.9 assists. During his collegiate run, he put up 3.5 ppg, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists.

According to Miller, his latest decision to transition to pro ball came with the goal of finding the best situation to suit his basketball career.

“My decision was really based on finding the right situation to get my foot in the door in terms of my professional career. I am just trying to move up the ladder and find the right situation that puts me in a position to win,” he said.

The 25-year-old has made multiple national team appearances, including his latest campaign at the 2024 FIBA Olympic

Qualifying Tournament in Valencia, Spain. At the youth level, he suited up for The Bahamas in 2014 and 2015 at the Centrobasket U15 and Centrobasket U17 Championships respectively. He turned in 9.4 ppg, 2.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 10 games played. At the senior level, he has been a part of the national team from 2021 up to 2024. In the four games played this summer, he put out 4.3 ppg, 1.5 rebounds and 2.5

THE New Providence Softball Association completed its regular season action with a ladies’ double header on Tuesday night in the Bankers Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

Now it’s time for the bestof-five playoffs to begin tonight.

In the regular season finale, the Sunshine Auto Wildcats pounded the University of the Bahamas Mingoes 11-2, while the R&B Operators doubled up the Lady Truckers 12-6.

Here’s a summary of the two games played:

Wildcats 11, Mingoes 2

Thela Stevens got the win over Keishana Coakley on the mound.

Offensively, Stevens led the attack for Sunshine Auto by going 1-for-2 at the plate with a pair of doubles with two runs batted in and one scored.

Phillashae Major went 1-for-1 with a run scored, Jazzie Scavella was 1-for-2 with a run scored and both Kenya Forbes and Trinae Brice were 1-for-1 with a RBI and two runs scored.

The Wildcats erupted for 10 runs on three hits to blow the game wide open in the first inning before they added another run on one hit in the third to seal the abbreviated deal.

The Mingoes scored their only two runs in the first on one hit and were shutout the rest of the way.

Sysha Kelly went 1-for-1 with a RBI and a run scored and Sydney Charles was 1-for-1 in the loss.

Operators 12, Lady Truckers 6: Brendia Ferguson was the winning pitcher and Grace Chea got tagged with the loss.

Jeanette Hilton went 2-for-3 with a double, three RBI and two scored to lead

BAHAMAS U-13 NATIONAL TEAMS SET

teams, left the country on Sunday for the University of Miami Hospital in Florida for PET scan and chemotherapy. With the expenses mounting for his medical care, persons are invited to make a contribution through Resias’ CIBC account 201759233 through transit 09788. BOXING FOX NEEDS SUPPORT THE boxing fraternity is praying for s successful recovery for fellow boxer Alex ‘The Great White Hope’ Fox, who underwent a successful surgery at Doctors Hospital for a tumour in his brain. Fox has been discharged from hospital and is currently recuperating at home. The boxing community is being asked to continue to pray for him.

THE Bahamas Football Association is thrilled to announce the participation of our national under-13 boys and girls teams in the upcoming 2024 Naples Elite Cup, scheduled to take place in Naples, Florida, August 24-25.

The teams, comprising 18 boys and 17 girls, will travel to Naples on August 23 and return on August 26.

The U-13 squads have been diligently training since March, preparing for this prestigious competition.

The Naples Elite Cup will provide an excellent opportunity for our young athletes to showcase their skills, compete against top-tier teams and gain invaluable experience in a competitive environment. The tournament will see each team play

three matches between August 24 and 25, with the possibility of advancing to the finals.

This experience will not only allow our players to test their abilities against their peers, but also enable the coaching staff to assess their progress and identify areas for improvement as they continue their development. Bruce Swan, technical director of the Bahamas Football Association, expressed his excitement about the teams’ participation.

“This tournament is an incredible opportunity for our young players and coaches to experience international competition.

“It’s a crucial part of their development and exposure, and I’m confident they will make the most of it,” said Swan.

CLIFF RESIAS

ALEX FOX

READY TO COMPETE: CARIFTA gold medallist Taysha Stubbs is locked in ahead of the World Athletics Under-20 Championships to be hosted August 27-31 in Lima, Peru.

MILLER JR

Franco Miller Jr joins the professional ranks

FROM PAGE 15

assists in four games played. The skilled guard gave insight on how the international experience has prepared him for the pro stage in Spain.

“I think it gives you a different perspective of the game which is

something that you cannot really pay for. Being able to understand the different actions, different terminology and how people on that side of the world play because European basketball is a different style and pace so being in that environment and seeing what that is like has definitely

helped me in terms of knowing what to expect when I do get there,” he said.

The Fibwi Palma Spanish ball club wrapped up the 202324 season with a 10-16 win/loss record.

Miller is expected to make his pro debut in October.

Taysha Stubbs ready for the World Under-20 Championships

that she feels ready to perform on the big stage.

“As far as preparation goes, it definitely takes a lot of hard work, discipline,

dedication and showing up even when you do not 100 per cent feel like it, but at the end of the day still having a goal in your mind and chasing after that. I can definitely say that I couldn’t have done any of

this without the help of my coaches, especially coach Maycock, my family and my whole support system. I have had a long time to be able to get prepared physically, mentally and emotionally so I definitely

feel like I am ready to perform,” she said.

Although it is her first time competing at the World U20 Championships, she is not afraid of the moment.

The main objective for her is to not overthink it and stick to what she knows which will hopefully translate into a medal finish.

“My main mindset going into this is definitely not to put too much pressure on myself and not to overthink things. I just want to be able to focus and tune into what I know I already have and to what my coaches have already prepared me for. I know that I am ready but I just need to focus and execute it so that I can put some big throws out there. I just want to thank God for everything and give him the glory because I wouldn’t be doing any of this if it weren’t for him,” the javelin enthusiast said.

The Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) selected 16 members to represent the nation in Lima, Peru.

Joining Stubbs in competition are Shania Adderley (400m), Quincy Penn (400m), Shayann Demeritte (100m), Kei-Mahri Hanna (400mH), Calea Jackson (discus), Nia Richards (200m), Alexis Roberts (200m), Jeremiah Adderley

(100m), Carlos Brown Jr (100m and 200m), Andrew Styles (200m), Tahj Brown (100mH), Justin Hanna (high jump), Zion Miller (400m), Tayshaun Robinson (110mH) and Brenden Vanderpool (pole vault).

Team Bahamas will be coached by Daron Lightbourne. Other members of the coaching staff include coach Maycock and Ravanno Ferguson. Laketah Charlton will serve as the team manager.

READY TO COMPETE: CARIFTA gold medallist Taysha Stubbs is locked in ahead of the World Athletics Under-20 Championships to be hosted August 27-31 in Lima, Peru.

Dynamos Football Club to host preseason tournament

By TENAJH SWEETING

Reporter

Club (FC) is gearing up to host a community-friendly preseason in-house club tournament dubbed the “Fantasy World Cup” on September 14 at their home field on Golden Gates Park.

One of the oldest active football organisations in the country is hoping to not FC family together but also promote the growth of the sport through exhibition gameplay.

The preseason action is set to feature intense competition on the pitch acrosssions to be contested are under-5 (co-ed), under-7 (co-ed),under-9, under-11, under-13, under-15 and under-18. Champions will be crowned in each division and awarded with medals for their efforts.

Phieron Wilson, captain team, spoke about the importance of the upcoming soccer social.

“The goal is to bring together our club at the beginning of the season. It allows for players and coaches to meet. It also allows for players who are transitioning into higher age groups to connect with new coaches and new teammates.

established in 1957, targeting young soccer players inham community in its initial phases.

court “Rip” Rolle, Phillip Worrell, Leroy Archer and John Rolle paved the way

Also, it provides the opportunity for new players that want to join the club to come out and experience the community for the first time,” he said.

for where the soccer programme now sits today. In addition to strengthening the soccer community and finding the next crop of soccer talent, Wilson highlighted another imporevent.

tournament, we will honour members. Some of them some of them have passed already but for us it is good to acknowledge those who began something that lives on today that we all benefit from,” he said.

The club is welcoming all interested members of the public to come out and enjoy the atmosphere or simply put their skills on display.

According to Wilson, he is expecting high-octane

R&B. Ferguson helped her own cause, going 2-for-2 with a triple, a RBI and two runs scored, Aaliyah Ferguson was 1-for-3 with two RBI and three runs scored and Cisra Bowe was 1-for-1 with a home run, two RBI and a run scored.

The Operators produced three runs on two hits in the second, four runs on two hits in the fourth and five runs on two hits in the fifth.

The Lady Truckers got one run in the first, three in the third and two more in the fourth.

Latonia McPhee went 1-for-2 with a triple, two RBI and a run scored and Rikara Allen was 1-for-3 with a run scored in a losing effort.

best-of-five playoffs schedule for this weekend: TONIGHT 7pm - Johnson Lady Truckers vs Sunshine Auto Wildcats (L) 8:30pm - Renegades vs Chances Mighty Mitts (M)

action from the opening kick which should set the stage for some exciting showdowns. “I expect competition to be high.

been a club that competes at every single level and we have always competed in the top three. I expect competition to be high in all age groups. I expect it to be competitive but most importantly, I am expecting everybody to have fun and connect. We are also expecting to see some of those players that are gonna stand out so that we can continue to mold national team players,” he said. Individuals that wish to register can do so in person or by reaching out to Mr Wilson at phieron@dynamosfc.com

SATURDAY 7pm - Black Scorpions vs R&B Operators (L)

The event is scheduled to run from 9am until noon.

8:30pm

- Titans vs Cyber Tech Blue Marlins (M)

THE Dynamos Football Club (FC) is gearing up to host a community-friendly preseason in-house club tournament dubbed the “Fantasy World Cup”.

THE DYNAMOS FC will host a preseason World Cup Tournament on Saturday from 9am to noon on the Golden Gates Park.

THE Bahamas Football Association has announced the participation of our national under-13 boys and girls teams in the upcoming 2024 Naples Elite Cup in Naples, Florida, August 24-25.

28TH ANNUAL GOODWILL SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

GB AQUATICS TEAM WELCOMED HOME WITH PRIDE AFTER A SUCCESSFUL COMPETITION IN ST LUCIA

By DANIELLE ROLLON Bahamas Information Services

GRAND BAHAMA,

The Bahamas – The Grand Bahama Aquatics team, comprised of nine swimmers, returned home Tuesday on Western Air Bahamas to a warm and celebratory welcome from family, friends and distinguished officials after their successful performance in the 28th Annual Goodwill Swimming Championships at the Rodney Heights Aquatics Center in Gros Islet, St Lucia.

Kingsley Smith, parliamentary secretary in the Ministry for Grand Bahama, expressed immense pride in the team’s achievements. “Every time the Grand Bahama swim team competes, they return victorious, bringing home medals. I am incredibly proud of our young athletes.

“On behalf of Minister for Grand Bahama, the Hon. Ginger Moxey, myself, and the people of Grand Bahama, we extend our heartfelt congratulations. We also appreciate the ongoing efforts of Mrs. Karen Pinder-Johnson and the YMCA swim programme, as well as all the local swim clubs.

The dedication of these young swimmers is truly commendable.”

Norris Bain, deputy director of sports in the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Culture, also expressed his heartfelt appreciation.

“On behalf of the Honourable Minister Mario Bowleg and Acting Permanent Secretary Roselyn DorsettHorton, we are thrilled with the performance of our local swim clubs and their outstanding young athletes.

“I encourage them to continue their hard work both in the pool and in their studies. Their talent and dedication could very well lead them to further educational opportunities and,

potentially, to representing our country at the Olympics in the future.”

Bain also highlighted ongoing efforts to enhance sports facilities on Grand Bahama. “We are actively working to upgrade our facilities, with exciting developments planned for the Grand Bahama Sports Complex. We are committed to providing better resources for our athletes, and progress is underway to improve these facilities in the near future.”

Both Smith and Bain emphasised their unwavering support for the athletes, coaches and families involved in the swim programmes. The community and government officials look forward to continued success and growth for the Grand Bahama Aquatics team.

WARM WELCOME HOME - The Grand Bahama Aquatics team received a warm welcome and congratulations from family, friends and local officials upon their return from St. Lucia, including parliamentary secretary in the Ministry for Grand Bahama, Kingsley Smith (centre left) and deputy director of sports in the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Culture, Norris Bain (centre right), for their outstanding performances.

Photos: Jamika Culmer/BIS

THE GRAND Bahama Aquatics team received a warm welcome and congratulations upon their return from St. Lucia.