Bahamas News
Vice President Kamala Harris Announces More Than $100 Million in Support for the Caribbean
#TheBahamas, June 12, 2023 – Today in Nassau, The Bahamas, Vice President Kamala Harris highlighted more than $100 million, including $98 million in new funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to address climate, energy, food security, and humanitarian assistance in the Caribbean. During her trip, the Vice President co-hosted the U.S.-Caribbean Leaders Meeting, alongside Prime Minister Philip Davis of The Bahamas, current chair of the Caribbean Community, building on her meeting with Caribbean leaders in June 2022 at the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles.
Transitioning to Renewable Energy and Addressing Climate Change Impacts in the Caribbean
To support the region’s transition to renewable energy and increase energy efficiency, working with Congress and subject to the availability of funds, USAID intends to provide $20 million in funding to companies with financial and technical assistance and business development services through the Caribbean Climate Investment Program. This programming will also support the establishment of the Blue-Green Investment Corporation in partnership with the Government of Barbados, the Green Climate Fund, and private sector investors. With an estimated initial capitalization of $30 million by non-U.S. government partners, this public-private “green bank” is expected to unlock up to $210 million over three years to finance projects such as climate resilient housing, renewable energy, clean transportation, and water conservation firstly in Barbados, and later expanding to other Caribbean countries, including those in the Eastern and Southern Caribbean.
USAID is also providing nearly $15 million to support disaster risk reduction, emergency response capacity strengthening, and resilience building across the Caribbean. This funding will bring the total investment by USAID in disaster risk reduction and resilience building in the Caribbean to over $80 million over the past five years.
Vice President Harris also announced support for the Caribbean Island states’ response to the impacts of climate
change. USAID is providing $1.5 million to the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre to increase the flow of international climate funding and help strengthen key data tools for decision-making for Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries.
USAID is also providing $1 million to partner with the Caribbean Islands Higher Education Resilience Consortium and Northeastern University to help mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change, including the risks associated with extreme weather events. This work will also pursue economic development opportunities associated with building a resilient blue and green economy.
Haiti Food Security
Working with Congress, USAID intends to provide $10.5 million to Haiti to enhance resilience and productivity in the country’s agricultural and livestock sector. Through market strengthening, research, and innovation, this funding will increase market system efficiency, private sector engagement, and the ability of households and communities to recover from shocks and stresses. These programs will collectively contribute to increased resilience, sustainable agriculture, and improved food security in Haiti.
Haiti Humanitarian Response Funding
USAID is also providing an additional nearly $54 million for the people of Haiti in response to the country’s humanitarian crisis. Haiti’s alarming levels of gang violence, including attacks on civilians, have prevented people from accessing critical food, safe drinking water, and other basic supplies. This new funding will provide vulnerable Haitians with urgently needed humanitarian assistance, including vital food assistance, as 4.9 million people face acute food insecurity amid the crisis. In addition, these funds will provide access to safe drinking water and health care, as well as support care for survivors of gender-based violence and other protection services for the most vulnerable. This brings USAID’s total FY 2023 funding for humanitarian response activities in Haiti to more than $110 million.
The United States will continue to partner with the people of the Caribbean to provide urgent humanitarian assistance, facilitate climate adaptation and resilience, support the transition to renewable energy, and mitigate food insecurity in the region. USAID’s climate work in the Caribbean supports Biden-Harris Administration priorities and works to advance the goals of the U.S.-Caribbean Partnership to Address the Climate Crisis 2030, or PACC 2030, of which USAID is a key partner. PACC 2030 is the U.S. government’s flagship partnership with the Caribbean to advance climate adaptation and resilience and clean energy cooperation through 2030 as we work toward meeting the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Rashaed Esson
Staff Writer
#TheBahamas, August 5, 2023 – An American woman has been arrested in The Bahamas, accused of conspiring with two men, one of them alleged to be her lover, to murder her estranged husband.
The woman, 36 year old Lindsay Shiver and the two men, 28-year-old Terrance Bethel, the alleged lover and 29 year old Faron Newbold, were taken into custody last week following police investigation of a reported burglary at
Grabbers Bar and Grill restaurant on Great Guana Cay.
The police looked into their cell phones and found WhatsApp messages detailing the assassination plot to kill her husband.
The couple, who built a life in South Georgia have three children and are home owners on the island in the Abacos.
News outlets throughout the US have reported on the scandalous story, including that a nasty court battle over the couple’s reported, $5 Million dollar fortune and three children was underway. Shiver, an entrepreneur is a former beauty Alabama queen, her husband a former football player was an insurance executive.
According to US media, the husband, Robert, recently filed for divorce from Shivers after a decade of marriage upon discovering she had an alleged extra-martial affair with Bethel whom she met in The Bahamas.
While the husband claims infidelity on the part of his wife, the wife claims he was abusive.
The suspects Shiver, Bethel and Newbold appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley on Friday July 28th. Their next court date is set for October 5th.
Rashaed Esson
Staff Writer
#TheBahamas, August 5, 2023 – The Bahamas is now facing an unfortunate reality as sexual assault has become and is a growing issue since 2023. Women and girls are said to be living in fear for their safety from these perpetrators.
The Royal Bahamas Police force has reported on instances of assault in press releases found on their Facebook page.
One report spoke of a 50 year old they were searching for after he burglarized a home and sexually assaulted an elderly woman, 82 years old. She was reported to be asleep when he woke and assaulted her.
This took place on Tuesday July 11th, 2023 at the home in the Centreville area of Nassau.
There is another incident that took place on July 17th, 2023 which the police are seeking in catching the suspect as they investigate. It involves a man believed to the perpetrator in for an armed robbery and sexual assault.
According to preliminary data, he approached the victim, a female, with a firearm, robbed her and sexually assaulted
her. He proceeded to enter the house and robbed a male and escaped. This happened in the Cowpen Road area; also in Nassau.
The assaults continue to grow in number as the police reported that they were investigating two other incidents that took place on July 24th.
The first had to do with a female, 30 years old who reported she was driving on West on Marshall Road when two men approached her after she slowed down near Faith Avenue. One of the males with a firearm, forced her from her vehicle and took her to nearby bushes where they sexually assaulted her after which they escaped.
The second incident involved à 32 year old woman who was sexually assaulted by a male known to her. It is reported that she was walking in the Fleming Street area when she accepted transportation from the suspect, who drove her to a dirt road off Gladstone Road where he presented a firearm and proceeded to rape her.
Furthermore, another assault, this time involving a 9 year old girl, was reported. As revealed by preliminary information, the victim was playing with friends outside where she lives on Saturday July 29th, 2023 when the suspect, a 42 year old male of Summerset Estate, driving a white Nissan Skyline, arrived and gestured to her to enter the car.
She entered the car after which he took her to an unknown location, threatened her and sexually assaulted her. She was later found somewhere in Spikenard Road; this also happened in Nassau.
Fortunately, he was caught and arrested for abduction and sexual assault on Sunday July 30th by officers affiliated with the Drug Enforcement Unit.
There are other reports of sexual assault throughout The Bahamas as well as rape and attempted rape during the earlier parts of the year, dating back to as early as February.
CAPTION: Women Leaders, including Ann Marie Davis, wife of the Prime Minister filled the gallery of The Bahamas Senate this week as members of the upper chamber debated the Protection Against Violence Bill 2023. The debate came just as the country experiences a spike in sexual assaults against women and girls. Photo by Patrick Hanna, BIS.
#TurksandCaicos, August 5, 2023 – On August 3rd, 2023, Premier Misick met with the Leader of the
Opposition of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, the Honorable Michael Pintard. The discussion was highly productive, and they delved into matters of mutual concern between their neighboring nations. Hon. Pintard was accompanied by other opposition members, including Senator the Honorable Darren Handfield and Mr. Joshua Sears.
Group photo caption:
From Left to Right: Mr. Joshua Sears, Senator Hon. Darren Hendfield, Premier Hon. Charles Washington Misick, Bahamas Leader of the Bahamas Hon. Michael Pintard and Deputy Premier Hon. Erwin J. Saunders.
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