07232025 BUSINESS by tribune242

Atlantis conﬁrms ‘temporary closure’ for its Coral Towers

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

ATLANTIS last night conﬁrmed its Coral Towers complex will “temporarily close” after August 17 for what union leaders suggested will be an eight-week period due to a “signiﬁcant dropoff” in bookings.

Vaughn Roberts, the Paradise Island mega resort’s executive vice-president of administration and strategic initiatives, in an e-mail response to Tribune Business inquiries conﬁrmed the move although he provided few other

‘Ahead of ourselves’ by up to 10% if Q4 repeat

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor

BAHAMIAN auto deal-

ers are optimistic new vehicle sales can beat 2024’s banner total by 5-10 percent if they enjoy a repeat of last year’s fourth quarter, asserting: “Then we’ll really be ahead of ourselves.”

Ben Albury, the Bahamas Motor Dealers Association’s (BMDA) president, told Tribune Business he was “pleasantly surprised” that industry-wide sales had kept pace with 2024’s strong performance for the ﬁve months through to endMay 2025.

Voicing conﬁdence that the sector will “match or surpass” last year’s tally, he added that the fourth quarter had been the strongest three-month period for 2024 and any repeat will likely take BMDA members collectively beyond last year’s total.

With June and 2025 halfyear ﬁgures still awaited, Ben Albury told this newspaper that his dealership, Bahamas Bus and Truck, had been able to largely hold new vehicle prices to consumers despite having to contend with “chaotic” volatility in shipping costs and price increases from some manufacturers.

And Fred Albury, the Auto Mall principal who is namesake, asserted that the Bahamian auto market is “a bit more diluted” due to the increased competition provided by new market entrants such as EV Motors, Sebas Bastian’s electric vehicle dealership, and an inﬂux of Chinesemade autos in general.

However, he disclosed that Auto Mall, the dealer for the Toyota, Hyundai and BMW brands, is “holding to the forecast” provided to suppliers in its “annual plan” on anticipated vehicle sales. And, echoing Ben Albury, he added that “unless tourism takes a nosedive” the Bahamian auto industry remains poised to enjoy a fourth

Ex-husband ‘saddled’ over mismanaged deli

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor

AN ex-husband has been “saddled” with the family business’s entire $100,000 debt, and ordered by the Court of Appeal, to pay his former wife a combined $221,406, for “mismanaging” its ﬁnancial affairs.

Appeal Justice Gregory Smith, in a unanimous verdict, upheld the Supreme Court’s original ruling that Ernest Williams must pay his now-former wife, Ingrid, $77,0062 representing 50 percent of the funds taken out of their business, Sunshine Deli, to pay his personal expenses.

The eatery business closed in early 2021 after it was unable to overcome the hardship inﬂicted by the COVID-19 pandemic. And Mr Williams was also ordered to pay his expartner a further $141,344, which represented onethird of the monies taken out of Sunshine Deli by himself that were “not accounted for by him”.

The only variation made by the Court of Appeal was to lower the latter sum by $50,000 from the original $191,344, as it found that the latter ﬁgure contained “an element of double compensation” - namely the former wife’s 50 percent share of the company’s total $100,000 debt - which the Supreme Court had already ordered Mr Williams to assume full liability for repaying.

The Court of Appeal, in its verdict, said the Supreme Court felt “compelled to depart from the yardstick of equal sharing” - namely that assets and liabilities built-up in a long marriage be split equally 50/50 between spouses“because of the husband’s deliberate mismanagement of business funds and his egregious failure to disclose proper ﬁnancial records with respect to the business”.

Former Supreme Court justice, Diane Stewart, had ordered the couple to each conduct their own 90-day

details while suggesting it was consistent with actions taken in prior years during the slower part of the tourism calendar.

“Yes, the Coral Towers will temporarily close after August 17,” Mr Roberts said. “This is not unusual at all. For the past 20 years Atlantis has used this shoulder season to reduce some operations. This year, we will also ﬁnish some plumbing repairs which were suspended earlier due to high occupancies.”

His reply came after Darrin Woods, the Bahamas Hotel, Catering and Allied Workers Union (BHCAWU) president,

disclosed to this newspaper that the union is “putting all the checks and balances in place” to “mitigate” any loss of income and ﬁnancial fall-out that its members may suffer at a time when they will incur extra Back-to-Schoolrelated expenses.

While Mr Woods said it is unclear how many Atlantis workers may be impacted, it appears likely that several hundred at the very least will be affected. The union chief, conﬁrming that the BHCAWU had already been notiﬁed by the mega resort of its plans,

No automatic termination for Grand Lucayan’s staff

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

GRAND Lucayan workers will not automatically be terminated when the resort closes to bookings next month and, instead, will be given the option to remain on staff via an employee retention initiative.

Obie Ferguson KC, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) president who acts as legal adviser to the union representing the Freeport resort’s roughly 90 middle managers, told Tribune Business he understood that staff will not simply receive their severance and other due payments when the property closes to new business on August 13.

The Grand Lucayan’s website shows that to be the existing resort’s last date of operations, with the property closed to reservations, bookings and new guests from and including August 14. “That is consistent with my understanding,” Mr Ferguson replied in response to this newspaper’s inquiries about the hotel’s staff not being automatically terminated upon closure.

The TUC chief added that, once he has obtained

By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@ tribunemedia.net

THE former $7.5m

Sawyers Fresh Market food store on Paradise Island has been acquired by an all-Bahamian management team following the previous owner’s early 2025 demise.

Speaking to Tribune Business, a manager at the rebranded Paradise Premium Foods outlet, the anchor food store at the former Hurricane Hole property that has itself been redeveloped by Sterling Global Financial, said they are ﬁghting what he described as the “stigma” of empty shelves and high prices left by Sawyer’s. The new operator is now focused on “building consumer conﬁdence”.

“We came down on the prices. I know the struggle with Sawyers was that products were not kept on the shelves. We are dealing with that stigma right

“I want to make sure I get the correct information and, once I get that, that is when I will go to Grand Bahama and deal with it - as soon as I get all the speciﬁcs. I want to make certain that the information I disseminate turns out to be accurate because they will rely on what I say to them.”

The Grand Lucayan, where only one of its three properties - Lighthouse Pointe - is currently open, is understood to employ around 200-300 staff. Well-placed Tribune Business sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed the new owner is working on an initiative that will give employees the option of receiving their salary while the property is demolished and then redeveloped.

“It’s not going to be your typical termination or severance pay,” one contact conﬁrmed. “There’s going to be a [staff] retention programme. They’ll have the option to stay on staff, on board. It will not apply across the board and there will be various tiers” or categories of employees. It is thought that this retention plan will also be presented to the Government.

the correct information about the new owner, Concord Wilshire’s, plans he will then meet with the Bahamas Hotel Managerial Association’s (BHTA) members at the Grand Lucayan to discuss the available options and potential impact for them when the property enters its demolition phase.

now, but we’re slowly building the conﬁdence. We’re just trying to keep the shelves stocked, keep the prices balanced and go from there,” he said.

The manager, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed the group acquired the location some three to four months ago and intends to keep prices competitive to attract both guests and residents.

“We have a market here and we’re going to capitalise on it. We came to revamp and ensure we keep the prices low, not only for tourists but there are residents here on Paradise Island and, if we remain competitive, they won’t have to venture over the bridge for products,” he said.

Tribune Business reached out to Sawyer’s Fresh Market for comment but repeated calls went unanswered. Tribune Business sources conﬁrmed that, following

“I understand that around August 15 certain things will happen,” Mr Ferguson said. “What I intend to do is once I could collect all the correct information I will return to have a meeting with my members, all 90-92 of them. I do not want to say anything that’s inaccurate or misleading.

Concord Wilshire, which is purchasing the Grand Lucayan for $120m via its Ancient Waters Bahamas Ltd subsidiary, is understood to be working through the regulatory process with both the Government and Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) to obtain the

DARRIN WOODS

VAUGHN ROBERTS

BEN ALBURY

GRAND LUCAYAN

GOOMBAY FESTIVAL DRAWS HUNDREDS OF GB RESIDENTS

HUNDREDS of Grand Bahamians headed to Taino Beach last week Thursday for the launch of Goombay Summer Festival 2025.

Ginger Moxey, minister for Grand Bahama, described the event as a reﬂection of Grand Bahama’s journey over the past few years. “We are on an undeniable upward trajectory, building, growing and thriving with every passing day,” she said.

“This progress, this renewed energy, is a direct result of our collective spirit. The spirit of oneness. It is the unity in our communities, the shared vision for a brighter future and the unwavering resilience that deﬁnes us. Our strength

- my friends - truly lies in our unity.

“Goombay is a testament to who we are, where we came from, and the rich heritage we proudly share with the world. And what better way to celebrate this magniﬁcent tradition than right here on Grand Bahama, the undisputed home of events and entertainment,” Mrs Moxey added.

“We have always been, and continue to be, the island that knows how to host, how to entertain and how to create unforgettable memories. Our capacity to bring people together to ignite joy and to showcase the very best of The Bahamas is truly unmatched.”

Goombay Summer gives Grand Bahama vendors an opportunity to earn much-needed income. This year’s event attracted a record number of vendors selling food, soft drinks, jewellery, handbags, t-shirts and arts and crafts by local artists.

“Goombay is more than just an event on our calendar,” said Mrs Moxey. “It is one of the heartbeats of our culture; a vibrant heartbeat that echoes through generations. For decades, this festival has been a cornerstone of Bahamian life.

“A sacred space where we can celebrate our unique identity through the rhythmic pulse of the goat skin drum. The lively sway of rake and scrape,

the irresistible aroma of our cuisine and the joy of our people.

“So, tonight, I urge each and every one of you to immerse yourselves. Dance until your feet ache, sing along with every note, savour every delicious bite of conch fritters and guava duff. But, most importantly, connect with each other. Look around, greet a stranger, share a laugh and feel the warmth of our Bahamian family,” she added.

“This is what Goombay is truly about. The human connection, the shared experience, the celebration of life together. Let the rhythm move you, let the culture embrace you and let the spirit of Grand Bahama uplift you.”

Sandals hosts its best selling travel advisors

SANDALS Royal Bahamian recently hosted top-selling travel advisors from different regions in the US and Canada to a meeting that discussed technology and other trends impacting the tourism industry.

Executives from the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation were present to give an industry update. Latia Duncombe, the Ministry of Tourism’s director-general, is shown in this group photo with Gary Sadler, Unique Vacations executive vicepresident of sales and industry relations, as well as at the lectern.

Leno’s Collins Avenue HQ is ofﬁcially opened

DAME Cynthia Pratt, the Governor General, participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newlyconstructed Leno Corporate Centre, located at the top of the hill on Collins Avenue.

Leno, a ﬁnancial services provider, also celebrated its 15th anniversary. Prime Minister Philip Davis KC delivered ofﬁcial opening remarks. Leno’s founder and president, Sean K. Longley, led the festive occasion. CEREMONIAL Ribbon Cutting

GINGER MOXEY, minister for Grand Bahama, ofﬁcially opened this year’s Goombay Summer Festival at Taino Beach. Photo:Andrew Miller/BIS

by Dame Cynthia Pratt and Leno's President Sean Longley.

STRAW MARKET COOLING TO BATTLE ‘UNBEARABLE’ HEAT

By ANNELIA NIXON

THE Bay Street Straw Market is set to receive a $96,250 cooling system to address complaints that it is too hot for vendors and consumers alike, its governing authority revealed yesterday.

Carolyn Bowe, the Straw Market Authority’s managing director, agreed with vendors that the location suffers from “unbearable” heat and wants to ensure they and visitors are comfortable. Acknowledging that installing a cooling system is a priority, she conﬁrmed that funds totaling $96,250 for an air conditioning system have been approved.

“The Ministry of Finance has already approved a cooling system for the Straw Market,” Ms Bowe said. “I was hoping, really, the work would have started from July 1. But I’ve spoken with the [Ministry of Works].

“She came down from the Ministry of Works. She came down. She did her assessment, and we are just waiting now. But the money has already been approved by the Ministry of Finance.

Some $96,250, that’s the cost of the cooling system for the Straw Market. It’s an air conditioning system.

“The cooling system is our priority right now. We need to make sure our visitors and our vendors are comfortable. One or two occasions, I have to go down there, it’s very hot. It’s very hot, and it can be unbearable at times. But we are doing our best because we need to make sure that the vendors are comfortable.”

Ms Bowe also addressed the rotation system that some vendors have been pushing for. She explained that when she ﬁrst took a position at the Straw Market in 2023, she met such a system in place following the COVID19 pandemic but, after a survey was completed, most vendors voted for the market to open fully so they could come and go on any day they pleased.

“Under the rotation period they only could have come in on selected days. The group was ‘A’ and then there was a ‘B’ group. So it rotated like, if you come for four days, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and then I’ll come Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” Ms Bowe said.

“And it was then discovered that it was not being evenly spread. And even though you say to me, who’s in group A, that you’re not to come in, you’re only to come in on your assigned days. So what we found out [was]

that vendors were coming in, even when they’re not assigned to come in. And so it was creating a problem. Some of the vendors complained, and some just sat in their corners and didn’t say anything.

“Like I said, we did a survey, and the situation went as far as the thenminister, Alfred Sears. And he said, after the survey was done and there was voting, most of the vendors agreed that they would go to their seven daysbecause the policy said the market opens up seven days a week.”

Ms Bowe also clariﬁed that, during the rotation period, straw vendors could not be charged rent. “And the basis behind the rotation period, while they were on the rotation, we couldn’t charge them rent,” she said. “Now some of the things the vendors are not saying. On the rotation period, we could not charge them rent.

“And so after it went as far as the minister, he said:’No, no, no.’ To avoid the confusion, we would open up the market on March 25. And so we then said to the vendors, ‘Listen, you can come in on your selected days, however you choose to come in. But you can come in when you want to’. And so that was it for the rotation period. And you ﬁnd some of the vendors who work closely together, they are still on

Straw vendors vent over Fort Charlotte relocation

By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

STRAW vendors relocated to Fort Charlotte from Fort Fincastle to facilitate improvements to the latter’s water tower yesterday said they are “suffering” from slow sales and infrastructure challenges.

Speaking to Tribune Business, one vendor said the pace of sales is “discouraging” and disclosed that she only made three for the day totalling less than $30.

“Coming out here in this heat all day to make such little money, it’s very discouraging. There’s ﬁve boats in the harbour today. I’ve been here since morning and my ﬁrst sale was after 12pm. I’ve had three sales for the day - one was $6, the other was $6 and, a while ago, somebody got two bracelets,” she said.

In March, ofﬁcials from the Antiquities, Monuments and Museums Corporation (AMMC) said vendors would be relocated to Fort Charlotte for four months as complete closure of Fort Fincastle and the water tower was necessary to allow contractors unrestricted access to the site.

The renovations, which began on March 15, were initially expected to be completed by February 2025 but became delayed due to construction interruptions. With the four-month deadline now passed, vendors have become “anxious” as the Government has not disclosed how long their temporary arrangements will be extended.

Miss Annie, a straw vendor originally posted at Fort Charlotte, said the arrival of the additional vendors has made it difﬁcult to make sales to visitors. She said her’s have fallen by over 80 percent with the new arrivals, as guests have to roam through the tents that temporarily host the vendors from Fort Fincastle before reaching their booths.

“I will tell you, dog eating our lunch. They’re eating our breakfast, our lunch and our dinner. Everything goes through I call it ‘Tent City’. Five cruise ships, and I can’t take home a dollar,” said Miss Annie.

“Nobody has said anything to us. Four months for them has passed, and no one has yet come to us and said what’s going to happen about an extension. They told us they’re only here for four months. But no one has come back to us with the courtesy to say what’s going to happen.”

When Tribune Business visited the market yesterday afternoon, several stalls were shuttered while the remaining vendors attempted to sell their goods to the handful of tourists browsing for merchandise.

Miss Annie said several of the booths have been shuttered for weeks as some vendors refuse to open their stalls while sales are so low. Both the relocated and original vendors at Fort Charlotte said sales have been “slow”, while those temporarily placed in tents also complained of damaged goods due to rain leaking though the patched tarps and rodent infestation.

Ms Cartwright, another Fort Charlotte vendor, also raised concerns about bad weather damaging the goods stored by other vendors in tents. She said her sales have also suffered as a result of the additional tenants, and called for the Government to complete the renovations to the Water Tower or give an update on when displaced vendors can return.

“I need to restock. But the money coming in is so small, you can’t use it to restock,” said Ms Cartwright. “They need to ﬁnish

the repairs and put them back in the place where they used to be. It’s not right for them to displace them like this. What if bad weather comes and ruins their stuff in the tent? They give you a deadline, they should stick to it.”

The $3m contract awarded to SJK Construction in May 2024 includes interior and exterior restoration work to address structural concerns at the long-inactive Water Tower. In March, executive chairman of the Straw Market Authority, Robert Lightbourne, defended the move, describing it as a necessary step toward longterm improvements.

“We want to give access — full, complete access — to that area so that they will deliver for us what we want, what we need,” Mr Lightbourne said.

Ofﬁcials assured vendors that Fort Charlotte would be promoted as an alternative site to maintain their income, though some were unconvinced. Don Cornish, the AMMC managing director, acknowledged that discussions with vendors were ongoing and that the relocation decision was made in consultation with stakeholders.

the rotation period. So it’s a discretionary thing.”

Vendors have argued that stall placement is a contributing factor in their ﬁnancial struggles. They claimed that tourists do not venture deep into the market and, instead, mostly patronise stalls on the outskirts which are more visible.

While this is the reason some vendors advocate for the rotation systems, Ms Bowe said it is unlikely to be reinstated. She added that it is her “personal view that all of the vendors in here are making money”.

“When a vendor could throw $50 a day asue, $100 a day asue, $200 a day asue, and you say you’re not making any money.... What I found is that the vendors who are complaining, they have their priorities all mixed up, because if you speak to any other vendor in here, they will tell you money is making,” Ms Bowe added.

“You have that crew who would tell you they’re not making any money. But I’ve been taught as a child, if you make $2 you have to learn to live within that $2. Back then their credit limit was $200. If you go over that $200 your stall was automatically closed.

“We reduced it from $200 to $100, and you have a leverage. We will allow you to go upward to $150 before we decide to close your

shop. Just to make it easy for those who are complaining that they’re not making any money.”

Ms Bowe also shut down allegations of the restroom facilities being neglected in terms of upkeep. Noting that the Straw Market’s restroom is the only public lavatory in the downtown area, she added that it is “properly maintained” and undergoing upgrades.

“Our bathrooms are properly maintained. We’re doing upgrades every day. We’ve just last week had a plumber came in just to ﬂush out the system, to snake out the system. We’re now getting ready to paint the inside of the bathrooms,” she added.

“Under the former administration the hand washing soap was placed in a cup on the counter in the bathroom. We’ve installed soap dispensers in every bathroom, and they are ﬁlled every day. Our bathrooms are checked every 15 minutes. I myself, as a managing director, I would walk down and walk through the bathroom myself.” She also clariﬁed that the Straw Market Authority does not provide sanitary napkins for those who use the restroom. However, they do provide a bin for them. Ms Bowe said her goal is to “leave them in a much better position than I met them in.” She added that the Authority is doing

its best and has maintained a standard.

“We’re doing our best,” Ms Bowe said. “There is a standard that I maintained since coming here. I’ve been in law enforcement for 40-plus years. I retired as an assistant commissioner of police in charge of all of the Family Islands except Freeport, Abaco and Bimini. And when I came here, I told them, when I leave this place, I want to leave them in a much better position than I met them in. And that’s my focus.

“Of course, in life today, you will have the naysayers, right, but at the end of the day, as long as you remain focused, do exactly what you’re supposed to do... We have a minister who sees the Straw Market as his priority. And I can tell you, when he did his walk through, he pointed out certain things that he wanted done. He wanted change.

“We have an excellent partnership with the Nassau Cruise Port. They have furnished us with new signs, new benches, we have four Junkanoo dolls. We have two at the Bay Street entrance, and two at the cruise port entrance. They are our main attraction. They need some repairs now because, you know, from the rain and the wind and all of that, they a little tattered and torn.”

PM INSPECTS WORK ON THE NEW BIGHT AIRPORT

PRIME Minister Philip Davis KC and a delegation visited Cat Island for Goombay Summer Festival 2025 and to conduct a site inspection of the new airport and terminal at New Bight, which is under construction.

Photos:Kemuel Stubbs/BIS

Airport upgrades tied to casino’s opening

RETENTION - from page B1

necessary permits for the demolition. That work is due to start this year, but the timeline is presently uncertain.

Course. Concord Wilshire, with $10 billion in developed and acquired assets, has hired RSP Architecture to spearhead the redevelopment of the beachfront property.

Tribune Business understands that the Government, in the Grand Lucayan Heads of Agreement with Concord Wilshire, has committed that Grand Bahama International Airport will be redeveloped in time for the opening of the resort complex’s new casino - an asset that will take around 18 months to construct once demolition is completed. The Government will likely use a portion of the net $300m raised from The Bahamas’ recent sovereign bond issue to ﬁnance Grand Bahama International Airport’s redevelopment, at least the initial stages. Meanwhile, Concord Wilshire is thought to be negotiating completion of agreements with its various partners and operators for components such as the casino, golf course, marina and resorts.

The Grand Lucayan sale includes the 56-acre beachfront resort along with the adjacent 160-acre Reef Golf

Union hopes ‘extended vacation’ eases impact

MITIGATION

suggested the move has been prompted - at least in part - by US and global economic volatility that has caused a steeper-than-normal booking fall-off.

“We have some reductions coming,” Mr Woods told Tribune Business, adding that San Salvador’s Club Med resort has also informed the union it plans to close during the slowest period in the Bahamian tourism calendar, which typically runs from the beginning of September until the end-November Thanksgiving holiday.

“I think it’s next month some time,” he added.

“There’s going to be a

reduction because of the fall-off with these tariff wars. A couple of hotels expressed that they have seen a signiﬁcant drop-off, and want a reduction in hours. Club Med in San Salvador, they normally close, and Atlantis, they’re closing the Coral Towers for about eight weeks.

“I think it’s around August 17 that they’re going to be closing. They’re going to re-open and close again because of the falloff. We are working with the membership. A lot of them have extended vacation time available, so we’re trying to get them to take that. We actually already had a meeting with a couple of affected areas maybe on

Monday last week letting them know.

“Once we found out we called a meeting to let them know what’s happening,” Mr Woods said, adding that the union was awaiting further details from Atlantis. “It’s pretty much the Coral Towers, and it will be housekeeping and pretty much all the service areas.

“We wouldn’t know until they decide which categories workers will be falling into, and the persons who will be left behind. We wouldn’t know if it’s 50 persons, if it’s 100 persons. We wouldn’t know until the decision is made who will be affected.”

The union president said engineering and maintenance staff, in contrast, will

Dealer concerns over ‘chaotic’ shipping costs

consecutive strong annual sales performance.

New vehicle sales are frequently perceived as a good gauge of an economy’s health, and the strength of consumer demand, given that they are susceptible to changes in earnings, purchasing power and consumer conﬁdence. “Right now, we are looking almost exactly on pace with the excellent year we had last year, which is very encouraging,” Ben Albury told Tribune Business.

“It looks like, all things considered, we’ll at least match or surpass last year’s numbers. It will be nice to surpass another high, but we’ll have to wait it out as there’s quite a bit of the year to go. These figures [for the first five months of 2025] are showing it was

Les Geonnais Limited (In Offcial Liquidation)(the Company) Registration No. 122371B THE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMPANIES (WINDING UP AMENDMENT) ACT, 2011

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

TAKE NOTICE that the fnal meeting of the creditors of the Company will be held on August 21 at 10:00am (Bahamas time) (the “Meeting”). Telephone conferencing facilities will be provided to all creditors who confrm their attendance. In order to attend and vote at the Meeting, creditors are required to complete and submit a Proof of Debt form to the Offcial Liquidator in advance of the meeting.

Any person entitled to attend and vote at the Meeting may appoint a proxy to attend and vote in his/her stead. A proxy-holder need not be a creditor or contributory of the Company. A copy of both forms may be requested from the Offcial Liquidator directly at erahming@intelisysltd.com. Please note that the Proof of Debt form (together with the proxy form, where applicable) should be completed and returned to the Offcial Liquidator at erahming@intelisysltd.com prior to 5:00pm (Bahamas time) on August 15, 2025.

Dated this 23rd day of July 2025.

Edmund L. Rahming Offcial Liquidator

The developers say the revived property will feature seven major resort components, including three new hotel buildings and branded timeshare units. Other features include a 35-acre cruise destination open to all cruise lines and guests, a 25,000 square foot indoor/outdoor casino, the conversion of the Reef Golf course to a 160-acre Greg Norman

see their workload increase during this period as Atlantis and other resorts typically use the slower part of the tourism season - and the presence of fewer guests - to make repairs and property upgrades. Mr Woods also expressed hope that impacted staff with extended vacation will be covered for all or “most of” the closure.

“We’re working with NIB so that, once they go out, they can obtain unemployment beneﬁt if they temporarily don’t have income,” he said. “We’re putting all the checks and balances in place prior to this happening so that there’s a smooth transition.”

Mr Woods said Atlantis had signalled that Coral Towers staff will return to work around the end of September, and added: “They have indicated that they have one group for sure coming in. That’s why they will close and re-open. We’re trying to get the

pretty much ﬂat. That’s very good considering the success we experienced last year.

“I’m hoping that the trend is going to continue on. For us to be doing as well as we are, I’m very happy with that.” The BMDA president added that a review of the auto industry’s 2024 sales ﬁgures showed that the fourth quarter, or ﬁnal three months of the year between October and end-December, was the strongest in terms of deal closings.

“It seems like our best numbers were produced in the last quarter,” Ben Albury added. “That was kind of what took us past the ﬁnish line... Our current numbers are even slightly ahead of last year. It looks like we could be 5-10 percent ahead of last year once we get all the reports in for June.

“The fourth quarter was the most robust out of the four quarters last year. If that continues again this year, we’ll really be ahead of ourselves. We’re seeing a strong interest in our commercial lines, construction, delivery, that sort of vehicle, and I think the banks are still very interested in ﬁnancing once you qualify and meet the criteria necessary. Once these are in place, the banks are very aggressive.”

Fred Albury said vehicle sales had “tapered off” once summer had arrived following a “pretty strong” 2025 ﬁrst quarter. Describing this as consistent with historical trends and patterns, the Auto Mall chief

signature golf course, and a 16-slip mega-yacht marina. Construction is expected to begin within 90 days of obtaining the necessary permits and approvals. The project will be rolled out in phases, creating 1,320 construction jobs and 1,750 permanent positions once the resort is fully operational.

“We are committed to being here to bring back tourism jobs and a strong economy to Freeport, and most importantly to bring a lot of Grand Bahamians back home,” said Nate Sirang, president of Concord Wilshire. He

complete picture on what’s going to happen.

“Even though it may be eight weeks, it may not be that long for the employees because they will have to close out and then come back to re-open. It does not necessarily mean persons are going to be off for the full eight weeks. We’re trying to do our best to mitigate against the time for unemployment where nothing happens...

“We’re just waiting for everything to fall into place. What we requested is that those persons with an extended vacation, they’ll be the first ones asked to move out so they can hopefully find work for the amount of other persons left. In September, particularly the service areas, a lot go on vacation. That frees up space to find others positions,” Mr Woods added.

“We’re always concerned with any closures that are going to affect income at this time, but our people are

added: “In comparison with the year before, it is down on certain brands as well.

“Then you have got more players in the game, so the market is diluted a bit more on [sales] levels out there. The electric vehicles have a place in the market and are doing reasonably well, and you’ve got other Chinese brands coming into the market, which has depressed prices. They are getting more market share out there.

“Toyota is holding its own pretty well. It’s more the lower-priced end of the market that is being more diluted. The Chinese brands are capturing more of the used car market as well. We used to have a lot of used cars coming in from Japan, and that has slowed down a bit because the Chinese are capturing market share.”

Fred Albury conﬁrmed that new auto sales for 2025 to-date “are holding similar to what 2024 was”, and suggested the market’s true size and activity may not have been fully captured in the numbers because not all vendors are BMDA members.

“I think the forecast going forward will be similar to the ﬁrst half. We’re holding to our forecast in our annual plan,” he said of Auto Mall. “We have to do an annual plan for our suppliers and are holding to our forecast. I think the second half of the year will be reasonably OK.

“Unless we see tourism take a nosedive, the economy is still moving along at a pretty good speed. This

described the future Grand Lucayan as a “powerful economic resort engine,” featuring seven major resort components.

“The Grand Lucayan redevelopment is very ambitious,” Prime Minister Philip Davis KC said at the Heads of Agreement signing, with 80 percent of all jobs allocated to locals.

“We have said clearly Bahamians must be at the centre of this. It is not just a condition; it is a conviction because we know the talent is here, the work ethic is here. What has been missing is opportunity.”

very resilient and most of them planned for this. September is a slower month, but they do have expenditure increases for children going back to school. It affects more newer persons coming into the industry who are not accustomed to what happens this time of year.”

Mr Woods said the hotel union acted as soon as Atlantis conﬁrmed the Coral Towers’ temporary closure, asking for a meeting with both the resort and its members employed at the property. As for Club Med, he suggested that the property’s shuttering this year is “kind of different” because it takes place against the background of a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and industrial deal.

“They always close for this period,” he added. “Now we have a new collective bargaining agreement, so we want to see what the date is.”

will probably be the fourth good year back-to-back.”

Both Alburys agreed that the Bahamian auto industry must make the most of these strong-performing years given the sector’s cyclical nature and the tendency for expansion to be followed by downturns.

“Speaking to people there’s a lot of optimism. We’ve seen a lot of new inventory and brands being introduced,” Ben Albury said. “From most people I talk to, and talking to me, everyone’s happy we’ve not lost a step.

“In this industry you tend to have a couple of years that are really good, then have a couple of years that are really bad and which you have to prepare for. It’s good to be on the upward end of that, rather than the downward end.”

The BMDA president added that, although the post-COVID supply chain and order backlog has been virtually eliminated, “there’s been some issues with shipping costs”. He explained: “Shipping costs have been volatile, and that’s something we have to keep an eye on. Other than that we’ve been able to get the product; it’s just monitoring the cost.

“For us, it’s [shipping costs] been chaotic and a little bit all over the place, and we’ve seem some manufacturers doing increases, so that’s something we have to be mindful of. Our vehicle prices have not changed very much but it’s something you have to be aware of to make sure it doesn’t get out of hand.”

Attendees ﬂock to Cay Island Goombay event

The Goombay Summer Festival 2025 drew crowds to New Bight, Cat Island, for Bahamian food, dance and music, at the Regatta Site on Saturday, July 19.

Prime Minister Philip Davis KC, the island’s MP,

attended, along with Ministry of Tourism executives including Latia Duncombe, the director general, and Dr Kenneth Romer, the director of aviation and deputy director-general of tourism.

New operator pledges competitive on prices

STIGMA - from page B1

the closure of its Grand Bahama-based Lucaya store between Christmas and New Year 2024, the ﬁrm then shuttered its downtown Freeport location in early 2025 and appears to have ceased operations.

A Grand Bahama resident said both store locations have been closed for several months, although no formal announcement was made about its market exit. They added that the grocery chain left Grand Bahama residents “high and dry”, and said many are still puzzled about the abrupt departure.

“Sawyers has been closed from I think some time in March. They left Freeport people high and dry to run to their store in Nassau.

I don’t know what happened to them,” she said. Observers have speculated that the company overextended itself via its New Providence expansion on Paradise Island and ran into ﬁnancial difﬁculties.

Last December, Sawyer’s Fresh Market announced the “temporary closure” of its Lucaya Store and

distribution warehouse as well as the decision to “temporarily furlough” several employees. The grocer said the “strategic move” will allow it to “optimise operations” and encouraged patrons to shop at their Oak Street location.

“Effective Friday, December 27, 2024, Sawyer’s Fresh Market will temporarily close its Lucaya Store and distribution warehouse. It is a strategic move to better focus resources on the Oak Street location, enabling us to serve our customers more efﬁciently and effectively and maintain the high standards of service our community has come to expect,” said the statement.

“As part of this transition, we will temporarily furlough some of our dedicated team members. These employees have played a vital role in making Sawyer’s Fresh Market a trusted name in Grand Bahama, and we are grateful for their commitment. Our goal is to rehire them once the transition is complete, ensuring that we continue to deliver the quality and service our customers deserve.

“We remain steadfast in our commitment to providing the same exceptional service at our Oak Street location. We are deeply appreciative of the loyalty of our Lucaya customers and encourage them to continue shopping with us at Oak Street. This strategic move will allow us to optimise operations, ensuring we remain a reliable resource for the grocery needs of all our customers in Grand Bahama.”

Sawyer’s Fresh Market made a $7.5m investment in its Paradise Landing location, which opened in 2023.

Responsible for $100k debt and reimbursing wife $221k

accounting to determine how the proﬁts and losses of Sunshine Deli were to be allocated. She issued subsequent orders, in October 2022 and November 2022, for the husband to fully disclose all ﬁnancial information on the business and provide his accountant’s report by November 21, 2022.

“Speciﬁcally, with respect to Sunshine Deli, the wife alleged that the husband ‘collected all the money, paid staff, bills and made purchases and deposits to the account for the business’,” the Court of Appeal recalled. “The trial judge recognised that the husband alleged that he took out several loans to start up and to run the business.

“However, due to the COVID pandemic, ‘the business suffered greatly’ and eventually was closed down. The equipment for the business was sold and the proceeds used to pay some staff and suppliers. However, at the closing of the business, there remained a debt of about $100,000 owed to several persons, businesses and public authorities.

“Speciﬁcally, she noted that certain crucial documents like ‘POS sales reports, cheque books or deposit receipts were not available, that such records were kept by...’ the husband,” the Court of Appeal noted.

The wife’s accountant found that $48,847 and $224,789 worth of cheques, respectively, were negotiated with “blank images” provided by the bank or no images provided. Mrs Williams identiﬁed $172,843 worth of cheque withdrawals by her husband that were allegedly unrelated to Sunshine Cafe, while transfers totalling $504,698 had “no transferee information” and $574,034 had no transferee name.

Mr Forbes, the accountant hired by Mr Williams, “detailed serious shortcomings” in the documents he received including missing bank statements and cheque book details. Disbursements for which no information was provided were “assigned as a ‘personal’ amount to Mr Williams”.

“The total expenditure that was arrived at based on the cheque books and bank

“Nevertheless, the husband acknowledged that the business was jointly owned and that ‘he mainly dealt with suppliers, maintenance, bank deposits and withdrawals’.” However, the report from the accountant hired by his wife “noted the difﬁculties... encountered as a result of the deﬁcient record keeping in the business.

statements provided was $591,305, of which $455,900 was captured as business expenses and $135,405 as personal expenses. Of note is that a cheque book in the numerical series was not found in 2014, and some check details were missing in 2019 and 2020,” Mr Williams’ accountant reported.

“The query of $600,654 worth of transfers being made from the account of Sunshine Deli, with either no payee name ($574,033) or indicated account number ($504,689) was also not able to be further clariﬁed, as we had no details on the total amount provided.

“There were a number of transfers that we were able to identify as having been transferred to various credit cards of Dave Williams that were utilised for both personal and business use. However many of the statements were not available for review,” the husband’s accountant reported.

“We also made note of at least three major expenses (Bahamas Food Services, BPL and BAF Financial) charged to at least four of the credit cards in the name of D. Williams, totaling some $371,307 from the available statements for the periods under review.”

As for the alleged use of Sunshine Deli money to pay Mr Williams’ personal expenses, the latter’s accountant reported: “The

There are many illegal marijuana farms, but federal agents targeted California's biggest legal one

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD and AMY TAXIN Associated Press

THERE are thousands of illegal marijuana farms around the country.

But when the federal government decided to stage one of its largest raids since President Donald Trump took ofﬁce in January, it picked the biggest legal grower in California. Nearly two weeks later, the reason for the federal raid at two Glass House

farm sites northwest of Los Angeles remains unclear and has prompted speculation. Some say the raid was intended to send a chilling message to immigrants in the U.S. illegally — but also to rattle the state's legal cannabis industry. Meanwhile, the Republican Trump administration has been feuding with heavily Democratic California over funding for everything from high-speed rail construction to wildﬁre relief, so it's also possible Glass

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that ULRICK NAPOLEON of Baillou Hill Road, New Providence, Bahamas is 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 July, 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that SALVANT SAINTMERANT of Fritz Lane, East Street, Nassau, The Bahamas, is 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 16th day of July 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

House was pulled into a broader conﬂict between the White House and Sacramento.

"There are plenty of other places they can go to ﬁnd illegal workers," said political consultant Adam Spiker, who advises cannabis companies. "A lot of people believe there is a hint of politics in this. It's federal enforcement coming into California to go after cannabis."

What happened during the raids?

On July 10, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents executed a search warrant for Glass House's farms in Carpinteria and Camarillo, court ﬁlings show.

At the Camarillo site, armored vehicles blocked the road, which is lined with ﬁelds and greenhouses, as masked agents deployed onto the property. One farmworker who fell from a greenhouse roof while running to hide later died from his injuries.

Outside the farm, ofﬁcers faced off with demonstrators and ﬁred tear gas to

query of the amount of $172,843 not being legitimate withdrawals of the Deli, Mr Williams indicated that over $113,000 of those funds (65 percent) were repayments of informal loans received over the years to assist with business operations, of which his wife should be aware.

“The remaining represents payments to charitable organisations and an investment payment. Mr Williams contends that personal funds from his retirement from BPL of some $170,603, of which 7 percent went directly to the Deli’s account, the remainder to his credit card, indicates his personal commitment to the success of the Deli’s overall operations.”

However, the report then added: “We were not able to acquire sufﬁcient documentation for the loan repayments. It was indicated that most of the loans were informal and acquired from friends and acquaintances.”

Ex-justice Stewart, in her Supreme Court ruling, found that Mr Williams spent $135,405 of Sunshine Deli’s funds to cover his personal expenses. Some $274,636 worth of cheques lacked payee names and information, while of $600,654 in transfers made from the business, $504,598 had no payee account and $574,033 had no payee name. Mrs Williams did not authorise payment of $172,843 to third parties.

The judge also noted that Sunshine Deli received loans worth $50,000 from

Bank of The Bahamas; a further $20,000 from the Government’s COVID-19 business continuity loan scheme, and a $80,000 loan from Fidelity Bank (Bahamas). “The business ﬁnances were not properly managed. Documentation was not properly kept. The petitioner did not authorise many of the business transactions. The daily sales records were not kept,” the Supreme Court found, ordering Mr Williams to assume full responsibility for Sunshine Deli’s remaining $100,000 debt and reimburse his wife the sums ordered.

Mr Williams mounted a “disparate attack” on the Supreme Court verdict which was almost rejected in its entirety by the Court of Appeal. The latter wrote: “The evidence revealed that it was the husband who was responsible for the mismanagement of the funds of the business, especially so, his spending of business funds for his personal use.

“Further, the husband was guilty of deliberate non-disclosure by failing to give his attorney and his accountant relevant documents of his ﬁnancial management of the business that may have assisted the court to come to different conclusions of fact. Given this deliberate nondisclosure, the trial judge could not be faulted for drawing robust and adverse ﬁndings and inferences of fact against the husband.”

Describing Mr Williams’ non-disclosure as “deliberate and egregious”, the

disperse them, a federal agent wrote in court ﬁlings.

One demonstrator threw a gas canister back at Border Patrol ofﬁcers, according to the agent. Another demonstrator, who is sought by the FBI, appeared to ﬁre a gun.

More than 360 people were arrested, most suspected of being in the country without legal status. Those arrested included four U.S. citizens, including U.S. Army veteran George Retes, 25, who works as a security guard and was held for three days.

The operation came more than a month into an extended crackdown across Southern California that was originally centered in Los Angeles, where local ofﬁcials say the federal actions are spreading fear in immigrant communities.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that Y LIS O EN of 6524 Wooded Valley Ct, Friendship MD 20758, Nassau, The Bahamas, is 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 16th day of July 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE

P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

Court of Appeal added that “it was well within the trial judge’s remit to saddle the husband with the debt of his own making”. And it added: “The trial judge was mindful of the principle of equality but, on the special facts of this case, felt compelled to depart from the yardstick of equal sharing with respect to the outstanding debt of Sunshine Deli.

“These facts were that the husband was responsible for the management of the ﬁnances of the business and had mismanaged these ﬁnances, and had actually used business funds for his personal use. On the other hand, there was no evidence that the wife used business funds for personal expenses.

“Given the mismanagement of the funds by the husband, added to his deliberate and egregious non-disclosure as stated before, the trial judge was well within her remit to depart from an equal sharing of the business debt and to saddle the husband with the debt of his own making,” the Court of Appeal continued.

“There was no unreasonableness in having the husband reimburse the wife for a signiﬁcant portion of the funds that he secreted away from the business, and which he ﬂagrantly refused to account for to his attorney, his accountant, and indeed to the court.”

Company ofﬁcials did not respond to calls or emails. In a brief statement on the social platform X, Glass House said it complied with immigration and naturalization warrants and "has never knowingly violated applicable hiring practices and does not and has never employed minors."

Some believe the raid was aimed at the legal marijuana market

Why Glass House?

No cannabis was seized and the criminal search warrants used to enter the farm sites are under court seal. Authorities refused to share them with The Associated Press.

The government said the business was being investigated for potential child labor, human trafﬁcking and other abuses. Agents found 14 children at one site. No information has been released about the minors.

The company has not been charged.

Federal and state laws allow children as young as 12 to work in agriculture under certain conditions, though no one under age 21 is allowed to work in the cannabis industry.

After the raid, United Farm Workers — the country's biggest farm worker union — posted an urgent message to its social media accounts warning that because marijuana is illegal under federal law, workers who are not U.S. citizens should avoid jobs in the cannabis industry, including state-licensed facilities.

"We know this is unfair," it said, "but we encourage you to protect yourself and your family."

Industry experts point to unwelcome publicity the company received after rival Catalyst Cannabis Co. ﬁled a 2023 lawsuit alleging that Glass House "has become one of the largest, if not the largest, black marketers of cannabis in the state of California." The lawsuit, formally ﬁled by Catalyst parent 562 Discount Med Inc., was dismissed last year but the headlines might have drawn the interest of federal investigators.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that DELROY IAN SEATON of 11 Cecilia Street, Chippingham, Nassau, Bahamas is 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 July, 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that EGLOUSE PHYLISTIN of Raymond Road, Claridge Road, Nassau, The Bahamas, is 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 16th day of July 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

FEDERAL immigration agents toss tear gas at protesters during a raid in the agriculture area of Camarillo, Calif., Thursday, July 10, 2025.

Photo:Michael Owen Baker/AP

Thousands gather to protest as Zelenskyy signs bill weakening anti-corruption agencies

By HANNA ARHIROVA and VASILISA STEPANENKO Associated Press

THOUSANDS of people gathered in Kyiv and other cities across Ukraine on Tuesday to urge the president to veto a controversial bill that threatens anti-corruption infrastructure. It marked the ﬁrst major rally against the government in more than three years of war.

Ukraine 's parliament passed legislation that will tighten oversight of two key anti-corruption agencies, which critics say could signiﬁcantly weaken their independence and give President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's circle greater sway over investigations. Zelenskyy signed the bill into law, according to the parliament's website late Tuesday.

Fighting entrenched corruption is crucial for Ukraine's bid to join the

European Union and maintain access to billions of dollars in Western aid. The legislation's passage has triggered public outrage in Ukraine, with some saying it appeared to be a greater moral blow than the routine Russian drone and missile attacks.

The changes would grant the prosecutor general new authority over investigations and cases handled by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Ofﬁce (SAPO).

"In effect, if this bill becomes law, the head of SAPO will become a nominal ﬁgure, while NABU will lose its independence and turn into a subdivision of the prosecutor general's ofﬁce," the agencies said in a joint statement on Telegram.

In a post on X, the EU's Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos expressed

INVESTORS BREATHE LIFE INTO NEW BATCH OF MEME STOCKS AS KOHL’S AND OPENDOOR TECHNOLOGIES SURGE

By DAMIAN J. TROISE AP Business Writer

AS the stock market pushes into record territory and bargains become harder to ﬁnd, investors are once again turning to some of Wall Street's beaten down companies in hopes of a quick score.

The latest so-called meme stocks are the department store Kohl's, which has surged this week, and the online-based real estate company Opendoor Technologies, which has skyrocketed this month. Both companies have been struggling in their respective sectors.

Wall Street defines a meme stock as a stock that gains significant popularity and trading volume, primarily driven by social media hype and online communities, rather than the company's fundamental financial performance.

Think GameStop and AMC Entertainment in 2021, and a few subsequent instances.

Often, meme stocks are initially the target of "short sellers," or investors betting against the stock. If other investors start buying the shares and boost the price, that could prompt the people betting against the stock to buy more shares to cushion their own losses.

Kohl's

Kohl's, which operates 1,600 stores across the country, has risen almost 50% this week. It is wrestling with a number of challenges including a revolving door of CEOs and weak sales.

In May, it announced it had terminated its new CEO Ashley Buchanan after an investigation determined that he directed the retailer to engage in vendor transactions that involved undisclosed conﬂicts of interest. Kohl's named Chairman Michael Bender as interim CEO as it searches for a replacement. Buchanan's appointment marked the third CEO for Kohl's in three years as the department store struggles to reverse sluggish sales. Its middle income shoppers have pulled back on discretionary spending in the face of still-high prices for necessities. It's also faced stiff competition from Walmart and Amazon, which have been improving their fashion offerings at affordable prices. Now, like many retailers, it's facing higher costs from President Donald Trump's tariffs.

Opendoor Technologies

Opendoor shares are up 28% this week after nearly tripling last week. Overall, they are up more than ﬁvefold in July, closing at $2.88 per share Tuesday. That's still far below their peak of $35.88 in early 2021.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that LARRY NOEL of P.O. Box N7776292, Rock Plant Road, Nassau, The Bahamas, is 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 July 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE

Providence, Bahamas is 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 16th day of July, 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

concern over the vote in the parliament, called the Rada, calling it "a serious step back."

Kos added: "Independent bodies like NABU & SAPO are essential for Ukraine's EU path. Rule of Law remains in the very center of EU accession negotiations."

While rallies have taken place during the war in Ukraine, they have largely focused on the return of prisoners of war or missing people. Protests, however, remain a traditional form of public pressure in Ukraine, where two previous revolutions were victorious for the public.

"Corruption is a problem in any country, and it must always be fought," said Ihor Lachenkov, a blogger and activist who urged people to join the protest through his social media platforms, which reach more than 1.5 million followers.

"Ukraine has far fewer resources than Russia in

this war," he said. "If we misuse them, or worse, allow them to end up in the pockets of thieves, our chances of victory diminish. All our resources must go toward the ﬁght."

The Ukrainian branch of Transparency International criticized parliament's decision, saying it undermines one of the most signiﬁcant reforms since what Ukraine calls its Revolution of Dignity in 2014 and damages trust with international partners.

The group urged Zelenskyy to veto the law, warning that otherwise he would share responsibility with the Rada for "dismantling Ukraine's anti-corruption infrastructure."

Many protesters carried signs reading "Veto the law," "Protect the anticorruption system, protect Ukraine's future," or simply "We are against it."

The mood of anger and frustration among

the war-weary Ukrainians prevailed in the crowd.

Some protesters accused Ukraine's leadership of prioritizing loyalty and personal connections over the ﬁght against corruption.

"Those who swore to protect the laws and the Constitution have instead chosen to shield their inner circle, even at the expense of Ukrainian democracy," said veteran Oleh Symoroz, sitting in a wheelchair because both his legs were amputated after he was wounded in 2022.

"Instead of setting an example of zero tolerance for corruption, the

The stock's recent gains come as hedge fund manager Eric Jackson touts the stock on X, formerly known as Twitter. On July 14, he said his hedge fund, EMJ Capital, took a position in Opendoor and expects growth over the next few years. The real estate services company, which also buys and flips homes, has yet to notch an annual profit. Analysts polled by FactSet expect it to continue posting losses in 2025 and 2026. The company faces a tough housing market. Soaring interest rates and a low supply of homes on the market have made it difficult for homebuyers. Those same factors have also made it less likely for current homeowners to sell their homes, especially those with lower interest rates.

Meme stock history

president is using his power to take control of criminal cases involving his allies," he said.

On Monday, Ukraine's domestic security agency detained two NABU ofﬁcials on suspicion of links to Russia and searched other agency employees on unrelated allegations.

Zelenskyy's ofﬁce didn't respond to a request for comment. Last week, the president carried out a reshufﬂe of his wartime Cabinet, a move widely viewed as further consolidating power within his inner circle.

The original meme stock is video game retailer GameStop. In 2021, the company was struggling to survive amid the switch from discs to digital downloads and major investors were betting against the company. Investor Keith Gill, better known as "Roaring Kitty," rallied other investors to join him in buying up thousands of GameStop shares, changing the trajectory of the stock. GameStop had been trading under $5 heading into 2021. The stock closed at $24.26 on Tuesday. The initial meme stock craze eventually ﬁzzled out. But the frenzy occasionally reignites, as seen the past few years with sudden gains for BlackBerry, Bed, Bath & Beyond, and Chewy.

Puerto Rico's government sues private power company as chronic outages damage appliances

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico

Associated Press

PUERTO Rico's government ﬁled a lawsuit Tuesday against a private power company, claiming it is responsible for damages to customers' appliances caused by chronic power outages in the U.S. territory.

The civil lawsuit by the consumer affairs department says the Luma company, which oversees power transmission and distribution in Puerto Rico, was "negligent" and is responsible for damages caused to consumer appliances by outages and power ﬂuctuations.

It said the department has the authority to take

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that KRISHAWN PATRICK HARRISON of Wulff Road, New Providence, Bahamas is 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 July, 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

cases to court to protect those affected by the company's "inefficiency and lack of adequate service." The action was filed against the company as a whole since the law exempts Luma's employees and contractors from claims filed by customers under an immunity granted in 2021 by Puerto Rico's Energy Bureau. The suit cited a recent Luma statement at a public hearing that the company has rejected 1,828 claims. "It's time for Luma to be fully accountable to Puerto Rican consumers," it said. Luma said in a brief statement that it would treat the lawsuit with the seriousness and responsibility it deserves.

"Our commitment is to continue working for the beneﬁt of our customers, despite the signiﬁcant challenges we face in operating a fragile and deteriorating electrical system, which for years has lacked the necessary maintenance and investment," it said. The outages have damaged thousands of appliances ranging from air conditioners to refrigerators on the island of 3.2 million people with a 40% poverty rate.

The lawsuit comes months after Puerto Rico's governor promised to cancel Luma's contract, warning it would be a long and complex process.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that PATRIC E RINE of Imperial Park, Freeport Grand Bahama, is 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 16th day of July 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

A WOMAN chants while holding a banner that reads, “Corruption Applauds,” during a protest against a law targeting anticorruption institutions in central Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, July 22, 2025.

Photo:Alex Babenko/AP

A PAIR of shoppers arrive at a Kohl’s, Nov. 26, 2021, in Everett, Mass. Photo:Josh Reynolds/AP

THE GOVERNMENT WAS ONCE A STEADY PARTNER FOR NONPROFITS.

THAT’S CHANGING

By THALIA BEATY Associated Press

DAWN Price signs rent checks worth about $160,000 every month for 79 people that her nonproﬁt helps house in Laguna Beach, California.

Usually, she logs into an online portal to withdraw enough from an account funded by a grant from the federal housing agency. But in February, she couldn't. Access had been temporarily cut off for many housing organizations as part of the Trump administration's cuts and funding freezes.

"That was just a sea change for us for those dollars to be so immediately at risk," said Price, the executive director of Friendship Shelter, which started in 1987 as a community organization. Access was eventually restored but the episode took a toll.

"Government moves slowly usually, and I think what was so disorienting early on was government was moving really fast," she said.

In the early days of his second term, President Donald Trump froze, cut or threatened to cut a huge range of social services programs from public safety to early childhood education to food assistance and services for refugee resettlement. Stafﬁng cuts to federal agencies have also contributed to delays and uncertainty around future grant funds. Altogether, his policies are poised to upend decades of partnerships the federal government has built with nonprofits to help people in their communities.

This vast and interconnected set of programs funded by taxpayers has been signiﬁcantly dismantled in just months, nonproﬁt leaders, researchers and funders say. And even deeper, permanent cuts are still possible. That uncertainty is also taking a toll on their staff and communities, the leaders said.

In response to questions about the cuts to grant funding, White House spokesperson Kush Desai said, "Instead of government largesse that's often riddled with corruption, waste, fraud, and abuse, the Trump administration is focused on unleashing America's economic resurgence to fuel Americans' individual generosity."

He pointed to a new deduction for charitable giving included in the recently passed tax and spending law that he said encourages Americans' "innate altruism."

But experts say private donations will not be enough to meet the needs.

In 2021, $267 billion was granted to nonprofits from all levels of government, according to an analysis by the Urban Institute published in February. While the data includes tax-exempt organizations like local food pantries as well as universities and nonprofit hospitals, it underestimates the total funding that nonprofits receive from the government. It includes grants, but not contracts for services nor reimbursements from programs like Medicare. It also excludes the smallest nonprofits, which file a different, abbreviated tax form.

However, the ﬁgure does give a sense of the scale of the historic — and, until now, solid — relationship between the public sector and nonproﬁts over the last 50 years. Now, this system is at risk and leaders like Price say the cost of undoing it will be "catastrophic."

Government funding to nonproﬁts reaches far and wide

The Urban Institute's analysis shows more than half of nonprofits in every state received government grants in 2021. In the vast majority of the country, the typical nonprofit would run a deficit without government funding. Only in

What's happening with forgiveness for student loans on income-based repayment plans?

By CORA LEWIS Associated Press

AMID a federal overhaul of student loan plans, many borrowers have been left wondering what it means for their hopes of loan forgiveness. In particular, those who are enrolled in a repayment plan known as income-based repayment, or IBR, have wondered if forgiveness will still be available to them.

A recent update from the Education Department said forgiveness through the IBR plan is paused while systems are updated. "IBR forgiveness will resume once those updates are completed," the agency said.

Which income-driven repayment plans are affected by the court's injunction?

two Congressional districts — one including parts of Orange County, California, and another in the suburbs west of Atlanta — would a typical nonproﬁt not be in the red if they lost all of their public grant funding, the analysis found.

But in Orange County, famous for its stunning beaches, mansions and extraordinary wealth, funders, nonproﬁts and researchers said that ﬁnding surprised them. In part, that's because of major economic inequalities in the county and its high cost of living.

Taryn Palumbo, executive director of Orange County Grantmakers, said nonproﬁts are not as optimistic about their resiliency.

"They are seeing their budgets getting slashed by 50% or 40%," she said. "Or they're having to look to restructure programs that they are running or how they're serving or the number of people that they're serving."

Last year, the local Samueli Foundation commissioned a study of nonprofit needs in part because they were significantly increasing their grantmaking from $18.8 million in 2022 to an estimated $125 million in 2025. They found local nonprofits reported problems maintaining staff, a deep lack of investment in their operations and a dearth of flexible reserve funds.

The foundation responded by opening applications for both unrestricted grants and to support investments in buildings or land. Against this $10 million in potential awards, they received 1,242 applications for more than $250 million, said Lindsey Spindle, the foundation's president.

"It tells a really stark picture of how unbelievably deep and broad the need is," Spindle said. "There is not a single part of the nonproﬁt sector that has not responded to these funds. Every topic you can think

The IBR plan was created under a different authority.

of: poverty, animal welfare, arts and culture, civil rights, domestic abuse... They're telling us loud and clear that they are struggling to stay alive."

Charitable organizations have held a special role in the U.S.

One of the founding stories of the United States is the importance of the voluntary sector, of neighbors

helping neighbors and of individuals solving social problems. While other liberal democracies built strong welfare states, the U.S. has preferred to look to the charitable sector to provide a substantial part of social services.

Since the 1960s, the federal government has largely funded those social services by giving money to nonproﬁts, universities,

hospitals and companies. Several new policies converged at that time to create this system, including the expansion of the federal income tax during World War II and the codiﬁcation of tax-exempt charitable organizations in 1954. Then, the Kennedy and Johnson administrations started to fund nonproﬁts directly with federal money as part

IBR is not affected by a federal court's injunction blocking former President Joe Biden's Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan. The IBR plan was created by Congress separately from other existing repayment plans, including those known as PAYE and ICR. It's also exempt from some changes coming from President Donald Trump's tax and spending bill. Here's what to know.

IBR, created by Congress, reduces monthly payments for borrowers with lower incomes. It also invokes a statute that authorizes student loan forgiveness of the balance at the end of a 20- or 25-year repayment term. When will IBR forgiveness resume?

The Education Department hasn't given a timeline for when its system update will be complete and forgiveness will resume.

Should a borrower continue to make IBR payments in the interim?

Following a court injunction last summer, loan forgiveness for the SAVE, Income-Contingent Repayment, or ICR, and Pay As You Earn, or PAYE, plans is currently paused because those plans were not created by Congress. The legal action called into question whether student loan forgiveness was authorized under the federal statute that governs those plans.

Borrowers enrolled in IBR who have reached the threshold for forgiveness but who are not seeing their loans discharged as a result of the pause may continue to make payments with the expectation that the Education Department will refund the excess payments. The plan offers forgiveness after 240 or 300 monthly payments, depending on when borrowers enrolled.

Borrowers can also request forbearance from their loan servicer. In that case, interest would continue to accrue on any remaining balance.

What changes are coming from Trump's 'big beautiful bill'?

Trump's tax and spending law will eventually phase out the ICR, PAYE and SAVE plans, replacing them with the Repayment Assistance Plan. IBR plans will continue to exist and to provide forgiveness after 20 or 25 years. RAP, in contrast, will require 30 years of repayment before forgiveness is granted.

PRESIDENT of Samueli Family Philanthropies Lindsey Spindle sits outside of her ofﬁce in Corona Del Mar, Calif., Monday, July 7, 2025.

Photo:Zoë Meyers/AP

EDUCATION Secretary Linda McMahon speaks during a Senate Appropriations hearing, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Photo:Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

Wall Street ticks up to another record as GM and others show how tariffs are impacting them

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer

WALL Street inched to another record on Tuesday following some mixed proﬁt reports, as General Motors and other big U.S. companies gave updates on how much President Donald Trump's tariffs are hurting or helping them.

The S&P 500 added 0.1% to the all-time high it had set the day before. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 179 points, or 0.4%, though the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.4% from its own record.

General Motors dropped 8.1% despite reporting a stronger proﬁt for the spring than analysts expected. The automaker said it's still expecting a $4 billion to $5 billion hit to its results over 2025 because of tariffs and that it hopes to mitigate 30% of that. GM also said it will feel more pain because of tariffs in the current quarter than it did during the spring.

That helped to offset big gains for some homebuilders after they reported stronger proﬁts for the spring than Wall Street had forecast. D.R. Horton rallied 17%, and PulteGroup jumped 11.5%. That was even as both companies said homebuyers are continuing to deal with challenging

conditions, including higher mortgage rates and an uncertain economy. So far, the U.S. economy seems to be powering through the uncertainty created by Trump's on-andoff tariffs. Many of Trump's proposed taxes on imports are currently on pause, and the next big deadline is Aug. 1. Talks are underway on possible trade deals with other countries that could lower the stiff proposals before they kick in. Trump said he reached a trade agreement with the Philippines following

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT SODA SWEETENERS AS SUGAR RETURNS TO AMERICAN COKE

By DEE-ANN DURBIN and JONEL ALECCIA Associated Press

PRESIDENT Donald Trump teased the announcement last week, but the Coca-Cola Co. conﬁrmed it Tuesday: a cane sugar-sweetened version of the beverage maker's trademark soda will be released in the U.S. this fall.

For decades, Coke and the makers of other soft drinks have generally used high fructose corn syrup or artiﬁcial sweeteners in their products manufactured in the U.S. But American consumers are increasingly looking for food and drinks with fewer and more natural ingredients, and beverage companies are responding.

PepsiCo and Dr Pepper have sold versions of their ﬂagship sodas sweetened with cane sugar since 2009.

Coca-Cola has sold Mexican Coke — which uses cane sugar — in the U.S. since 2005, but it's positioned a trendy alternative and sold in glass bottles. Coke with cane sugar will likely be more widely available.

Here are some frequently asked questions about the sweeteners in U.S. sodas:

What's the difference between cane sugar and high fructose corn syrup?

Many consumers know that consuming too many sweets can negatively affect their health, but soda drinkers sometimes debate if either cane sugar or high fructose corn syrup is better (or worse) than the other. The short answer is that it doesn't make a difference,

said Marion Nestle, one of the nation's top nutrition experts and professor emeritus at New York University. High fructose corn syrup is made of the simple sugars glucose and fructose in liquid form. Cane sugar, also known as sucrose, is made of glucose and fructose bonded, but quickly split, Nestle explained. Both are still sugars, with about the same amount of calories.

Whether a can of CocaCola contains one or the other, it will still be a sugary drink with about the same amount of calories and the same potential to increase well-documented health problems from obesity and diabetes to tooth decay.

Why did soda companies switch from using sugar to high fructose corn syrup?

High fructose corn syrup costs less. According to price data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the wholesale price of HFCS-55, the type of corn syrup most commonly used in beverages, averaged 49.4 cents per pound last year. The average wholesale price of reﬁned cane sugar was 60.1 cents per pound, while the average wholesale price of reﬁned beet sugar was 51.7 cents per pound. But high fructose corn syrup has advantages beyond price. According to a 2008 paper in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, high fructose corn syrup is more stable than sugar when added to acidic beverages, and it can be pumped directly from delivery trucks into storage and mixing tanks.

N O T I C E

Birchville Ltd.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN as follows:

(a) Birchville Ltd. is in dissolution under the provisions of the International Business Companies Act, 2000.

(b) The dissolution of the said Company commenced on the 17 July 2025 when its Articles of Dissolution were submitted to and registered by the Registrar General.

Dated the 18th day of July 2025.

a meeting Tuesday at the White House, that will see the U.S. slightly drop its tariff rate for the Philippines without paying import taxes for what it sells there. Companies are already feeling effects. Genuine Parts, the Atlanta-based company that sells auto and industrial replacement parts around the world, trimmed its proﬁt forecast for the full year in order to incorporate "all U.S. tariffs currently in effect," along with its updated expectations for business conditions in the second half of the year.

Why is high fructose corn syrup less expensive that sugar?

Tariffs are one reason. The U.S. has had barriers on sugar imports almost back to its founding; the ﬁrst went into place in 1789, according to the Cato Institute, a think tank that advocates free markets.

Since the passage of the Farm Bill in 1981, the U.S. has had a system in place that raises duties on sugar once a certain amount has been imported. The U.S. also has domestic production controls that limit

Its stock rose 7.6% after it reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. RTX fell 1.6% after cutting its forecast for profit in 2025 but also raising its forecast for revenue. It made the changes to incorporate what CEO Chris Calio called "our current assessment of the impact of tariffs," along with other changes anticipated from Washington's recent approval of big tax changes. Coca-Cola slipped 0.6% even though it delivered a stronger profit than

supplies, keeping prices higher.

But high fructose corn syrup is also cheaper because of the federal government's billions of dollars in subsidies for corn farmers. Loans, direct payments, insurance premium subsidies and surplus crop purchases all lower farmers' costs – and the price of the corn they grow.

Are sugar replacements used in diet sodas safe?

While cutting back on added sugars has documented beneﬁts, replacing them with artiﬁcial sweeteners is complicated, too.

forecast. Its revenue for the quarter only edged past analysts' expectations, and it said that higher prices that it charged helped offset sales of fewer cases during the spring.

Opendoor Technologies, a company that caught interest among investors looking for the next "meme stock" that could rise regardless of how its proﬁts are doing, lost momentum and dropped 10.3% to $2.88. It had climbed as high as $3.99 in the morning, more than quintuple its price of 78 cents from just two Fridays ago.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 4.02 points to 6,309.62. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 179.37 to 44,502.44, and the Nasdaq composite fell 81.49 to 20,892.68.

In the bond market, Treasury yields sank as traders continue to expect the Federal Reserve to wait until September at the earliest to resume cutting interest rates.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell has been insisting he wants to see more data about how Trump's tariffs are affecting inﬂation and the economy before the Fed makes its

Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, introduced in 2017, uses the artiﬁcial sweetener aspartame and the natural sweetener stevia in its recipe. But research suggests that aspartame may be linked to cancer. In 2023, a committee for the World Health Organization determined that aspartame should be categorized "as possibly carcinogenic to humans."

next move. That's despite often angry criticism from Trump, who has been lobbying for more cuts to rates to happen sooner. The yield on the 10-year Treasury eased to 4.34% from 4.38% late Monday. In overseas markets, Japan's benchmark jumped and then fell back as it reopened from a holiday Monday following the ruling coalition's loss of its upper house majority in Sunday's election. The Nikkei 225 shed 0.1%.

Analysts said the market initially climbed on relief that Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba vowed to stay in ofﬁce despite a loss for his ruling coalition in an upperhouse election Sunday. But the results have only added to political uncertainty and left his government without the heft needed to push through legislation.

A breakthrough in trade talks with the U.S. might win Ishiba a reprieve, but so far there's been scant sign of progress in negotiating away the threat of higher tariffs on Japan's exports to the U.S. beginning Aug. 1. Indexes were mixed elsewhere in Asia and Europe.

While that doesn't mean that diet soda causes cancer, the scientiﬁc committee concluded that there may be a possible link between aspartame and liver cancer, and that the issue should be studied further. The U.S. Food and Drug administration disagreed with the WHO panel, citing "signiﬁcant shortcomings" in the research that backed the conclusion.

FDA ofﬁcials noted that aspartame is one of the most studied food additives and said "FDA scientists do not have safety concerns" when it is used under approved conditions. Stevia, a plant-based sweetener, appears to be "a safe choice," according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy group.

TRADERS NEIL CATANIA, left, and Daniel Kryger work on the ﬂoor of the New York Stock Exchange, Monday, July 21, 2025. Photo:Richard Drew/AP

Trump says a China trip is ‘not too distant’ as trade tensions ease

By DIDI TANG Associated Press

PRESIDENT Donald Trump on Tuesday said a trip to China might be "not too distant," raising prospects that the leaders of the world's two largest economies may meet soon to help reset relations after moving to climb down from a trade war.

Trump made the remarks while hosting Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the White House, where he praised the "fantastic military relationship" with Manila as the U.S. looks to counter China's inﬂuence in the Indo-Paciﬁc region.

Yet, Trump still said the U.S. is "getting along with China very well. We have a very good relationship."

He added that Beijing has resumed shipping to the U.S. "record numbers" of much-needed rare earth magnets, which are used in iPhones and other high-tech

products like electric vehicles.

Widely speculated about since Trump returned to the White House, a summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping would be expected to stabilize — even for a short while — a difﬁcult relationship deﬁned by mistrust and competition.

Beijing believes a leaderlevel summit is necessary to steady U.S.-China relations and that Trump must be wooed because he has the ﬁnal say on America's policy toward China, despite more hawkish voices in his Cabinet, observers say. The question, however, is when. Danny Russel, a distinguished fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said Trump has consistently shown his hunger for a visit to China and that Beijing has used that to bolster leverage.

"As soon as the leadership in Beijing is satisﬁed

that Trump will be on his best behavior and will accept terms for a deal that they think are favorable, they will give a green light to the visit," Russel said.

Sun Yun, director of the China program at the Washington-based think tank Stimson Center, said a visit "is in the making" with two sides likely to strike a trade deal.

What Trump said might mean the visit would not be in September but "potentially November, but still depends on whether they play ball on trade and other things we want," Sun said.

Trump's campaign to impose tariffs on other countries kicked off a high-stake trade war with Beijing. China raised tariffs on U.S. goods to 125% in response to Trump's hiking the tax on Chinese goods to 145%.

Both sides also imposed on each other harsh trade restrictions on critical

products: China on rare earths, and the U.S. on computing chips and jet engine technology.

Trade tensions, however, eased following two rounds of high-level talks in Geneva and London, when the two sides agreed to lower tariffs — pending a more permanent deal by mid-August — and pull back on trade restrictions.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday on Fox Business' "Mornings with Maria" that he will be meeting with his Chinese counterparts in Stockholm next week to work on "what is likely an extension" of the Aug. 12 deadline.

"I think trade is in a very good place with China," Bessent told host Maria Bartiromo. "Hopefully, we can see the Chinese pull back on some of this glut of manufacturing that they're doing and concentrate on building a consumer economy."

He said he also expects to bring up China's purchases of Russian and Iranian oil and Beijing's role in aiding Moscow in its war against Ukraine.

Beijing has not announced any travel plans for Vice Premier He Lifeng, who led trade negotiations in both Geneva and London on behalf of the Chinese government, but it is not unusual for China to make such announcements closer to a travel date.

In a possible friendly gesture, Beijing on Tuesday said it suspended an antitrust investigation into chemical maker DuPont's operations in China. China's State Administration for Market Regulation made the announcement

in a one-line statement but gave no explanation for the decision.

DuPont said in a statement that it is "pleased" with China's action.

Chinese regulators launched the investigation in April against DuPont China Group, a subsidiary of the chemical giant, as part of Beijing's broad, retaliatory response to Trump's sky-high tariffs.

Beijing also has agreed to approve export permits for rare earth elements and rare earth magnets that U.S. manufacturers need to build cars, robots, wind turbines and other hightech products. The U.S. has eased restrictions on some advanced chips and other technologies.

MARINE FORECAST

PRESIDENT Donald Trump meets with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in the Oval Ofﬁce of the White House, Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in Washington. Photo:Alex Brandon/AP