09152023 NEWS, SPORT AND BUSINESS

The Tribune

POLICE QUIZ FNM DEPUTY LEADER

Cartwright spoken to over ‘irregularities’ at parks and beaches dept

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

TOP police offi-

cials say they are in the advanced stages of their investigation into alleged irregularities at the Bahamas Public Parks and Public Beaches Authority under the Minnis administration

Botswana President gets sand between his toes

and spoke to MP Shanendon Cartwright, the former executive chairman of the authority, as part of their probe over the weekend.

Police have not said whether Mr Cartwright is a subject of the investigation, and the St Barnabas MP could not be reached

RBPF comPetition Rewa Rds ‘ill conceived’ says Rights gRouP

By LETRE SWEETING Tribune Staff Reporter lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

HUMAN Rights Bahamas said the police force should disclose the reward officers will receive through a new arrest incentive programme, calling the competition ill-conceived.

Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander defended the competition

on Wednesday. A leaked memo said the competition is designed to “foster teamwork, boost morale, and recognise outstanding performance.”

The system awards points to teams based on the number of arrests made for major or minor offences. It also includes points for stopping and searching

NO A NSWER FROM PM TO REP ORTERS

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

DAYS after the Office of the Prime Minister announced that it would hold more comprehensive weekly press briefings, protocol officers hurried Prime

Minister Philip “Brave” Davis away from reporters after he was asked about a purported shakeup at the Department of Immigration.

Mr Davis had participated in a press conference with Botswana President Dr Mokgweetsi

EK Masisi at the end of the leader’s state visit to this country.

Reporters were encouraged to save questions about local issues until they spoke to Mr Davis on the sidelines after the

Fea Rs missing s t Reetlights on gB Road deadly

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Staff Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

WEST Grand Bahama residents are concerned about the lack of streetlights on a road where three people have been killed in traffic accidents this year.

Pedestrian Joshua Walkine, 32, of Holmes Rock, was struck and killed on Queen’s Highway around 5am on September 9.

Bernard Walkine, the victim’s father, said he warned his son that that road is “dangerous”.

Jimmy Smith, chief councillor for West Grand

$262m e xuma PRoject gets EN VIRONMEN T Plan Review

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Bahama, said yesterday he requested streetlights after two previous deaths on the road. He said during an assessment involving the Grand Bahama Power Company earlier this year, experts determined that

A $262M Exuma resort project, which is pledging to create 300 full-time jobs once build-out is complete, appears to be moving forward again with a public hearing on its environmental plans set for October 2023.

The project also is promising that the development will produce around 250 jobs during the construction phase.

Strange boat sighting - Oculust

AN unusual vessel was spotted – and photographer - by Tribune reader Ron Lightbourn this week.

The Oculust vessel is an eyecatching ship offering semi submersive glass bottom boat tours exploring the underwater ecosystem of the harbour

area and beyond. The distinctive shape marks it out from its fellow vessels, while the glass bottom allows a chance to see marine life. The tours, operated by Cay Island Tours, cost from $135 per adult.

STRANGE boat - Oculust - spotted by a Tribune reader this week.

Photo: Ron Lightbourn

THE SEMI-submersive boat Oculust gives passengers a view of the ocean floor below through a galss.

RBPF competition rewards ‘ill conceived’ says rights group

POLICE QUIZ FNM DEPUTY LEADER OVER ALLEGED PARKS A ND BEACHES dept ‘irregularities’

POLICE Commissioner Clayton Fernander defended the competition on Wednesday. A leaked memo said the competition is designed to “foster teamwork, boost morale, and recognise outstanding performance.”

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people and issuing tickets.

Commissioner Fernander said police are investigating the leak of the memo.

“Human Rights Bahamas is deeply concerned by the revelation that the Royal Bahamas Police Force is offering rewards to officers for making arrests,” HRB told The Tribune yesterday.

“The police are already paid to do their job. If the leadership of the Royal Bahamas Police Force believes salaries for officers are too low, they should petition the government to raise them across the board, not create the atmosphere of a competitive hunt in which members of the public are the prey.

“Human Rights Bahamas calls on the police force to disclose whether the ultimate reward for this competition is financial and, if not, what it does involve.

Certainly, we urge the Ministry of National Security to step in and bring an end to this ill-conceived scheme.”

National Security Minister Wayne Munroe previously dismissed the competition as fake news. He is currently out of the

country. Human Rights Bahamas said that given the rate of police brutality claims, a competitive arrest system is a “powder keg waiting to explode”.

“We are already dealing with an alarmingly high rate of police brutality claims and officer-involved killings,” HRB said.

“Officers are routinely accused of threatening and torturing suspects to obtain coerced confessions, and videos of police misconduct of various kinds have proliferated in recent times.

“At the same time, violent crime has placed even the most well-meaning and professional officers under extreme stress to achieve results.

“There is no question that such an incentive scheme runs a huge risk of enticing officers to make false arrests on little or no evidence, seriously violating the human rights of members of the public as a result. It could easily spin out of control with catastrophic and farreaching consequences for the public’s faith in law enforcement.”

In defending the scheme, Commissioner Fernander

said such programmes exist elsewhere. Nonetheless, it is common for such methods to be criticised abroad when discovered by the public.

Women’s rights advocate Alicia Wallace, the director of Equality Bahamas, said the system incentivises lawless behaviour.

“This reward system, whether or not anything like it exists elsewhere, is certainly cause for concern,” she said.

“The programme is the incentivisation of lawless behaviour by police, harassment of people already vulnerable to police and their discriminatory views, and abuse of power,” she said. “The commissioner ought to know better, and police ought to be held to a higher standard. Gamifying policing is not the way to create a safe environment for us.

“It is telling that even the minister of national security, not known for particularly sound takes, dismissed this as fake news.”

“We are all aware of the issue of police brutality and, perhaps more common, abuse of power.

“People fear the police,

which is distinct from respect, which is inspired, among other factors, by authority operating in ways that are just, right, and respectful.

“Very recent news stories include one about an officer who used his position to have a woman detained and assaulted her, and the student who was assaulted by officers and taken to the police station.

“There is good reason to be alarmed by this reward system as it encourages police officers to harass people, and we know that there are people who are disproportionately seen as suspicious and police decide do not belong in certain areas.

“These are black people, young people, and people experiencing poverty. Police ought to do their jobs properly, which includes answering calls and quickly going to scenes of domestic violence, regardless of their so-called personal views, pursue suspects — not people they simply look down upon — within the constraints of the law, and value the lives and well being of people.”

Fears missing streetlights on GB road deadly

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some 13 streetlights were needed in the area.

“It is poorly lit, and I called and told them it is with a heavy heart that another young man was killed because of the lack of light on that stretch of road,” he said.

Cleo Russell, communications director at the Grand Bahama Power

Company, confirmed the company had received requests from local government officials to install streetlights where the accident occurred.

“Our teams conducted a walkabout with Mr Smith and his team. He identified dark spots where he wanted additional lights and we repaired any existing lights that were out,” she said. “We would have then gone back along with

relevant contacts with the Ministry for Grand Bahama about additional lights.”

Ms Russell said the Ministry for Grand Bahama had not commissioned the power company to install lighting in the area.

“Within the government territories, the Ministry for Grand Bahama would give us instructions as to where lights should be installed,” she said. “We

sent correspondence after the last walk-through with them early this year as to what we would have needed to proceed, but we never received anything further.”

Melvin Seymour, permanent secretary at the Ministry for Grand Bahama, did not return a call up to press time.

Minister Ginger Moxey could also not be reached.

IN VESTIGATIO N IN TO C UBA N TEACHERS EN GLISH S P EAKIN G ABILITY TO BE CO MP LETED BY E ND O F WEEK SAYS MOE

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemdia.net

ACTING Director of Education Dominique

McCartney-Russell said the investigation into whether some recently hired Cuban teachers speak English well enough to educate students will be completed by the end of the week.

Bahamas Union of Teachers president Belinda Wilson has claimed that some teachers could not speak English.

Some teachers who spoke to The Tribune on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to reporters supported her claim.

“I would have indicated to Mrs Wilson that we will investigate,” Mrs McCartney-Russell said yesterday. “When our team went to Cuba, it was not just our

team. It was the Ministry of Public Service. It was also our HR and our school management, so we had a number of people who made up the panel for the interview process. And so that’s why I said to the president that we will investigate the areas of concern, and we will seek to resolve.”

The director of education said the matter is still under active investigation.

In a previous statement, the Ministry of Education denied Mrs Wilson’s claims, saying the teachers were recruited “as a result of a scrutiny process.”

Mrs McCartney-Russell stressed the ministry’s beneficial relationship with Cuba over the years.

“We’ve had this relationship for 20 years, and it has been quite beneficial to our country,” she said. “I’ve served in various capacities, and I would have had some of these officers

ACTING Director of Education

under my remit as well. And by and large, their service has proven quite beneficial for us in special education, in technical subjects, as well as in modern language subjects.”

“If we find out that there

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for comment up to press time yesterday.

The Davis administration has scrutinised past operations of the authority since coming into office.

Four months into the term, the administration cancelled all contracts at the authority, claiming external investigators found numerous lapses in internal controls.

An audit into the authority’s operations concluded that thousands were spent in the absence of “real needs on the ground” for this overspend. The review

by K Christie & Co also purportedly found inconsistencies in contract signatures and that VAT returns were not filed.

Last June, McKell Bonaby, the executive chairman of the authority, said he told staff to make a police report after files from a computer in the office were allegedly downloaded and removed “after hours” without approval.

Mr Cartwright, however, has repeatedly defended his tenure.

He has dismissed allegations as “laughable”, saying they reflect the adversarial nature of Bahamian politics.

LOUBY CRITICISES POLICE FOR NOT PUBLICLY CORRECTING IN ACCURATE WA N TED P OSTER

Dominique McCartney-Russell

are issues, we deal with it. We immerse them into our culture so that they are prepared, but by and large, we’ve had an excellent relationship, and it has yielded good results for our children and our country.”

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

ACTIVIST Louby

Georges criticised the police yesterday, saying they have done too little to clarify that the wrong woman was put on a wanted flyer concerning a murder.

Police issued a wanted flyer for Lilliana Pierre on Monday.

Three hours later, Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) press liaison officer Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings asked the media to stop disseminating the poster because the information was inaccurate.

However, by then, the flyer was already widely circulated on social media. It continued to be disseminated yesterday.

“It’s not that people want to continue circulating the one poster,” Mr Georges said. “You know, it’s more of the fact that the police have yet to issue anything publicly, you know, to let people know that it wasn’t this lady and she had nothing to do with this situation.”

Mr Georges said he worries about the victim’s safety in such cases.

Attorney Christina Galanos also posted on her Facebook page that Ms Pierre is being wrongfully accused.

“Guys this is not the woman in connection with this matter,” she said. “The police made a mistake when they posted her picture and personal details. They have spoken to her and cleared her. Please stop circulating this.”

ACTIVIST LOUBY GEOR G E S

FNM DEPUTY LEADER SHENNENDON CARTWRIGHT

Doctors to pay $50k to employee injured on job

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net

DOCTORS Hospital

must pay $47,146 in damages to a former employee who was injured after trying to lift a 230lb patient onto a 60lb stretcher and into an ambulance.

The hospital must also pay the woman $30k in costs.

Samantha Colebrooke, 43, was employed as an EMT at the hospital for nearly six years.

“The plaintiff sustained an injury to her lower back on 27 August 2018 when she was required to lift a 230lb patient of the defendant’s onto a 60lb manual stretcher and into an ambulance with another female technician as part of her duties as an EMT (the “index accident”),” according to assessment of damages report by Deputy Registrar Renaldo Toote. “The plaintiff had bent down to lift the patient and stretcher when she felt a pull in her lower back.”

A judge made a consent order in the case on July 6, 2020, establishing that Doctors Hospital was liable.

“The plaintiff initially treated her injury at home with painkillers and returned to work despite feeling pain in her lower back which persisted through pain medication,” according to the deputy registrar.

“On 6 May, 2018, the plaintiff woke up with severe pain on her left side and called the emergency department of the defendant’s hospital. She spoke with Dr Ross O Downes and told him about the pain she was experiencing and that she had a painful lump on her left lower back. He advised her to attend the emergency department in person so that he could examine her.”

The woman was later diagnosed with Petit’s

hernia/left interior lumbar triangle hernia and eventually underwent a procedure to address the issue.

“The plaintiff said that she experienced ‘the most pain she had ever experienced’ following the herniorrhaphy and hernioplasty and required hospitalisation for two days,” Deputy Registrar Toote wrote. “She further said that she continued to experience severe pain in her back area during her recovery period and that she was unable to do anything for herself; she required assistance going to the bathroom and doing basic functions.”

The woman said her visit to Doctors Hospital’s human resources

department was fruitless. She had to use her insurance to cover her medical expenses and was given six weeks sick leave.

“While it is not pleaded in her statement of claim, the plaintiff said that she discovered she was one month pregnant after the index accident and was advised by her physician that due to the severity of her injury and the mesh inserted as part of the hernioplasty, it would be best not to go through with the pregnancy,” the report said.

Ms Colebrooke later underwent physiotherapy. When she finished the sessions, a therapist concluded she was equipped to return to work as an EMT in a modified

capacity with restrictions on carrying, lifting, pulling or pushing tasks.

The woman was terminated on January 11, 2019.

“The plaintiff’s evidence was that, while on sick leave, she received a call from the defendant to inform her that her services were no longer required and she was given two weeks’ notice pay and severance pay,” the damages assessment report said.

Nonetheless, she continued to experience pain in the left side of her lower back. She later obtained industrial benefits from the National Insurance Board and now works for Emergency Medical Services under the Public

Hospitals Authority.

A report from Dr David Barnett, an orthopaedic surgeon, was the lone expert report accepted as evidence of the woman’s condition.

Dr Barnett concluded that the industrial accident was not an isolated event but was precipitated by various events leading to the diagnosis of left-sided lumbar Petit’s hernia. He said the plaintiff experienced trauma before September 2014 which created conditions that predisposed her to the disease.

“The pre-existent and ongoing cumulative factors (the plaintiff’s weight, habits and preexisting degeneration/ damage) have a stronger

relationship as to why the plaintiff developed disc herniation, with the index accident contributing the lesser percentage,” he concluded.

Ms Colebrooke sought an award of $158,655 for pain, suffering and loss of amenity. The defendant recommended an award of $12,500. Deputy Registrar Toote ultimately awarded her $18,000. He declined to award her for future loss of earnings, loss of earning capacity, future medical treatment, surgery and therapy, finding the facts of the case did not support such an award. However, he awarded her $28,810 for income lost from January 11, 2019 to April 27, 2020.

DOCTORS Hospital must pay $47,146 in damages to a former employee who was injured after trying to lift a 230lb patient onto a 60lb stretcher and into an ambulance. The hospital must also pay the woman $30k in costs.

FIRST Ladies of The Bahamas and Botswana, Ann Marie Davis, wife of Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, and Neo Masisi, wife of President of Botswana Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, enjoyed a visit to the tranquil and interesting Clifton Heritage National Park in southwestern New Providence, yesterday, during the official State Visit of the President to the The Bahamas, September 12-15, 2023. Clifton comprises an expanse of ecosystems, and a veritable museum showing a confluence of cultures that shaped The Bahamas - those of indigenous people, Europeans, and Africans. Accompanying the first ladies were representatives of Clifton Heritage Authority and the Antiquities, Monuments and Museums Corporation.

Photos: Patrice Johnson/AP

No answer from PM to reporters

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press conference, but when that time came, the interaction was unfruitful.

Mr Davis’ brief engagement with the press on the sidelines came after press secretary Keishla Adderley said there would be no Thursday press conference at the Office of the Prime Minister –– likely because of the prime minister’s event with President Mokgweetsi at Margaritaville at The Pointe.

Asked about the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union (BEWU) getting a strike certificate this week, Mr Davis referred reporters to JoBeth Colbey-Davis, the new minister responsible for BPL.

“The minister is here,” he said, pointing to Mrs Coleby-Davis, who stood beside him. “The minister is looking into those issues, and I’m sure that she would be able to respond to you. She’ll be speaking to them tomorrow and she’s

mandated to ensure that industrial peace and harmony exists at BPL, and I’m sure she’ll be able to deliver that.”

Asked about the purported shake-up at the Department of Immigration, Mr Davis walked away and his protocol officers blocked reporters from him.

The Nassau Guardian recently reported that acting Immigration Director Keturah Ferguson will be put on leave. The expected move, which critics say is victimisation, came after leaks highlighted concerns top immigration officials had about political interference in their work. On Monday, OPM announced that Cabinet briefings will be discontinued.

“Cabinet briefing and the Office of the Prime Minister press briefing will be combined into a single, more comprehensive weekly briefing event to promote efficiency,” OPM said.

Memorial Service For

a resident of Chippingham, who died at the Princess Margaret Hospital on Saturday, August 12th, 2023 will be held 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 16th, 2023 at Church of God Of Prophecy Palm Tree Avenue, Second Street Coconut Grove. Bishop Anthony Roker J.P. assisted by Minister Cecil Knowles will officiate. Cremation was held

REPORTERS were encouraged to save questions about local issues until they spoke to Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis on the sidelines after the press conference, but when that time came, the interaction was unfruitful.

PRIME Minister Davis and President Masisi visited Exuma yesterday where he meet artisans at the airport (below) and swimming pigs and enjoyed the beauty of the islands.

Photos: OPM

Photo: Moise Amisial

PRESIDENT Mokgweetsi EK Masisi and Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis at a press conference yesterday.

Photo: Moise Amisial

The Tribune Limited

Veil of secrecy appears to have returned

WE have written before in this column about the disparency between the current administration’s words when it comes to transparency, and its actions.

In July, we quoted the words of American cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead, “What people say, what people do, and what they say they do are entirely different things.”

At the time, we were writing about the swirl of stories surrounding Keith Bell’s tenure at Immigration.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell had interjected himself into the discussion, urging Mr Bell not to respond to questions about the various controversies at Immigration.

Mr Bell has been duly quiet since –and has been ousted from the post in a reshuffle that lands him still in a ministerial spot, this time at Housing and Urban Renewal.

We also noted at the time the commitment of Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis to the ideals of accountability and transparency.

In his first speech as Prime Minister, he said: “I also commit to lifting the veil of secrecy on that which has gone before us, so that all of the arrangements under which we have to live are transparent, and those who authored them are accountable.”

The veil of secrecy seems to be coming back down.

The Office of the Prime Minister has decided to merge the Cabinet briefing and the OPM briefing – ostensibly to create “a single, more comprehensive weekly briefing event to promote efficiency”.

Efficiency is an interesting word. Efficiency for who? For the administration? Or for the people of the nation?

Halving the number of briefings halves the number of opportunities to question members of the administration about issues of importance to the country.

It should be noted that some members of the administration seem quite reluctant to answer questions in the first place.

Mr Bell, for starters, still has many questions to answer about his tenure at his now former ministry.

One of the developments in Immigration has been the suggestion that the acting Immigration Director, Keturah Ferguson, will be put on leave.

This comes after leaks showed that senior immigration officials expressed concerns about political interference in their work.

Is the director paying the price for speaking up over such concerns? The word victimisation has already been used in the discussion over the move – and yet the move itself has not yet

been confirmed.

Mr Davis had the opportunity to speak to the matter last night – and did not.

A press conference had been held with the visiting President of Botswana, in which reporters were encouraged to keep questions about local issues until afterwards, when they spoke to Mr Davis on the sidelines.

Mr Davis was asked one question about the possible strike at BPL, which he answered merely by referring to the relevant minister instead. Then, when asked about the possible move at Immigration, he then walked away. Is it a secret? Mr Davis can lift that particular veil any time he chooses.

Then there are other matters for which there have been no answers.

How much was the settlement for the fuel spill at Exuma?

Who exactly failed to follow the law in filing their legally required disclosures?

What are the contracts that have been awarded since the government came into office?

How many school contracts were given out orally rather than in written form, and how many of those contractors did not have the proper insurance?

We could go on – but the direction seems clear, and is in the opposite path from transparency.

The government may feel it can communicate effectively in another manner rather than holding multiple briefings – but it looks like it is closing off the chance for the media to ask such questions.

To the voting public, that does not look like an administration going out of its way to tell people what is going on and to answer concerns when they are addressed.

There is a chance for the government to correct such a course. It can decide to be more forthcoming. It can answer some of those outstanding questions.

But make no mistake. What the government does in terms of transparency is a choice. If the government chooses to be more transparent, that is to be welcomed. If it chooses otherwise, how will that be received by the people of the country?

We wrote before that such a stance was one of the downfalls of the Perry Christie administration, who lost the confidence of voters and was voted out as a result.

Mr Davis’ first words were of transparency and accountability. If he fails to live up to those, he risks losing that same confidence.

It’s time for the government to make its choice.

Needed: Ministry of Good Sense

EDITOR, The Tribune. BLIND Blake sang the eulogy; “Run Come See Jerusalem”, in memory of the more than one hundred souls who perished at sea during the great 1929 Hurricane. Here, in The Bahamas, almost a hundred years later, is there a single public memorial to mark that tragic occasion? Our former colonial overlords made no such effort, so we make no such effort. We’ll just have to wait and see if there is any official commemoration of that significant episode in Bahamian history come 2029. We may also note with interest whether or not there will be much pomp and pageantry that same year to mark 300 years of so-called Parliamentary Democracy in The Bahamas. In my opinion, this all begs the question: “Are we in dire need of a Ministry of Good Sense?” With a Ministry of Good Sense, perhaps we could tackle a few issues which are long past overdue for some attention and positive actions. Maybe a Ministry of Good Sense could set about establishing publicly displayed, as well as electronic media versions, of meaningful tributes to the ill-fated “Mertyl”, “Ethel”, and “Pretoria”. Additionally, fitting memorials dedicated to the memories of those Bahamian heroes martyred with the sinking of the HMBS Flamingo could also be materialised. Any other noteworthy and deserving memorials may be erected to honour outstanding historic figures and events. It’s never too late to do the right thing, or at least that’s the way the saying goes.

I say that that’s the way the saying goes because we could wait for another devastating hurricane before we construct the first bona fide hurricane shelter here in The Bahamas. That might seem a bit odd to anyone with a little common sense, but with our new Ministry of Good Sense, no doubt that would be one of the first projects tackled and achieved. You would think that with a centuries-old history of encounters with hurricanes on an annual basis, proper hurricane shelters would be generously sprinkled across

this archipelago. If you did think that, you would be oh so wrong. Wrong, not because the idea is not an exceedingly good one, but wrong because, when you search our 700 islands, rocks and cays, you won’t find even one.

Ok, yes, there are church buildings, school buildings, lodge buildings, gymnasiums, a sports centre, clinics and a variety of makeshift facilities used in times of hurricane distress. But, a proper building site, specifically for public use in hurricanes or other major disasters is yet to see as much as a ground breaking ceremony.

Guess what? Our colonial government did not build any. Our 50-year-old Independent Bahamas government did not build any. So much for independent thinking. Dragging colonial baggage is another story.

Ministry of Good Sense, where are you?

As a matter of full disclosure (not at all like the MPs’ annual obligations), I can’t say whether or not proposals have been made, and plans are in the offing for such shelters. But, no announcements have been forthcoming, despite a recent near brush with that major hurricane “Lee”, still out there in the Atlantic.

With other storms out there on the radar, a Ministry of Good Sense would have its work cut out for it ... on day one. Our new Ministry of Good Sense would be a harbinger of what a better Bahamas could provide for Bahamians, stormy weather or not. Ideally, a hurricane shelter building complex would be able to pay for itself --- Government contracts aside, and community volunteerism considered. The shelter complex could be used for any number of other worthwhile activities and functions to generate funds related to building costs and maintenance. Ministry of Good Sense, where are you?

Blind Blake also sang ... “Never mind the noise in the market, only mind the price of the fish ...”. Notwithstanding that the

majestic blue marlin is on our coat-of-arms, and the Nassau grouper being perhaps most favorite on our menus, tourism appears to be the only fish in our sea these days. After 50 years as an Independent Bahamas, we are still hooked almost exclusively --- hook, line, and sinker --- on that tourism bait. Unarguably, Stafford Sands is most responsible for such a fixation on the tourism product. Then, ought not some token tribute, say, plaque at least be placed at each portof-entry throughout The Bahamas in this regard? Otherwise, we can choose to take a one-eyed view of things and simply carry on smartly. Our new Ministry of Good Sense can either be objective or subjective, likewise be politically partisan or break with long-held tradition, ..... whatever makes good sense.

With a long history of reactively addressing problems, rather than proactively making decisions, plans and actions to avoid or limit problems, it might be wrong for any of us still to give up hope, thinking that that paradigm is the only card in our hands. Nevertheless, even though you will never find me wagering in any of our many gaming outlets, I am willing to otherwise bet that there is little chance of us seeing a Ministry of Good Sense, or the proactive initiatives it might have fostered in developing a better Bahamas.

In my sweet, short life I have seen incredible changes here in The Bahamas, as well as around the world (not to mention outside of this planet). At least every week, I am amazed by the wonders that were once fantasies, becoming more and more commonplace. Who knows, maybe, just maybe, we could all wake up one day soon and see a Bahamas that we knew was possible, but could not imagine it happening in our lifetimes. For the time being, though, without our Ministry of Good Sense, it is much easier to get a comfortable pillow and stretch out to have a good dream about such a Bahamas.

MB Nassau, September 13, 2023.

THE DOOR of what used to be a home stands amidst rubble which was caused by the earthquake, in the town of Imi N’tala, outside Marrakech, Morocco, Wednesday. An aftershock rattled central Morocco on Wednesday, striking fear into rescue crews at work in High Atlas villages, digging people out from rubble that could slide.

Photo: Mosa’ab Elshamy/AP

Several months before a new ambulance arrives for West Grand Bahama, says PHA

THE Public Hospitals Authority said it would take several months before a new ambulance reaches West Grand Bahama.

In a brief statement yesterday, PHA said it received the first fleet of three ambulances for New Providence.

“We await the onboarding of additional ambulances within the next several months for Grand

Bahama and the Family Islands,” PHA said.

The absence of an ambulance in West Grand Bahama has concerned some residents there.

Jimmy Smith, chief councillor for West Grand Bahama District, called for more ambulance services in July.

He expressed shock and disappointment when hospital administrator Jessica

Cartwright said an ambulance was not needed in the west, particularly Eight Mile Rock.

The PHA later acknowledged the validity of his concerns. The authority said it was securing additional ambulances for New Providence and Grand Bahama but noted that delays were expected because of global demand and supply chain issues.

AMBULANCES that the PHA received in

three new ambulances in

able to them.

ANDROS

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

AN Andros man was placed on nine months probation yesterday after admitting to attacking someone with a cutlass and damaging their car over the summer.

Magistrate Kara Turnquest-Deveaux charged

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

TWO MEN were granted $7,000 bail yesterday after they were accused of having a loaded gun in their car near Boyd Road earlier this week.

Magistrate Raquel

Whyms charged Ashton Bethel, 26, and Levi Bethel, 33, with possession of an

after

Cardrin Munroe, 34, with assault with a dangerous instrument, threats of death and damage.

Tye Pinder-Mackey represented the accused.

Munroe assaulted Joseph Plant with a cutlass and threatened him with death on the night of July 9 in Staniard Creek, Andros. During the incident, Munroe caused $475 worth

unlicensed firearm and possession of ammunition.

Police on mobile patrol stopped the defendants in a white Nissan Note for driving suspiciously around Boyd Road and Providence Avenue on the morning of September 12.

A search of the vehicle allegedly uncovered a black Walther PPS 9mm pistol and seven rounds of 9mm ammunition.

of damage to the rear metal door of Plant’s grey 2012 Suzuki Swift.

After pleading guilty to the charge, the defendant was granted a conditional discharge and placed on nine months probation. He was also ordered to compensate the complainant $1,975. Should he fail his conditions, he would face a nine-month prison term.

After the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges, their bail was set at $7,000 with one or two sureties each. Ashton is expected to sign in at the Nassau Street Police Station every Thursday by 6pm and Levi is expected to report to Quakoo Street Police Station every Monday by 6pm. Their trial is set for October 10.

15-YE A R-OLD BOY ACCUSED OF STE A LING MOTORCYCLE PL ACED UNDER HOUSE A RREST

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A 15-year-old boy was placed under house arrest after he was accused of stealing a motorcycle earlier this week.

Magistrate Algernon Allen, Jr, charged the juvenile defendant, whose name

is being withheld because he is a minor, with stealing and receiving. The teenager’s guardians were present during his arraignment.

The defendant is accused of stealing a black 2023 Yamaha Cross Trade XTZ125E on South Beach Drive on September 10. The motorcycle belonging to Raynell Ferguson is

valued at $2,995.

After pleading not guilty to the charge, the defendant was told that his bail would be set at $1,500 on condition he is placed under house arrest and supervised by his parents.

The accused is expected to return to court for a social services report on December 7.

MA N ON B A IL FOR A RMED ROBBERY CH A RGES FINED $4,000 FOR NOT CH A RGING MONITOR

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN on release for a pending armed robbery charge was fined $4,000 after admitting to not charging his monitoring device.

Senior Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans charged Edward Rolle, 19, with eight counts of violating bail conditions.

Rolle was on release for a pending armed robbery charge after allegedly holding up a Wendy’s Restaurant last July.

The defendant failed to charge his monitoring device eight times between March 16 and May 31.

After pleading guilty to the charges, Rolle was ordered to pay a fine of $4,000 or risk eight months in prison.

M A N GETS NINE MONTHS PROB ATION FOR CUTL A SS ATTACK A ND THRE ATS OF DE ATH

M EN ACCUSED OF POSSESSION OF A LOA DED GUN IN THEIR C A R GR A NTED $7,000 B A IL

2020

Hurricane Dorian. The PHA has recently received

New Porvidences , while West Grand Bahama remains wihout one avail-

Unknown dangers found in consumer products

THE Joneses – what a model family! They are in the prime of their lives and have satisfying careers that pay well. Their 2.5 children are healthy and do well in school and extracurricular activities. Their comfortable home is in a safe neighbourhood, surrounded by other families with similarly aged children who often play together. Healthcare is covered by insurance, and they carry very little debt. The Jones family would appear to have all their ducks in a row, but they have a deep, dark secret – they are slowly poisoning their beloved children – and themselves, for that matter. Like most modern families, they are entirely unaware of the sea of pollutants they are submerged in every day.

Consumer products commonly contain a slew of chemicals that may cause a range of health effects, including asthma, endocrine disruption, reproductive and developmental harm, and cancer.

Before we follow the Jones family on a typical day to expose the unknown dangers, let us consider a recently published study by the Silent Spring Institute and the University of California Berkeley. The study revealed that “more than 5,000 tons of toxic chemicals (are) released from consumer products every year inside homes and workplaces”. Looking at volatile organic compounds that are known to the state of California as carcinogens, reproductive toxicants, and, or developmental toxicants, the researchers identified thirty consumer product categories as immediate priorities for restricting use or for product reformulation using safer ingredients. As valuable as the findings of this study are, it is incomplete as it does not consider product

By Dr Selima Hauber

of One Eleuthera Foundation

cell growth. In separate studies, phthalates were found to be associated with female fertility disorders, early puberty and changes in male hormone and semen levels.

ingredients associated with causing asthma, neurotoxicity and endocrine disruptions. Endocrine disruptors are chemicals commonly included in consumer products that mimic or interfere with our natural hormones. These impacts can result in health disorders such as increased cancer risks, diabetes, asthma, obesity, male and female infertility and attention and behavioral disorders in children.

On a bright Monday morning, Mrs Jones awakes and saunters off to the bathroom for a shower using her favorite fruity-smelling body wash. The rest of the family soon get up, and in half an hour, they are out the door on their way to work and school.

Personal care products, such as toothpaste and body wash, are some of the worst offending products, containing numerous volatile organic compounds and the endocrine disruptors: parabens and phthalates. Parabens have been shown to stimulate breast cancer

Lunchtime finds the Jones family at work and school enjoying last night’s leftovers neatly packed by Mrs Jones in plastic storage containers with a heart and smiley face emoji on a sticky note. The kids wash lunch down with their favorite juice drink from a plastic bottle that fits perfectly in their insulated lunch bags. Unfortunately, the plastic containers and bottles are either labeled “PC” (polycarbonate) or are in the recycling category 7, which are plastic types that contain bisphenols. Bisphenols are endocrine disruptors associated with male and female infertility, early puberty and hormone-dependent cancers like breast and prostate cancer. Bisphenols are also used in the linings of some canned foods.

At the end of the workday, Mr Jones realises he must stop for gas before picking up the rest of his family. He opens the window to tell the pump attendant how much gas he needs and passes the time checking his WhatsApp messages. Before long, he is off again and grabs Mrs. Jones from work and the kids from school.

By leaving his car window open while fueling up, Mr Jones has inadvertently exposed himself to the

volatile benzenes in the gas. Benzene is a carcinogen that has been linked to several types of blood cancer. To reduce his exposure, Mr Jones should have remained upwind of the pump and kept his window closed. On the way home, Mrs Jones stops quickly at the food store for ingredients for dinner. She pays with

her debit card and grabs the receipts from the cashier. Debit and credit card receipt paper is often thermal paper, which contains bisphenols that can be absorbed through the skin. In addition to the aforementioned effects, bisphenols are also obesogens. These chemicals alter appetite, metabolic rate or energy balance, which can directly or indirectly increase body fat and promote obesity.

Upon arriving home, the parents are not-so-pleasantly surprised by the grass and mud stains the kids have picked up while enjoying an active day at school.

Mrs. Jones immediately launders the soiled uniforms using extra detergent before sending the children for a bath before dinner. Meanwhile, Mr Jones is busy in the garden, taking care of pesky weeds and unwanted bugs by applying pesticide dust and weed killer.

Laundry detergents are one of the consumer product classes prioritized for use restriction or reformulation because of their high content of carcinogenic chemicals and others that cause reproductive and developmental toxicity. Laundry detergents also contain phthalates, the endocrine disruptors. These chemicals are added to make detergent fragrances persist in the laundry for weeks after being washed. Lawn and garden care products can be another highly toxic and dangerous category. The chemicals contained can have a detrimental effect on human health. Besides killing insect pests, they also harm the beneficial insects that protect crops.

Mr Jones then goes to the bathroom to hurry the kids to the dinner table. Stopping short of the muddy prints all over the bathroom, he grabs the all-purpose spray cleaner from beneath the sink and quickly removes the evidence of the kids’ bathroom escapades. After dinner, the kids head off to bed and Mr. Jones cleans the kitchen.

Mrs. Jones retires to the living room. She puts her feet up waiting for Mr. Jones to return with two cups of Chamomile tea that they will sip while reconnecting after a hectic day. It is her favorite room in the house. She relished choosing the furniture,

mood lighting and even the pricey, aromatic room fragrance but never recognized the dangers disguised in these purchases.

All-purpose cleaners, dishwashing liquid and air fresheners are all top offenders for containing numerous toxic volatile organic compounds. Furniture is often also a source of harmful flame-retardant chemicals and other chemicals that allow its surfaces to repel water and stains. Flame retardant chemicals impact the immune system, change neurologic function, and adversely affect fetal and child development. Additionally, water and stain-repellant chemicals increase asthma risks and cause changes in liver enzymes, amongst other harmful effects.

Modern-day life with all its conveniences can place our health under constant assault from the thousands of toxic chemicals in various everyday consumer products. The health effects that come from daily exposure to these toxic chemicals occur over time as the different chemicals and health effects accumulate. One of the most common health issues linked to toxic chemicals is cancer. The good news is that many of these chemicals can be cleared from our bodies within days of stopping the exposure. You can begin to reduce your family’s risk by thoroughly auditing the products you use and swapping the offending ones for safer alternatives. Here is how you can start: debit card receipts products, laundry and household cleaning detergents with strong perfumes or fragrances. Choose ‘fragrance-free’ or ‘hypoallergenic’ options.

and pans, plastic wrap and plastic food storage containers and store food in glass or stainless-steel containers. much as possible.

cosmetics -

tresses and pillows that don’t contain flame retardants or are water and stain-repellant.

Modern-day life with all its conveniences can place our health under constant assault from the thousands of toxic chemicals in various everyday consumer products.

DR SELIMA HAUBER

East of East Street - an opportunity to get it right

THERE’S a once-in-acentury opportunity in the life of a city to reshape Downtown Nassau and it’s staring us right in the face, begging, pleading for every great idea we’ve got.

After decades of talk, cajoling, pleading, reasoning, after tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of studies, after moving container shipping out of town and letting some of it slip back in, after calls for creation of a Business Improvement District (BID) and promises that the real estate known as East of East Street would finally one day be desirable, it’s on the verge of happening.

The Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation made a promise to rejuvenate Downtown Nassau and By George, they are keeping it.

First, two eyesores came down on Cumberland Street. Could they have been repurposed and renovated? Probably so. But no one was doing it and at least one of the buildings was literally dropping apart with heavy chunks of concrete hitting the ground where pedestrians walk in a busy section of town.

But now in rapid-fire fashion, buildings east of East Street are being demolished at a pace that feels almost frantic, though I prefer to think of it as determined. To understand how they got to this state where a pile of rubble is a better option than what stood there before, you have to appreciate the downward trajectory of east of East Street.

By Diane Phillips

Once a bustling commercially viable economic centre, what it lacked in architectural wonderment was compensated by the purpose it served – the marine-based hub where Nassau Shipyard hauled the largest of seagoing vessels during World War II and well into the 80s until it closed, where cargo for the capital and most Family Islands landed and was trucked or loaded on mailboats.

It was a hustle-bustle harbour economy before the words blue economy were ever fashionable. But it was also adjacent to the main tourism and financial centre, geographically a block away, and as whatever lay west of East Street blossomed into a luxury shopping mecca and a global financial services centre, east became the stepchild.

Over time, with the shipyard closed and the building at 601 E Bay vacated and sometimes leased, with cargo shipping moved to make way for what was expected to be a surge of interest in this prime waterfront real estate that would transform downtown into an urban oasis, the reality was that nothing much good happened.

Construction equipment began to fill abandoned lots, new heavy equipment blocking the view

like the stacks of cargo containers did before.

Plans for high rises were submitted and rejected. Administrations came and went and the stepchild of historic Nassau remained an outside child. Landowners who would have had hefty property tax bills if they had fixed up their property made the predictable and reasonable financial decision to sit on it. If they could not turn the land they owned into a development that would earn revenue, why bother doing anything? They could sit on it as long as they wanted. Land wasn’t going anywhere. Unfortunately, neither was east of East Street despite occasional small attempts and Charles Klonaris’s major multi-million investment in storefronts, office and restaurant spaces along with marina slips at Elizabeth on Bay. Where owners failed to act, bulldozers plowed through, mowing down decades of neglect in less time than it takes to do a school pickup and get back to work. The old Corona Hotel, closed for as long as I can remember, smashed to smithereens. Old office buildings, former shops, places where a shingle once promised that inside was a lawyer who could write your will or a dress

that would be perfect for church on Sunday was waiting on the rack – now piles of concrete removed and history wiped clean in a day.

Fortunately, those in charge, including Sen. Randy Rolle who has spearheaded this mission with absolute resolve to get things done, did involve the Antiquities, Monuments and Museums Corporation to identify buildings of historic, cultural or architectural merit that deserved to be preserved.

Now the critical question arises.

With vacant pockets of prime real estate, how do we move this stepchild of historic Nassau from the back door into the place it has been knocking on the door of for nearly half a century?

We create a dual driver based on a residential component and an experiential economy – experiences that can be enjoyed by locals

interacting with the millions of visitors who are deposited by cruise ships to Nassau’s front door. This is the moment when we look at east of East Street as the new future of historic Nassau with art studios, music workshops, demonstrations of Junkanoo costume creation and varieties of straw plaiting, storytelling, a place to tell our story starting with Lucayan Indians and a place that comes alive at night with outdoor cafes, wine bars, an artist on the street doing chalk portraits. We need a large cooling centre with fountains, a green market, a grassy knoll where vendors can set up a table for a day, a monthly invitation for puppies on leashes to strut their stuff.

There will be design charrettes and all voices should be heard, architects and planners and engineers and stakeholders, but the bottom line is that relying on ultra

luxury shopping is unrealistic. Those days are over. What today’s traveller wants is experiences. This is not 5th Avenue in New York or Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Sure, there will always be the shopper who wants a Rolex or a Cartier, but for the most part, this is a middle market city that does not understand the potential at its fingertips. Now we have the opportunity to get it right – Downtown Nassau, a fashionable place to live, a desirable place to dine, an enviable space to just chill or talk with an artist, listen to a musician, find a new way to satisfy our desire for more experiences and our guests’ desire for more Nassau. The harbourfront, where it all began more than 300 years ago, and where it is being reborn today. We can get it right if we think beyond more of what exists and focus on what could be.

A TRACTOR clearing rubble at one of many derelict buildings that was torn down as the government moves forward with the rivitalisation of Downtown Nassau.

Photo: Diane Pillips

TRACTORS clear rubble at another site where an old crumbling building was demolished making way for possible new construction as the government moves forward with the rivitalisation of Downtown Nassau.

Photo: Moise Amisial

Rise in divorce after COVID

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

SOME lawyers have seen an explosion of divorce cases post-pandemic.

“We’ve been seeing an increase in divorces, unfortunately,” said Shelly Nairn, associate lawyer at Halsbury Chambers, during a press conference yesterday announcing the return of the company’s free legal aid clinic.

“After COVID we have a lot of people even now as we take appointments, we are finding that a lot of individuals are calling in asking about divorces. A lot of marital disputes we’re seeing a rise in that.”

Branville McCartney, the firm’s general counsel, said Halsbury Chambers will provide $20k in free legal fees to people in need on September 23.

He said this will be the 16th time the service is provided and the first since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We certainly wish the public to take advantage of this opportunity,” he said.

“Things are quite tough in the country today as it’s been for many years and this is a service we thought as attorneys in this firm dating back to 2004, that we would provide.

“I daresay that we are the first law firm in The Bahamas to do any sort of a free legal clinic and we are most appreciative of the public for participating. A lot of

persons have actually come up to me, approached me over the years and told me that they have benefited greatly from the free legal clinic.”

Ms Nairn encouraged

people to make an appointment before the event because the company covers a range of legal matters.

“We will be dealing with mortgage matters,

conveyancing, matters pertaining to agreements for sale, quieting actions, landlord and tenant issues, divorces, child maintenance matters, adoptions, guardianships,

child protection orders, breach of contracts, labour and employment matters, severance packages and wrongful dismissals, binding over the peace actions, immigration debt

collection, personal injury, sexual harassment, wills, probate and estate, incorporation of companies, registration of business names, trademarks and copyrights.”

FNM leader meets RCI executives

EXECUTIVES of Royal Caribbean International (RCI) paid a courtesy call on the leader of the opposition, Michael Pintard, on the state of the tourism industry and the company’s plans for the Bahamian market.

The two parties acknowledged the resurgence of the cruise industry postpandemic, leading to record visitor arrivals not seen since 2019. As the largest supplier of foreign cruise passengers to The Bahamas, RCI was acknowledged by Mr Pintard for its significant contributions to economic growth in this sector. The opposition leader took particular interest in discussing measures to maximise the number of Bahamian service providers engaged within RCI’s Coco Cay and the upcoming Paradise Island development.

The courtesy call featured substantial talks on the state of Freeport’s economy, with the goal of deliberating the best way forward to improve the destination’s competitiveness. Both parties expressed mutual interest in encouraging business investments that will improve the conditions of Grand Bahama for residents and visitors alike.

The new cruise port in Downtown Nassau

was discussed, which has now become the port of choice in the Caribbean as a result of the previous

FNM administration’s stewardship.

for

support

impeccable

credentials, to head their operations in The Bahamas.

The courtesy call concluded with a commitment

from Mr Pintard to continue productive talks with RCI in the future, who he described as friends of The Bahamas.

FROM left, Russell Benford, VP RCI, Wendy Mcdonald, regional VP, government relations, Caribbean, FNM leader Michael Pintard, Diane Phillips, consultant, and Philip Simon, general manager, RCI.

THE ROTARY Club of Nassau hosted a reading initiative at the Stephen Dillèt Primary School and also the Centreville Primary School. The aim was to encourage reading among this generation and to remind the students that reading opens the door to all possibilities.

SHELLY Nairn and Branville McCartney at yesterday’s press conference.

Photo: Moise Amisial

With Russia isolated on the world stage, Putin turns to old friend North Korea for help

STRANDED LUXURY CRUISE SHIP MV OCEAN E XPLORER PULLED FREE AT HIGH TIDE IN GREENLAND

DENMARK Associated Press

THE luxury cruise ship

MV Ocean E xplorer was successfully pulled free on Thursday, three days after running aground in Greenland with 206 people on board, authorities and the ship’s owner said.

The ship was freed by a fisheries research vessel at high tide, said the cruise ship’s owner, Copenhagen-based SunStone Ships, and the Joint Arctic Command, which coordinated the operation.

Australian newspaper The Sydney Morning H erald quoted a retiree from Australia who is on the ship, Steven Fraser, as saying: “ E veryone’s in good spirits. It’s a little bit frustrating, but we are in a beautiful part of the world.”

Fraser told the newspaper that he had come down with COVID-19 on the ship.

Cmdr. Brian Jensen of the Joint Arctic Command told Greenland broadcaster KNR that the ship is likely to go to Iceland, the closest place with large ports.

about 125 miles from the city of Blagoveshchensk in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, yesterday. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: “KCNA” which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency.

Associated Press

A FT E R the handshakes, the platitudes and the lunch of Kamchatka crab dumplings, the outcome of the talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stayed hidden.

But the summit’s location — Russia’s Far E ast spaceport — offered a big clue.

By choosing the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Putin has signalled his readiness to share Russian rocket and space technology with Pyongyang in exchange for access to North Korea’s mammoth arms stockpiles for the war in Ukraine.

The move underscored Russia’s estrangement on the world stage and the shrinking circle of friends that Moscow can rely on, thanks to the 18-monthold invasion. At the same time, it heralds new threats for stability in northeast Asia and beyond.

The nearly five hours of talks Wednesday between Putin and Kim marked a new high point in the ties between the old allies — a relationship that dates back nearly eight decades to Soviet leader Josef Stalin and Kim’s grandfather, North Korean founder Kim Il Sung.

North Korea has relied on Soviet-designed weapons since the 1950-53 Korean War and has some of the world’s largest ammunition stockpiles, estimated at tens of millions of artillery shells and rockets.

Russia is eager to tap that trove after having spent a significant share of its arsenal in fighting E urope’s largest ground conflict since World War II, with thousands of shells fired daily by each side.

Western officials saw the summit with North Korea as an effort by Putin to secure a potential arms bonanza for his military.

“It looks like they’re very focused on the artillery shells (and) the multiple-rocket launchers for battlefield use,” said John Park, director of the Korea Project at the H arvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center. “These are things that can be immediately applied in

terms of this war of attrition that is playing out in Ukraine.”

US officials have cast it as a sign of desperation by Putin. Russia was “scraping the bottom of the barrel looking for help because it’s having trouble sustaining its military,” said James O’Brien, head of the Office of Sanctions Coordination at the US State Department.

Putin, however, didn’t seem to care about the optics of meeting with Kim, with the West now considering both leaders to be pariahs.

“For Russia, it’s simply that the ends justify the means,” said James Nixey, director of the Russia and E urasia program at Chatham H ouse, a London-based thinktank. “It’s perfectly comfortable with alliances of any shape form on nature as long as they serve perceived Russian national interests.”

The need for munitions in the Ukraine war is hardly one-sided. In addition to Western supplies of new tanks, missiles and other weapons systems, the US and its allies have drained the stockpiles of Soviet-era arms and munitions in Central and E astern E urope and beyond to help President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

With both Russia and Ukraine digging in for what could be a long war, the North Korean munitions could offer Moscow a critical lifeline as it tries to boost its domestic arms output. North Korea also could increase its ammunition production at Russia’s behest.

“It’s the immediate benefit of existing stockpiles and also the potential to crank up on the production side if they want to go that direction as well,” Park said.

Yang Uk, a security expert at South Korea’s Asan Institute for Policy Studies, noted that in addition to Sovietdesigned armaments, North Korea also could share some of its latest military equipment.

Amid tensions with the South, Pyongyang has heavily relied on artillery and developed long-range systems that could add capabilities that Moscow lacks.

“Beyond merely transferring ammunition, there is also a strong possibility that North Korea would be willing to provide Russia with some of the advanced weapons systems it developed and publicly boasted about to be used for the war in Ukraine,” Yang said.

At Vostochny, Putin and Kim traded mutual praise and assurances of friendship, alluding their historic alliance.

Putin mentioned the Soviet support for Pyongyang in the Korean War, while Kim referred to Russia’s campaign in Ukraine as a “just fight against hegemonic forces to defend its sovereign rights, security and interests.”

Leif- E ric E asley, a professor at E wha University in Seoul, noted the summit also served both leaders’ domestic and foreign policy agendas.

“Putin and Kim’s diplomatic display is meant to claim success in challenging the US-led international order, avoiding over-reliance on China, and increasing pressure on rivals in Ukraine and South Korea,” he said. “The summit defiantly linked pariah state behaviour in E urope and Asia.”

Asked by reporters at the spaceport whether Russia and North Korea could cooperate in space, Putin responded: “That’s why we came here.” H e added that Kim showed a “big interest in rocket technologies.” While Russia has previously avoided sharing sensitive know-how with Pyongyang, analysts point out that Moscow could now facilitate such transfers as a way of hurting the US and its allies.

“Russia profits from the destabilization of the international system,” Nixey said. “If Russia is giving the Western powers one more problem to worry about other than itself, then it actually aids the overall Russian cause.”

H e said the Kremlin’s “principal priority” is success in Ukraine, adding that “it would do pretty much anything in order to achieve that.”

Of course, any arms deal between Moscow and Pyongyang would

violate UN sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs that Russia voted to enact.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized the need to respect those sanctions, and Washington warned it is ready to impose new restrictions on Russia and North Korea if they violate the Security Council’s resolutions.

Observers warned, however, that the West has limited options in addressing a rapprochement between Moscow and Pyongyang.

“There isn’t really much left in the policy toolbox in terms of addressing the challenges specifically from Russia and North Korea,” Park observed.

Post-summit comments by Putin and his officials indicated that Moscow wasn’t going to openly trample on the sanctions and instead could try to keep an arms deal with Pyongyang secret.

Asked about potential military cooperation with Pyongyang, Putin responded that “there are certain restrictions, and Russia is following all of them.” But he added that “there are things we can talk about, we’re discussing and thinking about them.”

Park noted that the shared border between Russia and North Korea could facilitate any exchanges between the countries.

“When you look at the type of cooperation that they have, this is a large landmass and it’s directly connected,” he said. “It’s not necessarily Russia lifting sanctions. It’s just basically not implementing sanctions.”

A major factor Russia needs to consider while it seeks to expand ties with North Korea is China, Pyongyang’s No. 1 ally that has jealously watched the rapprochement. Beijing’s support is also crucial for Putin, and the Kremlin can be expected to tread carefully to assuage any Chinese concerns.

“ H aving Putin and Kim meet directly is something that would be at the expense of Chinese interests,” Park said. “So from that calculus, one country that is watching this very, very closely is China.”

A VIEW of the MV Ocean Explorer, a Bahamas-flagged Norwegian

“There have not been any injuries to anybody onboard, no pollution of the environment and no breach of the hull,” SunStone Ships said in a statement. The research vessel which pulled the cruise ship belongs to the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, a government agency, it said.

It said the cruise ship and its passengers will now travel to a port where the damage to the vessel’s bottom can be assessed, and the passengers will be taken to a location from where they can be flown home. There was no immediate comment from the tour company that organized the trip, Australia-based Aurora E xpeditions.

The cruise ship ran aground Monday above the Arctic Circle in Alpefjord in Northeast Greenland National Park, the world’s northernmost national park. The park is nearly the size of France and Spain combined, and approximately 80% is covered by an ice sheet.

Alpefjord is about 240 kilometres (150 miles) from the closest settlement, Ittoqqortoormiit, which is nearly 1,400 kilometres (870 miles) from the country’s capital, Nuuk.

The Bahamas-flagged cruise ship has passengers from Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States. It has an inverted bow, shaped like the one on a submarine, 77 cabins, 151 passenger beds and 99 beds for crew, and several restaurants.

E arlier Thursday, Aurora E xpeditions said three passengers had COVID-19.

“These passengers are currently in isolation. They are looked after by our onboard doctor, medical team and crew, and they are doing well,” it said in a statement. Others on the MV Ocean E xplorer are “safe and healthy,” it said.

“Now it is exciting to find out what the condition of the ship is,” Jensen was quoted as saying by KNR. “They are in the process of investigating whether the ship is intact and seaworthy and ready to sail on.”

The ship’s owner said several other vessels had rushed to the scene “and offered their assistance, which however, was not needed.” It said it had also “arranged additional tug assistance in case it was needed, however, this has now been cancelled.”

Dozens of cruise ships sail along Greenland’s coast every year so passengers can admire the picturesque mountainous landscape, waterways packed with icebergs of different sizes and glaciers jutting out into the sea.

Danish broadcaster DR said there were 400 cruises in Greenland in 2022 and 600 cruises in 2023.

The Danish Maritime Authority asked police in Greenland to investigate why the ship ran aground and whether any laws had been violated, a police statement said, adding that no one has been charged or arrested. An officer has been on board the ship to carry out “initial investigative steps, which, among other things, involve questioning the crew and other relevant persons on board,” it said.

The cruise liner began its current trip on Sept. 2 in Kirkenes in Arctic Norway and was due to return to Bergen, Norway, on Sept. 22, according to SunStone Ships.

The primary mission of the Joint Arctic Command is to ensure Danish sovereignty by monitoring the area around the Faeroe Islands and Greenland, including the Arctic Ocean in the north. Greenland is a semi-independent territory that is part of the Danish realm, as are the Faeroe Islands.

IN this photo provided by the North Korean government, Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visit the Vostochny cosmodrome outside the city of Tsiolkovsky,

Photo: Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP

cruise ship with 206 passengers and crew, which has run aground in northwestern Greenland, on Tuesday. The 343-footlong and 60 foot wide Ocean Explorer ran aground on Monday in Alpefjord in the Northeast Greenland National Park. It’s the world’s largest and most northerly national park and is known for icebergs and the musk oxen that roam the coast. According to authorities no one on board was in danger and no damage has been reported.

Photo: SIRIUS/Joint Arctic Command via AP

NFL JALEN HURTS RUNS FOR 2 TDS, THROWS FOR A SCORE; EAGLES HOLD OFF FUMBLE-PRONE VIKINGS 34-28

By DAN GELSTON AP Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA (AP)

— Jalen Hurts ran for a pair of 1-yard touchdowns and threw a 63-yard TD pass to DeVonta Smith, D’Andre Swift ran for 175 yards and a score, and the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles held off the turnover-prone Minnesota Vikings 34-28 on Thursday night.

Hurts, the MVP runnerup, shook off a sluggish passing performance in the first half and woke up the crowd when he connected with Smith for the scoring strike in the third quarter that made it 27-7.

“We Own UR SKOL

Tonight,” one Eagles fan sign read after the TD.

It almost wasn’t enough.

Kirk Cousins hit Jordan Addison for a 62-yard touchdown that made it 27-14 in the fourth and found K.J. Osborn for a 10-yard TD that cut it to 27-21 and put the Eagles (2-0) on edge.

But Swift scored on a 2-yard run for a 34-21 lead with 4:13 left and the Vikings didn’t have enough time to score twice.

Minnesota (0-2), which had three first-half turnovers in a season-opening loss to Tampa Bay, lost three fumbles in the first half in Philly and four overall. In perhaps the most deflating moment for the Vikings, Justin Jefferson fumbled a 30-yard catch into the end zone and out of bounds for a touchback with Minnesota trailing 10-7 in the second quarter.

Cousins threw for 364 yards and four touchdowns, two to T.J. Hockenson. Jefferson had 11 catches for 159 yards.

Hurts finished 18 of 23 for 193 yards — mostly to Smith, who also hauled in a 54-yard catch. He finished with 131 yards on four receptions.

A.J. Brown, the Eagles’ other star receiver, seemed unhappy with Hurts on the sidelines and coach Nick Sirianni had to step in and calm the situation. At that point, Brown had only four targets. He finished with four catches for 29 yards.

Jake Elliott kicked a pair of field goals for the Eagles, including a 61-yarder to conclude the first half after Jefferson’s fumble.

Maybe it’s the adjustment to new offensive coordinator Brian Johnson, maybe it was the short week, maybe it was Hurts and the bulk of the starters sitting out preseason games, but whatever the reason, the Eagles were sluggish early for the second straight week and lacked that big-play spark that made them a must-watch offence last season.

Eagles fans booed in the first half — yes, already, in the home opener for the NFC champions — when a string of offensive plays went nowhere. The Vikings blitzed and pressured Hurts early and he could not break plays open as easily as he routinely did last season.

With Hurts not his usual self, the Eagles turned to the run game. And run and run and run they did, 13 times on a 16-play drive that ended with Hurts using his signature rugby-style QB sneak to score on a 1-yard run for a 10-7 lead.

SLOPPY VIKINGS

The Eagles might have to give a game ball to veteran Justin Evans. Evans’ hit on punt returner Brandon Powell forced a fumble in the first quarter and the Eagles recovered.

The Vikings’ first play after they picked off Hurts resulted in a turnover.

Running back Alexander Mattison fumbled and Evans scooped the ball.

The Vikings have already lost six fumbles this season.

JONQUEL JONES AND LIBERTY GET SET TO FACE MYSTICS

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

JONQUEL JONES

and the New York Liberty wrapped up one of their best regular seasons in franchise history and will now battle against the seventhseeded Washington Mystics tonight to start their postseason run.

The New York team ended the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) regular season with a franchise best 32-8 win/loss record.

Jones’ team concluded their season atop the Eastern Conference and was second in the overall league. The 32-8 regular season team is now set to face off against the Mystics, who they are tied 2-2 with in the season series, tonight at the Barclays Center.

One of masterminds behind the successful Liberty season is none other than Johnathan Kolb, the team’s general manager.

Kolb was recently awarded the 2023 WNBA Executive of the Year after putting together a formidable women’s roster.

In the offseason Kolb acquired Grand Bahamian

Jones from the Connecticut Sun in a three-team deal that also involved the Dallas Wings. Following the multi-team deal, former 2018 WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart and All-Star Courtney Vandersloot joined the star studded roster.

The acquisitions were pivotal to the Liberty’s success this season. Stewart was a bright spot for the team. She was most recently selected as the 2023 Associated Press player of the year. The forward finished second in the league in scoring with 23 points per game (ppg) and dropped more than 40 points on four separate occasions.

Vandersloot was key to the team’s ball movement and was awarded the 2023 WNBA Peak Performer Award in Assists for the seventh time in her career. She averaged 8.1 assists per game. The former WNBA MVP Jones’ averages took a slight dip this season but she was also integral to the team’s overall success. She pumped in 11.3 ppg, 8.4 rebounds, and shot 52.7 percent for the season.

Despite the individual successes of New York’s

SEE PAGE 13

forward Breanna Stewart (30) celebrates with forward Jonquel Jones (35) near the end of the team’s win over the Las Vegas Aces in a basketball game for the WNBA Commissioner’s

Women aiming to make a difference at the BOC

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WITH the Bahamas Olympic Committee’s election of officers all set for Saturday at the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s headquarters, there will be three positions not contested – the presidency, secretary general and treasurer.

Romell Knowles, Derron Donaldson and Dorian Roach have all secured those positions by acclamation as there will be no opposition based on the list of nominations submitted over the weekend.

However, all of the other positions will be keenly contested, including the seven spots for vice presidents, with a record 17 candidates challenging each other. Among them are four women, three of whom are running for the first time, while one is seeking re-election.

The BOC, under it’s amended constitution, under article VIII - Electoral General Assemblies, number two and point F indicates that “at least two of the elected Officers shall be a female.” Those changes come under the amended constitution that was previously dominated by an “all boys club” with only men elected to serve.

Gina Gonzalez-Rolle, who has served on the board of the Bahamas Golf Federation for the past four years, said she decided to put her name in the hat because she felt that both men and women are both needed for various reasons.

“I think women have compassion and care and there’s a little more so than men,” she stated.

“We have to reach out to our athletes when they travel and congratulate them, let them know we are looking out for them to do well and if they don’t place, or get in, we

need

to let them know that we still hold them high in esteem. I think all of that would have the country’s athletes to move forward.”

Additionally, Gonzalez-Rolle said she’s fighting for some of the smaller sports that don’t get the kind of recognition big sporting bodies such as track and field, swimming and basketball do.

“I have no issues with track and field, swimming,” she said. “I just feel like that we need to ensure that every sport is given the opportunity to bring a gold medal home just like we would with track and field or basketball and we see a great example of that in baseball.

“We have produced major leaguers and it puts a smile on our faces when we see what they have done. I feel that is what is needed. We look at every sport and consider it as good or give it the opportunity that we do to any of the other sports.” Another candidate is Catherine Ramsingh-Pierre, who is the founding president of the Bahamas

Equestrian Federation (2016). She said she decided to run in the elections for the post of vice president as well as assistant secretary general because this is the era of change and progress.

“The BOC plays a vital role in the development of sports in our country and as such requires progressive and inclusive governance that is best achieved through multiple viewpoints,” she stated.

Ramsingh-Pierre, who has been riding since the age of nine, said she believes that as a woman and the representative of equestrian, a relatively small, but growing federation, she can make a difference in the landscape of the BOC.

“I have the opportunity to bring the new voice to the table and energy and passion to the BOC’s initiatives as it fulfills its mandate for the development of Bahamian sport,” she said.

Three other women are vying for a position in the BOC: Jenny Isaacs-Dotson, president of the Bahamas Softball Federation; Lori

Roach, the secretary general of the Bahamas Triathlon, and incumbent vice president Cora Hepburn, were not available for comments.

But Oria Wood-Knowles, the incumbent assistant general secretary, who will be seeking office in the same position, said she enjoyed helping and assisting the young Bahamian athletes and help to give them all of the encouragement that they need.

“We need people who are willing to humble themselves and go sometimes in some very uncomfortable places and encourage them and be there to ensure that they have every advantage to succeed,” Wood-Knowles said.

“I’ve given most of my life to sports and I am honoured and privileged to have been grouped with a set of persons who are very kind and extremely generous, persons who have worked extremely hard to push the growth and the development of our athletes, both locally and internationally and

SEE PAGE 13

JONQUEL JONES in action for the New York Liberty. (AP)

NEW York Liberty

Cup championship in August, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)

ORIA Wood-Knowles

CATHERINE Ramsingh-Pierre

GINA Gonzalez-Rolle

JONQUEL JONES AND LIBERTY GET SET TO FACE MYSTICS IN PLAYOFFS

FROM PAGE 12

newest acquisitions, the team collected accolades as a unit as well. The Liberty earned bragging rights after their team won the Commissioner’s Cup in-season tournament over long-time rivals and last season’s winners Las Vegas Aces.

The 32-8 team not only defeated the Aces 82-63 but Jones also took home the MVP honours in the win.

The Aces are considered the WNBA championship favourites after ending the regular season with a league’s best 34-6 win/loss record.

As the league’s second best team, the Liberty split their four games 2-2 against the defending champions. Despite neither team gaining an outright advantage in the rivalry, the Aces are vying to two-peat as champions to join the 2001-2002 Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA history books.

Meanwhile, Jones and the Liberty are on a quest to bring home the franchise’s first WNBA title in their 26 years of existence.

With both the Aces and Liberty expected to clash in the finals, Jones’ team will look to handle business against the Mystics starting tonight.

Despite finishing with a 19-21 record, the Mystics ended the Liberty’s eight game winning streak to leave the Eastern Conference team with a 8-2 record in the final ten games of the regular season.

The game gets underway at 7.30pm.

WOMEN AIMING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE AT THE BOC

FROM PAGE 12

to be behind our athletes to ensure that they achieve out there.”

As a former versatile athlete, who represented the Bahamas in various sporting disciplines, Wood-Knowles said it’s important to encourage the developing athletes, especially when they are away from home. Making a phone call and providing an encouraging word helps to make a world of a difference.

“I’m just humbled to have been nominated again by the Bahamas Baseball Association,” said Wood-Knowles, who served as a longtime executive. “I’m going to do my best to more.

“In the first time around, I had lots to learn – the language I have come to understand and the purpose and the reason behind what I’m doing. And to have to leave my family and to go be in these small villages, uncomfortable beds and climbing steps for days, just to ensure that things are in place for our athletes who are striving to do their best.”

With a vibrant president in Romell Knowles and a young and energetic secretary general in Derron Donaldson, Wood-Knowles said she’s learned a lot. She hopes that she can continue the path they have taken as the Bahamas remain “numero uno” as a “small, but mighty” nation on the global stage.

Rays open series in Baltimore with 4-3 win, pull within game of Orioles in AL East

By NOAH TRISTER AP Baseball Writer

BALTIMORE (AP) —

Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash tried to keep his top relievers rested for this crucial series at Baltimore — and one by one, they came out of the bullpen and shut down the Orioles.

Luke Raley hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning, and Tampa Bay’s remarkable bullpen retired everyone it faced in the Rays’ 4-3 victory over the Orioles on Thursday night. The Rays won the opener of this four-game showdown to pull within a game of first-place Baltimore in the AL East. Their relievers extended their streak to 34 innings without an earned run.

“We’ve spent a lot of time the last 10, 12 days talking about this series, and knowing the importance of our bullpen being fresh,” Cash said. “Minnesota had other plans yesterday, that we had to use a lot of them, but those guys really stepped up in a big way.”

Ryan O’Hearn and Gunnar Henderson homered for the Orioles, but with the game tied at 3, Raley hit a drive to center field off Kyle Bradish (11-7) for his 19th home run of the year.

Randy Arozarena hit a two-run triple in the third

for the Rays, and Tampa Bay starter Aaron Civale got Adley Rutschman to hit into a crucial double play in the fifth after the Orioles had come back to tie it at 3. After that, Civale turned the game over to the bullpen. Colin Poche (12-3), Shawn Armstrong, Robert Stephenson and Pete Fairbanks teamed up to retire 12 straight batters, with Fairbanks striking out the side for his 24th save in 26 chances.

“Their bullpen doesn’t give up many runs, and they haven’t for a while,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “We had nothing going once we got Civale out of the game.”

Fairbanks had two days off before this game. Armstrong, Poche and Stephenson all pitched Wednesday in a win at Minnesota, but they’d all had two days off before that. The result was a group of relievers who certainly

looked like they were in peak form.

“I don’t know if you’ve been around many bullpens, but our level of focus throughout the majority of the game isn’t great,” Fairbanks said. “To go out there and be sequestered for however many innings it is, you’ve kind of got to keep it loose. Obviously, when that phone rings and when we start our prep work, we start getting locked in and go from there.”

Cedric Mullins made a terrific diving catch in the gap in right-centre on a ball that might have scored a run in the top of the second. Then O’Hearn led off the bottom of the inning with a homer that put the Orioles up 1-0.

Tampa Bay answered immediately. Third baseman Jordan Westburg couldn’t handle Raley’s leadoff grounder, and that infield single started a three-run rally. Brandon Lowe hit an RBI single, and Arozarena followed with a triple to make it 3-1.

Henderson hit a leadoff homer in the fourth, and then the Orioles tied it in the fifth without hitting the ball out of the infield.

Mullins led off with a bunt single when the ball rolled dead on the dirt about halfway to third base, fair by inches. After a walk by Aaron Hicks, Westburg

popped up a bunt, but the ball fell between Civale and catcher Christian Bethancourt for a single to load the bases.

Adam Frazier tied it by grounding into a force play, but Civale then escaped the inning when Rutschman grounded into a double play on the first pitch.

“That was a big part of the game there,” Hyde said. “Bases loaded, nobody out, and we only get one.”

DEBUT

The Orioles called up OF prospect Heston Kjerstad from the minors before the game, and he made his debut in the eighth when he struck out as a pinch-hitter.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rays: Tampa Bay activated OF Manuel Margot (elbow) from the injured list. He did not play. Orioles: Hyde said 1B Ryan Mountcastle (shoulder) was feeling better after leaving Wednesday night’s game early, but he didn’t play Thursday.

UP NEXT

Tampa Bay sends RHP

Zach Eflin (14-8) to the mound Friday night against Baltimore’s Jack Flaherty (8-8). The Orioles will hold a pregame celebration when OF Adam Jones officially retires from pro baseball.

Aaron Judge hits grand slam to help Yankees beat Red Sox 8-5 for doubleheader split

By BRENDAN MCGAIR Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — Aaron Judge hit a grand slam, DJ LeMahieu broke an eighth-inning tie with an RBI double, and the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 8-5 on Thursday night to sweep a doubleheader.

Oswald Peraza hit his first career homer, a tworun shot in the ninth for the Yankees (74-73), who won three of four at Boston to draw even with their rival at the bottom of the AL East.

Earlier Thursday, the Red Sox fired Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom after nearly four seasons, then beat the Yankees 5-0 in the twinbill opener. Tanner Houck pitched six strong innings and registered his first win since April.

Boston made the playoffs once during Bloom’s tenure and enters the remaining weeks of the season seeking to avoid another last-place finish in the division.

“Obviously, it’s a decision that ownership decided to go this route. We worked together all these years. It’s never easy to hear that,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said between games.

In the nightcap, Judge slugged a 2-0 pitch from Brennan Bernardino over the wall in centre field with

the bases loaded in the second inning to make it 5-2. It was his 32nd homer of the season and sixth career grand slam.

Rafael Devers hit his 31st homer in the third to get the Red Sox within 5-3. Boston added a run in the fifth, and in the seventh, Triston Casas’ RBI groundout made it 5-5. LeMahieu hit the goahead double off Mauricio Llovera (1-2).

Wandy Peralta (4-2)

pitched the seventh for New York and Tommy Kahnle worked the final two innings for his second save.

FIRST GAME

In the opener, Houck (5-9) gave up four hits and struck out seven, and Trevor Story and rookie Ceddanne Rafaela homered for Boston. With the Red Sox ahead 2-0, Story hit a three-run shot into the centre-field batters’

eye in the eighth inning.

Houck capped off his outing by escaping a oneout, first-and-third jam in the sixth. The Yankees were shut out for the ninth time this season.

“Today was a big day for Tanner,” Cora said. “He needed six innings.”

New York right-hander Michael King (4-6) gave up a run and six hits in 4 2/3 innings. The relieverturned-starter who hails from Rhode Island and

played at Boston College struck out eight and walked one.

“It’s nice being back on that routine,” King said of being back in the rotation for his fifth start.

“I think that’s the main part of my body recovery that I feel like I missed (coming) out of the bullpen.”

Boston finished 9-4 against its rival this season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: Manager Aaron Boone said top prospect Jasson Domínguez will undergo Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow next Wednesday.

Boone said the recovery time for a position player is nine to 10 months.

Red Sox: Right-handers Zack Kelly (right elbow inflammation) and Corey Kluber (right shoulder inflammation) are both on rehab assignments. Cora didn’t know what they’d be doing next.

UP NEXT Yankees: RHP Gerrit Cole (13-4, 2.79 ERA) starts Friday in the opener of a weekend series at Pittsburgh.

Red Sox: RHP Brayan Bello (12-8, 3.68) starts Friday’s series opener at Toronto.

NEW York Yankees’

Aaron Judge hits a grand slam next to Boston Red Sox

catcher Reese McGuire during the second inning during the second game of a baseball doubleheader in Boston, Thursday. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

NEW York Yankees’ Aaron Judge celebrates his grand slam against the Boston Red Sox with Gleyber Torres (25). (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

TAMPA Bay Rays’ Randy Arozarena reacts after hitting a two-run triple to score Yandy Diaz and Brandon Lowe in the third inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Thursday, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

RAVENS’ LAMAR JACKSON IS HEALTHY THIS TIME AND GETS HIS SHOT TO FACE THE BENGALS IN CINCINNATI

By NOAH TRISTER AP Sports Writer

BALTIMORE (AP)

— When the Baltimore Ravens’ season came down to two big games at Cincinnati eight months ago, Lamar Jackson was absent with a knee injury.

“Very tough,” the star quarterback said this week. “One, I was injured. Two, I wasn’t able to travel with my guys and support them. Just being out of the game, that’s not something I want to do ever again.”

Jackson is back and healthy, and the Ravens are hoping for a different result in this week’s visit to Cincinnati.

Last season, Baltimore still had a chance to host a first-round playoff game before dropping its finale 27-16 to the Bengals.

In the postseason, the same teams played at the same site — and with Jackson again out, the Ravens lost 24-17.

Cincinnati is the twotime defending champion of the AFC North, and Jackson’s late-season injuries have played a role in that.

The Bengals also drubbed Baltimore 41-21 on the day after Christmas in 2021, with Josh Johnson playing quarterback for the Ravens.

Baltimore was more competitive with Cincinnati defensively last season.

The Ravens beat the Bengals 19-17 in October, and the playoff game was close even with Jackson watching from afar.

The key play in that game was Tyler Huntley’s fumble on a quarterback sneak at the goal line, which Cincinnati’s Sam Hubbard returned 98 yards for a tiebreaking touchdown.

“I feel like it was my fault a little bit, because I had to go use the restroom,” Jackson said. “Get up, and by the time I’m walking to the bathroom, I’m hearing cheers. I’m like, ‘What happened? What happened?’ I look, and (No.) 94 running the other way. I almost hit my screen.”

Jackson is 6-1 in seven starts against Cincinnati. Since he entered the NFL, Baltimore is 0-4 against the Bengals with any other starting quarterback, including the postseason.

“We lost a couple times, but I feel like we played strong games,” running back Gus Edwards said.

“We were in those games until the very end, and with Lamar back, we have our leader back.”

Both Jackson and Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow received big new contracts recently, but neither was all that good in Week 1. Jackson turned the ball over twice in a 25-9 win over Houston, and Burrow threw for only 82 yards in a 24-3 loss to Cleveland.

It’s not as though this is a must-win for Cincinnati, which also started 0-2 last season, but taking a two-game lead over the Bengals would be big for the Ravens.

Baltimore plays three divisional road games in the first five weeks, starting with this one.

Although Jackson is fine, the Ravens are already feeling the weight of injuries. They lost running back J.K. Dobbins to a torn Achilles tendon last weekend.

Safety Marcus Williams (pectoral), cornerback Marlon Humphrey (foot), center Tyler Linderbaum (ankle) and tackle Ronnie Stanley (knee) have not practiced this week.

Tight end Mark Andrews (quadriceps) missed the first game and has been limited in practice this week.

Unbeaten in FOUR starts vs. Patriots, Dolphins’ Tagovailoa brings NFL’s top offence into latest matchup

By KYLE HIGHTOWER AP Sports Writer

FOXBOROUGH, Mass.

(AP) — Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been an enigma for Bill Belichick in his matchups with the Patriots.

Tagovailoa’s made four starts against the future Hall of Fame coach. Four times he’s walked away with a victory.

That track record is also exactly why Tagovailoa is expecting the unexpected from Belichick’s defense heading into his fifth meeting with New England.

“Coach Belichick has been coaching in this league for way longer than I think I’ve been alive. So he knows exactly what he’s looking at when he coaches his guys,” Tagovailoa said.

“Nothing new under the sun for that guy. So we’ve got to come out, we’ve got to be prepared. We understand that that’s a physical team and they’re going to make us earn everything that we can.”

The Patriots did that in Week 1 against the defending NFC champion Eagles and quarterback Jalen Hurts, holding them to just one offensive touchdown in Philadelphia’s narrow win.

Containing Miami may be even harder. The Dolphins enter with the league’s topranked offence following a comeback win over the Los Angeles Chargers in which Miami had 536 yards. It was the most yards for a team in a Week 1 game since Baltimore had 643 yards in 2019.

Tagovailoa was a catalyst in the Dolphins’ production, passing for 466 yards and three touchdowns — including a late go-ahead TD pass to Tyreek Hill — in

their 36-34 victory over the Chargers. The performance earned him AFC offensive player of the week honors.

Belichick said Tagovailoa’s success has been a combination of melding his athleticism with the talent around him.

“He’s had tremendous production over the last couple of years, led the league in a lot of different categories passing the ball. So, they’ve got a really efficient guy running the offense,” Belichick said.

One of those players is Hill, who has accounted for six touchdowns in six total matchups against New England playing with Kansas City and Miami.

The task of defending him this week will partly fall to cornerback Jonathan Jones. He said the biggest challenge with Hill is that “he continues to get better,” finding new ways to

release from defenders and gain separation. Then his speed takes over.

“Any play he can take a 3-yard pass and take it the distance,” Jones said.

Complicating matters for the Patriots is that this will also be the first time they have seen Tagovailoa since last season’s opener. He was sidelined with a late-season concussion and missed the second meeting between the teams.

“It’s really underestimated how good he really is,” Jones said. “He’s won. If you look at his record since he’s been there he’s won a lot of games for them. Regardless of what people say, he’s won games and it’s a production business. … So, we’re going to have our work cut out for us.”

GOING DEEP

Tagovailoa led the NFL

with eight passes that traveled at least 20 yards last week.

His off-balance 47-yard completion to Hill on thirdand-10 was one of his best throws of the win over the Chargers. The pass traveled 50.8 air yards, according to NextGen Stats.

Tagovailoa’s ability to throw the ball deep has been criticised throughout his career.

“You can’t just take a drop in the NFL and just decide, ‘Hey, because everyone says I can’t throw the ball deep, let me just chuck this ball deep as far as I can.’”

Tagovailoa said Wednesday, “It entails everyone on the offensive side to work together, to be in symphony and guys to be at the right places at the right time.”

When asked if he still thinks people doubt his ability to throw the deep

ball, Tagovailoa smiled.

“I don’t care,” he said with a laugh. “That’s what 466 is if I can’t throw deep, thanks.”

ARMSTEAD’S

HEALTH Dolphins veteran left tackle Terron Armstead returned to practice Wednesday for the first time in nearly a month after he was injured during an August joint practice against Houston. He missed the opener with back, ankle and knee injuries but said he’s working on getting into playing shape.

“I missed a lot of time in training camp so I don’t have many reps under my belt for this campaign,” Armstead said, “so I definitely have to get those in and get into playing shape, get my hands right, my timing right, my communication right with the guys. You never know without doing it so I have to get in there and get active.”

TRUSTED ROOKIES

Patriots quarterback Mac Jones has stressed the importance of trust this season for an offence that is evolving under new coordinator Bill O’Brien.

Jones showed a lot of confidence in rookie receivers Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte, targeting them a total of 11 times in Week 1. Douglass caught four of his seven targets for 40 yards.

“They’re definitely dialed in on the details,” Jones said. “Really, it’s just trying to make sure we’re working together, which we are. They’re smart guys, and I want them to just go out there and play fast, and I feel like they both did that.”

RAMS ROOKIE PUKA NACUA MISSES PRACTICE WITH OBLIQUE INJURY AFTER DYNAMIC NFL DEBUT

By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.

(AP) — Puka Nacua is still getting used to the punishment he’ll have to absorb to be an NFL receiver.

The Los Angeles Rams rookie missed practice with an oblique injury Thursday, four days after taking several shots to the ribs in his debut game.

“In college, they definitely weren’t hitting like that,” a grinning Nacua said a day earlier, padding still stuck to his ribs after practice.

Nearly everything about Nacua’s first outing for the Rams was a major hit.

Nacua caught 10 passes for 119 yards in the Rams’ surprising 30-13 victory at Seattle last Sunday, immediately seizing an integral role in Los Angeles’ offence. Matthew Stafford showed confidence in the rookie fifth-round pick, targeting Nacua a whopping 15 times while the Rams’ offence dominated the ball for nearly 40 minutes.

The quick success wasn’t a surprise to the Rams, who have been talking up Nacua’s talent and intelligence since shortly after they grabbed him as the 20th receiver

LOS Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua celebrates after a catch against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 10, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

chosen in the draft. Nacua played two collegiate seasons at Washington and two more at BYU.

“His understanding of the game comes really natural to him,” Stafford said.

Nacua tied with Miami’s Tyreek Hill for the most targets in the NFL in Week 1, and only Hill (11) had more catches. It’s a high level of production to maintain, but the Rams are used to giving extensive work to one receiver: Cooper Kupp, the prolific Super Bowl MVP and triple crown of receiving winner.

Kupp is out for at least three more games on injured reserve after straining his hamstring early in training camp. His absence created an opportunity for Nacua and for seldom-used Tutu Atwell, and both wideouts seized it with a pair of 119-yard performances at Seattle.

Nacua calls Kupp “the man, the legend,” while praising the veteran’s willingness to share tips and tendencies with the younger wideouts.

“Because of the thousands of reps that he’s gotten with Matthew, he can probably tell us how to run these routes with his eyes closed,” Nacua said Wednesday. “And he’s like, ‘Hey, Matthew is expecting you to be here.’ So I’m trying to get that from him.”

Atwell spent the past two years in coach Sean McVay’s offence, but Nacua is still only a few months into his tenure. That made his debut even more impressive — and drew even more attention to Nacua, who is also learning how to handle his sudden rise in fame while fantasy football players across the nation rushed to acquire him this week.

Nacua said he still hasn’t plowed through all the messages left on his

phone and social media after the game.

“I deleted Twitter and Instagram before the game so I wouldn’t have them until after the game,” Nacua said. “That was a mistake, because I could have got on the front side of it all. But it’s still a blessing.”

The best part of Nacua’s Sunday came when he FaceTimed his mother and six siblings along with their families.

Some of his siblings were in Southern California celebrating a niece’s birthday with an outing to an amusement park.

“There was a lot of screaming, a lot of excitement,” Nacua said.

“I don’t even know if I really said any words. They said they were all wearing their jerseys at the little adventure park they went to, and everybody just kept coming up to them after the game.”

Nacua is just the fifth receiver in NFL history to have at least 10 catches in his debut. He could make history Sunday against San Francisco: No player drafted in the fifth round or later has made more than 14 catches in his first two NFL games, and the NFL record for any player’s first two games is 19 receptions.

MIAMI Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa celebrates after a 36-34 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 10, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

MIAMI Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa throws against the Los Angeles Charger during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 10, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

PORTUGAL BARELY CONTAINING EXCITEMENT FOR FIRST RUGBY WORLD CUP APPEARANCE IN 16 YEARS

NICE, France (AP) — Patrice Lagisquet has been trying hard to rein in his Portugal players, so eager are they to step on the Rugby World Cup stage after 16 years on Saturday against Wales in Nice.

“Players are very excited, maybe too much,” Lagisquet said on Thursday.

“The session this afternoon was a bit difficult, everybody was a bit nervous on the pitch. Because we are close to the game it was a bit difficult for all of them, to keep controlling what they do in the session.

“Everybody’s not expecting Portugal to qualify for the quarterfinal, but all of the players want to show they deserve to be at this World Cup and that they can play good rugby.”

There are no survivors from Portugal’s only previous World Cup appearance in 2007 but 13 of the matchday 23 play for clubs in France, though only one, hooker Mike Tadjer, for a Top 14 team, Perpignan.

“The 2007 squad really inspired some of these players to play at their very best,” captain Tomas Appleton said. “We want to inspire young kids to play and grow rugby in Portugal. As players it’s special to be amongst the best in the world and we want to show our qualities and our best rugby.”

Os Lobos, the Wolves, include 19 players who secured the 20th and last spot in the World Cup last November in Dubai where they drew with the United States 16-16 on a lastsecond Samuel Marques penalty kick. Marques is at scrumhalf.

Portugal has played only two warmup matches, the least of all 20 teams. Both were riddled with penalties. The U.S. was beaten 46-20 after a slow start, and an Australia A team with Bernard Foley and Tom Wright was lost to by 30-17 after 17-17 at the hour mark.

Many of the Portuguese were part of teams which won the European Under20s for three years in a row and reached the final of the second-tier World Rugby U20 Trophy in 2017 and 2019.

Their aim is to win a pool game but its not likely to be against Wales.

“We know the reality,” Appleton said. “Every young kid, every young generation needs a team to look up to and a team that wins and gets results. To be present at a Rugby World Cup is the best result we could get.”

Wales made 13 changes on Wednesday, three days after beating Fiji 32-26 and retained only No. 8 Taulupe Faletau and wing Louis Rees Zammit in the starting side.

Four Welsh starters will make their World Cup debuts in captain and hooker Dewi Lake, lock Christ Tshiunza and centers Mason Grady and Johnny Williams. Taine Basham may also get a first World Cup appearance off the bench.

Tshiunza is pinching himself that he’s at the World Cup playing, beside his Exeter clubmate Dafydd Jenkins in the second row.

“It is still a bit weird,” Tshiunza said. “We are roommates as well, and sometimes we just, like, lay in bed and look over at each other and say, ‘What are we doing here? To be 20 years old, what have we done to deserve this?’

“It is very surreal at the moment, but after this tournament we will look back and be glad we did it together.”

In regard to Portugal, Wales coach Warren Gatland likened Os Lobos to Fiji.

“They are kind of similar ... they play a lot of rugby, they’ve got some exciting players, they like to move the ball around, so we’ve kind of prepared almost in the same way we prepared against Fiji,” Gatland said.

Portugal’s expansive approach under 1980s France great Lagisquet has seen the wings tally incredible numbers: Rodrigo Marta has 28 tries in 32 tests, and Vincent Pinto, who won the 2019 world under-20 championship with France, has 10 in 14 matches. Reserve wing Raffaele Storti has 15 in 22. All are aged 22-24.

Second-string France struggles to beat feisty Uruguay at Rugby World Cup

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN AP Sports Writer

LILLE, France (AP) — A week after France was lionized for dispatching New Zealand, its second string was whistled and booed after a second-rate win against Uruguay on Thursday.

While the underwhelming 27-12 result moved France closer to the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals, the performance was a step backwards in the face of a spirited Uruguay which fought magnificently.

The 49,000 spectators at Stade Pierre Mauroy, more accustomed to soccer than rugby in this northern part of France, made their displeasure at France’s performance heard.

Coach Fabien Galthie changed 12 of the starting XV who defeated three-time champion New Zealand in Paris, but the replacements did not rise to the occasion. They were denied a four-tries bonus point.

“We were surprised (by Uruguay),” Galthie said. “And then you have doubts. It’s the type of match we call ‘trap matches.’ You have to put the right ingredients in the right place at the right time — maybe we got things a bit mixed up.”

The backline was cramped by Uruguay’s defence, the maul was ineffective and the scrum won penalties at the start but was conceding them

by the finish. Uruguay outhustled the host. France gave away only five penalties to New Zealand but 15 to Los Teros.

“It’s unacceptable at international level. We’re lucky to win this match with 15 penalties,” lock Cameron Woki said. “I thought we’d done a lot of work on discipline. There’s a lot of frustration. We respected them, but we

weren’t able to play our game. We weren’t patient.”

Uruguay’s second try had it trailing only 13-12 after 53 minutes, and France went further ahead thanks only to a large slice of luck. Uruguay flyhalf Felipe Etcheverry clearance-kicked into a teammate and France replacement Peato Mauvaka collected the ball and scored. France’s third and last try

NEW ZEALAND KEEN TO FIX THE BASICS IN SECOND RUGBY WORLD CUP MATCH

TOULOUSE, France (AP) — New Zealand should rack up a pile of points against Namibia on Friday in the Rugby World Cup.

It has more important needs, though.

New Zealand’s set-piece has been unsteady in its last two matches — both historic defeats to France and South Africa — and coach Ian Foster wants his side to start fixing its foundations.

The All Blacks are traditionally quick to repair issues, so after the record-sized thrashing from South Africa last month, they were expected to make a statement against France in the World Cup opening match in Paris last Friday. But the same issues persisted, and New Zealand lost a pool game for the first time in tournament history.

It has three more pool games — Namibia, Italy, Uruguay — to get its mojo back in time for an expected quarterfinal against probably South Africa or Ireland.

“We still want to play (an attacking game) but we also know in those big games that you’ve got to get some basics right,” Foster said.

NEW ZEALAND vs NAMIBIA

(New Zealand 2-0 overall, 2-0 in RWC)

The scrum against France conceded two penalties and a free kick. One throw-in was lost. From their

kick-chase, the All Blacks retained only five of their 17 attacking kicks, and conceded two more penalties.

They gave away 12 penalties in all, and France goalkicked five of them. France conceded only four penalties.

“You’ve got to get your set-piece right,” Foster said. “If you start to creak there or you misinterpret what the refs want, then that generates pressure. That was one of the big lessons in that France game.”

The All Blacks have made 10 changes but are also taking the game seriously by picking their best four available props and their two

by unmarked wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who became the youngest Frenchman to play at a World Cup at 20, sealed the result late and a record-extending 16th straight win at home. But Los Teros fought to the end and France finished under a yellow card warning.

This was the first ever test between the teams and Uruguay — which qualified as Americas 1 — fielded one of its most experienced sides, with 11 starters from the 2019 World Cup and five who play for clubs in France. They were not intimidated, and were inspired by the presence of President Luis Lacalle Pou.

“We are really proud of what we’ve done against one of the best teams, which is among the favourites for the title,” Uruguay coach Esteban Meneses said. “We fought toe to toe, we brought passion.”

Melvyn Jaminet booted the first points from a scrum penalty, but he was caught cold three minutes later when he couldn’t reach an Etcheverry cross-field kick and wing Nicolas Freitas collected the ball to score the opening try and silence the stadium.

France regrouped quickly.

Yoram Moefana’s dummy run from a scrum hesitated the Uruguayans long enough for flyhalf Antoine Hastoy to angle in for 10-5.

France looked like it

would enjoy a comfortable evening. It monopolised the ball and deployed attacks at ease. Jaminet’s second penalty made it 13-5 after 16 minutes.

But then France lock Romain Taofifenua was sinbinned for a shoulder-led hit on Santiago Arata’s head. He appeared fortunate to be carded only a yellow, but it changed the momentum.

France mistakes compounded and Etcheverry scored beside the posts. But the try was canceled because of obstruction.

Uruguay was emboldened, though.

More set-piece errors by France seemed to be compensated when Gabin Villiere scored, but that was canceled by a knock on.

Uruguay made no mistake though when fullback Baltazar Amaya stepped Arthur Vincent and slipped Jaminet to score and Etcheverry converted from the sideline.

Uruguay trailed by one point, and the French crowd was booing.

Mauvaka got a lucky rebound to settle the crowd somewhat and Bielle-Biarrey let the fans breathe a lot easier with his 72nd-minute try. Jaminet also converted that to finish with 12 points.

France next faces Namibia, while Uruguay gave Italy fair warning of what’s coming next Wednesday. Said captain Andres Vilaseca, “This is only the beginning for us.”

best locks: Sam Whitelock, who will tie Richie McCaw’s New Zealand caps record of 148, and Brodie Retallick will extend their world record second-row partnership to 66 tests.

New Zealand is also under pressure to play hard for 80 minutes after fading against France.

Namibia won’t be expected to last 80. Its conditioning faded against Italy and gave up three tries in the last 10 minutes last weekend.

The pragmatic Namibians also want to get their set-piece right. Italy was stronger in the maul and scrum and made it count. To them,

any improvement will help toward their main goal — beating Uruguay at the end of the month and ending their 14-year World Cup losing run.

Namibia has eight survivors from the 2019 match that was lost 71-9 in Tokyo, and lock Johan Retief said that experience will make a difference.

“I remember (2019), the whole team was stressed,” Retief said.

“This time a lot of players have played already against them so it’s more comfortable, more relaxed. We know what we are going to face.”

FRANCE’S GABIN VILLIERE, right, challenges during the Rugby World Cup Pool A match between France and Uruguay at the Pierre Mauroy stadium in Villeneuved’Ascq, near Lille, France, Thursday. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

NEW Zealand’s Samuel Whitelock, top left, and France’s Charles Ollivon, top right, lunge for the ball during the Rugby World Cup Pool A match between France and New Zealand at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, Friday, Sept. 8, France won 27-13. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)

FRANCE’S Yoram Moefana controls the ball during the Rugby World Cup Pool A match between France and Uruguay at the Pierre Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, near Lille, France, Thursday. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Casino giant Caesars reports cyber attack

LAS VEGAS

Associated Press

CASINO company

Caesars Entertainment

on Thursday joined Las Vegas gambling rival MGM Resorts International in reporting that it was hit by a cyberattack, but added in a report to federal regulators that its casino and online operations were not disrupted.

The Reno-based publicly traded company told the federal Securities and Exchange Commission that it could not guarantee that personal information about tens of millions of customers was secure following a data breach on September 7 that may have exposed driver’s license and Social Security numbers of loyalty rewards members.

“We have taken steps to ensure that the stolen data is deleted by the unauthorised actor,” the company said, “although we cannot guarantee this result.”

Brett Callow, threat

TRACKING MAP

analyst for the New Zealand-based cybersecurity firm Emsisoft, said it was not clear if a ransom was paid or who was responsible for the intrusion — and for the attack reported Monday by MGM Resorts.

“Unofficially, we saw a group called Scattered Spider claimed responsibility,” Callow said. “They appear to be native English speakers under the umbrella of a Russia-based operation called ALPHV

or BlackCat.”

Caesars is the largest casino owner in the world, with more than 65 million Caesars Rewards members and properties in 18 states and Canada under the Caesars, Harrah’s, Horseshoe and Eldorado brands. It also has mobile and online operations and sports betting. Company officials did not respond to emailed questions from The Associated Press.

The company told the

SEC that loyalty program customers were being offered credit monitoring and identity theft protection.

There was no evidence the intruder obtained member passwords or bank account and payment card information, the company reported, adding that operations at casinos and online “have not been impacted by this incident and continue without disruption”.

The disclosure by Caesars came after MGM Resorts International, the largest casino company in Las Vegas, reported publicly on Monday that a cyberattack that it detected Sunday led it to shut down computer systems at its properties across the US to protect data.

MGM Resorts said reservations and casino floors in Las Vegas and other states were affected. Customers shared stories on social media about not being able to make credit card

transactions, obtain money from cash machines or enter hotel rooms. Some video slot machines were dark.

MGM Resorts has has about 40 million loyalty rewards members and tens of thousands of hotel rooms in Las Vegas at properties including the MGM Grand, Bellagio, Aria and Mandalay Bay. It also operates properties in China and Macau.

A company report on Tuesday to the SEC pointed to its Monday news release. The FBI said an investigation was ongoing but offered no additional information.

Some MGM Resorts computer systems were still down Thursday, including hotel reservations and payroll. But company spokesman Brian Ahern said its 75,000 employees in the US and abroad were expected to be paid on time.

Callow, speaking by telephone from British Columbia, Canada, called

most media accounts of the incidents speculative because information appeared to be coming from the same entities that claim to have carried out the attacks. He said recovery from cyberattacks can take months.

Callow pointed to reports that he called “plausible” that Caesars Entertainment was asked to pay $30m for a promise to secure its data and may have paid $15m. He also noted that the company did not describe in the SEC report the steps taken to ensure that the stolen data was secure.

The highest ransom believed to have been paid to cyber-attackers was $40m by insurance giant CNA Financial, Callow said, following a data breach in March 2021.

“In these cases, organisations basically pay to get a ‘pinky promise,’” he said. “There is no way to actually know that (hackers) do delete (stolen data) or that it won’t be used elsewhere.”

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

PEOPLE walk by the MGM Grand hotel-casino on Wednesday, in Las Vegas.

Photo: John Locher/AP

PINTARD: URCA MUST EXPLAIN BPL 163% FUEL HIKE APPROVAL

“URCA is an extremely important body for the Bahamian people, and URCA should be careful not to permit policymakers to impact their conduct and discharge of their duties,” Mr Pintard told this newspaper. “They should publish their report and address a number of concerns we have raised earlier and which have not been addressed.

“A failure to hold the Government to account to explain the rationale for their decision makes them part and parcel of the group that assisted the Government in making this ill-advised decision. The public is relying on URCA to be the watchdog, to be the agency that holds the corporation [BPL] and, by extension, the Government accountable for the decisions they made that affect the livelihoods of various businesses and the quality of life of citizens.

“URCA has to release the report, and explain why it gave the Government and BPL permission to proceed

[with the fuel charge hikes] when all the facts in the public domain did not support URCA’s view.” Asked whether URCA has failed in its duty to protect the interests of consumers, Mr Pintard replied: “Clearly that is implied in all that is happening. I’ll let the public come to that conclusion themselves. I don’t need to state that.”

URCA, in responding to public complaints over skyhigh light bills as a result of BPL’s fuel charge hike, said on Wednesday: “URCA considers electricity a basic necessity that should be affordable and remains concerned about the impact of high electricity bills on BPL’s customers and the economy.”

Yet, as BPL’s regulator, it late last year approved the very strategy and actions that has made electricity increasingly unaffordable for all. “As the regulator for the country’s electricity sector, URCA conducted a comprehensive review of BPL’s fuel charge increase proposal. At the conclusion of that review, URCA determined that it is satisfied that BPL has made an adequate case for the

rate increases outlined in its press statement dated October 4, 2022,” URCA said. Seeking to soften the blow from its verdict, URCA promised to undertake ongoing monitoring and reviews of BPL’s fuel charge during 2023 to ensure the utility is operating efficiently and levying the correct charges on customers.

“The regulator notes that BPL’s justification for the changes to the fuel charge is based on conditions that are likely to change,” URCA added. “Therefore, it is URCA’s intent to revisit that matter to ensure that BPL is operating efficiently and charging customers appropriately. URCA has advised its licensee (BPL) of its intent to review its fuel charge again during the projected glide path fuel charge recovery period, and it will make public notice of the same as necessary.”

URCA has never disclosed the full analysis, or review, that it conducted to justify its conclusion that BPL fuel charge hikes of up to 163 percent were warranted. And the timing of

its review, and news release, was more than one month after BPL had already begun to implement the phased increases. Mr Pintard yesterday reiterated that URCA had failed to address whether the Davis administration had broken the law by providing funding, either via a loan or subsidy, to BPL to enable it to keep the fuel charge at an artificiallylow 10.5 cents per kilowatt hour (KWh) between late 2021 and October 2022 even though the utility was paying a far higher price for its fuel because the Government had not executed the trades/purchases needed to support the hedging strategy.

The repayment of that funding, and eliminating prior fuel cost under-recovery, is why Bahamians are now paying such steep prices for electricity. URCA has also failed to address questions of whether the Government, and BPL, were in violation of the law - in particular the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (Amendment) Regulations 2020 - which were enacted to facilitate the state-owned energy monopoly’s fuel

hedging initiative.

These required BPL to pass 100 percent of its fuel costs on to consumers, but the present bills and prior fuel charge under-recover suggest this did not happen between late 2021 and October. And Mr Pintard yesterday called on URCA and BPL to explain why they are so confident electricity rates have peaked, while asking them to forecast what the fuel charge will ultimately decline to.

“In recent discussions, BPL confirmed that fuel charges have reached their peak and customers can expect lower rates moving forward,” URCA said in its Wednesday statement. “The company has confirmed the fuel charge will decline this month for many consumers and will be reflected in those consumers’ electricity bills next month.”

However, any decline in consumer bills is unlikely to be significant in the nearterm. While it is correct that BPL’s fuel charge peaked at 27.6 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) over the threemonths between June 1 and August 31, 2023, it will only fall slightly - to 25 cents

- between September and November for consumers using more than 800 kWh, before falling further to 18 cents between December 1, 2023, and February 28, 2024.

“BPL’s glide path strategy was designed to slowly increase the fuel charge to a peak this summer and then decrease the fuel charge continuously through the end of February 2024. By March 2024, BPL is expected to have paid off its outstanding fuel debt. This means that, as of March 2024, bills are expected to only reflect the actual cost of fuel used in supplying consumers,” URCA continued.

“At that point, provided the market price of fuel remains the same, or decreases, the charge for fuel will naturally decrease. Hence, consumers will receive a lower bill for the same amount of consumption.” However, the actual fuel charges incurred between now and March 2024 will also depend on international oil prices, and in the meantime there will be no relief for Bahamian households and businesses.

NATIONAL DEBT UP $458M DESPITE RATIOS DECLINING

“The Government’s contingent liabilities reduced by $1m (0.3 percent) over the quarter, and by $5.2m (1.3 percent) on an annual basis, to $389.6m. As a result, the national debt, inclusive of contingent liabilities, rose by $150.2m (1.3 percent) over the three month period and by $457.5m (4.1 percent) yearover-year to $11.645bn.

“Given the recovery in

the GDP estimates, the ratio of the direct charge to GDP fell by an estimated 5.3 percentage points on a yearly basis to 81.9 percent at end-June. In addition, the national debt-to-GDP decreased to an estimated 84.8 percent from 90.4 percent in the same quarter of 2022.” Thus while the ratios may be falling, the national debt in absolute terms continues to climb ahead of the Government’s hopes of achieving a budget surplus in 2024-2025. When it came to foreign currency debt, the Central Bank report added: “During the second quarter, public sector foreign currency debt increased by $131.2m (2.3 percent) to $5.776bn, and by $173.3m

(3.1 percent) vis-à-vis the same period last year. In particular, new drawings of $260.1m outpaced amortisation payments of $123.5.

“A breakdown by components showed that the Government’s outstanding liabilities, at 92.1 percent of the total, rose by $143.5m (2.8 percent) to $5.319bn on a quarterly basis. In contrast, the public corporations’ debt stock decreased by $12.3 million (2.6 percent) to $457.2m.

“Total foreign currency debt service payments reduced by $27.8m (9.9 percent) to $252.7m in comparison to the same quarter of 2022,” the Central Bank added.

“The outturn was largely attributed to a $30.7m

(11.7 percent) decline in the Government’s debt service payments to $231.8m, as interest charges fell by $39.6m (24.7 percent) to $120.6m, while amortisation payments rose by $8.9m (8.7 percent) to $111.2m.

“In contrast, the public corporations’ debt service payments grew by $2.9m (16.3 percent) to $20.9m, with amortisation payments increasing by $3m (31.7 percent) to $12.3m, while interest charges edged down by $0.1m (0.6 percent) to $8.5m. As a consequence of these developments, the debt service ratio decreased by 4.8 percentage points over the year to 16 percent at end-June.”

As for construction industry developments, the

www.bisxbahamas.com

Central Bank said these “continued to be undergirded by a number of new and ongoing varied-scale foreign investment projects.

However, domestic private sector activity remained restrained” during the three months to end-June 2023.

“On the domestic side, total mortgage disbursements for new construction and repairs - as reported by banks, insurance companies and the Bahamas Mortgage Corporation - increased by 5.6 percent ($1.1m) to $20.3m, a reversal from a 21.8 percent decline in the comparable period of the preceding year. Underlying this outturn, residential disbursements grew by 11.7 percent ($2.1m) to $20.2m, a switch from a 25.1 percent reduction in 2022,” the Central Bank said.

“In contrast, commercial disbursements reduced sharply by 96.6 per-

cent ($1m) to $0.04m, a shift from a two-fold expansion in the year prior. Compared to the same period in 2022, total mortgage commitments for new buildings and repairs - a forward-looking indicator of domestic activity - decreased by 18 to 64, with the corresponding value reducing by 18.2 percent to $19.4m.

“Categorized by loan type, the number of undisbursed residential commitments fell by 14 to 64, with the associated value declining by $3.2m (14.1 percent) to $19.4m. Further, there were no commitments for new commercial buildings and repairs during the review quarter, compared to four commitments valued at $1.1m a year earlier. With regard to interest rates, the average financing costs for residential mortgages narrowed by 42 basis points to 6.33 percent.”

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that IFAUCA GUSTAVE DORVILUS, of P.O. Box EL-27675 Leo Pinder Street, Spanish Wells, Eleuthera, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 15th day of September, 2023 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that HERNIZIA MAXIME of Coral Breeze, Nassau, The Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 8th day of September, 2023 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that BERNSON JOSEPH, of Wells Lane off Parkgate Road, New Providence, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 8th day of September 2023 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

‘Instant payback’: Doctors in revenue doubling to $120m

from page 24

of Doctors Hospital relative to its pre-COVID revenue statement,” the chief financial officer told Tribune Business. “Without giving concrete details, I think we can kind of foreshadow what our expectations are for the full year. That’s a strong signal to the market regarding the uptick in our services.”

“We expect a very, very strong 2024, and revenues are likely to be twice what they were compared to the pre-COVID baseline. I think that would represent a doubling of our size, and there’s nothing we see to suggest that is not likely.”

Mr Deveaux said Doctors Hospital’s annual revenues pre-COVID had reached $60.8m, meaning that the projected “doubling” would take this year’s top-line to around $120m even in the absence of pandemicrelated care that provided a major boost to the company’s financial performance during the two financial years prior to 2023.

With COVID testing no longer mandatory, and its Bahamas Medical Centre facility at Blake Road no longer required for the treatment of virus-stricken patients, Doctors Hospital’s profits declined by almost $27m year-over-year - falling to $1.855m from $28.671m. This was driven entirely by the decline in total revenues, which fell by 21.2 percent year-overyear from $128.362m to $101.203m, as expenses actually dropped by almost $650,000.

“Our top-line reflects a return to post-COVID normality,” Mr Deveaux said of the 2023 results, “but our bottom line reflects a period of significant investment in the future of healthcare in the country with $6.6m invested in fiscal 2023. We thought it was important to put back into the future infrastructure of Doctors Hospital.

“A couple of them, which will feature in the annual report, is we’ve invested in a new electronic health record system so that wherever people are in the country, and they go into a Doctors Hospital facility, we’re able to find out what is happening to them and can see what is happening to them.

“We’ve opened our inaugural facility in Grand Bahama in fiscal 2023, the Kavala Medical Centre in Eight Mile Rock. We established a new clinic in Carmichael, we put a brand new pharmacy in at The Pointe in anticipation of the new cruise port, and we put a clinic in the basement at Baha Mar to serve the needs of guests and staff.

It’s part of the core infrastructure for Baha Mar,” he added.

“Our fiscal 2023 revenue is north of $100m, and preCOVID it was $60.8m. It’s a fairly significant jump, post-COVID versus preCOVID, based on the investments we have made. The most important is the electronic health record. Our timeline to fairly robust revenues has been, in all our facilities, almost instant. As an example, at The Pointe, our revenue curve was almost instant.

“We see demand for our services continuing to grow, and we are seeing an immediate response in terms of usage of these facilities right when they’ve opened, so the return on investment has been strong and the payback time really short. It’s a validation of the investments themselves, and it’s something we’re going to double down on going into 2024 and beyond,” Mr Deveaux continued.

“It is definitely exceeding the projections we would have had initially, and just tying that to higher demand for healthcare services. We believe it’s a resounding vote of confidence in Doctor’s Hospital and what it has done to invest in private, quality medicine in the country.”

Mr Deveaux revealed that Doctors Hospital had last week opened an “urgent care facility” on Freeport’s West Mall Drive to serve the downtown area as a seven-day operation that will meet healthcare demand ahead of the opening of Grand Bahama’s new hospital.

Turning to the hospital, which will be located in Freeport’s First Commercial Centre, he told Tribune Business: “We continue to plug along. We want to foreshadow that the opening of the Grand Bahama Hospital will take place in the summer or fall of next year, likely in the fall.

“Importantly, we are on budget, although we have made concessions to the schedule. The project itself is on budget because of the significant investment we did in planning on the front-end. We took about 18 months to plan that hospital with Veritas and The Architects Incorporated. Our latest projection is that we estimate the hospital is right on budget.

“The budget for the whole hospital is between $25m-$30m, and we continue to hold to that. We’re approaching roughly $10m invested to-date; it’s not an exact figure, and is probably a little lower than that, but it’s approximately a $10m investment in construction and equipment,” Mr Deveaux said.

BOTSWANA DELEGATION IN FOOD DISCUSSIONS

TWO

Botswana government ministers met their Bahamian counterparts and local officials to discuss food security and related matters during this week’s state visit by the African country’s president.

Fidelis

OUTGOING minister of agriculture, Clay Sweeting, presented a gift to Botswana’s minister of local government and rural development, Kgotia K Autlwetse, during a counterpart meeting held this Wednesday.

M Molao, minister of agriculture, and Kgotia

K Autlwetse, minister of local government and rural development, accompanied by a delegation of senior officials met with outgoing minister of agriculture, Clay Sweeting, and his successor, Jomo Campbell.

Also present were senior officials representing the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC), Bahamas Agri-

“The construction part, we expect to deliver that on budget. That’s important for the confidence of the shareholders. Investors want to know that, for a big project, you are able to deliver it within a reasonable range of what it costs and all indications point to us being able to do that.”

Doctors Hospital’s financial chief said that if all the “one-off”, non-recurring spending associated with its $6.6m investments was removed from the 2023 financials “our actual profit level would have more than doubled compared to pre-COVID”.

He added: “The return on sales is just under 8.4-8.5 percent. This demonstrates a level of efficiency relative to pre-COVID. We’ve grown the top-line from $60m to north of $100m, and when you pull-out the one-time expenditures we’ve grown our efficiency.

“My measure of efficiency is return on sales; for every dollar of revenue, what do you net in profit?

Pre-COVID we were just north of 6.8 percent. If you look at our post-COVID, we’re now well north of 8.3 percent. Our efficiency rate in the 2024 first quarter is trending north of 10 percent

if we measure efficiency with return on sales.”

Mr Deveaux added that Doctors Hospital has largely been able to contain inflationary pressures apart from food costs, as it has absorbed some of the price increases to avoid passing these on to staff in their daily meals. As for staff wages and benefits, these fell by $4.65m yearover-year from $43.369m in 2022 to $39.004m, inside the target ‘40 percent of sales’ ratio.

“We continue to hold the line,” he said. “Our target is to be at or above the market in terms of wages.

We continue to assess our salary scales throughout the year. It’s not done annually; it’s done throughout the year, and we make adjustments appropriately based on what is happening in the market.

“A key metric for us is keeping salaries and personnel costs at less than 40 percent of revenues. We also engaged EY, and they helped us with some significant productivity improvements. I think wage inflation is one side of the story, and you have to be competitive, and the other side is productivity. We have to look at both.”

cultural and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI), Bahamas Agricultural Food Safety Authority, the Department of Agriculture, Department of Marine Resources, Family Island Affairs, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) and Department of Cooperative Development.

During the meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture on East Bay Street, the two sides discussed poultry (egg), beef and pineapple production plus food safety.

Photo: BIS

LODGE OWNER IN BLAST AT ‘DEPLORABLE’ UTILITY CRISIS

Recalling how she had been unable to attend a Promotion Board meeting on Zoom on Monday afternoon due to the loss of BTC connectivity, the Swain’s Cay chief said the Water & Sewerage Corporation’s water supply is frequently cut-off and interrupted when BPL goes out because its wellfield pumps rely on the state-owned utility and have no back-up generators.

While other Mangrove Cay residents have told this newspaper that the water supply issues are due to leaking and damaged pipes, Ms Bastian, who said she took on her “fully Bahamian-owned” lodge because “Bahamians need to win”, argued that current service quality woes left her with no choice but to “name and shame”.

“We’ve always been having electricity problems, water problems, Internet problems,” she conceded,

“but for almost a month now we’re down to three hours. Our guests will check-out because the light is off for three hours, on for three hours, going back and forth.

“Its absolutely deplorable. People don’t speak out here, but I want to speak out. We need to shame and blame. It’s horrible. You wake up this morning and BTC was out again. They were out yesterday about half the day. OK? Light is going out, light is going on. The water company, you get generators so that when the lights go out it doesn’t affect the water; giving simple water to the community.

“We cannot do wells around here. It’s all brackish, and most people can’t afford to do it. It’s just lousy. We have our MP, Leon Lundy. Right? People have got to jet set around and do things for The Bahamas, but they have to make sure their happy. I mean, all these things happening. It’s terrible. There’s no reason why BPL should be

TULIP GARDENS MANAGEMENT LIMITED

N O T I C E IS HEREBY GIVEN as follows:

(a) TULIP GARDENS MANAGEMENT LIMITED is in voluntary dissolution under the provisions of Section 138 (4) of the International Business Companies Act 2000.

(b) The dissolution of the said company commenced on the 12th September, 2023 when the Articles of Dissolution were submitted to and registered by the Registrar General.

(c) The Liquidator of the said company is CST Administration (Bahamas) Limited, of The Bahamas Financial Centre, Shirley and Charlotte Streets, PO Box N-3023, Nassau, Bahamas.

Dated this 15th day of September, A. D. 2023

CST Administration (Bahamas) Limited Liquidator

HAVERSTOCK

HILL LIMITED

N O T I C E IS HEREBY GIVEN as follows:

(a) HAVERSTOCK HILL LIMITED is in voluntary dissolution under the provisions of Section 138 (4) of the International Business Companies Act 2000.

(b) The dissolution of the said company commenced on the 14th September, 2023 when the Articles of Dissolution were submitted to and registered by the Registrar General.

(c) The Liquidator of the said company is Leeward Nominees Limited, Vistra Corporate Services Centre, Wickhams Cay II, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands VG1110.

Dated this 15th day of September, A. D. 2023

Leeward Nominees Limited Liquidator

going off every three hours. They need to send a technician to fix this by now. My goodness, it’s almost been a month.”

Ms Bastian added:

“Please, we need some kind of help. We need some kind of shame before somebody freaks. It’s just horrible, the deplorable situation with electricity with BPL, water with the Water & Sewerage Corporation. With BTC, there’s nobody even in their office.

“They have a technician come down once a week from south Andros. They have no one in their office. They don’t even answer the phone. Their phones aren’t working. They are useless, they are useless.”

Ms Bastian subsequently confirmed her experiences in an interview with Tribune Business, describing the quality and consistency of service from all three utilities as “the worst ever” and “unimaginable”.

“I think I’m in a nightmare,” she added. “People can’t sleep at night with the power off. My assistant, the day before yesterday, said she cannot come into work because she is so worn out. It is going off, for the last week, at least every three, four, five hours, and for the last two days every three hours. Over the last month it’s been going off consistently for four to five times a day.

“The landline and Internet are off consistently. Consistently. I’ve been back a week and a few days. Prior to that, the

landline and Internet were off for two weeks straight. I said to my assistant that I would be better off answering e-mails for the lodge in Nassau. I stayed in Nassau for an extra two weeks in August.”

While BTC service had improved following her return, Ms Bastian said both the Internet and landline remain “in and out”, culminating in her missing Promotion Board meetings on Monday afternoon. She voiced fears for the impact the utility woes will have for visitor bookings with the upcoming fishing season’s start just weeks away in October.

“We’re moving hopefully into the fishing season that commences in the first part of October,” she told Tribune Business. “This is the booking window when guests call to book for the season. It impacts business when you’re trying to do reservations. You need electricity.

“My season opens on October 1. I’m going to look for solar panels, but they won’t be installed in time and not everyone can afford them. I’m very concerned; extremely concerned. I’m privileged to have a full house coming on I think October 15-17, but I don’t know what the answer is right now. How can they deal with this?

“I have my first set of people coming on October 6. There’s six of them. They seem a bit finicky. I don’t know how to deal with that. What do I say to them?”

Ms Bastian’s complaints were also backed by fellow Mangrove Cay resident, Norman Trabulsky Jr, in a voice note sent to Tribune Business

BPL, in a statement, revealed they have been experiencing generation challenges in the Mangrove Cay and south Andros area that has caused load shedding in three-hour intervals. “Recently, we experienced generation challenges that resulted in several days of load shedding between Saturday, September 9, and early Wednesday morning (September 13, 2023),” it conceded.

“With two units out of service, we are unable to meet the usual demand for the area and customers experienced outages in three-hour intervals. BPL said service in Mangrove Cay and South Andros was restored on Wednesday, and that its area team is working to improve generation capacity.

It added: “On Wednesday, the team was successful in completing repairs to one of the two units. At this point, there is sufficient generation that all customers in Mangrove Cay and South Andros have full service from BPL. Nonetheless, we understand the importance of ensuring that sufficient back-up exists so that customers are not impacted if there is a challenge with one of the available units or allowing for necessary maintenance.

“Our team is presently

STRIKING HOLLYWOOD WRITERS

LOS ANGELES Associated Press CONTRACT talks that could end Hollywood’s writers strike are set to resume next week, studios

said Thursday. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the industry’s studios, streaming services and production companies in union

N O T I C E

International Business Companies Act (No. 45 of 2000)

NADLER NO GMO POPCORN CO. LTD.

Registration No. IBC 201707 B

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 138 (8) of the International Business Companies Act, 2000 notice is hereby given that NADLER NO GMO POPCORN CO. LTD. has been dissolved and struck off the Register of Companies with effect from the 18th day of August, 2023.

Galnom Ltd. Liquidator

working to get the second unit that is out of service operational to improve our generating capabilities in Mangrove Cay and South Andros. We apologise to our customers who experienced bouts of supply interruption during those days and assure them that we continue to work to ensure consistent service to their communities.”

BTC, meanwhile, advised that it is upgrading equipment in Little Creek and Driggs Hill and this could impact fixed-line and data services. BTC added that it is undertaking a migration exercise in Andros that should be completed before the end of the month.

Gregory Stubbs, the Water & Sewerage Corporation’s acting general manager for the Family islands, acknowledged that power outages may be impacting water supplies in Mangrove Cay. “South Andros and Mangrove Cay have two different systems. We do not have any issues in Mangrove Cay itself; our system is up and running without any issues in the Mangrove Cay area,” he said.

“I’m not saying we have zero issues in Mangrove Cay, but our main issues are in South Andros. There have been some electrical issues in Mangrove Cay that could have affected our service… So while there may have been some minor issues there are no major issues in Mangrove Cay.”

TO RESUME TALKS

negotiations, said in a statement that they had reached out to the Writers Guild of America on Wednesday and the two sides agreed to resume negotiations next week.

Leaders are still working out the details, the statement said, and no further specifics were provided.

“Every member company of the AMPTP is committed and eager to reach a fair deal, and to working together with the WGA to end the strike,” the statement said.

There are no talks yet planned to settle the actors strike.

Writers have been on strike for 4 1/2 months over issues including pay, job security and regulating the use of artificial intelligence.

A previous attempt to restart talks fell flat. The two sides had a handful of meetings in mid-August, including one that included the heads of Disney, Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery. But writers said that after exchanging contract proposals, “they were met with a lecture about how good their single and only counteroffer was,” and the talks trailed off.

Exuma project pledging 300 jobs back on track

from page 24

Employees who live on Exuma will be able to travel to the cays for daily operations via provided transportation. The community of Barraterre will benefit directly from community outreach programmes for educational support and infrastructure development.”

The developer is named as ADH Ltd, which is described as a “Bahamian real estate development company”, although its principals are not named in the EIA. The only person mentioned who is associated with ADH is Sarah Morley, who was described as its development director.

However, well-placed sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the principal Children’s Bay Cay and Williams Cay developer remains Swiss businesswoman and billionaire, Dona Bertarelli, who signed a Heads of Agreement for the project with the last Christie administration more than seven years ago in late January 2016.

“It was never ever forsaken,” one contact said of the development. “It was postponed, there were different management companies that came in. At times there was less involvement by the developer.” Given the time that has elapsed between the Heads of Agreement signing, many Exuma residents and other Bahamians may need some reassurance and convincing that it is actually moving ahead now.

The two separate Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for Children’s Bay Cay and Williams Cay, which were initially produced in 2016 several

months after the Heads of Agreement signing, are said to have been updated by Waypoint and other consultants. Ms Bertarelli, who sits on the board of several companies, was at the time of the signing said to be actively involved in managing her family’s business interests, including the five-star Grand Hotel Park in Gstaad.

ADH Ltd’s website, providing further details on the developer’s current plans, said: “The project will be a low-rise, low-density luxury resort and residential community that will consist of 42 hotel keys and 55 private estate lots. Private estate lots will be at least two acres each across Children’s Bay Cay and Williams Cay.

“Amenities will include restaurants, a 55-slip marina, private docking facilities, a seaplane dock, a guest arrival pavilion, nature trails, spa and treatment facilities, sports recreation facilities, beach clubs, youth clubs, event areas and helipads for Medivac

(medical evacuation).

“Each island will have backof-house operations, including a reverse osmosis facility, power generation, a wastewater treatment facility and waste storage/ recycling. Back-of-house operations, such as a solar panel installation, an agricultural area for local food production and staff housing will be situated on Madam Daus Cay.” Madam Daus Cay is connected to Barraterre and Great Exuma by the Queen’s Highway.

“Children’s Bay Cay is approximately 161 acres, Williams Cay is approximately 189 acres and Madam Daus Cay is comprised of 435 acres with development to occur on 125 acres,” ADH Ltd said. “Children’s Bay Cay and Williams Cay are located at the southern end of the Exuma island chain, east of the Great Bahama Bank and adjacent to the Exuma Sound. Madam Daus Cay is at the northern end of Great Exuma and is bound by Jones Creek to the

DIGITAL ASSETS SUMMIT AIMS TO ‘REBUILD TRUST’

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net

ORGANISERS of a major digital assets conference that will be held in The Bahamas next month yesterday said the event will seek to “rebuild trust” in crypto exchanges and the industry generally following FTX’s implosion.

Iris Xia, marketing manager for Finoverse, organiser of the D3 Bahamas Fintech Festival, told Tribune Business: “The Bahamas government wants to build stronger on crypto currency exchanges and attract people who are working [in the] crypto industry to come to the Bahamas and set up their business.

“The way we are promoting this event is because The Bahamas is a tax-free zone, and because the Government also has lots of policies to encourage companies to set up their offices.” D3 will be held

at Atlantis from October 11-12, with speakers including Prime Minister Philip Davis KC and Ryan Pinder KC, the attorney general. Key players from the global Fintech (financial technology) industry will also be present, including Jason Lau, chief innovation officer at crypto exchange, OKX, and Henri Arslanian, co-founder and managing partner of Nine Blocks Capital Management.

D3 is meant to symbolise the intersection of decentralised finance, digitisation, and disruption of the status quo caused by the development of digital assets and blockchain technology. The conference aims to showcase The Bahamas as a hub for technological innovation.

Some 800 attendees have been invited to discuss regulation, fintech, and development of the digital economy. “The Bahamas welcomes Fintech and Web3 leaders to Nassau for three days of discourse

and networking through presentations, panels and workshops,” said Christina Rolle, the Securities Commission’s executive director.

“We are excited to present a Fintech event that not only embraces technological innovation but one that will serve as a driver for the development of inclusive and effective regulation. D3 Bahamas brings Fintech and Web3 creators and builders, enthusiasts and regulators together to better understand the needs of this burgeoning community.”

Anthony Sar, co-founder and chief executive of Finoverse, added: “At Finoverse, we’ve connected Fintech and Web3 creators across Asia, Europe and the Middle East, and now we’re uniting our communities with the west. Our team is excited to join the Nassau community and host an unforgettable weekend as we welcome the next generation of Fintech and Web3 innovation to The Bahamas.”

north and Smiths Creek to the south.”

Children’s Bay Cay will feature 30 guest villas, containing a total 42 room keys via having one or two bedrooms, plus 22 single family lots of two-plus acres each. A 55-slip marina able to accommodate boats ranging in size from 20 feet to 125 feet will be developed, with amenities including a beach club, restaurants, spa, tennis/fitness centre and water sports/dive centre.

“The proposed marina at Children’s Bay Cay will entail a newly-dredged entrance channel to the south to better accommodate vessel approaches from the south and east. This marina entrance was captured in the 2017 Children’s Bay Cay EIA,” the newly-published EMP said.

“The marina has been designed to accommodate approximately 55 slips for vessels ranging from 125 feet to 30 feet in length. Additionally, an entrance jetty will be placed along the seabed for protection and coastal stability.... The marina entrance will require dredging nearshore to reach deep water suitable for anticipated vessels. Total estimated dredge volume over the seabed is 28,000 cubic yards.”

Providing further details on the marina, the EMP added:

“The development is considering the placement of moorings to the south-west of the marina entrance to accommodate additional vessels..... All residential docks will be designed and built by the developer. It is anticipated that residential docks will be sited accordingly to avoid dredging with shallow draft vessels only.

Typical residential docks will be 35 feet by 10 feet with a select few extending to 60 feet offshore.

“The Resident’s Club dock will rest parallel to the shoreline extending 455 feet to reach adequate water depth without dredging. There will be limited access to the Resident’s Club dock during low tide.” Williams Cay, meanwhile, is projected to feature 33 single family homes together with a 16-slip marina and 18 residential docks. Planned amenities include a yoga pavilion, sports and recreational activities, gym and events lawn. “Williams Cay will have two external marinas: A guest arrival dock and service dock functioning as a back-of-house marina,” the EMP added. “Access to the service dock will require dredging...; dredge volume is estimated at 4,500 cubic yards. No dredging is required for the guest arrival dock which has sufficient existing depth.

“All residential docks will be designed and built by the developer. It is anticipated that residential docks will be sited accordingly to avoid dredging with shallow draft vessels only. Typical residential docks will be 35 feet by 10 feet with a select few extending to 60 feet offshore.”

AN AERIAL view of Children’s Bay Cay and Williams Cay.

CONTAINMENT BOOMS AROUND SUNKEN POTTER’S CAY VESSEL

By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

THE port authorities have placed containment booms around a sunken vessel at Potter’s Cay dock to contain any potential oil spill as they wait on its owner to remove it.

Frederick Rogers, assistant port controller, said the booms were placed by the Port Department to contain any potential oil pollution or environmental damage. While the timeline for the vessel’s removal is unclear, the owner is said to be “making preparations to move it”, although it is of sufficient size that it must be either hoisted out of the water or cut in smaller pieces.

“That vessel, we put the boom around it just in case of any oil spill. It would be contained in that in that area,” Mr Rogers said. “The owner is making preparations to move it; we don’t have a timing on that as yet. It will be very shortly.

I spoke to [the owner] no later than today.

“That’s not a quick fix, that’s not a small vessel. It has to be moved. It has to be either lifted or cut into pieces before it’s removed it. With the size it can’t just be moved like that; it’s a process. All efforts that could be done are being done.”

He added that multiple agencies, including the Department of Environment Planning and Protection (DEPP), will be involved in the removal which must be done correctly to ensure there is no damage to the sea bed.

“It’s multiple agencies involved. It isn’t a matter like when a car breaks down and you call the wrecker to move it.. it’s multiple agencies that would be involved,” Mr Rogers said. “There’s some procedure that it has to go through because we can’t just take that and drag that out because it would also damage the sea bed. There’s a lot of things involved that

doesn’t meet the eye.”

When pressed if the owner of the vessel is facing fines related to the wreck and potential oil spill, he added: “Not at this time.” Dr Rhianna Neely, DEPP director, said that the department had not received any reports of the vessel but it works with the Port Department on many matters.

Tribune Business understands that the vessel’s owner operates several commercial vessels throughout the Family Islands. This is said to be the second large vessel they own that has broken down and sunk at Potter’s Cay, with the first sitting for years before being removed.

Casuarina McKinneyLambert, executive director at the Bahamas Reef, Environment and Educational Foundation (BREEF), said any oil leak can damage the environment and health of people that eat seafood caught from the waters near Potter’s Cay. She added that

the booms are insufficient, as any fuel should be properly removed and disposed of, with the cost borne by those responsible.

“Any petroleum product in the water is really not good news and it has a risk of damage to the environment and also a risk to

human health,” Ms McKinney-Lambert said. “I see some booms there, but that oil needs to be removed and disposed of properly.”

ATLANTIS MOVES TO BOOST STAFF CAREER DEVELOPMENT

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net

DOZENS of colleges and universities descended upon Atlantis yesterday as

the mega resort hosted its first career development fair in a bid to help employees further their education and personal development.

Dr Lawrence Taylor, Atlantis’ vice-president of

learning and organisational development, told Tribune Business that the Paradise Island resort brought in multiple higher education institutions and technical schools to partner with its

own departments ranging from the casino to the marine water park.

“We got the departments to present as well because team members may want to go to different departments,” he explained. “We saw over 600 of our team members who were able to come through, and we had business partners who have left information with us because some team members are on vacation and were not here but expressed interest.

“So when they come back, we’ll be able to share more information with them. So this definitely was

a success. This was really about helping our team members with their career and development goals and their educational goals. We had lots of schools here - the University of the West Indies, University of The Bahamas, Walden University, DeVry. We had Les Roches out of Spain who do a lot of executive programmes as well.”

The main objective was for Atlantis employees to sign up for a certification programme from a college of their choice. “We have some that will go back and get GEDs, we have some that will go back and get

bachelors degrees, and we also have some that will go back and do Master’s degrees,” Dr Taylor said. The Department of Education was also present to discuss various scholarship opportunities, and Dr Taylor added: “This was our first time doing this and it was such a hit. People are already asking when are we going to do this again? So it will be annually as of now. We had a lot of business partners who came from out of country to participate, so a lot of planning went into it. But we now know that we will definitely do it at least annually.”

BRAN’S LAW FIRM BACK WITH FREE LEGAL CLINICS

By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

THE Halsbury Chambers law firm yesterday said it will host its 16th annual legal clinic this month and provide $20,000 worth of free consultations.

Branville McCartney, the firm’s senior and founding partner, said the event has returned following a COVID-enforced threeyear break and will be held on September 23 at its Village Road offices between 9am and 5pm. “We started the free clinic back in 2004, and we took a three-year

hiatus or break due to COVID. So we are quite excited to be back doing this as community service,” he said.

“We really wanted to try and get as many persons as possible, especially those who may be in need of some free legal advice.

“Legal advice is not cheap, it’s expensive, and calculating up with the number of attorneys we have at the firm, and based on their hourly rate and the time that they are giving, this equates close to about $20,000 worth of free legal advice in total for that day.”

Shelly Nairn, a Halsbury Chambers associate, recommended that persons who are interested in attending the clinic call the office and make an appointment prior to the event.

She said: “I want to encourage everyone to call in and make an appointment. We don’t encourage you to walk in. We’ve had walk-ins before but there will be a wait because we will prioritise the individuals who have an appointment So, if you would like to come, please call into the office and make an appointment in order to see an attorney.”

THE SUNKEN vessel at Potter’s Cay.

GOING

THE EXTRA MILE ON SAME-DAY DELIVERY

time, busihave and meaning of successtoday's age of requires conimmediacy

PROPER RESEARCH VITAL TO A COMPETITIVE EDGE

dedication to customer satisfaction. As a result, they will be more likely to share their positive experiences with others, which will help to improve your brand’s reputation.

as they fulfill each online delivery. This ensures you can keep an eye on every aspect of your delivery operations, and make sure the customer is getting the best consumer experience possible.

a talent management and organisational development consultant, having completed graduate studies with regional and international universities. He has served organisations, both

BY IAN FERGUSON

IN BUSINESS, knowledge is power. The ability to make informed decisions is crucial for any company’s success and growth. To achieve this, businesses rely on research.

Business research involves a structured investigation aimed at collecting and analysing data to address specific challenges or explore potential opportunities. This often includes conducting market research studies and producing business research reports based on the findings. It is a multi-faceted process that employs various methods, including

One of the COVID-19 companies must do power to goods and seraccessible. same-day can benwhile their cusrelationships. It is addition to today. Our focuses on adding this customers customers sameservices helps people because delivery services most convencan offer

4. Increases sales Offering same-day delivery will also increase sales. Customers are more likely to purchase items from retailers that offer sameday delivery than those that do not. Customers will be more likely to buy multiple items from a retailer that offers same-day delivery than from one that does not. However, ensure your inventory is well-stocked and that you have enough staff to handle the increased volume of orders. It is best to communicate the process shift to staff so they can adjust to the changes as needed. Finally, consider promoting the new delivery option to encourage more customers to use them.

quantitative and qualitative techniques, to acquire knowledge that drives decision-making.

Business research is one of the most effective ways to understand customers, the market and competitors. Such research helps companies understand demand and supply forces in the market. Using it will help businesses reduce costs, and create solutions or products, that are targeted to the demand in the market and the correct audience. No matter the size of the company, market, customer and even competitors, research is crucial to survival.

In-house business research can enable senior management to build an effective team, or train and mentor when needed. Business research enables the company to track its competitors and obtain the upper hand to stay ahead of them.

Failures can be avoided by conducting such research, as it can give companies a signal as to whether the timing is right to launch a new product and also if the audience is correct. It will help a firm understand brand value and measure customer satisfaction, which is essential to

continuously innovate and meet demand. This will help the company grow its revenue and market share. Business research also helps recruit ideal candidates for various roles in the company.

This week we focus on some advantages for companies in conducting in-house research:

• Business research helps to identify opportunities and threats

• It helps identify research problems and, using this information, wise decisions can be made to tackle the issue appropriately

• It helps to understand customers better, and can help a company communicate better with clients or stakeholders

• Risks and uncertainties can be minimised by conducting business research in advance

• Financial outcomes and investments can be planned effectively using business research

• Research can help track competition in the business sector

• Business research can enable a company make wise decisions as to where to spend money and how much

• Business research can enable a company to stay up-to-date with the market and its trends, and appropriate innovations can be made to stay ahead of rivals

• NB: Ian R Ferguson is a talent management and organisational development consultant, having completed graduate studies with regional and international universities. He has served organisations, both locally and globally, providing relevant solutions to their business growth and development issues. He may be contacted at tcconsultants@ coralwave.com.

Tourism hosts Atlanta film awards ceremony

Implementing deliveries effi-

5. Boosts customer loyalty

Offering same-day delivery will also increase

6. Shapes customer service

You also shape your company’s customer service

7. Control the consumer experience

The Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation hosted a film awards ceremony in Atlanta on Wednesday night to mark the final stage of its US promotional missions.

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Chester Cooper, deputy prime minister and minister of tourism, investments and aviation, addressed

With an in-house delivery system, you are able to control the delivery experience from start to finish. From order placement to delivery, track the order in real-time every step of the way. On the back-end, you can assign orders, estimate delivery times and view driver progress on the road

an event where he was accompanied by Latia Duncombe, the ministry’s director-general, and other officials.

Among those honoured were producer Will Packer; actor and musician, Tyrese Gibson; and former Atlanta mayor, Kasim Reed, for their partnership

COUNCIL TO ASSESS INDUSTRY’S LABOUR NEEDS

SIMMONS Business jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

with - and support of - The Bahamas and The Bahamas Film Commission.

representatives, and aided by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), have created a policy document for the national apprenticeship initiative that will be available in six weeks.

FROM left, Phedra Rahming-Turnquest, permanent secretary, Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources; Zane Lightbourne, minister of state, Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources; Vaughn P Miller, minister of the environment and natural resources; Phildah N Kereng, minister of environment and tourism, Republic of Botswana; Basil McIntosh, minister of state for aviation; Reginald Saunders, permanent secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation; and Dr Kenneth Romer, deputy director-general and director of aviation.

TOURISM IDEAS SHARED WITH BOTSWANA MINISTER

BOTSWANA’S tourism and environment minister visited her counterpart ministries during the state visit of that country’s president to The Bahamas this week.

minister revealed a Skills formed to needs of he unveiled combine various into one Apprenticeship minister of Immigration, Chamber of Employers (BCCEC) effort to gap that force, the Labour with the InterDevelopment poised to apprentice2019. was intended apprenticeship young the ages

However, the suspended cuts and Hurricane course, also noticed ministries, companies appren-

“In October last year, a technical body or commission termed the National Apprenticeship Programme Task Force was appointed to create a framework and policy document for the establishment of a national apprenticeship programme. The Task Force is comprised of all of the tripartite constituents of government workers and employer representatives,” Mr Bell said.

“During the past week, the Task Force was ably assisted by the International Labour Organisation’s international training set-up in Italy in creating the conceptual framework. I am advised that the policy document should be available in

British Colonial Centre of Commerce. Discussions focused on knowledge exchange; environmental sustainability; and shared best practices as The Bahamas bids to breach the eight million visitor mark for 2023. Ms Kereng’s meeting was part of the official state visit by the president of Botswana, Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, to The Bahamas.

Photos: Kemuel Stubbs/BIS

CHESTER COOPER, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, presents an award to producer Will Packer. Pictured at right is Heather Packer.

LATIA DUNCOMBE, director-general at the Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation, presented a special award to American actor and musician, Tyrese Gibson.

SENATOR RANDY ROLLE, global relations consultant in the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, presented an award to former Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed. Looking on is Chrystal Bethel from the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation.

$6.05 $6.11 $6.12 $6.06

‘Instant payback’: Doctors in revenue doubling to $120m

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

DOCTORS Hospital

yesterday predicted it will “double” total pre-COVID revenues to around $120m during its current financial year after enjoying “instant payback” on $6.6m in healthcare investments.

Dennis Deveaux, the BISX-listed company’s chief financial officer, told Tribune Business it is already generating “strong” returns on facilities such

• Hospital sees ‘strong returns’ on $6.6m investments

• COVID care end drops profits 94% or by near-$27m

• But efficiency rate now ‘trending north of 10%’ in ‘24

as its new clinics in Carmichael and Eight Mile Rock, plus The Pointe’s pharmacy, which he described as a “resounding vote of confidence” in its drive to expand quality healthcare

throughout The Bahamas. Speaking after Doctors Hospital’s results for the 12 months to end-January 2023 revealed a 93.5 percent profits decline, as the boost provided by

COVID-related care came to an end, he nevertheless added that net income “would have more than doubled compared to prepandemic” if the “one-off” investments associated with new facilities were stripped out of the figures.

Mr Deveaux told this newspaper that the healthcare provider’s main efficiency benchmark, the return on sales that measures how much of each dollar in revenue drops to the bottom line, was “trending north of 10 percent”

during the first quarter of its current 2024 financial year as compared to the 6.8 percent achieved pre-COVID.

Pointing out that Doctors Hospital had also achieved its target of containing staff salaries and benefits to 40 percent or less of total revenues, he added that the EY (Ernst & Young) accounting firm had also “helped us with some significant productivity improvements” that will boost the company’s operations and results moving forward.

And, reaffirming that the

healthcare provider is on track to open its $25m-$30m Grand Bahama hospital by fall 2024 at latest, Mr Deveaux said shareholders can take confidence from the company’s expectation that “we expect to deliver the construction part on budget” with just shy of $10m invested to-date.

“What I can foreshadow is that we think is 2024, the current financial year we’re in, is going to represent a doubling of the size

SEE PAGE 19

LODGE OWNER

IN BLAST AT ‘DEPLORABLE’ UTILITY CRISIS

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

AN EX-BAHAMAS

Out Island Promotion

Board president yesterday made an impassioned plea to address Mangrove Cay’s “deplorable” utility crisis which forced her to relocate to Nassau to handle bookings for the upcoming fishing season.

Cheryl Bastian, owner/ operator of Andros-based Swain’s Cay Lodge, told Tribune Business she was “extremely concerned” for her property’s visitor bookings with the fishing season due to start next month and all of Bahamas Power & Light (BPL), the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) and Water & Sewerage Corporation unable to maintain reliant, consistent utility supply.

Disclosing that service had become appreciably worse in the last four months, she said the difficulties had peaked within the last month with BPL’s supply often cut-off between three to five times per day - and for up to four to five hours at a time. Voicing fears that guests will simply “check-out” early, because they will be unable to handle the heat without air conditioning, Ms Bastian disclosed to this newspaper that she relocated to the capital last month for two weeks to ensure she would be able to receive and deal with bookings. Besides being confronted with power outages, she added that BTC’s landline and Internet service were also frequently down, often for hours at a time.

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PINTARD: URCA MUST EXPLAIN BPL 163% FUEL HIKE APPROVAL

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE Opposition’s leader yesterday renewed calls for regulators to explain why Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) had “made the case” for an up to 163 percent hike in its fuel charge amid concerns they failed in their duty to protect consumers.

Michael Pintard told Tribune Business that the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) must publicly disclose the “comprehensive review” that led it to conclude BPL’s fuel charge hikes were justified amid growing outrage from

Exuma project pledging 300 jobs back on track

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A $262M Exuma resort project, which is pledging to create 300 full-time jobs once build-out is complete, appears to be moving forward again with a public hearing on its environmental plans set for October 2023.

The Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for what is described as “a luxury hotel and residential community located” on Children’s Bay Cay and Williams Cay, situated near Barraterre off north Great Exuma, also affirms that the development will produce around 250 jobs during the construction phase.

“The project is anticipated to be developed over a single phase with total capital expenditure expected to exceed $262m,” the August 2023 EMP, produced by Waypoint Consulting and ATM, states. “Full build-out

will create between 250 jobs during construction and 300 jobs during operation.

“The population of Exuma and its

cays nearly doubled between the 2000 and 2010 Census

Bahamian households and businesses over the size of the increase in their summer light bills.

Urging the regulator “not to permit” policymakers and politicians to interfere with its duties, he added that the Bahamian people are relying on URCA to be the “watchdog” that holds the likes of BPL, the Government and electronic communications providers to account. The Free National Movement (FNM) leader, though, said he will let the public decide whether URCA has upheld its mandate to protect consumers in this particular instance.

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NATIONAL DEBT UP $458M DESPITE RATIOS DECLINING

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE post-COVID economic revival dropped The Bahamas’ debt-to-GDP ratio to 85 percent at endJune despite the national debt increasing by $457.5m over the prior 12 months to $11.645bn.

The Central Bank, in its just-published economic review for the three months to end-June, revealed that economic growth - chiefly the postpandemic reflation of the Bahamian economy back to 2019 output levels - was responsible for keeping

the country’s debt ratios in check rather than any end to government borrowing.

“During the second quarter, the direct charge on the Government grew by $151.1m (1.4 percent) over the previous three-month period and by $462.7m (4.3 percent) year-on-year to $11.256bn at end-June 2023. A disaggregation by component showed that Bahamian dollar debt represented 52.7 percent of the total, while foreign currency liabilities accounted for the remaining 47.3 percent,” the monetary policy regulator affirmed.

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A PLAN showing the layout of the project.