Category Archives: Caribbean

THIS WEEKS TOP NEWS STORIES

NEW BASE FOR JAMAICA DEFENSE FORCE TO BE ESTABLISHED IN ST. ANDREWOne hundred acres of land in St. Andrews Wareika Hill will be used as the site for a new special operations base for the Jamaica Defense Force (JDF), according to an announcement from Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness. The base represents part of strategic plan to control the area, which is known as a thoroughfare for gangs. Holness noted that the JDF is critical for Jamaicas security and that the government has been in the process of expanding its capabilities. The new base is part of an effort to increase security in the land domain of Jamaica in response to a trend in which criminals create camps in remote locations from which they launch attacks on surrounding communities and then return to the remote regions. The JDF will be charged with expanding its patrols, surveillance, and presence in hard-to-access areas across the island. The base at Wareika Hill is the first of many planned installations, Holness added.

JAMAICAN PRIME MINISTER FINES FIVE GOVERNMENT MINISTERS FOR ATTENDING SHENSEEA PARTYJamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness responded to outrage from the general public, which claimed special preference given to the promoter of the Shenseea album-launch party in Kingston, by fining five government ministers who attended the event $100,000 each. Holness announced his action during a budget presentation and following an announcement that as of March 18, 2022, the entertainment sector would officially reopen from its COVID-19-required shutdown. Holness called the five ministers starstruck and appointed Minister Olivia Grange to collect the fines and donate them to a worthy charity. Those fined for attending the party were Minister of Finance Dr. Nigel Clarke, Minister of Health Dr. Christopher Tufton, Minister of National Security Dr. Horace Chang, Minister of Culture Olivia Babsy Grange, Minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) Floyd Green, and State Minister Alando Terrelonge. They were all photographed not wearing masks at the event.

NORWEGIAN CRUISE SHIP RUNS AGROUND OFF DOMINICAN REPUBLICThe cruise ship Norwegian Escape ran aground off the northern coast of the Dominica Republic after leaving the port of Puerto Plata with about 3,000 tourists and 1,600 crew members on board. According to Vice Admiral Ramon Gustavo Betances Hernandez, the ship ran aground because of strong winds clocked at some 30 knots. The ship, which will be able to exit its position during high tide, was on the way to the US and British Virgin Islands and then to the Bahamas. Representatives of various government agencies have been working with the crew at the site to facilitate the ships journey. There were no reports of damage to the ship from the incident.

JAMAICANS IN DIASPORA DONATED OVER J$500 MILLION TO ISLANDS COVID-19 RESPONSEAccording to Jamaicas State Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Leslie Campbell, the Jamaican Diaspora has donated over J$500 million in supplies to support the response of the nations government to the COVID-19 pandemic. Campbell added that the government will continue its efforts to partner with the Jamaican Diaspora as the Diaspora also continues its support of Jamaica for charities, fundraising initiatives, and the sharing of skills and transfers of knowledge. He also noted that the government has recognized the significant impact COVID has had on the Diaspora community and praised the way the community came together to provide emotional support and resources in the pandemics early stages.

MARKET FOR JAMAICAN ACKEE EXPECTED TO GROW BETWEEN 2022 AND 2032Business intelligence experts believe that the market for Jamaican ackee fruit will grow substantially between 2022 and 2032. According to a market study, there is a marked increase in demand for exports of non-traditional Jamaican crops worldwide, and demand for ackee is expected to grow along with the trend of buy local products via traditional trade methods. The flavor of ackee continues to increase in popularity and has made the fruit one of the most popular products at both mainstream and gourmet stores globally. Manufacturers are making canned ackee with less sugar more available to meet consumer demands. The value of total exports of canned ackee from Jamaica rose from US$13 million in 2014 to US$20 million in 2016 and was expected to surpass US$29 million in 2020.

SHENSEEA HOLDS ALBUM RELEASE PARTY IN JAMAICAJamaican recording star Shenseea, 25, made an appearance at the release party for her album Alpha in Kingston, Jamaica, accompanied by London On Da Track, who is rumored to be her boyfriend although she has denied it. The singer turned heads at Romeich Entertainments headquarters for the Jamaica portion of an album-release party series, which included parties held in New York and Miami. The events have attracted celebrities such as Busta Rhymes, Diddy, Romeich Major, Mary J. Blige, and Trina. With the appearance in her native city of Kingston, Shenseea seeks to dominate the dancehall genre. The Kingston party attract numerous local celebrities, including politicians such as Olive Grange, the islands Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport.

JAMAICAN BASKETBALL PLAYER KOFI COCKBURN NAMED TO ALL-AMERICAN FIRST TEAMKofi Cockburn, a Jamaican basketball forward from Kingston who plays for the Fighting Illini of the University of Illinois in the United States has been named an Associated Press (AP) First-Team All-American. This is the one of the most prestigious honors to be awarded to college basketball players in the US. Cockburn, how is seven-feet-tall, has averaged 21 points and 10.6 rebounds per game during his junior season. He is likely to be a draft lottery pick in the 2022 NBA draft. Cockburn will be featured at the NCAA tournament as the Illini, who are seeded fourth, confront the Team from Chattanooga, Tennessee, on March 18, 2022. In 2021, Cockburn was named to the AP All-American second team.

See original here:

Top 7 Jamaican & Caribbean News Stories You Missed The Week Ending March 18th, 2022 - Jamaicans.com

Officials hope Norwegian Escape, stranded off the north coast of the Dominican Republic, can be refloated at high tide.

Officials in the Dominican Republic have confirmed that a large cruise ship had run aground off the Caribbean island nations north coast shortly after leaving the port of Puerto Plata.

According to local media, the ship is the Norwegian Escape, with some 3,000 tourists and 1,600 crew on board.

For the moment, there is no risk for passengers or crew members, Vice Admiral Ramon Gustavo Betances Hernandez told the media on Monday, adding that the ship had run aground due to strong 30 knot winds.

The tide in this area rises about 1 metre (3 feet) at four in the morning (08:00 GMT). We think that with the high tide, we can get the boat out of its current position, the vice-admiral said, noting that tugs had already been working in vain to free the vessel.

He said that additional tugs would soon be arriving to help in the effort.

The Norwegian Escape was on its way to the US Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands, before making its way to the Bahamas, according to local media.

(Translation: Cruise ship remains aground in Taino Baym, Puerto Plata; representatives from different government authorities have been at the site with the aim of working with the crew and for the ship, Norwegian Escape, to continue on its course)

Passengers posted pictures of the incident on social media, showing tug boats alongside the ship. There were no reports of damage.

According to the US-based Norwegian Cruise Lines website, the Norwegian Escape is nearly 326 metres long (1,070 feet) and weighs 165,000 tonnes.

It can accommodate as many as 4,200 passengers and 1,700 crew members.

The ship, one of NCLs biggest, was built in Germany and delivered in 2015.

More:

Cruise ship with thousands on board runs aground in Caribbean - Al Jazeera English

Royal Caribbean International has partnered with Priceline to launch a new hotel booking engine, Royal Caribbean Hotels.

Intended to provide travelers and travel advisors an easier way to book pre- or post-cruise lodging, the platform promises exclusive rates at hotels located near Royal Caribbean departure and arrival ports around the world, including in the Caribbean, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Americas.

Royal Caribbean passengers and their advisors can also use the booking engine to view hotel options that have been filtered based on date, number of travelers in their group and their sailing's departure or arrival city, as well as their preferred hotel rating, desired amenities and more.

Properties available on the platform include the Mandarin Oriental Miami, the Four Seasons Hotel Seattle and the Serras Hotel Barcelona.

The Royal Caribbean Hotels engine is currently active for travelers and advisors in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Advisors also can access the engine via Royal Caribbean's Cruising Power platform.

The Royal Caribbean Hotels launch follows sister brand Celebrity Cruises' recent debut of a similar Priceline-powered hotel booking engine, Hotels by Celebrity.

Originally posted here:

Royal Caribbean partners with Priceline on hotel booking engine - Travel Weekly

People eager to cruise from Galveston will gain a new option later this year - but it's one Houstonians might recognize.

Carnival Corporation's Princess Cruises will bring its 3,080-guest Ruby Princess ship to Galveston from December 2022 to April 2023, the cruise line announced Tuesday.

Princess Cruises is taking up residence in Galveston six years after it left Texas with the closure of Houston's Bayport Cruise Terminal. The cruise line had relocated to Houston from the Port of Galveston in 2012, lured by millions in financial incentives.

The Ruby Princess will offer voyages ranging from 5 to 11 days with ports of call in the western Caribbean. But cruisers will also have a chance to sail two 16-day trips through the Panama Canal to San Francisco. Tickets for these cruises go on sale April 7, 2022.

Princess Cruises requires passengers 5 years or older to show proof of full vaccination, with few exceptions, along with a negative PCR or antigen test before boarding. Masks, however, are no longer required. The restrictions are similar to Ruby Princess' larger cousins from Carnival Cruise Line, the Carnival Vista, Breeze, and Dream, which are permanently based in Galveston.

Along with the Ruby Princess, other cruise ships coming to the Port of Galveston include the Carnival Jubilee in 2023 and Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Prima in Oct. 2022.

LOOK INSIDE: See Royal Caribbean's upcoming $125M cruise terminal in Galveston

But the largest investment in Galveston is being made by its other year-round cruise line Royal Caribbean, which is constructing a $125 million cruise terminal opening later this year. The terminal will allow Royal Caribbean to relocate its behemoth 6,780-guest Allure of the Seas cruise ship to Galveston.

charlie.zong@chron.com

See the article here:

Princess Cruises will return to Galveston with Ruby Princess sailing west Caribbean cruises - Houston Chronicle

The idea of owning a tropical island may seem unachievable but this group of travelers made it happen by purchasing Coffee Caye, making it the worlds first crowdfunded island.

Who wouldnt want to buy an island? said Marshall Mayer, per CNN Travel,

And I dont know about you but I certainly cant afford to buy an island on my own!

How it happened: Mayer is the co-founder of Lets Buy an Island, a project started in 2018 with the goal of purchasing an island. In 2019, this group of 80 investors raised over $250,000, enough to buy the Coffee Caye island.

Details: A short boat ride from Belize City, the uninhabited 1.2-acre island is almost shaped like a coffee bean, with a small beach on one side and scrub and mangroves on the other.

What theyre saying: Marshall Mayer, co-founder and co-chairman of the Lets Buy an Island board, toldTravel + Leisure, Many of the initial investors were really into traveling off the beaten track, including to places where there were micronations, and they were interested in (creating) an island where you can make your own rules and laws.

But we are a tongue-in-cheek micronation falling squarely within the laws of Belize, stressed Mayer.

See the rest here:

They bought a Caribbean island to start their own country. Heres how they did it - Deseret News

Share The Article

Last Updated 2 days ago

Several different airlines have added a range of new routes between cities in the US and destinations around the Caribbean. The addition of new routes comes at an exciting time for American travelers, following the decisions made recently by many Caribbean countries to change their Covid-19 related entry restrictions, making it much easier and more appealing for travelers to visit, and could lead to a travel boom in the region.

Taking in destinations such as Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Guyana, the addition of new routes is a positive sign for the travel industry as a whole, and suggests that the effects of the pandemic are slowly going back to normal. Heres a closer look at which new routes have recently been added by airlines, and when travelers will be able to fly on them.

American Airlines is the latest major airline to add a route to the Caribbean with a new flight that will connect the US with Jamaica. The airline, which was the largest in the US in terms of total passengers carried in 2019, has added a weekly flight between Austin and Montego Bays Sangster International Airport. The completely new route, which will be a weekly service leaving every Saturday, will begin on June 4th.

Speaking about the new route, Jamaicas Director of Tourism, Donovan White, said:

We are very pleased to grow our valued partnership with American Airlines, the largest commercial passenger airline flying to Jamaica, through this new route. The new non-stop flight from Austin complements the carriers existing service out of Dallas Fort Worth and offers yet another convenient option for travelers to get to our island as of this summer.

The new route will be serviced by Embraer ERJ-175 aircraft. A 76-seat aircraft, the ERJ-175 features 44 main class cabin seats, alongside 12 first class and 20 main cabin extra seats providing travelers on the new route the option to travel to Jamaica in style. Travelers will also be glad to know that American isnt the only airline to have added flights to Jamaica in recent weeks.

Frontier Airlines has also added a route to Jamaica. The new year-round route will see flights from Miami to Kingston taking off three times per week, with flights commencing from May 5th. The route will face stern competition, with American also servicing the very same route, but travelers are set to benefit from even more options when it comes to flying to Jamaicas capital city.

Jamaica isnt the only country that will see its connectivity with the US boosted. Guyana, a country on the north end of South America but with a culture more closely connected to the Caribbean, is set to benefit from three flights per week between Houston Intercontinental Airport and Georgetown, Guyana courtesy of Caribbean Airlines. Flights for this route serviced by the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft are set to begin on March 22nd, and will also make it easier to connect with flights to Trinidad and Tobago.

Finally, travelers can look forward to American Airlines flights between Miami and the up and coming tourism hotspot of Saman in the Dominican Republic. The new route which welcomed passengers at the start of the month will be serviced by Embraer E175 every Wednesday and Saturday.

Read More:

5 Of The Worlds Best Airports Are In The USA

Travel Insurance That Covers Covid-19 For 2022

These 3 Caribbean Islands Just Removed Several Travel Restrictions

Join the community

TheTravel Off Path Community FB grouphas all the latest reopening news, conversations, and Q&As happening daily!

Enter your email address to subscribe to Travel Off Paths latest breaking travel news, straight to your inbox

Disclaimer: Current travel rules and restrictionscan change without notice. The decision to travel is ultimately your responsibility. Contact your consulate and/or local authorities to confirm your nationalitys entry and/or any changes to travel requirements before traveling. Travel Off Path does not endorse traveling against government advisories

Read the original:

Several U.S. Airlines Have Added New Flights To The Caribbean - Travel Off Path

By NAN STAFF WRITER

News Americas, PHILADELPHIA, PA, Weds. March 16, 2022: The white man who shot a Black, Caribbean immigrant nine times, killing him while on a camping trip in December, will face no charges.

Caucasian District Attorney Shawn White, of Vendago County, Pennsylvania, told reporters yesterday that he made the call and he believes its the right one.

The decision came over three months after the killing of Jamaican national Peter Bernando Spencer, 29. Spencers family say it is a case of modern-day lynching, but the DA said Tuesday it was self-defense.

We believe in this case that there is enough evidence presented for self-defense that we are not going to be able to overcome our burden and show this was not self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt, and for that reason, there will be no charges filed against the suspect in this case, District Attorney White told reporters Tuesday.

Franklin police were called to the cabin at 279 Carls Road in Rockland Township on Dec. 12, 2021, and found the Jamaican immigrant from Allegheny County dead at the scene. PA police said they also found multiple guns and drugs at the scene of the cabin and detained and questioned four people, including the 25-year-old white man and co-worker of Spencer, whom they called a suspect. The men with him reportedly claimed they all acted in self-defense.

State Police said Spencer was found on the front lawn of the rural cabin with nine bullet wounds in his body, including six in his chest.

Venango County Coroner Christina Rugh ruled his death a homicide. Rugh told exploreClarion.com that she examined the body at the scene and determined that Spencer had been shot nine times, once in the mouth, twice in his buttocks, and six times in the chest and abdomen.

But all four White men were released from custody and set free. They will now be completely free after the DAs decision while Spencers family must live with the grief of his death.

White said Spencer was using hallucinogenic mushrooms and started acting crazy as he fired multiple rounds from an AK-47 he had brought with him. White said Spencer was not ambushed and that he began firing the gun and ordered other campers to stay at gunpoint. Spencers co-worker then shot him.

Police said they found multiple firearms, ballistic evidence and controlled substances at the cabin.

The case was brought to the Heritage Affairs Team, Pennsylvania, which investigates hate crimes, but Corp. Aaron Allen, the black liaison for the office, said he also will not be bringing charges.

We also have been making sure that there isnt any hate and/or bias detected throughout this investigation, and I can tell you right now that theres not been any sort of hate and/or bias detected, Allen said.

Spencers killing has captured international attention, including in Jamaica and the Jamaican Diaspora, and prompted outrage from Caribbean American and Black leaders who are concerned the murder may have been racially motivated.

His familys attorney wants the FBI/Department of Justice to get involved in the investigation and provide transparency. The family had sought for the Venango County district attorney to refer the case to Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro and for the Venango County coroner to turn over all photos and other pertinent information to forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht. But with the decision Tuesday, that is not going to happen unless the Justice department intervenes.

Spencer called Pittsburgh home. He migrated to the US in 2013, was on a camping trip with 3 white males and a white female when he was killed. He was dropped off by his fiance King.

King said she received a text shortly afterward to say he was staying the night. But at 2.30 a.m. on December 12, Franklin police were called to the cabin at 279 Carls Road in Rockland Township and found the Jamaican immigrant dead at the scene.

Paul Jubas, an attorney for the Spencer family, said he is not surprised that Spencer would have accepted an invitation, even though family members said he was the only Black man at the camp.

He was an outdoorsman and he loved nature. He loved being in nature. He loved being among the animals of nature. This is something he would regularly do. Its exactly why he would have been out there, Jubas has said.

Spencer lived in the Highland Park neighborhood of Pittsburgh with his family. His sister, Tehilah Spencer has said her brother was murdered in cold blood.

Heres what I do know, this is a HATE CRIME! Peter was MURDERED in Rockland Township, Pennsylvania in a backwater rural town where he was completetly vulnerable and cut off from everything and everyone. He was slaughtered and killed in what i consider an act of MODERN DAY LYNCHING!, she wrote.

The Spencer family said it is not giving up despite the announcement charges will not be filed.

We are not surprised by it, this is the type of behavior we have seen from the PA State Police and Venango County District Attorney from the outset, Paul Jubas, the attorney for Peter Spencers family, said in a statement.

While state charges will not be filed, it is possible that there could be federal hate crime charges brought. Cindy Chung, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, will make that decision.

If you want to know from a federal standpoint whether theres any hate crime, Im not competent to testify to that or give you an answer, White said. Thats her jurisdiction, shes aware of the facts. Give her office a call.

Spencers family said it will host a press conference next week with independent forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht to discuss their next steps.

Read the original post:

White Man Who Shot And Killed Black, Caribbean Immigrant Will Face No Charges - Caribbean and Latin America Daily News - News Americas

Celam

Bogota (Agenzia Fides) - On Friday, March 25, during the Celebration of Penance, which he will preside at 5 pm in St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Francis will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The same act, on the same day, will be performed in Fatima by Cardinal Krajewski, Papal Almoner, as envoy of the Holy Father. The Presidency of the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM) welcomed "with great joy and hope" the announcement of the Press Office of the Holy See, and sharing the need to "redouble our prayers for peace and fraternity universal", invites the 22 Episcopal Conferences of the Latin American continent, all the ecclesial organizations and the faithful of good will, to join the intentions of the Holy Father in this Marian act, "according to the time zones of our Latin American and Caribbean countries". The message concludes by reiterating "affection and filial communion with the Bishop of Rome", raising supplications to God our Father, so that, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, "he may grant us the gift of peace". "With our prayer and our solidarity we embrace our most vulnerable brothers and sisters and the victims of violent and fratricidal acts, with the certainty that 'God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God' (1 Jn 4:16)". (SL) (Agenzia Fides, 16/3/2022)

Read the original here:

AMERICA - The Church in Latin America and the Caribbean joins the Pope in the consecration of Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary -...

United States Mission to the United NationsOffice of Press and Public DiplomacyFor Immediate ReleaseMarch 15, 2022

Readout of Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfields Meeting withUK Member of Parliament and Minister for Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean Vicky Ford

The below is attributable to U.S. Mission to the United NationsSpokespersonOlivia Dalton:

As part of the UNs Commission on the Status of Women, U.S. Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield today met withUK Member of Parliament and Minister for Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean Vicky Ford. They discussed shared U.S.-UK priorities, including monitoring conflict-related sexual violence in Ukraine and furthering efforts to hold the Taliban accountable for returning women and girls to school in Afghanistan. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield shared the Biden-Harris Administrations forthcoming U.S. National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, and she commended the UKs leadership and partnership in efforts to counter online harassment and abuse. They also discussed shared concerns about ongoing conflict in Ethiopia, including its impact on women and girls.

###

By United States Mission to the United Nations | 15 March, 2022 | Topics: Highlights, Remarks and Highlights

Read the original here:

Readout of Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield's Meeting with UK MP and Minister for Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean Vicky Ford - United States...

Five fishermen stranded in the Caribbean for hours after their boat sank Saturday thanked God for saving their lives.

Captain James Kirwan, Kyle Dyer, Azim Baksh, Keston Frederick, and Jerome Nicome jumped into the sea wearing life jackets as their boat sank off the coast of Tobago. The group was discovered by a Bahamian vessel two hours later, according to Newsday. The report noted that the men attributed their rescue to divine intervention.

"Thank God, all the honor and glory and praise. Anybody who is hearing me now, trust Christ," Nicome told the news outlet. "I'm telling you because He is the one that saved us. God allowed us to drift into the vessel that saved us. Nobody was seeing us out there."

MINNESOTA MAN BUYS BILLBOARD TO TRASH FISHING FRIEND

The Tobago Emergency Management Agency said in a Facebook post Sunday that it had been alerted to a 55-foot Trinidadian fishing vessel, the Crystal Eye, sinking around 12:25 a.m. and noted that the Bahamian vessel had saved the five fishermen.

"Thank you to the Siem Spearfish Crew and all rescue parties involved for their swift action and assistance to the fishermen," TEMA wrote in the post.

Before abandoning the sinking ship, the men had sent out a distress signal, which President Curtis Douglas of the All Tobago Fisherfolk Association said was difficult to make out.

"We couldn't get the exact information because our radio wasn't picking up too clear," Douglas told Newsday. "This was after midnight to 1 o'clock [Sunday morning]."

"The waters was rough real rough," Dyer said. "If [it] wasn't for God, we wouldn't be alive today."

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

One of the men, Frederick, was suffering from hypothermia.

"He was quite OK after being treated on the vessel and checked by emergency medical services at the port," TEMA Director Allan Stewart told the outlet, adding that "none of the men needed to be taken to the hospital."

After spending the night in a guesthouse, the men were reunited with family members at the Port of Spain on Sunday evening, according to the report.

Read more here:

'Thank God': Five fishermen turned to prayer when boat sank in Caribbean - Washington Examiner