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GOVT WON’T ALLOW RCL’S 150-YEAR LEASE

Brave seeking compromise in Crown land row but says length of deal must change

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net PRESS Secretary Clint Watson said the Davis administration will not let Royal Caribbean International lease seven acres of Crown Land on Paradise Island for 150 years.

He also said Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis wants to amicably resolve the disagreement between RCI and Toby Smith, a local entrepreneur who says he has a lease for three of the seven acres of Crown

Land RCI wants to control.

Mr Smith has told reporters that before the election Mr Davis told him he would cancel any proposed agreement to lease the seven acres of land to RCI. Mr Watson, however, said the government does not yet have a concrete position on the matter.

During a press conference yesterday, he said: “The previous government, as you would have known, granted two people a lease for the same land, Toby SEE PAGE FIVE

LORETTA Butler-Turner, the Davis administration’s newly appointed consultant to the Small Business Development Centre, said she is now aligned with the Progressive Liberal Party, shifting further away from the Free National Movement which she once led in the House of Assembly.

Asked if her new role signifies a preference for the PLP, she said: “I have got to tell you very clearly that as

an independent candidate in the last election that I participated in, obviously you know that I would no longer have been aligned with the FNM and I’ve had four-and-a-half to five years to look at what the previous party I had been a part of had done. I loved, I truly loved - this is no secret – I loved the PLP’s blueprint for ‘a new day’ and I believe that if I could help to make that a reality, then yes, there’s definitely that shift that you’d like to know about.”

SEE PAGE THREE

- SEE PAGE EIGHT

ONE DEAD IN DOUBLE SHOOTING A MAN was killed and another injured in a double shooting in Eight Mile Rock last night.

At the time of reporting, police were on the scene of the shooting in Hanna Hill.

Officers confirmed that one victim was dead, and the other had been taken by ambulance to Rand Memorial Hospital. His condition was unknown.

The incident follows fatal shootings this week of a man on Quakoo Street on Tuesday night and of another man on Sunday night on Murray Street, both in New Providence.

LORETTA - PLP NOW THE PARTY FOR ME

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

NAUGHTY: LAND LEASE IS A CIRCUS BUT NO ONE’S LAUGHING

‘HAND BACK BELLA’S BODY’ THE BODY of murdered toddler Bella Walker was removed from the morgue and taken to a funeral home without the consent of anyone who has legal custody for her remains, an attorney said yesterday. See PAGE TWO for the full story.

DIANE PHILLIPS: THE ATLANTIS LESSON ON XENOPHOBIA

SEE PAGE NINE

‘I’M THE MAN TO LEAD FNM’ LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

WITH one day left until the Free National Movement’s leadership convention, the three contenders vying for the party’s top post are urging party members to turn out in a show of support, all insisting they are the best choice to lead the organisation.

Marco City MP Michael

FNM leadership candidates, from left, Iram Lewis, Kwasi Thompson and Michael Pintard.

Pintard, East Grand Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson and Central Grand Bahama MP Iram Lewis

spoke to The Tribune yesterday, re-iterating their plans if elected as party leader in a final push to gain

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

support before tomorrow’s one-day convention.

SEE PAGE THREE

PAGE 2, Friday, November 26, 2021

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

THE TRIBUNE

‘Hand back Bella’s body’

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

MURDERED toddler Bella Walker’s body was removed from the morgue and taken to a funeral home without the consent of anyone who has legal custody of the remains, attorney Bjorn Ferguson said yesterday.

Mr Ferguson has written to Serenity Funeral Home & Cremation proprietor Michael Hepburn to demand Bella’s body be released to her maternal grandmother, Monalisa Walker.

“If we fail to hear from you by noon on Friday 26, November 2021, we will commence legal proceedings on behalf of Miss Monalisa Walker against your company in the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of The

Bahamas,” he wrote.

Mr Hepburn declined to comment on the matter yesterday.

Bella, four, died after sustaining several injuries earlier this month. Her mother has since been charged with child cruelty while her boyfriend has been charged with murder.

Mr Ferguson said he has visited Bella’s mother and is representing her in relation to the custody of Bella’s body.

“The mother had sole custody of the child,” he said. “By virtue of the fact that she has been remanded, she has given that authority now to her mother to deal with these affairs and arrangements while this situation is going on with her.”

His letter, dated November 25, says: “On the 5th day of November, 2021, our client was advised of the

death of her granddaughter, D’onya Bella Walker.

Our client further advised us that she identified her granddaughter’s body at the Rand Lab as at the 8th day of November, 2021. Upon identifying the body, our client did not provide any instructions to the agents of the Rand Lab relative to release of the body or the burial of the deceased.

“We have been advised that Deno Alexander Smith Jr is the putative father of the deceased and is not so entitled to have control of the body of the deceased or to make any burial arrangements relative to the same.”

Mr Ferguson said Mr Smith never signed Bella’s birth register and that her mother had sole custody of Bella.

“He can’t just insert himself in this equation, the law doesn’t allow him,” he said.

PROBE AFTER PLANE GEAR COLLAPSE LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net THE Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority is investigating after a plane suffered a nose gear collapse in South Abaco early Thursday.

Delvin Major, AAIA chief investigator of air accident investigations, told The Tribune yesterday investigators were alerted to the incident sometime around 9am. He said the plane, which was enroute to Abaco from New Providence, had five passengers onboard, including the pilot.

He said no one was injured.

“We got the report that an aircraft had an incident this morning at the airport in Sandy Point,” Captain Major told this newspaper.

“Upon further enquiries we found the aircraft landed and the nose gear collapsed which caused the aircraft to veer off the runway and there were five persons onboard and nobody was injured so it was in what we would term as a minor incident. It was not a crash.

After the plane landed, the gear just collapsed.”

“We are not sure of the nationalities of the individuals onboard. That’s something we’re still gathering from the authorities on that side. They’re still gathering the information to send that over to us,” he said.

Captain Major could not say what led to the incident as investigations are still ongoing He said: “We’re still gathering information as far as the pilot information, maintenance information to determine whether maintenance was being done in accordance with the regulations and other items like that we’re looking into.”

Sources close to this newspaper said eyewitnesses claimed they had tried to stop the plane from landing ahead of the incident. “They said they had not seen the gear extended on approach, but they were not successful in alerting the pilot that the gears were still up,” the source said.

In July, two Bahamian pilots who flew into Treasure Cay died after their plane crashed, erupting into flames. Investigations later revealed the pilots were not qualified to fly the aircraft.

RAINFALL LEVEL ‘NOT ABNORMAL’

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

INCREASED rainfall during this time of year was yesterday attributed to “a lot” of upper-level systems in the area, according to Chief Meteorological Officer Geoffrey Greene.

However, he said, “it’s not abnormal” when asked about the rainfall experienced this past couple of weeks.

“We’ve had more rainfall during this part of the year than normal because we’ve been getting a lot of fronts and we had a lot of

upper-level systems that give us rainfall,” Mr Greene said.

“So, that’s why we’ve had a lot of activity, but other than that I don’t think we’re still not above the rainfall for the year that we normally accumulate.”

“The total rainfall that we would expect to see is 3.41 inches for the total for November. The rainfall decreases as we go. It will be 1.70 inches for December. That’s what is normal, this average for December.

Not meaning what it will be above that.”

The Atlantic hurricane season officially ends November 30.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, November 26, 2021, PAGE 3

Journalist claims sister’s death was due to negligence

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

SHENIQUE Miller, host of Beyond The Headlines, has criticised the care her sister received at Princess Margaret Hospital, alleging “negligence” was to blame for Swanson Miller’s death.

In a post on her Facebook on Wednesday the host claimed that her sister is “no longer because of poor care, negligence and the lackluster manner in which health-care is administered at the Princess Margaret Hospital”.

This newspaper contacted the Public Hospitals Authority where an official said a statement was to come. However, no statement was released up to press time.

Contacted yesterday, the heartbroken host chronicled her sister’s deteriorating health, telling The Tribune of a phone call from Swanson alerting her to a health issue. It was the begging to a devastating end.

Her sister weighed her healthcare options and ultimately decided to seek treatment at PMH. “Three weeks ago, after I got done with the show, I would normally call them or call my mother, her and two of my sisters, including the one who passed away, they lived together. So, I would call my mother just to say hi and get her feedback,” she recalled.

“My two sisters ended up speaking with me and she asked me - she said her blood count was very low and the doctor told her she has to go to the hospital for a transfusion. She asked me ‘What could I do? Should I

go to PMH or should I go to Doctor’s?’ And I said to her, ‘Listen, I know that you were recently back to work and maybe you’re obviously trying to get back on your feet because she was furloughed for more than a year and a half from Atlantis’.

“She had recently returned to work, and so obviously as someone with a child in college and having depleted savings and all that. You know, you’re trying to hold on to every little cent now to rebuild and to ensure that you have something for your son. But I told her I said on an ordinary day, PMH, has challenges. Now given COVID, it’s a mess. My advice to you is if you can and if you have any funds that is put aside somewhere, anywhere go to Doctor’s.

Meet your deductible, etc, but her focus was you know, Shenique, the deductible is just so much.”

Swanson went to PMH and was eventually admitted, according to Shenique, who told The Tribune that several blood transfusions were administered.

The media veteran explained that her sister was plagued by a “common female aliment” that she was trying to get addressed.

It caused her blood count to also suffer.

After being hospitalised for a little over a week she was discharged and also given a date to be seen at one of the outpatient clinics.

“This is someone who, at the time, a number of tests were performed on her during that time and CAT and CT scans - just a number of various tests that they can see that the

female issue needed to be addressed based on the size of everything,” Ms Miller explained. Later, she noted they wanted to giver her sister an injection.

Despite this, the host said another revelation concerning her sister’s health was revealed.

“My mother said to me that she’s coming up with a shortness of breath. I’m like a shortness of breath, what happened now? I thought everything was okay and she was getting sorted out with getting the surgery done and getting the surgery scheduled and that the doctors were working on that and she said ‘no they’re not doing it’.”

“I said rule out COVID. But it wasn’t.”

Shenique said this shortness of breath continued up to Sunday.

“She sat unattended.

Not much as a cup of water to drink until Monday morning when she was administered drips because at the time she was again gasping for air – having difficulty breathing,” Ms Miller claimed.

However, a family friend who works at PMH reportedly went to the accident and emergency area to take her a cup of water and a cup of tea.

Shenique said of her sister’s condition: “Weak, no energy, and ‘very tired’ were some of the symptoms Swanson experienced.”

It is claimed that Swanson complained that a nurse rushed to have her discharged. It was then that Shenique said she reached out to a senior official for help.

“I sent him her number.

As far as I know he called her. I don’t know if he ever

SWANSON MILLER, the sister of Shenique Miller. followed up further than distance to the house, she that in terms of speaking had to stop, take breaths with doctors or staff in the and and just very laborious.” area,” she said.

On Tuesday, the breathDespite continued ailing ing issue continued. health, Swanson was disThe ambulance was charged Monday evening. called and Ms Miller’s “When my sister went father awakened her that to pick her up… she was something was not right again sitting there breath- with her sibling. less, tired - had to be taken “Based on my mother’s out in a wheelchair. Had to response they walked back be wheeled to my sister’s out and mummy said ‘Well vehicle because she had no what happened they’re not strength to walk. taking her. Why they ain’t “Getting out of the vehi- telling her’. I said mummy cle just to walk a short they are gonna take her.

They’ll take her and I don’t know if it was the emergency medical technicians or my sister and brother. But someone informed my mother and said, it in just these same words - she passed.”

The ordeal has left the family searching for answers.

The family awaits the results of an autopsy for better insight into what led to Swanson’s death. It is a blow the family never imagined, especially with the holiday season approaching.

‘I’M THE MAN TO LEAD FNM’

from page one

This as St Barnabas MP Shanendon Cartwright endorsed Mr Pintard for leader of the FNM. Some of the MP’s campaign promises include engaging Free National Movement freedom fighters, better communicating with the Bahamian public and fighting to include more women in politics among other things.

Speaking to The Tribune, Mr Pintard said he was proud of the campaign he and his team ran in the last several weeks and felt confident about his chances heading into Saturday’s race.

“We are confident going into the weekend but we want to encourage all delegates to come out,” Mr Pintard said yesterday. “It’s a safe environment within in which to vote. The process will be smooth. Once again, I wish to make the case that we are stronger together.

We are weaker when supporters are not inclined to work collaboratively with each other or when during election time, they are disaffected and decide to stay home.

“The consequences could be dire because what we in essence end up doing is selecting an administration that may not act in the best interest of the country.”

After the party’s crushing defeat in September, Mr Pintard said there is a need for the party to become more united, adding that he was the most suitable candidate to do the job.

“Having worked in the past in so many pivotal positions in our organisation, knowing the members of the organisation and understanding the organs of the administration having been in charge of them as chairman, having the correct temperament and not having belonged to any particular camp, I’ve always stood as a unifying force and I’ll continue to do that work as leader as I believe, working with folks even if they have dissenting opinions. I’m prepared to work with persons who see things differently because it’s out of that dialogue we will arrive of the best possible solution.”

“I also believe there’s a need for leadership that will communicate and work with others with a spirit of humility. Good ideas not only flow from the top from the bottom, but from the bottom to the top in all directions in our organisation. Hence, being a good listener is extremely important. Communicating even tough messages to the public with a sense of humility is very important, especially in the midst of this pandemic.”

For his part, Mr Lewis described himself as a “team player” who will listen to party members irregardless of their rank.

“The message I’ve been selling is

that we are open to listening, open to talking, I’m a team player,” Mr Lewis said yesterday. “I’m going to have a seat at the table for the youth’s arm of the Free National Movement, the TYA to give them a seat at the table and allow them to have their input in the way forward.

“I want to give the women’s association a seat at the table to allow them to use their abilities, their strengths, their smarts to help strengthen our party and I want to give our MCM’s, our freedom fighters, a seat at the table because they’re bringing their wisdom.”

“So again, I’m a team player,” the FNM MP added. “I will listen to the voices of all who are a part of this party because we do have the talent internally.

We have a chance now to do an introspection of where we are and make the necessary adjustments to make the FNM an even better party so I feel confident going out there. I want to bring something new to the table and we’re starting from the bottom up.”

Sharing similar plans, Mr Thompson told The Tribune yesterday his vision is to move the party forward, noting his record speaks for itself.

“We feel very, very confident going into Saturday,” he said. “We have reached out to hundreds of FNM delegates. We’ve made the case to those delegates that I’m the better choice and that I have a vision to move the party forward and that persons who would’ve looked at my record and have been able to look at my experience of being an attorney, experience of being a former member of parliament, deputy speaker and also a former Cabinet minister for Grand Bahama and in particular former Cabinet Minister with responsibility for the Ministry of Finance.”

“We’ve made the case to delegates that the party needs new energy and passion and really a new way of politics and that I have what it takes to unite the party having served under (former prime minister) Hubert Ingraham and having served under (former prime minister) Dr Hubert Minnis and that I have the ability to reach out to all sides and keep all sides together in addition to the vision plan of focusing on service and ensuring that we do those things that rebrand the party and take the party back to our core principles.”

In a press statement last night, Mr Cartwright said while all of the leadership candidates should be lauded for their contributions, he was of the view that Mr Pintard fulfilled the demand for generational change and transformational leadership that Bahamians have wanted for a long time.

“In this moment with his capacity to unify the Free National Movement it is my humble belief that Michael C Pintard fulfils that promise,” Mr Cartwright said.

LORETTA Butler-Turner during the Parliament swearing-in ceremony.

LORETTA - PLP NOW THE PARTY FOR ME from page one

Mrs Butler-Turner’s new appointment and alignment with the PLP are significant developments in her storied public life.

She became the first woman to be Leader of the Official Opposition in December 2016 after most of the FNM’s parliamentary caucus voted to oust former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis from that role.

She was first elected to the House of Assembly in 2007 as the Member of Parliament for Montagu and was elected MP for Long Island in 2012. She was Minister of Social Services from 2012 to 2017. Running as an independent candidate in 2017, she lost her re-election bid and subsequently retired from frontline politics.

Her grandfather, former Governor-General Sir Milo Butler, is a figure of foundational significance in the PLP. Over the years, some PLP supporters have hoped she would follow him and align herself with the party.

During a press conference at the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday, Mrs ButlerTurner said she hopes to make a positive difference as consultant to the SBDC. “…Over the last four-and-a half years my life has been truly devoted especially to young people, in making them more self-sufficient in their dreams and in expanding our economy,” she said.

“I was delighted to be invited to this

particular position because I believe that small businesses, micro businesses and selfemployment is truly a part of what we need in The Bahamas when we talk about inclusion.

So, today it is a great privilege and an honour for me to take on this challenge.

“I am so proud of the fact that people would say most Prime Ministers choose people who are party supporters, who are persons within their advisory. I’m so glad that as a Bahamian, a nationalist, that the Prime Minister saw what I was doing, appreciated it, saw that I could probably be a very good fit for the dreams of the PLP, the ‘new day’ government in expanding our economy.

“Most importantly for entrepreneurship he knows that I have a very strong passion for women so one of my mandates is also to ensure that women in particular are given the ability to build their own businesses. As you all very well know, the majority of our households are run by women.

“As you also well know, there have been so many workers that have been displaced, displaced from their jobs, displaced from their homes by natural disasters, Hurricane Dorian, but these displaced workers have a lot of latent talent, they have a lot of ability to be able to be creative, they have the ability to do things on their own because jobs have become very difficult and so we’ve seen a plethora of growth in that regard and we want to be able to help direct that.”

PAGE 4, Friday, November 26, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Million tourists target’s in reach

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net TOURISM Director General Joy Jibrilu said hotels are seeing record occupancy levels for the Thanksgiving period and a target of one million stopover visitors by year-end is within reach.

She said projections for the first and second quarters of 2022 are positive despite a fourth wave of the COVID virus affecting the United States and European countries.

“Our hotels are stating that they are seeing record occupancies for the Thanksgiving period,” she said during a press conference at the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday.

“In fact, we are seeing occupancies in the hotels 90 percent and beyond so numbers are above that of what we saw in 2019, which was a banner year for us. And the good news is it’s not just hotels in Nassau, Paradise Island, but the Family Islands who have been doing well throughout our recovery period. And this confirms the position that The Bahamas is ahead in terms of its recovery when we look at where the world is globally.”

Ms Jibrilu said The Bahamas could record its one million stopover guests for the year, a once ambitious target set by former Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar.

“When we floated that number in September, that seemed like a far-off dream,” she said. “We said wow, what if we reached one million stopover visitors in 2021, unbelievable, no one would imagine it.

But that dream is a possibility and so that would be great.”

“But it’s more than that at this stage. We’re realising that during our recovery, it’s not necessarily about the quantity of numbers, it’s the quality of numbers. So, what we have seen that’s been tremendous is that our hotel occupancy rates, while they’re good, what we call the ADR, average daily rate for these hotel properties, they’ve not dropped, they’ve increased. Visitor

TOURISM Director General Joy Jibrilu. spend has increased so what we’re hoping to see is real uptick in economic input into the destination.

So, I think that’s going to be very interesting at the end of the year to say, yes, we made our goal of a million but more than that, the spend that we saw in 2021 was equal to that of a great year and so that’s what this year is unveiling for us.”

The improving tourism numbers and forecast come as fears grow about a fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although cases have recently declined in The Bahamas, some countries are again imposing restrictions, which can affect the ability of their residents to move and travel.

“As we look at projections, as I stand now, for the first and second quarter of 2022, our projections are

trending very, very well,” Ms Jibrilu said. “Sometimes I look at the projections, I don’t just look at them in the context of The Bahamas, which is, of course, my primary interest; I then say how are we comparing regionally, how are we comparing globally? And it does give cause for you to look two and three times and say is The Bahamas really doing that well? So, if we look at where we are now, we’re in a very, very good place.

Ms Jibrilu said a move among some countries to avoid policies that wound the economy could help maintain the positive forecast for tourism in The Bahamas.

“The thing with COVID19,” she said, “is that it is such a dynamic situation, the situation changes daily.

I look at Germany and I look at France, I look at the rest of Europe. (We’re) so excited with the airlift coming out of those places.

But we see the measures that the governments of those countries are going to put in place that can potentially restrict people leaving those jurisdictions.

“The United States, I think, they too have reached a stage where they too recognise that they are balancing the economy with a health crisis and so in terms of measures for closures, I don’t think that’s an immediate concern that we in The Bahamas or anyone in the tourism sphere has.

“I think a lot of countries are at that place where they are making the hard decisions to say vaccinations are the key and I should state that our hotel partners are

telling us and it’s being confirmed by the travel health visa, up to 70 percent of all visitors coming to The Bahamas are fully vaccinated and that’s a big plus as well.”

The US Centres for Disease Control recently improved The Bahamas’ travel rating advisory from level four to level three.

Ms Jibrilu said that shift is already positively impacting the tourism industry.

“If we look at our major resort properties,” she said, “Atlantis, Baha Mar, a lot of their business is predicated upon group business. They have larger conference facilities, meeting rooms, meeting spaces and that’s really where a great deal of their business comes from. I want to say that’s the cream of the business for them.

With a level four rating

many, many companies had put in place a measure that said their companies would not travel to jurisdictions where the CDC had a level four rating and so this was having an impact on our groups, our conferences, our ability to host the major events, so Battle for Atlantis, the hoops event they are having there that is attracting huge amount of visitors.

Those events were really under question marks with the level four rating.

“With the level three rating, all of a sudden that means that every manner of business can return to the jurisdiction. And we’re seeing it immediately. I think the hotels will tell you that the level of interest in The Bahamas as a destination has been tremendous and so they are going to benefit.”

FREE COVID TESTING ‘IN FIRST QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR’

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRESS Secretary Clint Watson says the government will provide free COVID-19 testing in the

first quarter of next year.

The Progressive Liberal Party promised free testing in the lead-up to the general election. To date, the government has launched a pilot free testing programme in Inagua and Eleuthera

involving antigen tests.

Mr Watson said yesterday: “What’s happening with free testing is obviously they’re working to go through the system of ensuring the systems could work. With free testing

Death Notice for Michael Gladwin Lowe, 76 of Marsh Harbour, Abaco, The Bahamas died at his residence on Monday 22nd November, 2021.

He is survived by his siblings, Eleanor Bethel, Retta Lowe, Myrtie Lowe and Cheryl Lowe Cooke; brother-in-law, Scott Lowe; sister-in-law, Annie Lowe and his ex-wife, Sharon D’Arville; nephews, Richard Parks (Mary), Todd Lowe and Stuart Lowe (Ashley); nieces, Donna Patterson (Reg), Lisa Sawyer (Perry), Wendy Sims (Troy), Rebekah Tedeschi (Robert), Rhonda Albury (Chris), Kara Rogers (Darren), Erika Murray (Chris), Jessica and Jennifer Cooke; grand nieces and nephews, Gina Pinder (Todd), Christina McIntosh (Jamal), Ryan and Tonya Patterson, Chelsea Raffield (James), Kate and Emily Sims, Peter, Logan, Elizabeth, Hannah and Lilly Tedeschi, Noah and Silas Albury, Sarah, Payton and Paige Rogers, Kinley and Lincoln Murray and Sidney Lowe; great grands, Levi and Isaac Pinder and Ethan and Jordyn McIntosh and numerous family and friends.

Special thanks to His caregiver Paulette Arnett.

Michael was predeceased by his parents, Eric and Bernicer Lowe, two sisters, Janet Parks and Kathy Lowe and one brother, Jerry Lowe.

Funeral arrangements to be announced.

Arrangements by Kemp’s Funeral Home Limited.

comes an important system, which is contact tracing and we want to strengthen that. We’re not pleased with where contact tracing is yet and the system used to contact trace. We believe when we ramp up free testing, we need to ensure contact tracing works so that we benefit from the programme. And so, what’s happening now is they’re securing more people and going through more training and upgrading the programmes. Once that happens, we expect testing to begin in the first

quarter of next year.”

Mr Watson said officials cannot yet say how much free testing will cost and how it will be paid for.

Meanwhile, he said officials are still in the process of finalising boards.

“Boards are complete,” he said. “The exercise is slowing up because of the contacting of people. The challenge is that the boards have been appointed.

What’s happening now is the process of notifying people of their board appointments and trying to reach everyone

before it is announced or released. You’re not only doing that, but you’re waiting on people to agree, consent. There are some matters that might be conflicting with somebody being able to serve on a particular board based on various circumstances so you have to sort all of that out before the boards can be gazetted and announced.

“I’ve gotten another commitment that hopefully sometime next week the process is going to be complete.”

‘PILOT’ PLAN FOR FREEDOM OF INFORMATION PRESS Secretary Clint Watson says the government has identified several agencies to assist with the rollout of a pilot Freedom of Information programme.

While he was unable to say when the programme will run, Mr Watson told reporters yesterday officials are working on several key initiatives to allow for a smooth launch of the pilot system, one of which includes finding a “suitable location” to house FOI offices.

He also said a consultant has been hired to prepare an operational strategy among other things.

“We are moving to find a suitable location so that we can effectively roll out the operational plan. That’s the first thing that’s happening,” Mr Watson said during a press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister.

“There is a consultant hired that has been preparing an operational strategy which we are putting in place. We are hiring the necessary staff from the training agencies and it’s important to say to

you that there is a training programme that needs to be rolled out in order to prepare the government agencies.”

As for which agencies will be utilised to facilitate the pilot programme, Mr Watson said they are: “The Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, the Public Service, Bahamas Investment Authority, Bahamas Power and Light and Ministry of Works and Utilities.

“Those will be the pilot programmes where we begin first with the Freedom of Information,” he added.

Asked if people will be able request information from those respective agencies, he said: “That’s usually how it works and what happens and that is why the programme is important because we’ll define whether we’re able to fully implement the entire thing... or are we moving it in stages and that’s what we’re waiting for the consultant to determine when

they build the programme.

How are we going to move into it?”

“It’s going to be a process to make sure that all of these agencies, particularly since they are a part of the pilot programme, are trained and understand their responsibilities and understand how we get information to people and to know the process of doing that. So, once we’re able to identify this process, obviously one of my recommendations has been to ensure that the press is informed and a part of this training process because we want y’all to utilise it.”

In May, the Minnis administration appointed retired Supreme Court Justice Keith Thompson as the nation’s first Freedom of Information Commissioner and Shane Miller, a retired Assistant Director of Legal Affairs (ADLA), as his deputy.

The move was a part of the former government’s promises to fully enact the Freedom of Information Act, though the substantive law has yet to fully come into force.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, November 26, 2021, PAGE 5

Govt won’t allow RCL’s 150-year lease from page one Smith as you mentioned, and, of course, Royal Caribbean. We know you can’t grant two different people the same plot of land.

“Toby Smith... was granted the land first. If you go to court and discuss this, the court will say ‘well, who was granted the land first ought to be the one who holds the land’ so we realise what’s happening even if it went to court.

“We’ve been talking to both parties on this matter.

(The) position has always been known by the Prime Minister and that is Bahamians first. That has not changed, it will not change.

The agenda of Bahamians always comes first.

“What we’re trying to do though, because of the nature of the situation, is find an amicable agreement for both parties, for all to be satisfied in this and most importantly, not just for both sides, but for the Bahamian people. Bear in mind this is a Prime Minister and an administration

that thinks about the Bahamian people in every decision. So, while you’re dealing with parties on both sides, at the end of the day it has to be what benefits the Bahamian people in the long run.

“The Prime Minister says he believes he has the solution and he’s going to discuss that soon with both sides and we await to see their response on that, but he believes he has something that will benefit both sides, but at the end of the day will also benefit the people.”

Mr Smith is behind a $2m investment in the adjacent Paradise Island Lighthouse & Beach Club project. In an ongoing court matter, he alleges he has a valid Crown Land lease for two parcels of land included in RCI’s Crown Land lease.

He says his lease is legally binding.

Tribune Business reported this week that the Minnis administration, in an agreement executed on May 25, 2021, effectively gave RCI up to a 150-year lease over the seven acres

14 SWORN IN AS BAHAMAS CITIZENS

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FOURTEEN people were sworn-in as Bahamian citizens at an official swearing-in ceremony yesterday in Grand Bahama.

Grand Bahama Minister Ginger Moxey congratulated the new citizens, who took the oath of allegiance, sang the Bahamian national anthem and recited the pledge.

The individuals were then presented their citizenship papers, which entitles them to a Bahamian passport and all civil and political rights and full protection under the Constitution of the Bahamas.

The ceremony was held at the Bahamas Union of Teachers Hall in Freeport.

Also, 48 immigration officers received their promotions during the Bahamas Immigration Promotions, Confirmations and Recognition ceremony, which preceded the swearing-in.

Also in attendance were Minister of Immigration and Labour Keith Bell and Minister of Social Services and Urban Development Obie Wilchcombe.

Ms Moxey told the 14 individuals that today represents the end of a long frustration and uncertainty, and the beginning of a new life.

As Bahamian citizens, she said there comes obligations and expectations, such as unconditional loyalty to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

The minister explained that unlike other countries, in The Bahamas citizenship is not necessarily conferred automatically on people who are born here. But rather, the Constitution provides for an entitlement to citizenship through registration for certain categories of persons, she said.

“The granting of citizenship is, therefore, a very serious matter not only for us in the government, but also for you our new citizens. The granting of citizenship represents the highest recognition and privilege that government can bestow on an individual,” said Minister Moxey.

“And for you, I am sure the decision to renounce your citizenship rights in some other country in many cases, the land of your birth, to pledge unqualified allegiance to a new country requires… a great deal of personal courage.”

“In accepting you as

citizens, care was taken to determine your good character, personal endorses, skills, talents, and your demonstrated involvement in and for concern of the community.”

Immigration Minister Keith Bell said efforts are being made to address the backlog of citizenship applications in the northern Bahamas.

“We know that there are a number of persons in Grand Bahama and Abaco, and the northern Bahamas, and the Acting Director of Immigration and her team are working assiduously to deal with the backlog,” he said.

Mr Bell noted that due diligence is very important when processing of applications.

“We are not necessarily concerned with the numbers as much as we are concerned with ensuring that applications are done as efficiently and that there is due diligence. That is very fundamental because we do know that there are cases of fraud.

“And we do know there is an issue with establishing a national system of identification in the Bahamas. So, all the documents that are required from the respective countries we ensure we get them before an application is even considered,” he explained.

Minister Bell said stateless individuals in The Bahamas face many challenges and their lives are “put on hold”.

“In order to get a job, you need identification. You can’t get a passport; you can’t open a bank account; you can’t get a national insurance. And even if you get that, there are issues as to where you can go and the kind of employment you can have. And, more importantly, if you want to get higher education there are all these requirements, and their lives are basically put on hold until they are able to be processed.

When asked about issue concerning contract workers on Grand Bahama, Minister Bell said it is given priority by the government.

“It is an issue that is being addressed by the Ministry of Labour, and addressed by the Cabinet of The Bahamas. Unfortunately, I cannot pre-empt Cabinet and cannot discuss Cabinet business, but I can give assurance to the contract workers that the matter is being given attention at the highest level.”

of land.

Mr Watson said: “Now Royal Caribbean does own land, some 13 acres and then the seven acres that they were seeking to lease from the government. What you ought to also understand is we’re not going to do any ad hoc crazy deals.

We would have seen the stories in your paper about these leases that go on for years and so forth. That’s not what’s going to be what the outcome is for the Bahamian people, for this administration.

“There is no wrap up of a deal yet, there’s no concretising of a deal yet for both sides.”

AN ARTIST’s impression of the planned Royal Caribbean resort.

PAGE 6, Friday, November 26, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

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Can 150-year Royal Caribbean deal be changed?

IT IS interesting to see the Davis administration leap into action over the Royal Caribbean lease of Crown Land on Paradise Island.

Just over a week ago, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis was all smiles and praising the company’s efforts to minimise the effect of its fleet on the environment. Now, after The Tribune reports the details of a potential 150year lease for a pittance of annual rent, Mr Davis is planning to prevent such a deal, it would seem.

Press secretary Clint Watson said: “What you ought to also understand is we’re not going to do any ad hoc crazy deals. We would have seen the stories in your paper about these leases that go on for years and so forth. That’s not what’s going to be what the outcome is for the Bahamian people, for this administration.”

First of all, we would hope that when this paper published those details, it was not the first time the government realised what had been agreed to.

Secondly, it’s not a matter of not doing any “ad hoc crazy deals”. This deal was signed on May 25 this year. It’s not just one deal either – Royal Caribbean has a seabed lease for the project as well.

From a public relations view, it does no harm for the reputation of the new government with voters if it is seen to be fighting against a deal signed by its predecessors, especially one that has been done with a foreign company while a Bahamian entrepreneur is locked in a legal wrangle to try and get approval – and land - for his business right next door. Where the harm comes is if businesses, local or otherwise, get the perception that agreements that are signed won’t be honoured.

But good luck to Mr Davis for making any headway in substantially changing a deal in both its length and the amount of money it raises – that won’t be easy.

Royal Caribbean has the signed agreement in hand, so it is in a position

of strength for any renegotiation, and can always choose to walk away if the deal isn’t right.

Mr Watson says, meanwhile that Mr Davis wants to amicably resolve the disagreement involving that Bahamian entrepreneur, Toby Smith, as well.

Perhaps that might be the key to resolving the matter – finding a way in which both parties can co-exist, especially as Mr Watson says that Mr Smith was granted the land first.

The making of this mess was not by this administration – so the blame for getting us here does not fall on them.

Where we go from here will be on their shoulders, however, and it will be interesting to see the outcome – both in terms of length of lease and the amount being paid for it.

Loretta returns Welcome back to the political scene, Loretta Butler-Turner.

Mrs Butler-Turner has been appointed by the government as a consultant to the Small Business Development Centre – although the eye-catching line is that the long-time FNM now says she has a PLP leaning.

From challenging for leadership of the FNM, to ousting Dr Hubert Minnis as Leader of the Opposition in 2016, she has since lost as an independent candidate in 2017 and now finds herself hired by those she once opposed. It is quite a journey, but however we got here, her voice is welcomed back in the public arena. There are those who agree with her, those who disagree with her, but she has always been a strong voice on Bahamian matters.

For now, she will bring that voice to helping to build small businesses and especially in helping young entrepreneurs to achieve their dreams.

What will the future bring? That we must wait and see.

Debt, debt and debt EDITOR, The Tribune.

A PAST writer was spot on when he wrote and estimated that BPL’s bad accounts had to exceed $100m.

What if BPL had required 50 percent of the monthly bill to be paid and to qualify the customers with substantial arrears who would have had to agree to “salary deduction” rather than the cheque in the mail!

BPL like our National Financials totally mismanaged – not any sense of good housekeeping.

Water & Sewerage wonder how much there? $60m plus minus?

NIB lost at least 17,000

contributions for over 23 months... no that was not a negative. Crazy as it seems if your employer had furloughed you, he did not have any reason to pay NIB, but the employee could not seek alternative work unless they were willing to prejudice their existing work status ... was that fair?

Now employers want to extend the 12 weeks for Redundancy to kick in to a further 90 days till March 2022!

Seems from March 2020 everyone – well the majority – stopped paying any bills to utilities or Government.

Oh, is it really better in

the Bahamas? When will the majority understand the sequence – taxes are levied to pay for Government – don’t pay we end up borrowing and borrowing till, yes, Dr Minnis you were hit by a head wind, but no one can describe your management since July 2017 as competent – no one.

More and more the truth is being told…this coming week with the House debate on the Davis Supplemental Budget I expect more and more to be exposed and doubt it will be understood by most.

B FERGUSON Nassau, November 23, 2021.

Make the most of millionaires EDITOR, The Tribune.

TONY Gomez was featured in comments to The Tribune’s Neil Hartnell…

“We need more from resident millionaires”…Not a new subject for the Bahamas if you don’t close your mind, but recall how Sir Stafford Sands created the “Belonger” and the flow of Europeans running away from the war in Europe offering a better location to reside, even if just for sixmonths. How did Lyford Cay happen? Precisely because of this Stafford policy… Sir Harold Christie attracted the Canadian developer wealthy person EP Taylor and from bushpart-swamp Lyford was created and today embellishes our economy by over $60m annually.

What interested this writer were the comments after the publishing of Tony Gomez’s interview... numerous, but if I counted right only a single ‘No’ – no way will I accept the giving of citizenship.

Editor, Google economic residency in the Caribbean and popping up will be programmes from virtually all the small states - St Lucia - St Kitts Nevis and on and on.... glowing reports how their economic citizenship programme benefited their Balance of Payments - their Debt [hmm we have a massive issue there].

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net One thing is certainly true, COVID has seen a considerable interest for finding a suitably very healthy place to live .... even under the cloud of COVID Real Property sales have been booming - go to Executive Airport LPIA - Abaco - Exuma Eleuthera airports you see numerous executive jets and in the marinas mega yachts which pre-COVID were here but not in the numbers being appreciated.

One yacht per a cruise can spend $16-20,000.00 easy on food provisions!

If a millionaire buys or builds a mansion even if he rarely uses it that property needs maintenance - can be rented in AirBnB – we charge VAT on that – will need domestic staff all new revenue – revenue that the Treasury so desperately needs... Compare that level of revenue to cruise visitors? $100.00 a pop in comparison to $’000’s and we give zero Tax concessions to these new residents.

Interesting Tony Gomez quotes Attorney Sean McSweeney, QC…he proposed this back in 2014 some seven years ago, Christie Government imagine if enacted what the new

revenue flow could have been? Millions could have been billions earned. What I like is that the McSweeney concept limited the grants of citizenship.

Look into the Caribbean where they have just Permanent Resident programmes the earning/fees to the Government are very small in comparison to Economic citizenship ..... as a new Treasury Capital revenue issue clearly citizenship is the obvious favored approach and we need cash, cash now!

This could be a world beater, you know how we love to be the best and the world’s most famous even before the issue is in place - Economic citizenship can take that title to bed.

Editor... the potentials are enormous. Really are these millionaires interested in voting? The short list of consideration I suggest proven by global experience is getting that passport…Healthy climate…close proximity to the US...speak English and probably the cleanest air in the world why should they even think about voting and to make any difference how many would you need to grant.

Tony Gomez, you got it - thanks.

JEROME BURROWS Nassau, November 20, 2021.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, November 26, 2021, PAGE 7

A chance to give thanks A PRE-THANKSGIVING day event was held by Nassau Village MP Jamahl Strachan for members of the Bahamas Alliance for the Blind and Visually Impaired (BABVI).

Members were treated to a full Thanksgiving meal with dessert at his Nassau Village constituency office on Soldier Road. In addition to a hearty meal and good conversation, Strachan made a donation to BABVI towards their continuing efforts to empower blind and visually impaired members of society.

“It was indeed a pleasure to celebrate a pre-Thanksgiving dinner with the members of BABVI,” MP Strachan said.

“I strongly believe that inclusion is needed. The civil rights of the disabled should not be impeded on. I will continue to advocate for programs which will enable the members to cultivate their skills and abilities. The right to employment without prejudice, accessible transportation and housing is for all, in this great Commonwealth. I am steadfast in my commitment to the disabled community. It is my hope, that the donation given, will aid in some capacity for the betterment of the organization.”

Robertha Johnson, BABVI president, thanked Mr Strachan for his kind gesture and the donation, which she said would assist in their efforts to make life easier for their members.

BABVI can be reached at: 80-BABVI [22284], or email babvi.101@gmail.com, or visit their Facebook page at BABVI Bahamas.

Fake COVID test claim must be answered

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A MAN accused of attempting to use a fraudulent COVID-19 test to travel domestically earlier this year has a case to answer, a magistrate ruled yesterday.

Joseph Wallace Whitfield is currently on trial before Magistrate Samuel

McKinney after he denied possessing and uttering a forged document.

Prosecutors alleged that Whitfield presented a fake Doctors Hospital health system negative COVID-19 RT PCR test to a COVID ambassador and an airport official at Lynden Pindling International Airport in March.

Jennifer Bonaby was the first witness to testify in

the trial against Whitfield during his trial. During her testimony, the COVID ambassador said she was stationed at the domestic terminal at Lynden Pindling International Airport.

She said when Whitfield approached her desk around 6.05am, she asked him to show her his health visa, ID as well as his negative COVID test. She said when he presented the

DRUGS IN GIFT BOXES COST MAN $2,500 FINE

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was fined $2,500 after he was found driving around with two pounds of marijuana concealed in two gift boxes.

Andre Campbell was arrested after officers found the drugs in his car on November 22.

He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess dangerous drugs and possession of marijuana with the intent to supply, when he appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney.

The court was told that around 4.18pm on the day in question, police on mobile patrol, acting on information, proceeded to an area near the Airport Authority.

There they identified an Infinity vehicle that Campbell was driving. After they beckoned for him to stop, they informed him that he and his car would be searched for dangerous drugs and firearms. While officers did not find anything illegal on Campbell, they found two Christmas wrapped packages, which both contained a quantity of marijuana in

the backseat of Campbell’s car. He was subsequently arrested and taken to a nearby station, where he declined to comment in an interview with police.

After pleading guilty, Campbell told the magistrate he made a “bad mistake” and asked the court to be lenient in its sentencing.

He was fined $2,000 for possessing the marijuana and another $500 for conspiring to acquire it. If he doesn’t pay the fines, he will be sentenced to six months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

MARIJUANA FOUND AFTER HIGH-SPEED CHASE

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A POLICE officer found a quantity of marijuana in a car occupied by three men who led them on a highspeed chase, a court was told.

Duwayne Tomlinson, Stanley François and Alex Johnson were arrested in September after police found in the car three vacuum sealed packages that each contained Indian hemp.

At their first court appearance, Tomlinson admitted the offence and was fined $5,000 or nine

months in prison.

However, François and Johnson denied the allegations and their matter was adjourned for trial.

When police constable 4041 Enrico Anderson gave evidence, he said that around 2.35pm that day, officers on mobile patrol near Zion Boulevard noticed a heavily tinted Nissan Cube travelling in the eastern direction at a high rate of speed. PC Anderson said he then beckoned for the car to stop by using his patrol car’s lights, sirens and fog horns and informed its three occupants they would

be searched for dangerous drugs and firearms.

The court was told that when the officer searched the car, they found three large silver and black vacuum sealed packages with marijuana in a Super Value plastic bag that was resting on the backseat in plain sight.

PC Anderson said he then arrested the men and took them to the East Street South police station.

He said when he questioned François and Johnson there, they appeared to be nervous.

The matter continues on January 31, 2022.

BAIL GRANTED IN FIREARM ASSAULT CASE

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A 56-YEAR-OLD man was granted bail after he faced allegations that he used a loaded firearm to assault his relative.

Prosecutors allege that Charles McQueen was found with a black and

silver coloured 9mm Taurus pistol with seven unfired rounds of 9mm ammunition on November 24.

They further alleged that he threatened to kill and assaulted his nephew with the gun that same day.

He denied the allegations and the matter was adjourned to next year for trial.

In the meantime, McQueen was granted $9,000 bail. As part of the conditions of his release, he must have no contact with any of the witnesses involved in his case.

If he fails to comply with the the conditions of his release, he could risk being remanded until the completion of his trial.

SUSPECT ACCUSED OF EIGHT MILE ROCK KILLING

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

A GRAND Bahama man was charged with murder in the Freeport Magistrate’s

Court on Thursday.

Jake Rigby, 22, of Eight Mile Rock, appeared before Magistrate Simone Brown. The matter is in connection with the death of a male teenager at a bar

in Jones Town, Eight Mile Rock.

Rigby was not required to enter a plea and was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Corrections until March 21, 2022.

required travel documents, she noticed a “red flag” on the COVID test.

When Harriet LundyGardiner, the hospital’s director of laboratory services, gave evidence, she also said she was asked to confirm whether Whitfield’s PCR test results were fraudulent or legitimate at the time of the incident. She said when the documents were run

through the hospital’s management system, it was revealed the accused did not get his test from the medical facility.

The court was told Whitfield’s counsel, Damien Gomez, QC, presented a written no-case submission to the court for its consideration.

Yesterday, Magistrate Samuel McKinney said after reviewing the

document and considering the evidence of the case, he found Whitfield did have a case to answer concerning the first two charges brought against him.

As a result, Mr Gomez told the court his client intended to call witnesses to testify on his behalf and requested a brief adjournment.

Whitfield returns to court on January 17, 2022.

PAGE 8, Friday, November 26, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Land lease is a circus but no one’s laughing THE greatest showman who ever lived, PT Barnum, gifted the world with this hard truth; “There’s a sucker born every minute.”

Until recent years, I didn’t know that many of them eventually go to work as politicians, and end up negotiating on “the People’s” behalf.

There’s no nicer word to describe whoever is behind the recently disclosed $140,000 per year Crown Land lease that Royal Caribbean secured from the former Minnis administration, which will still be in place when we’re all dead and our descendants have colonised Mars.

According to this newspaper, Royal Caribbean may make $650m over the first 25 years (of a potential multi-year lease) while our treasury takes in a paltry $3.5m by comparison.

I’m no economist, but that math is not mathing.

Who negotiated this deal on our behalf? And, more importantly, was there a gun, knife, or conch shell present, aimed at essential body parts?

Royal Caribbean also appears to have the power to say whether this lease lasts for 150 years. For those counting, that’s six generations from now. Six being the operative number, since only the devil himself ever attempted a greater heist.

Imagine – fellow modern humans – were we to go 150 years into the past, we would find ourselves in 1871. Back then, Queen Victoria sat on the throne, the second German Empire formed, and the United States was a mere toddler.

In 1871, the lightbulb didn’t exist, nor did the

A Comic’s View

By INIGO ‘NAUGHTY’ ZENICAZELAYA

telephone, combustion engines, or even cash registers. (Though, in fairness to older generations, blue jeans were just becoming ‘a thing,’ so at least they had fashion sense).

It’s hard to imagine how any forward-thinking government could ever put pen to paper on such a lopsided contract, particularly since this arrangement with Royal Caribbean could threaten Bahamian livelihoods elsewhere, such as Downtown Bay Street. For a century and a half.

One potential saving grace is that our recent elections have given Bahamians a possible do-over on this deal. The ‘New Day’ Davis administration has an opportunity to pull ye olde, ‘Stop, review, and cancel!’

If ever there was a deal begging for it, this is it.

Back in 1871, our ancestors lived under the flag “Expulsis Piratis, Restituta Commercia.” To which politicians these days respond, “LOL…just kidding!”

PT Barnum, who died in 1891, had another famous saying: “Remember the proverb of Solomon: ‘He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand; but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.’”

A PIECE OF CAKE

There’s something brewing in the ‘New Day’ press

office. And by brewing, I mean coffee, tea, possibly kombucha, beer, and maybe even some sake.

Yesterday, I tuned into the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) press briefing and was somewhat surprised to see the weekly event has already become a lot less newsy and a lot more ‘foodie.’

Streamed live on Facebook by the OPM (and whichever media houses may need some free content in the middle of a slow Thursday), the briefing started with a cold-open by Communications Director Latrae Rahming.

Rahming ostensibly runs the communications shop.

But at these briefings, his role is akin to what we in the comedy business would call a ‘crowd warmer.’

He buttered up the press assembled, thanking them for their presence and professionalism, before quickly turning the show over to Press Secretary Clint Watson, the MC of sorts.

Watson, for his part, (literally) knows his audience.

Having spent decades in the media before sliding into his new role days after the last elections, he only took a moment to exchange pleasantries with former colleagues before getting into the meat of the lineup.

First up was the Featured Guest, tourism director Joy Jibrilu, who is always

ALL smiles for Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley and Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis here - alongside Erin Brown and Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper - but there’s not much to smile about in the Paradise Island deal for the Bahamian people. the answer to why it makes sense for different administrations to be cautious about changing ministry directors haphazardly. The lady knows her stuff.

Next up was the surprise Headliner, Prime Minister Davis. Brave said a quick few words on his way to the airport. In fairness, I’m not sure he’s travelling this weekend, but I wouldn’t bet against it.

Finally, there was a Special Guest Appearance by former Free National Movement (FNM) minister Loretta Butler-Turner.

Loretta, another lady who knows her stuff, has taken on a consultancy role in the current Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) government.

Honestly, that wasn’t surprising.

What did surprise me was how few questions the media had for either Mrs Jibrilu or Mrs Butler-Turner.

I may have discovered why.

At the end of these press briefings, the media is feted to a cornucopia of delicious

delicacies from various Bahamian food entrepreneurs. This week, I believe the showstoppers were potato dumplings and tea.

Now I hate to be the one to handle this particular hot potato, but I can only imagine the sweet, distracting scents wafting in that briefing room while my colleagues are working. Because who doesn’t love food, right?

Especially free food?

A journalist from this newspaper asked Mrs Butler-Turner what we were all wondering. He queried whether she had switched political party allegiance, and she seemed to answer in the affirmative. No one from any of the other media houses followed up.

Despite the FNM convention slated for this weekend (she starred in a very contentious one), all questions were (apparently) asked and answered!

Like the cat that ate the cream, Watson smiled at the quick escape from tricky questions.

While wrapping up, he was so jubilant he spilled

the beans: “And now to the segment that y’all have come to love so much.

That y’all show up for.

Y’all sitting here like little, good young kids – young people – sitting here like ‘we’re waiting on it!’”

Then out came the dumplings.

Watson has found an ingenious way to escape potential ethical questions that may come from these frequent “food gifts.” The government is not footing this food bill. Instead, Bahamian chefs, bakers, and delicious tea makers donate their wares for possible press coverage.

Don’t get me wrong; I like promoting Bahamian entrepreneurs. I like the weekly briefings. But I’m not sure I want them mixing together on my plate with a side of hard news.

In any case – if the past is prologue – Bahamian media remains enigmatic.

One day you think you have them eating out of the palm of your hand, and the next, we read it’s you who is out to lunch.

PAPERS PLEASE, MR PINDER! PLP MP JOHN PINDER SAYS HE HAS A DOCUMENT SHOWING HE HAS RENOUNCED HIS UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP. SINCE THIS COLUMN CALLED ON HIM TO PRODUCE IT, IT HAS NOW BEEN...

7 DAYS

(DON’T WORRY, MR PINDER, WE’LL KEEP COUNTING)

BELL PRAISES IMMIGRATION OFFICERS AFTER PROMOTION

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

IMMIGRATION and Labour Minister Keith Bell commended the 48 officers at the Department of Immigration in Grand Bahama who received their promotions in rank on Thursday.

He stressed that the duty of immigration officers is critical to protecting the country’s sovereignty.

“I want to say well done,” Minister Bell said. “You are being promoted not for what you have done, but for what you are going to do.

“Your job is perhaps the most important in all of the law enforcement agencies - you are challenged with the awesome responsibility of not only protecting our sovereignty as a nation, but you are also charged with protecting our borders and with ensuring our laws, as it relates to citizenship, are protected and enforced,” he said.

The Bahamas Immigration Promotions, Confirmations and Recognition ceremony was held at the Bahamas Union of Teachers Hall in Freeport.

Following the ceremony, 14 persons were sworn-in as Bahamian citizens.

Minister Bell noted that all Bahamian citizens have a responsibility, not only immigration officers, to protect the sovereignty of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.

Minister of Social Services and Urban Development Obie Wilchcombe said that immigration officers are not appreciated, despite the significant role they play in protecting the country.

“We have witnessed the endurance, perseverance and dedication – that is what represents all you have endured over the last several years and never once compromising your commitment to our country.

“You are the true heroes and heroines of our nation because in spite of the lack of appreciation, it did not cause you to neglect your responsibilities, you helped protect our nation,” Mr Wilchcombe told immigration officers.

He commended Minister Bell for ensuring that immigration officers got the long-awaited promotions they deserved. “Minister Keith Bell came and took office and he immediately determined that he would not allow any day to go by without seeking to correct the wrong of all these many years,” Mr Wilchcombe said.

“As members of the state you have rights, and the minister took a position and fought for it; and he is not finished yet because you have become a priority.

“I heard him today say you are number one in terms of protecting our nation.

The Customs, Immigration, and Police, all of you collectively

have different responsibilities, but you protect our borders.”

Mr Wilchcombe recalled the time in 1967 when the Immigration Department did not exist in Freeport.

“Many of you in this group could sit here where you are sitting today, particularly not here in Grand Bahama. Many of you will not appreciate that in 1967 the immigration department did not exist here in Freeport. We were a country headed toward Independence, but you were not a part of it.”

Minister Wilchcombe said that it was the PLP that…called for the establishment of immigration in Freeport.

“You had laws here where you had to be of European stock stated in the law to even be here in Freeport and GB. It is something we endured for many years and then it changed for the betterment of our people, and so today you sit at a place where you represent change,” he explained.

Mr Wilchcombe said The Bahamas is still in the development stage. “We are still not where we want to be; we still have to invest more into our people who are the true national treasures of our nation.”

He said that immigration officers put their lives at risk to protect the country’s borders. “Every day you discovered new challenges,” he said.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, November 26, 2021, PAGE 9

ATLANTIS and the man who made it a reality, Sol Kerzner.

The Atlantis lesson on xenophobia SOMEONE I highly respect reminded me recently of the reaction Bahamians had when we heard a hotel magnate from South Africa, a man known to throw lavish parties aboard a private jet and enrich himself in a land of apartheid, had purchased much of Paradise Island. Bahamians were enraged, apoplectic. Fury fuelled banner headlines.

How dare Solomon Kerzner think he could come into The Bahamas and pull his Sin City foolishness here! How dare the thenIngraham government welcome this man who built an empire in a land putrid with injustice?

The year was 1994. Kerzner, a man short in stature and long in vision, saw what others had not. When he took over what was then the failing Resorts International, he inherited a property that showed every crack and spalling sign of its bankrupt condition. It had gone through several owners, including for a minute, Donald Trump who walked away disgusted before ever completing the purchase, and most recently entertainment mogul Merv Griffin, who sold Resorts International to Kerzner.

The buyer was an enigma, an accountant from South Africa who had a knack for creating inner sanctums of shameless pleasure where guests would forget the outside world, a jet set fusion of the Gary Player Golf Club, casinos and lavish entertainment. The world of Kerzner was populated with sheer exhilaration.

I did not know him well, but I remember walking with him and the late architect he chose to transform his new Paradise Island

By Diane Phillips

resort, Jackson Burnside.

We got to the step-down lobby of the old Beach Tower hotel and Kerzner was appalled. “Why?” he asked, “Why is the wall there, why is there no view of the sea?” Burnside explained - because the original owners did not want guests to be distracted. They built a hotel on a beautiful white sand beach that stretches a full two miles in paradise and they wanted guests to stay inside – leaving their money in the casino. “Tear it out, take it down,” Kerzner ordered. And Burnside and team did. When the hotel re-opened, a wall of glass exposed the shimmering blue of the Bahamian sea and sky.

By the time Kerzner, then Sir Sol, died of cancer in 2020, he had forever changed the face of tourism in The Bahamas. The man known as the Sun King authored, stroke by stroke, the now internationally acclaimed resort Atlantis.

He built the Royal Towers, the Cove, raised the standard of the Ocean Club to a One and Only brand. He built the largest water park in hotel history, the largest indoor and outdoor conference space in the Caribbean, a 30,000 square foot flagship spa.

Four years and nearly $1 billion after he ignored his lack of welcome by the people of The Bahamas, he had recreated the lost city of Atlantis and opened in a

glamorous, glimmering ceremony that made a different kind of headline around the world. Accolades flowed along with water features, a shark tunnel, the world’s largest open air marine habitat, massive gold spires and thrones and a sense of wonder where at every turn, there was a photo opportunity.

On his death last year, those who may have been among the early critics fell all over themselves praising this man who at one time was the personification of the stranger they feared.

“Kerzner was a giant in the hospitality industry, and we shall not see his likeness again. His vision for Atlantis reshaped our skyline here in Nassau,” said then Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar. “No history of the modern and independent Bahamas would be complete without reference to the positive and pervasive impact that Sol Kerzner made…” wrote the Prime Minister, Hubert Minnis.

The man whose presence was greeted with rage and distrust built what became the strongest pillar of the private sector Bahamian economy. According to its own published history, Atlantis

has employed directly we resent it so much? Is it or indirectly more than because we detest the fact 50,000 Bahamians. TV ads that we are dependent? of Atlantis expose The Why do Bahamians think Bahamas to the world. only Bahamians deserve a You may not be a fan of chance when Ancestry.com mass market and 23andme resorts, but ‘Every foreign show us we are you cannot entity that enters a mixture of deny the ancestries? impact Atlan- The Bahamas Every govtis has had, to do business ernment, every its economic is greeted with economist, and social every mother contributions what I will call and father and to a modern the Atlantis R&R, their mothBahamas, its Resentment and ers and fathers focus on trainbefore them, ing, its voice Resistance. Was have depended in an inclu- not Baha Mar just upon, at some sive, diverse as defiled, the level, the community. economic, latest iteration Why the scientific and focus today of the devil technological on Atlantis? from abroad and benefits and Because it cultural richwas it not the is the prime ness of people chosen site two example from outside of how we months ago for this country. fear the forThere is noththe swearingeign before ing that we do we accept in of a new that is not in it, imbue or government?’ some way conenhance it nected with with Bahamian something nuances and make it our or someone from abroad. own. Every foreign entity The keyboard I am typing that enters The Bahamas to on, the light that shines on do business is greeted with that keyboard at four in what I will call the Atlan- the morning, the newsprint tis R&R, Resentment and that this paper is printed on, Resistance. Was not Baha even the coffee in my cup.

Mar just as defiled, the When will we stop foollatest iteration of the devil ing ourselves thinking that from abroad and was it not we can do it all? When will the chosen site two months we have an epiphany and ago for the swearing-in of a admit that The Bahamas new government? for Bahamians and friends If we accept the outsider of The Bahamas is a better in the end, if we know that Bahamas? foreign direct investment From the music we listen is as essential in this econ- to to the cars we drive our omy as the air we breathe, lives are intertwined with the real question is why do non- or partial Bahamian.

Yet our resentment simmers under the surface as the poor resent the rich and the rich resent the richer. How many Bahamians have succeeded at hotels throughout the Family Islands or small hotels in New Providence owned or partially owned by non-Bahamians? How many Bahamians choose of their own free will to bank with a non-Bahamian bank when there are at least two fully owned and operated Bahamian banks to choose from?

Let us celebrate that which is Bahamian, the Cia Monets of the design world, the creators of Bahamian food, the Carters who keep Bahamian music alive, the Doongalik Studios of the Bahamian art and storytelling world, the Lenos of Bahamian investment, but let us also vow to overcome the stumbling block of xenophobia and come clean about the importance of friends, whatever they call home.

I don’t see any students turning down scholarships from the Lyford Cay Foundation or Canadian Lyford Cay Foundation because some of the donors are not Bahamian. Friendship is as friendship does. It is not heritage or headquarters or who your grammy is. It is action. And that is the basis on which foreign must be judged. Neither Bahamian nor foreign is 99 percent pure. It is our task to separate the good from the bad and be smart enough to know who to show the welcome mat to and who to show the door.

PAGE 10, Friday, November 26, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

52 DEAD IN SIBERIAN COAL MINE BLAZE

RESCUERS prepare to work at a fire scene at a coal mine near the Siberian city of Kemerovo.

MOSCOW Associated Press A DEVASTATING fire swept through a Siberian coal mine Thursday, killing 52 miners and rescuers about 250m underground, Russian news reports said.

Hours after a methane gas explosion and fire filled the mine with toxic fumes, rescuers found 14 bodies but then were forced to halt the search for 38 others because of a buildup of methane and a high concentration of carbon

monoxide fumes from the fire.

The state Tass and RIANovosti news agencies cited emergency officials as saying that there was no chance of finding any survivors.

The Interfax news agency cited a representative of the regional administration who also put the death toll from Thursday’s fire at 52, saying they died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

A total of 285 people were in the Listvyazhnaya mine in the Kemerovo

region of southwestern Siberia when a fire erupted and smoke quickly filled the mine through the ventilation system. Rescuers led to the surface 239 miners, 49 of whom were injured, and found 11 bodies.

Later in the day, six rescuers also died while searching for others trapped in a remote section of the mine, the news reports said.

Regional officials declared three days of mourning.

Photo: Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations Russia’s Deputy Prosecutor General Dmitry Demeshin told reporters that the fire most likely resulted from a methane explosion caused by a spark.

Explosions of methane released from coal beds during mining are rare but they cause the most fatalities in the coal mining industry.

The Interfax news agency reported that miners have oxygen supplies normally lasting for six hours that could only be stretched for

a few more hours.

Russia’s Investigative Committee has launched a criminal probe into the fire over violations of safety regulations that led to deaths. It said the mine director and two senior managers were detained.

President Vladimir Putin extended his condolences to the families of the dead and ordered the government to offer all necessary assistance to those injured.

In 2016, 36 miners were killed in a series of methane explosions in a coal

mine in Russia’s far north.

In the wake of the incident, authorities analyzed the safety of the country’s 58 coal mines and declared 20 of them, or 34%, potentially unsafe.

The Listvyazhnaya mine wasn’t among them at the time, according to media reports.

Russia’s state technology and ecology watchdog, Rostekhnadzor, inspected the mine in April and registered 139 violations, including breaching fire safety regulations.

France calls for aid after 27 migrant deaths at sea CALAIS, France Associated Press

HELICOPTERS buzzed above the waves and vessels were already scouring the cold waters when French maritime rescue volunteer Charles Devos added his boat to the frantic search for a flimsy migrant craft that foundered in the English Channel, killing at least 27.

What Devos found was gruesome. But not, he later sorrowfully acknowledged, wholly unexpected. With migrants often setting off by the hundreds in flotillas of unseaworthy and overloaded vessels into the busy shipping lane crisscrossed by hulking freighters, and frequently beset by treacherous weather, waves and currents, Devos had long feared that tragedy would ensue.

That came this week, with the deadliest migration accident to date on the dangerous stretch of sea that separates France and Britain.

“We picked up six

A POLICE car parks over the shore in Wimereux, northern France, yesterday in Calais, northern France. Children and pregnant women were among at least 27 migrants who died when their small boat sank in an attempted crossing of the English Channel.

Photo: Michel Spingler/AP floating bodies. We passed to combat people-smugby an inflatable craft that gling networks and also was deflated. The little traded blame and barbs in bit of air remaining kept the wake of Wednesday’s it afloat,” Devos told deadly sinking that again shone a light on the scale reporters.

“I’d been somewhat and complexity of Europe’s expecting it because I’d migration problems.

French President Emmasay, ‘It’s going to end with a nuel Macron appealed to drama,’” he said.

European France and Britain neighboring appealed yesterday for countries to do more to European assistance, prom- stop illegal migration into ised stepped-up efforts France, saying that when

migrants reach French shores with hopes of heading on to Britain “it is already too late”.

Macron said France is deploying army drones as part of stepped-up efforts to patrol its northern coastline and help rescue migrants at sea. But he also said that a greater collective effort is needed, referring to France as a “transit country” for Britain-bound migrants.

“We need to strengthen cooperation with Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, but also the British and the (European) Commission,” he said on a visit to Croatia.

“We need stronger European cooperation.”

Migration is an explosive issue in Europe, where leaders often accuse one another of not doing enough to either prevent migrants from entering their countries or from continuing on to other nations.

Ministers from France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Britain and EU officials will meet on Sunday to discuss increasing efforts to crack down

on migrant-smuggling networks, Macron’s government announced.

They will convene in Calais, one of the French coastal towns where migrants gather, looking for ways to cross to the British coast that is visible from France on clear days. Seaside communities on both sides of the channel were reeling Thursday from the sinking’s horrific toll.

“This was unfortunately something that could have been foreseen, a scenario of horror that we’d feared and dreaded,” said Ludovic Hochart, a police union official in Calais.

Across the channel, in the British port of Dover, small business owner Paula Elliot said: “It’s dreadful that people have lost their lives.”

“The vessels that they take, are traveling in, are not fit for purpose,” she said. “They probably don’t understand how arduous the journey is going to be, and especially at this time of year, it’s so much colder than in the summer.”

Devos, the rescue volunteer, told reporters in comments broadcast by coastal radio Delta FM that the flimsy craft used by migrants for the crossing are increasingly overloaded, with as many as 50 people aboard.

Macron described the dead in Wednesday’s sinking as “victims of the worst system, that of smugglers and human traffickers.”

France has never had so many officers mobilized against illegal migration and its commitment is “total”, he said.

Ever-increasing numbers of people fleeing conflict or poverty in Afghanistan, Sudan, Iraq, Eritrea or elsewhere are risking the perilous journey from France, hoping to win asylum or find better opportunities in Britain.

The crossings have tripled this year compared to 2020. French authorities said Wednesday’s was the deadliest migration tragedy in the channel since seven migrants died in October 2020.

EUROPEAN REGULATOR APPROVES VACCINE FOR FIVE-YEAR-OLDS THE HAGUE, Netherlands Associated Press

THE European Union’s drug regulator on Thursday authorised Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine for use on children from 5 to 11 years old, clearing the way for shots to be administered to millions of elementary school pupils amid a new wave of infections sweeping across the continent.

It is the first time the European Medicines Agency has cleared a COVID-19 vaccine for use in young children.

The agency said it “recommended granting an extension of indication for the COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty to include use in children aged 5 to 11”.

After evaluating a study of the vaccine in more than

2,000 children, the EMA estimated that the vaccine was about 90% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in young children and said the most common side effects were pain at the injection site, headaches, muscle pain and chills. The agency said the two-dose regimen should be given to children three weeks apart.

At least one country facing spiking infections didn’t wait for the EMA approval. Authorities in the Austrian capital, Vienna, already have begun vaccinating the five to 11 age group. Europe is currently at the epicenter of the pandemic and the World Health Organization has warned the continent could see deaths top two million by the spring unless urgent measures are taken.

The EMA green light for the vaccine developed by Pfizer and German company BioNTech has to be rubber-stamped by the EU’s executive branch, the European Commission, before health authorities in member states can begin administering shots.

Earlier this week, Germany’s health minister Jens Spahn said shipping of vaccines for younger children in the EU would begin on December 20.

The United States signed off on Pfizer’s kids-sized shots earlier this month, followed by other countries including Canada.

Pfizer tested a dose that is a third of the amount given to adults for elementary school-age children.

Even with the smaller shot, children who are 5 to 11 years old developed

coronavirus-fighting antibody levels just as strong as teenagers and young adults getting the regular-strength shots, said Dr Bill Gruber, a Pfizer senior vice president.

But the studies done on Pfizer’s vaccine in children haven’t been big enough to detect any rare side effects from the second dose, like the chest and heart inflammation that has been seen in mostly male older teens and young adults.

American officials noted that COVID-19 has caused more deaths in children in the five to 11 age group than some other diseases, such as chickenpox, did before children were routinely vaccinated.

Earlier this month, the EMA said it began evaluating the use of Moderna Inc.’s COVID-19 vaccine for children ages six to 11;

it estimated that a decision would be made within two months.

Although children mostly only get mild symptoms of COVID-19, some public health experts believe immunising them should be a priority to reduce the virus’ continued spread, which could theoretically lead to the emergence of a dangerous new variant.

Researchers disagree on how much kids have influenced the course of the pandemic. Early research suggested they didn’t contribute much to viral spread. But some experts say children played a significant role this year spreading contagious variants such as alpha and delta.

In a statement this week, WHO said that because children and teens tend to have milder COVID-19 disease

than adults, “it is less urgent to vaccinate them than older people, those with chronic health conditions and health workers.”

It has appealed to rich countries to stop immunising children and asked them to donate their doses immediately to poor countries who have yet to give a first vaccine dose to their health workers and vulnerable populations.

Still, WHO acknowledged that there are benefits to vaccinating children and adolescents that go beyond the immediate health benefits.

“Vaccination that decreases COVID transmission in this age group may reduce transmission from children and adolescents to older adults, and may help reduce the need for mitigation measures in schools,” WHO said.

SPORTS PAGE 11

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2021

Spartans vs Bears in Battle 4 Atlantis final

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

I

n their 2016 Battle 4 Atlantis championship run, Baylor defeated the Virginia Commonwealth Rams and Michigan State Spartans en route to the title.

Five years later, the Bears have an opportunity to follow a similar path in the 2021 tournament with a semifinal win over VCU and a matchup with Michigan State in the finals.

The No.6 ranked Bears advanced to the final with a 69-61 win over VCU while the Spartans upset the No.22 ranked UConn Huskies 64-60 in yesterday’s semifinal bracket at the Atlantis resort’s Imperial Arena.

Michigan State and Baylor will meet today at 11am in the title game.

Matthew Mayer led the Bears with 15 points, Kendall Brown scored 14 and Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua finished with 13 points and seven rebounds.

Vince Williams Jr scored 17 for the Rams and Luke Stockard scored 16.

The Spartans closed the first of two semifinals on a 9-0 run in the come from behind win over the Huskies. Gabe Brown led the Spartans with 16 points and 10 rebounds and Julius

SEE PAGE 13

Baylor tops VCU 69-61, Spartans pull away late to beat UConn 64-60

MICHIGAN State forward Gabe Brown (44) and teammates celebrate after defeating Connecticut 64-60 yesterday in their NCAA college basketball game at the Atlantis resort’s Imperial Arena on Paradise Island in the Bahamas.

(Tim Aylen/Bahamas Visual Services via AP)

Jonquel, Page 13

BARRACUDA SWIM CLUB HOSTS 7TH ANNUAL INVITATIONAL TOMORROW CG Atlantic Medical and Life Insurance Limited has partnered once again with the Barracuda Swim Club to host the 7th Annual CG Atlantic Medical Invitational which will be held at the Betty Kelly-Kenning Aquatic Center this Saturday, November 27.

“The Barracuda club is so pleased that CG Atlantic Medical and Life is once again playing a vital part in the development of young Bahamians in the sport of swimming,” according to a press release.

“CG Atlantic Medical and Life has a long-standing record of being a company that promotes healthy lifestyles, placing great importance on developing a healthy, fit nation by supporting various charities and civic organisations.

“Swimming is an activity that helps children to excel both in and out of the pool as it develops discipline, passion and commitment to the sport and to the overall life of a child,” said Philice Albury, president of the Barracuda Swim Club.

“We are pleased once again to partner with CG Atlantic Medical and Life and we look forward to this continued relationship and support as we work together to advance the sport of swimming throughout the Bahamas.”

RAIDERS BEAT COWBOYS 36-33 IN OT ON FIELD GOAL AFTER PENALTY

By SCHUYLER DIXON AP Pro Football Writer

LET’S PLAY BALL: The Bahamas Championship also opened last night and Prime Minister Philip Davis was on hand for the ceremonial jumpball prior to tipoff at the Baha Mar Convention Center.

PM opens Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net THE Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship opened yesterday with four national Division I women’s programmes in action on day one.

Both lower seeds emerged with pivotal early season wins as the defending NCAA champion No.7 Stanford Cardinal defeated the No.4 Indiana Hoosiers and the No.5 North Carolina State

Wolfpack defeated the No.2 Maryland Terrapins at the Baha Mar Convention Center.

Stanford’s Cameron Brink posted an impressive stat line - 21 points, 22 rebounds, five blocked shots, and five assists - to lead the Cardinal to a 69-66 win. Her rebound total set a new career high.

“I think the main thing for me was just to stay out of foul trouble and I think I did a good job of that today,” she said, “I think I had so many rebounds because

I just missed so many shots and I got my own rebounds but I think my teammates really helped me, we really showed out. Indiana’s a tough team and it was a great win.”

Francesca Belbi also added 14 points for Stanford. Both teams are now 4-1 on the season.

Brink also sealed the win with a pair of free throws with 6.8 seconds remaining to give the Cardinal a three-point lead. Indiana’s Ali Patberg missed a late three-pointer with an opportunity to tie. Patberg led the Hoosiers with 19 points,

Nicole Cardano-Hillary added 18 points and eight assists and Grace Berger scored 12.

The Wolfpack dominanted the Terrapins, 78-60, to improve to 5-1.

After their first loss of the season, Maryland is now 6-1. It was the fifth win over a top-five opponent under the Wes Moore era, with four of those victories coming in the last two seasons. “I”m real proud of how we came out and started the game. We had a lot of

SEE PAGE 13

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Derek Carr and the Las Vegas Raiders got the third-down help they needed from Dallas cornerback Anthony Brown.

Daniel Carlson kicked a 29-yard field goal in overtime after Brown’s fourth pass-interference penalty kept the drive alive, and the Raiders ended a threegame losing streak by beating the Cowboys 36-33 yesterday.

Carlson’s career-best fifth field goal came after Brown was called for interference on Zay Jones on third-and-18. All four of Brown’s interference penalties came on third-down incompletions.

“The penalties obviously helped,” said Carr, whose 373 yards passing included a 56-yard touchdown to DeSean Jackson for the first points. “If they weren’t holding, we probably would have hit those plays.”

The Raiders had just two third-down conversions total the previous two games and were 3 of 13 in this one. But Brown topped that total all by himself.

Both teams had season highs in penalties and yards.

Dallas, the NFL leader in penalty yards coming in, had 14 for a franchiserecord 166 yards and Las Vegas 14 for 110.

PAGE 12, Friday, November 26, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Lions find new ways of self-destructing in loss to Bears

By DAVE HOGG Associated Press DETROIT (AP) — When the Detroit Lions punted with 8:30 left against the Chicago Bears, quarterback Jared Goff was already planning what his offence would have to do next. It ended up as a waste of time.

Trailing 14-13, the Bears put together an 18-play, 69-yard drive before ending the game with a 28-yard field goal as time expired in Detroit’s 16-14 loss yesterday.

As Goff watched in disbelief, his team fell to 0-10-1.

“When we came off the field with all that time left, it never crossed my mind that we’d never get back out there,” he said. “I figured, at worse, we would be looking at a four-minute

drive to win the game. Our defence had been fantastic all day.”

That defence, which has held three straight opponents to 16 or fewer points, couldn’t get one more stop.

Chicago picked up five first downs and only had to convert twice on third downs. On third-and-5 from their 37, Andy Dalton hit Damiere Byrd for 13 yards, although a Lions holding penalty would have given Chicago a first down either way.

With Dalton taking as much time as possible, the Bears were facing secondand-10 from the Detroit 17 coming out of the two-minute warning. Julian Okwara stopped David Montgomery for a yard and the Lions called their first timeout.

Then they called their second one. That’s not allowed.

With 1:54 to play and Chicago lined up for the crucial third-and-9, Lions coach Dan Campbell realized there was a problem.

“Half of our defence had one play call and half had another,” he said. “If I didn’t do anything, they were going to score an easy touchdown.”

So Campbell called his second timeout, despite knowing the rule against back-to-back timeouts.

The Lions were called for defensive delay of game and lost the timeout. The Bears easily converted the third-and-4 against Detroit’s soft coverage, Dalton knelt three times and Cairo Santos kicked the short field goal as time expired.

It was the third time the Lions had lost on a walk-off field goal, but this wasn’t a record-setter like Justin

CHICAGO Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney (11) is pulled down by Detroit Lions safety Dean Marlowe during the second half of an NFL football game yesterday in Detroit.

(AP Photo/Duane Burleson) Tucker’s 66-yarder for the opening drive, finishing two plays to take a 10-7 Ravens in Week 3 or even with a 39-yard touchdown lead on Dalton’s 17-yard a long-range shot like Greg pass to Josh Reynolds, but touchdown pass to Jimmy Joseph’s 54-yarder for Min- things went downhill in a Graham. The Bears kicked a field goal on the last play nesota in Week 5. This was hurry.

In the second quarter, of the half to take a 13-7 a chip shot to end a game with a first down at the lead, but Goff’s touchdown Detroit needed to win.

“We can look at these Bears 29, the Lions were pass to T.J. Hockenson put games as positives — we called for three straight the Lions ahead by one late are staying competitive with penalties, making it first- in the third quarter.

After the Bears punted, some pretty good teams, and-30 from the 49. Goff but that actually makes it completed two passes to the Lions took over on their worse,” Lions tackle Taylor running back Jamaal Wil- 10. They got the ball to their Decker said. “When you liams, one for 4 yards and 47, but on second-and-7, lose a game like this, every one for a 6-yard loss, and they were called for a false guy can look at the tape on third-and-32, Williams start, followed by two holding penalties. Goff missed and find one thing he could gained a yard on a draw.

“There aren’t any plays Reynolds on a deep ball have done to change the set up for third-and-32,” leaving the Lions with, you game. That hurts.”

For Decker and the Goff said. “That’s not a sit- guessed it, third-and-32.

This time, they called a offence, there were a lot uation that comes up very screen pass, gained 7 yards, of things they could have often.”

The Lions punted and and never saw the ball fixed. Goff went 6-for-6 for 64 yards on the Lions the Bears only needed again.

Iyer and Jadeja revive India to 258-4 vs New Zealand on Day 1 KANPUR, India (AP) — Shreyas Iyer and Ravindra Jadeja revived India in an unbeaten partnership of 113 to 258-4 against New Zealand at stumps on the first day of the first cricket test yesterday.

India was reduced to 145-4 halfway through the middle session but Iyer progressed to 75 not out in his test debut, and Jadeja was 50 not out.

Play was called off owing to bad light with six overs remaining.

India was well placed at 82-1 at lunch — Mayank Agarwal fell early for 13 to Kyle Jamieson — but lost the other opener

Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara and captain Ajinkya Rahane.

Gill scored his fourth test half-century when Jamieson bowled him through the gate on 52 off 93 balls.

Gill hit five fours and a six.

Eight overs later, Pujara was caught behind off Tim Southee in a repeat of the batsman’s dismissals against Australia and England — edging outside off stump.

Pujara scored 26 and India was 106-3.

Rahane added 39 runs for the fourth wicket with Iyer when Jamieson returned and castled Rahane on 35 for his third wicket.

New Zealand’s gains in the middle session began to fade, however, as Iyer and Jadeja dug in.

Iyer picked his moments against the spinners as he struck seven fours and two sixes. He reached his maiden test half-century off 94 balls.

Jadeja was patient and solid at the other end as the duo took India past 200 runs. He scored his 17th test half-century off 99 balls, including six fours.

Their 100-run partnership came off 192 deliveries.

Most of New Zealand’s workload was shared in 45 wicketless overs by left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel, playing

INDIA’s Shreyas Iyer plays a defensive shot during the day one of their first test cricket match with New Zealand in Kanpur, India, yesterday.

(AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) his 10th test, and offspinner “Hopefully the new ball Rahul Dravid, who started William Somerville, play- swings a little bit in the his tenure in the preceding his fifth. The debutant, morning. India is a fraction ing Twenty20 series with batting allrounder Rachin ahead, I think. a 3-0 win over the New Ravindra, bowled seven “We hung around pretty Zealanders. overs of left-arm spin. well and we need a good This is the first test New Zealand picked start in the morning.” between the teams since the three spinners but the fast India has rested key final of the inaugural world bowlers took the wickets, senior players such as test championship in June, Jamieson 3-47 and Southee Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, won by New Zealand in 1-43.

Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Southampton.

“We found some swing Bumrah for this two-test India hasn’t lost a home early. It was up and down series. This is also a first test test against New Zealand a little bit,” Jamieson said. assignment for new coach since 1988.

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SRI Lankan team members celebrate the wicket of West Indies batsman Rahkeem Cornwall bats during the fifth day of their first test cricket match in Galle, Sri Lanka, yesterday.

(AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Embuldeniya leads Sri Lanka to 187-run win over West Indies GALLE, Sri Lanka (AP) — Lasith Embuldeniya took five wickets and fellow spinner Ramesh Mendis four as Sri Lanka dismissed the West Indies for 160 in a crushing 187-run victory in the first cricket test yesterday.

West Indies, needing 348 to win, already started the fifth and final day in survival mode at 52-6 and lasted until shortly after lunch.

Embuldeniya, who had innings figures of 5-46, had six wickets in the match

while Mendis took 4-64 for a match haul of seven.

Nkrumar Bonner and Joshua da Silva, who came together at 18-6, frustrated the Sri Lanka bowlers as rain threatened to spoil the march. The pair added 62 more runs in the morning session until Embuldeniya broke the 100-run partnership when da Silva was caught in the slips by Dhananjaya de Silva for 54 runs.

Bonner top-scored with an unbeaten 68 off 220 balls, including seven

boundaries. It was his third test half-century.

Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne, who scored 147 and 83, was named player of the match.

“Even though it took time, we knew it was just a matter of one wicket,” Karunaratne said.

“Joshua and Bonner were batting very well. We believed we will be able to win the match if we were able to get one of them out.”

Karunaratne said he was worried about his batting

form because of a lack of training and match practice.

Sri Lanka last played a test six months ago.

“When I came into this test I didn’t have runs behind my name and was doubting myself. I took a nervous start and fell into a rhythm which I continued to the second innings. But I still feel I haven’t reached my fine form,” Karunaratne said.

Sri Lanka opted to bat first and made 386 and 191-4 declared. The West Indies responded with 230.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, November 26, 2021, PAGE 13

Jonquel Jones posts 4th double double of season in FIBA EuroLeague

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net JONQUEL Jones posted her fourth double double of the season in her return to FIBA Women’s EuroLeague play.

She finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds in her UMMC Ekaterinburg Foxes’ 84-63 win over MBA Moscow at Basket Hall Moscow Russia. The Foxes lead Group A at 6-0.

Through fourEuroLeague games, Jones is averaging 17 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. She is shooting 56 percent from the field and 46 percent from the free-throw line.

Last season, Jones averaged 14.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in EuroLeague play.

She also shot 74 percent from the field and a leagueleading 62 percent (8-13) on thre-point field goals.

UMMC is favoured to repeat as EuroLeague champions for the 7th consecutive year, boasts a roster that also includes Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury), Breanna Stewart (Seattle Storm), Allie Quigley (Chicago Sky) and Courtney Vandersloot (Chicago Sky).

UMMC also continues their unbeaten domestically in the Russian Premier League with wins over Enisey and Dynamo

JONES shoots the ball. this week. Jones had 14 points and eight rebounds in a 76-44 win over Enisey and followed with 15 points and 11 rebounds in a 109-57 win over Dynamo.

BAYLOR forward Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua (23) hangs from the rim after dunking against Virginia Commonwealth yesterday during their NCAA college basketball game at the Atlantis resort’s Imperial Arena on Paradise Island, in Bahamas,.

Photos: Tim Aylen/Bahamas Visual Services via AP)

ATLANTIS FROM PAGE 11

Marble II scored 15 points.

“This tournament was unbelievable when you look at some of the great finishes and great games. We have been a part of two of them,” Izzo said. “We just beat a hell of a team, [Dan Hurley, UConn Huskies head coach] does a great job, they’re good. I feel like we played really good too, so I give us credit in alot of ways.”

They opened the tournament with a 63-61 win over the Loyola Chicago Ramblers.

The Spartans opened the semifinal yesterday with an early 14 point lead in the first half and maintained a double digit advantage through the opening moments of the second. UConn went on a run of their own midway through the second and took a 55-48 lead with just under five minutes left to play but the Spartans would have the final and most influential run to advance.

Michigan State was efficient down the stretch and 7-8 free throws in the final two minutes and 9-10 in the final five minutes.

They also held a 31-7 advantage in bench points.

The Spartans improved to 4-1 all-time in the tournament. They finished third at the 2016 edition of the tournament in a homecoming opportunity for former point guard Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn Jr. Izzo added that manoeuvring the quick turnaround and tough competition at the Battle 4 Atlantis sets the tone for the team’s performance later in the season.

“It’s tough but it also makes it good. If you are going to get in the NCAA Tournament you have two days prep and it feels like a week.

We told our guys that coming in before we came - learning how to have quick turnarounds, which in the past we’ve been really good at,” Izzo said.

“It’s an art because you’re tired you’re going to have to learn how to focus in, you’re going to have to learn how to get things done, assistant coaches have to figure out that we have to give them information but not too much information, all these things makes tournaments like this great. In my own way, I would rather play three in three days...I think it’ll help all the teams as the year goes on.”

Jones recently continued her momentum from a dominant performance for Bosnia and Herzegovina in the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2023 Qualifiers.

Jones finished with 30 points and 17 rebounds in an 80-64 win over North Macedonia and a career high 44 points and 22 rebounds in her team’s 87-81 win over Belgium.

After the game finished, Jones told Clutchpoints about the differences in the WNBA and international play.

She stated: “I think overseas in general, the crowd, has a bigger appreciation for women’s basketball. I think it is way better than

it is in the WNBA. You can go from a game where the gym is full to some games where there are a few people in the stands. I do not think they fully appreciate women’s basketball and the level it is played at,” Jones said.

“When I come overseas I definitely always appreciate that and appreciate people loving us and watching us, and understanding that we put a lot of time in our game.

“I think that is the biggest difference. WNBA, talent wise, is up there, there is a lot of talent every night and every team can win. Overall, the atmosphere overseas is second to none.”

CONNECTICUT guard Tyrese Martin (4) goes to the basket as Michigan State forward Gabe Brown (44) defends yesterday.

VIRGINIA Commonwealth forward Levi Stockard III (34) goes for a basket against Baylor forward Flo Thamba (0) yesterday.

MARC GASOL TO PLAY FOR SPANISH CLUB HE FOUNDED MADRID (AP) — Former NBA player Marc Gasol will play for the club he founded in the second division of Spanish basketball, he announced yesterday.

The 36-year-old Gasol said he will play until the end of the season before deciding whether to retire.

Gasol is the owner and president of Girona, which he founded in 2014.

Gasol played last season with the Los Angeles Lakers after spending most of his NBA career with the Memphis Grizzlies.

He played in his last Olympics with Spain at the Tokyo Games.

His brother, Pau Gasol, last month retired from basketball after a successful career in the NBA and with Spain.

HOOPS FROM PAGE 11

energy... a lot of positive vibe going on. It was fun.”

“We know Maryland was short-handed today, they are going to be a great team all season long. “We wanted to be aggressive,” Moore said. “I thought we got a little sloppy in the second half, too many turnovers... we have to understand time and score better. That’s on me.”

The Wolfpack were led

by Elissa Cunane and Jakia Brown-Turner who both posted double-doubles.

Cunane scored a team high 20 points and added 10 rebounds, while BrownTurner scored 12 points with 11 rebounds. Diamond Johnson also added 17 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals off the bench.

“I say we have six starters, and the nice thing about Diamond is she comes in and gives us a spark... a lot of energy which let’s us go... she had seven defensive boards. When she came in that first half, was able to get to the rim some, get a dish or two, I thought she gave us a jolt of energy as well,” Moore said. “We have to make sure we keep good balance... Diamond helps us do that. Jada is the same way as Diamond, she gives you a bolt of energy. I thought in the first half she played extremely well... she can get to the rim, run the floor.”

NC State led by as many as 24 and the closest the Terrapins would get in the second half was 15 points.

Six of the seven participating teams have played in last season’s NCAA Tournament. Other teams include Washington State, Miami and South Florida.

All seven games of the Pink Flamingo Championship will be broadcast on FloHoops, The Bahamas Championship also opened last night and Prime Minister Philip Davis was on hand for the ceremonial jumpball prior to tipoff.

The “Bahamas Championship” will feature four elite programmes played November 25-27 and led by the Maryland Terrapins, Richmond Spiders, Mississippi State and the Louisville Cardinals.

Games will be broadcast live on the CBS Sports Network.

ALLEN THROWS FOR 4 TDS AS BILLS BEAT HOBBLED SAINTS, 31-6

By BRETT MARTEL AP Sports Writer NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Josh Allen passed for 260 yards and four touchdowns, Buffalo’s defence stifled New Orleans’ shorthanded offence and the Bills rolled to a 31-6 victory Thursday night that sent the injury-ravaged Saints to their fourth straight loss.

Tight end Dawson Knox caught two TD passes, giving him a franchisebest seven TDs in a single season by a tight end. His second score gave the Bills (7-4) a 24-0 lead.

Stefon Diggs caught seven passes for 74 yards and a touchdown, and running back Matt Breida turned a short pass into a 23-yard score.

The Saints (5-6), playing without dynamic running back Alvin Kamara for a third straight game, were shut out for three quarters. They finally scored on Trevor Siemian’s 11-yard pass to tight end Nick Vannett on the first play of the fourth.

Buffalo outgained New Orleans 361-190 and the Bills possessed the ball for 34:38 to the Saints’ 25:01.

The game illustrated how limited the Saints’ offence has become, in part because of injuries to Kamara and star receiver Michael Thomas, who has not played all season, and due to significant changes at quarterback.

New Orleans went 5-2 in games started by QB Jameis Winston, who took over this season for the retired Drew Brees. But Winston went out for the season with a knee injury during New Orleans’ most recent win on October 31 and the Saints have lost every game that Siemian has started.

Siemian was 17-of-29 passing for 163 yards, one TD and one interception.

Taysom Hill, who is coming off a foot injury, was active as New Orleans’ backup but did not play.

Incidentally, Brees was working the game as a broadcaster and the raucous reception he received from the crowd when he was honoured on the field at halftime contrasted sharply from the collective groans of frustration when one New Orleans drive after another stalled.

Most fans had filed out of the dome by early in the

fourth quarter, leaving a solid traveling contingent of fans wearing Buffalo blue to close out Thanksgiving on a celebratory note.

TURNOVER TREND The result could have been more lopsided had the Saints not intercepted Allen twice — once deep in New Orleans territory when defensive end Cameron Jordan hit Allen as he threw and linebacker Kwon Alexander made a diving catch of the fluttering ball.

It was Allen’s third game in four in which he had multiple turnovers.

The previous two were

losses, but this time it only prevented the Bills from winning by even more.

Saints cornerback Bradley Roby had New Orleans’ first interception near midfield in the first half.

Allen has thrown seven interceptions and lost a fumble in his past four games.

UP NEXT Bills: Host the New England Patriots in a Monday night showdown for first place in the AFC East on December 6.

Saints: Host the Dallas Cowboys next Thursday night.

PAGE 14, Friday, November 26, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Ymer brothers help Sweden stun Canada in Davis Cup Finals CARLOS Alcaraz

SPAIN’S ALCARAZ TESTS POSITIVE, IS OUT OF DAVIS CUP FINALS

By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer MADRID (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz, the teenager touted as Rafael Nadal’s heir and the biggest name in Spain’s team at the Davis Cup Finals, tested positive for the coronavirus and was dropped from the squad yesterday.

The 18-year-old Alcaraz, who was going to make his first Davis Cup appearance, said on social media he was sad to miss out on “such an important and special tournament like the Davis Cup.” “I was very excited to be able to play and represent my country here in Madrid in front of our fans,” he said. “But sometimes things don’t go how we want them to go and you have to overcome that. It’s a very tough blow but you have to pick yourself up and come out stronger.”

Alcaraz was expected to play in the Group A meeting with Ecuador today.

The International Tennis Federation earlier said a member of Spain’s team had tested positive for the coronavirus and was put in isolation, but did not name the player. The rest of the Spanish team members took a new PCR test.

The 32nd-ranked Alcaraz, coming off a title at the Next Gen ATP Finals, will be replaced by No. 60 Pedro Martínez.

The other members of the Spanish squad are Pablo Carreno Busta, Alberto Ramos-Vinolas, Feliciano López and Marcel Granollers. The team captain is Sergi Bruguera.

Spain was already without Nadal because of an injury, and it lost No. 19 Roberto Bautista Agut earlier this week because of an abdominal injury.

Spain is the defending champion at the Davis Cup Finals that are being played in Madrid, Innsbruck and Turin. The first day of competition was yesterday in all three cities.

The matches in Austria are being played without fans because of the coronavirus pandemic. Capacity is at 60 percent in Turin and 75 percent in Madrid.

By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer MADRID (AP) — Before any matches were played, Elias Ymer didn’t hesitate to say Sweden could succeed at the Davis Cup Finals despite being one of the lowest-ranked nations in the competition.

He backed up his words with a great opening win yesterday, then cheered on his brother Mikael in the other singles match that clinched Sweden’s victory over 2019 runner-up Canada in Group B. Croatia also won on the opening day, while defending champion Spain was left without one of its biggest attractions after 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz tested positive for the coronavirus and had to be dropped from the squad.

Spain was set to open play against Ecuador today in Group A. Sweden also won the doubles match against Canada after Elias Ymer defeated Steven Diaz 6-4, 6-2 and Mikael Ymer beat Vasek Pospisil 6-4, 6-4.

“It’s a miracle. You don’t see it in almost any other country. It’s not in many sports, two brothers,” Elias Ymer said. “Our parents immigrated from Ethiopia.

We’re both like No. 1 and No. 2, representing Sweden in the biggest tennis event in the world. You don’t see it so often.”

Elias Ymer, ranked 171st, rallied after being down 4-1 in the first set against Diaz. Mikael Ymer, ranked 93rd and two years younger than Elias, converted his two break-point opportunities against Pospisil.

Mikael Ymer said their wins will surely resonate back home.

“Growing up it was also one of the big dream for my dad,” he said.

“Even though I don’t think too much of it while I’m playing or during the week, for me it’s more about the team and the

SWEDEN’s Elias Ymer celebrates his victory over Canada’s Steven Diez during their Davis Cup tennis match in Spain yesterday.

(AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) CZECH country. Of course, there cannot win this, why should second-place teams with REPUBLIC-FRANCE are moments here and we even be here?” the best records based on The Czech Repub- sets and games will advance there that I sit and I think Sixth-ranked Canada that it’s beautiful, it’s a lost to host Spain in the lic went 1-0 up against to the quarterfinals. beautiful story.” final of the event’s first France when 21-year-old The 18-team competition In the doubles match, edition, when Pospisil was Thomas Machac defeated was not played last year Andre Goransson and one of its key players. The veteran Richard Gasquet because of the pandemic.

Robert Lindstedt defeated second edition of the Davis 7-6, 6-2 (3) in Group C in There won’t be any fans Pospisil and Brayden Cup Finals got underway Innsbruck. allowed in Innsbruck, and The 35-year-old Gasquet capacity is at 60 percent Schnur 7-6 (5), 6-4 to give with two other ties being the Swedes all three points. played simultaneously in conceded 11 aces against in Turin and 75 percent in the 143rd-ranked Machac Madrid.

Sweden is 14th in the Austria and Italy. in an empty arena because Davis Cup rankings and is CROATIAIn Madrid, a good crowd of coronavirus restrictions was on hand for the openmaking its first appearance AUSTRALIA in the revamped competiIn Turin, Borna Gojo in Austria. ing match between Sweden Top-ranked France and Canada. tion. It is trying to reach and Marin Cilic gave 2018 the Davis Cup quarterfi- champion Croatia the vic- evened the series when The event was held nals for the first time since tory over 28-time winner Adrian Mannarino rallied entirely in Madrid over to defeat Jiri Vesely 6-7 (1), seven days in 2019, being 2011.

Australia in Group D. “I said (we could win Gojo, ranked 276th, 6-4, 6-2. extended to 11 days this Each matchup on indoor time after criticism from this) because I think belief defeated No. 61 Alexei is super important. It’s Popyrin 7-6 (5), 7-5 after hard courts is a best-of- players and fans over series featuring late-night something everyone has to saving all five break points three matches in work on,” Elias Ymer said. he faced. No. 30 Cilic out- two singles and one dou- mostly empty arenas and “I said it because, yeah, lasted No. 34 Alex de bles match. The six group not enough rest between winners plus the two matches. if I don’t believe that we Minaur 6-1, 5-7, 6-4.

ATP Cup kicks off Australian Open tune-up events Down Under MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The ATP Cup team event will kick off the slate of tune-up tournaments ahead of the Australian Open in January.

Tennis Australia yesterday said the January 1-9 ATP Cup will be held in Sydney.

And the big event will be followed by the new Sydney Tennis Classic, a combined men’s and women’s event.

Team Serbia won the inaugural edition of the ATP Cup in 2020 and Team Russia won the 2021 event in February, when

COVID-19 restrictions meant the number of teams was reduced to 12 in Melbourne.

The Memorial Drive Tennis Centre in Adelaide will host two weeks of combined men’s and women’s competitions.

Melbourne Park will host three events — two WTA 250 tournaments and one ATP 250 — from January 3-9 before the Australian Open qualifying tournament begins.

The first major of 2022 will be held January 17-30 at Melbourne Park, which will be allowed to host

capacity crowds on the condition that all players, fans and staff are fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley said it was vital to provide competition opportunities for players after the end-of-year break. Continuing domestic border restrictions within Australia for the coronavirus pandemic ended the prospects of staging toplevel tournaments in the states of Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania.

Still, it’s a dramatic increase from the number of tournaments

staged before the 2021 Australian Open, when players had to undergo a two-week hotel quarantine on arrival and crowds were either heavily restricted or shut out.

“It is not news to anyone that the pandemic, closed borders and varying rates of vaccination created a massive challenge for us and led to the changes specifically for the summer,” Tiley said. “It’s why we waited as long as possible to secure optimal conditions for the players and fans in as many locations as we could.”

WADA APPROVES REFORMS, ATHLETE GROUPS SAY THEY’RE NOT ENOUGH

By EDDIE PELLS AP National Writer THE World Anti-Doping Agency approved a series of reforms designed to give athletes a bigger voice in decision-making, though the changes were roundly criticised by activist groups that said they didn’t go far enough.

At its board meeting yesterday, WADA announced it was adding two seats to its executive committee, one of which will go to an athlete representative.

It approved creation of an independent ethics board and reformed the athletes council to give a wider group of athletes a say in appointing its 20 members.

WADA also approved a pilot athlete ombudsman programme, which is supposed to provide independent advice for athletes in dealing with doping issues. A number of athlete

groups put out statements deriding the changes as little more than cosmetic.

One major complaint is that the key decisionmaking bodies are still populated with members of the International Olympic Committee, which accounts for half of WADA’s funding. World governments supply the other half.

“WADA should neither be controlled nor governed by anyone who has a stake in the economics of sport competition if they are to be considered legitimate,” said a statement drafted on behalf of four separate athletes groups, including Global Athlete.

WADA’s independence has come under scrutiny over the past decade, during which a doping scandal in Russia roiled the anti-doping movement and led critics to wonder if the global regulator was going too easy on Russia at the behest of the IOC.

Another group, World Players, put out a detailed spreadsheet that compared WADA’s reforms to what the group has been proposing.

Among the criticisms is that many of the athletes in decision-making positions arrive there because of their relationship with the IOC and other entities in the sports movement.

“These athletes have legal duties and obligations to the sport movement which may not be in the best interest of athletes,” the analysis said.

WADA said there are more changes to come.

President Witold Banka said the actions completed yesterday “will have a farreaching and meaningful impact on how the agency is governed, with more independent voices around the table and increased representation for athletes and national anti-doping organisations.”

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, November 26, 2021, PAGE 15

MINISTER BOWLEG PRESENTS BAHA MAR HOOPS ‘NASSAU CHAMPIONSHIP’ TROPHY TO TOLEDO ROCKETS MINISTER of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg presented the University of Toledo Rockets with the Baha Mar Hoops “Nassau Championship” trophy after the team defeated the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers on Wednesday.

He also took time to speak with Bahamian Ahmard Harvey, who is from Freeport, Grand Bahama, and is a member of the Chanticleers.

Photos by Eric Rose/BIS

ON THE REPLAY: The Toledo Rockets erased an early deficit and completed their run to the Nassau Championship with a 79-70 win over the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at the Baha Mar Convention Center on Wednesday night. Toledo improved to 4-1 on the season while Coastal Carolina fell to 3-2. Ryan Rollins was named tournament MVP after he scored 35 points in the finale.

PAGE 16, Friday, November 26, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Tottenham beaten by Slovenia’s Mura, West Ham advances

By KAREL JANICEK Associated Press TEN-MAN Tottenham conceded a late goal and fell to a humbling 2-1 loss to lowly Slovenian team NS Mura in the Europa Conference League yesterday, a result that puts the London club in danger of being eliminated from the third-tier competition.

Amadej Maroša scored for Mura four minutes into stoppage time in Maribor, finishing off a quick counterattack with a shot that was deflected and looped into the net. It was a big blow for new Tottenham manager Antonio Conte, whose team now likely needs a win over group winner Rennes in the last round to have a chance of advancing.

“This a bad loss for us,” Conte said. “The performance was poor. We know we have a lot of work ahead of us,” he said. “We were poor not only technically and tactically but also mentally. It will take time to bring Tottenham back.”

In the same competition, Jose Mourinho’s Roma routed Zorya Luhansk 4-0 at Stadio Olimpico to stay in contention for the first place in Group C. LASK, Gent and Alkmaar also made the next round.

In the Europa League, West Ham clinched top spot in Group H with a game to spare with a 2-0 victory at Rapid Vienna.

Bayer Leverkusen also sealed a place in the round of 16 after coming back from 2-1 down to beat Celtic 3-2 in Group G.

Monaco also won its group.

Only the eight group winners go straight into the round of 16 — the runnersup enter playoffs with the eight teams who finish in third place in the Champions League groups.

A similar system operates for the third-place Europa League teams dropping down into the Europa Conference League.

EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE Mura had lost its first four group games but went ahead in the 11th minute when Tomi Horvat scored into the roof of the net.

Tottenham, one of the big favorites to win the first edition of the competition, then had Ryan Sessegnon sent off in the 32nd with a second yellow card.

Harry Kane equalized from a narrow angle in the 72nd but Tottenham then needlessly gave Mura the chance to counter in the final seconds.

Rennes won Group G with 11 points after a 3-3 draw against Vitesse Arnhem, which is tied with Tottenham on seven.

Cyriel Dessers scored his second goal in stoppage time to secure a 2-2 draw for Feyenoord at Slavia Prague, which was enough for the Dutch side to clinch first place in Group E. Copenhagen topped Group F after routing Gibraltar’s Lincoln Red Imps 4-0.

First-half goals from Carles Pérez and Nicolò Zaniolo gave Roma a comfortable cushion in the

LEVERKUSEN’s match winner Moussa Diaby, cent, celebrates beside Leverkusen’s Nadiem Amiri, behind, and Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz, left, after he scored his side’s third goal during the Europa League Group G soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Celtic in Leverkusen, Germany, yesterday.

(AP Photo/Martin Meissner) first half before Jordan Veretout missed a golden opportunity to make it 3-0 from the spot, the second straight penalty he saw saved following one against Juventus. Tammy Abraham added two more goals in the second, including one from an overhead kick.

Group leader Bodø/ Glimt of Norway earned a 2-0 home win over CSKA Sofia to sit one point ahead of Roma.

LASK won 1-0 away at Maccabi Tel-Aviv in a game that decided the winner of Group A.

Gent clinched top spot in Group B despite a 1-0 loss at Anorthosis after Partizan’s 1-0 away defeat to Flora.

AZ Alkmaar won Group D after a 1-1 draw at Czech side Jablonec.

EUROPA LEAGUE West Ham forward Andriy Yarmolenko headed in the opener in the 40th minute in Vienna and captain Mark Noble converted a spot kick in first-half injury time to put West Ham in control.

West Ham tops Group H with 13 points, six ahead of Dinamo Zagreb.

Celtic was leading until Robert Andrich scored his second goal for Leverkusen in the 82nd minute, and Moussa Diaby hit a volley from the edge of the box past goalkeeper Joe Hart for the winner in the 87th off a cutback pass from young attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz.

Betis secured a playoff spot in the same Group G after beating Ferencvaros 2-0.

Leicester stayed on course to win Group C after a 3-1 victory over Legia Warsaw in a game that saw Polish away fans clash with police in the stands.

Patson Daka, James Maddison and Wilfred Ndidi all scored in the first half for Leicester.

Mahir Emreli missed a penalty for Legia at 2-0 before Filip Mladenović reduced the hosts’ lead to 2-1.

Leicester is one point ahead of Spartak Moscow and Napoli and plays at the Italian club in the last round.

Monaco won Group B thanks to a 2-1 win over Real Sociedad, with all three goals scored in the span of 10 minutes in the first half.

Alexander Isak answered Monaco’s opener

by Kevin Volland before Youssouf Fofana sealed the win.

Already qualified for the next round, Lyon made it five wins from five after a 3-1 away victory at Brøndby in Group A. Rangers clinched second place in the group with a 2-0 win over Sparta Prague.

VIEIRA QUICK TO EFFECT CULTURE CHANGE AT CRYSTAL PALACE

By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer PATRICK Vieira was never a player to shirk a challenge.

His eight career red cards in the English Premier League as the enforcer in Arsenal’s midfield is testament to that.

And the task he took on at Crystal Palace — his first managerial role in England’s top division — wasn’t for the faint-hearted, either.

Refresh the oldest squad in the league and overhaul its rigid, mostly defensive approach to become an attacking and expansive team playing, in Vieira’s words, “on the front foot.”

Four months into the job and the transformation has been stunning, even if Palace’s position in the league standings might not

reflect that. No way would a team managed by one of Palace’s recent managers — take your pick from Roy Hodgson, Sam Allardyce, Alan Pardew or Tony Pulis — have enjoyed 75 percent possession like Vieira’s did in a game over Newcastle last month.

Just last week, Palace scored three away goals in the first half of a top-flight match for the first time in its 116-year history in a funfilled 3-3 draw at Burnley, during which Vieira’s players had 61 percent of the ball.

Already, Palace has beaten champion Manchester City 2-0 away and thrashed Tottenham 3-0 at home, and only drawn 2-2 at Arsenal after conceding an equaliser in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Palace heads into Saturday’s home match against Aston

Villa in midtable — 10th place in the 20-team league — but riding a seven-match unbeaten run and with players and pundits alike talking up the Vieira effect.

“It’s going fantastically for the club in a short space of time,” said Palace striker Christian Benteke, one of the players who have been rejuvenated since Vieira’s arrival.

Indeed, the 30-year-old Benteke is among the few older players to have survived following an offseason freshening-up of the squad that was badly needed.

Vieira’s predecessor, Hodgson, had been able to maintain Palace’s nine-year stay in the lucrative Premier League but the squad’s pool of players was aging and many were out of contract.

PATRICK Vieira

PERIŠIC DRIVING INTER MILAN FORWARD IN EUROPE AND SERIE A

LEIPZIG IN EMPTY STADIUM AS VIRUS BITES BACK IN BUNDESLIGA

By DANIELLA MATAR Associated Press

By JAMES ELLINGWORTH AP Sports Writer

AFTER being forced to sell two of its top players because of financial constraints, Inter Milan now faces the prospect of losing another on a free transfer.

Inter Milan winger Ivan Perišic is driving the Nerazzurri forward in Europe and in Serie A, where it is launching a stern defence of its league title despite the departures of Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi, as well as coach Antonio Conte.

But the 32-year-old’s contract runs out at the end of the season and he seems to already have made up his mind about leaving, reportedly saying he feels the need for a change.

“Ivan is doing extraordinary things. The club knows my thoughts on him renewing his contract,” said Simone Inzaghi, who took over from Conte in the offseason.

Perišic was already a key player under Conte but has become vital under Inzaghi this season, featuring in 16 of Inter’s 18 matches and weighing in with three goals and two assists.

His latest goal helped Inter beat Napoli 3-2, inflicting a first loss onto Luciano Spalletti’s team

and reducing the Serie A champion’s gap to the top two to four points.

Next up for Inter is Saturday’s trip to Venezia, which is still at the wrong end of the table but has won its past two matches to creep away from danger.

But Inter will also be full of confidence after beating Shakhtar Donetsk 2-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday to reach the knockout stage of Europe’s premier club competition for the first time in 10 years.

Edin Džeko grabbed the headlines by scoring both of Inter’s goals but Perišic was the star of the show.

Perišic’s performance was outstanding as he appeared to be everywhere on the San Siro pitch, making important tackles in defence and also having a hand in both goals with fantastic runs down the left wing — so much so that after Džeko scored his second, he immediately ran over to the Croatia international, who was embraced by his teammates as if he had scored the goal.

Perišic almost capped his night with a goal himself but it was ruled out for offside.

“I’m happy with my performance, but what matters more is the team’s results,” Perišic said after the match.

BERLIN (AP) — German soccer fans thought they’d put the days of empty stadiums behind them, but the coronavirus pandemic isn’t letting up.

Record case numbers in Germany mean one top club is back playing without a crowd and others will have thousands of fewer fans this weekend.

Leipzig is on the front line of the latest wave of the pandemic in Germany in the eastern state of Saxony, where infection rates are the highest and vaccination rates the lowest compared to other regions. With intensive care facilities under strain, state authorities have banned crowds from sports events.

That means Leipzig will host the Bundesliga’s first game in an empty stadium for months when Bayer Leverkusen visits on Sunday. That also affects its Champions League game against Manchester City next month. Clubs in other states are increasingly under restrictions, too. Bayern Munich can fill its stadium to only 25 percent capacity against Arminia Bielefeld on Saturday.

Just a month ago, the picture was very different.

Germany’s vaccination programme was going well and entry rules for games — generally restricted to people who were fully vaccinated, recently recovered from the virus or with a negative test — were being broadly obeyed. Bayern celebrated having a full house of 75,000 for the first time since March 2020 on October 23 when it played Hoffenheim.

Since then, case numbers have continued to hit record levels in German society, and soccer has not escaped. Leipzig coach Jesse Marsch and goalkeeper Peter Gulasci won’t be at their empty-stadium game against Leverkusen because the club said this week they tested positive. Of the four German clubs playing in the Champions League this week, all were missing at least one player with a positive test.

Leipzig shrugged off the disruption in a 5-0 demolition of Belgian club Brugge on Wednesday, but questions remain over the future of Marsch with the club seventh on the Bundesliga table and unable to qualify for the Champions League knockout rounds.

DAVID GROWING INTO SCORING MACHINE FOR LILLE LILLE, France (AP) — It took Jonathan David some time to settle in at French club Lille. Three months, actually.

He only scored his first league goal a year ago after having joined Lille from Belgian club Gent last August.

Since then, the 21-yearold Canada international has become one of the most sought-after young forwards in Europe.

David’s goal midweek in a 1-0 victory against Salzburg in the Champions League was his 12th this season in all competitions.

Only Erling Haaland (13 goals) has scored more in all competitions among players born in 2000 or later in the top five European leagues.

His goal, which followed a double in the French league last weekend, secured Lille’s first home win in the elite tournament in 15 years. It was not spectacular but required the type of cold-blooded vision world-class strikers possess.

REAL MADRID RELYING ON BENZEMA

By JOSEPH WILSON Associated Press BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Karim Benzema and the teams that employ him appear unfazed by his guilty verdict for having played a part in the sex tape blackmail plot against a former France teammate.

Hours after the conviction by a Versailles court on Wednesday, Benzema helped Real Madrid clinch a spot in the Champions League knockout phase for a 25th consecutive season by scoring in a 3-0 win at Sheriff in Moldavia.

Benzema should be back in action again on Sunday, when Madrid hosts Sevilla in a clash of two of the hottest teams in the Spanish league.

Benzema, who denied any wrongdoing, was found guilty of being involved in an attempt to blackmail Mathieu Valbuena in 2015 over a sex tape thought to have been stolen from Valbuena’s mobile phone.

But Benzema’s one-year sentence was suspended, meaning he won’t do prison time.

MATCHDAY: Granada visits Bilbao, Lens hosts Angers A LOOK at what’s happening in European soccer today: SPAIN Granada visits Athletic Bilbao needing a win to ensure it doesn’t fall into the Spanish league’s relegation zone. Granada coach Robert Moreno will miss the match serving the first of a two-game suspension after he was sent off for protesting during a loss to Real Madrid last round.

Bilbao has only lost twice in 13 games this season, but it has gone four rounds without a win. A victory for the Basque Country club would lift it above seventh-place Barcelona before the Catalan side plays this weekend.

GERMANY Relegation-threatened Stuttgart looks to end a five-game winless run at home against Mainz. Stuttgart was a solid mid-table team last season after promotion but is struggling this year in the relegation playoff place in 16th. Mainz comes into the game in

eighth, three points off the Champions League places, and unbeaten in four games.

ITALY The two bottom clubs in Serie A meet in Sardinia as Cagliari hosts Salernitana.

Both clubs have just seven points from 13 matches and are four points from safety.

Cagliari’s 2-2 draw at Sassuolo last weekend ended a run of four straight losses.

Salernitana has lost its last three matches without scoring a goal.

FRANCE Lens hosts Angers looking to bounce back and provisionally move to second place following its 4-0 loss at Brest last week.

The northern side will be missing several players.

Wesley Saïd and Deiver Machado are out injured, while Arnaud Kalimuendo is suspended. Lagging just three points behind Lens, sixth-place Angers has lost only three games this season, one fewer than Lens.

PAGE 18, Friday, November 26, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

GLOBAL STOCKS MIXED AFTER FED SAYS READY TO ACT ON INFLATION

By JOE MCDONALD AP Business Writer BEIJING (AP) — Global stock markets mostly rose Thursday after Federal Reserve officials indicated they were ready to hike interest rates sooner than expected if needed to cool U.S. inflation.

London, Tokyo, Frankfurt and Hong Kong markets advanced, while Shanghai declined.

Wall Street futures were higher. U.S. markets were closed for the Thanksgiving holiday. They reopen Friday for a shortened trading session.

Fed officials at their October policy meeting said they "would not hesitate" to respond to inflation, according to notes released Wednesday.

They foresaw the possibility of raising rates "sooner than participants currently anticipated."

That fueled investor fears the Fed and other central banks might feel pressure to withdraw economic stimulus that has been boosting stock prices. Fed officials earlier indicated they might raise rates late next year.

Higher prices combined with stronger U.S. hiring suggest the attitude at the

next Fed meeting might be "unabashedly more hawkish," said Tan Boon Heng of Mizuho Bank in a report.

In early trading, the FTSE in London rose less than 0.1% to 7,289.90 and the DAX in Frankfurt gained 0.3% to 15,927.78.

The CAC 40 in Paris added 0.3% to 7,063.84.

Futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average were up 0.3%.

In Asia, the Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.2% to 3,584.18 while the Nikkei 225 in Tokyo gained 0.7% to 29,499.28. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong advanced 0.2% to 24,740.16.

The Kospi in Seoul lost 0.5% to 2,980.27 after the Korean central bank raised its policy interest rate by 0.25 percentage points to 1% in line with expectations.

Sydney's S&P-ASX 200 added 0.1% to 7,407.30 and India's Sensex gained 0.8% to 58,811.46. New Zealand and Jakarta advanced while Singapore and Bangkok declined.

On Wall Street, the S&P 500 advanced 0.2%. Gains in technology, real estate and energy stocks outweighed a slide in banks and materials companies.

The Dow slipped less than 0.1% while the Nasdaq composite gained 0.4%.

The Fed notes showed officials still believe this year's inflation spike is likely to be temporary but acknowledged prices rose more than expected.

The notes covered the October meeting at which Fed board members voted to take the first steps to roll back easy credit and other measures to support an economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

A wide range of industries have been hit by inflation pressures and disruptions in supplies of raw

materials and components.

Forecasters worry consumers might cut spending if retail prices keep rising.

Consumer spending rose 1.3% in October, slightly more than double the previous month's rise, according to the U.S. Commerce Department.

The Labor Department reported the number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week to its lowest level in more than half a century.

In energy markets, benchmark U.S. crude lost 5 cents to $78.34 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, November 26, 2021, PAGE 19

CRUISE GIANT IN $3,000 ANNUAL PI SEABED DEAL FROM PAGE 24 between Nassau Cruise Port and Paradise Island.

The $110m project’s capacity is to be capped at 3,500 guests at any one time.

The lease requires Royal Caribbean to begin construction on this infrastructure within two years of the lease’s signing, meaning that this has to start by May 25, 2023. And it has been given three years to complete construction of the docks and jetties, meaning that this deadline is set for May 25, 2024.

And, mirroring the Crown Land lease, the cruise giant has effectively been given a similar 150year lease via the original 25-year term, the first 25-year renewal and the four options to renew - all for 25 years - thereafter.

The lease is signed and executed by former prime minister, Dr Hubert Minnis, in his then-capacity as the minister responsible for Crown Lands, and witnessed by his senior policy adviser, Joshua Sears. It was recorded in the registry of records on June 15, 2021, with Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean’s president and chief executive, signing to bind the cruise line.

The latest revelations are likely to spark further controversy surrounding government transparency when it comes to use of Crown Land, which is supposed to be held in trust by the Government for the Bahamian people. Neither the Crown Land lease nor its seabed equivalent have been publicly disclosed before, and they have not been tabled in the House of Assembly.

The seabed lease also emerged on the same day that the Prime Minister’s press secretary effectively said the Davis administration will not agree to the 150-year term on the seven Crown Land acres, effectively implying that it will seek to renegotiate terms with Royal Caribbean.

Acknowledging that the cruise line already owns some 13 acres on Paradise Island’s western end that it has acquired privately, Clint Watson said of the Crown Land: “We’re not going to do any ad hoc, crazy deals.

“We would have seen the stories in your paper about these leases that go on for years and so forth.

That’s not what’s going to be what the outcome is for the Bahamian people, for this administration. There is no wrap up of a deal yet, there’s no concretising of a deal yet for both sides.”

Mr Watson added that the Prime Minister was determined to find a compromise between Royal Caribbean and Toby Smith, the Bahamian entrepreneur behind the neighbouring $2m Paradise Island Lighthouse & Beach Club project, who is asserting his claim to three of the seven Crown Land acres subject to the cruise giant’s lease.

Mr Smith initiated legal action against the Minnis administration in the Supreme Court, seeking a declaration that the Crown Land lease he signed in early January 2020 - some 16 months before Royal Caribbean’s document was executed - for that threeacre parcel, as well as two other acres, is valid and legally binding.

That action remains live, but Mr Watson indicated that Philip Davis QC was seeking a solution where all legal battles would come to an end. “The previous government, as you would have known, granted two people a lease for the same land, Toby Smith, as you mentioned, and, of course, Royal Caribbean. We know you can’t grant two different people the same plot of land,” he said.

“Toby Smith... was granted the land first. If you go to court and discuss this, the court will say ‘well, who was granted the land first ought to be the one who holds the land’ so we realise what’s happening even if it went to court.”

Pledging that the Prime Minister will honour his stance that “Bahamians always come first”, Mr Watson added: “What we’re trying to do though, because of the nature of the situation, is find an amicable agreement for both parties; for all to be satisfied in this and, most importantly, not just for both sides, but for the Bahamian people.

“The Prime Minister says he believes he has the solution, and he’s going to discuss that soon with both sides and we await to see their response on that, but he believes he has something that will benefit both sides [and that] will also benefit the people.”

Mr Smith last night told Tribune Business he was elated that the Government seemed determined to “afford me a seat at the table”, which he contrasted with being almost totally ignored under the former administration.

He added that Royal Caribbean seemingly felt it had the Royal Beach Club, and the disputed three-acre Crown Land parcel, “in the bag” and had now been disabused of that notion by the Prime Minister’s press secretary.

“I continue to feel encouraged by this new day government, and the fact that the Government has called into question a lease extended to Royal Caribbean for a 150-year term for the Crown Land,” Mr Smith said, adding that his lease

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NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that JACKY LEONALDO PHILISTIN of, Stubbs Alley #16 off Williams Lane Nassau, Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 26th day of November, 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that SHARANO WELSON of Murphy Town, Abaco, The Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 19th day of November, 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

terms and rates - which he did not divulge - were much less favourable.

“I feel as though Royal Caribbean thought they had this in the bag, and were continuing down that path.

I wish to particularly thank the Prime Minister and his press secretary for qualifying that is absolutely not the case.”

Demanding that Royal Caribbean “cease and desist from running roughshod” over the disputed three-acre Crown Land parcel, especially since it is embroiled in a legal dispute, Mr Smith added: “In my humble opinion, they [Royal Caribbean] should stick with the private land they have purchased and the remaining Crown Land used solely for the benefit of Bahamians.”

He said was proposing to change Colonial Beach’s name to Lighthouse Beach, so as to break with The Bahamas’ colonial past, and continued: “I am confident in the new administration where I will be afforded a seat at the table to discuss the matter, whereas throughout the Minnis administration’s entire occupation of the Prime Minister’s Office I was not afforded that opportunity.”

Describing his court case as “one of my aces”, Mr Smith told Tribune Business: “One of my aces is the court, but a smart poker player doesn’t show all his cards. There’s more to follow where that came from. Royal Caribbean shunned me back in June, and there they can remain until they grow a level of respect for Bahamians.”

Going back to the seabed lease, many observers will view the rental rate as a giveaway by the former administration at a time when the Public Treasury needs every cent it can get. However, one source familiar with seabed leases, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the situation has to be placed in context. “What does it mean,” they asked of the rate.

The Government has traditionally leased seabed to developers at low, almost peppercorn, rates. A case in point is Arawak Port Development Company (APD), the BISX-listed Nassau Container Port’s owner/operator, which when created in 2011 was granted a 45-year lease over 27.88 seabed acres for an annual licence fee of just $1.

“They’re not doing anything different from what the policy is,” the source said of the Government.

“At some point it just needs to be revisited.”

They were more concerned by marina-based developments “monetising” seabed leases by selling dock space at $20,000 per foot on leases paying similar rates to Royal Caribbean.

“The Government just isn’t making any money from it,” they added. “The Government is making no money from our water, which is our number one resource. It’s a resource that needs to be protected.

“It’s just too one-sided, but the developer will say they are spending so much money and creating jobs.

But at the same time they are paying no VAT, and it’s duty-free. It’s a model that doesn’t make any sense.”

The source pointed out that the Royal Beach Club will generate additional taxes and economic impact for both the Government and wider Bahamas, with spending by the cruise passenger guests helping to generate local employment and demand for goods and

services provided by Bahamian companies.

James Boink, Royal Caribbean’s vice-president of private destinations, told a virtual meeting held by the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP) earlier this year that just one-third of its passengers will go to the Royal Beach Club, which is designed to drive additional visitors to this nation and get them off the ship to spend more money in the destination.

This will in theory leave two-thirds of Royal Caribbean’s passengers free to patronise local businesses, but those sectors that rely on the cruise industry especially Bay Street and downtown Nassau - will likely be deeply sceptical about this.

PAGE 20, Friday, November 26, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

GAS STATIONS SEEK MARGIN RISE: ‘OUR BACKS ARE AGAINST THE WALL’ FROM PAGE 24 market conditions. The cost of living has gone up on everything else. The freight we import to provide equipment to the stations, uniforms, everything has now escalated and we’re still at the same 54 cents [per gallon].”

Mr Jones did not specify the margin increase that dealers are seeking, adding that the Association will determine that following discussions with Ministry of Finance officials.

“I’m expecting a favourable outcome from our discussions, but we can’t look at this every ten years,” he said.

“We’re going to talk about different mechanisms. We’re not saying it should go up by 100 percent.

We will look at it, and speak to the Government with regards to some reasonable number that’s going to give us the ability to maintain profitability.”

Many observers have argued that gas station dealer margins should be calculated as a percentage, rather than a flat figure per gallon of gas, and/or indexed to inflation and the cost of living to give them a better chance of profitability in a price-controlled industry.

However, with the economy still very much in post-COVID recovery, and prices generally increasing due to global supply chain woes along with rising energy costs, the Government may be reluctant to grant a margin increase at this time since it will impact all Bahamians via greater transportation costs.

The last time petroleum dealers enjoyed a margin increase was in 2011, when the Hubert Ingraham-led Free National Movement (FNM) government granted a 10 cent increase per gallon of gasoline to take it from 44 cents to 54 cents. A 15 cent

increase per gallon of diesel was also allowed.

Vasco Bastian, owner/ operator of the Esso East Street and Soldier Road location, and vice president of the association, added: “I wish the Government could help us out with a little margin increase. We need it.

We haven’t had an increase in over ten years and we are desperate now with our backs against the wall.”

Resuming 24-hour operations after the nightly curfew’s end has not caused gas stations to “take off” yet, but “every dollar counts” as customers slowly trickle in at later hours.

Mr Bastian said: “It’s too early to really say anything with regard to going back to the 24-hour service, but people are gradually coming back and I hope it can get back to the pre COVID-19 levels really soon.”

Returning to a 24-hour operation means operating costs have also increased, with Mr Bastian saying: “We have to have more staff salaries, you have to spend more on electricity, you have to pay for security.

Costs have increased across the board.”

Mr Jones added: “Nothing significant has changed since going back to the 24-hour operations. It is

NO ‘FAR-OFF DREAM’: ON TARGET FOR 1M TOURISTS FROM PAGE 24

But it’s more than that at this stage.”

Mrs Jibrilu said hotel and tourism industry margins, and yields, had increased instead of dropping as had initially been predicted.

And increased tourism spending meant that the economic impact from The Bahamas’ largest sector is being felt more widely, and by more persons.

“We’ve realised that during our recovery it’s

not necessarily about the quantity of numbers; it’s about the quality of numbers,” she said. “What we have seen that has been tremendous is that our hotel occupancy rates, while they are good, what we call ADR - average daily room rate - for those hotel properties, they’ve not dropped; they’ve increased.

“Visitor spending has increased. What we’re hoping to see is a real uptick in economic impact in the destination. So I think that

is going to be very interesting to see at the end of the year. Yes, we made our goal of one million [stopover visitors] but, more than that, the spending we saw in 2021 was equal to that of a great year. That’s what this year is unveiling for us.”

Mr D’Aguilar, before being voted out of office on September 16, told this newspaper: “I always figured we’d get one million stopover visitors [this year].

That’s kind of my target.

At the end of June we had 400,000-plus, 425,000, so I’m hoping for the second half of the year.” His prediction thus appears about to come true.

Mrs Jibrilu confirmed Tribune Business disclosures earlier this week about the strong Thanksgiving holiday period being experienced by many

resorts, saying: “They’re seeing occupancies in the hotels of 90 percent and beyond, so the numbers are above that which we saw in 2019, which was a banner year for us.”

This, she added, was being experienced by New Providence-based hotels as well as those in the Family Islands. “This confirms the position that The Bahamas is ahead in its recovery when you look at where the world is globally,” the tourism director-general said, noting that the recovery had started in the summer despite the country’s ‘Level 4’ “don’t travel” status with US health authorities.

Mrs Jibrilu said The Bahamas’ upgrade to ‘Level 3’ by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) meant major resorts could not

Legal Notice

NOTICE JARED PARTICIPATION CORP. Company No. 1677698 (In Voluntary Liquidation)

NOTICE is hereby given pursuant to Section 204 (1) (b) of the BVI Business Companies Act, 2004 that JARED PARTICIPATION CORP. is in voluntary liquidation. The voluntary liquidation commenced on 19th November 2021 and Nina Racciatti of Talstrasse 83, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland been appointed as the Sole Liquidator.

Dated this 23rd day of November 2021 Sgd. Nina Racciatti Voluntary Liquidator

LEGAL NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE

VANCO GENERAL INVESTMENTS LTD. Company No. 279611 (In Voluntary Liquidation)

Lauder Worldwide Ltd. (In Voluntary Liquidation) Notice is hereby given that the above-named Company is in dissolution, commencing on the 24th day of November 2021. Articles of Dissolution have been duly registered by the Registrar. The liquidator is (Amicorp Bahamas Management Limited, whose address is Bahamas Financial Centre, 3rd Floor, Shirley & Charlotte Street, P.O. Box N-4865, Nassau, Bahamas).

Dated this 24th day of November 2021 (AMICORP BAHAMAS MANAGEMENT LIMITED) LIQUIDATOR LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMPANIES ACT, 2000 KABOD INVEST LIMITED (IN VOLUNTARY LIQUIDATION) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that in accordance with section 138(4) of the International Business Companies Act, 2000, as amended, KABOD INVEST LIMITED is in dissolution. The dissolution of the said Company commenced on 19th November 2021 when the Articles of Dissolution were submitted to and registered with the Registrar General in Nassau, The Bahamas. The sole liquidator of the said Company is Kim D. Thompson of Equity Trust House, Caves Village, West Bay Street, P O Box N 10697, Nassau, Bahamas.

Kim D. Thompson Sole Liquidator

enjoy “the cream of the business” returning without any COVID-related regulatory impediments.

“It did have an impact on the business of tourism in its totality,” she explained of the ‘Level 4’ ranking.

“What do I mean by that?

If you look at the major resort properties, Atlantis and Baha Mar, a lot of their business is predicated on group business.

“They have large conference facilities, meeting rooms, meeting spaces.

That’s really where a great deal of their business comes from. I want to say that’s the cream of the business for them. At a ‘Level 4’ ranking, many, many companies have put in place measures that said their companies cannot travel to a jurisdiction where the CDC has a ‘Level 4’ ranking.”

With 90 percent-plus of The Bahamas’ tourist arrivals currently originating from the US, Mrs Jibrilu continued: “This was having an impact on our groups, our conferences, our ability to host major events” such as Battle 4 Atlantis and the basketball tournament hosted by Baha Mar, which both “attract huge numbers of visitors”.

“These events were really under a question mark at ‘Level 4’,” Mrs Jibrilu said. “At ‘Level 3’, all of a sudden that means every manner of business can now return to the jurisdiction and we’re seeing it immediately. I think the hotels will tell you that the level of

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nothing significant compared to what we have seen in the past pre COVID-19.

“I think there are some people out there still getting used to working later, and I think unemployment is still a factor and there are people who are not working full weeks, so there’s still a limitation in their income.

“So until those numbers come down in terms of unemployment, or the number of people employed goes up, we won’t see a real increase in people spending money for gasoline. I’ve spoken to other dealers and they are telling me people are spending $5 to $10, and they would sometimes come to the station twice in a day as opposed to filling up one time.”

interest in The Bahamas as a destination has been tremendous, so they’re going to benefit.”

Acknowledging that the COVID-19 pandemic is “a very dynamic situation” which “changes daily”, Mrs Jibrilu said The Bahamas must do everything possible to mitigate the threat to group tourism by maintaining then ‘Level 3’ ranking with the CDC and, if possible, improving it.

“It’s incumbent upon each and every one of us to ensure we keep this ‘Level 3’ rating,” she added, referring to the COVID protocols of mask wearing, social distancing and hand washing. “That’s what’s gotten The Bahamas to where it is; a leader in the tourism space,” Mrs Jibrilu said.

“If collectively, together, we do what we need to do it means that not only does the Straw Market remain open but all those few other areas that have remained closed can open too, and people get back to work.

At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about. That’s what we do: Get people back to work in the number one industry.”

Looking ahead to 2022, the tourism director-general said: “As we look at projections, as it stands now, for the first and second quarter of 2022, our projections are trending very, very well. Sometimes I look at the projections, and I don’t just look at them in the context of The Bahamas, which is my primary interest, I will see how we are comparing to the region and comparing globally.

“It does give you cause to look two to three times’ and say: ‘Is The Bahamas really doing that well?’ If you look at where we are now, we’re in a very, very good place.”

NOTICE is hereby given pursuant to Section 204 (1)(b) of the BVI Business Companies Act, 2004 that VANCO GENERAL INVESTMENTS LTD. is in voluntary liquidation. The voluntary liquidation commenced on 18th November 2021 and Anja Lange of Claridenstrasse 25, 8002 Zurich, Switzerland been appointed as the Sole Liquidator.

Dated this 19th day of November 2021 Sgd. Anja Lange Voluntary Liquidator LEGAL NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE

N O T I C E

N O T I C E

EXXONMOBIL EXXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION SENEGAL (OFFSHORE) LIMITED

EXXONMOBIL EXXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION MAURITANIA (OFFSHORE) LIMITED

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 138 (8) of the International Business Companies Act 2000, notice is hereby given that the above-named Company has been dissolved and struck off the Register pursuant to a Certificate of Dissolution issued by The Registrar General on the 3rd day of November, A.D. 2021.

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 138 (8) of the International Business Companies Act 2000, notice is hereby given that the above-named Company has been dissolved and struck off the Register pursuant to a Certificate of Dissolution issued by The Registrar General on the 3rd day of November, A.D. 2021.

Dated the 26th day of November A.D., 2021

Dated the 26th day of November A.D., 2021

Rebecca Wittrock Liquidator of EXXONMOBIL EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION SENEGAL (OFFSHORE) LIMITED

Rebecca Wittrock Liquidator of EXXONMOBIL EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION MAURITANIA (OFFSHORE) LIMITED

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, November 26, 2021, PAGE 21

WEBINAR TO EXAMINE SUPPLY CHAIN FALL-OUT A SEMINAR will next week explore whether global supply chain woes will lead to a Bahamian economic crisis stemming from product shortages and rising prices.

The Supply-Chain Crunch: Our Next Economic Crisis? webinar, organised by the TCL Group, will assess the impact for Bahamian businesses, consumers and national development as a result of supply shortages created by the COVID-19 pandemic’s fall-out.

Lockdowns and/ or border closures in major export countries have led to a backlog of manufacturing orders, with companies struggling to meet demand, and recent supply chain bottlenecks have only made the situation worse.

The free webinar, scheduled for Wednesday, December 1, between 10am to 12pm, will feature Gilbert Morris, economist and author; Kenneth Hutton, president, Abaco Chamber of Commerce; Thomas Sands, president, Eleuthera Chamber of Commerce; Michael Pratt, president, Bahamian Contractors’ Association (BCA); and Tiffani Evans, director of merchandising, Sysco Bahamas Food Services.

K Karlos Mackey, president of Prime Financing and Consulting, will host the webinar. He said supply chain delays have resulted from multiple disruptions in marine shipping, adding: “Food, medical supplies, building supplies - almost every product that you can think of moves by marine shipping.

“Over the past several months, particularly with the pandemic in the United States, you’ve had a lack of workers in the logistics industry which includes shipping, truck drivers and longshoremen or stevedores.

“You now have at ports in the United States - primarily on the West Coast but also on the East Coast in places like Savannah, Georgia and Mobile, Alabama - large amounts of ships that are idling off the coast,” he added.

“And therefore you also have a lack of containers that are available for shipping. So you now have a situation where not only is it taking longer to ship, it is also more costly to ship because the amount of containers that would have been available are now staying out for 45, 60 days

longer than they normally would be.”

The trickledown effect has been far-reaching, with end consumers inheriting significant increases in prices and longer wait times for certain goods.

Bahamian construction companies were some of the first businesses forced to pass high costs on to their clients.

Mr Pratt, the BCA’s president, said earlier this year that the cost of some building supplies had tripled while once-accessible cement blocks were hard to find. He then forecast that the construction industry should prepare to face two to three years of supply shortages and price hikes.

“My position hasn’t changed,” he said. “There is no guarantee exactly when the industry will get back to normal, but we know

OVER 50,000 REGISTER FOR GOV’T ONLINE PORTAL MORE than 50,000 Bahamians and residents have registered to access multiple public services via the Government’s MyGateway.gov.bs online portal, it was announced yesterday.

The Government’s Digital Transformation Unit, in a statement, hailed this benchmark as “a major milestone” in the drive to provide more convenient access to vital services, while also improving

process efficiency and reducing cost.

Among the services that can currently be accessed are police character certificates; birth, death and marriage certificates; deed and document searches; passport renewals; Post Office box requests and renewals; and driver’s licence renewals.

Since its launch in February 2021, MyGateway has put 38 services online, including services such as

the application to vote in the advanced voter poll from the Parliamentary Registration Department, which became available for the first time on a digital platform.

Besides increasing the accessibility of services, the Government said MyGateway has also processed around 34,000 user requests in just over 50 countries while facilitating millions of dollars in duty exemptions granted to support

small business owners and homeowners in special economic development zones.

Developed by a Bahamian software team, MyGateway is expected to eventually make 200 government services available online by 2025. It will shortly expand access to these services to include business entities and nonprofit organisations.

VIRGIN ‘PACING AHEAD’ OF BAHAMAS ROUTE FORECAST FROM PAGE 24 “Yesterday was a great day for us as we continue what has been an excellent rebound for tourism, for the rebound and recovery of tourism.” That was a reference to the arrival of Virgin’s inaugural flight to Nassau from London Heathrow, which will be a twice weekly service moving forward.

Mrs Jibrilu, who was on the flight, said just over half the passengers - 120 out of 230 - disembarked in Nassau. The rest travelled on to Jamaica’s Montego Bay destination, and Mrs Jibrilu said: “For a new flight, new airlift coming in, that is tremendous news.

“With the introduction of Virgin into The Bahamas’ airlift space, that means there are eight flights a week coming from the UK. Airlift is ramping up because demand is there.

Virgin is already saying they are pacing ahead of their projections for the first six months of their new flight.

“The proof is in the pudding, with BA starting with two flights in July and now up to six flights a week, the most flights BA has ever offered.” Mrs Jibrilu conceded that some may be puzzled over the Ministry of Tourism’s excitement about increased UK airlift when the bulk of visitors - over 90 percent - come from the US and Canada.

She explained, though, that BA and Virgin’s flights from London Heathrow provided seamless connectivity to markets such as the Middle East, India and the Far East - all of which The Bahamas has previously struggled to penetrate in any meaningful way due to the travel distances involved.

“Just to be clear, when we open up the UK it’s not just the UK; it’s not just

London; it’s not just England; it’s not just Scotland which is opening up to us.

It’s the relationship with that side of the world. It’s the Middle East, it’s India, it’s Asia, because both of those airlines connect directly to flights going on to India, the Middle East, the Far East.

“They all connect through Heathrow. The Bahamas can boast of every flight departing from Heathrow, which cannot be said for the rest of the Caribbean.” But, with COVID cases rising in nations such as France and Germany, Mrs Jibrilu acknowledged that plans to increase European airlift via Heathrow could still be derailed by lockdowns there and other restrictions.

Generating increased airlift from the US west coast

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that JESSICA JUDY JOSEPH of Windsor Lane, East Street, Nassau, The Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 19th day of November, 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

remains a MInistry of Tourism priority, she added.

“We’re looking for fresh gateways as well, where we’d like airlift to come from,” Mrs Jibrilu said.

“The west coast of the US is a key one. We know that’s within our top five source markets for the US.” She added that the airlines were now coming to The Bahamas rather than the other way around, explaining: “A few years ago, while we were fighting for appointments, they’re now seeing how well we’re doing and coming to the table.”

that it won’t happen overnight. Right now, there are so many ships on the coast of California with supplies from Asia. The challenge is getting the supplies off of those ships and to us, especially when there are no trucks to move the supplies.

“People are dying, so the priority is moving vaccines and medical supplies.

That has caused a back-up with moving other products. We get the majority of our supplies from the [United States], so whatever happens there affects us. When one aspect of the

chain is shut down, you see a domino effect.

“Manufacturers are closely watching the new waves of the [corona]virus and they are reluctant to manufacture more supplies. You also have major contractors in the [United States] who have been hoarding supplies to ensure that their project is not hampered. Some supplies are above and beyond the usual cost. Just imagine the massive ripple effect.”

Persons can register for the webinar at tclevents. com.

Legal Notice

NOTICE LUDWIG FUND ICON NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN as follows: (a) Ludwig Fund ICON is in dissolution under the provisions of the Investment Condominium Act, 2014 (b) The dissolution of the said Company commenced on the 23rd day of November, 2021 when its Notice of Dissolution were submitted to and registered by the Registrar General. (c) The Liquidator of the said Company is Shareece Scott, Deltec Bank & Trust Limited, Deltec House, Lyford Cay, P.O. Box N-3229, Nassau, Bahamas.

Shareece Scott Liquidator Legal Notice

NOTICE MERON FUND ICON NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN as follows: (a) Meron Fund ICON is in dissolution under the provisions of the Investment Condominium Act, 2014 (b) The dissolution of the said Company commenced on the 23rd day of November, 2021 when its Notice of Dissolution were submitted to and registered by the Registrar General. (c) The Liquidator of the said Company is Shareece Scott, Deltec Bank & Trust Limited, Deltec House, Lyford Cay, P.O. Box N-3229, Nassau, Bahamas.

Shareece Scott Liquidator

PAGE 22, Friday, November 26, 2021

INVITING THE GIVING SPIRIT TO YOUR FIRM T

HANKSGIVING Day, even in The Bahamas, usually signals the start of the festive season and the season of giving. This year, the spirit of giving is even more critical as the world rebounds from the terrible grip of the global pandemic.

COVID-19 has dealt a blow to the financial stability of individuals and communities.

Companies now, more than ever, must step up to the plate in their giving efforts and implement support programmes to assist the communities around them.

This week’s article provides seven suggestions for companies looking to enshrine giving as a corporate lifestyle.

1. Volunteer together.

This season is a good time to encourage your staff to donate their time and resources to the less fortunate. There are literally thousands of abandoned elderly persons, neglected children and the terminally ill, while those with disabilities are also in desperate need of love, care and assistance. Find a cause and go all-out in supporting it before the close of the year.

2. Offer your services gratis. Whether you offer medical, educational, financial or some other type of service, a kind gesture might be to provide those services pro bono (without charge) for a day or a week to a deserving and needy customer base.

IAN FERGUSON 3. Encourage your staff to give. Giving competitions

always provide the encouragement team members need to allow the love to flow. Reward your staff for their generous giving, and highlight them when they do it consistently.

4. Support other businesses by forming new partnerships. Taking your staff to a local, upcoming restaurant might be the blessing that a struggling entrepreneur needs during this time.

Companies need each other. Become the support that another firm needs to become more profitable.

5.

Strengthen your corporate social responsibility. Every company in the 21st century needs to approach business from a responsible standpoint.

Make a pledge to reduce

your carbon footprint this season. Applying reduce, reuse and recycle strategies will send the clear message to employees and the wider community that you are serious about giving back.

6. Plan an increase in your philanthropic budget in 2022. There are always needs within and without. As we plan a full recovery, giving must become incorporated in all we do.

7. Encourage less buying and selling, and more giving. Employee giveaways such as toy and book drives always seem to rally your team around a greater sense of purpose.

As a leader in your company, you are always looking for those win-win situations in which good

THE TRIBUNE

deeds and acts of charity can prove beneficial to the company. That kind of synergy can go a long way towards furthering your company’s goals, improving employee engagement, and strengthening your community all at once. Get on with in. Invite the spirit of giving to your company this season.

• NB: Ian R Ferguson is a talent management and organisational development consultant, having completed graduate studies with regional and international universities. He has served organsations, both locally and globally, providing relevant solutions to their business growth and development issues. He may be contacted at tcconsultants@coralwave.com.

FURLOUGH ‘FRUSTRATION’: WORKERS WANT FINALITY

FROM PAGE 24

are out and want to go. That way it means everybody will be happy,” Mr Woods told this newspaper, while voicing reservations over the Davis administration’s decision to extend the furlough period for another 90 days into the 2022 first quarter.

“For us it’s a concern as it pretty much extends the furlough period for those persons who have already been home for 21-22 months,” he added. “Some employees will say they do not want to wait another three months, and want to go.”

Suggesting that employers should pay due severance to those persons “if they are

able to”, Mr Woods said of the 90-day extension: “It’s just adding to the frustration of the people. It’s adding to the frustration.

People want finality one way or another.”

Tribune Business pointed out earlier this week that confusion exists over the deadline for when employers must decide whether to recall COVIDfurloughed workers.

Robert Farquharson, the Ministry of Labour’s director of labour, confirmed that “a move is afoot to synchronise” the contradictory same-day announcements made last week by Senator Ryan Pinder, the attorney general, and the Prime Minister’s press secretary.

Clint Watson, giving the weekly press briefing by the Prime Minister’s Office, said the clock would start running from December 12, 2021, on the Government’s decision to extend the furlough period by an extra 90 days.

Selecting that date, which was the original furlough expiration data under the Minnis administration’s COVID emergency powers, would extend the deadline for employers to decide whether to recall staff or terminate them to March 12, 2022. The emergency powers, which ended on November 12, 2021, included an extra 30 days before the furlough period

ended, taking it to December 12.

Mr Watson said last week Wednesday: “Under the previous administration, what was given was a 30-day window after the emergency orders would have expired for companies to make a decision and determination as to what they were going to do. Now, that 30 days would take us to December 12.

“The law also provide a 90-day window, which takes us to March 12. What has to happen within that window

by March 12, companies either have to disengage the persons or call them back to work. That is the law and that is the parameters that we are now working in for companies to make a decision.

“So they have until, by the latest, March 12 to either disengage those furloughed workers or return them back to work and the government is standing behind the law.”

However, this was seemingly contradicted by Mr Pinder in a media interview given the very same day. As the Government’s chief legal adviser, he said the clock on the 90-day furlough extension started running from November 12 - when the emergency powers ended - and not December 12 as suggested

by Mr Watson.

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As a result, the furlough extension would end one month earlier on February 12, 2022, based on Mr Pinder’s position. “Our advice is that the 12-week clock started November 13,” the attorney general said of the furlough extension. “Others are of the opinion that the 30-day extension that was in the emergency orders gives 30 days, plus 12 weeks.”

This indicates that there are differences within the Davis administration on the issue, and the two pronouncements fail to give both employers and furloughed employees the certainty and clarity that they cherish.

Mr Woods, meanwhile, described the COVID-19 pandemic and its worldwide impact as one for “the history books” with some furloughed workers potentially waiting for two years since its March 2020 start to either be recalled or terminated.

He added that the hotel union was still uncertain how many of its members have been recalled to work over the Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year period, having previously estimated that between 45-55 percent were still on furlough.

Nor does it know how many members are willing to accept severance packages and move on. “We’re still trying to find out,” he said. “We sent the information out and are waiting for them to get back to us on where they wanted to go.

“We have some persons who gave us their names.

We don’t have the total number as yet. Based on what they’re saying, it maybe in the hundreds, but I’m not sure. People say one thing, and when it comes time do something different.”

Mr Woods said the net number of union members recalled to work will be revealed “in the next pay cycle”, when those taken off furlough will have union dues paid on their behalf.

Equally, others could be removed after being made redundant.

While the recall of hotel and tourism workers is “a step in the right direction”, he added: “We have to wait and see how many persons actually got recalled. I’m hoping once they go back work will be continuous all the way through. Based on what they are saying in tourism and the airport itself, it sounds as if things are picking up a bit so we’ll just keep our fingers crossed.”

Mr Woods said the prolonged furlough endured by many hotel workers was likely to inflict a deep financial and mental toll. “It’s been a tremendous impact not being able to provide for their families and pretty much living off assistance for the past 21 months,” he added.

“You can only imagine the financial impact on them. If they have bank payments to make those have not gone away. Some institutions are offering loan deferrals or interest only payments, but that still affects them negatively as they extend the payment time and they will need a large cash payment to put on bills.

“It’s a tremendous impact on them financially and, dare I say, mentally. You can’t provide and people are pressuring them for payment. It’s a serious thing. It has a psychological effect.

I wouldn’t be surprised if some people need counselling at the end of the day.”

business@tribunemedia.net

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2021

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Cruise giant in $3,000 annual PI seabed deal

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net ROYAL Caribbean Cruise Lines secured a second lease from the Minnis administration allowing it to rent three acres of seabed off Paradise Island for just $3,000 per annum, it can be revealed.

Documents obtained by Tribune Business reveal that the cruise giant obtained a similar deal to its seven-acre Crown Land lease, with terms including an original 25-year lease; an initial 25-year renewal and “no less than four additional options” for further renewals - each up to 25 years.

And the rental income due to the Government is just one-twentieth, or 5 percent, of the rate Royal Caribbean is paying to lease its seven acres of Crown Land. For the latter, the cruise line is paying $140,000 per annum VATexclusive for a rate of $20,000

• Same 150-year duration (with renewals) as Crown Land • PM’s spokesman: Deal with Royal Caribbean ‘not concrete’ • Bahamian entrepreneur says he has ‘more cards to play’

LIGHTOUSE POINT PARADISE ISLAND

per acre. Yet the seabed rental rate is the equivalent of $1,000 per acre per annum.

The lease document, dated May 25, 2021, the same day that Royal Caribbean’s Crown Land lease was executed, confirm that it includes “approximately three acres” covering several sites in both Nassau Harbour and on Paradise Island’s northern coast according to maps provided by Bahamasbased Target Surveying & Engineering, It stipulates that the cruise line must pay “an annual rent of $3,000, calculated at the rate of $1,000 per acre of the seabed”, plus VAT that is payable on June 1 annually for 25 years.

The seabed lease is key to facilitating infrastructure vital to making the proposed Royal Beach Club work, particularly the docks and jetties needed to transport thousands of passengers back and forth

SEE PAGE 19

Gas stations seek margin rise: ‘Our backs are against the wall’

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net GAS station operators have their “backs against the wall” after returning to 24/7 operations due to the continuing wait for an increase to their price-controlled margins.

Raymond Jones, the Bahamas Petroleum

Dealers Association’s (BPDA) president, told Tribune Business the body has already approached the Ministry of Finance over the need for its members to have a margin increase - something that has not occurred for a decade.

He said: “This margin increase is necessary when you look at the fixed-price fees and the fixed-price margin that is

there. When you look at the cost of electricity and the cost of supplies, the retail business for gas stations depends heavily on store sales.

“The base salaries, your National Insurance Board contributions and your operating expenses, along with reduced sales and reduced volumes in gas, it all has a negative impact and increase in cost.”

Besides the fixed costs associated with operating a gas station, Mr Jones said one-off items such as pump repairs and related costs also impact the bottom line. “The cost of those repairs doesn’t go down,” he said.

“What we are trying to do is find a way where we can adjust our margins given the

SEE PAGE 20

Furlough ‘frustration’: Workers want finality

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net A UNION president yesterday warned that the 90-day extension to the COVID furlough period is “adding to the frustration” of long-suffering workers who want “finality” for their plight.

Darrin Woods, the Bahamas Hotel, Catering and Allied Workers Union’s (BHCAWU) chief, told Tribune Business that employers should make due severance payments now to still-furloughed staff who request them and want to move on.

He added that the union was working with hotel employers in a bid to ensure

DARRIN WOODS that any planned terminations involved workers who wanted to leave so that all those wishing to return to work can do so.

“We’re trying to see if they can get persons who

SEE PAGE 22

Virgin ‘pacing ahead’ of Bahamas route forecast

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net VIRGIN Atlantic’s justlaunched Bahamas route is already “pacing ahead” of forecast business volumes for its first six months, the country’s top tourism official said yesterday.

Joy Jibrilu, the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation’s directorgeneral, told the weekly media briefing by the Prime Minister’s Office that “the proof is in the pudding” that demand for a Bahamian vacation has increased among UK and European travellers.

Virgin’s two flights to Nassau per week from the UK now join the six provided by its rival, British Airways (BA), to make eight weekly flights to The Bahamas, and tourism officials are hoping their London Heathrow hub will provide better connectivity to this nation from India and regions such as the Middle East and Far East.

“We’re so grateful to be in the position we’re in this year as compared to 2020,” Mrs Jibrilu said. “For a very long time we were at ‘Level 4’ [with the US CDC] and now we’re at ‘Level 3’. That will have an impact on us.

SEE PAGE 21

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No ‘far-off dream’: On target for 1m tourists • Director-general: ‘Quality of numbers’ is key • Hotel room rates, visitor spend ‘increased’ • CDC upgrade recovers ‘cream of business’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE BAHAMAS is on target to realise its “far-off dream” of one million stopover visitors in 2021, a top official disclosed yesterday, while hotel rates and tourist spending up on pre-COVID levels.

Joy Jibrilu, the Ministry of Tourism’s JOY JIBRILU director-general, told the weekly media briefing by the Prime Minister’s Office that “the quality of the numbers” that The Bahamas is enjoying in its pandemic recovery is more important than just mere visitor arrivals.

Confirming that The Bahamas is on track to hit the one million stopover visitor target set by former tourism minister, Dionisio D’Aguilar, when he spoke to Tribune Business in early July, she said: “Internally, we’re floating a number. When we floated that number in September, that seemed like a far-off dream.

“We said: ‘Wow, what if we reached one million stopover visitors in 2021?’ Unbelievable, no one would have imagined it, but that dream is a possibility, so that would be great. That would be a great testament for all the hard work that has been done in this destination.

SEE PAGE 20