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Businesses lose thousands as Downtown suffers prolonged power outages

BY ANNELIA NIXON TRIBUNE BUSINESS REPORTER anixon@tribunemedia.net DOWNTOWN businesses are counting thousands of dollars in lost sales, spoiled food and additional expenses as a prolonged power outage on Bay Street and the surrounding area disrupted commercial activity and left tourists facing sweltering conditions yesterday.

The outage, which began shortly after 3pm on Wednesday and continued into Thursday, forced businesses to operate without electricity during one of the capital’s busiest tourism periods, with some unable to process card payments while others were forced to close altogether.

For Mr Pargan Pawar, owner of Taj Mahal indian restaurant, the outage has already resulted in significant losses, with food having to be

Businesses struggle through prolonged blackout Card payment failures hit downtown retailers Outage leaves tourists facing sweltering heat discarded, staff hours lost and equipment potentially damaged by power fluctuations.

Mr Pawar said the restaurant had been without electricity since about 3.15pm Wednesday, with no advance warning from Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) about the duration of the outage. He

noted that repeated calls to BPL failed to provide a restoration estimate or meaningful information about the cause of the outage.

“Without any due notice or notification, that power might be off for six hours or eight hours or 12 hours so that we can staff the restaurant appropriately and take care of the product that is prepared,” he said. “Nothing was communicated to us. All of a sudden, lights went out,” he said.

He said the lack of information made it impossible to determine whether staff should remain at work or be sent home.

“If you can’t give us the time to restore the power, how on earth do I need to conduct my business?” Mr Pawar said. “Can I say close the business down and tell my staff to come back tomorrow? ‘We don’t know.’ So if you don’t know, I don’t know

Beach club and lighthouse project on PI suffers final blow by Privy Council ruling

BY FAY SIMMONS TRIBUNE BUSINESS REPORTER jsimmons@tribuneemedia.net A PROPOSED Paradise Island beach club and lighthouse restoration project has suffered a final legal setback after the Privy Council ruled that the Crown Land lease at its centre was never binding on the Government.

The judicial system’s highest court yesterday dismissed an appeal by Paradise Island Lighthouse and Beach Club

Company Limited, finding that the proposed 21-year lease of five acres remained subject to formal execution by the minister responsible for Crown Lands.

The ruling brings to an end Toby Smith’s 14-year effort to secure the Crown Land for a development that was intended to include recreational and entertainment facilities, including a beach club, while restoring and maintaining the historic Paradise Island lighthouse.

Taxi union: Stop ‘cherry picking’ the law

BY ANNELIA NIXON TRIBUNE BUSINESS REPORTER anixon@tribunemedia.net THE BAHAMAS Taxi Cab Union (BTCU) has accused the Department of Road Traffic of “cherry picking” the law by threatening action against taxi drivers over potential road blockages while, it claims, failing to address what it considers unlawful operations by livery drivers.

Union president Tyrone Butler’s comments followed a statement from the Department of Road

Traffic’s Acting Controller, Kelsey Munroe, warning taxi and livery drivers that any protest or industrial action must remain lawful and peaceful, and that blocking or intentionally impeding roads and access to airports, hotels, cruise ports and other facilities would not be tolerated.

Mr Munroe said deliberately preventing or interrupting the free flow of traffic, or allowing a vehicle to remain in a position that causes an obstruction, is

TRANSPORT - See Page B4

Abaco and Bimini hardest hit a year after Silver Airways’ demise

BY FAY SIMMONS TRIBUNE Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net MORE than a year after Silver Airways’ demise, the unresolved airlift gap is still taking a toll on some of the country’s out islands, with Abaco and Bimini bearing the brunt of the lost connectivity.

Kerry Fountain, executive director of the Bahamas Out Island Promotion Board, said the sector has yet to replace the seats lost when the carrier ceased operations last year, leaving some islands struggling to regain ground despite signs of improvement in the middle of the year.

KERRY FOUNTAIN “What seems to be holding us back is we still have not been able to replace the seat loss that we experienced when Silver Airways pulled out of the marketplace out of Fort Lauderdale last year,” said Mr Fountain.

AIRLIFT - See Page B2

TOBY SMITH Mr Smith first applied in 2012 for 17 acres, with the Bahamas Investment Authority later recommending a 21-year lease of five acres in 2018.

At the heart of the dispute was a January 7, 2020, letter from the Department of Lands and Surveys enclosing

either. How do I run my business?”

The restaurant’s generator subsequently failed due to a previous BPL outage, leaving the business without a reliable source of electricity.

The prolonged outage also created difficult conditions for employees, particularly chefs who live in accommodation above the restaurant. Mr Pawar said that by midnight, the heat had become unbearable, forcing the restaurant to move its chefs to a home in eastern New Providence for the night.

With no electricity, Mr Pawar said food prepared for the restaurant had to be thrown away. He estimated that the combined cost of lost food, labour and equipment damage would run into the thousands of dollars.

“Loss of food and loss of labour time, loss of

BPL says two ‘equipment issues’ to blame for Downtown power outages Company tackles equipment issues at substation Multiple New Providence communities hit by outages Lyford Cay outage triggers rotational supply

BY ANNELIA NIXON TRIBUNE BUSINESS REPORTER anixon@tribunemedia.net

a completed lease for Smith’s company to execute. The company signed and returned the documents two days later, arguing that the correspondence evidenced an already concluded agreement with the Government.

The Privy Council, however, agreed with Chief Justice Sir Ian Winder and the majority of the Court of Appeal that the documents did not create a binding agreement because the lease still required execution by the minister.

Lord Hamblen, delivering the judgment, said the Board's task was to determine objectively when the parties intended their legal relationship to become binding. While that could occur before every

BUSINESSES in downtown Nassau were forced to contend with an extended power outage for a second day as Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) moved to address what it described as two equipment issues at the East Hill Street Substation.

In a statement issued yesterday at 12.14, BPL said repairs were scheduled to begin at 12.30pm and were expected to take approximately five to six hours.

The utility said the East Hill Street Substation supplies customers between Collins Avenue and Marlborough Street, as far south as Vesey Street, as well as a major portion of downtown.

“BPL technicians identified the issue through proactive monitoring, and an additional equipment concern was discovered while crews worked to establish an alternate supply route through the Arawak Cay Substation last night,” the company said.

BPL said specialised teams had been mobilised to address both issues and restore full system redundancy.

“We understand how frustrating an extended outage can be for both residential and commercial customers, and sincerely

DEFEAT - See Page B3

OUTAGE - See Page B4

BAYSTREET - See Page B3

PAGE 2, Friday, August 21, 2026

THE TRIBUNE

Fire-safety violators at Junkanoo Beach are back in business

BY FAY SIMMONS TRIBUNE Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net JUNKANOO Beach businesses hit with temporary closures over fire-safety violations are back in operation after addressing required safety measures, with the operators now pushing for greater engagement and reasonable time to comply before future enforcement action.

In a statement, the Junkanoo Beach Association said the recent closures, while difficult for affected businesses, highlighted the importance of fire prevention and public safety, particularly following a series of fires affecting tourism and hospitality businesses.

The association said businesses have since taken

steps to ensure required fire and safety equipment is in place, strengthening safety at the popular tourism attraction for employees, residents and visitors.

They also welcomed the intervention of Tourism Minister Glenys Hanna-Martin, who met with the association and Ministry of Tourism officials to discuss the future development and revitalisation of Junkanoo Beach.

The association said the meeting, which also included Parliamentary Secretary Randy Rolle and Permanent Secretary Lorraine Armbrister, marked a positive step towards a more collaborative approach between government and beach operators.

Going forward, the association said businesses should be given an opportunity for proper engagement, guidance and reasonable

time to address regulatory deficiencies before enforcement action is taken.

Rather than creating what it described as an “I-got-you” or “catcher” situation, the association said government agencies and businesses should work together to identify deficiencies, explain requirements and give operators sufficient time to comply.

“This does not mean that regulations will be ignored.

Quite the opposite,” the association said, adding that it fully supports compliance with Bahamian laws and regulations.

“However, compliance is most effective when it is supported by communication, education, cooperation and accountability.”

The association said the approach would allow government agencies to carry out their regulatory

Data commissioner says focus on AI should be ‘new opportunities,’ not job losses

BY FAY SIMMONS TRIBUNE Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net DATA Protection Commissioner Michael Wright said The Bahamas should not approach artificial intelligence with fear over job displacement but instead focus on identifying and developing the skills needed to capture new opportunities in AI, cybersecurity and data protection.

Speaking at a Rotary Club West meeting yesterday, Mr Wright said the country is already operating in an environment where artificial intelligence

and machine learning are becoming embedded in everyday life, while the Government is also assessing the country's capacity to participate in the emerging digital economy.

“We must not adopt a position of fear due to some job displacements,” said Mr Wright.

“On the optimistic side, there are gains in efficiency, health and problem-solving on both a regional and global scale.”

He said a key priority now was determining what skills already exist in The Bahamas and where further training and certification are required.

Tourism officials seek replacement for Silver seats AIRLIFT - from page B1 “The two islands that have been impacted the most are Abaco and Bimini, and not just, by the way, not just in terms of air

stopovers, but Abaco and Bimini were also impacted by sea stopovers.”

Mr Fountain said the out-island tourism sector had a negative performance through the first five

“What we're trying to do right now is better understand what we have as far as capacity within the country, as for those who may very well have the various certifications,” said Mr Wright.

He pointed to the existing education base at the University of The Bahamas and Bahamians returning home from overseas, while highlighting growing interest in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.

“We know we have a strong education foundation with students here at UB. We know those who are returning home from abroad. We know that the area of cybersecurity is of months of the year, with the airlift shortage contributing to the weak numbers.

“We were showing negative numbers for the first five months of the year, and in June, for the first time, our room revenue numbers, as well as our room night sold numbers, were up in June for the first time,” he said.

responsibilities while giving businesses a fair opportunity to meet required standards.

They also said the recent meeting addressed the future of construction and development on Junkanoo Beach, including the situation involving a vendor whose business was destroyed by fire.

The association said a temporary arrangement has been made to allow the vendor to operate from a tent while outstanding regulatory matters are addressed.

It said the broader revitalisation process should ensure that the vendor and other affected operators are included.

“We want every Bahamian to have an opportunity to succeed on Junkanoo Beach,” the association said.

“The revitalisation process should not be about

excluding people. It should be about creating a better, safer, more attractive and more sustainable environment in which Bahamian entrepreneurs can thrive.”

The association identified a number of priorities for the beach, including improved vendor compliance and regulation, enhanced fire and security measures, standardised employee identification, bathroom renovations, stronger lifeguard services and improved visitor safety monitoring.

They also wants a Ministry of Tourism welcome and information booth, better signage, visitor maps and information, greater ministry presence, solar energy and other sustainability initiatives, climate-resilient infrastructure and cultural programming celebrating Bahamian heritage.

Focused subcommittees are also expected to be established to address specific issues and develop practical solutions.

The association said it is committed to working with the Ministry of Tourism and the government, while recognising that responsibilities also rest with the association and individual vendors.

“We will respect the laws.

We will respect the regulations. We will respect the protocols. We will communicate. And we will work together,” it said.

The association described the meeting as a potential turning point for Junkanoo Beach and said the success of the revitalisation effort would benefit visitors, businesses, employees and the wider Bahamian economy.

“Junkanoo Beach is a vital part of Nassau’s tourism product,” it said. “With the right partnership, the right standards and the right spirit of cooperation, we believe it can become an even safer, cleaner, more vibrant and world-class experience for visitors and Bahamians alike.”

interest to many. We know the area of AI, artificial intelligence, is very, very much of interest,” he said.

Mr Wright said the country's skills assessment needs to consider both academic qualifications and practical experience.

“Some of them may not have the experience, but they have the education.

Some have the education, but some have the experience and don't have those certifications,” he said.

He said identifying those gaps would help determine how The Bahamas should position itself as an emerging digital economy.

The commissioner also pointed to potential opportunities for Bahamian entrepreneurs in areas including data storage, privacy impact assessments and data governance.

Those opportunities come as the Government works on legislation specif-

ically addressing artificial intelligence.

Mr Wright confirmed that drafting is underway on AI legislation, although he did not provide details on its proposed provisions.

He said the country's AI development is being considered alongside cybersecurity and the broader digital ecosystem, with the Government having appointed an AI ambassador to assess the country's existing capacity and supporting competencies.

“There are many individuals locally who are in that space,” Mr Wright said, adding that the country needs to better understand “what we do have here” as it determines how to move forward.

He said the assessment should help identify people who may have relevant education but lack experience, as well as those with practical experience who may need formal certification.

Mr Wright also stressed that the development of AI brings significant data protection responsibilities, given the amount of personal information that can be processed by AI systems.

He identified privacy risks, unauthorised data collection, unclear responsibility for harmful or inaccurate outcomes, misinformation, over-reliance on AI and a lack of transparency in AI-driven decision-making among the ethical concerns that must be addressed.

The Data Protection Commissioner said the country therefore needs to pursue technological advancement while ensuring strong safeguards for personal information.

He said AI legislation, cybersecurity and the development of the wider digital ecosystem would all be important components of that process.

June provided a first sign of improvement, with room nights up 4 per cent, although Mr Fountain said he could not recall the precise increase in room revenue.

The improvement comes as the sector prepares for the traditionally slower fall period, and tourism operators anticipating the impact of back-to-school travel, the height of hurricane season and seasonal hotel closures.

Mr Fountain said the BOIPB is moving to stimulate demand through targeted promotions, beginning August 24 with a Florida resident offer providing a $250 booking incentive for stays of three nights.

A second $250 air credit will be introduced on September 14 and will extend beyond Florida residents to US and Canadian citizens.

“So that is what we’re doing to try to stimulate business for the fall,” said Mr Fountain.

At the same time, the BOIPB is continuing to work with the Ministry of Tourism’s airlift development team to find a replacement for the capacity lost with Silver Airways.

“We are working feverishly with the Ministry of Tourism’s airlift development team to replace the loss that we’ve had with Silver experienced by Silver, but there’s nothing firm that we can share at this time,” said Mr Fountain.

The airlift shortfall follows Silver Airways’ abrupt collapse last year, when the carrier ceased operations on June 11 after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Florida. Tourism officials subsequently said the airline’s withdrawal had contributed

to a decline in air arrivals, with Silver having been projected to bring about 80,000 passengers to the Bahamas between June and December 2025, a significant contribution to Family Island traffic.

Tourism officials said at the time that some of Silver’s lost seats had been filled by other carriers, while smaller operators including Makers Air and Tropic Ocean Airways stepped in to help mitigate the disruption.

The continuing gap comes despite additional connectivity being added to some markets. The Ministry of Tourism announced new American Airlines nonstop service between Miami and Bimini beginning in February 2026, while current schedules also show Fort Lauderdale service to Bimini from Aztec Airways and Tropic Ocean Airways.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, August 21, 2026, PAGE 3

Cruise visitors flee heat as outage drags BAYSTREET - from page B1 everything, I’m going to then present it to the BPL,” Mr Pawar said, noting that Taj Mahal had been a BPL customer for more than 20 years and had consistently paid its bills and should in return receive reliable power.

Mr Pawar said the restaurant normally generates between $3,500 and $5,000 in sales a day, meaning the outage had wiped out a substantial amount of revenue.

“People right now are out by the front door, waiting to come inside. We got to tell them sorry, we’re closed,” he said. “People off the boat that come in, we can’t let them in. Can’t even let them in the bar because there’s no air conditioning and it’s hot.”

The impact was similarly severe for other Bay Street businesses that depend heavily on cruise passengers. Ms Colebrook,

assistant manager at Luryx, said the business remained open only because it had a power bank capable of keeping its wireless credit card machine operating.

Ms Colebrook said the outage had caused a “major impact” on sales, particularly because most tourists visiting the store pay by card. At about 1pm, she estimated the power bank had only another hour of capacity remaining.

“But once that is finished and the credit card machine is off, then we don’t know what we’re going to do because most of the tourists only use credit cards,” she said.

Without a backup generator, Luryx faced the prospect of having to close early With Ms Colebrook estimating about $5,000 in lost revenue due to the outage. She said the situation was particularly troubling given the number of cruise ships bringing visitors into downtown Nassau.

Privy Council kills Paradise Island lease DEFEAT - from page B1 term was formally documented, it could also occur only after formal execution where the circumstances showed that was the parties’ intention.

The Board found there was no evidence that all of the detailed terms contained in the proposed lease had already been agreed before the January 7 letter was issued. It said the absence of documentary exchanges establishing agreement on those terms undermined Mr Smith’s argument that the lease merely recorded an agreement that had already been reached.

More significantly, the Privy Council found that the wording of the Department’s letter pointed to

further formal execution being required.

The company was told to leave the date on the lease blank because it would be inserted when the lessor signed. The documents were also to be returned to the Department and then sent back to Mr Smith only after the lessor had executed them.

“If the agreement was already made then there was no need to delay the dating of the lease, nor would the documents need to be sent back to the appellant,” the Board said.

The court also pointed to the absence of any instruction in the January 7 letter to pay the initial rent and the fact that Mr Smith did not submit the rent when he returned the signed lease.

Mr Smith eventually tendered a cheque for

“These are modern times, and we should not be living like this,” she said.

“Our business should not be operating like this,” she said. “We have cruise ship in the port every day, even if it’s just one. So, could you imagine the impact it is having on just not us but other businesses that is down here that don’t have a backup generator?”

Ms Colebrook also warned that the experience could affect how visitors view The Bahamas.

“We have to explain to them [tourists] it’s the power company,” she said.

“It have nothing to do with us.”

Another downtown retail employee said the outage was also affecting workers’ incomes, particularly those who depend on commissions. The employee said the store had been unable to operate normally because its shutters required someone to open and close them manually.

“We had to call someone and paid them to open it back up,” they said. “That’s $150 each.”

At about 1.14pm, the business had not even recouped the $300 it had spent opening and closing its shutters.

The employee said the store had lost sales from cruise passengers, while the inability to process card payments meant customers could only pay with cash.

They noted most tourists travel with card only.

The employee urged BPL to give greater consideration to businesses operating in the capital’s main tourism district.

“BPL got to do better in certain stuff they dealing with, because this a commercial area. This where we decide that we going to make our money,” the employee said.

The prolonged outage also left cruise passengers questioning whether they wanted to spend

time in downtown Nassau.

Amado, a repeat visitor to The Bahamas, said the conditions had made him reconsider exploring the city.

“The amount of tourism that they have and cruises over here, you would think that they will provide better for the people,” he said. “So we want to see change and better, for everyone, not only the tourists but the people living here,” he said.

Amado, who said this was his fifth or sixth visit to The Bahamas, said he had never experienced conditions like the current outage.

“It makes the time here a lot less,” he said. “We want to go back on the cruise. We don’t want to explore so much. It’s so hot, uncomfortable.”

He questioned why infrastructure appeared to be deteriorating despite the country’s heavy tourism traffic.

“You will see with that amount of tourism and

everything, all the boats and stuff, that things will get better for you guys, more electricity, better resources, and it looks like it’s going downhill, not getting better,” he said.

He added: “I see these people, hardworking people. They have to work in this type of conditions. I wouldn’t want to support that.”

Another cruise passenger, who asked not to be identified, described the experience as disappointing.

“Disappointing, because it’s hot,” they said. “We were looking to, because it’s already hot, getting off the ship. So we were thinking we were going to be shopping in the cool. So it was a big disappointment.”

The tourist suggested cruise lines should be informed when major outages occur so passengers can make informed decisions about whether to disembark.

“Just let the boat know that you know you have a power outage,” they said.

“So if we decide not to get off, we don’t have to get off in the heat.”

$29,254.40 — the annual rent specified in the lease — on March 19, 2020, more than two months after signing and returning the documents. The judgment records that this was the rent stated under the proposed lease.

The formal requirements surrounding Crown Land also weighed heavily in the Board’s assessment.

The Conveyancing and Law of Property Act provides for the disposition of Crown Land under the official seal of the minister responsible for Crown Lands. The Privy Council said that statutory requirement represented “a further layer of formality” and provided relevant context for concluding that the parties could have intended to become legally bound only when the lease was formally executed.

The Board further rejected Mr Smith’s argument that the courts should not have considered a letter

he sent after the disputed lease was returned.

In the February 12, 2020, letter, Mr Smith referred to his “application for Crown Land” – saying he had been “approved for the lease” and sought a “Comfort Letter” from the Prime Minister, who was then responsible for Crown Lands.

The Privy Council said those references were objective indications that no binding agreement had yet been reached. It noted in particular that seeking a comfort letter was difficult to reconcile with Mr Smith’s position that the Government was already legally obligated to grant the lease.

The ruling follows years of litigation that began after the Government failed to execute the lease.

Mr Smith’s company filed its claim in May 2020 seeking a declaration that a concluded lease agreement existed or, alternatively, damages.

Sir Ian dismissed the claim in February 2023, finding that any agreement remained subject to execution by the minister. The Court of Appeal upheld that decision in March 2024 by a majority, although then-President Sir Michael Barnett dissented, finding that the January 2020 documentation evidenced a binding agreement.

Sir Michael had argued that negotiations were complete, that the lease contained the agreed terms and that the minister’s failure to sign did not prevent those terms from becoming enforceable.

Mr Smith’s case had also been closely tied to competing development interests on Paradise Island, with the five acres overlapping land sought by Royal Caribbean for its Royal Beach Club project. Mr Smith had argued that his proposed development was pushed aside after the Government decided to pursue what

he described as a “better deal” with the cruise giant.

His lawyers advanced that argument during the Privy Council hearing in July.

The Privy Council’s judgment, however, did not determine the merits of those competing development proposals. Its decision was confined to whether Mr Smith’s company had already secured a binding agreement for the Crown Land lease.

The Board ultimately concluded that the lower courts were entitled to find that no such agreement existed and advised that the appeal be dismissed.

The ruling therefore leaves Mr Smith’s proposed five-acre Paradise Island development without the enforceable Crown Land lease on which the legal battle had centred, while bringing the litigation over whether that lease had already been granted to a final conclusion.

PAGE 4, Friday, August 21, 2026

THE TRIBUNE

East Hill fault disrupts major downtown area OUTAGE - from page B1 apologise to all customers currently impacted,” the company said.

The outage came amid a series of power disruptions across New Providence over the past two days, with BPL issuing multiple updates as faults affected communities across the island.

On Wednesday afternoon, BPL reported a feeder at the Blue Hills Power Station had tripped offline, affecting Soldier Road West and surrounding areas, Kennedy Subdivision, part of Pinewood, Golden Gates #1 and part of Blue Hill Road.

Later that afternoon, the utility reported outages affecting East Bay Street, Shirley Street, East Street

Butler questions legal standing of livery drivers TRANSPORT - from page B1 an offence under the Road Traffic Act. He warned that those involved could face police intervention, prosecution and other penalties, while public service drivers found to have intentionally created an obstruction could have their licences suspended or revoked following an investigation.

However, Mr Butler said the department must apply the law equally to both sides of the ongoing dispute between taxi and livery operators.

“Maybe they would want to start by respecting the law on both sides,” Mr Butler said. “They can’t choose which side they want to protect.

“You can quote all of this stuff that the law says, but how I find it very curious is that he doesn’t quote the section of the law that says livery drivers have no legal right to be operating in the fashion that they are. But

rather suggesting that taxi drivers are the bad guys.”

Mr Butler accused the Road Traffic Department of selectively enforcing legislation against taxi drivers while overlooking what he described as breaches by livery operators.

“Tell them they should not cherry pick us,” he said.

“If they want to be responsible or are asking us to be responsible, they should be responsible in their discourse and execute the law as it is stipulated in the Road Traffic Act.” He questioned the department’s approach to the dispute, arguing that taxi operators should not be pressured into negotiations with livery drivers whom the union believes have no legal standing to operate alongside them or solicit passengers in the manner they currently do.

“You cannot force us to negotiate with somebody that has no legal standing,” he said. “Is that what they’re trying to do? Ask us to entertain lawbreakers?

North and downtown, although no estimated restoration time was initially available BPL also reported an outage in Lyford Cay, where it said a main cable fault had left consumers in the Ranger Road and Edgewater Drive areas without power for an extended period. The utility said power to the western area of Lyford Cay had to be

interrupted to provide relief to affected consumers and prevent circuit overloading, prompting the implementation of rotational power supply.

By Thursday morning, BPL was reporting outages in Shirley Street, Centreville, Heartfield Street and surrounding areas, East Bay Street, South Beach Estates East, Pastel Gardens, Sunset Park Estates, Jubilee

Gardens Estates, Tall Pines Estates and Butlers Street.

Additional outages were subsequently reported in Stapledon Gardens, Millennium Gardens, Fort Charlotte, Golden Isles and Bellot Road.

The disruptions have underscored the vulnerability of businesses that depend on reliable electricity to operate, particularly in the downtown

Really? The law is for everybody, not just taxi drivers.

The law should be for the controller also.”

His comments come after the Department of Road Traffic appealed to all stakeholders to remain at the negotiating table, following reports that the BTCU does not intend to continue participating in discussions with representatives of the livery industry.

Mr Munroe said the department believes “respectful dialogue is the most responsible way to resolve longstanding issues within the public transportation sector” and urged all parties to reconsider any decision to withdraw from the discussions.

But Mr Butler said the union’s primary concern is the impact government policy is having on taxi operators rather than how the dispute could affect tourism.

“Our concern is not how it impacts tourism,” Mr Butler said. “Our concern at this point is that we are concerned that taxi drivers are being impacted every day by the decision of the government, the controller of Road Traffic, the minister, and all who continues to say that taxi drivers should share their working space and their work with livery drivers.”

He argued that greater attention should be placed on what he considers the rights of taxi drivers and questioned why the government has not directly addressed the union’s concerns over livery operations.

“People asking all these questions of the taxi drivers and the president of the taxi union,” he said. “What happens to the rights of the taxi drivers? The question really should be to the minister, the prime minister, the attorney general, the commissioner of police: how is it that one particular franchise

in this country, when the law says you have no right to be there, everybody is allowing them to do all of this stuff, and then you want to focus only on the taxi union?”

Mr Butler maintained that the government has the ability to resolve the dispute but has instead allowed tensions between the two sectors to escalate.

“It isn’t the taxi union that’s creating the chaos in this country,” he said.

“It is the livery. It is the government.”

“The government could fix this mess today.”

He also questioned why the Road Traffic Department’s statement focused on the conduct of taxi drivers without, in his view, addressing the legal basis for livery operators to solicit business in the same space.

“When he wants to quote the law, tell him the law also says there’s no provision made in law for livery drivers to be operating next to taxi drivers or soliciting business,” he said. “I notice that he conveniently doesn’t speak to that. Why does he and the minister and everybody avoid addressing the question?”

The dispute comes as the government continues efforts to address longstanding tensions between the taxi and livery sectors, with the Road Traffic Department maintaining that dialogue is necessary to reach a workable solution.

Mr Munroe stressed that public service licence holders have an obligation to operate responsibly and with regard for public safety and convenience, while Mr Butler insisted that any enforcement of the law must apply equally across the transportation sector.

“Maybe they would want to start by respecting the law on both sides,” Mr Butler said. “The law is for everybody, not just taxi drivers.”

Croatia orders detention of Ukrainian man wanted in Germany for Nord Stream blasts in 2022 A CROATIAN judge on Thursday ordered the detention of a Ukrainian man who is wanted in Germany in connection with the 2022 undersea explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines, his lawyer said.

The man was arrested on a European warrant in the northern Croatian town of Pula on Wednesday. He was questioned on Thursday by prosecutors who requested the detention pending extradition proceedings, the state HRT television reported.

The man’s lawyer, Matija Milos, said that they would appeal the detention order, the HINA news agency reported. It wasn’t immediately clear how long the extradition proceedings in Croatia could last.

The German prosecutors have said that the suspect was a “trained scuba diver” who belonged to a group of people who “planted explosives” on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea near the Danish island of Bornholm.

The undersea explosions on Sept. 26, 2022, damaged the pipelines, which had been built to carry Russian natural gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea. The damage added to tensions over the Russia-Ukraine war as European countries moved to wean themselves off Russian energy sources after the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor on Feb. 24, 2022.

The German prosecutor’s office identified the suspect only as Vladimir Z. A spokesperson, however, confirmed to The Associated

commercial district where restaurants, retailers, offices and other enterprises rely heavily on power for daily operations.

The utility did not provide a separate estimate for when all other areas affected by the wider series of outages would be fully restored.

Press that it was the same man who was arrested in Poland last year, but was later released when a Polish court refused to extradite him to Germany. Polish authorities identified him as Volodymyr Zhuravlov.

Poland has long opposed the Nord Stream pipelines, viewing them as an attempt

by Russia to use its vast energy resources to gain leverage across Europe.

Last month, German federal prosecutors filed charges against a former Ukrainian army officer in connection with the same explosions.

Serhii K. was detained in August 2025 in an Italian village, where officers raided a bungalow where he was staying with his family. He was extradited to Germany in November.

The suspects allegedly used a yacht that set off from the German port of Rostock. The yacht had been rented from a German company using forged IDs and intermediaries.

The explosions ruptured the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which was Russia’s main natural gas supply route to Germany until Moscow cut off supplies in August 2022. They also damaged Nord Stream 2, which never entered service because Germany suspended its certification process shortly before Russia’s all-out invasion.

Initially, some officials in the West suspected that Russia might have carried out the explosions.

But German investigators later pointed to suspected Ukrainian involvement.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, August 21, 2026, PAGE 5

Iran dismisses US economic threats, and other developments in the Middle East

By The Associated Press IRAN on Thursday dismissed threats by U.S. President Donald Trump of economic pain and isolation for the country, while six European nations condemned Israel over a settlement project.

Doctors Without Borders criticized the decision

by Israel’s military not to investigate two fatal attacks on the medical humanitarian organization’s staff, and in Gaza City, a mass funeral was held for 50 people killed in Israeli airstrikes nearly three years ago but whose remains were just recovered.

Here’s a look at the latest developments in the Iran war and the wider Middle East on Thursday. Full coverage can be found here.

attention of the U.S. public from domestic financial problems, saying that U.S. “economic terrorism threatens the global economy and the national sovereignty of countries around the world.”

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday that Iran will face the “greatest coordinated economic isolation in the history of the world.”

In a CNBC interview, Bessent threatened secondary sanctions on nations and companies that conduct business with Iran, saying it’s time for U.S. allies to make a decision on where they stand.

China’s government and India are major buyers of Iranian oil, though Bessent didn’t call them out by name.

Iran denounces Trump’s economic threat

Doctors Without Borders condemns Israel’s military

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has rejected the economic threats made against his country, saying that such “failed policies” will stir more hostility among Iranians and “bring more failures.”

Araghchi’s comments came a few hours after Trump threatened “crushing economic measures” against Iran. The U.S. president promised “Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale,” but provided few details.

In a social media post, Araghchi maintained that the threats aim to divert the

Doctors Without Borders said that the decision by Israel’s military not to open a criminal investigation into two strikes that killed four people shows the country won’t take responsibility for attacking civilians.

The international aid group now wants an impartial investigation into the deaths, but didn’t specify who should lead the effort.

Doctors Without Borders asked Israel’s military to investigate an attack on a Gaza City convoy in November 2023 and a strike on the organization’s shelter in Khan Younis in February 2024. Israel’s

announcement on Wednesday said that it wouldn’t launch criminal investigations into the two cases, in which troops killed the organization’s employees.

The decision by Israel’s military shows “there is no prospect of accountability within the Israeli legal system for the killing of our staff, just as there has been no accountability for Israel’s ongoing genocide against Palestinians,” Doctors Without Borders said in a statement that cited 15 staff and 1,700 healthcare workers killed in Gaza since October 2023.

Israel denies accusations of genocide and war crimes and says it’s targeting Hamas after the militant group’s attack on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostage on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel blames civilian deaths on Hamas, because it operates in populated areas in the tiny, overcrowded Gaza Strip.

UK and others rebuke planned West Bank settlement project Six European countries along with Canada condemned the latest development in a contentious Israeli settlement project near Jerusalem that would effectively cut the occupied West Bank in two.

Israel’s Ministry of Construction and Housing issued a tender for constructing several compounds with more than 1,200 homes in total in an

MOURNERS carry the flag-draped bodies of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes during the war with Hamas, whose remains were recently recovered from the rubble, in Gaza City, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026.

Photo:Jehad Alshrafi/AP open tract of land east of Jerusalem. It’s the latest step in a project under consideration for more than two decades, which critics say would prevent the establishment of a contiguous Palestinian state in the territory.

The joint statement from the leaders of the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Canada said international law is clear the settlement is illegal and noted “unprecedented levels of violence by settlers against civilians.”

“We urge the government of Israel to retract these plans immediately and end its expansion of settlements in the West Bank. Not only will they take us further from peace, but they further undermine Israel’s international standing,” the countries wrote.

Egypt and Jordan also condemned Israel’s move.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar responded on

Thursday by defending “the historic right of the Jewish people to reestablish their national home in the Land of Israel — including in the area in question.” Saar criticized the U.K. government for “blaming only Israel while ignoring Palestinian extremism.”

Gaza funeral for 50 killed in opening strikes of war A mass funeral Thursday in Gaza City remembered 50 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes in the opening months of the Israel-Hamas war, but whose remains were only recently recovered from under rubble.

Dozens of mourners carried the remains, draped in Palestinian flags, through debris-strewn streets before lowering them into graves.

Some held portraits and posters with photos of the deceased.

“We were able to recover them after three years of war, after three years of anguish, pain and torture.

We were able to recover them, and dignify them in their final resting place. We were able to pray over them and bury them,” said Lina Karam, who lost her father and other members of her family.

The 50 bodies were from three families who were killed in airstrikes in November and December 2023.

The nearly three-year war has killed more than 73,400 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry, which was part of the Hamas-run government, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and international organizations. It doesn’t distinguish between civilians and militants, but says women and children make up around half of the toll.

PAGE 6, Friday, August 21, 2026

THE TRIBUNE

The bond market swings back to worries and knocks US stocks lower

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer THE relief that swept the bond market just a day earlier disappeared on Thursday as oil prices, worries about high inflation and the U.S. government’s debt kept rising. That helped knock the U.S. stock market to its worst day in three weeks, and Walmart led the way on concerns about its upcoming profits.

The S&P 500 fell 0.9% for its fourth loss in the five days since setting its all-time high last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 703 points, or 1.3%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 1%.

The bond market remains the center of the action after yields charged higher through the summer. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made a surprise move Wednesday that brought some temporary relief. His department said it will at least double the size of its planned purchases of longer-term Treasurys from Sept. 9 through Nov. 4.

That helped push yields down after the 10-year Treasury’s yield hit its highest level in more than a year and the 30-year yield got back to where it was in 2007. It was a big deal because high yields slow the economy by raising interest payments for people, companies and the government, and they can undercut prices for stocks and other investments.

But analysts had cautioned the effect may be short lived, given how small the purchases are relative to the overall size of the Treasury market and how they don’t fix the fundamental concerns that had driven up yields. Plus, more signals

OPTIONS traders Chris Dattolo, Scott Frinzi, and Ravi Bhandari, left to right, work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026, in New York. Photo:Yuki Iwamura/AP arrived quickly to keep those concerns high.

The U.S. government’s debt topped $40 trillion on Wednesday, a staggering record that arrived just months after the national debt first blew past the $39 trillion mark in April, because Washington continues to spend far more money than it brings in.

And on Thursday, the price for a barrel of Brent crude climbed 2.4% to $93.78 as uncertainty continues about when the war with Iran will allow oil tankers to freely exit the Persian Gulf again.

President Donald Trump threatened Iran with “the MOST CRUSHING ECONOMIC OPERATION EVER TAKEN AGAINST ANY COUNTRY” late Wednesday but provided few details.

That helped push the 10-year Treasury yield up to 4.70% from 4.65% late Wednesday. It’s almost back to its 4.71% level from late Tuesday, before the Treasury

Department made its announcement.

A couple encouraging reports on the U.S. economy also helped raise longerterm Treasury yields, which move with investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation in coming years.

One said fewer U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week than economists expected, while another said manufacturing in the mid-Atlantic region appears to be much stronger than expected.

On Wall Street, Walmart was the heaviest weight on the S&P 500 and fell 9.2% for its worst loss in four years even though it reported stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected.

Investors focused instead on an important underlying measure of revenue growth, which slowed again. Its forecast for profit in the current quarter also fell short of analysts’ expectations.

Given its massive size, Walmart offers a look at

how shoppers are doing across the United States. A surprisingly weak update on sales at U.S. retailers overall last month had raised worries that shoppers may be succumbing to pressure from high inflation and a job market that may be looking less solid.

Advance Auto Parts tumbled 24.5% for its worst loss in three years after the retailer reported weaker revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected, even though its profit topped expectations. CEO Shane O’Kelly said that “tighter household budgets constrained spending more than we anticipated, especially during the last four weeks of the quarter.”

Spending by U.S. consumers is the main engine of the economy, and a pullback by them could exacerbate what’s already a slowdown in growth for the economy.

A pullback could also mean a double-whammy for travel companies, which would see fewer bookings when they have to pay higher prices for fuel.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings fell 3.4%, while United Airlines sank 3.5% and American Airlines lost 2.5%.

Helping to keep Wall Street’s losses in check was Deere, which reported stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It rose 6.9% as the company said order trends indicate the agriculture equipment business looks set to accelerate after this year.

All told, the S&P 500 fell 66.82 points to 7,641.16.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 703.84 to 52,759.21, and the Nasdaq composite sank 263.92 to 26,067.17.

Somalia faces another hunger crisis and the UN food agency head says it has far less funds to help

By OMAR FARUK Associated Press SIX million people in Somalia are facing acute food insecurity while the World Food Program has only a tenth of the resources it had in 2022 when it helped avert famine in the drought- and conflict-stricken East African nation, the head of the U.N. agency told The Associated Press.

“We can only do the bare minimum,” WFP acting executive director Carl Skau said Wednesday during a visit to a nutrition center on the outskirts of the capital, Mogadishu.

“We’re only providing these nutrition supplies to the children that are really the worst hit.”

The reduced funds, because of cuts in international aid by donors and the redirection of resources to other humanitarian crises, meant that the WFP is unable to expand its assistance in Somalia, Skau said.

Millions of people at risk but far less aid The WFP projects that 1.9 million children under age 5 in the country will suffer acute malnutrition this year, including nearly 500,000 who will require urgent treatment for severe acute malnutrition. Overall, around 30% of the population faces critical levels of food insecurity, the U.N. has said.

“We had 10 times more resources than now,” Skau said of the 2022 hunger emergency that was caused by a prolonged drought.

“We were able to step in, and we prevented a famine here in Somalia.”

“We know what’s going on, we have the capacity, we have the experience of dealing with this. We just need the resources now to do it.”

The consequences of the current food shortage, which is also a result of drought, conflict and the displacement of people, are seen at the Feynuus Health Center in Mogadishu’s Kahda district. Dozens of women carrying babies waited beneath a large tree or crowded along the veranda of the corrugated-metal facility seeking help.

Inside, health workers placed children in a blue

weighing sling, screened them for malnutrition, and distributed therapeutic food.

One desperate mother tells her story Halima Mohamed Hassan, a mother of six, had walked nearly 3 kilometers (2 miles) carrying her malnourished 4-year-old child.

She is pregnant, but said she hadn’t eaten for two days.

Her last meal was plain rice.

Health workers treated the child she brought with a special nutrient-dense food, while Hassan said that her other children were also malnourished, but she wasn’t able to bring them to the center.

“I could not carry all of them,” she said.

Hassan fled the Lower Shabelle region four months ago after her husband died of malnutrition, she said. Food and water became scarce, and conflict made it increasingly dangerous for the family to stay.

She and her children walked for four nights before reaching a camp for internally displaced people on Mogadishu’s outskirts.

Hassan now shares a makeshift shelter with her widowed mother and her mother’s four other children. The two women look for occasional work washing clothes in nearby neighborhoods to feed their household of 12.

A health center tries its best to help The Feynuus center receives between 250 and 350 patients daily, mainly displaced women and children from regions outside Mogadishu, said Abdirahman Barkhad, program director of Youth Link Somalia, which operates the center.

Barkhad said that about 10 nearby health and nutrition centers had closed because of a reduction in humanitarian funding, increasing pressure on those that remain.

“We have witnessed children collapsing, because their families do not have enough food,” he said.

Mohamud Moallim Abdulle, commissioner of the Somali Disaster Management Agency, described the country’s food situation as “extremely alarming.”

GENERAL MAINTENANCE

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Friday, August 21, 2026, PAGE 7

Canadian provincial leader says Trump is a ‘bad person’ as Canada weighs concessions for trade deal

By ROB GILLIES Associated Press THE premier of a Canadian province launched a blistering attack on U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday, calling him a “bad person” and “not to be trusted” and urging Canada to keep fighting rather than rush to make concessions in trade talks with Washington.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said Canada has leverage in the talks even as his province weighs restoring U.S. alcohol sales at Prime Minister Mark Carney’s urging to help secure a deal that would avert threatened 50% U.S. tariffs.

“Everybody knows the American president by now, he’s erratic, he’s irresponsible, and he’s not to be trusted. And this is the person that we were supposed to make a deal with, and we’re going to make additional concessions for it. That’s why I say you can’t make a good deal with a bad person, because who’s to say it’s not going to be undone?” Kinew said.

Dominic LeBlanc, the federal minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade, said Thursday the two countries were close to finalizing an

agreement after he returned to Washington to meet again with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

“We’re very close. We continue to make progress,” he said, adding that Canadian officials would remain in Washington to keep working on the deal. Trump has called the emerging agreement “very fair” to both sides, while tariffs on about $20 billion worth of Canadian imports have been postponed until 12:01 a.m. Saturday. Neither side has released the full terms.

Despite his criticism of Trump, Kinew said Manitoba may go along with Carney’s request as part of a “Team Canada” approach.

But he urged consumers to keep buying Canadian even if U.S. products return to provincial liquor stores.

Other provincial leaders,

THE average long-term U.S. mortgage rate eased for the second week in a row, but remains elevated compared with this time last year.

The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate fell to 6.65% from 6.67% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday.

One year ago, the average rate was 6.58%.

Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, often sought by borrowers refinancing a home loan, also eased this week. That average rate dropped to 5.95% from 5.96% last week. However, a year ago, it was at 5.69%.

Despite the recent pullback, mortgage rates have been mostly rising this year, limiting homebuyers’ purchasing power. Elevated rates can lead prospective

MANITOBA Premier Wab Kinew talks to media as he arrives for a first ministers meeting in Ottawa on Jan.15, 2025.

Photo:Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press/AP

Wab Kinew

Kinew said he understood Carney’s request to mean that restoring U.S. alcohol sales was effectively necessary to complete the deal. The provincial bans on U.S. alcohol have been a particular irritant for the Trump administration, which has pressed Canada to remove restrictions that sharply reduced American liquor sales.

Provincial governments do not have a veto over the overall Canada-U.S. agreement, but they control measures such as liquor sales and some procurement rules that have become part of the negotiations.

Eight of Canada’s 10 provinces restrict or ban U.S. alcohol — measures imposed in retaliation for

Trump’s previous tariffs on Canadian goods and amid anger over his repeated talk of making Canada the 51st U.S. state.

Kinew said Carney strongly pressed premiers to restore U.S. alcohol sales while other details of the agreement were still being finalized. “I wouldn’t say that he was begging us, but what is the step before begging?” Kinew said.

Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, is especially important. Its government-run LCBO, one of the world’s largest alcohol purchasers, sold nearly 1 billion Canadian dollars ($723 million) worth of U.S. products annually before pulling them from shelves last year.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who has clashed with Trump before, has not yet commented on the emerging deal. Kinew said Canadians should not buy

American products even if they return.

“When we put the American booze back on the Liquor Mart shelves, Canadians, leave it there. Spend your money on Canadian products that are going to employ people in our country and that have an administration that respects Canada,” Kinew said.

Kinew also said Manitoba could agree to remove formal restrictions on U.S. companies and products, including procurement preferences, while continuing to favor Canadian suppliers in its own purchasing.

Kinew said he preferred to keep fighting, noting the U.S. Republican president’s tendency to levy extremely high import taxes and then retreat. He mentioned what’s known as the “TACO” trade, an acronym coined by The Financial Times’ Robert Armstrong that stands for “Trump Always Chickens Out.”

home shoppers to delay buying a home, one reason U.S. home sales have been sluggish this year.

Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, including inflation, broader policy rate decisions from the Federal Reserve and expectations from bond market investors for the economy. They generally follow the trajectory of the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans.

Both mortgage rates and the bond market have been mostly rising this year due to the U.S. war with Iran, which has fueled expectations for hotter inflation as crude oil prices soared.

Despite easing oil prices recently, long-term bond yields remain steeper than they were before the conflict began in late February, pushing mortgage rates to tread higher.

With bond yields marching higher in recent months on worries about high

inflation, gargantuan government debts and other factors, the U.S. Treasury Department said Wednesday that it would at least double the amount of U.S. government bonds that it planned to buy back over the next few months.

The move helped helped pull yields down after the 10-year Treasury’s yield had hit its highest level in more than a year.

The 10-year Treasury yield was 4.71% as of midday Thursday on the

bond market. Before the war, it was just 3.97% in late February.

The U.S. housing market has been in a slump since 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes were essentially flat last year, stuck at a 30-year low. U.S. sales of previously-occupied homes again slowed in July.

“Everybody knows the American president by now, he’s erratic, he’s irresponsible, and he’s not to be trusted. And this is the person that we were supposed to make a deal with, and we’re going to make additional concessions for it. That’s why I say you can’t make a good deal with a bad person, because who’s to say it’s not going to be undone?”

Mortgage rates ease again, but remain higher than this time last year

By ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writer

including the premiers of Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia, have publicly backed the direction of Carney’s negotiation.

Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Tony Wakeham said all premiers agreed during Wednesday’s call with Carney to return U.S. alcohol to store shelves, although not every premier has publicly confirmed that position.

“I think we should fight.

I think Donald Trump is very weak. I think America is weaker around the world today than it was a year ago. He’s about to get slaughtered in the midterms and the cost of living is the number one issue and he’s completely out of touch with the cost of living of Americans,” Kinew said.

“We’ve got the upper hand. They are back on

their heels right now. They are coming to us for a deal right now.”

Restoring alcohol sales a sticking point

NOTICE

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The public is hereby advised that I, BERENTHIA YOLANDE SMITH-GILBERT of P.O. Box SB-52409, Opulent Heights, New Providence, Bahamas intend to change my name to BERENTHIA YOLANDE SMITH. If there are any objections to challenge the name by deed poll, you may write such objections to the Chief Passport Officer, P.O. Box N-742, Nassau, The Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of the publication of this notice.

NOTICE is hereby given that I LEO RIDGE SYPHRIN, known as LEO RIDGE SIMON of Faith Avenue, New Providence, Bahamas, applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 21st day of August, 2026 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE is hereby given that I ERONNE DURONE LUBIN of Marsh Harbour, Bahamas, applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twentyeight days from the 21st day of August, 2026 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

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NOTICE is hereby given that I ROSE BERLINE EUGENE DURONNE of Marsh Harbour, Bahamas, applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 21st day of August, 2026 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

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PAGE 8, Friday, August 21, 2026

THE TRIBUNE

US ramps up Cuba sanctions and detentions of Americans returning from the island SECRETARY of State Marco Rubio arrives with Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger, not shown, to the Treaty Room at the State Department, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, in Washington.

Photos:Tierney L. Cross/AP

By MATTHEW LEE AP Diplomatic Writer PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s administration is increasing pressure on Cuba by imposing more economic penalties on industries in the heavily sanctioned socialist country and broadening enforcement of laws that bar Americans who visit the island from dealings with government-owned or -affiliated businesses.

The Treasury and State departments announced Thursday that they are leveling new penalties against nine state-owned mining, metal and construction companies along with the leadership of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples, or ICAP. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the institute is responsible for sponsoring “a vast subversive network in the United States aimed at identifying, cultivating, and radicalizing” Americans.

“Just days ago, the regime attempted to use Communist kingpin and despot Fidel Castro’s 100th birthday to reinvigorate this subversive network, ferrying a new brigade of international sympathizers to Havana to network with regime officials,” Rubio said in a statement.

“The Trump Administration will not stand by while a hostile foreign power seeks to exploit our freedoms — none of which are afforded to its people — by misleading and corrupting American citizens with lies, spy tradecraft, and other malfeasance as part of the regime’s raison d’être of exporting Marxism, racial resentment, and Communist violence across the world,” Rubio said.

Trump’s Republican administration has steadily ratcheted up pressure on Havana, threatening it with potential military intervention even when mired in a conflict against Iran, while also boosting economic sanctions designed to cut off funding for the Cuban government. An oil blockade that the U.S. imposed on Cuba after the American military raid that ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, whose country provided Cuba with free oil, has plunged the already economically crippled island into full-blown crisis.

Cuba accuses the US of trying to hurt the country’s economy Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez rejected the sanctions in a post on his official X account, asserting that the United States and Rubio are pursuing the “deliberate aim of harming”

SECRETARY of State Marco Rubio arrives with Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger, not shown, to the Treaty Room at the State Department, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, in Washington. the economy “to prevent the provision of basic services to the population.”

“In his failed obsession with Cuba, he is now targeting executives and officials from ICAP — an institution

that, for over six decades, has promoted friendship, international solidarity, justice, and peace — the exact opposite of what the Secretary of State has always

championed in his corrupt policy,” Rodríguez wrote.

The latest sanctions follow an operation at the Miami airport last weekend in which several American citizens returning from Cuba after participating in events marking Castro’s birthday were briefly detained, according to U.S. officials. Some of them had their cellphones and other personal electronic devices seized for inspection, the officials said.

U.S. authorities had been prepared to detain dozens of returning activists for secondary screening, but far fewer were found to meet the criteria for the enhanced questioning by Customs and Border Protection agents, the officials said.

The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because details of the operation have not been made public, said those detained were eventually released and allowed to enter the U.S. The officials said anyone detained and released could still face prosecution if it is found they violated U.S. sanctions, which prohibit all transactions with Cuban government-owned entities, including restaurants, hotels and shops. The status of seized cellphones, laptops and tablets, however, was unclear.

New sanctions are the latest pressure tactic as Cuba’s economy falls into crisis The new sanctions on the leadership of ICAP target the group’s president, Fernando González Llort, who had been among five Cuban intelligence officers arrested

in the U.S. in 1998 but later released in 2014. They also target its first vice president, Noemí Ramona Rabaza Fernández, and its North America director, Leima Martínez Freire.

The metals, mining and construction sector sanctions target a nickel production company, two firms that specialize in the import of heavy industrial products, a mineral resources company, the Cuban Ministry of Construction, a company that provides Cuban workers to foreign entities on the island and two enterprises that import vehicles, automotive parts and construction materials.

The Trump administration also has stepped up a campaign that portrays Cuba as a grave national security threat to the U.S. In a report released last month, the State Department accused the Cuban government of sponsoring or otherwise supporting left-wing and anti-American activism in the United States for the past six decades.

While Cuba has been falling deeper into crisis for around five years, the oil blockade by the Trump administration has thrown the nation into freefall.

The lack of fuel to provide Cubans with electricity has plunged the island into all-out blackouts. Access to public transport has effectively disappeared, shortages of things like medicine have worsened, work hours have been slashed to adapt to the outages, and tourism, the island’s economic lifeline, has evaporated.

NOTICE OF APPLICATION (pursuant to section 23 of the Natural Gas Act, 10 of 2024, Statute Laws of The Bahamas) NOTICE is hereby given that RenugenPro Ltd. has made applications to the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (“URCA”) for licenses to: import liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) (commercial) and operate LNG terminals. The applications are made with the object of licensing and regulation of the Applicant’s activities for the import of LNG and the operation of LNG Regasification Terminals at (1) Cat Island (2) San Salvador and (3) Long Island. The applications can be inspected by appointment at the Applicant’s oSice at No. 138 Robinson Road, New Providence, The Bahamas. Any objections to the applications must be made on or before the 25th September, 2026 and shall be made by ASidavit and solemn declaration to be submitted exclusively to URCA’s oSice located at Frederick Street, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

Dated the 17th day of August, 2026 Italia C. Chambers Attorney for the Applicant No. 36 Nassau Street New Providence, The Bahamas