01202023 NEWS, SPORT AND BUSINESS

PM SETS OUT TOP THREE PRIORITIES

Economy, education and crime leading government agenda

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis said his administration will focus on three key areas over the next 12 months: the economy, education and crime.

Mr Davis gave a glimpse into his government’s agenda for 2023 while addressing the 32nd annual Bahamas Business Outlook at Baha Mar yesterday.

He said when his administration assumed office, it inherited an economy in severe recession, a

government deeply in debt and schools in disrepair.

However, he said that even though these challenges remain serious, his administration is finally moving in the right direction.

And for the next 12 months, he said, much focus will be placed on the economy, education and crime.

“We will continue to pursue growth in GDP and revenue, maximise the amount of investment in the country, and maintain efforts to reduce our debt.”

‘WE ARE DEALING WITH IMMIGRATION PROBLEM’

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

DESPITE some critics saying the government is not doing enough to clamp down on illegal immigration, Prime Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis insisted yesterday that his administration is addressing the problem.

“We are addressing it. We are addressing the issues that impact (us),” he told reporters after addressing

the 32nd Annual Bahamas Business Outlook at Baha Mar yesterday.

“This is not a new issue. This is an issue that’s been with us from pre-emancipation. If you check your historical facts, you’ll know that this issue of migration in The Bahamas as it relates to our neighbours to the north and throughout the Caribbean has been with us from pre-emancipation.”

PRIME Minister Philip Davis called on Bahamians to pledge to make the country stronger as the nation prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary of independence this July.

He also urged people to celebrate everything that is uniquely

Bahamian this year. “Let us celebrate the contributions of outstanding Bahamians,” Mr Davis said at an event in Rawson Square last night where the theme and logo for the 50th anniversary celebrations were unveiled.

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

as the country celebrates the milestone, there

is still far more to be done.

He noted many people are stuck in poverty in a country that has a relatively high per capita income level.

“We can and we must do better at helping people escape poverty,” said Mr Smith, former Exuma MP, yesterday.

He continued: “Yes, we do have serious challenges. But we must be up to the challenge; all of us, not just the Prime Minister and his

‘CHURCH MUST HAVE SAY ON MARITAL RAPE’

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

BISHOP Walter Hanchell said legislators cannot deny the church “its say” on the issue of marital rape in response to some who criticise the government for continued consultations on the matter.

A FORMER Cabinet minister is adamant that more must be done to help people escape the shackles of poverty.

George Smith made the comment yesterday during the 32nd annual Bahamas Business Outlook at Baha Mar.

A special advisor to the government for the 50th anniversary independence

celebrations, Mr Smith said that

GEORGE SMITH

TOP, celebrations in Rawson Square last night as the logo for the country’s 50th Independence celebrations, above, was unveiled.

Photo: Austin Fernander

Eco-tour company back after Dorian

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

AN eco-tour company has resumed its tour operation in East Grand Bahama following the long road to recovery since Hurricane Dorian.

Blue Green Outdoors has reopened Crabbing Bay Birding Trail, which is the activity site for its land based and water-based nature tours.

H Rudy Sawyer, operator, said they are back on the map offering guests a delightful experience at Crabbing Bay Cove, which is a protected site.

In September 2019, Dorian caused major devastation in the area resulting in the closure of Crabbing Bay.

However, “after the stellar work by residents and the government sponsored Grand Bahama cleanup team for East Grand Bahama, Crabbing Bay has been restored”.

The area boasts a natural pristine environment, shallow waters, blue holes, and a sandy beach.

“The water, even at high tide, goes no deeper than six feet – a kayaker’s dream. With two blue holes in close proximity, snorkelers love this natural venue because

as they navigate in the blue holes, they get to see up-close a large variety of marine life all in one place,” the company said.

Mr Sawyer said there are spade angelfish, snappers, and grunts in abundance, spotted manta rays, southern stingrays, blue runner jacks, yellow tails, the occasional green turtles and barracuda.

He noted that Crabbing Bay Beach is a sandy white powder-like beach on a horseshoe cove about halfa-mile long.

“As you walk, your feet sink into the sand, up to the ankles,” he added.

Mr Sawyer has been a

pioneer in birding tours and kayaking waterborne tours in East Grand Bahama for the past ten years.

He has fought hard to protect the environment in all of its undertakings, including keeping track of the migratory patterns of birds.

According to Mr Sawyer, the birds are back after the loss of so much of their habitat three years ago.

During his first birding expedition on the trail since it was cleared, Mr Sawyer was pleasantly surprised by the sightings of some 21 different species of migratory and local birds, and even some rare visitors, such as the Eastern Peewee and a Blue-winged Teal Duck.

He also sighted the notso-often endemic Bahama Woodstar Hummingbird, up to four of them.

“A bird that is always a delight, a Bahamian specialty bird, the Bananaquit, was also sighted,” he said. Other rare or uncommon birds which were also sighted include the American Robin, Piping Plovers, Black-throated Blue Warblers, and Black-throated Green Warblers, Indigo Bunting, Cuban Peewee, and the Bahama Swallow.

Photos provided by Blue Green Outdoors

Countdown to 50 is on

“Let us reflect on the moments of challenge and crisis and remember those we have lost. Let us discuss and debate, so that we might confirm a shared vision for our future. And let us sing, and dance, and make music, and recite poetry, and produce dramas that show to all the world, what it is to be Bahamian. And as we celebrate, let us each leave a personal legacy from this year.”

He urged residents to join him in making two pledges: to pledge to participate in some form in the celebrations and to pledge to make the nation stronger.

“Set yourself a personal goal, to achieve something, to do something, to learn a new skill or lift yourself up in some way, so that by the end of this year, you can point to a personal achievement.

“Learn a new trade or learn how to farm. Walk every day or read a book every month.

Learn Grammy’s recipe for peas ‘n rice or decide to cut out peas ‘n rice for the year. Whatever it is, let it be something that helps to take you closer to the vision you have for your life.

“A strong country rests on strong communities. So what are you doing to build your community? Can you tutor a child? Help a struggling family? Grow a garden? Bring an elderly relative to the doctor? Become more active in your church? Share your talents and skills with a next generation?

“If each one of us commits to doing something, then, at the end of the year, in a very real and tangible way, we will live in a better Bahamas,” he said.

The theme for this year’s celebration is “One Nation. Our Legacy. Our Future”.

‘CHURCH MUST HAVE SAY ON MARITAL RAPE’

from page one

Last year, the government released for consultation the proposed Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill that seeks to criminalise marital rape and redefine the meaning of consent.

The draft legislation has been met with mixed reactions from religious leaders, with some believing rape cannot happen within a marriage.

Bishop Hanchell, who has publicly opposed laws on marital rape, said his

position on the issue has not changed.

“First, of all there’s no such thing as marital rape,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the Bahamas Business Outlook yesterday.

“There’s rape. Anybody who abuses his wife, in any way, should be charged with assault, but not rape because it is different between a husband and wife. Yes, a husband could abuse his wife, but this is a moral issue and it should be dealt with strictly from a biblical perspective.

“The way they are going

about it, it’s going to destroy families.”

The religious leader said while he will never support any man who abuses his wife, he also understands that there are perimeters in a marriage.

“God has established holy matrimony, and the man should protect his wife and if a man gets to the point where he has to rape his wife, that is not a marriage and that man is like an animal. So, I don’t support that,” Bishop Hanchell, of Great Commission Ministries, added.

“But a woman and a man

both have a responsibility, a husband and a wife, have a responsibility to make sure that they do not withhold their bodies from the other. Marriage is a covenant. When you get married, sex is a part of the covenant.”

He also conceded that men liked sex, adding that if a woman did not like sex, then she should not get married. “If a woman does not like sex, she should not get married because men love sexual intercourse. Simple. It’s a part of the covenant and I believe that a lot of people are opposing it for the wrong reasons. A lot of people are supporting it for the wrong reasons, but I believe there should be unity in a marriage,” he said.

“There should be love and harmony, not abuse. I don’t support abuse but at the same time, I am not

promoting what they call marital rape. It’s not even in the Bible. It’s another agenda and we have to look at it from a different perspective.”

Among the groups being consulted on the draft legislation are advocacy organisations, church leaders and others.

However, some believe that the government has been relying too heavily on church leaders for their views on marital rape.

Responding to critics yesterday, Bishop Hanchell said marital rape “as they call it” is a moral issue and such issues are dealt with by the church.

In this vein, he said the church cannot be denied from sharing its views on the controversial topic.

“The church is the authority on moral issues,”

he added, “and you cannot deny the church its say on any moral issue. That’s what we’re here for and I thank the Lord for The Bahamas Christian Council and ministers that stand with the truth that stand on the side of the word of God.

“We have a responsibility to defend the word. We have to do it, whether we are liked or hated for our views and for what we stand for. We have to do it.”

It is not clear when consultations on the proposed legislation will end or when laws to criminalise marital rape will be brought to Parliament.

However, Social Services Minister Obie Wilchcombe told reporters earlier this month that officials are hoping to have consultations wrapped up in the next several weeks.

100 YOUTHS ENLIST IN GUARD SCHEME

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

NEARLY 100 young people from throughout the country that have enlisted in the Bahamas National Youth Guard programme are in Grand Bahama for three months of training at the Police College in Freeport.

Minister of Youth, Sports, and Culture Mario Bowleg said this first cohort of 80 youngsters will receive the skillset to respond to any national disaster in the country.

“It is history in the making and it is a happy day for me and Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis to see one of the projects in the ‘Blueprint for Change’ come to reality,” he said recently.

“The National Youth Guard programme will teach the necessary skillet to young people to respond

to any national disaster in The Bahamas.”

The programme targets youngsters, aged 18 to 25 years.

“The idea is to continue to have various cohorts over the next few years to grow the number so we won’t have to disable the police and defence forces when it comes to doing their normal duties and assisting with disaster response.”

While the police and defence forces will continue to assist with disaster response, the minister noted that the national youth guards will be able to lend a hand during those times of disaster.

“We are pleased that every island has been touched, with the majority of the participants coming from Grand Bahama and New Providence,” Mr Bowleg said.

He said the programme will be officially launched by the Prime Minister.

The participants from New Providence and the Family Islands arrived in Grand Bahama on Sunday onboard the HMBS Lawrence Major. They were greeted and welcomed by Minister Bowleg, along with Senators Jack Turner and Kirkland Russell.

Sandena Neely, head of the Division of Youth, described the start of the programme as “a red-letter day” for the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Culture.

She said the participants will be trained to assist the country in the event of an emergency or disaster and will undergo conservation training, shelter management, disaster management, and preparedness training.

“The course will expose them from everything beginning with prevention and mitigation all the way to response and recovery - every aspect of the country’s national disaster plan,” Ms Neely said.

SOME 80 young people throughout the country are in training in Grand Bahama for the Bahamas National Youth Guard programme. This is the first cohort at the Police Training College in Grand Bahama.

from page one

SCENES from Rawson Square last night where the logo for the 50th anniversary of Independence was unveiled.

Photos: Austin Fernander

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis arriving at the celebration.

Smith: We must do more to help poor

government, not just the public service, not just our faith leaders and our leaders from civil society, labour and business.”

He urged both the government and society to help correct, what he sees as a “serious challenge”, adding that more must be done to empower persons to achieve success from

socio-economic ambitions.

Mr Smith said that economic opportunity must be available for all despite their social status.

He noted that the nation must “heighten” its commitment to improving educational standards and facilities, as he said uneducated people can “never be truly free”.

“Economic opportunity must be available to all regardless of where

they live,” Mr Smith said yesterday.

“We cannot just have the rich getting richer and call that success. The poor must be helped out of poverty and on the road to success, then we know that we are truly empowering people.”

As the country prepares to mark 50 years as an independent nation, Mr Smith said it is important to honour our ancestors and the historic events

that paved the way forward. Despite political affiliation, Mr Smith said that it is important to have a “welcoming society” in which differences serve to strengthen rather than divide and weaken by anger and jealousy.

As the country moves further in its journey, Mr Smith believes The Bahamas must demonstrate more regard for the talents of locals, while acknowledging that

Bahamians are capable of competing as equals with people from other countries.

He said: “We must encourage more and more of our talented citizens to become involved in the decision-making process in government as well as in economic affairs and they must receive our proactive support in their endeavours.

“We must be open to legitimate criticisms and

recognise that differences in opinion often lead to discussions producing productive outcomes. No single person or group is imbued with all knowledge.”

In concluding, the former Cabinet minister said during the 50th independence anniversary, parties are a “secondary consideration” as the focus should be geared towards celebrating The Bahamas and its people.

The first of many Phoenix Awards

THE Government High School Alumni Association held its inaugural Phoenix Award presentation on Saturday at the University of The Bahamas Performing Arts Centre.

Minister of Education and Technical and Vocational Training Glenys Hanna Martin attended, as 19 alumni were honoured with lifetime achievement awards.

Ten others received posthumous Phoenix Awards.

Most of the former students attended Government High School during the 1940s with the exception of Robert Bailey, M Louise Symonette, Dr

Cleveland Eneas and Coral Taylor.

Mrs Hanna Martin said: “Nearly a century ago, when the Government High School was formed and in the many years thereafter, it was a rare opportunity for a black student be able to receive a free secondary school education in a colonial-ruled Bahamas.”

She said many of the students “are today recognised as the freedom fighters who forged forward to create the new, democratic state that we proudly call home”.

She added: “Many helped to lay the foundation for our institutional strength in education, healthcare,

the public service, the arts and sciences and all of the professions.

“It is imperative that future generations understand the sacrifice, the courage, the supreme capitalisation of this then rare opportunity of access to education which opened new possibilities, ignited fresh hope in generations of Bahamian people. The lives and accomplishments of these proud sons and daughters of Bahamian soil continue to be an inspiration to us all.”

The association intends to make the awards an annual event, with next year’s awards scheduled for January 13, 2024.

DAME Marguerite Pindling accepting the Government High School Alumni Phoenix Award for Sir Lynden Pindling from Minister of Education Glenys Hanna Martin.

DR Cyril Vanderpool accepting the Government High School Alumni Phoenix Lifetime Achievement Award from Zane Lightbourne, Minister of State for Education.

ARCHBISHOP Drexel Gomez accepting the Government High School Alumni Phoenix Lifetime Achievement Award from Zane Lightbourne, Minister of State for Education.

PM sets out top three priorities

from page one

“That said, we will put a particular focus on reducing the ‘cost of living’ and making efforts to lift people out of poverty,” Mr Davis said.

“Even though the inflationary pressures are largely the result of global events and foreign economies, we will do whatever we can to ease the burden on Bahamian consumers.

“Last October, we were pleased to have our efforts recognised by one of the international ratings agencies, who acknowledged that in the last year, our country has made substantial progress in our economic recovery and fiscal performance.”

With respect to education, Prime Minister Davis acknowledged it is a main contributor to national development and how “we build our nation.”

He said it is for this reason, the government will place greater focus on the work officials have already started.

“Our teachers and administrators are working hard, despite facing serious challenges. But now more than 100 teachers have been recruited, and for the first time in years, teachers are seeing an increase in salaries and benefits, along with a retention bonus,” he added.

“We conducted more than 200 repair projects at our schools, to make them ready for reopening. But as extensive as the infrastructure repairs were, it is far more difficult to repair the damage done by years of interrupted schooling.”

“And, so our Learning

Recovery Task Force is taking a multi-layered approach to making up for lost time.”

He said the government has added security officers in junior and senior schools to make school environments safer for students and staff.

discussed a number of issues, including illegal maritime migration and gun smuggling.

“We agreed to broaden and strengthen the already strong partnership between our two countries in fighting these scourges, which do so much to threaten and undermine our society. If we can make our borders more secure, and reduce the flow of guns into our country, we will take big steps forward in national security.”

In closing remarks, Mr Davis invited Bahamians to partner with the government for the sake of advancing the country’s interests.

“Once again I invite you to partner with the government, especially around the priorities which I have set out,” he said.

Mr

He said the two

“There are entrepreneurial opportunities in economic development, education and criminal justice. For example, could you create a new business offering education in literacy, numeracy and finance? What enterprise might you create to support the rehabilitation of former prisoners? What business can you operate that helps to uplift the poor and provide opportunity?

“This 50th anniversary of independence also presents an opportunity for you to consider or reconsider how you would like to do business in the next 50 years.”

‘WE ARE DEALING WITH IMMIGRATION PROBLEM’

from page one

His comments come amid public outcry over what some term to be an “immigration crisis” in the country.

Last year, nearly 5,000 migrants, most of them Haitians, were repatriated from the country after entering Bahamian shores illegally.

In Parliament on Wednesday, Immigration Minister Keith Bell issued a stern warning to people living in the country illegally “to wind up” their affairs and leave immediately or face deportation.

Yesterday, Mr Davis said he supported what Mr Bell had said.

“I think he is just reiterating what the law is and that all who are here ought to be able to comply with our laws and we are a country of laws and we ask those who. . . are here to obey the laws.”

On Tuesday, a group of people led by political activist Lincoln Bain, protested outside the Office of the

Prime Minister, demanding more action from the government to tackle the problem.

Their frustration mirrors that of many Bahamians, who feel that more needs to be done to crack down on illegal migration and the growing number of shanty towns in the country.

Central and South Abaco MP John Pinder recently told reporters that the issue of unregulated shanty towns in Abaco is about to reach a “boiling point”.

Similar concerns have been echoed by residents in North Andros and Harbour Island, islands that are also home to several illegal developments.

“It’s concerning to me because there isn’t any sanitary infrastructure at hand and there isn’t the proper permitting and things are being done that Bahamians, and my fellow Abaconians can’t do,” Mr Pinder added.

“We have to abide by the law. There is a certain procedure in place that makes a safe place for everyone to live and right now, those

areas that we’re describing aren’t doing that and that’s a problem.

“I know that multiple agencies are dealing with this right now and, like I said, I am highly optimistic

that this Davis-Cooper administration will make sure that we have some mediation and a good outcome for Bahamians.”

Last year, a multi-agency committee, composed

of representatives from various government departments, ministries, and law enforcement agencies, was formed in response to the illegal developments.

Officials have remained tightlipped on the committee’s work to date, only saying that more information on the government’s next steps will become available in due time.

He added: “BTVI and Urban Renewal are working together to engage students across our islands in the Smart Start programme, which provides training and job readiness certificates for those who didn’t graduate due to the pandemic.”

Davis also spoke to the government’s third priority — crime — saying “too many of our young men are in a crisis” and referenced his recent meeting with US Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House this week.

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis speaking at the Bahamas Business Outlook yesterday.

Photo: OPM

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Crime rising to top of government agenda

THE first 18 days of this year have been marked with nine murders. A murder every other day.

It takes little to work out that if that rate continues we will exceed the highest number of murders ever recorded in a year, when 146 murders occurred in 2015.

So when Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis yesterday addressed the Bahamas Business Outlook and stated that his three key priorities for the next 12 months are the economy, education and crime, it is welcome that dealing with the issue is so high on his agenda.

It is, however, a change from only a couple of weeks ago, when Mr Davis said his top priorities for the year included tackling inflation, creating more job opportunities and fostering youth empowerment.

In fairness, he cited the “youth guard programme, which intends to capture the youth to build our communities and to help reduce the effects of crime” and said that he hoped to launch that scheme as part of wider efforts to tackle crime.

He said at the start of January: “I think we have spent too much effort and too much resources on detecting crime, punishing crime without any regard to what I call the preventative measures and rehabilitative measures. Emphasis will be placed on those labours of the crime fighting initiatives.”

By contrast, yesterday, crime has reached his top three issues facing the country.

He said that “too many of our young men are in a crisis” and, following his meeting with US Vice President Kamala Harris this week, he said the government intends to strengthen efforts on illegal migration and gun smuggling.

He said: “If we can make our borders more secure, and reduce the flow of guns into our country, we will take big steps forward in national security.”

Some of this hardly seems a surprise – and one wonders why it took a meeting with the US to move it higher up the agenda.

Fewer guns means fewer opportunities for a would-be killer to have a deadly weapon in his hands.

The vast majority of those guns are reported to come via the US, so there is a challenge over the plentiful supply of weapons available there, but shutting down that pipeline would indeed be helpful.

What is missing is the how. Will there be greater expenditure on border

patrols and Customs staff? Will there be extra investment in scanners at ports of entry? Will the much-talked about swift justice come into play with gun courts to speed prosecutions to ensure wouldbe criminals know if they’re caught with a gun they’ll be going to prison sooner rather than later? Will there be legislation to increase the penalties people face if they are caught in possession of an illegal firearm?

It is easy to say we will strengthen our efforts – but what that actually means has yet to be detailed.

There is also concern over how in touch with the situation police leadership is. The only person who seemed to think the country would not exceed 100 murders last year was Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander. We wish he had been correct, but at the time he said it, that looked unlikely to say the least.

The Commissioner also made some egregious comments this week about cases of statutory rape.

He said that some minors are “falling in love” with older people.

He said: “A lot of minors, some of them are falling in love with elderly individuals but they should know better. The individual should know better. Adults should never approach a minor and I will not support that. We will go all out to save our young females.”

The point of being below the age of consent is that the child is not considered capable under the law of knowing better. They are not legally able to give consent, no matter what.

It is up to the older person to know better. They are the ones seeking to break the law. They are the ones seeking to rape a child. It does not matter if a child says yes, they are not of an age where they can give the consent. The onus is on the offender to know better, not the victim.

We need to stop blaming the victim in such cases. They should not be in a position to say no or yes. It is the person seeking to exploit them that needs to stop what they are doing.

So as we tackle issues of crime – be it murder, rape or the many other activities that blight our communities – it would be helpful if there was a clear understanding of how we are going to do so, or even the nature of the crime itself.

And with the current rate of murders at one every other day, there is no time to waste.

Immigration problem needs continuous enforcement

EDITOR, The Tribune.

THE HEADLINE in The Nassau Guardian dated 13/1/23 reads “Harbour Island’s Migration Woes” Bahamians, in particular residents of Harbour Island must be concerned for their security, safety, health and peace of mind after reading the contents of the article, the revelations of the Member of Parliament and Chief Councillor. The video describes a situation, that is unsafe, insecure and unhealthy for Harbour Islanders, residents and visitors.

The existing conditions amount to an invasion and occupation, that requires the immediate attention and response from our law enforcement agencies; Police, Immigration and Defence Force. The heads of these agencies must act promptly and effectively to rid the island of this vexing problem. An invasion and occupation by our forces to conduct a sweep of the entire island. Arrest and remove the invaders for incarceration and eventual prosecution and

deportation. The operation could take several days.

There will be the need for the large Defence Force boats to be involved to provide accommodation and meals for our personnel. We must provide an area for the detention of those persons arrested. Persons arrested must be thoroughly interrogated to acquire information about their arrival there and to receive information about human trafficking.

We very often read about the arrests of illegal immigrants and the capture of boats, but we do not read of the captains and crew of these boats being prosecuted and punished for their role in Human Trafficking. Investigations to expose persons involved here and in Haiti appears to be lacking. The laws of The Bahamas are being contravened. Law enforcement Officials do not have to await instructions from

anyone. They can act immediately.

The Shanty Towns continue to exist due to politicians being involved in enforcement that should have been left to the law enforcement agencies. The Shanty Towns continue to exist and my sources confirm that more are being built in Abaco. There was action taken in the Supreme Court to stop the demolition of those illegal buildings in Abaco. I have not heard of any decision. It is necessary, that an issue of national importance as the Shanty Towns would have received prompt attention.

Our Immigration problems need enforcement, that is continuous. Bahamians must be concerned about the increase in the migrant population. It is a major security risk to have persons living in our country, who we know nothing about; no names, antecedents; no addresses.

PAUL THOMPSON, Sr Nassau, January, 2023.

Doctors at PMH, where is your care?

EDITOR, The Tribune.

I WRITE this letter with a heavy heart as Iearn of the passing of my dear friend, Kenise Darville. She was a patient at Princess Margaret Hospital at the time of her passing on Thursday, January 19.

Just days earlier, she took to Facebook and posted a live video to make public her complaints about affairs at PMH. One of the things that stood out to me, was when she mentioned the cold and callous way a doctor communicated with her, after not hearing anything for days on end.

This is too often the story at PMH. Yes, we all know there are infrastructure issues, supplies shortages, bed shortages, and so on. But what is the reason for the lack of heart from doctors who are entrusted with our care?

Why has bedside manners apparently gone out of the window for some?

This is an all too common theme at the nation’s public hospital.

Some doctors read prognosis without an inkling of compassion. Some look at you as if you are stupid when you ask questions about your own health. Others let the nurses do the hard work. In the case of Kenise, she said on her live stream that what really bothered her was how cold and casual the doctor was when communicating with her. She said it was a life and death situation and in this case, she has died and that is a real tragedy.

I had two cesarean sections in the past few years, and I went through the PMH experience as well. Fortunately for me, my daughter was delivered by a

male, Dr. Sealy, and my son was delivered by a female, Dr. Sealy. Both had excellent bedside manners. Both were pleasant and communicated well.

But all too often, this is not the case. I recall a friend who got the diagnosis of cancer from a most uncaring physician.

We, as a nation have had major losses due to covid. Doctors, yes, you are tired. Yes, you have seen the worst of cases, but please remember your duty. Nurses, you too. Many of you have lost your touch. People are ill. If laughter is truly a medicine, then doctors and nurses need their bedside manner more than ever. Remember your oath, and remember to show love.

letters@tribunemedia.net

A DANCER during celebrations marking the launch of the logo for the 50th anniversary of Independence in Rawson Square last night.

Photo: Austin Fernander

NEW HOME DELIGHT AS BAHAMIANS RECEIVE EYS

By LETRE SWEETING lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

FIVE Bahamians received keys to their new homes yesterday in the newly unveiled Frank Rutherford Close, an Arawak Homes subdivision off Prince Charles Drive.

The subdivision is named after Bahamian threetime Olympian Frank Rutherford.

Housing and Transport Minister JoBeth ColebyDavis explained how this latest housing development in her constituency will help Bahamians.

“While the opening of this latest housing development, Frank Rutherford Close, will assist in reducing the (housing) deficit, there remains much more work to be done,” Mrs ColebyDavis said.

“I honour the historic achievements of Frank Rutherford - as a Bahamian hero, your place in our nation’s history is secure. And to all of you and to the new homeowners, I say to you, as the member of Parliament for Elizabeth, welcome to Elizabeth,” Mrs ColebyDavis said.

Youth, Sports and Culture Minister Mario Bowleg, also present at the event, expressed his gratitude and thanks to Mr Rutherford and Arawak Homes Limited.

“Frank, the many disappointments you faced as an athlete are well documented. However, I assure you that we as a country are proud of your enormous spirit and unwavering commitment to the development and promotion of sports in The Bahamas,” Mr Bowleg said.

“To Arawak Homes, I applaud you for taking the bold step in ensuring that the name Frank Rutherford lives on, by naming your newest subdivision Frank Rutherford Close in his honour.

“Who knows? The next Frank Rutherford may very well come from this same community,” he said.

Franklyn Wilson, the chairman of Arawak Homes, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, added: “This high honour means future generations, God willing, maybe future Olympians, will ask ‘mommy, who was Frank Rutherford?’ And the answer given to that question, may inspire one child to do something beyond what they otherwise would have done.”

Mr Rutherford said yesterday’s event was the fulfilment of a vision former Prime Minister Sir Lynden Pindling had.

“This is what he (Sir Lynden Pindling) envisioned. I did my part. And I made sure in 1982, when I won the first Olympic medal, I told the world you may see The Bahamas as only sun, sand and sea, but we’re more than that,” Mr Rutherford said.

“From this point on, we’ll win an Olympic medal and you will see our flag on every podium from this moment on, and what has happened. So said, so done. We’ve won an Olympic medal in every Olympics,” Mr Rutherford said.

The event closed with a Junkanoo rush-out by recent back-to-back Junkanoo champions One Family who are sponsored by Sunshine Insurance (Agents & Brokers) Limited, a company also owned by Mr Wilson.

Mr Rutherford is a retired triple jumper who won The Bahamas’ first Olympic medal in track and field after he scored the bronze medal during the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain.

Last September, Arawak Homes honoured Mr Rutherford, officially announcing the new subdivision had been named after him.

BAIL GRANTED OVER DEATH OF BROTHER’S ALLEGED ILLER

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was granted bail by the Supreme Court yesterday in connection with the alleged murder of a man he says killed his brother.

Brandon Evans, 28, stood before Justice Cheryl Grant Thompson for bail determination on a charge of murder.

Evans is accused of being involved in the death of Andy Johnson on October 7 at a Farmer’s Market on Baillou Hill Road South. According to police reports, Evans, wearing a camouflage jacket, approached Johnson at the western end of the market, before shooting him multiple times.

Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene by EMS

and the suspect fled in a dark Nissan Cube.

At the time of his death Johnson was on bail, charged with the 2019 murder of Brian Evans Jr, the defendant’s brother.

After reviewing the details in his case, including the report that the defendant had suffered blackouts while on remand and his mother claimed that he was abused in prison, the justice granted his bail request.

He was granted $9,900 bail with two sureties on condition he is fitted with an electronic monitoring device. The accused is required to sign in at his local station every Monday to Friday.

Before being released, he was warned not to go before the court for any further infractions before his trial.

BAHAMIANS receiving keys yesterday their new homes in Frank Rutherford Close, an Arawak Homes subdivision off Prince Charles Drive. The development is named after Olympian Frank Rutherford, who was present for the ceremony. Photos: Austin Fernander

A culture of giving in The Bahamas

DO Bahamians really give back like they should?

As simple as this question sounds, it’s more nuanced than we think. In my line of work, there are a lot of conversations about philanthropic giving in The Bahamas, and recently, I heard the sentiment again that “Bahamians don’t give back as they should”. It got me thinking about invoking a discussion around how we drive more local giving in The Bahamas.

In many ways, Bahamians give, and give generously. We have an undocumented history of giving our time, talent, and treasure to social and political movements in the country and providing support to causes like scholarships for education, sports, and various forms of community development.

However, I have realised that culturally Bahamians tend to “give back” in traditional and informal ways like supporting their churches, family and friends, organisations like fraternities and sororities, and by supporting local community fundraising events like cookouts and health walks.

Sometimes, we negate these aspects of giving, but they are indeed forms of

By Keyron Smith

philanthropic giving. However, it is my belief that more education and advocacy is needed to encourage more local giving and support a wider range of local non-profits committed to providing help, hope and significant impact within our neighbourhoods, communities and country.

The real question is how do we stimulate a more expansive culture of giving in The Bahamas that can support a more extensive base of community development work at a scale that can generate longer-term social impact?

I am thinking broadly about the areas in our society that enhance well-being and social development.

For example, our educational system needs more after school learning programmes to help our youth succeed.

Our school buildings and classrooms need repairs

and additional teaching resources to improve learning outcomes.

We need more social and athletic programmes to provide support and a safety net for at-risk youth to thrive and avoid the negative consequences of illegal or unproductive behaviour.

Our universities and educational institutions need more resources to provide top-quality tertiary education and vocational training.

Non-profit community development programmes can provide an opportunity to drive these areas of national development, but they require more financial and technical support.

Many Bahamian thirdsector organisations lag in local philanthropic support.

In a report measuring the impact of civil society groups across The Bahamas, led by the One Eleuthera Foundation (OEF), the Organisation for

Responsible Governance (ORG) and Civil Society Bahamas in partnership with Intel Cay, 3 out of 4 organisations surveyed confirmed fundraising as one of the three most critical capacity building needs of their organisation.

There is indeed a third sector funding gap. It will require creative strategies that can strengthen the local giving culture but also identify and maximise untapped opportunities within other sectors.

With millions of visitors coming to our shores and a strong investment environment, I ask myself, how can we employ incentives that bring local non-profit impact and needs to the attention of potential cross-border donors and successful business entities operating in The Bahamas.

How can we use legal incentives to establish a robust social investment programme in this space?

What does it take to elevate the importance of corporate social responsibility and engage local and foreign businesses to prioritise giving back in meaningful ways to communities where they are based and serve?

Countries with a strong culture of giving tend to provide various incentives. For example, in the United States, the tax code supports giving. Americans that donate to charitable organisations receive reductions in their taxable income and the chance to make an impact through their donations.

of tax incentives; it has more to do with their core values.

However, the report also stresses that increased legal and external incentives could stimulate even more giving in our region where there are minimal tax incentives to encourage this act. I’m not proposing that tax incentives are the sole answer and while our tax system is very different, the sector should consider proposing ways we can partner with the government to implement similar systems and strategies to help drive local giving and support organisations invested in community development.

When considering incentives, we should realise that there are many untapped possibilities still to be explored.

To improve outcomes, local non-profit organisations must also be more strategic in approaching givers.

By deepening our appreciation for the art and science of fundraising and applying it more to our local context, we can increase our odds of finding and engaging the right donors.

One helpful strategy is to focus on (PAC), which requires considering a donor’s propensity, affinity, and capability to give. An organisation must assess how likely a donor would give and at what level.

We must be intentional about finding those whose passions and interests align with our organisation’s unique mission.

giving less but giving consistently should not be underestimated.

While there are many untapped possibilities, we do have some strong indicators about building a more comprehensive culture of giving based on global philanthropy trends.

We have a powerful opportunity to increase the incentives for giving that can bring donors to the table locally and internationally to help support national development across The Bahamas.

Importantly, these opportunities also require local nonprofit organisations to be ready by ensuring that they have solid governance, proper financial and impact reporting, and the organisational structure in place to promote confidence among all types of donors. Bahamian third-sector organisations must also find new and creative ways to match their missions to the realities and cultural context of Bahamian generosity if we are to strengthen the culture of giving in The Bahamas now and into the future.

a resident of#66 East Avenue, will be held at Holy Family Catholic Church, Robinson & Claridge Roads, on Monday, January 23, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. Officiating will be Monsignor Alfred Culmer and Deacon D’Arcy Rahming. Interment follows in Catholic Cemetery, Tyler Street.

Mother is survived by her, son: Andrew Griffin; her daughter: Theresa Simms, and her “ONE” son-in-law: Horatio Skeete.

Mother leaves behind twelve grandchildren: Donnamae Swaby’s surviving children: Sharon Swaby, Stephen Swaby, Melvern Swaby, Randolph Swaby, Brendalee Johnson, George Thomas Young, and Shantell Young; Andrew Griffin’s surviving children: Andrewna Tamara Powell, Shantell Mackey, and Andrea Griffin; Theresa Simms surviving children: Enero Maura and Tia Prevo.

Her grandchildren that pre-deceased: Tamiko Griffin, Aaron Griffin, and Gary Swaby

She also survived numerous great grandchildren, great, great grandchildren and a host of relatives and friends

Mrs. Emeline Murray was Andrew and Theresa’s 3rd-grade teacher at Our Lady’s Catholic School. She was also mother’s Eucharist Minister, Best Friend, and Confidant.

Special thanks to The Geriatric Hospital, Thompson Ward staff, Dr. Indira Minus-Grimes, Dr. Dorsett, and Dr. Adderley.

Friends may pay their last respects at Demeritte’s Funeral Home, Market Street, from 9-3:00 p.m. on Saturday

In her recent report, “A portrait of affluent giving in the Caribbean: Experiences, barriers, and the future of philanthropy,” Dr Sharilyn Hale highlights that many affluent persons giving in the Caribbean do not give exclusively because

Understanding the capacity that diverse local givers can provide in support of a mission or cause is important too.

Only some Bahamian donors can give on a large scale but the generosity and impact of many people

• Keyron Smith is the chief operations officer at One Eleuthera. Established in 2012, the One Eleuthera Foundation (OEF) is a nonprofit organisation located in Rock Sound, Eleuthera. For more information, visit www.oneeleuthera.org or email info@oneeleuthera. org. The Centre for Training and Innovation (CTI) is the first and only postsecondary, non-profit education and training institution and social enterprise on Eleuthera. CTI operates a student training campus in Rock Sound, Eleuthera, with a 16-room training hotel, restaurant and farm. For more information about CTI’s programmes, email: info@oneeleuthera.org.

of One Eleuthera Foundation

buildings and classrooms need repairs, writes Keyron Smith.

Double

ON a sliver of land, not much more than 50 feet wide and maybe 100 feet long, on Shirley Street in Nassau, sits a red double decker bus just like those you see in London.

Wedged between New Oriental dry cleaners to the east and the looming Doctors Hospital to the west, the two-story vehicle with the red and white striped awning isn’t going anywhere. Just to make sure it doesn’t rev up and roll out, there’s a chain link fence adorned with bright plastic flowers blocking it in.

I confess I’d been curious about the red double decker ever since it landed there a little over a year ago, but I also admit I was not curious enough to take whatever action was necessary to satisfy my curiosity. The few times I gave it any serious thought, something more important came up. So the bus and I sat, not knowing much about each other, for a good while until one day a friend called and with great enthusiasm burst out, ‘Hi Di, I just had a unique experience, you really should try it, that double decker bus by the hospital. The food was so good and it was fun.”

At last, a clue – the bus was a restaurant and apparently the food was worth calling someone about. So we gave it a try and what we discovered was more valuable than whatever fish or burger or chicken dish was on the menu (though food was fresh, cooked to order and tasty, my friend was right, but that is not the point).

We discovered one of the most interesting characters in The Bahamas, a man named Keevon Maynard, someone who has the certification to be a lawyer, the wisdom to know how he wants to practice and the courage to do so looking at the stars from the rooftop of the double decker bus. He doesn’t always stare at the heavens. Sometimes his laptop which doubles as his office is perched on a stool inside the room that holds the restaurant’s freezers and refrigeration.

Maynard, 37, is yes, part of that Maynard family with something like seven or eight attorneys, though none in his immediate family. Allyson Maynard-Gibson, now chair of UB and former Attorney General, is his second cousin, former Deputy Prime Minister the late Clement Maynard and former Bahamas Bar Association President Peter Maynard are both relatives. Law may be in his DNA, but cooking, entrepreneurship, technology and nature are in his soul. Maynard’s caseload as a sole practitioner is full, often keeping him under the stars at his laptop until midnight. He once practiced with one of the major law firms but the hours and confinement did not suit his spirit that has a touch of wanderlust, searching for something new he can develop, like the app he just completed called Searchkey, a tool that makes buying or selling a service, product,

event ticket, or just about any task except banking you can do online easy.

Or like opening a restaurant in a 1988 Leyland Olympia model bus.

“I was fascinated by the double decker bus when I was in London,” says the bachelor who graduated with an LLB from the University of Law and was called to the Bar in the UK and in The Bahamas in 2015. And who, by the way, holds three undergraduate degrees and two Masters, one in International Relations and the other in Public Diplomacy, saying that the relative of a former girlfriend he wanted to impress inadvertently propelled his education journey.

When he decided to leave the large law firm and after working in international finance, Maynard’s thoughts of bringing a double decker to Nassau grew more intense. Shipping the bus to The Bahamas, clearing and positioning it on the narrow property his grandfather loaned him was the first hurdle. The second hurdle was the re-fit. Maynard converted the bottom level into a kitchen. He re-worked the seating, turning the original seats on the top level around to create two rows of three booths with tables he also built by hand. The upper deck seats 12 comfortably or a max of 24 under awning and there is seating for another 30 or so in a garden-like setting with attractive Balinese style furniture.

But the biggest hurdle

was opening week, November 4, 2021. For one week, Maynard waited for someone to walk through the gate and discover what he thought would make for a novel experience for visitors and locals.

“No one came. I looked around and thought it was the biggest mistake

the next few weeks, he tried everything, breakfast, lunch, dinner, hoping the experience of eating on a double decker in The Bahamas would appeal to some and it would magically catch on. (Now open for lunch Tues-Sat, lunch

and dinner on Friday and Saturdays).

“I was convinced the concept would drive people in, an out of town kind of feeling right in town,” he said. Still no one noticed it. And then slowly, one by one, locals mostly began to discover

At night, when the stars are out, the staff has gone home and the restaurant has closed, Keevon

red double decker bus in an unlikely place and the artistic, creative lawyer whose energy for exploring the unlikely in entrepreneurship seems to know no bounds.

Maynard sits atop his 2-storey open air office, researching a case, completing submissions or just gazing at the stars and thinking how magical life can be if you just give it a moment to breathe.

RIGHT: Lawyer, restauranteur and app designer Keevon Maynard at the red double decker eatery.

ABOVE : The view from the upper deck of the bus of garden seating below.

Bank hopes for more Sand Dollar uptake

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

A CENTRAL Bank official said the institution has plans to get the country’s commercial banks on board with the use of the digital Sand Dollar this year to increase uptake with the general public.

Brett Lashley, deputy manager of Central Bank’s Currency Department, made the comments while speaking at a Rotary of West Nassau meeting at Poop Deck Sandyport.

The Sand Dollar is a digital currency issued by the Central Bank.

“We realised that unless you have previously had a reason to interact with a Cash and Go, Omni... Kanoo - it’s inconvenient for you. It’s not something that you’d likely have as a priority to say, ‘Oh, let me go figure it out and onboard with one of these AFIs (authorised financial institutions)’,” he said yesterday.

“So our push this year is to get all the commercial banks on board. They are at various stages of readiness to deploy Sand Dollar but that is our goal for the short term. The very near term is to start rolling it out with the commercial banks. So you may see some little sooner than others, but we realise for the average person to engage with Sand Dollar it needs to be integrated with whatever commercial bank they are using.

“Obviously, going with the AFIs gave us an opportunity to address those communities that don’t have a commercial bank who Sand Dollars was really envisioned for but to really get that uptake, now we’re shifting our focus to retail banks.

“When we get to that stage of moving money from bank to bank via Sand Dollar, there’s quite a bit going on in the background to enable that to happen.”

He said there are about 100 merchants who have the capability to accept the Sand Dollar, but many are not doing so.

The issue is largely due to training, awareness, and educating staff to ensure that they are up to date.

“So right now, there are 100 merchants, believe it or not, who have Sand Dollar capability, but we realised that many of them are not actively using Sand Dollar. That largely comes down to training awareness, educating the staff, training the staff, ensuring that they’re really all up to date.

“If you’re going to SuperValue, if you’re going to Fresh Market - they should be able to accept your Sand Dollar. Now, we realise from our own kind of mystery shopping and customer feedback that oftentimes the stores will tell you that they don’t accept it. But if you ask them well can I pay by Sun Cash or Kanoo, they will say ‘yeah we have that.’

“So it’s the cashier not realising that they can actually accept it. So the other

emphasis right now is training. We’re asking all of our AFIs to go and verify with their merchants that they’ve onboarded that, they are actually receiving Sand Dollar. Not just that they have a sticker, not just that they are saying they accept it, but can you actually transact without hassle.”

He also spoke about counterfeit money and spotting features of genuine Bahamian notes.

He warned that if individuals receive a counterfeit note and they are not immediately aware of it, that is their liability.

“A commercial bank is not going to be responsible for exchanging that counterfeit note for a genuine note and the Central Bank certainly will not accept your counterfeit note to exchange it for a genuine note,” he said.

He gave this advice to spot a fake note.

“Counterfeits generally are printed on standard computer printed paper. That’s what we see most counterfeiters are doing. Some of them are spending a little bit more purchasing slightly higher quality people that they’re using. Banknotes substrate, that’s paper we print on, has a distinct feel to it, especially in our new series of notes, which are the majority of notes in circulation right now.”

He also said people can hold bank notes up to the light to look for watermarks to determine if the money is authentic.

1,400 mangroves planted in Abaco

MORE than 1,400 mangroves have been planted in Abaco this week as part of the Northern Bahamas Restoration Project.

Project Healing Waters (PHW) and Bonefish and Tarpon Trust (BTT) partnered for the scheme, which involves US veterans.

The veterans are part of PHW, which uses fly-fishing as a therapeutic disciplineand joined in the planting of mangrove forests as part of their activities.

Thousands of US Veterans struggling with physical and mental disabilities have found hope and healing through the calming, therapeutic practice of fly-fishing.

A group of PHW veterans were in Abaco this week, doing their part to protect the mangroves.

The planting is part of a multi-year initiative that seeks to replant 100,000 mangroves.

Blain Tomlinson, chairman of the PHW board of yrustees, said: “Our veteran participants are extremely excited to provide the ground support for ongoing Bonefish & Tarpon Trust projects and initiatives.

“Time on the water has the power to heal and we now have the ability to help heal our fisheries and coastal communities for future generations, but it’s more

about providing comradery, new purpose and a deeper sense of belonging for our veterans.”

“The fury we witnessed with Hurricane Dorian illustrates how climate change is creating the conditions for stronger and more damaging storms, which is a trend of significant concern in The Bahamas,” said BTT president and CEO Jim McDuffie.

“With proper stewardship, natural systems can play a central role in protecting both human communities and conserving vital natural resources, including the flats fisheries of The Bahamas. We appreciate PHW’s commitment to our mission and to the restoration of this important mangrove system.”

Far Bank, a fly-fishing

gear and tackle manufacturer, is a corporate sponsor, and CEO Kris Klein said: “Working alongside our long-established partnerships with Bonefish & Tarpon Trust and Project Healing Waters, we can provide great and restorative fishing opportunities for veterans while ensuring the health and recovery of threatened areas.”

Mitch Dziduch, a veteran of Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Bosnia, said: “For 14 years when I retired from the military, I was just in a dead zone. I was not living from day to day. I existed but I was not living. I joined Project Healing Waters, came to a place like this... it just made such a big difference right here in my heart.”

KRIS KLEIN, of Far Bank, helping to plant mangroves.

MANGROVES being planted by Project Healing Waters and the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust.

A million march against raising retirement age

PARIS Associated Press

AT LEAST 1.1 million people protested on the streets of Paris and other French cities yesterday amid nationwide strikes against plans to raise the retirement age — but President Emmanuel Macron insisted he would press ahead with the proposed pension reforms.

Emboldened by the mass show of resistance, French unions announced new strikes and protests for January 31, vowing to try to get the government to back down on plans to push up the standard retirement age from 62 to 64.

Macron says the measurea central pillar of his second

term — is needed to keep the pension system financially viable, but unions say it threatens hard-fought worker rights.

Out of the country for a French-Spanish summit in Barcelona, Macron acknowledged the public discontent but said that “we must do that reform” to “save” French pensions. “We will do it with respect, in a spirit of dialogue but also determination and responsibility,” he added.

As Macron spoke, riot police pushed back against some protesters throwing projectiles on the sidelines of the largely peaceful Paris march. Some other minor incidents briefly flared up,

leading officers to use tear gas.

Paris police said that 38 people were detained as a mass of people thronged the streets of the capital despite freezing rain, the crowd so big that it took hours to reach their destination. Retirees and college students joined the diverse crowd, united in their fear and anger over the reform.

In a country with an aging population and growing life expectancy where everyone receives a state pension, Macron’s government says the reform is the only way to keep the system solvent.

Unions propose a tax on the wealthy or more payroll contributions from employers to finance the pension system instead.

PROTESTERS DEMAND PERU PRESIDENT RESIGNS

LIMA, Peru Associated Press

PEOPLE poured into Peru’s coastal capital, many from remote Andean regions, for a protest yesterday against President Dina Boluarte and in support of her predecessor, whose ouster last month launched deadly unrest and cast the nation into political chaos.

There was a tense calm in the streets of Lima ahead of the protest that supporters of former President Pedro Castillo hope opens a new chapter in the weekslong movement to demand Boluarte’s resignation, the dissolution of Congress, and immediate elections. Castillo, Peru’s first leader from a rural Andean background, was impeached after a failed attempt to dissolve Congress.

“We have delinquent ministers, presidents that murder and we live like animals in the middle of so much wealth that they steal from us every day,” said Samuel Acero, a farmer who heads the regional protest committee for the Andean city of Cusco. “We want Dina Boluarte to leave, she lied to us.”

Anger at Boluarte was the common thread

as street sellers hawked T-shirts saying, “Out, Dina Boluarte,” “Dina murderer, Peru repudiates you” and a call for “New elections, let them all leave.”

“Our God says thou shalt not kill your neighbour. Dina Boluarte is killing, she’s making brothers fight,” Paulina Consac said as she carried a large Bible while marching in downtown Lima with more than 2,000 protesters from Cusco.

By early afternoon, protesters had turned key roads into large pedestrian areas in downtown Lima.

The protests have so far been held mainly in Peru’s southern Andes, with 54 people dying amid the unrest, the large majority killed in clashes with

security forces.

“We’re at a breaking point between dictatorship and democracy,” said Pedro Mamani, a student at the National University of San Marcos. Students there are housing demonstrators who traveled for the protest that is being popularly referred to as the “takeover of Lima.”

The university was surrounded by police officers, who also deployed at key points of Lima’s historic downtown district.

Some 11,800 police officers were being sent out, Victor Zanabria, the head of the Lima police force told local media. He played down the size of the protests, saying he expected around 2,000 people to participate.

SANTA FE, New Mexico Associated Press

ACTOR Alec Baldwin and a weapons specialist will be charged with involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on a New Mexico movie set, prosecutors announced yesterday, citing a “criminal disregard for safety”.

Santa Fe District Attorney Mary CarmackAltwies issued a statement announcing the charges against Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who supervised weapons on the set of the Western “Rust”.

Halyna Hutchins died shortly after being wounded during rehearsals at a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe on October 21, 2021. Baldwin was pointing a pistol

at Hutchins when the gun went off, killing her and wounding the director, Joel Souza.

Assistant director David Halls, who handed Baldwin the gun, has signed an agreement to plead guilty to negligent use of a deadly weapon, the district attorney’s office said.

The decision to charge Baldwin marked a stunning fall for an A-list actor whose 40-year career included the early blockbuster “The Hunt for Red October” and a starring role in the sitcom “30 Rock”, as well as iconic appearances in Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed” and a film adaptation of David Mamet’s “Glengary Glen Ross”. In recent years, he was known for his impression of former President Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live”.

Involuntary manslaughter can involve a killing that happens while a defendant is doing something that is lawful but dangerous and is acting negligently or without caution.

The charge is a fourthdegree felony, punishable by up to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine under New Mexico law. The charges also include a provision that could result in a mandatory five years in prison because the offense was committed with a gun.

Carmack-Altwies said charges will be filed by the end of January, and that Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed will be issued a summons to appear in court. She said prosecutors will forgo a grand jury and rely on a judge to determine if there is probable cause to move toward trial.

PEOPLE gather on Place de la Republique during a demonstration

against proposed pension changes in Paris yesterday.

Photo: Lewis Joly/AP

ANTI-government protesters face off with security outside Alfredo Rodriguez Ballon airport in Arequipa, Peru, yesterday. Photo: Jose Sotomayor/AP

CHINA GIVES $170,000 OF MEDICAL EQUIPMENT

CHINA has donated three containers of supplies to help Princess Margaret Hospital.

Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Michael Darville welcomed Chinese ambassador Dai Qingli to the hospital on Thursday last week to accept a donation of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other supplies on behalf of the Public Hospitals Authority. The donation of three 40ft containers of supplies had a combined value of 1.2 million Chinese Yuan, said the ambassador, or approximately $170,000. She said: “These supplies have been donated as an outcome of the Foreign Affairs Ministers meeting between China and Caribbean countries held in April last year. They are the eleventh (11th) batch, and largest so far, of medical supplies offered to The Bahamas since the start of the pandemic.”

Among the items donated are oximeters and hospital trollies.

Dr Darville thanked China for the “gift of love”. He said: “COVID- 19 still exists, and even though we are seeing some cases here at the Princess Margaret Hospital, there is no need for any major panic at this time or the implementation of any new restrictive measures.”

He said there is presently no need for any testing requirements for travel to The Bahamas whether from China or other destinations.

$4,500 FINE FOR MAN OVER MARIJUANA FIND

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was fined $4,500 in court after admitting to having 2.5lb of marijuana shipped to him under someone else’s name.

Dominic Vilneus, 27, and Georgette Bain, 36, stood before Magistrate Samuel McKinney. There they faced charges of conspiracy to import dangerous drugs, conspiracy to possess dangerous drugs with intent to supply, importation of dangerous drugs and possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply.

On January 16, Vilneus was arrested after police uncovered 2.5lbs of marijuana at G & G Express Shipping Company on Prince Charles Drive.

The drugs, which had an estimated street value of $2,500, were in a package under Ms Bain’s name.

However, in a subsequent police interview Vilneus admitted sole responsibility

for the offence.

Vilneus pleaded guilty to the offence while his coaccused pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Alphonso Lewis, said his client is a father of two and is employed as a plumber. He said Vilneus is remorseful for what he had done. After noting that Vilneus admitted to the offence at the earliest opportunity, Mr Lewis asked for the court’s leniency on his behalf.

The magistrate fined Vilneus $4,500 for the offence. Failure to pay would result in nine months in prison. The accused was further placed on 18 months probation; any further infractions during this time would result in a four-month prison sentence.

Vilneus is expected to pay $2,000 of his fine before his release with the balance to be paid by February 13. The charges against his co-accused, Georgette Bain, were withdrawn.

JAILED FOR TWO AND A HALF YEARS OVER LOADED GUN

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was sentenced to two and a half years in prison yesterday after admitting to having a loaded gun earlier this week.

Antorio Rolle, 21, Elizabeth Johnson, 19, and Deborah Johnson, 51, faced Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt on charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of ammunition.

On January 16, Rolle was arrested with his co-accused

after he was found with a black High Point .45 pistol, serial number 4625530. At the time of his arrest Rolle was also found with six unfired .40 rounds of ammunition.

In court, Rolle pleaded guilty to the offence while the two remaining accused pleaded not guilty.

Rolle was sentenced to serve 30 months in the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services for both charges to be served concurrently.

The charges against the two other accused were withdrawn.

MENTAL EVALUATION ORDERED AFTER ARSON ATTACK ON HOME

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was ordered to have a mental evaluation yesterday after being charged in connection with a recent home arson.

Anthony Brennen, 27, appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt on a charge of damage by fire.

It is alleged that on January 17 in New Providence the accused intentionally set fire to an 11-room

single-storey stone structure belonging to Nellie Brennen. This fire is said to have caused an estimated $415.87 worth of damage before being extinguished.

In court, the magistrate ordered that the accused get a mental evaluation to see if he was fit to enter a plea.

Brennen was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services pending his psychological screening.

Brennen is to return to court on January 23.

CHINESE ambassador Dai Qingli, left, with Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Michael Darville.

Devaughn Robinson doesn’t make the cut

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Devaughn Robinson fell short in his bid to make the cut for the first leg of the Korn Ferry Tour that got started this week at the Sandals Emerald Bay in Exuma.

Robinson, an architect by profession now residing in Grand Bahama, finished with rounds of 77-77 for a 10-over-par 154 as he missed the cut after the first two days of competition this week at the Bahamas Great Exuma Classic Tournament.

“The tournament was great,” he said. “It’s always fun having the opportunity to compete against the world’s best.”

Robinson, who earned the rights to compete in the tournament after winning the qualifier at the Ocean Club Golf Course on Paradise Island in November, said he expected to play better.

“I was very disappointed not making the cut, but I understand that you have just as many lows as you do highs with this fickle

game,” said Robinson, who was caddied by Jimmy Delancey.

Looking back at his performance, Robinson admitted that he knew exactly what went wrong.

“I didn’t drive the ball up to standard,” he admitted.

“That’s usually my strength. This was a golf course that demands good driving.”

It’s now back to the drawing board to prepare for his next tournament.

“Not much to work on beyond the things that I’ve been doing the last few months,” he pointed out.

“I like how my game is progressing.”

Robinson said he will just put the experience behind him and concentrate on what’s ahead of him in the Advocates Pro Golf Association Tour (APGA) and the Professional Golf Association (PGA). “I have a full season on the APGA, starting in midFebruary, mixed with some PGA qualifiers,” he stated.

Hopefully he will get his breakthrough and advance to the main draw play.

Meanwhile, the second leg of the tournament will be played in Abaco

next week where Cameron Riley will represent the Bahamas at the Great Abaco Classic at the Abaco Club from January 22-25. Both Robinson and Riley earned the rights to represent the Bahamas after winning the respective Korn Kerry Tour qualifiers, hosted by the Bahamas Professional Golf Association, headed

by Raquel Riley. The 2023 Korn Ferry Tour schedule begins in January and features 26 tournaments across five countries and 18 states.

The 2023 Korn Ferry Tour season will culminate at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance on Sunday, October 8 with 30 PGA TOUR

cards being awarded to the top 30 finishers on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List.

The Korn Ferry Tour members are competing for $28 million in total prize money, marking the highest purse in Tour history and a 37.6 percent increase from the previous season ($20.35 million in 2022).

‘IT WAS SUCH A SHORT TIME TO LOSE BOTH OF THEM’

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

LESS than one month after her mother passed away, Kenise SymonetteDarville followed in the footsteps of Zella Symonette-Brown when she died at Princess Margaret Hospital on Thursday.

The two former softball players, who were inseparable as a mother-daughter duo on and off the softball field, were remembered by family and friends.

Symonette-Darville, who turned 33 on December 23, leaves behind her husband Jerad Darville, children Anthony, Colman and Chozen Darville, father Kenneth Symonette Sr, brother Kenneth (Qutel) Symonette Jr, aunts and uncles Ruthmae Williams, Maxine Newton, Patricia Brown, Ralph Brown,

Ulis Brown and Dexter Brown. A week after she was admitted to hospital, a blood drive was instituted for Symonette-Darville to help save her life.

Unfortunately, she didn’t survive.

Veteran pitcher turned coach Ernestine Butler-Stubbs, a long-time team-mate of SymonetteBrown, said it was hard for members of the Johnson Lady Truckers’ team in the New Providence Softball Association to get over the death of their former star shortstop, to now have to deal with the passing of her daughter, who played second base.

“It was such a short time to lose both of them,” Butler-Stubbs said.

“After Kenise buried her mother, she went right into the hospital, and we talked on the phone just about every day to

find out if there was any improvement.

“To hear this news this morning (Thursday), it really shook me up, but I’ve known Zella for a very long time, and I’ve known Kenise from the time she was born and never one day did I have a problem out of them.”

Butler-Stubbs said God knows best when he took both of them right at the

same time. She expressed her condolences to the family and on behalf of the Lady Truckers, managed by Sidney ‘Bobby Baylor’ Fernander.

As they prepare for the start of the NPSA 2023 season, Butler-Stubbs said they will honour the memories of their two fallen team-mates.

Retired pitcher Mary ‘Cruise’ Sweeting said

Cowboys-49ers rivalry set for record-tying 9th playoff game

By JOSH DUBOW AP Pro Football Writer

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — For Kyle Shanahan, the chance to coach the San Francisco 49ers against the Dallas Cowboys in a playoff game is a throwback to when that rivalry was the biggest in football.

Shanahan’s formative years were spent watching his father, Mike, as offensive coordinator in San Francisco battling the Cowboys in three straight NFC title games.

After the rivalry went dormant for more than a quarter-century as the proud franchises rarely enjoyed success at the same time, it is having a rebirth with San Francisco set to take on Dallas for the second straight postseason

when they meet Sunday in the divisional round.

“That’s how rivalries happen,” Shanahan said.

“You guys knew it from the ‘80s when it started out. I remember so much from my childhood from sixth grade to ninth grade, because I was here ‘92 to ‘94, so it was the biggest rivalry in football to me growing up.

“Then usually that goes away when you don’t meet in the playoffs a bunch and we had a big game last year, we have a big game this year, so the more you do that, the bigger it gets again.”

This will be the ninth time these franchises have met in the postseason, tied for the most of any matchup in the Super Bowl era with San Francisco against Green

ANDY MURRAY EDGES KOKKINAKIS AFTER 4AM AT AUSTRALIAN OPEN

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The times on the clock shifted from pm to am, the day from Thursday to Friday, and Andy Murray never wavered, never relented, no matter that he faced a two-set hole at the Australian Open, no matter that he is 35 and possesses an artificial hip, no matter that this was the longest and latest-finishing match of his long, illustrious career.

His explanation was simple: “I have a big heart.”

The three-time major champion and 26-yearold Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis stared down exhaustion and each other for 5 hours, 45 minutes of compelling theater in a second-round contest at Melbourne Park until Murray emerged with a 4-6, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5), 6-3, 7-5 victory that ended a little after 4 a.m.

“The match was obviously very up and down. There was frustration in there. There was tension. There was excitement and all of that stuff,” Murray told reporters gathered in a stadium hallway after his

after watching Kenise come out to the park with her mother, she knew it was only a matter of time before she started playing.

“She turned out to be a very respectful and beautiful young lady,” Sweeting said.

“She played second base, and she was becoming very good at it. She loved to bunt the ball just like her mother. She proved that she loves the game, and she won a championship with her mother.”

Sweeting expressed condolences on behalf of all female softball players and softball players in general to the Symonette, Darville and Brown families on their double loss of two talented softball players in such a short time.

“We pray that God will sustain them in their time of bereavement,” Sweeting summed up.

RED-LINE ATHLETICS TRACK TEAM ARRIVES SAFELY IN TEXAS

MEMBERS of the RedLine Athletics track team have arrived safely in Texas where they will be competing this weekend at the Texas Tech Under Armour High School Invitational.

A total of 22 athletes, comprising 11 boys and 11 girls, make up a contingent of coaches and parents from the Red-Line Athletics Track Club, who are in Texas for the event.

Last year, the club participated in the Texas A&M Invitational.

LOS ANGELES (AP)

— Southern California will name the field at the university’s track stadium

Such honours are usually

She

Bay and Dallas against the Rams.

But with six of the previous matchups coming in the conference title game, few rivalries have had as

up

“I am just completely humbled,” Felix said in a statement. “It’s such a huge honour to be a part of history in the campus, and it’s such a special place for me.”

Felix retired last year, having won the most Olympic medals of any American track athlete. The 37-year-old sprinter earned 11 medals over five consecutive games. The field to be named for Felix is at Katherine B Loker Track Stadium, which serves as a hub for the men’s and women’s track teams. It will be dedicated this spring.

“My hope is that students playing on the Allyson Felix Field, or just walking by, will see her name prominently displayed and be curious to learn more about her talent, grit and generosity,” USC president Carol Folt said.

many big games or star players such as Roger Staubach, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, Deion

after Olympic champion sprinter Allyson Felix.

reserved for major donors. Felix graduated from USC in 2008 with a degree in elementary education.

grew

in Los Angeles and used to walk the campus as a child with her grandmother and brother.

COWBOYS quarterback Dak Prescott (4) passes in the pocket as Buccaneers linebacker Devin White (45) drives in during the second half of their NFL wild-card game Monday in Tampa, Florida. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

DEVAUGHN ROBINSON, far right, hits off the tee at the Great Exuma Classic golf tourney.

Cavaliers: ‘We are like that’

Mt Carmel senior boys basketball team earn 47-45 win over Akhepran in double overtime

COACH Wilton Johnson and his Mt Carmel Preparatory Academy Cavaliers senior boys’ basketball team had something to prove last night at the Hope Centre.

After losing 41-34 to Akhepran international Academy on Tuesday, they were able to get back in the win column with a nailbiting, 47-45 victory over Akhepran in double overtime yesterday.

And to make the win even sweeter, they pulled it off in front of their principal, Mr S Kirby Samuel, who came out to show his support.

“They are playing this one for you,” a spectator told Mr Samuel as he watched on the sidelines.

The Cavaliers are 4-2 in the Bahamas Scholastic Athletic Association basketball standings. Their only other loss so far this season came at the hands of Genesis Academy, who

MURRAY

FROM PAGE 14

11th career comeback to win after dropping two sets, the most among active players. “I mean, look, it is obviously amazing to win the match,” he continued with a chuckle, “but I also want to go to bed now. It’s great. But I want to sleep.”

How tight was this? Murray won 196 points, Kokkinakis 192. And how high was the quality of play? They combined for 171 winners to only 107 unforced errors in the chill of a temperature that dipped below 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius), delighting the hundreds of enthusiastic and loud spectators who remained in the blue seats.

They waved flags and cheered raucously throughout, delighted by the extreme effort and excellence displayed by both

managed to walk away with the 37-32 win.

Shavanno Dillen, no. 8 of Mt. Carmel, had sixteen (16) points in the win.

Evan Hanna, no. 0, and Baron Coleby no. 20 of Akhepran, had eighteen (18) points each in the loss.

“Now that’s basketball. That’s how the game of basketball should be played,” coach Johnson shouted as the game went into the first overtime.

A number of games were played yesterday as the BSAA continued action inside the Hope Centre located on University

men. No matter who folks were cheering for, they were sure to leave with a great story to tell.

“Amazingly, people stayed until the end,” said Murray, who won the U.S. Open in 2012, Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016 and is a five-time runner-up at the Australian Open. “I really appreciate people doing that and creating an atmosphere for us.”

He was, understandably, not pleased by the circumstances and the late hour.

“I don’t know who it’s beneficial for,” Murray said. “A match like that, we come here after the match and that’s what the discussion is: Rather than it being ‘epic Murray-Kokkinakis match,’ it ends in a bit of a farce.”

Somehow, it was not the latest finish in Australian Open history. A 2008 match at the tournament between

Commons and Games Boulevard.

The results for Thursday are as follows:

Mini Division Kingsway Academy 8 def Genesis Academy 6 Logan Knowles and David Fraser of Kingsway had four (4) points each in the win.

Primary Boys C. W. Sawyer Primary 12 def Kingsway Academy 10 Reuben Forbes of C. W. Sawyer had five (5) points in the win.

Shiloh Smith of Kingsway had seven (7) points in the loss.

Junior Boys International School of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology 25 def

Akhepran International Academy 12

Paidyn Taylor of ISBET had seven (7) points in the win.

Garnett Culmer III of Akhepran had six (6) points in the loss.

Senior Girls Teleos Christian School 15 def Genesis Academy 14 Azariah Anderson no. 18 of Teleos had thirteen (13) points in the win.

Ciarra Bodie no. 13 of Genesis had seven (7) points in the loss.

Senior Boys Teleos Christian School 38 def Greenville Preparatory Academy 17 Nicholas Henfield, no. 1 of Teleos, had twelve (12) points in the win.

having taken the opening two sets and been up a break in the third. But serving at 2-0, 40-all, he was cited by the chair umpire for taking too much time before a serve and let it get to him.

First Kokkinakis lost the argument, then he lost his focus, getting broken there and destroying his racket by spiking it on the court.

Semaj Thurston no. 1 of Greenville had nine (9) points in the loss.

TODAY MD – Teleos Christian School vs Jordan Prince William

PG – Teleos Christian School vs C. W. Sawyer Primary School

PB – Genesis Academy vs Jordan Prince William

PB – Freedom Baptist Academy vs C. W. Sawyer Primary School

JG – Akhepran International Academy vs Teleos Christian School

JB – Genesis Academy vs Teleos Christian School

SB – Mt. Carmel Preparatory Academy vs Teleos Christian School

Lendl, did not, sticking in his seat.

GIANNIS PASSES DURANT FOR EAST ALL-STAR VOTING LEAD

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer

PARIS (AP) — Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo has passed Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant for the All-Star Game voting lead among Eastern Conference players, now putting him on track to be a captain for the February 19 game in Salt Lake City.

Antetokounmpo had 5,970,196 votes entering Thursday, the NBA said in the third update of the All-Star balloting. Durant is 132,014 votes behind, with 5,838,182.

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers remains the overall voting leader, with 6,506,682 votes. James has been a captain in all five of the NBA’s previous uses of the format where the leading votegetters from the Eastern and Western conferences get to pick their rosters from the other selections.

James’ teams are 5-0 in All-Star games when he is a captain.

Lleyton Hewitt and Marcos Baghdatis concluded at 4:34 a.m., the record for any Slam. This was Murray’s second consecutive fivesetter: He eliminated No. 13 seed Matteo Berrettini on Tuesday. Kokkinakis is ranked 159th and has never been past the third round at a Grand Slam tournament.

He could have closed out the proceedings far earlier,

Still, he served for the match at 5-3 in that set, and came within two points of victory, before Murray pulled it out when Kokkinakis flubbed a volley to cede the eventual tiebreaker.

In the fourth, Murray was the aggressor and never seemed sapped of energy, at one point waving his arms and even doing jumping jacks to fire up his supporters.

His mother, Judy, repeatedly rose to her feet to clap and yell; his coach, Ivan

When Murray delivered a second-serve ace at 2:59 a.m., more than 4 1/2 hours into the proceedings, he owned the fourth set and forced a fifth. He was angry that the chair umpire would net let him take a bathroom break in the late going, saying afterward: “It’s 3 in the morning, and I’ve been drinking all day.”

That last set was, appropriately, even as can be for 10 games. There were zero breaks of serve until Murray finally converted his eighth chance of that set with a forehand winner to lead 6-5. He strutted to the sideline, shaking his neoncolored racket.

All that was left to do was serve it out, and Murray managed to do just that, wrapping up the long day’s night with a backhand winner.

Arsenal and Man United back on top in throwback title clash

By JAMES ROBSON AP Soccer Writer

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — The idea of Arsenal and Manchester United going head-to-head for the Premier League title feels like a throwback to a bygone era many younger fans will never have known.

The same goes for some players.

Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka was only 2 years old when Arsene Wenger’s “Invincibles” won the London club’s last title in 2004. He was 11 when United last won in 2013.

Both teams, however, head into Sunday’s match at Emirates Stadium knowing victory would be a significant boost to their respective title ambitions at the expense of the other — even if doubts remain over their credentials to break Manchester City’s dominance.

Arsenal continues to confound pre-season predictions by leading the way at the top of the standings, with last week’s north London derby win over Tottenham the latest evidence that the team coached by Mikel Arteta is a genuine contender.

While United’s momentum took a blow on Wednesday when conceding a stoppage time equalizer against Crystal Palace, victory against City last week was another sign

of the ongoing improvement under manager Erik ten Hag. United has lost only one game in its last 20 in all competitions, winning 16 on that run.

The form of both teams sets up a highly-anticipated match, brining to mind the famous battles of the past when the two teams consistently competed against each other for the title in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

A win for Arsenal would potentially put an end to talk of United seriously challenging at the top this season by extending the gap between the clubs to 11 points. United, however, is the only team to have beaten Arsenal in the league this season and has the motivation of moving within five points of the leaders if it can repeat that feat.

If the meeting between Arsenal and United is an unexpected title showdown, then the context of Liverpool’s game against Chelsea on Saturday is also unexpected.

Liverpool has gone from challenging for an unprecedented quadruple last season to mid-table mediocrity. The Champions League finalists from last season are in ninth place, one spot above Chelsea on goal difference.

Back-to-back losses in the league against Brentford and Brighton have

typified Liverpool’s erratic form as the team led by Jurgen Klopp looks to be in danger of missing out on the top four.

Victory against Wolverhampton in the FA Cup lifted the mood at the Merseyside club, but it needs to put a run together in the league to challenge for Champions League qualification.

Chelsea’s top-four hopes are also in jeopardy after a season of upheaval under new owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.

Champions Leaguewinning manager Thomas Tuchel was fired in September, and pressure is

mounting on replacement Graham Potter after seven losses in the last 11 games.

Last week’s win over Palace was much-needed, but another loss at Anfield would raise fresh questions about the former Brighton manager’s ability to take on such a high profile job.

West Ham’s game against Everton on Saturday is a clash between two teams who are sinking fast. Both are in the relegation zone after miserable runs, with West Ham winning one of its last eight games in all competitions and Everton winning one of its last 13 and winless in nine. To add spice to that contest,

Leicester’s form has also plummeted since the holidays and sits two points above the relegation zone heading into its game against Brighton on Saturday.

Four straight league losses have undone the revival overseen by manager Brendan Rodgers after a poor start to the season saw it fail to win a game until October.

Durant — who was the voting leader from the East at each of the first two balloting updates this year, but has been sidelined of late with a sprained knee ligament — has been the captain as the East’s voting leader in each of the past two years. Antetokounmpo was in the previous two years, 2019 and 2020.

MEXICO FORFEITS MATCHES, FINED BY FIFA OVER ZENDEJAS

By RONALD BLUM AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Mexico was ordered to forfeit a pair of friendlies and fined 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,900) by FIFA for using American forward Alejandro Zendejas.

FIFA said Mexico also was ordered to forfeit three under-23 matches in which it used Zendejas.

The governing body did not announce the penalty until yesterday, a day after it was contacted by The Associated Press following the US Soccer Federation selecting Zendejas for next week’s games against Serbia and Colombia, the first for the Americans since the World Cup.

The 24-year-old forward started three matches for the United States at the 2015 Under17 World Cup, where he was a teammate of Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams.

“FIFA can confirm that it has imposed a fine of CHF 10,000 on the Mexican Football Association for breaches of article 5 of the Regulations Governing the Application (RGAS) of the FIFA Statutes following the fielding of the player Alejandro Zendejas,” the governing body said in a statement.

“Besides the fine, all matches have been declared forfeited. Based on the applicable provisions of the RGAS, the player remains however eligible to play for the representative teams of the USA.”

West Ham manager David Moyes was formerly in charge at Everton before leaving to take over at Manchester United in 2013. Everton manager Frank Lampard began his playing career at West Ham.

ARSENAL’s Bukayo

Saka and Arsenal’s manager Mikel Arteta celebrate their victory at the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, on Sunday, January 15.

(AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

ANDY Murray celebrating his win yesterday. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

COACH Wilton Johnson and and S Kirby Samuel, principal of Mt Carmel Preparatory Academy, pray with the team after their 47-45 win in double overtime last night. Photo: Samora J St Rose

Chasing Kareem: Tracking LeBron James’ pursuit of NBA record

A LOOK at LeBron James’ pursuit of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the NBA’s scoring record.

Abdul-Jabbar has held the record since April 5, 1984:

Abdul-Jabbar points: 38,387.

James points: 38,104. Difference: 283 points. James’ latest game: He scored 32 points Wednesday in the Los Angeles

JAMES LEADS LAKERS AGAINST MEMPHIS AFTER 48-POINT SHOWING

Memphis Grizzlies (3113, second in the Western Conference) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (20-24, 13th in the Western Conference) Los Angeles; Friday, 10 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Los Angeles takes on the Memphis Grizzlies after LeBron James scored 48 points in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 140-132 victory over the Houston Rockets.

The Lakers are 9-16 in conference matchups. Los Angeles gives up 118.1 points and has been outscored by 1.1 points per game.

The Grizzlies are 15-10 against Western

Conference opponents. Memphis is eighth in the Western Conference with 25.3 assists per game led by Ja Morant averaging 7.9.

TOP PERFORMERS: James is shooting 51.2% and averaging 29.7 points for the Lakers. Russell Westbrook is averaging 15.3 points over the last 10 games for Los Angeles.

Morant is scoring 27.4 points per game and averaging 5.6 rebounds for the Grizzlies. Jaren Jackson Jr. is averaging 15.4 points and 6.9 rebounds over the last 10 games for Memphis.

LAST 10 GAMES: Lakers: 6-4, averaging 120.3 points, 46.0 rebounds,

Lakers’ 116-111 loss to Sacramento.

James’ scoring average this season: 29.8.

Potential record-breaker: At his current rate of 29.8 points per game, with

284 points needed to pass Abdul-Jabbar, it would take James 10 more games to become the NBA’s scoring leader.

Assuming he does not miss any games, that makes

the potential record-breaking game February 7 at home against Oklahoma City.

Next Lakers game: Tonight at home against Memphis.

CELTICS BEAT WARRIORS IN OT, WIN NBA FINALS REMATCH 121-118

By JIMMY GOLEN AP Sports Writer

BOSTON (AP) — Al Horford’s 7-year-old, Ean, sat in the front row of the postgame news conference, wearing a hat from last season’s NBA Finals.

Up on the podium, his father needed no reminder of what last night’s game against the Golden State Warriors meant for the Celtics and their fans.

“Yeah, it’s a big game,” the Boston big man said after scoring 20 points with 10 rebounds and three blocked shots, making a key 3-pointer in overtime to help the Celtics beat the Warriors 121-118 in a finals rematch.

“You know, I wanted to come out here, and I wanted to win. I wanted to win really bad,” Horford said.

25.9 assists, 6.2 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 50.5 percent from the field.

Their opponents have averaged 119.1 points per game.

Grizzlies: 10-0, averaging 124.8 points, 50.1 rebounds, 25.9 assists, 10.0 steals and 7.3 blocks per game while shooting 49.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.3 points.

INJURIES: Lakers: Austin Reaves: out (hamstring), Lonnie Walker IV: out (knee), Anthony Davis: out (foot).

Grizzlies: Danny Green: out (knee).

LAVINE SCORES 30, BULLS BEAT PISTONS 126-108

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer

PARIS (AP) — Victor Wembanyama was sitting courtside, the 19-year-old French phenom and presumed No. 1 NBA draft pick watching some of the players he’ll go up against next season.

And a guy with a French surname put on quite a show.

Zach LaVine — who said his great-grandfather was French — scored 30 points and the Chicago Bulls never trailed in a 126108 win over the Detroit Pistons at the NBA Paris Game on Thursday.

“Maybe the air up here was good for me,” LaVine said.

DeMar DeRozan added 26 points for the Bulls, and Nikola Vucevic finished

with 16 points, 15 rebounds and six assists.

Bojan Bogdanovic led the Pistons with 25 points. Killian Hayes, the only French player on either roster, scored four points for Detroit on 2-of-13 shooting, but had a gamehigh eight assists.

Hamidou Diallo had 17 points on 7-for-8 shooting for Detroit, while Saddiq Bey and Jaden Ivey each scored 16 for the Pistons.

“It was a bit frustrating to not be the winners tonight,” Hayes said.

It was the capper to several days of celebrating the NBA in France, after both teams took part in clinics, touristy events like visits to the Eiffel Tower, some upscale dinners and even a private show for the Pistons at the Paris Opera House.

And while the game counted — Chicago (2124) stayed in 10th in the Eastern Conference and what would be the last play-in spot with the win, while Detroit fell to 12-36, the second-worst mark in the NBA — it also was no mundane middle-ofthe-season regular-season matchup.

The celebrity list included NBA greats like Magic Johnson, Richard Hamilton, Ben Wallace and Tony Parker; a Bulls legend and native French son in Joakim Noah; the rising star that everybody can’t stop talking about in Wembanyama; WNBA players like Gabby Williams; even Grammy winners and Formula 1 drivers.

“I don’t want to quite compare this to All-Star,” NBA Commissioner Adam

Silver said, “but it’s the closest thing to a European All-Star Game that we have.”

It was also a celebration of the continued strength of the international footprint on today’s NBA game. When the Bulls and Michael Jordan — along with B.J. Armstrong, then a Bulls guard, now an NBA agent who was at the game Thursday — played in Paris during the preseason in 1997, about 1 of every 14 NBA players was born outside the U.S.

Now, that’s about 1 in 4.

“It is special because we’re representing not only Detroit, but the NBA,” Pistons coach Dwane Casey said.

“And we’re trying to put the brand in a good place — in a place where basketball is taking off.”

Wembanyama and his family made their way to courtside seats about 15 minutes before tip-off, immediately attracting a huge crowd.

When the camera found him and he was shown to the French fans on the big in-arena screens in the second quarter, he clapped and smiled, as did his mother seated one row back over his right shoulder — as the crowd positively roared in delight.

Both teams are flying home Friday.

“It’s great for people here in Paris to get an upclose look at the NBA,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said.

“It makes you realize that the sport is followed so closely around the world. It was amazing. The place was sold out.”

“It’s a regular season. It’s just one game. It’s over. But it’s an important game,” he said.

Jayson Tatum scored 34 points with a career-high 19 rebounds, following Horford’s overtime 3 with one of his own to put Boston up by seven with 1:30 left.

Jaylen Brown added 16 points, making a 3-pointer with 19 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime.

NFL: 5 TEAMS TO PLAY HOME GAMES IN GERMANY, LONDON IN 2023

By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer

THE Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots will each play international games during the NFL’s 2023 regular season.

The Chiefs and Patriots will play in Germany. The Bills, Titans and Jaguars will play in London. The Bills and Titans are the designated home teams for two games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, while the Jaguars will host a game at Wembley Stadium as part of their multi-year commitment to playing in the United Kingdom.

THE New Providence Basketball Association continued its regular season action at the AF Adderley Gymnasium on Wednesday night.

In the men’s division one feature contest, the Sand Dollar routed the Zulu Media Marketing 96-64 and the men’s division II opener, Cyber Tech got the win over Mekaddish Millionaires 82-80.

The double header came after the league also played a double header on Monday.

the games played:

Sand Dollar 96, Zulu Media Marketing

Dave Davis scored a game high 22 points with 11 rebounds to lead a balanced scoring attack in their victory on Wednesday night.

Rus-Shorn Strachan added 20 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals; Van Hutchinson Jr had 16 points, 17 rebounds, five assists and

three steals; Shantoin Pratt had 12 points, 15 assists, six rebounds and two steals and Rashad Ingraham helped out with 10 points and four rebounds.

Selwyn McKenzie had 17 points, three rebounds and a pair of assists and steals in a losing effort.

Kriston Marshall had 16 points and 11 rebounds; Stephen Burrows had 15 points, three rebounds and three steals and John Bryant added 12 points, four rebounds and a pair of assists and steals.

Rockets 100, Mingoes 84 Roosevelt Whylly scored a game high 27 points with 18 rebounds, five assists and two steals and Livingstone Munnings had 26 points, 14 rebounds and four steals to lead Discount Distributors to victory on Monday night.

Abel Joseph added 20 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and four steals and Crispin Gibson had nine points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals.

The Rockets stayed undefeated at 7-0, while the Mingoes fell to 2-5.

Theodore Grant posted a triple double in the loss to lead the Mingoes with 18 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.

Grant also had four steals on the night. Delano Armbrister led The Mingoes

scoring attack with 23 points off of seven 3-pointers. Erquantae Edgecombe posted 12 points and Dremiko McIntosh had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

The Mingoes started off strong and ended the first quarter tied at 18.

The experienced Rockets though took the lead early in the second quarter and slowly extended it throughout the night.

Head coach Bacchus Rolle said the team is still improving especially after the break.

“We had a better effort tonight,” he said.

“It was a much better effort tonight offensively, but we allowed just too many points in the paint especially against a strong team like The Rockets.

“Hats off to the Rockets for a wonderful win but we showed poise, and we showed energy out there tonight.”

Produce Express 84, Rockets 70:

Rumalo Ellis scored 19 points with seven rebounds to lead the Produce Express to victory on Wednesday night.

Dion Brown had 15 points, six rebounds and two steals; Maleak Johnson had 12 points, eight rebounds and five steals; and Anthon Williams (six assists and three rebounds), Randy Blanfort (eight

rebounds) and Rasean Minnis (seven rebounds, three steals and two assists) all finished with nine points.

In a losing effort, Keith Rolle had 13 points with five rebounds, five assists and three steals; Quebell Martin had 12 points and nine rebounds; Terrano Oliver Sr had 11 points and four assists and Osee Olibrice (three rebounds, three assists and two steals) and Jefferson Miller (five) both had 10 points.

Cyber Tech 82, Mekaddish Millionaires 80

Devon Bonaby Jr had a game high 22 points

with seven rebounds, three assists and three steals; Tyrese Porter had 20 points, five rebounds, five assist and four steals; Daniel Bethel had 19 points and six rebounds; Steve Shurton had 11 points and eight rebounds and K’Jay Nixon helped out with 10 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Travjuan Alleyne had 17 points, 19 rebounds and five assists in a losing effort.

Preston Ferguson had 15 points, seven rebounds and two assists; Clayton Miller had 13 points and six rebounds and Dauran Marshall added 10 points and 12 rebounds.

The league announced the plans yesterday.

Opponents, dates and times for the games will be released when the full schedule is announced later this year.

There will be no international game in Mexico in 2023 due to renovations taking place in Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

“We have a long history and we continue to grow but these international games are pivotal,” NFL executive Peter O’Reilly told the AP. “Those who have been there and experienced it, you just see the passion of the fans in these markets. This is the chance for them to experience the best of the NFL live and it’s an opportunity for yearround engagement with the fans there. There’s nothing bigger and better than an NFL game and those teams to be there in those markets and putting it on in a stadium.”

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Seattle Seahawks in Munich in the NFL’s first regular-season game in Germany this season.

The destination cities for the 2023 games will be announced later this year. The NFL previously confirmed that Munich and Frankfurt will host games in Germany over the next four years.

UNIVERSITY of The Bahamas Mingoes guard Erquantae Edgecombe fights for a rebound against The Rockets in their game on Monday at A.F. Adderley gym. The Mingoes lost 100-84.

Photo: UB ATHLETICS

LOS Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James tosses powder before the team’s NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C Hong)

AOS gold partner for the 50th Golden Jubilee CARIFTA Games

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

LEADING by example as they put their “money where their mouth is,” Accounting Outsource Services Limited came on board as a Gold Partner for the 50th Golden Jubilee CARIFTA Games.

AOS, through Maycock Associates Chartered Accountants, led by the Chief Executive Officer of the Local Organising Committee for CARIFTA, Lynden Maycock and his wife, Lynette, made a presentation of $75,000 to the games, scheduled for April 7-11.

The presentation took place yesterday at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium where an appeal was made for more financial companies to come on board and lend their support to the region’s biggest junior track and field competition.

“AOS is happy to sponsor the 50th CARIFTA Games as a Gold Medalion sponsor of the games,” Maycock said. “As the CEO of the games, I told my wife Lynette, we ought to lead by example.

“If we are asking corporate Bahamas to invest in our youth and invest in our CARIFTA Games, as the head of the CARIFTA Games, it’s imperative that we take the lead and lead by example.”

Maycock said the $75,000 donated to the games was a “no brainer” and they are delighted to be a part of the big event.

Lynette Maycock, a director of AOS, said they are a financial and corporate service provider for more than 13 years that alwats believed in assisting student-athletes in athletic scholarships for high school and college. She noted that when her husband approached the firm to solicit their financial support, they saw it as a great opportunity and investment that will yield great returns.

“We will be able to showcase our young athletes to the world, assisting young

up and coming athletes with the gateway to training with local coaches, placing the Bahamas on front stage as we celebrate this 50th year of CARIFTA and the Bahamas 50th year of Independence,” she said.

“We look forward to a sea of gold medals from our Bahamian athletes. “Today, AOS is proud to sponsor $75,000 to the Local Organising Committee to assist with the operation of the 50th CARIFTA Games. We are going gold and encourage all small businesses to join us as we showcase the youth of our nation.”

Lenny Smith, the chairman of the finance committee for the LOC, who previously served as the deputy chairman of the first two editions of the World Relays, said they are happy to welcome their latest Gold partner sponsors and to appeal to other corporate citizens to get involved.

“This year, as it has been said many times, is the 50th year of CARIFTA, 50 years of the Bahamas celebrating their Independence and

as a track and field fanatic, I can boldly predict that we will have at least three world junior records set right here in the Bahamas.

He noted that last year’s Austin Sealy awardee came from the British Virgin Islands and some of the athletes from St Vincent did extremely well in the longer distance races, so it’s not just Jamaica and the Bahamas dominating.

“Again, I am appealing to corporate Bahamas to come on board,” Smith stated. “Sports can solve a lot of our social problems. So, let’s come out and support our athletes.”

Smith said persons who wish not to be one of the major sponsors can still make their contribution by sponsoring some of the individual races with prices ranging from $500 to $5,000 depending on the race they select. Their names will be listed as the sponsor of the particular races. “It will be on a first served, first basis,” Smith said.

Fern Hanna, the senior director of marketing and partnership, revealed that

While the Oak Tree Medical Centre has already taken the title sponsor, Aliv presented a cheque for $289,000 as their platinum; gold elite is $100,000; gold medallion is $75,000, gold medal level is $50,000; silver partner is $20,000 and bronze at $10,000.

“We want everybody to be included. We don’t want anyone to feel like they can’t reach that particular level,” Hanna said.

“Even if it’s 10 dollars or five dollars. If it’s Grammy from Mayaguana or Acklins, if you want to make a contribution, we will be here.”

Hanna said persons hearing this message and feel like they want to come on board and even if you want to be an anonymous donor, the LOC will open that opportunity next week when they can hit donate and make their contribution of any amount.

“We

Hanna said they are encouraging persons throughout the Caribbean, the United States, Canada and any other parts of the world, who wish to get on board, to email info@carifta50.com or any social media handles @ carifta2023. or log onto their website www.cairfta50.com

Pauline Davis, one of the six Bahamians to win the Austin Sealy Award, said it’s so encouraging to see the different entities in the country stepping forth and sponsoring the games.

Davis, the Dame of the Games, also encouraged others to come on board as they make a difference in the lives of many of the athletes in the region, who will go on to become the next Olympic Games and World Championship champions, medallists, finalists and participants from the Caribbean.

BLANK BARBADOS 5-0, USA BLUEBIRDS HOLD OFF BAHAMAS 3-2

THE International Tennis Club’s Bahamas IC Doubles Week will come to a close today at the Nassau Lawn Tennis Club.

In games played on Thursday, the United States Robins’ team blanked Barbados 5-0 in the opener and the USA Bluebirds held off the Bahamas 3-2.

While the two USA teams remain undefeated in their three matches played so far, Barbados are 2-2, while the Bahamas is winless at 0-3, the same as the International team.

Today, the two USA teams will clash in the first match of the day at 8:30am to determine the top team, while the Bahamas and the International team will square off at 1pm to decide who gets fourth and fifth. Barbados ended up in third place.

results of the matches played yesterday:

USA Robins 5, Barbados 0

Men’s 105+ doubles - Jeff Clark/Jeff Snow (USA) def.

Roger Edghill/James Tasker (BAR) 6-4, 6-3.

Women’s 105+ doublesMariana Hollman/ Margaret Lumia (USA def. Tracy Johnson/ Marie-Jeanne Symmonds (BAR) 6-1, 6-1.

Men’s 125+ doublesRobb Bunnen/Rob Castori (USA) def. Raymond Forde/Peter Symmonds (BAR) 6-1, 6-4.

Mixed 105+ doubles - Jeff Snow/Margaret Lumia (USA) def. Jeff Snow/Margaret Lumia (USA) 6-2, 7-6 (3).

Mixed 120+ doubles - Jeff Clark/Ann Clark (USA) def. Raymond Forde/Marie Gentile (BAR) 6-2, 6-1. USA Bluebirds def. Bahamas 3-2

Men’s 105+ doubles - John Chatlak/Shirish Deshpende (USA) def. Ivan Hooper/Neil Mactaggart (BAH) 4-6, 6-2, 10-6.

Women’s 105+ doubles - Sue Kimball/Tara Mactaggart (BAH) def. Kay Beverley/Shana Magruder (USA) 6-3, 6-3.

Men’s 125+ doubles - Bob Beverley/Steve Moehn (USA) def. John Antonas & Alejandro Mesples (BAH) 6-1, 6-1. Mixed 105+ doubles - Steve Moehn/Shana Magruder (USA) def. Alejandro Mesples/Tara Mactaggart (BAH) 6-0, 6-0.

Mixed 120+ doubles - Neil Mactaggart/Sue Kimball (BAH) def. Ward Snyder/Kay Beverley (USA) 7-6 (4), 6-2.

The 49ers-Cowboys playoff history is a rich one from back-to-back conference title games in the early 1970s, the iconic “Catch” in the 1981 season and then the heated rivalry in the 1990s when the Cowboys won the first two meetings on the way to Super Bowl titles and then the Niners took the third game.

“None of us were around for that,” Niners fullback Kyle Juszczyk said.

“So the rivalry is really what we’ve done recently. We played them last year in the playoffs. I think that is more of our fuel as opposed to those other games.”

The series took a long playoff break before

resuming in the wild-card round last year when the 49ers held off the Cowboys 23-17. The game ended in dramatic fashion with Dak Prescott scrambling to the San Francisco 24 in the closing seconds.

Dallas scrambled to get to the line and waited for the officials to set the ball. Prescott then spiked the ball in hopes of getting one more play off but the clock ran out.

tory of the playoff rivalry.

AMERICA’S TEAM

The teams squared off in the first three years after the merger with the Cowboys beating the Niners for the NFC title game in 1970 and ‘71 and again the next year to help launch their status as “America’s Team.”

In the first meeting at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco, Dallas used 143 yards rushing and a TD

-

from Duane Thomas and two interceptions of John Brodie to win 17-10.

Dallas’ defence dominated again the next year with three more interceptions of Brodie in a 14-3 win that led the Cowboys to their first Super Bowl title.

The next meeting in the divisional round at Candlestick Park helped Staubach earn the moniker of “Captain Comeback.”

Staubach entered the game in the fourth quarter with Dallas down 28-13 and led the team on three scoring drives.

He threw a 20-yard TD pass to Billy Parks with 1:20 left to cut the deficit to 28-23. After a successful onside kick, the Cowboys won it on a 10-yard TD pass from Staubach to Ron Sellers with 52 seconds left.

THE CATCH The Niners fell off after that three-year run, but got

their revenge with a lategame comeback of their own to launch a dynasty in the 1981 NFC championship game.

San Francisco took over at its 11 with 4:54 to play trailing 27-21 when Montana took over. He picked apart Dallas’ Doomsday Defence with a quintessential West Coast offense drive.

Then the Niners faced a third-and-4 at the Dallas 6 with less than a minute to play when Bill Walsh called “Sprint Right Option.” Montana rolled right and couldn’t find an open receiver immediately.

Then with Ed “Too Tall” Jones and the Dallas defence closing in, Montana launched a high pass that seemed headed out of the end zone.

But Dwight Clark leaped over Everson Walls in the back of the end zone and

came down with “The Catch” to give San Francisco a 28-27 lead.

The win was sealed when Danny White lost a fumble and San Francisco won its first of five Super Bowl titles in a 14-year span two weeks later.

“Start of a dynasty,” former 49ers president Carmen Policy said. “I don’t let myself go down the road of what would have happened if he doesn’t make that catch.”

HOW ‘BOUT THEM

COWBOYS

While the Niners dynasty was launched with that win, it was the start of Dallas’ demise under coach Tom Landry.

The Cowboys bottomed out with a one-win season in Jimmy Johnson’s first year in 1989 before beginning a steady rise.

That helped lead to the Cowboys making it to the

1992 NFC title game in San Francisco against a stacked Niners team led by Steve Young and Jerry Rice.

But the young Cowboys didn’t flinch, getting two TDs from Smith to build a 24-20 lead and then Aikman helped seal it with a 70-yard pass to Alvin Harper to set up another TD. The rematch the next season wasn’t nearly as tight with the Cowboys building a 28-7 halftime lead on the way to a 38-21 win after Johnson guaranteed victory earlier in the week.

Johnson punctuated both wins with his “How ‘bout them Cowboys!” proclamation in the victorious locker room.

“I’ve been talking all week,” Johnson told his team.

“If you’re gonna talk the talk, you gotta walk the walk. Thanks to you guys, y’all did the walkin.”

Laura’s Fruit Stall was the first small business to come on board as a sponsor and so they are encouraging other businesses to sponsor the games.

want to make this a stellar event and we want to make it a stellar event together, one nation one body,” Hanna said. “But let me add, it’s not just for persons in the Bahamas.”

STANDING , from left to right, at the AOS sponsorship are Lenny Smith, chairman of the finance committee, Pauline Davis-Thompson, the Dame of the Games, Lynette Maycock, a director of AOS, Lynden Maycock, a director of AOS and the CEO of the LOC, Fern Hanna, the senior director of marketing and partnership of the LOC, and Danielle Osbourne, deputy chairman of the finance committee.

Sanders, Steve Young, Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin.

FERN HANNA, senior director of marketing and partnership, makes a funny point as Pauline Davis-Thompson, Danielle Osbourne, Lenny Smith, AOS directors Lynette and Lynden Maycock (all seated) express their delight.

FTX: False statements were made to ‘diminish’ Bahamas

adjourned, so it remains to be seen whether it will proceed.

And the affidavit also supports arguments by FTX Digital Markets’ Bahamian provisional liquidators, Brian Simms KC, the Lennox Paton senior partner, and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) accounting duo, Kevin Cambridge and Peter Greaves, that this nation should be the main jurisdiction governing the crypto exchange’s restructuring, winding-up and any asset sales.

Mr Friedberg, in his affidavit, alleged that he resigned within 24 hours of learning that FTX’s international platform, which was being managed from The Bahamas, had a multi-billion dollar hole that meant it was unable to repay all client funds. “On November 7, 2023, certain FTX personnel, including Sam, informed certain executives

in The Bahamas of the existence of an $8bn customer deficit with respect to FTX International,” he affirmed.

Subsequent to his resignation, he spoke to Mr Miller to inform him that legal advisers had urged FTX’s reorganisation or winding-up take place outside the US. “On that call, I first informed Mr Miller that we had been counselled by all our other law firms that the bankruptcy filings of FTX International group and the Alameda group should occur outside the US, and likely in The Bahamas or Europe,” he alleged.

“This was in part because of the unnecessary expense of the US bankruptcy system, the situs of the primary regulator (the Securities Commission of The Bahamas), as well as the fact that creditors of the FTX International group were outside the US, amongst other legal issues.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that CHINIKA ANTOINE of Carmicheal Road, New Providence, 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 20th day of January, 2023 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

“Mr Miller told me that the bankruptcy filings of FTX International group, the Alameda group, and the FTX.US group had to be in the US because otherwise Sullivan & Cromwell couldn’t do the job.” He also alleged that Mr Miller told him Sullivan & Cromwell was installing its “guy” to run the FTX companies - a seeming reference to Mr Ray, with whom it had worked on the Enron implosion decades before.

“In addition, from Bahamian regulators, I was told that Sullivan & Cromwell refuses to communicate with The Bahamas on this important matter,” Mr Friedberg continued. “This is attributed to the fact that the bankruptcies of the FTX International group and the Alameda group should have been made in The Bahamas, and The Bahamas was the appropriate place of jurisdiction, notwithstanding that Sullivan & Cromwell couldn’t

represent those groups in such a proceeding.

“In court filings, it was stated that FTX Digital Markets, the Bahamian subsidiary of FTX International, had no revenue. This is false. Substantially all customers of FTX International were migrated to FTX Digital Markets in May or June of 2022, and all associated revenue moved to FTX Digital Markets at that time. This statement was likely made to diminish the importance of the Bahamian entity and again attempt to establish jurisdiction in the US bankruptcy court.”

While peace has broken out between Mr Ray and the Bahamian provisional liquidators, Mr Friedberg’s affidavit directly refutes prior allegations by the former. “FTX Digital Markets was never the centre of the FTX group,” Mr Ray and Sullivan & Cromwell alleged in prior court filings. “It was

PUBLIC NOTICE

INTENT TO CHANGE NAME

nothing more than a shortlived provider of limited ‘match-making’ services for customer-to-customer transactions on the cryptocurrency exchange built, owned and operated by FTX Trading, its immediate corporate parent.

“FTX Digital Markets operated for just under six months, from May 13, 2022,

to November 10, 2022. Over 90 percent of customers who used the FTX. com exchange were customers before FTX Digital Markets even became operational. Once operational, FTX Digital Markets never earned a dollar of thirdparty revenue. FTX Digital Markets was a virtual nullity within the FTX group.”

The Tribune wants to hear from people who are making news in their neighbourhoods. Perhaps you are raising funds for a good cause, campaigning for improvements in the area or have won an award. If so, call us on 322-1986 and share your story.

NOTICE

BY DEED POLL

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that ROSEMARY OCTAVIEN PIERRE of Marsh Harbour, Abaco, 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 13th day of January, 2023 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

NOTICE

The Public is hereby advised that I, BELTON CHRISTIANNE of Love Beach, Nassau, The Bahamas, Mother of SHENIAH DESHOMMES A minor intend to change my child’s name to SHENIAH JEAN If there are any objections to this change of name by Deed Poll, you may write such objections to the Deputy Chief Passport fcer, ox , assa , ahamas no ater than thirt ( ) da s a ter the date o p ication o this noticeNOTICE

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that DONELLE KENICHARA JEANBAPTISTE of P.O. Box SB52453 #8 McCartney Lane, 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 13th day of January, 2023 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

100.00100.00BGS:

Holdings Limited BFH

Waste BWL

11.40 11.400.00 0.9390.20012.11.75% 16.2515.50J.

0.0000.0000.0000.00%

6.95 6.950.00 0.2390.17029.12.45% 53.0040.03 MATURITY

19-Oct-2022 20-Nov-2029 30-Nov-2022 30-Nov-2022

26-Jul-2034 26-Jul-2037 26-Jul-2035

30-Sep-2022 31-Oct-2022

31-Oct-2022 31-Oct-2022

31-Oct-2022 30-Nov-2022 30-Nov-2022 30-Nov-2022 30-Nov-2022

2.76 2.760.00 0.0000.020N/M0.72% 2.462.31Bahamas 4.50% 6.25% Colonial Bahamas Fund Class D Colonial Bahamas Fund Class E Colonial Bahamas Fund Class F CFAL Global Equity Fund Leno Financial Conservative Fund Leno Financial Aggressive Fund Leno Financial Balanced Fund Leno Financial Global Bond Fund RF Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Secured Balanced Fund RF Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Targeted Equity Fund RF Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Prime Income Fund RF Bahamas International Investment Fund Limited - Equities Sub Fund RF Bahamas International Investment Fund Limited - High Yield Income Fund RF Bahamas International Investment Fund Limited - Alternative Strategies Fund (242)323-2330 (242) 323-2320 www.bisxbahamas.com

31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that CARLO ANTHONY HYLTON of Murphy Town, Abaco, 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 13th day of January, 2023 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

Downtown revival strategy ‘fell short’

Street,” Mr Maura said.

“If the Government’s plans had addressed the key stakeholders who own the land going east to Paradise Island, if that was part of the partnership, we would have a better focus running east.

“The focus was on moving commercial shipping. The thought was that the property owners would do something with their properties. For the most part, that hasn’t happened.”

Both the first Christie administration, as well as the Ingraham administration that succeeded it, focused almost exclusively on moving the commercial shipping companies - the former to south-west New Providence near Clifton Pier, and the latter to the ultimately selected location at Arawak Cay.

Chester Cooper, deputy prime minister and minister of tourism, investments and aviation, is now leading efforts to revive downtown Nassau and Bay Street. The Government has already demolished several derelict buildings that were both unsafe and an eyesore for Bahamians and tourists alike, while Mr Cooper has unveiled plans to establish a small business incubator in the area and invite local artists to paint murals to improve its appearance.

Mr Maura, who was BISX-listed APD’s chief executive, subsequently left to take up the same post at Nassau Cruise Port. When it came to the latter’s $300m transformation, he revealed that the biggest “obstacle” to the project were its very customers - the cruise industry - who wanted to continue to exert the historical control they have enjoyed over The Bahamas.

“We had obstacles,” Mr Maura said. “Honestly, they were the cruise industry that liked to control destinations just like they do in every other jurisdiction. For them it was some advantage to keep the status quo rather than the destination gaining confidence, realising it had more power and could sit across the table because it had something to negotiate with.”

Both the Arawak Cay and cruise ports have been P3s involving collaboration between the private sector and the Government. Describing the push that led to APD’s creation in 2011, Mr Maura said: “That was driven by a large movement to pick up this heavy, dirty industry which was sitting in prime real estate on our harbour and move it somewhere else.

“The hope was to replace it with something more residential, something more appealing to our visitors, something more appealing to Bahamians. As decades have passed, unfortunately, more often than not Bahamians go downtown for a specific purpose rather than to enjoy what it has to offer. But there was this drive for something great to happen downtown.”

He added that the partnership with the Government had “succeeded in picking up the shipping industry and moving it to Arawak Cay”. The sector, including owners of the shipping companies, stevedores and its former landlords, gained a combined 40 percent equity stake in APD via a special purpose vehicle that was formed to hold its interest. They also took a majority four of APD’s seven Board seats.

Mr Maura said keeping the commercial shipping industry together as one had eliminated the possibility that any operator would “go rogue” and seek to establish their own commercial shipping port elsewhere, as the “fear of competition” had been very real. And, by listing the

Regulation woes dismissed as ‘nothing further from the truth’

company on BISX via an initial public offering (IPO) of 20 percent of its equity, APD - and by extension, the shipping industry - now has 12,000 shareholders.

Turning to the cruise port, he described its redevelopment as “almost an extension, a different chapter of the same story to revitalise downtown”. Mr Maura said the Government’s decision to outsource financing, management and redevelopment of Prince George Wharf was sparked when the cruise industry shared guest satisfaction scores showing Nassau ranked 19th out of 20 Caribbean ports, with only Freeport faring worse.

“Only by God’s grace, being the geography, our beautiful beaches, our warm weather and our wonderful smiles were we getting the tourism traffic we were because we were failing miserably in our service,” the Nassau Cruise Port chief said. And successive governments had also failed to properly maintain Prince George Wharf as the primary cruise passenger gateway to The Bahamas.

“Prince George Wharf was literally falling down around the tourists coming to our shores,” Mr Maura added. “Nassau Cruise Port is the single biggest transit port in the world. It was literally falling apart.”

FROM PAGE A24

become a “hub” for the digital assets sector.

Mrs Sands-Feaste did not once identify FTX by name, but there was little doubt what she was referring to.

Speaking to this nation’s progress as it gears up for the 50th independence anniversary celebrations, she said: “We can be proud of The Bahamas’ reputation as a well-regulated financial services jurisdiction that is compliant with international best practices.

“We’ve seen and read in the newspapers that The Bahamas is not well regulated. Nothing could be further from the truth.”

Pointing out that the banking and financial services regulatory regime has undergone at least five major revisions since 1973, she added that this nation has possessed “cutting edge” legislation ever since the 2000 reform package was enacted to escape the then-blacklisting.

“We are well regulated. We are compliant, and have been for a very long time,” Mrs Sands-Feaste continued. “We have a long and rich history as being a jurisdiction of choice for financial services.... The Bahamas continues to evolve is regulatory framework. We’ve been updating, we’ve been modernising. We’ve not stood still. That spirit of innovation is something to be proud of.”

Pointing to the creation of new financial services products, such as the SMART Fund in 2003 and the ICON (Investment Condominium) in 2014, the Higgs & Johnson partner asserted that The Bahamas was also due plaudits for its 2020 decision to create a specific regulatory regime for the fast-evolving digital assets sector.

“More recently, we regulated the digital assets space with the DARE (Digital Assets and Registered Exchanges) Act in 2020,” she added. “The Bahamas is one of the few jurisdictions in the world which regulates that sector.” Mrs SandsFeaste said the oversight provided by DARE extends beyond crypto currencies to other digital assets, including tokens. “It is forward thinking and we should be proud of that,” she continued.

Others may argue that DARE Act, which was due to be upgraded prior to FTX’s failure, did little to prevent the crypto exchange’s failure. However, the Securities Commission has argued that the Act’s existence enabled it to react rapidly to events by applying to the Supreme Court for the joint provisional liquidators’ appointment.

Mrs Sands-Feaste, meanwhile, returned to the FTX theme later in her Outlook presentation by arguing that The Bahamas cannot

He also refuted claims that Prince George Wharf is no longer owned by the Government, explaining that the real estate was split off from Nassau Cruise Port’s lease concession to manage the facility.

“We have this narrative that the Government is selling Prince George Wharf when, in reality, that’s not the case,” the Nassau Cruise Port chief explained. “The wonderful thing about the P3 is you continue to own Prince George Wharf but have someone else showing up with $300m to fix your home and move tourists through from where they can be dispersed.”

Mr Maura also moved to dispel concerns that many passengers will not move beyond the cruise port’s own attractions, which will include a Junkanoo museum and amphitheatre, explaining that Prince George Wharf by itself can only accommodate 5,0007,000 persons. That, he added, will leave 15,000plus seeking other activities.

“P3s offer tremendous opportunities,” Mr Maura said. “We’ve just come out of a pandemic, and the debt levels in our country and the region are extremely high. They [governments] may not have the funding resources to go out and find $500m and deal with these issues.”

be derailed from its ambitions by the implosion and subsequent fall-out. “We can’t allow a single event to dampen the spirit of innovation. That is critical to the success of The Bahamas and I encourage us to continue to do it,” she said.

The Higgs & Johnson partner pointed to other Bahamian ‘firsts’, such as the introduction of the Central Bank-backed digital currency, the Sand Dollar, while acknowledging that inflationary pressures over which this country has no control were increasing the cost of doing business for local firms and creating “headwinds” for the local economy.

She added that it was also “becoming increasingly complex to do business” in The Bahamas due to the multiple rules, regulations, permits and taxes that companies and entrepreneurs must grapple with. This, Mrs Sands-Feaste said, costs businesses both time and money, although many struggled to quantify the precise impact.

She identified access to banking and financial services as a further challenge, adding that while The Bahamas has “embraced” digital transactions this remains “a journey” where those who lack computer access are disadvantaged and have to stand in branch queues. Another aspect of inequality exists on the Family Islands, where persons sometimes have to travel 40-50 miles to reach a physical branch location.

Mrs Sands-Feaste also pointed to concerns surrounding Nassau’s efforts to impose its development vision on Family Island communities. While the Government’s priorities were to ensure investment happened, local communities were likely focused more on how they will benefit and permanent jobs created beyond the construction phase. And, given The Bahamas’ archipelagic nature, different islands have different challenges.

To counter this, she said: “We have to start with ourselves. We have to increase our focus on productivity and the service delivery model. That says the client, the customer is always right. That’s what they talk about in retail. In hospitality, the guest is always right, because one bad experience reflects on all of us, and clients paint The Bahamas with a brush that is all the same.”

The Higgs & Johnson partner said it was “absolutely critical to the future of the country” for The Bahamas to entice its overseas university graduates back home, pointing to a World Bank study that found 61 percent of this group decide to pursue opportunities abroad upon completion of their studies.

NASSAU CRUISE PORT

Bahamas aviation fee defence ‘a red herring’

FROM

charges,” the US airlines added.

“The respondents have simply missed the point: The members request that the Department act in the public interest for the unjustified amount of the charges. According to the evidence presented by both the members and the respondents, The Bahamas annually charges tens of millions of dollars to air carriers transiting Bahamas’ airspace for air navigation services that cost The Bahamas far less - approximately $80,000 to $100,000, or about 1 percent of what The Bahamas’ charges.”

The $80,000-$100,000 referenced is the annual fee that The Bahamas pays to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the provision of air traffic data. This was part of a 10-year deal that saw The Bahamas, in 2021, outsource management of 75 percent of its air space above 6,000 feet to the FAA, with the US agency agreeing to waive the air navigation fees it previously levied for using this country’s air space.

The Bahamas subsequently imposed its own air navigation services charges in a bid to generate revenue sufficient to fund the development of civil aviation safety and oversight in The Bahamas, and associated regulatory functions. This will thus eliminate the need for Bahamian taxpayers to fund this, saving the Public Treasury millions of dollars per annum at a time when it is coming under increasing fiscal stress.

However, arguing that these fees should only cover the cost of providing the service, the US airlines are alleging there is no justification for “the tens of millions of dollars” that The Bahamas is collecting given that it is just paying, at most, a six figure sum to the FAA. They claim this “runs afoul” of global best practice and agreements, plus the US International Air Transport Fair Competitive Practices Act 1974.

“Members pay far more than other users to simply transit Bahamas’ airspace,” Airlines4America alleged. “In fact, those payments from members to The Bahamas effectively fund The Bahamas’ entire air navigation system,

including facilities, infrastructure, operations, non-commercial airports and systems that are unrelated to members’ transit operations—a clearly unreasonable discriminatory charge by The Bahamas.

“As a threshold matter, we reiterate that the members do not question The Bahamas’ sovereignty, its authority over its sovereign airspace, nor its underlying authority to levy charges for members’ use of Bahamas’ airspace. Those facts are not in dispute. However, The Bahamas cherry picks guidelines to state, on factual background, that its imposition of charges is ‘justified’.”

The Bahamas has established a sliding scale for its overflight fees that ranges from $8.50 to $51.60 per 100 nautical miles based on the aircraft’s weight. Several observers have privately suggested to Tribune Business that the US airlines are seeking to bully The Bahamas by placing no value on the worth of this country’s sovereign air space.

They believe the sector is longing for a return to the days when The Bahamas earned not a single cent in revenue from the aviation industry’s use of its air space, which sits on key Atlantic and other routes between Europe and the western hemisphere and North and South America. The FAA used to waive overflight fees for planes that took off and/or landed in the US after passing through Bahamian air space, thus giving them free use of this country.

The Government, in its answer to the US airlines’ complaint, asserted that The Bahamas’ air navigation services regime was compliant with the Chicago Convention - the agreement that established the main principles of global air transport - as well as International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) guidelines.

However, Airlines for America accused The Bahamas of “glossing over” the late 2020 consultation process on the fees during which itself, as well as the International Air Transportation Association (IATA), voiced concerns over what they alleged were “unfair and unreasonable” levies.

“First, their only proven operating expenses are FAA’s annual fees, while

the operating costs they put forth appear to be nothing more than mere projections,” Airlines4 America said of the Civil Aviation Authority of The Bahamas (CAAB). “As well known, the FAA only charges The Bahamas approximately $80,000 to $100,000 per year for its services.

“However, The Bahamas projects millions in operating costs when their only current functions are the processing of flight data - an accounting function - for the purposes of imposing the charges and the administration of levying the charges. Consequently, The Bahamas has not proven that even a portion of the tens of millions of dollars it collects from operators have any relationship to its costs. Those charges are therefore unjustifiable.

“Second, The Bahamas admits it has no assets to provide air navigation services to members for transit flights, which belies The Bahamas’ inclusion of amortisation or depreciation. To include amortisation or depreciation, The Bahamas needs to have assets that are used for services that support the transit flights of members. In the two years it has imposed the charges, The Bahamas does not have any such assets and has admitted that it still has no infrastructure.”

The US airlines also returned to allegations that the air navigation services fees are discriminatory, asserting: “The charges for

operations that simply transit The Bahamas’ airspace amount to millions, while charges for operations that originate or depart from The Bahamas (which one would expect are more predominately conducted by Bahamian operators) are charged a fraction of such amounts.

“Although operators in the same category of operations may be charged the same amount, as asserted by the [Government], the unreasonable discriminatory nature of The Bahamas charges is The Bahamas’ use of charges to transiting operators to bankroll The Bahamas’ entire air navigation services system, including for services not used by such operators.

“This issue was raised during the consultation between The Bahamas and industry, but The Bahamas repeatedly dodged the question, pointing to ICAO guidance that does not support such discrimination.”

But, striking a more conciliatory tone at the last, Airlines4America said: “The members do not seek to disrupt the US-Bahamas air transportation marketplace, but hope that this matter and the actions the Department considers in the public interest result in a prompt remedy by The Bahamas to make the charges fully compliant with all laws, guidance and agreements, and thus justifiable and not unreasonably discriminatory.”

Demand’s 40% surge drives Doctors revenue $2m higher

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A 40 percent “surge” in private healthcare demand has driven Doctors Hospital’s average monthly revenues some $2m higher than pre-COVID levels, its chief financial officer revealed yesterday. Dennis Deveaux told the Bahamas Business Outlook conference that monthly revenues were now averaging $7m per month, a 40 percent increase on the pre-pandemic’s $5m, while representing a decline from the $10m earned during COVID’s peak.

He added that this will “return a certain level of efficiency” to the BISXlisted healthcare provider’s bottom line, with a portion of these increased revenues translating to higher profitability that will improve “beyond 2023”. And Mr Deveaux also revealed that Doctors Hospital had taken some $30m in writeoffs, meaning care that was provided without compensation, at a time when the company’s stock price increased by 200 percent.

Pointing out that Doctors Hospital spends “north of $40m” per year on labourrelated costs, he disclosed

that two-thirds of this sum relates to salaries. Of the remaining one-third, Mr Deveaux said during COVID-19 the hospital gave workers hazard pay and other benefits to show its appreciation for their dedication.

“When the hospital does well, we return that back to them in the form of a very robust and generous profit sharing agreement,” he explained. “For every dollar of profit, we generate a return, a proportionate rate, back to our associates. That’s been ratified for the last five years by the Board of Directors.”

Doctors Hospital is planning to open a specialist clinic next month on Freeport’s East Mall Drive after “recognising the lack of capacity” on Grand Bahama, Mr Deveaux said, while it has also established a primary care clinic at the base of Baha Mar’s Grand Hyatt hotel to cater to the mega resort’s guests and 5,000 staff.

“We opened towards the end of December,” he added. “We’ve had approximately 1,500 unique case encounters starting in the primary care space but moving into urgent care as needed.” Doctors Hospital is also turning the former

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SCOTIA: GONE ONLINE AMID ‘LOUSY’ SERVICE CLAIM

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

SCOTIABANK (Bahamas) will this year test mobile banking technology capable of serving all Family Islands, its top executive said yesterday, with 95 percent of customer transactions now conducted online or at ABMs.

Roger Archer, who is also the Canadian-owned bank’s vice-president for its northern Caribbean district, told the Bahamas Business Outlook conference that “we have to look forward” as technology is the only “sustainable” mechanism to provide financial services access in the Family Islands. Disclosing that the proposed technology will enable Scotiabank (Bahamas) to “serve the entire archipelago”, he conceded that the regulatory environment “currently doesn’t support” its launch

and legal reforms will be necessary to facilitate its introduction.

Mr Archer, asserting that the commercial bank had been exploring potential Family Island solutions for the past three to four years, said: “Only last week we introduced a partner to The Bahamas, a fintech (financial technology) company that’s going to partner with a local fintech company for this venture to be successful, because we believe the way we support the Family Islands in a sustainable way is through technology.

“We actually tested the technology last week, and the technology works.”

Hinting that it is a mobilebased app, the Scotiabank (Bahamas) chief said users did not need a smart phone to access it. However, he added: “How do the regulations support that? The regulatory environment currently doesn’t support it. It’s going to take us a while.

“We hope to pilot it this year, but it will take a while. We have an incredible solution we could deploy, but it will be limited to just one or two islands. My team said to me: ‘Roger, you cannot solve for one or two islands. You have to solve for all islands of The Bahamas’. The technology we’re looking at will be successful in partnership with those two entities, which will allow us to serve the entire archipelago, but it will be challenging.

“It’s not only technology. It’s the governance framework because you’re dealing with people’s money. We need to make sure the governance framework is relevant, and that the regulator is confident that the technology is safe.” Mr Archer said Scotiabank (Bahamas) has also reached the stage where clients will be able to open bank accounts online without having to visit a branch in-person.

“We’re at the stage where personal accounts can be opened electronically at Scotiabank,” he added. “We’re testing the process of allowing the opening of accounts without visiting the branch. That helps the Family Islands. You’ll be able to sit in Abaco, Acklins, wherever and be able to open accounts and immediately start transactions. That’s the journey we’re on.”

However, Mr Archer later came under firs from Outlook attendees over what they charged was the “dwindling” quality of customer service offered by the commercial banking industry generally. One described the sector as the “boogeyman”, adding: “You’re closing all the branches, open from 9am to 2pm. Thank God I have white hair so I can get in.

“You have an image problem. The services seem to be dwindling. You’re asking more people to go

MORE ‘TEETH’ RE UIRED TO HALT COPYRIGHT STEALING

FROM PAGE A24

be split out from sports and youth, she said: “A Department of Culture buried beneath the heft of education and sports just won’t do. Headed by a minister steeped in creativity, a Ministry of Culture is an imperative.

“The ministerial portfolio should encompass all sides of negotiations in an intersection with domestic and international markets; better response to prohibited local and foreign trade tariffs and other barriers to participation; as well as facilitation of better distribution avenues. A copyright law with teeth and the watchdog agency to enforce this are essential.”

Noting that Guanima Press has been in business for over 30 years, but is not

wealthy, Ms Glinton-Meicholas says this is partially due to “the number of people who have stolen our works, copied and distributed them on their own basis”.

Underscoring the need for stronger copyright laws, she added that this “provides barriers to our interaction with foreign companies like Sony, for example. People don’t want to bring their services here because we steal people’s intellectual property and more.”

Ms Glinton-Meicholas continued: “What we definitely need is a functioning forum bringing together creators, government, NGOs, private support networks, distributors and buyers to collaborate and to consult in mutual respect for profit.

“We need bias and partisan-free funding incentives, opportunities for coaching, mentoring, creative hubs, providing facilities because you hear over and over again, some people - especially those in the Family Islands - are not party or have access to certain services.” Ms Glinton-Meicholas also called for ‘Hubs of Excellence’ to help steer creative talent to more productive avenues.

Meanwhile, Neko Meicholas, fellow principal at Guanima Press, said Bahamians need to better use digital and social media platforms to get a “slice” of the multi-billion dollar online creative industry.

“We have a treasure trove of talent and I want to talk about potential ways in which Bahamian creatives can expand it to the

JOB OPPORTUNITY

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Identifying new business opportunities, including new markets, new clients, new partnerships, or new products and services

Creating strategies to successfully capture and capitalized in on new business opportunities

Building relationships with new clients, gauging their needs, and developing proposals to address these needs

Maintaining and developing relationships with current clients Negotiating with Local and International companies and organizations

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Possessing a strong understanding of the company’s products, the competition in the industry, and positioning

Responsible for new business development via prospecting, social selling, qualifying, and consultative selling

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Excellent time management skills and the ability to multitask A strategic and creative mind S eciali atio s or a clear u dersta di o f a cial a a e e t

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international marketplace,” he added.

Pointing to the video sharing platform, YouTube, Mr Meicholas added: “Imagine the income earned by content creators… whose videos average 30m views sometimes reaching as high as 118m. Unfortunately, until the powers that be intervene, Bahamians cannot yet monetise their YouTube channels.

“But even without monetisation, local artists and creators can use a channel to drive followers to online stores where they sell merchandise, like books, printed t-shirts, clothing, stickers, art prints, digital downloads, also products thanks to the availability of the online payment service Paypal.”

YouTube is not the only social media platform that

online.” In response to the suggestion that Bahamians need to become more comfortable using online and mobile banking, Mr Archer said data currently available to Scotiabank (Bahamas) showed 95 percent of transactions were being conducted via such channels or at Automated Banking Machines (ABMs).

“We have to look forward,” he argued. “Financial services is evolving, and what we are seeing is 95 percent of customers are using electronic channels. We have to work with that small portion who are not comfortable.” However, the theme of poor customer service was also highlighted by Pam Burnside of Doongalik Studios in the conference’s online chat.

Addressing Mr Archer, she wrote: “One of the main challenges we have with foreign banks is the current lack of customer service. Regulations are one thing,

but everything comes down to customer service which is frankly lousy throughout all the foreign banks. You treat your customers with disdain and lack of service, hence our disdain for your institutions knowing that you have made a hefty profit over the many years you have operated in this jurisdiction.

“I contend that you are not listening to the customers. You are focused on your bottom line and the customer is the one that suffers.... In addition, I would point out that the move to digital banking. Again, this is understood to be the way of the future, but it goes hand in hand with your responsibility to ensure that your ATM’s, for example, are maintained and functioning properly, and there is a lack of customer service in this department as well.”

Meicholas said: “Online stores like RedBubble Society… and any number of online storefronts that offer the wonderful print on demand services and a fantastic facility called Drop Shipping.

monetises its content, with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Twitch doing similar, but neither of these can be monetised in The Bahamas either.

Leaving content creators to find more creative ways to sell their goods in the digital era, using these social media platforms can help drive customers to individual websites that accept payment for goods and also to Patreon. Mr

“As a result, artists and creators can take the designs, put them on products of their choosing, and those products can go from manufacturer to purchaser without ever making the expensive trips from the manufacture to The Bahamas and back again to the customer.”

In addition, many “print on demand” websites offer the option of connection to open digital storefronts such as Shopify or Etsy, where the latter’s revenue was over $2.4bn last year.

Mr Meicholas “would love to see Bahamian creatives getting a slice of that pie”.

NEKO MEICHOLAS

Making sure the price is right

Pricing your goods and services should never be a wild guessing game. When you are reasonably new to business, though, it can feel like a loaded task. There are any number of factors to take into account, such as how much you are spending on supplies, how much your time is worth, and more. Your pricing structure will also ultimately set the tone for your small business.

You do not want to over or under price, so this week we focus on providing tips for how to determine the price of your products and services.

Start with establishing your bottom line: Calculating exactly how much it

IAN

FERGUSON

costs you to make or supply a particular item puts you in a much better position to formulate your product

pricing. This is often one of the most tedious tasks to do and requires having some numbers on hand. With your records next to you, you will know the minimum possible price you can charge before taking a loss.

Establish the cost of materials: Look at how much you spent acquiring your supplies. How much did you spend on everything, and how many products that can produce? This will give you your material cost per item. Count the full cost you paid for your materials (including shipping, VAT, tip for the handlers, etc). Leaving these out could mean underestimating your costs of production.

Factor in the value of labour: One of the biggest mistakes craftspeople and budding entrepreneurs make when figuring out product cost is not including their own labour costs. One way to do this is to set an hourly rate for your time. Choose a wage that you would like to be paid. If each product takes you multiple hours, multiply your hourly number by the quantity of hours it takes. If you can produce multiple products in one hour, divide your rate by the number of products you made.

Find the market equilibrium for the good or service you are producing: Do a deep dive on sellers who offer similar items and

see what they are charging. Are there many sellers in the market? How much are they selling? You can have a fun mystery shipping expedition or simply visit their website and do the research. Once you have a feel for the market, consider your options. Do you want to charge less and sell more, or charge more and sell less?

Do your customer research: Figure out what motivates your customers to buy. Is it price or convenience, quality or consistency? What would they be willing to pay for your product? Conduct your own market research if you are at a loss. Put together a survey along

with some product samples. Conduct a focus group session and hear from them on these matters. This can help you gauge customers’ willingness to purchase as well as their perception of your product/brand.

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

Cruise industry blasted on environmental ‘subterfuge’

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net

THE CRUISE industry was yesterday blasted as “bad actors” that engage in “tricks and subterfuge” rather than addressing their

environmental impact and pollution incidents head on.

Karen Panton, executive director of the Bahamas Protected Areas Fund, used the Bahamas Business Outlook conference to call out the sector over its alleged

past misdeeds and lack of accountability for it.

Describing the “depletion in environmental resources” as being of critical importance, with The Bahamas needing to avoid a “race to the bottom”, she added: “This is evidenced… by certain bad actors in the

cruise industry that pollute our air, water and land by seeking to avoid responsibility for pollutants and high sulfur fuels.

Asserting that the cruise industry prefers to engage in “tricks and subterfuge rather than investments”, Ms Panton urged The

Bahamas to do more to protect its marine environment. She added that this environmental degradation is made worse by “local fishers and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing creating a bigger tragedy”.

Ms Panton added: “Other externalities include

periodic oil leaks from our utility companies, improper landfilling practices and plentiful excess emissions by internal combustion vehicles all consequences for human and environmental health.”

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ISLAND Today: E at 8-16 Knots 2-4 Feet 10

Bahamas aviation fee defence ‘a red herring’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

US airlines yesterday slammed the Government’s “red herring” defence of an air navigation system that allegedly costs just 1 percent of the fees charged by The Bahamas.

Members of the Airlines4America group, responding to the Government’s rebuttal of their complaint, denied they were challenging The Bahamas’ sovereignty or ability to levy fees for air navigation services provided to aircraft using its air space. However, they claimed that the charges breach this nation’s own Bahamas Air Navigation Services Act which requires that fees must be

“reasonably related to the expenses incurred or to be incurred”.

The consortium, whose members include the likes of American Airlines, Delta and Jet Blue, also denied that the challenge to what they assert is an “unjust, discriminatory and anti-competitive” fees regime was intended to result in the imposition of sanctions on Bahamian

carriers who could, in a worse case scenario, be barred from - or have access severely curtailed to - the US air transportation market.

Hinting that the industry would like to come to a mutually beneficial resolution without further legal action, Airlines4America voiced hope that The Bahamas will introduce “a prompt remedy” that makes its air navigation

services “fully compliant with all laws, guidelines and agreements”.

Hitting back at the Government’s stance in documents obtained by Tribune Business, Airlines4America said its reply had failed “to address the members’ claim that Bahamas’ air navigation service charges are unjustified and unreasonably discriminatory, and fail to provide evidence to rebut that claim.

“Instead, The Bahamas’ answer attempts to distract the Department [of Transportation] with red herring arguments, including that The Bahamas’ underlying authority to levy charges is at stake. It is not. The members do not question The Bahamas’ underlying authority, nor do they seek absolution from the entirety of The Bahamas’

SEE PAGE A21

Downtown revival strategy ‘fell short’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

PLANS to revive downtown Nassau “fell short” because not enough focus was placed on the redevelopment of waterfront properties by their owners, Nassau Cruise Port’s chief executive admitted yesterday.

Michael Maura, who has been involved with efforts to

revitalise Bay Street and the surrounding area for more than a decade, first as Arawak Port Development Company’s top executive and now as the Prince George Wharf chief, conceded that “east of East Street” remains in “horrible” condition despite the shipping companies’ exit almost 12 years ago.

Addressing a Bahamas Business Outlook panel discussion on public-private partnerships (PPPs), or P3s, he said it was

assumed that the industry’s departure to the purpose-built port at Arawak Cay would spark downtown real estate owners to redevelop their properties but that has yet to happen despite the provision of numerous tax breaks and other incentives.

“I guess where the plan fell short is here we are in 2023 and we are still talking about how horrible things are east of East

More ‘teeth’ required to halt copyright stealing

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net

A CULTURAL economy advocate yesterday demanded a copyright law with more “teeth” as she urged Bahamians to stop stealing the creative works and intellectual property of others.

Patricia GlintonMeicholas, principal at Guanima Press, told the Bahamas Business Outlook conference that Bahamian policymakers must “ditch the empty promises and the shoot from the hip, costly and shame worthy” mentality and get down to “targeted policy and legislation” if

this nation is to truly realise the full potential of the creative industries and socalled “orange economy”.

Calling for culture to have its own ministry, and

Regulation woes dismissed as ‘nothing further from the truth’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A BAHAMIAN attorney yesterday hit back against assertions that the country’s financial services sector is poorly regulated following FTX’s implosion, arguing: “Nothing could be further from the truth.”

Christel Sands-Feaste, the Higgs & Johnson partner, told the Bahamas Business Outlook conference this nation should “be proud” that it was among the first to establish a regulatory regime specifically

focused on the digital assets sector despite the crypto currency exchange’s highlypublicised collapse.

She added that The Bahamas “cannot allow a single event” to distract it from seeking out new industries and economic growth opportunities despite the negative international headlines generated by the FTX saga, which many believe has damaged the country’s reputation and harmed its ambitions - at least in the short-term - to

FTX: False statements were made to ‘diminish’ Bahamas

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A FORMER FTX senior attorney yesterday alleged that “false statements” were made in legal filings to “diminish” The Bahamas after the crypto exchange was advised this nation should be the main venue for its liquidation.

Daniel Friedberg, ex-chief regulatory officer for FTX Trading, backed assertions by Ryan Pinder KC, the attorney general, and the crypto exchange’s Bahamian provisional liquidators that attacks on this nation by its Chapter 11-appointed US chief were motivated by a desire to establish Delaware as the main jurisdiction and then earn the lucrative fees associated with the winding-up

In an explosive affidavit, filed yesterday in the Delaware Bankruptcy Court, he alleged that Ryne Miller, FTX US’ attorney, informed him that all the crypto exchange’s units - including FTX Digital Markets, the Bahamian subsidiary that managed the international business - “had to” file for Chapter 11 protection to ensure his former law firm, Sullivan & Cromwell, handled the bankruptcy proceedings.

The US law firm, which has acted for FTX US chief, John Ray, since the bankruptcy filings in early November, is facing increasing opposition over its bid to be approved by the Delaware court to continue acting in this capacity. In particular, Sullivan & Cromwell is facing multiple ‘conflict of interest’ allegations given that it previously acted for FTX on multiple occasions prior to its collapse, earning millions in fees, while also representing Sam Bankman-Fried personally.

The US law firm has also been forced to deny Mr Bankman-Fried’s claims that it placed him under “extreme pressure” to file for Chapter 11. Mr Friedberg’s claims will now add further weight to these concerns ahead of today’s scheduled court hearing on Sullivan & Cromwell’s ratification bid. The US law firm’s opponents last night filed an emergency motion seeking to have the hearing

SEE PAGE A20

MICHAEL MAURA

PATRICIA

GLINTON-MEICHOLAS