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Volume: 120 No.214, November 8, 2023

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: PRICE–$1

‘UP WAGE TO $350 - OR RISK STRIKES Unions agree to take vote as the call for mimimum pay raise

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net A LABOUR leader yesterday called for a further minimum wage hike to $350 per week by June 2024 as he revealed that multiple trade unions have agreed to each “take a strike vote”.

Obie Ferguson, the Trades Union Congress (TUC)

Ready to begin learning

president, told Tribune Business that the umbrella body’s 30 affiliates resolved just over one week ago to “test the waters and see if members want to do what has to be done” by taking a strike vote as a tactic to pressure the Government and private employers over outstanding industrial issues.

BALMORAL residents have moved to overturn approvals granted for an earlier four-storey condo hotel proposal, which “threatens the integrity of the community”, due to non-compliance with legal processes.

The Sanford Drive community’s Owners

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

Association, and Phase One Condominium Association, in their November 6, 2023, notice of appeal argued that the Town Planning Committee committed multiple breaches of the Planning and Subdivision Act 2010 and its own rules in giving the Balmoral Club the go-ahead for a condo hotel that was half the size of the eight-storey project recently rejected.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net COALITION of Independents leader Lincoln Bain defended his $1.8m net worth yesterday, telling The Tribune that he gained his wealth through a successful investment strategy.

“I’ve been in the business for a very long time from my early 30s,” he said.

“Many persons would know me as a businessman for a very, very long time. I’ve run many, many retail businesses in this country and

Group seeks To reverse a prior balmoral club hoTel approval

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

BAIN DEFENDS declared neT WORTH AND liabiliTies

SEE PAGE FIVE

THE SCHOOL choir prepares to perform during the opening ceremony of King’s College School yesterday. See PAGE TWO for full story.

Photo: Dante Carrer

Thieves raid pasTor’s car ouTside church

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net A LOCAL pastor is warning residents to be on guard this holiday season after thieves broke into his car and vandalised it while he was at church on Monday night.

Jeremy Penn, associate pastor at Five Porches of Deliverance Apostolic Centre, said he was having

SECURITY camera screen capture showing theft. a meeting with church leaders when the theft

Two accused OF $1.4M THEFT from securiTy car aT airporT

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

happened.

He said thieves stole his knapsack with his passport and other belongings inside.

Police released surveillance footage of the incident late on Thursday night for media to circulate.

“That’s not the first time that kind of thing happened at our church or happened to me so it’s just disappointing that

TWO men accused of stealing more than $1m from a bank security car at an airport last week were in court yesterday - where they were each granted $250,000 bail.

The pair are accused of breaking into the rear window of an unattended security vehicle transporting cash for the Bank of the Bahamas to a private airport on November 2. The suspects reportedly stole $1,475,000 in cash.

SEE PAGE THREE

SEE PAGE SEVEN

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

PAGE 2, Wednesday, November 8, 2023

THE TRIBUNE

King’s College holds official opening ceremony

STUDENTS perform a skit from Oliver during the opening ceremony of King’s College School yesterday.

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net THE official opening ceremony for King’s College School in The Bahamas was held yesterday.

The new school opened last year and about 350 students, ages four to 11, with an additional year group being added every year until the year 13, along with a kindergarten.

This year, the school

welcomed its students to a new facility on an expansive 10-acre campus at the start of this academic year 2023.

The school is a part of Inspired - a co-educational, nondenominational group of 111 premium schools across 24 countries.

Nadim Nsouli, Inspired founder and CEO, explained personal reasons for building the school in The Bahamas “At the end of the day,

the answer is simple: my wife is Bahamian and my children are Bahamian and Lebanese and The Bahamas is where we are raising our family and where we call home.

Hence, I wanted a school in the region that competes with the finest educational institutions in London, New York, and Singapore. King’s College School is that school and it is our way to give back to The Bahamas.”

“Having a school on

INSPIRE FOUNDER, chairman and CEO Nadim Nsouli, his wife Simone and Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis during the opening ceremony of King’s College School yesterday.

Photos: Dante Carrer the island that is part of Inspired means that our students will benefit from global best practices, sharing knowledge and experiences with 110 Inspired schools worldwide. Students will have the chance to spend time in other schools in the group on exchange programmes, participate in enriching summer camps, and benefit from Inspired’s significant investment in technology, virtual learning, and artificial intelligence.”

He added that they have planned to build a boarding house on Love Beach next to their teachers housing. This will enable the school to educate students from the Family Islands and attract students from Caribbean countries who want to be closer to home, yet still get a world class education.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said the selection of high-quality educational institutions in this country expands by

one.

“As you know, my administration, although working with a broader population of students, shares a similar philosophy when it comes to the holistic development of our children and youth.

The challenges may be different, but the goals are the same: we want children from every school, every neighbourhood, every walk of life and every island to be equipped with the knowledge, tools, and skills they need to thrive – not just at the tertiary level or in the workforce, but as well-balanced, happy, and fulfilled people and citizens.”

“King’s College School mirrors these values in its core philosophy, which revolves around three pillars: academic, Sports, and performing and creative arts. These pillars, underpinned by the Cambridge International Curriculum and the International Baccalaureate, promise an education that goes

beyond textbooks. They foster an environment that encourages creativity, critical thinking, and curiosity – attributes that our government holds dear in its vision for Bahamian education.”

“A good education is, at its heart, a promise: A promise that our children will be equipped with the academic and life skills they will need to navigate life; a promise that they will be exposed to ideas that will enable them to stretch and grow holistically; and a promise that our children will emerge as open-minded, dynamic individuals, equipped to succeed not just in The Bahamas, but anywhere in the world.”

The campus boasts a multi-purpose auditorium, outdoor facilities that include a 25-meter swimming pool, Tennis and Padel tennis courts, a FIFA regulation-size football pitch with 5G AstroTurf, two five-a-side pitches, and expansive adventure playgrounds.

THE CAMPUS of King’s College School.

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis cuts the ribbon along with Minister of Education and Technical and Vocational Training Glenys Hanna-Martin, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg, Minister of State for the Environment in the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources Zane Lightbourne, Inspire founder, chairman and CEO Nadim Nsouli, Founding principal Matteo Rossetti and students during the opening ceremony of King’s College School yesterday.

Thieves raid pastor’s vehicle outside church THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, November 8, 2023, PAGE 3

SECURITY camera footage shows a man on a bicycle peek in the windows of the pastors truck parked outside Five Porches of Deliverance Apolstolic Centre before eventually breaking a window and stealing items from the vehicle.

from page one someone would vandalise your vehicle and then the added expenses of having to replace those things,” he told The Tribune yesterday.

Nonetheless, he said theft incidents in the area have

decreased tremendously when compared to the past.

He attributed the decline to the hard work of police. “(Police) have beefed up patrols in the areas where persons are attending worship services on a Sunday morning,” he added. “They

have been doing a real good job with patrolling so the instances of persons vandalising people’s vehicles while they’re in service, that has gone down tremendously.”

He said while the church has security, religious leaders plan to remind its

members to be on guard.

“We have not had any instances of the church being broken into and the equipment being lost in quite some time. I think we may have experienced that in our early years before the building was secured,

but nothing that I can recall from I was there,” he said.

“But I’m sure moving forward by sometime before the next service, we will have something to say to our parishioners in reference to this event and

the upcoming Christmas season because it’s not just limited to churches. Everyone is going to be moving around doing Christmas shopping etcetera and you want to make your vehicle and yourself less of a target.”

PM ISSUES PROCLAMATION CELEBRATING NOVEMBER AS GREAT COMMISSION MINISTRIES MONTH THE continuing work of Great Commission Ministries is being celebrated this month after a proclamation was issued

by Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis.

Great Commission Ministries Month is a recognition of the organisation’s work as it marks 36 years of feeding the poor, sheltering the homeless and caring for the less fortunate.

Celebrations of the month began on Sunday with a service at Mount Tabor Church, at which Bishop Walter Hanchell, president and Founder of Great Commission Ministries (GCM), presented plaques of appreciation to Bishop Neil Ellis and Mount Tabor Church, Sysco Bahamas president Ben Woods, and to Antoinette Sands, secretary of GCM Board, for their support over the years. Lynden Nairn, treasurer of GCM’s board, also awarded Bishop Hanchell a plaque for his leadership.

Bishop Hanchell thanked the public for its support over the years, saying: “We appreciate the support of the public for Great Commission Ministries over the past

36 years. More persons are seeking our services and there is an increased need for donations to help this wonderful cause. I ask that persons donate to Great Commission Ministries and support the hurting and impoverished in our nation. Let us ‘Live to Give’ and be our brothers’ keeper. We invite Bahamians from all walks of life to involve themselves by signing up for ‘Live To Give’ and make a monthly donation to Great Commission Ministries or they can bring a tithe into God’s Storehouse, Great Commission Ministries each month.”

The annual Bishop Hanchell Luncheon will be held on November 16 at GCM headquarters, 237 Wulff Road, where thousands of people will be served Thanksgiving meals.

Staff and volunteers of Great Commission will visit homes in the community on November 25.

GCM is inviting dignitaries, government officials and business owners to do courtesy calls and tours at their headquarters to raise awareness of its services to the community and to assist in raising funds, and encouraging people to

MEMBERS of the Senate make a presentation to Great Commission Ministries on Wulff Road in February 2022. make a monthly donation of $50 or $100 to its Live to Give programme, to be launched on November

28, which has been proclaimed as “Great Commission Ministries Day.”

GCM is aiming to complete the Hope City Homeless Shelter, a 100bed home for those on the

streets.

For further information, visit greatcommissionbahamas.com.

Davis: ‘i have no concerns’ on possible humanitarian crisis Due to shanty town Demolition

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net PRIME Minster Philip “Brave” Davis said there is no concern that the demolition of shanty town buildings could cause a humanitarian crisis.

Mr Davis was pressed yesterday on the demolitions and the Kool Acres shanty town fire that engulfed more than 70 structures in that community over the weekend.

He told reporters he is waiting on the police report in relation to the fire.

Human Rights campaigners had previously warned that “the world is watching” as the government prepares to start demolition work on shanty homes.

Pressed on the concern of an humanitarian crisis, Mr Davis answered: “I have no concerns.”

Works and Family Island Affairs Minister Clay Sweeting said last week that 162 structures in the Kool Acres and All Saints Way shanty towns would be demolished

starting Monday and that only Bahamians in those communities will get housing assistance.

Mr Sweeting suggested the Department of Immigration would deal with those who lack legal status and that work permit sponsors are legally required to care for those they employ.

Demolition crews moved into Kool Acres shanty town on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Unregulated Communities Action Task Force released a statement yesterday saying that “unequivocally” demolition of structures in an area off Carmichael Road had nothing to do with the task force.

The statement said that the demolition “emanated from Supreme Court Civil Action No. 2022/CLE/ gen/497 between Milo Butler Corporation Ltd and the unnamed occupants of the land”.

It added: “Further, the Writ of Possession was executed by the Provost Marshall. The demolition of these structures was therefore a private matter and is in no way related to the work of the UCATF.”

DEMOLTITION of shanty towns began yesterday at Kool Acres, where fire just days before destoryed over 70 homes.

Humanitarian groups are concerned over the crisis that will come from so many being displaced.

Photo: Moise Amisial

Cooper calls Retail Street opening at Lucaya ‘a comeback moment’ PAGE 4, Wednesday, November 8, 2023

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Staff Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

TOURISM Minister Chester Cooper said the opening of the Prop Club and Retail Street signals a return of an enhanced level of service at the Grand Lucayan Resort.

He commended the Lucayan Renewal Holding Board for its decision to spend the money needed to get the facility back up and operating at the property.

Mr Cooper noted that the full opening of the Grand Lucayan Resort and the development of a worldclass airport is expected in due course in Grand Bahama.

“The reopening of the Prop Club is a commitment to providing an enhanced level of service at Grand Lucayan Resort,” he said.

“It reminds us all of the glory days of the Grand Lucayan Resort and I like to call this a comeback moment. Retail Street was a busy and vibrant buzzing shopping area in the heyday of this resort.”

Minister Cooper believes

it will improve the tourist product, and provide opportunities for entrepreneurs.

“It is a demonstration we are not sitting on our hands in the Grand Lucayan Resort, we are using what we have to create opportunities, to generate activity and traffic that will benefit vendors at Port Lucaya Marketplace, and create beach access for residents as well as tourists that come for day trips and stopover,” he added.

He hopes Retail Street will also be a venue for artists to display Bahamian culture.

“In due course, we are going to continue to build on the tourism ecosystem right here by ultimately fully opening this resort and world-class airport, and both of those things are going to happen. Both will get done. And we will continue to build on the product,” he promised.

Mr Cooper expressed optimism about the future of Grand Bahama, indicating the airlines and cruise lines are interested in the destination.

He mentioned the

THE TRIBUNE

upcoming relaunch of direct flights from Raleigh and encouraged residents to support the new service.

Of the 16 island destinations in The Bahamas, the minister reported that Grand Bahama is the fastest-growing stopover destination, with 65 percent growth year over year, second only to Bimini.

He also indicated that Grand Bahama has the fastest-growing level of air arrivals anywhere in the Bahamas at 47 percent year over year.

Mr Cooper believes more spots like the Prop Club will reawaken the destination and provide a vibrant nightlife scene.

“It is because of the traffic we have seen that the board is suitably justified in spending the money to ensure that PC is properly opened in grand style,” he said.

Minister Cooper said he is confident about the possibilities at Grand Lucayan Resort and GB, which plays a pivotal role in the growth and revitalisation of the economy of The Bahamas.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER CHESTER COOPER

Reopening of Prop Club providing 35 Social media complaints over breakfast provided at permanent jobs in Grand Bahama govt schools, asking if it’s ‘jail food’

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Staff Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

GRAND Bahama Minister Ginger Moxey said the recent reopening of the Prop Club Beach and Bar Grill at the Grand Lucayan Resort has provided new permanent jobs for 35 Grand Bahamians.

She said that more than 50 people, including 35 from the Beautiful Grand Bahama programme, were employed during the renovation .

Minister Moxey said she is excited that the Prop Club and Retail Street have finally reopened after seven years.

“This marks another milestone for GB, and it is another example of the island’s resilience and ability to recover from natural disasters. It is also evidence of the progress Grand Bahama has made under the DavisCooper administration and commitment to rebuilding our island,” she said.

The renovation team removed debris from Hurricane Dorian, repaired the roof and walkway, constructed new tables and chairs, a DJ booth, and a

GRAND BAHAMA MINISTER GINGER MOXEY deck, and painted the area.

Ms Moxey said the government is committed to improving the hotel’s amenities to attract hotel guests and day visitors, while efforts are underway to find a suitable buyer.

Julian Russell, chairman of Lucayan Renewal Holding Ltd, said the Prop Club serves as an added amenity to the Grand Lucayan Resort.

“We believe this additional feature of the resort will not only enhance the existing amenities, but also send a clear message to locals and the international community, notwithstanding the transition phase we are

in and continue to endure,” he said.

Mr Russell said the Prop Club is a unique establishment that was founded in 1995. The club is adorned with props and original artifacts that were discovered by a team of researchers in the waters off Grand Bahama.

Mr Russell said the Prop Club will service the increasing number of day trippers to the resort, and provide opportunities for ground transportation drivers, including taxicabs, as well as additional employment.

Entertainment also will be provided later, he said.

CRITICISM has been levelled at government’s national breakfast programme on social media.

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net CRITICISM has been levelled at government’s national breakfast programme on social mediaafter images of some of the meals were circulated - with some comparing it to “jail food” and human faeces.

Last week, the Ministry of Education posted on social media about the launch of the pilot initiative for the Family Islands on Friday. Students received free breakfast at schools, including Cherokee Sound Primary in Abaco, Rolleville Primary in Exuma, Holmes Rock Primary in Grand Bahama, and Old Bight Primary in Cat Island.

The programme was created to provide all students at the selected schools with a free nutritious breakfast, to kickstart a day of learning. However, many residents said on Facebook that they were appalled by the breakfasts the ministry served to the Family Island schools.

The ministry’s post showed the breakfasts served at schools including a plate of two pancakes served with one sausage link and a maple syrup packet. Another breakfast option showed a plate of

tuna salad and yellow grits.

There were also bottled orange juices, water, and Capri Sun drinks served as beverages for the students.

Up to press time, there were more than 230 Facebook shares of the ministry’s picture of the pancake breakfasts that were served. Numerous users criticised how the food looked - saying it was cold, unpleasant, and was too small in portion.

“Pancakes and Nanny,” user Skerika Dickenson said describing the breakfast sausage.

“I just feel like that sausage look like it would make someone sick,” user Julio Hernandez said.

Another user, Tanyah Trecia, asked if the breakfast was “jail food”.

“No way they are serving this garbage and raw-looking s**** to people’s children. I’m sure the people serving that wouldn’t even eat one of those plates. We really have to do better in this place.

Not because you are serving the less fortunate means you should treat them like that. I’m sure they wouldn’t go to an elite or upscale area serving garbage like this,” another user said.

“This only gone tease your stomach,” user Ken Greene said.

The buzz on social media

was not all criticism, some residents defended the breakfast programme and expressed gratitude for it.

“My son loves it. This saves me time for getting ready,” user Davina Christina said.

“This better than nothing! Some of y’all sending these children to school with nothing that’s why they are fighting everyone and ain’t doing well in school.

Because they are hungry.

The problem is y’all find fault with everything. I commend them for trying to ensure these children at least have one hot meal,” user O’Nasya Gabrielle said.

Another user, Bernique Pinder said: “Since working in the education system I realise as small as this may look, this would make a lot of children so happy because plenty of them don’t have it for real.”

Another user applauded the ministry for assisting children who can’t afford to buy food.

When The Tribune asked Education Minister Glenys Hanna Martin to respond to the criticism of the national breakfast food programme, she declined to comment.

The government launched its $1m National School Breakfast programme in October.

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Wednesday, November 8, 2023, PAGE 5

ALLEGEDLY ATTEMPTS Bain defends declared WOMAN SUICIDE - POLICE CHIEF SHARES net worth and liabilities ALARM AT RISE IN NUMBERS

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net A 20-YEAR-OLD girl is hospitalized after allegedly attempting to commit suicide by ingesting a quantity of pills.

Police said the incident happened around 4.20 pm on Monday.

Police received a report that the woman while at her residence located in the Eastern District of New Providence, ingested a quantity of over-thecounter medication in an attempt to take her own life.

Emergency medical technicians were summoned and transported the victim to the hospital, where she is currently under close observation.

On October 9, A teenage girl was hospitalised after allegedly trying to commit suicide –– which was the fifth attempted suicide in three weeks at the time.

Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander in October said he is alarmed by the increasing number of attempted suicides and wants more officers to become certified in mental health management.

“Mental health is very serious, and we have to pay attention to that,” he said.

“Here talking about mental health, I’m trying to get a training course for our officers to deal with that situation, not only for themselves, but I’m talking about dealing with members of the public out there.”

He urged relatives to support family members suffering from mental health challenges.

“We encourage families to pay attention to their loved ones,” he said.

“You know, sometimes you could see signs of what is going on. Don’t ignore it. Don’t ignore it.

“Pay attention and reach out to the professionals or somebody who you could trust, who will steer you in the right direction to avoid incidents like this.”

MAN ON BAIL FOR MULTIPLE DRUG CHARGES SHOT AND KILLED NEAR DEVEAUX STREET LINCOLN BAIN, leader of the Coaltion of Independents, raises his nomination receipt on Monday. from page one other businesses. I am an IT professional for a very long time and I made some good investments when I was in my 20s and younger and they paid off.”

Mr Bain, who is vying to represent the West Grand Bahama and Bimini seat, filed his asset declarations in Grand Bahama on nomination day.

He claims he has $1,836,514 in assets and a total income of $112,400.

According to the businessman’s declaration, the bulk of these assets $750,000 - are in securities, while $600,000 are in real estate.

He declared a savings account containing $41,514 but listed no liabilities.

The disclosure makes the aspiring politician the wealthiest person on the list of by-election candidates vying for the West Grand Bahama and Bimini seat.

The candidate with the second highest net worth is Free National Movement Party’s Bishop Ricardo Grant, who has a net worth of $134,598.69.

He is followed by Kingsley Smith. His net worth is $134,000.

However, there have been renewed questions about the accuracy of candidate nomination

declarations.

Bain insisted yesterday that his filings are accurate - though he declined to say how many businesses he currently owns or whether they are still operational.

When asked about a Supreme Court judge ordering him to pay $64,000 to a woman related to a failed investment deal, Mr Bain said the ruling is being appealed, suggesting this as a reason why he did not list any liabilities.

“As far as I know, I don’t owe anyone anything and I set myself up that way. I always shied away from liabilities and I think that’s what most Bahamians should do,” he added.

Photo: Vandyke Hepburn “ If you go into liabilities, you should go into liabilities for something that can give you income where you could get a return, but in terms of borrowing to travel and most of the things that most people will do, that’s things that I would shy away from.”

An official from the Parliamentary Registration Department could not confirm the veracity of the declarations when contacted by The Tribune yesterday.

The official said they were not responsible for verifying the data put forward by candidates, similar to what representatives said back in 2017.

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net A MAN on bail for several drug-related matters was shot and killed yesterday.

Police said the shooting happened near Deveaux Street shortly before 10am.

Initial reports indicate that the victim, age 33, was standing in front of a building in the area when two armed men got out of a white Japanese vehicle.

The gunmen pursued the victim and opened fire, shooting him several times, before fleeing the scene.

He was taken to hospital in a private vehicle, but later died.

Police did not not identify the deceased, but said he was known to officers.

His killing came a day after a gunman was reportedly shot and killed by his accomplice during an attack on another man on Key West Street.

Anyone with information on these latest incidents or any other crime matters is asked to call the police at 919, 502-9991 or Crime Stoppers at 328-TIPS (8477).

Pilot breakfast programme launched at Holmes Rock Primary School

NOTICE OF

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2023 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT REACH ORGANIZATION’s

STUDENTS of the Holmes Rock Primary School received a treat on Friday, October 3, 2023 as Minister for Grand Bahama. Ginger Moxey assisted with the official launch of the National School Breakfast Pilot Programme. After helping with the distribution of the meals, Minister Moxey then sat and interacted with many of the youngsters before they went to class.

Photos: Lisa Davis/BIS MINISTER for Grand Bahama Ginger Moxey was present at the launch of the National School Breakfast Pilot Programme at Holmes Rock Primary School in West Grand Bahama on Friday, October 3, 2023.

The Minister assisted with distribution of the food, then sat with students as they enjoyed their hot breakfast, and interacted with them before they left for class.

Ms Moxey thanked Minister of Education and Technical & Vocational Training Glenys HannaMartin for ensuring the launch of the programme which is “so critical to students in some of these communities, especially in West Grand Bahama.”

She also congratulated the Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, who has championed such causes that impact communities,

families, and students.

The programme was simultaneously launched in eight schools throughout the country with four in Nassau: Columbus Primary, Ridgeland Primary, Sandilands Primary and Albury Sayle Primary School. In the Family Islands, the selected schools are: Cherokee Sound Primary in Abaco, Old Bight Primary in Cat Island, Rolleville Primary in Exuma, and

Holmes Rock Primary School in Grand Bahama.

Students at the selected schools will receive breakfast on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays for the remainder of the academic year.

It is anticipated that approximately 2,000 students will benefit from this programme, which carries the motto: “Investing In Bahamian Students, One Meal At a Time.”

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING WILL BE HELD AT REACH OFFICE Queens College Campus, Village Road Nassau, Bahamas Wednesday, November 22nd, 2023 6:30p.m

PAGE 6, Wednesday, November 8, 2023

The Tribune Limited

THE TRIBUNE

PICTURE OF THE DAY

NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”

LEON E. H. DUPUCH,

Publisher/Editor 1903-1914

SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH,

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

Publisher/Editor 1919-1972 Contributing Editor 1972-1991

RT HON EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON,

C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B. Publisher/Editor 1972-

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Shame on those who rob charities and churches IS NOTHING sacred?

It would seem not given one of the latest crimes to afflict The Bahamas – a pastor whose car was broken into while he was at church.

It should be an outrage. It should appal every one of us. The thief that dared to target a church of all places ought to be ashamed to his core. Those who know him, if they are aware of his crime, ought to shame him too – and then report him to police.

The pastor was meeting with other church leaders at the time. A community in action, as it should be.

Elsewhere in today’s Tribune, you will read of how Great Commission Ministries is striving to help those less fortunate – those without a home, those who are hungry.

That is what so many church leaders are trying to do – find solutions for those in need, whether it is a physical need such as hunger or somewhere to stay, or a spiritual need to find their place in life.

The last thing those who are striving to help others need is a predator looking to grab what they can, making off with their ill-gotten gains.

To the pastor in question, Jeremy Penn, the associate pastor at Five Porches of Deliverance Apostolic Church, the credit is that one of his first thoughts is to think of others – to warn people to take care during the upcoming Christmas season and be on their guard against thieves.

Sadly, the Christmas season often sees an increase in thefts and robberies, so the pastor is right to raise a warning.

Still, it makes one wonder how we have reached a point where there is so little respect for those who are trying to make our country a better place. here is the respect for this pastor and his work?

Where is the respect for the Red Cross – targeted by thieves last month who took $80,000 of equipment?

We need to be better than this as a

nation.

So if you know these thieves, give them no room in your lives. If you have a tip, give it to the police. Leave no doubt that hurting the helpers harms not only the individual victim, but our nation. Shame on those criminals. May they get the justice they deserve.

The transparency we should expect AS EVER at election time, there has been some discussion about the declared assets of candidates.

The process is a self-declaration and there is no real official rigorous analysis, but this by-election raised some speculation over the declaration of candidate Lincoln Bain. The Coalition of Independents leader declared no liabilities. Well, what about the court case where he was ordered to pay out $64,000 over an investment dispute?

Mr Bain pointed out that matter was being appealed, and until the appeal judgement is given, there is nothing to pay out. He is quite right. And it also shows the value of such declarations.

It allows candidates to be questioned over what they have said – and to be able to explain where appropriate, or be held to account otherwise.

It is a small part of the transparency we should expect – and in the case of the annual requirement for parliamentarians to make their financial disclosures, by now we should be demanding.

The deadline for disclosures is March 1. It is now November and we still do not know which parliamentarians followed the law, and which did not.

When exactly can the citizens of the country expect to know whether their leaders are law abiding – or law breaking?

Will PLP fire up the non-voters?

EDITOR, The Tribune.

BYE elections...hmm just what we needed to fire up the procrastinators, etc, comments, etc.

2021 General Election West End-Bimini was won by the PLP with 52.75% of the vote which was low...1800 or 30+% didn’t vote (significance being a General Election). The PLP took a long time in their process of nominating a candidate for West End... many at times speculated that the eventual chosen

might not be chosen.

Our News on News last night, Thursday 2nd, interviewed four people in Eight-Mile Rock all said they won’t be voting... mostly older people, but is this an issue?

If in a General Election the PLP got 2024 votes when there was a nationwide dislike of the FNM can they improve on that 2024? The worry of the PLP because if they don’t and can’t pick up from the 1800 non-voting people in 2021 their candidate could be in

trouble even with Cabinet on the ground.

My issue is the ‘free medical service for Cataract surgery in Cuba, all found, available in Bain Town - Fox Hill - lnagua or just Bimini?’ Such a service has to be open to the whole country, no exceptions byeelection or no bye-election.

Health please advise the public to apply - you have the right to that service.

J HALL Nassau, November 4, 2023.

BRITAIN’s King Charles III speaks during the State Opening of Parliament at the Palace of Westminster in London yesterday. King Charles III sits on a gilded throne to read out the King’s Speech, a list of planned laws drawn up by the Conservative government and aimed at winning over voters ahead of an election next year.

Photo: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

The people need to be represented EDITOR, The Tribune.

I HAVE been very acquainted with the struggles emanating out of the constituency where the vacancy occurred, and the mixed emotions, the wayward sentiment often times, than not, when the decision goes against the choices of the constituents so impacted and needing to have a representer of substance, focused, and people centric agitating for and on their behalf sitting in the Halls Of the People’s Debating Chamber (the parliament of the Bahamas), in principle many have deemed meritoriously, and having merit, and deserving the utmost praise, we believed.

Now, on the other hand, the question that must be asked is, not only how have the politicians over the decades addressed this political need? For starters, the constituents have headless, and less input into how the final choice was made,but why?

I will tell you that if it had not been for a lack of interest on the part of the constituents, because we have seen, they verbalised their belief systems, pointing to who they felt should lead the way, and fulfill the welfare

letters@tribunemedia.net and protection of the State drive on their behalf...but apparently does always fall on deaf ears.

As the selection were materially done by the P M Office and under the auspices of the Cabinet as the case might be, but was, and is such a process fair to the snow trapped in this sea of disrespect generally, we have seen people not even connected to the part of the district, or the island being expected to know what the people wanted, needed, why?

The general impression of the matter tends to support the practicality of the argument opting with beliefs, that selections ought to be proffered by the people for whom need is sought, and who basically want residents from their constituency who know the levels of the lack being experienced thereby the inhabitants, acquainted with the blood, sweat tears (in other words), and have skin in the game, does carry,

FRANK GILBERT Nassau, October 27, 2023

Overpass fixes airport road traffic?

EDITOR, The Tribune.

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LETTERS

but why’s it not accepted by the political leadership?

I can appreciate the strategic marshaling on the part of the leadership, but yet again,if we’re talking about being true to the principle of democracy, I fail to see how the people most affected do not get their way, why?

I am persuaded that it is still time to give the residents of West End, Grand Bahama and Bimini the candidate of their choice, to battle on their behalf, otherwise, I suspect that bad blood can potentially prevail, because they were not allowed to decide who will serve them in the Halls of Parliament?

I also call on the leadership of the Free National Movement, to canvas the constituency and pick from among them the most qualified prospect, after all, the office does require competence, wisdom, knowledge and understanding of the Parliamentary procedure code,and advance mechanics in people management, common sense, etc?

BEFORE we start spending millions on widening Gladstone Road has anyone thought of building an over pass at the junction of Gladstone and the Airport Road onto Baha Mar Boulevard from Gladstone curving east carrying the Gladstone traffic?

Why? After widening Gladstone more traffic will use the dual carriage way

but when the traffic hits the road about at the Cemetery end bang dead stop...Traffic to the right from Oakes Field-University Drive has the right of way so you have to wait if you are on Gladstone … so the intent-idea concept for widening Gladstone is thwarted killed … traffic will wait to get access onto Airport and Baha Mar Boulevard.

I suggest build now a fly

over from Gladstone taking traffic east over roundabout and landing on the wide green area towards the curve heading east. This would be phase [1] of Gladstone fix...it will resolve the already wait at the roundabout trying to access east and north to Cable Beach.

Think please.

K MURPHY Nassau, November 6, 2023.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, November 8, 2023, PAGE 7

BTVI joins campaign uniting men and boys to stand against violence towards women

SEVERAL male students and staff signing the pledge card after repeating the pledge which stated: “Our strength is not for hurting. I promise never to use, excuse or remain silent about men’s violence against women.”

IN A stand against violence towards women and girls, the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI) united with the world’s largest movement of men and boys during this year’s White Ribbon Campaign.

Several male students and staff repeated a pledge which stated: “Our strength is not for hurting. I promise never to use, excuse or

remain silent about men’s violence against women,” followed by the signing of a pledge card. They also were pinned with a white ribbon, which is a symbol of peace and their opposition to violence against women and girls.

The brief ceremony held at BTVI’s main campus, Old Trail Road, was led by the Student Affairs Department in partnership

with the Crisis Centre and Rotary Road to Peace Organisation.

BTVI’s Dean of Student Affairs, Racquel Bethel, said the pinning ceremony was the institution’s way of working towards ending violence against women and girls, promoting gender equity, healthy relationships and a new vision of masculinity.

“We want to show our

support opposing violence against women. It is very meaningful. There is too much in the news about violence. We need to make a concerted effort in standing up against violence,” said Ms Bethel.

BTVI’s interim president, Dr Linda A Davis, gave her support to the movement, adding that it is imperative that all individuals take a stand against

violence towards women and girls.

“BTVI stands united with all global causes of meaning and this is one.

We are all equal and united in this front as we seek to remedy any such ills that befall us,” said Dr Davis.

The White Ribbon Campaign is led by men to end male violence against women and girls.

The movement began in Canada in 1991 following a massacre of female students at a university in Montreal. The campaign encourages males to actively show their opposition by wearing a white ribbon and to rethink any deeply embedded, toxic ideas of masculinity.

The White Ribbon movement is active in over 60 countries.

TWO MEN ACCUSED OF STEALING $1.4M FROM SECURITY CAR AT AIRPORT from page one Oral Roberts, 34, and Akeil Holmes, 26, were charged with stealing and conspiracy to commit stealing yesterday before Magistrate Kendra Kelly.

Holmes faced additional charges of money

laundering and receiving.

Nathan Smith and Bjorn Ferguson represented the accused.

Later the same day, Holmes was allegedly found with $45,000 in cash.

After pleading not guilty, the accused were

informed that they have to sign in at the Carmichael Road Police Station every Monday, Wednesday and Friday by 6pm as a condition of their bail.

The two are expected to return to court for trial on February 20 and 21 next year.

CUSTOMS OFFICER ACCUSED OF FALSIFYING ACCOUNTS TO STEAL OVER $1.8M IN 2019

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A CUSTOMS officer testified yesterday that former customs broker Precious Miller Moxey falsified accounts to steal over $1.8m in funds in 2019.

Winston Evans gave testimony before Magistrate Kendra Kelly as the fraud trial against Precious Miller Moxey, 36, continued.

Bjorn Ferguson represented the accused.

Mrs Miller-Moxey is accused of defrauding Cable Bahamas of over $1.8m during a 12-month period while she was a customs broker for Simply Shipping Solutions.

The defendant faced 114 fraud-related charges, including 35 counts of falsification of accounts, 33 of uttering a forged document, 26 of fraud by false pretences and 20 of

stealing by reason of service.

Mr Evans said that between January 2018 and February 2019 the defendant prepared documents that were not genuine with the customs database to misappropriate funds. It was also said the defendant manipulated data in custom’s systems.

Mr Evans is expected to continue to go through custom’s ledgers when the trial in the matter resumes next year.

MAN ON BAIL GETS THREE MONTHS PRISON FOR FAILING TO CHARGE MONITORING DEVICE

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A MAN was sentenced to three months in prison after admitting to failing to charge his monitoring device while on release

on a pending armed robbery charge.

Magistrate Raquel Whyms charged Charles Dorelius, 20, with eight counts of violation of bail conditions.

Between June 29 and November 6, Dorelius

failed eight times to charge his monitoring device.

Dorelius pleaded guilty to the charges. While he was given the choice of paying a fine of $4,000, he elected to serve a threemonth prison term as his penalty.

MAN ORDERED BY COURT TO PAY $4,000 AFTER injuring his child’s mother in a fight

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A MAN was ordered to pay the mother of his child $4,000 yesterday after he admitted to seriously injuring her in a fight last week.

Magistrate Raquel Whyms charged Shonario Pinder, 34, with grievous harm.

Calvin Seymour represented the defendant.

Pinder reportedly beat Ukisha Maycock in her face on November 5 in New Providence, leaving her with injuries to her mouth and nose.

After pleading guilty, Pinder was ordered to compensate Ms Maycock by paying her $4,000. The defendant is expected to

pay $1,500 off before his release and make $400 monthly payments thereafter. He was further placed on a one-year probationary period.

Should he fail to compensate the victim, he would face a three-month prison term. Pinder would also face one month in prison if he is found in breach of his probation.

POLICE INVESTIGATE AN ARMED ROBBERY OF A BUSINESS IN MARSH HARBOUR, ABACO

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Staff Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net ABACO police are investigating an armed robbery that occurred at a business establishment on that island early this week.

According to reports, a gunman entered a business in Marsh Harbour shortly after 1pm on Monday and demanded cash.

The female clerk told police that a slim-built man of a dark complexion,

wearing a grey hard hat, grey shirt, dark-coloured pants, and dark shades produced a firearm.

Police said the suspect escaped with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Investigations are continuing.

www.ub.edu.bs

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PAGE 8, Wednesday, November 8, 2023

THE TRIBUNE

Beware our attitudes - housing crisis is not only a Haitian issue It is not a sign of strength to say that people are disposable, that their lives have no value, that their children do not matter, and that they deserve to be traumatised, over and over again, with the loss of home.

WHAT would you do if you lost your home? If your first plan of action would be to stay in a hotel or stay with family members or friends, what would you do if that was not an option due to lack of funds?

What if there is an absence of relationships or of relationships with people who have the means to help in-country?

Most people do not have enough money saved to cover even one month of expenses. Most people do not have any kind of emergency fund. Building an emergency fund requires the ability to save, and we often forget that this is not based on sheer will and discipline. The ability to save depends on income.

By Alicia Wallace It requires income that is higher than expenses. It means the person does not have to use credit cards or borrow money to make ends meet. This is a form of stability that many people do not know, and many of them have never known it.

This is not about virtue. It is not about hard work. It is not about being a good person. Getting through a crisis financially requires

what is, unfortunately, privilege.

Few working people think of working for pay as a privilege. Most people do not enjoy working for the money they need to survive and, if given the opportunity, would give up their jobs if they could still meet their basic needs. Perhaps it is that the work is not satisfying. In many cases, it is that the remuneration

is not fair when all of the work done to earn it is taken into consideration.

There are, of course, people who simply do not want to work and would not work if they could avoid it, but most people would rather have the money they need to be housed, fed, clothed, and relatively safe. Jobs seem easy enough to come by until one is looking for work.

“How did I spend $29,000 per year for four years of university just to get a job that pays $32,000 per year?” someone, somewhere, still paying student loans, is wondering.

I have heard many students say they will not come back to The Bahamas upon completion of their studies.

They know they can make more money elsewhere, and they expect to have an easier time finding work in their area of study (even as an immigrant). They want to be able to help their parents and siblings. They want to have options. They see all of the ways that living and working in another place can help them to achieve their goals or give them a better quality of life than the one they would have in the place they call home.

I have encountered people who have said, in one way or another, that they are raising their children and making the necessary plans for them to live somewhere else. For them, The Bahamas cannot be the beginning and the end. They have different visions for the lives of their children. This, to them, is not a place for those visions to be realised. While the brain drain has been a point of discussion and concern for many years, Bahamians do not generally express anger about these permanent departures. Even if they are disappointing, they make sense. Even if there is jealousy, it is because they have similar aspirations, and if they could have, they would have.

Bahamians have, for decades and decades, chosen to leave The Bahamas in the pursuit of what The Bahamas did not offer them. Whether or not the country could offer what they needed is an entirely different consideration.

People have left to attend university. People have left to gain access to healthcare. People have left for professional development opportunities. People have left to live without fear that they would be killed.

People have always left.

Sometimes they come back, and sometimes they do not.

Somehow, they are allowed to do this. They be Bahamians, they can live and work elsewhere and receive the benefits that come with that, and they can still be seen as people by other Bahamians. When people from other countries come to The Bahamas, however, the judgment is harsh and unfair.

There is deep disdain for people who leave their home countries in search of a better life, whether better is economic stability, physical safety and security, or other opportunities, when they leave for The Bahamas. There is the misconception that improvement or advancement for one requires or results in the ruin of another. This mentality, that there are not enough resources and there is not enough comfort or success to go around, keeps us in the endless competition that we will not win.

In “Home,” Warsan Shire says: No one leaves home unless Home is the mouth of a shark You only run for the border When you see the whole city running as well.

Assumptions are frequently made about people who migrate to another country. In addition to the assumptions, stereotypes are reinforced by repetition

and the treatment meted out to particular groups of people. Based on a few interactions, what they have heard, or what they fear they will lose, people easily assign value to people they consider to be unlike them.

It is with ease that many Bahamians dehumanise Haitian people. It is without shame that many Bahamian people suggest that Haitian people do not deserve housing. It is with “Christian” mouths that people say they do not care about the people who are displaced by the demolition or flames that destroy their homes.

It is with ease that many people ignore the housing crisis that exists, without much discussion, that leads to people living in shantytowns. It is without shame that many people ignore the systemic, intersecting issues including the exploitation of workers and the nonexistence of a properly functioning social assistance programme.

It is not a sign of strength to say that people are disposable, that their lives have no value, that their children do not matter, and that they deserve to be traumatised, over and over again, with the loss of home.

Much of the anger expressed is misplaced, unfairly targeting Haitian people. What we are seeing is the kind of hatred that corrodes. As the climate continues to change and the Bahamian government, along with many others, fails to appropriately respond, climate-induced displacement of people in The Bahamas becomes more likely. These islands, so precious to so many, could quickly, easily become the mouth of a shark. For many, it already has. Some have moved, and others will soon enough.

Bahamians, though, are allowed to be immigrants, to find other places to be, to build their lives elsewhere.

This is a place we can leave, but not a place for people to come to stay.

Recommendations 1. Read Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo and discuss it with Feminist Book Club.

Evarista is the winner of the 2019 Booker Prize. The book has twelve main characters, all Black British women, whose lives intersect. Equality Bahamas and Poinciana Paper Press host monthly Feminist Book Club meetings. The last meeting of 2023 will be entirely virtual, held on Thursday, November 16 at 6pm.

Register at tiny.cc/fbc2023.

2. An Empire of Ems and a Sitcom About a Wizard’s Origin Story, episode 337 of And That’s Why We Drink.

This podcast, hosted by Em and Christine, covers paranormal stories and true crime. This episode includes a story about Dudleytown, Connecticut, which is known as “village of the damned” and harassment unleashed on a couple by EBay.

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THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, November 8, 2023, PAGE 9

HUMANOID ROBOTS ARE HERE, BUT THEY’RE A TECHTALK OPENAI LITTLE AWKWARD. DO WE REALLY NEED THEM? CHATGPT-MAKER HOSTS ITS FIRST BIG

By MATT O’BRIEN AP Technology Writer

Building a robot that’s both human-like and useful is a decades-old engineering dream inspired by popular science fiction.

While the latest artificial intelligence craze has sparked another wave of investments in the quest to build a humanoid, most of the current prototypes are clumsy and impractical, looking better in staged performances than in real life. That hasn’t stopped a handful of startups from keeping at it.

“The intention is not to start from the beginning and say, ‘Hey, we’re trying to make a robot look like a person,’” said Jonathan Hurst, co-founder and chief robot officer at Agility Robotics. “We’re trying to make robots that can operate in human spaces.”

Do we even need humanoids?

Hurst makes a point of describing Agility’s warehouse robot Digit as human-centric, not humanoid, a distinction meant to emphasise what it does over what it’s trying to be.

What it does, for now, is pick up tote bins and move them. Amazon announced in October it will begin testing Digits for use in its warehouses, and Agility opened an Oregon factory in September to mass produce them.

Digit has a head containing cameras, other sensors and animated eyes, and a torso that essentially works as its engine. It has two arms and two legs, but its legs are more bird-like than human, with an inverted knees appearance that resembles so-called digitigrade animals such as birds, cats and dogs that walk on their toes rather than on flat feet.

Rival robot-makers, like Figure AI, are taking a more purist approach on the idea that only true humanoids can effectively navigate workplaces, homes and a society built for humans. Figure also plans to start with a relatively simple use case, such as in a retail warehouse, but aims

AGILITY Robotics’ warehouse robot Digit performs maneuvers at the company’s office in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed) for a commercial robot that can be “iterated on like an iPhone” to perform multiple tasks to take up the work of humans as birth rates decline around the world.

“There’s not enough people doing these jobs, so the market’s massive,” said Figure AI CEO Brett Adcock. “If we can just get humanoids to do work that humans are not wanting to do because there’s a shortfall of humans, we can sell millions of humanoids, billions maybe.”

At the moment, however, Adcock’s firm doesn’t have a prototype that’s ready for market. Founded just over a year ago and after having raised tens of millions of dollars, it recently revealed a 38-second video of Figure walking through its test facility in Sunnyvale, California.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is also trying to build a humanoid, called Optimus, through the electric carmaker’s robotics division, but a hyped-up live demonstration last year of the robot’s awkwardly halting steps didn’t impress experts in the robotics field. Seemingly farther along is Tesla’s Austin, Texas-based neighbour Apptronik, which unveiled its Apollo humanoid in an

HUMANOID robot Figure 01 is demonstrated at Figure AI’s test facility in Sunnyvale, California.

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) August video demonstration.

All the attention — and money — poured into making ungainly humanoid machines

might make the whole enterprise seem like a futile hobby for wealthy technologists, but for some pioneers of legged robots it’s all about what you learn along the way.

“Not only about their design and operation, but also about how people respond to them, and about the critical underlying technologies for mobility, dexterity, perception and intelligence,” said Marc Raibert, the cofounder of Boston Dynamics, best known for its doglike robots named Spot.

Raibert said sometimes the path of development is not along a straight line.

Boston Dynamics, now a subsidiary of carmaker Hyundai, experimented with building a humanoid that could handle boxes.

“That led to development of a new robot that was not really a humanoid, but had several characteristics of a humanoid,” he said via an

emailed message. “But the changes resulted in a new robot that could handle boxes faster, could work longer hours, and could operate in tight spaces, such as a truck.

So humanoid research led to a useful non-humanoid robot.”

Some startups aiming for human-like machines focused on improving the dexterity of robotic fingers before trying to get their robots to walk.

Walking is “not the hardest problem to solve in humanoid robotics,” said Geordie Rose, co-founder and CEO of British Columbia, Canada-based startup Sanctuary AI. “The hardest problem is the problem of understanding the world and being able to manipulate it with your hands.”

Sanctuary’s newest and first bipedal robot, Phoenix, can stock shelves, unload delivery vehicles and operate a checkout, early steps toward what Rose sees as a much longerterm goal of getting robots to perceive the physical world to be able to reason about it in a way that resembles intelligence.

Like other humanoids, it’s meant to look endearing, because how it interacts with real people is a big part of its function.

“We want to be able to provide labour to the world, not just for one thing, but for everybody who needs it,” Rose said.

“The systems have to be able to think like people. So we could call that artificial general intelligence if you’d like. But what I mean more specifically is the systems have to be able to understand speech and they need to be able to convert the understanding of speech into action, which will satisfy job roles across the entire economy.”

Agility’s Digit robot caught Amazon’s attention because it can walk and also move around in a way that could complement the e-commerce giant’s existing fleet of vehicle-like robots that move large carts around its vast warehouses.

WITH EV SALES GROWTH SLOWING, STELLANTIS RAM BRAND HAS AN ANSWER: AN ONBOARD CHARGER

By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer DETROIT (AP) — One of the biggest reasons people cite when saying they won’t buy an electric vehicle is range anxiety, the fear of running out of juice on the road with nowhere to recharge.

Stellantis’ Ram brand may have an answer for that, especially for people who need a truck to haul or tow things. It’s called the Ramcharger, a pickup that can travel 145 miles (235 kilometres) on electricity, with a 3.6-litre V6 gas-powered engine linked to a generator that can recharge the battery while the truck is moving.

Electric vehicle sales growth is starting to slow, causing automakers to rethink huge investments in the historic transition from internal combustion to electric powertrains.

Polls show the reasons are cost, as well as limited range and too few charging stations, unlike gas stations that almost always are nearby.

“There’s so many advantages to a battery electric vehicle, but there

A 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger Tungsten. (Stellantis via AP) are certain things that are slowing Wagoneer large SUVs in 2025. people down,” says Tim Kuniskis, The Ramcharger, due in showCEO of the Ram brand. With the rooms toward the end of next year, Ramcharger, Kuniskis says he can uses 663 horsepower to go from tell customers “you don’t have to zero to 60 miles per hour (zero to worry about it with this.”

97 kilometres per hour) in 4.4 secStellantis, which has been slow onds, the company says. And when to introduce fully electric vehicles the battery is fully charged and the in the U.S., is so confident in the generator’s 27-gallon (102-litre) new powertrain’s appeal that it gas tank is full, it can go up to 690 plans to offer it in other vehicles. miles (1,110 kilometres). The truck While the company won’t officially also can tow a trailer weighing comment, a new tentative contract up to 14,000 pounds (6,350 kiloagreement with the United Auto grammes), more than the current Workers says Stellantis plans to Ram pickup with a V8 engine. use the same power system in the The battery also can be charged Jeep Wrangler small SUV in 2028, at home or at a direct-current fastand the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand charging station, where it can take

in enough electricity to add 50 miles (80 kilometres) of range in about 10 minutes, Stellantis says.

With a two-direction home charging station, the truck can power your home in a storm, as well as tools on a job site, Ram engineers said.

Other companies offer gas-electric hybrid trucks for efficiency, and Ford’s can also power a house or tools at work. There also are plug-in hybrid electric vehicles that can travel a shorter distance on electricity before a hybrid powertrain kicks in.

The Ramcharger is unique, Stellantis says, because the gas engine simply produces electricity to charge the battery and doesn’t turn the wheels directly.

Although Kuniskis wouldn’t release projections, he said more than 20% of Ram sales will have to be powered at least partly by electricity in order to meet upcoming U.S. government fuel economy and emissions requirements. Earlier this year, Stellantis unveiled a fully electric Ram pickup called the REV.

TECH SHOWCASE

By BARBARA ORTUTAY and MATT O’BRIEN AP Technology Writers SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Less than a year into its meteoric rise, the company behind ChatGPT unveiled the future it has in mind for its artificial intelligence technology on Monday, launching a new line of chatbot products that can be customised to a variety of tasks.

“Eventually, you’ll just ask the computer for what you need and it’ll do all of these tasks for you,” said OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to a cheering crowd of more than 900 software developers and other attendees. It was OpenAI’s inaugural developer conference, embracing a Silicon Valley tradition for technology showcases that Apple helped pioneer decades ago.

At the event held in a cavernous former Honda dealership in OpenAI’s hometown of San Francisco, the company unveiled a new version called GPT-4 Turbo that it says is more capable and can retrieve information about world and cultural events as recent as April 2023 — unlike previous versions that couldn’t answer questions about anything after 2021.

It also touted a new version of its AI model called GPT-4 with vision, or GPT-4V, that enables the chatbot to analyse images. In a September research paper, the company showed how the tool could describe what’s in images to people who are blind or have low vision.

NASA SPACECRAFT DISCOVERS TINY MOON AROUND ASTEROID DURING CLOSE FLYBY

By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The little asteroid visited by NASA’s Lucy spacecraft this week had a big surprise for scientists.

It turns out that the asteroid Dinkinesh has a dinky sidekick — a mini moon.

The discovery was made during last Wednesday’s flyby of Dinkinesh, 300 million miles (480 million kilometres) away in the main asteroid belt beyond Mars. The spacecraft snapped a picture of the pair when it was about 270 miles out (435 kilometres).

In data and images beamed back to Earth, the spacecraft confirmed that Dinkinesh is barely a half-mile (790 metres) across. Its closely circling moon is a mere one-tenth-of-a-mile (220 metres) in size.

NASA sent Lucy past Dinkinesh as a rehearsal for the bigger, more mysterious asteroids out near Jupiter. Launched in 2021, the spacecraft will reach the first of these so-called Trojan asteroids in 2027 and explore them for at least six years. The original target list of seven asteroids now stands at 11.

Dinkinesh means “you are marvelous” in the Amharic language of Ethiopia. It’s also the Amharic name for Lucy, the 3.2 million-year-old remains of a human ancestor found in Ethiopia in the 1970s, for which the spacecraft is named.

PAGE 10, Wednesday, November 8, 2023

THE TRIBUNE

Civilians fleeing northern Gaza’s combat zone report terrifying journey past Israeli tanks GAZA STRIP Associated Press WHAT was once Gaza’s busiest thoroughfare has become a terrifying escape route for Palestinian civilians fleeing combat on foot or on donkey carts. On their way south, those running for their lives said they raised their hands and waved white flags to move past Israeli tanks along the four-lane highway.

Some reported Israeli soldiers firing at them and said they passed bodies strewn alongside the road.

Many escaped with just the clothes on their back.

One woman, covered head-to-toe in a black veil and robe, cradled a toddler and clutched a black purse. A man walked alongside a covered donkey cart that transported his family.

It was piled high with mattresses.

In the north of the Gaza Strip, Israeli ground forces backed by relentless airstrikes have encircled Gaza City, the base of Hamas ‘ power, since the weekend. They cut the strip in half and sought to drive Palestinians from northern Gaza as troops advanced.

From early on in the

war, now in its second month, the army has urged civilians to move south, including by announcing brief windows for what it said would be safe passage through Salah al-Din, which runs through the centre of the besieged enclave.

But tens of thousands of civilians have remained in the north, many sheltering in hospitals or United Nations facilities.

Those who have stayed put say they are deterred by overcrowding in the south, along with dwindling water and food supplies, and continued Israeli airstrikes in what are supposed to be safe areas. Some said fear of the treacherous journey, following reports from other travellers about coming under fire, initially made them hesitate.

On Monday, Health Ministry in Gaza spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra dismissed the Israeli offers of safe passage as “nothing but death corridors.” He said bodies have lined the road for days, and called for the International Committee of the Red Cross to accompany local ambulances to retrieve the dead.

Israel’s military said

that, at one point, troops came under Hamas fire when trying to open the road temporarily for civilians. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed the army’s claims in an interview with ABC News broadcast late Monday.

“We are fighting an enemy that is particularly brutal. They are using their civilians as human shields, and while we are asking the Palestinian civilian population to leave the war zone, they are preventing them at gunpoint,” Netanyahu said.

The claims could not be verified independently.

During a four-hour evacuation window Sunday, fewer than 2,000 made the move, followed by about 5,000 on Monday, according to UN monitors.

Some of those were from Gaza City and the adjacent Shati refugee camp, fleeing Monday after heavy Israeli bombardment there overnight.

“Last night was very difficult,” said Amal, a young woman who declined to give her family name due to safety concerns.

She was part of a group of 17 people making the journey Monday. She

PALESTINIANS flee Gaza City to the southern Gaza Strip on Salah al-Din street in Bureij, yesterday.

Photo: Mohammed Dahman/AP said tanks fired near the group. Soldiers then ordered everyone to raise their hands and white flags before being allowed to pass.

Nour Naji Abu Nasser, 27, arrived Sunday in Khan Younis in southern Gaza. She described an hourslong frightening journey.

“They fired at the sand around us. They wanted to scare us,” she said, adding

that she saw bodies lying along the road outside Gaza City.

Once those fleeing the north had reached the evacuation zone, residents from the Bureij refugee camp along the highway offered water — a scarce resource in wartime Gaza — to the evacuees.

The four-week war has displaced more than 1.5 million people across Gaza, according to UN

figures.

The Israeli military said thousands heeded its orders to move south.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees says more than 530,000 people are sheltering in its facilities in southern Gaza, and it’s now unable to accommodate new arrivals.

Many displaced people sought safety by sleeping in the streets near UN shelters, the agency said.

Drugs aren’t requireD to be testeD in obese people. Here’s wHy tHat’s a problem Associated Press MORE than 40% of American adults are considered obese, yet the medications many take are rarely tested in bigger bodies.

That’s because they are not required to be included in drug studies. And often, they’re explicitly excluded.

“Clinical trials and dosing instructions don’t always ensure that drugs will be safe and effective for people with obesity,” said Christina Chow, a drug researcher who’s reported on the challenges of considering obesity in drug development. “There’s no real emphasis for them to be studied at all.”

Many widely prescribed drugs and overthe-counter medications

work differently in people who are obese, but exactly how and at what dose often isn’t clear. Research suggests that may include antibiotics and antifungal drugs used to treat serious infections, synthetic hormones used in Plan B emergency contraception and even ibuprofen, the common painkiller sold as Advil.

The US Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health — agencies that regulate and fund drug testing — are putting new focus on the gaps in research. At a workshop last year, FDA Commissioner Dr Robert Califf acknowledged a “deficit of evidence” about how medicines act in patients who are obese. The NIH now encourages researchers

TABLETS of ibuprofen are arranged for a photograph in New York on November 2, 2017. In 2023, more than 40% of American adults are considered obese, but the medications many take are rarely tested in bigger bodies. That’s because they are not required to be included in drug studies. Even a drug as common as ibuprofen, sold as Advil, may not relieve pain in people at higher weights when taken as directed, research shows.

Photo: Patrick Sison/AP

to consider the impact of excluding obese people in their studies, a spokesperson said.

At a recent medical conference, Chow presented a review of more than 200 studies for new drugs in the US last year. Of those, nearly two-thirds failed to mention weight or body mass index — a common assessment of obesity — meaning they wouldn’t ensure inclusion of people with obesity, she said.

The studies that did cite weight were most often used to exclude people with obesity from participating, said Chow, who works for Emerald Lake Safety, a California company that investigates severe drug reactions. People with a body mass index or BMI of 30 or higher are considered obese.

Historically, certain populations have been left out of testing for fear of harm, including pregnant people and children. Women, racial and ethnic minorities and the elderly, too, have been underrepresented before recent efforts to bolster diversity.

The reasons for excluding people with obesity are longstanding and varied, said Dr Caroline Apovian, a researcher at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and co-author of Chow’s study.

Participants willing to sign up for studies are often leaner and don’t reflect the general population, she noted. And researchers often worry that health complications that can come with obesity will cloud the results of their work.

“Sometimes patients with obesity have many more comorbidities than others.

They’ll have more diabetes, more heart disease, more strokes,” she said.

But if drugs aren’t studied in a condition that affects 42% of the US population, the real-world consequences can be dire, experts said.

Some drugs can become concentrated in fat tissues and not in the bloodstream.

That means there will be less medication in the blood, leading to undertreatment, Apovian said.

Other drugs remain in the body longer in the obese.

That could result in harmful drug interactions if another medication is added too soon.

An antipsychotic drug called Rexulti is often prescribed for people suffering from schizophrenia or major depressive disorder, Chow noted. Research has shown that in obese patients it may

take much longer to reach the concentration of Rexulti needed to be effective. As a result, many patients — and their doctors — may stop treatment too early or conclude that the drug doesn’t work.

“Not treating or undertreating schizophrenia may be dangerous to themselves and the people around them,” Chow said.

The emergency contraception drug Plan B One-Step is another example. Studies suggest that levonorgestrel, the active drug, may not work as well in people with obesity, possibly leading to drug failure and pregnancy, said Dr. Alison Edelman, an OB-GYN and researcher at Oregon Health & Science University, who studies contraception and obesity. But the FDA says the data are limited and conflicting, so there’s not enough evidence to require a label warning.

Even a drug as common as ibuprofen, sold as Advil, may not relieve pain in people at higher weights when taken as directed, research shows.

But without adequate testing and clear instructions, doctors won’t know how to adjust dosing for obesity, said Dr Colleen Tenan, a board member of the Association of Clinical Research Professionals.

“It’s very hard to be a physician and say that I’m going to prescribe out of the normal range,” she said.

Change is coming, but progress is slow, Edelman said. In 2019, the FDA issued draft guidance on hormonal contraception that asks study sponsors to lift restrictions on body mass index and include obese women. Even though the guidance isn’t final, it already has changed how she and some others researchers structure their studies, she said.

“It’s just something that we have to chip away at because it’s so important,” she said. “Because unless we see representation in our study population, we don’t end up with treatments that work well for individuals.”

In the meantime, Apovian said patients can ask their doctors about whether the standard dose of a medication is appropriate for their weight. The doctors may not know, but it could start an important conversation about effective treatment.

“This is a big issue,” she said. “It can be important for patients to speak up.”

SPORTS PAGE 11

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2023

Deyton Albury looks to bounce back after loss

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

A

fter waiting all of his life to finally get to make his debut in a division one game, starting point guard Deyton Albury said he was taken aback by the bright lights and the atmosphere last night inside the Cam Henderson Center in Huntington, West Virginia.

Albury just missed a triple-double, scoring 19 points with eight assists, eight rebounds, two steals and a block, all in a losing effort for the Queen’s University of Charlotte Royals men’s basketball team on the opening night of college basketball as they fell to the Marshall Herd 89-73. Chris Ashby added 15 points.

“It was a good game. I was overwhelmed, shocked and in awe that I was actually living my dream,” Albury said. “The first five minutes seemed so unreal playing in front of the bright lights, hearing the band playing and looking at so many fans in the stands, “It was something that I only used to see on TV (on ESPN Plus) so to actually get out there and play in that environment was a blessing. I could have played better. I started off slow, but I was in so much awe that my coach had to pull me to allow me to catch myself. When I got back in the game, I got myself going.”

It was a learning experience for Albury, who transferred from Chipola College, to complete his final two years of collegiate eligibility at Queen’s University.

He noted that although he scored 19 points, they were probably the hardest points he ever had to work for.

“I feel good about my division one debut and so I’m just blessed to be playing here,” he pointed out.

“After playing this first

Just misses triple double in his NCAA Division 1 debut

DIVISION I DEBUT: Point guard Deyton Albury just missed a triple-double, scoring 19 points with eight assists, eight rebounds, two steals and a block, all in a losing effort for the Queen’s University of Charlotte Royals men’s basketball team on the opening night inside the Cam Henderson Center in Huntington, West Virginia. game, I have realised that being the starting point guard, I control the show so I need to not get fed up.

There were a couple points

in the game when I got fed up and I ended up having a couple of turnovers.

“I just feel that if I play at my pace, the game could

have easily been a 30-point triple double for me. But my nerves got the better of me, so I just have to learn to be more patient if I am

going to fulfill my dream of playing at the division one level.”

SEE PAGE 15

Hunter, Page 15

BAHAMAS SOFTBALL: ALL-STAR TOURNEY STARTS THURSDAY

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net IN a rematch of the 6th Bahamas Games in July, the Bahamas Softball Federation will stage its 2023 All-Star Tournament this weekend in the Bankers Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

The tournament is expected to feature six women’s teams and seven men from islands, including New Providence, Grand Bahama, Eleuthera, Long Island, Abaco, Andros, Exuma and San Salvador, starting at 7pm Thursday and continuing through Sunday when the two champions will be crowned.

According to Jennifer Isaacs-Dotson, the first female elected to serve as the president of the BSF, they are looking forward to a competitive weekend for the fans to enjoy some competitive fast-action.

The tournament is being held in conjunction with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture for their National Sports Month.

It also replaces the BSF’s National Round Robin as there was very few competitive fast-pitch softball played in the country since the Bahamas Games.

“I think after the Bahamas Games, this will give the impetus for our Family Island teams to start playing softball again,” DotsonIsaacs said. “We know that New Providence is playing an abbreviated season and one or two islands have engaged in some level of competition.

“But we really want to get softball started again.

We are going to embark on going into the Family Islands and to see what’s happening with the various associations and to give any assistance that they need in reference to what they need on their particular island.”

SEE PAGE 14

Tiger Woods says his BLTA HOSTS REGIONAL right ankle is pain-free TRAINING CAMP

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer TIGER Woods says he is pain-free when it comes to his right ankle that was fused in April. It’s the rest of leg that remains a work in progress.

And there’s no indication when he’ll get back to work on the golf course.

“My ankle is fine. Where they fused my ankle, I have absolutely zero issue whatsoever,” Woods said yesterday. “That pain is completely gone. It’s the other areas that have been compensated for.”

He compared it with when he had fusion surgery on his lower back. He said the L5 and S1 vertebrae were fine.

“But all the surrounding areas is where I had all my problems and I still do,” he said.

“So you fix one, others have to become more hypermobile to get around it, and it can lead to some issues.”

Of course, it doesn’t take much for Woods to

get everybody’s attention about when he might play again.

Two years ago, he posted a video of one swing and two words — “Making progress” — that eventually led to him playing the PNC Championship with his son, Charlie, just 10 months after his car crash outside of Los Angeles.

This time all he did was walk.

Woods caddied for his son at the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship, and various video footage showed him walking and carrying the bag. This was a week after Stewart Cink said in a Golf Channel interview that Woods told him he had starting practicing.

For what remains to be seen.

“I’m pretty sore after caddying for four days,” Woods said. “It was a flat course, thank God.” Woods announced 19 players for the 20-man field at his Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas the week after Thanksgiving.

FOR THE FIRST TIME

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THERE’s no indication when Tiger Woods will get back to work on the golf course.

Because it is sanctioned by the PGA Tour, that would require 72 holes of walking. Still, one spot remains open and the tournament host is exempt.

More likely is the PNC Championship, which Woods and 14-year-old Charlie have played the last two years. That is sanctioned by the PGA Tour Champions, meaning carts are allowed. Woods has used a cart both times.

Woods hasn’t played since he withdrew at the

Masters after the frigid third round. He had surgery on his right ankle two weeks later for arthritis that developed from his car crash.

TGL’s SHOT CLOCK One of the ideas of the tech-driven TGL league that starts in January is to incorporate elements from other sports.

Rory McIlroy, one of the founders of TMRW Sports that is behind the

SEE PAGE 12

THE Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) began its first ever hosting of the International Tennis Federation (ITF)COTECC regional training camp for English-speaking countries yesterday at the National Tennis Centre (NTC).

The training sessions will continue until Friday for twelve top under-14 tennis players hailing from the host country, Trinidad and Tobago, St Lucia, Curaçao, and Barbados.

The four-day camp is being spearheaded by John Goede, ITF development officer for the Caribbean, to ensure the development of players in the Caribbean region.

The ITF representative was elated to have the training camp hosted in The Bahamas for the first time and expects the next few days to be productive for

the junior players. “I think it is an amazing opportunity for these players to develop their skills.

Through the COVID-19 period, we were not able to do much of this and now that the BLTA is hosting it for the first time, here it is a great opportunity for the players and for me to see the available talent from the other non-Spanish speaking countries and host country itself,” Goede said.

The participants, including seven Bahamians, will have the opportunity to engage in matches with the top visiting players, improve their speed, fitness and agility, and become more knowledgeable about the overall game of tennis.

“The only way to get better is to play with people who are strong or just as strong as you are. What is happening here is supervised play so they can learn how to play, we coach them to get better, then they play

SEE PAGE 14

PAGE 12, Wednesday, November 8, 2023

THE TRIBUNE

JEAN Tiger Woods to own and play BILLIE KING CUP CZECH for Florida team in TGL, his FINALS: REPUBLIC BEATS SWITZERLAND tech-infused golf league

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer TIGER Woods couldn’t be more involved with prime-time TGL unless he had built the arena. He helped develop the techinfused golf league. He’s playing in it. And now he’s a team owner.

Woods and his TGR Ventures and David Blitzer, the investor who has ownership in all four major U.S. sports leagues, were announced yesterday as owners of Jupiter Links GC, the sixth and final team for the first-of-itskind golf league that starts in January.

Woods, Rory McIlroy and former Golf Channel president Mike McCarley are founding partners in TMRW Sports, the sports and entertainment company behind TGL. “Having the opportunity to not only compete, but also own a team to represent Jupiter is an exciting next chapter for me,” Woods said yesterday.

Woods referred to TGL as a “modern twist of traditional golf” that ultimately will make it more accessible by leaning the glitz of technology.

Key to the modernisation is playing in SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, an arena that holds some 1,600 spectators.

Teams will go headto-head for nine holes of alternate shot and six holes of singles, starting off by hitting shots from real turf into a screen 20 times larger than a standard simulator, and then shifting to actual shots from 50 yards or closer to a green complex that can turn 360 degrees to create different angles. They putt on a synthetic surface in which contours can change.

Play starts January 9.

The two-hour matches — two teams at a time — will be televised on ESPN on Mondays and/or Tuesday, ending before the Masters.

TIGER

FROM PAGE 11 new league, mentioned the feel of being courtside at an NBA game. Matches that end in a tie go to overtime decided by closest to the pin, resembling a shootout in the NHL. Now there are a few more elements: a shot clock and timeouts.

The clock will show the 40 seconds a player gets to hit the shot. A violation is a one-shot penalty.

Each team will get four timeouts per match — two for the nine holes of alternate shot, two for the six holes of singles play. They don’t carry over, and a team can’t call consecutive timeouts for one shot. A team can call a timeout at any time until the opponent addresses the ball. So there won’t be any freezing of the kicker.

There also will be a referee and a booth official, not unlike an official who walks a final match or a PGA Tour rules official available for commentary in the TV booth.

The shot clock is not entirely new. The European tour experimented with it for the Austrian Open in 2018. In the case of TGL, it will help keep the matches in a two-hour window for TV. TURK PETTIT AND THE LONG ROAD BACK Turk Pettit is two stages away from becoming the

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TIGER Woods lines up a putt on the 16th hole during the weather delayed second round of the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club Saturday, April 8. Woods says his right ankle that was fused in April is pain-free, but other parts of his leg are not.

(AP Photo/Mark Baker) The prize fund is $21 million, with $9 million going to the winning team and players eventually getting equity in the league.

Technology is one thing.

Woods also said the twohour window is key to attracting fans.

“Generally, golf takes about five or six hours to play. In today’s world, with all of our smartphones, it is hard for anybody to go five to six hours without looking at their phones. So the shorter the time, the better it is.”

Three players from the four-man teams compete in each match. Woods hasn’t competed since the Masters because of lingering leg injuries from a February 2021 car crash outside of Los Angeles. But he expects to be front and centre for TGL. “It’s exciting that this group of guys is coming together for a two-hour window and we’re just going to basically hit balls, talk a lot of (trash) and

first player from LIV Golf to make it back to the PGA Tour.

According to Golf Digest, the PGA Tour policy for players who are not members is that they are ineligible for one year after their final round of competition in an unauthorised event, such as Saudi-funded LIV. Pettit, who won the 2021 NCAA title at Clemson, resigned his Korn Ferry Tour membership and joined the rival league for its inaugural season. He played eight events, finishing in Saudi Arabia on October 16, 2022.

Pettit didn’t play another LIV event. His team (Niblicks) became RangeGoats run by Bubba Watson, who did not play in 2022 because of injury. Pettit wound up playing on the Asian Tour.

One year after his last LIV event, he entered the first stage of PGA Tour qualifying.

Pettit tied for ninth in a qualifier at Walden on Lake Conroe about an hour north of Houston. That moves him into the second stage.

Adrian Otaegui of Spain played three LIV events and then went back to the European tour and won the Andalucia Masters. That was when Europe’s penalty was being contested in court.

Pettit still is a long shot to get a PGA Tour card. He will play the second stage on November 28 in Valdosta, Georgia. If he gets through that, the final stage is December 14-17 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. The top five players earn PGA Tour cards.

LEXI ISSUES Lexi Thompson already was a long shot to reach the LPGA Tour finale next week at No. 88 in the Race to the CME Globe.

Only the top 60 after this

people are going to be gambling on absolutely everything, each and every shot. Every shot there’s going to be a wager.”

McCarley, the CEO of TMRW Sports and TGL, said a gaming partner and international media rights are being negotiated ahead of the January debut. Also to be completed is other team names and branding, along with filling out team rosters.

McIlroy is part of Boston Common, led by Fenway Sports Group, and is joined

by New England native Keegan Bradley, Adam Scott and Tyrrell Hatton.

The other teams are Atlanta Drive, led by Arthur Blank of the Atlanta Falcons; Los Angeles Golf Club, led by a group fronted by Alexis Ohanian, Serena and Venus Williams and limited partners that include Alex Morgan and Michelle Wie West; New York, led

by Steven Cohen of the New York Mets; and San

Francisco, led by Avenue Sports Fund with private equity executive Marc Lasry and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry.

Blitzer adds to the roster of high-end investors for the six teams.

He is the first person to hold equity in five North American sports teams — co-managing partner of the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) and New Jersey Devils (NHL), along with owning a 25% stake in the Cleveland Guardians (MLB) and a minority stake in the Washington Commanders (NFL).

He also is a stakeholder in Real Salt Lake (MLS), along with being general partner in Crystal Palace FC in the Premier League.

Blitzer is a self-described sports fanatic, though he once was quoted as saying he would “never make an investment just for the fun side of the equation.”

“At the end of the day, I’ve got to believe there’s a

return, that the investment makes a lot of sense. The fun comes along with it,” Blitzer said yesterday.

“The idea of really creating the next evolution of professional golf rang really clearly to me,” he said.

“And when I think about what’s happening today in technology, and the innovations they’re bringing here ... I was sold very quickly.”

The concept of team play — outside of the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup — was introduced last year

by Saudi-funded LIV Golf and its 12 teams.

Woods believes TGL will be easier to follow in part because there is only a team competition, and because some players will have a connection to the city, such as Collin Morikawa with Los Angeles and Bradley in Boston.

“Some of the stuff I’ve seen in LIV ... I couldn’t figure out what the hell was going on,” Woods said.

“Here it’s very simple.”

SEVILLE, Spain (AP) — The Czech Republic beat defending champion Switzerland 3-0 on the first day of the group stage at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals yesterday.

Debutant Linda Noskova defeated Celine Naef 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-4 in the first singles match, and another debutant Marie Bouzkova beat Viktorija Golubic 6-4, 6-4 in the second match of the Group A tie.

The third point came with Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova defeating Golubic and Jil Teichmann 7-6 (3), 6-2 in the doubles match.

Bouzkova was a late addition to the Czech team following the withdrawal of world No. 8 Karolina Muchova because of a wrist injury.

Switzerland was without Olympic gold medallist Belinda Bencic, who announced on Friday that she is pregnant.

The United States is the other team in Group A and will face Switzerland on Thursday.

In Group B, Slovenia defeated last year’s runnerup Australia 2-1 after Kaja Juvan defeated Ajla Tomljanovic 6-4, 6-1 and Tamara Zidansek beat Daria Saville 6-1, 6-4.

Australia’s point came when Kimberly Birrell and Storm Hunter beat Veronika Erjavec and Ela Nala Milic 7-5, 6-7 (2), 10-5 in the doubles match.

The 12-team BJK Cup Finals is being played at La Cartuja Stadium in the southern Spanish city of Seville. It will run through Sunday offering a record total of $9.6 million in prize money, including $2.4 million to the champions.

The teams compete in four round-robin groups and the winners will advance to the semifinals.

The biggest team competition in women’s tennis is starting two days after the end of the WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico, which featured the top eight players on the tour — including winner Iga Swiatek.

TIGER Woods has announced 19 players for the 20-man field at his Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas the week after Thanksgiving.

Here, he can be seen posing with fans. (AP Photo) week advance to the Tour Championship.

She revealed last week, however, that she fell down some stairs and hurt her hand and tailbone. She posted on Instagram that she hoped massages and “procedures” would help her heal.

Thompson provided an update Friday by saying tests revealed inflammation around the bones and some tendinitis in her hand.

She said X-rays showed no “definitive fracture” in her tailbone, just some cortical irregularity.

By Monday, she posted another picture of her pro-am group for The Annika at Pelican Golf Club. So presumably she will be playing.

DIVOTS Celine Boutier leads by 3 points over Lilia Vu in the race for LPGA player of the year. Boutier could clinch the award if she wins this week at Pelican Golf Club and Vu, a two-time major winner this year, finishes ninth or worse.

Abraham Ancer of Mexico picked up his first win of the year, capturing

the gold medal at the Pan American Games in Chile.

He shot 67 on the final day to beat LIV Golf cohort Sebastian Munoz of Colombia by one shot.

Dylan Menante, who played on the winning U.S. Walker Cup team at St. Andrews, won the bronze. ... Keita Nakajima’s victory on the Japan Golf Tour moved him ahead of Takumi Kanaya on the money list. Both players are planning to play the Taiheiyo Masters this week and the Dunlop Phoenix the following week.

STAT OF THE WEEK Adam Long hit all 56 fairways at the World Wide Technology Championship at El Cardonal, a course known for its generous fairways. The last player to never miss a fairway over four days on the PGA Tour was Brian Claar at Muirfield Village in the 1992 Memorial.

FINAL WORD “You feel a few inches taller.”

— Padraig Harrington, on being announced as a soon-to-be member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, November 8, 2023, PAGE 13

GSSSA volleyball championships all set to get underway today

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net THE Government Secondary Schools Sports Association (GSSSA) volleyball championships are all set to be played for the senior and junior division titles at the Kendal G L Isaacs Gymnasium today at 4pm.

The senior girls’ champions will be decided between the pennant winners CV Bethel Stingrays and the second-seeded Government High School Magic.

The senior boys championship game will feature pennant winners Anatol Rodgers Timberwolves versus last season’s defending champions CI Gibson Rattlers.

In the junior division, the HO Nash Lions girls team are looking to defend their title reign against the fourth-seeded LW Young Golden Eagles.

Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles boys team will take on the Timberwolves in a best-of-three championship series.

Senior Division Action intensified at the Anatol Rodgers High School Gymnasium yesterday evening as the senior girls and boys looked to book a spot in the championship round.

For the senior girls, the Magic served up a gut-wrenching loss to the defending champions CR Walker Knights in three sets.

The Magic versus Knights win or go home playoff game seemed like a replay of last week’s regular season match which took place at the CI Gibson Gymnasium and also ended in three sets.

The second-seeded team went head-to-head with the reigning champions and knocked them off 25-13 in set one. Similar to last Wednesday’s game, the Knights mounted a comeback in set two (25-19) and derailed the Magic’s chance of a sweep. However, the

final set was truly a nailbiter as both teams refused to go down. Ultimately, the Magic copied last week’s feat, upsetting the defending champions to advance to the championship round.

Charma Smith, head coach of the Magic, was overjoyed as she talked about advancing against the Lady Knights.

“The third set we were down by maybe six points.

I told my girls to keep playing, we are going down until the final whistle. I know my girls are fighters and we did it. I am so proud of them, this is our year,” Smith said.

Her advice to the players going into tomorrow’s bestof-three championship round against the Stingrays is simple - keep the energy, and play hard regardless of the outcome.

The Stingrays advanced to the championship round after shutting down the Timberwolves in consecutive sets. The senior girls’ quest to the finals started with a 25-22 narrow win in set one. Set two had the same result but a wider margin of victory with them winning 25-13.

Shantelle Rolle, head coach of the Stingrays, was happy to be back in the championship round after finishing as runners-up last season.

“A win feels good. I told my girls Anatol handed us our only loss of the season, we have to come out, play hard, hustle, communicate, and move to every ball that comes across on our side,” Rolle said.

The head coach added that they are looking to transfer yesterday’s energy and intensity to the championship round today.

The Rattlers are once again back in the GSSSA volleyball finals.

Last year’s top team destroyed the Knights senior boys in straight sets. The team put up identical scores of 25-16 in set one and two to make their return to the championship series.

The Timberwolves will be vying to be the new

NO. 8 CREIGHTON IN 105-54 ROUT OF FLORIDA A&M

By ERIC OLSON AP Sports Writer

TIME TO ADVANCE: The CV Bethel Stingrays’ senior girls will meet the Government High School Magic in the best-of-three championship round starting today at the Kendal GL Isaacs Gymnasium.

A VALIANT EFFORT: The CI Gibson Rattlers’ senior boys defeated the CV Bethel Stingrays to advance to the GSSSA volleyball finals once again.

Photos: Tenajh Sweeting/Tribune Staff GSSSA senior boys champions after eliminating the Stingrays in two matches.

The first set went to the league’s best senior boys team 25-22 and set two ended 25-21.

Junior Division Patricia “Pattie” Johnson and the Lions junior girls are in contention for the GSSSA volleyball championship title for the second consecutive year.

The junior team closed out the AF Adderley Tigers in a 2-0 sweep, claiming the sets 21-19, 21-11. For the Lions to repeat as title winners, they will have to take down the

Golden Eagles. The latter toppled last year’s runnersup SC McPherson Sharks in two sets - 23-22, 21-18.

The junior boys had an intense battle in their sudden death playoff rounds. The fourth-seeded Timberwolves needed three sets to put away last year’s champions DW Davis Royals at their gymnasium.

The Royals threw and landed the first blow to win set one 23-22.

The Timberwolves were relentless in the following set and emerged as victors 21-7. The Royals seemed to run out of gas in the final

set and their opponents won 15-10. The Golden Eagles will prepare for a fight against the Timberwolves after they ousted the Lions in three sets.

The championship contenders stopped the Lions 21-13 in the opening match.

Set two favoured the Lions, ending 22-20.

In the final set, the Golden Eagles obliterated their opponent 15-4 to widen their title window.

The best-ot-three championship series will begin at 4pm today and continue into Thursday.

Games will be played on Friday if necessary.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Trey Alexander scored 18 of his 20 points in the first half, and No. 8 Creighton opened with a 105-54 victory over Florida A&M last night.

The Bluejays, coming off an NCAA Elite Eight appearance, turned in a mostly polished performance against the overmatched Rattlers of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Creighton had turnovers on its first two possessions and Baylor Scheierman hit the side of the backboard with a shot before Utah State transfer Steven Ashworth’s 3-pointer and Alexander’s layin started a 22-4 run.

Creighton was up by as many as 32 points in the first half and 56-27 at the break. All the Bluejays starters were done for the night eight minutes into the second half.

Alexander was 7 of 8 from the field and had five assists and four turnovers in a team-high 26 minutes.

Ashworth, sixth nationally in 3-point shooting at 43.4% last season, was 5 of 7 from distance and finished with 17 points and four assists.

Scheierman had 15 points and eight rebounds.

Keith Lamar had 16 points to lead the Rattlers.

Mason Miller and Ashworth made their first starts for Creighton. Miller took over at power forward for Arthur Kaluma, who transferred to Kansas State, and Ashworth replaced point guard Ryan Nembhard, who transferred to Gonzaga.

Ryan Kalkbrenner, the Bluejays’ All-Big East centre, had a quiet opener.

Shannon Grant, the Rattlers’ 6-foot-10, 300-pounder, was assigned to Kalkbrenner and held him in check early.

Kalkbrenner took only three shots in the first half and finished with nine points and four rebounds.

GLENN MAXWELL SMASHES ASTONISHING 201 TO LEAD AUSTRALIA PAST AFGHANISTAN AT CRICKET WORLD CUP MUMBAI, India (AP) — Glenn Maxwell produced one of the most astonishing Cricket World Cup innings by smashing 201 not out off 128 balls yesterday to lead Australia past Afghanistan with 19 deliveries to spare and into the semifinals.

Maxwell finished his highest ODI knock unable to run between the wickets because of cramps, just slashing the ball over the boundary without moving his legs as Australia chased down its target of 292. He hit 21 fours as well as 10 sixes, the last coming off the final ball of the match.

The allrounder came to the rescue after Australia slumped to 91-7 in reply to Afghanistan’s 291-5.

Australia joined India and South Africa in the last four and damaged Afghanistan’s unlikely bid to reach the semifinals.

“I haven’t really done a whole lot of high-intensity exercise in the heat.

It certainly got ahold of me today,” Maxwell said.

“Lucky enough, I was able to stick it out to the end.”

Pat Cummins finished on an unbeaten 12 runs off 68 balls.

This was after Afghanistan opener Ibrahim Zadran scored his first World Cup hundred to help his team put up a challenging target.

Naveen ul Haq and Azmatullah Omarzai shared four wickets as the

Australian innings floundered initially only for Maxwell’s unimaginable effort to take it home. Khan also picked up 2-44.

Maxwell produced the tournament’s first double hundred, the highest individual score in an ODI run-chase, and the third highest in a World Cup. “It would have been nice if it was chanceless,” said Maxwell, who was dropped on 33. “I led a charmed life out there. I was very lucky.

I suppose just made the most of that.”

Australia thus moved to 12 points from eight games.

It is third in the table, equal on points with South Africa, but trailing on net run-rate.

“We were written off after the first two games, but our belief tonight has gone a bit higher,” Maxwell said.

India and South Africa have already qualified for the semifinals to be played on November 15 (Mumbai) and November 16 (Kolkata).

Afghanistan is still sixth and has eight points from eight games. It is in the mix for the last remaining semifinal spot along with New Zealand and Pakistan.

It will need to win the remaining game against South Africa in Ahmedabad on Friday while also depending on the other two contenders’ results.

Chasing 292, Australia made a poor start as Travis

AUSTRALIA’s Glenn Maxwell celebrates after their win in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup match against Afghanistan in Mumbai, India, yesterday.

(AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade) Head was out for a two-ball Khan also sent back duck, caught behind off Mitchell Starc (3), caught Naveen ul Haq. behind, as keeper Ikram David Warner and Mitch- Alikhil took a superb fronell Marsh added 39 runs for tal diving catch. Replays the second wicket. Naveen showed that Starc hadn’t got the breakthrough, trap- edged it, but he ran out of ping the latter lbw for 24 off time for a DRS review.

11 balls in the sixth over.

At 91-7 in 18.3 overs, it Three overs later, the looked like game over for Australian collapse was on Australia before Maxwell — Omarzai bowled Warner took over. for 18 and then dismissed He enjoyed two lives in Josh Inglis for a golden the 22nd over. First, he was duck. deemed out lbw off Noor Maxwell edged the hat Ahmed, only to review trick ball from Omazai, it and survive through but it bounced before the DRS. Then, three balls keeper. Australia was 49-4 later, Mujeeb ur Rahman and in deep trouble. dropped him at short fine It became 69-5 in the leg.

15th over as Marnus Maxwell was on 27 and Labuschagne was run out 33 at that time, but never for 14. Rashid Khan bam- looked back. He scored boozled Marcus Stoinish 50 off 51 balls, with seven with his spin, trapping him fours before powering on lbw for six. thereafter.

His next 50 came off 25 balls, as he hit three sixes and three more fours. It was his second hundred of the tournament, coming off 76 balls, following his 40-ball century against the Netherlands — the fastest in World Cup history.

Maxwell reached 150 off 104 balls, smacking another seven fours and two sixes.

By that time, he started cramping up badly and couldn’t muster running between the wickets.

It only led to further power-hitting — Maxwell smashed five sixes and four fours off the next 24 balls faced as he raced to a double hundred and singlehandedly took Australia across the finish line.

This was Australia’s highest individual score in a World Cup, going past Shane Watson’s 185 not out against Bangladesh in 2011.

Maxwell’s previous best in ODIs was 108.

Earlier, Zadran made history for Afghanistan, recording its first World Cup hundred. Its previous highest individual score in the tournament history was Samiullah Shinwari’s 96 in 2015, when it had registered a first World Cup win over Scotland in Dunedin.

The openers had provided a sedate start. The hard-hitting Rahmanullah Gurbaz was not able to get away quickly and he scored 21 off 25 balls. Zadran and Gurbaz put on 38 runs,

before the latter was out caught at backward square off Josh Hazlewood, who finished with 2-39 in nine overs. He then added 83 off 100 balls for the second wicket Rahmat Shah, who contributed 30 runs.

Maxwell (1-55) had Shah caught at long off even as Afghanistan’s run-rate didn’t go above five an over. Zadran meanwhile reached 50 off 62 balls, with six fours. He continued anchoring the innings, adding another 52 runs with skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi (26).

Mitchell Starc recovered to bowl Shahidi. Wrist spinner Adam Zampa picked his 20th wicket in the tournament, with Omarzai caught for 22.

Zadran added vital runs as he held one end together — 37 with Omarzai and then another 23 with Mohammed Nabi (12).

Even then, Afghanistan was 233-5 in the 46th over and in danger of finishing with an under-par score.

Rashid Khan changed that as he smacked three sixes and two fours. Zadran too hit two sixes after reaching his landmark century off 131 balls.

He scored 29 runs off the last 12 balls faced, and added 58 off 28 balls with Khan, as their unbroken sixth wicket partnership knocked out Australia’s windAfghanistan had won the toss and opted to bat.

PAGE 14, Wednesday, November 8, 2023

THE TRIBUNE

BAHAMAS SOFTBALL: ALL-STAR TOURNEY STARTS THURSDAY FROM PAGE 11

FIRST TIME: Twelve top under-14 junior tennis players have begun training yesterday at the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s (BLTA) hosting of the first ever ITF-COTECC regional training camp for English-speaking countries.

BLTA’S FIRST REGIONAL TRAINING CAMP WRAPS UP ON FRIDAY FROM PAGE 11 again.

“This teaches them the skills to be on tour and the kids from The Bahamas learn how to play against new faces with new styles and it is a win-win situation for everybody involved,” he said.

Perry Newton, president of the BLTA, was particularly optimistic about hosting the first regional training camp in The Bahamas for English-speaking countries.

“We are excited to have them here and have Mr Goede in. We have seen a lot of growth throughout the region when it comes

BILLIE JEAN KING CUP FINALS PRIZE MONEY RISES TO $9.6M SEVILLE, Spain (AP) — The Billie Jean King Cup Finals will offer a record total of $9.6 million in prize money, including $2.4 million to the champions, the International Tennis Federation announced Monday.

The ITF said this puts the women competing at the BJK Cup Finals on an equivalent prize level as the men at the Davis Cup Finals.

The 12-team BJK Cup Finals started yesterday at Seville’s La Cartuja Stadium and run through Sunday.

Defending champion Switzerland is joined by last year’s runner-up, Australia, and 10 other countries: Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Poland, Slovenia, Spain and the United States.

The runner-up team will earn $1.44 million, each losing semifinalist will get $960,000 and teams eliminated in the group stage will receive $480,000.

to tennis, especially at the junior level.

“It is a very exciting venture to be able to host the kids from different countries and have Bahamians participate in a camp of this level. I am hoping that this would invigorate them to continue to go in there to practice and compete hard,” Newton said.

Among the top junior Bahamian players at the camp are Patrick Mactaggart, Synaj Watkins, Chase Newbold, Briana Houlgrave, Caitlyn Pratt, Danielle Saunders and Ayai Bethel. The trio of Pratt, Saunders and Bethel

are representing Grand Bahama and Eleuthera.

The latter is one of Eleuthera’s top performers in his age group and the BLTA president is hoping that he and the other Family Islanders can benefit the most from this experience at the NTC. “This is really critical for them, we have one boy and two girls who have travelled and when we look at the islands, especially Bethel from Eleuthera, which has less courts and competition, we hope him being here propels him to the next level because locally he is in the top

three. For him, it is going to be a really big thing because it gives him competition and allows him to see a lot of different people,” he said.

In addition to matches played on the various tennis courts, the junior players will be taught more about tennis in a classroom setting.

Following the conclusion of the ITF-COTECC regional training camp on Friday, the U14 Junkanoo Bowl tournament will begin on Saturday.

The tournament will be ranked on the COTECC Junior Circuit and

participants of the regional training camp get to display their new knowledge and skills, according to Newton.

“I think the players in this camp should have an advantage because they have been training and preparing.

“They will have some strategy in preparation for the tournament and it is going to be really exciting because everybody is going to be fighting to be the top player, “ he said.

The U14 Junkanoo Bowl competition is slated for November 11-16 at the NTC.

Isaacs-Dotson said she’s quite aware that facilities are a major issue for the majority of the Family Islands and they will be working with the Ministry of Sports to see how best assistance can be provided for the improvement of their fields.

“This tournament is being held in lieu of the BSF’s National Round Robin and we hope that we can spark the interest in the game that we experienced at the Bahamas Games. So I think it’s going to be very competitive.”

As it’s dubbed an All-Star tournament, Isaacs-Dotson said there will be no restrictions on the make-up of the teams competing in the AllStar tournament, once the players would have played in the respective leagues in the past.

“We liked what we saw at the Bahamas Games and we hope that we can see that same type of camaraderie during this tournament,” she stated. “We also hope that we can see more of the younger players coming to the forefront so that we can build on the future of the sport on these islands.”

All games are expected to be played at Bankers Field, but Isaacs-Dotson said if the need arises, they will use the adjacent fields at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex to ensure that they complete the tournament on time on Sunday.

Manchester City and Leipzig advance in Champions League, Veterans Pepe and Giroud shine

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN AP Sports Writer FOR European soccer veterans, it was a night to savour.

As Manchester City and Leipzig reached the knockout stage of the Champions League with two matches to spare yesterday, two emblematic players of Europe’s old guard grabbed the spotlight.

Already the oldest Champions League outfield player, veteran Porto defender Pepe became the oldest scorer in the Champions League history when he rose in the box and headed home his team’s second goal in a 2-0 win over Antwerp.

Pepe, who is 40 years, 254 days old, scored in stoppage time after Brazilian striker Evanilson put the hosts in front with a first-half goal.

“Today is a special day for me. It’s my mother’s birthday and I told her that I would do everything I could to score a goal,” Pepe said. “This feeling is incredible, because anyone who reaches this age playing at this level — representing a big club like Porto — knows it takes a lot of work, a lot of sacrifice, a tremendous passion for this sport. I’ll try to enjoy it as much as possible.”

The previous record was held by Roma’s Francesco Totti, who scored in Europe’s top club competition at age 38 years, 59 days in 2014.

Porto has nine points and moved level with leader Barcelona, which lost 1-0 to Shakthar Donetsk in Group H’s other match.

Last-place Antwerp can no longer finish as one of the top two teams.

At San Siro stadium, it was another veteran — Olivier Giroud — who was cheered by his teammates after AC Milan recorded its first win and first goals in this season’s Champions League to beat Paris SaintGermain 2-1.

Aged 37 years, 38 days, Giroud became the oldest French goalscorer in the competition, overtaking Laurent Blanc.

Rafael Leao scored Milan’s other goal and the result left the Group F wide open. Milan came from behind after conceding a ninth-minute opener from Milan Skriniar.

Borussia Dortmund beat Newcastle 2-0 in the other match and now leads the group. The German team is a point above PSG, two above Milan and three above Newcastle.

Manchester City kept its perfect record to advance from Group G with a 3-0

PORTO’s Pepe celebrates scoring his side’s second goal during a Champions League group H soccer match against Antwerp at Estadio do Dragao in Porto, Portugal, yesterday.

(AP Photo/Miguel Pereira) win against Young Boys.

Erling Haaland scored two goals as City also extended its unbeaten home run in European soccer’s elite club tournament to 28 games. Phil Foden also netted.

German team Leipzig advanced with a hard-fought 2-1 win at Red Star Belgrade.

Goals in either half from Xavi Simons and Loïs Openda ensured back-toback victories for Leipzig

over the Serbian champion, giving it nine points, three behind City.

Both Red Star and Young Boys have one point and can no longer finish among the top two.

And in Group E, another experienced player was also on top of his game: 33-year-old Ciro Immobile scored his 200th goal with Lazio as the Roman club revived its hopes of advancing with a 1-0 win over Feyenoord.

The Lazio captain scored from a sharp angle after getting around the goalkeeper late in the first half at the Stadio Olimpico.

Lazio moved into second place in Group E with seven points.

Atletico Madrid tops the group with eight points after routing Celtic 6-0.

Dutch champion Feyenoord still has a chance in third place with six points, while Celtic trails with one point.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, November 8, 2023, PAGE 15

Forward Sammy Hunter and Akron Zips win season opener

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net SAMMY Hunter, fitting in quite well into his new environment, was among five players in double figures as the University of Akron Zips men’s basketball team blew past South Dakota State 81-75 in a road victory to begin the 2023-24 season on Monday night in Brookings, South Dakota.

Hunter, who transferred from Ole Miss for his senior year, poured in 16 points, a steal and an assist in 28 minutes. The 6-foot, 9-inch, 225-pound forward indicated that he felt right in his element, playing for coach John Grace, who clinched his 299th career win.

“I was very pleased with my performance. I think the coach has really helped me to flourish, unlike I did in the past,” Hunter said.

“I was allowed to play more and I didn’t have to worry about having to go to the bench when I didn’t get it right. I felt very comfortable out there just doing my thing, even though I could have done a better job on the boards.”

Mikal Dawson led the attack with 19 points and Enrique Freeman followed Hunter with 13 points and 14 rebounds as Akron won the rebound battle, collecting 36 rebounds compared to South Dakota State’s 26.

The Zips also cleaned up the offensive glass, turning 13 rebounds into 13 second chance points.

“I think this is one of the best teams that I ever played on,” Hunter said.

“I think we have all of the tools to be able to go to the NCAA Tournament and make some noise. We feel pretty confident in the way the team is playing right now.”

It’s still early, having played just one game in

the regular season, but in the Zips’ bid to improve on their 22-11 showing last year, Hunter said it would give them a chance to be one of the contenders for the prestigious March Madness NCAA Tournament.

“In the four years that I’ve been in college, I’ve never had the experience of playing in the tournament,” said Hunter, who played sparingly with Ole Miss.

“I’ve had the chance to watch Buddy Hield and Deandre Ayton play, but I’ve never had the chance to do so.

“With this team and the way we have been practicing and playing in the pre-season, we feel that we have the ability to make it to the NCAA Tournament,” Hunter said.

“For me, I know I have to rebound the ball a little bit better because the scoring is there. If I can do that, I think we stand a good chance of making it.”

And with this being his final collegiate season, Hunter said he would like nothing better than to go out with a bang as they make their presence felt in the Mid-American Conference (MAC).

“We have a pretty good pre-season ranking and so we just have to go out there and do what the coaches tell us to do and we will be alright,” Hunter said.

“I think we got off to a great start, but we will only get better as the season progresses.”

The criminal justice major, who is the 22-yearold son of Andrew and Sophia Hunter, said his ultimate goal is to go on to play in the provisional ranks of basketball.

“My agent has already received a number of offers for me to play pro ball,” Hunter said. “I’m not sure where I will go, but if it’s in Europe or the NBA, I

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Basketball Writer

NEW ENVIRONMENT: Sammy Hunter and the University of Akron Zips men’s basketball team blew past South Dakota State 81-75 in a road victory to begin the season Monday night in Brookings, South Dakota.Hunter poured in 16 points, a steal and an assist in 28 minutes. just want to continue doing what I love and that is playing basketball.”

Once his career is over, Hunter said he would like to return home and venture into some type of business

that involves dealing with crime. But for now, he just wants to make the Zips one of the best teams to watch this season.

Akron will be back in action on Friday when

they host Southern Miss as a part of the MAC-SBC Challenge.

Hopefully, Hunter will have another big game for the Zips as they look to improve to 2-0.

Deyton Albury just misses triple double FROM PAGE 11 With a few days to recuperate and regain his composure, Albury hopes to bounce back on Friday when the Royals play their next game on the road as they travel to play Southern Illinois University Salukis in a non-conference game that will be aired again on ESPN Plus at 8pm.

“I love our team so far.

But that game was just so weird,” Albury stated.

“The way Marshall played defence, I know we’re going to run into a lot of teams that play that kind of defence. Even though we lost, I still believe in my team 100 per cent.

“I still have some great team-mates around me, knocking down shots, who

have the dawg in them just like me. So just being around them gives me the confidence to play better and the confidence to give them the ball in the right position.”

After enjoying a great pre-season, Albury said he got a chance to see what his team can do, so he’s not going to allow the opening day loss to get to him.

The 21-year-old sociology major will just chalk it up to a learning process.

He is the son of Michael and Geniece Albury. His younger brother Michael Jr, who is following in his footsteps, also made his debut Monday night, scoring 19 points with five rebounds and five assists in Believe Prep’s season opening 89-65 loss to Legacy Early College Prep.

BILL SELF SIGNS RICHEST COLLEGE BASKETBALL CONTRACT EVER BY PUBLIC UNIVERSITY

DIVISION I DEBUT: Point guard Deyton Albury (13) just missed a triple-double in a losing effort for the Queen’s University of Charlotte Royals men’s basketball team.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas coach Bill Self signed a lifetime contract yesterday that will pay him $53 million over the first five years, easily surpassing Kentucky coach John Calipari for the richest deal ever given to a college basketball coach at a public university.

Self will make more than $11 million this season in base pay, professional services and royalties along with a oneSELF (AP) time signing bonus and retention payments, including some that were deferred amid the pandemic. At the conclusion of each year, another year is added to the deal, and Self will earn a onetime, $5 million retention bonus if he serves out the first five.

The deal amends a similarly structured contract Self signed in 2021, and includes a provision allowing the renegotiation of terms after the 2025-26 season. Calipari’s deal with the Wildcats pays him $8.5 million this season.

“Bill Self is undoubtedly the most consistent coach in college basketball, and a restructuring of his contract terms were long overdue,” Kansas athletic director Travis Goff said.

“In an ever-changing collegiate athletics environment, our strong commitment to Coach Self positions KU basketball to maintain and enhance its status as the most storied programme in the country.”

The top-ranked Jayhawks, led by Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson, routed North Carolina Central on Monday night to open the season. They play Manhattan on Friday before facing Calipari and his Wildcats in the Champions Classic next week.

“There has never been a better time to be a part of our athletic department,” Self said. “My family and I are so proud to be at this university, and I am looking forward to many more seasons representing the most passionate fan base in the country.”

The contract includes incentives that could drive the value significantly higher. Self would earn $50,000 for a Big 12 regular-season title, another $50,000 if he is Big 12 coach of the year and $25,000 for winning the conference tournament. He also would earn $50,000 for an NCAA Tournament appearance, $100,000 for making the Sweet 16, $150,000 for reaching the Final Four and $200,000 for winning another national championship.

MAVERICKS COMING THROUGH IN THE CLUTCH BEHIND DONCIC AND IRVING

By PAT GRAHAM AP Sports Writer DENVER (AP) — Luka Doncic has been at his best — one of the NBA’s best, too, for that matter — in crunch time this season.

Same with the Dallas Mavericks, who are a league-leading 6-0 in clutch situations, which are defined as a scoring margin within five points and five or fewer minutes left in a game.

It’s a small sample size, but the Mavericks look to be taking shape in the first full season of the on-court collaboration between Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

Last season, the Mavericks struggled in clutch time, posting a 6-15 mark after Irving’s arrival in the lineup following the trade with Brooklyn. The

team ended up missing the postseason.

They just needed a little more time, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd contended, to fine tune their chemistry.

Now, they appear on the same page.

“When you have 77 (Doncic) and 11 (Irving) it’s an easy thing,” Kidd said of clutch moments.

“We talked about last year.

As much as we wanted for things to happen right away, you’ve got to go through the process of growing pains and getting to know one another.

“The other side of that, we’ve spent a lot of time on in-game situations, and everybody’s very comfortable.”

Lost in all the Victor Wembanyama mania and the James Harden trade saga has been the play of

Doncic, who looks even more dynamic than ever, which is saying quite a bit about the point guard.

Even better, perhaps, than his video game version on “NBA 2K” (very “near,” rookie teammate Dereck Lively II cracked).

The 24-year-old Slovenian is doing, well, Luka things.

Doncic is nearly averaging a triple-double. And continuing the “it’s never too early to talk about league MVP award” conversation, Doncic’s odds, according to FanDuel Sportsook, are just slightly less than that of his buddy and two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.

“It’s always nice to play against him,” said Jokic, whose team beat the Mavericks 125-114 last week.

“He’s a great player. He’s unique. He’s controlling the game. He’s so versatile.”

Couple that with Irving and it’s led to a hot start for the Mavericks (6-1), who have the second-best mark in the Western Conference.

They trail — only slightly — the reigning NBA-champion Nuggets (7-1).

“It’s been fun basketball,” Irving said. “It’s been fun to play.”

Doncic checks in at third on a list of seven players who have 20 or more “clutch points” so far this season. He’s 8 of 11 for 25 points down the stretch of close games, behind just Stephen Curry (28) and LeBron James (26). Also on the list are Damian Lillard (24), Donovan Mitchell (23), Wembanyama (23), the rookie sensation from France who’s taken the

league by storm, and Mikal Bridges (20).

“On offence, (Doncic) just always finds the right play,” explained Lively, the 7-foot-1 rookie centre out of Duke. “And if you don’t see the right play, he’ll find it himself. No matter if that’s him getting the shot, his teammates getting a shot or him throwing a lob, or just being able to find the open man. He does an excellent job of doing that.”

Doncic’s also sharing the leadership load, with Irving and Grant Williams, the versatile power forward who was acquired from Boston as part of a threeteam offseason deal.

That is creating even more freedom for Doncic.

“He impacts the game across the board — his elite scoring, playmaking, rebounding,” Nuggets

coach Michael Malone said.

“It’s his team, and he makes everyone around him better. And we know that when he gets that ball, he can make a big, big shot. He loves the moment. He lives for the moment.”

Always has.

Doncic wasn’t sure when that began, because even as a kid no moment seemed too big. “I just like playing basketball,” Doncic said. “And it’s always the big moments that are the most important.

You’re not always going to be on your ‘A’ game, but it just gets something going in me.”

Doncic counts Jokic as one of his good friends.

They joke around. They tease one another. And while they rarely talk hoops, they have much admiration for one another on the floor.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, November 8, 2023, PAGE 17

‘Big step forward’: $80m Bimini airport overhaul FROM PAGE A24 trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) to Bimini.

Several sources yesterday suggested the planned $80m investment “seems very high” given the island’s size, and that initially the figure of $40m - half this amount - was talked about when outsourcing of the South Bimini facility was mulled under the former Minnis administration.

However, double the latter sum will now be invested by Bimini Airport Development Partners over two phases, the group having secured a 30-year lease concession to operate and manage the facility.

The first phase involves a $30m outlay on airside and terminal improvements to facilitate international commercial flights.

This will involve planning and design; initial runway improvements; temporary terminal improvements; access road modifications and apron expansion; equipment, maintenance, storage and cargo facilities; and a fixed base operator (FBO), including fuel farm and apron.

The second phase, valued at $50m, will see the construction of a new airport passenger terminal and other facilities, including apron and FBO expansion, to support airport operations. The PPP signing comes as Bimini received 805,380 total arrivals from January through September 2023. This represents a 138.4 percent increase over the same period in 2022, and a nearly 840 percent increase over 2019.

NEW BIMINI AIRPORT RENDERING “We fully anticipate the improvements from this agreement giving this island an economic boost,” Mr Davis said. “An airport is the gateway to a locale. It is the first experience visitors to this island will have, making a first impression long before they get to experience the rest of this beautiful island.

“As we improve the airport experience, we are ensuring that we make a good first impression for those visiting Bimini and a great final impression for visitors as they depart.... New transportation infrastructure means so much more than a few extra flights. It promises a more connected and more prosperous Bimini.

“More connected because this airport will bring the world to Bimini, and Bimini to the world. And more prosperous, because this airport will generate new jobs while sustaining old ones, spur greater market access and attract more foreign direct investment.”

Chester Cooper, deputy prime minister, and minister of tourism, investments and aviation, said of the Bimini airport deal: “We see that Bimini is growing exponentially and is really the gateway to The Bahamas being our most proximate island to the US, our largest consumer market.

“Therefore, it’s fitting that we find a partner who can bring Bimini’s airport up to a standard that can not only meet the demand and growth of the destination but also give our residents and guests an incredible experience while providing jobs and business opportunities.”

Mr Cooper said the PPP model of governmentowned airports being managed by private entities has proven successful in The Bahamas with the right partner. “We’ve found the right partner that brings a combination of financial wherewithal, construction experience and management expertise,” Mr Cooper added.

“This speaks to the meticulous work of the Airport Authority, the Department of Aviation, the Bahamas Investments Authority, the Office of the Attorney General and the ministry. It also signals the commitment of the Government to revolutionise our country’s airport infrastructure.”

Bimini Airport Development Partners is owned

by Phoenix Infrastructure, a US-based infrastructure advisory and investment firm with offices in Washington D.C and New York, and Plenary Group, another US infrastructure group. An airport and fixed-base FBO operator called Avports will be the Bimini airport’s management and operating partner.

“We are extremely pleased to be part of this project, and proud to be working in partnership

ADVERTISE TODAY! CALL THE TRIBUNE TODAY @ 502-2394

with Plenary Americas and Avports as we deliver a world-class airport to the people of Bimini and the Commonwealth of the Bahamas,” said Jeremy M. Ebie, founder and chief executive of Phoenix Infrastructure Group.

“As world travel continues to rise beyond pandemic-era levels, now is the perfect time to deliver enhanced access for air carriers to this beautiful part of the world through an upgraded facility that this island deserves.”

“The first phase of this project is to design, plan and implement critical safety and airside improvements as well as provide interim upgrades to the existing terminal facilities, all to enable additional and more reliable commercial

air traffic to more destinations,” said Mike Schutt, senior vice-president with Plenary Americas.

“We are excited to work closely with members of the Bimini community and the Government to help improve access, safety and services on the island in support of continued economic, small business and career development opportunities.”

“We at Avports are proud to support as the operations and management partner to Plenary Americas and Phoenix Infrastructure to bring best-in-class operations and improved connectivity to the Caribbean gem of Bimini,” said Jorge Roberts, chief executive of Avports.

PAGE 18, Wednesday, November 8, 2023

THE TRIBUNE

Union chief urges $350 minimum wage by June FROM PAGE A24 any new minimum wage rise, especially coming so soon after the one that took effect on New Year’s Day 2023, is likely to be heavily resisted by employers given the impact it will have on labour expenses and their overall cost base.

However, Mr Ferguson said he is being “bombarded” by calls from workers and labour activists for the trade union movement to exploit the present West End and Bimini byelection - and the political parties’ need for votes - by taking a tougher stance in pushing for outstanding industrial agreements and workplace grievances to be settled.

Responding after Philip Davis KC recently

promised that the $260 minimum wage “will be revisited at an appropriate time”, Mr Ferguson said his view was that further increases cannot come soon enough. “I support the initiative put forward by the Prime Minister,” he told Tribune Business.

“I’m already on record as saying it should be more in the region of $350 a week or thereabouts. When you look at the cost of living today, it’s very, very difficult for the average Bahamian to live reasonably in light of the increases to bread basket items. We are on record supporting it, and the sooner the better.”

Asked when he would like the next minimum wage increase to take effect, Mr Ferguson replied: “Certainly, Christmas is coming

up. It would be good if we could get it done by Christmas but, in view of the fact we we only have a couple of weeks left, I would like to see it take effect in June in time for Labour Day 2024.

“I’d like to see $350. It would be a good move, and a gigantic step in trying to deal with some of these issues. It’s really, really difficult for the little man and the economy seems to be doing extremely well... By June of 2024 would be a good time to do it, and I would suggest $350.”

Both the Prime Minister and Chester Cooper, deputy prime minister and minister of tourism, investments and aviation, have recently agreed that living costs in The Bahamas are too high although the Government has yet to articulate a comprehensive plan on how to address this other than speak to renewable energy investments.

Employers, especially those in industries such as hotels, gas stations and food stores that typically hire a large number of minimum wage staff, will likely vehemently oppose any further rise - especially in the timeline proposed by Mr Ferguson, given that the last $50, or 24 percent, weekly rise to $260 would have been implemented just 18 months prior.

Companies would likely also argue that such an increase in their labour costs, with the minimum wage rising from $1,040 to $1,400 for a four-week pay period, would force them to either cut staff working hours or instigate lay-offs to remain commercially viable. Robert Farquharson, the Government’s

labour director, previously estimated around 20-25 percent of the workforce is earning minimum wage.

Mr Ferguson, meanwhile, said the pressure was increasing on trade unions to take more decisive action to resolve outstanding issues. “A lot of workers are complaining that their industrial agreements are not being honoured,” he added, citing the Union of Public Officers, which represents National Insurance Board (NIB) line staff, and the doctors as two groups that have taken strike votes.

“A few of the unions out there have strike votes because we are not getting the response from the people charged with the responsibility for making these industrial agreements function,” the TUC president said. “People are coming to the table to negotiate with no power, no authority to negotiate these industrial agreements.

“The corporations and the companies are not honouring them, and the only thing left is to use what trade unions often do, and take a strike vote to test the waters to see if the members are interested in doing what has to be done to bring resolution. If you keep on talking and keep on making promises with no delivery, it creates a problem.

“The doctors, the nurses, the Bahamas Hotel Managerial Association (BHMA) in Grand Bahama [the Grand Lucayan], those are things that should be done without an issue. Either you’re going to do it or not going to do it. The workers need to know. It creates a lot of unnecessary excitement,” he added.

“Strike votes are in place. The numbers are overwhelming in terms of people who have voted.

They have great numbers, and the other unions are taking strike votes because they are not getting the response they ought to be getting. The TUC has agreed that all unions affiliated with the TUC will take a strike vote. That was about a little over a week ago.”

The Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) line staff union is another that has taken a strike vote, although it has held off on moving to industrial action for the moment.

Mr Ferguson said there are “about 30 unions” under the TUC umbrella, including the two unions at both NIB and BPL; the General Workers Union at BAIC; and others representing the likes of Straw Market vendors and Arawak Cay stevedores.

Mr Ferguson said union leaderships were being urged to exploit the imminent West End and Bimini by-election by taking a hard line on such issues. “There’s an element going on now,” he explained. “People are taking advantage. We’ve had calls coming in, being bombarded with it, which is to use it as leverage, obviously, but something that can be resolved without strike action.....

“I hope they can see the wisdom of doing the proper thing, government and employers. The workers have got to be a part of it. They’re entitled to it and can’t discriminate.”

Mr Ferguson also argued that Bahamian workers are not benefiting as much as needed from

record-breaking tourism arrivals numbers because more than 80 percent, or over one of every four, are lower-spending cruise passengers.

“They come in the morning and leave the country at 6m-7pm that night,” he said of the cruise industry.

“I remember when they were never allowed to operate their shops and bars, but now they open them in port.... We have to find a way that, when the tourists come here, there is something they can do that is more than having a Goombay Punch or Bahama Mama or something of that nature.

“We need economic activity to cause tourists to spend more than what they’re spending. By and large, the economy is doing well and the workers are not benefiting from it, in my humble opinion, in the manner they ought to be benefiting from it.”

Mr Ferguson called for the Industrial Relations Act and Employment Act to be reformed so that gratuities/tips are included in the calculation of vacation pay, rather than just a worker’s minimum wage basic pay.

“We have to find a way to revisit that,” he added.

“They’re putting in some long hours, putting in more manpower at work, but when the time comes for vacation they’re not benefiting from that. We have some work to do to straighten things up. The workers are suffering and not benefiting from it. They say we have visitors in the millions coming in, which is fine, but the benefits are not what they ought to be.”

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, November 8, 2023, PAGE 19

Balmoral residents target earlier threat to ‘integrity’ development is an incompatible land use. The scale of the development is not in keeping with the prevailing trend of developments in Balmoral.”

It is presently unclear whether the Balmoral Club will move ahead with the four-storey proposal. Town Planning approvals only remain valid for a certain time, which sources suggested was two years, giving its present set of permissions until end-February 2024 before they expire and a fresh go-ahead has to be sought.

The earlier Town Planning Committee approval, revealing that the condo hotel application was first submitted more than two years ago on August 24, 2021, granted site plan approval subject to the project meeting several other conditions.

These included obtaining a Certificate of Environmental Clearance (CEC) from the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP) prior to work beginning.

“On-site drainage and internal roadways must meet the

requirements of the civil design section of the Ministry of Works,” the earlier Town Planning Committee approval stipulated.

“Provisions for site infrastructure (electricity, water supply and treatment and waste management) must be reviewed and meet the requirements of the relevant utility corporations.

Any excavation on the property must adhere to the provisions of the Conservation and Protection of the Physical Landscape of The Bahamas Act.” Charles Diggiss, the condo hotel’s architect and project manager, in a May 30, 2023, letter said a “deviation” from the original 2022 approval was then sought because of a change in the condo hotel’s location to the north-east portion of the existing Balmoral clubhouse. No mention was made of the doubling in storeys from four to eight.

Even if the homeowners’ associations succeed in overturning the four-storey application that may not be the end of Balmoral Club’s condo hotel ambitions, and

a lengthy planning battle could move through the court system.

The Club, which is a separate entity from the homeowners associations, could appeal any decision by the Planning and Subdivisions Appeal Board.

And Dwayne Mortimer, its president, told this newspaper earlier this week that he separately plans to appeal the “baffling” rejection of the $25m, eight-storey proposal.

“This is baffling because the Town Planning Committee had already approved the initial hotel and we only applied for deviation,” he argued. “The other question that they raised was the scaling, and we can address that.

“But the building will be no taller than many other buildings that exist around them. One thousand feet to the west, next to the American Embassy, there is a building much taller than that. So I do believe based on the facts that were discussed at the meeting we will address these issues properly.”

Treasury’s Yellen calls Republican effort to cut IRS funding for Israel ‘damaging and irresponsible’

“The current proposals to cut funding for the IRS make this an especially crucial time to talk about the importance of this work,” Yellen said in a speech at IRS headquarters in Washington.

The $80 billion the agency received last summer through Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act has been vulnerable to cuts, but Yellen and the Treasury Department are

trying to keep the focus on what the allotted funds are doing for taxpayers.

One new announcement is that taxpayers will be able to submit all sorts of tax documents and other communications to the IRS digitally months earlier than originally planned under a new timetable for paperless taxpayer communications announced Tuesday by Yellen.

FROM PAGE A24 The Associations’ notice of appeal, filed on their behalf with the Department of Physical Planning

by Khalil Parker KC, the Bahamas Bar Association president, argued that the original February 2022 approvals for the four-storey project were “void” and flawed because they failed to follow the legal procedures and process set out in the Planning and Subdivisions Act. It alleged that the decision violated several sections in the Act because the Town Planning Committee “failed to hold any public hearings” or notify affected persons of the application, thus depriving them of their right to be heard. And there was a lack of transparency because no formal notice was issued to alert Balmoral residents about the decision.

The appeal notice alleged that the decision also breached the Town Planning Committee Rules 2011, which require that “an applicant and all interested parties shall be given the right to be heard by the

By FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press TREASURY Secretary Janet Yellen called Republicans’ most recent round of proposed funding cuts to the IRS “damaging and irresponsible” during a Tuesday event meant

Committee and may be represented by counsel or an agent”.

“The Committee, having failed to conduct a public hearing or otherwise give notice of the subject application to the owners and residents at Balmoral, unreasonably and unlawfully deprived the appellants of their right to be heard,” the appeal notice argued.

“The decision is void having been taken in breach of the Town Planning Committee Rules and the Act, pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 9(8), which provides that: ‘Where the Committee has made a decision which contravenes these Rules, whether through inadvertence or by reason of an error in judgment made in good faith, that decision shall be deemed void and the application shall be reconsidered by the Committee as a new application.”

The appeal notice also cited concerns about the impact on Balmoral, which is located just to the west of the US ambassador’s residence and at the back

to commemorate new customer service improvements to the agency.

“Playing politics with IRS funding is unacceptable,” Yellen said, referring to an aid bill that passed the House last week that would cut $14 billion from the nation’s tax collector

entrance to the Prime Minister’s Office/Ministry of Finance, if the four-storey condo goes ahead.

“The decision is incompatible with surrounding land use, compromises the integrity of the community and undermines the interests of the owners and residents in Balmoral as follows,” it added.

“Increased security risks for owners, residents and their visitors. Increased traffic and stress on infrastructure.

Loss of residential character of Balmoral.”

Other concerns cited were a “negative impact on property values and quality of life in Balmoral”, and assertions that the project “undermines historical value, adversely impacts right to light and views, and conflicts with the character of Balmoral”.

Legal and regulatory impediments to constructing a hotel in Balmoral were also cited, and the appeal notice, reiterating the Town Planning Committee’s words over the rejected eight-storey variety, added: “The proposed

in exchange for providing assistance to Israel as it pursues a war against militant Hamas in Gaza. The bill is unlikely to be approved by the Democratic-controlled Senate.

While House Republicans say the IRS cuts would save taxpayer money and

offset spending, independent budget analysts say the cuts would cost taxpayers billions of dollars from uncollected tax revenues.

President Joe Biden has said he would veto the bill if it reaches his desk.

PAGE 20, Wednesday, November 8, 2023

THE TRIBUNE

Bahamas in up to $60bn boost via carbon credits FROM PAGE A24 further the country’s sustainable development goals (SDGs) and reduce the “tax burden” facing Bahamians.

He added: “The politicians would not be able to just arbitrarily access that… To maximise the value, those funds must be invested for those SDG goals. So whether it’s infrastructure, healthcare, back into the community’s conservation, we would have identified a number of SDGs that we believe are important to The Bahamas and to reducing the stress

level, the tax burden on the Bahamian public.

“We think that, once fully operational, certainly there will be a new set of revenues that will probably be more targeted to healthcare, airports, docks, infrastructure and community development.” Mr Ferguson said that at the last valuation in 2018, total marine assets in The Bahamas were valued at about $980. Revenue earned from carbon credits can be invested to ensure future conservation efforts.

He said: “We are trying to maximise shareholder value, the Bahamian

people’s assets, these protected areas that are already protected. And so, for us, if you look at the value of those protected areas, the last valuation was done, I believe in 2018. It came in around $980-something million. I think it’s a little bit higher if you look at all of the biodiversity additives.

“And so we think, conservatively, anywhere from t$750m to $1bn, but I want to be conservative. Even if it’s only half a billion, the point is we invest that back into Bahamian bonds. We take the interest and then

we use that to provide the conservation efforts to protect these areas.”

Mr Ferguson added that investing in protecting The Bahamas’ natural environment and assets is “critical” to safeguarding the country’s future. Therefore, the money generated will not be placed in a general fund or distributed to the public.

He said: “That’s going to be critical for us if we are to maintain our seagrass, our fish stocks, etc. And so that’s going to be critical and hence the reason why it can’t go into the general (consolidated) fund.

“You’re not going to get it directly in your pocket.

You’re not going to get this cheque. But what you will get, or what you should get, is a more modern, well-run society where you have stable energy and good healthcare.”

Mr Ferguson said the Government and Carbon Management Ltd, the entity that will oversee the creation, listing and trading of The Bahamas’ blue carbon credits, is “in no rush” to select a stock exchange that will facilitate this after holding talks with every major platform.

The CFAL president, who is a director/adviser to Carbon Management Ltd, said the Government and its consultants are still finalising the science and documentation needed to create blue carbon credits.

“With respect to the exchange, we’ve had conversations with every major exchange in the world.

They’ve approached us, and so we’re in no rush.

We need to get the science right; we need to get the documentation right… and then we will worry about which exchange at the particular time we would align ourselves with,” Mr Ferguson said.

He added that The Bahamas is interested in creating a carbon credits exchange in partnership with other Caribbean and Pacific Island states, which are among those set to be impacted most by climate change but, ultimately, they will use the platform that offers the best products and value.

Mr Ferguson said: “In the big scheme the vision is we can have a CARICOM, small island, Pacific Island, exchange. There’s strength in numbers, and we have all of our carbons traded on that exchange.

Whether that happens or not is another story to be determined.

“But, at the end of the day, we will list or partner with the exchange that offers The Bahamas the best liquidity, more interesting financial products, whether we do futures, swaps, whatever, and where we can maximise shareholder value.”

Carbon Management Ltd, a Bahamas-domiciled entity, has been charged with raising the $50m$60m required to map all The Bahamas’ blue carbon assets. The size and value of this nation’s mangrove and seagrass bed sinks, which remove carbon dioxide from the world’s atmosphere, have to be verified by independent bodies before they can be monetised and converted into carbon credits.

“The Bahamas has about 97,000 square kilometres of sequence that we need to map,” Mr Ferguson previously said. “Each square kilometre is, based on our initial finding, about 500,000 carbon credits.....

“We think that once we are fully operational that we will produce anywhere from 14m to 18m tonnes of carbon a year. That’s using today’s HIS Market price of around $50, so on the low end conservatively we can see anywhere from $300m to $400m of new revenues.

On the high end, we could probably see over $2bn.”

Several financial services sources have privately questioned the Government’s plans to Tribune Business and whether it will generate the revenue numbers being touted. Several have suggested that, in order to be able to create and sell carbon credits, a country has to first reduce its own emissions and pollution as an ‘offset’ to what will be created by the purchaser.

The Bahamas, they added, has yet to do this.

The sources suggested that while it was possible to monetise the country’s carbon sinks, via low-cost concessionary ‘blue economy’ loans and debt financing, simply issuing credits against The Bahamas’ seagrass and mangrove beds is unlikely to work.

However, Mr Ferguson said The Bahamas will be selling “carbon certificates” rather than carbon credits.

These certificates will allow the purchaser to offset their carbon dioxide or greenhouse gas emissions by investing in environmental projects and assets - such as this nation’s seagrass and mangrove beds.

FTX BAHAMAS SIGNALS FRESH RAY ‘PROGRESS’ FROM PAGE A24 creditors there was new resolution optimism.

Mr Ray and his team also likely need a settlement to progress their Chapter 11 reorganisation plan for FTX given that critical questions governing how the crypto exchange’s multijurisdiction liquidation will proceed have yet to be answered.

For example, it still has to be determined which assets and clients belong in which estate - the Bahamian liquidation, or the Chapter 11 proceedings in Delaware.

Once that is worked out, it will then be necessary to decide which assets belong to creditors and which to the exchange. Thus far, 45,878 individuals, 958 institutions and 86 trade creditors have submitted a collective 46,922 claims against FTX Digital Markets.

Mr Simms and the PwC duo, in their last update to creditors in late October 2023, said: “The joint provisional liquidators have been engaged in adversary proceedings initiated by the Chapter 11 debtors and formal mediation.

“Outside of those proceedings, the joint provisional liquidators have also engaged in constructive informal discussions relating to the co-operation between the FTX Digital Markets estate and the Chapter 11 debtors. The return date for the court hearing has been rescheduled to enable sufficient time for those discussions to play out.”

The “adversary proceeding” is the legal action initiated by Mr Ray in Delaware in a bid to cut-off FTX Digital Markets and the Bahamian liquidators from securing any of the

crypto exchange’s assets for their respective winding-up estate.

Answering the outstanding questions was why the Bahamian trio, in their first Supreme Court report, had recommended extending FTX Digital Markets’ liquidation by a further six months to August 2023.

That has now morphed into a near nine-month extension.

That extension, Mr Simms and Messrs Cambridge and Greaves argued, would maintain value and “optionality” in FTX Digital Markets’ licence, which would be terminated if placed into full liquidation.

And an extension would also allow them to “develop options to maximise returns to creditors via a platform reorganisation, which could include restarting the international platform in some format.

“The joint provisional liquidators are co-operating with the Chapter 11 debtors in this regard, but it is thought likely that it will take three to four months to agree a plan. That will then take time to implement.”

Lasting co-operation has proven elusive to-date, but the trio wrote at the time: “Ordinarily, it might be expected that a provisional liquidation outcome would be concluded within six months of a petition date.

“However, given the complexity of the case and the need to review and implement the matters outlined above, in addition to the value and volume of the likely creditor claims, the joint provisional liquidators’ recommendation to the Supreme Court is an extension of the provisional liquidation for a further six months in order to be able to determine and progress key matters.”

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, November 8, 2023, PAGE 21

CLOUD FIRM’S LEADING ROLE IN CARIBBEAN’S ICT WEEK A BAHAMAS-headquartered technology firm and its business partner featured prominently during the recent Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) ICT Week 2023 held in Barbados.

Cloud Carib and VMware, a global leader in cloud computing and virtualisation software, sponsored the event and hosted a panel discussion.

Under the theme ‘Embracing a digital Caribbean: Opportunities for growth and innovation’, the conference brought together key stakeholders from across the region to discuss the latest trends and developments in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector. The panel highlighted the efforts needed to support innovation, governance and sustainability within the Caribbean.

The discussion hosted by Cloud Carib and VMware, entitled ‘Innovate, govern, sustain: How sovereign cloud supports Caribbean digitalisation’, featured both local and international speakers who spoke on data protection, digital sovereignty and the role of the Caribbean’s digital economy.

The panel, which was moderated by Eamonn Sheehy, Cloud Carib’s director of public sector, also featured Carlos Oliveira, counsellor for information society and digital market, European Union external service EU Delegation in Brazil; Richard Damoser, director of cloud sales, strategy and planning (VCPP) at VMware; and Bartlett

Morgan, attorney and managing director of Chancery Advocates, Barbados.

The panellists highlighted the many aspects of sovereign cloud, including the National Digital Governance Sovereignty Framework and its potential $300bn economic impact. This framework provides a key set of guidelines for Caribbean governments to develop and implement their own sovereign cloud solutions covering a range of areas, including data sovereignty, cyber security and regulatory compliance to enable cross-border transactions and regional business development.

This would enable governments to handle data protection, online security and regulations for international business related to data. The panellists concluded with key challenges and opportunities for adopting sovereign cloud in the Caribbean, which include the lack of awareness of sovereign cloud among Caribbean governments and businesses.

They recommended that regional governments prioritise data sovereignty to promote digitisation and provide the necessary human skills for digital transformation.

Mr Sheehy said: “We believe that the panel discussion was a valuable opportunity for experts to exchange ideas and share insights on this important topic, and we look forward to continuing to work with CTU and other stakeholders to promote the adoption of sovereign cloud in the Caribbean.”

EAMONN SHEEHY, director of public sector at Cloud Carib, and Bartlett Morgan, attorney and managing director of Chancery Advocates, Barbados, discuss the key challenges and opportunities for adopting sovereign cloud in the Caribbean at the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) ICT Week 2023, held in Barbados earlier this month.

VIRTUAL panellists Carlos Oliveira, counsellor for information society and digital market, European Union External Service - EU delegation in Brazil; and Richard Damoser, director of cloud sales, strategy and planning (VCPP) at VMware, engaged in insightful discussions on data protection, digital sovereignty and the role of the Caribbean’s digital economy.

PUBLIC NOTICE

INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL The Public is hereby advised that we, NICOLE HIGGS of Victoria Street, Twynam Subdivison and ROYSTON McKENZIE of Spanish Wells, Eleuthera, The Bahamas, parents of AMHAAD RASHAD HIGGS intend to change my child’s name to AMHAAD RASHAD McKENZIE. 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.

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that ISHNADA VICTOR of Kendal Road, Blue Hill South, Nassau, The Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 1st day of November, 2023 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

NOTICE is hereby given that DAVID YAQUE PEREZ, P.O. Box CB 13069 Delaprte Point, Nassau, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 1st day of November 2023 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

The Public is hereby advised that I, KEISHA L. MILLER of P.O Box SB SB-50279 Sea Breeze Blvd, Nassau, The Bahamas, Mother of KYLICIA HOLLIS MORTIMER A minor intend to change my child’s name to KYLICIA HOLLIS MILLER If there are any objections to this change of name by Deed Poll, you may write such objections to the Deputy Chief Passport Officer, P.O. Box N-742, Nassau, Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice.

NOTICE

NOTICE

FF INVESTMENTS LTD.

NOTICE is hereby given that JANEE MULLINGS, Blueberry, Fox Hill, Nassau, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 8th day of November 2023 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE is hereby given that PATRICIA FREDERIC of Third Street #60, Nassau, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 8th day of November, 2023 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE

Pelrose Wealth Management Ltd.

Pepe Tree Inc. In Voluntary Liquidation

In Voluntary Liquidation

Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Section 138(4) of the International Business Companies Act. 2000, Pelrose Wealth Management Ltd. is in dissolution as of November 2nd, 2023 International Liquidator Services Ltd. situated at rd loor hitfield o er oney ri e Belize City, Belize is the Liquidator.

Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Section 138(4) of the International Business Companies Act. 2000, Pepe Tree Inc. is in dissolution as of October 31st, 2023 NESTOR GUSTAVO CARDOZO GARCIA situated at CL JUNCAL 1305 TUPI A1104 MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY, is the Liquidator.

INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL

LEGAL NOTICE International Business Companies Act (No. 45 of 2000) (the “Company”) Notice is hereby given that, in accordance with Section 138 (8) of the International Business Companies Act, No.45 of 2000, the Dissolution of FF INVESTMENTS LTD. has been com leted a ertificate of issolution has been issued and the Company has therefore been struck off the Register. The date of completion of the Dissolution was the 18th October, 2023.

Gustavo dos Santos Vaz Liquidator NOTICE

MARCOS SCHEIBEL PARTICIPACOES LTD. Incorporated under the International Business Companies Act, 2000 of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

Registration Number 205399 B (In Voluntary Liquidation) Notice is hereby given that the above-named Company is in dissolution, commencing on the 6th day of November, A.D. 2023.

Articles of Dissolution have been duly registered by the Registrar.

The Liquidator is Mr. Marcos Scheibel, whose address is Rua Antonio Saber 70, CEP 91220-640, Porto Alegre, Brazil. Persons having a Claim against the above-named Company are required on or before the 6th day of December, A.D. 2023 to send their names, addresses and particulars of their debts or claims to the Liquidator of the Company, or in default thereof they may be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such claim is proved.

Dated this 8th day of November, A.D. 2023

LI Q U I DAT O R ______________________

LI Q U I DAT O R ______________________

MARCOS SCHEIBEL Liquidator

PAGE 22, Wednesday, November 8, 2023

THE TRIBUNE

‘BIT MUCH’ TO ONLY BLAME BAHAMAS OVER FTX FAIL

By FAY SIMMONS regulate the digital asset Tribune Business Reporter space effectively. jsimmons@tribunemedia.net Ms Rolle pointed out that FTX was regulated in 19 jurisdictions, including The THE SECURITIES Bahamas, and therefore it Commission’s top executive was a “bit much’” for the yesterday said it was a “bit country to take responsibilmuch” for The Bahamas ity for the crypto exchange’s to take all the blame over November 2022 implosion.

She said: “I think that, the FTX crypto currency though, The Bahamas has exchange’s collapse.

Christina Rolle, the capital to appreciate - and persons in The Bahamas particularly markets regulator’s execuhave to appreciate - that tive director, was responding FTX was regulated in 19 to a question at the Baha- jurisdictions, one of which mas Institute of Chartered was here. And so to take on Accountants (BICA) annual the responsibility of all that accountants week seminars happened upon ourselves I after she was asked whether think is a bit much.”

Sam Bankman-Fried’s guilty Another BICA attendee verdict raised concerns asked about The Bahamas’ over this nation’s ability to attractiveness to digital asset

operators, and what legislative changes have been made, in the wake of FTX’s collapse.

Ms Rolle replied that The Bahamas is a regulated jurisdiction and, although some firms were attracted to the jurisdiction by FTX’s presence, the interest generated by the Digital Assets and Registered Exchanges (DARE) Act was stronger than the market response generated by other legislation.

She said: “I think one of the things we have to realise when we talk about the interest that is in the jurisdiction, is that there was quite a bit of interest in the jurisdiction because FTX was here.

“And so, when you discount for that, I think we’re still seeing a very healthy interest in the jurisdiction, certainly faster than other pieces of legislation that we’ve introduced. So I would say it’s healthy.”

Ms Rolle added that many of the imminent reforms made to the DARE Act were due to developments in the digital assets industry and not solely a response to FTX. She said: “I think that, for the most part, most of what was in the Bills that came out for consultation in April were developments that came through crypto. I don’t know that they’re specific to FTX as they are to the crypto world on the whole.”

CHRISTINA ROLLE

Insurance regulator in blacklist ‘what if’ look THE INSURANCE Commission was yesterday said to be looking at “what if” scenarios to ensure insurers have access to sufficient reinsurance capacity if The Bahamas stays on Europe’s tax blacklist.

Michelle Fields, the regulator’s superintendent of insurance, reaffirmed to the Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants (BICA) accountants’ week seminars that it is vital for The Bahamas to escape the 27-nation European Union’s (EU) non-cooperative listing to ensure German reinsurers are not hit by punitive sanctions.

She explained that many Bahamian property and

casualty underwriters obtain reinsurance from companies in the EU, especially Germany, which will impose penalties on companies doing business with blacklisted nations from 2025 onwards. This potential threat comes at a time when The Bahamas and wider Caribbean are dealing with higher reinsurance costs and reduced capacity over the mega storm threat.

Mrs Fields said: “Many reinsurers have not only raised their rates, but they’ve also reduced the amount of capacity offered to the region. This is of concern, as the risk of under-insurance will increase and the access to insurance is likely to diminish. Many of the reinsurance companies used by our domestic insurers [are] companies out of Europe.

ADVERTISE TODAY! CALL THE TRIBUNE TODAY @ 502-2394

BAIC EYES PARK FOR BANANA PRODUCTION

By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

“And so in addition to the hard market, Germany has passed a law which puts a punitive tax on companies regarding their business with countries which have been blacklisted by the EU. This law will come into effect essentially in 2025.

And it’s one of the reasons why it is critical for The Bahamas to come off the blacklist during the next evaluation in 2024. “ Mrs Fields said the Insurance Commission is now looking into the “what if’s” to ensure that Bahamian insurers can operate with less reinsurance capacity, while private insurers are looking into their reinsurance structures.

She said: “And so we are looking at the ‘what if’s’. This includes looking at a company’s capacity to retain more risk considering

lower-rated reinsurers and what does that mean. And we’re looking at business continuity plans of insurers.

Companies are looking at the structure of their reinsurance programmes with their brokers and looking for cost savings and capacity availability.”

Mrs Fields said insurance premiums, particularly for catastrophic coverage, have increased in recent years due in part to the rise in reinsurance costs. The Bahamian property and casualty insurance market is especially susceptible to this as it passes on up to 80 percent of its risk to reinsurers.

She said: “As insurance policyholders, I’m sure that many of you would have felt the increase in insurance premiums over the past two years, particularly

as it relates to catastrophic cover.

“The general insurance market in The Bahamas cedes between 60 to 80 percent of their risks to reinsurance. This, of course, enables companies to operate with a lesser amount of capital as they share the cost of claims with the reinsurer.”

Mrs Fields added that reinsurers are moving away from underwriting certain risks, leading to a decrease in availability and an increase in cost.

She said: “The market has hardened over the past few years, which means that the availability of reinsurance is decreasing and the cost is increasing.

“This has been the trend since around the mid-2000s, with COVID arguably being the final

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net

economy’ by holding more workshops and conferences targeted at artists and other cultural entrepreneurs.

He said: “What we want to do now is we want our people, our artisans, to take advantage of what we have in this country. We want to get those artisans and those processors who make lotions and shampoos; we want to get them into the hotels.

When they go on Bay Street and at the Straw Market, we want to see more Bahamian products in the Straw Market.”

BAIC has established a unit to deal with the “mobility” of these projects so Bahamians can soon begin to see the benefits of the agency’s efforts.

As for the SBDC MoU’s signing, Mr Major added: “While BAIC serves as the business arm of the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources to encourage the development of small and medium-sized enterprises

THE Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation’s (BAIC) chairman yesterday said it plans to create a park for farmers interested in banana and plantain production.

Leroy Major, speaking at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between BAIC and the Small Business Development Centre (SBDC), said the initiative is part of the drive to make The Bahamas more “self-sufficient” through increased domestic food production.

“So we’re going to create a park where we will give land to more farmers who are interested in being a part of this project,” he added of banana and plantain farming. Mr Major added that BAIC will also be “capitalising” on the so-called ‘orange

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that ALEXIS BAILEY AGRAMONTE, Central Pine, Dundas Town, Abaco, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 1st day of November 2023 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

MICHELE FIELDS thrust. Reinsurers are looking at the opportunity cost of capital and, as interest rates improve, the risk-free return on capital encouraged insurers to assess their portfolio and move away from underwriting certain risks, or else requiring a higher return for the risk.

“I’m not going to talk about climate change, which of course we say is responsible for the increase in frequency and severity of storms, as this also impacts insurance rates.” in the country, the SBDC is the Government agency responsible for assessing loan applications for small and medium-sized businesses seeking government guarantees.

“We have provided entrepreneurs with land for farming and touristic development, and assisted with business plans for their projects. But many of them continue to be challenged because of lack of funding.

“SBDC will now step in and play a critical role in providing prospective small and medium-sized business loan applicants with critical seed money to assist in the advancement and overall development of entrepreneurship in the country.”

Samantha Rolle, the SBDC’s executive director, said the partnership with BAIC dated to 2019 when the two agencies signed their first MoU to help craft business plans for entrepreneurs.

This partnership grew to provide support and advisory services for agricultural and handicraft products.

Ms Rolle said: “I am elated to see the collaboration between BAIC and SBDC come full circle as we signed another Memorandum of Understanding to take our relationship one step further towards ensuring that we can now stimulate entrepreneurs with much-needed financial assistance almost seamlessly.”

REALTOR UNVEILS $2.4M TRANSACTION IN EXUMA A BAHAMIAN real estate firm yesterday announced the sale of a seven-acre Pipe Cay property, located in the Exumas island chain, for $2.4m.4 MAISON Bahamas, which opened in January 2022, said in a statement that client advisor, Christopher Adderley, played a key role in facilitating the sale.

“We are delighted to have transacted this exceptional property in Exuma,” said Mr Adderley. “Exuma is a place of unparalleled natural beauty, and this sale exemplifies the allure of The Bahamas as a prime destination for luxury real estate investment.”

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, November 8, 2023, PAGE 23

BAHAMAS ECONOMY WEIGHS ON FAMILY GUARDIAN RATINGS CONCERNS over overall economic conditions in The Bahamas continue to weigh on the creditworthiness of a BISX-listed insurer, the industry’s main global rating agency signalled yesterday.

AM Best, in affirming the current financial strength and creditworthiness ratings assigned to Family Guardian and its listed parent, FamGuard Corporation, said it was worried about how global economic conditions are impacting The Bahamas.

“Concerns remain regarding global economic conditions and their negative impact on The Bahamas,” it added in its Family Guardian assessment. “AM Best will continue to monitor the economic conditions in The Bahamas and will take appropriate rating actions as they change.”

The rating agency linked these concerns to Family Guardian’s “geographic concentration” in The Bahamas, and lack of diversification with 100

percent of its business based here. As a result, it is heavily exposed to this nation’s macroeconomic vulnerabilities.

Aside from worries over The Bahamas’ economic strength, which have likely constrained its ratings, AM Best was largely positive about Family Guardian’s economic performance and business model.

It affirmed the BISXlisted insurer’s existing financial strength rating of ‘B++’ (Good) and longterm issuer credit rating

of ‘bbb+’ (Good). It also affirmed the long-term issuer credit rating of ‘bb+’ (Fair) assigned to FamGuard Corporation, its parent, with the outlook on all these credit ratings deemed stable.

“The ratings reflect Family Guardian’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strong, as well as its strong operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM),” AM Best said.

“The balance sheet strength assessment reflects Family Guardian’s riskadjusted capital at the very strong level, as measured

by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), the elimination of financial leverage and strong liquidity, which is offset by its limited investment options and high concentration of sovereign debt holdings.”

AM Best continued: “Family Guardian’s operating performance remains strong, with a continued trend of positive net

earnings with low volatility from year to year, which have supported capital growth.

“The business profile assessment considers Family Guardian’s good market position in The Bahamas and creditworthy product offerings offset by its geographic concentration in THe Bahamas. The company’s ERM framework and governance structure are appropriate for its risk profile.”

UNIVERSITY OF BAHAMAS TEAMS OVER FINTECH COURSE’S LAUNCH

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE UNIVERSITY of The Bahamas (UoB) says it has launched a 12-week course to educate locals on the technologies and digital assets driving financial services industry change.

The university, in a statement, said it has begun the FinTech Regulatory Innovation Programme (UBFTRI) in partnership with the Cambridge Centre for Alternative

Finance (CCAF) and Securities Commission of The Bahamas.

The initiative involves a 12-week, tutor-led online programme delivered to financial services professionals, policymakers and regulators at central banks sand other agencies, plus and ministries of finance.

Participants will learn the technologies and business models that are transforming the financial industry.

The University of The Bahamas said the programme’s focus is on developing evidence-based

regulatory, supervisory and policy responses to the development of financial technology. Its faculty is comprised of leading economists, lawyers, engineers, regulators and development professionals in interactive online lectures.

Each participant will be guided by a tutor in small tutorial groups, and will be assisted in developing a capstone project that they will present in their respective organisation.

Previous projects have included the launch of new regulatory and market

development initiatives, improvements to existing innovation offices, and the formation of inter-jurisdictional collaborations.

To-date, more than 1,600 officials working in financial regulators, policymakers and industry practitioners have participated and been trained through the programme. They represent 340-plus organisations in more than 145 jurisdictions that have come through the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance and Cambridge Judge Business School.

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-DAY FORECAST

ORLANDO

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 64° F/18° C

TAMPA

TONIGHT

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Mostly sunny and pleasant

Mainly clear

Sunny to partly cloudy and pleasant

Partly sunny and delightful

Mostly cloudy

Breezy in the morning; mostly sunny

High: 83°

Low: 74°

High: 84° Low: 73°

High: 85° Low: 74°

High: 84° Low: 76°

High: 86° Low: 77°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

88° F

77° F

92°-75° F

92°-77° F

91°-78° F

92°-79° F

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 66° F/19° C

E

W

ABACO

S

N

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 75° F/24° C

8-16 knots

S

WEST PALM BEACH High: 84° F/29° C Low: 72° F/22° C

7-14 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 73° F/23° C

N E S

E

W

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 71° F/22° C

MIAMI

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 74° F/23° C

6-12 knots

NASSAU

Today

3:58 a.m.

4:10 p.m.

2.5 2.6

10:08 a.m. 1.0 10:31 p.m. 0.7

ALMANAC

Thursday

4:43 a.m.

4:54 p.m.

2.7 2.6

10:57 a.m. 0.8 11:09 p.m. 0.5

Statistics are for Nassau through 1 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 82° F/28° C Low .................................................... 79° F/26° C Normal high ....................................... 82° F/28° C Normal low ........................................ 71° F/21° C Last year’s high .................................. 87° F/30° C Last year’s low ................................... 73° F/23° C Precipitation As of 1 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.04” Year to date ................................................ 48.29” Normal year to date ................................... 36.41”

Friday

5:23 a.m.

5:35 p.m.

2.9 2.6

11:42 a.m. 0.6 11:45 p.m. 0.3

Saturday

6:02 a.m.

6:14 p.m.

3.0 2.6

12:24 p.m. 0.4 ---------

Sunday

6:41 a.m.

6:54 p.m.

3.2 2.6

12:21 a.m. 0.2 1:05 p.m. 0.3

Monday

7:19 a.m.

7:34 p.m.

3.3 2.5

12:58 a.m. 0.1 1:47 p.m. 0.2

Tuesday

8:00 a.m.

8:15 p.m.

3.3 2.5

1:36 a.m.

2:29 p.m.

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2023

High: 81° F/27° C Low: 77° F/25° C

N

KEY WEST

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 75° F/24° C

Ht.(ft.)

0.0 0.2

SUN AND MOON Sunrise Sunset

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 76° F/24° C

N

S

E

W

7-14 knots

S

8-16 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Low

6:22 a.m. Moonrise 5:25 p.m. Moonset

2:05 a.m.

2:49 p.m.

New

First

Full

Last

Nov. 13

Nov. 20

Nov. 27

Dec. 5

CAT ISLAND

E

W

TIDES FOR NASSAU Ht.(ft.)

ELEUTHERA

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 74° F/23° C

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

High

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

N

W

UV INDEX TODAY

TODAY

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 75° F/24° C

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 77° F/25° C

N

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 76° F/24° C

E

W S

LONG ISLAND

TRACKING MAP

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

8-16 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 86° F/30° C Low: 78° F/26° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 83° F/28° C Low: 79° F/26° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 88° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

N

H

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 79° F/26° C

E

W

E

W

N

S

S

8-16 knots

10-20 knots

MARINE FORECAST ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday:

WINDS NE at 7-14 Knots ENE at 7-14 Knots NE at 7-14 Knots E at 6-12 Knots NE at 8-16 Knots E at 8-16 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots E at 10-20 Knots NE at 8-16 Knots E at 8-16 Knots NE at 7-14 Knots ENE at 7-14 Knots NE at 8-16 Knots E at 8-16 Knots NE at 10-20 Knots E at 12-25 Knots NE at 8-16 Knots E at 10-20 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots ENE at 10-20 Knots NE at 7-14 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots NE at 8-16 Knots E at 10-20 Knots NE at 8-16 Knots E at 8-16 Knots

WAVES 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-2 Feet 0-1 Feet 2-4 Feet 3-6 Feet 2-4 Feet 3-6 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-6 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 2-4 Feet 3-5 Feet 1-3 Feet 3-6 Feet 3-5 Feet 4-8 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 3-5 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-3 Feet

VISIBILITY 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 79° F 79° F 80° F 80° F 81° F 81° F 82° F 82° F 80° F 80° F 80° F 80° F 81° F 81° F 83° F 83° F 82° F 82° F 82° F 82° F 80° F 80° F 82° F 82° F 81° F 81° F

business@tribunemedia.net

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2023

$6.10

$6.11

$6.01

$6.17

Union chief urges $350 minimum wage by June

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net A LABOUR leader yesterday called for a further minimum wage hike to $350 per week by June 2024 as he revealed that multiple trade unions have agreed to each “take a strike vote”.

Obie Ferguson, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) president, told Tribune Business that the umbrella body’s 30 affiliates

resolved just over one week ago to “test the waters and see if members want to do what has to be done” by taking a strike vote as a tactic to pressure the Government and private employers over outstanding industrial issues.

Besides that move, which threatens to raise workplace temperatures, he backed the Prime Minister’s recent assertion that the $260m per week minimum wage “is not yet where we

would all like it to be” by advocating for a further rise to $350 by mid-2024.

Mr Ferguson told this newspaper that the $90, or 34.6 percent, increase for the workforce’s lowest earners was justified by the growing struggles that many Bahamians are facing in making ends meet due to the fall-out from rising prices that have fuelled the cost of living crisis.

And, even though the Government has repeatedly

touted that The Bahamas is on pace to attract a record eight million tourists this year, he argued that “the workers are not benefiting” from an economy predicted to grow by between 3-4 percent during 2023.

The TUC chief also renewed calls for law reforms that would allow gratuities, or tips, to be included in the calculation for vacation pay. This, and

SEE PAGE A18

Bahamas in up to $60bn boost via carbon credits

Balmoral residents target earlier threat to ‘integrity’

By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE BAHAMAS could build a fund worth up to $60bn by 2050 to finance environmental and climate change protection if it maximises its blue carbon credits, a financial analyst predicted yesterday.

Anthony Ferguson, CFAL’s president and cofounder, who is playing a key role in The Bahamas’ bid to monetise the value of its ocean-based carbon ‘sinks’ such as mangroves and seagrass beds, estimated that revenues worth billions could be generated from selling the blue carbon credits this initiative is designed to produce.

Speaking at the Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants (BICA) accountants’ week seminars, he said this nation’s carbon credits will only be sold to persons working

ANTHONY FERGUSON towards similar environmentally-sustainable goals.

Mr Ferguson said: “What we are trying to do is be responsible, while at the same time maximising the value that we can get so that we could be in a position by 2050 to have an endowment fund that’s probably $40, $50 or $60bn that could then be reinvested to protect ourselves.”

The CFAL chief said the revenue generated from selling these blue carbon credits will be used to

SEE PAGE A20

‘Big step forward’: $80m Bimini airport overhaul

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE PRIME Minister has hailed the upcoming $80m investment in Bimini’s airport by a private consortium as “a big step forward” in boosting both tourism plus entrepreneurial and job opportunities.

Speaking at the signing of a public-private partnership (PPP) agreement with the Bimini Airport Development Partners group, Philip Davis KC promised that the deal’s terms will “ensure that Bahamians in general, and Biminites in particular, benefit the most from this development”.

“Bahamianisation, my friends, is in full effect,” he pledged at the signing

ceremony. “Ownership and operation of retail businesses and concessions at the Bimini airport will be restricted to Bahamians.

The airport will also provide new opportunities for Bahamian job seekers while maintaining existing employees with similar, if not more, favourable terms.

“In short, the airport will employ Bahamians and promote Bahamian businesses. With the upcoming signing of this airport agreement we don’t just want planes to take off. We want businesses to soar, too.”

Mr Davis added that the PPP will facilitate increased airlift by improving the runway and terminal experience, while also providing the platform to increase

SEE PAGE A17

BALMORAL residents have moved to overturn approvals granted for an earlier fourstorey condo hotel proposal, which “threatens the integrity of the community”, due to noncompliance with legal processes.

The Sanford Drive community’s Owners Association, and Phase One Condominium Association, in their November 6, 2023, notice of appeal argued that the Town Planning Committee committed multiple breaches of the Planning and Subdivision Act 2010 and its own rules in giving the Balmoral

Club the go-ahead for a condo hotel that was half the size of the eight-storey project recently rejected.

Tribune Business sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, yesterday confirmed the gated community’s homeowners were unaware of the February 22, 2022, approvals granted to the four-storey proposal until the Balmoral Club recently sought a “deviation” from those permissions to change the development’s location and double its height.

The latter 50-unit, eight-storey project was rejected by the Town Planning Committee late last month because it is “incompatible” with land use and development

OBIE FERGUSON

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BALMORAL CLUB CONDO RENDERING trends in the community.

Following that decision, the homeowners associations are now bidding to kill the Balmoral Club’s condo hotel ambitions off entirely by overturning the original four-storey plan’s approvals.

“Town Planning never published the information that there was going to be a hearing on the fourstorey,” one contact said.

“People were shocked, and didn’t learn about it until the eight-storey application was made. They were like: ‘What do you mean, a four-storey hotel?’

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FTX Bahamas signals fresh Ray ‘progress’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net FTX Bahamas’ liquidators and their US adversary yesterday suspended all scheduled legal filings as they bid to resolve their dispute outside the courtroom.

Documents filed with the Delaware Bankruptcy Court reiterated that FTX Digital Markets’ Bahamian provisional liquidators and John Ray, head of the crypto exchange’s 134 US entities presently in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, “are making progress” in efforts to reach a cooperation agreement and avoid further time-consuming and costly legal battles that only disadvantage the crypto exchange’s creditors.

“The parties are making progress on resolving this adversary proceeding and believe it is in their best interests to focus their attention on promptly

JOHN RAY concluding discussions and documenting any such resolution,” their joint legal filing yesterday confirmed.

As a result, both sides “agree to an abeyance of all deadlines” relating to upcoming legal filings so that they can have time and space to settle their differences away from the courts. This comes just days after Brian Simms KC, the Lennox Paton senior partner, and the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) accounting duo of Kevin Cambridge and Peter Greaves, informed

SEE PAGE A20