British Airways ready for strike
British Airways said it is prepared to hire 23 fully-crewed chartered planes and bring in 1,000 volunteer staff if the Unite Union decides to hold a strike that has already been approved by members.
On Tuesday, the union withdrew a proposal to reduce and freeze wages and both sides agreed to extended talks until Wednesday.
British Airways runs the only direct flight five times a week from Britain to The Bahamas, bringing hundreds of travelers to the islands every week.

One in 10 loans unpaid
Nearly one out of every ten loans to Bahamian consumers and businesses is past due by 90 days or more according to a recent report from The Central Bank of The Bahamas. This puts the total value of private borrowing in arrears at $1.106 billion.

Straw Market foundation finished in a month
Optimism is high at the new Straw Market with hopes to finish in time for September next year, ten years after a fire destroyed the original.
It's been two months Since Cavalier Construction started building and the company's Managing Director, Richard Wilson, said "We've had great feedback from everyone who is interested in the project."
Wilson said there have been challenges with tides and the weather but it was manageable. "Once the foundation is in that is when people will begin to see things change on a daily basis, that is probably about a month away."

Public companies key factor in $176m deficit
In a monthly report on financial developments, the Central Bank of The Bahamas indicated that government funding for public companies was one of the reasons for the country's $176.2 million deficit, an increase of 30% over previous years.
Government nearly doubled its support for public entities between July and December last year, increasing spending by 88.9% in the first half of the 2009-2010 Budget. This amounted to $59.6 million, including $30 million to Shell Western to pay for fuel used by the Bahamas Electricity Corporation.
Tax collections fell by 12.2 per cent to $499.3 million, taxes related to international trade and transactions fell by 10.7 per cent year-over-year and 'miscellaneous' Stamp taxes dropped by 21.3 per cent.
Import and excise duties declined by 11.74 per cent during the 2009-2010 first half, falling to $262.5 million compared to the $297.4 million generated the year before.