Category Archives: Caribbean

After spending ten years at Fox 35, Jim Van Fleet moved to Tampa in late 2011 to become the Chief Meteorologist at WTSP CBS 10. Contract issues with Fox 35 blocked him from being on-air, to begin with, but the station allowed him to wait out the contract before putting him back on television.

At that time, Van Fleet did an interview where he stated That was Triple A, and now Im ready for the majors causing some to believe he was calling Orlando Triple-A but he later clarified that he was only referring to his job at Fox 35, where he was the morning meteorologist, and now he was in the majors because he was the chief meteorologist.

His time in the majors didnt last long though with the station breaking his five-year contract mere weeks early after managers there began spreading lies about him being on drugs, according to a lawsuit he filed against the station in October of last year.

The lawsuit claimed one manager at the station was forced to resign.

Now it looks like Jim Van Fleet, who still has a strong fan base here in the Orlando market, has moved on from petty local news station fights. Late last month Royal Caribbean announced that hes joining the cruise company as the industrys first Chief Meteorologist.

Van Fleet will oversee weather affecting all ships for both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruise Lines. According to his Twitter account, hes splitting his time between the Royal Caribbean headquarters in Miami and his former home in Tampa.

In a blog post announcing the new position Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley explains why they created the new position. We have ships sailing all over the world, and they face different weather conditions every day, You have to keep an eye on the weather systems at all times.

In a video posted on Royal Caribbeans YouTube channel Jim Van Fleet explains Even when you have beautiful weather in Miami or the Bahamas and there are plenty of our ships who have fantastic weather for our guests theres something going on somewhere, whether its Australia, the Tasman Sea, whether its South America, the Mediterranean theres something somewhere.

In February 2016, Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas hit a massive storm injuring four guests and causing the cruise line to issue a public apology. Many guests said they feared for their lives as the ship battled the storm for 12 straight hours, four of which included the ship sitting at a 45-degree angle.

Bill Baumgartner, the senior vice president of global marine operations at Royal Caribbean told CNN "If we knew that we were going to have those kinds of winds, the winds that we actually experienced with the ship, we would not have sailed into that. No. Absolutely we wouldn't have (left port)."

The controversy around that storm surfaced again earlier this year when a passenger uploaded terrifying footage from aboard the ship. That video shows waves crashing against the windows and a passenger struggling to walk down a hallway.

In September, another Royal Caribbean ship hit unexpected weather off the Greek coast. Luckily, that incident included no guest injuries though windows as far up as Deck 11 were broken in the intense storm.

The new Chief Meteorologist position should help Royal Caribbean avoid such issues in the future. No other cruise lines have announced plans to add similar positions.

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After being caught off-guard twice last year, Royal Caribbean hires a former Orlando meteorologist - Orlando Weekly (blog)

Miami Herald

Carnival reroutes ships in Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean due to tropical storms Miami Herald Jennifer De La Cruz, a spokeswoman for Doral-based Carnival, said the line is "closely monitoring" Cindy and Tropical Storm Bret in the Caribbean and will make further changes if necessary. Miami-based lines Royal Caribbean International and Norwegian ... and more »

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Carnival reroutes ships in Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean due to tropical storms - Miami Herald

Associated Press / Chris Brandis

Several tourists enjoy Rockley beach, in the resort town of Rockley, in the parish Church Christ, Barbados.

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The Group General Manager at Ocean Hotels in Barbados, Patricia Affonso-Dass is the new president of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association at the Associations Annual General Meeting, held alongside the Caribbean Hospitality Industry Exchange Forum (CHIEF) and Taste of the Caribbean at the Hyatt Regency in Miami recently.

Affonso-Dass, a graduate of Florida International Universitys School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, serves as president-elect for the next year before taking over the presidency of the travel trade association next summer from current incumbent Karolin Troubetzkoy, executive director of the renowned Jade Mountain and Anse Chastanet resorts in St. Lucia.

He has been the president of both the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana and the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association and runs the Ocean Hotels group, a family-owned company located on the south coast of Barbados with three unique hotels.

Affonso-Dass will serve the association as president for two years after Troubetzkoys tenure ends next year.

Barbados

Hotels in Barbados have seen an increase in package demand with nearly a 15 percent growth in 2016.

This is according to the Expedia group, one of the worlds leading travel companies.

Package bookings, which combine components like flights and hotels, typically capture the attention of higher quality travelers that spend money, have longer lengths of stay, book further in advance.

Some destinations within Barbados that experienced increases in package demand in 2016 included Christ Church with nearly 30 percent year-on-year and St Peters with nearly 50 percent.

New data from the Expedia group also. Indicate that the United States remains the key feeder market for Barbados with a reported growth of more than 20 percent year-on-year in 2016, followed by Canada with more than 15 percent and Brazil with nearly 25 percent year-on-year.

According to the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Board, the destination welcomed more than 630,000 tourists in 2016- a 6.7 percent increase compared to 2015.

Expedia reported that the top source markets for Barbados came from the United States, followed by Canada, UK and other Caribbean markets.

An oil exploration campaign is set to begin in the coming months in Grenadian waters.

Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell announced during a national address that a search for oil is expected to start within months.

He said the government of Grenada has granted the Global Petroleum Group (GPG) authorization to conduct a seismic survey on the island and the group has identified the most prospective geographical features offering greatest exploration and economic potential.

They have prepared all the engineering and logistical plans for the exploratory drilling campaign, engaged all the contractors, subcontractors and vendors necessary, and are on the verge of commencing the exploratory drilling campaign within the next month or two, Mitchell said.

At present, Grenada does not produce oil.

The prime minister said the achievements to date represent the furthest any company conducting petroleum exploration in Grenada has ever reached and the quest continues, with future prospects in sight.

Guyana government said it will be seeking advice before making any decision to set up an oil refinery in the South American country.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon said after the minister of natural resources receives the advice, he will bring a memorandum to Cabinet upon which we will cogitate and make a decision that is in the best interest of the people of Guyana.

Recently, Pedro Haas, director of Advisory Services at Hartree Partners of the USA who was tasked with carrying out a feasibility study for an oil refinery in Guyana revealed that the estimated cost to construct an oil refinery would be around $5 billion dollars.

The feasibility study found that it would be too costly for the government to invest in an oil refinery and the minister said that Cabinet is still to review the findings of the study.

The consultant, secured through the New Petroleum Producers Group by Chatham House, USA, said that the final results of the study showed that Guyana would be destroying over half of the value of your investment the day you commission your refinery.

The Jamaica government has passed the Plea Bargain Negotiations and Agreement Act, in the Senate, which provides for a system of plea bargaining for those who commit crimes.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Kamina Johnson Smith, explained that the act is intended to give accused people the opportunity to offer a guilty plea in exchange for a lighter sentence.

Smith, who is leader of Government Business in the Senate, said the legislation would assist in the delivery of justice in a timely manner and reduce the backlog of cases in the nations courts.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has praised CARICOM countries for acting with independence, courage and concerted action during the recent Permanent Council meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS) which was called to discuss the situation in Venezuela.

In a letter sent to CARICOM Secretary General Irwin Larocque, Gonsalves said the CARICOM stance is a tribute to our regions commitment to the highest ideals of our Caribbean civilization and of its institutional expression, politically, the independent and sovereign nation-state.

The prime minister said through its position at the OAS, CARICOM countries have honored the names of our revered leaders of yesteryear, including Errol Barrow of Barbados, Forbes Burnham of Guyana, Michael Manley of Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobagos Dr. Eric Williams, whose representative countries defied the edict of a hegemonic neighbor in their formal diplomatic recognition or revolutionary Cuba in 1972.

Police are hunting for three bandits who held up a prominent Roman Catholic priest, tied him up and robbed the St. Martin de Pores Church in Belmont, Port-of Spain around 5 am on June 12, 2017.

Police said Fr. Clive Harvey was outside the church when he was accosted by three armed men with guns.

They ordered the priest into the presbytery before they tied him up and threatened to abduct and kill him.

They left with only TT$1,000 in cash, a cellphone and some other items.

Fr. Harvey managed to untie himself and went to the home of a nearby parishioner, who called the police.

Religious leaders have condemned that attack on the well-known priest, who helps underprivileged children in communities in a crime hot spot in Laventille, Port of Spain.

In a response, Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley said the attack on Fr. Harvey by able-bodied, gun-toting men represents the worst that exist in our communities.

He said: Notwithstanding what difficulties one may be facing in life there are limits beneath which the human form should not sink.

compiled by Azad Ali

Posted 12:00 am, June 20, 2017

2017 Community News Group

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Caribbean RoundUp - Caribbean Life

The headline for last week's main review described El Toluco Taqueria & Grocery as bare-bones. I should have saved the adjective for today's Small Bites. Caribbean Delight, which opened in September by the intersection of Gravois Avenue and South Grand Boulevard, is as skeletal a restaurant as you'll find in town. Its single room features an ordering window at the far end, a few tables around the perimeter and a big empty space in the middle.

You'll probably get your food to go your food is served in a to-go container regardless (hence the photographs included here) but get it you should.

At Caribbean Delight, owner and chef Chrisanna Little is serving traditional dishes from her native Jamaica. As she told me during a phone interview, these are the recipes that have been passed down to her.

This is basically how they're cooked, she said.

There is jerk chicken, of course, grilled outside the restaurant, chopped into pieces and served over rice. The char-kissed chicken is appropriately spicy, but the real heat comes from the gravy ladled over the rice.

An order of goat curry from Caribbean Delight. Photo: Ian Froeb

Many of the other dishes on Caribbean Delight's menu Little stews and stews and stews. They cook for a really, really long time, she told me.

These include oxtails, their abundant meat not quite falling off the bone but yielding easily to your plastic to-go fork. A definite, but not searing heat tinges the rich beef flavor. A clear standout is the goat curry, the tender meat's strong natural flavor sharply accented by chiles but also enrobed by more complex, warming curry spices.

Your order should probably include a traditional Jamaican beef patty, an empanada-esque hand pie (though the patty's shell is larger and softer) with spicy minced beef.

An important caveat: Caribbean Delight is cash-only.

Not a caveat, though maybe an invitation: Every other weekend, Little said, Caribbean Delight stays open later than usual and plays music. That big empty space in the middle of the room might come in handy then.

Where Caribbean Delight, 3526 Gravois Avenue More Info 314-799-1463 Menu Traditional Jamaican fare Hours Lunch and dinner daily

A weekly treasure trove of tastiness, featuring reviews from restaurant critic Ian Froeb and how-to videos by food writer Dan Neman.

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Small Bites: Goat curry highlights Caribbean Delight's Jamaican fare - STLtoday.com

Visa is rolling out its Everywhere Initiative to foster the development of the next big thing in payments in the Latin America and Caribbean regions.

With the motto of "leveraging digital technologies to transform financial services and payments" in the regions, the company wants to find fintech ventures developing innovative products and services for final consumers and businesses using Visa APIs.

Under the initiative, startups will get a chance to access Visa's executive mentors and technologists, with 10 finalists participating in a 4-day immersion program with the company in Miami prior to the finals. The winner will get a $50,000 prize.

"Around the globe, technology-driven startups are transforming the financial services industry. Latin America is not immune to this trend, where fintech startups from across the region are improving access to and delivery of a wide array of financial services to both banked and unbanked segments of the population," Visa said in the initiative's brief.

"With access to Visa APIs and by harnessing Visa capabilities, startups from the region have the unique opportunity to create innovative products and services that benefit consumers and businesses in the region," the company added.

In order to take part, participating must be based in a Latin America or Caribbean country and must be incorporated, but for no longer than five years.

In addition, Visa wants ventures to have launched a commercial offering and have an existing customer base. Ventures who have raised more than $6 million in external capital will not be considered.

Interested parties must sign up online until July 17.

Everywhere Initiatives are already online in North America, Europe and Asia.

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Visa exports fintech startup contest to LatAm and Caribbean - ZDNet

Royal Caribbean Blog (blog)

Top things to do in St. Maarten on your Royal Caribbean cruise Royal Caribbean Blog (blog) Many Royal Caribbean cruises that visit the Eastern Caribbean will make a stop in St. Maarten, an island split between The Netherlands and France. St. Maarten is known for its beautiful beaches, and exquisite examples of Dutch and French culture.

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Top things to do in St. Maarten on your Royal Caribbean cruise - Royal Caribbean Blog (blog)

Royal Caribbean Blog (blog)

Royal Caribbean brings underwater adventures to Snapchat users Royal Caribbean Blog (blog) Royal Caribbean is offering everyone experience an undersea adventure with a first-of-its-kind social media innovation. From June 21-25, Through the lens of Snapchat Spectacles, Royal Caribbean's Snapchat Channel will take viewers underwater, thanks to ... Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas Rescues Two Caribbean SailorsTravel Agent Royal Caribbean Creates Underwater Snapchat ExperienceTravelPulse Royal Caribbean Debuts Snapchat ChannelCruise Radio (blog) Seatrade Cruise News all 5 news articles »

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Royal Caribbean brings underwater adventures to Snapchat users - Royal Caribbean Blog (blog)

Orlando Business Journal

Inside Loews Sapphire Falls' new Caribbean-themed dinner show Orlando Business Journal A year-old Universal Orlando Resort hotel is ramping up on a weekly dinner show that brings the tastes and sounds of the Caribbean to the theme park area. Loews Sapphire Falls Resort in the spring first introduced its new Caribbean Carnaval dinner show ... Universal Orlando's new Caribbean Carnaval brings flavorful food, festive fun to Sapphire Falls ResortInside the Magic all 2 news articles »

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Inside Loews Sapphire Falls' new Caribbean-themed dinner show - Orlando Business Journal

The United Nations is urging countries around the Caribbean to view the recent surge in refugees, from near and far, as a long-term benefit and not just a short-term challenge.

Ruben Barbado, with theUnited Nations High Commission for Refugee (UNHCR) agency, told journalists at theCaribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that many refugees, though fleeing under duress, can quickly by shifted into productive roles in host countries if the countries receive them

You have doctors, you have entrepreneurs, you have teachers, you have farmers and in that regard they can help the economy if they are allowed (to become) successful members of the society, Barbado said.

More than 5,000 people came to various Caribbean nations last year seeking asylum, he said, representing a 257 percent increase in the number of asylum seekers between mid-2015 and mid-2016 for the region.

The UN official made his plea for a new mindset at a workshop for media professionals on Refugee Protection in Trinidad and Tobago last week. After Belize and the Dominican republic, he said, Trinidad and Tobago isthe third most popular country for refugees in the region, with 400 new applications in the first six months of this year a 40 per cent increase from2016.

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Government statistics indicate that the refugees are comingfrom neighboring nations in the region, such as Cuba and Haiti, as well as from other more far-flung countries including Colombia,Sri Lanka, Syria and Nigeria.

Other speakers at the eventstressed the need fordomestic legislation in Trinidad and Tobago to address the surge in refugees, according to the CMC. They said asylum seekers in the dual-island country face numerous barriers to successful resettlement,such asdetention, being irregular/undocumented, uncertainty over being resettled, lack of access to healthcare, lack of ability to work and access education.

Education at the primary and secondary levels are free to the public in Trinidad and Tobago, but officials have admitted there were barriers for many refugee children such as the ability to speak and understand English, CMCreported.

RELATED On the Trump travel ban, refugees and walling off America: Cut off nose, spite face

The increase of refugees into the Caribbean may be significant for low-resource host countries, but it is marginal compared to the refugee crisis on a global scale. In recent years, aseries of conflicts around the world has left governmentsgrappling with some 66 million displaced persons the highest number seensince World War II.

The crisis is straininggovernments around the world with massive populationsof refugees they are either unwilling or unable to take in. Jordan, with a population of just over 6 million people, is now home to more than 600,000 Syrian refugees. Turkey, with a population of 76 million, has taken in 2.5 million.

The internal strife in South Sudan has become the source of the fastest-growing displacement crisis in the world, turning the country intothe third-biggest source of refugees abroad last year, behind Syria (5.5 million) and Afghanistan (2.5 million).

Nearly all of the biggest refugee hosts are developing countries, according to data from the UNHCR.

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UN urges Caribbean nations to see benefits from surge in refugees - Humanosphere

Renowned international cyber expert, President of CYBERPOL and ECIPS, Mr. Ricardo Baretzky, is one of the leading experts to attend and speak at the 19th Annual Caribbean American Legislative Forum, JUNE 21st-22nd in Washington DC.

The two-day forum which will include sessions at the Inter-American Development Bank, the Senate Dirksen Building and the Rayburn House Office Building will address the implementation of the US/Caribbean Strategic Engagement Act (HR 4939), which was signed into law by President Obama in December 2016.

Public Law 114-291 (HR 4939) prioritizes the United States-Caribbean relationship and requires the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to submit to Congress a multiyear strategy which among other things, outline an approach to: 1) broaden engagement with the Caribbean diaspora community in the United States; 2) partner with governments of the Caribbean region to improve citizen security and reduce drug trafficking; 3) to improve diplomatic engagement with governments of the Caribbean region; and 4) assist Caribbean countries in the diversification of their economies.

Other high level speakers slated for the Caribbean American Forum include: Jerry Butler, Executive Director of the Inter-American Development Bank; Francis Forbes, Executive Director, CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS); Special Agent-in-Charge Dextan Dixon, Representative from Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (DHS/ICE); Alvin Dalmida (Lt. Ret.), US Coast Guard; Senator David Small, Niquan Energy,of Trinidad and Tobago; Hon. Jennifer Carroll, Former Lt. Gov. of Florida; Professor Anthony Harriott, Director, Institute of Criminal Justice and Security, UWI; Dr. Waldaba Stewart, Executive Director of the Caribbean Research Center at Medgar Evers College; and, Sally Yearwood, Executive Director, Caribbean Central American Action.

The Session to be sponsored by the Caribbean Department of the Inter-American Development Bank will focus on issues pertaining to security and development and will feature key findings of the IDBs landmark study on crime and violence in the Caribbean. ICS will use the opportunity to also present the diaspora white paper on the implementation of Public Law 114-291, which addresses: security and diplomacy; economic development including energy, climate change and the blue economy; and education and health.

To register for the 19th Annual Legislative Forum, taking place on JUNE 21st 22nd in Washington DC, please visit, http://www.ncalw2017.eventbrite.com

About CYBERPOL

CYBERPOL (The International Cyber Policing Organization),is a not for profit organization operating internationally in the public interest and helping to protect legitimate users of the internet, under Treaty 124 of the Council of Europe and by Royal Decree in Belgium. CYBERPOL has received much support from law-enforcement agencies active in the international cyber security landscape, who recognize the need for cross border collaboration in the support of the fight against organized cyber-crime and online fraudsters. ECIPS, the European Centre for Information Policy was a co-founding body for the establishment of CYBERPOL.

About Institute of Caribbean Studies

The Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS), founded in 1993, is theConvener of the 19th Annual Caribbean American Legislative Forum, and Architect and Campaign Chair for Commemoration of June as National Caribbean American Heritage Month, since 1999. ICS is a non-partisan, non-profit 501 (c)(3) organizationand the premiereCaribbean American Think/Do Tank. ICSseeks to address development problems facing Caribbean peoples, and to adopt a thorough, systematic and coordinated long-term perspective towards their resolution.For more information on ICS, visit http://www.icsdc.org.

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President of CYBERPOL to speak at Caribbean American Legislative forum on Capitol Hill - sUAS News