10022023 NEWS AND SPORT

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The Tribune

CHURCH PROTESTS PRIDE EVENT AT UB

...but the university declares it is free of ‘undue influence’

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE University of the Bahamas declared its independence from “undue influence” yesterday after the Bahamas Christian Council protested an LGBT-related event planned for this month.

Pride Bahamas, an organisation concerned with social justice and

empowering the country’s LGBTI+ community, will host a series of events from October 4 to 10 to celebrate pride, including a forum scheduled at UB.

Bahamas Christian Council president Bishop Delton Fernander and several dozen senior pastors held a press conference at UB yesterday, objecting to the event.

BAHAMAS SAYS IT CANNOT AFFORD $4BN COST FOR CLIMATE TARGETS

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas cannot afford the $4bn required to meet its pledged climate change targets without international financial, technology and other “capacity-building” support, it has admitted.

The nation, in its updated nationally-determined

contribution (NDC) that sets out the goals and road map for how it will meet the climate change mitigation measures it signed up to in the 2015 Paris Agreement, warned it simply cannot cover these costs while striving to also fulfill its economic and social “development agenda”.

Tributes after shock death of QC head boy

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE death of Queen’s College head boy Dario Rahming on Saturday sent shockwaves through the school’s community.

The circumstances and cause of his death are unclear, but Dario - known as DJ to his schoolmates - collapsed during basketball practice.

“He was an extraordinary young man and our hearts are broken,” the

W SC WORKER KILLED AS WATER TANK COLLAPSES

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Staff Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

A 42-year-old Water and Sewerage Corporation employee died during a freak accident in Sweeting’s Cay over the weekend. Anthony Scriven, Jr, manager of the corporation in Abaco, was inspecting the water plant with several other employees on Saturday morning when a water tank collapsed and fell on him around 10am.

T ODDLERS AMONG 14 HURT IN GB BOAT CRASH

school posted to Facebook on Saturday. “We ask for your prayers for his family, friends, classmates and the entire Queen’s College community. We say that when one Comet shines, we all shine. But today, one of our Comets has fallen, so we fall as well.”

The school’s principal, Henry Knowles, told ZNS the student was on campus and collapsed.

He said the school followed proper protocols, adding that staff are trained

A BOATING accident in Grand Bahama injured 14 people yesterday, including three toddlers. Police said shortly before 1pm yesterday, a 36ft boat with 21 people left Fortune Bay Drive for Grand Cay, Abaco, when the vessel hit a sand bank a half mile north of the Freeport dock.

Several passengers were reportedly ejected from the vessel and later retrieved from the water. The passengers,

Dragon Boat Festival raising funds for Cancer Society

THE 2ND annual Dragon Boat festival happened over the weekend at Goodman’s Bay. During the event, which originated in China, teams competed with Dragon Boats, large canoe-like vessels outfitted with ornately carved dragons’ heads and tails. Proceeds from the festival will reportedly be contributed to the Cancer Society of The Bahamas. See SPORTS for more.

Photos: Racardo Thomas

Road closures for the re-opening Parliament

SOME roads will be closed downtown to facilitate the reopening of Parliament on Wednesday.

Senior police officers and government officials discussed the road diversions during a press briefing at the Paul Farquharson Conference Centre on Friday.

Jack Thompson, Permanent Secretary of the National

Independence Secretariat, said Wednesday’s event would attract 2,500 guests. “Many may not know that the opening of Parliament takes a lot of work,” he said. “There’s a lot of logistical activity.”

Superintendent Paul Cash said starting today at 7pm, traffic travelling east on Bay Street will be diverted south

onto Parliament Street. This will remain in effect through Tuesday. On Tuesday, Bay Street will be closed at 4pm for a dress rehearsal of the opening ceremony. On Wednesday at 6am, traffic diversions will affect vehicles travelling east on Bay Street. Traffic will be diverted south

from Frederick Street until after the event. Some traffic can traverse Woodes Rogers Wharf thoroughfare and re-enter Bay Street from East Street.

Additionally, Bay Street between Frederick Street and East Street will be closed. Charlotte Street between Shirley Street and Woodes Rogers Wharf will be closed, as will Parliament

Street between Woodes Rogers Wharf and Shirley Street.

The general public will not be able to access Bank Lane, which is reserved for dignitaries. East Street will be limited to traffic.

Authorities are appealing to heavy-duty trucks and lorries to take alternative routes, possibly from Nassau Street onto Wulff Road.

Tributes after shock death of QC head boy

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to provide emergency CPR. He said: “One of our nurses was on campus, she was outside with a sports event and she was able to be right there in place, she came and rushed to the clinic.

“The ambulances were called. They came in record time, and until then, we were doing everything we could on our side,” he said,

calling the tragedy “a very hard moment”.

“He’s our head boy and last week, I think it was, we did an installation of him and all our senior leaders.

I can say when he came on stage to get his tie pinned on him, the entire school went nuts. Everybody absolutely loves him. He’s an extraordinary young man. You can put him in front as a poster of what we want the young men of the nation to be, and we’re all so heartbroken

because of it.

“He’s smart. He’s a devout Christian. He preaches.

“He’s not a selfish young man. He’s well spoken. He’s humble. He’s very mannerly, and he’s caring.”

He added: “This is a very hard moment for all of us and we’re praying for the family, you know, we’re praying for the entire staff and the Queen’s College community.” Across communities

in The Bahamas, the death sent shockwaves - with churches holding prayers for Dario and his family. Meanwhile, numerous posts were made on social media sending condolences or offering prayers. A fellow student said he felt sad when he heard about the death. He said it was “definitely a shockunexpected, unforeseen”. He said: “Dario was amazing. Everyone loved him, everyone appreciated him

- he was head boy. His mother was a teacher at the school.”

The student added: “It’s definitely going to be a different sense in the air at school. The atmosphere is going to change. I remember him on the stage when he was getting installed as head boy and everyone was cheering for him. He will definitely be missed.”

A parent spoke to The Tribune yesterday, saying: “It’s definitely a tragedy.

It was really unexpected. I hope that the school will give parents more answers about what happened. I just really feel for his class, it’s a horrible thing to happen in their senior year. I really feel for his mother and his siblings and my heart goes out to them. As a parent, I just can’t imagine what they must be feeling. I hope they will provide the students with the support they need to overcome this tragedy.”

WSC worker killed as water tank collapses

from page one

He was overseeing the inspection of the new reverse osmosis plant and the three water tanks that store 20,000 gallons of water on the cay.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Bernard Bonamy, Jr, and a team of investigators travelled to Sweeting’s Cay after the incident.

ACP Bonamy told reporters that Scriven, Jr, was making a call when the middle tank suddenly collapsed and landed on him. The man reportedly went under a concrete structure bolstering the tank to shield from the rain.

Police, assisted by some residents, removed his body under the tank. A medical doctor pronounced him dead.

ACP Bonamy said the police will work closely with the Ministry of Works to determine what caused the structure to collapse.

The police will take the body to Grand Bahama for official identification and an autopsy on Monday.

Darius Curry, a two-year WSC employee, accompanied Scriven to Sweeting’s Cay. He described his boss as diligent.

“He was a great loss to us,” said the 24-year-old. “He was young, smart, and always believed in getting the work done first: work before play. He used to organise these projects and encouraged us younger workers to go to the Family Islands for more experience and exposure in different systems because we do not have a reverse osmosis system in Abaco.”

According to Curry, Scriven was also a family

“The

TODDLERS AMONG 14 HUR T IN GB BOATING ACCIDEN T

from page one

all Bahamians, were helped by another vessel and returned to Grand Bahama.

The injured include seven women, four men, two girl toddlers and a male toddler. They were taken to the Rand Memorial Hospital and were treated for minor injuries.

Police are questioning the boat captain, a 53-year-old man of Grand Cay, Abaco.

The incident comes three weeks after a boat capsized off Rose Island with 28 people on board. After taking in excessive water, three people in that incident were taken to the hospital for medical attention.

man with a wife and four children. His death shocked Abaco.

community on Abaco is devastated following the loss of a well-known young man who was in charge of the WSC,” said Pastor Silbert Mills, a

prominent leader on the island. Scriven was not an Abaco native, but relocated there with his wife, who is from Murphy Town. Sweeting’s Cay has experienced severe water shortage issues in the past. WSC Assistant

General Manager for the Family Islands Division Gregory Stubbs said in 2021 that Samaritan’s Purse and CORE, two non-governmental organisations, donated a new reverse osmosis system and four water storage tanks to address the issue.

ANTHONY SCRIVEN

THE SCENE of the fatal accident on Saturday morning after a water tank fell and killed a worker.

A PHOTO from Facebook of Dario Rahming and his father.

Hands for Hunger’s fundraiserParadise Plates - returns with a bang

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

PARADISE Plates,

Hands for Hunger’s signature fundraising event, returned with a bang on Saturday night, attracting more than 1,500 guests who ate food and danced for a worthy cause.

The event at Atlantis’ Ballroom was the first since the onset of the COVID19 pandemic and featured food and drinks from over 50 of the country’s top chefs and beverage purveyors.

Ever since its inception in 2009, the event has been highly anticipated by many.

Hands for Hunger executive director Keisha Ellis said Saturday’s event was sold out three days in advance.

“We are so excited to see that we have the support of the community,” she said.

Noting the organisation does not receive government funding, she said all proceeds go directly to Hands for Hunger programmes, including H4H Pantry, H4H School Pantries and the H4H Empowerment Programme.

Attendees had chances to win big prizes. A silent auction was held for an exclusive 2023 Electric BMW. A golf cart, airfare and hotel packages, jewellery, spa packages, and excursions were also up for grabs.

“I am so excited. I have been a fan of Paradise Plates for quite some time,” said Senator Michela Barnett-Ellis. “It’s always a well-organised, lovely event. The restaurants represented just show

off and show out in terms of the food.

“This is actually my birthday weekend, so it’s become a tradition that I attend Paradise Plates as part of the birthday celebrations.”

As the night progressed,

those attending took to the dance floor. DJ Ignite supplied the music: golden oldies, reggae and other fan favourites.

The night ended with a Junkanoo rush out.

Erin Reign said she was impressed with the

execution of the event.

“Honestly, to be here tonight, it’s much more than what I expected, like I saw the social media pages and past events, but this is breathtaking,” she said, insisting she will return.

“There is lots of food, lots of drinks,” she added.

The organisation relies on the success of its signature fundraiser to fulfil its mission: ensuring no one goes hungry.

“Well, Hands for Hunger does great work

within the community, and we are delighted to be a part of it, and we are happy to be here where we can support a great cause and reach out to so many people,” said Ash Henderson, vice president of Young’s Fine Wine.

CABINET APPROVES $30M C APITALISATION FOR BAHAMAS DEVELOPMENT BANK

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter Jrussell@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Development Bank (BDB) Chairman Senator Quinton Lightbourne on Friday said the Cabinet has approved $30m capitalisation for BDB.

Mr Lightbourne, during an Office of the Prime Minister press briefing, said the $30m capital is from the African Export Import Bank, known as Afreximbank. He called the capitalisation an “historic transformation”, noting that the last capitalization approval BDB had was in 2005.

“For nearly two decades this institution has endured a capital drought that has hindered its ability to fulfill its mandate in supporting development of our Bahamian economy. Today, I’m proud to say that this is a point of change. The

Cabinet Office of The Bahamas has approved a $30m capitalisation from the Afreximbank. The approval of this funding reflects an historic transformation of The Bahamas Development Bank,” Mr Lightbourne said. The benefit of this capital revitalisation will assist BDB in contributing to Family Island development, food security, investment in smart agriculture solutions, increasing exports, and more.

“We aim to diversify and expand our tourism product to unforgettable experiences for our visitors. I would like to say in addition to this, we are committed to preserving our cultural assets, ensuring that they remain the cornerstone of our tourism industry. Energy efficiency and renewable energy will be the focus for us going forward,” he added.

Mr Lightbourne said

the capitalisation will be a step towards bringing economic prosperity and growth for Bahamians.

“The facility is open to all Bahamians operating businesses or projects in the sectors in which the bank operates,” he noted.

Asked when the funds from the capitalization will be officially given, Mr Lightbourne said: “By the end of November, funds will be in hand and we’ll be able to be in a position to disperse funding for local businesses.”

There are some businesses already in the pipeline that will potentially receive funding.

In June, Bahamas Development Bank chairman Senator Quinton Lightbourne revealed that the Bahamas Development Bank (BDB) was securing a $30m loan from the African ExportImport Bank, known as Afreximbank, for business development.

PARADISE PLATES, Hands for Hunger’s signature fundraising event, returned with a bang on Saturday night, attracting more than 1,500 guests who ate food and danced for a worthy cause.

Photo: Racardo Thomas

BAHAMAS DEVELOPMENT BANK (BDB) CHAIRMAN SENATOR QUINTON LIGHTBOURNE

Church protests Pride event at UB

In response, UB chair Allyson Maynard Gibson said: “University of The Bahamas was established by University of The Bahamas Act 2016, which establishes a Board of Trustees “ … which shall … be free from undue influence from political, religious, or other external bodies and shall protect the institution from such influence.”

“The School of Social Sciences will host a forum entitled ‘Black Bahamian Subject Formation: From Non-Subject to Subject Part II’. It is hoped that students and citizens will continue to engage with UB, the national tertiary institution, as it carries out its fiat, among other things, to encourage our students (and all Bahamians) to “… exercise critical thinking”.

“Forums such as this are the places where, as a part of UB’s national development mandate, our national spirit will be enriched and developed, as people with differing views engage in civil discourse and our students and citizens develop a better understanding of different viewpoints.”

Bishop Fernander said he accepts that universities foster debates, but does not expect UB “to be used as a propaganda tool for special interests”.

“The interests of the country, the interests of the people, the interests of the people of God who stand up for righteousness, should be what is used for taxpayer dollars to push forward in our country,” he said. “We are the people sending our children to these classrooms.”

“This week, I believe, engenders a sense of anxiety in our country because we’re concerned that we are playing not only on the younger minds, but now we’re playing on the young leaders of tomorrow that we want to be prepared to lead our country in a better way.”

Bishop Fernander suggested Christian Council members will attend the event if it is not cancelled.

For his part, Union of Tertiary Educators of The Bahamas (UTEB) President Daniel Thompson told reporters he was taken aback by the outrage.

He said as an academic institution, UB cannot discriminate against anyone.

“This is not the Baptist Community College, neither is it the Anglican seminary,” he said. “This is the University of The Bahamas, and so we do not judge people based on their religion. We do not judge them based on their sexuality. We

do not judge them based on their gender or ageism.

“Again, people are free to express themselves outside the gates. They’re free to express their opinion, and I welcome the expression, but my members who are involved in an academic

discourse on sexuality have a right to speak freely, and their academic freedom must be protected.”

“When I speak as an academician, I speak based on my academic freedom. When I’m outside the gate on Sabbath when I attend

my church, I speak in my religious capacity, but when students enter these walls, when scholars enter these walls, when Bahamians enter these gates, they enter with the freedom of expression as an academic institution.”

WAITING ON DPP TO SEE IF OFFICERS INVOLVED IN E VANS DEATH W ILL FACE CRIMINAL CHARGES

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

THE lawyer representing the family of a man police killed in what Coroner’s Court jurors determined was a homicide by manslaughter is concerned that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has not indicated whether the officers will be charged with a crime.

Romona FarquharsonSeymour represents the family of Deangelo Evans, who was killed in Masons Addition in 2018.

Evans’ family burst into tears after the jury delivered its verdict on August 31.

Now, however, they are waiting for the next step. Either the DPP will charge the officers with a crime, or the matter will end with the Coroner’s Court ruling.

Evans’ family plans to host a vigil for him tonight and have invited the press.

“I can’t say I’m surprised because, unfortunately, this seems to be the trend now,” Mrs Farquharson Seymour said about waiting on the DPP. “Albeit a jury would find that the interested parties are culpable with the unlawful killing, they still take an inordinate delay in making a decision. In fact, in some circumstances, we

National Youth Month announced for October

are still awaiting a decision years later. That’s just apparently the norm, sadly.”

Acting DPP Cordell Frazier did not respond to a message from The Tribune on the matter yesterday.

Mrs Farquharson Seymour said prosecutors could review the transcript and evidence with the person who marshalled the case and decide what to do.

“I don’t see why that

should take so long,” she said. “Families perhaps may need to pursue private prosecutions,” she added. “That is costly, yes, but it very well may be necessary. That, I think, would certainly force the hand of the Attorney General’s Office because if persons present private prosecutions, then of course the attorney general, and in this case the Director of Public Prosecutions, can

at any time stop that prosecution. But if, in fact, they do, then one would say that they certainly would have to give a reason for doing so.

“You assume if you stop it, one should take it over, not just stop it and not do anything about it. So again, the families really need to make that step if they are really serious about wanting to bring these officers to justice.”

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunmedia.net

THE kickstart of National Youth Month was announced by Youth, Sports, and Culture Minister Mario Bowleg on Friday.

The theme of this year’s Youth Month is “Youth Standard of Excellence.”

Several events will be held throughout the country to celebrate young leaders and organisations that are shaping the country’s future generations.

“Over the course of the next 31 days, we will shine a spotlight on the standard of excellence that the youth of our nation have displayed,” Mr Bowleg said during an Office of the Prime Minister press briefing. “Whether it’s excellence in sports, excellence in education, excellence in entrepreneurship, and the many other disciplines that we seek to recognise. As we celebrate this National Youth Month here in The Bahamas, I wish to advise the Commonwealth member countries that

2023 is also the Year of Youth.”

“The government of The Bahamas, therefore, remains committed to ensuring that there’s a standard of excellence as we empower young people and that there’s a standard of excellence as we engage young people,” he said.

For her part, Sandena Neely, head of the Division of Youth named several events that will be held this Youth Month. The events include: a speech competition, Chickcharney Chirren challenge, youth marches, substance prevention seminars, and more.

Ms Neely said added events will be held in New Providence, Grand Bahama, and throughout the Family Islands.

“We will be releasing a calendar that will have all of the other islands’ activities. We have just an explosion of activities that are happening on Inagua, Crooked Island, Long Cay, Rum Cay, Cat Island, all of the upper islands, no one is being left out this year,” Ms Neely said.

Chester Robards, chief obstacle officer of Chickcharney Chirren, expressed excitement to be partnering with the ministry. He said this event will assist in bringing obstacle racing to the forefront in The Bahamas.

“The obstacle course world is growing. It is now included in the 2028 Olympics as part of the modern-day pentathlon. And we have been working since 2015 to get obstacle course racing going in The Bahamas,” Mr Robards said.

“So, we’re going to have an exciting course for them,” he added.

Mr Bowleg noted that partnering with organisations is crucial in the mission to develop young people into the best versions of themselves.

Officials said the beginning of Youth Month will start with a church service at the Seventh- Day Adventist church on Saturday.

For more information on Youth Month visit the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Culture’s Facebook page.

BAHAMAS Christian Council president Bishop Delton Fernander and several dozen senior pastors held a press conference at UB yesterday, objecting to a LGBTQ+ forum to be held at the university.

YOUTH, SPORTS, AND CULTURE MINISTER MARIO BOWLEG

The Tribune Limited

Women’s voices loom large in church’s future

A FEW years ago, Pope Francis told the head of the main Vatican-backed Catholic women’s organisation to be “brave” in pushing for change for women in the Catholic Church.

Maria Lia Zervino took his advice and in 2021 wrote Francis a letter, then made it public, saying flat out that the Catholic Church owed a big debt to half of humanity and that women deserved to be at the table where church decisions are made, not as mere “ornaments” but as protagonists.

Francis appears to have taken note, and this week will open a global gathering of Catholic bishops and laypeople discussing the future of the church, where women — their voices and their votes — are taking center stage for the first time.

For Zervino, who worked alongside the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio when both held positions in the Argentine bishops’ conference, the gathering is a watershed moment for the church and quite possibly the most consequential thing Francis will have undertaken as pope.

“Not only because of these events in October in Rome, but because the church has found a different way of being church,” Zervino said in a recent interview in her Vatican offices. “And for women, this is an extraordinary step forward.”

Women have long complained they are treated as second-class citizens in the church, barred from the priesthood and highest ranks of power yet responsible for the lion’s share of church work — teaching in Catholic schools, running Catholic hospitals and passing the faith down to next generations.

They have long demanded a greater say in church governance, at the very least with voting rights at the synod but also the right to preach at Mass and be ordained as priests. While they have secured some high-profile positions in the Vatican and local churches around the globe, the male hierarchy still runs the show.

This 3-week synod, which begins Wednesday, is putting them more or less on an equal playing field to debate agenda items including such hot-button issues as women, LGBTQ+ Catholics and priestly celibacy. It’s the culmination of an unprecedented two-year canvasing of rank-and-file Catholics about their hopes for the future of the institution.

The potential that this synod, and a second session next year, could lead to real change on previously taboo topics has given hope to many women and progressive Catholics. At the same time, it has sparked alarm from conservatives, some of whom have warned that the process risks opening a “Pandora’s Box” that will split the church.

American Cardinal Raymond Burke, a frequent Francis critic, recently wrote that the synod and its new vision for the church “have become slogans behind which a revolution is at work to change radically the church’s self-understanding in accord with a contemporary ideology which denies much of what the church has always taught and practiced.”

The Vatican has hosted synods for decades to discuss particular issues such as the church in Africa or the Amazon, with bishops voting on proposals at the end for the pope to consider in a future document.

This edition is historic because its theme is so broad — it’s essentially how to be a more inclusive and missionary church in the 21st century — and because Francis has allowed women and other laypeople to vote alongside bishops for the first time.

Of the 365 voting members, only 54 are women and organisers insist the aim is to reach consensus, not tally votes like a parliament, especially since the October session is only expected to produce a synthesis document.

But the voting reform is nevertheless significant, tangible evidence of Francis’ vision of the Catholic Church

as being more about its flock than its shepherds.

“I think the church has just come to a point of realization that the church belongs to all of us, to all the baptized,” said Sheila Pires, who works for the South African bishops’ conference and is a member of the synod’s communications team.

Women, she said, are leading the charge calling for change.

“I don’t want to use the word revolution,” Pires said in an interview in Johannesburg. But women “want their voices to be heard, not just towards decision-making, but also during decision-making. Women want to be part of that.”

Francis took a first step in responding to those demands in 2021 when he appointed French Sister Nathalie Becquart as undersecretary of the synod’s organizing secretariat, a job which by its office entitled her to a vote but which had previously only been held by a man.

Becquart has in many ways become the face of the synod, traveling the globe during its preparatory phases to try to explain Francis’ idea of a church that welcomes everyone and accompanies them.

“It’s about how could we be men and women together in this society, in this church, with this vision of equality, of dignity, reciprocity, collaboration, partnership,” Becquart said in a June interview.

At previous synods, women were only allowed more marginal roles of observers or experts, literally seated in the last row of the audience hall while the bishops and cardinals took the front rows and voted. This time around, all participants will be seated together at hierarchically neutral round tables to facilitate discussion.

Outside the synod hall, groups advocating for even more women’s representation in the church are hosting a series of events, prayer vigils and marches to have their voices heard.

Discerning Deacons, a group pressing for the pope to approve female deacons, as there were in the early church, sent a small delegation; other groups pressing for women’s ordination to the priesthood are also in Rome, even though the pope has taken women’s ordination off the table.

“I’m hopeful that there is room in that space for these bold conversations, courageous conversations, and particularly that the voices and experiences of women called to the priesthood are brought to the synod,” said Kate McElwee, director of the Women’s Ordination Conference.

Zervino’s group, the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations, a Vatican-based umbrella organization of 100 Catholic associations, conducted a survey earlier this year of Catholics who participated in the synod consultations. While a few women in North America and Europe called for female priests, there was a broader demand for female deacons in those regions.

Francis listens to Zervino, an Argentine consecrated woman. He recently named her as one of three women to sit on the membership board of the Dicastery for Bishops, the first time in history that women have had a say in vetting the successors of Christ’s Apostles.

Zervino says such small steps like her nomination are crucial and offer the correct way of envisioning the changes that are under way for women in the church, especially given all the expectations that have been placed on the synod.

“For those who think that there’s going to be a ‘before the synod and after,’ I bet they’ll be disillusioned,” she says. “But if women are smart enough to realize that we’re headed in the right direction, and that these steps are fundamental for the next ones, then I bet we won’t be disillusioned.”

By NICOLE WINFIELD and TRISHA THOMAS Associated Press

EDITOR, The Tribune.

AS THE “rookie” member of the Opposition in the House of Assembly, I was still appointed Leader of Opposition Business under the first session of Parliament after the 2021 general elections.

The passing of my colleague, who served as Government Business Leader, gave rise to the Parliamentary process on issuing a Writ for a by-election.

A process which publicly started on Friday with announcement that a Notice from the Speaker was sent to the Governor General.

In my opinion, there are two processes to follow under the laws of the Bahamas, but the one that involves the Speaker notifying the Governor General is not the correct one.

My reasons rely on the fact that the Parliament stands prorogued between the period 12th August 2023 until the 4th October 2023.

Under our Parliamentary Elections Act, Section 33 provides that once the Speaker has the fact of a vacancy brought to her attention, the Speaker should then notify the Governor General and request the issuance of a Writ for a by-election, and the Governor General shall as soon as “practicable” issue the Writ

giving no less than 21 days and no more than 30 days for the by-election to occur and the Writ to be returned.

The Clerk on 29th September 2023 informed the media that the Speaker’s Notice had been given to the Governor General.

The provisions of said Section 33 relate to a vacancy arising when the Parliament is in Session, or when on a recess. Well, prorogation ended the Session so Parliament is not in Session, and as Parliament is not in Session it cannot be in recess which is an agreed upon break in a Session such as a Summer break or a Christmas break.

It is my further opinion that with the provisions of the Parliamentary Elections Act not being met, the provisions of Article 67.(3) of our Constitution apply.

By said Section 67.(3) no notice from the Speaker is required, and at the moment a member vacates his seat as a Member of the House of Assembly a 60 day time frame to hold the by-election starts and it is the duty of the Governor General to issue the Writ for a new member to fill the vacancy. Issuance of the Writ doesn’t depend on

practicability. It shall be issued and the election shall be within 60 days of vacancy.

A final question on the current undertaken process that can be asked is whether there is even a Speaker after the start of prorogation until one is elected on 4th October 2023.

The Rules of Procedure for the Honourable House of Assembly of The Bahamas made under Section 55 (1) of the Constitution create doubt as to whether we currently have a Speaker.

The Rules state at Rule 3. (1): On the day of commencement of Parliament after a general election, or of a Session of Parliament after a prorogation pursuant to a Proclamation summoning Parliament, Members having met at the time and place appointed, the Clerk shall:

(a). read the Proclamation;

(b). read the Role of Members elect;

(c). call on Members to elect a Speaker. The Proclamation was given on 12th August 2023 for Members to meet at Parliament at 10am on 4th October 2023. I wonder what the public thinks.

ADRIAN R. WHITE MP, St. Anne’s Constituency, October 1, 2023.

Writ rules not being followed Who gets money from reparations?

Editor, The Tribune.

OUR Prime Minister has been lauded, both at home and abroad, for his outspokenness on small island states and the need for reparations from the Industrialised countries of the World.

I think that we would all love to know, however, exactly what we are going to do with such reparations, should any be disbursed to us. I certainly have never heard, nor seen, any defensive plan to mitigate tidal surge in hurricanes, nor

even higher sea levels at any time. Do we have a plan? Or would any money received simply be paid into the Consolidated Fund, along with our Taxes and Vat and secret fines levied for spilling oil in our oceans and bays? If we don’t have any mitigation plans, as I suspect that we don’t, how in the world do we think that any State is going to be able to assess our needs and dish out money to help us achieve them. Or maybe we think that people will just give us money to shut us up.

And then out of the other side of our mouth we are making plans to “sell” our Carbon Credits to polluting countries so that they can continue polluting and endangering our very existence as a people.

Hopefully when we hear the King’s speech on the 4th October there will be some mention made of how we are going to tackle both of these related issues.

MONKEEDOO

Nassau, October 1, 2023.

UNITED States’ Skye Blakely competes on the beam during Women’s Qualifications at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium yesterday.

Photo: Virginia Mayo/AP

Bahamas Striping and MOW partner with local contractors for Eleuthera clean-up effort

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

THE Ministry of Works and the Bahamas Striping Group of Companies have partnered with 20 Eleuthera contractors to begin an island-wide cleanup campaign.

The campaign, expected to launch today, will continue until December 8. It will focus on removing bulk waste from all settlements in Eleuthera.

Sais Cooper, 33, owner of Sais Cooper Odd Jobs, said the opportunity is a stepping stone for his business. He hopes other people in

his age group are awarded contracts shortly.

“I was hoping to see more young people of my age category, but I am still grateful for them giving me the opportunity to be part of this great initiative,” he said. “Hopefully, for the next initiative, we will have some more local young persons contracted to do work on this beautiful island of Eleuthera.”

Dominic Stirrup, executive chairman of Bahamas Stripping, said cleaning the island is important, but the end goal is providing opportunities for the “small man”.

“We are going to work

Chinese Ambassador donates computer and bag to Speaker of the House of Assembly

with the local companies to ensure that they get a piece of the pie, not get some of the crumbs or the job on the floor,” he said.

Minister of Works and South and Central Eleuthera MP Clay Sweeting applauded the efforts of Bahamas Stripping.

“This cleaning contract cleaning campaign, which will last into just before Christmas, helps to show the importance of including local entrepreneurs so that they are able to not only keep money on the ground but help to show their community just how they want to invest,” he said.

Attorney who stole $1.7m from clients granted weekend with his family before start of prison sentence

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A FORMER attorney was allowed one last weekend with his family before being taken into custody on Monday to serve an 18-month prison term after he accepted a plea deal for stealing 1.7 million from his clients.

The same attorney faces a potential four-year extension to his prison term if he fails to repay his debts by the end of his initial prison sentence.

Ralph Jan Ward pleaded guilty to eight counts of stealing by reason of service and eight counts of fraudulent breach of trust before Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson.

Ward is accused of misappropriating over $1.7 million from eight clients, which were given to him to complete property sales between 2006 and 2007.

Ward was disbarred in 2009.

While Ward initially pleaded guilty to charges in 2011, he later withdrew those pleas and initiated a

series of legal challenges to stop the trial.

Ward failed to cancel the trial with arguments over the validity of the indictments and a constitutional motion based on him not being tried in a reasonable time.

The Privy Council also refused Ward’s leave to appeal in December of 2021.

After accepting a plea deal last August, Ward was expected to pay $1,826,908.75 worth in restitution, inclusive of a 2.5% interest, to his clients within nine months.

However, Justice Grant Thompson stated that Ward had made no payments since the deadline passed or after an extension was given.

The former attorney claimed that he had issues making payments through the bank.

Ward’s attorney, Damien Gomez, KC, objected to a move to have a fouryear prison term attached immediately as a penalty for failing to reimburse the victims. He asked that his client only serve the

18 months to which he had agreed as part of his plea agreement.

When the possibility of Ward being taken into custody that day arose, he begged the court to allow him to settle his family affairs over the weekend, mentioning his 8-year-old daughter and elderly mother.

The former attorney also noted that he had obeyed all his sign-in conditions and met all his court dates while on bail for $100,000. He also offered to provide legal aid to prisoners and help with administrative work while at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDCS).

Ward acceded to the court’s condition that he only be granted weekend bail after being fitted with a monitoring device at Central Station, despite earlier protests.

Additionally the court also noted that he is to be housed in minimum security once he begins his prison term at BDCS on Monday as he requested. Eucal Bonaby and Janet Munnings prosecuted.

T WO MEN AND A TEEN ARRESTED FOR POSSESSION OF 10 GUNS AND 700 ROUNDS OF A MMUNITION

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

TWO MEN and a teenage boy were arrested after police seized ten firearms and more than 700 rounds of ammunition at an apartment complex in Sunset Park last Thursday.

Two adult men, ages 35 and 33, were apprehended along with a 13-year-old boy after police raided the

Bradley Street apartment complex.

“On behalf of our Commissioner, I want to thank the Bahamian people who every day make their best contribution by contacting their law enforcement agency to provide us with the necessary information that results in these types of arrests and weapons being taken off our streets,” Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings

said on Friday during a press briefing.

“As citizens of this great country, we all have a responsibility to ensure that crime and criminality does not exist in our country. And so we thank members of the public, and to those persons who haven’t made their contributions, we look forward to you making your contributions so that we can create a safer Bahamas for all of us.”

MAN CHARGED IN SHOOTING DEATH OF 16-YEAROLD JUNIOR ROSTAND PLEADS NOT GUILTY

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN in court on Friday denied the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old boy in Montell Heights earlier this year.

Justice Cheryl GrantThompson charged Larry Albury, 29, with murder

and attempted murder. Albury, along with accomplices, is accused of shooting 16-yearold Junior Rostand and Joshua Adderley as they stood outside an apartment at Akel Close in Montell Heights at 9pm on March 18.

While Adderley was successfully treated for his

injuries in hospital, Rostand died of his injuries. After pleading not guilty to the charges, Albury was informed that his matter would be transferred to Acting Justice Joyann Ferguson-Pratt for trial date fixture on October 3. His bail is to be continued.

PE TEACHER ACCUSED OF INDECENT ASSAULT OF 16-YEAR-OLD ELEUTHERA GIRL

MALE

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A PHYSICAL Education teacher was accused yesterday of inappropriately touching a teenage Eleuthera girl earlier this month.

Senior Magistrate

Carolyn Vogt-Evans charged Eugene Bain, 34, with indecent assault. He was represented by Miranda Adderley. Bain is accused of inappropriate behaviour with a 16-year-old girl in Harbour Island, Eleuthera, on September 13.

Bain was informed that his matter would be transferred to the Supreme Court by way of a Voluntary Bill of Indictment (VBI). He is to be remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until the higher court grants him bail.

Bain’s VBI is set for service on January 31.

AMBASSADOR of the People’s Republic of China, Dai Qingli made a presentation of a computer and bag to the Speaker of the House of Assembly Patricia Deveaux, at the House of Assembly on Wednesday.

Photos: Ulric Woodside/BIS

A time to pay respects, but also a time to move forward

BY MALCOLM STRACHAN

THE

mation and Broadcasting, Obie Wilchcombe, caught the nation by surprise in the past week. No, surprise doesn’t do it justice

– shock is the right word. Sometimes when someone passes unexpectedly, there are mixed reactions – but with Mr Wilchcombe’s passing you could see the genuine and heartfelt grief among his family, friends and colleagues.

From here, there are two separate strands to what comes next. There is the funeral, in which those who knew and loved Mr Wilchcombe can pay their respects – and there is the inevitable by-election, in which his constituents can

choose who will represent them going forward.

These are two entirely separate events – linked only by the unfortunate circumstances in which both have come about.

It is sad indeed that Mr Wilchcombe has passed so young, and it is only right to take a moment to respect his contributions.

It is then time to proceed with the processes that will see a new MP elected, and for the needed reshuffle to accommodate his unwanted absence.

There has been some talk about how there should not be any politics at this time.

PLP chairman Fred Mitchell talked of how the party is not accepting any requests or expressions of interest for candidacy before the funeral or any formal processes in parliamentary law had begun.

FNM leader Michael Pintard talked about how his party was not engaging in any public discussions about the prospective by-election – although at the same time there were clearly in-party discussions going on as to whether the party should run at all. Council members discussed it and said yes, they would.

This comes against the apparent urging of former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, who had seemingly suggested that the FNM should sit this one out, and focus on the next election instead.

Let’s be clear, all of this to some extent or another is actually politics anyway. Doing the right thing, the respectful thing – or being seen to be doing the respectful thing – is as much politics as anything else.

Look how the Coalition of Independents managed to blunder politically from the off – with the deputy leader dropping a message

in a social media group celebrating Mr Wilchcombe’s death then claiming afterwards it was a message she had forwarded, that she had not even read it but whoever wrote it had the right to say it anyway. The group’s leader came out and apologised afterwards, but the initial incident was both appalling and showed the lack of readiness this group has for any office. Imagine the deputy leader winning any sort of power and saying she doesn’t read the things she shares. If she can’t take responsibility for the messages she shares, what kind of responsibility would she take in office?

So when others are saying let us be respectful, that is also the right thing to do politically.

Mr Ingraham’s suggestion is interesting too. Whatever your opinion of Mr Ingraham might be, he knows the political scene –and perhaps he is looking at the FNM’s situation and thinking they might be on a hiding to nothing if they run.

After all, given how well-liked Mr Wilchcombe was, both on a wide basis and in his constituency, what kind of campaign would opponents run?

How can you be both respectful and attack the record of the administration Mr Wilchcombe was a part of, and any local impact he had in his constituency?

As for the constituents themselves, they might look at the situation and think that if they vote in the FNM candidate, whoever that might be, they might not get much in the way of influence for their constituency. They might be voting in a lame duck until the next administration comes along anyway.

In a purely selfish sense, they might consider that voting in a PLP candidate

would at least ensure some continuity with government assistance already flowing.

We can be grown-ups about this and consider what the political options are even as we lament Mr Wilchcombe’s departure.

After all, how many of us really think that the political parties would not sit down and discuss what happens in this situation?

It is simply part and parcel of our political process. We never know the hour when our own time will come, but whatever our role is, it is up to others to pick up the baton – I should say torch, but people will read too much into that and think I mean the FNM - and carry on.

The people of West End and Bimini deserve the best representation going forward – and the parties that wish to serve our nation should give them those options. That includes the PLP themselves, the FNM – even the COI despite their gaffe at the outset.

You don’t have to be crass about it. There is a time to be quiet and respectful publicly. But the race will begin, and then it is up to each party to forthrightly put forward the platform they wish to be elected on.

That fight does not have to be personal – but we know from many races in years gone by that it often ends up that way.

I spoke to a woman in the past week who quietly talked of how Mr Wilchcombe had helped her in his capacity at Social Services, and that it really touched her heart when she heard the news of his death. Whoever the next MP for the constituency might be, we hope they are ready to follow in some large footsteps.

Guyana-Venezuela: the path to peaceful resolution

RECENT intimidatory and aggressive statements

issued from Venezuela in the name of President Nicolas Maduro, the Government of Venezuela and the National Assembly concerning Guyana, have raised alarms in the regional, hemispheric and international community. The Commonwealth, the Organization of American States, and CARICOM have objected to Venezuela’s behaviour toward Guyana, particularly as the Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro alleges, without any substantiation, that the Guyana Government is allowing the United States of America (US) to construct a military base on its territory “against Bolivar’s Venezuela”.

In a UN statement, the Guyana Government rejected Venezuela’s allegation, stating that “this all derives from Venezuela’s grotesque claim to two-thirds of Guyana”.

Historical Context

The background to these events is that in 1899, Venezuela agreed to an international arbitration that established the boundaries between Guyana and Venezuela as a ‘full, final, and perfect’ settlement. However, in 1962, just as Guyana was on the brink of gaining independence, Venezuela reversed its longstanding acceptance of the 1899 settlement. Without providing any evidence, the government claimed that the settlement was nothing more than a covert

World View

By SIR RONALD SANDERS

political agreement that infringed on its rights.

Based on this unfounded allegation, Venezuela has staked a claim to two-thirds of Guyana, specifically the Essequibo region. This claim, together with intermittent acts of belligerence by Venezuela, including its naval forces, have cast a shadow over Guyana’s economic development for all 57 years of its independence, deterring investors and causing instability in the country.

In February 1966, three months before Guyana’s independence from Britain, representatives from Venezuela, Britain, and Guyana convened in Geneva. There, they signed an agreement endorsed by the governments and parliaments of all three nations, aiming to resolve ‘the controversy’. This agreement outlined several steps towards resolution, including a provision for the UN Secretary-General to select a means of resolution as specified in Article 33 of the UN Charter. This process is articulated in Article IV of the 1966 Geneva Agreement which Venezuela fully endorsed.

Therefore, after the failure of initial resolution steps, UN Secretary-General António Guterres decided on 30 January 2018 that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) would be the avenue for resolution.

The path of peaceful resolution

Accordingly, in March 2018, Guyana applied to the ICJ for judicial adjudication.

In response, Venezuela refused to recognize the ICJ’s jurisdiction, abide by its decisions, or participate in its proceedings. This response was a direct infringement of Article 93 of the UN Charter, which clearly states: “All Members of the United Nations are ipso facto parties to the Statute of the International Court of Justice”.

However, the ICJ adjudged that it had jurisdiction to hear the case. Venezuela appeared twice before the Court to object. On both occasions, the Court rejected the Venezuelan objections. Therefore, the case has continued much to the disquiet of Venezuela which has clearly always been fearful of the Court’s decision.

The hostile path

In 2020, Guyana started producing and selling oil and gas offshore, boosting its economy. The IMF declared Guyana to be the fastest growing economy in the world with GDP growth of 62.3% in 2022 and 59% in the first half of 2023.

In the wake of these spectacular riches, an immediate response was sparked from the Venezuela government when, on 13 September 2023, the Guyana President, Irfaan Ali, updated the public on bids for 14 new offshore oil blocks, which had been opened for exploration and development. Ali said that immediate bids on 8 of them had been received from oil giants such as ExxonMobil, Hess Corporation, China National Offshore Oil Corporation and Total.

On 19 September 2023, the Venezuela government described the bidding process as “illegal” and issued a “warning” to all the participating companies that it would “apply all necessary measures to prevent the illegitimate exploitation of the natural resources that belong to our nation”.

This was followed by the unsubstantiated allegation on 23 September 2023 at the UN General Assembly that the US is seeking “to establish a military base in the contested territory, with the aim of creating a spearhead in its aggression against Venezuela and consolidating the plunder

of our energy resources”.

In an open message, posted on his X page, Maduro proposed that Guyana should abandon the process at the ICJ for “a meeting promoted by CARICOM to retake the Geneva Agreement of 1966”. It is a misleading proposition because it is clear, from even a cursory reading of the Geneva Agreement, that Guyana has followed its terms to the letter.

President Maduro had previously sought, unsuccessfully, to divert CARICOM from supporting the ICJ process. He has not succeeded in this further attempt. Although many CARICOM governments are friendly with the Maduro Government and have urged the US to drop sanctions against it, on 22 September 2023, CARICOM publicly supported Guyana’s sovereignty and right to develop its resources.

Promoting Nationalist Venezuela sentiment

On 21 September 2023, Venezuela’s National Assembly, decided to arouse nationalist sentiment at the urging of the government. It decided to hold a referendum on the claim to Essequibo “so that the people strengthen the defence” and “the inalienable rights of Venezuela”. It is a referendum hardly worth holding since, in furtherance of their unsubstantiated claim, for 61 years successive Venezuelan

governments have indoctrinated their people from primary school in the belief that Essequibo belongs to Venezuela.

When the Venezuelan political parties met in Mexico in August 2021 in one of the failed attempts to find a way out of the many political, economic and humanitarian challenges that the country faces, the only thing on which they could agree was the claim for the Essequibo. -

In the wake of all this, the international community has made its position clear: it favours ICJ adjudication as the appropriate and peaceful means to settle the controversy, adhering to the Charter of the UN and international law.

This resolution path not only serves justice but also underpins the stability and development prospects of both Guyana and Venezuela, fostering an environment where mutual respect and cooperation can flourish.

(The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organization of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are entirely his own. Responses and previous commentaries: www.sirronaldsanders.com)

ST. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, September 29: Sir Ronald Sanders, Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to the Organization of American States (OAS), is set to create history by assuming the presidency of the OAS Permanent Council for an unprecedented third term. This remarkable achievement marks another significant ‘first’ for Antigua and Barbuda since the OAS expanded its membership 61 years ago.

Sir Ronald’s third official term commences on October 1st. He has already demonstrated his leadership and commitment by serving as President on various critical occasions, including acting as President over five sessions in the past two weeks alone.

His previous official tenures as President in 2016

and 2021 saw him steering the Council’s response to political crises in nations like Haiti, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. As a pivotal figure within the Organization, Sir Ronald has been instrumental in drafting, negotiating, and endorsing resolutions, declarations, and statements that resonate with countries across the hemisphere.

Ambassador Sanders has consistently voiced significant issues pertaining to the Caribbean, taking a strong stance on matters like Climate Change, racism, discrimination, reparations for slavery, women’s rights, and the urgent call for social justice and equity.

In recognition of this historic accomplishment, Antigua and Barbuda’s Foreign Minister, E. Paul Chet Greene, expressed the Government’s profound

pleasure. “Ambassador Sanders’ record-setting leadership at the OAS amidst a plethora of challenges facing the nations of our Hemisphere unequivocally demonstrates that a country’s size is no barrier to its ability to lead effectively, provided it is armed with knowledge and experience,” stated Minister Greene.

Looking ahead, Ambassador Sanders disclosed that his third presidency’s agenda would prominently feature such critical issues as climate change; guns, gangs and violence; and access to concessional financing for development. He aims to improve the inter-American system and anticipates addressing the ongoing situations in Haiti, Nicaragua, and Guatemala. columnist in The Tribune.

ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA AMBASSADOR ASSUMES HISTORIC THIRD TERM PRESIDENCY OF THE OAS PERMANENT COUNCIL

A MAN dressed as the US character Uncle Sam holds an Exxon oil company sign during a progovernment march coined “Take back the Esequibo,” the name of a territory under dispute between Venezuela and Guyana, in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, last week.

Photo: Ariana Cubillos/AP

The ‘Barbie’ and ‘Star Wars’ universes can help people understand why revolutions happen

By MICHAEL A ALLEN Boise State University

BARBIE dolls and Star Wars movies and toys have entertained generations of American children – in many cases, well into adulthood. But these brands’ influence stretches beyond a penchant for hot pink and lightsaber battles.

In particular, both the Barbie movie, released in July 2023, and a Star Wars franchise television series called Andor offer important lessons about revolutions.

Hollywood has long been obsessed with revolutions. There are uprisings in other popular movie franchises like The Hunger Games, Harry Potter and Avatar.

In each fictional universe, an oppressed group stages a revolution that fights for political and economic freedom.

As experts in violence and democratisation, we have written about how popular culture allows people to better understand real-life political movements and crises.

We also use films and shows in our classes to help students learn about why revolutions happen.

Both Barbie and Andor are useful for those who want to understand why revolutions happen and what it takes for them to happen.

Their fundamental point: Before the start of any revolution, the oppressed have to first recognise their oppression.

Repression leads to radicalisation

Barbie begins in the fictional, very pink and California-perfect Barbieland. Almost everyone is either a version of a Barbie doll or a Ken doll. And the women – all called Barbie – are in charge of Barbieland. Yet the men – all collectively called Ken – are blissfully unaware that they experience political, economic and social repression.

These men are not part of the Barbieland government. They do not work. The primary Ken, played by actor Ryan Gosling, describes his job as beach. It was unclear where the Kens even live, since only the women live in the plastic, perfect homes.

It is only when the main Ken leaves the universe of Barbieland and accidentally enters the real world that he realises men are oppressed back home.

Ken sees that men have

power in corporate offices and other places in the real world. He returns to Barbieland with a desire to improve life for other Kens. The Kens then claim all of the Barbies’ houses as their own, and grab all of the important jobs in Barbieland. Then they try to change the constitution – but the Barbies ultimately stop them.

The lead character Cassian Andor from the Star Wars universe, meanwhile, had a similar experience. Andor lives under the autocratic Galatic Empire. Unlike the Kens, Andor is somewhat aware that the Empire is oppressive. At a young age, Andor witnesses the Empire’s army, called the Imperials, kill his friend. When he fights back, he is sent to a “youth centre”, akin to a juvenile prison, for three years.

But instead of becoming a rebel when he is older, Andor quietly takes advantage of the system and makes money stealing from the Empire. It is not until he experiences severe repression in prison that he tries to actually overthrow the Empire.

Bottom-up revolutions are challenging

These fictional universes also show how difficult it is for revolutionary leaders to recruit and organize others to help fight for their cause. Sometimes, the cost to fight might be too high, as the government in power could imprison or execute anyone who tries to change the system. This discourages participation in the revolution.

If the cost is lower, it might be easier to recruit revolutionaries.

In Barbie, when the Kens try to change the constitution to give men all of the power, the Barbies do not fight back with violence. Instead, they trick the Kens into being jealous of one another so they become divided and cannot work together to change the constitution. This lack of violent response by the Barbies lowers the potential risk of revolution for the Kens. As such, it is easier for the main Ken to recruit other Kens to change the system.

This is not the case in Andor. The cost of seeking change is death, and few people join in the revolution. It is not until Andor goes to prison that he decides that the cost of doing nothing is higher

than the cost of joining the revolution. When he is in prison, he realizes that no matter what he does, the Empire is going to kill him by working him to death. He then decides to revolt with other prisoners.

In real life, recruiting others to join a revolution can becomes easier over time if more and more people participate. The more people there are, the harder it becomes for the government to punish all the people who are rebelling. This, in turn, makes it safer to join the cause, implying that more people may join in.

The prison uprising in Andor illustrates this point.

Andor convinces other prisoners to rebel by truthfully telling them that 5,000 other people will fight with them. He explains that the number of prisoners would significantly outnumber the prison guards. All of the other prisoners then decide to fight back and escape, as their chance of successfully escaping is higher and their chance of being punished is lower.

Maintaining peace in real life

Both Barbie and Andor also teach us what it takes to maintain peace after a revolution: It is essential to include the opposition in government.

After the Ken revolt, the Barbies bring the Kens more into the government of Barbieland. The narrator hints that the Kens will eventually gain as much power and influence as “women have in the real world”.

After the Andor rebellion, a government called the New Republic forms after the uprising and recognizes that in order to maintain peace, it must give political amnesty to former members of the failed Galactic Empire. Most civil wars end with one side winning, and few end in a negotiated peace deal.

However, even with one side winning the war, research shows that the winning side still needs to include the losing side to prevent further violence.

After a revolution or civil war, government policies that aim at creating equality and equity, share power with marginalised groups and give amnesty to the opposition can go a long way toward preventing future violence.

However, it is still challenging to maintain peace after a revolution takes place. The civil uprisings

in Afghanistan from 1992 through 1996, the Central African Republic from 2012 through the present, and Syria from 2011 until today all demonstrate that it is hard to maintain peace after a civil conflict. All three of these places have had violent uprisings to challenge the government in control. Violence and political instability are also common in these three countries, which are all internally divided and controlled by different governments and militia groups.

One of the best predictors of civil wars is

whether a country has had a civil war within the last five years. The risk for a civil war decreases over time the further a country gets from its last internal conflict. In Barbieland, the Kens need to feel like they have a voice and some control over their lives once the Barbies reassume power – or else they may see another Ken uprising. This is concerning because the president denies the Kens’ request for a Supreme Court seat and instead says that maybe a lower court judgeship could happen. Could

this be a sign that there is more trouble ahead in Barbieland?

The revolution also does not resolve in Andor, and we have to wait until Return of the Jedi for that rebellion resolve. However, the New Republic that eventually emerges is unable to stave off conflict, as the First Order rises and destroys the New Republic Senate in the seventh Star Wars movie. While revolution is hard, governance is harder. on www.theconversation. com

THE MOVIE ‘Barbie’ offers an example of what it takes for a revolution to launch. Photo: Warner Brothers Pictures

The hour has come

Part 1

BEFORE getting up, my patient Whitney stretched her entire body, rolling over repeatedly making maximum use of her comfortable kingsized bed. Even after a solid seven hours of sleep, she was still yawning and yearned for more rest.

It was a typical Saturday morning and she vividly recalls how soft and warm her bed felt particularly since outside was abnormally cool for early September. She turned on her TV to hear the weather report.

Hurricane Dorian had just landed on Abaco, in The Bahamas, and the island was already gravely battered by heavy rainfall. Whitney got up, put on her bedroom slippers and listened intently to the meteorologist as she made her bed. She lived on the island of Grand Bahama, approximately 140 kilometers away from Abaco, and she prayed that Abaco would suffer minimal damage and that the Hurricane either died down before hitting Grand Bahama or bypassed it all together.

It was later in the day than she’d normally start. Her daughter and small but loud, walking alarm clocks (otherwise referred to as grandchildren) were out of town for the weekend. Whitney called her neighbours to say good morning and ask if they’d heard from anyone in Abaco – they hadn’t. She and her neighbours previously discussed whether or not they should relocate to the nearest shelter, which was at a church nearby. They opted not to evacuate because they lived well inland, at least five miles from the nearest canal or beach and the shelter was less than three blocks from where they lived. So, they decided to wait and see how the hurricane progressed before making any decisions.

By mid-afternoon, Whitney says it began to rain and what started as a drizzle quickly became a downpour. She’d never, in her 52-years of life, heard rain beating down on a roof with such ferocious intensity. She yelled for her dog to come inside.

Whitney used a towel to dry him off, but he kept barking and snuggled against her like a newborn pup. She could tell he was afraid. The phone rang and it was her daughter checking in. But outside of rain and heavy, howling winds, there was nothing to report. Whitney told her that she was fine but truth be told she saw the fear in her dog’s eyes knowing that an animal’s instincts when it came to danger were alarms that trouble lay ahead.

That look of fear and

foreboding startled her. She sat down and went on Facebook. The catastrophic level of destruction in Abaco was unimaginable and testimonials of the devastation that victims in the path of the storm were facing was already filtering across the archipelago. Whitney scrolled from one horrific story to another for nearly an hour before getting up to use the restroom.

While in the restroom, the electricity went off.

Whitney knew it was inevitable but, in frustration, she still sucked her teeth with an aggressive saltiness that all islanders share when provoked. That sentiment instantly vanished when she tried to wash her hands and the water from her faucet was discoloured a light brown. She walked toward her living room to grab her telephone and the front area of her home was flooded with water nearly ankle deep. Dumbfounded and in complete shock, she started to mop and place towels all over the floor but the water continued to rise.

The wind was punching on the plywood that covered her windows,

hounding and pounding at them, tempting them repeatedly to dislodge. It wasn’t until her front door flew open that Whitney began to appreciate the seriousness of her predicament. A tide of water came rushing in. She screamed for help as the water rose above her knees. She tucked her phone in her bra and treaded quickly towards her neighbours. They were making their way towards her. To this day, she can’t explain how the water rose so quickly.

The landscape outside was surreal. Except for a few speckled areas of diluted sunshine, the sky was now almost entirely dark. The rain was slapping against their bodies like clenched fists and the howling wind was so loud that it was hard to hear anything. Whitney saw fish swimming in her back yard and lobster gripping onto her neighbour’s roof. She tried to close the front door, but it was impossible against the weight and power of the water. She was forced to leave it open and make her way to the shelter. All of the cars in the neighbourhood were under water so they

By DR KENNETH D KEMP

had to walk. Whitney’s heart was breaking. Hard as she looked and called for her beloved dog, he did not reappear. She was forced to leave without him.

Whitney and her neighbour were crying. Her neighbour’s sister, who resided in a settlement on another side of Grand Bahama near a canal, had to climb into her attic with her six-month old baby because the water was as high as her kitchen cabinets. Whitney prayed that her dog, daughter and grandchildren were okay. The hour had come when the storm was at its peak. The water was up to her chest and Whitney, who couldn’t swim thought more than once that she would die at any given moment. She and her neighbours locked elbows and made their way towards the shelter. They saw others heading in the same direction and without saying anything, strangers grabbed on and locked elbows with them as they fought their way to safety.

The roads and buildings were blanketed by a mixture of sewerage, canal and ocean water and it

was challenging to discern what direction they were heading in. The wind was crying as the sky repeatedly cracked. Whitney could barely hear anything and her eyes burned from the ocean salt. When they turned a corner, her other neighbour, who was six feet tall, dropped and the water was up to his neck. He motioned for them to turn back. Getting to the church should have taken less than 10 minutes but they’d been walking for over an hour as thunder roared and lightning bolts blazed across the sky in anger. It was hard for Whitney to keep up with the others in her group. That extra rest she yearned for earlier that morning now seemed so long ago. Her knees began to fail, she lost her balance and stumbled. Unlocked from her neighbours, the wind pushed her back and she swallowed a considerable amount of salt water, coughing then gasping for air as she struggled to breathe. In that moment, Whitney scraped the front of her right leg against an unidentified sharp object and the pain shot through her entire body like a

cannon ball. She told the others to go on, leave her behind, but they grabbed her hand and helped her walk. After circling around for another 20 minutes, they made it to the church. The front doors were locked and they had to bang loudly for the priest to open. Inside there were already at least 200 people sitting on the balcony. Some faces she recognised; people she hadn’t seen in years. Others she’d never met. Black, white, young and old. They were all together and united in prayer. The front section of the church had to be evacuated because of all the water seeping in. So, incoming crowds of people filtered their way up to the balcony while Whitney and her neighbours grabbed a seat on the pulpit where they ultimately slept. The gaping wound on Whitney’s leg was still gushing with blood but someone helped to bandage it, giving her some relief. Inside the church was hot and her clothes were still wet. Throughout the night, children cried as pockets of people sung Christian hymns that anthemed the power of faith. Whitney’s phone wouldn’t turn on, either because of a dead battery or water damage, so she was entirely cut off from her family. That night she barely slept, still unaware of the critical infection now spreading in her right leg and hopelessly concerned over what further destruction tomorrow would bring.

This is The KDK Report.

will be published next Monday, October 16.

Kenneth D Kemp is the founder and medical director of Bahamas Foot and Ankle located in Caves Village, WestHe served as the deputy chairman for the Health Council for five years and he currently sits on the board of directors for thetal Foundation in his role as co-vice-chairman.

UN to vote to authorise one-year deployment of armed force to help Haiti fight gangs

PUERTO RICO

Associated Press

THE UN Security Coun-

cil is scheduling a vote Monday on a resolution that would authorize a one-year deployment of an international force to help Haiti quell a surge in gang violence and restore security so the troubled Caribbean nation can hold long-delayed elections.

The US-drafted resolution obtained by The Associated Press on Saturday welcomes Kenya’s offer to lead the multinational security force. It makes clear this would be a non-UN force funded by voluntary contributions.

The resolution would authorize the force for one year, with a review after nine months.

The force would be allowed to provide operational support to Haiti’s National Police, which is underfunded and under resourced, with only some 10,000 active officers for a country of more than 11 million people. The resolution says the force would help built capacity of local police “through the planning and conduct of joint security support operations as it works to counter gangs and improve security conditions in Haiti.”

The force would also help secure “critical

infrastructure sites and transit locations such as the airport, ports, and key intersections.” Powerful gangs have seized control of key roads leading from Haiti’s capital to the country’s northern and southern regions, disrupting the transportation of food and other goods.

Passage by the Security Council would authorize the force to “adopt urgent temporary measures on an exceptional basis” to prevent the loss of life and help police maintain public safety.

Leaders of the mission would be required to inform the council on the mission’s goals, rules of engagement, financial needs and other matters before a full deployment.

A spokesman for Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry said he wasn’t aware of the resolution or the upcoming vote and said the government did not immediately have comment.

The resolution condemns “the increasing violence, criminal activities, and human rights abuses and violations which undermine the peace, stability, and security of Haiti and the region, including kidnappings, sexual and gender-based violence, trafficking in persons and the smuggling of migrants, homicides, extrajudicial killings, as well as arms

smuggling.”

If adopted, it would mark the first time a force has been deployed to Haiti since the UN approved a stabilization mission in June 2004 that was marred by a sexual abuse scandal and the introduction of cholera. That mission ended in October 2017.

Concerns also have surrounded the proposed Kenyan-led mission, with critics noting that police in the East Africa country have long been accused of using torture, deadly force and other abuses.

The resolution stresses that all those participating in the proposed mission must take necessary action to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse as well as vet all personnel. It also demands swift investigations of any allegations of misconduct.

In addition, the resolution warns that those involved in the mission must adopt wastewater management and other environmental control to prevent the introduction and spread of water-borne diseases, such as cholera.

It wasn’t immediately clear how big the force would be if approved, although Kenya’s government has previously proposed sending 1,000 police officers. In addition, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Antigua and Barbuda

INDIA

Associated Press

SANJAY Chauhan witnessed monsoon rains lash down over his home and farm in the Indian Himalayas this year with a magnitude and intensity he’s never experienced before.

“Buildings have collapsed, roads are broken, there were so many landslides including one that has destroyed a large part of my orchard,” said the 56-yearold farmer, who lives in the town of Shimla in Himachal Pradesh. “I have not seen anything like this.”

The devastation of this year’s monsoon season in India, which runs from June to September, has been significant: Local government estimates say that 428 people have died and Himachal Pradesh suffered over $1.42 billion worth in property damage since June.

Human-caused climate change is making rain more extreme in the region and scientists warn Himalayan states should expect more unpredictable and heavy seasons like this one. But the damage is also exacerbated by developers paying little mind to environmental regulations and building codes when building on flood- and earthquakeprone land, local experts and environmentalists say.

Damages to property in Himachal Pradesh this year were more than the last five years combined. Other regions also suffered heavy losses in terms of lives, property and farmland — including the neighbouring state of Uttarakhand, Delhi and most northern and western Indian states.

In the second week of July, 224.1 millimetres (8.82 inches) of rainfall descended on the state instead of the usual 42.2 millimetres (1.66 inches) for this time of the year — a 431% increase — according to the Indian Meteorological Department. Then for five days in August, 111.9 millimetres (4.41 inches) poured down on Himachal Pradesh, 168% more than the 41.7 millimetres (1.64 inches) it would typically receive in that timeframe.

The rainfall spurred hundreds of landslides, with overflowing rivers

sweeping vehicles away and collapsing multiple buildings, many of them recently constructed hotels. Key highways were submerged or destroyed and all schools in the region were shut. Around 300 tourists stranded near the high altitude lake of Chandratal had to be airlifted to safety by the Indian Air Force.

Jakob Steiner, a climate scientist with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, said rising global temperatures from human-caused climate change means more water evaporates in the heat which is then dumped in heavy rainfall events.

And when all the water pours in one place, it means other regions are starved of rain.

In the south of the country, rain was so rare that the region had its driest monsoon season since 1901, the IMD said. The government of Karnataka in southern India declared drought conditions in most of the state. Climate change compounds the phenomenon of weather extremes, said Anjal Prakash, a research director at the Indian School of Business, with both droughts and deluges expected to intensify as the world warms.

In the Himalayas, the problem of climate changed-boosted rain is worsened by unregulated development and years of devastation piling up with little time to adapt or fix the damage in between.

“Roads, dams and settlements have been built without proper environmental assessments or following building codes,” said Prakash. Unregulated development has also led to increased soil erosion and disrupted natural drainage systems, he said.

Y.P. Sundarial, a geologist with Uttarakhand-based HNB Garhwal University, agrees.

“People here are building six floor buildings on slopes as steep as 45 degrees” in a region that is both flood and earthquake prone, Sundarial said. “We need to make sure development policies keep the sensitiveness of Himalayas in mind to avoid such damage in the future.”

monsoon rains, it creates a “cumulative impact” said local environmentalist Mansi Asher, meaning residents are now living with years of unaddressed devastation.

Ten years ago, an estimated 6,000 people died in flash floods caused by a cloudburst in Uttarakhand which destroyed hundreds of villages; between 2017 and 2022, around 1,500 people died in Himachal Pradesh from extreme rain-related incidents; and earlier this year at least 240 families were relocated away from the religious town of Joshimath after the ground caved in from over construction despite warnings from scientists.

Governments on the state and national level have been looking at how to address the destruction.

Himachal Pradesh’s government announced a $106 million disaster risk reduction and preparedness program with support from the French Development Agency this year to strengthen its response to extreme rainfall.

The state also published a comprehensive climate action plan in 2022 but many of the plan’s recommendations, such as creating a fund to research climate challenges or helping farmers in the region adapt to changing weather conditions, have not yet been implemented.

The Indian federal government meanwhile has set an ambitious target of producing 500 gigawatts of clean energy by 2030 and has installed 172 gigawatts as of March this year. India is currently one of the world’s largest emitters. The country also created a national adaptation fund for climate change, releasing just over $72 million for various projects since 2015.

But these initiatives are too little, too late for apple farmer Chauhan and others picking up the pieces after an especially catastrophic monsoon season.

Chauhan, who’s also the former mayor of Shimla, wants to see a firm plan that addresses climate change in the face of the region’s growing population and development needs.

“Those in power really need to step up,” he said.

have pledged to send personnel.

Last month, the administration of US President Joe Biden promised to provide logistics and $100 million to support a Kenyan-led force.

The resolution notes that the Security Council intends to impose additional sanctions on those who contribute to Haiti’s violence. The UN has already imposed sanctions on Jimmy Chérizier,

known as “Barbecue,” who heads Haiti’s biggest gang alliance. Chérizier, a former police officer, recently warned that he would fight any armed force suspected of abuses. The proposed resolution comes nearly a year after Haiti’s prime minister and other top government officials requested the immediate deployment of a foreign armed force as the government struggles to fight violent gangs

estimated to control up to 80% of the capital of Port-au-Prince.

From Jan. 1 to Aug. 15, more than 2,400 people in Haiti were reported killed, more than 950 kidnapped and 902 injured, according to the most recent UN statistics. More than 200,000 others have been displaced by violence, with many crammed in makeshift shelters after gangs pillaged their communities.

IndI a’s devastat Ing monsoon season a sIgn of thIngs to come, as cl Imate and poor plannIng combIne

A PROTESTER holds up a machete as a symbol of self-defense against gangs, during a protest against gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, August 25, 2023. Kenya’s president is committing his country to lead a multinational force in Haiti to combat gang warfare even as residents of both countries question the plan being pushed by the United States government.

Photo:Odelyn Joseph/AP

RESCUERS search the debris for survivors after a landslide following heavy rainfall in Shimla, India, August 17, 2023. Human-caused climate change is making rain more extreme in the region and scientists warn states should expect more unpredictable and heavy monsoons like this one.

Photo: Pradeep Kumar/AP

Jones and Liberty make the big dance

Jonquel leads New York to first WNBA Finals in 21 years with victory over her former team

By PAT EATON-ROBB AP Sports Writer

UNCASVILLE, Conn.

(AP) — Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones have New York back in the WNBA Finals for the first time in more than two decades.

Two of the Liberty’s big offseason acquisitions came up big for the Liberty to help them reach the championship round for the first time since 2002 with an 87-84 win over Connecticut yesterday in Game 4 of the semifinals.

Jones scored 25 points, including five in the final minutes. The 6-foot-6 forward, who won an MVP in 2021 as a member of the Sun, added 15 rebounds and four blocked shots for the Liberty, who will face defending champion Las Vegas in a series that starts on October 8. The two Finals teams were labelled as “super teams” coming into the season.

“I think that’s the narrative everyone wanted at the start,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. “I didn’t particularly like the super team thing, but you know these players, they still played great. It was a process for us to get to this level now and I think it’s going to be a great series.”

Stewart, who came over from Seattle in the offseason and earned her second regular season MVP award, led New York with 27 points and Betnijah Laney added 21 in the clincher of the best-of-five series. The Liberty won three in a row from the Sun after dropping the series opener in New York.

“The fact that the Liberty hasn’t been to a Final since 2002 is wild,” Stewart said. “And to be able

to have that and to know that we have the entire city behind us is something that is really, really special.”

MVP runner-up Alyssa Thomas had 17 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists for Connecticut. It was her first triple-double of the post-season after recording a record six during the regular season. Tiffany Hayes had 15 points and DiJonai Carrington added 14 for the Sun, who were trying to make it back to the Finals for a second consecutive season.

A 3-pointer from Stewart with 2 minutes left gave the Liberty a 77-75 lead. The New York fans chanted “MVP” as she sank two foul shots on her next trip down the court.

But DeWanna Bonner (12 points) brought the Sun to within a point with a long 3-pointer of her own.

The Sun then lost a challenge when Hayes was called for a foul with 56 seconds left.

Jones sank two free throws to make it an 81-78 game. She made two more foul shots after stealing a Hayes pass and put the Liberty up five.

A 3-pointer from Tyasha Harris made it an 85-84 game with 7.6 seconds left. But Stewart sank two foul shots on the other end to seal the win as Connecticut couldn’t get a final shot off.

Laney had 15 of her points in the first half, Stewart had 14 and the Liberty led by a point at the break, after eight lead changes in the first half.

Laney’s first 3-pointer of the second half highlighted a 13-0 run that stretched back into the first half and gave the Liberty a 52-44 advantage.

A turnaround jumper from Stewart made it 62-51

JAZZ HITS HIS 19TH HOME RUN OF THE SEASON

By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH (AP)

— The Miami Marlins’ improbable September push will carry into October.

Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr hit his 19th home run of the season, Josh Bell delivered a late two-run double and the Marlins clinched the fourth playoff berth in franchise history with a 7-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night. Miami locked down one of the two remaining National League wild card spots behind Chisholm Jr’s drive, a dash of small ball and another lockdown performance by a bullpen that has carried a sizable share of the load over the last month.

A.J. Puk (7-5) and seven other relievers kept the Pirates in check, rendering any scoreboard-watching pointless.

and the Liberty led 66-58 after three periods.

Thomas and Jones tangled under the basket early in the fourth quarter and Thomas, who was bent over awkwardly on the floor, stayed down and was helped to the locker room. But she was back a few minutes later.

That play seemed to spark the Sun. A short jumper from Harris highlighted a 16-5 run that saw the Sun tie the game at 69 on a 3-pointer by Carrington.

A 3-pointer from Bonner gave the Sun the lead back at 72-71.

New York won the game at the foul line, where they were 21 of 25. The Sun made three free throws on Just eight attempts.

Sun coach, Stephanie White, called Thomas the most underrated superstar in the league and bemoaned that she was only able to take four free throws in what was a very physical game.

“I had a season that you’ve never seen in this league and probably won’t seen again unless I do it,” Thomas said.

“Let’s be reasonable.

Triple doubles, the most double-doubles in league

South Africa and Australia win at the Rugby World Cup. Waiting game next

MARSEILLE, France

(AP) — South Africa secured a bonus-point 49-18 win over Tonga and a successful return to action for flyhalf Handre Pollard at the Rugby World Cup yesterday in Marseille.

The Springboks scored seven tries in their final pool game and Pollard converted the first four for a 100% night with the boot in his first test in more than a year before he left after 50 minutes.

Manie Libbok came on for Pollard and kicked three from three conversions to ensure that, apart from the crucial victory, the defending champion also went some way to putting right the goal-kicking problems that were evident in a 13-8 defeat to Ireland in its last outing.

First-choice flyhalf Libbok came under pressure for his wayward kicking against the Irish and Pollard’s promising

return from injury will give the Springboks options if they progress to the knockouts.

That’s not yet guaranteed, though.

The result took South Africa to the top of Pool B but only by a point ahead of Ireland’s showdown with Scotland in the final set of pool games next weekend, which will decide which two go through to the quarterfinals.

An Ireland victory will send the Irish and the South Africans through. A Scotland victory could make it complicated and it might come down to points difference.

AUSTRALIA 34, PORTUGAL 14 Australia smothered a ferocious comeback by Portugal to win their gripping first matchup in Saint-Etienne. The bonus-point victory kept alive the Wallabies’ faint quarterfinal hopes.

Their final Pool C match moved them into second place and the second quarterfinal spot, and they will have to stay in France for another week, without another game guaranteed, to wait to see if Fiji overtakes them.

Fiji is one point behind and needs to take only one point against Portugal next Sunday in Toulouse to advance and send Australia home. Portugal couldn’t put Australia out

history. We’re talking about league records. So for me, I have a lot to be proud of.”

New York split the four regular season meetings against the defending champion Aces, who advanced to the finals for the third time in four years, sweeping Dallas in the semifinals.

This will be New York’s fifth appearance in the Finals, but their first since 2002.

“Obviously, the goal was let’s bring in the talent and let’s make a run for this,” Brondello said. “We certainly did that.”

“I feel like we’re just the biggest family in the league,” Chisholm Jr said in a giddy postgame clubhouse. “I feel like nobody is as connected as us as a team. I feel like when someone gets going, everybody gets going. That’s the plan here and we’re just family and we’re coming in together.”

Miami began the day with its magic number whittled to one following another late comeback victory on Friday night.

One officially dropped to zero when closer Tanner Scott wrapped up his 12th save by striking out the side in the ninth, setting off a celebration on the field and behind the Miami dugout, where a small clutch of fans chanted “Lets Go Marlins!”

“Before the game we called it ‘Clinch Day’ and we weren’t expecting any

SEE PAGE 17

HURTS THROWS FOR 319 YARDS, ELLIOTT’S 54-YARDER LIFTS 4-0 EAGLES PAST COMMANDERS 34-31 IN OT

By DAN GELSTON AP Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA (AP)

— Jalen Hurts threw for 319 yards and two touchdowns, and Jake Elliott kicked a 54-yard field goal in overtime to lift the Philadelphia Eagles to a 34-31 win over the Washington Commanders yesterday for their second straight 4-0 start.

Elliott also kicked field goals of 41, 47 and 36 yards before booming the winner that sent the crowd into a frenzy.

And kept the Eagles unbeaten.

Not before a little-late game drama put the Eagles on the brink of being upset at home by the Commanders (2-2) for the second straight season.

Hurts hit A.J. Brown for a 28-yard touchdown with 1:28 left in regulation for a 31-24 lead. Instead of killing the clock and trying for

a winning field goal, the Eagles left enough time for Sam Howell to lead the Commanders down to Philadelphia’s 10-yard line.

Washington’s tying drive got a boost when Brown was flagged for taunting on the score. The Commanders started on the Eagles’ 36 and tied it when Howell hit Jahan Dotson as time expired.

Coach Ron Rivera went for the extra point and the tie on the road, a call that sent them knotted 31-all into OT.

The Commanders did nothing with the ball in OT. Hurts then converted a fourth-down sneak that pushed the Eagles to Washington’s 48-yard line and helped set up the winner.

Sparked by Brown’s nine catches for 175 yards and two touchdowns, the NFC champion Eagles are 4-0 in consecutive seasons for the

SOUTH Africa’s Willie Le Roux scores a try yesterday during the Rugby World Cup Pool B match against Tonga. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

NEW York Liberty forward Jonquel Jones (35) reacts during the second half of Game 4 of a WNBA basketball semifinal playoff series against the Connecticut Sun yesterday in Uncasville, Conn.

(AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

JAZZ Chisholm Jr celebrates after hitting a solo home run on Saturday.

(AP Photo/Gene J Puskar)

Concherers repeat as champions

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE Dragon Concherers successfully defended their A divisional title in the second annual Bahamas Dragon Boat Racing competition in Goodman’s Bay yesterday and they are already talking about coming back next year for a three-peat.

While they celebrated their two-straight, there were a number of first time winners, including B champions Mushu Dragons, C champions King Tide, D champions Breezes Dragoneers, E champions IV League and F champions MediDragons.

The two intense days of sailing, held from Saturday to Sunday, also crowned the Naval Destroyers as the open 500m champion, Phoenix Dragoneers as the Youth 200m champions and Bustin’ Free as the Seniors 400m champions.

The series of races drew a large crowd of spectators who got to hear from ‘Da Party Animal,’ Stiletto, as well as participate in a junkanoo rush out as the organisers of the Bahamas Chinese Dragon Boat Racing Association brought the curtain down on another successful event.

In defending their A title, Aaron Chea said the Dragon Concherers said they didn’t want to leave any stones unturned as to who will be the champions again.

“All of our practices together really showed in what we did today,” he said. “We came out here hoping for best. We came out here with the expectations to win and it was manifested in our performances. So we are happy to win it again.

Chea said just in case their challengers have any ideas of dethroning them next year, Chea said they will have to do it in the water because “we are going for three straight titles.”

Chief Petty Officer Andy Deveaux said as a team coming from the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, they own the waters, so it

was a natural fit for them to win.

“It was awesome. We got on everybody and told them that we had to rely on our endurance as our strength,” he said. “We’re used to enduring to the end. The race, like the Bible says, is not for the swiftest, but who endureth to the end.

“This is our first time here. We got the information late, just 10 days before the competition. Can you imagine what we would have done if we had more time to practice. But we will be back next year. We will have more time to prepare our team.”

David Rolle, a senior immigration officer of the Bahamas Immigration Department, noted that their Mushu Dragons are delighted in their B category victory.

“Our performance was great. We won every race, except for one where we got third. The fellows just flew through the competition. They were on one accord and we got the job done,” Rolle said. “This is our first time and it feels great to win. We will definitely be back next year.”

Royal Bahamas Police Force’s D/Sgt 3127 Terell Stubbs noted that his King Tide started out a bit sluggish, but they regrouped as the Police do and they came up with their victory in the end.

“It’s a good feeling to win. It’s not the category we wanted to win, the C. We were aiming for the overall category in A, but a gold is a gold, so we will take it,” he said. “The water was kind of choppy, but we managed to manoeuvre through it and we came out with the victory.”

Larhondo Hanna, an employee of Breezes, said their Dragoneers team certainly had the breeze behind their back as they pulled off their title.

“We just put this team together two weeks ago. We were up against some veteran teams. They were laughing at us in the beginning, but we came out here and put our best foot forward and we got a medal,” Hanna said. “The team did

an awesome job for the first time competing in the event.”

Hanna said they have a super boss at Breezes, so they can’t wait to see what type of celebrations they will get because “she’s the best boss in the world. She’s a winner herself and she will definitely push us to come back for another title next year.”

Ambassador Dai Qingli, of the People’s Republic of China, who was on hand to watch the event and also participate in the awards ceremony, said it was an important milestone for the continuation of the event they got started last year.

“I’m really excited because this year we had much more teams participating,” the ambassador said. “We saw competitors from all ages racing, so it shows that this sport is something that everybody can get involved in. “The significance this year is that you are celebrating your 50th year of Independence. In China, it’s the 74th year of the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, so this is a good occasion to celebrate our achievements as countries.”

She also commended the Bahamas Chinese Dragon Boat Racing Association which worked so closely with the community in the Bahamas to make sure that the event was a tremendous success.Association president Dr Christine Chin said this year’s event was a lot of fun.

“We had 35 teams, who all showed up and participated. The Dragon Concherers came back and defended their title,” she stated.

“So we were very pleased with how things went this year. And we are definitely looking forward to next year.”

CHAMPIONS CROWNED AT INAUGURAL WELSEY ROLLE MEMORIAL INVITE

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IN a number of firsttime partnerships, Marvin Rolle and his uncle Larry Rolle emerged as the men’s doubles champions of the inaugural Welsey Rolle Memorial Invitational Tournament yesterday at the Baha Mar Tennis Centre.

Marvin Rolle also teamed up with Barbara Carey as they captured the mixed doubles. Carey also picked up her second title as she paired up with versatile Larikah Russell for the ladies’ doubles crown.

The thrill of victory

When he heard about the tournament, Marvin Rolle said he felt there was no better person to team up with than his uncle Larry Rolle so that they could keep the title in their family as they honour his deceased uncle. They did it by doubling the pair of Livio Bisterzo and Alexander Myrbach 12-6.

“It was a good experience to play with him,” said Marvin Rolle before he was interrupted by Larry Rolle, who added that “this is the real deal.” He emphasized that once they got together, they knew they would win.

“We just wanted to send a strong message that we are the team to beat,” said Larry Rolle, but Marvin Rolle then interrupted him and stated that they will be back for their second, third, fourth and fifth” titles.

And like the opportunity to team up with his uncle, Marvin Rolle said he had quite an experience as well with mixed doubles, knocking off the duo of Bjorn

Ferguson and Richette Percentie, in a match that was stopped due to the wet courts from the brief rain that fell on the final of the three days of competition.

“I am honoured to be playing with Mr Rolle, I feel like I’m on a pedestal right now,” Carey said.

But Rolle said the pleasure was all his because Carey “played well, she’s athletic and she kept the ball in play. So it definitely is a good experience as well. We had a good, friendly competition. I enjoyed it.”

Now that they have forged a relationship together, Carey said she will not let Marvin Rolle go. She noted that he will be her “partner for life.”

Rolle, however, quipped that she might “find somebody better than me,” to which Carey stressed: “No, I don’t think there’s anyone out there better than you to play with.”

Despite their loss, Percentie said she enjoyed herself. “This is my first time playing in a tournament. It was fun,” she said. “I just wished we had completed the match because we still had a chance to win.”

Her partner Bjorn Ferguson was a little upset as well. He said he definitely wanted to win the match for Wesley Rolle. But he said it was unfortunate that “the match got stopped” because of the wet courts, which allowed their opponents to “take the title” after leading at that point.

Carey also noted that she has formed a formidable combo with Russell in women’s doubles that she doesn’t intend to relinquish anytime soon after they

knocked off Marsha Williams and Loretta Mackey 12-3.

“Larikah is a great partner. She decided on how we will play the game from the start. Whatever she told me to do, I just followed and that was how we got the win,” she said. “I was just honoured to play with Larikah. She knows how to coach, so I knew we would not have any problems. I’m not giving her or Marvin away.”

Their opponents played for the first time, but Williams said had it not been for a few mistakes they made, they could have possibly pull off the upset.

“We didn’t stick with the plan,” she said. “We decided to continue to pound the ball at their weakest link, but we moved away from that.”

But Mackey said they still played well together and they “made a good effort. We just didn’t execute our plan.”

Mackey, however, congratulated Russell and Carey in their victory and she also commended the organisers for putting on

such a “fantastic” tournament. They both wowed to return next year to avenge their loss.

Organisers thrilled

Ken Kerr, one of the organisers, said a group of players who were either taught or impacted by the coaching of Wesley Rolle got together to find a way to memorialise his name and what better time to do it than in October ahead of the national Hero’s Day celebrations.

“He liked the kids’ development in the inner city, getting as many underprivileged children involved in the game, but he also enjoyed watching the older people play tennis,” Kerr said. “So, we decided to put on this tournament for players who knew Wesley Rolle and were impacted by his contribution to the game.”

With a little extra incentive, a small cash prize was added to the tournament and Kerr said they will be looking at ways to increase the jackpot. He noted that they may decide to move the tournament to April, the birth month of Wesley

Rolle and have a Hero’s Day tournament to recognise some other players who would have made their contribution to the sport but have been overlooked by the BLTA.

Bjorn Munroe, who also served as one of the organisers, said they will definitely be back next year with a bigger and better tournament.

He thanked Baha Mar for hosting them and all of the sponsors, both corporate and individuals, who assisted in making the event possible this year.

Shena Bowleg, the president of the Harrold Road Tennis Club, said they were planning on hosting the tournament before Wesley Rolle passed away as they gave the senior players a little more events to participate in.

But she said after he passed away, they felt it was good to go ahead full stream in putting on the tournament in his honour.

She said all of the tennis clubs came together and there were some players who never participated in a tournament who took part.

She said it was great for the tennis community.

Justyn Thompson, the assistant director for the tournament, said at first they didn’t know what to expect but, as time went on, the numbers swell and they were able to put the draw and schedule together.

“It was good to see everybody was on the same page with us and they were able to get in adequate time to rest in between playing their matches. Thompson said they were glad that the weather held for all of the matches, with the exception of the mixed doubles final, to be completed.

Family appreciative

Willis Rolle, one of the sons of Wesley Rolle, said he was thrilled that his father was being recognised in such a special way.

“I think he would have been proud because this is something he would want,” said Rolle of his father’s name placed on a tournament in his memory.

“It makes me proud that people are remembering him for what he did for tennis in the Bahamas. Hopefully, it can carry on for the years to come.”

As a little boy, Willis Rolle said he used to wonder how he could surpass his father’s accomplishments, but he gave up and decided to just bask in his success.

He said his father left some equipment for him to use to help with the betterment of tennis in the country.

Accompanied by his brother, Michael Rolle and their aunt Dianne Rolle, Willis Rolle said they will cherish what the organisers did for their father.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS: Shown, left to right, are Willis Rolle, men’s champions Marvin and Larry Rolle, Shena Bowleg and Dianne Rolle.

B DIVISION champions Mushu Dragons with their awards.

RBDF Naval Destroyers celebrate with their medals.

CHAMPIONS Dragon Concherers successfully defend their title at the Bahamas Chinese Dragon Boat Racing competition.

RBPF King Tide team celebrate with their C divisional awards.

Bills rout division rival Dolphins 48-20

By JOHN WAWROW AP Sports Writer

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen threw four touchdown passes and ran for a score, and the Buffalo Bills brought Miami’s unbeaten start to an emphatic end, beating the division rival Dolphins 48-20 yesterday.

A week after the Dolphins had one of the most impressive offensive performances in NFL history in a 70-20 win over Denver, Buffalo (3-1) showed Miami (3-1) a thing or two about efficient offence, scoring on eight of its first nine possessions while taking over first place in the AFC East.

Stefon Diggs caught three touchdowns and finished with six receptions

for 120 yards. Allen went 21 of 25 for 320 yards and had his 10th game with four passing TDs.

Miami moved the ball reasonably well, finishing with 393 yards of offence, but the Bills forced two turnovers and sacked quarterback Tua Tagovailoa four times.

The Bills suffered one major setback when cornerback Tre’Davious White was carted off in the third quarter with what the team said was an Achilles tendon injury. White pulled up while covering Tyreek Hill and was unable to put any weight on his right leg.

Buffalo (3-1) never trailed and finished with 414 yards of offence. The three-time AFC East champion Bills have won three straight since a

season-opening loss at the New York Jets.

The Dolphins (3-1) squandered chances to open a season with four wins for the first time since 1995 and to take a twogame lead over Buffalo in the division.

Buffalo won its eighth straight at home over Miami improved to 12-2 in the past 14 meetings, including a 34-31 win in the wild-card round of the playoffs last January.

Bills safety Damar

Hamlin appeared in his first game since going into cardiac arrest and needing to be resuscitated on the field during a game at Cincinnati on January 2.

Hamlin was a healthy inactive through the first three weeks of the season, and was mostly limited

to special teams against Miami.

The game began as a track meet with the teams scoring touchdowns on each of their first two possessions.

Buffalo made it three straight TD drives on Allen’s 6-yard pass to Diggs five minutes into the second quarter. After that, the Dolphins finally blinked. Miami closed the half with three punts and running back Raheem Mostert losing a fumble, allowing Buffalo to build a 31-14 lead.

Diggs provided the most electric play of the first half with a 55-yard touchdown. He caught Allen’s pass at Miami’s 40, broke two tackles along the sideline and scampered into the end zone.

Gabe Davis

scored on an 18-yard catch and James Cook scored on a 1-yard run.

Dolphins rookie running back De’Von Achane had two TDs a week after scoring four times. He became just the fourth NFL rookie to combine for six TDs in consecutive games, and first since Tampa Bay’s Doug Martin in 2012.

Tagovailoa, who was sacked only once in his first three outings, went 25 of 35 for 282 yards with a touchdown pass to Braxton Berrios and an interception.

UP NEXT

Dolphins: Host the New York Giants next Sunday.

Bills: Play a “home” game against Jacksonville at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London next Sunday.

Wilson throws 3 TDs, Broncos rally from 21 down to top Bears

CHICAGO (AP) —

Russell Wilson threw for three touchdowns, Wil Lutz kicked a tiebreaking 51-yard field goal with 1:46 remaining, and Denver rallied past Chicago 31-28.

The Broncos (1-3) won their first game under coach Sean Payton and bounced back from getting blown out 70-20 at Miami a week earlier.

Lutz’s kick capped a comeback from a 28-7 third-quarter deficit. Kareem Jackson put the game away when he intercepted Justin Fields with the Bears (0-4) near midfield.

Chicago dropped its 14th straight game dating to last season and ninth straight at home. Both skids are the longest in franchise history.

Fields went 28 of 35 for a career-high 335 yards and four touchdowns. He completed his first 16 passes.

Wilson threw a 4-yard TD to Brandon Johnson near the end of the third quarter and a 13-yarder to Courtland Sutton early in the fourth to make it a seven-point game.

The Bears then had the ball near midfield when Nik Bonitto strip-sacked Fields. Jonathan Cooper recovered the fumble at the 35 and returned it for the tying touchdown.

Wilson was 21 of 28 for 223 yards.

TEXANS 30, STEELERS 6 HOUSTON (AP) —

Rookie C.J. Stroud had another big game, throwing for 306 yards and two touchdowns to lead Houston past Pittsburgh.

The Texans (2-2) won their second straight and first at home since beating the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 26, 2021. Houston’s 24-point win was its largest margin of victory in exactly six years.

Stroud, the second overall pick in the draft, threw a TD pass to get things going in a first half where the Texans built a 16-0 lead. It was his second 300yard passing game, and he has thrown six touchdown passes with no interceptions in his first four games.

Nico Collins had seven receptions for a careerhigh 168 yards and two touchdowns for Houston, including a 52-yard score in the fourth quarter.

Kenny Pickett threw for 114 yards with an interception and struggled to move Pittsburgh’s offense before leaving late in the third quarter with a knee injury.

Mitch Trubisky threw for 18 yards after Pickett left.

JAGUARS 23, FALCONS 7

LONDON (AP) —

Calvin Ridley caught a touchdown pass against his old team and Darious Williams returned an interception 61 yards for a score as Jacksonville beat Atlanta at Wembley Stadium.

The Jags (2-2) halted a two-game skid with a series of big plays as the team celebrated playing for the 10th time in London.

EAGLES PAST COMMANDERS 34-31 IN OVERTIME

FROM PAGE 14

first time since 1992-1993. A year ago, the Eagles’ 8-0 start was spoiled by a home loss to Washington. The Commanders tried it again and led 17-13 in the third and tied it 24-24 in the fourth.

Hurts came as close as he has all season to the type of dynamic games that punctuated last season’s run to the Super Bowl. He sure knew how to connect with Brown.

Hurts and Brown are well past a brief spat on the sidelines during the home opener and are instead hooking up for gamechanging scores. Hurts hit Brown in stride and the speedy receiver cut across the field and scored a goahead 59-yard TD in the third. The Eagles converted the 2-point conversion for a 21-13 lead.

Trevor Lawrence sidestepped a blitzing Richie Grant and lofted a deep ball to a wide-open Ridley for a 30-yard touchdown in the first quarter.

Williams stepped in front of Drake London, intercepted Desmond Ridder’s pass and outran the second-year QB into the end zone to make it 17-0.

The Falcons (2-2) have dropped two in a row and Ridder, making his eighth NFL start, was intercepted on back-to-back throws in the first half.

Lawrence finished 23 of 30 for 207 yards. Christian Kirk led the Jags with eight receptions for 84 yards. Ridley, drafted 26th overall in 2018 by the Falcons, had two receptions for 38 yards.

RAMS 29, COLTS 23, OT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP)

— Playing with a hip injury that left him limping at times, Matthew Stafford threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to rookie sensation Puka Nacua in overtime to give Los Angeles the win over Indianapolis.

The Rams (2-2) blew a 23-point lead in the final 21 minutes of regulation but recovered to win their fourth straight in the series and third in a row at Indy.

Stafford was 27 of 40 with 319 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He was injured while being driven into the ground in the third quarter.

Following an interception on the next play, he wore a heating wrap around his waist. He was limping when he returned to the game.

Nacua had nine receptions for 163 yards. He has 39 catches for 501 yards this season, surpassing Anquan Boldin for the most receptions by an NFL player in his first four games.

TITANS 27, BENGALS 3

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Ryan Tannehill threw for 240 yards and a touchdown and Tennessee routed Cincinnati.

The Titans (2-2), who managed only 94 yards in losing last week in Cleveland, led 24-3 at halftime and scored 27 unanswered points. Coach Mike Vrabel beat Cincinnati for the first time in four tries.

Derrick Henry ran 29 yards for a touchdown, and he also found rookie tight end Josh Whyle for a 2-yard TD on a jump pass from the wildcat formation just before halftime. Henry finished with 122 yards on 22 carries.

Tennessee’s defense sacked Joe Burrow three times and stripped him of the ball. Burrow, playing through a calf injury, led a 72-yard drive on the Bengals’ first possession, but Cincinnati had to settle for a 21-yard field goal by Evan McPherson.

RAVENS 28, BROWNS 3 CLEVELAND (AP) — Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson

against Cleveland’s topranked defense.

The Ravens (3-1) took sole possession of first place in the AFC North. Their defense shut down the Browns and rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who made his first career start in place of the injured Deshaun Watson.

Jackson scored untouched on runs of 10 yards and 2 yards and threaded a 7-yard scoring pass to tight end Mark Andrews with 11 seconds left before halftime as the Ravens opened a 21-3 lead.

BUCCANEERS 26, SAINTS 9

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Baker Mayfield threw three touchdown passes and Tampa Bay beat New Orleans, which continued to struggle on offense even with Derek Carr returning from a shoulder injury. Mayfield completed 25 of 32 for 246 yards including TDs to Cade Otten, Trey Palmer and Deven Thompkins as the Bucs (3-1) took over first place in the NFC South. Starting one week after spraining his throwing shoulder at Green Bay, and after only limited work in practice the past week, Carr struggled to move New Orleans’ offense, which did not reach the end zone.

Carr finished 23 of 37 for 127 yards and was sacked three times in a second straight loss for the Saints (2-2). Alvin Kamara touched the ball 24 times with 11 carries and 13 receptions in his return from a three-game suspension, but finished with just 84 yards from scrimmage.

VIKINGS 21, PANTHERS 13 CHARLOTTE, N.C.

(AP) — Kirk Cousins threw two touchdown passes to Justin Jefferson, D.J. Wonnum returned Bryce Young’s fumble 51 yards for a momentumchanging touchdown, and Minnesota held on to beat Carolina. Cousins overcame two interceptions, including one that was returned 99 yards for a touchdown by Sam Franklin, and finished with 139 yards passing. Jefferson beat a Carolina

secondary playing without three starters for 85 yards on six catches.

Alexander Mattison ran for 95 yards and Harrison Smith had three sacks for the Vikings (1-3), including the one that led to Wonnum’s score. No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young was 25 of 32 for 204 yards for Carolina (0-4).

The momentum of the game turned on Wonnum’s scoop-and-score late in the third quarter.

The Vikings sacked Young on third down on the ensuing series and Cousins found Jefferson along the left sideline for a 30-yard touchdown strike to give the Vikings a 21-13 lead.

COWBOYS 38, PATRIOTS 3 ARLINGTON, Texas

(AP) — DaRon Bland returned one of his two interceptions for a touchdown, Leighton Vander Esch scooped up a fumble for a score and Dallas beat New England.

Mac Jones was responsible for all three turnovers and was pulled in the second half of the Patriots’ worst loss in 24 seasons under Bill Belichick, surpassing a 31-0 defeat at Buffalo in 2003.

The Cowboys (3-1) spoiled former star running back Ezekiel Elliott’s Dallas homecoming with their 10th consecutive home victory. It’s the longest home streak since 1991-92, or almost two decades before AT&T Stadium opened.

49ERS 35, CARDINALS 16 SANTA CLARA, Calif.

(AP) — Christian McCaffrey scored a career-high four touchdowns and San Francisco beat Arizona, its 14th straight regular-season win.

McCaffrey gained 177 yards from scrimmage, scoring on three runs and one catch to help the 49ers get off to their fifth 4-0 start in franchise history.

He also broke Jerry Rice’s franchise record by scoring a TD in his 13th straight game, including the playoffs.

Brock Purdy went 20 for 21 for 283 yards with a TD run and pass, setting a

49ers franchise record for completion percentage in a game.

He won for the ninth time in nine career regular-season starts, leading the 49ers to their fourth straight game with at least 30 points.

CHARGERS 24, RAIDERS 17

INGLEWOOD, Calif.

(AP) — Khalil Mack set a franchise single-game record with six sacks, Justin Herbert accounted for three touchdowns and Los Angeles beat Las Vegas.

It was the sixth time since sacks became an official statistic in 1982 that a player had at least six in a game. The record is seven, by Kansas City’s Derrick Thomas in 1990.

The Chargers (2-2) scored on four of their first five drives to build a 24-7 halftime lead before the Raiders rallied to make it close.

Las Vegas (1-3) was driving for the tying touchdown when Asante Samuel Jr. picked off Aidan O’Connell’s pass at the Chargers 2-yard line with 2:33 remaining.

CHIEFS 23,

JETS 20

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP)

— Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City shook off a subpar performance during which they blew a 17-point lead, but held on to defeat the New York Jets 23-20 last night.

Mahomes was intercepted twice and struggled to get much going after a quick start with pop superstar Taylor Swift watching Travis Kelce and the Chiefs for the second straight game, this time from a suite at MetLife Stadium.

After the Chiefs (3-1) regained the lead on Harrison Butker’s 26-yard field goal with 10:51 remaining in the game, Zach Wilson made his first big mistake when he lost a snap.

Tershawn Wharton recovered the loose ball and Mahomes and the Chiefs got it at the Jets 47.

Michael Carter II intercepted Mahomes on third-and-20 from the Jets 40 — but it was negated by a holding call on Sauce Gardner.

Brown wore bright green cleats a week ago for one series against Tampa Bay before he changed to the standard footware to avoid getting fined by the league. He bucked the fashion rules again and wore highlight pink cleats — Brown says the flashy colours make it easier for his young daughter to spot him on the field — and then had Philly’s biggest highlight of the game.

After the Commanders rallied — Brian Robinson Jr’s 15-yard score made it 24-all — the Eagles responded and Brown hauled in a score that sent the crowd into a frenzy. Howell was 29 of 41 for 290 yards.

A week after Howell threw four interceptions and was sacked nine times, he went 13 of 17 for 161 yards in the first half behind an offensive line that gave him plenty of time to throw and take a 17-10 lead into the break.

Yes, the Commanders used ball control — they had the ball for 17 minutes in the first half — to get a 1-yard TD run from Curtis Samuel and Terry McLaurin’s fumble recovery in the end zone for a 14-7 lead.

But the Eagles did their best to give away the game. They were penalised six times in the half and two were especially critical. On the game’s opening drive, linebacker Zach Cunningham was whistled for a holding penalty on thirdand-11. Washington got new life and Samuel scored.

The Eagles also lined up in “ tush push “ formation at midfield on fourth down, only to have a likely first down thrown out on a holding penalty. The Eagles punted.

Swift, who entered second in the NFL in rushing, had a 5-yard score that made it 14-7. Washington’s Joey Slye and Philadelphia’s Jake Elliott each kicked field goals.

Elliott opened the second half with a 47-yarder that cut it to 17-13.

INJURIES Commanders: DB Jartavius Martin suffered a thumb injury.

Eagles: RG Cam Jurgens suffered a foot injury.

RUGBY WORLD CUP

FROM PAGE 14

of its misery but it warmed the hearts in a packed Stade GeoffroyGuichard with its daring and style. Os Lobos scored two tries and had two others disallowed. Crucially, when Australia was reduced to 14 and 13 men around an hour in, the Portuguese couldn’t finish numerous lineout maul chances in a dominant 20-minute period that kept Wallabies coach Eddie Jones on his feet in the stands.

The turning point was in the 15th minute when Portugal centre and first try-scorer Pedro Bettencourt was yellow-carded. Australia with the man advantage was ruthless, scoring three converted tries in six minutes. The Wallabies rushed from 7-3 down to 24-7 ahead.

DENVER Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson passes as Chicago Bears defensive tackle Andrew Billings defends during the first half of an NFL football game yesterday in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

MIAMI Marlins’ Tanner Scott, right, douses Jazz Chisholm Jr during a locker room celebration after the Marlins clinched a wild-card spot with a 7-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday. (AP Photos/Gene J Puskar)

JAZZ HITS

HIS 19TH HOME RUN OF THE SEASON

FROM PAGE 14

other day to be Clinch Day except today,” Chisholm said. “And that’s what we did and we handled it today.”

Buoyed by first-year manager Skip Schumaker’s relentless optimism and a “why not us” approach, the largely anonymous Marlins — who finished with 93 or more losses in each of the previous four non-pandemic-shortened seasons — will be in the playoffs next week while big spenders like the New York Mets and San Diego Padres will be watching from home.

CHISHOLM JR AND MIAMI MARLINS ARE HEADING TO THE PLAYOFFS

By WILL GRAVES AP National Writer

PITTSBURGH (AP)

— Kim Ng was well aware of the stakes when she became the Miami Marlins’ general manager in November 2020, stakes that extended well beyond whether she could resuscitate a franchise that’s spent most of its existence fighting for relevance within its own city.

The first female GM of a major North American sports franchise understood she was a pioneer. A symbol, too. She embraced the daunting task of taking a franchise with limited support and turning it into a contender while being careful to avoid setting a timetable for success.

Timetables invite judgment. Ng simply doesn’t see the world that way.

“You’re never sure when it’s all going to come together,” Ng said.

So rather than create some arbitrary deadline, Ng focused on the process of drafting and developing talent and sifting through rosters elsewhere in search of pieces she felt might fit.

The process gained traction last winter with the hiring of relentlessly upbeat first-year Skip Schumaker, who won the job during the first hour of his interview with owner Bruce Sherman. It picked up speed with the arrival of All-Star second baseman Luis Arraez and the addition at the trade deadline of veterans like first baseman Josh Bell.

And suddenly there Ng was on Saturday night, her hair drenched in a mix of Budweiser and bubbly, wearing a black T-shirt that read “Take October” in the Miami Marlins’ signature teal. The clubhouse mood was giddy after the Marlins clinched the franchise’s fourth playoff berth in its 31-year history with a 7-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Asked how a team that will finish the season with a negative run differential around 50 and injury issues made it to the postseason, Ng smiled as she tried and occasionally failed to dodge a steady stream of beer showers.

“This team has just exemplified heart and they know it,” she said. “And I think that is the driver of this group.”

Miami likely will have the worst run differential of a postseason team in major league history. The Marlins lost ace Sandy Alcantara to an elbow injury in early September while lineup fixtures like Arraez and Jorge Soler battled health issues down the stretch.

Still. Miami entered Sunday a remarkable 33-13 in one-run games, the best winning percentage (.718) in the National League

since 1980, a full 13 years before Charlie Hough threw the franchise’s first pitch.

“They’ve proved to themselves they can do it,” Schumaker said.

Over and over and over again.

Miami’s clinching victory in some ways symbolised its season. Star centrefielder and video game cover model Jazz Chisholm Jr hit an early homer. A walk, a bunt single, a sacrifice and a forceout grounder gave them the lead for good. Eight relievers combined to get 27 outs, the last four by newish closer Tanner Scott.

It is not the way Schumaker drew it up. Yet the utility player who got every bit of ounce he could out of his talent during an 11-year big-league career has become the manager perhaps uniquely qualified to handle a roster that is better than the sum of its parts.

“He said (during his interview) ‘I have certain unconditional aspects of how I manage’ and boy, he managed that way,” Sherman said. “The motivation he got from these guys, unbelievable.”

Motivation that wavered but never fully waned, even as Miami trudged through an uneven first five months of the season in which it did little more than find a way to hang around.

“There’s been like four times this year where I just to myself I’m just like ‘Man, I don’t know if we can do it,’” catcher Jacob Stallings said. “Just treading water and every time we (seem close to out of it), I mean we just do something crazy.”

Like sweeping rival and NL East winner Atlanta in mid-September immediately after a draining series loss in Milwaukee threatened to blunt their momentum.

Like rallying for two runs in the ninth inning at Citi Field against the New York Mets on Thursday, a game suspended by rain at nearly 1 a.m.

Like coming back from a 3-0 deficit in the eighth inning on Friday night, the sixth time this season they’ve roared back from three runs or more after the seventh, the most by any team in the majors in the modern era.

Miami’s 17-9 sprint through September culminated in a postgame party near the mound at PNC Park on Saturday night while a small cadre of fans behind the dugout shouted “Lets Go Marlins!”

Heady territory for a team with an opening day payroll of a relatively modest $91 million, a team that had dropped at least 93 games in each of the last four non-pandemic-shortened seasons.

“It’s not about payroll, it’s about what you got in here,” Sherman said, pointing to his heart. “And these guys had it in here.”

Maybe because the people like the woman Chisholm Jr calls “Momma Kim,” showed them the way. “Our staff, our front

office, they’re a family and they showed us how to be a family,” Chisholm Jr said. “And it starts at the top with Sherman, to Kim to Skip. It all starts from there. We just watch them and they help us. It’s fun to see how much work they put in.”

“We’ve been living for six years with ‘Let’s Go Mets’ in our stadium all the time,” Marlins owner Bruce Sherman said. “Mets didn’t finish. Yankees didn’t finish. San Diego didn’t finish. Payrolls three times our and look what we did.”

What the Mets and everyone else will see is a team that keeps finding a way despite a roster bereft of stars outside of the electrifying Chisholm, who was 5 years old growing up in the Bahamas in 2003 the last time the Marlins made the playoffs at the end of a 162game regular season.

Little was expected in 2023, yet the Marlins entered September at 67-67 and on the fringe of an underwhelming wild card race before hitting the gas over the last four weeks.

Miami used a 17-9 September surge to vault over San Francisco, Chicago and surprising Cincinnati in the standings.

Jon Berti had three hits for the Marlins and started the go-ahead rally with a leadoff walk in the sixth off Quinn Priester (3-3), beginning a sequence that symbolized Miami’s “whatever it takes” approach.

Garrett Hampson bunted for a hit when Nick Gonzalez was late covering the bag at first. Both runners advanced on a sacrifice by Jacob Stallings and Berti put the Marlins in front 3-2 by beating shortstop Liover Pegeuro’s throw home on a sharp grounder by Jorge Soler. Bell’s sacrifice fly pushed the advantage to 4-2.

Bell — who spent five years with the Pirates from 2016-20 before bouncing from Washington to San Diego to Cleveland to Miami — provided the Marlins with some welcome insurance in the eighth with a long drive to center that drove in Berti and Soler.

“Thought I’d celebrate here years and years ago,” Bell said. “But just to be able to celebrate here now, is icing on the cake.”

A night after rallying from three runs down after the seventh inning for the sixth time this season — the most by any MLB team since 1900 — the Marlins made sure no such dramatics were required.

“This team has just exemplified heart and they know it,” said general manager Kim Ng, the first female GM in Major League Baseball history. “And I think that is the driver of this group.”

Endy Rodriguez had three hits and drove in a run for the Pirates. Jared Triolo and Ke’Bryan Hayes added two hits each. Bryan Reynolds provided an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth that trimmed Miami’s lead to three, but the Pirates would get no closer.

Priester, a first-round pick in the 2019 amateur draft, put together 5 1/3 workmanlike innings as he tries to position himself for a spot in the starting rotation in 2024.

A job that Ng insists is still far from finished.

“I need to go back to my (introductory) press conference where I said ‘Failure is not an option,’” she said. “And that has really come full circle ... So we’re here but we still have more work to do.”

MIAMI Marlins’ Tanner Scott, right, takes a selfie with teammates during a locker room celebration after the Marlins clinched a playoff berth with a 7-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

MIAMI Marlins’ Jazz Chisholm Jr., right, returns to the dugout after hitting a solo home run off Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Quinn Priester during the third inning on Saturday.

MIAMI Marlins’ Jazz Chisholm Jr, right, celebrates with the bat boy as he returns to the dugout after hitting a solo home run off Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Quinn Priester during the third inning on Saturday.

Hornets say F/C Kai Jones will not participate in training camp due to ‘personal reasons’

By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer

CHARLOTTE, N.C.

(AP) — The Charlotte Hornets announced Saturday that 2021 first-round draft pick Kai Jones will not participate in training camp due to personal reasons.

“There is not currently a timetable for his return to the team,” the Hornets said in a statement.

“Out of respect for the personal nature of the situation, the Hornets will not have any additional public comments regarding the matter at this time.”

The forward/centre had a bizarre post on Instagram Live where he danced and rambled incoherently.

He has also repeatedly stated that he’s the GOAT (greatest of all time) and plans to be MVP

and defensive player of the year, along with writing that he would beat Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James in a 1-on-1 game. Jones also wrote that he is a better shooter than two of Charlotte’s recent top three draft picks, LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, saying:

“I’ve had a higher fg% than those guys since I came out the womb and none of them can guard me so know your ball before you talk.”

Hornets coach Steve Clifford said last week that Jones has not been participating in the team’s voluntary workouts, but wouldn’t comment further.

After the news, Jones took to X, formerly Twitter, and wrote “my intuition is telling me there will be better days. #GOATLIFE”

CHARLOTTE Hornets’ Kai Jones dunks against the Orlando Magic on March 3, in Charlotte, N.C. The Hornets announced Saturday that 2021 first-round draft pick Jones will not participate in training camp due to personal reasons.

UNANIMOUS DECISION

By MARK ANDERSON AP Sports Writer

LAS VEGAS (AP)

— There had been more than whispers that Saul “Canelo” Alvarez was well past his prime.

He put such talk to rest — for now at least — on Saturday night.

“Nobody can beat this Canelo,” Alvarez said after he thoroughly dominated Jermell Charlo to retain his unified super middleweight championship.

Alvarez (60-2-2) won by scores of 119-108, 118-109 and 118-109. The statistics were just as one-sided. Alvarez landed 42 punches to Charlo’s 11, almost all power punches for both boxers.

Charlo, the unified junior middleweight champ, moved up two weight classes to take on Alvarez.

“I just felt like I wasn’t me in there,” Charlo said. “I don’t make excuses for myself, so it is what it is. I take my punches and roll with it.”

Even though Charlo (352-1) was the one moving up, he is 4 inches taller than the 5-foot-8 Alvarez and with a 2 1/2-inch reach advantage. That didn’t matter as Alvarez promised before the fight, saying his experience would prevail in the battle of 33-year-olds.

along with a series of emojis. He later wrote: “How could I ever trip ? I be walking on air.”

The Hornets are scheduled to open their training camp next week. Jones, the 19th pick in the 2021

NBA draft out of Texas, averaged 2.7 points during his first two seasons in the NBA.

Ryder Cup stays right at home as Americans lose seventh straight

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer

GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy (AP)

— The best collection of players at Marco Simone had flags from their eight countries draped around their shoulders as they took turns clutching and thrusting the gold Ryder Cup, the very trophy that turns them into one nation, one team, with one purpose.

The celebration was familiar on European soil, and so was the winner of the Ryder Cup.

Team Europe, embarrassed two years at Whistling Straits when it suffered its worst loss to the Americans, got their payback yesterday, along with that 17-inch trophy.

“Not many people gave us a chance, I don’t think, especially two years ago,” European captain Luke Donald said. “Well, we proved them wrong.”

Europe now has seven straight wins at home dating to 1993.

This one wasn’t even particularly close, from the opening session Friday, which Europe swept for the first time in history, to the Sunday singles that led to a 16 1/2-11 1/2 victory.

Rory McIlroy, in tears two years ago after his shabby performance, was among Europe’s top players who quickly doused any American dreams of a rally. He beat Sam Burns to go 4-1 for the week, the first time he was Europe’s top scorer in his seventh appearance.

“I was so disappointed after Whistling Straits — we all were,” McIlroy said. “And we wanted to come here to Rome and redeem ourselves.”

Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland and Tyrrell Hatton also picked up key points early in the singles lineup, leaving Europe needing only a half-point to reaching the winning total. Tommy Fleetwood delivered the clincher, hitting a signature shot on the signature hole at Marco Simone — a drive to 25 feet on the reachable 16th against Rickie Fowler.

Fowler, now with a 1-8-5 road record in the Ryder Cup, hit into the water and wound up conceding the birdie to Fleetwood, who

raised both arms to the loudest cheer of the week.

“I really didn’t want to come down to one of us at the back,” said Fleetwood, in the 11th spot in the lineup. “Just so happened to play a part — it was a bit bigger than I thought I was going to have when we saw the draw. But just so proud of being part of this team.”

The Americans were confident, mainly based on their 19-9 victory in Wisconsin two years ago, that they finally would win on European soil for the first time in 30 years.

Now make it 34 years. Their next chance is 2027 at Adare Manor in Ireland.

“I think the European team played some phenomenal golf. I think it really is quite that simple,” U.S. captain Zach Johnson said, his voice choking to the point that it was hard for him to complete a sentence.

“Team USA will be better for it. We’ll figure it out.”

Johnson is sure to face scrutiny for his six picks, leading to perceptions they were as much about friendships as good form. The six picks combined to go 4-12-4 for the week. Whether it would have mattered is hard to tell.

Europe has the magic touch in these matches.

“This is our time to shine, not because this is our stage. We are just taking care of it because of the amazing role models that we’ve had before us that

have shown us how to do it,” said Justin Rose, at 43 the oldest player in the Ryder Cup.

“A good pairing on the European team doesn’t mean playing with your best mate,” he said. “It means representing something bigger than yourself. And I feel like that’s for me what being a European Ryder Cup player is all about.”

Whatever hopes the Americans had Sunday didn’t last long.

They needed to win the last five matches still on the course. Matt Fitzpatrick of England was in position to win the 18th hole for the clinching half-point with Max Homa buried in gnarly rough above the bunker. Homa, on the advice of caddie Joe Greiner, boldly took a penalty drop, chipped to 7 feet and made the par for the full point.

Homa was a rare bright spot for the U.S. team, going 3-1-1 in his Ryder Cup debut. The mettle came from Patrick Cantlay, whose hat led to the only real drama at Marco Simone, and led to more anger than McIlroy has experienced in these tense matches.

Cantlay was the only player not wearing a USA cap (he says it didn’t fit right) but an unsubstantiated Sky Sports report Saturday morning said it was to protest not getting paid. Cantlay referred to the report as “outright lies.”

But the Europeans fans picked up on it and heckled him endlessly, waving their caps at him at every turn. Cantlay never flinched, making three straight birdies to win a fourballs match.

McIlroy still had a putt to tie, and he was furious when he felt Cantlay’s caddie, Joe LaCava, celebrated for too long and too close to the action, even when asked to move. McIlroy was seen that night being held back as he described the behaviour as “(expletive) disgraceful.”

“I was probably the angriest I have ever been in my career,” McIlroy said.

“I said to the U.S. guys I thought it was disgraceful what went on. I made that clear. I needed to calm myself down because I could have let it bring me down the wrong path.”

Now Charlo is ready to step back, saying he would love to take on 40-0 Terence Crawford, the reigning welterweight and super welterweight champion.

“I’ll move back to 154 (pounds),” Charlo said.

“This morning, I weighed like 172 or 173 pounds. I’ll grandfather myself into this. I’m proud of myself. He didn’t knock me out. He knocked all them other guys out. He hit me with some hard shots. I thought I got mine off.”

(AP Photo/ Scott Kinser)

KAI Jones grabs a rebound against Los Angeles Lakers’ Sacha Killeya-Jones, left, during the first half of an NBA summer league basketball game July 9, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/ John Locher)

EUROPE’s Rory McIlroy celebrates after winning his singles match against United States’ Sam Burns 3&1 on the 17th green at the Ryder Cup golf tournament at the Marco Simone Golf Club in Guidonia Montecelio, Italy, yesterday.

(AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)