world news
OpEd: Why The Arctic Ocean Must Be Quarantined
#PARVATIFOUNDATION – Our world has come to an unprecedented pause in an attempt to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Doctors call it a “novel” coronavirus, which means that it is new to our population and none of us has immunity to it. The cost in human lives and the widespread havoc it wreaks is consuming our news cycle. But what many of us don’t realize is that our world has a ticking time bomb of pathogens, all of which would be “novel” to us, if released. For the sake of our collective future, we must keep them under ice.
The Arctic Ocean does not only keep our planet cool through the albedo effect, when its white ice reflects the sun’s heat away from the planet. It keeps the local permafrost, with its payload of pathogens, frozen. Within the ice and permafrost of the Arctic region are bacteria and viruses that have been kept dormant for millennia. But the ice is melting. Sections of the Arctic Ocean are now 4C too hot. Up to 95% of the summer ice is gone. And scientists have proven that frozen Arctic viruses as old as 30,000 years can be reactivated.
The warning shot was fired in 2016, when an anthrax outbreak was traced to the frozen carcass of a reindeer that died over 75 years ago and thawed in the summer heat. It tore through a herd of 2000 reindeer, took the life of a 12-year-old-boy, and required the hospitalization of dozens of others. If this trend continues, infections from time immemorial could re-emerge to devastate a world no longer immune.
MAPS, the Marine Arctic Peace Sanctuary, is a medical mask that keeps everyone around the globe safe from these frozen pathogens. However, today, the Arctic Ocean is under unprecedented threat from melting and from exploitation that breaks up the ice and inhibits its regrowth: shipping, commercial fishing, oil exploration, and military activity. To protect our global immunity, we must put the Arctic Ocean in quarantine now. We are seeing today the deadly consequences of delay in clamping down to prevent disease.
MAPS declares the entire Arctic Ocean north of the Arctic Circle an international peace park free from all forms of exploitation. Not only does it protect our planet’s air conditioner. Not only does it create a secure habitat for vulnerable species in a time that scientists say we must protect half the planet in order to prevent mass extinction. Not only does it safeguard 17 kinds of whales, who play an essential role in the ocean providing us half the oxygen we breathe. MAPS is urgently needed if we want to keep pandemics from becoming the new normal.
Captain Paul Watson of Sea Shepherd says, “The Marine Arctic Peace Sanctuary must continue to hold the massive reserves of restless methane within its quiet lonely bosom where sleeping viruses remain safely captive. From the dark boreal forests to the groaning of the shifting floes, there is the constant whispering reminder that this stark and desolate world is the key to our survival.”
The all-volunteer international charity Parvati Foundation originated MAPS and is in dialogue with all nation leaders to sign the MAPS Treaty immediately. This Treaty updates the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to ensure the Arctic Ocean is given the protection our whole world needs now more than ever. Two nations have already signed.
Parvati Foundation’s founder and CEO, the award-winning Canadian musician and author Parvati, says, “COVID-19 is an urgent reminder of the ways we are all interconnected. What each of us does affects everyone else. We must heed the wake-up call to protect our collective future with MAPS now.”
By Deandrea Hamilton
June 9, 2026 – The world has just four years left to deliver on one of its most ambitious environmental commitments: protecting 30 percent of the planet’s oceans by 2030.
On World Oceans Day 2026, environmental organizations, governments and international leaders are shifting the conversation away from
awareness and toward action, urging countries to turn decades of promises into measurable protection for marine ecosystems.
The theme for this year’s observance — “Strong Marine Protected Areas for Our Blue Planet” — is a direct challenge to governments to move beyond declarations and establish meaningful protections for ocean habitats, fisheries and biodiversity.
The urgency is especially relevant in the Caribbean, where economies, jobs and entire communities depend on healthy oceans.
From tourism and fishing to transportation and climate resilience, the sea is the region’s most valuable natural resource.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned that humanity can no longer treat the ocean as limitless.
“In these turbulent times, the ocean reminds us that we are bound together,” Guterres said. “But the ocean is in deep trouble.”
The global push follows the recent ratification of the High Seas Treaty, designed to protect marine biodiversity beyond national waters. Together with the international 30×30 target, the agreement represents one of the largest conservation efforts ever attempted.
Closer to home, Caribbean nations are also advancing ocean protection initiatives.
CARICOM says it is developing a regional Ocean Policy aimed at strengthening marine governance and supporting sustainable blue economies.
In the Turks and Caicos Islands, World Oceans Day coincides with the tenth anniversary of the Blue Belt Programme, which has focused on
protecting marine resources while supporting sustainable use of the Territory’s waters.
In The Bahamas, conservation advocates are encouraging citizens to reconnect with the ocean and recognize its value not only as a source of recreation, but as the foundation of national prosperity.
Yet conservationists say government action alone will not be enough.
Protecting the ocean begins with everyday decisions: reducing pollution, respecting marine habitats, supporting sustainable fishing practices, participating in clean-up efforts and holding leaders accountable for environmental commitments.
The message of World Oceans Day 2026 is straightforward.
The promises have been made.
The treaties have been signed.
The targets have been announced.
Now comes the hard part: protecting the ocean before time runs out.
Developed by Deandrea Hamilton • with ChatGPT (AI) • edited by Magnetic Media.
May 29, 2026 – Two years after The Bahamas made history as the first Caribbean nation to host the African Export-Import Bank’s Annual
Meetings, thousands of delegates are expected to gather in Egypt next month for AAM2026.
The 33rd Afreximbank Annual Meetings will be held from June 21-24 in El Alamein, Egypt, under the theme: “Intra-African Trade and Industrialisation: Pathway to Economic Sovereignty.”
The event is regarded as one of Africa’s most important gatherings on trade, investment, finance and economic development, bringing together heads of state, policymakers, business leaders, development finance institutions and international partners.
For Caribbean nations, the meetings hold special significance.
In 2024, The Bahamas welcomed thousands of delegates to Nassau for the landmark event, marking the first time the annual meetings were staged outside the African continent and placing the Caribbean at the center of growing discussions on Africa-Caribbean trade and investment.
Since then, Afreximbank has continued to expand its engagement in the region, promoting stronger commercial ties between Africa and
Caribbean countries and exploring opportunities in trade finance, infrastructure development, logistics, investment and private sector growth.
Organizers say this year’s discussions will focus on strengthening intra-African trade, advancing industrialization, building regional value chains and increasing economic resilience amid global uncertainty.
The meetings are also expected to provide a platform for new partnerships, investment opportunities and development initiatives that could have implications beyond Africa, including for Caribbean nations seeking to deepen economic cooperation with the continent.
As leaders prepare to convene in Egypt, the Caribbean’s growing relationship with Afreximbank remains a key part of the institution’s broader vision of expanding trade and investment connections across the Global South.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
The Bahamas, May 29, 2026 – The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to expand, with United Nations officials now warning that the disease has spread across multiple eastern provinces and become the third-largest Ebola outbreak on record.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), as of May 26 the outbreak had reached 13 health zones in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. More than 1,000 suspected cases have been reported, including 121 confirmed infections and 17 deaths. Six healthcare workers are among those who have died.
The United Nations says humanitarian teams remain actively engaged in treatment, surveillance, community outreach and disease containment efforts. However, the response is being complicated by insecurity, population movement and restrictions affecting the delivery of supplies and personnel.
While the outbreak remains confined to Africa, authorities in The Bahamas recently activated emergency health protocols after two men who had spent time in the Democratic Republic of the Congo arrived at Lynden Pindling International Airport aboard a British Airways flight.
The Ministry of Health confirmed the travelers were isolated after presenting low-grade fevers upon arrival on May 22. Officials later
reported that the fevers subsided and neither individual displayed symptoms consistent with Ebola Virus Disease.
The two men, identified as a British national residing in Australia and a French national, were transferred to the Modular Unit at Princess Margaret Hospital for continued monitoring.
Health officials emphasized that there are currently no confirmed Ebola cases in The Bahamas and assessed the risk to the public as low.
Still, the growing outbreak overseas has prompted increased vigilance. Health Minister Dr. Michael Darville said the government is reviewing whether additional travel measures may be necessary for countries affected by the outbreak.
The United Nations this week announced up to US$60 million in emergency funding to support the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring countries, warning that rapid action remains critical to preventing further spread.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
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