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Volume:117 No.29, JANUARY 3RD, 2020

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On hold - $70m ‘dubious’ deals

List of health projects put in place by PLP remain under review

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net THE Ministry of Health is still assessing what to do with some $70m worth of “dubious” contracts the Christie administration left in place, Health Minister Dr Duane Sands said yesterday.

“We have met with the architects, some of the contractors, etc (to discuss the contracts),” he said.

“I think it’s important to recognise it’s not that we are trying to be obstructive, we need guidance about how to proceed.”

The Minnis administration has resisted many

contracts executed by its predecessor, questioning their “burdensome” legal implications and value.

“So many of these things were written in such a way that in some instances there were no ‘out’ clauses,” Dr Sands said.

Last month, Supreme Court Justice Cheryl GrantBethel ruled in favour of former Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller, finding the previous administration’s lease of his shopping plaza remains “valid and binding”. Mr Miller is seeking damages of more than $66m. The Office of the Attorney General is appealing the ruling.

SEE PAGE FIVE

BOY, I’M TIRED

FORMER finance minister James Smith yesterday warned that the speed of Abaco’s post-Dorian reconstruction could be undermined by the Government deporting much of the necessary workforce back to Haiti.

Mr Smith, also an exCentral Bank governor, said The Bahamas faced

“some hard choices” over its policies towards illegal Haitian migrants given many previously worked in construction on Abaco and possessed the specialist skills essential to rebuilding.

He suggested that the Government “take a deeper dive” and not repatriate persons with the necessary abilities to “make a positive contribution” to the reconstruction effort.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

L SOUR CE

US BLOCKS THREE BAHAMAS AIRCRAFT

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THREE of Bahamasair’s largest planes have been blocked from entering the United States because they lack surveillance technology demanded by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA in 2010 issued a rule requiring aircraft to be equipped with ADS-B avionics by January 1, 2020.

The technology improves safety and efficiency in the air and on runways through its tracking capabilities.

It has has been difficult for Bahamasair to secure necessary kits for the company’s 737-500 planes, an older generation of Boeing jets, according to chairman Tommy Turnquest.

SEE PAGE SIX

VICTIM DIED JUST 11 DAYS AFTER HIS BABY BORN

By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

LABOUR SHORTAGE COULD DELAY ABACO’S RECOVERY

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

$1

A BIG yawn for a little baby - little Nathaniel Gilbert was the first baby boy to be born in 2020, arriving at 9.45am on New Year’s Day to mother Candice Butcher. Not long after, the first baby girl of the year was born, at 2.39pm, when Takara Nesbitt gave birth to baby Alexandria. See page six for the full story.

MARCO Meadows will never get the chance to see his 11-day-old baby grow up.

The father-of-four and former police constable was gunned down on New Year’s night at around 10pm as he walked along Third Street, Coconut Grove, near Palm Tree Avenue.

Police said the occupants of a black Kia Rio Jeep then discharged gunshots at him, hitting him about the body before speeding away. Paramedics were called to the scene, however the injured man was pronounced dead on the scene. Police have not yet released the victim’s identity.

SEE PAGE THREE

POLICE ‘STUDYING’ NEW BEATING VIDEO

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

COMMISSIONER of Police Anthony Ferguson has said the Royal Bahamas Police Force is investigating the actions of officers seen clubbing civilians with nightsticks during a recent Junkanoo parade.

Mr Ferguson, in response to queries from The Tribune yesterday, said the videos in question are being

investigated by the RBPF’s Complaints and Corruption Unit.

“I cannot comment on an ongoing investigation any more than that,” Mr Ferguson said.

However, Englerston MP Glenys Hanna Martin called on Mr Ferguson to publicly address the “disturbing” and “concerning” videos so the Bahamian public could “have an understanding of what that was about”.

Both Mr Ferguson’s and Mrs Hanna Martin’s comments were in response to two videos making the rounds on social media involving a group of police officers using long nightsticks on various civilians, all males.

In one of the videos, perhaps the most controversial of the two, several officers clad in dark-coloured

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

SEE PAGE FIVE

A COMIC’S VIEW: MY NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

SEE PAGE EIGHT

PAGE 2, Friday, January 3, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

A night of all Knights

BY DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net Platinum Knights pulled off its fourth consecutive victory as the unofficial winners of the New Year’s Day Junkanoo Parade in Grand Bahama.

Under the theme, “A Celebration of Life – All Grand Bahama Needs is Love”, the group captured top standings in the Best Performance, Music, and Overall Group Performance categories, securing a total of 5,629 points.

Their biggest rival, The Superstar Rockers, was second with an overall score of 5,301 points; third was Kingdom Ambassadors with 5,209 points; fourth was Swingers with 5,048 points, and fifth was Kingdom Culture with 4,569 points.

In Division B, GB Asgard, a new group, defeated Showtime, which has been dominating the category for many years.

The group took first place with 4,950 points.

Bushwhackers was second, with 3,431 points; Sting was third, with 3,189 points; and Showtime was fourth with 1,930 points.

Malcolm Smith, leader of GB Asgard, said the win was a very humbling experience even though they pulled off the win in

PERFORMERS from Platinum Knights, above and right. their first year of competing Junkanoo groups disagainst veteran groups. played resilience and vigor He said they wanted in their performance even to pay tribute to the US after having suffered the Coast Guards and the relief loss of costumes due to organizations the came flooding at their shacks four after the hurricane to assist months ago.

GB. In early September, Hur“We were in a real state ricane Dorian devastated of desperation because the island and left many the island was hard hit and disheartened and broken those organizations came in and took 32 lives. With only and offered assistance to us four months left to prepare, in so many ways that if they some groups were able to were not around we don’t include in their theme, a know where we would have message of love, rebuilding, been as a people,” he said. and recovery in GB. Although Grand Bahama For the first time ever, is still in post-Dorian recov- this year’s parade was open ery mode, the spirit of to the public, and there junkanoo radiated in down- was no charge for bleacher town Freeport. seating.

Defending champion Platinum Knights was impacted by the storm, but group leader Thomas Curry said they were determined to have a parade for junkanoo fans in Grand Bahama.

“We would like to give God the glory for everything he has done, said Curry after the unofficial results were announced at the GB Junkanoo Committee headquarters on Thursday evening.

“After the storm everyone was down and saying THE PLATINUM Knights on the way to victory.

we are not going to have a parade, but I told the guys we have to do this for GB,” he said.

“We are about promoting the culture (of Junknaoo), and I want to thank all the sponsors of our organization. We had a roof damage and rain coming in all the time at our shack, and a lot of stuff we did in the houses. We wanted to make GB smile and that’s what we did last night,” he said.

Mr Curry said that they wanted to celebrate and honor the lives lost in Dorian. “Grand Bahamians are resilient, and we will rebuild,” he said.

The group’s choreographed dancers were costumed in colors of the Bahamian flags, and the free dancers were adorned in red and pink to symbolize love.

The rival, Superstar Rockers - which lost to the Platinum Knights last year after an appeal was lodged by the group over the penalty points - demonstrated that Grand Bahama is still open to welcome visitors and the prospects of a new cruise terminal.

The lead banner depicted a Carnival cruise ship sailing down Pioneer’s Way, titled Carnival Grand Port, bringing guests back to the island.

Group members were costumed as sailors and crewmen and ship’s captain, while the choreographed dancers depicted sunbathers and waitresses. The free dancers were costumed as beachgoers, snorkelers, divers, souvenirs buyers.

The Swingers gave fans a glimpse into the beauty and wonders of the deep, with a lead costume of King Triton and his Mystical guards fend off Octopus King.

Choreographed dancers were sea goddesses, and the music section depicted a school of seahorses and lionfish parading down the street.

Kingdom Culture’s banner was that of a Royal Caribbean Cruise ship bringing vacationers to Grand Bahama. There were Bahama Mamas dancing, and free dancers representing various countries, and popular vacation destinations.

A new Division A group, Kingdom Ambassadors Spartans, presented as its theme: “Relief after the Storm, Let’s Rebuild and Celebrate.” The banner was of a house depicting before and after the storm one side destroyed, and the other side fully restored.

The group brought the message to Junkanoo fans of rebuilding and

PICTURED from bottom to top, Swingers, Showtime and Asgard on the parade route. celebrating through thanks- to the brave men and women of the US Coast giving for life.

Choreographed dancers Guard and Navy Seals, and were carpenters or Spartans to relief organizations such war dancers rebuild the as Mercy Corps, Convoy of streets of Grand Bahama as Hope, and Jehovah’s Witparaded down the parade ness Disaster Relief.

According to the group’s route on Pioneer’s Way. GB Asgard The Spartans free dancers synopsis, represented organizations wanted to pay tribute to such as NEMA, Red Cross, those who risked their lives and Rotary and Royal Car- to offer assistance to Bahaibbean, that came to the aid mians stranded in high of Grand Bahamians after waters in the aftermath of the storm and US Coast the storm.

The group’s brass sec- Guard who lead rescue tion was outfitted as mold missions to save lives and remediation agents and the deliver relief aid.

Also participating were backline were painters.

Sting, GB Asgard, a new divi- Bushwhackers, sion B group, debut this Showtime, and Kingdom year with a tribute to the US Culture.

This year, groups were Armed Forced and NGO’s that came to provide relief not judged on costumes due to Grand Bahama after the to losses experienced by many groups in September storm.

The group paid homage as a result of the storm.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, January 3, 2020, PAGE 3

Victim died just 11 days after his baby was born fro m page o ne However, his family, confirming who was, said the situation has left them reeling and struggling to come to terms with the 36-yearold’s death which came just two days after his birthday.

His girlfriend of ten years, Natasha Leslie, was inconsolable when she first received the news of his death.

“Listen, this can’t be true,” she said while sobbing, “No, tell me no, please.”

The father of three other children aged ten, six and three spent some of his final moments holding his infant child, Ms Leslie recalled.

“He come and he hold the baby and he tell me say the baby want milk. Oh God.” “(He was a) nice sweet person,” she added. “(He was) funny and he got along with everybody. Oh my God, can’t ask for a better one, you can’t.”

When asked how she was going to inform the kids of their father’s passing, Ms Leslie broke down in tears.

Speaking on her behalf, the victim’s uncle Gary Lord-Rolle told reporters the family was “very emotional right now”, having dealt with similar circumstance not long ago.

“It’s hard on her. She just had a young couple days old baby,” he said. “This is very, very difficult. 2020 start off rough for this family.”

“Just Fifth Street down the street the other

THE AFTERMATH of the shooting on New Year’s Day. Photos: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff grandnephew was shot and worked on the police force added: “They are not killed on the scene and it’s before entering the private aware. I think they’re all by very difficult for the family field. their grandmother because at this time,” he continued.

“He served in the force he had taken them there “You can never prepare some 14,15 years. He use to while she was to work earfor death, it’s something work in the canine section. lier today.” that you cannot prepare for. He was a police constable,” Mr Meadows’ death We just came out of church he said. marks the first homicide of a few hours ago bringing in “I think his mother was 2020. the New Years and it is very the last person (he spoke Police are appealing to difficult.” to) because she had just left anyone with information Speaking about his rela- to go get them some clean- to contact police at the tionship with the victim, Mr ing equipment.”

Central Detective Unit at Lord-Rolle said he knew Asked whether Mr 502-9991/2, crime stopper Mr Meadows as a “very Meadows’ children were at 328-TIPS or the nearest quiet young man”, who aware of his passing, he police station.

FAMILY: WHY ARE WE STILL WAITING FOR REPORTS ON TURIN DEATHS? SYANN THOMPSON Tribu ne Staff Reporter sthompson@tribunemedia.net

FAMILIES of the two Bahamian men found dead in Italy have yet to receive the final toxicology reports seven months following their deaths.

Father of Blair John, Randolph John, is concerned that months have passed since the death and they continue to waiting for the reports from Italian authorities.

Mr John believes that each piece of information can help in closing the “loopholes” surrounding the deaths of his son and Alrae Ramsey.

“Today we still do not have an official postmortem report or the toxicology report for Blair and Alrae.

My concern is that the final report may be cut and tailored to suit the conclusions that the Italian authorities want and what works best for them,” said Mr John.

Ramsey 29 and John 28 were found dead in the Po River in Turin Italy in June 2019. Italian police classified their deaths as accidental. However, some

family members maintain their belief that the young men were murdered. A toxicology report, which reportedly takes up to six weeks or longer, shows substances that may have been in the system.

Mr John said that he has been sending emails to authorities for updates including the Minister of Foreign Affairs Darren Henfield and Bahamas High Commissioner in London Ellison Greenslade.

“I have sent a detailed email to Darren Henfield and hadn’t got a response.

I also sent an email to Ellison Greenslade who replied quickly. I simply asked Mr Greenslade for an update on the matter since he was the one who visited Italy. I have been checking to see if the minister has had the time to offer me the courtesy of a decent response and what progress if any the Italian attorneys may have had,” he said.

It has been a difficult Christmas for the John family with Blair not around, Mr John said that his daughter Brittany who just graduated with her Master’s degree in London

OFFICERS at the scene in Italy in June.

ALRAE RAMSEY, left, and Blair John and his son Tyler in grade 11, are still grappling with the loss of their brother.

“I have sought counselling for him (Blair’s brother) to get over his grief at losing his only brother. For Brittany we haven’t mentioned Blair much during my visit because I know it’s still fresh. She has had to identify his body and I’m sure that is indelibly etched in her memory for the rest of her life,” he said.

Mr John has been relentless in wanting justice for his son, who was a PhD student and Alrae Ramsey, a diplomat. He said, “Blair and Alrae cannot fight for themselves, defend their names, or seek justice for themselves. We as their remaining families and survivors need to do that.”

The Tribune spoke with Minister of Foreign Affairs Darren Henfield who gave an update on the deaths of Blair and Alrae, stating that obtaining information has been ongoing.

He said: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the office of the Attorney General are working very intimately with this matter.

As the attorney general

would have stated, the government has hired a law firm in Italy.

“The government wants to find out what happened.

We realise the great loss and we’ve felt this as a nation. When they died it reverberated through the country. These promising young men had great careers ahead of them. We have not forgotten them, and we are working to find out.”

PAGE 4, Friday, January 3, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

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Take police brutality seriously WE’VE been here before.

On today’s front page, we report that the police force is investigating a video circulating on social media showing officers clubbing civilians with nightsticks during Junkanoo.

In one video, several officers can be seen making several young men lean against a wall with their backs to them.

One officer can be seen using two hands to strike one young man on his buttocks with full force. When the young man walks off, the officer strikes him from behind again. And again.

You can read more about it in our story on page one – but as we say at the top of this column, we have been here before.

Time and again, we see examples of apparent brutality – or accusations of such that come without video – only to see the police say oh yes, we’ll investigate and then little or nothing is heard again.

Let’s consider a few examples.

Only last month, another video circulated showing a teenager being slammed on the ground by a police officer at Kendal GL Isaacs Gymnasium. Commissioner Anthony Ferguson said: “I saw a video circulating, that video was referred to the Complaints and Corruptions Unit to conduct an investigation, that is still pending.”

In August, two young women said they were assaulted by police in Exuma, prompting a call for action from Rights Bahamas. In April, another video circulated showing an officer slapping a man on a beach. Again, in that instance, an investigation was promised.

Back in March last year, The Tribune published photographs showing a man being taken to an ambulance from the Central Detective Unit by his lawyer, amid claims he was shocked with a taser and beaten by seven officers while in custody. At the time, National Security Minister Marvin Dames told the lawyer, Christina Galanos, to make a complaint, but also said “let’s focus on the victims of crime, those individuals who are maimed and attacked. I

don’t see many people standing up for them”. That incident came at a time when it was revealed that the Police Complaints Inspectorate, which oversees the Complaints and Corruption Branch, hadn’t met since September 2017.

And for those who did make a complaint - three people who said they were tortured by police in Eleuthera only to be released - they made formal complaints to the police only to hear nothing for a year. When the police belatedly called them to the police station, they were told that time had run out for their complaint to be dealt with - even though they had followed the process and it was the police who had dawdled.

Minister Dames says we should focus on the victims of crime - and we agree. Not least because those who are beaten by police are the victims of crime themselves.

Officers face a difficult time on the streets and need to be able to defend themselves when the need arises - of that there is no doubt. But there is a difference between using force when necessary and using force because you can get away with it - and in these stories of investigations being launched but little to be shown for them, there is little to discourage officers who might be inclined to overstep the mark.

So let’s have an accounting for those investigations. Let’s have, dare we say it, transparency. What is the status of open investigations? And what has been decided in those that have been closed?

The public deserves clarity from the police – and officers who might have been accused deserve to either have their name cleared, or the consequences of their actions to be known.

We don’t need to be brushed off with a promise of an investigation that we never hear the outcome from - and it’s about time the police force did better for the Bahamian people in that regard.

There should be no place for brutality - and we hope the police force’s leaders will do more than just kick the can down the road one more time.

this country will be obliged to celebrate “majority rule day” as if the majority of black Bahamians were only allowed to vote for the first time on January 10, 1967.

Many white Bahamians have a huge problem with Sir Lynden Pindling being knighted, as well as our capital’s airport being named after him. We suck it up, though.

Given the dreadful state of public education in the Bahamas today, (Average Grade D-) and particularly after 26 years of PLP

The $17m drones EDITOR, The Tribune.

NOT that the $17m wroth of 55 drones might assist the police the public needs some re-assurances as to how these drones will operate and an assurance that our privacy will not unless they, the police have a Magistrate’s Order, be abused.

1) Can the drone possibly be equipped with strong listening devices hover over private property and record conversations taking place inside the home or in the

yard?

2) Can the drone fly over the space over ones private home take photographs?

Maybe taking video of legal activities in your yard around a pool, say home owners skinny dipping in their privacy?

3) What if there is abuse of the RBPF-RBDF Immigration can the public sue for damages? Can the public if suspect of Law Enforcement recording or taking photographs require a copy of the material… video or tape? I cannot be

EDITOR, The Tribune.

I AM often offended by what passes for commentary and criticism by the official opposition and their supporters but believe that no response is likely better for my health. As we begin a New Year, I am hazarding a change.

Some weeks ago, the son of a former FNM Minister of Finance opined, as if a verifiable fact, that the PLP have the best record in The Bahamas for increasing the incomes of ordinary Bahamians. Perhaps he was studying and or working abroad, a privilege not enjoyed by the majority of ordinary Bahamians, when his father formed a part of an FNM Government.

The minimum wage in the public service was $90 a week when the FNM first came to office in 1992. The FNM raised it first to $150 and left the minimum wage Government, with another in the public service at $210 ten years more recently, one per week when they were would think that these two voted out of office in 2002. would not be stupid enough The PLP increased it to to raise such an issue about $220 per week in 2015.

The entry point salary Mr Kelly’s time at the helm for a police constable was of education.

They can, of course, say around $12,000 per annum whatever they want today, in 1992. It was raised a but history will reveal all number of times by the eventually, and I hope FNM while in office; most Messrs Davis and Mitchel recently to around $21,000 can stand even a little taller in 2008, where it remains. than Sir Godfrey’s shoe The top of the salary scale for police constables is laces. around $31,000 per annum.

The entry salary for MONKEEDOO trained degreed teachNassau, ers in 1992 was just under January 2, 2019 $11,000 per annum. That was increased to $18,000 by the FNM government in 2000 and increased further to around $25,000 in 2008 where it remains today. refused.

The top salary in the scale Just thinking how these for trained teachers is now 55 drones will be operated? around $37,000 per annum.

An incident is called in at The introduction of a Fox Hill… nearest drone career path for a teacher by say South Beach… will the the FNM in 1999 created officer in charge immedi- new posts of senior and ately send up a drone or… master teachers. Such posts what is the use after the permit qualifying classroom crime…criminals left the teachers to remain in the scene. At every murder classroom while earning Police ask us for help? salaries similar to or higher This Minister likes toys… than that of some school now 55 drones - $17m. principals and other school administrators.

ABRAHAM MOSS Records indicate that Nassau, average national household December 17, 2019. incomes rose from nearly

Knighthoods and nonsense EDITOR, The Tribune.

FOR the sake of Brave Davis and Fred Mitchell, and anyone else who has a problem with the skin colour that God put them in, I do hope that someone, somewhere in the world, will soon find a way to alter their chromosomes, so that they can become white, at least for a little while.

The absolute asininity that they carried on with about Godfrey Kelly being knighted is beyond the beyond. In just a few days, the white people of

It’s just the facts LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net $27,000 in 1992 to nearly $40,000 in 2002 under an FNM government.

Perhaps junior suffers the common complex of being the son of a successful father.

Then there is the economic buffoonery that passes as the voice of experience. Often guilty on this score is the Chairman of the Arawak Group of Companies who now counsels that the current FNM minister of finance adopt the model of a former PLP minister of finance who had the great misfortune of leaving office and the Bahamian economy in shambles in August 1992 with: • record unemployment levels, • a crippled hotel sector, • a public hospital chronically short of essential medicines and other supplies, • dangerously low foreign reserves, • an inability to have government US dollar bonds fully subscribed, • Central Bank imposed equity requirements that limited and restricted borrowings by Bahamians, and • the inability by the government to meet payments to the contractor for the construction of a new US departure terminal at the Nassau International Airport.

Essentially, he left a broke Treasury, growing public debt, and millions of dollars in unpaid bills!

This was topped more recently by the Leader of the Opposition’s objection to the grant of New Year’s honours to Sir Godfrey Kelly, an accomplished lawyer and veteran competitive sailor, former Member of Parliament and minister of education credited for commencing expansion of secondary public education, spearheading the development of the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre, bringing The Bahamas into the University of the West Indies and for the introduction of the Cat Island Regatta.

Perhaps the Leader of the Opposition, who hails from Cat Island and who has represented that constituency in the House of Assembly for some 20 years, might comment on his own contribution to the development of his home island. He should urgently read Davidson Hepburn’s recent addition to his biographical account of growing up on Cat Island, comparing his experiences as a child with the state of Cat Island today.

Perhaps Mr Davis is more comfortable with a knighthood conferred by the last PLP Government in which he served as Deputy Prime Minister. The honouree in that instance, heralded as a leading black businessman by the PLP, is actually best remembered in the community for the closure of businesses: Business Systems, Nassau Airport Caterers, Cole-Thompson Pharmacy, the Anchorage Hotel, ABC Motors and the Jaguar, Ford and Toyota car franchises, and others. His venture into the liquor business had similar results.

Most amazingly this objection to an award comes from a former Deputy Prime Minister who recently moved a motion of no confidence in the prime minister for misleading the House of Assembly on a matter that moved civil servants from a mould infested, crumbling post office when he, as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Works, misled the House of Assembly on his ministry’s failure to ensure that a dormitory under construction at BAMSI in Andros was insured against fire.

I have to admit that I am beyond frustrated by the continued bumbling of government business by the current administration but if the best advice to them is what passes for commentary and criticism from the official opposition and its apologists and defenders then perhaps the government is better off taking its own advice after all.

THE RECORDER January 2, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, January 3, 2020, PAGE 5

On hold - $70m ‘dubious’ deals from page one

HEALTH Minister Dr Duane Sands.

So far, the government has not been taken to the courts over healthcare contracts put in place but Dr Sands bemoaned the tough position the government is in.

“There was down payments paid to multiple contractors but no funding at all was identified for this remaining $70m,” he said.

“It is a bridge to nowhere.

“Was this legislative malpractice? It’s all well and good to be progressive in your view of what you would like to do for your country, but it is another thing to put a noose around the neck of

the people of The Bahamas, particularly when you sign contracts on May 9 and April 29. What were you hoping to accomplish?

To win an election or were you genuinely attempting to fix a stubborn problem that you didn’t address in the previous 4.9 years of your term?”

To achieve national health insurance, the Christie administration initiated capital work improvements to many clinics and healthcare centres around the country.

However, the Ministry of Health’s assessment teams lambasted the quality of some of the work performed between 2015 and 2018, according to a report

of the capital projects seen

by The Tribune.

Analysts found work at the Elizabeth Estates Clinic and Fleming Street Clinic to be substandard, for instance, and found the quality of work at the South Beach Health Centre “internally poor.”

In some cases contracted work was not done. With respect to a clinic in Acklins, they said residents found the clinic too far away from their community.

Former Grand Bahama Minister Dr Michael Darville defended his administration’s contracts yesterday, calling Dr Sands a “crybaby”.

“All of the contracts

executed by the Ministry of Health and the Public Hospitals Authority were well thought out contracts that went through the proper legal parameters with a tender process and we felt that was the direction we wanted to take healthcare in at the time,” he said.

“We make no apologies because we did what we had to do. The baton was passed on to them in the last election.

“When the FNM entered contracts, we honoured those contracts and then moved forward with our plans. This group is almost finished their term, why they still blaming the PLP?”

POLICE ‘STUDYING’ NEW BEATING VIDEO from page one

making several young men lean up against the wall of a pink building with their backs to them.

One of the officers could be seen using two hands to strike one of the young men on his buttocks with full force as if swinging an actual baseball bat. The young man seems unfazed by the hit, and proceeds to walk off calmly. However, the officer walks behind him and swings the nightstick full-force a second time, striking the young man in the buttocks again.

The young man appears to manage to soften the blow somewhat by using his left hand to partially block the blow. Less than three seconds later, however, and while the young man continues to walk away, that officer hits the young man again in like fashion, but this time the blow appeared to be a bit higher on the young man’s posterior.

That officer then returns to where his colleagues and the other men were, where it was apparently another young man’s turn to receive a “lashing” at his hands.

But what stood out about that interaction was that the ‘beating’ officer shoved one of his colleagues who was standing nearest the second young man completely out of the way and — without provocation as the young man was posted up against the wall — proceeded to beat him on his buttocks.

The officer strikes the second young man, donned in a white T-shirt, blue jeans and a black beanie hat, on his buttocks a first time.

But just before the officers lands another powerful hit, the young man darts off and continues running after receiving the second hit.

That officer could then be seeing moving onto a third young man in a green and white shirt before the video cuts out.

One Facebook user, Ulric Gibson, said of the video: “If you have a problem with the police beating your good son keep him home. If you are a responsible parent you will know where your underage son or daughter is and who is supposed to be out with them at an event”.

In response to that comment, Barry Eric McKinney said: “You know police do this to adults as well right?

Also, why is it okay for police to go about beating anyone anyway? Much less, minors? It’s important that we remember their job doesn’t involve sentencing/ prosecution”.

In the second of the two videos, any number of police officers could be seen embroiled in a melee on what looks like the southern side of the Bank of the Bahamas facing Shirley

IMAGES taken from video showing an officer twice apparently striking a youth with his nightstick and, below, a clip from a second video showing clashes between police and young men.

Street with any number of men.

At the start of the video, one officer is seen repeatedly striking a man in a red shirt with his nightstick as he lied on the ground from behind a barricade, before other officers standing on the other side of the barricade where the man was pulled him away. But before those officers did so, another officer managed to strike the man on the ground with his nightstick.

The man in the red shirt manages to get to his feet, and is then forcibly led away by officers, who bump him in his back and push him. One officer gets ahold of the man’s hand, and so he yanks his hand free.

Then, the group stops for about five seconds, before one of the officers, a larger one, shoves the man so hard in his chest he is almost sent clean over the metal barricade, which he ends up slamming into audibly.

The officer then pushes the man in the red shirt a second time, before other officers converge in on the situation.

The video then cuts out to a second angle of the incident from the opposite direction, showing another officer in navy blue running to the skirmish. That angle captures a more chaotic scene however, as a man in an orange shirt could be seen embroiled in the action.

That man in the orange could be seen being yanked, held and even hit in the head by some of the officers, while in the background, nightsticks could be seen in the air, held by officers apparently preparing to strike someone or something.

As the confusion continues to unfold, a third man in a white shirt and what appears to be grey pants could be seen on the ground on his back at the feet of the various officers and other men. He manages to get it up, but only to be grabbed by one of the officers who, along with another

one, hits and shoves him back to the ground.

While that was going on, a woman could be heard saying: “Why they beat this man so bad? No!” When the man is hit and shove to the ground, the woman then exclaims: “That’s wrong!

Why they doing that?!”

Meanwhile, another man in a red shirt and black

beanie had could be seen being grabbed by the back of the neck by an officer and shoved out of the way of the skirmish.

Meanwhile, the man in the orange shirt was since removed from the other side of the barricade where the confusion was and paraded in the street by several officers. As the

man was being led off by the officers, he could be seen placing his hand on his head. When he removes his hand and he comes closer to the person recording, blood could be seen on his head.

An unknown man could be said saying in an audibly irritated voice: ““You know they joking, though! They

(expletive) joking man!”

Seconds later, when the woman notices the blood pouring from the head of the man in the orange shirt, she exclaims: “Oh my god look what they do!”

After the videos went viral, Mrs Hanna Martin posted to her official Facebook page: “Videos in circulation displaying disturbing encounters between the police and members of the public at Junkanoo.

(Commissioner of Police) must speak”.

When contacted on the issue, Mrs Hanna Martin said: “The images are very disturbing. We would need the commissioner of police to give an explanation as to what that is about. “…I’ve seen a lot of people rationalising it, but the commissioner needs to give an explanation.

Because, certainly in the course of policing, (based on) what I understand to be policing, the images are disturbing.

“Of course I don’t know the facts, I only know what I saw on that video. But what I saw is disturbing to me. And so the commissioner needs to speak to it so we have an understanding of what that was about.”

She added: “We all know we have problems with crime and whatever the issues are. But we still have norms, accepted norms and practices, we have laws, we have rules. I don’t want to see us rationalising going outside of that because we feel overtaking by whatever the issue is.

“And so the situation now seems to be rationalising things that on the face of it, would normally cause concern. So we have to be careful.”

PAGE 6, Friday, January 3, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

WELCOME TO THE FIRST NEW BABIES OF 2020

By SYANN THOMPSON Tribune Staff Reporter sthompson@tribunemedia.net

NATHANIEL Gilbert was the first baby boy to be born in 2020.

The seven pounds-oneounce bundle of joy arrived at 9.45am on New Year’s Day. Candice Butcher, Nathaniel’s mother already nicknamed him ‘Vision’. She said that like any mother she wants the best for her baby “I just want him to be successful and healthy. It was an experience, but I thank God that everything went well,” she said.

Alexandria Nesbitt, the first baby girl in 2020, weighed five pounds three ounces arrived at 2.39pm.

Her mother, Takara Nesbitt, said she was happy for a safe delivery.

“I would love to have a good life with her. I would also love to thank each and every one of PMH staff members for all their help,” said Ms Nesbitt.

The Princess Margaret

NATHANIEL GILBERT, the first baby born in 2020.

“I always believe we ought Hospital, the Cookie Collection organisation and to be supporting women in Kiwanis Club of New need. Also, we need to keep Providence congratulated reminding women out there the mothers and donated that there’s someone out bountiful baskets of essen- there, a mother like myself tial items for the new babies to be loving and giving for the community,” Ms Johnand their mothers.

It has been eight years son said.

“We have a lot of donors since Sheron Johnson, president of the Cookie that give to us, the major Collection has been pre- one is D’Albenas Agency senting mothers and their that gives all the diapers, newborn babies at the PMH the baby wipe and different Huggies’ items. There with loaded gift baskets.

She said mothers always is Sandy’s who gives clothneed to know that there is ing and Commonwealth Fabrics who gives fabrics someone who cares.

BABY Alexandria Nesbitt with mother Takara Nesbitt. to make quilts. And also, Multi-Discount and Home Quality Centre that has

been giving generously every year.”

All mothers at PMH

giving birth on New Year’s Day received gifts of essential items.

Campaign finance another empty promise, says Davis

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ “vague” commitment to campaign finance law is the latest sign his party’s election victory was built on “empty promises and political expediency,” Opposition Leader Philip “Brave” Davis said yesterday.

After Dr Minnis rushed with the Saxons Superstars in Wednesday’s Junkanoo Parade, reporters asked him about campaign finance legislation which was a major promise of the FNM in the lead-up to the 2017 general election.

“I got seven more years,” he replied. “We’re working on it. What I am concentrating on now is to close that gap in income inequality and to allow more to share in the wealth.”

Not bringing campaign finance legislation before the next election would be irresponsible of the government, Mr Davis said.

“Again this demonstrates and shows what their campaign was all about,” he said. “That he’s saying we have seven years in which to bring the legislation speaks to his hypocrisy and his true ways. It shows his presumptuousness as well. Every time they open their mouth you really can’t

listen to what they say, just watch they do. What could you believe coming from them at this point?”

The Nassau Guardian reported yesterday the administration is unlikely to fulfil its fixed election date pledge this term, according to Attorney General Carl Bethel who spoke about the need for a referendum.

In May 2018, Mr Bethel told The Tribune public consultation on bills establishing term limits for prime ministers and a fixed date for elections would begin before the end of that year but that never happened.

“These are low hanging fruits,” Mr Davis said.

“You don’t need nothing

complicated or great hurdles to cross but again, as is typical, they had a campaign about things they thought people wanted to hear to get elected, they didn’t truly want to implement transformative policies.”

Yesterday Matt Albury, executive director of the Organization for Responsible Governance, said Dr Minnis’ answer to reporters “seems very non-committal”.

“Unfortunately it speaks to the fact that it doesn’t seem to be a priority,” he said.

Good governance reforms were central to the FNM’s 2017 election run but the party has fully

implemented few such promises since winning the election.

Mr Albury said: “There are a number of priorities we have been calling for that speak to the fundamental transparency and openness of the government, the Integrity Commission Bill, full Freedom of Information Act enactment, issues like public procurement and campaign finance which open up the door toward restoring public trust in government, all of which are in critical need. It needs to be taken seriously that these are not to be cast aside but addressed. Seven years is way too loose a

timeline to say when these things will get done. We saw some movement on fiscal responsibility and FOIA but it’s now been over 800 days since the Ombudsman and Integrity Commission bills were tabled with no movement has happened since then and there is no clarity on when movement will occur.

The Integrity Commission Bill, for instance, includes a revamp of a public disclosure law which would speak clearly to our interests and establish an independent body that would vet allegations so we don’t see even a hint of partisanship, be they real or imagined, in the cases.”

US BLOCKS THREE BAHAMAS AIRCRAFT from page one

The company signed a contract in June for a supplier to deliver three kits

in September, October and November of last year but that supplier reneged on its responsibilities, he said yesterday. The airline has paid the company

$200,000 of its $600,000 contract.

“The supplier indicated they are unable to provide the kits before March 2020 and that is not acceptable

to us,” Mr Turnquest said.

“Every effort will be made to recoup the money already paid.”

“This first came up in 2010 but very few aircraft took advantage because within ten years you’re not sure what your fleet would be. In 2018 efforts began to outfit these various aircraft.

When Bahamasair purchased five ATRs back in 2016 navigational kits were not put in place but were accessed over the past two years.”

The airline is eyeing a deal with a new supplier that indicated it could provide the kits within three weeks for about $195,000 for each plane once an order is placed.

Bahamasair has nine planes: five ATRs, including two 70-seaters and three 50-seaters; three 737-500 planes that can carry 120 people each; and one 138-seater 737-790 plane.

Mr Turnquest said one of the 737-500 planes was soon

scheduled to be out of commission for a maintenance check in Costa Rica that is expected to last about 75 days.

He does not anticipate disruption in Bahamasair’s services or tedious delays, he said.

“We’ve had to take the remaining two jets out and put them on other routes,” he said, identifying Grand Bahama, Exuma and Haiti as the temporary new routes for the planes.

JURY SAYS DISNEY SHOULD PAY WORKER $4M AFTER BAHAMAS CAR ACCIDENT A FLORIDA jury has decided that a Disney Cruise Line worker deserves $4m from the company based on her claim that she received inadequate medical care from ship doctors after she was hit by a car during a port of call.

The Brevard County jury earlier this month ordered the cruise line to pay Maria Ana Reis Martins the judgment. The Miami Herald reports that it included $2m for lost earnings, $1m for pain and suffering and $1m

for punishment.

It is the first time Disney Cruise Line has lost a personal injury case involving a ship worker in a jury trial, said Julio Ayala, Martins’ attorney.

According to Martins’ complaint, a car hit her when she was ashore in The Bahamas in 2013. The ship’s medical team failed to diagnose three broken ribs and said she was fit for work in her job as a dining room server.

A doctor in Florida later found that she had broken

the ribs, and she was sent back to her native Portugal for five months for treatment. She returned to work in 2014 but had to leave a month later due to nerve damage, the lawsuit said.

The jury assigned 70 percent of negligence associated with Martins’ injury to the company and 30 percent to her.

A phone message seeking comment left with the cruise line on Tuesday wasn’t immediately returned.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, January 3, 2020, PAGE 7

A MESSAGE on a store window at Harbour Bay yesterday. Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS AS SINGLE USE PLASTIC BAN COMES INTO EFFECT

By EARYEL BOWLEG Ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

CONSUMERS are already voicing their anger as the new single use plastic ban which has now come into effect.

As of January 1, businesses are mandated to sell plastic shopping bags for 25 cents to $1.

Keva Gottlieb, Manager at The Sports Centre in the Harbour Bay Shopping Plaza said customers have already complained about the charge.

“There’s been a bit of a push back from customers because they’re questioning why, if it’s a ban, that they have to pay for something and I can understand both sides of it where yes you want them to be more aware that we are moving towards reusable, but to have them pay for something that’s kinda of been banned in the stores or banned for the retailers it’s a bit confusing but we are trying to push them towards reusable,” she admitted.

Reviews Meanwhile, Marcian Williams, a sales professional at John Bull located at the plaza, has heard mixed reviews from shoppers. He noted some were unwilling to pay the fee and end up deciding to carry their purchases in their hands.

Mr Williams said: “Some customers are outraged by it and then others are just okay with it. I guess it depends on the position I guess. A lot of people find it unnecessary I guess but it is what it is. It’s nothing that a lot of people can do, so they just pay the 25 cents anyway.”

Other stores like 700 Wines & Spirits were ready for the ban.

Store Clerk D’Arcy Hepburn told The Tribune the store had already replaced plastic bags with brown paper bags, adding the move seemed to be welcomed by consumers.

“Coming in a liquor store, some people prefer

KEVA GOTTLIEB, Manager at The Sports Centre.

VERDELL Fox saw the benefits of the ban for the environment.

LEROY Grant opposed the fee for bags. like the brown bags rather than plastic because it’s easier I guess and in my sense it keeps most of their beers cool.

“So, from what I’ve experienced, plastic bags they’re black, but like the discreteness of it, but there’s no issues or complaints about it so far,” he explained.

One shopper, Leroy Grant, strongly opposed the fee and felt the bags should be offered to consumers without charge.

“If the bag cost $4 and I need two of them that’s $8 that I don’t have,” Mr Grant argued.

“It’s no value to me to spend $8 for two bags to put my groceries in. I go home when my wife comes home, we’ll decide what we’re going to do about groceries. We’re not buying any bags.”

On the other hand, others like Verdell Fox saw the benefits of the ban for the environment: “I really don’t have a problem you know with it..if it’s going to affect the waters and everything like that. We have to eat the

fish, and the conch, and everything like that. So, I think it’s all in good standing.”

Stores with single use plastics have until June 30, 2020 to deplete their stock during the six-months transition period.

AML Food Limited stores (Solomon’s Fresh Market, Solomon’s and Cost Right) do not have plastic bags available for customers.

Yet, Ms Gottlieb revealed The Sports Center was not sure what the company will do with the plastic bags they are unable to get rid of.

“Well as you know we’re quite a large store with three stores, actually we have five stores combined including our HeatWave stores,” the store manager informed.

“So, we have had thousands – hundreds of thousands of bags brought in to try to use those bags before the ban (which) was virtually impossible. So, we’re still stuck with hundreds of thousands of bags that we have in our warehouse,” she said.

MARCIAN WILLIAMS, a sales professional at John Bull.

EXAM DATES WON’T BE MOVED FOR STUDENTS AFFECTED BY DORIAN

By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

EDUCATION Minister Jeffrey Lloyd said his ministry has no plans to make adjustments to the set dates for national examinations to accommodate students affected by Hurricane Dorian.

Stating that altering the scheduling of the Bahamas Junior Certificate (BJC) and Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) exams would create “too many complications”, Mr Lloyd said the ministry has implemented other measures to ensure students displaced by the deadly storm are prepared to sit the national examinations.

“It’s too problematic to make adjustments in the exam schedules – especially

MINISTER of Education Jeff Lloyd. the BGCSE,” he said on the sidelines of the New Year’s Day Junkanoo Parade.

“You have to remember

there might be the ability to make some adjustments with regard to the BJC, but we can’t certainly do it

with the BGCSE because in order for us to do that we would have to then push back scholarship decisions (and) admissions to universities both here in New Providence as well as in the United States – too many complications,” he explained.

“However, what we are doing and have done is to assist those students in getting ready.

“They have additional classes on Saturdays, Sundays and on holidays, classes (in the) afternoon (and) more tutorials have been provided so that they could be ready.”

Mr Lloyd said the ministry has also “established a virtual school” to allow students on the affected islands to stream lessons in their “respective courses” and tune into other classes

that they would not normally have access to.

Asked whether the ministry has considered extending dates for the BJC examinations, he explained that while they have not made a decision yet, they want to ensure that they do not “injure” students who need their BJC results to get into their “respective streams” in high school.

“They’re going to be moving on from junior high to senior high...so those are very important for us to be considering and I would say by the end of January we will know for sure whether there’s going to be any adjustment in the BJC.” “As a matter of fact, this coming week the Cambridge Assessment team is in The Bahamas and we are going to be discussing all of that. But I can’t see it

(changing), it would be too problematic.”

Adding that his New Year’s Resolution for the ministry is for them to be more responsive, Mr Lloyd also revealed that they have established a 100 day challenge to increase their efficiency.

“We’ve got to cut down on the timelines,” he said.

“Instead of having to wait two weeks, we want to cut it down to one week. Instead of having to wait one week, we want to cut it down to two and three days.”

“In this day and time where people need and deserve almost instant response, we’ve got to work towards that and so every department is going to establish their goals and in that 100th day, we are going to exceed those goals,” he said.

PAGE 8, Friday, January 3, 2020

THE TRIBUNE A PAGE 8, Friday, December 20, 2019

Good to hear Jeff Lloyd speaking such My New sense Year’s about Resolutions marijuana

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T’S a new year, 2020, and everyone’s slate is clean. Save for the often unattainable, wellintended ‘New Year’s Resolutions’.

Actually, a New Year’s resolution is something admit I was feel and drinking I’ve men- the MPs best are taking a pu that goes in one year I MUST Insurprised the New Year, I“Iasked brands to see tioned this many, many stance on it, we as a nat and out the other. I waspleasantly friendarticle, for a the cigarette. thethat Newneed Year? in a aTribune times over the in years to examine some Education we have unfortunately rel- the other internatio going to quit drinking forstance taken He by said: “I just heard He gave up thinking.

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New Year’s resolutions. absolutely. been many times in 2019, people who ask ward to the delivery of the nation, we are having conCurrently, recreatio Another one of myMarijuana I have annoyed you, i Commission’s sistent dialoguewhen on the marijuana remains me about my New subject, and more and more gal.

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May all your troubles Which leads me to last as long as your New another of my resolutions He asked: “What’s Year’s resolutions. for the new year, which phase one?”

Truly I have only one is to tolerate fools more To which I had to New Year’s resolution. To gladly, provided this does simply explain, “I’ve quit rediscover the difference not encourage them to buying.” between wants and needs. take up more of my time.

And I don’t want New May I have all I need I announced another Year’s resolutions to affect and want all I have. of my resolutions, to stop me the way it did the Irishsmoking, on New Year’s man who thought about Happy New Year Eve. giving up eating well and everyone!

Riding for Dorian relief Jeanne Dupuch and Anne Maury grew up in Nassau close friends with a special bond – their love of horses. They swam their ponies in the sea together, took riding lessons at the stables in Camperdown and even competed against each other at equine events.

But as these things go and life ticks by, the two young girls who were once so close grew up and apart.

Anne married and had children, Jeanne dedicated herself to her career centred around horses.

Oddly enough, they both ended up in North Carolina, though they had lost track of each other until a few years ago when they discovered they had both settled in the same state but it was not until a storm named Dorian hit their homeland that the two childhood friends, decades later, were reunited for a cause and a rebirth of a childhood passion that gave rise to what would come next.

More than 100 miles apart, Anne and Jeanne watched the storm on TV, saw the fury it unleashed and the lives it took or turned upside down.

They phoned each other and hatched a plan. They would raise money by Jeanne giving horseback riding lessons on a ranch where Anne keeps her horse. The riding clinic morphed into a full-flung, weekend-long, town event, complete with pony rides, face painting, a petting zoo with piglets,

gathering items and hosting a silent auction.

“We spoke and asked each other, ‘What can we do to help?’ I was thinking of a dinner and country music instruction lesson theme for a fundraiser,” said Anne, “and Jeanne

“More than 100 miles apart, Anne and Jeanne watched the storm on TV, saw the fury it unleashed and the lives it took or turned upside down. They phoned each other and hatched a plan.

They would raise money by Jeanne giving horseback riding lessons on a ranch where Anne keeps her horse.” had the horseback riding clinic as her plan.” They agreed on the horseback riding idea.

Anne asked the owner of the barn where she keeps her horse to host the event, got a wholehearted nod of approval

and the two old friends were off and trotting.

“We knew the stars would have to align for it all to come together because neither of us had ever done anything like this before,” said Jeanne.

It took weeks of planning, but she and Anne, now Anne Paramore, pulled it off, galloping to the cause and raising $4,200 which Anne’s mother, Carlton Maury Robertson arranged to present to the Rotary Club of East Nassau which will use the funds for the Rotary Disaster Relief Fund to assist both Abaco and Grand Bahama. Anne’s mom attended the presentation.

Jeanne and Anne still have t-shirts created for the event left to sell.

When they do, the women will donate more.

“The message we wanted to get across was that no matter how big or small, it is all about doing something,” says Jeanne.

“For people who have nothing, every little bit is something and it all makes a difference.”

Anne agrees: “Hopefully more people will be inspired to do something to help.”

EVERY MONDAY IN THE TRIBUNE: INSIGHT – THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, January 3, 2020, PAGE 9

FIVE RULES TO HELP YOU KEEP THOSE NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS

By BRIAN HARMAN, Lecturer in Marketing, De Montfort University and Janine Bosak, Associate Professor in Organisational Psychology, Dublin City University

W

E are creatures of habit.

Between a third and half of our behaviour is habitual, according to research estimates. Unfortunately, our bad habits compromise our health, wealth and happiness.

On average, it takes 66 days to form a habit.

But positive behavioural change is harder than selfhelp books would have us believe. Only 40 percent of people can sustain their New Year’s resolution after six months, while only 20 percent of dieters maintain long-term weight loss.

Education does not effectively promote behaviour change. A review of 47 studies found that it’s relatively easy to change a person’s goals and intentions but it’s much harder to change how they behave. Strong habits are often activated unconsciously in response to social or environmental cues – for example, we go to the supermarket about 211 times a year, but most of our purchases are habitual.

With all this in mind, here are five ways to help you keep your New Year’s resolutions – whether that’s taking better care of your body or your bank balance.

1. P RIORITISE YOUR GOALS Willpower is a finite resource.

Resisting temptation drains our willpower, leaving us vulnerable to influences that reinforce our impulsive behaviours.

A common mistake is being overly ambitious

with our New Year resolutions. It’s best to prioritise goals and focus on one behaviour.

The ideal approach is to make small, incremental changes that replace the habit with a behaviour that supplies a similar reward. Diets that are too rigid, for example, require a lot of willpower to follow.

2. CHANGE YOUR ROUTINES Habits are embedded within routines. So disrupting routines can prompt us to adopt new habits.

For example, major life events like changing jobs, moving house or having a baby all promote new habits since we are forced to adapt to new circumstances.

While routines can boost our productivity and add stability to our social lives they should be chosen with care.

People who live alone have stronger routines so throwing a dice to randomise your decision making if you do could help you disrupt your habits.

Our environment also affects our routines.

For example, without giving it any thought, we eat popcorn at the cinema but not in a meeting room.

Similarly, reducing the size of your storage containers and the plates you serve food on can help to tackle overeating.

3. MONITOR YOUR BEHAVIOUR “Vigilant monitoring” appears to be the most effective strategy for tackling strong habits. This is where people actively monitor their goals and regulate their behaviours in response to different situations. A meta-analysis of 100 studies found that self-monitoring was the best of 26 different tactics used to promote healthy eating and exercise activities. flipped second sentence around

Another meta-analysis of 94 studies informs us that “implementation intentions” are also highly effective.

These personalised “if x then y” rules can counter the automatic activation of habits. For example, if I feel like eating chocolate, I will drink a glass of water.

Implementation intentions with multiple options are very effective since they provide the flexibility to adapt to situations.

For example, “if I feel like eating chocolate I will (a) drink a glass of water, (b) eat some fruit; or (c) go for a walk”.

But negatively framed implementation intentions (“when I feel like eating chocolate, I will not eat chocolate”) can be counterproductive since people have to suppress a

thought (“don’t eat chocolate”). Ironically, trying to suppress a thought actually makes us more likely to think about it thereby increasing the risk of habits such as binge eating, smoking and drinking.

Distraction is another approach that can disrupt habits. Also effective is focusing on the positive aspects of the new habit and the negative aspects of the problem habit.

4. I MAGINE YOUR FUTURE SELF To make better decisions we need to overcome our tendency to prefer rewards now rather than later – psychologists call this our “present bias”.

One way to fight this bias is to futureproof our decisions. Our future self tends to be virtuous and

adopts long-term goals. In contrast, our present self often pursues short-term, situational goals. There are ways we can workaround this, though.

For example, setting up a direct debit into a savings account is effective because it’s a one-off decision. In contrast, eating decisions are problematic because of their high frequency. Often our food choices are compromised by circumstance or situational stresses. Planning ahead is therefore important because we regress to our old habits when put under pressure.

5. SET GOALS AND DEADLINES Setting self-imposed deadlines or goals helps us change our behaviour and form new habits.

For example, say you are

going to save a certain amount of money every month. Deadlines work particularly well when tied to self-imposed rewards and penalties for good behaviour.

Another way to increase motivation is to harness the power of peer pressure. Websites such as stickK allow you to broadcast your commitments online so that friends can follow your progress via the website or on social media (for example, “I will lose a stone in weight

by May”).

These are highly visible commitments and tie our colours to the mast.

A financial forfeit for failure (preferably payable to a cause you oppose) can add extra motivation.

theconversation.com

WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR US ALL?

By SIR SHRIDATH RAMPHAL QC (former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth (19751990), Chairman of the West Indian Commission (1990-1992), Chancellor of the University of the West Indies (1989-2002), Head of the CARICOM Regional Negotiating Machinery, CoChair of the Commission on Global Governance (1995).

THE Year 2000, we knew, began a new Millennium. It marked a measurable change.

2020 feels like the start of a new immeasurable era. At that midnight hour 20 years ago, our mood was one of hopeful challenge as we looked to the new period ahead. Today, our disposition is more likely one of anxious thought. Assuredly mine is – as a Guyanese, as

SIR SHRIDATH RAMPHAL QC

a West Indian, as a citizen of the developing world, and as a believer in what the United

Nations stands for, as part of humanity – I face the new time with disquiet.

It should not be so. As a Guyanese, I should be confident that oil discoveries will so fortify our country that its national motto of One people, one Nation, one Destiny will find fulfilment; yet the deep divisions that infect it speak more to fearful jeopardies than unity and contentment.

As a West Indian, I should see an ever-coalescing Caribbean fulfilling the promise of integration it made to itself; yet its flattery of community has deceived so consistently that belief in unity and oneness is withering to a point of near non-revival.

As part of the developing world, I despair for our place in the family of nations.

Our old assumption, that a new world order, premised on fairness, justice and equality, would redress the balance against us, is now dissolving in a toxic brew of introversion and greed by the rich and privileged countries.

As an internationalist – how can I but bemoan retrogression of the notion of an inseparable humanity?

The structures of world order persist, and the embrace of globalism, that should have transformed them, slips away.

There is admirable activism by the young on the environment, on climate change, and on peace; but inaction by those who must act. The epithets of ‘Make us great again’; ‘take back control’; attest to warped leadership; but people sustain such leaders, thankfully

resisted by others with a larger vision.

As part of humanity – can anyone be upbeat about where our larger country, the Planet, is headed?

We believe we are the wisest of all who ever lived; but recent experience suggests that that wisdom is not being employed in ways that should inspire confidence in our way forward in 2020 and beyond.

2020 must not be allowed to perpetuate the uncertainties, disquiet and inequities that have so alarmingly grown into ascendancy.

If it is the tipping point; we must back off and find the ‘path less travelled by’ – and, thereby, make hope and promise flourish, and the path to human progress more secure.

That is my wish for us all!

CARIBBEAN NEWS

4.5 QUAKE HITS PUERTO RICO AMID RARE SEISMIC ACTIVITY

By DÁNICA COTO Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A 4.5-magnitude earthquake hit Puerto Rico on Thursday in the latest of a rare string of quakes that has frightened many in the U.S. territory.

The most recent quake occurred eight miles (12 kilometres) south of Guayanilla at a shallow depth of four miles (seven kilometres) and was felt in

the capital of San Juan and elsewhere in Puerto Rico, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. No immediate damage was reported.

“We haven’t stopped shaking,” said Ángel Vázquez, emergency management director for the southern coastal town of Ponce. “It’s the first time something like this happens.”

The flurry of quakes began the night of Dec. 28, with a 4.7-magnitude

quake followed by a 5.1-magnitude one that hit near Puerto Rico’s south coast and sent dozens of panicked people into the streets.

Cracks Goods fell off supermarket shelves, cracks in homes were reported in some coastal towns, and a large rock fell and blocked a road. No injuries were reported.

Since then, more than 1,100 earthquakes have occurred in that region.

The majority have not been felt, except for the 4.2-magnitude one that hit Dec. 31 and the one on Thursday.

“I’ve spent 29 years with Puerto Rico’s Seismic Network, and it’s the first time I observe this kind of activity,” director Víctor Huérfano told The Associated Press. “There’s no way to predict when it’s going to end, or if it’s

going to lead to a major event.”

He said the flurry of quakes have been extremely superficial and have occurred along three faults in Puerto Rico’s southwest region: Lajas Valley, Montalva Point and the Guayanilla Canyon.

“In general, the force behind all of this is the North American plate and the Caribbean plate squeezing Puerto Rico,” he said.

A similar cluster of quakes occurred last year along Puerto Rico’s northwest coast following a 6.0-magnitude earthquake in late September that led to more than 1,200 quakes in that area, Huérfano said. One of the largest and most damaging earthquakes to hit Puerto Rico occurred in October 1918, when a 7.3-magnitude quake struck near the island’s northwest coast, unleashing a tsunami and killing 116 people.

PAGE 10, Friday, January 3, 2020

DEMOCRAT JULIÁN CASTRO DROPS OUT OF 2020 PRESIDENTIAL RACE

By PAUL J. WEBER Associated Press AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Former Obama housing secretary Julián Castro, the only Latino in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary race, ended his campaign Thursday after a yearlong run in which he pushed his rivals on immigration and took big swings in debates but struggled to break through with voters.

“I’m so proud of the campaign we’ve run together. We’ve shaped the conversation on so many important issues in this race, stood up for the most vulnerable people and given a voice to those who are often forgotten,” Castro said in a video announcing his exit. “But with only a month until the Iowa caucuses, and given the circumstances of this campaign season, I have determined that it simply isn’t our time.”

Castro, who launched his campaign last January, dropped out after failing to garner enough support in the polls or donations to qualify for recent Democratic debates.

A former San Antonio mayor who later became President Barack Obama’s secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Castro had stalled for most of his campaign, hovering around 1% in polls, and never came close to raising money like his better-known challengers.

He had not yet released his end-of-year fundraising numbers, but by October had raised less than $8 million total.

As Castro exited the field, Bernie Sanders announced on Thursday that he brought in more than $34.5 million in the previous three months alone.

Castro’s departure reflects the increasing lack of colour in a Democratic field that began as one of the most diverse in history. Between Sen. Kamala Harris of California dropping out and Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey also lagging, the sixth and final Democratic debate of 2019 had no black or Latino candidates onstage.

Last month, Castro said women and candidates of colour were being pushed aside in the race because of what he called “the media’s flawed formula for ‘electability.’”

He also ran an ad in majority-white Iowa, arguing that the state should no longer vote first in Democrats’ nominating process because it doesn’t reflect the diversity of the party.

Castro, 45, was among the youngest in the running at a moment when the party’s ascendant left wing is demanding generational change. And as the grandson of a Mexican immigrant, Castro said he recognised the meaning of his candidacy in the face of President Donald Trump’s inflammatory anti-immigrant rhetoric and hard-line policies on the U.S.-Mexico border.

But he laboured not to be pigeonholed as a single-issue candidate.

He made Puerto Rico his first campaign stop, recited the names of black victims killed in highprofile police shootings and was the first in the field to call for Trump’s impeachment.

He also was a leading voice in the field on poverty and ending hunger.

But his sagging poll numbers never budged.

Early on, he was often eclipsed by another Texan in the race who dropped out this fall, former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, and another young former mayor, Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana.

His campaign and supporters, meanwhile, grumbled that he didn’t get due credit for taking out-front positions.

Castro’s former challengers said his voice would be missed.

THE TRIBUNE

PENTAGON SAYS US AIRSTRIKE KILLED POWERFUL IRANIAN GENERAL

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA and ZEINA KARAM Associated Press

BAGHDAD (AP) — The Pentagon said Thursday that the U.S. military has killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, at the direction of President Donald Trump.

An airstrike killed Soleimani, architect of Iran’s regional security apparatus, at Baghdad’s international airport Friday, Iranian state television and three Iraqi officials said, an attack that’s expected to draw severe Iranian retaliation against Israel and American interests.

The Defense Department said Soleimani “was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region.”

It also accused Soleimani of approving the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad earlier this week.

A statement released late Thursday by the Pentagon said the strike on Soleimani “was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans.”

The strike also killed Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Iran-backed militias in Iraq known as the Popular Mobilization Forces, or PMF, Iraqi officials said. The PMF media arm said the two were killed in an American airstrike that targeted their vehicle on the road to the airport.

Citing a Revolutionary Guard statement, Iranian state television said Soleimani was “martyred” in an attack by U.S. helicopters near the airport, without elaborating.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who was vacationing on his estate in Palm Beach, Florida, but sent out a tweet of an American flag.

Their deaths are a potential turning point in the Middle East and if the U.S. carried them out, it represents a drastic change for American policy toward Iran after months of tensions.

Tehran shot down a U.S. military surveillance drone and seized oil tankers.

Meanwhile, the U.S. blames Iran for a series of attacks targeting

GEN. QASSEM SOLEIMANI, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force. tankers, as well as a September assault on Saudi Arabia’s oil industry that temporarily halved its production.

The tensions take root in Trump’s decision in May 2018 to withdraw the U.S. from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, struck under his predecessor.

A senior Iraqi politician and a high-level security official confirmed to The Associated Press that Soleimani and al-Muhandis were among those killed in the attack shortly after midnight.

Two militia leaders loyal to Iran also confirmed the deaths, including an official with the Kataeb Hezbollah faction, which was involved in the New Year’s Eve attack by Iranbacked militias on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

The security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said al-Muhandis had arrived to the airport in a convoy along with others to receive Soleimani, whose plane had arrived from either Lebanon or Syria. The airstrike took place near

the cargo area after he left the plane to be greeted by al-Muhandis and others.

Two officials from the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces said Suleimani’s body was torn to pieces in the attack while they did not find the body of al-Muhandis. Asenior politician said Soleimani’s body was identified by the ring he wore.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject and because they were not authorised to give official statements.

As the head of the Quds, or Jersualem, Force of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Soleimani led all of its expeditionary forces.

Quds Force members have deployed into Syria’s long war to support President Bashar Assad, as well as into Iraq in the wake of the 2003 U.S. invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, a longtime foe of Tehran.

Soleimani rose to prominence by advising forces fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and in Syria on behalf of the embattled Assad.

U.S. officials say the Guard under Soleimani taught Iraqi militants how to manufacture and use especially deadly roadside bombs against U.S. troops after the invasion of Iraq. Iran has denied that.

Soleimani himself remains popular among many Iranians, who see him as a selfless hero fighting Iran’s enemies abroad.

Soleimani had been rumoured dead several times, including in a 2006 airplane crash that killed other military officials in northwestern Iran and following a 2012 bombing in Damascus that killed top aides of Assad.

Rumours circulated in November 2015 that Soleimani was killed or seriously wounded leading forces loyal to Assad as they fought around Syria’s Aleppo.

Earlier Friday, an official with the Popular Mobilization Forces said seven people were killed by a missile fired at Baghdad International Airport, blaming the United States.

The official with the group known as the Popular Mobilization Forces

said the dead included its airport protocol officer, identifying him as Mohammed Reda.

A security official confirmed that seven people were killed in the attack on the airport, describing it as an airstrike. Earlier, Iraq’s Security Media Cell, which releases information regarding Iraqi security, said Katyusha rockets landed near the airport’s cargo hall, killing several people and setting two cars on fire.

The attack came amid tensions with the United States after a New Year’s Eve attack by Iran-backed militias on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. The two-day embassy attack which ended Wednesday prompted President Donald Trump to order about 750 U.S. soldiers deployed to the Middle East.

It also prompted Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to postpone his trip to Ukraine and four other countries “to continue monitoring the ongoing situation in Iraq and ensure the safety and security of Americans in the Middle East,” State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said Wednesday.

The breach at the embassy followed U.S. airstrikes on Sunday that killed 25 fighters of the Iran-backed militia in Iraq, the Kataeb Hezbollah.

The U.S. military said the strikes were in retaliation for last week’s killing of an American contractor in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base that the U.S. blamed on the militia.

U.S. officials have suggested they were prepared to engage in further retaliatory attacks in Iraq.

“The game has changed,” Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Thursday, telling reporters that violent acts by Iran-backed Shiite militias in Iraq — including the rocket attack on Dec. 27 that killed one American — will be met with U.S. military force.

He said the Iraqi government has fallen short of its obligation to defend its American partner in the attack on the U.S. embassy. The developments also represent a major downturn in Iraq-U.S. relations that could further undermine U.S. influence in the region and American troops in Iraq and weaken Washington’s hand in its pressure campaign against Iran.

AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER IS JEERED IN WILDFIRE-RAVAGED ZONE

IN this photo from Monday, wildfires rage under plumes of smoke in Bairnsdale, Australia. Thousands of tourists fled Australia’s wildfire-ravaged eastern coast Thursday ahead of worsening conditions as the military started to evacuate people trapped on the shore further south. (Glen Morey via AP)

By TRISTAN LAVALETTE Associated Press PERTH, Australia (AP) — Prime Minister Scott Morrison was confronted by angry residents who cursed and insulted him Thursday as he visited a wildfire-ravaged corner of the country.

Locals in Cobargo, in New South Wales, yelled at him, made obscene gestures and called him an “idiot” and worse, criticising him for the lack of equipment to deal with the fires in town. They jeered as his car left. In the New South Wales town of Quaama, a firefighter refused to shake hands with him.

“Every single time this area has a flood or a fire, we get nothing. If we were Sydney, if we were north coast, we would be flooded with donations with urgent emergency relief,” a resident said in Cobargo.

Anger The outpouring of anger came as authorities said 381 homes had been destroyed on the New South Wales southern coast this week. At least eight people have died this week in New South Wales and the neighbouring state of Victoria.

More than 200 fires are burning in Australia’s two most-populous states. Blazes have also been burning in

THIS still image taken from video provided by AuBC, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is confronted by angry residents as he visited a wildfire-ravaged Cobargo, in New South Wales on Thursday. (AuBC via AP) Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania.

“I’m not surprised people are feeling very raw at the moment. And that’s why I came today, to be here, to see it for myself, to offer what comfort I could,” Morrison said, adding, “There is still, you know, some very dangerous days ahead. And we understand that, and that’s why we’re going to do everything we can to ensure they have every support they will need.”

Morrison, who has also been criticised over his climate change

policies and accused of putting the economy ahead of the environment, insisted that Australia is “meeting the challenge better than most countries” and “exceeding the targets we set out.”

Cooler weather since Tuesday has aided firefighting and allowed people to replenish supplies, with long lines of cars forming at gas stations and supermarkets. But high temperatures and strong winds are forecast to return on Saturday, and thousands of tourists fled the country’s eastern coast Thursday ahead of worsening conditions.

New South Wales authorities ordered tourists to leave a 250-kilometre (155-mile) zone. State Transport Minister Andrew Constance called it the “largest mass relocation of people out of the region that we’ve ever seen.”

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian declared a seven-day state of emergency starting Friday, which grants fire officials more authority.

It’s the third state of emergency for New South Wales in the past two months.

“We don’t take these decisions lightly, but we also want to make sure we’re taking

every single precaution to be prepared for what could be a horrible day on Saturday,” Berejiklian said.

The early and devastating start to Australia’s summer wildfires has led authorities to rate this season the worst on record. About 5 million hectares (12.35 million acres) of land have burned, at least 17 people have been killed, and more than 1,400 homes have been destroyed.

The crisis “will continue to go on until we can get some decent rain that can deal with some of the fires that have been burning for many, many months,” the prime minister said.

In Victoria, where 83 homes have burned this week, the military helped thousands of people who fled to the shoreline as a wildfire threatened their homes in the coastal town of Mallacoota.

Food, water, fuel and medical expertise were being delivered, and about 500 people were going to be evacuated from the town by a naval ship.

“We think around 3,000 tourists and 1,000 locals are there. Not all of those will want to leave, not all can get on the vessel at one time,” Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Smoke from the wildfires made the air quality in the capital, Canberra, the worst in the world, according to a ranking Thursday.