URCA's decision to refuse Cable Bahamas' application to increase the rate of the SuperBasic price is extremely disappointing. It is an unbelievable outcome, one that continues to deny a price change to a regulated rate, which was set almost two decades ago. Cable Bahamas believes that its application put forward a complete and a credible case.

In fact, URCA confirmed in the September consultation that there were no anti-competitive concerns, that the financial analysis stacked up, and that our benchmarking analysis supported the application.

Agriculture, farming and the further development of business are some of the areas the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the Republic of Zambia are seeking to enter in forging closer diplomatic ties between both countries.

His Excellency Sir Arthur Foulkes, Governor General, highlighted these areas on the occasion of the Presentation of Letters of Credence by His Excellency Bobby Mbunji Samakai, High Commissioner of the Republic of Zambia to The Bahamas.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration the Hon. Fred Mitchell says the establishment of the Republic of Ireland Consulate will further deepen diplomatic relations between both countries, which were established in 2007.

Mr. Mitchell also acknowledged that Ireland has long been a friend of the Caribbean. In 2008, Ireland gave $2.5 million on top of its contribution to the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility, of which The Bahamas and other CARICOM States were deeply appreciative.

The U.S. Embassy in Nassau will be transitioning to a new web-based visa appointment system on March 11, 2013, that will affect all nonimmigrant visa applicants throughout the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. There will be no fee increase as a result of these changes.

However, as of March 7, scratch cards and PIN numbers currently required to make a visa appointment will be phased out and will no longer be valid.

The National Executive Committee of The Scout Association of The Bahamas declared the Associations 100th Anniversary Celebration of Scouting shall be celebrated from January 2013 throughout the year and to continue to March 2014, the year of Scouting's 100th Anniversary.

The 100th Anniversary will be an opportunity to provide a platform for the development of Scouting in The Bahamas as well as celebrate the past 100 years.

Cable Bahamas is pleased to announce the opening of a temporary Customer Care & Sales Centre at The Mall at Marathon, starting Monday, February 18, 2013. This new location will provide all aspects of customer service and sales, including bill payment, account inquiries, transfers, new service activation and disconnections.

Located just inside the south-east entrance of the mall and directly across from the BEC payment centre, this temporary service location will be open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The One Bahamas Foundation held a ceremony to launch the February 23 One Bahamas, "We are One" Unity Walk at the Churchill Building near Rawson Square on Wednesday, February 6.

The walk is scheduled to begin at Arawak Cay and finish at the roundabout at the Sheraton Hotel.

Members of the Antique Auto Cub of The Bahamas have begun organizing plans for the Club's 26th Annual Antique Auto Show and Cook-out. The Annual show, which has become a local favourite will again be held at Arawak Cay. The date is Saturday, March 23 from the hours of Noon to 6:00 PM.

Last year's show at the same location featured about 60 local cars and trucks. The club is hoping to exceed that amount in 2013 and is appealing to members of the public, who own vintage vehicles aged 20 years old or more, and are not already members of the club to participate in the show.

Just in time for the Super Bowl last week Dionne Smith received a wonderful call at the end of his shift at the Container Port. Smith had won the 42" flat screen TV from Freeport Jet Wash, the Grand Prize from a three month long promotion in their busy parts department.

In addition to the Grand Prize, Freeport Jet Wash also awarded its last month's winners gift certificates. Combined, the three January winners received $1,000 in store credit to spend in any of the Freeport Jet Wash departments: Parts, Service, Gas or New Car Sales.

Minister for Grand Bahama the Hon. Michael Darville welcomed passengers from Milan and Rome at the Grand Bahama International Airport on Sunday, February 11. Also at the airport was Karen Seymour, Ministry of Tourism, along with officers from the Police, Customs and Immigration departments.

The Italian passengers are part of a group of more than 1,000 for an annual sales convention for top performers, being held at the Grand Lucayan Hotel.

On February 8th, 2013 the union of students at the Northern Bahamas Campus of the College of the Bahamas, came together to discuss their respective visions of the University of the Bahamas.

The Division Vice President of COBUS Northern Bahamas Campus, Mr. Roosevelt R. Rolle Jr., expressed the vision of his executive board to the attendees who comprised of Member of Parliament for High Rock, Mr. Peter Turnquest, and Council Member for The College of the Bahamas Mr. Arthur Jones.

Sometimes no matter how hard you work, circumstances beyond your control come to a head, and conspire to derail all your efforts. This is what is happening right now at the HSGB.

Two years ago, our field spay/neuter programme was stopped. Those who stopped it never provided an alternative solution or offered their help; they just killed it with no apparent thought to the plight of innocent animals on Grand Bahama.

February is celebrated internationally as "Heart Month" and you can take a stand against heart disease in The Bahamas's, the number one killer of persons around the world. The Sir Victor Sassoon (Bahamas) Heart Ball Committee would like to invite the public to join in the fight against heart disease in children, while obtaining heart healthy information to live a productive life.

At present there are over 12 children in need of heart surgeries from across The Bahamas. We need your help to repair these hearts.

With the surprise resignation of Pope Benedict VI one has to go back to 1294 AD to find another similar case of a Papal abdication. Here is the story of holy hermit Peter of Morone who was the last pope to abdicate from the papacy.

THE LAST POPE TO ABDICATE

When Pope Nicholas IV died in April of 1292 a conclave was called to appoint a new pope. Two important Roman families, the Colonna and the Orsini, fought for the Office for over two years without effect until a two thirds majority settled on the appointment of a complete outsider. He was an octogenarian hermit known as Peter of Morone who lived in the mountains of southern Italy. The hermit was revered as a holy man and had founded an Order dedicated to the Holy Ghost.

The Bahamas Billfish Championship is pleased to announce that Silver Airways will be the series' 2013 'presenting sponsor.'

Matt Holliday, VP of Marketing & Sales for Silver Airways said, "On behalf of Silver Airways, let me say how pleased and proud we are to serve as a presenting sponsor for the 2013 Bahamas Billfish Championship. This event has provided a great boost to the tourism sector in several of our top Bahamas destinations, while also producing great memories among visitors and locals alike over an incredible run of 40 years. We're delighted to lend our support."

Minister of Tourism the Hon. Obie Wilchcombe was in Alice Town, Bimini February 9 for the arrival of the fast ferry M/V Maverick, out of the Port of Miami.

The 124 feet vessel brought 89 passengers, who were met at the Government Dock with the sounds of Junkanoo music.

Bring your Valentine to The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas on Valentine's Day evening (Thursday, February 14, 2013) from 6pm to 8pm. As a prelude to your night of love, stroll on our historic grounds, surround yourself with art and ignite your senses as you overlook historic Nassau. It's an evening of romance mixed with art and wine.

Your package includes entry in to the gallery, a rose, a bag of kisses, wine, delicious hors d'oeuvres, and a special presentation within the gallery.

With their opening night at the Glory Banks Art Gallery a smash hit, kudos goes to the energetic team that put FOR THE LOVE OF ART Exhibition together, to the artists who had art in their hearts in preparing their artistic works, and to the faithful art patrons who attended opening night to support them.

Thursday, February 7th, gave the opportunity for the Grand Bahama community to mix and mingle with the members of the Grand Bahama Artists Association (GBAA) to experience the rich art culture available on the island and to feel the artistic buzz that is happening on the island.

Sweepstakes winners, Susan and Michael Lempicki of Florida arrived in Grand Bahama Friday and are now enjoying all that the island has to offer from the Pelican Bay Hotel.

The couple won the 2012 SouthFlorida.com sweepstakes promotion which was run in conjunction with Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF) On Location: Grand Bahama Island.

"For athletes to cheat is wrong. If they can cheat why can't I?"

This week the Australian government released what they found out about Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED) in Australian sports. It was a year long investigation and they have found lists of sportsmen and teams that are using banned drugs. The country is shocked.

It was also found that some coaches and staff have been helping athletes use and get these banned substances and may be they were the ones encouraging it

The Miami Heat Organization on Sunday hosted the gold medal winning Bahamas Knights relay team at what is being described as one of Heats biggest game of the year - Heat vs. The Los Angeles Lakers, at the American Airlines arena, Miami, Florida.

The Golden Knights, Chris Brown, Demetrius Pinder and Ramon Miller (Michael Mathieu was unable to attend), were in attendance court side at thewinning game of the Heat when the 2012 world championship team defeated the Los Angeles Lakers with a score of 107-97.

All the excitement was on the main Rugby pitch on Saturday as Big G's Plumbing Panthers started the final game with the season riding on a one point lead over Coach Eon Austin and the Sawyers Fresh Market team. In order for Big G's to win the league hands down, they had to beat Bahamas Weekly.

The game was exciting with a full force of parents out to cheer their girls on but the Panthers couldn't seem to score. When the final whistle blew and the Panthers game ended in a draw, the Big G's Panthers thought they had dropped to second place.

Click HERE for Trophy Day information.

Members of the New Providence Youth American Football Association's Development Program will be enjoying their sporting activities in style, thanks to a generous donation made by the United States Embassy.

On Saturday, February 9, the U.S. Embassy's Public Affairs Officer Erica Thibault formally presented over $1,000 in football-related apparel to program coordinators during a brief meeting at the Stapledon playing field.

The Bahamas Telephone Company (BTC) has pledged $175,000 to the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) as sponsorship for the 42nd Annual CARIFTA Games, the region's most significant track and field event, which is scheduled to be held March 29 thru April 1 in Nassau, said BAAA's president, Mike Sands.

This sponsorship makes BTC the title sponsor and therefore "we are extremely proud to name the games for this year The BTC CARIFTA Games 2013, reflecting BTC's level of sponsorship and nation building commitment to junior and youth athletics in the country" said Mr. Sands.

Quite a lot happening this week, especially for the youth. Joan of Arc youth RFC are in town from Toronto. Here's the weekend's schedule:

Thursday, 14th

4:30pm - Nassau U19 v Joan of Arc
Can you think of a better way of spending Valentine's Day?

Readers respond to Tom Purvis reports

Tom, what a great job you did detailing the game in such a short, well written article. I am very impressed and will try and email your article to my son-in-law who is a good friend of John Harbauch's. Keep up the great work.
- M.L.

Click here to read more

Wyndham workers were treated like criminals outside the Prime Minister's office

I hope The Bahamas realises what happened Friday with the 140 workers laid off from the Wyndham Resort. Bahamians now thrust onto the unemployment line walked to their Office of the Prime Minister, and what did the Prime Minister do? Order that the police stop them from being able to access the office, and officers consequently formed a human chain to keep Bahamians from coming to see the man they put in office.

A human chain of officers to block Bahamians from their own elected leader? So now Bahamians are the enemy to their own Prime Minister?

Click here to read more

PM critics should just 'get over it'

Please allow me to respond to the writer who wishes Bahamians to believe that Prime Minister Christie is weak.

The writer believes that the Prime Minister messed up the recent Referendum because the "no" vote prevailed. A Referendum cannot fail because its outcome is the expressed free will of the people. I appreciate the tactics of the critics of Mr. Christie: Keep saying that he supported the "yes" vote so that if the "no" vote prevailed, the critics could use the Prime Minister as a scapegoat and surely they did.

Click here to read more