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Volume: 120 No.202, October 23, 2023

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: PRICE–$1

DIVISIONS IN PLP AS CANDIDATE SELECTED Move for Gibson to run as chairman after snub by party

By RASHAD ROLLE AND LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporters CHIEF Passport Officer Kingsley Smith was ratified as the Progressive Liberal Party’s nominee for the upcoming West Grand Bahama and Bimini byelection during a rancorous council meeting on Friday that exposed divisions in the governing party.

The closed-door meeting was heated enough for police officers to be summoned to the door.

Outbursts sometimes interrupted Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis.

Chants of “Brave got to go” and “Fred got to go” rang outside the headquarters on Farrington Road after the party ratified SEE PAGE FOUR

GRANT URGES RALLY-GOERS TO ‘take a stand’ against govt

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net IN his first rally speech in West Grand Bahama since the FNM ratified him as its candidate for the by-election, Bishop Ricardo Grant urged supporters “to take a stand” against the Davis administration, saying the time for change has come.

Describing himself as a

leader ready to serve and listen, Bishop Grant vowed to change the status quo and represent West Grand Bahama and Bimini residents in a way not seen before.

He said as “the new kid on the block,” he may make mistakes, but pledged to be honest with the Bahamian people and to serve them SEE PAGE FIVE

SHANE Gibson and supporters outside PLP Headquarters after a meeting of The National General Council of the PLP ahead of the upcoming West Grand Bahama and Bimini by-election on Friday.

Photo: Dante Carrer

High emotions as Wynn plan MAN SHOT TO angers Goodman’s Bay neighbours deatH was monitored, say police

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

HOSTILITIES erupted between Goodman’s Bay neighbours over allegations voiced at a public hearing regarding the motives for

opposing the Wynn Group’s 14-storey penthouse project.

Keenan Johnson, the Town Planning Committee’s chairman, brought Wednesday night’s consultation to a swift halt after the development’s main opponent was

forced to vehemently deny claims that he informed fellow residents he was “in full support” of the project if he received a multi-million dollar payment for his home.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

Former HealtH minister gomez dies aged 76

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net FORMER Health Minister Dr Perry Gomez, whose work was critical in the fight against HIV/AIDS, died on Saturday at 76.

Born in the Berry Islands, he was the North Andros and Berry Islands representative from 2012 to 2016, serving as Minister of

DR PERRY GOMEZ Health.

He founded and directed

By LETRE SWEETING Tribune Staff Reporter lsweeting@ tribunemedia.net

the National HIV Programme of The Bahamas and created the AIDS Clinical Services Programme at the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH).

Under his leadership, HIV transmission rates in The Bahamas declined by more than 30 per cent, and HIV transmission from mother to child decreased

A 21-YEAR-OLD man was shot to death on Saturday after being chased around his home in the Coconut Grove area.

He was being electronically monitored.

According to The Trib une’s records, his death was the 80th of the year.

The murder reportedly happened 5pm on Saturday.

The victim was standing outside his home on First Street

SEE PAGE THREE

SEE PAGE THREE

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

PAGE 2, Monday, October 23, 2023

THE TRIBUNE

Motorcyclist becomes latest traffic fatality A MAN became the country’s latest traffic death after he collided with another vehicle in New Providence yesterday.

Police received reports of the crash around 4pm.

Two men on a motorcycle reportedly travelled west on Alexandria Boulevard when it collided with a Nissan Bluebird.

The male driver of the motorcycle, believed to be in his late 20s, received serious injuries and was later pronounced dead, while the other passenger

reportedly fled the scene.

Meanwhile, the female driver of the vehicle was taken to hospital. Her condition is unknown.

“The cause of this accident is unknown at this time, and we continue our investigations,” said Chief Superintendent David Lockhart of the Royal Bahamas Police Force traffic division.

“We put a plea out to the public to that person who was driving on this cycle along with the deceased; please come forward and share the information as to

what occurred.”

CSP Lockhart could not say if the motorcycle was licensed, but noted that “there were no licence plate”.

This is the fifth trafficrelated death in recent days and the 46th for the year, according to The Tribune’s records.

“This is very alarming to us, and we would like to send a clarion call to all motorists to please license these motorbikes and please adhere to the traffic rules and regulations,” he said.

Former Minister of Health Dr Perry Gomez dies aged 76 THE TRIBUNE

Monday, October 23, 2023, PAGE 3

FORMER Health Minister Dr Perry Gomez, whose work was critical in the fight against HIV/AIDS, died on Saturday at 76.

from page one dramatically.

His death sparked tributes from the Progressive Liberal Party and Free National Movement.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis described him as “a giant in public

health and a true son of Bahamian soil”.

“Dr Gomez’s life epitomized the very spirit of selflessness, commitment, and passion for the health and well-being of our people,” Mr Davis said.

“For over three decades, Dr Gomez spearheaded efforts that not only

transformed the landscape of public health in The Bahamas, but also reverberated across the Caribbean and the world.”

“From his groundbreaking work in reducing mother-to-child transmission of HIV using AZT treatments to pioneering partnerships that made

UP TO 600 GET CUBA HOPE TO HAVE EYESIGHT RESTORED

By LETRE SWEETING Tribune Staff Reporter lsweeting@tribunemedia.net FREE life-changing eye surgery will be provided to hundreds of mostly elderly Bahamians yearning to see again, with the Ministry of Health and Wellness launching the programme on Friday by sending 50 to Cuba for the procedure.

Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said some of the 600 people who will visit Cuba over the next several months have waited as long as five years to be treated.

Although the treatment is available privately in The Bahamas, getting it is “long and tedious,” he told The Tribune yesterday, adding that Cuba can perform up to 200 eye surgeries daily.

Bahamians are staying in a hotel hospital in Cuba because many have other medical issues. Loved ones have accompanied some of them, and a team of patient advocates and assistants are part of the delegation.

Dr Darville could not say

PATIENTS as they travel to Cuba for eye surgery from Lynden Pindling International Airport on Friday.

Photo: Dante Carrer how much the programme Cuba for seven to ten days,” costs but confirmed the he said. “They would have government would cover the procedures done. They the needs of patients, includ- would have the follow-up, ing housing. and they would come back to He said the government New Providence, where furis preparing to award a con- ther follow-up will take place. tract to renovate the Princess “The second batch will Margaret Hospital’s eye ward go right after the first batch and theatres and will enhance arrives, and so it will be ongoresources to ensure “that our ing until we complete the eye programme is not only entire backlog.” maintained, but excelled.”

Some of the programme’s He said officials inter- beneficiaries told this newsviewed people needing eye paper yesterday that they are surgery over the last three grateful for the programme. to four weeks and have been They said ordinary tasks working with Cuba for one became difficult as their eye year and two months. issues worsened, with some “The first batch will be in unable to drive or work.

Activist hits out at govt over abortion issue

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net ACTIVIST Alicia Wallace has renewed calls for the government to decriminalise abortion, urging the Davis administration to stop playing “cowardly” games.

This week, Press Secretary Keishla Adderley said the government would consider amending abortion laws if there is sufficient outcry from the public, saying: “I can’t tell you that there is an active discussion on changing the laws related to abortion, specifically, the terms under which one can legally have an abortion.

“The issue was in the news lately because of some unfortunate circumstances but if the outcry, you know, reaches the level where the administration feels that it should be pushed to the forefront and a wider conversation should be had, then the government will be minded doing so and

engage all of the relevant stakeholders on the issue.”

In response, Ms Wallace, Equality Bahamas Director, called the comments foolish.

“It is foolish for the government of The Bahamas would suggest that it needs ‘outcry from the public’ to take action on an issue that has existed for decades, especially as cases have been in the news recently,” she said.

“The government has a responsibility to protect, promote, and guarantee access to human rights, and that includes the bodily autonomy of women and girls and access to healthcare.

Abortion is healthcare, and safe abortion must be made accessible.”

These comments come on the heels of the ongoing debate as to what the government’s efforts are to decriminalise abortion, specifically in cases of rape.

On Monday, Dr Jamil Minnis, a gynecologist, was charged with helping

a 15-year-old Harbour Island girl get an abortion, after a man was previously charged with having unlawful sex with the minor.

In August, the mother of an 11-year-old girl, allegedly raped by her stepfather, was charged with causing harm to commit an abortion.

“A review of discriminatory laws in The Bahamas has been underway and the report is overdue, and we know that decriminalisation of abortion is included there as well,” Ms Wallace said on Friday.

“The government needs to publicly acknowledge its responsibility and its commitment, to the people, through international mechanisms, to ensure that we have access to human rights.

“It needs to acknowledge that women are human beings with human rights, and it needs to stop playing the cowardly game of telling the public that it must make outcries to get what is owed.”

crucial medications more accessible to our people, he left an indelible mark.

It’s hard to imagine where we would be in our fight against infectious diseases, especially HIV/AIDS, without Dr Gomez’s visionary leadership.”

Mr Davis said his love for people and his dedication

to the health profession serve as a beacon of inspiration for all.

“His legacy extends beyond his pioneering work in medicine,” he said.

The Free National Movement remembered Dr Gomez as a “caring physician.”

“Many young physicians

treasure the memories of his mentorship as a clinician and hold him in high regard,” the party said. “He served as Chief of Medicine at PMH for many years. He was a staunch advocate for the provision of quality healthcare, especially for the poor.”

MAN SHOT TO DEATH WAS MONITORED, SAY POLICE from page one when two men with guns approached him from a small silver colored Japanese car.

He ran to the back of his home, but the two armed men chased him and reportedly shot him multiple times before returning to their vehicle and fleeing north on First Street.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) determined on the scene that the victim had died.

Police later confirmed

the man was on bail for three offences: possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, possession of a firearm, and possession of ammunition.

This killing is the sixth fatal shooting for the month and the latest to involve someone on bail for serious offences.

On October 18, a 34-yearold man was shot to death on Malcolm Road.

Two days earlier, a man on bail for murder and drug crimes was gunned down while walking along Market

Street.

On October 13, a 44-yearold man on bail for murder was shot to death on Tyler Street off Boyd Road.

A day earlier, a man in his early twenties was shot multiple times off Eden Street and Balwin Avenue in the Chippingham area.

On October 9, a 31-yearold man was shot on East Storr Court in the Yellow Elder area.

The month began with the killing of a 35-year-old man off Geranium Avenue, Garden Hills.

PAGE 4, Monday, October 23, 2023

THE TRIBUNE

Divisions in PLP as candidate selected from page one its candidate. Mr Davis was inside, hoisting Mr Smith’s hands as supporters applauded them.

At least one person who led a “Brave got to go” chant later apologised on social media.

“The PLP is a family above all else,” Mr Davis told The Tribune yesterday.

“As with any family, differences in views can lead to heightened emotions. I respect that. I’ve accepted the apologies from those who publicly expressed regret for their passionate outbursts at Gambier House.”

The PLP denied Shane Gibson’s request for a secret ballot vote on the candidates committee’s recommendation. Instead, Mr Davis invited PLP National General Council members to show their support for Mr Smith by standing, which the majority reportedly did.

Mr Davis said after the meeting that a secret ballot vote would have been impractical because of the “make-up of the persons present”.

“I am fundamentally a democrat,” he added yesterday. “There was no deviation from our constitution regarding the voting process. I respect the views of everyone involved in this process and am grateful for their support of the party’s choice.”

The largely pro-Gibson crowd outside the headquarters said they supported the former Golden Gates MP because he had a knack throughout his career for what their party currently lacks: the ability to take care of PLPs. The impact his return could have on the mood of the general electorate, a pressing concern for party leaders, was irrelevant to them.

Choosing Mr Smith –– an FNM member just a few years ago –– aggravated them. Some said if not Mr Gibson, former PLP Senator Caleb Outten or Samuel Brown, a young lawyer whose uncle represented

the constituency in the 1990s, would have been more palatable.

“We ain’t worrying about what the leader wants, it’s what the stalwarts want,” one man repeatedly said as Mr Gibson left the area amid commotion. Others chanted: “We want Shane.”

“Kingsley is an FNM,” said Ina Rolle, a Bimini resident whose views represented many outside.

“Kingsley was a torchbearer for the FNM who joined the party in 2020.

He should start from the bottom up.”

Focus quickly turned to Mr Gibson’s next move after the meeting. Senior party officials who spoke to him before the gathering did not dismiss the possibility that he would run as an independent candidate.

“He’s a PLP,” Mr Davis told The Tribune on Friday.

“He indicated during his interview that whoever gets the nomination, he’s going to support, so I expect him to be a man of his word as he usually is. He’s always been a man of his word.”

Mr Gibson declined to talk to reporters after the meeting and did so again yesterday.

However, a move has started to push him to run for the chairman position at the party’s convention at Baha Mar on November 9 and 10.

In a JCN interview before the council meeting that aired yesterday, Mr Gibson said it is “very possible” that he will pursue a position at the convention. According to the party’s rules, prospective candidates must apply

by Thursday, 14 days before the convention.

During the JCN interview, Mr Gibson also rebuffed claims that former Prime Minister Perry Christie supported his push for the nomination.

“He was actually an advocate, I think, for Mr Sam Brown,” he said.

Mr Davis described Mr Smith as a fresh and new member of the next generation of PLP leaders, saying: “I’m not a spring chicken anymore.”

Mr Smith predicted tensions would calm and PLP

NEWLY selected candidate for West Grand Bahama Kingsley Smith stands with Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper and party supporters after he was announced as the candidate for the upcoming by-election.

Photos: Dante Carrer

supporters would unite to win the by-election.

“I feel called to serve the people,” he said after accepting the PLP’s nomination.

The meeting set the

stage for the by-election to replace Obie Wilchcombe, who died last month. Mr Smith will resign from his government position and face the Free National

Movement’s Bishop Ricardo Grant. The election will also test support for the Coalition of Independents, whose leader, Lincoln Bain, will run for

the seat.

The by-election must be held by November 25, according to acting Parliamentary Commissioner Arthur Taylor.

Grant urges rally-goers to ‘take a stand’ against govt THE TRIBUNE

Monday, October 23, 2023, PAGE 5

from page one

well.

“No longer will we settle for second best and mediocrity,” he told a crowd during his candidate launch event in Eight Mile Rock on Saturday.

“We will settle no longer for empty promises. We will settle no longer for persons that we would’ve hired to represent us and to be our voice in places where our voices should be heard. No longer will we sit back and sit idly by and serve those who should be serving us.”

“We are serious about the citizens of West Grand Bahama. You matter. Your lives matter. Everything about you matters and you should be first because we are focusing on you.”

Bishop Grant said the Davis administration has been neglectful and has put personal interests above those of the Bahamian people.

He said not enough has been done in the constituency and called for more jobs, better infrastructure and better policies.

“Our roads still need to be fixed,” he added. “We still got streetlight issues.

When I ride to get to West End you got to be careful because you don’t know what you’re gon’ run into because there ain’t no lights on the roads.

“You’re talking about serious issues. I got a school that still ain’t open yet.

Our children’s education is on the line. Teachers, we can’t find teachers for the

NEWLY confirmed FNM candidate for West Grand Bahama and Bimini Ricardo Grant sits next to FNM leader Michael Pintard during a rally in Eight Mile Rock, Grand Bahama on Saturday.

Photos: Vandyke Hepburn classrooms. Children are not attending schools like they should.”

Bishop Grant spoke about money in the race.

“We will not allow them to come and shove a few dollars, and then we suffer

for years until we see you again because there’s more to you than a few dollars,” he said. “Your life is worth more than just a couple dollars. The devil is a liar.”

Traditionally, West End has been the lynchpin of

the PLP’s success in the constituency. In 2017, when the FNM’s Pakesia ParkerEdgecombe narrowly won over Mr Wilchcombe, the PLP carried the West End polling divisions, lost steam in Holmes Rock and

fell badly in Bimini. Free National Movement leaders hope to keep the margins small in West End and outdo other candidates in the remaining communities.

Bishop Grant was supported by FNM leader

Michael Pintard, deputy leader Shanendon Cartwright, East Grand Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson, former area MP Pakesia Parker-Edgecombe and others at the launch event.

PAGE 6, Monday, October 23, 2023

THE TRIBUNE

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What’s next for Shane Gibson?

THE candidate selection process for the upcoming by-election in West Grand Bahama and Bimini has thrown up signs of division within the PLP. The candidacy of Shane Gibson, in particular, has seen him clash with party chairman Fred Mitchell and then be rejected by the selection process in favour of the chief passport officer, Kingsley Smith.

The big question now is, what next for Mr Gibson?

In some ways, the by-election is almost a sideshow now compared to the possibility of ructions within the party.

There were chants of “Fred gatta go” as Mr Gibson’s candidacy came to an end – could Mr Gibson potentially line up a challenge to Mr Mitchell at the upcoming PLP convention?

Would Mr Gibson perhaps even go so far as to consider an independent run at the vacant Parliamentary seat?

Those may be the prospects for him on a personal level – but what it shows for the party itself is a sense that not all are pulling in the same direction.

It’s not for nothing that Mr Gibson styled Mr Mitchell as someone who didn’t work like he did but instead hopped on planes and enjoyed tea and coffee and cigars.

Mr Gibson called himself the people’s choice – and it is at the grassroots level of the PLP that there perhaps is something of a disconnect from the party elite.

In simple terms, that can mean whether or not people are getting contracts and getting money.

For those who might be two years in to the new administration and perhaps are not getting the projects to work on that they hoped, there may be a frustration starting to settle in. `The financial limitations brought about by the COVID pandemic have been much talked about, but now we

are seeing a boom in tourism, and the government is quick to boast of the country’s economic health. Just last week, the new app used for arrivals at Lynden Pindling International Airport, for example, was credited with a 90 percent increase in revenue – no word of a cut in import duties to balance out, however.

So for all the talk of good times, if there are people who are not feeling it, it is perhaps no surprise that some are becoming unsettled, and Mr Gibson, in proclaiming himself the people’s choice, is giving them a figurehead to rally behind.

All of this of course will have been simmering under the surface. The unexpected by-election has merely given it a chance to come to the fore.

Even if no such challenges emerge from Mr Gibson – though given the personal nature of the attacks back and forth it seems unlikely that peace will break out immediately – it is an indicator to the current administration that it cannot rest comfortably.

In mentioning the pandemic above, we should take a moment to enjoy the pleasures that have returned to our daily life.

The international food fest was held at Fort Charlotte at the weekend, with crowds flocking to try food and drink from around the world – a real coming together of different parts of Bahamian society.

There was the youth march this weekend too, with young people gathering to show their beliefs.

Churches were busy yesterday, and pre-Halloween parties were busy on Saturday.

It is sometimes worth remembering how fortunate we are to be able to enjoy such parts of our life. The pandemic reminded us that it is a privilege indeed to have such opportunities – and we should truly be thankful.

FORMER soccer player Ivan Zamorano kisses the torch during the opening ceremony of the Pan American Games at the National Stadium in Santiago, Chile on Friday.

Photo: Fernando Vergara/AP

No answer from Parks and Beaches EDITOR, The Tribune.

FOLLOWING on from my letter last week about the hideous signs and more hideous shanty shacks, my invitation to the Parks & Beaches Chairman McKell Bonaby, to offer a date when he could meet with the residents in the east has gone unrequited.

I think that that letter to The Tribune has led people in the west, to ask if I would arrange a meeting for them with the Chairman. The requestor also wonders how our

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net Government officials can find money to fly around the world, in first class comfort, to be photographed with the Pope no less, while the Seagrape trees at Saunders Beach, (the Westies sacred place), have been left for ages now, toppled over, while invasive species of vines and other plants grow

rampant on this special park.

I don’t know how many Parks and Beaches are under the remit of the Authority, but surely someone checks to make sure that they are maintained with some level of decency and where unauthorised signs are erected, or where decorative trees are blown over by a gale, or the beach sand is blown across the road, someone can be despatched to rectify it.

BRUCE G. RAINE Nassau, October 22, 2023.

AFTER Kingsley Smith was selected as the PLP candidate for West Grand Bahama and Bimini, readers of www. tribune242.com had their say on the race.

Sheeprunner12 said: “Soooooooooo, who is running the PLP??????

Or, where does the buck stop?????

“The PM/Leader????? ......... the Chairman/ SG???????? ........or the NGC??????

“Shane will test the mettle of the PLP and we will see who really has the power in that party.

“Sounds like the inmates are running the asylum on that PLP ship (smackboat).”

Birdiestrachan added: “Can this committee vote talk to the people who can vote Mr Gibson was their best choice he has chrisma like obie.

They will loose this one.

“It is finished never mind them . Mr Mitchell spoke what they would do some time ago. Grant has this one. Because many PLPs will not vote Bishop Grant can thank Mr Mitchell.”

Socrates declared: “By his facial expression, even Smith

looks surprised he got nominated.”

Meanwhile, after the Ministry of Works declared there would be far fewer pothole complaints in future, readers were skeptical.

Moncurcool said: “So they have technology to predict where potholes will form? WOW. That is the biggest joke I have heard in a long time.”

Pt90 replied: “Let me educate you on how they perform their assessment. Its quite easy and the technology is used around the world.

“What you do is look at the road and write down the street name and

you’ve identified where a pothole is coming after today’s rain.”

Themessenger also replied, saying: “Bey, you een know dey gat potspotter technology available dese days specially developed

by Alfred Sears. Vell Muddos dread, you livin in da past.”

Bahamianson concluded: “Does anyone at the ministry of works actually work? It seems like contracts to friends are prevalent.”

UÊ Ê Ê Ì iÊ V ÛiÀÃ>tion at www.tribune242. com

Darville: 50 nurses from Ghana and Cuba to bring relief next week THE TRIBUNE

Monday, October 23, 2023, PAGE 7

By LETRE SWEETING Tribune Staff Reporter lsweeting@tribunemedia.net HEALTH Minister Michael Darville said more than 50 healthcare professionals from Ghana and Cuba will arrive next week to address long-standing nurse and other shortages in the country.

Along with some 18 Ghanaian nurses coming to work at the Princess Margaret Hospital and the Rand Memorial Hospital, 37 Cuban healthcare professionals are also expected.

“This is very important because some of our nurses are working overtime and we don’t want a burnout,” Dr Darville said. “So, we have also been recruiting in the Philippines, and we also will be recruiting some nurses from Cuba again.”

He said the Cuban nurses would be lab technicians, X-ray technicians, physiotherapists, nurses, and biomedical engineers.

“We did an assessment, and we realised that ther e are shortages in the manpower resources at our hospitals and we need to get foreign expertise in the country while we begin to train Bahamians,” he said.

Dr Darville said 37 nurses are being trained at the recently launched Trained Clinical Nurse Programme at the Public Hospitals Authority Academy.

“Sometime early next year, we will be bringing on an additional 50, all in an attempt to try and train 300-350 nurses in the country over the next few years,” he said.

He added that security will be beefed up at hospitals and clinics throughout The Bahamas.

A viral video recently showed people fighting in a hospital. Dr Darville said the clip did not show a hospital or healthcare facility in The Bahamas. However, he said other incidents highlight the need for more security.

“The ministry is now on a plan to bring in additional security, along with private security measures, and this is being done as we speak,” he said.

“A couple months ago, we had an incident at one of our clinics, and it really was an eye-opener, and we moved very quickly to address it with the police, but since then, we are bringing on additional security officers.”

HEALTH Minister Michael Darville said more than 50 healthcare professionals from Ghana and Cuba will arrive next week to address longstanding nurse and other shortages in the country.

Photo: Dante Carrer

TWO BAHAMIANS, FLORIDA MAN IN COURT ON GUNS AND AMMUNITION CHARGES

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Staff Reporter dmaycock@ tribunemedia.net TWO Bahamians and a Florida man were charged in Freeport Magistrate’s Court with possession of illegal firearms and ammunition in connection with a police raid early this week.

Jerome Baptiste, 52, of Pinehurst Drive, South Bahamia, was arraigned on Thursday. He pleaded not guilty to possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition with intent to supply. The incident is alleged to have occurred on Friday, October 13.

Baptiste was granted $12,000 bail with one or two sureties. He is ordered to wear an ankle monitoring device and sign in at Central Police Station before 6pm.

He was also charged with possession of dangerous drugs. He pleaded guilty and was granted a conditional discharge to keep the peace for one year and to pay a fine of $250.

If he fails to pay, Baptiste will have to pay an additional fine of $750 or six months in prison.

The cases were adjourned to March 25, 2024.

Robert Willington, 23, of Miami, Florida, was also

MAN FOUND WITH DRUGS ORDERED TO ATTEND DRUG COUNSELLING

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net A MECHANIC was ordered to attend drug counselling Friday after police found him with $400 worth of marijuana this week.

Police arrested Virgil Dean, 38, on October 18 after they found drugs in his home.

He pleaded guilty to the offence during his hearing before Magistrate Shaka Serville on Friday.

During his plea litigation, Dean’s attorney noted that

his client was a father of three who had no previous convictions.

The attorney also asked the court to consider granting Dean a conditional discharge, arguing that he had no pending matters and did not waste the court’s time by pleading guilty at his first opportunity.

In response, Magistrate Serville ordered him to attend drug counselling classes and to be of good behaviour for six months.

Dean was told that failure to comply would result in a $1,000 fine or three months behind bars.

PRISON OFFICERS ACCUSED OF SMUGGLING DRUGS AT FOX HILL

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net TWO WOMEN prison officers accused of smuggling drugs and other contraband into the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDOCS) were granted $4,000 bail Friday.

Vernisha Moss, 34, and Claysandra Morely, 25, stood before Magistrate Shaka Serville accused of taking prohibited items into a correctional facility.

Police allege that the two smuggled $700 worth

of marijuana allegedly concealed in black taped packages, an Alacatel cellphone and a cellphone charger into the prison on October 17.

However, the defendants denied the allegations during their hearing on Friday.

They were subsequently granted $4,000 bail with one or two suretors.

Moss is represented by attorney Bjorn Ferguson, while Morely is represented

by Devard Francis.

The defendants will return to court on March 11.

charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition with intent to supply.

He pleaded not guilty and was granted $7,000 cash bail. Willington will be outfitted with an ankle monitor and ordered to sign in at the Crooked Island Police

Station every Monday.

The case was adjourned to March 25, 2024.

Also charged was Raphel Francois of Hearn Lane, Freeport. He pleaded not guilty to possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition with intent to supply.

He was granted $12,000 cash bail with one or two sureties. He was ordered to wear an ankle monitor and sign in at the Crooked Island Police Station every Monday before 6 pm.

The case was adjourned to March 25, 2024.

The incident is in

connection with the alleged discovery of a number of illegal firearms and ammunition at a residence on Hearne Lane. Police reportedly recovered three high-powered rifles, six pistols, and more than 500 rounds of various types of ammunition.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2023

THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS

By-election’s preliminary biggest winners and losers

By MALCOLM STRACHAN THE by-election to elect Obie Wilchcombe’s successor has not even begun yet – but already we have some winners and losers.

With the writ of election likely to land any day now, the first order of business has been to see who would put themselves forward for the election.

So, on to the winners and losers – with the last spot saved for the biggest loser so far in this election.

First out of the gate was independent Terneille Burrows – and credit to her for persisting in putting her points of view forward.

I have a lot of time for what Terneille has to say, even if there is no likelihood of her winning the seat. Being in the race gives her a chance to put forward points that could take our nation forward – which frankly is a lot more than you get from many candidates, and even some ministers. You could probably count her participation as a win for her – with every vote a bonus.

Then, of course, there is the COI, the so-called group of independents who somehow managed to put forward their leader and loudest member, Lincoln Bain, whose first order of business has been to apologise for his deputy sharing unflattering comments about Obie Wilchcombe on social media.

I could understand the coalition at the last election but surely there is little or nothing that is independent about its members now that they have grouped together as a de facto party.

Still, their continued existence as an entity counts as a win for them – and the party made enough noise and won enough votes in the general election that it could potentially play the role of spoiler.

The biggest fight in this by-election run-up, of course, has been in the ranks of the PLP. Shane Gibson’s bid for the candidacy was ultimately unsuccessful, more on that in a moment, but in the process it exposed divisions within a party that is usually fairly good at presenting a united face.

There is clearly no love lost between Gibson and party chairman Fred Mitchell, who initially tried to find any way he could to stop Gibson from running, it seemed.

It was right, as the party decided, that Gibson was allowed to offer himself as a candidate, but it was equally right that the members decided that the party didn’t need that baggage any more.

Even from the off, Gibson set himself up almost as the anti-party party candidate, picking fights with the hierarchy,

TOP left - Shane Gibson; top right - Fred Mitchell; bottom left - Ricardo Grant; bottom right - Kingsley Smith which made no sense.

The biggest card the PLP has to play in this election is that the candidate will be a part of the current administration and will have more influence than an opposition MP in encouraging the government to provide resources to the constituency.

Would that hold true with a candidate who set himself up in opposition to his own party from the start? The PLP is good at coming together and singing kumbaya on the campaign trail – but this was bitter.

Gibson lambasted Minister of Foreign Affairs Mitchell, talking about how when he was in office he had to work instead of just flying up and down and drinking tea and coffee and smoking cigars, while Mitchell responded by seemingly suggesting Gibson was suffering from post-traumatic stress.

The bitterness culminated in

Gibson’s supporters chanting “Fred’s gatta go” at the meeting to decide the candidate for the seat – and I’m not sure how you go from that to asking the party chairman to help you out after a successful election.

There is a collection of winners and losers in this situation. The biggest of the losers from this is clearly Shane Gibson.

Voted out in an election, rejected by his party when he tries to run as a carpetbagger in a different constituency, and showing open disgruntlement with his party along the way – where does he go next? He will certainly have alienated some PLPs along the way, so cannot count it likely as having an opportunity to run in the next general election.

Maybe he should do as Fred Mitchell suggested, take stock and go and do something else with his life now. I doubt it is the last we will see of Gibson,

however – he has shown no sign of stepping away from the public eye. His baggage will keep the FNM from wanting him, however, which leaves only the unlikeliest of options, going independent or joining a minor party to lend his high voltage.

Mr Mitchell, meanwhile, can count himself as a winner in this. Sure, he did not manage to stop Gibson running, but he did manage to stop him being selected – and I suspect the end of the night will have seen him particularly enjoying a victory cigar.

Even more, it will have shown him the elements of the party who are with him and those who are not with him, which no doubt will be remembered when it comes to general election candidate selection.

All of this goes without mentioning Kingsley Smith, the candidate for the PLP. The sideshow

distracted from what he has to bring to the table – so he may have won the candidacy but it’s too soon to say whether he is a winner or loser from the story so far.

Certainly he can take comfort from the fact that it was a crowded field offering themselves for candidacy for the party – which shows a lot of people felt they had a chance of being elected to Parliament. Perhaps a strong sign for the vote ahead.

Over at the FNM, things have gone fairly smoothly.

For half a heartbeat, there was a question of whether Pakesia ParkerEdgecombe would upset the expected candidacy of Ricardo Grant, but she threw her support behind him and the party is showing a united front – for once.

Maybe there is a thought that Hubert Ingraham – who advised skipping this by-election

– might be right, and that the FNM is unlikely to win, so save your thunder for the general election, but Grant still goes into the category of winners to this point. The vote may be a different story entirely.

Which brings us to the biggest loser of all as yet – the Democratic National Alliance.

The onceambitious third force in Bahamian politics, which never managed to win a seat, has not been heard from at all. Its last leader, Arinthia Komolafe, was last seen keeping company with the FNM amid talks she would join the party.

It would be a surprise at this point to see any kind of resurgence for the party – whose lighthouse logo seems to have blown a bulb.

In the end, there will only be one real winner when the vote comes to pass. Let the countdown begin.

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A golden tutorial PAGE October 23, 2023 PAGE10, 10 Monday, MONDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2023

MANY years ago, while I was still a resident on my orthopedic rotation in New York, I was paged to the surgical floor for a code blue emergency. One of our in-house patients was in severe respiratory distress. She was an elderly lady in her late 80s, perhaps early 90s and she was surrounded by her adult children when she suddenly felt weak, began slurring her speech and then stopped responding to their questions altogether. As her children panicked, rubbing her leg and chest and calling out her name, one of her sons yelled for someone to help. The cardiac monitors were beeping loudly and a nurse came running in as the crash team quickly assembled.

I was less than an hour into my on-call shift and headed to the emergency room (ER) for a consultation when I suddenly had to alter course. The chief resident I was assigned to, David, was with me at the time. He was only a few months shy of completing his residency and becoming an attending physician and together we assessed the patient. She was alive but her breathing was laboured and notably shallow. We tried to stimulate her verbally to see if she would or could respond.

Slowly but tentatively, she tried to utter sounds, but her responses were dull and soft as if she’d been awoken from a deep sleep.

David left the room for a few minutes and returned holding a syringe. His innate presence was quiet but powerful.

Within seconds of injecting the medication into her IV bag, the patient was alert and speaking as if nothing had ever happened.

Her children were overjoyed. I’ll never forget the look on her daughter’s face. She had on a palepink shirt with a thick black shawl that hugged her shoulders as if it were made to be there. Her eyes were red from crying but she was smiling and repeatedly said thank you as her brothers shook our hands. Their other sister gave us both a quick hug. As I walked away, I glanced back at the room

INSIGHT

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By DR KENNETH D KEMP

where we’d just saved a life and saw a scene I will never forget – our patient’s children gathered around their mother.

They were all hugging and kissing her on her cheek and forehead, holding her hand and laughing as their mother asked for ice cream.

David asked if I knew

most of the night casting fractures and suturing deep skin lacerations.

It was a typical, restless on-call shift but this one in particular resonated deeply because it reminded me that as a doctor, these aren’t nameless patients that we treat; they’re someone’s mother, someone’s daughter, some-

David’s birthday, I thought about that moment as I watched in abject horror at the atrocities committed against innocent victims of the erupted Israel-Palestine conflict.

The brutal ramifications of that conflict can no doubt cripple the entire world and on both sides of the moral fulcrum, the

being bombed, shot or decapitated at a young age amidst the backdrop of a burgeoning war.

Truth be told, I couldn’t work in that environment so I stand and applaud the physicians and nurses who are there and struggle minute by minute to save lives even as medical and surgical supplies run low, power fluctuates or fails and human energy and courage are tested to the limit. It is an unimaginable Herculean task that deserves our highest adulation. But we all have a calling and the full potential of our lives is made manifest when we heed

A PALESTINIAN girl wounded during an Israeli airstrike receives medical treatment at al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza Strip yesterday.

Photo: Adel Hana/AP what just happened. I one’s sister and someone’s civilians killed likely had and embrace that calling. responded that the patient wife. I’ve learned many many people who loved I know inextricably that had an opioid overdose things throughout my them. Parents, children, I am where I was meant and he injected an opioid life, but that night, almost siblings and friends who to be; at home, with my antagonist to rapidly 15 years ago, yielded a now mourn their slaugh- family at my side.

With that said, death in reverse it. I then made a golden tutorial; profound ter.

Admittedly, the note to adjust the patient’s in scope and undiluted analogy is flawed given the all its grim, heart-breaking medication and alerted by time. It was the single striking juxtaposition of manifestations is inevitaher nurse of the same. He greatest medical lesson getting to an advanced age ble. And while the goal smiled, tapped my shoul- and moment of tutelage and being cared for lov- is to feel contentment at der and we made our way I’ve ever received. ingly in the comfort of a the actualization of one’s to the ER where we spent This past week, on renowned hospital versus life journey, the sadness for those left behind is immeasurable. In today’s report I wanted to focus on coping mechanisms for the loss of a loved one, ideally timed on the heels of my last report about Hurricane Dorian and in the wake of the global strife in the Middle East.

I’m, however, admittedly ill-equipped to share those lessons since I myself fall in “the suck it up and move on” category.

Instead, I’ll share with you what a local patient told me recently about mourning the loss of her husband and best friend of over 30 years.

They met after church in their late teens and were quickly infatuated with one another.

Their courtship was short because he immediately knew that this was the girl he would marry. Their union resulted in one daughter and they had three decades of absolute happiness. When he died suddenly from colon cancer, my patient describes it as losing part of her soul. The emptiness was all consuming but she weathered the storm by

focusing on their daughter. She had to be strong for her so she faked it until she was. Mental health experts might disagree with her approach but she says it gave her a task and that task was motherhood, a job she knew she could do well and would now have to do even better.

Settling on an important task, she says, helps you move forward. She then clarified her statement by saying that you never move beyond the grief but you’re able to live with it.

There’s an incredible Ted Talk by a woman named Norma McInerny who lost her husband and found another love years later.

She shares that she didn’t have to leave the grief of losing her first true love behind in order to move forward.

Another tool that helped my patient was that whenever a memory of her husband popped into her head, she said thank you.

She fully embraced recalling their happy times and pushed aside the negativity of his chemotherapy treatments, the nights of waiting in the hospital after prolonged bouts of vomiting and the severe pain throughout his body that left him doubled over in agony. By focusing solely on the good memories, she felt more relaxed and in some ways at peace because she saw herself as blessed rather than as a victim. Finally, she said that having faith that one day she’ll see him again allowed her to sleep soundly. Then one day she dared to smile genuinely and a year later, the sun continues to shine.

This past week, I treated a medical student currently in her fifth year and on her internal medicine rotation. I didn’t get a chance to tell her about my golden tutorial but I did share with her that every patient deserves her very best and that taking more than a moment to listen to their concerns will make her a better physician. It wasn’t profound, life-changing advice but in today’s world it’s one that bears acknowledgement. I look forward to seeing her, and all our other aspiring student doctors, graduate and move the medical field in our country to new heights.

I wish they could all have a David - a mentor and chief resident like I had - who can teach them invaluable lessons that they can cling to throughout their journey. And for all those dealing with the loss of a loved one, I offer a heartfelt prayer that their life which now seems so fractured will heal, their grief will become a starting place not an ending and in time they’ll find another reason to smile.

This is The KDK Report. ÊUÊ V > i`ʼ/ iÊ Prince of Podiatry’, Dr Kenneth D Kemp is the founder and medical director of Bahamas Foot and Ankle located in Caves Village, Western New Providence.

He served as the deputy chairman for the Health Council for five years and he currently sits on the board of directors for the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation in his role as co-vice-chairman.

PUBLIC NOTICE

INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL The Public is hereby advised that we, Onesia Newman and Kevin Alexander Smith Jr. of Cowpen Road, parents of KEVIN ALEXANDER BARR a minor, intend to change our child’s name to KEVIN ALEXANDER SMITH III. If there are any objections to this change of name by Deed Poll, you may write such objections to the Chief Passport Officer, P.O. Box N-742, Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, October 23, 2023, PAGE 11

Israel’s Iron Dome air defence system works well – here’s how Hamas got around it

ISRAEL’s Iron Dome air defence system launches interceptor missiles to shoot down incoming missiles and rockets.

Photo: Ilia Yefimovich

By JO ADETUNJI BECAUSE of its unique national security challenges, Israel has a long history of developing highly effective, state-of-the-art defence technologies and capabilities. A prime example of Israeli military strength is the Iron Dome air defence system, which has been widely touted as the world’s best defence against missiles and rockets.

However, on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel was caught off guard by a very largescale missile attack by the Gaza-based Palestinian militant group Hamas. The group fired several thousand missiles at a number of targets across Israel, according to reports. While exact details are not available, it is clear that a significant number of the Hamas missiles penetrated the Israeli defences, inflicting extensive damage and casualties.

I am an aerospace engineer who studies space and defence systems.

There is a simple reason the Israeli defence strategy was not fully effective against the Hamas attack.

To understand why, you first need to understand the basics of air defence systems.

AIR DETECT, DISABLE

DEFENCE: DECIDE,

An air defence system consists of three key components. First, there are radars to detect, identify and track incoming missiles. The range of these radars varies. Iron Dome’s radar is effective over distances of 2.5 to 43.5 miles (4 to 70 km), according to its manufacturer Raytheon. Once an object has been detected by the radar, it must be assessed to determine whether it is a threat. Information such as direction and speed are used to make this determination.

If an object is confirmed as a threat, Iron Dome operators continue to track the object by radar.

Missile speeds vary considerably, but assuming a

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representative speed of 3,280 feet per second (1 km/s), the defence system has at most one minute to respond to an attack.

The second major element of an air defence system is the battle control centre. This component determines the appropriate way to engage a confirmed threat. It uses the continually updating radar information to determine the optimal response in terms of from where to fire interceptor missiles and how many to launch against an incoming missile.

The third major component is the interceptor missile itself. For Iron Dome, it is a supersonic missile with heat-seeking sensors. These sensors provide in-flight updates to the interceptor, allowing it to steer toward and close in on the threat. The interceptor uses a proximity fuse activated by a small radar to explode close to the incoming missile so that it does not have to hit it directly to disable it.

LIMITS OF MISSILE DEFENCES LIKE THE IRON DOME Israel has at least 10 Iron Dome batteries in operation, each containing 60 to 80 interceptor missiles. Each of those missiles costs about US$60,000. In previous attacks involving smaller numbers of missiles and rockets, Iron Dome was 90% effective against a range of threats.

So, why was the system less effective against the recent Hamas attacks?

It is a simple question of numbers. Hamas fired several thousand missiles, and Israel had less than a thousand interceptors in the field ready to counter them. Even if Iron Dome was 100% effective against the incoming threats, the very large number of the Hamas missiles meant some were going to get through.

The Hamas attacks illustrate very clearly that even the best air defence systems can be overwhelmed if they are overmatched by the

number of threats they have to counter.

The Israeli missile defence has been built up over many years, with high levels of financial investment. How could Hamas afford to overwhelm it?

Again, it all comes down to numbers. The missiles fired by Hamas cost about $600 each, and so they are about 100 times less expensive than the Iron Dome interceptors.

The total cost to Israel of firing all of its interceptors is around $48 million.

If Hamas fired 5,000 missiles, the cost would be only $3 million.

Thus, in a carefully planned and executed strategy, Hamas accumulated over time a large number of relatively inexpensive missiles that it knew would overwhelm the Iron Dome defensive capabilities.

Unfortunately for Israel, the Hamas attack represents a very clear example of military asymmetry: a low-cost, less-capable approach was able to defeat a more expensive, high-technology system.

FUTURE AIR DEFENCE SYSTEMS, INCLUDING HIGH-ENERGY LASERS The Hamas attack will have repercussions for all of the world’s major military powers. It clearly illustrates the need for air defence systems that are much more effective in two important ways.

First, there is the need for a much deeper arsenal of defensive weapons that can address very large numbers of missile threats. Second, the cost per defensive weapon needs to be reduced significantly.

This episode is likely to accelerate the development and deployment of directed energy air defence systems based on high-energy lasers and high-power microwaves. These devices are sometimes described as having an “infinite magazine,” because they have a relatively low cost per shot fired and can keep firing as long as they are supplied with electrical

KEMP’S FUNERAL HOME LIMITED 19 Palmdale Avenue, Palmdale Nassau, Bahamas

FUNERAL SERVICE FOR

Mr. Yiannis Nikolaos Diamantis, age 81 years of Vista Marina, Nassau, The Bahamas, will be held at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, West Street, Nassau, on Tuesday, 24th October, 2023 at 11:00 a.m.

Father Iraneus Cox will officiate and interment will follow in Lakeview Memorial Gardens and Mausoleums, Gladstone Road and John F. Kennedy Drive, Nassau.

Yiannis was predeceased by his wife, Machi Diamantis, his parents, Nikolaos and Maria Diamantis, his sisters, Eleni Constantakis and Magdalene Balas, his brother, Thanassis Diamantis, and his brother-in-law, George Constantakis. He is survived by his two sons Nikos and Dimitris; granddaughters Maria and Elena; siblings Violeta and Jimmy; daughters-in-law Annamaria and Tiffany; nieces Mary Klonaris, Christina Maillis, Machi Diamantis, Machi Stavropoulou, Maria Koukourini, Mary Diamantis, Anthoula Diamantis, Nicki Diamantis, Helen Klonaris, Tanya Klonaris, and Tina Klonaris-Robinson; nephews Nikos Diamandou, Yiannis Diamandou, Stathy Karageorgiou, Nikos Karageorgiou, Alex Maillis, George Maillis, and Peter Maillis.

The Instead of flowers the family request donations be sent to “The Lord’s Kitchen” the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, P.O. Box N. 823, Nassau or direct deposit to FCIB, Main Branch, Shirley Street, Nassau, Greek Orthodox Church account number 24100611 in memory of Mr. Yiannis Nikolaos Diamantis.

Relatives and friends may pay their respects at the Church, on Tuesday, 24th October, 2023, from 10:00 a.m. until service time.

MAY HIS MEMORY BE ETERNAL

PAGE 12, Monday, October 23, 2023

THE TRIBUNE

26th International Culture Wine and Food Festival

THE 26TH International Culture Wine and Food Festival was held on Saturday and Sunday at Fort Charlotte where attendees were treated to a variety of international flavous in food and drink, along with some entertainment.

Photos: Moise Amisial

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, October 23, 2023, PAGE 13

Blinken, Austin say US is ready to respond if US personnel become targets of Israel-Hamas war DELAWARE Associated Press SECRETARY of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday said the United States expects the Israel-Hamas war to escalate through involvement by proxies of Iran and asserted that the Biden administration is prepared to respond if American personnel or armed forces become the target of any such hostilities.

“This is not what we want, not what we’re looking for. We don’t want escalation,” Blinken said. “We don’t want to see our forces or our personnel come under fire.

But if that happens, we’re

ready for it.”

Austin, echoing Blinken, said “what we’re seeing is a prospect of a significant escalation of attacks on our troops and our people throughout the region.”

He said the US has the right to self-defence “and we won’t hesitate to take the appropriate action.”

The warning from the high-ranking US officials came as Israel’s military response to a deadly Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on civilians in communities in southern Israel entered its third week.

Israeli warplanes struck targets across Gaza overnight and into Sunday, as well as two airports in Syria and a mosque in the occupied West

HEZBOLLAH AND ISRAEL EXCHANGE FIRE AND WARNINGS OF WAR EXTENDING BEYOND HAMAS

HEZBOLLAH fighters rise their group’s flag and shout slogans, as they attend the funeral procession of Hezbollah fighter Bilal Nemr Rmeiti yesterday, who was killed by Israeli shelling.

Photo: Hassan Ammar/AP BEIRUT Associated Press HEZBOLLAH announced the deaths of five more militants as clashes along the LebanonIsrael border intensified and the Israeli prime minister warned Lebanon on Sunday not to let itself get dragged into a new war.

The tiny Mediterranean country is home to Hezbollah, a Shiite Muslim political party with an armed wing of the same name. Israeli soldiers and militants have traded fire across the border since Israel’s war with the Palestinian group Hamas began, but the launches so far have targeted limited areas.

Hezbollah has reported the deaths of 24 of its militants since Hamas’ bloody Oct. 7 rampage in southern Israel. At least six militants from Hamas and another militant group, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and at least four civilians have died in the near-daily hostilities.

Hezbollah has vowed to escalate if Israel begins a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, which is likely, and Israel said it would aggressively retaliate.

“If Hezbollah decides to enter the war, it will miss the Second Lebanon War. It will make the mistake of its life,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday as he visited troops stationed near the border with Lebanon. “We will cripple it with a force it cannot even imagine, and the consequences for it and the Lebanese state are devastating.”

Hezbollah and Israel fought a monthlong war in 2006 that ended in a tense stalemate.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that small arms fire was heard along the tense border coming from near the Lebanese village of Aitaroun toward the northern Israeli town of Avivim where key military barracks are located.

Meanwhile, Israel shelled areas near the southeastern Lebanese town of Blida.

Israel sees Iran-backed Hezbollah as its most serious threat, estimating it has some 150,000 rockets and missiles aimed at Israel.

Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus accused the group early Sunday of “escalating the situation steadily.” He said the recent cross-border skirmishes had produced both Israeli troop and civilian casualties but did not provide additional details.

Hezbollah on Sunday posted a video of what it said was a Friday attack targeting the Biranit barracks near the Lebanon-Israel border, the command centre of the Israeli military’s northern division. Footage shared by the group showed an overhead view of a strike on what it described as a gathering of soldiers.

During a video briefing, Conricus said the group has especially attacked military positions in Mount Dov in recent days, a disputed territory known as Shebaa Farms in Lebanon, where the borders of Lebanon, Syria, and Israel meet.

“Bottom line is … Hezbollah is playing a very, very dangerous game,” he said. “(It is) extremely important for everybody in Lebanon to ask themselves the question of the price. Is the Lebanese state really willing to jeopardize what is left of Lebanese prosperity and Lebanese sovereignty for the sake of terrorists in Gaza?”

The international community and Lebanese authorities have been scrambling to ensure the cash-strapped country does not find itself in a new war.

Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has yet to comment on the latest Hamas-Israel war, though other officials have. Hezbollah legislator Hassan Fadlallah said Sunday said Nasrallah’s silence was part of a strategy to deter Israel from Lebanon and to “prevent the enemy from reaching its goal in Gaza.”

“When the time comes for his His Eminence (Hassan Nasrallah) to appear in the media, should managing this battle require so, everyone will see that he will reflect public opinion,” Fadlallah said.

Bank allegedly used by militants as the war threatened to engulf more of the Middle East.

Israel has traded fire with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group on a near-daily basis since the war began, and tensions are soaring in the Israelioccupied West Bank, where Israeli forces have battled militants in refugee camps and carried out two airstrikes in recent days.

The US announced Sunday that non-essential staff at its embassy in Iraq should leave the country.

Blinken, who recently spent several days in the region, spoke of a “likelihood of escalation” while saying no one wants to see a second or third front to the hostilities between Israel and Hamas, which rules Gaza.

He said he expects “escalation by Iranian proxies directed against our forces, directed against our personnel, and added: “We are taking steps to make sure that we can effectively defend our people and respond decisively if we need to.” Iran is an enemy of Israel.

Blinken, appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” noted that additional military assets had been deployed to the region, including two aircraft carrier battle groups, “not to provoke, but to deter, to make clear that if anyone tries to do anything, we’re there.”

President Joe Biden, repeatedly has used one word to warn Israel’s enemies against trying to take advantage of the

PRESIDENT Joe Biden and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, meet with victims’ relatives and first responders who were directly affected by the Hamas attacks, Wednesday in Tel Aviv.

Photo: Evan Vucci/AP situation: “Don’t.”

Meanwhile, trucks loaded with food, water and other supplies that Palestinians living in Gaza desperately need continued to enter the enclave on Sunday after a key crossing at the border with Egypt was opened a day earlier to allow humanitarian assistance to begin flowing.

But Cindy McCain, executive director of the UN World Food Program, said the situation in Gaza remained “catastrophic.”

She said even more aid needs to be allowed in.

She said her organization was able to feed 200,000 people dinner on Saturday “but that’s not enough. That’s a drop.

We need secure and

sustainable access in there, in that region, so we can feed people.”

Four hundred aid trucks were entering Gaza daily before the latest war, she said.

“This is a catastrophe happening and we just simply have to get these trucks in,” she said.

Biden, who was at his home on the Delaware coast, was briefed by his national security team on the latest developments, the White House said.

Biden also discussed the situation during separate conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Pope Francis.

Biden and Netanyahu talked about “the need to

prevent escalation in the region and to work toward a durable peace in the Middle East,” the White House said. Israel has promised a military ground invasion of Gaza to destroy Hamas.

The State Department on Sunday ordered nonessential US diplomats and their families at the US Embassy in Iraq and the US consulate in Irbil to leave to the country due to the heightened tensions.

In an updated message to Americans in Iraq, the department said the security situation in Iraq made it impossible to carry out normal operations.

Austin and McCain spoke on ABC’s “This Week.”

SPORTS PAGE 14

NFL, page 16

MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2023

Swimmers making a splash, tennis begins

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

T

he Pan American Games have begun in Santiago, Chile, and the swimming sporting discipline also got underway.

Swimmers got into action at the Aquatic Center and competed Saturday and yesterday to represent The Bahamas. The Bahamas Olympic Committee selected nine swimmers to represent the island nation.

In relay action, the team of Jack Barr, Luke Thompson, Lamar Taylor, Emmanuel Gadson and Mark-Anthony Thompson competed in the men’s 4x100m freestyle heats on Saturday.

The team finished fifth in heat two behind Brazil, the United States of America, Mexico and Colombia with a time of 3:37.18. They finished ranked ninth overall between heat one and two.

Swimming stud Taylor will hit the water today in heat two of the men’s 100m freestyle as well as the men’s 100m backstroke event. His next aquatics event will be the men’s 50m freestyle in heat four on Tuesday.

Barr has one remaining event on Wednesday which is the 1,500m freestyle in heat one.

Gadson finished sixth in heat three of the men’s

100m butterfly with a time of 56.32. He will continue competition today in the men’s 200m breaststroke (heat four) and on Wednesday in the men’s 200m individual medley (heat one).

L Thompson competed in the heats of the men’s 200m and 400m freestyle this past weekend. In the 200m event, he came eighth with a time of 1:58.70.

However, in the 400m heats, he wrapped up fifth with 4:11.61.

M Thompson finished first in heat one of the men’s 100m breaststroke, stopping the clock at 1:07.18 but was ranked 24th overall.

In the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay heats on Saturday, the swimming team of Zaylie Thompson, Elizabeth Russell, Katelyn Cabral and Ariel Weech finished seventh in 4:08.84. They were ranked 13th with heat one and two combined.

The Bahamas placed fifth in heat one of the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay with 3:44.94. The team was ranked 11th overall in the event.

Russell continues her stint at the Pan Am Games on Tuesday in the women’s 50m freestyle (heat two) event.

For the girls, Zaylie Thompson competes today in heat two of the women’s 100m freestyle and on Wednesday in the women’s

SANTIAGO OPENS PAN AMERICAN GAMES

By MAURICIO SAVARESE AP Sports Writer SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — The opening ceremony of Chile’s first Pan American Games was not only a celebration of athletes, Indigenous peoples and poetry, but laid bare the politically divided country’s scars from the military dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet from 1973 until 1990.

In the most awaited moment of the two-hour event on Friday, the Pan American flame came through “the tunnel of memory” and into the National Stadium in Santiago that was a centre of torture and executions after the coup d’etat five decades ago.

“A people without memory is a people without future,” a sign at the stadium’s entrance reads.

Lucy Lopez, 93, who won a silver in the high jump at the 1951 Pan American Games, Chile’s first medal in the games, lit the cauldron.

Current pro-democracy Chilean President Gabriel Boric, who has emphasized the need to stand up with the victims of the Pinochet dictatorship, opened the games in the two-thirds filled 47,000-seat stadium.

The 37-year-old leader was cheered by the crowd minutes earlier as he was filmed swinging his nephew during the parade of athletes.

The Pan American Games, the largest multisport event in the Americas,

ZAYLIE ELIZABETH THOMPSON, shown here, is scheduled to compete today in heat two of the women’s 100m freestyle at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.

200m individual medley (heat three). Bahamians will also compete in tennis

starting today with Justin Roberts, Kevin Major Jr and Sydney Clarke playing

in the men’s and women’s singles matches.

Go Team Bahamas!

SEE PAGE 15

BAHAMAS BOWL IN SEARCH OF NEW LOCATION THIS YEAR

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net THE HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl was scheduled to get underway on Saturday, December 16 at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium to commence the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 Football Bowl Subdivision season. However, plans were changed due to repairs expected to begin shortly at the venue.

Clint Overby, vice president of ESPN Events, made the announcement of the event’s inevitable venue change last week. “The 2023 Bahamas Bowl will be played at an alternate venue due to ongoing renovations

at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium in Nassau. Specific bowl plans will be announced in the coming weeks, and we look forward to the bowl returning to The Bahamas next year,” he said.

The ninth edition of the event in The Bahamas was slated to be the first time the game would be played on a Saturday since they launched the NCAA football extravaganza in 2014.

In previous weeks, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture (MOYSC) Mario Bowleg said that the national stadium would be getting an overhaul beginning November 1 which would interrupt upcoming sporting events to be held at the venue, including the Bahamas Bowl. “There is a

way we believe we can work it out but in some cases and some other events, we will probably have to cancel it, for example the bowl game calls for ESPN so that might not look too good with a lot of construction going on at

the same time,” the minister told reporters.

Nonetheless, the Bahamas Bowl will make its return to The Bahamas in December 2024 but for now no alternate venue has been announced.

The bowl game will feature teams from the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and Conference USA (C-USA).

The HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl is just one of 17 bowl games owned and operated by ESPN events.

In the eighth edition of the bowl game, the University of Alabama (UAB) Blazers shut down the Miami University (Ohio) Redhawks 24-20 to earn their second consecutive bowl game win.

The team’s first win of the two came against Brigham Young University (BYU) in 2021 at the Independence Bowl. Other previous bowl game winners include the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders who defeated

South Africa pulls off great escape to beat England and make Rugby World Cup final PARIS (AP) — The Springboks finally broke the English scrum, and once again their hearts, to reach the Rugby World Cup final and have a chance at back-to-back titles.

Defending champion South Africa was secondbest to England’s smart tactics and precise execution for the best part of 70 minutes of their semifinal at Stade de France on Saturday before what’s becoming a traditional great escape by the Boks saw them steal a thriller 16-15 and set up a title

decider next weekend against their fiercest rival, New Zealand.

One of them will win a record fourth World Cup and, with England’s agonising exit, the trophy is set to stay in the southern hemisphere once again.

By next Saturday night, the southern hemisphere will have won nine out of 10 Rugby World Cups.

South Africa’s brute force at scrum time won it against England, as it so often does. But it only came in the dying minutes of another white-knuckle knockout game at this

World Cup as replacement props Ox Nche and Vincent Koch produced a huge, desperate heave to win a penalty for South Africa near halfway and set up replacement flyhalf Handre Pollard for the game-winning kick with under two minutes left.

Pollard nailed it, as he did with a late kick in another epic 29-28 Springboks win from behind in the quarterfinals against host France.

“It’s unbelievable.

It’s a lot of relief in this

SEE PAGE 17

SOUTH Africa and England players get into a scuffle after the end of their Rugby World Cup semifinal match at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, on Saturday.

(AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

the University of Toledo Rockets in 2021.

The University of Buffalo bested the University of North Carolina 49ers in 2019.

Also, the Florida International University (FIU) Panthers became victors after dropping the Toledo Rockets in 2018.

The Redhawks won in 2017, Old Dominion claimed the victory in the previous year, Western Michigan got the win in 2015 and Western Kentucky won the first edition of the bowl game in 2014.

The game was not held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The HomeTown Lenders will serve as the event’s title sponsor for the second straight year.

CRICKET WORLD CUP: INDIA BEATS NEW ZEALAND TO STAY PERFECT DHARAMSALA, India (AP) — Virat Kohli hit 95 as India chased down its target of 274 to beat New Zealand in a match between the only two unbeaten teams at the Cricket World Cup yesterday.

Tournament host India won by four wickets after reaching its target with 12 balls left in Dharamsala, finishing on 274-6.

New Zealand was dismissed for 273 in 50 overs.

Kohli came close to tying the record for most ODI hundreds, held by countryman Sachin Tendulkar with 49.

SEE PAGE 18

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, October 23, 2023, PAGE 15

Heart of a Champion Boxer Carl Hield earns 2nd round TKO win in pro debut

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net CARL Hield, one of the most decorated amateur boxers in The Bahamas, had a successful pro debut in Cartagena, Colombia, at the International Knockout Night event over the weekend.

The veteran boxer earned his stripes when he pulled off a second round technical knockout win in the super welterweight division against Colombia’s Elkin Bolaño at the Saga Boxing Club Gym. Joining Hield on the trip was 18-year-old amateur boxer Anai Powell who also emerged victorious against his opponent Fernando Gonzalez in the welterweight division.

Hield, who was still soaking in the moment, talked about how it felt not only making his professional debut but topping it off with a win.

“It was good, it was a long wait. I was supposed to turn pro a long time ago but I was focused on representing my country. I was not given the opportunity to go to the Pan American Games so I just decided to stay active until the Olympic trials next year and go pro where I can be in more fights, not just training instead of competing,” he said.

The former Sugar Bert Tournament gold medallist’s initial opponent was scheduled to be Colombian John Blanco but, at the last minute, it switched to Bolaño.

However, Hield’s focus remained the same and he just wanted to execute what he had been practicing in training camp.

“The key for me was to just go in there and do what we did in training and I always fight in the attack, the body and head at the same time style, so the guy could not deal with the shots I gave him,” he said.

In some peak moments of the match, Hield dished out thunderous blows to a vulnerable Bolaño trapped into the corner.

He remained on the attack while his opponent tried to avoid the strikes but ultimately was unable to escape the hits coming from Hield’s direction which led to the TKO. The sweet pro debut victory took away the bittersweet feeling of not being selected by the Bahamas Olympic Committee to represent The Bahamas

LOCKED IN: Carl Hield, flexing his muscles, made his professional debut at 36-years-old against Elkin Bolaño at the International Knockout Night in Cartagena, Colombia, over the weekend. in Santiago, Chile, at the Pan Am Games.

Despite the odds, he is simply looking forward to competing more to have a chance at qualifying for his last attempt at making it to the Olympic Games.

“I am just glad I got the win and now I am in the professional rankings and I just want to keep going in more fights to see if I could be able to come home next year and fight for the Bahamian title,” the boxer said.

He dedicated his first professional fight to his late mother Norma Hield, the late great Ray Minus Jr, and his friend Tyrone Oliver, who he lost to gun violence, all in the same year.

Powell competed against Gonzalez in the welterweight division and was happy for the win and shared what was the strategy against his opponent.

“It is pretty decent knowing that I am getting more experience and being active.

“I used my distance and jab and then went at the body and that is what made me get the win,” the younger boxer said.

Both athletes are thankful to Insurance Management for making their journey to Colombia possible.

They will look to get on the card for Venezuela’s fight night on November 3.

SHELTON DEFEATS KARATSEV FOR BREAKTHROUGH TOUR TITLE AT JAPAN OPEN TOKYO (AP) — Ben Shelton won his maiden tour title, beating Aslan Karatsev 7-5, 6-1 at the Japan Open yesterday.

The 21-year-old American, who made his first tour semifinal appearance at the U.S. Open last month, continued his recent rich vein of form in Tokyo, making 18 winners and dominating his Russian opponent with his swinging lefty serve as he closed out the final in 84 minutes.

“That meant a lot to me and my team,” Shelton said.

“We have been working really hard since the beginning to build my game and win titles on the ATP tour. I made some deep runs lately.

You see the great champions, they finish weeks off.

“They win titles, they don’t just get to finals. They are able to maintain their level throughout the week.

I am not saying I am anywhere there yet, but to be able to do it for one week, put together five matches in a row in Tokyo is really special.”

Shelton will rise to a career-high No. 15 in the ATP’s rankings today, having started the season at No. 96.

During his breakout season, the American advanced to the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, before becoming the youngest American man to advance to the semifinals at Flushing Meadows since Michael Chang in 1992. He also made the quarterfinals at the Shanghai Masters last week.

The 30-year-old Karatsev was seeking his fourth title and first since he beat Andy Murray in Sydney in 2022, but with 20 unforced errors the Russian struggled to get any momentum in the match and challenge Shelton.

Jiangxi Open Katerina Siniakova saved three match points to set up a stunning comeback to beat fellow Czech Marie Bouzkova 1-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) and win the Jiangxi Open in China yesterday.

After losing the first set and then falling a break down in both the second and third sets, the 60thranked Siniakova refused to submit as she battled back to win two tiebreaker sets and claim the title in a three-hour and 33-minute epic over the 29th-ranked Bouzkova. It’s the fifth career title for Siniakova and second of the season, after winning in Hamburg in July.

Opening ceremony of Chile’s first Pan American Games a celebration of athletes, indigenous peoples and poetry FROM PAGE 14 take place one year before the Olympics. The National Stadium and its surroundings were renovated for the competitions.

Six new venues were built for 30 sporting events, an investment of $507 million.

Almost 7,000 athletes from 41 countries and territories will compete in the games that last until Nov. 5. More than 4,000 took part in the parade, with the Andes that surround the Chilean capital overseeing their celebration.

Many will compete on Saturday in swimming, diving and skateboarding events, among others.

There are more than 100 spots available for next year’s Paris Olympics as well as the usual contest for second place in the medals count behind the United States.

Many athletes expected to shine in France will compete in Chile, including Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade, Canadian swimmer Maggie Mac Neil an Dominican sprinter Marileidy Paulino.

The U.S. team of 631 athletes includes 93 Olympians and 32 Olympic medalists, more than any other nation.

PERFORMERS dance during the opening ceremony.

(AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

ARTIST Amanda Ramirez performs during the opening ceremony.

(AP Photo/Fernando Vergara) Among them are the medallist in the 2020 games two flag bearers in Friday’s in Japan, and 34-year-old parade, 22-year-old gym- shooter Vincent Hancock, nast Jordan Chiles, a silver a three-time Olympic gold

THE OPENING ceremony of the Pan American Games at the National Stadium in Santiago, Chile, on Friday, October 20.

(AP Photo/Carlos Padilla) medalist. The opening cere- violence, especially during neighborhood of Provimony also celebrated two of the Pinochet regime. dencia, 5 kilometers (3 the country’s most famous Polls have shown that miles) north of the National poets, Pablo Neruda and most of Santiago’s residents Stadium.

Gabriela Mistral. support their city playing Javier Sosa, a 25-year-old Colombian singer host to the event, but psy- engineer who attended the Sebastián Yatra was the chologist Selena Torres, 45, ceremony, disagreed. main musical attraction of thinks Chile should have “We can protest about the evening. other priorities. whatever is going wrong The ceremony also paid “Our country has deep and still celebrate we can a tribute to the ingenuity political divisions, the do some things well,” he and music of Chile’s Indig- cost of living is very high said. “It is a great chance to enous peoples, who have and poverty is high,” show we can do nice things long endured racism and Torres said in the upscale here, too.”

PAGE 16, Monday, October 23, 2023

THE TRIBUNE

EAGLES SECURE 31-17 WIN OVER DOLPHINS

By DAN GELSTON AP Sports Writer PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts rebounded from a pick-6 to hit A.J. Brown with the go-ahead touchdown on the next drive, and he threw for 279 yards and combined for three scores to lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a 31-17 win over the Miami Dolphins last night.

The Super Bowl teams from last season, the champion Kansas City Chiefs and Eagles are the only 6-1 teams in the NFL. Hurts overcame two more interceptions but found Brown 10 times for 137 yards to overcome his former Alabama teammate Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins (5-2).

But the big play that sealed the win came in the fourth quarter from the cornerback nicknamed “Big Play” Slay. Trailing 24-17 in the fourth, Tagovailoa went deep on a pass intended for Raheem Mostert that was picked by Darius Slay near the goal line and returned 16 yards.

With the Eagles wearing throwback Kelly green jerseys, Slay added one more defensive highlight in a team colour once worn by Reggie White.

The Eagles tush-pushed their way toward first downs on a clock-eating drive late in the fourth before Hurts hit Brown for a 42-yard reception and Kenneth Gainwell sealed the win with a 3-yard touchdown run.

As he has been much of the season, Hurts was more erratic than dynamic.

Still, Hurts threw a 14-yard TD pass to Brown for a 24-17 lead with 15 seconds left in the third that ended up the winner.

Hurts ran into trouble earlier in the third when he faked a handoff and his short pass was tipped into the hands of linebacker Jerome Baker.

Baker returned the pick 22 yards for the score and a 17-all game. Hurts — who threw three interceptions in last week’s loss against the Jets — had only six interceptions a year ago when he was the NFL MVP runner-up.

Tagovailoa was 23 of 32 for 216 yards in his first head-to-head matchup

against Hurts in the NFL, the two 25-year-old QBs forever linked by their tenures under coach Nick Saban at Alabama.

More specifically, the 2017 season national championship game when Saban benched Hurts, who had led the Crimson Tide to two national title games, at the half and replaced him with Tagovailoa.

Tagovailoa came off the bench and threw three touchdown passes to give the Crimson Tide their fifth national championship.

Tagovailoa was all out of dramatic rallies in this one.

Hurts threw a 19-yard TD pass to Dallas Goedert for a 10-3 lead in the second quarter. The Eagles had a minor scare when Brown spent time in the

medical tent. The wideout sure seemed fine when he dashed out of the tent and onto the field on fourthand-3 and hauled in a 32-yard pass that took the Eagles to the 1-yard line.

NFL fans watching were stumped on what the Eagles would do next. Maybe a play-action pass? A trick play?

Uh, no. It was the tush push, of course. Hurts lined up under centre, the offensive line surged forward and Hurts got a big push from behind into the end zone for a 17-3 lead.

UP NEXT Dolphins: Return home Sunday to play New England in an AFC East clash.

Eagles: Hit the road for a rematch with the Commanders.

Jake Elliott

EAGLES quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) throws during the second half against the Miami Dolphins last night in Philadelphia.

(AP Photo/Matt Rourke) kicked a 54-yard field goal in overtime to lift Philadelphia to a 34-31 win over Washington in October at the Linc.

Belichick gets 300th regular-season win as Patriots beat Bills 29-25 on Jones’ late TD pass FOXBOROUGH, Mass.

(AP) — Mac Jones threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Mike Gesicki with 12 seconds remaining to lift the New England Patriots to a 29-25 win over the Buffalo Bills yesterday, making Bill Belichick the third coach in NFL history with 300 regular-season victories.

Belichick joins Pro Football Hall of Famers Don Shula (328) and George Halas (318) as the only coaches to reach the milestone.

Jones completed 25 of 30 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns as the Patriots (2-5) snapped a three-game skid. Ezekiel Elliott rushed for a score and rookie Chad Ryland added three field goals to help the Patriots beat back a second-half rally by Buffalo (4-3), which briefly took the lead late in the fourth quarter.

Josh Allen was 27 of 41 for 265 yards with two TDs ran for a score. He also threw an interception that set up New England’s first touchdown. The Bills struggled on third down and scored touchdowns on only two of their four red-zone opportunities.

Allen led two touchdown drives late in the fourth quarter to turn a 22-10 deficit into a 25-10 lead for Buffalo.

Jones began the decisive drive with a short pass to Rhamondre Stevenson that turned into a 34-yard gain.

He hit Hunter Harvey for 14 yards on a third-and-8, and the Patriots had a firstand-goal after six plays. A pass-interference penalty set them up at the Buffalo 1, and Jones connected with Gesicki on second down.

RAVENS 38, LIONS 6 BALTIMORE (AP) — Lamar Jackson guided Baltimore to touchdowns on its first four possessions of a dominant first half, and the Ravens trounced Detroit in a matchup of division leaders that was lopsided from the start.

Baltimore (5-2) was up 28-0 before the NFC Northleading Lions (5-2) even managed a first down. It was the most complete performance of the season by the Ravens, and a resurgent Detroit squad fell flat while facing a major test on the road.

Jackson went 21 of 27 for 357 yards and three touchdowns, finishing with a near-perfect passer rating of 155.8. He also ran for a TD. Jackson had great success with deep passes, often finding receivers open in the secondary with plenty of room to run. Baltimore protected Jackson well, and when that started to break down, his scrambling kept plays going.

Jackson opened the scoring with a 7-yard bootleg on fourth-and-1. On his team’s next possession, he escaped the pocket to the right and extended the play long enough to find Nelson Agholor for a 12-yard touchdown.

An 11-yard TD pass to Mark Andrews made it 21-0, and then Gus Edwards scored on a 2-yard run.

At that point, the Lions had only managed three

three-and-outs. Baltimore had a 28-0 lead, a 16-0 edge in first downs and a 325-13 advantage in total yards.

Baltimore has allowed a league-low seven touchdowns this season.

CHIEFS 31, CHARGERS 17 KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 424 yards and four touchdowns, Travis Kelce caught 12 passes for 179 yards and a score, and Kansas City beat Los Angeles to take command of the AFC West.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling had three catches for 84 yards and a touchdown, Rashee Rice and Isiah Pacheco also caught TD passes, and the Chiefs (6-1) won their sixth straight to take a three-game lead in a division they have won seven straight years.

The Chiefs were leading 24-17 midway through the fourth quarter when Mecole Hardman, who returned to Kansas City this week in a trade with the New York Jets, brought back a punt 50 yards. That gave Kansas City a short field and, six plays later, Mahomes hit Pacheco out of the backfield for the touchdown that put the game away.

Justin Herbert, who spent the day under constant pressure from the league’s No. 2 scoring defence, had 259 yards passing with a touchdown and two interceptions for the Chargers (2-4). Joshua Palmer caught five passes for 133 yards and Joshua Kelley ran seven times for 75 yards and a score.

After an opening drive that netted a field goal, Mahomes capped three of the next four drives with TD passes — the last to Kelce, who was again cheered on by pop superstar Taylor Swift.

BROWNS 39, COLTS 38 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Kareem Hunt scored on a 1-yard touchdown plunge with 15 seconds left, capping an 80-yard touchdown drive that gave Cleveland a win over Indianapolis.

Backup quarterback P.J. Walker used all but 15 seconds of the final 2:35 to rally the Browns for the second consecutive week, this time taking advantage of debatable back-to-back defensive penalties against the Colts, an illegal contact and a defensive pass interference call — both on cornerback Darrell Baker Jr. The first penalty nullified a fumble recovery by the Colts. The second put the ball at the 1-yard line, setting up Hunt’s fourth-down score. Hunt had 10 carries for 31 yards and two TDs. Walker rallied Cleveland (4-2) for the second straight week. This time it was in relief of Deshaun Watson, who started his first game since September 24 but left in the first quarter after taking a big hit. Watson was cleared after being evaluated for a head injury but did not return to avoid aggravating his already injured right shoulder.

The Colts (3-4) lost their second straight as Gardner Minshew committed four more turnovers — three

NEW England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) celebrates after a touchdown by running back Ezekiel Elliott during the first half against the Buffalo Bills yesterday.

(AP Photo/Winslow Townson) of which Cleveland turned Sutton that gave Denver a Coordinator Matt Caninto scores.

Minshew 16-3 lead. ada’s offence finally found FALCONS 16, hooked up with Michael some holes in the Los BUCCANEERS 13 Pittman Jr. on a 75-yard Angeles defence in the TAMPA, Florida (AP) fourth quarter, racking up TD pass to give the Colts a 38-33 lead, but they couldn’t — Younghoe Koo’s third three long drives culmifield goal of the game, a nating in two TDs and the hold it.

Browns defensive end 51-yarder as time expired, chance to run out the clock.

Myles Garrett dominated bailed out quarterback George Pickens made four the game. He had nine Desmond Ridder and gave of his five receptions for 107 tackles, two strip-sacks and mistake-prone Atlanta a yards in the second half. blocked a 60-yard field goal win over Tampa Bay. Pickett got a generous The Falcons (4-3) spot on a sneak to convert attempt.

Cleveland’s Dustin Hop- snapped an eight-game a fourth-and-1 at the twokins broke the NFL record road losing streak and minute warning, allowing by making a field goal of moved atop the NFC South Pittsburgh to secure the 50 or more yards in a fifth ahead of the Bucs (3-3) franchise’s first win over the straight game. He con- despite Ridder losing three Rams in Los Angeles. verted two 54-yarders and a fumbles inside Tampa Bay’s Stafford passed for 231 red zone, including one that yards and hit Tutu Atwell 58-yarder.

Minshew was 15 of 23 for cost him a 12-yard touch- for a 31-yard touchdown 305 yards with two touch- down run that would have right before halftime for downs and an interception. put Atlanta up 10 points Los Angeles (3-4), which He also ran for a career- with less than four minutes dropped to 1-3 at home. to go. high two scores.

Rookie sensation Puka Ridder’s fumble on a sack Nacua had eight catches BRONCOS 19, stopped the Falcons from for 154 yards, but the Rams PACKERS 17 DENVER (AP) — P.J. breaking a 10-10 tie just struggled for consistent Locke saved Denver from before halftime. The young drives after halftime. Brett another second-half melt- quarterback lost another Maher also missed two long down, intercepting Jordan fumble in the third quar- field-goal attempts and an Love’s deep pass in the clos- ter, one play after Drake extra point. ing minutes to preserve a London’s 13-yard recepSEAHAWKS 20, tion gave the Falcons a first win over Green Bay. CARDINALS 10 Locke — subbing for down inside the Bucs 1.

SEATTLE (AP) — KenRidder, who threw for neth Walker III rushed for safety Kareem Jackson, who was ejected for the 250 yards, moved the Fal- a season-high 105 yards, second time this season cons into position for Koo’s rookies Jaxon Smith-Njigba following an illegal high winning kick after the and Jake Bobo both caught hit earlier in the fourth Bucs pulled even on Chase first-half touchdown passes, quarter on tight end Luke McLaughin’s 36-yard field and Seattle beat Arizona.

Musgrave — picked off the goal with less than a minute The Seahawks (4-2) throw intended for Samori remaining. relied on their defence Kyle Pitts’ 39-yard recep- to make key stops in the Toure just after the twotion was the biggest play on second half after a handful minute warning.

The Broncos ran out the the winning drive. of mistakes.

Baker Mayfield threw for clock to give coach Sean Geno Smith threw for Payton his first win at home 275 yards, one touchdown 219 yards and connected in four tries and end a dubi- and one interception for with his rookie pass catchous streak in which Denver Tampa Bay, which scored ers while DK Metcalf had lost 10 consecutive on Mike Evans’ 40-yard TD missed the first game of his games when leading at reception in the first quar- career. Smith-Njigba caught ter and field goals of 24 and his first NFL touchdown halftime.

This time, it was a 9-0 36 yards by McLaughlin. on a 28-yard reception in STEELERS 24, lead the Broncos (2-5) fritthe first quarter and Bobo RAMS 17 tered away before regaining made a terrific 18-yard TD INGLEWOOD, Calif. catch in the second quarter. the advantage on Wil Lutz’s 52-yard field goal with 3:50 (AP) — Jaylen Warren and But Smith’s performance Najee Harris rushed for was shaky at times. He remaining.

The Packers (2-4) scored touchdowns in the fourth threw an interception and all of their points in the quarter, and Pittsburgh lost a fumble, allowing Arisecond half and took a awoke from a quiet offen- zona (1-6) to hang around 17-16 lead on Love’s 4-yard sive day just in time to beat into the fourth quarter. touchdown pass to Jayden Los Angeles.

Smith completed 18 of 24 Kenny Pickett passed passes. Smith-Njigba and Reed that went off Romeo for 230 yards and ran for a Bobo each had four recepDoubs’ hands.

Doubs pulled the Pack- score for the Steelers (4-2), tions and became the first ers within 16-10 in the who had just 110 yards in pair of Seattle rookies to third quarter on a 16-yard the first three quarters. catch TDs in the same game touchdown catch that both Pittsburgh’s only early since 2015. he and cornerback Patrick touchdown came after T.J. Cardinals QB Joshua Surtain II caught as they Watt intercepted Matthew Dobbs was 19 of 33 for 146 Stafford’s first pass of the yards and was sacked four tumbled to the ground.

Russell Wilson threw for second half and returned times. He ran for a 25-yard 195 yards on 20-of-29 pass- it inside the Los Angeles touchdown in the first half, ing with one touchdown, 10, setting up Pickett’s TD the longest run play allowed a 18-yarder to Courtland sneak. this season by Seattle.

BEARS 30, RAIDERS 12 CHICAGO (AP) — Undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent led three touchdown drives with Justin Fields sidelined, D’Onta Foreman ran for two scores and caught a TD pass, and Chicago beat Las Vegas.

The Bears (2-5) won for the second time in three games after dropping 14 in a row. They won a showdown of backup quarterbacks after both teams’ starters were injured the previous week.

Brian Hoyer threw for 129 yards and two interceptions in place of Jimmy Garoppolo for the Raiders (3-4), whose two-game winning streak ended.

The Bears relied on short throws and handoffs with Bagent — who played last year for Division II Shepherd University in West Virginia — behind centre.

He completed 21 of 29 passes for 162 yards and a TD, helping Chicago stop a 10-game home losing streak.

Foreman ran for 89 yards on 16 attempts and his first two touchdowns since signing with Chicago in March.

He scored from the 2 in the first quarter and from the 3 early in the second as the Bears grabbed a 14-0 lead, then caught a 5-yard TD in the third to make it 21-3.

Jaylon Johnson had two late interceptions. He returned one against Hoyer 39 yards for a touchdown to make it 30-6 and then picked off Chicago-area product Aidan O’Connell.

Hoyer completed 17 of 32 passes and posted a 37.1 passer rating. O’Connell was 10 of 13 for 75 yards with a touchdown and the interception.

GIANTS 14, COMMANDERS 7 EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Tyrod Taylor threw two second-quarter touchdown passes and New York’s defence had six sacks and made a last-minute stand to beat Washington, snapping a four-game skid.

Taylor, starting for the second straight week with Daniel Jones sidelined with a neck injury, hit Darren Waller from 15 yards and added a 32-yard TD pass to Saquon Barkley as New York (2-5) scored its first offensive first-half touchdowns of the season. He finished 18 of 29 for 279 yards.

Dexter Lawrence had two sacks for New York and Kayvon Thibodeaux added 1 1/2. Chase Young had two sacks for the Commanders.

Brian Robinson Jr. scored on a 4-yard run for Washington (3-4) early in the third quarter after Giants veteran Sterling Shepard muffed a punt and the Commanders, who were limited to 46 yards in the first half, recovered at the 21.

Giants had to make one more stand after Saquon Barkley lost a fumble inside the Washington 5 and the Commanders recovered.

Sam Howell (22 of 42 for 249 yards) led Washington to a first-and-10 at the New York 12. His pass on fourthand-5 to Jahan Dotson was incomplete.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, October 23, 2023, PAGE 17

Bahamas Youth Flag Football League season opens to a great start

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas Youth Flag Football League (BYFFL) season got underway this past weekend on the fields opposite the original Thomas A Robinson national stadium.

The season openers got off to an exciting start as the youth of the 6-9, 10-13 and 14-17 divisions battled on the field to get the new season going.

Competition was stiff throughout the various age groups with kids working through the week one jitters and preparing to build momentum from the league’s opening day.

Jayson Clarke, programme director of the BYFFL, was elated with the play he saw across the different divisions and is looking forward to the rest of the season.

“The level of competition on day one was pretty good, if you look at our 6-9 age group every game ended with a tie.

“I was very impressed with the talent, particularly the new talent in the 6-9 category because a lot of them are playing for the first time and by far this is our biggest season in registration and number of kids we are involved this time around,” Clarke said.

The youngest division in the youth league saw all games end in a tie for the 6-9 category. Team Inne versus Team Sheldeen ended with an 8-8 draw.

Team Sheldeen then took on Team Dawkins and each squad earned six apiece.

Additionally, Team Dawkins and Team Inne closed out the game with 12-12 on the scoreboard.

The programme director was also very pleased by the play of the young ones because of the importance of the foundational level to their development in youth flag football.

“This is definitely a good foundation for them, if you look at our kids that are in our 10-13, 14-17 age groups, a lot of them have

been playing flag football since we started in 2014-15 so they are exceptionally good this time,” he said.

Now with flag football added to the sporting disciplines to be included in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, he is very optimistic about the future of the little ones in The Bahamas.

“I am happy that we have kids in our season starting from as low as age five. It is very important for them because it could translate to a very bright future for them, having learned the game of flag and playing at such a young age,” he said.

Division 10-13 saw some competitive action between the young teams.

Team Kevin collected wins against Team Allen 26-13 and Team Moss 4-2.

Team Dawkins earned a relatively comfortable 31-6 win over Team Munroe and Team Moss also defeated the latter 2-0.

The oldest division in the youth flag league turned in some good games on Saturday. Team D’Angelo edged out Team Allen 30-22 but

A GREAT START - Bahamas Youth Flag Football League (BYFFL) season began on the fields opposite the original Thomas A Robinson national stadium over the weekend. fell to Team Munroe 32-12.

In the remaining game, Team Allen secured their first victory of the division against Team Chavar 8-6.

The programme director is looking forward to

a successful season aimed towards helping the youth and further developing flag football in the island nation. “I am expecting it to be an extremely successful season.

“I think things are going to get even more competitive as the season moves on,” he said.

Week two games will continue next weekend at the same venue.

South Africa pulls off great escape to beat England and make Rugby World Cup final FROM PAGE 14 moment,” Pollard said.

“Frustrated we weren’t at our best tonight, especially in that first half. We knew we had so much more to give but fair play to England, they put us under pressure in exactly the right areas.

“But, jeez, the fight we showed never giving up, it is what we stand for as a team and as a nation.”

England led for the entire match before Pollard’s boot — from about 50 metres — swung the Springboks into a second straight Rugby World Cup final at the very death and cruelly denied the English again. South Africa has beaten England in the quarterfinals, semifinals and in two finals at the Rugby World Cup, including the title game four years ago.

“After a difficult loss like this all that stands with me is how proud I am to be English,” said England captain Owen Farrell, who also lost in the 2019 final to South Africa. “You can always look back at things but South Africa are a top, top side. They have shown that over the course of the World Cup.”

England was minutes from sweet revenge for all those painful Springboks experiences having executed its gameplan to perfection to be in control for most of the match at Stade de France. England sent kick after kick from scrumhalf Alex Mitchell at the the base of the ruck or from Farrell at flyhalf down onto the Springboks, who struggled with the high bombs all day in the rain in Paris.

England won almost every contestable kick, and was sharper in every facet, and Farrell gave the white shirts the scoreboard dominance they deserved with four penalties in the first half and a drop goal from long range early in the second half for a 15-6 lead.

The drop goal evoked memories of Jannie de Beer’s five drops for South Africa to flatten England in the quarterfinals of the 1999 Rugby World Cup. The 15-6 scoreline was the same that England lost to the Boks in the 2007 final in Paris.

England fans, who came to France this time with very limited expectations given the team’s dire pretournament form, belted out “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.”

SOUTH Africa’s Kurt-Lee Arendse collects a high ball as England’s Jonny May runs into him during their Rugby World Cup semifinal match at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, on Saturday.

(AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) England, surprisingly, began in the 69th minute was rumbling toward the with a try by replacement final having been written lock RG Snyman, who off before a ball was kicked powered over on only the in France.

Springboks’ second visit And then it turned. to the England 22 of the The Boks went to their second half. Pollard’s conbench. The comeback version closed it to 15-13.

The Springboks’ setpiece misfired for most of the game — mostly down to English pressure — but they won a scrum near halfway in the closing minutes having worked their way out from deep in their 22. Nche, Koch and the rest of the pack went to work, the scrum screwed sideways and the Boks won the penalty they were looking for.

Pollard, thrown on as early as the 31st minute when it was all going wrong for South Africa, sent the highest of pressure goalkicks through the middle.

“That is probably the strength of this team,” South Africa coach Jacques Nienaber said.

“They find a way, even if things are not going our way, to get a result. It took them probably 70 minutes to get a foothold in the game. They just refused to give up.”

Nienaber, who will leave after the World Cup, might have thought his time was up in the semis. He put his head down on a desk in the coaches box and covered it with his hands at the end as the Springboks erupted in celebration on the field.

He has one more game to leave the No. 1-ranked Springboks at the very top.

FOR PURDY AND 49ERS, PRESSURE IS ON VS VIKINGS

By DAVE CAMPBELL AP Pro Football Writer MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Brock Purdy’s fast rise with the San Francisco 49ers has had the quality of a feel-good movie, the rare quarterback drafted in the seventh round to run the offence for a Super Bowl contender by the end of his rookie year and pick up in his second season where he left off.

Even following the worst start of his young career, a 19-17 loss at Cleveland that included his first interception of 2023 and stripped the 49ers (5-1) of their undefeated status, Purdy is sitting pretty. He just probably won’t be able to stand still in his attempt to get back on track.

San Francisco plays at Minnesota tonight, and Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is sure to empty the playbook with as many different pressures as he can find.

“You can never just relax and just call a play or run a play, because there’s always a thousand things that can go wrong just because of the threat of what they do in any situation,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said.

“They’re on you a lot with that. They get you to make mistakes in that way.”

The Vikings have sent five or more rushers on 60.5% percent of passing plays they’ve faced this season, the most by any NFL team since Sportradar began tracking blitzes in 2007.

The next most frequent blitzing team was Arizona (51.1%) in 2013. The league average for 2023, according to Sportradar, is 29%.

The ultra-aggressive strategy, in an era when extra rushers are being used less often in favor of thicker and safer zone coverage, has yielded mixed results for the Vikings (2-4).

Flores had an 82% blitz rate on September 24 against the Los Angeles Chargers, the highest in the NFL this year, and Justin Herbert went 40 for 47 for 405 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover.

But relentless pressure also led directly to both of Minnesota’s wins, at Carolina and Chicago.

The Vikings sent five or more rushers on 75.9% of passing plays against the Bears and totalled five sacks, three interceptions and a fumble recovery that Jordan Hicks returned for a touchdown in a 19-13 victory.

The Browns, who blitzed a modest 30% of the time against the 49ers, flustered Purdy into a 12-for-27 passing performance for 125 yards, one touchdown, the aforementioned interception and a career-worst 55.3 passer rating. That was his first loss in 11 regular-season starts.

Against the New York Giants on September 21, Purdy faced a blitz on 69.2% of his passing plays, per Sportradar — the thirdhighest single-game rate in the league this season behind only the Vikings.

He carved up that pressure, going 16 for 25 for 233 yards and two touchdowns against Giants blitzes in a 30-12 victory.

“There’s a lot to prepare for,” Flores said. “Not only just the skill of the players at the skill positions and then the intellect and command of the offence that Purdy has. On top of that you’ve got Kyle sitting there who’s done this for a long time, has really seen every front structure, every coverage concept, every blitz. He’s got an answer for all those.”

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RANGERS FORCE GAME 7 IN ALCS

THE INDIANA Pacers bench celebrates after a 3-point basket made by guard Buddy Hield (7) during the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, on Friday, October 20 in Indianapolis.

By KRISTIE RIEKEN AP Sports Writer

(AP Photo/Marc Lebryk)

‘Buddy’ and Pacers begin season chasing playoff berth INDIANA PACERS Last season: 35-47, missed playoffs Coach: Rick Carlisle (7th season with Pacers, 241251; 22nd season overall, 896-793 ) What to expect: All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton took one big step last season and another this summer at the FIBA World Cup. Now, he’s ready to take the Pacers on a new journey — back to the playoffs.

Haliburton realises the fastest way to end a threeyear postseason absence is for the Pacers to improve defensively.

And with their deepest, most talented roster in years they just might.

Ten players on the roster were first-round picks.

Guard Andrew Nembhard was the first pick in the second round in 2022.

Chavano “Buddy” Hield and Obi Toppin, both college national players of the year, are expected to play key roles while Oscar Tshiebwe, the 2021-22 college player of the year, plays primarily in the G-League.

But after spending the past two years near the bottom of the league in scoring defence, the Pacers have gone all-in on a fix.

They signed two-time NBA blocks champion Myles Turner to a contract extension last winter and added versatile defender and, NBA champion Bruce Brown in free agency.

They acquired Toppin in a deal with the New York Knicks and spent their first two draft picks on defensive-minded players in forward Jarace Walker and guard Ben Sheppard.

It’s not just quantity.

The Pacers have quality depth, too, with veteran point guard T.J. McConnell, first-team all-rookie guard Bennedict Mathurin and Hield, one of the league’s top 3-point specialists.

Isaiah Jackson, Aaron Nesmith, Jordan Nwora and Jalen Smith all have shown they can fill useful roles.

Will it be enough to make the playoffs, end a franchise-worst nine-game postseason losing streak and take their first playoff series in a decade?

Haliburton believes it is.

Departures: F Oshae Brissett, G Chris Duarte, G George Hill, F James Johnson, F Terry Taylor, G Gabe York.

Additions: G/F Bruce Brown, G Ben Sheppard,

INDIANA Pacers guard Buddy Hield (7) dribbles the ball down court during a preseason game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, October 20, in Indianapolis.

(AP Photo/Marc Lebryk) F Obi Toppin, F Jarace Walker.

Player to watch: SG Bennedict Mathurin. He came off the bench most of last season but still made it into the rookie of the year

conversation. This year, Mathurin has bulked up, spent the summer working on defence and may be the starter from opening day.

If he develops the way Indiana believes he will,

the Pacers could look like a very different team.

Season opener: October 25 vs.

Washington.

Fanduel NBA title odds: 260-1.

Cricket World Cup: India beats New Zealand to stay perfect FROM PAGE 14 Kohli went for a six to get the record – and clinch the victory – but was caught near the boundary. He now has 69 ODI half-centuries.

It was India’s fifth straight win to open the tournament and it tops the table. New Zealand is second after its first loss.

Pacer Mohammed Shami’s splendid return of 5-54 in 10 overs undid the Black Caps’ innings and restricted it to a sub-300 score, despite Daryl Mitchell scoring 130 off 127 balls for New Zealand, including nine fours and five sixes. Mitchell put on 159 runs off 152 balls for the third wicket with Rachin Ravindra, who contributed 75 runs.

Shami triggered New Zealand’s collapse as it lost six wickets for 68 runs in the last 13 overs.

“I got a lot more confident after picking a wicket off the first ball,” said Shami, who was playing his first game at this World Cup. “I waited for my chance – it is important to support your teammates when they are picked and doing well.”

Kohli’s vital 78-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Ravindra Jadeja (39 not out) sealed the win for two-time champion India.

Rohit Sharma had called correctly as India won the toss and opted to bowl.

New Zealand lost Devon Conway for a nine-ball duck. He was out caught at square leg off Mohammed Siraj in the fourth over.

It made for a slow start for the Black Caps and they were down to 19-2 in 8.1 overs.

Man-of-the-match Shami bowled Will Young for 17.

Mitchell then joined Ravindra at the crease and the duo added 100 off 97 balls.

Both batsmen enjoyed lives – Jadeja had dropped Ravindra on 12 runs off Shami in the 11th over. It was a rare miss for Jadeja, usually an exceptional fielder.

Jadeja suffered further as wicketkeeper Lokesh Rahul dropped a tough nick from Mitchell in the 30th over. He was on 59 not out.

Jadeja returned 0-48 in 10 overs.

Meanwhile, Ravindra and Mitchell went hard on Kuldeep Yadav, hitting him for four sixes as the wrist spinner proved expensive.

New Zealand pegged back India across the middle overs before Shami provided the breakthrough in the 34th over.

Ravindra was out caught at long on and Yadav trapped Tom Latham lbw for five. After 37 overs, New Zealand was 205-4.

Mitchell brought up his first World Cup hundred

INDIA’s Virat Kohli plays a shot yesterday during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup match between India and New Zealand in Dharamshala, India.

(AP Photo/Manish Swarup) – and fifth overall – off 100 balls. He held one end together as India fought back.

Yadav struck again, this time removing Glenn Phillips for 23. Mark Chapman holed out off Jasprit Bumrah for six.

Shami bowled Mitchell Santner (1) and Matt Henry (0) off successive balls as New Zealand collapsed to 260-8.

Mitchell was out caught in the final over as Shami

picked up his second World Cup five-for after 5-69 against England in 2019.

“We had set the platform around the 35-over mark,” Mitchell said. “We knew India has got a world-class bowling unit and we wanted to cash in at the end. (But) the way India bowled was special. The way they took wickets after 40 overs, that held us back a bit.”

In reply, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill (26) added 71 off 67 balls for the

first wicket, with Sharma smacking four sixes in his 40-ball 46. He had been dropped in the third over at slip off Trent Boult (1-60).

Lockie Ferguson sent them both back in successive overs – Sharma chopped a wide delivery onto his stumps, while Gill holed out to third man.

India went from 71-0 to 76-2 in 14 deliveries as Kohli took centre stage. He strung together important partnerships and rebuilt the innings.

He put on 52 for the third wicket with Shreyas Iyer (33), who holed out to square leg. Then he added another 54 for the fourth wicket with Rahul (27), who was out lbw to Santner.

Kohli reached 50 off 60 balls.

In between, fog at the mountainous venue interrupted the game – a rarity for cricket but no overs were lost.

Another big moment came as Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav (2) were involved in a mix-up leading to the latter’s runout.

India was down to 191-5 in 33.5 overs.

But Kohli timed his knock to perfection, including eight fours and two sixes, as India underlined its favourite tag at the World Cup. New Zealand has beaten England, Netherlands,

HOUSTON (AP) — Nathan Eovaldi remained perfect this postseason, and Mitch Garver and Jonah Heim homered early before a ninth-inning grand slam

by Adolis García helped the Texas Rangers avoid elimination with a 9-2 win over the Houston Astros in Game 6 of the AL Championship Series last night.

Eovaldi, who also got the win in Game 2, yielded five hits and two runs in 6 1/3 innings to improve to 4-0 with a 2.42 ERA in the playoffs this year.

The decisive Game 7 is tonight in Houston, where the Rangers, one of six major league teams without a World Series title, need a win to return to the Fall Classic for the first time since back-toback trips in 2010-11.

The defending World Series champion Astros were again felled by a subpar start from Framber Valdez and lacklustre play at home.

Valdez was charged with five hits and three runs with six strikeouts in five innings to fall to 0-3 with a 9.00 ERA this postseason.

The Rangers led by two before a breaking the game open with a fiverun ninth, punctuated by the slam from García, who struck out his previous four times up.

The slugger was booed throughout the game after being at the centere of a bench-clearing scuffle in Game 5 after being hit by a pitch from Bryan Abreu.

When García knocked a pitch from Ryne Stanek into the Crawford Boxes in left field with one out in the ninth, many of those fans began streaming for the exits after yet another poor home showing by Houston.

The Astros, who are 5-0 on the road this postseason, won three in a row in Arlington wearing their orange jerseys to move within a win of reaching their third consecutive World Series.

But it didn’t help them carry their road magic home as they fell to 1-4 in Houston this postseason after posting a 39-42 mark at Minute Maid Park in the regular season.

This series joins the 2019 World Series, which Houston lost to Washington, as the only best-of-seven series in postseason history in which the road team won the first six games.

Bangladesh and Afghanistan while India has also notched up wins over Australia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

India’s star all-rounder Hardik Pandya was unavailable for the tabletopping clash because of a left ankle injury sustained in its previous game against Bangladesh in Pune.

In his place, the hosts chose Suryakumar Yadav.

India also brought in Shami for bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur.

New Zealand was unchanged from its previous win over Afghanistan in Chennai. Star batsman and skipper Kane Williamson is still unavailable because of a thumb injury, and Latham led the side again in his absence.

New Zealand stays in Dharamsala and will face Australia on Saturday.

India has a week’s break before its next game against England in Lucknow on October 29.

Struggling England will be without left-arm seamer Reece Topley for that mustwin game. He has been ruled out of the World Cup with a broken finger incurred during Saturday’s huge defeat at the hands of South Africa in Mumbai.

The tournament continues today with Pakistan playing Afghanistan in Chennai.