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Volume: 121 No.58, February 14, 2024

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: PRICE–$1

EXTRA PAYOUT OVER UNLAWFUL DETENTION Court orders $396k settlement for Cuban held without charge

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net THE damages awarded to a Cuban-born man who was falsely and unlawfully detained at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre have increased by $148k after the Court of Appeal reviewed his case.

Ramon Lop will now receive $396k.

Immigration officers in Grand Bahama arrested him sometime in early May 2009 on suspicion that he tried to take part in human smuggling. Then Supreme Court Justice Indra Charles found that he was eventually detained at the detention centre unlawfully for eight months.

He was never charged

Practice makes perfect

SEE PAGE FIVE

inquest into Fatal shooting oF two Men by Police begins

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net THE families of two men killed in a fatal 2017 police chase on Tonique William Darling Highway were asked to leave the courtroom yesterday as close-ups of one of the men’s bloodstained corpse lying on the sidewalk was shown after the inquest into the matter began.

The actions of seven police officers are under scrutiny in the Coroner’s Court inquiry, which will examine whether the officers were justified in killing the men.

Richard “Buddy” Bastian and Harold Brown were killed on Tonique William Darling Highway around 1am on December 2, 2017.

While one of the men SEE PAGE FIVE

COVENT Garden Dance principal dancers during a rehearsal yesterday ahead of ballet performances at Old Fort Bay this week. See PAGE TWO for more photos.

Photo: Dante Carrer

‘Psychological evaluation required for organ transplant programme’

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net PEOPLE looking to participate in the government’s National Organs Transplant Programme will undergo psychological

evaluation and counselling first, according to Health Minister Dr Michael Darville, who said some local nurses have already been trained for the programme and draft legislation is complete.

The Davis administration

allocated $1.2m for the programme in the 2023-2024 budget.

Dr Darville said an ethics committee will be established for the programme.

“When you transplant SEE PAGE TWO

FREE National Movement leader Michael Pintard said Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis resembled a dictator when he urged the press to be more careful reporting violent crime.

He also said the prime minister’s past words have

FNM leader Michael Pintard come “back to haunt him”, noting Mr Davis strongly

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

defended the Progressive Liberal Party’s decision to erect billboards highlighting the murder rate ahead of the 2012 general election. The banners said there were 490 murders under the FNM. Mr Pintard said yesterday: “The truth of the matter is if you had compared the period that he

THE Supreme Court dismissed an unlawful arrest lawsuit Omar Archer brought against the government and ordered him to pay legal costs.

Senior Justice Deborah Fraser rejected Mr Archer’s claim that he was unlawfully arrested, maliciously prosecuted, assaulted and falsely imprisoned by police and had his constitutional rights breached nearly six years ago.

The case stems from Mr

SEE PAGE THREE

SEE PAGE THREE

Pintard calls PM ‘dictator’ over Press coMMent

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

archer’s UNLAWFUL arrest case disMissed

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

PAGE 2, Wednesday, February 14, 2024

THE TRIBUNE

Rehearsing for the upcoming ‘Psychological evaluation required ‘Iconique’ ballet performance for organ transplant programme’ from page one

THE COMPANY from Covent Garden Dance at last night’s rehearsal ahead of their two-night ballet performance with three-course dinner at Old Fort Bay. The first night will be tonight, with the second night on Friday. To book tickets, please e-mail events@coventgardendance.com or go to www. coventgardendance.com.

Photos: Dante Carrer

organs, you need to make sure that everything is above board,” he said. “There’s no selling of organs. You need to make sure that we have watchful eyes; people are not being coerced to give organs.”

“Let’s say you had kidney failure, and your mother needs an organ; sometimes, the pressure in the house almost makes it seem as if you have to do it.

When you start psychological consultation, some of the people who are donating say they feel pressured.”

Dr Darville said a few nurses sent to the United Kingdom for training completed their courses.

“We already have a list that is necessary to ensure that the Princess Margaret Hospital has the technology for the transplant,” he said. “And we are now in the process of finding an administrator and other support staff in order for the transplant programme to be effective.”

Dr Darville said a temporary location off the Princess Margaret Hospital premises has been selected for the programme because the hospital lacks space.

However, he said the programme will ultimately be operated from a new hospital in New Providence.

He noted that organ transplants can involve living donors or corpses, adding that a framework already exists for transplants involving live donors.

Dr Darville said the draft legislation for the programme is complete and out for consultation.

He said some “sensitive issues” in the legislation must be resolved from a medical standpoint.

He said consultation is ongoing among those in the medical community who are keenly interested in the programme.

“Legislation has already been drafted,” he said.

“That is presently unlimited consultation that will come back to the attorney general for final drafting.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS MINISTER DR MICHAEL DARVILLE And once the final drafting is done, then it will go to public consultation after it comes from Cabinet.”

In June 2024, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said the government expected to launch the Bahamas National Organ Transplant Programme before the end of this year.

During his contribution to the budget debate in June 2023, he said as officials determine what is required to execute and sustain the programme, kidney transplants from live donors to improve the quality of life for hemodialysis patients will be the first performed.

This initiative is expected to reduce the ministry’s cost for the current public hemodialysis programme, where more than 600 patients receive treatment.

In the meantime, The Bahamas works with the University of Miami to harvest organs.

He said the university recently harvested the organs of Tomas McIntosh,

an officer declared brain dead after a catastrophic road accident. The man’s family made the difficult decision to donate his organs.

“He was never worked up to see whether or not he would be a match in the country, so the timeframe or the window was too narrow, which means now those organs can easily go into a data bank in the continental United States, and they can determine where there’s a match,” he said.

Dr Darville said although the officer’s extraordinary donation was not kept in the country, Bahamians in an organ transplant programme in the United States can benefit from similar circumstances.

“Let’s say we have a Bahamian donate organs, and then I have a Bahamian who goes to the University of Miami, to another clinic for kidney transplant and is worked up. He is eligible to go into a database and if he’s in the database he can get organs from donors in the United States,” he said.

HIV/AIDS PROGRAMME OFFERED FREE TESTING before Valentine’s Day at Marathon Mall

THE BAHAMAS National HIV/AIDS Programme in partnership with the Bahamas AIDS Foundation hosted a free HIV testing event ahead of Valentine’s Day yesterday. The event, held at The Mall at Marathon, raised awareness and encouraged everyone to know their status.

Photo: Moise Amisial

VALENTINE’s Day shoppers visit pop-up booths located on the field near RM Bailey High School looking for last minute deals for their significant others yesterday.

Photo: Moise Amisial

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, February 14, 2024, PAGE 3

Pintard calls PM ‘dictator’ over press criticisms from page one was referencing with the period when they served, if I recall correctly, there were some 601 homicides during one iteration of the PLP regime.”

“Unfortunately, the two times that we’ve had the highest murder rate, it’s been under their administration.”

“So they ought to be very careful about them politicizing crime in the way that they have because the statistics show how lacking they were in designing a comprehensive plan, working with other stakeholders in order to address crime in general, the violent crimes in particular. So he ought to be very careful.

His words are coming back to haunt him.”

The prime minister urged the press to understand their role in maintaining the country’s reputation and called the press to be sensitive.

Mr Pintard chided Mr Davis for telling the media what and how to report murders.

“The prime minister has been a member of the social media long before there was social media by putting up billboards,” he said. “So you don’t get to be a social media specialist when it’s convenient for you.”

“Years later, you have come back now saying that listen, you ought not print the fact that some mother, some father have lost their child on the front page, you should bury that deep in the paper as if the public still would not be aware of the carnage that’s happening in our homes, schools on our streets.”

Mr Pintard disputed the prime minister’s argument that what shows up on the front pages of local dailies determines international press coverage.

“The prime minister is also mistaken to presume that by having images or messages about homicides on the front page, that that alone accounts for what the international press sees or how they characterize us as a country,” he said.

He noted Mr Davis has had a national address highlighting his administration’s approach to crime.

“The question is, and others have asked the question, where did he expect his national address to be broadcast?” he asked.

“Which page did he hope that his national address would land on? I would think it’s the front page and then what it was that he was talking about? He was talking about the carnage in our homes and our schools and on our streets.”

PAC HOPES TO HOST PUBLIC HEARINGS ON A VARIETY OF ISSUES INCLUDING FREIGHT TAX AND BAHAMASAIR FARES, SAYS OPPOSITION LEADER

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net OPPOSITION leader Michael Pintard hopes the Public Accounts Committee will host public hearings as it examines various issues, including Bahamasair costs to Haiti and Cuba.

Last June, the deputy chairman of the Consumer Protection Commission expressed concerns about the selection process surrounding the agency’s latest rental space, and Mr Pintard hopes to release a report on that by March.

He said the PAC is wrapping up interviews with various parties.

“We have written to the speaker in order to do public hearings,” he

said. “Unfortunately, she declined to allow us to use the precincts of the House where the cameras are already in place, so we’re making arrangements now to rent a facility for public hearing.”

“We are going to look at the air freight tax that the government was seeking to introduce just recently and the circumstances surrounding that. We will also look at some of the audited reports around the Ministry of Finance when this administration was last in office.

“We will be looking at all matters related to Bahamasair, including the remarkable amount of money we are losing on the route going into Haiti as well as Cuba, and trying to understand why the books in New Providence

suggest one thing and the books otherwise or the receipts are showing something else.”

“We also want to look at what is motivating the purchase of some of the airlines and also examine whether or not the government has acted against recommendations that they would have gotten from experts on what airlines they ought to have purchased.”

“We’re looking at the Ministry of Transport, and the series of matters that involve their minister making decisions that she was warned against making, and the government then decided to sideline a senior public servant who stood up for proper regulations in that ministry and then, of course, immigration is another area we’re going to look at that carefully.”

Archer’s unlawful arrest case dismissed from page one Archer’s arrest in April 2018. He alleged that he was at an event in Smuggler’s Square when police threatened, intimidated and assaulted him.

He said officers grabbed his jacket and repeatedly punched him about the body, causing him to suffer from a fractured fibula and tibia on his right leg.

After the assault happened, Mr Archer said police wrongfully detained him for several hours, subjecting him to torture and degrading treatment by

officers.

He was charged days later with disorderly behaviour and resisting arrest, among other offences, but the case was eventually dismissed for want of prosecution.

In witness statements filed with the court, a police officer denied Mr Archer’s version of events and accused him of being the aggressor in the incident.

The police constable alleged that Mr Archer verbally attacked him when he approached him about his argument with the deejay at the event.

The officer said he

directed Mr Archer to leave, but he refused to go and later pushed him in the chest, causing him to stumble.

The officer claimed that he and his colleague tried to detain Mr Archer and eventually arrested him.

In her ruling, Justice Fraser said she found the officer’s evidence believable, a stark contrast to Mr Archer’s evidence, which she described as inconsistent and difficult to follow.

“Much of Mr Archer’s testimony was bare denials of any wrongdoing during the event,” her ruling said.

“He testified that he did not use abusive language, yet he contradicts himself several times during his testimony by admitting he did use abusive language.

He denies pushing Corporal Barr, yet he admits that he caused Corporal Barr to fall down due to his weight and holding on to Corporal Barr’s wrist.”

The judge said she found that Mr Archer’s actions necessitated his arrest and was satisfied that police only used necessary force to subdue and arrest him.

“It is clear that any injury inflicted on Mr Archer was

a direct consequence of his own actions,” she wrote.

“It was his own actions that precipitated and necessitated Corporal Barr’s and Constable Thurston’s tactics to contain the violence and maintain peace during the event. The police officers were merely defending themselves and trying to prevent any further violence that night.”

She concluded that Mr Archer was not entitled to any award of damages and dismissed his claims entirely because he failed to prove the allegations.

She also ordered him to

pay the defendants’ cost for this action, which she said would be assessed by the court if not agreed.

Mr Archer served as registrar for contractors under the Minnis administration despite facing several legal issues.

In November 2022, he was sentenced to jail for three months for intentional libel. In 2015, he posted a woman’s photo on his Facebook page and falsely claimed that she had AIDS and was deliberately infecting others and that she had killed her baby and buried the child in a bucket.

FNM LEADER DISCUSSES LABOUR CONCERNS WITH TRADE UNION CONGRESS

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net FREE National Movement leader Michael Pintard met with union leaders associated with the Trade Union Congress to discuss their labour concerns.

A press release issued by the party said a wide range of matters were discussed, including industrial agreements.

The FNM said although a number of industrial agreements were signed, many have not yet been registered and taken effect.

“Trade unionists shared with the opposition leader the plight of Bahamian performers, some of whom reported feeling marginalised in some hotels as well as being inadequately reflected on the agenda of international guest artists permitted to perform in the country,” the party added.

“The slow pace of staff confirmation was highlighted

–– especially among nurses –– while the country sports nurses to address the shortage.”

The opposition said the groups also spoke about the high cost of living and the “clogging” of the public service by rehiring retired people, among other things.

“Mr Pintard confirmed his party’s commitment to addressing these issues and gave his views on the way forward,” the statement said. “He reiterated his party’s commitment to the national development plan and supporting continuity in government, fairness in addressing promotions, regularising temporary workers and improving the systems in the public service, including the Public Service Commission.”

“Mr Pintard also made clear his intention to consult and collaborate with the various umbrella unions, employees and employers to improve productivity while addressing the concerns of Bahamian workers.”

FREE National Movement leader Michael Pintard met with union leaders associated with the Trade Union Congress to discuss their labour concerns.

PAGE 4, Wednesday, February 14, 2024

THE TRIBUNE

INJURED AFTER FALL Nurses ‘exhausted and fed up’ as some MAN OF 60FT AT GB SHIPYARD wait over four years for confirmation RETURNING TO WORK

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net BAHAMAS Nurses Union president Muriel Lightbourn is angered by how long it takes to confirm some nurses in their posts, saying some have been waiting since 2020.

“We have nurses who would’ve completed their training, they would have gotten their appointment letters, and today they are still not confirmed,” she said in an interview this week.

“When you follow-up on the confirmation, you are always asked, or you are always told oh, this is going to be done, we are waiting on this, we are waiting on the commission, the commission only meets once a week and all this other stuff.”

“I am not about that any longer because these nurses need to be confirmed in their posts.”

“These nurses are expected to go to work and perform and do their job to the best of their abilities,

and you telling me that kind of stuff.”

Ms Lightbourn said the country needs to improve as nurses are exhausted and fed up.

“You know our nurses deserve better and it shouldn’t even be an issue at this point in time and this kind of time, especially when you just brought nurses from abroad,” she said.

“Those nurses are being able to work. They could go to the bank and do whatever they have to do. Why do Bahamian nurses have to suffer? Tell me. Why do Bahamian nurses have to suffer in this country?

That’s unfair.”

The Bahamas has long struggled with a shortage of nurses as many seek better career opportunities in the United States and Canada.

“If I am 20 and don’t have any children,” Ms Lightbourn said, “you think I won’t go where I think the grass is greener? We can’t keep asking them to stay, oh you know this is your home.

No, no, that can’t play.”

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Staff Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Nurses Union president Muriel Lightbourn angered over slowness of govt to confirm nurses.

A YOUNG man hospitalised following an industrial accident at the Grand Bahama Shipyard last month is doing well and back to work, according to a Grand Bahama Port Authority Workers Union official.

Corey Cartwright, GBPAWU president, said the worker did not sustain any serious injuries during the incident on January 28.

The man, who is a 25-year-old permanent employee, was under observation in hospital for two days.

The incident, and another that occurred in December involving a 23-year-old casual worker, Graham Pinder, who was seriously injured after falling some 60ft, have highlighted safety concerns at the shipyard.

The GBPAWU represents over 120 permanent workers at the shipyard and met with officials concerning the recent incident, which involved a crane and a forklift.

Police reported that the incident occurred shortly before 2pm on Sunday, January 28, when the man was trapped between a crane and pieces of steel and sustained injuries to his upper body.

Mr Cartwright explained that the worker was on a forklift helping with repairs when a crane attached to a piece of steel struck him.

“It was a matter that safety was not adhered to, and fortunately, the incident was not one of a life-and-death situation,” he said.

Mr Cartwright said the union and shipyard are working closely to ensure workers follow safety protocols on the job site.

He noted that every ship repair job depends on how fast the ships can get in and out.

More Love More Life Valentine’s Day blood drive at Keva Bethel Building at UB today TODAY, the Kenise Symonette-Darville Foundation is inviting the public to show love in a way that could significantly impact people they don’t even know.

The Foundation is teaming up with the University of The Bahamas for the second annual “More Love, More Life” Valentine’s Day Blood Drive.

“Consider giving love on this day of love in the form of blood - a gift that can save a life,” said Jerad Darville, founder of the KSD Foundation.

The event will be held at UB at the Keva Bethel Building from 10am to 4pm. Couples are encouraged to take time out of their day to come and give blood together, as a form of bonding for a good cause and giving back at the same time.

The KSD Foundation envisions a Bahamas where citizens have equal access to healthcare. By giving blood and donating to the foundation, patrons can assist the foundation with helping the blood bank meet its

ever-demanding needs.

Attendees are encouraged to “be a lifesaver and donate blood”.

The first 50 donors will receive a $25 gift card courtesy of the KSD Foundation. For more information, contact (242) 804-8802, email kenisesymonettedarvillefoundation@gmail.com, or look for the Kenise Symonette Darville Foundation on Facebook and Instagram.

Kenise SymonetteDarville’s untimely death at the Princess Margaret Hospital on January 19, 2023 sent shockwaves through the country, as it occurred just days after her viral Facebook video. In her live video, she called for proper and equal access to healthcare for all. In desperate need of blood, just hours before her death, she made an appeal for blood on her whatsapp status and said that people need to take a stand against sub-par healthcare. Prior to her hospitalisation, she was planning a national blood drive, which members of the KSD Foundation are committed to fulfilling.

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PM and Minister of sPorts celebrate ‘nation builder’ REV DR WILLIAM THOMPSON AT BIRTHDAY EVENT SATURDAY

PRIME Minister and Minister of Finance Philip ‘Brave’ Davis and Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg attended a Sports Community Fun Day at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex, Saturday, to celebrate the upcoming 80th birthday (February 18) of ‘nation builder,’ Reverend Dr William Thompson and to honour his many years of community service in The Bahamas. Amidst the fun-filled activities, Reverend Dr Thompson presented the Prime Minister with one of his personalized birthday softball shirts as one of the highlights of the sporting fete that featured Masters Softball Association exhibition tourneys, the Eva Hilton Rake-n-Scrape Band, Bahamas Department of Correctional Services Marching Band, CR Walker High School Marching Band, a Junkanoo Rush by the Valley Boys, Food vendors and games. In the assembled group of family and friends, Rev. Thompson is pictured centre left; and Prime Minister Davis, centre. Former Permanent Secretary and brother of Rev. Thompson, Harrison Thompson was also present (pictured at right with beige cap), shown next to Minister Bowleg. Reverend Dr. Thompson is being treated to various celebration activities this month, in his honour.

Photo: Kemuel Stubbs/BIS

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, February 14, 2024, PAGE 5

Extra payout over unlawful detention

from page one nor taken to the magistrate as required by the Immigration Act, according to a Court of Appeal ruling released this week.

He was released into the Bahamian community in December 2009 but was subsequently charged and convicted in 2010 of shopbreaking and stealing.

After serving time for these offences and another one-month sentence in 2014 for vagrancy, he was handed over to immigration authorities and detained for two years and nine months. Once again, he was not charged with a criminal offence.

He was released after a successful habeas corpus application in the

Supreme Court.

He sued the government for assault, battery, arbitrary and unlawful detention, false imprisonment and breaches of various constitutional rights.

The government argued that Mr Lop’s arrest and detention were lawful.

“They asserted that every effort had been

INQUEST INTO FATAL SHOOTING OF TWO MEN BY POLICE BEGINS from page one was pronounced dead at the scene after both were thrown from their vehicle, the other died in hospital.

Acting Coroner Kara Turnquest-Deveaux and jurors heard testimony yesterday from ASP Gardell Rolle, who read the report of Inspector Adderley, who photographed the scene and the body of one of the men.

He said Inspector Armbrister observed 17 fired 9mm bullet casings scattered across the street and sidewalk along with a fired 9mm bullet.

He described how the inspector saw the body of one of the deceased lying face-up on the sidewalk. Photos of the corpse showed that his shirt was pulled above his chest.

His underwear was visible, and his jeans were below his ankles. It was said that there were suspected gunshot wounds to the deceased’s lower torso as well as to his upper back.

A short distance from the body, ASP Rolle said Inspector Adderley saw a grey Honda Civic that crashed into the fence near Oil Max. Photos of the crash showed that the rear of the vehicle was also extensively damaged and that the rear windshield was completely shattered.

ASP Rolle said that police recovered a Mossberg shotgun from the centre of the vehicle along with five unfired shotgun shells and one fired shotgun shell. A shotgun license in the name of one of the deceased was also pulled from the vehicle. No other firearm was recovered from the wrecked car.

When D/SGT Paul Adderley, one of the initial officers at the scene, was

questioned by David Cash, an attorney for the estates, the officer could not say if either deceased was tested for gunshot residue on their hands.

D/SGT Adderley also told the court that a blue glove photographed near the body was left there by EMS after they attempted to resuscitate the deceased. He agreed with K Melvin Munroe, the attorney for the officers, that EMS could have placed the deceased’s clothes in that position when attending to him.

ASP Durie Smith, the lead investigator, testified that on the night of the shooting, police were responding to calls of gunfire outside Pressure Point Bar on Washington Street.

He recounted that a large crowd was gathered outside the bar after multiple shots were reportedly fired, causing the crowd to flee to the front of the premises.

He said the two deceased allegedly fled the scene in a silver-coloured vehicle before they were engaged by police in a shootout just before they crashed.

Despite efforts to interview witnesses at the bar in the aftermath of the crash, ASP Smith said he could not get any, as none wanted to be involved.

However, he said that a barmaid gave a statement about what led to the police chase. He also said that surveillance footage was pulled from both Pressure Point and King’s Bars.

ASP Smith told Mr Cash that there were no shotgun shells recovered from the scene of the bar shooting and that only firearm casings were found. He confirmed to the attorney that there were no injuries

reported at the bar and that only property was damaged.

He also said that the shotgun found in the deceased’s vehicle was registered to Harold Brown.

He said he did not observe a police vehicle with shotgun damage during his investigation.

D/SGT Patrice Rolle of the firearm licensing office confirmed that Harold Brown was issued a shotgun in October 2017, which was listed for hunting purposes.

I nspector Brandon Hanna of the police armoury said all of the officers in the inquest were qualified to fire 9mm weapons.

He said officers are trained to fire their weapons if they believe their lives or others are in danger. He also said someone must aim their weapon at an officer to be deemed a threat.

Inspector Hanna agreed with Mr Munroe that the officers had to use their discretion to fire on a suspect and that officers are trained to hit a suspect’s centre mass.

He also affirmed to Mr Cash that officers use buckshot shotgun rounds, not birdshot cartridges.

When shown photos of the ammunition pulled from the car, Inspector Hanna identified some of the shotgun shells as birdshot cartridges.

During questioning on whether police would fire on an unarmed suspect after a car crash, the officer said there is no need for officers to draw weapons on an unarmed suspect.

“If they do not have a firearm, there is no need to shoot,” he said.

Angelo Whitfield marshalled the evidence.

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made to return him to either Cuba or to the US, but that both countries had declined to accept him,” the Court of Appeal noted.

Nonetheless, the trial judge found the government liable for unlawfully imprisoning him and for breaching his constitutional right not to be arbitrarily detained.

However, the judge found that his constitutional claim for the first detention was statue-barred and awarded him no compensation or redress for that period.

In increasing the man’s award, the Court of Appeal said the Limitation Act does not limit an aggrieved person’s ability to seek redress

after breaches of their fundamental rights and freedoms.

The Court of Appeal also established Mr Lop’s pre-judgement interest on his award at 2.4 per cent from September 29, 2017, when the Writ of Summons was filed. The post-judgement interest rate is 6.25 per cent from the date of the judgement.

Funeral Service for

DONAVON ANTOINE DAVIS, 68 of Lakeside Drive, Yamacraw Beach, will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday 16th February, 2024 at St. Matthews Anglican Church, Shirley Street. Officiating will be the Rev. Cannon Crosley Walkine, assisted

by Archdeacon Hugh Bartlett. Interment will follow in St. Matthews Church Cemetery, Shirley Street.

Donavon Sr. is lovingly remembered by his, Wife: Suzanne; Children: Donavon, Jr. (Jobeth), Derryl (Mia) and Donielle; Grandchild: Bethani Elaine Davis; Brothers: Trevor (Sharon) and Berkoff; Sisters: Lana (Ronnie) Gatrey, Villel (Sidney) Reed, JoyAnne (Erald II) Thompson and Patricia Major; Sisters-in-Law: Joan Darling, LaGloria Davis, and Janet Allen; Brothers-in-Law: Jack, David, Noel Allen and Kendal Darling; Nieces: Sherry, Monique, Charlene, Zilpha-Mae, LaRhonda, LaRaine, Nancy, Shaniqua, Tredika, Khadasha, DeShante, Tremaine, Earlene, Tristen and Bella. Kryselle, Kendra, Jewel, Jasmine, Jackie, Natacia and Bridgette; Nephews: Kenyatta, Ronnie-Lionel, LeKino, Sidney II, Willie-Lionel, Regea, RaGiv, Erald III, Kendal Darling Jr., Nathan, Noel, and David Allen Jr.; Cousins: Deirdre (Bruce) Rolle, Phillippa (Charles) Taylor, Shirley (Leo) Woods and Ismae Hudson, Karen Simms, Marcellus Taylor, Clement Rolle, Toni, Tara and Tiffany, Nadene, Denver, Devon and Natasha , Cyprian and Carson Collie, Erica Mattox of Atlanta, Georgia, Leja Burrows, Carol-Lynn and Charleah Taylor; Kendal Carroll, Pam Carroll, Celestine Deveaux, Monica, Willamae Hepburn, Mary Sands Gordon, Sandra Collie, David Burrows, Derick Davis, Billy, Floyd, Linda, Kendal, Shayne, Stuart and Diane; Bernie, Tenaya, Rev. Teruco Tynes Charles (Surish), Ariadne, Prescott, Pavia, Patina, Melvern Davis, Glen and Bridgett Smith and family, Ms. Delores, Janet Dorsett, Keith Davis, The Davis Clan; God Child: Charmaine; Other Family Members and Special Friends: Thomas Williams and Family, Irma Coleby and family, Archdeacon Hugh and Jillian Bartlett, Archdeacon Kingsley and Sandra Knowles, His Excellency Retired Captain RBDF Whitfield Neely, Canon Crosley Walkine and Family, The Lakeside Drive Family, The Yamacraw Beach Estates Community, Ajani (Ja-man) Fernander, Rodney Davis and family, Rick and Kathy Longley and family, Tony Hemfield and family, Julian Kemp and family, Superintendent Janet Johnson Smith and family, Roscoe Davis and family, Roscoe and Agnes Ferguson and family, The Fox Hill Community, Mr. George Heastie, Deborah Basset and family, Nelson Cartwright, Albert and Rosella Rolle, Terrance Handfield and family, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Knowles and family, Larry and John Pinder, Dino Smith and family, Linton Ritchie and family, Livingston Smith and family, Benson and Carolyn Brown, Lisa Bostwick-Dean and family, Olrick and Juliemae Turnquest and family, Maurice Tynes, Mr. Alan Burrows and family, The Basketball Crew, Phillip and Miriam Armbrister and family Milton Russell Sr. and Family and Entry Ten of the RBDF. Friends may pay their last respects at Bethel Brothers Morticians & Crematorium, #44a Nassau Street on Thursday, 15th February, 2024 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and at the church on Friday, 16th February, 2024 from 9:00 a.m. until service time.

PAGE 6, Wednesday, February 14, 2024

The Tribune Limited

THE TRIBUNE

PICTURE OF THE DAY

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

LEON E. H. DUPUCH,

Publisher/Editor 1903-1914

SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH,

Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .

Publisher/Editor 1919-1972 Contributing Editor 1972-1991

RT HON EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON,

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

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Balance required on ‘more intrusive policing’ THE response to the recent spike in murders has seen a particular trend – with a greater emphasis on police action balanced against the question of human rights.

In his national address on the issue of crime in January, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis filled the television screens of the nation to talk about an issue he now says should not be on the front pages of newspapers.

In doing so, he warned that “more intrusive” policing was coming in response to the murder spike.

He said: “We will not violate anyone’s civil liberties, but you are likely to be impacted by more roadblocks and unannounced police action.”

He said such policing “may make you late for your appointments, or delay plans you have, but this is a small price to pay for the collective benefit of having our streets made safer, and our lives less blighted by murder and other violent crimes”.

The question of roadblocks has been challenged in the past – long-time human rights champion Fred Smith, KC, argued repeatedly that roadblocks were unconstitutional, being both indiscriminate and interrupting people’s freedom of movement.

Subsequently, National Security Minister declared that the temporary detention of people wrongly identified by facial recognition CCTV was an inconvenience that was the price of having a “free, democratic, and orderly society”.

Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander has expressed frustration at people being out on bail after only a few months of detention in prison as they await trial for crimes for which they remain innocent until proven guilty.

There is a literal price to be paid when powers are exceeded, as seen in today’s front-page story about a Cuban man who was held unlawfully at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre for eight months.

During that time, he was never charged. He was never taken to the magistrate – as is required by the Immigration Act. At one point, he was released – and landed properly in court for a charge of shop-breaking and stealing. He served time for that then was handed over to

immigration authorities again – but once more not charged with a criminal offence.

The criminal charges he did serve time for will not earn him any sympathy, but the detention during which he was not charged has earned him a lot – a payout that has now been increased to $396,000.

The man had sued for assault, battery, arbitrary and unlawful detention, false imprisonment and breaches of constitutional rights – and his victory has taken up court time and cost the public purse a substantial sum.

So when there is talk of more intrusive policing, and detention, it should be clear that here is the other side of the equation. If things are not done properly, and if rights are violated, there will be a literal financial cost to the country. To you, to every taxpayer.

We should be very careful indeed not to exceed the authority granted to officers as they go about their duties, and to respect the constitutional rights of every citizen.

It is a balance – and the rhetoric around detentions has seemed of late to be tilting that balance.

We all want the right outcome, for crimes to come down, for the murders to stop. But constitutional rights are there for a reason, and must not be broken.

Or else there will be more cases such as the one on the front page today – and more bills to pay.

Ballet opportunity

Tonight, a ballet company performs in the beautiful setting of Lyford Cay Club.

When The Tribune was approached by the company to be a media partner for the event, we said of course – broadening the range of culture on offer to our people can only be a good thing.

Yesterday was the dress rehearsal, and tonight is the first of two nights (the second on Friday) when international, top-notch performers will show their talents to the Bahamian public, all while a talented chef serves up a three-course meal.

A few tickets remain – and we wholeheartedly urge people to take the opportunity to see this rare experience. To book tickets, email events@ coventgardendance.com or visit www. coventgardendance.com. But hurry, and don’t miss out.

No room for political censorship EDITOR, The Tribune: THERE is no room for political censorship in our Commonwealth! At the heart of our democracy lies a fundamental principle: the unalienable right of the press to operate freely. As a student of journalism, I find the Prime Minister’s recent remarks, suggesting that media should avoid frontpage coverage of crime to protect tourism, not just troubling but fundamentally flawed.

Tourism is vital to our economy, but it must not be bolstered by suppression of truth. The rise in violent crimes is a reality that our community confronts daily. The Prime

Minister’s attempt to paint a rosier picture, by manipulating headlines, infringes on the media’s duty which is to accurately report the news, not to serve as a public relations arm of the government.

Moreover, in this digital age, the notion that controlling the placement of stories in print media could somehow sanitize our global image is archaic.

With the advent of social media and instant online news, information, especially of the sensational kind, spreads globally in a matter of seconds - like wildfire. The days when newspapers alone shaped public discourse and

national image are long gone. What rock has he been under?

Manipulating journalists will not make the problem of crime disappear; it only undermines trust in our institutions. We must have the courage to face our challenges openly, using the power of the free press to initiate dialogue, propose solutions, and hold our leaders accountable for their actions and inactions.

Our country should be projected accurately, with both its beauty and battles.

By the grace of God, we will overcome and thrive.

MAXINE SEYMOUR Nassau, Bahamas February 14, 2024

COVENT Garden Dance principal dancers during a rehearsal yesterday ahead of ballet performances at Old Fort Bay this week.

Photo: Dante Carrer

Goodman’s Bay is not for sale EDITOR, The Tribune.

I READ in one of the dailies that Mr Paul Wynn made a proposal to the government to purchase the property just east of Goodman’s Bay, stating that if his proposal is granted, he would develop the property and spend an additional three million (or whatever the sum) towards the renovations or refurbishment of Goodman’s Bay for public use, as a goodwill gesture.

Ha! ha!!!!

Firstly, let me say that Goodman’s Bay (especially the beach) should remain in its present natural state and should be reserved for Bahamians first. Mr Wynn’s report of live and dead rats, scattered garbage and flooding on the park was highly embellished. In my opinion it was a misrepresentation of the facts on the park. I visit Goodman’s Bay regularly (almost daily) so I know of what I speak. History would reveal that the park was upgraded when Tommy Turnquest was minister of works under the first Ingraham administration (correct me) and even before then, I, like many others, visited the park for recreation and meditation.

The stories are shared, the unknown becomes the familiar, and casual acquaintances sometimes become lifelong friends.

Apparently, the good gentleman thinks that he sees an opportunity to seize, acquire, or annex

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net (yea, all a dem) the eastern part of Goodman’s beach to expand his empire. If the property east of Goodman’s Bay is sold, then a sizable portion of Goodman’s beach would automatically fall into private hands (at least up to high water mark). As a result ordinary Bahamians would immediately be pushed off the eastern portion of Goodman’s beach, and would end up with even less beach space in their own country.

Too often our governments would accommodate foreign developers seeking to buy prime beachfront properties and these developers would build huge monstrosities that block the sea view, while Bahamians are relegated into the interior of the land, having no access to the beach. And even worse, “No trespassing” signs would spring up like shepherds needle after a rain. This is usually done for the promo of a few hundred low-paying jobs.

No developer would spend three million dollars of whatever, for the benefit of the public unless he sees an opportunity to accrue some benefits for himself.

Long story short; Mr Paul Wynn is agreeing to renovate the park and hoping to acquire a portion of Goodman’s Bay in return. Let that sink in for a minute.

In addition, the parking lot at the eastern end will be taken over mostly by workers and guests from Goldwyn resorts, which is happening now, but to a lesser degree. This unsolicited act of benevolence or kindness does not pass the smell test. If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably is a duck.

Goodman’s beach is one of the last pieces of prime public space to which Bahamians have unfettered access. The beach is for the people, all of it, and should be allowed to maintain its indigenous Bahamian looks. We are selling too much of our patrimony. We do not need a cheap imported replica of New York’s central park on our small island, which would further perpetuate the myth that “foreign is better”. Any ostensible talk of enhancement or beautification of Goodman’s Bay park comes with a caveat or strings attached (they want the beach) and should be met with the scepticism it deserves. If the property is sold, it would be a travesty of unequal proportions, and would be akin to selling our birthright for a bowl of porridge. Bahamians would lose half of Goodman’s beach. Call me xenophobic if you like, but “passionate” is my name.

Wake up, Bahamians!

ZEPHANIAH BURROWS Nassau, February 9, 2024.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, February 14, 2024, PAGE 7

Man accused of sex assault SC Bootle High School of teen girl last September students road clean-up

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A 32-YEAR-OLD man was jailed yesterday after he was accused of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old girl last September.

Magistrate Kendra Kelly charged Perry Cooper with indecent

assault.

Cooper allegedly inappropriately touched an 18-year-old female in New Providence on September 27, 2023.

Al-Leecia Delancey represented the defendant.

Sergeant Vernon Pyfrom served as the prosecutor.

Cooper was told that

his matter would be transferred to the Supreme Court through a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI). He will be sent to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until the higher court grants him bail.

The accused’s VBI is slated for service on May 26.

MAN CHARGED WITH HAVING A PROHIBITED WEAPON AND AMMUNITION IN HIS HOUSE

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A 40-YEAR-OLD man was granted $10,000 bail after police allegedly found a banner assault rifle and more than 100 rounds of ammunition in his house on Carmichael Road last week.

Senior Magistrate Shaka Serville charged Caesare Higgs with possession of a prohibited weapon and two counts of possession of ammunition with intent to supply.

Ryzard Humes represented the defendant.

Higgs was allegedly found with a black and tan assault rifle along with 156

rounds of 7.62 ammunition and 37 rounds of .223 ammunition in his house on the evening of February 7.

After pleading not guilty, Higgs was told that under his bail, he must sign in at the Carmichael Police Station every Sunday by 7pm.

He will also be fitted with a monitoring device.

His trial begins on July 3.

MAN ORDERED TO DO COMMUNITY SERVICE AFTER ADMITTING TO CHOKING HIS FEMALE CO-WORKER

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A MAN was ordered to attend community service yesterday after he admitted to choking his female co-worker on the ground at Chances on Meadow Street earlier this month.

Magistrate Kendra Kelly charged Tavarie Taylor, 40, with causing harm.

Taylor reportedly pushed Stacy Leadon to the floor and choked her at the numbers house on February 2.

This incident resulted in minor swelling to Ms Leadon’s leg.

Following his guilty plea,

Taylor was ordered to compensate the complainant $500. He is also expected to complete 250 hours of community service.

Taylor is expected to make payment before the court on March 6. He must also return to court for a report on his community service on May 24.

UNDP PAYS COURTESY CALL ON ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES MINISTER MILLER

ON TUESDAY, February 6, 2024, the new Resident Representative for the United Nations Development Programme, Kishan Shoddy, RR, Jamaica, The Bahamas, Belize and Bermuda, Cayman Islands and TURKS AND CAICOS Islands, paid a courtesy call on Hon. Vaughn P. Miller, Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources. The Bahamas is his first stop outside of Jamaica, his new residence on the tour. Also present for the meeting were: Rhianna Neely-Murphy, PhD, Director, Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP); Ava Whyte-Anderson, Resident Representative for the UNDP Multi Country Office in Jamaica.

STUDENTS from SC Bootle High School helping to clean up roadside garbage in the Northern Abaco district over the weekend. Other organisations that participated in the effort included Local Government Junior Council, the Abaco Community Key Club, the Governor General’s Youth Award Bahamas (GGYA) and Youth Empowerment Program (YEP). Acting Abaco District Superintendent Chester Cooper said, “I am extremely proud of the organizers of the clean-up initiative and our teachers and students of SC Bootle High School who participated. They did an excellent job. It is so important for our young people to be involved in an activity such as this, as it teaches them the importance of a clean, pollution-free environment and reducing their carbon footprint.”

PAGE 8, Wednesday, February 14, 2024

THE TRIBUNE

If PM doesn’t like the headlines he needs to change the story

Instead, do the work required to reduce crime. Do the work required to get the attention of the media. Do the work that is worthy of headlines.

I HAVE taken issue with many headlines for various reasons, from being sensational to the point of misleading anyone who started and stopped there to the use of inappropriate language such as “unlawful sexual intercourse” instead of clear, correct language like “rape”.

We all know that headlines are meant to draw attention, provoke conversation, sell newspapers, get clicks, and prompts comments and shares. They do not come from just the content of the article, but are crafted for this specific purpose — making us both look and want to draw other people into it with conversation or some other form of engagement.

The headline on the front page of any newspaper, of course, is the reason to buy the newspaper. There may be interest in other articles, but unless a consumer is looking for something in particular, like the classified ads section, they will not turn the page to find those articles because they would not buy the paper if not for the singular selling point that is the headline.

Government push back on crime fears. Davis meets to protect tourism.

Expect even more aggressive policing. Bail Act changes watered down.

Anti-violence plan still not launched. More shanty homes being torn down.

Don’t give crooks government contracts. New bail possible after bail breach.

Prosecutors key to death penalty. Death penalty still an option. I was fired

By Alicia Wallace for following rules. Three more murders. Detention ‘is price we pay’. Two more shot dead. Three murders in less than 24 hours.

Woman shot dead. Family is left to sleep on ground.

PM’s ‘shock’ over murder spree. Those are some of the front page headlines since the start of the year.

This is generally what they look like. Obviously, they are sometimes quite evocative, and at other times they are flat. In some cases, a rather uninteresting headline is followed closely by a shocking or particularly interesting one that raises questions.

While news media in The Bahamas is certainly not perfect, it gives us information. We find out about upcoming events, diplomatic visits, bills being tabled, opinions shared by politicians, and crime. We even get warnings, at times, when grocery prices are going to increase. With regular crime reports, we get a general sense of what is happening in the country and can assess the risk we face in general and when undertaking particular activities. Reporting helps us to plan. They help us to make decisions. When reporters follow up on

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stories, we can be quick to forget about, we get context, and this is even more valuable in helping us to understand what is happening around us and the likelihood that we would be directly affected

by it. The news is for us.

We need it, we buy it, we search for it, and we use it.

There are, of course, other people who access Bahamian news. We are not so separate from the rest of the world that we can keep all of our problems to ourselves. Other people can easily search and access the news, including crime reports.

This is completely normal.

It is reasonable for people to search the news, and it is likely that they will come across articles about murders, rapes, and

Recommendations 1. Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev. Ashna Rake is an Indian American chef running Curried Dreams in her commitment to keep her father’s legacy alive. Her relationship with her mother is strained, and her aunt is much more like a mother in every way. Ashna is struggling to keep her father’s business going when she is asked to be on a cooking show where chefs help celebrities to make beautiful dishes. What she does not expect is that the celebrity she is paired with is a ghost from her past. Recipe for Persuasion has been promoted as a romantic comedy, but that may not be entirely accurate, given the heavy themes and limited humour. There is definitely grief and there is certainly romance in this book which is a part of a four-book series by Sonali Dev. Pride, Prejudice and Other Flavours is the first in the series, but not a perquisite for Recipe for Persuasion.

2. International Women’s Day March and Expo. International Women’s Day is quickly approaching, and Equality Bahamas is holding its annual International Women’s Day March and Expo on Saturday, March 9. This is a great opportunity for people to get together in support of women’s human rights and demanding full access to all of our rights. The day begins with a march at 9am from Eastern Parade to The Dundas Centre for Performing Arts on Mackey Street where the expo will run from 10am to 3pm. Exhibitors include Bahamas Crisis Centre, Hands for Hunger, Bahamas National Trust, and Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator, and workshops and other sessions include yoga, self-defense, letterpress printing, massage, and Zumba. The full day of family-friendly activities is entirely free. Follow Equality Bahamas (@equality242) on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more information in the coming weeks.

3. Christmas Club account. It is not too late to open a Christmas Club savings account at a credit union. This is a good, low-pressure way to start saving money in a way that develops the practice and discipline needed to meet longterm financial goals. Whether you want to be able to save enough money to purchase gifts for family members during the holiday season, make a large purchase for yourself, or simply begin a savings practice, this type of account is convenient option, requiring a commitment to regular deposits, discouraging withdrawals before the end of the year, and usually giving flexibility in case you absolutely need to make a withdrawal before then. The interest rate is relatively good, certainly better than an ordinary savings account.

robberies. We, similarly, consume news from other parts of the world, including and especially Florida.

It is quite interesting that the Prime Minister would tell the media not to report crime on the front page, using tourism as the excuse.

For tourists to feel more comfortable coming here, where we actually live, he would like to see crime reported less prominently?

Our access to information would change if the media followed this suggestion.

Our awareness of what is happening in this country would change. We need to know what is going on.

Yes, people should read and watch the news in their entirety, but that is not where we are. People do not have the time and, in some cases, do not have the interest.

It is a reasonable expectation that important news will be on the front page of the newspaper and the beginning of news broadcasts. It would be absurd to change this for the sake of tourists or tourism. Instead, do the work required to reduce crime.

Do the work required to get the attention of the media. Do the work that is worthy of headlines. Let the change start with the Office of the Prime Minister. Let it start with this administration.

There are many headlines that would be welcome and that would deserve the front page.

Here are a few: 1. Menstrual hygiene products now VAT-free 2. No tax on medication

3. National Health Insurance now covers MRIs and CT Scans 4. National Drug Plan expands to cover more chronic diseases 5. Environmental Tax revenue going directly to responsible electronic waste disposal 6. Ministry of Education presents new national assessment to replace BJCs and BGCSEs 7. Comprehensive sexuality education now in all schools across The Bahamas 8. Parliament now accessible to people who use wheelchairs 9. Campaign finance reform is here 10. Free wifi in public parks, clinics, and community centres 11. Gender-Based Violence bill passed 12. Gender policy implementation underway 13.

Reservation on CEDAW Articles 2(a) and 9(2) withdrawn 14. National Human Rights Institute established 15. Government follows through on promise of gender-equal nationality rights in law 16. All Members of Parliament submit public disclosure before the deadline 17. Free after school programmes launched The headlines do not have to be about murder.

When murder is the most interesting news, they will be. Make better news, Parliament. Make better news, Cabinet. Make better news, Senate. We would like to see it.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, February 14, 2024, PAGE 9

GOOGLE REBRANDS ITS A.I. SERVICES AS GEMINI, TECHTALK LAUNCHES NEW APP AND SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE BAD WEATHER

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Technology Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google last Thursday introduced a free artificial intelligence app that will enable people to rely on technology instead of their own brains to write, interpret what they’re reading and deal with a variety of other task in their lives.

With the advent of the Gemini app, named after an AI project unveiled late last year, Google will cast aside the Bard chatbot that it introduced a year ago in an effort to catch up with ChatGPT, the chatbot unleashed by the Microsoft-backed startup OpenAI in late 2022. Google is immediately releasing a standalone Gemini app for smartphones running on its Android software.

In a few weeks, Google will put Gemini’s features into its existing search app for iPhones, where Apple would prefer people rely on its Siri voice assistant for handling various tasks.

Although the Google voice assistant that has been available for years will stick around, company executives say they expect Gemini to become the main way users apply the technology to help them think, plan and create. It marks Google’s next foray down a new and potentially perilous avenue while remaining focused on its founding goal “to organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”

“We think this is one of the most profound ways we are going to advance our mission,” Sissie Hsiao, a Google general manager overseeing Gemini, told reporters ahead of Thursday’s announcement.

ALPHABET CEO Sundar Pichai speaks about Google DeepMind at a Google I/O event in Mountain View, Calif., last year. Google last Thursday introduced a free artificial intelligence app that will implant the technology on smartphones to enable people to quickly connect to a digital brain that can write for them, interpret what they’re reading and seeing in addition to helping manage their lives. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File) The Gemini app initially will be released in the U.S. in English before expanding to the Asia-Pacific region next week, with versions in Japanese and Korean.

Besides the free version of Gemini, Google will be selling an advanced service accessible through the new app for $20 a month. The Mountain View, California, company says it is such a sophisticated form of AI that will it be able to tutor students, provide computer programming tips to engineers, dream up ideas for projects, and then create the content for the suggestions a user likes best.

The Gemini Advanced option, which will be powered by an AI technology dubbed “Ultra 1.0,” will seek to build upon the nearly 100

million worldwide subscribers that Google says it has attracted so far — most of whom pay $2 to $10 per month for additional storage to back up photos, documents and other digital material. The Gemini Advanced subscription will include 2 terabytes of storage that Google currently sells for $10 per month, meaning the company believes the AI technology is worth an additional $10 per month.

Google is offering a free two-month trial of Gemini Advanced to encourage people to try it out.

The rollout of the Gemini apps underscores the building moment to bring more AI to smartphones — devices that accompany people everywhere — as part of a trend Google began last fall when

it released its latest Pixel smartphones and Samsung embraced last month with its latest Galaxy smartphones.

It also is likely to escalate the high-stakes AI showdown pitting Google against Microsoft, two of the world’s most powerful companies jockeying to get the upper hand with a technology that could reshape work, entertainment and perhaps humanity itself. The battle already has contributed to a $2 trillion increase in the combined market value of Microsoft and Google’s corporate parent, Alphabet Inc., since the end of 2022.

In a blog post, Google CEO Sundar Puchai predicted the technology underlying Gemini Advanced will be able to outthink even the smartest

people when tackling many complex topics.

“Ultra 1.0 is the first to outperform human experts on (massive multitask language understanding), which uses a combination of 57 subjects — including math, physics, history, law, medicine and ethics — to test knowledge and problem-solving abilities,” Pichai wrote.

But Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella made a point last Wednesday of touting the capabilities of the ChatGPT-4 chatbot — a product released nearly a year ago after being trained by OpenAI on largelanguage models, or LLMs. “We have the best model, today even,” Nadella asserted during an event in Mumbai, India.

He then seemingly anticipated Gemini’s nextgeneration release, adding, “We’re waiting for the competition to arrive. It’ll arrive, I’m sure. But the fact is, that we have the most leading LLM out there.”

The introduction of increasingly sophisticated AI is amplifying fears that the technology will malfunction and misbehave on its own, or be manipulated by people for sinister purposes such as spreading misinformation in politics or to torment their enemies. That potential has already led to the passage of rules designed to police the use of AI in Europe, and spurred similar efforts in the U.S. and other countries.

Google says the next generation of Gemini products have undergone extensive testing to ensure they are safe and were built to adhere to its AI principles, which include being socially beneficial, avoiding unfair biases and being accountable to people.

MOBILEYE CEO SHASHUA EXPECTS MORE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES ON THE ROAD IN TWO YEARS

By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer DETROIT (AP) — Six years ago, automakers and tech companies thought they were on the cusp of putting thousands of self-driving robotaxis on the street to carry passengers without a human driver.

Then an Uber autonomous test vehicle hit and killed a pedestrian (AP Illustration/Jenni Sohn) in Arizona, multiple problems arose with Tesla’s partially auto- you see as the future of autonomated systems, and General mous vehicles?

Motors’ Cruise robotaxis ran into A: When you talk about autonotrouble in San Francisco. mous vehicles, what immediately Yet the technology is moving comes in mind is Waymo, Cruise, ahead, says Amnon Shashua, co- robotaxis. But the story is much founder and CEO of Mobileye, an more nuanced. It really opens up Israeli public company majority how the future of the car indusowned by Intel that has pioneered try is going to look. It’s not just partially automated driver-assist robotaxis. I would frame it as three systems and fully autonomous stories. The first one is about safety. technology.

Today you have a front-facing Already, Mobileye systems are at camera, sometimes the front-facwork in vehicles that take on some ing radar. There are functions that driving functions such as steering enable accident-avoidance. You and braking, but a human still has can take safety to a much higher to be ready to take over. Systems degree by having multiple cameras that let drivers take their eyes off around the car and provide a much the road and fully autonomous higher level of safety. An accident systems are coming in about two would be very rare. years.

The second story is to add more Shashua talked with The Asso- redundant sensors like a frontciated Press about the next steps facing lidar (laser), like imaging toward autonomous vehicles. radars and start enabling an The interview has been edited for eyes-off (the road) system so it’s length and clarity. hands-free, eyes-off (the road).

You are allowed legally not to pay Q: With problems at Cruise and attention and not to be responsirecalls of Tesla’s partially auto- ble for driving on certain roads. mated driving systems, what do It could start from highways and

then add secondary roads. This is a value proposition of productivity, of buying back time. If you are driving from San Francisco to Los Angeles, 90% of the time you are on interstate highways. You kind of relax and legally do something else, like work on your smartphone.

Then comes this third story. This is the robotaxi where there’s no driver, and we are utilising the car to a much higher level and enable moving people like Uber and Lyft at a much more efficient, economical state because you don’t have a driver.

Q: When do you see a lot of fully autonomous vehicles on the roads?

A: Mobileye’s SuperVision, which is now on about 200,000 vehicles in China and will start to expand to Europe and the U.S. this year, has 11 cameras around the car, provides a hands-free but eyeson system.

The second story of an eyes-off system on highways is already in the works. Mobileye announced that we have a global Western OEM (original equipment manufacturer). We call the system Chauffeur. Add a front-facing lidar and imaging radars and nine car models to be launched in 2026.

The third story: if you look at the success of Waymo, its challenge is not technological. It’s more about how to scale and build a business.

Deployment of these kinds of robotaxis is slower than originally expected five years ago. But it is

something that is really, really happening. Mobileye is working with Volkswagen on the ID. Buzz (van) to start deploying thousands of such vehicles in 2026.

Q: Will Mobileye be responsible legally for the eyes-off system, or is the automaker?

A: If a driver works on a smartphone and there is an accident, you cannot come to the driver and say, “You are responsible, because I allowed you to do something else.”

So this means that the bar in terms of performance of the system, we call this mean time between failure, that should be very high, much higher than human statistics. It’s a system of liabilities which is handled between the supplier and the automaker.

Q: What do you think of Tesla’s Autopilot and “Full Self-Driving” now, and what impact are those systems having on public perception of automated driving?

A: Tesla’s technical capabilities are very high. The question of whether this kind of system powered by only cameras can eventually be an eyes-off. This is where we part ways. We believe that we need additional sensors for redundancy.

It’s not just a matter of improving the algorithms, adding more compute. You need to create redundancies, from a sensor point of view and from the compute point of view.

FORCES JAPAN’S SPACE AGENCY TO DELAY LAUNCH OF SECOND TEST-FLIGHT OF FLAGSHIP ROCKET

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s space agency on Tuesday postponed the launch of a second test flight of its new flagship rocket H3 series planned for this week because of bad weather forecast at the launch site. The delay comes as Japanese space officials scramble to ensure a successful liftoff, a year after the rocket’s failed debut flight.

Thunder and strong wind were predicted at the launch site on the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan, according to Masashi Okada, H3 project manager at Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA. The launch was initially planned for Thursday.

The agency will decide a new launch date as early as today, he said.

The upcoming launch is considered a key test after Japan’s failed debut flight last March, when the rocket had to be destroyed, along with the advanced land observation satellite, or ALOS-3, it was carrying.

The fiasco triggered disappointment and uncertainty about Japan’s space exploration plans, concerns that were compounded after a spacecraft designed by a Japanese company crashed during a lunar landing attempt in April.

TOP FREE iPHONE APPS (US):

1. Paramount+, CBS Interactive 2. Temu: Shop Like a Billionaire, Temu 3. Threads, an Instagram app, Instagram, Inc. 4. ChatGPT, OpenAI 5. Google, Google LLC 6. CapCut - Video Editor, Bytedance Pte. Ltd 7. X, X Corp.

8. TikTok, TikTok Ltd. 9. Instagram, Instagram, Inc. 10. WhatsApp Messenger, WhatsApp Inc.

TOP PAID iPHONE APPS (US):

1. Minecraft, Mojang 2. Geometry Dash, RobTop Games AB 3. Bloons TD 6, Ninja Kiwi 4. Shadowrocket, Shadow Launch Technology Limited 5. Papa’s Freezeria To Go!, Flipline Studios 6. HotSchedules, HotSchedules 7. Heads Up!, Warner Bros.

8. Plague Inc., Ndemic Creations 9. The Wonder Weeks, Domus Technica 10. MONOPOLY, Marmalade Game Studio

PAGE 10, Wednesday, February 14, 2024

THE TRIBUNE

In the face of severe challenges, democracy is under stress – but still supported – across Latin America and the Caribbean Noam Lupu Vanderbilt University THREATS to economic and physical security have become persistent and pervasive across Latin America and the Caribbean – and that is affecting the way people view the state of democracy in the region.

Those are among the findings of the latest AmericasBarometer, a study of the experiences and attitudes of people across the Western Hemisphere that we conduct every two years along with other members of Vanderbilt University’s LAPOP Lab. The 2023 round of AmericasBarometer, which includes nationally representative surveys of 39,074 individuals across 24 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, reveals widespread pessimism and adversity, decreased satisfaction with the status quo, and yet also resilience in popular support for democracy.

ELEVATED ECONOMIC AND PHYSICAL INSECURITY Across the region, just shy of two-thirds of adults (64%) think the national economic situation in their country has worsened.

Remarkably, 32% report that they have run out of food in the last three months, an indicator of

food insecurity that tracks with estimates reported by the Pan-American Health Organization.

Two in five people feel unsafe in their neighbourhoods, and nearly one-quarter – 22% – report having been the victim of a crime in the past 12 months. Homicide rates in the region have also been rising.

In brief, despite variation among different countries, the average resident of the region has been facing elevated economic and physical security challenges for over a decade, our surveys have found.

THE FACTORS GENERATING AND SUSTAINING THIS REALITY ARE COMPLEX. In the mid-2010s, a global economic commodity boom ended, and the region’s economic recovery has been thwarted by structural issues, including low productivity and high income inequality.

Economic recovery has been further hampered by major corruption scandals, crime and violence, and the COVID19 pandemic.

The implications of a sustained economic slump are stark. In nearly every Latin American and Caribbean country, food insecurity has increased in the past decade.

The uptick in crime and insecurity is similarly driven by a range of

factors, including economic crises and the growth of well-armed transnational criminal syndicates. In Ecuador, as one extreme example shows, a shocking 36% of adults report having been the victim of at least one crime in the past year, an 11-percentage-point increase from just two years ago.

DISILLUSIONMENT IS A CHALLENGE TO DEMOCRACY These problems could spell trouble for democracy in the region.

Some experts have predicted that financial stress and food insecurity could contribute to political unrest in the region in the coming years. The threat of organized crime and gang violence may also fuel a desire for authoritarian leadership.

Globally, democracy appears to be on the defensive. Within the Latin America and the Caribbean, countries such as Brazil, El Salvador, Haiti and Nicaragua have registered recent turns toward authoritarianism.

Our results show that disillusionment with the democratic status quo is strikingly high in the region, with only 40% thinking democracy is working. This low level of satisfaction has appeared in our surveys for the past 10 years.

Although the root causes are debated,

A MEMBER of a feminist group holds a sign that reads in Spanish: “Bukele dictator,” during a protest against the vote tally that delayed results in Sunday’s election at the Salvador del Mundo square in San Salvador, El Salvador, February 5, 2024.

Photo: Moises Castillo/AP disillusionment with the status quo fuels support for populist leaders with autocratic tendencies. El Salvador stands as an example of how disillusionment can undermine democracy.

President Nayib Bukele was reelected on Feb. 4, 2024, with what appears to be over 80% of the vote while overtly flaunting democratic norms.

During his first term, Bukele tackled high levels of gang violence with policies that undermined checks and balances and civil liberties. He cheekily referred to himself on social media as a “dictator”, while his running mate spoke of their program to eliminate democracy.

There is no denying that Bukele’s strongman approach has delivered results: Our survey finds that 84% of Salvadorans feel secure in their neighbourhood, compared with just 54% in 2018, the year before Bukele was elected. Food insecurity remains a challenge, with 28% reporting they have experienced running out of food; yet that statistic is slightly lower in 2023 than it was in 2012, in contrast to the upward trend in nearly all other countries.

DEMOCRACY RETAINS POPULAR SUPPORT Despite general gloom about how well democracy is performing, there is reason for optimism: Support for democratic governance has largely held steady over the last decade of our survey.

Across the region, on average, 58% say that they believe democracy is the best form of government.

This is approximately the same percentage we have recorded since 2016. In all but three countries – Guatemala, Honduras and Suriname – majorities say they prefer democracy.

Although the possibility of democratic backsliding looms, most countries in the region have yet to undergo significant overhauls to their political or economic systems. And as former US ambassador to Peru, Colombia and Brazil P. Michael McKinley noted in a recent article, a slate of radical proposals by new leaders in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico proved unpopular and were rejected by voters, courts and legislatures. In these cases, democratic institutions are

doing their job.

Democratic governance also delivers something that strongman populist governments do not: widespread freedom of speech.

Our 2021 AmericasBarometer regional report highlighted the value the public places on freedom of speech. Vast majorities say they would not trade away freedom of speech for material well-being.

In 2023, we see that in countries with strongman populist leaders, those who disapprove of the president report strikingly high levels of concern about freedom of speech. In El Salvador, 89% of government critics say they have too little freedom to express their political views without fear, up from 70% in 2016.

In the face of significant challenges, Latin America and the Caribbean is at a crossroads between the allure of strongman populist leadership and a commitment to democratic institutions and processes.

For now, at least, an enduring belief in democracy may facilitate efforts by leaders in and outside the region to champion and strengthen democratic governance.

WHY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF INDIAN FARMERS US Virgin Islands pushes forward on stalled ARE MARCHING TOWARD THE CAPITAL IN PROTEST law allowing recreational marijuana use

FARMERS marching to New Delhi gather near the Punjab-Haryana border at Shambhu, India yesterday. Farmers are marching to the Indian capital asking for a guaranteed minimum support price for all farm produce.

Photo: Rajesh Sachar/AP NEW DELHI Associated Press TENS of thousands of Indian farmers are marching toward the capital to demand guaranteed crop prices, renewing a movement from two years ago that succeeded in getting the government to repeal contentious new agricultural laws.

On Tuesday, police used tear gas, detained a number of farmers and heavily barricaded border points to block the protesters from entering New Delhi.

Authorities are determined to control the new demonstrations to avoid a repeat of the 2021 protests, in which tens of thousands of farmers camped outside the capital for over a year, enduring a harsh winter and a devastating COVID19 surge.

The farmers, who rode on tractors and trucks from neighbouring Haryana and Punjab states, say the government has failed to meet some of their key demands from the previous protests.

In 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi repealed a set of agricultural laws that had triggered the first round of protests from farmers, who said the legislation would hurt their incomes.

But farmer groups that are leading the current

march say that since then, the government hasn’t made progress on other important demands such as guaranteed crop prices, a doubling of farmers’ income and loan waivers.

The demand for legislation that will guarantee minimum support prices is at the heart of their protests.

Currently, the government protects agricultural producers against any sharp fall in farm prices by setting a minimum purchase price for certain essential crops, a system that was introduced in the 1960s to help shore up food reserves and prevent shortages. But the farmers are demanding that this be extended to all farm produce, and not just essential crops.

In November 2021, Modi’s announcement that his government would quash the controversial laws was widely seen as a win for the farmers and a rare retreat by the populist leader.

The government had defended the laws as necessary reforms to modernize Indian farming, but farmers feared the government’s move to introduce market reforms in agriculture would leave them poorer.

The protests, which began in northern India, triggered nationwide demonstrations and

drew international support. Dozens of farmers died due to suicides, bad weather conditions and the pandemic.

Political commentators said the protest movement was the biggest challenge until that time for the Modi government, which then tried to paint its decision to scrap the laws as a move that prioritised farmers.

The protests come at a crucial time for the governing party and Modi, who is widely expected to sweep upcoming national polls and secure a third successive term.

In 2021, Modi’s decision to do away with the laws was seen as a move to appease farmers ahead of crucial state polls.

Farmers form the most influential voting bloc in India and are often romanticized as the heart and soul of the nation.

Politicians have long considered it unwise to alienate them, and farmers are also particularly important to Modi’s base.

Northern Haryana and a few other states with substantial farmer populations are ruled by his party.

If the protests were to gain the same kind of momentum as last time, it could pose a new test for Modi and his government just a few months before the general election.

A MAP of cannabis legalization in the US glows behind flower displays at the Empire Cannabis Club, November 16, 2022, in New York. An advisory board approved on yesterday a list of proposed rules and regulations that would govern the recreational use of cannabis in the US Virgin Islands.

Photo: Julia Nikhinson/AP SAN JUAN or sacramental purposes concentrate and 2 ounces of Associated Press expected to have access to products. it by April, according to A minimum 18% tax will A STALLED marijuana Hannah Carty, the board’s apply to all dispensary sales, law in the US Virgin Islands executive director. although medical marigot a big push Tuesday after Every two years, religious juana patients are exempt. an advisory board approved and faith organizations will Three-fourths of the tax a list of proposed rules have to pay $200 to register, revenue is expected to go and regulations that would and medical practitioners to the general fund. Of that govern the recreational use will be charged $250, offi- amount, 15% is earmarked of cannabis in the territory. cials said. for behavioural health The board’s vote repreBusinesses will be able programs, 5% to address sented a key step toward to register by June or July, homelessness and 5% for implementing a law Carty said, adding that the youth programs. approved more than a government just completed Nelson asked if an actual year ago to allow the rec- a request-for-proposal card for marijuana patients reational use on the three process for seed-to-sale would be issued: “For the islands. A 30-day public operations. However, culti- OGs. I was thinking about comment period on the pro- vation and manufacturing that,” he said as the other posed regulations and rules licenses likely will not be board members smiled. is scheduled to start soon. granted before the end of Carty said patients would “We have been waiting a the year, she said. receive digital IDs they can very long time for this,” Dr. “A lot of things are not keep on their phones or Catherine Kean, the advi- within our control,” Carty print out. sory board’s chairperson, noted.

The US Virgin Islands is said.

While the US territory the latest part of the CarThe board also is finaliz- approved marijuana for ibbean to relax marijuana ing a list of people it thinks medicinal use in 2019, the laws. Antigua decriminalare qualified to have their recreational use that was ised marijuana use for the criminal records expunged legalized in January 2023 general public, and Jamaica of simple cannabis posses- stalled for several reasons, has decriminalised small sion, as authorized by the including wording of the amounts of pot. Meanwhile, law. The list will be shared bill and the cannabis advi- the Bahamas has started with legislators, the island’s sory board lacking sufficient debating several bills to Supreme Court and others members for a quorum. legalize marijuana for medin upcoming weeks, board The law allows adults ical and religious purposes member Positive Nelson ages 21 and older to possess and decriminalise possessaid. up to 2 ounces of marijuana, sion of small amounts.

Some 300 people in the a half-ounce of cannabis The cannabis advisory US Virgin Islands have concentrate and 1 ounce of board members in the US been convicted of simple products such as edibles for Virgin islands celebrated marijuana possession in the recreational, sacramental their progress. past 20 years. and other uses.

“The train is ready to The board also is comMedical marijuana leave the station,” board pleting a registration patients are allowed to member Richard Evangesystem, with people who possess up to 4 ounces lista said. “All passengers use cannabis for medicinal of cannabis, 1 ounce of are on board.”

SPORTS PAGE 11

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2024

Two champions take home the hardware

TRIBUNE SPORTS VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

T

he CH Reeves Raptors and DW Davis Royals both repeated as champions for the junior girls and boys division in the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association (GSSSA) basketball championships yesterday.

The Lady Raptors won their second straight junior girls’ title in a 2-0 sweep against last year’s runnersup the HO Nash Lions.

Taking home their seventh straight junior boys’ trophy were the Royals who ousted the Anatol Rodgers Timberwolves 2-0.

Meanwhile, the CR Walker Knights’ senior girls and CI Gibson Rattlers’ senior boys forced a game three scheduled for this evening at the Kendal GL Isaacs Gymnasium.

Junior Girls Varel Davis, president of the GSSSA, and the Lady Raptors will celebrate a championship win for the second consecutive year.

One year later, it was the same opponent, followed by an identical result for the Lady Rattlers who defeated the Lions 42-33.

Coach Davis was proud of the young team, with a majority of new members, for bringing another title to CH Reeves.

“It feels good. I have been working hard from October, every Saturday nonstop. This is a pretty new team with two members returning from last year. I had to work extra hard with them [but] once I got them to understand the game, I knew we would be able to play our best,” she said.

The Lady Raptors opened the contest with an 8-2 run against the familiar opponent. The champions went into the half up 18-13 behind the efforts of Tajhaniqua Morley, who poured in 16 points in the first segment of the game.

Morley was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and was relentless for her team in the bestof-three championship

DOUBLING UP: The CH Reeves Raptors and DW Davis Royals repeated as champions in the junior girls and boys divisions of the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association (GSSSA) basketball championships.

Photos: Tenajh Sweeting/Tribune Staff series. Playing in back-toMorley totalled 73 points secure the victory. Davis thank God for the victory back games, she powered in just two games played, expressed how proud she because this is what you her way to a game-high nearly outscoring the com- was of not only the Lady get from hard work. I am 43 points on Monday and bined total of both teams.

Raptors but also the Lions. proud of these girls, hats “Most of them are off to HO we know Pattie The Lady Raptors outthen followed that perthe Lions first time players ever so formance with a 30-point performed 24-20 in the second half to for us to be here today, SEE PAGE 12 game to trump the Lions.

SPORTS CALENDAR TRACK FINAL WALK WITH ‘HAWK’ THE general public is being asked to take a final walk with ‘Hawk’ as family and friends pay a special tribute to the late Alpheus ‘Hawk’ Finlayson.

The public is invited to join a special celebration of the life and legacy of Finlayson on Thursday, February 29 from 7-10pm at the Crypto Isle (formerly Luciano’s) on East Bay Street.

There will be tributes from friends, colleagues and various sporting organisations and a short film on his track and field career. Light refreshments will be served.

For more information, persons are asked to contact Stanley Mitchell at 8166619 or Quinton Curry at 565-1178.

FAST TRACK INVITATIONAL FAST Track Athletics announced that its third annual Spring Invitational will

Feb. 2024

take place over the weekend of May 10 and May 11 at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex.

The entry fee will be $10 for adults and $5 for children.

For more information, persons are asked to contact 242-727-6826 or fasttrackmanagamentoo@gmail.com BAHAMAS BAPTIST SPORTS FEDERATION RUN/WALK IN their relaunch of the Bahamas Baptist Sports Federation, formerly the Bahamas Sports Council, a Family Fun Run/Walk will be held on Saturday, February 17 at the William Thompson Auditorium on Jean Street.

The event, to be held in honour of the Rev Dr Philip McPhee - the 11th president of the Bahamas Baptist Missionary and Educational Conventional - is scheduled to begin at 6am.

LOVE IS IN THE AIR: Kimberley and Bacchus Rolle.

WHILE the focus today is on lovers, Tribune Sports shares the love and commitment of at least three couples who spent their time participating in sports either as executives, officials or coaches.

Happy reading and Happy Valentine’s Day to these unsung heroes.

Topping the list are former basketball players Kimberley and Bacchus Rolle.

University of the Bahamas athletic director Kimberley has been married to UB Mingoes’ coach Bacchus - also the Member of Parliament for South Beach - since December 19, 1998.

They met in the summer of 1992 while they were both trying out for the Bahamas national teams for the CARICOM Basketball Championships in Barbados.

Kimberley pointed out that it was during the conclusion of their practice session in the AF Adderley gym that someone pointed Bacchus to us as a “frat,” who was wearing a Phi Beta Sigma t-shirt.

“I went over to introduce myself, we chatted up about college, the fraternity and sorority for a bit and I thought that was it,” she said. “But as they say the rest is history.”

It was far from “love at first sight,” but it was cordial and offering fraternal greetings that led to the development of their relationship that has produced two sons, Dionysius ‘Deuce’ Rolle, a 21-year-old junior at Queen’s University of Charlotte where he plays basketball and ran track and Derryus, an 11-year-old, seventh grade at Queen’s College, who also plays baseball in the Freedom Farm League as a versatile pitcher and first and third baseman.

So what keeps this couple going?

“Mutual respect for each other, providing the other with the needed support,

SEE PAGE 13

CHISHOLM JR LOSES IN SALARY ARBITRATION ON HIS 26TH BIRTHDAY SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.

(AP) — Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr. got disappointing news on his 26th birthday, losing to the Miami Marlins in the first salary arbitration decision of the year.

The outfielder will be paid $2,625,000 rather than his $2.9 million request, Margaret Brogan, Jeanne Vonhof and Scott Buchheit ruled. The panel heard arguments from both sides.

Chisholm Jr hit .250 with 19 homers, 51 RBIs and 22 stolen bases in 25 tries last year, when he was shifted to centre field from second base and shortstop.

He went 0 for 8 with four strikeout as the Marlins were swept by Philadelphia in their NL Wild Card Series.

The speedy Chisholm was an All-Star in 2022, when he batted .254 with 14 homers, 45 RBIs and 12 steals in 17 attempts. He

MIAMI Marlins’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. attempts a bunt during the first inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday, September 17, 2023, in Miami.

(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) didn’t play after June 28 that year because of a back injury.

Chisholm had a $749,500 salary last year and was eligible for arbitration for the first time.

Miami also is scheduled for hearings with second baseman Luis Arraez ($12 million vs. $10.6 million) and left-hander Tanner

SEE PAGE 12

PAGE 12, Wednesday, February 14, 2024

GSSSA BASKETBALL FROM PAGE 11

is a very good coach and for years she has been dominating basketball for the junior school. I am happy for the win, two straight, I am happy for my girls,” she said.

Shawnovia Moxey amassed 15 points for the Lions in the loss.

Junior Boys The Timberwolves threw everything they had at the Royals, but the seven-time champions held on for a narrow 44-41 win.

Anatol Rodgers pulled ahead 24-17 in the second quarter and went into the break up 26-17.

With the page flipped to the third quarter, the Timberwolves stayed on the attack and advanced to a 32-23 advantage at the 2:27 mark.

However, then came the Royals who rounded into form and closed out the third period ahead 34-32.

Mark Hanna, head coach of the Royals, said the team put in a lot of hard work to get to this point.

“We have been working, practicing, travelling and preparing for this moment.

I give God the praise, my old principal Mrs Brown, my new principal Mrs Burrows, my wife and the whole DW Davis family.

This is a dynasty and I am so grateful and happy that these guys came through tonight,” the coach said.

After leading most of the game, the second seed found themselves behind 42-40 but Joshua Russell split free throws at the charity stripe to pull the team within one.

The Timberwolves had a chance to tie the score but Nathan Neily bricked two free throws and the team was unsuccessful on a final layup attempt leading to a Royals victory.

“Anatol played a very good game. They came out with a tight zone and they went up by double figures but my guys knew what it is to run from Donald Davis to Montagu Beach, to the bridge, and 66 steps to get in top shape. They were more conditioned and I pushed them to the limit and gave God praise, we came out with the victory,” Hanna said.

Windisky Paul was named the MVP of the championships. He ended with a game-high 16 points.

Russell paced the Timberwolves with 15 points.

Senior Girls The pennant-winning Stingrays fell to the Knights in a 58-56 nail-biter last night. The Stingrays were in charge of the contest 21-10 with under 4:00 on the clock in the second quarter.

The Knights then pulled up their socks and got within three (26-23) on the scoreboard going into the locker rooms. The game remained close the rest of the way and came to a dramatic finish in the final quarter.

The Stingrays were ahead by one (55-54) with

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less than a minute on the clock and the Knights scored to create a one-point separation.

Garanique Bethel, of CV Bethel, was fouled on backto-back possessions but split her attempts at the line on both occasions.

However, both Shenell Stewart and Shamaraja Cummings, of CR Walker, made clutch free throws at the line to put the game away and force a “do or die” game three.

Stewart had a side-high 25 points and Cummings poured in 20 points in the gritty win.

Senior Boys The Timberwolves “died by the three” in game two of the series against the Rattlers yesterday. The latter evened the series behind a wire-to-wire 64-48 win.

The defending champions’ zone defence relegated the Timberwolves to shooting long-range jumpers to no avail in the first quarter.

THE CR Walker Knights’ senior girls and CI Gibson Rattlers’ senior boys forced a game three scheduled for this evening at the Kendal GL Isaacs Gymnasium.

Photos: Moise Amisial The three ball started to fall in the following period but the Rattlers jumped ahead 14-7 at the the 7:32 mark. The pennant winners then went into the halftime break leading 35-23.

They kept their feet on the gas in the third quarter

where they surged ahead by 14 (40-26) with 5:07 remaining. Despite the lead, the Timberwolves chipped away at the double digit margin and came within nine going into the final session. The Rattlers simply overwhelmed

the Timberwolves in the quarter and went up 60-46 followed by a big dunk in transition to put an exclamation point on the victory.

The Rattlers and Knights will look to carry this momentum into game three today, beginning at 5pm.

‘JAZZ’ CHISHOLM JR LOSES IN SALARY CWCO CONTRIBUTES TO THE ELITE BALLERS ARBITRATION ON HIS 26TH BIRTHDAY TOURNAMENT TRAVEL FROM PAGE 11

YOUNG Bahamian girls with basketball stardom dreams recently took their talents to more tournaments across the United States.

With the support of Consolidated Water (Bahamas) Ltd., Elite Ballers Girls Basketball players travelled to Indiana and Texas to participate in events offering high school and collegelevel opportunities.

Said CWCO board member Ethan Adderley: “Providing opportunities to travel and compete at a higher level is not just about sports; it is about fostering discipline, teamwork, and the pursuit of excellence.

“CWCO is proud to play a role in the journey of Elite Ballers team members and we look forward to seeing them continue to excel both on and off the court.”

ELITE Ballers team members can be seen at an Indiana Pacers practice facility in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The Elite Ballers Girls Basketball programme, established in July 2022, engages girls 12-17 and focuses on fostering the talent of young female basketball players in The Bahamas. CWCO’s donation was allocated towards travel expenses, including accommodations and transportation, for the Indianapolis and Dallas trips.

Beyond displaying their talents for scouts at various tournaments, Elite Ballers players toured an Indiana Pacers practice facility, met basketball stars such as Erica Wheeler, and attended basketball games.

Among the team’s recent accomplishments is a first place win at the Orlando Dynasty Hoops Elite Championship in November 2023.

Scott ($5.7 million vs. $5.15 million).

Arraez beat the Marlins last year and was awarded $6.1 million rather than $5 million, then won his second straight batting title after leading the AL with Minnesota in 2022.

Chisholm Jr was the second player to go to a hearing this year.

All-Star outfielder Austin Hays asked for $6.3 million and the Baltimore Orioles argued for $5.85 million.

Angels left-hander José Suarez asked for $1.35 million while Los Angeles argued for $925,000 in a case heard by Joshua Gordon, Walt De Treux and Howard Edelman.

The 26-year-old Suarez was 1-3 with an 8.29 ERA in seven starts and four relief appearances, earning $750,000.

He was sidelined between May 7 and September 13 by a strained left shoulder.

In the day’s second hearing, Baltimore reliever

MIAMI Marlins’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. Jacob Webb asked for a raise from $800,000 to $1 million and the Orioles argued for $925,000. Webb, a 30-year-old right-hander,

had a 3.27 ERA in 25 relief appearances.

Eighteen players were scheduled for hearings, which run through Friday, February 16.

MLB’S FREE AGENT MARKET BEGINS TO THAW, SOLER AGREES TO $42 MILLION DEAL WITH GIANTS, AP SOURCE SAYS

By DAVID BRANDT AP Baseball Writer PHOENIX (AP) — The San Francisco Giants and slugger Jorge Soler agreed to a $42 million, three-year deal yesterday, according to a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations, taking one of the remaining marquee free agents off the market as most of the 30 teams reported for spring training in Arizona and Florida.

But there’s still plenty of talent available — especially considering its mid-February.

Two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, lefty Jordan Montgomery, third baseman Matt Chapman, slugger J.D. Martinez and former MVP Cody Bellinger are all still looking for homes as camps got underway.

Eighteen teams start workouts today and the final 10 begin Thursday.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres began early because of their March 20 opener at Seoul, South Korea.

After a flurry of big signings early this offseason — most notably Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Aaron Nola — MLB’s hot stove cooled.

Soler’s deal with the Giants was confirmed by a

person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal was pending a successful physical.

The veteran provides the Giants with a formidable power threat. He made his first All-Star team with the Marlins last season, hitting .250 with 36 homers, and led the American League with 48 homers in 2019 while with the Royals.

The well-travelled Cuban was the 2021 World Series MVP for the Atlanta Braves after hitting .300 with three homers.

He also won a championship with the Chicago Cubs in 2016.

San Francisco hopes to contend in the NL West after hiring Bob Melvin from division rival San Diego to replace Gabe Kapler following two straight years missing the playoffs. The Giants won a franchise-record 107 games and the division crown in 2021.

CAVNAR HIRED

BY A’S Jenny Cavnar is the new primary play-by-play announcer for the Oakland Athletics, hired by NBC Sports California.

Cavnar becomes the first woman to handle primary play-by-play duties in major league history — set to be the voice for most of the A’s

JORGE Soler celebrates after hitting a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023, in San Diego. Free agent outfielder Jorge Soler has agreed to a $42 million, three-year contract with the San Francisco Giants, according to a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations. (AP) games during the upcoming 2024 season.

She has covered baseball for 17 of 20 years in the media business, most recently calling Colorado Rockies games the past 12 years as a backup play-byplay announcer while also hosting pregame and postgame shows and regional coverage.

She became the first woman in a quarter-century to handle play-by-play for an MLB game in 2018. She is a graduate of Colorado State.

DÍAZ BACK FOR METS New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz will be brought along slowly as he finishes his recovery from a torn patellar tendon in his right knee sustained last March 15 while celebrating Puerto Rico’s win over the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. “He’s doing great to begin with,” new Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said yesterday at spring training in Port St. Lucie, Florida. “He’s got a smile on his face.”

A two-time All-Star who turns 30 next month, Díaz had a 1.31 ERA and 32 saves in 35 chances in 2022, then agreed to a $102 million, five-year contract that calls for the Mets to make deferred payments stretching to 2042.

“He’s probably going to be doing a lot of back field work first,” Mendoza said.

“And then we’ve got to get him on the main stage.”

Mendoza was Aaron Boone’s bench coach with the New York Yankees before replacing Buck Showalter as Mets manager in November.

“It’s exciting to be able to put on a big league uniform as a manager for the first time.” Mendoza said. “I’m really. really excited. It was a long three months.” University and former college lacrosse player.

BARD INJURED The Colorado Rockies said reliever Daniel Bard will have surgery today to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.

There’s no timetable for Bard’s return. Rockies pitchers and catchers report today for physicals before the start of spring training, a day ahead of Colorado’s first workout.

Bard got hurt last week during a throwing session, according to The Denver Post. Bard is entering the

the final season of a $19 million, two-year deal. “I was playing normal catch stuff and I moved a little awkwardly and I felt something pop,” Bard told the Post, the first to report his injury. The right-hander appeared in 50 games last season, going 4-2 with a 4.56 ERA and one save.

Bard missed time at the start of the 2023 season due to anxiety, which he said he experienced both on and off the field.

RANGERS ADD SAMPSON Right-hander Adrian Sampson has agreed to a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers and will report to big league spring training with the World Series champions.

Sampson is returning to the Rangers for the first time since 2019. The 32-year-old didn’t pitch in the majors last season after right knee surgery in May while in the Chicago Cubs organization. After going 6-11 with a 5.64 ERA in 40 games (19 starts) with Texas in 2018 and 2019, Sampson spent one season with the Lotte Giants in South Korea. He went 5-7 with a 3.03 ERA in 31 games for the Cubs in 2021 and 2022.

Sampson is 11-19 with a 4.43 ERA in 44 starts and 28 relief appearances over five big league seasons.

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Wednesday, February 14, 2024, PAGE 13

‘My expectation is for them to go out there and represent the country at the highest level as best as they can’

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net COACH Camron Bruney said he expects some great performances from Team Bahamas’ four swimmers before they complete competition at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar, this weekend.

So far, only Lamar Taylor and Rhanishka Gibbs have seen action in the pool.

But Bruney said there’s still a lot more swimming ahead for the team.

“Lamar’s first swim was just to shake off the dust.

He got in a bit late. He got in later than us and had to compete less than 12 hours after he got off a 12-hour flight to get here,” Bruney

said. “So it was just shaking the dust off.

“And Rhanishka had a really good 100m breaststroke, Marvin is swimming the 100m freestyle tomorrow (today) and they also have the relay tomorrow (today).”

Prior to leaving for Doha, Bruney said he’s expecting the swimmers to produce some best times and hopefully earn some qualifying times for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, in July.

“My expectations remain the same. My expectation is for them to go out there and represent the country at the highest level as best as they can,” he said. “For those who have a chance to make the A cut for the Olympics,

GO TEAM BAHAMAS: Bahamian team members at the World Aquatics Championships, from left to right, Camron Bruney, Victoria Russell, Rhanishka Gibbs, Cordero Bonamy, Lamar Taylor and Marvin Johnson. to go out there and really try their best to do knowing that they have the support around them in Doha and from the Bahamians in the Bahamas.”

When they first arrived in Doha, Bruney admitted that the weather conditions were chilly, but it turned out to be sunny.

“The biggest adjustment in going to places like this is really the food and getting acclimated and comfortable

with what you’re eating and putting into your body,” he said.

“The food ain’t been too bad, but it ain’t been too great, but no complaints.

The city is a beautiful city and we’re looking forward to seeing how well our swimmers compete over the next few days.”

Team manager Gina Culmer-Taylor said the team has settled in and they are looking forward

to some great swims from them from today through Sunday when the competition wraps up for Team Bahamas.

The quartet will combine to compete in the second of four heats of the mixed medley relay today out of lane three with Taylor expected to compete in the backstroke, Gibbs in the breaststroke, Johnson in the butterfly and Russell in the freestyle.

Johnson, 18, will also be swimming out of lane six in the eighth of 12 heats in the preliminaries of the men’s 100m free. His other event will be the 100m butterfly.

Russell, the only other competitor yet to see competition in an individual event, will be entered in both the women’s 50m breaststroke and the 50m butterfly. Taylor has the 50 free and back and Gibbs still has the 50m free to go.

TRIBUNE SPORTS VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL FROM PAGE 11 and enough space to be their own individual,” Kimberley said. “We don’t need to do anything fancy to be engaged with each other, it could be as simple as eating snacks and watching Netflix.”

And how do they balance their time through sports and family with so many sports to deal with?

“We both lead pretty busy lives and Derryus’ baseball schedule is pretty hectic as well,” Kimberley said. “We are fortunate to have strong family support. On any given day his grandmother or an aunt can collect him from school, drop him and pick him up from training and it helps a great deal.

“Bacchus is good at pumping the brakes and just resetting the ‘our’ button. He’s big on that. We attend Derryus’ games together, Derryus and I attend some of his Old Timers softball games. I mean sitting through some of those Old Timers games is pretty brutal but he likes it when we are there so he could show off his speed. But all of those activities provide us with avenues to spend time together.”

If there’s any advice they would like to share with other couples in sports, Kimberley said it would be to have respect and support one another.

“Respect what they do and how they do it and be a strong support for them. Sports absorbs a lot of time so use sports as an opportunity to connect by attending games, asking questions about how things are progressing and the like,” she stated.

“And finally give each other space, space to be their own individuals. There’s nothing I value more than my ‘me time.’ I enjoy being with my family and friends but I also love my alone time.”

Basketball coach/track official Randy and Christine Cunningham Although they got married on May 5, 1985, the Cunninghams

BASKETBALL officials Randy and Christine Cunningham.

BLTA executives Esther and Perry Newton.

would tell you that it was such a corny manner in which they got together. At the time, Randy was hanging around his American basketball coach and was speaking with American slang.

“I thought it was strange, but he said that he just swept me off my feet because he said ‘the stuff I used, I just couldn’t lose,’ but it took 14 months after we met that we got married.”

Since their union the couple agreed that “we enjoyed each other’s company and our trust in God, knowing that if God brings us to it, he will bring us through it.”

While Randy had a daughter Skeoka, before their marriage, the couple have two children of their own, Randy Jr and Deandra and two children they have adopted from Andros, Mario and Jamaris.

“When I met Mr C, he was playing and coaching basketball, so sports have always been a part of our lives,” Christine said. “So when we started to have kids, it was just as if it was life happening.

“Our kids were into sports except for the oldest one. We were a sports family, so it was effortless.”

Sports has been a wholesome name for the Cumminghams, Randy founded the Randi-Mac Tigers Sporting Club and he

coaches basketball and serves as a national instructor and referee and a former FIBA certified commissioner. He also coaches volleyball and volunteers in track and field.

On the other hand, Christine is a national instructor, a certified FIBA table official and statistician. She is also an executive member of the volleyball officials association and is a member of the Hytek team in track and field.

As members of Bahamas Faith Ministries, they both serve on their church council committee, church sporting committee.

Randy is also a greeter, while Christine works with their children’s ministry.

When asked what advice they would offer to other couples in sports, Christine said it’s to “get involved in what each other is interested in. Find a common interest.

“Trust God and love each other.

When you truly love each other, there is nothing that you cannot overcome. Enjoy each other’s company. Become a team. Consult each other before making any major decisions.”

BLTA executives Esther and Perry Newton It wasn’t quite “love at first sight,” but rather a deep attraction that drew Esther and Perry

together and resulted in their union as husband and wife on June 7, 2007.

“We believe in doing things together and it is important to take an interest in what your spouse is doing and this is evident in them working together in the development of tennis in The Bahamas,” the couple shared.

“We decided to learn a new instrument together at home, Esther the piano and Perry the bass guitar, playing together was a real joy.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, while many saw that time as a drag, the couple enjoyed playing tennis together in the front yard and started a backyard garden with zucchini, sweet peppers, cantaloupe and other fruits and vegetables.

“During this time they successfully obtained their MBAs. They enjoyed the extra time together.

Some people say opposites attract but we believe it is your common principles, faith and purpose that keep you together.”

Their mutual love for God and love and commitment to each other has kept them going.

“We are very family and community oriented and believe in service above self and building up and empowering individuals for success,” they noted. “When you face the trials it is only God that can bring you through.”

Even though they have not been blessed with any biological children yet, the couple admitted that their schedules with demanding professions, church, family and tennis balance out their lives.

“Our goal is to seek first the Kingdom of God and to set our hearts on things above so having family prayer and bible time is important,” they continued.

“We ensure to make time for just us and have travelled to over 40 countries together including Finland, Turkey, Croatia, Ireland, Bolivia, Russia and many more.”

While Perry serves as the president of the BLTA, he and Esther are both certified coaches and trained referees.

“We both work in the free community tennis programmes to ensure easy access to the sport for all where hundreds have been trained for free at the Saturday Play Tennis Programme,” they pointed out.

“We have also both served in various capacities in volunteer work for the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association. As president of this great organisation it is important to have strong support and someone who works in the trenches beside me.

“I can truly say I would have not been able to do all I do without such a beautiful, loving, hardworking, professional and considerate wife and partner.”

With their busy schedules, they make sure to have their alone time and date nights are a must.

But Perry’s advice to other couples is a simple one.

“Put God first, plan and commit. Love each other as you did when you were dating, continue to do the things to make her smile. Always be supportive, respectful and communicate,” he stated.

“For us in our work in tennis it’s always been about creating opportunities and building on the foundations that have been laid.

Stay focused and always have time for yourself and each other.”

Esther, on the other hand, advised couples to “always put God first in your marriage and do the things you have in your heart to do, take that long planned vacation, do not be afraid to learn new things together.

“Encourage each other in good things. Make sure your home is a happy one filled with lots of love.

Live by 1 Corinthians 13:13: And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”

NBA-LEADING CELTICS EXTEND WINNING STREAK TO FIVE GAMES WITH 118-110 WIN OVER NETS NEW YORK (AP) — Jayson Tatum had 41 points and 14 rebounds, and the NBA-leading Boston Celtics won their fifth straight game by beating the Brooklyn Nets 118-110 last night.

Jaylen Brown added 19 points for the Celtics, who improved to 42-12 and will host the Nets on Wednesday in the final game for both teams before the AllStar break.

Tatum tied his career high for points in a first half with 31 and the Celtics led comfortably much of the way while playing without Kristaps Porzingis because of a lower back contusion.

Al Horford replaced Porzingis and scored 16 points on 6-for-6 shooting. Derrick White also scored 16 and Jrue Holiday had 14 points and 12 assists as the Celtics won their sixth straight in Brooklyn. Mikal Bridges scored 27 points and Cam Thomas had 26 for the Nets, who lost for the fourth time in five games.

THUNDER 127, MAGIC 113 ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Jalen Williams scored 33

points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 32 points and five assists and Oklahoma beat Orlando.

Gilgeous-Alexander scored 13 points during a five-minute stretch of the third quarter in which the Thunder took command of the game, which was played on the night the Magic retired Shaquille O’Neal’s No. 32.

Chet Holmgren had 13 points, nine rebounds and five blocks for the Thunder.

Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 23 points and 10 assists. Wendell Carter Jr. had 22 points and seven rebounds.

TIMBERWOLVES 121, TRAIL BLAZERS 109 PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Anthony Edwards had 41 points and Minnesota sent Portland to its fifth straight loss.

Rudy Gobert added 16 points and 15 rebounds for his sixth straight doubledouble.

Karl-Anthony Towns, who had foul trouble early, finished with 13 points for the Western Conference-leading Timberwolves.

BOSTON Celtics’ Jrue Holiday (4) congratulates Al Horford (42) during the first half of the team’s NBA basketball game against the Brooklyn Nets in New York last night.

(AP Photo/Peter K. Afriyie) Deandre Ayton had 22 points and 16 rebounds for the Blazers, who host Minnesota again on Thursday night.

SUNS 130, KINGS 125 PHOENIX (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 28 points, Devin Booker added 25 and Phoenix outlasted Sacramento.

The Suns erased an 11-point deficit in the third quarter and took a twopoint lead into the fourth.

The game was tied at 108 and stayed tight the rest of the way. Royce O’Neale’s 3-pointer with 47 seconds left put the Suns up 122-118.

De’Aaron Fox responded with a 3 to cut the margin to 122-121 with 41 seconds

remaining, but Booker hit a jumper after a timeout for a 124-121 advantage and the Suns made enough free throws on the final possessions to stay in control.

Domantas Sabonis had his third straight tripledouble with 35 points, 18 rebounds and 12 assists.

De’Aaron Fox scored 40 for Sacramento. Phoenix

guard Bradley Beal injured his left hamstring in the first quarter and didn’t return.

LAKERS 125, PISTONS 111 LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James had 25 points and eight assists, Anthony Davis had 20 points and 14 rebounds, and Los Angeles beat NBA-worst Detroit for its fifth win in six games.

D’Angelo Russell scored 21 points and hit four 3-pointers for the Lakers, who have won 10 of 15 overall to move three games above .500 (29-26) for the first time since a week before Christmas.

Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves added 15 points apiece. Spencer Dinwiddie had six points and seven assists in his debut with the Lakers. Ausar Thompson scored 19 points and James Wiseman had 18 points and nine rebounds for the Pistons, who had won two of their previous three games for only the third time all season.

Team owner Tom Gores, who lives in Beverly Hills, watched from courtside.

PAGE 14, Wednesday, February 14, 2024

THE TRIBUNE

PHOTO FINISH: Suzy Eneas and Cameron Roach finish strong together for first place at the Running in Love 2 fun run/walk event on Saturday.

Running in Love 2 ‘hearty success’

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net VALENTINE’S Day is officially here and lovers, companions and friends got an early opportunity to celebrate with one another over the weekend at the second edition of the City of Hope Running in Love presented by Four Seasons Race Management.

The lovers-themed fun, run, walk and push event brought out scores of participants vying for a chance to cross the finish line first with their better half at Arawak Cay. Suzy Eneas and Cameron Roach were the first duo to cross the line on Saturday. Eneas and Roach are together and were really impressed with the overall event for the second straight year as participants.

“It is always fun. We do a lot of sporting events together and we always have a good time. It is always a fun event and we had a good time doing it together. It is unique because couples have to finish together so we worked out together and were racing together,” Roach said.

For Eneas, she said the duo had such a great time last year and it was only right that they came back to join the Running in Love event once again.

“It’s always an expertly organised event with Four Seasons Race Management.

Marcel and Theresa do a great job. We took part last year and we really had a great time so we came back this year and today has been wonderful,” she said.

The duo is planning to join another fun run/walk event next month and were happy to support a worthy cause that helps fellow Bahamians in the community.

A part of the proceeds from the event went to Dr Nevillene Evans and her husband Leon Evans who have both survived cancer.

A WORTHY CAUSE: Dr Nevillene Evans and her husband Leon Evans were grateful for all the support they received from participants at the second edition of Running in Love.

A LOVER’S TREAT: Couples, companions and friends participated in a successful “Running in Love 2” fun run/walk to bring in Valentine’s Day early over the weekend.

The married couple were in attendance on Saturday and were all smiles after completing their 3.1-mile route together.

Dr Evans thoroughly enjoyed the support from her comrades and the atmosphere on Saturday morning. “It was wonderful. To think that we

completed it together along with some very dear friends was really a wonderful and great feeling. It was a time to renew and rekindle friendships and the support from friends was really overwhelming. I have to say thank you to all of them who showed up this morning,” she said.

Mr Evans was equally as grateful for the experience alongside his wife. “It was excellent. We really had fun this morning and enjoyed the walk and we talked with each other. We have to do this again. It was a really beautiful time,” he said.

Winning the couples award were Kyle and Parris Williams.

All competitors were gifted Running in Love 2 paraphernalia along with a rose to complement the Valentine’s Day theme.

Valarina and Utah Taylor were overjoyed after crossing the finish line with each other.

Mrs Taylor described the experience as awesome and felt that they both achieved

something. It was their first time at an event of this magnitude and for Mr Taylor, moral support and a little bit of nature was all they needed to complete the race. “It was wonderful. This is the first time we ever did something like this so we were a little bit anxious but I kept setting goals. Whenever she started to lag behind I had to tell her to breathe, pick up your step and I literally had to hold her hand. We know that there is energy in trees so we were touching trees along the way and we were able to beat a lot of people so we are happy and excited,” he said.

He added that due to their time in healthcare

and his current duties as a senior pastor at the New Oasis of Love Kingdom Ministries, it was important to support the cause.

“It feels wonderful especially because my wife is a nurse and I had 13 years in healthcare as well so we know the importance of helping people who are in need and we know that there are many that could use the help,” Mr Taylor said.

City of Hope was the title sponsor for the second straight year.

Next up on the Four Seasons Race Management calendar will be the Bikini Top/Bareback Beach Run at Goodman’s Bay set for June 15.

MARATHON WORLD RECORD-HOLDER KELVIN KIPTUM DIES IN A CAR CRASH

By TOM ODULA, MUTWIRI MUTUOTA and GERALD IMRAY Associated Press NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Marathon world recordholder Kelvin Kiptum, who was set to be a superstar of long-distance running and was a top contender for gold at the Olympics in Paris this year, was killed along with his coach in a car crash in Kenya.

Their vehicle was the only one involved in the crash late Sunday and Kiptum was driving when it veered off a road and into a ditch before hitting a tree, police said.

Kenya’s Kiptum was 24 and one of the most exciting prospects to emerge in road running in years, having broken the world record in only his third appearance in an elite marathon.

His record, set at last year’s Chicago Marathon, was ratified by international track federation World

Athletics just last week. His death reverberated through Kenya, where runners are the biggest sports stars.

Kenyans have also gotten used to tragic tales involving their top athletes after a number have died in road crashes, other accidents and domestic violence cases.

“He was only 24,” Kenyan President William Ruto said in a statement offering his condolences.

“Kiptum was our future.”

Kiptum and his Rwandan coach, Gervais Hakizimana, were killed in the crash at around 11pm, police said.

It happened near the town of Kaptagat in western Kenya, in the heart of the high-altitude region that’s renowned as a training base for the best distance runners from Kenya and across the world.

Kiptum was born and raised in the area.

A third person, a 24-yearold woman, was also in the car and was taken to a hospital with serious injuries,

police said. Kiptum and Hakizimana died at the scene.

Athletes and family members, including Kiptum’s father, gathered at the hospital mortuary where the bodies of Kiptum and his coach were taken. One of the athletes, former women’s steeplechase world champion Milcah Chemos, struggled to speak while breaking down in tears.

“I have no words to explain the loss of Kelvin,” she said.

Kenneth Kimaiyo, a friend of Kiptum, said he arrived at the crash scene soon after it happened and Kiptum had been thrown out of the car. Photos showed the silver car with a badly mangled roof and the windshield crushed flat.

Kiptum was the first man to run the marathon in under 2 hours, 1 minute in an official race when he set the world record of 2:00.35 in Chicago in October, beating the mark of fellow

KELVIN KIPTUM Kenyan and marathon great Eliud Kipchoge, who is the reigning two-time Olympic champion.

Kiptum and Kipchoge were expected to provide an enticing all-Kenyan battle for marathon gold in Paris and Kiptum was due to start his season at the Rotterdam Marathon in April, which would have been his first event since breaking the world record.

“An athlete who had a whole life ahead of him to achieve incredible greatness,” Kipchoge said in a message paying tribute.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe was one of the first to offer his condolences in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.

“We are shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the devastating loss of Kelvin Kiptum and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana,” Coe wrote.

“It was only earlier this week in Chicago, the place where Kelvin set his extraordinary marathon World Record, that I was able to officially ratify his historic time. An incredible athlete leaving an incredible legacy, we will miss him dearly.”

David Rudisha, Kenya’s two-time Olympic champion in the 800 metres, wrote on X that Kiptum’s death was “a huge loss.”

Kiptum had immediate success by running the

fastest time ever by a marathon debutant at the 2022 Valencia Marathon. The following year, he won the London and Chicago races, two of the most prestigious marathons in the world. He set a new course record at the London Marathon last April and then became the fastest marathoner in the world months later.

While young and new to the circuit, he had already run three of the seven fastest marathon times ever recorded and was seen as a rare talent. But he was also the latest Kenyan star to die in devastating circumstances.

David Lelei, an AllAfrica Games silver medallist, died in a car crash in 2010. Marathon runner Francis Kiplagat was among five people who were killed in a crash in 2018. Nicholas Bett, who won gold in the 400 metre hurdles at the 2015 world championships, also died in a car crash in 2018.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, February 14, 2024, PAGE 15

PRESIDENT’S INTERVENTION KEEPS PARIS’ RIVERSIDE BOOKSTALLS IN PLACE FOR THE OLYMPICS

By THOMAS ADAMSON Associated Press

HUNTER ARMSTRONG, of the United States, warms up before the men’s 100-metre backstroke final at the World Aquatics Championships yesterday.

Americans Curzan, Armstrong claim the spotlight at World Aquatics Championships DOHA, Qatar (AP) — With some of America’s biggest stars deciding to stay home, Claire Curzan and Hunter Armstrong claimed the spotlight at the World Aquatics Championships yesterday.

Curzan won gold in the women’s 100-metre backstroke at the Aspire Dome, while Armstrong followed just a few minutes later with a victory in the men’s 100 back.

The U.S. leads the swimming medal table with four golds and eight medals overall through the first three days of competition in Doha.

Also yesterday, Simona Quadarella of Italy romped to another world title in the women’s 1,500 freestyle, Hwang Sunwoo gave South Korea its second individual gold of the championships with a victory in the men’s 200 freestyle, and Tang Qianting of China won the women’s 100 breaststroke.

The 19-year-old Curzan, who competes at the University of Virginia, claimed the first individual world title of her burgeoning career. She benefitted from the absence of reigning champion Kaylee McKeown of Australia and American stalwart Regan Smith, both of whom skipped these COVIDdelayed worlds to focus on the Paris Olympics.

Curzan won in 58.29 seconds — significantly slower than McKeown’s winning time of 57.53 last summer at the worlds in Fukuoka.

The silver went to Australia’s Iona Anderson (59.12) and Canada’s Ingrid Wilm (59.18) grabbed the bronze.

“I can’t really believe it yet,” Curzan said. “Really excited.”

Armstrong bounced back from a mix-up in the semifinals, where he swam in the wrong lane, to win his race in 52.68. After settling for bronze in the 100 back at the last two world championships, the Ohio native now has a gold.

“No meet is ever going to go perfectly like you want it to,” Armstrong said. “We just have to learn to mentally get over it.”

Armstrong held off Spain’s Hugo Gonzalez, his training partner at Cal. The two embraced after Gonzalez claimed the silver at 52.70. The bronze went to Greece’s Apostolos Christou at 53.36.

“It was a good race,” Armstrong said. “That was a fight for every metre.”

The defending world champion, American Ryan Murphy, was another star who skipped the Doha worlds. His winning time last summer was 52.22.

In the gruelling 1,500 free, Quadarella began to pull away from the field around the 500-metre mark and finished nearly a halflap ahead in 15:46.99.

CLAIRE CURZAN, of the United States, celebrates after wining the gold medal in the Women’s 100m Backstroke Final at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar, yesterday.

(AP Photos/Hassan Ammar) “I tried to start slowly,” Quadarella said, “then tried to build my speed.”

Katie Ledecky, the U.S. star who has dominated the freestyle distance races over the past decade, had won five of the last six world titles in the 1,500.

But she, too, decided to skip the trip to Doha.

Quadarella also took the 1,500 title in 2019 when Ledecky scratched because of an illness. But the 25-year-old Italian will have to go much faster to have any chance for gold in Paris.

Ledecky, the reigning Olympic gold medallist, won the world championship last summer in Fukuoka at 15:26.27 — more than 17 seconds ahead of Quadarella in the runner-up spot.

Li Bingjie of China took the silver in 15:56.62, just ahead of bronze medallist Isabel Gose of Germany at 15:57.55.

Hwang pushed the pace through the first two laps before American Luke Hobson grabbed the top spot with 50 metres to go.

But Hwang powered back to the front on the final lap, holding off fast-charging Danas Rapsys to win in 1:44.75.

Rapsys, the top qualifier out of the semifinals, settled for silver in 1:45.05.

The bronze went to Hobson at 1:45.26.

The 20-year-old Hwang, a two-time short course world champion, earned the biggest victory of his career in the big pool.

“I don’t have a longcourse gold medal,” Hwang said. “But I did it today, so I’m very happy.”

Hwang’s victory came on the heels of countryman Kim Woo-min winning the 400 freestyle.

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron cancelled plans yesterday to move Paris’ famed second-hand booksellers’ boxes from the banks of the Seine River in preparation for the opening ceremony of the Olympics in July.

A statement from the Elysee presidential palace said Macron asked France’s interior minister and Paris police “to ensure that all booksellers are preserved and that none of them be forced to move.”

Macron, it said, considered “les bouquinistes” of the Seine an example of the “living heritage of the capital.”

Police told the booksellers last summer that, for security reasons, several hundred of their stalls would be temporarily relocated a few days before the July 26 opening ceremony of the Summer Games taking place in the heart of Paris and along the Seine.

The booksellers actively campaigned to keep their familiar green boxes in place, even if they had to be closed.

The bookseller community has said it’s felt abandoned by Parisians in recent times and suffered in sales during the COVID19 pandemic, when tourists could not visit.

It argued that many sellers might go bankrupt if the Olympics meant another disruption.

The Elysee said Macron requested to have security arrangements for the opening ceremony adapted to keep the open-air book stalls in circulation.

ABACO SCHOOLS SPORTS ASSOCIATION BASKETBALL RESULTS Abaco Schools Sports Association Basketball Championships (Best of Three series) Results from Day 1 of The ASSA Basketball Best of 3 Games Championship Series

HWANG SUN-WOO, of South Korea, prepares prior to compete in the men’s 200-metre freestyle final at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar, yesterday.

Game 1 #1 Agape defeated #3 Patrick J Bethel 76-56 in Junior Boys play. The Eagles take a 1-0 series lead.

Corey Roberts 24pts ACS Joshua Cornish 20pts ACS Dereck Williams 15pts PJB Game 2 #1 Agape defeated #3 Patrick J Bethel 26-17 in Senior Girls play. The Eagles take a 1-0 series lead.

Creshell Green 12pts ACS Jersey Cooper 5pts ACS Betrica Brown 11pts PJB

TANG QIANTING, of China, competes in the women’s 100-metre breaststroke final at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar, yesterday.

Hobson, part of a scaledback team for these world championships, gave himself a big boost with the Paris Olympics just five months away.

“I’m super excited for this summer,” said Hobson, a Nevada native who competes for the University of Texas. “I think that’s a

promising result for what’s to come, so I can’t wait.”

Tang went out strong in the 100 breast and was never seriously challenged on the return lap, winning with a time of 1:05.27 to give China its second gold of the meet. The silver went to Tes Schouten of the Netherlands (1:05.82)

and Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey grabbed a surprising bronze (1:05.92).

Haughey posted the second-fast time in the 200 free semifinals less than an hour earlier. “I was not expecting this,” she said. “I was just swimming the 100 breast for fun. I surprised myself.”

Game 3 #1 Agape defeated #2 Patrick J Bethel 87-86 in Senior Boys play. The Eagles take a 1-0 series lead.

Canaan Davis 31pts ACS Daelyn Delancy 26pts ACS Tavon Robinson 45pts PJB Game 2 of the Best of 3 Games Series will be played on Wednesday at The Grace Gym @3:30 #1 Agape vs #3 Patrick J Bethel JR Boys #1 Agape vs #3 Patrick J Bethel Girls #1 Agape vs #2 Patrick J Bethel SR Boys

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, February 14, 2024, PAGE 17

STOCK MARKET TODAY

Wall Street falls sharply after disappointing inflation data, with Dow down 500

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer U.S. stocks fell sharply Tuesday after disappointing inflation data made investors confront the bitter possibility that interest rates will stay high for months longer than they were hoping.

The S&P 500 tumbled 1.4% as traders delayed forecasts for when the Federal Reserve will deliver the cuts to interest rates they crave so much. The hotter-than-expected inflation report may have put the final nail into hopes that the first cut could arrive in March. It also pushed many forecasts past May into June, according to data from CME Group.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 524 points, or 1.4%, from its record set a day earlier. The Nasdaq composite, which has been flirting with its alltime high set in 2021, sank 1.8%.

High interest rates hurt all kinds of investments,

and they tend to particularly hurt high-growth stocks like technology companies. A 2.2% drop for Microsoft and 2.1% tumble for Amazon were the two heaviest weights on the market.

The losses were widespread, and nearly 90% of the stocks in the S&P 500 fell in the wipeout. It's one of the biggest speed bumps for the index since its big, record-setting rally began in late October. Much of that rise was due to hopes that inflation was cooling enough for the Fed to cut rates and relax the pressure on the economy.

Stocks of smaller companies fell even more because high rates could hurt them more than bigger rivals by making it more difficult to borrow cash. The Russell 2000 index of smaller stocks plunged 4% for its worst day since two summers ago.

Some analysts warned the inflation data could mean not only a delay to rate cuts but also the possibility for further increases.

PEDESTRIANS pass the New York Stock Exchange as snow falls on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024 in New York. Photo:Peter Morgan/AP The Fed has already pulled its main interest rate to the highest level since 2001 in hopes of grinding down high inflation. High rates work by slowing the overall economy.

But it's still just one data point, which followed months of encouraging trends where inflationary pressures eased, said Chris Larkin, managing director, trading and investing,

at E-Trade from Morgan Stanley.

"Until proven otherwise, the longer-term cooling inflation trend is still in place," he said. "The Fed had already made clear that rate cuts weren't going to happen as soon as many people wanted them to. Today was simply a reminder of why they were inclined to wait."

Still, the reaction across Wall Street was immediate and fierce.

Yields jumped in the bond market as traders built up expectations for the Fed to keep rates high for longer. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.31% from 4.18% late Tuesday.

The two-year Treasury yield, which moves more on expectations for the Fed, leaped to 4.66% from 4.47%.

Even after the surprising inflation report, the likeliest outcome is still for the economy to manage a perfect landing and avoid a painful recession as inflation cools, according to Alexandra Wilson-Elizondo, co-chief investment officer of the multi-asset solutions business in Goldman Sachs Asset Management.

But she said there is still risk that conditions could swing to one of two extremes: Either the economy falls into a recession under the weight of high interest rates, or

inflation reaccelerates in part because of how much Treasury yields have already fallen and stock prices have already climbed on expectations for coming cuts to rates.

The forced recalibration by traders on rates brought Wall Street's expectations closer to what the Federal Reserve has outlined. Fed officials earlier said they were penciling in three cuts to rates this year, as inflation hopefully cools toward their 2% target from its peak above 9% two summers ago.

Earlier, traders were forecasting as many as six cuts in 2024. Now, they're largely betting on three or four cuts.

Critics have been warning that stock prices may have climbed too far, too fast given too-optimistic hopes for rate cuts and other risks.

On the upside for markets recently, most companies have been beating analysts' forecasts for profits in the latest quarter.

PAGE 18, Wednesday, February 14, 2024

THE TRIBUNE

US inflation slows but remains elevated in sign that price pressures are easing only gradually

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer CONSUMER inflation in the United States cooled last month yet remained elevated in the latest sign that the pandemic-fueled price surge is only gradually and fitfully coming under control.

Tuesday's report from the Labor Department showed that the consumer price index rose 0.3% from December to January, up from a 0.2% increase the previous month. Compared with a year ago, prices are up 3.1%.

That is less than the 3.4% figure in December and far below the 9.1% inflation peak in mid-2022. But the latest reading is still well above the Federal Reserve's 2% target level at a time when public frustration with inflation has become a pivotal issue in President Joe Biden's bid for re-election.

Excluding volatile food and energy costs, so-called core prices climbed 0.4% last month, up from 0.3% in December. On a yearover-year basis, core prices were up 3.9% in January, the same as in December.

Core inflation is watched especially closely because it typically provides a better read of where inflation is likely headed.

Tuesday's report showed that the drivers of inflation have decisively shifted from goods, like used cars, gasoline and groceries, which are now falling in price or rising much more slowly, to services, including hotel rooms, restaurant meals and medical care. That shift could raise concerns for the Fed, because services inflation typically takes longer to cool.

At his most recent news conference, Fed Chair Jerome Powell singled out persistently high services prices as a concern and indicated the central bank's policymakers would like to see services inflation ease further before starting to cut their key interest rate.

"There's still some inflation in the system that's going to take some time to

work through," said Omair Sharif, founder of Inflation Insights, a research firm.

"This justifies the Fed wanting to wait and see how things are going to go."

Tuesday's unexpectedly sticky inflation data sent stock and bond prices tumbling, with financial markets now envisioning the Fed's first cut rates in June, rather than in May or March as many traders had previously expected. The S&P 500 was off nearly 1.2% in early afternoon trading, and the yield on the 10-year Treasury note jumped by a sharp one-tenth, to 4.28%.

Biden administration officials responded to Tuesday's report by noting that average hourly pay, adjusted for inflation, rose in January and is 1.4% higher than it was a year earlier. But the average work week has declined because some businesses have reduced their employees' hours, leaving weekly inflation-adjusted pay slightly lower than it was a year earlier.

"We understand there's more work to be done, but this is an economy that is in a much different place than it was a year ago," said Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary. "When you see eggs and milk and products like that at the grocery store going down, they're lower than they were a year ago, that's important."

Some economists cautioned against assigning too much weight to January's inflation data, noting that many companies impose annual price increases in the first month of the year, imparting a temporary boost to January's figures.

The government seeks to seasonally adjust the data to account for such trends but doesn't always do so perfectly.

A raft of forward-looking data, in fact, suggests that inflation will continue to cool. The pace of wage growth has slowed, which reduces the pressure on companies to raise prices to offset higher labor costs.

And consumers and business owners collectively expect lower inflation in the

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that SANJAY CASSANDRA BLACK of P. O. Box SB-51654, #4 Domingo Heights, New Providence, Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 14th day of February, 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

AN ASSOCIATE checks over a big-screen television on display in a Costco warehouse Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024, in Colorado Springs, Colo.

On Tuesday, The Labor Department issues its report on inflation at the consumer level in January.

Photo:David Zalubowski/AP

coming months and years, surveys show, a trend that can itself hold down price increases.

From December to January, average national gas prices tumbled 3.3%, the government said. Yet so far this month, the average price has climbed higher, rising 15 cents to $3.23 a gallon as of Tuesday, according to AAA. Grocery prices rose 0.4% from December to January, the biggest such rise in a year, though compared with 12 months earlier, food prices are up just 1.2%.

But the costs of services — including auto insurance, apartment rents, and concert tickets — are still rising faster than they did before the pandemic and keeping overall inflation persistently high. The cost of car insurance has soared more than

20%, on average, compared with a year ago.

Such price spikes are causing heartburn for many consumers. Bill Milligan of Atlanta said he was stunned last month to find that the cost of insuring one of his cars had soared nearly 30% compared to six months earlier.

"I was going, 'What the hell is that?'" Milligan said he thought when he saw the charge on his bank statement.

Milligan, a 46-year-old software architect, called his insurance company, which confirmed that the price increase didn't reflect any recent tickets or accidents and said he was still receiving a discount for insuring several cars at once.

"And they're like, 'Yeah, sorry, it's just the price of

everything is going up,' " Milligan said.

Milligan, who said he received a substantial pay raise last year, acknowledged that financially he is still doing fine.

"I can't complain about this," he said, referring to inflation overall.

But as with many Americans, higher prices have caused him to worry about the future. He wonders how his oldest of three daughters, who wants to become a schoolteacher, will live on an educator's salary with costs having risen so high.

The mixed data released Tuesday will likely reinforce the caution of Fed officials, who have said they're pleased with the progress in sharply reducing inflation but want to see further evidence before feeling confident that it's sustainably headed back to

their 2% target. Most economists still think the Fed will start cutting its rate in June from its 22-year-high of roughly 5.4%.

Another driver of high prices has been housing costs, particularly the price of home ownership. It rose 0.6% from December to January, the biggest onemonth jump since April.

That measure is 6.2% higher than it was a year earlier.

But housing costs should slow in the coming months.

The price of new apartment leases has been declining steadily as new apartment buildings have been completed. It can take months for the drop in new lease prices to feed through into the government's data.

At the same time, economists say that inflation in health care services is likely to stay high.

JETBLUE SHARES SOAR AS ACTIVIST INVESTOR CARL ICAHN TAKES A STAKE IN THE AIRLINE

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer SHARES of JetBlue are up more than 18% in Tuesday afternoon trading as activist investor Carl Icahn took an almost 10% stake in the airline.

Icahn, who purchased the shares in January and February, said in a regulatory filing that he believe JetBlue's stock is undervalued and represents an attractive investment opportunity.

The stock is down abut 29% in the past year.

He has had talks, and plans to continue talking with JetBlue in regards to possible representation on its board of directors.

"We are always open to constructive dialogue with our investors as we continue to execute our plan to enhance value for all of our shareholders and stakeholders," JetBlue said in a statement.

Icahn became widely known as a corporate raider in the 1980s when he engineered a takeover of TWA, or Trans World Airlines.

Icahn bought the airline in 1985 but by 1992 it filed for bankruptcy. TWA emerged from bankruptcy a year later but continued to operate at a loss and its assets were sold to American Airlines in 2001.

JetBlue was dealt a major blow last month when a federal judge sided with the Biden administration and

A JET Blue jetliner taxis down a runway as a Southwest Airlines airliner takes off from Denver International Airport Tuesday, July 5, 2022, in Denver. Shares of JetBlue are rising more than 15% before the market open on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024, as activist investor Carl Icahn took an almost 10% stake in the airline. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski blocked JetBlue Airways from buying Spirit Airlines, saying the $3.8 billion deal would reduce competition.

Both airlines have filed their intention to appeal with a higher court, and a June hearing date has been set.

New York-based JetBlue had argued that it needed the deal to grow quickly and better compete against bigger rivals that dominate the U.S. air-travel market.

But shortly after the ruling, JetBlue told Spirit that it may terminate the deal.

JetBlue, the nation's sixth-largest airline by revenue, now must come up with another growth plan.

That will be an assignment for CEO Joanna Geraghty. She just took over for Robin Hayes, who had engineered the deal.

JetBlue has struggled to recover from the COVID19 pandemic while its bigger rivals have returned to healthy profitability. JetBlue has lost more than $2 billion since the start of 2020.

NOTICE

NOTICE

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that MILOUSE MICHEL of Fox Hill Road, New Providence, Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 7th day of February, 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

NOTICE is hereby given that GARY FRANCIQUE of North Eleuthera Heights, Eleuthera, Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 7th day of February, 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

NOTICE is hereby given that JODLY FRANCIQUE of North Eleuthera Heights, Eleuthera, Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 7th day of February, 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that WISLEY JOSEPH of #11 Sanderling Circle, Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 7th day of February, 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

NOTICE is hereby given that RAYMOND JEAN JACQUES of Podoleo Street off Balfour Avenue, New Providence, The Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 7th day of February, 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

NOTICE is hereby given that CLAYE MONDESIR of Blue Hill Road South, New Providence, The Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 7th day of February, 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, February 14, 2024, PAGE 19 A MAN looks at a polished lab-grown diamond at Greenlab Diamonds, in Surat, India, Monday, Feb. 5, 2024.

Diamonds, whether lab grown or natural, are chemically identical and entirely made out of carbon. Photo:Ajit Solanki/AP

LAB-GROWN DIAMONDS COME WITH SPARKLING PRICE TAGS, BUT MANY HAVE CLOUDY SUSTAINABILITY CLAIMS

By ISABELLA O'MALLEY Associated Press THE muted sounds of hammering and sanding drift down to the first floor of Bario Neal, a jewelry store in Philadelphia, where rustic artwork that mimics nature hangs on warmly-lit walls.

Waiting for one of those rings is Haley Farlow, a 28-year-old second grade teacher who has been designing her three-stone engagement ring with her boyfriend. They care about price and also don't want jewelry that takes a toll on the Earth, or exploits people in mining.

So they're planning on buying diamonds grown in a laboratory.

"Most of my friends all have lab-grown. And I think it just fits our lifestyle and, you know, the economy and what we're living through," said Farlow.

In the U.S., lab-grown diamond sales jumped 16% in 2023 from 2022, according to Edahn Golan, an industry analyst. They cost a fraction of the stones formed naturally underground.

Social media posts show millennials and Generation Zs proudly explaining the purchase of their lab-grown diamonds for sustainability and ethical reasons. But how sustainable they are is questionable, since making a diamond requires an enormous amount of energy and many major manufacturers are not transparent about their operations.

Farlow said the choice of lab-grown makes her ring "more special and fulfilling" because the materials are sourced from reputable companies. All of the lab diamonds at Bario Neal are either made with renewable energy or have the emissions that go into making them countered with carbon credits, which pay for activities like planting trees, which capture carbon.

But that's not the norm for lab-grown diamonds.

Many companies are based in India, where about 75% of electricity comes from burning coal. They use words like "sustainable" and "environmentally-friendly" on their websites, but don't post their environmental impact reports and aren't certified by third parties.

Cupid Diamonds, for example, says on its website that it produces diamonds in "an environmentally friendly manner," but did not respond to questions about what makes its diamonds sustainable. Solar energy is rapidly expanding in India and there are some companies, such as Greenlab Diamonds, that utilize renewables in their manufacturing processes.

China is the other major diamond manufacturing country. Henan Huanghe Whirlwind, Zhuhai Zhong Na Diamond, HeNan LiLiang Diamond, Starsgem Co. and Ningbo Crysdiam are among the largest producers. None returned requests for comment nor post details about where it gets its electricity. More than half of China's electricity came from coal in 2023.

In the United States, one company, VRAI, whose parent company is Diamond Foundry, operates what it says is a zero-emissions foundry in Wenatchee, Washington, running on hydropower from the Columbia River.

Martin Roscheisen, CEO and founder of Diamond Foundry, said via email the power VRAI uses to grow a diamond is "about one tenth of the energy required for mining."

But Paul Zimnisky, a diamond industry expert, said companies that are transparent about their supply chain and use renewable energy like this "represent a very small portion of production."

"It seems like there are a lot of companies that are riding on this coattail that it's an environmentallyfriendly product when they aren't really doing anything that's environmentally friendly," said Zimnisky.

HOW IT'S DONE Lab diamonds are often made over several weeks, subjecting carbon to high pressure and high temperature that mimic natural conditions that form diamonds beneath the Earth's surface.

The technology has been around since the 1950's, but the diamonds produced were mostly used in industries like stone cutting, mining and dentistry tools.

Over time the laboratories, or foundries, have

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMPANIES ACT (No.45 of 2000) In Voluntary Liquidation

Notice is hereby given that, in accordance with Section 138 (4) of the International Business Companies Act, (No.45 of 2000), ELAN EXPRESS LIMITED (the “Company”) is in dissolution. The date of commencement of the dissolution is 9th February, 2024. Delio José De León Mela is the Liquidator and can be contacted at Bloc Office Hub, Fifth Floor, Santa Maria Business District, Panama, Republic of Panama. All persons having claims against the above-named Company are required to send their names, addresses and particulars of their debts or claims to the Liquidator before 10th March, 2024. ________________________ Delio José De León Mela Liquidator

gotten better at growing stones with minimal flaws.

Production costs have dropped as technology improves.

That means diamond growers can manufacture as many stones as they want and choose their size and quality, which is causing prices to fall rapidly. Natural diamonds take billions of years to form and are difficult to find, making their price more stable.

Diamonds, whether lab-grown or natural, are chemically identical and entirely made out of carbon.

But experts can distinguish between the two, using lasers to pinpoint telltale signs in atomic structure.

The Gemological Institute of America grades millions of diamonds annually.

MARKETING COMPETITION With lower prices for lab-grown and young people increasingly preferring them, the new diamonds have cut into the market share for natural stones. Globally, lab-grown

diamonds are now 5-6% of the market and the traditional industry is not taking it sitting down. The marketing battle is on.

The mined diamond industry and some analysts warn lab-grown diamonds won't hold value over time.

"Five to ten years into the future, I think there's going to be very few customers that are willing to spend thousands of dollars for a lab diamond. I think almost all of it's going to sell in the $100 price point or even below," said Zimnisky. He predicts that natural diamonds will continue to sell in the thousands and tens of thousands of dollars for engagement rings.

Some cultures view engagement rings as investments and choose natural diamonds for their value over the long term. That's particularly true in China and India, Zimnisky said.

It's also still true in more rural areas of the United States, while lab-grown diamonds have taken off more in the cities.

Oil and gas producer to pay millions to US and New Mexico to remedy pollution concerns

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Associated Press A TEXAS company has reached a multimilliondollar settlement with the federal government and the state of New Mexico to address air pollution concerns in the largest oil and gas producing region in the United States.

The agreement announced Tuesday with Apache Corporation calls for the company to pay $4 million in penalties and spend more than $5 million on preventative measures to reduce emissions at its wells in the Permian Basin, which spans parts of New Mexico and Texas.

Apache was accused in a civil lawsuit of failing to comply with federal and state requirements to capture and control emissions at some of its operations in the two states. Federal officials and regulators in New Mexico identified the alleged violations through field investigations and flyovers by helicopters outfitted with infrared cameras that can detect hydrocarbon vapors that are invisible to the naked eye.

Efforts by regulators to crack down on oil companies have ramped up in recent years through a combination of on-the-ground inspections, flyovers and now satellite imagery as they look for Clean Air Act violations across the Permian Basin and in other oil producing regions.

New Mexico Environment Secretary James Kenney said he's concerned about the compliance rate for companies operating in New Mexico, describing it as terrible.

"The ozone levels are rising, and you know, I think this is that moment where we have to hold up the mirror to industry and say, 'If you don't like what you see, it's a reflection of

your own effort," he said during an phone interview.

The civil complaint targeting Apache comes nearly a year after federal and state officials announced a similar agreement with another producer in the Permian Basin over violations. In 2022, an investigation by The Associated Press showed 533 oil and gas facilities in the region were emitting excessive amounts of methane.

Surveillance done by state and federal regulators in 2019, 2020 and 2022 turned up alleged violations at nearly two dozen of Apache's sites.

The company said in an email that the consent decree announced Tuesday resolves alleged violations from years ago and that the company acted swiftly to remedy the issues. Changes have included modifications to allow for more measurement, monitoring and capture of emissions and increased site inspections and expedited maintenance timelines.

"Moving forward, the consent decree represents our commitment to continuous improvement across our facilities in the Permian Basin," the company said.

"We also continue to collaborate with industry partners through organizations such as the Environmental Partnership and the U.N.'s Oil and Gas Methane Partnership in striving toward a more sustainable future."

The agreement covers 422 of Apache's oil and gas well pads in New Mexico and Texas, ensuring that they will comply with state and federal clean air regulations and that past illegal emissions will be offset.

State and federal officials estimate that compliance will result in annual reductions of 900 tons of methane and more than 9,650 tons of volatile organic compounds, which contribute to smog.

PAGE 20, Wednesday, February 14, 2024

THE TRIBUNE

FLIGHT ATTENDANTS ARE HOLDING AIRPORT RALLIES TO PROTEST THE LACK OF NEW CONTRACTS AND PAY RAISES

By DAVID KOENIG AP Airlines Writer THREE separate unions representing flight attendants at major U.S. airlines picketed and held rallies at 30 airports Tuesday as they push for new contracts and higher wages.

The flight attendants are increasingly frustrated that pilots won huge pay raises last year while they continue to work for wages that, in some cases, have not increased in several years.

They argue that they have not been rewarded for working through the pandemic and being responsible for the safety of passengers.

The unions are calling Tuesday's protests a national day of action. It is not a strike — federal law makes it difficult for airline unions to conduct legal strikes.

The unions planned to picket at some of the nation's busiest airports in

New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and elsewhere.

"We haven't had a raise in five years. Our flight attendants have seen the very rich contracts that the pilots did get, and they expect American Airlines to come to the table," said Julie Hedrick, president of the union at American.

Pilots had tremendous leverage in winning big raises because of a shortage.

It takes years of flying for pilots to meet requirements to work for an airline. That is not the case for flight attendants. Airlines have bragged in the past about how many people apply when they advertise openings for flight attendants.

Tuesday's protests were organized by Hedrick's union, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants; and the Association of Flight Attendants, which represents crews at United Airlines, Alaska Airlines and several other carriers; and the Transport Workers

Union, which represents crews at Southwest.

The unions have conducted strike votes to put pressure on company negotiators, but of course management knows that airline strikes can be delayed or blocked by federal mediators, the president and Congress.

Mediators have already turned down one request by flight attendants at American Airlines to begin a countdown to a strike. The union is seeking immediate pay raises of 33%, followed by four annual increases of 6% each. American's last offer, in September, was 18% upfront including boarding pay, followed by annual raises of 2%.

At Southwest, attendants rejected a deal that their union negotiators reached with the airline — it would have raised pay about 35% over five years.

Flight attendants also want to be paid during the time that passengers board the plane. Only Delta Air Lines, whose attendants are

FLIGHT attendants and a pilot protest at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Three separate unions representing flight attendants at major U.S. airlines are picketing and holding rallies at 30 airports on Tuesday as they push for new contracts and higher wages.

Photo:Nam Y. Huh/AP nonunion, currently pays during boarding. At other U.S. carriers, hourly pay for crews starts when the passengers are seated and the plane doors close.

American Airlines' September offer included half-pay during boarding time.

"We appreciate and respect our flight attendants' right to picket and understand that is their way of telling us the importance of getting a contract done — and we hear them," American said in a statement Tuesday. The airline said it intends to reach a

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Tuesday toured the centuryold Interstate 5 bridge that connects Portland, Oregon, with southwest Washington state, a vital but earthquake-vulnerable structure that's set to be replaced as part of a multibillion-dollar project supported by federal funding.

The bridge — so old that horses were still a main mode of transportation when it opened — now carries more than 130,000 vehicles a day over the Columbia River between Portland and Vancouver, Washington, according to regional transportation agencies. It's a key component of I-5, which runs the length of the West Coast, but its congestion frequently impairs travel and freight movement.

Seismologists say the Pacific Northwest is at risk

of a severe earthquake — magnitude 9 or greater — that could destroy significant parts of the region. The bridge is at risk of collapse in a major quake, which could kill many people and sever a crucial transportation link in such an emergency. Plans to replace the bridge have been in the works for decades.

"We don't know whether 'the big one' is tomorrow or 100 years away, or many hundreds of years away, but we know that we should be getting this bridge into a more resilient state," Buttigieg told reporters.

The bridge, which opened in February 1917, was the first automobile span to cross the Columbia River, and it became part of I-5 in 1957. A second span opened the next year. They include sections that lift to allow ships through.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and transportation authorities joined Buttigieg on the bridge tour Tuesday.

"We negotiated the contract that we're working under back in 2014, when the cost of rent was much different, the cost of food was much less," Hedrick said. "Here we are, 10 years later, trying to get a contract done so that our flight attendants can survive."

Lyn Montgomery, president of the union at Southwest, said crews need to be compensated because their work is getting harder.

"Flying these days is not fun," she said. "It's chaotic.

It's crowded. We're late, (flights are) delayed. We are tired and exhausted."

AIRBNB LOSES $349 MILLION ON ITALIAN TAX DISPUTE BUT POSTS REVENUE GAIN, SEES STRONG DEMAND AHEAD

Buttigieg visits interstate highway bridge in Pacific Northwest slated for seismic replacement

By CLAIRE RUSH and JENNIFER KANE Associated Press

deal that would put flight attendant pay "at the top of the industry."

Southwest said it reached "an industry-leading tentative agreement" with its union last fall, only to see the deal rejected. The airline said it is scheduled to meet with union representatives and federal mediators again next week "to continue working toward an agreement that benefits our Flight Attendants and Southwest."

Union leaders say they need large wage increases to catch up with inflation.

By DAVID KOENIG AP Business Writer

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg tries to light candles on a cupcake commemorating the Interstate 5 bridge’s 107th birthday near the Washington state entrance to the bridge, Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024, in Vancouver, Wash. Buttigieg toured the century-old Interstate 5 bridge that connects Portland, Ore., with southwest Washington state, a vital but earthquake-vulnerable structure that’s set to be replaced as part of a multibilliondollar project supported by federal funding.

Photo:Jenny Kane/AP Donning hard hats and neon vests, they walked out on one of the steel catwalks, just feet away from vehicles zooming by, and climbed steep, narrow stairs up to one of the bridge's operating rooms.

As the room vibrated loudly from the traffic below, officials involved with the bridge replacement project talked about the plans and explained the maintenance required to keep the aging bridge

running. The cables that lift and lower the bridge to shipping traffic have to be greased by hand, and the grease alone costs about $40,000 a year, on top of $1.2 million in annual operating costs.

"If we do nothing, it's still an expensive thing to have and maintain," said Greg Johnson, the project's program administrator.

Once back on solid ground near the Washington state entrance to the bridge, Buttigieg lit candles on a cupcake commemorating the bridge's 107th birthday.

"It's one thing to see the project description on a sheet of paper," Buttigieg said. "It's another to stand in that bridge house and feel the entire room vibrate with the energy that is going up and down that bridge with all of that traffic."

AIRBNB said Tuesday that it lost $349 million in the fourth quarter due to an income tax settlement with Italy, but bookings and revenue rose, and the short-term rental giant said demand remains strong.

The company forecast first-quarter revenue that would meet or beat Wall Street expectations.

However, the pace of bookings growth is likely to "moderate" from the fourth quarter into the first, and the early timing of Easter could hurt growth in the second quarter, Airbnb said.

CEO Brian Chesky said on a call with analysts that Airbnb is "perfecting" its business — making pricing more transparent, reining in exorbitant cleaning fees, and reducing cancellations by hosts. Now it plans to go beyond its core.

Chesky said the company will build out its rental platform in countries where it isn't as strong as the United States. He said that is already underway in Germany, Brazil and South Korea, and will soon be tried in Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands.

"But this is only one piece of a much bigger strategy because we have always believed that Airbnb was destined to offer more than just a place to stay," he said.

Chesky, however, gave no details about the "multiyear journey," only promising news late this year. Rivals such as Vrbo parent Booking Holdings and Expedia Group also make money from things like flight and rental-car listings.

The fourth-quarter loss compared with a profit of $319 million a year earlier.

The recent results were dragged down by $1 billion in one-time tax withholding expenses and lodging tax reserves.

The vacation-rental platform disclosed in December that it would pay Italy's tax agency 576 million euros ($621 million at the time) to a case involving withholding from property hosts in that country. Airbnb not admit wrongdoing, and company officials say they don't fact any similar liability in other countries.

Excluding the special expenses, Airbnb said it would have earned $489 million.

Revenue rose 17% to $2.22 billion, beating the $2.17 billion forecast of analysts in a FactSet survey.

Bookings rose 12%, and the average daily rate gained 3%.

Airbnb forecast firstquarter revenue of between $2.03 billion and $2.07 billion. Analysts were looking for $2.03 billion.

The company said demand remains strong, especially among new users of the site. Bookings grew 12% from a year earlier, and picked up after "volatility" in October, when economic uncertainty and the start of war in Israeli-occupied Gaza raised doubts about travel demand.

Airbnb said its growth is picking up in less mature or "under-penetrated markets" including Brazil, where bookings made inside the country have nearly doubled since late 2019.

The value of gross bookings, at $15.5 billion, was slightly higher than the $15.2 billion forecast among analysts.

The San Francisco company added nearly 1.2 million listings last year, pushing its total to more than 7.7 million, with the fastest growth rates in Asia Pacific and Latin America.

The company said its board approved a sharerepurchase program of up to $6 billion.

Shares of Airbnb Inc. initially jumped in after-hours trading Tuesday, but then drifted lower, falling 5% two hours after the end of regular trading.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, February 14, 2024, PAGE 21

‘NOT WORTH’ PURSUING AFTER $700M UNPAID PMH FEES report on The Bahamas, estimated that annual taxpayer subsidies to the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) and Water & Sewerage Corporation can be cut by a sum equal to 0.8 percent of economic output by implementing true “cost recovery” measures.

In the PHA’s case, this would involve the imposition of fees for persons “with greatest capacity to pay” for use of the tertiary care services offered by the Princess Margaret and Rand Memorial hospitals.

These savings, the IMF suggested, could then be repurposed to finance education, social welfare and primary healthcare spending. It noted that the Government’s spending on education, as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), is well below the Caribbean and Latin American average while the public healthcare system has been producing “worsening” care and treatment outcomes for the past decade.

“Greater cost recovery by public corporations would reduce the net subsidy they receive from the Budget,” the IMF argued.

“Collecting payment from patients and enforcing fees for health services would reduce transfers to the Public Hospital Authority

(PHA) by around 0.7 percent of GDP. The combined savings estimated by the IMF from the PHA and Water & Sewerage Corporation measures is 0.8 percent of GDP - a sum equivalent to $116.53m based on the GDP estimates contained in the 2023-2024 Budget.

Almost $102m would be generated annually from the imposition, and collection, of PHA user fees.

“Current subventions to the PHA account for approximately half of annual current subventions to SOEs, due largely to little to no cost recovery and a system of exemptions and non-payment for most services,” the IMF added of an entity due to receive a $222.156m taxpayer subsidy this fiscal year.

“Moreover, hospital benefits accrue primarily to those with higher incomes.

The collection of fees for most services offered by the PHA, means testing to require those with greatest capacity to pay, linking future price increases to the rise in operating costs, and greater efforts to reduce the write-off of unpaid bills could yield annual savings of up to 0.7 percent of GDP over the medium-term.”

Union chief backs employers: Let us know NIB hike extent

implemented by July 1, 2022, with subsequent further hikes enacted every two years until 2036 to secure the social security system’s long-term financial sustainability. The date given by the Prime Minister means that the Government will ultimately end up pushing this back two years.

Other NIB reform options include raising the “official” retirement age, increasing the contributions required to become eligible for benefits, and further insurable wage ceiling increases.

FROM PAGE A24 I last looked at it, the figure was in excess of $700m owed.

“Even when you consider those fees are deeply discounted fees for accident and emergency (A&E), fees for surgeries.. if you then look at the actual collection, even today, for clinical visits and emergency room visits, it’s not worth the human resources and other resources to collect the small amount if money we collect. That’s before we start to factor in any slippage and wastage....

“At the end of the day, the Bahamian public is not getting value for money in healthcare - certainly in the public arena. We are spending far too much and not getting value for money, so the outcomes remain sub-optimal” he continued. “Do we need to make sure the public healthcare system benefits more from private health insurance than it is presently able to?

Absolutely.

“Just simply maintaining this divide between public and private, which is what I have described as medical apartheid, I don’t think would be in the best interests of Bahamians. I think we should get rid of that model. The model would be, as used in every other country, acknowledging

FROM PAGE A24 Government doing this by themselves. You have the workers, you have the employers and you have the Government.

“It’s advisable that information be made available ASAP [as soon as possible] so the parties can contact their individual constituencies and go from there,” Mr Ferguson added. “We have to know. We cannot plan for something that we don’t know. It will have an effect on some people more than others.”

Mr Ferguson argued that the Government should allow time for unions and employer groups alike to consult their members by making the magnitude of the July 1 increase known, and then for all the parties to come together in a meeting with itself.

“We have to know what the increase will be so we can have an intelligent discussion with our membership and the Bahamian public, and with the employers,” the TUC chief said. “They need to know as well. I think there needs to be a collaborative effort among all the players, and we should have some meetings to that effect and come up with something that makes sense.

“We need to get going on it because July is right around the corner. It’s best for us to do it early and find some accommodation as to how we go about it...

There’s a tendency for the Government to function as if they’re the only player in the exercise. That is not so.

We need to have the three parties involved. We’ll all be looking out for it.”

Prime Minister Philip Davis KC last June

that everyone is entitled to the same quality of care” and does not suffer different treatment outcomes because of ability to pay.

“You might get a better room with private care, but you should not have different mortality and morbidity rates,” Dr Sands said of his philosophy, adding that patients should be able to access that same diagnostic and therapeutic treatments, the same medicines, and same equipment and round-the-clock care regardless of whether they are seeking treatment in the public or private healthcare sectors.

“I’m getting ready to retire from public medicine this year,” Dr Sands said. “I’ve done 30 years, and it’s disappointing we have not been able to move public medicine much further along the quality path.

In the remaining few years I have on this Earth I am going to keep trying.

“What I’m saying is that we need to eliminate the gap, the discrepancy between maternal and child mortality rates, between public and private providers, and the quality of care that exists between the two systems.

“Until we do that, unfortunately we’re going to see runaway costs that we cannot recoup and the public purse will never

confirmed that a National Insurance Board (NIB) contribution rate increase will be implemented on July 1, 2024, but provided no further details in his statement other than the date while asserting that the further year’s delay will not make the magnitude of the hike any greater.

“We hope that a full year’s advance notice will allow all impacted the time to plan to accommodate the increase,” Mr Davis said.

However, the Government has yet to reveal the magnitude of the increase, and how it is to be split between employer and employee possibly because Cabinet has yet to meet, agree on and approve it.

Mr Ferguson yesterday pointed out that any increase to the worker’s portion of the contribution rate, which is presently 3.9 percent, would be especially impactful for Bahamians earning minimum wage salaries despite last year’s increase to $260 per week.

And it could also force some families to cut back and adjust their spending budgets at a time when the post-COVID cost of living crisis continues to linger on.

The TUC chief’s views are also aligned with those of employers. Peter Goudie, the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employer’s Confederation’s (BCCEC) labour division head, told Tribune Business that the July 1 contribution rate rise is now less than six months away and much closer than what he believes should be reasonable notice to allow companies to budget and plan properly.

“They should be giving notice at a minimum of six months,” he argued.

be able to sustain given the huge level of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). I think we also need to control the runaway expenditure of the National Heath Insurance (NHI) programme because I am not sure the Bahamian public are getting value for money from that.”

Asked how the divide between public and private healthcare systems can be eliminated, or at least narrowed, Dr Sands replied: “This may be the time to go to full-time consultant staff in the public healthcare system so they don’t have an option to straddle both systems.

“This is the time to begin billing and collecting in the public healthcare system in the 21st century. Bring electronic records into the public healthcare system.

Remember the Allscripts disaster where we wasted many millions of dollars.

There are many ways where can move the public healthcare system forward, but it must align with the moon, sun and stars. I don’t see that happening yet. We pay lip service.”

Noting that many Bahamians have been sold on the notion that public healthcare is free, even though they are financing it through their tax dollars, Dr Sands reiterated: “We cannot have a situation

“People have got to plan on this stuff. How can you budget? That’s a very difficult situation. They need to tell people. I don’t know what the secret is. I don’t know why they’re making it a secret and why they’re not telling people.

“I don’t know why they wouldn’t. They have all the actuarial figures. They know what the problem is and how much they’re going to raise it. I don’t know why they’re making it a secret. That’s all I can say. I just don’t know why. I really don’t.”

Mark A Turnquest, the 242 Small Business Association and Resource Centre’s (SBARC) founder, said his members are preparing for the impending NIB rate increase but have also been awaiting confirmation on exactly how much it will be so that they can factor that into their budgets.

“They are preparing themselves because they know it is inevitable, but all they want to know is the exact rake hike. All of my clients and members are ready for it but they want to know exactly how much it will be so that they can be prepared,” he added.

“What they wanted to know from last year is to find out exactly what it was so they could put that in their planning budget for 2024. They are aware that it’s going up but since they don’t know exactly much they’re making estimates.”

NIB’s present reality was predicted more than two decades by its seventh actuarial review, completed in 2001, which forecast that “reserves are projected to become exhausted” by 2029 if comprehensive reforms are not implemented to

where what attains in the private sector allows people to get good quality care and people in the public sector find they are paying through the nose with their taxes hundreds of millions of dollars and the outcomes are drastically different.

“They have the expectation, having paid those taxes, that everything else is free even though the healthcare system’s budget is predicated on people paying those fees.

Yet they are told directly, and indirectly, ‘don’t worry about that. We’ve got you’.

Very few people pay for hospital emergency care, dialysis, even though bills are generated.”

The $700m in outstanding, uncollected PMH fees is equivalent to more than three times’ the PHA’s annual taxpayer subsidy. Dr Sands likened his preferred healthcare model to a flight where persons, regardless of whether they pay extra for first-class or sit in economy class, all arrive at the same destination safely and at the same time.

“That’s the model that makes sense,” he added, “and when people want choice they get choice, but it shouldn’t be that that choice results in different levels of outcomes or quality of care that you receive.”

The IMF, in its justreleased full Article IV

address the fundamental problem of benefit payouts exceeding contribution income. The recipient of that review, which was only one year out, on September 11, 2002, was then-NIB chairman and now-Prime Minister, Philip Davis QC. Now, with just four years left to the NIB Fund’s total depletion in 2028, the magnitude of the correction threatens to be that much more severe for businesses and workers

already grappling with surging inflation, COVID recovery, rising gas prices and other cost increases.

Contributions are presently split 5.9 percent/3.9 percent between employer and employee, making for a combined 9.8 percent, but there has been no indication on what the actual increase will be.

NIB’s 11th actuarial report called for a two percentage point increase in contribution rates to be

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PAGE 22, Wednesday, February 14, 2024

THE TRIBUNE

Trade deficit’s $3.5bn six-year high ‘tremendous opportunity’ FROM PAGE A24 ‘orange economy’, adding that several African nations have expressed interest in local art.

Ultimately, if The Bahamas achieves its twin National Trade Policy objectives of boosting physical goods exports and slashing imports, it will reduce the amount of tourism and financial services foreign currency earnings that have “to do an almost immediate about face” and exit this nation to finance its massive import bill.

Asserting that cutting imports will “strengthen the economy” and bolster both the foreign currency reserves and one:one exchange rate peg with the US dollar, Mr Galanis acknowledged that “it’s going to be a long, long time before” the trade deficit - which measures by how much The Bahamas’ physical goods’ imports exceed its exports - is cut by any great extent.

The data released by the Bahamas National Statistical Institute revealed that the trade deficit for the 2023 fourth quarter, while shrinking slightly by almost

$16m year-over-year, still stood at $902.673m as opposed to $918.448 for the final three months of 2022.

The moderately improved outcome stemmed from a $28m drop in total imports, which fell from $1.074bn in the 2022 fourth quarter to $1.045bn last year. The outcome may have been helped by moderating global inflation and a reduction in oil prices, as The Bahamas’ oil imports fell by more than $56m or nearly 30 percent yearover-year, declining from $189.811m to $133.667m in the 2023 fourth quarter.

Bahamian exports for the same period, meanwhile, declined by just under $12.5m to $142.719m for the three months to endDecember 2023. The data showed that physical goods exported, or re-exported, from The Bahamas totalled just over $600m for the 2023 full-year - a figure that was dwarfed almost seven times’ by some $4.187bn worth of exports.

The Bahamas’ quarterly trade deficits added up to $3.487bn for the full year. This figure is hardly surprising given that this nation imports virtually

all it consumes, but the $233m increase upon 2022’s $3.254bn deficit - itself a five-year high - indicates the growing strain being placed on The Bahamas’ foreign exchange earning sectors.

That $3.487bn represents foreign exchange that The Bahamas has to generate through a surplus on its capital account, representing monies earned by services exporters such as tourism and financial services, to cover the trade deficit and fund essential imports.

Between 2018 and 2022, the trade deficit peaked at just shy of $3bn in 2018, with imports reaching a pre-2023 high of $3.524bn that year.

With the identification of “import substitution”, meaning goods that can be manufactured in The Bahamas to replace foreign products, representing a starting point, Mr Galanis yesterday said the body is also exploring diversifying this nation’s import source markets in a bid to further ease inflation.

“We are looking at the Trade Commission where we are importing our goods from,” the Trade Commission chair said, adding that The Bahamas would

Agriculture group targets $25m for 20% of chicken, egg market FROM PAGE A24 had talks and are pretty much almost at the commitment stage. We’re going to have the grow houses for the chicken and layers to be able to lay the eggs. This is going to be an essential and priority area for 2024.

“I’m really confident we would be able to accomplish that given the talks we’ve had and the participants we’ve spoken to,” Ms Shepherd added. “There are a number of logistics that we have to put in place before we are able to finalise the agreement; the paperwork that needs to

be resolved and to have the right partnership.

“It’s going to have a serious impact. This is going to tap that 20 percent of the import market and, once we’re able to tap into that, that will put a dent into what is coming in at the moment and allow us to supply the local market with fresh chicken and eggs.

“We will easily increase the amount we produce locally but we need to get over this first hump and get started. We are confident that will happen this year. The benefits would be that we would get freshly grown local chicken. We’re

North Andros forced to ‘pilot banking’ as ABM vandalised

producing it now, but not producing it on a large scale where we can make an impact. This will give us a greater impact in chicken and egg production.”

Ms Shepherd did not identify the potential investors that the Bahamas Agri Entrepreneurs Cooperative is talking to, but voiced optimism that its farmers and members will be able to increase production to such an extent that they can eventually “make the case” to the Government for a moratorium on chicken and egg imports.

She added that the group’s investment, besides FROM PAGE A24 that place or have the landlord lock the door knowing that the machine was out of operation. The door shouldn’t have been left open, and they should have

automatically benefit by sourcing from nations with relatively lower inflation.

“The extent to which we’re able to reduce inflation will be a benefit for consumers because, all things being equal and assuming retailers pass those savings in, it will bring prices down.

“Many of the imports we bring in from the US are not necessarily from or made in the US. They are imported through the US and classified as US imports. One of the things the Trade Commission has been focused on is looking at where other countries might offer us benefits.

“We’re planning a trade mission to Brazil in the first quarter of this year. We’re increasing our dialogue and engagement with China because a lot of goods from China come [through other nations], and if we can reduce the economics of transportation costs we will begin to see some benefits.”

Besides lower-cost imports, Mr Galanis added: “We’re trying to encourage exports, identifying goods and services - primarily goods - that are ready for export, and getting them into foreign markets that

they may have some difficulty penetrating.”

Apart from reviewing The Bahamas’ existing trade agreements with the likes of the US, Canada, UK and European Union (EU), he said: “There are other countries that have expressed interest.

A number of countries in Africa have expressed interest in importing Bahamian goods like artwork, and the Caribbean.

“For too long we have not really looked sufficiently closely at our neighbours to the south. We have increasingly brought goods in from our neighbours from the south, but have not really exported to them. I think we need to find out if there are ways we can do so.

“We’ve been working very closely with the Small Business Development Centre to determine which products they are promoting which are export-ready, and to assist those business owners with access to foreign markets. Often-times the benefits are available but what is lacking is the know-how and how to penetrate foreign markets.”

Mr Galanis also voiced hope that the upcoming

reforms to The Bahamas’ IP regime will encourage local artists and artisans to export more of their creative works with “less fear of having them expropriated” by other persons.

Pointing to the benefits of reducing the import bill’s drain on The Bahamas’ foreign currency reserves, the Trade Commission chair added: “We build our reserves if we’re able to reduce our imports, and the reserves begin to grow and that strengthens the economy. More dollars stay in the system to be used by the Government or for private consumption.

“A lot of the money that comes into the country has to do an about face almost immediately to pay for the goods we import. The benefit of reducing the trade deficit is one:one by having these dollars stay in the country. That’s a positive for us.

“We are talking more about the trade deficit that we ever did before. There’s a lot going on in trade, a tremendous amount going on in trade. We’ve been talking more about trade in the last six months than we have in the last six years.”

increasing revenues and profits for the participating farmers, would also boost The Bahamas’ food security drive by producing more of what this nation eats domestically. This, in turn, would reduce the drain of foreign exchange earnings to pay for the country’s estimated $1bn annual food import bill and improve the health and quality of what Bahamians consume.

“There’s a need. There’s definite need... the mere fact we are importing millions and millions of chicken,” Ms Shepherd said. “Our focus right now, the number one focus for us, is to increase the production of chickens to reduce our imports.

“I’m sure we will be able to convince the Government, once we get started,

to put a moratorium on the importation of chicken at a certain stage. We can say we are producing x, y and z, and they will put a moratorium on certain amounts of imports. We will have a stronger case.”

Ms Shepherd agreed that the Cooperative’s plans would complement the Government’s Golden Yolk drive, but added that its initiative is being taken from “the farmer’s perspective”.

The Davis administration last year pledged to invest $15m in its Golden Yolk plan, which it said will make The Bahamas 100 percent self-sufficient in egg production and cut the annual food import bill by $12.5m.

And, once the chicken and egg production is underway, Ms Shepherd revealed that the

Cooperative also plans to “go into other sectors with vegetables” during the later part of 2024. “We haven’t finalised what type of vegetables we will be doing during the second half of the year, but it will be the ones used on a community and every day basis,” she said.

“So it will be more of the greens, the leafy greens, and then we have some other vegetables that are becoming more popular that we will bring to the market. That will entail us putting in the necessary grow houses to grow greens on a regular basis. We’re trying to be more efficient, effective and consistent.

Once we do that, we will have made the statement that we can produce what we need to produce.”

had cameras so that we can know who did it because that’s just ridiculous” North Andros and many Family Island economies are still heavily reliant on cash and access to it for their smooth functioning despite the Central Bank and commercial banking industry’s ongoing push to drive Bahamians to digital and online payments.

Mr Bethel said North Andros residents have already found alternative ways to conduct banking due to how often the ABM machine is out of service.

He explained that some business owners have

resorted to sending pilots to conduct their banking business in New Providence for a nominal fee.

He added: “It will go back to what we have been doing. People have been making the sacrifice to travel when they have to do banking. Some business owners send their deposits to Nassau with the pilots in the morning.

“Sometimes people pick it up from the pilot. Other pilots have been offering that service. One particular pilot will take your ATM card and go to the bank to deposit and withdraw funds, and charge them $20.

That’s how they’ve been surviving.”

Scotiabank, in a statement, condemned the vandalism and said local authorities are investigating the issue. “Scotiabank wishes to condemn the recent incident of vandalism that has affected the operation of our Automated Banking Machine (ABM) located in Nicholl’s Town, Andros”, it added.

“As a result, the machine has been left inoperable and will be unavailable for use by members of the public for an extended period of time. We are presently assessing the extensive damage done with all relevant stakeholders to determine the timeframe for service restoration.

We are also co-operating with the authorities on an investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice.”

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THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, February 14, 2024, PAGE 23

JUNKANOO BEACH VENDORS BACK TRANSFORMATION PLANS

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net THE Junkanoo Beach Association’s (JBA) president yesterday praised the Government’s plans to overhaul the destination as “magnificent for the whole product overall”.

Barron Coley-Austin told Tribune Business he has been in discussions with the Government and is backing its phased approach to implementing the upgrades so that no Junkanoo Beach vendors are displaced or disrupted.

“I’m not aware of anyone being displaced for us,” he said. “We don’t know what their plans are but our plans are that they should phase in one section and, as that opens, they should put the vendors that are here already into those newlyrenovated parts.”

This “transition”, Mr Coley-Austin explained, will help create a system of seniority for the established vendors. Junkanoo Beach is to be expanded from its current boundaries, adjacent to the Margaritaville Beach Hotel and The Pointe complex, westwards to Arawak Cay.

The first phase expansion will begin from the western end of Junkanoo Beach that is “unoccupied”, with the redevelopment working its way back eastwards.

Mr Coley-Austin said: “We hope that they [the Government] will work with us in conjunction with this to ensure that, as phases one, two and three are completed, we can phase the vendors into phase one, then phase two and then phase three so no one is displaced.”

“The JBA is suggesting that they put 13 new stalls on phase one, and we’re proposing that when they finish those first 13 stalls

Valentine’s sales ‘excellent’ with some florists sold-out

By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net BAHAMIAN florists yesterday branded Valentine’s Day sales as “excellent” with some vendors sold out of product from early this week.

James Whitehead, owner of the Nassau Florist, said sales have been strong with 2024 one of his better years. He added that he has benefited from repeat, satisfied consumers recommending the company to family and friends.

“Sales have been excellent. It’s better this year,” Mr Whitehead said. “We do

fantastic work, and people spend the word and keep coming back. They tell their friends that they like what we do and I guess tha’s how we get the business,” Jeffarah Gibson, proprietor of The Flirty Flower, which specialises in preserved floral arts and wedding planning, said she was completely sold out ahead of Valentine’s Day today.

She added that Valentine’s sales for 2024 have exceeded last year’s numbers, and she had to refer clients to other florists once inventory was depleted.

She said: “For Valentine’s Day, actually, I’m sold out.

I’ve already met my quota.

People are still asking if we can take orders. I had about ten people today asking if I can do something for them, and when I talk to other florists or refer them to other florists, it’s the same thing.

They can’t take on anyone else. I run a small solo operation, so there’s only so much that I could have taken on.”

they should phase the vendors from the east end down into the 13 new spots.

“Then they should come into phase two where the present vendors are so, when they renovate that area, the transition can be fluid and then they can move the 13 new vendors back into phase one once we have been relocated back into phase two.”

Mr Coley-Austin said the “switch” is the “best thing to do” so none of the vendors will be displaced.

The Association is said to be supportive of the proposed expansion as it has been years in the making.

“Once we can put the

political differences aside we can all work for one common goal,” Mr ColeyAustin added.

A government senator earlier this week pledged that no existing vendors will be displaced when the project to revive and upgrade Junkanoo Beach begins in the 2024 first quarter.

Randy Rolle, also the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation’s global relations consultant, told the Senate that a staged approach to the revitalistion will be undertaken so as to minimise disruption for vendors and tourists alike.

Ms Gibson said highend sales, such as her rose bouquets, are steady yearround and the increase in popularity on social media has fuelled this upward trend. She added that her “boujie girl” bouquets are one of the top sellers, and consumers are not “afraid to spend” on items they want.

Ms Gibson said: “We’ve definitely had more sales than last year. Every year it gets better it seems. Sales have increased. It’s amazing to me how flowers are selling so well throughout the year. It seems as though people are into what’s trending, and that upward trend in luxury bouquets has been selling throughout the year. People have been ordering a lot of that and it’s going good.

“The most popular product is what some people refer to as the boujie girl bouquet. It’s all roses and it’s wrapped with very unique paper. It has a very luxury feel and look to it. They also love the heart rose boxes. People aren’t afraid to spend their money.

Whatever they want they are going to get, regardless of the price.”

Taxi driver divisions on cruise port call-up

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas Taxi Cab Union’s president yesterday said he does not have time to waste on taxi drivers who refuse to join the Nassau Cruise Port’s call-up system.

Wesley Ferguson questioned “how often are we going to rehash this same story”, adding: “All they have to do is come inside the system. I don’t have any time to cut bush behind rabbit.”

The union president spoke after a group of taxi drivers unaffiliated with the BTCU, represented by the Nassau Cruise Port Taxi Committee, yesterday took issue with how the call-up system is operating and the way in which some drivers were being penalised for alleged infractions.

Referring to the Committee’s chairman, Hubert McIntosh, Mr Ferguson said: “He (Mr McIntosh) just wants

The head of the Government’s Downtown Nassau revitalisation efforts said: “I am also proud to announce that there is forward motion to begin the revitalisation of Junkanoo Beach.

“Groundbreaking is scheduled for the first quarter of this year. I would like to take this time to note that none of the current vendors will be displaced as this project will be rolled out in a phased approach, starting from the western end of Junkanoo Beach to the eastern end.”

to remain relevant and, when you respond to them directly, it just keeps going on and on and on. Then you end up giving them relevance and legitimacy. I want nothing to do with Mr McIntosh.”

Mr McIntosh, when contacted by this newspaper, said he was unable to speak at that moment and requested that he be called back later. He could not be reached at the arranged time but, according to media reports, he voiced concern at the process being used to block taxi drivers who allegedly committed infractions from Nassau Cruise Port for up to five days.

Arguing that only the Road Traffic Department has the lawful authority to regulate taxi drivers, Mr McIntosh said: “It’s what we’re dealing with every day. Because of them they have like a muzzle on us.

They have got their knee on our necks. We cannot breathe.”

business@tribunemedia.net

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2024

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By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net AN ex-health minister says “it’s not worth” committing resources to collect legally-mandated user fees from Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) patients given that $700m-plus remains unpaid.

Dr Duane Sands, who held the post during the Minnis administration’s early years, told Tribune Business that the country’s public healthcare system is failing because treatment outcomes are “sub-optimal” for too many

Bahamians while taxpayers are “not getting value for money”.

Reiterating his belief that The Bahamas is practicing “medical apartheid”, because care quality and outcomes in public healthcare are inferior to those enjoyed in the private sector, he argued that while there are multiple ways to produce the necessary improvements this requires “alignment of the moon, sun and stars and I don’t see it happening”.

While PMH and the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) have had the ability to levy fees for a variety of tertiary care services,

PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL (PMH) they have elected not to enforce this even on persons with insurance or the capacity to pay. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its recent Article IV report, said reversing this policy and levying fees on those who can pay could save taxpayers over $100m in subsidies annually.

Trade deficit’s $3.5bn six-year high ‘tremendous opportunity’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas faces “a tremendous opportunity” if it can start making inroads into a trade deficit that hit a six-year high of around $3.487bn in 2023, it was argued yesterday.

Philip Galanis, the Bahamas Trade Commission’s chairman, conceded to Tribune Business that merely starting to narrow the vast multi-billion gap between this nation’s goods exports and its huge import bill is “probably as much as we can all hope for in the short-term”.

Speaking as the Bahamas National Statistical Institute released the 2023

t $PNNJTTJPO XPSLJOH UP OBSSPX HBQ t 1MBOT #SB[JM USBEF NJTTJPO GPS 2 t &ZFT "GSJDB FYQPSUT $IJOB UBMLT fourth quarter and fullyear trade statistics, which showed that the deficit had increased by around 7 percent or $233m yearover-year compared to

2022, he nevertheless said the Commission is working on multiple initiatives aimed at bridging the growing divide.

Besides identifying Bahamian companies and products that are exportready, and helping them to penetrate new overseas markets, Mr Galanis told this newspaper that the Commission is also seeking out new import sources in a bid to obtain lower prices and ease both inflation and the post-COVID cost of living crisis.

Revealing that the Government body is planning to host a trade mission to Brazil during the 2024 first quarter, he added that The Bahamas is also “increasing dialogue and

A TRADE union leader yesterday joined employers in urging the Government to reveal the magnitude of the National Insurance Board (NB) rate increase “ASAP”, OBIE adding: “July is just FERGUSON around the corner.”

Obie Ferguson KC, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) president, told Tribune Business it is impossible “to have an intelligent discussion” on how the contribution rate rise set to take effect on July will impact working Bahamians, their families and take home pay if all the essential details have not been revealed.

Finding himself on the same side as employers, he said: “I think it’s important for us to know because the TUC is made up of 40 unions in the country, and those unions now have to convey that message..

As a matter of fact, they need to have a meeting and discussions on it to see how best it can be introduced.

“It’s adding a cost on the workers of the country and employers have an issue as well. It’s important that these types of thing be done in a collaborative manner with all the players. It just cannot be the

PHILIP GALANIS engagement with China” to see if transportation costs and, as a result, local consumer prices can be lowered via direct shipping as opposed to transiting through the US and other nations.

Mr Galanis also voiced optimism that the planned wholesale reform of The Bahamas’ intellectual property rights (IP) protection regime will help stimulate exports by local artists and creative industries in the so-called

SEE PAGE A22

SEE PAGE A21

By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

NORTH Andros has been left without easy access to cash for an “extended period of time” after the area’s sole automated banking machine (ABM) was vandalised.

Darin Bethel, the North Andros Chamber of Commerce president, while condemning the “ignorant” actions of those responsible yesterday suggested the culprits may also have been motivated by “frustration” as the Scotiabank ATM had been inoperable for the previous three weeks.

“Sometimes people are just ignorant. I’m assuming somebody went in there frustrated and just vandalised it,” he said, pointing out that North Andros businesses and residents had experienced frequent challenges with that ABM over the past two years. “The ATM has been out of service for about the past three weeks, but we’ve been having problems with it for two years.”

Mr Bethel said residents and businesses in North and Central Andros “will have to deal with” the inconvenience of their sole ABM being out of service, and questioned why the access door

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Agriculture group targets $25m for 20% of chicken, egg market

Union chief backs North Andros forced to ‘pilot employers: Let us banking’ as ABM vandalised know NIB hike extent

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

“When you look at the historic generation of fees, we have done a horrible job of collecting fees, gazetted fees, in the public healthcare sector for many decades,” Dr Sands told this newspaper. “When

NORTH Andros’ sole automated banking machine (ABM) was vandalised. was not locked as it had been out of service for several weeks.

The Chamber chief said: “It’s always on and off, and is often damaged because they come in three times a week to check it.

Sometimes they come in to just pick up the money and do not fix it because they do not have the parts. It’s been giving problems on and off for two years and it’s not the first time that ATM has been vandalised.

“The community will have to deal with it. I don’t understand why they didn’t have cameras in

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By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net BAHAMIAN agricultural entrepreneurs have unveiled ambitions to raise $25m in financing that will enable them to “tap into 20 percent” of this nation’s chicken and egg import market.

Caron Shepherd, president of the Bahamas Agri Entrepreneurs Cooperative, told Tribune Business in a recent interview that talks with potential investors were “pretty much almost at the commitment stage” in a bid to raise funding for the expansion of chicken grow and layer houses.

“We’re working to revolutionise the poultry industry,” she disclosed.

“We need to get that industry up and running, and get it to the point of almost being self-sufficient in chicken and eggs. The Government is doing its Golden Yolk programme. They are covering 2-3 percent of the

market, but we are looking to tap into 20 percent of the market this year.

“We want to expand our farmers into large poultry producers and produce more of what they’re doing now. We’ve spoken to a number of investors who have expressed an interest in partnering with us to have us produce more and be able to at least tap into 20 percent of chicken and eggs. We’re looking to expand the chicken houses and egg production.”

Ms Shepherd said the Cooperative has 250 farmers and members, not all of whom are chicken and egg producers, but “a considerable” number are. “We want to increase their production, and have spoken to outside sources interested in working with us and who have indicated they would be happy to partner with us,” she added.

“Money wise we’re looking at about $25m. We have not yet raised it, but have

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