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Volume: 118 No.54, FEBRUARY 11, 2021

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OVER-65s CLEAR FOR UK VACCINE Officials respond to WHO sign-off and okay elderly’s usage

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net THE Office of the Prime Minister announced yesterday that the OxfordAstraZeneca vaccine will be given to all people over the age of 18 after the World Health Organisation endorsed its use for people over 65.

“The National COVID19 Vaccine Consultative Committee will continue to follow the guidelines set out by the WHO,” an OPM statement said. “The AstraZeneca vaccine will be administered to eligible

Bahamians and residents over the age of 18 who choose to take it.”

During a press conference last week, Dr Merceline Dahl-Regis, chairman of the consultative committee, said officials were waiting on scientific studies about the effectiveness of the vaccine in the over-65 population before recommending its use for people in that age group.

“As we indicated last week at the press conference, we will continue to be guided by the science,” she said in yesterday’s statement.

SEE PAGE FOUR

MOULTRIE MOVES TO HOLD GOVERNMENT TO ACCOUNT

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

IN his first ruling yesterday as an independent Speaker of the House of Assembly, Halson Moultrie overturned a controversial ruling that his predecessor had made that restricted the powers of the Public Accounts Committee.

The body is Parliament’s most powerful committee.

Former Speaker Dr Kendal Major ruled in 2015 that the PAC could only examine documents that have been tabled in Parliament and could only send for persons, papers or records if a parliamentary resolution permits it to do so.

SEE PAGE THREE

IN-CLASS LESSONS FROM FEB 22

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

EDUCATION Minister Jeffrey Lloyd said officials are now targeting February 22 for the resumption of in-person classes in public schools on islands still engaging in virtual learning.

“Our position is that we have to do it as a phased opening,” he said outside the House of Assembly yesterday.

SEE PAGE FOUR

FRONT PORCH

THE CONCEITS AND DECLINE OF THE US REPUBLICAN PARTY

PAGE EIGHT

NOW TAXI DRIVERS OUT IN PROTEST

“I WAS DUMPED. NO, I QUIT.” REALLY?

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest last night said he had decided to withdraw his candidacy for the next general election - having just days ago said that he had been advised by the party leader that he would not receive the nomination for East Grand Bahama. See page five for the full story.

Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

‘UFO’ WAS US MISSILE TEST

By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net A STRANGE sight spotted in the sky on Tuesday night that fueled rumours of an unidentified flying object is said to be a Trident submarine-launched ballistic missile test that occurred over the Atlantic Ocean.

Video of the flying object seen over parts of The Bahamas and Florida

A TRIDENT missile similar to the one tested on Tuesday. circulated on social media.

Kendal Dorsett of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority said the

agency was aware of the reports, explaining no local aircraft was involved.

“I know what video you are referring to, but there has not been any reported incident as far as any aircraft is concerned,” he said. “There is no accident related explosion to our knowledge and nothing has been brought to our attention in reference to an accident.”

SEE PAGE TWO

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

SCORES of angry taxi drivers gathered in Rawson Square yesterday to protest what they consider poor treatment and a blatant “disregard” to their concerns about their industry.

SEE PAGE THREE

STATESIDE

SO, WHAT’S THIS ABOUT AND HOW WILL IT END?

SEE PAGE NINE

PAGE 2, Thursday, February 11, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

‘UFO’ was US missile test

AN IMAGE from video circulated on social media showing the missile as seen from The Bahamas. from page one Director of Meteorology Trever Basden said the department was also contacted about the object.

“Everyone was sending in photos and videos asking us what that was in the sky, so we had to do our research to see what it was,” said Mr Basden.

He referred this newspaper to American news outlets, which reported the object was likely a Trident submarine-launched ballistic missile test that had occurred over the Atlantic Ocean.

Online outlet “The Drive” said the missile was launched off the Florida coast and had a re-entry area to the east of Ascension Island, with a total downrange travel distance of around 5,200 miles. Prior to that, according to “The Drive” there were a series of notices posted to airmen about the potential launch activity.

The launch of this missile grabbed the attention of many Bahamians who saw the Trident missile’s fiery trail light up in the night sky.

“The Drive” said these tests are essential to

guaranteeing America and Britain’s second-strike capability that reinforces both countries’ nuclear deterrents.

The site did not say whether or not the launch originated from a US Navy or UK Royal Navy nuclear ballistic missile submarine.

And, while it does not know which navy carried out this particular test, based on information from alerts provided to aviators and maritime vessels ahead of time, the missile’s intended trajectory appeared similar to the planned one from a launch the Royal Navy carried out in the Atlantic in June 2016.

“The Drive” said that that test was a “controversial failure”, with the unarmed missile reportedly flying off course in the complete opposite direction, instead heading toward the United States mainland.

Luckily, its self-destruct feature was triggered, safely destroying it midair over the ocean.

Although tests of this nature are not rare, they are usually done over the Pacific Ocean. Before this recent test near Florida, the French performed a test of their M51 SLBM in the Atlantic Ocean.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, February 11, 2021, PAGE 3

Moultrie moves to hold government to account from page one The consequence of this ruling has been that access to documents sought this session by the oppositionled PAC have been denied.

Previously, Speaker Moultrie said the opposition’s claims that the committee’s hands are tied were “misleading”.

Yesterday, however, he said his first act as an independent Speaker would be to connect the legislative branch to one of its key functions: to provide oversight of the executive. “(I will) proceed to bring the legislative branch of government that is perceived to have under Article 72 of the constitution of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas,” he said.

FNMS VOTE AGAINST TAKING OPPOSITION QUESTIONS

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net FREE National Movement MPs voted against answering questions from members of the opposition in the House of Assembly yesterday, choosing instead to move forward with their own agenda.

According to House rules, the second Wednesday in every month is a chance for the opposition to ask ministers questions.

However, unlike some parliaments around the world such as the United Kingdom and Canada, governing parties in The Bahamas tend to override that provision.

During House Speaker Halson Moultrie’s first sitting as an Independent Speaker yesterday, opposition members failed to push him to prevent the governing party from changing the House agenda.

Twenty-three FNMs voted to change the agenda.

Pineridge MP Frederick McAlpine joined Independent MP Reece Chipman and the five PLP members in opposing that move. Elizabeth MP Dr Duane Sands abstained from the vote.

Seven MPs were absent from the sitting.

In a statement, PLP leader Philip “Brave” Davis said the FNM’s action proves the party is not committed to transparency and accountability.

“The current government does not believe they need to answer questions from the people’s representatives,” he said.

“Questions about hidden spending, failures, corruption, and broken promises –– these are too uncomfortable.

“So, the FNM members of Parliament – the same ones who campaigned on transparency and accountability – voted this morning to protect ministers from having to answer the people’s questions.

“The Prime Minister goes to such great lengths to avoid answering questions – from the media, from the people and from the people’s representatives – that the only credible explanation is that he doesn’t have any acceptable answers to offer.”

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

“The legislative branch of the government has basically three functions. It has a representative function, it has a legislative function and it has an oversight function.

“The oversight function of the legislative branch has been diluted and diminished over the years by principally two areas.

Number one, it has been negatively and adversely affected by the decision that was made on the 13 of May 2015 by the Speaker of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

“And secondly, it is being negatively impacted by the fact that for a series of administrations now, administrations have refused to be answerable to the legislature.”

Calling this

“undemocratic and unconstitutional,” Speaker Moultrie said: “It is the ruling of this chair with respect to the decision made by former Speaker Dr the Hon Kendal Major on the scope and powers of the Public Accounts Committee made on the 13 May 2015, it is the ruling of this chair that that decision is now overturned and set aside.

“The details of this decision and the reason will be presented for those who wish to examine the legality and constitutionality of my decision.”

Speaker Moultrie said overturning the rule empowers the PAC to investigate or review all past, current and committed government expenditures; to choose subjects and witnesses for examination and

to compel their attendance without government direction or intervention or advice; to make recommendations and to publish conclusions and reports; to make effective follow-up to determine if action has been taken to implement earlier recommendations.

He said the rule change also restores “the power of clear focus of holding governments accountable for its spending of the taxpayers money and its stewardship over public assets; the power to obtain independent technical expertise and research support for hearings; the power to call and compel ministers to attend before the public accounts committee; the power to televise hearings on the Parliamentary Channel and the power to probe into any matter of

a nature and significance to parliament in the area of probity whether or not the source of the information comes from parliament through a report of the auditor general.”

Former Speaker Dr Major made his controversial ruling while the PAC was investigating an auditor general’s report on the Urban Renewal Small Home Repairs programme.

The audit found that payments were made to 11 contractors worth more than $170,000 but the small home repairs were not completed or done.

Speaker Major received legal advice from the Office of the Attorney General at the time, something former St Anne’s MP Hubert Chipman, who was the chairman of the PAC during that

session of the House, said was inappropriate and breached the separation of powers doctrine.

“It would have been correct and judicious to consult the clerk or a Speaker of another lower body such as the British House of Commons,” Mr Chipman said at the time.

Yesterday, Speaker Moultrie noted that neither the Free National Movement nor the Progressive Liberal Party has shown any opposition to him remaining in his post, even though he resigned from the FNM last week.

“It would appear as though the two major political parties recognise the value of the decision for the Speaker to function independent of the majority and the minority of Parliament,” he said.

NOW TAXI DRIVERS OUT IN PROTEST from page one

The taxi union has been calling for new taxi plates to be issued to drivers and also for the colour of their taxi plates to be changed – something the workers have been agitating for, for several years.

Speaking outside Parliament Bahamas Taxicab Union president Wesley Ferguson told reporters taxi drivers are now fed up and tired of being “disregarded” by the government, which he says have failed to live up to its promises to the workers.

He said if the problems are not addressed, the union could take similar action again today.

“We are the holders of the frontline and to be ostracised, to be minimalised and to be disregarded and just disrespected in this COVID-19 environment,” Mr Ferguson said. “…The government of The Bahamas came to us in October first of 2018 and they had a general meeting. Reward Wells at the time was the minister (of transport) and he promised us that night when we had a town hall meeting and he listened to the concerns of all taxi drivers.

“He promised us that night that he was going. . .to clear up the improprieties in the taxi driver industry. Since then, we have gotten nothing. We have negotiated, we have gotten nothing. We asked them simply to change the colour of the taxi plates so that we could stop looking like SD (rental car) drivers. The

TAXI drivers speaking to the press yesterday. private cars have a plate.

The SDs, you name it.

Every vehicle has an identifiable plate except the taxi drivers.”

The group also has a strained relationship with the acting Road Traffic Controller Bradley Sands, who they claim has been using intimidating tactics against union members.

“You still have (Mr) Sands in office… He’s very disrespectful and we want him gone,” Mr Ferguson added.

The union president also expressed concerned with the fact that most taxicab drivers do not have ownership of their taxi plates.

Mr Ferguson previously said the issuance of new taxi plates was promised to them by former Transport Minister Renward Wells.

However, he said the government has yet to live up to that promise.

He said: “The taxi industry is owned by 20 percent of the drivers. Eighty

Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff

percent of the taxi drivers are not owners of plates— 80 percent. Why is that in 2021 taxi drivers cannot own their business?

“Any Joe Blow that comes in this Bahamas (and) waves a million dollar plus and they get whatever they want. They roll out the red carpet. They have media attention, they got everyone signed in on national tv. But when taxi drivers and the locals ask the government to look after us and take care of us so we could continue to support you but, they still turn a deaf ear and a blind eye.”

On Tuesday, Labour and Transport Minister Dion Foulkes said the COVID19 pandemic had delayed the process of having some of the union’s concerns addressed. However, he said officials are now seeking to rectify the issue.

“One of the biggest vexing issues that has existed for many years and

for many many terms and for many governments has been the question of the leasing of taxi plates by taxi drivers,” Mr Foulkes said outside Cabinet.

“We have had many taxi drivers paying weekly and monthly rents to lease plates for years and, in some cases, decades and they were unable to get their own plate. We have applications and letters and petitions and the union has given a list of who those taxi cab drivers are.

“Mr Wells did a lot of work and consultation on this issue and the Cabinet gave consideration to it.

Unfortunately, the pandemic interfered with that process…. So I have made an undertaking to the president of the union that we will begin the review again and that consultation again so we can finally bring an end to this unfair practice of having these taxi cab drivers lease plates for their livelihoods.”

As it relates to the issue of the taxi plates’ colour, Mr Foulkes said officials are also reviewing that matter.

“We have been reviewing it and my predecessors, Mr (Renward) Wells and (Frankie) Campbell, they have both been looking at the issue since the last election…. I think the consensus is that we take the SD plates to a white colour so that there would be a clear difference between the taxi cab plates and the self-drive plates.

“I have asked the controller to give me an estimate on the costing of how much that transfer would take in terms of the cost. So we are doing an active review on that. As soon as that comes back, I would seek Cabinet approval to change the colour.”

However, Mr Ferguson told reporters that the union is tired of hearing promises and now just wants to see action on the government’s part.

“Dion Foulkes had a lengthy conversation with me trying to persuade me not to come here this morning, but the point is we should not be having a conversation at this time. This negotiation process started in 2018,” he replied yesterday when asked about the discussions.

“This is now 2021. How much longer will we just talk? How long shall we talk and the thing of it is what I’m saying to you: the issues in the taxi industry are very, very simple issues.

All we need to do is issue the taxi plates. That costs the government very little or nothing at all.”

HAPPENING TODAY

PAGE 4, Thursday, February 11, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Over-65s clear for UK vaccine from page one One hundred thousand doses of the vaccine are expected to arrive in the country sometime between this and the end of the second quarter of the year.

Health officials have formed three “priority groups”, a characterisation that will determine who gets the vaccine and when.

Group one includes healthcare workers, uniform branch workers and elder care providers.

Group two includes people with disabilities, people living in congregate settings, critical workers in high-risk settings, other essential service workers, people with co-morbidities and underlying chronic conditions and sea, air and ground persons.

Group three will include all other people.

Dr Dahl-Regis said last week that officials anticipate that the vaccination process for the first batch of vaccines will be completed over six weeks.

She noted that some people should not get the vaccine.

“Extra precautions must be taken to determine if there are significant allergies or if the immune system is compromised to the point that significantly reduces the effect of the vaccine. This is the reason why we must protect those who cannot receive the vaccine. “Getting the vaccine protects not only you but those around you,” she said.

The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, which was coinvented by the University of Oxford, will be provided through the World Health Organisation’s COVAX facility.

Although the government did not have a choice in which vaccine it would get from the WHO, Dr Dahl-Regis said

among the three most prominent vaccines worldwide – OxfordAstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna – the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is the one that officials preferred.

TOTAL CASES TOTAL DEATHS

IN-CLASS LESSONS FROM FEB 22 8,302 178 from page one

“Some schools are going to be ready earlier than others, some as early as next week might be, some later and that’s on a number of factors, faculty, readiness in terms of the environment as well as the repairs of the school.”

Officials previously targeted February 1 to resume in-person classes in New Providence, Abaco, Exuma and Eleuthera but scratched those plans after health officials requested

they outline the protocols to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

In-person classes ended in March last year because of the pandemic. Public school students on the aforementioned islands have been restricted to virtual lessons ever since while others resumed face to face classes last October.

Mr Lloyd expressed concern last year that 30 percent of registered students are not regularly participating in virtual classes.

He said: “Our estimation is that 70 percent

are already in school on a regular, daily. That 30 percent bothers us and as (the director) indicated, it’s our responsibility to find the opportunity. No question about that but at the same time, the children have a responsibility. “This is their education, and the parents have a responsibility. This is their children’s education, so we all have to adopt a responsible attitude and mindset about education.

“The children want to be in school and we’re working now with the Ministry

of Health in trying to find the way that we can safely – because safety is first – bring our children back to school as quickly as possible, observing all of the protocols whether it’s physical distancing, wearing masks and so on. We believe that that is something that is imminent.”

He suggested that larger institutions like Doris Johnson Senior High School and CV Bethel Senior High School will not be able to accommodate all students at one time so a hybrid system may be used.

VOTER REGISTRATION CENTRES TO OPEN ON MONDAY

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

SEVERAL centres for voter registration are expected to open on Monday, as officials ramp up a phased plan to expand the existing register to first time voters and people needing constituency transfers before the next general election.

The existing register currently has 186,763 voters and officials say they expect about 20,000 new voters.

However, acting Parliamentary Commissioner Lavado Duncanson was unable to say how many people have registered so far.

And despite current

social distancing protocols and restrictions on gatherings, it was suggested yesterday that thousands of voters will still be expected to physically visit polling divisions to cast ballots at a time when officials have advised against super spreader events.

Mr Duncanson could only say efforts were underway to ensure voters have the safest experience possible. He also could not say where officials were in establishing a biometric voter’s card. The paper voter’s card will continue to be used, Mr Duncanson said.

Not only did the Parliamentary Elections Act

2020, passed last month, abolish the five-year register allowing for the 2017 register to continue, it also made provision for biometric voters’ cards to replace the traditional paper voters’ cards and counterfoils.

Registered voters who are 65 years and older can also vote as special voters in the advanced poll.

“Persons registered for the 2017 general election and who have not relocated to a different residence for a period of 90 days or more shall remain registered as a voter entitled to vote at an election on the continuous register unless his or her name has been removed from the register by the

parliamentary commissioner,” Mr Duncanson said yesterday.

This also applies to Family Island residents who registered to vote for local government elections.

Legal name changes also will be facilitated.

Asked how the department intended to deal with challenges it has had in the past regarding the organisation of the advanced poll and voters being turned away for dress code violations, Mr Duncanson said officials planned to learn from the discomfort experienced in the past, but did not directly address the dress code issue.

Applicants applying to register should provide proof of citizenship, must be 18 or older and not subject to legal incapacities. They should have also resided at their place of residency for three months or more.

Documentary proof includes a Bahamian passport, which is considered primary, or an old voter’s card. Where this document is used, officials are requesting that

NEWLY CONFIRMED CASES TUESDAY 11 CASES NEW PROVIDENCE

TOTAL TESTS

63,093

11

HOSPITALISED

15

NEWLY CONFIRMED DEATHS •46-YEAR-0LD

MAN FROM NEW PROVIDENCE ON FEBRUARY 7.

•62-YEAR-0LD MAN FROM NEW PROVIDENCE ON FEBRUARY 9.

CASES IN ICU

2

RECOVERED

6,901

TWO MORE DEATHS CONFIRMED TWO more people have been confirmed as having died from COVID-19.

The latest deaths were both men from New Providence.

The first was a 46-yearold man who died on Sunday, February 7. The second was a 62-year-old man who died on Tuesday, February 9.

These bring the total number of deaths in The

Bahamas to 178.

The latest COVID figures showed 11 new cases were recorded on Tuesday, all of them in New Providence.

So far, there have been 8,302 cases throughout The Bahamas, and 6,901 people have recovered to date.

Fifteen people remain in hospital, with two in intensive care.

the applicant also present a valid birth certificate as proof of citizenship.

A Bahamian citizenship certificate or registration of naturalisation is also acceptable, in collaboration with a birth certificate.

Voter registration has been expanded and sectioned into three phases.

The first phase is registration at the Parliamentary Registration Department on Farrington Road, at the Freeport sub office in Grand Bahama and at the administrator’s offices on the Family Islands.

Phase two will entail the roll out of an additional seven registration centres throughout New Providence.

The centres include the main Post Office at Town Centre Mall, Grants Town Community Centre, South Beach Post Office, Elizabeth Estates Post Office, Carmichael Road Post Office, Cable Beach Post Office and the registration office on Farrington Road. In Grand Bahama eight centres have been chosen.

Phase three will be comprised of various pop-up locations, including Gambier, Adelaide and workplaces. This begins in March.

Mr Duncanson said this will take into consideration various COVID-19 safety protocols, especially where schools are used, ensuring sanitisation is carried out.

THE TRIBUNE

PRIME MINISTER MINNIS TABLES FINANCE BILLS

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis tabled a Public Debt Management Bill, a Public Finance Management Bill and a Statistics Bill in the House of Assembly yesterday, legislation that he said will be “critical to advancing sound fiscal management and evidencebased decision making”.

“In keeping with the standard set by the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2018, which ushered in new levels of transparency and accountability, these draft pieces of legislation will remake and modernise the very foundation of public finance management in the Bahamas,” he said.

Dr Minnis said the Public Finance Management Bill addresses weaknesses with the Financial Administration and Audit Act, the significant legislation that governs the management of public finances.

“The PFM bill transitions to a principles-based approach to public financial management, thereby focusing on results, rather than taking an administration approach, as was the case with the FAA,” he said.

“This bill requires outcomes-based budgeting and reporting to support a comprehensive management of the budget.”

The Public Debt Management Bill, he said, “seeks to create a comprehensive legal framework

that permits a clearly articulate and transparent framework for public debt management.

“The overriding objective of the PDM bill is to consolidate and modernise existing debt management provisions.

“The legislation will create necessary linkages with the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which provides parametres for debt ceilings that correspond to the trajectory of the country’s economic growth.”

The Statistics Bill, Dr Minnis said, establishes the Bahamas National Statistical Institute, a “quasi-independent entity that will replace the current Department of Statistics”.

“The bill,” he added, “also seeks to create a formal national statistical system, encompassing the inputs and requirements of a range of public and civil society stakeholders.

“The new institute, working within the parameters of a formal national statistical system, will establish and institutionalise common standards for collecting, compiling, analysing and publishing official statistics.

“It will bolster substantially the ability of public stakeholders to collect data and produce quality statistics in line with global standards.

Importantly, the bill also enshrines the independence of the public entity responsible for the collection of official statistics while strengthening its capacity to enforce its mandate.”

Thursday, February 11, 2021, PAGE 5

“I was dumped.

No, I quit.” Really?

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

JUST days after Peter Turnquest announced he’d been told by Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis he would not receive a nomination to contest the next general election, the FNM’s deputy leader claimed last night he had in truth made the “difficult” decision to withdraw his candidacy.

The 180 degree turn of his position is further confused

by Free National Movement Chairman Carl Culmer’s statement to The Tribune on Tuesday that party officials responsible for candidate confirmation had not made a decision regarding the former cabinet minister’s run in the upcoming election.

Mr Culmer was adamant the matter had not come through any of the party’s committees, adding if there had been a conversation about his parliamentary future “we don’t know about it”.

Mr Turnquest made no mention of his conversation with Dr Minnis in his statement last night. Instead, he said: “Serving the people of East Grand Bahama has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. The relationships we have formed have nurtured my family and I over the last eight-and-a-half years and I will remain forever indebted to the good and fine

PETER TURNQUEST MP people of this constituency for the trust and support they have placed in me.

“We have formed a bond and as I have said to several of you personally, we are family and now and you can’t get rid of me yet, I’m just a quick message away.

“However, after much consideration and thoughtful prayer with my family, closest advisors, constituency executives and Free National Movement party officials, I have decided to withdraw my candidacy for the next general election.

“This difficult decision is based solely on my commitment to bolstering and supporting the FNM as we continue the work of rebuilding our country and ensuring its growth and development for further generations,” his statement continued.

“The Free National Movement, with its transformative agenda, remains the best conduit for the advancement of our people and our democracy, and I am proud of the work we

have done in this term.

“As a party, we have had many challenges but also many successes. We must now prepare ourselves for the battles ahead as we cannot afford to lose ground in this critical and sensitive time in our development history.

“Yes, we still have much work to be done to restore what has been lost due to hurricanes and the pandemic, but I am confident that the Free National Movement is still the best option to manage this crisis and guide our recovery.”

Mr Turnquest said he stood ready to do his part in ensuring that “our great party is victorious at the polls once again whenever a general election is called, so that we can continue our work in building a brighter future for all Bahamians.”

The statement was in stark contrast to Mr Turnquest’s anonuncement on social media last weekend when he said: “By now you would have no doubt heard the report that I have been advised by the party leader that I will not receive the nomination for East Grand Bahama.

“I assume that council will give final confirmation or otherwise on that decision at its next sitting.”

On Monday, Dr Minnis flew into Grand Bahama to meet with executives of the East Grand Bahama

Constituency Association.

When contacted by this newspaper earlier this week, Mr Culmer appeared to have little insight into what prompted Mr Turnquest’s previous statement.

“Peter Turnquest’s situation has not come through any of the committees as yet,” Mr Culmer said on Monday. “We have not made any decisions on anything to do with him. I can’t say if Turnquest was premature in sending out the note to his constituency officers. Whatever conversation went on between Turnquest and the leader, we don’t know about it. I don’t know what was said. That never came to the executive or the vetting committee or the council.

“I can’t say if Turnquest and (Dr Duane) Sands will receive nominations from the party. I am only one person. As the chairman for the council, I will put the question to the floor and leave it to the members to vote up or down. I cannot try to decide or speculate on something.”

This saga comes a little over two months after Mr Turnquest’s resignation as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance when he was mentioned in a Supreme Court lawsuit relating to an alleged $27m fraud. He is not listed as a defendant in the matter, however, and has maintained his innocence.

$400,000 CYBERSECURITY PROJECT TO INCLUDE RESPONSE TEAM

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE government launched the National Cybersecurity Project yesterday that will establish a national computer incident response team.

The project will cost under $400,000 and is scheduled to conclude in September. The government announced last year the execution and commencement of the project in partnership with the International Telecommunications Union.

State Minister for Finance Kwasi Thompson explained yesterday that officials must do all “we can to put mechanisms in place to protect the government’s systems and citizen’s

data from exposure to these attacks”.

He added: “The main objective of this project is to assist The Bahamas in assessing our current cybersecurity capabilities, develop a national cybersecurity strategy and establish the national computer incident response team or CIRT to serve as a trusted, central coordination point of contact for cybersecurity, aimed at identifying, defending, responding and managing cyber threats.

“The creation of this national cyber security strategy will include reviewing, revising and implementing cyber legislation for the protection of citizens and clients.”

He highlighted other objectives such as building a knowledge base that

supports the country’s development and implementation of a national cybersecurity strategy as well as an approach for the protection of critical information infrastructures.

The project will also support the development of related national cybersecurity platforms, such as national public key infrastructure (PKI), e-government services, national identity, and an access management framework.

He added: “In addition to what we mentioned before and the benefits that we spoke of before, this implementation will open the door for employment opportunities for new careers in cybersecurity and expand the technical skills of many of our people.”

Doreen Bogdan-Martin,

HAITIAN QUARTET HAD EXPIRED VISAS

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

FOUR Haitian men who claimed the devastation wrought on Abaco by Hurricane Dorian caused them to remain in the country after their visas had expired were yesterday fined $300.

Safaite Vercine, 55, Presendieu Presuma, 37, Benson Charles, 32, and Clavel Pierre, 38, appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate after they were found in Abaco after the expiration of the time granted to them by an immigration officer to remain in the country.

They all pleaded guilty to one count of overstaying during their arraignment.

The court was told on February 6, a team of officers on patrol in segments of Abaco and its surrounding cays approached the accused and asked them to show proof of their status. After the men were unable to comply with the officers’ request, they were arrested and taken to the island’s immigration office for further processing.

The prosecution said investigations revealed that Vercine, who had overstayed for one year, eight months and 23 days, had entered the country in April 2019 and was given permission to reside in the country for one month. During that time, he made no other applications to extend his visa or regularlise his status.

The court was told Presuma and Pierre also travelled to the country in

the latter part of 2019 and had overstayed their welcome by one year, three months and 16 days.

Charles on the other hand, was said to have arrived in the country in March 2019.

During his stay, he had applied and received four additional extensions up to October 2019. However, when he applied for another extension that month, his application was refused and he was asked to leave the country. The court heard he remained in the country one year, four months and a day after he was instructed to return home.

Speaking through an interpreter yesterday, Vercine, Presuma, Charles

and Pierre told the magistrate that the person who was supposed to apply for their visa extensions died during the storm. They also claimed they had received injuries during the hurricane and did not have any money to purchase tickets to return home.

After accepting their guilty pleas, Magistrate Forbes fined Vercine, Presuma and Pierre $1,500 or 12 months in prison each.

He also fined Charles $2,000 or 15 months behind bars. Upon the payment of the fines or completion of the sentences, the men will be handed over to the director of immigration for deportation.

director of the Telecommunications Development Bureau, ITU, explained the impact of cyberattacks and cybercrimes.

“In the last year, the COVID health crisis has brought with it an

unprecedented surge in online activity sadly accompanied by a corresponding surge in criminality with bad actors taking advantage of the climate of fear, uncertainty...

“We are witnessing a truly

disturbing rise in violent and inappropriate online content internet scams... an analysis estimates that material damages of cybercrime alone could exceed staggering $6 trillion this year,” she said.

PAGE 6, Thursday, February 11, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

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EU was late, overconfident on rollout of COVID vaccines BRUSSELS (AP) — As the European Union surpassed 500,000 people lost to the virus, the EU Commission chief said Wednesday that the bloc’s much-criticised vaccine rollout could be partly blamed on the EU being overoptimistic, over-confident and plainly “late”.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen defended the EU’s overall approach of trying to beat the pandemic with a unified vaccine plan for its 27 nations, even if she admitted mistakes in the strategy to quickly obtain sufficient vaccines for its 447 million citizens.

“We are still not where we want to be. We were late to authorise. We were too optimistic when it came to massive production and perhaps we were too confident that, what we ordered, would actually be delivered on time,” von der Leyen told the EU parliament.

On the vaccine authorisation, which left the EU three weeks behind Britain in starting its vaccination campaign, von der Leyen promised action. She said the EU would launch a clinical trial network and adapt the approval process to get doses quicker from the labs into the arms of a needy population.

“It’s is true there are also lessons to be drawn from the procedure we have followed. And we are already drawing them,” she told legislators.

The European Medicines Agency has approved three coronavirus vaccines for the bloc so far — from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Oxford-AstraZeneca — and is reviewing others.

Despite weeks of stinging criticism as the EU’s vaccine campaign failed to gain momentum compared to Britain, Israel and the United States, the main parties in the legislature stuck with von der Leyen’s approach of moving forward with all member states together.

“The key decisions were right,” said Manfred Weber, the leader of the

Christian Democrat European People’s Party.

The Socialists and Democrats party leader Iratxe Garcia said “Fiasco, catastrophe, disaster: they ring very true to our citizens,” but added her party will stick with von der Leyen on the bloc moving together. “Criticism is necessary but with a constructive spirit.”

Von der Leyen’s assessment came as the bloc’s death toll passed a landmark of 500,000, a stunning statistic in less than a year that fundamentally challenges the bloc’s vaunted welfare standards and health care capabilities.

It came as the bloc was fighting off the remnants of a second surge of COVID19 that has kept nations from Portugal to Finland under all kinds of lockdowns, curfews and restrictions as authorities race to vaccinate as many people as possible.

The last official weekly figures from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control are expected Thursday but Johns Hopkins University produced a daily tally showing EU virus deaths at over 500,800 on Wednesday.

The United States, with a population of 330 million, leads the world’s national virus toll with more than 468,000 deaths.

Von der Leyen stuck with her promise to have 70 percent of the EU’s adult population vaccinated by the end of summer and blamed big pharmaceutical companies for not keeping vaccine production up high enough.

“Indeed, industry has to match the groundbreaking pace of science,” von der Leyen said. “We fully understand that difficulties will arise in the mass production of vaccines. But Europe has invested billions of euros in capacities in advance, and we urged the member states to plan the vaccine rollout. So now we all need predictability.”

By RAF CASERT Associated Press

Why run AWOL Miller?

EDITOR, The Tribune.

I READ in The Tribune that several PLP supporters are unhappy with Golden Isles MP Vaughn Miller being selected as their standard bearer over Michael Halkitis, who has been nominated in St Barnabas.

Judging from the comments made by these PLPs, Miller has been pretty much AWOL since becoming that constituency’s MP under the Free National Movement’s (FNM) banner in 2017. When he left the FNM in December 2019, I recall reading comments about him being invisible in Golden Isles. I didn’t put too much stock into those comments due to them being made by FNMs who were obviously upset with Miller. Those AWOL accusations, however, now seem to have some merit, due to PLPs echoing the same claims made by disgruntled FNMs in Golden Isles. Apparently, abandoning the unpopular FNM for the PLP has done little in raising his popularity ratings among PLPs in Golden Isles.

With FNMs in that community unhappy with him for leaving their party, and with PLPs still feeling sentimentally attached to Halkitis, the belief by the PLPs in The Tribune article about the possibility of Miller losing seems to be legitimate. What I find disturbing is that the PLPs interviewed admitted in one breath Miller’s ineffectiveness as MP, while stating in the other that

jamaaltheartist@gmail.com

they will still vote for him.

I commend these PLPs for being candid about Miller’s uninspiring performance as MP. But even they would have to admit that what they said to The Tribune is a dead giveaway. How can you tell me that your MP has been AWOL and then turn around and beg me to vote for him? Miller spoke about the challenges of being an Opposition MP, as opposed to a government MP, who is in a more favorable position to assist people. But Miller had been a government MP for over two and a half years, and a parliamentary secretary – a position one notch below a Cabinet post – for over one year. And yet FNMs and PLPs have still complained about the lack of activities on the ground by his team – months before he had joined the PLP. As for St Barnabas MP Shanendon Cartwright, while he is chairman of Bahamas Public Parks and Beaches Authority, he is still, for all intents and purposes, a backbencher, who has not allowed his Parliamentary status to deter him from delivering maximum service to St Barnabas constituents, whether they’re FNMs or PLPs. The situation with Miller underscores just how unfair the system is.

On the other hand, the Golden Isles incumbent, no doubt, is hoping for his PLP predecessor to unseat the current St Barnabas MP, who has outperformed the other 38 MPs in Parliament by a wide margin, inclusive

of Miller. I challenge anyone to compare Cartwright’s MP record with Miller’s. The disparity between the two MPs is so wide, that it would be a great travesty if Cartwright loses and Miller wins. Here we have an AWOL MP hoping to be re-elected on the sole basis of the unpopularity of the FNM, while hoping for one of the greatest performing MPs in the 292 year history of Parliament to lose to his political colleague, Halkitis. You cannot make this baloney up. I have nothing against Halkitis. I think the PLP is doing him a grave disservice by fielding him in St. Barnabas to take on a generational talent in Cartwright. The PLP should’ve placed Halkitis in Golden Isles instead.

If there’s any one MP who deserves to win, it is Cartwright, based on his stellar performance in St Barnabas.

If Cartwright isn’t deserving of being re-elected to Parliament, then neither does PLP Leader Philip Brave Davis or FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis. I hope the day comes when Bahamians will start electing candidates on their individual merits, rather than their affiliation to the political party of their choice.

Miller should be judged by Golden Isles constituents based on his performance over the past four years, not because he hitched his wagon to the PLP. KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Grand Bahama.

February 10, 2021.

Jamaal Rolle is on holiday

Oil and democracy a tough mix EDITOR, The Tribune.

IN A previous letter (published on January 12, 2021), I maintained that a legislative ban on oil drilling and extraction would not amount to compulsory possession or acquisition without compensation of BPC’s property under Article 27 of The Constitution.

I also pointed out possible risks with this position – risks the legislative branch of government should not allow to deter it from enacting a ban on oil extraction. These risks are even smaller if the limitations in Article 27 are considered.

In a follow-up letter (published on January 20, 2021), I advanced the point that the executive branch of the government, across both administrations, possibly violated a democratic norm when they agreed to terms permitting oil extraction without considering a very relevant factor – the position of the Bahamian people on such a critical matter.

I also advanced the position that, in considering whether to enact a ban, a consideration for law-makers might be that BPC knew the risk they were taking when they entered into licensing agreements without first knowing the will of the Bahamian people; that Parliament might seek to protect Bahamian democracy and override an irrational decision made by the Executive to permit oil extraction that had not taken into account the very relevant factor like the position of the Bahamian people on such a matter of critical national importance.

I then explained how our Westminster-style of government, on occasion, permits the Executive in Parliament, along with other law-makers in the Legislature, to function as a check and balance on Executive actions and decisions. I wish to now add to the democracy argument.

A key component of the meaning of democracy is self-governance by majority rule guided by the principle of political equality.

Arguably, however, democracy cannot be reduced simply to universal enfranchisement, with each adult citizen exercising one vote in fair and free elections.

Though majority rule is an integral part of the concept of democracy and we should never take for granted the struggle to achieve majority rule and how the quiet revolution in our land set the basis for the precious and fragile tradition of peaceful transfer of political authority in our county, democracy means, in a modern Bahamas, more than majority rule based on fair and free elections.

In between elections, we also expect to participate in governance, as part of an ever-evolving and broadening understanding of democracy and self-governance.

Of course, we do not expect to participate in every governmental decision, for why have a government in the first place.

However, on governmental decisions that have far-reaching national consequences, we demand that some attempt be

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net made by our political leaders to systematically gauge the will of the people, as one of the factors in a rational decision-making process.

Likewise, the guiding democratic principle of political equality, which lays the basis of the concept of one man/woman one vote, means more than merely the guarantee of voting equality.

Political equality also requires us to address the problem of the uneven playing field when it comes to influence over the governmental decisionmaking process and the factors that contribute to this malady.

Simply put – some individuals, groups, and entities have greater sway over our decision-makers in government than others for reasons that are unacceptable.

The state of political inequality in any community is driven by a myriad of factors.

However, there are some factors that should never be allowed to play a role in the decision-making of public authorities and elected officials.

One such factor is the material or financial selfinterest of those tasked with making governmental decisions in the national interest. When an elected or non-elected public official is in a position to financially or materially benefit from an official decision that he or she is about to make, or has made, the public official is placed in position of conflict of interest.

It is a basic rule of good governance, democracy, and the rule of law that public officials should never position themselves to materially or financially benefit from a public decision in which the public official is involved.

Conflict of interest in public decision-making (real or apparent) erodes public trust in governance; it is absolutely one of the greatest dangers to maintaining a national community.

Conflict of interest within government becomes particularly egregious when the benefit that the public official stands to gain from the decision is provided by an individual or entity that has or will be affected by the public official’s decision.

In this situation, the individual or entity is rightly seen as inappropriately inducing the public official to make the decision in a way that will benefit the individual or entity.

Political inequality is a consequence of such real or apparent corruption.

The individual or entity able to provide the benefit to the public official – the inducement – is given an improper advantage over others in the process of influencing the public official’s decision.

The interests of the influencer is given a special weight in the calculation of the interests that have to be weighed in the decision of the public official because the public official stands to personally benefit by giving the influencer’s interest special consideration.

Across the globe, political equality and democracy

are assaulted on a daily basis in two principal ways: (1) special interest influencers are provided with a disproportional amount of influence over the decision-making of government because of corruption; and (2) the special advantage given to corrupting special interest influencers is not based on a rational, public interest factor, but rather the personal interests of a corrupt public official.

An inquiry is needed to determine the possible conflicts of interest involved in the decision to grant BPC exploratory and extraction drilling permission.

Allegations have been made that politicians involved in the decision had financial interests in law firms handling the licensing and approval process for BPC. If this allegation has any basis, then Parliament should conduct an inquiry to determine if improper influence (real or apparent) was exercised over elected public officials linked to BPC through the local law firms hired by BPC to conduct BPC’s licensingapproval work.

While BPC has announced that Perseverance #1 will be, “permanently plugged and abandoned”, BPC says it will seek to continue to monetise its Bahamian operations through farm-in agreements.

There is a lot of uncertainty in the oil industry concerning Peak Oil and the movement of oil prices in the future.

What we do know is that oil reservoirs that are not presently viable for commercial purposes can become commercially viable in the future depending upon supply and demand factors with the oil markets.

We are therefore not out of the woods when it comes to having to deal with the risks of big oil companies coming knocking on our doors for the hydrocarbons in our seabed.

The executive branch of government would be wise not to renew the BPC licenses that are set to expire soon.

If it cannot find a way to break with BPC, then a legislative ban on exploratory oil-drilling and extraction is an option to stop the madness.

Perhaps Parliament should enact a moratorium on exploratory and extraction drilling in any event, after a thorough review of the situation and the position of the Bahamian people on the matter.

Our nation should have a firm position on local oil extraction, in keeping with the concept and practice of self-governance.

We should also seek to put in place, in keeping with the concept of political equality and deepening our democracy, mechanisms to control conflict of interest.

Our courts, when presented with the opportunity, will interpret and enforce Article 1 of our Constitution: “The Commonwealth of The Bahamas shall be a sovereign democratic State.” All of us, however, should strive to shape the meaning and practice of democracy.

MICHAEL STEVENSON Nassau, February 10, 2021.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, February 11, 2021, PAGE 7

Grand Bahama man accused over drugs

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net A GRAND Bahama man was charged with possession of dangerous drugs this week in Freeport.

Brandon Grant, 26, appeared before Magistrate LaQuay Laing accused of possessing Indian hemp on February 6.

Prosecutor Sergeant Calsey Arthur told the court Grant was found with four grams of marijuana valued at $20. He did not object to bail.

Magistrate Laing granted Grant $500 bail with one surety and adjourned the matter to May 4.

In other court news, a Freeport man was charged with stealing, causing damage, assaulting a police officer, disorderly behaviour and resisting arrest.

It is alleged that on February 6, Paul Santiague, concerned with another, stole a black Champion generator, the property of Anthony Taylor. It is also alleged that on February 8, he intentionally caused material damage to a black cell phone, allegedly assaulted a police officer while in the execution of his

duties, behaved in a disorderly manner, used obscene language to the annoyance of the police officer, and resisted arrest.

Santiague pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

Prosecutor Sergeant Arthur did not object to bail.

Magistrate Laing granted Santiague $2,000 bail with two sureties. The matter was adjourned to May 4.

In a separate matter, Kimia Strachan, 20, of Cottonball Lane, Freeport, pleaded guilty to the charges of causing harm and causing damage.

Strachan admitted to causing harm to Timonique Rolle on February 5. According to the particulars, the virtual complainant went to CID around 11.25pm on the date in question. She reported at about 9pm, while at a house in Hudson Estates, she got into a verbal altercation with the defendant, who beat her about the body.

She also reported her prescription glasses, valued at $487, were broken during the altercation.

Police arrested Strachan, who admitted to the offence.

Asked by the judge if she was employed or in school,

Strachan said she was looking for a job. She explained the situation occurred after a misunderstanding between the complainant and her older sister, whom she was defending.

The magistrate explained to Strachan a police record could ruin her job prospects or even getting a travel visa.

On the causing harm conviction, he granted her a conditional discharge and ordered her to be of good behaviour for three months. If she breaches the condition, she will be convicted and fined $500 or one month in prison.

He also granted a conditional discharge on the causing damage conviction. He ordered Strachan to pay $500 compensation to the virtual complainant to repair her prescription glasses by February 26. If she doesn’t pay, she will be convicted and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine or three months in prison.

Magistrate Laing told Strachan if she complies with the conditions, he will grant her an absolute discharge in both matters. He adjourned the matters for review on May 10 for the first count and February 26 for the second count.

MAN JAILED FOR STEALING FROM BOSS

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

AN Eleuthera man who admitted walking into a woman’s unlocked house and stealing $4,000 worth of her personal belongings was yesterday sentenced to six months in prison.

Reginald Gibson, 56, was charged with housebreaking and stealing after he unlawfully entered his employer’s Harbour Island residence and stole her MacBook laptop and a backpack that was filled with medication on January 30.

He admitted the offences when he appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes.

The court heard the complainant told police when

she returned home that day, she realised her residence had been broken into and some of her belongings were missing. She then filed an official report and requested police action.

Officers investigating her complaint were able to speak with the woman’s neighbours, who told them they had seen Gibson in the area earlier that day acting in a suspicious manner. The defendant, who was previously known to police, was arrested a short time later.

When he was interviewed in custody, he admitted stealing the items and later took officers to the place where he had stashed the stolen goods.

Yesterday, Gibson told the magistrate he used to do landscaping for the complainant. He claimed

he walked into her house because it wasn’t locked and said he decided to steal the laptop and backpack because his house recently burned down and he did not have any money. He admitted the complainant never gave him permission to enter her house.

After listening to his explanation, Magistrate Forbes accepted Gibson’s guilty plea and sentenced him to six months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. He told the defendant that the maximum penalty for the offence he committed was five years, but he considered the fact that Gibson had cooperated with the investigation from the onset and was forthright in admitting his guilt.

MAN WHO GAVE FALSE NAME IS FINED

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A MAN who gave police officers a false name when he was stopped for a traffic violation was yesterday fined $150.

Wilson Tourson, 46, was arrested after he lied to Police Corporal 3972 Cadet on February 5.

The prosecution said officers on foot patrol

on Marlborough Street stopped Tourson after they noticed his vehicle’s disk did not match his plates.

When the officers asked Tourson his name was, he told them his surname was Charles. However, the officers realised he was lying after he gave them his ID which had his real name printed on it. Tourson was subsequently arrested and taken to a nearby station.

In an interview with police there, he admitted lying to officers and said he only did so because he was afraid.

During the hearing, Tourson also said he lied because he knew he had a pending traffic ticket and got a “little nervous” after he was approached by police.

After pleading guilty to the offence, he was fined $150 or one month on remand.

THE RIBBON cutting ceremony for the new plaza.

Photo: BIS

PLAZA ‘A DEMONSTRATION OF INVESTOR CONFIDENCE’

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

A NEWLY built $3m Brickhouse Plaza in Freeport opened by Bahamian contractor Rev Lloyd Rolle is said to be a demonstration of the faith and investor confidence in Grand Bahama.

At the grand opening this week, Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness, Management and Reconstruction Iram Lewis described it as a “great leap of faith,” and encouraged other Bahamians to do the same.

“I am pleased to be here for the opening of this Brickhouse Plaza; I am more pleased to see it is an investment from a local son of the soil…who has utilised his talents to achieve new heights,” he said.

Opposition leader Philip “Brave” Davis, accompanied by PLP Senator Fred Mitchell, also attended

and congratulated Mr Rolle and his family for such a significant investment in Grand Bahama at a very challenging time for the island.

Rev Lloyd Rolle, the contractor of Brickhouse Construction, acquired land off East Sunrise Highway a week before Hurricane Dorian hit, and the project was postponed.

The plaza, designed by architect Burton Miller, is 21,000 sq ft and comprises 20 shop spaces, including a beauty salon, sports lounge, pharmacy, bakery, and café.

Mr Lewis commended Rev Rolle on the swift pace at which the plaza was built by his construction firm.

“Had it not been for COVID-19, this building would have been completed a long time ago. We thank you for your persistence. I am sure your father, the late John N T Rolle, would be very proud. Today is a proud day in the life of the Rolle

family. This speaks volumes to the confidence that Bahamians have in the Bahamas,” he said.

Mr Davis also commended Rev Rolle, whose company was also awarded a major contract by the Christie Administration for the construction of a new school at Holmes Rock, West Grand Bahama.

“In the midst of a situation that many would easily describe as hopeless where despair can easily set in, Lloyd Rolle, a local contractor, has stepped forward and demonstrated great hope, resilience, and confidence in the people of Grand Bahama by investing in its future while significantly contributing to this island’s post Hurricane recovery and reconstruction efforts,” Mr Davis said.

The opposition leader has called on the government to do more to assist small businesses and vendors on Grand Bahama during “this very challenging period.”

PAGE 8, Thursday, February 11, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

The conceits and decline of US Republican Party IT STILL surprises the number of Bahamians who little understand American society or politics but who, hook, line and sinker, have been caught and netted by the country’s mythologies, which continue to be unmasked, demystified and demythologised by the march of facts and history.

This includes quite a number of Bahamians still mesmerised by the Republican Party and a number of easily debunked and baseless shibboleths and mantras, including the simplistic meme that the Republican Party and a Republican President are naturally better for the Bahamas economy.

Ho-hum, yet another threadbare cliché.

One inveterate letterwriter, who often fulminates with fundamentalist frothing, suggested this very notion a few weeks ago, suggesting why the re-election of Trump may have been better for our economy.

Some people prefer anecdotes and emotionalism rather than considered analysis when proffering opinions typically unsubstantiated by facts and a

little common sense.

When the American economy improves, our economy improves, though there is much more The Bahamas can do to take advantage of a thriving economy in the US. There are longstanding structural changes The Bahamas must make to take fuller strategic advantage of our proximity and relationship to the US, including how we may better reduce unemployment and spur more dynamic growth.

Writing in the New York Times last week in a piece entitled, “Why Are Republican Presidents So Bad for the Economy?”, David Leonhardt observed: “A President has only limited control over the economy. And yet there has been a stark pattern in the United States for nearly a century. The economy has grown significantly faster under Democratic Presidents than Republican ones.

“It’s true about almost any major indicator: gross domestic product, employment, incomes, productivity, even stock prices. It’s true if you examine only the precise period when a president

Trump repeatedly downplayed the coronavirus pandemic, and the country suffered. The economy would have experienced a downturn no matter who was President, but his scattered response aggravated the pandemic and the recession.”

the old Confederacy - giving the majority to the Democratic Party - demonstrated the conundrum in which Republicans will increasingly find themselves.

The conundrum: the need to hold on to the base deeply enthralled by Trump and to win white suburban voters and moderates disgusted by the deep-seated Meanwhile, quite a racism, misogyny, homonumber of Bahamian men phobia and intolerance of are enraptured by the this base. aggressive machismo of the This columnist rememRepublican Party which bers when California was they deem to be more mus- a safe Republican state cular and masculine, playing at the presidential level. to the male supremacist and California is now blue, patriarchal instincts of cer- with Virginia, Georgia and tain men whose analyses North Carolina all purple, are often more driven by likely heading to blue. In testosterone than reason. the years to come, Texas Even as the Repub- may also be in play. lic Party is in decline The long-time observer and controlled by white of American politics Ron supremacists and anti-for- Brownstein has observed: eigner ideologies, there are “Trump has imposed a black Bahadistinctive mians who ‘The conundrum: bet on the still gleefully GOP. He’s and giddily the need to hold on increased its lend their to the base deeply reliance on affections to enthralled by Trump the people a party which and places views them and to win white least touched with racist suburban voters and by - and most and nativist moderates disgusted resistant to contempt.

- the seismic The evi- by the deep-seated demographic, dence and racism, misogyny, cultural and arguments economic homophobia presented changes by the US and intolerance remaking House of of this base.’

America, Reprewhile accelsentatives erating the party’s retreat in impeachment managers in the places, and among the the second trial of Donald people, that most welcome Trump in the Senate are those changes... emotive and compelling.

“As Robert P Jones, They contrast dramatically CEO and founder of with the shambolic and the non-partisan Public anaemic defence offered by Religion Research InstiTrump’s lawyers. tute, recently calculated, Despite the near disposi- the GOP coalition today tive briefs by the managers, closely resembles the racial the overwhelming majority and religious profile of of Republican senators are people who are 65 or older unlikely to convict the man in the overall US populawho incited violence at the tion, while Democrats more US Capitol and who put closely resemble the profile their lives at risk and con- of those who are younger tinues to bully them. than 30. ‘It’s just not a susThe Republican federal tainable trajectory,’ he legislators are paralysed says.” with fear at Trump’s power To survive, the Repubto mobilise a state and local lican elites are engaged in base of white supremacists a massive and aggressive and Christian nationalists frontal assault on Ameriwho continue to support can democracy, which the former President as the assault on the Capitol their demigod and dema- epitomized.

Republicangogic leader. controlled state legislatures Donald Trump success- will continue to devise fully marshalled the worst measures to disenfranchise instincts of racism, tribal- black and Latino voters. ism and nativism to win the One writer has described US presidency through the contemporary Republican Electoral College. In both politics as a “cycle of conhis 2016 and 2020 races he traction and purification”. not only failed to win the popular vote. He lost both races by millions.

The Republican Party has The twisted and outralong known that the coun- geous gerrymandering of try’s demographic shifts, congressional seats and the including greater black and obscene strategies to supbrown voting power, more press black voters are part younger liberal voters of of a comprehensive and all colours, and shifting diabolical plan to thwart affiliations by many white American democracy in the suburban voters spells more interests of a white Repubelectoral decline at the fed- lican elite, of which Senate eral level.

Minority Leader Mitchell The outcome of the McConnell is a national Georgia federal Senate face. run-offs, which saw an AfriMcConnell knows the can-American and a Jewish bind in which his party man elected in the heart of finds itself. But even this

ENRAPTURED

is in office, or instead assume that a president’s policies affect the economy only after a lag and don’t start his economic clock until months after he takes office.

“The gap ‘holds almost regardless of how you define success,’ two economics professors at Princeton, Alan Blinder and Mark Watson, write.

They describe it as ‘startlingly large’.”

Of Trump’s economic response to COVID-19, Leonhardt writes: “Mr

DIABOLICAL

hard-bitten politico and tactician seems unsure how to manoeuvre the crosscurrents that resulted in bloodshed at the Capitol.

The election of Trump to the presidency represented many decades of the dynamics and forces of Republican electoral politics which has reached a sort of apogee, but which may now be heading toward decline.

The former Republican strategist, Steve Schmidt, with decades of political experience and who understands the racial politics the party has played since the presidency of Lyndon Johnson, has left the party and is now a Democrat.

He has written with urgency and disgust at what now constitutes the heart and soul of Republicanism: “The die is cast for the Republican Party...

“The poisonous fruit from four years of collaboration and complicity with Trump’s insanity, illiberalism and incompetence are ready for harvest. It will kill the GOP because its Pro-Democracy faction and Autocratic factions can no more exist together than could the Whig Party hold together the Abolitionist with the Slave master.

It won’t happen overnight, but the destination is clear.

“The Conservative party in America is dead. It may continue to bear the name ‘Republican’ but it will be no such thing. Fascism has indeed come to America, and as was once predicted it is wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross…

“There are only two sides in American politics now.

There is the American side and the Autocratic side...”

The Republican Party that may have existed in the younger days of many Bahamians, the party with moderates in the US Congress and the White House, the party that helped advance institutions like the Environmental Protection Agency and other actually progressive measures, is dead and will not be resurrected.

Despite the viciousness, the assaults on democracy and decency, the violence and hatred of the Trump ascendancy and its aftereffects which will last for some time, perhaps America needed to experience this cancer and bile in greater relief.

America will continue to struggle with its original sins.

How the Republican Party will reckon with these demons internally will have a profound impact on the body politic and on an America increasingly weakened by the conceits and decline of one of its major parties, which will likely have to lose more elections federally before any serious and sustained reckoning.

While politicians often fail to change in response to a moral imperative, it is the loss of power that typically focuses the mind and leads to change and conversion.

THE TRIBUNE

So, what’s this really about and how will it end?

THE two friends were back on Anne’s patio, sitting six feet apart from each other, bundled up and wearing masks except when they were sipping from mugs of hot coffee that was a necessity because in America where they sat, it is very cold in February.

Helen looked at her friend through the steam rising from her hot drink.

“As a kid, I learned that congressmen and women are supposed to represent the sections of states that elected them and sent them to Washington. Senators, we were told, were supposed to represent not only the entire state that chose them but also to keep an eye on the overall national interest.

“What in the world happened to that?”

Anne paused to reflect before answering. She knew her earnest friend expected a thoughtful answer, but it was tough concentrating in the cold. “Damnable virus,” she thought to herself. “But we have to keep taking it seriously.” She looked over at Helen.

“Yes, that’s what we learned about Congress in primary school. And in the House of Representatives, they still act that way.

They speak with what they believe is the voice of the voters who chose them. So everyone from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in Queens, New York City to Devin Nunes in Orange County in Southern California speaks their mind - pretty sure that their mind represents the views of a majority of their voters.

“If the House is raucous and fractious, it’s because the country is that way now.”

STATESIDE

with Charlie Harper

Helen was nodding.

Anne continued.

“I think the problem is the Senate. These men and women face the voters only every six years. They’re supposed to be part of a sober, deliberative body that sees and responds to the national interest.

“Senators are supposed to lead, not to follow.

“But the senators are acting like congressmen now. Many of them are just as partisan as their House counterparts. Look at Ted Cruz (Texas) and Josh Hawley (Missouri). These guys are waving their arms in the air and shouting about stolen elections and illegal immigrants like a street corner agitator. And some of the Democrats are just as bad, though they are better mannered these days.”

Helen shifted in her seat and after exchanging a glance, the two old friends stood up at the same time.

“I’m getting stiff in the cold,” Helen said. “Let’s take a walk to get the blood circulating again. And let’s warm up our coffee.”

Now the two women were walking along quiet streets in their leafy neighbourhood. A dog barked.

The happy sounds of kids laughing and playing was comforting. Helen looked at her friend.

“What is going on with

this impeachment trial? It’s all so confusing. The President is out of office, but it does seem like he stirred up that riot at the Capitol.”

“The Republicans in the Senate are stuck,” Anne replied quickly. “They know Trump tried to overturn a valid, fair election.

It’s obvious that he incited that riot, and I think it will turn out that not only did the White House help to plan all that disorder but that Trump’s flunkies in the Pentagon deliberately delayed approval to deploy the National Guard to the Capitol in order to punish Congress and Mike Pence for defying the President’s wish to remain in office.”

“Well,” Helen said, “if that’s the case, why in the world wouldn’t the Senate convict Trump and then make sure he could never run for office again?”

Anne paused. Her friend had slowed her pace, her face drawn with uncertainty and confusion. Anne finally spoke.

“I think the answer is primary elections. Too many GOP senators worry about Trump’s influence with Republican voters.

They fear – because Trump has threatened this – that if they defy him, he’ll stir up primary election challenges when they’re up for re-election. That’s not only expensive, but it can lead

WHAT’S RUBIO REALLY UP TO? AS THE US Senate continues Trump’s impeachment trial this morning, let’s consider Marco Rubio.

This man is the senior senator from the crucial, pivotal state of Florida, facing uncertain re-election prospects next year.

Only five years ago, he was the Barack Obama of the Republican Party.

He was a rising star. The son of immigrants from Cuba with a compelling personal and family narrative, Rubio seemed bright, articulate and reasonable.

He could be the face of Republican resurgence in the rapidly growing and increasingly influential Hispanic and Latino communities in the US. There was talk that he might win the hotly-contested Republican presidential nomination. Mainstream party loyalists, fearful of the telegenic demagogue from New York City, proudly boasted of their support for Rubio.

But something happened along the way to Rubio’s

coronation. Donald Trump happened.

Remember some of the nicknames and insults Trump tweeted at Rubio?

“DISGRACE!” Rubio “treated America’s ICE officers ‘like absolute trash in order to pass Obama’s amnesty.”

“Lightweight!”

“Not as smart as Cruz, and may be an even bigger liar.”

“Looks like a little boy on stage.”

“Not presidential material!”

“Couldn’t even respond properly to President Obama’s State of the Union Speech without pouring sweat & chugging water!”

And the ultimate putdown: “LITTLE MARIO.” Rubio never recovered, though after Trump dismissed him from the primary field Rubio was able to renege on a previous promise and run successfully for re-election.

Over the next four years, Rubio metamorphised into a true Trumper. Now,

like his Florida colleagues Senator Rick Scott and Governor Ron DeSantis, he has been all too eager to show what a fierce Trump loyalist he can be.

Before Trump’s current Senate impeachment trial, Rubio declared the trial was “stupid,” apparently daring fellow senators Hawley, Cruz and Arkansas’ Tom Cotton to top his disparaging comments. He tweeted the following: “Waste of time! Impeachment isn’t about accountability. It’s about demands for vengeance from the radical left.

And a new “show” for the Political Entertainment Industry.”

Rubio is acting this way in an attempt to deflect the ultimate 2022 primary election challenger – Ivanka Trump herself.

But Rubio hasn’t learned the lesson of Jeff Sessions and so many others: Trying to patch up things with Trump is like riding the back of a tiger.

Sooner or later, the tiger will throw you off and eat you.

THE NATION’S BEST GEORGE Shultz died last week at the age of 100.

Many 20th Century American diplomats will recall Shultz as the best Secretary of State under whom they served. The US has not seen his equal since he left office.

Born in New York City and the beneficiary of a prep school and Princeton education, Shultz served in World War II with the Marines and got a PhD from MIT. He taught economics at MIT, the University of Chicago

and Stanford. He was also only the second person to serve in four different cabinet positions – the first three under Richard Nixon.

As Labour Secretary, Shultz confronted racism in some trade unions. As the first director of the US Office of Management and Budget and later as Treasury Secretary, Shultz dealt with issues arising from the American dollar’s status as the world’s reserve currency.

At State, he guided

Reagan through the process of helping dismantle the old Soviet Union, which collapsed under the weight of its unwieldy defence spending and general internal inefficiency, corruption and rot just after Shultz left office.

No less a witness than then-Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev later said that “without Reagan, the Cold War would not have ended. But without Shultz, Reagan would not have ended the Cold War.”

to upset defeats. Remember the Tea Party? That was only a decade ago. Several established senators were beaten in primary elections when a small number of zealots can and often do determine the result.”

“So these senators are putting their narrow selfinterest in reelection above the interests of the country,” Helen said. “Is that what you are saying?”

“It sure looks that way to me,” Anne replied.

“But after we saw such a clumsy initial defence from Trump’s lawyers in this impeachment trial, maybe their incompetence will give enough Republican senators enough cover that they will find the courage to do the right thing. But I would not bet on it.”

The friends walked on for a while in silence. There was nothing more to say.

Pictured right, one of the men who took part as the Capitol was stormed in January in the US.

Thursday, February 11, 2021, PAGE 9

PAGE 10, Thursday, February 11, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

CHINESE SPACECRAFT ENTERS MARS ORBIT, JOINING ARAB SHIP

IN this undated photo released by the China National Space Administration, a view of the planet Mars is captured by China’s Tianwen-1 Mars probe from a distance of 1.37 million miles.

BEIJING Associated Press A CHINESE spacecraft went into orbit around Mars yesterday on an expedition to land a rover on the surface and scout for signs of ancient life, authorities announced in a landmark step in the country’s most ambitious deep-space mission yet.

The arrival of Tianwen-1 after a journey of seven months and nearly 300 million miles is part of an unusual burst of activity at Mars: A spacecraft from the United Arab Emirates swung into orbit around the red planet on Tuesday, and a US rover is set to arrive next week.

China’s space agency said the five-ton combination orbiter and rover fired its engine to reduce its speed, allowing it to be captured by Mars’ gravity.

“Entering orbit has been successful ... making it our country’s first artificial Mars satellite,” the agency announced.

The mission is bold even for a space programme that has racked up a steady stream of achievements and brought prestige to China’s ruling Communist Party.

If all goes as planned, the rover will separate from the spacecraft in a few months and touch down safely on Mars, making China only the second nation to pull off such a feat. The rover, a solarpowered vehicle about the size of a golf cart, will collect data on underground water and look for evidence that the planet may have once harbored microscopic life.

Tianwen, the title of an ancient poem, means “Quest for Heavenly Truth.”

Landing a spacecraft on Mars is notoriously difficult. Smashed Russian and European spacecraft litter the landscape along with a failed US lander.

Police beg for help, senators flee in Trump impeachment video WASHINGTON Associated Press PROSECUTORS unveiled chilling new security video in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial yesterday, showing the mob of rioters breaking into the Capitol, smashing windows and doors and searching menacingly for Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as overwhelmed police begged on their radios for help.

In the previously unreleased recordings, the House prosecutors displayed gripping scenes of how close the rioters were to the country’s leaders, roaming the halls chanting “Hang Mike Pence,” some equipped with combat gear.

Outside, the mob had set up a makeshift gallows.

Videos of the siege have been circulating since the day of the riot, but the graphic compilation amounted to a more complete narrative, a moment-by-moment retelling of one of the nation’s most alarming days.

In addition to the evident chaos and danger, it offered fresh details on the attackers, scenes of police heroism and staff whispers and cries of distress.

At one dramatic moment, the video shows police shooting into the crowd through a broken window, killing a San Diego woman, Ashli Babbitt. In another, a police officer is seen being crushed by the mob. Five people died.

The vice president, who

A SECURITY video shows Vice President Mike Pence being evacuated as rioters breach the Capitol. had been presiding over a session to certify Joe Biden’s victory over Trump — thus earning Trump’s criticism — is shown being rushed to safety, where he sheltered in an office with his family just 100 feet from the rioters. Pelosi was evacuated from the complex before the mob prowls her suite of offices, her staff hiding quietly behind closed doors.

Police overwhelmed by the mob frantically announce “we lost the line” and urge officers to safety.

One later died.

Though most of the Senate jurors have already made up their minds on acquittal or conviction, they were riveted, and sat silently. Rioters had rummaged through their desks

in the very chamber where the impeachment trial is now being held. Screams from the audio and video filled the chamber. One Republican, James Lankford of Oklahoma, bent his head, a GOP colleague putting his hand on his arm in comfort.

“They did it because Donald Trump sent them on this mission,” said House prosecutor Stacey Plaskett, the Democratic delegate representing the Virgin Islands.

“President Trump put a target on their backs and his mob broke into the Capitol to hunt them down.”

Some senators acknowledged it was the first time they were grasping how perilously close the country came to serious danger.

“When you see all the pieces come together, just the total awareness of that, the enormity of this, threat, not just to us as people, as lawmakers, but the threat to the institution and what Congress represents, it’s disturbing,” said Republican Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.

“Greatly disturbing.”

The stunning presentation opened the first full day of arguments in the trial as the prosecutors argued Trump was no “innocent bystander” but the “inciter in chief” of the deadly Capitol riot, a president who spent months spreading election lies and building a mob of supporters primed for his call to stop Biden’s victory.

The House Democrats showed piles of evidence

from the former president himself - hundreds of Trump tweets and comments that culminated in his Jan. 6 rally cry to go the Capitol and “fight like hell” to overturn his defeat.

Trump then did nothing to stem the violence and watched with “glee”, they said, as the mob ransacked the iconic building.

“To us it may have felt like chaos and madness, but there was method to the madness that day,” said Rep Jamie Raskin, D-Md, the lead prosecutor, who pointed to Trump as the instigator.

“And when his mob overran and occupied the Senate and attacked the House and assaulted law enforcement, he watched it on TV like a reality show.

He reveled in it.”

In one scene, a Capitol Police officer redirects Sen Mitt Romney, R-Utah, down a hallway to avoid the mob. It was the same officer, Eugene Goodman, who has been praised as a hero for having lured rioters away from the Senate doors.

“It tears at your heart and brings tears to your eyes,” Romney said after watching the video. He said he didn’t realise how close he had been to danger.

The day’s proceedings unfolded after yesterday’s emotional start that left the former president fuming when his attorneys delivered a meandering defense and failed to halt the trial on constitutional grounds.

Some allies called for yet

another shakeup to his legal team.

Trump is the first president to face an impeachment trial after leaving office and the first to be twice impeached. He is charged with “incitement of insurrection” with fiery words his defense lawyers say are protected by the Constitution’s First Amendment and just figures of speech.

The prosecutors are arguing that Trump’s words were part of “the big lie” — his relentless efforts to sow doubts about the election results. Those began long before the votes were tabulated, revving up his followers to “stop the steal” though there was no evidence of substantial fraud.

Trump knew very well what would happen when he took to the microphone at the outdoor White House rally that day as Congress gathered to certify Biden’s win, said Rep Joe Neguse, D-Colo.

“This was not just a speech,” he said.

Security remained extremely tight yesterday at the Capitol, fenced off with razor wire and patrolled by National Guard troops.

The difficulty facing Trump’s defenders became apparent at the start as they leaned on the process of the trial, unlike any other, rather than the substance of the case against the former president. They said the Constitution doesn’t allow impeachment at this late date, after he has left the White House.

SPORTS PAGE 11

SEE PAGE 13

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2021

Freedom Farm Baseball returns with All-Star weekend

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

T

he Freedom Farm Baseball League outlined its plans for a return to the baseball diamond following a nearly yearlong hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the largest youth sports programmes in the country, FFBL is scheduled to host a scouting combine and All-Star weekend for its oldest age divisions this weekend, February 13-14, in the league’s complex on Yamacraw Beach Drive.

The weekend will feature the league’s top 50 players ages 13-18 in a showcase of drills and exhibition games for international scouts and coaches.

“The league has recently gotten approval to resume baseball games,” said Clarence McKenzie, the league commissioner, in a press release.

“We have received numerous requests from professional and collegiate organisations to observe our top players, we have decided to start our season with an All-Star Weekend.”

The weekend begins on Saturday with the 13-14 60-yard dash at 9:15am followed by the group’s

first of two exhibition games at 10am.

At noon, the 15-18 age group will host their 60-yard dash series, followed by infield and outfield evaluation drills for both divisions at 12:40pm.

Day one concludes with the 15-18 exhibition game.

Day two will feature the second 15-18 game at 10am followed by the final 13-14 game at 1pm.

FFBL has been on hiatus since March 15 due to restrictions set in place to combat the spread of COVID-19.

The League consists of nine divisions ranging from RookieT Ball to 15-18, (two softball

divisions for junior and senior girls) and features approximately 800 players.

The league has been instrumental in positioning players to go off to college and on to the professional ranks.

They are also very successful on the national stage.

FFBL has formed a hygiene committee that comprises health care professionals who will make recommendations to the board in an effort to adapt to COVID-19 protocols.

In addition, the league also follows major guidelines set in place by the World Baseball Softball Confederation, the Babe

Ruth Organisation and others to develop ideas on how to proceed moving forward.

The Bahamas Baseball Association also created a prevention guidelines document to assist a uniform return to competitive play for leagues around the country.

There document features over 100 recommendations outlining prevention and safety methods.

Spectators will not be allowed at the field during the All-Star Weekend.

However, the games will be live-streamed on Facebook via 10th Year Seniors and Freedom Farm Facebook pages.

YOUNG AND CAVALRY ADVANCE TO SEMIFINALS

JAMES AND LAKERS QUIET THE THUNDER 114-113 IN OVERTIME

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James hit the tying 3-pointer late in regulation and then broke up the Thunder’s final possession in overtime to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to their sixth consecutive victory, 114-113 over Oklahoma City last night.

James had 25 points, seven assists and six rebounds for the defending NBA champions, who survived their third consecutive overtime game.

Montrezl Harrell scored 20 points, and Dennis Schröder had 19 points and seven rebounds.

Al Horford scored 25 points and Kenrich Williams had a career-high 24 for the Thunder, who excelled at Staples Center despite having just eight available players for backto-back narrow losses to the defending NBA champions.

James hit a tying 3-pointer with 19.6 seconds to play in regulation, and Wesley Matthews hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer for the Lakers with 41.4 seconds left in overtime.

After Luguentz Dort made a driving layup, James airballed a long jumper to give Oklahoma City one last shot with 4.3 seconds to play — but James anticipated the Thunder’s midcourt inbounds pass and knocked it into the backcourt, leaving the Thunder with no time to get a good shot.

MILWAUKEE Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) backs down Phoenix Suns centre Deandre Ayton (22) during the first half last night in Phoenix. Ayton scored 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds. (AP)

Ayton scores 17 to help Suns top Bucks, 125-124 PHOENIX (AP) — Devin Booker scored 30 points, Chris Paul added 28 and the Phoenix Suns extended their winning streak to four games by rallying to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 125-124 last night.

Milwaukee had its five-game winning streak snapped despite getting a season-high 47 points from Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Bucks had a chance to win it on the final possession, but Antetokounmpo missed a 20-foot jumper at the buzzer.

The Suns have won seven of eight and have a 15-9 record.

Phoenix struggled to slow the Bucks’ offence, especially in the first three quarters. Milwaukee has scored at least 120 points in every

Phoenix rallies to beat Milwaukee despite Giannis’ 47 points game over their past six. The Suns took their first lead of the second half at 104-101 when Paul made a 3-pointer with 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Frank Kaminsky made another long ball less than a minute later to push the Suns ahead 107-101.

Booker made a step back 3-pointer with 2:30 left to put the Suns up 124-116 but the Bucks pulled to 124-122 with a minute left on Khris Middleton’s corner 3.

Antetokounmpo flushed a dunk on

the next possession to tie it at 124 with 50 seconds left.

Booker made a free throw with 32 seconds left that proved to be the difference.

The Bucks had a 12-point halftime advantage, but the Suns quickly cut it to 79-75 after back-toback 3-pointers from Mikal Bridges and Chris Paul. The game stayed tight from that point and Khris Middleton’s 15-foot jumper gave the Bucks a 101-98 advantage entering the fourth.

CHAVEZ Young and the Canberra Cavalry continued their recent streak into the Australian Baseball League playoffs and advanced to the semifinals.

Young went hitless on the night, but the defending champions’ bid to repeat continues after a 3-2 win over the Sydney Blue Sox at the MIT Ballpark in Narrabundah, Australia.

It was the third Wild card game win for the club in the last three seasons. They will advance to face the top overall seed Melbourne Aces at Melbourne Ballpark in Altona, Australia.

The Perth Heat will face the Adelaide Giants in the second semifinal.

The final four teams will compete in a double elimination bracket from February 12-14.

The loser from each semifinal will be relegated to the Elimination Final.

A single Championship Game will take place on February 14.

According to the ABL, the double elimination bracket games, including the Championship Game, will be played in one location.

Limited by quarantine restrictions and a foot injury, Young appeared in just seven of the 23 regular season games for the Cavalry. He is currently ranked No. 30 on the Toronto Blue Jays’ prospect list.

He hit .217 with a .467 OPS, five hits, two runs, one RBI, five total bases and two stolen bases.

BAHAMIAN STUDENT-ATHLETES SHINE AT JUNIOR COLLEGE LEVEL

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net SEVERAL Bahamian student-athletes are having an immediate impact on their respective programmes at the Junior College level.

Raschard Greene is charting among the top players in all of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) in several advanced analytics categories and points per possession.

A redshirt freshman guard for the Hill College Rebels, Greene has an adjusted field goal percentage of 64.3 and is scoring 1.128 points per possession (PPP).

He ranks No.12 in both categories among qualified players, according to Synergy Sports’ measurement of NJCAA half-court offence.

Adjusted FG percentage measures shooting efficiency by taking into

account the total points a player produces through his field-goal attempts.

Points Per Possession explains how efficiently a player or team uses their time with the basketball to score points. The greater the PPP, the greater efficiency a player or team has at scoring points during their possession.

Green is averaging 11.7 points, six rebounds and 1.2 assists per game through seven games. He is shooting 64 percent from the field and made his only threepoint attempt thus far this season.

He made his season debut with 13 points on a perfect 5-5 day from the field in Hill’s first matchup against DFW Prep. He had a season-high 18 points on 9-11 shooting against Odessa College and finished with 15 points on 6-10 shooting in the second matchup against DFW Prep.

Hill is off to a 5-2 start to the season in NJCAA Region V. Greene, a 6’ 3”

RASCHARD Greene is charting among the top players in all of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) in several advanced analytics categories, and points per possession.

guard, was a member of the St John’s College Giants before he made the transition to St Louis Christian in St Louis, Missouri.

Davonte Jennings has moved into the starting lineup for the Seward County Community College Saints. After playing just four minutes off the bench in his collegiate debut, Jennings got the start the following game and finished with 10 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals in an 81-77 win over Cowley College. He also had nine points, four rebounds and four assists in a loss to Coffeyville Community College.

Seward’s proposed matchup against Neosho County Community College was postponed due to COVID-19 protocols.

Jennings, a 6’1” point guard, played locally in Grand Bahama with the St George’s Jaguars before concluding his high school years among the Bahamian pipeline of students at

Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas.

Lathaniel Bastian and his Trinity Valley Community College are off to a 5-1 start to the season in NJCAA Region XIV. After a loss in their season debut, the Cardinals have reeled off five consecutive wins. Bastian has averaged 4.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game on 52 percent shooting from the field. The senior forward scored a season-high 10 points against Jacksonville College. He posted seven points and 10 rebounds against Navarro College.

In August, Bastian participated in the All-American Junior College Basketball Showcase in Stone Mountain, Georgia.

The showcase was designed for the players to play in front of a national audience on ESPN, CBS Sports and Rivals with NBA personnel and numerous other national media and scouting services on hand.

PAGE 12, Thursday, February 11, 2021

SPORTS

THE TRIBUNE

Djokovic holds off Tiafoe, Venus hobbles out in Australia

By JOHN PYE AP Sports Writer MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Frances Tiafoe had never played a No. 1, had never beaten anyone in the Top 5, and now he’d just won a tiebreaker against Novak Djokovic to level their second-round match at the Australian Open.

He nodded and motioned for more noise before plonking down in his courtside chair and saying what everyone watching already knew: “I love this. ... I love it!”

That lasted right up until the pivotal moment in the fourth set, serving at 3-all, 30-all, when he walked to the side of the court to get a towel, dry his face, and didn’t resume play before the countdown clock ran out.

He was given a time violation by the chair umpire, and docked a serve.

He lost that game, and didn’t win another.

The 23-year-old American, quarterfinalist here two years ago, threw everything he could at Djokovic. But it wasn’t quite enough to beat the eight-time Australian Open champion, who won the 3 1/2-hour afternoon match 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (2), 6-3.

“I felt like that kind of broke the match, honestly,” Tiafoe said. “And he ran off with it.

“Hats off to him, but that was a terrible ending to the match, to such a high-quality match.”

Tiafoe shook his head after finishing the match with a double-fault, then jogged to the net to embrace Djokovic. He’ll take plenty from this. He said he knows he can compete at this level.

“He pushed me to the very limit,” Djokovic said.

“He’s a very quick player.

It’s unpredictable what comes next ... I’m really glad to overcome such a battle.”

Djokovic served 26 aces, Tiafoe 23. Djokovic had the edge in terms of winners (56-49).

After assessing the stats, Djokovic said he couldn’t remember serving more aces, or seeing more serves pass him, in a match in a long time.

“Credit to him,” the 17-time major winner said, “for forcing me to feel uncomfortable.”

Djokovic also agreed in his on-court, post-match interview that Tiafoe got a tough call. It was hot and sunny — the temperature peaked at 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) — and Tiafoe had just lost a long rally.

“Those kinds of things are just unlucky,” Djokovic said. “He deserved to have the first serve.”

Tiafoe later said he was glad Djokovic acknowledged it, but he still thinks there needs to be “conversations” about allowing more time between points while COVID-19 pandemic restrictions mean ballkids can’t hold the towels for players.

“Could I have handled it better? Yes,” Tiafoe said, answering his own question. “Yeah, I mean, that just broke me. I’m out there battling world No. 1, and like he needs any more help, you know.”

Djokovic will play another American in the third round after No. 27-seeded Taylor Fritz who held off Reilly Opelka 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5), 6-2.

Dominic Thiem, who lost the final last year to

VENUS WILLIAMS, of the US, receives treatment to leg injuries during her second round match against Italy’s Sara Errani. (AP)

SERBIA’s Novak Djokovic makes a forehand return to United States’ Frances Tiafoe during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championship yesterday.

(AP Photo/Rick Rycroft) Djokovic but went one better to win the US Open, took a short route to the third round with a 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 win over Donimik Koepfer and will next play unpredictable Australian Nick Kyrgios.

Another US Open champion, Naomi Osaka, needed only an hour to sweep Caroline Garcia 6-2, 6-3.

Serena Williams kept her bid for a 24th Grand Slam singles title on track, making only 11 unforced

errors as she defeated Nina Stojanovic 6-3, 6-0.

But a 21st trip to Melbourne Park ended painfully for her older sister, Venus Williams.

The 40-year-old Williams, a seven-time major winner making her 88th Grand Slam main draw appearance, was down 5-1 in the opening set against Sara Errani when she landed awkwardly on her ankle as she approached the net for a volley.

She fought back tears before receiving treatment on the ankle, and gamely continued, hobbling between points, before losing 6-1, 6-0.

Two top 10 players went out of the women’s draw: 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, coming back from 15 months out with injury, was beaten by Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan and ninth-seeded Petra Kvitova, a two-time Wimbledon champion and the 2019

Australian Open runner-up, lost to Sorana Cirstea “It’s strange,” Hsieh, who is ranked 71st and has a history of inconsistency, explained of her 8-2 record against top 10 players. “I normally feel more excited to play with better players.

Second-seeded Simona Halep narrowly averted an early exit, rallying from 5-2 down in the third set to beat No. 72 Ajla Tomljanovic 4-6, 6-4, 7-5.

French Open champion Iga Swiatek, seventh-seeded Aryna Sabalenka and 2020 Australian Open runnerup Garbiñe Muguruza all advanced, along with Ann Li, a 20-year-old American who beat Alize Cornet 6-2, 7-6 (6).

No. 11 Denis Shapovalov, No. 14 Milos Raonic and No. 20 Felix Auger-Aliassime all advanced, keeping Canadian interest alive, and sixth-seeded Alexander Zverev completed the night session on Rod Laver with a 7-5, 6-4, 6-3 win over American qualifier Maxime Cressy.

Crowd numbers lifted on a nice, sunny day, hitting 19,900 across day and night sessions — a maximum of 30,000, or roughly 50 percent of capacity, are allowed through Melbourne Park under COVID-19 restrictions.

There were thousands in John Cain Arena, known by Kyrgios and his fans as the Peoples’ Court, to watch the mercurial Aussie save two match points before beating No. 29 Ugo Humbert 5-7, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4 in a rollicking night cap full of turns and twists.

“I don’t know how I did that, honestly,” Kyrgios said, thanking the parochial, vocal crowd. “It’s one of the craziest matches I’ve ever played.”

SPORTS

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, February 11, 2021, PAGE 13

WOW, LOOK AT THE PEOPLE!

FANS watch the NFL football Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrate their Super Bowl 55 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs with a boat parade in Tampa, Florida, yesterday.

Brady-Brate trophy pass wows Bucs’ Super Bowl boat parade

By FRED GOODALL AP Sports Writer TAMPA, Florida (AP) — Even on the water, it seems the connection between seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady and his receivers cannot be denied.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers held a boat parade yesterday to celebrate their first NFL title in 18 years on a sun-splashed day with thousands of fans lining the Hillsborough River near downtown Tampa.

At one point, Brady was captured on video tossing the NFL’s Lombardi Trophy from his boat across the water to a shirtless Cameron Brate in another boat.

That brought wild cheers from fans and players.

Brady threw two of his three touchdown passes in the team’s 31-9 Super Bowl victory over the Kanas City Chiefs to Rob Gronkowski, who teamed with Brate to form one of the best tight end tandems in the NFL this season.

As the parade came to a close, coach Bruce Arians said the Bucs could easily repeat as champions if the team stays intact.

Brady has already said he’ll be back, and Arians is determined to hold on to several other key players, too.

“We have the best coaching staff in the NFL. And we damn sure have the best players in the NFL,” Arians said. “We’re going to keep the band together.”

Mayor Jane Castor had emphasised that people attending the parade needed to wear masks outdoors and observe social distancing rules.

It appeared many abided by the mask order but many others did not. There were also dozens of people on private boats, kayaks and other watercraft crowding the river to catch a glimpse of the team. They were directed to stay at least 50 feet (15 metres) from the boats carrying players.

After Tampa Bay’s win in Sunday’s title game, throngs of people gathered in the city’s entertainment districts. Many were seen maskless despite the orders requiring them.

For Tampa Bay players and the team’s fans, celebrating their first Super Bowl win since the 2002 season was the main attraction yesterday.

“We just made history in all the world,” said

BUCCANEERS NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski holds up the Vince Lombardi trophy during the boat parade.

NFL football tight end Tanner Hudson left, wide receiver Mike Evans, middle, and wide receiver Scott Miller celebrate. linebacker Jason PierrePaul. “This means so much to me, I’ll do it again. We’re gonna do it again.”

Wide receiver Chris Godwin said the team came together at the right time.

After a sluggish start, the Buccaneers reeled off eight straight wins to claim the championship.

“We fought all year. We stuck together. And now we’re world champions,” Godwin said.

Brian Ford, chief operating officer of the Buccaneers, said in video announcement that fans should heed the rules as they celebrate the team’s victory.

“It’s essential we do it the right way,” Ford said.

“We want to do our part to ensure it’s done in a safe and responsible manner.”

Also yesterday, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis lashed out at the news media when he suggested there is bias in coverage of the pandemic, particularly at the Super Bowl in Tampa.

“You don’t care as much when it’s a peaceful protest,” he said at an appearance in the city of Venice, south of Tampa.

“You don’t care as much if you’re celebrating a (President Joe) Biden election.

You only care about if it’s people you don’t like.”

DeSantis attended the Super Bowl and was photographed at times not wearing a mask despite a requirement to do so.

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TAMPA Bay Buccaneers NFL football quarterback Tom Brady waves to fans as he celebrates their Super Bowl 55 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs with a boat parade yesterday.

(AP Photos/Phelan Ebenhack)

SPORTS

PAGE 14, Thursday, February 11, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

FLAG FOOTBALL LEAGUE GIVING WOMEN’S CHAMPS SAME PRIZE AS MEN

MANCHESTER City’s Raheem Sterling celebrates scoring yesterday against Swansea City during the English FA Cup fifth round soccer match at Liberty Stadium, Swansea, Wales. (AP)

Man City into FA Cup quarters with record 15th straight win

By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer ONE of the most relentless schedules in the history of English soccer hasn’t stopped Manchester City putting together a record-setting run of wins.

It’s 15 straight victories and counting for Pep Guardiola’s irrepressible team, which has another domestic treble in its sights.

By beating second-tier Swansea 3-1 to reach the FA Cup quarterfinals yesterday, City broke the record for most consecutive wins in all competitions by a top-flight team, a mark that had lasted for nearly 130 years. Preston won 14 in a row in 1892 and that was later matched by Arsenal’s class of 1987.

City has gone one better during a pandemic, when matches in the Premier League or domestic cup competitions are being played

every three or four days to fit them into a condensed season that started a month later than usual.

Indeed, by also advancing last month to the English League Cup final, City has played every weekend and midweek since November 21 — except for an eight-day break from December 26 to January 3 during which the team’s training ground was closed because of a coronavirus outbreak. The number of first-team players to test positive ran into double figures.

“That means a lot in this toughest period, in the Christmas and winter time,” said Guardiola, whose side leads the Premier League by five points with a game in hand. “To do what we have done in this time is quite remarkable.”

Guardiola earned his 200th win in 268 games in charge of the team.

City won 20 straight games in all competitions from AugustDecember 2017, also under Guardiola, but one of those victories came in a penalty shootout in the League Cup after a 0-0 draw after extra time.

Also advancing to the last eight was Sheffield United, a 1-0 winner against second-tier Bristol City, and Leicester, which beat Brighton by the same score thanks to Kelechi Iheanacho’s goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

EASY FOR CITY In the 2018-19 season, City became the first English team to achieve the domestic treble, beating Swansea en route to winning the FA Cup that year by coming from 2-0 down to win 3-2 in the quarterfinals.

City didn’t need to produce anything as dramatic this time, taking the lead in the 30th when Kyle Walker’s low cross into the

penalty area was missed by the sliding Ferran Torres at the near post and ended up creeping inside the far post.

Rodri played in Raheem Sterling to double the advantage in the 47th, before Gabriel Jesus controlled a header across goal

by Bernardo Silva and slammed in a left-footed shot three minutes later.

Morgan Whittaker grabbed a consolation for Swansea, which included two United States internationals -- Jordan Morris, who made his first start, and Paul Arriola, who made his debut as a second-half substitute following his loan move from DC United.

Their US teammate, Zeck Steffen, played in goal for City.

In the late game yesterday, Everton beat Tottenham 5-4.

Manchester United and Bournemouth advanced to the quarterfinals on Tuesday.

NEW YORK (AP) — The American Flag Football League is adding a women’s division and will have the same $200,000 prize for both its men’s and women’s champions.

“We are proud to make Flag the first sport to institute pay equity from day one,” CEO and founder Jeffrey Lewis said yesterday. “How could we even consider playing football without a level playing field?”

Adrienne Smith will oversee football operations and corporate partnership development for the women’s division.

Michelle Roque will handle social media for the league and marketing for the women’s division.

Smith led the Boston Renegades to national titles in 2011, 2014 and 2019. Both she and Roque represent Team USA on the Female Flag Football team and are advisers on the new women’s division.

The AFFL has had former NFL and Division I football players along with Olympic athletes and others play since 2016. The league has about 150 teams overall in its men’s division, and both men’s and women’s finals are set to wrap up by the end of August.

The first women’s tournament will have eight teams with two qualifiers for spots in the field.

Nike and the NFL announced last week a commitment of $5 million in equipment to help expand girls’ flag football in high schools. The investment is a multiyear plan starting with a one-time donation up to $100,000 in gear to state athletic associations offering girls’ flag football as a high school sport or making progress with a pilot programme this year.

Florida is the first state to get a grant and has been promoting girls’ flag football for more than a decade. Only five other states sanction high school flag football for girls: Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and New York.

LaVine has 46 points, Bulls hit 25 3s in win over Pelicans CHICAGO (AP) — Zach LaVine scored a season-high 46 points, hitting nine of Chicago’s franchise-record 25 3-pointers, and the Bulls cooled off the New Orleans Pelicans with a 129-116 victory last night.

Coby White made eight 3s and scored 30 points in an impressive show by Chicago’s starting backcourt. Led by LaVine and White, the Bulls went 25 for 47 from beyond the arc and shot 59 percent (48 for 81) overall.

New Orleans had won four in a row, including a 130-101 victory over Houston on Tuesday night. But the Pelicans looked a little tired in the second half of the opener of a four-game trip.

MAVERICKS 118, HAWKS 117 DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic had 28 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds and Dallas rallied to beat the Hawks, a week after ending a six-game losing streak in Atlanta.

The Mavericks kept the ball out of Trae Young’s hands on an inbound play with 4.7 seconds remaining, and Danilo Gallinari’s jumper just before the buzzer was short.

Atlanta coach Lloyd Pierce thought Young was fouled setting a screen on the final play when Willie Cauley-Stein ran into him, and said Young getting knocked down interrupted the intended play.

NETS 104, PACERS 94 NEW YORK (AP) — Kyrie Irving had 35 points and eight assists and Brooklyn was defensively dominant in the first half in shutting down Indiana to snap a threegame losing streak.

A night after an embarrassing effort in Detroit, when the Nets yielded 38 points in the first quarter, the Pacers didn’t reach that total until 8:46 remained in the third.

Irving was 17 for 17 from the throw line, career highs in both categories, and Brooklyn led by as many as 36 points.

James Harden added 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Nets, who expect to get Kevin Durant back from his three-game absence for coronavirus health and safety protocol reasons when they open a fivegame trip to the West on Saturday at Golden State, his former team.

Domantas Sabonis had 18 points and nine rebounds for the Pacers. They have lost four in a row.

CLIPPERS 119, TIMBERWOLVES 112 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kawhi Leonard had a season-high 36 points and Lou

Williams added 27 points in Los Angeles’ victory over Minnesota.

Leonard and Williams hit shots down the stretch, including a pair of late 3-pointers by Leonard, to thwart Minnesota’s comeback try. Los Angeles snapped its first two-game losing streak of the season.

Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns had 18 points and 10 rebounds in his return to action after missing 13 games. Towns announced on January 15 that he tested positive for COVID-19 and remained on the league’s health and safety protocol list until yesterday, when coach Ryan Saunders said Towns was a game-time decision.

NUGGETS 133, CAVALIERS 95 DENVER (AP) — Paul Millsap scored a season-high 22 points, Michael Porter Jr added 19 and Denver routed Cleveland to snap a three-game skid.

The Nuggets opened a 23-point lead in the first half, saw it increase to 34 in the third — notoriously a problem quarter for them this season — and coasted from there as Nikola Jokic and his fellow starters got the fourth quarter off. Jokic had 12 points and 12 assists.

RAPTORS 137, WIZARDS 115 WASHINGTON (AP) — Norman Powell scored 28 points, Pascal Siakam added 26 and Toronto made 19 3-pointers in its victory over Washington.

Seven Raptors hit at least one 3-pointer, with Kyle Lowry leading the way with 5-for-9 shooting from deep. He finished with 21 points. Toronto shot 59 percent from long range (19 for 32).

NBA leading scorer Bradley Beal had 24 points for Washington. Russell Westbrook had 23 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

GRIZZLIES 130, HORNETS 114 MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Kyle Anderson hit a career-high six of Memphis’ franchise-record 23 3-pointers and scored 27 points to help the Grizzlies beat Charlotte to snap a four-game losing streak.

Dillon Brooks added 20 points, Desmond Bane and Grayson Allen scored 18 each, and Ja Morant had 15 points and 11 assists.

Terry Rozier led the Hornets with 34 points, connecting on 12 of 17 shots.

LaMelo Ball added 17 points, and Gordon Hayward and Malcolm Bridges added 15 points apiece. Bridges had 10 rebounds.

PSG’s Neymar reacts to the referee Benoit Bastien as he claims a foul after a challenge by Marseille’s Alvaro during the French League One soccer match at the Velodrome stadium in Marseille, southern France, on Sunday. (AP)

NEYMAR LIMPS OFF IN PSG VICTORY, 8TH STRAIGHT WIN FOR MONACO

By JEROME PUGMIRE AP Sports Writer PARIS (AP) — Neymar limped off injured as French Cup holder Paris Saint-Germain held on for a 1-0 win at second-tier Caen in the round of 64 on yesterday.

The Brazil star was replaced with about one hour played, a few minutes after a heavy challenge from behind by central defender Alexis Beka Beka in the 54th minute.

Neymar clutched his left knee as he lay on the ground and went off moments later after trying to keep on playing.

PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino said after the game that Neymar had injured his adductor muscle.

It is bad news for Pochettino with PSG playing Barcelona — Neymar’s former club — next week in the first leg of the Champions League’s round of 16.

“It’s difficult to say right now if he will be available against Barcelona. We’ll see tomorrow (Thursday) with the doctor,” Pochettino said. “It’s difficult to talk about his condition

without having more information.”

PSG is already sweating on the fitness of winger Angel Di Maria, who injured his thigh last Sunday against Marseille.

Caen did well in the first half, twice testing the goalie, and held firm until striker Moise Kean put 13-time Cup winner PSG ahead early in the second half when he volleyed home Neymar’s left-wing cross.

Kean had another chance saved shortly after, but Caen could have equalised near the end when substitute Caleb Zady Sery dragged his shot wide.

Monaco won 1-0 at second-division Grenoble to make it eight straight wins in all competitions, while league leader Lille notched a seventh consecutive victory with a 1-0 success at Dijon.

Attacking midfielder Stevan Jovetic scored in the first half for Niko Kovac’s side, while 19-year-old Guinea midfielder Aguibou Camara got his first goal for Lille.

Also in the round of 64, Marseille won 2-0 at second-division Auxerre

to snap a seven-game winless run. Struggling striker Dario Benedetto netted just his fifth goal in 29 games this season, and Ahmadou Bamba Dieng’s grabbed his first for Marseille since recently joining from Senegalese club Diambars. Nantes lost 4-2 at home to Lens, amid reports that coach Raymond Domenech was to be sacked after losing four and drawing four games since taking charge.

Striker Andy Delort’s 11th goal in 22 games helped Montpellier earn a 2-0 win at Strasbourg.

Bordeaux lost 2-0 at home to Toulouse, which is in second place in the second division.

In other matches, attacking midfielder Rony Lopes scored twice as Nice won 3-1 at Nimes; Metz scored an injury-time goal to win 2-1 at Amiens, and Brest beat second-division Rodez 2-1. In Thursday’s games, 2019 winner Rennes travels to face first-division rival Angers and last year’s runner-up Saint-Etienne goes to second-tier Sochaux.

Lyon progressed on Tuesday after routing second-tier Ajaccio 5-1.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, February 11, 2021, PAGE 15

TOKYO OLYMPICS OPENING CEREMONIES WILL AIR LIVE IN US

By JOE REEDY AP Sports Writer UNITED States viewers will get to watch the opening ceremonies of the Tokyo Olympics live.

Since Tokyo is 13 hours ahead of New York, interested US residents will be watching the July 23 ceremonies on NBC at 7am EDT, 4am EDT in Los Angeles.

Molly Solomon, the executive producer and president of NBC Olympics Production, said the global significance of gathering in Tokyo during the pandemic, as well as changing viewing habits, were the main factors in deciding to air the opening live in the morning for the first time.

“I think like so many of us, people’s lives have changed. And after we had all been locked down for a few months, the postponed Olympics, and its meaning, I think became very clear that it will be an incredibly moving moment in sports and in the world when the world comes together,” she said. “We recognised we had to make our production plans be equal to the challenge of these

unprecedented challenging times. And that meant a live opening ceremony and an enhanced primetime broadcast where most of the folks will gather to watch it.”

The ceremonies will be followed by a special edition of the “Today Show” with reaction and athlete interviews and a three-hour daytime show previewing the next 16 days. It will mark the first time NBC will do a daytime show on the first Friday of the Games.

NBC’s primetime show will then re-air the ceremony, beginning at 7:30pm EDT. NBC live-streamed the opening and closing ceremonies from the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, on its Olympic site before airing delayed coverage of both in the evening. NBC hasn’t made a final decision on who will host the opener this year. Primetime host Mike Tirico and Katie Couric anchored coverage from Korea three years ago.

Solomon said the past nine months since the Tokyo Games were postponed have been spent refining coverage plans, including reducing how

PAKISTAN HOPES TO CARRY TEST FORM INTO T20S AGAINST SAFRICA

By RIZWAN ALI AP Sports Writer ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan aims to capitalise on its 2-0 victory in the test series against South Africa when it takes on the Proteas in the threematch Twenty20 series that begins today.

“The result of test series will have an impact on the Twenty20 series,” Pakistan bowling coach Waqar Younis told reporters during a virtual press conference in Lahore yesterday.

Pakistan beat South Africa in a test series for the first time in 18 years with two emphatic victories at Karachi and Rawalpindi.

Fast bowler Hasan Ali grabbed a 10-wicket haul in Pakistan’s 95-run win in the second test as the Proteas lost their last seven wickets for only 33 runs in the second innings and were bowled out for 274.

Waqar was the bowling coach when a second-string Sri Lanka routed Pakistan 3-0 at Lahore in 2019.

The result saw Sarfaraz Ahmed being stripped of the captaincy and Babar Azam was chosen as the white-ball skipper before eventually being named as all format captain after Pakistan lost the test series in England last year.

This time around, Waqar is not underestimating the second-string South Africa without its T20 regulars -captain Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis, Rassie van

der Dussen, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi.

They were all part of the Proteas’ test squad in Pakistan but flew home as South Africa planned to prepare for the three-test series against Australia, which was postponed.

The South Africa Twenty20 squad was en route to Pakistan when Australia pulled out of the series and eventually it was too late for the Proteas to keep some of the members of test squad in Pakistan.

Hasan, who returned to international cricket in the test series against South Africa after two years due to injuries, is part of Pakistan’s Twenty20 squad with Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf to give Pakistan a formidable pace attack.

Pakistan had to leave out Mohammad Hafeez after he couldn’t join the team’s bio-secure bubble in Lahore by the February 3 deadline.

Legspinner Usman Qadir, who was named man of the series in Pakistan’s home Twenty20 series against Zimbabwe last year, and uncapped leggie Zahid Mahmood are Pakistan’s slow bowling options.

South Africa, led by Heinrich Klaasen, has only David Miller in its lineup with some experience of playing in Pakistan.

Miller toured Pakistan in 2017 with a World XI side which played three-match Twenty20 series with du Plessis as its skipper.

Stay tuned.

many people will be taken to Japan. The number of production people devoted to the Games will remain the same, but there will be more people at NBC Sports’ Stamford, Connecticut, production headquarters, as well as in New York and other auxiliary locations, compared to the past.

While COVID protocols have delayed many events, Solomon said she remains confident key events will still air live in the US, even if there are any scheduling changes after continued discussions with the International Olympic Committee and Tokyo organisers.

“Once we started to see the architecture of how this is all going to work, I have to say it’s very familiar to us because we’ve been producing events since the pandemic began. And while all sports are different, they’re all very similar,” Solomon said.

NBC plans to air more than 7,000 hours of coverage across its many networks. There will also be live streaming of all events on its NBCOlympics website.