‘AB A CO PLPS DON’T WANT PINDER AGAIN’
Some party supporters criticise MP’s attitude and poor performance
By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Chief
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
Reporter
KEY Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) supporters in Abaco want a candidate to challenge Central and South Abaco MP John Pinder in the party’s nomination race, citing dissatisfaction with his performance and attitude.
Several PLP supporters, speaking to The Tribune on condition of anonymity yesterday, highlighted their discontent and said they have raised their concerns with party officials. The Tribune understands that some supporters even publicly criticised Mr Pinder’s performance during
REBUILD OF VICTOR IA COUR T hoped to start by year’s end
By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
Chief Reporter
NEARLY a month after a fire destroyed the roof of Victoria Court Complex, displacing dozens, residents are hoping that rebuilding can begin before the end of the year.
Sonia Cox-Hamilton, vice president of the building’s board, told The Tribune yesterday that while much work remains, the board is taking it one step at a time. She said residents have already engaged a structural engineer to assess the building’s integrity and have secured a team to stabilise the gables before reconstruction can begin.
Inspector gets leave from judge for judicial review in disciplinary matter
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
A SUPREME Court
judge has ruled that a police inspector has an arguable case against the
Commissioner of Police and the Attorney General, granting him leave to pursue a judicial review over disciplinary measures taken against him.
Justice Carla D CardStubbs delivered the ruling,
issuing a stay of all disciplinary proceedings until the judicial review is resolved or the court gives further directions. The inspector must file and serve his
First-ever organ transplant expected to happen before end of this year
THE country’s first live organ transplant surgery under the National Organ Transplant Programme is expected to take place at Princess Margaret Hospital before the end of the year, according to sources familiar with the matter. While officials have not confirmed a launch date, insiders told The Tribune
first step’
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune
nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
that preparations are nearing completion. A live transplant involves the donation of an organ from a living donor to a recipient.
The government has allocated $1.59m to the programme in its 2025/2026 budget, with projections increasing to $3m in
THE USS GRAVELY, a guided missile destroyer named after one of the first African-Americans to achieve the rank of three-star Admiral in the US Navy, docked at the Nassau Cruise Port yesterday, giving tours aboard ship. See PAGE TWO for story.
Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr
US Navy destroyer takes on diplomatic role while at port in New Providence
By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net
THE USS Gravely (DDG-107), a United States Navy guided-missile destroyer, has docked in New Providence as part of an effort to strengthen ties between the US and The Bahamas.
The 510-foot vessel, which carries a crew of 311, is equipped with a five-inch cannon, a vertical missile launching system, and two multi-mission maritime helicopters. It serves multiple roles, including narcotics interdiction and defence in air, surface, submarine, and electronic warfare.
Commanding Officer
Greg Piorun and other officers led members of the media on a tour of the ship yesterday.
Mr Piorun said that during their stay in The Bahamas, he and his crew will participate in several community service projects, including initiatives to support underprivileged children and assist the wider public.
Prior to arriving in Bahamian waters, the USS Gravely intercepted a drug smuggling operation involving three individuals attempting to transport 390 kilograms of cocaine
into the United States. While docked at the Nassau Cruise Port, Mr Piorun said the crew takes steps to ensure there is no fuel leakage from the ship into local waters. He said his chief engineer, propulsion assistant, and others work to secure the ship’s valves to prevent any spillage.
To keep morale high onboard, sailors take part in karaoke, games, and other recreational activities. Mr Piorun said the sailors bring the ship to life through the hard work, blood, sweat, and tears they put into maintaining the vessel and supporting one another.
The destroyer is named after the late Vice Admiral Samuel Lee Gravely Jr, the first African American in the US Navy to be commissioned as an officer, command a warship, reach flag rank, and eventually serve as vice admiral and command a numbered fleet.
“He was a trailblazer. He was first to conquer,” Mr Piorun said of Mr Gravely.
Many of the sailors said it was their first time visiting The Bahamas and expressed excitement about experiencing the country’s culture, food, and people.
UNITED States Navy guided-missile destroyer, USS Gravely, docked in New Providence as part of an effort to strengthen ties between the US and The Bahamas, offering tours of the ship while in port.
Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr
Chinese Ambassador donates smart board to San Pedro International School
THE Chinese Ambas-
sador to The Bahamas, Yan Jiarong, yesterday visited San Pedro International School – where she made a donation to help students.
The embassy presented a smart board from China to the school, valued at $1,400. She said it is “the one in this classroom and I am happy to see it is being well used” during her visit yesterday.
The embassy also presented a $20,000 donation as an Ambassador Scholarship. She said: “We hope the scholarship could encourage students to learn Chinese, and to promote the China-Bahamas friendship.”
Ten students and three teachers from the school are also to be invited to participate in a summer camp in Guizhou Province in China in August.
Photos: Nikia Charlton
‘Abaco PLPs don’t want Pinder again’
from page one
a recent branch meeting attended by Prime Minister Philip Davis, who reportedly issued a sharp rebuke of public officials and contractors over the slow pace of reconstruction.
Mr Pinder could not be reached for comment despite multiple attempts from this newspaper yesterday, while the PLP branch chairman for the Central and South Abaco area declined to comment. PLP chairman Fred Mitchell declined to comment.
Some residents, including party supporters, claim Mr Pinder has not been visible enough in the community. Others have raised concerns about what they describe as his dismissive attitude.
Patrice Williams, Spring City’s local government township representative, said his handling of the Dorian debris site had left much to be desired.
She said she attended a recent town hall meetings with him, and his responses to residents’ concerns were disappointing.
“He got up and flared up and jump up and said he have to go and blame the FNM,” she said. “He telling people to go ahead and write to the government,
call this one and call that one.”
She said when residents asked why they couldn’t write to him directly, he told them they had better contacts with government officials than he did.
She also questioned the veracity of Mr Pinder’s recent comments about the Dorian debris site near Spring City, which he said is nearly fully demobilised.
She said the site continues to burn, blanketing the area in smoke, with a pile of debris still remaining. However, she did commend Mr Pinder for helping with infrastructure projects in the area, such as repairing the community centre and installing lights and Wi-Fi at the basketball park.
“They were not maintained for a long time because the lights was turned off eventually, and whatnot, the Internet was gone must be months after that, but he did help us,” she said.
“I knew him before politics and I never knew he was that kind of person,” she said, referring to his attitude.
Hope Town resident and former district council member Junior Mernard noted mixed reviews about Mr Pinder’s performance
in Hope Town, adding that most complaints appear to be coming from mainland Abaco.
He said some Hope Town residents have complained that Mr Pinder failed to rebuild the post office and provide housing for the police, as he had promised.
Meanwhile, he said there has been significant discontent in mainland Abaco over the poor state of road infrastructure.
“I think the odds are against him. I don’t hope for him to lose, but I just think he has an uphill battle,” he said.
Mr Mernard believes Mr Pinder had good intentions but lacked government support to fulfil his goals, describing his efforts as constrained by the Cabinet.
“We know where his heart is. His heart is definitely with his community. I feel very sorry for him,” he added. “So I’m not going to judge his performance because his performance is is held hostage by the government and the Cabinet.”
Sources said some supporters are actively searching for a viable candidate to challenge Mr Pinder in the nomination race. However, The Tribune understands there have been difficulties identifying the right person for the job.
PM tells investors in New York Bahamas ‘open for business’ after FTX lessons learned
By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
IN a pitch to investors in New York yesterday, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis promopted The Bahamas as a jurisdiction offering legal certainty, political stability, and regulatory clarity, telling global investors that the country is “open for business” and prepared to support foreign investment.
He referred to the 2022 collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, which had recently moved its headquarters to The Bahamas before filing for bankruptcy in the United States amid a liquidity crisis and concerns about mismanagement of client assets. The event placed the country under significant international scrutiny.
“In the aftermath, something important happened — our institutions held,” he said. “Our regulators acted swiftly. Our courts operated with transparency. And while some jurisdictions scrambled for answers, we were already implementing them. That moment became a global proof point — not of failure, but of resilience.”
He said the government responded by strengthening the Digital Assets and Registered Exchanges (DARE) Act to reinforce The Bahamas’ regulatory framework in the digital asset space. Throughout his remarks, he promoted the broader
appeal of The Bahamas to investors, citing its democratic governance, legal traditions rooted in English Common Law, and a final court of appeal through the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in England.
“We boast a robust financial services sector, a business-friendly tax environment, and one of the most dynamic tourism economies in the hemisphere,” he said.
He pointed to ongoing reforms aimed at modernising infrastructure, digitising public services, and streamlining investment approval processes. He described the Office of the Prime Minister’s Investment Promotion and Facilitation Unit as a central contact point designed to coordinate projects across government agencies and reduce
bureaucratic delays.
“We want you to choose The Bahamas because we are not just open — we are organized, engaged, and ready to support your vision,” he said.
“Whether it’s infrastructure, hospitality, logistics, energy, or financial services — our job is to help you unlock the potential of your investment and align it with national development priorities.”
Mr Davis said the country is pursuing reforms to improve transparency in land ownership systems, reduce wait times for approvals, and enhance government responsiveness through digital platforms.
He also noted the country’s monetary and fiscal performance, referencing a recent credit rating outlook upgrade from Moody’s as a sign of increased investor
confidence.
He framed The Bahamas as a contrast to other jurisdictions he described as struggling with regulatory inconsistency, currency instability, and political fragmentation.
“The result is a climate of hesitation, where capital is sitting on the sidelines, not because of a lack of opportunity, but because of a lack of confidence in the terrain. That’s where The Bahamas stands apart,” he said. “We understand that for investment to thrive, stability must be more than a talking point — it must be delivered in practice.”
The Bahamas Business and Investment Forum was launched in 2024 by the Embassy of The Bahamas in Washington, DC, in collaboration with the Bahamian Consulate in New York and the Ministry of Tourism.
Cooper: Surplus not a declaration that we’re debt free
By
THE Bahamian government is forecasting a $75m budget surplus for the 2025/2026 fiscal year, but Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper has warned that the projection should not be misinterpreted as a sign that the national debt issue is over.
“This is not a declaration that we’re debt-free,” Mr Cooper said during an appearance on Guardian Radio’s Morning Blend. “It means we expect to collect more revenue than we spend but we still have significant debt obligations.”
The projected surplus comes after years of fiscal strain. In 2020/2021, the national deficit stood at $1.3 billion. Now, through
what officials describe as tighter fiscal management and stronger revenue performance, the government anticipates closing the upcoming fiscal year in June 2026 with a positive balance if current trends continue. Tourism remains a critical driver of the revenue boost, with record-breaking visitor numbers in 2023 and 2024. Meanwhile, infrastructure investments, including the Grand Bahama shipyard and Family Island developments, are expected to generate new economic activity and customs revenue. The proposed budget also outlines targeted tax reforms. Effective September 1, 2025, VAT will drop to five percent on essential goods such as medication, diapers, and feminine hygiene products. Customs duties will be cut or
eliminated on industrial and household items, and tax breaks will be introduced for energy-efficient appliances.
Mr Cooper emphasised that these changes are designed to ease the cost of living while maintaining fiscal stability. He added
that delaying implementation allows businesses time to adjust systems without disruption.
To bolster government income, new revenue sources are also planned — including a seabed lease levy and updated
boating fees. Still, opposition figures have criticised aspects of the tax relief plan, claiming many of the measures are recycled from previous administrations. Mr Cooper pushed back, arguing the new proposals are focused on aiding vulnerable communities and low-income households.
The national budget debate begins next week, when ministers will provide detailed justifications for spending plans and revenue assumptions.
CENTRAL AND SOUTH ABACO MP JOHN PNDER
Inspector gets leave from judge for judicial review in disciplinary matter
application within 14 days or risk having the stay lifted.
Inspector Garvin Evans claims that the commissioner failed to follow mandatory disciplinary procedures outlined in the Constitution, the Police Force Act, and the Police Service Commission Regulations. He argues that senior officers, inspectors and above, are subject to a distinct disciplinary process that was not followed in his
case. In his affidavit, he said that on March 16, 2022, he was summoned to the Police Complaints Unit, served with six disciplinary notices, and later formally arraigned.
Insp Evans said on July 12, 2022, he appeared before the Police Disciplinary Tribunal, where Chief Superintendent David Lockhart formally arraigned him. He faced four counts of major misconduct, along with individual charges for
behaviour likely to undermine the impartial discharge of duty, insubordination through words, actions, and demeanour, and failure to comply with a lawful order without valid justification. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
He said: “At no time did I receive any communication from the Secretary of the Cabinet informing me of any allegation against me as mandated by section 33 of the Police Service Commission Regulations.”
that the disciplinary process was both unlawful and procedurally unfair, severely prejudicing his ability to defend himself.
In response, the Commissioner and the Attorney General claimed he had not been formally charged but had instead been the subject of a preliminary inquiry, a fact-finding investigation, not a disciplinary tribunal.
frank disclosure, grounds they said should bar him from judicial review.
Justice CardStubbs rejected these arguments, concluding that the inspector had presented “a serious issue to be tried.” She emphasised that the dispute involved conflicting accounts that could not be resolved at the leave stage.
Although both parties had agreed to pause proceedings during the application, Justice CardStubbs formally stayed the disciplinary process pending the outcome of the judicial review. from
His legal team argued
The respondents also argued that Insp Evans had alternative remedies and had failed to make full and
that Insp Evans had other remedies available, noting that Regulation 34(2) did not apply in this context. She also found no merit in the accusation of material non-disclosure, pointing out that his status as an inspector was not concealed from the court.
“The applicant, if he can prove his case, asserts that the wrong procedure was embarked upon as it concerns him,” the judge wrote. She dismissed the claim
Davis reveals no details on Grand Lucayan sale in Budget Communication
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@trbunemedia.net
HOPES for more details on the Grand Lucayan Resort sale were dashed Wednesday, as Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis made no mention of the deal’s terms or sale price during his 2025/2026 Budget Communication.
The silence comes two weeks after a highly publicised signing ceremony at the resort, where the Davis administration inked a Heads of Agreement (HOA) with Florida-based Concord Wilshire. The deal, touted as a turning point for the long-struggling beachfront property on the Lucaya strip, has left many in Grand Bahama pressing for answers.
Businessman and former local government councillor Darren Cooper told The Tribune that the lack of transparency is inconsistent with the government’s own previous calls for accountability.
“As a Grand Bahamian, I think the PLP and the Davis administration should follow the same demands they made when they were in Opposition, to give the Bahamian people, or lay on the table of the House, the details of all HOAs. And the HOA signed for the Grand Lucayan purchase should have by now been laid in the House, or details of it
should have been given to Grand Bahamians,” Mr Cooper said.
He said residents still don’t have basic information about the agreement, despite its national significance.
“We want to know: What are the terms and conditions? When will the new owners take possession? What is the purchase price? Is the funding in place? What’s the status of the Environmental Impact Assessment? Have the necessary permits been secured from the Grand Bahama Port Authority? How long is this redevelopment expected to take, and when can Grand Bahamians expect to see benefits?”
“And there are many other questions we do not have answers for as Grand Bahamians. And so, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister should follow those demands that they made when in Opposition. Give us, Grand Bahamians, the details of the actual agreement that they signed.”
The Grand Lucayan has long been viewed as a key to Grand Bahama’s economic revival. But years of failed sales and drawnout negotiations have left many residents and business owners sceptical.
At the May 15 signing, Mr Davis described the $827 million redevelopment as a transformative project for
Grand Bahama’s economy. The plan, he said, is expected to generate over 1,300 construction jobs and create about 1,750 permanent positions for Bahamians.
Concord Wilshire, which has developed and acquired $10 billion in assets, unveiled a wide-ranging vision for the site. Nate Siragan, the company’s
president, said the redevelopment would include seven resort components: a 35-acre cruise destination open to all cruise lines, a 25,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor casino, a 350-room branded hotel and convention centre, a 120-unit timeshare complex, the transformation of the Reef Golf Course into a 160-acre Greg Norman signature course, and a
16-slip mega-yacht marina.
No information was provided about the development of a new Grand Bahama International Airport — another longanticipated project.
Still, Mr Cooper said he is willing to give the government some space on that front.
“We’ve been promised details on the airport several times. So, while
everyone wants a new airport, I can appreciate and understand the wait on it, but also the demand for it,” he said.
“We understand they are working on something, and they are working through something. I would give them a little more leniency. But I believe we will get it in days to come because we are again in the political season.”
US cocaine trafficking scheme court case involving three Bahamian men postponed
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
A US judge has postponed upcoming pretrial conferences in the criminal case involving three Bahamian men accused of playing key roles in a transnational cocaine trafficking operation, pushing the proceedings to August.
US District Judge Gregory Woods granted the request filed by former
Royal Bahamas Defence Force Chief Petty Officer Darrin Roker’s attorney, Martin L Roth, with support from co-defendants Elvis Nathaniel Curtis, William Simeon, Luis Fernando Orozco-Toro, and Urlique Jean Baptiste.
The men were previously granted a delay and were scheduled to appear in court today and again on June 9 for status conferences. However, those dates have now been
moved to August 12, 2025 at 11 am.
In his ruling yesterday, Judge Woods wrote: “The Court finds that the ends of justice served by granting a continuance outweigh the best interests of the public and the defendant in a speedy trial because it will permit the parties to continue to discuss a pretrial resolution of this matter.”
Curtis, Roker, and Simeon are among several Bahamians named in
a sweeping federal indictment alleging they used their official positions to help move drugs into the United States. The men were arrested in the US last year. The charges stem from a major federal investigation claiming traffickers smuggled tons of cocaine through The Bahamas into the US since 2021, with help from corrupt Bahamian officials, including senior police officers.
THE GRAND Lucayan Resort in Grand Bahama.
FORMER Chief Superintendent Elvis Curtis.
First-ever organ transplant expected to happen before end of this year
2026/2027 and $4.5m the following year.
Health and Wellness
Minister Dr Michael Darville previously said the Bahamas National Organ Transplant Programme would launch in 2024. He told Parliament during the June 2023 budget debate that the first procedures would involve live kidney donations to improve the lives of patients undergoing haemodialysis.
More than 600 people currently rely on the country’s public dialysis services, a costly endeavour the government hopes to ease through this initiative.
The Bahamas currently partners with the University of Miami for organ harvesting. However, the new programme will enable the country to carry out its own transplants, marking a major step forward in local healthcare capabilities.
Dr Darville also said in February that participants in the transplant
programme would be required to undergo psychological evaluation and counselling. Some nurses have already been trained for the procedures, and draft legislation has been completed.
“When you transplant organs, you need to make sure that everything is above board,” he said. “There’s no selling of organs. You need to make sure that we have watchful eyes; people are not being coerced to give organs.”
He continued: “Let’s say you had kidney failure, and your mother needs an organ; sometimes, the pressure in the house almost makes it seem as if you have to do it. When you start psychological consultation, some of the people who are donating say they feel pressured.”
Due to space limitations, the initial procedures will take place at a temporary site near Princess Margaret Hospital. However, the programme is eventually expected to move to a new hospital facility in New Providence.
$2.4m contract signed to bring potable water to multiple Family Islands
By KEILE CAMPBELL
Staff Reporter
CARIBBEAN Pave-
ment Solutions and Rowdy Boys Construction officially signed a $2.4m contract yesterday to install potable water infrastructure in the area.
The project, part of a broader public-private partnership (PPP) initiative with the government, will bring piped water to several underserved settlements, including John Millars and Bannerman Town.
Government officials say this development is part of a coordinated effort to expand water infrastructure across multiple islands, including Cat Island, Exuma, Andros, and Long Island.
“This is a win for South Eleuthera and a reflection of our belief that every island matters,” said Minister of State Leon Lundy in his keynote address. He emphasised that the contract underscores the government’s continued focus on equitable infrastructure development throughout the Family Islands. He also noted that the initiative aligns with the 2025–2026 national budget theme, “Expanding Opportunities Island by Island.” Caribbean Pavement Solutions (CPS), a subsidiary of the Bahamas
Striping Group of Companies, will lead the project. CPS has experience managing similar infrastructure works through its PPP model.
General Manager and engineer Melanie Roach outlined the project’s scope: approximately 39,520 feet of six-inch water mains, 5,400 feet of four-inch mains, and 74 service connections.
“The first portion of this work to be undertaken is Lot Number 13 in the Southern District,” she said. “It begins with the installation of water mains and laterals in the Queen’s Highway from Wemyss Bight proceeding south to Bannerman Town, and includes the John Millars settlement.”
Ms Roach said the project is expected to take four months to complete. Some materials have already arrived on the island, with the remainder set to follow after the contractor’s mobilisation payment is processed.
Rowdy Boys Construction will execute the work. Representing the firm at the signing was newly appointed CFO Jalen Knowles, who stood alongside company president Bernard Knowles and his uncle Benjamin Knowles.
“This is not just another contract,” Jalen Knowles said. “Generations of Bahamians in this area will
now have something as basic and vital as a reliable water supply.”
He added that the company has completed similar projects for the Water and Sewerage Corporation, including work in Barreterre, Exuma.
Atario Mitchell, president of the Bahamas Striping Group of Companies, explained how the PPP model benefits the government and local contractors.
“We design the scope of works, we seek and secure the funding, we execute the work and agree with the government on a repayment schedule over a multi-year period,” he said. “Not one penny of taxpayer money has been spent this year.”
He stressed CPS’s commitment to including local subcontractors. Firms like Quick Fix, New View, and EGL Construction are already engaged under similar agreements.
“This is what true empowerment looks like,” he said. “Rowdy RuffBoys is now joining our team and working with us to deliver this project ahead of schedule.”
Residents have been advised to exercise caution in areas with active construction zones. Roach assured that safety measures will be in place to minimise disruptions and protect the public throughout the project.
MINISTER OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS DR MICHAEL DARVILLE
CARIBBEAN Pavement Solutions and Rowdy Boys Construction sign a $2.4m contract as part of a govt public-private partnership to bring potable water to communities in Cat Island, Exuma, Andros and Long Island.
Photo: Nikia Charlton
The Tribune Limited
NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI
“Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”
Publisher/Editor 1903-1914
PICTURE OF THE DAY
LEON E. H. DUPUCH
SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH, Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .
Publisher/Editor 1919-1972
Contributing Editor 1972-1991
RT HON EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON, C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B.
Publisher/Editor 1972-
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Concerning TACOs, tariffs and visas
THERE is a new saying on Wall Street.
“TACO” trade is a new acronym that has been doing the rounds, after being coined by Robert Armstrong on The Financial Times. It is a term that can be used all week, and not just on Tuesdays, and it has nothing to do with tasty Mexican food.
What is it all about? Well, there has been a rollercoaster period in the markets under President Donald Trump, often linked to the tariffs he has used as a chief weapon in international diplomacy.
When Trump has imposed tariffs, the markets have tumbled. When he has put tariffs on hold or reduced them, the market has rallied.
So what about this TACO? Well, it stands for “Trump Always Chickens Out”. The idea is for investors not to worry too much – because Trump will back down. Ride it out. Don’t panic. Trump, of course, is none too impressed by this new term. When a reporter asked him about it this week, he said the question was “nasty”, saying: “You call that chickening out? It’s called negotiation.”
However, he did go on to say that he sets a “ridiculous high number and I go down a little bit, you know, a little bit” until he reaches a more reasonable figure.
That somewhat confirms some of the essence of the idea of TACO. What you see at first may well not be what you end up with.
So where does that leave us here in The Bahamas?
Well, we too have been hit by those
tariffs – but with the whole world on Trump’s doorstep wanting to change the tariff rates he has imposed, we may be a while waiting for that negotiation.
But we are also being caught up in the freeze on student visa interviews –again, with the whole rest of the world. Does TACO apply to more than trade? Will it also free up so that students can be more confident over their futures?
What about the prospect of increased vetting of social media – how cautious must people be about what they may have said? Bahamians can get pretty feisty – just look back on some of the tweets, back when Twitter was Twitter, when Shaunae Miller-Uibo dived across the line to secure gold over an American rival at Rio 2016. What exactly is the margin that will cause a raised eyebrow and a declined visa? Or will TACO save the day?
How about what is going on with Harvard? International students are being blocked there entirely. Will there be a standstill on that, or will Bahamians be able to dream of going to Harvard still – and not just dream for some but actually going in reality?
Whatever happens next, it is fair to say Trump will not be a fan of anyone using the phrase TACO.
“Don’t ever say what you said,” Trump told the reporter who asked about the phrase. “To me, that’s the nastiest question.”
The phrase may well backfire, of course – getting that kind of reputation could just lead to the president doubling down. Whatever happens next, we hope it is guided by common sense.
Minnis stubborn, not stupid
EDITOR, The Tribune.
WITH reference to Dr Minnis and his situation with the FNM, I do not for a moment think that his wanting to run for Killarney has anything to do with him wanting to be leader of the FNM. Dr Minnis may be stubborn, but I do not think he is stupid I am sure he knows the rule. There is no law or rule to say he cannot be a candidate in the next
election. You can withhold the nomination , but you cannot prevent him from being a competitor. That is a fallacy. If the FINM’s current leader feels that he wants to get even with Dr Minnis for some squabble he lost, let him go for it, win, lose or draw.
Mr Pintard , two wrongs do not make one right. That i a lesson that you and all the current wannabe politicians need to learn in this country. P---Primitive I----Insecure N----Nonsensical T----Trivial A----Amateur R----Ruthless D----Destructive.
Mr Pintard, your selfish, irrational and immature style and actions have destroyed the FNM.
H T SANDS Nassau, May 25, 2025.
Fawkes, PLP and Labour Day
EDITOR, The Tribune.
IN 2013, the Progressive Liberal Party government of then Prime Minister Perry G Christie renamed Labour Day Sir Randol Fawkes Day, in honor of one of this nation’s greatest iconic figures. I believe that it was a debt that the nation owed Mr Fawkes, who was unappreciated by many in his final years on earth. Sir Randol passed away in 2000. I believe Fawkes went to his grave having never reconciled with the party he helped to attain control of the government from the Bay Street regime in 1967. The ongoing back-andforth between executives of the Trade Union Congress and the Progressive Liberal Party government over the planned re-election launch by the PLP on Randol Fawkes Labour Day symbolises the well documented friction between Sir Lynden Pindling and the father of labour.
The ongoing spat might be perceived as a political standoff between the PLP and union executives who are viewed as supporting either the Free National Movement or another political party. Prominent unionist Freddie Munnings Jr has been criticised by a PLP leaning media platform for subtly opposing the Davis administration.
The aforementioned standoff between Sir Randol and Sir Lynden is a matter Bahamian historian have ignored for some apparent reason. While Fawkes merged politics with labor in the fifties and sixties at the height of his political career, I believe he, had he been alive today, would’ve thrown his support behind Mr Obie Ferguson and the TUC. Historically, the PLP has been labor friendly. The 2021 memorandum of understanding signed by the party and union leaders is similar to a MOU signed by Pindling and union leaders ahead of the 1977 general election. I believe Fawkes’ agreement with TUC would stem from his decades-old feud with the PLP.
Truth be told, despite the iconic photo of him in Sir Lynden’s first Cabinet after the historic January 10, 1967 general election, Fawkes’ affiliation with the PLP can be described as sporadic at best. This became evident after Fawkes was jettisoned by Pindling immediately following the 1968 general
election called after the untimely death of PLP MP Uriah McPhee. Fawkes was not appointed to the Pindling Cabinet, despite forming a makeshift coalition with the PLP to achieve Majority Rule the preceding year. When Fawkes first entered the House of Assembly in 1956 as a member of the Magnificent Six, he was a PLP standard bearer. Yet soon after this, Fawkes would sever ties with the PLP after Sir Henry Taylor and Cyril Stevenson opted to select Sir Lynden as Parliamentary leader of the PLP in 1956 or thereabouts. This was necessary after Sir Henry failed to win his Long Island seat he had held since 1949. Fawkes was devastated. According to Sir Henry in his My Political Memoirs, the PLP leadership thought that the labor leader was too erratic. They also feared that Fawkes would have subsumed their party into his Bahamas Federation of Labour organisation. For Fawkes, it was undoubtedly poetic justice when both Taylor and Stevenson were elbowed out of the PLP by the National Committee for Positive Action, a PLP think tank composed of a group of young progressive Black Bahamians who wanted nothing remotely resembling the United Bahamian Party in the PLP. Taylor and Stevenson were victims of their light complexion. If my memory serves me correctly, Fawkes would briefly flirt with the PLP again in the early 1960s. And one final time in January 1967, after being courted by both Pindling and Bay Street. His break with the PLP after 1968 would be final. His move for a vote of no confidence in Pindling in the House of Assembly in either 1969 or 1970 underscored the strained relationship between him and the man he perceived as having usurped his role as PLP leader -- and Prime Minister. Fawkes ran under the banner of labor in 1962, 1967, 1968 and 1972.
I believe Pindling might have been relieved after the PLP’s Sinclair Outten defeated Fawkes in 1972
in the St Barnabas constituency in Southern New Providence. The father of labour had represented this area for 16 years. The 1972 general election was the first time the PLP directly challenged Fawkes, who was widely considered to be a formidable political heavyweight. The Fawkes camp would cry foul during the 1968 political campaign season, alleging that his opponent was tacitly backed by Pindling. The move to oust Pindling in 1970 would bring the fight between the two leaders out into the open. Pindling won. And while Pindling would go on to lead The Bahamas for a quarter of a century, ushering in independence and other significant milestones, Fawkes would decline significantly, coming out of semi-retirement in the 1980s in the wake of the 1984 commission of inquiry to publicly scold his political rival. To Fawkes, Pindling was all he should have been. Should the PLP use Randol Fawkes Labor Day to launch its 2026 election campaign? To this writer, it really doesn’t matter. I suspect that thousands of revelers and marchers will attend the parade donned in their yellow paraphernalia. This might be the PLP’s attempt to gauge its support ahead of the election. Labor Day should be a political holiday when Bahamians of all political persuasions join hand in hand to celebrate labor. Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis is the only sitting MP who has sat in the House of Assembly with Pindling. His move to blur the lines between politics and labor is a tactical strategy that both Fawkes and Pindling used. There will be huge posters bearing images of Sir Randol, giving uninformed young Bahamians the impression that the father of labor was a staunched member of the PLP. However, little do they know that it was Sir Lynden who had effectively neutralized Fawkes, ending his career in front line politics in 1972. And there’s nothing to suggest, as far as I’m aware, that the party and Fawkes had reconciled from that ominous date to the time of his death in 2000.
KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Grand Bahama May 27, 2025.
SOME masked butterfly fish swim near a sunken ship.
Photo: Frantisek Hojdysz
Rebuild of Victoria Court hoped to start by year’s end
They are also in the process of hiring a team to clear the rubble from the damaged roof.
“Every board member has been working extremely hard, as well as some of the long time residents who wish to move back into their homes as soon as possible,” she said.
Mrs-Cox Hamilton said at least 90 percent of the 20 families who live and own units at the complex hope to return.
She noted that the building’s key advantages are its location and safety, making it especially desirable for residents.
“They are looking to get back there,” she added.
“They are very attached, most of them. Some persons have been living at Victoria for over 20 years.”
Police have not yet confirmed the cause of the May 1 fire, but an official told
The Tribune yesterday that a report will be released soon. Mrs Cox-Hamilton was unable to provide an estimate of the damages but said officials hope to launch a fundraiser soon.
She also disputed claims that Victoria Court is owned by a wealthy person.
She said the 29-unit structure, a 1950s-era building considered part of Bay Street’s architectural heritage, is owned by multiple people who are not necessarily wealthy.
She said the board has offered counselling services through the Ministry of Health and other agencies for those in need of mental support and added that some residents have benefited from rental assistance provided by the Ministry of Social Services.
She said the board also frequently gives updates on the status of rebuilding efforts.
Davis announces BTVI expansion aimed to equip Bahamians with modern skills
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter
dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis announced a significant expansion of the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI), part of a broader education and workforce development strategy aimed at equipping Bahamians with skills aligned with global demand.
Speaking in the House of Assembly during his
Budget Communication on Wednesday, Mr Davis said the initiatives are intended to give more Bahamians access to training in valuable trades and skills that can lead to gainful employment or business ownership.
The government also plans to launch the Bahamas Polytechnic Accreditation and Training Hub in the upcoming academic year. The programme is intended to create additional technical and vocational pathways
to graduation and to open access to higher-paying career opportunities.
Mr. Davis further announced $2.6m in new funding for the National Maritime Academy, which he said will support the development of careers in the “blue economy”.
Among the most ambitious initiatives unveiled is the launch of the Upskill programme, a nationwide effort to provide Bahamians with access to both paid certification courses and
in-person training in highdemand fields.
The programme will offer training in areas such as financial literacy, data science, business planning, marketing, design, and artificial intelligence.
“The scale and pace of change is extraordinary,”
Mr. Davis said. “Artificial Intelligence and digital technologies are reshaping industries, creating new opportunities, and yes, sometimes replacing old ways of working. The jobs
of tomorrow will not be the same as those of yesterday. But this is not a reason for fear—it is a call to action.”
Mr. Davis described Upskill as a programme designed to be accessible to a wide range of Bahamians — including young professionals, parents returning to the workforce, individuals seeking new career paths, and experienced workers looking to enhance their skills.
“The skills we have today may not be enough for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow. To thrive, we must embrace a culture of continuous learning and adaptability. It’s a challenge, I know Bahamians are up for,” he said. He added that the programme aims to bridge the gap between the islands of The Bahamas and the global economy, enabling Bahamians to pursue remote work, launch digital businesses, and access opportunities beyond national borders.
Man acquitted of accusation of sex assault of 20-year-old woman Two
with manslaughter after allegedly causing accident that killed dad
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A COUPLE granted bail yesterday after being accused of manslaughter in connection with a fatal traffic accident on Carmichael Road that killed a father and injured his son in April.
Kiara Murphy, 21, and Delmaro Johnson, 21, appeared before Senior Magistrate Kendra KellyBurrows charged with manslaughter and grievous harm.
Prosecutors allege that the pair were involved in
By PAVEL BAILEY
Tribune
Staff Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A 31-YEAR-OLD man was granted bail yesterday after being accused of molesting his eight-year-old female cousin on two separate occasions during school pickups this year.
The defendant, whose name is being withheld to protect the identity of the child, was arraigned before Senior Magistrate Shaka Serville on two counts of indecent assault.
an argument while driving along Carmichael Road on April 21. During the dispute, the passenger allegedly grabbed the steering wheel, causing the vehicle to swerve and crash into another car travelling in the opposite direction.
The occupants of that car, 46-year-old Timothy Stubbs and his son, Tavonne Smith, were taken to Princess Margaret Hospital with serious injuries. Timothy Stubbs later died in hospital on April 23.
The accused were not required to enter a plea at this stage and were
He allegedly groped the girl’s bottom during a car ride from school sometime between March 1 and 31 in New Providence. He is further accused of touching her private parts during another car ride on April 29. The defendant pleaded not guilty to both charges. Prosecutor Inspector Cordero Farrington opposed bail, citing the seriousness of the allegations and the defendant’s prior conviction for deceit of a public officer. However, he submitted that if bail were granted,
informed that the case would proceed to the Supreme Court via a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).
Bail was set at $15,000 each, with one or two sureties. As part of their bail conditions, Murphy must report to the Elizabeth Estates Police Station, and Johnson must report to the Western Police Station, both every Monday and Friday by 7 p.m.
The defendants are scheduled to return to court on July 17 for potential service of their VBIs.
Sergeant Vernon Pyfrom served as the prosecutor.
it should be under strict conditions.
While the defendant admitted that the complainant was a relative, he assured the court that he would not interfere with her or any witnesses.
Bail was set at $5,000 with one or two sureties.
As part of his bail conditions, the defendant must report to the Carmichael Road Police Station every Tuesday and Saturday by 7pm. His trial is scheduled to begin on August 28.
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A 37-YEAR-OLD man was acquitted yesterday of allegedly sexually assaulting a 20-year-old woman at a motel in 2023.
Micheal Sterling was found not guilty by a unanimous verdict from a nine-member jury on a single charge of rape.
The verdict came at the conclusion of Mr Sterling’s trial before Justice Franklyn Williams, following two weeks of testimony.
Mr Sterling was accused of engaging in non-consensual sexual intercourse with the woman at a motel in northwestern New Providence on September 11, 2023.
The complainant testified that Mr Sterling allegedly raped her in the motel room, claiming that despite her objections, he removed her clothing, pinned her down, and touched her inappropriately.
Mr Sterling consistently denied the allegations
throughout the trial. Defence attorney K Melvin Munroe, in his closing arguments, questioned the credibility of the complainant and pointed to security footage from the motel’s parking lot, which he claimed contradicted her account of the events before and after they entered the room.
Following the verdict, Mr Munroe said his client felt satisfied and vindicated by the outcome.
Janet Munnings served as the prosecutor in the case.
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN was sentenced to two years in prison yesterday after admitting to endangering the lives of four people with a shotgun at a bar on Ragged Island last week.
Craig Maycock Jr was arraigned before Magistrate Lennox Coleby on four counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, attempted
murder, and damage.
Prosecutors said Maycock threatened the lives of Jayden Lockhart, Diondre Russell, Charrad Knowles, and Laron Lockhart with a shotgun at Ponderosa Bar on May 24. He was also accused of attempting to kill Laron Lockhart during the same incident.
Maycock caused $2,255.43 in damage to property belonging to Laron Lockhart, including an iMac computer, a door,
and a lock set. The defendant pleaded guilty to the firearm and damage charges. The attempted murder charge was withdrawn.
Magistrate Coleby sentenced him to two years in prison and ordered him to fully reimburse Lockhart for the damaged property. Failure to do so could result in an additional one-year prison term.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Lincoln McKenzie served as the prosecutor.
VICTORIA Court after top floors damaged by inferno.
Photo: Chappell Whyms
The power of place: Why Eleuthera is perfect laboratory for change
SOMETHING remarkable is happening in Eleuthera.
You can feel it in the air, in the rhythm of construction, the energy of new businesses, and the confidence of people who no longer see opportunity as something they have to leave the island to find.
Eleuthera is truly in a renaissance, and it is showing us what is possible when vision meets commitment and when community meets investment.
But this moment is not just about Eleuthera. It is about the future of The Bahamas. What is happening here proves something we can no longer afford to ignore: investing in the Family Islands is essential to our national development.
THE FAMILY I SLANDS
For too long, the Family Islands have been viewed as the “outer edges” of our economy—beautiful, historic, and culturally rich, but too often treated as secondary in national planning and investment.
That narrative is changing. The Family Islands, with Eleuthera at the forefront, are emerging as vibrant centres of growth, innovation, and resilience. In 2023, Eleuthera experienced a 38 percent increase in stopover visitors. Across all Family Islands, tourism surged by more than 40 percent. New developments are reshaping communities and bringing global attention along with economic momentum.
In Central and South Eleuthera, for example: Governor’s Harbour is expanding the island’s access to high-end tourism and marine commerce.
opment and Cotton Bay’s
By Tim Hauber
Ritz-Carlton Reserve are creating world-class destinations that reflect rising confidence in the island’s future.
This growth is not a fluke. It is a signal. The Family Islands are ready, and they are key to unlocking The Bahamas’ next chapter.
WHY INVEST ING IN THE FAMILY I SLANDS MATTERS FOR THE COUNTRY
Family Island development is not just about equity. It is about strategy. When we invest in the Family Islands: Nassau, where overpopulation has strained housing, healthcare, transportation, and infrastructure.
economy by tapping into underutilised sectors such as regenerative agriculture, heritage tourism, aquaponics, renewable energy, and
small-scale manufacturing. resilience by decentralizing emergency response systems, food security networks, and education and training opportunities.
to stay, build, and lead in their communities rather than leaving in search of opportunity.
In short, a stronger Bahamas requires stronger Family Islands. Nassau cannot and should not carry the full weight of our nation’s future alone.
WHAT ELEUTHERA TEACHES US
Eleuthera offers a clear and hopeful lesson: when investment is matched with local leadership and longterm vision, communities can thrive.
At the heart of this local capacity-building has been the work of organisations like One Eleuthera
Foundation (OEF) and the Centre for Training and Innovation (CTI). Together, we have trained nearly 1,000 Bahamians in various fields, including hospitality, construction, agriculture, and entrepreneurship.
We are seeing the impact in real time. Individuals are launching businesses, earning a second source of income, and moving toward long-term financial independence. For many, this training has been more than a skill; it has opened the door to upward mobility and restored a sense of purpose and pride.
However, with momentum comes responsibility. To sustain this growth, Eleuthera needs: human resource pool to meet the demand in trades, hospitality, education, and healthcare.
and transportation to support workers and returning talent.
in education, enterprise, and infrastructure to match the pace of development.
This is not just about preparing for growth. It is about ensuring that growth benefits everyone.
THE CALL TO action: Let’s GROW TOGE THER
Eleuthera is not waiting. Across the island, people are building with their hands, their ideas, and their belief in something better. Now is the time to align national planning with what is already happening on the ground and to invest in the infrastructure, services, and systems that can sustain and scale what is working.
We must recognise that our Family Islands are not a sideshow, but a future stage. Investing in people and building strong, resilient, and self-reliant communities has been at the forefront of OEF’s place-based approach and mission since we launched, thirteen years ago. Our development model and programs have been undergirding and preparing communities on Eleuthera for emerging opportunities while bridging some of the gaps between private and public sector provisioning.
Our work as a nonprofit, community development organisation aligns perfectly with the vision of increased family island development, economic growth, and community advancement that
has been and remains at our doorstep. We can be intentional, growing, and scaling at a manageable pace, setting our sights on unlocking the diverse opportunities our Family Islands have to offer.
The future of The Bahamas is not somewhere far off. It is already rising from the ground up, in places like Eleuthera. We need to back it, build it, and believe in it.
Keyron Smith is the president and chief executive officer at the One Eleuthera Foundation and Centre for Training and Innovation. Established in 2012, the One Eleuthera Foundation (OEF) is a nonprofit organisation located in Rock Sound, Eleuthera. For more information, visit www.oneeleuthera.org or email info@oneeleuthera. org. The Centre for Training and Innovation (CTI) is the first and only postsecondary, non-profit education and training institution and social enterprise on Eleuthera. CTI operates a student training campus in Rock Sound, Eleuthera, with a 16-room training hotel, restaurant and farm. For more information about CTI’s programmes email: info@oneeleuthera.org
KEYRON Smith - president and CEO of One Eleuthera Foundation
of One Eleuthera Foundation
When a little love goes a long way
Improvements noted, but the real answer lies in local government for Nassau
KUDOS to whoever decided this wall on the northwest corner of Bay and East Streets needed a little love and to the artist who gave it all the colour and pizazz that transformed it from eyesore to a warm welcome to The Bahamas. It’s a happy space in a place that needs tons of tender, loving care. Yet the only way it will ever receive the respect it deserves is full and proper management. And that means Local Government with a capital L and a capital G and nothing else short of that.
Budget after budget goes by and the opportunity to create true Local Government for Historic Nassau falls through the cracks. We’ve talked about it for more than 30 years. We’ve watched
By Diane Phillips
as the city turned from luxury shopping and stunning window displays to a cacophony of glaring signs pushing cheap t-shirts and souvenirs. We cannot re-create the past, nor should we try. But we can bring new experiences to downtown. Some are doing it and with great success. West Hill Street with the Graycliff chocolate factory, the museum, other cottages, John Watling’s Distillery at Buena Vista Estate that dates back to 1789 and
keeps re-inventing itself, the tea shop next door on Delancy Street, all near downtown but not on Bay Street. If you have not walked Bay Street and the side streets recently, you are probably among the many Bahamians who avoid downtown, once the pride of New Providence, any time you can. Parking is impossible. Spaces on the street are filled by the time shops open. They’re free so folks who work downtown scamper early
Did Trump do The Bahamas a disservice or a favour?
DONALD Trump never fails to surprise, but for many Bahamian students about to graduate in the next few weeks, this week’s bombshell hit like a torpedo aimed at the heart – no more student visas for foreign students.
You have to ask why.
First, let’s assume that it has nothing to do with anything any Bahamian student has ever done to the US president. That’s a fair assumption.
Secondly, let’s assume that it’s nothing The Bahamas has done that upsets him so much that he turns his back on the country
where he stops in for a visit now and then and brings his son who he leaves here for a bit of time after he goes, or so we understand. So let’s assume that he is actually a friend of The Bahamas. Therefore, why would he suspend visas? Unless, of course, it is part of a larger revision of the entire visa process that is actually aimed at making it tougher for others, not necessarily The Bahamas. Think back (not very far back) to the tariffs. Everyone was hit. Hard. And then the retractions started. Walking it back.
Let’s hope for our stu dents’ sakes the same holds true for student visas. A walk back with countries that are friends being relieved and others not so much so. We can probably figure out which countries might be caught in the claws of an overall policy change.
On the other hand, if that does not happen, we might be reducing the brain drain. So disservice or favour? For our students with their plans made and hearts set on studies abroad in the US, let’s hope this is a tem porary setback and not a determining factor.
to grab a spot and those who would shop or patronise a restaurant or use banking facilities find other places to do any and all of those. This is not any governmental agency’s fault and it is certainly not a criticism of those who are burdened with the care as it stands.
We’ve noticed small signs of improvement downtown. We understand that Bay Street is waking up to a pressurewashing every morning. That’s huge. Let’s face it. It’s hard enough to clean up after a dinner party for eight. Imagine keeping a city pristine when you are host to 30,000 to 40,000 guests a day. That’s a full-time job for a city administration office but is now falling primarily to
and Works which are already overburdened.
Tasks get done, plants get planted, but the trees that make the street are dying and the architecture that says ‘This is Historic Nassau’ is disappearing before our eyes and the clarion call for Local Government in the capital continues to fall on ears that are not deaf. They just don’t want to hear it, even though they know it is the right thing to do.
Meantime, we thank Tourism and Works for filling in where a mayoral office or other administrative and marketing arm should be operating. But they cannot be expected to develop signage ordinances, ensure that places like the Pompey Museum are open and the front
‘Budget after budget goes by and the opportunity to create true Local Government for Historic Nassau falls through the cracks.’
rotten wood replaced. They cannot be expected to stop the harassment of visitors by those who stand outside doorways. It is not their task to work with vendors to organize jazz in the street nights or seafood festivals or African drumming circlesw. This government has shown courage in many ways. They just need to hear the plea of those who have spoken on behalf of Local Government for the City of Nassau with independent taxing and spending powers and authority to make one of the most visited places in the Western Hemisphere one of the most enjoyable and memorable experiences on anyone’s itinerary and a space where locals feel the excitement and pride their
IN a sudden move this week the Trump administration suspended student visa approvals for all countries.
Israel accepts a US proposal for temporary Gaza ceasefire but Hamas gives cool response
WASHINGTON Associated Press
ISRAEL has accepted a new U.S. proposal for a temporary ceasefire with Hamas, the White House said Thursday.
U.S. President Donald
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, expressed optimism earlier this week about brokering an agreement to halt the Israel-Hamas war and return more of the hostages captured in the attack that ignited it.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Israel “backed and supported” the new proposal.
Hamas officials gave the Israeli-approved draft a cool response, but said they wanted to study the proposal more closely before giving a formal answer.
“The Zionist response, in essence, means perpetuating the occupation and continuing the killing and famine,”
Bassem Naim, a top Hamas official, told The Associated Press. He said it “does not respond to any of our people’s demands, foremost among which is stopping the war and famine.”
Nonetheless, he said the group would study the proposal “with all national responsibility.”
Hamas had previously said it had agreed with Witkoff on a “general framework” of an agreement that would lead to a lasting ceasefire, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, an influx of aid, and a transfer of power from the militant group to a politically independent committee of Palestinians.
Here’s what’s known about the emerging negotiations that aim to bring about an extended truce in the war in exchange for hostages that remain in captivity: What do Israel and Hamas want?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to end the war until all the hostages are released and Hamas is either destroyed or disarmed and sent into exile. He has said Israel will control Gaza indefinitely and facilitate what he refers to as the voluntary emigration of much of its population.
Palestinians and most of the international community have rejected plans to resettle Gaza’s population, a move experts say would likely violate international law.
Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages - its only bargaining chip - in return for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal. It has offered to give up power to a committee of politically independent Palestinians that could oversee reconstruction.
Hamas is still holding 58 hostages. Around a third are believed to be alive, though many fear they are in grave danger the longer the war goes on. Thousands of Palestinians have been killed since Israel renewed its airstrikes and ground operations after ending a ceasefire in March.
The dispute over whether there should be a temporary ceasefire to release more hostages - as Israel has
called for - or a permanent one - as Hamas wants - has bedeviled talks brokered by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar for more than a year and a half, and there’s no indication it has been resolved. What is the latest ceasefre proposal?
Witkoff has not publicized his latest proposal, but a Hamas official and an Egyptian official independently confirmed some of the details. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks.
They say it calls for a 60-day pause in fighting, guarantees of serious negotiations leading to a long-term truce and assurances that Israel will not resume hostilities after the release of hostages, as it did in March. Israeli forces would pull back to the positions they held during the ceasefire Israel ended that month.
Hamas would release 10 living hostages and a number of bodies during the 60-day pause in exchange for more than 1,100 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, including 100 serving long sentences after being convicted of deadly attacks.
Each day, hundreds of trucks carrying food and humanitarian aid would be allowed to enter Gaza, where experts say a nearly three-month Israeli blockade - slightly eased in recent days - has pushed the population to the brink of famine. Why is it so hard to end the war?
Hamas-led militants stormed southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly
civilians, and abducting 251 hostages. More than half the hostages have been released in ceasefires or other deals.
Israel has rescued eight and recovered dozens of bodies.
Israel’s ensuing military campaign has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants.
The offensive has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90% of its population of roughly 2 million Palestinians, with hundreds of thousands living in squalid tent camps and unused schools.
Hamas has been vastly
depleted militarily and lost nearly all of its top leaders in Gaza. It most likely fears that releasing all the hostages without securing a permanent ceasefire would allow Israel to launch an even more devastating campaign to ultimately destroy the group. Israel fears that a lasting ceasefire and withdrawal now would leave Hamas with significant influence in Gaza, even if it surrenders formal power. With time, Hamas might be able to rebuild its military might and eventually launch more Oct. 7-style attacks. Netanyahu also faces political constraints: His far-right coalition partners have threatened to bring down his government if
he ends the war too soon. That would leave him more vulnerable to prosecution on longstanding corruption charges and to investigations into the failures surrounding the Oct. 7 attack.
A broader resolution to the decades-old IsraeliPalestinian conflict appears more distant than ever.
The Palestinians are weak and divided, and Israel’s current government - the most nationalist and religious in its history - is opposed to Palestinian demands for a state in Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem, territories Israel occupied in the 1967 Mideast war. The last serious peace talks broke down more than 15 years ago.
CATS WITH HOOKED TAILS FILL NAGASAKI, JAPA N, WHERE THEY ARE THOUGHT TO BRING GOOD LUCK
NAGASAKI Associated Press
IN JAPAN, bobtail cats are considered good luck and Nagasaki is the place to find them. They are known as “omagari neko (bent-tail cats)” or “kagi neko (hook cats)” and have their own society of admirers and even a dedicated Shinto shrine.
Their tails come in varieties including
hook-shaped at the tip, curved or in a bun, explained Kazuya Hideshima, a worker at Omagari Neko Shrine and member of the Nagasaki Cat Society.
Past findings have indicated bobtails accounted for nearly 80% of the cats in Nagasaki, twice the occurrence of anywhere else in Japan.
Japanese cats are believed to have come from China in the 6th century with Buddhist monks, serving as rat hunters to protect religious scriptures on ships.
Nagasaki bobtails have their roots in the Dutch East Indies when the city was the only foreign port during Japan’s closed era in the 17th to 19th centuries. They hunted rats to protect shipments on their way from Southeast Asia to Japan, according to Nagasaki cultural officials.
Soshin Yamamoto, a veterinarian and cat specialist, said the large population of bobtails in Nagasaki is likely the result of a genetic
mutation that reproduced in a relatively isolated environment when the nation was shut up tight.
“Having bobtails is no problem for most cats living a normal life, as long as they live near humans and aren’t jumping and running around like wild cats in a forest,” he said. Nagasaki residents hope the cats bring in tourists and help business.
Natsuno Kani, a 50-year-old tourist from Tokyo who recently visited the bobtail shrine, said she knew Nagasaki was famous for bent-tail cats.
But Abigail Tarraso, an artist from Spain based in Takeo City in neighbouring Saga prefecture, was unfamiliar with the species, which is not as popular in Spain.
“Today is the first time in Nagasaki that I have ever heard of this,” said Cindy Bi, an American who is also an artist. “I am excited to look around for them. Maybe we will see a few.”
SMOKE rises following an Israeli bombardment in southern Gaza, as seen from a humanitarian aid distribution centre operated by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, approved by Israel, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip yesterday.
Photo: Abdel Kareem Hana/AP
A STRAY bobtail cat rests at a park in Nagasaki, southern Japan, on April 26, 2025. Photo: Eugene Hoshiko/AP
ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY
The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Pi Upsilon Omega Chapter celebrated its 38th charter anniversary, marking nearly four decades of unwavering commitment to service, scholarship, and sisterhood within the Grand Bahama community.
The chapter was officially chartered on May 23, 1987, in Freeport, Grand Bahama, by 18 distinguished women who sought to extend Alpha Kappa Alpha’s legacy of excellence to the island.
To commemorate this significant milestone, the chapter introduced several meaningful initiatives, including a Mental Health Awareness Survey designed to help break the stigma surrounding mental health and increase community awareness. The information collected will inform the development of future wellness programs tailored to the needs of the Grand Bahama community. In a show of solidarity, chapter members also updated their profile photos with mental health awareness frames to visually promote the cause.
The chapter will also host a community breakfast giveaway, aimed at bringing joy and nourishment to families in the Grand Bahama community.
A major highlight of the celebration was the recognition of two charter members, Chris Bain and Evelyn Pinder-Dames, for 50 years of continuous service and membership in the Sorority.
Mrs Bain was initiated into the Zeta Omicron Chapter at Florida State University on May 25, 1975. She is a charter member and the first president of Pi Upsilon Omega. A lifetime member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Ms Bain has held various offices, including Treasurer and
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Recording Secretary. She was the visionary behind the Twenty Pearls – Salute to Excellence programme and chaired numerous committees, including Membership
and Connection, served as Educational Advancement Foundation (EAF) Captain, and was a chairperson of the International Regional Conference. Ms Bain holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology with a minor in Psychology, and an Associate of Arts degree from Palm Beach Junior College. She was a former US Immigration Officer, and served as an administrator at the Bain Dental Office. She has been married to Dr Larry Bain for 46 years, and they have two children.
Mrs Pinder-Dames was initiated into the Delta Theta Chapter at Elizabeth
City State University in North Carolina in 1975. An educator by profession, she is also a charter member of Pi Upsilon Omega and has served in several executive roles within the chapter. She is married to Ron Dames, and they have two children.
Both women were honored during a Golden Celebration held at the chapter’s anniversary brunch at The Stoned Crab Restaurant on Sunday, May 25. The event recognised their decades of outstanding leadership, dedicated service, and enduring love for Alpha Kappa Alpha.
The Pi Upsilon Omega Chapter continues to lead with excellence, uplifting young women through its Twenty Pearls mentorship program, awarding thousands of dollars in academic scholarships, and supporting local charitable organizations. These ongoing efforts reflect the chapter’s enduring commitment to making a positive impact on Grand Bahama.
BAHAMAS GIRL GUIDES ASSOCIATION
On May 16, the Girl Guides of 26th Nassau Company at Queen’s College hosted the Girl Scouts of Troop 31034 of Felix William Elementary School, Stuart, Florida, to an afternoon of Bahamian culture. Under the co-leadership of Christa Barquero, Carissa Berkley and Amy Dillon, the eight Girl Scouts worked with the Guides and assembled personal hygiene packs that were donated to the Nazareth Centre and the Bilney Lane Children’s Homes. In true guiding tradition, the QC guides, led by Helen Sweeting and Miss Barnett, shared popular Bahamian songs, ring play, fun activities and favourite finger foods and drinks. The Girl Scouts introduced new songs and activities. On an individual basis, the girls shared ‘swops’ - memorabila and contacts. Ms Barquero presented a donation of $500 to assist with the completion of the new headquarters to Sheena Davis, International Commissioner for the BGGA.
In thanking the Bahamian Guides, she described the exchange as “very exciting. We had the most amazing time; it was truly an amazing experience.”
The association invites interested women who would like to provide girls between the ages of 5 to 15 with exciting, amazing and adventurous experiences
through a vast sisterhood, to contact 322-4342 or email at bggassociation@ yahoo.com
WOMEN’S CORONA
As May is Cancer Awareness month, Women’s Corona visited the Cancer Caring Centre on East Terrace, Palmdale, to learn more about the support offered by the centre and to make a donation. The group was warmly welcomed by the helpful staff headed by administrator Errin P Storr. Some members also brought items to be sold in the Thrift shop on the premises.
The centre has a number of comfortable rooms to accommodate cancer patients who have come to Nassau for treatment from the Family Islands. There are plans to expand the number of rooms and other treatment facilities with the construction of an additional building on the grounds. Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the Cancer Society in the Bahamas and it is hoped the new building will be underway by then.
During her presentation, Ms Storr touched on cancers diagnosed in the Bahamas and the available treatments. She outlined the financial assistance the centre received which allowed them to offer many patients help they might otherwise not be able to afford. The Corona group was impressed by how extensive their outreach was which included funding doctors to travel to the Family Islands, allowing consultations to take place without the expense of traveling to Nassau.
Ms Storr answered many questions raised by the Corona group throughout her presentation as most, if not all, had been affected by cancer in their family. She also gave good advice on life style and healthy eating which helps with both prevention and recovery.
THE BAHAMAS Girl Guides Associatoin’s company at Queen’s College recently hosted visitors from Florida.
THE STONED Crab Restaurant was the destination for a golden celebration event for the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. MEMBERS
Women’s Corona visited the Cancer Caring Centre.
CANCER SOCIETY OF THE BAHAMAS
HELD on May 24, under the theme “The Royal Ball: Timeless Elegance,” the 23rd Annual Cancer Ball proved to be an unforgettable night of elegance and generosity, as numerous guests, all dressed in their finery, came together at Atlantis’ Grand Ballroom to raise support for those impacted by cancer in The Bahamas.
Under the patronage of Dame Cynthia “Mother” Pratt, the evening commenced with a cocktail reception and dazzling fashion show featuring breathtaking looks from some of The Bahamas’ most accomplished designers, including Cedric Bernard, Judy Delevaux, and Sabrina Francis.
During dinner, which provided a fine dining experience fit for royalty, guests displayed their best dance moves as they enjoyed the pulsating beats of live music performances. Guests also participated in a live auction for prizes, such as mesmerising paintings and modern appliances, creating a fun and engaging atmosphere that characterized the evening. As part of the Golden Ticket Experience, a lucky winner received a
trip to London, home of the world’s most famous royals.
Another highlight of the evening was the presentation of awards to the distinguished honorees: Dr Robin Roberts - winner of the Susan Andrews Award CIBC Caribbean Bank (Bahamas) Limitedwinner of the Lifetime Achievement Award. Along with the awardees, the Cancer Society honored some of The Bahamas’ most extraordinary cancer survivors.
The Cancer Society would like to express its sincere gratitude to the ball’s sponsors and attendees, as the funds raised will go toward expanding crucial programs, including:
• Educational Awareness Programmes
• Support Groups
• Freedom Kids Support Group
• Free Family Island Screening Clinics
• Cancer Caring Centre
• Expansion Project for the Cancer Caring Centre.
Stay tuned to the Cancer Society’s social media pages and newsletter for more information on next year’s ball, which will be even more grand and fabulous.
• See WEEKEND for more photographs
