Florida operator defends Bahamas jet ski industry
A FLORIDA jet ski operator has defended The Bahamas’ watercraft industry after the latest US Embassy warning, arguing that the alert exaggerates the danger of rentals and risks damaging the livelihoods of Bahamians who depend on tourism.
Taxpayers to fund $1BN Civil Service
Total compensation paid to the Bahamian civil service will breach the $1bn mark for the first time in the upcoming 2026-2027 fiscal period, it has been revealed, with its ranks having expanded by 2,342 persons over the past four years.
Student YouTuber interviews Buddy Hield and helps others
Eleven-year-old Ameko Lamm has interviewed NBA player Buddy Hield, handed out motivational wristbands to primary school students and is preparing to distribute 200 hygiene kits this weekend — all while getting ready to enter grade six as head boy.
Halkitis defends $140k budget for FOIA office
FINANCE Minister Michael Halkitis insisted yesterday that a $140,000 allocation is enough for the Freedom of Information Act office to operate as opposition MPs challenged the Davis administration over limited funding for key accountability and anti-corruption agencies.
Mitchell refuses to debate diplomat’s $200k package
FOREIGN Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell refused yesterday to discuss the compensation and benefits package of a young male Ministry of Foreign Affairs employee posted in London, whose reported benefits worth more than $200k a year have drawn intermittent scrutiny since the PLP won office in 2021.
Mitchell silent on pension benefits for rapist officer
FOREIGN Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell again refused to say yesterday whether former senior immigration officer Norman Bastian is receiving retirement benefits, as Long Island MP Dr Andre Rollins questioned whether taxpayers will be forced to pay both damages to Claudia Edwards Bethel’s estate and a pension to the man who raped and unlawfully detained her.
Rollins clashes with PM over trafficker’s legal bills
LONG Island MP Dr Andre Rollins pressed Prime Minister Philip Davis in Parliament yesterday to say whether public funds or money tied to government members are paying legal fees for convicted drug trafficker Jonathan Eric Gardiner.
Minister of Health lacks exact numbers for government’s catastrophic health fund
HEALTH and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville could not say yesterday what percentage of applicants to the government’s Catastrophic Healthcare Fund have received help, renewing concerns about transparency around a programme that will receive $12m in public funding this budget cycle.
PM promises to examine police gratuity dispute
PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis pledged yesterday to examine a long-running dispute over police gratuities and speak with the judiciary about speeding up any pending court cases, after MPs said retired officers have spent up to two decades fighting for payments they claim they are owed.
No AC forces GB clinic to halt vaccinations
A BROKEN air conditioning system has forced vaccines and medication out of the High Rock Clinic, leaving East Grand Bahama residents without pharmacy and vaccination services at the facility and requiring patients to travel to Freeport for care.
Two fined in separate drug possession cases
TWO people were fined in separate Magistrate’s Court matters after being convicted of possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply.
San Salvador’s Dixon Hill Light, history, wrecks and misadventures
THE Imperial Light Service (ILS) built their final Bahamian lighthouse on Dixon’s Hill, San Salvador and lit it on April 1, 1887.
Eleuthera man gets bail over fatal 2025 crash
AN Eleuthera man was granted bail yesterday after being arraigned in Magistrate’s Court on a vehicular manslaughter charge stemming from a crash that killed longtime public servant and community leader Ricardo Bell last year.
26-year-old granted bail in drugs and weapons case
A 26-year-old man was granted bail yesterday after appearing in Magistrate’s Court on drug, possession and weapons-related charges.
Players from across Bahamas prepare to compete in Andre Rodgers National Baseball Championships
THE Bahamas Baseball Association’s premier youth event returns this week as players from across the country prepare to compete in the Andre Rodgers National Baseball Championships.
Avian Pride conquers the Warren Seymour Classic
BAHAMIAN chess phenom Avian Pride became the first player to secure a place in the 2026 Bahamas National Chess Championships after winning the Warren Seymour Classic, the opening event in the Bahamas Chess Federation’s national qualifying series.
Opposition blasts Gov’ts ‘tardy’ extra $250m move
The Opposition’s finance spokesman yesterday blasted the Government’s “tardy” last-minute bid to obtain Parliamentary approval for an extra $250m spending in the current 2025-2026 Budget year.
Realtors warn Bahamians face higher tax rate than foreigners
Realtors yesterday confirmed they have recommended the Government correct “inconsistencies” with its real property tax reforms that could result in Bahamians being taxed at a higher rate than their foreign owner counterparts.
Auto dealers blindsided by title certificate reform
Auto dealers yesterday revealed they have been blindsided by legal reforms that threaten to create “more and more bureaucracy” by changing how vehicle imports are cleared when they arrive in The Bahamas.
