Category Archives: Bahamas

Every inch of the Bahamas is paradise, but there are few islands more idyllic than Harbour Island just northeast of Nassau, known as the Nantucket of the Caribbean. With such high demand from foreign buyers in the Caribbean, there are more homes than ever coming to the market throughout the islands. This includes two sister properties that hit the market for $29.95 million each: La Palmeraie #1 and La Palmeraie #2, which translates to the palm grove in French.

Leading these new sales is Danny Lowe, managing director of The Agency Bahamas, the global real estate firms 41st franchise and first in the Bahamas.

The Bahamas in 2021 saw record-breaking sales, with some firms saying it was the best it had been in 100 years, Lowe tells Robb Report. Demand remains steadfast throughout the Bahamas.

Its possible the sister properties will continue the record-breaking sales the island nation is experiencing. Both properties were developed by Bel Air Tremblant and built to exacting standards with the highest level of craftsmanship. La Palmeraie #1 is a stunning oceanfront estate with direct access to the world-famous Pink Sand Beach. This architecturally significant property has nine bedrooms and 9.5 bathrooms and sprawls over 11,000 square feet of living space.

The contemporary home is spread over two levels and has a clean, modern interior design with a neutral color palette and state-of-the-art technology. Theres plenty of natural light thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding glass doors, and tall ceilings for a breezy vibe. Amenities include a wine cellar, Sonos sound system, massage room, fireplace, movie theater and a gym. Outdoor amenities include an infinity pool, Jacuzzi, outdoor cabana, outdoor shower, landscaped gardens, al fresco dining and lounge space. It faces 118 feet of undisturbed beachfront on Pink Sand Beach with a striped beachside cabana.

Built in 2017, La Palmeraie #1 is considered one of the most successful rental properties on the island thanks to the stretch of beach just steps from the home. In 2021, the property generated $1.6 million in rental income.

Similar to its sister property, La Palmeraie #2 also has nine bedrooms and 9.5 bathrooms but with a stark white exterior and even more windows. The home, which wouldnt look out of place in Miami, is accessed via an exquisite, oversized staircase that leads to the front door. The sleek design has an open-concept interior, with 23-foot-high ceilings and generously sized living spaces.

Built in 2021, the floor-to-ceiling windows perfectly frame the turquoise ocean. Amenities include a 55-foot heated infinity-edge, ocean-facing pool, an eight-person Jacuzzi, outdoor kitchen, massage room, outdoor shower, Sonos sound system, a private cinema, a gym, and 1,500-square-foot rooftop.

These villas are arguably the finest beachfront homes in Harbour Island, Lowe says. Astronaut Scott Kelly once said that the Bahamas is the most beautiful place he had seen from space, and I feel like that sentiment resonates with Americans, too. The warmth of the Bahamian people, the assortment of shopping and entertainment and the ability to explore 700 islands and cays each with its own unique feel and look. You have the ability to choose from large sprawling mega-resorts with every amenity one can imagine, to quiet secluded beachfront villas where one can enjoy undisturbed privacy.

Check out more photos of the properties below:

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These Twin Beachfront Bahamas Mansions Just Hit the Market for $30 Million Each - Robb Report

Sean Kingsley

Co-author,Enslaved: The Sunken History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

Every Christmas, residents of the Bahamas head outdoors, crowding the streets of Nassau in celebration of Junkanoo, the countrys national festival. Tourists and locals alike applaud dancers parading in green and gold costumes to the otherworldly beat of drums, horns and bells.

Junkanoo marches not just at Christmas, but for funerals, museum openings and even to honor the arrival of Prince William during the late British queens Platinum Jubilee. Junkanoo is everywhere, on stamps, coins and five-dollar bills. A local beer, Kalik, is named after the sound of the cowbells rung during the festival.

Celebrated from Jamaica to North Carolina, Junkanoo is to many just a tourist commodity. Like Mardi Gras, groups compete to win prizes for the best costumes, music and performances. Crews of up to 700 people seek sponsorships from local businesses.

Behind the commercialized holiday, though, hides an epic foundation myth that traces Junkanoo to the Ahanta people of the resource-rich Gold Coast, in what is now western Ghana, and John Canoe, a mysterious African king who took on the might of colonial Europe and won.

The spirit of Junkanoo has been lost in translation, says historian Christopher Davis, sitting next to archaeologist Michael Pateman on the veranda of the Cricket Club in downtown Nassau. Behind them loom the guns of Fort Charlotte, built by colonial Britain in 1787. A stones throw away are the alluring sands of Junkanoo Beach. Nearby, cruise ships drop off passengers to explore the shore from which Blackbeard and Anne Bonny launched raids during the golden age of piracy.

Davis, founder of the nonprofit Sankofa Flamingo Foundation, and Pateman, director of the newly opened Bahamas Maritime Museum, are on a mission to uncover the truth behind Junkanoo. The earliest written records of a John Canoe festival date to 1769 in the Caribbean and 1801 in the Bahamas. But the exact circumstances of the celebrations emergence are shrouded in layers of myth and confusion.

The most common theory paints Junkanoos namesake, Canoe, as a faceless victim of the transatlantic slave tradea captive trafficked to the Bahamas, where he persuaded the English to giftenslaved Africans Christmas Day off. (Canoe is often described as a former slave trader in his own right.) The enslavers misunderstood the cultural meaning of John Canoe, instead hearing Junkanoo. When the holiday became a disruptive bother to the English colonial government, it dubbed them junk anew or junk enough.

Davis and Patemans research contradicts this backstory. Based on long-overlooked written and oral histories, they tie the festivals origins to Gold Coast hero Canoe, a warrior king of the Ahanta who was born around 1670. At a time when the slave trade and plantations in the Americas were the biggest moneymakers on earth, Canoe stood up to the Europeans exploiting his people. The scholars argue thatenslaved Africans who heard about Canoes defiance kept his story alive upon their arrival in the Caribbean, basing their own John Canoe festivals on celebrations held in their homeland. On December 26, 1849, for instance, the Nassau Guardian reported that several prize oxen, decked out in ribbons, were led over the town, previous to falling a sacrifice, and John Canoe came forth on stilts in style, much to the gratification of his numerous train of followers.

The actual Canoe allied himself with Prussia (now Germany) against the Dutch and the English, making his fortune first as chief broker of the Prussian Brandenburg African Company and then by trading gold on his own account. Crucially, Canoe controlled Cape Three Points, the only local source of fresh water.

The West feared Canoe, or Jan Kwaw as the Ahanta knew him, as a strong-made man, about 50, of a sullen look, who terrorized slave traders in the early 18th century with his army of 15,000 men. In January 1712, Canoe defeated Dutch forces at Elmina Castle, the largest fort on the Gold Coast; some30,000 enslaved Africans passed through itsDoor of No Returneach year. Later in 1712, on Christmas Day, Canoe blew up the gunpowder room in the Royal African Companys slave trading base at Fort Metal Cross.

Formed in 1683, the Ahanta-Prussian alliance proved short-lived, with the Prussians selling their African holdings to the Dutch for 6,000 ducats on January 17, 1718. When the Dutch sent ships to pick up the keys to the former Prussian fort that April, Canoe turned them away. According to a French memorandum, hereportedly said, If the king of Prussia was not intentioned to come and live in his fort, he was not entitled anymore to dispose of it in favor of any person, considering that he did not possess the land.As king of the Ahanta and the owner of the soil in question, Canoe declared himself master of the country.

Though the Dutch attempted to fight back against Canoe, his army killed most of the 120 European soldiers, supposedly paving the entrance of an Ahanta palace with their skulls.Canoe presided over the fort for another seven years, until a Dutch army forced him to flee into exile in Kumasi, among the Ashanti of southern Ghana. The kings fate following his defeat is unknown.

Davis and Pateman believe that Junkanoo began in the Bahamas as a reenactment of Canoes military feats, tied to traditional commemorations along the southern Gold Coast, like the Kundum festival of the Ahanta and Nzema people. The memory of Canoes epic battles also inspired the day when Junkanoo was held. On Christmas Day of all days, John Kwaw and his warriors attacked the British at Fort Metal Cross, Pateman points out. They knew that was the day when the British were putting their feet up and would have their eye off the ball.

Davis says, I put more credit in Kwaws military strategy than Junkanoo being celebrated just because slave masters gave [the enslaved] a day off. That would explain why the proverbial slave masters were afraid of Junkanoo.

He adds, John Canoe was a genius, the first Pan-African revolutionary. Think Stokely Carmichael meets Hannibal of Carthage taking on the might of Rome in 281 B.C.E.

The researchers findings suggest that less than 1 percent of Bahamians know the African roots of Junkanoo; more than 90 percent think Canoe was simply an individual enslaved in the Bahamas. In truth, Canoe was never shackled and shipped to the Bahamas. As far as Davis and Pateman know, he lived all of his life on the Gold Coast. As to the question of whether hewas a slave trader, the numbers dont stack up. Between 1716 and 1750, when Canoe took on the might of England and the Netherlands, records show that not a single enslaved person was trafficked out of Ahanta land.

Why would Africans celebrate a known slave trader? Davis asks. He may have taken Black enemy warriors [captive] in tribal battles, but that doesnt make him a major slave trader.

In 1721, at the height of Canoes fight against Europe and the transatlantic slave trade, the Bahama Gally landed 295 captives in the Bahamas. In a forthcoming issue of the magazine Times of the Islands, Davis, Pateman, and colleagues Alex Kwofie and Angelique McKay detail how this ships human cargo set sail from Ahanta land in Cape Three Points. After the Dutch defeated Canoe in 1724, two more slave ships bound for the Bahamas departed from Cape Three Points: the Nassau in 1730, with 133 enslaved Africans on board, and the Little Billy in 1755, with 92.

There were only 250 Black people living permanently [on the island of] New Providence in 1721, Davis says. Crucially, this evidence gives us a definitive early Ahanta presence in the Bahamas when John Canoe was giving Europe hell. This high proportion of Ahanta to Africans from other regions is quite unique to the Bahamas.

Pateman adds, The new arrivals on the Bahama Gally more than doubled the Black population. In that hold they carried their fear and anger, but also undimmed their culture, faith and memory of Jan Kwaw, whose name got attached to Junkanoo. A new festival linking the old with a new reality was born, rooted in our ancestors.

Exactly what happened on slave ships is largely unknown, with most glossed-over evidence of the voyages coming from records kept by European traders. In recent years, however, enhanced technologies, from rebreather diving gear to remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), have helped researchers recover firsthand evidence from the depths of the seas. Now, a new book, Enslaved: The Sunken History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, is the first to look at the trade from beneath the waves.

Between the mid-17th and mid-19th centuries, an array of Western powers, including Portugal, the Netherlands, France and the United States, competed for dominance in the slave trade. Near the top of the list of traffickers was Britain, which shipped 3.1 million Africans to Caribbean plantations between 1640 and 1807. Around 400,000 of these captives died while crossing the Middle Passage from West Africa to the Americas.

Among the wrecks discussed in Enslaved is a Royal African Company trade ship lost in the English Channel between 1672 and 1690. By studying it, scholars have opened a porthole into vessels like the ones used to transport captive Ahanta to the Bahamas.

The slaver, perhaps Captain Theodore Tylers Providence or James Butlers Lindsey, was returning home after completing the triangular trade between England, Ghana and the Americas, says Enslaved co-author Simcha Jacobovici. Its human cargo had been delivered to the Caribbean, and in its hold were elephants tusks and probably sugar, long scattered, and maybe gold. Half a day from the safety of home in London, a storm engulfed the ship. At a depth of 360 feet, it may be the oldest slaver known.

Among the artifacts found in the wreck are eight copper manilla braceletsprecious fragments of the currency of the slave trade. In 1517, an enslaved laborer cost 57 manillas; by 1681, the price had risen to 200. Between 1673 and 1700, the Royal African Company bartered a colossal 46 tons of manillas in the Gold Coast.

Kinga Phillips, an explorer who dived the wreck with Diving With a Purpose, says, Diving on slavers is unlike any other wreck experience. Each one of these manillas was traded for a human life, who once laughed and dreamed. These lumps of copper literally shackled a continent.

Until now, the copper for Englands early manillas was believed to have been imported from Sweden and Flanders. But Tobias Skowronek, an archaeometallurgist at the Technische Hochschule Georg Agricola in Germany, found otherwise when analyzing 100 samples from seven wrecks dated to between 1524 and 1843.

The metal from the Narrow Seas manillas turns out to be made from leaded brass. Its copper was mined not abroad but in Cornwall, southwest England, unusually with high amounts of antimony, arsenic and nickel mixed in, Skowronek says. This ships merchants were bartering with very poor quality impure copper manillas. This kind of metal was much cheaper than the standard refined copper. In other words, the Royal African Company was trying to fob off Africans with the shoddiest wares they could: buying low, selling high.

Trading manillas for people and packing them in hulls, pressd together like Herrings in a Barrel, as the Capuchin priest Dionigi de Carli put it while traveling in Ghana in 1667, is how the Ahanta captives ended up in the Bahamas.

Thanks to Davis and Pateman, Canoe is no longer a faceless Gold Coast warrior whose myth was greater than the man. In June, Otumfuo Badu Bonso XV, king of the Ahanta, formally recognized the pairs efforts to link Junkanoo with the Gold Coast. He anointed Davis Nana Asafohene Jan Kwaw II, King of the Warriors John Canoe II, to resurrect and carry on the legacy of Jan Kwaw I, and made Pateman a warrior of Junkanoo. The titles are not just ceremonial. They come with a burden of responsibility. Most pressing is settling a great Ahanta injustice.

After the Netherlands abolished the slave trade in 1814, the Dutch turned their attention to recruiting locals for military service in the East Indies. In 1838, the Ahanta rebelled, attacking Elmina Castlethe Dutch recruitment center where Canoe won a great victory the century priorand killing its commander and top officials. The ensuing conflict became known as the Dutch-Ahanta War.

At the height of thisclash, the Dutch executed Badu Bonsu II, an Ahanta king known as the Great Whale. They shipped his head to the Netherlands, where scholars set out to study how a Black Ahanta with limited firepower could compete against the mighty Dutch. Then Badu Bonsus remains went missing, only reemerging 170 years later, in 2002, when a writer found his head preserved in a jar of formaldehyde in a Dutch lab. The Netherlands repatriated the Great Whale to Ghana in 2009. Now, plans are being finalized to lay the king to rest in ancestral land.

The Ahanta believe the people of the African Diaspora can never rest, or that the potential of the Ahanta can be fulfilled, until the Great Whale returns home, says Davis. As Nana Asafohene Jan Kwaw II, he will join a royal delegation on a 300-mile walk from Accra, where the head is stored, to Buswa, the Ahantas traditional capital. We will stop at every village so people can pay their respects and end at the secret ancestral burial place, Davis adds. The return of the Great Whale is on track to be completed in 2023.

The transatlantic slave trade and horrors of slavery never broke the fighting memory of Jan Kwaw, the Great Whale and Junkanoo, and they never will, says Angelique McKay, founder of the Junkanoo Commandos, a group dedicated to bringing the celebration to the world. She is also the Queen Mother Asafokyereba of Pokesu by command of Otumfuo Badu Bonso XV.

McKay adds:

In Ahanta land, we saw the antiquity of Junkanoo in the Kundum festival. Only here do you see the same cow bells, triangular and tapered at the base, played exactly the same way as at Junkanoo. They ring these bells to summon the right energy from the ancestors. In Junkanoo, we always wondered why we have to ring bells for two hours straight. Its exhausting, yet we have the energy and wherewithal to keep going. Discussing it with the spiritual guardians of the Ahanta, we realized that Bahamians did this in the 18th and 19th centuries to try to get our ancestors to free us from enslavement.

As Davis concludes, In the Bahamas, Junkanoo is in the peoples blood. We are linked to some of the most formidable warriors in West African history. We feel we have to have Junkanoo or well go crazy. Now we know why.

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Unraveling the Links Between the Bahamas' Junkanoo Festival and Folk Hero John Canoe | History - Smithsonian Magazine

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, October 6, 2022 Significant physical support for the Turks and Caicos is on the way from The Bahamas to help with the crime situation. The announcement was made by His Excellency Nigel Dakin, TCI Governor in an address to the House of Assembly on Monday.

We are not releasing a date or more detail, just now, for operational security reasons, but very substantive support that the TCI public will see, and the criminals will feel, is inbound from The Bahamas, said Dakin.

Based on his address The Bahamas is the Caribbean country that has mobilized fastest to come to the TCIs aid.

Premier Washington Misick had announced on September 26th that he hadreached out to Jamaica; The Bahamas, the UK and Barbados for extra boots on the ground and was expecting positive responses.

Jamaica, which now has an extra stake in the conflict after gangs affiliated with the country were fingered as partially responsible for the violence is also working quickly to respond to thePremiers request.

The Jamaican Cabinet is meeting and we hope for support from them, as well. The trans-regional criminal links to their country makes a strengthened intelligence exchange a priority, Dakin revealed in the address delivered shortly after 10 a.m.

In addition to the Bahamian officers the TCI will likely see physical support from the UK in the coming weeks. Governor Nigel Dakin revealed that after the third double murder over the weekend he has also joined with the Premier in making requests to the UK, this time for soldiers.

I was on a call with the Directors General in No10, Ministry of Defense, Home and Foreign Office, at 5:30 am this morning working through with them the events of last night. He said I have asked for significant Armed Police and UK military support; the nature of that is being determined.

Already on the ground are firearms specialists from the United Kingdom, governor Dakin in a decisive statement said plainly more help is coming. In fact he was confident enough to gamble his job on the surety.

I can also say that His Majestys Government knows that should the UK not be able to live up to its obligations, what my honourable position will have to be.

No response from the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office has yet been shared publicly but Dakin promised to keep the country up to speed.

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The Bahamas PM says the country is in a much better place than 12 months ago, reviewing one year in office - Magnetic Media

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, October 6, 2022 Significant physical support for the Turks and Caicos is on the way from The Bahamas to help with the crime situation. The announcement was made by His Excellency Nigel Dakin, TCI Governor in an address to the House of Assembly on Monday.

We are not releasing a date or more detail, just now, for operational security reasons, but very substantive support that the TCI public will see, and the criminals will feel, is inbound from The Bahamas, said Dakin.

Based on his address The Bahamas is the Caribbean country that has mobilized fastest to come to the TCIs aid.

Premier Washington Misick had announced on September 26th that he hadreached out to Jamaica; The Bahamas, the UK and Barbados for extra boots on the ground and was expecting positive responses.

Jamaica, which now has an extra stake in the conflict after gangs affiliated with the country were fingered as partially responsible for the violence is also working quickly to respond to thePremiers request.

The Jamaican Cabinet is meeting and we hope for support from them, as well. The trans-regional criminal links to their country makes a strengthened intelligence exchange a priority, Dakin revealed in the address delivered shortly after 10 a.m.

In addition to the Bahamian officers the TCI will likely see physical support from the UK in the coming weeks. Governor Nigel Dakin revealed that after the third double murder over the weekend he has also joined with the Premier in making requests to the UK, this time for soldiers.

I was on a call with the Directors General in No10, Ministry of Defense, Home and Foreign Office, at 5:30 am this morning working through with them the events of last night. He said I have asked for significant Armed Police and UK military support; the nature of that is being determined.

Already on the ground are firearms specialists from the United Kingdom, governor Dakin in a decisive statement said plainly more help is coming. In fact he was confident enough to gamble his job on the surety.

I can also say that His Majestys Government knows that should the UK not be able to live up to its obligations, what my honourable position will have to be.

No response from the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office has yet been shared publicly but Dakin promised to keep the country up to speed.

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Bahamas Police first to answer call for help, as TCI grapples with deadly gang turf war - Magnetic Media

huge MSC Seashore measures 1,112 feet long and weights in at 170,412 GTMSC Cruises has announced it will homeport one of its largest and most advanced cruise ships to Port Canaveral in 2023, offering new opportunities for guests to experience the cruise lines latest vision for enhanced Caribbean cruising. (Port Canaveral image)

BREVARD COUNTY PORT CANAVERAL, FLORIDA MSC Cruises has announced it will homeport one of its largest and most advanced cruise ships to Port Canaveral in 2023, offering new opportunities for guests to experience the cruise lines latest vision for enhanced Caribbean cruising.

The MSC Seashore will sail from Port Canaveral beginning with the Winter 2023-2024 season as part of a larger expansion featuring a record five ships sailing from U.S. ports.

The huge MSC Seashore measures 1,112 feet long and weights in at 170,412 GT. Onboard, she can accommodate 4,540 passengers at double occupancy or 5,877 passengers at maximum capacity.

We are very excited to welcome the MSC Seashore to Port Canaveral and proud of our partnership with MSC Cruises, said Port CEO Capt. John Murray.

This announcement further demonstrates that Port Canaveral has earned the confidence and trust to deliver a world-class experience for their cruise guests.

MSC Seashore will sail from Port Canaveral with a mix of short cruises to The Bahamas and 7-night Western Caribbean sailings.

This will be the first time one of MSC Cruises groundbreaking Seaside EVO-class ships sails from Port Canaveral, and it will provide the first chance for fans of shorter cruises to enjoy MSC Seashores impressive range of amenities.

MSC Seashore takes everything our guests love about the iconic Seaside class of ships and turns it up a notch, said Rubn A. Rodrguez, President, MSC Cruises USA.

The ship is bigger, and its full of redesigned amenities from the pool deck down to the dazzling Le Cabaret Rouge lounge and theater. Guests sailing from Port Canaveral will love having MSC Seashore available for such a wide range of itineraries.

It is especially exciting to know how many of those guests will experience Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve and see firsthand how weve embraced the islands natural beauty, and how committed we are to sustainability. Caring for of the ocean and showing our guests the true extent of its wonders drives everything we do at MSC Cruises, said Rodriguez.

Itinerary Highlights

Short cruises of 2 to 4 nights: Calling at Nassau and Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve (The Bahamas)

5-night Western Caribbean: Calling at Costa Maya (Mexico), Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve (The Bahamas)

6-night Western Caribbean: Calling at Cozumel and Costa Maya (Mexico), Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve (The Bahamas)

7-night Western Caribbean: Calling at various combinations of Belize City (Belize), Cozumel and Costa Maya (Mexico), Nassau and Ocean

Cay MSC Marine Reserve: The Bahamas

Key highlights of MSC Seashore:

One of the largest and most luxurious MSC Yacht Clubs in the fleetthe all-inclusive ship within a ship premium concept providing guests with a premium cruise experience, private amenities, and 24-hour butler service.

11 different types of staterooms and suites with balconiesincluding the coveted aft suites, 50 terraced suites with extended balconies, and

32 suites with private outdoor hot tubs.

There are six spectacular swimming pools, including a new interactive Pirate Cove-themed waterpark and a spectacular new aft Infinity Pool, as well as two infinity hot tubs.

Five specialty restaurants in the redesigned Chefs Court on Deck 8 with two elegant bars, plus al fresco dining available at Butchers Cut,

MSC Cruises signature steakhouse, located on the stunning waterfront promenade.

The exclusive Top 19 Solarium for Aurea guests with its chic outdoor lounge area and bar.

The kids area is the largest in the fleet with more than 7,500 square feet of dedicated space featuring a futuristic new theme of space and planetary exploration.

Entertainment options for every type of travelerfrom the main theater and the stunning Le Cabaret Rouge show venue, to the larger-than-ever casino and sports bars.

CLICK HERE FOR BREVARD COUNTY NEWS

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MSC Cruises Seashore to Homeport at Port Canaveral for 2023 Winter Season, Will Sail to Bahamas, Western Caribbean - SpaceCoastDaily.com

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, October 6, 2022 Significant physical support for the Turks and Caicos is on the way from The Bahamas to help with the crime situation. The announcement was made by His Excellency Nigel Dakin, TCI Governor in an address to the House of Assembly on Monday.

We are not releasing a date or more detail, just now, for operational security reasons, but very substantive support that the TCI public will see, and the criminals will feel, is inbound from The Bahamas, said Dakin.

Based on his address The Bahamas is the Caribbean country that has mobilized fastest to come to the TCIs aid.

Premier Washington Misick had announced on September 26th that he hadreached out to Jamaica; The Bahamas, the UK and Barbados for extra boots on the ground and was expecting positive responses.

Jamaica, which now has an extra stake in the conflict after gangs affiliated with the country were fingered as partially responsible for the violence is also working quickly to respond to thePremiers request.

The Jamaican Cabinet is meeting and we hope for support from them, as well. The trans-regional criminal links to their country makes a strengthened intelligence exchange a priority, Dakin revealed in the address delivered shortly after 10 a.m.

In addition to the Bahamian officers the TCI will likely see physical support from the UK in the coming weeks. Governor Nigel Dakin revealed that after the third double murder over the weekend he has also joined with the Premier in making requests to the UK, this time for soldiers.

I was on a call with the Directors General in No10, Ministry of Defense, Home and Foreign Office, at 5:30 am this morning working through with them the events of last night. He said I have asked for significant Armed Police and UK military support; the nature of that is being determined.

Already on the ground are firearms specialists from the United Kingdom, governor Dakin in a decisive statement said plainly more help is coming. In fact he was confident enough to gamble his job on the surety.

I can also say that His Majestys Government knows that should the UK not be able to live up to its obligations, what my honourable position will have to be.

No response from the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office has yet been shared publicly but Dakin promised to keep the country up to speed.

See the original post here:

Regressive recession looming, forces UN to issue Cease and Desist message to big countries - Magnetic Media

The Bahamas are a byword for beach-vacation bliss. Scattered like emeralds between Florida and the Caribbean, this Atlantic archipelago comprises more than 3000 subtropical islands and cays, most uninhabited.

Lushly subtropical, theyre fringed with teeming coral reefs and world-famous beaches, offering as much to divers and hikers as they do to sunseekers in search of banging beachside bars.

Here are the best eight places to visit in the Bahamas.

Nassau is the unchallenged nightlife capital of the Bahamas. Historically a haven for pirates and smugglers, the city's treasures now attract travelers.

Ground zero for any Nassau night out is the Fish Fry on Arawak Cay, just west of the center of town. Shacks slinging fried fish, freshly cut conch salad and sky juice (a local favorite drink of gin, green coconut water and condensed milk) mingle with bars booming out reggae and rake-and-scrape (the local sound) from 7pm every evening.

Once your nights started, head back downtown for rum punch and sandy toes at the clapboard bars of Junkanoo Beach, a Black Beerd Stout at Pirate Republic microbrewery or even a dress-up-nice cocktail at Sky Bar.

Planning Tip: If you want an early kick-off, John Watlings Distillery a working rum factory in a gorgeous 18th-century estate opens at 10am.

One of Ernest Hemingways favorite fishing grounds, the tiny Biminis are only 80km (50 miles) from Florida. Sitting on the edge of the Gulf Stream, theyre magnets for game fishers seeking the marlin, sailfish and swordfish that swarm these waters.

Head for Alice Town, North Bimini, and base yourself among the best selection of hotels and restaurants. Stay at the Bimini Big Game Club for a taste of 1950s luxury and guided game fishing jaunts and make sure to visit the gloriously eccentric Dolphin House, part museum and part loving tribute to the wild dolphins of the Bahamas.

Hungry? Stuarts Conch Stand in Bailey Town does some of the best conch and lobster salads in the islands.

Planning Tip: The billfish these waters are famed for are most plentiful in summer.

Known as "Briland'' to locals and regular visitors, lovely little Harbour Island is a favorite haunt of celebrities such as George Glooney and Jessica Alba.A short water-taxi ride from parent-island Eleuthera, its famous for colonial architecture and stunning sandscapes such as Pink Sands Beach, rose-tinted with crushed coral.

Briland is blessed with boutique accommodations like Pink Sands Resort and Runaway Hill,formerly a grand private seafront estate that was built in the 1940s. Youre always just a serene stroll away from fine restaurants like Malcolm 51 and Rock House Restaurantor thesandy floors and sunsets at Gustys Bar.

Planning Tip: Bahamas Ferries' fast boats get you from Nassau to Harbour Island in two hours and in greater comfort than a flight to Eleuthera.

The British history of the Bahamas is most evident in Elbow Cay. The prettiest of the gorgeous Abacos islands, its epicenter is Hope Town, founded by British loyalists in 1785 and distinguished by bougainvillea, brightly painted cottages and the iconic Elbow Reef Lighthouse.

Its sheltered bay bristling with masts, Hope Town is also a yachting haven. Happily, its car-free streets are blessed with winsome hotels like the Abaco Inn, both exemplars of the pastel clapboard architecture thats strictly maintained here. Knowledgeable local operators like Sundried Ts and Froggies Out Island Adventures rent surfboards and guide diving and snorkeling expeditions on surrounding reefs and beaches.

Mangroves meet underwater caves in one of the Bahamas greatest natural attractions:Lucayan National Park on Grand Bahama. Named for the original inhabitants of the Bahamas and populated by raccoons and native birds like the Bahama woodstar hummingbird, this 16-hectare (40-acre) swath of protected wilderness encompasses all six naturally occurring Bahamian vegetation zones. Bens Cave and Burial Mound Cave are just two of the most easily accessed of its underwater cave system, one of the worlds longest.

Bahamas EcoVentures is our pick for walking tours with expert guides, while Grand Bahama Nature Tours leads fantastic kayaking expeditions around the parks mangrove-fringed coast.

Planning Tip: Grand Bahama International Airport flies direct to Miami, Fort Lauderdale and several other North American cities.

The Exumas, a central-Bahamian archipelago, is known for secluded resort luxury and incredible diving. At its heart lies the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, the Bahamas' richest reef ecosystem. The 283 sq km (109 sq mile) expanse encompasses more than 300 islands and cays, pristine fringing reefs and idyllic sailing waters.

Dive Exuma, the only PADI-certified dive shop in Great Exumas capital George Town, is the experienced, professional outfit we recommend to explore this undersea fantasia.

If you want to see Exumas famous swimming pigs, you cant go past Staniel Cay Yacht Club, a beachside haven of bungalows, kayaking and stress-free comfort thats as close as you can get to Big Major Cays Pig Beach.

Andros, the "Big Yard," is the largest island in the Bahamas, and one of the wildest. Its 5960 sq km (2301 sq miles) of mangrove, pine forest and reef are dotted with "blue holes," deep karst sinkholes that sustain unique ecosystems and provide perhaps the islands greatest spectacle.

More abundant here than anywhere else on earth, theyre the focus of the 16,1870-hectare (40,000-acre)Blue Holes National Park. Trails and information boards lead travelers to the parks more accessible sites, such as Captain Bills Hole, where youll find both a swimming deck and bathrooms.

Others, including Cousteaus Hole (named for the famous undersea explorer), are less accessible but equally inviting to hikers and swimmers. Small Hope Bay Lodge, set against the mangroves in nearby Andros Town, offers 21 luxurious units and activities including blue-hole dives and snorkeling "safaris."

Planning Tip: Theres no public transport on the Bahamas biggest island. Rent a car at Andros Town Airport.

Conception Island is a secluded pocket of paradise that seems almost entirely untouched by humans. Its the centerpiece of Conception Island National Park, an oasis of thriving mangroves, vivid coral gardens and abundant wildlife. Conception Island Wall, a gorgeous playground of coral heads, sponges and colorful critters, starts at 14m (46ft) in waters of exceptional clarity.

These waters and the beaches they wash are home to abundant green turtles, fish nurseries, conch and crawfish. Conceptions unpeopled forests are also an important sanctuary for migratory birds.

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The best 8 places to visit in the Bahamas - Lonely Planet Travel News

IRELAND: CARLOW

Kyleballyhue House is a six-bedroom Georgian house that sits on 1 hectare (2.5 acres) just 5km from Carlow town. Constructed in 1808, the property retains many period details and extends to 418 sq m (4,499 sq ft). While it needs upgrading, there is huge potential with a courtyard to the rear and a substantial number of granite, two-storey detached outbuildings and stables. Price: 399,000. Agent: realestatealliance.ie

BAHAMAS: NASSAU

This one-bedroom junior suite lies on the ocean side of Reef Tower where all residences have been recently renovated with granite countertops and European-style kitchen carpentry. Communal facilities include a private gym, cafe and an owners concierge who can organise everything from dinner reservations to massages and cocktail parties. Owners will have access to all the amenities of the Atlantis Resort. Price: $400,000/415,240. Agent: sothebysrealty.com

FRANCE: SAVOIE

This new two-bedroom apartment lies in a ski-in, ski-out development and comes fully furnished. There is a wellness area with sauna, steam room, indoor pool and spa treatment area, along with a childrens play area and large terrace with outdoor Jacuzzi. The selling agency offers managed rental for those seeking investment opportunities. Price: 400,000. Agent: terresens.co.uk

ROMANIA: MARAMURES

Extending to 1,440 sq m (15,500 sq ft), this historic property has 25 bedrooms set over four floors. Constructed in 1880-1890 by the Austro-Hungarian state, the property was originally used as a bank. The roof and windows have been replaced and it could be remodelled into a hotel or other commercial unit. It sits on almost half an acre. Price: $349,515/362,835. Agent: sothebysrealty.com

GREECE: AEGINA

Located an hour from Piraeus, this 350 sq m (3,767 sq ft) house on the island of Aegina has six bedrooms and four bathrooms. Constructed in 1978, it was renovated in 2013 and has two livingrooms and two kitchens, so has income potential from summer rentals. The property has solar water heating and is 10m from the sea. Price: 399,000. Agent: en.spitogatos.gr

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Take 5: What will 399000 buy in the Bahamas, Greece, France, Romania and Carlow? - The Irish Times

Nick Cannon Set to Party in Paradise as Special Guest DJ December 31Plus, renowned violinist Ezinma and a Surprise Celebrity Performance to ring in 2023

The Chainsmokers Concert Set for January 1

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas, Sept. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Atlantis Paradise Island announces the return of Party Like A Royal, its annual celebration ringing in the new year from the resort's famed Royal Deck. The event will feature a neon light display, renowned violinist Ezinma, a DJ set from MTV award winnerNick Cannon plus a can't-miss surprise celebrity performance. The festivities continue on New Year's Day, celebrating the start of 2023 with the GrammyAward-winning duo The Chainsmokers on the Royal Deck.

The Party Like A Royal celebration starts at 9:00 p.m. with an opening DJ followed by the famed violinist Ezinma. Immediately following, Nick Cannon's special DJ set leads into announcing a surprise guest performance on stage. An unmatched Grucci fireworks display will ring in the New Year with a bang. Attendees will also enjoy an interactive display of up-close entertainment and activations throughout the night.

The next day, The Chainsmokers will perform kicking off the new year with a high-energy concert under the iconic silhouette of The Royal Towers. The artist and producer duo will perform hits including "Paris," featuring Emily Warren; "Something Just Like This," featuring Coldplay; and "Who Do You Love," featuring 5 Seconds of Summer.

"Since Atlantis opened nearly 25 years ago, the resort has been the leader in producing world-class live concerts and creating unforgettable experiences for visitors and guests. This year's theme of electric glow has allowed our team to pull together some of the most visual entertainment you can imagine. Guests will be amazed and never forget New Year's at Atlantis," said Audrey Oswell, President and Managing Director of Atlantis Paradise Island.

Actor, comedian, producer, DJ and TV host Nick Cannon has entertained audiences for over 20 years. Cannon is best known for his work as creator, host, and executive producer of the sketch comedy show MTV'sWild' N Out. He is also the executive producer of Fox's hit TV series The Masked Singer.

Alex Pall and Drew Taggart, known professionally as The Chainsmokers, have topped the Billboard Charts with multi-platinum hits "Roses," featuring Rozes; "This Feeling," featuring Kelsea Ballerini; and "Closer," featuring Halsey, the longest-running #1 single of 2015 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The pair won a GrammyAward for Best Dance Recording for "Don't Let Me Down," featuring Daya. They also won two Billboard Music Awards and have been nominated for MTV Video Music Awards and Teen Choice Awards.

Tickets for Party Like a Royal New Year's Eve and Chainsmokers' performance events are available now at NewYearsAtlantis.com. Early access tickets for Party Like a Royal New Year's Eve are on sale now at $299 per person. Tickets for The Chainsmokers' performance on January 1, 2023 start at $189. Doors for the show will open at 8:00p.m. The Party Like a Royal New Year's Eve event and The Chainsmokers concert are open to Atlantis guests and non-guests.

About Atlantis Paradise Island:

Atlantis Paradise Island, a lush, oceanside resort located on Paradise Island in The Bahamas, is a dynamic destination that launched over 25 years ago as a first-of-its-kind modern marvel of nature and engineering. Bahamian culture and the spirit of its beloved team members are the heart and soul of this legendary resort. The immersive programming connects guests to the rich history, art, people, food, and festivities of The Bahamas while remaining dedicated to sustainability and environmental conservation.

Atlantis features five unique lodging options: the grand iconic towers of The Royal, family-friendly accommodations at The Coral, water-side villas at Harborside Resort, all-suite luxury accommodations at The Cove, and residential-style accommodations with full kitchens at The Reef. The resort is centered around Aquaventure, an innovative, 141-acre waterscape of thrilling slides and river rides, eleven pools, and five miles of white sand beaches. Home to the largest open-air marine habitat in the world, over 50,000 marine animals from 250 species make their home in natural ocean-fed environments. With its unparalleled meeting and convention space, the well-appointed Atlantis Marina with 63 slips hosting vessels up to 250 feet/76 meters overlooking Marina Village and more, the Atlantis experiences are endless and unique to each traveler. Additional resort amenities include the 30,000 sq ft tranquil Mandara Spa that features an outdoor lap pool, state-of-the-art fitness center and wellness programs, a newly opened tennis center offering tennis lessons, equipment rental plus three clay courts and three hard courts, a full size basketball court, a 400-seat movie theatre, Atlantis Kids Adventures (AKA) for children ages 3-12, gaming arcade and CRUSH, a nightclub for teens ages 13-17. Jokers Comedy and Night Club offers nightly entertainment and live music. The resort is also home to an award-winning 18-hole golf course designed by Tom Weiskopf, renowned Atlantis Casino, duty-free shopping, and restaurants and lounges with celebrity chef culinary masterpieces, including Fish by Jos Andrs, Nobu, by Nobu Matsuhisa, and Olives, by Todd English. Guests of Atlantis Paradise Island have exclusive access to unforgettable excursions led by local partners including Pieces of 8 boat tours, Tropic Ocean Airways and Coco Bahama Seaplanes. Day trips to The Bahamas' out islands of Exuma and Eleuthera to swim with pigs and nurse sharks or feed iguanas in their natural habitats are a few of many #BahamasAtHeart itineraries travelers can discover.

Atlantis has committed to a meaningful connection with the ocean, marine life, sustainability, and environmental stewardship through its purpose-led efforts with Dolphin Cay and the Atlantis Blue Project Foundation (ABPF). Dolphin Cay, the resort's 14-acre marine mammal habitat, is an advanced marine education center and animal rescue rehabilitation hospital whose first residents include 17 rescue dolphins from Hurricane Katrina. Visitors to Dolphin Cay, one of the world's largest and most sophisticated marine-mammal habitats in the world, can participate in creative, non-disruptive "interactions" that build real awareness, stir emotion, and help fund the resort's conservation efforts. Every visit to Dolphin Cay and each Atlantis Marine Adventure, such as snorkeling and SCUBA diving, benefits ABPF, the resort's nonprofit 5013 organization dedicated to saving sea species and their extraordinary habitats throughout The Bahamas and surrounding Caribbean seas. Atlantis Paradise Island offers a variety of unforgettable excursions with local partners including Pieces of 8, which offers day trip trips to Exuma and Eleuthera to swim with pigs and nurse sharks or feed iguanas in the wild, and Coco Bahamas Air to help visitors explore the destination.

About The Chainsmokers:

GrammyAward-winning and Billboard Chart topping artist/producer duo, The Chainsmokers have evolved into a dominating musical force with a diverse repertoire of songs that have led them to become one of music's hottest recording artists. Comprised of Alex Pall and Drew Taggart, their signature sound deftly reaches indie, progressive and pop realms and has seen them develop some of the biggest breakthrough songs over the last few years. In 2016, the group catapulted to worldwide stardom with 3 Multi-Platinum certified hits - "Roses," featuring Rozes, "Don't Let Me Down" featuring Daya, and "Closer," featuring Halsey, which went on to become the longest-running #1 single of 2016 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In April 2017, the group released their debut album via Disruptor/Columbia Records titledMemoriesDo Not Open. The album was certified Platinum, debuted at #1 in the U.S. on the Billboard 200 chart and produced Multi-Platinum certified smash hits "Paris" and "Something Just Like This" featuring Coldplay.In December 2018, The Chainsmokers released building albumSick Boy, which includes the Platinum-certified single "This Feeling," featuring Kelsea Ballerini and "Side Effects," featuring longtime collaborator Emily Warren.

In December 2019, the duo released new music to comprise their latest building album, titledWorld War Joy,which includes the 2 Platinum-certified singles "Who Do You Love" featuring 5 Seconds of Summer and "Call You Mine" featuring Bebe Rexha. The 2 Gold certified songs "Takeaway" with ILLENIUM featuring Lennon Stella and "Hope" featuring Winona Oak. The duo was nominated for a 2019 MTV Video Music Award and multiple 2019 Teen Choice Awards. It was honored with two wins at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards for Top Dance/Electronic Artist and Top Dance/Electronic Album forSick Boy.They took their latest album on the road for the 2019 Fall headlining "WORLD WAR JOY" North American arena tour while maintaining their extended Wynn Nightlife Residency in Las Vegas. The brand-new live show featured some next-level production elements never before done by The Chainsmokers, including a 60ft+ custom mega structure, levitating stages, and a 5,000 pound 'Globe of Death.' Their fourth studio album, "So Far So Good," was released in May of 2022 and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard/Electronic album chart.

SOURCE Atlantis Paradise Island

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ATLANTIS PARADISE ISLAND ANNOUNCES PARTY LIKE A ROYAL NEW YEAR'S EVE CELEBRATION AND THE CHAINSMOKERS PERFORMING ON NEW YEAR'S DAY - PR Newswire

By Sherrica Thompson

Staff Writer

#TheBahamas, October 1, 2022 Prime Minister of the Bahamas Phillip Brave Davis is again calling for equality in the financial services sector and for the United Nations to leverage its universal jurisdiction for greater oversight of global anti-money laundering de-risking and tax cooperation matters.

In addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, September 24, Prime Minister Davis said the Bahamas is one of the best-regulated countries in the world, yet it has been under attack by international bodies and placed on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) blacklist while transgressions in the developed world are ignored.

He questioned why this was the case and highlighted some disparities in the financial sector.

Why is it that European states that operate frameworks akin to that of high-risk or blacklisted countries, are not even eligible for inclusion on these lists? Why are all the countries targeted all of them small and vulnerable, and former colonies of European states? We find it astounding that the $2-$3 trillion dollars which is estimated to be laundered each year through the developed countries, are never flagged as causes for concern, articulated Phillip Davis, addressing the 77th session in New York.

Prime Minister Davis further noted that there are elements of racism in the decision-making when it comes to regulating black-governed countries in the financial services sector. He also declared that black-governed countries matter as well.

And yet my country, which is widely recognized as one of the best-regulated countries in the world, and other countries like The Bahamas, are singled-out for such reputational attacks? The robust regulatory regimes of our Central Bank, Securities Commission, and Insurance Commission, are chastised on minor details of technical process, while much bigger transgressions in the developed world are ignored.

The evidence is mounting, that the considerations behind these decisions have less to do with compliance, and more to do with darker issues of pre-judged, discriminatory perceptions. Black-governed countries also matter.

Davis also highlighted the need for reforms that apply to all in the global financial system.

Mr. President: We support the call for reforms in the global financial system to make it more relevant to the needs of today. But those reforms need ambition. They need to go beyond the incremental. And they need to apply to all. For example, the community of international financial institutions are in a position to forgive the debt incurred by the economic shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. They should do so.

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Statement to Update on the Sale of the Grand Lucayan - Magnetic Media