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T R I B U N E 2 4 2 . C O M
Biggest And Best!
Volume: 123 No. 234, Friday, October 30, 2026
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RICK FOX: I’M RUNNING FOR FNM LEADERSHIP Announcement draws startled reactions from fellow senators, some of whom asked: “What?” By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net FORMER NBA champion Rick Fox has become the first Free National Movement figure to declare he will run for the party’s leadership. The opposition senator made the surprise announcement on the floor of the Senate yesterday, drawing startled reactions from other senators, some of whom asked: “What?”
Mr Fox, who lost his bid to become an MP in May’s general election, did not say which post he will contest at the party’s convention next year. The Tribune understands party officials are eyeing early February. Last night it was revealed the Free National Movement’s Central Council has voted to hold the party’s next Convention no later than April 30, 2027. “The details of this FOX - SEE PAGE THREE BRITAIN’S King Charles III waves before boarding the royal plane at Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau, Bahamas, yesterday. Photo: Tim Aylen/BIS
ROYAL JUNKANOO SPARKS King bids The Bahamas farewell DEBATE OVER ITS ROOTS By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net WRITER and activist Alicia Wallace has condemned the staging of Junkanoo for King Charles III as an insult to the enslaved ancestors who created it, while cultural anthropologist Dr
Nicolette Bethel said the real problem was not the performance but The Bahamas’ decision to keep the monarchy. The King’s participation in Wednesday’s Junkanoo rush-out in downtown Nassau has divided cultural figures over the tradition’s INSULT - SEE PAGE TWO
By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
KING Charles III left The Bahamas yesterday with a final wave from the steps of his aircraft, as Buckingham Palace hailed his three-day visit a “strong diplomatic success”.
The monarch, dressed in a tan suit, arrived at the airport in a royal convoy, travelling in a Mercedes bearing the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom. As the Bahamian national anthem rang out one final time, Commissioner of Police Shanta Knowles and Royal Bahamas Defence Force
Commodore Floyd Moxey escorted the King along the red carpet. Waiting at the foot of the aircraft were Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, Governor General Cynthia “Mother” Pratt and Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville. FAREWELL - SEE PAGE TWO
GOVT BUILDING FIRST SENIORSONLY COMPLEX IN 40 YEARS AS
and THE BAHAM
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net THE government is building its first rental complex exclusively for seniors in four decades and is weighing a residence for up to 70 older people who can no longer live on their own, Social Services Minister Barbara Cartwright told the Senate yesterday. Ms Cartwright revealed the plans as senators debated the Older Persons SENIORS - SEE PAGE THREE
Souvenir supplement on the King’s historic visit in Monday’s Tribune Sponsored by
SOCIAL Services Minister Barbara Cartwright
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
Produced by
PAGE 2, Friday, October 30, 2026
THE TRIBUNE
Palace calls King’s visit a strong diplomatic success FAREWELL from page one Mr Davis was accompanied by one of his grandsons. The King and the prime minister became engrossed in conversation for several minutes before the monarch made his way to the aircraft. Just before stepping inside, he turned and gave a final wave, marking the end of the Bahamian leg of his Caribbean tour. The Royal Standard, which had flown from a flagpole in the middle of the tarmac, was then lowered. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said the King had been “delighted to return to the islands, which have such a special place in his heart”. “The great wall of cheers he received when greeting crowds will echo long in his memory,” the spokesperson said, “and be a source of tremendous pride and
encouragement as the tour continues to Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda.” The Royal Family also thanked Bahamians on social media. “Thanks to all those who welcomed The King so warmly during his visit to The Bahamas,” the post said. At home, the reaction was mixed. The King was met with enthusiasm by many of those who greeted him, and at times people lined the streets to watch his motorcade pass. However, many Bahamians questioned what tangible benefit the visit would bring the country. Others were frustrated by the school and road closures that came with it. Police closed dozens of roads across New Providence for the visit. Killarney MP Michela Barnett-Ellis asked why it took the King’s arrival to get roads repaired, a claim Works Minister Clay Sweeting denied, saying the
repaving of Shirley Street had already been planned. Some used the moment to accuse the Davis administration of hypocrisy. They argued that its professed support for The Bahamas becoming a republic did not match its words of welcome for the King, or the public money spent to host him. The government has yet to disclose what the visit cost. The visit was also shadowed by renewed calls for Britain to pay compensation for the transatlantic slave trade. Members of the Rastafarian community and other protesters held placards at royal events demanding “pay us what you owe us”. In his first speech after arriving on Tuesday, at a youth rally at Clifford Park, the King acknowledged “the great suffering and injustices of the past in these islands and beyond”, but stopped short of an apology. The Bahamas National
PRIME Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis with his grandson, along with Police Commissioner Shanta knowles at the airport as King Charles III departs after his visit to The Bahamas. Photo: Shawn Hanna Reparations Committee had demanded an apology for slavery and colonisation and objected to taxpayers funding the visit. Responding to the demonstrations, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson defended the King’s approach. “The visit proved an opportunity to celebrate and reaffirm the modern partnership between The Bahamas and the UK,” the spokesperson told ITV, “to address the shared challenges of the future and also to acknowledge the great injustices of the past in a respectful way.” Palace staff also described the visit to ITV as “a sensitive balancing act”. The King touched down at Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Guyana yesterday afternoon to begin a twoday state visit. He will then travel to Antigua and Barbuda, where he will be joined by Queen Camilla for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting from November 1 to 4. The visit, his first to The
Bahamas as monarch, was packed with engagements across New Providence. After landing on Tuesday, the King greeted Bahamians in their own dialect before addressing about 300 young people at Clifford Park, the same ground where he watched the Bahamian flag raised at Independence in 1973. He drew laughs by naming three of Junkanoo’s biggest rival groups, the Valley Boys, the Saxons Superstars and One Family, and joking that the prime minister would want him to declare his allegiance. On Wednesday, he laid a wreath at the Royal Bahamas Defence Force’s Coral Harbour base for the four marines killed when HMBS Flamingo was sunk by Cuban jets in 1980. Retired Captain Whitfield Neely, a Flamingo survivor, said the King told him they were “family” after the two men discovered they had both trained at Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, England. At Bonefish Pond National Park, the King asked so
many questions about the mangroves that Bahamas National Trust executive director Lakeshia Anderson-Rolle said he “partially led the tour”. He later burst out laughing at the Bahamas Boxing Academy when he was handed a T-shirt showing him as a boxing champion, complete with crown, gloves and title belt. That afternoon, the 77-year-old monarch swapped royal reserve for a cowbell in the national colours, stepping into a Junkanoo rush-out on Bay Street to the classic Naughty Johnny and disappearing among the feathered costumes as spectators waved Bahamian flags. His official programme ended with a garden reception at Government House, where Dame Cynthia welcomed him “home to The Bahamas” and wished him a long reign. There, the King greeted guests including former prime ministers Hubert Ingraham, Perry Christie and Dr Hubert Minnis.
Cultural leaders divided over King’s Junkanoo rush-out INSULT from page one roots in slavery, its place in Bahamian identity and what it means to perform it for the British monarch. Yesterday, junkanoo veteran Quinton “Barabbas” Woodside welcomed the King’s involvement but questioned why more Junkanoo leaders were not consulted. Ms Wallace, whose social media post questioned the presentation of Junkanoo during the royal visit, told The Tribune the tradition grew out of the resistance of enslaved Africans and their descendants. “A part of the rebellion was Junkanoo which still shows us today that our resistance against capitalism, slavery, and colonialism can be joyful,” she said. “It is not a commodity. It is not a minstrel show. It is ours to own, to feel, and to evolve.” She said the government’s decision to present the tradition to the King insulted the ancestors who resisted enslavement and those who carried on that struggle. She tied her objection to continuing calls for reparations and a formal apology for slavery. Britain’s historical debt to people of African descent in The Bahamas and the wider Caribbean remained unpaid, she said. “We cannot allow them to reduce Junkanoo to a show they can commission for foreigners, concealing its origin and meaning,” she said. “Our existence is not for their gaze. Our culture is not for their consumption. We owe them nothing.” Dr Bethel, who said she had not watched the King’s participation herself, said viewing the occasion simply as ironic missed the deeper issue. “I think that if we’re looking at it as an ironic situation, we’re missing the point,” she said. “Junkanoo is objectified on some level and commodified on another level, and I think we may approach it too lightly.” She said there was nothing inherently wrong with the King joining in, or with Bahamians showing off their culture to him. Nor, she said, was it inherently contradictory to perform a tradition associated with resistance to slavery before the monarch. But Britain’s history gave the
occasion political weight. “There is a political and historical weight that is attached to his monarchy, to the monarch of Britain,” she said. “The problem is not the performance for me. The problem is our retention of the monarchy.” Dr Bethel drew a distinction between Bahamians presenting Junkanoo as an expression of who they are and performing it as subjects putting on a show for their king. Bahamians regularly stage cultural performances for visiting celebrities, she said, and that was not a problem in itself. Wednesday’s event, however, was harder to read. “I don’t know where I would put Wednesday’s performance,” she said. “It’s the intention, it’s the symbolism, it’s not the act itself that matters.” She also took issue with claims circulated on social media before the King’s arrival that Junkanoo groups had been given guidelines on their behaviour, dancing and costumes for the royal performance. Performers should be trusted to keep the tradition authentic rather than tailor it to suit the monarch, she said. “Because what is more important? The king or Junkanoo? For me, I think it should be Junkanoo. The king is a guest, in my opinion,” she said. Mr Woodside, founder of the Junkanoo World Museum and Arts Centre, said Junkanoo leaders from across New Providence should have been involved in Wednesday’s celebrations. He said political leaders too often organised major cultural events without properly consulting the people who keep the tradition alive. “We should have other leaders involved, so we can understand it better, so we can bring it into the community,” he said. Asked about the irony of Junkanoo being performed for the British monarch, Mr Woodside said he had mixed feelings and argued that little had changed since the colonial era. “I think our leaders treat us the same way that they treat our ancestors,” he said. He said independence had not brought enough change in how Bahamians were treated by their leaders, and
that the country should show greater independence in its decision-making. Mr Woodside also distinguished between the traditional Boxing Day and New Year’s Day parades and paid performances for visiting dignitaries. The traditional rush-outs, he said, carry a spiritual connection that is not always present when groups perform for visitors. “It’s the spirit in us,” he said. He described performers entering a trance-like state during the traditional parades, an experience he said was difficult to reproduce in shorter performances. He said the King’s visit could have included stops at cultural institutions so he could learn more about Junkanoo’s history, including the experiences of the enslaved Africans from whom it emerged. He also suggested daily Junkanoo performances at airports and cruise ports to bring in more tourism revenue and create opportunities for cultural practitioners. Junkanoo traces its origins to celebrations among enslaved Africans and is the country’s most recognisable expressions of national identity. UNESCO inscribed it on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2023, the first Bahamian submission to be added to the list. The rush-out formed part of a cultural festival at Parliament and Rawson Square, which the government presented as a celebration of Bahamian heritage. The King watched from the sidelines before stepping into the parade on Bay Street. At the same event, Bahamas National Reparations Committee chair Dr Niambi Hall Campbell-Dean said police told her she could watch only if she put away her poster calling for reparations. Dr Bethel said Junkanoo had not lost its political meaning as long as it remained a living expression of Bahamian identity. That could change, she warned, if young people stopped taking part and the tradition came to depend on staged performances rather than community participation. “Is Junkanoo in the hands of enough children and young people to keep it alive? That’s the question we need to be asking,” she said.
THE TRIBUNE
Friday, October 30, 2026, PAGE 3
Rick Fox stuns Senate with surprise FNM leadership announcement FOX from page one much-anticipated expression of our party’s democracy will be finalized and announced to the general public on another occasion,” said party chairman Dr Duane Sands. Fox said his decision was not about climbing the political ladder but about raising the bar for the party and providing “the rocket fuel to get there”. “My ambition is not simply to occupy a position,” Mr Fox said during debate on the Older Persons Rights, Protection, Care and Support Bill, 2026. “It is to help build a party worthy of the confidence of the Bahamian people, a party that attracts new generations, develops new leaders and embraces new ideas and demonstrates that our greatest achievements are not behind us but ahead of us.” Mr Fox, who declared a massive $469m net worth in filing financial disclosures, said he made the decision after talking with his mother, meeting the king and reflecting on last weekend’s FNM conclave. “So today, Madam President, albeit not relevant to the other side, but relevant to older persons in our country, I wish to make my intentions clear,” he said. “I intend to seek leadership position within the
Free National Movement to ensure the success of this bill in the long haul.” Party insiders said they were caught off guard. They said the announcement highlighted the uncertainty over who will lead the party and how eager members are to take up the mantle. Mr Fox’s bid is likely to revive questions that have followed him since he entered frontline politics less than a year ago. The May general election was the first time he had ever voted in a Bahamian election. Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis later mocked FNM leader Michael Pintard for appointing a “first time voter” to the Senate ahead of deputy leader Shanendon Cartwright. Former Cabinet minister Leslie Miller called the decision “mean-spirited” and “spiteful”. Mr Fox pushed back in his maiden Senate speech in June. “I never understand why being called a first-time voter was supposed to be an insult,” he said. “If anything, we should be celebrating first-time voters, encouraging them, recruiting them, welcoming them.” He also faced resistance within his own party. When the FNM ratified him as its Garden Hills candidate in February, longtime party supporter and former Garden Hills association president Ricardo Rolle
said: “You know nothing about Rick Fox.” He said Mr Fox “can’t tell you” where the constituency begins and ends. Days later, Mr Davis claimed Mr Fox had sought a Progressive Liberal Party nomination for Killarney or Long Island “up to two or three days” before joining the FNM. Mr Fox dismissed the claim as “revisionist political theatre” and said he had applied to only one party. Mr Fox lost Garden Hills to the PLP’s Mario Bowleg and was appointed to the Senate shortly after the election. Born in Canada to a Bahamian father, he moved to The Bahamas as a baby and grew up in Stapledon Gardens. He played 13 seasons in the NBA, winning championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, before returning home in 2021. His declaration comes as the FNM confronts hard questions about its direction, leadership and structure after winning just eight of 41 seats in May. At the closed-door conclave, Jamaican political consultants told supporters the party “had serious challenges” to overcome if it wants to form the next government. They reportedly blamed a campaign message that failed to resonate with voters, low visibility among candidates and the lack of a clear plan.
FNM SENATOR RICK FOX A poll by the consultants found Mr Pintard was the least popular of the country’s three main party leaders, ranking below Mr Davis and Coalition of Independents leader Lincoln Bain. Voters also saw him as the “most petty”. Those who spoke to The Tribune said the main message from the conclave was that no saviour could fix the party alone, and that changing its leader or
image would not by itself change the outcome. They agreed the party needed someone who could unite its members and tackle its wider problems. Several possible contenders have yet to declare. During a heated exchange at Lumpy’s bar on Saturday night, Long Island MP Dr Andre Rollins reportedly told Mr Pintard he was considering challenging him for the leadership
and did not want there to be “bad blood”. Dr Rollins has not responded to repeated calls from The Tribune. Mr Pintard has said he will wait for the party’s post-mortem before deciding his political future. The Tribune understands Mr Cartwright has not decided whether to run. East Grand Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson has not revealed his intentions.
ELDER PROTECTION BILL TARGETS ABUSE AND FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION SENIORS from page one Rights, Protection, Care and Support Bill, 2026, sweeping legislation that would protect older people’s rights and property, place legal duties on families and caregivers, and outlaw the physical, sexual, psychological and financial abuse of people aged 65 and older. The bill passed the House of Assembly earlier this month. The rental complex is being built on Iris Court, Lifebuoy Street. Ms Cartwright gave no timeline for the residence, but said the government envisioned a safe, disability-friendly facility built to withstand severe weather and equipped with appropriate recreational spaces. “The question before us is simple,” she said. “What kind of country do you want to grow old in? I want a Bahamas where no mother is left in a hospital bed or ward with no one to take her home, where no father’s pension is stolen by the hands of those that are supposed to care for them, where no grandmother waits by the door for a visitor who never comes. This bill brings us closer to that Bahamas.” The opposition supported the bill but warned that legislation alone could not guarantee dignity for older people. FNM Senator Arinthia Komolafe urged the government to be deliberate in carrying out the bill’s provisions and said elder care could not be discussed without addressing the state of the healthcare system. “It is sad that Bahamians are scared to go to our public hospitals for fear that they or their loved ones may not make it out,” she said. She said more needed to be done for older people battered by the cost-of-living crisis. “They are struggling to pay their life bills, struggling to buy food, struggling to put gas in their cars,” she said. Ms Cartwright also had a message for families. Being next of kin, she said, was
dementia, their caregivers and other stakeholders. During debate in the House, Minister of State for Social Services Bacchus Rolle said an estimated 1,920 to 2,000 people in The Bahamas live with dementia. The government would support families caring for older relatives through day care services, community nursing, home-based healthcare and caregiver training, Ms Cartwright
said. It would also introduce assistive technology, including emergency alert and location devices for those living with cognitive impairment, and ensure seniors’ needs are built into disaster preparedness plans so no older person is forgotten when a storm comes. The bill also creates a specific offence of financially exploiting an older person, including misusing
their pension or National Insurance benefits, punishable by a fine of up to $50,000, five years in prison, or both. Earlier this month, Pat’s Senior Citizens Home proprietor Patricia Moxey told The Tribune that some families were collecting elderly relatives’ NIB benefits while failing to pay their accommodation fees, leaving the home owed more than $200,000.
Funeral Service For Dorothy Gabrielle Culmer Davis, 28
SOCIAL SERVICES MINISTER BARBARA CARTWRIGHT not a legal designation but a moral calling, one that required staying in touch, visiting loved ones, recognising when something was wrong and giving care in return. “I say to the families of The Bahamas,” she said. “This is not a burden placed upon you. It is a sacred trust reposed in you. The next of kin stands as the first line of defence.” Under the bill, next of kin would have a general duty to help an older person achieve an appropriate standard of living, including ensuring that a relative in their care has a safe living environment, adequate food and water, clothing and other essentials. Every caregiver would have a moral and legal responsibility to provide reasonable care, act in the older person’s best interests, avoid abuse and neglect,
administer prescribed medication or treatment properly and operate only within the authority legally given to them. “Having toured many of our senior citizens’ homes,” Ms Cartwright said, “I am of the view that there is considerable work still to be done.” She said officers of the Residential Care and Licensing Authority would visit and inspect residences and care facilities where vulnerable people were at risk. They would respond to every complaint with urgency, she said, within 24 hours where emergency care and protection was required and within 72 hours in general care and protection cases. She pledged to deliver a national older persons policy within the first month of the bill’s enactment, prioritising people living with
of East Street, New Providence, Bahamas will be held on Saturday, 31st October, 2026, 11:00 a.m. at New River Side Church of God, Poinciana Drive, New Providence. Officiating will be Bishop Sylvanus Petty assisted by Apostle Jaronn Gochard, Minister Stacy Petty and other ministers of the gospel. Interment will follow in Southern Cemetery, Cowpen and Spikenard Roads, New Providence. She is survived by her beloved son: Alex Sears; mother: Meg Yvette Culmer Solomon; father: Jerome Fedrick Davis; brothers: Jeremy, Jerome Jr., Kiyano, Matthias, and Braino Davis and Shawn Solomon; aunts: Shirley Knowles and Janet Burrows, Dale Hepburn, Dorothy Jones, Pattie Hepburn, Carol Wood, Kathy Davis, Suzanne Oliver, Leanthia Knowles, Nikita Gardiner, Vanessa (RBPF), Lisa, Alexis, Sharell, Ericia, Soraya, Natasha, Pamela, Clarise, Christina, Nikoya, Tiffany, Blair, Kenricka, Kimberley, and Krissy Davis; uncles: John (Marjorie), Kervin (Brenda) and Pedro (Angela) Culmer. Donovan, Terrell, Kendrick (RBPF), Austin, Corey, Shane, Douglas, Kirklyn, Gerald, Alonzo,Travis(RBPF) Lorenzo and Sadieno Davis; and a host of other relatives and friends including: Chelsea, Jahalia, Willard Jr., Culmer of Huston Texas, Tameka, Livingstone, Dermanrino (Rachel) Calvin (Jessica) Kermit, Deanka, Evalina Culmer, Cleveland Jr., Kermarita (Stephen) Cordell Knowles, Lakell Archer, the extended Davis, Petty and Griffin family of Eleuthera and Nassau, The Culmer family of Savannah Sound, the entire community of Governors Harbour, Florence Mingo and family, Susan Culmer and Family, The Morley Family, The Ferguson Family, Rebertha Brennen and family, Shaquille Green, Ricardo Ingraham and Family, too numerous to mention. She will be forever loved and forever missed. Gone too soon, but forever in our hearts. Viewing will be held at Legacy Memorial Mortuary, #85 Mount Royal Avenue, New Providence on Friday, 30th October, 2026 from 10:00a.m. to 6:00p.m. and at the church on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until service time.
Parks Authority workers sign first industrial agreement PAGE 4, Friday, October 30, 2026
THE TRIBUNE
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net OFFICIALS have declined to disclose the financial value of a new five-year industrial agreement covering 237 employees of the Bahamas Public Parks and Public Beaches Authority, despite confirming that workers will receive several new benefits, including hazard pay and paternity leave. The agreement, signed yesterday between the Authority and the Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union (BCPOU), is the first industrial agreement for the Authority's employees and took effect on January 1, 2026. BCPOU president Sherry Benjamin said the union was reluctant to reveal the financial compensation included in the agreement because of concerns about the safety of its members, many of whom work outdoors. Ms Benjamin said the agreement introduces several benefits and employment protections that workers did not previously enjoy, including hazard pay, maternity
EXECUTIVE Chairman of the Bahamas Public Parks and Public Beaches Authority is Jamahl Strachan and Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union (BCPOU) president Sherry Benjamin hold the industrial agreement signed yesterday. and paternity benefits, with paternity leave newly introduced for male employees. The agreement also establishes clearer procedures for handling employee grievances, providing a formal structure for addressing workplace concerns. Ms Benjamin described the
signing as a historic achievement for the union and the Authority's workforce, noting that it would govern employees' terms and conditions of employment over the next five years. “We did not get everything that we wanted, but we are happy with what we did get, and we are
looking forward to the continued relationship with the Bahamas Public Parks and Public Beaches Authority,” she said. She said the negotiations began late last year, after the union received recognition to represent the Authority's employees in 2024. Although the parties had reached an understanding on the financial package earlier in the year, Ms Benjamin said the process took longer than expected to complete. She described the delay as disheartening, arguing that the agreement could have been finalised much earlier and allowed employees to benefit sooner. However, she credited the intervention of newly appointed Executive Chairman Jamahl Strachan with helping to bring the negotiations to a conclusion. Mr Strachan said the agreement establishes clear responsibilities for the Authority and reinforces the importance of collective bargaining, meaningful consultation and fair treatment of employees. “As the Authority modernises its operations, we must equip our workforce to meet those
demands and recognise the experience and ability already within our ranks,” he said. He added that employees should have opportunities for advancement within the organisation and that the authority must demonstrate the same commitment to excellence in how it manages and develops its workforce. The signing comes as the Authority continues its efforts to improve public parks and recreational spaces across the country. Mr Strachan said the authority had already completed restoration work at five parks, despite the initial plan being to begin the programme in September. He said a further five parks were expected to bring the total to 10 during the first quarter. He said the work was being funded through the authority's overall budget of approximately $32m, rather than a separate allocation for the restoration programme. Mr Strachan also confirmed that the authority's audit had been completed and said the documents would be tabled in their entirety “in due course”.
Hugh Campbell students to relocate during power repairs By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net STUDENTS at Hugh Campbell Primary School in Freeport will be moved out of their school next week while damaged underground electrical wiring that knocked out the school’s power is repaired, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said, after parents complained that families had been told nothing about the outage. Students were dismissed early at 1pm on Thursday and are scheduled to be dismissed early again on Friday. In a statement, the ministry said repairs would begin once the necessary materials arrive and are expected to take about a
week. It said students would be temporarily relocated to minimise the loss of instructional time, and parents and guardians would receive details of the arrangements through the school’s administration. “The ministry is working closely with the relevant technical teams to expedite repairs and restore full electrical service as quickly as possible,” the statement said. The ministry apologised for the inconvenience and thanked parents, guardians, teachers and the wider school community for their patience. The statement came after The Tribune reported that the Mahogany Street school had been without electricity for two straight days this week. A parent who wrote
to The Tribune said they discovered the outage while dropping their child off on two consecutive mornings, and that parents had not been officially notified. The parent said classrooms without power lacked proper lighting and ventilation. While unforeseen problems happen, the parent said, families should not be kept uninformed about them. “When this becomes a repeated issue, parents deserve some communication and reassurance that the matter is being addressed,” the parent wrote. “Our children’s education, safety, and well-being must remain a priority.” When The Tribune visited the school on Wednesday, there was still no power.
HUGH Campbell Primary School’s classes will be relocated as the damaged underground wiring that knocked out the school’s power undergoes repairs. MOEST hopes to have electrical repairs completed within a week. Photo: Vandyke Hepburn The administration office
doors had been propped open, apparently to let air into the building. Classes had not been dismissed, and students were outside for lunch. The school’s principal was not on campus that day. Education officials who were contacted said the Director of Education would issue a statement. The outage comes amid wider frustration over power problems at government schools since classes resumed in September. Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Chester Cooper has called outages “an inconvenience”. He has said the ministry does not
immediately send students home when the power goes off, but tries to continue instruction. Opposition deputy leader Shanendon Cartwright has repeatedly demanded to know what contingency plan the ministry has to keep schools running during prolonged outages. Hugh Campbell Primary has lost power before. In June 2014, it was among 18 public schools in Grand Bahama disconnected by the Grand Bahama Power Company over more than $1m in unpaid government bills, before the Ministry of Finance settled the debt.
THE TRIBUNE
Friday, October 30, 2026, PAGE 5
Sands blasts Davis over undisclosed royal visit cost By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net FREE National Movement chairman Dr Duane Sands has accused Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis of acting as though he is above answering for public money, after the prime minister brushed off reporters who asked how much King Charles III’s visit cost taxpayers. “Must he think he’s the king,” Dr Sands asked in a voice note yesterday, “the real king of The Bahamas, who don’t have to answer no questions about how he’s spending up our money?” Asked by reporters about the cost of the visit, Mr Davis replied jokingly: “The dollar figure? I don’t know anything about that. Why you want to raise that?” Seemingly frustrated, he then walked away from reporters. Dr Sands questioned whether the prime minister genuinely did not know. “This is typical Emperor Philip,” he said. “When he don’t answer a question, he pleads ignorance. He gets angry with reporters. He gets angry with the Bahamian people and the opposition when we ask questions about how he’s spending our money.” He compared the prime minister’s response with the
United Kingdom. “If this was in the UK,” Dr Sands said, “the King and the government would have to regularly disclose and answer questions about finances related to the royal family. “But here at home, where the government has an obligation to disclose spending to Parliament and the Bahamian people, Philip just get vexed even when you ask him basic questions. Because he’s so giddy, he’s so drunk on power and constantly partying. He doesn’t think he has to answer questions.” He said the cost of that silence was being felt by ordinary Bahamians. “Next time you see one big pothole, next time you have to wait hours at PMH or the Rand, next time your light go off,” he said, “just remember how much of your VAT money and tax money filling up certain people’s bank accounts while you got to stretch your dollars. “The PLP is hearing people complaining about how much they did for the King while they neglecting the Bahamian people. So you can understand why Emperor Philip always ducking, hiding, mumbling, and running away from the reporters. As far as he concerned, the Bahamian people money that’s his
own personal piggy bank.” Dr Sands listed several matters he said had not been adequately explained to the public. These were government contracts he alleged were connected to slain businessman Warren “Spy” Ellis and to Eric Gardiner, election spending, the National Investment Fund, and the financial arrangements surrounding the electricity grid. In September, the Ministry of Housing and Land Reform said it had found no record of Ellis, or any company owned or controlled by him, receiving a housing contract from the Davis administration. Gardiner was arrested in the United States in May and charged with cocaine and firearms conspiracy offences. Dr Sands also revived questions about Mr Davis’ 2022 trip to Bermuda with a PLP delegation, where the prime minister spoke at the convention of Bermuda’s ruling Progressive Labour Party. Dr Sands said the trip was initially paid for with public funds. At the time, Mr Davis told the House of Assembly that the government had paid for the chartered flight and that the party would reimburse the Public Treasury. In January 2023, Press Secretary Clint Watson said the PLP had repaid the full cost, which he put at just
FNM CHAIRMAN DR DUANE SANDS under $60,000. The government has yet to say what the royal visit cost. It was the King’s first visit to The Bahamas as monarch. On Monday, a day before the King arrived, Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell could not give a figure or say whether the expenses had been itemised. He
insisted the spending was appropriate for a visit by the King of The Bahamas and would not “break the bank”. In September, Finance Minister Michael Halkitis said agencies were still working out the costs and that he understood they would be shared. Mr Davis has said the visit brought The
Bahamas welcome international exposure, and that he had been getting calls from around the world about the King’s presence and the country’s hospitality. The Bahamas National Reparations Committee has also objected to taxpayers funding the visit, citing Britain’s history of slavery and colonialism.
GRIEF COUNSELLING BEGINS AFTER JAYDEN FERGUSON’S DROWNING DEATH By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net THE Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has begun grief counselling and psychological support for students and staff at Harbour Island All Age School following the drowning of student Jayden Ferguson. Jayden, a 15-year-old tenth grader, was found on Pink Sands Beach on Tuesday morning, days after he disappeared while swimming on Sunday. He had told his mother around 4pm that day that he was going to study with a friend but later went swimming with another boy. The pair got into difficulties in the water, and while the other boy made it back to shore, Jayden did not. Police, assisted by residents, searched the area for two days without luck after being hampered by bad weather. Jayden’s uncle, Henry Solomon, who helped
EDUCATION MINISTER CHESTER COOPER
JAYDEN FERGUSON lead the search effort, found his body on the beach after being alerted by concerned residents. In a statement yesterday, Education Minister Chester Cooper expressed
sadness over Jayden’s death, saying it was heartbreaking when someone so young and full of promise died suddenly. He said the loss had deeply affected Jayden’s
family, classmates and the wider school community. Harbour Island All Age School reportedly closed early after news of his death spread. “Mindful of the
emotional impact of this tragic loss, grief counselling and psychological support for students and staff began on Tuesday, 27 October, with the assistance of local pastors and a psychologist,” he said. “The ministry, through its Eleuthera District Office, will continue to support the school community during this difficult time.” Mr Cooper also
extended condolences to Jayden’s mother, Garthia Saintville, family, friends and classmates, saying he would pray for their strength and comfort. Jayden was described by family and friends as creative, athletic and someone who loved helping his family. He leaves behind a mother, two younger siblings and numerous other relatives.
Death Notice For (Exuma)
Rhoda Ena Dames, 52 a resident of Moss Town, Exuma, died at her residence on Saturday, October 17, 2026. She is survived by her husband: Geano Dames; 3 daughters: Angelique, Deatra & Rhondrea Dames; 1 son: Geno Dames Jr.; 2 grand children: Dario Rolle & Dioran Clarke; 2 sisters: Chynell Strachan & Karen Ferguson; 4 brothers: Ivan Bridgewater, Devaughn Major, Harold & Marvaret Ferguson; & a host of other relatives & friends. Funeral arrangements are being made and will be announced at a later date.
PAGE 6, Friday, October 30, 2026
THE TRIBUNE
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The passenger must have a place at the table For someone with a car in the driveway, a jitney stoppage may barely register. For someone waiting at a bus stop with a shift starting in half an hour, it can threaten a day’s wages. There may be no money for a taxi. The relative who sometimes offers a lift may already be at work. A child still needs to get to school, an appointment cannot easily be rescheduled, and an employer’s patience may be running short. Those are the people who must be at the centre of the dispute between jitney operators and the Government. Wednesday’s withdrawal of service left commuters stranded across New Providence. Operators are seeking an increase in the standard adult fare from $1.50 to $2, arguing that fuel and other operating costs have made their position unsustainable. Their concerns deserve a serious hearing. Bus owners and drivers have households to support, vehicles to maintain and bills that cannot be settled with assurances. A service cannot remain dependable if the people providing it cannot afford to keep their vehicles on the road. But passengers are contending with the same pressures. For a worker taking one bus each way, six days a week, an additional 50 cents per journey would mean another $6 in weekly expenses. A household with several people travelling daily, or journeys requiring a change of bus, would feel a larger increase. Neither side of that calculation can be dismissed. Transport Minister Leon Lundy has acknowledged the operators’ concerns and arranged talks for Friday. His objection to commuters bearing the consequences of the dispute is reasonable. Those discussions must now offer a credible path towards a settlement. The starting point should be a clear examination of operating costs. What does it reasonably cost to run a safe, properly maintained bus? What income can an operator expect on different routes? What fare would sustain the service, and what
protection would passengers with limited means require? Those questions should guide the decision. Neither political discomfort over an increase nor pressure from a withdrawal of service is a sound basis for setting a fare. If an increase is justified, the Government should explain why. Operators, in turn, should be prepared to commit to clear standards of service. Passengers should know which route a bus follows, when service begins and ends, and what fare they will be charged. They should be able to expect safe driving, courteous treatment and a straightforward way to raise a complaint. A higher fare should come with a clearer understanding of what the passenger can depend upon. The discussions should also include people who regularly use the buses. Someone who travels to work in a government vehicle or drives to a meeting may not understand the uncertainty of waiting at a stop without knowing whether another bus is coming. Regular passengers can explain where connections fail, where service ends too early and how disruption affects their working lives. Their experience should help shape the solution. While negotiations continue, both sides should agree on prompt public communication and practical arrangements to minimise further disruption. People need enough notice to make other plans. Operators need confidence that their concerns will receive decisions within a reasonable period. Public transport allows people to earn a living, attend school, care for relatives and participate in the life of their community. Its reliability deserves sustained attention between disputes. Friday’s meeting should begin with the person standing at the bus stop in mind. That passenger needs an affordable journey and a bus that actually comes. A successful agreement must deliver both.
PM - The artful dodger EDITOR, The Tribune. PRIME Minister Philip Davis seems to think that transparency and accountability are not required of his administration. He has mastered the art of dodging reporters when confronted with tough questions about his government. In April, the Prime Minister dodged a question from the media on cost overruns by the Bahamas Public Parks and Beaches Authority, which in four years spent at least $141 million. Since The Nassau Guardian reported the spending, his administration has faced demands to account for it, particularly as a number of parks in New Providence remain in disrepair. When asked by reporters for comment, Davis said, “No response”. Then again in May, when
asked about Jonathan Eric Gardiner’s connection to the Progressive Liberal Party and the election-day plane crash that led to his arrest, the Prime Minister again avoided reporters’ questions. Davis was rushed to his vehicle as journalists pressed him on allegations that a Bahamian politician identified as “Politician-1” in a United States DEA affidavit had met inside Parliament to discuss a drug shipment. The most recent incident came this past week when the Prime Minister was asked by a reporter from Eyewitness News about the “dollar figure” for the King’s visit. He answered, “The dollar figure? I don’t know anything about that. See why I don’t want to... Why you want to raise that?” Before walking away.
He had pushed back against the question over how much King Charles III’s visit will cost taxpayers. Someone needs to explain that the news media is not the enemy. The press is a collective watchdog over government and other powerful institutions - a crucial pillar of democracy, providing transparency, accountability, and a voice for the public. The Prime Minister also needs to understand that the Bahamian people deserve answers on these various issues. Demanding answers does not mean we have something personal against him. It is simply what is required to maintain a strong democracy. ERVIN MISSICK Freeport, Grand Bahama October 29, 2026.
Bahamian rastas owe the king a debt of gratitude EDITOR, The Tribune. THERE was a photo of Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis with several leading Rastafari circulating on Facebook on October 28 -- the second day of the visit of King Charles III. According to the online news source, Davis pledged to convey the concerns of the Rastas to the British monarch. On October 27, members of the religious sect staged a peaceful protest in the capital. They are calling for reparations and for some form of assistance in relocating to Africa. They also want a formal apology for the role of the royal family in the enslavement of our African ancestors. The story of British slaveholder Thomas Thistle wood in colonial Jamaica between 1721 and 1786 is a case study on the sheer barbarity of the slave trade in the British Empire. Thistle wood committed acts of rape 3,800 times on his 138 female slaves, while using cruel and unusual methods of torture that makes the Nazis look like evangelical Puritans. Thistlewood carried out his acts of cruelty under British impunity. As an educated man, King Charles should have some knowledge of this, as Thistlewood documented his crimes against humanity in a 1,400-page diary. Ethiopia is eyed by cult members for relocation, although the entire continent of Africa is considered to be their religious homeland. In Africa, there are 54 sovereign nations recognised by the United Nations. Of the 54, only between seven and 22 of these nations are fully democratic or democratic leaning. Africa has produced some of the most violent dictators of the 20th century. Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir and Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi are just three that comes to mind. Over 42 percent of Ethiopians live on less than $3
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net a day, while 19.9 percent of the population is undernourished. The continent of Africa is home to nine of the world’s ten poorest countries. Bahamian Rastas should follow the example set by their Jamaican counterparts in 1961, who went on a fact-finding mission in Africa to investigate the feasibility of relocating there before making a hasty decision. The Rasta delegation included Filmore Alvaranga, Mortimo Planno and Douglas Mack. The venture was inspired by a 1960 University of West Indies report authored by Jamaican academics Rex Nettleford, M.G. Smith and Roy Augier. Shashamene, about 150 miles south of Addis Ababa, was set aside for Black westerners by Hailie Selassie I in 1948 through the Ethiopian World Federation as an inducement to relocate to his country. Selassie was hoping that educated and skilled westerners would have taken up this offer, not necessarily poor, uneducated and unskilled Blacks, of which most Jamaican Rastas were at the time. It is the opinion of this writer that The Bahamas provides a better situation for Rastas to live in. It is my understanding that Rastas want the British royal family to fund the aforementioned initiatives. Ironically, I believe that it is these Rasta adherents who owe a huge debt of gratitude to King Charles and his British administration. You see, after the army of Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini invaded Ethiopia in 1935, Haile Selassie I fled to England as a political refugee where he was given a safe haven to stay in Bath by King George VI. The majority of League of Nations members had turned a blind
eye to Ethiopia’s plight following Selassie’s historic speech to that body in 1936. King George was the grandfather of King Charles. The invasion by Mussolini was in retaliation for the 1896 Battle of Adwa, in which the Italian army was surprisingly defeated by the Ethiopian forces of King Menelik II. In addition to receiving asylum in England, Selassie was assisted by the English when its forces took up arms against the Italians in Ethiopia, driving out Mussolini’s forces in 1941. This would set the stage for Selassie’s eventual return to his kingdom. This event would solidify Selassie’s standing in the eyes of the Rastafarian cultists in Jamaica, as they would interpret Mussolini’s defeat as a supernatural sign of the Ethiopian monarch’s divinity, alluding to Revelation 19:16 which says ‘King of kings and Lord of Lords.” Both titles belong to Jesus Christ. Rastafari, like every other cult, treats the Bible like a wax nose. To the cultists, who underwent a severe crisis of faith during Selassie’s exile in England, Revelation 19:1116 is a prophecy of their African god defeating Rome, the capital of Italy. Selassie being a member of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and a professing Christian who invited American evangelist Billy Graham to preach to his people in 1960 is universally ignored by Rastafari. Had England not come to the aid of Selassie I, the Rasta cult would have suffered a major setback it might have never recovered from. It was England that saved Rastafari from becoming extinct. That’s why I am of the view that Bahamian adherents of the Pan African cult owe King Charles III a debt of gratitude. KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Grand Bahama October 29, 2026.
What does Independence mean under a monarchy? EDITOR, The Tribune. IT is not a common occurrence for a small country to have as its head, a man of great dignity, the quality or state of being worthy, honored, or esteemed by perhaps the five-six leading countries on the globe. I count ourselves absolutely fortunate to belong to such a renowned group’s monarchy. This visit by H Majesty King Charles III, on Tuesday October 27, 2026 was greeted, met with mixed emotion, some claiming reparation for the slave trade of yesteryears, others wanting an annexation from British Empire, but whatever it be, I don’t suppose that they could be deliberated on the sidewalk in downtown Nassau? I also have taken special note of the mood of those Bahamians assembled along Bay Street, suggesting that the King has had direct dealing in the slave trade, the
way the agitated, demanded verbally? What has me confused is how on the one hand the British Prime Minister has said that he acknowledges the role the British played, but will not commit money in the form of reparation? Now, how is it that you acknowledge British involvement but will not underwrite any portions of that disastrous human degradation? And I believe that the King has received the complaints and forwarded the report to the London based Privy Council for investigation, what else is there for the King to do, when he has no guilt in the matter, when his grandfather’s dad hadn’t been born yet? Another point in the contention was the belief that the Bahamas must disentangled itself from the British Commonwealth as a matter of urgency, reasoning being that this connection is stifling the creativity blood of
a young nation, but I proffer the query just how young might you to believe. When our first parliament convened September 29th, 1729? This thing called Bahamas Independence 1973, will be sorry to disappoint, the King’s visit on October 27th, 2026 cast doubt on it all, independence does mean **not dependent and to have a representative of the British Monarchy in the Government House, helps the cry of wolf, would you say? Editor, in a sidebar I had with Father Gordon this subject He started thus: In the case of the Bahamas, I gave it all of the talents it will ever need to manage its own affairs free from external involvement or dictates and therefore, it has my approval to regulate all matters pertaining to its people, my people said God Most High has spoken it.’ FRANK GILBERT Nassau, October 29, 2026.
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Friday, October 30, 2026, PAGE 7
WSC officer confirms welding at tanks in Gibson trial By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A WATER and Sewerage Corporation technical officer told the court yesterday he photographed welding and grinding work on WSC water tanks in 2021, as the trial of former WSC executive chairman Adrian Gibson continued.
Donathan Whylly gave evidence before Senior Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson. Questioned by defence attorney Damian Gomez, KC, Mr Whylly said he took pictures of water tanks on which the WSC had awarded contracts for work. The court has previously heard allegations that Gibson failed to
disclose that he was the beneficial owner of companies awarded those contracts while he was the WSC’s executive chairman. Mr Whylly said he photographed the Windsor tank project before and during the work. He said he saw a grinding machine in use and welding being done there. Pictures of the Windsor tank were shown in court,
along with photographs Mr Whylly took of the Baillou Hill low-water tanks and the work done there, including welding and the application of primer. Mr Whylly told Mr Gomez he may have obtained the names of the people working on the tanks. The defence opened its case earlier this month.
Prosecutors recently withdrew 18 charges against Gibson, all counts of receiving, and dropped the case against one co-accused entirely. Gibson still faces 41 charges, including bribery and money laundering. The case centres on allegations that contracts awarded during Gibson’s tenure at the WSC benefited companies linked
to him and his associates. He is on trial alongside former WSC general manager Elwood Donaldson Jr, Joan Knowles and Jerome Missick. All have denied wrongdoing. Gibson pleaded not guilty in 2022. Jurors were selected in May 2023, and the trial has been under way since November 2023.
Prosecutor urges jury to reject murder accused’s alibi By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A PROSECUTOR yesterday urged jurors to reject the alibi of a man accused of a 2014 murder. She said the woman who claimed to be with him that night never told police and came forward only 12 years later. Kirkwood Rolle, 35, is on trial before Justice Roberto Reckley for the murder of Clarence “Drops” Newry
Coakley. Prosecutors allege Rolle shot Coakley in the head as he sat behind a house on Saxon’s Way in Mason’s Addition on May 7, 2014. Coakley, who was wearing an electronic monitoring device at the time, died at the scene. The gunman fled on foot. In her closing address, prosecutor Kristin Butler Beneby told the jury that Rolle had told others he killed Coakley. She took aim at the
testimony of Marvinique, a defence witness who said she was with Rolle at Smith’s Hotel at the time of the shooting. Ms Butler Beneby said the witness had never told police this and only came forward 12 years after the killing. She described her evidence as “wishy washy”. Ms Butler Beneby also questioned the witness’s state of mind, saying she had told the court she was heavily sedated that night.
Fraud accused allegedly cashed three forged National Insurance cheques By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A MAN has been charged with using forged National Insurance Board short-term benefit cheques to obtain more than $13,000 from NIB in 2021 and trying to obtain nearly $4,700 more. Delshan Allen, 47, pleaded not guilty before acting Chief Magistrate Ancella Evans to four counts of uttering a forged document, four counts
of possession of a forged document, three counts of fraud by false pretences and one count of attempted fraud by false pretences. Prosecutors allege Allen uttered a forged NIB cheque in his name at Scotiabank on November 22, 2021 and fraudulently obtained $4,530 from NIB on November 24. That same day, he is accused of uttering another forged cheque at Commonwealth Bank and attempting to obtain $4,649.
He is further alleged to have uttered forged cheques at Scotiabank on November 26, 2021, obtaining $4,810, and on November 29, 2021, obtaining $4,396 on December 3. Bail was set at $15,000 with one to three sureties. Allen must sign in at the Elizabeth Estates Police Station every Monday by 9pm, obey an 11pm to 6am curfew and be fitted with a monitoring device. His trial is set for March 23, 2027. Inspector Deon Barr prosecuted.
Court orders drug counselling for teen who admitted theft By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net AN 18-year-old who told a magistrate he had a drug problem will undergo a psychological evaluation and drug counselling on remand after admitting he
broke into a woman’s home on Thompson Street and stole $300. Donahue Malone pleaded guilty to housebreaking and stealing before Magistrate Abigail Farrington. He broke into the woman’s home and stole the cash between
8.30am and 1pm on October 24. Malone was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services and returns to court on January 28, 2027, for a report. Assistant Superintendent of Police Kendrick Bauld prosecuted.
She suggested the witness paused during her testimony because she needed time to gather her thoughts and get her story straight. Ms Butler Beneby
acknowledged that the witness had been shot. She urged the jury to find Rolle responsible for the murder and to return a just verdict. Defence attorney
Marianne Cadet maintained her client’s innocence. She told the jury he was nowhere near the shooting and had an alibi for where he was at the time.
VACANCY Customer Service Representative / Office Assistant Our company is seeking a Customer Service Representative / Office Assistant who will serve as a vital link between our customers and the organization. This role delivers the first impression of our company, resolves customer concerns with professionalism, and ensures that day-to-day office operations run smoothly. By combining exceptional service with strong administrative support, the individual in this position directly drives customer loyalty, supports management decisionmaking, and helps the company meet its service and growth goals. Key Responsibilities Maintain Customer Service Excellence • Respond promptly and professionally to customer inquiries, concerns, and requests across phone, email, and in-person channels. • Resolve issues at first contact whenever possible and escalate complex matters according to established procedures. • Uphold service standards and company policies to ensure a consistent, positive customer experience. • Obtain and evaluate all relevant information to handle inquires and complaints. Customer Follow-Up and Satisfaction • Conduct timely follow-ups on open cases and unresolved requests to confirm resolution and satisfaction. • Handles customer correspondence via all venues. • Gather and document customer feedback, identifying trends and recommending service enhancements. • Manage customer expectations through verbal and written communication. Maintain Close Communication with Management • Provide regular updates to management • Communicate priority issues promptly and propose practical solutions. Reporting and Data Management • Maintain accurate customer records and service logs. • Prepare routine reports as directed by management. • Process customer orders/inquiries received. Office Administration Support • Provide office administration duties as assigned. Collaboration with Cross-Functional Teams • Partner with sales, operations, billing, and other departments to resolve customer concerns and align on shared goals. • Serve as a reliable point of contact to ensure information flows efficiently between teams. Documentation and Compliance • Ensure all customer interactions and transactions are documented accurately and in accordance with company policies and applicable regulations. • Maintain confidentiality and data privacy standards in handling customer and company information. Project Tracking and Time Management • Track assigned tasks, service projects, and deadlines, prioritizing workload to meet servicelevel targets. • Monitor progress on administrative initiatives and report status updates to management. Team Support and Guidance • Mentor, and support sales team members. Skills and Qualifications • 4+ years of customer service experience, including at least 1 year of management or team leadership experience. • Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint. • Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a professional, empathetic demeanor. • Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. • Demonstrated problem-solving ability and sound judgment in handling sensitive situations. If you meet the above requirements, please forward your resume to pcadderley@hotmail.com.
AIR CONDITIONING TECHNICIAN VACANCY Position: Air Conditioning Technician Location: Palm Cay Development Co Limited, Yamacraw Hill Road, NASSAU Employment Type: Full-Time We are seeking a skilled and reliable Air Conditioning Technician to join our growing team. The successful candidate will be responsible for the installation, maintenance, servicing, and repair of air conditioning and refrigeration systems for residential and commercial clients. Key Responsibilities: • Install, service, and repair air conditioning systems and associated equipment. • Diagnose faults and carry out effective repairs. • Perform routine preventative maintenance and inspections. • Ensure all work is completed safely and in accordance with industry standards. • Complete service reports and relevant documentation. • Provide excellent customer service and technical support to clients. • Respond to emergency call-outs when required. Requirements: • Proven experience as an Air Conditioning Technician. • Relevant technical qualifications and certifications. • Knowledge of air conditioning, refrigeration, ventilation, and control systems. • Ability to read and interpret technical drawings and manuals. • Strong fault-finding and troubleshooting skills. • Valid driving licence. • Ability to work independently and as part of a team. What We Offer: • Competitive salary. • Supportive and professional working environment. • Opportunities for career advancement. To apply, please send your CV and relevant certifications to hr@palmcay.com
PAGE 8, Friday, October 30, 2026
THE TRIBUNE
King’s Trust pledges $1m for Bahamian youth programmes UK-BACKED charities and investors have committed $2m to young Bahamians in the wake of King Charles III’s visit, through a new jobs and skills partnership run by one of the King’s charities and a new sports academy offering scholarships to young athletes. The King’s Trust International, a charity founded by the King that helps disadvantaged young people around the world find work and build skills, announced a $1m commitment to The Bahamas at a British High Commission reception yesterday. At the same event, British-born Bahamian investor and philanthropist Nick Maughan launched the Bahamas-UK Sports Academy with a $1m starting endowment. The announcements came the day the King left The Bahamas, after a three-day visit in which many Bahamians questioned what tangible benefit his presence would bring the country. The King’s Trust money
comes from John Gore, chairman and chief executive of The John Gore Organisation, a theatre production company. The trust said it will start with a pilot designed with young people before scaling up over three years. It aims to reach young people across the country, including the Family Islands. The trust said it was exploring where it could add the most value alongside existing government programmes such as the National Youth Guard, the National Upskilling Programme and the National Apprenticeship Scheme. Through an initiative called “Future Ready: Young People Shaping The Bahamas”, young Bahamians are being recruited as researchers to gather the views of their peers and help shape its programmes. The trust is also looking for businesses that can offer internships, apprenticeships, work experience and jobs. “The future of every industry depends on the next
From left: India Hicks, Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, Governor Genera Dame Cynthia ‘Mother’ Pratt, British High Commissioner to The Bahamas Smita Rossetti, Minister of Youth and Sports Mario Bowleg and British-born Bahamian investor and philanthropist Nick Maughan. Photos: Nikia Charlton generation having the chance to discover what they’re capable of,” Mr Gore said.
The Bahamas-UK Sports Academy will be an independent Bahamian charity under the patronage of Governor General Dame Cynthia “Mother” Pratt. It will give scholarships to talented young athletes to train in The Bahamas or the United Kingdom, and help aspiring coaches gain professional qualifications, with seed funding to get them started. It also plans to widen access to sport in the Family Islands, in underserved communities and in disability sport.
Mr Maughan is seeking match funding of $250,000 a year for four years, and is separately paying for the academy’s set-up and running costs. The British High Commission will serve as a founding strategic partner, connecting the academy with sporting bodies and educational institutions in both countries. “The Bahamas produced world-class athletes from a small population,” Mr Maughan said. “Too many young people with
BRITISH-BORN Bahamian investor and philanthropist Nick Maughan.
BRITISH High Commissioner to The Bahamas Smita Rossetti.
real talent stop competing because the support runs out.” He said his role was to get the academy started, and that its success would be measured by how many others joined. Mr Maughan founded the UK youth boxing charity BoxWise, which works with more than 100 gyms across Britain, and brought the model to Nassau last year as founder and chairman of the Bahamas Boxing Academy. The King visited the academy on Wednesday, watching young boxers spar and laughing when he was handed a T-shirt showing him as a boxing champion. The King awarded Mr Maughan a CBE last year for services to philanthropy. British High Commissioner Smita Rossetti said the academy would draw on the sporting strengths of both countries, “from Bahamian track and field and British boxing to our shared passion for sailing”. The King’s charities already have a presence in The Bahamas. The King’s Foundation partners with the Lyford Cay Foundation on the Peter George Goulandris Heritage Scholarship, which sends young Bahamian masons, architects and craftspeople to train for four to six months on the King’s estates in Britain. Four Bahamian scholars are now studying in the UK.
THE TRIBUNE
Friday, October 30, 2026, PAGE 9
World News
European Central Bank head resigns, allowing EU leaders to choose successor By DAVID McHUGH AP Business Writer
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde will resign nine months before the end of her term, a move that opens the way for European leaders to choose a successor ahead of France's presidential election next year. Lagarde, 70, will leave Feb. 7, the ECB said Thursday. Her eight-year term was to end Oct. 31, 2027. The resignation opens the way for complex political horse trading over her successor and replacements for two other top officials who are leaving next year. The ECB president leads the bank's governing council, which sets interest rates for the 21 countries that use the euro currency, affecting borrowing costs for everything from house purchases to new factories and serving as the European Union's chief crisis fighter in times of economic and financial turbulence. "It has been a great pride and a huge privilege to serve this institution," Lagarde said in a video message posted on X. "I think that I leave this
institution with a sense of good work done and an ECB that is fit for the future." Asked about her reasons at a news conference following the bank's decision to leave rates unchanged, she said that she wanted to be freed from the obligation of political neutrality that comes with being ECB head. "I want to, have the freedom of speech, the freedom of expression, and the freedom to engage on matters that are not monetary policy matters," she said. "I don't think that I can be comfortable in that neutrality at the present time." She didn't elaborate. The announcement was expected following speculation that Lagarde would leave early to enable EU leaders to choose a successor while pro-EU French President Emmanuel Macron is still in office. That would guard against the possibility that right-wing presidential candidate Marine Le Pen might win the election and influence the choice. "That she leaves early is no surprise and does not change the outlook for ECB policies," said Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg bank.
PRESIDENT of European Central Bank Christine Lagarde addresses the media during a press conference after an ECB’s governing council meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, June 11, 2026. AP Photo/Michael Probst, File
European Council President Antonio Costa said that the selection process "will be initiated today and will proceed without delay." The term of another top ECB official — chief economist Philip Lane — is to end May 31, while another member of the
ECB's executive board, Isabel Schnabel, is resigning Jan. 3 to move to the International Monetary Fund. European leaders are expected to work out a package deal to apportion the three vacancies among member countries in a complex round of political bargaining.
EU leaders would likely seek to reach agreement on all three posts before a summit meeting on Dec. 17-18, said Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg bank. He said that leading candidates for Lagarde's job appeared to be former Netherlands central bank head Klaas Knot and Spain's Pablo Hernandez de Cos, the general manager of the Bank for International Settlements. The BIS is an international organization of central banks. "The European Union is trying to guard itself at least somewhat against the risk that right-wing Marine Le Pen may win the French presidential election in April-May 2027," Schmieding wrote in an email. "Lagarde's successor will still be appointed while the staunchly pro-European centrist Emmanuel Macron still resides in the Elysee Palace." Lagarde, the former head of the International Monetary Fund, was appointed in 2011 to succeed Mario Draghi. A key decision during her tenure came in 2020, when the bank deployed 1.35 trillion euros ($1.5 trillion) in emergency stimulus in the
form of bond purchases to keep the COVID-19 pandemic from drying up credit for the economy. The bank's ability to act swiftly — in contrast to the often drawn-out negotiations among the 27 European Union national governments — has given it a leading role in combating Europe-wide crises such as the pandemic and the peak period of the eurozone's debt crisis in 2010-2012. Most notably, Draghi's promise in 2012 to "do whatever it takes to preserve the euro" calmed bond market turmoil that raised fears the eurozone would break up. Lagarde's announcement overshadowed the bank's decision Thursday to leave its interest rate benchmark unchanged at 2.5% despite annual inflation of 3.8% fed by high oil prices caused by the US-Iran war. High rates restrain inflation, which is above the bank's target of 2%. However rising bond market rates are already tightening credit independent of the ECB, in effect doing the central bank's job for it, analysts say.
Putin woos African leaders at a Moscow summit aimed at expanding Russia-Africa ties By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin courted dozens of African leaders at a Russia-Africa summit that wraps up Thursday as he seeks to bolster Moscow's clout across the continent. Speaking during a meeting in the Kremlin on the second day of the summit, Putin said that "Russia and Africa are united by truly strong bonds of friendship and close partnership." "We are natural allies in building a multipolar, genuinely democratic world order, free from diktat and double standards and based on respect for the norms of international law and the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter," Putin said. He mentioned Moscow's support for the African nations' anti-colonial fight during Soviet times. "Russia has always been and remains committed to seeing African nations defend their sovereignty, achieve steady growth, and strengthen their economies and social sectors," the Russian leader said. "We stand ready to continue working together with you across all these areas to achieve these goals." Putin says African states need more representation at the UN The summit is part of the Kremlin's push to deepen ties with Africa, home to nearly 1.6 billion people and increasingly influential on the global stage. Its 54 nations make up the largest voting bloc at the United Nations. Moscow first hosted the Russia-Africa summit in 2019, and then again in 2023. This week's summit drew nearly 50 African nations, about 20 of which were represented by their leaders. Speaking during Thursday's meeting, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi noted that "Africa's security and stability remain an essential condition for achieving the aspirations of its peoples." Kenyan President William Ruto argued that "the international order must reflect the world as it is today, not the world as it was in 1945," adding that Africa "can't continue without permanent representation on the
United Nations Security Council." Putin quickly backed his statement, saying that "the absence of African representatives at the U.N. Security Council is unfair." The Russian president noted that Russia's trade with African countries topped $27 billion last year and vowed to expand it. He noted that Russian companies have pursued major investment projects in Africa in such spheres as energy, mining, industrial cooperation and logistics. "Our business community approaches cooperation with African partners with honesty, respect, and integrity, conducting business on an equal footing," Putin said. "Rather than siphoning off profits in the manner of the colonial practices by former imperial powers, they reinvest their earnings
into the development of your national economies, they readily share advanced technologies and expertise, broadly engage local subcontractors, and help create new production facilities and jobs," he said. Putin emphasizes Russia's role as a supplier of agricultural products to Africa He said that Russia delivered over 18 million metric tons of grain to Africa last year, and another 13 million metric tons in the first nine months of this year, casting the supplies as a "concrete and tangible contribution to ensuring food security across the entire African continent." Russian exports of mineral fertilizers reached approximately 1.5 million metric tons last year, and have already exceeded 2.2 million metric tons so far this year.
RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin, foreground left, and other leaders pose for a family photo during the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. Anastasia Barashkova/Pool Photo via AP