iNews Briefs
Usain Bolt made a vow that’s really hard to comprehend
From Caribbean360
KINGSTON, Jamaica, Tuesday April 15, 2014, CMC – Sprint superstar Usain Bolt says he is confident he can smash two records he set five years ago at the World Championships in Berlin.
The 27-year-old vowed to lower the times on the 100 and 200 metres after he resumed training at the weekend following an injury.
Bolt’s records stand at 9.59 and 19.19 for the 100 metres and half lap respectively.
“I have discussed with my coach what it will take to lower these records, and he thinks it’s very possible,” said Bolt, who is coached by Glen Mills at the Racers Track Club.
“I trust my coach completely, so if coach Mills says they can be broken, then I know I can lower them.”
Bolt’s manager Ricky Simms had reported that his foot was sore a few weeks ago.
However, the five-time IAAF World Male Athlete of the Year said he is not bothered by the setback and that he expects to be back to his best soon.
“(The injury) is nothing serious … my experience has taught me that that’s just the nature of the sport,” Bolt told The Gleaner.
“Setbacks are a part of track and field. I have come to accept that a long time ago. I had mine, and (I’m) now back in training preparing for the upcoming season.”
Bolt says he is looking forward to posting strong times this season which includes next month’s IAAF World Indoor Relays in The Bahamas
“(The IAAF World Relays) should be a lot of fun. Relays are always the best part of any championship for me,” Bolt said.
“Jamaica has a lot of talented athletes, so I have no doubt that we can lower the (4x200m) record,” he added, without confirming whether he will actually be able to compete at the May 24 and 25 championships.
Tourism AGM set for Wednesday (16)
The Cayman Islands Tourism Association’s (CITA) Annual General Meeting is Wednesday (16) from 3pm – 5:30pm at Marriott Beach Resort, West Bay Road.
Tourism Minister and Deputy Premier, Moses Kirkconnell, will give a “state of the industry” update plus elections of a president, vice president, treasurer and secretary.
The current CITA president, Ken Hydes will also speak.
London’s Gatwick airport boosted by sun seekers as more people head to the Caribbean and Canary Islands
From This Is Money
Sun seekers flocking to the Caribbean and Canary Islands provided a boost for Gatwick Airport during March.
More than 2.7million passengers flew from or landed at the West Sussex airport, 5.1 per cent higher than last year.
But its transatlantic traffic fell by a fifth after US Airways pulled its planes out of the airport last year.
The company said it hopes the launch of three Norwegian Air Shuttle routes to the US, landing in New York, Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale in Florida, ‘will help reverse the trend of lower traffic to this region’.
The number of passengers flying to other long haul destinations rose 13.1 per cent to 505,000, the group said – buoyed by more people travelling to the Caribbean and Canary Islands.
The number of passengers flying to European destinations rose 6.1 per cent to 1.8million during March.
But the number of people flying within the UK fell after other popular routes were pulled, such as BA’s flights to Manchester.
Chief executive Stewart Wingate said: ‘This has been a successful and exciting year for Gatwick.’
Guardian of the Reef moved to permanent home in Cayman’s waters
After many months and a long journey from his birthplace in British Columbia, the 13ft. bronze sculpture, sculptured by artist Simon Morris to mark Divetech’s 20th Anniversary, was carefully lowered into his permanent home last Saturday (12) at Lighthouse Point.
The half man half sea horse weighing 1,100 pounds was mounted on an underwater pedestal 65 ft deep below the water and will help the West Bay Eco-Warriors after school programme, which is funded by DiveTech.
Lebanese chemist arrested in Caribbean over Ecstasy lab
From LIBNAN
Anti-drug agents in the Dominican Republic said they have dismantled a synthetic drug laboratory and arrested five people, including a Lebanese suspect.
Abel Rojas, a spokesman for the Caribbean country’s National Drug Control Directorate, said the clandestine drug lab in the northern town of Villa Gonzalez made ecstasy, or MDMA.
Rojas said investigators believe the pills were smuggled to the U.S. and Europe.
Authorities say the purported ecstasy ring was led by a 54-year-old Dominican who had been deported from the U.S. after serving a drug trafficking sentence. Also arrested was a Colombian who allegedly oversaw the drug lab and the Lebanese suspect who mixed the chemicals to make the drug. Two other Dominicans were also arrested.
The Dominican anti-drug agency did not release the names of the five suspects.
For more: http://yalibnan.com/2014/04/15/breaking-bad-lebanese-chemist-arrested-caribbean-ecstasy-lab/
Another vehicle rolls over on Cayman’s Heritage roundabout
Last month a vehicle ended up in a ditch after rolling over on the wet surface near the Island Heritage Roundabout on the Esterley Tibbetts Highway and last Saturday (12) another vehicle, an SUV, suffered the same fate.
The surface was again wet after some heavy showers and the National Roads Authority installed an anti-skid coating on parts of the roundabout in both directions that doesn’t seemed to have solved the problem.
Or are people driving just too fast?
Caribbean singlewicket tournament returns
From Trinidad Express Newspapers
The Second Annual Caribbean Singlewicket Cricket Tournament, which is promoted by Glory Entertainment Television, will take place on June 14 at UWI SPEC in St Augustine.
The date for the 2014 event was confirmed by the promoters who said the format of this year’s competition will be unchanged from the previous edition with 12 specially invited all-rounders from across the region competing against each other to determine who is the best.
Last year’s winner Dwayne Smith confirmed that he will be coming back to try and defend his title.
Smith defeated Guyana’s Christopher Barnwell in the 2013 final at UWI SPEC in a tournament that also featured Sunil Narine, Dwayne Bravo, Kevon Cooper, Lendl Simmons and Jason Holder.
The final list of invitees will be announced at the tournament launch early next month. The newly-formed Singlewicket Cricket Foundation will be organising the tournament with interim chairman William Wallace again serving as the tournament director. The promoters have expressed significant confidence in the UWI SPEC team to ensure a high standard of readiness of the playing area and improvement in seating accommodation.
For more: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/sports/Caribbean-singlewicket–tournament-returns-255255831.html
Cayman’s boxers raise $1,000 from Pacquiao/Bradley fight showing
Cayman’s boxers raised over $1,000 by attending the televised fight programme featuring the rematch of Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley last Saturday (12) at the Mango Tree bar and Lone Star restaurant.
They also raised awareness for what they do at the D. Dalmain Ebanks Boxing Gymnasium and promoted their upcoming show against a team from Trinidad and Tobago at Mango Tree on May 17th.
Tickets go on sale soon from all Jacques Scott outlets, unless VIP tickets are wanted, in which case the contact is Woollard at Silverlight.
In the first fight between Pacquiao and Bradley, Bradley was controversially declared the winner but this time Pacquiao got his revenge and won by a unanimous points decision.
Young Girls claim Caribbean champs
From The Jamaica Online Star
Dominant Jamaica formalised their capture of the 2014 Caribbean Netball Association Jean Pierre Youth Championship on Saturday night with a ruthless victory over St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).
Heading into the contest, with the title virtually sewn up, the Jamaicans spared no effort as they produced another emphatic display to rout the Vincentians 62-13.
They finished the competition unbeaten from six outings and on top of the standings with 31 points, five ahead of second-placed Barbados, who signed off with a 33-19 triumph over St Lucia in the nightcap game.
Hosts Antigua and Barbuda also finished the tournament on a high with a 41-6 whipping of Nevis, while Dominica extended Trinidad and Tobago’s disappointing campaign with a 30-24 verdict.
SVG and Dominica finished on 17 points from 3-3 records, but the Vincentians picked up third spot on goal difference, while St Kitts were fifth on 12 points, and T&T sixth on 11 points. St Lucia lost all their games to be bottom of the pile.
Playing in the second game of the evening’s schedule, Jamaica showed their intent by rushing to a 14-5 first-quarter lead, which they converted into a 30-8 advantage at half-time.
By then, it was apparent the Sunshine Girls were headed for a blowout, and they pressed home their advantage in the third quarter, out-scoring the Vincentians 16-3, to leave the result a foregone conclusion at the start of the final stanza.
For the winners, goal shoot Simone Gordon scored 30 goals from 35 attempts, while Tracy Francis supported with 24 from 28 attempts.
For more: http://jamaica-star.com/thestar/20140414/sports/sports6.html
Cuban migrants moved to Grand Cayman’s IDC
The 16 Cuban migrants who arrived in the Sister Islands at the beginning of this month were moved to the Immigration Detention Centre (IDC) on Grand Cayman last Saturday (12)
Limacol renews Caribbean League sponsorship deal
From Guyana Chronicle
KINGSTON, Jamaica: New Guyana Pharmaceutical Company Incorporated (NEW GPC INC), under its popular Limacol brand, has renewed its sponsorship of the hugely successful Caribbean Premier League T20 tournament. Limacol was title sponsor as the CPL launched in 2013 to sell-out crowds, with over 250 000 spectators attending matches across Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and St Lucia. Global stars including Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Ricky Ponting and Muttiah Muralitharan took part in the tournament, dubbed the Biggest Party in Sport, where franchise team shareholders included Hollywood stars, Mark Wahlberg and Gerard Butler. The competition is set to get even bigger in 2014 with the Caribbean’s finest players set to be joined by cricketing superstars like Kevin Pietersen and Mohammad Hafeez.
As well as providing exciting cricket and high quality entertainment, the Limacol CPL 2013 was a big success off the field. Research carried out by Mona School of Business and Management (MSBM), University of the West Indies, found that the tournament generated a combined impact of US$105.6M across the region.
Damien O’Donohoe, CEO, Caribbean Premier League, said:
“It’s great to have Limacol on board again. It recognised the potential of the CPL in our early days, and after the success of our inaugural competition, we’re looking forward to working with Limacol again to further develop our brand.”
Dr Ranjitsingh ‘Bobby’ Ramroop Chairman, NEW GPC (Limacol) said:
“We are delighted to be on board as CPL title sponsor for a second year. The Limacol CPL was the most exciting thing the region has ever seen in terms of sports and entertainment and we wanted it to be here to stay so we took the decision to invest. The event is Caribbean at heart, but with global aspirations. In that sense, it mirrors Limacol’s own vision – to be a world-class Caribbean brand that also captivates the world.”
The Limacol Caribbean Premier League returns in July and August 2014 when Jamaica Tallawahs will defend their title against the St Lucia Zouks, Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel, Antigua Hawksbills, Guyana Amazon Warriors and Barbados Tridents.
For more: http://guyanachronicle.com/limacol-renews-caribbean-league-sponsorship-deal/
FBI said to question member of 9/11 case defense
From Huffington Post
GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba (AP) — A lawyer for one of five defendants in the Sept. 11 war crimes tribunal said Monday that FBI agents questioned a member of his defense team, apparently in an investigation related to the handling of evidence, a revelation that brought an abrupt halt to proceedings.
Attorney James Harrington told the judge presiding over the case at the Guantanamo Bay naval base that the agents asked about activities of others on his defense team as well as of people working for other defendants.
“Obviously, to say that this is a chilling experience for all of us is a gross understatement,” he told the judge.
Harrington did not mention the nature of the FBI’s questions in court, but said later that his court-appointed security officer was asked about the release in January of writings by the lead defendant in the case, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, to two media outlets.
The defense security officer, a private contractor who assists with the handling of classified material in the death-penalty terrorism trial, was also asked to sign an agreement that implied he might be asked to provide information to the FBI on an ongoing basis in the future, Harrington said. The questioning occurred April 6 at the man’s home in the United States, not on the U.S. base in Cuba.
For more on this story go to: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/14/james-harrington-911_n_5148172.html?utm_hp_ref=politics
Cayman’s Kemar Hyman says he was unfairly treated at 2013 Cayman Invitational
Cayman Islands 100 and 200-meter record holder, Kemar Hyman, says he was unfairly treated when he arrived back in his country for the 2013 Cayman Invitational.
Upon arriving at the official meet hotel he said he was told that he did not have a room and that he was to stay at his mother’s home.
However, officials at the Cayman Invitational and the Cayman Islands Athletics Association said it was a contractual obligation that local athletes would not stay at the hotel with the touring athletes.
Coordinator and Meet Director, Cydonie Mothersill said she didn’t think “any of our local athletes were treated unfairly, including Kemar Hyman. This is a professional track meet and all athletes are aware of rules and regulations pertaining to home competing athletes.”
“Their abode must be their residence,” she added.
Conch shell assault was not self defense rules Cayman Judge
Justice Williams ruled that the claim by Alvin Brown from West Bay he was acting in self defense when he attacked and wounded Garfield Powery in the head with a conch shell was not true.
Following a judge alone trial last month, the Judge said he found Powery’s account of the incident that Brown had launched the conch shell at him in an unprovoked attack, more plausible. Justice Williams said it tallied more accurately with the CCTV footage obtained from cameras at Al Fresco’s Restaurant near to where the altercation took place on Town Hall Road, West Bay.
Brown had claimed Powery had come at him with a knife after an argument had broken out over a debt.
Brown was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing that is expected to take place in June.
New Zealand gives Craig surprise Caribbean call-up
From Chicago Tribune
New Zealand have included uncapped offspinner Mark Craig in the squad for their three-test tour of West Indies in June, which was announced on Tuesday.
Craig, who has taken 43 first class wickets at 42.88, was a surprise inclusion in the 15-man party even after his fellow offspinner Jeetan Patel withdrew for personal reasons.
The Black Caps also included leg spinner Ish Sodhi for what are expected to be spin-friendly conditions but there was no place for veteran all rounder Daniel Vettori, who is still not up to bowling at test level after Achilles surgery last year.
Craig, 27, was one of two uncapped players in the squad along with wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi, who has previously represented New Zealand in limited overs matches.
For more: http://my.chicagotribune.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-79918349/
