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Bahamas' Selvinique Wright to vie for Miss Grand International - Sep 28, 2016 - 11:59:45 PM

24-yr-old Selvinique Wright will be representing The Bahamas at Miss Grand International 2016 this upcoming October in Las Vegas, USA.

The model, whose goal is to become a police officer has been appointed as Miss Grand Bahamas 2016. She plans to continue her studies in psychology and sociology while continuing to mentor young ladies who may be struggling with self discovery, purpose and hopefulness...

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17 civil society and private sector organizations join forces to demand ‘true’ Freedom of Information Act - Sep 28, 2016 - 11:56:31 PM

Nassau, Bahamas — In response to The Bahamas Government’s recent announcement that a final version of the long-anticipated Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2015 will soon be tabled in Parliament, 17 groups representing diverse interests have come together in a single voice to demand, what they are calling, a ‘true’ FOIA.

The civil society and private industry organizations are participating in a broad-based campaign aimed at ensuring Government include commonly agreed recommendations proposed by the groups to strengthen the Freedom of Information Act. They are mobilizing to engage and educate the public about the importance of the legislation and its timely passage...

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Organizers of Underwater Wedding Event announce Change of Date and Bridal Competition - Sep 28, 2016 - 4:47:45 PM

Nassau, Bahamas - The organizers of the world record-breaking underwater wedding event, In Deep Love Bahamas, have announced that the event will now take place on Thursday, 15th June 2017, surrounded by a week of exciting and entertaining activities for the bridal couples and their guests.

Previously scheduled for February 2017 around Valentine’s Day, the organizers and sponsors recognized that June, a traditional wedding month, also allowed better underwater temperature and visibility.

The launch of the event in May heralded the start of the attempt to break the current Guinness Book of World Record for the largest number of multiple couple weddings held simultaneously underwater...

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BAMSI Upgrades Technological Platform - Sep 26, 2016 - 8:55:35 PM

With the launch of two web-based platforms aimed at strengthening the Institute’s position as a centre for research, and supporting its mission to increase community engagement through distance learning, Executive Director Dr Raveenia Roberts Hanna said the Bahamas Agriculture & Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) has experienced an exponential surge to its technology platform with the start of the 2016 Fall semester.

The addition of a web portfolio that supports online courses and distance learning, and the increased holdings of the Institute’s Library and Information Services through EBSCOhost Research Database has far reaching implications for the Institute, now entering its third year of operation...

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10 Cuban migrants apprehended in The Bahamas - Sep 24, 2016 - 11:53:32 AM

Coral Harbour Base, 24 SEPT (RBDF) – Ten Cuban migrants are being detained after they were apprehended in the southern Bahamas by a Royal Bahamas Defence Force patrol craft on Friday evening.

While on routine patrol, HMBS L.L. Smith, under the command of Acting Lieutenant Commander Stephen Rolle, intercepted a sloop two nautical miles off Anguilla Cay at 6:50 pm. Further search of the vessel discovered Cuban nationals: 7 males, 3 females, who were then taken aboard the Defence Force craft...

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Rescue at sea by the Royal Bahamas Defence Force - Sep 23, 2016 - 1:54:16 PM

HMBS Coral Harbour - During the early hours of this morning, officials stationed in Matthew Town, Inagua received a frightened call from a crew member of a Haitian sailing sloop reporting that their vessel, the Change Vie had run aground. Efforts were made to locate their exact position and a rescue mission was launched. The rescue mission emphasized the close working relationship that has been forged by the local uniformed branches, Inaguan residents and the US Coast Guard assigned to that area.

In a joint effort, members from the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, Immigration, Royal Bahamas Police Force, Customs, US Coast Guard, DEA, DEU and OPBAT personnel, along with local fisherman pooled their available resources, in a complementary manner and rescued the nine men onboard who were attempting to reach Inagua to undergo routine processing...

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Cherell Williamson takes the Miss Universe Bahamas crown - Sep 22, 2016 - 11:24:11 PM

The finale of this year's Miss Universe Bahamas pageant took place on September 17th and the crown has gone to Cherell Williamson of Nassau. First runner-up was Chivvaun Smith; second runner-up was Erika Adderley, and Rokara Hepburn and Crystal Stubbs rounded out the top five.

Prior to the big event Cherell wrote the following on her Facebook page,"Today is the day that I've been waiting for! Today marks the date of a stronger more confident Cherell that has learned more things about herself than she ever thought this pageant would allow all thanks to the amazing organization...

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117 Haitian Migrants apprehended off Inagua - Sep 19, 2016 - 12:21:07 PM

Coral Harbour Base,(RBDF): A total of 117 Haitian migrants were apprehended in the southern Bahamas early Monday morning by members of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force.

While on routine patrol shortly after midnight, Defence Force patrol craft HMBS L.L. Smith, under the command of Acting Lieutenant Commander Stephen Rolle, boarded and searched a 40-ft white cabin cruiser approximately 61 nautical miles northwest of Matthew Town, Inagua. A thorough search of the vessel uncovered the migrants consisting of 96 males, 17 females and 4 children onboard...

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Cuban Migrants apprehended in southern Bahamas - Sep 17, 2016 - 9:39:33 PM

Coral Harbour Base, (RBDF) – Five Cuban migrants are being detained after they were apprehended in the southern Bahamas by a Royal Bahamas Defence Force patrol craft on Saturday morning.

While on routine patrol, HMBS Lignum Vitae, under the command of Senior Lieutenant Bertram Bowleg, intercepted a 10-ft wooden sloop several miles southeast of Cay Lobos in the southern Bahamas. Further search of the vessel discovered five Cuban nationals, who were then taken aboard the Defence Force craft...

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"Parliament must not trample over territory of the courts" - Sep 15, 2016 - 4:58:28 PM

Outspoken Queen's Counsel Fred Smith is warning that the Privileges Committee will do serious damage to the administration of justice and the rule of law in The Bahamas is it uses hearings scheduled for later this month to air matters currently under consideration by the courts.

Environmental group Save The Bays (STB), for which Smith serves as legal director, has launched several court cases which are to be the focus of the hearings, and he thanked other eminent legal minds who have come out in defense of the 'sub judice' rule, which says that matters under judicial consideration cannot be discussed publicly...

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Bahamas Ambassador Joudi Receives Official Instruments of Appointment - Sep 15, 2016 - 1:40:30 PM

Nassau, The Bahamas - In a ceremony at Government House Her Excellency the Governor General, Dame Marguerite Pindling presented Mr. Tony S. Joudi his Instruments of Appointment as Non-Resident Ambassador designate of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas to the State of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

In his address to attendees, Prime Minster the Right Honourable Perry G. Christie spoke of the many attributes of the newly installed Ambassador and of his high expectations of the businessman...

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MSC Cruises announces grand opening of Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve in The Bahamas - Sep 15, 2016 - 12:43:22 PM

Geneva, Switzerland – MSC Cruises, the Swiss-based world’s largest privately-owned cruise line and market leader in Europe, South America and South Africa, announced today that Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve will now open in October 2018.

Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises, commented: “As we sat out to finalise construction plans for this one-of-a-kind destination, we realised that to ensure the level of quality and attention to details in both infrastructure and services that our guests have rightfully come to expect from MSC Cruises...

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"Fears that parliamentary committee will defy court order" - Sep 14, 2016 - 1:08:19 PM

(Statement)  Environmental group Save The Bays (STB) is expressing grave concern over the decision to move forward with hearings before the Parliamentary Privileges Committee following the landmark Supreme Court decision vindicating their right to privacy.

STB chairman Joseph Darville said the group fears the hearings will be used to broadcast further private information belonging to its members, despite the fact that the Supreme Court has ruled such disclosures unconstitutional and fined Minister of Education Jerome Fitzgerald $150,000 for an earlier breach...

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URCA: Consultation on BTC’s amended Reference Access and Interconnection Offer - Sep 13, 2016 - 11:49:38 AM

The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (“URCA”) issues this Notice in accordance with section 11 of the Communications Act, 2009. Further to URCA’s Final Determination (ECS 19/2016) on the required changes to BTC’s Reference Access and Interconnection Offer (RAIO), BTC submitted its amended RAIO to URCA for its review and final approval. The amended RAIO can be downloaded from URCA’s website at http://www.urcabahamas.bs/download/030674000.pdf. URCA invites and welcomes written comments from interested parties regarding the amendments set out in the revised BTC RAIO.

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Bahamas mourns the loss of two veteran educators, Mrs. Juliet Barnwell and Mrs. Darnell Adderley - Sep 13, 2016 - 10:09:11 AM

Nassau, Bahamas – The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology expresses sincere condolences to the families of Mrs. Juliet Barnwell and Mrs. Darnell Adderley.

Mrs. Barnwell was a veteran educator who came from a lineage of patriotic Bahamians who were nationalists in the truest sense. Both of her parents, Mr. Claudius Walker and Mrs. Mable Walker have schools named in their honour and Mrs. Juliet Barnwell continued her parents’ legacy of nationalism...

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Bahamas-based Sterling Global Financial Finances Land Assembly for Major Redevelopment in Metropolitan Boston - Sep 13, 2016 - 9:38:09 AM

Sterling Global Financial, an integrated banking and financial services provider with more than US$9 billion in assets under administration and operations in The Bahamas and the Cayman Islands, revealed today that one of its funds has provided bridge financing for the land assembly of a major redevelopment that will dramatically transform a South Boston community.

Called Washington Village, the project is one of the largest undertaken by Sterling’s award-winning Sterling Mortgage Income Fund (SMIF), formerly New Providence Income Fund (NPIF). The Washington Village project is generating buzz in a New England city which is welcoming it to both ease a housing crunch...

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Defence Force Marine rescued after falling overboard - Sep 12, 2016 - 10:10:53 PM

Coral Harbour Base, 12 SEPT. ‘16 (RBDF) - During the early morning hours on Sunday, Marine Seaman Neville Dorsette was rescued by fishermen in the vicinity of Coral Island, Nassau near Arawak Cay, after reportedly falling overboard from HMBS ROLLY GRAY.

He was eventually turned over to Defence Force personnel who transported him by ambulance to Doctors Hospital for a medical evaluation. Following brief observations, Marine Seaman Dorsette was released and is now with friends and family.

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Undocumented Cuban and Haitian Nationals Apprehended in The Bahamas - Sep 9, 2016 - 1:56:17 AM

Coral Harbour Base, 08 SEPT - The Royal Bahamas Defence Force patrol craft, Her Majesty's Bahamian Ship Arthur Dion Hanna, under the command of Acting Lieutenant Commander Berne Wright, apprehended a total of 21 undocumented Cuban nationals in the southern and western Bahamas on two separate occasions within 24 hours.

Shortly after 11:00 am Tuesday morning, 4 Cuban nationals were found on Cay Lobos on the southern border of the Great Bahama Bank approximately 12 miles north of Cuba. The second group of undocumented Cuban nationals consisting of 17 persons were found on Anguilla Cay in the Cay Sal Bank area approximately 150 miles southeast of Key West Florida shortly after 7:00 am early Wednesday morning.

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Bahamas Government Releases Mosquito Fogging Schedule & Public Assistance Notice - Sep 8, 2016 - 11:44:24 PM

The Department of Environmental Health Services advises that Zika disease has been reported in New Providence. In addition to working in partnership with its stakeholders and implementing educational and treatment applications, further efforts are being made to assist the public in controlling breeding sources of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is the carrier of the disease.

The public is hereby informed that The Department of Environmental Health Services (D.E.H.S) has put in place a public assistance programme to help in getting rid of all water holding containers where this mosquito breeds...

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Bahamian Cargo Airline to spur more economic growth by increasing the circulation of goods throughout the Bahamas - Sep 8, 2016 - 7:33:50 AM

Nassau, Bahamas – Junkanoo Air, a Bahamian-owned cargo airline, is now providing air cargo transport services between the US (primarily South Florida), the Bahamas and surrounding countries (including Turks and Caicos, Haiti, Cuba, etc.). Junkanoo Air is authorized by the Department of Civil Aviation (Bahamas) and the Federal Aviation Authority (US) to operate commercially.

Captain Christopher King, President of Junkanoo Air, has been an airline pilot for over ten years, and launched the airline when he realized that a need in the air cargo sector wasn't being met sufficiently. Captain King wanted to create air cargo solutions that would accommodate businesses’ and consumers’ needs ...