For the second consecutive year a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) team featuring a Bahamian player would fall short in the championship game of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. This time, it was Tavario Miller and the Texas A&M Aggies who suffered the crushing blow at the hands of Syracuse. The game was tightly contested throughout, but a late Orange run led by Tournament MVP Michael Gbinije, allowed Syracuse to take the 74-67 win and the coveted Battle 4 Atlantis championship.

"We beat a very good team out there today. I think Texas A&M has tremendous ability, tremendous talent and I thought we just hung in there when things weren't going our way a couple times," said Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim. "This year has been good for us, we had some tough games since we've been down here, and now we know how to battle in those situations."

Gbinije finished with 20 points on 4-11 shooting from the field and 8-11 from the free throw line. He also had four assists and two rebounds.

"This tournament really helped us, playing the team we just played (Aggies) and also UCONN and now my focus is on the next game. We just have to continue to play hard and compete, we should be fine," said Gbinije.

All-Tournament Team Selection Trevor Cooney added 15 points and five rebounds. It was Syracuse's first early season tournament title since the 2013 Maui Invitational. Jalen Jones led Texas A&M with 23 points and Danuel House, who was also named to the All-Tournament team, added 15.

The game was closely contested throughout and featured nine ties and 12 lead changes. Orange big man Dajuan Jones struggled with early foul trouble that forced him to sit with over 10 minutes left in the first half. The Aggies jumped on the opportunity to take advantage on the inside, particularly Jones, who finished with 16 in the half. The Aggies went up by two at halftime, but struggled to string together consistent baskets in the second half. The teams played within a basket for most of the period, until Syracuse created some space with a late 7-0 run, capped off by a three-point play by Cooney.

The Orange went up 72-63 with 3:10 to go and held off several last minute surges by the Aggies to secure the title
Syracuse managed to hold on despite being outrebounded 39-31. The Orange finished 11-25 from behind the three point line. Both teams will be in action again on Wednesday; Syracuse hosts Wisconsin while Texas A&M hosts Florida Gulf.

Syracuse Orange players celebrate winning Battle 4 Atlantis championship. Photo | Kevin Jairaj- Fox Sports.com

The Ministry of Finance takes strong exception to the report in today’s newspaper, which suggests that officials in the ministry and the VAT Department have reneged on the understanding of insurance policies renewed before July 1st, 2015 and how they are to be treated under VAT.

Contrary to views attributed to representatives of the insurance industry, the ministry never agreed that polices on which premiums were exempt from VAT would accrue VAT credits when insurers paid out claims triggered on or after July 1st 2015.

While provisions were included in the June 2015 Amendments to the VAT Act to allow insurance companies to earn credits for settlements on claims triggered before June 30th, the Government only provided this concession to defray the cost of administering policies during the six-month transition period when insurers could not pass the VAT directly along to policy holders. The ministry always made it clear that once premiums became subject to VAT, only those policies on which VAT started to be paid would be eligible to earn credits when related claims were settled.

 The insurance industry was not amendable to proposals that would have allowed property own- ers to pay VAT on a prorated basis polices renewed prior to July 1st. Only then would coverage have been fully protected for the effects of VAT. However, the industry sought and received ac- commodation to have these policies grandfathered on an exempt basis until the next renewal date.

In the circumstances it is the exempt treatment that renders these policies ineligible for VAT credits. While the ministry recommended, the industry was also not receptive to inviting holders of these policies to augment their coverage compensate for the imposition of VAT.

The ministry continues to be transparent with the insurance industry, and has communicated continuously with stakeholders on these matters.

At this stage the ministry is not aware of any outstanding issues, as responses have been provid- ed on all industry level-matters that have been raised.

Prior to July 1st 2015, all insurance premiums were exempt from VAT. Under provisions of the VAT Act, premiums on medical polices became taxable as of July 1st 2015. In the case of property insurance, VAT is applied from the first date of renewal on after July 1st 2015.

Police were responding Friday to a report of an active shooter near a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs.

The situation has not been stabilized, police Lt. Catherine Buckley said. She had no further details.

Police Commander Kirk Wilson told CBS Colorado Springs affiliate KKTV-TV that at least three police officers have been injured. CBS Denver reports that one officer was shot in the hand.

Ambulances and police vehicles were lined up near an intersection and police told people via Twitter to stay away from the "active shooter scene" because it was not secure.

Footage from KKTV showed police cars and officers stationed along closed streets outside a nearby shopping center. Police warned people there to remain inside stores and shelter in place as police responded.

Mike Pelosi, who works at a deli at a King Sooper grocery store, said he heard over the store's loudspeaker just before noon that nobody could leave the store.

Pelosi said customers and store employees were confused about what was going on but not panicked. He said a couple dozen customers were standing near the store entrance waiting for instructions.

"It's not usually a busy day for us, and no one is panicking or anything," Pelosi said. "But they haven't told us anything except that we're not allowed to go outside."

The Planned Parenthood is located in a building next to a building that houses several medical offices. The strip mall with the King Soopers grocery store was located less than a half-mile away and police shut down the road they are located on.

 

A MAN accused of misrepresenting his educational achievements for his bid to be called to the Bahamas Bar will have to seek recourse from the Court of Appeal for the stay he seeks against criminal proceedings. Shavon Bethel sought leave from Justice Ian Winder yesterday to appeal a ruling made by the judge concerning a constitutional motion in which his lawyer, Roberto Reckley, argued that any charges against Bethel were an abuse of process as they had already been adjudicated during a judicial review before then Senior Justice Jon Isaacs in November 2013...

A MAN accused of misrepresenting his educational achievements for his bid to be called to the Bahamas Bar will have to seek recourse from the Court of Appeal for the stay he seeks against criminal proceedings.

Shavon Bethel sought leave from Justice Ian Winder yesterday to appeal a ruling made by the judge concerning a constitutional motion in which his lawyer, Roberto Reckley, argued that any charges against Bethel were an abuse of process as they had already been adjudicated during a judicial review before then Senior Justice Jon Isaacs in November 2013...