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VOLUME:116 No.20, JANUARY 23RD, 2019

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ALICIA WALLACE: LEAVE BOOM BYE BYE IN THE PAST

Rockers to lose Junkanoo crown?

Furious Knights ‘hopeful’ after appealing results

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net THE results of the New Year’s Day Junkanoo parade in Grand Bahama could change as an appeal hearing over the unofficial results was held on Monday by officials of the Grand Bahama Junkanoo Committee.

Monday’s meeting was held at 6pm at the CA Smith Building where a committee, which was also comprised of Junkanoo officials from New Providence, heard appeals put forward regarding the

unofficial results that were announced on January 2.

The Tribune understands that Platinum Knights’ group leader Thomas Curry attended the meeting and presented the group’s case to Junkanoo officials.

When contacted yesterday, Mr Curry said he was confident about the case he had put forward during the hearing. “I feel good about it, and I believe an announcement will be made tomorrow (Wednesday),” he said.

Platinum Knights, the two-time defending

WHILE admitting unemployment is largely a private sector problem, Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants president Gowon Bowe said yesterday newly released jobs statistics cannot be used as an indicator of the country’s economic performance.

Department of Statistics officials revealed on Monday that

FORMER Prime Minister Perry Christie yesterday rejected claims made by an event producer in a recent documentary that referenced payment demands by Bahamian officials for the ill-fated Fyre Festival.

Mr Christie dismissed statements made by Andy King in the Netflix film “Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened”, telling The Tribune “they’re talking foolishness”.

In the documentary, Mr King states that after the

DIONISIO LINES UP AIRPORT EXPANSION

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

NASSAU airport’s managers are moving to secure “hundreds of acres” for potential future expansion of its runway and terminal “footprint”, Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister of tourism and aviation, revealed yesterday.

He said that ensuring “the necessary land” is available to meet Lynden Pindling International Airport’s (LPIA) future needs was an issue already “in play”.

SEE PAGE TWO

unemployment rose to 10.7 percent from 10 percent despite the addition of 2,305 jobs to the labour force.

Job surveys are carried out twice a year – in May and November – and Mr Bowe thinks these snapshots do not give a clear picture of the situation.

“I think the first thing is unlike many other countries we tend to do these employment statistics SEE PAGE SIX

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

SEE PAGE FIVE

‘JOBLESS NUMBERS NEED TO GET REAL’

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

CHRISTIE DISMISSES ‘FOOLISH’ FYRE CLAIM

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

DESPERATE MUM BEGS FOR HELP THE PLATINUM Knights at the New Year’s Day Junkanoo in Grand Bahama. Photo: Derek Carroll

WE GOTTA GET OUT OF THIS PLACE

BY RIEL MAJOR

DISGRUNTLED employees of the Department of Social Services’ outreach centre on Wulff Road refused to work yesterday due to the infestation of mould, rats and roaches in the building.

Laurence Strachan, a case aid worker, said something has to be done because every other week someone is out with the cold or the flu. “For months we have been waiting, waiting and

THE OFFICES on Wulff Road. waiting for them to deal with the mould, rats and the

roaches in this building,” she said. “Yesterday the roaches were falling out the phones that we talk on...

We contacted head office and we were told to spray Baygon. We sprayed the Baygon; the clients started coughing, we started coughing because the windows can’t open.

“We tried to call the Public Service Union – the phone was out of service.

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

SEE PAGE THREE

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net FINDING $50 to pay rent is a weekly challenge for Charmaine Brooks.

With six children - the oldest 18 and the youngest three - the 35-year-old has precious little money to spare because she has not had a stable job in six months.

When The Tribune encountered her yesterday on Miami Street, feet away from her house, she had only money on her mind and was heading to a friend’s house to collect what was owed to her.

SEE PAGE SIX

PAGE 2, Wednesday, January 23, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

Rockers may lose Junkanoo crown to Platinum Knights

TOP: The Superstar Rockers in action and, bottom, The Platinum Knights at the New Year’s Day Junkanoo in Grand Bahama.

from page one champion and favourite to win the parade, fell in the standings from first to third place after penalty deductions were applied, and the Superstar Rockers group was announced as the winner.

According to the unofficial results for the Division A category, Platinum Knights won eight of the ten divisions, including execution of theme, group performance, music, overall costume, banner, choreographed dancers, best individual lead costume,

and best off-the-shoulder. At the outset, Mr Curry said the group would protest and appeal the results as he did not agree with the penalty deductions, and had even threatened not to participate in future Junkanoo parades in Grand Bahama.

Chaos broke out shortly after the unofficial results were announced and police were called in to quiet the situation and calm tempers.

The Superstar Rockers, which received sponsorship from Oban Energies at a very late stage, had not won the parade in six years.

Nine days before the parade, the group received a $25,000 contribution from Oban Managing Director Alexander Grikitis.

According to a reliable source, the appeal hearing was expected to continue last night to hear from another group that is protesting the unofficial results.

This comes as a police investigation is continuing into bribery claims related to New Providence’s Boxing Day and New Year’s Day parades.

Earlier this month, the Junkanoo Corporation of New Providence asked the Royal

Bahamas Police Force to investigate the claims, according to JCNP chairman Silbert Ferguson.

The claims stem from several recordings of calls from a purported woman judge to Bommer George, a costume designer for the Genesis Junkanoo group.

Mr George told The Tribune as part of his attempt at a sting operation, he downloaded a software that automatically records incoming calls. He said he was willing to talk to police and share his information with them, including additional recorded calls, not yet publicly released.

Photos: Derek Carroll

However, Mr Ferguson has ruled out the possibility that the New Providence results could be voided after an investigation.

“What has happened is the judges have judged the parade,” the JCNP chairman had said earlier.

“We have reviewed all the people’s score cards and all the groups have the same information. If anybody desires to make parades null and void, that will not happen like that. Based on what we have seen, we don’t think anything that has been reported or done could screw the results like that.”

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, January 23, 2019, PAGE 3

KITHERIA KEMP, left, gets to work spraying the Baygon as employees complain about poor working conditions.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

Workers complain after claiming offices infested with rats and roaches from page one We called the minister’s office and his secretary was out and relayed our message to someone else that we are refusing to work because of these conditions, and we heard nothing from nobody.

“We are just refusing to work because somebody has to say something other than ‘spray Baygon’.

Baygon can’t kill rats and can’t kill mould.”

She claimed no official visited the centre recently to see the conditions.

“We want something to happen because when we had a meeting with our heads, they told us to find a building - we must find a building? Not only us being affected, our children are being affected, our clients being affected. They shouldn’t have to come in and be subjected to come in here with their skin itching because of mould, roaches and rats crawling over your feet.”

Kitheria Kemp, a welfare officer, said employees are trying their best to ensure their clients receive timely and proper services.

Ms Kemp said: “I busting my butt trying to help the clients and I getting sick. I have to go home to my children and they are getting sick. It cannot work, something has to change.

“If you could pick up your phone and roach crawl out of it… it’s a real problem and then you gone tell workers to locate a (different) building. Seriously?

“We are directed to go head office now and to package the files and to bring them to head office, but we can’t do that. We can’t be carrying around client files

LAURENCE STRACHAN talking about the problems yesterday. to go up there. This has always been their solution anytime we complain or anytime we say anything, ‘come up by our head office’. They don’t even have space for us by head office then the next day nothing ever gets resolved and we end up right back here.”

In an interview with The Tribune, Lillian QuantForbes, acting director of social services, said officials have written to the building’s landlord indicating the issues within the facility and the staff will be temporary relocated to the Department of Social Services’ head office.

Ms Quant-Forbes

said: “We are concerned about the well-being of our staff.

“From time to time we have done some things to make the situation better for them, however, understanding what has been said today the recommendation and the instructions I was given for them was to relocate from that unit.

“They will be stationed at the headquarters location until the issues have been resolved. We understand and we care about the well-being of staff so we will accommodate them here at headquarters until further notice.”

COOLER WEATHER HEADING OUR WAY ON FRIDAY COOLER temperatures are expected to linger as as another cold front is expected to move in on Friday, said Basil Dean, chief meteorologist at the Department of Meteorology. While the weather should “warm up a bit “ on Wednesday and Thursday, by the weekend things should cool down again, Mr Dean said.

He told The Tribune: “We have another cold front that will move in on

Friday morning and that will more or less reinforce the cold weather over the weekend and enter the early part of next week. So we looking basically at another full week of cool temperatures.

“On Monday of next week we are looking at possibly the upper 50s for New Providence definitely some low 60s - during the night time after Friday. For the rest of the Bahamas, north like Abaco and Grand Bahama, they would see temperatures in the mid to low 50s.”

PAGE 4, Wednesday, January 23, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”

LEON E. H. DUPUCH,

SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH,

jamaaltheartist@gmail.com

Publisher/Editor 1903-1914 Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .

Publisher/Editor 1919-1972 Contributing Editor 1972-1991

EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON,

C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B. Publisher/Editor 1972-

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Fyre which burnt too many THERE is an old saying about success having many fathers – and if that’s the case, then the Fyre Festival is the loneliest of orphans.

The festival had been due to take place in April 2017. Promoted by models on Instagram and portrayed as a luxury concert at a glamorous destination here in The Bahamas, behind the scenes was a story of a lack of preparation, poor planning – and a complete failure to understand what it took to stage a festival of that size. It was going to soar like Icarus – but crashed just the same way.

It’s back in the news thanks to a pair of documentaries – one on Netflix, the other on Hulu – but for many Bahamians, the lingering after-effects of the festival had never gone away.

The festival’s unpaid bills left many Bahamian workers without money in their pockets, and many businesspeople struggling to bridge the gap left by the organisers – one of which, Billy McFarland, was convicted of fraud after using fake documents to attract investors, and was jailed for six years.

For the rest of the world, it was a peek inside the chaos that happened on our doorstep, but in The Bahamas, a lack of government involvement in the documentaries left more questions than answers. For us, for our future, how could we have handled things differently?

Then Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe this week responded to the documentaries saying that the government did all the right things, and seemed to distance himself from the project.

He said McFarland “told us ‘we don’t want anything from the government’, we just love Exuma” and that “no one really knew the level to which the matter had fallen apart”.

That’s quite different from the run-up to the event when Mr Wilchcombe said on March 6, 2017, “We’re working closely with the Fyre Festival team to ensure that visitors have an unforgettable trip to the Exumas.”

Just under a month after that press release, out came another press release saying “The Ministry of Tourism has

been working tirelessly with Fyre Festival organisers to ensure that the 2017 festival is unforgettable for the over 5,000 guests expected to descend on the island”.

It was indeed unforgettable – but not in the way the ministry hoped. How tirelessly was the ministry working, if now the minister says he only met the organiser once?

Meanwhile, Minister of Finance Peter Turnquest says that one bill referred to in the Netflix documentary – for $175,000 to Customs – has been paid, and is inquiring about a payment of a million dollars also referred to in the same documentary. That, at least, shows a diligence that has been absent elsewhere, and that’s the crucial thing to stand out for Bahamians.

Due diligence is a phrase that gets tossed around during big deals – but time and again, there seems to be a lack of the work to back it up, and it’s Bahamians on the ground who are left with unpaid bills when proper research is not done.

We are delighted that an online fundraising campaign has generated more than $170,000 to help Maryann Rolle, whose finances were devastated when her work for the festival was left unpaid – but she is one among many to have been affected.

Rather breezily, former minister Wilchcombe says he thinks “more due diligence will be given moving forward” but what we deserve is more solid investigation of what went wrong, when the government knew things were going wrong and what was done to protect the Bahamian people.

We already know due diligence has not necessarily improved going forward – the current government’s first swing at the Oban deal is proof enough of that.

A failure to carry out such diligence is a problem that affects not just one government, but successive administrations.

So which will be the administration that ensures it is carried out in future – and gives us clear answers over problems in the past?

Is it the one we elected – or will it be the one that replaces them?

Suspicious donations EDITOR, The Tribune ZNS News ran a story recently which was a blatant spin on the truth of the story implying RBC donated $10,000.00 when it was not RBC donating anything, but the RBC employees.

Accepting the donation from the employees none other than the Prime Minister who further gave credit to RBC Corporate when RBC Corporate had nothing to do with it. Not a dime, an initiative of the employees.

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net This approach to fund the Minnis Over-the-Hill Foundation has to be watched as to who donates.

If one was to organise all the families who hail from East Street successful people alone you could raise over $2,000,000.00. ($10,000.00 from say 200 families who made it out of over the hill).

The recreation park

renovations were only commenced with the payment Albany is required to pay annually as part of the concessions and the Head of Agreement of Albany, least we forget.

Corporate donations are becoming suspiciously a part of getting government business…we see certain business people who have their fingers of interest in Tenders/RFP currently making donations.

ABRAHAM MOSS Nassau January 17, 2019

Rule it out of court EDITOR, The Tribune

OPENING of the courts - is it necessary to have the full ceremony in Nassau to be repeated in Freeport? Once the courts are opened in Nassau the Ccourts in Freeport are. Likewise? What is the cost for travel, etc, of all of demand officials?

We had a proposal à la Jamaica for a gun court, now we hear of a rape court – surely this discriminates? A court is a court except criminal side against the commercial side.

Stop playing to the social media.

Environment court was another court probably has never sat. A court is a court – the law does not differ!

This acting thing - PM please consult your AG and comply…there is absolutely no reason for this delay. We must have a fully appointed Chief Justice now, no delays and please take the decision out of politics.

Acting PSs by the dozen also clear that up.

W THOMPSON Nassau January 16, 2019

Hubert Ingraham was a man ahead of his time EDITOR, The Tribune AFTER Andrew Jackson won the US Presidential Election in 1828, Senator William L Marcy of New York coined the famous phrase: “to the victor belong the spoils.” That mantra had become the unstated policy of the United Bahamian Party (UBP), the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and to a certain degree, the Free National Movement (FNM). The generals of the two main political parties all expect to benefit from the spoils of victory. That’s the main reason for the rash of hirings in the public sector immediately following each election.

These generals who canvass the constituencies for their parties are usually the recipients of lucrative government contracts or government jobs for them and their families. I know of several individuals employed at Customs and National Insurance due to political patronage.

The FNM’s 1994 Commission of Inquiry discovered that government owned corporations such as BEC, Bahamasair and BaTelCo were all grossly overstaffed with political cronies and operatives, many of whom lacked the basic qualifications for the jobs they had. Bahamasair had drained $121 million from the national coffers between 1975 and 1993.

At one time, the national flag carrier had over 1,300 employees, despite its inability to turn a profit, let alone break even. For 25 years, PLPs enjoyed the spoils

of victory. FNMs and elements of the defunct UBP were left out in the cold. The PLP, in my opinion, was simply emulating their white predecessors.

In the late Sir Randol Fawkes’ groundbreaking memoir The Faith That Moved the Mountain, the legendary statesman mentioned a Grand Bahamian unionist being patronised by a UBP operative. The Grand Bahamian was given the ultimatum of either having his members toe the UBP line or remain jobless. Members of the UBP executive council had a succession mindset. After their retirement from frontline politics, their heirs were slated to succeed them in governing The Bahamas. The wealth of The Bahamas was concentrated in the hands of these few white oligarchs who made up the executive council of the UBP. Sir Randol stated in his autobiography that UBP executives reasoned that they had been in power for over 200 years; and that the progeny of their former slaves dare not challenge their authority to govern.

UBP executives such as Sir Stafford L Sands never envisaged a scenario in which the black PLP would be governing The Bahamas. In a heated exchange between him and Sir Milo B Butler in a debate on labour reform in 1957 or thereabouts, Sands ominously blurted out to Butler that he would leave the country when the PLP takes over the government. Those words proved to be prophetic, for in

1967 immediately following the results of the January 10 general election, Sands abandoned his Nassau City constituency and went into a self imposed exile in Europe. The UBP, however, shockingly managed to retain that seat in the ensuing by-election when its black candidate, Cleophas Adderley, defeated the PLP’s standard bearer. There were a few black Bahamians who were beneficiaries of the governing UBP’s largesse. The white oligarchs had perfected the art of political cronyism. For instance, during the 1930s when the United States was undergoing the Great Depression, Percy Christie, Holly Brown, R M Bailey, S C McPherson, C C Sweeting, Sir Henry Taylor and Cyril Stevenson all advocated for the ending of formal discrimination and the open ballot; the implementation of higher minimum wages and an income tax. According to Michael Craton and Dr Gail Saunders in volume two of their Islanders in the Stream: A History of the Bahamian People, both Taylor and Stevenson had to be cautious with their political advocacy, due to them being employees of the Bay Street Boys.

Hubert Ingraham was a remarkable prime minister who angered FNM hardliners by attempting to establish a genuine system of meritocracy immediately following the general election victory of August 19,1992. These FNM hardliners wanted the civil service to be thoroughly purged of

PLPs. Recalling the political victimisation FNMs suffered under the PLP for decades, they wanted their newly elected FNM government to implement a tit- for-tat policy, with the aim of retaliating against PLPs. To Ingraham, such a move would’ve not only been unfeasible, but it would’ve set a dangerous precedent. FNMs, after languishing for 22 years in an economic wilderness created by former Prime Minister Sir Lynden O Pindling, wanted very much to enjoy the spoils of victory. I am convinced that the decision not to allow former Governor General Sir Clifford Darling to read the speech from the throne at the commencement of Parliament in 1992, was made due to tremendous pressure applied on Ingraham by powerful operatives within the FNM. Darling was sent off to Canada at the government’s expense in order to make way for Sir Kendal G L Isaacs, former FNM leader, who read the speech in his stead. Ingraham, having been an elected MP for 15 years at the time, understood fully the bipartisan role of the representative head of state. But FNM hardliners wouldn’t have it any other way. Sir Kendal was reading that speech come hell or high water; not Sir Clifford. The spoils of victory belonged to them. Darling probably went to his grave in December 2011 bearing a grudge against Ingraham for the humiliating manner in which he was treated. I don’t believe Ingraham

was at fault for what had transpired. It was an arduous task reasoning with FNMs who bore the scars, marks and bruises of 22 years of political victimisation.

Darling failed to take into consideration the fact Ingraham had yet to solidify his grip on the reins of power within the FNM. He had joined the party two years earlier around the time of the passing of FNM founding father Sir Cecil Wallace-Whitfield. The FNM hardliners who insisted on Sir Clifford not reading the speech, had been members of the organisation when it was called the Free-PLP. The hardliners pulled rank on Ingraham.

Today, The Bahamas again faces the same dilemma that the opposition, whether FNM or PLP, has to contend with after each election cycle. Several individuals who had bus contracts with the Ministry of Education in Grand Bahama are now accusing the Minnis administration of political victimisation, because their contracts were cancelled by the government in December.

Whether one was PLP or FNM or independent, if you were qualified, you should get the job.

Ingraham was a prime minister far ahead of his time in a country deeply enmeshed in political tribalism. Political victimisation is an ingrained facet in our immature political system.

KEVIN EVANS Grand Bahama January 20, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, January 23, 2019, PAGE 5

DEAL FOR SERVICED LOTS IN FOX HILL LIKELY TO GET PASSED

Coast guards to the rescue THE US Coast Guard rescued 31 Haitians from a distressed vessel approximately nine miles north of Bimini on Sunday. Around 5am, Coast Guard watchstanders received a report of a disabled vessel with 31 people aboard. An airplane crew and Coast Guard Cutter Bernard C Webber were sent to the scene. The Bernard C Webber crew safely embarked all 31 people and transferred them to Freeport, Grand Bahama.

“Due to an approaching cold front, high seas and wind made this rescue extremely challenging,” said Commander Jason Aleksak, chief of response at Coast Guard Sector Miami. “The responsiveness and professionalism of the crew of the Bernard C Webber was remarkable and demonstrated our Coast Guard core value of devotion to duty.”

Christie dismisses ‘foolish’ Fyre claim

from page one

festival fell apart, “I had the head of the Bahamian Tourism Board, the minister of finance, and the head of the University of Bahamas waiting for a million dollars that they wanted to be paid.”

Yesterday, Mr Christie stressed the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Finance were never involved with the event at the political level.

“There is absolutely no doubt about that,” Mr Christie, who was minister of finance at the time of the festival, said.

“I’ve spoken to my permanent secretary and (former advisor) Sir Baltron Bethel. Quite frankly the same level of denial that the University of The Bahamas has issued, is what we would say, nothing at all.”

In a statement released on Monday, UB said its president, Dr Rodney Smith, was taking legal advice on appropriate action in response to the claims in the documentary, and denied being directly or indirectly involved in the festival.

Meanwhile Finance Minister K Peter Turnquest has confirmed some $175,000 in customs duties owed by Fyre Festival organisers for imported food and water have been settled.

However, he said on Monday he was still making inquiries concerning the reference to Bahamian officials made by Mr King.

Yesterday, Mr Christie said: “If the minister of finance is obliged to determine what they’re talking about, go for it. There is absolutely nothing, they’re talking foolishness. When I listened to the man, my wife showed me a clip, and then saying what he was prepared to do and then saying ‘oh but in the end the man was nice.’ Just smearing people.”

He was referring to claims Mr King made in the documentary in reference to

CHAOS at the Fyre Festival and, inset, Andy King and, far right, former PM Perry Christie. the festival’s funding issues.

Mr King claimed he was asked by festival founder Billy McFarland to perform sexual favours on a Department of Customs official in exchange for the release of imported water. Mr King states import fees owed were $175k. Mr King said he was prepared to perform the act but the customs official was nice to him and said he would release the water

if the organisers promptly paid their import fee.

“There is no room for any other interpretation with respect to (my involvement) in that regard,” Mr Christie also said. “I did not know about this until the story broke.”

The Tribune also reached out to former Minister of State for Finance Michael Halkitis, who also denied any involvement. “I have no

idea,” Mr Halkitis said, “I didn’t see the thing. Never met (McFarland), never had correspondence or email. I have no idea (about a $1m fee). I never met the guy. He might have dealt

with (Department of) Customs which comes under (Ministry of) Finance, but I couldn’t say what he’s talking about.”

Editorial comment - Page 4

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

GOVERNMENT is expected to move a resolution in the House of Assembly today seeking approval for the conveyance of 1.2 acres of land in Fox Hill to be developed for sale as serviced lots.

A statement from the government on the matter said: “The focus of the Department of Housing is on installing the necessary infrastructure on land to be developed and sold at cost to first time homeowners in New Providence and the Family Islands, rather than selling already constructed homes.”

According to Environment and Housing Minister Romauld Ferreira, work on the property began in 2014 and included “the initial clearing of the property for the surveying of the proposed site and design of a small subdivision.”

“The subdivision will comprise ten serviced lots that will be sold to young Bahamians and will be called the Lionel Davis Subdivision,” he said. Mr Davis was the MP for Fox Hill from 1968 to 1977.

The Access to Affordable Homes Act, passed last year, allowed owners of serviced lots to apply to the minister of finance for exemption from custom duties and excise tax on materials needed to construct a single-family dwelling home.

Owners must find their own contractor and architect or use pre-existing housing plans offered by the government.

According to a government statement, serviced lots in Sunset Close were sold for under $20,000 to police officers, defence force officers, customs officers and teachers. The lots in Lionel Davis Subdivision are expected to be sold for a similar price.

The Department of Housing has also identified land for subdivision development in Abaco, Andros, San Salvador and Carmichael Village Subdivision in New Providence.

PAGE 6, Wednesday, January 23, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

BOWE: JOBLESS NUMBERS DON’T TELL THE WHOLE STORY from page one

studies twice a year and what that does is it actually is not a very good indicator of how employment numbers are moving throughout the year,” Mr Bowe told The Tribune.

“So if we compare ourselves to North America as an example because the job statistics come out every month and they can see there is a trend of job creation and there’s a trend of job reduction. They can see the trends in terms of persons entering the work force, persons leaving the work force.

“Whereas we tend to do it in two very cyclical periods in terms of May is right before the school leavers and so when you think about the evolution cycle

that is any progress that would be made up until May would not be impacted by any major event.

Right after May you have the June school leavers that’s the persons not going off to university and if the job creation numbers have not outpaced the persons who graduated from school then naturally you would see a deterioration in November.

“While it is better than nothing, the infrequency or the lack of frequency of the actual statistics doesn’t give us meaningful information. Either it gets very high or they get very low.”

He continued: “Our fundamental unemployment hasn’t changed and we know that and the reason is there has been no significant growth in the economy. The GDP growth rate has been lethargic in

It’s hard to buy food, but every day I try, says struggling Charmaine from page one Sometimes she collects a cheque from the Department of Social Services.

At other times she cleans her sister’s yard or the law office of one of her friends, all for “a couple dollars”.

On especially bad days, she takes to the street with her youngest child in her arms and requests handouts from people she meets.

A single parent, she is one of 25,000 unemployed people in the country.

That is 10.7 percent of the labour force, according to the newly released Labour Force Survey from the Department of Statistics. Despite a surging

US economy, the numbers here have remained bleak ten years after the Great Recession.

The Department of Statistics is even conducting a study into why women, some with more credentials than men, are more likely to be unemployed than men.

The last time Ms Brooks had anything resembling a steady income was more than six months ago, when she said she had several “side jobs”.

In 2017, she worked for a while in the Englerston constituency office of a major political party during the election season, the kind of seasonal job she has got recently.

Funeral Service For

George Skandaliaris, 90 better known as

“Mr. George” of West Bay Street, sau, The Bahamas peacefully at his dence on Monday, January, 2019.

Nasdied resi21st

He is survived by his wife, Anna Skandaliaris; sons, Manoli, Anthony and John Skandaliaris; grandsons, Yiorgos and Andreas Skandaliaris; granddaughter, Sofia Skandaliaris; daughtersin-law, Philippa and Maria Skandaliaris; nephews, Manoli, Tony and George Kolyvas; nieces, Angelina Coyle, Kalliope and Angeliki Skandaliaris, Angeliki and Vassoula Skandaliaris and many other relatives and close friends.

A funeral service for George Skandaliaris will be held at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, West Street, Nassau, on Saturday, 26th January, 2019 at 11:00 a.m.

Reverend Father Irenaeus J.T. Cox will officiate and interment will follow in Ebenezer Methodist Cemetery, East Shirley Street, Nassau.

Relatives and friends may pay their respects at the Church, on Friday, 25th January, 2019, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Instead of flowers the family request that donations be sent to Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, P.O. Box N. 823, Nassau in memory of George Skandaliaris.

Arrangements Limited.

by

Kemp’s

Funeral

Home

the sense that its certainly been under 2 percent for a very long period of time and we’ve actually had extended periods where we have had zero growth or negative growth and so in the absence of exponential growth, we know that we have about 5,000 to 6,000 school leavers a year and if we are not creating jobs in a fast pace then we are not making a fundamental dent in the jobs statistics.

Figures released on Monday show unemployment in New Providence also increased from 10.1 percent to 11 per cent.

Nonetheless, Finance Minister K Peter Turnquest attempted to shift focus from the growth of unemployment to the 10,400 net jobs added to the economy as of November 2018 since the Minnis administration took office in 2017.

Regarding this, Mr Bowe said the country needed to move away from the promotion of jobs created.

“Well the issue is when you look at it in terms of how many more persons are being employed.

Even if we take for example that we have a work force of I think 200,000 and we are saying we have unemployed of 25,000. If we say that we have a work force of 180,000 having a 10 percent increase in the number of jobs, the question really is how many shrinkages in terms of people leaving jobs that they were in before has also taken place?

“So in terms of job creation there is one side in terms of what new jobs have been created, but the question is how many net new jobs and is the statistic being

I WAS discouraged but I’m continuing to look, says Charmaine Brooks.

She disagrees with people who say the private sector, not the government, is responsible for job growth.

“I think the government should bear responsibility because we put them in power and they promise us they gon’ make sure we work and ain’ nobody look back from they get in,” she said.

In the most recent job survey, conducted in November, the number of discouraged workers fell by 6.7 percent. Ms Brooks would be among this subset if it were not for the fact that she has no choice but to constantly seek a job.

“I was discouraged but I’m continuing to look,” she said. “It makes me feel

bad because I want someone to say ‘let me help this girl.’ I’ve been to several companies.”

She said she wants to send her youngest child to a nursery, but cannot afford to do so.

“I have to be on the job for a week to do that,” she said.

Asked how she feeds her family, she said: “It’s hard to buy food, but every day I try.”

Unemployment is not limited to people like Ms Brooks who doesn’t have a university degree.

One 27-year-old woman who requested anonymity to speak to The Tribune was graduated from the University of The Bahamas in 2017 with a Bachelor of

quoted actually according to net new jobs because if we are seeing continued declines and shrinkages in certain areas of the economy certainly seen outsourcing and back office consolidation by the financial services sector, we’ve seen some shrinkages in terms of cyclical employment on the hotel front when we are entering the summer months.”

Officials said employment gains were driven by private sector employees, which increased by 3.8 percent to 135,135 persons when compared with May. Additionally, the number of self-employed persons stood at 32,475, an increase of 11.9 percent since May. Overall, 210,560 people make up the employed labour force, while the unemployed labour force consists of 25,135.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

Arts degree in English, but has repeatedly found doors closed to her when she goes looking for a job.

“I was lucky enough to have found a job just in the nick of time last year, but this year I have found myself out of a job, temporarily, and this time around it is more of a challenge,” she said yesterday.

“My most recent employer saw my potential and gave me a chance just out of university. We ended things on good terms. However, after having been let go in October of last year after nine months, the challenge now is, how do I explain my termination to future employers during

interviews? How do I explain not having reached the one year mark?”

The jobs she has applied for include office assistant, administrative assistant, marketing assistant and copyeditor.

“Before I got my degree I would apply anywhere that’s hiring,” she said. “But after I got it, I figured I would apply wherever that is as close to a field that I studied as possible so I can earn experience.”

She said she has become frustrated with her circumstances, but is hopeful that at least one impending interview she has scheduled with employers will lead to a job.

MINISTERS CLAIM STATISTICS PROVE FNM JOBS STRATEGY IS EFFECTIVE

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net JOB gains highlighted in the most recent Labour Force Survey among young Bahamians and in the tourism sector, were yesterday lauded by two senior Cabinet members.

In separate interviews with reporters outside of Cabinet yesterday morning, both Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar and Labour Minister Dion Foulkes assert that statistics prove the Free National Movement’s job creation strategy has been effective, despite the unemployment rate increasing from 10 percent to 10.7 percent as of November 2018.

Unemployment in New Providence also climbed from 10.1 percent to 11 percent. However the statistics also show 2,300 jobs were added to the labour force since the previous survey.

Directly endorsing the claims made by Minister of Finance Peter Turnquest earlier this week – who said 10,400 net jobs have been added to the economy as of November 2018 since the Minnis administration took office in 2017 – Mr Foulkes insisted the economy was “on the right track”.

Referring to unemployment decreases in Abaco and Grand Bahama, he

said the government has done all it can to steadily improve things. “… In Abaco there was a three percent decrease in the unemployment rate, something that is very significant,” Mr Foulkes said.

“In Grand Bahama where this is the second consecutive survey that has shown a decrease in the unemployment rate in Grand Bahama, so we’re very pleased about that.”

Mr Foulkes added: “One of the things we are focusing on as a government was the increased employment of young people. This survey - although its only one percentage point - there is an uptick of employment for young people between the ages of 15 to 25 that was revealed in this survey so we are extremely pleased about that.”

Moreover, he also noted the statistical changes in the category of discouraged workers – which fell by 6.7 percent – conceding that numbers in this area could at times, be viewed as “artificial”.

“The ILO (International Labour Organisation) describes a discouraged worker as a person who is not looking for a job because they believe that no job is out there, that is what a discouraged worker is, a discouraged worker is not formulated and it’s not included in the

unemployment statistics so whenever there is an increase in the discouraged workers, there can be an artificial decrease in unemployment,” he said.

“When there is a significant decrease of discouraged workers, the unemployment rate can be skewed because of that.

“Let me give you another example, if we have 3,000 school leavers that come out of the school system this year, next year we have 5,000 that come out, when you compare the two surveys it will be skewed and it’s the same thing with discouraged workers.”

Nonetheless, Mr Foulkes said the government was pleased by the fact that in New Providence there was a decrease by 9.1 percent in the discouraged workers, a “very significant” change he said, needed to be noted.

He added: “We are very pleased. One of the reasons why we think there was a decrease in discouraged workers is the various loan programmes that we did with the (Inter-American Development Bank) for young people and also the Labour on the Blocks initiatives that we did last year… because at the end of the day our main focus as a government is to provide the best livelihood possible for every Bahamian citizen there are jobs out there and

I encourage Bahamians to go and seek them.”

For his part, Mr D’Aguilar argued that since coming to office, the Minnis administration has successfully created more than 10,000 jobs - most of which were created in the private sector.

“We are correcting this economy,” he said. “The failed strategies of trying to create employment by giving government jobs, which led to greater government debt and led to further downgrade, downgrade after downgrade, has been halted and we are now doing it the right way of allowing the private sector to grow and to flourish and to create the jobs.”

The Freetown MP said while the rate of growth is not occurring as quickly as needed, referring to the annual work-force increasing which occurs in June with students leaving high school, he is also encouraged by the reduction in discouraged workers seen in the recent survey.

“There were a lot of encouraging statistics that came out of that survey and we are encouraged that the economy is growing jobs the right way, which is the private sector is driving it. And that is the way to bring about a rebound and to add some vibrancy to your economy. So I was very encouraged by that,” he added.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, January 23, 2019, PAGE 7

By RIEL MAJOR

SHARNETTE needs $62,800 to cover her medical expenses.

AFTER beating cancer 12 years ago, Sharnette Thompson-McKinney is fighting a new battle after being diagnosed with lupus.

The 47-year-old motherof-two cannot afford her treatment – Rituximab – a biologic agent used to treat the most serious features of lupus when other therapies are ineffective.

In November 2006, Ms Thompson-McKinney was diagnosed with stage three cancer but beat the illness. Unfortunately, in January 2015, she was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus.

She now needs $62,800 to cover her medical expenses and has started a GoFundMe page for donations.

Despite the lupus diagnosis, Ms ThompsonMcKinney isn’t giving up.

She said: “Dealing with the cancer was rough in the beginning because at one point I wanted to die and I had to get a grip really quick and realise that I had something to live for - I had two beautiful children that were minors. I didn’t want to leave them behind so I had to muster up every bit of strength that I had to live. I decided I had to fight and I know it wasn’t going to be easy but I survived. I had multiple surgeries, one issue after the other, but I survived. “When I was diagnosed with lupus… we had no idea what was going on,

DAMES: WE ARE CLOSE TO NAMING NEW COMMISSIONER

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE Minnis administration is down to a short-list of candidates for the role of commissioner at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDCS), National Security Minister Marvin Dames said yesterday.

In addressing ongoing reform efforts at the Fox Hill facility, Mr Dames told reporters outside of Cabinet the government is preparing to name someone to the substantive post “in a few short weeks”.

He also indicated that government and national security officials are now conducting interviews for other executive team members, with a view of naming an entirely new team this quarter.

“We are hoping that, where are we now, the 22nd… in a few short weeks that we should be announcing the new commissioner,” he said.

Mr Dames added: “(While) we currently don’t know… interviews are currently being conducted… and hopefully from there we’ll have recommendations and look forward to the new (Department of) Corrections commissioner and hopefully by the end of this first quarter we should have the full executive team in place.”

MARVIN DAMES When asked by The Tribune how many candidates were being considered for the post of commissioner, Mr Dames said: “Well, I was told that there was some, maybe eight applicants, all were local. So we will see how that process unfolds.”

A list he said had already been short-listed.

A search for a new commissioner was launched in August after Patrick Wright, the most recent commissioner at BDCS, commenced his pre-retirement leave.

At the time of that announcement, Mr Dames said in the press that his ministry was preparing to advertise internationally and locally to fill the post.

Senior corrections officer Charles Murphy was named to the post in an acting capacity thereafter.

Officials have said the prison is going through reform as it continues to transform into a correctional facility from a punitive one.

In December, Mr Dames said a tremendous amount of work had already been done with respect to reviewing the proposed Probation Bill.

“The Bahamas Department of Corrections is going through a transformative period that will certainly change it for the better,” Mr Dames told reporters at the time.

“We are pleased with the direction in which we are taking the Bahamas Department of Corrections and next year will be a very special year for them.

We will have a new commissioner, a new executive team in place. That will be a transformative team, a team of individuals who understands the business of rehabilitation and parole integration,” he said.

Addressing this overhaul yesterday, Mr Dames added: “Yeah, we are working ahead. I mean if you can recall just during the end of last year we would have had a conclave at Baha Mar where we were reviewing everything and we are proceeding ahead in respect to the modernisation of the Corrections Department, and (with) respect to the rehabilitation and (with) respect to the human resource component in terms of succession planning, training and development.”

CCTV, DRONE AND BODYCAM INITIATIVES ROLLING OUT

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

AFTER months of discussion and review, the government will today enter into an agreement for a ShotSpotter system, the first of four technologybased crime fighting tools scheduled for a 2019 roll out.

The announcement was made outside of Cabinet yesterday by National Security Minister Marvin Dames, who also revealed the government was moving forward with ‘request for proposals’ (RFP) plans for its CCTV, drone and bodycam initiatives.

“So there is a signing (this afternoon) at 1.30 at Baha Mar, and we will be officially signing the contract for ShotSpotter,” Mr Dames told reporters. “We are excited (and) we are looking forward to it.”

According to its website, ShotSpotter technology is “an advanced system of sensors, algorithms and artificial intelligence (used) to detect, locate and alert police to gunfire.”

Late last year, Mr Dames said plans were in place to introduce law enforcement drones, bodycams, the ShotSpotter technology and expand CCTV before June of this year.

Addressing the CCTV initiative yesterday, Mr Dames said the government was moving to the “next phase” of its discussion on the matter, insisting that a RFP related to the project would be released at some point this week.

As for the government’s drone concept, Mr Dames revealed that Cabinet was presently reviewing “any number of requests” related to the initiative.

“We are in the process of looking at all the requests,

and I think we have anywhere in excess of 20 plus requests and we are in the process of looking at those requests right now in order to shortlist those and make some sort of determination as to who would be awarded the contract in relations to the drones,” said Mr Dames.

“So there are a lot of things happening and we are well ahead of schedule here.”

Lastly, on the topic of bodycams, Mr Dames said the government had completed its RFP process, and that plans were in the works to have the results of that process discussed at the Cabinet level by next week.

Subsequent to that, Mr Dames said the Minnis administration will seek to move to a resolution on the matter over the next few months and later announce a contract.

Sharnette faces new battle after she beats cancer my body was just attacking itself. The doctors had no clue as to what was going on and (I) was doing a lot of tests. My body would just swell, I would have chronic pain, my hair was thinning out. Lupus was really hard to detect and finally when I was diagnosed they told me it has no cure. That was another thing, you just beat cancer, in remission, now there is lupus and there is no cure. I didn’t take it seriously at first but as time progressed it got worse so

they told me that the lupus is aggressive.

“It affects everyone differently, for me I ended up with skin lesions, body swelling and I look totally different from how I used to look – to me it’s almost disfiguring. I just want people to know that (you) don’t give up. I always tell myself, what strengthens me is this, you know what - I’m special. I’m so special to God that He gave this to me because He knows I can handle it. Sounds

crazy but that’s mysterious strength… God knows I can handle this so I’m handling it.

“I’m fighting everyday for life and He’s my strength and I’m special. Don’t give up no matter how hard it gets; don’t give up.”

Anyone interested in contributing to Sharnette’s treatment can visit https:// www.gofundme.com/sharnette039s-medical-fund.

The page had raised more than $1,000 up to press time.

PAGE 8, Wednesday, January 23, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

BAHAMIANS are excited and looking forward to the Buju Banton concert scheduling for March.

Leave Boom Bye Bye in the past where the attitudes it champions also belong

R

ECENT events have led to conversations about hate speech over the past few weeks. Even after the Henfield and the f-word, we have not come very far in our understanding of what comprises hate speech and its relationship to freedom of speech. When a statement is identified as hate speech, one of two things tends to happen. The more infrequent seems to be the recognition of wrong, expression of regret and commitment to do better. The popular response is complaining about what is perceived to be an infringement on freedom of speech. This is an unfortunate reality and largely the result of a severe lack of understanding of rights and privileges.

Hate speech is the communication of hatred of a group of people by insulting, attacking, insulting, or encouraging violence against them. It socially subordinates

the targeted group. The phrase “Boom bye bye,” for example, is hate speech as it is the title of a song that calls for the murder of gay people and is taken to mean the same.

Freedom of speech refers to the right to express opinions without fear of censorship or retaliation. There are typically nine categories of unprotected speech, or speech that is not protected by free speech. These include defamation, perjury and blackmail.

For example, freedom of speech does not mean you can lie under oath. There are limitations.

In an interview with Peter Tatchell broadcast in 2007, Brett Lock of the gay human rights group Outrage! talked about freedom of speech and hate speech. He stressed

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freedom of speech does not mean we can say whatever we want, but is meant to facilitate the exchange of ideas. If people are made to feel afraid, they cannot fully participate in the conversation. He explained that advocating for violence and intimidating groups of people is not exercising freedom of speech, but undermines it.

Over the past few days, we have seen the disastrous effects of misunderstanding freedom speech, who can exercise it and when it is and it not under threat.

Not an easy road From the announcement of Buju Banton’s release from prison, people all over the region have been waiting for details about his Long Walk to Freedom concert tour. Largely sparked and framed by print media, conversation ensued about the relationship of LGBT+ people and organisations with Buju Banton, particularly given his past and the popularity of Boom Bye Bye. The song, written by him at the age of 15, calls for the murder of gay people (referred to in derogatory region-specific language). Since then, numerous artists have signed the Reggae Compassionate Act developed by organizations including Outrage!, JFLAG, and the Stop Murder Music campaign, pledging to refrain from performing songs that promote violence.

According to the agreement, Boom Bye Bye should not be performed on the upcoming tour.

Contacted by the media, executive director of Barbados-GLAD Donnya Piggott denied claims the organisation was calling for Buju Banton to denounce the song in question. She said: “We’re moving on from Boom Bye Bye,” and added that “we are going forward with peace and love”.

People are anxious to purchase tickets, already imagining themselves at the event, singing along to their favourite songs by the well-loved artist. Some of these people claim Boom Bye Bye is integral to their concert experience. A part of this group says they want to hear the song because it is nostalgic and sounds good. Another part says they want to hear because LGBT+ people are being unreasonable in their comments about the song and not wanting it to be performed or played.

They keep fighting me, I’m not giving up When asked about the concert and, specifically, the anti-gay song, Erin Greene made a clear and reasonable statement.

She framed Buju Banton as “an important Afro-diasporic and Caribbean cultural figure” whose work should not be dismissed because of the decades-old song.

She pointed to the negative impact of the song on LGBT+ people in the Caribbean as it became an anti-gay anthem wielded as a weapon.

It is difficult to hold multiple truths, but entirely possible. Here is a member of the LGBT+ community highlighting the cultural impact of Buju Banton and his music while acknowledging the unending impact of a song he wrote as a teenager on one of the most vulnerable communities in The Bahamas and the Caribbean.

In her statement, she did not call for the concert to be cancelled, or for the artist to be denied entry. She stated her support on the condition that a song that calls for the death of innocent, vulnerable people in a violent, homophobic society is not performed or played. There is nothing offensive, unreasonable, or outrageous about that.

Your insides must be hollow The response to Erin Greene’s statement has been vitriolic. One of the first responses was a widely shared audio recording of “Bannister” riddled with profanity. He spoke directly to Erin Greene and, in language inappropriate for this space, said she is talking foolishness. He also suggested a return to the 1970s and 1980s and “beat them when you see them in the wrong manner”. The recording is

a clear example of the violence faced by LGBT+ people on a regular basis. People are denied access to public services, harassed, physically harmed and emotionally abused on the basis on their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Songs like Boom Bye Bye help to create a culture of dehumanizing LGBT+ people to such an extent that seeing a gay person in public space, hearing their point of view, or being asked to treat them with respect receives a negative reaction.

Some people argued this is a non-issue, only ever raised by LGBT+ people. This is wholly incorrect. First, the issue is almost always raised by the media. Media professionals know the history of Buju Banton, are aware of the Reggae Compassionate Act, recognise the vulnerability of LGBT+ people and need fresh news stories. It is important to understand it is the job of journalists to reach out to key figures, conduct interviews, source information and present it to their audiences in ways that encourage them to pay attention.

Remember when it felt like Leslie Miller was in the news every day? That was not because he showed up at media houses to give statements. He was known to be quick and unabashed in his answers that were almost certain to get reactions that would drive more people to the stories. Ministers are asked about current affairs and events related to their ministries because they should be able to offer both perspective and substance. Opposition members are asked to comment on the administration’s decisions because they are expected to disagree. These are the stories people want to read.

The conversation about Erin Greene’s statement can only be productive when all participants understand this: she did not call a press conference. Questions — valid and timely — were posed and she answered.

Second, it is not a non-issue. The negative response to a reasonable statement on a controversial song and highly anticipated concert makes that obvious. Homophobia is rampant and it is bold. People openly demonstrate their disregard for human beings and the choice to celebrate a harmful song — one in a large catalogue of songs that include many positive messages — not only despite, but specifically to spite a vulnerable group of people affected by it.

Walk like a champion Yesterday, The Tribune reported that Buju Banton’s legal team made contact with Erin Greene after learning of the response to her earlier statement about his concert. They expressed concern and said they did not intend to cause the hostility being experienced by her and other members of the LGBT+ community. It was right for them to reach out to her and it is telling that others have not done more to support her at this time. Organisations and individuals who associate themselves with human rights, women’s rights and LGBT+ rights in particular should have, at the very least, made statements of support. They could have attempted to intervene in social media commentary that obviously contributed to the creation of an unsafe environment for Erin Greene as an individual, but also for all LGBT+ people in The Bahamas. A few people made posts on their social media pages to denounce homophobic behaviour, and more people can do the same. It is not too late.

It is far too easy to violate vulnerable groups of people because they do not have consistent, unwavering support. When more people identify, name and rebuke hate speech, others will be less comfortable with participating in it. True fans of Buju Banton know more than song, recognise the progression in his artistry and understand the message he is now trying to send.

For them, it makes sense for Boom Bye Bye to be left in the past, for hate speech to be called out and freedom of speech, especially for vulnerable communities, to be protected.

It is on us to create a better, safer environment in The Bahamas for everyone living here.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, January 23, 2019, PAGE 9

SpaceX to build Mars spaceship prototypes in Texas

HAWTHORNE Associated Press

SPACEX said last week that it will build test versions of its Mars spaceship in south Texas instead of the Port of Los Angeles in another blow to the local economy that comes days after the company announced massive layoffs.

The decision was made to streamline operations, the Hawthorne, Californiabased company said in a statement.

SpaceX won approval last year to lease 19 acres at the port’s Terminal Island.

It planned to erect a new facility to do work on the interplanetary spacecraft, now called Starship, and its launch vehicle, the Super Heavy, which would be the largest rocket ever built.

The port facility would

have allowed the giant craft to be barged or shipped to launch sites. It could have added about 700 jobs to the area.

SpaceX now won’t proceed with that option.

SpaceX founder Elon Musk tweeted that development of Starship will continue in Hawthorne but prototypes will be built in south Texas. The company has a launch facility in Boca

Chica near Brownsville, where one prototype of the spacecraft already has been assembled.

“We are building the Starship prototypes locally at our launch site in Texas,

as their size makes them very difficult to transport,” Musk said.

SpaceX will continue using its existing port facilities to recover its reusable Falcon rockets and Dragon spacecraft, which arrive by water.

Southern California officials have talked about luring high-tech operations to boost the waterfront and create a “Silicon Harbour”.

“While we are disappointed that SpaceX will not be expanding their operations at the Port of Los Angeles, we are pleased that they will continue their recovery operations here,” port spokesman Phillip Sanfield said. “Our ongoing work with SpaceX and other advanced technology companies is important to our efforts to advance the port through innovation and new technologies.”

Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino said he felt crushed by the decision, but “I feel confident that other innovators will see the huge value they get in San Pedro.”

Recently, SpaceX announced it would lay off ten percent of its roughly 6,000 workers, most of them at its Hawthorne headquarters. The company said it needs to become leaner to accomplish ambitious and costly projects such as the Starship and Starlink, which would create a constellation of satellites to provide space-based broadband internet service.

Development costs for those two projects have been estimated at up to $10bn each.

Driverless shuttle to make Utah debut at state Capitol SALY LAKE CITY Associated Press A DRIVERLESS public shuttle is expected to make its Utah debut this year as state officials test the possibilities of autonomous vehicles.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports the shuttle that holds about a dozen people is expected to begin operating in February at the state Capitol.

It will initially travel sidewalks since autonomous cars aren’t street legal.

A state lawmaker is hoping to change that.

Republican Rep Robert Spendlove is proposing a bill that would allow autonomous vehicles on state roads and resolve other legal problems.

Two public transportation agencies are spending a combined $600,000 to bring in a shuttle from French company EasyMile for the year to perform studies and demonstrations..

Transportation planners envision the small, slowmoving shuttles ferrying

people to places such as transit stops, doctor’s offices or stores. It could be especially useful for kids, disabled people or others without a driver’s license.

They’re hoping the hands-on demonstrations

can show people what the autonomous vehicles can do safely now and what they could possibly do in the future.

While 70 percent of Americans believe autonomous vehicles will be a big

part of the transportation landscape over the next 15 years, only 40 percent think those vehicles are safe, said Lisa Miller with the Utah Department of Transportation.

The agency is working

with the Utah Transit Authority, which is testing the technology to see how it might be incorporated into its existing public transportation systems.

The shuttle is expected to travel at 15 mph, and a human host will ride along to answer questions and ensure safety. It’s only capable of following a predetermined route and it’s designed to detect obstacles or pedestrians.

“It’s not a roller-coaster ride,” said Jaron Robertson of the transit authority. “It’s a slow-moving vehicle.”

Officials are hoping that one day the shuttles could help reduce congestion and improve safety, since they’re not capable of being distracted like a human driver.

Fleets of autonomous cars could also communicate with each other and with traffic signals.

“Autonomous vehicles have the ability to make hundreds of millions of decisions pretty much simultaneously,” Miller said. “I can’t do that as an individual.”

Spain: Taxi drivers threaten to take strike to French border TAXI drivers striking to demand tighter regulations for companies using ridehailing apps blocked traffic for another day in Spain’s two major cities yesterday, while threatening to take their protest to the French border.

Hundreds of taxi drivers continued to block major roads in Madrid and Barcelona, with many wearing the yellow traffic safety vest that has become the symbol of protests in neighbouring France.

Alberto Alvarez, spokesman for the Barcelona taxi driver association Elite Taxi, told Spanish television that “we are talking to our colleagues in France to go to the frontier also”.

The strike started in Barcelona on Friday, when some taxi drivers trashed cars operated by the app services Uber and Cabify.

Taxi drivers in Madrid joined the protest on Monday. They are promising to continue to disrupt traffic flows today, when the Spanish capital hosts a major tourism trade show.

The taxi drivers in Barcelona want regional governments to force users of services of ride-hailing apps to contract rides 12 hours beforehand.

Taxi drivers in both cities already went on strike against the internet-driven ride-hailing platforms in July.

They complain that ridehailing app drivers compete unfairly since they don’t have the same regulations and costs.

Elliott pushes for changes at eBay An activist shareholder said yesterday that eBay would be better off without StubHub or its classified ads businesses.

Elliott Management, which owns more than four percent of its stock, said in a letter to eBay that if it focused on its online marketplace, the company could double its share price to more than $63 by the end of next year.

Shares of eBay Inc jumped eight percent in midday trading.

In a statement from its headquarters in San Jose, California, eBay said it will “carefully review and evaluate Elliott’s proposals”.

Elliott believes eBay’s classifieds business has a potential value of $8bn to $12bn, and put StubHub’s value between $3.5bn and $4.5bn.

PAGE 10, Wednesday, January 23, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

I didn’t see vessel coming, says retired boat captain

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net A RETIRED boat captain yesterday claimed he did not see the small vessel a 73-year-old man and two others were on when the yacht he was skippering, said to be owned by Sandals Resorts founder Gordon “Butch” Stewart, ran them over killing the elderly man four years ago.

Neville Sylvester Christie, Mr Stewart’s boat captain for 33 years, told the court he saw nothing in his path before the 90-foot Sir John II rammed into the 15-foot boat Timothy Ferguson was on board on April 3, 2015, causing the elderly man to suffer severe propeller wounds that ultimately led to his death.

This came despite his claims that from his vantage point on the yacht’s sky bridge, he could see “clearly” as far as a mile out to sea, and that it was “very sunny and bright” on that day and visibility was “very good”.

Nonetheless, Mr Christie maintained that one of the two other passengers who were on the boat with Mr Ferguson told him they didn’t see the yacht coming, something he said “surprised” him at the time. However, Mr Christie claimed that when he asked a second time if they saw the yacht coming, one of the pair said they were waving their arms to get his attention, something he denied seeing.

The testimony came during an inquest before Coroner Jeanine Weech-Gomez to determine liability for the accident.

According to the evidence led, on the date in question Ferguson and two others were on board a 15-foot sailing vessel in waters approximately two and a half miles offshore from Sandyport, New Providence, when they jumped out of the boat to avoid being hit by a yacht that was on a collision course with their vessel.

Ferguson’s body was found floating in the water a short time later with severe injuries and bleeding. The elderly man was removed from the water and put

on board the yacht. He was later pronounced dead in hospital.

According to Dr Kiko Bridgewater, a forensic pathologist, Ferguson died from multiple blunt and sharp force injuries to his lower extremities, namely the right groin and proximal left upper leg, with a near amputation of his right lower limb near the area of the groin. He said the injuries appeared consistent with propeller wounds.

Dr Bridgewater said while Ferguson did not suffer any injuries that would have killed him instantly, the man would have probably lasted “seconds to minutes”, and no more than three minutes due to the severity of his wounds, which featured severed blood vessels and broken bones.

Dr Bridgewater also said that he would not expect anyone in Ferguson’s position at the time to last any longer than 10 minutes maximum.

Dr Bridgewater further stated that applying a tourniquet to minimise blood loss would not have helped much either, given that some of Ferguson’s organs were protruding from his lower abdomen due to the size of one of his wounds, which were some 11.5 inches long and 5.5 inches deep.

Mr Christie, testifying by video link, claimed that on the day in question, he was on a boat in Old Fort Bay with a crew member, Ian Reid, preparing to go out to sea.

They were waiting for passengers, one of whom was Mr Stewart, who came to the boat around 7.30am. Mr Christie said he lived in Nassau at the time.

Mr Christie said the yacht disembarked at a quarter to eight, leaving Old Fort Bay and heading in a western direction to go fishing.

He said they were trolling for some four hours, before deciding to head east because they didn’t catch anything. Just before they got to the Discovery Island area, Mr Christie said he heard a commotion in the cockpit.

He said when he spun around, he saw a small boat in the water with two people on board. Mr Christie said he remarked “Jesus”

SANDALS Resorts founder Gordon “Butch” Stewart. in dismay before turning the yacht around and heading back towards them. Mr Christie said when he got close enough, he jumped into the water, collected the injured Ferguson, and swam back with him towards the yacht, where his crew helped him lift the man on board.

Afterwards, Mr Christie said he asked for some towels, which he used to cover Ferguson’s body.

Mr Christie said at that time, Ferguson was still breathing, but his injuries were severe and beyond treatable by first aid methods. Thus, he said, he notified both the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and the Royal Bahamas Police Force for assistance, stressing that they get there as quickly as possible.

At some point, Mr Christie said he had an opportunity speak with the other two passengers of the small boat, who he and his crew had also rescued. He said the first thing he asked them was: “Did you see the boat?”

That question yielded a “no” from the younger of the two, Mr Christie said. Astonished by the reply, Mr Christie said he asked them a second time: “You didn’t see the big boat coming?” That time, however, Mr Christie said the younger man told him he was waving to get his attention.

Mr Christie said it took roughly 30 minutes for the agencies to respond. However, Mr Christie said when they arrived, the seas were too rough for their vessel to pull up alongside the yacht.

According to Mr Christie, the waves were between five to seven feet high with the wind blowing at 20 to 25 knots.

As a result, Mr Christie said the officers instructed him to follow them back to the RBPF Marine Division base near Prince George dock, which he did. Once there, he said police and RBDF officers boarded Sir John II and questioned him about the incident. He said he gave them the information, after which they instructed

him to go to the police station where they took a statement.

Mr Christie said after he gave his statement, the officers made him sit down outside. They then took him to the Princess Margaret Hospital, where his blood pressure was checked and a blood sample taken from him. The blood sample yielded negative results for alcohol content. Mr Christie said he and police officers were present when the blood sample results came back.

Afterwards, Mr Christie said the officers told him he could go home, which he did.

Ramona Farquharson-Seymour, the attorney for the family of the deceased, questioned Mr Christie on his testimony, particularly his claims that he did not see the small boat nor any of its passengers waving at him and the yacht, despite his claims that he could see up to a mile out to sea from where he was located on the vessel.

She also questioned why, in his statement to police, he had not included in his claim that the younger passenger of the small boat had told him that he had not seen the yacht coming. To that, Mr Christie said he was “shaken up” at the time, as nothing like that had ever happened to him before in his 40 years as a boat captain. However, he said, he gave the information to the best of his knowledge.

Mr Christie also denied Mrs Farquharson-Seymour’s suggestion that upon rescuing the other two passengers of the small boat, he apologised to them “profusely” for running them over. Mr Christie said the first thing he did was ask them whether they saw the yacht headed in their direction.

Elaine Ferguson-Lightfoot, Ferguson’s daughter, said the last time she saw her father alive was the day before the incident in question, when he took her to the airport. She said the next time she saw him was when she had to identify him in the morgue on April 7, 2015. “…I left him a whole man, came back and met him a chopped up man,” she said.

VSEP PACKAGES AT GRAND LUCAYAN COULD GO BACK SEVERAL YEARS

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

VOLUNTARY separation packages for line staff at the Grand Lucayan resort could include monies owed to some hotel employees for several years, according to Labour Minister Dion Foulkes.

However, Mr Foulkes declined further comment when pressed by media outside Cabinet yesterday, adding the matter was still being negotiated between the union representing workers and management.

“We have an agreement in principal with the line staff union,” Mr Foulkes said. “The union executives are now in, for the last week or so, they have been in consultation with the management at the hotel.”

It was previously reported that 227 workers — 90 managers and 137 line staff— have applied for the voluntary separation packages.

Mr Foulkes said yesterday the number of line staff was closer to 160 persons.

“We have a global figure that we have agreed with them,” he continued, “we are trying to work out a specific payout for 160 persons, just to make sure that that is accurate. Some of the monies that are owed to some of the employees at the hotel go back for several years, so we want to ensure that that is accurate.”

Last week, attorney Pleasant Bridgewater, who represents line staff, revealed workers are also demanding the government provide back pay owed to the workers who will remain at the property.

Ms Bridgewater told The Nassau Guardian that members of the Commonwealth Union of Hotel Services and Allied Workers (CUHSAW) were owed monies separate from any

LABOUR Minister Dion Foulkes. separation package. She underscored workers were entitled to back payment whether they opted to leave the resort or not.

Yesterday, Mr Foulkes said: “I prefer not to comment on that at this time because that is subject of discussion between union and management, when they settle that then I’ll be more than happy to.”

Mr Foulkes said there was still no agreement with the resort’s management union, Bahamas Hotel Managerial Association (BHMA), over VSEPs, but officials hoped to resolve this “soon”.

BHMA is asking for a package valued at roughly $4m.

Last month, lead negotiator and Trade Union Congress President Obie Ferguson said different legal interpretations may have contributed to the divide between the two sides over how much is due to middle management staff wishing to exit.

Mr Ferguson also said the Grand Lucayan is “hell bent” on using the wrong formula to calculate staff operation packages for middle managers.

Warning that the union will not compromise on this issue, the TUC president said it had nevertheless made concessions in other areas that had slashed the value of its compensation demands - originally at $5.4m - by more than $1m.

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Wednesday, January 23, 2019, PAGE 11

BRAZILIAN LEADER PLEDGES TO WORK IN HARMONY TO CUT CARBON EMISSIONS SWITZERLAND Associated Press BRAZILIAN President Jair Bolsonaro pledged to work “in harmony with the world” to cut carbon emissions, aiming to quell international concerns that his country, the main custodian of the oxygen-rich Amazon, could put economic interests over environmental ones.

The environment dominated talks at the World Economic Forum yesterday, and the nationalist leader struck a conciliatory tone in a keynote speech — a far cry from the combative one he had taken on the campaign trail

when he once threatened to join the United States and pull Brazil out of the Paris climate accord, which set a limit on global warming.

Minutes after naturalist David Attenborough spoke of the challenges involved in fighting climate change — “It’s difficult to overstate the climate change crisis” — Bolsonaro chose his words carefully in pledging to work with other countries to cut carbon emissions, while also freeing up business.

“The environment must go hand-in-hand with development efforts: One should not of course emphasize one more than the other,” Bolsonaro told

a nearly-packed hall in the Swiss resort town, which responded with polite applause.

“We plan to work in harmony with the world, and in sync with the whole world, in terms of decarbonizing the economy, reducing CO2 emissions, and of course preserving the environment,” he said in a speech that was short on details.

During the campaign, Bolsonaro vowed to pull Brazil from the Paris accord — only to backtrack after winning and promising to stay. Scientists say Brazil won’t be able to meet its emission targets if he rolls back environmental regulations and opens up more of the

PRESIDENT JAIR BOLSONARO

oxygen-rich Amazon to mining and farming. He also sought to play up Brazil’s economic prospects at an event that has long represented business interests and proponents of global trade. But globalism is in retreat as populist leaders put a focus back on national interests, even if that means limiting trade and migration.

Jean-Rene Fournier, president of Switzerland’s upper chamber of parliament, praised a “very reasonable speech” from Bolsonaro, associating him with other leaders in Davos who want to “ensure economic prosperity while at the same time preserving the environment.”

Singer Chris Brown released in Paris after rape complaint PARIS Associated Press US SINGER Chris Brown and two other people were released yesterday from police custody after a woman filed a rape complaint against them, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.

The Grammy-winning singer was detained with two other suspects on potential charges of aggravated rape and drug infractions.

The Paris prosecutor’s office reported that Brown has been authorized to leave France while the investigation is ongoing. A post late yesterday on Brown’s Instagram page strongly denied the accusations.

“I WANNA MAKE IT PERFECTLY CLEAR...... THIS IS FALSE,” the post said. “FOR MY DAUGHTER AND MY FAMILY THIS IS SO DISPRESPECTFUL AND IS AGAINST MY CHARACTER AND MORALS!!!!!”

Brown’s publicists at Sony Music wouldn’t comment Tuesday on the complaint or say what Brown, 29, was doing in Paris. His US attorney, Mark Geragos, didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Brown has been in repeated legal trouble since pleading guilty to the felony assault in 2009 of his thengirlfriend, Rihanna. He completed his probation in that case in 2015, but has continued to have run-ins with police.

The woman who filed the Paris complaint said she met Brown and his friends overnight on January 15-16 at the club Le Crystal in the 8th arrondissement near the Champs-Elysees, and then they all went to the Mandarin Oriental

CHRIS Brown strongly denied the allegations on his Instagram page.

Hotel near the Concorde Plaza in central Paris, according to a police official.

The Mandarin Oriental wouldn’t comment on the investigation, and Le Crystal couldn’t immediately be reached. There was no unusual activity outside either site.

One of Brown’s bodyguards is among the others detained in the

SENATE SET TO VOTE ON TWO COMPETING PLANS TO END SHUTDOWN WASHINGTON Associated Press

SENATE leaders yesterday agreed to vote this week on two competing proposals to end the government shutdown, including President Donald Trump’s plan to have Congress pay for the long-stalled wall along the US-Mexico border. It’s likely to fail.

The other measure, from Democrats, also seems unlikely to pass. It would temporarily reopen the government until February 8 while talks on border security continue.

Either package would need to hit the 60-vote threshold to advance on Thursday, a tall order in the narrowly divided Senate where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority. Trump’s wall is the key sticking point in his standoff with Democrats that has led to a partial government shutdown.

But the agreement reached to at least start voting sets the stage for senators to give serious thought to the options as the shutdown enters a second month, and some 800,000 federal workers face another Friday without paychecks.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer predicted Trump’s proposal “will be roundly defeated.” But the Democratic bill, which already passed in the House, “could break us out of the morass we are in,” he said.

“If you’re looking for a way to open up the government, this is the way,” the New York senator said.

Republicans, though,

downplayed the stopgap measure and said it would also fail.

Senate Republicans pressed ahead Tuesday with Trump’s plan to reopen the government, finance his wall and provide some deportation protections for “Dreamer” immigrants.

Convening the Senate, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Trump’s 1,300-page spending measure — including $5.7 billion to fund the wall — “would break through this stalemate and would reopen government swiftly and deliver on a number of other policy priorities.”

Democrats, though, panned Trump’s proposal and said the immigrant protections are inadequate — only offering temporary deportation relief that Trump helped cause by announcing an end to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program protecting young “Dreamer” immigrants.

“Open the government.

Let’s talk,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. “The (Dreamers) had their protections. .... The president took it away, and now he is saying, ‘I’ll give you this back temporarily if you give me a wall permanently.’”

“It’s not a compromise,” added Schumer. “It’s more hostage-taking.”

Trump is offering three years of protection against deportation for immigrants brought to the country illegally as children. He had tried to end the Obama-era program in 2017, though the issue remains before the courts.

Paris investigation, according to the official. They are being held by judicial police in the 17th arrondissement of northwest Paris, the official said.

The police official wasn’t authorised to be publicly named to discuss the investigation. The detention was originally reported by French gossip magazine Closer.

Brown, who burst onto the music scene as a teen, won a Grammy Award in 2011 for best R&B album for “F.A.M.E.” and has nominations for other works. His hits include “Look at Me Now,” ‘’Run It,” and numerous collaborations with other stars, including “Post to Be” and last year’s “Freaky Friday” with Lil Dicky.

He released a new single earlier this month and has a new album coming this year. Six of his albums have gone platinum.

He retains a huge following of devoted fans, including nearly 50 million followers on Instagram . He posted an Instagram photo Monday from Paris appearing to show him at a nightclub, among several recent posts. Followers responded with mixed messages to the rape accusation.

It’s the latest legal trouble for Brown, who was arrested at the end of a concert last year to face a felony battery charge involving a nightclub photographer.

In 2013, Brown was charged with misdemeanor assault after he was accused of striking a man outside a Washington hotel. He was ordered into rehab but was dismissed for violating facility rules. Brown spent 2½ months in custody.

After he completed courtordered anger-management classes, Brown was accused of throwing a brick at his mother’s car following a counseling session.

After Brown posted a picture to his Instagram followers in January 2018 showing his 3-year-old daughter, Royalty, cuddling with a pet monkey, California fish and wildlife agents seized the capuchin monkey named Fiji from his home in Los Angeles.

VENEZUELANS CLEAN UP AFTER VIOLENT PROTESTS CARACAS Associated Press WORKING class neighborhoods in Venezuela’s capital cleaned up charred rubble and smoldering trash yesterday as they harbored fears that demonstrations called by the opposition could spur further violence.

Unrest broke out a day earlier when authorities arrested 27 members of the National Guard who were accused of launching an uprising against President Nicolas Maduro.

Opposition leaders, who are calling for nationwide protests, have regained momentum in their efforts to confront the socialist president as the once-wealthy oil nation slides into a deepening political and economic crisis.

Overnight, Venezuelans barricaded streets in dozens of Caracas areas that haven’t seen such turmoil in years.

Merchant Carmen Martinez said her neighbours were frustrated by rising costs and a lack of basic goods under the current government. “The people are going into the streets just for that reason,” Martinez said.

“What do you do? Nobody seems to notice us.”

The sound of gunfire was heard in some neighborhoods, while people in others banged pots and pans from their open windows.

PAGE 12, Wednesday, January 23, 2019 NEW YORK Associated Press OSCAR voters yesterday showered Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma and Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite with a leading 10 nominations for the 91st Academy Awards, while two dominant but contentious Hollywood forces — Netflix and Marvel — each scored their first best picture nomination.

Though many expected A Star Is Born, Bradley Cooper’s revival of one of Hollywood’s most remade show business myths, to top the nominations, Cooper was surprisingly overlooked as director and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences instead put its fullest support behind a pair of indies by international directors.

With the black-and-white, Spanish-language Roma, Netflix scored its first best picture nomination, a prize the streaming giant has dearly sought. Marvel, too, joined the club with Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther, the first superhero movie ever nominated for best picture.

Cuaron tied the record for most decorated Oscar nominee ever for one film with four individual nods for Roma, his deeply personal exhumation of his Mexico City childhood. Cuaron was nominated for direction, cinematography, original screenplay and best picture. Only Orson Welles (Citizen Kane) and Warren Beatty (who did it twice with Reds and Heaven Can Wait) have matched the four-nod feat.

Cuaron, previously a six-time nominee and winner for directing Gravity, said that the nominations for such a personal film were more meaningful to him, as was the attention for a film about a humble indigenous domestic worker (Yalitza Aparicio, who was nominated for best actress).

He praised Netflix for its commitment to his film.

“Cinema needs the opportunity to be diverse,” Cuaron said.

“What mainstream cinema and the theatrical experience has lacked in general is diversity.

And I’m talking about diversity in terms of stories and characters and ways of doing films.”

Just as rewarded was Lanthimos’ period romp, which resounded most in the acting categories thanks to its trio of actresses: Olivia Colman in the best actress category, and Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone in supporting.

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Roma and The Favourite lead Oscar nominations

MAIN picture: Olivia Colman in The Favourite; top right: a scene from Roma; bottom: Michael B Jordan in Black Panther.

Along with Roma, Black Panther and The Favourite, the eight nominees for best picture were: Peter Farrelly’s interracial road trip tale Green Book, Spike Lee’s white supremacist evisceration BlacKkKlansman, the Freddie

Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, Adam McKay’s highly critical Dick Cheney biopic Vice and A Star Is Born, which still landed eight nominations, including best actress for Lady Gaga and best supporting actor for Sam Elliott.

Black Panther, the year’s biggest domestic box-office hit and a bona fide cultural event, finally cracked the category long kryptonite to superheroes. Despite the overwhelming popularity of comic book movies, they had previously been shunned from Hollywood’s top honor to the consternation of some industry insiders. After The Dark Knight was snubbed in 2009, the academy expanded the best picture category from five to up to 10 nominees.

The lush, big-budget craft of Black Panther was rewarded with

seven total nominations, including Hannah Beachler and Jay Hart’s production design, Terence Blanchard’s score, Ruth Carter’s costume design and Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s song All the Stars. Beachler became the first African-American nominated for production design.

“To break down a wall like that, to be your ancestors’ wildest dreams, to show other young women of colour and boys and girls that you can do whatever you want no matter what struggles you have in your life — all of that.

That’s what it means to me,” said Beachler.

The acting categories played out largely as expected with a few notable differences. Along with Lady Gaga, Colman and Aparicio, the best lead actress nominees

were Glenn Close (The Wife) and Melissa McCarthy (Can You Ever Forgive Me?).

In best actor, the expected front runner Christian Bale was nominated for his transformation into Cheney in Vice (Bale’s fourth Oscar nod), along with Cooper, Willem Dafoe (At Eternity’s Gate), Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody) and Viggo Mortensen (Green Book).

The nominees for best supporting actress were Amy Adams (Vice), Marina De Tavira (Roma), Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk), along with Stone and Weisz. Tavira was something a surprise, likely unseating Claire Foy of First Man. But perhaps the biggest acting snub came in best supporting actor, where Timothee Chalamet, who broke through last year with Call Me By Your Name, was left out for his drug addict turn in Beautiful Boy. Nominated were previous winner Mahershala Ali (Green Book), Adam Driver (BlacKkKlansman), Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) and Sam Rockwell (Vice), who won the trophy last year.

With nominees like The Favourite, Can You Ever Forgive Me, ‘Green Book and Bohemian Rhapsody, GLAAD president Sarah Kate Ellis called it “a banner year for LGBTQ inclusion”.