WOMAN & HEALTH
THESE LOOTERS
‘HAVE NO SHAME’
• Vendors awake to looters after businesses lost to fire • Six now arrested after Abaco net widens
TWO separate incidents of looting in the span of days have cast a shadow over the country, stirring embarrassment and anger as Bahamians watched disaster victims and stranded cargo both get picked apart by opportunistic thieves.
At Arawak Cay, vendors reeling from a fire that levelled six stalls woke the next morning to find looters rummaging through the ashes,
stealing what little had been saved. Goldie’s Conch House manager Kenya Mitchell, whose restaurant was among those destroyed, said: "I can't imagine the mindset of someone who would steal from people who have already lost so much - kicking someone when they are down. These people have no shame.”
FNM and COI block removal of ballot box claiming breach of agreement on how it should
By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
CHAOS erupted after advance polling ended in Golden Isles yesterday when Free National Movement and Coalition of Independents supporters blocked the removal
of ballot boxes, accusing officials of breaching an agreement on how the materials should be transported.
FNM candidate Brian Brown said agents intervened because, he claimed, presiding officers were not honouring a Wednesday agreement with the Parliamentary Commissioner that representatives from each party would accompany the boxes to the Parliamentary Registrar.
The tense standoff eased only after agents were allowed to escort the boxes, which Mr Brown said were taken to the Parliamentary Registrar instead of police headquarters.
By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
be transported
FNM leader Michael Pintard later raised broader concerns about the integrity of the process, arguing the returning officer — whom he claimed was formerly a campaign general of the prime minister — should
See PAGES 4 & 5 PLP slams
THE Davis Administration continues to forcefully reject Opposition Leader Michael Pintard’s assertion that “a bag of passports” was found on a Bahamasair flight, with senior officials now accusing him of spreading a false story
that stokes “xenophobic attitudes” and undermines national institutions.
National Security Minister Wayne Munroe said the claim collapsed after the airline, the Passport Office and police all confirmed no such incident occurred, adding that anyone “with sense” should withdraw it.
Pintard’s ‘phantom’ passport allegations
“It is trying to feed on xenophobic attitudes amongst Bahamians,” he said. “It is as reprehensible as what happened in Abaco, and in some ways way worse, because it seeks to take advantage of what is not good character and good motivation.
“The very sad thing about the leader the opposition, who says he wants to be
PASSPORTS - SEE PAGE TWO BALLOTS - SEE PAGE TWO
FNM leader Michael Pintard.
CHARRED remnants (left) of several establishments the day after they were ravaged by a fire at Arawak Cay’s Fish Fry.
Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff
Residents from Abaco gathering at a stranded barge last week where many boarded and looted the vessel.
Standoff ends after agents from each party allowed to accompany ballot box
not oversee the election.
“We should make sure that that not only is the election fair, it is seen to be fair, and we are concerned now that, again, there are too many conflicts of interest involved in the presiding over this election and we will not stand for it,” he said.
He questioned the officer’s capacity to manage all 14 polling divisions. “If you take more than two hours for a maximum of 285 votes, there’s a problem. Something is wrong in terms of the efficiency with which they can manage this election.”
Mr Pintard also alleged that PLP supporters interfered with voters entering the polling station. He said FNM representatives repeatedly asked that the individuals be removed but were ignored, and that the party wanted to avoid confrontation because the country is peaceful. He argued the government fuels conflict and chaos and said the FNM would resist any attempts to push them around.
In a statement, the PLP rejected the FNM’s objections, saying all parties had agreed to the protocols. It accused the opposition of staging “organised chaos” to distract from internal weakness. “There was no interference, no pressure, and no disruption,” the party said. “The only source of confusion came from the FNM, who attempted to turn a well-run process into a spectacle.”
Earlier in the day, political tents lined the church yard as supporters chanted and waved flags, with more than 200 people registered to vote early.
A brief flare-up over FNM campaign music followed shortly after polls opened, with PLP candidate Darron Pickstock and COI leader Lincoln Bain objecting to how close the speakers were to the entrance. “That is an ear shoot,” Mr Bain said.
Mr Pickstock told police: “I will go inside and speak with presiding officer because it is unacceptable for that to be happening in the earshot of the voters who are voting.” The issue was resolved quickly and voting continued.
employee was dismissed. His claim stands without a single fact behind it,” the statement said.
Voters offered mixed reviews of the process and voiced deep concerns about issues affecting their constituency. Longtime resident Lithera Coakley said the operation was efficient. “Do you see
how fast I was in there and came out? I was here at eight o’clock. I was about the seventh person, and the staff is so good. Their instructions were precise. This is beautiful. They’re respectful,” she said.
But 79-year-old Alva Stuart Coakley said the wait was long. More importantly to her, she warned that flooding in her Coral Lakes neighbourhood remains unbearable. “I need a boat and a jet ski to get out of my house every time it rains and I am sick and tired of it.”
She criticised the state of the country: “I don’t see a single good road in Nassau until this by-election come up and all the roads getting paved. I tired of bussing up my car and the health
system and all of those things need to change.” Bahamas Kidney Association president Tamika Roberts, said she voted early because she will be travelling, said she wants a representative who delivers results. “Somebody that is actionable, someone that makes things happen, not somebody that just talks, but actually somebody that makes things happen,” she said. “They not only deserve somebody that’s going to speak, but they deserve somebody that is going to actually do the work.”
She cited national health concerns, saying: “The Bahamas has been stated to be the highest in the region for kidney disease. That is a concern for me.”
prime minister, is if he has this evidence, he has not managed to come forward with it to anybody. I don’t know if he’s shown it to you all, but he’s not managed to come forward with it to anybody.
“If it is phantom, if he was misled, it shows that he is easily misled, and not somebody who should be trusted to run a school, much less a country.”
Mr Munroe said Mr Pintard is no longer positioning himself to become government but is instead fighting to hold on to his leadership, accusing him of using fear and resentment to stay politically afloat.
The PLP escalated the pushback in a later press statement, issuing what it called a “direct call” to the opposition leader. The party said the Commissioner of Police, the Chief Passport Officer, and Bahamasair’s managing director and chairman have all confirmed no passport incident occurred.
“There is no report. There is no investigation. No
“The leader of the opposition has a clear pattern of reckless statements that fall apart the moment they are checked. This one goes even further. If he has evidence, he must release it publicly and deliver it to law enforcement today. If he cannot do so, then he must acknowledge that he lied.
“The PLP will not allow the public to be misled with false stories that undermine confidence in national institutions. Matters involving passports and security carry serious weight, and they demand honesty, not fictional claims for political attention. The Bahamian people deserve truth and respect from those who seek to lead. The Leader of the Opposition must act today. Produce the evidence or admit the lie.”
Mr Pintard nevertheless insisted yesterday that his party will “not retreat,” accusing the government of dishonesty across multiple areas of governance.
“This is a government not at all committed to
transparency. We’ll continue to raise questions in every area of our national life as we’ve been doing as we’ve been doing on procurement and the way they manage the economy, in the way they address immigration issues, in the failure to report on the criminal activities that have occurred within the country that they have knowledge of,” he said.
“There are many matters that they simply will not be truthful about they weren’t truthful about BPL or transplant in terms of how they’re executing the privatisation. Yes, we are prepared to stand up if Bahamians, who are whistleblowers are going to have confidence that they can share information with us.”
“They must know we are prepared to fight for them. So every day, we are prepared to fight the PLP and the corruption that exists, the lies that they tend to tell. We will not retreat. No retreat, no surrender.”
Pressed about the government’s denials, he said: “This government is prone to lie on any number of matters. So we’re not, we’re not surprised by anything that they say.”
FNM Chairman Dr Duane Sands greets PLP members and supporters including PLP Candidate for Golden Isles Darren Pickstock during the advanced poll for the Golden Isles by-election outside Remnant Tabernacle of Praise Church yesterday.
Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff
Police accused of fabricating evidence to blame 2022 murder on defendant
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
THE police were yesterday accused of fabricating evidence to pin a 2022 murder on Donte “Drey” Deveaux, while prosecutors argued the dying victim named him as the shooter on Seventh Street. Deveaux, 28, is accused of murdering 34-yearold Emmanuel “Manny”
Brown and attempting to kill Samuel “Fish” Joseph during a shooting on Seventh Street, Coconut Grove, on the night of May 2, 2022. In his closing address, defence attorney Dr K Melvin Munroe said police did not reach the scene until after Brown died. He referred to evidence suggesting the shooting occurred around 9pm and argued officers did not arrive until 10pm. It
was previously testified that Officer Sands spoke with the deceased at the scene, where he identified Deveaux as his shooter.
Dr Munroe also claimed Joseph and Officer Sands knew each other for years. He said the police statement was “manufactured.” He pointed to testimony that described the deceased as wearing short pants, although scene photos showed him in torn long pants.
He told the jury the inconsistencies created impossibilities about what happened that night and argued his client could not have committed the murder. Prosecutor Timothy Bailey countered that Brown identified the defendant as the shooter before he died. Mr Bailey said Brown told the officer not to let him die.
He said police arrived at the scene within three minutes of the shooting
and noted that pathologist Dr Caryn Sands had said Brown would’ve survived ten minutes after being shot. Mr Bailey said police could not have manufactured evidence, pointing to a tooth and other items recovered from the scene. He said EMS personnel had to tear the deceased’s clothing to administer treatment.
He told the court that Joseph endured a horrific
attack, suffering four gunshot wounds, including injuries to his jaw and eye, and that he witnessed the murder firsthand. Mr Bailey said Joseph also identified Deveaux as the shooter. He urged the jury to be cold and dispassionate as they deliberate and asked them to find the defendant guilty of murder.
In addition to Mr Bailey, Tenielle Bain and Calnan Kelly prosecuted the case.
National Youth Guard’s fifth cohort benefitted from real-life training
By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net
SIXTY-EIGHT men and women across The Bahamas graduated yesterday as the fifth cohort of the National Youth Guard, pledging to answer the call of duty during natural disasters and national emergencies.
The Bahamas National Youth Guard is a youth programme launched in October 2022 after the government, in the wake of Hurricane Dorian’s devastation in 2019, recognised the need to strengthen national preparedness.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony at Baha Mar, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis noted that this group was the first cohort to be mobilised during training, supporting the country in real time during Hurricane Melissa last month. He said members were deployed to four shelters in New Providence and assisted operations at the National Emergency Operations Centre.
“This cohort also marks another first, the first time we have welcomed cadets from Acklins and San Salvador,” Mr Davis said. “Acklins and San Salvador, your presence strengthens this programme. It reminds us that national service belongs to every island, every community, every Bahamian. Cohort five, you have given back to your country in visible and meaningful ways.” Mr Davis added: “We know that storms are intensifying – becoming more destructive. You now know that when the next powerful storm comes our way, it is unity, training, and readiness that will make all the difference.”
Markayla Curtis was named the top female cadet. She said she tried to stay humble throughout the programme and listened to her instructors as best she could. She recalled learning skills in search and rescue, firefighting, first aid, and emergency response.
“Working during
Hurricane Melissa was an experience,” she said, adding they met people from so many backgrounds and walks of life.
Ms Curtis said she hopes to return to school to further her education before joining one of the armed forces.
Elvis Smith, 23, the top male cadet, encouraged others to join the programme. He said the Youth Guard helps participants stay on a positive path and avoid situations that could lead to negative consequences.
“I feel as though, if we could get more youths of this nation to come together in this programme, we'd have a better Bahamas,” Mr Smith said.
Mr Smith said his longterm goal is to be accepted into the Royal Bahamas Defence Force or the Royal Bahamas Police Force. He noted that he previously worked in the construction industry but now sees purpose in motivating the next generation.
POLICE INVESTIGATE SHOOTING THAT LEFT THREE IN HOSPITAL
POLICE are investigating a shooting that left three men in hospital on Sunday. Officers responded to reports of gunfire on Apache Alley off Kemp Road just before 10pm. They found a 22-yearold man with apparent gunshot wounds. He was taken to hospital, where two other men, 25 and 35, were also treated for gunshot injuries. The men were reportedly gathered outside watching a sports game when gunmen opened fire in their direction.
All three remain in hospital, though their condition is currently unknown. Investigations are continuing.
SIXTY-EIGHT men and women across The Bahamas graduated yesterday at Baha Mar as the fifth cohort of the National Youth Guard, pledging to answer the call of duty during natural disasters and national emergencies.
Photos: Nikia Charlton
Special task force formed to target those who looted stranded barge
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) has formed a specialised taskforce to target those who looted a grounded container barge in Abaco last week, with six people now in custody.
Deputy Police Commissioner Kirkwood Andrews confirmed the additional arrests yesterday, adding that several items have also been recovered. Two of the arrests were made on the barge Friday, while the other four were taken into custody on Sunday
“The task force, we’ve been investigating and questioning those persons in custody and will see where this investigation takes us,” he told The Tribune yesterday, adding that police intend to pursue everyone involved.
Asked yesterday what message he had for those reluctant to return looted items for fear of prosecution, DCP Andrews said he would not promise protection but urged anyone with concerns about items in their possession to still reach out to police.
The grounded barge, The Brooklyn Bridge, quickly became the centre of attention last week after brazen daylight raids sparked wild scenes and prompted a police investigation.
Trailer Bridge, the US-based operator, said an estimated 90 percent of containers were compromised following the barge’s grounding on a reef near Nunjack Cay.
The company later criticised police for what it described as a slow response, while dismissing claims that residents were invited aboard to help or to “lighten the load,” calling them “entirely false.”
National Security Minister Wayne Munroe, however, pushed back against the criticism, calling the owners “ungrateful” while defending the police’s operation.
He said authorities mobilised once it became clear the Brooklyn Bridge barge had been left unsecured by its owners, ultimately arresting two men found on the vessel.
He likened the situation to abandoning a shopping mall without security and said the government redirected limited patrol assets usually assigned to anti-poaching and migrant-interdiction duties to secure private property after it was left vulnerable.
“The owners of this thing are ungrateful,” he said. “To basically redirect one vessel to secure personal property that the owner could have put security guards on, is something that the state did at great expense in terms of manpower,” he said, adding: “That comes at a cost.”
Scores of looters in Abaco boarded the container barge The Brooklyn Bridge taking items while the ship was stranded on a reef in North Abaco last week.
Looters target victims of Arawak Cay fire
By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
LOOTERS descended on Arawak Cay hours after a fire reduced six stalls to rubble, stripping fire victims of what little could be saved from one of the country’s busiest tourist hubs.
Rodney Russell, president of the Arawak Cay Conch, Fish, Vegetable and Food Vendors Association, said the stalls destroyed in Sunday’s blaze were targeted early yesterday morning, with thieves making off with several of his belongings.
“After salvaging most of the stuff that I could’ve salvaged, I secured [them] in an area of my place and when I came this morning, the place was broken into and a lot of my goods were gone,” Mr Russell, owner of Red Snapper, said.
He said stolen items included a microwave, alcohol, air fryers, a water heater, pots and utensils.
“Anything they could’ve carried –– fishing rods, personal items like chains, shades, hats, knives, my big knives that I used to cut up conch with, all of that is stuff they carried,” he said.
“They gone.”
When he called police to investigate, he said “no police officer came to assist”.
Goldie’s Conch House manager Kenya Mitchell, whose restaurant was among those destroyed, said she also witnessed looting early Monday morning.
“They took this opportunity of destruction and devastation and they capitalised on it,” she said. “You have those people. It was really sad to see.”
She initially thought the looters were part of the cleanup crew but soon realised otherwise and contacted an Arawak Cay association official, who
removed them from the site.
“It just was crazy,” she said. “I can't imagine the mindset of someone who would steal from people who have already lost so much –– kicking someone when they are down. These people have no shame. I would say to these looters, have a heart for the people who are already suffering. How much do you want to take from them?"
Despite the setback, Mr Russell said “tremendous” progress had been made in clearing the site and preparing for reconstruction. BPL crews were already assessing how to restore power, and another vendor told The Tribune they had been advised electricity could be back by day’s end.
Ms Mitchell praised the
government for a “speedy” cleanup that allowed vendors to properly assess the damage and determine their next steps.
Mr Russell said none of the affected stalls carried insurance, noting this was common at Arawak Cay because the tightly packed structures violate building code requirements.
Trudy Johnson, owner of Trudy’s Bar and Grill, whose stall barely escaped the fire, said she had previously tried to obtain insurance but was told the structures did not meet requirements — a decision she understood. “We don’t have a sprinkler system, we don’t have fire hydrants, but you can’t blame the insurance companies. That’s something we have to work
on as an association,” she said.
Asked whether it was appropriate to discuss building code issues right now, she pushed back. “If it was stone, it would catch, maybe not as much and not as fast, but everyone’s got
something to say and I can’t lose energy on that and I won’t,” she said. “People are gonna talk and they gonna speculate, they gonna say stuff and I can’t think about that. I won’t. I’m not that kind of person.”
Across the street, Joey’s
Restaurant and Lounge owner Dario Williams said watching the fire unfold left him “truly devastated,” describing the scene as a “bad nightmare” that still felt unreal the next morning. He said the wind drove flames swiftly down the western line of wooden stalls and that “if the wind was blowing any other direction” the loss might have been “even worse”.
Mr Williams said the disaster exposed the longstanding crisis of vendors investing heavily in businesses that cannot be insured. “A lot of vendors have invested so much money into their business,” he said. “To see a guy that invested millions of dollars in his business, and you cannot get any insurance, it could have been me.”
He said operators understood the hazard and “logically” could not fault insurers for rejecting coverage. Still, he stressed the financial danger was overwhelming and said some form of intervention was needed so vendors could “go home and rest” knowing they had at least partial protection if disaster struck. He added that owners were willing to meet new infrastructure or building standards but needed a path to insurance to safeguard their livelihoods and the families who rely on them.
A man is seen in a fire ravaged structure as workers demolish the charred remnants of several establishments the day after they were ravaged by a fire at Arawak Cay’s Fish Fry yesterday.
Photos: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff
The Tribune Limited
NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI
“Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”
LEON E. H. DUPUCH,
Publisher/Editor 1903-1914
SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH, Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .
Publisher/Editor 1919-1972
Contributing Editor 1972-1991
RT HON EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON, C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B.
Publisher/Editor 1972-
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Knowing right from wrong
A FEW weeks ago, a post to a Bahamas Facebook group drew some attention. A man had found a wallet. Rather than pocket the contents for himself, he found the identification inside and posted it to social media, asking people to lend a hand in getting the wallet back to its rightful owner. Within a few minutes, a number of people recognised the ID of the owner, and quickly tagged them to alert them about their missing wallet. It did not take long for the owner to be reunited with his belongings – money, ID cards, bank cards and all.
The person who found the wallet instinctively knew what was the right thing to do. And, judging by the reaction of people online, they did too.
After a barge grounded off Abaco, there was a very different reaction from many. Boats pulled up alongside the distressed vessel and looters made off with, well, just about everything they could get their hands on.
They loaded up boats, and then loaded up cars on the shore, and off the belongings went to whatever new home they were going to wind up in.
There was plenty of discussion about whether people were legally allowed to make off with belongings that were not their own – drawing on deeply dubious claims about salvage laws that were not backed up by reality.
The heist was conducted in high definition, with videos and photographs posted to social media as people opened up containers and took appliances, food, toilet paper and more.
That footage should be very helpful to investigators in spotting the registration numbers on the boats involved or the licence plates on the cars.
Eventually, police and defence force officers arrived and curtailed the looters’ illegal fun.
And yet somehow plenty of people were on the side of the looters. It is legal, they said, of the illegal actions. It is tradition, they said, as if an illegal tradition is not still illegal. It was almost
romanticised, as if the thieves were wannabe pirates, cosplay criminals shrugging off any prospect of illegality.
Then, at the weekend, a fire ripped through a number of restaurants at Arawak Cay. Businesses were completely destroyed and, as it turns out, they were also uninsured – because they were told they were uninsurable due to their wooden walls and close proximity.
One of the justifications some used for the looting of the Abaco barge was that all of this was insured – well, what explanation then for the heartless thieves who went to the damaged businesses at Arawak Cay and promptly looted those as well?
The president of the Arawak Cay Conch, Fish, Vegetable and Food Vendors Association, Rodney Russell, whose own restaurant was one of those in the blaze, said that early yesterday morning, thieves made off with some of his belongings from the scene.
A microwave, air fryers, alcohol, a water heater, pots and pans, utensils... as Mr Russell said: “Anything they could’ve carried.”
He called police, but said “no police officer came to assist”. The authorities have not covered themselves in glory in either of these incidents, it would seem. Mr Russell was not the only victim either – Goldie’s was also targeted by looters. The manager there, Kenya Mitchell, said: “I can’t imagine the mindset of someone who would steal from people who have already lost so much –kicking someone when they are down.”
As for the thieves, they are beneath contempt. We understand instinctively what is right and what is wrong – so why do we make excuses?
The man who returned the wallet was right. The thieves who stole from burned out buildings were wrong. The looters of the stranded barge were also wrong. There should be no equivocation about that. Just because they stole from people we do not know does not make it right. We can tell right from wrong. And we should not hold back from saying so.
Junkanoo belongs to the people
EDITOR, The Tribune.
I HOPE that the powers that be, especially the government, are happy now that they have succeeded in crushing the spirit of the junkanooers as they appear to have beaten them into submission, just in time for the holiday parades.
During this whole brouhaha there was one time a politician uttered words that should have been heeded. But because he is in opposition, the likelihood of him being listened to was low to non-existent.
Opposition leader, Michael Pintard, who at one time had oversight of the junkanoo parades, recommended that the parades be allowed to continue under the existing regime and the disagreements hashed out in an intentional conclave early in the New Year. Instead his suggestion was
summarily dismissed as “just politics.”
Meanwhile, with a metaphoric gun to their heads, the leaders of the junkanoo groups slunked back to their respective corners, heads bloodied and their pride battered, wondering what the next step is going to be.
While Minister Bowleg asserts, and correctly so, that junkanoo belongs to “the people”, he and his government have snatched control from those “people” by dismissing the JCNP who represented those people.
It is also the irony of ironies that the group which brags about its central role in the preservation of the cultural behemoth that is junkanoo, the Valley Boys, is the vessel used by the government to dismantle and neuter any power the JCNP might have imagined it had!
PICTURE OF THE DAY
Two major fires, two tragedies
EDITOR, The Tribune. OUR hearts are breaking for the entire Fish Fry community at Arawak Cay. The images of the blaze that ripped through Goldie’s and four adjoining stalls, destroying livelihoods and a cultural institution, are devastating. We know the cooks, servers, and business owners are facing an abrupt and painful cut off from their income, and we pray they receive all the support they need to rebuild their businesses, and their lives. We stand in full sympathy with every person who lost their job and their way of life.
However, this national tragedy forces us to ask a difficult but necessary question, Why is the support not the same for Victoria Court? How do tourism dollars play a part?
Just seven months ago, a similar inferno tore through historic Victoria Court Nassau. The difference is governmental response is unfair.
At Fish Fry, the loss was businesses, jobs, and a cultural landmark. At Victoria Court, the loss was a
historical landmark, homes, personal possessions, and the destruction of a building considered a part of Bay Street’s architectural heritage (29 occupied units).
The Fish Fry fire spread because structures were “too close together.” The Victoria Court fire, however, spread because an adjacent building burned for hours due to a lack of working fire trucks and resources. Victoria Court did not have to burn!
Fish Fry employees lost their income. Victoria Court owners and residents lost EVERYTHING except their lives and the clothes on their backs, leaving all families homeless.
The Fish Fry received a high-profile visit from the Prime Minister who committed the government to urgent support, cleanup, and rebuild planning, with the hope of businesses reopening soon. For the Victoria Court victims, the assistance was limited to emergency,
short-term relief (like food/ rent assistance) from Social Services. There has been no specific, promised commitment to fix the structure or ensure long-term housing, leaving the owners to privately manage the rebuild of a historic site with no governmental assistance. Where is the equity? Every Bahamian who loses their livelihood and shelter in a disaster deserves the same immediate, full, and focused support. We must support the Fish Fry, and we must also demand fairness for the families and owners of Victoria Court who are STILL struggling to rebuild their lives and their home. Please share this post to help us garner the public support and governmental attention the Victoria Court owners and residents deserve.
#Bahamas #VictoriaCourt #FishFry #ArawakCay #Nassau #BahamasFires #JusticeForVictoriaCourt
ARAWAK CAY STALL OWNER November 17, 2025
The internecine troubles of the Valley Boys that included charges of nepotism by the prime minister and a split in the group, and its squabble with the JCNP, was the perfect excuse for the politicians to take back the control from the JCNP that they had ceded 20 years ago.
As an outside observer who is familiar with some of the main players of junkanoo, it would not surprise me to see the leaders get on their hind legs after New Years Day and find a way to reclaim the movement that is junkanoo! It would be the perfect opportunity for junkanooers to execute some of the many suggestions and ideas mooted over the years to make the celebration as profitable as it is fun!
RYAN THOMPSON Nassau, November, 2025.
NIB - stop ripping off the people
EDITOR, The Tribune. PLEASE permit a little space in your column for me to express my concerns in reference to NIB contributions. At age sixty, I am currently
What happens to my contributions if I die before I can claim? Correct me if I am wrong, but I am told that prominent people widows are receiving the benefits of their deceased spouse.
Shouldn’t we be given the same privilege? That is to allow our beneficiary to claim our monthly contributions after our death as well. It is our money not NIB’s! Stop ripping off your own people! And do something about it. We need answers and changes to these outdated NIB policies! I want to earn my full salary and receive full retirement benefits before age sixty-five!
TERRY L MILLER Nassau, November 17, 2025
Photo: Luis
Funeral Directors Association criticises govt inaction on regulating the industry
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE head of the Bahamas Funeral Directors Association has renewed calls for the government to properly regulate the industry, calling it a “shame” that stakeholders are still battling the same longstanding issues with no progress.
Kirsch Ferguson criticised the government’s inaction, saying the lack
of oversight has left the industry flooded with people who are not qualified to be in the profession.
He said draft legislation, created nearly seven years ago to give the industry the tools to enforce regulations, was presented to both the former and current administrations, but nothing was done.
“Inland Revenue finds it fitting to grant them a business license without
doing due diligence and checking the background of these persons or the validity of what they say they would have had over the years,” he said.
He said recommendations were made to establish a registry to ensure only qualified or certified people work in the industry.
He accused rogue operators of misconduct, citing examples of them approaching hospitals with paperwork to
receive bodies for cremation, but then failing to cremate or properly dispose of them.
He added the situation has hurt legitimate businesses and tarnished the industry’s reputation.
“It is affecting us tremendously, because our prices are being undercut,” Mr Ferguson said. “Families are being short changed, and we are feeling the blunt of it. You put us all in one basket and say the funeral homes are
doing these things. It's not the funeral homes. This is unqualified persons representing themselves as qualified individuals so that is a major concern for all of us.”
He said stakeholders last raised their concerns in a meeting with the Coroner’s office last year, after being told the office was responsible for regulations. Since then, however, there has been no progress.
“To this date, we are still in the dark and have no progress in that in that regard,” Mr Ferguson added.
“Unfortunately, and I feel ashamed saying this, as a Bahamian in a country that is governed by law, we cannot have a proper audience or be entertained by the proper authorities to ensure that what were asking for or what we think the Bahamian public deserves is being done.”
Detective testifies on role in handling marijuana evidence
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Staff Reporter
dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
A POLICE detective testified in the Grand Bahama’s Magistrate’s Court on Monday about his role in handling suspected marijuana evidence during the trial of a Grand Bahama man accused of possessing dangerous drugs with intent to supply.
Wendell Swann appeared before Magistrate LaQuay Laing for continuation of his trial, which stems from an incident in Freeport on October 20, 2024. Swann is on bail and is not represented by counsel.
Prosecution witness
Detective Sergeant 3180
Yurie Lopez, of the Drug Enforcement Unit, gave evidence outlining his
involvement in the case.
Sgt Lopez recalled that on October 22, 2024, while on duty at the DEU, he received information from DC 4527 McDonald regarding the accused, who was in police custody.
He testified that Detective McDonald handed him a clear plastic evidence bag labeled with Swann’s name. Inside were three clear plastic
bags containing suspected marijuana.
Sgt Lopez said he initialled the exterior of the evidence bag and its packaging. On November 8, 2024, he travelled to New Providence to deliver the package to the Royal Bahamas Police Force Forensic Lab for analysis.
He returned to the lab on February 28, 2025, where he spoke
Teen accused of robbing a couple at gunpoint at Saunders Beach
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A 17-YEAR-OLD boy was remanded to prison yesterday after he was accused of robbing a couple at gunpoint on Saunders Beach. Prosecutors allege the teenager, whose name is being withheld because he is a minor, and an accomplice, robbed Shawn McKenzie and his female companion of three cellphones, $60, a set of keys for a Nissan Note, and a burgundy Nissan Cube while armed with a firearm at about 11pm on November 10. The stolen items have an estimated value of $9,700. The teen, who was arraigned in the presence of his guardian, was not required to enter a plea to charges of armed robbery and abetment to commit armed robbery before Senior Magistrate Algernon Allen Jr. He was told the matter would be sent to the Supreme Court by way of a voluntary bill of indictment. He was also informed of his right to apply for bail in the higher court. The accused will be held at the adolescent unit of the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until the voluntary bill is served on February 12, 2026. Sergeant 3004 Forbes prosecuted the matter.
Man accused of unlawful sex with teenage girl
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A 26-YEAR-OLD man
was remanded to prison yesterday after he was accused of having sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl.
Police allege Brandon Neymour had unlawful sexual intercourse with the girl in New Providence on November 8.
Neymour was not required to enter a plea to the charge when he appeared before Senior
Magistrate Shaka Serville. He was told the matter will be sent to the Supreme Court by way of a voluntary bill of indictment. He was also informed of his right to apply for bail through the higher court.
Neymour will be remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until the voluntary bill is served on March 31, 2026.
Inspector Cordero Farrington prosecuted the matter, while Donna Major represented the accused.
Three juveniles charged in GB school stabbing incident
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune
Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
THREE juveniles were granted bail on Friday in connection with a stabbing incident at a school in Grand Bahama.
The boys, ages 16 and 17, were not required to enter a plea to the charge of causing harm.
According to reports, two students were stabbed during a fight at JC Academy in Freeport on Tuesday, November 11. Police were called to the campus around 1pm and found two males with injuries — one to the head and another to the mouth. They were taken to hospital, treated, and discharged.
During the arraignment, the accused were ordered not to have any contact with the virtual complainant. They were each granted $5,000 bail, and the matter was adjourned to November 27 for the next sitting of the Juvenile Panel. An American man was also arraigned on weapon and ammunition possession charges on Friday. Gregory Capdevica, a resident of Miami, Florida, was represented by Shianda Cooper. He pleaded not guilty to possessing a firearm component and ammunition. The prosecution did not object to bail, and the matter was adjourned to March 30, 2026.
with chemist Crystal Farquharson. He said Ms Farquharson handed him a sealed evidence bag bearing the accused’s name, along with a signed forensic report. She had placed her signature on the seal of the evidence bag, and Sgt Lopez added his signature and the date of receipt to the report.
In court, the police prosecutor presented both the forensic report and the
evidence bag containing the suspected marijuana. Sgt Lopez identified them by his signature and initials, and the items were entered into evidence.
Magistrate Laing asked Swann whether he had any questions for the witness during cross-examination. The accused declined.
The matter was adjourned to February 17, 2026.
The Culture of Dependence:
How we created a generation afraid to stand alone
THERE'S an uncom-
fortable truth most of us don't want to face: we have created a generation of dependents. A culture that once prized self-reliance, hard work, and personal responsibility has slowly been replaced by one of comfort, convenience, and entitlement. We've done it with love, with good intentions, open hearts, and pockets stretched thin to make life easier for our children. But in doing so, we've taken away from them something irreplaceable: the hunger to stand on their own two feet. This is a problem we can no longer afford to ignore, and it's a change we all need to be a part of. We thought we were helping by giving them everything we never had; we thought they'd be grateful, confident, and ready to succeed. Instead, we've created a generation unsure of what success means—and, in many cases, uninterested in finding out.
The Gift That Became a Burden
Our parents raised us in a world of scarcity. Many of us grew up knowing the value of a dollar, the meaning of a hard day's work, and the humility that comes from earning what you have. We went without so our children wouldn't have to. We swore they'd never feel the sting of struggle that shaped our character. But somewhere along the way, our generosity became a form of indulgence.
We started handing our children what we once had to fight for. They no longer needed to work summer jobs; we'd buy them what they wanted. They didn't have to take public transportation; we'd give them the family car. When college ended, if it finished, we made space for them to return home, telling ourselves it was "just until they got on their feet." But months turned to years, and "just for now" became "forever."
In trying to protect our children from struggle, we've insulated them from the very thing that builds resilience. Struggle is not cruelty, it's the furnace that tempers strength. Yet we've raised our children in such comfort that they view discomfort as an injustice rather than an opportunity for growth.
The Vanishing Art of Independence
Look around, and you'll see it everywhere: young adults live in their parents' homes well into their thirties, sometimes even with their children in tow. Multi-generational households
FACING REALITY
BY IVOINE INGRAHAM
are growing not because of cultural tradition, but because dependency has become normalised. Many of these adults are not contributing to the household, are not striving toward independence, and do not even plan for it. They've grown accustomed to being provided for, and worse, they see nothing wrong with it.
We've become a society of parents who fear saying "no." We equate love with comfort. We measure our success as parents not by the strength of our children's character, but by how cushioned their lives are. We pay their bills, we cover their debts, we make excuses for their inaction. And when we do that, we rob them of the very essence of adulthood: accountability. True independence isn't just about money—it's about mindset. The quiet confidence that says, "I can figure this out." It's the ability to face uncertainty and push through anyway. Without that, even the most educated and privileged among us become fragile. They buckle under pressure, waiting for someone else to fix things. To foster this mindset, encourage your children to solve their problems, make their own decisions, and face the consequences of their actions. For instance, let them handle their own school projects, make decisions about their extracurricular activities, and face the consequences of not doing their chores. This will help them develop the resilience and self-reliance needed to succeed.
The Entitlement Epidemic
We now have a generation that mistakes privilege for rights. Many young adults expect comfort as a given, not as something earned. They want the rewards without the climb, the applause without the effort. Work, to them, is
When children are raised without experiencing the connection between effort and reward, they lose touch with this relationship. They don’t understand that satisfaction comes not from what you have but from what you build.
something to be tolerated only until a better offer comes along—or avoided entirely if someone else is footing the bill. This isn't just about laziness; it's about values. When children are raised without experiencing the connection between effort and reward, they lose touch with this relationship. They don't understand that satisfaction comes not from what you have but from what you build. When you hand someone everything, you rob them of the joy of creation, the pride of accomplishment, and the dignity of self-sufficiency. And so, they wait. They wait for the opportunity to come knocking, for luck, or for someone else's hard work to spill over. They learn to "hustle" people instead of hustling for progress. They master manipulation, not motivation. The culture of convenience has replaced the culture of self-reliance.
When Helping Hurts
We like to tell ourselves we're just "helping them get a head start." But what we've really done is delay their start entirely. The longer we carry them, the heavier they become, and the weaker they grow.
Many parents say, "I don't want my kids to struggle like I did." But that's precisely the problem. Struggle is the birthplace of strength. Without it, there's no growth, no grit, no gratitude. We've tried to shield our children from the complex parts of life, but in doing so, we've left them unprepared for life itself. Some may argue that the world has changed, and our struggles are irrelevant. However, hard work, resilience, and self-reliance are timeless and essential for personal growth and success. While the world may have changed, the fundamental principles of personal growth and success remain the same.
We don't make them pay rent because we say, "They're trying to save." We buy them cars so they can "get to work," though often they're not working. We give them phones, streaming services, spending money—all in the name of love. But love without boundaries is not love; it's enabling. And when we allow, we create dependency that can span generations.
A Crisis Across the Board
This isn't just a problem of class or background; it's a cultural crisis that cuts across income, race, and region. Whether a middle-class parent pays their grown child's credit card bill or a working-class parent supports an unemployed 28-year-old son, the outcome is the same: adults who have never felt the urgency of accountability. This crisis is not just affecting individual families; it's shaping the fabric of our society, and it's a responsibility we all share in addressing.
Many families now have two or even three generations living under one roof, not because of tightknit tradition but because self-sufficiency has fallen out of fashion. Grandparents support parents who are still supporting their children, and entire households built on dependency rather than contribution.
Are we manufacturing parasites? Yet, we whisper about it. We treat criticizing as taboo because doing so feels like attacking our own children. We say, "Times are hard," and yes, they are. But hard times have never been an excuse to stop trying. Our ancestors built nations with fewer resources than we have today. What we lack now isn't opportunity, it's will. It's time for a cultural shift, a collective effort to restore the values of self-reliance and hard work.
The Disappearing Work Ethic
Work used to be more than a paycheck; it was a point of pride. It gave us purpose, structure, and dignity. However, work is now optional or undesirable for too many young adults. There's a pervasive disdain for entry-level jobs, as if honest labour is beneath them. Social media fuels the fantasy of effortless wealth, featuring influencers, overnight millionaires, and "soft life" lifestyles built on someone else's hard work. Meanwhile, countless non-disabled adults sit idle, waiting for something to come easily. Parents, in an effort to avoid confrontation, quietly pick up the slack. We cook, we clean, we pay, we rescue. We ensure they never feel the urgency to change by rescuing them from the consequences. Responsibility must be experienced, not explained. You can lecture a young
adult about accountability all day long, but until they feel the weight of their own life resting on their shoulders, they'll never understand what it means to carry it.
The Death of Frugality and the Rise of Excess
We once learned to stretch a dollar, save, and do without. Now, we live in a world where instant gratification is the norm. Credit cards, buy-now-paylater apps, and constant consumption have replaced budgeting and patience. When young people grow up in homes where everything is provided, they inherit the illusion that comfort is permanent. They don't see the sacrifices behind their lifestyle. They don't understand that the ease they enjoy is bought at the expense of someone else's exhaustion. And because they've never had to sacrifice, they lack appreciation. Entitlement isn't born from wealth; it's born from unearned comfort. The pressures that once built character, being frugal, saving for what you want, and fixing what's broken instead of replacing it, are vanishing. Our young people are not learning to manage scarcity because we've shielded them from it. But scarcity is one of life's most outstanding teachers; it instils value, gratitude, and ingenuity.
The Accountability Deficit
We tell ourselves that today's youth are "different," that the world is more complex, that they're facing challenges we never did. And while some of that is true, it doesn't absolve them, or us, from responsibility. Every generation faces hardship. The question is not whether life is difficult; it's whether we rise to meet the challenges it presents. But we've made excuses for them instead. We blame the economy, the schools, the government, and even mental health. Yet behind every excuse is a parent who couldn't bear to see their child uncomfortable. Accountability has become optional because we've stopped insisting on it. When our young adults fail, we rush to fix it. When they quit, we reassure them it's okay. When they refuse to grow, we tell ourselves it's temporary. We've mistaken indulgence for compassion, and pity for love. But love sometimes looks like a brutal truth. It seems like saying, "No more." It looks like closing the door gently and telling them, "You're ready to live your own life."
The Way Back: Rebuilding Independence
It's not too late to turn this around, but it requires courage. We must redefine what helping looks like.
Real help doesn't remove the challenge; it prepares someone to meet it. We must teach our children the dignity of work, not as a punishment, but as a means of empowerment. Let them struggle, fail, and learn the hard way. Let them pay their own bills, make their own mistakes, and experience the satisfaction of overcoming them. They will never grow if we keep cushioning their every fall. Parents must also confront their own guilt. Many of us give too much because we are compensating for what we lack. But what we lack gives us resilience. Our children don't need our guilt; they need our guidance. It's time to reintroduce boundaries, charge rent, set deadlines, require contribution, and stop equating "helping" with "doing everything." The goal of parenting was never to raise children who need us forever but to raise adults who don't.
A National Reckoning This isn't just a family issue; it's a societal one. A country cannot thrive when too many people choose dependency over contribution. Every able person who refuses to work, refuses to grow, and lives off the labour of others drains collective progress. Productivity declines, innovation slows, and the social fabric frays. If we want a strong nation, we need strong individuals who can think, act, and stand independently. That starts at home. Every generation is shaped by what the previous one demands of it. We demanded too little. It's time to demand more, not out of cruelty, but out of hope.
The Hard Love We Owe Them
We cannot keep rescuing our children from life. In trying to protect them, we've created fragility. In trying to make things easy, we've made them weak. But we can still change the story. It starts with honesty, with admitting that our love are sometimes harmed. It begins with courage, to let go, to push them out of the nest, even if they're not ready. It starts with remembering that struggle isn't our enemy, it's our teacher. If we want our children to succeed, we must stop giving them everything and start expecting something: responsibility, initiative, gratitude, a work ethic, and pride.
Facing reality, we must teach them that life owes them nothing, and that's the beauty of it, because everything worth having is worth earning.
Only then can we rebuild the culture of strength we've lost. Only then will our children and country truly begin to thrive again.
Chinese Ambassador stresses cooperation, shared interests and development synergy with Bahamas
By H.E. Yan Jiarong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
the People's Republic of China to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas
NEARLY 100Bahamian representatives fromvarious sectors visitedChina this year, supportedby the Chinese Embassy. Most of them were impressed by China's rapiddevelopment, high technology,and its unique development path. I always told them that The Bahamasis mostwelcometo board the fast train of China's development. Asa Chinese saying goes,"A singletree does not make a forest." China does not seek modernisation for itself alone but strives forshared prosperity
with allGlobal Southcountries. In this turbulent world full of unpredictability, China has been providingstability and certainty.Not longago,the fourthplenary sessionofthe 20th Central Committee of the CommunistParty of China (CPC)was successfullyheld inBeijing.The session reviewedthe major achievements in implementing the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025). Recommendations for Formulating the 15thFive-Year Planfor NationalEconomic andSocial Developmentwas adopted.The documentoutlines a top-level strategic design for China's development over the next five years. Italso bringsnewopportunitiesand confidencetothe world.
During the 14th Five-Year Plan period,China committed to high-quality development andachieved major successes.
China's remarkable achievementsare rootedin the strong leadershipof the Communist Partyof China. Theyalso stemfromthe Chinese people blazinga developmentpath suitablefor China. The strength of
"China's Governance" lies mainly in two key pillars. First,the centralisedand unifiedleadershipoftheCPC provides a stable political environment forChina's sustained andrapid development, ensuring each blue-
the CPC'scentralised and unified leadership enables efficientcoordination andresource mobilisation. Simultaneously, the CPC fully promotes democracy by extensively incorporating opinions andsuggestions fromother
OverallStrength: China's GDPexceeded 130trillion yuan, with an average annual growth rate of 5.5%. Its manufacturing scale has been the world's largest for 15 consecutive years.
Tech Innovation: China has rankedfirst globally in AI patent filings for seven years running. It now places 10th in the Global Innovation Index.
People’s Well-being: China establishedthe world's most extensive education, social security, and healthcare systems forits 1.4billionpeople. Theaveragelife expectancyhas been raised to 79 years.
GreenDevelopment: China hasputinplace theworld’s largest renewableenergy system.More than–half of the world’s electricvehicles areoperating onChinese roads. China is the fastest-improving country in air quality. It contributes about a quarter of the world's new green area.
OpeningUp: China'soveralltariffleveldroppedto7.3%.
Foryears, ithascontributed around30%to globaleconomic growth.
print iscarried outtotheend without flip-flopping. During critical times, such as a pandemicand disasterresponse,
politicalparties. TheCPC strengthensfull andrigorous Party self-governance and continuously advancesthe
UB honours 161 top scholars
A callto actionhas beenissued to161 of themost outstanding academic scholars at University of The Bahamas (UB)tousetheirskillsandtalentsto “fightfor TheBahamas, especially in an age wherethe opportunitiesto augment human intelligence have grown byleaps and bounds.
The charge came at UB's 2025AcademicHonoursConvocationheldonFriday,acelebration of scholars who earned the top GPAs for Fall 2024 and Spring 2025. Delivering the keynote addresswas UBalumnus OnassisNottage, anAI professionalandVice Chairperson ofthe Bahamas Bureau of Standards and Quality’s Technical Committee on Artificial Intelligence. In ahistoric firstfor UB, Nottageshared theplatform with a real-timeAI partner as he spoke onthe theme “HonouringExcellence,Embracing Tomorrow:AI,Humanity,and Global Responsibility. He spokefondly and proudly about the strong academic foundation he had received at UB which helped himto flourishin hissubsequent academic,professionalandpersonalpursuits.It was a message that resonated deeply withthe outstanding scholarsand thosewhocame to support them.
"It isvery importantfor us to learnhow tofight forour country. When Isay fight for thecountry, I'mnotreferring tothe policeand thedefence force," Nottagesaid. "WhatI mean is usingthe skills you currently have to assist in the development ofyour country andpeople because...inthe words ofour firstprime minister, the Hon. Sir Lynden O.
Pindling'If youcan't fightfor yourcountry, youdon'tdeserve to have it.'" Nottage s fight camein the form ofturning downan offer tobecome apermanentresidentofSpain andworkthere after earning his master’s degree. He decidedinstead to help TheBahamas develop new technology-basedknowledgeand capabilities.He urged the students to embrace the rigour of UB. “IhavesomuchfaithinUB thatIhadtocomebackandlet you know the success story,” Nottage said. He encouraged students to recognisetheir ownworth, well beyondmonetary measures.
"Itdoes notmatterwhere you work. It does not matter where you'refrom. Itdoesn't matterwhat yourgender is,or how much moneyis in your pocket. Onthe outsideyou may think youare only worth $30, buton the insidein that bigbeautiful mindofyours, you are worth$500 million," Nottage told the outstanding scholars.
His AIAssistant addeda fittingreminder,"Thefutureis notonly coming,it'swaiting on you to build it."
Among the honourees, Primary Education major LiamSlaterearnedthehighest GPAacross Fall2024and Spring 2025. KatieCurry, a Biology withChemistry major,earned thesecondhighest. Third and fourth place, respectively,went to Sanaa Knowles,Banking & Finance,and TersheaClarke, Primary Education majors. Provost andVice President ofAcademic Affairs,Dr. Maria Woodside-Oriakhi, commendedthe scholarsfor theirdiscipline,resilience,and
fight against corruption. Second, the Five-Year Plan is aprominent advantageof "China's Governance."The Five-YearPlan isacomprehensive, top-levelstrategic blueprintfor economicand social developmentformulated ona five-yearcycle. Theplanning mechanismallows Chinato adopta longterm perspective,strategically deploying keyindustries and basicprojects. Each Five-Year Planincludes continued, adjusted,and newly addedindicators. Thislongterm approach,which strikes abalance betweenconsistency and adaptability, reflectsChina's robustnational governance capacity.
The15th Five-YearPlan marks the beginning of a new era of high-quality development. In the next five years, China will advance deep reforms andhigh-standard opening upwith greaterintensity, focusingon thefollowing majorobjectives: high-quality development; scientific and technological self-reliance and strength; deepening reform; cultural and ethical progress; improvements oflivelihood; green growth. By 2035, China’sper capitaGDPwill
be on a par with that of a midleveldeveloped country,and socialist modernisation will be basically realised. Partnering withChina means partnering with opportunity.Over thenextfive years, China'sindustrial upgradingand technologicaladvancementwill createmore opportunitiesfor TheBahamas to grow its economy and improve livelihoods. The Bahamianswho have visited Chinarecognised broad potentialfor cooperation in direct trade, new energy vehicles,food security, digital economy,and disaster prevention andmitigation. Both Chinaand TheBahamas firmly support multilateralism, uphold internationaltrade order and rules,and share alignedgoals inpromoting sustainable development and jointly addressingglobal challenges.
Asa goodfriendand partner of The Bahamas, Chinawilltake the15thFiveYearPlan asa newstarting point to strengthen cooperation, enhance synergyof development strategies, expand sharedinterests, andadvance together on the path of common prosperityand progress.
China donates to hurricane recovery
CHINESE AmbassadorYan Jiarongpresented adonation ofUS$84,665 fromthe Chinesegovernment under theChina-Caribbean Disaster Preventionand Mitigation Fundto assist The Bahamas withthe impactsofHurricane Melissaandotherrecentstorms, andaffirmtheircommitmentto standingwithsmall island states vulnerable to climate change. The presentation was made at the headquarters for the Disaster Risk Management Authority yesterday with Leon Lundy, Minister of State with Responsibility for Disaster Risk Management, DRM executive chairman Alex Storr and other officials.
commitment to excellence.
"Honourees, wear today’s recognitionwith humilityand resolve.Let itpropel youto further inquiry,creativity, and leadership, here atUB and far beyond.May youbuildcareers andlives thatstrengthen The Bahamasand servethe wider worldwith compassion and courage," she said.
PresidentDr.RobertBlaine, III, highlighted the notion of leveraging technologyto unleash the creativestrengthsof communities. He urged the scholars to “understand the principles of thepast and use them tocreate thenew knowledge of the future. I challengeyou tobring understandingto allyoudo and to use everytool to share and expand your understanding,” Dr. Blaine said.
Chair of theUB Board of Trustees, AllysonMaynard Gibson, KC, also extended heartfelt commendations to the scholars. Reflecting on the convocation s theme, she noted that while AI presents opportunities, it also poses risks. Still,she expressedfull confidenceinthisgeneration’s capacity tolead wiselyin this new era. Despite thetremendous time and resources employed in thedevelopment ofthis technology, we havestill not created proper guardrails and frameworks to ensure the ethical and sustainableuse of AI. I have no doubt that the bright minds in thisroom like our keynotespeaker,likeyou,will foster inventionand contribute to propellingthis nation and theworld forward,” Mrs. Maynard-Gibson said.
UBNorthinGrandBahama will host its own 2025 Honours Convocationon Friday 21st November.
Immigrant student enrollment is dwindling at schools across the US amid immigration crackdowns
By KATE PAYNE, BIANCA
VÁZQUEZ TONESS and GISELA SALOMON Associated Press
FROM Miami to San Diego, schools around the U.S. are seeing big drops in enrolment of students from immigrant families.
In some cases, parents have been deported or voluntarily returned to their home countries, driven out by President Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown. Others have moved elsewhere inside the U.S.
In many school systems, the biggest factor is that far fewer families are coming from other countries. As fewer people cross the U.S. border, administrators in small towns and big cities alike are reporting fewer newcomer students than usual.
In Miami-Dade County Public Schools, about 2,550 students have entered the district from another country so far this school year — down from nearly 14,000 last year, and more than 20,000 the year before that. School board member Luisa Santos, who attended district schools herself as a young immigrant, said the trend is “a sad reality.”
“I was one of those arrivals when I was 8 years old,” Santos said. “And this country and our public schools — I’ll never get tired of saying it — gave me everything.”
Collectively, the enrolment declines in Miami-Dade erased about $70 million from the district’s annual budget,
forcing administrators to scramble to cover the unexpected shortfall. The drops in immigrant students add to strains on enrolment at many traditional public schools, which have seen overall numbers dip due to demographic changes and students opting for alternatives like private schools and homeschooling. Despite needs for English instruction and social supports, the newcomers in some districts have helped to buoy enrolment and bring critical per-pupil funding in recent years.
In northern Alabama, Albertville City Schools Superintendent Bart Reeves has seen the local economy grow along with its Hispanic population,
which for decades has been drawn by the area’s poultry processing plants. Albertville soon will be getting its first Target store, a sign of the community’s growing prosperity.
Reeves’ district is home to one of Alabama’s largest Hispanic student populations, with about 60% identifying as Hispanic. But Reeves said the district’s newcomer academy at a local high school hasn’t been enrolling any new students.
“That’s just not happening this year with the closure of the border,” said Reeves, who expects the hit to his budget from enrolment declines will cost him about 12 teacher positions.
One Sunday morning in
in a rural part of Guatemala, out of reach of phone service. School there had already started for the year and the mother, who did not attend school herself as a child, was keeping them home and weighing whether to enrol them next year, Edna said. The declines in the numbers of immigrants coming to the U.S. were already becoming evident in school registration numbers this summer.
Enforcement officers walking the city’s streets.
“You can feel the fear in the air,” he said.
In San Diego, Principal Fernando Hernandez has enrolled dozens of newcomer students from across Latin America over the past couple years. Many made the treacherous journey through the jungles of the Darien Gap before setting up camp in a park near Perkins K-8 school.
August, Edna, a 63-year-old immigrant from El Salvador, got the call she had been dreading. Her friend, a mother from Guatemala with seven young children, had been detained in Lake Worth, Florida, on immigration charges while she was out grabbing a treat for her kids’ breakfast.
The family had prepared for this moment. There were legal documents in place granting temporary custody of the children to Edna, who asked to be identified only by her first name because she fears immigration enforcement.
“I’ll be here, and we’ll be OK,” she recalled telling the oldest child, a 12-yearold boy.
In the weeks that followed, Edna stayed home with two younger kids and got their five older siblings on the bus each day to attend Palm Beach County public schools, where enrolment has fallen by more than 6,000 students this year. One day in September, all seven children boarded a plane to Guatemala to be reunited with their mom, leaving behind neighbourhood friends, band practices, and the only life they had ever known.
“My house feels like a garden without flowers,” Edna said. “They’re all gone.”
The family is now living
Denver Public Schools enrolled 400 new-to-country students this summer, compared to 1,500 during the previous summer. Outside Chicago, Waukegan Community Unified School District 60 signed up 100 fewer new immigrant students. And administrators in the Houston Independent School District shuttered the Las Americas Newcomer School, a program dedicated to children who are new to the U.S., after its enrolment fell to just 21 students from 111 last year.
The shift is visible in places like Chelsea, Massachusetts, a city outside Boston that has long been a destination for new immigrants. The 6,000-student Chelsea Public Schools system has attracted Central Americans looking for affordable housing, and more recently, the state housed newly-arrived Haitians in shelters there. This year, the usual influx of newcomers didn’t materialize.
“This year has been different. Much more quiet,” said Daniel Mojica, director of Chelsea’s parent information centre.
Over the summer, 152 newcomers signed up for Chelsea Public Schools, compared to 592 newto-country students the previous summer.
Some are also picking up and leaving. Since January, 844 students have withdrawn from the district, compared to 805 during the same period last year. Mojica said a greater share of students leaving – roughly a quarter – are returning to their native countries.
He attributes that partly to the presence of masked Immigration and Customs
About a third of students at the school are homeless.
Staff have become experts on supporting kids who are facing adversity. As more newcomers arrived, Hernandez watched as Mexican American students switched up their playground slang to be better understood by their new classmates from Venezuela, Colombia and Peru. But so far this school year, he hasn’t enrolled a single newcomer student. Other families did not return when the new school year began. Overall, the district’s enrolment is on par with last year’s, according to a spokesperson. But at Hernandez’ school, the change is noticeable.
Hernandez fears the toll of the disruption will extend far beyond students’ academic progress. He worries students are missing out on chances to learn how to show empathy, to share, to disagree, to understand each other.
“This is like a repeat of the pandemic where the kids are isolated, locked up, not socializing,” he said.
“These kids, they have to be in school,” he added.
Natacha, a parent who moved with her family to California after leaving Venezuela, said she tries to avoid going out in public, but continues sending her daughters to school. Natacha, who asked to only be identified by her first name because she fears immigration enforcement, said she braces herself as she drives the girls home each afternoon, scanning the road behind her in case another car is following hers.
“I entrust myself to God,” she said.
UK govt poised to overhaul asylum system as political storm brews over migration
LONDON Associated Press
THE British government plans to tighten its asylum system in a series of sweeping changes modelled after Denmark that aims to reduce immigration and quell the political storm over migrants making dangerous English Channel crossings to enter the country without authorization.
The policy changes to be announced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood on Monday in the House of Commons are yet another an attempt to make the U.K. less attractive to those seeking refuge and easier to remove migrants who don’t qualify for asylum.
Mahmood said it was a moral mission to control the borders and reunite a divided country on the flashpoint issue that has helped fuel the rise of the hard-right Reform UK Party, though as the daughter of migrants she denied the ruling centre-left Labour Party was adopting far-right talking points.
“People can see huge pressure in their communities and they can also see a system that is broken, and where people are able to flout the rules, abuse the system and get away with it,” Mahmood told the BBC.
Successive governments have failed to halt the flow of migrants to British shores through a variety of efforts that included the previous Conservative government’s plan to send arrivals to Rwanda for asylum processing that never took effect.
That policy was scrapped last year when Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who leads the Labour Party, was
elected last year and vowed to crack down on migrant smuggling gangs.
More than 39,000 migrants have arrived by boat in the U.K. this year, surpassing the almost 37,000 who arrived in 2024, according to the latest Home Office figures. The number, though, is still shy of the nearly 40,000 who had arrived at this point in the year in 2022, which recorded the highest number ever.
Although the numbers arriving by small boat have risen, they represent a fraction of total immigration, with most people entering the U.K. legally, on visas. Net migration — the number of people entering the U.K. minus those who left — topped 900,000 in the year to June 2023, according to official figures. The surge was driven in part by hundreds of thousands of people fleeing war in Ukraine and China’s clampdown in Hong Kong. Net migration stood at 431,000 in the year to June 2025, according to the Office for National Statistics, down 49.9% from 860,000 a year earlier.
The issue of migration became more politically volatile this summer as protests that occasionally became violent were held outside hotels housing asylum seekers after a migrant was arrested — and later convicted — of sexual assault for trying to kiss a 14-year-old girl.
The new reforms include revoking the U.K.’s legal duty, introduced under EU law in 2005, to provide support for asylum seekers, allowing the government to withdraw housing and
weekly allowances that are now guaranteed. Benefits could also be denied to people who have a right to work but don’t and those who break the law, or work illegally.
Refugee status will also be regularly reviewed to see if people can safely be repatriated.
Safe ways will be designated for migrants to claim asylum without having to pack into overcrowded inflatable rafts and risk crossing the choppy channel.
Chris Philp, a Conservative member of Parliament, criticized the policy for “tinkering” at the edges. He said the changes wouldn’t have the impact of the scrapped Rwanda policy and said every migrant entering the country without authorization should be deported within a week.
“I don’t object to it in principle, but it’s not going to work,” Philp told the BBC. “It’s gimmicks. It’s rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. It’s not going to stop people getting on boats.”
The Home Office said the new policy was modelled Denmark’s success at reducing its asylum applications to the lowest point in 40 years and removing 95% of those who sought to settle there.
Denmark was once a haven for refugees. But as Europe and the Western world have struggled to deal with mass migration from people fleeing conflict, famine and poverty, it has imposed strict limits on newcomers that has drawn international criticism for discouraging people seeking refuge.
PRINCIPAL Fernando Hernandez looks on in an empty classroom where a teacher is taking a lunch break at Perkins K-8 School Thursday, November 13, 2025, in San Diego.
Photo: Gregory Bull/AP
St. Andrew's recognises alums at Ethics & Excellence ceremony
On Saturday evening, St. Andrew s International School held its first Ethics and Excellence Awards" ceremony.
The ceremony recognized St. Andrews alumni who have made positive societal contributions at home and internationally.
The guest presenter was Debbie Ferguson McKenzie, a St. Andrew’s graduate and Olympic medalist.
Mother and daughter honoured at MoE’s inaugural Excellence awards
NASSAU, Bahamas – On22nd February 2025, the Ministry of Education helditsfirst-ever “Excellence in EducationInauguralAwardsCeremony”tocelebrateoutstanding achievementsineducation across the country.Among the distinguished recipients were a remarkablepair: motheranddaughter, MsDianneSargent andher daughter,Ms Philane Sargent, whoboth took home special awards at the event.
Two generations recognised Dianne Sargent,a veteraneducator with more than 25 years of service in primary schools, washonoured with the LifetimeService toEducation award inrecognitionof herdedicationto teaching and mentoringcountless students across New Providence. She reflected: “Inever setout foran award.I lovedcomingto schooleachmorning andseeingyoung livesbloom.Toshare thisevening withmydaughter isthe greatest joy.
Meanwhile, PhilaneSargent, whohas beenin educationfor 7years,receivedthe“SchoolSpiritFinalist”and“Innovation” award for her innovative work with technology integration in the classroom and her school spirit within her school.
A shared journey
The pair’s dual recognition is especially noteworthy: according toMinistry officials,this is thefirst timethat two familymembershavebothbeenhonouredatthesameMinistry
awards ceremony.The awardsevent, which drew principals,teachers, support staff, and communitypartners, underscores the importance of multi-generational commitment to education.
What the awards recognise The Lifetime Service to Education awardacknowledgesateacheroradministrator whose career has significantly impacted students and schoolsthrough sustained excellence. TheSchool Spirit award highlights students,teachers, or staff who show exceptional pride, positivity, and commitment to their school community.
Looking ahead
Afterthe ceremony,both Dianneand Philane expressedtheir hopes forthe future. Dianneshared plansto collaborate with her daughter on a joint professional development workshopfor teachers, combiningherexperiencewithPhilane s fresh ideas. Philane stated she intends to
pursue a Master’s in Educational Leadership andcontinue contributingto systemwide innovation.
As the Ministry’sinaugural awards ceremony concludes, the Sargents recognitionstands asa powerfulsymbol ofcontinuity in educationalexcellence reminding us that dedication to young learnersspans generations.In thewords of Nelson Mandela, "Education is the mostpowerfulweaponwhichyoucanuse to change the world".
Relaunch of Boys Mentorship Project called a national commitment to shaping a brighter future for young men
THE ‘Reclaiming Our Boys Mentoring Project’ was officially relaunched yesterday at Bahamas Harvest Church, with the government calling the initiative a “national commitment” to shaping a brighter future for young men across the country.
Mrs. Phedra Rahming-Turnquest, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Social Services, Information and Broadcasting, labeled the relaunch a “movement”
designed to give every willing Bahamian male— including fathers, grandfathers, coaches, and pastors—the opportunity to “stand in the gap” for boys lacking consistent guidance.
“We see our young boys searching, searching for direction, for identity, for belonging, many growing up without consistent guidance, without strong male figures, and without the safe spaces they need,” Mrs. Rahming-Turnquest said.
The project is a collaboration between the Ministry, the Department of Gender and Family Affairs (including its Men’s Desk), and various corporate and social partners. It is structured as a “prevention plan, a restoration model” focused on spiritual guidance, leadership skills, and vocational upskilling.
The programme’s goals include developing strong character and work ethic, teaching financial literacy and independence, and
preparing boys to become “strong leaders, responsible fathers, and honourable husbands.”
Mrs. Rahming-Turnquest charged the nation to join the effort, stating: “Let today be the moment The Bahamas refuses to lose another boy; let today be the moment we draw a line in the proverbial sand and boldly declare ‘not one more life wasted, not one more dream abandoned, not one more boy left behind.’”
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
GRAND Bahama businessman Hadley Forbes has vaulted his young bus fleet into a new league with the commissioning of 12 state-of-the-art mega buses, a major expansion unveiled during a blessing ceremony in Grand Bahama over the weekend.
The vehicles were acquired from Zhongtong Bus in China. Li Guangsheng, the company’s Overseas Sales Manager, flew to Grand Bahama for the “Blessing of the Bus” ceremony at H Forbes Charter and Tours Limited on Queens Highway.
Also present was Zhang Hongliang, Chargé d’Affaires, Counsellor and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Chinese Embassy, who offered brief remarks. “It is a great honour and a privilege for me to fly here from Nassau to the beautiful Grand Bahama Island and it is quite important for the embassy to be part of this grand ceremony,” he said. He said Zhongtong and H Forbes Charter are two distinguished entities and their cooperation symbolises the friendship between China and The Bahamas. “I think that this kind of cooperation is the symbol of the friendship of China and The Bahamas because in the future I think that China will do more to try to help our Bahamian friends to develop with our technology.
“That is our hope. I think that maybe in the future we will have more and more of this kind of events to show that this kind of friendship and cooperation between China and Bahamas is deepening all the time.”
Mr Forbes, a longtime figure in Freeport’s transportation and tour sector, called the commissioning “a special day for his company.” “It is a great day on Grand Bahama and a special day for H Forbes Charter and Tours Limited and all of our industry partners, especially the Grand Lucayan Resort, Island Seas Resort, Pelican Bay Resort, Grand Bahama Shipyard, the Grand Bahama Container Port, and all the industry on the island.” He also voiced confidence in Grand Bahama’s future.
Senior officials attending included Senator James Turner; Grand Bahama Port Authority chairman Sarah St George and executive director Rupert Hayward; and Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce president Dillon Knowles.
Rev Godfrey Williams of Jubilee Cathedral blessed the fleet, saying the expansion reflects strong vision and will benefit the company.
FROM LEFT: Phedra Rahming-Turnquest, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Social Services, Information and Broadcasting; Donette
Williamson, Undersecretary, Ministry of Social Services, Information and Broadcasting; Pastor Dave Burrows, Senior Pastor, Bahamas Faith Ministries; Pastor Basil Johnson, Senior Pastor, Simpson Penn Centre for Boys; Eric Fox, Executive Director, Teen Challenge Bahamas.
Photos: Mark Ford/BIS