02232023 NEWS AND SPORT

PM: REVENUE IS UP...

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis said for the first six months of the year, revenue collections are estimated at $1.2bn, which represents a $111.5m increase over the same period in the previous fiscal year.

“To date, revenue collections account for 44.5 percent of the annual budget target. This alone is indicative of the positive impact of the reforms

implemented by this administration,” he said during his mid-budget year communication in Parliament yesterday.

“When we examine the first six months of (fiscal year) 2021/22, 43.4 percent of total revenue was collected during this period and only 35.3 percent of revenue was collected in the first half of (fiscal year) 2020/21.

“Further, when we look at the last ‘normal’ fiscal year of 2018/19, only 41.7

SEE PAGE THREE

(But so is the deficit)

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIANS should be “wary” but not alarmed after the Government yesterday revealed a modest $11.4m increase to its forecast 2022-2023 fiscal deficit along with a similar-sized capital spending cut-back.

Fiscal observers said the revised $575.4m deficit, up from the originally planned $564m, was “not material in the grand scheme of things” as the Davis administration unveiled a $76.5m

increase in its recurrent or ‘fixed cost’ spending above the estimates produced in last May’s Budget.

Gowon Bowe, Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) chief executive, said he and other private sector chiefs who attended Monday’s Business Round Table meeting with the Prime Minister and key Cabinet members were informed that both revenue and public spending “in certain cases” were outpacing the 2022-2023 Budget projections.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSSINESS

‘ERA OF FISCAL MISMANAGEMENT’ AT AN END

AFTER “inheriting” nearly $1bn in unpaid bills and unfunded obligations left behind by the previous Minnis administration, Prime Mianister Philip “Brave” Davis declared yesterday that the government’s fiscal strategies are working as he pointed to a decline in

FNM ANGER AT AG ATTEMPT TO ‘HANDCUFF AND MUZZLE’ PAC

EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement leader Michael Pintard expressed the opposition’s outrage over Attorney General Ryan Pinder’s attempt to “handcuff” and “muzzle” the Public Accounts Committee.

He added that Senator Pinder has no authority over the legislature and the PAC.

The lashing comes after Mr Pintard expressed concern that Permanent Secretary Luther Smith was a “no show” before the

REPAIR PROJECTS TARGET OF $38M INCREASE FOR EDUCATION

THE government has increased the capital budget allocation for the Ministry of Education and Technical and Vocational Training by over $30 million, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis revealed in the House of Assembly yesterday.

The ministry initially had a capital budget allocation of $41,122,940 for the 2022/23 fiscal year, but it was raised to $79,400,446. This is due to the government’s supplementary budget funding of $38,277,506.

FRONT PORCH

government arrears.

In his mid-year budget communication, Mr Davis said bills owed by the government now total a “mere $90.7m”, adding that the “era of fiscal mismanagement has come to an end.” He also noted earlier in his speech that the bills did not necessarily translate into new borrowing.

“Members will recall that in the mid-year review of the previous

year, I revealed to the public that my administration inherited almost $1 billion in unpaid bills, claims and unfunded obligations,” the prime minister said.

“Not only did we have debt levels of near 100 percent of GDP, but we also had a drawer full with bills of almost $1 billion, waiting to be paid. Again, Madam Speaker,

DAVIS ‘PROUD’ OF RECORD-BREAKING REVENUE IN TOURISM

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis expressed his pride in the latest tourism statistics for visitor arrivals last year, placed at seven million, which resulted in “record-breaking revenue”

for hotels and short-term rentals.

Yesterday Mr Davis said the strong activity within the tourism sector had an important impact throughout the domestic economy.

“(It) led to record-breaking revenue in both the hotel sector, as well as the short- term home rental

market,” Mr Davis said in Parliament.

“Likewise, hotel revenue during the first six months of fiscal year 2022/2023 exceeded pre-pandemic levels, owing to steady occupancy and higher nightly rates,” Mr Davis said.

“As market conditions improved over the period,

so did the demand for labour across the economy, mainly to support the tourism sector,” he said. Mr Davis’ statements come several weeks following predictions made by Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper on visitor arrivals for 2023.

Last month, Mr Cooper, also minister for tourism, aviation and investments, forecasted tourist arrivals for 2023 would hit about eight million, with the British Colonial Hilton, in downtown Nassau set to fully reopen by the end of the year.

Mr Cooper predicted that “stopover visitors will be at least 20 percent ahead” of 2022’s total, which is set at 7,000,706 visitors.

Echoing Mr Cooper’s sentiments, Mr Davis said yesterday: “Falling just short of pre-pandemic levels, arrivals in 2022 totalled approximately 7 million, an undeniable indicator of economic rebound over the year.”

Mr Davis added: “In 2023, stopover arrivals are projected to exceed prepandemic levels, as the sector grows to meet continued demand for travel.

“Based on current trends and advance bookings, as last year’s momentum carries over into this year, it is predicted that total visitor arrivals will exceed last year’s seven million visitor arrivals by at least 20 percent. This outlook is being supported by advance booking data, market intelligence and strategic marketing in major source markets.”

“Industry experts anticipate continued growth within the tourism sector. They remain confident that further opportunities will avail themselves through the remainder of the fiscal year. On the whole, while the external economic environment still remains favourable, going forward it is clear that we will need to remain vigilant and prudent,” Mr Davis said.

Mr Davis said economic growth statistics from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a testament to the strong rate of growth expected this year.

“As a consequence of improvements in global market conditions, in October 2022, the IMF forecast that the rate of economic growth in The Bahamas would increase by

4.1 percent in 2023, and 3.0 percent in 2024,” Mr Davis said.

“While the IMF has not yet revised its forecast for domestic economic growth to take account of its latest global outlook, we remain confident that the upward momentum that we have witnessed to date, will largely be sustained,” he said.

Mr Davis said Bahamian families can expect to continue to see benefits as a result of the strong tourism activity.

“These initial reforms, the decisions we made at the very outset of our administration, put us in a position to maximise the benefit of a global rebound in economic activity, and allowed us to deliver tangible change for the Bahamian people,” Mr Davis said.

“Families were able to return to work with dignity and pride. The pent-up demand in the travel and tourism industry was unleashed on the domestic economy,” he said.

“Good governance was restored through fiscal reform and fiscal accountability,” Mr Davis said.

REPAIR PROJECTS TARGET OF $38M BUDGET INCREASE FOR EDUCATION

Mr Davis, in his mid-year budget communication, addressed the increase, explaining that it was done to fund ongoing school repair projects. “When we came into office in September 2021, face-to-face learning had not yet fully returned to schools. The learning loss that resulted from a lack of face-to-face learning was harmful both to students, as well as to national development,” he told parliamentarians yesterday.

“And so, Madam Speaker, we immediately moved to reinstitute faceto-face learning in ways that were safe for both staff and students. While we were very successful in doing so, we were shocked by the deplorable state of school premises left behind by the former administration.”

He said as a result, his administration embarked on a comprehensive school construction and repair programme.

“This programme will continue into the next fiscal

year, and involves the nearcomplete rebuilding of some campuses, as well as extensive renovations of others,” he said. “To fund this programme, we have to make adjustments in the budget allocations, and this partially explains the need for the supplementary budget funding of over $30m for the Ministry of Education’s capital budget.”

He said the move was in line with his government’s plans to invest in education and training.

Addressing the government’s supplementary appropriations budget, Mr Davis said it would not be possible without the improved revenue performance experienced by his administration.

He said in the first six months of the fiscal year, revenue exceeded its projections by $79.4m.

He added: “In addition, the Department of Social Services, Mr (Obie) Wilchcombe identified $8m in an account, let’s put it this way, of unused balances on its accounts at the Bank of The Bahamas and Kanoo. These amounts were for previous years so they had to be

transferred to the Consolidated Fund and account for as revenue.

“In keeping with our conservative approach to managing our fiscal affairs we have only increased our revenue projections for the entire fiscal year, $33m by $53m, which includes the $8m returned by Bank of The Bahamas and Kanoo. The net increase is $45m which is only 56 percent of the excess revenue received by the government.”

He also clarified the difference in numbers in the Supplementary Appropriation Bill from the budget book.

“The explanation is easy; the supplementary budget is necessary because we choose to re-allocate the greatest extent possible to meet new obligations. Reallocated amounts have already been appropriated by the Parliament.

“In some cases, we have re-allocated between the recurrent and capital budget, hence the difference between the numbers in the Supplementary Appropriation Bill and the Supplementary Book which is being tabled.”

from page one

PM: Revenue is up... by over $100m

percent of revenue was collected during the first six months.”

He said the policy shift was just one of his administration’s prudent strategies to restore the country’s fiscal health and said by improving revenue collection earlier in the fiscal year, we “improve the cash flow.” This also reduces the need for short-term borrowings, he added.

Prime Minister Davis also gave a further breakdown of revenue receipts, which showed improvements in tax revenue collections as well as in other areas.

“Tax revenue collections improved by $123.8m and stood at $1.1bn for the first six months of the fiscal year. This represents 44.0 percent of the budget target,” he added.

He also noted that VAT, which accounts for 54.8 percent of tax revenues, totaled $600.2m and grew by $23.7m when compared to the same period the previous year.

He added that departure tax collections and stamp tax collections also saw improvements.

“Value added tax, which accounts for 54.8 percent of tax revenues, totaled $600.2m and grew by $23.7m, relative to the same period in the previous year. This equates to 42.5 percent of the annual budget target.

“With the sustained improvement in the tourism sector, departure tax collections totaled

$71.5m and improved by $45.0m relative to the previous year. At the halfyear mark, departure tax accounts for 73.7 percent of the budget target.”

As for total expenditure, he estimated it at $1.5bn for the first six months of the year, which represents an increase of $119.3m over the previous year. He added: “As for recurrent expenditure, preliminary estimates indicate an increase of $105.3m to $1.4bn, with key spending components, including an increase in compensation of employees by $42.2m, to $399.4m, and representing 47.2 percent of the

‘ERA OF FISCAL MISMANAGEMENT’

from page one

I am happy to report that our plans and strategies are working, and that the era of fiscal mismanagement has come to an end.

“I am pleased to report that at the halfway point in the fiscal year, the government’s unpaid bills total a mere $90.7m or 2.7 percent of budgeted expenditure, compared to the 31.3 percent reported in the previous year.”

These include $44.3m in unpaid bills and other obligations for state owned enterprises.

He added: “Of which, $30.7m in unpaid bills were to the Water and Sewerage Corporation for water purchased; $13.8m in unpaid bills to the Ministry of Tourism, Investment, and Aviation, mainly for consultancy services, quality assurance, and global communications.”

Other debts include $9.9m in unpaid bills for catastrophic healthcare services and the upkeep of community clinics under the Ministry of Health and Wellness and $8m in bills to the Department of Transformation and Digitisation in respect of various unfunded contractual obligations.

The government also owes $5.9m to the Ministry of National Security for various security enhancement projects and $5.5m to Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation mainly for

insurance services and utility services.

With respect to the government’s performance thus far, Mr Davis’ officials were content, but not “complacent” with its achievement for the first six months of the fiscal year.

He reminded that since coming into office, his administration reduced customs duties on various food items, increased the national minimum wage, and finalised a number of industrial agreements, among other things.

Prime Minister Davis said that some of its initiatives to help Bahamians struggling from inflation, such as its price control expansion, received heavy pushback and “unwarranted criticism.”

However, he said, the government has a role to play to protect consumers from market abuse, insisting that it will not hide from its responsibilities.

“We acknowledge that in a perfect market, price controls are unnecessary. But The Bahamas is not a perfect market. Many of those who shout loudly about the virtues of the free market themselves participate in monopolies, duopolies, oligopolies, and other noncompetitive practices.

“In all areas, the government has a critical role to play in protecting consumers from market abuse. We will not flinch or shirk our responsibilities.”

budget target increased spending in this component is explained by higher employment costs because of promotions, and other staff and salary adjustments during the period.”

Mr Davis also said that public debt interest payments increased by $41.1m to $280.9m and equated to 50.2 percent of the budget. Spending on the use of goods and services also increased by $24.1m to $274.5m, according to the

prime minister yesterday.

“In line with the government’s core functions in society, key expenditure during the period included: increased spending on education, as outlined in the (fiscal year) 2022/23 budget’s plans to invest in education and training,” he continued.

“For instance, during the period, transfers for scholarships and grants increased by $2m and totaled $20.1m. Subsidies

to the University of The Bahamas increased by $1.1m and totaled $15.5m.

“Because of the public’s reduced reliance on COVID-19 support, social assistance benefits receded by $36.9m, and subsidies tightened by $5.6m, particularly for the Public Hospital Authority.

“In fact, direct COVIDrelated spending during the period significantly eased to $4.7m, a contraction of $39.5m relative to the same

period in the previous year. I note, however, that social assistance spending still represents a substantial increase over that of pre-pandemic years, in recognition of the enduring impact of the lockdowns on household income.”

He also revealed that the government experienced a net deficit of $285.7m, which represented an increase of $7.8m compared to the previous period.

PINTARD: GOVERNMENT OVERLY OPTIMISTIC

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement leader Michael Pintard said the Davis administration is too optimistic in its budget projections.

“(We) also say that as we sat this morning one of the things we recognise that is true is that this government continues to have overly... actually optimistic projections on revenue. We believe that they are wrong in terms of the kinds of projections that they are making,” he said yesterday, shortly after Prime Minister Philip Davis’ mid-year budget communication in Parliament.

“We refer to a few things - one, the Prime Minister himself indicated that a part of what he believes will spur the growth to provide the revenue that he has in mind would be small business development, that has been the tradition.

“This administration has failed to live up to what happened under the previous administration in providing support and credit to the small and medium sized business sector.”

He said the government has “unleashed burdens” on the business sector such as the red tape required to get a business licence.

The increase in electricity costs was also noted.

“The prime minister went to great lengths to outline what the expected growth rate would be in the international market. What he failed to disclose to the Bahamian people is that it’s clearly been stated that we expect a reduction in the overall growth rate,

economic growth rate in countries around the world in 2023, certainly in 2024.

“The Prime Minister has projected that in 2024, as well as 2025, he expects somewhere in the order of four percent plus in terms of economic growth while the IMF who he has quoted as projected that in many ways we will return to normal trends in economic growth.

So certainly the Prime Minister, in my view, is stating figures that he knows that historically we have not grown at that level and the headwinds that are ahead of us are likely to have an impact on our ability to grow.”

He also criticised Mr Davis’ refusal to be frank about a possible increase in National Insurance Board (NIB) contributions.

State Minister Myles Laroda with responsibility for NIB previously said that the government made a decision concerning the future of the NIB fund, and it will soon announce its decision on whether NIB contribution rates will increase or not.

Mr Pintard wondered if decisions for major entities were considered in the economic outlook.

He added: “Instead, he talks about the increase in VAT receipts and not calculating the fact that inflation has helped to elevate the VAT increases, and that is on the backs of Bahamians, who are burdened with these increased prices. So, in our view, he is not telling the entire story.”

The Marco City MP highlighted issues with transparency.

“One would notice that the prime minister has really made a veiled reference to the debt management strategy that he has. At the end of the day, our options for growth and prosperity in The Bahamas is limited by the amount of money we are spending, the amount of revenue we’re taking to service our debt.

“We were on a pathway under the last administration to make sure that we carefully managed our debt. We reported to the Bahamian people in a timely fashion and benefited from feedback. This government is not committed to that kind of transparency and not just in terms of the debt management.

“Before I leave that point, let me say, the prime minister was absolutely wrong

not to disclose to the Parliament how much money he and his administration is paying to Rothschild that’s assisting him with the debt management. What are they trying to hide? What is the big secret about not revealing how public money is being spent to a firm to help us address our fiscal challenges in the country?”

Asked his thoughts for the revenue targets outlined in Parliament, Mr Pintard said there are headwinds not being considered.

“We would hope that economic growth continues. The economy, obviously, has rebounded much faster than expected by a number of persons and this has nothing to do with efforts made by this administration. There was pent up demand in the market and when we were in government we obviously set the country on a clear pathway to economic recovery,” he said.

“So the prime minister has not sufficiently taken into consideration the headwinds that he and his administration and the country will face, that’s one thing that can have a negative impact on those overly optimistic projections. Secondly, the reforms that are required, he is not committed to those.”

PRIME Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis speaking during the mid-term budget communication yesterday noted that the countries revenues were up by over $100m.

Photo: Moise Amisial

FNM Leader Michael Pintard speaking to the press outside parliament yesterday.

Photo: Moise Amisial

PM owes Foulkes and Turnquest a ‘public apology’ says Pintard

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement leader Michael Pintard yesterday called on Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis to apologise for his claims about the 1972 Constitutional Conference in London, accusing Mr Davis of misleading the House of Assembly.

Mr Pintard made these observations after Mr Davis in the House of Assembly on Monday said that the members of the delegation of the Official Opposition left before an agreement was reached at the 1972 event.

Mr Pintard described the Prime Minister’s claim as “reckless” and “offensive”.

He said Mr Davis owes a public apology to the FNM, Sir Arthur Foulkes and to Sir Orville Turnquest, the two living opposition delegates who had attended the conference.

“In repeating this blatantly false claim, the Prime Minister misled the House. He owes an immediate and

public apology to the Free National Movement and to Sir Arthur Foulkes and Sir Orville Turnquest, the two living opposition delegates to the conference,” Mr Pintard.

“The prime minister needs to correct the record of the House and apologise to the House for his false claim which is refuted by the historic record. It is a bogus claim that has been refuted on numerous occasions over the decades,” Mr Pintard said.

Mr Pintard said if Mr Davis fails to “unreservedly” apologise, he will be setting a tone of discord.

“If Mr Davis fails to unreservedly apologise, he is setting a divisive tone during the 50th anniversary of independence, which should be a unifying occasion. The opposition takes this opportunity to thank Sir Orville and Sir Arthur, Bahamian patriots, for their service to the country over many decades,” he said.

On Monday, during a debate in the House of Assembly Mr Davis said that the opposition left quickly on the completion

of the London conference.

“The FNM was on the side and they were arguing no to independence. That’s the point he made now, after the people rejected the view of the FNM,” Mr Davis said.

“Right, and then the issue of the Constitutional Conference came up. It was only right for the opposition to have their say in the crafting of the Constitution,” Mr Davis said on Monday.

Mr Davis added: “They left; Christmas was coming. They signed off and said Sir Lynden whatever y’all say... And they came back home, that’s all part of the record.”

However, when The Tribune contacted Sir Arthur, he said the claims are false.

“It’s (false), it’s unfortunate I don’t know who told him that. But obviously, somebody told him that and he repeated it,” Sir Arthur said.

Sir Arthur said the comments made by Mr Davis were a discredit to him and his fellow colleagues, such as former leader of the opposition, the late Kendal Isaacs.

FREE National Movement Leader, Michael intard yesterday called on Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis to apologise to former Governor Generals Sir Arthur Foulkes ad Sir Orville Turnquest for a statement he called ‘misleading’. Mr Davis in the House of Assembly on Monday said that the members of the delegation of the Official Opposition left before an agreement was reached at the 1972 constitutional conference in London.

“It’s a discredit to us. Some of my colleagues, like Kendal Isaacs, who is now passed, it’s unfair to him.

“If you knew Kendal Isaacs, he was one of the most honourable men

I’ve ever met in my life.

To suggest he would have abandoned his duty like that it’s just utterly unspeakable; it’s really wrong.”

Sir Arthur explained that

the British government decided when he and his colleagues were to leave, noting they left after the conference was completely done.

STB: STOP THE SALE OF EQUINOR UNTIL OIL SPILL CLEAN-UP DONE

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net

SAVE The Bays has called for the sale of Equinor’s South Riding Point storage facility in Grand Bahama to be halted until the clean-up of the massive 2019 oil spill is done, saying amounts of residual oil still remain on the site.

The oil spill occurred when Hurricane Dorian pummeled the northern Bahamas in September 2019. The estimated volume of the oil spill is 55,000 barrels (2.3 million gallons).

Since then, there has been a debate about whether sufficient action was taken to remediate the Equinor site, as some local environmentalists have

called on the government to be vigilant on the clean up efforts.

Save The Bays said in a statement that the sale of the Equinor oil storage facility should not be permitted to move along until the clean-up of the massive oil spill is complete.

“Save The Bays (STB) has maintained a constant presence on the ground in the aftermath of the spill

and we can confirm that up to December 2022, enormous amounts of residual oil remained on and around the site,” STB’s statement said.

STB claimed that in recent weeks the company has started barring environmentalists from the area which has prevented the group from continuing with its assessments.

The statement continued: “Nevertheless, oil appears to remain settled in waste wells, untreated since the 2019 spill, which can compromise the aquatic and water quality of the surrounding wetlands – which is an area where the water table is less than four feet below the surface.

“It is our assessment that the Equinor site represents a serious and ongoing ecological and public health danger, which must be fully and openly addressed before the facility is allowed to change hands.”

APPROXIMATELY 2.3 million gallons of oil spilled due to damages caused by Hurricane Dorian in September of 2019. Equinor has reportedly entered into an agreement with Liwathon for the sale of the South Riding Point oil terminal. Save The Bays in a press release called on the government to halt the deal until the oil spill fully dealt with.

STB called on the government not to sanction any sale of Equinor until it is confirmed that the site has been returned to its pre-spill condition.

The organisation stressed the need for a “thorough” and “transparent” evaluation process that will include the environmental community and other stakeholders in Grand Bahama.

STB noted there also needs to be a transparent report for the people of the Grand Bahama community.

“The Davis administration has repeatedly claimed that climate resilience and environmental sustainability are to be the cornerstones of its legacy.

“Allowing a company that has spilled millions of gallons of oil into the ground in a sensitive and ecologically significant area, to kick this toxic can down the road to a new owner, hardly meets that

standard,” the statement said.

After the incident, Equinor said it was committed to cleaning up the area and that it would establish a long-term monitoring plan of ground water and for the affected forest areas to be submitted to local authorities.

This week, Equinor announced on its website that it has entered into an agreement with Liwathon for the sale of the South Riding Point oil terminal.

“Liwathon will assume the responsibilities for the employees of South Riding Point,” Equinor’s website says. “The transaction is approved by Bahamian authorities.”

Liwathon Group is an integrated logistics and investment business that provides an extensive range of services in the area of handling, transport and storage of liquid fuels traded globally, Equinor said.

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

Branville: ‘it’s time for action’ on shanty towns

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

BRANVILLE McCartney, a former state minister for immigration, called on both political parties to “stop all the committees”, saying that it is time for action on shanty towns. These comments come after the House of Assembly rejected a move by opposition leader Michael Pintard to establish a select committee on immigration, with every government MP present voting against it. Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said he did not support the call for the committee, saying it was unnecessary.

When contacted by this newspaper, the former Democratic National Alliance (DNA) leader said that the prime minister holds a right to “support or deny” having a select committee,

but suggested that the “real concern” should be focused on how to tackle the immigration matters.

Following the removal of a court injunction preventing demolition of shanty towns, Mr McCartney urged the Davis administration to further explain its plans on how it intends to tackle the unregulated areas.

“The prime minister certainly is right to support or deny having a select committee,” he told The Tribune.

“That’s not the issue, and that’s not the real concern.

The real concern is how we’re going to deal with the immigration concerns. That is, I think the point that needs to be considered.”

With Mr Davis sending mixed messages about when the government will move to demolish shanty towns, Mr McCartney scolded the government, saying they ought to stop making excuses.

“My understanding is that the government is saying that it’s going to take some time because, you know, people will be made homeless,” Mr McCartney said yesterday.

“The bottom line is these things (shanty towns) are erected illegally, they need to be dealt with, humanely, but they need to be dealt with.

“Almost like an excuse, to be quite honest. To say that we need to look at the living accommodations of persons

MEMBERS OF DAVIS ADMINISTRATION SAY ‘REAL ACTION’ ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION TAKING PLACE NOW

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

MEMBERS of the Davis administration defended government’s plan to tackle illegal immigration, arguing that “real action” is happening for the first time in a long time.

Earlier this month, Supreme Court Justice Cheryl Grant Thompson ruled that the Minnis administration’s shanty town eradication policy was lawful and that applicants did not come up with sufficient evidence that any move to seize their property was in breach of the law.

The ruling means that the injunction is lifted and demolition of shanty town properties by the government may resume.

Yesterday, John Pinder, told reporters outside of the House of Assembly that the lifting of the injunction is a “blessing’ for the country, but particularly for Abaco.

The Central and South Abaco MP has previously told reporters that the issue of unregulated shanty towns in Abaco has reached a “boiling point”.

“We must get a handle on this (immigration issue),”

Mr Pinder said yesterday.

“I see real action happening for the first time in a very long time. Hasn’t been a boat (sloop) that has touched Abaco in some time now, and that’s due to the good work and the efforts done in our southern territories.”

Last year, a multi-agency committee, composed of representatives from various government departments, ministries, and law enforcement agencies, was formed in response to the illegal developments.

Mr Pinder acknowledged the efforts of the committee, expressing his confidence in its abilities to tackle the matter.

“Now the task force is coming up with a particular plan, and I have full optimism that they will do this in a manly, humanely and responsible way,” he told reporters yesterday.

“But real action is being taken and the time for

bureaucracy and talk is over.”

Works and Utilities Min-

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

“The committee is working and we will be making an announcement shortly,” he told reporters yesterday.

When asked about the budget, Mr Sears was unable to provide an answer.

He said: “All of that work is being done now and we will be making a full announcement and we are engaged in preparation.”

He also responded to the former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ claims that the Davis administration is “mixed and confused” on the shanty town issue. He noted that thanks to the government, the injunction was removed.

“It is the government that went to court and argued and persuaded the court to dismiss the action and to discharge the injunction,” he said yesterday.

Prime Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis had said earlier that the government will not immediately move to demolish shanty towns in the country despite the recent lifting of a court injunction, saying it makes no sense “responding to a crisis to create another crisis”.

He had said that the injunction’s removal “was to enable the government to have as many options” as it could to deal with this issue, though he did not go into detail as to what those other options can include.

However, during Mr Davis’ national address on Sunday, he noted it is a priority that “decisive action” must be taken which is based on laws of “our land”.

Despite the likelihood of thousands of people being displaced and left homeless after the tearing down of their homes, Social Services Minister Obie Wilchcombe said yesterday that the government will seek to provide assistance in circumstances considered necessary.

“That’s a quite interesting question because if you’re

who are here illegally, that’s almost a slap in the face.” He suggested that the primary focus be on the removal of irregular communities in a “humane” fashion, in addition to protecting the country’s borders and regularising citizenship for those who have lived in the country for extended periods of time.

Mr McCartney said he viewed the FNM’s call for a select committee as “crap”, calling for action to take place now more than ever.

“The issue of having a select committee, come on man, it’s time for action, all this talk and committees, and all this crap, that’s past,” he said. “We need to take some action, we need to be able to move forward with it. Of course, generally in a humane way.”

He added: “The country will benefit if we start to move and have the political will of dealing with the immigration problem. Select

committee - what (is) is that gonna do?

“Big arguments back and forth? It becomes political, let’s get the job done. Let’s have some action, let’s stop, all the talk, all the rhetoric, all the committees.”

Earlier this week, Minister of Works Alfred Sears said Cabinet has reconvened a shanty town task force and the Bahamian public will soon be given a roadmap which the government will use to address the issue of illegal structures.

in the shanty towns, you are either legal or illegal. If you’re here illegally, then you are not going to be here. If you’re here legally, then you have responsibilities to secure an environment or housing for (yourself),” he told reporters yesterday outside of the House of Assembly.

He continued: “In circumstances where we believe it is necessary, then obviously we’ll have to step in, but we are operating on the premise that there are only two types of people who are there (in shanty towns) —those who are there legally, and those who are there illegally in The Bahamas.

“And at the end of the day either way it should work itself out. But, of course, the Ministry of Social Services must always be there for Bahamians who have difficulties.”

Bahamians have long complained about the shanty town issue, which has grown in size and numbers over the years because of government’s failure to address it.

The islands of Abaco, North Andros and Eleuthera in particular have been dealing with an increasing number of unregulated communities springing up.

In New Providence, the issue has sparked several protests by the Coalition of Independents, which says the country is dealing with an “immigration crisis”.

FORMER DNA Leader Branville McCartney

The Tribune Limited

PICTURE OF THE DAY

Children in poverty

EDITOR, The Tribune.

“Suffer The Little Children to come unto Me, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven”

Biden shores up allies over Ukraine

PRESIDENT Joe Biden closed out his wartime visit to Europe on Wednesday, working to shore up partnerships with allies on NATO’s perilous eastern flank — even as Russia’s Vladimir Putin was drawing closer to China for help as his invasion of Ukraine neared the oneyear mark.

Biden’s meeting with leaders of the Bucharest Nine nations in Warsaw came at the conclusion of a whirlwind, fourday visit to Ukraine and Poland meant to reassure allies that US support in fending off Russia isn’t at risk of waning.

In dramatic counterpoint, Putin on Wednesday played host in Moscow to Wang Yi, the Chinese Communist Party’s most senior foreign policy official, as US intelligence warned Beijing is considering supplying arms and ammunition to the worn-down Russian military.

The flexing of alliances was a fresh indication that both sides are digging in for prolonged conflict in Ukraine with the fighting expected to intensify with the arrival of spring.

Biden’s trip had provided yet another moment of telling counterprogramming on Tuesday when he delivered a ringing speech on Western unity in Warsaw, a day after he swept into Kyiv unannounced for a visit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. As Biden spoke in Poland, Putin announced that Russia was suspending its participation in the last remaining US-Russia nuclear arms control treaty.

Biden called that departure “a big mistake”. The exit is expected to have an immediate impact on US awareness of Russian nuclear activities. However, the pact — known as New START — was already on life support following Moscow’s cancellation late last year of talks that had been intended to salvage an agreement that each side has accused the other of violating.

Biden met yesterday with leaders of the Bucharest Nine, the nations in the easternmost parts of the NATO alliance that came together in response to Putin’s 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. They include Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.

“You’re the frontlines of our collective defence,” Biden told them. “And you know, better than anyone, what’s at stake in this conflict. Not just for Ukraine, but for the freedom of democracies throughout Europe and around the world.”

These countries have worried that Putin could move to take military action against them next if he’s successful in Ukraine. Biden responded to that anxiety by pledging that NATO’s mutual defense pact is “sacred” and that “we will defend literally every inch of NATO”.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who attended the meeting, pointed to past Russian actions in Georgia and Ukraine and said, “We cannot allow Russia to continue to chip away at European security. We must break the cycle of Russian aggression.”

It was unclear how the US and its allies aimed to do that, other than by continuing to arm Ukraine’s military with the Western and aging Soviet arms that have allowed it retake about half of the territory it lost in the opening days of the war.

Biden returned to Washington late on Wednesday night.

After the Russian military’s battlefield shortcomings were revealed at the start of the conflict, Putin, too, has been seeking rearmament, drawing on Iran and North Korea for assistance — and potentially China.

Administration officials don’t yet have an indication that China has decided to move forward on sending Moscow weaponry, but Secretary of State Antony Blinken said this week it would be a “serious problem” should Beijing follow through.

Throughout the conflict, China has cautiously weighed the pros and cons of directly aiding Russia. But a year into the war, Beijing now seems increasingly concerned that Russia — one of its closest allies — is teetering toward something that could approximate a loss in Ukraine.

The US and its allies have threatened secondary sanctions on countries that support the Russian war effort. But there was no consensus this week on potentially steeper sanctions for China, which could have global economic implications, should it decide to rearm Putin’s forces.

One European official described the intelligence regarding Chinese consideration of supplying Russia with weapons as “unambiguous.” Western officials do not know whether the possibility is currently being studied only by China’s military or some other single branch of the government, or by the Chinese government as a whole, the official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the West’s intelligence on the matter.

Western intelligence indicates that the kind of supplies China is considering giving Russia would be aimed at backfilling stocks of weapons that Russia was losing, or wasting, on the battlefield in Ukraine, the European official said.

From the intelligence signals thus far, Western officials don’t believe China’s supply of weapons to Russia would be sufficient to change the trajectory of the year-old war.

By AAMER MADHANI and ZEKE MILLER, Associated Press

PLP opposed independence too

EDITOR, The Tribune.

MY INTEREST was piqued by a Nassau Guardian article pertaining to a Progressive Liberal Party Cabinet minister’s claim in Parliament that the Free National Movement opposed independence.

The PLP minister is correct. However, I wish the minister would have demonstrated the level of bipartisanship that senior PLP statesman George Smith showed when he corrected an untruth about FNM delegates to the Constitutional Conference leaving before an agreement was reached in 1972.

I also wish the minister would’ve mentioned the PLP and Sir Lynden O Pindling not supporting Labour Party Leader Sir Randol Fawkes’ call in the House of Assembly in August 1966 for a select “committee to explore the question of national Independence” from Great Britain. Fawkes’ proposal was approximately four

months prior to Majority Rule Day and over six years prior to Independence in 1973. Fawkes, in his memoir The Faith that Moved the Mountain, did mention the petty reaction of PLP co-founder Cyril Stevenson to his independence proposal, in addition to the non-response of Sir Lynden, who was present in Parliament. I sincerely believe that the PLP leadership back then viewed Sir Randol as a threat. This can explain why the PLP top brass elbowed Sir Randol out of the party ahead of the April 1968 snap general election, after the death of Uriah McPhee. The party realised that it no longer needed Fawkes, as it did to secure its first general election win on January 10, 1967.

Regarding Constitution Day on January 7, 1964, I stand to be corrected by the editor, but I also think that the PLP was not thrilled with the idea of internal self-rule under the United Bahamian Party. Whatever

As Sarah Ann McMahan reflects: “Foot washing is messy business; it means getting down on your knees to mingle with the dirt of the human condition, and doing whatever is possible to try to clean it up with our own hands. It means to be intimately, personally involved in life-giving, compassionate ways in the suffering filth of those who must walk without shoes on the bare paths of meaninglessness and pain.”

Let’s take a cursory look at our situation at the dawning of 50 years of Independence! A very small percent of our population owns and controls over half of the wealth of this nation. The vast majority of our people, those who can find work, live from pay cheque to pay cheque. Nevertheless, we are, because of our gross national product, classified as one of the richest small nations in the region, with an enviable per capita income. However, we cannot even institute a livable wage, just a minimum!?

The inherent inequities in our system can easily permit the strangling hold of poverty, or near poverty, however, to reign supreme in our small nation. It is socially and morally dangerous for any society to permit such differences.

Particularly on Grand Bahama and on New Providence, mothers, who are the sole providers for their children, cannot supply their basic needs. Consequently, their male offsprings get caught up in nefarious activities to supply their needs. The young girls, as young as 11 years, prostitute themselves, in some cases even with the tacit approval of their mothers, in order to provide basic material needs. Many of them cannot attend school in proper uniform were it not for their male suppliers.

Then, of course, no one is ignorant of what takes place upon leaving school. The situation is perpetuated, only now they begin to bear children for these ‘good’ gentlemen. And, thus, the vicious cycle continues. Many of our children lose for they are never given a chance to win. Young girls bear children and young men resort to crime and violence.

one’s views are regarding Sir Roland Symonette, Sir Stafford Sands and the UBP hierarchy, their achievement of internal self-governance laid the groundwork for independence. UBP sympathizers can easily bring up the issue of The Bahamas achieving its first Constitution in 1964, which was not supported by the then opposition. Given the context of the situation under the UBP, I can understand why Pindling and the PLP were apprehensive about the move to internal self-rule by the UBP. By the same token, I also understand why the FNM opposed independence under the PLP back then, as there were already grave concerns about the leadership showing dictatorial tendencies. Context is very important in discussing why the FNM was apprehensive about independence.

KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Grand Bahama February 22, 2023.

our callous indifference to women and children in particular.

Why can’t we do something about this societal plague? Simple indifference! Why doesn’t our government do something more about this obvious poverty which drives our children to start on a path of crime that leads them to jail and probable death before the tender age of twenty? Lack of money, we hear, and the resulting lack of job and programme opportunities to enhance the quality of life for our young. Remember the small percentage of those who own the majority of wealth in the nation? This same wealth has been accumulated, by and large, through the sweat and blood of the poor, our black brothers and sisters and destitute whites, whose children are now financially impoverished and dispossessed.

Pray tell me the percentage of poor blacks or destitute whites who own a piece of our national real estate? They possess no wealth which is in chaos that could be ordered! I have advocated for years, in fact since 1977, that every Bahamian citizen should own a piece of our country. Thousands possess none and we expect them to feel at home.

Without an equitable system of taxation the government cannot get at privileged and enormous deposits. They sit stagnant (except for the amassing of daily interest), and so the frightening inequities continue. During the recent pandemic and Dorian, how many freed up some of their riches to enable our children to adequately continue their education? And now we see the devastating results!

God destined the earth and all it contains for all men and all peoples so that all created things would be shared fairly by all mankind under the guidance of justice tempered by charity. There is then the universal destination of earthly goods and every man has the right to possess sufficient amount for himself and his family.

and guaranteed criminal activity.

Just imagine the social, psychological and even spiritual frustration in the hearts and minds of the thousands of graduates, who entered upon the course of dire uncertainty this coming month of June. Devoid of financial opportunities for further education and with the scarcity of jobs, they can so quickly lose that pristine grace of youthful enthusiasm and motivation as they tread the beat of the unemployed and the dispossessed.

Certainly, these, our children have dreams. But we as a nation have an obligation to assist them in the realization of those dreams. Will July 2023 bring the dawning of and new and glorious Bahamaland with dreams fully realised?

We need to be eternally mindful of the poignant warning given by Marian Edelman when she writes: “Inattention to children by society poses a greater threat to our society, harmony and productivity than any external enemy.” We are presently smack in the midst of this reality with the daily birthing of more and more internal enemies of the state. Yes, our children are the ‘darlings’ of the nation. But they can so easily become the demons unless they are properly nurtured and cared for. Call then ‘darlings’ only when we have done everything in our power to assure that every child in our land becomes an esteemed, proud, loved, cherished and cared-for individual. When we have made certain he/she is securely set on the path of self-esteem, self-worth and productivity, then and only then, claim them as our darlings. It is nothing short of criminal to believe that our responsibility for our children ends at the age of sixteen!

But this is not just the sitting government’s call to action. It is essentially a national call to wage “Holy War” on all those areas in society where the Spirit of Christ is encumbered by the strangling hold of abuse, neglect and abandonment of our children..

Then, some of us, simply out of political expediency are so ignorant and insensitive to suggest that there is no correlation between poverty, unemployment and crime. What crime is more heinous and detestable than that where our young girls and boys prostitute themselves for bare necessities. These silent victims, camouflaged by societal shame, hardly ever have their day in court. Certainly, as a long standing member of the United Nations, we have signed on to a plethora of treaties, declarations, including those related to our serious obligations related to the rights and protections of our children. Very sad to say, however, we are made more famous for our words and promises rather than any necessary and concrete action. We fall so dreadfully short that scathing reports from international bodies continue to be leveled against us, on many human rights fronts, including

There is a simple, direct and immediate way to eradicate poverty from this nation, where more than forty percent now exist below the poverty line. National Insurance, is not a contribution; it is a tax, for it is legally established to be taken out of salaries.

Presently, the destitute poor man or woman pays the same percentage as the super rich and multi-millionaire. This system has to change, keeping it under the NIB, but establish it based upon the income of each individual, where the rich will be taxed on their enormous income, and the poor on their little. There has to be a sliding scale.

If we continue on the present course, poverty, in its most deepest and most abject state, will be the heritage of our future generation unless we as adults in this nation assure everyone of our young men and women meaningful occupation as they exit the halls of our high schools.

Without this assurance, we have failed them miserably and have set the stage for future, certain

Jesus may not have directly proposed the eradication of poverty, stating, in fact, that the poor we will always have with us. But certainly these same poor were the ones dearest to his heart. Thus, by caring for and feeding them, we are in perfect obedience to the will of God that all men, all women deserve to live a dignified, joyful and fulfilling life. And I end with this powerful admonition of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who witnesses daily the scourge of absolute poverty in his country:

“A church that is in solidarity with the poor can never be a wealthy church. It must sell all, in a sense, to follow the Master. It must use its wealth and resources for the sake of the least of Christ’s brethren.” And who is the church? WE ARE THE CHURCH!

Suffer the little children to come to me for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

Or will we continue setting them on a path of suffering and want, where no tender and caring hands reach out to them and lead them into the Arms of Jesus?

RUSH hour traffic travels southbound on Interstate 35W in Minneapolis as a winter storm hit the Twin Cities on Tuesday.

Photo: Jeff Wheeler/Star Tribune via AP

MAN ACCUSED OF SEXUAL ABUSE OF 10-YEAR-OLD

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A 41-YEAR-OLD man was sent to prison yesterday after being accused of sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl earlier this year.

Derrell Forbes, 41, represented by Kelsey Munroe, appeared before Magistrate Shaka Serville. There he faced charges of unlawful

sexual intercourse and two counts of indecent assault. It is alleged that on January 19 in New Providence, Forbes had sex with a child. It is further alleged that on the same day the accused indecently assaulted the girl twice.

As these charges are indictable offences, the accused was not required to enter a plea at that time. Forbes was informed that his matter would proceed to

POLICE SEARCH FOR MULTIPLE ARMED

the Supreme Court by way of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).

He was further told that while the magistrate lacked the jurisdiction to grant him bail he had the right to apply for it through the higher court.

Until bail is granted the accused will be remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. Service of Forbes’s VBI is set for June 20.

NO BAIL GRANTED FOR MAN ACCUSED OF RAPE

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A 40-YEAR-OLD man was remanded in custody yesterday accused of raping a 31-year-old woman in the nation’s capital last week.

Phillip McCartney faced Magistrate Kendra Kelly on a charge of rape.

It is alleged that Forbes forced a 31-year-old woman to have sex with him without her consent on February 14.

Due to the gravity of the offence, the accused was not required to plea before the magistrate. He was informed that his matter would be transferred to the Supreme Court by way of a voluntary bill of

ROBBERS AND A HIT AND RUN SUSPECT

POLICE are searching for a female driver and two male passengers, all occupants of a silver coloured Nissan Note, responsible for robbing a business on Tuesday.

The incident reportedly occurred sometime around 8.45pm in the area of Soldier Road.

indictment (VBI).

After it was revealed that the accused has earlier offences, but none of a similar nature, McCartney was told of his right to apply for bail in the higher court.

Until bail is granted he will be remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

McCartney is due to receive his VBI on May 30.

MOTHER CHARGED WITH CHILD ABUSE GRANTED BAIL

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A 29-YEAR-OLD mother was granted bail yesterday after she was charged with the alleged abuse of her two children last Sunday. The woman, whose name

is being withheld to protect the identity of her children, stood before Magistrate Kara Turnquest-Deveaux on two counts of cruelty to children.

It is alleged that on February 19 in New Providence the accused caused injury to the health of her

Police said two masked gunmen in dark clothing entered the business and robbed the place, leaving with an undisclosed amount of cash. The suspects fled

the scene in a vehicle driven by a woman, heading east.

Police are also looking for three masked gunmen who reportedly robbed a man while he was leaving his home in the area of Carmichael Road.

Around 5.30am on Tuesday, the victim was accosted by three tall, slim built men as he tried to get into his car. The men were armed with guns and mace, police said.

The victim was sprayed with mace, robbed of an

undisclosed amount of cash and other personal items before the assailants fled the area.

In other crime news, police in Exuma are investigating a hit-and-run that left a man dead on Tuesday. Around 7pm, a man was hit by a vehicle in the vicinity of Georgetown that failed to remain on the scene. He received significant trauma to his upper torso and head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

ten-year-old daughter and six-year-old son while they were in her care and custody.

She pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted $7,000 bail with one or two sureties.

Her trial is set to begin on March 24.

FOUR MEN CHARGED WITH FIREARM POSSESSION

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

FOUR men were charged yesterday after being accused of driving with a loaded gun in their car early Monday morning.

Ramone Haughton, 25, Tyric Heron, 19, Geno Brennen, 27 and Kevin Hanna, 25, all faced Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt on charges of possession of unlicensed ammunition and possession of ammunition.

According to police reports, around 2am on February 20 the four

accused were stopped by officers on Duke Street in their black Nissan March for suspicious behaviour. A search of the vehicle uncovered a silver and black coloured Ruger pistol, serial number 34418995. The confiscated weapon had 10 unfired rounds of 9mm ammunition.

In court all accused pleaded not guilty to the offence.

The prosecution then objected to Haughton and Heron being granted bail pointing out that as both are of Jamaican descent, their status here is in doubt. While there

were no objections to the two remaining defendants’ bail applications, the prosecution asked that sign-in conditions be attached.

Bail was granted to Brennen and Hanna at $8,000 each with two sureties. Under the conditions of this bail they must sign in at Nassau Street Police Station every Tuesday and Thursday by 6pm.

Meanwhile Haugh ton and Heron are to be remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correc tional Services until their status hearing on March 15. All four accused expected to attend.

Reading and research key to integrity in journalism

GOOD journalism and well-crafted commentary play a critical role in public policy and political debates. They enliven and enlighten national dialogue.

They are a necessary alternative cum antidote to the trite, uninformed babble dominating social media, talk radio and other arenas of public discourse.

And they are a potential bulwark against the performative stupidity of certain demagogues.

Author and New York Times Op-ed columnist David Brooks is an inspiring and nuanced writer and commentator, appearing on Fridays on the PBS Newshour to debate politics and weekly events. His insights are graced with a humanistic sensibility.

A mostly centre right thinker, Brooks spent most of his public life in Republican circles. His commentary and books rove an encyclopedia of topics such as ethics, technology, economics, politics, history, classical literature and sociology, among others.

Though one may disagree with some of his views, his commentary is well written, thoughtful, informative. He goes beyond the often trite and banal preoccupations of many of the journalistic tribes fixated on political fights and showmanship.

Brooks’s previous books include: Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There and The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement. By his own admission, he was a cultural and political warrior in his earlier days, gladly, gleefully entering the pitch battles of the moment. But as he grew older and endured the trauma of a painful divorce in 2013, many of his preoccupations, interests and desires changed. He grew less interested in excessive partisanship of all stripes and increasingly disinterested by the banality and boredom of much of the politics of the day. Some writers, journalists and commentators mature while others do not. Brooks began to explore new topics, often focusing on moral development.

In 2015, he published The Road to Character, of which he declared, “I wrote it, to be honest, to save my own soul.” In 2019 came The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life, a meditation on genuine happiness and the good life. In a chapter entitled, “Intellectual Commitments” he offers:

“Seeing reality seems like a straightforward thing. You

just look out and see the world. But anybody who is around politics knows … how many of us see only what we want to see, and how many of us see through the filter of our fear, insecurity, or narcissism.

“Seeing well is not natural. It is an act of humility. It means getting your own self – your own needs and wishes – out of the way, so that you can see the thing you’re looking at as itself, and not just a mirror of your own interests.

“Seeing well is a skill you learn from others who see reality clearly: Leonard da Vinci, George Eliot, George

Orwell, Jane Jacobs, James Baldwin, Leo Tolstoy.”

A journalist or commentator who has never read great literature or history or in the humanities is like a chef who cooks only with salt but fails to use a variety of seasonings to flavour one’s pot.

Likewise, a commentator or journalist cannot offer viewers and/or readers what he or she does not possess.

If a commentator does not read or study beyond the daily local headlines they will simply continue to offer mostly simplistic views.

We all have certain patterns of observation and ways of proceeding. The better writers are able to interrogate and observe themselves in order to better understand and, if necessary, correct for their biases, self-interests and limitations.

A friend recalls his years in Central America during the 1980s as some military governments engaged in torture, summary executions, massacres, forced disappearances and other brutality.

In Guatemala, scores of Mayans were killed, in what some term a genocide, beginning in the 1960s and lasting until the mid-1990s.

In El Salvador, the Salvadoran Army killed over 800 people over two days in the village of El Mozote during the Salvadoran Civil War.

This was one example of the frenzy of violence perpetuated by right-wing governments in the region for decades, many of the brutal scars of which are still raw, unhealed and unacknowledged.

The friend noted that the newspaper and broadcast stories he read and listened to, including in prestigious US journals, sometimes contained critical factual errors. Because of news and information he got in the region, he realised how poorly reported were many stories as well as the histories of the conflicts.

US-based reports were often skewed because many of the journalists did not understand the conflicts or were prone to report without greater inspection the propaganda they were fed by US government sources, including the military and intelligence agencies.

Some journalists who travelled to the region spent as much or more time in US embassies as they did on the ground in the conflict zones,

limiting their understanding and awareness of events.

The better journalists knew the region’s history, read literary sources and developed a greater degree of understanding of the wars and conflicts. An extraordinary piece on the El Mozote massacre appeared in The New Yorker on December 6, 1993.

During the Anna Nicole Smith spectacle in The Bahamas and the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, quite a number of observers witnessed in real time the sensationalism, factual errors and skewed reporting of a number of American editors, producers and journalists.

Nobel Literature Prize winner and Colombian-born Gabriel Garcia Marquez (1927-2014) was a journalist, novelist, screenwriter and short-story writer. Mostly self-taught, he left law school for journalism.

Two of his more famous novels are One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967) and Love in the Time of Cholera (1985). His magical realism captured the hearts and imagination of a global audience.

In a 2014 article entitled, “The best job in the world: Gabriel García Márquez on journalism” on the website Index on Censorship, he mused: “Perhaps the misfortune of schools of journalism is that while they do teach some useful tricks of the trade, they teach little about the profession itself.

“Any training in schools of journalism must be based on three fundamental principles: first and foremost, there must be aptitude and talent; then the knowledge that ‘investigative’ journalism is not something special, but that all journalism must, by definition, be investigative; and, third, the awareness that ethics are not merely an occasional condition of the trade, but an integral part…”

Clearly, US magazines have more resources than smaller countries, can engage in more indepth reporting and afford better pay for journalists. Still, journalists and commentators are generalists, including in The Bahamas. They should have a high degree of general knowledge. Their focus should not be limited to politics and crime. Brooks often laments that much of today’s political journalism and commentary are more about political

fights than policy substance. To his credit, this journal’s business editor typically provides tremendous information and insight on various stories.

Sadly, many journalists cum commentators at home and abroad seem to lack the willingness, the capacity or the quality of research, study and analysis necessary to go beyond the temporary and often forgettable headlines of the moment.

A former Bahamian newspaper editor now retired from journalism laments the often shallow thinking in print and broadcast commentary. He observed that writers need to read more broadly to expand the scope of their minds so they can take up more creative subjects.

Given that we live in a society in which few seem to read on a regular basis, it is even more incumbent for journalists and commentators to read more in depth.

Commentary in our society can plant seeds in minds and hearts of the public and policy makers. New modes of thinking may help revive stale and sterile circular debates. Mostly political screeds every week are tiring, boring and ultimately unfulfilling.

But, even when commenting on politics and government, there remains a worrying ignorance of our political system, often perpetuated by some politicians, journalists and commentators who refuse to learn more about our system of government.

What is often disturbing is the inability of various commentators to explain the nature and history of our parliamentary system before offering hyperbolic and sensational commentary.

At minimum, journalists should regularly read a world-class journal in order to be better informed. Such a journal might also serve as a standard to which a print or broadcast journalist might aspire, including a greater familiarity with English which is sorely lacking among some Bahamian journalists.

The ability to write well is sine qua non for a journalist or commentator. But good writing and thinking requires more, including insatiable curiosity, nondefensiveness, openness to growth and constant reading.

“Seeing well is not natural. It is an act of humility. It means getting your own self – your own needs and wishes – out of the way...”

TOMORROW marks the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Commemorations have been extensive and substantial.

On Monday, US President Joe Biden managed to visit Kyiv for five hours, make several public appearances with the heroic Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to reaffirm steadfast American support for Ukraine’s struggle against the Russian army.

The weather cooperated, and the 80-year-old Biden seemed to emerge defiant and vigorous after the physical ordeal of a secret transatlantic flight plus two onerous nine and one-half hour train rides to and from the Polish border to Kyiv.

As has been widely reported, Biden’s clandestine journey was the first time since Abraham Lincoln visited Civil War battlefields outside Washington, DC, that a sitting US president was this close to active combat situations in areas not controlled by the American military.

“I thought it was critical that there not be any doubt, none whatsoever, about US support for Ukraine in the war,” Biden said. “It’s not just about freedom in Ukraine. It’s about freedom of democracy at large.”

On the train ride back to the Polish border, Biden reportedly worked on authorisations for an additional $50m of military assistance for Ukraine.

CNN was reporting at the start of this week that the total American military assistance commitment to Kyiv so far is a staggering $29.6bn. To put this into context, however, the US defense outlay for this year is estimated at $816bn.

Tuesday was a big day also, as both Biden, speaking in Warsaw, and Russian president Vladimir Putin delivered major addresses

Biden’s visit to front line shows his commitment to winning this war

STATESIDE

on the war still raging mostly along slowly shifting battle lines paralleling the Don River in Eastern Ukraine.

Putin, speaking first, delivered a litany of tired shibboleths as he decried Western aggression and framed the current war as developing into a fierce struggle “for the very existence of Russia”. He might be correct. If the Russian military succumbs on the battlefield and exits Ukraine ignominiously with no tangible gains, some rapacious neighbours, particularly in the Far East, might begin to hungrily circle the resourcerich, far-flung largest empire-state on earth.

Later Tuesday, Biden declared “Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia. Never.” The US president looked strong and vigorous – the better to refute scepticism about his advanced age.

Last weekend, an impressive array of American legislators gathered in southern Germany for the Munich Security Conference. Vice-President Kamala Harris was there.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York was there, making only his second Congressional delegation trip in 24 years in the US Senate. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky was there.

Schumer said “this is a critical moment and we have to show the Ukrainians that we have a united front, Democrats and Republicans to help with Ukraine.

We are not giving up. We will be with the Ukrainians all the way”.

McConnell added that “what I’m going to underscore is that the national defence team from the previous (Trump) administration is entirely behind the effort (to support Ukraine),” he said. “The leadership of all the national security committees in the House and Senate is behind this effort.”

“Reports about the death of Republican support for strong American leadership in the world have been grossly exaggerated,” McConnell told fellow delegates at the Munich conference. And South Carolina GOP Senator Lindsay Graham added, referring to some of the House ultra-conservatives who have criticised US aid to Ukraine, that “isolationism is not a new concept. Some of these people think they have discovered a new way of looking at the world. Isolationism has been with us for a long time.”

While Biden was visiting in Kyiv, Zelensky reportedly emphasized his military’s need for American F-16 fighter jets to disrupt Russian control of air space over Ukraine. Biden has so far refused these longstanding requests. But as in the recent case of the American-made Abrams main battle tanks, US reluctance to granting Ukrainian weaponry requests has gradually eroded over the course of the first year of this war.

Meantime, a troubling narrative has gained currency in Washington and in Western Europe. That is the notion that, as one national headline proclaimed this week, “Future of Putin’s Rule hinges on war victory in Ukraine.” Is it so different for Biden? He has been moving inexorably forward to support European resistance to a despotic invader, avowedly after the fashion of US President Franklin Roosevelt’s assistance to Britain under the Lend Lease programme during 1940-1 before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour in Hawaii forced the Americans into World War II.

Long-time Senate Foreign Affairs committee veteran Biden has been decisive in making foreign policy decisions. You may not agree with the modalities of his abrupt pullout from Afghanistan, but he was clear and decisive in doing so. And he seems to have major elements of the US foreign policy establishment solidly behind him.

Over the weekend, the Washington Post strongly endorsed Biden’s approach in Ukraine. The Post certainly tilts liberal on many social and some economic issues, but it also reflects the traditional internationalist viewpoint of the mainstream politicians of both parties.

The Post editorialized as follows: “By maintaining and strengthening Western unity in the face of the biggest war in Europe in 75 years, Biden has taken a cautious and calibrated approach in arming Ukraine incrementally. But the lesson from this past year of war is that the risk of escalation is overblown. (Putin) has only manpower and nuclear weapons left with which to escalate. If the West adequately arms Ukraine, he cannot win with manpower. And Putin is very unlikely to deploy nuclear weapons, not least because it would alienate China, his main ally.”

The Post concluded that “this is a pivotal moment in 21st Century history and a critical juncture for US interests, leadership and prestige. Our key objective should be (deterring) autocrats from similar unwarranted wars”.

It’s very difficult to see anything in the events of the past week that would represent a deterrent to Biden’s clear intention to “win” this war with Russia by doing whatever it takes to expel the invaders. That assessment may be modified in the months to come if the Ukrainian war of attrition continues without many tactical gains by our allies.

But we all have to hope that the Post’s optimistic assessment of the likelihood of deployment of Russian nuclear weapons is correct.

TANK FACTORY IN OHIO SEES INCREASED IMPORTANCE

LIMA, Ohio, is a small city located about an hour northwest of the state capital at Columbus. It sits on flat farmland that extends westward, largely unbroken, all the way to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.

Lima, pronounced with a hard “i” like the vegetable “lima bean,” relies on a mix of manufacturing and agriculture to sustain its 36,000 residents.

But 800 of those residents work in a huge local facility called Joint Systems Manufacturing Center-Lima. A facility in The Bahamas employing a comparable number of workers would offer jobs to nine thousand Bahamians.

This sprawling plant is owned by the US Army and managed by giant US defense contractor General Dynamics.

Lima has been in the news recently because its large defense plant is the only one that produces (and refurbishes) the army’s Abrams battle tanks, many of which are now earmarked for shipment to Ukraine.

And while the plant is reportedly building 15-20

armored vehicles per month - including tanks - it could easily increase that total to 33 a month and could add another shift of workers and build even more if needed.

US Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth recently told the Associated Press that the timeline on sending Abrams to Ukraine depends on whether the US takes tanks from existing American military training stocks or from Army units, which would be less desirable because it could affect their readiness to fight. And the development of tanks for Ukraine would also have to be squeezed in between the current contracts for foreign sales, which include 250 of the newest versions for Poland and about 75 for Australia. Imagine what the loss of 9,000 stable, well-paying jobs would do to our economy here in The Bahamas. That’s how important continued American support for the war effort in Ukraine could potentially be for Lima, Ohio. And it’s a good illustration of the profound, major economic import of the war effort for the US.

with Charlie Harper

PRESIDENT Joe Biden walks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral on a surprise visit, Monday, Feb. 20, 2023, in Kyiv.

Photo: Evan Vucci/AP

SECRETARY of the Army Christine Wormuth stands next to the latest version of the M1A2 Abrams main battle tank as she tours the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center, last week in Lima, Ohio.

Photo: Carlos Osorio/ AP

FNM anger at AG attempt to ‘handcuff and muzzle’ PAC

from page one

PAC on Tuesday. He said Mr Smith’s nonappearance was on the instructions of Mr Pinder, adding that the committee will review the matter and soon advise what next steps it will take.

The Tribune has seen a copy of Mr Pinder’s letter to the PAC chairman, sent in care of the House of Assembly’s clerk. Mr Pinder’s February 21 letter said the PAC “made a general request” which went beyond the powers granted to the committee by the House of Assembly’s rules, specifically section 17, and therefore the request by the chairman of the PAC is denied.

“Furthermore, the request of interviews of public (servants) on the same grounds is likewise denied for the same reasons,” according to the letter.

Yesterday, Mr Pintard said his party was outraged.

“I wish to once again register the outrage of the opposition for the attempt by the attorney general to handcuff and muzzle the PAC,” he said during a press conference. “The Public Accounts Committee is a committee of the Parliament of The Bahamas, which is a part

of the legislature. And the legislature is really an independent arm of government, the attorney general has no authority over the legislature and the PAC - he is wrong.

“He is departing from what has been solid tradition in The Bahamas under successive administrations. And even when, under the Christie administration, there was an attempt to restrict the information that the Public Accounts Committee could access under Dr Minnis as prime minister, that was lifted. So again, on multiple levels, an unelected official is trying to prevent elected officials from representing the interests of the Bahamian people and it would not stand.”

According to Mr Pinder’s letter, Section 17 of the Rules of Procedure of the House of Assembly states that the PAC has the duty to examine and report

on the accounts showing the appropriation of sums granted by Parliament to meet public expenditure; other reports, accounts or financial statements of ministries, departments and public corporations before the House as the committee may see fit; such other accounts as may be referred to the committee by the House or any other law; or the report of the auditor general.

When contacted on Tuesday night, Mr Pinder said: “The scope of the request was not compliant with the parliamentary rules governing the PAC.” Mr Pinder said he was also advised that Mr Smith was only made aware of the request to appear before the committee on Monday.

Earlier yesterday, Mr Pintard told reporters that the previous Speaker of the House, Halson Moultrie, “has already issued a ruling that stands that there is

unfettered access through PAC to government records relative to how funds are being spent.”

He said Mr Pinder is “absolutely wrong” in his position and in the law on the PAC’s right to access. He also said: “What he also fails to take into consideration is that various ministries, including the Ministry of Works are expected to issue annual reports which they have not been doing. “And again, we are then further constrained as public officials in accessing timely reports on how government funds are being spent. He is absolutely wrong.”

In 2021, in his first ruling as an independent Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr Moultrie overturned a controversial ruling that his predecessor had made that restricted the powers of the PAC.

Former Speaker Dr Kendal Major ruled in

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

This meant that access to documents sought during the previous session of Parliament by PAC, which is led by the opposition party, had been denied.

But in 2021, Mr Moultrie said overturning the rule would empower the PAC to investigate or review all past, current and committed government expenditures; to choose subjects and witnesses for examination and to compel their attendance without government direction or intervention or advice; to make recommendations and to publish conclusions and reports; to make effective follow-up to determine if action has been taken to implement earlier recommendations.

FNM Leade Michael Pintard

Photo: Moise Amisial

NPPPSSA members take advantage of two-day NPVA volleyball seminar

TO ensure that they are abreast of all of the rule changes before they start their volleyball competition, the New Providence Public Primary Schools Sports Association is engaging its members in a two-day seminar with the New Providence Volleyball Association.

The event got started on yesterday at the Anatol Rodgers Gymnasium with the theoretical part of the seminar, conducted by Kirk Farquharson, Lanza Miller, Adalbert Ingraham, the first vice president of the NPVA, and scorer/statistician Rosemarie Munnings.

The practical session will take place today.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology’s Sports Division is assisting the NPSSSA.

Farquharson, the president of the New Providence Volleyball Officials

Association, said they are collaborating with the NPVA to assist the primary school physical education teachers and coaches.

“The sessions are going very well. Because it’s only a short time, we’re only trying to pick out the most important aspects of the rules, so that we can pass onto the coaches for the application and interpretation so that they can get an understanding of it,” he said. “Their response has been really good and they are asking a lot of questions.”

The presenters did their presentation verbally and through video presentations.

Miller, who serves as the vice president to Farquharson, said they want to promote the game of volleyball from an official perspective and, at the same time, educate the teachers of the rules of the

game so that they understand the fundamentals of the game when they teach it to their student-athletes.

“The sessions so far have been going great. The participation is very engaging and excellent,” he said. “There are a lot

of questions being asked. The engagement is very good and very healthy. We appreciate it because it gives us an idea to understand where they are in their programme in terms of the rules of the game.

“So we’re very happy with

the results so far and looking forward to even further events like this where we can go and help as much as we can. We understand the time they put in for each of the disciplines that they have to go through, but we are willing to come in and help to promote the game of volleyball.”

Clara Storr, senior education officer in the Ministry of Education, said with this seminar and the others they staged during the year, they hope to provide a solid foundational aspect to teaching the sport of volleyball in the post COVID-19 environment.

“We want to ensure foundationally, especially at the primary level, that core skills are taught to the students,” she said. “Therefore, we can try to bridge the gap to junior high and then it can be better propelled into the senior high competition.

“We hope to provide the opportunity for the teachers and coaches to be properly trained because often times if teachers don’t have the adequate skills, they can only teach that which they know.

“So it is indeed an honour and privilege that we can partner with the New Providence Volleyball Association, who provide optimum skills to keep us on par with not just what’s happening in the region, but what’s happening in the world.”

The NPPPSSA, headed by president Latoya Sturrup, had at least 80 participants, including those from the Family Islands, who logged in virtually to the seminar.

Teachers and coaches will now prepare their teams for the NPPPSSA volleyball tournament that is slated to run March 20-24 at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

Manchester City held 1-1 by Leipzig in last 16 of Champions League

LEIPZIG, Germany

(AP) — Joško Gvardiol

stifled the threat of Manchester City star Erling Haaland before scoring himself to earn Leipzig a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their round-of-16 matchup in the Champions League yesterday.

The Croatia centre back, nicknamed “Little Pep” because of the similarities of his last name with that of City manager Pep Guardiola, headed home the equaliser in the 70th minute after Leipzig finally got to grips with the English champions.

City dominated the first half without Haaland, its top scorer, getting a sight on goal and Riyad Mahrez netted the 27th-minute opener after Ilkay Gundogan flicked through a pass from Jack Grealish.

As Haaland grew frustrated in the second half, City lost control of the game and Leipzig posed more of a threat, creating the better of the chances.

“What do you expect, that we are playing a friendly game here?” Guardiola said, when asked why his team was unable to retain its domination into the second half. “How many games have you seen from Leipzig? You expect us to come here and win 0-5? That is not a reality.”

It leaves the match in the balance heading into the second leg in Manchester on March 14 as City continues its bid for a first Champions League title. Guardiola conducted a

16 first leg soccer match in Leipzig, Germany, yesterday.

mini-debrief with his players on the field after the final whistle, telling them to stay positive after seeing them throw away their advantage after a first-half performance that could have led to more than just Mahrez’s 20th Champions

League goal. Haaland had only seven touches before halftime — none of them coming in Leipzig’s penalty area — and he had only one opportunity in the whole match, when he got free down the right midway through the second half

and snatched at a shot that dribbled wide. Leipzig’s extra intensity and aggression paid off as the German team, a Champions League semifinalist in 2020, finally showed why it had lost just one of its 20 previous matches in all competitions.

“We started to play, to fight,” Leipzig coach Marco Rose said. “Really different to the first half. We were too passive in every situation. We had no power. In the second half, we were the same level (as City). Better late than never.”

Benjamin Henrichs, who came on as a halftime substitute, side-footed wide when he was one on one with goalkeeper Ederson, who got down well to deny Andre Silva.

However, Ederson was left stranded when Marcel Halstenberg swung over a left-wing cross and 21-yearold Gvardiol — one of the best defenders at last year’s World Cup and among Europe’s most sought-after young players — got above Ruben Dias to nod the ball into an unguarded net. There was a bizarre incident in the final seconds when Mahrez curled a cross into the area and a header from City midfielder Rodri appeared to be punched away by Henrichs as he defended his body with both arms. City’s players appealed for a penalty but the referee was unmoved. When Leipzig last visited City’s Etihad Stadium, it was routed 6-3 in a wild group-stage game in the Champions League last season.

Christopher Nkunku scored a hat trick for Leipzig on that night and the France striker came on as a substitute in the second half, stepping up his sharpness after a left knee injury sustained in training in November just before flying out to the World Cup. Nkunku might be fit to start the second leg when City should have Kevin De Bruyne available again. The playmaker was absent yesterday because of an illness.

YOUNG VINÍCIUS, VETERAN BENZEMA MAKE PERFECT DUO FOR MADRID

By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer

MADRID (AP) — Youth and experience. Speed and calmness. And lots of goals.

The 22-year-old Vinícius Júnior and veteran Karim Benzema are proving to be ideal attacking partners for Real Madrid, teaming up to perfection to keep the European champion thriving.

The duo came up big again in Madrid’s stunning recovery in the Champions League on Tuesday, scoring two goals each in the 5-2 come-from-behind win at

Liverpool in the first leg of the round of 16.

They both also had an assist — for each other — as Madrid rallied from two goals down to take a commanding lead into the second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

Vinícius and Benzema have combined for 17 goals and eight assists for Madrid this year alone. For the season, their total number of goals is 36 — 18 each — and they have 14 assists overall. They have complemented each other nicely up front, always knowing how to find each other with quick passes or long through balls to set up scoring opportunities.

Vinícius contributes mostly with his great runs and nifty moves past defenders, while the 35-year-old Benzema adds his smart touches and accurate finishes. They thrived together last season as well, when

Benzema was crowned the best player in the world. This time, it’s Vinícius taking the leading role in Madrid’s attack. “Vinicius right now in my opinion is the most decisive player in world football,

the man who can make the biggest difference,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp agreed that Vinícius is one of the best players in the world at the moment, and said that “Benzema is

not bad” either. The coach also praised Rodrygo, the other Madrid forward who has often teamed up effectively with Vinícius and Benzema.

Benzema blamed injuries for not being able to play even better and match his impressive numbers from last season.

“I’ve not played much so far, but the important thing is that I’m contributing to the team with goals and assists,” he said.

“I’m coming off the back of a season where I played a lot of games. I was injured after the World Cup and it’s difficult to reach the top level. But I’m feeling gradually better. Today I put in a good performance and I’m going to keep going.”

Vinícius has been succeeding despite dealing with racist insults and hate attacks from opposing fans since the beginning of the season. He scored twice in the first half to bring

Madrid back into Tuesday’s game.

“Vini’s performance lifted us,” Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde said.

Benzema’s goals came in the second half, and defender Éder Militão also scored for Madrid.

ANCELOTTI’S ADJUSTMENTS

Ancelotti said he needed to make changes to the formation after the poor start, when Liverpool took advantage of Madrid’s vulnerability on the left flank.

“I asked Luka (Modric) to press Fabinho, but that left us unguarded on the left side,” Ancelotti said. “In the second half I put Valverde there and we could fix it.”

The second leg against Liverpool is on March 15.

Second-place Madrid, which trails Barcelona by eight points, plays city rival Atletico Madrid in the Spanish league on Saturday.

MANCHESTER City’s Erling Haaland, left, gets in a shot despite the challenge of Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol during their Champions League round of

(AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

ADALBERT Ingraham makes a point during his presentation.

Photo: Crystal Eneas/NPPPSSA

REAL Madrid’s Vinicius Junior controls the ball during the Champions League, round of 16, first leg soccer match against Liverpool at the Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England, on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Dame of CARIFTA Pauline

Davis: ‘Come gold with us’

THE 50th CARIFTA Games are six weeks away and the anticipation for this 50th anniversary of the games continues to grow.

On February 16, The Dame of Carifta, Pauline Davis, commenced her roadshow to visit as many of the schools within New Providence and stir up the support and spirit of our young athletes as they prepare for the upcoming games, scheduled for April 7-10.

Ms Davis encouraged the students to pursue a career in athletics, which opened many doors for her and gave her something positive to focus her gifts and life on.

In preparation for the upcoming 50th Anniversary, the final round of qualifiers will be held March 25-27.

Ms Davis began her school visits with her alma mater, Government Senior High School, where she inspired the young students and athletes to remember their pride and legacy as a school and Bahamians.

Ms Davis shared her story about the triumphant race that propelled her to recognition. In 1984, she won both the Austin Sealy award for most outstanding athlete and also helped The Bahamas to win CARIFTA that year with her final leg in the 400m.

Ms Davis, dubbed the first “Golden Girl,” encouraged the students at R.M. Bailey Senior High

School to remember that this year they are chasing “Gold”, for the 50th CARIFTA Games.

“Remember that our 242 pride, runs deep.”

According to Ms Davis, the 50th CARIFTA LOC looks forward to each school participating in the cheer competition whose details will be released shortly and is headed by partner, DasQuay of DasQuay Entertainment. It will be an opportunity for each school to show their support for their fellow athletes and Bahamians as

they carry our pride and flag upon their backs on the track.

Ms Davis’ most recent school visit was to the CI Gibson Senior High School where she continued to encourage the students to remember to support their fellow students and athletes.

One athlete she highlighted and thanked for his dedication as a young man was Johathon Rodgers, bronze medallist for The Bahamas in the 2022 CARIFTA Games. “I am happy and grateful that

SON BANNED FOR DOPING

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (AP) — A weightlifter from Kazakhstan who won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 has been banned for eight years for doping.

The Weightlifting Federation of the Republic of Kazakhstan (WFRK) said yesterday that Igor Son, who won the bronze in the men’s 61-kilogram category in Tokyo, was among six weightlifters from the country to receive doping bans.

It was first reported in March 2022 that they had tested positive in samples taken by Kazakhstan’s anti-doping authorities. It’s the second career doping ban for Son, who served a seven-month sanction in 2015.

you decided to pick up a pair of cleats instead of a knife or gun and do something positive.”

The big event will be held at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium, located in New Providence or Nassau, The Bahamas.

Ms Davis’ school visits, on the road to CARIFTA, will continue with her stopping in on several schools within the capital to encourage both athletes and young persons to do their best for these 50th CARIFTA Games. “Whether you are on the

track or in the stands cheering your fellow Bahamians, this CARIFTA, come gold with us.”

Tickets for the event are now available for purchase online at www.carifta50. com and at the Box Office, located at the Western Grand Entrance of the Thomas. A Robinson, National Stadium.

For more information you can subscribe to the carifta50.com website or follow them on their social media pages @carifta2023 or Facebook: @50thCariftaGames2023

JAKE PAUL TAKES NEXT STEP IN BOXING JOURNEY WITH FURY FIGHT

By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer

JAKE Paul’s unorthodox career in boxing might just be about to get serious.

The YouTube influencerturned-prize fighter will be coming up against a recognised professional boxer for the first time Sunday when he takes on Tommy Fury, the half-brother of world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. Since venturing into boxing in 2018, Paul has fought a fellow influencer, a former NBA basketball player and three MMA fighters. He has won each time, building up his already-sturdy brand in the process. Fighting Fury is widely regarded as a step up and the WBC, which is sanctioning the fight, recognises

it. Indeed, if the 26-year-old Paul — a blond, bearded social-media phenomenon — wins, he will be granted a place in the WBC’s world rankings at cruiserweight.

“Jake has dedication and respect to the sport,” the sanctioning body said, “and the WBC will not tolerate discrimination against anyone. He deserves the opportunities that any other boxer has.”

It’s hardly a move that will be popular with boxing traditionalists.

Then again, Paul is not exactly operating in those circles or attempting to please that demographic. He has forged a very different path into the boxing world and is making a success of it, given the fight against Fury has gotten pay-per-view status and is deemed big enough to be

hosted for big money out in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.Paul, who rose to fame by posting Vine videos and as an actor on Disney Channel show Bizaardvark, joined the pro boxing ranks in 2019 and said he is “as serious as it gets” about the sport. He says he has a 30-person team supporting his training, which is largely done at the Cleveland native’s base in Puerto Rico.

“Because my life’s on the line,” he told British newspaper The Independent ahead of the Fury fight, “so I’m not going to take that lightly.”

Becoming a world champion boxer is his ultimate aim, even if that goal appeared even more remote with the news in January that Paul has signed a deal with the Professional Fighters League

in mixed martial arts. Certainly Fury doesn’t take his opponent seriously as a boxer. “That’s like saying a pig is going to fly, isn’t it?” Fury said of Paul’s ambitions of becoming a world titleholder. “I’m going to teach Jake Paul a lesson … I’m going to show him he can’t just pick up a pair of gloves and say, ‘I’m going to be a world champion.’” Fury has an interesting back-story, too, and not

just because he is the halfbrother of one of the most famous boxers in the world and comes from a family of bare-knuckle fighters.

The fight was initially scheduled for December 2021 but Fury had to pull out because of illness and injury.

And then again for August 2022 only for Fury to again withdraw because of travel issues going into the United States.

The WFRK said the positive test would not lead to Son being stripped of his Olympic medal.

“This out-of-competition testing was undertaken after six months following the international competitions where (the athletes) had taken part, so there is no issue of disqualifying their results or returning their medals. I especially want to emphasize this in relation to the Olympic award of Igor Son,” WFRK general secretary Aldiyar Nuralinov said in a statement.

Kazakhstan has a long history of doping in elitelevel weightlifting. The Central Asian nation has been stripped of medals from the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympics for various breaches of anti-doping rules.

National teams can lose future Olympic places if they have repeated doping cases — a sanction which has applied to Kazakhstan in the past — or be barred from competitions.

Nuralinov said that would not happen in this case because Son and the other athletes tested positive in national-level tests within Kazakhstan and not at international events.

HAITI, PORTUGAL QUALIFY FOR WOMEN’S WORLD CUP FOR 1ST TIME

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Haiti and Portugal qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup finals for the first time after winning playoff matches yesterday in New Zealand.

Carole Costa scored a 94th-minute clincher in Portugal’s 2-1 win over the Cameroon “Lionesses” who have reached the round of 16 at the last two World Cups.

Haiti beat Chile 2-1 earlier yesterday in an historic match it hopes will bring joy and “a breath of fresh air” to a strife-torn homeland.

Melchie Dumornay scored twice to ensure 55th-ranked Haiti will return to the southern hemisphere in July to play in Group D of the Women’s World Cup alongside England, China and Denmark.

Haiti and Portugal have taken two of the last three places at the World Cup which will be decided at the this 10-team intercontinental playoff in New Zealand.

Paraguay will play Panama today for the last place in the 32-team tournament which will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand in July and August.

Haiti’s Dumornay recently was signed by seven-time Champions League winners Lyon and showed why with two pieces of slick finishing. She won the race to a through ball from Roselord Borgella in firsthalf stoppage time to give Haiti a 1-0 lead at the break.

Dumornay then seemed to make the game safe in the eighth of 11 minutes added on by the referee after Chile captain Christiane Endler had saved Nerilia Mondesir’s attempt from the penalty spot.

But Maria Jose Rojas scored in the 11th minute of stoppage time to keep Chile’s hopes alive and make the final moments nerve-wracking for Haiti’s Les Grenadiers, who held on to claim an historic victory.

Players shed tears of joy when the final whistle blew, reflecting on success attained in the most difficult of circumstances.

Haiti’s Les Grenadiers had to win two matches in New Zealand to qualify for their first World Cup. They beat Senegal 4-0 in their opening match and then beat 38th-ranked Chile for their first ever win over a South American opponent.

Prior to the tournament midfielder Danielle Etienne told ESPN “there’s a lot of

unhappiness in the country and football is the joy.”

“Being able to qualify to the World Cup would be major,” she said at the time.

“We want that for the country as a whole, to have a breath of fresh air and kind of step aside from anything going on.”

While Portugal’s win was sealed late it came at the end of a dominant performance. Portugal had 20 shots on goal, most of which were comfortably saved by Cameroon’s 16-year-old goalkeeper Cathy Biya who was promoted after Ange Bawou was sent off against Thailand.

Diana Gomes gave Portugal the lead after 22 minutes and the match seemed to be heading to extra time when Ajara Nchout Njoya equalised for Cameroon in the 89th minute.

But an Estelle Johnson hand ball was spotted after a VAR check and Costa scored from the penalty spot.

ROSELORD BORGELLA, of Haiti, celebrates a goal by teammate Melchie Dumonay during their FIFA women’s World Cup qualifier against Chile in Auckland, New Zealand, yesterday. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)

ON THE ROAD: Pauline Davis, The Dame of Carifta, commenced her roadshow to visit as many of the schools within New Providence to stir up the support for the CARIFTA Games, scheduled April 7-10.

NBA teams get ready to make 4th-quarter push for playoffs

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer

KEVIN Durant went to Phoenix. Russell Westbrook moved from Los Angeles to Los Angeles. Kevin Love did what once worked out nicely for LeBron James, taking his talents from Cleveland to Miami. And speaking of James, he says he’s about to play some of the biggest games of his career.

The All-Star break ends Thursday.

Let the playoff-push fireworks begin.

“It’s not the start of a new season,” Miami guard Tyler Herro said. “But I think this is when guys really raise their level of play.”

Boston, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Denver, Cleveland and Memphis probably can go ahead and make playoff plans. Houston, Charlotte, San Antonio and Detroit probably can go ahead and start scheduling April vacations.

That leaves 20 teams for 10 playoff spots. Sacramento is in position to end the longest drought in NBA history — 16 years and counting — and Cleveland is in line to make the playoffs without someone named LeBron on the roster for the first time since 1998.

“We have a group that’s dedicated to winning, and there are certain things we have to learn about each other,” Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell said. “It’s not going to be all sunshine and rainbows with us. We’re still a team that’s young, but we also are figuring each other out.”

The Cavaliers are five games behind Boston, 4 1/2 behind Milwaukee and two behind Philadelphia in the East. The rest of the race might get jumbled; 13thplace Orlando is only four games from a play-in berth.

“We’ve given ourselves a chance,” Magic rookie Paolo Banchero said.

Out West, it’s a mess.

“The West is loaded now,” Clippers forward Marcus Morris Sr. said.

“I don’t know how that happened.”

Here’s how: Durant went to Phoenix. Durant’s trade to the Suns could make a team that looked vulnerable anything but vulnerable.

Denver is five games clear of Memphis for the

who will be in Europe until June before he returns home for the Central American and Caribbean Games, which serves as a qualifier for the Pan American Games.

Before returning home, Higgins will be back in competition at the PreCamp and Senior Europeans in Andora, Italy, March 7-17 before he competes in another event in Spain at the end of March.

In April, he is expected to participate in the French Olympic Week in Hyeres, France April 22-29 and the YES Regatta and PreCamp May 25-29 in Germany. Higgins is hoping that he can improve on his previous best international competition where he got third place in the Dominican’s Olympic Regatta.

On the local scene, Higgins has emerged as the top ranked Bahamian in the Bahamas Youth Sailing Club. He has won the Sir Durward Knowles National Sailing Regatta in 2021, only to finish as the runnerup last year.

The emphasis for Higgins right now is to qualify the Bahamas for the Olympics.

“That’s a big goal of mine. I want to prove a lot of the doubters wrong,” he said. “A lot of people doubted me, but at the same time, I got some more supporters. I’m going to give it my best shot.”

In order to qualify for the Olympics, Higgins would have to finish in the top 16 in the ISET Senior World Championships. If he fails there, he can get one of

WOODS, MCILROY BREAK GROUND ON HIGHTECH GOLF LEAGUE SITE

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Sports Writer

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida (AP)

— Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy put the silverplated shovels into a pile of dirt and left sizable divots.

With that, their hightech golf league got a bit closer to launch.

The ceremonial groundbreaking for the arena that will house the league that’s being called TGL was held Tuesday at Palm Beach State College, with Woods and McIlroy — two of the co-founders of TMRW Sports — there for the first step of actual construction.

West lead and eight games up on No. 3 Sacramento.

But starting with the Kings, there are 11 teams in the standings — Sacramento, the Los Angeles Clippers (who just got Westbrook, after he was bought out by Utah following a trade with the Lakers), Phoenix, Dallas (now with Kyrie Irving alongside Luka Doncic), New Orleans, Minnesota, Golden State, Oklahoma City, Utah, Portland and the Lakers — separated by just six games. The seedings could flip every night out West.

“Must-see TV,” Morris said.

And James — who just passed Kareem AbdulJabbar for the NBA scoring record — says the 23 games the Lakers have left carry incredible significance.

He didn’t go to the playoffs last year. He can’t envision missing them again.

“I don’t want to see myself not being part of the postseason for two years straight. It’s just not part of my DNA,” James said. Here’s some of what to know for the stretch run:

7 WITH 30

There are seven players — Dallas’ Doncic, Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, Milwaukee’s

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Portland’s Damian Lillard, Boston’s Jayson Tatum and James — averaging at least 30 points per game.

If that holds, it’ll be an NBA record.

There’s been only one season with more than three such players. That was 1961-62, with six — Wilt Chamberlain (50.4), Elgin Baylor (38.3 in 48 games, technically not enough to qualify as a scoring leader), Walt Bellamy (31.6), Bob Pettit (31.1), Oscar Robertson (30.8) and Jerry West (30.8).

IT’S THE FOURTH QUARTER

It’s not the second half of the season. It’s really the fourth quarter.

An NBA regular season has 1,230 games; 884, or 72%, have been played. So if the season was an NBA game clock, 1:30 would remain in the third quarter.

Teams have somewhere between 21 and 25 games left. Minnesota is down to a league-low eight home games remaining, while Indiana has nine. Washington has a league-high 15 home games left, while Atlanta and Charlotte each have 14.

THE CHAMPS

Golden State will emerge from the All-Star break ninth in the Western Conference.

The defending NBA champion Warriors have some work to do.

No reigning champion has missed the following season’s playoffs since the Chicago Bulls didn’t get to the postseason in 1999. Before that, it was the Boston Celtics not making the playoffs in 1970.

Those Bulls lost Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Those Celtics lost Bill Russell and Sam Jones.

.590 AND IN

Over the last 20 seasons, there have been 173 teams that reached the All-Star break with a winning percentage of .590 or better.

And 171 of them made the playoffs, or 98.8%.

That’s good news for Boston (.712), Milwaukee (.707), Denver (.695), Philadelphia (.667), Cleveland (.623) and Memphis (.614).

The only teams that hit the break with that good of a winning percentage and missed the playoffs were the 2007-08 Warriors and last season’s Cavaliers. The ‘07-08 Warriors went 16-14 after the break and missed the playoffs by two games. Last season’s Cavs went 9-15 after the break,

then lost two games in the play-in round.

MILESTONES

Upcoming milestones of note:

— Miami coach Erik Spoelstra (692) is five wins from passing Red Holzman (696) for 20th place on the all-time list.

— Durant (26,684) is 27 points from passing Robertson (26,710) for 13th on the all-time scoring list. Durant is 263 points from passing Hakeem Olajuwon (26,946) for 12th.

— Westbrook (9,002) is 60 assists from passing Isiah Thomas (9,061) for ninth on the all-time list.

— Paul George of the Clippers is 18 3-pointers from 2,000. He’d be the 14th player to reach that number.

— Golden State’s home game Sunday against Minnesota will be the 6,000th regular-season contest in Warriors’ history.

BUSY LA Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles will be busy — the Lakers and Clippers both have 13 home games to play in the season’s final 46 days.

Not one, not two, but three NBA teams play three consecutive games in Los Angeles during March — the Lakers, the Clippers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. They visit the

TMRW — pronounced “tomorrow” — says TGL play will begin early next year, and the league will be in partnership with the PGA Tour. Woods and McIlroy, so far, have 11 players committed to the league. Besides them, the league will include world No. 1 Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Adam Scott, Collin Morikawa, Matt Fitzpatrick, Max Homa, Billy Horschel, Justin Rose and Xander Schauffele.

That list includes six players currently ranked 10th or better in the world, plus the game’s biggest draw in Woods.

“In terms of fan experience, it’s going to be nothing like golf has offered before,” McIlroy said.

The concept is this: six teams of three PGA Tour players, squaring off in match play on a data-driven virtual course that also includes a short-game complex for chipping and putting.

It’ll be played on Monday nights, and will take only two hours, with in-arena fans all very close to the action. There will be 15 matches in the regular season, followed by semifinals and a final.

“We’re going to have excitement, we’re going to have something different, something that is passionate,” Woods said. “We’ve been involved in teams before whether it’s Ryder Cup, President’s Cup, Irish national teams, for me high school, college, whatever it is. You’re going to get home and away, you’re going to get some people that you want to win and not win. We’re going to have that type of excitement.”

And you can bet on it. Literally, Woods pointed out.

“Wagering is part of our sport, part of our culture,” Woods said, then turned and looked at McIlroy. “We don’t know how to play golf without it.”

the two spots from the Pan American Games in October, or he will have to wait for the World Championships in Adelaide, Australia.

Higgins said he doesn’t miss home as he did at first, but he is in constant communication with his parents, Melvin and Gem Clarke, and other family members and friends, so he feels right at home.

He said he’s on a mission and he wants to achieve his goal and Portugal has turned out to be the right fit for him, thanks to coach Clarke.

“At first it was pretty hard, being so young and being away from home,” said Higgins, who was 17 when he made the transition to Portugal.

“Being away from home, getting used to how people do things over here and getting used to

the environment, the culture and the temperature, all of that had a big effect.

“But having made the

adjustment, I love it. I now consider this my second home. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

It’s almost like Nassau. It’s like a city, but it’s not a big city. It has its sights and a lot of history, which I’m big

on, and the environment is very good for sailing. The people are nice and the food is good.”

TEAM LeBron forward LeBron James (6) dunks during the first half of the NBA basketball All-Star game on Sunday, February 19 in Salt Lake City.

(AP Photo/Kyle Terada/AP)

TOP sailor Joshua Higgins, shown above in action, is hoping that he will qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.

St George’s Jaguars beat Temple Christian Academy Suns, 50-34

VISITING TEAMS MAKE THEIR PRESENCE FELT ON DAY 3

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@trbunemedia.net

THE intensity level at the 36th edition of the prestigious Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic for senior boys increased yesterday at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium as the visiting teams outside of New Providence made their presence felt during their first day of competition.

Newly crowned Grand Bahama champions Tabernacle Baptist Falcons knocked off Akhepran Academy 58-32 and Grand Bahama runners-up Sunland Lutheran Stingers def. Louise McDonald High 52-35.

In some of the other games played, the St George’s Jaguars def. Temple Christian Academy Suns 50-34; Study Hall def. Sherlin C. Bootle 65-32; Anatol Rodgers Timberwolves def. Patrick J. Bethel 54-18; Eight Mile Rock Bluejays def. Agape Christian School 50-35 and Gateway Christian Academy def. Bishop Michael Eldon 48-31.

Stingers 52, Louise McDonald 35: Tianno Roberts scored 11 points with eight rebounds, three steals and a pair of blocks and Donnell Bastian had 10 points with six rebounds to lead Sunland Baptist, who are coming off their runnerup position to Tabernacle Baptist Academy in the Grand Bahama championship series.

Jordan Saunders had nine points, three steals and two assists, De’Nage Kelly had eight points and five rebounds, Judah Rolle had six points and 10 rebounds and Jermaine Woodside contributed five points with four steals and two assists.

Jasmen Rock scored 11 points with five rebounds and four assists to pace the losers. Javardo Toote added 10 points with eight rebounds.

Jaguars 50, Suns 34: Shamar Davis scored a game high 16 points with

three rebounds and three steals to pace St George’s, coached by Darrel Sears, to victory.

Leon Evans was the Jaguars’ next best scorer with eight points, Devorne Rigby had seven points with five steals and four rebounds, Sylus Friztgerald had six points and four rebounds, Kevaro Russell had five points, three rebounds and three assists and Denardo Adderley added four points and four rebounds.

Ogden Arahna had 14 points, eight rebounds and four steals in a losing effort. Cyle Toote had seven points and eight rebounds and Ardon McIntosh added six points and four rebounds.

Bluejays 56, Agape 35: Andre Jones and Shemeco Albury provided a 1-2 punch for Eight Mile Rock in their opener. Jones scored 16 points with 12 rebounds and four steals and Albury contributed 15 points with four rebounds, three steals and a block.

Bruce Balfour supported them with nine points and eight rebounds and Henricus Maycock had six points, eight rebounds, seven steals, three assists and a block.

In a losing effort for Agape Christian School, Dashawn Smith had 12 points, four rebounds and a block and Jvaughntae Albury added 10 points, three rebounds and as many steals.

Timberwolves 54, Patrick J Bethel 18: Jefferson Bethel almost singlehandedly beat their opponents by himself, scoring a game high 15 points with four rebounds, four steals and two assists to pace Anatol Rodgers in their lopsided victory.

Kirkwood Rolle and Elton Pickstock both scored seven points with three and two rebounds respectively. Marco Nottage and Trevone Beneby both had six points. Nottage also had four rebounds, three steals and an assist and Beneby three rebounds and a steal

and an assist to help out. Patrick J Bethel didn’t have any players in double figures. They were led by Jameslay Sannon with six points. Timothy Davis and Christopher Turnquest both had four points with five and four rebounds respectively.

Study Hall 65, Sherlin C Bootle 32: Edwin Ferguson exploded for a game high 27 points with 11 rebounds, seven assists, seven steals and a block as Study Hall made an early statement in the tournament. Both Jahmarion Albury

and Trenaz Rigby had 10 points with Albury adding five rebounds and a pair of steals.

Trevon Forbes had eight points, eight rebounds and three steals and Michael Colebrooke had six points, three rebounds and a pair of assists and steals.

Miguel Sawyer was the only player in double figures for Sherlin Bootle with 16 points and four rebounds, a pair of steals and blocks and an assist. Jahreal Hepburn and Kenrick Sampre both had six points. Sampre also had six rebounds.

Alpachino Kemp had four points with three rebounds, two steals and an assist.

Gateway Academy 49, Bishop Michael Eldon 31: Paulston Stuart had a game high 18 points with five steals, three assists and two rebounds and Sherrick Ellis had 11 points with seven steals, five assists and a pair of rebounds in their opening win.

Brandon Johnson had nine points and seven rebounds and Denecko Allen added eight points with six steals, five rebounds and two assists.

In a losing cause, Aaron Forbes scored nine points, Erich Fishenbacker had eight points, five rebounds and four steals, Isaac Stuart had six points and three rebounds and both Dylan Cartwright and Kendall Knowles had four points with four and three rebounds respectively.

IN THE WIN COLUMN: The St George’s Jaguars defeated the Temple Christian Academy Suns 50-34 yesterday in the 36th Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic for senior boys at Kendal G L Isaacs Gymnasium.

Photos: Moises Amisial/Tribune Staff

Hugh Campbell, Page 18

Higgins aims to qualify for Olympics

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Growing up on Harbour Island and a lover of water sports, Joshua Higgins said he knew that one day he would follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, the late Jacob Higgins, his father Melvin Higgins and his uncle Dwayne Higgins.

But instead of competing in the native sloop

sailing, which the Higgins clan were renowned for, Higgins decided to venture into the Olympic-style sailing competition and has already established himself as the top Bahamian sailor and is hoping that he will qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.

Higgins, 19, has been a member of the Harbour Island Sailing Club since 2001, but through his British coach, Keir Clarke, he was able to move to Viana do Castelo, Portugal where he is training at the Viana Sailing Performance Club for the past year and-ahalf for competition in the ILCA 7 sailing class.

JOSHUA Higgins

“I am now doing a lot of training because this is the year that I have to qualify for the Olympics,” Higgins said.

On a daily basis, Higgins would report to training camp between 8-9:30am for an intense workout with his coach Miguel Andrade.

After getting lunch, they return between 12-1pm for a short briefing of what the coaches will take them through for the next 2-3 hours.

After they get off the water, Higgins said they go through a briefing with the coaches, who provide video coverage of what they did in practice. They also do some cycling on the road to help them build up their endurance.

“Viana is a place where the weather here can get really strong,” said Higgins,

SEE PAGE 17