Saturday, April 30
Two women arrested after drugs found at airport
Two women, one from Amsterdam and the other from Jamaica, are in custody following the seizure of a quantity of dangerous drugs at the Lynden Pindling airport on Friday.
Friday, April 29
Lawyer: Accused in BEC bribe case is 'scapegoat'
THE lawyer for accused bribe taker Freddie Solomon Ramsey told a Supreme Court jury on Friday that his client is nothing more than a scapegoat in the Alstom SA/BEC bribery scheme.
Five in court over murder of Holmes Rock couple
FIVE Grand Bahama men accused of the murder of a Holmes Rock couple appeared in the Supreme Court on Friday for a pre-trial hearing.
Religious leaders still waiting on request for 'no' campaign funding
RELIGIOUS leaders backing the constitutional referendum's vote "no" campaign are still waiting for Prime Minister Perry Christie to respond to their request for seed funding.
Man arrested after firearm found
A 23-year-old Freeport man was arrested after he was allegedly caught by police with a firearm in his possession.
Judge: Application to discharge Parliamentary privilege injunction 'must be heard in full'
THE answer to whether parliamentarians can use their privilege to disclose confidential information of private citizens has far-reaching implications beyond The Bahamas, a Supreme Court judge said on Friday.
Man in court over public park shooting
A 23-year-old man was arrainged in the Magistrates Court Friday in connection with a shooting incident at a public park off Baillou Hill Tuesday night that left one man dead and five people injured.
FIFA bans Lionel Haven from soccer for five years
FIFA's Ethics Committee has banned former Caribbean Football Union executive Lionel Haven from soccer for five years - after he failed to disclose information on cash payments at an event in 2011.
Fox Hill restaurant owner shot in armed robbery
POLICE are seeking the public’s help in locating four suspects in connection with an armed robbery and a separate shooting incident that left a man in hospital Thursday night.
A COMIC'S VIEW: Ducking, diving and running for cover over disclosure
Wow! What a week it was. I must say there were many ‘things’ that caught my eye in the headlines this week. Some happenings left me shaking my head in disgust, others made me laugh my butt off.
‘More than 50’ transgender individuals in The Bahamas
THERE are more than 50 transgender male, female and youth living in the Bahamas, according Bahamas Transgender Intersex United spokesperson Alexus D’Marco.
EDITORIAL: Creating confusion to defeat the June 7 equal rights referendum
THERE are so many red herrings, and scare mongering tactics being used to scuttle the June 7th constitutional referendum that confusion could end it in calamitous defeat.
Bishop believes referendum is about same-sex marriage
BISHOP Walter Hanchell said yesterday he believes the upcoming referendum is not about gender equality but rather about “making provisions in our Constitution to accommodate same-sex marriages in order to bring The Bahamas in line with other nations”.
On the Street: Bahamians’ view on the referendum
ORDINARY Bahamians expressed confusion about the upcoming referendum and alarm over the fourth bill in interviews with The Tribune yesterday, with even those who plan to vote for all four amendments saying they expect the referendum to fail.
Changes ‘won’t bring an easy path’ for foreigners
IMMIGRATION Director William Pratt yesterday refuted fears that the upcoming gender equality referendum would create an easy path to citizenship for foreign nationals.
BEC bribe ‘out of character for suspect’
A WITNESS who has known Freddie Solomon Ramsey for 35 years told a jury yesterday that it would be out of character for the former Bahamas Electricity Corporation board member to accept bribes to influence the awarding of contracts.
Police sued for $3m for ‘assault’ at traffic stop
TRIBUNE columnist and attorney Adrian Gibson yesterday launched a $3m law suit against the Attorney General, the Commissioner of Police and two police officers who allegedly assaulted him after stopping him for a supposed traffic violation on Sunday night.
Bash director Miller denies charges of animal cruelty
FOURTEEN charges of animal cruelty were brought against Terry Miller, the executive director of the Bahamas Association for Social Health, in Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning.
Minnis call to prosecute ‘not proper process’
THE call from FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis for Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson to prosecute members of Parliament for violating the Public Disclosure Act has not come “from the proper people from whom it should commence”.
Pastors' fears are dismissed
ATTORNEY General Allyson Maynard-Gibson yesterday dismissed the concerns of a group of local pastors over the fourth Constitutional Amendment Bill, charging that those in support of the upcoming referendum will not “live our lives” around a “what if”.
Bahamas broker owner negotiates settlement, plea over $17m ‘fraud’
The owner of a Bahamas-based brokerage has reached “a settlement in principle” with US federal regulators over allegations that he played a key role in a $17 million financial fraud.
THE FINISH LINE: ‘There’s no reason why we should not be fielding all teams at this level’
NOW with less than 100 days left before the start of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the Bahamas Olympic Committee is vigorously trying to ensure that Team Bahamas is ready to compete.
Sarkis: Baha Mar bid from me ‘impossible’
Sarkis Izmirlian fears it is “impossible” for him to enter the Baha Mar bidding process because its ‘rules’ may expose him to litigation and “contaminate” his claims against the project’s Chinese contractor.
Union: ‘We’ll meet new BTC owner at airport’
Union representatives yesterday said they plan “to meet Liberty Global at the airport and see what baggage they’re carrying”, with the company’s acquisition of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) majority owner set to close on May 13.
Government applies to overturn emails injunction
THE government has moved to file a motion against an injunction that bars members of Parliament from disclosing confidential information about Save The Bays during parliamentary proceedings, Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson confirmed yesterday.
Jamaican woman claims mistreatment by immigration staff
A JAMAICAN woman has alleged that she and her six-year-old daughter spent two nights at a safe house for illegal immigrants in sub-par conditions after being detained at the Lynden Pindling International Airport on Sunday.
Call for criminal charges over social services fraud
THE Democratic National Alliance’s economy spokesperson Youri Kemp yesterday called for criminal charges to be brought against those Department of Social Services’ employees guilty of defrauding the department.
Misleading on referendum
By your medium, I wish to share my personal views on Bill No. 4, that is one of the Bills to be voted upon in the upcoming referendum.
Bran: General Orders aiding wrongdoing
The Democratic National Alliance’s (DNA) leader yesterday called for urgent reform of the regulations governing the public service, arguing that they currently “facilitate” corruption such as that exposed at the Department of Social Services.
Cabbage Beach access row ‘about property rights, not birthrights’
THE relocation of the dozens of Cabbage Beach vendors upset over the closure of an access point to the popular Paradise Island property is not the responsibility of the landowners but the government, according to Atlantis’ Senior Vice-president of Public Affairs Ed Fields.
Baha Mar contractor suffers dispute reverse
Baha Mar’s main contractor has lost its bid to stay a court action brought by a US-based demolition company, which is seeking to collect an outstanding $754,704 balance for work on the $3.5 billion project.
Arrogance of pastors who say ‘No’
It is baffling when men of God would choose to deny Bahamian men and women equal rights because of an unfounded and irrational fear that to do so would open the door on same sex marriage.
Close finishes on day 2 of High School Soccer Nationals
A SERIES of close finishes highlighted day two of the National High School Soccer Championships, as the matchups are all square for tomorrow’s final.
Bahamian Luke Maillis sets national records in freediving competition at Dean’s Blue Hole
NASSAU, Bahamas — Bahamian Luke Maillis set three national records in freediving at the ninth annual Vertical Blue Freediving Competition held at Dean’s Blue Hole in Long Island last week.
World No.1 coaching Team Bahamas for Beach Soccer WCup
HEIMANU “Manu” Taiarui, the No. 1 beach soccer player in the world, led the Tahiti national team to victory over Italy in a penalty shootout at the 2015 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
Enforcers, Athletico win openers
The Athletico Bahamas from New Providence and the Police Enforcers from South Andros took their opening matches in blowout fashion in the men’s B division of the Bahamas Basketball Federation’s Annual Bunny Levarity National Basketball Tournament.
Fitzgerald, Rubis and integrity
Jerome Fitzgerald likes to talk about his integrity. Lately, he has been defending his integrity against those who he says have accused his government of being corrupt.
Lady Sonia earns top honours in Class B Governor’s Cup
The 63rd Annual National Family Island Regatta got off to a quick start this week with a competitive series of “Cup” races.
Roberts returns from injury, helps Bulls win their 3rd straight ACC
RETURNING to the line-up from the injury list just in time, sophomore Justin Roberts helped the University of South Florida Bulls men’s tennis team to their third consecutive American Conference Championships.
Aviation registers over 150 drones
More than 150 drones have been registered with the Department of Civil Aviation to-date, the head of Flight Standards told Tribune Business yesterday.
Road Traffic reforms to House this year
A Cabinet Minister yesterday said she expects to table legislation to reform the Bahamas’ antiquated Road Traffic Act in Parliament this year, with changes focusing on vehicle inspection, licensing criteria and offences.
IAN FERGUSON: Competition must co-exist with teamwork
The intent behind personal branding is encouraging employees to distinguish themselves from their peers. It compels them to assess their workplace strengths, leverage them to stand out and, ultimately, to advance in the workplace. This healthy competition creates the ideal environment for productivity and efficiency to thrive.
Thursday, April 28
Passport Office without power
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration has announced that, due to electrical issues surrounding BEC's transformer and subsequent failure of the backup generator for the Passport Office in Nassau, the office is without electrical power.
Yasmin Hanna takes leap of faith into gospel music career
Singing in the church choir at a young age had such an impact on Yasmin Hanna’s childhood that she is finally making the jump into the music industry as a gospel artist.
Seventh-day Adventists encourage participation in gender equality referendum
THE Seventh-day Adventist Church said it believes and advocates that all Bahamians have the right to exercise with equality their privileges and freedoms as citizens.
Believing in the God of supernatural miracles
DO you believe in the God of miracles? To believe means to have faith in, to be totally convinced or persuaded of. Further, to believe in something or someone is to absolutely trust and totally rely upon it/them.
MEDITATION: Achieving your purpose
EACH one of us has gifts given by God and work to do in the Kingdom. For some persons it is a life work that lasts a lifetime. For others, they may have different times and seasons when they are engaged in various activities which are a passion for that period.
Women in the Bible - Part two
NOW this should attract the attention of any truth seeker. The two most influential philosophers in the world of Christian theology in the Middle Ages were both of the Greco-Roman world into which Christianity was born – Plato (427-347 BC) and Aristotle (384 - 322 BC).
Anglican Women stand ‘Firm in Faith’ for annual conference
Hundreds of women are expected convene for the 52nd annual conference of Anglican Church Women of the Diocese of the Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos Islands this weekend.
Murder suspect asks to have ankle bracelet removed
A MAN awaiting trial in the Supreme Court on murder and attempted murder charges has applied to a judge for a variation of his current bail conditions.
Dame Joan ‘absolutely mistaken’ on referendum
FORMER Cabinet minister George Smith yesterday said former Court of Appeal President Dame Joan Sawyer’s recent comments branding the upcoming June 7 referendum “a waste of time” were “disappointing” and signalled that she is “absolutely mistaken” on the needed constitutional changes.
Events revealed for 50th anniversary of Majority Rule
THE Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture yesterday announced the calendar of events connected to its “Road to Majority Rule” 50th celebration scheduled for January, 2017.
‘Pay off-duty police to patrol the Carnival’
THE government should pay off-duty police officers to patrol events like Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival, Police Staff Association Chairman Inspector Dwight Smith said yesterday.
Young mother one of two people killed in car accidents
TWO people are dead, including a young mother of one, after two separate early morning traffic accidents in the capital.
‘Same-sex marriage is already constitutional’
LAWYER Fred Smith, QC, yesterday claimed that the constitutional backing for same-sex marriage has been available for decades as he criticised opponents of the upcoming gender equality referendum.
Pastor speaks out after transgender call for rights
PASTOR Lyall Bethel yesterday questioned if someone coached members of Bahamas Transgender Intersex United (BTIU) to appear ambivalent about the outcome of the gender equality referendum so as to not shed light on the “hidden agendas” of the fourth constitutional amendment.
UPDATED: One dead, five hurt in park shooting
ONE man is dead and five other people, including a woman, are in hospital after a gunman opened fire at a public park off Baillou Hill Road on Tuesday night.
Bahamian mixed martial arts community to join IMMAF
AS the sport of mixed martial arts continues to grow in the Bahamas, the country’s governing body seeks to gain legitimacy by joining the sport’s international governing body.
A YOUNG MAN'S VIEW: Once again, MPs fail to obey law on disclosures
MUCH like in previous years, we see widespread lawbreaking by lawmakers who have yet again failed to abide by the law that mandates that they file annual financial declarations.
From the Bahamas to Beijing to champion nation’s artists
A DELEGATION of more than 40 Bahamian musicians and entertainers is heading to China to participate in the annual Latin American and Caribbean Cultural Exchange at the 2016 Meet In Beijing Arts Festival this weekend.
Bahamasair targets more loss reduction
BAHAMASAIR’S new non-stop air service between Grand Bahama and Orlando was yesterday said to be part of a strategy to reduce the airline’s losses and burden on the taxpayer.
A national call to prayer
ARE enough Bahamians praying about the national issues in our nation, asking for the direct intervention of the God of Heaven?
Is Sears Christie’s successor?
Alfred Sears has re-entered front-line politics, which has oft been described as a rough and tumble business. The former PLP Cabinet minister and Fort Charlotte MP has decided to come out of a self imposed four-year hiatus to challenge his former PLP successor in Fort Charlotte, Dr Andre Rollins. It is a huge sacrifice for Sears.
Chamber chair: ‘Cut out corruption cancer’
The Bahamas was yesterday urged to “cut out the cancer” of corruption, the Chamber of Commerce’s chairman describing this nation’s persistent failure to tackle the problem as “the real tragedy”.
Receivers confident Baha Mar buyer ‘in place’ by end-2016
Baha Mar’s receivers yesterday expressed optimism that a new owner for the $3.5 billion project will be “in place” before year-end 2016, with all bids due to be submitted by May 7.
Rapist wants court appeals to be heard separately
A MAN challenging two rape convictions in the Court of Appeal is looking to have them heard separately.
The hypocrisy of Greg Moss
I read with interest the article entitled, “Three More MPs Failed to Declare Their Assets” in the Wednesday, April 27, 2016 edition of you paper. Among the members of parliament currently breaking the law is Member of Parliament for Righteous Indignation, Mr Greg Moss.
Civil service union’s trade dispute warning
The Bahamas Public Service Union’s (BPSU) president yesterday warned he is preparing to file a trade dispute against the Government over “across the board” complaints that civil servants are not being paid their correct salaries.
Basketball Federation round robin nationals all set for DW Davis
THE top basketball teams in the country will meet this weekend to decide the overall title of national champions.
Rio receives Olympic flame 100 days before Games
THE Olympic flame was handed to organisers of the Rio de Janeiro Games in Athens yesterday, 100 days before the opening ceremony in Brazil.
YOUNG MAN'S VIEW: Losing trust in the police force
ON Sunday, I suffered a harrowing experience at the hands of two officers of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF). It opened my eyes to the abuses, disrespect and breaches of constitutional rights that so many Bahamians have been subjected to by rogue elements of the police.
Bull Reg and Lady Sonia earn Cup race honours
The 63rd Annual National Family Island Regatta got off to a quick start yesterday with a competitive series of “Cup” races.
1st Top Elite Basketball Showcase starts at AF Adderley gym today
ADD another to the growing list of opportunities for young Bahamian basketball players to display their skillset.
Questions for Dame Joan
Is Dame Joan Sawyer really serious?
Ministers welcomes UK forum link-up
FOREIGN Affairs and Immigration Minister Fred Mitchell said yesterday the ninth UK Caribbean Forum taking place in Grand Bahama from tomorrow will provide the opportunity for discussions with high-level UK delegates, on important issues on financial services and the difficulties confronted by Caribbean banks of having relationships with those in developed country markets.
Sailing regatta brings more culture to 3-day Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival
BAHAMAS Junkanoo Carnival has an exciting new element to it this year.
FOUR QUARTER PRESS: Injuries taking toll on Warriors and the Clippers in playoffs
WHOEVER’S job it was to wish and pray for a good playoff tournament in the NBA this year ... that person clearly forgot to show up for work this post-season.
Cultural festivals in the spotlight for gallery shows
THREE shows open at the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas this evening, two of which relate to cultural festivals in theme.
RoyalStar ‘won’t chase rainbows’
RoyalStar Assurance “won’t be chasing the rainbow” for new business in 2016, with pricing pressures and other market uncertainties driving it to forecast a flat year-over-year performance.
On Da Hook
SPEARFISHING in The Bahamas is exciting, an abundance of challenging gamefish and crustaceans in crystal-clear water.
Bahamas must fix ‘State of the Nation’
An architect said yesterday that while the National Development Plan’s (NDP) ‘State of the Nation’ report has outlined the Bahamas’ current condition, the “great opportunity” lies in fixing the issues it identifies.
ART OF GRAPHIX: Designing your true career path
Are you naturally creative? Do you have a knack for thinking outside the box? Do your friends often come to you for tips on colour palettes or accessorising outfits?
Bahamas urged: Change ‘sun, sand, sea’ thinking
A well-known architect said yesterday that the Bahamas had to go beyond viewing its ‘sand, sun and sea’ as just a tourism marketing tool, arguing that they were “fundamental tools” for national development and sustainability.
Wednesday, April 27
Saving the Bahamas
Young scientists offer future solutions
WASTE management is weighing on the minds of young Bahamian scientists.
Born to Bahamian father - but dream at risk because of citizenship inequality
BORN in The Bahamas without automatic citizenship, high school senior Kirah Dames’ dreams of playing professional softball have been halted as she watches her peers prepare for opportunities outside the country.
Dame Joan’s motives for referendum comments questioned
LONG Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner yesterday questioned former Court of Appeal President Dame Joan Sawyer’s motives after Dame Joan labeled the June 7 constitutional referendum “a waste of time.”
Design flaws ground ‘Zero’
OVER the years, Nintendo has recruited an assortment of outside developers to try to revive the “Star Fox” franchise. Now the duty falls to Platinum Games, best known for gonzo free-for-alls like “Bayonetta” and “MadWorld”. The resulting reboot, “Star Fox Zero”, falls far short of either company’s best work.
Solar-powered plane crosses Pacific
A SOLAR-powered plane on a mission to fly around the world landed in California at the weekend, completing a risky, three-day flight across a great expanse of the Pacific Ocean.
Tech Talk
Sea life centre using alternative energy
THE Alaska SeaLife Centre in Seward has announced that 98 per cent of its heating and cooling requirements are fulfilled by alternative energy: heat extracted from ocean water in Resurrection Bay.
Police officer is last crown witness called in BEC bribery case
A JURY heard yesterday that Freddie Solomon Ramsey, accused of accepting a bribe, denied any involvement in the Alstom SA/Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) bribery scheme and was asked more than 100 questions during an interview in police custody.
Man who killed son asks for psychiatric help
A MAN who admitted responsibility for the beating death of his two-year-son asked Court of Appeal judges yesterday to assist him in receiving psychological help.
Griffin: We will investigate auditor’s findings
SOCIAL Services Minister Melanie Griffin said further investigations will be conducted into the damning revelations highlighted by Auditor General Terrance Bastian’s report into the Department of Social Services which was tabled in the House of Assembly on Monday.
Minnis urges prosecution over lack of declarations
FREE National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis last night called on Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson to do her job and prosecute those members of Parliament who have not disclosed their assets to the Public Disclosure Commission.
Three more MPs failed to declare their assets
WHILE the March 1 deadline for members of Parliament to file financial disclosures has passed, three more MPs have confirmed that they have yet to declare their assets, which is required by law.
Transgender plea for rights
BAHAMAS Transgender, Intersex United (BTIU) yesterday launched its multi-level equality campaign, “Bahamian Trans Lives Matter”, which seeks to secure equal rights for transgendered Bahamians as the debate about the upcoming gender equality referendum continues.
Two dead, one injured in early morning traffic accidents in Nassau
TWO DRIVERS - a man and a woman - have died and another man was injured in separate early morning traffic accidents in Nassau.
Students reviving mangrove wetlands
FORTY-five students planted 135 baby mangrove trees in Camp Abaco last week after growing them in their classrooms throughout this school year.
Bar association ready to defend judiciary
BAHAMAS Bar Association President Elsworth Johnson said his organisation stands ready to defend the “independence”, “impartiality” and “fearlessness” of this country’s judiciary, amid calls for the bar to investigate officers of the court for alleged wrongdoing.
Saga of the BASH horses
On a hot and humid day in early September, 2014, I accompanied Inspector Percy Grant of the Bahamas Humane Society to see the horses at BASH, which he had seen a few days before and found them badly cared for. As Chairman of the BHS Horse Committee and having considerable horse experience, I was asked to assess the situation.
The case of the purloined emails
Speaker Dr Kendal Major says he may hold Minister Jerome Fitzgerald in contempt of the House of Assembly if he finds out that the private emails Mr Fitzgerald read in the House were illegally obtained. What a joke.
Devynne Charlton honoured, can’t compete at Olympics
She was off to a fast start and heading for her debut at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in August. However, women’s 100 metre hurdles national record holder Devynne Charlton will have to watch the rest of the track and field season on the sidelines after she suffered an injury.
Insurer invests $3.45m in ‘bad mortgage’ JV
An insurer yesterday said it will “get a bigger bang for the buck” from investing $3.45 million in a joint venture, also involving its chairman, which aims to alleviate the Bahamas’ bad mortgage crisis.
Bahamas urged: ‘Bite bullet’ on registered land
Arawak Homes’ president yesterday agreed that the Bahamas needed to “bite the bullet” and switch to a registered land system, in a bid to prevent frauds that have victimised hundreds of real estate purchasers.
Bank: Correspondent pull back vindicates web shop refusal
Commonwealth Bank’s president yesterday said the increasing ‘pull back’ by correspondent banks from the Caribbean had vindicated its decision not to accept web shop industry deposits.
Private sector alert over VAT late fees
The private sector was yesterday warned to be on its guard as April’s Value-Added Tax (VAT) payment deadline looms, after bank-related delays resulted in numerous businesses incurring financial sanctions last month.
Social Services audit: Taxpayers will pay price
“Beleaguered taxpayers” will pay the price of the corruption exposed at the Department of Social Services, a well-known ‘fiscal hawk’ yesterday saying: “It’s just mind-boggling.”
‘No need for vote’
PRESIDENT of the Bahamas Global Impact Prayer and Fasting Network (BGI-PAFN) Jeremiah Duncombe yesterday said there is no need for the constitutional referendum scheduled for June 7, as the government is “fully capable” of amending the Constitution to show gender equality “all on its own.”
Killer’s sentencing delayed
SENTENCING for convicted murderer Basil Black has been rescheduled to June 17 after his newly appointed counsel requested more time during a pre-sentence hearing in the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
Antoan Richardson secures job with LA Dodgers
NOT more than a day after he got his release from the Pittsburgh Pirates, professional baseball player Antoan Richardson has secured another job with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Three murder suspects face court
THREE young men accused of murder and attempted murder appeared in the Supreme Court on Tuesday to have their matters joined in one voluntary bill indictment.
Byron helps his team stay alive in Greece Volleyball championship
BYRON Ferguson and his Foinikas Syrou volleyball team fought to stay alive in the Greece Volleyball League best-of-seven championship.
Macedonia only undefeated team in BSC Classic
MACEDONIA remains the only undefeated team left in the Baptist Sports Council’s 2016 Basketball Classic.
Cleveland Eneas are the primary schools track and field champions
CLEVELAND Eneas emerged as the champions of the New Providence Primary Schools Sports Association’s Annual Track and Field Championships, held last week at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium.
The Draw: Semi-final stage of the High School Soccer Nationals set
WITH the St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine and Queen’s College Comets winning their elimination matches, the stage is now set for the semi-final of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the Bahamas Football Association’s inaugural National High School Soccer Championships.
63rd National Family Island Regatta gets underway in Elizabeth Harbour
THE National Family Island Regatta is just days away and the island of Exuma is gearing up for this much anticipated cultural tradition.
Condo complex eyes $100m sell-out tag
A Paradise Island condo complex’s developer said yesterday that just two of the 15 units it initially made available for sale remain, with 100 persons now employed on-site for its construction.
Gov’t ‘lacks foresight’ over aviation reforms
A leading Bahamian aviation executive said yesterday that while he supported “long overdue” civil aviation reforms, there was “a lack of foresight” in the Government’s approach to this sector.
Gov’t urged: ‘Take heed’ of Social Services report
A former Cabinet minister who had responsibility for the Department of Social Services when in office yesterday urged the Government to “take heed” of the Auditor-General’s damning fraud and corruption-related findings.
Tuesday, April 26
Cartoonist ‘ecstatic’ at letter from Obama
JAMAAL Rolle, a Bahamian artist fast forging a global reputation - and The Tribune’s cartoonist - has received a special congratulatory letter of gratitude from President Barack Obama for his depictions of the US President with other historical figures and a personalised lifelike portrait of the First Lady.
EDITORIAL: Dame Joan condemns the referendum without reading the Bills
WE ARE more than surprised, in fact we are shocked at the position taken by the first Bahamian woman to serve as Chief Justice of the Bahamas (1996-2001) and President of the Bahamas Court of Appeal (2001 to 2010) on the referendum to be held on June 7 to decide whether Bahamian men and women should have equal status in our country.
27 years in jail for killer of breastfeeding mother
A MAN received a 27-year sentence yesterday for his involvement in the fatal attempted carjacking of a woman who was breastfeeding her baby six years ago.
BEC executives quizzed at bribery trial
FORMER executives at the Bahamas Electricity Corporation were probed yesterday on their knowledge of the Inter-American Development Bank’s role in the bidding process concerning a French company’s tender for the New Providence Expansion Phase Three contract with BEC.
Judge may be held to account by committee
SUPREME Court Justice Indra Charles along with Save The Bays Director Fred Smith, QC, and lawyer Ferron Bethel were named in a resolution yesterday in Parliament for the Committee on Privilege to determine whether they should be held in contempt of the House of Assembly.
Social Services staff ‘used food coupons for themselves’
STAFF members at the Department of Social Services participated in a “fraudulent” scheme in which they used food coupons intended for Bahamians on welfare to purchase groceries, according to Auditor General Terrance Bastian.
Fitzgerald ‘may be held in contempt’
HOUSE Speaker Dr Kendal Major said yesterday that Jerome Fitzgerald may be held in contempt of the House of the Assembly if it is found that the private emails he read in Parliament from members of Save the Bays were obtained illegally.
Speaker shock at injunction
HOUSE Speaker Dr Kendal Major said he was both “astonished” and “offended” by the recent granting of an injunction, which bars members of Parliament from disclosing Save The Bays’ confidential information during proceedings, calling it a “pre-emptive onslaught” against the independence of the lower chamber.
International newspaper highlights lack of marital rape laws
THE country’s Sexual Offences Act was identified as “anti-women” by an international news agency over the lack of protection against spousal rape.
Manta Rays Youth Soccer Club seals three division titles in knock out cups
IN Bahamas Development Soccer League’s Knock Out Cups, Domino’s-sponsored Manta Rays soccer club dominated the competition. Overall, the group won titles in three divisions and made it to the semi-final rounds in another two divisions.
Social Services ‘grossly negligent’ on $4m spend
The Auditor-General has slammed the Department of Social Services for “gross negligence” in allowing $4.237 million to be paid to suppliers without proper authorisation, exposing it to potential fraud and corruption.
Affordable teeth
Do you have missing teeth? Does this make it difficult for you to chew food? Are you embarrassed to smile because people will see the spaces?
Five more families hit by land fraud
Five families have become the latest victims of a massive New Providence land fraud, after the Court of Appeal affirmed that Arawak Homes had superior title to their properties.
Our toxic world – Part V
This week’s article brings the enlightenment of the toll that the burning landfill takes on human, environmental and the country’s economic health to an end. I wish I was reporting that the burning landfill itself had come to an end, but unfortunately we are not there as yet, nor is the political will. But let me not digress on that note.
No short-term ‘difference’ via Credit Bureau
The proposed Bahamas Credit Bureau will “not make any difference” in the near term, a top Bahamian banking executive yesterday suggesting it would take four-five years from inception to become an effective tool in assessing borrowers.
Social Services staff shredded documents ‘to conceal fraud’
Government employees have been accused of shredding accounting records “to conceal” corruption and wrongdoing, including a fraud involving food stamps normally issued to poor Bahamians.
A growing passion for healthy living
THE Green Earth Festival last weekend proved that Bahamians are becoming increasingly interested in living green and eating healthy.
Cold storage facility to help immunisation programme
PUBLIC Health officials yesterday commissioned a newly constructed vaccine cold storage facility as a part of the country’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation.
Jobs concerns for $1.6bn National Insurance fund
Prime Minister Perry Christie yesterday said the Government is “working hard” to sustain the financial services industry, given the threats posed by correspondent banking ‘de-risking’ and other initiatives.
New project to show love and appreciation to five special cancer patients
AFTER witnessing how a co-worker struggled to care for her mother who was suffering from cancer, Diann Russell was moved to launch a unique initiative to help ease the burden on families caring for their sick loved ones.
Fred Smith disappointed with Parliamentary stance on privilege
FRED Smith, QC, legal director of Save The Bays, said yesterday he was “disappointed” that House Speaker Dr Kendall Major “dismissed as contemptuous” an order handed down by Supreme Court Justice Indra Charles restraining members of Parliament from releasing any information contained in STB private emails.
Michelle Miller Motivationals: Are you taking focused action?
One of the best prescriptions for achieving personal success is the habit of taking focused action. Nothing happens without action. Despite all the talking, preparing and/or planning, only action will make the thing happen.
Western Warriors Football Club sweeps season trophies again
THE Western Warriors Football Club, an active member of the Bahamas Football Association (BFA) Youth League since 2007, finished the 2015-2016 season with quadruple victories, a repeat of last season’s success.
Providing knowledge and hope
PROVIDING breast cancer survivors with first-hand information on how to improve the quality of their lives was the aim of the first health seminar hosted by the Sister Sister Breast Cancer Support Group last Saturday.
BUN IN THE OVEN: Show me your best side
They say that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, and yes, we all have things that we like and find attractive in others.
Activist: Vote is not a waste of time
ACTIVIST Marion Bethel yesterday disagreed with statements made by former Court of Appeal President Dame Joan Sawyer as she called for heightened education and public awareness in the lead up to the gender equality referendum.
SPORTING MISCHIEF & MAYHEM: Cowboys to run with Elliot while Brady sits it out
THE NFL Draft is on Thursday night, and after doing some hefty research, here’s who I think my Cowboys are going with.
Success on the track
High hurdler Pedrya Seymour, coming off her senior debut at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in March, led a big weekend for a number of Bahamian athletes in various international meets, including triple jumpers Latario Collie and Leevan ‘Superman’ Sands and sprinters Blake Bartlett, Keanu Pennerman and Carmiesha Cox.
‘The Tank’ returns with unanimous victory over American
AFTER almost a year of inactivity, Sherman ‘The Tank’ Williams returned to the ring in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, picking up a unanimous victory over American Jamal Woods on Saturday night.
Documents destroyed in social services dept
DESTRUCTION of government documents at the Department of Social Services raises questions about whether fraud was perpetuated, Auditor General Terrance Bastian noted.
Thinking about our daughters
I recently presented at a workshop where 18 of us shared our goals and vision for our future health.
Gov’t not meeting obligation to 33% of social workers
The Government is not living up to its obligations to the 33 per cent of Department of Social Services staff who were initially hired via the Unemployment Assistance Programme, the Auditor-General has warned.
The Church and equality
I found it quite interesting reading about the Christian Church leaders seemingly new-found enthusiasm for the equal rights of women in The Bahamas.
Davis dismisses Moss claims on referendum as ‘rubbish’
DEPUTY Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis dismissed Marco City MP Greg Moss’ statements about the motives of parliamentarians pushing the passage of the constitutional referendum’s fourth bill as “rubbish” yesterday.
Children among detained migrant group
THREE children, including a two-year-old, were among 16 Haitians intercepted at sea by the US Coast Guard and brought to Grand Bahama on Sunday evening.
Myths about geriatric exercising
Staying healthy as we get older is more important than ever.
Bahamas joins in global celebration of women in ICT careers
THIS Thursday, the Bahamas will join more than 150 countries around the world in encouraging young women to consider careers in the field of information and communication technology (ICT).
Dame Joan’s odd verdict
It is with great sadness that I read the comments of Dame Joan Sawyer, a former Chief Justice and President of the Court of Appeal, today.
Aviation reforms bring Bahamas ‘into 21st century’
A Cabinet Minister yesterday said the Civil Aviation Bill 2015 and accompanying regulations would take the Bahamian aviation sector “into the 21st century”, creating a new regulator with responsibility for aviation security and safety.
Monday, April 25
THE BIG QUESTION: MPs and financial declarations
What do you think should be done to ensure members of Parliament file their financial declarations on time?
100 JAMZ team give support to Sandilands Push/Walkathon
THE TEAM from 100 JAMZ and the “Jambulance” were out early on Saturday morning to support the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre and the Geriatric Hospital at its fifth annual Push/Walkathon at the Sandilands ground on Fox Hill Road.
NASSAU LIFE: An everyday story of Bahamian issues
Richard Coulson offers a succinct (and opinionated) summary of the recent spate of hot news topics.
INSIGHT: Cross the ‘pond’ for better university options
Bahamian students are looking beyond north America to further their education these days. Alexander Hawkins canvasses views of British universities as a viable alternative.
Isaacs and Moree suggested as successors to chief justice
BAHAMAS Bar Association President Elsworth Johnson yesterday endorsed Court of Appeal Justice Jon Isaacs and Queen’s Counsel Brian Moree as two potential candidates to serve as the next chief justice of the Bahamas.
EDITORIAL: Why can’t Bahamians understand fairness?
ONE WONDERS what part of equality some of these preachers do not understand.
‘PLP helping their friends - and leaving Bahamians hungry’
FREE National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday criticised the Christie administration for exhibiting a “helping those who help us” mentality in governance, charging that “tens of thousands” of Bahamians cannot provide for their families as a result.
The MPs who failed to disclose
AT least 10 members of Parliament have failed to file financial declarations by the March 1 deadline as required by the Public Disclosure Act, according to the MPs who were polled by The Tribune.
Man drowns while swimming in Exuma
POLICE are investigating the apparent drowning of a man who was swimming off Ramsey, Exuma, on Sunday afternoon.
Aline McLaughlin dies, aged 94
MISS Aline McLaughlin, 94, died at her San Souci home on Friday evening. With her was her first cousin, Alden Barbes, who had returned from his home in California to help her with her affairs.
Honouring Uncle Lou
Two former students returned to join two visitors in winning their respective divisions of the ninth annual Uncle Lou Adderley Fun Run/Walk Race on Saturday.
Gov’t hiring ‘only way’ we returned to guard landfill
A Bahamian security company says it has only resumed guarding New Providence’s landfill after it was hired by the Government, not the facility’s private sector manager.
Sunland Baptist Academy players sign letters of intent to attend colleges in fall
IT was an historic day for the Sunland Baptist Academy Stingers basketball programme.
Buddy Hield takes some time out to give back
OF the alumni to participate in the Darrell Sears showcase over the years, no name garners more attention and is more critically acclaimed than Buddy Hield.
Time for Minnis to rise
Every five years, a very strange phenomenon occurs. Educated men and women, considerably righteous men and women, and even those usually not prone to much gaff descend into a primal circle of rhetoric, propaganda, smear tactics, and outright falsehoods all in the name of politics.
The things we could learn...
The headline in today’s Tribune: “Miller: We learned corruption from US”.
Man held at Freeport Harbour after cocaine find
A 28-year-old man was arrested on Sunday at Freeport Harbour after he was allegedly caught with a quantity of drugs.
Developer: Gov’t failed to protect us from activists
Blackbeard’s Cay’s developer has slammed the Government for failing to properly protect its $12 million investment from environmental activists, claiming it has been “unfairly treated” in efforts to shut the project down.
Bahamas First ‘not desperate’ to make further acquisitions
Bahamas First is “not desperate” to make further acquisitions, even though its top executive concedes this is the only viable route to growth.
Darrell Sears Showcase highlights our best talent
THE Darrell Sears Showcase continues to be a staple on the Bahamas’ basketball calendar and gains recognition by showcasing the best talent the country has to offer.
Political parties lack ‘big ideas’
A well-known businessman has criticised the three main political parties for an absence of “big ideas”, while expressing hope that the National Development Plan may spur a cure.
Activists to developer: ‘Stop your whining’
Environmental activists last night urged Blackbeard’s Cay’s principal to “stop whining” over earlier reverses, and slammed as “disingenuous” claims the $12 million project had been treated unfairly in previous legal hearings.
WORLD VIEW: Good sense on drugs absent at the U.N.
For a brief moment it appeared that good sense would prevail and the international community would ditch the failed “war on drugs” policy. But all hopes were dashed at the United Nations General Assembly special session on drugs (UNgass) last week in New York.
Ride for Hope to return to Eleuthera
RIDE FOR Hope is going back to its roots in Eleuthera for its 10th anniversary charity bike-athon next year, the organisers announced yesterday.
Unfair attack on media
A letter written by Delvin Rolle complaining about media coverage of FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis is another sad example of his supporters’ belief that the media are somehow blind and just don’t get how wonderful, articulate and filled with bright ideas is Dr Minnis.
QC fearing ‘banana republic’ perceptions
The Bahamas is in danger of being “perceived as a little Caribbean banana republic” due to excessive government secrecy and a failure to enforce the law, an outspoken QC fears.
Attorney calls for more active drone enforcing
A Bahamian aviation law specialist yesterday stressed the need for “active enforcement” of laws governing the use of drones, after the Civil Aviation Department warned against their use in the Love Beach area.
Ex-Chamber chief: End ‘ridiculous bureaucracy’
A former Chamber of Commerce chairman says “ridiculous bureaucratic processes” must cease if the Bahamas is to encourage entrepreneurship, with small business development this nation’s “low hanging fruit”.
Sunday, April 24
Three dead in weekend Family Island traffic accidents
THREE men are dead and another man is in hospital after two separate traffic accidents in the Family Islands over the weekend.
19-year-old man stabbed to death in fight at Andros nightclub
A 19-year-old youth is dead after he was stabbed during fight at a nightclub in Andros early on Sunday morning.
Saturday, April 23
Defence Force officer one of two arrested in connection with firearm, drugs discovery
A Royal Bahamas Defence Force Officer and another man are in custody following the seizure of a firearm and a quantity of drugs on Friday.A Royal Bahamas Defence Force Officer and another man are in custody following the seizure of a firearm and a quantity of drugs on Friday.
Friday, April 22
DNA leader raises concerns over landfill developments
DEMOCRATIC National Alliance (DNA) leader Branville McCartney has raised concerns with operations at the Department of Environmental Health Services (DEHS), suggesting that "political corruption" had "stymied" proposed landfill developments around the country.
Government ministers warn Save the Bays 'nothing' will stop them
DESPITE being served with an injunction restraining them from releasing any information contained in Save The Bays' (STB) private emails, government ministers Jerome Fitzgerald and Fred Mitchell said on Friday “nothing” will stop them.
'Unreasonable' for Bruno Rufa to be given seven days to leave the country
WHILE Director of Immigration William Pratt by law had the power to vary, cancel or reduce the 150-day period that was granted to Canadian Bruno Rufa on his entry to the Bahamas last year, Supreme Court Justice Petra Hanna Weekes found that it was “unreasonable” for the director to have given him seven days to leave the country - a day and half before the Christmas holiday.
Warning over drone use in Love Beach area
CIVIL Aviation on Friday warned that the Love Beach area is a no-fly zone for drones, citing the dangers of contact between commerical planes and the small unmanned aircraft.
Witness takes offence to laywer's 'conman' suggestion in BEC bribe case
A MAN who received immunity from the prosecution for his role in an Alstom SA/Bahamas Electricity Corporation bribery scheme took offence at being labelled a conman by the lawyer for accused bribe taker Freddie Ramsey.
Roberts hits back at Greg Moss over referendum
PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party (PLP) chairman Bradley Roberts hit out at Marco City MP Greg Moss on Friday, suggesting that he has issues with his sexuality that are causing him to speak out against the contentious fourth bill of the constitutional referendum on gender equality in the Bahamas.
DNA: Miller talk of corruption just way PLP does business
DEMOCRATIC National Alliance Leader Branville McCartney said a recent reaction by Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller to the United States’ claims of corruption in government illustrates “the way the PLP has done business” for the last 40 years.
Roberts tells FNM chairman to stay quiet over corruption
PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts said FNM Chairman Sidney Collie should just “sit in a corner and be quiet” until FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis “comes clean” about his involvement with alleged gangsters Livingston “Toggie” Bullard and Wisler “Bobo” Davilma.
A Comic’s View: Prince is dead, long live the Queen
My high school English teacher at St Andrew’s Gordon Mills (awesome teacher and even better person) had a sign on his desk “Garbage in, garbage out.”
Bulgarian man to face ten months in jail for money laundering
A BULGARIAN man will serve ten months in prison for money laundering that stemmed from an ATM machine hacking scheme, a judge ruled yesterday.
EDITORIAL: If you have a conscience, vote ‘yes’ for June 7 referendum
BISHOP Walter Hanchell, instead of encouraging a “yes” vote on June 7th in the constitutional referendum that will at last give equal rights to Bahamian men and women, has chosen to play on the fears of insecure Bahamian men by warning that if Bahamian women’s foreign husbands were to be given status on marriage it would encourage an “influx” of foreign men using Bahamian women as a “ticket” to get work.
MPs ordered not to disclose more confidential information
SAVE THE Bays has been granted an interlocutory injunction against Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister Fred Mitchell, Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald and Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson, restraining them from further disclosing the group’s confidential information in Parliament.
BEC bribe trial witness grilled over influence on contract
THE lawyer of accused bribe taker Freddie Ramsey grilled a prosecution witness yesterday on whether his client truly had influence in the awarding of a multi-million dollar project from the Bahamas Electricity Corporation to a French company that, from draft letters sent to the witness, had already met with the head of Cabinet.
Sears and Griffin named as first PLP election candidates
THE National General Council of the Progressive Liberal Party last night announced the ratification of two longstanding party members to contest seats in the upcoming general election.
Rex Major urges ‘no’ vote for fourth bill
EVANGELIST Rex Major added his voice to the chorus of pastors urging Bahamians to reject the fourth constitutional referendum bill yesterday.
Miller calls on PM to demand Baha Mar talks
PRIME Minister Perry Christie must demand “face to face” talks with the president of China and “pressure” that country to find a resolution to the ongoing Baha Mar impasse as The Bahamas is set to face “critical” times because the resort remains closed, Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller said yesterday.
Moss warns of hidden agenda on equality vote
SOME parliamentarians are pushing the passage of the constitutional referendum’s fourth bill because of their homosexual identity, Marco City MP Greg Moss suggested to a group of pastors yesterday.
Still no legislation for intelligence agency
DESPITE his February pledge, National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage still has not taken the long-promised National Intelligence Agency legislation to Cabinet for review, State Minister for National Security Keith Bell confirmed to The Tribune.
THE FINISH LINE: Kudos to Chris and ‘Catch the Fire’
After a two-year hiatus, Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown got back on track in hosting his second Chris Brown Bahamas Invitational at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium over the weekend.
Another exciting week of flag football
IT was another exciting day of play in the Bahamas Flag Football League at the Winton Rugby Pitch this past Sunday.
Bahamian baseball players look to make impact in majors
AS the Minor League Baseball season got underway this month, several Bahamian baseball players are looking to make an impact and progress toward the majors.
Cybots celebrate
Practice makes perfect. Just ask the Mail Boat Cybots. Whenever they were not playing, win or lose, coach Wayde Watson had his Cybots in the gym preparing for their next game in the New Providence Basketball Association men’s best-of-seven championship series. Now they can look back and celebrate as the new champions.
Eleuthera seeks three year incentive extend
The Eleuthera Chamber of Commerce yesterday urged the Government to grant a three-year extension to the island’s Family Island Development Act incentives, its president describing this as “crucial” to developing its economy.
Clubs and Societies 04222016
Cycling Club Bahamas. - Weekday rides east: Morning, Tuesday & Thursday leaving 5am sharp from Sea Grapes Shopping Centre, East Prince Charles Drive. This ride is a 17-mile loop to the Northbound Paradise Island Bridge and back again (both bridges are sometimes incorporated depending on available time). Open to riders capable of 18mph+ for 1 hour. Lights are essential.
Blackbeard’s Cay closure is blocked
The Supreme Court has barred attempts by environmental activists to shut down the $12 million Blackbeard’s Cay project, with the same judge issuing an Order that stays his previous ruling.
‘No way landfill can break even’
A waste-to-energy provider yesterday said there was “no way” that Renew Bahamas could generate enough revenue from waste recycling to finance the New Providence landfill’s remediation.
FNM queries ‘bail out’ for landfill’s manager
The Government was yesterday facing intense scrutiny over the New Providence landfill, as its opponents raised doubts over whether it should “bail out” the facility’s privately-owned manager.
Bahamian creditors drop $1.11m default against Dingman
Jamie Dingman was yesterday said to have reached a compromise with his Bahamian creditors, who have agreed to “vacate” the certificate paving the way to a $1.113 million default judgment against him.
Appeal in land fight against Sir Franklyn rejected
THE Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal brought by several parties against a controversial ruling over Bahamian businessman Sir Franklyn Wilson’s ownership of over 2,000 acres in Eleuthera yesterday.
‘Brand damages’ fear on Harbour Isl. power woes
A Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) director yesterday said addressing Harbour Island’s power woes was a “top priority”, amid private sector concerns over “brand damage”.
‘This country has no true feeder system for basketball’
IT usually makes for a great photo-op, doesn’t it?
Budget not yet finalised for ‘yes’ campaign
THE budget for the government’s YES Bahamas referendum campaign has not yet been finalised, according to former Senate President Lynn Holowesko.
Bias towards Butler-Turner
IT WAS interesting to read the lead story in your business section on April 19 about FNM MP Loretta Butler-Turner calling for the Christie administration to create a special envoy to look after Baha Mar.
A ray of light . . .
Please allow me a small space in your valuable newspaper to send a great big thank you to the Chairman, management and staff of the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC).
The other side of the BASH saga
With reference to the article about the horses at BASH in The Tribune on April 19, I must set the record straight.
BTC trialling pre paid energy meter
The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has been working on a “proof of concept” trial for a pre-paid metering solution which it will offer to Bahamas Power & Light (BPL), the Deputy Prime Minister said yesterday.
Thursday, April 21
Ankle bracelets being tampered with ‘every day’
NATIONAL Security State Minister Keith Bell yesterday declared that ankle-monitoring bracelets were tampered with every day as he stressed the critical need for the proposed amendments to the Bail Act.
A YOUNG MAN'S VIEW: Beleaguered government faces a summer of discontent
IT IS clear that sometimes in life, the truth is much stranger than fiction.
Going undie-cover? Suspect had kids’ underwear as a mask
TWO men are in police custody after they were caught attempting to rob a laundromat early yesterday morning.
Keod Smith told to pay Save the Bays $375,000
THE Supreme Court has ordered attorney Keod Smith to pay $375,000 to Save The Bays, which was accumulated by the environmental group in court costs and fees during a legal battle.
Gray ‘not sleeping while island burns’ as fire trucks head to scene
MICAL MP V Alfred Gray yesterday defended his handling of the fires in Crooked Island, rejecting assertions that he “sleeps while Crooked Island burns” as “utter rubbish”.
Govt funds for YES campaign is confirmed
SENATE President Sharon Wilson confirmed to The Tribune yesterday that the government is funding the YES Bahamas referendum campaign.
Landfill manager in talks as it loses money
RENEW Bahamas yesterday confirmed it is in “active” talks with the Government to alter the terms of its five-year landfill management contract, after “substantial” losses showed its original financial projections were invalid.
Search halted for missing US kayaker off Eleuthera
AUTHORITIES have halted the search for a Massachusetts man who disappeared while kayaking off Eleuthera on Tuesday night.
Davis dismisses U.S. criticism over contracts
DEPUTY Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis suggested yesterday that the United States only criticised the contract procurement methods of the Bahamas because they differ from its own practices.
BEC bribe scandal firm wrote to Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham
A JURY heard yesterday that a French company was determined enough to outbid its Korean rival in obtaining a multi-million dollar project from the Bahamas Electricity Corporation that it attempted to make contact with then Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham and then Deputy Prime Minister Frank Watson.
Grand Cay woman caught with drugs in suitcase
A 21-year-old woman from Grand Cay, Abaco is in police custody on Thursday after she was arrested for possession of marijuana and cocaine found in a suitcase.
Leadership conference to pay tribute to Myles Munroe
THE Global Unity Leadership Conference in Grand Bahama this week will feature a special tribute to the late Dr Myles Munroe as well as number of international speakers, including well-known boardroom consultant Larry Cabaldon of California.
Save Our Bahamas: We are against wording of referendum, not equality
SAVE Our Bahamas, the group advocating for a “no” vote on bill four during the upcoming gender equality referendum, has stressed that it was “never” against equal rights for men, women or children.
‘Tumour surgery changed my life’
ONE month after a massive tumour was successfully removed from his neck, a “grateful” Tameko Bethel said words “can’t even express” living life tumour-free.
Throwing stones and glass houses
While the country’s national debt has increased to $6.6b, up $136m over the previous quarter, the Baha Mar resort is still stalled, with certain members of the government now intimating that the course of action taken by this government in preventing the developer from restructuring his finances may not have been the best course of action, crime and unemployment still being very concerning issues, the Chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party, Bradley Roberts seems hell bent on focusing on questions that for the most part have already been asked and answered of the Free National Movement.
Justifying abuse?
Is Sir Franklyn Wilson justifying corruption and human rights abuses?
Financial time bomb
Your Editorial of today is right on the money with this matter and quite honestly, I do not think that the Bahamian people realise, or appreciate, the magnitude of what seems to have happened.
Doctors to wait ‘a few days’ for response by ministry
PRESIDENT of the Doctors Union Dr Charles Clarke said his members will wait “a few days to see” what the Ministry of Health and the Public Hospitals Authority will offer before “moving to the next phase of their plan”.
Lawyers were charged with offences that did not exist
SIX months after bringing charges against a lawyer who denied accusations of witness intimidation and obstruction of justice, the Crown was compelled to concede yesterday that the charges were a nullity.
Landfill manager in ‘Renewed’ deal
Renew Bahamas yesterday confirmed it is in “active’ talks with the Government to alter the terms of its five-year landfill management contract, after “substantial” losses showed its original financial projections were invalid.
Bahamas Waste: Biodiesel deal ‘huge win-win’
Bahamas Waste yesterday said it had created “a win-win” for all stakeholders by selling a majority 51 per cent interest in its fledgling biodiesel business to a local partner for just $180,433.
Downgrade escape ‘not much comfort’
The Bahamas “cannot take much comfort” from maintaining its investment grade rating, the Opposition’s deputy leader yesterday suggesting it was “premature to celebrate” Value-Added Tax’s (VAT) gross $536 million return.
Damian Neville suffers spinal injury in rugby training accident
DAMIAN Neville, a well known local sportsman, suffered a serious spinal injury on Tuesday night after an accident during the Bahamas rugby team’s preparations for their match with Mexico next month.
Regulator seeks ‘material worries’ on Panama Papers
Financial services industry jitters over the so-called ‘Panama Papers’ yesterday prompted the Central Bank to issue a notice asking its licensees to report any “material concerns” they may have in relation to clients connected to the leak.
Stem cell facility acquisition set to boost growth
The Bahamas’ first stem cell treatment facility yesterday confirmed it has been acquired by a UK-based medical provider, with a deal designed to grow the operation and the number of patients it treats.
Voters registered for 2012 election already eligible for referendum
ALL Bahamians who registered to vote for the 2012 general election are eligible to participate in the upcoming gender equality vote, which is expected to take place in about six weeks, according to Parliamentary Commissioner Sherlin Hall yesterday.
Grand Bahama pastors undecided on equality vote
ALTHOUGH a group of Nassau pastors has launched a “say no” campaign against the fourth Constitutional Amendment Bill for gender equality, Grand Bahama pastors have not yet taken an official position.
‘Why the focus on activists instead of Nygard issues?’
SAVE The Bays (STB) Legal Director Fred Smith, QC, yesterday sad he is “totally amazed” at the extent to which the government has been able to deflect from the real issues at the heart of the ongoing Peter Nygard controversy.
Cybots champions
The Mail Boat Cybots have returned as New Providence Basketball Association (NPBA) champions.
Knights senior girls, boys win GSSSA soccer titles
IT was a sweep of both divisions for the CR Walker Knights as they proved to be the dominant senior soccer programme in the Government Schools Secondary Sports Association.
Olympic highs reward for years of hard work and dedication
THE Bahamas Olympic Association’s (BOA) fourth and current president, Sir Arlington Butler, can be considered the country’s keeper of the Olympic flame.
FOURTH QUARTER PRESS: A ‘lacklustre’ first round in NBA playoffs
THE NBA playoffs are officially underway, with all eight of the first-round series through two games.
ON DA HOOK
WHEN you’re ready for the biggest, baddest, fastest and most ferocious fight, you’re ready for deep sea fishing.
Abaco developer downsizing due to crime spike
Abaco’s Chamber of Commerce chief yesterday slammed the lack of effective police and local government response to boat thefts and home break-ins as a “grave concern”.
ART OF GRAPHIX: How to become ‘camera ready’
Have you ever heard the term, ‘Camera Ready’, kicked around in the design or print community, and wondered what it meant? If you did, do not feel left out. It is an old term that hardly applies today. In fact, many people who use it probably cannot provide its proper definition
Correspondent bank de-risk ‘major threat’
A Cabinet minister yesterday described the correspondent banking ‘de-risking’ trend as a “major threat” to the Bahamas and wider Caribbean, calling on regulators to do their part in protecting the region.
Chamber chief blasts VAT refund ‘disgrace’
Grand Bahama’s Chamber of Commerce president yesterday said it was “shameful and disgraceful” that companies have not been receiving timely Value-Added Tax (VAT) refunds.
Wednesday, April 20
TOUGH CALL: Will our leaders ever get serious about a plan for the future?
I THINK most of us would agree that the country could do with a strategic plan that looks beyond our five-year electoral cycles and pushes the public sector to deliver.
EDITORIAL: Data Commissioner commended for doing her job
IN THE debate on the recent brazen disclosure of an environmental group’s confidential e-mails on the floor of the House by a government minister, using parliamentary privilege as his cover, the unkindest cut of all got lost in the small print.
PLP chairman hits out at opponents to bill
PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts said the Save Our Bahamas group did not have any evidence to support its opposition of the fourth Constitutional Amendment Bill.
Resident: Gray sleeps while our island burns
A disgruntled Crooked Island resident yesterday criticised MICAL MP V Alfred Gray for the government’s poor reaction to massive fires on the island, as he lamented his family being subjected to inhaling “billows of thick black smoke” for the past three weeks.
Minnis calls on MPs to reveal BOB loans
FREE National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday called for all parliamentarians to immediately disclose whether they received any loans from the Bank of the Bahamas (BOB).
Witness says he was part of BEC bribe deal
AN insurance advisor told a Supreme Court jury yesterday that a former board member at the Bahamas Electricity Corporation struck a deal that allowed him to receive a third of some $600,000 as a paid informant for a French company seeking to obtain the New Providence Expansion Phase Two contract with BEC.
Religious leaders unite to call for ‘yes’ vote
TOP religious leaders across denominations united yesterday to declare their hope that Bahamians vote yes to all questions during the gender equality referendum on June 7.
Doctors walk out in protest
SCORES of doctors demonstrated outside the Cabinet Office yesterday morning demanding the Public Hospitals Authority and the Ministry of Health revisit “unfair and insulting” terms and conditions outlined in a proposal for a new industrial contract.
Laundromat robbers swiftly apprehended
QUICK response by New Providence police officers led to the arrest of two men early on Wednesday shortly after they committed an armed robbery at the Super Wash laundromat on Blue Hill Road South.
American kayaker missing off The Current, Eleuthera
A LARGE search and rescue operation has been mounted in Eleuthera for an American kayaker from Massachusetts who went missing on Tuesday night.
12-inch MacBook updated
THE 12-inch MacBook is a love-it-or-hate-it laptop. It seems to inspire either fierce loyalty or intense derision.
Equity risk aversion undermining growth
A well-known businessman yesterday urged the National Development Plan’s (NDP) architects to “dig a little deeper” into investors’ aversion to equity investments, arguing that this was undermining the Bahamas’ sustainable development.
Postal workers angry over mould and rat infestation
BAHAMAS Public Service Union President John Pinder yesterday vowed to protest with his members everyday in Rawson Square until the government addresses the group’s key concerns, including “union busting” by the commissioner of police and the “mould and rat infested” General Post Office.
Jeffery Gibson gives schools a visit
BAHAMAS national record holder in the 400 metre hurdles and World Championships bronze medallist Jeffery Gibson recently visited students of Queen’s College and St Anne’s School.
Launching Team Bahamas
MINISTER of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson officially launched Team Bahamas yesterday by introducing some of the bright young people in the country, including those in the realm of sports, junkanoo, drama, politics and art.
Working together to strengthen the rule of law in The Bahamas
The IDB has granted a $20m loan to the Bahamas to help with the fight against crime. Robert Pantzer explains the technical co-operation that paved the way for the new approach.
Freeport highlighted as investment zone at Shanghai event
FREEPORT was prominently featured as the free trade zone of The Bahamas to hundreds of Chinese investors at the Free Trade Zone & Special Economic Zone Summit (FTZ) recently held in Shanghai, China.
VIEW FROM AFAR: A tax too far on hotels
WHEN a hotel bring travel agents, media personalities and journalists to the Bahamas and puts them up free of cost, the hotel is required to pay Value Added Tax (VAT) on a value of the rooms given to them.
‘How did every plp support PSA but now reject it?’
SAVE The Bays said yesterday that the Christie administration’s proposed revision of the Planning and Subdivisions Act (PSA) is bad for Bahamians as it allows the government to give this country’s resources away to foreign developers “for next to nothing”.
BOB chair’s reversal on ‘political lending’
Bank of the Bahamas’ chairman yesterday backtracked from his admission that politics had influenced past lending decisions, saying he was referring to “perception” rather than reality.
Freeport seeks GBPA meeting over the FLIP
Freeport’s private sector is seeking an urgent meeting with the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) over its Freeport Light Industrial Park (FLIP) venture, amid fears it will create “an uneven playing field” for Bahamian-owned businesses.
2022 Vision: Meeting to prepare for Commonwealth Youth Games
IN preparation for the Commonwealth Youth Games, the Bahamas Commonwealth Games Association will host the first Americans and Regional Meeting this weekend as the event takes on its own brand heading into the hosting next year in the Bahamas.
FNM secretary: Number of non-voters in chairman race overstated
FREE National Movement Secretary General Michael Foulkes has said the party is “disappointed” over the “wrong” public impression that the party’s recent chairman election failed to attract the majority of its eligible council voters.
Amazon’s stand-alone streaming targets Netflix
AMAZON is taking on Netflix and Hulu with its own stand-alone video streaming service, just weeks before Netflix raises prices for longtime subscribers.
The country becoming a ghetto
One recent weekend, I went into a gas station to make a purchase. Shortly thereafter three or four young ladies pulled up in separate vehicles, calypso music blasting.
Pastors’ Stone Age thinking
The coalition of pastors who seem to have but one string to their ecclesiastical guitar again launched into a chorus of hate in a now predictable attempt to blur the line between church business and state business.
Natasha Newbold ‘was a strong-minded individual who never felt that she would fail’
NATASHA Newbold played a pivotal role in the sport of bodybuilding and powerlifting. She was a strong-minded individual who never felt that she would fail or not be able to finish a race.
How to clean up your online reputation
MESSY party photos, offensive tweets, pepper spraying student protesters ... sometimes, you just want a makeover when it comes to your online presence. And for a hefty price tag, you can.
Police hunt for murder suspects
POLICE are searching for two men they believe can help with ongoing murder investigations.
CASJA shocked by sudden death of Barbadian journalist
NASSAU, Bahamas — The Caribbean Sports Journalists’ Association (CASJA) is shocked by the sudden passing of colleague journalist Petra Gooding of Barbados.
Housebreaking suspect held after chase
POLICE arrested a housebreaking suspect shortly after 1pm on Monday.
Morton Salt signs five-year deal with workers
THE president of the union representing more than 100 Morton Salt line-staff yesterday said employees are “satisfied” with the particulars of a newly signed five-year industrial agreement with the Inagua based company.
Tech Talk
Moon mission camera up for auction
• A CAMERA lens used by the commander of the 1971 Apollo 15 moon mission on the lunar surface and in orbit is up for auction.
Sentence delayed for man involved in death of breastfeeding mother
A JUDGE has reserved his decision on what sentence he will impose on a man convicted by a jury for his involvement in the fatal attempted carjacking of a woman who was breastfeeding her baby six years ago.
Route announced for road fever
THE Bahamas National Festival Commission and the Carnival Band Owners Association have announced the official route for the 2016 Road Fever street parade.
TahjNeé gets full athletic scholarship to Fresno State
Versatile TahjNeé Thurston is all set to head off to California to attend Fresno State University on a full athletic scholarship.
Bahamians divided over funding for referendum campaigns
THE question of whether public funds should be used to fund constitutional referendum campaigns is dividing Bahamians, with former parliamentarian George Smith saying the government should spare no resource to ensure Bahamians vote “yes” to the amendments.
‘Nothing left’ for Long Island’s departed 10 per cent
A Long Island businessman yesterday estimated that 10 per cent of the island’s population had migrated to either New Providence or Freeport in the aftermath of Hurricane Joaquin, and while some wanted to return “there is nothing to come back to”.
Corruption ‘almost a culture’ in Bahamas
The Democratic National Alliance’s (DNA) leader yesterday said he was “amazed” that government MPs and their leadings supporters appeared to be justifying corruption, which has “almost become a culture” in the Bahamas.
Joaquin highlighted communications woe
The absence of reliable communications was one of the major challenges exposed by Hurricane Joaquin, Rotary’s distrct governor said yesterday, stressing the need for a co-ordinated, reliable connnection.
‘Tax free zone’ urged for Joaquin-hit islands
The Government was yesterday urged to designate the storm-ravaged southeastern Bahamas as a ‘tax-free zone’ to give the area’s island economies a “shot in the arm”.
Chamber works on extra $500,000 for hurricane relief
The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation’s (BCCEC) chief executive yesterday said it was working with the Government to generate an extra $500,000 to assist Hurricane Joaquin-ravaged businesses.
SuperGreen Solutions: Solar investment buys lower electricity bills
In my experience, Bahamians are becoming increasingly interested in solar power. However, many are unsure whether they can afford it.
Tuesday, April 19
Weather may have hit turnout as Carnival attendance almost halves
AN estimated 16,000 people attended this year’s Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival in Grand Bahama, resulting in a significant decline compared to last year’s turnout of 30,000.
POLITICOLE: Illiteracy and unemployability shame The Bahamas
If I hear one more person claiming to want to lead me and my people and can barely knock two letters together to make sense ...
Horses rescued from BASH stables
THE Bahamas Humane Society yesterday seized three horses from the Bahamas Association for Social Health, citing complaints of animal cruelty against its executive director, Terry Miller.
Court backlog down by 322
THE backlog in criminal matters before the courts has been reduced by 322 cases since 2012, Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson said yesterday.
Keith Bell: Crime plan has not failed
DESPITE the fact that nearly 500 homicides have been recorded during the Christie administration’s term, Minister of State for National Security Keith Bell does not believe the government’s crime-fighting strategies have failed.
Yes campaign hits out at rival pastors
THE Yes Bahamas campaign yesterday hit out at a “small group of pastors” who oppose the fourth Constitutional Amendment Bill, calling their stance “a rejection of equal rights for our sons and daughters.”
Govt funds ‘should also go to NO campaign’
CONSTITUTIONAL Commission Chairman Sean McWeeney has said proponents of the vote “yes” and vote “no” campaigns for the upcoming constitutional referendum on gender equality should have equal access to public funds.
Minnis: We will fight corruption
FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday called Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller’s comments over the government’s procurement process a brazen admission of the government’s role in the endemic corruption that plagued the country.
Murder victim identified
POLICE have identified the man who died in hospital hours after being shot in front of his home on Thursday as 36-year-old Kanill Darville.
Harmful mouth gaps
Many challenges occur in the oral cavity throughout the adult life of a person. Two of these challenges are inextricablly linked together and continue to wreak havoc in the mouths of many. They are losing permanent teeth and failing to replace permanent teeth.
Kingdor Foundation gears up for 16th annual ball
THE Kingdor National Parkinson Foundation will host its 16th annual gala ball on Saturday, April 30 in honour of those who have played a significant role in the development of the foundation or given excellent service to the Bahamian people.
Family violence: What is the role we play?
Research shows that children who grow up in dysfunctional homes are more likely to be violent and to have problems with addiction.
Young mothers-to-be learn how to get ‘job ready’
The young ladies of PACE (Providing Access to Continued Education) recently got the chance to ask an expert about the ins and outs of career advancement in today’s world. CIBC FirstCaribbean hosted a resume and interview workshop for the students at the PACE centre, led by Head of Human Resources Antionette Turnquest.
Michelle Miller Motivationals: It takes unstoppable confidence to go the distance
Imagine how much further you would throw your ball of possibility if you had unstoppable confidence. How many roadblocks would you knock out of your way or how many mountains would you climb?
BUN IN THE OVEN: Three things every woman wants to know
It’s funny how most men think women can be difficult creatures. Sure, we’re emotional, sensitive, pondering human beings, but we’re not that complicated.
CHAMPS celebrates six years of empowering women
The CHAMPS organisation, which stands for “Chosen, Honoured, Appointed, Motivated, Positive Sisters”, will celebrate its sixth anniversary with several unique events.
Should women be ordained priests?
Women, their roles and their plethora of issues, have been a long time favourite topic of mine, ever since I became literate.
Waiting for the right time
Bahamian doctor-turned-author promotes purpose before romance
SHE may be able to heal the wounds of her patients, but no amount of medication could alleviate the pain Bahamian doctor Lorneka Joseph experienced after being rejected and left broken by her past romantic relationships.
Swimmers qualify for CISC, BSF Nationals at Team ORCA meet
THERE were a number of swimmers who did the qualifying standards for both the Caribbean Islands Swimming Championships (CISC) and the Bahamas Swimming Federation’s Royal Bank of Canada National Swimming Championships at the Team ORCA Post Carifta Invitational over the weekend.
SPORTING MISCHIEF & MAYHEM: ‘Black Jack’ comes up trumps with wrestling family legacy
GOING quietly under the radar last week, unnoticed by many who were probably mesmerised by Kobe’s farewell ‘60’ or the start of the NBA playoffs, maybe it was MLB baseball that caught their eye.
‘Superheroes’ take to the streets for Atlantic Medical Fun Walk/Run
MORE than 1,400 “superheroes” took to the street on Saturday morning for the 18th Atlantic Medical Insurance Fun Walk Run, the company’s premier fundraising effort in support of the Bahamas Diabetic Association and the Cancer Society of the Bahamas.
Ferguson helps his team advance to championships in Greece
ALTHOUGH he didn’t play the full season, Bahamas men’s national team player Byron Ferguson has helped the Foinikas Syrou volleyball team advance to the championships of the Greece Volleyball League.
Giants blow out Cybots, force game six
The Commonwealth Bank Giants, refusing to roll over and play dead for the second consecutive game, blew out the Mail Boat Cybots by 22 points to stay alive in the New Providence Basketball Association’s best-of-seven championship series at the AF Adderley Gymnasium last night.
Carnival bands will not boycott parade
DARIO Terrelli, president of the Bahamas Carnival Band Owners Association), confirmed to The Tribune yesterday that carnival bands will not boycott this year’s festival.
Charles McCartney condition stabilised after home invasion shooting
THE family of Charles McCartney, the 78-year-old Rotarian shot in his Ruby Avenue home early on Saturday, said yesterday while he isn’t “out of the woods just yet”, he is stabilised and holding his own.
Save the Bays ‘has never made a contribution’ to any political party
SAVE The Bays (STB) chairman Joseph Darville yesterday said the environmental group has “never made a financial contribution” to any political party or politician.
Conviction upheld for woman guilty of manslaughter
A WOMAN convicted of fatally stabbing her boyfriend had her conviction and seven year sentence for manslaughter affirmed by the Court of Appeal.
BEC bribery trial expected to start today
PROSPECTIVE jurors in the Alstom SA/Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) bribery case were instructed to return to the Supreme Court today for the expected start of trial.
Pathologist says victim may have been able to identify shooter
FORENSIC pathologist Dr Caryn Sands told a Supreme Court jury yesterday that it is possible for a murder victim to speak coherently within moments of receiving a fatal injury.
‘No one more capable than Christie to lead nation’
STATE National Security Minister Keith Bell has insisted that there is no one in The Bahamas more capable than Prime Minister Perry Christie of successfully navigating this country through “treacherous waters”.
Bell calls planning act ‘horrendous’
SENATOR Keith Bell yesterday said the Planning and Subdivisions Act is a “horrendous” piece of legislation with “adverse consequences” to Bahamians that should have never been passed under the previous FNM government.
Comedian or an MP?
I’m sure there’s a comedian somewhere that sucked his teeth when he read The Tribune headline yesterday quoting Leslie Miller, PLP MP for Tall Pines, as saying The Bahamas “learned corruption from the US”.
Corruption? Surely not here!
Re: US warning over govt corruption.
Allowing corruption to rule
“MILLER: We learned corruption from the US – Contracts for supporters will never stop.” – The Tribune
Baha Mar: Bahamian creditors owed $170m
The continuing uncertainty surrounding the $3.5 billion Baha Mar project is “jeopardising the Bahamas’ fragile growth prospects”, Standard & Poor’s (S&P) believes, with local companies owed a collective $170 million.
S&P: Bahamas will avoid ‘grey listing’ from Panama Papers
The Bahamian financial services industry has received a major vote of confidence from Standard & Poor’s (S&P), which believes this country will not be ‘blacklisted’ or ‘greylisted’ as a result of the ‘Panama Papers’ leak.
Sir Franklyn to the US: ‘Cure yourself’
A well-known businessman yesterday said there was less corruption per capita in the Bahamas and English-speaking Caribbean than the US, and told the Obama administration: “Cure yourself.”
S&P: Primary surplus key to stable rating
The Government will take a major step towards convincing Standard & Poor’s (S&P) to maintain the Bahamas’ ‘investment grade’ rating if it can hit primary Budget surplus targets from the 2015-2016 fiscal year onwards.
‘No complacency’ over S&P break
The Central Bank’s governor yesterday warned there was “no room for complacency”, even though Standard & Poor’s (S&P) gave the Bahamas a much-needed break by maintaining its ‘investment grade’ credit rating.
Three held after marijuana find
OFFICERS from the Selective Enforcement Team (SET) arrested three men following the seizure of a quantity of dangerous drugs on Sunday.
Monday, April 18
Crooked Island residents see no end to fire turmoil
DESPITE pleas, long-suffering residents of Crooked Island say they see “no end to the turmoil” of the last two weeks as fires continue to burn in and around four of the island’s major settlements.
INSIGHT: Saints or sinners? The real story of caring for HIV and AIDS patients
After the US State Department’s report last week accused a Bahamian care institution of neglect and inadequate medical provision, Ava Turnquest, Tribune Chief Reporter, paid a visit. She gained a very different impression.
INSIGHT: National Development - Bahamians need transparency
Our attention was piqued by the National Development Plan, or better yet, the travesty that took place at the College of the Bahamas (COB) Library last week.
EDITORIAL: How did STB documents get in the House with the matter before the courts?
WHILE Prime Minister Perry Christie was desperately trying to ward off the fall-out from the “Panama Papers” by assuring foreign investors that the Bahamas has one of the most stringently regulated banking systems in the world, and secrecy was of top most importance, his Foreign Minister was busily defending the right of a government minister to leak the private financial files of an environmental organisation on the floor of the House of Assembly under the guise of parliamentary privilege.
Receivers accused of snubbing Baha Mar letters
A FORMER Baha Mar executive has suggested that the resort’s court-appointed receivers have failed to provide substantial responses to its letters and requests.
DNA leader’s cousin hurt in raid
DEMOCRATIC National Alliance leader Branville McCartney has called on the Christie administration to reassess the way it approaches crime, saying yesterday it was evident that The Bahamas has an “undisciplined society”, in the wake of the shooting of his cousin Charles McCartney, who was seriously wounded early Saturday morning during a home invasion.
Shooting victim dies in hospital
A MAN who was shot during an argument outside his home on Thursday died in hospital, police said.
Flying the flag for Junkanoo carnival
THOUSANDS turned out to the Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival kick-off events at Taino Beach in Grand Bahama on the weekend.
‘No’ campaign launched over referendum vote
THE Save Our Bahamas Committee - the group that opposed the 2013 gambling referendum - yesterday launched a vote no campaign against the fourth Constitutional Amendment Bill.
Miller: We learned corruption from U.S.
TALL Pines MP Leslie Miller yesterday insisted that the granting of government contracts to political supporters will “never stop” because politicians must “do what they have to do” to win elections.
Failing to lead, and failing NIB
It was widely believed that the PLP government was elected in 2012 simply because it ran a ”better campaign” than the FNM and the DNA.
Chris Brown Invite gets an 'A' grade
ALTHOUGH he considers himself his biggest critic, Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown would give nothing less than a grade A to the organising and executing of his second annual Chris Brown Bahamas Invitational.
Collie says party will demand accountability
NEWLY elected FNM Chairman Sidney Collie said the party will continue to demand accountability and transparency in government, in the wake of a US report that highlighted the government’s ineffectiveness at implementing corruption laws.
INSIGHT - WORLD VIEW: No quick fix in Haiti
Peace and development will be endangered in Haiti if the United States and other nations insist that the interim government holds the second round of a truncated election for a President of the republic without a verification process of the first round that took place on October 25 last year.
Ministry: Human rights fears sensationalised
THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs has defended the Bahamas’ record on human rights and transparency, as it criticised a recent US State Department report on the Bahamas for relying on “untested” and often times “untrue” narratives reported in the media or by non-governmental organisations.
Branville: Both FNM and PLP to blame for corruption
DEMOCRATIC National Alliance Leader Branville McCartney yesterday scoffed at recent comments made by Dr Hubert Minnis, insisting that both the Free National Movement and Progressive Liberal Party are to blame for the current level of systemic corruption that exists within public systems.
FNM urged: Push on BOB report tabling
The Free National Movement’s (FNM) former chairman will urge his party’s leadership to demand that the Government table a controversial report on Bank of the Bahamas in Parliament.
BOB chair admits political influence over past lending
Bank of the Bahamas chairman has admitted that political considerations influenced lending decisions under previous Boards, amid warnings that a turnaround is impossible until fundamental corporate governance flaws are fixed.
Top athletes post world-leading times at the CBBI
THERE were at least six world- leading marks posted - albeit two were wind-aide - at the second Chris Brown Bahamas Invitational which returned with a bang at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium on Saturday.
Financial services is over ‘as we knew it’
The Bahamas must accept that the financial services industry it has relied upon for decades is over, a well-known executive saying: “We are going to have to step up our game.”
Shaunae on fast track
Birthday girl and newly engaged Shaunae Miller literally left it all on the track and was able to get a well deserved standing ovation from the fans at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.
Receivers ‘delusional’ if thinking Sarkis’s offer can be beaten
Sarkis Izmirlian says efforts to ‘buy back’ his $3.5 billion development have been foiled because Baha Mar’s receivers have failed to provide him with details and “timelines” on the Supreme Court-approved sales process they are running.
Commonwealth Bank Giants stay alive
THE Commonwealth Bank Giants, the best team in the regular season, refused to exit the New Providence Basketball Association men’s best-of-seven championship series without putting up a fight.
BOB needs $30m capital injection
Bank of the Bahamas needs to increase its capital base by $30 million to meet global regulatory requirements, with its Board now assessing “various options” to achieve this.
Donald Thomas wins early showdown in the high jump
THREE spots will be up for grabs for the Bahamas in the men’s high jump at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the Bahamian fans got a sneak preview of what to look for when the four contenders renew their rivalry at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ National trials in June.
Loretta: Govt asleep at the wheel over Baha Mar
LONG Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner yesterday blasted the Christie administration saying it has proven to be “spectacularly incompetent”, “delusional” and asleep at the wheel in dealing with the unopened mega resort, Baha Mar.
Apathy and talking fool
FNM Chairman vote - no doubt there is serious fractional differences -114 voted but 100 didn’t bother. Hardly a political party ready for a general election. Roll-on the FNM convention - we should see sparks.
Merritt and James take the tape
WHILE they avoided another early season clash, American quartermiler LaShawn Merritt and Grenada’s Kirani James made it look so easy in turning in two impressive world-leading times in the men’s 200 and 400 metres respectively in the second Chris Brown Bahamas Invitational at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium on Saturday.
BOB turnaround to last 18-24 months
Bank of the Bahamas’ turnaround will take at least 18-24 months, its chairman has implied, with a Restructuring Committee appointed to oversee its progress.
BOB allows for two ‘minority’ directors
Bank of the Bahamas will hold an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) within the next 90 days to elect two minority shareholder representatives to its Board of Directors.
‘Collective will’ urged to boost productivity
A well-known Bahamian financial services executive has called for “collective will” to ensure productivity levels improve, arguing: “We can no longer accept the status quo.”
Saturday, April 16
Two men in hospital after early morning shootings
TWO MEN are in hospital on Saturday, one in serious condition, after being shot at their homes in the early hours. Police are also investigating two other armed robberies overnight involving knives.
Appeal for blood donors after Charles McCartney shot in home invasion
THE FAMILY of Charles McCartney have issued an urgent appeal for blood donations after he was shot early on Saturday morning during a home invasion and taken to the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH).
Friday, April 15
Tributes paid to businessman Frank Hanna
Frank Hanna, who rose from humble beginnings to become one of his generation's leading local entrepreneurs, died on Thursday at the age of 79 after battling lung cancer.
One of nine charged over drug seizure gets five-year sentence
ONE of nine men faced with multiple drug charges stemming from a recent major drug seizure in Inagua was sentenced on Friday to five years in prison after pleading guilty to his involvement.
New marines boost Defence Force numbers
THE Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF), continuing its move to bolster the number of enlisted marines, commissioned two entries at the Coral Harbour base on Friday.
Bradley Roberts praises new FNM chairman Sidney Collie
PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party (PLP) chairman Bradley Roberts praised new Free National Movement (FNM) Chairman Sidney Collie on Friday - but not without taking a swipe at his predecessors, Darron Cash and Michael Pintard.
Bulgarian man's sentencing for money laundering adjourned
A SUPREME Court judge has adjourned the sentencing of a Bulgarian man recently convicted by a jury of money laundering.
FNM leader: Corruption endemic in The Bahamas
FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday declared that corruption was endemic in Bahamian society in response to a newly released report by the US State Department that said the government had been ineffective at policing officials.
Another fire as smoke rises from vechicle site near landfill
A MASSIVE fire at a derelict vehicle site near the Harold Road Landfill yesterday prompted Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller to beg the Christie administration to “arrest” the problem of recurrent fires in the area “once and for all”.
Hunt for suspect after shooting death
Police are searching for Devon King of Churchill Subdivision in connection with a shooting death on Thursday night.
Bishop urges ‘no’ vote in gender equality referendum
BISHOP Walter Hanchell has come out against the upcoming constitutional referendum, charging that it would lead to same-sex marriage and an “influx” of foreign men using Bahamian women as a “ticket” to get work.
Carnival band group seeks to stage own parade in row
THE Bahamas Carnival Band Owners Association is demanding a permit to host its own street parade during Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival after it said the Bahamas National Festival Commission granted a group permission to participate in the Road Fever Parade without proper certification.
Rejection of NHI model ‘curious’ says secretariat
THE recent rejection of the proposed National Health Insurance model by industry stakeholders is “curious” considering the government had consultations and “fruitful discussions” with them about the scheme, NHI Secretariat Permanent Secretary Peter Deveaux-Isaacs said yesterday.
‘Work for Nygard will not hold me back’
SIDNEY Collie yesterday said his previous work as a lawyer for Peter Nygard will not impede his ability to hold the Progressive Liberal Party’s feet to the fire over its members’ connections to the controversial fashion mogul.
‘Failure to disclose breeds corruption’
FORMER Cabinet Minister Loftus Roker yesterday criticised today’s leaders claiming that they are “not worthy” to stand at the forefront of this country because they have failed to consistently turn over their annual financial disclosures, which he claimed “breeds corruption” at the highest levels of the public sector.
UPDATED: Sidney Collie elected FNM chairman
SIDNEY Collie defeated Rodney Moncur by 62 votes in the FNM chairmanship contest last night and declared the “real victory” will come in May 2017.
Mitchell: Pigs will fly before Speaker needs FNM help
FOX Hill MP Fred Mitchell yesterday hit back at the FNM for criticising his decision to petition House Speaker Dr Kendal Major over persons he felt were in breach of parliamentary privilege.
Roker: Both FNM and PLP wary of holding conventions
FORMER Cabinet Minister Loftus Roker yesterday claimed that both the PLP and FNM have been apprehensive to hold full conventions, as there are “too many problems” that neither organisation wants to be held accountable for or have to answer to.
Fidelity advertisement
Does no one at Fidelity Bank or Fidelity Bank, as the M’Director, calls it understand what their TV advertisement is saying?
UN listen in UN listening
Having gone through slavery in ancestral memory and able still to experience what was undergone in the cells of my own body, how deeply it offends and angers me to see Africans subjecting Africans on buses – small ones or whatever size ones – to what causes me to taste and to see slavery again.
Bahamas corruption
The Tribune today 14/04/2016 was another doozer, which makes one wonder “why do people continue to even live here”?.
Murder victims named
POLICE have released the identities of two of the country’s latest murder victims.
All Saints Camp answer claims of neglect of residents with HIV
THE US State Department’s 2015 Human Rights Report on The Bahamas contains allegations that the All Saints Camp had extremely neglected HIV-infected persons in their care.
Witness ‘knew voice of killer’, trial hears
A MAN told a Supreme Court jury yesterday that he knew the identity of his friend’s shooter because he was familiar with his voice.
Sports Notes
FOLLOWING regular season play for the junior division of the New Providence Women’s Basketball Association, the Family Guardian Cheetahs have emerged as the winners of the regular season with a perfect 7-0 win/loss record.
THE FINISH LINE: Hats off to NPWBA champions Lady Operators
Let’s tip our hats off to the Bommer G Lady Operators.
Bahamian high jumpers get ready for showdown at CBBI
ALTHOUGH there are a number of international stars competing in the second Chris Brown Bahamas Invitational, there will be one event that will be jammed pack with some national flavour as Donald Thomas, Trevor Barry, Ryan Ingraham and Jamal Wilson intend to take over the high jump pit on Saturday.
Cybots take 2-0 lead over Giants
FOR the second consecutive game, the Mail Boat Cybots found a way to beat the Commonwealth Bank Giants as they took a 2-0 lead in the New Providence Basketball Association’s best-of-seven championship series. This time, the Mail Boat delivered the win from the free throw line.
Jones No.6 pick in the WNBA Draft, traded to Sun
UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — George Washington Colonials and our very own Jonquel Jones was picked sixth by the Los Angeles Sparks in last night’s WNBA Draft.
Touching down in Paradise
Bahamian quartermiler Shaunae Miller, now engaged, heads a list of world-class athletes who arrived at the Lynden Pindling International Airport yesterday to participate in the second Chris Brown Bahamas Invitational.
Clubs and Societies 04152016
Rotary Clubs of The Bahamas. - For more than 17 years, the Rotary Clubs of The Bahamas have hosted the Model United Nations simulation in Nassau, givving over 1,000 students an academic experience to cherish.
Youngsters turn antique cars into a work of art
THE ANTIQUE Auto Club of the Bahamas’ annual children’s art competition drew a large entry in four age categories, with Nelson Gray of Aquinas College taking the overall prize.
Businessman Frank Hanna dies from cancer
FRANK Hanna, a well known local businessman and benefactor, died last night at his home from cancer.
More than 70,000 visit Family Islands by private plane
OVER 70,000 people visited the Family Islands by private plane in 2015, an eight per cent increase over the previous year, according to a Bahamas tourism official.
Crooked Islanders complain hurricane repairs ‘too slow’
THE pace of reconstruction in Crooked Island is moving “too slow,” according to a former resident, who has urged the government to quicken its efforts to restore the hurricane-impacted island to normalcy.
A COMIC'S VIEW: Reconciliation in the air over Baha Mar
THEY say time heals all wounds. I guess when billions of dollars and thousands of jobs are on the line those wounds heal faster than others.
Five years on, man cleared of firearm offence
A MAN was acquitted of a firearm offence yesterday more than five years after his initial arraignment concerning the crime.
Carnival comes to Taino Beach
BAHAMAS Junkanoo Carnival 2016 kicks off in style this evening at Taino Beach, with an aerobatic fly-in complete with parachute jumpers who will deliver the Bahamian flag for the official opening ceremony at the Cultural Village.
Waste provider eyes tyre recycle revival
A waste services provider is hoping to revive tyre recycling, but warned that the venture depends on receiving a higher price from the Government.
‘Damning indictment’ on our governance
The Democratic National Alliance’s (DNA) leader yesterday said the US government had issued “a damning indictment” of the Bahamas’ governance through its criticisms of corruption and a non-transparent public sector procurement process.
Dingman hits back on failed Nassau eateries
Bahamian creditors are facing opposition to their push for a $1.113 million default judgment against Jamie Dingman’s failed Nassau restaurant empire.
Freeport’s web shops ‘can’t serve 2 masters’
A web shop chain was yesterday given leave to issue Judicial Review proceedings against the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA), its attorney arguing: “We cannot serve two masters.”
Sarkis’s latest Baha Mar offer ‘in vain’
Sarkis Izmirlian’s latest offer to purchase Baha Mar is in vain because the project’s receivers and secured lender cannot negotiate deals outside the Supreme Court-approved sales process, Tribune Business was told yesterday.
Bahamian people have to know NHI responsibility
The Bahamian people must be educated on their responsibilities as National Health Insurance (NHI) stakeholders, a physician arguing that the need to maintain a healthy lifestyle as not been stressed enough in the reform discussion.
IAN FERGUSON: Productivity increase needs gender embrace
As the Bahamas engages in a full discussion of gender equality, and ensuring that women are treated equally under the law, we must also delve into the state of women in business.
Bahamas’ systems must match first world aspirations
The Bahamas cannot continue to live a ‘first world lifestyle’ while operating third world systems and processes, a top private sector executive warned yesterday, urging a “strong willed non-partisan approach” to tackling claims of corruption and lack of transparency.
Thursday, April 14
Jonquel Jones heads to Connecticut after WNBA draft pick and trade
JONQUEL Jones, the Bahamian who has won multiple awards while at George Washington University, will play professional basketball for the Connecticut Sun next season after being picked in the Women's NBA draft on Thursday night.
THE BIG QUESTION: Preventing government corruption
After the findings of a US State Department report, what do YOU think should be done to prevent government corruption in the Bahamas?
Roberts blasted for questioning politicians’ patriotism
PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts is under fire for blasting politicians who participated in Sunday’s protest of conditions at the New Providence Landfill.
A YOUNG MAN'S VIEW: Carnival strikes a discordant note - again
THOUGH the governing Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) is not likely to scrap the Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival (BJC) any time soon, this is one programme that deserves a stiff dose of stop, review and cancel.
Bahamian, seven illegal immigrants charged in connection with illegal embarcation
A BAHAMIAN and seven illegal immigrants were charged in the Freeport Magistrate’s Court on Thursday in connection with illegal embarcation contrary to the Immigration Act after they were allegedly found in waters 18 miles off Freeport last week.
US warning over govt corruption
THE US State Department identified the government’s ineffectiveness at implementing corruption laws as the reason officials engage in illegal practices without consequence, citing a vulnerable contract procurement process in a newly released report.
VIDEO: Long queues for airport arrivals
THERE was visible frustration on the faces of many of the passengers who disembarked flights at the Lynden Pindling International Airport yesterday as lines at the Department of Customs processing point stretched well into the baggage claim area.
Upset in FNM ranks over November convention date
THE Free National Movement’s decision to host its convention in November has rankled some top members of the party, with two officials describing it to The Tribune yesterday as “absurd” and “unsettling.”
‘If Izmirlian is back, who needs their mental health checked now?’
WITH Baha Mar developer Sarkis Izmirlian back in the equation having submitted new proposals to open and complete the resort, Bahamians should now decide who needs a mental check, FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis said yesterday.
Man jailed for raping Jamaican visitor to Bahamas
A CONTRACTOR convicted of raping a Jamaican woman during her vacation to The Bahamas was sentenced to five years in prison yesterday.
Man dies in police parking lot on day of two killings
A MAN was pronounced dead in the parking lot of the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s Traffic Division shortly after he and another victim were injured during a drive-by shooting on Robinson Road.
Human rights concerns raised for immigrants and prisoners
THE US State Department maintained its spotlight on inefficiencies in the country’s “extremely backlogged” judicial system, mistreatment of migrants, and perceptions of impunity held by enforcement officials in its 2015 Human Rights Practices report.
Medics unite to reject NHI proposal
UNITED Healthcare Reform Alliance (UHRA), a coalition effort by nine of the nation’s leading medical, allied health and insurance groups, yesterday rejected the government’s proposed NHI model, insisting that no support would be given until the plan is adequately revised.
Dealer exposes ‘ham and turkey’ road to graft
An auto dealer yesterday exposed the ‘every day corruption’ undermining Bahamian society, disclosing how a public official unilaterally attempted to change Government policy because they had not provided him with a free Christmas ‘ham and turkey’.
Dealer: $260k refund delay ‘life and death’
A Bahamian auto dealer yesterday complained that the $260,000 owed to him by the Government, most of which has been outstanding for 15 months, is the difference “between being here today and gone tomorrow”.
Election silly season
They call the run-up to an election, the silly season. Well it seems we might have gone considerably past that, listening and reading comments in the media.
Are we forgotten?
We the residents of the Bozine Drive and Knowles Drive off Tonique Williams Darling Highway are very much still in awe and await your response to the land deal between the Government of The Bahamas, Land Co and the ‘Bozine Town’ residents.
Misleading headlines
I have long suspected both our dailies of needlessly presenting the most negative possible headline for a story about the Bahamas.
Carnival coincides with return of air show
THE Grand Bahama Air Show, which returns to the island after more than 70 years this weekend, is expected to thrill spectators as some of the world’s best aviators take to the skies with daring aerobatic stunts and low-flying maneouvres at Taino Beach.
FOURTH QUARTER PRESS: Farewell Kobe, inspiration of my young life
Strangely enough, it took the man that facilitated Jordan’s success, Phil Jackson, to inspire Kobe’s drive. No, don’t misconstrue my narrative: Jackson didn’t make Kobe or Jordan - he enabled them.
Baptist Sports Council kicks off its 2016 Basketball Classic
THE Baptist Sports Council kicked off its 2016 Basketball Classic at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex on Saturday.
Sports Notes
THE Mario Ford Baseball programme got started on Saturday and is scheduled to continue until June 11. The programme is for boys and girls aged five to 15 years, teaching basic baseball fundamentals. The programme is held every Saturday, from 9am to noon, at Windsor Park, East Street and Wulff Road. For more information, you can contact Mario Ford at 556-0993. Registration is ongoing.
Frank Rutherford - an Olympic pioneer
TODAY, in our feature on the Bahamas Olympic Committee’s Road to Rio, Brazil, for the 2016 Olympic Games, we take a look back at some of the pioneers of the sport.
Battle 4 Atlantis has another loaded field of teams this year
On Friday, November 27, 2015, Syracuse University fought their way to a 74-67 win versus Texas A&M University to secure their title as Champions of the Battle 4 Atlantis.
‘Catch the firestorm’ at 2nd Chris Brown Invitational
With just two days to go, the National Sports Authority is firing on all cylinders to get the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium transformed in time for the hosting of the 2nd Chris Brown Bahamas Invitational on Saturday.
On Da Hook
THE best place to target Yellowfin Tuna in the Bahamas are on the ‘humps’ according to Bahamas Sport Fishing Network (BSFN) experts.
Claims over tax advisor ‘nonsense’
STATE Finance Minister Michael Halkitis has said international reports that claim New Zealand value added tax consultant to the Bahamas John Shewan assisted this country in maintaining its tax haven status are “nonsense” because the government never intended to tax financial services.
Employee docked pay for serving as juror
THE head of a major security firm faces a $2,000 fine if he does not pay $196 deducted from the pay cheque of an employee who sat as a juror on the Donna Vasyli murder trial last year.
Freedom of Information Act to be tabled by November - 'probably'
THE highly anticipated Freedom of Information Bill will “probably” be tabled in the House of Assembly by November of this year, Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald said yesterday.
Collie predicted to win race for FNM chairman
FORMER Deputy Prime Minister Frank Watson yesterday forecast that former MP Sidney Collie would emerge as the new chairman of the Free National Movement.
PM realises Gov’t ‘backed the wrong horse’ on Baha Mar
The Prime Minister’s renewed enthusiasm for Sarkis Izmirlian shows he now realises that the Government “backed the wrong horse” in the Baha Mar dispute, the Democratic National Alliance’s (DNA) leader charged yesterday.
Medical industry unites on ‘flawed, unsustainable’ NHI
Nine healthcare industry bodies yesterday unveiled an alliance that will develop an alternative to National Health Insurance (NHI), which they continued to brand as “seriously flawed and unsustainable”.
Joaquin’s $1.3m loss blocks Bahamas First from earnings record
Bahamas First would have produced another profit record in 2015 had it not been for the net $1.3 million loss associated with Hurricane Joaquin, its chief executive yesterday confirming it paid all storm-related claims from its own resources.
Wednesday, April 13
Female body found under capsized vessel off Grand Bahama
POLICE in Grand Bahama are investigating the discovery of the body of a female found under a capsized vessel at sea on Tuesday.
Homes threatened by blaze
OFFICIALS from Police Fire Services yesterday said the quick action by its unit and area residents prevented a major blaze from escalating in the Sir Lynden Pindling Estates area.
Seven-day deadline for Rufa ‘unreasonable’
THE SUPREME Court has ordered the Immigration Board to reconsider the “unreasonable” seven-day deadline it gave Canadian Bruno Rufa to wind up his affairs in the country.
Jurors call for death penalty for beauty queen’s killer
JURORS yesterday recommended the death penalty for a man convicted of brutally murdering a former Bahamian beauty contestant by burying her alive in concrete a decade ago while she was visiting friends in central Florida.
Moss admits some residents never wanted him as a candidate
EXUMA MP Anthony Moss has said the outcry for a new Progressive Liberal Party candidate to replace him in the 2017 general election is a road he has travelled many times before, insisting that for the last 14 years he has worked to the best of his ability on behalf of all constituents.
Report: Civil servants lack scrutiny
CIVIL servants in the Bahamas face largely inadequate scrutiny for their job performance, resulting in productivity flaws throughout the public sector, the State of the Nation Report from the National Development Plan Secretariat says.
PM: Izmirlian ‘deserving of consideration’ over Baha Mar
BAHA Mar developer Sarkis Izmirlian is “deserving of every consideration” regarding his newly submitted plans to the Export Import (EXIM) Bank of China as he eyes regaining control of the resort with a view to completing and opening the stalled West Bay Street project, Prime Minister Perry Christie has said.
FNM hits out at Mitchell letter
THE Free National Movement yesterday condemned Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell’s petitioning of House Speaker Dr Kendal Major over persons he felt were in breach of parliamentary privilege, charging that Mr Mitchell’s actions were a “direct attempt” to “undermine, weaken and diminish the authority and integrity of the Speaker.”
Japan offers $1.75m grant
THE government of Japan has extended a grant opportunity to The Bahamas for the purpose of contributing to the implementation of its Economic and Social Development Programme.
Downtown chief urges ‘massive’ tax-free zone
The Downtown Nassau Partnership’s (DNP) co-chairman yesterday called for a “massive” tax-free zone to revitalise the area east of East Street, arguing that existing incentives “don’t go far enough”.
Auto chief waits 6-8 months for $200k tax refund
The Bahamas Motor Dealers Association’s (BMDA) president yesterday revealed he has been waiting six-eight months for a $200,000 tax refund, while seeing “only red ink” on his company’s financial spreadsheets.
Financial sector ‘shrink’ is Bahamas’ top danger
The Bahamas must reverse the “shrinkage” in its financial services industry to buttress its standing as a “grade A destination”, a prominent accountant has advised.
‘Immature’ finance industry crowding out private sector
The Bahamian financial industry’s “immaturity” has created a situation where businesses and productive economic activities are starved of funding, a newly-released study has revealed.
Stopover visitor levels regressed 30 years in 2013
The Bahamas’ US tourist stopover arrivals slumped to levels last seen in 1984 as recently as 2013, with the increase in cruise passengers “largely insufficient” to compensate for the loss of their higher-yielding counterparts.
Clico policyholders frustrated at $10,000 compensation limit
THE relief originally expressed by many CLICO (Bahamas) policyholders has now turned to frustration, as some owed in excess of $100,000 have been offered “at best” $10,000 in compensation for funds invested into policies with the failed insurer.
Education results not matching investment
WHEN it comes to education, The Bahamas is not getting the bang for its buck, the National Development Plan Secretariat suggests in its State of the Nation Report.
12 Cubans on wooden sailing vessel captured
THE Royal Bahamas Defence Force apprehended 12 undocumented Cubans who were aboard a wooden sailing vessel in the central Exuma chain around noon Monday.
Time to graduate
There are few sights more embarrassing than a Bahamian government minister getting before an international audience and arguing that, despite the data consistently confirming us as a high-income country with a high standard of living, we somehow deserve to be classed among Haiti, Honduras and El Salvador, when it comes to concessionary lending.
Answers needed
These issues must be answered:
Baha Mar wait
The efforts to resolve the debacle at Baha Mar will not have resolution any time soon. The Chinese are not in a position where they have to sell the property in the foreseeable future.
Coral Harbour residents unhappy over development
A CORAL Harbour property owners association yesterday expressed outrage over the private development of land previously designated for public use.
Two charged over murders in Grand Bahama
TWO Freeport men were arraigned yesterday in Magistrate’s Court in Grand Bahama on multiple murder charges and a number of serious offences.
Delay to find lawyer
A MAN was told by a judge yesterday that he has three weeks to find legal representation before the court proceeds with setting a date for trial in his murder case.
Five Haitians accused over 100kg cocaine find
FIVE Haitian men were remanded to prison yesterday after denying responsibility and ownership of more than 100 kilos of cocaine discovered in the Southern Bahamas earlier in the week.
Roberts tells parties to stay out of protests
PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts has advised the leaders of the FNM and the DNA to agree to immediately discontinue and condemn all forms of political activism or demonstrations “that will have the consequence of negatively portraying The Bahamas internationally”.
Spanish minister denies Bahamian link revealed in Panama Papers
SPAIN’S industry minister, Jose Manuel Soria, has denied his involvement in a Bahamian-based offshore company revealed by the Panama Papers, after two Spanish news outlets said they had documents proving he headed the offshore firm with his brother.
Cybots beat the Giants 78-76 in game 1 thriller
IN meetings during the regular season, coach Wayde Watson and his Mail Boat Cybots couldn’t find a way to beat the Commonwealth Bank Giants. On Monday night, they finally got the monkey off their back as they sneaked the opener of the New Providence Basketball Association’s best-of-seven championship series.
‘Fireman’ ready for star power
The Local Organising Committee is all geared up and ready to welcome the international athletes back to the second Chris Brown Bahamas Invitational.
Harrison helps Operators dial up perfect season
SHE fell short in her debut playing overseas, but forward/centre Britinique Harrison returned home just in time to help the Bommer G Lady Operators complete the first perfect season as they regained the New Providence Women’s Basketball Association championship crown.
National High School Track & Field Championships get underway
HUNDREDS of athletes from throughout the Commonwealth of The Bahamas are currently in Grand Bahama participating in this year’s National High School Track and Field Championships.
Jonquel Jones invited to the WNBA Draft
GEORGE Washington Colonials senior forward Jonquel Jones has been invited to attend the 2016 WNBA Draft on Thursday evening.
New 20-sec. game clocks for the NPWBA thanks to Adrian Fox
THE New Providence Women’s Basketball Association got a chance to show off their new game clocks that they got courtesy of Adrian Fox during the postseason at the DW Davis Gymnasium.
THE ROBOTS ARE COMING
Why ‘chatbots’ are your new friends
USERS of Facebook’s Messenger app, Microsoft’s Skype and Canada’s Kik can expect to find new automated assistants offering information and services at a variety of businesses via online texting in the coming months.
Tech Talk: April 13
• WHATSAPP is using a powerful form of encryption to protect the security of photos, videos, group chats and voice calls in addition to the text messages sent by its more than a billion users around the globe.
Demand for the new Tesla e-car takes off
DEMAND for Tesla’s new Model 3 has been extraordinary, with consumers pre-ordering about $13.7 billion worth of the electric sedans nearly two years before they go on sale.
Facebook focuses on live video feature
FACEBOOK is rearranging the notification panel on its mobile apps in an effort to broaden the audience creating, watching and reacting to live video on its social network.
Natasha Newbold dies at 52 after a long illness
NATASHA Newbold, considered one of the greatest female powerlifters ever, died yesterday morning at the age of 52 after a long illness.
Tuesday, April 12
100 JAMZ to hold 'block party' ahead of Carnival festivities
100 JAMZ radio will host a "Block Party" with the Bahamas National Festival Commission on Wednesday in Freeport, Grand Bahama, one of many events to take place from now until Friday in anticipation of this weekend's Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival festivities.
POLITICOLE: Why we shouldn’t be afraid to move on
IT usually takes me quite some time to make up my mind about something, especially if it’s something of great importance or meaning to me.
DNA names new candidates
THE Democratic National Alliance formally introduced two more candidates as part of its 2017 general election slate during a news conference at the party’s East Street South headquarters yesterday.
Psychiatric evaluations delay sentencing of McCartney killers
THE expected sentencing of a former couple convicted of having a role in killing businessman Kurt McCartney did not proceed yesterday, as psychiatric evaluations were not available.
Murder victims identified
POLICE have released the identities of two of the country’s latest homicide victims.
Exuma residents want new candidate to replace Moss
NEARLY 60 Exuma residents gathered last week to express “overwhelming support” for a new Progressive Liberal Party candidate in the 2017 general election, The Tribune understands.
Man jailed for having sex with teenage girl
A MAN was sentenced to 56 months in prison after admitting he had repeated sex with a minor.
Income inequality widens in the Bahamas
INCOME inequality is widening in the Bahamas and poverty rates have increased in all age categories under 65 during the past decade, the state of the union report by the National Development Plan Secretariat says.
New Baha Mar bid by Izmirlian
IN a letter sent yesterday, Baha Mar developer Sarkis Izmirlian asked the president of the China Exim Bank to accept his offer to complete and open the stalled resort, promising to rehire Bahamian employees while ensuring that the bank does not accept a discount on its debt.
SPORTING MISCHIEF & MAYHEM: Naughty’s Top 10 NFL Draft Busts of all time
AS the NFL Draft draws even closer, a question that was put to me keeps popping up in my mind.
Abraham’s Bay students get set for national High School Track and Field Championships
A six-member team from the Abraham’s Bay High School out of Mayaguana are off to Grand Bahama to compete in the National High School Track and Field Championships.
Canadian Olympian donates 50 uniforms to Bahamas Judo
ROMAN Hatashita, 1992 judo Olympian and multiple times Canadian national champion, visited the Bahamas this week and donated 50 Fuji uniforms to the national training centre.
‘BB’ wins long jump at Tiger Track Classic
NATIONAL record holder Bianca ‘BB’ Stuart, getting ready to come home to compete in the second Chris Brown Bahamas Invitational on Saturday, led a group of Bahamians in action at various track and field meets over the weekend, including Shaquania Dorsett, Danielle Gibson and Carlisa Russell as they all posted victories in their specialties.
World-class meet ‘my gift to the Bahamian people’
When the 2nd Chris Brown Bahamas Invitational is held on Saturday at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium, Chris “Fireman” Brown said the public can expect to see some keenly contested match-ups in just about every event that will be staged.
Bahamas facing ‘dark place’ without reform
The Bahamas will find itself “in a dark place” unless it rapidly reinvents how it conducts business, a well-known businessman yesterday urging it to “open up” for greater short-term growth.
Workforce woes: ‘Ill-prepared’ for ageing Bahamas
The Bahamas is “ill-prepared” to support an increasingly aged population because so much of its productive workforce is unemployed, a newly-released report describing this as an “urgent crisis”.
Gov’t pushing MSC, Hutchison on MoU
The Government is pushing for Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Hutchison Whampoa to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) this week, which some observers believe deals with the Grand Bahama Port Authority’s (GBPA) acquisition.
Domestic savings rate slashed 50%
The Bahamas’ domestic savings have fallen by 50 per cent as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), it was revealed last night, leaving its economy increasingly reliant on foreign direct investment (FDI) for growth.
PM is urged: ‘Flex muscles’ for Sarkis
The Prime Minister was yesterday said to have performed a “180 degree u-turn” in his relationship with Sarkis Izmirlian, amid calls for him to “flex his muscles” in support of the original developer’s latest Baha Mar proposal.
Holowesko calls for referendum vote based on facts not politics
FORMER Senate President Lynn Holowesko has urged voters to make a decision in the upcoming constitutional referendum based on the “fair examination of facts,” not politics or “spite”.
The signs of success for local business
A MAJOR contract to design, fabricate and install a new visual identity and signage plan for the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) has been awarded to a leading Bahamian company.
Save the Bays writes to global groups about ‘deplorable treatment’
SAVE The Bays (STB) Chairman Joseph Darville has written to three of the largest international advocacy agencies in an effort to bring global attention to the “deplorable treatment” of environmental advocates in the Bahamas by the Christie administration.
Suspect charged over triple shooting that killed man
A 31-year-old man was remanded to prison yesterday after he was charged in connection with a recent triple shooting that claimed a man’s life and put two women in hospital.
Bulgarian convicted of money laundering
A BULGARIAN man who was convicted by a jury yesterday of money laundering could face up to 20 years in jail when he returns to the Supreme Court for sentencing on Friday.
The solution to Watson’s dilemma
Frank Watson is now wondering where have all the talented young FNMs gone. If he wakes up, he will find that they have gone in search of a new party, so fed up are they with the one that Dr Hubert Minnis has led into the ditch.
Double vision on leaks
Having allowed for the leak of private emails and financial information under the skirts of Parliament, Prime Minister Christie is now upset the Panama Papers disclosure will undermine our financial services industry?
Viewer warning for Destra
Viewer discretion should be advised for Destra Gracia, who has been contracted by the Bahamas National Festival Commission (BNFC) to perform at this year’s Junkanoo Carnival in Nassau.
Stars to come out at Chris Brown Bahamas Invitational
DESPITE not having the Chris Brown Bahamas Invitational for the past two years, meet promoter Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown said it was an easy sell to entice an extensive line-up of international stars to come to the Bahamas to compete at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium on Saturday.
Fun run/walk honours ‘superheroes’ living with diabetes and cancer
This year’s fun walk/run hosted by Atlantic Medical is celebrating “Superheroes for a Day”, honouring those living with diabetes and actively fighting cancer.
Exercise that makes a splash
THE summer months are fast approaching and members of the Club One Fitness Centre are excited to have already kick-started their popular water exercise programme that will run throughout the season on Monday and Saturday mornings.
Our toxic world – Part IV
On Sunday, the group Raising Awareness about the Bahamas Landfill executed a very successful silent protest about the landfill, also known as the “city dump”. From the number of individuals participating, it was clear to see that the Bahamian people are fed up and absolutely sick and tired of being poisoned, sick and tired.
MICHELLE MILLER MOTIVATIONALS: Your perception is your reality
Many people say that perception is 99 per cent of reality. If you think this is true then what you call reality only amounts to a measly one per cent. For this reason, people live according to their perceptions not their so-called reality. Better said, for all intent and purposes there’s really no reality, only your perception of reality.
BUN IN THE OVEN: Questions you should never ask a woman who has just had a baby
It’s a challenging time for women shortly after giving birth. Not only are hormones still running amok, but having to deal with the trauma of birth, especially all of the body changes, is not fun. Adjusting to life with a newborn is not always seamless, even for a seasoned parent. Pair that with the lack of sleep, and it can become very overwhelming.
Can we talk about gender equality?
The country seems to be hitting a stride as once again last week another video appeared on Facebook and Whatsapp of a young girl being beaten, this time with a shower curtain rod. We have been debating at length the need for a policy on gender as well as the need to create equality between men and women.
Girl Guides host ‘Block-a-thon’ to help build new headquarters
The Bahamas Girl Guides Association (BGGA) continues to pursue its vision – to make the organisation a movement of choice for girls and young women in the Bahamas.
Wellness coach Kiara Smith promotes holistic living
Encouraging holistic living and helping people to sustain a healthy lifestyle has been a major goal for local wellness coach Kiara Smith.
Monday, April 11
UPDATED: Five escaped Cuban men taken into custody
FIVE Cuban men escaped from the Immigration Detention Centre on Carmichael Road on Saturday night, it was reported as The Tribune was going to press.
Pregnant women among ten migrants rescued from overturned vessel
THE US Coast Guard rescued ten people, including two pregnant women, who were sitting on an overturned vessel in waters near Freeport on Saturday.
EDITORIAL: Remember what happens when you lie down with dogs
IT LOOKS as though the two Freds — Smith and Mitchell — are on a collision course as they head towards 2017 and what promises to be a most interesting election.
Panama Papers ‘have undermined country’
PRIME Minister Perry Christie said the massive leak of confidential offshore documents, known as the “Panama Papers”, has further undermined the embattled financial services industry of the country and wider region.
Government ‘did not pay for centre’s completion’
PRIME Minister Perry Christie yesterday clarified that the government did not fund the completion of the Baha Mar convention centre.
Two men killed in weekend shootings
POLICE are asking for the public’s assistance in solving a number of shootings over the weekend that claimed two lives and left several others in hospital.
VIDEO: Hundreds march for the right to breathe
HUNDREDS of disgruntled residents, some with their children, marched outside the grounds of the Baha Mar Convention Centre yesterday armed with placards reading “I can’t breathe” and “Too Young To Die” in protest of recurring fires at the New Providence landfill.
Equality vote date to be June 7
PRIME Minister Perry Christie yesterday declared that the time had come for men and women in the country to enjoy the same rights in the Constitution as he announced that the gender equality referendum will be held on June 7.
INSIGHT: Who is really footing the $6m bill for the IDB conference?
Stanley Cartwright says hosting the IDB conference last week at the Baha Mar Convention Centre was simple political expediency by the Prime Minister.
Bahamas falls to Switzerland
The men’s national team lost both of their matches against the world’s number sixth ranked Switzerland in the Kalik Light Cup International Friendly over the weekend at the Bahamas Football Association’s beach soccer facilities on East Bay Street.
Flowers: No bid to shut down Island Luck game
CEO and President of the FML Group of Companies Craig Flowers yesterday said reports that he and other web shop operators are trying to shut down the new Quick Draw game launched by rival Island Luck are not true.
Mitchell defends bishop named in connection with investment fund
FOX Hill MP Fred Mitchell yesterday said it was unfair the late Bishop Solomon Humes had become “unfairly mixed up” in the international scandal wrought by the Panama Papers.
Political courage
“Those are my principles. If you don’t like them, I have others‚” - Groucho Marx.
The wrong Act
In a letter published in last Friday’s Tribune, it was questioned whether same-sex marriage is legally possible in The Bahamas.
The wrong parrot
Just when I believe that my mind cannot be further boggled, I am sadly proven wrong.
Cybots face Giants tonight in NPBA championships opener
THE last time they met two years ago, the Commonwealth Bank Giants came from a 3-0 deficit to post a four-game back door sweep over the Mail Boat Cybots to win the New Providence Basketball Association men’s title.
‘Choo Choo’ and ‘Pain’ return as Bahamas squares off with Jamaica
IN the Caribbean Showdown, the Bahamas versus Jamaica, Meacher ‘Pain’ Major and Jermaine ‘Choo Choo’ Mackey made their return to professional boxing with two impressive victories at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium on Friday night.
Out Island SMEs: Business Licences 5 years outdated
The Bahamas Chamber of Chamber was “surprised but not shocked” by low compliance levels among Family Island businesses, some of whom had not possessed valid Business Licences for five years.
US pledges to assist Bahamas on energy goals
The US is ready and willing to work with the Government to achieve its renewable energy goals, a senior official arguing that “‘now is the time” to make progress with oil prices so low.
Bay Street losing ‘50% of potential’
Downtown Nassau is losing 50 per cent of its revenue-generating potential because it is a “ghost town” in the evenings, a local Bahamian entrepreneur is arguing.
Receivers release several top Baha Mar executives
Five more senior Baha Mar executives have been terminated from their posts with the $3.5 billion development, providing further evidence there is no imminent resolution to the project’s plight.
Moody’s: Bahamas in ‘low growth trap’
Moody’s believes the Bahamas has been “stuck in a low growth trap” for this entire century, its average per annum GDP expansion of 1.5 per cent under-performing the Caribbean.
Olympics fever building with the BOC eager to let the Games begin
The Olympic Games in Brazil are 116 days away and preparations for Team Bahamas are already well underway. Brent Stubbs, The Tribune’s Senior Sports Reporter, starts the countdown with a look at how the Bahamas Olympic Committee is working to give the country’s athletes the best possible competitive chance in Rio in August.
WORLD VIEW: The lessons of Panama and its papers
The names of persons implicated in the leak of the so-called “Panama Papers” earlier this month reads like a Who’s Who of the politically powerful in many parts of the world.
Water polo team brings home the silver from CARIFTA
THE Bahamas’ 30 member strong water polo team concluded three days of competition this weekend at the 2016 CARIFTA Water Polo championships in Trinidad & Tobago.
Buddy Hield wins John R Wooden Award
UNIVERSITY of Oklahoma senior guard Buddy Hield was announced as the 2016 John R Wooden Award winner Friday night, presented annually to the nation’s top men’s college basketball player.
Halkitis named chairman of governors at IDB
MINISTER of State for Finance Michael Halkitis has been elected chairman of the Board of Governors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC).
PM meets with Chinese bankers over Baha Mar
THE shuttered $3.5bn mega resort on Cable Beach continues to be a major challenge as the government pushes for greater urgency from its Chinese financiers the EXIM Bank, Prime Minister Perry Christie said yesterday.
Sunday, April 10
Two men dead, five people in hospital after weekend shootings spree
FOUR separate shooting incidents in New Providence between Friday night and Saturday afternoon have left two men dead and five people in hospital, police have reported.
Five Haitians arrested over huge cocaine seizure in Inagua
POLICE have taken five Haitian men into custody following a major drug bust in Inagua on Saturday evening.
Friday, April 8
FNM Deputy: Carnival too expensive, focused on foreign artists
FREE National Movement (FNM) Deputy Leader Peter Turnquest is unimpressed with the government's management of the country's second Junkanoo Carnival event, calling it too expensive and too focused on foreign artists at the expense of local ones.
US Embassy issues warning over landfill protest
DESPITE its stated peaceful, non-political aims, the Raising Awareness of the Bahamas Landfill (RABL) demonstration scheduled for Sunday afternoon has raised concerns as the United States Embassy in Nassau has told its citizens to avoid the protest.
British Prime Minister Cameron under fire over link to Bahamas offshore accounts
BRITISH Prime Minister David Cameron faced mounting pressure on Friday over his involvement in offshore investments after he finally admitted he benefited from his father’s Panama-registered trust, an entity exposed by this week’s massive data leak at a law firm specialising in global tax avoidance.
Nassau grouper under threat from heavy fishing
THE NASSAU Grouper, one of the most important fishery species in the Bahamas and wider Caribbean, is under threat of survival because of heavy over-fishing, according to scientists.
Strategic plan 'shows government is serious' about tackling gender-based violence
THE Bahamas’ National Strategic Plan on Gender-based Violence has been hailed as demonstrating the government is serious about tackling the issue by the United Nations’ Entity for Gender Equality (UN Women) during a high level, multi-sector consultation forum in New Providence this week.
BAIC 'failing to comply' with court ordered $90,000 compensation
A LOCAL nursery owner on Friday decried the Bahamas Agriculture and Industrial Corporation's (BAIC) failure to comply with a court order to pay him more than $90,000 as compensation for a problem that led to the damage and destruction of his plant inventory.
Abetment to murder trial 'needs legal submissions'
THE Crown's application to have an abetment to murder trial proceed in the absence of one of two accused men must be supported by legal submissions, a judge said on Friday.
FNM Acting Chairman: Govt will spend 'substantially more' than $7m on Carnival
FREE National Movement (FNM) acting Chairman Brensil Rolle yesterday predicted that the government will spend “substantially more” than the budgeted $7m on this year’s Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival as he chastised the Christie administration for “continuing to waste our money”.
‘PLP stalwart’ slams MP for ‘abandoning his constituency’
SELF-proclaimed PLP stalwart councillor Dr Kendal Capron yesterday criticised Mt Moriah MP Arnold Forbes for abandoning the constituency, asking if a resident has to “get killed” for Mr Forbes to “do better” and “take care of business” in the area.
Protest over landfill fires will be ‘peaceful, non-political’
A PLANNED protest on Sunday afternoon about recurring fires at the New Providence landfill during this weekend’s Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC) conference will be “peaceful” and “non-political”, according to organisers.
Fred Mitchell brushes off lawyer’s possible bid for Fox Hill seat
FOX Hill MP Fred Mitchell yesterday brushed off reports that lawyer Fred Smith was considering a 2017 election bid in his constituency.
FNM ‘would reform electoral process’ if elected in 2017
FREE National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis has said the FNM would reform major parts of the country’s electoral process if brought to office in the upcoming 2017 general election, adding that the power of the democracy should stay with the people.
A COMIC'S VIEW: Loose talk, leaks and lotteries - just another week in the Bahamas
My, what a week it has been. Filled with some of my favourite forms of comedy - innuendo and irony.
Bulgarian man accused of money laundering given time to contact sole witness
A BULGARIAN standing trial in the Supreme Court charged with money laundering was given additional time to make contact with his sole defence witness.
Judge doubts lawyer’s reason for no-show in Deputy PM robbery case
A JUDGE admitted her scepticism of the explanation given by a lawyer as to why he could not appear for a status hearing yesterday concerning his clients who stand trial next month charged with the robbery of Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis’ home.
‘Room for improvement’ on solid waste management in the Bahamas
THERE is room for “further progress to be achieved” regarding the government’s honouring of previous “public policy recommendations” for solid waste management in the country, Inter-American Development Bank Bahamas representative Maria Florencia Attademo-Hirt said yesterday.
Roberts: Former Senator intent on ‘wrecking’ Dr Minnis
PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts yesterday called on the Free National Movement (FNM) to publicly distance itself from recent public commentary from former Senator Michael Pintard, charging that the “disgraced” former chairman is intent on “wrecking” Dr Hubert Minnis.
Gaming Board: Island Luck game not a national lottery
THE law regulating the gaming industry is “clearly designed” to accommodate “lotto” and other innovative products, the Gaming Board said yesterday.
$7m budget for Carnival
THE government will spend about $7m to host this year’s Junkanoo Carnival, Bahamas National Festival Commission Chairman Paul Major told The Tribune yesterday.
PM says ‘The truth will come out’ after ‘Panama Papers’ leak
PRIME Minister Perry Christie yesterday defended the financial practices of the Bahamas as he insisted that the “truth will come out” amid the leak of confidential documents that names this country as a key tax haven for some of the world’s wealthiest people who at times seek to launder money, dodge sanctions and evade taxes.
MITCHELL HITS BACK AT SAVE THE BAYS’ LAWYERS OVER PARLIAMENTARY PRIVILEGE
FOX Hill MP Fred Mitchell yesterday rebuked attempts by Save The Bays’ lawyers and attorney Fred Smith to question members of Parliament about the leak of its emails in the House of Assembly, or legally suppress information, in a letter to House Speak Dr Kendal Major.
Argentine PM to be probed over Bahamas link in Panama Papers
AN Argentine prosecutor has asked for an investigation into President Mauricio Macri’s role in offshore companies, including one based in the Bahamas, adding to the global fallout from a massive leak of documents from a Panama law firm.
More problems after delay of National health Insurance
The announced delay of National Health Insurance (NHI) “again” by the Minister of Health might cause more problems than this Administration could ever envisage. The ongoing debacle of CLICO has made NHI urgently necessary.
Christie and the IDB: Failure to engage
This week a failed Prime Minister gets to puff up his chest and strut around the failed Baha Mar resort and pretend to host the annual general meetings of the Inter-American Development Bank.
Sports briefs
THE much-anticipated bout between the world’s top welterweight boxers Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley on Saturday in Las Vegas’ MGM Grand will be shown live on Cable Bahamas REV.
THE FINISH LINE: ‘We have to be proud of Buddy Buckets’ and Jonquel Jones as Draft Day nears
It’s not always that I want to focus on the performances overseas, but these are not ordinary occasions.
Inaugural National High School Soccer Championships all set
THE inaugural National High School Soccer Championships, featuring the top senior boys and girls teams from New Providence and Grand Bahama, will be more than just a week-long competition. Bahamas Football Association assistant secretary general Adam Miller is calling it a celebration of Bahamian soccer players.
Emily Morley awarded wild card for Olympics
For a number of years the sport of sailing, led by legendary Sir Durward ‘Sea Wolf’ Knowles, represented the Bahamas as an open water sport at the Olympic Games. Now rowing is making its breakthrough, thanks to the outstanding performance of Emily Morley.
Operators sweep Truckers for title
THE Bommer G Operators ended a three-year drought, sweeping the defending champions Johnson Lady Truckers to complete the first perfect season in the New Providence Women’s Basketball Association.
Bahamas First chief’s ‘affordability’ worry
Bahamas First’s top executive yesterday expressed further concern about the “affordability” of insurance for many households and businesses, with premium spend already “very high” compared to other Caribbean nations.
Bahamas ‘all wrong’ with ‘Silo’ tourism
The Bahamas’ current tourism model is “all wrong” because it “silos” the visitor experience from the indigenous population, a young social entrepreneur yesterday calling for this nation to integrate both sides.
Bahamas facing ‘tax policeman’ push after leak
The Bahamas and other international financial centres (IFCs) will likely come under increasing pressure “to be the world’s tax policemen” as a result of the ‘Panama Papers’ leak, the Opposition’s deputy leader warned yesterday.
BREA forced to ‘shelve plans’ by court fight
The Bahamas Real Estate Association’s (BREA) president yesterday said the legal costs and uncertainty associated with its battle against a former Cabinet Minister had forced it to “shelve plans” beneficial to members.
BEC breaches $100m bond issue conditions
The Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) breached the financial terms of its existing plan $100 million bond issue, forcing it to seek a four-year waiver from investors.
Review of the Marriage Act of the Bahamas may be needed
IN THE lead up to the referendum on gender equality there is a concern that one of the proposed Bills by its wording can lead to same sex marriage in the country.
Gov’t pushing for Baha Mar open
Prime Minister Perry Christie said yesterday that the Government is arranging bi-lateral meetings with a high ranking delegation from China to discuss the completion and full opening of the stalled Baha Mar project.
Bahamas to get $60m from IDB during 2016
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) plans to approve close to $60 million in loans to the Bahamas this year, its president said yesterday, adding that it currently has a portfolio worth $253 million in this nation.
Bahamas not at ‘upper end’ over debt levels
The Bahamas’ 60-70 per cent debt-to-GDP ratio is “not unusual” when compared to other nations within the Caribbean, the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) country representative said yesterday.
IAN FERGUSON: Firms must prevent workplace slander
Bahamians have long been renowned for ‘sip sip’. The work environment is never exempt, and usually presents a reflection of what happens in the wider community.
Thursday, April 7
GOVERNMENT TO HOLD MEETINGS WITH ‘HIGH RANKING’ CHINESE OFFICALS ON BAHA MAR
AS the Export Import Bank of China moves to identify new owners for the unopened Baha Mar resort, the Christie administration plans to have bilateral meetings with Chinese “personalities” and “high ranking” officials to advance the government’s position regarding opening the resort, Prime Minister Perry Christie said yesterday.
Mitchell warns activist could be imprisoned
FOREIGN Affairs and Immigration Minister Fred Mitchell yesterday slammed Save The Bays Director Fred Smith for threatening to commit certain MPs to prison, warning the outspoken attorney that such actions are grounds for “contempt of Parliament” and that he “could find himself faced with imprisonment.”
Panama papers ‘will have impact on the Bahamas’
CHAMBER of Commerce and Employers Federation Chairman Gowon Bowe said yesterday that the “Panama Papers” will have significant ramifications for The Bahamas, but that Bahamians should not overreact to the disclosures because the country is compliant with laws and international standards about financial transparency.
Island Luck three-ball game is ‘not a lottery’ says Wilchcombe
THE Gaming Board has commenced a 90-day observation period to assess Island Luck’s new televised three-ball game - Quick Draw - amid concerns that it is in violation of the Bahamas’ gaming laws.
FNM ‘unsure’ if Save the Bays gave party money
ACTING Free National Movement Chairman Brensil Rolle yesterday said he was unsure whether the party had received money from environmental lobby group Save The Bays but noted the organisation did receive a donation from the law firm of one of its top directors, Callenders & Co.
BAMSI building work over by June except for fire-hit dorm
AGRICULTURE and Marine Resources Minister V Alfred Gray yesterday said he expects construction on all but one of the buildings at the Bahamas Agricultural and Marine Sciences Institute (BAMSI) to be complete before the end of May.
‘Distress’ as private emails revealed by Fitzgerald
SAVE The Bays Director Joseph Darville has said in a newly filed Supreme Court affidavit that the recent public disclosure of STB members’ personal emails by a member of Parliament is “extremely distressing” as it was an invasion of privacy that has left all involved feeling violated.
Carnival signs up Destra, Wyclef Jean
THE Bahamas National Festival Commission yesterday revealed its performance lineup for the Nassau leg of this year’s Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival which includes Trinidadian soca queen Destra, Grammy award winning Haitian hip-hop artist Wyclef Jean and Jamaican reggae star Tarrus Riley.
FOURTH QUARTER PRESS: The greatest guard of all time? Only one answer - Allen Iverson
Ask any guard at any level of the game today which player inspired their tenacity and effort.
Undefeated Operators aim to sweep Truckers
The Bommer Gee Operators are one game away from clinching the New Providence Women’s Basketball Association title as they threaten to close out the defending champions Johnson’s Lady Truckers in a sweep.
61-year-old man guilty of burglary and stealing
A 61-year-old man will serve six years in prison after being convicted of burglary and stealing from a home on Wednesday. He pleaded guilty to the charges, bringing his trial to a speedy end.
Majority verdict not enough in murder case, says judge
A JUDGE ruled yesterday that he would not convict two men of murder, aggravated or not, on a majority verdict decided by a jury in a recent murder trial.
YOUNG MAN'S VIEW: Chairman Moncur can put much-needed fight into the FNM
THE Free National Movement is in a ‘quagmire of web’. The so-called Official Opposition has become the laughing stock of Bahamian politics … and the jokes aren’t even funny.
Election night murder charge dropped
A MAN walked away free from the Supreme Court yesterday after the prosecution, on the orders of the attorney general, discontinued its murder case against him.
Mitchell’s lack of empathy
DICTIONARY states empathy is the ability to understand another person’s feelings.
Sign of the times?
I sent you a letter on the Island Luck signs at Montagu a few days ago. The letter hasn’t been published, but lo and behold the oversized billboards have magically disappeared.
Are we a rogue nation?
Your Editorial of today, 6th April 2016, coupled with The Tribune headline of the same day, with Minister Fitzgerald expressing no concern about the data misappropriation, and all in the aftermath of the House and Senate opening the way to another Referendum, leads one to wonder, what in the hell is the point of a Referendum.
Moncur not fit to be FNM chair
NO ONE can deny that Rodney Moncur is an indefatigable, tenacious political aspirant.
Duane Sands: Why I’m not standing for FNM chairman
FREE National Movement Elizabeth candidate Dr Duane Sands said his decision not to run for party chairman came, in part, due to his candidacy in the upcoming general election.
Leonard Sands to run for FNM in Bain and Grants Town
THE Free National Movement yesterday announced construction engineer Leonard Sands as its candidate for the Bain and Grants Town constituency.
21% of households can’t afford homes
The Government has known for 15 years that land and construction costs would outpace salary/income levels, making home ownership increasingly unaffordable for a growing number of Bahamian households.
Despite $210m deficit, Central Bank backs Gov’t on turnaround
The Central Bank yesterday backed the Government’s assertion that it will ‘catch up’ to its fiscal targets during the 2016 first half, with the deficit for the first seven months of its current Budget year shrinking by 28.4 per cent to $210.1 million.
‘What’s good for goose is good for the gander’
A former Bahamas Chamber of Commerce president yesterday said his near-$4,000 ‘late payment fine’ paled into insignificance when set alongside the $20,000-$30,000 Value Added-Tax (VAT) refund his business has been owed for seven months.
Costs and banks causing ‘catatonic’ home market
High construction and mortgage costs, coupled with the unwillingness of banks to take losses on toxic loans, have resulted in a “catatonic” Bahamian housing market, Tribune Business was told yesterday.
Bahamas First: Company ratings hit if sovereign cut
Bahamas First’s top executive yesterday expressed concern that local companies’ own credit ratings might be cut if this nation loses its ‘investment grade’ status.
NCAA: Evans ‘excited to be a part of the Cowboy family’
LOOK for another Bahamian to make his mark on the NCAA basketball scene in Oklahoma, this time from the coaching sidelines.
YOUNG MAN'S VIEW: Fred Smith’s decision to run will liven up 2017 election
Callenders Managing Partner Frederick Smith QC told me last night that he is so disappointed with the Free National Movement and that the governing Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) is so corrupt that he has decided to run for election in 2017. Mr Smith stated that he is considering his options and will likely enter the political fray.
VIEW FROM AFAR: Overlooked change in restrictions on foreign exchange
WITH all the attention being paid by the media to the Free National Movement party leadership, Save The Bays disputes and Baha Mar, I am not surprised that when a fundamental move with long-term economic benefits was announced by the Central Bank, there was little or no public comment.
Ocean Club’s owner invests $20m to-date
The One & Only Ocean Club’s owner yesterday said it has invested more than $20 million to-date in upgrades to the property, and maintained that plans to develop the controversial Cabbage Beach ‘access’ area have only been postponed as an act of goodwill.
$3.1m Potter’s Cay project ‘progresses’
The Minister of Transport and Aviation said yesterday that work on the $3.1 million Potter’s Cay dock redevelopment was moving froward “progressively”, with the aim of providing safer and more streamlined operations.
BPL confident it will meet summer demand
Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) yesterday expressed confidence it will meet peak summer demand, while acknowledging that it has been tackling challenges at its Clifton Pier Power Station.
Wednesday, April 6
Two men dead after three separate shootings
AUTHORITIES are investigating three separate shootings in New Providence on Wednesday night involving five victims and resulting in the death of a man during a suspected domestic dispute and another who was killed during an armed robbery of his neighbourhood convenience store.
Bahamian women encouraged to chase purpose, not men
LIVING according to her motto – “Chase Purpose, Not Penis” – a slogan that is now printed on a new line of T-shirts – was not easy for Simone Gibson.
'Cold blob' holds key to Atlantic hurricane season - 14 tropical storms predicted
EXPERTS at a leading US weather forecasting service are reporting that the potential movement of a “cold blob” of water in the North Atlantic may hold the key to how active the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season will be.
TOUGH CALL: Land grabs, law suits and gangsters - a guide to the Nygard saga
THE complex controversy swirling around Peter Nygard appears to have bewildered most Bahamians. And our government has deliberately contributed to this confusion. This fact sheet will help readers understand what is going on and what is at stake.
EDITORIAL: The reason outside investigators were engaged by Save The Bays
A RECURRING question behind the police investigation into death threats against the Save the Bays environmental group comes from Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade who wants to know why there were no complaints to police about the death threats before now.
Man accused of robbing Deputy PM fails to show for bail hearing
ONE of three men due to stand trial next month for the robbery of Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis was a no-show for a bail hearing yesterday.
Symonette would prefer earlier FNM convention
FORMER Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette yesterday admitted that he would have liked to see an earlier date set for the Free National Movement’s convention.
Ebola ruled out in death of patient at hospital
THE US CENTERS for Disease Control has confirmed that the patient who died in hospital last month after visiting Africa did not have the Ebola virus, Health Minister Dr Perry Gomez said yesterday.
Alarm over recent spate of fatal shootings
THE spate of recent fatal shootings in Grand Bahama has sparked concern not only for the proliferation of illegal guns, but also for the total disregard of human life.
142 child abuse cases in Grand Bahama
THERE were 142 child abuse cases reported in Grand Bahama in 2015, Assistant Director of Social Services Paula Marshall said on Tuesday while announcing this year’s plans for Child Protection Month.
FNM calls for vigilance over Panama papers
THE FNM yesterday called for heightened vigilance to prevent money laundering and tax evasion in the wake of the international leak of the “Panama Papers”, a disclosure of millions of documents purporting to show how some wealthy people around the world hide their money.
Man critical in hospital after Flamingo Gardens shooting
A MAN is fighting for his life in hospital after being shot in Flamingo Gardens on Tuesday night.
MP dismisses email concern
EDUCATION Minister Jerome Fitzgerald yesterday dismissed calls from a law firm to provide information about the private email exchanges he shared about people connected to Save The Bays (STB) in Parliament several weeks ago, saying the leak should be the “least of their worries”.
Holy Trinity rector appointed as Anglican archdeacon
MARK Fox, the rector of Holy Trinity Church, Stapledon Gardens, has been appointed an archdeacon in the Anglican Diocese of The Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos Islands.
New home starts off 67% in one decade
The pace of home construction is failing to keep pace with the Bahamas’ housing needs, with residential starts and completions both declining by more than two-thirds in the decade up to 2014.
Speedy Seymour gets call up to play with the Grasshoppers
ANFERNEE Seymour, known for his speed, is stepping up the ladder in Minor League Baseball after being drafted in the seventh round by the Miami Marlins organisation in 2014.
BUN IN THE OVEN: Maternal and child health
This month’s special area of focus for Rotary is maternal and child health. Rotary is an organisation dedicated to helping people around the world and within their own local communities: “1.2 million neighbours, friends, and community leaders who come together to create positive, lasting change in our communities and around the world.”
Benefits of mobility in the elderly
The body achieves what the mind believes.
Violence, women and men
In the Interamerican Bank’s Quarterly Bulletin “Crime in Paradise”, released this year, we in the Bahamas rank as one of the most violently criminal in the world and extremely high levels of the fear that evokes.
Pushathon event to encourage healthy aging
IN an effort to create awareness of healthy aging, the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre will host its fifth annual geriatric pushathon/walkathon this month.
Michelle Miller Motivationals: The inner me is the true enemy
People get so caught up in blaming and complaining that they start to really believe that there is some ‘enemy’ out there that is causing them to be stuck in the situations in which they find themselves. The bitter truth that must be carefully digested is that there is really no enemy that has more power or is more destructive than your inner you.
Debutante Foundation helps young women shine brighter
Life for a millennial adolescent on the verge of adulthood can be overwhelming. Choosing the right college, measuring up to society’s standards of beauty and peer pressure are just some of the challenges they have to navigate.
Sorority honours top students
MORE than $200,000 in scholarships was awarded to the top female graduating seniors from across the Bahamas, when the Eta Psi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority held its 38th Annual Honours Day Programme under the theme “Launching New Dimensions of Innovation”.
Freeport clubs dominate Gateway Invitational Basketball Tournament
THE ninth annual Gateway Invitational Basketball Tournament closed out in Porgy Bay, Bimini, at the Gateway Sporting Arena on Saturday night with complete dominance from the Grand Bahama clubs.
Insurer backs COB scholar scheme
COLLEGE of the Bahamas officials yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding with Tristar Insurance Agents & Brokers Ltd for the company to become an official donor of COB’s President’s Scholar’s Programme.
Man held over murder, four more for drugs
AN Eight Mile Rock man was arrested in connection with a murder, and four others were taken into custody following the discovery of a quantity of illegal drugs in the Freeport area, police reported on Tuesday.
Fly infestation on the rise from South Bimini dump
SOUTH Bimini’s fly infestation has again become unmanageable with residents complaining about the Department of Environmental Health’s failure to respond.
NHI debate
HERE are my comments and contribution towards the National Health Insurance (NHI) issue.
Carnival chaos
In one of last week’s editions, Marie Thompson reminded us that once more the Carnival chaos is almost on us again, with no apparent organisation or planning, apart from the erection of the fences.
Foolish behaviour by leaders
If the PLP‘s election campaign four years back had stated their goal was to dismantle the Bahamian economy then I would say they have been resoundingly successful.
Foul play not suspected as teacher’s body found
THE BODY of a woman was discovered on the floor of her living room early yesterday morning in what police described as a sudden death.
Man cleared of snatching chain at gunpoint
A MAN was acquitted of armed robbery by a Supreme Court jury yesterday afternoon concerning his alleged role in a gunpoint chain snatching.
More details revealed for taxis and large vehicle bridge toll rise
LABOUR Minister Shane Gibson recently reminded the public that toll rates for the Sidney Poitier Bridge to Paradise Island will increase on May 1.
Baha Mar convention centre ready to host IDB conference
THE Baha Mar convention centre is “100 per cent ready” to host the annual general meeting of the boards of governors of the Inter-American Development Bank and the Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC), according to local project coordinator Janeen McCartney.
Cybots and defending champions Stingers stay alive
THE defending champions PJ Stingers and former champions Mail Boat Cybots both staved off elimination Monday night at the AF Adderley Gymnasium as the New Providence Basketball Association continued its best-of-five divisional championship series.
Suns shine bright
For the past 15 years, Nekeno ‘Keno’ Demeritte has been building a formidable sporting programme with the Temple Christian Academy Suns in basketball and track and field.
‘Panama Papers’ expose folly of Bahamas leaks
The ‘Panama Papers’ fall-out should deter the Government from contributing to the “self-destruction” of the Bahamian financial services industry through further data leaks, a Queen’s Counsel (QC) said yesterday.
Union chief’s BEC blackout warning
Union leaders yesterday warned that New Providence residents and businesses were facing a long, hot summer unless “challenges” at Bahamas Power & Light’s (BPL) main Clifton Pier power plant were rapidly addressed.
Bran: Save the Bays leak ‘more damaging’ than Panama Papers
The Democratic National Alliance’s (DNA) leader yesterday said the ‘Save the Bays’ e-mail leak had been “more detrimental” to the Bahamas and its financial services industry than the so-called ‘Panama Papers’ revelations.
Ex-Chamber chief slams ‘outrageous’ late tax penalties
A former Chamber of Commerce president yesterday slammed the penalties for missing tax payment deadlines as “outrageous”, revealing his business was fined almost $4,000 for being five minutes late with its VAT remittance for March.
Technology on the menu for Bahamas entrepreneur
FRED Lightbourn, owner of The Poop Deck at Sandyport, has been in the restaurant business for 30 years so has a wealth of experience of customers’ dining tastes, likes and dislikes.
Fox brothers Jason and Ryan excelling on the tennis court
JASON Fox last week won his division in the districts finals at the Saint Andrew’s School tennis courts in Boca Raton, Florida.
WORKERS GETTING GB SPORTS COMPLEX READY FOR HIGH SCHOOL TRACK AND FIELD NATIONALS
THE work is currently underway to get the Grand Bahama Sports Complex prepared for the hosting of the Bahamas High School Track and Field National Championships.
Tuesday, April 5
Taxi drivers allege ‘unfair’ competition for Atlantis fares
A GROUP of disgruntled Paradise Island-based taxi drivers have expressed concern over some of the Atlantis resort’s employees allegedly facilitating “unfair” competition in the ground transportation industry.
VIDEO: Massive Crooked Island fires ‘under control’
THE four massive fires reportedly burning in Crooked Island for well over a week have now been repressed but not fully extinguished, according to Crooked Island and Long Cay Administrator Francita Neely.
Stellar energy expands waste disposal plans
STELLAR Energy, the company with a proposed waste-to-energy facility at the centre of a controversial letter of intent signed by the former the parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Works, has expanded on its plans to reform waste disposal in the Bahamas.
Second group of migrants in two days brought to Freeport
TWENTY Cuban migrants were taken to Grand Bahama by the US Coast Guard and handed over to immigration authorities on Monday morning.
Andy Knowles narrowly misses Masters short course 400m world record
ANDY Knowles attempted the Short Course metres world record in Masters swimming for his age group in late December last year.
Roberts: Lack of viable candidates for FNM chairman ‘underscores fracture in the party’
PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts has said the inability of the FNM to attract viable candidates to replace Michael Pintard as chairman “underscores yet again the depth of the fracture within the FNM under the leadership of Dr Hubert Minnis.”
Bahamians in action as outdoor track and field season opens up
THE outdoor track and field season officially got started over the weekend with a couple of Bahamians in action at the 2016 Pepsi Florida Relays and the Nike Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays.
Alex Cooper works out for NFL on Cougars’ pro day
BAHAMIAN offensive lineman Alex Cooper prepares for the next step on his football journey following his career with the Houston Cougars.
Accused ‘did not remember pending arson case’ until arrest at roadblock
A MAN did not remember he had a six-year-old pending arson case before the Supreme Court until his recent arrest during a roadblock, a judge heard yesterday.
YOUR SAY: Alleviating poverty starts with combatting climate change
WE HEAR about climate change in the Bahamas but greenhouse gas emissions are rarely spoken of.
Jury is empanelled for election night murder trial
A JURY was empanelled yesterday in the Supreme Court for the trial of a man accused of being involved in one of two May 7, 2012 election night murders.
Jonquel Jones named honourable mention All-American for the second straight year
GEORGE Washington Colonials women’s basketball senior Jonquel Jones was named an honourable mention All-American by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) for the second year in a row, the organisation announced during the 2016 NCAA Women’s Final Four Super Saturday festivities at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Jimmy Norius captures masters physique title
For the second consecutive year, Jimmy Norius competed in the Miami Muscle Beach Pro/Amateur show in Miami, Florida, where he turned in a spectacular performance.
Swift’s Morley, Tynes set new national records
SWIFT swimmers Dustin Tynes and Laura Morley set two new national records each in the breaststroke over the past two weekends.
NAUGHTY: Sooner or Laker - I’ll take brilliant Buddy Hield in the NBA Draft
I MUST admit ‘Buddymania’ has me all worn out. Ah, but what an exhilarating ride it was from start to finish. Despite the lopsided ending, a whopping 44-point defeat to Villanova, it was a huge win for the Wildcats who must be commended in their own right, for executing a flawless game plan at both ends of the court, handcuffing ‘Buddy’ Hield and the rest of the Oklahoma Sooners in the process. Hats off to ‘Buddy’ on an outstanding career at Oklahoma but also for being a sterling example for our youth, especially our lost males. With all that’s going on around us at home, thank you for making me proud to be Bahamian again ‘Buddy’.
Buddy Hield: ‘Not being my best on the biggest stage kind of hurts’
THE Oklahoma Sooners were on the wrong side of history. Saturday night’s Final Four produced the kind of gut- punching loss that could rattle a person or expose the negative aspects of one’s character.
National beach soccer squad all ready for Switzerland in Kalik Light Cup
THEY have not yet released the names of Team Bahamas, but members of the men’s national training squad have been working extremely hard in preparation for their match-up against Switzerland in the Kalik Light Cup International Friendly.
Bahamians Participate in US State Department Exchange
The US Embassy, through the US Department of State, sponsored a subregional International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP) professional exchange focused on “Combating Corruption” from March 6-16, 2016.
Rodney Moncur in bid to be FNM chairman
FORMER Democratic National Alliance (DNA) candidate for Bain Town and Grants Town Rodney Moncur believes he is the best choice for Free National Movement (FNM) chairman because the party lacks “a fighting machinery” and needs more people who “connect” to grassroots Bahamians.
POLITICOLE: Politicians and the abuse of Parliamentary privilege
“Parliamentary privilege grants certain legal immunities for Members of both Houses to allow them to perform their duties without interference from outside of the House. Parliamentary privilege includes freedom of speech and the right of both Houses to regulate their own affairs.” www.parliament.uk
British PM’s father avoided taxes ‘by moving fund to the Bahamas’
THE country’s financial services sector is in the spotlight after it was revealed that British Prime Minister David Cameron’s father avoided taxes for his investment fund by moving it to the Bahamas and employing scores of Bahamians - including a lay bishop.
BROKEN PROMISES: Minnis blasts PLP on crime
FREE National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday chided the “do nothing” Christie administration for allowing crime to skyrocket to a combined 491 killings over the last four years, according to The Tribune’s records.
Fred Smith files libel suit against Fred Mitchell
A QUEEN’S counsel filed a civil suit for libel against Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell yesterday over the latter’s statement on a pending judicial review that implied that the high-profile lawyer was dishonest and a liar.
Venture fund ‘earns its stripes’ in 22% return
Bahamas Striping was yesterday said to have given the Government-sponsored venture capital fund a 22 per cent return on its $300,000 investment in the company, financed through a mixture of debt and equity.
Verdict expected today in alleged chain snatching case
A JURY is expected to deliberate on a verdict today in the case of a man alleged to have a role in a gunpoint chain snatching.
Tourism set for $47m Baha Mar ‘shrug off’
International analysts are predicting that the Bahamian travel and tourism industry will shrug off the Baha Mar debacle to deliver a $47 million economic output increase in 2016, growing this to $1.889 billion.
Nygard: ‘Trumped up’ murder plot claims back NY dismissal
Peter Nygard and his attorneys are arguing that the “trumped up” murder-for-hire claims made against him unwittingly strengthen his arguments for dismissing a $50 million defamation lawsuit.
Reserve company incorporation for locals, Moss urges
A Bahamian financial services practitioner yesterday urged this nation to bar international firms from using this jurisdiction solely to incorporate companies in the wake of the ‘Panama Papers’ revelations.
Bahamas must ‘show progress’ on automatic tax exchange regime
The Bahamas was yesterday urged to “show progress” in implementing its automatic tax information exchange regime, given that such initiatives will gain further “impetus” from the ‘Panama Papers’ disclosure.
Government defends financial service industry after ‘disconcerting’ leak
THE government yesterday defended its financial service industry after the country was indentified as a popular tax haven in a major international data leak that documented the offshore dealings of the world’s wealthy elite.
Opening the window to lower energy bills
How would you like to save 10 per cent on your BEC bill? Does 20 per cent sound even better? For homes and businesses using air conditioning without properly sealed windows, as much as 10-20 per cent of your power bill results from cool air seeping straight out the windows. You can think of it like putting money into a bag with holes – it comes right out.
Panama Papers expose e-mail ‘leaks’ damage
The Opposition’s deputy leader yesterday urged the Minister of Financial Services to use the ‘Panama Papers’ leak to advise her Cabinet colleagues against any further disclosures of private e-mails.
Venture fund struggles with equity investing
The Government-sponsored venture capital fund’s chairman yesterday said it had not enjoyed great success with its equity investments, which represent around 40 per cent of its portfolio.
Gov’t ‘analysing’ Striping’s PPP
A Cabinet Minister said yesterday that the Government is conducting “due diligence and analysis” on a public-private partnership (PPP) proposal by the Bahamas Striping Group of Companies.
Monday, April 4
INSIGHT: Whispering campaign is becoming too loud to ignore
Cassius Stuart was only saying what many members of the Free National Movement are saying in private about the party’s leader. Stanley Cartwright suggests it’s time for Dr Minnis to do the honourable thing and stand aside.
EDITORIAL: No hope of Bahamas becoming preferred destination for data services
ON Thursday, October 10, 2014, Prime Minister Perry Christie, speaking at the second annual National Data Protection Symposium, recognised the importance of data protection. It had, he said, become “an international issue of great concern.”
Man held over alleged rape of American tourist
POLICE have one man in custody in connection with the alleged rape of an American tourist early Sunday morning and are on the hunt for another suspect who sexually assaulted a woman during an armed robbery in western New Providence Saturday night.
Sidney Collie nominated for FNM chairman position
FORMER Deputy Prime Minister Frank Watson expects the next Free National Movement chairman to be someone favoured by FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis.
3,000 homes to be repaired thanks to Urban renewal
THE Urban Renewal Commission intends to repair over 3,000 homes in New Providence in 2017 via its Small Homes Repair (SHR) programme, the organisation’s Co-Chair Algernon Allen said on Friday.
Police ‘have not talked to Save the Bays directors’
ATTORNEY Fred Smith, QC, yesterday questioned why police have not interviewed him or any other members of Save The Bays in reference to an alleged murder for hire plot.
Foreign leader ‘hid money in the Bahamas’
THE Bahamas has been named a key tax haven for some of the world’s wealthiest people who sometimes seek to launder money, dodge sanctions and evade tax, according to a recent leak of confidential documents that reveal how some international power-players hide their wealth.
Island Luck is quick on the draw with new three-ball lottery
ISLAND Luck launched its three-ball lottery on Friday, attracting hundreds to its South West Plaza event, most of whom hoped to win prizes that ranged from trips to Las Vegas to 40 inch TVs.
Controversial developer in residency revocation
Jubilant property owners at Exuma’s controversy-plagued Oceania Heights project are celebrating “a new beginning” after the Government this weekend revoked the residency status of its original developer.
Dr. Minnis: A question of character
Opposition leaders daydream of a perfect storm that they could ride into power: a proliferation of crises, policy failures by the government, divisions within the governing party and scandals in the government.
Spanish Wells and the St Anne’s Bluewaves emerge as champions
SPANISH Wells and St Anne’s Bluewaves emerged as the boys’ and girls’ champions respectively in the Bahamas Softball Federation’s Austin ‘King Snake’ Knowles National Softball Tournament that was played at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex over the weekend.
Spartans top Pacers to win Varsity Boys Spring Classic
THE Noble Academy Spartans avenged their only defeat during the round robin play to hand the RM Bailey Pacers their only loss when it counted the most in the championship game of the inaugural Varsity Boys Spring Classic that concluded at Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium on Friday night.
Giants take 2-0 lead, Regulators win opener
WHILE the Commonwealth Bank Giants continue their impressive winning streak by pushing the defending champions PJ Stingers on the brink of elimination, the Mr Ship It Freight Regulators are looking to make it to their first championship appearance in the New Providence Basketball Association (NPBA) postseason.
Another player of the year trophy for Buddy Hield
HOUSTON, Texas – Add another pair of individual awards for Buddy Hield as his historic senior season continues to be celebrated by the American media.
Hield held below 10 points, Sooners lose
HOUSTON, Texas — Kris Jenkins was caught in midair as he tried to draw a foul and just as he was about to lose the the ball or be called for a travel, he hurled a desperation three that fell through the bottom of the net to put the Wildcats up by 40.
WORLD VIEW: Defending rights and resisting unfair practices in Caribbean banking
In January, coincidental to my assuming the Presidency of the Permanent Council of the Organisation of American States (OAS), I met, in Washington DC, the Prime Minister of Belize, Dean Barrow, who had just taken on the responsibility of Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government.
INSIGHT: Can the magic return to the Magic City?
Richard Coulson detects encouraging signs of a renaissance in Freeport.
Renowned sailor Ian Bruce dies age 82
IAN Bruce, an internationally renowned sailor, boat designer and builder who spent periods of his life in the Bahamas, died last month from cancer aged 82.
Exchange control reforms encourage asset repatriation
The private sector believes the Central Bank’s latest exchange control liberalisation moves have “gone a long way” to encouraging Bahamians to repatriate foreign assets and related earnings.
Bahamas’ ‘dead wrong’ model highlighted by Panama papers leak
The massive document leak from a Panamanian law firm should serve as a wake-up call for the Bahamas to alter its “dead wrong” financial services model, a Bahamian executive charged last night.
Gov’t urged: Waive $100 fine on earlier Business Licence date
The Government has been urged to waive the $100 fine imposed on companies who missed the initial end-January 2016 Business Licence filing deadline as “a goodwill gesture”, as queries and “confusion” persisted up till last week’s payment cut-off.
FNM’s VAT plan ‘totally misguided’
The FNM’s Value-Added Tax (VAT) ‘exemptions’ plan has been slammed as “completely misguided” by a well-known businessman, who said the private sector had previously “put to bed” all arguments over the Bahamas’ model.
‘Believe it when I see it’ investment attitude
While there are some indicators that the Eleuthera economy is headed in the right direction, the island’s Chamber of Commerce chief says many residents have adopted a “believe it when I see it” attitude to development promises.
Emphasise ‘robust regulation’ to halt correspondent loss
The Bahamas’ “robust regulatory framework” and favourable ratings by international watchdogs should encourage correspondent banks to maintain relationships with this nation’s financial institutions, a well-known compliance officer believes.
Vacation rentals drive Eleuthera’s economy
The vacation rental business is the largest driver of Eleuthera’s economy, with the island’s Chamber of Commerce president estimating that 70 per cent of visitors come from the North American market.
Sunday, April 3
UPDATED: Three in custody over murder of Customs officer
THREE people are in custody for questioning by police in connection with the murder of Kevin Hanna, a senior revenue officer with the Department of Customs in Grand Bahama.
Two dead, two in hospital after weekend shootings
TWO men are dead and two others are in hospital after a series of shootings in Nassau and Grand Bahama.
Sooners look to regroup after bad loss in Buddy Hield's last game
HOUSTON (AP) — Oklahoma's wonderful season ended with a thud.
Grand Bahama police find man, 22, with fatal shot wounds in van in Hanna Hill
POLICE in Grand Bahama are investigating the fatal shooting of a 22-year-old man in Hanna Hill, Eight Mile Rock, in the early hours of Sunday.
Woman sexually assaulted after being abducted by gunman
POLICE have one suspect in custody as they investigate two overnight sexual assaults in New Providence, one in which the female victim was held at gunpoint.
Massachusetts man drowns while snorkelling off Cabbage Beach
AN AMERICAN man died on Saturday morning after apparently drowning while snorkelling off Cabbage Beach, Paradise Island.
Elderly Exuma man dies in Williams Town house fire
A HOUSE fire early on Saturday has claimed the life of an elderly Exuma resident.
Lower Bogue accident leaves driver dead
POLICE in Eleuthera are investigating a traffic accident that left a man dead on Friday night in Lower Bogue.
Man dies after Churchill Avenue shooting
A MAN has died in hospital after being shot by three men who drove up to him on Churchill Avenue, off Soldier Road, on Saturday night.
Friday, April 1
Cabbage Beach access dispute reaches AG's office
THE ongoing dispute over an easement giving access to Cabbage Beach has now made its way to the Office of the Attorney General as the government works to determine the “historic relevance” of the Paradise Island path.
FNM to hold convention in November, chairman elections on April 14th
THE Free National Movement (FNM) will hold elections for chairman of the party in two weeks and a full convention in November, according to party officials.
FNM chairman reaffirms Minnis support after call for resignation
ACTING Free National Movement (FNM) Chairman Brensil Rolle has reaffirmed the party's support of its leader in the face of public calls for his resignation.
Teens charged over student's murder could stand trial in November
THE teenagers charged in connection with the murder of a 12th grade Doris Johnson Senior High School student could stand trial in Supreme Court as early as November, The Tribune understands.
Police find ammunition in bushes
POLICE discovered a quantity of ammunition in bushes at the rear of an apartment complex in the Freeport area on Thursday.
DNA to announce five candidates next week
THE Democratic National Alliance is expected to announce another five candidates next week, according to party leader Branville McCartney.
Craft and food vendors sought for Carnival
THE Bahamas National Festival Commission is looking for craft and food vendors for this year’s Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival in Nassau.
DNA calls for govt to ‘revamp Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival
THE Democratic National Alliance yesterday urged the Christie administration to “revamp” its unprofitable carnival product, suggesting the government re-establish the Junkanoo in June concept that the party claimed “worked better for all involved.”
Singer and activist slams govt actions against Save the Bays
SINGER turned activist Kirkland “KB” Bodie yesterday called the government’s actions against the Save The Bays (STB) organisation in Parliament hypocritical and disgusting.
Death penalty sought for man accused of Bahamian’s murder
FLORIDA prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for a man accused of brutally murdering a Bahamian woman by burying her alive in concrete a decade ago.
‘THANK GOD IT’S OVER’: Relief for former CLICO policyholders
CLICO (Bahamas) policyholder Bishop Simeon Hall yesterday expressed relief that the CLICO debacle is finally at an end, comparing the gratification of the long-awaited financial resolution to having “delivered a baby”.
PM takes questions from Exuma residents over investment
IN A small settlement in Exuma where jobs are scarce and people lack potable water, residents are optimistic about a multi-million dollar investment that could transform their quaint settlement into one of the country’s major hubs for tourism activity and business opportunities.
Former FNM candidate wants Minnis to resign
FORMER Free National Movement candidate for Bamboo Town Cassius Stuart has called for the “immediate resignation” of FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis, saying the Killarney MP has not proven he can lead the party or the country.
Grand Bahama shootings bring murder count to 31
TWO men, including a Department of Customs officer, were shot dead in Grand Bahama in separate incidents yesterday, pushing the country’s murder count to 31 for the year, according to The Tribune’s records.
Residents plan legal action over dump fires
SEVERAL residents said they are planning to take legal action against the government and “whatever parties necessary” as a result of the recurrent fires at the New Providence landfill, FNM officials said yesterday.
Ground is broken on $120 million production facility on PharmaChem site
GROUND was broken on Thursday for a new $120 million production facility at the PharmaChem site on West Sunrise Highway, Freeport for the exclusive production of Gilead’s life-saving medicines.
UPDATED: Two men shot dead by police
POLICE fatally shot two men in the Sunset Park area last evening following a short chase and shootout, according to Assistant Police Commissioner (ACP) Stephen Dean.
A COMIC'S VIEW: Save our Bahamian souls from this Prince of Darkness
After watching the whole ‘Bahamian Hustle’ scandal play out day-by-day, like some of my favourite daytime soaps and big screen movies with more skeletons ‘moon walking’ out of closets on all sides of the political divide, one name seems to be at the centre of all this madness.
‘I consider myself a Carifta baby’
She still probably has one of the greatest moments in the history of the Carifta Games, running down her Jamaican rival on the anchor leg of the girls’ under-20 4 x 400 metre relay for the gold medal here at home when she went on to earn the prestigious Austin Sealy award for the most outstanding athlete in 1984.
Pro boxing returns with ‘Caribbean Showdown’
PROFESSIONAL boxing is expected to return to the Bahamas at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium next Friday night when Sports Nutrition Products Bahamas Limited is all set to stage a “Caribbean Showdown” between the Bahamas and Jamaica.
Postseason awards for Hield, Higgs and Jones
THE postseason accolades have begun to roll in for Bahamian basketball players at the NCAA Division I level.
SENIOR MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM IN THE CENTROBASKET
THE local basketball community will shift its attention to international competition this summer as the Bahamas looks to begin a long trek toward Olympic qualification in 2020.
THE FINISH LINE: Jamaica in class of their own at CARIFTA as Bahamas faced some stiff competition
Every year around this same time, we take an retrospect of the performances of the Carifta teams representing the country.
Crowds turn out for drive-in movie night
A Downtown Drive-in Movie Night concept launched in Freeport last week was a huge success as many residents turned out for the showing of the movie ‘War Room.’
Trial of woman accused of harbouring convict underway
THE trial of a woman accused of harbouring escaped murder convict Ormand Leon opened in Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
Death penalty decision on men convicted of American sailor’s murder deferred
A JUDGE has deferred her decision on whether she will impose the death penalty on three men convicted of murdering an American sailor as he tried to prevent two women visitors being robbed.
Regulators propose BTC connect change
Regulators are proposing that the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) change its standard interconnection offer to rival carriers to facilitate upcoming mobile market competition.
Mobile rival can ‘roam’ BTC for first three years
Regulators are proposing to allow the Cable Bahamas-managed second mobile operator to deliver services via the rival Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) for a three-year period until its own infrastructure is built out.
Resort lay-offs raise query over $110m expansion
The Opposition’s deputy leader yesterday questioned why the Government kept touting a purported $110 million expansion at the Deep Water Cay resort when it had just terminated nine staff.
E-mail leak spooks doctors over NHI
The Save the Bays e-mail controversy has further spooked doctors already worried about provisions in the draft National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill that seemingly jeopardise patient confidentiality and data protection.
Bahamian group offers ‘win-win’ landfill plan
A reformed Bahamian consortium yesterday revealed it has submitted a proposal to divert 25 per cent of the existing waste streams away from the New Providence landfill, describing the plan as “a win-win” for all stakeholders.
PETER YOUNG: To stay or not to stay? That is the question
The British will vote on the nation’s place in Europe in the first referendum for 40 years this summer. Peter Young looks at what is at stake and why the case for leaving is gathering strength.
