Bahamas Morning Briefing: News Headlines – Wednesday, November 11, 2026

By Michael Elijah Muhammad Clare

Wednesday, November 11, 2026

Good morning, Bahamas. Prime Minister Philip Davis is in Antalya, Türkiye, for the COP31 climate summit, where world leaders take the stage today and tomorrow, while at home the government is working to calm a dispute with US airlines over the fees for flying through Bahamian airspace. Paradise Island is hosting the region’s premier hotel investment conference this week, and the taxi union is backing a ride-hailing app built in The Bahamas. Across the region, the Privy Council has struck down Trinidad and Tobago’s colonial-era laws against consensual same-sex relations. In Washington, House Republicans shelved an impeachment push against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and picked Jim Jordan as their next leader. Overseas, Russia and Ukraine are back at the table in Abu Dhabi for a second day, and Americans mark Veterans Day today. Here is what you need to know.

The Bahamas

PM Davis takes Bahamian climate message to COP31 in Antalya

Prime Minister Philip Davis, Mrs Ann Marie Davis and a Bahamian delegation arrived in Antalya, Türkiye, on November 9 for COP31, the UN climate conference that runs through November 20. Youth climate ambassadors from The Bahamas have joined the Prime Minister at the summit, and he stressed that young people should have a seat in climate discussions. World leaders are scheduled to address the conference on November 11 and 12. Chester Cooper is serving as Acting Prime Minister while Mr Davis is away.

Government says overflight fee talks cover existing charges only

The Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Aviation said on November 9 that the talks it is holding through the Bahamas Air Navigation Services Authority (BANSA) relate only to overflight fees and “do not involve any additional fee.” The ministry said its approach will follow the International Civil Aviation Organization’s policies on charges, which rest on non-discrimination, cost-relatedness, transparency and consultation with users. Separately, the Bahamas Aviation, Climate and Severe Weather Network (BACSWN) called it “manifestly false” that it would charge for services already provided by the US Federal Aviation Administration, a claim made by the US airline lobby group Airlines for America. BACSWN has also said that an earlier $775 figure tied to the proposed new charges no longer applies and that any eventual charge is expected to be considerably lower.

Caribbean hotel investors gather on Paradise Island

The Caribbean Hotel Investment Conference & Operations Summit (CHICOS) is under way at Atlantis Paradise Island from November 10 to 12. The 15th edition returns to the resort where the event began. Organisers expected more than 300 investors, developers, hotel brands, lenders and advisers, with the conference presented in partnership with the Bahamas Investment Authority. Scotiabank is among the sponsors, a sign of the bank’s growing focus on hospitality lending.

Taxi union backs Bahamian-built ride-hailing app

The Bahamas Taxi Cab Union, which turned down a partnership with Uber earlier this year, is now backing Aqua Rides, a ride-booking app built in The Bahamas. Hundreds of union members are partnering with the platform, which is promoted as a way to put more money in drivers’ pockets. The app’s store listing says its drivers are certified taxi and livery drivers approved by the Road Traffic Department.

Productivity task force hands government a five-year plan

The National Productivity Task Force, chaired by Edison Sumner, has submitted a five-year national productivity plan that proposes a permanent Productivity, Innovation and Competitiveness Council. Its five-year targets include about 10,000 new jobs, an extra 2.5 percent a year in contribution to GDP and a 30 percent rise in digital literacy by 2028. Mr Sumner noted that many citizens are “still working at or right above minimum wage.” He said the next steps are “entirely in the government’s hands,” because the council needs approval, legislation and funding.

The Bahamas joins UN outer space committee

The Bahamas has become a member of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. The Vienna-based committee promotes international cooperation in the peaceful use of space and considers the legal questions that space exploration raises. The country’s membership request was pending earlier this year alongside requests from Kyrgyzstan, Serbia and Uganda. The UN’s space office also helps developing countries use space science and technology for development.

Former MP questions government’s surplus figure

Former Free National Movement MP and accountant Reece Chipman is questioning the roughly $40 million surplus the government reported for the 2025/2026 fiscal year, saying, “I definitely question whether or not the surplus is real.” He wants accountants represented on the Fiscal Responsibility Council, a change that would require new legislation. Finance Minister Michael Halkitis rejected suggestions that accountants are being deliberately shut out, and a council member of the accountants’ institute said the body does not share Mr Chipman’s views. The government’s original surplus target for 2025/2026 was $75.5 million, which had been revised down to $32.7 million by the end of June.

Accountants push AI readiness and accrual accounting

The Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants is urging its members to treat artificial intelligence as a tool that improves efficiency rather than a threat to their jobs, and to keep updating their skills. The institute is also pressing the government to adopt accrual-based accounting across the entire public sector. It argues the change would give a clearer picture of the country’s net worth, assets and accumulated liabilities. At the same time, it warns that declining interest in the profession is making recruitment harder.

The Caribbean

Privy Council strikes down Trinidad and Tobago’s anti-gay laws

The Privy Council in London ruled unanimously on November 10 in favour of activist Jason Jones. It found that sections 13 and 16 of Trinidad and Tobago’s Sexual Offences Act, which criminalise consensual same-sex relations between adults, infringe his constitutional rights. The judgment, delivered by Lord Sales and Lord Burrows, held that the provisions are not protected from challenge as pre-independence law and are not reasonably justifiable, and the Board invited further submissions on the exact remedy. Former attorney general Anand Ramlogan, who represented Mr Jones, called the ruling a “landmark victory,” and it is the first time the Privy Council has decided a case on decriminalising consensual same-sex relations.

Antigua says US visa pressure changed its Cuba vote at the UN

Prime Minister Gaston Browne has said Antigua and Barbuda changed its planned position on the annual UN resolution calling for an end to the US embargo on Cuba. He said Washington had warned that supporting the resolution could put at risk ongoing talks over visa restrictions on Antiguan and Barbudan nationals. Mr Browne said his UN ambassador had been instructed to abstain, but the country was ultimately recorded as absent. The General Assembly adopted the resolution on October 28 despite a US lobbying push.

Grenada’s Mitchell begins second term with call for unity

Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell has been sworn in for a second term after his National Democratic Congress won 14 of the 15 seats in the November 5 general election. It is the first time the party has won back-to-back terms since it was founded in 1987. Mr Mitchell urged Grenadians to put aside divisive politics and personal attacks and to embrace unity, accountability and nation-building. The United States has congratulated him on his re-election.

CARICOM pushes climate finance agenda at COP31

Caribbean Community states are working at COP31 in Antalya under a ministerial declaration that breaks with their past caution toward UN carbon markets. The declaration formally recognises the market mechanisms under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement as a way to channel climate finance toward the $300 billion global goal set for 2035. The bloc wants those markets set up in a way that includes small island developing states, and it is pressing for support that reflects their special circumstances. CARICOM heads of government voted in July to form their own negotiating group at UN climate talks while continuing to coordinate within the Alliance of Small Island States.

Reggae Boyz prepare for Mexico in Nations League quarterfinal

Jamaica hosts Mexico at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday, November 14, in the first leg of their Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal, with the return leg in Monterrey on November 17. Interim head coach Rudolph Speid has named a 23-man squad for the two-legged tie. The winner earns an automatic place at the 2027 Concacaf Gold Cup, while the loser must go through qualifying.

The United States

House Republicans shelve Hegseth impeachment push

The House voted 211-204 on November 10 to send Republican Rep. Thomas Massie’s eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to committee. The vote effectively ends the effort before the current Congress expires. The articles accused Hegseth of high crimes and misdemeanors, including waging war against Iran in violation of the War Powers Resolution. Massie, who lost his primary in May, was the only Republican to vote with Democrats, and Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, expected to become Speaker in January, said, “This is not the end.”

Jim Jordan to lead House Republicans in the minority

House Republicans on November 10 elected Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio as their leader for the next Congress, defeating Majority Leader Steve Scalise 106-73 in a secret ballot. The vote follows the party’s loss of more than 40 House seats in last week’s midterms and Speaker Mike Johnson’s decision to step aside. Tom Emmer of Minnesota kept his post as whip. In the Senate, Republicans are keeping John Thune as their leader as they prepare to move into the minority in January.

Mississippi Senate race still too close to call

As of November 9, Democrat Scott Colom led Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith by 2,574 votes in the unofficial count, and the race had not been called. November 10 was the last day for absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day to arrive and for voters to resolve problems with affidavit ballots. Counties must certify their results by November 13. Mississippi has no automatic recount, so a recount would need a court order, and a Colom win would make him the state’s first Black US senator since Reconstruction.

Trump revives fraud claims as Stephen Miller takes over as chief of staff

President Donald Trump revived election fraud claims on November 9 without offering evidence, reversing his earlier acceptance of the midterm results, and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called it a return to election denial. The same day, Stephen Miller started as White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles, who is moving to Trump’s political operation. Miller has been the architect of the administration’s hardline immigration policies and is expected to take a confrontational approach to the incoming Democratic Congress.

Washington signals no new major combat in Iran

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on November 10 that he sees “no need” for major US combat operations against Iran, as President Trump said he would hold off on new strikes “for the time being.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insisted the war has been a “victory” and declared, “We control the Strait of Hormuz.” After more than eight months of war, Iran still has not agreed to renewed monitoring of its nuclear program or to the removal of its highly enriched uranium as part of any peace deal.

Around the World

Russia and Ukraine return to US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi

Russian and Ukrainian delegations held nearly four hours of US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi on November 10, their first such meeting in nine months, and they return to the table today. Rubio, speaking at a G7 meeting in Paris, called the session “very productive,” while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described it as “constructive and quite substantive.” Zelenskyy said the talks focused on prisoner exchanges, the return of captured civilians and children, and security guarantees, and reports citing sources said the two sides agreed on a prisoner swap of at least 1,000 for 1,000. Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky leads Russia’s team and intelligence chief Rustem Umerov leads Ukraine’s.

Iran says Hormuz stays shut as tanker attacks mount

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said three oil tankers caught fire on November 10 after hitting naval mines on an “unauthorised route” in the Strait of Hormuz. Senior Iranian official Mohsen Rezaei denied that any talks with Washington are under way and said the strait will stay closed until the United States meets Tehran’s conditions. Tehran has said the waterway could reopen within two days if those demands are met. Maritime monitoring firms have counted at least 37 attacks on ships in and near the strait this month, the highest monthly total since the war began.

COP31 world leaders’ summit opens in Antalya

Heads of state and government address the UN climate conference in Antalya, Türkiye, today and tomorrow. COP31 opened on November 9 with UN Secretary-General António Guterres urging leaders to “get serious” about the climate crisis. The opening was delayed by a dispute over developing nations’ demands to put climate finance on the official agenda, and the US government has sent no officials after President Trump pulled the country out of the Paris Agreement. Governments are also signing a voluntary declaration that aims to double the number of homes with rooftop solar to 300 million by 2030.

G7 foreign ministers wrap Paris talks on Ukraine, Iran and AI

Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven ended two days of talks in Paris on November 10. European ministers pressed Washington to seek a fair settlement for Ukraine and to hold back from further military action against Iran. The meeting was moved at short notice from Marseille on security grounds after weeks of protests in France, and it also took up the security risks of artificial intelligence. Allies were also weighing whether last week’s US midterm results will change the Trump administration’s foreign policy.

Israel’s new Knesset sworn in as Eisenkot’s bloc moves to take control

Israel’s 26th Knesset was sworn in on November 10, two weeks after an election that left neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc nor his opponents with a 61-seat majority. Gadi Eisenkot, who received the mandate to form a government on November 8, pledged to reverse many of Netanyahu’s policies. A majority of lawmakers signed his bloc’s motion to replace the Likud Knesset speaker, and a vote is set for November 17. Netanyahu has renewed his call for a unity government under his leadership, but Eisenkot called the Prime Minister’s speech at the ceremony “divisive” and “shameful.”