Local News

Bahamian student suspected in Florida stabbing found dead

A 21-year-old Bahamian student in Florida was identified by authorities as the suspect in a double stabbing near the University of South Florida before he was found dead hours later at a nearby apartment complex.

Embarrassment to force and country

TWO police officers are expected to face extortion charges today after a United States tourist complained that he was targeted at the Nassau Cruise Port, a case Commissioner of Police Shanta Knowles called “embarrassing” for the force and the country.

Speaker accuses Pintard of ‘maligning’ her name on social media

HOUSE Speaker Patricia Deveaux delivered a sharp rebuke of Opposition leader Michael Pintard as the budget debate continued yesterday, accusing him of “maligning” her name in a social media post about explosive US court allegations.

Bastian pledges new national ID card to reduce red tape

INNOVATION and National Development Minister Sebas Bastian yesterday pledged to introduce a new national ID card, saying it would give Bahamians one trusted credential to access services, sign documents and receive benefits.

Court of Appeal upholds 21-year rape sentence

THE Court of Appeal has upheld the 21-year prison sentence of Akeem Wilson, ruling that a jury was entitled to convict him of raping a drunk 21-year-old woman who said she woke to find him on top of her on a bathroom floor in an apartment he owned.

Haitian national charged with two separate murders

A HAITIAN national accused of two murders and a Bahamian man accused of assisting in one of the killings appeared in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, where they were served with voluntary bills of indictment sending the case to the Supreme Court.

Govt plans new court to clear trial backlog

NATIONAL Security Minister Myles Laroda yesterday pledged to establish a backlog reduction court within two years, expand specialised firearms courts and spend $1.5m on a new virtual court complex as the Davis administration moves to confront long-running delays in the criminal justice system.

US warns of jet ski dangers after deaths and assaults

THE United States has escalated its warnings and criticism of The Bahamas’ jet ski industry, releasing a video in which Ambassador Herschel Walker said American lives have been lost, visitors have been hospitalised and Americans have been sexually assaulted by operators who took victims to isolated islands.

Long Island man charged over Facebook libel claim

A LONG Island man was arraigned in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday on a libel charge stemming from alleged comments made on Facebook.

26-year-old man remanded on indecent assault charge

A 26-year-old man was remanded to prison yesterday after being arraigned on an indecent assault charge.

29-year-old pleads guilty to harm and cutlass possession

A 29-year-old man was ordered to pay $900 in compensation and keep the peace after admitting to assaulting his former girlfriend and carrying a cutlass without lawful authority.

Long, dry summer ahead as heat index could hit 110° F

A meteorologist warned yesterday that The Bahamas could face more frequent heat advisories this summer as drier conditions push heat index values into dangerous territory across several northern and northwestern islands.

59-year-old woman charged in $37,000 housing fraud scheme

A 59-year-old woman was charged in Grand Bahama’s Magistrate’s Court yesterday with fraud after allegedly swindling eight people out of $37,500 through cash payments ranging from $2,500 to $5,000.

Man conditionally discharged after assaulting his sister

A 20-year-old Gambier man who admitted assaulting his sister during a family dispute was granted a conditional discharge yesterday after a magistrate expressed concern about the circumstances that allegedly triggered the confrontation.

Gardiner petitions New York judge to dismiss criminal complaint against him

JONATHAN Eric Gardiner, the convicted Bahamian drug trafficker whose rescue from an Election Day plane crash has ignited a political firestorm in The Bahamas, has asked a New York federal judge to throw out the criminal complaint against him, arguing US authorities detained him for two days before filing charges and failed to indict him within the required 30-day window.

The Tribune