Bahamas wins bid to host 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup

MIAMI, USA — The Bahamas Football Association (BFA) was selected by the FIFA Executive Committee at its meeting yesterday in Marrakech, Morocco, as host of the 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.

This marks an important landmark in the history of the Caribbean as The Bahamas will become the first country in the region to host a senior FIFA tournament.

“It is an honour and privilege for CONCACAF to welcome such an appropriate tournament to the Caribbean region,” said CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb. “Congratulations to the Bahamas Football Association for their timely efforts in securing the bid to host the next FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. We wish them all the best in the ongoing preparations for this historic event and look forward to extending the Caribbean’s warmth and hospitality to all qualified teams in 2017.”

Led by a strong vision of development, CONCACAF has been steadily gaining presence in the international football arena by promoting the progress of its Member Associations and committing to the full range of opportunities for growth. Beach Soccer has gained increasing momentum and popularity since the first World Cup in 2005.

“This is fantastic and welcome news, not only for the football family of the BFA, but the Bahamas in general,” said Anton Sealey, President of The Bahamas Football Association. “It is unquestionably a tremendous honour and privilege to be chosen to host a FIFA competition and the 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in particular. On behalf of a grateful government and people of The Bahamas, I wish to thank CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb and the FIFA Executive Committee for the confidence reposed in The Bahamas to host this prestigious event, which undoubtedly will accrue tremendous economic benefit to the country.”

The Bahamas has hosted several recent sporting events, such as the 2013 CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship, the 2014 International Association of Athletics Federation’s World Relays, as well as the 59th FIFA Congress in 2009.

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Bahamas wins bid to host 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup

Bahamas immigration policy to be discussed at OAS

Monday, December 15, 2014 | 9:50 AM    

NASSAU, Bahamas (CMC) – The new immigration policy of the Bahamas government will come under scrutiny this week as Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell addresses the Organisation of American States (OAS), a government statement has said.

It said that Mitchell, who will address the OAS Permanent Council on Tuesday, will also attend a “series of meetings” with CARICOM’s OAS Caucus and the OAS Secretary General, Jose Miguel Insulza on Monday.

“The new administrative measures being taken by the government of The Bahamas to strengthen the country’s immigration policy and eliminate fraud are expected to take centre stage during these meetings,” the statement said, adding that “these administrative measures that took effect on 1st November 2014 have been the subject of much commentary both locally and internationally, much of which were based on misinformation”.

The Grand Bahama Human Rights Association (GBHRA) has been very vocal against the new immigration policy that requires non-nationals to show evidence that they have permission to live or work in the country.

It says it intends to challenge legally the new legislation tabled by the Perry Christie government that came into effect on November 1.

In the past, the GBHRA has said that the government and Mitchell in particular, have been “attempting to give their inhumane, immoral and illegal immigration enforcement policy the veneer of legitimacy by forcing a bill through Parliament, where they enjoy a substantial majority.

“In the first instance, the tactics currently employed by immigration officers to terrorize the Haitian-Bahamian community constitute clear violations of the Bahamas Constitution, the supreme law of the land.”

The GBHRA said the indiscriminate roundups and roadblocks are unconstitutional and that “the requirement that immigrants carry ID at all times is unconstitutional; detention without bail and in the absence of criminal charges is unconstitutional; and deportation without conviction by a court of law is unconstitutional.

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Bahamas immigration policy to be discussed at OAS

Bahamas immigration policy to be discussed at OAS

Monday, December 15, 2014 | 9:50 AM    

NASSAU, Bahamas (CMC) – The new immigration policy of the Bahamas government will come under scrutiny this week as Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell addresses the Organisation of American States (OAS), a government statement has said.

It said that Mitchell, who will address the OAS Permanent Council on Tuesday, will also attend a “series of meetings” with CARICOM’s OAS Caucus and the OAS Secretary General, Jose Miguel Insulza on Monday.

“The new administrative measures being taken by the government of The Bahamas to strengthen the country’s immigration policy and eliminate fraud are expected to take centre stage during these meetings,” the statement said, adding that “these administrative measures that took effect on 1st November 2014 have been the subject of much commentary both locally and internationally, much of which were based on misinformation”.

The Grand Bahama Human Rights Association (GBHRA) has been very vocal against the new immigration policy that requires non-nationals to show evidence that they have permission to live or work in the country.

It says it intends to challenge legally the new legislation tabled by the Perry Christie government that came into effect on November 1.

In the past, the GBHRA has said that the government and Mitchell in particular, have been “attempting to give their inhumane, immoral and illegal immigration enforcement policy the veneer of legitimacy by forcing a bill through Parliament, where they enjoy a substantial majority.

“In the first instance, the tactics currently employed by immigration officers to terrorize the Haitian-Bahamian community constitute clear violations of the Bahamas Constitution, the supreme law of the land.”

The GBHRA said the indiscriminate roundups and roadblocks are unconstitutional and that “the requirement that immigrants carry ID at all times is unconstitutional; detention without bail and in the absence of criminal charges is unconstitutional; and deportation without conviction by a court of law is unconstitutional.

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Bahamas immigration policy to be discussed at OAS

SuperClubs looks to expand resort in The Bahamas

SuperClubs’ Breezes is in discussions with the Bahamian Government over obtaining additional land to engage in an expansion of its Cable Beach resort property, according to Prime Minister Perry Christie.

Christie pointed to this in addition to the opening of Baha Mar as part of what the Government views as leading to a “renaissance of a special kind” for the area.

Christie pointed to a number of developments which he suggested bode well for the Bahamian economy in 2014.

– Nassau Guardian

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SuperClubs looks to expand resort in The Bahamas

Bahamas gov"t mulls removal of bail in gun crimes

Latest News

Tuesday, December 31, 2013 | 12:49 PM

NASSAU, Bahamas (CMC) – The Bahamas government says it is considering legislation that would impose additional restrictions on the ability of judges to grant bail in offences involving crimes of violence and the use of firearms. Prime Minister Perry Christie said Cabinet had discussed the crime situation in the country, particularly in light of the weekend drive-by killings of four people in the Fox Hill area.Christie said the police would escalation “saturation patrols” using both marked and unmarked vehicles and that they would also be “even more robustly equipped with cars and other crime-fighting tools as an integral part of the escalated saturation patrols, especially areas that are known as hot spots in New Providence”.He said there would be a re-instatement of the 12-hour policing shift, possibly on new terms and that a further announcement on this subject would be made once the necessary consultations within law enforcement have been completed.But Christie said that his administration is “deeply concerned about the number of persons who are arrested and charged with serious crimes while out on bail. “This is a major problem in the war against crime. The government is fully prepared to legislatively intervene to impose addition al restrictions on the ability of judges to grant bail in offences involving crimes of violence and the use of firearms. “He said cabinet had also directed the Ministry of Works to work “around the clock” to complete refurbishment of additional criminal courts so that as many as 10 criminal courts would be able to hear criminal cases simultaneously.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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Bahamas PM says Cabinet will discuss new anti-crime initiative following weekend murders

NASSAU, Bahamas (CMC) – Bahamas Prime Minister Perry Christie says his government will seek to “escalate the war on crime” after gunmen over the weekend shot and killed four people during a drive-by shooting.

Prime Minister Christie in a statement following the incident on Friday night, said that he and his Cabinet colleagues were “deeply distressed by the horri?c events” and the recent incidents of violent crime in the country, generally. “We must all join in a collective effort to beat back and bury this terrible scourge upon our land once and for all,” he said, noting that following talks with Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade, Cabinet would be meeting later on Monday “to strengthen and escalate the war on crime so that peace and a sense of security can be restored to our streets, our communities, and homes in the shortest possible time. Nothing is more fundamental than this. “The Bahamian people should feel assured, therefore, that my colleagues and I are absolutely resolute in our collective determination to bring crime ?rmly under control,” he said, noting that he had intended to use the cabinet meeting to formalize the deal reached with the British owned telecommunications giant, Cable and Wireless.“However, I have determined that nothing should distract us at this particular moment in time from the urgent need to escalate the war on crime. Accordingly, this crime-?ghting imperative will be the singular focus of Cabinet,” Christie said, adding that Cable & Wireless has agreed that “we should postpone the formalization of the new deal until January”.He said following the Cabinet meeting, he would be making a further statement outlining the speci?c measures “that will be implemented to battle and defeat crime in our country”.Police were continuing their search for the gunmen responsible for the drive by shootings at Fox Hill.Police Commissioner Greenslade has assured citizens that law enforcement officials were working tirelessly to capture those responsible for the crime.“We have recovered the vehicle which we believe was on the scene and occupied by those bad persons who left death…we are asking the public at large…who will certainly receive information about this to please call us as soon as you can, help us to take these dangerous people from our communities so that they kill no one else,” he added.Meanwhile, police said that a number of people will appear in court on Monday on charges ranging from murder to possession of weapons.They also said that a 29 year-old man who staged an armed robbery at the home of the Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis last month, will also be making a court appearance.

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Bahamas PM says Cabinet will discuss new anti-crime initiative following weekend murders

Bahamas PM says Cabinet will discuss new anti-crime initiative following weekend murders

NASSAU, Bahamas (CMC) – Bahamas Prime Minister Perry Christie says his government will seek to “escalate the war on crime” after gunmen over the weekend shot and killed four people during a drive-by shooting.

Prime Minister Christie in a statement following the incident on Friday night, said that he and his Cabinet colleagues were “deeply distressed by the horri?c events” and the recent incidents of violent crime in the country, generally. “We must all join in a collective effort to beat back and bury this terrible scourge upon our land once and for all,” he said, noting that following talks with Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade, Cabinet would be meeting later on Monday “to strengthen and escalate the war on crime so that peace and a sense of security can be restored to our streets, our communities, and homes in the shortest possible time. Nothing is more fundamental than this. “The Bahamian people should feel assured, therefore, that my colleagues and I are absolutely resolute in our collective determination to bring crime ?rmly under control,” he said, noting that he had intended to use the cabinet meeting to formalize the deal reached with the British owned telecommunications giant, Cable and Wireless.“However, I have determined that nothing should distract us at this particular moment in time from the urgent need to escalate the war on crime. Accordingly, this crime-?ghting imperative will be the singular focus of Cabinet,” Christie said, adding that Cable & Wireless has agreed that “we should postpone the formalization of the new deal until January”.He said following the Cabinet meeting, he would be making a further statement outlining the speci?c measures “that will be implemented to battle and defeat crime in our country”.Police were continuing their search for the gunmen responsible for the drive by shootings at Fox Hill.Police Commissioner Greenslade has assured citizens that law enforcement officials were working tirelessly to capture those responsible for the crime.“We have recovered the vehicle which we believe was on the scene and occupied by those bad persons who left death…we are asking the public at large…who will certainly receive information about this to please call us as soon as you can, help us to take these dangerous people from our communities so that they kill no one else,” he added.Meanwhile, police said that a number of people will appear in court on Monday on charges ranging from murder to possession of weapons.They also said that a 29 year-old man who staged an armed robbery at the home of the Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis last month, will also be making a court appearance.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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Bahamas PM says Cabinet will discuss new anti-crime initiative following weekend murders

Over 1,000 pounds of marijuana seized in the Bahamas

Latest News

Thursday, September 05, 2013 | 9:02 AM

MIAMI (CMC) – A joint task force from Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos (OPBAT) seized 1,220 pounds of ganja worth an estimated wholesale value of US$1.1 million in the vicinity of Andros Island in the Bahamas. On Thursday, the US Coast Guard said aircrews from its Air Station Clearwater in Florida were deployed on August 28 to “forward operating bases” and flew aboard the MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter, while providing aviation support to OPBAT missions.A deployed OPBAT aircrew stationed at the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Centre (AUTEC) “spotted the narcotics stash and vectored investigators to a remote site in the mangroves of Andros Island,” the Coast Guard said.After the stash was located, it said the Jayhawk aircrew hoisted and transported the narcotics to Bahamian law enforcement authorities in the capital, Nassau.The Coast Guard said nine suspects were arrested by the Royal Bahamas Police Force and also transported to Nassau.“This seizure displays the teamwork of several agencies working together to discover and stop illegal contraband from being trafficked in the Caribbean,” said Commander Mark Driver.“This Coast Guard, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Bahamian law enforcement seizure prevented nearly US$1.1 million of illegal narcotics from harming citizens of the Bahamas or crossing international borders,” he added.OPBAT is a combined DEA, Coast Guard and Government of Bahamas partnership to combat drug smuggling to and from the Bahamas.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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Over 1,000 pounds of marijuana seized in the Bahamas

Malaysia"s Genting to upgrade Bahamas airport

Business

Friday, August 16, 2013

MALAYSIAN conglomerate Genting Group is announcing plans to upgrade the Bimini airport as part of a US$150-million resort project in the Bahamas.The company says it will lengthen the runway to 6,000 feet to accommodate regional jets and add lights for night operations.Genting Chairman KT Lim and Bahamian Prime Minister Perry Christie attended a groundbreaking Wednesday for the company’s new 350-room hotel on Bimini. The company previously announced plans for a casino after acquiring the former Bimini Bay Resort and rechristening it Resorts World Bimini. The company also launched a cruise ship between Bimini and Miami. The airport expansion and hotel are scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.Bimini is a chain of small islands about 50 miles east of Miami.— APChaiman of Genting International Group KT Lim (right) with Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang during an April 2007 groundbreaking ceremony of the Resorts World at Sentosa construction site on Sentosa, a southern island tourist attraction off Singapore. (PHOTO: AP

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Malaysia"s Genting to upgrade Bahamas airport

Bahamas issues travel advisory for citizens going to Miami

Latest News

Thursday, August 01, 2013 | 11:14 AM

NASSAU, Bahamas (CMC) – The Bahamas government has warned nationals travelling to the United States to be careful about their possession as they embark upon shopping expeditions in the North American country.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said this “is the traditional season for Bahamians to shop before back-to-school and while shopping may not be paying particular attention to their documents and possessions. “We are asking them to take particular care because of reports of opportunistic theft of Bahamian passports and travel documents through break-ins in cars in the parking lots of shopping malls. We are advising all Bahamians travelling in the Miami area to be aware of their surroundings. Be sure that you are not followed.”Most importantly, nationals are being urged “not come out of cars if you are bumped at traffic lights” and that placing passports and other important documents in glove compartments and the trunks of your cars are strongly discouraged.”The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged all citizens to contact the Bahamas consulate in Miami if their documents are stolen.The government also warns that Bahamians could be charged with grand auto theft, if they are unable to return their rented vehicles within the stipulated time on the contract.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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Bahamas issues travel advisory for citizens going to Miami

The Bahamas receive Olympic bronze 13 years after games

Sport

Thursday, August 01, 2013

NASSAU, Bahamas (CMC) — The Bahamas Olympic Men’s 4 x 400-metre relay team has been presented with bronze medals from the Sydney Olympic Games of 2000.The team of Chris Brown, Carl Oliver, Troy McIntosh, Avard Moncur and Tim Munnings received the bronze medals after the USA team, the original bronze medal winner, was disqualified.“It is for me to say to each of you, as you accept this award, that you really made it possible for younger ones to believe that they could do better and that they could compete at the level of the Olympics and the level of the world,” Prime Minister Perry Christie said to the team receiving their bronze medals during a ceremony at the British Colonial Hilton.“It was a defining kind of performance — a defining moment in sports — and I thank you for it.”The decision to award the medals follows lengthy deliberations from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) which ruled back in 2008 to strip the United States’ team of its gold medal after it was revealed that one of its members had used a banned substance prior to the games.However, it wasn’t until last August that the IOC reallocated the medals.The decision moved the Nigerian team to earning a gold medal with Jamaica and The Bahamas being awarded silver and bronze medals, respectively.“I want each of you to reflect on your contribution to athletics in The Bahamas and to see, as professionals, what you are doing now, and to hope that, in some way, you are able to give something back,” said Christie.Christie urged team members to travel through the Bahamas to encourage young children to pursue their dreams in athletics.He announced that his Government would embark on the construction of sporting complexes throughout the islands.“I am hoping that tomorrow my Government signs off on the first one in Abaco,” said Christie.

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The Bahamas receive Olympic bronze 13 years after games

Bahamas profile

2 August 2012 Last updated at 06:56 ET An archipelago of 700 islands and islets, the Bahamas attracts millions of tourists each year.

The visitors come to enjoy its mild climate, fine beaches and beautiful forests.

A former British colony and now a Commonwealth member, the country is a major centre for offshore finance and has one of the world’s largest open-registry shipping fleets.

Continue reading the main story Politics: Perry Christie from the Progressive Liberal Party became prime minister for a second time in 2012Economy: The Bahamas is one of the region’s most prosperous countries. Tourism and offshore finance are important industries

Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

The Bahamas enjoys a high per capita income.

The huge growth in the services sector of the economy has prompted people to leave fishing and farming villages for the commercial centres in New Providence Island, Grand Bahama and Great Abaco.

Tourism generates employment for nearly half the labour force in Bahamas

This trend has compounded the islands’ dependence on tourism and banking.

As with other Caribbean countries, The Bahamas faces the challenge of tackling drugs trafficking and illegal immigration.

It has taken steps to clean-up its offshore banking system.

The Bahamas is a destination for migrants from its strife-torn Caribbean neighbour, Haiti. Tens of thousands of Haitians are thought to be living illegally in the country.

Bahamian culture is expressed most colourfully in “Junkanoo” street celebrations, which feature rhythmic music, dance and elaborate costumes and masks.

The island economy relies on tourism, offshore finance and shipping

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Bahamas profile