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Bahama Islands News, Articles and Information
US Judges expected to take part in GB Bodybuilding show
Excitement surrounding the upcoming Grand Bahama Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships is creating a buzz among bodybuilders that's getting louder and louder.With the June 24 competition a little over a week away, bodybuilders, locally, nationally and internationally are putting the final touches to their physiques.
The show will be three shows in one, featuring not just the regular GB competition, but a Novice competition and the USA versus The Bahamas battle.
The show is set to take place at the Hilton Outten Convention Centre.
The event is being co-sponsored by the Grand Bahama Ministry of Tourism.
With Bahamian athletes going on stage against U.S. athletes from the NPC, all athletes may feel relieved to know that not just Bahamians will be sitting at the judges' table on the night of the competition.
Hey stupid: First find Osama, then play your 'military whaling' games elsewhere
LOS ANGELES, California (3 July 2006) -- In an emphatic stroke for the rule of law, U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper today issued a temporary restraining order blocking the use of high-intensity, mid-frequency sonar by the U.S. Navy during sprawling international war games now taking place in waters around Hawaii. This type of sonar has been directly associated with repeated occurrences of mass strandings and deaths of whales, dolphins, and other marine species in U.S. waters and around the world. The court's order comes three days after the Pentagon took the unprecedented step of declaring the Navy exempt from the U.S. law requiring steps to avoid harm to marine mammals. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and other organizations filed suit asking for the restraining order last Wednesday, saying that use of mid-frequency sonar during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2006 naval exercises posed an unnecessary and avoidable threat to marine mammals and violated two fundamental environmental laws: the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
Electric switch-off threat
Members of the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union (BEWU) have unanimously decided to carry out their threat of "massive" industrial action after a failed meeting with Corporation executives.BEWU president Dennis Williams told The Guardian last night that members made the decision on Sunday during an emergency meeting.
"The executive officers of BEWU met on Sunday and unanimously decided to take some form of action in the very near future. While I will not get into any specifics the Union is going to take action and the Union is being forced to carry out this action," said Mr Williams. "We just have anti-union leadership and anti-labour leadership in BEC. They are trying not to negotiate or conciliate with the Union on anything, so the union is being forced to take action."
According to the Union boss the Ministry of Labour tried to set up a meeting on Friday with the principals of the union and the management at the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) and the general manager of BEC, Mr Kevin Basden refused to show up.
Tonique increases award
Last week, Olympic and World Champion Tonique Williams-Darling doubled her charitable awards that were created in April in memory of former mentor and coach, the late Keith O. Carey.Williams-Darling announced at a press conference at Bahamas Supermarkets Ltd. Head Office that the $500 hand outs would be doubled to $1,000. When she launched the award programme, she said she wanted to honour Carey for his generosity to her by donating a portion of her wins from all 400 metre races in which she ran faster than 51 seconds.
Last week, two after-school programmes focussed on giving kids a safe place after school and a better chance at life, became the first recipients of the Tonique Williams-Darling award.
"When I reviewed the applications of these two organizations, I was so touched by their energy, their ambition, dedication and the scope of their work whereas I decided to increase the awards," said Williams-Darling through a press release.
PM: Interest High In Ginn Development
Interest is high in the $4.7 billion Ginn project planned for West Grand Bahama, according to Prime Minister Perry Christie, who showed off the master plan for the planned development in the House of Assembly as he wrapped up debate on the 2006/2007 budget last Wednesday night. .Cash after Castro
The United States has hinted that some $80 million will be earmarked in new spending for Cuba, in an effort to help those opposed to Fidel Castro. The money will be used for pro-democracy movements in hastening change in Cuba which currently enjoys a strong relationship with the Bahamas. The US has a policy in place to undermine Cuba's planned succession from Castro, who will be 80 next month, to his 75-year-old brother Raul. News of the funding comes as the US Presidential Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba released an updated report, through Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, at a Washington news conference relayed to journalists in Havana by teleconference. She said that the report's recommendations reflected America's "resolve to stand with Cuba's brave opposition leaders: men and women who speak for those Cubans who are forced into fearful silence but who remain free in their hearts and their minds." She went on to say: "We are increasing our determination to break the regime's information blockade," Rice said in releasing the report.
Ritz Carlton and The Abaco Club provide more training for staff
MARSH HARBOUR The February 2006 merger between the Ritz Carlton and The Abaco Club was a sensational economic vision for Abaco. Now owners are moving forward by providing constant training opportunities for the employees at the resort."You can teach a person almost anything, but you can't give them a personality if they don't have one," Peter de Savary, chairman and founder of The Abaco Club, has said on many occasions, and this philosophy became the standard hiring doctrine at the club.
Consequently, The Abaco Club has always sought the best personalities to fill all positions at the resort, striving to provide the employees whom they refer to as "ladies and gentlemen" with the best of training, even before opening their doors in December 2004.
Since then the training trend has continued.
Sprint slows down as Gatlin, Powell absent from Greek meet
ATHENS, Greece (AP) -In the absence of the world's fastest men, Francis Obikwelu of Portugal won the 100 meters in 10.03 seconds at the Athens Super Grand Prix Tsiklitiria on Monday.Olympic and world 100 champion Justin Gatlin withdrew from the meet because of a mild leg strain.
Asafa Powell - who shares Gatlin's world mark of 9.77 seconds - also turned down a late request to run at the venue where he first clocked that time a year ago.
Obikwelu was delighted with his win.
"It was a very good race - my personal best for this year,'' he said.
He beat Marc Burns of Trinidad and Tobago and American Jason Smoots, who both finished in 10.13 in gusts and drizzle at Olympic Stadium.
In the women's race, American Torri Edwards won in 11.14 seconds, beating the Bahamas' Debbie Ferguson and Greece's Georgia Kokkloni, who finished in 11.17 and 11.33 respectively.