Lenten Meditation Day 5 – March 9th… Temptation and Doubt: A nonbeliever once came on Bahamas Press and demanded proof that GOD exists. The question drew a lengthy Facebook debate, which moved from Christian ideology and principals to the theories of Darwin and Plato. BP was exhausted following that lengthy online chat, and in the end I was still a Christian who could not win over the firm views of the unbeliever. This experience reminded me of the 40-day temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, which is also our Gospel Reading for today [Matt 4: 1-11]. The scene is where the tempter comes to Jesus questioning his faith and testing his very existence. Hungry and alone following his long 40-day fast the tempter came with the question, … “If you be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.” What a test. The enemy himself wants Jesus to test his own power and make Him wonder if he was God’s Son. Christians have all come to this place before, questioning whether or not they are called to be in a particular place on their Christian journey. What often most believers forget is the fact that we are in a journey of faith! When asked by the atheist in the end of our lengthy discourse, “How could you believe in someone you have never seen?” My reply was quick: “How could you believe in the wind? You cannot see that either, yet you know it exists!” I added, “I have seen the Hand of God, which can be published in volumes of texts in my personal life. I have witnessed miracles. And personal miracles in my own life which testifies to the fact that though I have never seen the image of God, I feel and know of His presence directing and commanding my life.” Have you not see the Hand of God in the love of a parent? Perhaps you saw it in the concern of some guardian? Have you not experienced a direction to do something that could only be a direction from Him? Have you not heard His voice to go a particular place? Has He not inspired you to uplift and speak to someone who needed a word? We as Christians walk by Faith and not by sight. AMEN!  Read More →

Athletes makes country proud! News Breaking Now at the World Indoor Championships- Bahamian 400m runner Chris Brown at age 35 has delivered the Bahamas a Silver Medal in the men’s 400m today!!! BREAKING UPDATE >>>> Bahamas speed runner Shaunae Miller has just delivered the Bahamas a Bronze at the 400m at the World Indoor Championships… WE CONGRATULATE HER! GOOOOOO BAHAMAS!!! AT BP ARE PROUD OF YOU SHANUAE AND TEAM BAHAMAS!  Read More →

Dustin Gamaal Taylor was already on bail for murder, what in the hell he was doing with a gun? Dustin Gamaal Taylor, a 30-year-old along with his 53-year-old mother, Monique Partice Taylor, appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann Pratt-Ferguson charged with the offence of possession of ammunition. Defendant Dustin Taylor pleaded guilty to the offence and was sentenced to four (4) years imprisonment. Charges were dropped against the defendant’s mother. The duo were arrested on Thursday 6th March 2014 after officers from the Firearms Tracing and Investigations Unit acting on intelligence executed a search warrant at their home located at Trinity Way and Bethel Avenue, where they uncovered (20) rounds of .762 Ammunition. The defendant Taylor was on bail for murder and two separate counts of unlawful sexual assaults. POLICE IN HARBOUR ISLAND MAKE DRUG ARREST Six (6) adult males along with a juvenile male are in custody after they were arrested in Harbour Island for possession of dangerous drugs on Friday 7th March 2014. According to reports, shortly before 5:00pm, a team of officers from Harbour Island conducted an operation in the Pitt and Princess Streets area of Harbour Island that resulted in the discovery of a quantity of marijuana. The six (6) suspects were taken into custody for questioning reference to possession of dangerous drugs.  Read More →

Hotelier shake like a reed before Justice Carolita Bethel… Justice Carolita Bethel Nassau, Bahamas – Justice Carolita Bethel warned RIU General Manager Pedro Cepeda that to interfere with the duties of an impaneled juror is a serious offense which comes with serious consequences. Cepeda had suspended an employee who had failed to show up for work after she was selected as a juror. Cepeda told the justice that he did not suspend her because she had served, but because she had failed to show up for work over the weekend while the court was not sitting. However Bethel sternly warned the General Manager that a juror is not to return to work until her service to the court was completed. She ordered him to remove from all records any suspension on her file and to pay her full compensation for her time suspended. Cepeda was represented by a lawyer. Bahamas Press has warned officials that work permits for persons coming into the Bahamas and sitting in key management positions must include a mandate to know the laws, particularly the employment laws of the Bahamas. BP can confirm Cepeda is such a person who treats his workers like “dirt” [USING ORTLAND BODIE VOICE]! He is known for hiring a number of illegals, who have no status in the Bahamas – but Immigration don’t give a damn. They fighting for one Caribbean anyway… We report yinner decide!  Read More →

Four men wanted for alleged rape and other incidents have vanished and police need your help in getting them off the streets… Nassau, Bahamas – today, members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force are seeking the public’s assistance in locating four men wanted for separate incidents of Rape, Unlawful Sexual Intercourse and Assault with a Deadly Weapon. The first suspect is 22 – year old OSWALD BROWN of Spikenard Road who is wanted for questioning reference to Rape. Brown is described as a dark brown male, 5’ 8” in height and slim build The second suspect is 27 – year old DION BALFOUR of Spikenard Road, who is wanted for questioning reference to Rape. Balfour is described as a male of a brown complexion, 5’ 8” in height and slim built. The third suspect is 51 – year old SANTIAGO ESTEVES of Pinewood Gardens who is wanted for questioning reference to Unlawful Sexual Intercourse. Esteves is described as a light brown male, 5’ 8” to 5’ 11”in height and slim built. The fourth suspect is TANAGUE THOMPSON of Poitier Ave. He is wanted for assault. MOBILE DIVISION OFFICERS MAKE LARGE DRUG BUST Three men ages 36, 34, 28 years are in custody after they were arrested following a large drug bust early this morning (Friday 7th March 2014). According to reports, shortly before 7:00am Mobile Division officers were on routine patrol at Potters Cay Dock, when they observed a male employee of a mail boat hand over a package to two men. The two men then drove off in a vehicle. Police intercepted the vehicle and discovered two packages containing over 50 pounds of marijuana in the vehicle. The three men were taken into custody and are expected to appear in court early next week to be formally charged. The marijuana has an estimated street value of $50,000. 00. Investigations are ongoing.  Read More →

Pair tried to take out of the country the limited US reserves we now have… Nassau, Bahamas — Where in the hell they think they were going with all that money? Two Jamaican Nationals caught at LPIA taking large sums of money believe to have been gained by illegal means… DEU ARREST 2 JAMAICAN NATIONALS FOR PROCEEDS OF CRIME Two (2) men ages 54 and 40 years are in custody after they were arrested on Thursday 6th March 2014, for possession of a large amount of cash suspected of being derived from the Proceeds of Crime. According to reports, around 12:50pm, Drug Enforcement Unit officers acting on intelligence conducted a search of the two men at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) and found a large amount of cash suspected of being the Proceeds of Crime in their possession. The two men who were attempting to board a flight to Jamaica were taken into custody and are expected to appear in court later today to be formally charged. Meanwhile once again the city dump is on fire. Fire teams believe the fire was intentionally started and now Bahamians must endure another distraction from VAT. Photo below shows BP LIVE CAM TEAM just outside the City Dump on Fire Trail Road. The dump is on fire once again. Metal cutters illegally on the site are to blame for the massive fire this morning. Torch and gas does not go well. Ahh, well, Mama dem homes in the area ga be smokey again. HERE WE GO AGAIN!!! We report yinner decide! Dumpsite fire now underway.  Read More →

Are Chemicals on that barge fire? And City Dump on fire again this morning… Barge north of New Providence now on fire... NEWS BREAKING NOW >>> Coast Guard responding to barge on fire off Bahamas – Are toxic chemicals onboard? MIAMI – Bahamas Press is now live following a massive fire at sea on a barge just off Nassau. Search and rescue coordinators at the District Seven Command Center in Miami are coordinating fire-fighting efforts of an unmanned 730-foot barge with containers on fire about 86-miles northeast of Nassau, Bahamas. The Command Center received a call from the 127-foot tug Patriarch, about 12:30 p.m., stating a fire started from the cargo boxes of the barge. There is no threat to the general population or the seven crewmembers aboard the Patriarch at this time. The Patriarch is en route to Nassau, Bahamas to be closer to commercial salvage and fire fighting capabilities. The Coast Guard Cutter Robert Yered has been diverted to the area to assist with search and rescue efforts if necessary. An HC-144A Ocean Sentry aircraft crew, from Coast Guard Air Station Miami, is monitoring the vessel and the extent of the fire. The Robert Yered is a 154-foot fast response cutter homeported in Miami Beach, Miami.  Read More →

Banking division closure set to be wrapped up within 10 months… Bahamians set to the unemployed lines with VAT on the way. Nassau, Bahamas – Bahamas Press is following an announcement by UBS Bahamas to workers today, where its banking division will send them home. The move comes just weeks after Prime Minister Christie expressed concerns in the Banking Industry. We know RBC is firing workers. So is Scotia and First Caribbean International. In fact, First Caribbean has reported the largest losses over any other bank in the country and, some suggest; is set to close a branch. Only Bank of the Bahamas, which has been in the headlines lately, appears to be hiring and holding steady and has not fired one Bahamian staff member. Now isn’t that amazing. But the Bahamian owned bank is getting all the bad press. Banking is suffering serious aftershocks from the global crisis. Bahamians and non-Bahamians cannot pay back the loans and others who can qualify are not taking on any new debt. One source told BP, “The derth of new loans in our departments are troubling and that is why we are having promotions weekly. The global economy is quickly changing and from the looks of things customers are indeed adapting to that change.” In an afternoon meeting at UBS today, workers were made aware of the bank’s closure and changes that will follow with its remaining staff. BP is advised that the meeting was tearful; coloured with uncertainty. One banker who just secured a mortgage told BP, “What will I tell my family now? I am the only one working in the house and now this opportunity is gone.” In 2012 the Swiss bank’s chief executive, Sergio Ermotti, revealed that up to 10,000 jobs would be cut as the firm looked to restructure its investment banking and fixed income operations. And in October 2011, UBS (Bahamas) confirmed lay-offs of five per cent of its employees, weeks after a rogue London-based trader caused the Swiss bank to suffer a $2.3 billion loss. And now the effects of those losses have hit home. More working are headed to the unemployment lines. Sitting inside that meeting today, BP can assure our readers as high as 80 employees will be affected. We can tell you a few of that 80 within the Banking staff will move to the Trust and other divisions of UBS group. The remainder will receive packages and what kind of packages will be issued is still not known. The banking division is expected to be completely closed within ten months. BP advises Bahamians that this is the time to reset your lives and change behaviours; otherwise more people ga start looking up to the flight of stairs in the Casa Bahama building. We report yinner decide!  Read More →

Police are investigating the death of a 66 – year old man from Queens, New York, who died after apparently drowning in waters off Cabbage Beach, Paradise Island on Wednesday 5th March 2014. According to reports, the man was found floating in the water near Cabbage Beach shortly after 11:00am, where he was pronounced dead by EMS personnel. An autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death. Investigations are ongoing.  Read More →

Gunmen took nothing from the victim… 47-year-old, Robert Been, was gunned in the Turks and Caicos islands last night. Provo, TCI - A Turks Island man is dead in what is being described by detectives in the tiny British Territory islands of the Turks and Caicos as a ‘hit killing’ in that part of the Caribbean. Dead is 47-year-old Robert Been. He was gunned down outside his multi-million-dollar apartment complex as he exited his vehicle last night. Been, who has relatives from Grand Bahama, is also the brother of the former junior minister for fisheries during the Missick administration. Reports are that as Been exited his new Hummer jeep, a gunman fired multiple rounds at him, hitting him all about his upper body execution style. The attackers took none of Been’s possessions. This incident unfolded in Provo.  Read More →