Category Archives: Bahamas

President Donald Trump announced on Monday nomination of San Diego business mogul and Sanford Burnham trustee Papa Doug Manchester as Ambassador to the Bahamas.

The position has been vacant since 2011, according to Bahamas daily newspaper Tribune242.

If confirmed, Papa Doug Manchester of California will serve as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, according to a White House memo.

Manchester was on Sanford Burnhams Board of Trustees in 2011 and after an absence, he rejoined the board in 2015, according to tax documents.

The future of the institutes Orlando campus is still unclear, but the remaining faculty continue to conduct their research and Sanford Burnham officials have said that they will continue to run the facility until they find a viable option.

Coverage of Sanford Burnham's departure from Medical City

Manchester is currently Chairman of Manchester Financial Group and leads his own charity organization, Manchester Charitable Foundation.

A well-known developer and philanthropist, Manchester is considered father of the San Diego Convention Center after his generous contribution of the property for its development, according to his website.

He acquired The San Diego Union-Tribune in 2011, which he then sold to Tribune Publishing Company now tronc, and parent company of the Orlando Sentinel -- in 2015. He has also bough several weeklies in San Diego.

In 2008, Manchester, owner of Manchester Grand Hyatt and The Grand del Mar, supported Prop. 8 in California, an initiative that would ban same-sex marriage. In response, gay and lesbian groups boycotted the properties, according to news reports.

An early Trump supporter, Manchester celebrated his election in a blog post in March, writing, for the first time, a true capitalist is in the White House, an incredibly smart man with a big heart and an amazing family. His entire focus is on doing what is right for America, not what is politically correct.

Ambassadors are confirmed by the U.S. Senate, although they could be rejected by the recipient country, which rarely happens.

President Barack Obama had nominated Cassandra Butts to the position in 2014, but she died suddenly last year and was never confirmed.

nmiller@orlandosentinel.com, 407-420-5158, @naseemmiller

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Trump nominates Sanford Burnham trustee as Bahamas Ambassador - Orlando Sentinel

The Coast Guard had been searching for an airplane with four Americans aboard that was reported missing Monday.

On board were Jennifer Blumin, 40, from New York City, Nathan Ulrich, 52, from Lee, New Hampshire; and Blumin's 3-year-old and 4-year-old sons.

The wreckage "appears to be airplane debris," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Eric Woodall, spokesperson for the US Coast Guard District 7.

It was spotted about 15 miles east of Eleuthera, Bahamas, by a helicopter crew. A rescue swimmer retrieved some materials to take ashore for identification.

The MU-2B airplane departed Borinquen, Puerto Rico, at about 11 a.m. Monday and became overdue after failing to arrive in Titusville, Florida. Air Traffic Control in Miami reported losing radar and radio contact from an MU-2B about 37 miles east of Eleuthera at 2:10 p.m. Communication was reported lost at 24,000 feet with a speed of 300 knots, the Coast Guard said.

The Coast Guard tweeted a photo of the missing plane.

CNN is trying to reach a spokesperson for the company.

The company confirmed she and members of her family were on the plane.

"Her family is working with investigators and we politely ask that you respect their privacy at this time," said Lt. Cmdr. Ryan Kelley, a Coast Guard spokesman.

WABC reported Ulrich was listed as the pilot, but it was not known who was flying it at the time, Kelly said. Blumin owned the plane through a consulting company, according to New York State and aviation records.

Ulrich's family is "devastated and shocked," his father, Gael Ulrich, said in a statement to CNN.

"Nathan is our beloved son, brother and uncle and we wish for resolution as the Coast Guard search continues," he said.

Actress Rae Dawn Chong, of "The Color Purple" and "Commando," tweeted that she and Ulrich were previously married.

Her tweet said, "My ex-hubby's (Nathan Ulrich) plane is missing over the Bermuda Triangle. I am sad and in shock. So send prayers to his family. Thanks."

Ulrich is a co-founder of Xootr, a New York-based company that manufactures scooters and folding bicycles. He is also listed online as a technical director and race car designer for Radon Sport.

CNN's Dakin Andone contributed to this report.

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Apparent airplane debris found off coast of Bahamas - CNN

NH man, 3 others on plane missing over Bahamas

Updated: 11:12 PM EDT May 16, 2017

WEBVTT AT DEBRIS FIELD TO RETRIEVEPIECES THAT WILL HELP IDENTIFYTHE PLANE.TONIGHT, THE COAST GUARD SAYSTHE SEARCH FOR SURVIVORSCONTINUES.THE COAST GUARD SAYS THIS IS THETWIN ENGINE PLANE THATDISAPPEARED.52-YEAR-OLD NATHAN ULRICH FROMLEE IS LISTED AS THE PILOT,PICTURED HERE ON HIS FACEBOOKPAGE.HE WAS FLYING 40-YEAR-OLDJENNIFER BLOOM AND, A NEW YORKEVENT DESIGNER.THE COMPANY SHE FOUNDEDCONFIRMED THAT SHE WAS TRAVELINGWITH HER THREE-YEAR-OLD ANDFOUR-YEAR-OLD SONS AND THAT SHEOWNS THE PLANE.THEY TOOK OFF FROM PUERTO RICOAT 11:00 A.M. MONDAY, BOUND FORFLORIDA.AT 2:10, MIAMI AIR TRAFFICCONTROL LOST CONTACT AT 24,000FEET.AT 3:30 THIS AFTERNOON, THECOAST GUARD SPOTTED A DEBRISFIELD AND OIL SLICK 15 MILESEAST OF AN ISLAND IN THE BAHAMAS.WE HAVE HAD MULTIPLE AIRCRAFTSEARCHING TODAY.WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THEROYAL BAHAMIA SEARCH FOR US.JEAN: THIS AFTERNOON, NATHANULRICH'S EX-WIFE, ACTRESS RAEDAWN CHONG, TWEETED MYEX-HUBBY'S PLANE IS MISSING OVERTHE BERMUDA TRIANGLE.I AM SAD AND IN SHOCK.SO SEND PRAYERS TO HIS FAMILY.AND THIS EVENING, THE ULRICHFAMILY POSTED ON HIS FACEBOOKPAGE, WE WERE DEVASTATED AND SHOCKEDTO LEARN THAT NATHAN, JENNIFERAND HER CHILDREN HAVE BEENMISSING SINCE LEAVING FROMPUERTO RICO ON MONDAY.NATHAN IS OUR BELOVED SON,BROTHER AND UNCLE AND WE WISHFOR RESOLUTION AS THE COASTGUARD SEARCH CONTINUES.OUR PRAYERS AND THOUGHTS AREWITH THE BLUMIN FAMILY.NATHAN ULRICH ATTENDED OYSTERRIVER HIGH SCHOOL AND WAS APILOT IN THE COAST GUARDAUXILIARY STATIONED IN CAPE CODFROM 2004-2015.

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NH man, 3 others on plane missing over Bahamas - WMUR Manchester

THE MANUFACTURER OF our 30 year old motor yacht, Ocean Alexander, has an annual rendezvous. This year it was held at Dunsmore Town on Harbor Island, Eluethera, Bahamas.

Long time boating friends, George and Jeanne Richter of North Fort Myers, agreed to join us on the month long cruise. It is essential to have an experienced crew along.

In late March we provisioned and Kathy prepared several menu items to put in the small freezer on the back deck. Preparation includes removing boxes from cereal, crackers, pizzas, and anything else that takes up extra room. A boat mechanic was summoned for last minute repairs and mechanical inspections.

It takes 2-3 days to cross the state of Florida on the Caloosahatchee Waterway through Lake Okeechobee. Then it was weather watch time for crossing the Atlantic, 94 miles from Lake Worth to Bimini. We fueled in Alicetown, Bimini at $4.35 a gallon and took on water at 75 cents a gallon. It is a prime location for deep sea fishing. The 143 mile trip to Nassau was uneventful except for the beauty of nature. After three days there we departed for Spanish Wells where we connected with Jock Morgan who would captain our vessel across Devils Backbone, a dangerous area of coral reefs around the north end of the island of Eluethera. The rendezvous was held at Valentines Resort and Marina and provided us with three days of planned activities and visiting eight yachts that were there.

Our daughter Stephanie and son-in-law Chuck flew into Nassau and took the fast ferry to meet us. After a couple more days of exploring Harbour Island we were ready to cruise to the Staniel Cay area of the Exumas.

On the way we enjoyed the 49 mile jaunt to the DECCA station on Pipe Cay near Staniel Cay. It felt like we were getting home as we tied onto the 150 foot concrete wall built by the British government as a Loran tracking station. The station has been abandoned for more than 20 years, since GPS replaced Loran. We have created many wonderful memories on that tiny island over the years. The only sounds are of the birds, the waves, the wind and the hum of our generator twice a day. When it was time for Stephanie and Chuck to go back to Minnesota we left the DECCA station and anchored near Big Majors, where the swimming pigs reside.

Steve and Cynthia Hibbard, my niece, of Ocala, Florida arrived next and we were able to get dock space at Staniel Cay. One of the highlights the following morning was snorkeling at Thunderball Grotto where the James Bond movie, Thunderball, was filmed. The Staniel Cay Yacht Club harbormaster, Chubby, said this winter was the busiest in history with a record number of chartered mega yachts in the Exumas. Some of these yachts rent for over $50,000 for one week plus expenses.

The Bahamas, especially the Exumas, have long been a favorite area to explore and relax. We noticed several differences this year that we had not experienced before. With little dock space available the anchorages were all full. The numbers of people aboard the large yachts caused the beaches where we formerly could find multitudes sea biscuits, shells, sand dollars and sea glass were all picked clean. We found several baby conch shells that had been taken out of the water and left to die. We were disturbed by the lack of respect for nature.

The cost of food, dockage, water, electricity and supplies had increased dramatically. The Bahamas had instituted a VAT tax and most restaurants now include a 20% gratuity in their bill. Parts which have to be shipped in have high duty. There are great mechanics and workers there and the people are still friendly and courteous. After a few repair challenges we returned to our Ft. Myers Marina to prepare for the summer in Minnesota.

Gene Johnson is publisher emeritus of Press Publications.

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Cruising the Bahamas - Press Pubs

Coast Guard Finds Debris From Private Plane Missing Over Bahamas Wall Street Journal (subscription) Searchers on Tuesday spotted debris from a plane that disappeared over the Bahamas with four people on board, including a New York woman and her two children, the Coast Guard said. Air-traffic controllers in Miami lost contact with the Mitsubishi ...

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Coast Guard Finds Debris From Private Plane Missing Over Bahamas - Wall Street Journal (subscription)

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came under renewed attack Tuesday in the House of Commons over his vacation on a private Bahamas island, following the revelation that the Aga Khan's island is legally owned by a company with ties to corporations located in countries known to be tax havens.

New Democratic Party Leader Tom Mulcair led offwith his questioning about the island'sownership structure.

"The prime minister's explanation of his now infamous vacation is so full of holes and contradictions it is starting to sound like a White House press briefing," he told the House.

"The prime minister broke the law by taking a private helicopter to the island. He defended this by saying that it was simply a family vacation with a family friend along with a few senior Liberals. Now we learn that the island doesn't actually belong to the family friend. So will the prime minister finally own up to this entire mess and admit that he should never have taken that exclusive holiday?"

Mulcair also called on Trudeau to admit that the helicopter used by the Aga Khan was not the only way to get to Bell Island.

Trudeau, however, stuck to his talking points, saying that he was co-operating with Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson's investigation into his vacation.

"This was a personal family vacation with a longtime friend, and I am happy to work with the ethics commissioner to answer any questions she may have."

The exchange came after an investigation by CBC News into Bell Island and the helicopter that carried Trudeau to the tropical retreat over the Christmas holidays found a trail that includes several different companies and four countries known for their favourable tax rules.

A wooden pathway leads to a scenic lookout on Bell Island in the Bahamas. (CBC)

The legal ownership of Bell Island involves a number of shell companies and nominee directors with links to Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse. A title search reveals that the legal owner of Bell Island is Island of Discovery Ltd. The directors of Island of Discovery are two other companies that were mentioned in the Panama Papers database of offshore tax haven documents.

A handwritten notation on the travel expenses for Privy Council technician Brad Cotten's tripindicates a $1,200 US payment for Cotten's accommodation on the island was to be remitted to a fourth company, Lexthree Ltd.

The reasons for the complex corporate structure are unclear, and officials working with the Aga Khan have refused to comment.

Setting up offshore companies is legal and there can be legitimate reasons for using networks of offshore companies with nominee directors.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with the Aga Khan on Parliament Hill in Ottawa a year ago. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

However, experts say it is also the kind of structure often used by those who are trying to hide assets or avoid or evade taxes. While tax avoidance can be legal, evading taxes is not.

On Tuesday, the Aga Khan was in Ottawa for the opening of the Global Centre for Pluralism, an education and research centre built in part with $30 million from the Canadian government. Reporters were unable to ask him any questions.

Although Trudeau was less than three kilometres away and has repeatedly described the Aga Khan as a longtime family friend, he was noticeably absent from the ceremony attended by more than 200 people.

Heritage Minister Mlanie Joly, the only member of Trudeau's cabinet to attend, refused to say whether Trudeau had been invited to the opening.

Joly was also tight-lipped when asked about the complex corporate structure surrounding Bell Island.

"This is a subject that is not linked to the government of Canada," she told reporters. "We committed $1 billion to countering tax evasion."

Conservative MP Blaine Calkins said the latest revelation about Bell Island underscore's Trudeau's lack of judgment in deciding to vacation there.

"It was a lack of judgment to spend taxpayers' money to go there in the first place," he said in an interview.

"It was a lack of judgment to not only break the ethical rules and the standards that he set for himself, not only that but the Ethics Act, when it comes to taking a flight on a private helicopter. Now it seems to be just compounding itself and it's a problem."

Calkins said he is concerned that the fallout over Trudeau's vacation and Bell Island could affect funding for the Aga Khan Foundation Canada.

"It would be a real shame, I think if this friendship that he has is going to affect the future funding for that foundation, which does good work."

Fellow Conservative MP Chris Warkentin waded into the debate during question period, asking Trudeau about his future vacation planning.

"Mr. Speaker, it is that time of the year again when families start making plans for their summer vacations. I am wondering if the prime minister can commit to getting an estimate in advance from the Privy Council Office on how much his summer vacation dreams might cost. I am hoping that he will maybe take that into consideration when he chooses what to do and where to go this time."

Duff Conacher of Democracy Watch, said Trudeau is talking about ethics but not "walking the ethics walk."

"Prime Minister Trudeau and the Liberal cabinet and government officials are not being careful enough in dealing with people who are seeking to influence their decisions, including accepting this gift of a trip from the Aga Khan."

Elizabeth Thompson can be reached at elizabeth.thompson@cbc.ca

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Trudeau under renewed attack for Bahamas vacation - CBC.ca

The 25.8C recorded in Gravesend, Kent, meant Blightly was hotter than the Bahamas, where the temperature peaked at 25C

BRITAIN was hotter than parts of the Caribbean todayas temperatures rocketed to make it the warmest day of the year so far.

The 25.8C recorded by the Met Office in Gravesend, Kent, beat the previous best of 25.5C set in Cambridge on April 9.

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It meant Blightly was hotter than the Bahamas (25C), Ibiza (24C) and Saint Tropez (22C).

In Wattisham, Suffolk, temperatures rose to 25.2C, while at Heathrow they soared to 25C.

In Cromer, Norfolk, they peaked at 24.9C.

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The scorching heat swept the south and south east as well as parts of the north west.

But for Yorkshire, large swathes of the Midlands, Wales and the south west 30mm of rain simply brought misery.

Met Office forecaster Emma Salter said: Its been a really mixed bag.

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The glorious sunshine in the south east and north west has sandwiched this large belt of heavy rain through the middle of the country.

For people in Gravesend the weather has been fantastic. But pity those poor folk from Yorkshire, Wales and the South West who have been hit by downpours.

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Theyve seen little in the way of sunshine and had to do with temperatures that only peaked at 18C.

Temperatures in London and the south east are expected to hit 25C again tomorrowbut forecasters warned it would be mixed with rain.

Rex Features

Rex Features

SOUTHERN England has just had its driest ten-month period since records began in 1910.

For the UK overall, it was the joint ninth driest April, recording 49 per cent of average rainfall. It has left soil dry and river flows well below average, the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology reports. But it said water restrictions are unlikely.

It came as the Association of British Insurers warned high winds resulting from climate change will push up insurance losses.

SWNS:South West News Service

Rex Features

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Britain hotter than Caribbean as temperatures soar above Bahamas in warmest day of the year so far - The Sun

STARRING AT JUNKANOO: Carlisle Juiceman Roberts of Roy Cape All Stars on stage.

Roy Cape All Stars did not disappoint with its Season of Brass tour stop during the Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival celebrations last weekend in the vibrant city of Nassau. Fans who travelled far and wide for the festivities were treated to stellar performances from the bands resident artistes - Blaxx, Ricardo Drue, Teddyson John and reigning International Soca Monarch, Voice (Aaron St Louis) - over three nights of entertainment. Other live band performances included Bunji Garlin and Fay-Ann Lyons with the Asylum Band and Machel Montano (also known as Monk Mont) and his full band. With thousands of patrons in attendance each night, Roy Cape All Stars continued their dominant display of versatility on the music scene, much to the delight of those in attendance. The band also performed sets with other guest soca acts such as Patrice Roberts, Farmer Nappy (Darryl Henry), Denise Belfon, Peter Ram and Lyrikal (Jesse James Enoch), who were very well-received.

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Roy Cape All Stars wows fans at Bahamas carnival* - Trinidad & Tobago Express

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A multi-billion dollar corporation yesterday said it was very, very interested in supplying liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Bahamas-based power generators, suggesting substantial economic and environmental benefits could result.

George Nemeth, director of business development for AES Corporation, told Tribune Business that the ability to load LNG on to smaller bulk vessels had opened the possibility for his company to supply the Bahamas and other Caribbean nations from its Dominican Republic and Panama hubs.

Acknowledging that more studies were needed to determine the economic feasibility, Mr Nemeth said the use of smaller vessels meant LNG supply could be tailored to meet the Bahamas energy demands.

The key point for the Caribbean, the islands, which have smaller demand needs, is that we are able to transship from our two locations in smaller vessels that are very economical, he explained.

What we hope for, from the island nations and their utilities, is that they explore the alternatives with LNG.

Mr Nemeth said the proximity of AESs Dominican Republic LNG regasification/storage terminal to the Bahamas and other Caribbean nations meant shipping costs would be kept competitive, ensuring the fuels supply was economically viable.

Speaking after the former Christie administration initiated a secret, hasty search for power generation solutions to aid Bahamas Power & Light (BPL), and reduce energy costs for consumers, Mr Nemeth said AES was unlikely to be interested in constructing a new power plant in this nation itself.

Explaining that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) listed company, which employs 21,000 persons globally, was more interested in supplying LNG as the primary fuel, whether to BPL or another power plant operator, he added that it was potentially the most economic solution for this nations energy problems.

Our interest in the Bahamas is more the supply of LNG, Mr Nemeth told Tribune Business. Its very, very interesting for us. What creates the interest from our perspective is, number one, what is the real need for the fuel on the island, and what is the economic proposition in the Bahamas?

Its very high, because the Bahamas is burning diesel. Gas can compete with the existing fuels burned in the Bahamas. Even if you include the cost of the infrastructure required to burn gas, it should be more economical than diesel.

Detailing LNGs virtues, Mr Nemeth added: Its a much cleaner burning fuel. The maintenance on the engines is substantially reduced as you have less residue and by-products coming from the gas.

You have maintenance savings, you have cleaner air, which is a huge driver for our customers, and we think it will be more economical through the whole value chain. There are substantial benefits to moving to LNG.

Mr Nemeth said that prior to AES constructing its LNG-fired power plant and regasification/storage facility in the Dominican Republic, the islands energy had largely been generated by fossil fuels and diesel.

He added that AES now supplied 30 per cent of the islands energy needs, while its ability to supply LNG via trucks allows it to provide 65 manufacturers and 15,000 vehicles with the gas.

The cost savings are in the hundreds of millions, Mr Nemeth said, due to the lower cost of natural gas versus the alternative.

We hope to bring lower-priced fuels, which translates to lower priced electricity for the Bahamas and electricity users. A lot of work needs to be done to get to that point, but it is likely a big benefit environmentally and economically for the island and lower electricity users.

AES, which has annual revenues of $15 billion, and assets worth $39 billion across 18 countries, has total installed generation capacity of 35,800 Mega Watts (MW) globally.

The company is no stranger to the Bahamas, having applied in 2002 for permission to construct a $650 million LNG regasification/storage facility on Ocean Cay,the man-made island near Bimini that will now be home to the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) private cruise island.

That facility was designed to supply Floridas energy needs, and AES even tried to sweeten the deal by offering to supply the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) in New Providence with the fuel.

Even that was unable to secure the necessary approvals from the first Christie administration, and AES ultimately abandoned the project after being unable to obtain a decision - a move that led to criticism of the Government from then-US ambassador, John Rood.

The former Christie administrations rationale for seeking new energy bids has yet to be explained, but it may be connected to its commitments under the Heads of Agreement with Baha Mars new owner.

The Christie administration has promised Chow Tai Fook Enterprises (CTFE) that it will address reliable and consistent supply of electricity on the island of New Providence, which will include the ability to meet the requirements of the project.

This involves the installation of all supporting infrastructure necessary to support secure and dependable electricity supplies to the project, without the need for unusual load-shedding or other interruption in electricity supply to the project.

This has to be completed by December 31, 2017, a deadline that the Government and BPL/BEC are unlikely to meet given that all are cash-strapped.

This leads into the other factor likely motivating the Governments action over BPLs generation; the need to refinance the companys $650 million legacy liabilities, and the difficulty it is having in doing so through the preferred route of a rate reduction bond (RRB).

The RRB would raise new debt to pay out all BECs legacy debts, pension deficit, environmental liabilities and such like, while also removing them from BPLs balance sheet, thus freeing the utility to invest in new and enhanced infrastructure.

Until this happens, BPL and PowerSecures hands are tied when it comes to moving forward, especially in achieving lower-cost energy that is more reliable, with fewer outages and blackouts.

The Government has found placing the RRB more difficult than expected, with financial institutions repeatedly telling it that the price (interest rate) being offered is too low to compensate potential investors for the risk they would be taking.

Given that RRB payments to investors would need to be financed by BPL customer payments, this would likely require an increase in electricity tariffs, which is why the Government has likely kicked the can down the road past the 2017 general election.

However, finding a group to take over management of BPLs existing generation assets, finance install new turbines and, eventually, pay for and construct a new power plant, would enable the Government to meet its Baha Mar commitments without going the RRB route and burdening Bahamian consumers.

In doing so, the Government would be performing a u-turn and going full circle, back to the structure proposed in the 2013 BEC RFP, which sought to split the utilitys generation assets from the transmission and distribution (T&D) operation.

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Multi-Billion Group 'Very Interested' In Bahamas - Bahamas Tribune

Miami Herald

Hubert Minnis is the Bahamas' new prime minister Miami Herald Hubert Minnis, a former health minister whose friends call him Doc, was sworn in Thursday as prime minister of the Bahamas, the country's fourth since the small island chain became independent of British rule in 1973. Fueled by the ruling Progressive ... Bahamas votes in closely-contested general election - Al JazeeraAljazeera.com Bahamas Opposition Scores Sweeping Win 0ver Ruling PartyVoice of America Complaints about voting irregularities mar Bahamas voteThe Spokesman-Review Antillean Media Group -Daily Mail -CalvinAyre.com all 75 news articles »

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Hubert Minnis is the Bahamas' new prime minister - Miami Herald