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Volume: 122 No. 27, December 31, 2024

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‘EVERYTHING IS GONE’ AFTER GAS EXPLOSION Survivor thankful no one died after blast hit her home

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net A DAY after a gas explosion tore through her house, Sandra Smith sat in disbelief among the remnants of her family’s home, contemplating how her worst nightmare became a reality.

“I don’t know if someone could wake me up because I’m still wondering what’s going on,” she said in the

yard of her destroyed home.

“Everything is gone, just like that,” she tearfully added. “That’s it. But God is good; everyone is still alive.”

The explosion on Sunday caused a ruckus. Numerous people gathered, fearing that lives were lost. Curious Bahamians rushed to live news streams documenting the aftermath of the ordeal.

SEE PAGE FIVE

MURDER VICTIMS’ FAMILIES TELL OF TOUGH CHRISTMAS

By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net THE holiday season, a time typically filled with joy and family gatherings, has turned into a period of mourning for some families in The Bahamas who have lost loved ones to gun violence.

Two women, Natasha Parker and Snovia

Nearly ready for the road

Hepburn, who each lost loved ones in recent shootings, opened up about the grief and pain their families are experiencing, a contrast against with the season’s festive celebrations.

Natasha Parker, the mother of 32-year-old Marlon Darling, who was fatally shot at a barbershop on Bernard Road on SEE PAGE FOUR

A MEMBER of Genesis Junkanoo group putting finishing touches on a costume ahead of the New Year’s Junkanoo Parade. See PAGE TWO for more.

Photo: Nikia Charlton

‘Insufficient evidence to charge Moxey ‘COMPLAINTS murder suspect in other unsolved cases’ AT PASSPORT OFFICE DOWN BY 80 PERCENT’

By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

POLICE said they lack sufficient evidence to charge Chris Ferguson, the 38-year-old man accused

of murdering and sexually assaulting 12-year-old Adriel Moxey, in connection with four unsolved murders in Grand Bahama, despite information he provided during questioning.

Chief Superintendent

Anton Rahming, head of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), confirmed yesterday that Ferguson shared details related to several other SEE PAGE THREE

SUSPECT IN ADRIEL RAPE AND MURDER CHARGED

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A 38-YEAR-OLD man was remanded to custody yesterday after being accused of the sexual assault and murder of 12-year-old Adriel Moxey last month.

Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley arraigned Chris Ferguson on charges

of murder, unlawful sexual intercourse, and unlawful detention for the purpose of sexual intercourse.

During his arraignment in a packed courtroom, the defendant stood with his hands clasped behind his back, holding a black piece of cloth.

Ferguson allegedly abducted Adriel Moxey, SEE PAGE THREE

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

ADRIEL MOXEY

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net ACTING Chief Passport Officer Nicholas Symonette said the Passport Office had recorded a significant decrease in complaints and delays, with customer service issues declining by almost 80 percent.

He said this figure was based on the amount of passports produced within a specific timeframe. The published time frame for processing applications is seven days, and he said his office has consistently exceeded this.

SEE PAGE FOUR

PAGE 2, Tuesday, December 31, 2024

THE TRIBUNE

Junkanoo groups making final preparations for New Year’s parade

JUNKANOO groups putting the final touch on their costumes and other pieces as they prepare for the New Year’s Junkanoo parade.

Photos: Nikia Charlton

MORE preparations by Junkanoo groups.

Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, December 31, 2024, PAGE 3

‘Insufficient evidence to charge Moxey murder suspect in other unsolved cases’ from page one cases spanning more than a decade. He emphasised that investigations are ongoing and no charges have

been filed regarding these matters.

Police took the man to Grand Bahama to investigate the information he gave.

While police are unable to confirm any confessions, they highlighted Ferguson’s role in leading investigators to Adriel’s school backpack, a discovery described as a

significant breakthrough in her case. Adriel’s family positively identified the backpack.

“We are satisfied that the suspect has directed us to crucial evidence, which has strengthened our case,” Chief Supt Rahming said, adding that DNA specimens related to Adriel’s murder have been sent overseas for expedited testing.

Despite Ferguson’s alleged connections to the unsolved Grand Bahama murders and an additional case in New Providence, police reiterated that no formal confessions have been obtained.

“There is information, but no formal confession to these cases,” Chf Supt Rahming clarified.

Authorities declined to disclose details about the four other cases linked to Ferguson’s claims.

When questioned about a previous suspect in Adriel’s murder, Chf Supt Rahming confirmed that the man, who struggled with severe mental health issues, had been released from the investigation after being held at Sandilands Rehabilitation Center.

Chf Supt Rahming also addressed concerns regarding interrogation protocols, stressing that

Ferguson shared his information voluntarily.

“Our investigators are trained professionals,” he said. “The suspect shared this information voluntarily after officers presented relevant evidence to him.”

“We’re looking into cases that go back ten years or more,” Chf Supt Rahming said, adding that, unlike Adriel’s case, those matters do not appear to involve sexual assault. “Our team is working tirelessly to bring these investigations to a conclusion.”

Adriel Moxey was found partially clothed in bushes off Faith Avenue South on November 20.

SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER

CHIEF Superintendent Anton Rahming speaking to press yesterday.

Photo: Nikia Charlton

SUSPECT IN ADRIEL RAPE AND MURDER CHARGED from page one sexually assaulted her, and then killed her on November 18, 2024, in New Providence.

The victim’s body was discovered on November 20, 2024, in bushes off a track road near Faith Avenue. She was found wearing only a shirt, with a piece of cloth around her throat.

Police reports state that the victim was strangled to death.

After acknowledging that he understood the charges, Ferguson was informed that his case would proceed to the Supreme Court through a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).

Ferguson requested a court-appointed lawyer.

Magistrate Reckley

ADRIEL MOXEY

assured him that a public attorney would be assigned when his case is heard in the Supreme Court.

The defendant will be remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until his VBI is potentially served on May 1, 2025.

Chief Superintendent David Lockhart and Inspector Deon Barr served as the prosecutors.

Murder victims’ families tell of tough Christmas PAGE 4, Tuesday, December 31, 2024

from page one

December 21, described her family’s inability to celebrate Christmas after his untimely death.

“It wasn’t good. I didn’t have a good Christmas because he got killed on the 21st and Christmas was almost here,” she said.

“In fact, today gone just made a week since he passed.”

“It wasn’t no Christmas because ain’t nobody coulda eat. Ain’t nobody had no appetite. You know what it is to lose a child? And this is my first time ever losing a child. It ain’t like you ain’t know your child. Your child was humble and quiet, and for someone to just walk into the shop and just kill them? I mean, how else do you explain? Do you accept that? I don’t know. I don’t know how mothers do it, but that was an experience for me. That was a blow.

That was a blow.”

The family is now preparing for Marlon’s funeral, but even this has been fraught with delays as they await the body.

Despite her heartbreak, Ms Parker is determined to support Marlon’s unborn child and the child’s mother.

She said that her grandchild will have the support of both families, including Marlon’s three brothers.

For Snovia Hepburn, the partner of 34-year-old Reynaldo Rolle, who was killed in a separate shooting on Plane Street in Pinewood Gardens on November 30, the holiday season was equally devastating.

Ms Hepburn, who is raising the couple’s children, discussed how her youngest son grapples with his father’s absence.

“My baby, the little one, he always like, ‘Mommy, my daddy at the hospital,’” she said, her voice breaking with emotion.

“And after time passes and he doesn’t see his dad, you know, he starts to ask questions.”

Rolle, who was described as a devoted family man, had purchased Christmas gifts for his children before his death.

Ms Hepburn made sure they received those presents, preserving his memory and the sense of his love for them.

“He actually purchased their gifts that morning. He passed that night,” she said.

“I made sure that they knew that their gifts were from him. I didn’t wrap them. It wasn’t an emotional thing for me, so I did not want to do that, but I let them know that they were from him.”

The grieving mother took her children to the carnival on Christmas evening, hoping to give them a semblance of joy despite the sorrow.

“I said I didn’t want to ruin their holiday,” she said.

The family also held a vigil for Rolle, where friends and relatives spoke fondly of his life and the importance of forgiveness.

“He was a family person, he was a community person, he was just — he was a people’s person,” Ms Hepburn said.

THE TRIBUNE

A CANDLELIGHT vigil was held on Friday for Reynaldo Rolle who was murdered during a triple shooting in Pinewood Gardens on November 30, 2024.

Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff

‘Complaints at passport office down by 80 percent’ from page one “For the most part, the Passport Office has been performing exceptionally efficiently compared to the previous period, and time frames are adhered to, provided that the applicant turns in the documents required,” he said when The Tribune contacted him yesterday.

He said

security measures have been strengthened, partly due to connectivity established with various ministries and agencies.

He said the Passport Office developed an audit section that collaborates with all agencies and the police to eliminate fraudulent documentation.

In July, Mr Symonette indicated that passport applications increased

following the government’s introduction of DNA protocols prompted by last year’s landmark Privy Council ruling, which established that children born to Bahamian men are citizens at birth under all circumstances.

He noted that DNA test results go directly to his office from laboratories abroad, enhancing security.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, December 31, 2024, PAGE 5

‘Everything is gone’ after gas explosion

THE SCENE on Baillou Hill Road where a gas explosion destroyed a home, injuring nine people on Sunday.

Photos: Chappell Whymys Jr from page one When The Tribune revisited the scene yesterday, Mrs Smith had just returned from the hospital, where she was treated for injuries sustained in the powerful blast. Her face, arms, and legs were covered in dark burns. After losing everything, she wore a pastel dress she had barely managed to find. Her mind was filled with worry for her other relatives still recovering in the hospital.

Mrs Smith sat emotionally on the back porch, surrounded by debris, shattered glass, shingles, and broken windows. At one

point, she played gospel music on her phone to calm her nerves. Family members tried to console her as she gazed at what was left.

Her double-unit home on Baillou Hill South Road exploded while receiving a gas refill from a Discount Propane truck. The explosion injured eight people, including Mrs Smith, her husband, grandchildren, daughter, and the gas workers.

Police reported that a 25-year-old male gas worker servicing the home noticed a clog in the gas line, which led to the explosion. The driver of the truck managed to shut off the main gas line,

preventing further damage, but suffered severe burns to his body and face. The truck’s passenger, a 26-yearold male, also sustained burns to his face and hands.

Mrs Smith said she was in the back unit of the home with her husband and two grandchildren when the gas worker arrived to fill their tank. She noted that they had used Discount Propane multiple times without incident.

While the tank was being filled, Mrs Smith’s husband saw the gas worker holding the gas line. He reportedly asked if everything was okay or if there was a gas leak. The worker replied

that there was a bump in the line, but the gas began flowing smoothly into the tank.

A few minutes later, Mrs Smith saw foam circulating in the air and took her grandchild inside. As she pushed open the back door, the explosion happened in the blink of an eye.

She said she grabbed her two children and evacuated in a panic. Once outside, she found her daughter and granddaughter, both heavily bleeding. She also noted that her husband sustained a broken leg from the explosion and needed assistance to be carried out of the house.

“I kept saying, ‘Jesus, let’s go, y’all, let’s go.’ I was calling on God, trying to get out the door,” she recalled.

For her, the explosion seemed stronger than a bomb. In an instant, her house was reduced to rubble, and her family lost everything.

The Public Hospital Authority reported yesterday that two adults were in still critical condition, while two were stable. Two of the three children had been discharged, and one remained stable.

Mrs Smith said that of her three grandchildren, her nine-year-old grandson suffered burns to his face.

Her daughter is in critical condition.

Despite their deep attachment to their home of five years, Mrs Smith thanked God that no one was killed.

She said while the house is insured, she is unsure whether it will be rebuilt, as the units belonged to her daughter and her daughter’s husband.

Mrs Smith is currently staying with her son. She said she visited the scene again because she was struggling to come to terms with the incident.

“Instead of staying at my son’s house, I came back to see if it was real,” she said.

“Things happened so fast.”

PAGE 6, Tuesday, December 31, 2024

The Tribune Limited

THE TRIBUNE

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The human toll behind the murder count IT has been another violent year in The Bahamas.

The murder count has again been well in excess of 100.

We have reported time and again on cases of sexual assault, rape and incest in the courts.

Even before the allegations of corruption following leaked voice notes or the US indictment, the police force had a challenge ahead of it – finding a way to stop the flow of violence that sees our nation exceed 100 murders year after year.

There are of course very human effects from that. The victims are not only those who have died, but those who remain behind to mourn them.

In today’s Tribune, two women tell of how they have struggled this festive season having lost someone to a recent murder.

The mother of one of the men murdered at a barbershop on Bernard Road in Fox Hill on December 21 talked of how no one could eat, no one had any appetite, that it was a Christmas filled with loss.

Natasha Parker said: “You know what it is to lose a child? And this is my first time ever losing a child. It ain’t like you ain’t know your child.

Your child was humble and quiet, and for someone to just walk into the shop and just kill them?”

Reynaldo Rolle was shot dead on November 30 in Pinewood Gardens. His loved ones held a vigil for him on Friday, to come together and talk about his life and speak about forgiveness.

Snovia Hepburn, Rolle’s partner and mother of his children, talked about how their baby talked of his

daddy being at the hospital – “and after time passes and he doesn’t see his dad, you know, he starts to ask questions”.

Mr Rolle had bought presents for his children before his death. Ms Hepburn gave them to his children, unwrapped, and made sure they knew they were from him, that he had been thinking about them.

These are just two stories from more than a hundred through the year. Each family scarred by a loss, left to hurt, to be in pain.

This is the story behind the story of the shooting. This is what people have to endure long after the crime scene has been cleared, after the funeral has been held. An absence. A hole in their lives. Someone missing who once was there.

If we truly are to take back our streets, to clamp down on crime, we also have to help those who have suffered loss to rebuild, to cope, to manage from one day to the next.

We often talk of being a Christian nation, though sometimes we seem more Christian on some issues than others. But for those who need help, it would be our Christian duty to support them.

On Friday, a new police commissioner takes up her post. She has a big task ahead of her, and Shanta Knowles has yet to spell out the strategy she will follow. Crime will not pause for her to take up the reins, so we hope she makes great strides in dealing with the murder rate that her predecessors have been unable to quash.

For all our sakes. And for the victims. All of them.

Govt not fulfilling obligations EDITOR, The Tribune.

As Deputy Chief Councillor for the City of Freeport, I must express my disappointment with the government’s continued failure to refund the $50 nomination fee to local government practitioners. Over three years have passed since these fees were paid, and despite numerous appeals, there has been no resolution.

We are now approaching another nomination day on January 6, 2025, ahead of the upcoming local government elections scheduled for January 23, 2025. It is unacceptable that this unresolved issue remains a

blemish on the process. It sends the wrong message to those of us who have dedicated ourselves to serving our communities with integrity and commitment.

The recently passed Local Government Act, 2024, is a step in the right direction, granting local government councils increased powers in areas such as building control, road traffic, and town planning. However, the government’s failure to honour its financial obligations undermines the spirit of this new legislation and raises questions about its dedication to empowering local governance.

I call on the government to take immediate action

to address this matter.

Refunding these fees is not just a financial obligation but also a sign of respect for the individuals who work tirelessly to represent and uplift their communities.

Restoring trust in the local government system is vital, and resolving this issue is a necessary step toward ensuring that. I urge the government to act now and ensure that past candidates receive their due refunds before this new election cycle begins.

DR CHARLENE REID Deputy Chief Councillor City of Freeport, Grand Bahama December 30, 2024.

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 A NEPALESE Gurung community woman in a traditional attire gets ready to participate in a parade to mark their New Year known as “Tamu Loshar” in Kathmandu, Nepal, yesterday.

Photo: Niranjan Shrestha/AP

Help those who are struggling EDITOR, The Tribune.

THE recent rise in calls to The Bahamas Crisis Centre is a sobering reminder of the silent battles many Bahamians face. Reports indicate a significant increase in calls compared to last year, with many involving suicidal ideation and domestic violence.

The statistics are deeply concerning.

Thankfully, completed suicides decreased by 25% in 2023, but attempted suicides surged by 86%. These figures represent real people, real struggles, and real cries for help.

I am fully aware of how distant we have become as a society and how hopeless life can feel for so many. Our support systems do not always work as they should, leaving individuals to feel isolated and without anywhere to turn. Mental health issues are as normal as physical illnesses but, sadly, we do

letters@tribunemedia.net not treat them with the same care or urgency.

The holiday season can also amplify stress, financial burdens, and family pressures for many.

We must become more attuned to the people around us—friends, family, and even strangers—because someone you know may be quietly struggling.

We also need to create stronger, more accessible mental health resources for our nation. This includes increased public education to reduce stigma, expanded counseling services, and more safe spaces where those in crisis can seek support without fear or judgment.

Let me also remind those in despair that even when it feels like finding a needle in a haystack, there is always someone

SENATOR MAXINE SEYMOUR New Providence December 29, 2024.

Impressed with Jamaica’s political maturity EDITOR, The Tribune.

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

LETTERS

who cares.

Whether you are struggling with stress, family dynamics, or feelings of hopelessness, know that you are not alone. The Bahamas Crisis Centre and other trusted organisations are available to provide support.

To everyone reading this, I urge you to reach out to someone who may be struggling. A kind word, a listening ear, or a simple gesture of care can make all the difference.

Together, we can work toward a society where no one feels alone in their struggle.

If you or someone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to reach out to The Bahamas Crisis Centre’s 24-hour hotline at 328-0922.

There is hope, even in the darkest times.

I AM impressed by Jamaica’s political maturity - when I consider it to that of the sluggish nature of Bahamian politicians and politics in The Bahamas. For example, I think that the system of national checks and balances in Jamaica is far more advanced than that of The Bahamas.

For instance, when I read about the Integrity Commission in Jamaica

– I smile, because it would be like an unwanted hassle-breaker to Bahamian politicians! They would therefore not want any part in establishing such an honourable national office – in my humble view.

Our very our media and Bahamian people are still advocating for a simple Freedom of Information Act – after all these years of slick promises from nogood Bahamian politicians and national leaders.

We need a total

rejuvenation of Bahamian politicians and in Bahamian politics in The Bahamas - in my dear opinion, because what we have been working and living with since 1973 is grossly inadequate for a solidly prosperous future for our beloved posterity and nation.

“Expulsis piratis restituta commercia” DENNIS DAMES Nassau, December 22, 2024

Cannabis Authority expected to be established early next year THE TRIBUNE

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said the Bahamas Cannabis Authority is expected to be established early next year, with Cabinet already reviewing the recommended names for approval.

Dr Darville did not disclose the names of those recommended to serve on the authority but said a broad cross-section of people had expressed interest.

These include members of the religious and Rastafarian communities and representatives from civil society, business, research, and medicine.

He said candidates must meet specific qualifications and go through a vetting process.

Establishing the authority will represent a concrete step

Tuesday, December 31, 2024, PAGE 7

toward developing a cannabis framework since Parliament passed legislation earlier this year to legalise cannabis for medical and religious use.

The Cannabis Authority will oversee the regulation of medical and religious cannabis use in the country.

“Once the authority is established, we will find a place where they will meet, and they will have to have their own space, their own digital platform, their own regulatory framework,” Dr Darville added.

“And then, of course, we spoke about licensing doctors, licensing pharmacists, you have the cannabis dispenser, the cannabis dispensary. We also have the therapeutics. All of these things need to be brought into play… so it’s a lot of work but the first thing is to put the authority together.”

Dr Darville also announced plans to

introduce amendments to advance the cannabis regime when Parliament resumes.

He noted that the Pharmacy Act needs to be updated to accommodate the digital platform, which will include provisions for e-prescriptions.

He said his team is working on the legislative framework to repeal the NIB Chronic Disease Prescription Drug (Fund) Act to ensure it incorporates people with chronic noncommunicable diseases who have national health insurance.

He explained that the goal is to make medication more accessible to individuals managing chronic non-communicable diseases. To achieve this, he plans to amend the Pharmacy Act, which will also allow for the integration of digital components, including E-prescriptions for cannabis.

He added that the entire

MINISTER OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS DR MICHAEL DARVILLE medical cannabis industry will operate digitally.

Physicians authorised to prescribe medical cannabis will generate E-prescriptions stored in a cloud system. This allows any

pharmacy the patient visits to access and fill the prescription, enhancing security measures in the process.

According to the cannabis bills tabled this

year, initial licence fees would range from $1,000 to $5,000, while annual licence fees would range from $500 to $14,712, depending on the licence type.

Teen accused of aiding and abetting Man charged with raping woman on Boxing Day Bernard Road barber shop shooting

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net AN 18-year-old man was remanded to prison yesterday after being accused of aiding and abetting the New Horizon Hair Cutz shooting on Bernard Road, which claimed the lives of two men earlier this month.

Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley arraigned Alyden Pelecanos on two counts of abetment to commit murder.

The defendant allegedly aided and abetted the perpetrators of the fatal shooting at a barber shop that resulted in the deaths of Marlon Darling and another man on December 21, 2024.

Police reports indicate

that two gunmen entered the business armed with high-powered weapons and opened fire before fleeing the scene in a vehicle.

A seven-year-old boy sustained gunshot wounds to his legs during the incident but was successfully treated in hospital.

Two others were also injured in the shooting.

The main suspects remain at large.

Pelecanos was informed that his case would proceed to the Supreme Court via a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).

Raquel Huyler, the defendant’s attorney, claimed her client was beaten while in custody and required hospitalisation.

Ms Huyler also said that

Pelecanos has a heart condition requiring medication and requested he be seen by a doctor while in prison.

Magistrate Reckley assured her that the court would make the necessary recommendations for Pelecanos while he is remanded at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

Chief Superintendent David Lockhart, one of the prosecutors, declined to comment on the alleged police abuse.

The defendant was allowed a brief moment with his parents before being taken into remand.

Pelecanos’ VBI is scheduled to be served on April 24, 2025.

Inspector Deon Barr also served as a prosecutor.

30-year-old accused of molesting nine-year-old girl seven times

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A 30-YEAR-OLD man was remanded to prison yesterday after he was accused of molesting a nine-year-old girl seven times over the summer.

Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley arraigned Chequeal Martin on two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse and five counts of indecent assault.

Martin allegedly inappropriately touched a nine-year-old girl five times between June 17 and 21 in New Providence.

The defendant allegedly had unlawful sexual intercourse with the same girl on twice on August 2 and 3.

The defendant was

informed that his matter would proceed to the Supreme Court through a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI). He was also informed that he would be remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services and had to apply for bail before the higher court.

Martin claimed he was innocent and had a witness who could defend him. He also said that his son had recently died.

Magistrate Reckley advised him to be careful about what he says, adding it would be in his best interest to retain an attorney. The magistrate noted what he said and told him he would have a chance to inform the court about his witness when he filed a

notice of alibi.

Martin continued by claiming the complainant’s father had “evil intentions” for him and that the charges were allegedly made to bring about his downfall.

The defendant said he was a law-abiding citizen.

He claimed that if he were to be remanded, his family would be homeless as he is their sole provider.

Magistrate Reckley told him the Magistrate’s Court lacked the jurisdiction to grant him bail.

The defendant will be remanded to prison until his VBI is served on May 1, 2025.

Chief Superintendent David Lockhart and Inspector Deon Barr served as the prosecutors.

Man charged with having a firearm with intent to endanger life

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A MAN denied endangering a man’s life with a gun last December.

Senior Justice Cheryl Grant Thompson arraigned Kevin “Shadow” Glinton, 33, with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger

life.

Glinton allegedly threatened the life of Mark Davis Jr with a black handgun on December 7, 2023 in New Providence.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Glinton requested that the court appoint him an attorney.

The defendant was

informed that his trial is slated for June 2 through 6 2025.

He was also told this case management date is on March 19, 2025.

His pretrial hearing is set for May 7, 2025.

Glinton was told to write down his court dates or risk his bail being revoked for missing court.

SEARCH FOR MAN WHO WENT OVERBOARD FROM cruise ship near Long isLand ‘fruitLess’ POLICE on Friday launched a search for a 51-year-old male American tourist who went overboard from a cruise ship near Clarence Town, Long Island.

Police were reportedly notified of the incident shortly after 10am on Friday. Sometime earlier, around 3pm, the victim reportedly became distressed and jumped from

a balcony into the sea despite attempts to restrain him.

Police said that efforts by OPBAT and the cruise ship personnel to find the man had proved fruitless.

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A 46-YEAR-OLD man was remanded to custody yesterday after being accused of raping a 23-yearold woman in her home on Boxing Day. Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley arraigned Carlon Cartwright on a charge of rape.

The defendant allegedly

had sexual intercourse with the woman without her consent in her home on Cooper’s Terrace at 11.40pm on December 26, 2024.

Cartwright is reportedly known to the alleged victim.

He was informed that his case would be transferred to the Supreme Court through a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).

Before being remanded

at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services, the defendant was allowed a brief moment with his mother in court.

Cartwright’s VBI is scheduled to be served on April 24, 2025.

Barry Sawyer represented the accused.

Chief Superintendent David Lockhart and Inspector Deon Barr served as the prosecutors.

PAGE 8, Tuesday, December 31, 2024

THE TRIBUNE

Lessons from the elections held in 70 countries in 2024

A WOMAN with her child (pictured right) prepares her ballot in the general elections in Accra, Ghana, on December 7, 2024 Photos: AP LONDON Associated Press WHEN voters around the globe had their say in 2024, their message was often: “You’re fired.”

Some 70 countries that are home to half the world’s population held elections this year, and in many incumbents were punished. From India and the United States to Japan, France and Britain, voters tired of economic disruption and global instability rejected sitting governments — and sometimes turned to disruptive outsiders.

The rocky democratic landscape just seemed to get bumpier as a dramatic year careened toward its end, with mass protests in Mozambique and Georgia, an election annulled in Romania and an attempt to impose martial law in South Korea.

Cas Mudde, a professor of international affairs at the University of Georgia who studies extremism and democracy, summed up 2024 in Prospect magazine as “a great year for the far right, a terrible year for incumbents and a troublesome year for democracy around the world.”

Incumbents battered One message sent by voters in 2024: They’re fed up.

University of Manchester political scientist Rob Ford has attributed the anti-incumbent mood to “electoral long COVID” -– lingering pandemic-related health, education, social and economic disruptions that have made millions of people unhappier and worse off. High inflation, fuelled by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and mass displacement from that war and conflicts in the Middle East and Africa have added to the global unease.

In South Africa, high unemployment and inequality helped drive a dramatic loss of support for the African National Congress, which had governed for three decades since the end of the apartheid system of white minority rule. The party once led by Nelson Mandela lost its political dominance in May’s election and was forced to go into coalition with opposition parties.

Incumbents also were defeated in Senegal, Ghana and Botswana, where voters ousted the party that had been in power for 58 years since independence from Britain. Namibia’s ruling SWAPO party extended its 34 years in power in December -– but only by a whisker.

Uruguay’s leftist opposition candidate, Yamandú

Orsi, became the country’s new president in a November runoff that delivered another rebuke to incumbents.

In India, the world’s largest democracy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party lost its parliamentary majority in a shock election result in June after a decade of dominance. It was forced to govern in coalition as the opposition doubled its strength in Parliament.

Japanese politics entered a new era of uncertainty after Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s governing Liberal Democratic Party, which has ruled almost without interruption since 1955, suffered a major loss in October amid voter anger at party financial scandals. It now leads a minority government.

The UK’s July election saw the right-of-centre Conservatives ousted after 14 years in office as the centerleft Labour Party swept to power in a landslide. But the results also revealed growing fragmentation: Support for the two big parties that have dominated British politics for a century shrank as voters turned to smaller parties, including the hard-right party Reform U.K. led by Nigel Farage.

Authoritarians advance Britain is not alone in seeing a rise for the right.

Elections in June for the parliament of the 27-nation European Union saw conservative populists and the far right rock ruling parties in France and Germany, the EU’s biggest and most powerful members.

The anti-immigration National Rally party won the first round of France’s parliamentary election in June, but alliances and tactical voting by the center and left knocked it down to third place in the second round, producing a divided legislature and a fragile government that collapsed in a Dec. 4 no-confidence vote.

In Austria, the conservative governing People’s Party was beaten by the far-right, pro-Russia Freedom Party in September, though other parties allied to keep it out of a coalition government.

Nepotism and political dynasties continued to exert influence -– and to be challenged. After messy elections in February, Pakistan elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, younger brother of threetime leader Nawaz Sharif.

Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest democracy, elected President Prabowo Subianto, son-in-law of the late dictator Suharto.

Bangladeshi Prime

PROTESTS erupt after results of Mozambique’s elections on November 5, 2024.

SUPPORTERS of the Frente Amplio (Broad Front) celebrate the victory of candidate Yamandú Orsi in Montevideo, Uruguay.

LABOUR Party leader Keir Starmer shakes hands with supporters after winning UK election.

A MEMBER of the Bolivarian Militia with a painting of President Nicolas Maduro celebrating his July 28 reelection, in Venezuela.

Minister Sheikh Hasina, the world’s longest-serving female leader, won a fourth successive term in a January election that opposition parties boycotted. Months later, her 15-year rule came to a tumultuous end: After mass student-led protests in which hundreds were killed, Hasina was ousted in August and fled to India.

In Sri Lanka, voters also rejected a discredited old guard. Voters elected the Marxist Anura Kumara Dissanayake as president in September, two years after an island-wide public movement by an engaged middle class removed the long-ruling Rajapaksa clan.

Interference allegations Covert meddling and online disinformation were growing concerns in 2024.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, said that this year it took down 20 election-related “covert influence operations around the world, including in the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the US” It said Russia was the top source of such meddling, followed by Iran and China.

In Romania, far-right candidate Câlin Georgescu came from nowhere to win the first round of the presidential election in November, aided in part by a flood of TikTok videos promoting his campaign.

Amid allegations of Russian meddling, Romania’s Constitutional Court cancelled the

presidential election runoff two days before it was due to take place after a trove of declassified intelligence alleged Russia organized a sprawling campaign across social media to promote Georgescu. No date has yet been set for a rerun.

Moldova’s pro-Western President Maia Sandu won a November runoff against her Moscow-friendly rival in an election seen as pivotal to the future of one of Europe’s poorest nations.

Georgia has seen huge protests since an election in October was won by the proMoscow Georgian Dream party, which suspended negotiations on joining the European Union. The opposition and the pro-Western president, Salome Zourabichvili, have accused the governing party of rigging the vote with Russia’s help.

Uncertainty reigns Possibly the year’s most seismic result, Donald Trump’s victory in November’s US presidential election, has America’s allies and opponents bracing for what the unpredictable “America-first” leader will do with his second term.

And instability already reigns on several continents as the year ends. Venezuela has been in political crisis since a July election marred by serious fraud allegations which both President Nicolás Maduro and the opposition claim to have won. Amid opposition protests and a harsh

A WOMAN casts her vote during a presidential election runoff, in the village of Ciopleni, Moldovain November. crackdown, opposition candidate Edmundo González went into exile in Spain.

In Mozambique, the Frelimo party that has ruled for half a century was declared the winner of an October election that the opposition called rigged. Weeks of ongoing street protests across the country have left more than 100 dead.

South Korea’s conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol — weakened after the liberal opposition retained control in an April election -– astonished the country by declaring martial law in a late-night announcement on Dec. 3. Parliament voted to overturn the decision six hours later, and within days voted to impeach Yoon. The crisis in the deeply divided country is far from over.

Democracy’s bumpy ride looks likely to continue in 2025, with embattled incumbents facing challenge in countries including

Germany, where Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a confidence vote on Dec. 16, triggering an early election likely in February. Canada will also vote in 2025, with the governing Liberals widely unpopular and increasingly divided after almost a decade in power.

Seema Shah, head of democracy assessment at the Stockholm-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, said global surveys suggest support for the concept of democracy remains strong, but the numbers plummet “when you ask people how satisfied they are with their own democracy.”

“People want democracy. They like the theory of it,” she said. “But when they see it actually play out, it’s not living up to their expectations.”

Remembering the horror of the tsunami THE TRIBUNE

SOCIOLOGISTS engaged in the study of people’s behaviour say that the world has become almost inured to natural disasters. That is because what are generally known as natural hazard events – for example, earthquakes, hurricanes and typhoons, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, blizzards, floods and droughts - are so often unpredictable but nonetheless inevitable at some time or another.

To live daily in perpetual fear of the deadly consequences of something that may or may not happen and, anyway, may not affect one individually, is impossible if people are to remain sufficiently calm and composed to conduct their daily lives in an ordered manner.

Thus, the mind tells itself that, even if it happens, “it won’t happen to me”.

Here in The Bahamas, this can be the case for the six-month period of the hurricane season when the citizens of our extensive archipelago live in a constant state of uncertainty while at the same time living normally nonetheless. The collective sigh of relief in the nation at the end of the relatively peaceful 2024 hurricane season was practically audible.

But, if by chance a disaster does strike, like the maximum Category 5 Hurricane Dorian that hit Abaco and Grand Bahama in 2019 and caused unprecedented death and destruction, in order to retain the required stability and calm for rational thought, people

Tuesday, December 31, 2024, PAGE 9

The Peter Young column also need to be reassured in advance of the existence locally of the means to take preemptive or preparatory action, and to deal with the consequences of any such event.

Furthermore, when a disaster happens, be it close to home or far off in some distant part of the world, it is a characteristic of human nature invariably to empathise with those affected and share their suffering vicariously, however indirectly that might be. With today’s instantaneous communications, and on the thesis that bad news travels fast, it seems that one hears of a disaster somewhere around the world on practically a daily basis.

Such thoughts were uppermost in my mind, when reading reports in the UK press last week about the 20th anniversary of the deadly Indian Ocean

RANI AMMA, 50, grieves for her family who died in the December 26, 2004 tsunami, as she sits near a small temple she made at the spot where her home once stood, at Nagappattinam, in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Photo: Gautam Singh/AP tsunami on Boxing Day in 2004. It was a catastrophic event that wreaked havoc particularly in Indonesia - one of the main cities of which, Banda Aceh, was largely destroyed - Thailand, Sri Lanka and India.

It created unspeakable devastation, killing more than 230,000 people, both tourists, other visitors and local people across a dozen different countries.

This tsunami was classified as the biggest of modern times and one of the deadliest and most devastating natural disasters in history.

It was summed up by four words – destruction, loss, death and grief.

Survivors who were badly traumatised by such

Change inevitable for wine producers TO my eye, it would be barely credible if it had not appeared in a serious publication of the UK press.

Under the headline ‘Alcohol-free wine has arrived in France’, an article was published recently saying that in the vineyards of Bordeaux the “unspeakable” had become the “drinkable”. Wine estates were now contemplating the alcohol-free bottle of wine, with many in France predicting a revolution in the wine world.

The reason for any doubt is that France has always been regarded as a country synonymous with fine wine, with viticulture going back more than 2000 years after originally having been introduced to the country by the Greeks and Italians.

The Bordeaux region in the west of the country has always been considered by some as the wine capital of the world due to its extensive production of high-quality wines and its acknowledged influence on the global wine industry.

Then, of course, there is the Burgundy region and the Loire Valley together with Beaujolais premier grand cru wines. At one stage, Beaujolais was particularly popular in neighbouring Britain after the clever and effective marketing strategy of the annual contrived race to get its first production of the year – Beaujolais nouveau - on to dinner tables in London.

Despite all this, a Google search reveals that far from being a joke it is reported that alcohol-free wine may indeed become a reality in France, with some wine growers indicating that what has been seen as yesterday’s heresy ought now to be regarded as an opportunity instead.

It may be worth noting that what was claimed to be another huge change in France, but of far less

ALCOHOL-free wine. significance than the introduction of alcohol-free wine, was the change from corks in bottles to screwcaps. This seemed to be another heresy because, in France, it was always claimed that people were used to the ritual of tasting a good bottle of wine by first removing the cork and listening to the sound that made – the “plop”of a popping cork. True or not, according to reports, a few years ago more and more wine growers were said to be opting for the screwcap to close their wine bottles.

Indeed, it now seems that screwcaps may even be preferred because they allow in little or no air whereas corks are porous (although some experts maintain that is not necessarily harmful). They are also easier to remove. What is more, I found it interesting that use of screwcaps by French producers goes back to 1959.

A little research reveals that the French wine world is in some difficulty overall.

There is reported to be a decline in consumption of what has been considered as the country’s national drink.

There has been a gradual disappearance of wine from the national dinner table

– though I suspect that is something of an exaggeration - while younger people turn to beer, more and more of which has become non-alcoholic. However, it is said that that for older people, brought up with wine always on the table, consumption of it with a meal is an essential part of their “patrimoine” or cultural heritage.

For the purists, who are less interested in tradition and heritage than their taste buds, what may matter most is the degree of success by the producers in replicating the experience of drinking a traditional wine with alcohol so that the aficionado or connoisseur can continue to enjoy the genuine wine characteristics of bouquet, tannins, fruits and balance. So, presumably, much will depend on whether the latest methods of removing the alcohol will work satisfactorily.

Only time will tell. But, reportedly, at the SaintEmilion estate in the Bordeaux wine region one third of the chateau’s current sales are already non-alcoholic brands. So, perhaps yesterday’s heresy really will become tomorrow’s opportunity.

a shocking experience provided vivid eye-witness accounts of what happened. They described the situation of the sea, without warning, receding a long way from the shore – some said as far as a mile out to sea - early on the morning of Boxing Day before coming roaring back a short time later and turning paradise into a living hell on earth.

One eye-witness called it a colossal tidal wave and frothing mass of water that swept away everything and everyone in its path while, even hours later, there were fears of a second wave to come. It was later determined that this huge upheaval was triggered by

a large (9.2 magnitude) undersea earthquake off the island of Sumatra in western Indonesia.

Hardened Western journalists reported that confronted by the wholesale destruction of buildings and heavy death toll with bodies lying everywhere, the surrounding scene was heartbreaking.

But people had shown amazing resilience in reacting to the unstoppable force of nature.

A little research shows that tsunami is a Japanese word defined as a wave or series of waves in a body of water, generally in an ocean but also in a large lake, that has been displaced by an underwater

explosion or disturbance of some kind, usually an earthquake or volcanic eruption.

Of varying intensity, tsunamis occur relatively frequently in Japan and in the Pacific Ocean affecting Hawaii and Alaska. One occurred off the Dominican Republic in 1946. But the experts say none has ever been recorded in The Bahamas.

The biggest tsunami in history was in 1958 in Alaska. A wave, estimated to be 1,700 foot high, inundated a five-square mile area around it. But, though destroying vegetation and wildlife, only two human fatalities were recorded.

By contrast, the Indian Ocean tsunami killed the most people in the history of such disasters.

While reading the comments of those who experienced it in one way or another, I was struck by their positivity, after such a traumatic and shocking experience, in clearing up the damage and rebuilding.

As a demonstration of the toughness and resilience of the local people, there also seems to have been an emphasis on learning from the experience and being better prepared in the future, notably developing an improved early warning system. For the record, the history books say that the undersea earthquake that precipitated the Indian Ocean tsunami was the most powerful one ever in Asia and the third strongest since modern seismography began as long ago as 1900.

GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION IT is said that, as the human body ages, one of the first faculties to be affected is memory. But that is usually the shortterm memory. So one can perhaps remember something which happened at school more than fifty years ago but can’t recall what one had for breakfast earlier the same day. The humorists maintain, however, that this is nothing to worry about since things were always better in the good old days –- even at school - and it is good to be able to remember them so vividly.

Such an attitude has always seemed to me to be somewhat skewed because one has no option but to

live in the present and it makes sense to appreciate what one has. Doing so, argues Sir John Templeton in his splendid book entitled Discovering the Laws of Life, requires thanksgiving which is a creative force. If practised regularly and consistently, he says, it will create more good in one’s life and “leads to having more to be thankful for”. But so many delight in finding fault and carping about things that do not matter much in everyday life rather than being genuinely grateful for the positive things in their lives.

That said, at this time of year people tend to look forward to the next one

with a feeling of optimism and belief that this milestone may bring better times with it. There tend to be endless homilies by well-meaning individuals encouraging others to pursue what Americans call an attitude of gratitude. They also advise insomniacs to count their blessings instead of sheep and many also contend that another year is a time to repair cherished relationships which, for one reason or another, may have gone wrong but deserve to be put right again.

So, in that spirit and with gratitude for the good things in life, all best wishes to everybody for a Happy New Year.

In 2024, artificial intelligence was all about putting AI tools to work PAGE 10, Tuesday, December 31, 2024

THE TRIBUNE

that codify certain AI protections in order to keep working with actors during the strike.

Musicians and authors have voiced similar concerns over AI scraping their voices and books. But generative AI still can’t create unique work or “completely new things,” said Walid Saad, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and AI expert at Virginia Tech.

“We can train it with more data so it has more information. But having more information doesn’t mean you’re more creative,” he said. “As humans, we understand the world around us, right? We understand the physics. You understand if you throw a ball on the ground, it’s going to bounce. AI tools currently don’t understand the world.”

Saad pointed to a meme about AI as an example of that shortcoming. When someone prompted an AI engine to create an image of salmon swimming in a river, he said, the AI created a photo of a river with cut pieces of salmon found in grocery stores.

“What AI lacks today is the common sense that humans have, and I think that is the next step,” he said.

Associated Press IF 2023 was a year of wonder about artificial intelligence, 2024 was the year to try to get that wonder to do something useful without breaking the bank.

There was a “shift from putting out models to actually building products,” said Arvind Narayanan, a Princeton University computer science professor and co-author of the new book “AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What It Can’t, and How to Tell The Difference.”

The first 100 million or so people who experimented with ChatGPT upon its release two years ago actively sought out the chatbot, finding it amazingly helpful at some tasks or laughably mediocre at others.

Now such generative AI technology is baked into an increasing number of technology services whether we’re looking for it or not — for instance, through the AI-generated answers in Google search results or new AI techniques in photo editing tools.

“The main thing that was wrong with generative AI last year is that companies were releasing these really powerful models without a concrete way for people to make use of them,” said Narayanan. “What we’re seeing this year is gradually building out these products that can take advantage of those capabilities and do useful things for people.”

At the same time, since OpenAI released GPT-4 in March 2023 and competitors introduced similarly performing AI large language models, these models have stopped getting significantly “bigger and qualitatively better,” resetting overblown expectations that AI was racing every few months to some kind of better-than-human intelligence, Narayanan said. That’s also meant that the public discourse has shifted from “is AI going to kill us?” to treating it like a normal technology, he said.

AI’s stIcker shock On quarterly earnings calls this year, tech executives often heard questions from Wall Street analysts looking for assurances of future payoffs from huge spending on AI research and development. Building

An ‘AgentIc future’

AI systems behind generative AI tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini requires investing in energy-hungry computing systems running on powerful and expensive AI chips. They require so much electricity that tech giants announced deals this year to tap into nuclear power to help run them.

“We’re talking about hundreds of billions of dollars of capital that has been poured into this technology,” said Goldman Sachs analyst Kash Rangan.

Another analyst at the New York investment bank drew attention over the summer by arguing AI isn’t solving the complex problems that would justify its costs. He also questioned whether AI models, even as they’re being trained on much of the written and visual data produced over

the course of human history, will ever be able to do what humans do so well.

Rangan has a more optimistic view.

“We had this fascination that this technology is just going to be absolutely revolutionary, which it has not been in the two years since the introduction of ChatGPT,” Rangan said. “It’s more expensive than we thought and it’s not as productive as we thought.”

Rangan, however, is still bullish about its potential and says that AI tools are already proving “absolutely incrementally more productive” in sales, design and a number of other professions.

AI And your job Some workers wonder whether AI tools will be used to supplement their work or to replace them as

the technology continues to grow. The tech company Borderless AI has been using an AI chatbot from Cohere to write up employment contracts for workers in Turkey or India without the help of outside lawyers or translators.

Video game performers with the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists who went on strike in July said they feared AI could reduce or eliminate job opportunities because it could be used to replicate one performance into a number of other movements without their consent. Concerns about how movie studios will use AI helped fuel last year’s film and television strikes by the union, which lasted four months. Game companies have also signed side agreements with the union

That type of reasoning is a key part of the process of making AI tools more useful to consumers, said Vijoy Pandey, senior vice president of Cisco’s innovation and incubation arm, Outshift. AI developers are increasingly pitching the next wave of generative AI chatbots as AI “agents” that can do more useful things on people’s behalf.

That could mean being able to ask an AI agent an ambiguous question and have the model able to reason and plan out steps to solving an ambitious problem, Pandey said. A lot of technology, he said, is going to move in that direction in 2025.

Pandey predicts that eventually, AI agents will be able to come together and perform a job the way multiple people come together and solve a problem as a team rather than simply accomplishing tasks as individual AI tools. The AI agents of the future will work as an ensemble, he said.

Future Bitcoin software, for example, will likely rely on the use of AI software agents, Pandey said. Those agents will each have a specialty, he said, with “agents that check for correctness, agents that check for security, agents that check for scale.”

“We’re getting to an agentic future,” he said.

“You’re going to have all these agents being very good at certain skills, but also have a little bit of a character or colour to them, because that’s how we operate.”

AI mAkes gAIns In medIcIne AI tools have also streamlined, or lent in some cases a literal helping hand, to the medical field. This year’s Nobel Prize in chemistry — one of two Nobels awarded to AI-related science — went to work led by Google that could help discover new medicines.

Saad, the Virginia Tech professor, said that AI has helped bring faster diagnostics by quickly giving doctors a starting point to launch from when determining a patient’s care.

AI can’t detect disease, he said, but it can quickly digest data and point out potential problem areas for a real doctor to investigate. As with other arenas, however, it poses a risk of perpetuating falsehoods.

Tech giant OpenAI has touted its AI-powered transcription tool Whisper as having near “human level robustness and accuracy,” for example. But experts have said that Whisper has a major flaw: It is prone to making up chunks of text or even entire sentences.

Pandey, of Cisco, said that some of the company’s customers who work in pharmaceuticals have noted that AI has helped bridge the divide between “wet labs,” in which humans conduct physical experiments and research, and “dry labs” where people analyse data and often use computers for modelling.

When it comes to pharmaceutical development, that collaborative process can take several years, he said — with AI, the process can be cut to a few days.

“That, to me, has been the most dramatic use,” Pandey said.

BIDEN ANNOUNCES NEARLY $2.5 BILLION MORE IN MILITARY AID FOR UKRAINE WASHINGTON Associated Press PRESIDENT Joe Biden said Monday that the United States will send nearly $2.5 billion more in weapons to Ukraine as his administration works quickly to spend all the money it has available to help Kyiv fight off Russia before Presidentelect Donald Trump takes office.

The package includes $1.25 billion in presidential drawdown authority, which allows the military to pull existing stock from its shelves and gets weapons to the battlefield faster.

It also has $1.22 billion in longer-term weapons packages to be put on contract through the separate Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, or USAI. Biden said all longerterm USAI funds have now been spent and that he seeks to fully use all the remaining drawdown money before leaving office.

“I’ve directed my administration to continue surging as much assistance to Ukraine as quickly as possible,” Biden said in a statement. “At my direction, the United States will continue to work relentlessly to strengthen Ukraine’s position in this war over the remainder of

my time in office.”

In addition to the weapons support, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen announced Monday that the US is also providing $3.4 billion in economic assistance to Ukraine to help pay for critical government services during its ongoing fight against Russia. The money will pay salaries for civilian government and school employees, healthcare workers and first responders.

The new military aid comes as Russia has launched a barrage of attacks against Ukraine’s power facilities in recent days, although Ukraine has said it intercepted a significant number of the missiles and drones.

Russian and Ukrainian forces are also still in a bitter battle around the Russian border region of Kursk, where Moscow has sent thousands of North Korean troops to help reclaim territory taken by Ukraine.

The Biden administration is pushing to get weapons into Ukraine to give Kyiv the strongest negotiating position possible before Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.

Trump has talked about getting some type of negotiated settlement between Ukraine and Russia and

PRESIDENT Joe Biden speaks about the death of former President Jimmy Carter Sunday, at the Company House Hotel in Christiansted, St Croix, US Virgin Islands.

Photo: Susan Walsh/AP has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Many US and European leaders are concerned that Trump’s talk of a settlement might result in a poor deal for Ukraine, and they worry that he won’t provide Ukraine with all the

weapons funding approved

by Congress.

The weapons systems being pulled from existing stockpiles through this latest weapons package include counterunmanned aerial systems munitions, air defence

munitions, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition, air-to-ground munitions, anti-armor systems, tube-launched missiles, fragmentation

grenades, and other items and spare parts.

Including Monday’s announcement, the US has provided more than $65 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded its neighbour in February 2022.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, December 31, 2024, PAGE 11

Lions beat 49ers 40-34 in tuneup for Week 18 division showdown

By JOSH DUBOW AP Pro Football Writer SANTA CLARA, Calif.

(AP) — Jared Goff threw three touchdown passes and the Detroit Lions tuned up for their Week 18 division showdown against Minnesota by beating the San Francisco 49ers 40-34 last night.

Goff threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to AmonRa St. Brown in the final minute of the third quarter following the first of Kerby Joseph’s two second-half interceptions against Brock Purdy in a rematch of last season’s NFC title game won by San Francisco. That proved to be enough for the

Lions (14-2) to extend their franchise record for wins in a season as they beat the 49ers (6-10) on the road for the first time since 1975.

The stakes for this game were miniscule compared to the last meeting between the teams when a berth in the Super Bowl was on the line last January.

San Francisco was eliminated from playoff contention last week and Detroit plays Minnesota in the regular-season finale next week with the winner earning the NFC North title and top seed in the NFC playoffs, and the loser being relegated to a wild card.

The win against the 49ers would only matter if Detroit

and Minnesota tie in Week 18, with the Lions now set to earn the No. 1 seed in that unlikely scenario.

Jahymr Gibbs put the game away with a 30-yard touchdown run with less than three minutes left following Purdy’s second interception, giving him 117 yards on the night.

The offences dominated for much of the night, with the teams scoring touchdowns on the first five possessions and Purdy and Goff combining to complete the first 17 passes of the game — including a perfectly executed hookand-ladder play that led to a 42-yard TD for Goff.

He threw a short pass to

LIONS quarterback Jared Goff (16) throws a pass during the first half against the 49ers last night.

(AP Photo/Godofredo A Vásquez) St. Brown, who immediately pitched the ball to Jameson Williams, who streaked down the sideline for the final 41 yards and his second TD of the first half.

The only stops of the half came when Renardo Green broke up a pass in the end zone from Goff to Sam LaPorta and when Jake Moody missed a 51-yard field goal in the closing seconds for San Francisco.

Purdy threw a 5-yard pop pass for a TD on San Francisco’s opening drive of the second half before Detroit’s defence finally managed a stop when Joseph intercepted an overthrown pass

by Purdy.

Goff turned that into a 4-yard TD pass to St. Brown on fourth-and-goal to give the Lions their first lead at 31-28 late in the third quarter.

Moody missed a 58-yard field goal that could have tied the game early in the fourth quarter for his ninth missed field goal of the season. Moody also missed an extra point after Joshua Dobbs scored on a TD run in the final minute.

Up next Lions: Host Minnesota on Sunday night.

49ers: Visit Arizona on Sunday.

Barkley’s pursuit of Dickerson’s NFL season rushing record adds juice in meaningless Eagles’ finale

By DAN GELSTON AP Sports Writer PHILADELPHIA (AP) — At some point this week, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni will decide if he’s going for it or punting — will Saquon Barkley get his shot at breaking Eric Dickerson’s NFL season rushing record, or will Philadelphia’s star running back sit out a meaningless finale and protect his health for a playoff run?

The NFC East champion Eagles (13-3) likely will rest the bulk of their starters — notably quarterback Jalen Hurts, who sat out Sunday’s rout of Dallas with the lingering effects of a concussion — to get them rested and healthy ahead of what the franchise expects will be a meaningful run to the Super Bowl.

The NFL rushing leader, Barkley could use a breather, too — even if he’s just 101 yards shy of breaking Dickerson’s season record of 2,105 yards set in 1984 with the Los Angeles Rams.

Barkley could knock out his yards in one half against the lowly Giants, and the delightful twist of being able to set the mark against the team that let him go in free agency would only add to the significance of his achievement.

But no record is worth the chance that Barkley could get hurt, a risk only heightened if he plays behind a second-team offensive line.

Barkley towed the line of personal gain and professionalism after he ran for 167 yards against the Cowboys. He wants the record if it’s there for the taking.

He won’t chase it at all costs with a Super Bowl run at stake.

“I’ll do what I think is necessary and best for the team to put ourselves in that position, but I also am very sensitive to records and all the things there,” Sirianni said. “So, we’ll see how it goes. I don’t know yet. We’ll always do what’s best for these guys, and that could mean playing them, that could mean resting them. It could be either one. I’ve got to think about that.”

Whether Barkley plays or not, the Eagles’ immediate future is set. The Eagles — who also secured the No. 2 seed in the NFC — will host the Giants on Sunday. They also will host a wild-card playoff game on January 11, 12 or 13 against either the Washington Commanders or Green Bay Packers.

If Washington loses Sunday to Dallas and Green Bay beats Chicago,

PHILADELPHIA Eagles running back Saquon Barkley speaks to reporters following an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in Philadelphia. The Eagles won 41-7.

(AP Photo/Matt Slocum) the Commanders are headed to Lincoln Financial Field.

If the Commanders win and Green Bay loses, the Packers are the No. 7 seed that travels to Philly.

“I didn’t come here and sign here just to rush for 2,000 or break a record,” Barkley said. “I want to do something special, meaning special with the team.”

He just might have to sit out a game for the Eagles to raise a championship banner.

What’s working Yes, Barkley is the weekly obvious answer here. But let’s go with the defence that smothered the Cowboys and held them to just seven points. C.J. GardnerJohnson redeemed himself a week after a senseless ejection against Washington with two interceptions, including a 69-yard return for a touchdown on Dallas’ opening drive.

What needs help Health. The Eagles can’t win anything if Hurts, and even banged-up backup QB Kenny Pickett, are still hurt headed into the

postseason. Hurts and wide receiver A.J. Brown were injured last season in a mostly meaningless finale against the Giants and were ineffective a week later in a wild-card loss at Tampa Bay. Stock up Pat Driscoll. You won’t find this Eagles fan on the stat sheet, but Driscoll made the catch — and return — of the game.

When Brown chucked the football from his touchdown catch into the stands, the Eagles receiver didn’t realise it was the first TD pass ever thrown by thirdstring QB Tanner McKee. So the race was on to retrieve the ball from the stands. Driscoll caught Brown’s heave in section 110 and — after a chain gang relay from fans to Eagles personnel — the ball was returned to McKee. Driscoll was hailed as a football hero in Philly.

Brown autographed his game-worn jersey and gave it to Driscoll as a thank-you.

At least one Philadelphia area collectibles store offered to frame Driscoll’s

jersey for free in appreciation for showing “the sports world how awesome Philly fans are.”

Stock down Nothing. The Eagles played a near-perfect game on their way to winning for the 11th time in 12 games and have the look of a team that can win the Super Bowl. The Eagles have 7-1 odds to win the Super Bowl, per BetMGM Sportsbook.

Injuries Beyond Hurts and Pickett, the Eagles head into the finale relatively healthy, and an extra week off should only help the starters.

Key number 11 — Eagles have won 11 NFC East championships since Jeffrey Lurie bought the team ahead of the 1994 season. They have 10 of those titles since 2002. Only New England (16), Green Bay (12) and Kansas City (12) have won more division titles. Sirianni joined Doug Pederson (2017, 2019) and Andy Reid (2001-02) as the only Eagles coaches to win multiple division championships within their first four years.

PAGE 12, Tuesday, December 31, 2024

THE TRIBUNE

Knicks win their 8th straight with victory over the Wizards WASHINGTON (AP) — Josh Hart had 23 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists for his third triple-double of the season, Karl-Anthony Towns had 32 points and 13 rebounds, and the New York Knicks beat the Washington Wizards 126-106 last night for their eighth straight victory.

It was the second game in three nights between the teams. On Saturday night, the Knicks (23-10) outlasted the Wizards 136132 in overtime behind 55 points from Jalen Brunson.

Jonas Valanciunas equalled his season high with 22 points for Washington (5-25). Alex Sarr and Malcolm Brogdon each had 18.

There was a scary moment with 3:07 to play in the third quarter when Washington rookie guard Bub Carrington fell backward while guarding a player and hit a Knicks player’s knee and then the back of his head on the court.

Carrington left in a wheelchair, covering his face and did not return with a post-traumatic headache.

BULLS 115, HORNETS 108, Overtime CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Coby White narrowly missed his first career triple-double, finishing with 23 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, and Torrey Craig scored 18 with five 3-pointers after halftime as Chicago held on to beat Charlotte in overtime.

Nikola Vucevic added 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Bulls (15-18).

Miles Bridges had 31 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists for the Hornets (7-25), who’ve lost 16 of 17.

Trailing by 3 in regulation, Bridges missed a corner 3 to tie it and Vucevic was fouled.

But the Bulls centre missed both free throws, giving Charlotte another chance.

This time, Bridges connected on a leaning

SPORTS CALENDAR FROM PAGE 16

first time the Bahamas Bowl has been played in January, and the first time the game has been played on a Saturday. This is only the second time the bowl has featured two teams with eight or more wins, having hosted UAB (8-4) and Ohio (8-4) in 2017.

The Bahamas Bowl is one of 17 college football bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events.

Fan travel packages are available by going to https:// www.atlantisbahamas.com/ bahamasbowl.

Liberty has two track and field athletes from the Bahamas: Shania Adderley, freshman sprinter from Tabernacle Baptist in Freeport. Member of Bahamas 4 x 400 relay team who set a national record (3:12.51) at the World Athletics Relays.

Traveled to Paris 2024 as part of the Bahamian 4 x 400 relay pool.

India Cartwright, senior hurdler from St. John’s College in Nassau

TO ADVERTISE TODAY IN THE TRIBUNE CALL @ 502-2394

NEW York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns, right, looks to shoot the ball over Washington Wizards forward Alexandre Sarr (20) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, in Washington.

(AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

3-pointer with 2 seconds left to send the game into OT. The extra period was all Chicago.

The Bulls raced to an eight-point lead as White scored on a drive and Vucevic and Craig knocked down 3s.

The Ball brothers matchup never materialized. LaMelo missed the game wrist soreness.

Brandon Miller (sprained ankle) also sat for the

Hornets. Zach LaVine (toe soreness) and Ayo Dosunmu (soleus strain) were out for Chicago.

CLIPPERS 116, PELICANS 113 NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Norman Powell scored 35 points, James Harden hit go-ahead free throws with 17.9 seconds left and Los Angeles held on to defeat New Orleans.

With the Pelicans — losers of 10 straight and 19 of 20 — trying to tie

(transfer from Oral Roberts University).

ROAD RACE MACEDONIA WALK RACE AS a part of its celebrations for their annual Men’s Anniversary, Macedonia Baptist Church on Bernard Road, Fox Hill will hold a Family Fun Walk race on Saturday, January 11.

The event, open to the general public, will get started at 6:30am from the church grounds and head west on Bernard Road to Village Road, turn around and head back on Bernard Road to the church.

The registration fee is $10 for men and women in the under-15, under-20, under-40, under-60 and 60-and-over age groups.

There will also be a Pastors/Ministers/Deacons category. Medals will be presented to the first three finishers in each age group and trophies to the top male and female finisher.

Immediately following the race, a souse out will take place for $10 each.

There will also be a time for persons to engage in a free medical check up.

Interested persons can contact Eric Sweeting at 376-7211 or castellsweet56@hotmail. com or Brent Stubbs at 4267265 or stubbobs@gmqil. com for more information.

TRACK AND FIELD T-BIRD CLASSIC THE T-Bird Flyers Track and Field Club will hold its 2025 Track Classic over the

weekend of January 10-11 at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium. There will be two sessions starting on Friday, January 10 at 2pm and concluding on Saturday, January 11 at noon for age groups from under-7 to the open division.

The deadline for registration is January 6 and all clubs and schools can register by emailing Sandra Butler at smnbutler@ yahoo.com or coach Foster Dorsett at fdillet@gmail. com TRACK AND FIELD DTSP WOLFPACK CLASSIC THE DTSP Wolfpack Track Club will hold its “I Come To Get Me” Track Classic on Saturday, January 18 at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

This year’s meet will honour icon Michael Sands, the president of the North American, Central American and Caribbean NACAC) and is a former public relations and president of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA).

Sands is a standout sprinter for Penn State who went on to two Olympic Games in 1972 and 1976. He has held several national records, including the men’s 400m.

Meet director Larry Clarke said they are delighted to honour this living legend for his contribution to the sport. He

the game, Harden adroitly fouled rookie center Yves Missi, whose 12-point, nine-rebound and fiveblock performance was tarnished by his missed free throw that could have tied it at 114 with 4.3 seconds left.

Officials prematurely blew the whistle because they thought Missi’s foul shot missed the rim. They called for a jump ball at center court after video review.

indicated that the track meet will be one that people will not forget.

ROAD RACE BBSF RUN/WALK RACE THE Bahamas Baptist Sports Federation, now in its second year of existence, will hold its annual Family Fun Run/Walk race on Saturday, January 25.

The dual event, opened to the general public, will get started at 6:30am from the Bahamas Baptist College/Charles W Saunders High School on Jean Street.

The run will begin from Jean Street and head south to Prince Charles Drive. It will travel east on Prince Charles Drive to Fox Hill Road. On Fox Hill Road, the route will head north to Bernard Road, west on Bernard Road and south on Jean Street back to the finish line.

The walk will leave Jean Street and travel north to Bernard Road, head west on Bernard Road to Soldier Road, travel south on Soldier Road to Prince Charles Drive, head east on Prince Charles Drive and back to Jean Street and the finish line.

The categories for both the male and female in both events will be under-15, under-20, under-40, under60 and 60-and-over. There will also be a Pastors/Ministers/Deacons category.

Medals will be presented to the first three finishers in each age category, while the top finishers in each event

Ivica Zubac won the tip back to Harden.

And James Harden made two more free throws with less than two seconds remaining to complete his 27-point performance.

CJ McCollum shot from half court and hit the front rim.

Zubac finished with 20 points and 16 rebounds for the Clippers, who’ve won three straight and five of six.

will be presented with a trophy. There will also be a trophy for the church with the most finishers.

The registration fee is $10 per person and there will be a souse out priced at $10 for chicken or turkey.

Interested persons are urged to contact Ann Thompson at 425-3557 or email ann837609@gmail. com or Brent Stubbs at 4267265 or email stubbobo@ gmail.com.

TRACK AND FIELD RED-LINE CLASSIC THE Red-Line Athletics Track Club will hold its fifth annual Sonja Knowles Classic over the weekend of January 25-26 at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

The meet, sponsored by Slim Jim and Mahatma, will begin at 10am on Saturday, January 25 and conclude on Sunday, January 26, starting at 1pm.

Meet director Tito Moss has indicated that they will offer some awesome customised medals for top three finishers, customised crystal awards for MVPs U7 to U20 boys and girls.

He also noted that they will offer more events for the under-7 to under-13 age groups, but they expect that the under-15 to the open and masters categories will be very competitive with heats and finals in all sprint events. The entry deadline is January 19.

Interested persons are urged to send in entries to redlineathletics242@gmail.

FBI ISSUES WARNING TO LEAGUES OVER ORGANISED CRIME GROUPS TARGETING PRO ATHLETES (AP) — The FBI is warning sports leagues about crime organisations targeting professional athletes following a string of burglaries at the homes of prominent NFL and NBA players.

The athletes’ homes are targeted due to the perception they may contain high-end goods like designer handbags, jewellery, watches and cash, the FBI said in a Liaison Information Report obtained by ABC News.

The NFL and NBA already have issued security alerts to their players after the break-ins, some of which have come when players were away with their teams for road games.

The NFL’s alert says homes of professional athletes across multiple sports have become “increasingly targeted for burglaries by organised and skilled groups.”

Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks is the latest professional athlete whose home has been burglarised. Lara Beth Seager, the star guard’s business manager, told multiple media outlets Saturday there was a break-in at Doncic’s home. Seager said nobody was home at the time of the incident Friday night, and Doncic filed a police report.

Star NFL quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes of Kansas City and Joe Burrow of Cincinnati, along with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, have been victims, as have NBA players Bobby Portis of Milwaukee and Mike Conley Jr. of Minnesota.

Organised theft groups from South America use publicly available information and social media to identify athletes’ habits and track their comings and goings, the FBI report said.

The groups use technology allowing them to bypass alarm systems, block wireless internet connections and disable devices, cover security cameras and hide their identities.

Athletes are encouraged to report suspicious activity, keep records of valuables and where they are kept, employ extra security and use caution on social media.

The FBI also suggested athletes avoid posting pictures of valuables, the interior of their homes and real-time posts when on vacation. com and smnbutler@yahoo. com or contact Tito Moss at 425-4262.

TRACK AND FIELD STAR PERFORMERS MEET THE Star Trackers Track Club will hold its 22nd Star Performance Track and Field Classic on Saturday, February 1 at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

The event, powered by Baker/Greyco Limited, will be held from 9am to 5pm.

The registration deadline is on Friday, January 24 at 10pm at www.coachoregistration.com Meet director Dave Charlton promises that the athletes and spectators will enjoy a very competitive meet that will be contested on time.

SOFTBALL BBSF SOFTBALL LEAGUE THE Bahamas Baptist Sports Federation will hold its 2025 softball league, starting on Saturday, February 8 at the Charles W Saunders High School, Jean Street.

The co-ed slow pitch league will allow each team up to a total of 15 players with the registration fee of $200. The deadline for team registration with rosters and team payment is Saturday, January 25, 2025. Interested persons can tournament director Thomas Sears at 424-2888 or email 242softball@gmail.com or Brent Stubbs at 426-7265 or emil stubbobs@gmail.com

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, December 31, 2024, PAGE 13

SIX straight for the Bahamas’ swim team at the 2024 CARIFTA Swim Championships.

Tribune Sports’ Teams of the Year with a victory by 24 runs against Mexico on Monday.

The team won the matchup 95/9-71/10.

The only two losses for Team Bahamas during the subregional qualifier came against Bermuda and the Cayman Islands.

The BCA will now make preparations for the regional final set for the summer of 2025 where they will join Canada who received a bye due to participation in the previous T20 World Cup. The winner of the last qualification round will meet the United States and West Indies in the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka from February to March in 2026.

FROM PAGE 16 that the Bahamas Basketball Federation assembled and it showed in their performances, despite the fact that they played without the services of another NBA player, Kai Jones.

Kudos must be given to the entire squad that also included Franco Miller, Travis Munnings, Donavan Freeman, Lourawls Nairn, Kentwan Smith, Deyton Albury, Samuel Hunter and Jaraun Burrows, who all made their contribution in one way or the other.

Joining DeMarco on the coaching staff were Mikhail McLean, Moses Johnson and Mychal Thompson with Lynden Rose Jr as the manager.

The team was assembled following the success of the team at the FIBA Americas Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Argentina in August, 2023 when the Bahamas stunned Argentina 82-75 in the championship game.

As the federation prepares for the process for the next games, scheduled for July 14-30 in Los Angeles, California, some of these players may not be available.

But there are a number of players in the pipeline who are eagerly looking forward to helping the Bahamas take the next leap to competing in the games.

Hopefully, the Bahamas Olympic Committee will not have basketball, but possibly teams from baseball/softball, rugby sevens and volleyball, either indoor or beach, make up the contingent to represent the country along with the traditional sports like athletics (track and field), swimming boxing and sailing.

2. CARIFTA Swimming Six-peat Bahamas Aquatics, led by president Algernon Cargill, celebrated with another dominating performance in winning their sixth straight CARIFTA Swimming Championships for the runner-up spot on The Tribune’s list.

Head coach Travano McPhee, a former CARIFTA swimmer, has been a part of the previous five teams that hoisted the championship trophy, but he indicated that this was the most exciting games that he’s been a part of.

The latest achievement came at home over the Easter holiday weekend in the newly refurbished Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex where The Bahamas accumulated a total of 1,096.50 points, well ahead of second place finisher Cayman Islands with 660.

In the medal count, Team Bahamas racked up 102 medals, including 34 gold, 39 silver and 29 bronze with Trinidad & Tobago trailing with 56 (24 gold, 15 silver and 17 bronze) in second place.

While there were some outstanding performances, courageous awards went to

SIX straight for the Bahamas’ swim team at the 2024 CARIFTA Swim Championships.

BAHAMAS men’s national cricket team.

Bahamian swimmer Donald Saunders, whose father passed away just before the games started and Grenada’s Sara Dowden, whose father died during the games as he was cheering her on.

All things considered, the Bahamas produced some outstanding feats at the games from competitors such as Ellie Gibson, Tristin Ferguson, Tresten Hepburn, Marvin Johnson, Harold Simmons, William Farrington, Christon Joseph, Elle Theberge, Alissa Ferguson, Isabella Cuccurullo, Rhanishka Gibbs and Tiah Seymour, just to name a few.

Credit must also go to McPhee’s supporting cast on the coaching staff that included Camron Bruney, David Del Cuato, Mancer Roberts Jr and Allan Murray.

The focus for Bahamas Aquatics now switches to Trinidad & Tobago as Team Bahamas go for “seventh heaven” over the Easter

holiday in 2025, the same island for the hosting of the CARIFTA track and field.

Hopefully, the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture will double the pleasure in providing the charter flight to the twin islands for the dual competition.

3. Congrats to Men’s National Cricket Team Congratulations to the Bahamas Cricket Association men’s national team that advanced to the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Men’s T-20 World Cup Regional Americas Qualifier.

They did it at the subregional qualifiers hosted in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from December 6-16, clinching the third qualification spot, wrapping up the first phase of qualification with a 6-2 win/loss record in a nine-team field.

Bermuda closed out the sub regional qualifier with an unblemished 7-0 win/ loss record, followed by the

Cayman Islands with a 6-2 win/loss record.

BCF’s president Greg Taylor commended the efforts of Team Bahamas as they bounced back from a dismal fifth place finish at last year’s qualifiers.

Team Bahamas, captained by Marc Taylor, was coached by Andy Moles, the renowned coach from England, who has been working with the BCA for the past three years.

Other members of the team were Julio Jemison, Javelle FGallimore, Kavon Hinds, Dwight Weakley Sr and Jr, Rudolph Fox, Festus Benn, Sandeep Goud, Ranford Davson, Antonio Harris, Ashok Nair, Romaine Smith and Eugene Duff.

During the tournament, Team Bahamas reeled off four straight wins against Brazil, the host country Argentina, Belize and Panama to kickstart the competition.

Team Bahamas secured the final qualification spot

UÊ Ìi\Ê " Ê Li > vÊ vÊ Ì iÊ Sports Department at The Tribune, we wish to extend a Happy New Year to the Bahamas with more fantastic performances from Team Bahamas in 2025.

PAGE 14, Tuesday, December 31, 2024

THE TRIBUNE

Agape Christian Academy Eagles junior boys repeat as champions of Providence Basketball Tournament

REPEAT CHAMPIONS: The Agape Christian Academy Eagles junior boys repeated as champions of the 24th Providence Basketball Tournament last night. Here, they proudly display their championship trophy at the CI Gibson Gymnasium.

Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr

CI Gibson Rattlers senior boys win title FROM PAGE 16 “That’s what it’s all about, preparing and doing the right things. That is what caused us to win this one tonight.”

Tashon Butler had a game high 27 points, Mario Rolle had 17 and Zavian Lloyd added six for the Rattlers, who led 19-12 at the end of the first quarter and extended it to 37-26 at the half.

The Cobras, in rallying back to outscore the Rattlers 12-11 in the third and 14-11 in the fourth, was led

by Emmanuel Adams with 24, Andrew Bethel had 15, Brenden Darville had six and Tavari Roker had five.

Darshtyan Baker, of CC Sweeting, said they played as well as they could with what they had left after one of their remaining six players went down with an injury in their semifinal game. “A couple of our guys were away and some had to take care of their family commitments, so we had to go with what we had,” Baker said. “I like the intensity and the fight we put up out there tonight. I can’t be more happy with the way they performed.”

Eagles 55, Dolphins 43 Corey Roberts poured in a game high 24 points, Roniko Edgecombe had eight and both Taurus Sainvil and Demetrius Edgecombe added seven as Agape Christian Academy celebrated another victory.

“We came to this tournament for the first time last year and I had a strong feeling that we could defend the title this year,” said Eagles’ coach Stephon Johnson. “The boys played well. We won every game by about 18 points, so it was a really good showing from them.”

Johnson said his entire team came to town with one mission and that was to win the title, especially

PLAY ACTION: Senior and junior basketball players in action last night during the 24th Providence Basketball Tournament at the CI Gibson Gymnasium. for their eight players who will be moving up to the senior division. He said they wanted to go out with a bang and they did it.

Creshanno Baillou led the way for SC Bootle, coached by Lacreasha and Serrano Baillou Sr, with 17. Asher Rolle had 11 and Serrano Baillou Jr ended up with nine.

Senior Boys Semifinals Cobras 44, Jaguars 40 With just six players in uniform, CC Sweeting withstood every challenge they got from St George’s to advance to the senior boys’ championship.

They held a slim 10-8 lead at the end of the first quarter, but they pushed their margin to 24-16 at the half. After an 11-9 run in the third, the Cobras got outscored 15-9 in the fourth as they held on for the win.

Emmanuel Adams scored 16 and Tavari Roker added 14 in the win for the Cobras.

Mikhail Nesbitt had a game high 23 and Isaiah Roker chipped in with 10 in the loss for St George’s.

Rattlers 73, Giants 27 Mario Rolle was a tower of strength on the inside with a game high 19 points, Zarin Lloyd and Condae Smith both had 10 and Melvens Simeon and Darius Hanna both finished with nine as CI Gibson stormed into the senior boys’ championships.

The Rattlers opened a 23-8 tear in the first quarter and extended it to 48-13 at the half. They used a 16-7 spurt in the third and extended their lead with a 9-7 lead in the fourth to complete the rout.

Ron Demeritte had eight and Joshua Russell, Ticoyo

Bain and Nathan Bullard all had five before they were eliminated.

Junior Boys Semifinals Eagles 59, Royals 43 In the upset of the tournament the way it was done, Agape Christian stunned DW Davis with a balanced scoring attack to book their ticket in the junior boys’ championship.

Keagen Hicks exploded for a game high 21 points to set the stage for the thriller.

Damarion Evans had 17, Valdez Johnson 14 and Coreh Roberts had 12.

Jovardo Wright had 15 and Cleshawn Newton seven in the loss for the Royals, who were 12-10 at the end of the first quarter, but fell behind 28-25 at the half. Agape Christian used a 20-3 spurt in the third to pull away, although DW

Davis tried to come back on a 13-11 run in the fourth, but it was too late.

Dolphins 43, Big Red Machine 21 Serrano Baillou Jr and Creshanno Baillou both scored 12 points to push SC Bootle to advance to the junior boys’ final.

Kerron Laing and Christian McKinney both had seven in the loss for St Augustine’s, who fell behind 20-6 at the end of the first quarter and 28-12 at the half.

SC Bootle went on a 9-5 spurt in the third and 6-3 in the fourth to hold on for the win.

Senior Boys Divisional Playoffs Jaguars 36, Knights 24 In a match-up of two Grand Bahama senior boys teams, St George’s got the

better of the deal as they led from start to finish.

Isaiah Roker and Mikhai Nesbitt scored nine and seven points respectively in the win. Isais Sejourn had eight for Blazer Elite as they were eliminated from the tournament.

It was the only loss for Blazer Elite in the tournament as they fell behind 7-2 at the end of the first quarter and 22-16 at the half.

Cobras 48, Diplomats 45 in OT Brenden Darville canned four of his seven free throws in the extra period to secure the 7-5 spurt for CC Sweeting for the senior boys victory to move onto the semifinals.

The game was tied 40-40 at the end of regulation.

Keshawn Jean-Pierre led their attack with 14 points and Tavari Roker chipped in with 13. Omar Pierre scored a game high 17 and Jahiem Armbrister added 12 in the loss as Westminster were ousted from further play.

Giants 34, Magics 20 Joshua Russell and Leonardo Rolle provided a 1-2 punch with 15 and 13 points to pace St John’s to their comeback senior boys’ victory to get into the semifinals.

Government High, who blew an 11-3 first quarter lead and was outscored 9-1 in the second quarter, got seven points apiece from Jeremiah Cadet and Leroy Rolle as they were eliminated.

Rattlers 53, Pacers 27 Kaleb Chandler scored a game high 23 points and Darius Hanna added 16 as CI Gibson ran away from RM Bailey in their senior boys’ encounter to get to the semifinals.

Janey Tynes scored eight and Glenniah Clarke had seven in the loss for RM Bailey as they were ousted from the tournament.

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THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, December 31, 2024, PAGE 15

Sandals lends a hand THE Sandals Foundation partnered with Lend a Hand Bahamas to provide gifts to over 500 children in Bain and Grants Town The Sandals Foundation, in collaboration with Hasbro, has spread joy to over 16,000 children across the Caribbean through its annual toy distribution.

One of the notable partnerships this year was with Lend a Hand Bahamas, a non-profit organisation that helped bring smiles to nearly 500 children in the Bain and Grants Town communities.

One of the recipients, Ariana Flowers, expressed her deep gratitude for the gifts.

“I am really grateful to Sandals for the gifts we

received. We all appreciate the thoughtfulness, and the gifts mean more to us than words can say,” she shared.

Since 2011, the Sandals Foundation has partnered with the US-based toy company to mobilise hundreds of volunteers who distribute toys and games in schools and local communities to kick off the holiday season.

Patrice Gilpin, public relations manager at Sandals Foundation, highlighted the importance of the holiday season in fostering joy and inspiration.

“The holiday season is a time for giving and sharing, and even more, a time to inspire hope. We are incredibly grateful to be

able to partner with Hasbro to bring joy to children in a way that lets them know they are being thought of,” she said.

Throughout December, the magic of the season came alive across various schools and communities in The Bahamas, where Sandals and Beaches Resorts team members served nearly 4,000 children with Christmas treats, games, songs, food, and play.

The Holiday Toy Distribution has become a cherished tradition for children in Jamaica, St Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands, Grenada, Barbados, Curacao, and now, St Vincent and the Grenadines.

CONNECTING AT CHRISTMAS GRAND Bahama Communities Connecting at Christmas (GBCCC) has distributed over 1,000 toys and 9,000 meals this holiday season as it celebrates five years of bringing hope, joy, and love to residents through its annual Toy and Food Drive.

The initiative, which began during the pandemic, has since blossomed into a cherished annual tradition, uniting corporate sponsors and local citizens in the spirit of giving.

The 2024 drive continued this mission, made possible by the unwavering support and generosity of over 30 sponsors, including Focol, Easy Dental, Doctors Hospital, The Grand Bahama Port Authority, The Grand Bahama Shipyard Social Club/Employee’s, Bahama Rock, Eddie & Crystal Whann, GraceLand Investments, and Bri-Islander.

“This initiative is more than just a toy and food drive; it’s a celebration of togetherness and resilience,” said Jecholiah Braynen, co-founder of GBCCC.

COMMODORE Raymond King along with youth parliamentarian Calvin Brown at the Christmas Kids Holiday Bash on Christmas Eve. Photos: Nikia Charlton

“Each year, we see the incredible power of community as individuals and organizations come together to make a difference. It’s humbling to witness how God continues to work through me, bringing ideas to life that touch the heart and soul of our community.”

On Christmas morning, a convoy of bikers and trucks set out into the needy communities of Freeport, delivering gifts and meals.

This year, the initiative began at Rand Memorial Hospital, where the team also took time to honour Gavin Douglas, a volunteer who passed away earlier in the year.

“This year’s Toy and Food Drive was another resounding success,” said co-founder Gerard Douglas.

“Despite facing some challenges, we overcame them with the unwavering support of our dedicated stakeholders and partners.

Our mission to serve the Grand Bahama community was achieved, as seen in the countless smiles on children’s and parents’ faces.

This initiative is a labour of love, and we are already

looking ahead to next year, taking the lessons learned to make it even bigger and better. We are deeply grateful to everyone who contributed to this year’s success.”

The success of the initiative was supported by over 20 volunteers who helped collect donations, prepare and package meals, and dedicate their Christmas day to distributing in local communities.

Sonia Knowles, a dedicated committee member of the GBCCC initiative, expressed her gratitude and pride in being part of such a meaningful effort.

“This initiative is truly a labour of love, and being part of it has been an incredibly rewarding experience. Watching the smiles on children’s faces and seeing families come together with renewed hope reminds us why we do this each year. It’s a testament to the power of compassion and collaboration within our community.”

For more information on how to support this initiative, interested persons can contact Jecholiah Braynen at jecholiahbraynen@gmail. com or 242-809-2250.

SPORTS SECTION E

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2024

Rattlers win title

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

T

he CI Gibson Rattlers had to hold off a man-shortened CC Sweeting Cobras to retain their senior boys’ title in the 24th edition of the Providence Basketball Tournament yesterday at the CI Gibson Gymnasium.

And in a showdown between two Abaco teams in the junior boys’ division, the Agape Christian Academy Eagles repeated as champions as well, pulling off a 55-43 win over the SC Bootle Dolphins.

The Rattlers brought the curtain down on the fourday tournament that started on Friday with a 60-52 win over the Cobras just after the Eagles soared past the Dolphins 55-43 on the final day of competition.

Tournament organiser Kevin “KJ” Johnson said they had another tremendous performance from the 10 junior boys and 19 senior boys teams who participated.

“I think 95 per cent of the games were competitive.

The other five per cent, there were some weaker teams playing,” Johnson said. “But, at the end of

THE SPORTS December CALENDAR FOOTBALL BAHAMAS BOWL THE Bahamas Bowl will return with its first staging on Saturday, January 4 at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium, starting at 11am.

The game, which will be

aired live on ESPN2, will feature Buffalo (8-4), representing the MidAmerican Conference against Liberty (8-3), representing Conference USA. This will be the

SEE PAGE 12

SWAG OF CHAMPIONS: The CI Gibson Rattlers senior boys with their championship hardware last night after they won the 24th edition of the Providence Basketball Tournament at the CI Gibson Gymnasium.

Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr the day, we wanted to make sure all of the teams got better during the Christmas break and go back into their respective leagues in January.”

Rattlers 60, Cobras 52 Finishing with just five players, CC Sweeting gave it a gallant effort, but they didn’t have enough stamina

to stop all of the attacks CI Gibson threw at them.

“It’s always an intense battle when we play CC Sweeting,” said Johnson, who coached CI Gibson.

“They were short-handed tonight, but they have some good players over there and they will always compete.

SEE PAGE 14

Tribune Sports’ Teams of the Year

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net THE year 2024 could not be concluded without taking a look back at the tremendous performances of our teams that competed in the various international events.

Highlighting the performances was the men’s national basketball team

that came within nine points of becoming the first team to qualify for the Olympic Games as they earned The Tribune Sports Department’s Team of the Year. The team, coached

by National Basketball Association’s Golden State Warriors assistant coach Chris DeMarco, fell short in the championship game in Valencia, Spain, losing to host Spain 86-78 on July 7.

Had the team, led by the NBA’s trio of Deandre Ayton, Chavano “Buddy” Hield and Eric Gordon, along with rising star Valdez “VJ” Edgecombe Jr, pull off the victory, the Bahamas would have had a chance to compete in the Olympics in Paris, France, from July 26 to August 11. It was considered the most talented team

SEE PAGE 13

NFL MONDAY NIGHT: LIONS VS 49ERS – PAGE 11