NURSE SUSPENDED FOR SPEAKING OUT ON PMH
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
AN overcrowded and temporary A&E ward at the PMH, which is plagued by poor conditions, leaks, and rodent issues.
A SENIOR critical care nurse suspended after publicly lamenting leaking roofs, supply shortage issues and a rodent problem at Princess Margaret Hospital, feels she was treated like a criminal after being ordered not to travel, not to enter the hospital except for medical care, and to surrender her ID band. The woman, identified only as ‘Sister Pearl,’ a nurse of 44 years, was placed on a ten-day suspension after releasing a video highlighting problems at
By JADE RUSSELL
Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net
MISS Universe Bahamas 2025, Maliqué Maranda Bowe, walked out of a pre-pageant ceremony in Thailand this week alongside several other contestants after an organiser publicly insulted Miss Mexico as a ‘dumbhead’ and had her escorted out by security during a live broadcast. Tensions erupted when Miss Universe Mexico 2025, Fatima Bosch, was chastised by Thai businessman
the facility. She told HR officials there ‘might as well monitor me with an anklet bracelet.’ The Public Hospital Authority (PHA) suggested in a statement that the video breached its social media policies and was under investigation. PHA’s decision sparked swift backlash online and was later denounced by Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville, who said he has requested a briefing from PHA officials and vowed to ensure due process is followed and the nurse is treated fairly.
Judicial complaints procedure ‘regrettably’ not yet finalised, says Chief Justice
Alarm raised over conditions at hospital, including leaking roofs, supply shortages, rodents and more MISS BAHAMAS JOINS IN WALK-OUT FROM A MISS UNIVERSE CEREMONY
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS
Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
CHIEF Justice Ian Winder admitted yesterday that he and Bahamas Bar Association President Khalil Parker have “regrettably” not yet finalised the long-promised judicial
‘ONLY TWO NEW ANKLE BRACLETS SUCCESSFULLY TAMPERED WITH’
By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
ONLY two people have successfully tampered with their electronic monitoring device under the government’s Migrafill-managed system, a sharp drop that National Security Minister Wayne Munroe says shows major progress in tightening
bail supervision. He said the improvement follows last year’s controversial decision to cancel the government’s contract with the previous provider and reinstate Migrafill Electronic Security, which previously managed the programme. His comments come as
complaints procedure nearly a year after pledging to complete it. He said progress has stalled at the stage of identifying committee members to consider proposals, citing other pressing judicial priorities that intervened. Still, he vowed to “redouble efforts” to work with
Mr Parker to complete the long-awaited framework.
“But just to be clear,” he told The Tribune, “there is provision for complaints to be made against judicial officers through the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, and complaints are
CHIEF JUSTICE IAN WINDER
NATIONAL SECURITY MINISTER WAYNE MUNROE
Attorney warns continued delays ‘raises serious concerns about accountability, transparency, and the administration of justice’
received and investigated by that body on a fairly regular basis. I will redouble efforts to get with the President to resolve this.”
His admission came after attorney Tavarrie Smith complained that inaction has eroded public confidence in the judiciary.
In a letter titled The Urgent Need for a Judicial Complaints Procedure in The Bahamas, Mr Smith recalled that in December 2024, the Chief Justice and Mr Parker promised to complete the framework before the opening of the 2025 legal year. Nearly twelve months later, he wrote, there has been “no update, no published procedure, and no indication that a disciplinary board has been established to address such complaints.”
He warned that the continued delay “raises serious concerns about accountability, transparency, and the administration of justice,” especially after several high-profile controversies involving judges last year.
Mr Smith stressed that his call was not an attack on the judiciary, describing most judges as “unsung heroes” who sacrifice personal time and shoulder heavy caseloads. But, he cautioned, “a few bad apples can spoil the bunch,” and without a clear accountability process, “negative public sentiment festers like a cancer, eating away at faith in our system.”
He said the proposed complaints mechanism would strengthen, not weaken, judicial independence by ensuring that any allegations are reviewed fairly and transparently.
“The strength of any judiciary lies not only in the soundness of its judgments but also in the confidence the public places in its integrity,” he wrote.
The issue gained momentum in late 2024 when the Chief Justice and Mr Parker announced plans to meet before the new legal year to finalise a unified framework. The Bar Council later confirmed a committee had been formed to draft recommendations, which many
expected would be implemented within months.
Attorney General Ryan Pinder has also voiced support for such a system, saying judges, like all public officials, should be held to clear standards of conduct.
Critics say that while the Judicial and Legal Services Commission currently handles complaints internally, the process lacks transparency and does not provide a clear avenue for public redress. Some consider the commission a political body without public decisions or confidential reporting mechanisms.
Mr Smith urged the judiciary and Bar Association to act “without further delay,” arguing that judicial accountability is essential to maintaining public trust.
“If judges are the moral, historical, and legal stalwarts of accountability in a nation, then they themselves must also be subject to accountability,” he wrote. “Justice demands not only fairness in outcome, but transparency in process.”
Mr Parker could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Glover-Rolle: Maternity and paternity law changes expected by mid-2026
By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter
kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas is preparing to overhaul its maternity and paternity leave laws by mid-2026, according to Public Service and Labour Minister Pia Glover-Rolle, who warned that the country is “on the lower end of the threshold” regarding maternity leave compared to the rest of the world.
Mrs Glover-Rolle also said the government is on track to ratify key International Labour
Organisation (ILO) conventions on maternity protection before the end of this year.
She said The Bahamas remains “on the lower end of the threshold” compared with regional and global peers and said reforms are overdue.
“As the world evolves, our framework, our laws have to evolve,” Mrs Glover-Rolle said. “You will find that in The Bahamas, we are on the lower end of the threshold in terms of maternity leave. We have benchmarked with
countries around the region and around the world, and the recommendation is to increase the benefits for maternity, and I cannot say that without speaking about paternity, because what this overall process does is it helps to improve and strengthen the social and therefore economic fibre of our country.”
The minister said the reforms will include an expanded maternity leave period — expected to rise beyond the current 12 weeks to at least 14 weeks — and the introduction of paid paternity leave for the first time in Bahamian law.
Cabinet and then Parliament for ratification.
Draft recommendations circulated by her ministry propose two weeks of paid paternity leave, accessible once every three years, alongside an increase in maternity benefits to align with regional standards.
Her comments came during a validation workshop hosted by the National Tripartite Council (NTC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Service and Labour and the ILO. The session focused on moving The Bahamas toward ratification of ILO Convention 183, which guarantees workplace protections for pregnant workers and new mothers.
Mrs Glover-Rolle described the convention as “broad and human-centred,” covering pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and the postnatal period, and underscoring the right of women to work in an environment that safeguards their health and dignity.
The minister said the workshop marked a crucial step in the national consultation process before recommendations go to
Earlier this year, Mrs Glover-Rolle told the National Tripartite Council that there was “nothing stopping” an expansion of maternity leave. Officials say the council is leaning toward recommending 14 weeks of maternity leave, short of the 20 weeks some advocates want, with a final proposal expected before year-end.
The event also formed part of the government’s plan to align its labour framework with international standards. Alongside the maternity convention, the government is advancing ratification of ILO Conventions 155 and 187, which deal with occupational safety and health.
Mrs Glover-Rolle said her ministry and its partners had completed a gap analysis identifying where Bahamian laws fall short of ILO requirements, and that the reforms will be finalised after the validation process concludes.
“The workshops were for ratification of ILO Conventions on maternity protection,” she said. “It goes to Cabinet to approve,
to go to Parliament for ratification, just like how we ratify any other international convention. The law change would be regarding the legislative reform which we have already gone through the consultative process and now we are basically at drafting.”
She said she was confident all three conventions would be ratified by the end of this year, with the legislative reforms to follow by the first or second quarter of 2026.
Mrs Glover-Rolle said the initiative reflects ongoing cooperation between her ministry, the ILO and social partners to advance gender equality and decent work.
“When we protect mothers and children, we are protecting the social and economic fibre of our country,” she said. “Maternity protection reflects the recognition that women should never be forced to choose between the well-being of their child and their right to work.”
The workshop also marked the fourth anniversary of The Bahamas’ Decent Work Country Programme, a joint effort with the ILO to modernise labour laws and align local standards with global best practice.
“This agenda is not static,” Mrs Glover-Rolle said. “It is living, it is moving, it is evolving, and it is a commitment to building a better Bahamas for all.” ILO officials from Trinidad and Geneva joined the session virtually, along with representatives of trade unions, employer groups and civil-society organisations.
Davis administration to move ahead with another round of promotions
By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
THE Davis administration is moving ahead with another round of service-wide promotions, with Public Service and Labour Minister Pia Glover-Rolle saying more than 4,000 public officers have been promoted since 2021.
Mrs Glover-Rolle said the latest exercise will conclude by the first quarter of 2026, marking continued progress after promotions were allegedly “paused” under the Minnis administration.
“The last exercise we did was a double, and now we are back on track,” she said.
The minister said such exercises strengthen morale and succession planning across the public service. She added that the government is still processing manual files but has spent
the past three and a half years digitising personnel records to speed up promotions and basic HR functions.
“There are still challenges when we deal with analogue files in terms of getting persons’ information and people having to submit documents multiple times, but fortunately, we’re moving away from that,” she said. “We’re seeing ease of process, and that will all bode well for the workers of the public service.”
Mrs Glover-Rolle also confirmed that the government has entered a second phase of industrial negotiations, with “two more in the pipeline” and 59 agreements already completed since 2021.
“While we have signed industrial agreements that amounted to almost $60m into the pockets of public and private sector workers,
we’re now into round two,” she said. “Some of those agreements with three-year terms have expired, and now we move into another round of agreements.”
On issues involving the Bahamas Union of Teachers and the Bahamas Public Service Union, she said the Prime Minister has already assured that payments will be made before Christmas. The unions protested last month after some of their members missed out on pay adjustments.
“Public servants are anxious, ready to receive the extra,” Mrs Glover-Rolle said. “The majority welcoming it. I know there was a small group that protested and the like, but we have not had any pushback or issues from public servants, just great anticipation of when they will get their payments.”
PUBLIC SERVICE AND LABOUR MINISTER PIA GLOVER-ROLLE
CHIEF JUSTICE IAN WINDER
Contestants praised for their unity
Nawat Itsaragrisil, the Miss Universe Thailand national director, for not promoting Thailand enough on social media and allegedly missing a sponsor photoshoot.
During the confrontation, he reportedly called her a “dumbhead” for following instructions from her national director.
Video of the exchange quickly went viral, showing Ms Bosch standing to defend herself and telling Mr Itsaragrisil that he should have respect for women. She said she was only representing her country and that any issue he had should be raised with her organisation. As she spoke, he cut her off, insisting he was still talking, before calling security to escort her out.
The move sparked an immediate backlash among contestants. Ms Bowe and several others left the event in solidarity, despite warnings from organisers that anyone who walked out risked disqualification from the competition.
Anthony Smith, national director of the Miss Universe Bahamas Organisation, said he spoke to Ms Bowe shortly after the incident. He said she was disappointed with how it unfolded but proud to have stood up for another woman.
“She’s a very strong individual,” he told The Tribune, adding that her
grace under pressure shows why she was chosen to represent The Bahamas.
Mr Smith said the team commended Ms Bowe for her courage and confirmed that she remains focused and optimistic ahead of the Miss Universe finals.
“She’s in good spirits,” he said, noting that she welcomed the swift response by the Miss Universe Organisation after the controversy.
Following the incident, the pageant’s president, Raúl Rocha, announced sanctions against Mr Itsaragrisil, restricting his involvement in official events. USA Today reported that he was dismissed from his duties after an emotional apology campaign failed to calm public outrage.
On Wednesday, Mr Itsaragrisil appeared on stage before contestants to apologise, saying he had been under pressure and adding, “I am human.”
Clips of Ms Bosch’s ejection and the delegates’ walkout have dominated social media discussions, with many praising the contestants for their unity and condemning what they called bullying behaviour.
Mr Smith said the Bahamian team stands behind Ms Bowe’s actions, describing her as a poised and principled representative. He said her decision to leave the ceremony with others reflected not only solidarity but the strength of character that Miss Universe aims to celebrate.
Police Commissioner hopes to see all-female recruit squad join police force
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
COMMISSIONER of Police Shanta Knowles said she hopes to see an all-female recruit squad join the Royal Bahamas Police Force soon, after two women topped their class at the graduation ceremony for B Squad 2025 in Grand Bahama on Wednesday.
The six-month training programme concluded with 35 new constables officially joining the ranks of the RBPF during a Passing Out and Graduation Ceremony held under the theme Serving with Purpose, Protecting with Pride and Integrity at the Police Training College in Grand Bahama.
Two female recruits captured the highest honours.
Recruit 712 Lakia Johnson earned the Commandant’s Award for achieving the top academic score, while Chelsey Higgs received the Baton of Honour as the best all-around recruit.
Commissioner Knowles praised the new officers for their discipline and commitment, saying she was encouraged by the growing number of women entering the force and by their strong performance.
“When we look at our recruitment drive, we
notice that there are many female applicants who are interested in our organisation, and we also need good, decent, strong men to go into our communities. But, I'm hoping that in the next quarter, I'm able to have a full female squad,” she said.
She congratulated the graduates for completing one of the most demanding training cycles in law enforcement and reminded them that they are entering a profession constantly under public scrutiny.
“You are admonished to always deport yourself above reproach because it is what the general public deserves,” she said, stressing that the police uniform symbolises authority, trust, and integrity. “Your character, honesty, consistency will be defined by how the public sees you. Even when no one is watching, you must choose what is right.”
Commissioner Knowles urged the recruits to serve with empathy and fairness, saying that the most effective officers are those who balance discipline with compassion.
“You have studied Bahamian law, practice restraints, and anti-escalation tactics, completed ethics training, which is very high on my agenda, with emphasis on the code of conduct, and strengthening your sense of service. You have successfully met the standard and passed every test to which you and your families should be proud,” she said.
that joining the force was not simply a career choice but “a calling.”
Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe, KC, told the graduates
“You are no longer recruits,” he said. “You are guardians of the peace, defenders of justice, and protectors of the Bahamian people.”
Mr Munroe warned that in an era where “almost everyone has a camera in their hands,” police conduct would always be under the public eye. He urged officers to uphold professionalism and integrity at all times.
“I urge you to exercise your roles and responsibility with the strictest code of ethics even when it may be dangerous or personally costly,” he said. He also called on citizens to support the police rather than undermine their work. “While we hold the police to a higher standard, let us hold ourselves to some standard,” he said.
MISS Universe Bahamas 2025, Maliqué Maranda Bowe.
THIRTY-FIVE police recruits of the B Squad 2025 completed six months of rigorous training at the Police Training College in Grand Bahama, where a passing out ceremony was held on Wednesday. Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe and Commissioner of Police Shanta Knowles welcomed the newest members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force, which included nine women. Photo: Vandyke Hepburn
Darville vows ‘due process will be followed’ following nurse’s suspension
“I respect the independence of the PHA and the protocols that guide its internal investigations,” he said. “However, we must remember that our nurses continue to serve under tremendous pressure, giving care and comfort to our people every day.”
In an interview with The Tribune , ‘Sister Pearl’ criticised PHA officials’ handling of her case. She said A&E nurses are tired and overwhelmed and suggested the hospital had been better maintained in previous years.
“We never had a problem with rodents,” she said. “We never had a problem to this extent with leaking roofs and everything.”
She said Human Resources officials issued several directives, telling her not to travel, not to visit her workspace, and not to access the hospital except for medical care.
“I said, ‘it's so uncaring how you are treating me. I said, ‘are you considering my response to the suspension?’ Nothing was said. I said, ‘do you know how it's going to affect me when I walk out these doors?’ Nothing was said.”
The video, recorded more than two weeks ago, called on Prime Minister Philip Davis to address several legacy issues at PMH, including insufficient staff and delays in completing the newly renovated A&E department.
She said her video was meant to draw attention
to the old age problems and not to embarrass anyone.
“It was simply to bring an awareness as to what was happening and it seemed as though no one was addressing it,” she said. “My voice matters as staff of PMH and obviously it was taken in the wrong way.”
In its statement, the PHA said the video is being addressed in accordance with their social media policy, which sets strict standards for professionalism, confidentiality, and responsible online conduct.
The authority said breaches of these standards are taken seriously to protect the dignity of patients, adding that beyond disciplinary
action, it is actively strengthening operational protocols and addressing identified gaps. The authority reminded employees of its confidential reporting channels, including an anonymous system managed by the internal audit department. It said employees who wish to raise concerns with the Prime Minister may also do so through his office.
The nurse said she does not recall ever signing a contract restricting her freedom to speak out and claimed an HR official even admitted her suspension was based on an outdated policy.
Bahamas Nurses Union (BNU) president Muriel Lightbourn said the video technically breached the union’s contract but added the nurse remained on paid leave.
Speaking generally, the union president noted that actions should have purpose, aiming for change and solutions rather than creating chaos.
“If I don't know your fight, I don't get in anybody else fight if I don't know what they're fighting for,” Ms Lightbourn added. “But I believe that whatever we do, we ought to do it with a purpose in mind, and not just to cause chaos, but to bring change and to bring resolutions to whatever the fight is.”
‘Sister Pearl’ said she told her superiors she harboured no ill intentions when recording the video.
“I’ve been in nursing for 44 years,” she said. “It's not about me. It's about the silent voices. It's about the patients
who have to access the care at the Princess
Former Health Minister Dr Duane Sands condemned the Davis administration for victimising a “competent” worker for speaking the truth, saying their actions were clearly meant to intimidate and silence her. He said the decision comes amid an ongoing shortage of critical care workers while beds remain closed due to a lack of resources. He said: “After one of your best, one of your committed and one of your talented Bahamian nurses speaks the truth, what is your decision? Penalise her? Outstanding. That’s what you mean when you say cutting off your nose to spite your face.”
‘Sister Pearl’
Margaret Hospital.”
HEALTH AND WELLNESS MINISTER DR MICHAEL DARVILLE
Sands defends suspended nurse
Dr Duane Sands, former Health Minister
Growing up, my mother used to always say that ya shouldn’t cut off ya nose to spite ya face.
We all have heard that... yet the MOHW clearly didn’t understand what that means.
Last week, we all watched a video from a senior critical care nurse begging PM Davis to address the deplorable conditions at our nation’s premier health facility. She was calm, respectful, articulate, professional and passionate.
She spoke the truth – nothing said hadn’t already been said in the public domain. She begged to have the PM prioritise repair of the leaking roof at PMH, provide funds to remediate the lack of supplies that made caring for patients so challenging. She urged that we address a serious rodent problem at our national hospital.
She issued a plea to open A&E after six years of delays in renovation to allow nurses and medical staff to treat patients with dignity.
Self-described as a concerned nurse at PMH, she begged PM
BNU chief expresses concerns over retention as 50 nurses have left over last four months
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter
ABOUT 50 nurses have left the public healthcare system over the last three to four months as the the union pushes for more benefits to improve nurse retention, according to Bahamans Nurses Union president Muriel Lightbourn. Ms Lightbourn did not specify what the union is seeking to include in its new industrial agreement but said she remains hopeful the government will meet their demands.
“Everybody know that our nurses are leaving and nurses are not just going abroad, but they're leaving for other professions that would help them succeed
in their real life and so with this new industrial agreement, we're actually trying to put some things,” she said, adding the country can’t afford to lose more workers
The last industrial agreement was signed in 2022 and ended in October, following an earlier deal in 2020. That agreement provided salary increases, added insurance benefits, and retention bonuses of more than $3,000 depending on criteria. Entry-level salaries started at $26,000 per annum, with the potential to rise to $30,000.
The BNU president also highlighted ongoing delays in promotions and confirmations within the public healthcare system.
Ms Lightbourn pointed
to the acting director of nursing as an example, who has been in the post for more than nine months without confirmation. She called the situation “distasteful” and “a slap in the face.”
“In every department where you have in this country, everybody have a chief there, and that chief is the person who's appointed, who's confirming their position,” she said.
“Why are you taking that stance with nursing? Why is it so long? It's taking so long for us to appoint our Director of Nursing? Why?”
Adding to these frustrations, Ms Lightbourn said about 24 nurses are still waiting to be confirmed and appointed.
Davis to intervene (out of the goodness of his heart.)
For her effort, she was suspended... Let that sink in.
She spoke in general terms... about issues already covered in the press. Every single thing she said was true.
And yet she was victimised... suspended.
Now this is a senior, competent, capable, caring excellent Bahamian ICU nurse. A critical care expert. Speaking the truth...not a word of a lie.
But the response... obviously intended to intimidate and silence truth tellers... suspension.
PMH has a serious shortage of critical care nurses.
Beds are closed in the ICU because we lack qualified nurses.
We import critical care nurses from places as far as ‘Jabim’ because Bahamian nurses are leaving in droves.
So, after one of your best, one of your committed one of your talented Bahamian nurses speaks the truth... the decision is... penalise her.
That is cutting off ya nose to spite your face.
But I say to that Bahamian
patriot who wants better for the Bahamian people. We stand with you. We applaud you. Maybe now they will fix the kitchen at PMH which has been closed for 18 months, Maybe now, A&E will be finally completed so that as many as sixty patients don’t have to lie in a dark hallway waiting to be admitted.
Health care is clearly not a priority of this new day administration.
They prefer to spend money on other so-called priorities, like paving roads for a by-election campaign... while ignoring the needs of our healthcare system.
They are so focused on politics... they will throw anyone under the bus – if they dare speak the truth ... It is cutting off ya nose to spite your face... It is an absolute shame...and absolute disgrace.
The people of the Bahamas see it...
So….it is still a matter of trust. Many Bahamians simply don’t believe they can trust Philip Davis to address the problems facing ordinary Bahamians.
Halsbury Chambers is seeking to employ a Legal Secretary with the following experience:
Three (3) - Five (5) years litigation/commercial/probate experience. Applicant must be able to work on their own initiative. Please send resumes to carolyn.adderley@halsburylawchambers.com
BAHAMANS NURSES UNION PRESIDENT MURIEL LIGHTBOURN
The Tribune Limited
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LEON E. H. DUPUCH,
Publisher/Editor 1903-1914
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Climate change boosted Hurricane Melissa’s destructive winds
By ISABELLA O'MALLEY Associated Press
HUMAN-CAUSED climate change
boosted the destructive winds and rain unleashed by Hurricane Melissa and increased the temperatures and humidity that fuelled the storm, according to an analysis released Thursday.
Melissa was one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes to make landfall and brought destructive weather to Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic and Cuba, causing dozens of deaths across the Caribbean. Roofs were torn off of homes, hospitals were damaged, roads were blocked by landslides and crop fields were ruined.
The rapid analysis by World Weather Attribution found that climate change increased Melissa’s maximum wind speeds by 7% and made the rainfall near the centre of the storm 16% more intense. The scientists also wrote that the temperature and humidity in which the storm intensified were made six times more likely due to climate change compared to a pre-industrial world.
Rapid attribution analyses are a type of research that study factors influencing an extreme weather event and explore what the event would have been like in a world without climate change. They are typically published days or weeks after an extreme weather event.
Melissa slowly tracked across the region and drew in enormous amounts of energy from abnormally warm ocean water. The analysis reported ocean temperatures in Melissa’s path through the Caribbean were about 1.4°C (2.5°F) warmer compared to a pre-industrial climate.
“Warmer ocean temperatures are effectively the engine that drives a hurricane … the warmer the ocean temperatures, the greater the wind speed a hurricane can have,” said Theodore Keeping, a climate scientist who works for WWA and contributed to the analysis.
Melissa is the fourth storm in the Atlantic this year to undergo rapid intensification, which is when a tropical cyclone’s maximum sustained winds increase by at least 30 knots (about 35 mph or 56 kph) in 24 hours.
“A hurricane this rare would actually have had wind speeds about 10 mph (16 kph) less extreme” in a pre-industrial climate, said Keeping. He said research links hurricane wind speeds to economic damage and there would have been less destruction caused by Melissa if the winds were slower.
Scientists have linked rapid intensification of hurricanes in the Atlantic to human-caused climate change. Planet-warming gases released by humans, such as carbon dioxide, cause the atmosphere to hold more water vapour and increase ocean temperatures. Warmer oceans give hurricanes fuel to unleash more rain and strengthen more quickly.
“It’s like basically taking a sponge and wringing it out, and climate change is making that sponge even larger,” said Brian Tang, a professor of atmospheric science at University at Albany.
Tang, who was not involved in the WWA research, said the methodology of the study released Thursday seems robust, and one of the more novel aspects of the analysis was the connection the scientists drew between wind speeds and increase in damage, which he said is a challenging area of research.
Andrew Dessler, professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M University, who was not involved in the WWA research, said the findings of the rapid analysis are in line with existing research about climate change and tropical storms in the Atlantic. “This is completely consistent with our expectation of what’s going to happen in the future,” Dessler said.
Rapid attribution analyses help fill the need for an explanation about the influence of climate change shortly after a catastrophic weather event occurs, said Dessler. He said such analyses are “very valuable as a quick look” before the scientists are able to do more time-consuming calculations.
Dessler said one of the scariest aspects of Melissa was the storm's peak sustained winds of 185 mph (298 kph) winds. “That’s pretty rare to have a storm that strong. And I think that, to the extent that this is a harbinger of the future, it’s not good,” he said.
PICTURE OF THE DAY
AI exposing intellectual dependency
EDITOR, The Tribune. MANY Bahamians are embracing AI as if it were an easy path to brilliance. However, this mindset can be dangerous. If you rely solely on AI to seem intelligent, nothing truly changes. You might appear smart and sound insightful, but those ideas are not your own; they are simply AI reworking the thoughts of others. This is where the real threat lies.
AI is not replacing human effort; it is competing with human creativity and imagination.
Bahamians must not become passive consumers in this new era. We are already facing a cultural crisis where too many people repeat, repost, recycle, and re-share content without truly creating anything new. The advent of AI has made this even easier; you can generate a speech, produce a proposal, write a letter, or draft a policy without engaging your mind. When a nation stops thinking, it stops innovating, and when it stops innovating, it risks becoming economically irrelevant.
The Bahamas is perilously close to becoming a nation where ideas fail to evolve, only opinions do. For decades, dependency thinking has shaped our
mindset. If we don’t cultivate discipline, AI could amplify this dependency. This technology has the potential to make us creators. Still, if we aren’t careful, it may instead magnify our intellectual laziness and turn us into permanent passengers in someone else’s future.
AI reveals a harsh truth: many Bahamians have never been creatively or intellectually productive. Instead, they were merely remixing what culture provided. Artificial Intelligence is now exposing this emptiness on a larger scale. We should utilise AI to enhance original thinking, rather than circumventing it.
AI should serve as a laboratory rather than a crutch. It should assist us in testing models, refining theories, developing business cases, creating prototypes, challenging assumptions, and accelerating discovery. Bahamians must leverage Artificial Intelligence to create new frameworks, solutions, approaches, and industries, rather than using it solely to generate social media content, arguments, or catchy quotes more quickly.
Our national competitiveness relies on this crucial shift.
If The Bahamas turns into a nation of AI Parrots instead of AI Architects, we will fall behind the rest of the world more quickly than during any previous global transformation. We must not allow AI to create a new form of dependency, whether political, welfare-related, or reliant on foreign direct investment, where we wait for others to do our thinking for us.
Artificial Intelligence sets a higher standard, making it impossible for the lazy to pretend otherwise.
The future belongs to those who leverage AI to enhance their minds, not replace them. We must promote this attitude in our schools, business culture, journalism, governance, and innovation economy.
If Bahamians wish to stay relevant, competitive, and sovereign in this technological age, we must recommit to independent thought.
Artificial Intelligence is not the threat; a generation that stops thinking is.
THE LIGHT station at Nassau harbour’s entrance, prior to damage by recent a tropical storm.
Former officer accused of beating a woman at a bar
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A FORMER police constable severely beat a woman at a bar on Custom Way, a court heard.
Prosecutors alleged yesterday that Devaughn Curtis, 22, assaulted Brittney Marshall at The Bay Restaurant and Hookah Lounge on the night of October 25, leaving her with multiple injuries, including
several to her face. Curtis, dressed in a civilian suit, pleaded not guilty to a charge of grievous harm when he appeared before Senior Magistrate Kara Turnquest Deveaux. Sergeant Vernon Pyfrom, who prosecuted the case, raised no objection to bail.
Curtis’s attorney, Ben McKinney, told the court his client had served on the police force for a few years and asked that he be released on his own
Man admitting to
recognisance. However, Magistrate Deveaux refused, saying the system had been abused in the past.
She said Curtis would be granted the same bail opportunity as any other defendant and set bail at $5,000 with one or two sureties.
Curtis was ordered not to contact the complainant or any witnesses. His trial is scheduled to begin on January 26, 2026.
prison escape in Eleuthera sentenced to one year jail
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN who admitted to escaping the Harbour Island Police Station earlier this week was sentenced to one year in prison.
Lavon Nairn, 31, escaped from the station’s cell block around 4.35pm on November 4.
Nairn and his accomplice, Kerven “Kevin” Jonassaint, 38, allegedly caused $4,000 worth of damage to the cell block during their escape.
Jonassaint had also allegedly attempted to escape from the same station the previous day, November 3, during which he is accused of injuring Police Constable
318 Kevin Thomas and Corporal 3462 Michael Rolle.
The pair were captured by police a day after their escape.
Nairn pleaded guilty to a charge of escape before Senior Magistrate Kara Turnquest Deveaux but denied the damage charge.
Jonassaint pleaded not guilty to charges of escape, damage, attempted escape, and two counts of causing harm.
Prosecutors objected to Jonassaint’s bail, citing the risk he posed to public safety and noting that he had several pending charges. At the time of the escape, Nairn was in
COURT QUASHES MAN’S BID TO RE-OPEN APPEAL OVER 58-YEAR MURDER SENTENCE
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN’s bid to reopen his appeal against a 58-year prison sentence for two 2007 murders was refused this week by the Court of Appeal.
Justices Milton Evans, Indra Charles and Deborah Fraser told Jamal Armbrister that his attempt to revisit his sentence appeal had been denied.
The court noted that Armbrister’s case is currently before the Privy Council and said it would not consider reopening the appeal until that process is
complete. Armbrister was convicted of the murders of Emico Russell and Sherwin Miller Jr in 2007.
Prosecutors said Russell was shot and killed by Armbrister inside the Fantasy Lounge in Palmdale, and Miller was fatally shot in the head shortly after the first murder. He was sentenced to 60 years in prison from the date of his conviction on November 6, 2012, but in 2015, the Court of Appeal reduced the term by two years to account for time he spent awaiting trial.
Jacqueline Forbes-Foster appeared for the prosecution.
LPIA monitoring flights amid US govt shutdown
By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
LYNDEN Pindling International Airport (LPIA) has not received indications of possible schedule adjustments or cancellations from US airline partners as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced a 10 percent reduction of flights at 40 airports.
Jan Knowles, Vice President of Marketing and Commercial Development at NAD, said LPIA is in communication with industry partners and airport associations that are closely monitoring the situation and are prepared to manage any challenges that may arise.
“These are major hubs for Nassau, and it is our hope that international flights with connections through our major hub airports are not severely impacted. Notwithstanding, we are closely monitoring incoming flight activity and readying our operations for any delays or cancellations,” she said.
She said passengers should ensure they are in touch with their airlines and aware of the status of their flights.
“They are encouraged to seek out airline websites, airline social media pages and airline apps to proactively get the most up to date information on potential schedule changes. Pay particular attention to all airline notifications, plan
ahead, be flexible and pack an abundance of patience.”
The cuts will take effect today to maintain travel safety as air traffic controller are under strain due to the US government shutdown.
According to USA Today, major airlines were informed that the cuts would begin at four percent on November 7, rise to five percent on November 8, and six percent on November 9, before reaching ten percent next week.
The flight cuts will affect major connecting hubs and popular tourist airports such as Atlanta, Denver, Orlando, Miami, and San Francisco, as well as multiple airports in large cities like Dallas, Houston, and Chicago.
The US government shutdown began after Republican and Democratic congressional leaders failed to pass a stopgap funding bill before the new fiscal year started on October 1. The shutdown started after congressional leaders failed to pass a funding bill before the fiscal year began on October 1. Yesterday, the Senate failed for the 14th time to pass legislation to end the shutdown.
Essential workers, such as air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents, continue to work without pay during the shutdown. Under US law, these workers will receive back pay once the shutdown ends.
‘New monitoring company’s equipment is more advanced’
custody for possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply, while Jonassaint was being held for burglary, shop breaking, attempted escape from lawful custody, causing harm, and resisting arrest.
Jonassaint was denied bail and remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.
Nairn was sentenced to one year in prison for escape and will face trial for the damage charge. He will receive a psychological evaluation while on remand.
Both men’s trials are scheduled for February 4, 2026.
Quinton Percentie represented the defendants.
the country’s sharp decline in murders involving people on bail has continued this year, alongside a broader drop in the national murder rate.
“It's not that you can't remove a device,” Mr Munroe said, “but you now have a robust device where by the time you get it off, they've already alerted the police that this person is tampering with their monitor. If you can recall, that was why the initial termination happened because the persons were removing their devices very easily,
going out, and coming back.”
The government cancelled its previous electronic monitoring contract in March 2024. At the time, officials said Migrafill would begin monitoring more than 600 people. By the end of 2024, murders involving people on bail — a problem that helped spur the overhaul of the monitoring system — had fallen to 11 percent of total killings, down sharply from November 2023, when 42 percent of murder victims were on bail up to that point in the year. Mr Munroe said
Migrafill’s equipment is more advanced, providing immediate alerts and allowing real-time communication with offenders.
He also said the system can issue curfew reminders ten to 15 minutes in advance and allows people to report issues such as car trouble, prompting a police response.
“Migrafill did offer a more robust device, and while I think there have been two people who removed them, when we examined that, Migrafill had alerted the police for quite some time before the person was successful,” he said.
BAIL from page one
NATIONAL SECURITY MINISTER WAYNE MUNROE
Wrecks at Mayaguana, Rum Cay, Inagua, & Samana Cay
MAYAGUANA is significant for more than being the base for the largest ship owners in the archipelago. The island is for many vessels bound into the Caribbean via the Windward Passage, the first rocks they see, and for many leaving the islands for points north, the last. This can often result in shipwreck, as sailing ships, their navigation off by many dozens, maybe hundreds of miles after months at sea, get caught in intense local currents, are unable to see a low-lying island with few lights on it, and come to grief on the reefs and cays. To compound the problem, so few people live on Mayaguana (277 at last count) that once wrecked the people’s fate may not be widely known.
Though wreck historians James Jenney and Dr. Michael Pateman track over 120 vessels to Mayaguana, here we look at a dozen or so from the past 300 or so years – many of them involved in the slave trade or preventing it. The Royal Navy ship HMS Driver was built in 1840 and set a world record is the first steam vessel to circumnavigate the globe in May, 1847. Originally armed with two 10-inch pivot guns, two 68-pound guns, and two 42-pounders, and with a crew of 149 men. She was, per Colledge and Warlow in Ships of the Royal Navy, “wrecked on 3 August 1861 on Mayaguana …during a voyage from Bermuda to Jamaica.” This wooden paddle sloop of 1,058 tons, The Guardian Journal on September 6 relates how the driver was a “fine roomy vessel for her class.” The New York Daily Herald reports on September 3 that following the HMS Driver’s wreck “on Mayaguana reef, Lieutenant Church, R.N. arrived at Grand Turk in the ship Alma, on his way to Port Royal, Jamaica, for the purpose of procuring a vessel for conveying the men and materials belonging to his ship to that place.” He then left on a vessel named Clara.
A few months later, “A schooner was seen ashore in the Mayaguana Passage on October 16th, and a large steamer (supposed H.M.S.
By Eric Wiberg
Driver, before reported), with wreckers alongside by the Carlotta” (Liverpool Mercury). The wreckers were breaking the big ship apart. Recently, divers in the area observed shackle-like items and copper nails, totally encrusted in coral and rust. The area is known for – and named after Booby birds and is a significant one for birdwatchers. The same year the Vermont Christian Messenger of April 6 records under the heading “Pirates Among The Bahamas,” that “the Dutch galliot Jacabina, Legger, master from Jeremie, Haiti and bound for
Gibraltar with a cargo of 2,050 bags of coffee, was run ashore within about four miles of Matthew Town on 23rd February, in a leaky state, having had a wrecker in company for some days.”
The article goes on to record how the cargo was taken off the ship and the “vessel set fire to and burnt by six o’clock PM of the day she was wrecked. Salvage has been settled by a mutual agreement (in italics), between the captain and the salvors, at 45 per cent on dry and 50 per cent of wet coffee and materials.” Apparently the Inaguan magistrate went
to the ship only to discover three holes had been bored in the bottom of the ship, “which probably accounts for the milk in the cocoa nut.” They conclude that “it is a difficult matter to get at the facts in such cases.”
Marine archaeologist Dr. Michael Pateman has documented three wrecks of ships carrying enslaved humans over 50 years from the late 1700s. In 1786 the Marechal de Mouchy ran aground at Mayaguana during a return voyage from Africa to Haiti, where the African captives were sold, prior to the ship wrecking in Bahamas and presumably while on a voyage to either Europe or Africa. Over 30 years later the Spanish slave ship Maria Manuella wrecked in Bahamas in 1818, and her African captives were freed there by British authorities. Then in 1826 during the height of British intervention in the Spanish slave trade with Cuba, the French slaver named Hyppolite struck at Mayaguana, and all her African captives were freed. In 1825 the British reported a merchant ship from Barcelona, possibly named San Francisco de Paula, or Orion, under a Captain Puchol as having wrecked at “Isla Mayaguana, The Bahamas.” The ship was of 19th-century type, and was destined to Havana when it grounded. While not certain, it seems likely that this vessel was involved in some aspect of the Cuban sugar plantation and slave trade.
On January 21, 1943 the Bahamian pleasure boat Paddy Halfready was overdue at Nassau, having left
from the lumber camp at Cornwall, southern Abaco. Several aircraft were sent to look for it for a few days, until the motorboat was located 30 miles west of Mayaguana. Proving that not every ticking bomb goes off, on February 22, 1963 the Newfoundland, Canada cargo ship Okay Service IV of 130 tons, ran aground on a reef at Mayaguana. The ship was owned by the Himmelman Supply Company of St. Johns, and its cargo was dynamite. The Royal Bahamas Police Force “set up a round-the-clock guard near the hulk.”
On January 20, 1975 the Cypriot-flagged 550foot tanker ship Lucky Era struck an eastern reef of Mayaguana, and began sending Mayday signals around dawn. Laden with rum and sugar, and under the command of Capt. Emanuel Patelis, the ship “exploded and burst into flames.” Authorities reported the ship “was engulfed in heavy smoke,” and the US Coast Guard said a Russian ship relayed reports of the deteriorating status of the tanker. Injuries included serious burns, a broken leg and broken arm. The Russian ship, Aleksandr Kollontay, immediately went to their aid and with a USCG helicopter they were able to get a burn victim to a Miami hospital. The Russians lowered their own boats and got 34 of the 37 Greek and other mariners off the Lucky Era. In total two crew were killed and three injured. One crew was Costas Kourmoulis, another William Lee, and the vessel was operated by
Era Marine Corporation of Piraeus, Greece; none of the rum was salvaged. Captain Patelis refused to leave the ship, and the two dead mariners remained as well. There were 15 years of busy strandings on Mayaguana, starting in 1968 with a lighter ship named Archie I, which was lost off Upper Point on the north side, on December 11. The following August a freighter named Pionyr hit a coral reef off the island and was wrecked. In the winter of 1970, on March 31, the motor freighter Vassiliki found itself wrecked on the rocks a mile off Northwest Point Lighthouse. On April 17, 1976 a smuggling motorship named Alegria No. 1 grounded and wrecked on East Reef. Then on February 15 1983, the tanker Anthony P. sprung leaks and sank in the deep waters between Plana Cays and Mayaguana, per wreck historian James Jenney. In 1972 the Nicaraguan-flagged 710-ton motorship Patricia R., built in 1945, sank between Rum Cay and Samana Cay when the cargo shifted. The Cuban steamer Jorge struck a submerged object in 1970 while west of Samana Cay and east of Rum Cay. While neither of the last ships sank on Mayaguana, that island is the last likely place for flotsam – which floats free – and jetsam – which is jettisoned from a ship or land – to end up. It is likely that Mayaguanans know a great deal more about these shipwrecks than the rest of us, simply from what has washed ashore there.
AN ARTEFACT found in recent years by recreational divers at Mayaguana.
STEAM paddle sloop HMS DRIVER, January 1846 en route to becoming the first steam vessel to circumnavigate the globe, the wooden paddle sloop HMS DRIVER, 1,058 tons, passes through Sydney’s Heads to enter Port Jackson. Her circumnavigation was completed on 14 May 1847 on her return to Portsmouth.”
Photo: Public Domain/Wikimedia
GREEK OFFICERS and crew of the Cypriot-flagged tanker Lucky Era aboard the Russian merchant ship which rescued them at Mayaguana in 1975.
FNM holds rally in Golden Isles ahead of November 24 by-election
STANDING TOGETHER: Droves of Free National Movement (FNM) supporters enjoy a rally in the Golden Isles constituency last night ahead of the much anticipated by-election on November 24. Photos: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff