Bahamas News
Furniture and Appliances for Grand Bahama residents impacted by Hurricane Dorian courtesy of GBPA
#Freeport, Grand Bahama – May 13, 2020 – The Grand Bahama Port Authority, Limited (GBPA), through its charitable arm, the Grand Bahama Disaster Relief Foundation (GBDRF), has sourced greatly needed household goods for distribution to those in our communities who continue to recover from the impacts of Hurricane Dorian.
Many residents of Grand Bahama are still challenged by the devastation of last September’s hurricane while, at the same time, are coping with the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The GBDRF, whose purpose is to provide hurricane relief efforts on Grand Bahama, continues to aid residents across the island,” said Ian Rolle, President of the GBPA. “We saw a significant need for furniture and appliances in homes that were flooded as a result of Hurricane Dorian. We tapped into our international network to explore the possibility that resorts may be going through renovations and, as a result of our efforts, were thrilled to identify a major resort willing to donate all of their furniture and appliances.”
The resort’s donation of an array of household items is valued at approximately $1.5 million. The GBPA’s charitable arm, GBDRF, covered shipping and associated fees of almost $500,000 to bring the goods to Grand Bahama. “We received refrigerators, stoves, washers and dryers, dishwashers, dining room tables, outdoor seating areas, sofas with pull out beds, television sets, and night stands,” added Mr. Rolle. “Particularly at this challenging time, we appreciate the value of relationships and community mindedness, and are so grateful for this generous donation.”
In November 2019, the GBDRF launched a home repair portal to gather information from residents needing assistance following Hurricane Dorian. “Within the first 48 hours of launching the home repair portal, we received well over 1,000 applications,” Mr. Rolle explained. “We currently have 1,200 Grand Bahamians registered, and their needs will be reviewed first. The portal is still open to the general public, and residents from across the island are encouraged to apply. As more furniture, appliances, fixtures and other goods are received, we will accommodate new applicants.”
Residents may apply for consideration at www.gbpa.com/homerepair.
By Rashaed Esson
Staff Writer
#TheBahamas, March 27, 2023 – Trinidad and Tobago’s Soca Warriors dominated the Bahamas at home, at the Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau, for the 2022/2023 Concacaf Nations League on Friday, with a 3-0 victory.
The Soca Warriors struck their first blow within the first 5 minutes of the game, with Kareem Moses making the first shot in the top left corner of the net giving T&T one to the Bahamas’ zero (1-0).
Soon after, in about 26 minutes, they made another shot giving them 2-0 away from home; the scorer Joevin Jones. By the 34th minute mark, the winning goal was made by Ryan Telfer, T&T now at three.
Neither team scored any additional goals as the match progressed despite attempts made by various players.
Trinidad’s win gives them 12 points through five matches. Next match for the Soca Warriors is against Nicaragua; that clash is set for Monday March 27 (at home in Tobago at the Dwight Yorke Stadium), in a tussle of winner-take-all on the final match day. The victor takes home a promotion to League A and a spot in the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup.
Angus Eve, T&T’s head coach expressed that the job is only half done, keeping aware that more challenges are coming their way, one of which is the nearing match against Nicaragua who is one point ahead of the Warriors.
Meanwhile, The Bahamas will journey to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines with hopes of emerging victorious there.
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
March 24, 2023 – Without immediate and widespread efforts at curbing salt intake, 7 million lives will be lost by 2030 according to the World Health Organization. The warning follows the first-ever Global Report on Sodium Intake Reduction, which revealed that the world would not meet its sodium intake reduction target of 30 percent by 2025 on its current path.
With only 5% of WHO Member States protected by mandatory and comprehensive sodium reduction policies, the rest of the world must immediately implement ‘highly cost-effective sodium reduction policies to protect against some of the most common non-communicable diseases.
No Caribbean country was mentioned in the group of nine countries with comprehensive salt laws, but Barbados is
currently set to make effective stringent regulations to govern food consumption and food quality.
Tedros Ghebreyesus, the WHO Director-General said:
“Most countries are yet to adopt any mandatory sodium reduction policies, leaving their people at risk of heart attack, stroke, and other health problems. The WHO calls on all countries to implement the ‘Best Buys’ for sodium reduction, and on manufacturers to implement the WHO benchmarks for sodium content in food.”
North America and the Caribbean have the highest child diabetes statistics in the world, with the second highest prevalence in adults as well. In Turks and Caicos in particular, over 300 hundred residents have failing kidneys, a number described as ‘alarming’ by experts. Kidney disease is fueled in most cases by diabetes and hypertension.
The WHO is then advising Governments to do four things:
- Reformulating foods to contain less salt, and setting targets for the amount of sodium in foods and meals.
- Establishing public food procurement policies to limit salt or sodium-rich foods in public institutions such as hospitals, schools, workplaces, and nursing homes.
- Front-of-package labelling that helps consumers select products lower in sodium.
- Behaviour change communication and mass media campaigns to reduce salt/sodium consumption.
With these measures in place, the salt reduction target can still be achieved, according to the WHO.
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TheBahamas, March 17, 2023 – The FBI is investigating a woman’s ‘suspicious’ death on a Carnival Cruise ship in February. The unnamed woman and her husband boarded the Carnival Sunshine on February 27th, for a trip to the Bahamas, but she was dead before they arrived in the port in The Bahamas. 
The FBI said Carnival’s team had administered life saving measures when the woman was reported unresponsive, but they were unsuccessful. The body and the woman’s husband were released to the Bahamian authorities when the cruise arrived in the country.
In a statement shared with US media houses, Carnival Cruises claimed the death has been a natural one. The Nassau Guardian said a source told them the police findings had concurred with that assessment saying it was a “normal sudden death of a tourist who wasn’t feeling well.”
The FBI was waiting for the cruise and when it got back to South Carolina on March 4th, they immediately boarded and began to investigate the room based on ‘evidence of a crime.’ The FBI also searched the couple’s car.
No updates have been shared to contradict the currently established cause of death.
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