iNews Briefs
Cayman Islands receives Top Ratings yet again
From Milestone Chestertons Properties Cayman
TripAdvisor recently announced the winners of the Traveler’s Choice Awards for 2015 and Grand Cayman was included in the Top 10 in three categories.
In the category of 1o Best Islands in the Caribbean, Grand Cayman was placed third and under the category of Top 10 Destinations in the Caribbean, Grand Cayman’s awesome Seven Mile Beach was placed 5th. In the category 25 Best Beaches in the Caribbean Seven Mile Beach was placed 7th.
The CaribJournal also just published their survey on the Best Caribbean Islands to Live On and in this category the Cayman Islands was placed 2nd only after St. Martin.
The Cayman Islands and it’s tourism industry is no stranger to accolades. In May 2014 TripAdvisor awarded 156 Awards of Excellence to tour operators, hotels and restaurants.
In December 2014 the islands won Caribbean Destination of the Year from CaribJournal in their inaugural Caribbean Travel Awards. According to the website, the designation was earned through a variety of factors such as “the efforts of its tourism sector” and “simply good marketing work”.
Tourism is just one sector of the Cayman Islands that is walking away with notable awards. The financial services sector, which is responsible for 67% of the country’s GDP, has been referred to as the top international banking centre, the world’s leading domicile for offshore hedge funds, the second largest captive insurance centre and a world leader in structured finance. The Cayman Islands stands as the only offshore international financial centre to possess such breadth and depth in financial services. In fact at the 2015 Hedgeweek Global Awards in London the Cayman Islands was named best hedge fund services jurisdiction. Hedgeweek is described as the largest online news publisher serving the investment and wealth managers market.
For more on this story go to: http://www.milestonepropertiescayman.com/cayman-islands-receives-top-ratings-yet-again_895
Mother dies the day she was to complete degree
By Donna Hussey-Whyte Jamaica Observer
News that the day Andrea Williams passed away was the very day she was to complete her master’s degree at the Caribbean Maritime Institute, touched the hearts of the congregation gathered for her thanksgiving service two Saturdays ago.
Williams, the mother of 14-year-old Leslie-Ann Goulbourne, who was diagnosed with germinoma, a non-malignant tumour that affects the brain and the spine, died at the Princess Margaret Hospital in St Thomas from what the family said was stress, which resulted in a collapsed lung.
The 40-year-old who desperately sought financial help for her daughter’s radiation treatment by way of the Jamaica Observer on February 15, died exactly one month later while her daughter was four weeks into her treatment for the tumour that had spread from her brain to her spine. Leslie-Ann’s treatment was made possible following the intervention of Minister of Health Dr Fenton Ferguson, who had stepped in and funded the full amount of $1.6 million.
“When Leslie got ill, she (Williams) said she was not sure she could complete her course, but I encouraged her and told her that she would,” Ibrahim Ajagunna, director, School of Academic Studies at the Maritime Institute, told the large congregation that had gathered inside and outside the Airy Castle Church of God Ground of Truth last Saturday. “Never did we know that Leslie-Ann’s sickness would take its toll on Andrea. It saddens me that it is not her graduation that I am attending today but her funeral. It is very unfortunate that such a gem has left us so soon.”
Williams, whose remains were cremated the day before her thanksgiving service, had confessed to the Sunday Observer days before she was admitted to the hospital that her daughter’s illness, along with going to school while working full-time, had taken a toll on her physically.
For more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Mother-dies-the-day-she-was-to-complete-degree_18729982
Despite change, Montego Bay set for Caribbean Football Union play
From Boxscore
IMAGE: Montego Bay United will be making its CFU Club Championship debut on April 15, 2015, against CS Moulien in Haiti
CONCACAF.com MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica (April 13, 2015) — Jamaica Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) champion Montego Bay United (MBU) will make its Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championship debut Wednesday, when it takes on Guadeloupe’s CS Moulien at the Complexe Sportif des Cayes in Les Cayes, Haiti.
There will be a new face on the bench, however, as Dean Weatherly returns for his third stint in four years as head coach, replacing Carlos Garcia. The Spaniard was relieved of his duties on April 6 after taking the team to within a point of qualifying for the semifinals of this season’s RSPL.
Weatherly, a dentist, guided Violet Kickers to their second Premier League title in the mid-1990s and led MBU to last year’s RPSL title after being brought on late in the campaign.
Despite changing managers and possessing limited knowledge of the Group 3 opposition, MBU President Orville Powell is confident his club can advance in the CFU competition and compete for a place in the next CONCACAF Champions League.
“Things might not be as smooth as we hope them to be right now, but this team is a close bunch and they will do well once they get on the field,” Powell expressed.
In addition to CS Moulien, MBU will also face Haiti’s America FC (April 17) and SV Excelsior of Suriname (April 19). The four group winners will progress to the semifinals on May 22.
MBU’s roster consists of several current or past Jamaica internationals, including Dino Williams (forward), Ricardo Morris (midfielder), Jermaine Wozencroft (midfielder), goalkeeper Jacomeno Barrett and Owayne Gordon (forward), who made an impressive debut for the Reggae Boyz in a 1-0 win over Cuba last month.
Moravian Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands elects New Bishop
From Jamaica Gleaner
The Moravian Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, meeting at its 74th Synod at the Bethlehem Moravian College, elected the Reverend Devon Anglin as the 5th native bishop of the Moravian Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.
Anglin, who was born on June 15, 1962, is from the Beeston Spring community in Westmoreland, and candidated for pasoral ministry within the Moravian Church from the Salem Moravian Church, Westmoreland.
He is a graduate of the University of the West Indies with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in theology, a diploma in theology from the United Theological College of the West Indies, and a diploma in education from the Bethlehem Moravian College.
The Synod also elected the seven-member executive board, with The Reverend Dr Paul Gardner re-elected as president of the Moravian Church. The other members re-elected are the Reverend Jermaine Gibson, the Reverend Phyllis Smith-Seymour, and the Reverend Joan Smith. The Reverend Kevin Marshall was the newly elected executive member.
At the opening service of the Synod, using the theme ‘My God, My Church and I in Mission’, Gardner called on the church to take more seriously its commitment to seeing to the transformation of lives and communities.
He said the church exists to serve God, and the world expects the church to make a critical difference in the transformation of our society.
Gardener alluded to the climate of crime and violence and the abuse of our women and children in the society. He said that for far too long, too many of us have
remained silent and indifferent in the face of these atrocities.
IMAGE: The Reverend Devon Anglin
For more: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20150412/moravian-church-elects-new-bishop
Trinidad mother of four killed in freak accident
From CARIBBEAN360
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, Monday April 13, 2015, CMC – A 39 year-old mother of four was killed after a vehicle crashed through the wall of her home pinning her underneath.
Police said that Donna Jennifer Mascal, her husband, Anthony Mascal and her three-year-old son, Andrew, were asleep in their bedroom when the incident occurred on Sunday morning.
Police had to use a crane to lift the vehicle off the family.
Police said the vehicle was driven by a 22-year-old man who lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the house in Longdenville, east of here. They said the driver passed a breathalyser test and was released from custody pending further enquiries.
Company Shares of Qunar Cayman Islands Limited Rally 4.38%
By Elizabeth Nicohls From Street Ledger
Shares of Qunar Cayman Islands Limited (NASDAQ:QUNR) rose by 4.38% in the past week and 56.4% for the last 4 weeks. In the past week, the counter has outperformed the S&P 500 by 2.63% and the outperformance increases to 52.78% for the last 4 weeks.
The company shares have rallied 55.10% from its 1 Year high price. On Apr 6, 2015, the shares registered one year high at $46.50 and the one year low was seen on May 20, 2014. The 50-Day Moving Average price is $34.30 and the 200 Day Moving Average price is recorded at $29.24.
Qunar Cayman Islands Limited 200 Day Moving Average Chart
Qunar Cayman Islands Ltd (QUNR) caught investors attention and admiration in todays trading session, which can be seen from the 1.41% increase in its share price. The trading commenced at a level of 44.15 and the stock price had advanced to 44.59 at the closing bell while the volume rose to 912,483 shares. The counter had ended the previous session at 43.97. The stock has a 52-week high of 46.5, which is approximately 5.44% higher than the current market price. The 52-week low of the share price is 21. The 30-day simple moving average is 34.74 and the 60-day moving average is 31.98. The trading currency is in USD.
The short ratio of Qunar Cayman Islands Limited (NASDAQ:QUNR) is 10.78. On a monthly basis, the short interest has registered a change of 27.04%. The shares shorted this month are equal to 0.0408 times the outstanding shares. The short interest has confirmed a change of 39.23% in the past 3 months. 1.03% of the total outstanding shares have been traded in the last 20 sessions. The average daily volume for the past 20 days is 1,234,845 shares.
For more: http://www.streetledger.com/company-shares-of-qunar-cayman-islands-limited-rally-4-38/38117/
QU Women’s Golf’s Nicole Scola leads the field after first round of Brown Bear Spring Invitational [Cayman Islands Emily Ribbins well placed]
From QuinnipiacBobcats
EAST PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island – Quinnipiac University sophomore Nicole Scola (Westerly, Rhode Island) finished the first round of the 2015 Brown Bear Spring Invitational tied for first place. The Bobcats sophomore led Quinnipiac to a tie of seventh place after the first day with a season-best 72 (+1).
“It was a great day on the golf course today,” head coach John O’Connor said. “Obviously, Nicole Scola was lights-out, but Estefania [Morales] and Emily [Ribbins] were both awesome – I’m very proud of the whole team.”
Yale wrapped up the first day at Metacomet Country Club in East Providence, Rhode Island in first place, followed by Princeton in second, and Pennsylvania and Boston University tied for third. Brown and LIU Brooklyn slotted in ahead of the Bobcats and Fairleigh Dickinson, both tied for seventh. Dartmouth, Sacred Heart, Albany, Central Connecticut State, Siena, Hartford, Hofstra and Holy Cross completed the field.
“It was a great effort,” O’Connor said. “We are currently ahead of a number of teams that we’re starting to challenge. We’re looking forward to tomorrow and getting ready for the conference championship.”
Scola’s score at Metacomet was the third best of her career, while it matches her previous season-best that she shot on the third day of the Yale Women’s Invitational on Sept. 29. Scola has not shot below 80 in nine of her last 13 rounds. This is also her highest opening-round finish of her career, and puts her into a tie heading into Monday’s 18-hole finale with Boston University’s Adela Cejnarova and Princeton’s Jordan Lippetz for the lead.
Freshman Estefania Morales (Caracas, Venezuela) and sophomore Emily Ribbins (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands) both registered a 79 (+8) for the first round to tie for 35th place. Jenn Whaley (Farmington, Connecticut) shot an 83 (+12) to tie for 58th while Alexa Gentile (Avon, Connecticut) finished with an 87 to tie for 80th place.
For Morales, it continues a solid spring in which she has consistently shot below her season average (84.05) in six of her last eight 18-hole rounds. Ribbins entered the Brown Invitational averaging 84.22 per 18 holes, and on the first seasonally nice day of the Spring, she shot below 80. Ribbins’ 79 is a season-best score for the second-year Bobcat, and the second-best score of her career.
The Bobcats resume play at Metacomet on Monday, Apr. 13 with the final 18 holes of the 2015 Brown Bear Spring Invitational.
For more: http://www.quinnipiacbobcats.com/sports/wgolf/2014-15/releases/20150412fm6o50
Postcard from… George Town [Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands]
By Aileen Torres-Bennett From The Independent UK
In a reef just off the popular USS Kittiwake dive site in Grand Cayman, hunters armed with spears seek out lionfish – an invasive species so destructive that authorities want them caught and served up as a tasty dish.
With their striking pectoral fins and venomous dorsal spikes that fan out like a lion’s mane, the rampant lionfish have few natural predators and eat up smaller fish, shrimp and crab that protect the reef.
The Cayman Islands are fighting back with a campaign that encourages local divers to hunt lionfish so that restaurants can serve them up to tourists. Native to the Indo-Pacific, lionfish are believed to have spread after some escaped from a private aquarium in south Florida during Hurricane Andrew back in 1992.
They have since migrated throughout the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and even the eastern US seaboard as far as Rhode Island, where they die in winter.
Lionfish has begun to match grouper, snapper, and mahi-mahi as a delicacy in Cayman.
“Boy, are they good to eat,” said celebrity Spanish chef Jose Andres. “Their sweet, white meat is unbelievable as a ceviche or sautéed with fresh herbs,” he said. REUTERS
For more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/postcard-from-george-town-10171717.html
New court date for mother accused of murder
Tamara Butler who is charged with the murder of her 6-year-old daughter Bethany, has been given a new court date in order for her to have a medical examination.
Grand Court Justice Charles Quin last Friday (10) set the new date for Friday, May 22.
Butler remains remanded in custody until then.
Pollster Schoen: So far Hillary is losing to herself
By Greg Richter From Newsmax
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has a 75 percent to 80 percent chance of securing the Democratic nomination for president after making her official announcement on Sunday, says Democrat pollster Doug Schoen.
Clinton’s pre-candidacy hasn’t gone as well as she wanted, with questions about her use of personal emails while at the State Department still trailing her, Schoen said in an appearance on “The Cats Roundtable” on AM 970 in New York.
“The most recent polling shows the race a dead heat,” Schoen told host John Catsimatidis. “So far it’s been Hillary against Hillary. And so far Hillary’s not been winning that contest.”
Schoen called the race on the Republican side “Bush vs. the anti-Bush.”
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will have huge amounts of money and institutional support on one side, while a more conservative challenger will emerge. That could be Sen. Rand Paul, Sen. Ted Cruz, Gov. Scott Walker, or someone else, he said.
Schoen expects the field of 20 or so Republicans to be winnowed down by fall.
“We could be even down to two or three come September,” he said.
For more: http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/hillary-schoen-poll-lose/2015/04/12/id/637982/#ixzz3XCqV2Rrg
“Mentally Ill” 17-year-old girl shot dead by Texas police
By Taylor Berman From Cawker
Last January, three police officers shot 17-year-old Kristiana Coignard four times in the lobby of the Longview Police Department. Police said Coignard, who was reportedly mentally ill, was “brandishing a weapon” at the time of the shooting.
Longview police spokeswoman Kristie Brian told People that Coignard entered the police department just after 6:30 pm on Thursday, picked up the lobby phone, and asked to speak to an officer. She then allegedly threatened officers with a weapon—Longview police declined to say what kind, though Longview mayor Jay Dean told the Marshall News Messenger a “female wielding a knife entered the police department.”
The three officers who killed Coignard have been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation by the Texas Rangers
Coignard’s aunt Heather Robertson, with whom the teen lived, told Think Progress that her niece suffered from mental illness, including depression and bipolar disorder.
“I think it was a cry for help,” Robertson said. “I think they could have done something. They are grown men. I think there is something they are not telling us.”
For more: http://gawker.com/mentally-ill-17-year-old-girl-shot-dead-by-texas-poli-1682350642
3-year-old in Ohio picks up gun, fatally shoots brother, 1, in head
From Chicago Tribune
Authorities investigate the scene after a shooting involving two children April 12, 2015, in Cleveland. (Patrick Cooley, AP)
Person who brought gun to house in Cleveland where a boy, 3, fatally shot his brother, 1, likely to be charged
Charges likely will be brought against the person who took a gun to the house where a 3-year-old boy shot his 1-year-old brother in the head and killed him, the Cleveland police chief said.
Chief Calvin Williams said investigators are trying to determine where the gun in Sunday afternoon’s shooting came from and how it was left within reach of a child.
Full details about the shooting on the city’s east side weren’t released, but Williams said at least one adult was home when it happened.
Police: 3-year-old shoots, kills 1-year-old
A 3-year-old boy picked up an unattended gun inside a Cleveland, Ohio home and it went off, shooting a 1-year-old boy in the head and killing him Sunday afternoon, police said. (AP)
“A 3-year-old cannot be held accountable for a tragedy like this,” Williams said. He said someone had to have supplied the weapon or “knew the weapons were there and didn’t do anything to safeguard them, so people will be held accountable for this tragedy.”
Police say the older child picked up an unattended gun and shot the 1-year-old. The younger boy, identified as Braylon Robinson, was taken to a nearby hospital and later pronounced dead.
“It’s a sad day for Cleveland,” Williams told reporters outside the home. “This fascination that we have with handguns, not just in this city but in this country, has to stop. This is a senseless loss of life.”
Neighbors said the mother lived in the house with at least three small children.
“They were really nice,” next-door neighbor Larry Simpson told Cleveland.com. “It’s a shame this had to happen.”
Scotiabank SCCL final dates, times set
MIAMI – CONCACAF confirmed Thursday the dates and kick-off times for the Final of the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League 2014/15, which will feature Mexico’s Club America and the Impact de Montreal of Canada.
The two-game series begins in Mexico City at the Estadio Azteca on Wednesday, April 22, 9 p.m. ET (8 pm local). The second leg will be played Wednesday, April 29, 8:00 p.m. ET, at the Stade Olympique in Montreal.
Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League 2014/15 – Final
First Leg
April 22, 2015 (Estadio Azteca – Mexico City, Mexico)
Club America vs. Impact de Montreal
9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. local
Second Leg
April 29, 2015 (Stade Olympique – Montreal, Canada)
Impact de Montreal v Club America
8 p.m. ET/8 p.m. local
Club America and the Impact are vying to replace Mexico’s Cruz Azul as Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League champion. The winner will also earn a place in the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup, to be played this December in Japan.
Cricket – James Anderson hailed by Caribbean greats
By EuroSport From Yahoo Sport
Sir Vivian Richards believes James Anderson will be remembered as an England great and a worthy heir to Sir Ian Botham.
James Anderson is on the verge of making history
Anderson will earn his 100th Test cap on Monday when England take on the West Indies at the Antiguan ground that bears Richards’ name.
Four wickets in the game would take him past Botham’s national record of 383 Test wickets, making Anderson the most prolific English bowler in history.
As one of the greatest batsmen to have lived and a long-time friend of Botham, Richards is well placed to judge the scale of Anderson’s achievements and his endorsement is ringing.
“He ranks with the great English fast bowlers, with the Bob Willises, the Ian Bothams and folks like that,” said Richards.
“They made a great mark and for him to be in that category, it’s a tribute to him.
“He’s done magnificently well. Anderson has got tremendous ability and I guess where he’s at now – four wickets away from surpassing the great Sir Ian – is a tribute to the individual and to his professionalism as leader of the bowling attack.
“I captained a lot of great bowlers and I would have liked Anderson too.”
Anderson has attempted to divert the attention ahead of his big day, focusing on the team’s efforts to come back from a dreadful winter of white ball cricket.
But with Richards’ words echoed by Curtly Ambrose, one of the most fearsome fast bowlers to have graced the game, he would be forgiven for getting a touch carried away.
Ambrose, speaking at the launch of his new autobiography ‘Time to Talk’, said: “I’ve always liked James Anderson, he is a quality fast bowler.
“To have taken so many wickets in Test cricket is no mean feat because a fast bowler’s life is a short one.
“To be four wickets away from Botham’s 383 is a phenomenal achievement.
“I want to wish James all the best for his 100th Test but I hope he doesn’t do too well, because I think the West Indies will win.”
For more: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/h/s3xihudbf49q/?&th=14cb3d824457d3a5&v=c
Digicel to broadcast NBA games in the Caribbean
From telecompaper
Digicel and the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced a multiyear partnership that will deliver live games and extensive NBA programming to more than 30 Caribbean territories and make Digicel the official wireless partner of the NBA in the region. Under the agreement, Digicel SportsMax will broadcast up to 48 NBA regular-season games and as many as eight playoff games each season. The sports channel will also offer content-rich programming including the highlights show ‘NBA Action,’ NBA TV, the league’s 24-hour channel, and select classic games. The partnership will include NBA broadcasts in Spanish on the CDN SportsMax channel in the Dominican Republic.
For more: http://www.telecompaper.com/news/digicel-to-broadcast-nba-games-in-the-caribbean–1076506
America is not about to listen to the Caribbean any time soon
From Caribbean Times
“America is not about to listen to the Caribbean any time soon,” is the strong view being offered by Dr. David Hinds of the Arizona State University, as he spoke on a local radio station recently. President Barack Obama met with CARICOM leaders last week Thursday in Jamaica, ahead of the Seventh Summit of the Americas that was held in Panama on Friday.
Some of the burning issues discussed, ranged from climate change to energy security.
While many are optimistic about the opportunities likely to come to the region as a result of Obama’s historic visit, from the viewpoint of Dr. Hinds, “America is not about to listen to the Caribbean any time soon.”Hinds further suggested that there are much more important areas of the world for the United States’security interest,” stressing that the Caribbean “is not one of them.”
Moreover, Hinds indicated that he “does not think that Washington listens to the Caribbean in a real broad-pointed foreign policy standpoint, so we do what we always do.” The academic reminded that “when Bill Clinton came here we did it,we put our concerns on the table.” With CARICOM leaders hoping for an improved relationship between Venezuela and the United States, Hinds stated, ” CARICOM leaders have always had to do a dance, as they have done over the years with Cuba; generally, we (Caribbean leaders) were consistent in the face of US pressure, and I think we are faced with a similar dance with the Venezuela issue.”
Hinds believes that there is an opportunity for that position to change. “CARICOM countries have an opportunity here to carve out a new kind of foreign policy – one that we have not seen in the past 10 or 20 years. We have not always voted together on foreign policy issues, and Venezuela is offering us an opportunity to get back to that kind of cohesive kind of position that was present in the 1970s and 1980s.”
For more: http://www.caribbeantimes.ag/?p=1431
Cayman goes live with public register of investment funds, including hedge funds
By Komfie Manalo, Opalesque Asia:
The Cayman Islands has willingly accepted, where fairly applied, the international move towards increased transparency, said international law firm Ogier. Nevertheless, Ogier pointed out that the legitimate privacy of international business users of the jurisdiction remains protected.
The law firm said, “As such, there is a limited amount of publicly-available information for Cayman Islands exempted companies (the type of company most frequently used for investment funds and other international structures).” According to the report, the following information may be obtained through a search of the Cayman Registry of Companies’ CORIS website by CORIS licensees:
Company name
Incorporation number
Date of incorporation
Type of company (e.g. exempted or ordinary)
Name and address of the company’s registered office in the Cayman Islands
Current status with the Registrar of Companies (i.e. whether active or struck off/dissolved)
Details of the shareholders, directors and officers of exempted companies are not publicly available, nor is it possible for the public to obtain copies of the memorandum and articles of association of a company or copies of any of its shareholder or director resolutions,
For more: http://www.opalesque.com/655153/Cayman_goes_live_with_public_register_of_investment515.html
