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Volume: 123 No. 228, Thursday, October 22, 2026
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FREEPORT: NOW IS TIME FOR CHANGE
Colonial in origin. Colonial in character. Unacceptable. It has outlived it’s time
One island. One economy. One framework, under one sovereign, democratic nation
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Staff Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net PRIME Minister Philip Davis declared last night that the present way of governing Freeport will come to an end, branding the 71-year-old Hawksbill Creek Agreement colonial and telling the Grand Bahama Port Authority the change is not up for negotiation. Speaking at a shipyard in Freeport as his government published a Green Paper on the island's future, Mr Davis said powers the private company holds in the Port Area, including over who may do business, what may be built and how land is planned, belong in public hands. "The present way of governing Freeport will come to an end," he said. "This is my starting point. It is non-negotiable." He said whether the change happens was settled, but that Grand Bahamians would help shape how it happens FRAMEWORK - SEE PAGE FOUR
PRIME MINISTER PHILIP ‘BRAVE’ DAVIS SPEAKS DURING A EVENT REVEAL PLANS FOR THE FUTURE OF GRAND BAHAMA LAST NIGHT.
PHOTO: OPM
AG faces backlash over bid to cut paralysed man’s award By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net ATTORNEY General Wayne Munroe is facing a wave of backlash over plans to reduce the compensation awarded to a man left permanently paralysed by a police bullet, with critics saying the state owes compassion and fairness to
someone disabled by one of its own officers. Mr Munroe has said the government will appeal to reduce Thorne Clarke's $941,893.91 award unless he agrees to have his National Insurance Board (NIB) benefits deducted, arguing that failing to account for benefits covering the same losses was an error of law. Former Free National
Movement Senator Maxine Seymour is among those who have criticised the plan. "I find it deeply troubling that the government appears so determined to reduce the compensation awarded to Thorne Clarke, a young Bahamian man left permanently paralysed by a MUNROE - SEE PAGE THREE
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
ATTORNEY GENERAL WAYNE MUNROE
Pretty In Pink raises $17,000 for breast cancer screenings PAGE 2, Thursday, October 22, 2026
PRETTY In Pink raised $17,000 for the Cancer Society of The Bahamas during its 11th Annual event held at John Bull’s flagship store, Bay Street. Sponsored by Blue Lagoon Island, Coldwell Banker and John Bull, 200 guests dressed in pink to show support, walking the pink carpet and entering the store through an arbor of flowers to enjoy an evening dedicated to supporting breast cancer survivors and to raise funds. Guests enjoyed a raffle that included luxurious prizes donated by John Bull, pampering, champagne, hors d’oeuvres,
personalised engraving on perfume bottles, a photo booth, music, fans, special discounts for the evening and handcrafted pastries as they shopped in aid of raising funds for the Cancer Society’s programme for Family Island women to receive breast cancer screenings. This year the event expanded to include the David Yurman boutique, where refreshments were also served and a special raffle held. Bahamian artist, Preston Hanna, donated a live art piece that he created at the event for a special raffle. In addition, he featured a few of his
Artist Preston Hanna creates a live painting for Pretty In Pink.
THE TRIBUNE
paintings donated a percentage of the sales to the Cancer Society. Started in 2012, this was 11th year of the popular event (not held during COVID) that raises funds to assist the Cancer Society with family island breast screenings. “We are so proud that Pretty In Pink is celebrating its eleventh year,” said Kelly Meister. “What started as a small event in 2012 has steadily grown in support and funds raised for this important cause. “The idea came after my sister, Tracy Cartwright, lost her battle with breast cancer at the age of 39. While in hospital, they held an event to support patients by teaching them how to look better after losing their hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows during chemotherapy. “It was an uplifting experience. As President of The Inner Wheel Club at the time, along with member Heather Lightbourn-Cowper, we wanted to do something equally celebratory and helpful, so we created Pretty In Pink to raise funds during October for Breast Cancer Awareness. John Bull was quick to support this cause and the rest is history. “The message of the evening and the importance of supporting breast cancer awareness is always the primary reason guests attend,” added Heather Lightbourn-Cowper. “The Bahamas has an unusually high rate of breast cancer particularly hereditary breast cancer. Our goal is to raise funds to assist the Cancer
(L-R) Pretty in Pink organisers, Kelly Meister, Blue Lagoon Island, Heather Cowper, Coldwell Banker and Inga Bowleg, John Bull present $17,000 check to Susan Roberts Founder of The Cancers Society of The Bahamas. Society with early detection. We sincerely thank Blue Lagoon Island, Coldwell Banker and John Bull for sponsoring this important fundraiser and to all who came out to support.” “Since corporate social responsibility is at the core of John Bull’s corporate culture; we were naturally delighted to provide the venue right at the start in support of this fundraising initiative and have continued to do
so every year,” said Inga Bowleg, Chief Commercial Officer for John Bull Group of Companies. “We definitely share the passion these ladies have for the CAUSE as the John Bull Group of Companies also supports the work of The Cancer Society of The Bahamas.” “We are very grateful to all who support Pretty In Pink as the funds support our work at the Cancer Society of The Bahamas with breast cancer
screenings,” said Susan Roberts, Founder of the Cancer Society of The Bahamas. “It’s also important to spread the word that early detection saves lives, and all who contributed to this event will help make a difference for many who will face the disease.” Pretty in Pink will return in October 2027 and organisers are already planning a bigger event with new additions for guests to enjoy.
Public questions govt’s bid to reduce $942k award
THE TRIBUNE
MUNROE from page one police bullet,” she said. Ms Seymour, a disability and elderly persons advocate, said the government’s legal responsibilities must be balanced with compassion and fairness. “Mr Clarke has lost his mobility for life, and no amount of money can restore what he has lost,” she said. “The compensation awarded may not even be sufficient to meet his medical and personal care needs over his lifetime. “Whatever the legal arguments surrounding National Insurance benefits, we must be careful about the precedent we set in treating assistance provided to vulnerable citizens as something to be recovered when their circumstances change. “We do not expect someone who received Social Services assistance during difficult times to repay that support simply because they eventually become financially independent. Government assistance should help people move forward, not become a burden they carry into the
Thursday, October 22, 2026, PAGE 3
future.” Ms Seymour also questioned the government’s priorities, saying it did not appear to show the same urgency in pursuing millions of dollars owed to the public treasury by businesses and influential individuals. Members of the public have also challenged Mr Munroe’s position on social media, with many arguing that Mr Clarke should receive both the benefits he contributed towards and compensation for his injuries. The most popular comment under The Tribune’s Facebook post on the matter, liked more than 100 times, asked: “Why not deduct it from the officer that shot him?” “Will the Police Force be paying the employers portion?” another commenter asked. Another commenter took direct aim at the Attorney General. “I think this man has truly lost his mind,” the commenter wrote. Others compared Mr Clarke’s treatment with the considerably greater settlements paid to former
ATTORNEY GENERAL WAYNE MUNROE Progressive Liberal Party Cabinet minister Shane Gibson and former senator Frank Smith. “Shane Gibson and Frank Smith got their compensation so what’s the problem here? Animal Farm 2.0,” one commenter wrote. Both men sued the
government for malicious prosecution after being acquitted of corruption-related charges, and both reached settlements with the Davis administration. Mr Gibson’s lawyer has said his 2022 settlement was $2.5m. The amount paid to Mr Smith has not been disclosed.
Mr Clarke was 22 when he was shot by police near Wilson Tract on February 13, 2016. The bullet severed his spinal cord, leaving him permanently paralysed from the chest down. Assistant Registrar Jonathan Deal awarded him $941,893.91 in damages in a judgment dated September
21, more than a decade after the shooting. The award included $425,000 for pain, suffering and loss of amenities, $135,000 for loss of earning capacity and $126,546 for future medical expenses. The state has already paid Mr Clarke $80,000, leaving $861,893.91 outstanding before interest and costs. Mr Clarke has said he does not believe the award will cover his lifetime medical and personal care needs, which include medical supplies, wheelchairs, pressure-relief equipment, accessible transport and modifications to his home. His mother gave up her daycare business to care for him after the shooting. He filed his claim against the Commissioner of Police and the Attorney General in 2018. Judgment was entered against them in September 2019 after they failed to file a defence. Police said Mr Clarke tried to drive at an officer, who opened fire fearing he would be struck. Mr Clarke denied this. The competing accounts were never tested at a civil trial.
Rollins accuses govt of double standards over lawsuits FNM MP Dr Andre Rollins accused the government yesterday of fighting a grieving mother in court over her newborn daughter’s death while quietly paying millions of dollars to settle lawsuits brought by prominent figures. Dr Rollins, the MP for Long Island, accused the government of double standards in protecting the public purse during a clash with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Fred Mitchell in the House of Assembly. “This administration has paid millions of dollars to high-ranking complainants before allowing the courts to determine the merit of their complaints, and the Attorney General has the discretion to do that,” Dr Rollins said. “But we have the right as the Bahamian people to know exactly what was done on our behalf, with our money.” He accused the government of staying completely silent about how much those people received while making what appeared to be an arbitrary decision to appeal in the case of the newborn’s death. “The question is, why is it that we should believe that the role the current attorney general’s law office played in those other settlements had nothing to do with the decision to settle, as opposed to litigate,” he said. Mr Mitchell rejected any suggestion that the government was trying to block the mother’s pursuit of compensation, saying the appeal was a defence of the public interest. The exchange came during debate on the Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The Tribune reported on Monday that the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) had appealed a ruling that found Princess Margaret Hospital negligent in the death of Elizabeth Lundy, who was just over two hours old when she died on August 2, 2022. The appeal was filed despite an earlier assurance from the authority’s then-managing director, Aubynette Rolle, that the PHA did not intend to challenge the judgment or prolong the family’s ordeal. In July, acting Justice Raynard Rigby, KC, ruled in favour of the baby’s mother, Widline Guillaume, finding that the hospital and
FREE National Movement MP Andre Rollins speaks in the House of Assembly yesterday. Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr consultant obstetrician Dr Agatha Foulkes-Mackey left mother and baby unmonitored for 27 minutes while waiting for the result of a COVID-19 test before an emergency caesarean section, and that the lapse caused Elizabeth’s fatal injury.
The PHA and Dr Foulkes-Mackey filed separate appeals on September 8. The PHA, represented by the Office of the Attorney General, is challenging the finding that the monitoring lapse caused the baby’s injury. Dr Foulkes-Mackey, represented by private
counsel, is challenging the finding that she was personally liable. Dr Rollins questioned why the Attorney General’s Office was involved when the doctor had her own lawyers. Mr Mitchell said the finding of personal liability against the doctor raised
questions of public interest. “My general point is it is unfair to suggest that the government or the Attorney General is in any way seeking to deny, suppress, whatever those words are, people’s rights,” Mr Mitchell said. Dr Rollins accepted that the PHA had a legal interest in the appeal, but asked why the government had not shown the same determination to protect public funds in claims brought by prominent figures. “These matters were not ventilated in our courts. It was determined that it was in the best interest of our country to quietly deal with these matters,” he said.
He asked how the government decides when to settle a claim rather than fight it in court, which he said is very costly. On Monday, Mr Munroe told The Tribune he did not know why health officials had promised not to appeal, and that every case referred to his office is reviewed to decide whether to fight or settle. “If it’s determined that we have no case, our policy now is to engage with people to settle them,” he said. “But if we have a case, then we go ahead and have the matter litigated if it can’t be settled.” No date has been set for the appeals to be heard.
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PAGE 4, Thursday, October 22, 2026
THE TRIBUNE
Davis vows to end Freeport’s existing governance system FRAMEWORK from page one through a six-month public consultation beginning November 1. “I come to the table with a menu,” Mr Davis said. He said he was prepared to discuss the pace of reform and to listen to anyone who put the interests of the people first. “But I am no longer prepared to negotiate as to whether Grand Bahama deserves a different future,” he said. “That is off the menu!” He said a private veto over the island’s future and public power without safeguards against private conflicts were also off the table, and that there was no place for those who wanted to wait until 2054 for change. The Hawksbill Creek Agreement was signed on August 4, 1955, between the colonial government and the GBPA, a private company, for a term of 99 years. Under it, the company was leased about 50,000 acres of Crown land around Hawksbill Creek and built the harbour and city of Freeport in return for generous concessions and a large share of the powers of government over the area. Today, the GBPA issues business licences and building permits and manages zoning and land use inside the Port Area. Everywhere else in the country, those functions rest with central and local government. Mr Davis said the agreement was made before Bahamian women could vote, 12 years before majority rule and 18 years before independence. “Let us call it what it is. It is colonial in origin. It is colonial in character. It is unacceptable, and it has outlived its time,” he said. “What does Independence mean, if it stops at the boundaries of the Port Area? Whose island is this?” He asked whether residents of New Providence, Exuma, Eleuthera, Abaco or Cat Island would accept a private company deciding who could open a shop, and noted that he had defended The Bahamas’ sovereignty before the United Nations General Assembly last month. “If I am prepared to defend our sovereignty against foreign interests, I am certainly prepared to fight for our sovereignty at home,” he said. He framed the speech around a child born in Freeport last night, who would be 28 when the agreement expires. On the present path, he said, she would spend her childhood, school years and the start of her working life under an arrangement written for a colony 70 years before she was born. Mr Davis said his case concerned the structure, not the people who run the company. He said that when a private company holds public powers, it can face competing duties, using the examples of a seawall in need of repair, a young entrepreneur wanting to compete with an established business, and a family needing a permit after a storm. “No board of directors should be asked to weigh its shareholders’ interests against a city,” he said. “A company may own land. But authority over people belongs to the people, through the government they elect. Ownership is a private right. But authority is a public trust.” He drew on his own upbringing, describing his father, a firefighter, as his hero and saying a fire service answers every alarm, at the big house and the small one, on equal terms. The Green Paper, titled “Grand Bahama: A Framework for Stability and Growth”, says the government considers the agreement an antiquated, colonial, pre-independence mechanism that has outlived its usefulness and created an economic imbalance on the island, pointing out that its tax exemptions have only
PRIME MINISTER Philip ‘Brave’ Davis speaks at GB Shipyard announcing a new framework for Grand Bahama yesterday. Photo: Vandyke Hepburn
“What does Independence mean, if it stops at the boundaries of the Port Area? Whose island is this?”
- Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis
ever applied inside the Port Area. It sets out three connected reforms. The first is a government-led Grand Bahama Development Council to coordinate and monitor an island-wide development strategy, bringing together government, local government, the GBPA, licensees, labour, business, communities and young people. The government intends to establish it on an administrative basis from July 2027. The paper says the council would not grant licences or permissions, direct regulators or commit public spending. The second is a review of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement directed by the Attorney General, which Mr Davis said would lead to the agreement being amended. He said it would not be “yet another review” that keeps the status quo. He said the agreement could not be removed “with a stroke of a pen” because it is made up of contractual and statutory arrangements, supplemental agreements and concessions. The Green Paper says the Port Area rests on the 1955 agreement, at least six later Acts of Parliament, supplemental agreements and orders, which the government calls a convoluted framework. The review would go through each function, including licensing, planning, building control, environmental protection, utilities, customs and immigration arrangements, roads and drainage, to determine who should hold the legal power, who does the work, who pays and what standard of service the public can expect. The third is a Grand Bahama Development Act to put a modern legal framework in place for the whole island. Mr Davis said it was intended to be more than a replacement for the agreement. The Act would include concessions for investment across Grand Bahama and the surrounding cays, with possible enhanced concessions outside the Port Area to bring growth to East and West Grand Bahama sooner. Rates, duration and conditions will be decided after consultation and fiscal analysis. Mr Davis said the concessions must benefit Bahamian employment, training, local suppliers and enterprise, and that the government would measure and publicly report those benefits. The Green Paper asks 25 questions. The largest group asks, function by function, which public body should be responsible and how residents and businesses can get
a decision or a remedy. The government has promised to publish an account of who does what today by January
before but still 7.5 percent below 2021. It also notes signs of recovery. Unemployment
Opposition leader’s response to Davis’ GB announcement
FNM LEADER MICHAEL PINTARD IN response to the Prime Minister's speech last night, FNM leader Michael Pintard said: "Prime Minister Davis is right about one thing: Grand Bahama cannot keep paying the price of governance that isn’t answerable to the people. “Which why my initial reaction to his long, bombastic speech is 'Take the medicine you are seeking to give others. Lead by example.' “The most non-transparent, unaccountable, incredible government in an independent Bahamas wants to lecture about these virtues. Incredulous! The GBPA has to change but the Davis administration needs to change also. Whose bidding it is doing is anyone's guess but what is certain is it is not the people of Grand Bahama or else it would have delivered by now what it promised, redevelopment of Grand Lucayan, GB airport, International Bazaar, West End, East End, and the list goes on. I will have much more to say about this matter, but for now I say, something stinks in Denmark for the Government of $700 million plus unaccountable dollars. We are paying close attention and will figure where the rot is coming from.”
31, 2027. The paper also says the government will ask the Bahamas National Statistical Institute to produce separate figures for the Port Area and the rest of the island, because no official data currently shows how the decline and recovery have been shared between them. The Green Paper points to a long decline. Stopover visitors peaked at 587,250 in 1995 and fell to 101,077 last year, about 83 percent lower. The population fell nine percent between 2010 and 2022, to 46,740, and 4,306 of the island’s 22,127 homes were vacant at the last census. Grand Bahama’s economic output was $1.8bn in 2024, up 13.4 percent on the year
fell from 12.8 percent at the start of 2025 to 8.7 percent by the end of the year, and the value of construction permits more than doubled in 2024. “Behind each of those numbers is a kitchen table where a family decided to leave,” Mr Davis said. The paper acknowledges this is not the first review. In 2015, a committee chaired by Dr Marcus Bethel recommended extending the GBPA’s expiring tax concessions for 20 years. Its conditions included a right of appeal against GBPA licensing decisions and a single approvals process with a 21-day limit for referrals to central government. Those concessions were later extended until 2036.
It also notes sharp disagreement over Freeport’s cost to the public purse. Accounts compiled for the government by Pannell Kerr Foster in 2016 found a shortfall of $150m to $160m a year between 2011 and 2013. A review of those accounts commissioned by the GBPA from KPMG concluded the government had a small surplus in 2013 and 2014. The Green Paper says the estimates differ widely and rest on different methods. Mr Davis said the change would be made lawfully, through Parliament, and that nothing would be done retrospectively. Licensees’ lawful rights would be identified, recorded and respected, he said, and they would have a full say in how any change is made. He told the GBPA, its shareholders and its staff that “there is a seat for you at this table”, and said the company could have a strong and profitable future as a landowner, developer, investor and partner. He said many Port Authority staff were Grand Bahamians whose skills would be needed in the transition. “I respect the families who own the Port Authority. I respect its staff and its licensees. My argument concerns a structure,” he said. He also paid tribute to the families who came to the island in the 1950s and 1960s and built a city out of pine forest. But he acknowledged that some would be troubled by his remarks. “If anyone is offended that this government has acted in the best interest of the Bahamian people, I am sorry that you are offended. But on this, we will have to agree to disagree,” he said. Addressing investors from the United States, China, the United Kingdom and elsewhere, he said The Bahamas welcomed every partner who invests under Bahamian law and that certainty was the strongest incentive any country could offer. The consultation runs until April 30, 2027, with public meetings in Freeport, East Grand Bahama and West Grand Bahama, along with sector sessions and written submissions through the website gbframework. com. The government plans to publish a summary of views in February, a White Paper on July 1, 2027, and draft legislation by December 31, 2027, with passage targeted for the first quarter of 2028 so the new framework can be funded in the 2028/2029 budget. A Cabinet subcommittee chaired by a senior minister designated by Mr Davis will oversee the reform, supported by a secretariat that
will run the consultation. The Green Paper says it is informed by the arbitration award of February 27 in the dispute between the government and the GBPA. It notes that seven of the GBPA’s eight counterclaims failed, and says the award materially constrains the argument that the agreement gives the company a permanent private regulatory franchise beyond the reach of national law and government oversight. It also acknowledges that the award did not repeal the agreement, transfer any functions to the government or establish that the GBPA owes any debt. The tribunal dismissed the government’s claim that the GBPA owed $357m in reimbursements for administrative costs. It found the government in breach of the agreement over its failure to approve environmental byelaws proposed by the GBPA, and directed that damages be assessed. According to the Green Paper, the tribunal also found that applying the Electricity Acts of 2015 and 2024 inside the Port Area did not breach the agreement. The GBPA has disputed the government’s reading of the ruling, telling licensees in March that it did not fundamentally alter the status quo in Freeport. Mr Davis acknowledged the tension last night. “There have been hard words on every side, some of them mine,” he said. “I do not go looking for fights, but neither have I ever been afraid of one.” He said the government had already begun to bring balance back to Grand Bahama, pointing to its acquisition of the Grand Bahama Power Company in May. Since June, he said, more than 17,000 households and more than 1,500 small and medium-sized businesses have seen lower bills, with residential bills down by at least 35 percent. He also outlined the government’s three main projects for the island: the airport, the harbour and the Grand Lucayan. A new international terminal is being designed with provision for United States Customs pre-clearance. Its floor will stand 23.5 feet above sea level, compared with 10.5 feet for the old terminal, which Hurricane Dorian’s surge filled to the roofline in 2019. Concept design is due to be finished at the end of this month, with construction to begin before April 2027 and completion targeted for early 2029. Thirteen airfield safety and repair packages worth about $8.6m are under way or being contracted. MSC has been approved to invest $400m in a cruise terminal at Freeport Harbour. Its programme includes upgrades at the Old Harbour, a new terminal at Billy Cay and a beach club at Lucaya. At full build-out the harbour could berth up to six of the largest cruise ships afloat, which will require expanding the harbour entrance, a matter MSC is discussing with the landowners. MSC expects more than 600 direct jobs and a payroll of more than $14m a year. On its own planning assumptions, the programme could bring up to 20,000 visitors a day spending more than $300m a year onshore. Public consultation on Billy Cay and the other works takes place on November 2. Demolition has begun at the Grand Lucayan, most of which has been closed since Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and which the government bought in 2018. Concord Wilshire is redeveloping the resort, and MSC will open its beach club on 20 acres of the site in November 2028. Concord Wilshire also plans a second cruise resort with a Bahamian operator, a hotel and casino resort, a mega yacht marina and a championship golf course. Mr Davis said the Freeport Health Campus was about 30 percent complete in September, with the first phase on target to open in 2027.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, October 22, 2026, PAGE 5
Two gunmen sought after fatal shooting on Lincoln Boulevard By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net A MAN in his mid30s was shot dead on Lincoln Boulevard yesterday afternoon, bringing the country’s murder count to 65 for the year. Chief Superintendent Leonard Ramsey, the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s newly appointed press liaison, said shortly after 3.30pm that police received a report of a shooting and responded to the scene, where they found the victim beside an apartment complex suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency Medical Services personnel were called and examined the man, but he showed no
signs of life. Mr Ramsey said preliminary investigations indicate that the victim was at the apartment complex when he was approached by two men who opened fire on him before fleeing in an unknown direction. The victim, who is known to police, was pronounced dead at the scene. Mr Ramsey said the investigation remains in its early stages and appealed to residents of the community and the wider public to assist detectives with any information that could help identify those responsible. He also condemned gun violence and urged anyone with information about illegal firearms or individuals in possession of them to contact police.
A MAN’S body is taken from the scene on Lincoln Blvd where he was shot dead yesterdy.
Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr
Judge finds doubt over consent in indecent assault case By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net A MAN accused of indecently assaulting a sleeping woman after she gave him a ride home has been acquitted, after a Supreme Court judge found that the woman had no independent memory of the touching and that the home security footage at the centre of the case could not be shown to be complete. Justice Weech-Gomez found Charles Sealy III not guilty of indecent assault in a written decision dated October 14. Justice Weech-Gomez said she was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Sealy massaged the woman, but that the prosecution had failed to prove she did not consent. The case was heard without a jury under the Supreme Court Trial by Judge Alone (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, which came into force on March 31, 2025, and allows defendants to have a judge decide their guilt or innocence rather than a jury. Sealy chose that option after pleading not guilty. Prosecutors alleged that on January 30, 2025, Sealy took advantage of the 29-year-old woman, a friend he had known since 2012, after she fell asleep on her living room couch. They said he took olive oil from her kitchen and hid it behind a couch cushion, exposed himself beside her, then lifted her dress, removed her underwear, unclasped her bra, touched her buttocks and struck her bottom. The defence accepted that the touching happened but said the encounter was consensual, and that the woman was awake and relaxed, not asleep. Justice Weech-Gomez found that the woman’s account had shifted repeatedly. Although she told the court in her evidencein-chief that she had been “sleeping, definitely”, she said under cross-examination: “I have no memory of the incident.” Her evidence moved between what
she remembered, what she became aware of as she woke, and what she later saw on the footage, the judge said. “The Court notes that during her testimony the witness recalls parts that support her account of the incident, and none of the parts on which the defence seeks to rely, which fall inside the window in which she says she was unaware,” Justice Weech-Gomez said. The judge also questioned the reliability of the recordings. The woman’s home had motion-activated indoor cameras that recorded in short clips, and she sent the footage to police over WhatsApp. Detective Sergeant Ernest Pratt, who downloaded it, accepted that he never examined the original recording device, did not generate the digital fingerprints, known as hash values, used to prove files have not been altered, and could not say whether police received everything that was recorded. “I can only say what was sent,” he said. The woman herself first said she gave police “everything that was on there”, but later said she did not provide the clip of a key conversation. Justice Weech-Gomez found the defendant should be given the benefit of the doubt about what may or may not have happened during the gaps. The judge found the woman’s descriptions of one moment, when Sealy lifted her dress, “differ materially”. The woman told the court she was trying to pull her dress down while he held it up. But Justice Weech-Gomez said that in the video, Sealy “assisted in pulling the dress down and immediately jumped back”. The woman told the court she was frightened when she realised what had happened. “I was not furious. I was afraid,” she said, though she later accepted feeling more than one emotion. She said she hid from Sealy that she was watching the footage on her phone, asked her children’s nanny to stay with the children,
and drove him away to two locations, Tuga and Baha Mar, to get him out of the house and away from her children without escalating the situation. She did not scream, call for help or call police that night. She reported the matter on February 1, about two days later. She said she delayed because she feared being judged and blamed, and that speaking with her father helped her overcome that fear. Her partner, who was not at home that night, told the court he received a WhatsApp message he believed came from Sealy, which read in part: “I f***ed up.” The partner said he saw it as an admission. The defence argued it was an apology for betraying a friend by becoming intimate with his partner. Police Constable Benjamin Johnson, who interviewed Sealy, accepted that the message did not point to a lack of consent. Justice Weech-Gomez found the partner’s evidence was not independent and could not corroborate the woman’s account, since he did not witness the incident and relied on what she told him and his own reading of the footage. She also noted conflicts between his evidence and the woman’s, including when the pair left her workplace and how he first learned of the incident. The woman told the court she had picked Sealy up near a bar and had him enter her home through the back door, out of view of the front door camera, because she had argued with her partner the day before and wanted to avoid another confrontation. She said she felt tired and unwell while driving and stopped at Goodman’s Bay before deciding to take Sealy to her home, two minutes away, where he could arrange another ride. In his police interview, Sealy did not deny his involvement but said the encounter was mutual and consensual. He did not give evidence at trial, which is his right, and
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Justice Weech-Gomez said no adverse inference was drawn from his silence.
Prosecutors Shanika Carey and Betty Wilson appeared for the Crown.
Christina Galanos and Kristina Saunders represented Sealy.
PAGE 6, Thursday, October 22, 2026
THE TRIBUNE
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Experience deserves recognition THERE are Bahamians who have spent years learning a trade, solving problems and becoming the person colleagues turn to when something goes wrong. Some have little on paper to show for it. Others entered the workforce before completing their education and have never found a practical way back. Between working hours, children and household bills, further training can feel like something meant for people with more time and fewer responsibilities. Both groups deserve a place in the conversation about improving the country’s skills. The Tribune reported on October 19 that Labour and National Insurance Minister Pia Glover-Rolle told Parliament that 27 percent of the labour force has no formal qualifications, rising to 34 percent among men. She pointed to training, apprenticeships and certification as routes towards better employment. Those figures demand attention. They should also be understood carefully. Having no formal qualification does not necessarily mean having no skill. Equally, experience alone does not guarantee that someone meets the standards required for a particular occupation. The task is to establish what people can do, identify what they still need to learn and give them a realistic route forward. For an experienced worker, that could begin with a practical assessment. Someone who has spent years performing a job competently should have an opportunity to demonstrate that ability and receive credit towards a recognised qualification. Where gaps exist, training should address them. There is little sense in making an experienced person start from the beginning if they can already demonstrate much of what a course teaches. Standards must remain rigorous, particularly where public safety is involved. Recognition should be earned through credible assessment. But the process should respect the learning that takes place outside a classroom. For people who need more substantial training, accessibility will determine whether an opportunity is real. A course advertised during working hours may be impossible for someone who cannot afford to
lose wages. Online learning offers flexibility, but it still requires internet access, suitable equipment and somewhere to study. Evening classes, shorter courses that build towards a qualification, and practical assessments offered on the Family Islands would help more people participate. Some learners will also need support with reading, mathematics or digital skills. That assistance should be offered without humiliation. Returning to education as an adult can require considerable courage, especially for someone whose earlier experience of school was discouraging. The Government’s emphasis on programmes such as Upskill, DigiLearn and the National Apprenticeship Programme is welcome. The next measure of success should be what happens to participants afterwards. Do they complete their training? Do employers recognise the qualification? Does it help them secure steadier work, greater responsibility or better pay? Those are the outcomes that make the effort worthwhile. Employers have an important part to play. They know where skills are missing and which experienced employees could progress with additional support. Helping to shape courses, offering supervised experience and allowing reasonable time for training would turn that knowledge into opportunity. Businesses should also examine whether their recruitment requirements exclude capable applicants unnecessarily. A qualification essential to doing a job safely is one thing. A credential demanded out of habit deserves reconsideration. Workers, in turn, must be willing to learn, accept assessment and meet professional standards. A credible system asks something of everyone. There is dignity in becoming better at your work. There is also frustration in giving years to a job while feeling that advancement remains out of reach. Minister Glover-Rolle is right to put career development alongside job creation. Employment should offer people room to grow. For the Bahamian who has acquired valuable skills over years of work, the message should be straightforward: what you have learned counts. Here is how to prove it, strengthen it and take the next step.
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Former PM Hubert Ingraham was right EDITOR, The Tribune. FORMER PM and FNM Leader, Hubert Ingraham, told the party at its August 19th celebration this year that it needs to find “someone who could win, if it wants to return to government.” “Your job is to find someone who can win. Whoever that is.” He urged the party to re-connect with supporters who drifted away or became disengaged. Mr. Ingraham was Right then and is Right now. There has much discussion on why the FNM lost in a spectacular and unprecedented fashion. FNM candidates lost deposits! This week, five months following the general election, the party will finally have a conclave to determine why it lost. There are major and minor reasons for the loss. What were the big-ticket items for the loss. Disunity in the Party It is distressing to witness the breadth and depth of the disunity in the party for several years leading up the 2026 general elections and still today. Leader, Michael C. Pintard, was not solely responsible for the disunity in the party. But he was responsible for not doing more to bring the party together. Now, Mr. Pintard is doing next to nothing meaningful to unify the party – which is critical for a 2031 victory. He is now the major source of division. The party will not become truly united under him. The party has not been as divided since its break-up leading into the 1977 general election. Because of Mr. Pintard’s leadership style, division seems preferred over consultation, compromise and reconciliation! Voters not Feeling Mr. Pintard Most voters in May did not, as they say, “feel Pintard”. He did not help to bring candidates over the
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net finish-line. He had no electoral coattails The party lost candidate deposits in some constituencies. It mostly won a handful of seats that were either traditionally FNM, or the FNM candidate was very well funded, or there was an unpopular PLP candidate, or a combination of these. Many seats we should have won due to being a traditional FNM seat or marginally so, were not won. The party lost every seat from Yamacraw in the east to St. James in the west – normally - the electoral strength of the party. We lost North and South Abaco and North Eleuthera. All those loses cannot be due the candidates, their campaigns or teams. Prime Minister Philp Davis popularity Much has been said about voters liking PM Davis personally as a sort of defence of Mr. Pintard. To the extent that is true, this falls to Mr. Pintard. He wasted the first two years as Leader of the Opposition talking about “collaborating” in the House of Assembly with PM Davis and the PLP rather than keeping their feet to the fire. It was a dereliction of duty. Remember too, that he went on that trip to London with Mr. Davis. Money – Big Problem The greatest defenders of Mr. Pintard’s absolutely poor electoral performance say the problem was – we had no money, One of the Leader’s main responsibilities is to raise the funds needed to mount, execute and win a campaign. The party did not have sufficient money, to put itself in a position to win, either of the two
by-elections (West Grand Bahama & Bimini nor Golden Isles) and the general election. This falls squarely on Mr. Pintard. Had Mr. Pintard not stoked a great deal of the disunity and turned off donors, more people would have given support. It appears that quite a number of donors found him unapproachable and difficult to deal with. Candidate Selection Process This process is always driven by the leader of a party. The process was an utter mess, from beginning to end. It started very late and lacked clarity throughout. Mr. Pintard did not provide clear, considered and consultative leadership. He oversaw a process that unbelievably, had many potential candidates going door to door at the same time in the same constituency, seeking support of residents. That made no sense and was unhelpful! The process confused supporters, frustrated potential candidates and further divided the party. Many former potential candidates remain upset and disillusioned with the party. Mr. Pintard’s Defence and Defenders Mr. Pintard and his defenders will, at the conclave, focus on candidates and where they fell short. They will blame the canvassers and supporters who fell short, public relations, social media, voter’s register issues and election 2021 loss hangover, among other things. Blame everyone and everything, except maximum Leader Pintard. Former PM Ingraham was and is still right. The FNM needs a leader who can win. Mr. Pintard, as they say, is clearly not dat guy! A DISAPPOINTED, DISHEARTENED AND DISENGAGED FNM SUPPORTER Nassau, Bahamas October 21, 2026
Ask govt, not fuel importers, to reduce profit margins EDITOR, The Tribune. POPULIST politicians have a predilection for playing the role of Robin Hood in an effort to pander to the grassroots while making large wealthy corporations to look like the bad guys who are taking advantage of the poor and maligned. Former Progressive Liberal Party Cabinet Minister Leslie Miller, a very popular politician who has a genuine concern for the poor and disadvantaged, fits this political stereotype at times. I recall Miller hiring an unemployed caller to a radio program he was a guest on about 15 years ago. It was either the Darold Miller or Jeff Lloyd show. I believe Miller instructed the caller to go by either his Sunburst Paints and Coatings company or the Mario’s Bowling Palace. I was impressed with Miller’s generosity to a complete stranger. In his latest demonstration for wanting to assist struggling Bahamians, Miller was printed in The Nassau Guardian calling on the PLP government to reduce the profit margins of fuel importers with the aim of lowering the cost of gasoline and diesel. The price of gasoline ranges from $7.49 to $7.56 in Nassau. On Grand Bahama, it is $7.07. Some are predicting that gasoline will cost $8 by December. Miller didn’t call names, but the fuel importers are firms such as Esso, Rubis Bahamas and FOCOL. In September 2024, the Davis administration gave in to the pressure by the Bahamas Petroleum Retailers Association (BPRA) by granting a margin increase in gasoline and diesel by $0.25 and $0.15 respectively, which increased their margins from $0.54 to $0.79 for gasoline and $0.34 to $0.50 for diesel. Prior to this increase in 2024, gas station operators had complained that the last time they had gotten an increase was under the
Hubert Ingraham administration in 2011. As far as I’m aware, fuel importers are still earning the measly sum of $0.33 per gallon -significantly less than what gas station operators are earning. Assuming Miller is referring to the wholesalers who are earning $0.33 per gallon, how much is he suggesting that the government reduce from this tiny sum? $0.15? $0.25? The wholesalers have virtually no more room to wiggle. Mind you, Miller must know that the government of The Bahamas is collecting about $1.16 in duty and excise taxes in addition to the 10 percent in VAT on fuel. As of October 20, a barrel of WTI crude oil is priced roughly $99; while Brent crude oil is between $108 to $109 on the international market. Each barrel contains 42 US liquid gallons. This would then mean that of each barrel that enters this jurisdiction, the Bahamian government is collecting a windfall profit of $10 to $11. The government is collecting at the pumps about 28 percent or approximately $1.60 per gallon -- $1.27 more than the wholesalers Miller is requesting to make an unreasonable financial sacrifice on behalf of the Bahamian people. The government also earns $0.81 more than the retailers in gasoline profits. In fact, its profits fluctuate. The government’s profit margins on fuel are not fixed like those of the wholesalers and retailers. Also worth mentioning is that fuel wholesalers have to either rent or purchase oil barges to import the fuel at significant cost; build bulk oil storage tanks and an elaborate dispensing system at significant cost; purchase fuel tankers, train staff members; adhere to stringent safety and environmental requirements; pay high licensing fees to the government, etc. Meanwhile,
the government does absolutely nothing, yet collects far more in profit margins than the wholesalers who are importing the fuel into the jurisdiction. The government can remove VAT from fuel prices in order to bring much needed relief to the Bahamian people. It already collects duty from fuel. Adding VAT to fuel was tantamount to taking a second bite of the apple. When the former Christie administration was pitching the idea of introducing VAT ahead of January 2015, it was being claimed that The Bahamas was gearing up to join the World Trade Organisation, and would therefore eliminate border taxes (duty). Over a decade since the introduction of VAT, duty is still with us and the government’s financial state seems to be worse off than before the advent of VAT. The government can trim the fat by cutting unnecessary spending. It can reduce the size of its massive Cabinet. It can use zoom rather than traveling to a bunch of meaningless conferences around the world that has no tangible benefits for the Bahamian people. That way, it would be in a much better fiscal situation to remove VAT from fuel. Asking wholesalers to make a financial sacrifice when all they are earning is $0.33 is cruel when they are already carrying a significant amount of financial weight. It is unreasonable. It is heartless. Remember, oil wholesalers have staff members too. If their profits were to steeply decline, they will be tempted to downsize their staff numbers, which would impact Bahamian families who depend on the oil industry for their livelihood. I am sure Miller does not want this to happen. KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Grand Bahama October 20, 2026.
Thompson demands action over cancer-linked metal in mangroves
THE TRIBUNE
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net ENVIRONMENT Minister Zane Lightbourne described as ‘inconclusive’ University of The Bahamas research that found cancer-linked cadmium in East Grand Bahama mangroves at more than 700 times the reference level, as the area’s MP demanded government money to trace the contamination and clean it up. East Grand Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson, who attended a presentation of the findings on Tuesday, disputed that description in the House of Assembly on Wednesday. Although he agreed that the results should be independently verified, he said: “The authors were adamant in terms of standing by their results”. Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Michael Darville said the government “takes this very seriously”. He said his ministry and the Ministry of the Environment wanted an independent study to test whether UB’s findings could be replicated and, if contamination was confirmed, to find its source. The research, by Antonio Cadet, Veronica Toppin, Tamia Hamilton, Carlton Watson and Williamson Gustave, found average cadmium concentrations of 442.58 milligrams per kilogram of sediment in East Grand Bahama, compared with a reference value of 0.6mg/kg. The team collected 48 sediment samples from 12 locations in Dover
Thursday, October 22, 2026, PAGE 7
Sound and East Grand Bahama. Every cancer-risk estimate linked to cadmium exceeded the US Environmental Protection Agency’s level of potential concern for both adults and children. Estimates of other health effects raised particular concern for children. At the three most contaminated locations, the researchers recommended precautionary measures, including considering public advisories and further assessing how people might be exposed. Mr Thompson, a Free National Movement MP, commended the researchers. He said they told him they needed more money to find out where the cadmium came from, establish whether contamination extended beyond the areas already tested, and work out what would be required to clean it up. He urged the government to pay for that work in East Grand Bahama and in other parts of the island where similar contamination could exist. He said residents of East Grand Bahama were deeply concerned about the findings and what should happen next. “People are going to be talking,” he said, “and they may not necessarily be talking from a point of knowledge, but they’re going to be talking nonetheless.” He called for representatives from UB, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of the Environment to visit Grand Bahama together. He said
EAST GRAND BAHAMA MP KWASI THOMPSON they should explain the findings, what precautions residents should take, if any, and “how concerned they should be”. Responding, Mr Lightbourne said the government was aware of the report. He said it was “inconclusive at this time as far as I am advised”, and that independent verification was being sought. He said the government did not want to cause unnecessary anxiety about public health. He said the matter had to be handled responsibly because of what it could mean for residents, visitors, businesses and people considering
Killarney MP asks why King’s visit brings urgency to road repairs By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net KILLARNEY MP Michela Barnett-Ellis yesterday asked why it took King Charles III’s visit to get roads repaired while Bahamians “keep begging for the basics”. Her question drew a satirical response from Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell, one of the country’s most outspoken advocates for a republic. He told her the King was coming to “his territory, so don’t complain”. Mr Mitchell quipped that he hoped Mrs Barnett-Ellis was not suggesting the King was a foreigner. “He is the King of The Bahamas,” Mr Mitchell told the House of Assembly. “I remind you that that is the constitution of The Bahamas, not the King of England. He’s also that but he’s the King of The Bahamas and he’s coming to his territory, so don’t complain.” Mr Mitchell has long campaigned for The Bahamas to drop the monarchy. In 2021, as Barbados became a republic, he told The Tribune he was still committed to seeing The Bahamas do the same, calling it his life’s work. After the King’s coronation in 2023, he said it was time for a Bahamian head of state chosen by the people or their representatives. Mrs Barnett-Ellis, a Free National Movement MP, said the government moved quickly for visitors and foreign bodies but not for its own people. “Why did it take a royal visit?” she said during debate on the Companies Amendment Bill, 2026. “Why were the complaints of the people who live
there, who pay their taxes here, who drive the roads every day not sufficient? Why must someone important be coming before the needs of ordinary Bahamians become important?” She pointed to problems she said had gone unaddressed, including a lack of functioning ambulances on the Family Islands and the need to repair the bridge at Fresh Creek, Andros. She said these were not extravagant requests but basic services that would improve residents’ lives. “Yet somehow they don’t seem to attract the same sense of urgency,” she said. She said she was not suggesting the government ignore its international obligations. However, she said it appeared more responsive to the expectations of outsiders than to the needs of its own citizens. “When an international body identifies a gap in our legislation, we act and we act quickly,” she said. “When a foreign dignitary is coming, we act and we act quickly. But why must Bahamians keep begging for the basics?” She said good governance should be judged not by how quickly officials prepare for a royal visit or meet international expectations, but by whether Bahamians’ lives are getting better. “We were sent here to serve the Bahamian people,” she said. “They deserve more than promises, more than explanations. They deserve action, not because someone is coming to visit, not because someone overseas is watching, but because they live here, because this is their home, and because they matter.” Minister of Works and
Family Island Affairs Clay Sweeting has denied that the roadworks are for the King. He said earlier this month that the repaving of Shirley Street was already part of his ministry’s plans. At the time, he also said a structural beam for the Fresh Creek Bridge had been shipped to Andros. King Charles is due to arrive in The Bahamas next week as part of a royal tour running from October 27 to November 4. It will be his first visit here as monarch. He last came in 1973 as Prince of Wales, representing Queen Elizabeth II at the Independence celebrations. From The Bahamas, he will travel to Guyana and then to Antigua and Barbuda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). The visit has revived calls for The Bahamas to break with the monarchy. A Rastafari group led by Royal Ambassador High Priest Richmond McKinney, of the Ethiopia Africa Black International Congress, plans to rally during the visit. The group also plans to present the King with a petition calling for an apology for slavery, reparations and greater independence from Britain. The Bahamas National Reparations Committee has said the royals should not come “empty-handed”. It has demanded an apology for slavery and colonisation and renewed its call for The Bahamas to become a republic. Former Cabinet minister Leslie Miller has said he will not attend any event involving the King, declaring that he does not “give a damn” about the monarch because Britain has refused to apologise for slavery.
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moving to Grand Bahama. Mr Thompson said he was not trying to prejudge the science. He said residents needed the results verified and needed reliable information from the health and environment ministries. Dr Darville said toxic metals could come from many sources, including battery storage. He said the government wanted to be sure “nothing is brewing, particularly in the waters in close proximity to the mangroves in East Grand Bahama”. The study, published in the International Journal of Bahamian Studies
and funded by the Wilson Grant and The Nature Conservancy, is believed to be the first published investigation of heavy metal contamination in Bahamian mangrove sediment. In Dover Sound, the average cadmium concentration was 25.64mg/kg, although the metal was undetectable at three of the five sampling locations there. The highest concentrations were recorded in East Grand Bahama, even though that area is less industrialised than Dover Sound, which is near industrial and waste-handling facilities. The source of the
contamination remains unknown. The researchers listed several possible contributors: industrial discharge, improper waste disposal, stormwater carrying contaminated material to the coast, illegal dumping around Freeport and electronic waste. They also said Hurricane Dorian’s flooding and storm surge may have redistributed contaminated material along the coast in 2019. However, without sediment readings from before the storm, they could not say whether Dorian played a part. The study itself acknowledged that one combined index, which averages the concentrations of all the metals tested, did not classify either area as polluted overall. The researchers warned that such averages could hide exceptionally high levels of a single metal. They also said the true degree of contamination might be greater than their figures suggest. Because The Bahamas has no local reference values for metals in mangrove sediment, they used values derived from Cuban soils. Those soils hold metals more readily than Bahamian carbonate sediments. The researchers stressed that their risk estimates relied on standard exposure assumptions. They did not establish that anyone had become ill as a result of the contamination. The study also did not test fish or other seafood, so it remains unknown whether the metal has entered the food chain.
PAGE 8, Thursday, October 22, 2026
THE TRIBUNE
Simon • Front Porch
The vanity and conceit of ignorance Conceit: A high, often exaggerated opinion of one's own abilities, importance, or appearance (vanity, egotism, or arrogance). THE rollercoaster rise and precipitous fall of Katie Zacharia as White House press secretary after five days is record-breaking. Her tenure was half that of Anthony Scaramucci, who served as communications director for approximately 10 days. Zacharia’s hiring and firing highlight the vanity and conceit of ignorance on spectacular display worldwide. Despite her glaring inability for the job, she readily accepted the post. It blew up after a single train wreck briefing, leaving seasoned heads spinning. Given the grand spectacle of ignorance in the US capital, Ms. Zacharia likely thought that the major qualifications for the job were to look a certain way, to be shamelessly obsequious, and to have a willingness to falsify and prevaricate. The Hill reported Bill Clinton’s press secretary Joe Lockhart’s views on her appointment. “Lockhart said when he got the job of press secretary, he took two months off to go to school, sit down with the national security team, budget team, and essentially get prepared.” ‘I wasn’t going to go out, the president wasn’t going to let me go out, the staff wasn’t — until I was absolutely ready, and that’s when I went out...’” British novelist, satirist and critic, Samuel Butler (1612–1680) once wrote: “The truest characters of ignorance are vanity, and pride and arrogance.” Butler observed that ignorance is immodest, rarely quiet, and obnoxious. The vanity of ignorance reveals a paradox: the tendency of those who know the least, to be the most self-assured and arrogant. Such individuals, who lack self-awareness or knowledge, exhibit loud certainty and inflated self-importance or pride. To make themselves feel grander and superior, the boisterously ignorant typically ignore facts. They show a dismissive attitude toward others, pretending to know more than experts. Vanity is about how we want others to perceive and to flatter us. For the ignorant, pride is more concerned with an overinflated opinion of worth and standing, despite limited abilities, minimal accomplishments, or scant intellectual capacity.
Photo: Charles Nunes/pexels
The conceit of the ignorant is so glaringly transparent as to be farcical. Some adopt affected manners and engage in playacting or big talk. Those with little accomplishments brag of their next big project, though previous ventures never materialized. There are those who engage in outrageous, often pathological lies, about their success. The trappings of cars, houses, bling, money, and various material goods festoon and gild the ignorance. Such vanity may have dire consequences, especially when world leaders make decisions which lead to the deaths and suffering of others, including economic problems and war. Those with the conceit that they are well informed, but who know very little, typically showcase false confidence and a closed mind. They usually make disastrous and foolish choices. The intellectual vacuity of the ignorant has a number of symptoms. There is the false and glowing pride for small or ridiculous ideas. They refuse to listen to others or learn new things. And they make colossal mistakes from which they rarely learn.
One of the close relatives of fake news is “fake knowing.” The latter cripples growth. The belligerently ignorant blame others for their mistakes or inability to succeed, believing that they are entitled, and that the world, or a country (or a family) has an obligation to help them succeed. Why do those who know the least often speak the loudest? It’s a mask and a posture to distract from failure. Paradoxically, it has the opposite effect. Think of those here at home in various fields who are large, ignorant, and sometimes in charge. Though they giddily enjoy titles, big positions, luxury cars, and may be called “honourable,” when the aforementioned disappear, their impersonation of success collapses. Conceitedly posting images of oneself on various social media sites such as Instagram, while dressed up on foreign trips with self-reverential gobbledygook and cliches, does not impress. Instead, it tends to highlight one’s deficits, ignorance, and mistakes. Years ago, a philosophy teacher warned of the “vomiting of the internal,” the endless capacity of those in the modern age to spew bull crap—a euphemism– amplified by various media such as television.
Now in the social media age, the vomiting has become a torrent. The most ignorant and ill-in-
bias.” People with low ability suffer from an “internal illusion [overestimating] their own ability. …
that wisdom, insight, and the capacity for growth begins with humility and a deep recognitions of one’s limits. The Socratic realization of how much one does not know remains illusive for those who do not appreciate the vastness of the unknown, as well as the empty caverns of their own ignorance. Fearful of being caught out, the ignorant endlessly engage in delusions of grandeur, pretentiousness, bragging, boisterousness, and defensiveness, to hide insecurities and jealousies. The irony is that others easily see through the conceit, egotism, and masking behavior. If they humbled themselves and asked for guidance, others might gladly help. Alas, it is quite often the more informed who are open to advice and to discovering how much they have still to learn. A world-famous chef, who created a cooking empire and won numerous awards, remarked on why he constantly travelled, read, and took on apprentices. “There is so much I don’t know,” he replied. Among his greatest teachers, he shared, were the street vendors and local chefs he discovered in developing countries who had the gift of improvising
There is a blessed ignorance: the humility to keep growing and the vulnerability to ask for help. Then there is the unintelligent and thick-headed ignorance: the type that fears correction and the exposure of one’s limits, all the while masquerading as being on top of the world. formed spin falsehoods and conspiracies, while boosting their glossy manufactured profiles with conceited photos, quotes, and self-advertisement. This is sometimes the case with a good number of those in the Bahamas political class, enthralled by the temporary trappings and spoils of office. The Dunning–Kruger effect, named for social psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger, is “a hypothetical cognitive
“The miscalibration of the incompetent stems from an error about the self. It is related to the cognitive bias of illusory superiority and comes from people’s inability to recognize their lack of ability. “People with high ability at a task underestimate their own ability. The miscalibration of the highly competent stems from an error about others being more capable.” Butler, like others, have observed over the centuries
with food and techniques in limited circumstances. His other great teachers? Younger chefs, willing to experiment, mentored by a master chef. There is a blessed ignorance: the humility to keep growing and the vulnerability to ask for help. Then there is the unintelligent and thick-headed ignorance: the type that balks at correction and the exposure of one’s limits, all the while masquerading as being on top of the world.
Corruption a top concern for Brazilians ahead of runoff between Bolsonaro and Lula By ELÉONORE HUGHES Associated Press RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Corruption is a top concern for many Brazilian voters ahead of the Oct. 25 runoff between farright candidate Flávio Bolsonaro and left-leaning Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. But experts say its greatest impact may not be on which candidates voters choose, but on whether they decide to sit out of the election altogether. In the minds of many Brazilians, both candidates are associated with graft. Bolsonaro is under investigation for corruption, money laundering and tax evasion, while Lula spent 19 months in prison on corruption and money laundering charges that were later annulled. For those who strongly support either candidate, such alleged ties will do little to curb their enthusiasm. But experts say that a generalized perception of corruption can increase abstention and anti-incumbency sentiment, potentially benefiting Bolsonaro, who received 2.2 million more votes than Lula in the first round.
Here's a look at how corruption could impact Brazil's presidential runoff. Brazil is highly polarized During the first round, many lined up to cast their votes wearing either red hats and T-shirts — signaling support for Lula's party — or the yellow and green of the Brazilian flag adopted by Bolsonaro's movement, reflecting the polarization gripping the country. Supporters of Bolsonaro and Lula are highly distrustful of the other side and view their opponents as a threat. Such voters are less likely to give weight to allegations of corruption, experts say. "We have a great ability to filter information that goes against our beliefs," said Nara Pavão, a political science professor at the Federal University of Pernambuco. "People don't want to discover the truth about their candidates, they want to beat the opponent." Camila Tobji de Aquino, a 19-year-old student of pedagogy and psychology, thinks that corruption is a cross-partisan issue and a significant problem in Brazil. But her main concern is
what she sees as the threat Flávio Bolsonaro poses to democracy. "If I were to vote only for a candidate not tied to any corruption, I would vote blank," she said. "But that's not the choice Brazil is facing. For me it's a question of being able to vote in the next election." Abstention is increasing A wide-ranging scandal involving politicians and judges at Brazil's Supreme Court dominated headlines ahead of the presidential election, placing corruption at the heart of public debate. Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who chaired the legal case that put former President Jair Bolsonaro in prison for his attempted coup, is suspected of having ties to the former head of the failed Banco Master bank, as is Flávio Bolsonaro. Both have denied wrongdoing. For many Brazilians, the Banco Master scandal stirs up memories of Operation Car Wash, the largest corruption and money-laundering investigation in Brazilian history that ensnared dozens of politicians after it was launched in 2014.
BRAZILIAN President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, left, who is running for reelection, gestures as he speaks to opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro during a televised presidential debate. AP Photo/Andre Penner Repeated corruption scandals may drive up abstention and affect undecided voters, said Laura Chelidonopoulos, who has studied corruption and is a political science PhD candidate at the University of Pittsburgh. "People become disenchanted with politics," she said. "They have less motivation to actually choose between one of these two sides." More than 33 million people, or 21% of the electorate, did not vote on Oct. 4, the highest firstround abstention rate since 1998. First-round abstention has risen
gradually since 2006, according to data from Brazil's electoral court. A desire for change José Tainan, a 36-year-old kitchen assistant from Rio de Janeiro's Penha complex of favelas, said he struggled to remember when he last voted in an election, but thinks it was probably for Lula back in the 2000s. He cited corruption as the top reason why he stopped voting. "There are no good options. Neither one of them suits me. I would rather justify why I didn't vote," he said.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, October 22, 2026, PAGE 9
PAGE 10, Thursday, October 22, 2026
THE TRIBUNE
Charlie Harper • Stateside
The rotating carousel of White House personnel READERS will well recall the tumult and upheaval that were the key features of White House personnel policy during Donald Trump’s first term in office. Now, renewed turmoil may focus more unwanted attention on an emerging issue that could be pivotal in bringing down the Trump era of absolute control in Washington. Trump 45’s own Chief of Staff and National Security Adviser turned over several times each, and there were generally bitter, resentful feelings on both sides after the president’s initial choices were shown the door or simply resigned. Trump’s initial Secretaries of State and Defense and Attorney General all quit or were fired less than two years into his term. Do you remember Rex Tillerson, Jim Mattis, and Jeff Sessions? By December 2018, they were all gone. And before January 6, 2021, his second Defense Secretary and Attorney General were also both gone. Finally, while he remained until the end, Trump’s second Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, has largely disappeared from public life after offering
critical comments about embarrass him out of office the president. as Secretary of Defense; Pompeo was reportedly Kash Patel has confounded blackballed by former Fox critics by staving off various News commentator Tucker schemes to remove him as Carlson, among others, FBI Director, and quiet, after Trump’s first term. Just ruthless Susie this week, though, Pompeo announced he would lead a new DC-based firm that “would help companies anticipate international developments and make consequential decisions amid uncertainty.” Pretty standard stuff for former top national security officials, and often very lucrative too. This time around for his second term, after Trump and his supporters had a four-year timeout during which to develop Project 2025 and establish personal loyalty to the president as the essential prerequisite for service under Trump 47, there has been more stability. Marco Rubio has remained in ile : AP f Photo place serving Wiles has as Secretary remained as Chief of of State and Staff. National Security Adviser; Many of the other Pete Hegseth has survived women filling prominent several attempts to force or positions in this Trump
administration have not fared so well, however. Most notably, Attorney General Pam Bondi was fired by Trump earlier this year, as were Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Department of Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem. That brings us to Kimberley Guilfoyle, who was just last week eased out as Trump’s Ambassador
candidate for chief White House spokesperson. After her divorce from Newsom, Guilfoyle showed herself to be a passionate and skilled public speaker and advocate. And the White House spokesperson job is now available. That job just became vacant this week after a former Fox News figure and Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman was let go by Trump just five days into her tenure. Katie Zachariah didn’t look steady or confident at her first White House briefing, and compounded things by seemingly implying that she was a licensed attorney, although she had failed to pass the
that it seems like only the president, his immediate family and a few privileged friends and advisers can enrich themselves during his presidency, which they are all seemingly doing to such an extent that polling presently lists the current administration’s numerous corruptions as perhaps the most important factor influencing voters to abandon support of the Republican Party in the upcoming midterm elections. Supposedly, Trump’s quick decision to jettison Guilfoyle represented a recognition by the White House that corruption is indeed becoming a very worrisome and unwelcome drag on GOP prospects
Photo: alexandre-moreira/pexels
to Greece. This amazing person has, among other distinctions, probably established a standard for bipartisan dating and serious relationships not seen since the early days of the American republic, when the pool of eligible contenders for the hand of prominent political women was relatively much less wide or deep. Guilfoyle has the perhaps unprecedented distinction of having been married to the likely front-runner for the Democratic nomination for president in 2028, Gavin Newsom, for five years and, more recently, having been romantically involved for six years and formally engaged to eldest presidential son Donald Trump Jr. for three years, until 2024. Guilfoyle, 57, just resigned after being at the center of a scandal accusing her of asking MAGA donor Eric Deters to pay off a $100,000 American Express credit card bill just before her 2025 Senate confirmation hearing, followed by other salacious allegations surrounding her inappropriate conduct at the helm of the US embassy in Athens. “She wasn’t a member of my family,” Trump told reporters after Guilfoyle resigned. I guess she dated my son a long time ago. She was doing a good job, but we didn’t like what we were reading” about the exchange with Deters. Deters has now sued Guilfoyle for defamation of character after allegations in another financial matter, but the timing of the lawsuit suggests strongly that it’s linked to revelations about the $100,000 credit card payoff request. Guilfoyle has been a prominent figure in Californian and American political life for 25 years after an early career as an Assistant District Attorney in San Francisco and Los Angeles. She might under different circumstances have been a good
California bar exam. Anyhow, Guilfoyle is presently out of work and has said, “I intend to vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity.” Her statement, together with her risqué personal lifestyle and apparent need for public attention, has suggested to pundits that she may be contemplating profiting from her unique political connections. Guilfoyle supposedly has Trump insiders worried that she could reveal Trump family secrets for profit and notoriety because she allegedly keeps a journal filled with spicy details, according to some news reports. Guilfoyle has denied these intentions and said she would “always be a loyal supporter” of the president. Still, the tabloids are having fun with this issue. “Having her back in America would be a nightmare, because Kimberly knows where all the bodies are buried,” one anonymous source said. “She knows the people, the secrets, the fights, the relationships.” Another insider breathlessly told reporters that “Kimberly knows everything” and was “way inside that family and political operation for years.” The troubles that ultimately torpedoed Guilfoyle’s Athens tenure began when the Wall Street Journal reported last month that she had been promoting a Greek construction firm, where one of her advisers served as a lobbyist. After the story was published, Guilfoyle reportedly started asking influential Trump supporters and officials to support her different version of events. When the Deters payoff request story broke, Trump had apparently grown irritated at the corruption allegations against Guilfoyle, and was bothered that she might be profiting off his presidency. Pundits are already in full voice pointing out
next month. A Fox News poll released just a week ago indicated that corruption has indeed become voters’ top concern, edging out inflation and gas prices. Six in 10 respondents said they’re “extremely concerned” about corruption. When Fox News or its polling associates report discouraging or embarrassing news about Trump and his administration, the liberal media is as quick to quote Fox reporting, as is Fox itself when the New York Times reveals damaging information about the Democrats. For many observers, the role of corruption in this campaign season is reminiscent of the 2006 midterm elections under president George W. Bush, when it also emerged as a top concern. The poster boys of that scandal-ridden period were a controversial, but once extraordinarily powerful GOP lobbyist, Jack Abramoff, and two now-forgotten Republican congressmen who eventually served prison time. As they did 20 years ago, Democrats are again getting support from independents and those voters who have not yet decided how to vote in two weeks, by promising to resist and mitigate this corrupt Republican administration if they can regain control of the House of Representatives. (By the way, another unpopular war in the Middle East – the Iraq War -- also hurt Republicans in 2006.) The now more centrist Washington Post, owned by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, editorialized that “corruption is antithetical to free markets, which require uniform rules, reliably enforced. Healthy markets depend on a level playing field where the interplay of supply and demand efficiently allocates capital. Even when outright corruption isn’t involved, cronyism that favors elites and insiders undermines that admirable dynamic.”
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Thursday, October 22, 2026, PAGE 11
Florida tourists fined $2,750 after Atlantis casino clash By KEILE CAMPELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net TWO Florida tourists were fined a combined $2,750 and ordered to pay $450 in compensation after a dispute over a slot machine at the Atlantis casino on Paradise Island ended in a struggle with police that left an officer with a sprained thumb. Jose Colemanres Velasco, 41, and his fiancée, Yondry Carrero, 23, pleaded guilty before Senior Magistrate Kendra Kelly to several offences stemming from the October 18 incident. Velasco faced six charges: causing harm, damage, resisting arrest, two counts of disorderly behaviour and obscene language. Carrero faced
charges of assault, obstruction and disorderly behaviour. According to the prosecution’s account, read by Sergeant Vernon Pyfrom, Atlantis security officer Clevon Carey called police about two guests arguing over another patron’s slot machine. The court heard that Carrero had cashed a slot machine ticket belonging to another guest and was asked to return it. When security staff tried to deal with the matter, the couple became disorderly and used obscene language before eventually handing over the ticket. Officers arrived and spoke with security before approaching the couple. The court heard that the pair refused instructions to leave the property, leading
to a confrontation with police and security officers. Velasco was eventually subdued and taken to the ground. While he was being escorted to a police vehicle, Carrero attacked an officer and was arrested. Sergeant McQueen suffered a sprained left thumb and an injury to his left wrist and later sought medical treatment. His protective boots, valued at $150, were also damaged. Both defendants were cautioned and interviewed before being charged. Velasco, who spoke English, and Carrero, who needed an interpreter, disputed parts of the prosecution’s account despite their guilty pleas. Velasco said the couple had come to The Bahamas for a three-day visit and were staying at an
Airbnb in New Providence. He said he was playing blackjack when a confrontation broke out between his fiancée and another woman over the slot machine. He claimed the woman had left the machine unattended for about ten minutes before Carrero began using it, unaware that someone else had been playing there. He insisted his fiancée had no intention of stealing anything and that the situation escalated before he had a chance to explain. Velasco also claimed he did not initially recognise the people confronting him as police officers and believed those involved had already formed a negative view of the couple. Carrero denied attacking police, claiming casino
employees had pushed her. Senior Magistrate Kelly said neither defendant had been charged with stealing. She also pointed out that the officers had been in uniform, although the couple said they did not recognise them as police. Velasco told the magistrate that he worked in the United States and feared losing his job because of the case. He also said he was worried about his dogs at home, which needed feeding. Velasco was fined $1,000 for causing harm and ordered to pay $300 compensation to Sergeant McQueen, with four months in prison in default. He was fined $500 for damage and ordered to pay $150 compensation for the officer’s boots, again with four
months in default. For resisting arrest, he was fined $150 or three months in prison. Each disorderly behaviour charge carried a $25 fine or one month in prison, and he was fined $25 for obscene language, bringing his fines to $1,725, excluding compensation. Carrero was fined $500 for assault and $500 for obstruction, with three months in prison in default of each, and $25 or one month for disorderly behaviour, bringing her fines to $1,025. Senior Magistrate Kelly told the couple they could leave once the fines and compensation were paid. Velasco said they were already booked on a return flight to the United States departing at 7pm that evening.
21-YEAR-OLD WHO ASSAULTED Man granted $5,000 bail after denying WOMAN ORDERED TO ANGER glass bottle attack on Victoria Avenue MANAGEMENT FOR SIX MONTHS By KEILE CAMPELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net A 21-YEAR-OLD man who punched a young woman twice after she told him it should have been his daughter who died instead of his friend was ordered yesterday to complete 150 hours of community service and six months of anger management. Timothy Saunders, of Flamingo Drive, appeared before Senior Magistrate Kendra Kelly on two counts of assault from separate incidents in January and July this year. The court heard that Saunders assaulted Navea Williams on July 25 during an argument over a photograph he had posted of a friend who had died. During the dispute, Ms Williams told Saunders that it should have been his daughter who died instead, prompting him to punch her twice. Ms Williams’ mother, Lakeisha Williams, called police around 7.50pm after her daughter phoned to say she had been beaten about the body. Police took Saunders into custody on October 19. Saunders admitted the assault, telling the court he had been upset by the remark and had tried to apologise afterwards. Prosecutor Sergeant Vernon Pyfrom asked whether Saunders had
an anger problem. Senior Magistrate Kelly warned him that his conduct could eventually land him in prison, noting that two assault complaints had been brought against him in the same year. The second charge involved his daughter's mother, Cheline Saifaite, and stemmed from an incident on January 12. Saunders admitted pushing Ms Saifaite, who told the court the two were no longer in a relationship. Ms Saifaite said she wished to withdraw her complaint and insisted she had not been forced or pressured into doing so. Saunders was acquitted and discharged on that count. For the assault on Ms Williams, Senior Magistrate Kelly conditionally discharged Saunders and ordered him to complete community service and anger management. He was also fined $500 or three months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDOCS) in default. Saunders, who works at sea, must return to court on November 5 with proof of his enrolment in both programmes. He is due back on December 14 for a progress report on his community service, and on April 23, 2027, for the court to determine whether he has completed anger management.
WOMAN WEEPS IN COURT AS DEPORTATION ORDERED By KEILE CAMPELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net A HAITIAN woman who wept repeatedly in court was fined $9,000 and ordered to be deported yesterday for trying to obtain a resident spouse permit by false pretences on the strength of a marriage she believed was legal but was not. Edelande Saint-Lot, 32, was sentenced by Senior Magistrate Kendra Kelly on three counts: fraud by false pretences, attempted fraud by false pretences and attempting to obtain a resident spouse permit by false pretences. Her co-accused and husband, Andy Saint-Lot, died last month, ending his part in the proceedings. The court heard SaintLot believed the two were legally married, although they were not. She was fined $4,000 for fraud by false pretences, $2,500 for attempted fraud by false pretences and $2,500 for attempting to obtain a resident spouse
permit by false pretences. She faces one year at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDOCS) if she does not pay, with time already spent on remand deducted. The court also ordered her immediate deportation. Saint-Lot repeatedly broke down in tears during the hearing and was consoled at various points. At times, she had to leave the courtroom to compose herself before proceedings continued. Explaining her decision, Senior Magistrate Kelly said the court had to balance the defendant’s circumstances against the seriousness of the offences. She said she dealt with many fraud cases and took such offences seriously. Saint-Lot originally faced four charges, but one was struck out over concerns that it duplicated another allegation dated five days later. She has seven days to appeal. Sergeant Vernon Pyfrom prosecuted.
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By KEILE CAMPELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
A 21-YEAR-OLD man was granted $5,000 bail yesterday after denying that he attacked another man with a glass bottle on Victoria Avenue earlier this month. Adrian Sweeting, of
Bernard Road, appeared before Magistrate Abigail Farrington charged with assault with a dangerous instrument and causing harm. Prosecutors alleged that Sweeting assaulted Andrew Morrison with a glass bottle around 8.40pm on October 9, causing him harm. Sweeting pleaded not
guilty to both charges and was granted bail with sureties. He must report to his nearest police station every Thursday until his case resumes on March 4, 2027. In a separate matter, Shannoya Kemp, 24, of West Street, was placed on three months’ probation in connection with an assault at Lynden Pindling
International Airport. Kemp was accused of unlawfully assaulting Treasure Gardiner at the airport on October 13. Kemp was ordered to pay Gardiner $250 in compensation and faced a $150 fine or one month in prison in default of probation. Kemp is due back in court on January 27, 2027.
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World News
A new Beatles attraction is coming to Liverpool as interest in Fab Four surges By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press
LONDON (AP) — The birthplace of The Beatles is about to get even more of the Fab Four. Plans were announced Tuesday for a huge new visitor attraction that backers say will give Liverpool a tourist draw about its famous sons to rival Elvis Presley's Graceland and Dolly Parton's Dollywood. Apple Corps Ltd., the company that oversees The Beatles' business interests, said an expanded version of The Beatles Story museum is coming to the center of Liverpool in 2028. It's scheduled to open soon after the release of Sam Mendes' quartet of feature films about John, Paul, George and Ringo, which are expected to unleash a new wave of global interest in the band that transformed rock 'n' roll. The plan will see Apple Corps take over The Beatles Story and move it from its current home in Liverpool's docklands to the former St. John's Market, a 100,000-squarefoot (9,290-square-meter) site across from the city's main Lime Street train station. Apple Corps said the new venue will use "immersive technology, original artifacts and
spectacular reconstructed sets" to take visitors from the band members' childhoods in postwar Liverpool through their hardscrabble years in the bars of Hamburg, Germany, to the explosion of "Beatlemania" and global fame. Sets and props from Mendes' movies will create versions of Liverpool's Cavern Club, where the band got its start; the famous Abbey Road studios in London; and Shea Stadium, the site of their legendary 1965 performance. The nearby St Johns Beacon, a 400-foot (122-meter) former radio tower, will be transformed into a tourist attraction inspired by the band's song and animated movie "Yellow Submarine," offering views over the city. "Just like Graceland or Dollywood, it's fitting that The Beatles will have a world class destination for fans to visit in the center of the city where the story started," Apple Corps chief executive Tom Greene said. Apple Corps said a portion of the ticket revenue will support a charity set up to nurture new artists in Liverpool. The two surviving Beatles welcomed the development.
Paul McCartney said the band's success "couldn't have happened without Liverpool and I can't wait for people to be able to step into our story and share the experience." Ringo Starr said "Liverpool was, and still is, music city." The Beatles, from left, John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney, arrive in The Liverpool, England, on July 10, 1964, for the premiere of their movie “A Hard Day’s Night.” announceAP Photo, File ment is the latest chapter in a Beatles April 2028. opportunity. "What we have to boom, 56 years after the band's The legacy of The Beatles resist is the Disneyfication of breakup. Apple Corps has has helped transform Liver- Liverpool, the Disneyfication already announced that a new fan experience will open in pool into a culture and nightlife of the Beatles." late 2027 in the band's former destination, reviving the city's That said, there's a lot more London headquarters at 3 economy after decades of that people should know about Savile Row, whose rooftop was decline following the closure of the band and its legacy, Jones the site of The Beatles' last its docks. Mike Jones, a Beatles expert said. public performance in 1969. Mendes is directing a quartet at the University of Liverpool, "There's a rich story to be of biopics starring Harris Dick- said the "double boost" of the told about the relationship inson as John Lennon, Joseph films and attractions will bring between Liverpool and the Quinn as George Harrison, in many more Beatles fans. "I'm not sure that the city's Beatles, a very rich story," he Paul Mescal as McCartney and Barry Keoghan as Starr. All are quite prepared for it," he said, said. "And I'm not sure that due for release in calling it both a risk and an story's been told."
Japan's space agency conducts first test flight for experimental reusable rocket
By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press
TOKYO (AP) — Japan's experimental reusable rocket took off and safely landed in a first test flight Saturday as the country seeks to achieve the technology key to cut launch costs and compete in the global space market dominated by SpaceX. The RV-X rocket lifted off, hovered and moved horizontally before landing during its less than one-minute flight at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Noshiro Testing Center in northeastern Japan, which was livestreamed by the NVS, a group of space fans. The rocket flew as planned, rising 11 meters (36 feet) and moving horizontally 16 meters (52 feet) while keeping its upright position before landing, Takashi Ito, JAXA's reusable rocket project manager, said in an online briefing from the test center. Japan seeks to catch up with the technology Elon Musk's SpaceX has been using for several years to cut launch costs of delivering payloads into space. Saturday's flight is a step forward for Japan in achieving the technology needed
to develop a lower cost successor to the country's current mainstay, single-use H3 series. The flight comes one day after state media in China reported the country achieved its first successful recovery of the first stage of a rocket after a liftoff. Japan's H3 rocket is designed to be more cost effective than its predecessor H-2A series, which had a near-perfect success record, but still needs further cost cuts to compete in the global space market. The Japanese government says a stable, commercially competitive transport capability is key to the country's space program and national security. JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have been co-developing the RV-X, which is 1.8 meters (5.9 feet) in diameter and 7.3 meters (23.9 feet) long and equipped with an engine with enhanced durability and four shock-absorption landing gear. The "hardworking" engine has so far withstood 165 combustion tests, Ito said. JAXA, which is jointly developing reusable rockets with France and Germany, plans to send the RV-X rocket to a higher altitude of about 100 meters (218 feet) in future test flights.
Tiny Caribbean island of Nevis to restore Alexander Hamilton museum with US funds HAVANA (AP) — St. Kitts and Nevis has received a financial boost in honor of one of its most famous sons, Alexander Hamilton, who went on to become a founding father of the United States and America's first treasury secretary. The U.S. government this month awarded $245,000 to restore the home where some believe Hamilton once lived as the U.S. celebrates its 250th anniversary. Hamilton was born on the tiny eastern Caribbean island of Nevis in the mid18th century and spent his childhood living at his adopted father's home in Charlestown. The 17th-century Georgian stone building is now Hamilton House, a museum that houses documents from the famous forefather's early years and features exhibits honoring other Caribbean personalities. But it has demanded constant repairs: time and salty air have damaged the woodwork. Nevis Premier Mark Brantley told The Associated Press on Wednesday
that he's grateful for the funds. "We have tried valiantly as locals to preserve these very important historical monuments," he said. Despite Hamilton having lived only the early part of his childhood in Nevis, the premier believes By John Trumbull / Giuseppe Ceracchi - YwG4Hhis legacy is dRB_hMBIA at Google Cultural Institute maximum zoom level, Public Domain, https://commons. inspiring. "Hamilton is signifiearthquake in 1840 and cant because I think it's a was last restored in 1983. demonstration of what a Brantley said the restosmall island like Nevis, a ration work is important little dot in the ocean, can to both the U.S. and Nevis: contribute to the found- "Hamilton remains, I think, ing of the greatest nation in the world, the United an iconic figure for us and a figure that we can look at States," Brantley said. The two-story, Geor- his legacy and inspire our gian stone building that own people to achieve and was originally built around to know that greatness is 1680 was destroyed by an available for all of us."
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