Category Archives: Bahamas

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WFLA) Silver Airways is making it easier (and cheaper) to fly to the Bahamas. The largest US carrier to the Bahamas has rolled out additional non-stop trips from Florida to the Bahamas, adding nearly 25 percent more flights to their schedule.

Travelers in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Tampa will also see increased number of trips to Bimini, Eleuthera, Marsh Harbour (Abacos) and Treasure Cay (Abacos).

The airline is offering fares from $69 at silverairways.com today through February 27, 2017, for travel on or before May 3, 2017.

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Silver Airways adds more non-stop flights to the Bahamas - WFLA

CIVIL Society Bahamas (CSB), an umbrella group for civil society organisations in The Bahamas, is hosting a Town Hall Meeting for the Citizens Task Force on Electoral Reform on Saturday from 10am to noon at St Marys Parish Hall, Virginia Street, Nassau.

The group says it believes that it is possible to design an electoral system for the country that is less cumbersome, more transparent, more fair and more egalitarian than the current one.

Citizens are invited to participate in an extended conversation on what a new electoral system would be like. CSB says it wants to engage the public on the subject through a series of public meetings throughout The Bahamas to hear their views on several recommendations.

These include the establishment of an Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IBEC); the setting up of a permanent Register of Voters; the implementation of Campaign Finance Reform; the registration of political parties with the IBEC; primary elections to choose constituency candidates; constituencies being able to recall their member of Parliament; and constituency boundaries to be redrawn with less frequency.

CBS is an umbrella organisation representing the interests of all the non-profit and non-governmental organisations in The Bahamas since 2005. It is a non-partisan, non-governmental, civil society organisation which focuses on the betterment of individuals through improvement of their general social, economic, spiritual and mental welfare.

Refreshments will be served at the town hall meeting.

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Town Hall Meeting To Be Held By Civil Society Bahamas - Bahamas Tribune

A wave of gang-related murders in the Bahamas has forced the military onto the streets, a worrying development in a country where violence is reaching critical levels.

The Caribbean archipelago of approximately 388,000 people has already seen at least 27 murders since the start of the year, with seven dead over the past weekend in the capital of Nassau,according to Tribune 242. If violence remains at this level, the murder count by the end of 2017 would hit 224 -- equivalent to a homicide rate of 57.77 per 100,000 inhabitants.

The crime spree has prompted the government todeploy the armyonto the streets to assist the police. National Security Minister Bernard Nottage announced this and anumber of other security measureson February 15, including increased foot patrols, lockdowns and raids of "crime hot spots," as well as the creation of a gun interdiction task force.

SEE ALSO:Coverage of the Caribbean

Minister Nottage attributed most of the murders to feuds within a small group of "violent offenders...affiliated with gangs, guns and drugs."

But the response to this year's bloody events has been mixed. On February 13, Prime Minister Perry Christie described the situation as "reminiscent of the Wild West," and said the state had to respond by "flooding the streets with officers,"Caribbean 360 reported.

That same day, however, Police Commissioner Ellison Greensladetold the press: "It is a falsehood to tell the Bahamian public and the world at large that the Bahamas is in crisis, that is nonsense." He blamed the murders on youths who "have fallen through the cracks of our society," and assured law-abiding citizens they need not fear attack.

The Bahamas is not typically considered a major center of criminal activity, but if themurder rate continuesat its current pace it would becomparable to that of countries such as Honduras, which has long suffered from rampant insecurity in large part because of the strong gang presence there.

Disputes between gangs areoften drug related, and narcotics trafficking is a key concern in the Caribbean country. Locatedonly 50 milesfrom US shores, its 700 cays and islands make the Bahamas anoptimal transit pointfor illegal goods.

The security crisis also speaks to the authorities' struggles to respond to violent outbreaks. The mixed messages being presented by state institutions are a possible indication that the government is not totally united on the security front.Police officers are also frequenttargets of violence, as demonstrated by theshooting of two officersonly days ago. This factor could well be hindering the police's ability to combat criminal groups.

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Authorities Blame Gangs for the Bahamas' Bloody Start to 2017 - Insightcrime.org

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2017 COUPLES BAHAMAS GETAWAY SWEEPSTAKES OFFICIAL RULES - WUSA9.com

Jesus Alejandro Garcia Alvarez

A brash self-styled Mexican entrepreneur's bid to crack into Swiss banking is at an end. His second attempt to buy a financial firm has failed in a hugely awkward way.

Aborted, Banque Cramer & Cie headlined in an unusually unvarnished statement released overnight. The Swiss bank said it won't be selling a Bahamas subsidiary to IXE Capital, as planned, after all.

IXE is controlled by Jesus Alejandro Garcia Alvarez, who claims to be a businessman and wealthy landowner from Mexico. Recently, questions over Garcia Alvarez's wealth, his dealings, and his business plans have been raised by several media outlets.

Flash Crash Millions

For example, Garcia Alvarez was close to buying Ticino-based Bank Arner, but the deal fell apart last year, reportedly because he was unable tocapitalize the bank.

He also plays a prominent role in the disappearance of millions from the $50 million fortune of the so-called Flash Crash trader.

Now, Garcia Alvarez and IXE have run aground with their latest venture as well: buying the Bahamas subsidiary of Swiss private bank Cramer.

Lost Credibility

The Geneva-based firm said the deal fell apart because IXE didn't pay up.

While Banque Cramer & Cie fulfilled all of its contractual obligations, IXE Capital Bahamas failed to pay the agreed consideration on theclosing date. Cramer's parent firm said in a statement.

IXE Capital Bahamas is therefore in breach of agreement.

The subsidiary will remain as an independently-managed part of Cramer, the bank said.

Embarrassing Echoes

In the fallout of the failed Cramer deal, Garcia Alvarez will have spent any shred of credibility he still had in Swiss banking after the Arner episode, where he left potential partners like renownedSwiss banker Michael Baer in the lurch.

The collapse of the Cramer deal suggests that Garcia Alvarez is no longer as solvent as he once claimed to be. The failure of the deal, entirely preventable, has embarrassing echoes of Arner.

There, Garcia Alvarez reportedly tried to pass off unstamped gold to Switzerland's regulator as bank capitalization which Finma didn't accept.

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IXE Bahamas Bank Bid Crashes - finews.com

The latest colorway of theAnta KT 2 hits close to home for Klay Thompson. Known as theAnta KT 2 Bahamas, this bold look on the KT 2 is inspired by the island paradise that hold a very special place in Klays heart since that is where Klays dadbegan influencing and shaping the person and player that Klay is today.

Klay Thompson spent his childhood inthe Bahamas and now he has a shoe that helps him reminisce of those times. Coming in a soft Turquoise and White color scheme, the choice of hues is inspired by thecrystal waters and cloud-sprinkled sky of the Bahamas. Also taking the time to pay homage to his father, the shoe features Chinese characters on the inside of its tongue that translate to Wise schooling has produced excellence beyond the teacher. The follower has surpassed the master.

Klay Thompson will look to defendhis 3-point championship this Saturday while also taking part in the NBA All-Star game on Sunday. Do you think theres a good chance hell be wearing these during wither of the days? Said to be available now, look for theAnta KT 2 Bahamas at select ANTA stockists.

via: ANTA

Available Now on Kixify & eBay

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Will Klay Thompson Wear The Anta KT 2 Bahamas During NBA All-Star Weekend? - KicksOnFire.com

NASSAU, The Bahamas, Wednesday February 15, 2017 Against the backdrop of seven murders last weekend that pushed the number of homicides in the Bahamas to 27 so far this year, Prime Minister Perry Christie says the crime spree reminds him of the Wild West and hes calling for a national effort to arrest the problem.

However, Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade remains adamant that the country is not in crisis, rubbishing calls for a curfew or the lockdown of crime hotspots.

It is a falsehood to tell the Bahamian public and the world at large that the Bahamas is in crisis; that is nonsense, he said at a news conference.

This country is not at a stage where the average decent citizen has to be concerned about being attacked, Commissioner Greenslade insisted.

But in a separate encounter with the media, Prime Minister Perry Christie yesterday described the situation as shocking and called for the country to put all necessary resources in place to reduce the crime scourge.

It is insane. It is reminiscent of the Wild West and it something we must get control of as quickly as possible. We will be required to do much more to have a greater capacity to meet the challenge that is now posed to us, to fully try to understand this senseless set of killings/retaliation and to have our system respond to it as quickly as possible in a meaningful way, he said.

Christie is blaming the problem on gangs engaged in retaliation, and suggested that the response must entail a stronger police presence on the streets.

This madness has to do with gangs and retaliationThere must be a continuous response to it and it has to be on flooding the streets with officers and equipment to be able to intercept and interdict.

Commissioner Greenslade agreed that the young people were at the heart of the recent incidents of crime, both as victims and perpetrators.

These are people that have fallen through the cracks of our society and they did not remain in school. The ones who did, when they got out of school, chose to associate with the wrong type of company and this is tit for tat, you touch my boy I touch your boy type of thing.

He however went one step further and appeared to be pointing fingers at the judicial system, suggesting that the only solution was to keep prolific offenders behind bars.

We have a problem, lets not kid ourselves, and that problem is prolific offenders that are in and out of the system who are not prepared to not live a life of crime, the police chief said.

We have to ensure that people that walk around with assault weapons and other variations of weapons, that have raped people, that have attempted to rape people, that have killed people, that have attempted to murder people, they should remainincarcerated and have their day in court. If we continue the way we are going we will continue to chase our tails, Commissioner Greenslade insisted.

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PM Says Crime in Bahamas Like the Wild West, But Police Chief ... - Caribbean360.com (subscription)

Search underway for cruise ship passenger

Tim Darnell , WXIA 2:08 PM. EST February 15, 2017

The Carnival Elation (Photo: WXIA)

MIAMI, Fla. -- The U.S. Coast Guard has called off their search for a Georgia man who reportedly went overboard Monday from a Carnival cruise ship.

The search was suspended on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m.

Kevin Wellons, 24, of Warner Robins went overboard from the Carnival Elation cruise ship about 15 miles southwest of Abaco, Bahamas.

A Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew deployed to Great Inagua and HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crews from Air Station Miami covered more than 1,381 square miles over nine hours searching for Robins.

Watch standers with the Coast Guard Seventh District Command Center received notification at approximately 11 a.m. Monday from the Carnival Elation cruise ship that Wellons was reportedly seen going overboard from the 11th deck on the ship's closed circuit television.

The cruise ship was transiting from Jacksonville to their first port of call in Nassau, Bahamas.

Wellons and his wife were taking part of a five-day Bahamas cruise that docked on Saturday.

His wife didn't report him missing until they arrived in Nassau, Bahamas around 8:30 a.m., saying he was last seen six hours earlier (around 2:30 a.m.)

After looking at surveillance video, authorities believe Wellons went overboard around 2:45 a.m.

( 2017 WXIA)

WXIA

Coast Guard searching for Georgia man who went overboard on cruise ship

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Search called off for Georgia man who went overboard in Bahamas - 11alive.com

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WITH just five months to go, Commonwealth Games Federation Director Matthew Curtain said hes satisfied that the Local Organising Committee is where they need to be to host the sixth edition of the Bahamas Commonwealth Youth Games.

And BCYGs managing director Rommel Knowles promised Curtain and the visiting delegates that the Bahamas will put on the best ever games commonly referred to as the Friendly Games - when its held July 19-23.

The youth games for boys and girls between the ages of 14 and 18 will mark the first time in 50 years that the Caribbean will host a Commonwealth Games event, coming off the Empire Games that was staged in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1966.

This is also the first multiple games that the Bahamas has hosted.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson said the games come when the Bahamas will welcome the world to the greatest sporting year ever held in the Bahamas with the games being just one of the many major international events that will take place.

The purpose of these games is for us to demonstrate that although we are a small group of islands, that we can be the number one sporting tourist destination on the planet, Johnson said.

This is to demonstrate to our young people all around the Commonwealth that there is a better way and this is that better way. We look forward to athletes from over 70 countries to come here and to give their best.

On Monday, the visiting delegates wrapped up a five-day trip to the Bahamas to conduct a site inspection and provide any further instructions for the LOC in their preparation for the games that will feature more than 1,000 athletes from over 70 countries in nine disciplines.

We are pleased so far with the progress by the Local Organising Committee, Curtain said. Its not a criticism, but the nature of the event, but at this point and time, you are right where you need to be at this time.

Curtain, who hails from Australia where hes served in a number of capacities as a sports administrator, praised the level of cooperation that they have received from Minister Johnson, Bahamas Olympic Committee president Wellington Miller and secretary general Knowles, who serves as the managing director.

Curtain said they are here to ensure that everything is in place as they forged towards July when the athletes will compete inAthletics, Aquatics (Swimming), Beach Soccer, Boxing, Cycling (Road), Judo, Rugby Sevens, Tennis and Beach Volleyball. It will be the first time Judo, Beach Soccer and Beach Volleyball will be included in the Commonwealth Youth Games.

Knowles said when they decided to take up the mantel after Saint Lucia, who was awarded the original bid, was unable to carry out its commitment, they have proven so far that the games are in the right place at the right time.

He recalled how they begin the process of getting their team together once they got the approval of the Bahamas Government through Minister Johnson and Prime Minister Perry Christie.

Weve had our ups and weve had our downs, but this is the first time that the Bahamas will be hosting a multi-sporting event and I can assure you that these will be the best Commonwealth Games ever held, Knowles said.

He publicly thanked Grafton Ifill Jr, who played an integral role in the organizing of the games from the day they put their tender to bid and he has continued to ensure that the work is getting done.

Likewise, he also commended Drumeco Archer, the secretary general of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations and Cora Hepburn, a vice president of the BOC, who have both assisted in the operation of the LOC.

Keith Joseph, known as the voice of Carifta from St Vincent & The Grenadines, said the Bahamas has always had great organizations and leaders, who have stepped up to the plate from former BOC president Arlington Butler to former BAAAs president Dr Bernard Nottage.

And coupled with the success of the Bahamian athletes from the Golden Girls womens 4 x 100m relay team to the Golden Knights mens 4 x 400m team, Joseph said the Bahamas has held its own in the region and indeed around the world in terms of sports.

With just about a year and a half ago when many people threw their hands up in the air after St Lucia pulled out of hosting the games, Joseph said they were quite relieved when the Bahamas put in a bid with Glasgow and Sri Lanka and was eventually granted permission.

I believe it was because of your courage and your commitment to sports that you were awarded the bid to host the Bahamas, Joseph said. In everything you have done in sports, you have always aspired to excellence and we are proud of your tradition.

Joseph said although they have been here from time to time, they are leaving this time with more confidence that the Bahamas will live up to that commitment to hosting a successful games.

The young athletes of the Caribbean are looking up to you, Joseph stressed. Your place in history is indeed remarkable.

Miller said they appreciate the Bahamas being in the spotlight as the host of the sixth edition of the Commonwealth Youth Games and he assured the rest of the Commonwealth that while they have accomplished a lot, they would make sure that the games are indeed a success.

The Bahamas is taking the games as if its our very own personally, he insisted. The Bahamian people are depending us and the 70 countries in the Commonwealth are depending on us and we will deliver the kind of games that everybody will be proud of.

In 2000, the Commonwealth Games Federation, headed by president Louise Martin of Scortland, hosted the first Commonwealth Youth Games in Edinburgh. The second games was in 2004 in Bendigo, Australia. It went to Pune, India for the third edition in 2008 and The Isle of Man hosted the 2011 with the 5th edition in Samoa in 2015.

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Bahamas ready for Commonwealth Youth Games | The Tribune - Bahamas Tribune

NASSAU, Bahamas, Feb. 14, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A picture is normally worth a thousand words, yet pictures of The Bahamas do the multi-island destination no justice. You'll simply have to come and see it for yourself, and when you do, we guarantee you'll fall in love - fall in love with The Islands of The Bahamas and with your partner all over again.

Perhaps you'll consider these activities to make your trip even more memorable than you had imagined. This Valentine's Day we're highlighting five (of many) reasons to fall in love with The Bahamas.

Looking for more things to love about The Bahamas? Log on to http://www.Bahamas.com or call 1-800-Bahamas for more information. Happy Valentine's Day from The Islands of The Bahamas!

The Islands Of The Bahamas have a place in the sun for everyone. Each island has its own personality and attractions for a variety of vacation styles with some of the world's best golfing, scuba diving, fishing, sailing, boating, as well as, shopping and dining. The destination offers an easily accessible tropical getaway and provides convenience for travelers with preclearance through U.S. customs and immigration, and the Bahamian dollar is on par with the U.S. dollar. Do everything or do nothing, just remember It's Better in The Bahamas. For travel packages, activities and accommodations information, call 1-800-Bahamas or visit http://www.Bahamas.com. Look for The Bahamas on the web on Facebook Twitter and YouTube.

Photos accompanying this release are available at:

http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=42177

http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=42178

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Five Reasons to Fall in Love with The Bahamas - Yahoo Finance