FNM ANNOUNCES
17 C AN DID ATES
Ratified candidates included former MPs and several new faces
By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
THE Free National Movement (FNM) ratified 17 candidates last night during a rally-style event at the party’s headquarters on Mackey Street. The
$12M IN FIREFIGHTING VEHICLES REQUESTED, SAYS POLICE CHIEF
By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter
kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
THE Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) has formally requested 21 firefighting vehicles and equipment, with an estimated price tag of $12m. However, Commissioner of Police Shanta Knowles cautioned that even if approved, the procurement
Pinder: ‘I’m
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
WITH questions over his political future and criticism surfacing from within his party, Central and South Abaco MP John Pinder says he remains undecided about seeking renomination, citing ongoing discussions with his family.
“There is nothing concrete yet,” he said yesterday. “I’m in discussion with my family right now. I really came here to get Abaco moving, not as a career in politics. But I understand that there’s a lot of work left to be done. I’m undecided at this time.”
Mr Pinder declined to elaborate but said he would address the matter further soon.
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
A TRAGIC house fire that left a child dead and three others severely burned earlier this month was caused by a portable stove in the bedroom, Police Commissioner Shanta Knowles said yesterday. Commissioner Knowles said police have not yet decided whether charges will be filed in connection with the incident as investigations continue. However, she urged parents to be more vigilant and to take greater precautions
SEE PAGE FOUR
gathering drew an energetic, red-clad crowd as the party continued its preparations for the next general election. The candidate slate includes a combination of newcomers to frontline
FNM leader Michael Pintard speaks during the party’s unveiling of 17 ratified candidates for the next general election at their headquaters on Mackey Street last night.
Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr
CENTRAL and South Abaco MP John Pinder II.
FNM announces 17 candidates
TERRECE Bootle-Laing - North Abaco
OMAR Isaacs - West Grand Bahama and Bimini
DR Nicholas Fox - Fox Hill
DARREN Henfield - South Beach
PHILIPPA Kelly - Central and South Eleuthera
MARVIN Dames - Mount Moriah
DEBRA Moxey-Rolle - The Exumas and Ragged Island
ARINTHIA Komolafe - Carmichael
RICKEY Mackey - North Eleuthera
JEREMY Sweeting - Central and South Abaco
DR Jacqueline Penn-Knowles - Marathon
BRIAN Brown - Golden Isles
ELSEWORTH Johnson - Yamacraw
MICHAEL Foulkes - Golden Gates
KWASI Thompson - East Grand Bahama
CARLTON Bowleg - North Andros and the Berry Islands
TERRECE Bootle-Laing - North Abaco
FNM leader Michael Pintard speaks during the unveiling of 17 party candidates for the upcoming general election. Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr
New and old faces among FNM’s ratified candidates
politics and former Members of Parliament.
FNM Leader Michael Pintard said the party had moved away from selecting only familiar names, opting for people with professional achievements and community involvement.
“They didn’t come to politics as a come up. This isn’t a stepping stone to make some money. This is a stepping stone and a platform to make an impact on your life,” he said.
He added that the candidates were selected for their capacity to bring change and operate with accountability.
“We want the public to know that we were careful to select persons who are credible, persons who are competent, persons who will serve with humility. We want the public to know the kind of people we are presenting to deliver the change. We don’t want nothing lost in translation,” he said.
Supporters cheered with horns, pompoms, and campaign signs as portions of Mackey Street were closed off for the event, which featured a medium-sized crowd gathered outside party headquarters.
Among those ratified were Dr Jacqueline PennKnowles (Marathon), Dr Nicholas Fox (Fox Hill), Debra Moxey-Rolle (The
Exumas and Ragged Island), Omar Isaacs (West Grand Bahama and Bimini), Philippa Kelly (Central and South Eleuthera), and Brian Brown (Golden Isles), a British Empire Medal recipient.
Incumbents Kwasi Thompson (East Grand Bahama) and Adrian White (St Anne’s) were also ratified.
Former MPs from the Minnis administration who are re-entering the political fray include: Michael Foulkes (Golden Gates), Marvin Dames (Mount Moriah), Carlton Bowleg (North Andros and the Berry Islands), Elsworth Johnson (Yamacraw), and Rickey Mackey (North Eleuthera). Senator Darren Henfield, who previously represented North Abaco, will now run in South Beach.
“We felt okay when South Beach called and said they want someone to speak for them. They want someone to listen to them. They want someone to represent their views,”
Mr Henfield said.
“We have to double our efforts to do what it takes to win South Beach and put it in the winning column for the FNM. We gotta work hard. This is not going to be easy. It’s hard work ahead of us, but we’re prepared to do it.”
Terrece Bootle, First Assistant Secretary at Local Government, has been ratified for the North
Abaco seat. He previously indicated interest in Central and South Abaco but has since expressed support for the ratified candidates there. In Central and South Abaco, the ratification of Chief Councillor Jeremy Sweeting—who has served two decades on the Great Abaco Cays District Council—prompted the resignation of local FNM branch chairman Roscoe Thompson. Mr Sweeting declined to comment on
Pinder: ‘I’m undecided’ on seeking renomination for South Abaco seat
from page one
His uncertainty comes amid dissatisfaction from some Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) supporters in Abaco, who have publicly questioned his performance and approach. Their concerns reportedly surfaced at a recent PLP branch meeting attended by Prime Minister Philip Davis.
Sources within the party say some members have begun scouting for potential challengers in case Mr Pinder decides to seek renomination.
In response to the criticism, Mr Pinder defended his record, saying he works seven days a week and bases every decision on what he believes is best for Abaco. He also pushed back against claims by fellow MP Leroy Major that backbenchers are sidelined and struggle to access government resources.
“That’s not true at all,” he said. Interest in the Central and South Abaco
the matter, stating: “Everybody has to make their own choices.”
Former Democratic National Alliance leader Arinthia Komolafe was ratified as the FNM’s candidate for Carmichael. She defended her shift to the FNM and said she believes the party can secure the seat.
“I contested for a seat in third party politics in two consecutive elections, and the challenges are great, but the reality
is you have to meet the people where they are, even though there were persons over the years asking me to leave third party politics and to join one of the two major parties,” she said.
“Even though there were persons over the years asking me to leave third party politics and to join one of the two major parties, I still stuck it out to bring about a different voice, a different platform, a new way for
people to get engaged in third party politics.
“I think through that vehicle, we were able to introduce a lot of people to politics who ordinarily would not have joined one of the two major parties.
“Many of them have come along with me now on this journey, and we’re going to help to build a Free National movement, to strengthen it and to help to grow its legacy that it is built over the years.”
Deveaux,
for Bamboo Town, has said she is still considering her options.
and South Abaco MP John Pinder II.
FNM leader Michael Pintard stands on stage with newly ratified candidates and other party officials on stage at the party’s headquarters on Mackey Street last night.
Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr
$12m in firefighting vehicles requested, says police chief
will be slow.
“One engine takes 17 months to be completed, and then of course it has to be shipped,” she told reporters.
The proposed fleet includes four tankers, three ladder trucks, and several pump trucks, each to be fully outfitted with gear for officers.
“Hopefully we can get them as soon as possible,” Commissioner Knowles said. “Of course, you know the budget is almost completed, and then we’ll move further ahead with that.”
National Security Minister Wayne Munroe, during the 2025–2026 Budget debate, acknowledged these long-standing gaps and affirmed plans to acquire 15 to 20
engines suited to the Bahamas’ terrain. Still, he warned
Funeral Service For
Althea
Louise Celeste Bullard-Salam Ahmed, 89 affectionately called “Pet”
a resident of #32 Wells Lane, Ann’s Town, New Providence, Bahamas and formerly of Victoria Point, Mangrove Cay, Andros, Bahamas will be held at 2:00pm on Sunday, June 29th, 2025 at Maranatha Seventh Day Adventist Church Prince Charles Drive. Offciating will be Pastor Manasseh Simms assisted by Elder Carlton Reddock. Interment will follow in Southern Cemetery, Cowpen and Spikenard Roads.
Pet, as she was affectionately called, was predeceased by her parents: Harold and Olive Bullard; her siblings Mary “Hessie” Bullard and Veronica “Tana” Turnquest and her nieces: Victoria Brown and Carolyn Bastian Jolly.
Precious memories will forever be held by her husband: Mohammed Salam Ahmed; step children: Fatema Ahmed Suha and Ibrahim Ahmed Sazzad; nieces and nephews: Andrew Bastian and his wife Ruth, Luceita Edwards, Dr. David Brown, Annette Ferguson, Paul and Christopher Turnquest, Deborah Bastian Albury and her husband Andrew, Dereck Turnquest and his wife Tiffany, Angela and Janese Turnquest, Philippa Bullard Cartwright, Janet and Shaneka Minnis, Vernita Johnson; grand nieces and nephews: Chinyere (Rev. Douglas) Culmer, Andrew Jason Bastian, Andrea (Ray) Best, Chenique Edwards, Belinda (David) Gambu, Eugene and Robert Davis, Keora Archer, Alexis Duvot, Angel Dixon, Tevard Corey (Dr. Anna) Bastian, Rasheda , Temika, Roshanda Nicole and Nadia Jolly, Paulette Turnquest, Dedrick and Deandra Johnson, Andre Albury, Ashley Gunn, Naschea, Ashley, Megan and Haylie Turnquest, Michael O’Brien, Dejanique Thompson, Kaden and Wyatt Joshua Cartwright; great grand nieces and nephews: Dachye and Dax Jared Stubbs, Mia, Maci and Madisyn Best, Savanah Davis, Omar and Omyrah Archer, Leah Stuart, Alex, Alexia and Alexion Duvot, Tevard Jr., Teveya and Tevai Bastian, Hadassah Brice, Jasmine, Anavia and Rornae Horton, Alicia Jervis, Malik Sands, Micah Asher Downes, Myah and Brycen Turnquest, Russian Toribio, Jason Eber Jr.; other relatives and friends including: Clyde Forbes Sr., Reno Forbes, Elaine Adderley, Geno and Aiden Nairn, Rosita Ali, Kevin Kemp, George Rolle and family of New York, Marion Taylor, Eula and Veronica Pennerman, Miriam Deveaux, Delores Lewis, Eric Bullard, Rosina Bain, Betty Cooper, Monica Gaitor, Rev. Catherine Nairn, Christopher Gaitor, Clyde Forbes Jr., Mary, Martha, Oscar, Rev. Hilton Bullard, Maygleana Penn, McDonald, Simon, Reta, Geraldine and Elizabeth Rolle, Miriam Murphy, Estelle Saunders, Alan and Prince Bullard, Rose McKenzie, Natasha Gaitor, Thelma and Rev. Moses Pennerman, Rev. Wilfred Bastian, Rev. Howard Smith, Sylvia Price, Roland Rolle, Alvin and Oswell Rolle, Geraldine Julien, Mr. and Mrs. Benson, Lynette Bowleg, Jeanette Thompson, Irene McKenzie, Gertrude Wright, Cynthia Hall, Steve McKinney, Alfred Bastian, Aubrey Tucker, Marsha Collie Taylor, the family of the late Charles and Hester “Hettie” Kemp, the family of the late Jestina “Arrie” Forbes, the family of the late Rubert Bain, the family of the late Lawrence Bain, the family of the late Arementa Poitier Adderley of Florida, the family of the late Edith Poitier Woodside of New York, the family of the late Bruce and Lillis Pennerman, the family of the late Carl and Esther Nairn, the family of the late Frederick Jr. and Mennencia Bullard., the family of the late Pearline Bullard, the family of the late Cleomi McPhee, the family of the late Garfeld and Sylvia Gaitor, the descendants of Clarence Poitier originally of Cat Island and Victoria Rolle Poitier of Lisbon Creek Mangrove Cay Andros, the descendants of Frederick and Elizabeth Bullard of Mangrove Cay Andros, the descendants of James Kerr of Lisbon Creek Mangrove Cay Andros, the Wells Lane, Ann’s Town Community, the entire Bullard, Bastian, Rolle, Longley, Bain, Nairn, Wright, Smith, Bannister, Davis, Pennerman and Green families and the entire Mangrove Cay Community and a host of other relatives and friends to numerous to name.
Relatives and friends may pay their respects at Cedar Crest Funeral Home and Crematorium Ltd., Robinson and Baillou Hill Roads on Saturday from 10:00a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and at the Church on Sunday from 1:00 p.m. until service time.
Adelaide area remains seemingly unreachable by RBPF firefighting engines, Commissioner Knowles said. She noted that the vehicles “can’t access the fire as easily as they’d want to”, but heavy equipment— secured with the help of community partners—has been deployed to carve out firebreaks. She credited these efforts with preventing the blaze from reaching nearby homes, adding that firefighters were still on the scene at the time of reporting.
In recent months, multiple fires have scorched parts of The Bahamas— from downtown Nassau to the rural outskirts of Eleuthera and Abaco.
The most devastating occurred in May, when flames tore through Victoria Court near Bay
Street, reducing historic buildings to ash and rubble and prompting a full-scale emergency response, including a temporary closure of Lynden Pindling International Airport. Elsewhere, brush fires in Abaco and Grand Bahama have threatened infrastructure and forced evacuations.
The country made a leap forward in 2022 with the acquisition of four high-capacity Oshkosh Striker ARFF vehicles for major airports, but structural fire response— particularly on the Family Islands—has remained patchy. Grand Bahama only received an operational structural fire truck in early 2025, with South Eleuthera following suit shortly afterward.
certainly leave them with responsible adults,” she said.
when it comes to child safety. She also stressed the importance of keeping dangerous items out of children’s reach.
“It is important for me to say right now that we need to encourage parents and guardians to not leave their children at home alone and
Police reported that the fire occurred at a residence on Rupert Dean Lane on June 16.
All four children involved—each under the age of six—suffered severe burns after the bedroom they were in caught fire. One child later died from injuries sustained in the blaze. According to police, a relative supervising the children had fallen asleep and awoke to find the bedroom in flames. The children’s mother was away seeking assistance from a government agency at the time.
Earlier this week, Baha Mar resort donated $15,000 to support the family in the wake of this tragedy.
POLICE COMMISSIONER SHANTA KNOWLES
FIREFIGHTERS working to protect the Adelaide area from forest fire this week. Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr
Hanna-Martin: Govt reviewing laws to curb violence on school campuses
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
MINISTER of Education Glenys Hanna-Martin said the government is reviewing laws to bolster protection for educators and school staff after the violent assault of a school principal in East Grand Bahama this month.
“This is a very egregious, unacceptable incident,” Ms Hanna-Martin told reporters. “It caused tremendous harm, physical and psychological, to someone who has given her life in service to teaching children.”
She said preliminary talks have begun with the Attorney General to assess current legislation and explore legal reforms aimed at deterring violence on school campuses. Before the incident, the Ministry of Education had begun moving to tighten school safety protocols nationwide. These include
A 27-year-old man allegedly struck a principal with an iron object during a parent-teacher meeting last Friday, an attack police say was triggered by dissatisfaction over a student’s report card. The principal, who sustained serious head injuries, has since been discharged from hospital. The accused has been charged.
stricter ID requirements for students and escort policies for parents.
“We’re looking at ensuring no unauthorised persons can access our campuses,” the minister said. “Collaboration between parents and teachers is essential, but schools must be secure spaces.”
Ms Hanna-Martin said she tried to contact the injured principal directly to offer support. “We’re grateful for her service. We’re very sorry she had to experience that, and we hope that the law takes its full course for such an egregious event,” she said.
CPSA signs long awaited industrial agreement with Public Hospitals Authority
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
AFTER years of stalled negotiations and mounting tension, the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) and the Consultant Physicians Staff Association (CPSA) have signed a long-awaited industrial agreement, a move hailed as a major breakthrough in healthcare labour relations in The Bahamas.
The five-year agreement, retroactive to 2021 and extending through 2026, will benefit approximately 127 consultant
physicians. While the total financial impact remains undetermined pending insurance calculations, the deal introduces upgrades to salaries, leave, and healthcare benefits. Among the key provisions: paternity leave of up to 15 days, adoption leave of up to 12 weeks for children under one, and six weeks for older children.
All CPSA members will also now be enrolled in the Bahamas Government’s Group Medical Insurance Plan. Salary increases will be phased in over the final three years: ten percent in year three, followed by 7.5
percent increases in years four and five.
The signing ends a contentious period that began when the last agreement expired in 2020. Talks were repeatedly bogged down over issues such as biometric swipe-in systems, health insurance access, and expanded leave.
One major sticking point was the PHA’s push to implement a swipe-in system to track physicians’ hours. While intended to bolster accountability, the CPSA argued it failed to account for off-site duties like consultations
By DENISE MAYCOCK
and administrative work.
A compromise has since been reached, with a new framework acknowledging physicians’ varied responsibilities beyond hospital walls. However, officials did not elaborate on the resolution yesterday.
Despite delays, both parties say the final agreement reflects a shared commitment to compromise.
“Nobody’s ever 100 percent satisfied, but we think both sides have some benefit and there is more room to negotiate,” said CPSA President Dr Charelle Lockhart. “We are happy
with where we are at this particular point.”
Health Minister Dr Michael Darville called the agreement a testament to the government’s commitment to fairness and improved working conditions in the public health system.
PHA managing director Aubynette Rolle confirmed that negotiations will resume in 2026, once the current agreement lapses.
Minister of Labour Pia Glover-Rolle framed the deal as part of a wider government strategy to modernise labour
relations across the public sector.
“This agreement represents a culmination of the efforts of everyone that is a stakeholder in this process,” she said. “Through improved social dialogue and enhanced labour relations, we are delivering on our promise to treat labour issues with the importance they deserve.” Government officials said the CPSA pact is the 57th industrial agreement signed under the Davis administration, following a similar recent agreement with the Bahamas Doctors Union.
EDUCATION M INI S TE R GLEN YS H ANNA -M A RTIN
(PHA) at the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday. Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr
The Tribune Limited
NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI
“Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”
LEON E. H. DUPUCH
Publisher/Editor 1903-1914
SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH, Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .
Publisher/Editor 1919-1972
Contributing Editor 1972-1991
RT HON EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON, C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B.
Publisher/Editor 1972-
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New - and old - political choices
ELECTION rally season has begun.
The PLP had its rally – though the party was giving nothing away in terms of candidates yet. And last night the FNM had a rally to announce its first 17 candidates.
The candidate list for the FNM is a mix of old faces and new.
There are two current MPs – Kwasi Thompson and Adrian White – returning to run in their current constituencies.
There are the likes of Michael Foulkes in Golden Gates, Elsworth Johnson in Yamacraw, Darren Henfield in South Beach and Marvin Dames in Mount Moriah.
Then there is former DNA leader Arinthia Komolafe, whose switch to the FNM has landed her a spot in Carmichael.
And then there are others, some familiar to their communities already, some looking to make their mark.
In short, the starting gun may not have been fired yet, but the race is on.
These will be the people knocking on doors in coming on months and encouraging voters to throw their lot in with them.
Everything will be analysed. Every crowd shot of every rally will have people counting how many people are there. The number of column inches or amount of broadcast time given to each party will be seized on to assess whether candidates are getting their fair say.
The histories of each candidate will be examined for lines of political attack – Attorney General Ryan Pinder was quick to post a picture last night of new
FNM candidate Jeremy Sweeting at a PLP event in years gone by, as if he does not notice a former FNM MP in Parliament in PLP colours in Vaughn Miller.
But this is a chance to truly interrogate these candidates about what they will really do for the country.
It is easy to say patriotic things, it is easy to speak platitudes about what is needed – but when they knock on your door, ask them specifics. What will they do about this particular issue? When will your constituency see that long-overdue project completed?
What policies in particular are important? That is a matter for every voter to decide for themselves.
It is also a chance to examine the past of each candidate, to show what they will bring to the table – and yes indeed, ask questions about previous affiliations and why they have changed.
It is a chance to examine candidates for any controversies they may have in their past – and demand answers if there are. But most of all it is a chance for the nation to decide where it goes from here – constituency by constituency. You are the employers. These are the would-be employees. Be sure you do all you can to ensure you pick the right one. So listen for that knock on the door, and ask your questions. Get through the spin. Ask each party’s candidate why they deserve your vote – and for every promise they make, promise they will be held to those pledges.
Choosing the best will soon be a job for you all. Be ready.
Crime fght is job for all of us
EDITOR, The Tribune.
MANY Bahamians are distressed and stressed out at the unmitigated levels of serious crimes to property and the person here in our wonderful nation generally but New Providence in particular. The causation of crime and the ‘solutions’ thereto, have never, hitherto been collectively and sensibly addressed in a national dialogue and/or forum. Every Tom, Dick and Harry, myself included, have long opined on these things with scant results, so far. I do believe that the vast majority of Bahamians, from all strata of society know or harbor at least one “criminal”. In fact, some of them are ourselves; our children; siblings and even spouses. This does not make it right but it must be clearly understood that these “criminals” are home grown Bahamian criminals. The full brunt of the law must be inflicted on harden and repeat criminals without mercy. Tough love, to my knowledge, has never killed anyone. While doing this, however, we need to be careful about the choice
of words we employ to label the “criminal” element. Words have always held great power, even if some say that: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words cannot hurt”. That is a gross fallacy. In the beginning was The Word and The Word was with God. It has been reported that the Hon Minister of National Security, perhaps innocently, referred to “criminals” as “cockroaches”. If he did say that, that would not have been the best choice of descriptive words. I fully appreciate and understand his sentiments but there are some things you simply do not call a fellow Bahamians, especially in retail politics. Crime and the abject fear of crime has long plagued The Bahamas and bedeviled successive administrations. Crime respects no one, much less the come and go politicians. That does not mean that we have to designate the so-called criminals as “cockroaches” because, if they are, in fact, “cockroaches”. We as a people must also be “cockroaches” seeing that they are Bahamians. They are
PICTURE OF THE DAY
A tribute to Joshua Sears
EDITOR, The Tribune
THIS is a tribute I never expected to have to deliver in writing.
I knew Joshua Sears by reputation first.
He was a Deputy Permanent Secretary serving in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs when I first came to office in 1992. I was determined then to bring change to the base and administrative command of various ministries and departments. And so, I looked around the Service to identify suitable persons for promotion to leadership. Joshua was one such person appointed Permanent Secretary.
Josh’s term as Ambassador in Washington, he covered both representation to Washington and to the OAS from a single Chancery or Embassy which also housed the Bahamas’ Consulate General. Today, The Bahamas maintains three diplomatic offices in Washington: an Embassy, a permanent mission to the OAS and a Consulate General; all in separate locations, all with separate Heads and staff.)
schooling in Nassau where he became an adopted part of the Roberts’ family, to his life at UWI and his happy marriage to Michelle which brought them four wonderful children.
Above all he was considerate, honest, reliable and kind; a man who anyone would be happy to call friend.
the produce of our society, right or wrong.
The enlightened Davis administration will be coming back to the electorate within the next year and a half. A second consecutive term is absolutely critical if the PLP’s agenda is to be accomplished while Brave holds sway. I would advise our politicians and wannabes to exercise a better choice of words in describing our home grown “criminals”. They maybe many things to many people, but I submit that they are not cockroaches. The job of fighting crime belongs to All Bahamians and we must, collectively, re-engineer our approach to crime; punishment and rehabilitation. One way to nip the bud is that rapid expansion of The National Youth Guard Programme. In another contribution, I will flesh out the absolute necessity of this...To God then, in all things, be the glory Oh, by the way, God made the cockroaches also.
ORTLAND H BODIE, Jr Nassau, June 17, 2025.
He had served as our Deputy High Commissioner to the UK in the late 1980s. He was known in government circles as a quiet, competent, civil servant with excellent administrative skills. He had served in the ministry of foreign affairs since 1975 after completing undergraduate studies at the University of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica.
I decided he had the temperament needed at the ministry of health where I had just named Mrs Ivy Dumont (Dame Ivy), herself a former public servant, as minister. I suspect that Josh would have had the same consternation of many of his colleagues who thought it strange to post an international affairs expert to the ministry of health.
By all accounts from his minister and from his colleagues at the ministry of health he passed with flying colours. And his international expertise contributed meaningfully to the many aspects of the health portfolio.
Josh’s true calling though was international relations and so I caused him to be returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Permanent Secretary in 1995 where he continued to excel in training young, up and coming diplomats and providing useful guidance for improved organisation and administration of the ministry. From there I selected him to serve as our Ambassador E & P to the United States of America in 2000. (Notably during
In the Service Josh always kept his politics to himself. He was all things to all men; truly a man for all seasons. His professionalism, nationalism, discretion and his dedication to the principles of civil servants serving the government of the day, meant that Prime Minister Perry Christie had no difficulty in leaving him in place as the Bahamas’ Ambassador to the United States following his election victory. So, Josh, having been appointed for a period of three years, continued as Bahamas Ambassador in Washington DC until 2006. Later he served as Director General of the Foreign Service and later still, as Special Advisor to Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis between 2016 and 2021.
In all Josh served governments led by four prime ministers from both major parties – those led by Sir Lynden Pindling, Perry Christie, Dr Hubert Minnis and my own. Josh stood unsuccessfully as the FNM standard bearer for the constituency of Exuma in the 2007 General Elections. Following my return to office, he was appointed as Director General of Foreign Affairs, where he lent his experience to efforts to strengthen the foreign service and to improve the training of foreign service officers. Josh was a proud Exumian. He was always happy to share his life experiences with you, whether his childhood in Exuma, his
He was especially proud of his skills in the kitchen whether making conch salad, conch chowder or baking bread. Indeed, he developed a reputation far and wide as the baker of one of the best breads ever. I used to look forward to his annual Christmas visit to my home. We would chew the fat, toast the season and I would revel in receiving a loaf of that famous bread. I was surprised last Christmas when he sent the bread inside but remained in the car. I wondered, after his diagnosis some months later, whether he had been feeling poorly at Christmas. But he insisted otherwise when I spoke to him on the telephone. He was running late and could not stop, no reason for alarm.
When Josh was hospitalised weeks later, I asked FNM chairman, Dr Duane Sands, to make some inquiries especially as a diagnosis was escaping his doctors. He did. Josh’s diagnosis was tough but we all expected that treatment would restore him to good health.
I, like most, was stunned to learn that he passed while still receiving treatment in Colombia. He is greatly missed already. Delores and I and all my family pray for the repose of his soul and for comfort for his family, his wife Michelle, his children Khandra, Kirsti, Kharin, and Mikhail, grandchildren Devante and Derryn, his mother Bloneva Sears his siblings and extended family, his Public Service family, his Lodge family and his many friends and associates in the Free National Movement and beyond. May he
Have a cool, fun, interesting, amazing photo? Have it featured here in The Tribune’s picture of
BANANAS ripe and ready to pick.
Photo: Aaliyah Knowles
Bimini celebrates Edgecombe’s historic draft into the NBA
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
JUBILATION swept through Bimini on Wednesday night as 19-year-old VJ Edgecombe made history, becoming the island’s first native ever drafted into the NBA.
The Philadelphia 76ers selected the Bahamian standout, a freshman guard from Baylor University, as the No 3 overall pick, placing him among an elite group of Bahamian NBA first-rounders, including Michael Thompson, Buddy Hield, Deandre Ayton, and Kai Jones.
Cheers erupted from a watch party in Bimini and spilled into the streets, with locals celebrating a moment decades in the making.
For Charles “Softly” Robbins, the moment was especially emotional. His late brother, Coach Grafton “Sugar” Robbins, introduced a young VJ to basketball during his summer camps.
“We always knew if he didn’t make it to college, he was going straight to the NBA,” Mr Robbins said. “It brought tears to my eyes last night. Then I saw he had my brother’s name in his jacket; that was really touching. Sometimes people forget who started them off. But every time
he opened his mouth, it was ‘Sugar, Sugar, Sugar.’ I thought that was very nice.” Family members joined VJ in New York for the draft. Among them was Randalette Rolle.
“We are very proud of him and excited. It was a great experience to witness, especially coming from Bimini. God is good,” she said.
She described VJ as “always mannerly and pleasant,” a humble kid often seen with a basketball in hand, stopping by relatives’ homes or shooting hoops at Bayfront Park.
In Bimini, the celebrations continued well into the night.
“I know him and I’m proud of him,” said local resident Alberto David. “I was watching on my phone and wished I could’ve been there with them.”
Mr Robbins sees stardom in VJ’s future. Comparing his athleticism and flair to Julius “Magic” Erving, he is confident the young guard has the makings of a Hall of Famer.
“If he can stay away from injuries, I know he will be. He’s already a Hall of Famer in Bimini, our first NBA player. I’m biased, yes.”
On Thursday, Mr Robbins called VJ’s mother, Brenda Rolle, to share his congratulations. “I can’t stop looking at it. He’s just 19,” he said.
Now a coach in Freeport, Mr Robbins still returns each summer to run a basketball camp in his brother’s honour. He believes VJ’s success will Norris Bain, Deputy Director of Youth, Sports, and Culture for Northern Bahamas, echoed that sentiment, praising VJ’s work ethic.
“This is a major accomplishment for Bimini and The Bahamas, to see another young man reach the NBA,” he said. “VJ epitomizes hard work. He gives hope to every young boy and girl chasing a dream.”
VJ averaged 15 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists this season with the Baylor Bears.
Mr Bain first saw VJ play during the national championship hosted by the Ministry of Education and followed his progress through Buddy Hield’s camps and Lutheran High School in New York.
Gladstone ‘Moon’ McPhee, a respected figure in Bahamian basketball, recalled seeing VJ as a teen.
“Someone brought him from Bimini and told me, ‘Coach, he is the real thing.’ And he is. The country should be very proud—not just of VJ, but of all our athletes giving their best and giving back,” he said.
MAN HELD ON CHARGE OF SHOOTING GUN WHILE ON BAIL FOR ATTE MPTED MURDER
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN awaiting trial for attempted murder and abetment to murder in Grand Bahama has been denied bail after allegedly discharging a firearm earlier this year.
Jeffery Musgrove, 51, had his bail application for the firearm-related charge denied by Justice Andrew Forbes.
Musgrove, along with others, is accused of wantonly discharging a firearm in January while already on bail for attempted murder and abetment to murder.
By PAVEL BAILEY
Tribune Staff Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A 20-YEAR-OLD man was ordered to pay $2,500 yesterday after admitting to assaulting and injuring a woman during an altercation on Paradise Island last month.
He is alleged to have abetted in the murder of Curtis Missick in Hunter’s, Grand Bahama, on November 18, 2022. Sean Smith, representing the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, argued that Musgrove posed a risk of reoffending if released on bail.
During the bail hearing, Musgrove claimed he did not fire a weapon and that one of his co-accused had already pleaded guilty to the charge. He also noted that charges against that individual’s girlfriend had been dropped. While Justice Forbes acknowledged there was
Fanikea Nonorme appeared before Senior Magistrate Raquel Whyms, charged with causing harm. The court heard that on May 17, around 10.45pm, Nonorme attacked Donasia Roberts during an incident at Shopper’s Mall Plaza on Paradise Island. He pleaded guilty and accepted the prosecution’s
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter
A MAN awaiting trial for murder was fined $3,500 yesterday after admitting to violating his court-imposed curfew for two weeks.
Shakeem Munroe, 29, appeared before Senior Magistrate Raquel Whyms, charged with breaching the conditions of his bail. Munroe was previously granted Supreme Court bail in connection with the murder of Lamar Moss, who was shot and killed while sitting in a car on Mall Drive off Soldier Road around 7pm on January 26, 2021. Moss later died of his injuries in hospital.
evidence that one of Musgrove’s co-accused had pleaded guilty, he emphasised that no transcript from the Magistrate’s Court had been submitted. He ruled that such matters must be evaluated during trial, not during a bail application.
Justice Forbes also concluded that no bail conditions could adequately ensure Musgrove’s attendance at trial, especially since he was already wearing a monitoring device at the time of the alleged offense.
As a result, Musgrove’s bail application was denied. Parkco Deal represented the accused.
account of events.
Nonorme was fined $500 or face three months in prison. He was also ordered to pay $2,000 in compensation to the victim, with an additional risk of courtordered imprisonment if he fails to pay.
He is expected to return to court today to complete payment.
While on bail, Munroe failed to observe his curfew between June 1 and June 21 in New Providence. He pleaded guilty and accepted the facts presented by the prosecution.
Magistrate Whyms fined him $3,500 or three months in prison. Sergeant Wilkinson prosecuted the case.
VJ Edgecombe poses for a photo with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected third by the Philadelphia 76ers In the first round of the NBA basketball draft, on Wednesday in New York.
Photo: Adam Hunger/AP
AMBASSADOR-Designate of the Republic of Turkiye to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas Aytac Yilmaz paid a courtesy call at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), on June 18, 2025. He is pictured standing with MOFA Permanent Secretary David Cates and MOFA Director General Jerusa Ali.
Photos: Anthon Thompson/BIS
Summertime soil care
SUMMER is officially here with its hot, blindingly sunny days and warmer nights. Thankfully, the breeze is not as humid as it would be in the upcoming months, so that as the sun sets, it’s still comfortable to sit outside and enjoy the countdown to another day, minus the mosquitoes and sandflies. It’s hard to believe that a couple of months ago, vegetable gardens were still churning out produce that we proudly enjoyed on our tables. Now, the enthusiasm to tend to the garden has waned, and the weeds are taking over until we begin planting again next Fall.
Traditionally, vegetable production in our isles occurs during the coolest periods of the year, beginning with seed planting in
By Dr Salima Hauber
September or October. By the time the first harvest of tomatoes is ready, for example, the oppressive heat and humidity of summer have been replaced by milder days and cool nights typical of November and December. The bounty of fresh vegetables pours out of our farms and gardens until the barrage of heat and insect pests hits again in May and June. So, what’s one to do
during the summer when so few vegetables can thrive?
While it may be tempting to abandon the garden and allow the weeds to take over, this practice will only make your next season miserable when the seeds the weeds deposited germinate amongst your precious crops. If you don’t want to fill your garden with a few heat-tolerant crops such as okra, eggplant, or melons, summer is the ideal time to
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replenish the fertility that the previous crop removed from the soil.
Taking care of the soil is of utmost importance for the success of growing vegetables, particularly when using sustainable or organic production practices. If you’ve been treating your soil like ‘dirt’ and engaging it only when you’re attempting to coax a meal out of it, then grab a pen and paper and take some notes.
Soil is a complex, living system of minerals, air, water, and organic matter. The minerals, in our case, limestone, compose fortyfive percent of the soil volume. Air and water each take up twenty-five percent, and the remaining five percent is composed of organic matter. Even though it occupies the smallest fraction of total soil volume, organic matter is critically important and is made up of living and non-living components, and micro and macro-organisms.
Picture walking through a mature, undisturbed forest. Here in Eleuthera, there are vast acreages of forests that haven’t been disturbed in decades, quite possibly a century or more. The bouncy, spongy feeling as you step on the forest floor is the result of layers of leaf litter, which is one component of non-living organic matter.
Over time, the leaf litter breaks down, turning into the other component of non-living organic matter - humus. Humus is the product of soil-borne microorganisms decomposing leaf litter and other plant material. There is a beautiful relationship between the soil microorganisms and the plants and trees growing in the soil.
The soil microorganisms provide plants with nutrients by creating humus; and the plants and trees feed the microorganisms sugars that they make through photosynthesis. This exchange must be encouraged to have successful crops. Soil microorganisms also create sticky substances that cause the soil particles to clump together, holding them in place and lessening the chance of erosion.
Microorganisms are a food source for larger living organisms like earthworms, beetles, and ants. These larger creatures contribute to soil health in a number of ways. By tunneling and burrowing through the soil, they allow air and water to penetrate, which ensures healthy roots. Earthworms are prized for bringing humus from the soil surface deep into the soil nearer to the plants’ roots to close the nutrient cycling loop.
Now that we understand the importance of keeping soil microbes happy, let’s
explore ways to ensure they thrive in the soil. Never leave soil barren. Leaving soil unplanted means there are no plants to feed the microbes, and they eventually die off. If you’re not planting a vegetable crop that can be harvested, plant a cover crop. A cover crop is a crop planted strictly for the purpose of improving and protecting the soil. Cover crops protect the soil from wind and intense rains that would cause erosion.
Over time, unprotected soil would be blown or washed away, leaving very little to plant your crop in.
Choosing a cover crop from the bean family, also known as legumes, is ideal as they naturally fertilise the soil. With the help of certain soil bacteria, leguminous plants take nitrogen from the air and convert it to a form that plants can access – a process of the nitrogen cycle called nitrogen fixation. The most efficient legume at fixing nitrogen in our climate is Sunn Hemp (Crotolaria juncea). Sunn hemp fixes 340-480lbs of nitrogen per acre! At the end of its nitrogen-fixing duties, the cover crop can be tilled into the soil, adding organic matter that is essential for enabling the soil to hold water, making it readily available to plants. Avoid using petroleumderived, synthetic fertilisers. When applied to soil, synthetic fertilizers make the soil environment inhospitable to microorganisms. Readily soluble fertilizers are easily leached from the root zone during heavy rain. This is not only a loss to the plants but also poses a threat to the water table and our marine environment. Use organic materials like compost, composted animal manure, and seaweed to
add fertility to the soil. Organic-based fertilisers, such as manure and compost, also introduce billions of microorganisms while posing no harm to the existing population. By protecting the microbes in your soil and encouraging their growth, you are not only ensuring a successful harvest but also improving your own gut microbiome and ultimately your health. Just as soil microbes break down organic matter to release nutrients for plants, our own gut microbes break down food we consume to release nutrients contributing to our health. Studies show that we can fortify our gut microbiome by consuming foods grown naturally in soils with a rich and diverse microbial population. So, before you abandon your garden until the fall season, consider your soil and enhance your own health and thriving gut flora by protecting the soil and its microbes.
of One Eleuthera Foundation
DR SELIMA HAUBER
Chief Production Office at the CTI Farm
How hospital stays could affect your mind and body
A PHYSICIAN who is widely respected was discussing health care with a few friends one day when someone asked him casually whether or not he thought a certain patient would be better off in the hospital.
“This is not an emergency,” the good doctor retorted matter-of-factly. “The hospital is the worst place for a sick person to be, especially if they are elderly.” His chilling words landed on my ear with the kind of impact I’d expect if someone held a concrete block in mid-air and dropped it on my little toe.
Ouch, I winced. Ouch.
Ouch. What did he just say?
Either I misheard or this was sheer blasphemy, the doctor I revered all but pronouncing hospitals as places unfit for humans. That’s a slight exaggeration of the good man’s disdain, but that’s how badly it shook me. Isn’t a hospital the one safe place we don’t want to end up but are grateful it’s there just in case we do?
That brief conversation might have faded like the desire to have dessert after two bowls of spaghetti had it not been for another doctor hundreds of miles away just this week saying virtually the same thing the first doc shocked me with years ago. This time, the good doctor added a few frightening facts, none of which, by the way, were very flattering to the human body or mind. It appears that the first good doctor who warned of the impact of hospital stays was right – an extended hospital stay does little to improve our general health, and can even reverse it, both mentally and physically, and the effects only get worse as we age and are more likely to spend more time in the hospital.
So why is there a potential danger associated with an extended hospital stay? What happens to us when we are being coddled and cared for, when doctors and nurses and techs and aides surround us? What goes wrong (excluding the fainting spell we feel coming on when we get the bill before insurance has finished tabulating?)
There are two basic impacts, one on the nerves and muscles of the body and the other on the brain.
The human body is meant to stand and walk, activities hard to pull off when confined to a hospital bed which is carefully designed to ensure that we are prone.
Muscles atrophy and vanish faster than car keys left on the kitchen counter in a home with an 18-yearold boy. According to the most recent doctor’s assessment based on more than 20 years of practice and seeing patients in hospitals nearly every day of the year, the body of a young, healthy male adult loses up to 30 percent of its muscle mass in two weeks in a hospital stay.
A single day’s muscle mass loss
And it’s far worse for seniors. Those in their Seventies or older can lose one month’s worth of muscle strength in a single day. Muscle deconditioning can begin almost immediately, beginning their turn to mush within hours of being placed in the hospital bed. The average patient loses two to five percent of muscle mass per day.
For someone with a little age, like those who remember rotary dial phones and words to Frank Sinatra ballads, the danger is more extreme. Older patients face much graver loss – up to 10 percent of muscle mass per day. At that rate of deconditioning, the longterm bedridden patient at home or in a medical facility will eventually turn into
By Diane Phillips
a human jell-O mold, upper arms as wobbly as a limp carrot, legs as shaky as a water glass on a high-speed vessel.
Even for the young, healthy patient, for every week in a hospital bed, it takes two full weeks to recover. One to two odds, not terrible, not the kind of stat we want to take to our grave with us.
That is why doctors and nurses encourage patients to get up out of bed, walk the halls, ignore the stares at your gown that ignores your pleas to stay closed in the back, avoid eye contact if you weren’t successful. Focus on the movement.
Deconditioning sounds like something you do to a vehicle that is crying out for a little love, or maybe a cooling system, but understanding the rapid rate of physical deconditioning under certain conditions is an important part of knowing where your body stands.
Hardest on the mind
Hospitals are even harder on the brain. The lights that never fully go off, the noises, the squeak of nurses’ shoes or a food or medical trolley, the incessant interruptions throughout the night to take vitals or provide sleeping meds when you are snoring contentedly, all the ambient sights and sounds of a place that never sleeps deprives patients of the deep sleep to which they are accustomed.
Patients in a hospital room for more than a few days often suffer delusions or what is known as hospital psychosis. They walked in or were wheeled in perfectly normal and now
they may be seeing zebras on the ceiling or boats in the hallway. They may feel someone is trying to whisk them away, off to a dump or to another planet. They ask if they are crazy but they
are sure of what they are seeing and feeling and they are scared. Their thoughts are real and frightening as hell. They will recover but the longer they remain in the unnatural setting of a modern hospital in western culture, the greater the risk of mind and body loss while physicians try their best to fix whatever landed the patient there in the first place.
Despite my rebuking the good doctor for telling the small crowd that a hospital was not the best place for
– 2026
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“Even for the young, healthy patient, for every week in a hospital bed, it takes two full weeks to recover.”
a patient’s overall health, I know that he recognizes the critical importance of such a facility, whether for emergency, exploratory or planned surgery when warranted or needed to save a life or improve the quality of life for the patient. So please accept this little tale of two sides of the good stay-the bad stay, not as an insult to any facility or anyone working within the hallowed halls of a hospital, but just as an eye-opener that what may be good for one aspect of the human body can boondoggle the other.
But then we are very complex beings, aren’t we?
Military tactics cited to show US attacks destroyed key Iran targets
WASHINGTON Associated Press
PENTAGON leaders laid out new details Thursday about military tactics and explosives to bolster their argument that US attacks had destroyed key Iranian nuclear facilities, but little more emerged on how far back the bombing had set Tehran’s atomic program.
In a rare Pentagon news briefing, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, worked to shift the debate from whether the nuclear targets were “obliterated,” as President Donald Trump has said, to what they portrayed as the heroism of the strikes as well as the extensive research and preparation that went into carrying them out.
“You want to call it destroyed, you want to call it defeated, you want to call it obliterated — choose your word. This was an historically successful attack,” Hegseth said in an often combative session with reporters.
It was the latest example of how Trump has marshalled top administration officials to defend his claims about the effectiveness of the US strikes. At stake is the legacy of the Republican president’s intervention in the brief war between Israel and Iran, as well as the future of American foreign policy toward Iran.
Pentagon gives little detail on status of Iran’s highly enriched uranium Hegseth appeared less confident that the strikes got all of Iran’s highly enriched nuclear material.
Asked repeatedly whether any of it was moved to other locations before the US attack, Hegseth acknowledged that the Pentagon was “looking at all aspects of intelligence and making sure we have a sense of what was where.”
He added, “I’m not aware of any intelligence that says things were not where they were supposed to be” or that they were moved.
Satellite imagery showed trucks and bulldozers at Iran’s Fordo uranium enrichment site, the main target of the bombings, days before the strikes, which occurred between 6:40 pm and 7:05 pm EDT Saturday.
Experts said enriched uranium stocks can be moved in small canisters and are hard to find.
“It would be extremely challenging to try and detect locations where Iran may be hiding highly enriched uranium,” said Kelsey Davenport, director of nonproliferation policy at the nonpartisan Arms Control Association.
Trump expressed confidence that uranium was not pulled out before the attack.
“Nothing was taken out of facility,” he said on social media. “Would take too long, too dangerous, and very heavy and hard to move!”
New details emerge on how the US carried out the attacks US stealth bombers dropped 12 deep penetrator
bombs, called “bunker busters,” on Fordo, Caine said. Two others hit Iran’s main Natanz facility.
Hegseth and Caine described 15 years of study and planning going into the bombing mission and they showed video of a test explosion of a bunker buster, designed to penetrate deep into mountains.
While Hegseth, a former Fox News anchor, spent the bulk of his time slamming the media coverage and personally insulting reporters who questioned him, Caine stuck to the military details of the bombing.
Caine said the US targeted the ventilation shafts at the Fordo facility as the entry point for the bombs. In the days before the US attack, the Iranians placed large concrete slabs on top of both ventilation routes from the underground facilities to try to protect them, he said.
He said six bombs were available for each of the two shafts that were hit. The first bomb was used to eliminate the concrete slab, then
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four more were dropped at slightly different angles to take out various parts of the underground facility.
The sixth was a failsafe in case any of the others didn’t work, and it also was dropped, Caine said.
He noted it is not his job to do the assessment of the damage. Asked if he has been pressured to provide a more optimistic view of the results, Caine said no.
“I’ve never been pressured by the president or the secretary to do anything other than tell them exactly what I’m thinking. And that’s exactly what I’ve done,” he said.
Caine also lauded the
troops who remained at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar when the Iran launched its counterattack Monday. He said just 44 soldiers stayed to operate the two Patriot missile batteries and protect the entire air base.
“You know that you’re going to have approximately two minutes, 120 seconds, to either succeed or fail,” Caine said, adding, “They absolutely crushed it.”
Hegseth dismisses initial assessment from the Pentagon’s own intelligence agency
Hegseth repeatedly scolded reporters for “breathlessly” focusing on that assessment and said such stories were just attempts to undermine Trump.
That report said that while the US strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities did significant damage, the sites were not totally destroyed and Tehran’s program was only set back by a few months.
Hegseth and others have not disputed the contents of the DIA report but have focused on a CIA statement and other intelligence assessments, including those out of Iran and Israel, that said the strikes severely damaged the nuclear sites and rendered the enrichment facility inoperable.
The International Atomic Energy Agency is not able to assess the exact degree of damage but the centrifuges at Fordo are “no longer operational,” the UN nuclear watchdog’s chief, Rafael Grossi, told French broadcaster RFI on Thursday. He said the power of the blasts causes vibrations that would destroy any centrifuges there.
Trump appeared buoyed by Hegseth’s fierce display of loyalty and his repeated attacks on news organizations during the briefing. The president said on social media that it was “one of the greatest, most professional, and most ‘confirming’ News Conferences I have ever seen!”
Hegseth repeated assertions that an early assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency, a part of the Defense Department, was preliminary and that the report acknowledged there was low confidence and gaps in information.
Ukraine has halted Russia’s advance in northern Sumy region, commander says
KYIV Associated Press
UKRAINIAN forces
have halted Russia’s recent advance into the northern Sumy region and have stabilized the front line near the border with Russia, Ukraine’s top military commander said Thursday.
Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander in chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, said that Ukrainian successes in Sumy have prevented Russia from deploying about 50,000 Russian troops, including elite airborne and marine brigades, to other areas of the front line.
His claim couldn’t be independently verified, and Russian officials made no immediate comment.
Russian forces have been slowly grinding forward at some points on the roughly 1,000-kilometre (620mile) front line, though their incremental gains have been costly in terms of troop casualties and damaged armour. The outnumbered Ukrainian army has relied heavily on drones to keep the Russians back.
Months of US-led international efforts to stop the more than three years of war have failed. Amid the hostilities, the two sides
have continued swaps of prisoners of war agreed on during recent talks between their delegations in Istanbul.
Russia’s Defense Ministry and Ukrainian authorities said another exchange took place on Thursday.
Ukraine’s coordination headquarters for POWs said the swap included injured soldiers and those with health complaints. The youngest is 24 and the oldest is 62, it said, adding that more exchanges are expected soon.
Sumy, the city which is the capital of the Ukrainian region of the same name, had a prewar population of around 250,000. It lies about 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the front line. Russia’s push into the region earlier this year compelled Ukraine to strengthen its defences there.
A special Defense group has been formed to improve security in Sumy and surrounding communities, Syrskyi said, with a focus on improving fortifications and accelerating construction of defensive barriers.
In March, Ukrainian forces withdrew from much of Russia’s neighbouring Kursk region, parts of which they had controlled after a surprise cross-border
attack in August. That retreat enabled Russia to launch a counteroffensive that advanced between 2-12 kilometres (1-7 miles) into Ukrainian territory, according to different estimates.
Ukrainian officials say fierce fighting is also taking place in the eastern Donetsk region. The Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday that its forces have captured two villages, Novoserhiivka and Shevchenko, in Donetsk.
Capturing Shevchenko marked an important stage in Russia’s ongoing offensive that is trying to break into Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, which borders Donetsk and is a major industrial center, according to the ministry. Meanwhile, the two sides continued to launch longrange strikes.
The Russian ministry said 50 Ukrainian drones were downed over nine regions overnight, including three over the Moscow region. Ukraine’s air force said that Russia deployed 41 Shahed and decoy drones across the country overnight, wounding five people. It said that 24 drones were either intercepted or jammed.
UKRAINIAN servicemen carry a body of their comrade repatriated from Russia, at the morgue in Kyiv, Ukraine, yesterday.
Photo: Evgeniy Maloletka/AP
DEFENSE Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon, yesterday in Washington.
Photo: Kevin Wolf/AP
UWI induction and awards ceremony
THE University of the West Indies School of Clinical Medicine and Research held its induction and awards ceremony on monday.
Dr Dashawn Saunders was the mistress of ceremony, with music by police and defence force bands.
The invocation was given by Dr Miguel Bowe, named outstanding student of the class of 2025.
Minister of Education Glenys Hanna Martin and Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Michael Darville both spoke during the ceremony.
The keynote address was given by Dr Khristine Parker-Curling, associate lecturer, internist and endocrinologist.
Dr Anneka Minnis picked up a double award - winning the Dr Anthony Regis Award for the most outstanding student in the final MB BS examinations and the Dr Cecil M Bethel
The director, Dr Corinne
“Aim to be compassionate, respectful, dedicated and committed to make a difference. Remember to pay forward and offer a helping hand to someone in honour of the help someone else gave you.”
Sinquee-Brown, said UWI has produced 720 new doctors in its 28 years of operation here.
Dr Sinquee-Brown, who retires at the end of July and will hand over to Dr Sabriquet Pinder Butler, said UWI’s level of performance in comparison to other sites was “mind boggling”. She told the newest
doctors: “I am extremely proud of you and must congratulate you on your outstanding performance.” She urged the graduates: “Aim to be compassionate, respectful, dedicated and committed to make a difference. Remember to pay forward and offer a helping hand to someone in honour of the help someone else gave you.”
FROM left: Campus principal, dean designate, acting registrar, and team Bahamas director and lecturers
ANEKA Minnis: best overall student and student with the best performance in 2025 examinations
Bahamian students and teachers attend summer camp at Jinan University in Shandong, China
ON JUNE 25, the Bahamian Youth Summer Camp was launched at Jinan University. Nine teachers and students from the Bahamian International School of Business, Entrepreneurship, and Technology (ISBET) and Windsor International School in Nassau started a one-week trip to Shandong, China.
Given that The Bahamas attaches great importance to climate change as a small island country, the summer camp is themed “Green and Low Carbon”. It will focus on introducing China’s low-carbon environmental protection concepts, green technology and ancient Chinese architecture scientific practices. The camp will promote exchanges and mutual learning between China and The Bahamas in green development. Through the summer camp, the Bahamian teachers and students will learn more about China in a real and multi-dimensional fashion and become messengers of friendship and cooperation between China and The Bahamas.
The camp was strongly supported by the Chinese Embassy in The Bahamas, hosted by the Foreign Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Shandong Province and the Shandong People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and undertaken by the Foreign Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Yantai City, Jinan University, Qufu Normal University, and Yantai Vocational College.
Chinese Embassy
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