Friday, February 6
Former Turks and Caicos premier found guilty over bribery charges
A decade-long corruption trial in the Turks and Caicos Islands ended on Wednesday with guilty verdicts against the territory’s former premier, his brother and a former cabinet minister, closing one of the most consequential legal sagas in the country’s modern political history, according to reporting by the Miami Herald.
Island luck co-founders slam human and gun trafficking allegations in Epstein file
Island Luck’s co-founders yesterday both slammed claims they were involved in human and firearms trafficking as alleged in a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) report released in the files on convicted paedophile and sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.
JBLN 16U claim title at Christie Invitational
Both the JBLN girls’ softball 14U and 16U teams rose to the occasion this weekend at the Greg Christie Memorial Softball Invitational in Freeport, Grand Bahama, with the 16U team claiming the championship title and the 14U squad falling just short, despite unfamiliar cold conditions.
Long Island FNM rift over candidate
A RIFT exists inside the Free National Movement on Long Island, where senior members of the party’s constituency association say they are prepared to back sitting MP Adrian Gibson as an independent after he was denied ratification by the party’s leadership.
Tearful farewell for Seymour as Nicole Martin takes FNM senator’s place
MAXINE Seymour resigned from the senate yesterday after more than four years of service, with the vacancy to be filled by Nicole Martin, the former Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union president.
PM: Cost of living ‘the elephant in the room’
PRIME Minister Philip Davis said the cost of living remains the “elephant” in the room facing the country, with some pressures beyond the government’s control, and that crime, though trending downward, is still higher than it should be.
Minnis calls for bipartisan end to ‘free’ healthcare
FORMER Prime Minister Hubert Minnis on Wednesday said the low cost that Bahamians pay for public healthcare is unsustainable and warned that partisan politics have long made honest reform impossible, calling for a bipartisan approach to confronting the reality that healthcare cannot remain free.
Cat island cut off by weeks of rolling outages
WEEKS of rolling telecommunications outages on Cat Island have cut residents off from banks, businesses and family, leaving people unable to make phone calls, access the internet or withdraw their own money, and fuelling anger over being billed for services they say barely work.
PM halts Justice of the Peace bill for further talks
PRIME Minister Philip Davis has postponed the tabling of legislation that would significantly overhaul the appointment, regulation and oversight of Justices of the Peace, according to Devon Rolle, president of the National Association of Justices of the Peace.
Prosecution closes case in East Street car wash murder
THE prosecution closed its case yesterday in the murder trial stemming from the fatal shooting of a man at a car wash on East Street in 2021, after calling its final witnesses before the Supreme Court.
Teen admits to 67 rounds of ammo in bedroom
A 15-year-old boy admitted to possessing 67 rounds of ammunition at his Yorkshire Street home earlier this week and was remanded in custody pending a probation report.
Six months jail for three-time bail breaker
A MAN on bail for a violent 2021 airport robbery that nearly claimed the lives of a woman and a police officer was sentenced to six months in prison yesterday after breaching his bail conditions for a third time.
Govt says it sought US financing first before China-backed hospital deal
The Government said it approached the United States first for financing for New Providence’s second hospital but received no proposal that met the scale, timing, or certainty required, before ultimately concluding an agreement with China.
Contracts signed for new clinic in Abaco and repairs for another
THE government has signed two contracts to expand and repair primary healthcare facilities in Abaco, moving ahead with the construction of a new clinic in Cherokee Sound and the repair of storm damage at the Cooperstown clinic.
Mayaguana parents protest ‘failing’ school system
DISGRUNTLED parents in Mayaguana have protested what they described as a years-long teacher shortage at the island’s only school, a situation they say has severely disrupted students’ education and “is failing their kids.”
Ryan Forbes enters North Abaco race as independent candidate
BUSINESSMAN Ryan Forbes has entered the North Abaco race as an independent after failing to secure the Free National Movement’s nomination, adding a new dynamic to a constituency already claimed by both major parties ahead of the next general election.
Entrepreneur on bail for $42k theft charges
AN entrepreneur accused of stealing more than $40,000 from clients three years ago was arraigned yesterday and granted bail.
US Ambassador: Drop China deal
THE US ambassador to The Bahamas yesterday argued that the terms of the $195m Chinese financing for New Providence’s second hospital are not “in the best interests” of this nation and pledged that the Trump administration will “help secure a better deal”.
Thursday, February 5
Darville: Ministry will call up 47 retired nurses as they look to recruit 50 more from Ghana
HEALTH Minister Michael Darville said 47 retired nurses will re-enter the public healthcare system next month and the government is in the final stages of recruiting 50 Ghanaian nurses with specialised skills.
50/50 labour split for building new hospital
BAHAMIAN workers will make up 50 percent of the construction workforce for the $268 million speciality hospital on the Perpall Tract, Health and Wellness Minister Michael Darville told the House of Assembly yesterday.
Davis calls Pintard ‘stupid’ during House energy debate
PRIME Minister Philip Davis called Opposition Leader Michael Pintard “stupid” in the House of Assembly yesterday during a tense debate over the government’s energy reforms and its plan to guarantee credit facilities tied to the country’s liquefied natural gas transition.
Broken neck suffered in illegal ‘Uber’ ride
A CRASH that left a Grand Bahama preschool teacher with a broken neck and torn eyelids has thrown fresh light on what officials have described as a dangerous regulatory vacuum around ride-sharing services operating in The Bahamas, some falsely claiming to be “Uber” drivers.
Bowleg ‘unbothered’ by Rick Fox ratification for Garden Hills seat
GARDEN Hills MP Mario Bowleg appeared unbothered yesterday after former NBA player Rick Fox was ratified as the Free National Movement’s candidate for the constituency.
Coleby-Davis: 82% of households saw lower power bills in 2025
THOUSANDS of households paid at least 15 percent less for electricity in 2025 under the Equity Rate Adjustment (ERA) programme, Energy and Transport Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis told the House of Assembly yesterday, saying the tariff reform is already delivering measurable savings for consumers.
Around da Islands: The Tribune and GB 242 News launch media partnership
The Tribune today announces a new media partnership with Grand Bahama 242 News to bring expanded coverage of Grand Bahama and the Family Islands to readers across The Bahamas.
Wednesday, February 4
Lucayan staff five weeks’ unpaid for a second time
Grand Lucayan staff have gone five weeks without pay for a second time, it has been confirmed, with the resort now owing a total $17m to its Bahamian and international suppliers and other creditors.
Pharmacy practices exposed by Tribune ‘unlawful’ and ‘unsafe’ says government
THE government has committed to long-promised legislative reform to clamp down on the illegal sale of prescription medicines after a Tribune investigation exposed how easily powerful drugs are being sold over the counter without prescriptions.
CPSA president warns PMH is in its worst state in 22 years
CONSULTANT Physicians Staff Association president Dr Charelle Lockhart says Princess Margaret Hospital is in the worst condition she has seen in her 22 years working in public practice.
Rick fox joins FNM as twelve ratified
FORMER NBA star Rick Fox threw another political curveball last night when he was ratified as the Free National Movement’s candidate for Garden Hills despite months of publicly criticising both major parties and teasing a possible run as an independent.
Rhema Collins named CUSA Player of the Week for third time this year
BAHAMAS forward Rhema Collins continues to excel in her transfer year as a junior with the Florida international University Panthers women’s basketball team.
Smith backtracks on Grand Lucayan ‘non-sale’ remarks
WEST Grand Bahama and Bimini MP Kingsley Smith backtracked yesterday on remarks he made about the sale of the Grand Lucayan resort after telling reporters the transaction had not happened despite government officials saying otherwise.
IT staff protest outside OPM over outstanding unresolved promotions and regularisations
STAFF of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) yesterday staged a protest outside the Office of the Prime Minister over outstanding promotions and regularisations.
FOCOL to launch 5MW GB Power solar within 30 days
BISX-listed FOCOL Holdings will begin supplying Grand Bahama Power Company (GBPC) with five mega watts (MW) of soalr power within the next 30 days, it was revealed last night.
Epstein ‘interested’ in financing Long Island physics investment
The convicted paedophile and sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, voiced “interest” in investing in the construction of physics-led science institute proposed for Long Island near the Stella Maris resort, it can be revealed.
Gov’t plans to accelerate Grand Lucayan permits
The Grand Lucayan’s prospective purchaser was yesterday said to be “finalising” its development plans and brand/operating partners with the processes for obtaining the necessary permits to launch its $827m development set to begin imminently.
Generation reforms to save Nassau $120m in fuel costs
FOCOL Holdings’ top executive last night said its overhaul of New Providence’s baseload electricity generation could save consumers up to $120m annually in reduced fuel costs alone.
BTC parent’s chief says: Turn connectivity into our prosperity
The head of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) immediate parent company has called for regional leaders to team with regulators and the private sector to convert improved connectivity into tangible, measurable prosperity for the Caribbean.
Medical practice halting NHI laboratory services
A prominent medical practice yesterday confirmed that it will halt the provision of laboratory services to National Health Insurance (NHI) patients with effect from February 15 but denied this was due to non or late payment by the Government-run scheme.
Agriculture director admits ‘weak enforcement’ as stray dog crisis grows
ENFORCEMENT of animal welfare laws needs strengthening, Director of Agriculture Dr Jason Sands admitted yesterday, while acknowledging that addressing the country’s stray dog problem is not an easy task.
Corporate income tax must be made simple
Bahamian companies yesterday said they are open to replacing the existing Business Licence fee regime with a corporate income tax provided the latter is properly implemented.
Bahamas Cycling Federation gets 10 bicycles thanks to UCI
THE Bahamas Cycling Federation has been blessed with 10 Scott bicycles to help with the development of the sport throughout the Family Islands.
ALICIA WALLACE: Celebrate. Remember. Get to work.
FEBRUARY is recognised as Black History Month in the US.
Cyber threat alert for Bahamas energy grid
FOCOL Holdings’ top executive last night warned of the cyber threats facing The Bahamas’ energy grid and electricity infrastructure as they become increasingly digitised.
Pineridge emerging as key election battleground
PINERIDGE is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched battlegrounds of the coming election, with at least four candidates expected to contest a seat many voters describe as a true swing constituency.
Driver of crashed gov’t truck still under probe one month later
MORE than a month after a government-issued truck was captured on video speeding, swerving through traffic and crashing into other vehicles before driving off, police are still investigating the matter.
Weaker cold front to bring cool weekend weather
WEATHER officials say a weaker cold front is expected to affect The Bahamas from Thursday through Sunday, bringing cool but far less severe conditions than the unusually cold and windy system that impacted the country last weekend.
Juvenile gets 18 months prison for attempted shop-breaking
A 16-year-old boy was sentenced to 18 months in prison after admitting to attempting to break into a shop on Robinson Road.
Father sentenced to 15 years for incest with young daughter
A 32-year-old man who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting his six-year-old daughter in 2022 was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Man denies illegal dumping at Marshall Road wetlands
A MAN denied illegally dumping waste in wetlands near Marshall Road West last month.
48 migrants convicted on immigration offences
THIRTY-six Panamanian nationals and twelve Haitian nationals were convicted in separate Magistrate’s Court proceedings yesterday after pleading guilty to immigration offences stemming from a recent enforcement operation in New Providence.
Rookie ‘VJ’ struggles in win over Clippers
THE Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 128-113 on Monday night, extending their winning streak as Tyrese Maxey and Dominick Barlow carried the offence.
Battles of Boca: Tennis ace Sydney Clarke puts together impressive run to the semis
TENNIS player Sydney Clarke put together an impressive run at the multi-day Battles of Boca tournament in Boca Raton, Florida, at the Rick Macci Tennis Center this past weekend, fighting her way through multiple rounds to reach the semifinals of the $10,000 first place prize event.
Top hurdlers in the world invited to meet
DANIELLE Williams, Masai Russell and Megan Tapper - a few of the top female high hurdlers in the world - are expected to be in town this weekend to participate in the highly anticipated Devynne Charlton Invitational at the Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.
Tuesday, February 3
Ex-minister: Corporate income tax 'inevitable' if PLP win the election
A former Cabinet minister yesterday asserted that the imposition of corporate income tax on all Bahamian businesses is “inevitable” if the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) wins the upcoming general election.
Repeat offender accused of theft at Dr Duane Sands' home
A REPEAT offender accused of stealing from and trespassing on the property of FNM chairman Dr Duane Sands was remanded to prison yesterday.
FOAM president says celebrate your birthday by donating blood
NEARLY every day, another flyer circulates appealing for blood donations for someone in need — young or old — a reality that has prompted Khandi Gibson, president of Families of All Murder Victims (FOAM), to challenge the public to mark their birthdays by giving a pint of blood.
The quiet victims - kids left behind by murder
AS a new month begins, some children in The Bahamas are still learning how to live without a mother or father taken by murder — and the relatives now raising them are doing so while grieving themselves.
FNM demands answers after BGC 'denied access' during blackout
FREE National Movement Senator Michela Barnett-Ellis is demanding answers from the Davis administration following claims by Bahamas Grid Company (BGC) that it was denied access to the New Providence Control Center during the weekend’s island-wide power outage.
Unlawfully detained Guyanese man awarded $75K settlement
A SUPREME Court judge has ruled that a Guyanese man was unlawfully detained for more than three months in 2006 under an invalid deportation order and in conditions that breached his constitutional rights, awarding him $75,000 in damages but rejecting his claims that his later arrest, prosecution and year-long imprisonment on bribery charges were unlawful.
'It looked like he was begging for his life'
DEANGELO “Ducky” Burrows was shot seven times on a Grand Bahama street Saturday night, wounds his family says suggest he was begging for his life.
'Uber coming' despite taxi union resistance
A BUSINESSMAN says he is bringing Uber to the country despite resounding opposition from the Bahamas Taxi Cab Union.
Bahamas ‘in far darker place’ in unregulated medicine sale
The Bahamas is in “a far darker place than a decade ago” over the sale of unapproved and ‘grey market’ medicines, an ex-health minister asserted yesterday, adding: “The pirates are still here.”
Two women charged in $65K Abaco 'Crown land' scam
TWO Grand Bahama women have been charged with defrauding 15 Abaco residents of more than $65,000 in cash in connection with the alleged sale of Crown land.
Weekend fire guts family-owned hotel
HEARTBREAK struck a Bimini family on Sunday after a fast-moving fire tore through their decades-old family hotel at a time it was in the process of being sold.
Two stepfathers remanded for alleged sexual assault of minors
TWO men accused in separate cases of having sex with their underaged stepdaughters were remanded to prison yesterday.
FNM to ratify eight candidates as election race heats up
THE Free National Movement (FNM) plans to ratify at least eight candidates tonight, including Shanendon Cartwright and Carlton Bowleg, who are set for the newly created constituencies.
Man and woman's bail set $100K in $2.6m Bimini drug bust
A MAN and a woman accused in a $2.6 million cocaine bust in Bimini last week were granted bail yesterday.
Man gets five years for rifle and ammo stash
A MAN was sentenced to five years in prison yesterday after admitting he had a prohibited rifle and more than 100 rounds of ammunition near his home on Zirconia Court last week.
FACING REALITY: Simple fact - you can't reach the First World with a Third World mentality
THERE'S a phrase that gets tossed around casually in Caribbean conversations: “third world.”
Students strengthen leadership skills at youth governance workshop
STUDENTS from across New Providence came together to strengthen their leadership skills and deepen their understanding of governance, civic participation, and national development during the Youth in Governance Capacity Building Workshop.
Monday, February 2
Epstein advised: Bahamas ‘will welcome you with open arms’
The convicted paedophile and sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, was advised that The Bahamas “will welcome you with open arms” amid a sustained effort to interest the now-deceased financier in acquiring private islands and high-end real estate.
PLP scrap convention while they turn focus on election
PRIME Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis told the PLP’s National General Council yesterday that the party will not hold a pre-election convention this year, arguing that resources are better spent preparing for the general election, The Tribune understands.
Gibson: 'Pay overtime to nurses now and stop the ‘spinning’
Nurses taking industrial action over unpaid overtime could receive partial overdue payments today, according to Frazette Gibson, FNM Candidate for Central Grand Bahama Constituency.
Tragedy at excavation site as worker crushed
FOR hours on Thursday night, thousands of Bahamians watched in dread as men with shovels and heavy machinery clawed at a mound of rock and dirt, hoping to pull a 51-year-old construction worker out alive.
Arctic blast leaves Nassau’s most vulnerable shivering
COLD winds that sent wind chills plunging into the 30s left some of the country’s homeless huddled in abandoned buildings with nothing more than thin sheets — and in some cases, nothing at all — to fight off the bitter air.
Watson out as PLP ratify final candidates
A BITTER internal fight over Southern Shores ended last night with the Progressive Liberal Party denying ZNS General Manager Clint Watson the nomination and instead selecting Obie Roberts as the party ratified its full slate of candidates for the next general election.
INSIGHT: The other (secret) drug war
IN THE Bahamas, as in many other countries, particularly those with large migrant populations, the unbanked, and high poverty rates, parallel economies thrive.
Despite talk, the woes of "Magic City" continue
IF THE government’s trip to Grand Bahama last week was meant to be a statement of intent, then it blew its lines badly.
Davis ‘disappointed’ by nurses’ industrial action
PRIME Minister Philip Brave Davis said he was “disappointed” by nurses’ reaction to the overtime pay crisis, insisting the government moved quickly once it became aware that the Public Hospitals Authority had exhausted its overtime funds.
Incumbent Kyle Wilson clinches historic third term at BEWU
A LEADERSHIP battle inside the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union played out at the ballot box yesterday as incumbent president Kyle Wilson sought an unprecedented third term against his own vice president, Antonio Dean, in a key election overseen by the Department of Labour.
Man shot in GB succumbs to injuries in hospital
A 37-YEAR-OLD Seahorse Village man was shot and killed on East Atlantic Drive in Grand Bahama on Saturday night.
Allied health workers: Three years and still no recognition
ALLIED healthcare workers say they have spent three years trying to secure formal union recognition while payroll problems and staffing shortages strain operations across the public health system.
Man fined and ordered to repay $54k in vehicle scam
Magistrate Abigail Farrington handed the sentence to Jahiem Dixon, citing his early guilty plea, the circumstances of the offences and his expression of remorse.
Court cuts sentence for ‘prolific’ indecent offender
THE Court of Appeal reduced a three-year prison sentence imposed on a “prolific offender” for indecent assault, ruling that the maximum penalty was “manifestly harsh and excessive” despite his record.
Colours and culture on display at 2026 Junior Junkanoo on Bay Street
THE thunder of goatskin drums and cowbells belonged to children on Thursday night as Bay Street filled with colour, rhythm and raw talent for the annual Junior Junkanoo parade.
Two men face Supreme Court on major charges
TWO men accused in separate violent incidents were sent to the Supreme Court after brief appearances before magistrates on Friday.
Man charged with attempted murder after hospital arrest
A 30-year-old man appeared before Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley on Friday charged with attempted murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.
