THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2025
Bahamas suffers ‘massive losses’ on flawed natural resource regime
• Scientists say legitimate research ‘stifled’ by bureaucracy
• AG: Few want to share commercial benefits with Bahamas
• Permits taking 4-16 months, with fines of $7m for breaches
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor
nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
A REGULATORY regime designed to protect Bahamian natural resources from foreign exploitation has instead sparked “massive losses in biodiversity” and “stifled” legitimate research vital to building the ‘blue economy’. Five scientists, including Dr Krista Sherman; Dr Craig Dahlgren of the Perry Institute for Marine Science; and Dr Nick Higgs, head of research and innovation at Cape Eleuthera Institute, in a paper published last week warned that failure to reform the Biological Resources and Traditional Knowledge Act and its accompanying regulations have undermined multiple initiatives including protection of this nation’s coral reefs.
In a paper published by the environmental journal, MDPI, they asserted that the Act and its accompanying Access and Benefits Sharing (ABS) regime - which were passed into law and brought into effect under the Minnis administration - have created an “ineffective and excessively bureaucratic permitting system” for vital conservation research that has also resulted in “economic losses” for The Bahamas.
Pointing out that it was critical for the Bahamian authorities to distinguish between pure research projects and those with a commercial element, the five wrote that “researchers have routinely waited between four to 16 months (and counting)” for their permit applications to be vetted and approved compared to the promised “streamlined process” of two to four weeks.
$1bn boost via climate resilient investment
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas will boost its long-term economic output by over $1bn if it starts investing in climate-resilient infrastructure and protecting natural assets such as beaches and mangroves, the IMF is urging.
The Washington D.C. based Fund, in a paper on climate change risks facing this nation, argued that heavy spending on mitigation and adaptation measures now could reverse what is forecast to be an up to 11 percent decline in Bahamian gross domestic product (GDP) by 2100 if no action is taken.
Investing in climate-resilient airports, roads, schools and hospitals, as well as seawalls, artificial reefs and other flood and storm surge barriers, will help increase annual Bahamian economic output by between 5.5-6.8 percent “once physical assets are secured”, the IMF projected.
And, to guard against the threat posed to a low-lying archipelago by sea level rise as a result of global warming,
• GDP 9% higher on infrastructure, natural assets spend
• IMF: Nation’s 11% economic output loss with no action
• Faces loss of half hotel beaches through sea level rise
the Fund added that investment in dune restoration, reefs and breakwaters could cut projected GDP losses by between 57 percent and 46.5 percent in percentage terms.
This, it projected, would slash the fall in economic output to just 1-2-2.3 percent as opposed to between 2.8-4.3 percent.
When combined, the IMF said the increased output from climate-resilient infrastructure coupled with reduced losses from protection against sea level rise will raise The Bahamas’ long-term GDP by close to 9 percent. With 1 percent of GDP estimated as being $146m, such a boost is equivalent to a $1.314bn economic impact for The Bahamas.
“The threat of climate change is here to stay. IMF analysis suggests that rising sea levels could place up to 41 percent of the land in The Bahamas, and 22 percent of its population, below sea level by the end of this century,” IMF economists Zamid Aligishiev, Beatriz GarciaNunes and Shane Lowe wrote yesterday.
“Moreover, the country is positioned within the Atlantic hurricane belt, leaving it at high risk of hurricane damage. Left unaddressed, more severe natural disasters and slow-moving impacts from climate change could reduce The Bahamas’ national output by up to 11
Bahamas ‘proceeds’ on 15% corporate tax despite Trump
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
THE Government will “proceed” with implementing The Bahamas’ own 15 percent corporate income tax and is not worried “at this point” that the move will place this nation at a competitive disadvantage.
Ryan Pinder KC, the attorney general, in response to messaged Tribune Business inquiries told this newspaper yesterday that the Davis
administration has no plans to review the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT) in response to Donald Trump pulling the US out of the very same initiative that drove The Bahamas to make this tax reform.
“The Bahamas is not going to review its commitment to DMTT as a result of the pronouncement by the Trump administration,” Mr Pinder asserted. “We have international obligations to implement. Our plan is to
proceed with the implementation of the DMTT regime passed by Parliament.
“We do not have any concerns at this point that the pronouncement by the Trump administration puts The Bahamas in any competitive disadvantaged situation.” The Attorney General added that the new US president’s move will also have no consequences for the push by The Bahamas and other states for the United
Applebee’s targets two more venues after Fusion opening
By ANNELIA NIXON Tribune Business Reporter anixon@tribunemedia.net
APPLEBEE’S yesterday said it has hired 165 persons as it celebrated the formal opening of its first location at Fusion Superplex with more outlets expected in the coming months.
“In the next eight months, we should have two more locations,” director of operations Rayford Rahming revealed yesterday. “But they’ll be dual brands with IHOP.”
“Because our volumes are unprecedented, they’re second only to the Applebee’s in Times Square, New York, in the world, our complement of staff needs to be expanded- needs to be increased. We’re looking for bartenders. We’re looking for waitresses. We’re looking for runners… We’re looking for hostesses. We’re even looking for managers right now.
“Business is great. We expected [it] because we know how Bahamians go.
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Mr Rahming said they have employed around 165 people and are “looking for more”, adding that their customer turnout is unprecedented.
National Trust, activist on different sides over Park tenant’s eviction
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas National Trust (BNT) and a prominent environmental activist found themselves on opposing sides over the former’s termination of a water sports vendor’s lease at the Lucayan National Park. Joseph Darville, chair of Waterkeepers Bahamas and Save the Bays, swore a September 24, 2024, affidavit in support of Corey Valentino Cooper, proprietor of Lucayan Beach Spot and Gold Rock Beach Water Sports, who asserting that he “be allowed to continue his operation” and that
there was no sign he represented “a hazard to the area”. His witness statement formed part of the evidence supporting Mr Cooper’s bid for a Supreme Court injunction to prevent the BNT from “interfering” with his business operation at Gold Rock Beach in the Lucayan National Park. The vendor also sought the court’s intervention to allegedly prevent the Trust from obstructing his access to the beach; “making threatening telephone calls” to him; and “harassing and attempting to intimidate” him by
RYAN PINDER KC
THE AFTERMATH of Hurricane Dorain.
Photo:File
TECHNOLOGY MAKING FUTURE ARRIVE FASTER THAN WE THINK
THE technology world is accelerating in 2025, with transformative trends set to redefine industries and reshape how we live and work. These advances, ranging from artificial intelligence (AI) to sustainability, are creating opportunities while raising important questions about ethics, equity and regulation. Here is a deeper dive into the top five trends.
First and foremost, generative AI is no longer a niche tool confined to creative projects. Instead, it is becoming an integral part of many industries. In healthcare, AI systems can generate patient-specific diagnostic recommendations or simulate potential treatment outcomes. In education, personalised learning plans powered by generative AI adapt to students’ individual needs, making education more effective and accessible. Businesses are leveraging it to create marketing content, write code and streamline customer service with human-like chatbots. However, this widespread adoption also comes with challenges, such
ROYE II KEITH
as ensuring data transparency, addressing the risk of misinformation and mitigating job displacement. As policymakers catch up, 2025 will likely see more rigorous discussions around how to regulate AI responsibly. Building on this momentum, the metaverse is maturing into a more practical and accessible platform, transitioning from a futuristic concept to an every day tool for work, learning and social interaction. Companies are investing in virtual workspaces where employees can collaborate in lifelike
environments, regardless of location, reducing the need for physical office spaces. In education, students can explore historical landmarks or simulate complex experiments through immersive VR experiences. Advances in wearable technology, such as lighter headsets and improved haptic feedback, are making these experiences more realistic and less cumbersome. The metaverse is also finding applications in training for industries such as healthcare and manufacturing, where simulations can provide hands-on experience without real world risks. While these developments promise efficiency and engagement, concerns about accessibility, data security and digital addiction remain pressing. As immersive technologies capture attention, quantum computing is finally making its move from theory to practical applications. These nextgeneration machines are tackling problems too complex for traditional computers, such as designing new drugs by simulating molecular interactions or optimising global logistics
October suffers biggest inflation rise since March
THE Bahamas enjoyed a continued decline in the annual inflation rate through to October 2024 even though prices rose month-over-month.
The Bahamas National Statistical Institute (BNSI), unveiling Consumer Price Index data for that month, found that the trailing 12-month inflation rate to October 2024 fell by 0.4 percent compared to the same point in the prior year. This represented the fourth consecutive month in which the annual, or year-overyear, inflation rate had fallen.
However, when compared to September 2024, prices increased by 0.5 percent month-over-month - the biggest monthly jump since March last year. The data reversed a six-month trend in which inflation had either been declining or was mostly flat monthover-month, indicating that while the price surges which sparked the post-COVID cost of living crisis may have eased somewhat the problem has not gone away.
“The monthly inflation rate in The Bahamas, which represents the overall change in price for 2024,
increased by 0.5 percent when compared to September 2024,” the BNSI said.
“This change is reflected in the overall price of items purchased by the average consumer during this period.
“This October 2024 increase followed a relatively stable, unchanged rate, between the months of August 2024 and September 2024. On a month-to-month, basis, the major increases, by group, included food and nonalcoholic beverages, 4.4 percent; along with health, 1.4 percent. Meanwhile,
for supply chain efficiency.
Financial institutions are exploring quantum algorithms to detect market anomalies and improve risk management, while researchers are using quantum systems to address challenges such as climate modelling and renewable energy optimisation. Although quantum computing is still in its infancy, breakthroughs in 2025 will likely pave the way for its integration into critical industries. However, the technology’s immense power also raises concerns about cyber security, as quantum computers could potentially break current encryption methods. At the same time, sustainability is becoming a driving force for innovation across the technology sector. As climate change concerns escalate, companies are prioritising energy-efficient solutions such as green cloud computing and data centres powered by renewable energy. AI-driven tools are helping businesses monitor their carbon footprints and identify areas for improvement, while consumers are increasingly demanding transparency
the other major categories recorded no significant changes, when compared to last month.”
The BNSI added: “Furthermore, for October 2024, the CPI declined 0.4 percent over the same period last year. The major categories that contributed to this decrease consisted
about the environmental impact of the products they use. Circular tech, which focuses on refurbishing, reusing and recycling electronic devices, is gaining traction as governments introduce regulations to reduce e-waste. Renewable energy advances, such as more efficient solar panels and grid-scale batteries, are also accelerating the transition to a cleaner energy future, ensuring that technology growth aligns with environmental priorities. Finally, autonomous systems are expanding beyond self-driving cars to revolutionise industries such as logistics, agriculture and public safety. Delivery drones are becoming a staple for e-commerce companies, offering faster and more efficient last-mile deliveries. Autonomous farming equipment is transforming agriculture by optimising planting, harvesting and irrigation, reducing waste and increasing yields. Even maritime industries are being disrupted, with autonomous ships set to make global shipping safer and more efficient. However, these advances come with
of transport, 4.7%; clothing and footwear, 2.5 percent; along with restaurants and hotels, 2.5 percent.
“In addition, during the same period last year, the major group increases consisted of food and nonalcoholic beverages, 5.9 percent, along with alcoholic beverages, 4.3 percent.
challenges, including navigating complex regulatory frameworks, addressing public scepticism about safety, and ensuring these systems operate ethically. Governments and industry leaders will need to work together to build trust and establish clear guidelines. Together, these trends reflect the extraordinary pace of technological progress in 2025. As industries adapt, the balance between innovation and responsibility will shape how these advances influence our lives. Whether through AIdriven solutions, immersive virtual experiences or sustainable innovations, the future is arriving faster than we think, and the opportunity to engage with these changes has never been more important.
• NB: About Keith Keith Roye II is an analytic and solutions-driven professional with extensive experience in software development. He holds a BSc in computer science and his career includes leading and delivering global software projects in various industries in The Bahamas and the US.
For the month of October 2024, gasoline recorded an increase of 0.4 percent while diesel decreased by 0.2 percent. Meanwhile, when compared to this same period last year, both gasoline and diesel declined 10.1 percent and 9.7 percent, respectively.”
Downtown Nassau to soon get IHOP and Applebee’s
By ANNELIA NIXON
IHOP and Applebee’s will have locations in Downtown Nassau “before the summer of this year”, according to IHOP’s operations manager.
While speaking on IHOP’s expansion in the Carmichael Road area, Dicrius Ramsey, told Tribune Business that IHOP and Applebee’s will continue expansions.
“We are a little bit behind based on our own intentions because we have an
opportunity to also go into Downtown and do something. And also we have Freeport on our books before summer. So IHOP and Applebee’s will be in Downtown and we’ll go into Freeport, and all of that should happen before the summer of this year. So by June, we really expect that the market would be just taken over by the presence of Applebee’s and IHOP, which is pretty much to give the dining public more options, more opportunities.”
He said they are expecting an opening date of early April or late March with
the Carmichael branch seating around 110 customers - smaller than the Marathon location. Adding that it will also be 24 hours, he noted that around 80 to 90 new team members will be hired.
“Right now we are in the construction phase of our second location which is located Carmichael Road heading way west… right after you pass Little Giants, that brand new spanking New York style plaza that’s right on the corner,” Mr Ramsey said. “You can’t miss it. Very beautiful. It’s probably going to seat about 110. Going to be open up 24
hours also. We are anticipating early April, maybe late March. But it is under development right now. Good news is, construction is going fine and we anticipate that that will be open and ready for Easter. Definitely ready for Easter. “It’s been under construction for I would probably say about six weeks. But apparently what happens is it was a plaza that was not designed for a restaurant. And when we took wind of it, now we have to take an existing building and completely reconvert it to fit a restaurant. So it was
MINISTER: IMF HOUSING REPORT A ‘REALITY CHECK’
By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net
A CABINET minister has said a recent IMF report on housing affordability and home ownership issues has “validity”.
Minister of Housing and Urban Renewal Keith Bell was speaking after the release of the report which said the supply of new residential housing in The Bahamas has declined ever since the 2008-2009 global recession, shrinking to a low of 607 unit completions in 2023.
Mr Bell said the Davis administration is working to combat this issue through a “very aggressive” construction programme on New Providence and other Family Islands especially ones affected by Hurricane Dorian.
“I do believe that there is validity and what the IMF is reporting in the respective housing report. Obviously, we have not met our targets. And I think that I have said in several media presentations that we are approximately 12,000 housing units short in the country,” said Mr Bell
“What this government is doing is we have reversed the policy of the former administration, and who adopted a position that they would
not build any homes, and we have started the construction, a very aggressive construction programme in the country. We are looking at building homes in a number of islands, particularly those that were ravaged by Dorian and also New Providence, where most of the population lives.”
He said the government is also making homes available for low income people through the rental assistance programme and several government rental units will be renovated for low income residents to reside in before moving into their own homes.
“We’re looking at building homes through our government Rental Assistance Programme, the rent to own programme,” said Mr Bell.
He also cited a government rental programme, saying: “The government has some about 50 or more units in different locations here in New Providence, where are persons actually rent government rental units. And the idea is to ensure that we put persons in the rental units for a period of time, and then they eventually go into their homes. And so we are now, if you were to go in several areas, and you’re going to see a very aggressive strategy by this government to renovate, ensure that we up the
standards of those units, and then we’re looking to bring people out of those units and put them in their own homes.”
He said a difficulty that many persons face when trying to become homeowners is their high amount of debt and high closing costs.
To combat this, Mr Bell said his ministry is working along with a number of commercial banks to lower these costs and educating consumers on debt management.
“First of all, the rate of consumer borrowing, the debt, the consumer debt, is far too significant in the country. And what has happened is you would find that many of our clearing banks, they would they’re very quick to give persons loans for cars. As a matter of fact, you really don’t need a down payment, and when you want to get a home, the closing costs are so significant that is very there are some challenges,” said Mr Bell.
“But we’re working with our clearing banks as well as we’re working with the consumer to ensure that we’re educate them to begin to stop getting into this heavy consumer borrowing, which is a sadden on them when they really are trying now to get a home.”
He said they are also hoping to work with the banks to find financing
solutions that would clear the interest on distressed properties so individuals that have lost their residences can regain them,
“I believe that a significant part of the population are heavily indebted with consumer debt, and how do we now begin to pull them up out of it? A number of the clearing banks have very large distress lists. And what we are hoping is to work with these banks where we able to keep people in their homes, as well as look at these distress lists that if they able to
pretty much just a strip mall, maybe where you put in like a clothing store or a shoe store. Now you can understand when you talk about a restaurant and hoods and drains and air conditions and gas lines, all of that good stuff which would have normally been put in from the very beginning, now we have to go back and retrofit it. So that’s why it’s taken a little while. But we are making good pace. Like I said, we should be ready for Easter for sure. Definitely for Easter. So we can take some of the pressure off Marathon Mall.
forgive the interests, then be able to recoup those homes and put people back in their homes,” he explained.
On the high rental costs,
Mr Bell said while they are going to look at the Rent Control Act to see what adjustments can be made rising inflation and insurance costs have driven up the cost of owning a rental property and landlords have had to adjust their rent accordingly.
“We have to look at the Rent Control Act to determine what provisions we need to amend and how we’re going to adjust it. But you would appreciate that the reality is that inflation is
“We have a timeline as far as when we start certain things. So once we establish a hard opening date, then we back everything out from there. But normally we would start hiring for the opening about six to eight weeks before the restaurant open up. So technically speaking, really, by Valentine’s Day, by February 14th, we should be well heading in that direction of recruiting and hiring and doing some selection and training.”
really significant today,” said Mr Bell.
“Interest rates have gone up, the cost of insurances because we live in a hurricane belt. And for many years, sometimes even before Dorian, we would have seen significant rates of increase in insurance, because when there is a catastrophic event anywhere else in the world, it impacts us. And so, when you’re talking about you have an apartment building and you have to insure it, you’re looking at $2,000 to $4,000 for insurance alone. And when you look at maintenance and upkeep because building materials, everything has gone up.”
Bahamas ‘proceeds’ on 15% corporate tax despite Trump
Nations (UN) to take over the development and implementation of global tax rules.
“We don’t see the position by the Trump administration having any implication on the UN process,” Mr Pinder said. “That process stands on its own and still represents the position that there should be fairness and equity in the approach to global taxation, and all countries should be at the table in formulating global tax reform and regulation.”
However, those connected to the financial services industry and other observers yesterday warned that the perceived benefits from the newly-introduced 15 percent corporate income tax - to only be levied at present on Bahamian-domiciled entities that
are part of multinational groups enjoying 750m euros or more in annual turnover - could be “severely diluted” depending on the extent of the fall-out from Mr Trump’s move. The newly-elected US president’s order, declaring that the 15 percent global corporate minimum tax deal produced by the G-20 and Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) “has no force or effect” in the US, effectively reintroduces the concept of international tax competition to global affairs with countries offering different rates in a bid to attract multinational firms and capital.
Tribune Business was told that The Bahamas will need to closely monitor global fall-out, and whether other jurisdictions follow the US lead under Mr Trump,
otherwise it could ultimately lose multinational business if its corporate income tax rate remains at 15 percent while others lower theirs. This would produce a potential exodus of corporate business seeking a better return from lower tax rates in other nations. Should such a scenario occur, the expected $140m annual revenue boost for the Government from implementing the DMTT may also not materialise. Mr Pinder had previously confirmed to this newspaper that Shell’s Bahamian subsidiary, Shell Western Supply & Trading, and its $1.6bn in pre-tax profits would be subject to this nation’s new corporate tax, but Mr Trump has paved the way for it to potentially move to the US.
And other observers suggested that the US abandoning the G-20/OECD initiative will now make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for The Bahamas to gain taxes on profits generated in this nation by corporate giants that have no physical presence herethe likes of Google, Netflix.
Kevin Moree, attorney and partner at the McKinney, Bancroft & Hughes law firm, told Tribune Business the Trump administration’s move threatens to erode The Bahamas’ potential tax earnings from implementing the corporate income tax. He described as one of the “main factors” that seemingly drove its introduction here, and added that multinational entities will now likely be “crunching the numbers” after the US action.
“I think the concern is the US becoming the jurisdiction of choice for those types of multinationals that otherwise would be caught up in the global corporate minimum tax,” the former Bahamas Financial Services Board (BFSB) chairman said.
“They’ll be crunching the numbers. If I stay in The Bahamas I have my 15 percent, and they will calculate that if I go to the US and it’s, say, 10 percent or whatever and include that with other tax stuff.... They will make a commercial calculation.”
Mr Moree added a “caveat” by saying such decisions would not just involve comparing Bahamian and US corporate tax rates as the latter nation has a whole myriad of other taxes, fees and levies that companies must account for. However, he reiterated: “If I was a multinational I would certainly be going to the drawing board and crunching the numbers to see if it was worthwhile” to switch to the US or elsewhere.
“The potential implication is that it was around $140m that the Government had hoped to get from this new tax, and that will be a problem if these multinational entities decide to change jurisdiction. We
won’t be getting those tax dollars,” Mr Moree told Tribune Business “That seemed to be one of the main factors in going along with this. The benefits could be severely diluted if they [multinationals] decide to move to the US and other jurisdictions as opposed to us.” And, while Mr Trump and the US have no fear of suffering any consequences for abandoning the global corporate tax initiative, Mr Moree said The Bahamas remains exposed and vulnerable to OECD ‘blacklistings’. Besides “the dollars that the Government hoped to get from them going somewhere else”, the McKinney, Bancroft & Hughes partner said any exodus of international business would also harm the Bahamian professionals that service them such as attorneys, accountants and corporate service providers through loss of fee income.
“I really think the devil is in the details when these multinational entities crunch the numbers and work out what their effective tax rate is taking into account all the other stuff they have to deal with in the US,” Mr Moree added. He added that multinationals would compare the likely tax savings generated over a 15-20 year period, and some may elect not to move believing US tax policy will change when Trump leaves office.
Another observer, speaking on condition of anonymity, argued that the new US president has “thrown a little bit of a monkey wrench” into a global minimum corporate tax to which some 140 countries have signed up to. They added that the initiative relies on the participation of the US and other “major players to enforce it” and, without the former, it will be impossible to implement and bring into effect.
And, while The Bahamas would still be able to levy the 15 percent corporate tax on multinationals that maintain a physical presence in this nation, the
source questioned how it would be able to now tax the profits generated by US entities that “do not have bricks and mortar, or substantial operations” here without the Trump administration’s participation. They pointed, in particular, to the likes of Google, Netflix and Facebook.
“If the Government squeezes them, they could set up in Delaware or some other place,” the source added. “This enterprise only worked if all major players, the European Union (EU) and US, were prepared to enforce it. The question for us, from a fiscal standpoint, is what does this mean if US companies leave.
“The Government has placed great stock in this additional 1 percent of GDP to revenue, another $140m, especially with the massive deficit they’ve run up over the last several months.” The IMF, in its latest Article IV report on The Bahamas, said: “A 15 percent qualified domestic minimum top-up tax on large multinational corporations that are resident in The Bahamas was passed by Parliament in November.
“The new Act will become effective retroactively from January 2024, with revenues starting to be collected in fiscal year 20252026. The tax is expected to generate 1 percent of GDP annually, with a large share expected to accrue from the energy sector.
“Additional legislation is being prepared to lessen disincentives to invest in tangible depreciable assets, by providing accelerated depreciation or refundable tax credits, and to bring offshore indirect transfers of Bahamian property into the tax net.”
Mr Trump and the US have walked away from a G-20/OECD initiative that was designed to create a ‘one size fits all’ or acrossthe-board global tax rate, and prevent a ‘race to the bottom’ on corporate taxation rates, by ensuring multinational earnings are taxed where they are generated and not switched to lower-tax jurisdictions via techniques such as transfer pricing.
PORT LUCAYA’S VENDORS IN ‘DESPERATE SITUATION’
By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter
THE Davis administration should address concerns of Port Lucaya Marketplace straw vendors, the Opposition’s finance spokesman said yesterday.
Saying the straw vendors are in a “desperate situation”, Mr Thompson took the opportunity during Parliament to spotlight the dire economic challenges vendors in Grand Bahama face.
“We attended the Port Lucaya Marketplace, and the concerns that was raised by a number of the straw vendors, they are in
a desperate situation,” said Mr Thompson. “We again raise those concerns on behalf of the straw vendors in Port Lucaya. They again have... a very serious situation. And so, we want to raise those concerns on behalf of those straw vendors again.”
Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell said the government is aware of the challenges and is making efforts to adjust the bus routes but placed the blame of the marketplace’s poor condition squarely on its owner’s shoulders. The former Christie administration announced in 2015 that UK investor Peter Hunt had acquired the Port Lucaya Marketplace from the Grand
Bahama Port Authority’s (GBPA) Bourbon Street Ltd affiliate for $5.5m.
Mr Mitchell said vendors have complained about the “aggressive nature” of the owners who have allowed the premises to deteriorate. “The government is fully aware of the issues related to the straw market in Grand Bahama. I’ve had talks over the Christmas holidays of the same nature. What I had said to my colleagues there is, one of the complaints is the beach access and where the bus drops off people and whether there can be some adjustment of the way the bussing takes place, and people who come into the operation. So I passed on those complaints, and I’m
sure that the Minister of Tourism and the appropriate officials having a look at it,” said Mr Mitchell.
“What I was concerned about when I went there is the complaint that they said that the aggressive nature of the people who own and operate Port Lucaya, and I was actually shocked at the condition of the place that they’ve now got these lines saying, ‘Do not cross’ because the railings are about to fall into the ocean.”
Mr Mitchell said the owners, who promised the marketplace would “undergo significant upgrades, creating additional jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities” when the property was
purchased, have been derelict in their maintenance and investment obligations and are only “rent collectors”.
“When I was Immigration Minister, the people who are now the owners of the port came to us, and one of the approaches they made was they were going to be putting all kinds of investment in Port Lucaya and this was going to be the next thing sliced bread. And there is no evidence that they’ve carried out their obligations. That’s the problem,” said Mr Mitchell. “No investment in the place, and they have become rent collectors.
That’s what the straw market vendor said. And there’s no maintenance
National Trust, activist on different sides over Park tenant’s eviction
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arranging for Royal Bahamas Police Force officer to call and visit him.
However, Justice Petra Hanna-Adderley, in a December 30, 2024, verdict rejected Mr Cooper’s injunction bid and ordered that he “vacate the premises” by January 12, 2025, “on or before” 5pm. Also named as defendants were Lakeisha Anderson-Rolle, the Trust’s executive director; Ellsworth Weir, its director of parks; Joanna Parker, its Grand Bahama parks manager; and Bradley Pinder, Lucayan National’s deputy warden.
Mr Cooper, in his claim, alleged that he was given permission to operate his business, which featured water sports together with
the rental of chairs, umbrellas and other beach items plus the sale of juices and “Bahamian-style coconut water”, by the BNT in 2022. He invested all his savings in the venture plus obtained a near-$20,000 loan from Fidelity Bank (Bahamas).
The two sides signed a May 5, 2023, lease agreement for one-year with a monthly rental fee of $200 payable to the Trust. “Having confidence in his ability to generate income and promote the success of his business, [Mr Cooper] relied on and committed the anticipated proceeds of the business store to pay the loan, maintain the business his infant child and himself,” Justice HannaAdderley recorded. However, without warning, Mr Cooper received
WISCONSIN MAN ACCUSED OF SETTING FIRE TO CONGRESSMAN’S OFFICE OVER TIKTOK BAN CHARGED WITH ARSON
By TODD RICHMOND Associated Press
PROSECUTORS charged a Wisconsin man who allegedly told police he tried to burn down a congressman's office because he was upset with the federal TikTok ban with multiple counts on Wednesday, including arson.
Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney filed a complaint against 19-year-old Caiden Stachowicz charging him with felony arson, making terrorist threats, attempted burglary and property damage. He would face more than 50 years behind bars if convicted on all counts.
a letter from the BNT on August 8, 2024, demanding that he vacate the premises “within five days” as there would be no renewal of the lease. In a subsequent letter to his attorney, former PLP MP Pleasant Bridgewater, the Trust cited three reasons for why the lease was not being renewed.
The September 4, 2024, letter signed by Mr Weir accused Mr Cooper of “illegal fishing”. It added: “Mr Cooper was observed fishing in a designated area of the park, an action that directly violates park regulations. The presence of clear ‘no fishing’ signage further underscores the violation of the law.”
The Trust also alleged he had “repeatedly discarded trash and garbage” in restricted areas of the
Stachowicz, of Menasha, was scheduled to make his initial court appearance Wednesday morning. Online court records indicated Judge Tricia Walker set a $500,000 cash bail for him and ordered him to have no contact with Republican U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman or his staff. She also barred him from possessing any dangerous weapons or firestarting materials.
The records showed Stachowicz appeared via video conference from jail. They did not list an attorney for him.
Lucayan National Park, including in locations earmarked for sand dune restoration, which “not only detracts from the park’s natural beauty but it also poses a risk to the environment and park wildlife”.
And, in an alleged third transgression, it was claimed Mr Cooper “on at least two occasions brought an uncontrolled dog into the park”. This dog was alleged to have bitten a visitor but, when the Park warden tried to investigate the incident, he was greeted with “combative behaviour” by Mr Cooper.
“Mr Cooper’s actions have demonstrated a pattern of disregard for park rules and the law, which raises serious concerns about his suitability to
continue his operations within a protected National Park,” Mr Weir wrote on the Trust’s behalf.
Mr Cooper, though, alleged that the Trust executives - Mr Weir, Ms Parker and Mr Pinder - seemed “to have a personal vendetta against” him because they appeared “to be doing everything they can to get rid” of what was described as an “authentically 100 percent Bahamian” venture. He was backed by Mr Darville, with the veteran environmental activist revealing he had visited Mr Cooper’s business and participated “in his clean and proper offerings”. Tests by Waterkeepers Bahamas and Save the Bays had revealed no harmful environmental impact from the business.
of the place, and it’s just become, you know, it’s just extracting profits. And of course, this comes back to those who run the city, and what their responsibility is to ensure that those things are corrected.”
Vendors at Port Lucaya Marketplace have said the closure of the Grand Lucayan Resort, with only Lighthouse Point remaining operational, has left them grappling with dire economic challenges. They also highlighted concerns over management’s lack of promotion for the marketplace and described the attraction as a “ghost town”.
Ms Anderson-Rolle, though, argued on the Trust’s behalf that Mr Cooper and his operation were in breach of the Trust’s bye-laws. She also asserted that he had failed to make the necessary lease payments and did not acquire the necessary business licences from the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA).
While Mr Cooper argued that he had “a legitimate expectation” that the lease would be renewed, Justice Hanna-Adderley sided with the BNT in finding there was no “serious issue to be tried”. She ruled that the lease was for a oneyear fixed term, and there was no automatic right of renewal or renewal clause. This meant there “are not triable” issues and she dismissed the injunction bid.
BAHAMAS SUFFERS ‘MASSIVE LOSSES’ ON FLAWED NATURAL RESOURCE REGIME
And they also pointed out that the initial fee structure “made obtaining research permits in The Bahamas an order of magnitude more expensive” than most other countries with a two-week project to assess Hurricane Dorian’s impact on coral reefs charged some $7,421.
Of this sum, some 96 percent - $7,125 - represented registration fees.
The paper, titled ‘Implementation of Access and Benefit Sharing in The Bahamas: A precautionary tale’, also pointed out that many international researchers, including those affiliated with universities, education institutions and non-profits, are also being scared away by punitive fines and sanctions, which include a $7m ‘fixed sum’ and up to ten years in prison, for violations over who they share data with.
Revealing that the Government had been warned about the likely fall-out and problems prior to the Act’s passage, the paper said: “To date, the current ABS system in The Bahamas has stifled research that contributes to preserving healthy and biodiverse ecosystems that are needed to provide food security, address climate change, safeguard biodiversity, sustain livelihoods and build a ‘blue economy’.
“This interruption has also hindered efforts to build capacity for both
academic and conservationbased research and support eco-tourism throughout the country, resulting in economic losses as well. Many researchers, students and organizations have been forced to leave the country and work elsewhere.
“Those that remain have lost substantial funding and are at continued risk of losing funding and jobs due to massive permitting delays. Given that the goal of the ABS legislation is to advance biodiversity conservation and ensure commercial benefits from bioprospecting are received, impeding the work of academic and conservation-based researchers is not only ineffective, but also prevents the collection of information needed to safeguard biodiversity.”
Ryan Pinder KC, the attorney general, yesterday told Tribune Business in response to this newspaper’s inquiries that many of those seeking to exploit The Bahamas’ natural resources for commercial gain are still refusing to share the potential profits and earnings with the Government and this nation’s people.
“I will only say there is a balance between research, preservation of our biological resources and guarding against commercial exploitation of our biological resources without due regard or compensation to the Government,” he said.
“Many of the research institutions who are
researching for eventual commercial exploitation are refusing to enter into commercial agreements. They want to utilise our biological resources for their singular financial remuneration and we will not permit that. Those that are purely research-based and do not take our biological resources out of the country get streamlined approvals.”
Mr Pinder, speaking to this newspaper almost three years ago in April 2022, said he was working with Dr Rhianna NeelyMurphy, the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection’s (DEPP) director, to conduct a “page-by-page” review of the Biological Resources and Traditional Knowledge Act, which he described as “a poor excuse for legislative governance” by the Minnis administration.
Asked about the progress, and status, of the proposed legislative reforms yesterday, Mr Pinder referred Tribune Business to DEPP. However, before this newspaper was able to leave a voice message for Dr Neely-Murphy, the answer phone cut out.
Romauld Ferreira, who was the Minnis administration’s environment minister and shepherded the Act into law, declined to say much on the scientists’ paper and concerns until he had fully studied it. “There are a lot of moving parts,” he said of the Act and ABS regime. “I know all those people quite well, and I am not going to denigrate Dr Sherman or Dr Higgs.
“I’ve had numerous conversations on how to make this work and strike a balance. We all want to achieve the same thing. I know
legislation is not perfect, and needs to be tweaked. The main thing is that we need to collect money from [use and exploitation] of our biological resources.”
Dr Higgs told Tribune Business that the research paper had been in production for some time, and the timing of its release was slightly “unfortunate” because the DEPP had sought to improve its timeliness and response to permit applications by the Cape Eleuthera Institute and others within the restrictions imposed by the Act and ABS regime.
Noting that recommended reforms had been provided to the Government by the research and scientific community back in 2022, he added that while he and others are grateful that the DEPP is attempting “to make the best of it, we’d be even more grateful if they can fix the problems “ imposed by the law and regulations.
“For us, we have seen improvements in our ability to get permits,” Dr Higgs said. “I think DEPP have taken note, and under Dr Neely-Murphy’s leadership they have made improvements we can applaud. But there are still significant administrative and logistical barriers, and issues around co-ordination with government departments that still remain challenges.
“What I pick up at Cape Eleuthera Institute is a willingness to make things work for us, to try and get things done in a timely manner, but there has been no change in the legislation, there’s been no amendments to the law, no change in the process and regulations surrounding it, and that’s what still causing the problems for others.”
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Dr Higgs and his fellow authors wrote: “A growing body of work has documented pervasive issues with the implementation of the ABS regime and acknowledged the urgent need to re-evaluate and address these challenges.
“Indeed, the general trend associated with ABS to date has been reduced access and limited benefits, with few ABS agreements being realised. Common criticisms are the inability of countries to strategically plan for ABS implementation and apply appropriate legal frameworks, regulatory processes and policies that are clear, transparent, and neither overly complex nor restrictive.
“The Bahamas has suffered massive losses in biodiversity diversity because of poor ABS implementation and an ineffective and excessively bureaucratic permitting system.... It is critical to distinguish between commercial and non-commercial research, and ensure that the enacted ABS legislation and policies do no obstruct or discourage research, which is vital for biodiversity conservation and natural resource management.”
The Biological Resources and Traditional Knowledge Act was billed as plugging a loophole said to have enabled foreign exploitation of The Bahamas’ biological and genetic resources without this nation earning a cent. It sought to establish a regulatory, permitting and revenue-sharing regime with companies seeking to research and exploit this nation’s marine genetic resources.
The legislation aimed to close a gap identified in an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) report, which exposed that the Bahamian people are earning nothing from foreign exploitation of resources that have produced over 100 “new natural products”. The document disclosed that this nation was gaining zero commercial and financial benefits from the research activity it permits annually in the waters of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
This is despite the granting of more than 100 research permits per year, most of which are to institutions based in the US
and Canada. The report revealed that many of these research initiatives had resulted in patent applications being made in the US, “a large cluster” of which covered “a marine microbe” found in Bahamian waters and its use in the lucrative global pharmaceutical industry.
The IDB said one of the “biomolecules” generated from this Bahamian microbe strain had made it to “clinical phase II” drug trials in 2014, but the failure of successive administrations to establish a commercial and regulatory regime to ensure this nation gains a just share of any resulting revenues/profit from such exploitation of its resources has deprived it of a potentially “significant” income source.
“The Bahamas used to issue over 100 research permits per year, about 90 percent of which were issued to foreign institutions (generally from the US and Canada) enabling access to genetic resources, mostly in the marine environment,” the IDB report said.
“A study published in 2012 calculated that 125 new natural products were discovered in EEZ in the 2000s. A preliminary review of the patent databases of the US revealed that a significant number of research initiatives conducted in The Bahamas applied for US patents.
“A large cluster of patents covers a marine microbe originating from The Bahamas, the production of biomolecules with this specific Bahamian strain and their use as pharmaceuticals. For one of these molecules, clinical phase II tests were announced to start in 2014,” the report continued.
“These inventions based on a Bahamian genetic resource might be developed into commercially successful drugs with significant revenues. Due to the lack of a regulatory access and benefit (ABS) regime in The Bahamas and appropriate contractual provisions, almost no benefits are flowing back to the country from these and other cases of utilisation and commercialisation of Bahamian genetic resources.”
Bahamas in $1bn boost via climate resilient investment
percent by 2100, with larger losses in the islands whose economies rely most on hospitality and real estate.
“Given these risks, investing in The Bahamas’ capacity to adapt to climate change and preserve its natural capital could increase national output by up to 9 percent over the long-term, including through sustainable tourism,” they added.
“Building resilience to climate change would require diversifying away from vulnerable activities as well as undertaking investments to protect physical assets and natural capital - for example, breakwater construction, coral reef and mangrove protection, and beach nourishment programmes. Investing in climate resilience can be expensive, with financing needs exceeding those of the energy transformation.”
The trio were drawing on findings contained in a report accompanying the full 2024 Article IV assessment of the Bahamian economy, which found:
“Over the long-term, sea level rise and natural hazards expose The Bahamas to severe losses in potential output in the ‘no adaptation’ scenario. The effects of sequences of disaster shocks accumulate over time, weighing permanently on macroeconomic outcomes.
“Staff estimates indicate that the prevailing natural disaster profile reduces current potential output by about 8 percent... without tropical storms. These losses are projected to rise under severe global warming scenarios.
“By 2100, combined with losses from permanent inundation, the additional potential output losses could be between 8.3 percent of GDP under intermediate greenhouse gas emission scenarios and 11.1 percent of GDP under
a severe global warming scenario.”
The Bahamas’ largest employers and foreign currency export earner, tourism, was not surprisingly described as “particularly vulnerable due to its heavy reliance on natural capital, like sandy beaches, coral reefs, as well as arable land and fish stocks”.
The IMF added: “Investing in protecting physical assets partially offsets the impact of climate change on growth, but traded output losses remain sizeable.
Structural resilience typically involves making public infrastructure, like roads, bridges, airport runways and schools, climate-proof, effectively representing a shift from standard to resilient capital.
“These efforts also encompass building protective infrastructure, like seawalls, artificial reefs and flood barriers, or strategically relocating vulnerable assets to safer zones. Public investment in adaptation yields a long-term increase in the level of GDP of around 5.5-6.8 percent once physical assets are secured.
“However, sea level rise undermines growth in the traded sector since the natural capital remains vulnerable. While the tourism sector benefits from preserving a larger average stock of physical capital, the growth dividends are limited due to the complementarities between physical and natural capital, meaning the output gains from protection are smaller if natural capital is not explicitly included in adaptation strategies.”
The Fund added: “Implementing adaptation measures aimed specifically to reduce exposure of natural capital could reduce long-run traded output losses and ease pressures on future export and fiscal revenues.
“Beach nourishment, such as dune restoration, along with resilient infrastructure like artificial reefs and breakwaters, can limit coastal erosion in key tourist areas by directly offsetting sediment loss and promoting natural sediment accumulation.
“These measures would help The Bahamas to avoid costs associated with relocating tourism-related physical assets and reduce potential output losses further, from 2.8-4.3 percent to 1.2-2.3 percent of GDP and supporting fiscal and export revenues. A comprehensive resilience building strategy could also help stabilise output during climate shocks, potentially reducing uncertainty in fiscal and foreign exchange income.”
Besides its exposure to more powerful and frequent hurricanes, the IMF said some 80 percent of The Bahamas’ land mass sits 1.5 metres or less above sea level. Hurricane Dorian’s economic loss and damage totalled $3.4bn, equal to around 25 percent of the Bahamian economy’s total output.
“Over the past decade, natural disasters have averaged 3.2 percent of GDP in annual damages,” the Fund added. “Climaterelated disasters, such as floods, droughts, and hurricanes, are becoming more frequent and severe due to rising global temperatures and sea levels.”
Amid forecasts that hurricane-related damages in The Bahamas will increase by 31 percent under 3°C warming, and by 42 percent under 4.3°C, the IMF said sea level rise and warming are threatening storm surge barriers such as mangroves and coral reefs. “As these ecosystems degrade, they lose their ability to buffer against increasingly intense hurricanes, potentially leading to amplified hurricane damages,” it added.
“Sea levels are projected to rise by nearly 0.5 metres by the end of the century, even with strong international efforts to keep global temperatures in line with the Paris Agreement goal. Given The Bahamas’ naturally low elevation, this would place about 41 percent of the land and 22 percent of the population below sea level, likely putting private assets and public infrastructure at risk.
“Rising sea levels and intensified storm surges could further strain already scarce freshwater resources, posing significant challenges to agricultural productivity. Meanwhile, rising sea surface temperatures and water acidification could diminish available marine fish stocks, impacting oceanic biodiversity and food security.”
The IMF continued: “The Bahamas, with nearly half of the Caribbean’s sandy beaches and vital coral reefs and mangroves, faces significant risk. Without adaptation measures, a 0.5 metre sea level rise could cause the complete loss of up to half of sandy beaches located near hotel infrastructure.
“In addition, the inundation of mangroves and the bleaching and degradation of coral reefs would lead to a loss of biodiversity, further reducing the country’s attractiveness to tourists over time. This combination of factors could lead to a gradual decline in tourist inflows if adaptation strategies are not implemented.
“The impact of sea level rise across The Bahamas is expected to be substantial,” the Fund added. “However,
the degree of vulnerability will differ across islands. Islands where hospitality and real estate form a larger part of the economy are anticipated to suffer greater land loss, making them not only more exposed to rising sea levels but also more economically sensitive.
“While these islandsExuma, Andros, Cat Island, and other smaller Family Islands - contribute only 5.1 percent of national income and 7 percent of the population, they may experience disproportionately higher income losses. These islands are also likely to have a lower capacity to adapt to climate change compared to more developed islands like New Providence and Grand Bahama.”
The head of a federal agency for consumers has packed up his office. But will Trump fire him?
By JOSH BOAK Associated Press
THE director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Rohit Chopra, has been waiting for a phone call, letter, email, text — anything, really — from the Trump administration that might say if he's getting fired. After all, Chopra is a Biden administration appointee. He's an ally of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., one of President Donald Trump's favorite targets. Chopra has already packed up his office a few blocks from the White House. His picture no longer hangs in the lobby. But as of Wednesday, Chopra remains one of the
more important regulators from the Biden administration who's still on the job as Trump cleans house. That's according to a person familiar with Chopra's situation who insisted on anonymity to describe his status. Of course, it was Trump who during his first term picked Chopra to be a Democrat on the Federal Trade Commission.
For a president who took office with aggressive plans to reshape Washington, Trump seems not to have fully communicated what he wants from Chopra's agency. Under his leadership, the bureau has tackled junk fees, limited overdraft penalties and removed medical debt from people's
credit ratings. His continued presence on the job may speak to how Trump's desire to move quickly in taking control of the government can lead to some oversights, but also to the challenge of fully merging Trump's populism with his pro-business calls to cut regulations. Allison Preiss, a spokesperson for the CFPB, declined to comment on Chopra's job status. White House officials did not respond to questions about his status. As a candidate, Trump pledged to cap the interest charged on credit card debt and the bureau has privately done work on that issue should the president wish to implement his promise.
Applebee’s targets two more venues after Fusion opening
Once it’s a new item or something new to do. But we couldn’t fathom the response we’re getting. And we are talking every day. Like every day from Thursday to Sunday it’s sometimes unmanageable because you have so many people in the spaces.”
Noting that Thursday through Sunday are their busiest days, Mr Rahming added: “Hours are 11am to midnight. But
special occasions, big sporting events. We will go beyond midnight. It’s based on how long that event runs. We open 365 days per year. Why? Because we service the theatres and the theatres doesn’t close.
“Anywhere from about 7 to 12, It is crazy. Now if you want to come in and you want to sit down, have a meal, not a long wait, I advise you anywhere from 11 to 6 because after 6, then we start to get groups of 15, 20, and they take up
like the whole restaurant because it’s not one group. It’ll be like ten groups and birthdays.” Applebees opened its lobby bar and theatre service on December 18, while the restaurant itself opened on Christmas Day. Don Roberts, vice president of architecture, design, and engineering for Dine Brands Global, the franchise’s parent company, expressed excitement in the growth potential and opportunities for the “destination”.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DIRECTS ALL FEDERAL DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION STAFF BE PUT ON LEAVE
By ALEXANDRA OLSON and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press
PRESIDENT Donald Trump's administration has moved to end affirmative action in federal contracting and directed that all federal diversity, equity and inclusion staff be put on paid leave and eventually be laid off.
The moves Tuesday follow an executive order Trump signed on his first day ordering a sweeping dismantling of the federal government's diversity and inclusion programs that could touch on everything from antibias training to funding for minority farmers and homeowners. Trump has called the programs "discrimination" and insisted on restoring strictly "meritbased" hiring. The executive order on affirmative action revokes an order issued by President Lyndon Johnson, and curtails DEI programs by federal contractors and grant recipients. It's using one of the key tools utilized by the Biden administration to promote DEI programs across the private sector — pushing their use by federal
contractors — to now eradicate them.
The Office of Personnel Management in a Tuesday memo directed agencies to place DEI office staffers on paid leave by 5 p.m. Wednesday and take down all public DEI-focused webpages by the same deadline. Several federal departments had removed the webpages even before the memorandum. Agencies must also cancel any DEIrelated training and end any related contracts, and federal workers are being asked to report to Trump's Office of Personnel Management if they suspect any
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He added that Fusion Superplex was chosen for the restaurant’s location because it “is already a destination”.
“We looked at Burton Rogers. Burton Rogers is one of our franchisees who has developed IHOP at Marathon Mall. And as we were looking at additional developments, this particular location was one that we looked at. And as we looked at the setup of this particular location here at Fusion, we understood that there
was an opportunity to perhaps improve or refine the food service. And the refinement of that food service happened to involve bringing in a known brand. And so that’s basically where the opportunity came.
“Well, first and foremost, Fusion is already a destination. So with the VIP theatre here, we looked at this and said we see a lot of the generators that already exist with this being a destination. And then when we looked at the physical space,
DEI-related program has been renamed to obfuscate its purpose within 10 days or face "adverse consequences."
By Thursday, federal agencies are directed to compile a list of federal DEI offices and workers as of Election Day. By next Friday, they are expected to develop a plan to execute a "reduction-in-force action" against those federal workers.
The memo was first reported by CBS News.
The move comes after Monday's executive order accused former President Joe Biden of forcing "discrimination" programs into "virtually all aspects of the federal government" through "diversity, equity and inclusion" programs, known as DEI.
That step is the first salvo in an aggressive campaign to upend DEI efforts nationwide, including leveraging the Justice Department and other agencies to investigate private companies pursuing training and hiring practices that conservative critics consider discriminatory against non-minority groups such as white men.
The executive order picks up where Trump's first administration left off: One of Trump's final acts during his first term was an executive order banning federal agency contractors and recipients of federal funding from conducting anti-bias training that addressed concepts like systemic racism. Biden promptly rescinded that order on his first day in office and issued a pair
we looked at the kitchen and the fact that there are multiple kitchens and that there are multiple areas to create an experience not only within the theatres themselves, providing food to the theatres themselves, but then also the ability to create a destination for those that just want to come here to dine. So it’s the combination of those two opportunities that really opened up the opportunity for us to be part of this venue.”
of executive orders — now rescinded — outlining a plan to promote DEI throughout the federal government.
While many changes may take months or even years to implement, Trump's new anti-DEI agenda is more aggressive than his first and comes amid far more amenable terrain in the corporate world. Prominent companies from Walmart to Facebook have already scaled back or ended some of their diversity practices in response to Trump's election and conservativebacked lawsuits against them.
Trump's order will immediately gut Biden's wide-ranging effort to embed diversity and inclusion practices in the federal workforce, the nation's largest at about 2.4 million people.
Biden had mandated all agencies to develop a diversity plan, issue yearly progress reports, and contribute data for a government-wide dashboard to track demographic trends in hiring and promotions.
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Applicants must have excellent working knowledge of QuickBooks Accounting and Microsoft Excell, possess a High School Diploma, 2 BGCSEs or its equivalent, including a passing grade in English language and Mathematics. Candidate should possess good oral and written communication skills and be a team player. Salary commensurate with qualifications. Interested applicants should send their resume to iapplynow99@gmail.com
WILL Scharf assists as President Donald Trump signs an executive order at an indoor Presidential Inauguration parade event in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025.
Photo:Susan Walsh/AP
Trump administration shuts down White House Spanish-language page and social media
By FERNANDA FIGUEROA Associated Press
WITHIN hours of President Donald Trump's inauguration, the new administration took down the Spanish-language version of the official White House website.
The site — currently https://www.whitehouse.
gov/es/ — now gives users an "Error 404" message. It also included a "Go Home" button that directed viewers to a page featuring a video montage of Trump in his first term and on the campaign trail. The button was later updated to read "Go To Home Page".
Hispanic advocacy groups and others expressed confusion at the abrupt change and frustration at what some called the administration's lack of efforts to maintain communication with the Latino community, which helped propel him to the presidency.
The Spanish profile of the White House' X, @ LaCasaBlanca and the government page on reproductive freedom also were disbanded. Meanwhile, the Spanish versions of other government agencies such as the Department of Labor, Justice and Agriculture remained available for users on Tuesday.
Asked about the changes, White House principal deputy press secretary Harrison Fields responded Tuesday that the administration is "committed to bringing back online the Spanish translation section of the website."
"It's day two. We are in the process of developing, editing and tweaking the White House website. As part of this ongoing work, some of the archived content on the website went dormant. We are committed to reloading that content in
a short timeline," he said without elaborating.
Trump removed the Spanish version of the page in 2017. At that time, White House officials said they would reinstate it. President Joe Biden reinstated the page in 2021. The page's removal coincided with Trump's first-day wave of executive orders highlighted by the launch of an illegal immigration crackdown that was one of his key campaign pledges. Trump on Monday declared a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border and announced plans to send U.S. troops to help support immigration agents and restrict refugees and asylum.
According to 2023 Census Bureau estimates, about 43.4 million Americans — 13.7% of the U.S. population age 5 and older — speak Spanish at home. The U.S. has no official language.
Monica Rivera, a brand and communications strategist in New York City of Puerto Rican and Cuban descent, said the shutdown sends a clear signal.
"There are 43 million Latinos who speak Spanish as their first language and removing access to information directly from the White
House draws a distinct line as to who they are serving and more dangerously, signals to the administration's MAGA base that we as Latinos are 'other' and a less significant part of this country," Rivera said.
Anthony Hernandez, a paralegal in the nation's capital, wasn't initially aware of the move and said it suggests what the coming years of a second Trump presidency would look like, with specific issues making headlines while "minor but equally malicious things like that go unnoticed."
"A move like shutting down the Spanish White House page and X profile serves no purpose other than to cut off resources for millions of Hispanic Americans and immigrants attempting to enter the United States legally," Hernandez said. "And it's a slap in the face to the millions of Hispanic voters that
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supported him in this recent election."
Trump's secretary of state, Marco Rubio, is Cuban American and speaks Spanish. At his swearing-in Tuesday, he gave remarks in Spanish, thanking God, his family and Trump.
Meanwhile, Hispanic leaders and communication strategy experts expressed surprise with the page's removal, given Trump's popularity with certain Latino voters.
THIS screenshot captured on Jan. 21, 2025, shows the error message that now appears on what was the Spanish language version of the White House homepage during President Joe Biden’s administration. Photo:Fernanda Figueroa/AP
"If the White House is seriously interested in engaging with Latinos, the second largest group in this country, then they need to make sure that updates can also be distributed in Spanish, a preferred language for millions in our community," said Frankie Miranda President and CEO of the Hispanic Federation. He called that a way to ensure "everyone is a part of the civic process."
Kris Klein Hernández, a U.S. historian specializing in race, gender, and sexuality at Connecticut College, said the content removal from official White House websites not only limits the access available to Spanishspeaking U.S. citizens and migrants but leads "some to question which constituencies the administration prioritizes."
Jeff Le, former deputy cabinet secretary and deputy director of external and international affairs for former California Gov.
Jerry Brown, said the move seems counterintuitive given the opportunity to "showcase" policy changes, especially ones related to economics and border security.
"I didn't see any other language mediums that got the kibosh. So I think that's a really interesting thing to single out — if that's the case," Le said.
AP VoteCast, a nationwide survey of more than 120,000 voters, found Trump won a larger share of Black and Latino voters than he did in 2020, and most notably among men under age 45. Young Latinos, particularly young Latino men, also were more open to Trump than in 2020. Roughly half of young Latino men voted for Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, compared with about 6 in 10 who went for Biden.
UK TABLOIDS APOLOGISE TO PRINCE HARRY AND ADMIT INTRUDING ON THE LATE PRINCESS DIANA
By BRIAN MELLEY and JILL LAWLESS Associated Press
PRINCE Harry claimed a "monumental" victory Wednesday as Rupert Murdoch's U.K. tabloids made an unprecedented apology for intruding in his life for years, and agreed to pay substantial damages to settle his privacy invasion lawsuit.
News Group Newspapers acknowledged its private investigators and journalists targeted Harry with phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information. The company offered him a "full and unequivocal apology" for intrusion by the now-defunct News of the World and its sister tabloid The Sun.
Harry's mother, the late Princess Diana, and the impact it had on his family.
The statement, read out at the High Court in London by Harry's attorney David Sherborne, even went beyond the scope of the case to acknowledge intruding on the life of
"We acknowledge and apologize for the distress caused to the duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family, and have agreed to pay him substantial damages," the settlement statement said. His phone was hacked and he was spied on News Group has long acknowledged that phones were hacked by staff at the News of the World, the weekly newspaper that Murdoch shut down in 2011 amid a public outcry over
CIBC Caribbean warns about ‘smishing’ scam
CIBC Caribbean has warned about an ongoing ‘smishing scam’ targeting clients in The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands.
It noted that fraudsters have been sending text messages to persons stating that their accounts were placed on hold or that their cards were locked and requesting them to click on a link and to enter their banking credentials in order to regain access to their accounts.
The bank has reiterated that it does not send out texts or SMS mes sages with links for clients to click on.
Clients who receive any communication with links should check that they are from a bona fide source prior to attempting to click on them.
The latest fraud attempt is a smishing scam and we are taking the necessary steps to report the fraudulent sites, the bank said.
Smishing occurs when fraudsters attempt to steal customers’ data or money through a text message that tries to trick them into following a link and revealing personal details or login information.
If you believe that you have encountered a suspicious message, just follow these simple tips.
Firstly, don’t click on any links or attachments and don’t reply to the message. Try and establish the legitimacy of the message by get ting in contact with the organisation through alternative means, for example, calling the phone number on your printed statements.
If the sender claims to represent CIBC Caribbean, then forward the email as an attachment to our dedicated fraud team (fraud@cibcfcib.com) and delete the message from your system.
It is also a good idea to regularly review all your financial accounts and if you spot any irregularities, contact the bank immediately. Additionally, email security should be reviewed and consider changing your password to a stronger one, using a combination of characters, letters and numbers. Never share your internet banking log-in cre dentials or One-Time Verification Codes (OTVC) with anyone!
tabloid snooping. But this is the first time the company accepted wrongdoing at The Sun, a paper that once sold millions of copies with its formula of sports, celebrities and sex — including topless women on Page 3. Harry, 40, the younger son of King Charles III, had vowed to take his case to trial to publicly expose The Sun's misdeeds and win a court ruling upholding his claims. He and Tom Watson, a former Labour Party member of Parliament, were the only two remaining claimants out of more than 1,300 others who had settled lawsuits against News Group Newspapers.
The trial was due to start Tuesday, but was postponed amid last-minute negotiations that led to the dramatic settlement announcement.
Although the settlement means Harry will not get his day in court, his lawyer said it delivered the accountability he sought for himself and hundreds of others who were snooped on with intercepted voicemails, tapped phones, bugged cars and various forms of deception.
News Group acknowledged "phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators" aimed at Harry. NGN had strongly denied those allegations before trial.
"This represents a vindication for the hundreds of other claimants who were strong-armed into settling without being able to get to the truth of what was done to them," Sherborne said outside court.
Source of a bitter feud Harry's feud with the press dates back to his youth, when the tabloids took glee in reporting on everything from his injuries to his girlfriends to dabbling with drugs.
But his fury with the tabloids goes much deeper.
He blames the media for the death of his mother, who was killed in a car crash in 1997 while being chased by paparazzi in Paris. He also blames them for the persistent attacks on his wife, actor Meghan Markle, that led them to leave royal life and flee to the U.S. in 2020.
The litigation has been a source of friction in his family, Harry said in the documentary "Tabloids On Trial."
He revealed in court papers that his father opposed his lawsuit. He also said his older brother William, Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, had settled a private complaint against News Group that his lawyer has said was worth over 1 million pounds ($1.23 million).
"I'm doing this for my reasons," Harry told the documentary makers, though he said he wished his family had joined him. Harry and the other holdout Watson, who was targeted by NGN when he was part of an investigation into allegations of tabloid wrongdoing, also said the intrusion had taken a heavy toll on himself and his family.
"I once said that the big beasts of the tabloid jungle have no predators," Watson said. "I was wrong, they have Prince Harry. … We are grateful to him for his unwavering support and his determination under extraordinary pressure."
Watson, who also received an apology and substantial settlement, called on Murdoch to issue a personal apology to Harry, the king and "countless others" affected by tabloid intrusion.
An end to the story?
News Group Newspapers said the settlement "draws a line under the past" and ends more than a decade of litigation.
The company has now settled more than 1,300 claims without going to trial. In doing so, it has spent more than 1 billion pounds ($1.24 billion) in payouts and legal costs.
Harry's attorney said the company still had questions to answer. Sherborne said the company engaged in "perjury and cover-ups" to obscure the truth for years, deleting 30 million emails and other records.
"There was an extensive conspiracy," the statement said, in which "senior executives deliberately obstructed justice."
STARBUCKS’ POLICY CHANGE FLUSHES OUT A DEBATE OVER PUBLIC RESTROOM ACCESS
By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer
STARBUCKS' decision to restrict its restrooms to paying customers has flushed out a wider problem: a patchwork of restroom policies that has left Americans confused and divided over who gets to use the loo and when.
Rules about restroom access in restaurants vary by state, city and county. New York requires restroom access for customers at food establishments with 20 or more seats. California requires larger restaurants to provide restrooms for customers and guests, but only if they were built after 1984. In Chicago, restaurants don't need to have restrooms for customers unless they serve liquor.
"It's so mish-mash," said Steven Soifer, the cofounder and treasurer of the American Restroom Association, which advocates for clean, safe and well-designed public toilets.
"If (a retailer) is serving food and drink, it's a health hazard if there isn't a public bathroom."
Starbucks opened the can, so to speak, when it said last week it was reversing a 7-year-old policy that invited anyone to hang out in its stores or use the restroom, regardless of whether they bought anything. Starbucks' new code of conduct, which will be posted in all company-owned North American stores, also bans discrimination or harassment, consumption of outside alcohol, smoking, vaping, drug use and asking strangers for money.
Reaction to the coffee chain's rule change for potty privileges was heated and divided. Many said Starbucks had the right to restrict restroom access to paying customers.
"I do think it's up to Starbucks to set the atmosphere in their stores," Paul Skinner, 76, a retired firefighter in Daytona Beach, Florida, told The Associated Press. "If they've decided that their paying customers are going to be better served by limiting restroom access, it doesn't make me mad. I'm not going to stop going there."
But Skinner said he also doesn't mind when homeless people occasionally visit his local Starbucks, and he sometimes offers to buy them breakfast.
"I think about all the people who don't have housing who would love to wander into a Starbucks and get warm," he said.
"Now there's one more place they aren't welcome." Other patrons lamented the change and said it didn't reflect Starbucks' often-stated goal of being a welcoming, communityoriented coffeehouse.
Norman Bauman, 81, a semi-retired science writer in New York, said he stopped going to his local Starbucks to read, meet people and maybe buy a coffee when the store hung an "Employees Only" sign on its sole restroom.
"I used to sit in a coffee shop once or twice a week and read my science journals. I always wondered how they could survive with customers like me," Bauman said.
Social media posts ran the gamut. Some said the change was overdue, and that Starbucks' open-door policy had invited trouble and left fewer seats available for paying customers. But others criticized the company, saying the new policy made them much less likely to patronize Starbucks. Starbucks said its new code of conduct matched those of other big retailers. The Associated Press reached out to several other restaurant chains to ask about their restroom policies, including McDonald's and the parent companies of Dunkin', Burger King and KFC. None responded. But the National Retail Federation said businesses have a right to set limits on restroom use.
"Stores and restaurants are private property, and these establishments have a right to enforce certain conduct in compliance with local, state and federal laws and regulations that ensures the health and safety of the customers they serve and the people they employ," the federation said in a statement. Starbucks stressed this week that the code of conduct is meant to end disruptive behavior.
"We know there will be times when a customer needs to use the restroom before they've made a purchase, or maybe uses the restroom and then decides against making a purchase, and of course that is OK," Starbucks spokeswoman Jaci Anderson said.
Starbucks also said it will comply with any local laws requiring bathroom access for non-customers. But that's where things get murky.
Most states and the District of Columbia follow the International Plumbing Code, which sets minimum regulations for plumbing systems.
LEGAL NOTICE
We, Mark Rolle, Peter Rolle, and Pastor Joshua Rolle, Descendants of the late Cornelius Rolle of Johnson Bay, South Andros, Bahamas, and holders of Power of Attorney in his estate, hereby issue the following Notice to the General Public:
Please be Advised that Cornelius Rolle (Deceased) is the Rightful Owner of the Montgomery Tract of Land, comprising One Thousand (1,000) acres, located in the Settlement of Johnson Bay and extending into Black Point on the Island of Andros, in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
Additionally, the Estate of Cornelius Rolle includes the following parcels of land:
● The AUTEC Site: Fourteen (14) acres
● Jane Russell Tract: Twenty (20) acres
● Cornelius Rolle Estate Parcel: Fourteen (14) acres
All Trespassers and Violators on these Properties will be Prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law.
Dated this 26th Day of November 2024
Contact Information:
● Pastor Joshua Rolle: mjosh02@hotmail.com
| 242-357-2250
● Peter Rolle: peterrollel_81@hotmail.com
| 242-427-6135
● Mark Rolle: tqes65@msn.com | 242-557-1142
(D. 2, 5, 12, 19, 27, J. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30)
The code says businesses must make toilet facilities available to "customers, patrons and visitors," said Soifer, who is an adjunct professor at the Adelphi University School of Social Work in addition to his duties at the American Restroom Association.
But Andrew Rudansky, a spokesman for New York's Department of Buildings, said the International Code Council, which developed the plumbing code, has published separate commentary making clear that restrooms are intended for people "involved with the activities of the establishment" and not just passersby.
Other states and cities use the Uniform Plumbing Code or the National Standard Plumbing Code as the basis for their regulations.
PASSCODE lock is seen at a restroom door in a Starbucks in Glenview, Ill., Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. Photo:Nam Y. Huh/AP
DAVOS 2025: TRADE, TARIFFS, AI AND UN CHIEF
GUTERRES DOMINATE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM AGENDA
By JAMEY KEATEN Associated Press
U.N. Secretary-General
António Guterres ratcheted up his warning about climate change and said the world's thirst for fossil fuels is a "Frankenstein monster" that spares no one, while calling for greater attention to risks posed by artificial intelligence if its ascent goes ungoverned — even as some leaders played up its promise.
The United Nations' chief headlined a flurry of activities and talk sessions on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, where shifts underway in Washington during U.S. President Donald Trump's first week back in office also featured heavily in the scheduled events and side chats of government officials, academics and business executives.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy combed the corridors, meeting with leaders such as Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Vietnamese President Luong Cuong, as well as German opposition leader and would-be chancellor Friedrich Merz in an effort to stir up support for Ukraine's fight against Russia.
Here are some highlights from Wednesday's session: UN chief issues warning about Big Oil ... With energy and tech industry executives on hand, Guterres returned to one of his most frequent appeals: for the world to do more to fight global warming.
Trump's promises to " drill, baby, drill " and an array of worries about economic growth in some big but moribund economies in Europe and beyond have rattled public and private commitments to reduce
he said. "Our fossil fuel addiction is a Frankenstein monster, sparing nothing and no one. All around us, we see clear signs that the monster has become master."
Companies that have recently backtracked on their climate commitments are "on the wrong side of history," he added.
... and "ungoverned" AI
The U.N. chief lauded the promise of artificial intelligence, saying it could revolutionize learning, help improve health care and
“And rising temperatures, which are, overwhelmingly, caused by burning fossil fuels. Our fossil fuel addiction is a Frankenstein monster, sparing nothing and no one. All around us, we see clear signs that the monster has become master.”
António Guterres
Trump on Tuesday announced a joint U.S. venture that plans to invest up to $500 billion for infrastructure linked to AI though a new partnership formed by Oracle, SoftBank and OpenAI.
The Stargate project's goal us to build out data centers and the electricity generation needed by voracious power needs of fast-evolving AI in Texas, the White House said.
carbon emissions.
Guterres bemoaned how 2024 was the hottest year on record, and warned of rising sea levels that could overwhelm ports that ship oil in and out.
"And rising temperatures, which are, overwhelmingly, caused by burning fossil fuels,"
support farmers with tools that boost productivity.
"But with this promise comes profound risk, especially if AI is left ungoverned," he said. warning that it could be used "as a tool of deception," erode trust in institutions, disrupt labor markets and affect the conduct of war.
Julie Sweet, chief executive officer of Accenture, the multinational information technology and consulting firm, hailed the Stargate investment as an "absolute validation that AI is important for companies and countries."
She said the United States appeared set to maintain its approach toward AI of innovation first, then applying "appropriate guardrails" — unlike other places that put the guardrails first.
"AI will not be successful if people don't trust it," Sweet told The Associated Press. "So I'm not worried about it (being) too deregulated because the interests of making sure AI is trusted are aligned across all groups."
Malaysian PM Anwar sees challenge, promise with AI
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said his country will have to "navigate" AI but will push it "on a faster pace, partly because of my age: we don't have time to wait."
Anwar was speaking in Davos after the Southeast Asian nation and its neighbor Singapore struck a deal to create a special economic zone that would ramp up job creation and lure investment.
"AI is, of course, a new challenge. We don't have the expertise (or) knowhow," he said. "But AI means changing the education system, health services, blockchain, so it will have to come about."
From AI to social media: Spain's Sánchez wants EU to act Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for the EU to help "make social media great again" by taking tough regulatory measures against the technology platforms he described as being run by tycoons who flaunt the law.
"The tech billionaires want to overthrow democracy. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the truth of the terrible threat we face," Sánchez said, citing the spread of misinformation that has fueled anti-liberal political movements. "The technology that was intended to free us has
become the tool of our own oppression."
The center-left Socialist said social media were initially "supposed" to foster unity and democracy, but instead "have brought division, lies and a reactionary agenda" and now have "begun to compete unfairly with the strategic sectors of our economies, such as banking, retail and media outlets.
"And they have ended up in the hands of a reduced group of men — by the way, only men — whose combined (net) worth triples the entire European Union's budget," he added. Sánchez said he would ask the EU to enact policies to end what he called anonymity of social media users, use existing legislation to "force open the black box of social media algorithms," as well as hold the owners of social media platforms "personally accountable" for any wrongs brought by their sites.
Can Britain avert Trump tariffs? UK's Treasury chief hopes so
Much buzz has been about where Trump's muchtrumpeted tariffs — such as goods from rival China and even allies Canada and Mexico — will land.
Britain's new Treasury chief, Rachel Reeves, noted Trump is mulling tariffs on countries that are running big trade surpluses with the United States, which is not the case with the U.K. — ins has a small trade deficit with the U.S. "So the problem that President Trump is trying to address is not addressed through tariffs on the U.K.," Reeves said.
PUBLIC NOTICE
INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL
The public is hereby advised that I, SHAKERA CHRISCINA JOHNSON of Misty Gardens, Nassau, Bahamas, intend to change my name to SHAKERA CHRISCINA CLARKE If there are any objections to challenge the name by deed poll, you may write such objections to the Chief Passport Officer, P.O. Box N-742, Nassau, The Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of the publication of this notice.
PUBLIC NOTICE
INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL
The public is hereby advised that I, TRACY JEREMIAH SEBATO MORLEY of Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas intend to change my name to TRACY JEREMIAH SEBATO BASTIAN If there are any objections to this change of name by Deed Poll, you may write such objections to the Officer in charge Passport Office, P.O.Box F-42536, Grand Bahama, no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice.
PUBLIC NOTICE
INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL
The Public is hereby advised that I, RAJIV JAMAAL DAMES, of #220 Flying Fish Street, Caravel Beach, Freeport, Grand Bahama, intend to change my name to RAJ JEFE HAMILTON If there are any objections to this change of name by Deed Poll, you may write such objections to the Chief Passport Officer, P.O.Box N-742, Nassau, The Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice.
ANTONIO GUTERRES, Secretary-General of the United Nations, speaks during a plenary session in the Congress Hall during the 55th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025.
Photo:Laurent Gillieron/AP
SAMSUNG AIMS TO TURN ITS NEXT GENERATION OF GALAXY SMARTPHONES INTO AI COMPANIONS
By MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Technology Writer
SAMSUNG is injecting another dose of artificial intelligence into its next lineup of Galaxy smartphones, escalating an effort to simplify people's lives while deepening their dependence on a device that accompanies them almost everywhere.
The three Galaxy S25 models unveiled Wednesday in San Jose, California, are the second generation to be designed for the AI age — a craze that marketleading Apple joined last September with the release of the iPhone 16. Most of the hardware on the Galaxy S25 is mostly the same as last year's model, except for a faster chip and a more powerful ultrawide lens on the camera.
In its next phase, Samsung is positioning the Galaxy S25 as an "AI companion" capable of pulling more requests out of conversations, learning people's routines, anticipating people's needs and performing more technological tricks, such as being able to remove unwanted sounds from videos or identifying the name of a song upon request.
The AI on the new Galaxy phones has been designed to toggle from one app to another to fetch, summarize and manage information, entertainment and other content stored on the devices. In an attempt to make the technology even more indispensable, the AI
on Galaxy S25 will be able to create customized digital dossiers on users' behavior patterns and other unique characteristics that Samsung is calling a "personal data engine."
"Everything you see here is the beginning of a new reality," said TM Roh, the Samsung executive who oversees its smartphones. "Things that you thought you could never do, but now you can."
As Apple has been doing with its AI features, Samsung is promising that its technology will shield users' privacy while also peering into their lives. Samsung is providing the protection primarily by keeping all the knowledge accrued by its AI technology on the Galaxy devices — within a digital fortress the company nicknamed after Fort Knox, the Kentucky Army base seated next to the U.S. government's depository for gold.
After raising prices last year, Samsung is standing pat with the Galaxy S25 phones, with the standard model starting at $800, the Plus model at $1,000 and the Ultra model at $1,300. The phones are scheduled to be in stores starting Feb. 7.
Forrester Research analyst Thomas Husson thinks the Galaxy S25 models "will offer a more intuitive user experience with more integrated vocal and crossapp experiences, but AI is not yet a key reason to buy a new smartphone."
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that JOSEPH METILUS of Kemp Road, Nassau, The Bahamas, applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 23rd day of January, 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that NEDJY LUBIN of Ridgeland Park, Nassau, The Bahamas, applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 23rd day of January, 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that DIEUSEUL FLEURIMONT of Allen’s Drive Carmichael Road, Nassau, The Bahamas, applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 23rd day of January, 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that NOAH HAMELIN of #27 Appalachian Avenue, Twynam Heights, Nassau, The Bahamas, applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 23rd day of January, 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
Samsung is doubling down on its AI bet after getting a sales bump from the past year's emphasis on the technology. The South Korean company sold 32 million of its Galaxy S24 models from January through September last year, a 25% increase from the same time in the previous year, according to the research group Canalys. But Samsung didn't fare as well in the lower end of the smartphone market, where it was hurt by cheaper devices made
by Chinese competitors. That's one of the reasons Samsung's total smartphone shipments fell by 1% last year, leaving it slightly behind Apple in the worldwide market, according to the research firm International Data Crop. As was the case with last year's models, the Galaxy S25 will draw heavily on AI technology made by Google, the maker of the free operating system Android that Samsung has long used for its smartphones.
THE NEW line of Samsung Galaxy S25 phones, with advanced camera and artificial intelligence capabilities, are unveiled at a media preview event in San Jose, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. Photo:Haven Daily/AP
Yemen’s Houthi rebels release crew of commercial vessel seized in Red Sea in November 2023
By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press
YEMEN'S Houthi rebels said Wednesday they released the crew of the Galaxy Leader, a vehicle carrier seized in November 2023 at the start of their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war.
The move by the Iranian-backed Houthis marks their latest effort to de-escalate their attacks following a ceasefire in Gaza. It comes as the White House announced U.S. President Donald Trump was reinstating a terrorism designation he made on the group late in his first term that had been revoked by President Joe Biden.
Trump issued an executive order on Wednesday that sets in motion a process for reestablishing the foreign terrorist organization designation. Biden lifted the designation early in his term, citing the humanitarian threat that the sanctions posed to ordinary Yemenis.
The rebels said they released the sailors after mediation by Oman, a sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula that's long been an interlocutor with the Houthis. Oman did not immediately acknowledge the release, though an Omani Royal Air Force jet took a flight to Yemen earlier Wednesday and took off again about an hour after the Houthi announcement.
The Houthis also said Hamas separately requested the release of the ship's crew of 25, who included mariners from the Philippines, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Mexico.
"This step comes in support of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza," the Houthis said in a statement on rebel-controlled SABA news agency.
Hans Grundberg, the United Nations' special envoy to Yemen, called the crew's release "heartwarming news that puts an end to the arbitrary detention and
PUBLIC NOTICE
INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL
The public is hereby advised that I, GLEND MOTT aka GLEN MOTT of Lowe Sound, North Andros, Bahamas, intend to change my name to GLENROY RUSSELL If there are any objections to challenge the name by deed poll, you may write such objections to the Chief Passport Officer, P.O. Box N-742, Nassau, The Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of the publication of this notice.
Legal Notice NOTICE
ALCYONE LIMITED
In Voluntary Liquidation
Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Section 138(4) of the International Business Companies Act. 2000, ALCYONE LIMITED is in dissolution as of January 17, 2025.
International Liquidator Services Ltd. situated at 3rd Floor Whitfield Tower, 4792 Coney Drive, Belize City, Belize is the Liquidator.
Legal Notice
N O T I CE
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 138 (8) of the International Business Companies Act, 2000, (As Amended) NOTICE is hereby given that OLYM HOLDINGS SA has been dissolved and that the name has been struck from the Register of Companies with effect from 9th January, A.D. 2025.
ENERVO ADMINISTRATION LIMITED LIQUIDATOR
Montague Sterling Centre, East Bay Street P.O. Box N-3924 Nassau, The Bahamas
LEGAL NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION
International Business Companies Act (No. 45 of 2000) In Voluntary Liquidation
Notice is hereby given in accordance with Section 138 (8) of the International Business Companies Act, No.45 of 2000, the Dissolution of Azalink Tomlin Holdings Corp. has been completed, a Certificate of Dissolution has been issued and the Company has therefore been struck off the Register. The date of completion of the dissolution was the 31st December, 2024.
separation that they and their families endured for more than a year."
"This is a step in the right direction, and I urge Ansar Allah to continue these positive steps on all fronts, including ending all maritime attacks," he added, using another name for the Houthis.
Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry confirmed the release of the multinational crew, including two Bulgarians identified by officials as the ship's captain, Lyubomir Chanev, and assistant captain, Danail Veselinov. A government jet was on the way to Oman to bring the Bulgarians home, the ministry said.
Vessel's link to Israeli billionaire
The Houthi rebels said they hijacked the Galaxy Leader over its connection to Israel. They then had a campaign targeting ships in international waters, which only stopped with the recent ceasefire in Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
A representative for the Galaxy Leader's owners had no immediate comment on Wednesday.
The Bahamas-flagged vessel is affiliated with an Israeli billionaire, Abraham "Rami" Ungar, who is known as one of the richest men in Israel.
The Houthi attack on the Galaxy Leader saw the rebels launch a helicopterborne raid. Propaganda footage of the raid has been played constantly by the Houthis, who even shot a music video aboard the ship at one point.
On Monday, the Houthis signaled they now will limit their attacks in the Red Sea corridor to only Israeli-affiliated ships after a ceasefire began in the Gaza Strip, but warned wider assaults could resume if needed.
However, it likely won't be enough to encourage global firms to reenter the route that's crucial for cargo and energy shipments moving between Asia and Europe. Their attacks have halved traffic through the
PUBLIC NOTICE
The public is hereby advised that I, TRACY JEREMIAH SEBATO MORLEY of Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas intend to change my name to TRACY JEREMIAH SEBATO BASTIAN If there are any objections to this change of name by Deed Poll, you may write such objections to the Officer in charge Passport Office, P.O.Box F-42536, Grand Bahama, no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice.
NOTICE
MATHEUS E FILIADOS LTD.
Incorporated under the International Business Companies Act, 2000 of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Registration number 211887 B (In Voluntary Liquidation)
Notice is hereby given that the above-named Company is in dissolution, commencing on the 21st day of January A.D. 2025.
Articles of Dissolution have been duly registered by the Registrar. The Liquidator is Mr. Matheus Gomes Lima, whose address is Rua Camocim, 130 Apto 302, Santa Lucia, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. Any Persons having a Claim against the above-named Company are required on or before the 20th day of February A.D. 2025 to send their names, addresses and particulars of their debts or claims to the Liquidator of the Company, or in default thereof they may be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such claim is proved.
Dated this 21st day of January A.D. 2025.
MATHEUS GOMES LIMA LIQUIDATOR
Legal Notice
NOTICE
NFE BAHAMAS HOLDINGS LTD.
Pursuant to the Provision of Section 138 (8) of the International Business Companies Act 2000 notice is hereby given that the abovenamed Company has been dissolved and struck off the Register pursuant to a Certificate of Dissolution issued by the Registrar General on the 30th day of December 2024.
AMICORP BAHAMAS MANAGEMENT LIMITED LIQUIDATOR Of NFE BAHAMAS HOLDINGS LTD.
region, cutting deeply into revenues for Egypt, which runs the Suez Canal linking the Red Sea to the Mediterranean.
The release of the vessel's crew now may be an effort to curry favor with the U.S., though the ship still remains moored off the Yemeni port city of Hodeida.
"This gesture by the Houthis may be intended as a goodwill measure towards the new Trump administration, potentially aiming to delay their designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization," said Yemen expert Mohammed al-Basha, of the Basha Report risk advisory firm.
Houthi attacks targeted over 100 commercial ships
The Houthis have targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the IsraelHamas war in the Gaza Strip started in October 2023, after Hamas' surprise attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw 250 others taken hostage.
The Houthis have seized one vessel and sunk two in a campaign that has also killed four sailors. Other
missiles and drones have either been intercepted by separate U.S.- and European-led coalitions in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which have also included Western military vessels. The rebels had maintained that they only targeted ships linked to Israel, the U.S., or the U.K. However, many of the ships attacked had little or no connection, including some bound for Iran.
The tempo of Houthi attacks has slowed in recent weeks, particularly involving ships at sea. That may be due in part to the U.S. airstrike campaign. The U.S. and its partners alone have struck the Houthis over 260 times, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Israel's military offensive in Gaza has killed over 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants but say women and children make up more than half the fatalities.
NOTICE
AQX & FLA LTD.
Incorporated under the International Business Companies Act, 2000 of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Registration number 212353 B (In Voluntary Liquidation)
Notice is hereby given that the above-named Company is in dissolution, commencing on the 22nd day of January A.D. 2025.
Articles of Dissolution have been duly registered by the Registrar. The Liquidator is Mr. Alexandre Quesada Xavier, whose address is Rua Nagel 12 Tor A, AP 283 – Vila Leopoldina, CEP: 05315-030, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil. Any Persons having a Claim against the above-named Company are required on or before the 21st day of February A.D. 2025 to send their names, addresses and particulars of their debts or claims to the Liquidator of the Company, or in default thereof they may be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such claim is proved.
Dated this 22nd day of January A.D. 2025. ALEXANDRE QUESADA XAVIER LIQUIDATOR
Legal Notice ESTEIO COMPANY LTD. Registration No. 141196 B
International Business Companies Act (No. 45 of 2000)
Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Section 138 (8) of the International Business Companies Act, No.45 of 2000, the dissolution of ESTEIO COMPANY LTD. has been completed, a Certificate of Dissolution has been issued and the Company has therefore been struck off the Register. The date of completion of the Dissolution was December 31st, 2024.
Crowe Bahamas Liquidator
THIS photo released by the Houthi Media Center shows Houthi escort the cargo ship Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, Nov. 19, 2023. Photo:Houthi Media Center/AP
Musk clashes with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman over Trump-supported Stargate AI data centre project
By MATT O'BRIEN AP Technology Writer
ELON Musk is clashing with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman over the Stargate artificial intelligence infrastructure project touted by President Donald Trump, the latest in a feud between the two tech billionaires that started on OpenAI's board and is now testing Musk's influence with the new president.
Trump on Tuesday had talked up a joint venture investing up to $500 billion through a new partnership formed by OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, alongside Oracle and SoftBank.
The new entity, Stargate, is already starting to build out data centers and the electricity generation needed for the further development of fast-evolving AI technology.
Trump declared it "a resounding declaration of confidence in America's potential" under his new administration, with an initial private investment of $100 billion that could reach five times that sum.
But Musk, a close Trump adviser who helped bankroll his campaign and now leads a government cost-cutting initiative, questioned the value of the investment hours later.
"They don't actually have the money," Musk wrote on his social media platform X. "SoftBank has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority."
Altman responded Wednesday to say Musk was "wrong, as you surely
know" and inviting Musk to come visit the first site in Texas that is already under construction.
"(T)his is great for the country. i realize what is great for the country isn't always what's optimal for your companies, but in your new role i hope you'll mostly put (America) first," Altman wrote, using a U.S. flag emoji to represent America. Behind the feud
The public clash over Stargate is part of a yearslong dispute between Musk and Altman that began with a boardroom rivalry over who should run OpenAI, which both men helped found.
Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company
last year alleging it had betrayed its founding aims as a nonprofit research lab benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits.
Musk has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAI's plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. A hearing is set for February in a California federal court.
The world's richest man, whose companies include Tesla, SpaceX and X, last year started his own rival AI company, xAI, that is building its own big data center in Memphis, Tennessee. Musk says it faces unfair competition from OpenAI and its close business partner Microsoft, which has supplied the huge computing resources
needed to build AI systems such as ChatGPT.
When did Stargate start?
Tech news outlet The Information first reported on an OpenAI data center project called Stargate in March 2024, indicating that it's been in the works long before Trump announced it. Another company — Crusoe Energy Systems — announced in July it was building a large and "specially designed AI data center" at the northwest edge of Abilene, Texas at a site run by energy technology company Lancium. Crusoe and Lancium said in a joint statement at the time that the project was "supported by a multibillion-dollar investment" but didn't disclose its backers.
AI technology requires huge amounts of electricity
South Korea to shrink biomass energy subsidies after criticism over link to deforestation
By VICTORIA MILKO Associated Press
THE South Korean government will reduce subsidies for biomass energy after rising domestic and international criticism of its link to deforestation. Environmental activists generally applauded the reforms but criticized loopholes and slow timelines for phasing out the subsidies.
"While not without caveats, (the) decision by the South Korean government demonstrates that large-scale biomass power has no place in a renewable energy future," Hansae Song, program lead at South Korea-based nongovernmental organization Solutions for Our Climate, said in an email to The Associated Press.
Biomass power, predominantly generated by burning wood, is growing globally as countries accelerate their transition to use cleaner energy — even though many scientists and environmentalists see it as problematic. In South Korea, it's the secondlargest source of renewable energy.
South Korea has subsidized biomass energy with millions of dollars for more than a decade via their renewable energy certificates program. In a single recent year the government gave approximately $688 million to support power plants using biomass, according to a press release from South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
Faced with limited domestic forest resources, South Korea's biomass power industry has structured its business model around importing large volumes of wood pellets at lower prices from forest-rich nations. In 2023, imports accounted for 82% of the country's wood pellet demand, making South Korea the world's thirdlargest importer of biomass fuels, after the United Kingdom and Japan. An AP report found that biomass imported from Indonesia was linked to deforestation of natural, intact forest.
"As the (biomass) market expanded, various issues emerged," the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said in their press release. "Criticisms regarding forest degradation and carbon emissions associated with biomass power generation persist."
Under the revised policy, South Korea will not support any new biomass power plants. Subsidies for six existing state-owned plants co-firing coal and biomass will end this year, while the value of renewable energy certificates for three stateowned dedicated biomass plants will be phased down by 2027. At privately owned plants, subsidies for co-fired biomass from six plants will be phased out over the next decade, while subsidy weightings will be reduced for 12 dedicated biomass plants over the next 15 years.
But environmental activists are critical of loopholes in the new policy.
Domestically produced wood pellets and chips will still have the same level of support as before, including those co-fired with coal — which experts say could pose a threat to South Korea's forests. Power plants under construction or in planning with approved business permits are exempt from the new policy and subject to the phased reduction timelines for existing facilities.
State-owned co-firing facilities — which will lose their renewable energy certificates — currently account for only 10% of South Korea's biomass power fleet, while the phase-out of most private co-firing will take over a decade to complete under the new policy, said Solutions for Our Climate.
"This extends the life of thermal power plants — many with emissions per unit of energy higher than coal — beyond the Paris Agreement-aligned coal phase-out deadlines," Song wrote in an email to AP.
The South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Korea Forest Service and Ministry of Environment did not respond to requests for comment from AP.
Experts said South Korea's policy change could signal a shift in how countries consider and incorporate biomass as part of their own energy transitions.
"There has been a positive shift in terms of discourse around biomass subsidies," said Claire Squire, a research associate at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy Center for Global Sustainability. "Cutting subsidies won't necessarily fix everything, but potentially
if they're constructed differently than they have in the past, that might be an improvement."
As countries accelerate their energy transitions, demand for biomass is growing: The use of bioenergy
has increased an average of about 3% per year between 2010 and 2022, the International Energy Agency said.
Experts including the IEA say it's important for that demand to happen in a sustainable way, such as
to build and operate and both companies said the project would be powered with renewable sources such as nearby solar farms, in a way that Lancium CEO Michael McNamara said would "deliver the maximum amount of green energy at the lowest possible cost." Crusoe said it would own and develop the facility.
It's not clear how and when that project became the first phase of the Stargate investment revealed by Trump. Abilene Mayor Weldon Hurt said construction began about nine months ago but "we didn't know it was going to be quite this big. We thought it was going to be about a third of this size."
Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison said Tuesday that the Abilene project is the first of about 10 data center buildings currently being built and that number could expand to 20.
Hurt told The Associated Press that the region surrounding Abilene, a city of about 130,000 people, benefits from a wealth of energy sources, including oil, gas, solar and some of the "largest wind farms in the world," though Trump signaled opposition to wind power this week by temporarily halting approval of wind projects on federal lands.
"We have the capability to produce the energy
using waste and crop residue rather than converting forest land to grow bioenergy crops. Deforestation contributes to erosion, damages biodiverse areas, threatens wildlife and humans who rely on the forest and intensifies disasters from extreme weather.
Many scientists and environmentalists have rejected the use of biomass altogether. They say burning
for this market so it really means a lot for a town like Abilene," Hurt said. "To have this opportunity here in west-central Texas, to have something like this to make Abilene substantial, we're just excited about it."
Where is Microsoft?
Missing from Trump's press conference Tuesday was Microsoft, which has long supported OpenAI with billions of dollars in investments and enabling its data centers to be used to build the models behind ChatGPT and other generative AI tools.
Microsoft said this week it is also investing in the Stargate project but put out a statement noting that its OpenAI partnership will "evolve" in a way that enables OpenAI "to build additional capacity, primarily for research and training of models."
Asked about Musk's comments about the Stargate deal Wednesday during a CNBC interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella pivoted to his company's own $80 billion plan to build out its global AI infrastructure, of which $50 billion is being spent in the U.S.
"Look, all I know is, I'm good for my $80 billion," said Nadella, laughing.
wood-based biomass can emit more carbon than coal and tree-cutting greatly reduces forests' ability to remove carbon from the atmosphere. Critics also say that using biomass to co-fire, instead of transitioning directly to clean energy, simply prolongs the use of coal.
Photo:Kevin Lamarque/AP
Netflix and AI excitement send Wall Street to the brink of an all-time high
By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer
NETFLIX, Oracle and other big technology stocks lifted Wall Street Wednesday as their profits pile higher and excitement builds around the moneymaking prospects of artificial intelligence.
The S&P 500 rose 0.6% and came close to its alltime closing high set early last month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 130 points, or 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.3%.
The gains came even though most U.S. stocks fell under the weight of another crank higher for Treasury yields in the bond market. The smaller stocks in the Russell 2000 index lost 0.6%, for example, and roughly two out of every three stocks in the S&P 500 sank. Gains for big, influential stocks were more than enough to make up for it.
Netflix helped lead the way after it said live events
like football games and a Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight helped it add nearly 19 million subscribers during the latest quarter. It also reported stronger profit than analysts expected and said it's raising subscription prices in the United States and other countries. Netflix jumped 9.7%.
The streaming giant joined a lengthening list of companies that have topped analysts' profit expectations for the end of 2024. Such results support their stock prices and counteract the downward push they've felt from rising Treasury yields, which can peel investors away from stocks.
The rise in yields, caused in part by worries about stubborn inflation and the U.S. government's swelling debt, had knocked down stocks and halted the record-breaking run that had carried them through 2024, at least briefly.
Travelers climbed 3.2% after also topping analysts' expectations for profit in the
latest quarter. The insurer said gains for its investments and growth in net written premiums helped it overcome losses created by Hurricane Milton, which plowed into Florida's Gulf coast in October, and other catastrophes.
Procter & Gamble rose 1.9% after the company behind Charmin, Crest and Pampers reported stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than expected. It also said it's
sticking with its financial forecasts for the full fiscal year, even though rising commodity costs and the stronger value of the U.S. dollar against other currencies are hurting its results. Some of the market's most forceful pushes upward came from AIrelated companies. Oracle added 6.8% following its 7.2% rise the day before, ahead of the expected announcement that came late Tuesday about
Stargate, a joint venture the White House said will start building out data centers and the electricity generation needed for the further development of AI in Texas. The partnership formed by Oracle, OpenAI and SoftBank will invest up to $500 billion. SoftBank Group Corp.'s stock in Tokyo rose 10.6%. Other AI-related stocks also climbed, furthering their already fantastic run. Nvidia, the company whose chips are powering much of the move into AI, rose 4.4%. Its stock is above $147 after sitting below $18 just two years ago. They helped offset a 3.4% drop for Textron. It reported a better profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected, but its revenue fell short of forecasts. The company behind Bell helicopters and Cessna airplanes also gave a forecast for profit
for this upcoming year that fell short of some analysts' expectations. All told, the S&P 500 rose 37.13 points to 6,086.37. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 130.92 to 44,156.73, and the Nasdaq composite jumped 252.56 to 20,009.34. In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in Europe and Asia. In the bond market, the 10-year Treasury yield rose to 4.60% from 4.57% late Tuesday. It had largely been regressing since an encouraging update on inflation last week, but it's still well above where it was in September, when it was below 3.65%.
Strategists at BlackRock Investment Institute say they expect rates to stay higher for longer for a range of reasons, including an aging workforce and high levels of debt for the U.S. government.
MARINE FORECAST
EUROPE POSTS RECORD YEAR FOR CLEAN ENERGY USE AS TRUMP PULLS US TOWARD FOSSIL FUELS
By SIBI ARASU Associated Press
A RECORD 47% of the European Union’s electricity now comes from solar and other renewables, a report Thursday said, in yet another sign of the growing gap between the bloc’s push for clean energy and the new U.S. administration’s pursuit of more fossil fuels.
Nearly three-quarters of the EU’s electricity doesn’t emit planet-warming gases into the air — with another 24% of electricity in the bloc coming from nuclear power, a report released by the climate energy think tank Ember found. This is far higher than in countries like the United States and China, where nearly twothirds of their energy is still produced from carbon-polluting fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas.
Experts say they’re encouraged by Europe’s fossil fuel reductions, particularly as the U.S. looks set to increase its emissions as its new president pledges cheaper gas prices, has halted leases for wind projects and pledged to revoke Biden-era incentives for electric vehicles.
“Fossil fuels are losing their grip on EU energy,” said Chris Rosslowe, an energy expert at Ember. In 2024, solar power generated 11% of EU electricity, overtaking coal which fell below 10% for the first time. Clean wind power generated more electricity than gas for the second year in a row.
2024 data wasn’t available for all countries. Ember’s data for the world’s largest generators of electricity for 2023 show Brazil with the largest share of its electricity from renewables,
almost 89%, with much of that coming from hydroelectric power. Canada had about 66.5%, China 30.6%, France 26.5%, the U.S. 22.7% and India 19.5%.
Green policies and war drive clean energy growth
One reason for Europe’s clean power transition moving at pace is the European Green Deal, an ambitious policy passed in 2019 that paved the way for climate laws to be updated.
As a result of the deal, the EU made their targets more ambitious, aiming to cut 55% of the region’s emissions by the end of the decade. The policy also aims to make Europe climate neutral — reducing the amount of additional emissions in the air to practically zero — by 2050.
Hundreds of regulations and directives in European countries to incentivize investment in clean energy and reduce carbon pollution have been passed or are in the process of being ratified across Europe.
“At the start of the Deal, renewables were a third and fossil fuels accounted for 39% of Europe’s electricity,” Rosslowe said. “Now fossils generate only 29% and wind and solar have been driving the clean energy transition.” The amount of electricity generated by nuclear energy has remained relatively stable in the bloc.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has also spurred the move to clean energy in Europe. Gas prices skyrocketed — with much of Europe’s gas coming from Russia becoming unviable — forcing countries to look for cheaper, cleaner alternatives. Portugal, Netherlands and Estonia witnessed the
highest increase in clean power in the last five years. Europe cements its place as a clean energy leader
The transition to clean power helped Europe avoid more than $61 billion worth of fossil fuel imports for generating electricity since 2019.
“This is sending a clear message that their energy needs are going to be met through clean power, not
gas imports,” said Pieter de Pous, a Brussels-based energy analyst at European think tank E3G. De Pous said the EU’s origins were “as a community of coal and steel because those industries were so important,” but it is now rapidly becoming a “community of solar and wind power, batteries and smart technologies.” Nuclear growth in the bloc, meanwhile, has
slowed. Across the European Union, retirements of nuclear plants have outpaced new construction since around the mid-2000s, according to Global Energy Monitor.
As President Trump has pulled the United States out of the Paris Agreement aimed at curbing warming and is pursuing a “drill, baby, drill” energy policy, Rosslowe said the
EU’s leadership in clean power becomes all the more important. “It’s about increasing European energy independence, and it’s about showing this climate leadership,” he said.
On Tuesday, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said: “Europe will stay the course, and keep working with all nations that want to protect nature and stop global warming.”
