WOMAN & HEALTH
MITCHELL PLANS $34M
FOREIGN AFFAIRS SPEND
$20m on new Foreign A airs HQ and $14m London o ce renovation
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor
nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
THE Ministry of Foreign Afairs has unveiled ambitious plans to spend a combined $34m on a new Nassau headquarters building and renovating the High Commission’s building in London with further investment to include two new “protocol houses”.
The ministry’s expansion goals are unveiled in its 2026-2027 annual plan, released alongside the Government’s Budget, in which it also discloses the proposed opening of a new
consulate general ofce in Nova Scotia, Canada, plus an increase in passport ofce locations from 20 to 24 within the next 12 months through additional sites in communities such as Mangrove Cay and Mayaguana.
No specifc timeline was provided for the new Ministry of Foreign Afairs building or UK renovations, although the annual plan signalled these are “medium to long-term” projects that will not start construction in the 2026-2027 fscal year. Nevertheless, the report
ABACO MAN KILLED IN AMBUSH NEAR CONTROVERSIAL BAR
GUNMEN ambushed and killed a 32-year-old
Abaco man near a Dundas
Town nightclub early yesterday, reigniting residents’ demands for the business to be shut down after months of complaints about noise, safety and its location in the middle of a residential community.
Teen faces long recovery after severe e-bike crash
By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
A second man, 20, was also injured. Police said he
Smithy Belfort was shot in the lower abdomen after entering his Honda near Bootle’s Drive and preparing to reverse, police said. He reportedly crashed into bushes near Forest Drive, where ofcers later found him.
A 14-YEAR-OLD CW Saunders student remains hospitalised four months after sufering traumatic brain injuries in a collision involving his new electric bicycle and a Jeep, as
doctors begin discussing rehabilitation options and his family prepares for the possibility of long-term home care.
Choy “CJ” Turner Jr has been at Princess Margaret Hospital since the February 22 accident, which happened shortly after he received the electric bicycle as a reward for
Davis mocks Pintard for snubbing deputy
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis mocked Opposition Leader Michael Pintard in the House of Assembly for appointing former NBA player Rick Fox to the Senate instead of FNM deputy leader
Shanendon Cartwright, calling the move the “mark of a confdent leader” as government MPs laughed. Mr Davis made the remark as the House wrapped up debate on the 2025/2026 budget last week, seizing on Mr Pintard’s decision to name Mr Fox,
making the honour roll. His mother, Lesa Turner, said doctors had previously believed his condition may have stabilised, but recent changes have renewed the family’s hope and prompted discussions about rehabilitation.
THE TRIBUNE is a historic paper of record and we take enormous pride in delivering the truth to our loyal readers. The idea that we would derive pleasure from telling you that we got something wrong is almost fancifulbut that is exactly how we feel today. Yesterday, on our front page we carried a horrifc story about a resident of Kemp Road, Mr Don Smith,
being mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs. Don was indeed attacked but, mercifully, he was not killed. He is now recovering back at home after what must have been a truly terrifying experience. We extend our sincere apologies to Don and his family and wish him a speedy and complete recovery.
LESA Turner holds the hand of her 14-year-old son Choy ‘CJ’ Turner, who has been hospitalised for four months after a bicycle accident left him with traumatic brain injuries.
Family seeks $150k for teen injured in electric-bike crash
She said the immediate focus was getting CJ of a ventilator he is currently dependent on. If he is discharged, she said the family will need specialised equipment, nursing care, respiratory therapy and 24-hour caregiving support.
Although a GoFundMe campaign for CJ has set a $40,000 target, Mrs Turner said the total cost of preparing for his home care could reach $150,000. She said the family would need a ventilator, oxygen equipment, a suction machine, a hospital bed and other supplies.
According to the GoFundMe page, home nursing, medical supplies, specialised equipment and ongoing treatment could cost about $3,000 a month. The page described the emotional and fnancial strain on the family as “overwhelming”.
CJ sufered severe traumatic brain injury after the
collision. His family said extensive testing, including CT scans and MRIs, confrmed the severity of the brain damage.
The GoFundMe page said doctors have noted “encouraging signs”, including periods of independent breathing and the “preservation of important brain structures”.
Mrs Turner said CJ had received the electric bicycle from his godfather after making the honour roll at CW Saunders. She said he had also been selected to captain his school’s basketball team and participated in track and feld.
She said that “for whatever reason, he just got up that Sunday morning, he was with his two friends, they were studying for their exam, they were supposed to be doing their coursework, and he just decided for the frst time to go out for a ride out there.”
She further explained that he had never ridden in the road. “That was his
frst experience out with the bike, and he collided with the Jeep - someone from Sandilands Village, to my understanding. I never met him, but he came to the house the day after the accident to bring the bike back, and since then we haven’t heard from him, we haven’t seen him, hasn’t reached out to us to see how he’s doing.”
Mrs Turner said she received the call about the accident while driving home. By then, CJ was already in the ambulance. She said he was conscious enough to give his identity and his mother’s name and phone number before collapsing.
She said he went into a coma almost immediately after the accident and remained in that condition for nearly two months as relatives waited for signs that he would wake up. Mrs Turner said one of CJ’s aunts was present when he frst opened his eyes. “The day before she left, she said to him, ‘Aren’t you
going to open your eyes for me before I leave? And she saw when he barely — you know when you try to open your eyes? He fnally cracked it open, so that was a joy to us,” Mrs Turner said.
Mrs Turner said CJ now opens and closes his eyes and sometimes winks when people speak to him. However, doctors have told the family he is not responding to commands. She said he sometimes moves his foot and body, but his hands do not move, and his eyes remain unfocused.
She said doctors have told the family that CJ’s age and youth give him a better chance at recovery. She said rehabilitation therapy has been discussed, though it remains unclear whether he will have speech difculties.
Mrs Turner credited her faith in God for her son’s progress.
She said CJ and his family have received strong support from CW Saunders, their church community, relatives and friends. She said church members check on the family daily, and the school’s principal has visited CJ.
She said classmates recorded video messages that were played for him so he could continue hearing
familiar voices during his recovery. Mrs Turner also thanked CJ’s godfather, Brent Mayson, and his wife, Kim, for supporting the family throughout the ordeal.
She said CJ’s older siblings have struggled with being separated from him during his recovery.
His eldest brother, who works aboard a cruise ship, requested time of and returned home the day after the accident, staying in New Providence for more than a month to help support CJ.
CJ is the youngest of four half-siblings. One sibling
lives in Jamaica and another in Canada. Mrs Turner described her son as a loving, family-oriented teenager who enjoyed sports, dancing, video games and spending time with relatives. She said he was respectful, rarely troublesome and often spent time in his room playing video games.
“I miss the hugs that I get on a day-to-day basis,” Mrs Turner recalled. She said people wishing to assist can contribute through the family’s GoFundMe campaign or contact her at 428-9187.
CJ Turner pictured with his mother Lesa Turner.
Court revives constitutional case over Jean-Rony Charles
By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE Privy Council has reopened the landmark constitutional fght over Jean-Rony Jean Charles’ detention and expulsion to Haiti, sending the case back to the Supreme Court even though the Bahamas-born man was murdered before the courts could resolve whether the government violated his rights.
Jean-Charles, who was stabbed to death in August 2023, had challenged the government’s decision to detain him for more than two months and expel him to Haiti in 2017 without charging him, taking him before a court, or obtaining a deportation or detention order.
The London-based court stopped short of restoring the sweeping Supreme Court fndings that his arrest, detention and expulsion were unconstitutional. However, it ruled that Bahamian courts must not use a rigid procedure to block people from seeking urgent constitutional redress in habeas corpus proceedings, particularly in cases involving detention and removal from the country.
His death changes the practical stakes of the case.
The Supreme Court can no longer grant him personal relief such as immigration status, work authorisation, or protection from further immigration interference. However, his estate may still be able to pursue compensation or other relief if the constitutional claim survives him, while the broader principles of the Privy Council ruling continue to shape immigration detention cases.
The ruling marks another chapter in a case that became one of the country’s most prominent legal battles over immigration enforcement, citizenship, and the status of people born in The Bahamas to non-citizen parents.
Jean-Charles was born at Princess Margaret Hospital on December 5, 1982, to Haitian parents. He was not
registered as a Bahamian citizen, and the Privy Council noted that it appeared to be common ground that he did not apply for registration as a citizen between his 18th and 19th birthdays, as he may have been entitled to do under Article 7 of the Constitution.
However, the Board also noted that it did not appear to be contested that he would be entitled to permanent residence if it were established that he was born in The Bahamas and had lived here all his life, or had only travelled abroad and returned with the necessary authorisations.
That fnding gives the ruling signifcance beyond Jean-Charles’ case. It underscores that immigration ofcers cannot treat a person’s lack of documents as a shortcut to detention and expulsion where that person may have been born in The Bahamas and may have constitutional or statutory rights requiring investigation.
Immigration ofcers arrested Jean-Charles in the Fire Trail Road area on September 18, 2017, after he failed to produce documents during what was described as a routine status check. He was taken to the Carmichael Road Detention Centre and held there until November 24, 2017, when he was expelled to Haiti.
The Privy Council said the authorities did not charge him with any ofence, did not take him before a court, and did not obtain a deportation or detention order before removing him from the country.
His sister, Clotilde Jean Charles, later swore an afdavit saying he had been born in New Providence, had never travelled outside The Bahamas, and had been detained for about 12 weeks while relatives repeatedly tried to secure his release.
His family fled habeas corpus proceedings on November 29, 2017, fve days after he had already been sent to Haiti.
The case exposed uncertainty in the immigration system’s handling of identity and status. The government
maintained that there was confusion over whether the man detained and expelled as “Jean Charles,” born on December 1, 1985, was the same person as JeanRony Jean Charles, born on December 5, 1982.
The Privy Council was unconvinced by the strength of that position, saying it “struggles to see any substance” in the suggestion that there was a real issue over whether Jean-Charles was the man whom ofcials expelled and later returned to The Bahamas.
The Board pointed to several undisputed facts: Jean-Charles’ family tried to secure his release after the September 2017 detention; government ofcials had said he was repatriated to Haiti; ofcials used a photograph of him on an emergency travel document; the respondents’ own written submissions stated that the applicant was in Haiti; and his family successfully secured his release after the man returned to The Bahamas.
The judges said the identity issue was something the respondents should have been able to resolve “without difculty” in cooperation with Jean-Charles and his family and “without needing a contested court hearing.”
The ruling also cast doubt on another possible
GB attorneys accuse DPP of stalling criminal cases
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune
Freeport
Reporter
dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
TWO Grand Bahama
lawyers have accused the Department of Public Prosecutions’ Grand Bahama ofce of allowing criminal cases to stall, saying staf shortages are fuelling repeated adjournments, delaying trials and forcing some matters to be set as far away as 2032. The complaints erupted in the Grand Bahama’s Magistrate’s Court during criminal proceedings before Magistrate Charlton Smith, including a voluntary bill of indictment hearing in an attempted murder case.
Attorney Ernie Wallace told the court the delays had begun to choke the criminal justice system on the island.
"The Ofce of the DPP is not functioning: it needs upgrading and to be improved,” he said.
Mr Wallace said criminal matters in Grand Bahama are beginning to "bottleneck."
"I have a case that cannot come up to trial until 2032,” he said. “That is a very long time - six years, and I am almost 73 years old."
He suggested that, given his age, he may not live to see the case tried.
"They need to improve the system to ensure that matters are dealt with on time,” he said.
"We have two full criminal courts. The DPP should have fve or six active DPP
staf to deal with it.”
Attorney Parkco Deal backed Mr Wallace’s concerns, saying delays in criminal matters have long frustrated defence attorneys in Grand Bahama.
"This had been a longstanding issue of defence counsels when we come to court," he said.
Mr Deal said attorneys have written letters raising concerns, but nothing has changed. He suggested defence counsel may need to unite and send further correspondence to the relevant authorities.
Magistrate Smith encouraged the attorneys to press their concerns in writing or through the press so they could be heard and addressed.
The comments came as Mr Deal appeared for Travaughn Hanna and Raymond Pennington, who are charged with Tyler Knowles in an attempted murder matter that had been scheduled for a voluntary bill of indictment hearing on Monday.
The prosecution requested an adjournment until August 31, citing the need for more time.
The prosecutor told Magistrate Smith that the voluntary bill of indictment was ready but that an anonymous witness fle still needed to be completed.
Hanna is also separately charged with procurement. That matter was also adjourned to August 31. Cordell Frazier, director of the Department of
Public Prosecutions, dis-
puted suggestions that the Grand Bahama ofce was not operating, saying the complaints appeared to relate to the service of voluntary bills of indictment.
"The ofce is functioning and prosecuting matters," Ms Frazier said. “The staf is small due to transfer of an ofcer upon request and another going into private practice.”
In December 2025, Pennington, 22, Knowles, 21, and Hanna were charged with attempted murder and possession of a frearm with intent to endanger life.
Prosecutors allege that on December 13, 2025, in Grand Bahama, the accused, while acting together, attempted to cause the death of a 19-year-old man. They further allege that on the same date and at the same location, the men possessed a frearm with intent to endanger the life of the virtual complainant.
The charges stem from a shooting incident on Drumfsh Street in the Caravel Beach area.
At their initial court appearance, Pennington was represented by Mr Deal, while Knowles was unrepresented. Neither defendant was required to enter a plea.
The accused were remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services, and the matter was adjourned to March 30, 2026.
government position: that Jean-Charles may have travelled outside The Bahamas without authorisation and returned illegally, potentially justifying his arrest, detention and removal.
Tom Poole KC, for the respondents, accepted under questioning that this was speculation. The Privy Council noted that he did not assert that the government had evidence to support it.
The Board said it was unclear how such an investigation would help the respondents defend the legality of Jean-Charles’ arrest, detention and removal unless they could show, among other things, that he had landed in The Bahamas within a relatively short time before his arrest.
The case frst came before Justice Gregory Hilton, who dismissed the writ of habeas corpus because Jean-Charles was no longer detained by the respondents when the writ was issued.
However, Justice Hilton went on to grant constitutional relief. He found that Jean-Charles’ arrest and detention breached his rights to personal liberty, access to a legal representative, and prompt appearance before a court. He also found that his expulsion from The Bahamas breached his right to
freedom of movement.
Justice Hilton ordered the government to issue travel documents allowing Jean-Charles to return from Haiti, pay for his return, grant him status allowing him to remain in The Bahamas and legally seek gainful employment, and pay compensation to be assessed later.
The government issued an emergency travel document identifying him as Jean-Rony Jean Charles. He returned to The Bahamas on February 3, 2018, but was arrested again on arrival and taken to the detention centre. Justice Hilton later ordered his release.
The government appealed, and the Court of Appeal overturned Justice Hilton’s constitutional orders in October 2018. It also rejected Jean-Charles’ cross-appeal over the habeas corpus ruling.
The Court of Appeal held that the constitutional relief should not have been granted in the way it was pursued. One judge said habeas corpus was a discrete action and that Jean-Charles should have brought separate proceedings if he wanted constitutional redress.
The Privy Council rejected any broad rule requiring separate proceedings.
Lord Hodge, delivering
the unanimous judgment, said Article 28 of the Constitution does not impose formal procedures for constitutional claims and must be interpreted in a way that facilitates access to the court.
The Board said that constitutional provisions should be interpreted liberally so that people receive the full protection of the rights and freedoms the Constitution confers.
However, the Privy Council also found that Justice Hilton acted unfairly when he determined the constitutional claim without giving the government a proper opportunity to investigate and answer disputed factual issues.
The Board said the respondents should have been allowed to adduce evidence on matters including Jean-Charles’ correct name, citizenship, travel history, the circumstances of his arrest, his detention and his removal to Haiti.
“Where there are substantial disputes as to fact, it will be rare that a summary procedure is appropriate,” Lord Hodge said. The Privy Council said the proper course was for the Supreme Court to direct that the constitutional proceedings continue as though they had begun by writ, with pleadings, discovery and evidence where necessary.
The Board therefore allowed Jean-Charles’ appeal only to the extent of sending the constitutional claim back to the Supreme Court.
The judgment signalled impatience with delay. Lord Hodge noted that Jean-Charles had not been provided the necessary papers to obtain a work permit, and said, “Given the passage of time, it will be important that the court manages the case so as to prevent dilatory behaviour which might delay the resolution of this case.”
A man was later charged with Jean-Charles’ murder. Prosecutors said JeanCharles was stabbed multiple times during an argument in the Royal Palm Street area on August 23, 2023.
Prosecutors seek delay for drug suspect’s bail bid
PROSECUTORS have asked for a one day delay for Bahamian drug trafcker Jonathan Eric Gardiner’s next court appearance to give him time to seek bail.
In a letter to a judge at the federal court in New York, Assistant US Attorney Jonathan Bodansky said that pretrial services and Gardiner’s lawyer needed the extra day to interview him.
Mr Bodansky said that the delay would also allow the preparation of a “potential bail application”.
Gardiner, who was also referred to as “Player” in court documents, has denied cocaine importation conspiracy and frearms-related charges.
The 58-year-old is said to be a key fgure in a plot which involved a high ranking Bahamian politician inviting an undercover
DEA source to Parliament to discuss a $30 million cocaine shipment
In a letter to the court, Mr Bodansky, a prosecutor with the Southern District of New York, said: “The Government respectfully writes to request an adjournment of the initial appearance of defendant Jonathan Eric Gardiner, currently scheduled for June 24, 2026 to June 25, 2026 to provide Pretrial Services with adequate time to conduct an interview of the defendant in the presence of defense counsel, in advance of a potential bail application from the defense”.
Such requests for a brief delay are common in federal cases and US District Judge Judge Gregory Woods, who is presiding over the case, is likely to grant it.
The fling appeared on a docket that is also for other
Bahamians accused of being involved in the drug smuggling plot.
They include Elvis Nathaniel Curtis, 51, a former chief superintendent with the Royal Bahamas Police Force, who is alleged to have facilitated drug smuggling through airports including Lynden Pindling International Airport. Gardiner was arrested on Election Day last month after the aircraft he was traveling in from Marsh Harbour, Abaco, to Grand Bahama crashed of the Florida coast. He was rescued by the US Coast Guard and, according to prosecutors, had $30,000 in Bahamian currency in an envelope with the name of the same politician on it who had discussed the $30 million cocaine deal with the DEA source. The politician’s name was redacted in court flings.
JEAN-RONY JEAN CHARLES
Davis laughs at FNM leader over party’s Senate appointments
attorneys Elsworth Johnson and Arinthia Komolafe, and Dr Trevor Johnson as the Free National Movement’s four opposition senators.
Mr Cartwright, who lost the St James constituency race, was not appointed to the upper chamber.
Mr Fox had publicly identified himself as a first-time voter, a detail Mr Davis used to mock Mr Pintard’s leadership judgement.
“I offer my special
congratulations to the member from Marco City on returning as leader of the opposition,” he said.
“He clearly seems to enjoy this role. May I say how much I admire the inclusive and pioneering approach in appointing his team. To appoint a first time voter to the upper chamber at the expense of his deputy is the mark of a confident leader.
“So, I gave him my solemn promise that I’ll do all that I can to ensure that he remains leader of the opposition many, many years to come.”
The comments compounded attention Mr Pintard has received over Mr Cartwright’s exclusion from the Senate.
Some observers have viewed the decision as an attempt to sideline Mr Cartwright, who remains the FNM’s deputy leader.
Former Cabinet minister Leslie Miller called Mr Pintard “mean spirited” and said the decision raised questions about his leadership and treatment of senior figures in the party.
Mr Pintard has declined to comment on the matter.
MP warns of ‘health hazard’ at High Rock community clinic
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter
TWENTY patients who visited the High Rock Clinic on Monday could not get medication at the facility, East Grand Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson said yesterday, as he accused the government of allowing conditions at the community clinic to deteriorate into a “health hazard”.
Mr Thompson said
residents who needed medication were forced to travel to Freeport because a pharmacist no longer visits the clinic, which operates from a retroftted trailer in High Rock.
He claimed the pharmacist stopped travelling to the clinic because mileage payments had not been made.
“Unfortunately, the government has not paid the mileage for the pharmacist, and so the pharmacist no
longer comes to the High Rock Clinic to dispense medication which means just today, you have an excess of 20 patients, and all 20 of them who needed medication had to travel to Freeport to collect their medication, whereas in ordinary circumstances they would have gotten their medication here at the clinic,” he said.
“What’s the point of having a community clinic if patients are not able to
Fitzgerald pledges focus on consumer protection
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
ECONOMIC Afairs
Minister Jerome Fitzgerald yesterday pledged to make afordability and consumer protection a central focus of his ministry as cost-ofliving pressures continue to weigh on Bahamian households.
Speaking in the Senate yesterday, Mr Fitzgerald said the crisis underscored the need for a more afordable and competitive Bahamas.
He pointed to the realities facing young professionals, senior citizens on fxed incomes and single parents managing household expenses.
He said the government understands the importance of economic growth and stressed that it must translate into tangible benefts for ordinary Bahamians.
“The success of our country and our economy cannot be measured solely by statistics. It must be measured by whether people feel greater security, greater opportunity and greater confdence in their future,” he said during his
receive their medication?
"Many of these folks are elderly persons, and many do not have transportation. Many of them have to pay for transportation or borrow a ride in order to get to Freeport to fnd medication."
Mr Thompson said he was shocked by conditions at the clinic during a visit on Monday, describing the situation as "absolutely horrible".
He said staf and patients were enduring “unbearable” heat because most of the clinic’s air-conditioning units were broken. He claimed temperatures inside the facility were approaching 100 degrees and said staf members, including security ofcers, were visibly sweating.
"The situation at the High Rock Clinic is absolutely horrible," he said. "You have nurses, and patients in unbearable
contribution to the budget debate.
Mr Fitzgerald said the Davis administration has consistently pursued relief measures, pointing to VAT reductions, the removal of VAT on prepared foods and increased exemptions for frst-time homeowners.
However, he said afordability cannot be solved by policy alone, but requires structural reform, stronger competition, improved market efciency and better consumer information.
“That is why the Ministry of Economic Afairs has placed afordability and consumer protection at the center of our policies,” he said.
He also noted the government’s intention to introduce long promised competition legislation, calling the reform overdue. He framed the initiative as a key driver of better market outcomes, encouraging efciency and innovation.
“Madam President, competition is not anti-business. To the contrary, it supports business developments creates a level playing feld where success is determined by performance rather than
heat who are coming for medical treatment, and are confronted with a place that has a majority of the AC units broken."
“You are sitting in the waiting room and you are sweating waiting to be seen. And you have temperatures that are up to 100° and it is an unbearable situation,” said Mr Thompson.
“When I walked into the clinic today, I met all of the staf and the security ofcers sweating because of how unbearable the heat was.”
Mr Thompson said a patient was also at the clinic to have bandages removed and replaced.
"It is not just an unbearable situation, but I think it is a health hazard situation as well," he said. He also claimed the clinic’s backup generator is not working, raising concerns about how the facility would operate during power outages.
"This situation cannot continue,” he said. “The government must pay attention to these community clinics and ensure they are properly stafed and adequately maintained."
Pastor Pedyson Baillou, a justice of the peace and East End resident, said the problems were afecting communities across eastern Grand Bahama.
unfair market practices,” he added.
He also spoke about economic diversifcation, saying it can no longer remain a concept but must become a reality.
He committed his ministry to building a broader, stronger, more resilient economy that’s less dependent on a limited number of sector
“Global trade is evolving rapidly,” he said. “Supply chains are changing. Technology is reshaping commerce. Consumer preferences are shifting. New markets are emerging. Countries that adapt will thrive. Countries that fail to adapt risk being left behind. The Bahamas will be amongst those that adopt Madame President.”
He said the ministry continues to advance policies designed to strengthen market access, expand exports and diversify commercial relationships. His comments came as part of a wider speech that addressed consumer protection, trade, investment, entrepreneurship, fnancial services, the blue economy and the country’s long-term competitiveness.
Mr Baillou also complained about limited healthcare services in some communities, particularly Sweeting’s Cay, where he said doctors visit only once a month. He said there is no nurse on the cay to assist the doctor.
Resident Ishmael Laing said problems at the clinic have dragged on for some time.
"The generator has not been working for a year now," he claimed. "The transfer switch doesn't work. They might only need someone to repair it."
Mr Laing also criticised the medication problem, saying residents who travel to Freeport sometimes fnd medication unavailable at public healthcare facilities and must turn to private clinics for prescriptions.
"I feel we're behind God's back and at the last point. No one checks for East End," he said.
Eforts to contact Public Hospitals Authority Managing Director Aubynette Rolle and ofcials at Grand Bahama Health Services for comment were unsuccessful up to press time.
"There is a lot of dissatisfaction in the community, and healthcare is essential," he said. "I am totally disgusted by the situation. They need to pay more attention to healthcare in the settlements in the East End area."
SENATOR Rick Fox speaks in Senate yesterday.
Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr
SENATOR Jerome Fitzgerald speaks in Senate yesterday.
Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr
The High Rock Clinic after it ws restored post-Dorian.
Residents demand bar closure after fatal Abaco shooting
MURDER from page one
was leaving the Forum Bar and Lounge when he heard gunshots and later realised he had been shot in the shoulder.
The shooting has rattled residents and intensifed pressure on authorities to act against the nightclub, which residents say has been the subject of petitions and objection letters from local government ofcials.
Residents claim the business was shut down in May but reopened earlier this month, to their frustration.
Forum Bar and Lounge owner Kadeem Martin denied that the shooting was connected to his business, saying the victim had left the area and was ambushed farther up the hill.
“From what I understand, from the footage that I’ve seen, it was up the hill from the bar,” he said. “We were already closing and somebody who left, one of the patrons, he was walking his vehicle up the hill, I think, when he got in his vehicle. He had persons waiting on him in the bush so they ambushed him but it had nothing to do with my bar.”
Mr Martin said the incident was not the result of drunkenness or an altercation at the bar.
Faron Newbold, chief councillor for Central Abaco’s District Council, said residents are fearful and disappointed because they “feel there is no sort of protection” as police allegedly refuse to respond to their calls about the bar.
He said the council has long opposed the business and appealed to the Attorney General’s Ofce before it was granted a licence.
“It’s smack down in the middle of residences,” he said, while calling for the police commissioner to investigate the matter.
“There are residents in the back, front and side. It don’t even meet the liquor license requirement. All of this was inspected by Ministry of Works, the police and environmental health and gave it a clearance knowing the location. It was disappointing.”
Melissa Hardy, a longtime resident who lives directly across from the nightclub, said she called police repeatedly before the shooting and believes ofcers should have responded sooner.
“I called the police
minutes before the gunshots,” she said. “I called the police fve times last night and they refused to come.
The sixth time I called the police around 1.28, when I told them if they had come when they was supposed to come, they wouldn’t have to pick up nobody’s dead body.”
She said the community has endured persistent
seen across the vehicle’s windshield of
noise disturbances and loud, profane music from the nightclub, making it difcult for residents to sleep.
She said the night of the shooting was chaotic, adding that she heard about 16 gunshots and could not sleep afterward.
Some neighbours said they ducked for cover after hearing the gunshots,
with one resident reportedly falling while trying to escape the danger.
Mr Martin acknowledged complaints about the bar, but said only a few residents have raised concerns.
The killing was Abaco’s frst murder for the year and the country’s 34th, according to this newspaper’s records.
A person close to Belfort’s family said his death has devastated his siblings, who live abroad.
“I’m not from Abaco so I have a lot of trouble from these people,” he said. “They’re saying that I’m coming here to cause a problem, and I’m not. It’s only two residents and they’ve been causing the issues.”
Daughter demands action after dogs maul her father
By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
A 66-YEAR-OLD Kemp
Road man who was mauled by a pack of dogs survived the attack and plans to fle a police complaint, according to his daughter, who said the animals have terrorised other residents and should be removed from the community.
Don Smith was hospitalised after the attack, which his daughter, Carmetta Butler, said happened as he was crossing the road and encountered a group of about ten dogs, allegedly including four pit bulls.
The Tribune previously incorrectly reported that Mr Smith had died, but his daughter confrmed yesterday that he had in fact survived.
Ms Butler said her father needed about 50 stitches
to the back of one calf and sufered tissue damage that required surgery.
"I would like more action into it," Ms Butler said, adding that she understands her father is the fourth person to be attacked. "These particular dogs have done this to numerus people, so I can't see why these dogs are still in the community."
Ms Butler said she tried to speak with the owners of some of the dogs after the attack, but said they did not apologise or show remorse.
"I went to them from what happened that day. There's no remorse, not even a sorry or nothing," she said. Residents in the area have also raised concerns about the dogs, saying they pose a threat to children and elderly people who walk through the community.
Freetown MP Lincoln Deal has echoed those concerns, saying in a social
media post that he had begun engaging relevant agencies to address the issue.
Ms Butler, who lives in Kemp Road with her father and has lived in the area for some time, said the attack has left Mr Smith shaken.
"He ain't the same person no more," Ms Butler told The Tribune while at the hospital with her father as medical professionals treated him. "I got to keep him stabilised. I gotta take care of him while I still have my kids, cause I have kids to take care of with no job or nothing."
Ms Butler said residents want action after repeated complaints about the dogs.
"The community ain't into it and they're looking for action too because we been fed up with the dogs," Ms Butler said. "That could've been a child who couldn't even fght
Pintard calls for televised PAC meetings
By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter
OPPOSITION Leader
Michael Pintard has again asked House Speaker Patricia Deveaux to open Public Accounts Committee hearings to the public and broadcast them on the Parliamentary Channel, arguing that there is “no acceptable reason” to keep the committee’s scrutiny of public spending from public view.
Mr Pintard said he formally submitted the request for the second time as leader of the opposition, following a previous letter sent to Mrs Deveaux on May 26, 2023. His latest letter, dated June 10, 2026, urged the Speaker to allow PAC proceedings to be opened to the public, broadcast live and archived, saying the change would align The Bahamas with practices across the region and internationally.
Mr Pintard said the request was made with “a deep sense of constitutional
responsibility” given current restrictions on public access to PAC proceedings. He described the committee as “one of the most critical instruments by which Parliament discharges its oversight of public expenditure”.
“Its mandate is rooted in examining ‘the accounts showing the appropriation of sums granted by Parliament…..and the reports of the Auditor General thereon’, with a core responsibility of determining whether public funds are expended lawfully, transparently, and with accountability and value for money,” the letter read.
“In light of the foregoing, I respectfully request: 1. Public Accounts Committee proceedings be opened to the public, subject to reasonable procedural safeguards: and 2. PAC hearings be broadcast live, and archived, on the Parliamentary Channel, or otherwise made available in full for public viewing: 3. Such openness be implemented with the concurrence of the
Committee, consistent with parliamentary practice.”
Mr Pintard said the request is rooted in established principles of parliamentary governance, arguing that the Public Finance Management framework requires public resources to be managed lawfully, transparently and accountably.
He said transparency in PAC proceedings would be a natural extension of the committee’s role as the principal body responsible for examining those matters.
Mr Pintard said open and broadcast committee proceedings, particularly PAC hearings, are increasingly common across Commonwealth parliaments.
“These examples refect a shared constitutional heritage and reinforce that openness is not a departure from Westminster tradition-it is its modern expression. The requested step- opening and broadcasting PAC proceedings - its most in implementation but profound in its democratic signifcance.”
their way of and get killed right there. Thank God he could've wiggled of and kick them of and try survive', cause pit bulls don't play." The attack marks another
hardship for Ms Butler, a mother of fve who lost two children in 2022. Her 21-year-old son was killed in a shooting, while her sevenyear-old daughter died after a playground accident.
Butler said she now has to care for her father as he recovers while also caring for her children. She said she is unemployed and open to receiving assistance.
SMITHY BELFORT
BULLETHOLES
Smithy’s car.
Ms
FILE Photo shows stray dogs roaming a street in New Providence.
The Tribune Limited
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Publisher/Editor 1903-1914
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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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Shelve the proposed amendment for Tra c Act
EDITOR, The Tribune.
PLEASE permits a few comments on the proposed amendments to the Road Trafc Act which was presented by the newly appointed Minister of Transport.
According to the Minister, the proposed amendments will introduce a number of changes to the road trafc inspection and registration regime along with the introduction of a new inspection and registration fee schedule.
www.tribune242.com @tribune242
Action on disability rights long overdue
NUMBERS matter. The MSNBC journalist Alex Wagner once said “to be counted by the census is to be seen and supported”. That may be true, but understanding what the numbers mean is not always so straightforward.
The latest report on disabilities from the Bahamas National Statistical Institute reports that 38,551 people in our country report at least one disability. That works out at about one in ten people in The Bahamas aged fve or older.
This is a signifcant increase since the 2010 census – when the number was 10,138. That does not necessarily mean that many more people are disabled now than they were then. What it does mean is that those people are now recognised. That can mean more cases. That can mean better diagnosis and recognition. It can also mean simply a more fne-tuned census that recognises the issues people have.
The important thing is that once seen, something can be done about those numbers. Decisions about budgets are made on such statistics. If you aren’t counted, you don’t count when it comes to having funds allocated to help.
One in ten sounds substantial – but perhaps understandable given the range of disabilities people can sufer from. But take a look at the bigger picture, and perhaps we are not there yet when it comes to the statistics.
Globally, the World Health Organization says about 16 percent of people report a signifcant disability. So, either there is some reason we report notably fewer disabilities, or we have not yet captured the full picture.
We know there are changes happening in our health picture in The Bahamas – obesity is on the increase, for example. Diabetes is on the rise, particularly vascular diabetes, which is now said to be the biggest form of diabetes in the country – and can be caused by stress, high blood pressure, lack of sleep... all the symptoms of daily modern life.
The other statistics tell us some things we already know – you are more likely to have a disability if you are older, for example. If you have a disability, you are likelier to be in a lower income household
– we all know the high costs of healthcare for a one-of incident, let alone the ongoing fnancial burden of a disability.
The report also tells us that mental health and neurological conditions are not part of the full picture – we have heard often how mental health needs to be taken more seriously in our country, but we are far from there yet. Again, to tackle the problem, we need to identify the problem.
Erin Brown has long been a voice speaking up for how those with disabilities are supported. She points out the changing world we live in, where the focus is often on fnding a cure, “whereas we’re moving to the social, which is identifying the barriers and removing those barriers or we are allowing persons access to self-identify with the varying disabilities that they live with so that you won’t lose out”.
In short, fnding ways for those with disabilities to speak up and not be overlooked, and ways in which they can go about their daily life by taking the obstacles out of the way.
Some of those obstacles persist to be in our buildings themselves. Where are the ramps on our streets to permit wheelchair access? Where are the elevators in many buildings rather than stairs? Even Parliament cannot be accessed easily by those with some disabilities, located as it is up a fight of stairs. There are pedestrian crossings without any sound to indicate when it is safe to cross for those with visual disabilities – even if we could count on drivers to always respect a red light. Equally, there are those who continue to think it is perfectly fne to park in a disabled parking space for their own convenience rather than leaving it for those who need it.
It is nine years since the Persons With Disabilities (Equal Opportunities) Act, and it still has not been implemented to the extent it can start to make a diference.
So it is good to know the numbers. We still have some way to go, especially with regard to mental health issues. But it is just a start. It can inform the actions we need to take, but we still need to act, and some of those actions are already overdue.
Innovations and clear thinking
EDITOR, The Tribune.
I HAVE long been and remain a proponent of digitalisation; innovation and the application of technology in the public and private sectors. Too many Bahamians, especially the mature ones like myself, like to moan and groan about the good old days and the ease of conducting transactions back then. Well, beloved, times have and are rapidly changing for the better in most cases. Case in point. Over the years applications for the grant or outright purchase of Crown Land are submitted manually to The Lands & Surveys Department along with supporting documents. A week or so later a form letter is sent to the applicant acknowledging receipt of the same. Then the ‘horror’ begins!! The process for such applications is tedious and completely manual. Data and information are physically entered and stored in boxes or fling cabinets. Yes, you are able to imagine the ultimate results. Files and applications get ‘lost’ or misplaced. Because of the lengthy process many Bahamians actually die while awaiting processing. This is dead wrong and a gross insult
to a nation which is celebrating 54 years of Independence. The Hon Minister of Innovation & National Development has proposed that All governmental and public service departments be integrated into a single (with back up of course) server and digitalised. Instead of a particular ministry acting rogue and in complete ignorance as to what another relevant ministry may be doing is outdated and very unsafe. Mr Bastian has a higher degree in Business & Technology from several USA based institutions. He, et al, was an early pioneer in the mobile cell phone industry. In addition, he and his partners were able to develop the web industry to heights and levels previously unknown. As an independently wealthy young man, Minister Bastian can only be good for his constituency and the nation. His election and appointment are just what the doctor ordered. The Rt Hon Prime Minister made an excellent selection.
I take full credit for being one of the frst Bahamians to encourage MP Bastian to seek elective ofce way back in 2016 just prior to the general elections which
Among the more notable and shocking changes, is the requirement that vehicle owners pay for vehicle inspection in advance of inspection and if the vehicle fails, the government will keep the fee paid and whenever the vehicle defect is remedied and presented for re-inspection, the vehicle owner will again have to pay a fresh inspection fee.
The introduction of any law or policy which will allow the government to fail a vehicle inspection and at the same time beneft by keeping the inspection fee is not only open to abuse and corruption but also patently wrong, manifestly unreasonable and presents an inherent confict.
There ought to be no fnancial or other beneft accruing to the government when a vehicle owner fails an inspection especially when the poor state of our roads are a contributing factor to declining condition of many vehicles and in some cases, the cause of many vehicle inspection failures.
Also under the proposed amendments, the government will impose a penalty on vehicle owners who choose not to renew his or her inspection and registration when the registration expires.
The amendment also foreshadows a revision of registration fees which will efectively result in vehicle owners in certain weight categories having to pay a higher fee. And, as an added inconvenience and insult, the road trafc department will not be accepting cash as a lawful means for a taxpayer to receive a service exclusively provided by the government. If the vehicle owner lacks the means to pay by any method other than cash or prefers to use cash, he or she will not be able to have a vehicle inspected and registered to operate on a public road or highway. I respectfully request the Minister and the government to refect on the absurdity of such a policy and more broadly of not accepting cash at government facilities.
According to the Minister of Transport, “The Government’s primary objective in introducing these changes is to improve compliance with vehicle inspection and licensing requirements and to recover the cost associated with inspecting a vehicle
While I appreciate the eforts to improve compliance with vehicle inspection and licensing requirements and fully support any measure taken to keep our roads safe, the introduction of new and increasing fees, and imposing penalties and increase bureaucracy on vehicle owners does not in my view promote compliance or safe streets. As a matter of fact, it can deter compliance.
These measures appear to be designed to generate revenue and do nothing more than punish and vexed compliant vehicles owners. Chronic violators of our trafc laws and regulations will not be moved by these measures. Increase enforcement is needed
These types of measures are in my view, unsuited to be enshrined in statute law and are best left to be addressed by policy initiatives. If necessary, after a thoughtful and comprehensive overview of the transportation industry is done.
These constant amendments to the road trafc act have not been efective in addressing the vexing issues that the road trafc department and the motoring public have faced daily. It would have been my preference for the newly appointed minister, to take some time in his new position to canvass all relevant stakeholders and advance for consideration, a comprehensive set of legislative and or policy initiatives that addresses more broadly and permanently the trafc and public transportation issues that underlie and is at the root of the problem his department and the country needs to address. I am never comfortable allowing the government to take away rights, and while many of the above measures may appear to be minor or trivial, at some point there will be no more small or trivial rights for the government to take and then they will begin to infringed on our larger and more fundamental rights and then it may be too late to protest.
CLAUDE B HANNA Nassau, June 21, 2026.
Speaker should enforce rule against reading speeches
were held in 2017. He coyly ‘denied’ that he had such ambitions and that if he had, that there would only be one ultimate goal. Words often speak for themselves...res ipso. For the record, allow me to state right here and now that Minister Bastian, whether or not he realises it at this juncture, is destined to ascend the political greasy pole, at the appropriate time. Yes, he is MY horse in the inevitable PLP leadership race once the beloved and enlightened Rt Hon Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, KC, MP voluntarily and at a time of his exclusive choice (barring an Act of God), hangs up his political hat. The race is not to who is frst in line but goes to the one who endures to the very end. Some, already, have asked me why I am not publicly supporting some of the other possible contenders. My answer across the board is and has always been: ‘Some are born great; others have greatness thrust upon them. Sebas has a date with Destiny. To God then, in all things, be the glory.
ORTLAND H BODIE, Jr Nassau, June 21, 2026.
EDITOR, The Tribune. DECADES earlier, when our founding fathers and a cadre of other professionals dominated the realm of Bahamian politics, and strode across the political landscape like a colossus, it was truly a delight to listen to the debates in parliament, and many Bahamians look forward to those debates. Not anymore. House members of that era were known for their political acumen, their uncommon oral brilliance and fair, and many Bahamians were glued to their trans-sister radios (static and all) as they tried to decipher who commanded the foor at any particular time. There was a contest of will and determination, and a clash of ideas and opinions, as members spoke with a full chest. With their main ideas or points feshed out, members spoke with a furious eloquence, and as their voices echoed of the walls of that ancient and honorable chamber, everyone knew it was a call to action. It was game on, and those who spoke commanded the listeners’ attention. There was no speech reading and the speaker saw to that. No, the convention or the rule has not changed; rather, we have lowered the standard-regrettably. Debating has now become speech-reading. But standards should not be fexible.
In accordance with parliamentary tradition, it is against the rules of the house for members to read verbatim from a prepared text. To be clear and to fair, this practice started long before the Davis administration, but no one can pin-point exactly when. But this is what happens when members come to parliament un-prepared. Members should acquaint themselves sufciently with the facts or the particular bill and should come prepared, as the saying goes, to debate from “their natural wrist”. Too many members are inclined to lean on a prepared text, and because everyone is doing it does not make it right.
Less some persons believe that this is some knee-jerk reaction on my part, I wrote a letter entitled “Raise the standard of Debate” which was printed in the Tribune on the 10th of October 2023. Parts of the letter read as follows.
“Unfortunately, reading speeches in today’s parliament seems to be the norm, rather than the exception because of a lack of preparation by many house members. Parliamentarians are expected to engage in fruitful and spontaneous debate with passion and conviction as opposed to reading from a prepared text. Reading a speech requires minimal efort,
but spontaneous debate requires a degree of preparation and commands the attention of the listener.” The letter continues. “I am in no way questioning the intelligence or competence of any member, because there are capable and highly intelligent and articulate members on both sides; however, they seem to prefer the easy way out.” End of quote. So, in the spirit of decency and order, the speaker should enforce the rule without favoritism or ill-will in an attempt to restore the debate in parliament to its glory days. The public deserves nothing less. Furthermore, too often house members engage in insults and spew vitriol at each other. The level of anger, hostility, and taunting, from the speaker right on down, has reached a new low. Civility and cordiality, which are not signs of weakness, seem to be in short supply. This is undeniable. So, inject a healthy dose of humility, mutual respect, and restraint into the body politic. Introduce more reason instead of refexive passion into the discourse whilst doing the people’s business; and remember, there is a life after politics.
ZEPHANIAH BURROWS Nassau, June 20, 2026.
Minister meets with officials after bus drivers caught fighting
By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
TRANSPORT
Minis-
ter Leon Lundy said he is meeting with Road Trafc Department ofcials after videos circulating on social media appeared to show two bus drivers fghting near vehicles stopped in front of a police station.
The videos appeared to show an altercation between two men near the buses, raising questions about possible action against the drivers and standards in the public transportation sector.
One video showed a man fghting another at the front of a bus parked
in the road. Another video showed one man slamming the other against the side of a bus as a bystander picked up debris near the vehicles.
Asked yesterday whether there would be repercussions for the bus drivers involved and what action would be taken, Mr Lundy said ofcials would seek to ensure that public transportation rules are enforced.
“I’m meeting with the road trafc department now, so we could make sure that the regulations and rules that we have in place are adhered to, and that’s what it is, because at the end of the day, they have to understand that they’re
ambassadors of the brand that we carry,” he said. It was not immediately clear what led to the altercation or whether any charges had been fled.
Mr Lundy said the issue went beyond the fght and involved public confdence in transportation services.
“I think it’s more about the safety for everyone using any type aspect of transportation,” he said.
“At the end of the day, defnitely we want everyone to feel safe when they’re using these diferent operators, and make sure that they know at the end of the day they’re adhering to a particular brand and standard that should be kept no matter what.”
Accused Junkanoo Beach arsonist granted $6,000 bail
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter
A MAN accused of set-
ting fre to a restaurant on Junkanoo Beach earlier this month was granted bail yesterday. Prosecutors allege Dario Ferguson, 29, intentionally set fre to Jocelyn’s Drunken Monkey Restaurant & Bar, a one-storey, three-room wooden structure on West Bay Street, at 10.39pm on June 13.
Police reports indicate that no one was injured and that fre services extinguished the blaze. The estimated property damage was reportedly $300,000.
Ferguson allegedly breached a protection order that same day when he came into contact with the mother of his child.
While Ferguson pleaded not guilty to breach of a protection order before Assistant Chief Magistrate Shaka Serville, he was not required to enter a plea to arson of a building. He was informed that the arson matter would proceed to the Supreme Court through a voluntary bill of indictment.
Although Inspector Cordero Farrington, who prosecuted the case, wanted bail to refect the extent of the alleged property damage, the defendant
claimed the property was worth only $30,000.
Magistrate Serville set bail at $6,000 and told the prosecutor to confrm the property damage if he wanted the bail amount increased.
The magistrate also told Ferguson that he had the right to appeal the bail amount if it proved too much of a fnancial burden.
Ferguson will be ftted with a monitoring device and must sign in at the East Street South Police Station every Monday by 7pm.
He returns for service of his voluntary bill of indictment and trial on the protection order charge on September 24.
Man remanded over $7k theft
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
Suspect granted $9,900 bail for near-fatal Fish Fry shooting
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN accused of a near-fatal shooting near East Bay Street earlier this year was granted bail yesterday.
Justice Neil Braithwaite granted Mikandy Paul, 24, $9,900 bail on charges of attempted murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.
Under the terms of his bail, Paul must be fitted with a monitoring device and obey a daily curfew from 9pm to 6am. He must also sign in at the Wulff Road Police Station every Monday and Thursday by 6pm. Paul was warned not to contact the complainant or any witnesses in the matter or risk having his bail revoked.
Prosecutors allege Paul attempted to shoot and
with a
was
February
The victim report
edly suffered a gunshot wound to the
attempted to flee on foot before passing out from blood loss. Colebrook was treated for his injuries in the hospital.
Paul returns to Magistrate’s Court for service of his voluntary bill of indictment on October 1.
Man accused of $22k fake car sale scheme gets bail
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN accused of breaking into a Ruby Avenue home this spring was remanded to prison yesterday. Prosecutors allege that Henry Rolle, 27, broke into Indira Francis’ home on April 27 and stole $7,380 worth of property, including electronics, clothing and other household items.
Farrington objected to bail, citing Rolle’s previous matters.
Rolle pleaded not guilty to housebreaking and stealing before Deputy Chief Magistrate Shaka Serville. Inspector Cordero
Rolle was charged with possession of an unlicensed shotgun in 2022. He was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until his bail hearing on Friday.
Man, 80, dies at Ocean Cay
AN 80-year-old American man died after being found unresponsive in waters off Ocean Cay on Sunday, police said.
According to initial reports, shortly after 10am, police stationed at Ocean Cay were alerted by security personnel that a man had been found unresponsive in the water in the South Beach area and was being taken to a nearby cruise ship for medical assistance. Police officers and members of the Ocean Cay Rescue Team boarded the vessel and went to the medical centre, where medical personnel were administering CPR. Police said the man was reportedly drifting in and out of consciousness.
Despite extensive life-saving efforts, he was pronounced dead at 11.03am.
Investigators interviewed the man’s wife, who said he had been swimming when she heard screams from the beach area. She said she saw lifeguards retrieve him from the water and
begin CPR.
Police said a preliminary examination found no visible signs of injury or trauma.
An autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death.
A MAN was granted bail after he allegedly stole more than $20,000 from four people in a fake car sale scheme over the last four months.
Prosecutors allege Antonio Percentie, 30, stole $5,300 from Zyon Lynes by
reason of service between February 9 and 12; $8,000 from Quincinique Edwards on February 17; $4,500 from Yotiska Jean-Jacques on March 23; and $4,400 from Angela Bain Whylly om May 27.
Percentie pleaded not guilty to four counts of stealing by reason of service before Senior Magistrate Kendra Kelly Burrows.
His bail was set at $14,500 with one or two sureties.
Under the terms of his bail, he must surrender his travel documents and sign in at the East Street South Police Station every Friday by 6pm.
Percentie’s trial begins on December 12. Sergeant Vernon Pyfrom prosecuted the case.
Police probe alleged assault
POLICE are investi-
gating the alleged sexual assault of a juvenile girl of East West Highway on Sunday night.
According to preliminary reports, shortly before 11pm, the complainant
told police her daughter had attended an event and later contacted her to say she had been sexually assaulted by three males known to her.
Police said the suspects fed on foot toward the
Montell Heights area after the alleged assault.
The victim was taken to the hospital for medical attention.
Detectives from the Sexual Ofences Unit are investigating.
kill Tavares Colebrook, 23,
rifle while he
near the Fish Fry on
25.
-
chest and
Ivoine Ingraham • Facing Reality
The performance of prosperity
“hustle” culture masks a mental prison
WE COME from places where community was the ultimate safety net. In the traditional village, interconnectedness wasn’t just a social grace, it was a survival strategy. We shared sugar, passed down clothes, and raised each other’s children.
If a neighbour fell short one month, another stepped in, operating under the quiet understanding that the tables would inevitably turn. It was a beautiful, collective ecosystem built on mutual reliance.
But somewhere along the line, a profound mutation occurred. What began as communal empathy evolved into systemic entitlement. The safety net was weaponized into a hammock, and mutual reliance disintegrated into a culture of predatory borrowing, chronic irresponsibility, and a desperate, toxic need to perform a lifestyle we
pretence that functions exactly like gambling or substance abuse.
The anatomy of the pretender: why we perform wealth
To understand why someone who lacks the means feels an agonizing need to pretend they are doing well, one must understand the currency of modern validation. In a hyper-visual world, shame is no longer tied to being broke. It’s tied to looking broke.
When survival is subsidized by the lack of boundaries—meaning you can always guilt a relative, threaten a politician, or dodge a landlord—money ceases to be a tool for stability. Instead, it becomes a prop for prestige.
The psychological mechanism at play here is a severe form of cognitive dissonance coupled with
if they look the part, they are the part, sacrifcing their children’s nutritional needs and their own longterm stability at the altar of public perception.
The weaponization of shame and the death of respect
Perhaps the most damaging aspect of this culture is the complete erosion of healthy shame. Histor ically, the inability to pay one’s debts or provide for one’s household carried a social weight that com pelled course correction. Today, that weight has been entirely defected onto the creditor.
We see it in workplaces, families, and neighbour hoods: a person borrows money with a promise to repay at the end of the month. When that date passes and "amnesia" con veniently sets in, a sinister
cannot aford.
Today, this behaviour has transcended mere fnancial indiscipline. It has hardened into a cultural identity—a permanent "hustle" in which living beyond one’s means is normalized and accountability is treated as an insult. When an entire community adopts a lifestyle of borrowing without intention of repayment, demanding services without compensation, and prioritising social media aesthetics over basic survival needs, we are no longer looking at a simple economic problem.
We are looking at a profound psychological afiction, an addiction to
deep-seated insecurity. When individuals lack the discipline or the structure to build genuine fnancial security, they experience a sense of inferiority. To overcompensate, they fabricate an illusion of success.
This is why a family will take a lavish vacation or buy designer clothes while their rent is months in arrears. The vacation and the clothes are visible; the landlord’s eviction notice is hidden. On social media, the image is curated to shout success, drowning out the quiet, sufocating reality of debt. It’s a desperate bid for signifcance. The pretender convinces themselves that
This behaviour is profoundly disrespectful. It’s an utter violation of human dignity to constantly put oneself—and others—into embarrassing fnancial situations without a shred of remorse. It treats the generosity of friends, family, and even fnancial institutions not as a bridge to self-suffciency, but as a
develop a tolerance for the chaos they cause. The adrenaline of the "hustle"— wondering how they will escape the landlord today, fguring out who they can sweet-talk into paying their utility bill tomorrow— becomes a lifestyle. They’re addicted to the thrill of the escape because they have always had a "game" to get them out of the mess.
Because they have never been forced to hit rock bottom—always rescued by an enabling family member, a desperate politician seeking votes, or a neighbour who chooses peace over confict—the behaviour is reinforced. The indiscipline becomes permanent.
The path forward: mandated behavioural rehabilitation If we accept that this chronic pretence and predatory borrowing is an addiction, then we must stop treating it as a simple fnancial problem that can be fxed with cash injections. Giving more money to a chronic, unrepentant debtor is like giving a bottle of liquor to an alcoholic to help them stop shaking. It only fuels the next binge. What is required is a cultural paradigm shift and a psychological intervention:
fip occurs the moment they are asked to fulfl their obligation. The debtor becomes the victim, and the lender becomes the oppressor.
The debtor resorts to gaslighting, using terms of economic resentment, or accusing the lender of being "cheap," money-worshipping, or heartless. They use social isolation and cold shoulders as tools of intimidation, punishing the lender for daring to ask for their own money.
The entitlement cycle: borrow with desperation, delay with entitlement, evade with anger, defect with victimization.
Wine brands chase Gen Z with playful tie-ins to Shark Week, NASCAR and more
By J.M. HIRSCH Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) — Which wine pairs well with Shark Week? Does a pinot noir have enough acidity to cut through the grime of a Tough Mudder race? Is a big, brassy cabernet bold enough of a quaf for a night of naming dead rodents after an ex?
And is a wine named SEX too provocative or not provocative enough?
Absurd as they may sound, these are the questions haunting wine marketers grappling with slumping sales and increasingly elusive drinkers. How consumers -- especially younger drinkers -- answer them will determine whether an industry long defned by fuddy-duddy pretense can fnd its footing in 2026 and beyond.
"That self-important way that wine can refer to itself — we're really trying to tip that on its head," said Helen Kurtz, chief of marketing for The Wine Group, which hopes that oferings such as its easy-drinking Cupcake Vineyards wines can attract a generation that came of age on Frappuccinos and gas station BuzzBallz.
"It's about being less serious about ourselves, because that's what this consumer is demanding," she said. By which she means partnering the company's MD 20/20 (yes, it's a wine) with World Wrestling
Entertainment matches ("Mad Dog Enters the Ring"), and launching the aptly named Fuel by Franzia line of boxed wine beverages for NASCAR ("Full Throttle Flavor").
Alcohol consumption has dropped
It's a fresh lesson on the importance of fnding your customer rather than hoping they fnd you. Because almost across the board, alcohol consumption is down, a trend that accelerated post-pandemic. A host of factors is at play, including aging Boomers seeking healthier lifestyles, Gen Z's gravitation to low- and no-alcohol beverages, and widening availability of alternatives such as marijuana. Each segment of the alcohol industry -- valued at around $560 billion in the U.S. -- is responding diferently. Hard liquor, for example, has found a rare growth category in ready-to-drink canned cocktails. But the wine industry faces its own constellation of challenges, many of its own making.
resource to be mined until dry. When the local bank calls to collect on a delinquent loan, the response is not accountability. It’s rage. The debtor draws on their old village conditioning, expecting a corporate fnancial institution to behave like the soft-hearted neighbour from 20 years ago. When that fails, the mission shifts to draining family members under the threat of alienation, or to cornering a member of Parliament and demanding state resources to bail out of personal recklessness.
The co-dependency of the "hustle"
This is not a series of isolated incidents. It’s a systemic, cultural addiction. The pattern of fying by the seat of one’s pants, using people, and playing fnancial games mirrors the neurological pathways of addiction.
People who become accustomed to using others
For anyone new to wine -- particularly much-coveted 20-somethings -- fnding one's way can be daunting, something of a Château du Stufy efect. "You've got a bunch of things,
The misdiagnosis of "falling through the cracks" This cultural reality forces us to confront a highly uncomfortable truth regarding social advocacy and economic anxiety. In policy discussions, there is constant, justifed worry about those who have "fallen through the cracks" of society— the impoverished, the unhoused, and the destitute. While systemic poverty and genuine economic disadvantages are real and require robust state intervention, we must stop using systemic issues as a blanket excuse for blatant behavioural indiscipline.
Many individuals have not fallen through the cracks due to a lack of opportunity. They have sabotaged their own foors through a complete lack of respect for planning, budgeting, and accountability. They’re in a fnancial mess because they chose a hair weave over rent, a party over groceries, and a Christmas loan for vanity over an emergency savings account. When we treat behavioural recklessness as purely economic victimization, we do a disservice to the truly vulnerable. We provide a moral shield for the exploiters. If someone refuses to plan because they assume someone else will always clean up their mess, their primary issue is not poverty. Their issue is character, structure, and discipline.
historically has leaned pricy and pretentious (looking at you, "notes of asphalt and barnyard"). Wine trends also have favored boozy and bracing styles, a hard sell for folks used to sipping hard seltzers at the club. Fewer than a third of Gen-Z households own a corkscrew, according to a trends report by the British household products
points, with wine, that are particularly salient to younger consumers," including cost and drinkability, said Christian Miller, director of research for the Wine Market Council.
A pretentious image keeps some customers away Wine, from the labels to the language used to describe it,
trying a comes with a gatekeeper: Hard liquor is easy to sample at a bar or as single-shot nips; most wine requires a full-bottle commitment.
A cadre of wineries has begun pushing the bounds of wine culture by ditching the fussy façade in favor of a sassy vibe and accessible language. Price matters, too (the sweet spot seems to be the
· Destigmatise and Mandate Financial Counselling: Just as courts mandate anger management or drug rehabilitation, our community institutions, banks, and social services must mandate intensive behavioural and fnancial counselling for chronic defaulters. They need to unlearn the psychological association between ownership and identity.
· Enforce Hard Boundaries: Families, neighbours, and politicians must stop enabling the pretender. We must lean into the discomfort of saying "no" and allow people to experience the natural, painful consequences of their choices. Shame, when applied correctly, can be a powerful catalyst for reformation.
· Redefne Success: We must aggressively shift the cultural narrative away from the superfcial "hustle" and toward the quiet dignity of sustainability. True success is not a leased luxury car parked outside a rented apartment with six months of unpaid rent. It’s the peace-of-mind that comes from a paid bill, a modest savings account, and an honest night’s sleep.
The old village culture was beautiful because it was rooted in love, honesty, and reciprocity. The modern hustle is its grotesque caricature—built on manipulation, vanity, and exploitation. It’s time to call this behaviour what it is: a mental health crisis masked as a cultural norm.
Only when we strip away the glamour of the pretence can we begin the hard, necessary work of building a community rooted in genuine responsibility, dignity, and truth.
$8 to $20 a bottle range), but not nearly so much as the message. It's about using contemporary communication to pitch "something that's been made for centuries," said Charles Smith, founder of House of Smith, the company behind younger, shopper-friendly brands such as Kung Fu Girl Riesling and SEX Rosé. "My mantra is always to communicate the language of wine to everyone because not everyone speaks wine. The wine should be a refection of the consumer who is going to buy it."
Can tie-ins to pop culture make wine more relatable?
Bogle Family Wine Collection has leaned in with its Juggernaut Wines. Adorned with almost graphically violent labels showcasing alpha predators -- a shark, a grizzly, an orca, a lion and some sort of particularly angry bird of prey -- the bottles are a far cry from the placid villas and languorous ladies plastered across so many wines. The other side of it is getting those bottles into spaces not traditionally associated with wine, said Jessica LaBounty, the company's marketing director. For two years, Juggernaut has announced "Adventure awaits" as it sponsored the gwrueling Tough Mudder races. They've also done placements at zoos that host nights where people can name dead rodents and insects after former partners and feed them to the animals. Cheers…?
And this year, it's Discovery network's Shark Week. Juggernaut's chardonnay label sports an especially snappish great white and "just the right amount of bite."
Photo: Styvus Exantus/pexels
Photo: ai25studio/pexels
A VARIETY of California red wines from Line 39, from left, Cupcake Vineyards and Snoop Dogg’s 19 Crimes Cali Red, are displayed at a grocery store in Concord, N.H. on June 8, 2026.
Photo: J.M. Hirsch via AP
Clive Davis, music industry starmaker, has died at 94
By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY and MARIA SHERMAN AP Music Writers
CLIVE Davis, the record company lawyer who became one of the music industry’s most powerful fgures, launching or resurrecting the careers of such superstars as Janis Joplin, Whitney Houston, Carlos Santana and Alicia Keys, has died, his family confrmed. He was 94. Davis died in his Manhattan apartment, weeks after being hospitalized for an upper respiratory issue, his publicist Aliza Rabinof said.
“To the world, our father was the iconic music legend whose vision, instincts, and relentless pursuit of excellence shaped the soundtrack of countless lives. He discovered, mentored, and championed the greatest artists in modern music history, leaving an indelible mark on culture that will endure for generations,” the statement read.
Many artists mourned his passing on Monday. Carlos Santana called him “a visionary.” Michael Bublé said the music executive “believed in people and their dreams.” Patti Smith thanked Davis for a half century of “love and support.” Unlike other record moguls whose infuence waned as they got older, Davis’ might only seemed to grow, spanning multiple genres and labels. Into his later years, he was directing the careers of everyone from Barry Manilow to “American Idol” winners Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson. And his exclusive pre-Grammys gala, held the Saturday night before the Sunday award show every year since 1975, continued to be an institution.
“Clive’s talent has always been seeing and hearing what other people don’t,” former President Barack Obama said in a video message played at this year’s gala.
A Brooklyn background
Clive Jay Davis was born on April 4, 1932 in Brooklyn, New York, where he grew up in the Crown Heights neighbourhood. His father was an electrician and traveling salesman. He attended New York University and then Harvard Law School, eventually landing a job as an in-house lawyer at Columbia Records.
Davis always had a knack for business, and by 1967, became president of the company, just seven years after being hired as an attorney. He cited attending the Monterey International Pop Festival that year as pivotal; it eventually led him to bringing Bruce Springsteen, Chicago, Neil
Diamond and many other groups to the label — bringing a counterculture spirit to a company that had resisted rock ‘n’ roll.
Davis took big swings in the music industry, particularly in his support for Black artists, beginning when he signed Gamble and Huf’s Philadelphia International Records in 1971.
In 2015, the NAACP recognized Davis for his groundbreaking work by presenting him with the Vanguard Award. And last summer, Davis was presented with the Apollo Theater’s Apollo Legacy Award and inducted onto its Walk of Fame.
An unrivalled career
His success stories were staggering, with Houston a crowning achievement and devastating tragedy: Davis signed her to his Arista record label when she was just a teen and turned her into America’s reigning pop princess. Houston racked up multiple No. 1 hits and became one of the top-selling artists in pop history before drug abuse hobbled her career.
She died in a Beverly Hills hotel room in 2012, hours before she was to appear at Davis’ annual pre-Grammy Awards gala. He had been convinced she was turning her life around.
“Maybe I should have been more sceptical,” Davis wrote in his 2013 memoir, “The Soundtrack of My Life,” “but I’ve always been optimistic, and I felt hopeful. It felt like old times.”
He also launched the career of multiplatinum, multiple-Grammy winner Keys — and was quick to note other talents he signed, including Joplin and Billy Joel, Blood Sweat & Tears and other “all-timers,” as he so often put it.
“I signed Patti Smith, the great Renaissance woman ... I signed Lou Reed ... I signed the Grateful Dead,” he proudly touted in an interview with The Associated Press in 1999.
He also signed the then up-and-coming producer Sean “Diddy” Combs to a label deal with his Bad Boy Records. Under Davis, the
label would have some of its biggest successes, most notably with late rap icon the Notorious B.I.G. That was long before the hiphop mogul Diddy would be incarcerated, convicted of violating the federal Mann Act, which bans transporting people across state lines for any sexual crime.
An exec who built lifelong careers
Davis didn’t simply have an eye for new talent — he also knew how to keep veterans relevant, decades after their frst hit. Aretha Franklin, whose legend was made at Atlantic Records, fourished in her later years at Arista, as did Luther Vandross, who made his last albums for another Davis label, J Records. It was Davis who conceived of the 1999 album “Supernatural,” which paired guitar god Santana with some of the day’s hottest talents. The record won a record-tying eight Grammys and gave Santana more success than he had ever enjoyed in his decades-long career.
And he had middle-aged star Rod Stewart trade in his rock hits for standards from “The Great American Songbook.” The album, released in 2003, sold millions and was so successful it spawned four titles in all.
Davis didn’t always make the right choices; he turned down a chance to sign up Meat Loaf. And he and his collaborators didn’t always agree.
He and producer David Foster fought bitterly over the arrangement for Houston’s all-time hit, a cover of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.” Davis won that fght — and the song was published with its iconic a cappella intro.
And Manilow strongly objected to recording “I Write the Songs,” noting that he didn’t even write the song, a Bruce Johnston ballad that became a signature hit for Manilow, who would have similar latter-day success mining the music of the 1950s, 60s and 70s.
“He’s just brilliant at picking ideas he thinks the public will connect,” raved
Manilow, who had worked with Davis since he was a budding singer at Columbia Records. But not an infallible figure
Davis also had his struggles. Though he became president of Columbia Records in 1967 after joining the label in 1960 as a lawyer, by 1973 he was gone in a bitter fallout. The label accused him of mismanagement of funds and he was fred.
Although Davis says he was later cleared, it wasn’t the end of his problems; he later was indicted on tax evasion charges, pleaded guilty to one count and had to pay a $10,000 fne.
However, Davis would declare victory: He says Columbia gave him the money to start Arista to resolve the dispute, and the label would become a huge success with artists like country superstars Brooks & Dunn, sassy R&B group TLC, Babyface, Houston, Franklin and others.
The label had huge success with a debut act — Milli Vanilli. But the male pop duo would become the embarrassment of the industry when, after winning a Grammy, it was revealed that they weren’t actually singing their songs (Davis blamed the debacle on the label’s European division, which he said signed them; the group was later stripped of its best new artist Grammy).
In 1999, as Arista was celebrating its 25th anniversary, Davis faced another crisis: The label’s then-parent company,
BMG Entertainment, a division of German media conglomerate Bertelsmann, wanted him to retire; most of its executives were eased out by 60, and Davis was in his mid-60s.
In 2000, despite support from his superstar roster, the company ousted him in favour of producer and songwriter Antonio “L.A.” Reid, who would later become chairman of Island/Def Jam.
Still, Davis’ successes were many
However, instead of severing its ties with Davis, BMG helped him launch J Records in what BMG has described as the largest record company startup ever created. Vandross was one of his initial artists, along with forgettable acts like the boy-band O-Town.
J Records was a success from the start, though, and only grew in stature with the arrival of a young singer named Keys, a piano-playing singer-songwriter with powerful pipes and dramatic R&B songs. Keys’ albums would go on to sell millions and win several Grammys.
His infuence grew even more when Davis was tapped for BMG’s U.S. division.
He became a key backer of the careers of the winners of “American Idol,” guiding many albums to platinum status. The show’s link to Sony BMG came through a deal between Davis and 19 Recordings Unlimited, the label managed by “Idol” creator Simon Fuller.
In 2007, however, Davis disagreed with the direction of Clarkson’s “My December,” and she publicly criticized him. The album was a fop, and she later apologized.
In 2008, Sony BMG replaced Davis as chairman and chief executive ofcer of the BMG label group, giving him the title of chief creative ofcer. He was serving as worldwide chief creative ofcer at Sony Music Entertainment up until his death.
A love-filled personal life
In his memoir, Davis confrmed longtime rumours that he was bisexual and had been living with a man in recent years.
“Do I feel I could have been similarly attracted to a woman?” Davis wrote.
“The answer is yes.”
He is survived by his four children, sons Fred, Doug and Mitchell, daughter Lauren, and his eight grandchildren Austin, Charlie, Matthew, Hayley, Harper, Sloane, Billie and Cody, two great grandchildren, cousin Jo Schuman and partner Greg Schriefer.
His family shared a loving statement on Monday.
“Through every chapter of his remarkable life, family remained Clive’s greatest pride and deepest joy. Today, we celebrate not only a towering fgure whose infuence changed music forever, but the man who led our family with grace, generosity, and kindness. We will miss him greatly, cherish him always, and carry his love with us for the rest of our lives.”
RECORD mogul Clive Davis is pictured in his New York office, Sept. 10, 1980.
Photo: Marty Reichenthal/AP
Starmer says he’ll resign as UK prime minister, roiling British politics yet again
By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press
BRITISH Prime Minister
Keir Starmer said Monday he will resign, forced out by his own party after missteps and mistakes soured voters’ goodwill following a landslide election victory two years ago on a promise of steady leadership and economic growth.
Starmer says he will remain caretaker prime minister until his Labour Party chooses a new leader — with expectations growing that it will be former Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.
Burnham confrmed on social media that “I will put myself forward as part of this process.”
Former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who was considered his main rival for the top job, said he will back Burnham.
It was Burnham’s victory in a special parliamentary election last week that triggered Starmer’s decision to resign, as Labour lawmakers focked to the charismatic former mayor in the hope he can revive the party’s fortunes. After nearly a decade as mayor of the northwestern city, Burnham returned Monday to Parliament, where he took the oath of ofce in the House of Commons. Only members of Parliament are eligible for the party leadership.
Streeting’s statement makes it more likely that Burnham will be selected without a leadership contest.
Burnham was cheered loudly by lawmakers — and heckled by one, who shouted “He’s not the Messiah!” — as he was sworn in,
before posing for selfes and a group photo with dozens of Labour MPs in another part of Parliament. Britain’s next election does not have to be held until 2029. Asked if he would call an early vote if he becomes prime minister, Burnham said: “You’re jumping several hurdles ahead there.”
Starmer is the sixth prime minister in a decade to stand outside No. 10 Downing St., and announce a departure. His statement came the day before Britain marks the 10th anniversary of its vote to leave the European Union, a decision that still roils the country’s economy and politics. After weeks of insisting he would fght to keep his job, Starmer conceded to growing pressure to hand over to a new leader who can try and revive the
government’s fagging fortunes. He led Labour to a landslide election victory in July 2024, but since then his popularity and that of the party have plummeted.
A new leader in place within weeks
Starmer made the announcement outside his ofcial residence, where he delivered his frst speech as prime minister two years ago. His voice choked with emotion near the end of the brief statement, which was watched by his staf, Cabinet ministers and scores of journalists.
“The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election,” Starmer said. “I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace.”
He said he spoke to King Charles III, Britain’s constitutional monarch, to inform him of the decision.
Starmer spent the weekend pondering his future following Burnham’s special election victory.
Starmer said nominations for a leadership contest will open July 9, and the new leader will be in place by the time Parliament returns from its summer break on Sept. 1.
If Burnham is the only candidate, the change could come by mid-July.
Starmer struggled to fulfil election pledges
Starmer has struggled to deliver promised economic growth, repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living. He has been hamstrung by repeated missteps, including his decision to appoint Peter
Mandelson, a scandal-tarnished friend of Jefrey Epstein, as UK ambassador to the United States.
Labour is losing liberal voters to the growing Green Party and facing a rising Reform UK, the Nigel Farage -led anti-immigration party that consistently leads in nationwide opinion polls.
US President Donald Trump weighed in even before an announcement, linking Starmer’s exit to two of the Republican leader’s recurring grievances: immigration and renewable energy.
“Keir Starmer will resign as Prime Minister of The United Kingdom. He failed badly on two very important subjects- IMMIGRATION AND ENERGY (OPEN NORTH SEA OIL!). I wish him well! President DJT,” Trump posted on his social media platform.
Starmer’s initially warm relationship with Trump has soured in recent months over issues including the Iran war, which the UK didn’t join.
Praised on the world stage
In contrast to missteps domestically, Starmer has won praise for his international role, notably in rallying European support for Ukraine in its fght against Russia’s invasion, and working to mitigate the economic and political turmoil unleashed by the Iran confict.
A NATO summit in Turkey next month may be his last foray on the world stage as Britain’s leader.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, posting on X, thanked Starmer for his support
and cooperation “that have helped make our Europe and our protection of life stronger.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised Starmer’s legacy.
“It can take many leaders years to grow into the statesman you became in just two years,” she said on X. “European and Ukrainian security is stronger because of you. Thank you, dear Keir.”
While many Labour lawmakers have rallied behind Burnham, some have said that Starmer had been treated unfairly. London legislator Neil Coyle railed on X against “the prospect of an utter stitch-up & the media circus being rewarded.”
Many hope Burnham can connect with voters Burnham is the front-runner to succeed Starmer because many people see him as the best person to defeat the anti-immigration Reform Party at the next election, said Olivia O’Sullivan, an analyst at London’s Chatham House think tank. Burnham appeals to Labour Party lawmakers who were frustrated by the way Starmer has governed, O’Sullivan said. Many hope that he will set out a “clearer vision” and connect with voters in parts of the country that are in danger of turning to Reform.
Still, O’Sullivan cautioned that may not translate into genuine change.
“It’s absolutely correct that that is not the same thing as ofering a radically diferent set of policies or even a particularly clear policy program,” she said.
France sizzles in punishing heat that is already causing deaths
By JOHN LEICESTER and SAMUEL PETREQUIN Associated Press
FRANCE gritted its teeth Monday for a week of record-busting temperatures, sweltering in a heat wave with daytime highs above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) and sleep-robbing sweaty nights.
The national weather service, Meteo France, said most of the country — the largest in the European Union — was entering conditions that likely won’t ease before Friday.
Meteo France called the heat wave exceptionally intense and similar to the August 2003 heat wave, “but with a still uncertain duration.” France introduced a heat watch warning system after that heat wave, when the highest temperatures in over half a century caused an estimated 15,000 deaths, many of older people in apartments and retirement homes without air conditioning.
Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing at twice the speed as the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
Human-caused climate change is tied to increasing extreme weather, and U.N. climate agency projections say the next fve years should shatter more heat records.
A country with little air-conditioning swelters
Several towns across France experienced their hottest day ever on Monday. Paris baked through its hottest night for June, not getting below 24.2 C (75.5 F). The French capital broke another June record with 37.7 C (99.9 F) recorded Monday afternoon.
“This will continue
through the end of the week, with heat levels never before recorded across more than three-quarters of the country on Wednesday and Thursday,” the weather service said. The heat wave worsened air quality in Paris as it causes the formation of ozone that traps pollution. The air quality monitoring agency in the Paris region said pollutants were likely to exceed the recommended threshold. In a country without widespread air-conditioning, people tried to adapt. Education minister Edouard Gefray said 1,352 schools were closed on Monday due to the heat, while several thousand
adjusted their schedules, with students released earlier and classes relocated in air-conditioned rooms.
Deaths are reported in rivers and a parked car
A growing swath of France, spreading on Monday to more than half its regions, was under a “red alert” for heat, with areas forecast to sufer highs past 40 C and nights not dropping below 20 C. Broadcasts on the Paris transport network urged commuters to hydrate. Medical specialists warned of the potentially deadly combination of drinking alcohol in extreme heat. Authorities cracked down on alcohol consumption in public.
Multiple drownings were reported as people sought relief in rivers, despite warnings about currents and other dangers.
Two children, aged 2 and 4, died on Monday after being found unconscious in their family’s car in the southern town of Carpentras, according a statement from the public prosecutor. According to initial fndings, they had locked themselves inside the vehicle. An investigation was opened under the ofense of involuntary manslaughter. Government messages warned parents not to leave children unattended in cars.
Heat warnings spread in Europe In the United Kingdom,
the weather ofce issued a rare “red” weather warning for Wednesday and Thursday, saying temperatures could exceed 37 C (99 F) in the shade and could rise to 40 C in parts of England and Wales.
The Met Ofce said extreme temperatures could cause heat-sensitive equipment to fail, including power and mobile phone services. Over the last four years, more than 200,000 people across Europe died from heat-related causes, and most of those were preventable, the World Health Organization’s Europe ofce said this month. The above-average temperatures can cause heat
exhaustion and life-threatening heat stroke.
The EU monitoring agency found that in Europe and globally, 2024 was the hottest year on record and the continent experienced its second-highest number of “heat stress” days. Scientists warn that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness, especially in southeastern Europe, making the region more vulnerable to health impacts and wildfres.
The burning of gasoline, oil and coal, plus deforestation, wildfres and many kinds of factories, release heat-trapping gasses that cause climate change.
ANDY Burnham arrives at Portcullis House in Westminster, central London, yesterday.
Photo: Andrew Matthews/PA/AP
A YOUNG man dives into the water, in Lille, northern France, yesterday.
Photo: Jean-Francois Badias/AP
Los Angeles schools superintendent resigns after FBI search and months on paid leave
By CHRISTOPHER WEBER and BIANCA VÁZQUEZ TONESS Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The superintendent of Los Angeles public schools has resigned four months after he was put on paid leave during a federal investigation, saying he wants students to learn "without distraction."
Alberto Carvalho 's resignation letter dated Sunday made no direct mention of the FBI's Feb. 25 search of his home and the LA Unifed School District's headquarters. Two days after the FBI served the search warrants, the district's Board of Education voted unanimously to place Carvalho on leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Authorities have not provided details of the nature of the investigation involving the district, which serves more than 500,000 students. The investigation appears to relate to a contract the school district had with an education technology company whose leader was later indicted for fraud. The company, AllHere, had a contract with the district to create an AI chatbot.
Before becoming the Los Angeles superintendent in 2022, Carvalho had spent his entire education career in Miami-Dade County Public Schools, where he drew national praise for improving graduation rates and academic achievement among Black and Hispanic students. While advocating for Miami's immigrant students, he spoke openly about his own struggles as a young recent arrival from Portugal working in restaurants and construction while homeless at times.
Under Carvalho, the Los Angeles district had been making strides. Students' academic growth has outpaced the state average in recent years and students have bounced back from pandemic learning loss. Voters overwhelmingly passed a $9 billion construction and modernization bond, the school system's largest ever.
Carvalho has denied wrongdoing
Authorities have not accused Carvalho of any crimes. He denied any wrongdoing earlier this year and had asked to be reinstated as head of the nation's second-largest district. On Sunday he resigned via a letter addressed to "students, families, teachers, staff, and community."
"Placing students frst has always guided my work," Carvalho wrote. "Because I believe our schools must remain focused on students and learning without distraction, I am resigning as Superintendent of LAUSD effective today, June 21, 2026."
In its statement released early Monday, the Board acknowledged it received the letter of resignation.
"The Board remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring stability, continuity, and continued progress through strong leadership. Our focus remains unchanged: providing every student with a high-quality education, supporting our dedicated workforce, and maintaining the trust of the communities we serve," it said. in the statement.
It said that Andrés Chait, who has been acting superintendent, will remain in that position until a permanent decision is made.
The FBI investigation has been linked to the maker of a school chatbot
In February, the FBI also searched a third location near Miami. The Miami Herald reported the Florida property belonged to Debra Kerr, who previously worked with AllHere.
In 2024, Carvalho heavily touted a deal with AllHere for an AI chatbot named "Ed" designed to help students. But about three months after unveiling the technology and paying the company $3 million, the district dropped its dealings with AllHere, which collapsed into bankruptcy. Months later, founder Joanna Smith-Griffn was charged with securities and wire fraud, along with identity theft.
At the time, Carvalho denied personal involvement in the selection of AllHere, according to the Los Angeles Times.
"Mr. Carvalho respects the rule of law and the investigative process and has always acted in the best interests of students and within the bounds of the law," Holland & Knight, the law frm representing him, previously said in a statement. "While the government's investigation remains ongoing, no evidence has been presented by prosecutors supporting any allegation that Mr. Carvalho violated federal law."
Following the search of school headquarters, LA Unifed said it was cooperating with investigators and had no further information. Carvalho became superintendent of LA schools in 2022 on a four-year contract with an annual salary of $440,000. He began a new four-year contract in February, just weeks before the raid, for the same salary, according to school board meeting documents.
Primary School Students of the Year call on Minister of Education
THREE of the country's highest-performing primary school students were recognised by education ofcials on Monday as they prepare to begin the next chapter of their academic journeys.
Newly crowned Bahamas Primary School Student of the Year Dhechaz Gibson of Lyford Cay International School, frst runner-up Cole Albury of Summit Academy and ffth-place fnisher R Caerwyn Turnquest of King's College School Bahamas paid a courtesy call on Education Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper, Education Parliamentary Secretary Keenan Johnson and senior education ofcials.
The three students emerged among the top fnishers from a feld of more than 120 nominees drawn from schools across The Bahamas.
During the meeting, Mr Johnson commended the students for their
commitment to academic excellence and the hard work that earned them national recognition.
Mr Cooper also praised the students' character and achievements, while ofering guidance as they prepare to transition from primary school to high school and eventually pursue higher education.
He encouraged the awardees to remain positive, maintain a balanced perspective and approach their future educational opportunities without placing undue pressure on themselves.
The Bahamas Primary School Student of the Year Awards programme is one of the country's longest-running student recognition initiatives, celebrating outstanding Grade 6 students for academic achievement, leadership and community involvement. The programme was established in 1997 and has grown into a national awards competition that
honours students from throughout the archipelago. Since its inception, more than 3,000 students have been recognised and millions of dollars in scholarships and prizes have been awarded to support their educational development.
This year's competition featured 123 nominees representing 14 islands, with hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships and prizes available to participants. The awards programme is administered by the Bahamas Primary School Student of the Year Foundation and is widely regarded as one of the nation's premier academic honours for primary school students.
The courtesy call provided an opportunity for education ofcials to congratulate the students on their accomplishments and encourage them as they prepare to enter high school.
Alberto Carvalho, Superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District speaks about students’ improved rising scores before Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation related to student literacy in Los Angeles on Oct. 9, 2025.
AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File