The Big Story

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said yesterday he is monitoring the volcano eruptions in St Vincent and the Grenadines and advised that Cabinet will review the matter to see how to best assist. Ash rises into the air as La Soufriere volcano erupts on the eastern Caribbean island of St Vincent, seen from Chateaubelair, Friday, April 9,...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Police fished the partially decomposed body of a man from waters off the former Pioneers Shipping Dock located on Bay Street this morning. According to reports, the body was found shortly before 9am and is believed to be a drowning victim. Police will await an autopsy report to determine the exact cause of death and the identification...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes charged 11 Haitian nationals in Magistrate’s Court #8 for various immigration offenses yesterday. Nine men and two women were arrested during an operation conducted in Abaco last week Thursday, April 8. The operation was conducted by the Bahamas Immigration Department, the Royal Bahamas Police Force and Defence Force and Ministry of Public Works....

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — A man was stabbed on Key West Street following an argument with another man and later died in hospital, according to police. Police said the two men were arguing on the street when one of them produced a knife and stabbed the other several times. The victim, whose identity was not released, was transported to hospital but...

“There will be no favoritism, no speculation and flipping of properties” NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said yesterday that the application process for Bahamians looking to acquire land in a proposed upscale community in western New Providence will be open to the public this summer, stressing that no applications have been accepted to date and that there...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Leader Philip Brave Davis yesterday urged Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis to pick a date and announce the upcoming general election, as political parties ramp up campaigning amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement, Davis admitted that campaigning during a pandemic increases coronavirus risks and urged party candidates and supporters to "campaign...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Minister of Public Works Desmond Bannister yesterday affirmed that demolition of unfinished and unoccupied structures in the shantytown known as The Farm on Abaco will be demolished in 14 days, while occupied structures will face the same fate in 28 days. Notices have been erected on newly constructed structures — outside the 30 that withstood Hurricane Dorian...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The legal ramifications for people convicted of cannabis possession are too harsh in The Bahamas, according to 62 percent of respondents surveyed in a recent Public Domain poll. The survey, obtained by Eyewitness News, was conducted as part of The Bahamas National Commission on Marijuana’s (BNCM) work to gauge the opinions of residents on cannabis and its related...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Murders for the first quarter of 2021 rose sharply compared to the same period in 2020, according to an analysis of Eyewitness News’ records. There were 28 murders in The Bahamas up to March 31 — 24 on New Providence, two on Abaco, one on Grand Bahama and one on Eleuthera. A total of 18 murders were...

Moultrie requests voter statistics before end of week to complete report NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Constituencies Commission Chairman and Speaker of the House of Assembly Halson Moultrie yesterday asked Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis to intervene with statistics from the Parliamentary Registration Department, noting that the commission has been unable to complete its recommendation on the boundaries for the next general...

“Islands that have direct airlift are performing better” Out Island Promotion Board chief calls for “civil conversation” on COVID testing requirements for domestic travel NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The Out Island Promotion Board’s (OIPB) executive director said yesterday that projections for room revenue and room nights sold have jumped to 65 percent of pre-pandemic levels amid the steady rollout of the...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Deputy Leader Chester Cooper yesterday labeled as “fantastical” the government’s housing resolution for a proposed upscale community in western New Providence. The Exumas and Ragged Island MP, during his contribution to debate on the housing resolution in Parliament yesterday, noted that while he supports the idea of making housing more affordable for young...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — A recent Public Domain survey has found that while 84 percent of Bahamians support cannabis legalization for medical use, 56 percent are against its recreational use. The survey, obtained by Eyewitness News, was conducted as part of the Bahamas National Commission on Marijuana’s (BNCM) work to gauge the opinions of residents on cannabis and its related concerns....

FNM chairman says more women will be put forth in final tranche of candidates NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Both the Free National Movement (FNM) and Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) are expected to complete their slate of candidates for the upcoming general election by the end of the month. FNM Chairman Carl Culmer and PLP Chairman Fred Mitchell told Eyewitness News their...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Local water-based excursion operators say they have seen an uptick in business over the past several weeks, noting that it has been a “huge improvement” compared to last year albeit still well below their pre-pandemic performance. Adoni Lisgaris, president of the Bahamas Excursion Operators Association (BEOA), told Eyewitness News: “We saw an uptick in March. It is...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — With nearly 200 additional cases of the coronavirus recorded in the last week, The Bahamas Is now battling its third wave of COVID-19 — a worrisome circumstance for health officials, who note that case studies around the world show that surges in subsequent waves can be worse than previous ones. There has been an increase in COVID-19 infections...

Bahamas facing its third wave of COVID-19 NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Attorney General Carl Bethel said yesterday that unless the wider public can do what must be done to mitigate the third wave of COVID-19 in The Bahamas, “we’re going to continue seeing what we are seeing right now”. There has been an increase in COVID-19 infections for four consecutive weeks....