11272024 NEWS AND SPORT by tribune242

The Tribune PUZZLER

‘POLITICIAN PAID

IN COCAINE SCHE

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net

A SENIOR police officer has alleged that an unnamed high-ranking Bahamian politician authorised the help and involvement of Bahamian law enforcement officials in a scheme to facilitate cocaine shipments from The Bahamas to the United States for $2m, according to a stunning United States federal indictment released yesterday that includes some of the most severe allegations of official corruption since the drug era of the 80s.

‘We have laW s that could have helped’ prevent recent tragedy

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement (FNM) Senator Michaela Barnett-Ellis said timely implementation and enforcement of the Mental Health Act, passed in December 2022, could have prevented two crimes that have outraged the nation: the rape and murders of a 12-year-old girl and 72-yearold woman. Police said the suspect in the murder of Adriel Moxey, 12, is a mental

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter

A FAMILY of ﬁve is facing a difﬁcult start to the holiday season, having been evicted and forced to sleep in their car after the father was stabbed earlier this month by a disgruntled former employee.

health patient, while the man believed to have killed Vernencha Butler was

FNM Senator Michaela Barnett-Ellis.

CHIEF Petty Officer Darrin Roker (mugshot inset) and Chief Superintendent Elvis Curtis (main photo) were indicted in the US on drug and firearmrelated charges yesterday. Main Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff

Police conﬁrm 72-year-old raped and murdered died from strangulation

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

VERNENCHA Butler, a 72-year-old woman who was brutally raped in a home invasion over the weekend, died from asphyxia due to strangulation, police have conﬁrmed.

The cause of her death was initially unclear because there were no visible signs of injury.

Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings conﬁrmed that the woman was sexually assaulted and found with “internal injuries” based on the autopsy results.

“Again, we are actively investigating this matter

and expect to have the suspect before the courts in the shortest possible time,” she said in a voice note released last night.

Ms Butler’s naked body was discovered on the ﬂoor early Saturday morning by her son and grandson, who arrived home hours after she did and reportedly found an unknown naked man sitting inside her bedroom.

Police identiﬁed the suspect as a 25-year-old man from Boat Alley, off Market Street, who was released from prison in March after serving time for vagrancy and housebreaking.

Investigators believe he entered the home through a front room window while under the inﬂuence of

drugs. Surveillance footage reportedly showed the suspect shirtless and barefoot, roaming the area before allegedly entering the home.

Ms Butler’s tragic death, the country’s 111th homicide, came just hours after she attended her elder sister’s 75th birthday dinner, a joyful occasion for the family, who had endured signiﬁcant losses this year. Commissioner Clayton Fernander expressed sadness over the incident during a recent press conference, saying: “It really hit home to me because it’s family from San Salvador.”

Ms Butler, a breast cancer survivor, left behind a son and two daughters.

TIME CAPSULE SEALED AT FORT CHARLOTT E HOLDING 70 I T EMS

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

A COPY of the Bahamian constitution and a map of The Bahamas are among the 70 items included in a time capsule sealed at Fort Charlotte, which marks the post-50th anniversary of independence.

This capsule, placed in a tomb, will be unsealed in 25 years during the country’s diamond jubilee celebration. Time capsules are also being buried in Family Islands.

Yesterday’s capsule included a Tribune article on Cynthia “Mother” Pratt’s appointment as Governor-General, ELKIN 360’s popular golden anniversary song, Bahari Bahamas’ 50th independence collection, and statistics about The Bahamas over the past 50 years.

Leslie Miller-Brice, chair of the Independence Secretariat, said the capsule holds artefacts of “our time, symbols of our achievements, traditions and aspirations”.

“Within this capsule lies a special note to the 75th independence anniversary planning committee, urging

them to honour their sacriﬁces and triumphs of our journey while continuing to build a Bahamas worthy of those who will come after us,” she said. “As we seal this capsule today, we also seal within it the stories of our founding fathers, suffragettes, the joy of our accomplishments and the dreams we carry for the future.”

Education Minister Glenys Hanna-Martin, speaking on behalf of Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, highlighted the widespread participation of people in the project.

“In every corner of our beloved nation, communities answered the call,” she said. “Committees were formed, historic treasures were gathered and with

great care, these items were wrapped and packed to be sealed away for 25 years.”

“Each capsule contains items of historical, educational, cultural and sentimental value. This includes geographical fact sheets, photographs of our leaders, snapshots of historic buildings, samples of passports, newspaper clippings, Bahamian cookbooks and even wish lists from our youth.”

“Each time capsule is a mosaic of who we are, preserved with precision and care under the guidance of experts from the Smithsonian Institute, the Department of Archives, and the Antiquities Monuments and Museum Corporation (AMMC).”

MINISTER of Immigration and National Insurance Alfred Sears and Governor General Cynthia “Mother” Pratt place the capsule during the National Time Capsule Concealment at Fort Charlotte yesterday.

Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff

‘Politician paid $2m in cocaine scheme’

The United States District Court Southern District of New York has alleged that drug trafﬁckers have smuggled tons of cocaine through The Bahamas into the United States since 2021 with the “support and protection of corrupt Bahamian government ofﬁcials, including high-ranking members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force”.

The Tribune obtained the indictment after Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander revealed in a press statement last night that two senior law enforcement ofﬁcers were arrested in Florida yesterday on drug and ﬁrearm charges.

The ofﬁcers, Chief Superintendent of Police Elvis Curtis, the ofﬁcer in charge of aviation, and Chief Petty

Officer Darren Roker, a defence force officer, will be transported to federal courts in New York for trial on charges of conspiracy to import cocaine, possession and use of firearms, and firearms conspiracy.

Commissioner Fernander also said Sergeant Prince Albert Symonette, a force pensioner, has been named in the indictment and will be suspended from duty effective immediately. The matter is the latest case that will heighten scrutiny on the country’s top leadership of law enforcement.

American prosecutors say corrupt police ofﬁcials “provided sensitive law enforcement information to drug trafﬁckers, protected them from investigation and arrest, and helped them with the logistics of moving massive shipments of cocaine through The Bahamas en route to distribution in the United States”.

“Corrupt RBPF officials have, for example, provided warnings to cocaine traffickers when the Drug Enforcement Administration was carrying out operations in The Bahamas so that traffickers could protect their cocaine shipments from interdiction and themselves from investigation and arrest,” the indictment says.

“These corrupt RBPF and Bahamian government ofﬁcials support the drug trade into the United States at every turn — from the airports, airstrips, and ports in the island chain that serve as points of entry for the cocaine shipments into The Bahamas, and onto maritime vessels that are then used to transmit the cocaine through shipping routes from the northernmost points of The Bahamas and into the United States.”

The indictment accuses some RBPF officials of exploiting the force’s longstanding involvement in Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos (OPBAT), a critical drug-fighting programme, of allowing drug trafficking to flourish.

RBPF officials are accused of denying DEA officials access to seized cocaine and related evidence, provided information contradicted by aerial surveillance and, “on at least one occasion, informed a DEA agent that certain drug-trafficking targets were ‘off-limits’.”

The indictment identiﬁes

several people who either allegedly used their power for corrupt purposes, were drug traffickers, or facilitated drug trafficking through their professional services like charter flights. These include CSP Curtis, Sgt Symonette, Mr Roker, Riccardo Davis, a Bahamian government official, William Simeon, Theodore Adderley, Joshua Scavella, Lorielmo Steele-Pomare, Luis Fernando OrozcoToro, Davon Rolle, Darren Ferguson, Domonick Delancy and Donald Ferguson.

Ofﬁcials say the drugs to The Bahamas primarily originated in Colombia and Venezuela and were received at remote airstrips and larger airports under the supervision of corrupt police ofﬁcials who accepted bribes.

CSP Curtis and SGT Symonette allegedly received a $10,000 cash bribe on October 18, 2023, as a downpayment for helping with a future 600-kilogram cocaine shipment through the Lynden Pindling International

Airport to the United States.

Explaining how the scheme worked, prosecutors said RBDF Ofﬁcer Roker used his access to maritime routes and ports.

On November 6, 2024, he allegedly explained to drug trafﬁckers that he could give them information on the location of US Coast Guard and RBDF vessels and provide advanced warning of potential interdiction efforts.

CSP Curtis and Sgt Symonette allegedly “engaged in extensive discussions regarding the use of their ofﬁcial positions to transport bulk money — from Florida to The Bahamas, including by Bahamian government or military aircraft, in exchange for an approximately ten percent commission,” the indictment alleges.

“Curtis, Symonette and Riccardo Adolphus Davis, the defendant, planned a trip to the United States to receive approximately $1.5m in US currency, which would represent an advanced payment on

an agreed-upon at least approximately 500-kilogram load of cocaine to be imported through The Bahamas into the United States.”

The indictment comes as The Bahamas continues to grapple with a gun violence crisis. A recent US report revealed that 85 percent of firearms recovered in The Bahamas between 2018 and 2022 were traced to retail buyers in the United States, the highest proportion among Caribbean countries. The arrests also come during a period of heightened scrutiny of the police force’s top brass. Over the summer, leaked voice notes involving a senior police officer in dealings with gang members prompted an ongoing FBI-assisted investigation, with the head of the Criminal Investigation Division, Michael Johnson, placed on garden leave. Last night, Office of the Prime Minister director of communications Latrae Rahming said Prime Minister Philp Davis will address the indictment in the House of Assembly this morning.

Pintard: Time to redeﬁne ‘worst of the worst’

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement leader Michael Pintard called for legal amendments to redeﬁne “the worst of the worst” to increase the chance that courts would uphold the death penalty.

However, he rejected FNM Senator Darren Henﬁeld’s proposal to replace the Privy Council with the

Court of Appeal as the highest judicial authority for capital punishment matters.

The death penalty has not been carried out in The Bahamas since 2000, and in 2006, the Privy Council ruled that mandatory death sentences for murder were unconstitutional.

After Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said recently that capital punishment is “not a solution,” Mr Pintard argued that capital punishment is both

a deterrent and a moral necessity.

“When asked tough questions about what some may consider extreme measures, they start vacillating and stammering,” he said about the Davis administration.

“We are clear. We are not clueless. We understand that no one measure is going to end crime in The Bahamas, but those measures, all combined, will increase our chances to succeed from prevention all the way

through to rehabilitation.”

As usual after especially heinous crimes, calls for resuming capital punishment increased after the recent rapes and murders of a 12-year-old girl and 72-year-old woman.

Acknowledging the public’s call for the death penalty, Mr Pintard said while some offenders may not be deterred by the threat of execution, others might reconsider their actions when faced with the

possibility of losing their life.

He said: “Capital punishment is on our books. We don’t try to serve people some fallacy that all crime stops after this is carried out, but we do say clearly and simply, we support capital punishment for the role it could play as a deterrent as well as punishment.”

“We believe the court should have discretion in these matters,” he said. “But we also believe there should

be clear deﬁnitions of what constitutes the worst of the worst. This is something the executive and Parliament should examine, without diminishing the authority of the judiciary.”

Senator Michela BarnettEllis echoed Mr Pintard’s view, calling for the introduction of sentencing guidelines.

“Sentencing guidelines give judges discretion, but also set clear parameters for sentencing,” she said.

Exuma residents brace for

holidays after Sandals’ closure

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

EXUMA residents are bracing for a challenging holiday season after Sandals’ closure in August.

Among those affected are taxicab drivers, who are facing stiff competition from the rise of Airbnbs, which sometimes involve car rentals directly to guests at the airport.

Alston Rolle, president of the Taxicab Association, expressed frustration over this growing practice, which is cutting into drivers’ share of the transportation business and threatening their livelihood.

“Because of these Airbnbs with rentals, you can’t get anything,” he said. “When the plane comes full, one cab moves.

Sometimes, two or three days, you don’t get a job.”

“Right now, Air Canada comes once a week, and it brings a little boost. But now, the Airbnbs are just causing a problem for the cabs. The Airbnbs are renting cars and bringing them to the airport.”

“We think Airbnbs with rentals should not allow the cars to come to the airport to pick up their guests.”

“Let the taxi bring the guests to the Airbnb, and then they get their rental cars from there. That will be a big boost for the cab drivers.”

Since Sandals’ closure, visitors have made arrangements with Airbnb operators and homeowners for car rentals and pick-ups at the airport.

There are some 113 registered taxicabs on the island;

however, according to Mr Rolle, only 65 are operating on the road. About 45 to 50 come under the Taxicab Association, while the others are independent.

“Taxi drivers are having a rough time,” he said.

Mr Rolle revealed that the association has taken steps to support its members during these challenging times, including providing ﬁnancial bonuses.

“When Sandals closed, we had almost 50 cabs under the association, and we decided to give a $500 bonus in everybody’s paycheck,” he said. “Come Christmas, I will give back an amount from their dues because everybody has things to do and kids away in school.”

Mr Rolle said Airbnbs are the main concern for cab drivers in Exuma.

Straw vendors are also feeling the pinch, with Princess McKenzie of the Straw Market Association reporting that business has been slow.

“One day last week, I went home with nothing,” she said, adding that they are expecting some guests to come for the Thanksgiving holiday.

When Sandals was open, Ms McKenzie said every Friday, a few straw vendors would go there.

“Although Sandals closed, we still got to come out,” she said.

“We have 14 straw vendors in the market here, and we were not feeling it even when Sandals was open. We still have tourists coming, but we just don’t depend on Sandals.”

“It could be better, especially leading up to the holiday when we look

forward to getting stuff and taking care of their families,” she said.

Meanwhile, Joan Rolle, a resident and community advocate, expressed strong disappointment over the state of Exuma, particularly with public infrastructure such as the airport and public dock.

“Exuma is falling apart.

We are suffering on the Family Islands,” she said, highlighting such issues as a lack of a ﬁre engine, inadequate medical services, and poor public facilities.

She voiced frustration over the high cost of food.

“You go to the food store where you have to pay $7 to 9 for eggs,” she said.

Ms Rolle, who created the Facebook page Let’s Fix Exuma, said the island is neglected and “Exuma is ﬁlthy.”

“Don’t talk about no

Christmas spirit, don’t talk about no Thanksgiving spirit, Family Island people are suffering. Our verges have not been cut in years,” she said.

“We have a mini hospital. If you broke your wrist in Exuma, they can’t do nothing for you. They have to ship you out to Nassau.”

“We have an airport in Exuma; sometimes it don’t even have toilet tissue in it. We don’t even have a parking lot. Government talked about $99m to give us an airport, and we still don’t have an airport in Exuma. They have public restrooms on the dock that they don’t ﬁx, and they close it up. And you have tourists pissing on the back of the building because they can’t get into the restrooms.”

“No, we don’t feel no Christmas spirit.”

SANDS CRITICISES DAVIS ADMINIS TRATION ON PMH RENOVATIONS DELAY

weather-related crisis.

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Move-

ment Chairman Dr Duane Sands has attacked the Davis administration for the delay in completing renovations to the Princess Margaret Hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department, allegedly neglecting to provide animal feed to farmers for eight weeks, and outsourcing the parliamentary registration process to a foreign ﬁrm.

Last month, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said renovations to PMH’s A&E department would be completed by early November, blaming delays on poorly structured contracts and oversight by the previous administration. However, with the month nearly over, there has been no update on the project’s status.

to prepare hot meals for patients. He said patients are currently receiving only boxed meals.

“It appears as if all of these millions and billions of dollars that they’re bragging about, that they’re collecting are going to places other than to the health care system,” Dr Sands said. He also criticised the treatment of the hospital’s kitchen, which has been under renovation for six months, leaving it without proper equipment

“At that same hospital, if you walk up one hallway and go down the next, you will go to a kitchen which has been gutted, no stove, no fridge, no ability to cook hot meals at all for any of the patients for the last six months,” he said.

“So if you are a patient at Princess Margaret Hospital, you will get a box lunch, a box breakfast and a box dinner.”

He added that the hospital’s kitchen staff has been relocated to the University of The Bahamas, where meals are prepared and

transported to the hospital. He warned of the risk this posed, especially in a

“This stopgap measure may have worked for a day or a week, but six months is absolutely unacceptable,” he said. Dr Sands also accused the government of neglecting the agricultural sector, citing a nationwide shortage of animal feed that has left many farmers with starving livestock, forcing some to euthanise their animals. He said the government had failed to provide the necessary support for farmers over the past eight weeks.

Additionally, Dr Sands criticised the government for reportedly outsourcing the

parliamentary registration process to a foreign ﬁrm and failing to conﬁrm a parliamentary commissioner.

“As I understand, they have now outsourced, I am advised, the parliamentary registration process to a foreign ﬁrm and they’ve already paid the fee,” he said. “Let me just ask them to deny it or to conﬁrm it publicly.

“How is it,” he asked, “that something so sacred as our democracy, the management of the electoral process, that your new day administration would feel ought to be taken out of the hands of Bahamians and put in the hands of foreigners to manage?”

A new University of Miami scientiﬁc study reveals something unexpected in Andros

By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

A UNIVERSITY of Miami study found that while rising sea levels have caused signiﬁcant transformations in inland ecosystems, shorelines on the island of Andros in The Bahamas have remained surprisingly stable, challenging common assumptions about coastal erosion.

According to the study, the rising sea levels have caused dramatic changes to the island’s inland areas, including marshes and mudﬂats. Bacterial mats have shifted further inland, and tidal channels have grown wider and longer over the decades.

“One of the lessons from what’s happened on Andros is that the effects of sea level rise are not uniform or intuitive,” said University of Miami geologist Sam Purkis, a coauthor of the study. “While shorelines may stay in place, inland areas can expand and change dramatically, even hollowing out islands

from within.” The study relied on a unique set of data to uncover these changes, according to SciTechDaily.

A collection of black-andwhite aerial photographs taken by the British Royal Navy during World War II was discovered among the papers of late University of Miami geologist Robert Ginsberg in 2017. These photos, combined with modern satellite imagery from Landsat, allowed scientists to track how Andros island’s landscape has evolved over the past eight decades.

“By comparing these historic images to recent satellite data, we could see how much the marshes have shifted and how the tidal channels have grown due to rising sea levels,” Dr Purkis explained.

The data shows a steady rise in sea levels over the decades. Between 1985 and 2018, sea levels around Andros rose by about ten centimeters, aligning with global trends observed since the 1990s. Researchers estimate an average annual rise of 0.18 centimetres since

1950.

“Given the rapid rate of change, we expected to see signiﬁcant coastal erosion,” Dr Purkis noted. “But instead, the shorelines remained stable, thanks to sediment replenishment in the area.”

While the shorelines showed little change, the study revealed dramatic shifts inland. The researchers observed bacterial mats, particularly Scytonema cyanobacteria, moving more than 200 meters (700 feet) inland in some areas. Tidal channels also widened, lengthened, and proliferated, reshaping the island’s interior.

The study found that hurricanes, despite their intensity, caused minimal lasting damage to the landscape. Andros storms had little effect on the structure of mudflats, marshes, or tidal channels. Instead, the gradual rise in sea levels was identified as the primary driver of significant inland changes.

“The effects of sea level rise are far from uniform,” Dr Purkis said. “Andros shows us that while shorelines may appear stable, the unseen transformations inland can hollow out islands and reshape their entire landscape.”

FNM chairman Dr Duane Sands speaks at a press conference yesterday.

Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr

‘We have laws that could have helped’ prevent recent tragedy

released from prison in March for vagrancy. Police believe he was on drugs when he killed Butler.

Senator Barnett-Ellis linked the tragedies to the delay in implementing the Mental Health Act.

“I think it goes without saying that last week was a gut-wrenching week for all of us, whether you’re a mother or a girl mom like me or a daughter, it hit home,” she said during an FNM press conference.

“And when we think about what are the solutions, what could have been different? For me, the most frustrating part of it is that we have laws that could have helped.

“In December of 2022, we passed a new Mental Health Act, but this administration sat on it. They sat on it for over a year.”

“Now is not the time to be passing legislation for the sake of passing legislation. Now is the time to

take some of that travel money and inject it into the things that Bahamians need you to deal with now.”

In September, Health Minister Dr Michael Darville acknowledged that the law had not been fully implemented but promised enforcement “very shortly”.

Senator Barnett-Ellis did not elaborate on what provisions in the law could have prevented the recent tragedies.

The Mental Health Act aims to protect the human rights of those diagnosed with mental illness, ensuring access to appropriate care and treatment. It also empowers people to make decisions about their care while providing safeguards to ensure fair and humane treatment. Additionally, the bill establishes standards for mental health services, creating a Mental Health Services Board and a Mental Health Review Tribunal to oversee care and treatment.

Michael Brown Jr, a father of four children — the youngest just two months old — said the stabbing injuries left him struggling to provide for his family, leading to their eviction last week.

“I was supposed to work them weeks and pay the rent. But, the little money what I had was only enough to say, do, like grocery and stuff like that,” said Mr Brown, a self-employed construction worker, to The Tribune yesterday.

“It’s not like we’re bums. We’re working people who take care of their families

but I didn’t have the money exactly at the time.”

Desperate to provide for his family, Mr Brown said he tried to return to work despite his injuries, but the effort took a toll on his health.

“I almost end up back in the hospital because my side was swelling up from the injuries,” he added.

Mr Brown claimed he informed the landlord of their situation, and the landlord initially gave him extended time to pay the overdue rent. However, he claimed the man later went back on his word.

“He came up with

another story and told me I have to move tonight and I was like, hey, I can’t move tonight because I thought we was working it out and he’s like, he was like, ‘no man, I thought you understand me from Monday when I tell you say have it on Monday’.”

Mr Brown said he chose not to argue the point and left with his family the next morning to take shelter in their rental car for about ﬁve days. His girlfriend, Elizabeth Cleare, who has been unable to work while on pregnancy leave, claimed she was never compensated by her job.

She also said the National Insurance Board (NIB) told her she couldn’t get beneﬁts because her contributions were too small, leaving the family in a ﬁnancial bind. She said they sought help from the Department of Social Services but were left disappointed.

“They didn’t even have any space to accommodate us, because basically every day from we got evicted, we went to Social Services,” she said. “We were the ﬁrst ones there in the morning to try and register for shelter, but they were telling us, ‘Hey, there’s nothing we can do. We don’t have shelter’.”

She said staff told them

to return the next day, but each visit was as disheartening as the last because “the minute you hit the door, there was still no shelter yet.”

Social Services ofﬁcials who anonymously spoke to The Tribune yesterday said people must often repeatedly return to the department until shelter becomes available.

Ofﬁcials said some in shelters refuse to leave because they have nowhere else to go, making it difﬁcult to accommodate others in need.

Despite the challenges, Mr Brown said he is determined to provide a stable

home for his children.

“I can’t even see the Christmas spirit right now, because I just need to stabilise my family ﬁrst, and then I can really see that it goes from there,” he said. “But right now, I just trying to get back on my foot. I trying to get a new job, stuff like that.”

He also thanked good samaritans like FNM leader Michael Pintard and Ghandi Pinder for their support. The family is currently staying in a rental place, with the cost covered by another generous donor. They can be reached at 423-2160.

STATIS TICS SHOW SMALL RISE IN INFLATION RATE FOR AUGUS T OVER PRIOR MONTH

THE Bahamas National Statistical Institute has reported a slight increase in the inﬂation rate for August 2024, with prices rising by 0.1 percent compared to July.

This follows a 0.1 percent decline recorded between June and July, reﬂecting modest changes in the cost of goods and services purchased by the average consumer. Several categories saw price increases in August. Communication costs rose by 2.1 percent, while prices for furnishing and household equipment increased by 1.0 percent. Recreation and culture, along with food and non-alcoholic beverages, recorded a 0.6 percent rise. In contrast, the restaurant and hotel sector saw

a decline of 2.0 percent, and other major categories experienced little to no change. The Consumer Price Index for August also showed a 0.6 percent decline compared to the same period in 2023. This drop was inﬂuenced by signiﬁcant decreases in furnishing and household equipment, transportation,

CONSUMER PROTECTION COMMISSION CALL S ON RETAILERS TO DEMONS TRATE GOODWILL

THE Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) is calling on major retailers to demonstrate goodwill and community care by providing complimentary reusable bags to customers as Bahamians continue to grapple with rising costs.

CPC executive chairman Randy Rolle described the initiative as a chance for businesses to showcase their commitment to sustainability and customer service while helping consumers adapt to the evolving landscape of shopping bag use.

“With the ever-changing landscape of retail shopping bags, it is crucial for all stakeholders — consumers, providers, and policymakers—to work together to reduce environmental impact, encourage sustainable practices, and enhance the shopping experience,” said Mr Rolle. “By taking on this shared responsibility, we are paving the way for a more sustainable and prosperous future for generations to come.”

recreation and culture, and clothing and footwear, which fell by 3.6 percent, 3.5 percent, 2.4 percent, and 2.6 percent respectively.

Meanwhile, the education category recorded a 4.9 percent increase, and food and non-alcoholic beverages rose by 3.5 percent over the same period.

Fuel prices presented a

mixed picture for August.

Diesel prices increased by 0.8 percent from July but declined by 1.4 percent compared to August 2023. Gasoline prices fell by 0.5 percent from the previous month and were 4.6 percent lower year-on-year.

The average cost of gasoline was $5.59 per gallon, while diesel stood at $5.08 per gallon.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages remained one of the most affected categories, with its index climbing to 138.70 in August. Communication costs also rose signiﬁcantly, reaching an index of 108.33, while the restaurant and hotel sector saw its index drop to 142.44, reﬂecting the largest monthly decrease among major categories.

“We understand that providing reusable bags may not be feasible for all businesses,” the CPC said in a statement. “To this end, we remain open to dialogue and working together to ﬁnd solutions as the country moves toward full compliance.”

“Together, we can create meaningful change for consumers and the environment alike,” Mr Rolle said.

The CPC said the cost of reusable bags is minimal, making it a manageable gesture for retailers. Additionally, the commission noted that providing reusable bags could be a strategic move for businesses, enhancing brand visibility, improving customer perception, and fostering loyalty. While the CPC remains aware that not all businesses may ﬁnd it feasible to absorb the cost of reusable bags, Mr Rolle said the organisation is open to discussions with retailers to identify workable solutions. The appeal comes as The Bahamas transitions toward full compliance with the legislative ban on biodegradable and non-biodegradable plastics.

FNM SENATOR MICHELA BARNETT-ELLIS

The Tribune Limited

NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI

“Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”

LEON E. H. DUPUCH, Publisher/Editor 1903-1914

SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH, Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .

Publisher/Editor 1919-1972

Contributing Editor 1972-1991

RT HON EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON, C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B.

Publisher/Editor 1972-

Published daily Monday to Friday Shirley & Deveaux Streets, Nassau, Bahamas N3207

TELEPHONES

News & General Information

(242) 502-2350

Advertising Manager (242) 502-2394

Circulation Department (242) 502-2386

Nassau fax (242) 328-2398

Freeport, Grand Bahama (242)-352-6608

Freeport fax (242) 352-9348

WEBSITE, TWITTER & FACEBOOK

www.tribune242.com

@tribune242

tribune news network

Are we a nation for sale - again?

THE news that three ofﬁcers charged with the protection of our country have been accused in an indictment in the US relating to drug and gun offences is enough to bring back memories of the days when our country was branded as a nation for sale in the drug years.

But the details of the indictment are worse still – naming a string of other individuals including a sergeant who is a pensioner with the police force. He has been suspended from duty immediately.

Worse still is the allegation contained in the detail of the indictment that drug trafﬁckers have smuggled “tons of cocaine” through The Bahamas “with the support and protection of corrupt Bahamian government ofﬁcials, including high-ranking members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force”.

Somehow it manages to get even worse again – with a claim that in exchange for $2m, “a high-ranking Bahamian politician … would authorise the assistance and involvement of Bahamian law enforcement ofﬁcials – including armed RBPF ofﬁcers – in facilitating and insuring cocaine shipments”.

Let us be clear. That is a statement that a senior politician was directing ofﬁcers with guns to protect drug trafﬁckers.

The politician has been named to investigators by Chief Superintendent Elvis Curtis, who has been arrested along with Chief Petty Ofﬁcer Darrin Roker of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force.

That politician is not named in the indictment – but one cannot imagine investigators in the US will not be taking an interest in that individual.

The action taken in the US has been swift – commendably so.

Our response to this must equally be swift – and thorough.

Swift is one word that does not apply to the investigation still ongoing into voice notes alleging corruption involving senior police ﬁgures.

The voice notes were leaked online in July – and appeared to capture a quid-pro-quo arrangement allegedly involving a senior police ofﬁcer, a lawyer and two men who were subsequently murdered, Michael Fox, Jr, and Dino Smith.

The conversation centred on a $1.5m airport bank car heist in November last year. The two alleged criminals in the conversation – Fox Jr and Smith – were suspects in that case, but were never charged.

Two other men were charged in connection with the robbery. One of those, Oral Roberts, was subsequently killed in Fox Hill in July.

The former head of CID, Michael

Johnson, has taken “garden leave“ as authorities investigate.

International ofﬁcers were reportedly due to offer help with the investigation – but Commissioner Fernander has declined to offer details, including whether or not the voice notes have been veriﬁed as genuine by those foreign investigators.

National Security Minister Wayne Munroe has said he cannot conﬁrm whether the ﬁndings of the investigation would be made public.

He has also previously said that he has faith in the force, saying that it is “committed to rooting out the bad apples”.

This wave of fresh allegations almost makes that previous probe pale into insigniﬁcance in comparison – but it is important to recognise the corruption allegations that have already been swirling before this indictment.

For those who do not remember the corruption of the drug years, we certainly do at The Tribune

We recall Bahamians being frightened to write letters to The Tribune, let alone call for action against the corruption of the time. One woman’s house was stoned because it was believed she had written a letter critical of the PLP. Properties were burned. A policeman was sent to try to force us to reveal the identity of a letter writer – an assignment the ofﬁcer disliked as much as we did.

Bahamians who objected to the drug trade were terriﬁed to inform the police – so they phoned us instead.

We were so unsure of dealing with our own police force that we started to pass on information to the US drug enforcement agencies.

We have come a long way from those days – though not far enough. There must be absolute zero tolerance for corruption to ensure we do not return to those times. That includes a need for transparency in the investigations into such matters – with no room for allegations to be swept under the carpet.

The force must show it truly is committed to rooting out the bad apples – and giving no room for more to grow.

Prime Minister Philip Davis is to address Parliament today at 10am on the allegations. It is a matter of the greatest importance. It hits home at our national security. It raises questions over leadership that could have allowed such a systemic level of corruption to grow, if these allegations are true.

That word “if” is important. If so, it is hard to see how the leadership that allowed this to occur can continue.

Mr Davis must offer no less than the sternest of responses – and thorough action to save the reputation of our law enforcement agencies, and of our country itself.

Abuse of the public purse

EDITOR, The Tribune. PLEASE allow me to make some points regarding the indescribable abuse of the public purse. We have been told numerous times of record collection in VAT and other revenue streams. We have seen the introduction of MyGateWay which has made many government services available online and sped up the process considerably. It also takes away the risk of employees handling physical cash which could easily go missing. Given the above, I ﬁnd it interesting that record revenue collection leads consistently to budget deﬁcits. How? How does record income minus expenses constantly lead to

losses? Let’s look into this numbers on the expense side. The largest expense is the Public Service. International bodies have constantly told government after government they need to reduce the size of the Public Service. If I recall under the Minnis administration they started to heed this by not replacing Public servants who retired which would little by little take some strain of the public expenses. However, the current administration seems to have brought back retirees and also created jobs out of thin air that did not exist before. Also, to add insult to injury there seems to be no concerns about unnecessary trips abroad, all at the

PICTURE OF THE DAY

Have a cool, fun, interesting, amazing photo? Have it featured here in The Tribune’s picture of the day! Email your high quality image to pictureoftheday@tribunemedia.net

VISITORS move as snow falls, with the

Bahamian labour challenges

EDITOR, The Tribune. THE challenges of Bahamian labour markets comprise various complex issues that affect the strength of its economy.

This article in my estimation delves into one of the three critical issues

The Bahamas is faced with: brain drain in The Bahamas, wage employment of foreign workers to Bahamian workers in quality jobs, and measures to build up the middle class in the wake of taxation and inﬂation.

Thus, these issues are noted, and corresponding gradual common sense changes are suggested, considering the nature of the Bahamian labor market and possible directions for its development. First, I wish to focus on the brain drain problem affecting The Bahamas and offer incremental solutions.

Foreign labour vs Bahamian labour

In the Bahamian labour market, a notable disparity exists between the wages and job opportunities available to foreign workers versus Bahamian nationals. Foreign workers often occupy high-paying positions, while locals frequently ﬁnd themselves in lower-paying roles or receiving signiﬁcantly lower wages for similar job titles.

This imbalance can lead to economic inequality and social unrest, with Bahamians feeling marginalized in their own country. Addressing this issue requires a multifaceted approach to ensure fair employment practices and opportunities for locals.

Possible solutions

To address the misalignment between Bahamian labor market supply and demand, several measures can be implemented:

1. Skill Development and Training Initiatives: It is essential to develop targeted training programs that align with the qualifications needed for high-paying occupations in sectors such as tourism, finance, and technology. By investing in skill development and certification programs, Bahamian workers can better meet the demands of these growth sectors.

2. Promoting Local Entrepreneurship: Encouraging local entrepreneurship can create more high-quality job opportunities for Bahamians. Providing grants, low-interest loans, and business development services can support small and

medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), fostering economic growth and technological advancement. Jean-Pierre (2022) highlights the importance of such initiatives in boosting local employment and reducing social costs.

3. Policy Review and Reformation: Policies should be re-evaluated to prevent foreign labor from directly competing with local workers. Setting parameters for the employment of Bahamians and implementing quotas for foreign workers in speciﬁc sectors can help balance the labor market.

4. Public-Private Partnerships: Developing partnerships between the government and private sector can enhance internship and apprenticeship programs. These partnerships can provide on-the-job training for Bahamians, bridging the gap between education and employment, and improving access to better-paying jobs. By implementing these strategies, The Bahamas can work towards creating a more equitable labor market, ensuring that Bahamian workers have fair opportunities and are better positioned to contribute to and beneﬁt from the country’s economic growth.

JAMAL MOSS New Providence November 25, 2024.

Tipping points

EDITOR, The Tribune.

taxpayers expense. As always, there are rumours of people “taking out of the cookie jar” as well. This is just terrible. What I don’t understand is people are not asking questions. No one is challenging why, after making record revenue collection, we still can’t balance the budget. Politicians need to explain where the money went. We don’t have major investments in education. PMH is still a disaster. BPL is a plague. So, where did the money go? Do we need Sherlock Holmes or Scotland Yard to look for clues?

FRUSTRATED

CITIZEN Nassau, November 23, 2024.

TIPPING points may come in slow and gradual progressions of subtle changes, or in abrupt and cataclysmic ways. In The Bahamas today, we may be at a critical tipping point. Take your pick of options in analyzing how we got here, but perhaps time would better be spent on strategising where we go from here. None of us should be expected to be detached or unempathetic with regard to the most recent violent outrages against the innocent juvenile, as well as the elderly victims, still occupying spaces in daily news accounts. But we must all be aggrieved, if we harbour even the slightest degree of humanity in our hearts. So, whether we join in with those who now rage “hang ‘em high!”, or that other passive group in support of redeeming the villains who have “gone astray”, all sides might agree that we are at a tipping point. Taking matters into our own hands, or some other methods of stemming these dangerous tides must

occur - it can no longer be ‘business as usual’. Among the many and varied options which may be offered for serious consideration, I would like to suggest a look at that “second great commandment”. When we love our neighbour as ourselves, positive changes are bound to follow. We need not stick our noses in each other’s business, but that traditional neighbourliness of The Bahamas only a few decades ago can be retrieved, once it becomes a national objective. Can any of us deny that a journey of a thousand miles begins with the ﬁrst step?

Take a moment, if you will, to think of the many and varied things which divide us in this relatively small Bahamas. Well, it will actually take more than a little while to complete that process, if you take it literally. However, when we suppress our differences, and employ all that connects us - if only on a level of self-interest - we can tip the balance of the horrors now confronting us toward the

happiness which awaits us. Panaceas are easy to form in our minds. Achieving any worthwhile goal in life/society, on the other hand, will require real work and effort. With that in mind, the same kind of zeal that we see exhibited when it comes to campaigning at election times can be ignited and sustained to better our communities. No forces from the outside, nor powers from beyond us are needed to impose goodness among us. Our discipline, morals, and sense of self-respect and preservation, would all serve to bring about that better Bahamas which is still within our reach. Individuals, families, groups; private and public, along with ofﬁcial governing bodies can transform what presently is, to what can ultimately be. Who doesn’t want a better Bahamas? Who doesn’t believe that we are now at a critical tipping point?

MB New Providence November 26, 2024.

Eiffel Tower in the background, in Paris, on Thursday last week.

Photo: Louise Delmotte/AP

‘Intervention, mentorship and support needed for at-risk youth’

By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

CHRISTIAN leader and women’s mentor Cheryl Rolle has called for intentional mentorship and early intervention, urging communities to holistically support atrisk youth with love and understanding. Her reflections follow the tragic death of 12-year-old Adriel Moxey, whose story she believes highlights the critical role of mentorship and safe spaces. Adriel, described as vibrant and active in track, Junkanoo, and church, used these activities as

an escape from challenges at home, according to relatives. Pastor Cleveland Wells, her spiritual mentor, recalled her enthusiasm for church, saying she was “small in stature but powerful”.

Mrs Rolle stressed the need for consistent and intentional efforts to guide at-risk youth, advocating for safe spaces where they feel valued.

“It’s not just about recognising their talents, but about building trust and guiding them through challenges,” she said. She urged collaboration between schools, churches, and social services to provide holistic support, saying: “When

we create spaces of love and understanding, we allow young people to thrive.”

Mrs Rolle’s advocacy stems from her personal journey of overcoming feelings of unworthiness and fear. She credited a supportive “village” of mentors, spiritual leaders, and friends for helping her embrace her calling. Her experiences inspired her to found Daughters of Deborah in 2020, a mentorship movement fostering spiritual guidance and empowerment for young women.

Another pivotal moment in her journey was writing her book, The Embrace, which details

her struggles with fear and self-doubt as she embraced her purpose. She began drafting the book in early 2020, saying: “I had the gift, I was operating in it, but I was so afraid to fully embrace what God was calling me to do.” The book is available on Amazon and at All Seasons Gift and Bookstore.

Mrs Rolle emphasised that helping at-risk youth requires patience, consistency, and genuine care.

“Our young people can spot a fake from a mile away,” she said. “They need to see that we’re genuine and care about them as individuals — not just their talents.”

Man pleads ‘not guilty’ to hitting female relative with stick

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was granted bail after he was accused of injuring a female relative with a stick on Finlayson Street last week.

Senior Magistrate Anishka Isaacs arraigned Troy Johnson, 22, on assault with a dangerous instrument, causing harm and assault.

The defendant allegedly assaulted Cherish Johnson with a stick and injured her

on November 22. That day, the defendant also allegedly assaulted Ashanti King.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to all three charges.

With no objection to bail from prosecutor Assistant

Superintendent of Police S Bowles, Johnson’s bail was set at $3,000 with one or two sureties. He was warned not to interfere with any witness in this matter.

Johnson’s trial begins on January 7, 2025.

TEEN GIRLS CHARGED WITH SELLING MARIJUANA-INFUSED BROWNIES

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

THREE 15-year-old girls were granted bail after they allegedly engaged in a plot to sell marijuana-infused brownies last week.

Senior Magistrate Algernon Allen Jr arraigned the girls, whose names are being withheld because they are minors, on conspiracy to possess dangerous drugs with intent to supply.

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A 19-YEAR-OLD man was remanded in custody yesterday after he was accused of stealing a man’s vehicle at gunpoint on Baillou Hill Road earlier this month.

One of the defendants faced an additional charge of possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply.

The defendants were arraigned in the presence of their guardians.

The trio allegedly conspired to sell marijuana-infused brownies on November 20 in New Providence.

That day, one of the defendants was allegedly found with 13 weed brownies.

All three defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Two of the defendants’ bail was set at $3,000 with one or two sureties each, while one was set at $4,000. Under the terms of their bail, the trio must obey a 24-hour residential curfew except for going to school.

The defendants will return for trial on March 12, 2025.

NOTICE THE BAHAMAS CYCLE CO. will be holding it’s ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING on Thursday, 12th December, 2024 at the PHOENIX RESTAURANT on Bay Street & Elizabeth Avenue at 5:00pm.

All Shareholders are welcome to attend.

The defendant, while armed with a handgun, allegedly robbed a man of his Yamaha XCZ scooter while he was at the intersection of Baillou Hill Road and Palmetto Avenue on November 10. The stolen vehicle is

Senior Magistrate Anishka Isaacs arraigned Daniel Brown on armed robbery.

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was sentenced to 30 months in prison yesterday after admitting to having a loaded gun in his home near Balfour Avenue earlier this month.

reportedly valued at $3,400. Brown was informed that his matter would proceed to the Supreme Court through a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).

The accused will be remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until his VBI is potentially served on February 26, 2025.

30 MONTHS PRISON FOR HAVING LOADED GUN T EEN ACCUSED OF STEALING SCOOTER AT GUNPOINT

Charles was reportedly found with a silver & black Lorcin 9mm pistol and 27 rounds of ammunition after police searched his home on Balfour Avenue and Florida Court on November 14.

Charles was the only defendant who pleaded

Magistrate Lennox Coleby arraigned Charles Whymns, 31, and Danicka Whymns, 18, on possession of an unlicensed ﬁrearm and possession of ammunition.

guilty to both charges.

The charges against Ms Whymns were withdrawn.

After accepting the facts in his case, Charles was sentenced to 30 months in prison for the ﬁrearm charge and 24 months for the ammunition to be served concurrently.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Lincoln McKenzie served as the prosecutor.

CHERYL ROLLE

Channelling rage and anti-resilience

THE Global 16 Days Campaign started on Monday, November 25, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (IDEVAW). The campaign opened at a time that the country is shocked and upset by the rape and murder of 12-year-old Adriel Moxey and the rape and death of 72-year-old Verencha Butler.

The Global 16 Days Campaign was started in 1991 by a group of women in activism who had been engaged in a training programme and saw the need to bring speciﬁc focus to gender-based violence against women and girls. The 16-day campaign includes key dates such as International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (November 29), International Women Human Rights Defenders Day (November 29), International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3), and Human Rights Day (December 10.) In recent years, December 6 has been recognised as Femicide Awareness Day. Femicide has been a theme in the Global 16 Days Campaign by Equality Bahamas for the past few years, both because it was a multi-year theme for the Global 16 Days Campaign itself and it is an overlooked, under-studied issues in The Bahamas. Femicide is the sex- or gender-based killing of a woman or girl, and it can be direct or indirect. Direct femicide is a killing that results from overt physical violence, and indirect femicide results from discriminatory, oppressive, or negligent action or inaction.

The rape and killing of both Adriel Moxey and Verencha Butler, which took place just days before the start of the Global 16 Days Campaign, are emblematic of the issue of gender-based violence against women and girls which includes sexual violence and at its most extreme, results in femicide.

Adriel Moxey, by all accounts, was a spirited girl who enjoyed being around people and kept herself busy with extracurricular activities. She usually made her way home after her on campus activities and church events. It was expected that she would continue to do so, and that it would be safe for to continue living as she did. On the day she was raped and murdered, she went to school. She attempted to walk home from school. She was interrupted by violence. She, like all survivors and victims of rape and femicide, does not have any blame for what for what was done to her. She was child, and she was trying to ﬁnd joy and connection, and she was targeted, overpowered, and violated in the ways women and girls are regularly reminded to fear.

Verencha Butler was a mother and grandmother. She spent time with her family, in celebration of a birthday, before returning to her home where she had the reasonable expectation of safety. She likely had a daily and nightly routine. Perhaps she watched the news in the evening. Maybe she enjoyed a cup of tea before going to bed. She may have always had her tea in a particular mug. That night, we can easily imagine that she turned over the memories of the birthday celebration in her mind, smiling at the wonderful engagement she had with her family. Her night was interrupted. She, like all survivors and victims of rape and femicide, does not have any blame for what was done to her. She was an elderly woman, and she was going about life as she usually did, and she was targeted, overpowered, and

By Alicia Wallace

Recommendations

1. Thursday, November 28, at 6pm: Rage is a Catalyst, with Erika Robinson. At the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, join Mindset Transformation Coach Erika Robinson in a conversation about accessing and acknowledging our emotions, and using rage in particular to power our actions for personal freedom and collective liberation.

2. Saturday, November 30, at 10am: Questioning Climate Resilience, with Marjahn Finlayson. “Resilience” has been a buzzword in the climate space in recent years. What does it really mean? How can The Bahamas, Caribbean countries, and Small Island Developing States be resilient to climate disasters as they increase in both frequency and intensity? Register for this virtual session at tiny.cc/16daysclimate.

3. Monday, December 2, at 6pm: Leveraging CEDAW for Resilient Systems, with Marion Bethel. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is the bill of women’s rights. Former CEDAW Committee Member Marion Bethel will talk about the ways it can be used to develop legal and social systems to support communities rather than expecting individuals to meet all of their own needs or struggle alone. Register for this virtual session at tiny.cc/16dayscedaw.

4. Tuesday, December 3, at 6pm: Channeling Rage: A Theatre Workshop, with Paula Hamilton-Smith. Having been taught that rage is not appropriate for us, women need to get reacquainted with rage and comfortable with feeling and expressing it. In this workshop, facilitated by Trinidadian actor and theater teacher Paula Hamilton-Smith, participants will have the opportunity to try various exercises to identify rage and ﬁnd ways to express it. Register for this virtual session at tiny.cc/16daystheater.

violence in the ways women and girls and regularly reminded to fear. Both of these cases are horrific. They fill some of us with terror and other with disgust or confusion. We wonder how anyone could violate a 12-year-old or a 72-year-old in these ways. We have question after question about the circumstances that led to these criminal acts, what went wrong along the way, and what we need to do now. It has only been a few days, and already the temperature is returning to the usual as attention shifts. So limited is the national capacity for outrage and to apply pressure that even the most horrific cases fall away from the headlines, social media discourse, and dinner table discussion.

This year, Equality Bahamas set Rage and (anti-) Resilience as its theme for the Global 16 Days Campaign. The events are creating space for women to feel, acknowledge, and channel our rage into meaningful action for the political and social transformation we need in order to end gender-based violence. The sessions are also challenging the idea that women and girls must be resilient as individuals, being strong, pulling ourselves up by the bootstraps, and bouncing back from adversity, pretending it never happened. Instead, resilience is being framed as system and a network that allows people to recognise our interdependence and build active communities that are spaces and resources for care. The campaign is building on the idea put forward by Soraya Chemaly in her book The Resilience Myth: New Thinking on Grit, Strength, and Growth After Trauma. We see the harm causes by narrative about a resilience that requires individual strength in the response to the rape and murder of Adriel Moxey. People have been quick to blame her mother, who is also a victim of these crimes, for what happened to her daughter. She should

have secured private transportation for her child, she should have looked for her earlier, she should not have fallen asleep, she should have walked to the police station… There is no end to the list of actions she should have taken. Not only is there no blame assigned to the father, whether or not he was present in Adriel’s life, but this shifted attention from the perpetrator. It also makes the assumption that we are all responsible for ourselves and our dependents to the exclusion of everyone else. It suggests that there is no role for community or government to play. It ignores that other factors involved in Adriel’s case, from the lack of electricity in the area of her home and lack of safe public transportation for all students to the realities and perceptions of the police (as demonstrated by more than one person who did not go directly to the police when there were signs of a crisis).

What is resilience is not a one person job that everyone has to do for themselves? What if the village actually functioned like a cohesive unit? What if the Department of Social Services did its job, on every case, every single time? What if the police were trusted, responsive, and effective? What if no child had to walk home alone, whether at the end of the regular school day or after extracurricular activities? What if electricity was provided wherever there are houses? What if mental health were taken seriously and people could access services without stigma and regardless of ability to pay? What if there were sufﬁcient housing for people in crisis?

The failures are systemic. No individual should have the burden of overcoming all of the systemic issues that are not addressed by the government or other power-wielding entities, nor carry the blame when the consequences of the systemic issues result in tragedy. You see the

“...resilience is being framed as a system and network that allows people to recognise our interdependence and build active communities that are spaces and resources for care.”

horrible situations. You feel grief when people are raped, physically assaulted, and murdered. You see the pain of their loved ones. You can barely imagine the fear of the people it could have been, and the people it could be next. You know it is tragic that there will be a next time. Still, you are in the safety of your home, your family, your safety net, your bank account, and you tell yourself that you are better than those other people and what happens to them would not happen to you because you are resilient. Because you or your family has done certain kinds of work to protect you. And to further convince yourself of your invulnerability, you blame someone. You make decisions about why events unfolded as they did and what individual actions would have prevented them. You get to be superior and separate from this place where terrible things happen. It is easy to blame. What if you allow yourself to be enraged? What if your disgust is for perpetrators and the systems that enable them to enact violence? What if your

demands of the government extended beyond punishment?

There is very little prevention work taking place in The Bahamas. Punishment is not prevention. Punishment happens after the crime is committed. How many cases of gender-based violence and femicide do there need to be before this administration—any administration—faces the facts?

Gender-based violence is a speciﬁc type of violence that disproportionately impacts women and girls. Violence against women and girls is common, and it is rooted in patriarchal attitude, gender stereotypes, and harmful gender ideology that convince people that women are inferior to men. Genderbased violence can result in femicide. The killing of a woman or girl because of her sex or gender is femicide. This is not the same as any other kind of murder or homicide. It is gender-based killing. Cases of femicide must be named and counted. There is no other way to determine the prevalence

of the sex- and genderbased killing of women and girls, and there is no other way to determine the risk factors or indicators. Risk factors and indicators are needed in order to development preventative measures and appropriate, effective intervention. There is no ending genderbased violence or femicide without the use of these speciﬁc terms, the collection and analysis of data, and the development, planning, and implementation of action plans which must include legal reform and national programming. The Gender-Based Violence bill is, as stated by the CEDAW Committee and recommended by United Nations Member States in the Universal Periodic Review, a requirement for this work. There is no existing law that address gender-based violence speciﬁcally and comprehensively, and until there is, we know that we cannot take the Government of The Bahamas seriously and that it is leaving to us, as individuals or as communities—whichever we choose—to be resilient on our own.

Are your devices safe ahead of Computer Security Day?

OBSERVED on November 30, Computer Security Day reminds us of the importance of safeguarding all of our internetconnected devices.

From computers to smartphones and tablets, these powerful tools store irreplaceable photos, sensitive information, messages, and passwords.

Securing these devices not only protects their contents but also the people who rely on them daily.

As we use electronic devices for everything from staying connected and working remotely to banking, studying, and ﬁling taxes, it’s essential to take every possible measure to keep them secure.

Cyber threats such as identity theft, fraud, ransomware, and viruses are constantly evolving, targeting the most vulnerable users.

To protect your family and business, give your devices a security check-up today.

According to DigiCert, a leading digital security ﬁrm, phishing is a social engineering attack that manipulates emails, text messages, social media, and web pages to trick users into engaging with fraudulent entities. Phishing emails often contain links to websites that mimic legitimate ones, aiming to steal sensitive information such as credit card details, PINs, Social Security numbers, and passwords.

To defend against phishing, one should avoid clicking on links from unsolicited emails and instead, open a browser and manually type the URL to verify its legitimacy. It’s also important to report suspicious emails and educate your family,

employees and peers on recognising and avoiding phishing attempts.

Any suspicious emails should be reported to the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) by forwarding them to reportphishing@apwg.org

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd offers a Mobile Security Rewards Program, now offering up to $1m for eligible reports of security vulnerabilities. Launched in 2017, this fosters transparency and collaboration with cybersecurity experts worldwide, including researchers, ethical hackers, and security professionals.

In addition to the reward programme, Samsung provides up to seven years of security updates for its devices, ensuring ongoing protection for users. The recently published Annual Rewards Programme Report highlights key achievements and reafﬁrms Samsung’s dedication to enhancing mobile security.

“With cybersecurity threats becoming increasingly sophisticated, we actively encourage collaboration with the security community to identify and address these challenges,” said Justin Choi, corporate vice president and head of security team, Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics.

Experts recommend a few essential steps to protect your devices including using strong passwords and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for an additional layer of security, keeping your software updated and lastly educating yourself and others by staying informed about current cyber threats and best practices.

AUSTRALIA’S PLAN TO BAN CHILDREN FROM SOCIAL MEDIA PROVES POPULAR - AND PROBLEMATIC

By ROD McGUIRK Associated Press

HOW do you remove children from the harms of social media? Politically the answer appears simple in Australia, but practically the solution could be far more difﬁcult.

The Australian government’s plan to ban children from social media platforms including X, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram until their 16th birthdays is politically popular. The opposition party says it would have done the same after winning elections due within months if the government hadn’t moved ﬁrst.

The leaders of all eight Australian states and mainland territories have unanimously backed the plan, although Tasmania, the smallest state, would have preferred the threshold was set at 14.

But a vocal assortment of experts in the ﬁelds of technology and child welfare have responded with alarm. More than 140 such experts signed an open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemning the 16-year age limit as “too blunt an instrument to address risks effectively”.

Details of how it will be implemented are scant. Lawmakers debated the bill in parliament this week, and it was expected to be passed into law with the support of major parties.

Here’s a look at how some Australians are viewing the issue.

The concerned teen Leo Puglisi, a 17-year-old Melbourne student who founded online streaming service 6 News Australia at the age of 11, worries that lawmakers imposing the ban don’t

understand social media as well as young people at home in the digital age.

“With respect to the government and prime minister, they didn’t grow up in the social media age, they’re not growing up in the social media age, and what a lot of people are failing to understand here is that, like it or not, social media is a part of people’s daily lives,” Leo said.

“It’s part of their communities, it’s part of work, it’s part of entertainment, it’s where they watch content – young people aren’t listening to the radio or reading newspapers or watching free-to-air TV – and so it can’t be ignored. The reality is this ban, if implemented, is just kicking the can down the road for when a young person goes on social media,” Leo added.

Leo has been applauded for his work online. He was a ﬁnalist in his home state Victoria’s nomination for the Young Australian of the Year award, which will be announced in January. His nomination bid credits his platform with “fostering a new generation of informed, critical thinkers.”

The grieving mom-turned-activist

One of the proposal’s supporters, cyber safety campaigner Sonya Ryan, knows personally how dangerous social media can be for children.

Her 15-year-old daughter Carly Ryan was murdered in 2007 in South Australia state by a 50-year-old pedophile who pretended to be a teenager online. In a grim milestone of the digital age, Carly was the ﬁrst person in Australia to be killed by an online predator.

“Kids are being exposed to harmful pornography, they’re being fed misinformation,

there are body image issues, there’s sextortion, online predators, bullying. There are so many different harms for them to try and manage and kids just don’t have the skills or the life experience to be able to manage those well,” Sonya Ryan said.

“The result of that is we’re losing our kids. Not only what happened to Carly, predatory behaviour, but also we’re seeing an alarming rise in suicide of young people,” she added.

Sonya Ryan is part of a group advising the government on a national strategy to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse in Australia.

She wholeheartedly supports Australia setting the social media age limit at 16.

The skeptical internet expert

Tama Leaver, professor of internet studies at Curtin University, fears that the government will make the platforms hold the users’ identiﬁcation data.

The government has already said the onus will be on the platforms, rather than on children or their parents, to ensure everyone meets the age limit.

“The worst possible outcome seems to be the one that the government may be inadvertently pushing towards, which would be that the social media platforms themselves would end up being the identity arbiter,” Leaver said.

“They would be the holder of identity documents which would be absolutely terrible because they have a fairly poor track record so far of holding on to personal data well,” he added.

The platforms will have a year once the legislation has become law to work out how the ban can be implemented.

1,000

SUSPECTS ARE ARRESTED IN AFRICA IN CYBERCRIME BLITZ

INTERPOL arrested 1,006 suspects in Africa during a massive two-month operation, clamping down on cybercrime that left tens of thousands of victims, including some who were trafﬁcked, and produced millions in ﬁnancial damages, the global police organisation said Tuesday.

Operation Serengeti, a joint operation with Afripol, the African Union’s police agency, ran from September 2 to October 31 in 19 African countries and targeted criminals behind ransomware, business email compromise, digital extortion and online scams, the agency said in a statement.

“From multi-level marketing scams to credit card fraud on an industrial scale, the increasing volume and sophistication of cybercrime attacks is of serious concern,” said Valdecy Urquiza, the Secretary General of Interpol.

Interpol pinpointed 35,000 victims, with cases linked to nearly $193m in ﬁnancial losses worldwide, stating that local police authorities and private sector partners, including internet service providers, played a key role in the operation.

Interpol’s previous cybercrime operations in Africa had only led to 25 arrests in the last two years.

PROSECUTORS SEEK RECORDS OF AI WEAPONS SCANNER FIRM

Federal investigators in New York are seeking records from the manufacturer of an AI-powered weapons scanner that was brieﬂy deployed this summer in New York City’s subway system.

The tech company, Evolv, revealed in a public filing that it “received a voluntary document request from the US Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York” on November 1. It was unclear what the request was seeking. The US Attorney’s Office in Manhattan declined to comment on the request, which was first reported by the Daily News. In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for Evolv said the company was “pleased to cooperate with all government agencies and regulators who request information from our company”.

The Massachusetts-based tech company, whose scanners have also been used at sports stadiums and schools, has faced allegations of misconduct. Last month, Evolv’s board of directors ﬁred its chief executive following an internal investigation that found certain sales had been “subject to extra-contractual terms and conditions”.

On Tuesday, the company announced it had resolved a previous probe launched by the Federal Trade Commission last year over allegations of deceptive marketing practices. The company is also under separate investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Despite the legal and regulatory scrutiny, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced a pilot program this summer to bring a handful of scanners to the city’s subways to deter gun violence. The initiative drew immediate criticism from civil liberties groups who said the searches were unconstitutional, along with questions about its efﬁcacy.

UNICEF: Number of children recruited by gangs in Haiti soars by 70 percent

SAN JUAN

Associated Press

GANGS in Haiti are recruiting children at unprecedented levels, with the number of minors targeted soaring by 70% in the past year, according to a report released Monday by UNICEF.

Currently, between 30% to 50% of all gang members in the violence-wracked country are children, according to the UN

“This is a very concerning trend,” said Geeta Narayan, UNICEF’s representative in Haiti.

The increase comes as poverty deepens and violence increases amid political instability, with gangs that control 85% of Port-au-Prince attacking once peaceful communities in a push to assume total control of the capital.

used as informers “because they’re invisible and not seen as a threat,” Narayan said in a phone interview from Haiti. Some are given weapons and forced to participate in attacks.

Girls, meanwhile, are forced to cook, clean and even used as so-called “wives” for gang members.

“They’re not doing this voluntarily,” Narayan said. “Even when they are armed with weapons, the child here is the victim.”

In a country where more than 60% of the population lives on less than $4 a day and hundreds of thousands of Haitians are starving or nearing starvation, recruiting children is often easy.

One minor who was in a gang said he was paid $33 every Saturday, while another said he was paid thousands of dollars in his ﬁrst month in a gang opera-

Security Council report.

“Children and families are becoming increasingly desperate in some cases because of the extreme poverty,” Narayan said.

If children refuse to join a gang, gunmen often threaten them or their families or simply abduct them.

Gangs also prey on children who are separated from their families after they are deported from the Dominican Republic, which shares a border with Haiti on the island of Hispaniola.

“Those children are increasingly the ones targeted,” Narayan said.

Gangs aren’t the only threat as a vigilante movement that began last year to target suspected gang members gains momentum.

UNICEF said children “are often viewed with suspicion, and risk being

killed by vigilante movements. When they defect or refuse to join the violence, their lives and safety are immediately at risk.”

A video posted on social media last week after gangs attacked an area around an upscale community showed the body of a child lying next to an adult who also was slain. Police said that at least 28 suspected gang members were killed that day as residents armed with guns and machetes fought side-by-side with ofﬁcers.

The gangs that recruit the most children are 5 Segond, Brooklyn, Kraze Barye, Grand Ravine and Terre Noire, according to the UN Security Council report.

Usually, new recruits are ordered to buy food and are given money to “buy friends” as gangs observe them. Then, they partici-

are promoted if they kill someone, for example.

After two or three years in the gang, the recruit becomes part of the entourage if they prove they weren’t a spy, according to the report.

Recruitment is surging as many schools remain closed and children become increasingly vulnerable, with gang violence leaving more than 700,000 people homeless in recent years, including an estimated 365,000 minors. Many of them live in makeshift shelters where they’re preyed upon by gangs and face physical and sexual violence.

“Criminal groups in Haiti are subjecting girls and women to horriﬁc sexual abuse,” stated a report published Monday by Human Rights Watch.

The report quoted a 14-year-old girl from the capital who said she was abducted and raped multiple times by different men for ﬁve days in a house with six other girls who also were raped and beaten.

noted that while ﬁghting between armed groups has decreased this year, attacks on Haitians, police and critical infrastructure has increased.

“Criminal groups have often used sexual violence to instill fear in rival territories,” it said.

Gangs are targeting children as young as eight years old, and the longer they spend with an armed group, the harder it is to rescue them and reintegrate them into society, according to experts.

Violence is rewarded and encouraged, which Narayan said is extremely harmful to a child’s psychosocial development.

Children quit gangs in several ways: some leave willingly, others escape and sometimes nonproﬁts will ﬁnd them and take them to centres where they receive medical care if needed as well as psychological help and other aid.

“There is a transition period,” Narayan said. “It’s not all rosy. It does take time on all sides.”

Young

RESIDENTS flee their homes to escape gang violence in the Nazon neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, November 14, 2024.

Photo: Odelyn Joseph/AP

Jay ‘Jay Shred’ Johnson ﬁrst Bahamian to win three pro bodybuilding titles in one year

ﬁrst Bahamian to win three professional bodybuilding titles in the span of a year,” said Johnson in an interview from Chile after the show.

“It just shows all of the hard work and dedication that I put into my dieting and training to get ready for the show.

“It’s paying off. I’m ﬁnally making a mark out there bringing world recognition for The Bahamas.”

Johnson said just before going to Chile, he went to Spain a couple weeks ago to compete, but he arrived late and was unable to get into the competition.

I booked my ticket for Chile because I felt I had to do one more show for the year.”

He noted that he decided to dedicate his performance to his son, who was celebrating his seventh birthday on the same day as the show.

“When I was on stage, I kept telling myself that I was doing this for him,” Johnson said.

“I wanted to bring the trophy back for him because I couldn’t be there with him when he celebrated his birthday.”

The judges, according to Johnson, in critiquing his performance, have given him a private invitation to him to compete in a few shows next year.

take the rest of the year to relax and recuperate.

He’s coming home to celebrate with his son before he starts training in January for his return to competition next year when he hopes to continue his winning streak.

“I overcame a lot of challenges,” Johnson said. “I always have a strong mindset to do what I have to do. I’m never comfortable. I’m always willing to do the extra workout when nobody else is doing it.”

Johnson thanked God for giving him the strength and the ability to compete at such a high level with the support from his sponsors - The Fitness Connections and J-Line Fitness.

Bahamas Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation president, was also thanked by Johnson for providing a second eye as a coach.

And the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and Director of Sports Kelsie Johnson-Sills were also commended for providing the subvention for Johnson to be able to train and compete.

After winning the same title in Chile last November, Johnson competed in ﬁve shows for 2024, starting in May at the Roger Boyce where he was seventh.

“It was disappointing for me but I stayed focused,” Johnson said. “I went home and

This was followed by his victory in Mexico, Paraguay where he was fourth out of 12 competitors, Barcelona, Spain before he closed out the year with another win in Chile. FROM PAGE 16

Johnson, however, said he’s not sure when and where he will compete. He said he will

Joel Stubbs, former bodybuilder and immediate past

ANALYSIS: SAQUON BARKLEY IS THE NFL’S VERSION OF SHOHEI OHTANI

By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer

SAQUON Barkley has become the Shohei Ohtani of the NFL. There’s no better home run hitter playing football right now.

Barkley had touchdown runs of 72 and 70 yards for the Philadelphia Eagles in a 37-20 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night. He now has ﬁve runs of 50-plus yards this season and is on pace to break Eric Dickerson’s single-season record of 2,105 yards set in 1984.

Barkley’s historic performance against the Rams — his 255 yards set a team record — captivated a national audience and turned him into a fan favourite for the AP NFL MVP award.

He’s not the betting favourite, however.

Josh Allen has the best odds at plus-150, according to Bet MGM Sportsbook.

Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson is next at plus-250 followed by Barkley at plus-400.

Running backs have won the award 18 times, including three-time winner Jim Brown, who was the AP’s ﬁrst NFL MVP in 1957.

Quarterbacks have dominated the award, winning it

PAGE 16

tee-off-for-hunger-2024/ register.

CHESS GENERAL MEETING

THE Bahamas Chess Federation has announced that its Annual General Meeting will take place at 3pm on Sunday, December 1. The venue details, agenda and meeting minutes will be provided in advance.

TRIATHLON ELECTION OF

OFFICERS

THE Bahamas Triathlon Association has announced that its annual general meeting and election of ofﬁcers is scheduled to be held at 7pm on Thursday, December 12, at The Bahamas Olympic Association headquarters on Solider Road. Elections will also be live on Zoom, where members who are able to attend can view and vote. Nominations are due by midnight on Monday, December 8. The nomination forms can be found on our website https://www.bahamastriathlon.org/documents.

45 times. Only three players who weren’t QBs or RBs have been MVP. It takes a special season for a non-QB to win it mainly because the offence goes through the signal caller.

Quarterbacks handle the ball every offensive snap, run the show and get the credit when things go well and the blame when it doesn’t.

Adrian Peterson was the most recent non-QB to win it when he ran for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Minnesota Vikings in 2012.

Playing for a winning team matters, too.

Nine of the past 11 winners played for a No. 1 seed with the other two winners on a No. 2 seed. The Vikings earned the sixth seed when Pederson was MVP.

Barkley is a major reason why the Eagles (9-2) are leading the NFC East and only trail Detroit (10-1) by one game for the top spot in the conference.

Does he have a realistic chance to win the MVP award?

Kicker Mark Moseley was the MVP in the strikeshortened 1982 season when he made 20 of 21 ﬁeld goals and 16 of 19 extra points in nine games for Washington.

The nominees will be sent out on Tuesday, December 9 to all BTA members via the WhatsApp group and posted on the website so you can decide on whom to vote at the AGM. If nominees want to add a résumé or any information about themselves to be sent out, you are more than welcome to. Please send nomination forms and information to secretary@ bahamastriathlon.org. To vote at the AGM you must be a member of the BTA of the age of eighteen (18). This means that current membership must be paid to date (2024). Membership forms can be also found on the website at http://www.bahamastriathlon.org/documents.

Membership fees can be paid directly to our account or can be paid with cheques or cash.

Payment along with the forms can be dropped off to Dorian Roach at Baha Mar (424- 8038) or Lori Roach (376-0062). Bank DetailsP.O.Box SS19304, Nassau, The Bahamas | www.bahamastriathlon.org | president@ bahamastriathlon.org Meeting Agenda

The AGM agenda will also be sent out on Tuesday,

If voters once selected a kicker, everyone has a chance, especially a gamechanger such as Barkley. Defensive tackle Alan Page was the MVP in 1971 and linebacker Lawrence Taylor won it in 1986. Running back Christian

December 9, along with some proposed constitutional changes to be voted on.

BASKETBALL CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS

THE Catholic Diosecan Primary Schools completed its basketball playoffs on Friday at Loyola Hall on Gladstone Road. The results are as follows:

Girls

St Francis/Joseph def. St Thomas More 24-2. Grace Smith scored 26 points and Kayleigh Morris added four.

Xavier’s Lower School def. St Cecilia’s 20-3. Jordyn McKay scored eight points.

Boys

St Francis/Joseph def. Xavier’s Lower School 19.11. Jaxon Pyfrom scored eight and John McSweeney had seven points in the win.

Blythe Rolle scored eight and Justin Wells had ﬁve points in the loss.

St Thomas More def.

St Cecilia’s 14.-8. Datltrei Caprida and Granlin Edwards both scored four in the win. Jaden Armbrister scored three in the loss.

SOFTBALL NPPPSA ACTION

THE New Providence Public Primary Schools

McCaffrey ﬁnished third in voting last year and wide receiver Justin Jefferson placed ﬁfth in 2022.

The Offensive Player of the Year award and Defensive Player of the Year award recognise the best all-around players on both

Association kicked off its softball tournament on Monday at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

The girls’ teams played up to Tuesday for spots in the ﬁnal on Friday. The boys will be playing today and tomorrow to secure their spots for Friday. The action starts at 10am.

BASKETBALL

BSAA

COMPETITION

THE Bahamas Scholastic

Athletic Association continued its basketball season on Monday at The Hope Center on University Commons and Bahama Games Boulevard.

Primary Girls - Freedom Baptist Academy def Hillcrest Academy 20-6. Top scorer was Freedom’s Yvontaeya Duverse with 12 points. Hillcrest - London Knowles had four pts.

Primary Boys - Freedom Baptist Academy def Hillcrest Academy 39-10. Top scorer - Judges Lubin of Freedom Baptist with 12 pts. Jacob Bodie of Hillcrest with four pts. Junior Boys - Akhepran International Academy def Mt. Carmel Prep Academy 45-39. Top scorer - Jamari Delanay of Akhepran with 20 pts. Amari Brown with Mt Carmel with 23 pts.

sides of the ball, allowing voters to recognise nonQBs if they choose.

Wide receivers and running backs have won the AP OPOY award seven times over the past 11 seasons. McCaffrey was the 2023 winner.

The AP’s new voting format introduced in 2022 also gives non-QBs a better opportunity to get MVP recognition.

Voter submit their top ﬁve picks for each award, with a weighted point system. Previously, voters made one choice for each award.

A nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league vote for MVP and seven other awards. The awards are based on regular-season performance.

Clinching scenarios

The Chiefs (10-1) and Bills (9-2) already are in position to lock up postseason berths right after Thanksgiving. Kansas City clinches a playoff berth with a win over Las Vegas on Black Friday and a loss by Miami on Thursday night, or a win plus a loss by Denver on Monday night.

Buffalo can wrap up a ﬁfth straight AFC East title with a victory over San Francisco on Sunday and a loss by the Dolphins.

Junior Boys - Teleos Christian School def ISBET 33-15.

Top scorer - Luke

Doreely of Teleos with 13 pts. Joshua Burrows of ISBET with six pts.

Intermediate DivisionISBET def Boost Academy 40-26. Top scorer - Kendrick Ferguson of ISBET with 19 pts. Jed Munroe of Boost with 24 pts.

Status quo in Dallas?

It’s not a given that the Dallas Cowboys will be looking for a new head coach after this season. Owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday on local radio that Mike McCarthy could end up getting a contract extension.

“I don’t think that’s crazy at all. This is a Super Bowl-winning coach. Mike McCarthy has been there and done that. He has great ideas. We got a lot of football left,” Jones said. McCarthy led the Cowboys (4-7) to three straight 12-win seasons, but they went 1-3 in the playoffs and haven’t reached the NFC championship game since winning the Super Bowl 29 years ago. Injuries have contributed to the team’s struggles this season, but Dallas was just 3-5 before Dak Prescott was lost for the rest of the season.

The Cowboys upset Washington last week and their next four games are against teams that currently have losing records. If they somehow end up 9-8 or even 8-9, Jones could make a case for keeping McCarthy.

the biggest topics in the NFL from week to week.

Senior

Preparatory

Top

eight pts, four rebounds and one steal. The association is playing games every day during the week at The Hope Center, starting at 4pm.

Boys - Mt. Carmel

Academy def Genesis Academy 51- 25.

scorer

Tyler Pratt of Mt Carmel with 13 pts, ﬁve rebounds, one steal and one block. Orhyan Darville of Genesis with

PHILADELPHIA Eagles running back Saquon Barkley reacts after scoring against the Los Angeles Rams during the second half of an NFL football game in Inglewood, Calif., on Sunday. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

JAY ‘Jay Shred’ Johnson is the ﬁrst Bahamian to win three professional bodybuilding titles in the span of a year.

Champions League returns with Liverpool-Real Madrid, Bayern-PSG rematches of recent ﬁnals

By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer

GENEVA (AP) — Real

Madrid playing Liverpool in the Champions League has twice in recent years been a ﬁnal between arguably the two best teams in the competition.

Their next meeting, however, ﬁnds two storied powers in starkly different positions at the midway point of the 36-team single league standings format. One is in ﬁrst place and the other a lowly 18th.

It is not defending champion Madrid on top despite adding Kylian Mbappé to the roster that won a record-extending 15th European title in May.

Madrid has lost two of four games in the eightround opening phase — and against teams that are far from challenging for domestic league titles: Lille and AC Milan.

Liverpool, which will host today’s game, is eight points clear atop the Premier League under new coach Arne Slot and the only team to win all four Champions League games so far.

Still, the six-time European champion cannot completely forget losing the 2018 and 2022 finals when Madrid lifted its 13th and 14th titles. Madrid also won 5-2 at Anfield, despite trailing by two goals after 14 minutes, on its last visit to Anfield in February 2023.

The 2020 ﬁnalists also will be reunited this week, when Bayern Munich hosts Paris Saint-Germain in the stadium that will stage the next ﬁnal on May 31.

Bayern’s home will rock to a 75,000-capacity crowd Tuesday, even though it is surprisingly a clash of 17th vs. 25th in the standings. Only the top 24 at the end of January advance to the knockout round.

No fans were allowed in the Lisbon stadium in August 2020 when Kingsley Coman scored against his former club PSG to settle the post-lockdown ﬁnal in the COVID-19 pandemic season.

Man City in crisis Manchester City at home to Feyenoord had looked like a routine win when ﬁxtures were drawn in August, but it arrives with

the 2023 champion on a stunning ﬁve-game losing run.

Such a streak was previously unthinkable for any team coached by Pep Guardiola, but it ensures extra attention Tuesday on Manchester.

City went unbeaten through its Champions League title season, and did not lose any of 10 games last season when it was dethroned by Real Madrid on a penalty shootout after two tied games in the quarterﬁnals.

City’s unbeaten run was stopped at 26 games three weeks ago in a 4-1 loss to Sporting Lisbon.

Sporting rebuilds That rout was a farewell to Sporting in the Champions League for coach Rúben Amorim after he ﬁnalised his move to Manchester United.

Second to Liverpool in the Champions League standings, Sporting will be coached by João Pereira taking charge of just his second top-tier game when Arsenal visits on Tuesday.

Sporting still has European soccer’s hottest striker Viktor Gyökeres, who is being pursued by a slew of clubs reportedly including Arsenal. Gyökeres has four hat tricks this season for Sporting and Sweden including against Man City. Tough tests for overachievers

Brest is in its ﬁrst-ever UEFA competition and Aston Villa last played with the elite in the 198283 European Cup as the defending champion.

Remarkably, fourth-place Brest is two spots above Barcelona in the standings — having beaten opponents from Austria and the Czech Republic — before going to the ﬁve-time European champion on Tuesday.

Villa in eighth place is looking down on Juventus in 11th.

Juventus plays at Villa Park today for the ﬁrst time since March 1983 when a team with the storied Platini-Boniek-Rossi attack eliminated the title holder in the quarterﬁnals. Villa has beaten Bayern and Bologna at home with shutout wins.

Zeroes to heroes?

Five teams are still on zero points and might need

to go unbeaten to stay in the competition beyond January. Eight points is the projected tally to ﬁnish 24th.

They include Leipzig, whose tough ﬁxture programme continues with a trip to Inter Milan, the champion of Italy.

Inter and Atalanta are yet to concede a goal after four rounds. And Bologna is the only team yet to score.

WEST HAM SURPRISE NEWCASTLE WITH 2-0 AWAY WIN

NEWCASTLE, Eng-

land (AP) — Newcastle’s winning run in the English Premier League came to an abrupt end when goals from Thomas Soucek and Aaron Wan-Bissaka gave West Ham a surprise 2-0 win at St. James’ Park on Monday.

The Hammers rose into 14th place and the pressure on coach Julen Lopetegui was eased.

The London club has been inconsistent all season and Monday’s win was just its fourth in 12 league games.

West Ham was worth it in the end but the three points came courtesy of slack defending by the home side.

Emerson whipped in an out-swinging corner after 10 minutes and, with Newcastle defenders rooted to the spot, Soucek stole in to nod home the opener.

Then eight minutes into the second half, captain Jarrod Bowen found

Wan-Bissaka in the penalty box and he was left unchallenged and had time to ﬁre an angled drive past Nick Pope.

“The second goal ... if you settle on a lead it can come back to haunt you,” Bowen said.

Newcastle brought on Harvey Barnes, and then Callum Wilson returned from a long-term back injury to make his ﬁrst appearance of the season, but to no avail.

“I said we needed a performance and we did that,” Bowen said.

“Newcastle always score at home so to keep them to a clean sheet and score twice ... it’s a tough place to come to. We did that perfectly.”

The defeat ended a three-game winning streak for Newcastle and left the Saudi Arabia-owned club in ninth place, four points outside the top four.

Atalanta plays at Young Boys, one of the teams without a point, on Tuesday and Bologna hosts Lille today.

LIVERPOOL’s Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring during the English Premier League soccer match between Southampton and Liverpool in Southampton, England, on Sunday.

(AP Photo/Sean Ryan)

REAL Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe scores a goal disallowed for offside during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between CD Leganes and Real Madrid in Leganes, outside Madrid, on Sunday.

(AP Photo/ Bernat Armangue)

WEST Ham United’s Tomas Soucek, front, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United and West Ham United in Newcastle, England, on Monday. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Schroder leads short-handed Nets back from 18-point

deﬁcit

to defeat Warriors 128-120

By JANIE MCCAULEY

AP Sports Writer

SAN FRANCISCO

(AP) — Dennis Schroder scored 31 points, Cam Thomas added 23 and the undermanned Brooklyn Nets rallied to beat Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors 128-120 on Monday night.

Buddy scores nine

Chavano “Buddy” Hield contributed nine points, three rebounds, one assist and two steals in 17 minutes on the ﬂoor.

Schroder’s 3 with 11:10 remaining tied the game at 92, and he put his team ahead with another at the 9:43 mark.

Jalen Wilson had 18 points for the short-handed

Curry made a 3-pointer with 3:26 left and pulled the Warriors within three, but Golden State couldn’t make the crucial stops and squandered an 18-point lead. Curry scored 28, and Andrew Wiggins added 18 points.

Nets in a road back-to-back after a 108-103 win at Sacramento a night earlier. Schroder missed Sunday’s game at Sacramento with right ankle soreness but returned for Brooklyn, which jumped ahead 9-2 before a Warriors timeout and ensuing run got the home team going.

The Warriors, coming off a 10-point loss at San Antonio on Saturday, dropped

to 5-2 at home and 12-5 overall.

Takeaways Nets: The Nets were missing Ben Simmons, Dorian Finney-Smith and Noah Clowney, who had an MRI exam on his sprained left ankle he injured Sunday, but coach Jordi Fernandez didn’t yet know the results. Nic Claxton felt something in his troublesome back and also sat out.

Simmons rests the second game of back-to-backs.

Warriors: The Warriors totaled 47 bench points. ... Jonathan Kuminga missed his second straight game with an illness. Key moments Moses Moody subbed into the game with 3:15 left in the second quarter and scored 12 straight Warriors points over the ﬁnal 2:54 — with Curry assisting

on Moody’s two 3-pointers and also a layup as Golden State led 67-58 at the

Key stats

Despite missing four players in their normal rotation, the Nets

44.4% from 3.

Up next

Brooklyn concludes its West Coast swing at Phoenix tonight, the same night the Warriors host Oklahoma City.

BUCKS BEAT HEAT 106-103, STAY UNDEFEATED IN NBA CUP

By The Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) — Damian

Lillard scored 37 points and handed out 12 assists, and the Milwaukee Bucks wasted a 22-point secondhalf lead before beating the Miami Heat 106-103 in an NBA Cup game last night.

Brook Lopez scored 13 points and Bobby Portis had 11 for the Bucks, who have won ﬁve in a row and moved back to the .500 mark — 9-9 — for the ﬁrst time since they were 1-1.

The Bucks (3-0 in Cup play) also moved a halfgame ahead of Detroit (2-0) in the East Group B standings.

Jimmy Butler scored 23 points for Miami, which got 18 from Tyler Herro, 17 from Terry Rozier and 16 from Bam Adebayo.

The Heat tied the game at 96-96 on a layup by Butler and got within one point on three later occasions, but never led.

The Heat — who were outscored 60-30 from 3-point range — fell to 1-2 in Cup play.

The Bucks played without Giannis Antetokounmpo, a late pregame scratch because of swelling in his left knee.

BULLS 127, WIZARDS 108

for Minnesota, which has lost three in a row. Julius Randle scored 21, while Naz Reid had 19 off the bench.

Rookie Rob Dillingham, the No. 8 pick in the draft out of Kentucky, had his best game of the season, helping to ﬁll the void left by point guard Mike Conley, who missed his third straight game with a left great toe sprain. Dillingham had 12 points and season highs with seven assists and ﬁve rebounds.

SPURS 128, JAZZ 115

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)

— Victor Wembanyama scored 34 points, rookie Stephon Castle matched a season high with 23 and San Antonio beat Utah.

— Nikola Vucevic scored 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as Chicago eased to a victory over struggling Washington.

WASHINGTON (AP)

Coby White scored 21 points and Zach Lavine had 18 for the Bulls, who pulled into a three-way tie at 2-1 with Boston and Atlanta and a half-game in front of Cleveland in East Group C. Chicago allowed its second-fewest points and

secured its largest margin of victory this season.

The Bulls took the lead for good in the second quarter and kept it in double digits throughout the second half.

Kyle Kuzma scored 23 points for Washington, which lost its 12th straight and fell to 0-3 in the group and were eliminated from quarterﬁnal contention.

GSSSA BASKETBALL SEASON IN FULL SWING, SHARKS IN WIN COLUMN

FROM PAGE 16

RM Bailey Pacers pummeled the Doris Johnson Mystic Marlins. The Pacers’ senior girls knocked off the Mystic Marlins 28-7. RM Bailey’s senior boys toppled the Mystic Marlins 48-29 at the CI Gibson Gymnasium. Junior Boys Both the Sharks and Scorpions struggled to generate offence in the ﬁrst quarter resulting in a 6- 5 ﬁnish to close out the opening period. The Sharks solved their offensive problems and proceeded to outscore the Scorpions 14-4 in the second quarter.

The Sharks ran out to a double-digit lead at the half, charging ahead 20-9 at the intermission.

Sharks head coach Lacricia Swain admitted that her team had some struggles in the ﬁrst half but they ﬁgured it out in the second half and were able to put away the Scorpions.

“TA [Thompson] always plays a good 2-3 defence but I think our boys are used to playing fast, it takes them a while before they get adjusted to the game.

The ﬁrst half we started off a little bit slow but in the second half after working it out they realised once

you move the ball and get the ball in the paint you are able to score,” she said.

SC McPherson continued to roll in the third quarter while TA Thompson hit a dry spell.

The Sharks held the Scorpions under double-digit scoring in each of the four quarters and went on to outscore them 25-11 in the second half.

Anthony Smith had a team-high 10 points for the Sharks. His teammate Timothy Sands dropped nine points in the victory.

Coach Swain outlined the team’s expectations for this basketball season.

“For the past three seasons we have made it to the playoffs so that is the expectation again. Hopefully this time we won’t miss out on the championship and will make it to the championship game,” coach Swain said.

The Sharks’ junior girls won a low-scoring affair against the Scorpions in their matchup.

After trailing by four (7-3) to wrap up the ﬁrst half, the Sharks defence kept the Scorpions at bay in the third period.

Miltonique McPhee and Solei Rahming combined for 10 points in the third

quarter while the team held the Scorpions to zero points in this period.

The Scorpions managed to hang around on the scoreboard but were unable to recover down the stretch.

Rahming led all scorers with eight points.

Coach Swain talked about the Sharks’ gritty win against the Scorpions.

“We started off a little bit slow. My girls are still learning. I think they still have the mentality that they are playing in practice and they are not serious as yet, but I think once they get serious we should be a better team,” she said.

She is hopeful that the team will make a push for the playoffs which will give them at least a ﬁghting chance at the junior girls’ title.

“For the girls hopefully we make it to the playoffs, that is a start. If we make it to the playoffs we will have a chance to go to the championships but we will see how the season progresses,” she said.

The GSSSA basketball season continues today at the CI Gibson Gymnasium.

The HO Nash Lions are set to face AF Adderley Tigers in the junior division. Games start at 4pm.

Rookie Alex Sarr tied a career high with 20 points and sank four 3-pointers for the Wizards, who sat starting point guard Jordan Poole for a second game with left hip soreness.

ROCKETS 117, TIMBERWOLVES 111, (Overtime) MINNEAPOLIS (AP)

— Alperen Sengun had 22 points, 10 rebounds and

11 assists, Fred VanVleet added 27 points and 11 assists, and Houston pulled out an overtime win against Minnesota Timberwolves.

Dillon Brooks added 22 points for Houston, which improved to 3-0 in the competition and clinched West Group A and a spot in the NBA Cup quarterﬁnals.

Anthony Edwards had 29 points and 10 rebounds

The 7-foot-3 Wembanyama made six 3-pointers and shot 13 of 23 from the ﬁeld. Julian Champagnie scored 15 points and made three 3s in the fourth quarter to help the Spurs pull away. Utah’s Lauri Markkanen had to be helped from the court after banging knees with Wembanyama in the fourth quarter.

Keyonte George led Utah with 26 points and shot 6 of 12 from 3. Collin Sexton and John Collins each scored 20 for the Jazz, who were eliminated from the NBA Cup quarterﬁnals.

break.

shot

GOLDEN State Warriors guard Buddy Hield (7) defends against Brooklyn Nets forward Jalen Wilson, right, during the ﬁrst half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)

HOUSTON Rockets centre Alperen Sengun (28) hangs on the rim after a dunk during the second half of an Emirates NBA cup basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves last night in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Readers, win your basketball ticket!

BASKETBALL has come to Baha Mar – and The Tribune has 20 tickets to win for readers who want to get in on the action.

First, there is the Continental Tire Baha Mar Championship – with the Women’s Championship seeing Ole Miss, coached by Bahamian Yolett McPheeMcCuin, going up against the UConn Huskies. That game is on Wednesday, November 27, at 7.30pm – so you will have to hurry to get your entries in! Then, from Friday, there will be the Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship.

There will be games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday – at 2pm, 4.30pm and 7pm.

The tickets cover the whole day. To enter, answer the question below and email your entry to shunt@ tribunemedia.net.

Tickets are electronic and winners will be contacted by email by the event organisers with details. Each winner can claim up to two tickets - please specify how many tickets you want when you enter.

There are 20 tickets in total to win – and include with your entry which day’s games you wish to attend: Wednesday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday. The question to answer is: Which resort is hosting this week’s games? Good luck! For more information about the games, visit BahaMarHoops.com

NO. 1 UCLA AMONG MANY TOP WOMEN’S TEAMS HEADED TO WARM LOCATIONS FOR THANKSGIVING TOURNAMENTS

By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer

UCLA, along with many other of the top teams, are heading to Thanksgiving tournaments in warm locations this week.

The newly crowned No. 1 Bruins are headed to Hawaii for the Rainbow Wahine Tournament where they’ll face UT Martin, Fresno State and Hawaii over three days.

Coach Cori Close loves the challenge of it.

“The turnaround and opportunity helps us prepare at a championship level as a habit,” she said.

“It’s mostly mental preparation and create our own urgency. Not to believe our own press clippings, but how do we get better this week and stay focused.”

This is the ﬁrst time the school’s been No. 1 in The Associated Press women’s basketball poll.

The best game of the week may come in the Cayman Islands when No. 3 Notre Dame faces 17thranked TCU on Friday. The schools boast two of the best offences in the game with the Irish led by a dynamic backcourt of Olivia Miles and Hannah Hidalgo. The Horned Frogs, who have their best ranking since 2004, are led by the inside-outside duo of Sedona Prince and Hailey Van Lith.

Other top games ahead include South Carolina against Iowa State on Thursday at the Fort Myers Tip-Off. The Cyclones dropped from eighth to 15th in the poll after a stunning loss to Northern Iowa. The Gamecocks will need to ﬁnd a way to slow down Cyclones star center Audi Crooks.

Sidelined No. 25 Nebraska lost star sophomore center Natalie

Potts for the season to a torn ACL. She was the team’s leading scorer and rebounder averaging 14.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. She also was shooting 68.4% from the ﬁeld.

Getting healthy For the ﬁrst time in a few years UConn is close to having its entire roster healthy. The Huskies welcomed back Azzi Fudd in last Wednesday’s win over FDU, the 1,217th of coach Geno Auriemma’s career. That broke the record he shared with Tara VanDerveer for most career wins in college basketball history.

Stat sheet No. 22 Iowa (6-0) no longer has star Caitlin Clark, but is off to its best start since 2017-18 when the team won its ﬁrst seven games. ... No. 19 Illinois has the longest active winning streak in the nation with 10 consecutive victories dating to last season.

Game of the week No. 13 Duke and No. 8 Oklahoma will face off in Las Vegas in the championship game of the Ball Dawgs Classic today. The

COLLEGE HOOPS WEEK BRINGS NEW-LOOK PLAYERS ERA FESTIVAL TO TOURNAMENT LINEUP

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Basketball Writer

EIGHT of the nation’s premier basketball programmes are descending on Las Vegas during the traditional Thanksgiving tournament week for a unique event where real money for their school’s name, image and likeness collectives is riding on the outcome.

Welcome to a brave new world for college hoops.

The three-day Players Era Festival, tipping off yesterday and organised by RedBird IMI-backed EverWonder Studios, is reimagining old-school holiday tournaments.

Every school participating will receive at least $1 million for their NIL collective, with bonuses of $500,000 to the champion, $250,000 to the runner-up, $150,000 for third place and $100,000 for ﬁnishing in fourth.

“When we launched Players Era, we knew that it had the ability to drive a positive shift in the college basketball landscape, and we’re seeing that vision come to life as we get ready to tip off next week,” the event’s CEO, Seth Berger, said in a statement.

“Everything we do is about delivering value to the players,” Berger continued, “and our guiding principles continue to be paying the players fair market value for their NIL and creating captivating content for fans.”

Fair market value comes to a hefty tab of $9 million in payouts to the participating schools.

The lucrative proposition has resulted in a stacked ﬁeld for the round-robin format at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

San Diego State faces No. 21 Creighton, Oregon plays No. 20 Texas A&M, sixth-ranked Houston faces No. 9 Alabama and Rutgers played Notre Dame yesterday. Each team plays another opponent today. Those results along with point differentials — capped at 20 points per game — are used to set Saturday’s championship and consolation games.

The ﬁnancials aside, the Players Era Festival features some heavyweight matchups of national title contenders.

The Bluejays are led by All-American candidate Ryan Kalkbrenner, the Cougars and Crimson Tide — whose opening game is must-see TV — are March darlings, while Texas A&M is among nine SEC programs ranked in this week’s AP Top 25. “There’s a lot of silliness out there asking if we can win a national championship. How would I know?” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said.

“Do you understand what a bad call does to a team, or a missed free throw or a sprained ankle? That’s why you don’t ever focus on the destination. You take pride and joy in going through the journey. However it ends up, it ends up, but don’t ever judge your season on how you ﬁnish. Judge it on how hard you tried and did you do the best you could.”

Maui turns 40

The Maui Invitational is celebrating its ruby jubilee back in Lahaina, after the wildﬁres last year forced its relocation, and began Monday with another

loaded ﬁeld. Fourth-ranked Auburn faced No. 5 Iowa State in an opening round that also featured secondranked UConn against Memphis, Colorado against Michigan State and Dayton against No. 12 North Carolina.

The tournament continued with semiﬁnals yesterday and the championship game today.

Stand-alone showdown

Top-ranked Kansas, led by All-American centre Hunter Dickinson, took on Cooper Flagg and No. 11 Duke last night in the Vegas Showdown. Kansas already has beaten the Tar Heels in a thriller at Allen Fieldhouse and Michigan State in the Champions Classic, while the Blue Devils have lost to No. 8 Kentucky but are coming off a win over then-No. 17 Arizona.

Battle in the Bahamas

The ballroom is staged once again at Atlantis Paradise Island for one of the most unique holiday tournaments of Thanksgiving week.

Third-ranked Gonzaga, No. 14 Indiana and No. 21 Arizona are the headliners in the eight-team Battle 4 Atlantis, which tips off today and continues with semiﬁnals Thursday and the championship game on Friday.

Other games to watch No. 18 Florida should have a de facto homecourt advantage when it joins Minnesota, Wichita State and Wake Forest for the ESPN Events Invitational at Walt Disney World Resort. The Rady Children’s Invitational also tips off Thursday in San Diego with No. 13 Purdue playing NC

Blue Devils knocked off ninth-ranked Kansas State on Monday in the opener.

UCLA center Lauren Betts (51) reacts during the ﬁrst half of an NCAA college basketball game against South Carolina, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Los Angeles.

(AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

PM greets Ole Miss Lady Rebels

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Philip Davis said the University of Mississippi Lady Rebels, featuring Bahamian coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin and sophomore Rhema Collins, played like a top ﬁve team in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) women’s division.

Davis was in the stands on Monday night in the convention ballroom at Baha Mar as the Lady Rebels routed the Boston College Eagles 92-55 to advance to the Continental Tire Baha Mar Championships to advance to the ﬁnal tonight against the University of Connecticut Huskies.

After the game, Davis was invited into the Ole Miss locker room where he brieﬂy addressed the team and eventually took a photograph with them.

When asked if the team was ranked, McCuin immediately reminded him that they are number 16, to which Davis quipped: “You should be top ﬁve.”

Davis went on to congratulate McPhee-McCuin, whom he called “one of our ﬁnest daughters,” as he indicated that he came out to support her and the team, including Collins

- a former player at Jordan Prince Williams and St John’s College.

In his brief meeting with the team, Davis left an important message with the Lady Rebels, saying that “it’s not how you start, but it’s where you end up. The sky’s the limit.” Davis made reference to Bahamian superstar Jonquel Jones, who left Grand Bahama to ﬁnish high school and turned out to be the most valuable player of the Women’s National Basketball Association’s championship for the New York Liberty in October.

The 30-year-old 6-foot, 6-inch centre returned home two weeks ago with members of the Liberty team for celebrations in both Grand Bahama and New Providence, including a courtesy call on Davis. Win, lose or draw tonight, Davis is expected to host a reception for the Lady Rebels after they play the highly favoured UCONN, coached by Geno Auriemma and led by redshirt senior Paige Bueckers. The Huskies, which also features sophomore guard KK Arnold, pulled off a 71-52 win over the Oregon State Beavers in Monday’s feature game to set up the much anticipated matchup with the Lady Rebels.

NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Paige Bueckers scored 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting and No. 2 UConn never trailed Monday night as the Huskies beat Oregon State 71-52 at the Baha Mar Women’s Championship.

Sarah Strong, the 2024 Naismith High School Player of the Year, had 13 points, eight rebounds, six steals and two blocks for UConn (5-0). Jana El Alfy had 12 points.

Allie Ziebell scored seven of UConn’s 20 second-quarter points and the Huskies took a 42-19 lead into halftime.

AJ Marotte led the Beavers (1-5) with 17 points and Kelsey Rees scored 10.

Takeaways Oregon State: The Beavers need a staple win. They have lost three games in a row and are winless against Division-I opponents this season. The Beavers lone win was an 80-52 victory over Division-II Northwest Nazarene in their home opener. UConn: The Huskies have too much talent for most teams. They are 3-0

all-time against the Beavers with each game coming at neutral sites. The ﬁrst meeting between the programmes was exactly 29 years ago, on Nov 25, 1995.

Key moment

Bueckers, the reigning Big East player of the week, hit a jumper to open the scoring and added three 3-pointers as she scored 11 ﬁrst-quarter points on 5-of-5 shooting and the Huskies jumped to a 22-7 lead heading into the second.

Key stat

Both teams shot 44% overall, but the Huskies attempted 19 more ﬁeld goals than Oregon State. UConn had 11 steals, forced 24 OSU turnovers and had a 12-4 edge on the offensive glass. Connecticut outscored the Beavers 24-17 in points off turnovers and 12-2 in second-chance points.

Up next

Oregon State: Takes on Boston College today in the third-place game.

UConn: Plays No. 18 Mississippi in the title game today.

PRIME Minister Philip Davis shares a special moment with the Old Miss Lady Rebels.

PRIME Minister Philip Davis addresses the Old Miss Lady Rebels Monday night after they routed the Boston College Eagles 92-55 to advance to the Baha Mar Championship ﬁnal tonight against the University of Connecticut Huskies. Photos: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff

Sharks in win column

By TENAJH SWEETING

Sports Reporter

he 2024 Government Secondary Schools Sports Association (GSSSA) basketball season is now in full swing for the junior and senior school divisions.

The early season action continued over at the DW Davis Gymnasium and

CI Gibson Gymnasium yesterday. The junior games featured the SC McPherson Sharks versus TA Thompson Scorpions. The Sharks defeated the Scorpions 45-20 in the junior boys’ matchup. Meanwhile, SC McPherson’s junior girls got the best of the Scorpions 19-13. In the senior division, the

PAGE 13

TEE-OFF FOR HUNGER

THE Bahamas Feeding Network is scheduled to host its 3rd annual Tee-off For Hunger on December 9 with Fidelity as its title sponsor. The tournament is

scheduled to begin at 12:30pm at the Ocean Club Golf Course, Paradise Island. All interested players must register at: https://app. eventcaddy.com/events/

PAGE 11

‘Buddy’

scores 9 in loss to Nets

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

JAYSON “Jay Shred” Johnson added his third bodybuilding title to his collection in the past year, becoming the ﬁrst Bahamian to achieve such a feat.

The 33-year-old IFBB Elite pro bodybuilder clinched his latest title over the weekend at the 2024 Mr Universe Chile in Santiago, Chile, where he captured the men’s physique category against 12 other competitors.

The victory, which was dedicated to his son Jaydon “Lil Jay Shred” Johnson, came over the champion of the IFBB Elite Pro Sudamerica Show in Asuncion, Paraguay, in September where Johnson ﬁnished fourth. “I felt the performance that I accomplished was very good because I’m the

GOLDEN State Warriors guard Buddy Hield (7) shoots during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Brooklyn Nets in San Francisco, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn) SEE THE FULL STORY ON PAGE 13