Briland operator: Two-year ban threatens Bahamas-US ‘conflict’
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
A BRILAND tourism operator has warned a Florida court that imposing a two-year ban on “competing” with its former partner will directly conflict with a Supreme Court Order and has no standing due to an $800,000-plus Bahamian tax debt.
Julian ‘Shaq’ Gibson, operator of the Conch & Coconut tour operator, destination management and visitor “concierge” business, in legal papers filed
with the south Florida federal court argued that shutting his company down for 24 months - as demanded by his ex-US partner, Pablo Conde - would cause “irreconcilable conflict” with a Bahamian court Order issued that very same day.
For Justice Simone Fitzcharles, on November 14, 2025, ordered that Mr Conde and his US-domiciled companies be barred from interfering or intervening with Mr Gibson and the latter’s Harbour Island-based operations until the full trial over the disputes created
Sarkis and CCA ordered into mediation on $1.8bn damages
• Nassau hotels-owning entity to ‘participate’
• ‘Good faith attempt’ to resolve 10-year fight
• Developer battles to collect from contractor
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
BAHA Mar’s contractor and Sarkis Izmirlian have been ordered to “make a good faith attempt” to resolve the latter’s bid to collect on his now-$1.8bn damages award via mediation that will also involve the entity that owns two Nassau hotels.
Christine Gravelle, chief judge at the New Jersey federal bankruptcy court, in a November 13, 2025, order called on Baha Mar’s original developer, China Construction America (CCA) and its Chinese parent to resolve “all or
some of the issues” stemming from the former’s successful New York claim for fraud and breach of contract over his ousting
by the “messy dissolution” of their business partnership occurs.
The Order also prevents Mr Conde from filing a winding-up petition, and/or seeking to put Conch & Coconut’s Bahamian operations into liquidation, over a demand that he be paid $855,774 representing sums allegedly due under a ‘lease and buyback’ deal where Mr Gibson purportedly agreed to acquire the business and its assets from his US partner via a series of payments to be made over a ten-year period.
And Mr Gibson, in his separate November 14, 2025, legal filings
with the Florida court, argued that Mr Conde has no standing or grounds to seek a two-year ban on Conch & Coconut’s Bahamian operations from competing with him because it is the ex-US partner who has breached the deal by failing to pay more than $800,000 in past due Bahamian taxes.
• No ‘compete ban’ basis due to $800k unpaid taxes
The ‘lease and buyback’ deal commits Mr Conde to settling all outstanding VAT and Business Licence fee debts with the Department of Inland Revenue, but he previously refused to pay on the basis that the taxes demanded were “grossly inflated” and he - and Conch & Coconutare actually owed $100,000. Mr Gibson, demanding that the dispute with Mr Conde be resolved in The Bahamas and not the south Florida federal courts, argued that the latter should not interfere with the Supreme
BCA chief: Building Code woes led to Arawak Cay ‘catastrophe’
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
BUILDING Code violations and non-existent enforcement “contributed to the entirety of the catastrophe” that Arawak Cay suffered on Sunday, the Bahamian Contractors Association’s president argued yesterday, adding that regulatory agencies had “breached their duty of care”.
Leonard Sands, speaking out after the early morning blaze destroyed seven Fish Fry eateries, causing an estimated $1.5m in total damage and threatening several hundred livelihoods, told Tribune Business it was “amazing” that former “shacks” had been allowed to evolve
into fully-fledged restaurants without having to meet Building Code requirements to operate the latter.
Pointing out that the law mandates restaurants seating more than 20-25 guests must install water sprinkler and fire suppressor systems, he asserted that the failure to enforce these measures at the Arawak Cay Fish Fry not only aided the spread and scale of Sunday’s blaze but potentially placed the Bahamian public “at risk”.
Mr Sands said the fire had again exposed the inability of government regulatory agencies to “enforce anything”, and said the blame lay with successive FNM and PLP administrations given that Arawak Cay has been
in existence for more than 30 years as both a tourist attraction and destination for Bahamians and residents.
Noting that Arawak Cay is continuing to expand, especially to the east, the BCA chief challenged whether any regulatory agency has taken responsibility for controlling this. He added that the inability of many Fish Fry restaurants and building owners to obtain insurance for their properties
highlighted the location’s “high risk” nature.
And, citing comments by both Prime Minister Philip Davis KC and Sebas Bastian, the PLP’s Fort Charlotte general election candidate, that the fire provides an “opportunity to start with a clean slate”, Mr Sands urged the Government to work with the BCA on Building Code-compliant plans that would redevelop Arawak Cay’s western end in a sustainable way.
Environmentalists urge fines for looted barge’s grounding
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
ENVIRONMENTAL advocates yesterday called for fines and penalties to be levied against the parties responsible for the barge that grounded off Abaco as they voiced fears “there’s significant damage to the reef” on which it became stuck.
Oliva Patterson, executive director of Abaco-based Friends of the Environment, told Tribune
Business it was “unfortunate” that last week’s looting of the Brooklyn Bridge had diverted attention away from the potential impact its grounding may have for the area’s reef ecosystems as well as the livelihoods of local fishermen and tour operators.
Emphasising that environmental advocates do not condone the removal of goods from the barge, she added that it was vital whoever was responsible for its grounding finance
any reef restoration and clean-up necessary, asserting: “If we have legislation in place to do environmental fines we need to put it into action.”
“A team is heading to Abaco tomorrow to begin the reef assessment,” she said last night. “Damage to coral reefs can incur a fine of $20,000. We will know more about the damage after the assessment is completed.”
Ms Patterson said The Bahamas is “highly at risk” of suffering events such as the Brooklyn Bridge’s grounding due to its
Dr Rhianna Neely-Murphy, the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection’s director, in messaged replies to this newspaper’s inquiries said that an assessment team will assess the impacted reef - located in the channel between Nunjack Cay and Ambergris Cay - today to determine the extent of any damage.
Fire-ravaged Arawak Cay owners to ‘return stronger’
By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net
RESTAURANT owners whose businesses were destroyed by Sunday’s Arawak Cay fire yesterday pledged to rebuild and resume operations after suffering an estimated collective $1.5m in damages and losses.
Goldie’s Conch House, which employs about 70
staff, said in a statement it will “rebuild, return and come back stronger”. The restaurant also extended sympathy to fellow business owners impacted by the fire and said updates on the restoration process will be shared in the coming days.
“Goldie's has always been more than a restaurant; it's a gathering place, a family legacy and a piece of the Bahamian story. Seeing it impacted in this
way is truly heartbreaking, but we are choosing hope. We are choosing resilience. And we are choosing to move forward with determination,” said Goldie’s.
“This chapter is painful, but it is not the end. We will rebuild, return and come back stronger. In the days ahead, we will share updates on our progress and ways you can support or get involved. For now, we ask for your continued
prayers as we begin the process of restoration.” Rodney Russell, president of the Arawak Cay Conch, Fish, Vegetable and Food Vendors Association, and owner of Red Snapper, which was partially lost to the fire, also revealed plans to rebuild his business.
Mr Russell estimated his losses at $300,000, and damages across the strip at collectively $1.5m. He
Arawak Cay Fish Fry fire
Sarkis Izmrlian
ROSEWOOD EXUMA MOVE TO ‘AVOID FURTHER DELAYS’
By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net
THE DEVELOPER
of the $200m Rosewood Exuma project yesterday reiterated that its decision to submit a revised site plan application was designed to “avoid further delays” and resolve the concerns of opponents, who said the move is “exactly what we wanted to hear”.
The Save Exuma Alliance (SEA), in a statement, said it was “extremely pleased” at the move by the project’s Miami-based developer, Yntegra Group, to submit a new site plan application to the Department of Physical Planning.
It also backed the relocation of the $200m Rosewood Exuma project’s service dock - a move that meant the plan will have to be revised. However, Save Exuma Alliance stressed that reconsideration of the service dock location is only a first step, adding that the project must go further to ensure responsible development that protects and
complements the surrounding environment.
“This is exactly what we wanted to hear. We always said we are not against business and development, but it must be suitable and sustainable for the location.
Now that the developer is submitting a new plan, this is a perfect opportunity to relaunch consultations and to truly listen to what people have to say, and to
Restaurants voice concern over emergency resources
REBUILD - from page B1
noted that although vendors affected by the fire lost all assets, equipment and structures, they are “extremely resilient” and will rebuild and continue to serve the public.
“It took some 34 years to build what we have. Everything was lost - equipment, products and the structure - so now this whole place have to be rebuilt,” said Mr Russell. “We only need the public to be patient with us. We are extremely resilient.”
Restaurants at Arawak Cay not affected by the fire also spoke out, highlighting that the incident exposed serious gaps in emergency resources, especially the lack of reliable access to fresh water during fires.
Joey’s Seafood Restaurant and Lounge, in a statement, voiced gratitude to the first responders who acted quickly to contain the situation but noted the
critical need for improved emergency resources on New Providence.
It called for action to address these gaps, advocating for the development of better infrastructure and emergency preparedness systems.
“As business owners of the community that is the ‘Fish Fry’, we all care deeply about the safety and resilience of Arawak Cay. This community is a cornerstone of our culture, tourism and national identity. Strengthening our preparedness today protects our businesses and our people tomorrow. We remain committed to doing our part and working alongside the wider community to support a safer and more resilient Arawak Cay,” said Joey’s Seafood Restaurant and Lounge.
“Our hearts are with the vendors, employees and patrons affected by the fire. May you rebuild stronger and better than before. We stand with you during this difficult time, willing to assist however we can.”
make sure this development does not put the environment of the North Bay at risk,” said Save Exuma Alliance.
The group also raised questions about existing environmental approvals. While it is unclear whether these clearances still apply to the new site plan application, Save Exuma Alliance said any revised application
should undergo a full review to assess the changes.
It called on the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP) to clarify the process and ensure a transparent and detailed analysis of the project’s environmental impact.
“We do not know what this means yet for environmental clearances already granted for the project,
but if this is a new plan then it should surely need to get new clearances that assess changes. It would be good for the Department of Environment Planning and Protection to provide clarity. Let’s get this right – make sure there is a thorough, detailed, transparent analysis of what the impact of the development will be. If we’re going to do it, do it right,” said Save Exuma Alliance.
Yntegra Group said the company opted to relocate the service dock to “resolve the concerns” of neighbours.
In a statement yesterday, it highlighted that the Rosewood Exuma project was shaped through months of public consultation, independent technical studies and detailed review by the Town Planning Committee and DEPP.
The developer said legal challenges are “not unusual” for large projects, and it is voluntarily addressing them to avoid delays, maintain certainty for stakeholders, and ensure the project delivers longterm benefits to the Exuma
Cays while maintaining respectful relations with neighbours.
“Legal challenges of this kind are not unusual for major developments. To avoid further delays and bring certainty to all stakeholders, Yntegra has elected to seek to resolve the concerns raised by its neighbours. Our goal has always been to work respectfully with our neighbours and to bring meaningful, long-term benefits to the Exuma Cays community,” said Yntegra.
“Yntegra remains committed to transparency, environmental stewardship and compliance with all regulatory processes. Our confidence in this project, and our dedication to the Exuma Cays are unwavering, and we fully expect to create more than 500 jobs and business opportunities for Bahamians in Exuma, the cays and across the country. We are dedicated to delivering sustainable community development in an environmentally sound manner while creating meaningful economic impact in The Bahamas.”
PM: NEW SKILLS INITIATIVE TO CLOSE ‘POSSIBILITY GAP’
THE Prime Minister says the newly-launched Upskill Bahamas initiative will allow Bahamians to close the “possibility gap” between their career ambitions and the skills they require to fulfill these dreams.
Philip Davis KC, speaking at the launch of the online learning and skills resource for Bahamians, said: “So, if you are interested in gaining new skills to qualify for a job, or if you are interested in advancing in your current job, or switching to a new field, or starting or growing your own business, Upskill Bahamas can provide you with free access to first-class online courses, including opportunities to earn certificates in skills that employers want the most.”He added that technology advances are reshaping nearly every industry and field of work, with the pace of change evolving at rapid speed.
“We believe Bahamians can do more than simply adapt in this fast-changing environment; we believe that with access to upskilling and support, more and more Bahamians can thrive and prosper,” Mr Davis said.“Picture this: A young
man in Eleuthera learning how to design his first app, one he will sell to the world; a young woman in Bain Town, using her phone to take the course that gives her the confidence she needs to turn her new idea into a smart business plan; or an entrepreneur in Cat Island, learning the marketing skills he needs to turn his small business into a bigger one.
“Right now, in too many cases, we have what economists call a ‘skills gap’ – a mismatch between the skills we have and the skills we need to succeed. I think of it as a ‘possibility gap’ –the distance between what your skills allow you to do, and what you dream of doing.”Mr Davis asserted that the better The Bahamas gets at closing that gap, the more dreams will be realised.“As we gain new skills, we earn more –helping us as individuals, helping our families – but also, increasing investment and innovation in our economy,” he said. “It’s a virtuous cycle. When we invest in upskilling, we empower entire communities to unlock new opportunities.“One thing is for sure – the pace of
change is not going to slow down. So we just have to learn fast enough to keep up. If you’re a student, or a former student, or a jobseeker or an entrepreneur; if you need to strengthen basic skills, or add advanced ones, the important thing to know is that we are on your side.”
Those present included Glenys Hanna-Martin, minister of education and technical and vocational training; Lorraine Armbrister, her permanent secretary; Sebas Bastian, non-resident ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of The Bahamas to Central America, as well as the PLP’s candidate for Fort Charlotte, other government officials; education stakeholders and students. Mr Davis pointed out that his government wanted to give Bahamians the tools they need to bridge the gap between aspiration and achievement.“You know, we are working hard to build a 21st century economy with more ladders that lead more Bahamians up to success, but I want you to know that I know what it’s like to start up that ladder – and then you see a few rungs that are missing,” Prime Minister Davis said.He added that he knew what it was like to “feel you don’t know the right things or the right people”. Mr Davis said: “I know what it’s like to worry you’re missing education or missing tools others have. You can’t see how you’re supposed to go any further. My mission is to make sure that Bahamians never, ever stop there.“Our shared mission must be to make sure that we are there for our brothers and sisters at that precise moment when our encouragement and support can be the difference between a dream realised instead of deferred.”Mr Davis said that Upskill Bahamas is part of that mission, and it is “something new for The Bahamas – a flexible, modern way to learn in fast-changing times”.“You can learn when you have the time. You can learn during a lunch break, or when your toddler takes a nap, or after
work, or with friends on a weekend,” he said.“I know minister Hanna-Martin is working hard to strengthen our schools, including their literacy, numeracy and digital fluency curricula. No one believes in our children more than her. But changing big systems takes time – and most Bahamians are out of school. We must think of ourselves as continuous learners, lifelong learners –all of us.”Mr Davis pointed out that Bahamians needed to be able “to wear multiple hats – we will need a wide range of skills to be competitive”.“Our DigiLearn programme offers courses with BTVI and the University of The Bahamas in basic computing, in Microsoft Office, in e-commerce. Our ‘Wi-Fi in the Parks’ programme expands access to high-speed Internet,” he added. “Our JUMP programme with BTC is designed to help families with connectivity and laptops.“So Upskill is part of our larger efforts to bridge digital divides and to create new opportunities. We are starting with a substantial programme, one that can accommodate thousands of Bahamians, and we plan to continue updating and expanding the programme in response to the feedback we get from all of you, and in ongoing consultation with the private sector, so that the skills we’re offering are a good match for the skills they’re seeking.”Mr Davis said he believes Bahamian talent was “the engine that will drive the next phase of our country’s national development”.“That’s why we’re focused on creating new opportunities – and making sure Bahamians are ready to seize them – through education, upskilling, mentorship, grants, financing, access to expertise – so more Bahamians have a fair chance to maximise their God-given talents,” he added.“Nations that invest in their people always rise stronger. The world will keep changing but so will we, with confidence, and without leaving anyone behind; and that is our commitment.”
Rosewood Exuma project location
PRIME Minister Philip Davis KC addresses the launch of Upskill Bahamas, held at Goldwynn Resort and Residences, on November 14, 2025. Among those present were Glenys Hanna-Martin, minister of education and technical and vocational training; Lorraine Armbrister, her permanent secretary; Sebas Bastian, non-resident ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of The Bahamas to Central America, as well as the PLP’s candidate for Fort Charlotte, other government officials; education stakeholders and students.
Photo:Eric Rose/BIS
EXUMA TAXIS BLAMING RENTAL INFLUX FOR SLOW THANKSGIVING
By ANNELIA NIXON Tribune Business Reporter anixon@tribunemedia.net
EXUMA taxi operators yesterday blamed an influx of rental vehicles and Sandals Emerald Bays continued closure for what is shaping up to be a slow Thanksgiving.
Asserting that Exuma has seen an influx of rental vehicles since the Road Traffic Department issued numerous self-drive public service licence plates under the Minnis administration, Robin Thompson said he hopes the demand for taxis increases closer to Thanksgiving and the start of the peak winter tourism season.
He added that business for cab drivers in Exuma has been “extremely slow”, attributing it to the rise in rental vehicles and asserting
that 95 percent of visitors choose rental vehicles over taxi rides.
“I mean, truthfully, it is slow for the taxi drivers - extremely slow,” Mr Thompson said. “We have a flooded market with rental cars. The option for most of the guests that come is that they rent cars. Taxi drivers, at this point, get one or two jobs in a nine to ten-hour day.
“I haven't been coming out here because of how slow it was, but I started to because it's Thanksgiving month. We have two flights, four days out of the week, from American Eagle, and one or the other three days. And 95 percent of those guests, they go to rental cars. So we don't make no money like that.
“I know Thanksgiving season has just started.
The expectation is that you would not see a greater degree of visitor arrivals until right at Thanksgiving. Hopefully that brings a different flavour to the island. And then, one time ago, we used to have it where once we see the rental car place, the yards are clean, then the guests would resort to using taxis. But the rental car companies have cars in reserve. In other words, they have so much vehicles that their yards are never completely empty.”
With the closing of Sandals Emerald Bay, Mr Thompson added that unlike New Providence, Exuma no longer has major hotels to attract more tourists and, as a result, increase the demand for taxi cabs. He did, however, note that Hideaways at Palm Bay Resort and the Grand Isle
Resort sometimes contract taxi drivers. He said this year they have experienced the real impact due to the loss of Sandals.
“In Nassau they have hotels, and cab companies can have contractual arrangements. We here, we don't have that option. We don't have a Sandals or what was a Four Seasons [resort]. We don't have that. We have only Grand Isle that gives their business to cab drivers. That’s the only hotel that gives their business to cab drivers, and sometimes Hideaways as well,” Mr Thompson said. “[Last year], at that time, Sandals had just closed its doors in August. And so that was the adjustment period. So we didn't realise what blow we would have had due to the closure of Sandals. And so it took us
TOUR OPERATORS EYEING THANKSGIVING UPTURN
By ANNELIA NIXON Tribune Business Reporter
anixon@tribunemedia.net
TOUR operators yesterday predicted an uptick in business for next week’s Thanksgiving holiday as the aviation industry shrugs off the impact from the recent US government shutdown and flight cancellations.
“Cautiously optimistic,”
Astra Charlton, director of business development at My Own Water Sports, said. She added that the company’s year-to-date sales have increased by 1 percent. However, its month-to-date figures show a 40 percent decline compared to the
same period last year. Ms Charlton, though, said it expects an uptick in business during Thanksgiving week.
“We are able to see the bookings for the remainder of November, and there are signs of an uptick during the Thanksgiving week period,” she said. “The only thing is that we're not sure that those numbers would be even sufficient to surpass last year's total sales performance for November or last year's Thanksgiving sales as well.
“But we are confident that, you know, the uptick that we do see would give us some momentum as we approach the holiday
Emirates announces an order of 65 Boeing 777-9s with list price of $38 billion at Dubai Air Show
By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press
THE biennial Dubai Air Show opened on Monday with hometown airline
Emirates ordering 65 of Boeing's upcoming 777-9 aircraft, as the carrier looks to increase its fleets off record earnings and unending demand for flights through this East-West travel hub.
Emirates valued the deal with Boeing and GE Engines at $38 billion at list prices, although airlines often negotiate lower prices in major orders.
Emirates is betting big on Boeing's next plane
The announcement brings the total of Boeing 777-9s on order for Emirates to 270, making it Boeing's largest customer for the aircraft, even as the plane has suffered repeated delays in entering service.
Emirates relies heavily on the double-decker Airbus A380 and the Boeing 777, and has also started flying the Airbus A350.
"It's a long-term commitment that supports hundreds of thousands of high-value factory jobs, and it reinforces our 40-year partnership with Boeing and GE," said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the chairman and chief executive of Emirates.
"Emirates is already the world's largest operator of the 777 — all powered by the GE engines — and after today's order, I expect to remain the biggest 777 operator for the years to come."
Sheikh Ahmed added that Emirates continued to encourage manufacturers to build larger aircraft with more capacity as air travel is only expected to grow. However, he smiled and looked at Boeing when putting forward his hoped-for timeline for putting the 777-9 in service for Emirates.
"We look forward to receiving delivery of our first 777-9s starting from the second quarter of 2027," he said.
Stephanie Pope, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, offered no timeline for the plane's entry to service in her brief remarks.
"The 777-9 will further support Emirates mission to connect people and places around the globe like never before," she said.
The officials took no questions from journalists after the announcement.
Meanwhile, Boeing announced a firm order of 11 Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft by Ethiopian Airlines and Air Côte d'Ivoir made a firm order of four Embraer E175 aircraft. Air Senegal later ordered nine Boeing 787-8 MAX aircraft as well.
Air show comes as travel through Dubai grows
The air show will also see renewed interest in flying taxis, something the sheikhdom long has promised and now hopes to deliver on next year. Military sales as well remain a focus, with Russia again taking part despite facing Western sanctions over its grinding, yearslong war on Ukraine. Meanwhile, Israeli firms won't be attending over lingering anger from the devastating Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
Emirates, the stateowned flagship airline of Dubai, earned annual profits of $5.2 billion in the last fiscal year and passenger numbers remain record-breaking at Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest for international travel. The airline made a $52 billion purchase of Boeing Co. aircraft at
travelling season, and we're confident at this time that that would be more favourable.
“As you know, 90 percent of our customers are from the United States, so the performance in sales for November, it just may be a direct reflection of the economic conditions in the US. The events like the US shutdown, we think, most likely played a role in consumer confidence and travel spending during the period of November so far.”
Cheryl Cambridge, a taxi and tour operator, and owner of Cheryl's Bahamas Taxi and Tours, said that while business is slow - possibly slower than last year
the 2023 edition of the air show, which takes place at Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central. FlyDubai, the lower-cost sister to Emirates, also has seen record-breaking earnings, and likely wants to expand its fleet of single-aisle aircraft. The airline currently flies 95 Boeing 737 variants, with Airbus wanting to break into the carrier's fleet. FlyDubai ordered $11 billion worth of 30 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners at the last air show, which when delivered will be the airline's first wide-body aircraft.
Al Maktoum airport itself is on the agenda for Dubai's government. It plans a $35 billion project to expand to five parallel runways and 400 aircraft gates, to be completed within the next decade. The airport now has just two runways, like Dubai International Airport. Those additional slots coming online will help Emirates and FlyDubai grow their network, and require more aircraft to fly those routes.
UAE leader examines Russian weaponry
Meanwhile, Rosoboronexport, Russia's main arms exporter, displayed its aircraft and weapons systems at a massive pavilion at the far end of the air show. The UAE has maintained economic ties and flights to Moscow despite the war on Ukraine and Western nations levying heavy sanctions on the country.
Rosoboronexport showcased a stealth fighter, the Sukhoi Su-57, and the full-scale Pantzir-SMD-E surface-to-air missile
until the end of last year, first part of this year, to realise how dramatic and impactful it would have been.
“So here we are, more than a year later, experiencing the full impact of not having a major resort on the island. With a major resort we would have had a fair chance of making a good salary. We would have had that. But without it, we don't.
Mr Thompson said taxi operators are struggling to provide for their families but remain “hopeful” as they wait for communication regarding the future of the taxi industry in Exuma.
“There's no way you can feed a family with $40, sometimes $30, a day,” Mr Thompson said. “That’s what it amounts to.
it is down from last year around the same time. I can feel it in my pocket.
- she is fortunate to have repeat customers coming for Thanksgiving. She also attributed her company’s “survival” to her Bahamas Travel & Sustainability Award for best taxi driver in The Bahamas.
“I'm surviving because this time of year, I have a lot of repeat customers coming for Thanksgiving,” Ms Cambridge said. “But there's no extra. There are only a few extra.
“For September and October, things were a bit down. I guess the people in the tourism industry are watching how they [tourists] spend their money, hoping that this Thanksgiving, things pick up a bit. But
system. Air defense systems have taken on a new importance in the Mideast after Qatar came under attack by both Israel and Iran this year. Iran also saw its systems devastated by Israel
“I had a good year last year. But things are good for me, especially when I won that award. And if people went on Facebook, they booked with me. They say things like: ‘I saw you on Facebook. I saw you won an award.’ So that has helped me a lot, too.”
Phillipa Lightbourn, of Exuma Water Sports, said the operator expects to be busy this Thanksgiving as sales and booking seem to be matching November 2024. She added that the closure of the Sandals Resort Emerald Bay is a factor working against the company, but added it is making up the numbers through visitors staying at other hotels.
in a 12-day war between the countries in June. Underscoring the UAE's ties to Russia, the Emirati president and ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
“You got BEC bills. You got National Insurance. You got all these different things to pay, and kids in school. You got to fight. You got to stay out there and thicken your skin. If I make $20, $30, $40, I know a good portion of that goes to fuel, but I have to provide for my children who are in school. I got to do it.
“So whatever loss it is to me, they cannot be at a loss. I have to have some funds to put in their hands for school… We are still hopeful. We're still waiting on a word about when. We're still waiting on the ‘who's who’ to come and have a communication with the body of us - not just one or two of us taxi drivers - but with the body of us, so we can exactly what is in the forecast for us.”
Ms Lightbourn said she sees an increase through Christmas. Delta Airlines had not been flying to Exuma for a few months, resulting in a “downturn”, but she expects more business once Sandals reopens its planned Beaches Resort aa this will increase airlift to Exuma.
Kate Nottage, first mate for My Bahamas Private Tours & Excursions, said from Thanksgiving onward business is expected to pick up. “We're going into our second year of operation,” she said. “So November wasn't bad last year, but I would say this year is definitely more. But I don't know if that's based on trends, or if that's just because our name is getting out there more.”
walked through the Russian pavilion first thing on Monday. He stopped to watch a short video with graphics of a Russian drone striking an armored vehicle.
STEPHANIE POPE, President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, left, and Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman of Emirates airlines, sign an agreement to order 65 additional Boeing 777X aircrafts during
Ban
would halt marketing to 95% of customer base
LEGAL - from page B1
his former business partner the injunction he is seeking.
“Plaintiff’s revised proposed order asks this court to bar the Gibson defendants from ‘competing’ with plaintiff for 24 months based on the ‘lease and buyback’ agreement despite plaintiff being in breach of that agreement,” Mr Gibson asserted in his legal arguments.
“This request is excessive and unjustifiable given that plaintiff [Mr Conde] is not currently conducting business, and cannot conduct business, in The Bahamas. Even a more limited remedy may create irreconcilable conflicts with Bahamian court rulings.
“Today, a court in The Bahamas enjoined plaintiff ‘from interfering with the business operations of [Conch and Coconut] in any way whatsoever’. This is the second injunction order from Bahamian courts.
The [Florida] court should abstain from issuing a third
injunction and allow these disputes to be resolved in the Bahamian courts.” Justice Fitzcharles, in her Order, has barred Mr Conde and his companies from making public statements on his $855,774 demand letter; disparaging the “solvency” of Conch & Coconut’s Briland operations; suggesting they have any “entitlement/ ownership” in the Bahamian business; and making “any assertions” that the latter is “closed, no longer in business or otherwise not operating in any way”.
Mr Conde and his US companies are also barred “from interfering with the business operations of [Conch & Coconut] in any way whatsoever”. The Order was obtained after Mr Gibson and Conch & Coconut, via an ex-parte application to the Supreme Court by their attorney, Simone Morgan-Gomez of Callenders & Co, argued that the matter was urgent. Both parties are due to appear before the Supreme
Mediation comes as final appeal decision awaited
NEGOTIATE - from page B1
from the multi-billion dollar Cable Beach resort development.
And her Order also confirmed that two Bahamas-domiciled entities, CCA (Bahamas) and CSCEC (Bahamas), the former of which is the immediate parent for downtown Nassau’s British Colonial and Margaritaville Beach Resort, will “participate” in the mediation even though neither is covered by, or involved in, CCA’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection process.
“It is ordered that the parties shall make a good faith attempt to settle all or some of the issues between the parties through mediation and will attend, personally or through a representative with authority to negotiate
and settle the disputes, all sessions scheduled by the co-mediators. Non-debtor affiliates CCA (Bahamas) and CSCEC (Bahamas) shall be participants in the mediation,” Judge Gravelle wrote.
Her Order was issued after it was “determined that mediation may produce a mutually agreeable resolution of all or some of the issues” between Mr Izmirlian’s BML Properties vehicle and the Chinese contractor which is majority owned by the Beijing government.
CCA, together with the two Bahamas-domiciled entities, are the defendants presently liable and on the hook to pay Mr Izmirlian a damages award that is understood to have hit the $1.8bn mark. CSCEC stands for China State Construction and Engineering
N O T I C E
IN THE ESTATE OF JAMES LANG (a.k.a. JAMES DAVID LANG) late of West Mead Township, Crawford County in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, one of the States in the United States of America, deceased.
NOTICE is hereby given that all persons having any claim or demand against the above Estate are required to send the same duly certified in writing to the Undersigned on or before 29 December 2025, after which date the Administrator will proceed to distribute the assets having regard only to the claims of which he shall then have had notice.
AND NOTICE is hereby also given that all persons indebted to the said Estate are requested to make full settlement on or before the date hereinbefore mentioned.
DELANEY PARTNERS
Attorneys for the Administrator Chambers
P. O. Box CB-13007 5th Floor Lyford Cay House Western Road, Lyford Cay New Providence, The Bahamas
Court on December 15, 2025, and Mr Conde has the ability to apply to discharge the injunction.
In the meantime, Mr Gibson told the south Florida federal court that Mr Conde’s breach of their deal through his failure to pay the outstanding Bahamian taxes should block him from using the agreement as a basis for a 24-month competition bar.
“In plaintiff’s revised proposed order, plaintiff asks this court to enjoin the Gibson defendants ‘from competing with Conch & Coconut LLC for a period of 24 months . . . including by advertising, selling, offering for sale, marketing or promoting into the United States’ the services that the Gibson defendants have been providing in The Bahamas for the past seven years,” Mr Gibson argued.
“But Mr Conde testified during the October 31 hearing that he is in breach of the ‘lease and buyback’ agreement because he has refused to pay the taxes owed to the Bahamian government as required by its terms. Because plaintiff is in breach of the ‘lease and buyback’ agreement, plaintiff has no
Corporation, which is CCA’s ultimate parent, and will also be a party in the mediation proceedings.
The two appointed mediators are bankruptcy court judge Vincent F. Papalia and Evan Chesler, an attorney with the US law firm, Cravath Swaine & Moore. The mediation must begin within 60 days of the November 13, 2025, order, but it is unclear what the prospects are for a successful resolution of all - or even some - of the disputes between the parties given the long-standing, deep-rooted animosity that has taken hold between Mr Izmirlian and CCA over the past ten years since the latter’s failure to deliver the project on time and on budget.
Neither Mr Izmirlian nor CCA replied to messages seeking comment before press time. However, Baha Mar’s original developer has seen his New York State Supreme Court verdict upheld by one appeal court to leave CCA with just one final chance to overturn the $1.8bn damages awarded against it by the New York Court of Appeals. The Chinese contractor previously said it should know this quarter whether it claim will be allowed to proceed.
Mr Izmirlian had this summer sought to ‘pierce the corporate veil’ and directly target CSCEC Holding Company through fresh litigation in a bid to collect on his then-$1.7bn
standing in equity and is not
entitled to an order enforcing the ‘lease and buyback’ agreement.”
Mr Gibson’s legal findings alleged that Mr Conde is seeking to find “a new partner in The Bahamas” to replace him, and continue operating in a sector that is reserved exclusively for 100 percent Bahamian ownership under the National Investment Policy.
“During the hearing, Mr Conde testified that since May 2025, when the parties parted ways, plaintiff has not generated any revenue. He attributed this absence of revenue to the Gibson defendants being the only previous source of income for plaintiff, and indicated there are no alternative revenue streams at present,” Mr Gibson alleged.
“Mr Conde also mentioned efforts to find a new partner in The Bahamas, though none has been secured yet, and reported that plaintiff is not pursuing other business outside The Bahamas. Such admissions demonstrate that there is no irreparable harm here being caused by the Gibson defendants’ ongoing
judgment from CCA’s parent, which has been accumulating interest on a daily basis E-mails seen by this newspaper show that attorneys acting for Mr Izmirlian and BML Properties urged CCA Inc’s “special committee”, formed from the Chinese state-owned contractor’s independent non-executive directors, to “make a ten-figure settlement demand on CSCEC Holdings now”.
They asserted that Baha Mar’s original developer “firmly believes that the best path forward is to confront CSCEC Holdings, not kowtow to it through a [Chapter 11 emergence] plan designed to benefit insiders to the detriment of non-insiders”.
Brett Thiesen, vice-chair of the financial restructuring and creditors rights’ group at the Gibbons law firm, told the “special committee’s” counsel via a series of e-mails between August 8-10: “We requested that the special committee make a ten‐figure settlement demand on CSCEC Holdings now.
“The logic of this is obvious – it would massively benefit the estate to resolve its biggest liability and give CSCEC Holdings a path to continue to control the debtor…
“We remind you the estate owes its creditors fiduciary duties. The largest creditor [Mr Izmirlian], holding more than
PUBLIC NOTICE
INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL
The public is hereby advised that I, STEPHANIE ARIS of Malcolm Road East, Nassau, Bahamas intend to change my name to STEPHANIE ABIGAIL HARRIS. If there are any objections to challenge the name by deed poll, you may write such objections to the Chief Passport Officer, P.O. Box N-742, Nassau, The Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of the publication of this notice.
PUBLIC NOTICE
INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL
The Public is hereby advised that we, JEAN RICO ARIS and STEPHANIE ARIS of Malcolm Road East, New Providence, Bahamas, parents of JAHMIR ROLAND ARIS intend to change our child’s name to JAHMIR ROLAND HARRIS. If there are any objections to this change of name by deed poll, you may write such objection to the Chief Passport Officer, P. O. Box N-3746, Nassau, The Bahamas or at deedpoll@bahamas.gov.bs no later than thirty (30) days after the date of the publication of this notice.
NOTICE RJMA LTD.
Incorporated under the International Business Companies Act, 2000 of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Registration number 207791 B (In Voluntary Liquidation)
Notice is hereby given that the above-named Company is in dissolution, commencing on the 17th day of November A.D. 2025.
Articles of Dissolution have been duly registered by the Registrar. The Liquidator is Mr. Renato Natalino Pardini, whose address is R Pedro Romildo Dall’Stella, 00240 Casa 5, Pilarzinho, CEP: 82115-470, Curitiba, PR, Brazil. Any Persons having a Claim against the above-named Company are required on or before the 18th day of December A.D. 2025 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 17th day of November A.D. 2025.
RENATO NATALINO PARDINI LIQUIDATOR
conduct, nor any conduct attributable to any of the defendants.
“Mr Conde confirmed that plaintiff cannot offer tourism services in The Bahamas because it is not a Bahamian company and Mr Conde is not a Bahamian citizen.
Plaintiff has decided not to use the Conch & Coconut mark for other businesses, such as travel concierge services beyond The Bahamas,”
Mr Gibson added.
“Thus, any lack of revenue results from plaintiff’s own business choices, not the actions of any defendant. Enjoining the Gibson defendants from ‘competing’ with plaintiff does not remedy the harm that plaintiff is allegedly suffering.
Plaintiff still cannot conduct business in The Bahamas. And the Gibson defendants continuing to provide services in The Bahamas does not prevent plaintiff from finding a new ‘partner’ in The Bahamas.”
Mr Gibson argued that granting the two-year competition ban, as sought by Mr Conde, would go much further than the legal purpose of injunctions which is typically to preserve the present
99.99 percent of non‐insider claims, firmly believes that the best path forward is to confront CSCEC Holdings, not kowtow to it through a plan that is designed to benefit insiders to the detriment of non‐insiders.”
However, the “special committee” and its attorneys countered that the issue of whether there are viable claims against CSCEC Holdings is not so simple. Natasha Labovitz, an attorney with Debevoise & Plimpton, argued that “most if not all of the colorable claims... have limited or questionable viability”. She added that CCA’s plan to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection “contemplates a transaction under which a plan sponsor, whether CSCEC Holdings or some other purchaser, would acquire all of CCA’s assets for value”.
And Elizabeth Adams, the sole “special committee” member, argued that “constructive engagement” with CCA Inc’s parent was the best way to maximise recoveries for the latter’s creditors including Mr Izmirlian.
She added: “The special committee has not ruled out potential future litigation against CSCEC Holdings. I do not believe any of the steps taken by the special committee would preclude the special committee from pursuing litigation against CSCEC Holdings at the appropriate time if, in my
state of affairs between the two sides.
“Plaintiff’s revised proposed order seeks to prevent the Gibson defendants’ from continuing their business operations that existed before the dispute by prohibiting them from ‘competing’ with plaintiff,” Mr Gibson argued.
“It also seeks to severely harm their business by preventing them from advertising to US residents, who Mr Conde testified comprise 95 percent of their customer base. This would not restore the pre-dispute status quo but would instead create an entirely new competitive landscape that never previously existed.
“Finally, plaintiff’s requested mandatory relief would directly conflict with the November 14 order from the Bahamian court. This jurisdictional conflict, combined with plaintiff’s failure to demonstrate enforceable trademark rights due to naked licensing, inability to show irreparable harm, and breach of the very contract it seeks to enforce, compels denial of the extraordinary remedy of preliminary injunctive relief.”
reasoned judgment, the special committee should determine that doing so would be the best way to maximise value for the estate.
“Nonetheless, I believe that initiating litigation against CSCEC Holdings would be premature at this time and may not ultimately be necessary given the ongoing efforts to pursue a consensual resolution that could deliver meaningful value to the estate without the costs and delays of litigation.”
As for Mr Izmirlian’s bid to initiate his own litigation, Ms Adams added: “In my judgment, permitting BML Properties to pursue a veil-piercing claim against CSCEC Holdings at this time would be prejudicial to the efforts being taken by the special committee....
“Allowing BML Properties to proceed separately would divert the attention of CCA, BML Properties, CSCEC Holdings and their respective professionals away from global discussions that are already underway, which would likely delay, if not impede, the parties’ ability to reach a consensual resolution and hinder, rather than advance, progress toward a value-maximising outcome in this Chapter 11 case.”
PUBLIC NOTICE
The Public is hereby advised that I COZETTE PERSIS MYRTLE CLARKE of Fowler Street, New Providence, The Bahamas, the mother of COZAEL YESHUA KENO FRANCIS intend to change my child’s name to COZAEL YESHUA CLARKE. If there are any objections to this change of name by deed poll, you may write such objection to the Chief Passport Officer, P. O. Box N 3746, Nassau, The Bahamas or at deedpoll@bahamas. gov.bs no later than thirty (30) days after the date of the publication of this notice. INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL
PUBLIC NOTICE
INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL
The public is hereby advised that I, JEAN RICO ARIS of Malcolm Road East, Nassau, Bahamas intend to change my name to RICO ISAIAH HARRIS. If there are any objections to challenge the name by deed poll, you may write such objections to the Chief Passport Officer, P.O. Box N-742, Nassau, The Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of the publication of this notice.
Legal Notice
International Business Companies Act (No. 45 of 2000)
RKP INVESTMENT LTD. (the “Company”) In Voluntary Liquidation
Notice is hereby given that, in accordance with Section 138 (4) of the International Business Companies Act, (No.45 of 2000), RKP INVESTMENT LTD. (the “Company”) is in Dissolution. The date of commencement of the Dissolution is the 14th November, 2025 Gustavo Dos Santos Vaz is the Liquidator and can be contacted at Avenida Bem-TeVi, 206, São Paulo – SP, 04524-030, Brazil. All persons having claims against the above-named Company are required to send their names, addresses and particulars of their debts or claims to the Liquidator before the 15th December, 2025 Gustavo Dos Santos Vaz Liquidator
Contractor head: Regulators ‘breached their duty of care’
BLAZE - from page B1
“In my view it contributed to the entirety of the catastrophe,” Mr Sands replied, when asked by Tribune Business whether he believed Bahamas Building Code compliance and enforcement, or the lack of it, worsened the fire’s impact and speed at which it spread.
“First of all, I’ve already made the comments on Facebook and social media: It’s amazing that, over the last 30 years, the responsible ministry, the Ministry of Public Works, and the agency responsible for Business Licences have allowed the premises that were once shacks to proliferate into restaurants without meeting the requirements to operate the restaurant as per the Building Code.
“This means they have to have a fire sprinkler system or wet suppressors once they are seating over
20-25 guests. It’s a mandatory requirement, yet if you go to the Fish Fry none of the establishments have wet suppressors or fire sprinkler systems installed at their premises, which is a legal requirement for restaurants.”
Mr Sands suggested that the Government regulators responsible for Building Code compliance and enforcement were also “complicit”, alongside the property owners, for what occurred on Sunday morning. “We are starting to now wonder whether they were not only allowed to operate in violation of their Business Licences, but if the public was put at risk by the agencies supposed to protect them,” he added.
“Absolutely.
“Then, secondly, it shows the lack of ability of the public agencies to enforce anything. They simply do not have the ability or the capacity in each instance. It’s a duty of care
Regulator to assess damaged reef today
STUCK - from page B1
geography, location in the middle of key international shipping lanes, weather and “fragile ecosystems”. She pointed to numerous similar recent incidents, including the $5m-plus ongoing legal battle over a tug boat and barge that became stranded in an Abaco national park in late March 2024.
However, the Friends of the Environment chief argued that there are many unanswered questions over the Brooklyn Bridge’s grounding, including why it was seemingly so close to shore when its towing cable snapped and whether it is the “proper protocol” to tow an “unpowered barge” over such a long distance - from Jacksonville in north Florida to San Juan, Puerto Ricothrough the Atlantic Ocean.
Tribune Business sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, raised similar questions. They said ship tracking data showed the barge and its tug were only three to four miles off
Abaco’s coast when the towing cable broke, instead of the normal 17-20 miles, which meant there was little to no “buffer” to prevent it drifting in to shore.
Disclosing that the environmental group plans to conduct its own assessment of the impacted reefs, now that the barge has been removed, Ms Patterson told Tribune Business: “Based on the aerial photographs the barge was aground on the reef. We were lucky it was not really horrible weather.
“What we need right now is really to go and assess. We have people going there tomorrow so we can get some underwater photos. But, without that ground tracking, I’m almost certain there’s significant damage to the reef. There’s a lot of debris in the water, and that will either sink or drift out to the ocean or drift to the mainland depending on the current or tide.
“That has been released as a result of the lootingpackaged foods, sheets of plastic, cardboard bits and boxes that were open. With
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that JOSE VERDALINE BEAUCHAMPS of South Beach, 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 18th day of November 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that WIDELINE DORVILUS of Cedar Way, off Carmichael Road, 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 18th day of November 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that HARRY JOSEPH of Crooked Island Street, The Grove, P.O. Box GT-2388, 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 11th day of November, 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.
they have breached.” The BCA president said other Bahamas-based restaurant operators, which have invested in fire protections and safeguards in compliance with the Building Code, will likely question if a double standard is in play with respect to Arawak Cay.
“If I were part of the business community that represents restaurants, having invested in wet suppressors or fire sprinkler systems, why was this entire strip, Arawak Cay, allowed to intrude on my business space when it was never intended to be a restaurant venue. Who allowed it?” Mr Sands asked.
“It’s been in existence for 30 years. Both FNM and PLP governments did nothing about it. Every administration is liable for the events of yesterday [Sunday]. Before anyone jumps on my statements, addressing the matter, while likely difficult in the beginning, would have prevented the events of yesterday.”
Bahamians and residents enjoy the ‘down home’ experience offered by Arawak Cay and similar
the reefs already facing so many struggles from climate change, coral disease and over-fishing, having additional stress with the physical contact from the barge is not good.”
Ms Patterson said she has not dived the area where the Brooklyn Bridge grounded herself, but added:
“I know it’s used a lot by local fishermen. In that respect, environmentally and socially, it’s important. It aids in coastal protection, supports fish populations and other marine life, keeping the environment healthy but also preserving livelihoods.
“There are spot fines for damaging reefs and causing pollution of various forms. I expect these various fines to be put in place. I think it’s
‘fish fry’ destinations on other islands, while they also provide an opportunity for tourists to connect with authentic local culture and cuisine.
However, fires that destroy wooden vendor stalls at such locations are not uncommon in The Bahamas. Potter’s Cay has suffered several from at least two since the COVID19 pandemic, and the tightly-packed nature of vendor structures, as well as the materials employed to construct them and lack of fire suppression equipment, makes for a combustible mix of flammable substances.
Mr Sands said these factors, together with Building Code non-compliance, were all reasons why Bahamian property and casualty insurers have refused to provide coverage for Arawak Cay restaurant operators and business owners - especially since food is being cooked over open flames in wooden structures.
“It’s a highly risky business that’s been allowed to proliferate outside the confines of the restaurant
important we’re able to mitigate this sort of situation. Yes. We definitely, once the environmental assessment happens, need a plan for restoration of the site and clean-up.
“We need to be able to support Bahamians to do the work, and recover lost livelihoods for Bahamian fishermen and eco-tour guides. And, if we have legislation in place to do environmental fines, we need to put it into action and hopefully learn from this situation and don’t have many more. We have limited procedures in place for quick action, response and assessment, and going through the whole process.”
Ms Patterson, lamenting that the looting had diverted public and media
PUBLIC NOTICE
INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL
The Public is hereby advised that we, JEAN RICO ARIS and STEPHANIE ARIS of Malcolm Road East, New Providence, Bahamas, parents of ARIANNA CARMEN ARIS intend to change our child’s name to ARIANNA CARMEN HARRIS. If there are any objections to this change of name by deed poll, you may write such objection to the Chief Passport Officer, P. O. Box N-3746, Nassau, The Bahamas or at deedpoll@bahamas.gov.bs no later than thirty (30) days after the date of the publication of this notice.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that JANICE ROSEMARIE CARPENTER of Lyford Cay, 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 18th day of November, 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.
NOTICE is hereby given that HERIBERT ALEXANDRE of #181 Sappodilla Road, 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 18th day of November 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that DORRETH RAHMING of Kingsington Garden, off Soldier Road, 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 11th day of November, 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.
business,” he added. “And Arawak Cay’s further expansion to the east on the beach is continuing. There’s no body controlling what’s happening there. It’s spreading to the east and north. Every time we allow this, the risk gets greater and greater.
“I find it interesting that the Prime Minister and Sebas Bastian said this [the fire] gives an opportunity to start with a clean slate. I hope they will propose plans in conjunction with the BCA on something that will address the risks that have existed for a number of years, and which shows why code compliance has become more important in our ongoing democracy.”
The Arawak Cay blaze erupted at around 8am on Sunday at Goldie’s Conch House and quickly spread to neighbouring wooden structures. Within minutes, thick smoke blanketed the area as firefighters battled the flames and patrons looked on in shock, some throwing buckets of water in a vain attempt to help.
Goldie’s manager, Kirklynne Evans, said the
attention from the potential environmental fall-out caused by the Brooklyn Bridge’s grounding, challenged why the barge was seemingly so close to shore and the decision to tow it all the way from north Florida to Puerto Rico.
“It’s really unfortunate the turn this thing has taken in the international media, taking attention away from the environment and on to the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’,” she told Tribune Business. “It will be great to bring more attention back to these reefs and restore
36-year-old restaurant — employing about 70 staff — was a family institution now gutted. All employees escaped safely, she said. Rodney Russell, president of the Arawak Cay Conch, Fish, Vegetable and Food Vendors Association and owner of the Red Snapper, said he lost everything and that none of the impacted stalls carried insurance. Among the businesses destroyed were On the Edge, South of Florida, Brother Eddie’s Kitchen, Goldie’s, Rake N Scrape, and the Red Snapper. Teshell Mackey, owner of On the Edge, arrived to find her restaurant reduced to rubble two-and-a-half years after she opened it. “It’s hard to come here this morning to actually see that,” she said. “You come to work, a full day’s work, with your employees to make sure everything goes smoothly, and this is what happens.”
Clay Sweeting, minister of works and Family Island affairs, could not be reached for comment before press time.
them after any damage that has occurred.
“Another big question I have is why was an unpowered barge being pulled by tug on an Atlantic crossing? Is that proper protocol for carrying such a heavy load, and why was it so close to the shore? If the final destination was Puerto Rico, they could have had a bigger buffer if the barge was further away and ensure something like that [the grounding] was not possible.”
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that AVINASH ANDREW BOODOO of P.O. Box SB 51520 #3 Cedar Street, Pinewood Gardens, 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 18th day of November 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that GUINSON SANON of Windsor Lane, off East Street, 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 18th day of November, 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that JEFF KENY PATERSON of Carmichael Road, Miller Heights, New Providence, 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 11th day of November 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that LUKUMON OLUGBADE of P.O.Box N-9088, #40 Chrysanthemum Avenue, Garden Hills, New Providence, 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 11th day of November 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
EPA moves to limit scope of clean water law to reduce amount of wetlands it covers
By MATTHEW DALY Associated Press
THE Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday it is redefining the scope of the nation's bedrock clean water law to significantly limit the wetlands it covers, building on a Supreme Court decision two years ago that removed federal protections for vast areas.
When finalized, the new "Waters of the United States" rule will ensure that federal jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act is focused on relatively permanent, standing or continuously flowing bodies of water, such as streams, oceans, rivers and lakes, along with wetlands that are directly connected to such bodies of water, the EPA said.
The proposal is among dozens of environmental regulations being rolled back by the Trump administration as part of what EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin says is a concerted effort to accelerate economic prosperity while putting " a dagger through the heart of climate change religion." Critics call the water rule a giveaway to ranchers and industry.
At a news conference at agency headquarters, Zeldin said the new rule will fully implement the direction provided by the Supreme Court in a case known as Sackett v. EPA. The 2023 ruling sharply limited the federal
government's authority to police water pollution into certain wetlands, and boosted property rights over concerns about clean water in a ruling in favor of Michael and Chantell Sackett, an Idaho couple who sought to build a house near a lake.
Zeldin, a former Republican congressman who has led a drive to roll back regulations perceived as climate-friendly, said Democratic administrations had long "weaponized the definition of navigable waters to seize more power from American farmers, landowners and families." Still, he said the proposed rule
change was not motivated by ideology or partisanship, but instead was intended to be a "clear, simple, prescriptive rule that will stand the test of time."
Asked why he is confident the rule will be sustained after decades of partisan back-and-forth over water regulation, Zeldin offered a one-word answer: "Sackett."
"That's one of the big differences from the past, is that you have the Supreme Court weighing in, and we're following Sackett very closely," Zeldin said. "We're treating it with respect. The words are being interpreted strictly. We are
Ukraine plans to buy up to 100 Rafale warplanes and air defense systems from France
By SYLVIE CORBET Associated Press
UKRAINE on Monday
signed a letter of intent to buy up to 100 Rafale warplanes, drones, air defense systems and other key equipment from France
over the next 10 years, as part of efforts to strengthen the country's long-term security.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who signed the document with French President
Emmanuel Macron, called it "a historic deal" at a joint news conference at the Elysée presidential palace. The letter is a preliminary commitment of Ukraine stating its interest in buying
sticking to the prescriptive language of the Supreme Court decision. And that is a very significant difference from the past."
The rule, which faces at least 45 days of public comment, will cut red tape and provide clarity for farmers, ranchers, industry and other private landowners, Zeldin said. The proposal will also protect water quality by striking a balance between federal and state authority, he said, adding that any lands that are removed from federal jurisdiction will still face regulation from states and tribes.
Environmentalists slammed the proposal as
a series of French defense equipment.
"Firstly, Ukraine will be able to receive 100 Rafale fighter jets (and) very strong French radars — eight air-defense systems SAMP/T, each with six launching systems," Zelenskyy said. "This is a strategic agreement that will work for 10 years, starting next year."
ENVIRONMENTAL Protection Agency director
at a news conference Monday, Nov. 17,
a giveaway to industry by President Donald Trump.
"The Trump EPA's shortsighted push to encourage industries to plow over more wetlands and streams will destroy thousands of miles of waterways critical to wildlife across the United States," said J.W. Glass, a policy specialist at the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental group. "This political gift from Trump to the polluters that support him will wipe out life-sustaining waterways in every corner of the nation, and it will destroy countless natural areas that protect us from increasingly destructive storm surges driven by the climate crisis."
"By gutting protections for wetlands and streams, EPA is trying to disown its legal obligation to protect our drinking water and our communities,'' added
Andrew Wetzler, senior vice president at the Natural Resources Defense Council, another environmental group. "Wetlands are nature's safeguard against flooding, and stripping away protections for them puts millions of people in harm's way."
But Zeldin, who has traveled to all 50 states since taking office earlier this year, said complaints about the invasive nature of the water rule have emerged in every state. The Trump
Macron praised "a new step forward" in the FranceUkraine relationship. He said Monday's agreement includes France's latest-generation jet fighters with full armament, as well as accompanying training and production programs.
France's most advanced fighter jet
The Rafale is France's most advanced fighter jet, a high-tech, delta-winged, multi-role warplane known for its maneuverability and efficiency. It has been deployed in the country's foreign military operations including in the Middle East and Africa, and comes at a cost estimated at over $100 million per aircraft.
The letter of intent also includes the acquisition of drones and drone interceptors, guided bombs and the next-generation SAMP/T ground-to-air systems, with first deliveries expected over the next three years, Macron said.
The chief of the French defense staff, Air Force Gen. Fabien Mandon, this month told French senators that the European-made SAMP/T that France provided to Ukraine are proving more effective than U.S.-made Patriot batteries against hard-to-hit Russian missiles.
No schedule was provided for the delivery of the first Rafales.
A French government official said training a Rafale pilot takes at least three years.
The official, who wasn't authorized to speak publicly on the issue, said France is able to produce and accelerate the production of Rafales and won't need to use the warplanes currently in service by the French military to supply Ukraine. The official said the agreement with Ukraine won't derail the delivery of Rafales to other foreign clients.
administration has listened to concerns from farmers and other groups worried about federal interference in how they use their land, he said, and has moved to set limited, predictable and lasting rules defining which waterways the Clean Water Act protects.
"If you want to really appreciate the impact of the WOTUS rule — past, present and future — I would encourage you to speak to all of those impacted stakeholders, all those impacted landowners,'' Zeldin said.
Testimony that affected him the most came from "some small farmer who's struggling to make ends meet, and they have no idea whether or not the water on their property is a water of the United States or not," Zeldin said. "Their frustration skyrockets when something on their property being interpreted as a water of the United States doesn't make any sense. Then their advocacy and passion really starts coming out."
Trump sought to shrink the water law's reach in his first term, while Democratic administrations have expanded federal power to regulate the nation's lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands and oceans. The change in administrations has created drastic swings in how the water law is interpreted and applied.
The plane manufacturer, Dassault Aviation, has sold more than 500 Rafales, including more than 300 for export to countries including Egypt, India, Qatar, Greece, Croatia, the United Arab Emirates, Serbia and Indonesia.
Strengthening Ukraine's defenses
Zelenskyy, on his ninth visit to Paris since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, seeks to strengthen Ukraine's defenses as the country enters another winter under Russian bombardment of its energy infrastructure and other targets.
Last month, Ukraine and Sweden signed an agreement exploring the possibility of Ukraine buying up to 150 Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets over the next decade or more. Ukraine has already received American-made F-16s and French Mirages. "I can tell you that this is a very serious fleet that we are building for Ukraine," Zelenskyy said. "For example, those pilots who have practice with Mirage jets, we know it very well that they won't spend a year to learn operating the future Rafale planes, they will instead quickly switch to them."
Zelenskyy visited the multinational force headquarters France is among major suppliers of defense assistance to Ukraine.
On Monday morning, Macron and Zelenskyy visited an air base in the Paris outskirts. They later headed to Mont Valérien, west of Paris, the headquarters of a multinational force dubbed the "coalition of the willing" that France and Britain have been preparing with more than 30 other nations to deploy to Ukraine to police an eventual ceasefire.
Lee Zeldin speaks
2025, in Washington.
Photo:Matthew Daly/AP
FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron, left, welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 before a joint press conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris. Photo:Michel Euler/AP
JUDGE PARKER
CARPE DIEM
BLONDIE
MARVIN
TIGER
HAGAR THE HORRIBLE
CALVIN & HOBBES
DENNIS THE MENACE
By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net
WHEN pharmacist Stephen Kemp talks about HIV work, there is no hesitation in his voice. He remembers the moment he walked into the HIV Treatment Centre more than a decade ago and felt something shift.
“I got bitten by the bug,” he told Tribune Health. It became my passion, and I have been here trying to make a change as best as I can.”
That passion sits at the heart of The Bahamas’ 40-year fight against HIV and AIDS. It is a fight built not only on science or medication breakthroughs, but on the people who quietly hold the line every day.
Stephen is one of them. He calls this work “the hill I would die on,” and listening to him talk about his journey, it becomes clear why. He has seen the treatment landscape shift from toxic, high-pill regimens to safe, single-tablet therapy, and he has watched people move from “near death” to full health because of these advancements.
Stephen always knew he wanted to be a pharmacist.
“From I was in high school, primary school, beginning out of high school, I always knew I wanted to be a pharmacist. I know that this was my calling.”
When the government launched a partnership programme with the University of Technology in Jamaica, he jumped at the opportunity. He completed two years at home, then finished his bachelor’s degree in Jamaica. Returning to Nassau, he was posted in the Department of Public Health.
“Within the first few months or so, there was an opening here at the HIV center. They assigned me to this unit and I got bitten by the bug.”
Even after working at Doctors Hospital and private pharmacies, HIV care felt different. “There is nothing like here for me,” he said. “I really get to engage with the physicians a lot closely, and that clinical partnership is what I envisioned for myself in pharmacy school.”
HIV care, he explained, requires a deeper level of connection.
“HIV is a little different from the other chronic diseases. It is no longer a death sentence. It is very manageable.”
What keeps him grounded in this particular sphere and is witness clients who adhere to their regimen have full recovery. “You could see people make a complete transformation from near death when they are listed with AIDS, and then with giving them the medication and counseling, you take them on that journey until they are just healthy and back to normal. That is a very rewarding process.”
As The Bahamas marks 40 years of responding to HIV and AIDS, Stephen offers a clear, firsthand picture of how treatment has evolved. His explanation begins long before his own career. “Back in the mid 80s when HIV just came around, scientists and pharmaceutical companies were desperately looking for a drug… because back then it was considered a death sentence.
The first medication, AZT, seemed promising he said. Then later it was the medication was not working as well anymore. Dual therapy came later, but the real shift happened in 1996 he said.
“It was not until 1996 when the groundbreaking triple therapy came about,” he said. “Highly active antiretroviral therapy was when they found that patients received triple therapy and it was maintaining patients for a longer period of time, even decades.”
Those early treatments he saved many lives but came with tremendous strain.
“The medication was very toxic. Patients were taking somewhere between five to ten tablets a day, sometimes even more.” He described organ impact, saying, “These drugs were causing a lot of hepatotoxicity. The pancreas was being affected. It was helping people, yes, but at the same time it was also hurting people.”
Today the shift is remarkable. “We went from ten tablets a day to current day one tablet a day,” he said. “Way less toxic, way more efficient, way more effective at preventing the replication of HIV.”
With education, you could get rid of the stigma. I am a firm believer of that.”
Stephen also described PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), one of the tools helping prevent new cases.
“If they adhere to PrEP properly, meaning take it every single day and come in every three months, there is a very high chance they will not contract the virus.”
He added that PrEP is extremely safe and well tolerated.
In 2024, 100 people accessed the HIV prevention pill through the National AIDS Programme.
“The great majority of people do not experience the rare side effects.”
Medication is only one part of the story. Stephen believes pharmacists are often the missing piece in patient care.
“Traditionally people just look at pharmacists as pill pushers, but we are the connecting dots. We are gatekeepers and we are the
Bitten by the bug: A pharmacist’s view of 40 years of HIV change
Affordability transformed as well, and Stephen gives credit where it is due. He explained that through international partnerships and local leadership, significant price cuts were achieved. “Through the negotiations of the Clinton Foundation back in the day and through the diligence of the Centre now… Dr Nikkiah Forbes played a vital role in getting one of the drugs. She was working with Gilead and was able to negotiate a good price on it.”
He noted the stark difference. “In the States a patient would pay somewhere
between seven to eight hundred dollars and we were able to get it for about one hundred a bottle.”
“Even moving forward, we were able to get the generic formulation at a significantly cheaper price of like thirty or thirty five dollars, and that was very recent.
Lower prices he said opened the door for wider access. “If it is too much, it is not practical. Now people can access it.”
“Every year we have been getting more and more patients on it. He believes stigma continues to fall because of education.
drug experts.”
Patients often see multiple specialists, but usually one pharmacist. That puts Stephen in the unique position of seeing the full picture. Sometimes that means catching dangerous problems before they escalate. He shared a recent example involving a patient on seizure medication.
“I found that the seizure medication was increasing the metabolism of the HIV medication and pushing it out of the body.”
The patient’s HIV he said seemed to be worsening even though he was taking his pills.
Thriving at work with Diabetes: Know more, do more
BY NATHELYN LACROIX, Public Health Nutritionist
Certified Diabetes Educator
Wholistic Lifestyle
The Bahamas Diabetic Asso-
ciation will observe World Diabetes Day throughout the month of November.
Diabetes continues to be a major health challenge in The Bahamas, touching families, communities, and workplaces across the islands.
According to the 2019 STEPS survey, 11.6 per cent of Bahamians live with diabetes, while an additional 6.8per cent are in the pre-diabetic range — meaning they are at high risk of developing the disease if lifestyle changes are not made.
As these numbers continue to climb, it is clear that addressing diabetes is not just a health issue — it’s a workplace issue too.
Employees spend nearly a third of their day at work, making the workplace one of the most powerful environments to encourage healthier habits and provide support for those managing chronic conditions. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), many employees with diabetes face unique challenges on the job, including:
• Managing unpredictable blood sugar levels while balancing workload demands.
• Difficulty accessing healthy food
options during long shifts or tight schedules.
• Limited opportunities for physical activity, which is essential for glucose control.
• Fear of stigma or discrimination, leading some employees to hide their condition.
• Lack of private or suitable spaces to check blood glucose or administer insulin.
• Safety concerns for those in high-risk jobs when blood sugar dips too low or becomes too high.
These challenges can affect productivity, absenteeism, concentration, and overall wellbeing. Employers, in turn, face increased insurance claims and reduced workforce efficiency. Yet, workplaces can also be a key part of the solution.
With the right awareness, support, and wellness initiatives, organisations can empower their teams to take charge of their health. Simple conversations about risk factors, symptoms, and prevention can save lives. Partnering with local health agencies, the Diabetes Association, or clinics to offer on-site glucose and blood pressure screenings can help with early detection, allowing employees to make timely lifestyle adjustments. Promoting healthy meal options in staff cafeterias, providing water stations, and encouraging walking breaks or fitness challenges all contribute to a culture of wellness.
The IDF also emphasises that supportive workplace policies make it easier for employees with diabetes to thrive. Employers can help by:
• Allowing flexible break times for glucose checks, snacks, or medication.
“A lot of times the missing link is the pharmacist.” Stephen reviewed clinical guidelines, collaborated with the physician and recommended alternatives the patient could afford.
Stories like this explain why Stephen stayed. They explain why HIV work continues to be the place where his passion, training and purpose meet.
Stephen’s story is one person’s experience inside a much larger national effort. Back in July Dr Nikkiah Forbes director of the National HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Programme at the Ministry of Health estimated that at the end if 2024 3988 people are living with HIV in The Bahamas, and new infections declined by 47 percent more than 60 percent in the last decade. Among women who receive antiretroviral treatment, mother-to-child transmission has dropped to zero.
New Providence accounted for the majority of new HIV cases at 82 percent, followed by Grand Bahama with ten percent and the Family Islands with eight percent. Men made up 63 percent of new diagnoses, with a median age of 37. The 30-39 age group accounted for 36 percent of new infections, followed by 40-49 at 19 percent, and those aged 50 and older at 17 percent. Twenty people aged 15-24 were diagnosed in 2024, representing 14 percent of new cases, a 50 percent drop in that age group since 2010. AIDS-related deaths decreased by 57 percent over the same period.
Currently, about 95 percent of people living with HIV know their status. Among them, 78 percent are receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 91 percent of those on ART have achieved viral suppression. However, five percent remain unaware of their status, and over 20 percent are not accessing the free HIV medications available.
The numbers tell their own story of progress, but Stephen knows the work behind them. Forty years after the first HIV cases appeared in The Bahamas, he continues to stand on the frontline, one patient, one conversation, and one medication check at a time.
• Providing a private, clean space for diabetes monitoring or insulin injections.
• Encouraging supervisors to be trained in basic diabetes awareness, especially recognising signs of hypoglycemia.
• Offering flexible scheduling for medical appointments.
• Reducing stigma through awareness campaigns that promote understanding, compassion, and respect.
Creating a supportive environment helps employees feel valued and included, fostering a sense of belonging and wellbeing.
The national slogan “Know more and do more for diabetes— calls on both employers and employees to take shared responsibility for diabetes prevention and management. Knowledge
is power, but action turns that knowledge into change. By fostering healthier workplace environments, The Bahamas can help reduce the burden of diabetes, boost employee wellbeing, and strengthen national productivity.
As we look ahead to a healthier 2025/26 and beyond, let us remember: the fight against diabetes starts not only at home or in health facilities but right where we work every day.
The association has a number of events taking place this month including a church service, a symposium on world diabetes day, a dance health expo and walkathon and health fair.
For diabetes support for employers or employees, please contact the
Pharmacist Stephen Kemp
Reshaping trauma
CHILDHOOD trauma can reshape how a child thinks, learns, and relates with others, and if left unaddressed, can shape who they become as adults, Myles LaRoda, the Minister of Social Services, Information and Broadcasting told persons attending the the Department of Rehabilitative/Welfare Services two-day Psychological First Aid Trauma Intervention Workshop.
He applauded the nation’s probation officers, social workers, guidance counselors, psychologists, community support teams, school administrators, and partners in child welfare, for “showing up, not just today, but every day, for the children who depend on you. Your work plants seeds of hope, stability, and resilience that shape lives for generations.”
Mr LaRoda described the workshop as “Not just another training session, but a national call to action to see beyond behaviour and into the heart of every child. An opportunity to respond, not with judgment, but with empathy and skill.”
The workshop was hosted at the Department of Social Services’ Training Room on Baillou Hill Road, and is a key component among the activities planned for the month.
“Trauma changes everything, it reshapes how a child thinks, learns, and relates. Left unaddressed, it can shape who they become as adults -- affecting health,
“Trauma changes everything, it reshapes how a child thinks, learns, and relates. Left unaddressed, it can shape who they become as adults -affecting health, trust, and even their hope for the future. That is why what we do here matters deeply.”
trust, and even their hope for the future. That is why what we do here matters deeply.”
He noted that every day children wake up across the nation carrying invisible pain.
Mr LaRoda said every day across the nation, there are children who wake up carrying invisible pain.
“What can sometimes be seen as defiance defiance or disobedience, can be the voice of trauma crying out for understanding, safety and compassion.”
“They walk into classrooms, communities, and homes sometimes smiling on the outside, but silently battling fears, memories, and emotions too heavy for their young hearts to hold.
Some express it through anger, others withdraw in silence, and some simply shut down.”
The workshop’s objective is to equip participants with the practical tools to help children heal, cope and reclaim what trauma has tried to steal -- their sense of safety, voice, and control.”
He told the probation officers, social workers, guidance counsellors and psychologists in attendance that they are the bridge between trauma and recovery -- the ones “who help restore what pain tried to take away.”
“Each of you, in your unique role, is helping to build a culture of care across The Bahamas; one that recognises emotional
Atlantis men connect for wellness and inspiration
By ALESHA CADET
Tribune Features Reporter acadet@tribunemedia.net
AT Atlantis Paradise Island, a simple idea turned into a powerful moment of brotherhood as 450 men gathered to pause, breathe and talk honestly about life. They walked into the resort’s first annual Men’s Wellness Seminar expecting a workshop; instead, many left feeling uplifted, supported and genuinely seen. Held on Friday, November 7th, the Atlantis Men’s Empowerment Seminar: A-MEN, arrived at a time when conversations about men’s wellbeing feel more urgent and more meaningful than ever.
Atlantis hosted the seminar in celebration of
well-being as the foundation for lifelong success.
“Every act of compassion shifts a child’s story. Healing often begins in the smallest moments -- a gentle word, a listening ear, or a message that says: ‘You are not alone. You are worthy. You can heal.’
“When we help a child heal, we heal a family. When we heal families, we heal communities, and when we heal communities, we shape the future of our nation.”
He also encouraged the workers to find balance and self- care in their careers.
“Those who pour into others must also remember to refill their own strength, do not grow weary in doing good as we continue this important work, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
DRWS is responsible for providing a myriad of services including juvenile support services, probation services for juveniles and adults, residential care for juveniles in custody, aftercare services and welfare services for inmates at The Bahamas Department of Corrections, in addition to counselling for juvenile and adult offenders.
The Department also runs the National Parenting Programme that is committed to empowering parents for their roles and responsibilities via parenting educational training, which assists with building stronger families and safer communities.
International Men’s Day, with the Men of its Human Resources Department leading the charge to create a space where men could speak freely about health, money, personal growth and more. Under the theme Real Talk: A Conversation about Men’s Wealth, Health and Wellness, the programme unfolded with warmth, openness and a sense of shared purpose. Keynote speaker Sebastian Bastian opened the day with a message that resonated strongly across the room. Panel 1, Money Talks, featured Edison Sumner, Robert Cox and Danny Lowe with practical discussions on financial empowerment. Panel 2, Peace Talks, welcomed Freddie Lightbourne, Kenneth Lightbourne, Dr John
Dillet and Donovan Jay Rolle as they explored conflict resolution, communication, overall health and men’s mental wellness.
The event was brought to life by Executive Director of HR Food and Beverage, Horatio McKenzie, who served as MC. Panel 1 was moderated by Brandon Major, Executive Director of HR People, Communications and Culture, while Panel 2 was hosted by Vice President of Food and Beverage, Lenny Cumberbatch. Together, they guided the flow of the seminar and helped create a comfortable setting for open conversations throughout each panel.
Reflecting on the significance of the moment, Brandon shared his own perspective. “In such a time like this in the country, as we are losing men every day, this felt so timely to plant such a small seed of inspiration in our circle of men here at Atlantis,” he said. He added that even he found himself personally moved by what unfolded.
“Even as an organiser and panel moderator, I listened, learned and was inspired by the keynote speaker and panellist,” said Brandon. Throughout the day, Brandon said A-MEN created a space for men to share experiences, gain practical strategies, and build a stronger foundation for personal and professional success.
“Through the dynamic panels, expert insights, and real conversations, this seminar sparked a movement toward healthier, wealthier, and more fulfilled lives for men in our Atlantis, and by extension, the Bahamian community,” said Brandon. For Atlantis, this is only the beginning. “We look forward to bringing more events like this to our Atlantis Men, as this is just the launch of our Men’s Empowerment Network of Events, Seminars and Forums. Stay tuned,” said Brandon. With a strong and heartfelt start, A-MEN has officially planted a seed that will continue to grow into stronger, healthier and more connected communities of men at Atlantis and beyond.
iNSPIRE HER 2025
A sold out celebration of women, vision, and global sisterhood
By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net
ACTRESS and social media phenom Tabitha Brown and media trailblazer Debra Lee, the former Chief Executive Officer of BET Networks, are preparing to step onto the Inspire Her stage in front of what organisers say is already a sold out audience.
For the fourth year in a row, hundreds of Bahamian women and girls will gather at Baha Mar for an evening that promises to feel less like a conference and more like a movement. Inspire Her, Cable Bahamas’ rapidly growing empowerment platform, returns on Thursday with two powerhouse names at the centre of this year’s excitement. It is a full circle moment for the women behind Inspire Her. When the event launched in 2022 under the name Sorry Not Sorry, the goal was straightforward. They wanted to build a space where women could see themselves reflected in leadership, innovation and purpose driven living, especially within the ICT sector. What they did not anticipate was how quickly that spark would grow into one of the most anticipated women’s events on the national calendar.
Today,
Inspire Her is no longer only a corporate initiative. It has become a community. It has become a bridge. And it has become a statement that Bahamian women are hungry for visibility, mentorship and power in every sector of society. This year’s lineup is a reflection of that ambition.
Tabitha Brown arrives with the warmth, humour and authenticity that have made her a beloved global figure.
Debra Lee brings decades of executive experience and the kind of industry wisdom that has shaped Black storytelling on a major scale. Together, they represent two very different paths to success. One built through entrepreneurial reinvention and digital connection, and the
other forged in boardrooms and media networks that transformed the landscape for Black entertainment. Their presence signals to Bahamian girls and women that there is no single route to the top and no dream too unconventional to pursue.
Amber Carey, Vice President of Marketing & Consumer Services, Cable Bahamas, said at a press conference yesterday that the decision to invite speakers of this calibre is intentional. They want young women, established professionals and future leaders to hear from women who have pushed past limitations and broken barriers in fields that are still male dominated globally. It is also important, she said, that these women are
involved
not simply well known faces.
“They are women with stories. Women who speak publicly about resilience, discipline and personal evolution. Women who invest in the next generation in the same way they once needed someone to invest in them.”
Inspire Her is not only about the international names on the stage. A significant part of its heartbeat continues to come from Bahamian women. The event is produced entirely by a Bahamian team and led in partnership with Like Pearls International, a women led organisation that has been part of Inspire Her from the beginning. Their role in planning, shaping and executing the experience is a reminder that
In coffee-producing Uganda, an emerging sisterhood wants more women
By RODNEY MUHUMUZA
SIRONKO, Uganda (AP)
— Meridah Nandudu envisioned a coffee sisterhood in Uganda, and the strategy for expanding it was simple: Pay a higher price per kilogram when a female grower took the beans to a collection point.
It worked. More and more men who typically made the deliveries allowed their wives to go instead.
Nandudu’s business group now includes more than 600 women, up from dozens in 2022. That’s about 75% of her Bayaaya Speciality Coffee’s pool of registered farmers in this mountainous area of eastern Uganda that produces prized arabica beans and sells to exporters.
“Women have been so discouraged by coffee in a way that, when you look at the coffee value chain, women do the donkey work,” Nandudu said. But when the coffee is ready for selling, men step in to claim the proceeds.
Her goal is to reverse that trend in a community where coffee production is not possible without women’s labour.
Uganda is one of Africa’s top two coffee producers, and the crop is its leading export. The East African country exported more than 6 million bags of coffee between September 2023 and August 2024, accounting for $1.3 billion in earnings, according to the Uganda Coffee Development Authority.
The earnings have been rising as production dwindles in Brazil, the world’s top coffee producer, which faces unfavourable drought conditions.
In Sironko district, where Nandudu grew up in a remote village near the Kenya border, coffee is the community’s lifeblood. As a girl, when she was not at school, she helped her mother and other women look after acres of coffee plants. They usually planted, weeded and toiled with the
post-harvest routine that includes pulping, fermenting, washing and drying the coffee.
The harvest season was known to coincide with a surge in cases of domestic violence, she said. Couples fought over how much of the earnings that men brought home from sales — and how much they didn’t.
“When men go and sell, they are not accountable. Our mothers cannot ask, ‘We don’t have food at home. You sold coffee. Can you pay school fees for this
local women are at the forefront of creating opportunities for each other.
This year, organisers have added something many attendees have been craving. A dedicated networking experience. After years of feedback from women who wanted more intentional spaces to connect, collaborate and exchange ideas, Inspire Her is giving women the chance to build real relationships across sectors. Attendees are encouraged to come prepared, whether with digital business cards, traditional business cards or simply the confidence to introduce themselves to someone new. The networking element is designed to open doors long after the final session ends. There
will be the photo moments women look forward to, curated spaces designed for inspiration, and hosts who know how to keep a room energised.
This year’s hosts, Stacey Campbell Marshall and Anastasia Palacious, are expected to bring their signature flair to the stage. And returning for another year is Amanda Panda, whose lively jam session has become a beloved part of the event’s tradition.
Before the main session begins, guests will be able to explore the Vendor Village which opens at 4pm. Last year the village sold out despite opening late in the evening. This time, organisers are giving women more time to browse, support and discover local vendors who offer everything from clothing and accessories to Bahamian food items and handmade products. It is another intentional touch that keeps the event rooted in community and economic empowerment. For all its excitement and entertainment, Inspire Her ultimately aims to shift how women see themselves in their personal lives and in their careers. The presence of Tabitha Brown and Debra Lee is symbolic. Yet the heart of Inspire Her has always been the Bahamian girls and women who show up hungry for something deeper. They come for motivation. They come for clarity. They come for connection. And they leave reminded that their stories matter.
Partners for the event include Fidelity Bank Bahamas Limited, Arawak Homes, Islands Pearls International. For more information log onto www.iherbahamas. com.
child?’” she said. Years later, Nandudu earned her degree in the social sciences from Uganda’s top public university in 2015, with her father funding her education from coffee earnings. She had the idea to launch a company that would prioritise the needs of coffee-producing women in the country’s conservative society. She thought of her project as a kind of sisterhood and chose “bayaaya” — a translation in the Lumasaba language — for her company’s name. It launched in 2018, operating like others that buy coffee directly from farmers and process it for export.
But Bayaaya is unique in Mbale, the largest city in eastern Uganda, for focusing on women and for initiatives such as a cooperative saving society that members can contribute to and borrow from.
For small-holder Ugandan farmers in remote areas, a small movement in the price of a kilogram of coffee is a major event. The decision to sell to one or another middleman often hinges on small price differences.
A decade ago, the price of coffee bought by a middleman from a Ugandan farmer was roughly 8,000 Uganda shillings, or just
women to sell coffee,” Nandudu said. “When a woman sells coffee, she has a hand in it.”
Nandudu’s group has many collection points across eastern Uganda, and women trek to them at least twice a week. Men are not turned away.
AP Photos: Hajarah Nalwadda
over $2 at today’s exchange rate. Now the price is roughly $5. Nandudu adds an extra 200 shillings to the price of every kilogram she buys from a woman. It’s enough of an incentive that more women are joining. Another benefit is a small bonus payment during the off-season from February to August. That motivates many local men “to trust their
Selling as a Bayaaya member has fostered teamwork as her family collectively decides how to spend coffee earnings, said Linet Gimono, who joined the group in 2022. And with assured earnings, she’s able to afford the “small things” she often needs as a woman. “I can buy soap (and) I can buy sugar without pulling ropes with my husband over it,” she said.
Another member, Juliet Kwaga, said her mother never would have thought of collecting coffee earnings because her father was very much in charge.
Now, Kwaga’s husband, with a bit of encouragement, is comfortable sending her. “At the end of the day I go home with something to feed my family, to support my children,” she said. In Sironko district, home to more than 200,000 people, coffee trees dot the hilly terrain. Much of the farming is on plots of one or two acres, although some families have larger tracts.
Many farmers don’t usually drink coffee, and some have never tasted it. Some women smiled in embarrassment when asked what it tasted like.
But things are slowly changing. Routine coffee drinkers are emerging among younger women in the coffee business in urban areas, including at a roasting place in Mbale where most employees are women.
Phoebe Nabutale, who helps oversee quality assurance for Darling Coffee, was raised in a family of coffee growers. She bent over the roaster, smelling the beans until she got the aroma she wanted.
Many of her girlfriends, she said, regularly ask how they can break into the coffee business, as roasters or otherwise.
For Nandudu, who aims to start exporting beans, that’s progress. Now there are more women in “coffee as a business,” she said.
Debra Lee
Tabitha Brown
Simply single
By CARA HUNT Tribune Features Writer cbrennen@tribunemedia.net
MANY women are programmed to dream of picket fences, 2.5 children and happily ever after.
And when you combine those Hallmark channel vibes with warnings of biological clocks ticking it can make it seem like spinsterhood is the failure of life that is your destiny.
But what happens when you simply didn’t get the ‘what society expects of you’ memo.
What if your dreams are less pitter patter of tiny feet and more closets full of designer shoes, freedom to travel and disposable income that is actually disposable.
“I have never wanted to get married, Jennifer told Tribune Woman, “I grew up with my mommy who had several dysfunctional relationships, my sister who is ten years older than me was in a relationship with a man who screwed her over and left her alone
with two kids, I had cousins and aunts in abusive relationships.
“I just have not seen any real life positive relationships and I decided since I was a little girl that I wouldn’t take the risk.”
Even after all these years, at 43, Jennifer does not regret her decision to remain single.
“I am the fun rich auntie, I give my nieces and my nephews and my godchildren all the love and the presents and take them to the carnival and the movies and then I can send them home and return to my nice white clean house,” she said.
She said the children in her life fulfill any hints of maternal longings she had, adding: “They are my babies - I do for them just like I would have done for any biological kids. I don’t feel like I am missing out on motherhood in any way.”
And as for a relationship, she says she is thrilled with the peace that being on her own brings.
“My money is my money, I can spend it how I want, I don’t have to worry about someone disrespecting me, cheating on my playing with my emotions and I love that for me, she adds.”
When we asked if the solitude got too lonely, she laughed coyly and said,
“That’s what friends with benefits are for … and I can send them home too.”
Marley said that she did dream of marriage and kids, but after she hit thirty seven, she decided to dream new dreams.
“I was in a relationship that was long term, I thought he was the one, I really did, but you know he show them true colours and thank God he show me he was not the one.I am too old and too tired to start over and I never wanted to be an old mother, so I feel like the ship has sailed.”
She says that she took her secret wedding stash and traveled Europe for three weeks instead.
“It was such a postive experience, I did a cruise, and it was a period for me to find myself and get comfortable in my solitude and I learnt that I am enough and I don’t need anyone to feel validation. I am just going to enjoy my life and my peace and travel the world and have fun.”
MARINE FORECAST
The woman bringing pelvic health into the spotlight
By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features
FOR nearly two decades, Dr DeVonnia Bonimy-Lee has been one of the quiet powerhouses shaping women’s wellness in the Bahamas. With a Doctorate in Physical Therapy, board certification as a Women’s Health Clinical Specialist and additional certifications in lymphoedema, cosmetic surgery therapy and yoga, her career reflects a rare blend of clinical expertise, compassion and advocacy. As the founder of Viva Physio & Wellness in Sandyport, she is championing a vital message for Bahamian women: pelvic health is not optional, and recovery after childbirth deserves proper clinical care. Her journey began at The College of The Bahamas before completing a Bachelor of Science in Biology at North Georgia College & State University. She then pursued a four-year Doctorate in Physical Therapy at Seton Hall University. “My first job out of PT school was the inpatient setting at the prestigious Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Here is where I learned firsthand about continuity of care, collaborative
effort and multi-disciplinary care in action,” said Dr Bonimy-Lee. It was in that deeply specialised environment that she met “Mila”, an expectant mother fighting an aggressive tumour.
“As a new graduate in this unique setting, I learned about how my skills as a Physiotherapist was an integral part of her success and was inspired when she met her goal,” she said. Dr Bonimy-Lee's early clinical exposure, combined with specialised training in pelvic health, lymphoedema and oncology rehabilitation, made her increasingly aware of how often pelvic and core-related challenges were misunderstood, dismissed or left untreated.
Dr Bonimy-Lee’s passion deepened when she transitioned to NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. “This experience allowed me to work with a network of medical providers who referred patients to Physiotherapy at various stages of their pregnancy,” she said. The stories stayed with her, including that of “Rhonda”, a mother struggling with nocturia and scar restrictions after her c-sections. “I completed a full postpartum assessment at 14 weeks postpartum, addressed her deficits over the course of six weekly visits
and she was able to work part-time from home, and continue to care for her newborn and 4-yearold, with support from her benefits,” said Dr Bonimy-Lee.
She noted that many women skip treatment because it requires outof-pocket payment, even though early intervention can prevent long-term issues.
“Postpartum pelvic-floor rehabilitation can start with education as early as the day after delivery,” she explained. Traditionally, local women begin formal follow-up at six weeks, making this an ideal time to address how childbirth and gravity shift the body and how the pelvic floor muscles lengthen to three times their normal length. She noted that many women later in life tell her, “I wish I had met you right after I gave birth.”
and I, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, in Washington.
Her clinical insights also highlight the prevalence of untreated symptoms.
“One of four women will have pelvic floor dysfunction. Postnatal pelvic floor rehabilitation and education ideally should occur after each delivery,” she added.
One persistent challenge is misinformation. “One of the biggest misconceptions I encounter is that pelvic issues following childbirth are ‘normal’ and it’s just something mothers learn to live with,” she said.
Dr Bonimy-Lee noted that many women are also navigating hypertension, diabetes and obesity before pregnancy, which can complicate recovery timelines. Her work on national rehabilitation assessments revealed how limited human resources and public awareness affect access to care.
Founding Viva Physio & Wellness allowed her to create the space she envisioned.
“I wanted to create a dedicated space where evidence-based physiotherapy could be delivered in a supportive, restorative environment,” she said. Her aim has always been to empower women to restore strength and confidence. She believes integrating pelvic health into maternity benefits is essential. “Integrating pelvic health rehabilitation into maternity benefits is really about redefining what true postpartum care means,” she said.
Dr Bonimy-Lee recommends insurers adopt policies that include postpartum pelvic assessments at six weeks, followed by therapeutic sessions if dysfunction is present. “When we support women through every stage of recovery,
we strengthen families and the broader economy,” she said. Looking forward, Dr Bonimy-Lee sees education as the national turning point. “The next phase of progress lies in education, community connection and system-wide awareness,” she said. Through her involvement with the American Physical Therapy Association’s Pregnancy and Postpartum Special Interest Group, she recently helped develop educational tools for medical students and clinicians. She hopes similar efforts will flourish locally.
“At the community level, I hope for more public workshops, workplace wellness partnerships and postpartum support programmes,” she added. As her clinic grows, so does her mission: “When women are informed and supported, they heal better and live fuller lives,” she said. Readers are encouraged to keep up with Dr Bonimy-Lee’s work at https://vivaptwellness. com
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP)
— On any day during
her eight years as first lady of the United States,
Michelle Obama said she could go from giving a speech to meeting with a counterpart from another country to digging in her vegetable garden with groups of schoolchildren.
And her clothes had to be ready for that. There was too much else to do, including raising daughters Sasha and Malia, and she said she did not have time to obsess over what she was wearing. "I was concerned about, 'Can I hug somebody in it? Will it get dirty?'" she said Wednesday night during a moderated conversation about her style choices, dating to growing up on the South Side of Chicago,
to when she found herself in the national spotlight as the first Black woman to be first lady. "I was the kind of first lady that there was no telling what I would do." Obama would become one of the most-watched women in the world, for what she said and did, but also for what she wore. She chronicled her fashion, hair and makeup journey in her newest book, "The Look," written with her longtime stylist Meredith Koop and published earlier this month. The sold-out conversation was taped as part of "IMO: THE LOOK," a special, six-part companion series to the IMO podcast she hosts with her brother, Craig Robinson. She wanted her clothes to be welcoming as well as versatile. "The thing about clothes that I find is that they can welcome people in or they can keep people away, and if you're so put together and so precious and things are so crisp and the pin is so big, you know, it can just tell people, 'Don't touch me,'" she said. She said she would not wear white to events with rope lines in case someone wanted a hug. "I'm not going to push somebody away when they need something from me, and I'm not going to let the clothes get in the way of that," Obama said. Here's what she said about a few of her notable fashion choices: The gown for Obama's first inauguration The white, one-shoulder chiffon gown was designed by Jason Wu, then an
unknown 26-year-old who was born in Taiwan. But when she stepped out at the inaugural ball wearing the gown, the moment changed Wu's life. That was by design, she said.
The inauguration ceremony at the Capitol was held two weeks after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot there by supporters of President Donald Trump who had sought to overturn Biden's victory. She said she had been thinking about the possibility of having to run if something else had happened that day. "I wanted to be able to move. I wanted to be ready," she said. But she and her team "had no idea" the outfit "was going to break the internet," she said. White House East Wing Obama also spoke about the East Wing, the traditional base of operations for first ladies that Trump last month tore down to make room for a ballroom he had long desired. Obama described the East Wing as a joyful place that she remembers as full of apples, children, puppies and laughter, in contrast to the West Wing, which dealt with "horrible things." It was where she worked on various initiatives that ranged from combating childhood obesity to rallying the country around military families to encouraging developing countries to let girls go to school. She said she and her husband never thought of the White House as "our house." They saw themselves more as caretakers, and there was work to do in the mansion. "But every president has the right to do what they want in that house, so that's why we've got to be clear on who we let in," Obama said. From gowns to pantsuits, Michelle Obama explains her
"We were beginning to realise everything we did sent a message," Obama said, speaking of herself and her husband, former President Barack Obama. "So that's what we were trying to do with the choices we made, to change lives."
She would continue to help launch the careers of other up-and-coming designers by wearing their creations.
Chain mail state dinner gown
Obama wore the rose gold gown by Versace for the Obama administration's final state dinner for Ital-
ian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi in October 2016.
"So that was a kind of 'I don't care' dress," she said of the shimmery, one-armed gown.
"I put that on. I was like, 'This is sexy.' It's the last one," she said, meaning their final state dinner. "All of my choices, ultimately, are what is beautiful — and what looks beautiful on."
Pantsuit worn to Joe Biden's inauguration
"I was really in practical mode," Obama said, explaining why she chose the maroon ensemble by Sergio Hudson with a flowing, floor-length coat that she wore unbuttoned, exposing the belt around her waist with a big, round gold-toned buckle. Her boots had a low heel.
"The sitting president was trying to convince us that Jan. 6 was just a peaceful protest," she said.
Former first lady Michelle Obama speaks about her new book "The Look" during an event at Sixth
