Super Value eyes 5-10% Christmas sales increase
By NEIL HARTNELL
Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
SUPER Value is targeting
a 5-10 percent year-over-year
increase in Christmas and holiday season sales, its president has disclosed, following a similar Thanksgiving jump that saw it beat 2024 comparatives.
Debra Symonette told Tribune Business that the 13-store supermarket chain expects Thanksgiving trends to hold for the upcoming festive period after the US holidaywhich traditionally marks the start of the winter tourism season - generated an 8-10 percent sales increase.
Anticipating that consumers will continue to shop despite ongoing world economic uncertainties, she reassured that Bahamians “don’t need to fret” over the possibility of significant food price increases with costs
• Expects 8-10% Thanksgiving jump to continue
• Likely to keep all 13 stores open with no closings
• Shoppers told ‘no need to fret’ on prices, costs
for most items now “holding pretty steady”. Ms Symonette also told this newspaper that Super Value is likely to keep all stores open, albeit with reduced hours, on days such as Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day following customer “push back” over its decision to shut the East Street, Wulff Road, Seagrapes Shopping Centre and Robinson Road outlets on Emancipation Day in a bid to cut staff and other expenses.
Explaining that a final decision on possible store closures will be taken nearer the time, she added that Christmas may also influence Bahamian shoppers to ignore the higher 10 percent VAT on some goods - reversing the trend that saw many concentrate on the uncooked foods that enjoy a lower 5 percent rate following the Government cuts implemented earlier this year.
“I think it’s fair to say we were up 8-10 percent
for Thanksgiving sales,” Ms Symonette said. “I would say it’s pretty much what we expected. I wouldn’t say it exceeded expectations, but it was pretty much what we expected. The ham and turkey sales are going well enough, moving as quickly as we expected them to.
“I hope we have enough. We have done our best to bring in and order an ample supply as a lot of sales are for Christmas as well. I think we have enough. We usually judge orders by previous years.”
Optimistic that Thanksgiving sales trends will extend through the Christmas and New Year festive seasons, the Super Value chief said: “We actually did better this year [for Thanksgiving]. We feel confident that the same trends are going to follow for Christmas despite what’s happening
STORES - See Page B4
Sebas chaired-project eyes hotel amid noise concerns
By ANNELIA NIXON Tribune Business Reporter
anixon@tribunemedia.net
SKYLINE Lakes residents have voiced concerns over noise pollution from the Brickell Square project proposed by a developer chaired by Sebas Bastian, the Island Luck co-founder and PLP’s Fort Charlotte election candidate, which is also targeting a second phase, 108-room hotel.
Attendees at the public consultation on the mixed-use, nine-acre retail and commercial office complex, which was held by the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP), were especially unsettled by the
project’s inclusion of an outdoor performing stage.
Ansel Watson, Brickell Management Group’s president, sought to reassure that the structure would not be “a major stage”.However,
Fire unit rescues Abaco from ‘worst outages since Dorian’
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor
nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
MARSH Harbour’s volunteer fire department was last night on the verge of rescuing Abaco from “a pretty dark Christmas” after it provided Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) with emergency equipment to restart the island’s generation plant following the “worst outages since Hurricane Dorian”.
Roscoe Thompson, head of the Marsh Harbour/ Spring City Township, told Tribune Business that the department “dropped off” the compressor normally used to help fill its oxygen tanks and breathing apparatus to BPL’s Wilson City power plant after critical equipment failures forced it to shut down completely.
Abaco residents and businesses were on Tuesday forced to endure load shedding that left them without energy supply for up to 17 hours or almost an entire day, with commerce brought to a standstill for companies without generators. Food stores and restaurants without back-up power supply
told: ‘You’ must drive anti-corruption reform
By NEIL HARTNELL
GOVERNANCE reformers yesterday warned that Bahamian citizens must drive integrity and anti-corruption reforms given that successive administrations and politicians from all parties have been “fallible and inconsistent” in bringing “sustainable change” forward.
Matt Aubry, the Organisation for Responsible Governance’s (ORG) executive director, told Tribune Business that the group is using International Anti-Corruption Week to reinforce its message that improved integrity in governance, as well as reduced graft, will benefit all Bahamians by creating a fairer, more equitable society
attendees argued that once a performance stage is built, the developer will “have absolutely no control as to what happens on that stage”.
“This is not a major stage,” Mr Watson said. “This is just an outdoor structure. It's a stage platform. The stage doesn't provide noise, and there's no organised function to provide noise. It's an outdoor set-up of low-key activity, just as the fountains and everything else that you sit around and enjoy.
“You got retail stores, you got offices. Everything is a professional environment set-up. There's a simple few square feet of stage, and that's distracting the focus in terms
of the whole massive structure of 94,000 square feet and 35,000 square feet.”
Brickell Square will be located on the east side of Baha Mar Boulevard, immediately north of MacFit 360 Fitness and south of the Skyline Lakes subdivision. It will be separated from the subdivision by a 150-foot Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) reservation.
One attendee inquired about the possibility of having a wall built to act as a buffer from the developments and construction work occurring near his neighbourhood.
Top labour negotiator: BTC ‘in total violation’ on fraud-linked firings
• Set to report carrier breached both industrial deals
• Backs unions on failure to start formal grievance
• Trade dispute filed; no progress with conciliation
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
A TOP government labour negotiator yesterday revealed he plans to submit a report asserting that the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is “in total violation” of both its industrial agreements over the recent controversial terminations of five employees.
Bernard Evans, himself a former president of the Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union (BCPOU), which represents BTC line staff, told Tribune Business it was “totally disrespectful and disheartening” that the communications provider seemingly ignored disciplinary procedures that have been “in place for over 35 years”.
He explained that, based on the outcome of a meeting involving himself and Howard Thompson, the Government’s director of labour, it appeared that BTC “didn’t go through the grievance process” set out in both the BCPOU and Bahamas Communications and Public Managers Union’s (BCPMU) respective industrial agreements when they fired the five staff - three of whom were terminated over alleged credit card fraud involving mobile phone purchases.
Mr Evans, and both the unions, said that under the agreements BTC must first formally lodge and initiate a “grievance” against the employee(s) who allegedly committed an offence, and then supply the relevant union(s) - as their representative - with the evidence that justifies any disciplinary action taken.
BERNARD EVANS
ROSCOE THOMPSON
SEBAS BASTIAN
LABOUR - See Page B8
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How The Bahamas can take quantum leap into digital era
IN today’s digital age, securing sensitive information is no longer just a technical concern — it is a business imperative. From banking and tourism to government operations, The Bahamas relies heavily on secure data systems to maintain trust, operational efficiency and economic stability. Enter quantum cryptography, a cutting-edge technology that promises to redefine how businesses protect their most valuable digital assets. Unlike traditional encryption methods, which rely on complex mathematical formulas and problems that can eventually be solved by powerful computers, quantum cryptography uses the principles of quantum mechanics to create virtually unbreakable
OYE II
codes. By leveraging the behaviour of sub-atomic particles, businesses can ensure that any attempt to intercept or tamper with communication is immediately detectable. In practical
terms, this means an unprecedented level of security for financial transactions, client data and corporate communications, making it much harder for cyber criminals to penetrate systems. For Bahamian businesses, the potential impact is significant. The financial sector, a cornerstone of the national economy, could benefit immensely from quantum cryptography in safeguarding online banking systems, investment platforms and international transactions. Tour operators and hospitality businesses, which handle large volumes of sensitive customer information, could also leverage this technology to protect personal and payment data. Enhanced security measures such as these can boost consumer confidence and
strengthen the reputation of Bahamian businesses both locally and internationally. Moreover, as global markets increasingly demand higher standards of cyber security, adopting quantum encryption could position The Bahamas as a regional leader in secure digital operations. This could attract international investors, encourage technology-driven entrepreneurship and create new opportunities for collaboration between Bahamian businesses and global partners. Even small and medium-sized enterprises across the Family Islands could benefit by safeguarding their operations and gaining a competitive advantage in digital commerce.
China targets climate-smart agriculture for The Bahamas
By ANNELIA NIXON Tribune Business Reporter anixon@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas Agricultural Industrial Corporation (BAIC) is anticipating receiving Chinese donations before year-end that will be used to finance and implement a climate smart agriculture project in The Bahamas, it was revealed yesterday.
Yan Jiarong, Chinese ambassador to The Bahamas, speaking at the Gladstone Road Agricultural Centre (GRAC) said the donations will come from the Chinese Embassy and China's South-South Co-operation Assistance Fund while addressing the handover ceremony for the Chinese Hunan Province Demonstration Farm.
She added that the funds aim to build climate resilient and sustainable food systems in The Bahamas and added that, while BAIC and other entities should expect donations before the end of the month, a substantial amount of funding will be used from China's South-South Co-operation Assistance Fund to implement a climate smart agriculture project in The Bahamas.
“Last year, I visited North Andros and donated agriculture machinery and tools to the local farmers, and the reception was very warm,”
Ms Jiarong said. “And this year, hopefully before the end of this month, the Chinese Embassy, we will provide further donations to BAIC and other entities.
“Furthermore, a piece of good news is that China is actively exploring co-operation with an important UN agency.
We aim to utilise China's South-South Co-operation Assistance Fund to implement a climate smart agriculture project in The Bahamas through pilot projects, capacity building and equipment provision. We hope to help The Bahamas to build a climate resilient and sustainable food system. And this project will be a very significant project involving a significant amount of financial resourcing.”
Ms Jiarong’s announcement came at the official handover ceremony of the Chinese Hunan Province Demonstration Farm yesterday. She said that, over the past two years, the Hunan Province has invested around $1m to dispatch Chinese agriculture experts, and to establish and manage the demonstration farm. She said the project leaves behind supplies, equipment and technology for Bahamians.
“…They have cultivated high quality peppers, cauliflowers,
tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelons, etc, etc, vividly demonstrating the importance of agriculture, technology and management…,” Ms Jiarong said.
“Hunan agriculture experts who are not here today have also visited schools, farms and communities to conduct agriculture technology exchanges and organise training sessions.
“I was told over 300 individuals have benefited from this kind of capacity building. Now this project has fulfilled its mission. I'm sure the Bahamian Ministry of Agriculture will make full use of the resources left by this project. They include supplies, materials, equipment and technology and, for example, vegetable greenhouses, vehicles, rotary tillers, seeds and fertilisers. And I do hope the benefits of co-operation of this project will continue. And not only the material and equipment...”
Ms Jiarong noted other efforts including the agriculture by-product seminar in
While quantum cryptography is still in its early stages of adoption, its promise is undeniable. For Bahamian businesses willing to invest in this technology, the benefits extend far beyond security.
Enhanced data protection can lead to increased customer confidence, improved operational efficiency and new avenues for technological innovation. By embracing quantum cryptography, businesses can better prepare for a future where cyber threats are not just inevitable but increasingly sophisticated.
The Bahamas has always thrived by adapting to change and embracing innovation. From early investments in tourism infrastructure to pioneering regional financial services,
seminars, and will continue to organise similar conferences in 2026. She said she has visited North Andros last year and donated agriculture machinery and tools to the local farmers.
“I have to say China now has developed into a major and strong agricultural nation,” Ms Jiarong said.
“China has successfully fed 22 percent of the world’s population with only 9 percent of the world's fresh water resources and 6 percent of the world’s arable land. So, a country with 1.4bn people... food security is always something that Chinese people pay attention to.
China held in June. She said “Twenty-three Bahamian professionals participated in the 14-day agricultural technology training programme in China.” She added that the Chinese Embassy sponsored over 70 Bahamian agriculture practitioners to attend such
“And also we share this important value of food security with The Bahamas. China not only fed its own people, but also contributes to global food security. The Global Development Initiative proposed by Chinese president Xi Jinping, and which The Bahamas had already endorsed, identifies food security as one of its eight priority areas. This initiative aims to accelerate the implementation of the
this nation has consistently shown resilience and foresight. By exploring quantum cryptography, Bahamian businesses can continue this tradition, taking proactive steps to safeguard their future and ensure that the nation’s economy remains competitive, secure and ready for the challenges of the digital age.
• NB: About Keith Keith Roye II is a highly analytic and solutions-driven professional with extensive experience in software development. He holds a BSc in computer science and his career includes leading and delivering global software projects in various industries in The Bahamas and the US.
UN 2030 sustainable development agenda.”
Jomo Campbell, minister of agriculture and marine resources, said: “This is an initiative that has, over the past two-and-a-half years, planted seeds of knowledge, innovation and friendship between our two regions. When this project began, we welcomed the team of experts from Hunan Province, who brought with them decades of agriculture experience, advanced technology and a genuine spirit of partnership.
“They came not merely to advise, but to work alongside our Bahamian farmers and technical officers, teaching, demonstrating and leaving behind a legacy of capacity building. Through this collaboration, we have seen first-hand the benefits of modern farming techniques, improving crop yields, strengthened soil management practices, integrated pest control, greenhouse advancements and the introduction of new varieties of crops suitable for our unique Bahamian environment.”
KEITH
HUNAN Province Demonstration Farm Official Handover Ceremony. Photo:Nikia Charlton/Tribune Staff
Supermarket chief: Shoppers may not focus on lower VAT
STORES - from page B1
in the world with the economy. People still tend to shop at Christmas time, and that’s what we expect.
“We don’t expect to see a decrease [in sales] or anything. I don’t think it will be flat. We’ll probably see at least a 5-10 percent increase. People still seem to be shopping and getting what they need. People always have to eat, so they’re going
to find a way to get the food they want.”
Reassuring Bahamians that there are unlikely to be any sudden price or cost shocks in the Christmas run-up, Ms Symonette added: “We’re doing our best to supply what they want and at the best possible prices. I wouldn’t say that we’ve seen that much of a change in the prices.
We’re holding pretty steady. “You always have changes here and there
depending on circum-
stances because all sorts of factor go into prices. Customers don’t need to fret about prices changing drastically… It’s looking pretty good. I think everybody is going to get what they want, and we will provide some good prices for them so that, hopefully, they will be satisfied.”
The Super Value president said Christmas and the New Year may also motivate consumers to acquire higher-priced goods that still attract the higher 10 percent VAT rate. “What we saw at the beginning, and I guess the trend is continuing, is that consumers
were buying more of the 5 percent stuff,” she explained. “Now it’s Christmas, they may not pay so much attention to what’s 5 percent and 10 percent because they will want to prepare big family meals. I want to say everything is flowing pretty smoothly. We don’t expect there to be any disruption. We’ll have everything we need in time to meet the demand.”
Ms Symonette told Tribune Business that, while no final decision has been taken, Super Value expects to keep all 13 stores open on Christmas holiday dates. “I would say that, for
Christmas, we’re going to keep all of them open,” she said. “That’s our thinking so far. “As we get closer, we’ll make a decision. We’ll try to keep them all open for the convenience of our customers. The days leading up to Christmas are always busier, Christmas and Boxing Day are usually quieter. The hours will be different but we’ll definitely be open. We will close a bit earlier and will announce the hours closer to the time. When asked why Super Value is not continuing with its Emancipation Day closures, Ms Symonette replied: “We did that, and
we had some push back from some of the customers saying they couldn’t get to the other stores to make their purchases. We thought they had time to go to the closest branch that was open. “We did have some complaints that they couldn’t go to those other places. We’ll try our best to accommodate everyone and see how it works out. The decision will be made based on customer feedback as well as the figures, the sales figures. We’ll have to see if it’s warranted to keep them open.”
lost thousands of dollars worth of unrefrigerated product to spoilage, with the lengthy outages also impacting vacation rentals in the Christmas run-up.
BPL, in a statement last night, voiced optimism that the volunteer fire department’s compressor can provide sufficient air flow to the Wilson City plant’s generators such that they can be restarted and ease an energy crisis that has forced Abaco to - for the moment - rely on one Cooper’s Town-based unit to meet its power needs.
Asserting that it had made “significant progress in restoration efforts”, thanks to Marsh Harbour’s volunteer fire department, BPL said the compressor - which it described as being “on loan” - had been installed and was undergoing testing as of late afternoon yesterday.
It added that the compressor’s performance was being closely monitored as BPL technicians completed system checks to confirm it can provide the airflow required to restart power generation at the plant.
Anthony Christie, BPL’s chief operating officer, said: “Now that installation is complete, our teams are
actively testing the system and preparing for start-up procedures. If all checks are successful, we anticipate the gradual restoration of power to begin before nightfall today [yesterday].”
BPL confirmed that the Wilson City power plant shut-down was caused by the failure of both its main electrical compressor and its back-up diesel version. It said these units are essential for supplying air flow into the power station and, without them, the power generation engines cannot operate.
“In the interim, BPL has implemented a rotational power schedule to ensure that power supply is equally distributed between consumers in the north, central and south Abaco. This rotational power scheduling will continue until power has been successfully restored,” the state-owned utility monopoly added. It also apologised to Abaco businesses and residents for the outages.
Mr Thompson, confirming the volunteer fire department’s role, told Tribune Business that Abaco has been suffering from increasingly lengthy power outages since December 1. He added that the compressor situation raises further questions about
BPL’s “redundancy” back-up plans, or lack of them, and whether it needs to keep a more extensive inventory of replacement parts notwithstanding its cash-strapped financial situation.
“Since December 1, it’s been pretty bad,” Mr Thompson confirmed of BPL’s service. “For the last day, Marsh Harbour has been off for at least eight hours. In some parts they’ve been off for ten hours and, in others, en to 12 hours. They have us load shedding right now. I think the issue is not generation but the compressors. They are needed to start the generators. It will be a God send if they can at least get a generator online.
“At Marsh Harbour fire rescue, we have a compressor that fills the breathing apparatus tanks. We just dropped it off to Wilson City, and are hoping that works to allow them to start their generators. All engines are offline at Wilson City power station for the moment. They have a generation unit in Cooper’s Town that they are using to run the whole island from north to south. I don’t know of the cays have their own.”
Prior to the fire department’s intervention, BPL had been working feverishly to source the necessary compressor from other islands, including New Providence and Grand Bahama. The replacement
compressor, originally expected on December 8, had been delayed until January 10, 2026, leaving Abaco facing a bleak Christmas and New Year, and peak winter tourism season, until the local solution arrived.
Marvin Green, BPL’s northern Family Island regional manager, said the utility’s engineering teams tried adapting parts from identical compressors and even enlisted a local machine shop, but the attempts were unsuccessful. They located a portable compressor, but it could only reach 12 bars — below the 15 to 25 required by BPL’s generation engines.
“It’s been pretty bad; it’s been worse than the summer,” Mr Thompson added of Abaco’s December outages. “At least during the summer it was only off for one to two hours. Since December 1 it’s been four to six hours a day. It’s affected business because some shopping centres and companies don’t have back-up generators. It has affected commerce because people have not been able to open and operate without power.
“It’s been affecting the Airbnbs, some of the tourism sites. It’s been affecting the community as a whole. Yesterday was the worst. I think that it’s the worst that I’ve seen in a long time over here. The question to ask BPL is why they don’t have a redundancy plan in place with back-up compressors for situations like this. They should have spare parts for everything. I’d rather this was in the summer than right now.”
Another Abaco source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they were still operating on generator when Tribune Business called yesterday and had been without BPL supply for 17 hours on Tuesday in common with the rest of the island. “The power plant is completely down, and the whole island is being powered by Cooper’s Town,” they added.
“It’s a power nightmare. The worst since Dorian I would say.” However, the source said that devastation inflicted by the Category Five hurricane meant that Abaco has the most back-up generators of any island in The Bahamas, thus minimising the impact.
“I would say that, out of all the islands in the country, Abaco has probably got more generators per capita,” they added. “The businesses have generators, most homes who can afford it have generators. We definitely have more generators than any other island. We went through a whole year without power after Dorian.”
Daphne DeGregory-Miaoulis, the former Abaco Chamber of Commerce president, yesterday echoed calls by John Pinder, the central and south Abaco MP, for BPL to provide business and residential customers with “credits” in their upcoming light bills as compensation for both the outages and extra costs they have incurred in diesel fuel to run their generators.
“It seems there is a good chance it will be this way through January, so it will be a pretty dark Christmas,” Mrs DeGregory-Miaoulis said prior to the emergence of the fire department solution. “Everything is going to be on shedding schedules. The lady that works with me, her power was off all day yesterday [Tuesday], came back on at 5am this morning and went back off at 8am.
“That means no power, no Internet, no communication. People who don’t have generators, or cannot afford them, they are going to lose their food produce in their refrigerators. There’s no point in putting anything in the oven because you don’t know if it can be finished. It makes life very tough. If power goes out, water does too, if you are not on a well system.”
The ex-Chamber president agreed that many Abaco businesses have “already adapted to life without power” post-Hurricane Dorian, and were able maintain business as usual due to their stand-by generators. “Businesses are not affected as much as residents. But it drives their costs up because generators are more expensive to run with diesel fuel,” she added.
“Are they [BPL[ going to bill for this time without
power? Are they going to be expected to be paid on top of people running their generators? Is BPL going to credit them for the time they didn’t have power? That’s a question I’d like to have answers to. Somebody’s got to pay for the extra costs, and it’s usually the consumers. It’s a mess.”
Mr Pinder yesterday also urged BPL to consider crediting customer bills given “the enormous amount of outages and distribution problems that we have had in this coming to Christmas time”. Persons have also reported destroyed and damaged electrical equipment as a result of BPL’s challenges, and the MP urged Jobeth Coleby-Davis, minister of energy and transport, to accelerate planned generation and overall energy reforms.
Mrs DeGregory-Miaoulis, meanwhile, said the power woes could not have come at a worse time for Abaco’s tourism sector heading into the holiday season. “If stayover visitors are in a home with no AC and constant power outages, they are on the next plane out of there and it leaves a very poor taste in their mouths. Are they going to be rushing back?” she warned.
“This also jeopardises our tourism market. If a homeowner has rented out their home, and visitors have to move out as a result, are they going to credit them for the time not stayed? It’s not the homeowner’s fault but it’s equally not the visitors’ fault because they have not had the benefits they paid for.
“It hurts all around. It puts a damper on Christmas celebrations because people like to spend time with their families and have fun. Instead, they’ll be gathered round candles and praying that the turkey gets done.”
The Abaco cays were not spared from BPL’s woes. Hope Town suffered a malfunction on its generation unit and, although four new units were secured in August, the destination can accommodate only one at a time because of the lack of land. Attempts to feed Hope Town from Man-OWar Cay also failed when a transformer malfunctioned there.
HR chief to take Small Business Centre’s seat on Chamber Board
THE Small Business Development Centre (SBDC) has confirmed that Deanza Brennen, its director of human resources, will sit in its permanent seat on the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation (BCCEC) Board for the 2025-2027 term. The SBDC, in a statement, explained that - as one of its founding partners - the Chamber has given the Centre a permanent Board position to ensure direct representation and advocacy on behalf of Bahamian entrepreneurs.
Mr Brennen has served in senior human resources positions at Commonwealth Bank, the Central Bank of The Bahamas and Doctors Hospital. The SBDC said his background positions him to advocate effectively for workforce development, business sustainability and
the operational challenges facing small and medium-sized enterprises across The Bahamas.
"I am honoured to represent SBDC Bahamas on the Chamber's Board," said Mr Brennen. "Our continued partnership with the Chamber allows us to expand our advocacy efforts, particularly around policy changes that support small businesses. We remain committed to championing the growth of Bahamian businesses."
This seat on the Chamber's board was previously held by SBDC executive director, Samantha L. Rolle.
"Deanza brings valuable human resources and labour-related expertise that will benefit the Chamber's work with employers across The Bahamas," said Ms Rolle. "His role at SBDC also gives him direct insight into the small
business perspective. We are confident that his input on the Chamber's Board will help ensure that the needs of entrepreneurs and small businesses remain a priority in shaping the Bahamian business landscape."
The partnership between SBDC Bahamas and the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation extends beyond Board representation. Throughout 2025,
Financial provider unveils funds to give Bahamians global access
A BAHAMAS based-financial services provider’s newly-launched subsidiary says it plans to give Bahamian investors direct access to international markets through a diversified range of investment funds.
LOM Invest, which was established earlier this year as an investment advisory
firm regulated by the Securities Commission, said it is seeking to give Bahamian investors “an opportunity that has historically been difficult to obtain” by providing access to global investments and markets.
It added that its range of mutual funds will offer investments across key
South Korea to require advertisers to label AI-generated ads
By KIM TONG-HYUNG Associated Press
SOUTH Korea will require advertisers to label their ads made with artificial intelligence technologies from next year as it seeks to curb a surge of deceptive promotions featuring fabricated experts or deep-faked celebrities endorsing food or pharmaceutical products on social media.
Following a policy meeting chaired by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok on Wednesday, officials said they will ramp up screening and removal of problematic AI-generated ads and impose punitive fines, citing growing risks to consumers — especially older people who struggle to tell whether content is AI-made.
Lee Dong-hoon, director of economic and financial policy at the
Office for Government Policy Coordination, said in a briefing that such ads are "disrupting the market order," and that "swift action is now essential."
"Anyone who creates, edits, and posts AI-generated photos or videos will be required to label them as AI-made, and the users of the platform will be prohibited from removing or tampering with those labels," he said.
AI-generated ads using digitally fabricated experts or deepfake videos and audios of celebrities, promoting everything from weight-loss pills and cosmetics to illegal gambling sites, have become staples across the South Korean spaces of YouTube, Facebook and other social media platforms.
The government will seek to revise the
asset classes, including equities and fixed income. LOM said its in-house mutual funds are also recognised for their strong performance, frequently earning four and five-star ratings from Morningstar.
“We’re proud and pleased to offer the same expertise
telecommunications act and other related laws so the AI-labeling requirement, along with strengthened monitoring and punitive measures, can take effect in early 2026. Companies operating the platforms will also be responsible for ensuring that advertisers comply with the labeling rules, Lee said. Officials say it's becoming increasingly difficult to monitor and detect the growing number of false ads fueled by AI. South Korea's Food and Drug Safety Ministry identified more than 96,700 illegal online ads of food and pharmaceutical products in 2024 and 68,950 through September this year, up from around 59,000 in 2023.
The problem is also spreading into areas such as private education, cosmetics and illegal gambling services, leaving the Korea Consumer Agency and other watchdogs struggling to keep pace, the Government Policy Coordination Office said.
Beyond deceptive ads and misinformation, South
SBDC grant recipients have received complimentary one-year Chamber memberships, while Chamber clients have gained access to SBDC's Tingsea platform to facilitate trade opportunities.
The SBDC said this collaboration continues to support the development of a competitive and sustainable business environment across The Bahamas.
to local Bahamian investors that we’ve delivered to international clients for over 35 years,” said Craig Lines, president of LOM Financial (Bahamas). “The launch of our LOM Invest programme is a direct commitment to our community. We are breaking down geographical barriers and providing clients with the tools to truly diversify their wealth and participate in global growth, right here at home.”
Korea is also grappling with sexual abuse enabled by AI and other digital technologies. A Seoul court last month sentenced a 33-yearold man to life in prison for running an online blackmail ring that sexually exploited or abused more than 200 victims, including many minors who were threatened with deepfakes and other manipulated sexual images and videos.
EX-FINANCIAL CHIEF RETURNS TO TAKE TOP BAHAMAS WASTE JOB
BAHAMAS Waste’s former chief financial officer has returned to the company as the long-term replacement for Francisco de Cardenas as managing director.
Disa Campbell, who served as the BISX-listed waste collection services provider’s top financial executive for a 16-year period between 2003 and 2019, takes the top post after Mr De Cardenas took early retirement and stepped down with effect from July 9 this year. After leaving The Bahamas to pursue new career opportunities in the US, Ms Campbell first joined the City of West Palm Beach Community Redevelopment Agency as its fiscal services manager before being recruited to Washington, D.C., where she worked with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority as manager of financial control.
Bahamas Waste, in a statement, said Ms Campbell’s experience, combined with her deep knowledge of the Bahamas Waste team and long-standing familiarity with company
operations and culture, made her the top choice to assume the role of managing director.
“We are very pleased to have Disa returning to work with us,” said Phillip Andrews, Bahamas Waste’s chairman. “We are also proud to have a female at the helm as we step into a new year with a strong plan to grow our business and strengthen our presence in sanitation services.”
The Bahamas Waste Board thanked Jasmine Davis, who served as both interim managing director and continued her duties as chief financial officer during the transition period following Mr de Cardenas’ retirement.
Ms Campbell, who start as managing director on January 2, said: "I am grateful for the opportunity and excited to return to Bahamas Waste which, for 16 years, had been an integral part of my professional journey. It feels like coming home, and I look forward to reconnecting with the team, contributing my experience and supporting the continued growth of the company.”
JUDGE PARKER
BLONDIE
TIGER
CALVIN & HOBBES
DENNIS THE MENACE
BTC unions: ‘Stay tuned’ as preparing for the court
This, they allege, was not done prior to terminating the five employees concerned.
BTC declined to comment on the situation when approached by Tribune Business earlier this week, but it previously asserted that the firings were justified and those involved terminated “for cause”, while its actions fully complied with the provisions of both unions’ industrial agreements.
Meanwhile, both union presidents told Tribune Business to “stay tuned” on their possible next steps and asserted that “they have tried all the diplomatic steps” to get the matter resolved. They are, though, seeking another meeting and discussions with Prime Minister Philip Davis KC, who they said is supposed to receive Mr Evans’ report.
Kenny Knowles, the BCPMU president, confirming the union has filed a trade dispute with the Department of Labour over the terminations of his two members, told Tribune Business that a conciliation meeting involving all parties a week ago Monday failed to break the deadlock with BTC “maintaining its position”.
That meeting occurred after a previous sit-down between all sides some twoand-a-half to three weeks ago. Both Mr Thompson and Mr Evans were present after BTC requested the Department of Labour’s mediation “intervention” in a bid to ease industrial tensions and resolve the dispute.
Mr Thompson was said to be out of office yesterday and unavailable for comment, but Mr Evans confirmed their presence at the “mediation meeting” - which took place outside the legal confines of the trade dispute process - and that “nothing came out of that”. The latter, though, said both he and Mr Thompson
concluded that - based on what was presented - the unions’ complaints and concerns have some justification. “The unions’ bone of contention is the termination of those five persons didn’t go through the grievance process at all,” Mr Evans explained to this newspaper. “No formal grievance was ever lodged so that the unions could prepare, discuss and look at the evidence presented by the company and see if it could withstand their scrutiny.”
Mr Evans added that, if BTC fails to provide the relevant evidence and documents, “no grievance process can take place” and there is a specified time in which this has to be released. He backed union claims that the carrier failed to initiate “grievance” proceedings against the five, and release the necessary evidence, thus breaching both industrial agreements.
While acknowledging that BTC had met with both unions over the terminations, Mr Evans described this as “exploratory” and not a formal start of grievance procedures as the discussions revolved around the protocols for purchasing cell phones via credit cards, and whether there is a consistent policy governing this across all stores and managers.
Mr Evans, explaining that he and Mr Thompson never got into whether the five terminated employees are “guilty or not”, said the unions’ concerns are “absolutely correct” and “my position as well”. He added: “I know for a fact the consensus was from our side that they did not adhere to the industrial agreement in the manner in which they lodged the initial grievance.
“You’re supposed to provide all the evidence and set up a date for a hearing. They never did that. They terminated persons without that process.” Mr Evans said BTC also appeared not to have provided the two unions with its disciplinary
policies and procedures, and any updates to them, despite this also being a requirement of the industrial agreements.
Affirming that last week’s subsequent “conciliation” meeting at the Department of Labour, which he did not attend, had made no progress with BTC not supplying “any additional information to justify its position”, Mr Evans said the way has been cleared for him to submit his report on the situation by Friday.
He disclosed that it will find BTC is “into total violation of those [industrial] agreements”, adding that these state that, if no formal grievance is lodged and no documents/evidence provided to justify the actions taken, then no action can be taken against the employees allegedly involved.
“That’s my mindset, and that will be in my report,” Mr Evans told Tribune Business. “For me, it’s totally disrespectful and disheartening that this entity is allowed to violate industrial agreements, and these procedures have been in place for over 35 year. It has not changed; the process that could result in discipline and termination.”
Mr Knowles, the BCPMU middle management union president, said the “mediation” meeting attended by Mr Thompson and Mr Evans also discussed “health and safety matters” although he did not provide any details.
As to the outcome of that meeting, he added: “The Department of Labour told BTC they were not in compliance with the industrial agreement. We were hoping that would have helped the conciliation meeting to be more resolved, and that they would have come to the conciliation with more understanding. But they [BTC] maintained their position.
“We’ve come to the conclusion that they want to push this issue and extend it to the Industrial Tribunal, which does not have any teeth. We’re prepared to go as far as the Supreme Court depending on what the Prime Minister’s response
IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS IN THE SUPREME COURT Common Law and Equity Division Claim No. 00471of 2025
IN THE MATTER OF ALL THOSE Ten (10) pieces parcels or lots of land comprising a total area of Twenty-Four Thousand Eight Hundred and Sixty-six (24,866) square feet being Lots numbered 5-8 in Block 17 AND Lots 34-39 in Block 17 situate on the eastern side of Williams Street in the Nassau Village Subdivision in the Eastern District of the Island of New Providence one of the Islands of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and shown on a plan on record in the Department of Lands and Surveys as Plan numbered 6515 NP AND IN THE MATTER of the Quieting Titles Act, 1959 AND IN THE MATTER of the Petition of GODFREY SANDS
NOTICE
THE PETITION OF GODFREY SANDS in respect of:-
ALL THOSE ten (10) pieces, parcels, or lots of land comprising a total area of twenty-four thousand eight hundred and sixty-six (24,866) square feet, being Lots numbered 5–8 in Block 17 and Lots 34–39 in Block 17, situate on the eastern side of Williams Street in the Nassau Village Subdivision in the Eastern District of the Island of New Providence, one of the Islands of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, and shown on a plan on record in the Department of Lands and Surveys as Plan Numbered 6515 NP.” THE PETITIONER claims to be the owner of the fee simple estate in possession of the parcel of land hereinbefore described, free from encumbrances, and has made application to the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas under Section 3 of the Quieting Titles Act, 1959, in the above action, to have his title to the said land investigated and the nature and extent thereof determined and declared in a Certificate of Title to be granted in accordance with the provisions of the said Act.
NOTICE is hereby given that any person having a dower or a right to dower, or an Adverse Claim, or a claim not recognized in the Petition shall, on or before the expiration of Thirty (30) days after the final publication of these presents, file in the Registry of the Supreme Court and serve on the Petitioner or the undersigned a Statement of his claim in the prescribed form, verified by an Affidavit to be filed therewith. Failure of any such person to file and serve a Statement of his Claim on or before the expiration of Thirty (30) days after the final publication of these presents will operate as a bar to such claims.
Copies of the Petition and Plan of the said land may be inspected during normal office hours in the following places:
to this is going to be. We’re waiting for his intervention. Hopefully there will be a resolution coming out of that. If not, we’ll go to the Supreme Court and BTC can be expected to be tested.
“It’s very clear in the articles of the industrial agreement that they violated the provisions. We wait and see… We’ll take the necessary action to bring attention to it. We are not standing by. We are asking members to stand their ground. We will not sit idly by.”
Sherry Benjamin, the BCPOU president, yesterday told Tribune Business “this is going to be an interesting week” although no action has yet been planned by the union over the dispute. “We have not, as a union, finalised anything yet but we have some stuff that we intend to do and are doing,” she added. “Stay tuned.
The union chief echoed Mr Knowles in confirming that the BCPOU, too, is seeking another meeting with the Prime Minister with BTC showing no sign of changing its stance. “Our industrial agreement is quite clear,” Ms Benjamin said. “When it comes to the grievance process, we told the company, the Prime Minister and Department of Labour that the human resources department did not follow the grievance process in the industrial agreement.
“If there’s evidence, they’re supposed to provide it at the beginning of the grievance process and, if they don’t provide it at the beginning, they can’t do anything to the staff. They started an investigation; they didn’t start the grievance process against the staff. They did an investigation and terminated persons based on something that was poorly done.
“The director of labour and chief labour consultant, Mr Evans, both told BTC representatives that based on what was in front of them at the time, and in the absence of any evidence, they did not follow the process in the industrial agreements.”
Ms Benjamin said she and Mr Knowles have “yet” to be provided with the relevant evidence by BTC, and added that no information was provided by the carrier at the subsequent Department of Labour conciliation meeting where Mr Thompson was present.
“These [five] persons livelihoods have been affected, while the persons involved have been allowed to walk away scot free and leave the company,” Ms Benjamin added of the alleged fraud.
“We did all the diplomacy, tried all the diplomacy, went through all the channels to get this resolved. Did they do anything? Nothing. Everybody’s talk, talk.
“We don’t understand what the hold up is. We have to protect our members. This is not going to go like that. I’m prepared to file a case in the Supreme Court.
I don’t understand why they have terminated people who have nothing to do with this case. We are putting people on the unemployment line for something someone else did, and nobody is being
held accountable. We’re going to do what we have to do to bring some resolve to this matter.”
Stephen Coakley-Wells, BTC’s director of legal and government affairs, in a previous statement, said of the terminations: “BTC wishes to emphasise that this decision was made in accordance with our established policies, the terms of our industrial agreements and in alignment with our commitment to fairness and compliance with the labour laws of The Bahamas. Due to privacy considerations and respect for all parties involved, BTC is limited in what it can share regarding the specifics of personnel matters.
“BTC values its positive and collaborative relationship with its union partners, and remains open to communication with the unions on this and any other issue affecting union members. BTC understands that situations like this can be challenging and is confident in the integrity of the process followed.”
Vacancy for Jeweler
Retail Jewelry Company is seeking to retain a Jeweler. This role is a full-time, long-term contract.
Requirements are as followed:
• Minimum of seven (7) years’ experience as a Jeweler in wholesale or Retail Jewelry Industry.
• Demonstrated proficiency and skill in the areas of sizing, chain repair, prong repairs and all types of stone settings and polishing or other finishing techniques;
• CAD design a plus;
• Must be able to carve wax and know all stages of casting;
• Must possess a gemology diploma ( G.G, F.G.A, A.G.S)
• Ability to examine diamonds and detect imperfections;
• Keep abreast of the latest gemological information within the industry;
• Must possess scientific knowledge on a diamond grading;
• Ability to examine diamonds to detect imperfections.
Please send your resume to Bahamasjob8@gmail.com
ORG
with greater economic opportunities.
Suggesting that the upcoming general election campaign gives Bahamian voters the perfect chance to hammer home this message to aspiring MPs from all sides, and assert that anti-corruption reforms must be prioritised, he added that the implementation of key changes such as Freedom of Information Act, Ombudsman’s office and the Independent Commission of Investigations is still “up in the air” with little or no specific funding dedicated to them in the 2025-2026 Budget.
“Most recently we had the attorney general mention on the Freedom of Information Act that it’s still pretty much where it was at the end of last year, and that is where it was at the end of the year before,” Mr Aubry told this newspaper.
“We want to use this week to encourage citizens to acknowledge and recognise the role they play with integrity [in
governance], and reach out and say this a priority and, if you are elected to office to represent them as an MP, integrity is at the top of that list.”
The ORG chief reiterated that improved integrity is vital to creating a system “that’s equitable and creates opportunity for all regardless of pay-to-play, patronage and politics”, and added: “There has to be a call from citizens to achieve sustainable change.
“It’s got to be driven by citizens, by private sector folks, faith-based organisations and non-profits because they are the ones most impacted by a culture of not requiring integrity as a priority.” Besides passing laws, Mr Aubry said anti-corruption legislation needs to be accompanied by implementation timelines, with measurables such as target dates, and dedicated financial and human resources to ensure it is fully enacted to greatest effect.
He added that ORG, in visiting numerous Bahamian islands, had received “almost universal interest” in how
Sound stage plans generate Skyline Lakes resident fears
PROJECT - from page B1
“So, right now, we have a nice quiet neighbourhood,” he said. “Every now and then we have little issues, but if we have either commercial or a whole lot of additional activity here, and we are not separated from that, that is an exposure, agreed? So one question is, can we get a wall here? Whoever’s doing this, tell them put a wall here?”
While Mr Watson noted his point, another attendee doubled down by asserting that a performance stage in the vicinity can be disruptive to those in the community.
“No, no,” she said. “You can’t say the point is noted. We’re making a request. If you’re coming into a subdivision, coming near a subdivision and awaiting necessary approvals, you should make sure that the residents are not adversely affected. I don’t care what nobody say. Once you put a stage up there, people
will go crazy - a little bit of liquor and a little bit of music, and it’s over.”
Dr Rhianna Neely-Murphy, the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP) director, said there are rules to control noise in residential areas and added that construction hours will be regulated. Considering complaints made during the consultation regarding possible noise pollution due to the potential inclusion of the performance stage, Dr Neely-Murphy said DEPP will sit with Brickell Management Group as well as environmental consultants to discuss options to address the issue.
“So, we also have rules with respect to noise and what can happen in a residential community - or close to a residential community - for noise levels and times that heavy noise can happen,” she added.
“We also write into their conditions for the certificate
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that EVINCE GASTON of Carmichael Road, Nassau, The Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration/ Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 11th day of December 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that JUDITH DIANNE PARIS of Life Bouy Street, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration/ Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 4th day of December 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
such laws should be enacted and put in place. He added that there was “a critical need” for such safeguards when it came to issues such as environmental protection and climate financing tools such as carbon credits to ensure that the funds generated go to the intended destination for the benefit of the Bahamian people.
ORG has previously criticised the government for failing to invest in transparency and provide adequate funding for key areas such as the implementation of FOIA, the Office of the Ombudsman and newly-established Independent Commission of Investigations. It added that the $140,000 allocated to FOIA is far below the $1m estimated as needed for execution.
The Office of the Ombudsman has been budgeted $39,890 for the upcoming fiscal year, the Independent Commission of Investigations has been allocated $30,000 and the Public Disclosure Commission was allocated $80,000.
“These figures remain static across the Government’s projected out-years, suggesting limited intention to scale or implement these reforms in any meaningful way,” said ORG.
of environmental clearance (CEC) that this development will receive, as simple as time for construction, the times that construction can happen to avoid a disruption to any neighbours that are in the nearby vicinity.
“So construction hours during the week are between 7am to 7pm. There’s very quiet construction activity on Saturdays, and that can’t begin before 9am, between 9am and 5pm.
Sometimes 9am and 6pm. And on Sunday, no loud noises at all next to residential communities,” the DEPP chief added.
“So these will form a part of their conditions during the construction period. And, like I said, there are rules currently for noise levels in residential areasfor parties and concerts or anything of that nature currently in The Bahamas. So if you are having issues with respect to commercial activities, concerts, loud noises in your community now, you should write to the Department of Physical Planning to advise them.”
One attendee also reported noise at 2am in her area. Dr Neely-Murphy
“When citizens have equitable access to information and the ability to report inefficiency or wrongdoing, public services improve, trust increases and the investment climate strengthens. While allocations for sidewalks, drainage and social assistance are welcome, greater transparency is needed to ensure these funds are equitably and effectively spent.
“Ensuring meaningful investment in transparency is one of the most important ways we can build a stronger, more inclusive and more accountable Bahamas. While the Prime Minister emphasised that the budget was guided by data and evidence, many key national priorities like institutional strengthening, gender equity, youth development and digital transformation were either lightly addressed or omitted entirely.”
But Prime Minister Philip Davis KC, speaking in June this year, said fully funding the Freedom of Information Act’s implementation and other anti-corruption mechanisms is not a priority for his administration which is focused on relieving the cost of living crisis.
Defending his administration’s decision to allocate just $140,000 to the Freedom of Information Act
said that persons have been illegally removing fill from properties but the agency is cracking down on that activity.
“In New Providence, we are now starting to regulate the removal of fill from people’s property illegally on this island, specifically,” she said. “And a lot of people decide, a lot of the truckers and heavy equipment operators, decide to operate at 2am in the morning and 3am in the morning when they figure, you who work from 9am to 5pm at home, sleeping.
“And so if we get a lot of calls from those further west of you, people jumping, for example, in Adelaide and in the Albany area... I don’t encourage you to go out your house at 2am in the morning, but if you are able to get a licence plate number we can go and penalise these individuals because they are doing an illegal action that we are now regulating. People are removing fill off private property or Crown Lands, and they’re doing it in the middle of the night.
“We have a task force, The Bahamas Wildlife
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that RONALD PAUL of Freeport, Grand Bahama, The Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration/ Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 11th day of December 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that ELEUS BOUTE of New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration/ Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 4th day of December 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
(FOIA) in the 2025-2026
Budget despite criticism this is insufficient to facilitate its full implementation, he said the Government is instead focused on “bringing relief to the Bahamian people”.
“Well, first of all, there’s a misconception as to what the Freedom of Information Act really entails. It doesn’t give unfettered access to information. And it doesn’t, in the scheme of things, doesn’t make available matters that are not already available to the public,” said Mr Davis.
“It’s just that we are interested in getting other things done. When we came into office, our focus was on righting the ship, cleaning up the mess that we met, and that is our focus.” Mr Davis said that although The Bahamas is in a better position, many Bahamians are still “suffering” and he is too focused on reducing the cost of living and crime to prioritise “esoteric” freedom of information matters.
“Now that we have done that, we could now look at other things that we need to implement. And the Bahamian people were suffering. Some are still suffering. And until that suffering is alleviated, things as esoteric as matters of freedom of information, they can’t take priority in my mind when
Enforcement Network, that are out and patrolling, a task force of police and Defence Force officers that are out, and they’re doing these patrols. But if we know of an area that may be an active area, if Skyline Lakes is active - you’re saying that that is happening at 2am in the morning - we could send them out to do their patrols in that area, so we could could see what’s happening in that area.”
An online attendee questioned what mitigation strategies will be put in place to handle traffic in the area of the Brickell Square development. Dr Neely-Murphy said: “There are big changes planned for that roundabout on JFK, Gladstone, Baha Mar Boulevard.” She said the roundabout was incorrectly built and it is already scheduled for redesign.
“The roundabout was not built properly, and it’s unfair to motorists coming from Gladstone Road, I believe,” she said. “And it is too fluid for those coming from the east.”
Clarifying that no approvals have been granted, Dr Neely-Murphy added there
a little baby can’t find food tomorrow. That is what worries me,” said Mr Davis.
“When people don’t feel safe in their homes, that is what bothers me. That’s what I buy attention. It’s taking my priorities, trying to make this country a country where people can strive, people could survive and feel safe in their homes.” Mr Davis added that he is an “accountable person”, and he can defend his actions as they are “all above board”.
“Freedom of Information Act, that’s about accountability, right? I’m not ashamed to say I’m an accountable person, right? I have transparency, and all the negativity that arises on what is transparent, what’s accountability, I’m not worried about that because I can account for my actions,” said Mr Davis.
“I could defend my actions, and they’re all above board. But for me, I am paying more attention, and continue to pay attention, to bringing relief to the Bahamian people, and they can see that in what we have done so far, and we still have more to do. That’s my focus.”
is a 21 business-day period that will end January 13, 2026, for DEPP, Brickell Management Group and the environmental consultant to receive questions or comments concerns on the project which will form part of the public consultation. Noting that there is “a significant budget to spend over a two-year development period commencing 2026”, Mr Watson said the 94,000 square foot project will include a combination of commercial, residential and recreational spaces The development will have a set of tropical modern structures that will be known as the Shoppes at Brickell Square. It will contain retail stores, restaurants and cafes. Phase two will include a hotel, “a luxurious, four-storey extended stay hotel featuring approximately 108 rooms of one-bedroom and two-bedroom set on four acres of property”. Phase three will include 258 condominiums in a gated community targeted at middle income earners, with units consisting of one, two and three bedrooms.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that JONATHAN DELVA of Carmichael Road, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration/ Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 4th day of to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that DAVISHA LYNN JOSEPH of Key West Street, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration/ Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 4th day of December 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that JOHNSON ESTAL-HOMME of Eleuthera, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration/ Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 4th day of December 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
NOTICE is hereby given that SHIKO GINO PIERRE of Life Bouy Street, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration/ Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 4th day of December 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that WHATSONN ESTAL-HOMME of Eleuthera, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration/ Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 4th day of December 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
A guide to good manners at the retail counter this holiday season
By TRACEE M. HERBAUGH Associated Press
AS SHOPPERS flood stores across the country during the year's biggest shopping season, retail workers are bracing for what many describe as the most demanding — and often demoralizing — stretch of the job.
"It magnifies everything," said Nick Leighton, host of the podcast "Were You Raised by Wolves?," which he co-hosts with comedian Leah Bonnema. Together, they dissect etiquette and the subtleties of social behavior.
"People are stressed, they're busy, they're frazzled," he said. "When that happens, we tend to forget other people exist."
Whether it's gridlocked parking lots or shelves picked clean, the holiday retail environment can become a pressure cooker where manners evaporate quickly.
November and December have long driven retail sales, prompting companies to hire large numbers of seasonal workers to manage the surge. These workers often absorb the brunt of shoppers' frustration. Some
customers treat employees as extensions of a corporation rather than as people.
This year, there might be even fewer employees to handle crowds of holiday shoppers. Companies say they could cut back on seasonal workers because of economic uncertainty, while at the same time, shoppers are expected to spend more than they did last year.
"Yelling at a worker isn't doing anything," Leighton noted. "Everyone else is busy, too.... Your shopping isn't more important than the next person's."
Here are some expert suggestions on how customers can be kinder, more polite and more empathetic toward the people helping to execute all those holiday lists.
Manners apply everywhere
People who behave courteously generally do so everywhere, while those who are rude in stores often have similar issues in their personal lives, etiquette consultants say.
"We do not pay retail workers to be a therapist, a social worker or a punching bag. It's not appropriate, and it's not fair," said Jodi R.R. Smith, president of Mannersmith
Etiquette Consulting in Massachusetts. Long before she advised companies on etiquette, Smith worked several holiday seasons at a Hallmark store.
Plan your shopping trip and leave time
Smith advises shoppers to plan ahead — knowing who is on their list, which stores they need to visit and when they will go. "Set yourself up for success," she said. "Bring water or a snack. Do not go hungry."
Timing matters as well.
"Ask yourself, 'When is the best time to go?'" she said.
"Weekends are busier, lines are longer and parking is tighter. If possible, go on a Wednesday morning when the store opens."
Establish a little rapport
Smith suggests making friendly eye contact with workers, offering a greeting and using humor to diffuse tense moments. If someone in line becomes irritable, she said, a gentle joke about needing a nap can reset the mood.
"We don't have control over others' behavior, but we certainly do over ours," she said.
Shoppers can help reduce frustration by asking
questions — and recognizing that workers may not have all the answers, said Elizabeth Medeiros, 59, who spent more than 35 years in retail in New York and the Boston area.
Some companies are acting preemptively. Delta Airlines is encouraging kindness between customers and employees with a "Centennial Cheer" program. It says it will recognize "100,000 acts of kindness" with Holiday Medallion cards, which can be redeemed for gifts.
Manage expectations
Customers often assume store employees can control everything from inventory and discounts to restocking speed and even the behavior of other shoppers, she said.
They can't.
"Customers are focused, especially during the holidays," said Medeiros, a
Rwanda-backed M23 rebels say they've seized the strategic city of Uvira in eastern Congo
By WILSON McMAKIN Associated Press
RWANDA-backed rebel group M23 said that it had taken control of the strategic city of Uvira in eastern
Congo on Wednesday afternoon, following a rapid offensive since the start of the month and on the heels of a U.S. attempt to quell violence from the conflict.
The announcement, made on social platform X by M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka, encouraged citizens who fled to return to their homes. Uvira is an important port city on the
northern tip of Lake Tanganyika and is directly across from neighboring Burundi's largest city, Bujumbura.
M23's latest offensive comes despite a U.S.-mediated peace agreement
former district sales manager and longtime store manager. "They're checking off lists and looking for deals, and anything that interferes with that throws them off."
Holiday work is already tough for staff under the best of circumstances, she noted. "Everyone is often stretched thin. Breaks get skipped, shifts get extended unexpectedly and sixday workweeks become common."
As Smith puts it: "Clerks are not the CEO. Don't expect someone making hourly wages in December to change a store policy you don't like."
Training workers to defuse tension
Adam Lukoskie, executive director of the National Retail Federation Foundation, emphasized that most customer interactions remain positive.
signed last week by the Congolese and Rwandan presidents in Washington.
The accord didn't include the rebel group, which is negotiating separately with Congo and agreed earlier this year to a ceasefire that both sides accuse the other of violating. However, it obliges Rwanda to halt support for armed groups and work to end hostilities. Residents of Uvira reported a chaotic night where Congolese army troops fled, and gunfire was reported throughout the city. Rumors circulated that the governor of South Kivu, the province where Uvira is located, had fled in the night, which the governor denied. Congo Communications Minister Patrick Muyaya said in a speech that over one hundred people had died in the latest offensive, while not explicitly acknowledging the rebel takeover of the city.
Congo, the United States and U.N. experts accuse Rwanda of backing the M23, which had hundreds of members in 2021. Now, according to the U.N., the group has around 6,500 fighters.
"In the news you might see a couple of incidents, but most experiences are OK," he said. "We work hard to provide a high-quality environment."
The industry has invested in new training programs to prepare workers for tense encounters, Lukoskie said. The foundation's RISE Up skills-training courses now reach more than 80,000 people annually. "It gives associates the tools to provide customer service and to understand that an angry customer is usually mad at the problem, not at them," he said.
Above all, he said, shoppers should reframe how they view the person behind the counter.
"Act as if the person helping you is your daughter or son, or your mother or father. Not just someone there to do a task for you."
While Rwanda denies that claim, it acknowledged last year that it has troops and missile systems in eastern Congo, allegedly to safeguard its security. U.N. experts estimate there are up to 4,000 Rwandan forces in Congo. In a statement Wednesday, the U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa urged M23 and Rwandan troops to cease all offensive operations and for the Rwandan Defense Forces to withdraw to Rwanda.
On Wednesday morning, the Rwandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs blamed the Congolese armed forces for the recent ceasefire violations in a statement on X. "The DRC has openly stated that it would not observe any ceasefire, and was fighting to recapture territories lost to AFC/M23, even as the peace process unfolded," the statement said.
More than 100 armed groups are vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo near the border with Rwanda, most prominently the M23 group. The conflict has created one of the world's most significant humanitarian crises, with more than 7 million people displaced, officials say.
SHOPPERS browse through stores at Mall of America for Black Friday deals, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, in Bloomington, Minn.
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