NATIONAL NOTES
Members of the Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union demonstrated in Parliament Square twice in one week during Parliamentary sessions. The Union is resisting moves to privatise the Bahamas Telecommunications Corporation (BaTelCo) and was annoyed by comments made by Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham that the Union's President, Shane Gibson, should be more co-operative with government. In a press conference on 4th February the Prime Minister said BaTelCo was one of the few government-owned national communication enterprises in the world. The United States, through the Federal Communications Commission, was insisting that telecommunications rates be reduced world wide. It would be impossible for a small country to support its telecommunications services and keep abreast of latest consumer technology with the greatly reduced rates insisted upon by the US. As BaTelCo's main international services pass through the US the Corporation was in no position to "go it alone". It was intended to sell 49% of BaTelCo to a US company and the government retain 51%.
A cruise ship carrying 900 gay passengers that had previously been refused docking permission in the Cayman Islands was given permission to land passengers in the Berry Islands. This sparked a protest by some Ministers of the Gospel in The Bahamas where homosexuality is still on the law books. In the event, bad weather prevented the ship coming to The Bahamas. "An answer to our prayers," said one Nassau minister.
Bahamian middleweight boxer Freeman Barr successfully defended his International Boxing Organisation title in Nassau on 31st January with a 7th round TKO against US opponent Tommy Small. On the same card, Bahamian Quincy Pratt lost a unanimous points decision against Bernard Harris of the US for the vacant National Boxing Association featherweight title.
Count Alfred de Marigny died in his home in Houston TX on 28th January. In 1943, Count de Marigny was tried and found not guilty of the murder of his father-in-law Sir Harry Oakes, one of the most famous murders trials of the Twentieth Century.
On 28th January, several gunman robbed the Public Treasury in Nassau of an estimated $500,000.
The United Kingdom will be investing $800,000 to combat drug activities in the Caribbean. It is estimated that up to half the drugs passing through the Caribbean region are destined for Europe and the UK.
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