WEEKEND
IT’S ‘LIKE WATCHING
HIM DIE AGAIN’
Mom learns of acquittal on social media after being told son’s murder trial set for 2026
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter
lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
A GRIEVING mother says she was blindsided by the collapse of her eight-year-old son’s murder trial, describing the shock of learning through social media that the accused had been acquitted as a blow so painful it “feel like the day I watched my child bleed out.”
Kendera Woodside, who says her life fell apart after her son Eugene Woodside Jr’s death, said no one in authority bothered to contact her
to say the trial had begun – or that it had dramatically collapsed after prosecutors gave no opening state ment and called no witnesses.She received no phone call, no notice... not even a rumour that the trial had begun having been told for years that it would not happen before 2026. Instead, the trial unfolded and concluded this week without her knowledge, reigniting trauma that never abated. Her son was doing homework in their small wooden Chippingham home in 2017 when
‘WHY DID HE DO THIS?’ - FAMILY SHOCK AFTER MAN FOUND DEAD
By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter
jrussell@tribunemedia.net
RELATIVES have spoken of their shock after finding a 61-year-old man dead with a cord around his neck in what police believe is a suicide.
An emotional scene unfolded at the man’s home on T Rose Circle in Westridge yesterday evening. Relatives identified the victim as Arnoldi Simms. They gathered outside the house consoling each other, with some appearing stunned by the news. One woman said to be the victim’s sister was heard crying out: “Why did he do
Pinder: Smuggling Bill does not give migrants new rights
By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
ATTORNEY General Ryan Pinder yesterday defended the Smuggling of Migrants Bill 2025 as a measure designed to target criminal networks, rejecting claims that the Bill grants migrants new rights to remain or receive legal status in The Bahamas.
Mr Pinder said the legislation’s purpose is to tighten penalties, expand enforcement against human smuggling, and reduce the number of migrants entering the country illegally. He said it does not alter the state’s authority to arrest, detain, charge or deport migrants under the Immigration Act.
Officer testifies dad failed to restrain son in fatal incident
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
THE prosecution yesterday closed its case in the manslaughter by negligence trial of Denargio Thurston, who is accused of causing the death of his two-yearold son after the child became trapped in his car’s power window while being driven along Old Trail Road in August 2023. Thurston watched from the dock as the Crown called its final witness, Sergeant Deangela Johnson, before Justice Neil Braithwaite. Prosecutors allege that young Jeremiah Thurston died after his neck was
Kendra Woodsidemother of eight-year-old boy shot by stray bullet while doing homework at home.
THE BODY of a man is taken from the scene of an apparent suicide in Westridge yesterday. Photo: Nikia Charlton
ATTORNEY GENERAL Ryan Pinder speaks during a press conference at the OPM
Photo: Nikia Charlton
‘Best of the Best’ battle begins
the Best of the Best Regatta
at Montagu Beach.
Photos: Shawn Hanna
Mom: ‘Why did the system fail Eugene?’
a stray bullet tore through the wall and into his chest.
Pregnant at the time, Ms Woodside held him as he bled to death.
The killing became a national flashpoint, sparking outrage across the country.The case against the men once accused of his murder, Lloyd Minnis and Perry Pickering, collapsed this week after prosecutors gave no opening statement and called no witnesses.
Cordell Fraizer, director of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, said yesterday the issue was complex, explaining that the Crown sought to present an anonymous witness but the Supreme Court refused to allow it.
Ms Woodside said she only learned the trial had ended when she woke yesterday morning to messages and social media posts.
“I turned weak when all these people, first thing my eye open up, the news coming to me in this kind of way,” she said.
“What happened to the system? Why the system want to fail Eugene? He only was eight years old. Like, come on. Do you have children?
“First thing this morning, all of my family, friends, clients, everybody, just sending me the clippings of what was posted on social media even though I was told I would have been informed about anything pertaining to the case.
“I feel personally in this matter like the system failed my son because from what I understand, the next morning after he was killed, when my family and I went to CDU, the evidence was there and should have been in the government’s possession.
“I’m shocked to even know a whole case happened with my child’s death and I wasn’t present, so it makes me look like I didn’t care, or I just don’t want to be involved.
“Today feel like the day I watched my child bleed out. Today feels like the day when I walk in PMH, with my face covered in blood.”
She said people on the outside may have moved on, but she continues to live with the loss. Grief, she said, fractured her family.
“That broke my whole family up,” she said, adding that her daughter, who witnessed the shooting, struggled for years.
“My daughter had to get help; rebelling, going through this because this
was her brother and this happened right next to her.”
Her marriage also dissolved under the weight of grief.“My husband and me break up because I couldn’t even take seeing my husband’s face, seeing my child’s face on him,” she said.
“This ruined my family; these people ruined my family and get to walk free.”
She recalled her final moments with her son.“The last words I told my son before he shut his eye on me was, mummy love you. Your family loves you.”
She gave birth to her daughter two months after the murder on her own birthday. That birthday is now two weeks away, but carries no celebration.
“Ain’t no birthday and ain’t no Christmas because ain’t nothing to be happy about this month at all,” she said.
She said she intends to fight the matter however she can.
“God be with these people, from the judge to the prosecutor, to the nine-member jury, to the prosecutors who never call me, to the Attorney General’s Office who never reached out.”
“I have plenty pain and suffering from this kind of verdict.”
SOTHEBY’S MARKS 80TH ANNIVERSARY WITH SUPPORT FOR RANFURLY HOMES
BAHAMAS Sotheby’s International Realty says it is continuing nearly two decades of support for the Ranfurly Homes for Children as part of the company’s 80th anniversary charitable initiative. The firm noted that Ranfurly has been a central focus of its philanthropic work, with contributions made at both the corporate level and through the personal involvement of staff. The organisation said the connection carries particular significance because colleague Joey Premock, a member of the Damianos family, serves as president of Ranfurly’s board.
CORRECTION
The company said its long-standing support reflects a shared commitment to providing stability, opportunity and care for displaced children in The Bahamas, and it encouraged others to join in backing Ranfurly’s work and the young people it serves.
THE TRIBUNE wishes to apologise to Attorney General Ryan Pinder for a headline in Tuesday’s paper that wrongly attributes to him a statement claiming that verifying the number of registered voters in the Golden Isles by-election ‘undermined confidence’ in the election’s result. Mr Pinder made no such statement and The Tribune apologies unreservedly for the error and for any embarrassment caused.
Father told police toddler ‘knew how to undo restraints’
NEGLECT from page one
caught in the vehicle’s electronic window, and that bystanders had to alert the driver before he realised the child was in distress. By the time the vehicle stopped, the child had died.
The case mirrors the conviction of the boy’s mother, Sabrina Henry, who was sentenced to one year in prison for the same offence after taking a plea deal before Justice Braithwaite in August.
Sergeant Johnson said she interviewed Thurston after the incident. She told the court that the defendant said the child was not buckled in and was not in a child safety seat. She
said Thurston told her he did not restrain his son because “the toddler knew how to undo the restraints.”
The witness also said Thurston claimed noise in the moving vehicle prevented him from hearing what was happening to the child. She told the court that Thurston said he had told Jeremiah to sit down four times during the journey and that the child “stuck his head in the window and winded it up.”
Under cross-examination by defence attorney Keith Seymour, Sergeant Johnson said that she believed Thurston was negligent, saying he should have checked on the child regularly while driving.
Mr Seymour suggested
his client was just as much a victim of the tragedy and argued it was wrong for him to be charged.
During questioning by prosecutor Timothy Bailey, Sergeant Johnson said the defendant had full control over the vehicle, including its music and window controls, and that he did not indicate whether the child safety lock was active at the time.
The court then viewed footage of the interview, showing the defendant and a female suspect sitting with their heads down. Prosecutors Timothy Bailey and Karine MacVean appeared for the Crown. Justice Braithwaite will determine the next steps as the defence prepares its case.
EUGENE WOODSIDE
Kendra Woodside - mother of eight-year-old boy shot by stray bullet while doing homework at home.
Smugglers face $300k fines and 15 years prison under new bill
BILL from page one
The Bill imposes tougher penalties, including fines of $300,000 and prison sentences of up to 15 years for anyone who procures false documents for migrants or assists, transports, hides or otherwise facilitates them.
“Every individual who seeks to profit from human suffering and smuggling while endangering our country and our people should know that the odds that engaging in the smuggling business will ruin their lives are about to increase dramatically. New penalties include fines of $300,000 and prison sentences of 15 years for violation of this new law,” he said.
“Until now, prosecutors pursuing smuggling charges have been forced to patch together different provisions from the Penal Code, the Immigration Act, and customs laws. This new law closes those gaps, closes the loopholes and provides a clearer and more robust set of rules to establish illegality and to increase punishment for this heinous crime.”
The Bill will also enable faster information-sharing with US and regional partners, grant clear legal authority for joint maritime operations and provide guidance to Bahamian officers on stopping, inspecting and, when necessary, assuming control of suspect smuggling vessels.
The Coalition of Independents has argued the Bill gives immunity to migrants for illegal entry, remaining or possessing fraudulent documents.
Mr Pinder rejected this, saying migrants are entitled to humane treatment — including safety, dignity and non-refoulement — but that this does not change who is allowed to stay.
He said the legislation clarifies expectations for
officers without weakening immigration powers.
“The bill we tabled did not give migrants any new right to enter The Bahamas, no new right to remain in The Bahamas, or to receive any legal status in The Bahamas. It did not take away any power that we have under the Immigration Act to arrest, detain, charge, or remove people who are here in breach of our laws or who are in the country illegaly,” he said.
“The purpose of the bill is not to change who is allowed to stay. Its purpose is to give us sharper tools to go after the criminal smugglers who profit from exploiting desperate people and who add to the number of people in our country without a legal right to be here.”
“The bill does make clear that migrants should not be treated as smugglers under this law, just because they are on the same boat. Without more evidence, we would not charge the migrant with smuggling. But they can still detain, charge under immigration offenses that exist and deport in accordance with our existing immigration laws. Nothing in this bill removes or weakens those powers of the state.”
He said the Bill’s language concerning humane treatment does not create new entitlements, but reflects obligations that already exist. He stressed it is not an asylum bill and does not expand asylum rights.
“We have asylum applications for years in this country,” he said. “This isn’t something new. We have a refugee unit within the Department of Immigration that addresses asylum applications, and in fact, that unit is responsible for interviewing migrants that caught or come to this country to see if there are any grounds. So that is
standard operating procedure for many years now in this country, regardless of administration.”
Mr Pinder said the vast majority of asylum applications are denied due to a lack of grounds.
Royal Bahamas Defence Force Commodore Floyd Moxey revealed that officers recently disrupted a suspected smuggling attempt to the United States after its Harbour Patrol Unit intercepted a vessel near John Alfred Dock with eight people on board. The group included four Ecuadorian men, two
man. An American man identified himself as the captain. They were handed over to authorities for investigation into failure to clear customs and immigration, overstaying and suspected involvement in human smuggling. Commodore Moxey also provided a five-year overview of maritime operations. Between 2021 and December 4, the RBDF interdicted or assisted with 344 vessels involved in migrant or smuggling-related activity, resulting in
11,791 migrants apprehended and handed over to authorities. These figures reflect maritime operations only and do not include land-based efforts with the Department of Immigration. Of the 344 interdictions, 181 involved vessels inbound to The Bahamas, primarily carrying Haitian and Cuban migrants travelling from the south and west. These accounted for 8,114 apprehensions, including 6,545 Haitian nationals. A further 163 vessels were interdicted while attempting to leave
Over
of
including
Jamaicans, Dominicans, Ecuadorians and Chinese — were apprehended. An intelligence assessment indicates that many migrants enter The Bahamas legally but later pay up to $10,000 for the final leg of an illegal journey to the United States.
Pinder: Looting of barge will not reduce environmental fines
By EARYEL BOWLEG
Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
ATTORNEY General
Ryan Pinder has rejected the notion that losses suffered by the Brooklyn Bridge barge through theft should reduce the owners’ obligation to pay environmental fines, saying looting is “private action by private individuals” and entirely “unrelated” to regulatory enforcement over reef damage.
Although the incident became infamous for attracting scores of looters, residents and environmentalists say the reef destruction in Abaco — one of roughly half a dozen barge groundings in recent years — has exposed flaws in deterrence and penalty frameworks.
North Andros MP John Pinder said operators are travelling too close to shore “to take shortcuts for a profit,” while critics have derided the proposed
$20,000 fine as insufficient, calling for penalties in the millions.
Mr Pinder explained yesterday during an Office of the Prime Minister press briefing that the looting cannot offset the environmental fine, and that the government has a separate enforcement duty under the law.
“One has nothing to do with the other,” he said.
“One is a private action by private individuals who were contrary to the law,
and the second one is an enforcement and regulatory matter by the government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. So they're unrelated.”
The government will fine the barge owners at least $20,000 under the Environmental Planning Protection Amendment Act 2024, with further prosecution possible once a full environmental assessment is completed.
Mr Pinder said amendments earlier in the administration empowered
the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP) to issue immediate spot fines, an authority it previously lacked.
“What we did in our amendment is we provided spot fines by the agency, so when they see a criminal or environmental violation, they can find you right away,” the attorney general said.
“So there's at least some instant penalty, and then we pursue alternatively, or
in addition, the provisions under Environment Planning Protection Act, where we would have to now go and enforce certain matters in court as well.
“So the spot fine isn't the only fine. It's an immediate reaction that the department now has an empowerment to do. Then we proceed under further prosecution, once we understand the damages to the environment, to the reef, and then we monetise that, and then we prosecute.”
Public promised smoother process with 3,000 extra Junkanoo tickets
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter
lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
MORE than 3,000 additional Junkanoo tickets will be available to the public this year as the National Junkanoo Committee (NJC) and ALIV announced an expansion of seating and significant upgrades to the ALIV Events app following intermittent public frustration with the ticket-buying process in recent years.
ALIV officials said yesterday that 8,056 tickets per parade will be on sale this season, up from 5,000 last year. Tickets range from $27.50 plus VAT to $250 plus VAT for the new skybox pavilion. Sales begin Monday, December 8 at 10am through the ALIV Events app and in all New Providence ALIV stores.
The increase comes after years of complaints from residents who said tickets often sold out within minutes, and after criticism of app crashes, login failures, and difficulties navigating the system. ALIV officials acknowledged those past challenges and said this year’s system has been significantly rebuilt to provide
smoother, more reliable access.
ALIV said the company has taken “major steps” to correct previous issues.
“We are confident, and we will have team members in store and online to help any issues that may occur,” the official said.
“We encourage everybody to download the app in the Apple app store or the Google Play store this weekend, set up your account so that you can have a seamless experience on Monday at 10am.”
To reduce confusion and crowding, the upgraded app will now feature GPS-guided seating, colour-coded QR codes that match section signage, improved global registration so tourists can buy tickets, and added seating sections, including a new VIP skybox.
NJC Chairman Andrew Pinder described the expanded partnership with ALIV as a defining moment for Junkanoo’s future, saying the cultural tradition is entering a new era.
“We are living through the next chapter of Junkanoo,” he said. “It is unfolding in real time, and sponsors like ALIV are
helping us to shape it.”
Mr Pinder said ALIV’s renewed four-year sponsorship reflects a shared belief in using technology to improve the cultural experience. He also thanked the Junkanoo community for embracing ongoing changes.
“Change, necessary, meaningful change, is not always easy, but you have trusted the process,” he said.
Youth, Sports and Culture Minister Mario Bowleg said ALIV has demonstrated consistent support for Bahamian culture, noting the company’s role as a longstanding top-tier sponsor.
“Their bold initiatives, their commitment to pursuing boundaries while respecting traditions, and their belief in the power of human creativity have made them an ideal partner for Junkanoo,” he said.
Mr Bowleg acknowledged that for years the public has complained about limited seating and lightning-fast sell-outs of marquee sections.
“We have ensured, with our partnership with ALIV, that sufficient seats are available for purchase through the general public,” he said. “There will be much more seats available this
time around.”
He added that excitement is building as the season moves from Monday’s well-attended practice rush into this weekend’s Best of the Best Regatta and next week’s Junkanoo T-Shirt Day.
ALIV Chief Alive Officer John Gomez said the company’s goal is to modernise access while keeping Junkanoo accessible for generations.
“Junkanoo is the best show on earth,” he said.
“Our campaign has been ‘Junkanoo is ALIV,’ and today, that message stands stronger than ever.”
Mr Gomez confirmed ALIV will livestream number picking this Saturday, also known as “Nervous Saturday”, and all parade nights, continuing a tradition that allows residents at home and abroad to join the experience.
Although prime seats have historically been reserved for government partners, sponsors and
groups, officials stressed that the significant increase in public inventory aims to reduce the pressure on high-demand sections and ease long-standing frustrations.
Asked how Bay Street will accomdate the increase in numbers, Mr Pinder said:
“The seats were always there, but not accessible. We've ensured that they will be accessible, in addition to adding additional seats in front of the Straw Market.”
Ecuadorian women and a Dominican
The Bahamas en route to the United States. Attempts typically originate from the northern Bahamas, particularly Bimini and Grand Bahama.
the five-year period, 3,677 migrants
various nationalities —
Haitians, Cubans,
ATTORNEY GENERAL Ryan Pinder speaks during OPM press conference yesterday.
Photo: Nikia Charlton
FROM LEFT: Ellery Deveaux, Cultural Officer, Junkanoo Coordinator; Kishlane Smith, Deputy Chairperson of the National Junkanoo Committee; Andrew Pinder, Chairman of the National Junkanoo Committee, Neil Campbell, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture; Hon. Mario Bowleg, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, John Gomez, Chief Aliv Officer; Amber Carey, Vice President of Marketing and Consumer Services for Cable Bahamas Group of Companies; Brittney Fountain, Director of Marketing, Aliv; Ghaly Swann II, Director of Digital, Aliv. Photo: Shawn Hanna
Police urge families to check on loved ones after latest suicide
this? Why did he do this?”
When the body was removed from the house, several broke down in tears. The victim’s daughter, whose birthday was reportedly yesterday, became so distraught she had to be carried away.
Close sources described Mr Simms as a jovial person and said his death was a shock to everyone. Others said he had recently visited the doctor for health concerns.
The family’s cries grew louder as the hearse drove away with the body.
Superintendent Sheria King said police were notified around 12.20pm about the suspected suicide. When officers arrived, they found an adult man in his early
60s hanging from a manhole inside the residence.
“We want to remind the public, the general public, if you’re going through a hard time, if you’re struggling, if you’re depressed, reach out to a trusted individual so that you can get help,” she said. “Family members, again, I say to you to check on your relatives that are going through a hard time regularly. Reach out to someone so that they can get help.”
The Suicide Crisis Centre can be reached at 322-2763.
According to The Tribune’s records, this is the 14th suicide in The Bahamas this year.
The previous reported suicide involved a man believed to be in his early 30s, found by family members in October with a noose around his neck.
Nurses Union chief says new facility won’t solve overcrowding at PMH
By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter
kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMAS Nurses
“Building buildings is not going to help us,” she said.
“We need to build lives.”
Her comments followed the House of Assembly’s approval of a resolution to borrow $201m from the Export-Import Bank of
Union president Muriel Lightbourne said the $201m loan secured for constructing a new specialty hospital should instead be directed to urgent gaps across the existing healthcare network, insisting the country cannot adequately staff or manage its current facilities and that the planned hospital will not relieve system-wide overcrowding.
China to construct a hospital on New Providence Highway.
She said the project will focus largely on maternity and paediatric care while the majority of patients will continue seeking treatment at Princess Margaret Hospital, where they already face overcrowding and long waits.
She said the government could have used the money
Local charities share $150,000 raised by ‘Comedy for a Cause’
By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter
kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
SEVERAL local charities received a combined
$150,443 yesterday from Heather and David Kosoy at a ceremony at Hurricane Hole, with recipient organisations outlining plans to expand food security, youth development, and residential care programmes. The funds were raised from the 2025 production of Comedy for a Cause, Real Estate, produced by and starring Mrs Kosoy. Beneficiaries included Lend a Hand Bahamas, the Bahamas National Trust, the Bahamas Feeding Network and Ranfurly Homes for Children. Representatives from Lend a Hand Bahamas said the donation comes amid heightened demand and will help complete a culinary arts and food security building that predates the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The need is growing and so the capacity to serve grows,” the organisation said.
“We were working towards having the main structure of the building completed by the end of January or February, and we are pressing on to secure items to put inside so we can actually open the facility.
“We want to get our young children cooking more nutritional meals and teaching them how to budget, how to go to the shop and purchase the items necessary to cook a healthy meal. We used to test them on ten dollars for a family of five but that is no longer possible so in the new year we will be experimenting with fifteen dollars and the idea is a one pot
nutritional meal.”
The organisation said a 20-foot hydroponics unit attached to the building will serve seniors and children while producing income.
Ranfurly Homes for Children president Joey Fremont said the home currently cares for 26 children, including 16 teenage boys, and would use its share of funds to tighten property security.
“We are extremely happy to be a part of this again this year,” Mr Fremont said. “What we plan to do with the funds that have been raised is to enhance our security at Ranfurly to encompass the whole property with a really robust security system that connects our security personnel as well as the staff inside the building with the children. We have staff at the home with the children on a 24 hour basis seven days a week, every single day, so it is very important to continue their safety.”
He acknowledged financial pressure faced by nonprofits, particularly heading into the holiday season.
The Bahamas Feeding Network delivered an emotional message of thanks.
Distribution manager Recina Ferguson Scully said the donation comes at a crucial time for families.
“If you only know what you are doing for us, everyone in your heart should really be full of thanksgiving during this time for this gift,” Ms Scully said. “When you think about the persons on streets and persons in houses who cannot afford rent or cannot afford food to put a meal on the table for their children, it causes mothers to do things that they ought not to do. Giving to children meals, hot meals
or dry meals, is important. You have a heart of gold and if nobody else is grateful and thankful, I can truly say I am grateful for the things that you are doing.”
During the ceremony, David Kosoy announced a new initiative that will allow beneficiary organisations to raise funds directly from future Comedy for a Cause ticket sales. He said he and his wife will personally underwrite up to $50,000 next year.
“If you sell two hundred tickets, multiply that by two fifty and that charity will get the two fifty at the end of the day. There is a fifty thousand dollar pocket that we will personally underwrite which will encourage you and your kids or whoever is involved to sell the tickets,” he said.
Organisers also announced the next Comedy for a Cause production, Smarty Pants, will run from February 12 to 21 at Atlantis Theatre. The show was written by Canadian playwright Steven Sparks and produced by Mrs Kosoy.
Mr Kosoy, executive chairman & founder of Sterling Global Financial, has provided both economic and philanthropic contributions to The Bahamas, including the full redevelopment of Hurricane Hole Marina on Paradise Island, investing in renovations of numerous areas in New Providence, including Ocean Terraces, and Courtyard by Marriott in downtown Nassau.
After falling in love with The Bahamas almost two decades ago, his companies have directly invested over $1 billion into the country, with numerous donations to multiple charities throughout his years as an expatriate.
to renovate PMH, improve clinics nationwide, support underpaid nurses, and invest in community health education programmes. She argued these interventions would do more to ease demand than building a specialised facility.
She said the new Accident & Emergency unit at PMH immediately filled beyond capacity, that elderly patients continue to wait on trolleys for beds, and that the recent extension “has not even helped with the overcrowding.”
“We have our elderly, we have our young people, people with common situations like high blood pressure and diabetes. These are the people who are flooding our hospitals,” she said.
She emphasised staffing shortfalls, saying nurses are leaving the profession daily due to low pay, forcing remaining staff to work “two and three jobs.” She said clinics and hospitals cannot be properly staffed now, questioning how the government expects to staff a new facility.
“We’re not able to staff the hospitals and the clinics we have now. How are we going to staff a new hospital?” she asked.
She underscored the need for consistent public health education, saying people with hypertension are admitted repeatedly because they do not understand or manage their condition. She said caregivers need more training and that
increased home visits would help reduce preventable admissions.
“Imagine you’re diagnosed with high blood pressure in January, and by May you’ve had three or four admissions. That tells me we’re not educating our people,” she said.
She said clinics across the country face space shortages and constant service reshuffling, contributing to system-wide dysfunction. She said the overall approach to healthcare lacks clarity and coordination.
“Sometimes I try to figure out what is the plan for our healthcare,” Ms Lightbourne said. “Healthcare is too important for us to be playing with. Let’s make things make sense.”
A WOMAN believed to be a family member of Arnoldi Simms (pictured left) is assisted by police at the scene of a suspected suicide in Westridge yesterday.
Photo: Nikia Charlton
HEATHER AND DAVID Kosoy donate over $150,000 to four local charities - Lend a Hand Bahamas, the Bahamas National Trust, the Bahamas Feeding Network and Ranfurly Homes for Childrenfrom funds raised by Comedy for a Cause. Photo: Nikia Charlton
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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Eugene’s family deserved better
T HE murder of Eugene Woodside was one that shocked the nation. Eight-year-old Eugene was doing exactly the right thing, sitting at home doing his homework, when a stray bullet came through the wooden wall of his Chippingham home, hitting him and killing him.
His mother, Kendera Woodside, who was pregnant at the time, held Eugene as he bled to death.
Days after the murder in 2017, the Prime Minister at the time, Dr Hubert Minnis, and his wife Patricia visited the scene to console the family.
The Tribune was at the scene as Dr Minnis hugged Ms Woodside to try and offer comfort.
“Why these people ain’t telling me they bringing my son right now?” screamed Ms Woodside at the scene.
“He ain’t even live a life, my God. He’s a baby. I could give my breath right now just for my baby to be right here. They take my heart out my body.
“This my only son. They almost shoot my daughter too and they inside (the house) with me. What they do to my family? What they do to us?”
Let us count the ways in which Ms Woodside and her family were failed. First, the crime itself, where a child simply sitting in his home doing his homework was not safe from the bullets and guns that have plagued the streets of our nation. Second, the fact that it was 2017 that this crime took place and it is only this week that the case finally reached court.
A third blow when that case collapsed after prosecutors gave no opening statement and called no witnesses. The accused men walked free. It is baffling how a case can arrive at court after eight years with no evidence offered.
And the insult added to injury in that Ms Woodside says she was not even informed the case was going to take place and only found out afterwards.
After all the outrage at the time of the shooting, after even a prime minister came to the mother of the victim’s door to offer comfort, no one could come to her door to tell her the court case was about to take place?
Previously, Ms Woodside told The Tribune how Eugene “was in the room learning his words with his sister when we heard the shots ring out”.
She told how she held him and said: “Baby, you know mommy loves you right?” Eugene answered: “Yes, mommy, I love you too.” Those were his last words. Yesterday, Ms Woodside told of the toll on her family in the years since – including the break-up of her marriage and the struggles of her daughter, who witnessed the shooting. This column has long raised the injustice raised by the slow pace of our court system. Both for the victims and the accused, nothing is served by keeping cases dragging for many years through the system. For the families of murder victims, there is a constant pain with no resolution. For the accused, there is no resolution as the case hangs over their heads, especially for those ultimately cleared of charges.
But at the very least, there should be the dignity of informing family members when cases are going to be heard. If we fail at even that most basic of communications, is it any wonder that cases drag on so long. Heaven knows what other communications are faltering along the way.
Ms Woodside certainly deserved better than to be the focus of national grief at the time of the crime only to be snubbed completely by the time the case came to an end. She deserved better. Her family deserved better. And Eugene never deserved any of this.
We hope those who spoke up at the time to offer support to Ms Woodside do so again today. We hope those who showed up to offer comfort are knocking on her door once more. We hope that the outrage over Eugene’s death is not forgotten.
There may never be justice for Eugene. We may never see a case that resolves his murder. No pronouncement of guilty, no punishment.
But at the very least we need to do better for the families of victims of crime. The killers on our streets over the years have shown callous disregard for their victims. The system should not compound that by showing disregard for the families. We must never, ever visit such further injustice on those whose hearts are already so sore.
Cybercriminals don’t take holidays
EDITOR, The Tribune.
JUST wanted to share the below to help the Bahamian public to be aware of cyber incidents this holiday season. As we enter the Christmas season, a time marked by family gatherings, celebrations, and the exchange of gifts, many Bahamians are turning to online shopping and increasing card transactions. This is to find the best deals and stretch their dollars as far as possible. Unfortunately, this joyous time of year also creates the ripe opportunity for cybercriminals to strike. With the surge in online purchases, digital payments, and social media advertisements, cyber incidents typically rise sharply during the holidays. In the rush to secure a bargain or complete a last-minute purchase, even the most vigilant among us can forget to take simple but necessary precautions to protect ourselves. Cybercriminals count on this very fact.
From fake shopping websites and fraudulent social media ads to phishing emails disguised as shipping updates, cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated and difficult to detect.
Shoppers are at risk of financial loss even when conducting local transactions; skimming devices, compromised point-ofsale systems, and stolen credit cards are all ways in which shoppers may be impacted. Bahamians must therefore exercise extreme caution during this busy season. A few protective steps can make a difference:
• Verify it before buying. Shop only on trusted websites and reputable local vendors.
• Be wary of “too good to be true” deals. Scammers often use deep discounts.
• Monitor your bank and credit card statements. Check for unusual transactions, especially after major purchases.
• Avoid clicking on unknown links. Phishing
PICTURE OF THE DAY
Tree lighting didn’t honour God
EDITOR, The Tribune. WE just passed through another hurricane season untouched. This is only because of the mercy and grace of God. If the hurricane that hit Jamaica had come here, where would we be as a people?
Yet we are ungrateful as a people. So many of us do not honor God and give Him the honor and thanks He deserves . So many of us do not train our children to honor God and to live lives that honor Him.
I watched the tree lighting ceremony and I was shocked and saddened to see how far we strayed from God as a people. I did not hear one scripture about the birth of Christ.
I did not see a skit about the angel appearing to Mary or the shepherds or any depiction of the Christmas story. The minister’s speech also did not mention Christ or the real meaning of Christmas. It was disturbing. He basically said that Christmas is a time for giving and helping others.
I don’t think the band sang any songs about Christ’s birth. In fact some of the songs had nothing to do with Christmas !
emails and text messages are common this time of year.
• Enable alerts. Financial institutions allow real-time card use notifications.
• Use secure networks. It is never a good idea to enter financial information over public wireless networks.
Cybercriminals do not take holidays. As their tactics evolve, so must our awareness and vigilance. The holiday season is a time for celebration, so let’s not fall victim to identity theft, financial fraud, or data breaches. Our online safety is just as important as our physical safety.
While celebrating Christmas with loved ones, it is also important to remember the gift of security by practicing good cyber hygiene and practicing safe digital behaviours.
Cybersecurity Expert SHERVIN EVANS Nassau, December 4, 2025
Even many of the performances had nothing to do with Christmas!
Why was reggae music played and people doing a reggae dance!
Why couldn’t the grinch and Santa’s elves and helpers dance to a Christmas song?
Why weren’t there any liturgical dancers worshipping through dance to a song like ‘Silent Night’ or ‘It Came Upon the Midnight Clear”?
Who planned this ceremony? Who wrote the minister’s speech? Are we forgetting who we are as a people? We should proudly display our reverence for God for all to see. We should gladly let the world see that we recognise that Christ is the only reason we have Christmas and anything associated with Christmas.
By reading God’s word and worshipping through dance, souls can be won. Bahamians and visitors alike will be reminded of the fact that it is important
to honor God during this season. He is the reason for the season.
Christmas is once a year so why don’t we make the birth of Christ the focus of everything at this time of year? Put God first and Santa and the other secular things done for kids can come after.
We cannot only remember God during hurricane season while we are praying and begging him not to let a storm come this way and then kick Him to the curb until next hurricane season. God should be at the enter of all we do daily and this should be taught to our kids.
Without God and his Word in our hearts and the hearts of our children we will continue to see increased violence in our society and in our schools. We will see people become colder hearted without the light of Christ. We must fix this now. We must repent before God. He has been very good to us as a people so let us not forget Him or the Christ of Christmas.
GRATEFUL TO GOD Nassau, December 4, 2025
Upset by poorly drive unmarked vehicles
EDITOR, The Tribune. PLEASE publish this open letter to persons driving marked and unmarked government vehicles who seemingly operate such vehicles without any apparent regard or concerns for the safety of other road users, drivers and pedestrians on our narrow streets. Exception is hereby made for those known categories of emergency services vehicles which any responsible person would acknowledge must be given precedence in presumed emergencies in order to save life, limb or to preserve public safety. However, how is a responsible driver, pedestrian and tax payer to react in circumstances where an unescorted government owned vehicle which fits into none of the aforementioned categories, with siren blaring, red and blue lights flashing and bearing
a parliamentary license plate, in this case “DPM”, tried to create a third lane on a busy two- lane thoroughfare at 9:30am in the morning? Such was the case on the Wednesday, 3rd December 2025, as a black, late model vehicle bearing the aforementioned license plate travelling from east to west on that stretch of Rosetta Street between Mount Royal and Montrose Avenue (between the two traffic lights), forced its way through two-way traffic. With little or no room on either side of the street in which to man oeuvre, motorists including myself did their best to accommodate the said vehicle without causing an accident or damaging their respective vehicles.
Such disrespect for other road users Mr Editor is very much reminiscent of the conduct and modus operandi of a former Prime
Minister (PM) whose excesses when traveling our narrow streets were well documented but fortunately largely disappeared upon his demitting office. To current elected officials who are or may be tempted to return to those old days, please be reminded that you are only ‘temporarily’ holding office as elected officials and servants of the people and you will be held to account for your actions by the public at the appropriate time. Worse still, it would be a most unfortunate situation, if your assigned government owned vehicle were to become involved in a traffic fatality on our streets given the number of traffic fatalities that already been recorded for the year.
A CONCERNED CITIZEN Nassau, December 4, 2025.
ST COLUMBA’S Anglican Church at Tarpum Bay, Eleuthera. Photo: Tobago77
Mitchell urges Baha Mar to review firing of casino dealer over leave
Bail for man accused of beating mother of his child
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN was granted bail yesterday after being accused of beating the mother of his child and breaking her ankle earlier this year.
Prosecutors allege that Omarr Ingraham, 37, beat Aniska Saunders about the body after a verbal altercation turned physical on March 31.
The attack reportedly left the complainant with blunt force trauma to her face and a fractured ankle.
Ingraham pleaded not guilty to a charge of grievous harm before Senior Magistrate Kara Turnquest Deveaux. Bail was set at $5,000 with one or two sureties. Under the terms of his bail, he must sign in at the Carmichael Road Police Station every Monday,
TRAVELLER LOSES $38,000 AFTER FAILING TO DECLARE MONEY AT LPIA
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A HAITIAN man was fined $1,000 yesterday after admitting he failed to declare that he was travelling to Haiti with more than $40,000. FanFan Derice, 43, was stopped at LPIA for suspicious behaviour and failed to declare to a Bahamas Customs officer that he was travelling with over $10,000
at around 8am on December 2.
Derice pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to declare before Senior Magistrate Kara Turnquest Deveaux. He was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine or risk six months in prison. While $3,600 was returned to the defendant, the remaining $38,615 was forfeited to the Crown. Inspector K Wilkinson was the prosecutor.
AMERICAN WOMAN FINED $8,000 FOR LOADED GUN ON CRUISE SHIP
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
AN American woman was fined $8,000 yesterday after admitting she had a loaded gun in her purse on a cruise ship docked in New Providence on Tuesday. Mary Robinson, 69, of Sand Springs, Oklahoma, was found with a black KelTec .380 pistol and four rounds of ammunition while on board Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines on December 2.
Robinson pleaded guilty to possession of ammunition before Magistrate Lennox Coleby. She apologised and explained that she forgot the gun was in her purse and that her state has open carry laws.
Robinson was ordered to pay an $8,000 fine or risk 24 months in prison. Assistant Superintendent of Police Lincoln McKenzie served as the prosecutor, while Bjorn Ferguson represented the accused.
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
A FORMER Baha Mar
casino dealer who was fired after a dispute over compassionate leave says her termination was excessive, and Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell is urging the resort to reconsider its decision.
The former employee, who asked to remain anonymous, was dismissed in August after Human Resources officials learned she had not travelled to her aunt’s funeral in June despite having received compassionate leave. She said she initially told officials she had attended, but later explained she stayed in The Bahamas because she lacked the funds to travel.
“They’re saying basically because of dishonesty because when she asked me, I said I travelled but I wasn’t clear on what she had asked me,” she said.
Mr Mitchell raised concern about the firing during the House of Assembly debate yesterday, calling for the matter to be re-investigated.
“It’s a real skill to be a dealer in these casinos, and you get laid off in this country, what are you going to do for work? And the
description of why she was dismissed appears to me to be so personal that someone ought to intervene to see if this could be reversed,” he said.
The former employee said the dispute originated after she questioned why she had not received her quarterly attendance incentive in July. The incentive, she said, is awarded to workers with perfect attendance.
Shortly after, Human Resources summoned her to a meeting to question her about the three days of compassionate leave and whether she had attended the funeral. She admitted that she first told them she had travelled, saying she did so “not thinking properly” while grieving.
She said the HR representative cited company policy allowing officials to request travel documents and asked whether she could provide any. She said she told them she could not, but explained that she had attended her aunt’s memorial service held locally a few days earlier.
Wednesday and Saturday by 6pm. Ingraham’s trial begins on February 10, 2026. Maria Daxon represented the accused, while Inspector K Wilkinson was the prosecutor.
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
FOREIGN Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell said the government is bolstering passport security as it advances plans for a new passport office, rejecting opposition assertions that safeguards around passport issuance are lax.
His response followed comments from FNM deputy leader Shanendon Cartwright, who said in the House of Assembly on Wednesday that the public is increasingly worried about how easily people can obtain passports. He said many Bahamians believe officials are not being diligent enough in protecting the nation’s patrimony and birthright.
Mr Mitchell countered
She said she was sent back to her shift, but soon after was instructed to report to the investigations department to provide a statement. She said she explained again why she could not travel for the funeral and that the investigator told her the statement was “just for record keeping and that it shouldn’t lead to termination.”
Despite this, she said the HR manager later called and placed her on suspension for a week. When she returned, she was told she had been terminated.
She said she appealed the decision, arguing that dismissal was disproportionate given her record, but the company upheld it and told her she could reapply in a year’s time.
“For the past three to four years, I never call in sick, never left early, anything like that,” she said. She said she has been out of work since, taking things one day at a time. Mr Mitchell said he has written to Baha Mar officials about the matter. Resort representatives were unavailable for comment yesterday but pledged to respond to the allegations at a later date.
She said the HR representative replied: “Okay, well, we would have to just take the day back from you, because the third day is actually for travel.” She responded that she was unaware of that policy and explained that she had not travelled due to financial reasons.
‘Passports are hard to get, not easy,’ says Foreign Affairs Minister
the claims yesterday, saying Bahamian passports are more secure than at any point in the country’s history. He reiterated that there is no evidence of widespread or even minor fraud in the passport issuance process.
“We are continually working on security,” he said. “There's going to be a new passport office shortly with updated equipment, which will even increase the passport security and in fact, the argument out in the country is not that they're so easy to get, but it's so difficult to get a Bahamian passport so I want to assure the Bahamian public this morning, the Constitution is very clear as to who gets a Bahamian passport.”
The exchange came amid heightened scrutiny after
Opposition Leader Michael Pintard claimed, without producing any proof, that a package of “unaccompanied” Bahamian passports was allegedly found on a Bahamasair flight. He said the discovery prompted an internal investigation at the airline. Government officials have repeatedly dismissed the claims and labelled them “irresponsible.”
Yesterday, Mr Mitchell added: “What is the value of a Bahamian public official saying that a Bahamian passport is fraudulently issued when you have to use that passport to go around the world, just even when we cross the border here.”
He urged the public to handle the subject with care, calling it a serious matter.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER FRED MITCHELL
One Eleuthera's five-step formula for success
LAST WEEK, I spent a few days in Nassauwith key members of One Eleuthera Foundation s (OEF s) leadership team, includingmy colleague Keyron Smith, OEF’s President and CEO.We visited with prospective and long-time donors, thanking themfortheirpastsupportand sharingexciting programexpansion plans,heartfelt community impact stories, and success statistics from the last year.
Iquickly discoveredthat therewas abuzz acrossNew Providenceabout thesuccess and communitydevelopment work being accomplished by OEFandits partners.Asone donor put it, I think every family islandis tryingto figure out howto replicate OEF in their own backyard!”
Thiswasmusic tomyears,as
I thought to myself, OEF s impact is indeed spreading.
were pioneering. Shaun knew that--in additionto beinganordained Methodist minister I was alsoaCPAandprivatebanker. Withthisin mind,heputthe challenge to me: Shaun: “I needyourhelp gettinga U.S.-based501(c)3 up andrunning thatcan support all of this work.” Me,cutting righttothe chase: “Look Shaun, if you andyour boardare reallyserious about impactingall of Eleuthera, TheBahamas, and eventually theregion, then I’m all in!”
And with that, Steve Merritt
scores of $25and $100 donations)have fuelledthepersonal and communal transformationtaking placeacross Eleuthera.
OEF’slegacy isrootedin turningchallenges intoopportunities, and harnessing the capacity to scalefrom humble beginningsto long-termsuccess. On the plane ride back to the Carolinas fromNassau, I beganto reflecton thisand other keysuccess factorsthat resonated with me.
Number5: StrongGovernance
Since itsinception, OEF hasbeen blessedwith highly capable,highly committed board members. Too often, people join boardsor committees and do little other than attend meetings. Thebest boardsare filled withindividuals who seek, with the President/Executive Director’s guidance,to give the best of their gifts and talents to the work at hand.
EVERY YEAR, through Technical Trades training funded by grants secured through OEF, hundreds of students on Eleuthera find employment and earn NAECOB-recognized certifications.
This brought back a memory from 2016, when I received a call from my friend ShaunIngraham, thefounder andthen-President ofOEF. Since meeting in2002, Shaun and I hadworked together on numerous service-basedprojects, and university study abroadprograms. Ihadbeen keeping up withthe progress of his new OEF venture, more from a distance than not. This fateful phone call was our first lengthy conversationin a while,during whichIwas fully briefed on the vision that Shaunanda handfulofpassionate founding members
one ofthe organization’s founding members -and I recruited otherUS friendswith long-term ties toEleuthera to form OneEleuthera Foundation ofthe US,OEF’s sisterorganization. OEF-US isbased inthe Carolinas andexists tosupport the work ofOEF and its partners. Since formally launching inthe fallof 2016, OEF-US hashelped facilitate morethan$28 millioninphilanthropic “investments” into OEF’s many projects and programs. When combined with Bahamian donations,more than$40 million(including
Number 4: EffectiveStorytelling Since itslaunch in 2012, OEF hashad a broad missionthat can bedifficult tograsp, evenforthose ofuson the inside likeme. In recent years- thanksto theleadershipof ChiefCommunications Officer, Yolanda PawarOEFhas become aleader in the sectorin communicating the fullness of our story.
Number 3: Trusting Donors
Nonprofits are ableto do their important work because of the generous support of donors. OEF hasbeen supported from dayone by a group of donors who practice trust-based philanthropy.This has led to mutual relationships that reflectshared trust,un-
wavering strength,and accountability.
Number2:SelflessTeam Members
From thebeginning, OEF has beenthe beneficiaryof selfless servant-leaderswho have left more secure jobs and given their lives to a vision that, in thebeginning, had never been seenin The Bahamas.One ofthe bestexamples isRobyn Curry,Executive Support Officer, who left hercareer inbanking because of a desire to impact her community ofRock Sound. She continues toplay an invaluable role at OEF today.
Number1: StrongPartnerships
Undergirding OEF’s tangible,visible strengthshave been a set of organisational values – OEF s DNA, one might say – that has been vital tooursuccess. Andoneofthe mostimportant values – one thatis echoedin ourMission and VisionStatements – is the belief that individuals and groups working together can achievefar morethanindividuals andgroups working alone orin isolation.I would argue that thishas been the main componentin OEF’s success.
Years ago, at an ecumenical and interfaith gathering on the topicofhunger, Iremembera preacher pleadingwith the audience Surely, if nothing else,weasfaithleaderscanall rally behind a program that is designed to ensure that people do notgo tobed hungryat night, he pleaded.
Over the years, we at OEF
FREE community swim,andwatersafety lessonsprovidedby OEFare offeredevery summerand haverecently beenintroduced attwo local PrimarySchools aspart of theschools’ PE curriculum.
have had hundredsof similar conversations withdozens of individuals anda widerange of for-profit, nonprofit, and governmental entities that have approachedus withan interest intackling someof the samesocial andeconomic challenges on our radar.
During this fractious, divisive time in which we live, thishasbeensomeofourmost revolutionary work.
OEF’s willingness to work with a diverse group of partnersto findreal, lastingsolutions to someof Eleuthera’s biggest challengescontinues todrive ourimpact andsuccess. Whetherchampioning food security withour stateof-the-artcooling house,revitalizing agriculture through local farmer training, deliv-
ering life-saving water safety andswim lessonsto youth,or empowering more than 600 individuals onEleuthera throughtechnical tradesand entrepreneurship programs, collaborative partnerships have paved theway and provento bea cornerstonein OEF slongevity andsuccess story.
Aformer CPAandprivate banker,Lane isa nativeof Charleston but nowmakes his home in Clemson,South Carolina with his wife Anne. An ordainedUnited Methodistminister,Lane hasserved aspresident forOEF-US sinceits inception in 2016. He is also Professor of Practiceat Clemson University, teaching in the area of Nonprofit Leadership. Established in2012, theOne Eleuthera Foundation (OEF) is a nonprofit organisation located in Rock Sound, Eleuthera. For moreinformation, visit www.oneeleuthera.org or emailinfo@oneeleuthera.org
The Centre for Training and Innovation (CTI)is thefirst and only postsecondary,nonprofit education and training institution and socialenterprise on Eleuthera.CTI operatesastudent trainingcampus inRock Sound, Eleuthera, witha 16roomtraining hotel,restaurant andfarm. Formoreinformation about CTI’s programmes email: info@oneeleuthera.org
Funeral Service For
Stalwart Councilor and Patriarch Preston Foster McPhee, 85 affectionately called “Brother Mac” “SC”
of Ocean Hole Drive, Mount Vernon, New Providence, Bahamas and formerly of The Hermitage, Exuma and Freeport, Bahamas died in ICU at the Princess Margaret Hospital on Tuesday, November 18, 2025 will be held on Saturday, 6th December, 2025, 10:00am at St. Marks Native Baptist Church, Romer Street, Fox Hill, New Providence. Officiating will be The Right Hon., Rev. Dr. Carrington S. Pinder, Bishop and General Superintendent of The St. John’s Particular Church of Native Baptist, assisted by Pastor Sabrina Pinder, PhD, MBA, Rev. Dr. Jerome Deleveaux, Rev. Andrew Pinder, Rev. Fritz Pritchard and Rev. Lorenzo Carey. Internment will follow in the Woodlawn Cemetery, Soldier Road, New Providence. Service will be live at: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ query=st+mark%27s+native+baptist+church
Mr. McPhee was a staunch Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) supporter, dedicated political activist, committed community servant, and the revered patriarch of his family. Mr. McPhee’s passion for political engagement began early and remained unwavering throughout his life. In the 1970s, he proudly accompanied his cousin, the late Livingston B. Johnson, the first Ambassador for the Bahamas to Washington, serving as his aide and gaining invaluable exposure to national and international affairs. His commitment to the party never wavered—he remained well informed, deeply loyal, and actively engaged in its mission and progress. For his decades of steadfast political activism and commitment to the PLP party, he was conferred the exclusive honor of Stalwart Councilor, the Party’s highest distinction—an honor reserved only for the most dedicated and exemplary members. As the patriarch of his family, and spiritual guide to many, Mr. McPhee was a pillar of wisdom, unity, stability, strength and love. His children, extended family, and countless friends sought him out for counsel, guidance, encouragement and reassurance during life’s challenges. His words were steady, thoughtful, and rooted in profound love. He was cherished by his children, extended family, and all who knew him. Mr. Preston “Brother Mac” McPhee leaves behind a legacy of service, loyalty, and unwavering devotion—to his family, to his Country, his community, and to the causes he believed in deeply. His impact will continue to be felt by all who were blessed to know him.
He was pre-deceased by his parents: Matilda Clarke of the Hermitage Exuma and Oscar McPhee of Moss Town, Exuma; daughter: Nurse Renee McPhee RN; stepdaughter: Nurse Geranette Bartlett RN; brother: Elvin Forester Bodie; ex-wife: Yvonne Guillaume-McPhee;
law: Juan Lopez of Brandon, Florida; grand-daughters: Nurse Lashan McPhee, RN of McDonough, Ga., Jewel-Alicia Sweeting of Brandon, Florida; Nurse
Moncayo RN of Brandon, Florida and Esmeralda-Pilar Lopez of Brandon, Florida; grand-sons: Darien Collins of Hollywood, Florida and Kai Morris of Hollywood, Florida; great grand-daughters: Nurse Milani Shillingford, RN. Mylen Shillingford, India-Esperenza Hunt, LPN, Isabella Barbosa and Beautiful Heaven Dorsey of Brandon, Florida; great grand-sons: Bicari Lane of McDonough, Ga., James Hunt of Brandon, Fl, Noble Sweeting of Brandon, Fl, Kalias Preston Ulysse of Brandon, Fl, Tai Collins of Hollywood, Florida and Praise Sweeting of Brandon Florida; god-child: Bettymae Rolle; sister: Mrs. Maryann Clarke; sister-in-law: Viola Bodie of Miami, Florida; nephews: Calvin and Wellsely Bodie of Miami Florida, Dewey D. Taylor, (Patrice), Francois A. Guillaume (Sinobi) of Atlanta Ga.; nieces: Guianna M Guillaume, Michelle R. Guillaume-Carey, Deidre Ann Taylor, Kimberley Guillaume-Prioleau (Kevin), of South Carolina; special grand-nephews: Leonardo Kemp and Julian Trevor Musgrove and Family; special friends: Paul Bevans and Family, Reginald “Chips” McKenzie and Family, Wayde Sweeting and Family, Leotha Kemp, Delvera Knowles, Monique Thompson, Dr. and Mrs. Homer Bloomfield, Leotha Kemp, and Residents of Lamarnique Condominiums; cousins, grand nieces and nephews: Family of the late Livingston B. Johnson, Anita Johnson-Patty, Deanne JohnsonAnderson and Family, Attorney Angenette Pyfrom and Family, Harriet Mather and Family, Cleomi Clarke and Family, Almetha Clarke-Smith and Family, Verbilee Clarke and Family, Norma Clarke-Whylly and Family, Eurella Clarke and Family, Irene Clarke and Family, Arlene Clarke-Cooper and Family, Janice Ferguson and Family, Philistia Clarke-Harriott and Family, Susan and Carolyn Clarke and Families of New York, Jacqueline Clarke and Family; Cleveland Clarke and Nehemiah Clarke; Arlington Clarke and Family, Gary Rolle and Family, Sharline Bodie and Family, Michelle “Mitch” Bodie, Allison Bodie and Family, Marjorie Johnson, Rosalie (Frederick) Ferguson, Leslie Humes, Michelle Rolle of Fort Laudedale, Dante, Tre, Charisma and Zion Taylor; Keishell, Keva and Kiera Carey; Demetrius and Samuel Kemp, Jonvan Payne, Karrington Prioleau of South Carolina, Gregory Guillaume of Atlanta Georgia, Jerkin Guillaume of Atlanta Georgia, Dwainique and Dwainard Guillaume, Alyssia Taylor and Samiyah Kemp, Malik Guillaume, Kaelem Fynes, Lester Rollins, Family of the late Floy Rollins, Debbie Rollins-Pinder, Joy Rollins-Reckley, Patrick Rollins (Donna), Adrian Rollins, Keith Rollins (Millicent); other relatives and friends: Descendants of Andrew Clarke and Susan Clarke (née Deleveaux) of The Hermitage, Exuma, the McPhee Family of Moss Town, Exuma, The Bodie Family of The Hermitage, Exuma., Rev. Yvonne Clarke and Family, Herbert Guillaume, Marie GuillaumeTaylor, Hadassah Guillaume-Thompson, Rosie Rollins, Sheila Leadon and Family, Nurse Rosie Whylly-Rahming and Family The Communities of Moss Town and Hermitage Exam, Shayne Sweeting and Family, Lershayne Symonette and Family, Anastasia Johnson and Family, Tamara Knowles, Family of the Late Ms. Estelle Bonimy; Family of the late Dorothy Dixon and Family of Virginia, Darrice Rolle and Family of Canada, Brenda Maycock, Bishop Carrington and Rev. Sabrina Pinder and Family, Members of St. Mark’s Native Baptist Church, Members of St. John’s Native Baptist Church, Rev. Dr. Jerome Deleveaux, Rev. Andrew Pinder, Rev. Fritz Pritchard and Rev. Lorenzo Carey Honorable Fred Mitchell; friends from Florida: Edwin Lafrance, Levon Shillingford, Johnell Postell, James of Wiley St Hollywood Fl, Lashoyna Robinson and Family, Nurse Michele Fils-Aime, Dr. Norad Morgan; Residents of Lamarnique Condominiums, Stalwart Council of the Progressive Liberal Party, Pastor Dr. Jeffery Thompson and Denise Thompson, Members of Ft. Lauderdale SDA Church, and many other friends in the Bahamas and the United States who are too numerous to mention.
Relatives and Friends may pay their last respects at the PLP Headquarters on Friday, 5th December, 2025 for a Memorial Service followed by viewing at 11:00a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and on Saturday at the Church from 9:00 a.m. until service. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Butlers’ Funeral Homes & Crematorium, Ernest and York Streets, New Providence.
of One Eleuthera Foundation
FARM ASSOCIATE and3rd GenerationFarmer,AlexanderFerguson, tends to the Cucumber Plants in the Oasis Cooling House, powered by One Eleuthera Foundation.
cousin: Livingston B Johnson. Mr. McPhee is survived by hisdaughters: Ms. Presleith Y. McPhee, Nurse LaVon McPhee-Lopez RN of Brandon, Florida; son: Mattehson McPhee; son-in-
Victoria-Diamond
Finding "the giver" inside of us this holiday season
EVERYcircle offriends, every office,every school, civiccluborchurchhasthem–the folkswho show upand do what isexpected ofthem, but rarely, if ever, can be counted on tosay, I know youneed a hand, I’ll stay late.”
Getting angrywith them doesn twork. Theyshowed up, didn’t they? They performedthe assignedtask, didn’t they? Then they left. So what’s your problem? Whyareyouexpectingthemto do more?
What causes someof us to go theextra mile,to listento someone s question,take their issueto heartand determineto help solve it,while others shrug their shoulders, walk awayandfigure it’s not their problem? Why trouble themselves?
We encounter these two dif-
city.
Mind you, boundaries can be important. Without them, there s no guardrail. But when that guardrail becomes the map, pathway, and guiding light--reducing everything outsidethatroutetoablurordarkness--the boundaries justify a hard stop that signals loudly andsilently: Don tlook atme for that extra help. I’m on my time and I mall about me Look elsewhereif youwant someone to go the extra mile. My day ends at 5.
The giver and the taker What causesone personto be thegiver and anotherto be the taker? Whatseparates the altruisticfromtheinwardly-focused andself-absorbed? Why is it in every organization you knowaheadof timewhenyou
ferentpersonas inbothpublic andprivate places,injust aboutevery governmentoffice, school, orclinic: the staff memberwho barelygivesyou thetimeof day(andmayeven stay ontheir phonelooking down at whatever holds their interest whileyou arestanding before them tryingpolitely to get their attention) and the individual who will search for thedocumentyouneed,evenif itcutsinto theirlunchhouror keeps them there after time to clock out.
We experience the difference dailybetween thegivers and the takers.The ones who draw the line and call it boundaries andtheoneswho see peopleand needs,and for whom theboundary haselasti-
propose aproject, whowill lead, who willvolunteer, and who willbe too busy this time or look the other way? Is it the culture of the organization,office, school,hospital?Or isitjust theindividual andhis orher personal values?
That’san importantquestion. If you can identify whetherexisting cultureor selfishness(call it boundaries, if you prefer) is a predicter of behaviour, you know who sgoingtogofar,whowill succeed,who deservesextra training, anincrease insalary, orabonus. Wouldthatsame person whois the lastto give ofthemselves inoneset ofcircumstances bethe firstto give inanother?Or isalackof
caring about others a harbinger offailureto care,regardlessof place and time? Is selfishness concrete,like partofthe building blocks ofa soul, a stiffness that supportsthe unbending human, whose pathis straight and narrowand does notveertoonesideortheother tohelp someonestrandedon the sideline?
The questionof whysome people seem tohave an altruism gene intheir DNA-whileothers areallabout themselves--troubles me.Is it upbringing andsurroundings, what youwitnessed others around you doing and experienced in your family ecosystem? Does itstemfrom watchingsomeoneyouadmire, or someone close to you, volunteering at afeedingcentre or extendingthemselves without thinkingabout itto help anelderly personcross a busy street or find a home for a lost dog?
Oris itsimpler:are someof us just altruisticby nature and others just plain self-centred? Basically, this is what it comes down to:do you have the capacityto feelwhat another feels? Thepain thatwill cause you to assist the old man struggling,hesitating tocross that busy street. The need to complete the taskat hand even ifit isafterthe 3o clock schoolbell orthe5 o’clock officeclosing time.The needto locate andprocess thatdocument eventhough it’s your lunch hour.
Dopamine and oxytocin
The mostrudimentary research leads toa popular theorycalled the empathy-altruism hypothesis. It’s asbasic as it gets – suggesting that genuine empathy leads to genuine altruism. If you don t feeltheother person’spainortheirneed,you arefarlesslikelytohelp.Butif you do empathize,the trigger to help is right there ready to be deployed.In anarticle called “The psychologyof altruism” (https://www.psycix.com), the author describeswhat behaviouristshave longsaid:giving comes with its own set of rewards. From the article:
Here are a few sneaky rewards wemight getfrom being altruistic:
• The Helper’s High: Yep, it s a real thing. Helping others can giveyour brain arush of feel-good chemicalslike dopamine and oxytocin.
• Reduced Stress: Studies showthat volunteeringcan lower stress levels and improve mental health.
Social Connections: Helping can strengthen our bondswith others.Thatsense of connection? Priceless. Soevenwhen wesaywe're
American generosity: Giving Tuesday raises $4B for needy
By THALIA BEATY Associated Press
Americans gave$4 billionto nonprofits on GivingTuesday in 2025, an increase from the $3.6 billion they gave in 2024, according toestimatesfrom thenonprofitGivingTuesday.
Morepeoplealso volunteeredtheirtime on theTuesday after Thanksgivingthis year, which fell on Dec. 2 and has become a major fundraisingdayfor nonprofits.Thisyear, 11.1millionpeople intheU.S.volunteered, up from, 9.2 million last year.
GivingTuesdaystartedin 2012asa hashtagandaprojectof the92ndStYin New Yorkand has since becomean independent nonprofit. The organization estimates howmuch was given andhow many people volunteer using datafrom a wide variety of sources,including giving plat-
forms, paymentprocessors andsoftware applications that nonprofits use.
Woodrow Rosenbaum, thechief data officer for GivingTuesday, saidboth the number of people givingand the overall donationamount mayhave increasedthis year as people seek a sense of belonging and connection.
"Generosityisareallypowerfulwaytoget that,"Rosenbaum saidinan interviewwith TheAssociatedPress."ButIthinkmostlyit's justthat whenpeopleseeneed, theywantto do somethingabout it andGivingTuesday is an opportunity to do that in a moment of celebration as opposed to crisis."
Overall donationsincreased 8.1%from last yearwhen adjustedfor inflation.GivingTuesday hasalso seen theaverage donationincrease insize overtime andRosenbaum said people maybe seeking additional ways to give as well.
not looking foranything in return, we still benefit in subtle ways. Does that make the act anylessnoble? Notatall.It just meansthat givingand receiving can go hand in hand.
So,if goingthe extramile gives yourbrain arush offeelgood chemicals,reduces stress and strengthenssocial connections--and if we know from volumes ofresearch that people with friends are happier than peoplewithout then why, with all theup sides of giving,why aren’t we all givers instead of takers?
Just in case social connections--arush offeel-good chemicals andless stress--is notenoughofacombinationto lure thetaker overto theside of the giver, there s a fourth reason.The takerwill onlygo sofarin anyorganizationthat rewardsstaffor crewbasedon merit rather than seniority.
Theraise willgoto theone whosays, “I’llstay late.I know you need a hand.
Thinking backon it,it s not so differentfrom whatyour parentor teachertaught youas a child: share yourtoys. Or what adear friendalways reminded us of before he left this world toosoon: to share a joy is todouble a joy, toshare a sorrow is to half the sorrow That’s nota bad thingto remember this holiday season. And the best thing we can share is thebest of ourselves. We don t need a shopping list. Allweneedtodoisunwrapthe goodness inside eachof our hearts,set asidetheboundaries,andbegin toshowem-
pathy, becauseit’s empathy that brings outthe altruism in all of us.
Somewhere beneath the layer ofboundaries liesthe goodgiver,the onewhofelt better as achild when they shared the toyand made a friend, the one who will feel betteras anadult whenthey give of themselveswithout expectation ofreward (thougha littledoseof dopamineanda feel-goodsensation neverhurt anyone.)
Thegiver isinall ofus. Happy holidays.
KASHISH Ali and Elliott McKnight stock a One Love Community Fridge with food, Nov. 15, 2025, in Brooklyn, New York.
AP Photo/Adam Gray
Trump praises Congo and Rwanda as they sign US-mediated peace deal
By AAMER MADHANI, CHINEDU ASADU and RUTH ALONGA Associated Press
PRESIDENT Donald Trump praised the leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda for their courage as they signed onto a deal on Thursday aimed at ending the conflict in eastern Congo and opening the region’s critical mineral reserves to the US government and American companies.
The moment offered Trump — who has repeatedly and with a measure of exaggeration boasted of brokering peace in some of the world’s most entrenched conflicts — another chance to tout himself as a dealmaker extraordinaire on the global stage and make the case that he’s deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize. The US leader hasn’t been shy about his desire to receive the honour.
“It’s a great day for Africa, a great day for the world,” Trump said shortly before the leaders signed the pact. He added, “Today, we’re succeeding where so many others have failed.”
Trump welcomed Presidents Felix Tshisekedi of Congo and Paul Kagame of Rwanda, as well as several officials from other African nations who travelled to Washington to witness the signing, in the same week he contemptuously derided the war-torn country of Somalia and said he did he did not want immigrants from the East African nation in the US
Lauded by the White House as a “historic” agreement brokered by Trump, the pact between Tshisekedi and Kagame follows monthslong peace efforts by the US and partners, including the African Union and Qatar, and finalizes an earlier deal signed in June.
But the Trump-brokered peace is precarious.
The Central African nation of Congo has been battered by decadeslong fighting with more than 100 armed groups, the most potent being the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.
The conflict escalated this year, with M23 seizing the region’s main cities of Goma and Bukavu in an unprecedented advance, worsening a humanitarian crisis that was already one of the world’s largest, with millions of people displaced.
‘We are still at war’
Fighting, meanwhile, continued this week in the conflict-battered region with pockets of clashes reported between the rebels and Congolese soldiers, together with their allied forces.
Trump, a Republican, has often said that his mediation has ended the conflict, which some people in Congo say isn’t true.
Still, Kagame and Tshisekedi offered a hopeful tone as they signed on to the agreement.
“No one was asking President Trump to take up this task. Our region is far from the headlines,” Kagame said. “But when the president saw
the opportunity to contribute to peace, he immediately took it.”
“I do believe this day is the beginning of a new path, a demanding path, yes. Indeed, quite difficult,” Tshisekedi said. “But this is a path where peace will not just be a wish, an aspiration, but a turning point.”
Indeed, analysts say Thursday’s deal also isn’t expected to quickly result in peace. A separate peace deal has been signed between Congo and the M23.
“We are still at war,” said Amani Chibalonza Edith, a 32-year-old resident of Goma, eastern Congo’s key city seized by rebels early this year. “There can be no peace as long as the front lines remain active.”
But Trump predicted with the signing the countries would leave behind “decades of violence and bloodshed” and “begin a new year of harmony and cooperation.”
“They spent a lot of time killing each other,” Trump said. “And now they’re going to spend a lot of time hugging, holding hands and taking advantage of the United States of America economically like every other country does.”
Tshisekedi and Kagame
did not shake hands and barely looked at each other during the roughly 50-minute signing ceremony. Rare earth minerals
Thursday’s pact will also build on a Regional Economic Integration Framework previously agreed upon that officials have said will define the terms of economic partnerships involving the three countries.
Trump also announced the United States was signing bilateral agreements with the Congo and Rwanda that will unlock new opportunities for the United States to access critical minerals -- deals that will benefit all three nations’ economies.
“And we’ll be involved with sending some of our biggest and greatest US companies over to the two countries,” Trump said. He added, “Everybody’s going to make a lot of money.”
The region, rich in critical minerals, has been of interest to Trump as Washington looks for ways to circumvent China to acquire rare earths, essential to manufacturing fighter jets, cell phones and more. China accounts for nearly 70% of the world’s rare earth mining and controls roughly 90% of global rare earths processing.
Trump hosted the leaders
on Thursday morning for one-on-one meetings at the White House as well as a three-way conversation before the signing ceremony at the Institute of Peace in Washington, which the State Department announced on Wednesday has been rebranded “the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace.”
Ongoing clashes
In eastern Congo, meanwhile, residents reported pockets of clashes and rebel advances in various localities. Both the M23 and Congolese forces have accused each other of violating the terms of the ceasefire agreed earlier this year. Fighting has also continued in the central plateaus across South Kivu province.
The hardship in the aftermath of the conflict has worsened following US funding cuts that were crucial for aid support in the conflict.
In rebel-held Goma, which was a regional hub for security and humanitarian efforts before this year’s escalation of fighting, the international airport is closed. Government services such as bank operations have yet to resume and residents have reported a surge in crimes and in the prices of goods.
Conflict’s cause
The conflict can be traced to the aftermath of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, where Hutu militias killed between 500,000 and 1 million ethnic Tutsi, as well as moderate Hutus and Twa, Indigenous people. When Tutsi-led forces fought back, nearly 2 million Hutus crossed into Congo, fearing reprisals. Rwandan authorities have accused the Hutus who fled of participating in the genocide and alleged that elements of the Congolese army protected them. They have argued that the militias formed by a small fraction of the Hutus are a threat to Rwanda’s Tutsi population. Congo’s government has said there can’t be permanent peace if Rwanda doesn’t withdraw its support troops and other support for the M23 in the region. Rwanda, on the other hand, has conditioned a permanent ceasefire on Congo dissolving a local militia that it said is made up of the Hutus and is fighting with the Congolese military.
UN experts have said that between 3,000 and 4,000 Rwandan government forces are deployed in eastern Congo, operating alongside the M23. Rwanda denies such support, but says any action taken in the conflict is to protect its territory.
PUTIN SAYS THERE ARE POINTS HE CAN’T AGREE TO IN THE US PROPOSAL TO END RUSSIA’S WAR IN UKRAINE
By DASHA LITVINOVA Associated Press
The Board of Directors of Doctors Hospital Health System Limited advises the shareholders of the 2025 Annual General Meeting. The meeting will be held virtually via Zoom.
To register for the AGM we invite shareholders to complete our online registration form by visiting www.doctorshosp.com/shareholders and clicking the "Register for AGM" button.
Vetted shareholders will receive the meeting information in advance of the meeting.
You can read the annual report on our website www.DoctorsHosp.com or obtain a copy from our corporate office on #11 Collins Avenue.
Date: December 30th, 2025
Time: 9:30am
RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin says some proposals in a US plan to end the war in Ukraine are unacceptable to the Kremlin, indicating in comments published Thursday that any deal is still some ways off.
US President Donald Trump has set in motion the most intense diplomatic push to stop the fighting since Russia launched the full-scale invasion of its neighbour nearly four years ago. But the effort has once again run into demands that are hard to reconcile, especially over whether Ukraine must give up land to Russia and how it can be kept safe from any future aggression by Moscow.
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and sonin-law Jared Kushner are expected to meet later Thursday with the Ukrainian delegation led by Rustem Umerov following the Americans’ discussions with Putin at the Kremlin.
The meeting at the Shell Bay Club, a golf property developed by Witkoff in Hallandale Beach, was tentatively set to begin at 5 p.m. EST, according to an official familiar with the logistics. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly because the meeting has not yet been formally announced and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Putin said his five-hour talks Tuesday with Witkoff and Kushner were “necessary” and “useful,” but also “difficult work,” and some proposals were unacceptable.
Speaking to the India Today television channel before he landed Thursday in New Delhi for a state visit, Putin said the American proposals discussed at the Kremlin meeting were based on earlier discussions between Russia and the US, including his meeting with Trump in Alaska in August, but also included new elements.
“We had to go through practically every point, which is why it took so much time,” he said. “It was a meaningful, highly specific and substantive conversation. Sometimes we said, ‘Yes, we can discuss this, but with that one we cannot agree.’”
Trump said Wednesday that Witkoff and Kushner
came away from the marathon session confident that Putin wants to find an end to the war. “Their impression was very strongly that he’d like to make a deal,” he added.
Putin said the initial US 28-point peace proposal was trimmed to 27 points and split into four packages. He refused to elaborate on what Russia could accept or reject, and none of the other officials involved offered details of the talks.
The Russian leader praised Trump’s peace efforts, noting that “achieving consensus among conflicting parties is no easy task.”
“To say now what exactly doesn’t suit us or where we could possibly agree seems premature, since it might disrupt the very mode of operation that President Trump is trying to establish,” Putin said.
He emphasized that Russia will fulfill the goals it set and take all of the eastern Donetsk region.
“All this boils down to one thing: Either we take back these territories by force, or eventually Ukrainian troops withdraw,” he said. European leaders, left on the sidelines by Washington as US officials engage directly with Moscow and Kyiv, have accused Putin of feigning interest in Trump’s peace drive.
French President Emmanuel Macron met in Beijing with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, seeking to involve him in pressuring Russia toward a ceasefire. Xi, whose country has provided strong diplomatic support for Putin, did not say respond to France’s call, but said that “China supports all efforts that work towards peace.”
Russian barrages of
civilian areas of Ukraine continued overnight into Thursday. A missile struck Kryvyi Rih on Wednesday night, wounding six people, including a 3-yearold girl, according to city administration head Oleksandr Vilkul.
The attack on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown damaged more than 40 residential buildings, a school and domestic gas pipes, Vilkul said.
A 6-year-old girl died in the southern city of Kherson after Russian artillery shelling wounded her the previous day, regional military administration chief Oleksandr Prokudin wrote on Telegram.
The Kherson Thermal Power Plant, which provides heat for over 40,000 residents, shut down Thursday after Russia pounded it with drones and artillery for several days, he said. Authorities planned emergency meetings to find alternate sources of heating, he said. Until then, tents were erected across the city where residents could warm up and charge electronic devices.
Russia also struck Odesa with drones, wounding six people, while civilian and energy infrastructure was damaged, said Oleh Kiper, head of the regional military administration.
Overall, Russia fired two ballistic missiles and 138 drones at Ukraine overnight, officials said. Meanwhile, in the Russia-occupied part of the Kherson region, two men were killed by a Ukrainian drone strike on their vehicle Thursday, Moscow-installed regional leader Vladimir Saldo said. A 68-year-old woman was also wounded in the attack, he said.
PRESIDENT Donald Trump arrives for a signing ceremony with Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame and Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, in Washington. Photo: Evan Vucci/AP
RUSSIAN PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin, left, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi greet each other at the Palam Air Base in New Delhi, India, yesterday. Photo: Grigory Sysoyev/Sputnik/ Kremlin Pool Photo/AP
Fraternity hosts Thanksgiving Giveback for Special Olympics Bahamas athletes
The DeltaEpsilon SigmaChapter ofPhi Beta Sigma Fraternity,Inc. recently revived oneof its long-standing community traditions with a Thanksgiving Givebackfor the athletesof Special Olympics Bahamas. The event was held on Saturday,November29,at StapledonSchoolinpartnership with thesisters of the ThetaEpsilon Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
Brothers and sorors joined the athletes for an afternoonoffellowship, sharingahotThanksgiving meal and participating inbasketball practice and Bocce training as the athletes prepare for their next international competition.The initiativeaimed to honour the athletes’ resilience, sportsmanship, and representation of The Bahamas on the world stage.
PhiBetaSigma expressedgratitudetoNassau Agencies Ltd. for donatingvitamins and protein supplements, which will support the athletes in their training and overall well-being.
The chapternoted thatSpecial Olympicsathletesareoftenoverlooked, andthereturnofthis annual tradition reflects Phi Beta Sigma s ongoing commitment to inclusion, service, and community partnership.
DeltaEpsilonSigmalooksforwardtoexpanding its collaboration with Special Olympics Bahamas and continuing to support programmes that uplift youthand adultswith intellectualdisabilities.
Decades-old Rio palm trees flower for the first
and only
By ELÉONORE HUGHES and LUCAS DUMPHREYS Associated Press
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) Towering talipotpalms ina RiodeJaneiro parkare flowering forthe firstand onlytime intheir lives, decadesafter famedBrazilian landscape architectRoberto BurleMarx introducedthem in the 1960s. Towards the endof its life which can span between 40 and 80 years the palm tree sendsup acentralplumecrowded withmillionsofsmall,creamy-whiteblossomsthatrise high above its fan-shaped leaves.
Therare phenomenonthatties pastto present hassparked thecuriosity ofpassersby in FlamengoPark whostop, cranetheir necks to admire them and take photos.
Vinicius Vanni, a 42-year-old civil engineer, was evenhoping to collect seedlingsand plant them.
"I probablywon't see themflower, but they'llbe thereforfuturegenerations," hesaid from Flamengo Park, whichhugs a nearby beachand offersa spectacularview ofSugarloaf Mountain.
Originating fromsouthern Indiaand Sri Lanka, the talipotpalm can reach upto 30
time
meters(98feet)in heightandproducearound 25 million flowers whenit blossoms, using energy accumulated over decades. If theflowers are pollinated,they produce fruits that can become seedlings.
Inaddition toFlamengoPark, thetalipot palms can be found in Rio's Botanical Garden, where they are also flowering. That'sbecause theywere broughtacross fromsouthernAsia together,havethesame metabolism and have been exposed to the same Brazilian rhythm ofdaylight, according to Aline Saavedra,a biologistat Riode Janeiro State University.
Saavedra said thatenvironmental laws strictly regulate transportingspecies native from anothercontinent, althoughtalipot palms arenot invasiveduetotheir slowdevelopment. Theinterest thephenomenon hasgenerated is positive andcould encourage a senseof belongingfor humanbeingsto preserverather than destroythe environment,according to Saavedra.
"This palm species givesus a reflection on temporality, because it hasroughly the same lifespanas ahumanbeing," saidSaavedra. "Marxalso wantedto conveya poeticperspective."
Miami Paralysis Project broad mission: follow science and steady funding
By GLENN GAMBOA
AP Business Writer
MarcBuoniconti saidhis father, the lateNFL Hall of Famer NickBuoniconti, explainedthe secretto thesuccess of theirnonprofit and its fundraising effortssimply: "We're just not good listeners."
Inthe40 yearssinceMarc Buoniconti,then acollege football linebacker at the Citadel, was paralyzedduring a routine tackle, they have been toldcountlesstimesthatitwas aproblem thatcouldn'tbe fixed. The Buonicontis didn't listen. Instead, through the fund that bears theirname, they have helped raise more than $550 million for The Miami Project to CureParalysis, and improved thelives ofmillions with spinal cord and brain injuries. "The Buoniconti Fund has lasted becausewe're relent-
less," Marc Buoniconti recently told The Associated Press. "We never giveup. When wesee a challenge, weface ithead-on and don'tstop untilwe finda solution. It's that determination, that refusal to quit that's kept us going all these years." That drive has also led The Miami Projectto expandits work beyond curing paralysis. Itsresearchcentre attheUniversity of MiamiMillerSchool of Medicine nowalso studies neurological diseasesand disorders including Alzheimer's diseaseandParkinson'sdisease, and itis testingthe brain-computerinterface implantfrom Elon Musk'stechnology company Neuralink. Changing medicineby creatinga hubforparalysis work
Dr.BarthA.Green,chairman of TheMiami Project,who cofounded the organization in 1985with NickBuoniconti, says themost surprisingdevel-
opments from thecentre have been the broadest ones.
"Every operating room in the world thatputs people to sleep monitorstheir nervous system for safety," Dr. Green said. "That wasall developed at The Miami Project."
Therapeutic hypothermia, wherethebody iscooledafter an injury toprotect the brain and spinalcord, isanother widely used treatment developed at the centre.
Dr.Green saidthatbefore Buoniconti's accident he had been working on helping thosewho hadbeenparalyzed for 20 years. Yet there wasn't a hub for that work until The Miami Project was established.
It provided a home for him and "thousands of scientists and researchers in Miami and around the world, who were equally engaged by the opportunity to change people's everydayquality oflifeand their opportunities to have
more function and a better opportunity tobe mobileand do things they never dreamt they could before."
Advances through multidisciplinaryapproaches Miami ProjectScientific DirectorW. DaltonDietrich IIIsaidgatheringthosepeople from a variety of disciplines –neuroscientists, researchers, clinicians, biomedicalengineers – into onebuilding has led to unexpected advances. "Notone particulartreatment is going to cure paralysis," Dietrichsaid. "SoI've tried to look at other disciplinestobring intotheproject to help us achieve that goal."
One new, multidisciplinary area, neuromodulation, is "somethingwe neverthought about five yearsago," Dietrich said."It's justan exciting area whereyou canstimulate theseresidual circuitsafter braininjury orspinal cordinjuryinpatients andtheystart moving their limbs."
THE TALIPOT palm trees, native to India and Sri Lanka, is in bloom for the first and only time in its life, in Aterro do Flamengo, Rio de Janeiro, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025.
AP Photo/Lucas Dumphrey
IN THISPHOTO releasedby The BuonicontiFund toCure Paralysis, Olympic gold medal winninggymnast Simone Biles, left, poses with The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis President Marc Buonicontiat the2018 GreatSports LegendsDinner, Sept.24, 2018, to benefit the fund in New York.
Photo: The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis via AP