Bahamas News Today: Monday, November 2, 2026

lol242.com Bahamas News Today · Monday, November 2, 2026

By Michael Elijah Muhammad Clare

Here is your Bahamas News Today for Monday, November 2, 2026. The Defence Force is searching the waters southeast of Nassau for a small plane that went missing after leaving Exuma on Sunday with one person on board. On the same day, a private jet flying from Texas to North Eleuthera crashed in Florida, killing all nine people on board. A near gale warning is up for the northern islands, Prime Minister Philip Davis is at the Commonwealth summit in Antigua, and the public can now have its say on the future of Grand Bahama.

The Bahamas

Search under way for missing plane that left Exuma for Nassau

A search is under way for a small plane that went missing on Sunday, November 1, after taking off from Exuma International Airport for Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau with one person on board. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) said the aircraft, a Piper PA-32 with Bahamas registration C6-PAT, lost radar contact with Nassau Air Traffic Control over the water about 30 miles southeast of the Nassau airport.

The pilot had been talking with Nassau Air Traffic Control before the plane disappeared from radar. Controllers then activated emergency procedures and alerted the relevant agencies, including the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, which sent a vessel to the plane’s last known position, the AAIA said. The pilot is believed to be a Bahamian man.

Acting Prime Minister Chester Cooper, the Member of Parliament for Exuma and Ragged Island, said he was following the reports. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones during this time,” he said, adding that he was praying for the pilot’s safe return and for the safety of everyone taking part in the search.

Small planes are a lifeline between Exuma, the other Family Islands and Nassau, carrying residents, workers, patients and visitors every day. The AAIA has not given a cause and said it will share updates as it gathers information. lol242 had not seen a further official update when this post was published, and we will follow the story.

Bahamas-bound jet crashes in Florida, killing all nine on board

A private Learjet 60 flying from Austin, Texas, to North Eleuthera Airport crashed onto a busy road near the Cresthaven neighbourhood of Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday, November 1. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said all nine people on board died. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said there were no reports of anyone on the ground being killed or hurt, and about 600 nearby residents were evacuated.

In air traffic control audio, a member of the crew reported moderate turbulence and ice, said the jet was picking up precipitation and asked to climb. Moments later the crew declared a mayday, reported an overspeed condition and said the plane was descending at 20,000 feet per minute. The US National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation with the Federal Aviation Administration, and no cause has been determined.

The names of the people on board had not been released. The flight was headed for North Eleuthera, the gateway to Harbour Island and northern Eleuthera, and our thoughts are with the families and with everyone in Eleuthera who was waiting for them.

Near gale warning for the northern islands; no tropical storm on the way

The Bahamas Department of Meteorology has a near gale warning in effect for the Northern and Northwest Bahamas, with winds of 28 to 33 knots possible. Boaters, especially small craft operators, are advised to stay in port, and swimmers are strongly advised to stay out of the water. There is a high risk of dangerous rip currents along the northern, eastern and Atlantic coasts of the Northern, Northwest and Central Bahamas.

Forecasters also see a slight to moderate risk of flooding in low-lying areas of the Northern and Northwest Bahamas from heavy showers, a risk of coastal and tidal flooding near the end of the king-tide period, and a chance of a few strong to severe thunderstorms that could bring lightning, gusty winds, downpours and waterspouts. Conditions should improve slightly on Tuesday, while showers and thunderstorms are more likely in the Central and Southeast Bahamas from late Tuesday into Wednesday. Drier, fairer weather is expected from Thursday into the weekend.

There is no tropical storm headed for The Bahamas. The Department of Meteorology says no tropical cyclone activity is expected in the next seven days. The US National Hurricane Center is watching an area where low pressure is likely to form a few hundred miles northeast of The Bahamas in a couple of days. It could take on some subtropical characteristics late this week, but the Center gives it only a low chance of development (20 percent over seven days), and it is expected to move away to the east or northeast by the weekend.

PM Davis leads Bahamas delegation at Commonwealth summit in Antigua

Prime Minister Philip Davis is leading The Bahamas’ delegation at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which opened on Sunday, November 1, in St John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, and runs until Wednesday, November 4. Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister Fred Mitchell is part of the delegation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said The Bahamas’ agenda includes trade between Commonwealth countries, debt relief, poverty alleviation, climate change and the international order.

On Sunday, Mr Davis and Mr Mitchell attended morning worship at the Cathedral of St John the Divine in St John’s with other members of the Bahamian team, including Senators Kevin Simmons and Robyn Lynes, High Commissioner-designate for London Danny Johnson, Foreign Service Officer Karen Symonette and Consul General Alveta Knight.

Bahamians are also helping to keep the summit safe. A team of Royal Bahamas Defence Force special operations officers, including snipers and divers, left for Antigua and Barbuda last week to support security for visiting leaders and venues. National Security Minister Myles Laroda said the deployment was at the request of the Government of Antigua and Barbuda.

Ahead of the summit, the Government welcomed the United Kingdom’s openness to dialogue on an apology for slavery. In a statement, Mr Davis said The Bahamas looks to CHOGM 2026 as a further chance to advance the Commonwealth’s conversation on reparatory justice, and recalled that Long Cay and Crooked Island were part of the cotton economy that supplied British mills during slavery.

Have your say: public consultation on Grand Bahama’s future is now open

The Government has opened public consultation on its Green Paper, “Grand Bahama: A Framework for Stability and Growth”. The consultation runs from November 1, 2026, to April 30, 2027. Residents, businesses, community groups and other stakeholders are invited to read the paper at gbframework.com and answer its 25 consultation questions, and public meetings will be held in Freeport, East Grand Bahama and West Grand Bahama.

The Green Paper proposes three connected reforms: a Grand Bahama Development Council to coordinate an island-wide development strategy, a structured review of the 1955 Hawksbill Creek Agreement leading to a successor framework, and a Grand Bahama Development Act that would include investment concessions across the island. The Government says publishing the paper does not change anyone’s legal rights and that existing rights will be respected.

After the consultation, the Government is aiming to publish a White Paper on July 1, 2027, with legislation targeted for passage in the first quarter of 2028. For background on what the Prime Minister announced in Freeport, see our October 22 briefing on the Grand Bahama plan. For Grand Bahamians, this is the chance to shape how the island is run for the next generation.

Senate debates bill to protect older Bahamians; first seniors-only complex in 40 years

The Government is building its first rental complex just for senior citizens in four decades, on Iris Court, Lifebuoy Street, and is considering a residence for up to 70 older people who can no longer live on their own, Social Services Minister Barbara Cartwright told the Senate. No timeline has been given for the residence.

Ms Cartwright made the announcement as senators debated the Older Persons Rights, Protection, Care and Support Bill, 2026, which passed the House of Assembly earlier in October. The bill protects people aged 65 and older from physical, sexual, psychological and financial abuse and places legal duties on families and caregivers. Financially exploiting an older person, including misusing their pension or National Insurance benefits, could bring a fine of up to $50,000, five years in prison, or both.

The Opposition supported the bill but warned that legislation alone cannot guarantee dignity for older people. FNM Senator Arinthia Komolafe urged the Government to be deliberate in carrying out the bill and said elder care cannot be discussed without addressing the state of the healthcare system. For families caring for parents and grandparents, the bill sets out clear rights and responsibilities for the first time.

Sports: Drake Knowles keeps his Sunfish crown in Exuma as National Sports Month begins

Bahamian sailor Drake Knowles successfully defended his title at the 2026 Bahamas Sunfish Junior National Championships, held at the Exuma Sailing Club in George Town, Exuma. Sailing for the Mack Knowles Junior Sailing Club, he won all four rounds for a net score of four. Exuma Sailing Club’s Kianno Hutchinson was second and Sonny Ampleman third, both with net scores of 15.

November is National Sports Month. The Ministry of Youth and Sports has launched National Sports Month 2026, with Minister Mario Bowleg reaffirming support for athletes and emerging talent. This year the Ministry is spotlighting Bahamian women in sport, and in Grand Bahama it will honour five women for their work as athletes, coaches and leaders. The Grand Bahama and Abaco programme includes a cheerleading competition, the Conchman Triathlon, a road race, a flag football tournament and free self-defence, learn-to-swim and senior tennis classes.

The Caribbean

Commonwealth summit opens in Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda opened the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting on Sunday, the same day it marked 45 years of independence. It is the smallest country ever to host the summit, which brings together representatives of 56 nations under the theme “Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth”. King Charles III is due to address the formal opening ceremony on Tuesday, November 3.

Reparations hang over the summit

Slavery reparations are not on the official CHOGM agenda, but Caribbean leaders say they will raise them. Former St Vincent and the Grenadines prime minister Ralph Gonsalves, a senior figure in the Repair Campaign, told the Guardian that UK officials had been “vehement” that the issue stay off the agenda, and told the Jamaica Observer that Britain was coming to the table “kicking and screaming”. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has signalled openness to a formal apology but has said reparations are “not the right answer”.

Cuba vote splits CARICOM

The UN General Assembly again voted to call for an end to the US embargo on Cuba, by 130 votes to 17 with 25 abstentions. Trinidad and Tobago was the only CARICOM member to vote against, the first time a CARICOM country has opposed the measure, while Jamaica and Guyana were among those that abstained. In Jamaica, former prime minister PJ Patterson called the abstention an “abominable betrayal”, and Foreign Affairs Minister Kamina Johnson Smith defended it, saying Jamaica still opposes the embargo.

200 Cuban health workers still serving in Jamaica

Jamaica’s Health Minister Christopher Tufton says 200 Cuban doctors, nurses and other health professionals are working in the island’s public health system on individual contracts under Jamaican law. The government-to-government arrangement ended in March after the two sides could not agree on terms such as paying workers directly and letting them keep their own travel documents.

The Wider World

Ukraine: Kherson truce ends as strikes continue

A six-day local ceasefire around Russian-occupied Oleshky in Ukraine’s Kherson region ended on Sunday night with no violations reported. US First Lady Melania Trump, who helped mediate it, said it allowed the evacuation of nearly 800 people. Elsewhere the war went on: President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian strikes on energy sites in four regions left hundreds of thousands of homes without power, while Ukraine resumed drone attacks on Russian oil refineries.

US midterm elections are Tuesday

Americans vote on Tuesday, November 3, in midterm elections for Congress. More than 54 million people had already voted early or by mail. Polls suggest Democrats lead in enough races to take the House of Representatives, while several Senate races are close, and counting in some states could take days. What happens in Washington matters here, from visas to tourism to the cost of sending money home. Catch up with lol242’s US Election Watch.

Gaza: eight killed despite ceasefire

Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least eight people on Sunday, including a four-year-old boy, according to hospitals, despite a ceasefire that has been in place for about a year. Five police officers were killed in a drone strike in al-Mawasi near Khan Younis, and three people died in Gaza City. Israel’s military said it attacked what it described as military operatives.

Binance sees $3.6 billion pulled out after $6.3 billion hack

Customers withdrew a net $3.64 billion from Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, after it reopened on Sunday following a $6.3 billion hack that the FBI has blamed on North Korean hackers. Binance says it has already covered about 95 percent of the stolen assets and will fully cover customer losses.

More from lol242

Missed the end of last week? Read Friday's Bahamas News Today. And for something different tonight, read the latest Bahama Drama Story of the Night.

Sources

Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (via Bahamas Latest); Bahamas Latest; The Gallery; Bahamas Press; BBC News; NBC News; Bahamas Department of Meteorology; US National Hurricane Center; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas; Our News; ZNS Bahamas; Grand Bahama Framework Green Paper (gbframework.com); The Tribune; The Nassau Guardian; The Citizen (Antigua and Barbuda); The Commonwealth Secretariat; The Guardian (UK); Jamaica Observer; Jamaica Gleaner; Trinidad Tribune; Caribbean National Weekly; Al Jazeera; CNBC; RTÉ News; NPR.

Every item in this post was checked against at least two independent reports or an official statement. Times have been left out on purpose.

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