‘SEX ATTACK’ IN A BACO S HELTER
Teenage girl allegedly assaulted in RV trailer next to govt building
By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Chief Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
A TEENAGE girl in Abaco was allegedly sexually assaulted in one of the government-issued RV trailers located next to the Marsh Harbour government complex, amid growing concerns about illegal activities taking place in the temporary housing units.
Police did not publicly disclose the alleged assault — reportedly committed on Saturday — in their daily press reports. However, Chief Superintendent Michael Thurston, officer in charge of the Abaco Division, confirmed
LABOUR COMPL AINTS AT CRYPTO company dubbed ‘top priority’
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor
nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
THE government’s labour director last night confirmed that an investigation into complaints about hiring practices at a Bahamas-based crypto currency exchange is “a top priority”. Howard Thompson, when contacted by Tribune
Business, confirmed that concerns raised with the Department of Labour about OKX Bahamas are genuine and the watchdog has already moved to address them with the western New Providence-based exchange and Fintech (financial technology) company.
Pinder believes arsonist behind recent spate of forest fires in Abaco
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
AS firefighters continue battling a series of bush fires in Abaco, Central and South Abaco MP John
Pinder said he has asked police to be on the lookout for potential arsonists, believing some of the recent blazes may have been deliberately set.
While fires in Sweeting’s Village had been brought
under control, officials were alerted to a new blaze in Bahama Palm Shores — a residential community in South Abaco — on Monday night, as well as another
Pintard predicts early general election as he calls for fixed date
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
FREE National Movement (FNM) Leader Michael Pintard is predicting –– without substantial evidence –– that the Davis administration will call an early general election, possibly by September, and
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune
is renewing calls for the implementation of a fixed election date as part of broader electoral reform.
“We would not be surprised if they do, and we are making preparation daily to field a full slate of candidates that the public would be able to put their ‘pay up $10k FOR SCA L DING 3-YEAR-O L D in bathtub’
A 59- Y EAR - OLD woman was ordered to pay $10,000 in compensation after admitting she negligently burned a three-year-old boy she was babysitting earlier this year. Judy Spence pleaded guilty to a charge of cruelty to children before Assistant Chief Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans. The incident occurred on March 31, when Spence was babysitting for her neighbours in New
Officer testifies at inquest two casings recovered from scene were from AK-47
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A POLICE armoury officer testified yesterday that some of the casings recovered from the Cowpen Road scene, where three men were shot and killed by police in 2020, came from an AK-47— a weapon he claimed is not issued to police.
Inspector Jake Petty gave evidence yesterday during the inquest into the deaths of Deshoan “Spider” Smith, 25, Rashad Clarke, 28, and Jared Ford, 27. The men were fatally shot near Spikenard and Cowpen Roads on 13 June 2020.
Inspector Alcott Forbes, Corporal Kevin Greenslade Jr, and Police Constable Courtney Hall — the officers involved in the incident — were present in court. A five-member jury is tasked
with determining what occurred.
Police previously said the men were in a white Honda Accord parked near Spikenard Cemetery. When officers approached, the vehicle allegedly fled and the men reportedly opened fire, prompting officers to return fire.
Inspector Petty said two spent casings recovered from the scene came from an AK-47. He added that this weapon was not found on any of the deceased and that police are neither issued nor authorised to use such high-powered firearms.
Previous reports made no mention of this type of ammunition being recovered.
Inspector Petty also said that 9mm and .223 casings were found at the scene.
Detective Sergeant Desmond Rolle previously
testified that he instructed officers at the scene to collect evidence, including spent .223 and 9mm casings surrounding the car. DS Rolle also said he collected the officers’ weapons.
These included Inspector Forbes’s black Sig Sauer 9mm pistol with 11 rounds; Corporal Greenslade’s black rifle with two magazines containing 32 rounds of .223 ammunition; and Constable Hall’s black rifle with two magazines holding 33 rounds.
Heastin Kelson, the aunt of Rashad Clarke, testified that she had raised him since he was five months old and that they referred to each other as mother and son.
She said she received a call on the day of the shooting informing her that Clarke and two other men, known as “Dog Bite” and “Rider”, had been shot and
killed. Ms Kelson said she was in disbelief after hearing the news. She and her sisters went to the scene, she said. Ms Kelson confirmed that the car in which the men were killed belonged to her and that she had lent it to Clarke.
She said the last time she spoke to Clarke was around 6.30am that day, when he asked her to pick up his child.
Ms Kelson told evidence marshal Angelo Whitfield that Clarke was healthy and seemed fine the last time she saw him. She described him as beautiful, mannerly, and wonderful.
Upon seeing photos of Clarke in the morgue, she became emotional and said, “I can’t do it,” before breaking down in tears. After composing herself, she confirmed that the photo was of Clarke.
Cecilia Ford, Jared Ford’s sister, initially said her brother was “murdered” but rephrased to say he was “shot and killed by police” after being cautioned by the marshal.
After receiving a call that her brother had been killed, Ms Ford said she went to the scene and saw caution tape and grieving relatives crying out in anguish. She said her memory of that night became blurry after the coroner’s van arrived.
Ms Ford said she last saw her brother three weeks before his death. He had been living with his aunt on East Street South, she said. She described him as a quiet person who mostly kept to himself and spoke softly. She said he had no known illnesses.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, she said, Ford had a graveside service.
She also positively identified a photo of him in the morgue.
Inspector Danrea Johnson, of the Firearm Licensing Unit, testified that none of the deceased were registered to possess the Austria Glock 19 9mm pistol or its ammunition, both of which were reportedly recovered from the vehicle.
Inspector Johnson said the weapon’s serial number was not found in police records, indicating that it was unlicensed.
When questioned by K Melvin Munroe, the officers’ attorney, Inspector Johnson said she could not confirm whether the pistol was a police-issued weapon but affirmed that it was not registered with authorities.
Maria Daxon represented the estates of the deceased.
ANN M A RIE DAVIS ATTENDS IN AUGUR A L PET S TE M CELL CONFERENCE AT GOL DWYNN
AN INAUGURAL Pet Stem Cell Conference took place on May 3, 2025, at Goldwynn Resort and Residences, Cable Beach. Ann Marie Davis, of the Office of the Spouse of the Prime Minister, represented the Bahamas Humane Society, where she serves as a committed board member. Mrs Davis has participated in initiatives such as ‘Operation Potcake’ and has highlighted the importance of spaying and neutering pets.
Photos: Patrice Johnson/BIS
JOB VACANCY
A well-established Law Firm is accepting applications for the following position:
Legal Administrative Assistant
The primary purpose is to provide legal support to attorneys by performing legal research, drafting documents, managing case files, and communicating effectively with clients. Skills & Qualifications: verbal.
and
‘Sex attack’ in Abaco shelter
that a complaint had been filed and said a suspect was in custody.
The incident has intensified concerns among residents living in the RVs, many of whom say
the area has become a hotspot for criminal activity.
Some residents claim the trailers, which were originally intended for government employees after Hurricane Dorian, are being occupied by
people not authorised to occupy them.
There are also reports that some units are now being rented out for profit –– echoing similar claims made about the government dome housing sites established after
PRIME Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis held talks described as “cordial” and “constructive” yesterday with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The meetings were held in Washington, with topics including regional security, economic development, digital assets, and strengthening bilateral relations between The Bahamas and the US. Mr Davis also discussed labour cooperation in the healthcare sector and trade and financial reform. Mr Davis is expected to give further details on the meeting today.
Hurricane Dorian.
“It’s getting out of hand now and I don’t feel safe,” said one long-time resident, requesting anonymity. “The police are there and have an office in the complex but it’s just like they aren’t there.”
He said that on the night of the alleged assault, he heard commotion coming from the area but chose not to investigate.
The resident described the area as a hub for criminal activity, claiming that disturbances continue late into the night and into the early morning, disrupting sleep activity.
“It sounds like traffic like when you moving on a highway,” he said.
The Dorian survivor said he was approached by a woman who claimed she had seen a man wanted for murder — featured on a police poster — frequently walking through the area.
“She said she saw this guy constantly walking through there checking somebody because I tell you they don’t even know who they have in the back there,” he said.
Nowadays, the resident said he doesn’t even recognize the people occupying the trailers, adding that many of the original residents had long since moved on.
When contacted yesterday, both Disaster Risk Management Authority (DRMA) executive chairman Alex Storr and area MP John Pinder acknowledged receiving complaints about illegal activities taking place in the RV trailers.
Mr Storr said an assessment is currently underway to determine who is occupying the units and whether they are authorised to be there.
“We’ve heard all kind of rumors so what we were actually doing is an audit to ascertain exactly who is in those trailers,” he said.
Last year, residents were given an October deadline to vacate the trailers, prompting pushback from some who said they had nowhere else to go.
Yesterday, Mr Storr explained that the delay in enforcement was due to coordination with other agencies to determine
Vacancy Notice Manager- ODN Build Delivery
how best to assist affected residents.
“It’s not because of any pushback,” he said, “It’s because we wanted to do it properly and make sure give residents a chance to put their best foot forward.”
Officials were unable to provide an exact estimate of how many families are living in the trailers, but area MP John Pinder said there are over 50 trailers on site, most of which are occupied by families.
Mr Pinder said there is no firm timeline on when residents will be required to vacate the trailers, but stressed that officials hope to resolve the issue soon — especially with hurricane season approaching.
“I know that the activity is there is not all legal and they need to be mobilised and moved out as quickly as possible,” the Abaco MP said.
Mr Storr agreed that the situation must be addressed with urgency, noting that the trailers have outlived their intended use and now pose safety hazards.
Tere is an opening for Manager- ODN Build Delivery. Interested persons may apply by forwarding a resume stating their interest, relevant skills, and experience to Human Resources on or before Friday, May 9th 2025.
JOB SUMMARY:
Reporting to the Director – Technical Operations (or designate) - Te ODN Build Manager, is responsible for coordinating and managing all required underground cable placing and splicing of all aerial and underground facilities. Te Cable/Splicing Manager shall follow through with responsibilities to supervise, inspect, and monitor all work in conformance with company, local, and industry standards and specifcations.
Duties & Responsibilities:
structures, facilities, and systems
the feld on correct scheduling, and implementation. structures, facilities, and systems. Services
timely, in accordance with the Contract Documents and Quality Standards
close-out acceptances from internal stakeholders obtain permits to facilitate cable placement. in the splicing of fber optics.
permitting authorities to turn in applications, pick up permits, obtain status, etc.
completed work to ensure it meets scope of work standards
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED: run trouble on outside plant fber cabling, and knowledge of management reporting fundamentals mandatory as operating hand tools, drills and safety equipment as required required.
‘Pay up $10k for scalding three-year-old
Providence. She negligently allowed the child to be scalded in the bathtub, causing severe burns to his buttocks.
When the boy’s grandmother first came to collect him, Spence reportedly told her the child was sleeping and asked her to return in an hour. Upon her return, the grandmother noticed the toddler walking in pain. Spence told her she had applied Vaseline to his hip.
Spence initially pleaded not guilty to the charge on April 9 but reversed her plea during her latest court appearance.
Her attorney, Alphonso Lewis, said Spence was remorseful and accepted responsibility, noting she had no previous
in bathtub’
convictions. He said she apologised to the child’s family and was deeply distraught at the time of the incident.
Magistrate Vogt-Evans said she was “troubled” by Spence’s failure to immediately inform the family and her dishonesty about the nature of the injury. She noted the child had suffered for hours before receiving help.
Spence was ordered to compensate the boy’s family with $10,000 or face 18 months in prison. She must pay $2,000 before her release, $5,000 by June 30, and the remaining $3,000 by August 6. The child’s mother received $2,000 in court.
Assistant Superintendent of Police S Coakley served as the prosecutor.
THREE MON T HS JAIL FOR ESCAPING POLICE FROM CUS TODY AT HOSPI TAL
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN awaiting trial for murder and arson was sentenced to three months in prison after admitting he briefly escaped police custody at the hospital last month.
Cyril Soltau, 29, was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley on a charge of escape from lawful custody.
Soltau is on remand on charges of murder, armed robbery, and arson. Prosecutors allege that on February 13, Soltau robbed 38-year-old Johnson Joseph at knifepoint of alcohol and other personal items, killed him the same day, and then set fire to a two-storey yellow and white building on Wulff Road with the victim’s body inside.
The building, which housed apartments and a convenience store, is owned
by Frederick and Kenneth Donathan. While at Princess Margaret Hospital on April 27, Soltau allegedly escaped police custody around 8.30am. Officers shot him in the back during a subsequent chase before he was recaptured.
Soltau pleaded guilty after electing to have the matter heard before the magistrate. Although he initially disputed some facts, he admitted to escaping. He told the court he had been under emotional distress, claiming police beat him in custody and that he feared retaliation from the victim’s family. He also said he was concerned about the safety of his wife and children.
Calling his actions a “dumb move”, Soltau apologised in court.
He was sentenced to three months in prison. Inspector Wilkinson served as the prosecutor.
H AI T IAN- A MERICAN FINED $10K FOR HAVING GUN ON BAHAMASAIR FLIGH T
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A HAITIAN-American man was fined $10,000 after admitting he tried to carry a gun onto a Bahamasair flight to Cap Haitien on Saturday.
John Felix, 22, was charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of ammunition. Authorities said they discovered a black Heritage Rough Rider .22 revolver and 50 rounds of .22 ammunition in his luggage at
Lynden Pindling International Airport on May 3. Felix admitted in a police interview that he owned the firearm, which he said he bought in the United States.
He pleaded guilty to both charges.
He was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine or face 18 months in prison.
After paying the fine, Felix will be released to immigration authorities. Alex Dorsett represented the defendant. Inspector Wilkinson served as the prosecutor.
the
MINISTER of
Environment and Natural Resources Vaughn Miller, along with Minister of State for the Environment Zane Lightbourne and permanent secretary David Davis, on Monday welcomed Dr Russell Reichelt AO, Australian Sherpa to the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (High-Level Ocean Panel), Australian High Commission. The visit provides for in-person expert engagement between Australia and The Bahamas on oceans and reefs, and broader environmental and climate change policy. Photos: MENR
Gender parity and equal standards
ON May 1, 2025, in what has been described as a “groundbreaking” moment in Caribbean frontline politics, Kamla Persad-Bissessar of the United National Congress (UNC) became the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. Perhaps even more interesting than this is the fact that this is the second time she has been elected to this position. What makes this groundbreaking, then, is not that a woman now has the position of Prime Minister, but that woman hold the top three constitutional offices in Trinidad and Tobago. Pennelope Beckles-Robinson is the leader of the opposition, the People’s National Movement (PNM). Christine Kangaloo, who has been president since 2023, was responsible for swearing them in.
Last week, social media was full of posts by Caribbean people celebrating the moment, highlighting these three women in these three positions, asserting that it is not only progress, but an uncomplicated achievement. It is not unusual for social media posts to lack gender analysis, and it is not unusual for people to see numerical and proportional increases as synonymous with the true advancement of women. Quantity, as we all should know, is not quality, so there is more to consider.
Following the US presidential election, Persad-Bissessar, as the (then) Opposition Leader, made clear her position on the Biden administration. She said, “They focused on pushing a woke, extreme left-wing agenda that offended basic common sense and morality, overturned the norms of civilised public life, disoriented and mutilated children, censored and cancelled dissenting views, disparaged religious and conservative values, fuelled wars around the world, weaponised the judicial system against political opponents and increased nepotism, corruption, crime, poverty, homelessness, and wealth inequality.” Persad-Bissessar went on to congratulate and celebrate the current US president. She said: “He has survived assassination attempts, political persecution, and years of personal attacks, but he triumphed in the end.” She added: “I look forward to the return of meritocracy, excellence, and intelligence as a standard criterion for accessing equal opportunities.”
This position is cause for concern for anyone who cares about and is committed to the achievement of gender equality and full access to human rights, especially for those in situations of vulnerability including women, children, LGBTQI+ people, people with disabilities, and people experiencing poverty, all of whom are disproportionately affected and deliberately targeted by the dangerous actions
By Alicia Wallace
“...the progress we need, particularly on women’s rights, gender equality, and social development, requires the participation and leadership of feminist women and women who are committed to working on achieving these goals, even in the face of great opposition, (from) wherever it rears its head.”
taking by the current US administration. We do need more women in positions of leadership. We do need to reach gender parity in all levels of governments. We do need women to have decision-making power. We do need women to design and implement policies that move us toward gender equality. Women, however, are not all the same. We are not a homogenous group. There are women who benefit from existing systems of oppression and who are committed to maintaining their positions, even at significant cost to other women. There are women who do not want to be the woman to make the statement or take the action that demonstrates commitment to gender equality and the advancement of all women, often because it is more comfortable to come close to fitting in (with other leaders and decision-makers, the majority of whom are men).
Feminist advocates know this. This awareness is the source of the clear distinction between “women’s groups” and women who are political aspirants who call for more women in parliament and the feminist advocates who acknowledge the nuances and call for more feminist women and women who support women’s rights in positions of leadership at all levels.
Ahead of the 65th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in 2021, stakeholders from across the Caribbean worked together to develop a regional position on the theme, “Women’s full and effective participation and decision-making in public life, as well as the elimination of violence, for achieving gender
equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.” The conversations had significant focus on women’s political leadership, ways to reach gender parity in frontline politics, and the markers of gender equality in leadership that extend beyond numbers and into outcomes, both for women and girls and for entire countries.
When gender equality and women’s leadership— particularly in the areas of political life and public life—is discussed, people focus almost exclusively on numbers. Just as there are difference among men in positions of leadership, there are differences among women in positions of leadership.
There are differences in beliefs and values, in skills, in leadership practices, in personal and professional interests, and in ideas and vision of success. It is easy for people to make assumptions about women in positions of leadership based on what they think they know. There are many gender stereotypes that are taken to be true, often entirely due to the frequency with which they are stated as though they are facts and the infrequency of them being refuted. Women do not all lead in the same way. Men do not all lead in the same way either. These facts do not necessarily change the longstanding ideas people have about the differences between women and men and what they mean for abilities and outcomes. This is a primary reason for the focus on gender, what it means, what it does not mean, and how it is used to limit opportunities.
Feminist advocates for women’s political leadership know that numbers are important. The call for women’s leadership in public and political life
extends beyond women receiving nominations, getting votes, and being elected into office. It is for harmful gender ideology to be eradicated and social norms to change. It is for the creation of an enabling environment for women’s participation and leadership in public and political life. It is for increased positive representation of women in leadership in media. It is for early exposure to policymaking and spaces and processes. It is for the development of opportunities for women and girls to lead and conditions under which leadership by women and girls is supported, celebrated, and normalised.
Regarding the political moment in Trinidad and Tobago, Dr Gabrielle Hosein, lecturer at the Institute for Gender and Development Studies at the University of the West Indies St Augustine’s campus said, “In Trinidad and Tobago’s political history, having three different kinds of women leaders right now is unprecedented and historic.” Importantly, she noted that these wins are symbolic. “We have to see if they lead to ‘substantive’ wins, meaning approaches to governance that are less domineering and antagonistic and more inclusive and transformative, and create greater social, economic and gender justice,” she said.
Feminist advocates hold multiple truths. One is that women have the right to hold positions of leadership and decisionmaking power, and this is not contingent on any trainings or alignment on sociopolitical issues any more than is the case for men. Another is that the progress we need, particularly on women’s rights, gender equality, and social development, requires the participation and leadership of feminist women and women who are committed to working on achieving these goals, even in the face of great opposition, (from) wherever it rears its head.
This means that, just as many men in leadership are mediocre, women have the right to be mediocre in leadership. Just as men enter frontline politics without training, women can enter frontline politics without training. This, however, is not where the bar must be set. It is discriminatory to hold women to a different (and higher) standard than that to which we hold men, so must set higher expectations for all leaders while acknowledging the importance of increasing women’s representation to reach gender parity. This increases the visibility of women as leaders, demonstrates possibilities to young women and girls, normalises women’s leadership, and makes it possible for more women to take feminist positions not only at the personal level, but professionally, within the walls of parliament, cabinet, and the senate.
WHAT is groundbreaking in Trinidad and Tobago is not just that Kamla Persad-Bissessar (top) of the United National Congress (UNC) has attained the position of Prime Minister, but that woman hold the top three constitutional offices in the country. Pennelope Beckles-Robinson (middle) is the leader of the opposition, the People’s National Movement (PNM) and Christine Kangaloo (bottom), who has been president since 2023, was responsible for swearing them in.
US doubles down on attempt to teardown Google focused now on it’s ad technology
Associated Press
The US Justice Department is doubling down on its attempt to break up Google by asking a federal judge to force the company to part with some of the technology powering the company’s digital ad network. The proposed dismantling coincides with an ongoing federal effort to separate Google’s Chrome browser from its dominant search engine.
The government’s latest proposal was filed late Monday in a Virginia federal court two-and-half weeks after a federal judge ruled that its lucrative digital ad network has been improperly abusing its market power to stifle competition to the detriment of online publishers.
In a 17-page filing, Justice Department lawyers argued that US District Judge Leonie Brinkema should punish Google by ordering the company to offload its AdX business and DFP ad platform, tools that bring together advertisers, who want to market their products, and publishers, who want to sell commercial space on their sites, to bring in revenue.
The government also is seeking other restrictions, including a 10-year ban on Google from operating a digital ad exchange, to undercut the power of a “recidivist monopolist.”
Skype
Not surprisingly, it’s an idea that Google vehemently plans to oppose when the penalty phase of the antitrust case —known as remedy hearings — begins in late September. Google already has vowed to appeal Brinkema’s ruling that the technology powering the ad network has been breaking the law, but can’t do that until the judge rules on its punishment in a decision expected late this year or early next year.
The Justice Department’s proposal “would cause economic chaos and technological dysfunction resulting in harm to millions of advertisers and publishers, and in so doing, degrade the experience of internet users,” Google said in a court filing late Monday.
In its counterproposal, Google outlined a plan that it believes will bring more transparency
to its ad network and eventually foster more competition. Google proposed the appointment of a trustee to oversee its behaviour for three years.
The attempt to tear down Google’s ad network comes on top of the Justice Department’s ongoing effort to have the company part with its popular Chrome browser and impose other restrictions to curtail the power of its ubiquitous search engine, which another federal judge branded an illegal monopoly in a ruling last August.
The remedy hearings in the search case are scheduled to conclude later this month, with a ruling from US District Judge Amit Mehta expected by Labor Day.
If the Justice Department is able to persuade the two different judges to order its proposed dismantling
shut down for good, but users still have these alternatives
LONDON Associated Press
SKYPE is dead. What now?
Microsoft’s shutdown of Skype on May 5 sent millions of users scrambling to find an alternative to the pioneering internet phone service.
Skype, which Microsoft bought in 2011, was beloved by a dwindling group of users who appreciated how it let them make cheap long-distance calls as well as communicate with other users through chat messages, voice or video calls.
Some liked its simplicity and ease of use — an advantage, for example, when setting up a communications app for an elderly parent living far away.
Skype was founded in 2003 and was among the first in a wave of communication services that used voice over internet protocol technology (VoIP), which converts audio into a digital signal.
Skype’s disappearance also inconveniences Americans and other expatriates living overseas who signed up because they needed an US-based number to receive text authentication codes from, say, a bank back home. It was also handy for
calling 800 numbers for free even if you weren’t living in North America. Here is a guide for life after Skype:
What’s happening
Microsoft announced in late February that it was shutting down Skype on May 5 and shifting some of its services to Microsoft Teams, its flagship office videoconferencing and group collaboration platform.
Skype users can use their existing accounts to log into Teams and have the option to automatically migrate their contacts and chats.
If you had a Skype number or a calling subscription, it stopped automatically renewing on April 3. If your account still has credit, you can access Skype’s dial pad from the web portal or Teams to make calls.
Skype numbers won’t immediately expire on May 5 so you’ll still be able to receive calls until your subscription expires. But you’ll have to use Teams or keep the Skype dial pad open on the web portal to receive them.
Porting your number(s)
If your Skype number
hasn’t expired and you don’t want to lose it, you should transfer it to another provider.
Skype numbers can be ported to a phone carrier or any number of other VoIP services. But you’ll have to start the process through the new provider, not Skype.
Google Voice
Google users can access the online search giant’s internet phone service to make calls from a smartphone or a desktop web browser. You can get your own Google Voice phone number and use features like call forwarding and voicemail. Or you can port your number from another service like Skype, but it will cost $20.
Calls to US, Canadian or Puerto Rican numbers are free. Rates for other countries vary.
The free version of Google Voice is only available to US residents physically located in the 48 contiguous states, so that means expatriate Americans can only use it if they registered before they moved overseas.
“You cannot sign up for a Google Voice number while outside the USA,” according to a help page. “Do not try to circumvent this by
of Google, it would be the biggest breakup of a US company since AT&T was forced to spin off its phone service into seven separate regional companies more than 40 years ago.
Google’s Play Store for apps running on its Android software that powers most of the world’s smartphones also was declared an illegal monopoly by a federal jury in 2023 and is battling a judge’s order that would require it to overhaul a commission system that generates billions of dollars in annual revenue.
But hobbling its search engine and digital ad network would be far bigger blows because they are the key cogs in a business that generated $265 billion in revenue last year.
Google is confronting the breakup threats at the same time the advent of artificial intelligence is changing the way consumers are using technology and seeking information online — a shift that could also siphon traffic and money away from a powerhouse that began in a Silicon Valley garage in 1998.
Despite the adversity, Google is still delivering robust financial growth to its corporate parent Alphabet Inc., which is currently valued at $2 trillion.
Alphabet’s share dipped by less than 1% Tuesday to close at $163.20.
using a VPN.”
Viber
Owned by Japan’s Rakuten, Viber was long considered one of the closest competitors to Skype. One key difference is that Skype users don’t need a phone number and are identified by their usernames, while Viber users need a number to register for service.
Similar to Skype, Viber users can buy credit or packages to call phone numbers around the world but it’s no longer possible to get a Viber number to receive calls.
Zoom
The videoconferencing service that’s become a byword for online company meetings offers a calling service, Zoom Phone, and features like number porting and the ability to send and receive SMS text messages.
Take note that Zoom Phone isn’t free. There are various calling plans that involve a monthly subscription cost and extra fees for international calls.
Teams
Microsoft users have the option of making calls on Teams, dubbed Teams Phone. Like Zoom Phone, you’ll need to buy a subscription and pay extra for international calls.
But it’s not an option for regular people because
TECHTALK
Grand Theft Auto VI delayed again, this time until May 2026
BOSTON Associated Press
FANS of the hugely popular video game series
Grand Theft Auto will have to wait a little longer to play the latest version.
In a post on X Friday, Rockstar Games said it delayed the launch of Grand Theft Auto VI until May 26, 2026. It apologized for the delay of a game, the release of which has been talked about for several years. It didn’t provide any specifics on why the release date has been pushed back from fall of this year.
“With every game we have released, the goal has been to try and exceed your expectations and Grand Theft Auto VI is no exception,” the company said in a statement. “We hope you understand we need this extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve.”
Shares of Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar’s parent company, fell Friday by nearly 7%.
Strauss Zelnick, the chairman and CEO for Take-Two Interactive Software, stood by Rockstar in a statement and said it supports the company taking additional time to realize their creative vision. He said it still expects a “groundbreaking, blockbuster entertainment experience that exceeds audience expectations.”
“While we take the movement of our titles seriously and appreciate the vast and deep global anticipation for Grand Theft Auto VI, we remain steadfast in our commitment to excellence,” Zelnick said in a statement. “As we continue to release our phenomenal pipeline, we expect to deliver a multi-year period of growth in our business and enhanced value for our shareholders.”
Fans of the game reacted to the delay with disappointment but also a shrug - since it has been suggested the game would be released in 2024 and then this year.
Microsoft says Teams Phone isn’t for consumer use and is only available to small and medium-sized businesses.
Wireless Carriers
If you absolutely need a US number but live overseas, sign up for service with a low-cost virtual wireless carrier that offers cheap cellphone plans or pay-asyou-go rates. One provider, Tello, offers monthly plans for as little as $5 and says users can activate its service even if they’re living outside the US.
Because mobile virtual network operators like Tello are essentially wireless phone companies that piggyback off a bigger carrier’s physical network, you can’t use it to make calls on a computer or an app. VoIP it
There are a slew of Skype pretenders offering phone calls over the internet, such as Zoiper, VoIP.ms, CallCentric, Mytello, and Virtual Landline. Many are aimed at business users.
Some are capitalizing on Skype’s disappearance. Hushed, which started as an anonymous calling app, bills itself as a Skype alternative. Users can buy a phone number from the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom or Puerto Rico or
port their own number. It warns that some of its numbers aren’t guaranteed to work with third-party verification text messages.
“We do not intentionally block anyone from receiving these codes, but it’s common that some services will prevent verification texts from being sent to certain phone numbers due to their own security policies,” Hushed says on its website.
eSIMs
What about an international eSIM? They’re the virtual version of the mobile phone SIM card that you can buy and add to your phone when you’re on a trip to save on roaming fees.
They offer cheap data access rates so you can use the internet without worrying about racking up a huge bill when you get home. Unfortunately, you can’t port a Skype number to an international eSIM because of “the fundamental differences” between VoIP services and traditional mobile networks, said Pedro Maiquez, cofounder of eSIM provider Holafly. “Skype numbers are not tied to a mobile carrier’s physical infrastructure, making them incompatible with mobile eSIM solutions.”
National Arts Festival adjudications continue
San Salvador
PRIMARY and high-school students joined with community members in showing off their talents, during the recent E Clement Bethel National Arts Festival San Salvador adjudications, held at the United Estates Primary School. Participants danced, acted, recited, sang, beat drums, and performed Junkanoo to a cheering crowd that included Family Island administrator Frances HepburnBarr and other community leaders and visitors.
Photos: Eric Rose/BIS
CHEERED on by teachers, classmates and family members, Exuma Christian Academy students sang, danced and even played the brass, during the recent E. Clement Bethel National Arts Festival, at the E. C. McKenie Hall, in Ramsey. Of note were dance performances that paid homage to oldies, such as Aretha Franklin, The Supremes, and boy bands.
Photos: Eric Rose/BIS