Dame Cynthia Pratt launches the Governor General’s Second Annual Boys’ Retreat: Fostering a culture of leadership among young men, Governor General, HE Dame Cynthia Pratt officially opened the Governor General’s Second Annual ‘Boys’ Retreat,’ 19 February 2026 in the Ballroom of Government House, attended by school-aged boys of New Providence, Grand Bahama and the Family Islands. Our photo of the week.
The following was published by the Bahamas Information Services. It is not our practice to comment on faith and morals. Life is what it is. We congratulate the University of The Bahamas for undertaking this study– Editor
Nassau, THE BAHAMAS — A controversial practice that has long occupied a prominent and visible space in the Bahamian society for generations, sweethearting, is the latest subject of empirical, scholarly research published by University of The Bahamas (UB).
UB’s open-access journal, the International Journal of Bahamian Studies (IJBS), has released a “special” edition of its 31st volume on the phenomenon of having more than one sexual partner at a time, commonly called sweethearting. It contains seven scholarly research articles which address a range of topics including a description of this practice, and how factors like adult aggression, emotional dependency, and sexual promiscuity come into play. There is also a personal account through the eyes of an adult considered by Bahamian society as an “inside” child. The authors gave highlights of their research during a lecture held at UB’s Harry C. Moore Library and Information Centre on Tuesday 17th February.
“We have a lot of gossip, hearsay, guesswork in our society, but we don’t have a lot of rigorous empirical studies based on real research that involved interviewing people, statistical studies,” noted IJBS Managing Editor, Dr. Raymond Oenbring. “So that’s an important part of the journal and publications like this, is that it provides some data to support that.”
The IJBS’ editorial also explained that traditional words associated with intimate partnerships in The Bahamas need to be reconsidered and augmented to reflect prevailing sexual relationships, irrespective of sexual orientation. The point was made that it must reflect current sexual norms, and the attitudes of residents, rather than those who represent secular or sacred authorities.
UB scholar Mr. William Fielding, who, along with Dr. Terry Campbell, Head of UB’s Nursing Department, and Dr. Shamel Yvonne Rolle-Sands, Director, Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) Academy, conducted several studies on sweethearting, namely, “A Description of Sweethearting in The Bahamas”; “Emotional Dependency and Sweethearting in The Bahamas (I): Marital Infidelity”; and “Emotional Dependency and Sweethearting in The Bahamas (II): Sexual Promiscuity among Unmarried Persons”. Mr. Fielding also teamed up with Dr. Theresa Moxey-Adderley to conduct research on the topic, “A Description of Intimate Partnerships in The Bahamas and Their Association with Adult Aggression and Other Experiences”.
“What we’re trying to do is to go a little bit deeper and look at effects, consequences, causes, associations that people may not see,” said Mr. Fielding. “Once we get a better understanding as to what is going on and how the mechanisms work, then we can start to get a move away from just the subjective, emotional chatter that we have on the veranda, if you like, and just be a little bit more objective as to how we discuss this important subject.”
Dr. Rolle-Sands, highlighted the potential impact the studies can have on mitigating toxic relationships and ultimately domestic violence incidents like “crimes of passion”.
“Understanding the emotional drivers behind sweethearting can help us to move from judgment, because oftentimes we think of it only from a moral perspective,” said Dr. Rolle-Sands. “So, we need now to move from judgment of morality toward prevention and support. By addressing underlying emotional needs, we can promote healthier relationships, safer families, stronger communities, and by extension, a stronger Bahamas.”
UB Associate Professor Dr. Niambi Hall Campbell-Dean and UB alumna, Kendria Culmer, collaborated to produce the research, “Sweethearting in The Bahamas: Malfeasance or Misorientation?” The study provides a descriptive frame of the persistent issue of marital infidelity or sweethearting in The Bahamas, and the cultural value placed on the extramarital relationship.
UB Professor Dr. Marie Sairsingh, and UB English major, Rashay Forbes, collaborated to produce the research article, “Feminist Modes of Resistance within the Dynamics of Sweethearting in Jeanne Thompson’s Father’s Day”, which examines the topic of sweethearting as depicted by former judge and playwright, Jeanne Thompson.
The journal’s new issue also has an auto-ethnography of sweethearting, by an anonymous author, which explores the phenomenon through the eyes of an “inside child” whose parents committed adultery. The account provides a unique perspective from which others can reassess their understanding of infidelity in marriage and deepen their awareness of the outcomes associated with infidelity.
“The emotional side of sweethearting may be something that people overlook,” noted Mr. Fielding. “They may think about the financial side, they may think of the physical side, but there’s something deeper going on there. And, so, it enables us to go a little bit deeper and seeing what may be the consequences to the nation of this. Not necessarily in a negative way, but in the sense of ignoring it, and in accepting it, what is it that we are accepting?”
As UB advance new knowledge for national development, this research work peels back the layers of a practice that has long impacted the Bahamian society, while also bringing objective scholarly perspectives for a broad-based understanding of the factors, motivations, and impacts.
The latest edition of the IJBS is accessible on the UB website. Click here to read it: https://journals.sfu.ca/cob/index.php/files/index
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Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 21 February 2026 up to midnight: 991,037;
Number of hits for the month of February up to Saturday 21 February 2026 up to midnight: 2,927,231;
Number of hits for the year 2026 up to Saturday 21 February 2026 up to midnight: 7,119,223;
With a general election almost certainly within twelve weeks, the candidates are out in the field for both parties. The candidates this time can tell you that these elections are not about philosophy but are purely transactional. Voters are shameless. They are explicit. We have five votes in this house and we want our fence fixed, we want our roof fixed, we want, we want. It is as simple as that. There is no philosophical or ideological grounding. So it means this is a pure money general election. What a shame. All that stuff about fighting for equality, for the public good out the window for what appears to be shameless prostitution. The question is what has led to this. There is a deep seated poverty in the country. People cannot take care of their basic expenses. They cannot bury their dead. They cannot deal with any emergency expense. They have no savings. Their pensions and salaries are inadequate. This makes the society vulnerable. The interesting thing is voters don’t care what this means to their reputations. They just want.
Energy Minister JoBeth Coleby Davis with a simple and truthful explanation
According to the Nassau Guardian, the Prime Minister misled the country when he said that all the documents connected with the reforms of the energy sector had been tabled in the public domain. This brought huge headlines. Another gotcha moment by the vixen from hell over at the Guardian. Turns out that the explanation was quite simple. The Prime Minister had instructed it to be done. The Energy Ministry did not do it. The Minister explained that fact and with that placed all the documents in the public domain. Simple and straightforward. But the Nassau Guardian’s editors cannot resist a conspiracy theory or a gotcha moment.
Bahamian NBA player DeAndre Ayton was reportedly arrested at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) around noon on 17 February 2026. The Nassau Guardian understood that Mr. Ayton and another person he was traveling with were questioned and later released, The Guardian was told. Police have not yet released any details. Mr. Ayton was set to travel to California. The whole thing seems a bit stupid and mysterious.
When a new Ambassador comes to The Bahamas, the first few weeks that they are here are spent going from Minister to Minister to introduce themselves to the country and its officials So last week there was a picture of the Minister of Economic Affairs Michael Halkitis meeting the new Ambassador from the United States Hershel Walker with Mr. Halkitis’ Permanent Secretary Janice Miller and Parliamentary Secretary Wade Watson. The Ambassador has been busy though with other things. It appears that he is drawing a line for the geopolitical fight in The Bahamas against China. This forced a response by the Chinese that his comments about the loan from the Chinese for the hospital were misplaced. The Chinese said that they have no hegemonic designs on The Bahamas. It was a simple commercial transaction, that of the loan to build a hospital. Then Bahamians were shocked that their government had agreed to a Space X landing in he country again, claiming no environmental affects but likely as a result of United States pressure to do so. The sonic booms resounded over the country on Thursday evening 19 February 2026, startling the residents and raising objections and safety concerns and just annoyance at the nuisance.
Here we go again. The President of the United Sates is again proposing to start a war in the Middle East that will have disastrous consequences for the small states of the world. There is no restraint in this bellicose and irresponsible conduct. There is now a buildup of war machines near Iran and the proposal is that if Iran does not give up nuclear energy all together, the United States plans to bomb and kill the people and government of Iran.
The Chair in Office of CARICOM Dr. Terrance Drew of St Kitts and Nevis visited The Bahamas on Wednesday 18 February 2026. He will chair the Heads of Government meeting of the community next week from 24 to 26 February 2026. The visit to The Bahamas was part of a multi nation tour of the CARICOM region to brief heads on the proposals for the meetings. Prime Minister Philip Davis will lead the delegation for The Bahamas accompanied by the Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell. The meeting is expected to discuss Trinidad and Tobago’s behaviour and pronouncements about CARICOM, the United States and its relationship and the fact that there has been a disruption in the peace and security of the region as a result of the United States’ policies particularly as it relates to Venezuela and Cuba.
Minister of Health Michael Darville told the country that the plans for the new hospital at Perpall Tract are moving ahead, despite the pushback from the FNM and from the United States. We support the project and it should proceed. However we point out that we are perilously close to a general election and what we know is when Hubert Ingraham unexpectedly won the election of 2007, the Straw Market in Nassau had just been started. He canceled the project and it resulted in huge losses for many business people that were never recovered. So let us hope that this is not déjà vu all over again.
The British have really put their knickers in a twist over this situation with the man they now call Andrew Windsor Mountbatten formerly Prince Andrew, who is eighth in line to the throne of the United Kingdom and The Bahamas. There is a man Jeffery Epstein who was a convicted pedophile, now deceased, but a friend to these rich and famous who is connected to all these folks and there has been one resignation after the next as a result of their associations with Mr. Epstein. The President of the United States Donald Trump is caught up in the scandals as well but no one will touch him. He says he has completely been exonerated. So the British have now stripped the former Prince of his titles and ranks and uniforms. Now they say they want to remove him from the point in the line of succession. The staff of the Prime Minister of Britain had resigned because they advised the Prime Minister to appoint a man who was a friend of Mr. Epstein. It just seems so so stupid, excessive, over the top and foolish and nothing to do with the starving peasants in Haiti. Who can understand countries like this? The United States that allows a President who is a convicted felon to do whatever he likes and the British that fall on their swords on irrelevancies from a decade or more ago. Life is interesting.
From Facebook:
The Bahamas hosted the meeting with the Associate Member states of Caricom: Bermuda, Curacao, Turks and Caicos, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands in a virtual meeting to discuss the upcoming Heads of Government meeting in St Kitts and Nevis of Caricom. We were joined by Barbados.
Fred Mitchell MP
Fox Hill
20 February 2026
From Facebook:
The Parliamentary Commission met this morning. Its the body responsibile for the management of the Parliament. It is bipartisan and is Chaired by the Speaker of the House.
Fred Mitchell MP
Fox Hill
19 February 2026
From Facebook:
At Highway Church of God in the Grove at their 61st annual convention hosted by Bishop Densil Rolle.
Fred Mitchell MP
Fox Hill
18 February 2026
From Facebook:
At the official dinner for visiting Prime Minister Terrance Drew of St Kitts and Nevis at Graycliff with Prime Minister Philip Davis.
Fred Mitchell MP
Fox Hill
18 February 2026
From Facebook:
Supporting the International School of Technology and Entrepreneurship. Excellent stuff. Rawson Square.
Fred Mitchell MP
Fox Hill
18 February 2026
From Facebook:
Remember man that thou art dust and unto dust thou shalt return…imposition of ashes on Wednesday 18 February 2026 St Agnes Church in Nassau.
Fred Mitchell MP
Fox Hill
From Facebook:
Getting ready for the big dance at Bahamar for the official candidates launch: Prime Minister Philip Davis with Secretary General Barbara Cartwright and Transport Minister JoBeth Coleby Davis..
Fred Mitchell MP
Fox Hill
16 February 2026
From Facebook:
We enjoyed our experience as a branch of the PLP Fox Hill as we visited the Faith Mission Church of God in Fox Hill where Rev Sherelle Saunders is the pastor.
Fred Mitchell MP
Fox Hill
15 February 2026
Bahamas Uncensored is proud to announce that we will have two new weekly columnists, Felix Sands and Abigail Cartwright, one from Freeport and the other from Long Island.
WE MUST BUILD THE HOSPITAL
Photo of PMH side entrance.
The Bahamas General Hospital, a public facility, was built in 1952. The hospital’s name was changed in 1955 to coincide with the visit of Princess Margaret. The hospital was built to accomdate the population of the Bahamas which ranged from 84,000 to 86,000. Life expectancy, at the time, was between 60 to 64 years. Over the years, the hospital added different wards, and it still finds itself inadequate to decently house the existing population.
The Davis Administration has embarked on an audacious plan to build a new hospital in New Providence; and, a second hospital in Grand Bahama. This should have been done decades ago.
The Chairman of the Official Opposition, FNM, Dr. Duane Sands was quoted in a TV news interview at government house as saying “building the hospital was a dumb idea”. I, respectfully, disagree. Dr. Sands is wrong because the population has grown exponentially. He is wrong because people are living longer. He is wrong because we, as a country, are simply out of space.
Dr. Sands, the Bahamian family, all 400,000 of us are the most precious commodity our country has; people should always be more important than profit.
Prime Minister Davis do not blink, you are like Nehemiah of old; you have a great work to do, and a wall to build around this country. “Press On!” People are and must always be more important than things. Press On”!.
The art of Politics and Government is made better when surrounded by wise council. Dr. Sands, your assertion was simply misguided.
Felix A Sands
by Abigail Cartwright
The Way I See it – Part 1
By Abigail Cartwright
The Bahamas stands once again at the threshold of a general election. This election is not simply
about party colors or personalities. It is about leadership in an increasingly volatile world.
For Bahamians, the choice before us is not an emotional one. It must be an analytical one. Small
developing states like ours do not have the luxury to experiment with politics or leadership.
Regional instability, global economic shifts, trade wars, illegal immigration, maritime security
threats, climate vulnerability, and transnational crime all press against our borders. Tourism,
financial services, and investment confidence depend on steady hands and credibility. The next
five years will demand experience, discipline, and proven competence.
This election ultimately hinges on one central question: Who is most qualified to lead The
Bahamas through complexities and uncertainties?
Mr. Pintard, for all his eloquence and public presence, has built his brand on obsessive
opposition to everything the PLP does coupled with allegations of corruption, rather than
articulating a clear vision. His political posture has consistently been on the wrong side of
significant national issues—opposing increases in the minimum wage, resisting accountability
from the Grand Bahama Port Authority, criticizing energy reforms, and questioning social
programs such as the school breakfast program. Yet, beyond criticism, where is his party’s
roadmap for the future?
Leadership is not a performance. It is negotiation, diplomacy, and measurable achievement.
When he had the opportunity, Mr. Pintard did not negotiate any international deals,
transformative legislation, or diplomatic wins that can inspire any semblance of confidence in
him. Internal party fractures which sidelined long-time supporters, two by-election loses, and the
absence of a clearly articulated national strategy raise serious questions about his readiness to
lead our country. In a world defined by geopolitical tension and economic downfalls, The
Bahamas cannot afford leadership that is incompetent, unprepared, and fragmented.
On another front stands Lincoln Bain, whose rhetoric resonates, but his political theatre thrives
on outrage—allegations of corruption, alarmist narratives about sovereignty, and emotionally
charged messaging around immigration. Governance requires more than protest, name-calling,
defiance, and grandstanding. It demands discipline, an understanding of the way the government
works, economic literacy, and a sound concept of how policies are made.
In contrast, Prime Minister Philip Davis inherited a nation in crisis in September 2021. Tourism
was crippled by a global pandemic. Businesses were closing. Education was disrupted.
Government revenues were strained. Confidence—both domestic and international—was fragile.
Measured against that backdrop, his record speaks clearly.
The tourism numbers are increasing, restoring employment and foreign exchange. Infrastructure
upgrades are seen across the Family Islands—airports, clinics, roads—are revitalizing
communities long overlooked. The minimum wage increased from $210 to $260, offering
economic relief to working families. VAT reductions on essential food items are designed to
ease the cost-of-living burden. Major investments (in the billions) have been secured, which will
inject capital into the economy. Ground has been broken for critical projects in Grand Bahama,
including a new healthcare facility and an airport. Apprenticeship programs and expansion at
BTVI are strengthening workforce readiness. On the global stage, The Bahamas has become a
credible voice in climate negotiations and renewable energy discussions—issues that directly
affect our survival as a small developing nation.
Is the work complete? No. Violent crime remains a pressing concern. Escalating inflation and
worsening affordability are placing severe financial strain on households and demand immediate,
decisive solutions from the government. We are in a healthcare emergency, one that can
destabilize other critical sectors. Yet what distinguishes effective leadership is not the denial of
problems but the capacity to acknowledge them and confront them.
Prime Minister Davis has demonstrated sober, steady governance, and steadiness inspires the
confidence of investors and citizen alike.
Elections are not referendums on perfection. They are choices about foresight and progression.
The Bahamas today is not on its knees; it is rebuilding, recalibrating, and advancing. Momentum
exists. Infrastructure is expanding. Social protections are strengthening. International credibility
is intact.
The way I see it is that The Bahamas needs steady hands, diplomatic maturity, competent
leadership, and strategic foresight. It needs leadership that has been tested by crisis and marked
by progress.
It needs Philip ‘Brave’ Davis.