Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie said the Caribbean Growth Forum Regional Workshop is being held in the context of declining foreign investment inflows, as countries in the region emerge from a severe global recession.

"As small vulnerable states, we have always been disproportionately affected by external shocks in the world markets, and our recent history is confirmation," the Prime Minister added at the opening of the workshop held at Atlantis.

The National Emergency Management Agency has thrown its support behind the refurbishment of two Salvation Army hurricane shelters, as part of the overall disaster management plan for the country.

In this vein, NEMA was instrumental in helping to secure a Simplified Grant Agreement for an estimated $30,000 from the United States Agency for International Development/United States Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance/Latin America & The Caribbean, through the International Resource Group to the Salvation Army to repair and refit two certified emergency shelters and centres.

Minister of Financial Services the Hon. Ryan Pinder said at a Traditional Knowledge Consultation, on June 24, 2013, that The Bahamas is sitting on a wealth of opportunity, simply waiting to be harvested.

" However, we must be sure that we do not put the horse before the cart - before we publicise our assets, we must ensure that they will be protected," Minister Pinder said.

Under the theme, "Heads in the Cloud", the first Nassau Education Technology (NET.1) Conference was held on Monday, 17th June, 2013 at the Lyford Cay International School. The Honourable Jerome Fitzgerald, Minister of Education, Science and Technology was the keynote speaker at the opening ceremony. Two hundred fifteen attendees from more than 50 private and government schools throughout the country participated in the conference based on the cloud computing concept. The attendees had the opportunity to interact with over 75 technology industry representatives from around the world.

Minister Fitzgerald told the organisers and conference attendees that he fully endorsed and supported technology as a tool for educators and education. He said that the best computer is the brain and you cannot teach all children the same way. He mentioned that before the year is over the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology will spend approximately four million dollars on technological upgrades in the government school system.

The Bahamas National Trust presented an assortment of bed linens and a cheque to the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, for victims who experienced flooding during the recent severe weather systems in May and June, 2013.

The presentation was made June 19, 2013 at the BNT Retreat on Village Road. Urmie Braynen, Special Events Coordinator said the staff saw the need to assist the victims of flooding, after realising the severity of damage they suffered. She said the membership also got involved and pooled their resources to make an impact in a serious way.

The rapidly-growing environmental movement, Save The Bays, gained more momentum today when a local group with 400 members and a history of grass roots activism joined the campaign.

"We are delighted to announce that yet another NGO, EARTHCARE, has joined Save The Bays," said Fred Smith, QC, a director of Save The Bays. "When we initially proposed creating an independent non-profit organization that would be actively engaged in seeing that the coral reefs of Clifton Bay were rescued and restored to the majestic beauty that made them world famous, we got tremendous support. But the values that attracted supporters to Clifton Bay and the western bays were greater than a single body of water and the movement has been growing beyond our wildest expectations.

Category D: Practices which are Frequently Used Inappropriately

Birth is a normal, natural, safe and healthy event. On average, 80%-85% of pregnant women are low-risk both through their prenatal months and during the process of birth. The World Health Organization (WHO), the global public health arm of the United Nations, defines normal birth as "spontaneous in onset, low-risk at the start of labor and remaining so throughout labor and delivery. The infant is born spontaneously in the vertex (head first) position between 37 and 42 completed weeks of pregnancy. After birth the mother and infant are in good condition" (p. 4).1

In the late 1990s, concerned about the increasing labor inducing (forcing), augmenting (stimulating), managing (controlling) and monitoring (interpreting) of the physiological processes of labor with less than optimal outcomes, WHO convened a meeting of childbearing experts from the WHO global regions worldwide. In that congregation of experts, WHO expressed the belief that "medicalization" of birth denies women the "freedom to experience the birth of their children in their own way" and turns the "normal physiologic event [of birth] into a medical procedure" (p. 2).1 Addressing that "there is a temptation to treat all births routinely (standardized protocols) with the same high level of intervention required by those who experience complications" (20%), WHO maintains that "women and their babies can be harmed by unnecessary practices" (p. 2). 1

Tertiary education is within reach for a select group of graduating seniors on Grand Bahama Island, thanks to the Top Achievers scholarship programme instituted by The Grand Bahama Port Authority, Limited (GBPA).

According to GBPA's Director of Community Relations, Geneva Rutherford, "Under the 'Making It Happen' initiative implemented by GBPA President, Ian Rolle, it was decided that the top graduating senior of each high school on the island would be rewarded with a scholarship towards furthering their education at the institution of their choice."

Late last week the Grand Bahama Shipyard's (GBS) Management team was pleased to welcome the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Fred Mitchell, Ambassador and MP, Picewell Forbes and Minister for Grand Bahama, Michael Darville. The trio met with CEO and President, Carl Rotkirch and his team, who gave the Ministers and their entourage an overview of the yard, a review of activities by the Apprentice Team and then a tour of the facility.

"I am pleased that Minister Mitchell, Minister Darville and Mr. Forbes took time out of their busy schedules to come and acquaint themselves with our business and the work we do in the shipyard," said CEO Rotkirch. "We especially appreciated the chance to introduce our young talents in the apprentice program, as well as our university graduates. We are proud to be part of the industrial community that is building the future for young Bahamians in Freeport. Our work and the training being developed in cooperation with the Government are all supporting the same effort."

Summer has barely started and already we have had several dogs brought in to our clinic with heatstroke. It is often fatal. In an effort to prevent more dogs from suffering a horrendous death, we offer the following: 1. If your dog is outside during the day, please make sure he has access to sufficient shade (a wooden doghouse situated in the blazing sun is NOT adequate), and plenty of clean cool water, which should also be placed where it will be in the shade all day, and situated where your dog cannot knock it over.

Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie praised the community on Current Island for donating land and dedicating themselves to establishing a safe haven for abused and neglected children from around Eleuthera.

"It shows that this community is close knit, kind and caring and they are committed to making a change, the Prime Minister said at the opening of the Zion Methodist Children's Home on Current Island, Sunday, June 24, 2013.

Bimini residents who lost a battle five years ago to halt the development of a mega-resort and marina they feared would damage their famed waters and change their lives forever came out in full fighting force this week to say enough is enough -- more than 1,300 signed a petition to stop construction of a 1,000-foot dock to serve cruise ships delivering passengers to Genting's Resorts World Bimini Bay casino due to open soon. The petition, drafted and circulated on www.change.org was organized by the environmental organisation called Bimini Blue Coalition, demands that the government require a new plan with a gentler footprint.

"The current proposal being put forth by Genting's newly acquired Resorts World Bimini Bay calls for the creation of a massive cruise ship terminal off the western shore of North Bimini. These plans include a 1,000 foot dock extending west off North Bimini's beaches, the creation of a large man-made island offshore, and an enormous amount of related dredging. All of this is being proposed in areas of densely populated coral reef habitat," the petition said. "The damage to the surrounding reefs will be catastrophic and the landscape of Bimini will be forever transformed."

Exuma Folk Art Company performs at the ceremony for the 40th Independence Anniversary flag raising at the Moss Town International Airport, June 17.

(BIS Photo / Raymond A. Bethel)

Dr Bernie Hanna: Obesity Part 1

Obesity is a life threatening disease affecting 1 in 3 adults in the United States. According to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, 64 million adults in the US are obese (BMI 30 to 39.9). Another 15 million are morbidly obese (BMI >40).

In The Bahamas we are facing similar challenges. Seven out of Ten Bahamians are either overweight or obese. 'Bahamas Ministry of Health'. As the minister of health once stated, this includes a significant number of the nation's youth. The statistic has triggered concern because a number of chronic non-communicable diseases (CNCDs), such as diabetes, hypertension, chronic respiratory disease, strokes and heart disease, are by-products of obesity. 45% of deaths in 2003 were due to chronic non-communicable diseases.

This year the Freeport Rugby Football Club held their 10th annual Sir Jack Hayward Soccer Camp, which is supported by the Barclays Premier League as well as the Football Association (FA).

I attended this five-day camp and it was a great week for everyone involved, with 120 children coming every morning excited and happy to learn new skills. Every day was better than the last. This camp always delivers three England FA coaches and great coaches from the Bahamas.