The Big Story

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — In conflicting statements released today, FNM Chairman Dr Duane Sands and Vice Chairman Richard Johnson presented different accounts of yesterday's ruling in the Supreme Court, which overturned Johnson's suspension by party officials. Justice Deborah Fraser's ruling stated that Sands and FNM Leader Michael Pintard are prohibited from "restraining, prohibiting, or interfering with (Johnson) in the discharge of...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS- Petroleum retailers on New Providence say that they have decided to take action to ensure the viability of their businesses as discussions with the government over their current fuel margins have not yielded the desired results. According to Raymond Jones, president of The Bahamas Petroleum Retailers Association, following an emergency meeting yesterday, 80 percent of the petroleum retailers...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS-Royal Caribbean International says that its beach club on Paradise Island is set to open in 2025, with the company having received government approval to proceed with the project. Michael Bayley, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, said, "The Bahamas has been a phenomenal partner since the very start, when they became our first port of call more...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — After a construction official accused the government of nepotism in its contractor selections, the president of a local consultancy company replied: “Good contractors always have work.” During an Organization for Responsible Governance panel, Debbie Deal warned about construction-related corruption referring to it as an elephant in the room. She claimed that contractors were made to prepare time-consuming...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Free National Movement (FNM) leader Michael Pintard urged party supporters to “pull together” last night, underscoring the importance of loyalty to the party over personal ambitions. Pintard addressed supporters at a Centreville Constituency Association meeting Tuesday night. “We have to be more loyal to the party and the team than to our own personal ambitions," he said. "There...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS- FOCOL Holdings, the BISX-listed petroleum products supplier, saw a $3.4 million increase in its total net profit and comprehensive income for the first quarter of its financial year. According to the company’s unaudited financial results for its first quarter, total net profit and comprehensive income for the three months ended December 31st, 2022, was $5.7 million compared to...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS- The government has granted Royal Caribbean International (RCI) approval for its $100 million beach club project on Paradise Island, it was announced yesterday. According to a statement from Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper, the project, when completed, will offer guests beach and water sport activities, as well as Bahamian entertainment and retail experiences. “The government is satisfied that...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The Bahamas continues to see a strong performance in tourism as it is on pace to “shatter” last year’s numbers and its record 2019 performance, Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper yesterday revealed this nation welcomed nearly one million visitors in January.  During his contribution to the mid-year budget debate yesterday, Cooper who has ministerial responsibility for Tourism, Aviation,...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Opposition leader Michael Pintard yesterday accused Prime Minister Philip Davis of ‘misleading’ Parliament over claims he made last week regarding a company he said has held on to more than $6 million in government revenue. During his contribution to the mid-year budget debate last week, Davis said that the company in question had held on to some...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Opposition leader Michael Pintard yesterday maintained that the Public Accounts Committee has “every right” to review copies of any and all contracts entered into by or on behalf of government ministries since September 21, 2021 as he dismissed claims of “overreach”.  Attorney General Ryan Pinder wroted a letter to Pintard, the PAC chairman, sent in care of...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The government is seeing the best real property tax compliance rate in years according to Prime Minister Philip Davis who told Parliament that the “worst culprits” when it came to non-payment were many owners of the most valuable properties in the country. During his wrap-up to the mid-year budget debate yesterday, Davis noted that the government is...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Police yesterday urged the public to come forward with any information that can help them find the suspects responsible for the latest double homicide in the Fox Hill community. According to a statement, police were alerted of gunshots being discharged in the Fox Hill community via its Spot Shotter technology shortly after 9pm. Responding officers found two...

FREEPORT, GRAND BAHAMA — A Police Corporal is in custody after an alleged altercation with another man turned into a bloody and brutal attack involving six other people early Saturday morning. A screenshot of the video that purports to show the alleged incident. Assistant Superintendent Stephen Rolle told Eyewitness News the officer got into an altercation with another man while...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — A team from the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and the Department of Immigration apprehended 127 Haitian immigrants following an illegal landing on the western coast of Andros. In a statement, the Department of Immigration advised that routine patrols and surveillance discovered a vessel carrying unlawful entrants from the Republic of Haiti off the remote western coast of...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — An out island boutique resort operator claims the government has lost "a ton” of annual revenue due to dragging its feet for more than five years over the regulation of the short-term vacation rental market. Edwin Mulford, owner of Cat Island’s Pigeon Cay Beach Club told Eyewitness News the recent announcement by the Department of Inland Revenue...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — A woman visitor was allegedly lured away from her friends and sexually assaulted in the early hours of Sunday morning. According to police, the woman was with friends at a local resort in western New Providence. She was reportedly lured away from her friends and sexually assaulted by a man. Resort security is reportedly assisting police with...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — More than 400 job seekers attended the latest Labour on the Blocks 2.0 job fair this weekend, according to Labour Director Robert Farquharson, who noted that one employer sought to hire as many as 100 persons. Farquharson said the job fair at the Flamingo Gardens Park was extremely successful. "Up to 10 pm Friday over 350 persons...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The Bahamas held on to its score of 64 on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for its second consecutive year. The CPI is the most widely used global corruption ranking in the world, measuring how corrupt each country’s public sector is perceived to be according to experts and business people. According to the report, a country...