Bahamas Evening News: Saturday, October 31, 2026

lol242.com Evening News · Saturday, October 31, 2026

Good evening and welcome to your lol242.com Evening News for Saturday, October 31, 2026. At home, rough seas are the weather story this weekend, Rick Fox is in the race to lead the FNM, and the fight over what the King's visit cost is heating up. In Haiti, Salvadoran troops are now patrolling the capital. Around the world, Iran is warning of a response with "no geographic limits" if it is attacked again, while talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz carry on.

The Bahamas

No tropical storm on the way, but rough seas this weekend

The Bahamas Department of Meteorology says no tropical cyclone activity is expected over the next seven days. A frontal system to the north is driving northeast to east winds of 15 to 20 knots, with seas of 6 to 9 feet in the northern Bahamas tonight through Monday and scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms. The US National Hurricane Center says seas could reach as high as 12 feet north and northeast of The Bahamas early next week. Boaters and swimmers should take care, and conditions are expected to ease by Tuesday.

Rick Fox: I'm running for FNM leadership

Former NBA champion and Senator Rick Fox has become the first Free National Movement figure to declare that he will run for the party's leadership. His announcement follows the FNM's closed-door conclave on its second straight election defeat.

Sands blasts Davis over the cost of the royal visit

FNM chairman Dr Duane Sands has accused Prime Minister Philip "Brave" Davis of acting as though he is above answering for public money, after the Prime Minister brushed off reporters who asked how much King Charles III's visit cost taxpayers. The King left The Bahamas on Thursday, and Buckingham Palace called the three-day visit a "strong diplomatic success". UK-backed charities and investors have committed $2 million to young Bahamians following the visit.

Jitney fare fight with the government

Jitney operators pulled their buses off the road in New Providence this week, leaving commuters stranded, as they pushed for a higher adult fare to cover soaring diesel costs. They warned of further action if Friday's meeting with the Minister of Transport failed to resolve their concerns.

Central Bank: Sand Dollar under 1 percent, mortgages tighter

Central Bank Governor John Rolle said the Sand Dollar digital currency is still used in less than 1 percent of retail transactions, despite between 120,000 and 130,000 digital wallets. Separately, a banker warned that mortgage lending is "on life support", with fewer than half of new home loan applications approved in the first half of 2026.

First seniors-only rental complex in 40 years

Social Services Minister Barbara Cartwright told the Senate the government is building its first rental complex just for seniors in four decades, and is weighing a residence for up to 70 older people who can no longer live on their own.

Harbour Island school grieves Jayden Ferguson

The Ministry of Education has begun grief counselling for students and staff at Harbour Island All Age School after the drowning of 15-year-old student Jayden Ferguson, who disappeared in rough seas off Pink Sands Beach.

Coming up

Western Air plans to resume flights to North Eleuthera on November 2, and National Sports Month in Grand Bahama begins on November 1.

Haiti and the Caribbean

Salvadoran troops patrol Port-au-Prince

Salvadoran soldiers carried out their first patrols in Port-au-Prince on October 30, driving through Tabarre and Clercine in trucks and armoured vehicles with helicopter cover, EFE reported. El Salvador says it has more than 2,000 troops in Haiti. The patrols are part of the search for four Salvadoran aviation technicians missing since an ambush on October 18. Haitian media report that the United States, Colombia and the Dominican Republic are giving logistical support to the deployment.

600 tonnes of equipment for the Gang Suppression Force

US Assistant Secretary of State Juan Pablo Segura announced that more than 600 tonnes of priority equipment was airlifted from Bangladesh for the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force, and thanked Germany for helping with the logistics. The force is authorised for up to 5,550 members but had 1,563 on October 12.

Police report alleged gang leader "Galaxie" killed

Haiti's National Police say an alleged gang leader known as "Galaxie" was killed in an operation in Bercy, between Cabaret and Arcahaie, on October 29. Local media reported between 10 and 20 alleged gang members killed, but there is no official count yet.

New election dates, and candidates step forward

Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council has set the first round of general elections for July 18, 2027, with a second round on October 4, 2027. Former deputy Gary Bodeau has filed his candidacy for president, saying the transition has lasted too long.

The Wider World

Iran warns of response with "no geographic limits"

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned the United States and Israel against restarting the war, saying any attack would face an immediate response without geographic limits, according to the official IRNA news agency. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said no decision has been made on whether to resume military action. President Donald Trump said on Friday the war is "going to end soon". The National reports that the Israeli army is updating its list of targets ahead of possible new strikes. These are claims and warnings from each side, and no new strikes had been confirmed.

Talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a new proposal reached with mediators could fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days, and an Iranian team is in Qatar for talks. Tehran says it does not plan to meet US officials directly. Meanwhile, the UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre says there were just over 30 attacks on ships in and around the strait in October, the most of any month in the war. Iran also claims another tanker hit a mine and caught fire, which could not be independently verified.

Erdogan urges end to Black Sea attacks

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Russia and Ukraine to stop targeting civilian ships in the Black Sea, as he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed in Istanbul to work on a new grain corridor. Rubio said there is growing international interest in a limited Black Sea ceasefire. The United States has also approved a $2.1 billion sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine, funded by partners and allies.

Yemen and the West Bank

Houthi missiles struck near the presidential palace in Aden, a Yemeni security official told Xinhua, and Saudi air defences intercepted a Houthi drone over Riyadh, according to The National. In the occupied West Bank, Israel's operation in Hebron entered its eighth day, displacing thousands of Palestinians, Anadolu reported.

Around the world

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reached 10,274 confirmed cases and 4,992 deaths as of October 28, according to the country's public health institute.