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ATLANTIS WORKERS STILL HAVE TO PAY UP Unvaccinated staff must cover cost despite Bell claim By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net ATLANTIS has maintained its position that unvaccinated employees are financially responsible for their weekly rapid antigen tests despite a recent announcement from a government minister that the resort had agreed to hold off on the policy. A spokesperson for the mega resort yesterday told The Tribune the policy took effect on October 1. “Atlantis has not changed its stance as it relates to non-vaccinated team members,” a brief statement
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net SOCIAL Services and Urban Development Minister Obie Wilchcombe said yesterday that some 4,000 Bahamians who were receiving assistance from the government’s national food distribution programme have now been added to his ministry’s aid list since the food initiative ended.
FNM: PM SHOULD BE CONDEMNED FOR FOX SUPPORT
SWEETING HAS PLANS TO MAKE SECTORS ‘SEXY’
SEE PAGE FOUR
According to Mr Wilchcombe, those numbers are expected to increase in the coming days as some 18,000 households were being assisted in the programme in its final phase. To meet the demand, he said officials are working to introduce a new food programme to replace the former one, which officially ended earlier this week. SEE PAGE FOUR
- SEE PAGE EIGHT
By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net THE Free National Movement has called comments by Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis regarding his support for a United States court to terminate criminal proceedings against Island Luck co-founder Adrian Fox “astonishing and reprehensible”. In a statement issued yesterday, the opposition party said the “prime minister’s arrogant attitude to human trafficking should be condemned”. SEE PAGE FIVE
from the Paradise Island resort noted. “As of October 1, all non-vaccinated team members are now financially responsible for their rapid antigen test.” Labour and Immigration Minister Keith Bell told reporters less than a week ago that Atlantis had agreed to “hold off” on implementing its COVID19 vaccination policy for unvaccinated staff after several discussions were held between labour officials and resort executives on the new rule. However this is not the case.
4,000 MORE SEEK HELP FROM GOVT AFTER FOOD AID ENDS
ALICIA WALLACE: TOO MANY CASES WHERE WOMEN ARE BEING KILLED
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
DAD SHOT DEAD IN FRONT OF HIS FAMILY A BODY is taken from the scene in Apache Alley off Kemp Road last night, after a father was killed and his daughter injured as shots were fired into a car containing both them and their mother. See PAGE TWO for the full story. Photo: Racardo Thomas/Tribune Staff
DEVEAUX LIKELY FOR SPEAKER ROLE By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net PATRICIA Deveaux, Sylvanus Petty, LaShell Adderley and Barry Griffin are expected to be elected to senior House of Assembly and Senate roles today when the new parliamentary session begins. The Tribune understands that Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis told members of the Progressive
PATRICIA DEVEAUX Liberal Party’s parliamentary caucus Monday night that he wants Ms Deveaux,
the MP-elect for Bamboo Town, to be elected Speaker of the House; Mr Petty, the MP-elect for North Eleuthera, to be deputy Speaker of the House; Ms Adderley to be president of the Senate and for Mr Griffin to be vice-president of the Senate. Ms Deveaux would be the second female Speaker of the House in Bahamian history, following Italia Johnson. SEE PAGE THREE
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
A CABINET minister says The Bahamas has done a poor job in making the agriculture and fisheries industries “sexy” enough to attract investment. Clay Sweeting, Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island affairs, said one of his goals was to make the two sectors “more appealing” so more Bahamians will be willing to invest. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
TECHNOLOGY OUTAGE SHOWS HOW VITAL FACEBOOK IS NOW
- SEE PAGE NINE
PAGE 2, Wednesday, October 6, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
THE SCENE in Apache Alley off Kemp Road last night, where a man was killed and his daughter injured in a shooting. Photos: Racardo Thomas/Tribune Staff
Dad shot dead in front of his family By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net A FATHER was killed and his teenage daughter was injured last night during a shooting incident that occurred off Kemp Road. Assistant Superintendent of Police Audley Peters told reporters the male is thought to be in his mid-30s while the female victim is in her teens. ASP Peters said shortly before 9pm, police were alerted by ShotSpotter technology of a shooting that occurred on Apache Alley off Kemp Road. Gunmen had shot at a parked vehicle which had three people inside: a father, daughter and mother, he said. “Initial investigations indicate that a lone gunman approached the vehicle as it was parked outside of a business establishment and discharged several shots into the vehicle injuring the driver who was in the driver’s seat and passenger who was in the rear seat,” he said. The officer continued: “On arrival of the first responders, they met a silver vehicle with three
occupants within that vehicle two of whom were suffering from gunshot wounds. The occupants include an adult male, adult female, and juvenile female. “The adult male who was in the driver’s seat succumbed to his injuries on scene following the examination of the emergency medical personnel. The juvenile female who suffered injuries in her abdomen was transported to the Princess Margaret Hospital where her condition was not known at this time.” Freetown MP-elect and National Security Minister Wayne Munroe was also on the scene. He urged people to abandon a life of crime. “Our job as the community, as the village must be to seek to raise people who make their job easier by not becoming a part of the system. I would say to young men, and I’ve encountered a lot of them over my 30-31 years of practice, if this is what your career choice is, it makes no sense.” Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call police at 919, or 328TIPS (8477).
MINISTER for National Security. Wayne Munroe at the scene last night.
FAMILY TRIBUTE TO PUNCH FOUNDER FOLLOWING the death of Ivan Johnson, founder of The Punch, his family has released a statement. “Ivan had the common touch and the immediate outpouring of sympathies on his death from people of every walk of life in our community is a testament to his jovial, friendly and kind spirit and fearlessness in reporting the story. His unexpected passing on Monday will leave a void in the field of journalism in our Bahamas.” Mr Johnson was honoured by The Bahamas
Press Club in 2018 with the Pioneer Award for his newspaper publication. He was a former professional, all-rounder, English first-class cricketer. During the English county cricket off-season winter months, he was employed as a trainee reporter at The Tribune. He later worked as The Tribune’s chief reporter in the 1970s. He also worked at newspapers in London and Australia. He launched his own newspaper – The Punch – in 1990.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, October 6, 2021, PAGE 3
DEVEAUX LIKELY FOR SPEAKER ROLE from page one
The PLP’s website describes her as a “devoted public servant, entrepreneur” and community activist, noting she served as senior executive secretary in the Ministry of National Security for 30 years.
In 2020, Ms Deveaux issued a public apology after using an ethnic slur at a rally. Her comments, which denigrated dark skinned people, were roundly criticised at the time. Mr Petty is a licensed electrician, reserve officer and businessman,
according to the PLP’s official website. Meanwhile, Ms Adderley’s election as Senate president would make this the fifth consecutive term that a woman has served as the leader of the upper chamber. For his part, Mr Griffin would be the youngest ever
vice president of the Senate and the youngest member of the current session of Parliament. West End Grand Bahama and Bimini MP Obie Wilchcombe will be the leader of government business in the House, while Michael Halkitis, minister of economic affairs, will lead
government business in the Senate. The opening of Parliament is usually filled with pomp and pageantry and this year’s event is expected to be no different despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The Office of the Prime Minister on Sunday said
the event will be held at Baha Mar this year, not in Rawson and Parliament Squares. The OPM cited the threat of adverse weather, the active demolition of the Churchill Building and space/seating limitations in the square because of social distancing protocols.
‘We’re still reviewing promotions’
MINISTER of State for the Public Service Pia Glover-Rolle. Photos: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net PIA Glover-Rolle, State Minister for Public Service, said yesterday that government is still reviewing all public sector promotion and hiring exercises carried out in the lead up to the general election, saying all assessments will be conducted fairly and in a transparent manner. She said the Public Service Ministry is assessing more than 500 workers who were either hired or promoted in the last six to eight weeks. Speaking to reporters before yesterday’s weekly Cabinet meeting, Mrs Glover-Rolle said the government remains committed to treating everyone equally and will do its due diligence to ensure that no one is disenfranchised. “We’re not doing anything peculiar,” she said yesterday. “In any new administration, we would assess what is taking place, especially what has taken place in the last six to eight weeks. So we have placed all pending promotions and hiring on hold. I am making an assessment in the shortest possible time. I’m working very hard to make sure that the assessments are done in a fair time because obviously, persons are waiting. “It’s not our intention to disenfranchise. We have to make sure that policy is being conformed to. We
have to make sure that these promotions are being issued on merit and, of course, we also want to continue, and I continue to say we want to consider that we make sure that our personnel is not disenfranchised by a long wait so the process is going very smoothly and the assessments are being made.” Asked how many promotions and hirings were under review, the state minister told reporters: “There are a few hundred in the last six to eight weeks and then prior to that I want to say that there are even more hundreds that were held up over the years so it’s not only going to be a process of ensuring that the backlog is handled, but we’re going to look to make the process smoother for the future because it’s systemic that there’s a backlog so we need to see the processes that we’re going to put in place that will eliminate the backlog for the future. People put in the work in the public service so we want to make sure that we’re duly compensating them and providing the rewards as necessary.” Mrs Glover-Rolle could not say when the assessments will be completed, however, only telling reporters that officials are aiming to have it done in the “quickest possible time.” Shortly after being elected to office last month, the Davis administration placed all public service
promotions granted in the weeks before the election on hold in what officials said would allow the government to review them to ensure nothing “nefarious” has taken place. Former Public Service Minister Brensil Rolle has since defended the recent promotions, insisting the previous government was simply acting on years’ old recommendations that were in some cases left behind by the Christie administration. Yesterday, Mrs GloverRolle also highlighted the need for the public system to be revamped and fully modernised. This, she added, will not only improve services but also help eliminate the backlog in promotions among other things. “The public service needs a re-invention, re-imagination,” Mrs Glover-Rolle added. “We need to come into the 21st century and that starts with digitisation of our files. A lot of the hold up in the process is, of course, waiting for paper files, trying to locate them and then the process of going through them. “In our former administration, we began a process of digitisation of files. That was halted in 2017. We are seeking to advance that process again. It was almost done, and we want to make sure that we bring the public service in the 21st century. When we do that, it brings efficiency, and it brings effectiveness.”
‘AGGRESSIVE’ LEGISLATION PLANNED By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net OBIE Wilchcombe, leader of government business in the House of Assembly, said the government intends to bring forward “very aggressive legislation” after the re-opening of Parliament today. Mr Wilchcombe, who is also social services and urban development minister, made the comments while speaking to reporters before yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, when he said Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis’ selection for Speaker of the House of Assembly and president of the Senate will showcase the administration’s commitment to diversity. He said: “(On Wednesday), the House opens. Of course, we have a new
speaker. I think the leader of our country will make a statement tomorrow (Wednesday) as you see who the leader of the House in terms of the Speaker will be and president of the Senate. I think he’s making a distinctive statement about diversity. He’s making a statement about his commitment to gender equality, and I believe that would send a very strong signal and an example of what leadership is all about.” “We intend to have a very aggressive legislation (agenda),” Mr Wilchcombe continued. “We intend to be very organised. We intend to ensure that our sessions begin with substantive discussions predicated upon the things we agreed to during the campaign and by that, I mean what we agreed with the Bahamians people what
we would do to ensure that we fulfill our perspective of a new day.” The reopening of Parliament will feature the reading of the Speech from The Throne, which will outline the Davis administration’s policies and objectives for the upcoming parliamentary session. The event will take place at the Baha Mar Convention Centre rather than in Rawson Square as a result of recommendations by the government’s steering committee. Officials said the decision was made because of expected inclement weather, the active demolition of the nearby Churchill Building, as well as space and seating limitations in the square due to COVID-19’s social distancing protocols. “Owing to the previously
stated rationale,” the government recently said in a statement, “we are satisfied that this decision will allow for the execution of the event in a manner that is representative of the opening of the House of Assembly. “We are further satisfied that all COVID-19 health and safety protocols will be executed to standard. The government of The Bahamas is ready to get to work and we invite all Bahamians to follow the proceedings on television, radio or by live stream and hear first hand the legislative priorities of the Davis-led administration.” Today’s opening of Parliament follows last month’s election win of the Progressive Liberal Party, which secured 32 out of 39 seats in the House of Assembly.
MINISTER of Social Services and Urban Development Obie Wilchcombe.
SEARS: NO WAY FORWARD YET OVER SHANTY TOWN DEMOLITION By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net NEWLY appointed Works and Utilities Minister Alfred Sears says he has not as yet been advised on the way forward as it relates to shanty town demolition in the country. Mr Sears made the remarks when asked if he intended to follow the steps of his predecessor and
prioritise demolition of the illegal structures during his time in office. He said: “Well I have not been advised about the destruction nor how to deal with shanty towns. We have been focused, and my briefings have been focused on the infrastructural contracts and projects that are in the pipeline — those that are contemplated issues of drainage and how as we
move forward to ensure more resilience. “I also want to point out that I’ve also started to do some inspection about some of the projects being done. Yesterday (Monday), I visited Government House and met with the contractor Mr Wilmott and the project supervisor Mr Pickstock and I’m happy to say that that renovation is going very well.”
However, Mr Sears said he plans to visit Abaco and Grand Bahama in the coming weeks to assess recovery efforts there. The government was banned from evicting shanty town residents and demolishing homes in 2018 after a Supreme Court granted an injunction protecting shanty towns in New Providence as well as Abaco. After Hurricane Dorian
hit Abaco in 2019, the Minnis administration sought to have the 2018 injunction varied to exclude Abaco shanty towns and their residents, insisting they no longer needed to be protected as the communities were virtually wiped out by the storm. The government’s bid, however, was rejected in June after Supreme Court Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson ordered
an extension of her injunction to include all unregulated communities in Abaco. Her ruling came after the government launched a joint sting operation on the remaining shanty towns in Abaco and began demolishing newly built structures there. Officials must now get approval from the court before demolishing any further structures.
PAGE 4, Wednesday, October 6, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
ATLANTIS workers being tested previously - but now unvaccinated workers will have to pay for the cost of their weekly COVID tests.
Atlantis workers still have to pay up from page one The hotel’s refusal to stand down was met yesterday with harsh criticism from Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union President Darrin Woods who called the policy “modern day slavery.” When contacted, Mr Woods said requiring workers to pay $16.50 per week for rapid antigen tests was not only a financial burden, but a tool to force people to get vaccinated. “We actually turned that over to the Labour Department from Monday for the government to do what is necessary to
enforce the law,” Mr Woods said yesterday. “The minister said he had spoken to them, and they were supposed to be rolling back but now apparently they went ahead with it.” He also said: “We still believe that the workers shouldn’t pay. We are looking for them to enforce the law. “They are not supposed to be doing this. You are asking people to pay. . .$17. These people get paid every two weeks and plus they are only working reduced days so how are they supposed to do it? “So, what they are doing is forcing them to go and get vaccinated. “That’s how
slavery comes about. You get people to do what you want them to do by doing some things to them. Financially is one way to enslave people. Their jobs is another way. Its modernday slavery. That’s what it is.” In a letter sent to staff last Wednesday, Audrey Oswell, Atlantis’ president and managing director, announced that all unvaccinated staff will be “financially responsible” for paying for their weekly $16.50 rapid antigen test starting October 1. The policy was announced earlier this year and initially expected to come into effect in September.
REQUIEM MASS for
Antoinne Theodore Cooper Born: 12th October, 1978 Died: September 17th, 2021 42 years Service Held at Christ the King, Ridgeland Park, Nassau, Bahamas Date: Thursday, October 7th, 2021 Time: 10:00 am Officiating: Archdeacon Kingsley Knowles Assisting: Rev. Deacon Desiree Johnson Antoine was pre-deceased by his Father: Anthony Theodore Cooper; Grandmother: Iris Cambridge; Step-Grandmother: Joan Coakley; Grandfathers: Stafford Coakley and Arthward Cooper; Best Friend Montoya Davis Mother: Kim Cooper-McPhee nee Coakley; Step-mother: Moreen Cooper Sisters: Tanya, Kacha, Charisma (Raquiyah) Huyler, LaShante Cooper, Dr. Anthonya Cooper; Nieces and Nephews: Mary, Luke and Zoey McCarroll, Rakyah, Raquiyah and Raquiem Huyler, Eltiana Jones, Reginae Reid; Grandparent: Evelyn Knowles-Cooper; Uncles: Rhawli Coakley, Brian Cambridge, Clarke Rolle, Rev. Fr. Rudolph (Mary) Cooper, Archdeacon G. Kingsley (Sandra) Knowles, Harcourt (Angella) Cooper, Charles Cooper, Kelvin Cooper, Rev. Fr. Stephen (Margot) Grant; Brother-in-law: John McCarroll; Aunts: Stephanie Thomas, Sammarra, Stacci Coakley-Curtiss, Jaqueline Hutchinson, Linda (Vernal) Collie, Judith Cooper, Patricia Cooper, Gillian (Morris) Jones, Annischa (Mark) Cook, Juanita (Marv) Johnson, Astrid (Lynden) Tinker; Great Aunts: Mychal and Delores Cooper, Marion Sands and Patsy Lyles, Ursula and Catherine Coakley; Numerous Cousins Other relatives and friends: Archie Rolle, Don & Emma Forbes Nakeisha Burrows, Tina Ferguson-Cooper, Crystal Darville, the family of the late Rudolph and Marina Basden; the family of the late Roderick and Mary Coakley; the family of Arthward (deceased) and Evelyn Cooper; Florine Bain and family, Bathsheba Cleare, Kay Turnquest, Frederick Murray, Neville Bethell, Donna Davis, Leonard McPhee, Brenda Deleveaux, Farrah Bodie Taylor, Ricardo, his Atlantis and Pitt Road friends.
According to Ms Oswell, the order was a part of the resort’s approach in “putting the community’s health and the economy first.” “As we have shared since July, Atlantis will not pay the cost of testing indefinitely. We also will not continue to encourage testing as an alternative to vaccination,” Ms Oswell said. “By getting the free and widely available vaccine, you are protecting yourself and your family, colleagues, our guests, and the community from COVID-19. You are also playing an essential role in helping achieve a COVID-free Bahamas, which is the only path forward for our economy and tourism to thrive again,”
she said. In response, Mr Bell last week said government officials were seeking advice from the Office of the Attorney General on the matter, however he told reporters that Atlantis had agreed to delay the policy. “I have reached out to the Director of Labour, Mr Robert Farquharson, and he’s communicated with Atlantis and there are a number of other employers who are concerned about that because they want to ensure that they comply with the legislation which is to ensure a safe work environment,” Mr Bell told reporters last week. “In order to ensure that there is a safe work environment, they have
to ensure that all of their employees are either vaccinated or tested to make sure that they don’t bring COVID into the workplace. We have been able to convince Atlantis and the other private sector employers to hold off on implementing that policy.” He also said last week: “I’ve consulted with the Office of the Attorney General and I’ve spoken with the attorney general this morning to give us legal advice and we will be guided by the advice of the attorney general. And so he has already, I believe, directed (officials) to ensure that the advice is given timely and so I would wait on that advice, but Atlantis is holding off on that policy.
4,000 MORE SEEK HELP FROM GOVT AFTER FOOD AID ENDS from page one
“I think we’re inheriting about 4,000 I’m being told, but I expect the number to increase but we’re putting together a programme that would be systemic in that nobody would be left out,” he said before going to a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. “This 4,000 who we’re inheriting from the programme…that’s in addition to what we’re providing already.” Asked yesterday if the social agency is prepared to handle the influx, Mr Wilchcombe suggested that his ministry will have to be resourceful to meet the high demand. He also warned there will be budget cuts in certain areas to accommodate key social assistance initiatives. “We’re going to have to find ways to do it,” he said. “The reality is that the Bahamians are hurting. We’re not going to leave anybody behind. We’re going to go after taking care of the Bahamian people. We have to cut some costs (in) some places and in fact, we discovered that we’re renting buildings and we’re not even into the building at Social Services. “We’ve been renting
since 2018 facilities that’s costing millions of dollars and we’re not in the building so you know we got to cut back. We’re going to look at exactly what’s going on and we’re going to fix it, but no Bahamian is going to be left behind in what we’re trying to do.” The national food distribution programme was one of several initiatives formed by the Minnis administration in 2020 to assist vulnerable Bahamians affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was initially set to end in August of that year, but was later extended several times due to the high demand. Last week, Mr Wilchcombe questioned some of the choices taken by the Minnis administration relating to the programme, including its weekly cost that was pegged at some $768,000. “The difficulty is to me, well that’s Social Services’ responsibility so why do we need a next, second group to do it? Social Services can continue its programmes in providing food and support for the Bahamian people,” he said yesterday. He also responded to the food task force’s chair, Mrs Susan Larson who recently
defended the food initiative and explained that “money goes quickly” when considering the 18,000 households still requiring food assistance this year. However, Mr Wilchcombe told reporters yesterday he still stands by his previous comments. “It’s okay, she can hit back, but I think whatever they did at the time was not in my view fully discussed to the extent that we were (delivering) what the Bahamian people really required and if you have to spend that much, they could consider another approach to it,” Mr Wilchcombe added. “But maybe in the moment of desperation and (in the) moment of trying to find a plan, they came up with that plan but that’s okay. I don’t mind the criticisms. All I know is we’re going to provide Bahamian people with the needs and we’re going to meet their demands.” Yesterday, Mr Wilchcombe was also asked if his ministry will seek to reintroduce visa cards that were used by the Christie administration for people eligible for Social Service benefits. To which he replied: “Absolutely, it should’ve happened a long time ago.”
TWO MORE COVID DEATHS CONFIRMED TWO more coronavirus deaths were recorded on Sunday, according to the COVID-19 dashboard released by the Ministry of Health yesterday. Both were men from New Providence. The men, aged 70 and 55, died on September 16 and 17. The Ministry of Health also said 50 new COVID-19
cases were recorded on October 3. Twenty-one were recorded in New Providence, one on Grand Bahama, five in Eleuthera, one in Andros, 15 in Long Island and seven in Crooked Island. The number of hospitalisations now stands at 144; 128 people are moderately
ill and 16 of them are in the intensive care unit. Over the weekend, 20 additional COVID-19 deaths were recorded. This, along with the two new deaths, means there have been 559 deaths to date. Officials said the total number of COVID-19 cases now stands at 21,362. Of this figure, 1,438 are active.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, October 6, 2021, PAGE 5
‘Grand Lucayan our only hope’ say vendors By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net STRAW vendors at the Port Lucaya Marketplace said the situation is dire there and the opening of the Grand Lucayan resort is their only hope of survival. “We need this hotel to hurry up and open up,” lamented one straw vendor who gave her name as Ernestine. “There are hardly any tourists around here. We are all set up looking pretty, but there is nothing happening in the Straw Market – we need something to happen for us. We have been struggling too long.” Although a boat was in port yesterday, the vendors said not many passengers are being taken to the marketplace. Vendor Sylvia Major said the closure of the hotel and beach access are major factors. “It has been rough. We saw four people all day and not one taxi has been here all day,” she said. “We don’t have a next boat they say until Thursday, but we just come out to see if we going to make anything.” Although rent has been reduced by 50 percent, Ms Major said they are not earning enough to pay the fee. “We paying more rent than what we making,” she said. “They went down on the rent to 50 percent, but it is still rough when there are no tourists.” The vendor of 20 years said that more needs to be
SYLVIA MAJOR done to promote the area to visitors. Another straw vendor, identified as Terah, said the taxicab drivers are taking the tourists elsewhere. She believes that the lack of entertainment is one reason the area is no longer attracting visitors, particularly cruise passengers. “It is hard to get the taxis up here when the boat comes in because the majority of the people go down to Taino Beach. There is no entertainment in PLM (anymore) to attract the people,” she said. “Today is a boat day, and so far, we have seen one taxi with three people all day.” The vendor said that they depend on the hotel for their livelihood. “When the hotel was open it was 100 percent better; there used to be a flow of tourists in and out of Port Lucaya. But, now, we are just here praying to make a sale,” she said. Vendors said they are selling their merchandise at rock bottom prices just to take home something. Pamela Flowers made
only $10 in the past four days. “I was coming for three days without making a dollar,” she said. “I came out around 8.30am and it’s now 2pm, and I only made $10 today. “There is nothing at Port Lucaya to attract visitors when they come up here. There are no attractions, and the hotel is closed.” Ms Flowers earned on average around $40 to $50 and even sometimes $100 a day when the hotel was open. Vendor Daphne Nixon said her faith is keeping her going. “Today is one of those days where your faith has come into action,” she said. “We had one or two persons walk through today, and what you find is everybody is trying to gravitate to them to pull them in the store to make a sale.” Ms Nixon is hopeful that better days are coming. “I believe it is going to get better, but today is just not one of those days. Yesterday, I saw nothing, and again today, but we keeping hopeful that something is going to come.” Tourism Minister Chester Cooper was in Grand Bahama last week and said that negotiations concerning the sale of the Grand Lucayan are a top priority for the new Davis administration. While Mr Cooper was at the hotel last Thursday to meet with the Lucayan Renewal Holdings and the Ministry of Tourism staff at Port Lucaya, vendors said he did not stop by to visit with them.
THE STRAW Market at Port Lucaya Marketplace. “So, we need a representative to come around to the PL area to see what is going
Photos: Denise Maycock/Tribune Staff
on. We need live entertainment out here to attract visitors.
“I been out here since I was 14 years old and this is the worst,” one vendor said.
FNM: PM SHOULD BE CONDEMNED FOR FOX SUPPORT from page one
Mr Davis was one of several prominent Progressive Liberal Party members who wrote character references in support of Mr Fox before the general election, urging the judge to impose a light, non-custodial sentence on Mr Fox over the role he played in a human smuggling operation more than a decade ago. Mr Fox has agreed to a plea deal with US authorities, which omits all mention of the human smuggling offences with which he was initially charged and has resulted in him agreeing to plead guilty to one count of helping to operate a vessel in US waters “in a grossly negligent manner”. On Monday, Mr Davis said he had “no regrets” penning his August 10 letter in support of Mr Fox, and said he would do it again. The FNM press release yesterday lambasted
Mr Davis’ response to reporters. “Comments attributed to Prime Minister Davis in this morning’s newspapers, that he had ‘no regrets’ about having written a character reference on behalf of Adrian Fox, who has pleaded guilty in a plea deal before a foreign court to a charge directly connected with human trafficking are astonishing and reprehensible. His further comment that he ‘would do it again’ if he had to, is even more reprehensible. Did the prime minister feel that he had to do it the first time? “What is clear from news reports is that the entire hierarchy of the PLP also seemingly happened to feel that they too may have ‘had to do it’. Evidently a host of current PLP Cabinet ministers, MPs and former MPs and ministers are reported to have waged a wholesale character reference assailment of the trial judge in New York.” References for Mr Fox
were also supplied by other Cabinet ministers, such as Jomo Campbell, minister of state for legal affairs, and Alfred Sears, minister of works. Former ministers Shane Gibson and Leslie Miller also vouched for him. Leslia Miller-Brice, Seabreeze MP-elect, and her husband Leander Brice who operates the AsureWin web shop chain and is the Island Luck co-founder’s nephew, also submitted character references. The FNM highlighted the potential implications on The Bahamas and the character references from some members of government. “While reports state that the then leader of the opposition, now prime minister, made it clear that he was writing in a personal, and not official capacity, the facts of a wholesale PLP campaign of character references before the New York court belies such assertions. The entire hierarchy of the
PLP intervened in writing in a foreign criminal trial, on behalf of the convict,” according to the FNM statement. It continued: “Just think of the national embarrassment we would suffer should each letter writer be summoned to testify in person before the New York court. Further, such a concerted move by the most prominent PLPs could only be seen and, now especially, can only be seen as reflecting the views of the highest levels, not just in the PLP, but now of the government of The Bahamas.
The party suggested the country’s commitment to fighting human trafficking may now be scrutinised. The party concluded that the prime minister’s comments display an “arrogant” and “in your face” attitude which is “unseemly and deeply damaging to The Bahamas.” “His words and arrogant attitude should be utterly condemned by all rightthinking Bahamians.” The party also mentioned the work the Minnis administration did to aid to fight against human trafficking during its term.
‘END COLUMBUS CELEBRATION’ ANTIGUA and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the Organisation of American States, Sir Ronald Sanders, has called for an end to the celebration of “The Encounter of two Worlds”, an annual event promoted by the Government of Spain to mark the so-called discovery of the new world by Christopher Columbus. Saying Antigua and Barbuda would not be a true friend of Spain if it “were to pretend that this occasion is one that we welcome and support”, Ambassador Sanders said: “The native peoples of these lands were not in need of discovery; they already had a civilisation, a rich culture, and knowledge that suited the sustainability of their environment. All that was either destroyed or desecrated by the arrival of Columbus and his crew who stumbled upon these lands in the mistaken belief that
they had navigated a new route to the Indies.” He added that apart from genocide and enslavement of the native peoples of the Americas, “the encounter threw open the gateway for centuries of brutal slavery of African people and the exploitation of Asian indentured labour in some Caribbean countries”. The occasion, he said, “should not be celebrated; it should be lamented”. Sir Ronald argued that “It was an encounter contrived on the ideology of European superiority that is today commonly called – racism,” adding that “the freedom that the European settlers sought in these lands now called ‘the Americas’ came at the expense of the lives, land, labour, blood and resources of non-white people. “That is what we remember; it is what we recall; it is
what we see every time this so-called ‘Encounter of two worlds’ is celebrated and not lamented.” Ambassador Sanders called for the discontinuance of the event that re-opens wounds and re-enforces the strong desire for reparatory justice. He said, “We congratulate Spain on the positive role it plays today in global affairs, and we welcome its efforts to make its presentday encounters with our nations mutually beneficial for all.” “In our relationship, we would like to stride forward to a bright future, not look backward at a dark past.” Ambassador Sanders concluded: “The encounters, upon which we should all concentrate, are those which proffer a better future for our common humanity in our One World.”
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The FNM said: “The Bahamas, throughout the Minnis administration, attained and maintained our ‘Tier 1’ ranking in the regional fight against human trafficking; and thereby increased international respect for the commitment of The Bahamas and its law enforcement agencies to the eradication of the scourge of human trafficking, which has destroyed so many innocent lives, particularly the lives of missing and exploited children, and sexually exploited young women.”
PAGE 6, Wednesday, October 6, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
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Bell’s words ring hollow as Atlantis presses ahead WHEN a new government is voted in, it is important to hit the ground running – and for ministers, that can mean making a strong first impression. For Keith Bell, the new Labour and Immigration Minister, the opportunity to make that impression came when dealing with the news that Atlantis was to start charging unvaccinated staff for their rapid antigen tests as of October 1. Less than a week ago, Mr Bell told reporters that Atlantis had agreed to “hold off” its policy of charging unvaccinated staff for the tests after discussions between labour officials and resort executives. At the time, he said: “I have reached out to the Director of Labour, Mr Robert Farquharson, and he’s communicated with Atlantis and there are a number of other employers who are concerned about that because they want to ensure that they comply with the legislation which is to ensure a safe work environment. “In order to ensure that there is a safe work environment, they have to ensure that all of their employees are either vaccinated or tested to make sure that they don’t bring COVID into the workplace. We have been able to convince Atlantis and the other private sector employees to hold off on implementing that policy. “I’ve consulted with the Office of the Attorney General and I’ve spoken with the Attorney General this morning to give us legal advice and we will be guided by the advice of the Attorney General. And so he has already, I believe, directed (officials) to ensure that the advice is given timely and so I would wait on that advice, but Atlantis is holding off on that policy. That’s the main thing to be had.” Not so, it seems. Those who choose not to go and get the free vaccine now face a weekly charge of $16.50 for the cost of the rapid antigen test. Now there is of course a legal debate to be had over the right of an employer to pass the cost of a test onto their employee. What was Keith Bell thinking, however? That by saying the words he could make it so? He may have been trying to make people think he was on the case and present a strong image of a minister who was getting things done – instead, he’s given the impression he might not know what he’s talking about. Credibility is hard to win and easy to lose. As of last night, no formal government position on the latest Atlantis
developments has been forthcoming – with newly reappointed Director of Labour Robert Farquharson unable to be reached for comment despite numerous phone calls and emails. The people left high and dry in this are the workers who might have thought the matter was resolved and that they didn’t need to budget for the extra cost of the test. In a letter to staff last week, Atlantis president Audrey Oswell made it clear to staff: “Atlantis will not pay the cost of testing indefinitely. We also will not continue to encourage testing as an alternative to vaccination.” People need to be able to see that ministers are trying their best to represent people’s concerns. But they also need to be able to trust what ministers have to say. On that count, Mr Bell is off to a bad start – and the failure of government to respond since then is not creating a great impression either. We need straight answers, Mr Bell, not flim flam – and Atlantis workers need to hear from you today.
FNM speaks up
The character reference written by then Opposition leader, now Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis for Island Luck co-founder Adrian Fox has stirred considerable concern. Remarkably, it has also finally stirred the now-Opposition FNM into life, bringing them to condemn Mr Davis’ move as “astonishing and reprehensible.” Mr Fox has agreed to plead guilty to operating a vessel in US waters “in a grossly negligent manner” in a deal that has seen all mention of the human smuggling offences he was initially charged with removed. Mr Davis has said he’d do it again – and he wasn’t alone in offering his support, with a number of other senior PLPs writing references. The FNM talks of the prospect of “national embarrassment” if each letter writer was summoned to testify, but they know that’s not going to happen. But the party has been notable for its silence in recent days, and this has stirred them from their slumber, it seems. Every government needs a strong Opposition – and it’s time the FNM shook off its election hangover and got on with that. A conference to elect a new leader cannot come soon enough.
It’s time to celebrate our teachers EDITOR, The Tribune. TODAY the 5th of October 2021, we are celebrating and acknowledging the greatest and most profound job done by teachers. Teachers have been doing excellent work in teaching students online and have been resilient in navigating ways of teaching students during this pandemic period. We celebrate, value and appreciate the work done by teachers. Happy teacher’s day! Teachers are provocative, thorough, knowledgeable, relentless, enthusiastic, stimulating,
well-spoken, exciting and flexible. Those who fail to appreciate teachers are dismally failing common sense tests. Teachers prepare learners for a dynamic and unknown future. Teachers have unique skills that enable them to discover how people learn at the most fundamental levels, how learning differs across individuals, cultures and content areas and the conditions that best foster educational success. The unimaginable world will be chaotic, unstructured, dysfunctional, barbaric and unmanageable without teachers.
Teachers also pick up pieces from children with unbecoming when parents abdicate their parental roles. Teachers have high levels of intellect, including honed emotional intelligence and the ability to master complex issues quickly and to relish the challenges thrown up by a fast moving and constantly shifting agenda. The world should spare two minutes on World Teachers Day and clap hands for teachers. HANDSEN CHIKOWORE London, October 5, 2021.
Ivan Johnson death a blow to the FNM EDITOR, The Tribune THE shocking death of The Punch Editor Ivan Johnson represents a massive blow, not only to the journalist fraternity in The Bahamas, but to the sputtering Free National Movement (FNM) as well. For the 31 years of its existence, The Punch has been viewed as the unofficial mouthpiece of the FNM. It began publishing in February 1990; two years prior to the Hubert Ingraham led FNM unseating the Sir Lynden Pindling led Progressive Liberal Party (PLP). Based on the eulogies I’ve read in The Tribune, Johnson was no fan of Sir Lynden or the PLP. The two would lock horns on the ZNS TV-13 programme Contact during the late 1970s. That was during a time when it was considered sacrilegious to vocally express anything remotely negative about Sir Lynden. I am surprised that Sir Lynden granted Johnson permission to publish The Punch, considering their tumultuous interview on ZNS over a decade before.
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net During the eighties, the only notable media houses in The Bahamas were ZNS, The Tribune and The Nassau Guardian, to the best of my knowledge. The emergence of The Punch in 1990 was an omen of things to come. After the historic August 19, 1992 FNM election victory, the Ingraham administration would open up the airwaves, which would lead to a deepening of our democracy. Johnson was a cultural phenomenon and a provocateur. His hard-hitting anti-PLP articles in The Punch ruffled the feathers of many PLP politicians. Controversial FNM politicians were not exempted from The Punch’s Grapevine. The racy photos of scantily clad women on page three of Johnson’s publication raised the ire of many within the Christian community who religiously purchased a copy of the tabloid each Monday and Thursday. In a country that is
culturally conservative, Johnson incessantly pushed the envelope, usually with seeming impunity. This was because Johnson made certain to cross his t’s and dot his i’s, with the aim of avoiding libel lawsuits. Now with his untimely death, the FNM has lost a dependable ally in the field of journalism. During the FNM’s years in opposition, the party could depend on The Punch to keep the PLP’s feet to the fire. Its influence, among tens of thousands of Bahamian grassroots, was undeniably massive. Its titillating Grapevine articles and sensational opinion pieces undoubtedly influenced the political viewpoints of thousands of swing voters. What will now become of The Punch is anyone’s guess, now that its founder has made his transition. I am of the belief, though, that Johnson’s passing will have almost as great an impact on the FNM as it will undoubtedly have on The Punch. KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Grand Bahama, October 5, 2021.
Table the facts, Prime Minister EDITOR, The Tribune. I RECALL so well pre-2017 election how the FNM swore blind an FNM Government would not follow down the road of past governments... theirs under leadership of Dr Hubert Minnis would be totally different... would uphold transparency in all they do. Four plus years later we knew that was just an election promise as HOA after HOA never saw the light of the day....never tabled in parliament and even one particular file ‘dat one gone missin’!
Asap PM Davis must table the following and any more they feel appropriate for the public interest. OBAN, file missing so they say find it someone knows precisely where it is... RCL Paradise Island Crown grant… Disney Eleuthera HOA... Carnival Freeport Port HOA... BPL purchase of $225m worth of Wartsila generators... how did Aggreko the then provider of generators in 2018 get the tender.... Nassau Port Cruise Port HOA. AG needs to ask the Auditor general to complete quickly a fully forensic audit of W&S - if there are
complaints let’s find them if not say there are none. The past was so far from transparent what one wondered if you had bad cataracts and could not see too well - public contracts must at all times be just that on top of the table open for all to read. Sign today Tabled at the next session of Parliament. Okay, PM, settle in but by end of October we must see all of the above and tabled and put online. Thank you in advance. H FORBES Nassau, September 28, 2021.
THE TRIBUNE
Omar Archer denied appeal on libel charge By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net THE Court of Appeal yesterday refused Omar Archer’s application for conditional leave to appeal a libel charge to the Privy Council, after ruling that his proposed appeal did not raise a “genuinely disputable issue”. Archer was charged in 2015 with intentionally and unlawfully publishing defamatory material about a female journalist in April of that year. Prosecutors said he uploaded a post on his Facebook page claiming the woman had tested positive for a sexually transmitted disease in an attempt to defame her character. Archer was initially arraigned in September 2015, but was re-arraigned in November 2016 at which time he pleaded not guilty. The trial began on November 28, 2016, and after the close of the prosecution’s case, a no-case submission was made and rejected by the magistrate. When it was time for the defence to present its case, Archer’s new legal team, headed by Fred Smith, QC, “raised the constitutionality of the criminal libel law and requested a reference of the matter to the Supreme
Court”, according to court documents. After the magistrate agreed to the request, Archer filed a motion to seek relief inclusive of a declaration from the court stating, “the laying of the charge, prosecution, trial and liability of Archer to conviction and sentence to a fine and/or imprisonment for up to two years for the offence of intentional libel were void, illegal and of no effect,” as they breached his constitutional right to freedom of expression. However, Justice Loren Klein dismissed Archer’s application after ruling that Section 315(2) of the Penal Code, “though admittedly a prima facie interference with Article 23(1) rights,” could not be considered unconstitutional as it was a “saved law within the meaning of Article 30(1)”. Archer then appealed the judge’s decision in the Court of Appeal; however, the panel dismissed his appeal after ruling that they did not find that Section 315(2) of the Penal Code was unconstitutional or a breach of a person’s rights to freedom of expression. This prompted Archer to seek conditional leave to appeal to the Privy Council. He argued that as his action was brought pursuant to Article 28 of the
Constitution, leave should be granted to him “as of right”. Nonetheless, Justices Sir Michael Barnett, Jon Isaacs and Carolita Bethell yesterday refused his application for conditional leave and ordered that Archer pay the costs of the intended respondents, to be taxed if not agreed. “On an application for conditional leave to appeal, notwithstanding that the appeal is as of right the Court of Appeal must consider whether the proposed appeal raises a ‘genuinely disputable issue,’” Sir Michael stated. “The proposed appeal does not raise a genuine dispute as to the law and does not require the attention of the Privy Council.” For his part, Justice Jon Isaacs also noted that Privy Council appeals fall into two categories. “(These are) appeals pursuant to section 104 of the Constitution and appeals pursuant to section 23 of the Court of Appeal Act,” he explained. “The intended appeal falls into the former category and does not raise a genuinely disputable issue as the constitutionality of the law of criminal libel has already been decided by the Privy Council.” Archer still has the right to apply to the Privy Council for special leave to appeal.
HUNDREDS OF HAITIANS CHARGED IN COURT THREE hundred and sixty-eight Haitians were charged in an Inagua court on Monday with illegal landing. The group consisted of 294 men and 74 women. They appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt and Magistrate Shaka Serville. The migrants pleaded guilty to the charge of illegal landing. According to a release from the Department of Immigration, they were granted a conditional discharge on condition they
do not return to The Bahamas without the permission of an immigration officer. Early deportation was also recommended. Last week, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force was informed by a local fisherman that a suspected Haitian vessel had been seen partially submerged off Flamingo Cay. A group of individuals were also sighted on Flamingo and Water Cays, Ragged Island. Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos (OPBAT) officials were also informed and
responded to the area and confirmed the sighting. As a result, RBDF assets, as well as the Royal Bahamas Police Force marines and immigration officials were alerted and dispatched to the area. Subsequently, a group of migrants were found and turned over to the Department of Immigration on Friday for processing. This group consisted of 430 migrants, inclusive of 368 adults and 62 minors. Repatriations are expected to begin as early as today.
MAN WHO SAID HE FOUND STOLEN GOODS IN GARBAGE IS ACQUITTED By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A MAN who said he was arrested after he was found with stolen goods that he had collected from a garbage can was yesterday acquitted after a magistrate ruled that the Crown failed to prove their case to a “requisite” standard. Prosecutors alleged that Allan Burrows broke into Anchorage Seafood Haven and stole cleaning and cooking appliances in May 2020. However, Burrows maintained his not guilty plea during his trial before Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle Davis. In August, the court was told that a woman who was employed at a stall on Arawak Cay was the one to report Burrows after she saw him walking around the area with a box. At the time, Officer Davaughn Pratt also said he received information of a man leaving Seafood
Haven with a box of items around 7am that day. Alvin Butterfield, the owner of Anchorage Seafood Haven, also took the stand during Burrows’ trial. When he testified, Mr Butterfield said that morning he had got a call informing him that someone had left his restaurant with a box. He said when he went to his restaurant to investigate, he noticed the rear glass of the eatery had been pried open. He also said he noticed that his deep fryer, microwave and his “one of a kind” power amp mixer were gone. Inspector Harrison Brown was the final witness to give evidence. When he testified yesterday, he said he was the officer who took Burrows back to Fish Fry to make inquiries and retrace his steps. Inspector Brown said there the accused pointed out a dumpster area where he said he found a black mixer and three mop heads in a cardboard box. The officer said when he took Burrows back to
the station and interviewed him, the accused told him the police arrested him after they found him with the box of stolen items that he had found in the garbage. After the prosecution closed its case, Magistrate Rolle Davis said the court was “satisfied” that the charges of shop breaking, stealing and receiving had not been made out. He noted that all of the witnesses who had given evidence during Burrows’ trial acknowledged the items were found in the accused’s possession for less than an hour. He also noted the only witness who actually saw Burrows, admitted that she only saw him leaving the dumpster area with a box and said she had not seen him break into any shop. “The case has not been made out to the requisite standard,” Magistrate Rolle Davis noted. “Therefore, I find that Burrows does not have a case to answer and is therefore acquitted.”
RASTAFARIAN DENIES MARIJUANA CHARGE By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A RASTAFARIAN man who denied being found with $15,000 worth of marijuana seven years ago was yesterday granted bail ahead of his trial. Orman Newbold was arrested after he was accused of having 15
pounds of Indian hemp in January 2014. He denied dangerous drug possession with the intent to supply when he appeared before Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle Davis. Yesterday, Newbold told the magistrate his case had been ongoing for the past seven years. He claimed the matter was eventually
discontinued; however, the charges were recently brought back unexpectedly. In response, Magistrate Rolle Davis reminded the accused that the Crown had a right to bring back charges in certain situations. He subsequently adjourned the matter to December 15 for trial. Newbold was granted $6,500 bail until that time.
Wednesday, October 6, 2021, PAGE 7
OMAR Archer pictured in 2018 during a protest in Rawson Square.
PAGE 8, Wednesday, October 6, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
Petito case is one of too many cases where women are being killed
By Alicia Wallace
GABRIELLE “Gabby” Petito, a 22-year-old white woman went missing while on a cross-country road trip to Wyoming with her fiancé Brian. They had been documenting their trip on YouTube as Nomadic Statik and Van Life, but 23-year-old Brian returned to Florida, in her 2012 Ford Transit van, without her on between them, trying to determine who did what September 1. Her parents, who had not and when. She talked about heard from her, reported having mental health issues her missing ten days later. and was very upset while Brian refused to speak with Brian tried to come across the police, and her parents as calm and level-headed. pleaded with the public He had scratches and and with him to come talked about pushing her forward with any informa- away, and she talked about tion regarding Gabby’s him grabbing her and holding her face. disappearance. The body cam video Attorney Richard Stafis more than one hour ford said: “Brian is refusing to tell Gabby’s family where in length and shows four he last saw her. Brian is also police officers, back and refusing to explain why he forth between Gabby and left Gabby all alone and Brian as they try to get clardrove her van to Florida. ity on what transpired and, There are critical questions perhaps, what they needed to do next. One that require of the officers immediate ‘They did not says a witness answers.” see a pattern saw him shove After BriGabby, but an’s return, it of behaviour. could not tell if surfaced that, They did not it was aggreson August sion against her 12, police recognise the responded to signs of intimate or defence. Somehow, a call about partner violence. the police condomestic viocluded that lence involving They did not Gabby was the the couple. The respond to the aggressor and police officer clear need for he was trying took the keys to protect her. mental health to the van from They seemed Brian and put intervention.’ to decide to them on the charge her with hood, then told domestic assault and, after Gabby to step out of the vehicle. He then walked speaking with Brian, to her away from the van have her leave with the van where he asked her what and transport him to a shelter for victims of domestic was going on. Crying, Gabby said she violence because they had was trying to apologise to to be separated. Later, a Brian, they had been argu- police officer asked her if ing all morning, and that she intended to cause him earlier in the day, he would pain, and when she said no, not let her into the van. the officer discussed the Hearing this, the police definition of assault. It was later reported officer told her to sit in the backseat of the police car that a 911 caller said they to relax for a while, then saw Brian hitting Gabby. went back to the van and “They ran up and down the sidewalk. He proceeded had Brian step out. Brian’s story was that to hit her, hopped in the they were having a nice car and they drove off.” morning, but Gabby “just Gabby was last seen leavgets worked up some- ing a hotel with Brian on times”. He kept saying that August 24, and last spoke he was trying to keep things with her mother and posted calm and Gabby was get- on Instagram on August ting “worked up”. Another 25. On September 17, Bripolice officer spoke to an’s family tells the police Gabby about the violence they had not seen him
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since September 14. On September 19, Gabby’s body was found in the area of Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming. The police officers involved in the disorderly conduct stop seemed to think they were doing the right thing. They separated Gabby and Brian and spoke to them separately about what happened. She decided that Brian was the victim. They looked at the options available to them, based on their conclusion that Brian was a domestic violence victim. They secured overnight housing for both parties and told them not to contact each other before the next day. That was it. They did not see a pattern of behaviour. They did not recognise the signs of intimate partner violence. They did not respond to the clear need for mental health intervention. They accepted the word of two people who wanted to paint the best possible picture, avid complications, and be back on their way. They did not do everything they could. They left two young people in a relationship involving violence to figure things out for themselves. This is a case that makes campaigns to defund the police or abolish the police more clear. Police do not solve problems. They show up when something terrible has already happened, and they can definitely make things worse. They are not the best people to handle the situations they are called to attend. We need people with expertise outside of the law which is, far too often, insufficient. There needed to be an expert on intimate partner violence on site with Gabby and Brian. They would have recognised the signs of intimate partner violence. They would recognise that Brian’s attempts to appear personable and present himself as the rational one dealing with someone who was “worked up” as a deflection and manipulation. They would know that a mental health professional needed to be there. A mental health professional would be able to talk to Gabby in a way that would make her feel safe, help her to step outside of
the selfblame, and recount what actually happened. Gabby’s disappearance drew the attention of tens of thousands of people for obvious reasons. The story is strange, her parents were distressed, Brian was refusing to help find her, and his parents supported him. The images posted on social media told a completely different story than was revealed in the body cam footage and, eventually, the discovery of her body and Brian taking off. There is also, of course, the fact that Gabby was a young white woman. Women of colour and older women and their families do not get the same attention or support. Miya Marcano, a 19-yearold Latinx, was last seen leaving her shift at Arden Villas on September 24 at 5pm. That night, she missed her flight home to Fort Lauderdale. Armando Manuel Caballero, the person of interest in this case, claimed he last saw her at 3pm that day, but a master key fob — to which he had access as a maintenance worker — was used to enter her apartment at 4:30pm. The missing person’s bulletin went out on September 25. On September 27, Armando was found, dead by suicide. Family friends search for Miya around the apartment complex and other areas for several days. On October 2, Miya’s body was found when police followed leads from Armando’s cellphone records. It has been reported that Armando expressed interest in Miya, and she was not interested. This is one of many cases of men choosing not to accept “no” from
various forms, including intimate partner violence, domestic violence, and incest. It takes place at work, in restaurants, at hotels, in clubs, on the streets. It is structural and exists in the law and in policies. It is in politics and has prevented women from attaining positions of leadership. It is not always recognised as gender-based violence. It often goes unnoticed until it culminates in femicide — the murder of a woman or girl. I chose to share the two recent femicide stories from the MIYA MARCANO, a news because 19-year-old whose we often body was found on need examOctober 2, and, top, ples to help us Gabrielle Petito. understand a women. concept. Gabby This year, and Miya were the theme for both women. Their 16 Days of Activmurders were both femiism Against Gender-based cides. Men killed them Violence is femicide. This because they were women. is a term that is not used You may think that is a here in The Bahamas. stretch, so we can take it In fact, it is hardly used step by step. Gabby was in in the region. This term, a relationship with Brian. however, is important and They argued. She had necessary for us to properly mental health challenges, categorise and count the and he may have as well. murders of women, address He claimed he was trying to the issues that allow it to calm her down because she continue and design meas- was “worked up”. She did ures for prevention and not do what he wanted or intervention, and define behave the way he wanted justice for women and their her to. families. We still do not have The Committee on the the full story, but all signs Elimination of All forms indicate that he killed her. of Discrimination against She was not the woman he Women defines gender- wanted her to be. based violence as “violence Miya was a woman. that is directed against Armando was interested a woman because she is in her, and she declined his a woman or that affects advances. He did not accept women disproportionately. her “no”. He decided that It includes acts that inflict he was going to get what he physical, mental or sexual wanted or punish her. He harm or suffering, threats killed her. These are genof such acts, coercion der-motivated killings. and other deprivations of Femicide happens here liberty.” too. We fail to call it by The Bahamas has a high name. The police do not rate of gender-based vio- categorise this crime approlence. In “Crime, Violence, priately and the media and Development: Trends, follows their lead. We need Costs, and Policy Options to change it. We need to in the Caribbean,” it was know how many women reported that the world- are being killed. We need wide average for rape was the numbers, we need the 15 per 100,000, and The stories, and we need to use Bahamas had an average of this data to address the 133 per 100,000. problem. In 2020, it was reported Later this year, Equalthat domestic violence ity Bahamas will spend 16 increased by 13 percent days drawing attention to in “The Caribbean Crisis: the issue of gender-based Results from San Online violence and femicide and Socioeconomic Survey”. mobilising community More than 11 percent members to agitate for of women reported an change. We cannot solve a increase in domestic vio- problem we do not name, lence since the start of the so we will use the term. pandemic. We will call it femicide and Gender-based violence demand that everyone else takes place at home in do the same.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, October 6, 2021, PAGE 9
TECHTALK OUTAGE HIGHLIGHTS HOW VITAL TO LAUNCH FACEBOOK HAS BECOME WORLDWIDE UAE PROBE TARGETING By MAE ANDERSON AP Business Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — The six-hour outage at Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp was a headache for many casual users but far more serious for the millions of people worldwide who rely on the social media sites to run their businesses or communicate with relatives, fellow parents, teachers or neighbours. When all three services went dark Monday, it was a stark reminder of the power and reach of Facebook, which owns the photo-sharing and messaging apps. Around the world, the breakdown at WhatsApp left many at a loss. In Brazil, the messaging service is by far the most widely used app in the country, installed on 99% of smartphones, according to tech pollster Mobile Time. WhatsApp has become essential in Brazil to communicate with friends and family, as well as for a variety of other tasks, such as ordering food. Offices, various services and even the courts had trouble making appointments, and phone lines became overwhelmed. Hundreds of thousands of Haitians in their homeland and abroad fretted over the WhatsApp outage. Many of the country’s more than 11 million people depend it to alert one another about gang violence in particular neighbourhoods or to talk to relatives in the U.S. about money transfers and other important matters. Haitian migrants travelling to the U.S. rely on it to find each other or share key information such as safe places to sleep. Nelzy Mireille, a 35-yearold unemployed woman who depends on money sent from relatives abroad, said she stopped at a repair shop in the capital of Port-au-Prince because she thought her phone was malfunctioning. “I was waiting on confirmation on a money transfer from my cousin,” she said. “I was so frustrated.” “I was not able to hear from my love,” complained 28-year-old Wilkens Bourgogne, referring to his partner, who was in the neighbouring Dominican Republic, buying goods to bring back to Haiti. He said he was concerned about her safety because of the violence in their homeland.
ASTEROID BETWEEN MARS AND JUPITER By JON GAMBRELL ASSOCIATED PRESS
THIS photo shows the mobile phone app logos for, from left, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The six-hour outage was a headache for many casual users but far more serious for the millions of people worldwide who rely on the social media sites to run their businesses or communicate with relatives, fellow parents, teachers or neighbours. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) “Insecurity makes everyone worry,” he said. In rebel-held Syria, where the telecommunication infrastructure has been disrupted by war, residents and emergency workers rely mostly on internet communication. Naser AlMuhawish, a Turkey-based Syrian doctor who monitors coronavirus cases in rebel-held territory in Syria, said WhatsApp is the main communication method used with over 500 workers in the field. They switched to Skype, but WhatsApp works better when internet service is shaky, he said. If there had been an emergency such as shelling that he needed to warn field workers about, there could have been major problems, he said. “Luckily this didn’t happen yesterday during the outage,” he said. But hospitals treating COVID-19 patients in the region were thrown into panic. They lost contact with oxygen suppliers who have no fixed location and are normally reached via WhatsApp. One hospital sent staff member searching for oxygen at nearly two dozen facilities, said Dr. Fadi Hakim of the Syrian American Medical Society. In Lima, Peru, the breakdown complicated dental technician Mary Mejia’s job. Like most Peruvian medical workers, she uses WhatsApp for a multitude of tasks, including scheduling
appointments and ordering crowns. “Sometimes the doctor will be working on a patient and I need to contact a technician for job,” she said. “To have to step away and make a phone call? It trips us up. We’ve
“Sometimes the doctor will be working on a patient and I need to contact a technician for job. To have to step away and make a phone call? It trips us up. We’ve become so accustomed to this tool.” Dental technician Mary Mejia become so accustomed to this tool.” Millions of Africans use WhatsApp for all their voice calls, so “people felt they were cut off from the world,” said Mark Tinka, a Ugandan who heads engineering at SEACOM, a South Africabased internet infrastructure company. Many Africans also use WhatsApp to connect with relatives in other countries. Tinka’s stepdaughter lives in
Caldwell, Idaho, and lost her father on Sunday, but could not speak with her family back in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, to arrange travel for the funeral. “It’s amazing just how little folks understand the impact of three or four content companies on the utility of the Internet,” Tinka said. Facebook said the outage was due to an internal error related to a “configuration change” but gave no details. The outage came amid a crisis at Facebook, accused by a whistleblower on “60 Minutes” and on Capitol Hill of profiting from hate and division and suppressing research showing that Instagram contributes to body-image problems, eating disorders and thoughts of suicide in young women. For small businesses, the outages meant hundreds or thousands of dollars in lost revenue. Sarah Murdoch runs a small Seattle-based travel company called Adventures with Sarah and relies on Facebook Live videos to promote her tours. She estimated the breakdown cost her thousands of dollars in bookings. “I’ve tried other platforms because I am wary of Facebook, but none of them are as powerful for the type of content I create,” Murdoch said. As for her losses, “it may only be a few people, but we are small enough that it hurts.” Heather Rader runs How Charming Photography in
Linton, Indiana. She takes photographs for schools and sports teams and makes yard signs with the photos. She has her own website but said parents and other customers mostly try to reach her through social media. She said she might have lost three or four bookings for photo sessions at $200 a client. “A lot of people only have a specific window when they can do ordering and booking and things like that,” she said. “If they can’t get a direct answer, they go to someone else.” Tarita Carnduff of Alberta, Canada, said she connects with other parents on Facebook just about every day, and the outage drove home for her how crucial that support is. “As a parent with special needs kids, it is the only space I found others in similar positions,” she said. “There’s a lot of us that would be lost without it.” But for others, the breakdown led them to conclude they need less Facebook in their lives. Anne Vydra said she realised she was spending too much free time scrolling and commenting on posts she disagreed with. She deleted the Facebook app on Tuesday. “I didn’t want it to come back,” said Vydra, who lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and does voiceover work. She added: “I realised how much of my time was wasted.”
GM BUILDING GIANT BATTERY DEVELOPMENT LAB IN DETROIT SUBURB By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer WARREN, Mich. (AP) — General Motors says it’s building a huge new electric vehicle battery lab in Michigan where scientists will work on chemistry to cut costs 60% over current vehicles and allow people to travel 500 to 600 miles (800 to 965 kilometres) per charge. Structural steel already is in place for the 300,000-square-foot (28,000-square-metre) lab on the grounds of GM’s Technical Center in the Detroit suburb of Warren. Executives say the lab will be operational by mid-to-late next year and will house hundreds of engineers and others who will work on battery innovations and how to
manufacture them. “We need to make better batteries that cost a lot less,” said Tim Grewe, GM’s director of battery cell engineering and strategy. GM said it is spending “hundreds of millions of dollars” on the lab but wouldn’t give specifics. The lab will employ hundreds, but GM wouldn’t give an exact number
there, either. Executives said there would be some new hires. The automaker is working on several new battery chemistries, including solid state, which have solid conducting material instead of the liquid electrolyte found in most current lithium-ion batteries. Solid state batteries can store more energy, expanding range or allowing for smaller batteries. The lab also will work on building larger battery cells, which can cut costs as well. Scientists and engineers in the building will work with GM research and manufacturing engineers who already are busy with new GM electric vehicles and battery designs. People from GM’s two joint-venture battery factories in
Ohio and Tennessee also will be in the lab at times. It will be able to produce prototype batteries. GM should see benefits from the new facility by mid-decade, executives said. Currently, GM’s only fully electric offerings are the Chevrolet Bolt and a Bolt utility vehicle. The Bolt is capable of going 259 miles (417 kilometres) on a single charge and starts at about $32,000. The cars are being recalled due to a series of battery fires. The Detroit automaker plans to spend $35 billion on electric and autonomous vehicles from 2020 to 2025. It plans to roll out 30 new electric vehicles worldwide by 2025 and has a goal of selling only electric passenger vehicles by 2035.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday announced plans to send a probe to land on an asteroid between Mars and Jupiter to collect data on the origins of the universe, the latest project in the oilrich federation’s ambitious space programme. A successful landing would see the UAE join an elite club of the European Union, Japan and the United States, which have completed the feat on either an asteroid or a comet. The probe would remain behind on the asteroid, transmitting back to Earth information on the composition of the asteroid as long as its batteries remain charged. The project targets a 2028 launch with a landing in 2033, a five-year journey in which the spacecraft will travel some 3.6 billion kilometres (2.2 billion miles). The spacecraft would need to slingshot first around Venus and then the Earth to gather enough speed to reach an asteroid some 560 million kilometres (350 million miles) away. It’s still under discussion what data the Emirates will collect but the mission will be an even greater challenge that previous ones, given the spacecraft will travel both near the sun and far from it, said Sarah al-Amiri, the chair of the UAE Space Agency and a minister of state for advanced technology. “Because this comes on the back of the Emirates Mars mission, it is several factors harder, rather than exponentially harder,” al-Amiri told The Associated Press. “If we went to get this mission done from the get-go without having the background that we currently have from the Emirates Mars mission, it will be very difficult to achieve.”
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