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‘global oil must pay climate fund’
Davis: “We cannot afford another decade of empty pledges”
By KEILE CAMPBELL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Philip
“Brave” Davis said fossil fuel companies should contribute two percent of their profits to a climate fund that aids vulnerable countries, noting the Attorney General is pushing the International Court of Justice to compel firms to pay because they may not do so willingly.
Mr Davis made the comments in an interview with the Associated Press. Caribbean leaders agreed to call for a two percent levy on oil exports to fund loss and damage for climate-vulnerable countries
pM sla MMed foR not fixing act he dee Med dangeRous
By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Chief Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
LEGISLATORS passed amendments to the National Crime Intelligence Agency Act yesterday ––but not before Michael Pintard condemned
Prime Minister Philip
“Brave” Davis for failing to confront provisions he deemed “dangerous” and “unconstitutional” while in opposition.
Mr Pintard said despite the amendments, the law was largely the same as the one the Minnis administration passed in 2019. In 2019, Mr Davis expressed concern about the minister’s authority to issue specific and general directives that the agency’s
Outrage over ‘appalling’ outcome in elderly woman’s rape trial
By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
A NINE-year prison sentence for a man who pleaded guilty to multiple violent crimes, including the rape of an elderly woman, sparked outrage from female Free National Movement (FNM) members yesterday, with Senator Michela BarnettEllis calling the outcome “appalling”. However, National
Security Minister Wayne Munroe noted that sexual offences often have high acquittal rates, implying that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions may have considered several factors and found the plea arrangement acceptable. Joel Strachan, 22, pleaded guilty to rape, housebreaking, four counts of armed
defendant cites odd Reasons foR failed fRee ftx lawsuit help
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor
nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
A “magic mushrooms” co-defendant cited multiple attempts to poison him as just one of numerous bizarre explanations for why he failed to deliver a Bahamian lawsuit on behalf of FTX victims.
Jan Biere, a Dutch national with permanent residency in The Bahamas, variously blamed a $34,000 tax bill from The Netherlands’ revenue authorities; burns and other injuries suffered in an alleged “gas bomb” explosion; and efforts by his parents-inlaw to gain custody of his daughter for why he was unable to initiate promised “free” litigation against Sam Bankman-Fried and other directors over FTX’s implosion.
FNM Senator Michela BarnettEllis
priMe Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis debates a new bill in the House of Assembely yesterday.
Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr
National Security
two-day workshop on human trafficking
Mall at Marathon celebrates 35 years this weekend
THE Mall at Marathon is celebrating its 35th anniversary this weekend.
From today until Saturday, there will be a sidewalk sale, and a big birthday bash will be held on Saturday.
From 11am on Saturday, the public is invited to join in for entertainment, giveaways, a Junkanoo rush out, a dance performance and a chance to win a $500 shopping spree.
From 8pm in the food court, there will be a free
anniversary concert
“This celebration is our way of giving back to the community to say thank you for shopping at the Mall at Marathon for the past 35 years.
A two-day workshop on human trafficking began yesterday in collaboration with the Ministry of National Security, Royal Bahamas Police Force, and the Bahamas National neighborhood watch.
Photos: Nikia Charlton
featuring artists such as Ancient Man, Colyn McDonald, DJ Rev, DMac, Elon Moxey, Freddie Munnings Jr, Funky D, Geno D, Nishie LS, Sweet Emily, Veronica Bishop and the Falcons Band.
Carla Moss-Fitzgerald, marketing director, said:
‘Global oil must pay climate fund’
in 2022 in preparation for the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27).
During closing remarks at Tuesday’s International Black Men’s Empowerment Summit held at Margaritaville Beach Resort, he criticised the slow progress on the Loss and Damage Fund, which is designed to help countries affected by climate-related events.
He said: “The world has agreed to a Loss and Damage Fund, but our concern is, will these funds be mobilised in time?”
“We cannot afford another decade of empty pledges,” he said.
Mr Davis emphasised The Bahamas’ disproportionate suffering from climate impacts, despite contributing less than 0.01 percent of global emissions.
Meanwhile, during an event in New York yesterday marking Climate Week, Attorney General Ryan Pinder called out the systemic barriers that have prevented small island developing states from accessing climate finance, criticising the process for being bogged down by complex requirements that nations like The Bahamas could not easily navigate.
He emphasised that while funding to combat climate change was theoretically available, countries like The Bahamas had been left struggling due to bureaucratic red tape and a lack of capacity.
“We have 400,000 people, and I could count the number of climate experts in The Bahamas
on my fingers and toes,” he said. “The processes to access climate finance are overly complicated, making it nearly impossible for small nations with limited
expertise and manpower to qualify.”
Mr Pinder, while criticising what he considered inefficiencies in current international financ-
ing structures, explained that the layers of conditionalities attached to climate funds — funds meant to help countries rebuild after disasters — were daunting
for smaller nations. He said with each hurricane or flood, vulnerable countries were forced to jump through hoops to secure money,
all while dealing with the immediate aftermath of climate-driven destruction.
“Not only are we fighting the climate crisis, but we’re also battling these bureaucratic hurdles,” he said. “The process seems to get more complicated every year, and that’s unacceptable when lives and livelihoods are on the line.”
Mr Pinder said the issue had been exacerbated by the fact that The Bahamas has been classified as a high-income country based on its GDP per capita, automatically disqualifying it from many concessionary financing opportunities. This, he argued, painted a distorted picture.
“Yes, we have wealthy expatriates boosting our GDP, but the average Bahamian does not share in that wealth,” he said. “If you isolate the real Bahamians, we would easily qualify for concessionary funding.”
The attorney general said this misclassification forced The Bahamas to borrow money at high interest rates just to rebuild after disasters like Hurricane Dorian, which caused $3.4 billion in damages.
He called for implementing a vulnerability index to prioritise access to climate finance, ensuring that the nations most affected by climate change were given top consideration.
“We are facing catastrophic losses, yet we contribute almost nothing to global emissions,” he said. “We should not be made to pay for the damage we didn’t cause.”
PM slammed for not fixing act he deemed dangerous
director was required to follow, describing this as troubling. He said this arrangement effectively established a spy agency, noting its capabilities included monitoring potential espionage and external threats to The Bahamas.
He highlighted sections of the bill that he deemed unconstitutional and argued that the bill failed to establish a valid justification for questioning people, seizing mail, or demanding the submission of documents. He stressed the need to have reasonable grounds to suspect someone posed a threat to national security before taking such actions
and likened the situation to a scenario where someone could be approached on Bay Street by an agent who could interrogate them and subsequently detain them or impose a fine for refusing to answer.
Yesterday, Mr Pintard said the same provisions several senior members of the current administration had opposed and voted against while in opposition remained despite other amendments.
Mr Davis acknowledged his past comments about the bill but said he would not challenge it at this time. “The court will have to decide that now,” he said. “My views are that we have the law in place, and those
Davis warns Pintard over claims his govt is breaking the law
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter
PRIME Minister Philip
“Brave” Davis yesterday cautioned Michael Pintard against pushing a narrative that his administration was breaking the law.
“Sometimes we have to be careful how we’ve addressed things, to continually have this narrative of law that we are breaking the law,” Mr Davis told Mr Pintard in the House of Assembly.
“There’s one thing to have a view of one’s conduct but it’s another thing to carry that view to make a series of allegations that you do.” He urged Mr Pintard to be cautious, saying the law is a very “peculiar preacher”. His remarks followed
the Marco City MP’s claim that laws were being broken under the Davis administration without consequence. Mr Pintard cited several instances where the government allegedly broke the law.
He pointed out a trip to Bermuda, alleging funds had been withdrawn from the consolidated fund to support a private political endeavour without repercussions. He claimed the administration borrowed from the Central Bank without legal backing. He also accused the government of giving an illegal loan to BPL and said it remains unclear whether the loan has been fully made.
“There’s one rule for the Progressive Liberal Party, and there’s a different rule for others,” he said.
who would want to challenge it have the right to challenge.”
Mr Pintard dismissed this explanation as “unreasonable,” arguing that Mr Davis had the power to amend various provisions if he wished.
Mr Davis responded that he would not amend a bill just to suit his personal preferences, adding: “That’s not what parliamentarians are about.”
“The amendments today do not change much, but just ensure that we are in the position to make sure the bill is effective,” he said. “It’s not about what is constitutional and unconstitutional, not now.” The National Crime
Intelligence Agency Act granted expansive powers to a secretive organisation conducting covert intelligence-gathering activities.
The amended bill aims to enhance the agency’s ability to gather and analyse intelligence for national security purposes.
One change is renaming the agency from the National Crime Intelligence Agency to the National Intelligence Agency.
Government officials said focusing solely on crime limited the agency’s scope and hindered its ability to address security threats.
Additionally, the amendment bill establishes an independent National Intelligence Agency
Commission, tasked with overseeing the agency’s operations, including appointments, promotions, and disciplinary actions, to ensure it functions with integrity.
The commission would consist of a chairman, a deputy chairman, a counsel, an attorney with six to ten years of experience, and two additional members appointed by the Prime Minister after consultation with the opposition leader.
Ineligible commission members include active parliamentarians, recent public officers, active law enforcement officers, and anyone who has held political office in the past five
years.
“The amendments to the bill are to ensure that we bring life to the agency,” Mr Davis said. Opposition members raised concerns about the bill before it was passed yesterday.
East Grand Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson highlighted the lack of oversight over the commission and called for a parliamentary oversight committee to monitor the agency.
“How can we,” he said, “advance the agency without first ensuring that one, the committee is actually appointed and also that the committee is doing what it is supposed to be doing?”
OppOsitiOn leader Michael Pintard speaks during a yesterday’s House of Assembly. Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr
prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis speaking during a meeting of the House of Assembly yesterday.
Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr
Gibson: Long Island life difficult due to deteriorating infrastructure
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
ADRIAN Gibson said Long Island’s economy has significantly declined, and residents are struggling with deteriorating infrastructure and unacceptable living conditions.
Describing the situation as a “nightmare”, the island’s MP highlighted ongoing issues such as unreliable power service and water supply, frequent telecommunication failures, and inaccessible financial services which make life increasingly difficult for both residents and visitors.
He was speaking in the House of Assembly on Wednesday.
He said many communities from Scrub Hill to Seymours could not make a single phone call or send a text message due to constant phone and internet service outages.
Residents, already burdened by high fuel costs,
must drive long distances to check if groceries or vehicle parts are in stock because telecommunications are always out of service, he said, adding that the island has only one ATM located in Deadman’s Cay which is frequently out of service or has no cash.
Mr Gibson said the situation burdens customers and businesses on the island.
“I have constantly called on the government to cause for BOB to come to Long Island to provide banking services,” he said. “This is beyond inconvenience; this is a burden. When you have the one and only ATM machine constantly breaking down, and businesses are unable to accept credit cards because of the internet failures.
“Tourists can’t access money and they should be bringing dollars into our economy, and they are left frustrated inconvenienced and unlikely to return.”
The Long Island MP indicated that the government, which is a major
shareholder in BTC, has failed to ensure that the telecommunications provider delivers adequate service.
Mr Gibson also complained that the roads are in deplorable condition, riddled with potholes and prone to flooding. He said it is reminiscent of a “war zone” rather than island that depends on tourism and development.
He said despite high taxes, vehicle registration fees, and high fuel costs, Long Island reaidents are being “punished for owning cars”.
Regarding the island’s healthcare system, he said the morgue in Deadman’s Cay is out of order, and families are forced to transport the bodies of loved ones over 30 miles to the Simms Clinic in the back of trucks.
He said clinics are also short of basic medicines, and promises of a new morgue and ambulance have not yet been fulfilled.
“The Member for Tall Pines prior to the break
promised that we would be getting a new morgue which has not arrived,” he said. “He said they would get it in a couple of weeks; it’s been two months or so. And a new ambulance has
yet to arrive.”
Mr Gibson said the island’s airport is “derelict, run-down, and an embarrassment.”
“How can we,” he said, “promote tourism
and encourage economic growth when the gateway to our island is so decrepit?” We need upgrades, airlift solutions and we need them now. How much longer must Long Island wait?”
Munroe: Three Kemp Road churches offer facilities to assist Uriah McPhee after fire
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter
lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
FREETOWN MP Wayne Munroe said three churches in the Kemp Road area have offered their facilities to assist with the education of students following a recent fire at Uriah McPhee Primary School.
On Monday, classes were dismissed after a fire and smoke accumulated on the school’s second floor. Students and staff were safely evacuated to a pavilion area.
During his contribution in the House of Assembly yesterday, Mr Munroe said: “They said the children are to be commended because having done fire drills a couple of weeks prior, they executed the plan and left the school to the rally points quickly and peacefully.”
Mr Munroe added that officials from the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Education were on-site to assess the situation and determine the next steps for the school. He noted that the vice principal and her
team had already identified potential locations for temporary classes if needed.
He thanked Pilgrim Baptist Temple Church, Saint James Native Baptist Church, and St Margaret’s Anglican Church for their support. However, he did not clarify whether students would be relocated to these facilities.
On Monday, acting Director of Education Dominique McCartney-Russell said students would begin using the virtual learning platform starting yesterday.
Three in hospital after shooting last night near Wilson Tract area
THREE men were in hospital after being shot last night. The incident took place in the area of Wilson Tract. Emergency services took the
victims to hospital. Their condition was unknown at the time of going to press. See www.tribune242.com for more details.
Long IsLand MP adrIan gIbson
a fIre truck arrives at Uriah McPhee Primary School after a small fire disrupted classess on Monday.
Photo: nikia Charlton
Families and officers still wait on DPP for charges
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
ELEVEN police officers and the families seeking justice for police-involved killings were left in limbo yesterday as acting Coroner Kara Turnquest Deveaux announced that the court is still waiting for the acting Director of Public Prosecutions to decide what charges, if any, the officers will face.
During yesterday’s committal hearing, the coroner told the officers the DPP would review their case files before making a decision on charges, adding that the review is a “priority” for the DPP. The officers remain on bail and must return to court on November 15. They face potential criminal proceedings due to adverse findings in the inquests about their actions.
Three others — Shando King, dismissed from the police force earlier this year for unrelated reasons, former Constable 4185 Ferguson, and former Corporal 3139 Denzil Deveaux — once again failed to appear despite outstanding arrest warrants.
On the courthouse steps, Frederick Major, father of one of the deceased men,
expressed frustration over the delays and the fact that some officers are still at large. David Cash, representing the estates of four victims, has said he expects the officers to be charged with manslaughter. Meanwhile, K Melvin Munroe, representing the majority of the officers, has said he anticipates his clients will be “vindicated” if the matters proceed to trial. The coroner’s decision to refer the officers to the Supreme Court followed months of uncertainty about how the cases would proceed. Coroner’s Court inquests do not determine criminal liability, leaving the DPP to review the evidence and decide if charges are warranted. Acting DPP Cordel Frazier began issuing guidance to Commissioner Fernander as early as April, but the commissioner did not disclose the details to the public or take immediate action.
Last week, Commissioner Fernander attributed the officers’ failure to appear in court for their initial committal hearing to a “communication breakdown”, and said the three people with arrest warrants are no longer members of the force.
ACP clarifies Michael Johnson’s status while on garden leave
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS
Tribune Staff Reporter
lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
ACTING Commissioner of Police Leamond Deleveaux clarified yesterday that Chief Superintendent Michael Johnson, the former head of the Central Investigations Department, remains on garden leave, despite a leaked document indicating his transfer to the Commissioner’s Office.
The document highlighted the reassignment of 14 chief superintendents and two superintendents, CSP Johnson, who was moved from the Criminal Investigations Department to Police Headquarters, effective August 8, 2024. “As far as I am aware, he is on administrative leave. He is not to work, he is not working at police headquarters,” Mr Deleveaux said yesterday. His comment came
Two men sentenced for breaking into Rahming’s constituency office
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter
TWO men were sentenced to two years and two months in prison yesterday after pleading guilty to breaking into the constituency office of Marathon MP Lisa Rahming on Prince Charles Drive with a knife and a baseball bat.
Senior Magistrate Anishka Isaacs arraigned Carlton Russell, 26, and David Miller, 30, on charges of shop-breaking and possession of house-breaking instruments.
Police caught the pair attempting to enter the office at Island Luck Plaza around 2.30am on September 23. Officers found a knife, a baseball bat, and a 10lb weight in their possession.
Miller claimed his accomplice had asked him for help, but he was unaware he was about to commit a crime.
After hearing Miller’s accent, prosecutor
Inspector Bowles inquired with immigration officers and discovered that he was a Jamaican man without legal status in the country. When Magistrate Isaacs asked Miller about his employment, he claimed to work in welding. He first said he arrived in the country three months ago, then changed his statement to six months, ultimately claiming he arrived by boat on July 13. Russell, on the other hand, apologised for his actions, saying he meant no disrespect to anyone.
Magistrate Isaacs expressed concern that the pair were found with a knife, noting it suggested they had violent intentions if they encountered someone that night. The two were sentenced to two years and two months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. Following their sentence, Miller will be handed over to immigration officers for potential deportation.
Lawyer K MeLvin Munroe
after Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander, who is out of the country, told The Tribune to contact
him.
National security officials explained that when officers are placed on
administrative leave,
Chief Superintendent Mi C hae L John S on
The Tribune Limited
NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI
“Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”
LEON E. H. DUPUCH
Publisher/Editor 1903-1914
SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH, Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .
Publisher/Editor 1919-1972
Contributing Editor 1972-1991
RT HON EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON, C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B.
Publisher/Editor 1972-
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COI needed to fix trust in police
EDITOR, The Tribune.
LAST week I penned a letter to the Editor which appeared in both dailies entitled, “Lawlessness, Justifiable Outrage and Eroding Confidence”.
@tribune242 tribune news network
‘You broke it, you pay for it’
THERE is a sign you often see in stores as a reminder to clumsy shoppers. You broke it, you bought it. Well, the prime minister has his own versions for oil and other fossil fuel companies. You broke it, you pay for it.
Our nation’s leader, Philip Davis, says such companies need to pay towards the cost of climate damage. Two percent of their profits into a fund that will help the countries most affected by a world whose change has been driven by the emissions warming it.
The theory is nice, but can such a thing happen in practice? Well, it already has.
The tobacco industry has had to pay up over the years as a result of the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement – which saw the four biggest US tobacco companies come to a deal with 46 states. Lawsuits against the industry for recovery of health costs related to tobacco were settled, and in return, the companies cut back on marketing and agreed to annual payments to compensate for the medical costs of people affected by cases such as lung cancer and heart disease related to smoking.
The states were to received $206 billion over 25 years, including nearly $13 billion up front.
You broke it, you pay for it.
So now the question is put to those responsible for the emissions that have warmed our world and brought about climate change – will you pay for what you broke?
There are hurdles to clear, of course. Let alone whether or not such entities can be held to account, there is red tape in the way to begin with.
The rules as they stand stop the likes of our nation from benefiting from getting hold of climate-related financing. Why? We earn too much. Try telling
that to the people in our country living on the poverty line.
But by comparison, averaged out across the country, we as a nation have too high an income to be able to draw upon such facilities. The wealthy in our midst tip the scales too heavily.
Attorney General Ryan Pinder suggests that a new way of assessing such things should be created – a vulnerability index. The nations most affected are the nations given the most consideration. Are there counter-arguments? Of course. For example, we say we contribute hardly anything in terms of emissions – but that is not quite true, especially if you look at it on a per capita basis.
But the principle that the one responsible pays remains – and it is a good one.
The biggest problem? Well, that can also be seen in respect to the tobacco industry coughing up.
That US agreement was agreed in 1998 – 48 years after the first medical article linking smoking to lung cancer and disease. It took a long time for any admission of responsibility, let alone agreement to compensate for the damage.
As Mr Davis said on Tuesday: “We cannot afford another decade of empty pledges.”
The projections for the future of our nation are beyond alarming. The action cannot take another decade, let alone 48 years.
Will those who broke our climate pay for it?
As we write this, a hurricane is headed for the US coast. We will get some rough weather spinning off it but we are largely spared as it stands. This time. We have seen what happens when we are not spared. The time to act is now. The question is, will the world act?
Interestingly, Prime Minister Davis who had not previously publicly addressed the matter of the very serious suspicion of police corruption surrounding the voice notes involving the Chief Superintendent, did so last Monday evening on a ZNS Show.
PM Davis is reported to have said that the public is right to have their concerns and a critical factor of effective policing is for the public to have confidence in their police force.
Further he said, “And, where there is that lack of confidence you will have this breakdown so they are rightfully concerned about what is happening in the police force. Me too, I am concerned, but there is a process.”
PM Davis was very much right, a lack of confidence in the police, will cause major societal breakdown that we can ill afford, in any form or fashion or to any degree.
Importantly, PM Davis is reported to have said that, the government is committed to restoring confidence in the police force.
Undeniably, restoring confidence in the police force is exactly what is needed now!
Sadly and most unfortunately, it appears that many of our people have lost confidence in the police force and it is fast approaching its lowest point, if not there already. We cannot afford to have potential witnesses and jurors losing confidence in the police. Neither can we afford to have junior officers, new recruits and cadets lose confidence in the RBPF.
While we do not know the status of confidence or morale on the force, given the circumstances, it is not a stretch of the imagination to believe they are very shaken or worse.
He also indicated that, “...The results will be known and the chips will fall where they may. Restoring public confidence in the police force is paramount, and we will work to ensure that this happens.” I entirely agree with PM Davis that, restoring public confidence in the police force is absolutely paramount!
Again, I state that there are many good officers of the RBPF, indeed, exemplary officers. We are most grateful for their service! They are about the public’s confidence, trust, integrity, accountability, responsiveness and urgency.
Interestingly, Commissioner Fernander, who said last month that he would not say anything more about the investigation until the end of the day, on the same ZNS Show, three days after PM Davis’
appearance, decided to again publicly address the issue. I suspect that the public is pleased to see that Commissioner Fernander has clearly changed his mind and decided to publicly address the status of the investigation.
Reportedly, the Commissioner did not give a specific date for the conclusion of the investigation but assured that it would be completed by the 31st December, 2024. However, he also stated that there would be further updates before that time.
What does not inspire great confidence, trust or faith on the part of the public is the Commissioner’s statement that, “The public called for international assistance for fair play, and we agreed with that”. But, at the same time he confirmed that no Scotland Yard or FBI investigators ever came to the Bahamas, notably as promised, to assist the RBPF.
What is most ironic about this episode is that the Minister of National Security Munroe earlier indicated, most assuredly, that Scotland Yard investigators would be in Nassau sometime last month and said at the time, essentially that it was only to comfort our people.
Now that the Commissioner admitted that no outside investigators are here, none came and it appears none are coming, perhaps none of us should have reason to be comforted about the continuing investigation by the RBPF Security and Intelligence Branch (SIB) along with the Police Complaints Inspectorate, given Minister Munroe’s comments.
Reportedly, Minister Munroe said that he could not confirm whether the findings of a police corruption probe linked to voice notes would be published and that, “If there are outcomes that result in criminal implications, then that fact would be made public as people go to court.”
That suggests, as far as the Minister is concerned, the public will not be given any other update again, which is in direct opposition to the Commissioner’s recent comments above and the public will only know anything further if the investigation results in a charge. Given the undisputed inconsistent and murky comments of PM Davis, Minister Munroe and Commissioner Fernander, it is far from certain as to what the Bahamian public can and should reasonably expect regarding any further update on the investigation. An airport heist of about $1.5 million took place last November. Michael Fox,
Jr. and Dino Smith were suspects. Wanted posters were issued for them. Oral Roberts and Akiel Holmes faced charges for the heist. Dino Smith was gunned down and murdered about the 4th January, 2024. That was the shocking and brazen broad daylight killing on Prince Charles Drive. That shooting also caused the death of a woman who was in the car with Smith and a third person shot but thankfully, not killed.
Michael Fox Jr was gunned down and murdered about the 6th May, 2024.
The voice notes allegedly involving the Chief Superintendent and the same Michael Fox, Jr surfaced on social media on the weekend of the 5th July and about the 12th July, 2024, the Chief Superintendent, who headed CID was placed on garden leave, being full paid leave for an undetermined period.
Oral Roberts, the third person allegedly associated with the heist, was gunned down and murdered about the 30th July, 2024. That was three weeks after the voice notes surfaced on social media and about two weeks after the Chief Superintendent began garden leave.
Some of the families of the murdered individuals have publicly suggested that the police were involved in their killing.
Early on, the FNM called for Scotland Yard or the FBI to investigate the matter and for a Commission of Inquiry.
FNM Leader Pintard stated about the 1st August (after Oral Roberts’ murder) that the Davis administration is showing a “lack of urgency” in securing the public’s trust in the RBPF regarding the alleged police corruption probe. Unbelievably, that is now almost eight weeks ago! He stated further, “the police cannot investigate itself…”
Three families now want answers and justice for the murder - and let us not forget the woman who was killed - of their loved ones, all gunned down. But there has been no update thus far.
The Chief Superintendent headed CID at the time of both murders of Dino Smith and Michael Fox Jr, for about six and two months respectively.
PM Davis indicated that the government is committed to restoring confidence in the police force. The only real and meaningful way to achieve that now -- given what has been reported, the many unanswered questions, the public’s very deep and troubling concerns and that of the families – is a Commission of Inquiry!
MICHAEL A FOULKES
Former MP & Parliamentary Secretary Nassau, September 25, 2024.
Picture of the day
Outrage over ‘appalling’ outcome in elderly woman’s rape trial
robbery, and assault with intent to rape as part of a plea deal, according to the Nassau Guardian. He raped an 83-year-old woman in June after breaking into her home in Bain Town, committing both anal and vaginal assault. His sentences of nine, seven, six, and two years in prison will be served concurrently.
Senator Barnett-Ellis said the sentencing represents an “affront” to the victims and a failure of the justice system to protect women and hold violent offenders accountable.
“The brutal assault of an elderly woman, in addition to other acts of violence, demands the harshest penalties under the law,” she said in a statement. “To grant such leniency is a
betrayal of the victims and a signal that violence against women, no matter how horrific, is not taken with the seriousness it deserves. This man’s actions have left lasting scars on his victims, yet the sentence handed down does not reflect the severity of these crimes.”
“We must remember that every day this man spends in prison is a day too few for the lives he has devastated. Our justice system must do better in sending a clear message that violence against women, particularly against the most vulnerable in our society, will be met with swift and uncompromising consequences. I stand with the victims.”
Meanwhile, the Free National Movement Women’s Association called Strachan’s sentencing a “grave miscarriage
of justice”, adding that it sends a troubling message that violence against women is not met with rigorous legal consequences. According to the Penal Code, people convicted of rape could face imprisonment ranging from 15 years to life, while housebreaking convictions carry a sentence of up to 14 years. In the last decade, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution has placed greater focus on plea deals, agreements between a prosecutor and a defendant where the accused agrees to plead guilty to a particular charge in return for a concession. There were 41 plea deals in 2016; 96 in 2017; 72 in 2018; 62 in 2019 and 13 in 2020. More recent statistics were not available up to press time.
Mr Munroe told ZNS yesterday that a request could be made to the office of the DPP for the reason for the plea agreement. He noted the law permits them to inform the victim about the terms of the plea.
He also emphasised the potential connection between plea agreements and the strength of the evidence.
“There are a number of cases that people don’t plead to and then they’re acquitted,” he said. “The acquittal rate in sexual offences is very high. If there is an evaluation by the office of the DPP that to get a guaranteed conviction and spare an 84-year-old lady from having to relive her trauma in court is appropriate, that would be a matter to inquire of the DPP.”
Sweeting: Water issues in Eleuthera have been mitigated while residents note improvements
By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
WATER issues in Central Eleuthera have largely been mitigated, according to Clay Sweeting, MP for Central and South Eleuthera and Minister of Works.
Yesterday, he added that a one million imperial-gallon water tank in Central Eleuthera and a 300,000gallon tank in Harbour Island are being filled to improve the water supply.
He said the tank would provide a water supply for four days and noted that there have been few complaints of water issues in over a month, except for isolated piping problems.
Eleuthera residents have
also experienced electricity issues. Mr Sweeting said progress had been made with installing new generators and repairing damaged lines.
North Eleuthera MP
Sylvanus Petty said a new tank for his constituents would arrive just in time for the Regatta, addressing long-standing issues, including a tank that had been leaking for over 15 years.
“Hopefully, we won’t have any water issues in Harbour Island for the next probably 20 years or so,” Mr Petty said, noting the tank is expected to be fully operational within the next two weeks.
Recent protests in Harbour Island over water and electricity outages
prompted officials to accelerate efforts to provide consistent utility service across Eleuthera.
Mr Petty assured residents that the island should not experience further water or electrical issues for the next six months.
Angela Thompson, a resident of Greencastle, confirmed yesterday that the water service has improved over the past three weeks. In June, Ms Thompson told The Tribune she had not had running water in her home at night. Yesterday, she expressed relief at finally having a stable water connection, allowing her to take a hot shower, use the bathroom comfortably, and have running water. While she is pleased
Bill tabled in HOA for regulation of veterinary practices in the country
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
INSPECTORS will be empowered to enter and inspect buildings suspected of unlicenced veterinary practices under the Veterinary Medicine Bill tabled in the House of Assembly yesterday.
The bill aims to fill a gap related to regulating the veterinary profession.
Health Minister Dr Michael Darville tabled the bill, which empowers a council to appoint inspectors who can conduct searches if they have reasonable grounds for suspicion. They must first obtain a search warrant from a magistrate and present their credentials to the building’s occupiers.
educational research roles are exempt from licensing requirements.
The bill outlines the terms of office and reappointment criteria for council members overseeing veterinary training and practice in both public and private sectors. The council will develop a code of ethics, establish professional conduct standards, and collaborate with local and international organisations to advance the profession.
with the improvement, Ms Thompson’s family still keeps emergency jugs filled with water in case the service is disrupted again. She noted that water service had improved in the past but later deteriorated, making her cautious about trusting its consistency.
“We’re not going to get rid of our emergency water, because with this, it’s unpredictable. So we maybe having a good time later and just an event that couple weeks from now, we have another crisis,” she said. “I’m not going to give up on my extra water supplies not, anytime soon.”
Ms Thompson added that some residents in Rock Sound are still struggling with water issues.
This bill establishes a comprehensive framework for the veterinary profession in The Bahamas, including the registration and licensing of veterinarians and veterinary paraprofessionals, as well as regulations governing veterinary practice. Its primary aim is to enhance professionalism and accountability, ensuring high standards for animal care and veterinary services.
The bill states that all practising veterinarians must register under the bill, with eligibility requiring legal residency in The Bahamas, a degree in veterinary medicine from a recognised university, and a Veterinary Medical Association membership.
Certain government veterinary services and
The bill specifies significant penalties for violations. Registered or licensed veterinarians charged with a criminal offence may have their registration or licence suspended. Those convicted of serious crimes punishable by two years or more in prison face cancellation of their registration, removal from the register, and revocation of their licence. Specific offences include employing unregistered veterinarians, fraudulently altering records, and obstructing the council’s operations. Offenders may incur fines of up to $50,000 or face imprisonment for up to one year. The council may also initiate inquiries into misconduct, resulting in disciplinary actions such as suspension or cancellation of registration.
If a complaint is upheld, the council may publish the disciplinary order in the Gazette and a daily newspaper. Veterinarians who fail to comply with inquiries or provide false evidence may face further legal consequences.
Loss of memory, hope and meaning
The loss of memory often dissolves into a loss of hope. It is similar to something precious flushed down a drain, difficult to recover and sometimes lost forever.
A prominent Bahamian vividly recalls as a boy of six or seven leaving Woodcock Primary, Over-the-hill, at the end of the day.
The school, dating to the 1840s, was named after the Anglican priest, Fr William Woodcock, a priest of St Agnes Church who founded the school. he left funds to maintain the school after his death.
The boy’s headmistress, Mrs Mabel Cordelia Walker, often walked him to the gate as she headed to the Reinhard hotel. She wanted to make sure he got home safe. As he passed by the hotel heading to his home on Martin Street, Dr CR Walker curiously and invariably drilled, “Young man, what did you learn new today?”
Not yet in double-digits, he knew the question was coming, so he prepared an answer in advance. At that age he did not recognise how remarkable were the woman and man, both educators and activists, who saw in this black child and his peers, all manner of human possibility.
Like many others who lived Over-the-hill, the Walkers strove to create a thriving community of the descendants of slaves who were creating a new society in a new land still blighted by colonial rule and racial conceit.
It was blighted too by a lack of confidence by many black Bahamians who deeply internalised the racial lies and stratagems of the colonialists and the domestic oligarchs for whom individuals like the Walkers were a threat because of their intelligence, enterprise, academic training and courage.
One of the greater threats posed by the Walkers and individuals like Milo Butler, is that they never believed the grand and pernicious untruth of white superiority and black inferiority.
They articulated and preached a gospel of liberation to the mass of Bahamians. They were not accommodationists seeking a comfortable truce with the power structures.
Dr CR Walker and Mabel Walker are the only Bahamian couple who both have schools named after them. They are rightly remembered together for their shared accomplishments. They proved an extraordinary team fighting for gender, racial, and economic equality.
Still, Mabel Walker’s legacy should not be subsumed within that of her husband’s. A suffragette and master teacher, with
a Bachelor of Arts degree from howard University, and described by some as a sort of patron saint of primary school teachers, Mrs Walker was a powerhouse in herself. She was the founding president of the Bahamas Union of Teachers.
Mabel was born an American. But she was Bahamian by choice and through acts of love and belonging poured into her family, Over-the-hill, and her new homeland. When some of her family in the United States tried to coax her to return, she remained at home in The Bahamas.
The laudation Renaissance Man is nearly as overused as cultural icon, national hero, Constitutional Father, pioneer, and a list of other titles which are often as breezily and emptily applied or issued as are some national honors which have become increasingly less meaningful because of the number of such honors.
Moreover, few people are legends. Dr Walker was an intellectual, a medical doctor, a polyglot, a musician, an educator, a brilliant orator, a writer, a politician, a designer, an entrepreneur, an activist. he was a Renaissance man cum legend.
There has been recognition of both Walkers. This is to our national credit. however, the recognition must go further not only because they are deserving. The recognition of their legacies is equally about who we aspire to become and who we are as a people.
Many black and other Americans know of harriet Tubman, WeB Du Bois and Frederick Douglass. Many Jamaicans know of Marcus Garvey and the 18th-century freedom fighter Nanny of the Maroons.
While the Walkers bear similarities to these historic figures who fought for equality, they bear their unique lives and contributions. For example, though Dr Walker was a cosmopolitan and intellectual like the sociologist, scholar and Pan-Africanist, Dubois, he
believed in much more than the “Talented Tenth”.
Dr Walker was in significant ways like the statesman, orator, abolitionist and social reformer Frederick Douglas. Nevertheless, he was not our Douglass or Du Bois! he was our CR Walker, after whom new generations should take inspiration and courage!
Many Bahamians schooled in the US have a passing awareness of Du Bois, Garvey, Douglass and others. however, ask them for a basic knowledge or understanding of Mabel and Claudius Walker, and they draw a sad blank.
The word tragedy is also overused, abused. In this instance, the lack of awareness by the overwhelming majority of Bahamians of the legacy of the Walkers is a one of sorrow and distress.
It is a tragedy of the loss of memory, resulting in a loss of possibility and meaning, and potential loss of a certain hope.
The Walkers contradict the conceit that those colonized were heirs only to the imprint and ravages of slavery and colonialism.
They would eschew the limited worldview of VS Naipaul who saw little in the Caribbean beyond who the europeans told the slaves and their descendants they supposedly were or could strive to become.
Before Dereck Walcott, the St Lucian-born and Trinidadian Nobel Laureate in Literature penned his address, Fragments of epic Memory, the Walkers were helping to design and construct a new Bahamian and Caribbean collage, culture and people out of myriad fragments of epical memories and world cultures.
Walcott lyricised: “Break a vase, and the love that reassembles the fragments is stronger than that love which took its symmetry for granted when it was whole. The glue that fits the pieces is the sealing of its original shape. It is such a love that reassembles our African and Asiatic fragments, the cracked heirlooms whose restoration shows its white scars.
“This gathering of broken pieces is the care and pain of the Antilles, and if the pieces are disparate, ill-fitting, they contain more pain than their original sculpture, those icons and sacred vessels taken for granted in their ancestral places.
“Antillean art is this restoration of our shattered histories, our shards of vocabulary, our archipelago becoming a synonym for pieces broken off from the original continent.”
Like Walcott and other Caribbean artisans, poets, liberationists, activists and decolonizers, the Walkers
recognised that the treasury of the global commons and heritage belonged to them as full and equal members of the human race.
Dr Walker was as fluent in German as he was in the Pan-Africanist movement. european and African history were both his inheritance. Over-the-hill, the headquarters for the political attainment of majority rule took up residence in a hotel with a German name and unique architecture for the colony.
The collapse of the Reinhard hotel is in part, a loss of memory. So where do we go from here? A subsequent column will suggest some ideas to memorialise the hotel and the Walkers.
It cannot be the preserve of government alone to save and to restore every historic building. Still, there must be a priority list of what must be saved, similar to the priority list of terrestrial and marine areas within the National Park System.
Would anyone seriously argue that we would be should allow areas of this system and other potential reserves to collapse or fall
into disrepair? Correspondingly, what essential parts of our built heritage are we prepared to allow to fall into greater disrepair?
Affirmatively, what are the structures and heritage that should populate our national heritage system, the saving of which is as essential as the preservation of our natural environment.
Guarding and restoring this natural heritage is expensive. It will require various types of publicprivate partnerships. The current funding model to preserve these sites, including various tax exemptions, is inadequate.
This columnist has long argued that funds from a national lottery or higher taxation on domestic gaming is necessary to provide the many millions that will be needed to conserve and promote our built and other heritage.
The UK National Lottery, which helps to fund heritage conservation, may be a template for The Bahamas.
The Antiquities Monuments and Museums Corporation (AMMC) has done good work in a
number of areas, though by its own admission, there is much more that it needs and wishes to do.
To do this work the corporation will need significantly more funding and staff, both of which are inadequate to what it is being asked to do. There is also an urgent need to update the legislation under which it operates.
When the government of the day wanted to rename Woodcock Primary, Mabel Walker balked, insisting that the memory and legacy of Fr Woodcock should be preserved. She grasped the power and necessity of memory and memorialising.
The boy she used to help guide home is now in his 70s. From today’s vantage point, he, like many others knows how easily memory may be lost, along with the hope and meaning such memory offers current and future generations. how then will we preserve this very memory that is as foundational and potentially fragile as the limestone rock upon which this heritage is built?
Photo of the Reinhard Hotel before it’s eventual collapse earlier this month.
Mabel Cordelia Walker Claudius roland Walker
Harris appears to have the support of women, minorities, youth, and labour
Women minorities. Young people. Teachers. And organised labour – maybe with one important exception.
These are the key constituencies of the Democratic party this year – and in most years. Long before he bowed out of this year’s presidential race after persistently low popularity ratings and a disastrous June debate performance, president Joe Biden and his campaign focused intensely on each of them.
With women, Donald Trump’s packed conservative Supreme Court gave Biden and his party all the ammunition they are likely to need this year when the American high court overturned a 50-year-old constitutionally protected right to abortion for women. This decision singularly mobilised resistance all over the US, and gave Democrats a lifeline among women who were otherwise tempted to support Trump because of stubbornly high inflation rates that threatened their families.
The Democrats have hammered Trump mercilessly – and effectively – for over a year about abortion access, which is now more generally known as women’s reproductive rights. Since he boasted widely about having placed three anti-abortion justices on the Supreme Court during his earlier term as president, not even an artful dodger like Trump can avoid the negative consequences of the court’s abortion decision.
minorities” for most Americans of any ethnicity basically means African-Americans and Hispanics. Black Americans have historically supported the Democratic Party, especially since the landmark civil rights legislation rammed through Congress by President Lyndon Johnson 60 years ago.
Trump’s thinly-veiled racism has essentially forfeited for him any meaningful black support this year. And some of the few black Americans who support Trump have clearly validated the old aphorism that the exception proves the rule.
Consider mark Robinson, the black GoP candidate for governor of north Carolina, who is also the current lieutenant governor. Robinson is a proud right-winger endorsed by Trump. But according to an explosive recent report by Cnn, Robinson in 2012 called himself a “black nazi,” supported the reinstatement of slavery and said that he preferred the leadership of nazi leader Adolf Hitler over then President Barack obama.
Trump keeps insisting that his policies are good for black Americans, but he also keeps finding characters like Robinson to endorse. This seriously flawed candidate
may help Kamala Harris steal north Carolina this year in what would be an upset comparable to Biden’s prevailing in Georgia four years ago.
Hispanics, as Democrats have painfully discovered over the past 25 years, are not monolithic in their support, and in fact their defection to Republican candidates has spurred the process of Florida turning from a blue state to a purple state to what is now widely regarded as a red state.
Harris is trying with Hispanics, and should garner a majority of their votes overall. But Democratic efforts to do better with this group have lagged, partly because party leaders foolishly assumed that example, Cuban refugees who arrived in South Florida sixty years ago would be full of welcome for other Latino immigrants whose presence in the labor force might threaten their longer-tenured families who were now economically and socially well established. many of these Cubans had found themselves drawn to conservative policies and politicians.
Biden in particular went after support from young people in a particularly craven fashion by forgiving student debt in unprecedented fashion. According to an announcement by Biden’s own Department of education, the most recent federal loan decision “brings the total loan forgiveness approved by the
Biden-Harris administration to $167 billion for 4.75 million Americans. Thanks to this administration’s efforts, more than one out of every ten federal student loan borrowers has now been approved for some debt relief. This action builds on President Biden and his administration’s efforts to provide debt relief to as many borrowers as possible as quickly as possible.”
While this policy is no doubt laudable for many other reasons such as releasing college graduates from crushing loan debt that weighed down their efforts to buy homes and start families, it’s unquestionable that the loan forgiveness was also an attempt to curry favor and gain active support from a group that typically doesn’t flock to the polls on election Day. of course, Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Harris doesn’t hurt, either.
When President Jimmy Carter established the US Department of education fifty years ago, he was rewarding public school teachers, one of the very most loyal Democratic constituencies. There’s no conclusive evidence that the teachers intend to abandon Harris this year, but every time Trump or running mate JD Vance threatens to abolish this federal department, the teachers’ resolve hardens to oppose the GoP.
That brings us to organised labour, another traditional source of political support, fundraising and turn-outthe-vote efforts on behalf of
Democratic candidates all over the US.
And the Harris campaign clearly understands the value of the labour movement.
“There’s no one that can organise quite like labour,” Harris campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said.
“Having that powerhouse of an organising machine in concert with our teams in all of our battleground states has been a really important effort that we’ve been building to date and will continue as we head into early vote and get-out-the-vote efforts.”
Labour was front and centre at the Democratic national Convention in August, and support from unions has been actively sought first by Biden and now by Harris in this campaign. Their efforts have largely been successful, since Trump is not known as a supporter of organised labour. In fact, since and even before the presidency of Ronald Reagan, Republican candidates have mostly opposed labour unions in favour of so-called Right to Work legislation that generally asserts a ‘right to work’ independent of any affiliation with a labor organisation, and would prohibit mandatory union dues payments from workers who voluntarily opt out of a unionised workplace.
Reagan played a huge role in the decline of labour unions in America, partly by appealing to the inherent conservatism of workers who favored independence and individuality over more ‘socialist’ policies pursued by
his Democratic opposition.
Indeed, the US Department of Labor reported last year that fewer than 12 percent of American workers belonged to a trade union. nevertheless, unions remain a potent political force, and most podium speakers at the DnC in Chicago hailed them. And at breakout sessions concentrating on particular groups, all of the major Democratic figures, from Senate majority Leader Chuck Schumer to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro to Arizona Senator mark Kelly, attended and received rousing support.
Led by the umbrella organisation AFL-CIo, the United Auto Workers and many other unions, organised labour does appear to be mobilising in support of the Harris-Walz ticket. With one major exception.
That is the Teamsters Union. This is America’s largest, most diverse union.
In 1903, the Teamsters started as a merger of the two most important horse-drawn carriage driver associations.
These drivers believed they were the backbone of America’s robust economic growth, but they needed to organise to get appropriate compensation from what they saw as greedy corporations.
This year, as virtually every other trade union has loyally fallen in line in support of Harris, the 1.3-million-member International Brotherhood of Teamsters said in a statement last week that it would
not back either presidential candidate. Trump immediately hailed this as a blow to Harris.
The decision not to endorse by the Teamsters board of directors was apparently led by Teamsters president Sean o’Brien, a leader who has repeatedly said he wants to chart his own path. The board’s vote was 14 for not endorsing and three for Harris. no single board member backed Trump, so all may not be lost for the Democrats.
In fact, the Teamsters’ national Black Caucus plus more than a halfdozen Teamsters locals and members of the union’s national leadership have endorsed Harris over o’Brien’s objections. opponents of the former president have organised a Teamsters Against Trump effort that has undermined mr o’Brien, who is two years into his first term as president.
And after the national union declined to endorse anyone last week, two Teamsters’ joint governing councils in the West, which cover 300,000 workers including those in the swing state of nevada, announced they would back ms Harris. A number of other locals followed suit, including union locals in michigan and Wisconsin.
The Teamsters endorsed President Biden in 2020, as well as the Democrats Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Barack obama in 2008 and 2012.
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to members of the media upon her arrival at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, on September 22, 2024.
Photo: matt rourke/AP
Bahamas seeks help to pay off debt caused by huge storms as result of climate change
NEW YORK Associated Press
THe Bahamas is stuck in a financial pickle, much of it because of the whims of climate change, bureaucracy and the fossil fuel industry, said its prime minister, who adds that he is tired of promises of help but little action. and he’s not alone. like many other countries in the Global South, Bahamas has a lot of debt from warming-connected weather disasters its leaders say it did little to cause. in october 2016, a powerful Category 4 Hurricane Matthew slammed into the Bahamas, causing more than $7 million in damage. Then in 2019 Hurricane Dorian, the strongest storm to hit his country on record, caused $3.4 billion in damage. By comparison the country’s annual revenue is only $2.8 billion to $2.9 billion a year, Davis said. So just four days wiped out more than a year’s worth of revenue.
The country is now in debt by about $10 billion. its leaders are seeking more help, more money, from the Global north and oil companies themselves, Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis said in an interview with The associated Press. Climate finance — which is about the annual $2.4 trillion need for developing nations dealing with climate change and shifting to a greener economy — is a key issue this week at the United nations and in november in international climate negotiations in azerbaijan.
But when Bahamas tries to get financial aid from already established funds, the country is told it’s too well off. That’s something other countries, especially small island nations, have complained about. research shows that, generally, climate change has made the most powerful storms stronger and wetter. The Bahamas produces less heat-trapping carbon dioxide in one year than the United States does in four hours, according to figures from the Global
Carbon Project, which tracks national emissions.
Barbados prime minister calls for dramatic changes in debt relief
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who has been a leader in the call for changes in the climate financial system, earlier this week told a climate week session that 70% of the world’s poor live in countries considered middle income and the system of financial help doesn’t work for them, calling on dramatic changes in multi-national bank
lending and debt relief.
“We have seen some changes. We have seen some initiatives taken, but the problem is that the temperatures are moving faster than we are making changes,” Mottley said. “if that is the case we will have a bigger problem than we anticipated.”
one of the biggest sticking points in international climate finance negotiations is not just how much is paid, but who pays it. rich nations say the need is so big that all the money can’t be grants from developed nations, and must include investments from
private industry, including the banking sector.
Both Davis and Mottley said they understand rich governments don’t have enough money by themselves, so private help will play a role. But they add a catch. it should be as part of a “polluters pay” system that especially targets companies such as the fossil fuel industry that are heavily responsible for the climate change problem.
“Some of the oil producing companies ought to pay at least 2% of their profits into a fund to help us in the global South,” Davis said. But he said he doubts
that they’ll do so willingly, so the Bahamas attorney general is pushing later this year to ask an international court to make the firms pay.
Rising water, shrinking land
Bahamas like other island nations is watching its land shrink and sink because of sea level rise, Davis said. There are 700 islands but they are only ten feet (three meters) above sea level.
“We are standing on ground that is quickly disappearing,” Davis said.
Still, Davis said even though many islands will
be under water in 50 years or so, he refuses to see parts of his country “wiped off the map,” adding how important sovereignty is for island nations that may get submerged, an issue that will be discussed in a special United nations General assembly sea level rise summit Wednesday.
“i’m optimistic because i believe in human ingenuity. i believe that once we come together, you could defeat this existential threat to humanity,” Davis said. over the years, humankind has overcome many, many challenges. and this is just another one.”
Tearful Caroline ellison ge T s 2 years in prison over her role in f TX fraud
NEW YORK Associated Press
Caroline ellison, a former top executive in Sam Bankman-Fried ‘s fallen FTX cryptocurrency empire, was sentenced to two years in prison on Tuesday after she apologized to everyone hurt by a fraud that stole billions of dollars from investors, lenders and customers.
ellison, 29, could have faced a much tougher sentence, but both the judge and prosecutors said she deserved credit for talking extensively with federal investigators, pleading guilty and ultimately testifying against Bankman-Fried for three days at his trial last november.
US District Judge lewis a. Kaplan said ellison’s cooperation was “very, very substantial” and “remarkable.”
But he said a prison sentence was necessary because she had participated in what might be the
“greatest financial fraud ever perpetrated in this country and probably anywhere else” or at least close to it.
ellison was ordered to report to prison nov. 7. FTX was one of the world’s most popular cryptocurrency exchanges, known for its Superbowl TV ad and its extensive lobbying campaign in Washington, before it collapsed in 2022.
US prosecutors accused Bankman-Fried and other top executives of looting customer accounts on the exchange to make risky investments, make millions of dollars of illegal political donations, bribe Chinese officials and buy luxury real estate in the Caribbean. ellison was chief executive at alameda research, a cryptocurrency hedge fund controlled by Bankman-Fried. i’m deeply ashamed with what i’ve done,” she said at the sentencing hearing, fighting through tears
to say she was “so so sorry” to everyone she had harmed directly or indirectly.
She did not speak as she left Manhattan federal court, surrounded by lawyers.
in court Tuesday, assistant US attorney Danielle Sassoon called for leniency, saying ellison’s testimony was “devastating and powerful proof” against Bankman-Fried, 32, who was found guilty of fraud and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
attorney anjan Sahni asked the judge to spare his client from prison, citing “unusual circumstances,” including her off-andon romantic relationship with Bankman-Fried and the damage caused when her “whole professional and personal life came to revolve” around him.
as the business began to falter, ellison divulged the massive fraud to employees who worked for her even before FTX filed for bankruptcy, trial evidence showed.
Ultimately, she also spoke extensively with criminal and civil US investigators.
Sassoon said prosecutors were impressed that ellison did not “jump into the lifeboat” to escape her crimes but instead spent nearly two years fully cooperating.
Judge Kaplan agreed that ellison’s willingness to work with prosecutors was extraordinary. i’ve seen a lot of cooperators in 30 years here. i’ve never seen one quite like Ms. ellison,” he said.
But he said that in such a serious case, he could not let cooperation be a get-out-of-jail-free card, even when it was clear that Bankman-Fried had become “your kryptonite.”
He acknowledged making mistakes, but said he didn’t defraud anyone and wasn’t aware that alameda research had amassed billions of dollars in debt.
Sassoon, the prosecutor, described that testimony in court Tuesday as “evasive, even contemptuous.”
Bankman-Fried also testified at the trial, portraying himself to the jury as inexperienced and bumbling but not a criminal.
Since testifying at Bankman-Fried’s trial, ellison has engaged in extensive charity work, written a novel and worked with her parents on a math enrichment textbook for advanced high school students, according to her lawyers. They said she also now has a healthy romantic relationship and has reconnected with high school friends she had lost touch with while she worked for and sometimes dated Bankman-Fried from 2017 until late 2022.
Man aCCused of knife assaulT ge T s bail Migran T Charged wi T h having illegal gun
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
a Man was granted bail yesterday after he allegedly assaulted a woman with a knife and threatened her with death on nelson Street last weekend.
Senior Magistrate anishka isaacs arraigned Carlton Smith, 36, on assault with a dangerous instrument, causing harm and threats of death. Smith allegedly assaulted Chantise Farrington with a knife on September 22. During the incident, the defendant allegedly injured Farrington and threatened her with death. after pleading not guilty to the charge, Smith claimed he had just come from work and that there was a crowd outside the residence drinking when the alleged incident happened.
He also said he lives with the complainant. Prosecutor inspector Bowles raised no objections to the defendant’s bail, which was set at $3,000 with one or two sureties. Smith was warned not to interfere with any witnesses or the complainant in this matter. He must also sign in at the Grove Police Station every Thursday by 7pm. His trial begins on october 3.
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
a Man was remanded into custody yesterday due to his immigration status after he was allegedly found with a loaded gun in exuma last week.
Chief Magistrate roberto reckley arraigned Joel St Hilaire, 35, on possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of ammunition. The defendant was allegedly found with a black Glock 43 austria pistol and eight rounds of 9mm ammunition in Hartswell, exuma, on September 18. The defendant pleaded not guilty to both charges.
Prosecutor inspector Deon Barr objected to the accused’s bail, citing his lack of status in the country. inspector Barr said he had made an application with the Department of immigration that had been cancelled. St Hilaire will be remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until he returns to court on october 21. The defendant’s gun trial begins on February 25, 2025.
Caroline Ellison former CEO of Alameda Research founded by Sam Bankman-Fried goes into a wrong car as she exits the Manhattan federal court after testifying on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023, in New York.
Photo: eduardo Munoz alvarez/AP
PriMe Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis speaks during a plenary session at the COP28 UN Climate Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in December.
Photo: rafiq Maqbool/AP
iMMigrants from Haiti recover their belongings from the rubble in their destroyed homes, in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian in Abaco, Bahamas, September 16, 2019.
Photo: ramon espinosa/AP
A night of worship at Evangelistic Temple
By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Reporter acadet@tribunemedia.net
EVANGELISTIC Temple is set to fill the air with praise as they host a special “ Night of Worship” featuring renowned guest artist Michael Bethany this Friday at 7 pm.
Under the theme “Deeper Worship”, this free event, open to all, promises to be an unforgettable evening of spiritual upliftment and heartfelt connection, with offerings welcomed in support of the ministry.
Bahamians are invited to come with expectant hearts, ready to experience a powerful encounter through music and praise.
“Worship is central to our relationship with God,” said Dexter Kerkulah, Minister of Music Evangelistic at Temple Nassau, Bahamas. With this event, he said the church wanted to create a space where people can unite, lift their voices, and seek God’s heart.
“This event invites us all to go deeper, deeper in our devotion, faith, and connection to God. Worship events like this are vital
because they provide an intentional space for believers to encounter God on a deeper level. It is in worship that we connect with God beyond words, through songs of praise, prayer, and reflection. These events serve as a reminder of God’s faithfulness and His desire to meet with His people. Hosting such events helps to build and strengthen our spiritual community,” said Mr Kerkulah. When asked why was Michael Bethany chosen to headline the event, Mr Kerkulah said it was due to his profound experience and heart for worship. He said Michael’s ministry has touched countless lives worldwide, and has worked with renowned artists like CeCe Winans, Kirk Franklin, and Leeland Mooring. The minister said Michael’s passion for
leading people into the presence of God and his expertise in music ministry made him the best choice to help guide this special worship experience.
“Michael Bethany is known for several powerful songs that have resonated with worshippers globally. His album Overflow, which reached number one on iTunes' Christian and
Pope expels a bishop and nine other people from a Peru movement over ‘sadistic’
By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press
POPE Francis took the unusual decision Wednesday to expel 10 people – a bishop, priests and laypeople - from a troubled Catholic movement in Peru after a Vatican investigation uncovered "sadistic" abuses of power, authority and spirituality.
The move against the leadership of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, or Sodalitium of Christian Life, followed Francis' decision last month to expel the group's founder, Luis Figari, after he was found to have sodomised his recruits. It was announced by the Peruvian Bishops Conference, which posted a statement from the Vatican embassy on its website that attributed the expulsions to a "special" decision taken by Francis.
The statement was astonishing because it listed abuses uncovered by the Vatican investigation that have rarely if ever been punished canonically — such as hacking someone's communications — and cited the people the pope held responsible.
According to the statement, the Vatican investigators uncovered physical abuses "including with sadism and violence," sect-like abuses of conscience, spiritual abuse, abuses of authority, economic abuses in administering church money and the "abuse in the exercise of the apostolate of journalism."
The latter was presumably aimed at a Sodalitium journalist who has attacked critics of the movement on social media.
Figari founded the SCV, as it is known, in 1971 as a lay community to recruit "soldiers for God," one of several Catholic societies born as a conservative reaction to the left-leaning liberation theology movement that swept through Latin America, starting in the 1960s. At its height, the group counted about 20,000 members across South America and the United States. It was enormously influential in Peru.
Victims of Figari's abuses complained to the Lima
archdiocese in 2011, though other claims against him reportedly date to 2000. But neither the local church nor the Holy See took concrete action until one of the victims, Pedro Salinas, wrote a book along with journalist Paola Ugaz detailing the twisted practices of the Sodalitium in 2015, entitled "Half Monks, Half Soldiers."
An outside investigation ordered by Sodalitium later determined that Figari was "narcissistic, paranoid, demeaning, vulgar, vindictive, manipulative, racist, sexist, elitist and obsessed with sexual issues and the sexual orientation" of Sodalitium's members.
The investigation, published in 2017, found that Figari sodomized his recruits and forced them to fondle him and one another. He liked to watch them "experience pain, discomfort and fear," and
abuses
The investigation was carried out by the Vatican's top sex crimes investigators, Maltese Archbishop Charles Scicluna and Monsignor Jordi Bertomeu, from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, who travelled to Lima last year to take testimony from victims.
The highest-ranking person ordered expelled was Archbishop Jose Antonio Eguren, whom Francis already forced to resign as bishop of Piura in April over his record, after he sued Salinas and Ugaz for their reporting.
In addition to Figari's own abuses, their reporting had exposed the alleged forced eviction of peasants on lands in Eguren's diocese by a Sodalitium-linked real estate developer.
Ugaz, the journalist, welcomed the expulsions and said the reference to Sodalitium hacking referred to her: She said her commu-
“It’s very good news after 24 years of impunity. It is to be hoped that this historic and memorable news is only the first of more, perhaps more impactful than what we know today.”
Pedro Salinas
humiliated them in front of others to enhance his control over them, the report found.
Still, the Holy See declined to expel Figari from the movement in 2017 and merely ordered him to live apart from the Sodalitium community in Rome and cease all contact with it.
The Vatican was seemingly tied in knots by canon law that did not foresee such punishments for founders of religious communities who weren't priests. Victims were outraged. But according to the findings of the latest Vatican investigation, the abuses went beyond Figari. They included Sodalitium clergy and also involved harassing and hacking the communications of their victims, all while covering up crimes committed as part of their official duties, according to the statement.
nications had been hacked in 2023 after she reported on the Sodalitium's offshore holdings and other financial dealings, and said she believed the group was trying to identify her sources.
"It is a demonstration that in Peru, the survivors would never have found justice and reparation (without Bertomeo and Scicluna) because the Sodalitium is an organization with a lot of political, social and economic power," she said in a statement to The Associated Press.
Salinas, for his part, repeated that the group should be dissolved entirely and that some key figures were not included on the list.
"It's very good news after 24 years of impunity," he said in a message to AP. "It is to be hoped that this historic and memorable news
Gospel chart, includes songs like "Walk With You," "He Is Lord," and most popular, “Fill The Room." These worship songs carry a message of surrender, faith, and trust in God’s presence, which aligns greatly with the upcoming night of worship,” said Mr Kerkulah. He went on to say events like this can have a profound impact on attendees by helping them encounter God in new and personal ways. Mr Kerkulah believes worship can break down barriers, heal hearts, and stir a passion for God’s presence. Many attendees may experience renewal, breakthroughs, and a deeper understanding of God's love for them. It also encourages a stronger sense of unity within the body
of Christ as they all come together to worship.
“We hope that people will leave this Night of Worship with a renewed sense of God’s presence in their lives. We want everyone to experience a deeper connection with God, knowing that He is near, and that worship is not just a moment, but a lifestyle. We pray that attendees will carry this experience with them long after the event, walking in greater faith, joy, and intimacy with the Lord,” said Mr Kerkulah. Following this powerful Night of Worship, he said the church is looking forward to continuing its focus on spiritual growth and community impact with a plan to host more events that inspire, equip, and empower believers to live out their faith boldly.
“Our Mission Statement here at Evangelistic Temple is to live His love, to live our love for Christ, through our prayer, worship, and fellowship, our honor and obedience to His Word. Our unselfish care and service to others, empowered by the Holy Spirit to reach the world,” said Mr Kerkulah.
is only the first of more, perhaps more impactful than what we know today."
The release of such detailed information by the Vatican was highly unusual for an institution that is known more for secrecy, opacity and turning a blind eye to even obvious church crimes.
It is unclear how exactly the expulsions can be enforced or what they will mean in practical terms, especially for the laypeople involved. But at a minimum, the very public announcement would suggest that at least for this particular group, Francis was willing to take an unorthodox approach to interpreting the church's in-house laws to send a message.
"To take such a disciplinary decision, consideration was given to the scandal that was produced by the number and gravity of the abuses that were denounced by victims, which are particularly contrary to the balanced and liberating experience of the evangelical councils," the Vatican embassy statement said in explaining the rationale for the punishments.
The Vatican statement said the Peruvian bishops joined Francis in "seeking the forgiveness of the victims" while calling on the troubled movement to initiate a journey of justice and reparation.
There was no immediate response to a request for comment from the Sodalitium.
A music ministry has announced the launch of its debut single
JUDAH'S House of Music is the music ministry of Judah's House, based in Carey's Plaza on Solider Road.
Pastors Brian and Audra Bain have released the single, Treasure, which is now available on all digital platforms. Written by Pastor Audra Bain with Dellrene Simone Thompson and producted by Charles Tucker, the song is said to serve "as an expression of worship, inviting listeners to experience God's presence through music".
Judah's House is described as a place of refuge for all generations, and the single is said to
mark "the first of many powerful musical projects from the music label and group, dedicated to delivering Spirit-led worship that transcends boundaries and connects generations.
The single also features the late Averia Rolle. Treasure was recorded live at Judah's House and is said to embody "the heart of Judah's House, which seeks to release heavenly sounds that inspire and transform". For more information, contact judahshouseofmusic242@gmail.com or follow Judah's House on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.
MICHAEL BETHANY
VATICAN investigators Monsignor Jordi Bertomeu, right, from Spain, and Archbishop Charles Scicluna, from Malta, walk outside of the Nunciatura Apostolica during a break from meeting with people who alleged abuse by the Catholic lay group Sodalitium Christianae Vitae in Lima, Peru, on July 25, 2023.
Photo:Martin Mejia/AP
SPORTS
SECTION E - PAGE 15
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2024
Jones and Liberty to take on Aces in semis
By TENAJH SWEETING
tsweeting@tribunemedia.net
The next chapter of the New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces rivalry will continue in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) semifinals after both teams swept their opponents 2-0 in the opening round on Tuesday night.
Grand Bahamian Jonquel “JJ” Jones and the Libs sent the eighth-seeded Atlanta Dream packing with a 91-82 victory at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, New York. Meanwhile, the defending champions Las Vegas Aces took care of business against the Seattle Storm 83-76 at the Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Both victories set the stage for what is expected to be an intense WNBA Finals rematch beginning with the opening game of the best-of-five series on Sunday.
The Libs have handled business against the backto-back champions all season long, sweeping all
Valor Security on board for Caribbean Baseball Cup
By TENAJH SWEETING
tsweeting@tribunemedia.net
PREPARATIONS have already begun ahead of the sixth Caribbean Baseball Cup slated for October 23-28 at the Andre Rodgers National Baseball Stadium.
The event’s organising committee hosted a press conference yesterday to officially announce their partnership with Valor Security, a firm committed to ensuring the safety of players, fans and guests for next month. It was the first official partnership announced by the organising committee and, according to Theodore “Teddy” Sweeting, CEO of the organising committee, it was one of
the most important parts of the preparation process.
“We are in the final preparation stages of the sixth Caribbean Baseball Cup. We have some powerhouses coming in which are top countries from around our Caribbean region so we have to make sure that these national teams are well-protected and secure.
“We are excited to partner with Valor Security, who will be in partnership also with our Royal Bahamas Police Force as well as our Defence Force as these national teams come in to participate in this Caribbean Baseball Cup.
“Valor is truly setting the stage for us in respect of how they are gonna secure the tournament, the players and all of our fans that are gonna participate in
this event. We are excited not only from an organising committee standpoint but from a federation standpoint to build up this
GHS ALUMNI ROYAL
BLUE GOLF TOURNEY
THE Inaugural GHS Alumni Royal Blue Golf Tournament is scheduled for October 5-6 at the Nine Hole Golf Complex on Bahamas Games Boulevard. The tournament is sponsored by the Flowers Foundation, Everybody Wins and Open Systems and will be following a twoperson modified 18-hole scramble format and the play will be governed by the Bahamas Golf Federation. As per our first meeting, we have agreed to change from four categories: OPEN, CO-ED, WOMEN & JUNIORS to High School, Junior High and Primary to align with the Flowers Foundation’s initiative of promoting Youth in Golf.
Thirty-six participants will vie for the Inaugural Open Systems GHS
By TENAJH SWEETING
TRACK and field sensation Alaya Armbrister is only six-years-old but already has a bright future ahead of her, not only in athletics but in sports.
The versatile athlete got her start in sports three years ago and has already accumulated over 30 medals under her belt and capped off the 2024 season as one of the fastest sixyear-olds in America.
Her long list of accolades includes being a two-time AAU gold medallist and two-time Speed Capital MVP.
The six-year-old expressed how it felt to finish the season as the fastest in the nation.
“I am proud of myself and happy I won,” she said.
She is fresh off an appearance at the Jennifer Hudson Show, where she got the opportunity to showcase her athletic prowess for not only the viewing audience but also Olympian Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.
Armbrister is a wellrounded performer in athletics. She competes in the 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m events.
She expressed why she loves the quarter-mile event the most.
“I like running in it and I am fast in it. I like when my dad runs with me and I like when I am running the 400m,” she said.
Although she is a gifted performer on the track and field, her athletic ability is not only limited to athletics. Armbrister also plays soccer, flag football and does gymnastics.
Soccer affords her the opportunity to put her speed on display which is
Alumni Royal Blue Golf Tournament floating trophy which will be presented to the team with the lowest score. The winning team will also be presented with two Kedar Clark Bespoke Royal Blue jackets which will be presented on Saturday, October 12. The members of the school with the lowest score will receive the Craig Flowers floating trophy and 1st, 2nd and 3rd place trophies will be presented to the teams in each division. Should you have any questions or concerns please feel free to whatsapp us at 242-812-8653.
JUNIOR GOLF AWARDS THE 14th Hole Golf Club, in conjunction with the Bahamas Golf Federation’s Junior Division, will
with Valor Security,” he said. The Bahamas will host five countries at the regional event next month.
By DAVID BRANDT AP Baseball Writer
THE Major League Baseball playoffs are approaching and a Shohei Ohtani vs. Aaron Judge matchup in the World Series looms as an enticing October possibility. While the rooting interests of baseball fans vary widely, there’s little doubt MLB and television
GRAND Bahamian Jonquel Jones and her New York Liberty are scheduled to face the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA semifinals.
star-studded showdown kicks off on Sunday at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, New York. (AP Photo)
TEAMING UP: Members of the Local Organising Committee for the sixth Caribbean Baseball Cup announced the partnership with Valor Security ahead of the event in October.
YANKEES’ Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr celebrates with Aaron Judge (right) after he scored during the seventh inning against the Athletics on September 22. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)
MLB playoffs approach with Judge vs. Ohtani as enticing Fall Classic possibility
FROM PAGE 15
Who’s In The Playoffs?
Who’s Still Fighting?
In the American League, the Yankees, Cleveland Guardians, Houston Astros and Baltimore Orioles have all clinched four of the six playoff spots. The Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers are in the best position to claim the final two AL wild cards, but the Seattle Mariners and Minnesota Twins are among the teams in pursuit.
In the National League, the Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres have claimed four of the six spots. The New York Mets, Arizona Diamondbacks and Atlanta Braves are fighting for the last two wild cards. How Does Baseball’s Wild-Card Round Work?
FROM PAGE 15
hold its Junior Golf Awards ceremony from noon to 2pm on Sunday, October 6, at Fusion Superplex. Tickets are priced at $10 for junior golfers and $40 for adults and can be purchased by calling whatsapp 828-Golf or 423-8003. Event coordinator Georgette Rolle-Harris revealed that a number of awards will be presented to the top performers in the junior programme for the past year.
The best-of-three wild card format is in its third season. The format was changed in 2022 from the sudden death one-game format that was in place since 2012 with the exception of the COVID-19 pandemic-affected 2020 season. Six teams each from the American League and National League will qualify for the postseason, including the three division winners in each league. The three wild-card teams in each league will be the teams with the best record that didn’t win their division.
BBSF CYCLING CLASSIC
THE Bahamas Baptist Sports Federation has announced that its cycling classic will be held on Saturday, October 5 starting at 9 am at the park just before you enter Perpall Tract on West Bay Street. Registration fee is $10 for adults in the open 18-and-over and masters 35-and-over divisions and $5 for juniors in ages 15-17, 12-15 and 9-11. Interested persons are asked to contact Barron Musgrove at 433-5568 or email musgrovebarron@ hotmail.com
The top two division winners with the best records in each league will get a bye and don’t have to play in the wild-card round. Those four teams get a few days of rest. Right now, that would be the Yankees and Guardians in the American League and the Phillies and Dodgers in the National League. The wild-card round will feature four series: The No. 6 seed will play at the No. 3 seed in both the AL and NL. The No. 5 seed will play at the No. 4 seed.
One big advantage for the higher seed in those wild-card series is they get to host all three games.
What About Ties in the Standings?
If there’s a tie for one of the playoff spots after the
CYCLING FEDERATION ELECTION OF OFFICERS
THE Bahamas Cycling Federation’s secretary general Barron “Turbo” Musgrove has announced that their general meeting and election of officers will take place on Saturday, October 26. The elections will be held at the office of the Bahamas Olympic Committee, starting at 5pm. Nominations for positions in the federation must be submitted to Musgrove in person or via email at bammus1967@gmail.com by Sunday, October 13.
Positions to be filled are president, two vice presidents, general secretary, assistant secretary, treasurer and assistant treasurer. The current president is Roy Colebrooke.
SOFTBALL
EXUMA
HOMECOMING
THE Williams Town Exuma Homecoming Association is scheduled to hold a softball game and road race over the weekend of October 11-14.
The softball game will be played on October 11-12 between the Corner Boyz from the New Providence Oldtimers Softball Association and the local All-Star team from Exuma.
Then on October 12, a five-mile road race will be staged, starting at 7am from the Culture Centre in Forbes Hill to the public school in Williams Town.
Competitors in the under-9, under-11 and under-13 divisions will compete in a 2 1/2 mile run, while those in the under15, under-17, under-20 and open divisions will compete in a five-mile run.
162-game regular season, mathematical tiebreakers will be used instead of an extra game. The first will be the head-to-head record between the two teams involved.
If that can’t handle the stalemate, the team with the best intra-division record will win the tiebreaker. If that doesn’t work, the process continues with more and more convoluted solutions until a resolution is reached.
There’s a chance both leagues come to a tiebreaker scenario. The Diamondbacks, Mets and Braves are locked in a tight race for two NL wild-card spots, while the Tigers, Twins, Royals and Mariners also are fighting for two wild-card spots.
ROOTS
JUNKANOO
FUN RUN/WALK
THE Roots Junkanoo Group is scheduled to hold its Fun Run/Walk Race under the theme “Let’s Do This Together,” on Saturday, October 12.
The event will start promptly at 6:30am at the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium and will be sponsored by the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and the National Sports Authority.
The registration fee is $25 per athlete.
Categories include under male and female under-15, under-20, 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60 and 61-and-over.
BASEBALL
JBLN
REGISTRATION
THE Junior Baseball League of Nassau has announced the following dates for the registration of players for their 2024/25 season at the Field of Dreams at St Andrew’s School.
Registration can be made online on JBLN’s website at www.jblnbaseball.com
Players and parents are to make note of the following important dates: Registration and Payment at the Fields from 10am to 1pm on Saturdays, September 7, 14, 21 and 28. Online registration ends at midnight on October 13. The draft and tryouts will be on October 19 at 10am. The preseason will begin in November.
FREEDOM
FARM
BASEBALL REGISTRATION
FREEDOM Farm Baseball League will hold its registration for the 2025
Rule Changes
Many of baseball’s recent rule changes are still in effect during the postseason, including the pitch clock, a ban on extreme infield shifts and a limit to how many times a pitcher can disengage from the rubber. The pitch clock has been a huge change for the sport and widely celebrated, cutting game times by about a half-hour. There is one rule that won’t make the postseason cut: the so-called “ghost runner” in extra innings.
During the MLB regular season, if a game goes to extra innings, a runner is placed at second base to start the 10th inning when each team bats. That won’t happen in the postseason.
baseball season online and in-person for players between the ages of 3-20 years old.
The registration fee is $150 per player.
In-person registration will take place every Saturday at the park in Yamacraw during September and October as general workout sessions take place from 10 am to 1 pm. The draft showcase will take place on Saturday, November 2.
BAPTIST SPORTS FEDERATION
TRACK MEET
THE Bahamas Baptist Sports Federation will hold its Renee ‘Sunshine’ Curry-Davis Memorial Track and Field Classic on Saturday, November 16, at the Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.
The meet, hosted in conjunction with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and the Bahamas Association of Certified Officials, will recognise Curry-Davis, a former executive of the BBSF, who was working as the director for track and field before her death this year. Beginning at 9am, the meet will be geared for men and women competing in the under-7, under-11, under-15, under20 under-30 open, under-50 open and masters 50-andover categories as well as the clergy for pastors, ministers, evangelists and deacons.
The entry deadline for teams to participate is Friday, November 1 and should be submitted to TEK Results via tmoss@ locbahamas.org or contact
Extra innings will be played just like the previous nine. Betting Favourites
The Dodgers are the current betting favourites to win the World Series at +325, followed by the Yankees (+450) and Phillies (+450), according to BetMGM Sportsbook. How to Watch The wild-card rounds will be broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. The later rounds will be split between FS1, TruTV, TBS and Fox. Postseason schedule Wild-card series: Oct. 1-3 Division series: Oct. 5-12 League Championship series: Oct. 13-22 World Series: Oct. 25-Nov. 2
Brent Stubbs at 426-7265 or email stubbobs@gmail. com.
A technical meeting will take place at 6pm on Tuesday, November 12 at the Bahamas Baptist College, Jean Street.
BASKETBALL
IBA YOUTH
BASKETBALL
COACH Denykco Bowles is inviting persons interested in participating in the International Basketball Academy (IBA) Bahamas Grassroots Youth Basketball League to register now.
The league won’t get started until March, 2025, but Bowles noted that the registration for male and female players between the ages of four and 20 can sign up for a cost of $200 per player. Interested persons can email ibabahamaspanthers@gmail.com or info. ibabahamas@gmail.com or log onto facebook, instagram or twitter at The International Basketball Academy Bahamas. Bowles can also be contacted at 466-0049 for more details.
ALL CARIBBEAN WRESTLING
FIGHT FOR
PARADISE
THE All Caribbean Wrestling (ACW) is scheduled to hold its Fight for Paradise Show on Saturday, October 19, at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium. Doors open at 1pm. Wrestlers from throughout the Caribbean and the United States of America will be participating. For ticket information, persons can contact FightForParadise.eventbrite. com
NEW York Yankees’ Aaron Judge grabs a bat from the dugout before a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics in Oakland, California, on September 22.
(AP Photo/Nic Coury)
LOS Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) is honoured during the first inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies in Los Angeles on September 20. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Pro Picks: Week 4 features 5 home underdogs, 3 unbeaten underdogs
By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer
FIVE home underdogs, a winless favourite and three undefeated underdogs highlight the NFL’s Week 4 schedule.
The Bills, Vikings and Seahawks are among five 3-0 teams but they’re road dogs this weekend. The Bengals are 0-3 but they’re road favourites.
Home field isn’t an odds advantage for the Giants, Colts, Buccaneers, Panthers and Chargers.
Oddsmakers are still trying to figure teams out in September, giving respect to some based on last year’s success and waiting for others to earn more trust.
Pro Picks aims for a fourth straight winning week.
Cincinnati at Carolina
Line: Bengals minus 4
Andy Dalton and the Panthers (1-2) are getting no respect after the veteran quarterback excelled in his first start, leading Carolina to its first victory. Joe Burrow and the Bengals (0-3) are reeling. They can’t afford another loss with their playoff hopes already on the ropes. Expect Joe Cool to come out slinging.
BEST BET:
BENGALS: 27-13
Minnesota at Green Bay
Line: Packers minus 2 1/2
Malik Willis has led the Packers (2-1) to two straight wins without Jordan Love thanks to the best rushing attack in the NFL at 204 yards per game and an opportunistic defence. The Vikings (3-0) are coming off back-toback impressive wins over San Francisco and Houston and Sam Darnold is thriving. Minnesota’s defence presents a tough challenge for Willis or Love, if he returns from a knee injury. The Vikings are 6-1-2 against the spread in their past nine road games. The Packers are 5-1 against the spread in their past six home games. Something has to give.
UPSET SPECIAL:
VIKINGS: 24-23
Dallas at New York Giants
Line: Cowboys minus 5 1/2
Dallas (1-2) can’t stop the run or run the ball. The Cowboys are fortunate to be facing the Giants (1-2) tonight. Daniel Jones has played better this season but a motivated Micah Parsons should make his night difficult. The Cowboys have won six in a row in the series, 13 of 14 and outscored New York 89-17
last season. Dak Prescott has won his past 12 starts vs. the Giants.
COWBOYS: 27-17
New Orleans at Atlanta Line: Falcons minus 2 1/2
Kirk Cousins was a missed call away from leading the Falcons (1-2) to a comeback win against the two-time defending champion Chiefs. Derek Carr and the Saints (2-1) struggled against Philadelphia after two dominant performances. New Orleans has won five of the past six games in Atlanta. But this is a revamped Falcons team with Cousins, playmakers and a strong defence.
FALCONS: 23-20
Los Angeles Rams at Chicago Line: Bears minus 3
The Bears (1-2) need to run the ball better to help Caleb Williams and the offensive line must protect him. He should have success facing the league’s worst defence. The Rams (1-2) have allowed the most yards (425.7 per game) this season. Matthew Stafford, despite a depleted supporting cast, should keep Los Angeles close.
BEARS: 23-19
Pittsburgh at Indianapolis Line: Steelers minus 1 1/2
No team wins more games playing old-school football than the Steelers (3-0). They run the ball, have a tenacious defence and Justin Fields is making enough plays without mistakes. The Colts (1-2) could learn from Pittsburgh. Anthony Richardson has only completed 49.6% of his passes this season and had five picks in the past two games. That spells doom against T.J. Watt and the Steelers.
STEELERS: 19-16
Denver at New York Jets Line: Jets minus 7 1/2
Aaron Rodgers is back to playing like a four-time MVP and the Jets (2-1) seem to just be getting started. He’ll face a stout Broncos defence this week. Bo Nix is coming off his best game, though he faced an injury-depleted defence in Tampa Bay. He still hasn’t thrown a TD pass. The point spread seems too big, making New York the play.
JETS: 26-13
Philadelphia at Tampa Bay Line: Eagles minus 2 The Eagles (2-1) could be without starting wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. The Buccaneers (2-1) are banged-up on defence without All-Pro
safety Antoine Winfield Jr., though they’re hoping defensive tackles Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey can return. It’s revenge game for Philadelphia after an embarrassing loss to Tampa Bay in a wild-card game last postseason.
EAGLES: 25-20
Jacksonville at Houston
Line: Texans minus 6 1/2
Trevor Lawrence has regressed and the Jaguars (0-3) are in trouble after entering the season with high expectations. C.J. Stroud and the Texans (2-1) aim to rebound from a disappointing loss. Houston has dominated the series, winning 10 of the past 12 meetings. Jacksonville is desperate enough to stay close but hard to see an upset after a listless effort in Buffalo.
TEXANS: 23-22
Washington at Arizona Line: Cardinals minus 3 1/2
Kyler Murray could have a big day throwing to Marvin Harrison Jr. against a pass defence that’s ranked 29th. It would help him if the Cardinals (1-2) could run the ball more effectively. Jayden Daniels has been impressive for the Commanders (2-1) and this game probably means a little more to offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who was Arizona’s coach. Still, it’ll be hard for Washington to win on the road on a short week after a road win Monday night.
CARDINALS: 26-20
New England at San Francisco
Line: 49ers minus 10 1/2
The Super Bowl hangover is real.
The 49ers (1-2) keep losing star players and games despite Brock Purdy’s best efforts. Somehow, they’re double-digit favourites against the rested Patriots (1-2). This is another game where a big line makes the home team the pick to cover the spread.
49ERS: 27-13
Cleveland at Las Vegas Line: Raiders minus 2
The Browns (1-2) have too much talent to keep losing games. Myles Garrett is playing through injuries and his presence is enough to cause Gardner Minshew nightmares.
BROWNS: 22-16
Kansas City at Los Angeles Chargers
Line: Chiefs minus 7 1/2
Justin Herbert’s status is uncertain because of an ankle injury. With him, the Chargers (2-1) should be competitive. Without him, Taylor Heinicke will have to rely on a strong run game. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs (3-0) are unbeaten despite playing inconsistent ball.
Jim Harbaugh’s first crack at the two-time defending Super Bowl champions is spoiled by Herbert’s uncertainty and the absence of suspended safety Derwin James.
CHIEFS: 27-17
Buffalo at Baltimore Line: Ravens minus 2 1/2
Josh Allen has been outstanding in leading the Bills (3-0) to a hot start. The Ravens (1-2) saved their season in Dallas and need Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry to get rolling on the ground, control the clock and keep Allen and Co. off the field.
RAVENS: 26-23
Tennessee at Miami
Line: Dolphins minus 1
Tua Tagovailoa’s absence has turned the Dolphins (1-2) from a contender to a pretender.
Whether it’s Skylar Thompson, Tim Boyle or Tyler Huntley under centre, Miami has to get the ball to a star-studded cast of playmakers. The Titans (0-3) are going through growing pains and should offer the Dolphins relief.
DOLPHINS: 20-17
Seattle at Detroit
Line: Lions minus 3 1/2
Geno Smith and the unbeaten Seahawks (3-0) face their toughest challenge so far after beating the Broncos, Patriots and Dolphins. The Lions (2-1) have injury problems on defence and Jared Goff hasn’t been able to get the downfield passing game going. But the running game behind David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs is capable of carrying the offence until Goff, AmonRa St. Brown and the receivers start clicking.
LIONS: 24-22
COWBOYS LOOK TO MAINTAIN THEIR DOMINANCE AGAINST GIANTS
By TOM CANAVAN AP Sports Writer
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys are off to a slow start and concerns are mounting after two straight losses at home.
The anxiety in Big D could reach a tipping point tonight when the Cowboys (1-2) travel to face the New York Giants (1-2).
Both New Orleans and Baltimore played well against Dallas.
However the Cowboys have dominated the Giants of late. They have won the past six games and 13 of 14 overall.
In their two games last season, Dallas won by a combined margin of 89-17. It’s the biggest point differential the Cowboys have had in two games against an NFC East rival in a season.
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy didn’t want to talk about the past. Like Giants coach Brian Daboll, he has been focused on tonight.
“I talk to them everyday. I have a team meeting every day,” said McCarthy, whose team had a 16-game winning streak at home before the recent losses. “I have an opportunity obviously to talk to the offence more. We understand
WITH ANOTHER INJURED QB, DOLPHINS’ EARLY SEASON WOES CONTINUE TO PILE UP
By ALANIS THAMES AP Sports Writer
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) —
The Miami Dolphins’ thoughts after a second straight blowout loss were a mix of accountability for their struggles and optimism that they can fix them as the season goes on.
The Seattle Seahawks clobbered Miami’s offensive line and sacked Skylar Thompson five times in Sunday’s 24-3 loss. They shut down the Dolphins’ playmakers. And they burned Miami’s defence for a 71-yard touchdown.
“Consistency has to be found from the nucleus in the group,” coach Mike McDaniel said. “The guys that truly know the offence have to really be on it. And we have to just keep chopping wood and get better fast.”
And now the Dolphins could be turning to their third quarterback in four weeks.
Tua Tagovailoa, on injured reserve with a concussion, watched from the sideline on Sunday as Thompson went down in the third quarter. Thompson was slow to get up after Seahawks linebacker Tyrel Dodson hit him for a sack, and he was slightly hunched over at the midsection as he ran off the field.
He returned for the next series but stayed down after completing a pass to running back De’Von Achane. Thompson remained on his back for a few minutes before sitting up and walking directly to the locker room.
McDaniel later said Thompson suffered a “painful” rib injury and that the quarterback would be further evaluated Monday. McDaniel didn’t say what the next steps would be for the Dolphins.
“I think you have to look at everything, and you have to find a way to give your team a best chance to win,” he said. “In 2022, this was something that happened to us as well. And ultimately the rest of the league does not care, nor should they. We have to find a way to get better collectively. And it’s going to take a better effort by everyone, including myself, or starting with myself.”
The injury to Thompson came a little over a week after Tagovailoa suffered his third diagnosed concussion in two years during a loss to Buffalo. Tagovailoa will miss at least three more games as he works through the NFL’s concussion protocol.
where we are: we’re 1-2. We have our first division game in front of us.”
Giants safety Jason Pinnock looks at today’s game as a new opportunity.
“My analogy goes toward my big brother,” Pinnock said. “We joke about this all the time. It’s sort of like, he probably beat on me for 12 years, but that 13th, I’m going to bust your (butt). It is what it is.”
Lamb’s remorse
All-Pro receiver CeeDee Lamb was animated in the presence of Dak Prescott with offence struggling against Baltimore, appearing to call for more targets with the Cowboys on their way to a three-touchdown deficit.
It took two days for Lamb to face reporters, but the mea culpa finally came.
“Quite honestly, I failed myself and obviously I failed the team just as far as producing and being that game-breaker player and obviously a guy that they can lean on,” Lamb said. “I kind of let the game get to my head a little bit.”
The same thing happened a year ago in a 42-10 loss at San Francisco, when Lamb tied his season low with four catches and had just 49 yards receiving. He responded with four consecutive 100-yard games. “I plan on doing that again,”
Lamb said after a pause, smile and chuckle when reminded of the visit to the 49ers.
Giants secondary concerns
The previous time the Cowboys and Giants played, Prescott threw for 404 yards and four touchdowns. That has to be a concern with New York’s secondary banged up.
Mike McCloud hurt a knee in the opener and has missed the past two games and fellow cornerbacks
Dru Phillips and Adoree Jackson left with calf injuries Sunday and are out for Thursday. Expect Tre Hawkins to be active this week.
Rare road for Cowboys Dallas has never played on the road on three days’ rest, according to the team. The Cowboys always host a Thanksgiving game, which is the first explanation for such a statistical quirk.
McCarthy didn’t know off the top of his head how many times Green Bay played on the road on a Thursday after a Sunday in his 12-plus seasons in charge of the Packers. It was five times, including just before he was fired 12 games into the 2018 season when the Packers went to Seattle. The first four were all trips to Detroit, which is about
500 miles from Green Bay compared to the 1,500 miles separating Dallas and New York.
“First time you go through it, you have a different feeling,” said McCarthy, who is in his fifth season with the Cowboys. “You’re going to do play two Thursday games. It’s just part of playing for the Dallas Cowboys. I guess I’m used to it.”
Fumble issues for Singletary
Starting running back Devin Singletary has lost fumbles on the Giants’ opening possession of the second half the past two weeks. He’s worked on it the past few days.
“You gotta get back to the fundamentals,” he said. “It goes a long way and that’s what we’re doing now.”
Singletary has 5,468 yards from scrimmage on 1,114 touches in five-plus seasons. He has fumbled 16 times.
Giants kicking woes
Daboll is sticking with Greg Joseph as his kicker despite seeing him miss his only field-goal attempt Sunday.
Joseph was signed off the Lions practice squad last week after Graham Gano injured a hamstring chasing down a returner on the opening kickoff against
Washington. The injury hurt New York in the 21-18 loss. Punter Jamie Gillan missed an extra point and New York failed on two, 2-point attempts.
If Thompson misses time, Tim Boyle and Tyler Huntley are the other quarterbacks on Miami’s roster. And the Dolphins signed Huntley last week.
MINNESOTA Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) looks to pass as he is pressured by Houston Texans defensive tackle Mario Edwards Jr. (97) during the second half of an NFL football game, on Sunday, September 22 in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
The Police Crimestoppers ended an eight-year championship drought in the Bahamas Government Departmental Basketball Association (BGDBA) Finals at the DW Davis Gymnasium on Monday night.
The Crimestoppers came into the matchup versus the pennant winners Nassau Flight Services Ballers as the third seed but it did not matter. They brought the brooms out and swept the Ballers 4-0 thanks to a 91-79 victory in game four. The sweep not only granted the Crimestoppers bragging rights until next season but it also allowed them to experience championship glory for the first time since 2016.
The newly crowned champions came up short in their quest for a title last season, but this time around they dominated the competition to sweep the entire playoffs 9-0.
three games during the regular season and securing home-court advantage for this postseason.
The Aces have had their fair share of problems on
their quest to a potential three-peat but they ended the regular season on a strong note, winning nine out of their final 10 games played. With both teams considered as title favourites, this
series will certainly be a fight to the finish.
Grand Bahamian forward Jones had a big night on Tuesday in the Libs elimination game against the Dream. She recorded a double-double with 20
points, 13 rebounds, three assists and two steals in 35 minutes played. She shot 8-for-12 on field goals and 3-for-4 at the charity stripe in the round one victory.
Three-point specialist Sabrina Ionescu was special for New York. She went off for a game-high 36 points, nine dimes and three steals. Her offensive output included five makes from long range.
According to Jones, it felt good to advance to the semifinals and be an inspiration to her supporters back at home.
“It feels good. Every time I step on the court I represent The Bahamas and everybody that is at home. I understand how special it is to be the only Bahamian in the league and hopefully I will be able to open more doors for other young ladies coming up who want to be in my shoes one day. I understand that I am a role model for a lot of them. I do not take it lightly so anytime I get to show love to the 242 I want to do that,” she said.
The Dream were seeking vengeance after their 83-69 loss in the postseason opener on Sunday. They opened game two with a 28-19 performance in the first quarter.
After trailing by nine points to end the first, Jones
made a layup to give the Libs a 39-36 lead at the 5:07 mark.
The former WNBA MVP canned a deep threepointer off an Ionescu dime to keep her team within single digits on the scoreboard.
The Dream were still leading 48-43 at the halftime break.
The WNBA’s top-seeded squad sapped any momentum the Dream had in the first half and used it for their advantage in the second half of the game.
Ionescu continued to pour in the buckets in the third quarter.
Her efforts tied the score on a few occasions but it was a 10-foot jumper that put the Liberty back on top 61-59 with less than three minutes to go. New York came out of the quarter ahead by one (65-64). Jones made a two-pointer at the 5:04 mark of the final quarter that gave the New York Liberty a 77-72 advantage which signalled the end of Atlanta’s season.
The Dream never regained the lead after this point in the game and were outscored 26-18 in the final quarter of their season.
Jones talked about the competitiveness of the closeout game.
“That is the game of basketball. When you get into
the playoffs, every team is really good and obviously the games are gonna be physical and swing one way or another.
“The main thing was just that we understood that it was gonna be a fight.
“We didn’t have the expectation that we were gonna go out there and blow them out.
“Ultimately, we were ready for a fight. We understood that it was gonna come down to the end and that we needed big stops and we were able to get them,” she said. Atlanta guard Allisha Gray dropped a team-high 26 points and pulled down three rebounds in the tough loss.
The Dream had a hot shooting night but could not capitalise on their efforts. They shot 53.8 per cent on field goals while New York shot 49.3 per cent.
Atlanta could not overcome their turnover woes.
The Libs forced 14 turnovers while only turning over the ball nine times in the contest.
For New York, the goal is not only a championship but to get revenge against the Aces, who sent them home in four games in last year’s WNBA Finals. The star-studded showdown kicks off on Sunday at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, New York.
Photos by Nikia Charlton
Valor Security on board for the Caribbean Baseball Cup
FROM PAGE 15
no. 28 Curaçao, no. 65 US Virgin Islands and Saint Maarten (not ranked).
The Bahamas will be in action in the featured game every night at 7pm starting on October 23. Their first game will be played against the US Virgin Islands followed by matchups against St Maarten, Curaçao, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. Medal games will take place on October 28.
Mirlene Stubbs, vice president of Valor Security, is confident that this will be a successful partnership between both parties involved.
“We have not only done security for organisations such as this but we have done security for many different facilities such as Palm Cay, OakTree and others. We felt the need to
join this annual cup because it is a big event and we just wanted to be a part of it.
We just want to make sure that everyone in the facility is properly secured and we also have K-9 units just in case anything happens.
Our K-9 unit will be able to sniff out anything negative around the facility,” she said.
The Bahamas had its first hosting privileges in 2022 for the fourth Caribbean Baseball Cup. It was the first tournament to take place at the Andre Rodgers National Baseball Stadium at that time.
Nikita Thompson, chief administrative officer for the organising committee, was proud to partner with a small business ahead of next month’s baseball showdown. “We are very excited to be here with our small business partners Valor
Security. We are definitely encouraged and looking forward to the event and partnering with them.
The organising committee has a very proactive sponsorship/partnership programme with decks that are very beneficial so we are excited today to announce our first small business partner Valor Security.
“We are happy to be here and, from a partnership perspective, we are very pleased that Valor Security is on board with the sixth Caribbean Baseball Cup team,” she said.
The Bahamas will look to ascend the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) rankings once again at this event.
The event is also supported by the National Sports Authority and will be broadcasted live via RiLive on Pay-Per-View.
TRACK & FIELD SENSATION ALAYA
why this sport is one of her favourites. “I like soccer because when I have the ball I can run as fast as I can,” she said.
Her parents Natasha Velez and Deandre Armbrister both have athletic backgrounds. Her father, who played football and ran track, also serves as her coach and has seen immense passion in his
daughter since she was four. “She started around three but I noticed her passion around four. The more that she watched me workout and train the more she was around and wanted to do more,” he said. Alaya had a stellar performance at the 2024 AAU Primary National Championships back in July. While representing Run It Sports, she crossed the
finish line first with a time of 1:20:47 to win the gold medal in the girls’ 400m finals.
She also dominated at the Speed Capital Meet in Palm Beach, Florida, earlier this year. She bested competitors in the girls’ 6U 55m dash, clocking 10.28 seconds for gold.
If that were not enough, the decorated six-year-old pulled off a win in the girls’
King Meal Deal
6U long jump event. She placed first overall with a leap of 2.38m.
The two-time Speed Capital MVP collected her third gold medal of the meet in the girls’ 6U 100m dash. She left the field of competitors behind, stopping the clock at a swift 18.10 seconds.
Her father and coach said it is not surprising that his daughter continues to soar to new heights.
“It is amazing. It is something that I already knew was gonna happen because I am an athlete myself and I know what it takes to get to a certain level. As of right now, we are just scratching the surface,” he said.
Alaya not only has a strong presence on the track but also on social media. Her TikTok page has over 100k followers and her Instagram exceeds 90k followers so it was no surprise when her interview with Jennifer Hudson caught the eyes of Bahamians at home.
The parents are both grateful for the support their daughter has received from the Bahamian community.
“It is an amazing feeling. It is something that I wanted as a child being from The Bahamas and coming to America.
“It is something that I wanted to do myself but just to watch my own flesh do it is an amazing feeling. Hopefully, she reaches the highest level of whatever sport she decides to choose and make her country
proud and be the best that she can be,” he said.
“We appreciate all the love and support. Please continue to keep on supporting us. She loves it, we love it and it is just gives us
more motivation to keep going,”
The long-term goal for the family is to watch their daughter blossom as an individual and continue to grow as a student-athlete.
SHOWN, left to right, are Jennifer Hudson, Alaya Sweeting and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.