Daily Archives: August 4, 2017

Four years in prison for utopia – Open Democracy

Posted: August 4, 2017 at 1:35 pm

Russian journalist and economist Alexander Sokolov is facing prison time for his activist and journalist investigations. Source: Rot Front. Since November 2016, the corridors of Moscows Tverskoy district court have been filled with elderly citizens, loudly discussing conspiracy theories, the fate of the Soviet Union and the significance of Stalin. Waiting outside the courtroom, they exchange comments with officers of the court before finally being allowed inside, when they promptly occupy all the seats. Two tall women, dressed in their prosecutor blues, follow them into the court, where three men Kirill Barabash, Valery Parfyonov and Alexander Sokolov are standing trial. Yuri Mukhin sits next to them, and this is the case against Army of the Peoples Will.

Mukhin is a prominent political writer, who began his career back in the early 1990s. In 1995, he began publishing the Duel newspaper, which, in its various iterations, took Stalinist and anti-Zionist approaches to Russias political and social problems. Later, Mukhins most active followers joined his organisation Army of the Peoples Will (AVN), which sought to, among other tasks, enforce the direct responsibility of Russias politicians to the people: AVN tried to conduct a referendum on changes to Russias Constitution permitting public officials and parliamentarians to be punished, should the people wish it. Its completely legal to want a referendum, but in 2010 AVN was declared an extremist organisation and banned. In effect, this court decision meant that any further activity by AVN was subject to criminal prosecution.

At one point, though, an initiative group on conducting a referendum (under the name For responsible authorities, or ZOV) was set up in parallel with AVN this group had the same basic idea and the same people behind it. If you compare the leaflets they published, the symbols they used and their demands, these two organisations were similar to the point where you couldnt tell them apart.

Yuri Mukhin, speaking in 2009. Source: Denis Lobko / Wikipedia.

You can interpret Mukhins clear intention to continue the activities of AVN under a new guise in various ways.

The officers of the Moscow Centre for Combating Extremism and police investigators interpreted it clearly, however and in line with Article 282.2 of Russias Criminal Code (Continuing the activities of an extremist organisation, banned by a court decision).

In summer 2015, the Russian security services searched apartments belonging to members of the organisation, and detained Mukhin, who was sat in his trunks on a Crimean beach at the time. (Mukhin, who admires the USSR, supported the annexation of Crimea in 2014.) Two of Mukhins followers, Valery Parfyonov and former military officer Kirill Barabash, also wound up in custody.

Whats important here is the fact that a journalist is being prosecuted for his activist past

Enter Alexander Sokolov, a journalist for leading Russian politics and business news agency RBC and a strange addition to this cast. Just before his arrest, Sokolov, who covered Russias state corporations, published a lengthy investigation into corruption at the Vostochny cosmodrome, a flagship project for the Kremlin.

It soon became clear that Sokolov does have some past involvement with Mukhin and his organisation though, truth be told, its not clear how closely he really knows them. The criminal case assigns Sokolov the role of administrator for the initiative groups website, which apparently promoted extremist materials online. Indeed, the final prosecution documents devote only a single sentence to Sokolov.

Vostochnyi Cosmodrome, visited here by Vladimir Putin in September 2014, has been plagued by wage arrears and allegations of embezzlement at the subcontractor level. Source: Kremlin.ru. During the investigation and trial, the RBC journalist has insisted that he left his activist days behind him in 2013, when he defended his PhD and began working as a journalist. Sokolovs dissertation focused on the inefficient use of funds during projects carried out by some of Russias major state corporations Rosnano, Olimpstroi, Rosatom and Rostec. The management of Rostec, a powerful state corporation that is closely allied to the Kremlin, studied Sokolovs work and, according to the journalist, they were not pleased with its contents. Sokolov insists that he was arrested because of his journalistic and research work.

Of course, the investigators knew that Sokolovs views and acquaintances have changed. He himself could have tried to put some distance between himself and the strange Stalinists hes being tried with, but he didnt surrender his former comrades even when they called themselves citizens of the USSR and spoke about the emergence of a fascist regime in Russia. The trial, which is due for sentencing on 10 August, has been long and difficult: hours were spent discussing absurd petitions raised by the defendants; dozens of requests for the judge and prosecutors to recuse themselves; a vocal support group that, on occasion, came to (minor) blows with officers of the court; the judges voice often rising to a shout.

Russias fight against extremism is being conducted so successfully that anyone, even someone who believes in utopia, can wind up in court

Nevertheless, Alexander Sokolov faces up to eight years in prison on extremism charges, and now the trial is at an end hes been mostly forgotten though not by his colleagues. At the end of 2015, RBC journalist Mikhail Rubin asked Vladimir Putin about the fate of Sokolov. The editorial team were concerned about the effect on freedom of expression. The president promised to look into, though no change in the prosecution has been registered. A year later, Putin was asked once again about Sokolov. He responded: Most likely my administration has looked into it, and if the case has made it to court, then that means everything isnt quite so simple. But Ill look into it again.

Prior to the pleadings, when the prosecutors office asked for Sokolov to be sentenced to four years in general regime prison, Russias independent Union of Journalists published an open letter, in which 282 signatories (after the number of the article of Russias Criminal Code) called the case against the journalist uncivilised, and requested it to be closed. The Memorial Human Rights Center has declaredMukhin, Parfyonov and Sokolov political prisoners.

To assert that the charges against Alexander Sokolov are connected with his journalism would be an exaggeration. Whats more important here is the fact that a journalist is being prosecuted for his activist past. Nevertheless, Russian law enforcement has long worked to restrict freedom of expression in society the numbers of criminal cases for reposts on social media and offhand comments on blogs speaks to this.

Russias fight against extremism which is, on the whole, the fight against freedom of expression is being conducted so successfully that anyone, even someone who believes in utopia, can wind up in court.

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Nokia’s Oceania head jumps to NBN – Computerworld Australia

Posted: at 1:34 pm

Nokias managing director for Oceania, Ray Owen, will leave the company to take up an executive position at NBN.

NBN announced today that it had appointed Owen to the role of chief technology officer. The companys former CTO, Dennis Steiger, departed earlier this year.

Nokia is one of NBNs key partners in its network rollout thanks to its acquisition of Alcatel-Lucent.

Ray has done an outstanding job as managing director of Nokias Oceania business, where he has grown our market presence over the last two and half years and led a very successful integration with the former Alcatel-Lucent organisation, said Nokia Oceania head of corporate affairs, Tim Marshall.

He leaves on good terms after deciding to pursue a career opportunity in a different part of the sector.

Its always sad to lose a valuable leader and colleague, but of course were very pleased for Ray and the opportunity for him to further his career. We wish him very well, Marshall said.

NBN in June revealed a significant restructure, which the company said reflected its preparation to move from network build to network operate and optimise as the rollout of the National Broadband Network continued.

As part of that round of changes NBNs JB Rousselot was shifted from chief network operations officer to chief strategy officer, leading the companys Strategy, Transformation, Regulatory and Technology division.

Owen will report to Rousselot, NBN said today.

We are delighted to welcome Ray to NBN and look forward to his vast experience in the global telecoms industry in helping us deliver the best possible network for Australians, Rousselot said in a statement.

Owens tenure at NBN is due to begin in November.

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Oceania Aviation awarded FAA STC for H125 external cargo pod – Vertical Magazine (press release)

Posted: at 1:34 pm

Oceania Aviation Limited (OAL), headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, has announced that its Part 145 manufacturing division, Airborne Systems, has obtained the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) supplemental type certificate (STC) for its Airbus H125, AS350 and AS355 series cargo pod.

While dozens of Oceania Aviations cargo pods have been actively operating in New Zealand and Canada in heli-skiing, tourism, logging and routine utility operations; Airborne Systems managing engineer, Russell Goulden, is delighted that the much coveted FAA STC has finally been awarded after years of personal effort.

Goulden is no newcomer to developing specialist helicopter role equipment and his expertise has been recognized globally during the development of barrier inlet filtration, external hoisting and avant-garde agricultural spray systems. Goulden has led the Airborne Systems design of the worlds first H125 bike rack (also FAA approved), a H125 pilots seat slider (lateral) for VREF operations and spray systems for both the H125 and MD500 series helicopter.

The fully composite cargo pod utilizes state-of-the-art materials designed for strength and lightness and is the epitome of externally mounted cargo storage accessories for the left side of the H125 aircraft. The OAL cargo pod uniquely features the ability to carry 265 pounds (120 kilograms), complementing the highest internal capacity available.

Airborne Systems first gained Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (NZCAA) STC approval for its AS350 series cargo pod in December 2011, followed by the AS355 series in December 2012. Exploiting the U.S./N.Z. bilateral relationship and using the U.S./New Zealand Technical Implementation Procedures, attained the FAA STC on July 7, 2017.

Approvals for the Airborne Systems H125 cargo pod include the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand, Transport Canada and now FAA.

Oceania Aviation is a New Zealand owned and operated business with a diverse suite of aviation solutions for fixed- and rotor-wing aircraft. These include aircraft sales, component overhaul, piston and turbine overhaul, maintenance, blade and composite repair, avionics install, and propeller overhaul.

Carrying a CAANZ Part 145, CAANZ Part 148, CAANZ Part 19F and European Aviation Safety Agency Part 145, Oceania Aviation also represents many leading aviation brands such as Robinson, MD Helicopters, Lycoming, Garmin, Continental Diesel, and Bendix King.

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Oceania Rugby Cup title on the line – Rugby World Cup 2019 (press release) (blog)

Posted: at 1:34 pm

Regional focus: Oceania

Fridays Oceania Rugby Cup winner-takes-all encounter between the Cook Islands and Tahiti will decide which of the teams progresses to the next stage of Rugby World Cup 2019 qualification.

The biennial Oceania Rugby Cup, the regions showpiece event for development and targeted unions, has an extra edge this year with the winner of Friday's encounter between the Cook Islands and Tahiti progressing through to the next stage of Rugby World Cup 2019 qualification.

The winner of the one-off game in Rarotonga, the largest of the Cook Islands, will take on the winner of the Asia Rugby Championship 2018 in a home and away play-off for a spot in the global repechage tournament for Japan 2019.

READ MORE ABOUT RWC 2019 QUALIFICATION >>

Tahiti have never beaten the Cook Islands before in four attempts and are ranked 43 places below their hostsin 91st position in the World Rugby Rankings.

We feel we are the outsiders and the Cook Islands are the favourites but in rugby everything is possible. We hope we can perform to our best and win this game, said Charles Tauziet, chairman of the Tahiti Rugby Union.

While admitting to not knowing too much about their opponents, Cooks head coach Walter Tangata believes that if his side turns up on the daythe 2013 championshave every chance of winning a second Oceania Rugby Cup title.

I guess its more about maintaining the structure and game plan and focusing on what we need to do.If we do that right, we will be successful.

The match will be streamed live on the Oceania Rugby Facebook page.

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Traders Keeping Oceania Capital Partners Ltd (OCP.AX) on Close Watch As Shares Move – Stock Daily Review

Posted: at 1:34 pm

Shares ofOceania Capital Partners Ltd (OCP.AX) aremoving on volatility today2.04% or 0.05 from the open.TheASX listed companysaw a recent bid of 2.50 and3043shares have traded hands in the session.

Dedicated investors often strive hard to set themselves up for success. Finding long-lasting success in the stock market may not be an easy endeavor. The mindset of a short-term trader may differ greatly from that of a long-term investor. Investors often have to be prepared for many different situations. Obtaining the proper knowledge about stocks and the investing world is typically a main goal for active traders and investors. Once the investor is armed with knowledge, they may be able to see things that others cannot. This may involve staying up to date on various fundamentals, technicals, and macro-economic conditions.

Taking a deeper look into the technical levels ofOceania Capital Partners Ltd (OCP.AX), we can see thatthe Williams Percent Range or 14 day Williams %R currently sits at -34.48. The Williams %R oscillates in a range from 0 to -100. A reading between 0 and -20 would point to an overbought situation. A reading from -80 to -100 would signal an oversold situation. The Williams %R was developed by Larry Williams. This is a momentum indicator that is the inverse of the Fast Stochastic Oscillator.

Oceania Capital Partners Ltd (OCP.AX) currently has a 14-day Commodity Channel Index (CCI) of 27.78. Active investors may choose to use this technical indicator as a stock evaluation tool. Used as a coincident indicator, the CCI reading above +100 would reflect strong price action which may signal an uptrend. On the flip side, a reading below -100 may signal a downtrend reflecting weak price action. Using the CCI as a leading indicator, technical analysts may use a +100 reading as an overbought signal and a -100 reading as an oversold indicator, suggesting a trend reversal.

The RSI, or Relative Strength Index, is a widely used technical momentum indicator that compares price movement over time. The RSI was created by J. Welles Wilder who was striving to measure whether or not a stock was overbought or oversold. The RSI may be useful for spotting abnormal price activity and volatility. The RSI oscillates on a scale from 0 to 100. The normal reading of a stock will fall in the range of 30 to 70. A reading over 70 would indicate that the stock is overbought, and possibly overvalued. A reading under 30 may indicate that the stock is oversold, and possibly undervalued. After a recent check, Oceania Capital Partners Ltds 14-day RSI is currently at 59.58, the 7-day stands at 55.78, and the 3-day is sitting at 48.46.

Currently, the 14-day ADX for Oceania Capital Partners Ltd (OCP.AX) is sitting at 34.01. Generally speaking, an ADX value from 0-25 would indicate an absent or weak trend. A value of 25-50 would support a strong trend. A value of 50-75 would identify a very strong trend, and a value of 75-100 would lead to an extremely strong trend. ADX is used to gauge trend strength but not trend direction. Traders often add the Plus Directional Indicator (+DI) and Minus Directional Indicator (-DI) to identify the direction of a trend.

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Oceania Healthcare Limited (NZSE:OCA) Profitability in Focus – Trion Journal

Posted: at 1:34 pm

The Return on Invested Capital (aka ROIC) Score for Oceania Healthcare Limited (NZSE:OCA) is -0.130377. The Return on Invested Capital is a ratio that determines whether a company is profitable or not. It tells investors how well a company is turning their capital into profits. The ROIC is calculated by dividing the net operating profit (or EBIT) by the employed capital. The employed capital is calculated by subrating current liabilities from total assets. Similarly, the Return on Invested Capital Quality ratio is a tool in evaluating the quality of a companys ROIC over the course of five years. This is calculated by dividing the five year average ROIC by the Standard Deviation of the 5 year ROIC. The ROIC 5 year average is calculated using the five year average EBIT, five year average (net working capital and net fixed assets).

Oceania Healthcare Limited (NZSE:OCA) has a Price to Book ratio of 1.264970. This ratio is calculated by dividing the current share price by the book value per share. Investors may use Price to Book to display how the market portrays the value of a stock. Checking in on some other ratios, the company has a Price to Cash Flow ratio of 15.208151, and a current Price to Earnings ratio of 13.188959. The P/E ratio is one of the most common ratios used for figuring out whether a company is overvalued or undervalued.

Checking in on some valuation rankings, Oceania Healthcare Limited (NZSE:OCA) has a Value Composite score of 39. Developed by James OShaughnessy, the VC score uses five valuation ratios. These ratios are price to earnings, price to cash flow, EBITDA to EV, price to book value, and price to sales. The VC is displayed as a number between 1 and 100. In general, a company with a score closer to 0 would be seen as undervalued, and a score closer to 100 would indicate an overvalued company. Adding a sixth ratio, shareholder yield, we can view the Value Composite 2 score which is currently sitting at 42.

Watching some historical volatility numbers on shares of Oceania Healthcare Limited (NZSE:OCA), we can see that the 12 month volatility is presently 0.000000. The 6 month volatility is 0.000000, and the 3 month is spotted at 0.000000. Following volatility data can help measure how much the stock price has fluctuated over the specified time period. Although past volatility action may help project future stock volatility, it may also be vastly different when taking into account other factors that may be driving price action during the measured time period.

Price Index We can now take a quick look at some historical stock price index data. Oceania Healthcare Limited (NZSE:OCA) presently has a 10 month price index of 1.22785. The price index is calculated by dividing the current share price by the share price ten months ago. A ratio over one indicates an increase in share price over the period. A ratio lower than one shows that the price has decreased over that time period. Looking at some alternate time periods, the 12 month price index is 1.22785, the 24 month is 1.22785, and the 36 month is 1.22785. Narrowing in a bit closer, the 5 month price index is 1.22785, the 3 month is 1.22785, and the 1 month is currently 1.12791.

Score The Gross Margin Score is calculated by looking at the Gross Margin and the overall stability of the company over the course of 8 years. The score is a number between one and one hundred (1 being best and 100 being the worst). The Gross Margin Score of Oceania Healthcare Limited (NZSE:OCA) is 12.00000. The more stable the company, the lower the score. If a company is less stable over the course of time, they will have a higher score.

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Seychelles as wedding and honeymoon destination & Air Seychelles make final cut – eTurboNews

Posted: at 1:34 pm

Boasting powder-white beaches and clear tranquil turquoise waters, the Seychelles archipelago is synonymous to romance, beach weddings, and honeymoons.

Famed for its reputation as an ultimate escape destination for newlyweds, Seychelles has played host to a stream of honeymoons and romantic getaways for the rich and famous, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge who spent their honeymoon in Seychelles in 2011.

With those attributes, its not surprising that the Seychelles is once again nominated as a finalist for an international travel award.

Seychelles features among finalists in the Selling Travel Agents Choice Awards 2017 in the Destination for Weddings & Honeymoons category.

The island destination is competing against Barbados, Cyprus, Mexico, and Indian Ocean neighbor Mauritius.

The Seychelles national airline is also a finalist. Air Seychelles is competing against Air Mauritius, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Jet Airways, and Qatar Airways in the best Airline to India and the Indian Ocean category.

Selling Travel is a UK travel trade training magazine, providing UK travel professionals with the tools and information to sell products, services, and worldwide destinations.

The Selling Travel Agents Choice Awards are the only industry accolades nominated and voted for by travel agents alone.

With 48 categories this year, agents are being called to vote for their best airlines, hotels, destinations, tour operators, ferries rails among others. FAM trips and events or roadshows feature as new categories in 2017, in a bid to recognize the importance of experiential education in the travel trade.

The Chief Executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board, Mrs. Sherin Francis said, Efforts invested in working with travel agents and them having a say to determine who wins in each category will weigh in and assess the good relationship between them and travel industry representatives and suppliers from across the globe.

For Seychelles to be nominated as a finalist in the Destination for Weddings & Honeymoons category, once again adds more weight to what is already known; that Seychelles is indeed one of the worlds best spot for weddings and leading honeymoon destination, she added.

Voting which can be done online has already started and will close on October 15, 2017. Agents taking part in the voting process also stand the chance of winning a trip to Manila, Philippines.

According to the Selling Travel website, two events will be organized in London and Manchester to celebrate the Selling Travel Agents Choice Awards and encourage debate as the agents get the chance to meet many of the finalists for the 2017 edition of the award.

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Caribbean, East Atlantic may spawn tropical threats in coming days – Fox News

Posted: at 1:33 pm

There is the potential for two tropical systems, one in the Atlantic and one in the Caribbean, to slowly develop and drift westward over the next week.

The next two names on the list of tropical storms in the Atlantic for 2017 are Franklin and Gert.

Residents and those planning vacations around the Caribbean should closely monitor the weather and forecasts.

Up to this point in the season, there have been extensive areas of dry air and Saharan dust as well as a large zone of strong westerly winds aloft. These three factors act as a strong deterrent toward tropical storm formation and can bring an early demise to well-developed tropical storms and hurricanes.

Conditions are gradually becoming more favorable for development in the tropical Atlantic with dry air, dust and strong winds aloft on the retreat. Waters are sufficiently warm over the region.

One system, dubbed 90L, was located close to South America over the south-central Caribbean and is the more immediate concern of the two.

"In the short-term, the close proximity to South America will be a significant inhibiting factor for development," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Mike Doll.

"However, once this system moves away from South America, it will have a better chance for development sometime this weekend," Doll said.

Depending on the track and speed of strengthening of 90L, some of the islands and mainland areas may be affected by adverse conditions and perhaps localized flooding.

An immediate concern for torrential downpours, gusty thunderstorms and building seas will be in northwestern Venezuela, northern Colombia, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao through Saturday.

As 90L grows in size, the risk of flooding downpours, gusty winds and rough seas may affect Jamaica late Saturday night and Sunday.

Westerly steering winds may bring 90L close over Nicaragua and Honduras later this weekend.

While this track would mark an end for strengthening, the two nations could be affected by damaging and dangerous conditions from flooding and gusty winds.

Should 90L take a more northwesterly track, toward the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, it would have more time for development and may then wander into the southwestern Gulf of Mexico next week.

The system farthest away from North America, dubbed 99L, has the potential to gradually develop into next week and beyond, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Mike Doll.

"Nintey-nine L could become a tropical depression by the end of the weekend," Doll said.

Provided the system avoids strong winds aloft and dry air to the north, significant additional strengthening could occur.

If 99L develops and/or survives, then it is likely approach the Windward and Leeward islands during the middle to latter part of next week. Parts of these islands are likely to experience an uptick in showers and thunderstorms at very least during that time.

The exact track of 99L in relation to the proximity to the islands will depend on how quickly the system strengthens. A weak and poorly organized system is more likely to track to the west. A developed system is more likely to track north of west.

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Airbnb will let you rent your own off-the-grid Caribbean island – Inhabitat

Posted: at 1:33 pm

Why settle for a beachfront cabana when you can rent the whole island? For $595 per night, Bird Island off the coast of Belize in the Caribbean could be yours. The listing comes courtesy of Airbnb, which plies such unique retreats as a treehouse in a 150-year-old oak, a replica of Vincent Van Goghs Bedroom in Arles, and a floating house on Australias Great Barrier Reef.

Stay on your own in a truly private island on a beautiful atoll, with excellent swimming, snorkeling, kayaking and exploringwith all the comforts, Airbnb promises. It is a perfect setting for either a romantic get-away for a couple, a family gathering/reunion or for a small group of friends.

The spot, which is 20 minutes by boat from Placencia Village on the mainland, includes a private three-bedroom home that can accommodate up to six guests, a brand-new propane refrigerator and freezer, and a rainwater filtration system.

Although Bird Island is off the gridpower is generated through solar and windyou dont have to be cut off from the world if you dont want to. The locale boasts a phone for local numbers, plus good and reliable WiFi.

Related: Washington Hobbit Hole is the first of three in an off-grid Shire

Self-sufficiency is key, however. Youll have to supplyor fish foryour own food. Snorkling or angling equipment is also strictly BYO.

The central theme of Bird Island is a self-catering, Robinson Crusoe type of adventure, yet with all the comforts, where one could get to do their own thing in total privacy, Airbnb says. We offer Bird Island at an exceptional price for an experience best-suited for the adventurous who are totally self-sufficient.

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The time for Caribbean flair is now – ESPN

Posted: at 1:33 pm

4:20 AM ET

Peter Della PennaCricket

What is the CPL?

The Caribbean Premier League is a six-team franchise T20 competition that's perhaps better than England's T20 Blast but not quite as big as the IPL. From a quality and entertainment perspective, it's about on par with Australia's Big Bash League.

More than anything, what makes the CPL unique from other T20 competitions is Caribbean flair. It's not just Dwayne Bravo who is dancing after each wicket. The league is filled with crowd-pleasing entertainers, and that infectious energy spreads into the stands where the support is reinforced by soca, reggae, calypso and other island beats.

Each of the six teams plays each other twice, five games each home and away (with the exception of the four neutral-venue games in Florida). The top four teams qualify for the playoffs in Trinidad & Tobago.

CPL Draft v IPL Auction

Unlike the IPL auction, where players go to the highest-bidding franchise, the CPL uses a player-draft system modelled on American sports franchises. Each draft slot has a fixed salary; players taken in the first round get US $160,000, fifth-round picks make $70,000, all the way down to $4000 for the final selections in the 15th round.

Squads have the choice to retain players from previous seasons or release them back into the draft pool. They also must pick an ICC Americas player from either USA or Canada, who are not considered overseas players, as well as an Under-19 West Indies player to round out their 17-man squads.

As teams are only allowed a maximum of four overseas players in the XI, most franchises carry no more than five overseas players in their squad. So, unlike in the IPL, where overseas stars can be picked at will to boost the bench, CPL franchises are much more judicious in their overseas draft picks. If you get a dud, it's far more difficult to swap them because there may only be one overseas player waiting on the bench and one who is not necessarily a like-for-like skillset swap.

Where do the teams stand?

Jamaica Tallawahs

The defending champions are relying more on brain than brawn, after a major revamp in the offseason. Chris Gayle and Chadwick Walton, their openers and two leading scorers, are gone, while Andre Russell, the player of the previous season, is still serving his one-year ban for a doping-code violation.

Lendl Simmons was tipped to fill part of the opening void after coming over from St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, while Kumar Sangakkara was retained to provide stability in the top order and behind the stumps. Coach Paul Nixon places high value on players with a winning mentality, and few fit that description more heading into this season than Imad Wasim, who was part of the victorious Pakistan side in the Champions Trophy earlier in the year.

Imad forms a three-man left-arm spin attack, along with Shakib Al Hasan and Garey Mathurin, as they focus on building pressure by choking the scoring rate. Kesrick Williams was taken in the 13th round in the 2016 draft for just $5,000, but after topping his team's bowling charts with 17 wickets, has earned a pay rise to $30,000. Another good season should attract the attention of other overseas leagues.

Guyana Amazon Warriors

Three times a bridesmaid, but never the bride. Guyana topped the table at the end of the league stage last year, but with Martin Guptill leaving for New Zealand duty, they were walloped in the final by Jamaica to fall short of the title for the third time in four years.

Guyana were dealt a major blow on the eve of the tournament when their leading scorer of 2016, Chris Lynn, was ruled out of the season due to upcoming shoulder surgery. He has been replaced by the up-and-coming Pakistan batsman Babar Azam, while the batting order has been injected with fresh blood in the form of Chadwick Walton and USA captain Steven Taylor, who is expected to take on a bigger role after limited opportunities in his two years with Barbados Tridents.

The Australian Adam Zampa, last season's leading spinner, is no longer with the side. In most cases, any replacement would be considered a downgrade, but the arrival of Afghanistan legspinner Rashid Khan may be what this side needs to clear the final hurdle and claim their first title.

St Lucia Stars

Formerly called the Zouks, the Stars received a double-blow ahead of their first match when their top two picks, David Miller and Lasith Malinga, withdrew. In their places is a pair of New Zealanders, Mitchell McClenaghan and Jesse Ryder.

In the past, Ryder was as capable of imploding as he was of exploding on the opposition. If he can rediscover his peak form, it will go a long way toward ensuring the Stars return to the playoffs for the second year in a row. Johnson Charles and Andre Fletcher formed the most consistently destructive opening combination of CPL 2016, but with the exception of Shane Watson, struggled to find support down the order. That will need to change for sustained success.

Trinbago Knight Riders

The 2015 champions are the most settled of the six squads, with the tournament's leading wicket-taker, Dwayne Bravo, supported by fellow returnees Kevon Cooper and Sunil Narine. Outside of Rashid, Knight Riders may have plucked the best acquisition of the offseason by drafting Pakistan legspinner Shadab Khan in the eighth round for $30,000.

On the batting front, Knight Riders will have to endure the early-season absence of Hashim Amla, their leading scorer from 2016, while South Africa's Test series continues in England. Brendon McCullum will have to pick up the slack in Amla's absence and will be keen to bounce back after a subpar 2016 season.

Barbados Tridents

After winning the title in 2014 and losing in the final in 2015, Tridents missed the playoffs for the first time in 2016. AB de Villiers finished as their second-highest scorer despite playing just six games, and they have addressed the top-order deficiency by revamping the batting.

Dwayne Smith was brought over from Amazon Warriors, while the CPL's most high-profile batting newcomer, Kane Williamson, was snapped up in the second round for $130,000. Twin legspinners Imran Khan and Damion Jacobs provide captain Kieron Pollard with attacking options in the field.

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots

This side has undergone the biggest facelift during the offseason in a bid to change their fortunes, having finished with at least a share of the last place in every season. Gayle was the most high-profile acquisition, and despite a poor IPL, he still possesses the intimidation factor that Patriots lacked in the past. If he clicks, Gayle and Evin Lewis may give Patriots a lethal opening combination.

The bigger changes, though, were made in the bowling, which was the weakest of any side last year despite having one of the top T20 bowlers in the world in Samuel Badree. Hasan Ali, the Man of the Tournament in the Champions Trophy, and Afghanistan allrounder Mohammad Nabi are new additions, while the $130,000 big ticket item Chris Morris will enhance the bowling further when he arrives after the end of South Africa's tour of England.

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