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Volume: 119 No.154, July 5, 2022

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TIME FOR UNITY TO END KILLING CRISIS

Churches leader calls for national effort to combat ‘out of hand’ murders

By JADE RUSSELL jrussell@tribunemedia.net BAHAMAS Christian Council President Bishop Delton Fernander said yesterday the recent spate of murders is cause for great concern, adding “we’ve really allowed this kind of activity to get out of hand”.

Bishop Fernander said: “It is of great concern the number of murders that the country is experiencing.

“As a church and as the community of faith we want to join forces and we

WORKS and Utilities Minister Alfred Sears yesterday said no decision has been made to increase electricity bills, however he urged Bahamians “to be more prudent” with usage given high energy costs.

Speaking to reporters Mr Sears said the country spends over $1bn yearly on fossil fuel imports, a practice he described as simply unsustainable.

With costs having risen even further due to the Russian-Ukrainian war among other factors, Mr Sears said the need for the country to reduce its reliance of fossil fuels has become even more critical.

One way the government is seeking to do this is by focusing on harnessing renewable energy, he added.

“We all live in the world, and we know that with the war in Ukraine as well as SEE PAGE THREE

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

SUPER Value’s principal, Rupert Roberts, yesterday said shoppers have “cut back drastically” on luxury items to make every dollar count, while revealing the chain’s transportation budget has soared 47 percent.

Mr Roberts said he does not expect any sales increase over the remainder of 2022.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

CABLE’S $219M REFINANCING FUNDS FUTURE

believe it’s time for all the pillars of society to join forces. After that we can come back to what is now at a place where we’ve never had it before. The church is willing and has joined forces with the crime commission (and) Urban Renewal,” he said.

Bishop Fernander added that there needs to be more of a national focus.

“People are doing things in silos and they’re doing great things, but we got to do it together now and focus SEE PAGE THREE

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

CABLE Bahamas yesterday revealed it beat its preference share rollover target by $50m as it hailed completion of “the biggest refinancing the market has ever seen”.

President Franklyn Butler said the outcome will “bed us down for the foreseeable future” after the extra debt capital transformed the $169m refinancing into a total $219m raise.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

SEARS - NO DECISION ON POWER PRICING CHANGE

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

SHOPPERS SHUNNING LUXURY PURCHASES

TWO KILLED IN DAWN COLLISION

KEEP YOUR EYE ON AJ

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

HUBERTO Alexander Miller Jr - known as AJ - who has been hailed as a future leader after being recognised as a young public speaker in the Berry Islands. Read more in Face-to-Face on PAGE EIGHT.

TWO men were left dead following a traffic accident at Gladstone Road early yesterday morning.

The incident happened shortly before 5am.

SEE PAGE TWO

WHY THE SECRECY ON POLICE SETTLEMENTS?

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement leader Michael Pintard has called on the government to disclose the details of a lawsuit settlement concluded with two senior police officers, including the rationale behind the move.

Senior police officers Clayton Fernander - the new police Commissioner - and Leamond Deleveaux

CLAYTON FERNANDER filed a lawsuit against the government in 2019 after they were asked to take

their accumulated vacation leave that year.

According to their attorney, Bjorn Ferguson, the case was progressing towards a trial date.

However, after the Davis administration took office last year, Mr Ferguson said that he invited officials to look at the case because he claimed nothing was filed by the former government in response to their court documents.

SEE PAGE FIVE

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

PETER YOUNG: NATO’S NEW DIRECTION

- SEE PAGE NINE

PAGE 2, Tuesday, July 5, 2022

MINISTER of Works and Utilities Alfred Sears speaking yesterday.

Photos: Moise Amisial

THE TRIBUNE

Sears: Govt is working on debt to water firms

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net WORKS and Utilities Minister Alfred Sears said the government is working to reduce the debt it owes to companies contracted to supply water to several Family Islands.

While he could not say exactly how much is owed, Mr Sears said he understands the amount is substantial.

“There are a number of desalination plants within our country which supply water not only in the Family Islands but also in New Providence and over the years, a lot of arrears have built up,” he said yesterday.

“The government has been paying off on those arrears. In fact, under my tenure, I’ve carried a number of Cabinet papers to pay off the arrears and also the Ministry of Finance is in consultation with a number of these desalination operators to restructure and reschedule.

“Water is the most important resource for life and therefore, we are giving it high priority and we’re also ascertaining and doing an inventory of the natural water reserves within the country and also, making and building the information in terms of sewerage treatment so that we can produce what is known as re-used water for the purpose of golf courses and lawns and so on and therefore reserve the potable water for human consumption rather than watering lawns and golf courses.

So, these are critical initiatives being undertaken and the arrears are being addressed.”

Asked about the amount of arrears, the minister replied: “I cannot recall right off hand but it is substantial with some of them, but the important thing is that they are being addressed and therefore, what we met that is threat to terminate water supply on some of our Family Islands, we’re not there.”

Mr Sears said distributing potable water to islands that do not have it as a key priority for the Davis administration.

“In a number of Family Islands, as I mentioned, in Exuma for example where I was last week and in Cat Island... we don’t have the supply of pipe water to the residents and to the business establishments and residents start to rely on... purchasing water from the water truck,” he said.

“So, under a funding mechanism with the multilateral agencies, the water and sewerage corporation has been given a very strong mandate.

“In those islands, where we don’t have the distribution of potable water to really accelerate that process because it has implications in terms of sanitation and in terms of quality of our water as opposed to relying only on wells or tanks which may be compromised. So, having the direct distribution of water is critical. It’s one of the major public policy objectives of government.”

YOUNGSTERS at the Fort Charlotte Constituency summer camp yesterday.

Photo: Leandra Rolle/Tribune Staff

CAMP BACK AFTER PANDEMIC PAUSE FORT Charlotte Constituency’s 21st Summer Camp officially kicked off yesterday after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID19 pandemic.

The camp is expected to run to July 29 and targets children between the ages of three and 18.

At yesterday’s opening ceremony at T G Glover Primary School, Fort Charlotte MP Alfred Sears delivered keynote remarks, giving words of encouragement to the youngsters.

More than 100 students were in attendance.

“Projects such as the

summer camp is important for young people to come together constructively out of school and engage in learning and engage in collaboration around projects and team work and also creativity. These things were important for me growing up,” Mr Sears later told reporters.

“We will have art and craft. We will have reading activities, English and sewing for girls to learn how to make their own skirts for school and we’re also teaching them how to farm,” said chairman of the Fort Charlotte branch, Donna Moxey.

TWO KILLED IN DAWN COLLISION from page one According to reports, upon the arrival of officers they found an accident involving a white Mack garbage truck and a black Honda Accord.

Reports revealed that the Honda received extensive front end damage and two adult males were found unresponsive in the front driver and passenger seats.

Emergency medical services visited the scene and following their assessment they concluded that both

occupants of the Honda had no signs of life.

Initial investigations reveal the driver of the Mack garbage truck was proceeding south along Gladstone Road, when the driver of the Honda Accord, who was also proceeding South, collided into the rear of the garbage truck.

Police are awaiting an official identification by the next of kin to confirm the identity of the victims.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force Traffic section is continuing investigations into this matter.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, July 5, 2022, PAGE 3

THE SCENE of a murder on Friday.

Photo: Austin Fernander

Time for unity to end killing crisis from page one on it like we’ve focused on AIDS, HIV, and all those things we focused on as a nation. It is now time for us to take this by the horns before it destroys the peace and tranquility that we have in The Bahamas.”

When asked what was his reaction to all of the killings, Bishop Fernander responded: “If the data is right, then we’ve really allowed this kind of activity to get out of hand. And now even the public at large is vulnerable because predominantly these young men are not only killing each other, but they are doing it in such violent ways and using high powered weapons.”

Bishop Fernander said he will pray for both the nation and that its young men can be rescued from a life of crime.

Meanwhile, activist Khandi Gibson of Families Of All Murder Victims, said the violence is taking a toll on communities.

She said this year’s current murder count of 74,

could be on pace to meet or surpass the death toll of 2015, which saw 146 murders recorded.

For her part, Ms Gibson said the country has a major crime problem on its hands.

Ms Gibson told The Tribune the murder rate is greatly damaging the communities while leaving a lot of trauma for the families

and children involved.

She said: “They don’t understand the traumatic effect of it. I have a young guy who is in Sandilands right now because his twin brother got killed and he couldn’t take the pressure of that. I’ve seen mothers who had healthy bodies deteriorate and some even died and didn’t get closure for their loved one’s murder.

Ms Gibson said generations of families are being plagued by murders, adding that retaliation killings must stop.

“Our communities are turning into cemeteries. (I) don’t care who we vote in or vote out, no minister of national security has the answer on crime, so we can take that out of our head.

incidents having occurred in the past week.

The St Barnabas MP said many citizens are concerned for both themselves and their families “as the streets run red.”

“The bloodshed we are witnessing is not normal, nor is it something we can chalk up to a situation that we hope will work itself out without additional intervention,” he said in a press

statement.

The “government of the day” cannot conduct itself as business as usual, the MP said.

“We are on track for a record number of murders, but the numbers matter less than the damage each killing inflicts on our collective national psyche.

“We call on the minister of national security to update the nation on

the state of crime fighting efforts, namely saturation patrols, increased surveillance, gang intervention, review of gang legislation and the mobilisation of the force to more effectively monitor gang hotspots.”

With the swearing-in of a new police Commissioner today, Mr Cartwright urged the administration to strategise a holistic and uncompromising approach

BREAKING NEWS: MURDER ON QUARRY MISSION ROAD POLICE were last night at the scene of another homicide - the 75th of the year so far.

As The Tribune went to press, police were investigating the murder on Quarry Mission Road.

No further details were available late last night.

See www.tribune242.com for the latest update.

‘Our communities are turning into cemeteries. (I) don’t care who we vote in or vote out, no minister of national security has the answer on crime, so we can take that out of our head. The MP’s ain’t fighting, they ain’t killing up themselves, it ain’t a white on a white, it’s black on black in our country.’

Khandi Gibson, FOAM The MP’s ain’t fighting, they ain’t killing up themselves, it ain’t a white on a white, it’s black on black in our country.”

She also said: “It’s like let the bad guys kill the bad guys and soon everything will be done with, we can’t take that approach. When someone drops another bad

man arrives.”

Ms Gibson stressed this is the time for people to come together and put their best efforts forward in hopes of finding some kind of resolution.

“I can’t say what the answer is because the police don’t even know what the answer is,” she noted.

to the murder crisis.

“This week will see the swearing-in of a new police Commissioner. We welcome him and plan to offer him all the support of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition,” he said, “We are hopeful that we will hear strategy outlines upon his ascension to office that he takes a holistic and uncompromising approach to our murder crisis.”

Last month, National Security Minister Wayne Munroe told parliament there was an 18 per cent overall rise in crime in the country.

According to statistics released by the Royal Bahamas Police force last year, there were 60 murders recorded up to June 30 2021, representing a 62 percent increase from the year before.

‘WHAT IS GOVT PLANNING TO DO ABOUT CRIME?’

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement deputy leader Shanendon Cartwright has called on National Security Minister Wayne Munroe to disclose what the government plans to do regarding crime in the country.

This comes as the halfyear murder toll standing at 75 with nine of these

SEARS - NO DECISION ON POWER PRICING CHANGE from page one

the issues in terms of the global chain and trade at the disruption having to do with the pandemic as well as the war,” Mr Sears said.

“So, we’re living in a very challenging time and that is the reason why we need to move towards the incorporation of renewable (energy) because over $1bn that we pay every year for fossil fuel whether it’s oil or gas, it’s not really sustainable and, therefore, we’re working very aggressively.”

The minister continued: “We chair an energy committee of the Cabinet and that committee, as we speak, is meeting with a number of suppliers of renewables, such as solar as well as LNG and so we can see how we can lessen our carbon footprint, reduce the foreign exchange that we currently expend for fossil fuel and take us in a more resilient and a more sustainable direction with our generation.

“We are also encouraging everyone to be more prudent in the use of electricity and to take more conservatory measures.

Those are things that all of us as residents and citizens of our country can do while we work on the macro issue of incorporating renewable building (and) more efficiency and modernising the distribution of infrastructure of BPL.” His plea comes after officials warned about the possibility of an electricity price increase.

BPL CEO Shevonn Cambridge recently predicted the company will increase its fuel charge in “the next month or two”.

“Right now, there is a fixed fuel charge,” Mr Cambridge said in an interview

with The Tribune late last month.

“There is a mechanism in place that allows for the adjustment of that fuel charge. We’re currently conducting an internal review to see if the necessary triggers or thresholds have been reached that will require us to do that adjustment.

“Based on the current fuel prices, right, when it does come it will be up - it won’t be down. Exactly when that will occur, we’re not certain as yet.

So, the prices have gone up, so obviously when we adjust more than likely

the adjustment will be an upward adjustment.”

Asked about the issue yesterday, Minister Sears replied: “No decision has been made to increase the rate.”

For his part, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis has said he has no intentions to “have more taxes or more costs” imposed on the Bahamian people.

The Prime Minister said the country was petitioning for the US to lift the sanctions on Venezuela as a means to help alleviate high energy and fuel costs in the Caribbean.

“What is in our control

and which I have been doing is letting our voice be heard about some of the initiatives and policies in some of the industrialised world that is causing the increase in oil. Quite apart from the invasion of Ukraine there are also other issues like the sanctions on Venezuela that impacted the cost of fuel, particularly for us,” Prime Minister Davis said.

“So, if those sanctions are lifted it helps and so we have been agitating.”

However, a US official recently told a local daily that the country’s position on the policy has not changed.

PAGE 4, Tuesday, July 5, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

THE INAUGURAL class of the Doctors Hospital Institute of Learning yesterday.

Photos: Austin Fernander

Minister: Bahamians sticking to protocols

By EARYEL BOWLEG and JADE RUSSELL WHILE the month of June saw 927 new COVID-19 cases, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville says he believes Bahamians have been doing well in adhering to the protocols that remain in place.

“Bahamians have been doing extremely well,” Dr Darville said yesterday.

“We’re proud of the way they are executing the protocol, particularly the mask mandate, and on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Wellness we congratulate what The Bahamas has done.

“As far as the cases are concerned, our cases when we look at our weekly cases we’re beginning to see a decrease and that’s good news. The mask mandate must continue because other Caribbean countries took it away and had to put it back “So, this thing is very flexible and we look at the data and make additional changes if we have to.”

There were also several COVID-19 related deaths reported by the Ministry of Health and Wellness in June.

The latest fatalities were outlined in the July 3, 2022, dashboard.

On June 25th, a 42-yearold female of New Providence died and then on June 28th a 49-year-old female from Abaco passed away from the virus.

The COVID 19 death toll now stands at 820.

Other deaths outlined in previous dashboards were that of a man, 64, of the Berry Islands. He died on June 20.

A 48-year-old man of New Providence also died on June 23.

On June 14, a 50-year-old New Providence man also died.

Last month, former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis tested positive for the virus.

Dr Darville had previously announced the removal of entry testing for vaccinated people coming into the Bahamas.

More recently on Saturday, 19 new cases of COVID have been recorded.

There were 15 in New Providence, one in Bimini, two in Eleuthera, and one in Andros.

Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 36,101 cases of the coronavirus in The Bahamas.

Fifty-two people are in the hospital being treated for the virus. Of this number 50 of them are considered moderately ill, while two are in the Intensive Care Unit.

MINISTER of Health and Wellness Dr Michael Darville yesterday speaking to the inaugural class at the Doctors Hospital Institute of Learning graduation.

‘GOVT ERRING ON SIDE OF CAUTION OVER MASK MANDATE’

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

DOCTORS Hospital chief executive officer Dr Charles Diggiss said he believes the government is erring on the side of caution in deciding to generally maintain its mask mandate.

He added it remained important to advise Bahamians to continue with the measure.

Back in March, the government announced people are not required to wear a face mask while in a lobby, corridor or casino of a hotel or while in an outdoor setting where there is at least three feet of space between those who are not of the same household.

Disabled persons or people with specified medical conditions are not required to wear a mask provided they have in their possession a medical certificate or letter signed by a medical practitioner proving the existence of

DOCTORS Hospital chief executive officer Dr Charles Diggiss yesterday.

such disability or medical condition.

“I think you want to be sensible,” he told The

Tribune yesterday. “If you make a decision, you make a decision based on the information… the

evidence is in the environment. If the environment tells you that COVID is still a threat then I think

it’s important to advise Bahamians to continue to mask in public or especially in indoor spaces where they’re more at risk.

“When overall that risk is low, then removing a mask mandate will become an easy thing to do. But the government is erring on the side of caution. I think that makes a lot of sense.”

Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville previously explained that government determined it would be a bit “pre-mature” to remove the mask mandate.

“We removed the testing at our boarders. The mask mandate, our EOC made a determination that it be a bit pre-mature to remove the mask mandate. We’re looking at it. It’s a topic that comes to our meetings every Wednesday.

“We’re looking at what’s going on around the world in the Caribbean. I am travelling, so I’m meeting. Our counterparts removed it

only to bring it back and we feel like it is a bit premature to remove it at this time but with that being said we’re monitoring the numbers.”

It was also previously announced that testing for vaccinated people coming to The Bahamas was no longer mandatory.

Asked if it was possible for it being lifted at this time, Dr Diggiss explained: “I think eventually it’s going to be lifted for all the obvious reasons, yes. That doesn’t mean that COVID is no longer (a threat). It just means that the significance of or the value of that testing compared to the either inconvenience or the trouble of applying the test.

When you look at the value maybe that value goes away.

So, I think the government, just like anybody else who’s making decisions, simply weighs the pros and cons of whether they need to continue to test or not and make the best decision.”

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, July 5, 2022, PAGE 5

Rolle: I’m proud of what we’ve done

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

AS he officially hands over the post of Police Commissioner to Clayton Fernander today, Paul Rolle says he’s proud of both the organisation and the achievements attained in his more than two years in the seat.

For some, his commissionership has been marked by criticisms regarding the conduct of officers - those with “warrior” mentalities as Mr Rolle once put it - and others who have found themselves on the wrong side of the law. The RBDF has also been in the spotlight over the frequency of police-involved shootings under Mr Rolle’s tenure. Last year, 21 policeinvolved shootings were recorded, 13 of which were fatal.

This newspaper has previously reported that The Bahamas has one of the highest per capita rates of police involved killings in the world, with 11 recorded in 2017, 2018 and 2020.

In other circles, there is the view that Mr Rolle’s administration has been defined by his handling of security measures at Grand Bahama and Abaco in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian.

However, more recently, there was the COVID19 pandemic – he was appointed within two weeks of the first virus case in The Bahamas. He admitted last week that it was a confusing time as Emergency Powers Orders changed rapidly, and he received pushback over a $750,000 bill the

OUTGOING Police Commissioner Paul Rolle.

Photo: Moise Amisial force racked up for aroundthe-clock policing during the pandemic.

All things considered, the commissioner was adamant that he’s made inroads in several areas, including addressing the conduct of officers and how they are viewed by members of the public.

He also told The Tribune that crime had been on the decline under his watch.

“I am extremely pleased, and we have made some inroads. We are not there yet, but we are making progress,” Mr Rolle said.

“Crime is something that you always will have as long as you have developments, and you have targets, and you have willing offenders.”

On the crime front, he said: “When I came in 2020,

at the end of 2020, we saw a 16 percent decrease in crime. In 2021 we maintained that same level below 2019. The numbers have not changed much.

“This despite all that was going on.”

He pointed to 279 illegal firearms seized in 2020 and 277 more confiscated in 2021.

He continued: “In 2020 murder was down, but murder is not the only crime. Last year we had a surge in homicides and so that was one of the only categories.

“All the others were down,” he said.

Mr Rolle went on to acknowledge challenges with tackling the issue of officers who break the law, but he said the public

WHY THE SECRECY ON POLICE SETTLEMENTS? from page one “They prepared an opinion and invited us to do the same,” the attorney said.

“We then came to the table and commenced settlement discussions. We had it all finalised on the June 12 and the matter came to an end.”

Mr Ferguson did not disclose the amount settled by both parties.

However, Mr Pintard said the question of how much was awarded is something that needs to be answered.

He also urged the government to give the Bahamian people an explanation on why the matter was settled and the motive behind it.

“The PLP administration is developing a clear pattern of settling matters that were either in court or headed to court without providing a clear explanation on why these matters were being settled,” the FNM leader told The Tribune.

“In at least two cases I could think of, they were being settled without the government disclosing the amount of monies for which these matter were being settled.”

“I last raised this matter with respect to the financial secretary who to the best of my knowledge suffered no loss of income during the period he had been relieved of his duties until the government was changed in September of last year.”

He continued: “In this case, these officers I was advised, were receiving their salaries and they have suffered no financial loss and their attorney may argue then that they may have suffered an embarrassment and they may have suffered an inconvenience, etc, and if that is the case then ordinarily, these kinds of settlements are done for nominal amounts in this jurisdiction like

ours. So, we need to see the quantum.

“Are they being compensated for the inconvenience, the embarrassment and any misfortune in that category? (Because) that would be substantially different if they were receiving now hundreds of thousands or millions which seems to be the pattern of this administration without explanation, then that raises additional questions about the rationale and the motives of this administration and, bear in mind, that one of the officers is the lead of a very high profile matter as well.”

The FNM leader said by not disclosing the details of the settlement, the government has “unwittingly” opened up the high-ranking officials to scrutiny from some who may now speculate whether they will be able to perform their jobs impartially and without bias.

“These are two extremely sensitive jobs and police officers are expected to operate free of political interference and in the absence of the government, giving a proper rationale for the financial settlement which they are entering into as well as the amount,” Mr Pintard added.

“What the government has unwittingly done is open these officers up to extreme scrutiny by members of the public who will naturally begin to speculate whether or not they are able to carry out their work with impartiality.

“And I will go further as to say that the officers should, in the absence of a government explanation and details relative to what that settlement is, should refuse to take that position so they are not put in this untenable position that the government is putting them in.

“Not merely the optics

of it but the very nature of their job demands that these matters be handled with a high degree of transparency which the government is refusing to provide.”

The senior officers were among eight high ranking officials who were directed to take vacation leave in 2019.

Although the Minnis administration justified the vacation policy by citing fiscal measures, the officers have come to believe that the administration simply wanted to sideline them.

When their vacation leave ended, they were sent on special assignments at various ministries for a year.

Outgoing Commissioner Paul Rolle recently said he never supported them being placed on leave.

He also noted that he felt “betrayed” and “deceived” by the Minnis administration in its handling of three high-ranking police officers.

Asked to respond to Mr Rolle’s comments yesterday, Mr Pintard said: “His comments being made at this time against the backdrop of what we now know the government has done in terms of the settlement further makes it even more urgent for the government to come forward with an explanation because again, it comes across to some members of the public as being timed to coincide with all that has been happening behind the scenes and that may or may not be the case.

However, the Prime Minister entering this discussion and bringing clarity might very well be able to set the record straight, but right now it is quite muddy.”

Mr Fernander and Mr Deleveaux are expected to be sworn in today as police commissioner and deputy police commissioner respectively.

should avoid sweeping generalisations.

According to him, no other organisation in the country holds their officers to account like the RBPF. “I would say to them then label the country. You can’t just label the force, no more than you can’t label the country from one fella who commits a crime.

“You have a fella that commits rape and then you say all Bahamian men are rapists. That’s a sweeping generalisation and it’s wrong.

“We hold our officers to account. Show me one other department in this country that holds their people to account and take that kind of swift action against them.

You’ll see police officers when they do wrong, we put them before the court, or we take them before our discipline tribunal and we take the appropriate action against them.

“We don’t sanction officers doing wrong and that’s why when officers run afoul or break the law they are held to account.

“Integrity is a personal thing. I can’t have any integrity for officers. I have over 5,000 officers and they are all over the place. I can’t babysit them.

“So, if you don’t have the personal fortitude to stand up I can’t do that for you.”

“The Bahamian people who want to level that against the police need to understand they are your children, they’re your crooked children who you are calling crooked. They’re your crooked children who you sent to be police.

“So, who are you calling crooked? Yourself? That’s

us. I am saying that unless you want me to go to space or to Mars and get some, but we must use our Bahamian sons and daughters to be police and that is why I say it is important before we jump to criticise that we jump to a partnership.”

Speaking about the force’s work in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian and later the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr Rolle said his expertise was apparent in those instances.

“Most of my tenure as commissioner I would say certainly during that time I was there, my expertise was brought to bear and because of that it helped us to mitigate and navigate through Abaco. My experience, especially dealing with deaths and Dorian.

“Some persons, maybe my tenure may be defined by that because I had to deal with maybe a thousand deaths in the last two years not only the COVID deaths, but you had the murders and you had the other natural deaths and so that’s every day you are out there with officers dealing with the coroner and meeting with families. Then we had to also try and deal with the community and keep the community safe.”

However, the outgoing commissioner said he saw a window of opportunity to assist the public.

“So, I had all of that going on and at the same time I had some hungry people and as police I saw the opportunity to do some outreach to reach out to the people and to help.

“That was not a part of my original plan, but how we got into that was if you

remember with the George Floyd killing by the police and then we saw a lot of that spilling over here with all of the rebellion and the demonstrations and so in the midst of all of this the police had killed a young man on East Street.

“So, we had the same thing happening with people thinking they would do the same level of disobedience in the country and there was this threat and I had to then step up and I realised that I can’t leave that to them, I have to take the lead and I went down into the heart of where the heat was speak to the people and in many instances fed those who were hungry because the truth is you can’t reach a person if their stomach is empty.”

Now that he has come to the end of his journey with the RBPF, a near 40-year career, Mr Rolle told The Tribune having not to report to work at 6.30am every day will take some time to adjust to.

Still his professional career at 58 years old is not quite over.

“I am supposed to be taking a post later as ambassador to the International Maritime Organisation. I’m looking forward to making that transition and going into London for a little while and serving my country over there.

“I’m looking forward to that and serving in another capacity. I am finished with policing now and I have to get used to not being a police anymore. I’ve been here for three quarters of my life essentially, so I have to make that change,” he said.

PAGE 6, Tuesday, July 5, 2022

The Tribune Limited

THE TRIBUNE

PICTURE OF THE DAY

NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”

Publisher/Editor 1903-1914

LEON E. H. DUPUCH,

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‘More turning up with evidence against Trump’ MORE witnesses are coming forward with new details on the Jan 6 US Capitol riot following former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson’s devastating testimony last week against former President Donald Trump, says a member of a House committee investigating the insurrection.

The panel already has subpoenaed former White House counsel Pat Cipollone, who investigators remain hopeful will appear Wednesday for a deposition, and said it would also welcome followup details from Secret Service members with Trump that day.

Rep Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill, cited Hutchinson’s testimony that Trump wanted to join an angry mob of his supporters who marched on Jan 6, 2021, to the Capitol, where they rioted, as particularly valuable in “inspiring” more people to step forward as the committee gets set for at least two public hearings this month.

“Every day we get new people that come forward and say, ‘Hey, I didn’t think maybe this piece of the story that I knew was important,’” he said Sunday.

“There will be way more information and stay tuned.”

The committee has been intensifying its yearlong investigation into the Jan 6 attack and Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. The next hearings will aim to show how Trump illegally directed a violent mob toward the Capitol on Jan 6 and then failed to take quick action to stop the attack once it began. Over the weekend, Rep Liz Cheney, R-Wyo, the committee’s vice chair, made clear that criminal referrals to the Justice Department, including against the Republican former president, could follow.

The committee also has been reviewing new documentary film footage of Trump’s final months in office, including interviews with Trump and members of his family.

Kinzinger, in a television interview, declined to disclose the new information he referred to and did not say who had provided it. He said nothing had changed the committee’s confidence in her credibility.

“There’s information I can’t say yet,” he said. “We certainly would say that Cassidy Hutchinson has testified under oath, we find her credible, and anybody that wants to cast disparagements on that, who were firsthand present, should also testify under oath and not through anonymous sources.”

In a separate interview, another committee member, Rep Adam Schiff, D-Calif, said: “We are following additional leads. I think those leads will lead to new testimony.”

In Hutchinson’s appearance before the committee, she painted a picture of Trump as an angry, defiant president

who was trying to let armed supporters avoid security screenings at a rally on the morning of Jan 6 to protest his 2020 election defeat to Democrat Joe Biden.

According to Hutchinson, Cipollone was concerned that Trump would face criminal charges if he joined his supporters in marching to the Capitol.

Legal experts have said Hutchinson’s testimony is potentially problematic for Trump as federal prosecutors investigate potential criminal wrongdoing.

Cheney said in an interview aired Sunday that the committee was still considering whether to issue recommendations to the Justice Department, indicating “there could be more than one criminal referral”.

Committee members said they are hopeful Cipollone will come forward.

“He clearly has information about concerns about criminal violations, concerns about the president going to the Capitol that day, concerns about the chief of staff having blood on his hands if they didn’t do more to stop that violent attack on the Capitol,” Schiff said.

“It’s hard to imagine someone more at the centre of things.”

In her testimony, Hutchinson recounted a conversation with Tony Ornato, Trump’s deputy chief of staff for operations, who, she testified, said Trump later grabbed at the steering wheel of the presidential SUV when the Secret Service refused to let him go to the Capitol after the rally.

That account was disputed, however.

Bobby Engel, the Secret Service agent who was driving Trump, and Ornato are willing to testify under oath that no agent was assaulted and Trump never lunged for the steering wheel, a person familiar with the matter said. The person would not discuss the matter publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

“We had interviewed Mr Ornato several times,” said Rep Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif, and member of the panel.

“His memory does not appear to be as precise as hers. We certainly would welcome them to come back if they wish to do that.”

The committee has also been working on setting up an interview with Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the conservative activist and wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

She was asked to speak to the committee after disclosures of her communications with Trump’s team in the run-up to and on the day of the insurrection at the Capitol.

Kinzinger appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Schiff was on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Cheney appeared on ABC’s “This Week” and Lofgren spoke on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

By HOPE YEN, Associated Press

SPECTATORS gather along Williamsburg’s waterfront, in the New York borough of Brooklyn, for the Macy’s fireworks display as fireworks explode from barges on the East River to celebrate Independence Day, yesterday.

Photo: Bebeto Matthews/AP

Binding us together EDITOR, The Tribune.

LETTERS

HOW fitting that the United States hosted the Ninth Summit of the Americas “this past June”, when we celebrate Caribbean American Heritage month.

Through a coincidence of timing, the Summit of the Americas took place at the same time as my own, longplanned family reunion in Barbados. This confluence of events led me to reflect on my history and the generations of ancestors that led me to the Summit in Los Angeles. My paternal grandfather, Charles Nichols, was born in Saint George, Barbados in 1877.

He worked on the Panama Canal with others from the Caribbean; particularly 75,000 Bajans, the largest nationality group to labour on this great engineering project. Through this work, he earned enough money to emigrate to the United States with his wife, Julia King, and their children. My father was born in Brooklyn, the youngest of eleven and the second to be born in America. As the youngest son of a youngest son, myself, I am proud that my roots connect me so strongly to the Caribbean.

Events like the Summit of the Americas recognise the ties that bind our hemisphere together, and I feel grateful to reflect on the values and the heritage that we share with our Caribbean neighbours. I count myself as a member of the Caribbean diaspora that helped build the United States. Our country continues to benefit from this community’s many contributions. We will rely on this support, ingenuity, and energy in implementing the promises of this Summit.

We are committed to supporting our Caribbean kin and neighbours, and to implementing the ambitious goals that President Biden and Vice President Harris have set for us. We have already begun this work and it will continue in the weeks and months.

During the Summit, the President and Vice

letters@tribunemedia.net President co-hosted their Caribbean counterparts for an in-depth and substantive meeting that will further strengthen our partnerships with the region. Our Caribbean neighbours spoke of their economic challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of climate change, food and energy insecurity, and lack of access to lowcost financing. Seized with these challenges, President Biden and Vice President Harris committed to working with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Dominican Republic to form three high-level committees tasked with developing immediate and concrete, joint, and nearterm solutions.

The first of these committees, which I will co-chair for the United States, addresses the critical issue of food security. Food and nutrition insecurity are on the rise in the Caribbean, with approximately 67.5 percent of the population experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity. To address these challenges, the United States and CARICOM will launch a Caribbean Zero Hunger Plan to promote food and nutrition security in the Caribbean. President Biden also announced the United States will provide $28 million in new food security assistance to Caribbean countries.

The White House also pledged to strengthen our engagement on energy and climate change. Building on Vice President Harris’ April 29, 2022, meeting with Caribbean leaders, the United States launched the US-Caribbean Partnership to Address the Climate Crisis 2030 (PACC 2030) to facilitate renewable energy infrastructure development, including by increasing access to financing, and to bolster the region’s resilience to climate based natural disasters.

Iran, Iraq and Libya.

In addition to Venezuela being in the top 10 of largest oil reserves are Iran, Iraq, Russia and Libya. Sanctions on these oil-producing states have contributed to the supply-and-demand crisis on the global market, while the dictators of these “pariah” states are filthy rich, immuned from whatever financial embargo the US and the EU have hit their respective nations with.

For instance, Maduro has a net worth of $275 million.

Putin is worth $200 billion; Ali Khamenei of Iran $200 billion. At the time of their demise, Hugo Chavez was worth $1 billion and Libyan dictator Muammar Ghaddafi $200 billion. Even in the African country of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is not an oil

producer, former President Joseph Kabila is rumoured to be worth $2 billion, while North Korea’s Kim Jong-un has an impressive net worth of $5 billion. Belarus’ Alexander Lukashenko is worth $10 billion, while Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is worth over $1 billion.

I have stated in a previous submission that Biden is scheduled to meet with OPEC head Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman this month, with the aim of asking him to ramp up oil production. But with Russia’s continued presence in the OPEC+ alliance coupled with the Crown Prince’s cozy relationship with Putin, Biden’s perceived pleas of desperation might fall flat on its face.

Whatever happens, the point I am attempting to make is that these

The leaders stressed the need to strengthen security cooperation and engagement, including countering small arms trafficking. The United States and Caribbean countries will build on the longstanding Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) through broader engagement in combatting trafficking in persons, cybersecurity, and cybercrime. The United States, the Dominican Republic, and CARICOM member states support the development of national action plans to counter firearms trafficking. These national action plans will help the United States more effectively tailor our support to CBSI member countries to address trafficking of illegal handguns and assault weapons throughout the region.

We also agree on the importance of acceding to the Treaty of San José concerning illicit maritime and air narcotics trafficking. This treaty provides states with a valuable legal mechanism that facilitates international cooperation to disrupt illicit maritime trafficking and transnational criminal organisations in the Caribbean. We encourage Caribbean countries that have not yet acceded to the Treaty to consider doing so.

It is of no small consequence that Vice President Harris, a daughter of Caribbean heritage, co-chaired this meeting with the President of the United States.

As a son of Caribbean heritage myself, this historic moment made me deeply proud. Our nations share values, culture, history, and family ties. As governments, we will work in partnership with civil society and the private sector to ensure that democracy delivers for all our people and to build safe, inclusive, prosperous, equitable, and climate-resilient societies.

BRIAN A NICHOLS June, 2022.

Brian A Nichols is the assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the US Department of State.

Sanctions harm Bahamas EDITOR, The Tribune.

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis’ pleas to Washington, DC, to lift sanctions on the Nicolás Maduro administration in Venezuela seems to have fallen on deaf ears, judging from a recent press release by the US State Department. Maduro has been president of that South American country since 2013. His government can now be classified as a dictatorship. Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world.

Had US sanctions not been implemented, the international community wouldn’t be feeling the effects of the embargo placed on Russian oil. The climate change cliches of “energy security” and “climate adaption” have

served to confirm what I have been stating in this space about the Joe Biden administration and its war on the domestic oil industry in the US. I stand to be corrected, but I understand that all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and either 33 or 34 seats in the Senate will be contested in the November 8 midterm elections.

With the average gas price in the US pegged at about $5 and about $113 per barrel of oil on the international market, the Democratic Party is expected to lose control of the Senate. In 2019 when Donald Trump was president, a barrel of oil was $64.

The Progressive Liberal Party is fortunate to be early in its current term, otherwise Biden’s headscratching policies would’ve

dragged down the party at the polls as well. Davis rightly classified The Bahamas as a developing island state that is hardly in a position to combat the rising cost of fuel, grocery, medicine, building supplies and other imports.

While The Bahamas’ GDP for 2022 is about $12.80 billion, the US’s GDP was a staggering $23 trillion in 2021. If the average American household cannot afford Biden’s climate change policies, what do you think about a Third World jurisdiction such as The Bahamas and the entire CARICOM region?

In addition to Venezuela and Russia, I have counted 18 states which are currently sanctioned by the US. Of the 20 countries, five are oil-producing states: Venezuela, Russia,

US sanctions are causing unnecessary hardships on Bahamians -- and hundreds of millions of people around the world - while the targeted despots continue to live high on the hog with their vast wealth.

The US needs to find another strategy that narrowly focuses on the despots and cronies instead.

The current approach has had a devastating domino effect on innocent civilians who are attempting to make ends meet, while the dictators remain in power.

The US sanctions on Russia and Venezuela coupled with Biden’s climate change policies are why Bahamians are being reduced to poverty.

KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Grand Bahama July 4, 2022.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, July 5, 2022, PAGE 7

Two men accused of rape, burglary and armed robbery

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

TWO young men were charged with burglary, armed robbery and rape, among other offences, in the Freeport Magistrate’s Court yesterday afternoon.

Warren Tracey Taylor, 23, and Perry Gilbert Russell, 24, appeared before Magistrate Charlton Smith in Court Two in connection with several serious offences that occurred in Freeport between April and May.

Neither man was represented by counsel.

Taylor was charged with burglary, armed robbery, kidnapping, rape and causing harm.

It is alleged that on Thursday, April 28, at Freeport, the accused broke into a residence at Tyne Beach Terrace with intent to commit a felony.

It further alleged that on the same date and place while armed with a knife, the accused robbed the female victim of $470 cash.

It is also alleged that he unlawfully imprisoned the

victim without her consent and had sexual intercourse with her without her consent.

Taylor and Perry Russell were both charged with burglary, armed robbery, rape and causing harm.

It is alleged that on Sunday, May 29, at Freeport, the accused men being concerned together, broke into a dwelling house at Tyne Beach Terrace with intent to commit a felony.

It is further alleged that the pair concerned together were armed with a knife and robbed the female

victim of $520 cash and had sexual intercourse with her without her consent.

They were also charged with causing harm to the victim.

In a third incident, Taylor was charged separately with burglary, armed robbery, rape and causing harm.

It is alleged that the offences occurred on Friday, May 20, at Freeport when the accused broke into a dwelling of a woman with intent to commit a felony. Taylor is accused of being armed with a knife and robbed

the victim of cash, and that he had sexual intercourse with her without her consent. He is also accused of causing harm to the woman.

Perry Russell was charged separately with two counts of armed robbery and one count of causing harm.

It is alleged that on Saturday, May 28, the accused while armed with a knife attempted to rob two women. It is also alleged that Russell caused harm to one of the women.

Magistrate Smith told

the men that they were not required to enter a plea to the charges before them.

However, they were both denied bail.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Fynes informed the court that the prosecution intends to proceed with a Voluntary Bill of Indictment on September 26, 2022.

A small number of people gathered at the back of the courthouse to get a glimpse and snap photos of the men following their arraignment as they were escorted to a police vehicle.

SUSPECT IN COURT TWO IN CUSTODY OVER OVER KILLING OF VIOLATION OF ‘NO TAKE ZONE’ IN EXUMA MURDER ACCUSED

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services yesterday in connection with the death of an accused murderer.

Darius Cenel, 19, faced Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt on a charge of murder of 31-year-old Dwight “Whitey” Jones on June 29.

Cenel faced an additional charge for the attempted murder of a woman on the same day.

The victim in this matter, Jones, was had been accused of the murder of Benjamin Anderson on February 7, 2017. Jones was alleged to have killed the

man outside his home on Ida Street.

On June 29, police reports allege that Cenel, along with another male suspect, armed with a firearm approached Jones in his car on Pinedale Road in front of an apartment complex and opened fire on him. While Jones got out of his vehicle and briefly escaped his assailants, he was eventually gunned down in the back of a building near a chain link fence.

Jones would later be pronounced dead at the scene.

On the same day in a separate incident, the accused is alleged to have attempted to kill Janel Charles.

In court, due to the grave nature of the offence, Cenel

was not required to enter a plea.

The accused was further informed that his case would proceed by way of Voluntary Bill of Indictment.

Although the accused was denied bail, he would be allowed to apply for it in the Supreme Court, where his trial will eventually be heard.

Until Cenel is granted bail, he will be sent back to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

Before being taken back into custody, the accused was allowed a brief moment with his family in court.

Cenel’s Voluntary Bill of Idictment is expected to be served in court on November 9.

MAN ACCUSED OF KIDNAPPING VICTIM

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A MAN was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services yesterday by a Magistrate’s Court in relation to an allegation of kidnapping another man.

Shon Butler, 22, represented by attorney Ian Cargill, appeared before

Magistrate Shaka Serville for the alleged kidnapping of a man only identified in court as “Kenton” on June 27 in New Providence.

While Mr Cargill questioned the peculiarity of the kidnapping victim’s full name being withheld, Butler was informed that his case would proceed by way of Voluntary Bill of Indictment.

The accused was then

informed that although he was denied bail by the Magistrate’s Court, he could apply for it before the Supreme Court, where his trial will be held.

Until bail is granted, Butler will be remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional services.

Butler will return to court for service of his Voluntary Bill of Indictment on October 5.

BAIL GRANTED IN $1,900 THEFT CASE

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN charged with stealing $1,900 worth of property from another man’s home was granted bail in a Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Marvin Rolle, 28, appeared before Magistrate

Shaka Serville on charges of unlawful entry and stealing from a dwelling house.

Between June 27 and June 30, Rolle is accused of illegally entering into Stephon Rahming’s home at Rupert Dean Lane. He is then accused of stealing Rahming’s $1100 70’ Samsung TV, $400 Samsung surround sound box, and

$400 Steel Invicta watch.

After electing to have his matter remain in Magistrate Court, Rolle pleaded not guilty to both charges.

With there being no objections from the prosecution the accused was granted $5,000 bail with one or two sureties.

His trial will begin on October 18.

MAN THREATENED WITH IMITATION GUN

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was placed on a conditional discharge yesterday for threatening another man with an imitation gun.

Ricardo Dames, 41, stood before Magistrate Shaka Serville on a charge of possession of a firearm with intent to put another in fear of life.

On June 29 in New

Providence, Dames reportedly threatened Carlos Swain with a handgun.

However, it was revealed in court by the prosecution that the weapon used in this incident was an imitation gun.

The defendant still pleaded guilty to the charge against him.

In view of his early plea of guilt, the magistrate was lenient in his sentencing and only placed Dames on a conditional discharge.

As part of the terms of Magistrate Serville’s ruling, the defendant will be placed on six months’ probation where he is expected to be of good behaviour.

Should Dames default on these conditions he will incur a $1,500 fine for any future offence as well having this conviction recorded.

The defendant is expected to return to court for mention on December 16.

FOUR REMANDED AFTER FIREARM FOUND

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

FOUR MEN were remanded to prison yesterday in relation to firearm and ammunition charges.

Trevor Morris, 23, Travis Curry, 34, Devar Stubbs, 30, and Briston Louis, 37, all appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann

Ferguson-Pratt on charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of ammunition.

On June 30 in New Providence, the four defendants were reportedly found with a black Glock 9mm pistol with the serial number erased and 23 live rounds of ammunition.

While all four pleaded not guilty to all charges,

the prosecution requested time to review their criminal records before an official bail decision was made.

The defendants’ bail hearing was deferred to tomorrow, July 6.

Until the four men return to court for this hearing they will be sent back to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

TWO people have been apprehended for allegedly violating an area considered a “no take zone” at an Exuma Cays land and sea park.

On Sunday, the Bahamas National Trust on Facebook asked members of the public to assist them in locating a vessel that was in a violation of poaching.

“The BNT and Exuma Park wardens are requesting information on a 39’ white trawler, ‘Rambunctious’. The vessel is towing an 18.5 foot white Albury Brothers vessel with a white

Suzuki engine,” the post read.

“We wish to question the vessel’s two occupants in regard to various park violations, including poaching. The vessel departed Warderick Wells early this morning.”

Communications officer, Leah Carr told The Tribune yesterday that the suspects were poaching in the Exuma parks, which is considered to be a “no take zone”.

She said: “We got reports about a vessel in the Exuma Cays, land and sea park that had been vacant to the rules, including poaching in the park boundaries, which is illegal

because it is a complete no take zone.”

According to a comment left on the post by the BNT the suspects are now in police custody in Grand Bahama and will be charged.

“Thanks to all of you and many in the boating and sailing groups they were spotted several times and hailed.

“They are now in police custody in Grand Bahama and will be charged.”

BNT said they are waiting for officials to determine charges before they release an official statement.

This is an ongoing matter.

PAGE 8, Tuesday, July 5, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

Watch your back, ‘Brave’ – AJ’s one for the future I

am currently in the Berry Islands enjoying the tranquil life and getting to know some of my husband, Victor Valentino’s family. This weekend was a very sombre one for us as the family matriarch, Albertha Canter-Murry was laid to rest along with her son, Livingston Devon Pratt. It was a shock for the community on an island chain with such a small population.

Each time communities lose valuable members like Albertha, one who was industrious - a straw and souvenir vendor at Coco Cay - we lose a bit of history. It is up to the children who come behind them to ensure the future generation of leaders know the great shoulders they stand upon.

One of these future leaders is Albertha’s great-grandson, Huberto Alexander Miller, Jr. This bright young man is so eloquent and intelligent that he could hold a sensible conversation with the Prime Minister... likely even become the Prime Minister one day, if he so desires. But Huberto, better known as “AJ” wants to be a pilot.

His father, Huberto Sr works at the airport and just days ago, the Government commissioned a brand new facility to serve the people of the Berry Islands.

AJ went to the airport a few times specifically to meet a pilot and ask questions, in order to determine if this truly is the path he would like to take in life.

“I have a book and pencil ready to write down a few things when I get to meet a pilot,” AJ told me.

“I do like planes.

My favourite plane is a Cessna. I like small planes to begin with. Most people are afraid of small planes.

But I like it because I can see the pilot and everything they are doing. So as long as they don’t have the blind up when I go on the plane, I am watching everything!

“The last time I was on a plane I was able to see at one point the pilot wasn’t even holding the controls, and the plane was flying!

I saw the GPS. He had on headphones... I saw everything! When it was time to land, he pulled the plane down, then he pulled up and we levelled off.”

While AJ’s dreams of a bright future take flight, he’s already on a path of success. Here, blooming in the Berry Islands is a little teacher and preacher, excelling in school and at church.

AJ just graduated from the 6th grade at the RN Gomez All Age Comprehensive School, where Ms Sharon North is the principal. AJ had the privilege of moderating the entire graduation programme along with his cousin, Quitel Francis.

“It was fun,” AJ said of the experience.

“They gave me a script to let me know who was doing what. I memorised some parts of it. I learned to make eye contact.”

When it comes to diction, delivery and presence, AJ has it downpacked. But, stage fright was something he had to overcome. With the help of his mom, Sherkelia, AJ learned to find a focal point - like a clock in the back of the room - to help him to have a place of focus so that stage fright would not take over.

His efforts at graduation were good enough to land him an invitation to write and deliver a poem for an upcoming Goombay festival.

ABOVE: A matriarch in the Berry Islands, Albertha Canter-Murry.

RIGHT: Huberto Alexander Miller, Jr, a young public speaker in the Berry Islands.

BELOW: Huberto, better known as AJ, with his father, Huberto, mother, Sherkelia, and sister, Bert’Kayla.

Meantime, he’ll be honing his speaking and presentation skills at the Church of God of Prophecy, where he is a young prayer warrior.

He was 10-years-old when he delivered his first speech in church. It was Youth Day and the topic was “Obedience”. He decided to use the story of Noah and the Ark to bring home the message.

AJ decided to use the Two By Two Kids Bible to tell the story of Noah, to make sure his peers stayed interested. He added in some of his own words as well.

“I told them that people probably thought Noah was kinda crazy... building this big ark and putting all these animals in it,” he said.

“Because Noah was obedient, it saved his life. Everyone in the world was sinning.

But Noah was praising God, he was hard working, and he honored the Sabbath. So, when the flood came, he was spared along with his family. So, it’s important to obey your parents and elders, even when we as kids think they’re just trying to get our attention.”

The second time AJ was called to preach, he had to find his own words to share with the church.

“My topic was Arise and Shine,” he said.

“I took them to the time of Isiah in the Bible. I was telling the people that we have to break out of our bad habits and get closer to God, just as Isiah told the people of Israel when they rebelled against God. I was inspiring them because God’s glory is available and it ever was. It’s important to get to know God. He has a plan for your life.

He knows your life before you were even born.”

As AJ continues to grow and mature, he wants to expand in other areas of his life. He gets very excited when he talks about his favourite subject - science. He enjoyed special projects like making a solar system, and a telescope out of a paper roll

and a piece of broken glass. He has a binoculars at home and when he is bored, he uses it to watch birds, insects and the trees, and learn as much about nature as he can. Unfortunately, the school is currently without a sports programme, and he and other students anxiously await a physical education teacher and the return of sports at their school.

In the meantime, he will continue to develop his speaking and writing skills, thanks to Mrs Macaulay, who has helped him tremendously in reading comprehension. Her husband, Mr Macaulay also works at the school.

He is a strict disciplinarian, but AJ gets to see another side of him at church, where the teacher is also a Deacon. Mr Macaulay has been able to encourage AJ to take the podium and continue to hone his public speaking skills at church. AJ says he has been called on to give the opening or closing prayer without any warning, and he says he gets better every time.

“I think speaking well is just a talent I have,” AJ told me.

“For as long as I can remember, my parents would compliment me

when I was explaining things. I think public speaking will bring me much success one day.”

AJ says his community and parents have helped him to shine. He is especially grateful for the love of his grandparents Hubert and Stacy Miller, and Shantel and Alastair Colebrooke. He also adored his great-grandmother Albertha.

Albertha was born in Mastic Point, Andros to Joseph and Estella Canter. A mother of seven, she moved to the Berry Islands where she

found love and married the late Samuel “Preacher” Murry. She was a vibrant woman who loved entertaining the many tourists who came to CocoCay on vacation. She lives on in the hearts of her descendants, and her light can continue to shine through the little ones. I am enjoying the company of Albertha’s great-grandchildren, including my own children, Victory and Victorious; De’siya and Dequan, and Bert’Kayla, who teach me the value of leaving a legacy that can stand the test of time.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, July 5, 2022, PAGE 9

Nato’s new directions and goals THE biggest overhaul of NATO since the Cold War was truly transformational.

This was the verdict of its Secretary General after last week’s historic summit in Madrid. He and others claim the 30-strong alliance has been reinvigorated and galvanised into action with a new unity and sense of purpose.

As well as reinforcing its resolve to continue to support Ukraine, NATO adopted a new “strategic concept” to widen the scope of its defence deterrence elsewhere in the world beyond Europe.

Finland and Sweden were formally invited to become members and the leaders of Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea also attended the meeting.

How different all of this is from the image portrayed by French President Emmanuel Macron when he said in 2019 that NATO was becoming “brain-dead” as he pushed for a new standing European army.

Now, some three years later, the alliance is not only in robust health but is getting even stronger with a new purpose as its member countries agree to higher spending so that it not only knows what it wants to do but also has the means to achieve its aims. What has made that difference is, of course, Ukraine and the West’s reaction to Russia’s unprovoked and barbaric invasion, unleashed four months ago, that has resulted in repeated atrocities and violations of

The Peter Young column international humanitarian law that have caused unspeakable destruction and suffering.

So, how has NATO really changed as a result of this highly successful summit?

The alliance has exceeded expectations in confronting Putin with unity and single mindedness. It strongly condemned Russia’s aggression and has provided Ukraine with the military means to protect itself and to fight back successfully.

It was clear from the start that, if Putin got away with his invasion without effective challenge, there could be serious consequences worldwide. NATO has therefore ensured that he will not be allowed to do so.

Europe’s boundaries must not be changed by force and the rules-based international order should always be defended and preserved.

Moreover, the conflict is already having repercussions around the world with a surge in energy prices and shortages of food and fertiliser. The Western democracies have also demonstrated their staying power in their declared willingness to back Ukraine to the bitter end and prevent it from being crushed and forced into a false peace through prematurely ceding territory in the east of the country to Russia.

At Madrid, it was agreed that support for Ukraine, both military and diplomatic, should be stepped up even more and that NATO’s eastern border should be strengthened.

Leaders agreed to huge increases in the number of troops deployed in Europe.

The US is sending major reinforcements and existing NATO defences on its eastern flank will be strengthened substantially to supplement local forces.

Some 300,000 troops across the continent are being placed at high readiness in case Russia threatens an attack on any member of

the alliance. that somehow NATO was As for the new strategic responsible for the curconcept, NATO is now for rent crisis. It is purely a the first time addressing defensive alliance as demthe challenges emanating onstrated by Finland and from China as Sweden – both its “stated ambi- By his actions, known as peace tions and loving councoercive poli- Putin is now tries which have cies challenge forced to face been neutral our interests, the situation for decades security and now choosing values”.

The he was trying to join. Moreoalliance will to avoid – the ver, before the seek to coun- expansion and invasion there ter Chinese as was never any well as Rus- strengthening real prospect sian efforts to of NATO on of Ukraine achieve politi- his borders. itself becomcal, economic ing a member and military Furthermore, which might gains and influ- whatever the have been seen ence in Africa, ultimate military by Russia as a the Middle threat. By his East and the outcome, it is actions, Putin Indo-Pacific. is now forced now clear that It will also it will never be to face the situbecome more ation he was involved in the possible to hold trying to avoid fight against down in the – the expansion terrorism and longer term a and strengthenwill share inteling of NATO ligence more country which on his borders. readily – and its refuses to bow Furthermore, overall aim will whatever the to his will. be to continue ultimate milito preserve the tary outcome, peace, prevent conflict and it is now clear that it will protect the security and never be possible to hold values of the West. down in the longer term a It is the case, of course, country which refuses to that the issue of earlier bow to his will.

NATO expansion eastwards At the Madrid summit, remains, in the eyes of some there was talk about the people, controversial. But, importance for NATO of at the risk of oversimplify- deterrence and, in particuing a complex issue, many lar, deterrence by denial. now regard it as a myth It is invariably desirable

to avoid having to repel an attack from a potential adversary by convincing him that the cost of such an attack would be prohibitive. That was what kept the peace during the Cold War – the threat of mutual annihilation through the use of nuclear weapons. So it appears that NATO’s concept of collective defence is not just about being prepared to defend its Allies but to deter an attack by ensuring that NATObacked forces could plainly inflict sufficient damage on a likely enemy to show him that the costs of aggression would be higher than the potential gains.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has spoken about deterrence by denial in relation to Ukraine. This appears to mean the need to convince Russia that it will fail to achieve its intended goals because its forces cannot prevail against the Ukrainian defences. Clearly, at the time of the invasion Russia expected a quick victory.

But, as time has passed and more and more arms and equipment are being sent to support Ukraine, some people now hope that this form of deterrence will bring about an end to hostilities as Putin eventually accepts he cannot win militarily – except, perhaps, in a limited area in the eastern Donbas region of the country?

IT SEEMS that yet again there has been little US mainstream media coverage of a significant event elsewhere in the world – this time, the 25th anniversary of Britain’s handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997. The visit by President XI Jinping to attend the ceremony in Hong Kong to mark the anniversary on July 1 was his first trip outside mainland China since the COVID pandemic.

As a reminder of the immediate history, the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984 created a new status for Hong Kong of “one country, two systems” at the time Britain handed it back to China. This was enshrined in the Basic Law constitution of the territory, and it provided for a special semi-autonomy guaranteeing democracy in the territory for 50 years – that is until 2047 -- including freedom of assembly, free of speech and elections and an independent judiciary, all of which underpinned Hong Kong’s role as a global financial hub. Thus, Hong Kong was supposed to be governed in a way not found in mainland China.

In recent years, however, China has been criticised for stepping up its control of the territory in an effort to curtail freedoms, including enacting laws and reforms that stifled free speech.

Pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong pushed back against this and demanded

support of Hong Kong residents – a claim that has been ridiculed by the last British governor of Hong Kong – so it should be “maintained for a long time”.

Unsurprisingly, the British government has hit back against China, with Boris Johnson saying that 25 years ago “we made a promise to Hong Kong and we shall continue to do all we can to hold China to its commitments” - and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has stated that there has been a steady erosion of political and civil rights and that the National Security Law had stifled opposition and criminalised dissent.

However this issue is viewed, what is clear is that China wants to continue to retain the economic benefits of Hong Kong’s capitalist system as an international financial centre and is prepared to accept that that means keeping certain rights for the territory as a separate system which do not apply to mainland China.

But, at the same time, the Communist Party prizes the idea of oneness and national unity above all else. So China regards Hong Kong as part of the motherland and it must bend to the will of Beijing irrespective of obligations in international law - and it remains to be seen what implications, if any, that may have for Taiwan.

CHINA IN BREACH OF INTERNATIONAL COMMITMENTS RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia, yesterday.

Photo: Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

PERCEPTION AND REALITY IT IS self-evident that a columnist should be careful to distinguish fact from opinion. This is almost a truism but is nonetheless worth repeating. With that in mind, I wonder whether others have been as puzzled, as I have been, by a number of bald and unsubstantiated statements and assertions about British colonialism and prospects for the monarchy in a recent piece in The Tribune. In slower time, I hope to present a rather different perspective on the issue.

Moreover, it has made me reflect on my comments last week about Britain being a country in many ways on the wrong path under its present Conservative government.

Although there can be no doubt about the harsh times being experienced by so many - and that

there are a number of problems which ought to be fixed by the politicians -- there is also a rather more positive side that should not be ignored.

For example, with most people having had at least two doses of the COVID vaccine, the public has been liberated from the pandemic restrictions so that life has returned to some sort of normality, including a return to large gatherings.

There was the Platinum Jubilee last month and the summer has brought flower shows and village fetes, air shows, music festivals like Glastonbury last week and all the variety of summer sporting events for which Britain is famous – not least football’s Cup Final, top-class horseracing, international test cricket, the British Grand Prix motor racing and, of

course, Wimbledon.

So, despite the perceived failures of government and problems like inflation, crime, immigration, industrial unrest, congestion at airports and unresolved difficulties in relation to Brexit – to name just a few – many people are at least relieved that their personal freedom has been restored.

Add to that the warm summer weather and the long light evenings, and is it any wonder that a smile has returned to even the curmudgeons among the British people? A study of the UK press shows that more and more are realising that perhaps there is something to be grateful for after all.

• Peter Young, OBE, is a retired career diplomat living in Nassau. He is a former British High Commissioner of the Bahamas.

fully democratic elections.

In 2019, the territory was rocked by massive antigovernment protests which precipitated violent and extended clashes with the police. But the Communist Party of China soon reasserted its authority.

There was a heavy crackdown on dissent and introduction of a harsh and sweeping new security law in 2020 under which numbers of activists, democracy supporters and opposition politicians were arrested. Election laws were revamped to enable only “patriots” to run for political office which China claimed was necessary to ensure long-term stability and to keep opposition politicians with so-called unreliable views about democracy out of Hong Kong’s legislature.

During his speech at the 25th anniversary celebration, President Xi praised Hong Kong for overcoming “violent social unrest” and restoring order and stability. He explained that Beijing had “comprehensive jurisdiction” over the territory and this should be respected even though, like Macao, Hong Kong was allowed to maintain a capitalist system and a degree of autonomy under the vision of one country, two systems. This model, he said, was working well to protect the city’s prosperity and stability and had the unanimous

PAGE 10, Tuesday, July 5, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

A LAKE County police officer walks down Central Ave in Highland Park, Illinois, yesterday after a shooter fired on the northern suburb’s Fourth of July parade. Photo: Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune via AP

Six dead, 24 wounded in July 4 mass shooting HIGHLAND PARK, Illinois Associated Press

A GUNMAN on a rooftop opened fire on an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago yesterday, killing at least six people, wounding 24 and sending hundreds of marchers, parents with strollers and children on bicycles

fleeing in terror, police said. The suspect remained on the loose hours later as authorities scoured the area.

Highland Park Police Commander Chris O’Neill, the incident commander on scene, urged people to shelter in place as authorities search for the suspect.

He said yesterday afternoon that a “very active apprehension effort” was underway.

The July 4 shooting was just the latest to shatter the rituals of American life.

Schools, churches, grocery stores and now community parades have all become killing grounds in recent months. This time, the bloodshed came as the nation tried to find cause to celebrate its founding and the bonds that still hold it together.

Mayor Nancy Rotering

said the violence “has shaken us to our core,” adding, “On a day that we came together to celebrate community and freedom, we are instead mourning the tragic loss of life and struggling with the terror that was brought upon us.”

The shooting occurred at a spot on the route where many residents had staked out prime viewing points

early in the day. Dozens of fired bullets sent hundreds of parade-goers — some visibly bloodied — fleeing. They left a trail of abandoned items that showed everyday life suddenly, violently disrupted: A half-eaten bag of potato chips; a box of chocolate cookies spilled onto the grass; a child’s Chicago Cubs cap.

“There’s no safe place,” said Highland Park resident

Barbara Harte, 73, who had stayed away from the parade fearing a mass shooting, but later ventured from her home.

Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokesman Christopher Covelli said at a news conference “several of the deceased victims” died at the scene and one was taken to a hospital and died there.

PUTIN DECLARES VICTORY IN EASTERN UKRAINE REGION POKROVSK, Ukraine Associated Press RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin yesterday declared victory in the eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk, one day after Ukrainian forces withdrew from their last remaining bulwark of resistance in the province.

Russia’s Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to Putin in a televised meeting yesterday that Russian forces had taken control of Luhansk, which together with the neighbouring Donetsk province makes up Ukraine’s industrial heartland of Donbas.

Shoigu told Putin that “the operation” was completed on Sunday after Russian troops overran the city of Lysychansk, the last stronghold of Ukrainian forces in Luhansk.

Putin, in turn, said that the military units “that took part in active hostilities and achieved success, victory” in Luhansk, “should rest, increase their combat capabilities”.

Putin’s declaration came

as Russian forces tried to press their offensive deeper into eastern Ukraine after the Ukrainian military confirmed that its forces had withdrawn from Lysychansk on Sunday. Luhansk governor Serhii Haidai said yesterday that Ukrainian forces had retreated from the city to avoid being surrounded.

“There was a risk of Lysychansk encirclement,” Haidai told the Associated Press, adding that Ukrainian troops could have held on for a few more weeks but would have potentially paid too high a price.

“We managed to do centralised withdrawal and evacuate all injured,” Haidai said. “We took back all the equipment, so from this point withdrawal was organised well.”

The Ukrainian General Staff said Russian forces were now focusing their efforts on pushing toward the line of Siversk, Fedorivka and Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, about half of which is controlled by Russia. The Russian army has also intensified its shelling of the key

Ukrainian strongholds of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, deeper in Donetsk.

On Sunday, six people, including a nine-year-old girl, were killed in the Russian shelling of Sloviansk and another 19 people were wounded, according to local authorities.

Kramatorsk also came under fire on Sunday.

An intelligence briefing yesterday from the British Defence Ministry supported the Ukrainian military’s assessment, noting that Russian forces will “now almost certainly” switch to capturing Donetsk. The briefing said the conflict in Donbas has been “grinding and attritional”, and is unlikely to change in the coming weeks.

While the Russian army has a massive advantage in firepower, military analysts say that it doesn’t have any significant superiority in the number of troops.

That means Moscow lacks resources for quick land gains and can only advance slowly, relying on heavy artillery and rocket barrages to soften Ukrainian defences.

SEVEN DEAD, 13 MISSING AS GLACIER BREAKS CANAZEI, Italy Associated Press

THUNDERSTORMS hampered the search yesterday for more than a dozen hikers who remained unaccounted for a day after a huge chunk of an Alpine glacier in Italy broke off, sending an avalanche of ice, snow and rocks down the slope. Officials put the known death toll at seven.

“I hope the numbers stop here,’’ said Veneto Gov Luca Zaia, whose region in northeast Italy borders the Dolomite mountain range including the Marmolada glacier. He spoke in the resort town of Canazei, where a morgue was set up in the ice rink.

Another regional leader, Maurizio Fugatti, said 14

people remained unaccounted for by Monday afternoon: ten Italians, three from Czechia and one from Austria. Local officials later said that Austrian consular officials had made contact with the Austrian.

“We were contacted by families because these people didn’t return home,’” said Fugatti of the Trentino-Alto Adige Alpine region.

In the mountain’s parking lot, four cars remained whose occupants hadn’t been traced — two cars had licence plates from Czechia; one vehicle was from Germany and the fourth was from Hungary.

At least three of the dead were Italians, authorities said. Italian news reports said one of the deceased

was from Czechia, which is more widely known in English as the Czech Republic.

One of the Italians was Filippo Bari, 28, who snapped a selfie with the Marmolada glacier in the background only minutes before the avalanche, his brother, Andrea, told state TV in Canazei where he came to identify the body.

Although an expert mountain hiker, his brother said his family always told him to be careful in the mountains, “above all in these temperatures”. He said the selfie was sent only 20 minutes before the avalanche and that his brother, who had a partner and a four-yearold son, was smiling. “He passed away doing what he loved.”

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, July 5, 2022, PAGE 11

Dominican Republic edges Bahamas 88-80 in FIBA World Cup 2023 Americas Qualifiers

CHAVANO “Buddy” Hield put on a show playing in front of the home crowd for the first time as a pro last night.

A fourth quarter rally from Team Bahamas fell just short as they lost the final game in the third window of FIBA World Cup 2023 Americas Qualifying opening round. Hield scored a game high 29 points.

FROM PAGE 16

The Bahamas completed a sweep over the US Virgin Islands to finish as a top three team in the group and advance to the second round. Canada finished as the leader of the group at 6-0, The Dominican Republic 4-2, The Bahamas 2-4 and the USVI eliminated with 0-6.

“Over the four years I’ve been a part of this programme, we’ve tried to find guys that can be effective and learn the system, try to find high IQ players to learn the way we want to play,” Demarco said.

“I do think we’re headed in the right direction that really understands what we have to do to try and win games.”

than five. The Bahamas had its biggest scoring run late in the fourth when Miller made a pair of threes and Hield’s assist to Knowles for a reverse layup made the score 83-74 before the DR was able to seal it late with free throws.

The visitors had a 43-30 rebounding advantage and shot 63 percent from the field on the night.

“Everything is a building process with this team.

Coach [Chris] Demarco and his staff have done a tremendous job. Where we came from to now, making it to the second round of the qualifiers - we’ve never done that in Bahamian

history so hats off to his staff and to the guys that got that first win over USVI that we needed to get, that was really big,” Hield said.

“We wanted to win this one in The Bahamas, but it was fun and we qualified. I think the Bahamian people see the progress we have been making, we have some guys that will join us eventually but we are looking forward to August, getting better, and coming back for another homestand here.”

The Bahamas will take on Venezuela on August 25 in the second round of FIBA World Cup 2023 Americas Qualifiers and will follow with a matchup against Argentina on August 29. In the second

window, they are set to take on Panama on November 10, followed by the second matchup against Argentina on November 13. The third and final window will feature the second matchups against Venezuela (February 24, 2023) and Panama (February 24, 2023).

“There’s a lot of excitement around here for basketball in The Bahamas,” Hield said.

“Everyone has seen the growth, they have seen the draft picks, young guys are making strides and I’m glad the Bahamian people showed up. We just want you guys to come out again in August, continue to support us and we will do our best to get a win.”

Victor Liz led the Dominican Republic with 26 points, Angel Delgado scored 17 and Eddy Polanco finished with a double double - 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Demarco highlighted Hield’s leadership qualities that were on display during the third window, both on and off the court.

“When your star player is as selfless as he is and as great a person as he is, that’s what wins games and

that’s what wins championships. Everyone else follows that lead,” Demarco said.

“I’ve been lucky enough to have been around some championship-type players with that same type of personality and way about them - Buddy is definitely that.

“As a national team, we can’t go out and try to find that player, try to sign that player, so for us to have that in him is a lucky thing, it’s incredible.”

England motors to 259-3 in chase of 378 against India BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — A confident and positive England motored to 259-3 in its chase of a record 378 against India on day four of the fifth test at Edgbaston yesterday.

England needs 119 more runs with seven wickets in hand to win the test and square the series 2-2.

Former captain Joe Root was 76 not out and run machine Jonny Bairstow 72 not out.

Their unbeaten stand of 150 at more than 4.5 runs per over reflects the new go-for-it approach by England in the past month under new coach Brendon McCullum and new captain Ben Stokes.

England won all three recent tests against world champion New Zealand with last-day chases.

The hosts threaten to eclipse their record run chase of 362-9 in the 2019 Ashes at Leeds. The fans believe. The allocation of free tickets for the fifth and final day were entirely snapped up quickly yesterday.

Opener Alex Lees said the team has “ultimate belief in one another, from one to 11, that we could do this. We’re just very optimistic about it. You know the target is there but you just try and put it into the background. It’s not something we necessarily spoke about.

“As a unit our batters are getting runs, they’re confident, it’s a pretty good wicket and a good outfield.

So, obviously, we just want to take the game to the opposition.”

ENGLAND’S JOE ROOT, right, plays a shot during the fourth day of the fifth cricket test match against India at the Edgbaston in Birmingham, England, yesterday.

(AP Photo/Rui Vieira) The target was set after India was bowled out for 245 for an overall lead of 377. India’s last seven wickets were taken for 170 runs.

A rollicking start to England’s chase was given by opening batters Lees and Zak Crawley in a combined stand of 107 within 23 overs before tea.

“Brendon McCullum pretty much just said, ‘Go and do your thing,’” Lees said.

“We all know the brand this team wants to play.

I just want to express myself.”

Lees and Crawley decimated the India fast bowlers with their punchy drives on both sides of the pitch. Lees took early charge then Crawley

settled in and played some exquisite drives much to the frustration of the visitors.

Crawley made 46 before being bowled by Jasprit Bumrah right on tea; Ollie Pope went for a duck to Bumrah off the first ball after tea; and Lees was run out in a mix-up with Root on 56 — all three wickets going in the space of two runs.

But Root and Bairstow quickly snuffed out India hopes and blunted their attack.

Root survived a couple of lbw video referrals in successive overs and Bairstow was dropped twice.

Earlier, India’s second innings ended half an hour

after lunch when Stokes folded up the tail and finished with 4-33.

Matthew Potts (2-50) and Stuart Broad (2-58) struck in the first session after India resumed on 125-3.

Cheteshwar Pujara started off well by hitting James Anderson for two boundaries in one over, but fell on 66 to Broad’s third ball.

Pujara had been patient throughout his 3 1/2-hour knock, leaving dozens of balls outside the off stump before he cut hard at Broad and was caught at backward point.

Shreyas Iyer’s inability to cope against short deliveries was exposed again when he played a tame pull

shot against Potts and was caught at mid-wicket on 19.

First-innings centurymaker Rishabh Pant completed his half-century with a boundary off his pads to fine leg against Broad but he was out for 56 when he tried to reverse sweep spinner Jack Leach and Root plucked a fine catch.

Potts launched short ball at India’s tailenders and Shardul Thakur was struck on the helmet twice before he was out attempting a hook.

Stokes wrapped up the tail which put up a staunch resistance in the first innings, and watched his aggressive batters set up a winnable chase on the last day.

LOCHTE’S 6 OLYMPIC SWIM MEDALS UP FOR AUCTION

By BETH HARRIS AP Sports Writer ALL of Ryan Lochte’s Olympic silver and bronze medals are up for auction, with the proceeds going to a charity benefitting children.

The 37-year-old swimmer earned 12 medals over four Olympics, including six gold that he plans to keep for now.

“I’m not one to be all sentimental about medals,” Lochte told The Associated Press by phone Sunday from a Mexican vacation. “My medals are just sitting in my closet collecting dust. The memories that I have is what means the most.”

The medals are being sold in three lots by Boston-based RR Auction.

The sale ends July 21.

The first lot is Lochte’s first individual Olympic medal, a silver in the 200metre individual medley from the 2004 Athens Games in which Michael Phelps won gold. It has

an estimate of $10,000 or more.

The second lot is a pair of bronze medals from the 2008 Beijing Games, in which Lochte finished third in the 200 IM and 400 IM. The estimate is $12,000 or more.

The third lot features three medals from the 2012 London Games. Lochte finished second in the 200 IM, second in the 4x100 freestyle relay, and third in the 200 backstroke.

The estimate is $60,000 or more.

Bobby Livingston, executive vice president of RR Auction, said the medals were consigned by a person who received them from Lochte and wishes to remain anonymous.

“They’re in perfect condition.

They have beautiful ribbons,” Livingston said.

“Ryan’s are obviously extremely interesting to people who collect medals.”

Lochte confirmed he is not the direct seller. “I gave them to a third party,” he

RYAN Lochte bites his gold medal for the 200 metres freestyle at the FINA Swimming World Championships in Shanghai, China, on July 26, 2011.

(AP Photo/Michael Sohn) said. “Everything we earn is going straight to the charity.”

Also for sale is a 14k white gold Olympic ring and a Breitling watch with black diamonds. Lochte bought both items for himself after the London Games.

His selected charity is Jorge Nation Foundation, a non-profit that raises money to send children with a terminal illness and their families on a dream

trip from South Florida to a destination of their choice.

Lochte said he’s worked with the foundation for over 10 years. His agent is on its board of directors.

“This year I really wanted to focus on giving back. I’m loving it,” he said. “I’ve been teaming with my dad doing swim clinics and I’m coming out with my own sunscreen.”

During his career, Lochte routinely gave away his medals from national

competitions to kids in the crowd.

Lochte hasn’t competed at a major meet since last year’s US Olympic trials.

He didn’t make the team for Tokyo. Last month, he raced in an ocean swim in the Cayman Islands and finished 14th.

“One mile in the ocean is a lot different than in the pool,” he said. “I swear I thought I was going to have a heart attack.”

He’s contemplating shedding some of his six golds in the future. He wants to keep his first individual gold from the 200 back in Beijing and another for his dad, Steve.

“Those medals mean a lot to me, I worked my (rear) off for them,” Lochte said, “but helping other people out is more important to me, especially because I have kids of my own.”

Lochte’s 12 medals are tied for second-most among swimmers, trailing only Phelps’ Olympic record of 28.

ZELENSKYY PRAISES IOC FOR SUPPORTING BANS ON RUSSIAN SPORT KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has thanked the IOC for supporting a ban on Russian teams and athletes competing in most Olympics sports, ahead of a court hearing today to challenge the ruling in international soccer.

Zelenskyy met in Kyiv on Sunday with International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach and praised “his unwavering position” on sports sanctions against Russia and its ally Belarus, according to a readout of the visit provided by his presidential office.

“While Russia is trying to destroy the Ukrainian people and conquer other European countries, its representatives have no place in the world’s sports community,” Zelenskyy said.

The IOC advised sports leaders on February 28 to act and soccer bodies FIFA and UEFA made a joint ruling later that day.

It is the subject of an appeal Tuesday by the Russian soccer federation at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in the Olympic home city of Lausanne, Switzerland.

Russian teams have been removed from more than 15 soccer competitions including qualifying games for the men’s and women’s World Cups, and the women’s European Championship finals tournament which starts Wednesday in England.

Bach has consistently said sports sanctions on Russia, including as an events host, are to protect the integrity of competitions and the security of athletes rather than to punish on the basis of nationality.

Zelenskyy’s office detailed the toll on Ukrainian sport during the Russian invasion now in a fifth month.

A total of 89 athletes and coaches have died “as a result of hostilities,” 13 more have been captured by the Russians, and “more than a hundred thousand Ukrainian athletes do not have the opportunity of training,” Zelenskyy said.

The IOC said it has now tripled its fund for Ukrainian sport to $7.5 million since the war started.

Bach told Zelenskyy he hoped for “a strong, successful, proud Ukrainian national Olympic team” to compete at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris and the 2026 Winter Games in Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

“We want to support you to make your Olympic dreams come true,” the IOC said its leader told Ukrainian athletes Sunday when visiting their training centre.

PAGE 12, Tuesday, July 5, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

A win on the 4th: USA Basketball pulls away, defeats Cuba 87-64 HAVANA (AP) — There were some cheers for “The Star-Spangled Banner” before USA Basketball’s game in Cuba on Independence Day. And then the Americans celebrated the holiday with a big win.

Xavier Munford scored 24 points and the US defeated Cuba 87-64 last night to close the first round of qualifying for next year’s Basketball World Cup — improving to 31-1 all-time against the island nation.

“It’s emotional to play on the Fourth of July,” said Jim Boylen, who coached the US in all three of the two-game windows in the opening qualifying round.

“It’s emotional to be here with this group of guys, with USA across our chests. It’s a big day.

Our country is 246 years old today and we’re just thankful for this moment together.”

Munford was 10 for 12 from the floor for the Americans, who got 13 points from Justin Jackson, 12 from John Jenkins — all from 3-point range — and 10 apiece from

Will Davis and Langston Galloway.

“It’s July 4th. No better feeling than to get a win tonight,” Munford said.

Jordan Bell finished with eight rebounds and six assists for the Americans, whose spot in the second round of qualifying was previously secured.

They’ll take a 5-1 record into the second round, well on their way to clinching a spot in the World Cup and moving a big step closer toward getting USA Basketball qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Yoel Cubilla led Cuba (0-6) with 15 points.

The Americans will start the second round of World Cup qualifying on August 25, with the expectation that the first matchup will be against Uruguay in Las Vegas. The US will also play on August 29, probably on the road and likely against Colombia, though FIBA has yet to confirm that as the matchup.

The two road wins on this trip — the Americans beat Puerto Rico on Friday — puts the US in a prime position to qualify for the World Cup.

UNITED States’ John Jenkins dribbles the ball during a men’s basketball practice at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, in Saitama, Japan, on Thursday, July 22. Jenkins and the US finished firstround World Cup qualifying against Cuba yesterday in Havana.

(AP Photo/David Goldman) The roster was primar- and we cared for each ily composed of G League other.”

The US will be grouped players, as is always the case for the Americans with Brazil, Uruguay, in World Cup qualifying, Mexico, Puerto Rico and and Boylen said this group Colombia in the second round. Also grouped from came together quickly.

“We came together 11 the Americas region will days ago and our team be Venezuela, Argentina, was focused, our guys Panama, Canada, the were great, we worked on Dominican Republic and the basics, we got better the Bahamas.

Both of those groups every day and I thought we played the right way,” will send three teams to Boylen said. “The ball the World Cup; the best moved, we grew together, fourth-place team from

either of those groups will also go, with the Americas region sending seven teams to the tournament that will be played in the summer of 2023 in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.

Cuba led 16-14 after the first quarter last night.

That is, until the Americans scored 14 points in the first 2:19 of the second quarter.

“We lost the first quarter, but I thought the second quarter, we responded,” Boylen said.

A 3-pointer by Jackson opened the second quarter, put the US ahead for good, and the Americans were off and running.

The lead was 49-32 early in the third — ending what was a 35-16 run by the US — and the Americans remained ahead the rest of the way.

“The Cuba team was great,” Munford said.

“They came out with a great effort. They made us work for it. They had strong guys. We played well tonight. We executed, took care of the ball, ran our offence and played USA style of basketball.”

NASHAD FROM PAGE 16

two-time Sunshine State Conference All-Conference performer.

He registered 39 doubledoubles in 50 career games in an Eagle uniform, averaging 17.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. The only Eagle to average a double-double for his Embry-Riddle career.

Mackey’s scoring average ranks fourth all-time in Eagle history, while his 12.2 boards per outing is easily the top mark in 31 seasons of ERAU basketball.

His career totals also include second all-time in free throw percentage (.870) and eighth in blocked shot average (1.1).

His name is listed six times on the single season record book, including the top spot in both rebounds (350 in 20172018) and rebounding average (12.5 rpg in 2017-2018) and second on the all-time free throw percentage (.870).

At ERAU he received his bachelor of science degree in human factors psychology in 2019 and a master of science in leadership degree in 2022.

At the senior men’s national team level, Mackey was a member of Team Bahamas at the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games and the 2020 and 2022 FIBA Americup Qualifiers.

He and his wife Simone have two children, Noah and Malayah.

COLUMN: CHAOS INSIDE ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT AS TEAMMATES FUME PATO O’Ward leads the field at the drop of the green flag during an IndyCar auto race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, on Sunday.

By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer LEXINGTON, Ohio (AP) — Michael Andretti wants Formula One to believe that he should be the team waving the American flag in the world’s most popular motorsport series.

The meltdown of his flagship IndyCar team at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course can be his Netflix audition tape.

Andretti Autosport has been unsteady all season, the first with Romain Grosjean of F1 and “Drive to Survive” fame and last with Alexander Rossi, winner of the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar’s least amused driver.

Grosjean is new to the team — he replaced popular Andretti stalwart Ryan Hunter-Reay — and Andretti needs “The Phoenix” and his star power in the expansive Andretti multi-series lineup.

And Grosjean is legitimately a star. He was a featured driver on F1’s behind-the-scenes Netflix

docudrama and an entire episode revolves around the near-fatal 2020 fire that ended his F1 career and brought him to the United States to race IndyCar. Rossi doesn’t like Grosjean.

That’s OK because Grosjean doesn’t like Rossi, either.

And it’s on Andretti to manage the situation and prevent his organisation from embarrassing itself at a 60-year-old relic of a racetrack located in the middle of Ohio.

Rossi long ago decided this seventh season would be his last with Andretti, the owner who gambled on the Californian when he washed out of F1. He is leaving for Arrow McLaren SP and Andretti already has signed Kyle Kirkwood to replace him.

The smart play for Andretti would have been to squelch any tension on the roster immediately.

After all, F1 is watching.

Andretti has been working overtime trying to persuade F1 to expand its

grid for a two-car effort from “Andretti Global.”

A true American team, he’s argued, would bring new sponsorship wealth to a series rapidly growing throughout North America.

Most of the current F1 teams think Andretti is delusional. They don’t care about returning the Andretti name to F1 and most are already signing mega-million deals with North American-based companies. At Charlotte Douglas International Airport on Monday, the transportation hub of NASCAR featured F1 driver Lando Norris in an ad for Tumi in the main shopping artery.

Adding two cars to put the Andretti name on the grid is viewed by the majority of F1 teams as nothing but a dilution to their guaranteed earnings.

It’s up to Andretti to prove his value to these gatekeepers of the club he so desperately wants to join. And while Mid-Ohio proved his organisation packs all the action needed

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for a full “Drive to Survive” storyline, it couldn’t have been the look Andretti wants scrutinised.

Rossi wrecked Grosjean and rookie Devlin DeFrancesco.

Grosjean wrecked Colton Herta and challenged team orders to block traffic for Rossi.

IndyCar called avoidable contact penalties on both Grosjean and Rossi. Herta, in 15th, was the highest-finishing Andretti car.

It was so ugly that this is how Andretti Autosport summarised Sunday in its postrace news release: “With the drop of the green, drivers worked to advance in the field before a round of incidents amongst teammates cost valuable track positions. The melee brought about high tensions and lowered finishing results.”

That’s putting it mildly.

Andretti was openly seething as his cars wrecked one another. He had a heated conversation with Rossi’s father in the open paddock and then a postrace meeting with his drivers.

When it was over, Grosjean said he still felt that Rossi is “an absolute idiot.

Sorry.”

Rossi yesterday declined to elaborate on the situation to The Associated Press. He has made himself clear that he does not

believe Grosjean is a good teammate and he will never give an inch to Grosjean on the track.

But he is adamant he still represents Andretti and that his job is still to try to win races.

What did Andretti have to say after the five-alarm Mid-Ohio debrief? He didn’t respond to a request for comment Monday from the AP. It’s clear that Grosjean has done himself few favours in his second season of IndyCar. He charmed his way into the series — mere months after the 2020 F1 fire in Bahrain — and upgraded from overperforming with mid-pack Dale Coyne Racing to still searching for his first win in his upgraded Andretti seat.

Grosjean has been involved in multiple ontrack incidents since joining Andretti and he very rarely accepts any culpability.

After he and Graham Rahal tangled in April at Barber, Rahal spread the word that most the drivers had tired of Grosjean’s act.

Next up was nearly a month in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway motorhome lot, where Grosjean prepared for his Indy 500 debut and his teammates were eager participants in the annual pranks among drivers.

(AP Photo/Tom E Puskar) It didn’t seem personal when Herta and Rossi were part of a crew that ransacked Grosjean’s patio furniture and relocated his scooter to the top of the Pagoda.

And though Herta seemed mildly annoyed when he discovered his golf cart had been overturned and all its oil drained while he was in a media session, there were no overt signs that Rahal may have been including Grosjean’s own teammates in his popularity poll.

Come Sunday at MidOhio, race winner Scott McLaughlin made clear the entire paddock knew Andretti was a tempest waiting to erupt.

“That’s been building all year,” McLaughlin said of the Andretti-on-Andretti crimes that occurred behind the leaders all day.

In one sense, Mid-Ohio showed that Andretti has all the juicy drama that has helped F1 expand its North American audience.

But the entire display — and apparent months of internal buildup — has an amateurish look that hardly makes a case for F1 to swing open its gates to Andretti.

There’s an issue inside the Andretti operation and each day it isn’t fixed only hurts Andretti’s chances of being taken seriously in F1.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, July 5, 2022, PAGE 13

NBA SAYS TAKE-FOUL PENALTY WILL CHANGE AT SUMMER LEAGUES

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer

Photos by Alecia Thompson

DREAM Again Basketball Camp instructors and campers pose above.

Dream Again Basketball Camp was ‘extraordinary’

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net CAMP director JR Cadot said when his NEXT Basketball organisation decided to put on their inaugural Dream Again Basketball Camp, he knew it would be an extraordinary camp.

The camp, which got started on June 27 at the Remnant Tabernacle of Praise auditorium, shifted into another gear with the participation of American Randy Shepherd yesterday.

Shepherd, a former professional travelling team-mate of Cadot on the international basketball circuit, took the opportunity to address the campers on the importance of putting their faith and trust in God. Shepherd, a founder of CrossFire, an organisation known for sharing Jesus through different ministries, was invited by Cadot to be a part of the camp.

“I’m just so blessed to be here and I’m so proud of JR for putting on his first camp,” Shepherd said.

“We’ve had the chance to travel around the world, but I’m getting older, so it’s so good to be able to sow into young men like him and they can carry on the Gospel of Jesus through this silly game of basketball.”

Although he has benefitted tremendously from the game, Shepherd said to him, it’s a “silly game” compared to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that is why he is so devoted to the cause.

“I told them basketball will fail them one day,” he said.

“There are 500,000 high school basketball players in the United States of American, but only 42,000 will get a basketball scholarship.

“So, we want to incorporate

CAMP director JR Cadot, left, reunites with American Randy Shepherd at the Dream Again Basketball Camp. the importance of knowing the word of God because they will have something to fall back on when basketball has failed them because one day, they won’t get to play this game again.”

For its initial year, Cadot said he’s been pleased with the turnout.

“We thank God for the campers who have showed up,” Cadot said.

“We intend to give them the opportunity to listen to some professionals in all aspects of life, but especially from the Christian perspective because we believe that there is more to life than playing basketball.

“We want to teach them about life skills,” Cadot said.

“So, we will be focusing on their fundamentals and teaching them the important aspects of life.”

Having reunited with Shepherd, who hails out of North Carolina, Cadot said he remembers how they travelled through Asia sharing the gospel.

While Shepherd arrived here on Saturday, Cadot said he was glad to get him in before he moves around to the other camps before he departs on Friday.

Since the camp got started, Grand Bahamian pro basketball player Willis

AMERICAN Randy Shepherd addresses campers at the Dream Again Basketball Camp.

Mackey Jr has been assisting Cadot and he said he has been impressed by what he’s seen.

“I’m just glad to be able to come in here and help Cadot to guide these youngsters because I’ve learned a lot from playing overseas and this is a good opportunity to share my experience,” Mackey Jr said.

“I have had a chance to see Randy Shepherd in action and I’m so glad that he came here to impart some of his knowledge to the campers.

“I’m also learning as he goes along because there is some stuff that I could use in teaching the youngsters not just in this camp, but any other that I get the opportunity to participate in.”

At least three of the campers interviewed were thrilled by what they got out of the camp so far.

Delmaro Deal, a 14-year-old student at St Augustine’s College, said Cadot is a very good coach and he’s willing to get some experience from him.

“I’ve learned how to play

defence and work on my ball-handling and shooting the basketball,” Deal said.

“I also thought the presentation today was very good. It’s something that I can add to when I’m playing basketball.”

Achim Colebrooke, a 12-year-old student of Kingsway Academy who will be transferring to St Andrew’s School, said the camp has been very educational for him.

“I want to choose basketball as my sport (to participate in) and try to become good at it,” said Colebrooke, who also plays soccer and tennis. “It’s fun and I am learning a lot of things about basketball.

“Plus, the gentleman (Shepherd) told us that if we believe in God, we can do anything.”

Ian Mills, a nine-yearold student of St Andrew’s School, said he decided to join the camp to better his basketball skills.

“I’ve learned dribbling and exercise techniques,” Mills said. “I also liked how the gentleman told the student about God. It was very good.”

Cadot, the camp administrator, said the numbers have been quite impressive so far for the camp.

“A lot of parents come here and say they can’t afford to have their son sitting home playing video games, so they register them,” said Thompson, a student at Velencia College in Orlando, Florida where she is studying bio-medical science.

“So, this is a good location for the camp.”

Cadot said at the end of the camp on July 15, they hope that they can continue the process of developing the “future leaders” of the country.

“We wanted to put this camp on to inspire, encourage and to build the self-esteem and a strong faith in God in these youngers,” he said.

“We had one of our sponsors come in earlier and said that if we are not investing in our kids, we are not investing in our future, and this is our future. If you give a child a fish, he will eat today, but if you teach a child to fish, he will eat for a lifetime.”

THE NBA has sent another strong indicator that the penalty for transition take fouls is about to change.

Such fouls will result in a penalty of one free throw, plus retention of the ball, at all three summer leagues this season — first the two smaller ones in San Francisco and Salt Lake City that start this weekend, then the 30-team one in Las Vegas that opens next week.

Changing the rule at the NBA level has been mulled for several years, with momentum moving toward finally making something happen in recent months.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told The Associated Press last month that he expects the oft-maligned foul to come with stiffer penalties next season.

That move is likely to come when the NBA’s board of governors meets later this month.

“I am confident that we’ll see a change,” Silver said in the AP interview.

“I would not say I’m overconfident that it will be the last change, even though this is a rule that we’ve been experimenting with in the G League for last four years.”

The play occurs when a defender intentionally commits a foul to halt a transition opportunity for the opposition. Typically, such a foul only has resulted in the disadvantaged team taking the ball out of bounds. But since 2018, in the G League, when a defender commits a take foul, the fouled team retains possession and gets one free throw before play resumes.

“I think the take foul needs to be abolished as soon as humanly possible,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said during the playoffs.

The G League and Summer League are the traditional testing labs for the NBA before making rule changes or amending policies.

Among those that started at those levels and eventually got to the NBA; the coaches’ challenge, plus resetting the 24-second shot clock to 14 seconds in offensive rebound situations.

Adesanya’s UFC title reign still lacks something special

By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer LAS VEGAS (AP) — Israel Adesanya has the otherworldly fighting ability and the personal charisma necessary to become mixed martial arts’ next crossover superstar.

What the UFC middleweight champion doesn’t have are the highlight-reel performances that would make him famous in the wider world of sports, and it’s time to wonder whether he can provide them.

Adesanya’s tepid title defence against Jared Cannonier at UFC 276 on Saturday night was another missed opportunity for perhaps the UFC’s most impressive overall athlete to reach the next level of stardom.

In fact, Adesanya’s last three middleweight title defences since his failed run at the light heavyweight belt have been decision victories in what MMA experts call technical, tactical performances.

Many others call them dull, no matter how earnestly Adesanya (23-1) objects.

“They don’t know what real fighting is, or real finesse,” Adesanya said afterward when asked

about the fans who booed, whistled and left early during his final two rounds in Las Vegas. “The greats all get to this point,” Adesanya added. “Anderson Silva, GSP (Georges St. Pierre), I’d see them and say, ‘That was a fantastic fight,’ and people would boo them.

Same with (Muhammad) Ali, (Floyd) Mayweather.

You get to this point where you’re so great, people just want to see you fall.”

But as a media-savvy fighter whose love of anime inspired his nickname — The Last Stylebender — Adesanya knows the importance of iconic moments. With his gravitydefying athleticism, he is among the few MMA fighters who can create them solely from his own talent.

He hasn’t really done it since he knocked out Robert Whittaker to claim the undisputed UFC 185-pound title in 2019.

Adesanya has earned one stoppage victory in his five title defences while doing nothing that would put him in front of everyone on a social network for days.

Before he faced Cannonier, Adesanya promised to do something spectacular — something worthy of the hefty Vegas ticket prices or the stiff $74.99

ISRAEL ADESANYA, left, hits Jared Cannonier in a middleweight title bout during the UFC 276 Saturday in Las Vegas.

(AP Photo/John Locher) (not including the required ESPN+ subscription) for pay-per-view shows in the U.S. He didn’t do it, and he didn’t take any risks to give himself a better chance to do it — and then the New Zealander called fans “dumb,” “drunks” and “drongos” for expecting him to do what he said he would do. He pre-emptively shrugged off any criticism by saying he had “an off night.”

“But on my worst day, I can kill the best man,” Adesanya said.

It’s not all Adesanya’s fault, of course. He is a brilliant counterpuncher, and when an opponent like

Cannonier is tentative and sparing with his strikes, Adesanya can’t do what he does best.

But the split between Adesanya’s personal magnetism and his cage strategy in Las Vegas was jarring.

Adesanya did a ring walkout designed as an homage to The Undertaker, complete with purple smoke and the pro wrestler’s trademark music and hat while carrying an urn with Cannonier’s name on it.

He fought Cannonier with a French tip manicure and sparkly polish on his toenails. “I like to put on a show,” Adesanya said of the pageantry. “I like

to entertain, and I did just that.”

The matchup seemed to provide Adesanya with the opportunity to unleash some stunning head kick or a combination never seen.

Instead, he grinded out a comfortable win, picking apart Cannonier from a distance in another pointfighting performance.

That style can win belts, but it rarely wins legions of fans outside of hardcore fight circles. Unless he develops a cult of personality along the lines of Mayweather’s antihero persona, it won’t take him to the top level of fame and fortune that only the greatest fighters ever reach.

It’s no secret the UFC is in a prolonged superstar drought behind Conor McGregor, still easily the most bankable star in MMA even though he has won exactly one fight since former President Barack Obama’s administration.

A new generation of champions sits atop the sport, but nobody in that cohort has anything near the celebrity of McGregor or Ronda Rousey. Jon Jones is the closest, but the selfsabotaging champ hasn’t fought in 2 1/2 years and has nothing on deck while he moves up to heavyweight,

a division in turmoil around absent champion Francis Ngannou.

Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski are atop most pound-for-pound lists, but those well-liked stars aren’t really seeking outside-the-cage notoriety, and they haven’t had it thrust upon them.

Adesanya wants it all, and he has one of the biggest personalities in the sport.

He ascended to the middleweight throne in swift, impressive fashion, and he has the charmingly combative attitude of a fighter who should be known in households worldwide.

“It’s an acquired taste to thrive under this spotlight,” Adesanya said. “I thrive. I don’t melt.”

Adesanya should have another prime opportunity to become ubiquitous in his next fight against Alex Pereira, the Brazilian kickboxing sensation who knocked out Sean Strickland at UFC 276.

“It did not excite me, and it did not excite the crowd,” Pereira said of Adesanya’s win. “I was very sad to see that. I hope when we fight, he does a better fight than that. For sure, I am going make him fight to give a better show to the crowd.”

PAGE 14, Tuesday, July 5, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

Quieter Kyrgios overcomes shoulder, US foe at Wimbledon

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Much quieter, much calmer, than in his previous match, Nick Kyrgios overcame a troublesome right shoulder to deliver 35 aces and beat Brandon Nakashima 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-2 at Wimbledon yesterday to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal for the first time in 7 1/2 years.

The unseeded Kyrgios improved to 6-0 over his career in five-setters at the All England Club and collected his tour-leading 11th grass-court victory of the season.

“I need a glass of wine, for sure, tonight. For sure,” Kyrgios told the crowd during his on-court interview, after swapping out his rule-conforming white hat and shoes for red versions.

Playing before a nearly full house at Centre Court, the 27-year-old Australian only occasionally displayed his unusual repertoire of trick shots — a betweenthe-legs swing here, an underarm serve there — or the temper that earned fines of $10,000 for spitting in the direction of a heckling spectator at the end of his first-round match and $4,000 for an audible obscenity during his tempestuous win against No. 4 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third round.

Against Nakashima, an unseeded 20-year-old from California, Kyrgios repeatedly was visited during changeovers by a trainer, who massaged and manipulated his shoulder.

There was a stretch where Kyrgios’ high-speed serves dipped from above 135 mph to closer to 110 mph, but he eventually seemed to get past that and was back to producing unreturnable offerings over and over.

After Nakashima evened things by taking the fourth set with a break, then went up 1-0 in the fifth, Kyrgios surged to the finish.

He earned five games in a row, before serving it out and closing this way from love-30: cross-court forehand passing winner; hanging on in an 11-stroke exchange until Nakashima missed a backhand; 134 mph service winner; forehand volley winner.

“I’ve played a lot of tennis in the last month and a half. I’m just proud of the way I steadied the ship,” Kyrgios said. “Honestly that’s what I was thinking about: I’ve never lost a five-set match here. ... I was like, ‘I’ve been here before.

I’ve done it before.’”

This will be Kyrgios’ third appearance in a major quarterfinal. The others came as a teenager at Wimbledon in 2014 — when he surprised thenNo. 1 Rafael Nadal along the way — and at the Australian Open in 2015.

“I stepped out here against one of the greatest of all time and beat Nadal,” Kyrgios said. “So these are all things I have in the back of my mind.”

Kyrgios next faces unseeded Cristian Garin, a 26-year-old from Chile who authored the fortnight’s first comeback from two sets down, saving two match points and turning things around to defeat No. 19 seed Alex de Minaur 2-6, 5-7, 7-6 (3), 6-4, 7-6 (10-6) after more than 4 1/2 hours.

Garin, who is ranked 43rd, reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal in his 15th major appearance.

The other quarterfinal on their half of the draw will be No. 11 Taylor Fritz against 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal or No. 21 Botic van de Zandschulp.

Fritz, a 24-year-old American, has yet to drop a set and will be making his major quarterfinal debut after defeating qualifier Jason Kubler 6-3, 6-1, 6-4.

The only owner of a Grand Slam title left in the women’s bracket, Simona Halep, extended her Wimbledon winning streak to 11 matches by overwhelming fourth-seeded Paula Badosa 6-1, 6-2.

The 16th-seeded Halep, who recently teamed up with Patrick Mouratoglou, the former coach of Serena Williams, made just nine unforced errors against Badosa, saved the only break point she faced and needed just an hour to move on.

Halep won the French Open in 2018 and Wimbledon in 2019. She did not return to compete at the All England Club until last week, though, because the tournament was called

AUSTRALIA’s Nick Kyrgios reacts after winning a point against Brandon Nakashima of the US in a men’s singles fourth round match on day eight of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London yesterday.

ROMANIA’s Simona Halep celebrates after beating Spain’s Paula Badosa in a women’s singles fourth round match at the Wimbledon tennis championships yesterday.

(AP Photos/Alberto Pezzali) off in 2020 amid the coro- 6-2, 6-3. Anisimova had straight year after beating navirus pandemic, and eliminated French Open Alize Cornet 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. she missed it a year ago runner-up Coco Gauff Cornet ended No. 1 Iga because of an injured leg. last week; Tan eliminated Swiatek’s 37-match winAfter Badosa’s exit, the 23-time major champion ning streak on Saturday. only woman remaining Williams in the first round.

“I didn’t really think who is seeded higher than The other quarterfinal I could do it,” said Halep is No. 3 Ons Jabeur. on their side of the field Tomljanovic.

The combined nine seeds will be 17th-seeded Elena She lost to eventual who will participate in the Rybakina of Kazakhstan champion Ash Barty in last women’s or men’s quarter- against Ajla Tomljanovic year’s quarterfinals. finals is the lowest total at of Australia.

“After some tough Wimbledon since 2000.

Rybakina made it to the moments this year, I Halep will go up Wimbledon quarterfinals thought: Am I ever going against No. 20 Amanda for the first time with a to get a chance again?

Anisimova, a 20-year- 7-5, 6-3 victory over Petra “I can’t believe a year old American who beat Martic, while Tomljanovic later, I’m in the same Harmony Tan of France is there for the second position.”

BARCELONA STRENGTHENS SQUAD BY ADDING KESSIE, CHRISTENSEN BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona boosted its midfield and defence by signing Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen yesterday.

The 25-year-old Kessie, who had been playing for AC Milan since 2017, arrives as a free agent on a contract until June 2026 and a buyout clause of 500 million euros ($522 million).

Christensen comes after his contract with Chelsea ended. His deal is also until 2026 and contains the same buyout clause as Kessie’s.

Kessie will be officially introduced on Wednesday.

The Ivory Coast midfielder will be the second Ivorian to play for Barcelona, after Yaya Touré in the late 2000s.

The 26-year-old Christensen will be introduced on Thursday. The Danish central defender joined Chelsea’s youth teams in 2012 and had a stint with Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga before returning to Chelsea.

Christensen helped Chelsea win the Champions League, the Europea League and the Club World Cup, and was on the Danish national team that reached the semifinals of the 2020 European Championship.

Barcelona called him “strong and with great vision, a powerful centre back who is excellent in the air” and “technically proficient with the ball at his feet, a perfect fit” for the Catalan club.

Kessie has 58 international appearances with his national team and played at the Tokyo Olympics as Ivory Coast reached the quarterfinals.

Kessie moved to Italy in 2014 to sign for Atalanta, where he played in the club’s youth squads before joining second-division team Cesena on a loan.

Coach Gian Piero Gasperini eventually brought him back to Atalanta and he scored twice in his Serie A debut in 2016.

Kessie joined Milan on loan in 2017 and permanently signed with the club in 2019 for 33 million euros ($34.5 million). He helped AC Milan win its first title in 11 seasons this year. In his six seasons with Atalanta and Milan, Kessie scored 45 goals.

AFRICAN CUP PUT BACK TO 2024, CAF TO LAUNCH SUPER LEAGUE

By GERALD IMRAY and PETER KANJERE Associated Press CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The next African Cup of Nations will again clash with the European season and likely give rise to more club vs. country friction and disgruntlement over the release of players after organisers decided to postpone it until January 2024.

The decision was announced on Sunday by the Confederation of African Football and was prompted by the weather in host nation Ivory Coast, CAF said.

The tournament was to take place in June-July 2023 — a slot chosen to coincide with the European leagues’ summer break and formalised in FIFA’s official calendar of international games— but Ivory Coast experiences heavy rain at that time of year and that threatened to badly affect Africa’s showpiece tournament. CAF said it received a report from a technical group that staging the African Cup in mid-year in Ivory Coast would have “adverse” effects.

The sudden change without wider consultation provoked a “furious” reaction among its members, the European Club Association said yesterday, who again face releasing players in mid-season to national team duty despite a promise by CAF to play in June and July.

It’s been a familiar problem for CAF, which had made a long-term commitment to move the African Cup from its traditional January-February slot to the middle of the year.

But a decision in 2014 to stage three straight African Cups in Central and West Africa undermined that because of the problematic mid-year weather in that part of the continent.

This year’s tournament in Cameroon was also to be in June and July but had to revert to the January-February slot because of Cameroon’s monsoon season.

The next African Cup after Ivory Coast is in Guinea, another West African country, and may well throw up the same problem which would clash with a new Champions League schedule in Europe that starts in the 2024-25 season.

European clubs have consistently complained about being forced by FIFA rules to release some of their biggest stars for the African Cup, sometimes for more than a month, to start the second half of their league seasons.

The African Cup also comes around every two years and not every four like other major international soccer tournaments.

Ahead of Cameroon’s African Cup this year, some clubs threatened to block their players going, although Africa’s biggest names such as Senegal’s Sadio Mané, Egypt’s

SENEGAL’s players celebrate with Senegal’s head coach Aliou Cisse after winning the African Cup of Nations 2022 final soccer match between Senegal and Egypt at the Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium in Yaounde, Cameroon, on February 6. The next African Cup of Nations will again clash with the European season and likely give rise to more club vs. country friction and disgruntlement over the release of players after organisers decided to postpone it until January 2024. The decision was announced on Sunday by the Confederation of African Football.

(AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) Mohamed Salah and Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez did play.

FIFA eventually found a compromise by allowing clubs to delay the release of their players to the African Cup, but that also causes problems on the other side when African teams have less time — sometimes just days — to prepare their players.

The African Cup will be under even more pressure from European clubs

from 2025 if it stays in that January-February window because UEFA’s revamped and expanded club competitions will see Champions League and Europa League games scheduled for January.

CAF also announced on Sunday that its executive committee gave the goahead for a new African club Super League to be played from 2023, crucially with the backing of FIFA.

The new Super League will have total prize money of $100 million, CAF President Patrice Motsepe said.

“We have been inundated with investors and sponsors, who are anxious to partner with us on the CAF Super League,” Motsepe added.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has publicly supported the idea of an African Super League despite FIFA’s fierce

resistance to the ultimately doomed European Super League.

Infantino said this year that the African Super League, which has been talked about since 2019, will be “a completely different proposition.”

“It is not at all a breakaway league.

“It is an African Super League integrated in the institutional structures of African and global football,” Infantino said. “The second big difference is that this is an open competition, allowing for teams to be promoted and also to be relegated if they don’t perform.”

CAF gave no details regarding the final structure of its Super League and how it would sit alongside Africa’s existing Champions League club tournament.

The details, including the official name of the tournament, would be announced next month, CAF said.

African soccer badly needs a revamp, with the African Cup of Nations the continent’s only real money-making tournament.

But FIFA’s closeness to the African Super League has added to recent criticism that the world body has had way too much sway over CAF since Motsepe, Infantino’s own choice to lead African soccer, was elected president unopposed in 2021.

Infantino brokered a deal shortly before the election that saw the other candidates withdraw.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, July 5, 2022, PAGE 15

FORMER bodybuilders from Grand Bahama were honoured by BBFF president Joel Stubbs over the weekend.

Northern Bahamas Bodybuilding & Fitness Championships returns to Grand Bahama

JOEL STUBBS, president of Bahamas Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation, congratulates men’s super heavyweight champion Orick Nesbitt (right).

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net BAHAMAS Bodybuilding Federation President Joel Stubbs said he was delighted to see the return of the Northern Bahamas Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships to Grand Bahama.

The event was held over the weekend at the Grand Lucayan Hotel where Orick Nesbitt emerged as the overall male champion and Sanadia Smith took the spotlight on the female side.

Nesbitt, the super heavyweight champion, won the overall title over middleweight champion Andrew Sweeting. They also finished in that same order in the men’s classic physique category. Smith captured both the women’s figure and Fit-Model titles.

“It was a new beginning for the athletes from Grand Bahama and persons who wanted to improve on their fitness dream, goals and talents,” said Stubbs, a former international competitor representing the Bahamas.

“We were able to bring that back to Grand Bahama and we’re looking forward to next year being even more extravagant with fierce competition.”

Stubbs said he was also encouraged by many of the bodybuilders in Grand Bahama, who didn’t participate in the show over the weekend, who have expressed their interest in making their return next year as the country celebrates its 50th Independence. “In the past, the Northern Bahamas Championships has always been a fierce competition between the New Providence and Grand Bahama bodybuilders,” Stubbs said. “So, we’re hoping to get it back there for the audience in Grand Bahama to see.”

During the show, Stubbs said the federation was able to present awards to the following pioneers of the sport from Grand Bahama: Philip Kemp, Samuel ‘Zulu’ Williams, Wendy Willis, Baldwin Darling, Dwight Palacious, Jenny and Ray Whylly, Charmaine McNabb, Jan Johnson, Petra Brice and Henry Cooper.

Stubbs said the federation is now preparing to stage its National Championships on Saturday, July 16 at the Atlantis Theatre on Paradise Island, starting at 7pm. Following the championships, the federation will select the national team to represent the Bahamas at the Central American and Caribbean Bodybuilding Championships, scheduled

ORICK NESBITT, Northern Bahamas bodybuilding champion.

SHOWN, from left to right, are Antonique Curtis, Cara Saunders and Denica Thompson. for July 27 to August 1 in Bridgetown, Barbados.

• Here’s a look at the winners in the various categories of the Northern Bahamas Championships: Men’s Bodybuilding Andrew Sweeting Middleweight - 1st Place Orick Nesbitt - Super Heavyweight - 1st Place Men’s Bodybuilding Overall - Orick Nesbitt Women’s Figure Sanadia Smith - 1st Place Women’s Fit-Model Sanadia Smith - 1st Place Men’s Fit-Model Alexander Kemp 1st Place Women’s Wellness - Cara Saunders - 1st Place; Altonmique Curtis - 2nd Place; Dedicated Thompson - 3rd Place Women’s Bikini - Kastachia Staurt - 1st Place; Brittany Davis - 2nd Place; Danielle Rollins - 3rd Place.

Men’s Classic Physique - Orick Nesbitt - 1st Place; Andrew Sweeting - 2nd Place.

Men’s Physique - Terrion Kemp - 1st Place; Frederick Greene - 2nd Place - Zak Bain - 3rd Place.

To Publish your Financials and

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DANIELLE Rollins.

ANDREW SWEETING, the Northern Bahamas bodybuilding runner-up.

SPORTS PAGE 16

Nesbitt, Page 15

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022

Bahamas suffers loss to Dominican Republic SENIOR MEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL TEAM IN FIBA WORLD CUP 2023 AMERICAS QUALIFIERS

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

C

havano “Buddy” Hield put on a show playing in front of the home crowd for the first time as a pro, but a fourth quarter rally from Team Bahamas fell just short as they lost the final game in the third window of FIBA World Cup 2023 Americas Qualifying opening round play.

Hield scored a game high 29 points on 11-16 shooting from the field (6-11 from three), but the Dominican Republic held on for an 88-80 win last night at the Baha Mar Convention Centre.

Hield also added a game high eight assists and five rebounds to lead The Bahamas in both categories.

Travis Munnings scored 14, Danrad Knowles added 12 points off the bench and Franco Miller Jr scored nine. “It was beautiful, it was fun,” Hield said of his first experience at home playing as a member of the

national team. “Seeing the crowd there, hearing the horns, the cowbells, people shouting. When we hit a three it sounded like a dunk effect so the energy they brought was amazing.”

The Bahamas made its first three three pointers of the game, two from Hield and one from Mychel Thompson, to take an early lead but the visitors went on an early 12-0 run to take a 22-11 advantage.

The DR took a 26-17 lead into the second and led by as much as 15 before Hield scored seven straight to make the score 36-28.

Munnings missed a pair of free throws that could have cut the lead to six, but Victor Liz responded with six points of his own to swing the momentum back in favour of the visitors.

Gelvis Solano followed with a three at the buzzer to give the DR a 46-33 headed into the half. Hield had 21 of his 19 points at the half but, to that point, no other player on the Bahmian roster scored more

SEE PAGE 11

DANRAD KNOWLES, of the Bahamas, dunks last night against the Dominican Republic during the FIBA World Cup 2023 Americas Qualifiers at the Baha Mar resort in Cable Beach.

Mackey named assistant men’s basketball coach

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net NASHAD Mackey continues to progress in the coaching ranks and was appointed to a new post at his alma mater.

The former national team standout was named the assistant men’s basketball coach for the Daytona State Falcons.

He joins head coach Joey Cantens’ staff that led the Falcons to a 13-19 record last season in NJCAA Division I - Region Eight play.

Mackey spent the last two years as a graduate assistant for the Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Eagles under head coach Steve Ridder.

His staff led the Eagles to a 24-10 record last season and culminated in a berth to the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen.

He graduated from Daytona State in 2017 after a stellar academic and playing career for the Falcons.

On the court, he was named a JuCo All-American, the Mid-Florida Conference Player of the Year, First Team All-State and DSC Basketball’s Student Athlete of the Year.

He was also named a MidFlorida Conference Scholar Athlete, DSC Dean’s List honouree and DSC President’s List award winner.

NASHAD Mackey In his freshman season with the Falcons, he averaged 9.8 points and 10.1 rebounds per game while shooting 47 per cent from the field and 26 per cent from three-point range.

As a sophomore, he improved his numbers across the board to average 15.3 points and 12.3 rebounds per game on 52 percent shooting from the field and 80 percent from the free throw line.

Mackey earned his associate of arts degree with honours from Daytona State College in 2017.

He matriculated to the Eagles as a player where he concluded his collegiate basketball playing career as one of the programme’s alltime leaders.

In his two-year run with the Eagles, he was a

SEE PAGE 12