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iNews briefs1Radio Cayman is 38 years old

The Glass House – real name Government Administration Building (that was) – had a welcome sight over its lawns on Friday, 4th April – with many people including pirates.

The reason for the gathering was to celebrate 38 years of Radio Cayman’s broadcasting on air.

The Radio Station that can boasts radio’s very first call-in talk show, “Talk Today”, had Sterling Dwayne Ebanks on hand to host a live broadcast of the show with guests including Hon Premier Alden McLaughlin, Education Minister Tara Rivers, international artiste Diana King and executive director of Pirates Week Melanie McField.

It was a festive day for all that were there. Congratulations Radio Cayman.

University of the West Indies and US based firm sign marijuana research MOU

From Caribbean360

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Friday April 11, 2014, CMC – As the debate rages over whether marijuana should be decriminalised, the University of the West Indies, Mona campus, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a large US-based company to facilitate research into the medicinal properties of marijuana.

The MOU was signed on Wednesday between the University and GenCanna Global, Inc. trading as Strains of Hope.

The agreement which will be effective for a period of three years was signed by Pro Vice Chancellor and Principal of the UWI Professor Archibald McDonald, and Strains of Hope’s founder/director, Josh Stanley at a ceremony held at the Mona Campus.

Under the terms of the MOU, researchers at the UWI, will collaborate with researchers at Strains of Hope on fundamental, academic research related to the development of the medical cannabis industry.

The aim is to identify the biological and chemical properties of medical marijuana, with a view to determining how the plant works to treat disease or alleviate the symptoms of disease.

The parties have also agreed to provide support with the drafting of legislation related to the decriminalization of marijuana for medical purposes.

Strains of Hope is considered one of the largest marijuana growers and dispensary owners in the US state of Colorado.

For more: http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/news/jamaica_news/1107474.html?utm_source=Caribbean360+Newsletters&utm_campaign=059068226d-Vol_9_Issue_073_News4_11_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_350247989a-059068226d-39393477#ixzz2ybjhqWf7

Cayman businessman arraigned in Puerto Rico

Caymanian businessman Bryce Merren had his arraignment hearing in the U.S. District Court for Puerto Rico at 9am Friday (11).

A Grand Jury returned an indictment with the charges on April 3.

Merren faces three counts of conspiracy and attempt to possess and distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, as well as money laundering to promote the activity.

The Caymans and the United Presbyterian missionaries

From University of Glasgow

The Baton arrives at the Cayman Islands today (11.04.2014), as did several alumni from the University of Glasgow in the mid-nineteenth century.

William Whitecross and John Smith were early missionaries to Grand Cayman in 1857 and 1868 respectively. The United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands (as it is now known) began its ministry in the Cayman Islands in 1846 as the Presbyterian Church, and Whitecross was the second missionary after Rev James Elmslie to take charge of mission stations on the island.

Their work within the Church and promotion of education continues and is remembered today. According to the United Church in Jamaica and Grand Cayman website “The United Church is the longest established Church in the Cayman Islands. It was formerly the Presbyterian Church […] and is found in every District of Grand Cayman, with more than one congregation in some Districts. Wherever you live or are staying on Grand Cayman, there is a United Church within easy reach of you!”

For more: http://uoginternationalstory.wordpress.com/

Caribbean Airlines pilots fed up

Caribbean Airlines (CAL) pilots in Jamaica yesterday joined their colleagues in Trinidad in registering disgust at the company’s failure to pay them their full salaries over the past four years.

“They went out to the airport today (yesterday) and they issued letters addressed to the chairman, who is stationed in Trinidad, but they delivered them to the general manager here,” Gordon Woodstock, executive administrator of the Jamaica Airline Pilots Association, told the Jamaica Observer last night.

“The Trinidad pilots presented their letters on Tuesday to the management there, expressing their disgust that they haven’t been paid their variable incentive pay from as far back as 2010,” Woodstock added.

The move by the Jamaican pilots, he said, was a show of solidarity and unity with their Trinidadian colleagues, as the variable incentive payments to the Jamaicans have been long outstanding.

Woodstock explained that the incentive, which is a part of the pilots’ compensation, has three components — corporate, departmental, and individual — and, when paid in full, works out to 20 per cent of the pilots’ salaries.

The corporate component, he said, is paid if the company makes money, the departmental component is disbursed if the department makes money, and the individual component represents “things that each pilot has control of”.

“So, you can score on one and lose on two, or score on two and lose on one, or you can score on all three or lose on all three,” Woodstock said, adding that in the past when the payments were made they were a year late.

“But they haven’t got it for a while. The last time it was paid in Jamaica was for up to September 2012,” Woodstock said.

For more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/CAL-pilots-fed-up_16453744

Cayman Heritage Insurance Charity Drive

For three days Heritage Insurance asked Cayman Islands community to help them raise up to $35,000 for three Cayman charities.

All you had to do to raise the money was:

Drive around the Island Heritage roundabout

Like Island Heritage’s Facebook page and click on the support app

Mention Charity Drive in a tweet using the handle @charitydriveky

The target was met:

$10,000 was raised for Cayman Crisis Centre

$10,000 was raised for Cayman HospiceCare

$10,000 was raised for Cayman Heart Fund

Cayman HospiceCare received an additional $5,000 for having the most social media support.

For more: http://www.cayman27.com.ky/2014/04/11/charity-drive-raises-35000-for-local-charities

Water Climate and Development Programme to be implemented for the Caribbean

From What’s Up Caribbean

The Global Water Partnership-Caribbean  (GWP-C) in partnership with the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre  (CCCCC) is implementing a Water Climate and Development Programme (WACDEP) for the Caribbean.

WACDEP aims to support the adaptation of Caribbean countries to climate variability and change through the implementation of better water policies, strategies, programmes and water related adaptation actions defined in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Plan for Achieving Development Resilient to Climate Change.

Jamaica is one of the WACDEP focal countries in 2014 and the GWP-C is therefore providing support for activities carried out by national agencies and organisations which foster climate resilience in the Jamaican water sector. This includes the development of appropriate legal frameworks, policies, strategies and sectorial plans.

GWP-C commends the efforts of the Ministry of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change who produced the recently completed Draft National Water Sector Policy and Implementation Plan for Jamaica, which emphasises climate adaptation aspects.

GWP-C is therefore pleased to partner with the Ministry in the finalisation and adoption of the revised Water Policy, through our support of National

Stakeholder Consultations through out Jamaica in April, on the Draft Policy and Plan.

GWP-C also welcomes the opportunity to work with our GWP-C network partners in Jamaica who are actively engaged in the policy document revision process. These organisations include: the Water Resources Authority, the National Water Commission, the National Irrigation Commission Limited, the Rural Agricultural Development Authority and the Rural Water Supply Limited.

For more: http://www.whatsupcaribbean.com/index.php/general/22500-water-climate-and-development-programme-to-be-implemented-for-the-caribbean

Cayman’s San Sebastian Development to start Phase 3

Phase 3 of the South Sound San Sebastian development on Grand Cayman have commenced work on Phase 3 that comprises an additional 36 units to the already completed 100.

Davenport Development who are behind the Spanish style complex said 80% of Phase 3 has already been sold.

Prices range from $239,000 – $500,000 and should be completed by March/April next year.

Farewell to Haiti’s top diplomat

By Nelson A. King From Caribbean Life News

The Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) on April 9 bid farewell to the Ambassador of Haiti to the hemispheric organization, Duly Brutus, who is leaving the post after 10 years to become Minister of Foreign Affairs of the French-speaking Caribbean country.

During his last address to the Permanent Council, Brutus summarized what he had learned in the organization, giving as an example what he called one of the most important lessons during his tenure, according to the OAS.

“I understood that democracy allows each country in the region to consolidate its national sovereignty,” he said, thanking OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza for the support that received when he was chair of the Permanent Council and of the Committee on Hemispheric Security.

He underscored, in particular, the strategic vision that Insulza presented to adapt the Organization to the 21st century.

Brutus also thanked the Assistant Secretary General of the OAS, Albert Ramdin, the member states and observer states for supporting his country.

“Haiti is a country beloved within the OAS,” he said, urging member states to continue with “the great work carried out by the Organization.”

For more: http://www.caribbeanlifenews.com/stories/2014/4/2014_04_10_nk_haiti_top_diplomat.html

Lennox Investments to buy Southport Re

From Business Insurance

Lennox Investments L.L.C. has signed a memorandum of understanding to acquire Southport Re (Cayman) Ltd., the New York-based investment group said Wednesday.

Southport Re (Cayman) is a Cayman Island-domiciled property/casualty reinsurer owned by Southport Lane Genesis L.P., a limited partnership managed by Southport Lane Management L.L.C. It wrote about $32 million in gross premiums in 2013, Lennox said in a statement.

Lennox said the reinsurer focuses primarily on underwriting long-tail lines of P/C reinsurance and is oriented toward high-frequency, low-severity risk classes, primarily within the United States and Europe.

Last October, financially troubled insurer Tower Group International Ltd. entered into an agreement to http://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20131002/NEWS04/131009950 cede a 30% quota share of its workers compensation and employers liability business for losses occurring on or after July 1, 2013, and an undisclosed portion of losses on its workers compensation and employers liability business from Jan. 1, 2011, through May 31, 2013 but paid on or after June 1, 2013, to Southport Re

“We are pleased to be moving forward quickly in our plans” to buy Southport Re (Cayman), Lennox said in the statement. “We expect to finalize the definitive transaction documentation in a timely manner and anticipate completing the transaction by the end of the second quarter of 2014, subject to customary closing conditions, including required regulatory approvals.”

Terms of the transaction were not immediately available.

For more: http://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20140409/NEWS04/140409807?tags=%7C306%7C285

17 Cayman students receive prizes in Commonwealth essay contest

Seventeen students from government and private schools have received prizes for winning the 2013 Commonwealth Essay Competition, organised by the Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS).  Nine of the students were international competition winners that judges selected from among 11,000 entries from 55 Commonwealth countries and territories.  The theme for both the local and international segments was Opportunity through Enterprise. Five students from St. Ignatius Catholic School received international recognition including two gold awards, one silver and two bronzes. St Ignatius also took home the Elliott cup. Layman E. Scott High School earned one gold while Cayman Prep and High collected two silvers and a bronze.

The winners were: Taurean Cox – St. Ignatius Catholic – senior bronze and Elliott cup winner;

Aniela McGrath – St. Ignatius Catholic School– junior gold;

Abijith Anu – Layman E. Scott High School, Cayman Brac – junior silver;

Matilda Copley Kyne – St. Ignatius Catholic School – junior silver;

Finn Lovegrove, Rishaa Patel and Zephan Deosaran – all from Cayman Prep and High School – junior silver; and Arjun Dhanasekar and Isha Rankin – St. Ignatius Catholic School – junior bronze.

In the local competition, George Town Primary School (GTPS) won three gold awards and a silver award. Red Bay Primary (RBPS) received two silvers while John Gray High earned a silver and Prospect Primary one bronze.

Local winners were: Senior silver: Oneka Thompson – John Gray High;

Junior gold: Alec Harding, Leah Robinson and Joshua O’Garro – all GTPS;

Junior silver: Makeda Harris – GTPS; Matthew Leslie and Philip Mathura – RBPS;

Junior bronze: Alexander Thompson – Prospect Primary.

Presenting the awards at a reception that she hosted for the winners, parents, teachers and local organisers on Thursday, 27 March 2014 at Government House, Governor, Helen Kilpatrick said that the students should feel justifiably proud of these accomplishments.

MLA Winston Connolly praised the young people for their accomplishments, and thanked the RCS for providing them with an opportunity to hone their creative writing skills and individual talents. He exhorted the winners to continue to work hard to further develop their abilities.

Cayman’s Opposition Leader moves Brac marina motion

McKeeva Bush, Cayman Islands Leader of the Opposition, moved a private member’s motion to the Legislative Assembly held in the Brac last Wednesday (9) calling for government to give unqualified support for the proposed marina on Cayman Brac at Saltwater Pond, adjacent to the Alexander Hotel.

The Opposition Leader called the project a “beacon of light”.

The government voted for the motion after it had been amended to say that its support for the marina was contingent on the results of an environmental impact study – a position it already held, regardless of the motion.

Deputy Premier Moses Kirkconnell said that if the marina is allowed, they have plans to expand the Alexander Hotel.

Premier Alden McLaughlin said Cabinet already approved the project in principle several weeks ago, contingent on the result of an Environmental Impact Assessment.

New speed limits on Cayman Islands roads to be announced and NRA to make roads safer

Following the review of and public consultation on the speed limits across the Cayman Islands the National Roads Authority (NRA) has completed its new speed zones map which will soon be reviewed by Cabinet. Once it meets with approval from the government officials from the NRA said that they expect the new speed limits will be gazetted in May. The changes will include dropping the speed limit on West Bay Road to 30mph, reducing the 50mph speed up in the area of Morritz and Reef resorts in East End and introducing a new 35mph limit in some areas.

The results of the review of the safety of Cayman’s entire road network which was undertaken by International experts iRAP in January are expected in May or June which will inform further safety regulations to reduce accidents on the local roads an make the ones that happen less likely to fatal or even serious.

In the meantime, the NRA is continuing to utilize various strategies to make the roads safer and is testing countermeasures such as transverse rumble strips and anti-skid coating at some crosswalks and major roundabouts.

“Both the transverse rumble strips and the anti-skid coating are internationally proven methods of reducing road collisions.  They are especially effective where loss of friction results when rain, oil and other lubricants are deposited on the roadways,” officials stated.

While technical solutions to improve road safety can go a long way in the end safe driving is the surest way to cut down smashes. The NRA encouraged all road users to remain alert to their surroundings and road conditions, follow posted speed limits and obey the rules of the road.

For more information please contact the National Roads Authority (NRA) at 946-7780 and visit the website at www.caymanroads.com

Google may partner with Cayman Islands Yellow Pages

Just recently representatives from the search engine conglomerate Google made a presentation to Yellow Pages customers and interested businesses as to how a partnership between them could bring additional revenue.

Google said local advertisers would receive a monthly report where they would be able to see what was happening with their campaign. This would include how many clicks and impressions and exactly how much money to the Cayman Islands global directory would be reaching the Google product and what it was generating,

Over 600 grams of cocaine found on Caribbean Airlines flight at CJIA

From iNews Guyana

The Police Narcotics Branch at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) found a total of 644 grams of cocaine on a Caribbean Airlines Flight bound for New York.

According to the Police, the search was conducted around 13:00 hrs on Friday, April 11 on the cargo of the flight, BW 526.

 

iNews (www.inewsguyana.com) was informed that the cocaine was found inside of a mail bag from the Post Office.

Only this week, a Berbice man was charged with concealing cocaine in pastries. He is currently on remand.

For more: http://www.inewsguyana.com/over-600-grams-of-cocaine-found-on-caribbean-airlines-flight-at-cjia/

Recent rough weather in Cayman meant no cruise ship business

Last week with the rough seas Cayman experienced meant cruise ships for two consecutive days passed Grand Cayman by.

On Wednesday (9) and Thursday (10) the combined total of a potential 18,000 customers could not disembark and left businesses in George Town sending some staff home.

The Port Authority said they did not make the decision but was taken by the ships themselves.

Dominican kids of Haitian descent see limited access to school

From The Republic

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Children of Haitian descent born in the Dominican Republic are increasingly being barred from attending school following a court ruling that could lead to tens of thousands of people being stripped of their citizenship, according to a report released Friday.

Dozens of families with school-age children say they are being turned away or harassed due to arbitrary interpretations of the court ruling and Dominican laws, according to researchers at the Human Rights Institute at Georgetown University Law Center who compiled the report.

As a result, some children drop out of school or lose scholarships while others are forced into underage labor, said Kimberly Fetsick, one of the report’s authors.

“Children are being harmed, and their human rights are being violated,” she said. “Action must be taken to protect these children.”

The report analyzed one of the impacts of a September 2013 court ruling that could let the government retroactively strip citizenship mostly from people of Haitian descent born in the Dominican Republic. Human rights groups have said roughly 200,000 people could be affected, while the government put the number at 13,000 people.

For more: http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/9f8e7c2545ba419c999cd4b2682c648e/Caribbean-Stripping-Citizenship

Noeline Taurua considering role with Cayman Islands netball

From Radio New Zealand News

It’s understood the former Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic coach Noeline Taurua is considering a job with Cayman Islands netball.

Radio New Zealand has been told Taurua came over to check out the position of technical director this week and was shown around the Caribbean island.

Under Taurua the Magic became the first New Zealand based team to win the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship in 2012.

The former Silver Fern stepped down as coach of the franchise at the end of last season.

Taurua was widely regarded as a likely successor to the current Silver Ferns coach Wai Taumaunu.

The Cayman Islands don’t appear on the current netball world rankings list.

For more: http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/sport/241501/noeline-taurua-considering-role-with-cayman-islands-netball

Harneys boosts its global litigation capacity with two new Cayman lawyers

Harneys has boosted its global litigation and insolvency capacity with the recruitment of two new lawyers.

Senior Associate William Peake is a highly experienced Cayman Islands litigator who joins Harneys’ London litigation team from Maples and Calder, where he practised in their Cayman, British Virgin Islands and Dublin offices. He has broad expertise as a legal advisor and court advocate in cross-border disputes involving Caribbean jurisdictions, the United States, England and Europe. He has advised on litigation and insolvency cases arising from multi-billion dollar shareholder disputes, hedge fund collapses and product liability claims.

Associate Silvana Nastasi, who worked as a senior lawyer in the Australian Taxation Office in Melbourne, is now based in Harneys’ Cayman office. She has expertise in unfair preferences disputes, summary judgment applications, winding up of companies, bankruptcies, setting aside of statutory demands and freezing orders.

Harneys’ London litigation practice launched last summer with the relocation of Global Head of Litigation and Insolvency Phillip Kite from the BVI to the UK. “William in London and Silvana in Cayman will both bring added depth to our expanding global litigation team,” says Phillip. “With our legal experts positioned in key locations, we are able to provide top-notch, timely advice to clients in a range of time zones.”

Harneys boasts the fastest growing litigation and insolvency team in Cayman, which has a strong record of achieving major wins for international clients in the Cayman courts. “As demand for our Cayman litigation expertise continues to grow, we are attracting top legal talent from across the globe,” says Marco Martins, who heads Harneys’ Cayman office.

Harneys is well-known for advising on high profile, multi-jurisdictional commercial and insolvency disputes. Its practice includes distressed funds, fraud and asset tracing, company advice, trust litigation, restructuring and insolvency. The firm has the largest team of BVI qualified commercial and civil litigation attorneys in the world. It was also the first offshore law firm to establish a litigation desk in Asia where its Hong Kong practice has grown five-fold in two years. Harneys’ clients include international law firms, insolvency practitioners, investment funds, banks and other financial institutions, trust companies and corporations.

Importation motion to allow importation of spear guns to Cayman voted down

North Side MLA Ezzard Miller’s motion to allow for the importation of spear guns to the Cayman Islands was voted down in the Brac Legislative Assembly meeting last Friday (11).

However, the Government said it introduce a proper regime that will allow Caymanians to apply for spear gun licenses and allow those who have licenses to be able to get parts or replace their guns.

Cayman’s prison inmates to be allowed day release

A day release is to be allowed for low-risk inmates at Cayman’s HMP Northward nearing the end of their sentence.

The initiative will allow low-risk inmates to do community service and eventually find paid work, two years before their release.

For prisoners serving less than 4 years they will be eligible to apply after they’ve served half of their term.

Prisoners will go through a full risk-assessment with the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, Department of Community Rehabilitation and the prison service will get input from victims.

Prisoners will also be monitored, receive spot checks from prison staff, searched and drug tested at random.

The initiative will commence next month and prisoners will be released on a temporary licence.

American Airlines, US Airways change bag fees, mileage rewards

Travellers on American Airlines will have to pay US$25 for the first checked bag, $40 for the second checked bag, $150 for the third checked bag and $200 for any additional pieces. Some exemptions may apply and if you purchased tickets before 8 April 2014, you will still get the first checked bag for free.

By David Koenig From Miami Herald

If you use miles to get a free ticket on American Airlines, you may have to pay to check that suitcase.

American and US Airways announced changes Tuesday (8) to their policies on checked-bag fees and redeeming miles for free flights.

Passengers traveling on American on miles they earned or who paid full price for an economy seat won’t get free checked bags anymore. Some elite-level frequent fliers on both airlines will get one less free bag than before.

When it comes to redeeming miles for free flights, US Airways is ending blackout days. American will change the number of miles to get an unrestricted free flight — more on popular travel days, fewer on less-busy ones. And it’s making an array of changes to the miles needed for international trips.

Suzanne Rubin, an American Airlines vice president who oversees the AAdvantage loyalty program, said the changes will increase revenue but she declined to give a figure.

The two carriers merged in December and formed American Airlines Group Inc., and Tuesday’s changes are designed to bring the policies of the two closer together. Between them, they have 110 million loyalty-program members, Rubin said.

Other changes:

— For U.S. travel on or after June 1, American members can redeem miles for an unrestricted “AAnytime” award at 20,000 miles, 30,000 miles or 50,000 each way instead of the current 25,000-mile flat rate. The less-flexible “MileSAAver” awards will continue to start at 12,500 miles.

— Mid-tier elite members (platinum on American; gold and platinum on US Airways) will get two free checked bags; a reduction of one for the US Airways’ Dividend Miles elites.

— Lower-level elites (gold on American; silver on US Airways) will get one free checked bag, a reduction from two for the American customers.

—   Removing a charge for second checked bags on trips to South America.

For more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/04/08/4047418/american-airlines-changes-bag.html

Cayman Airways says it will not charge for 2 checked baggage

Cayman Airways does not plan to start charging for two checked bags, despite the trend in the industry.

Executive Vice President Paul Tibbetts told CITN/Cayman 27 last Friday (11), “We know this benefit is important to our customers and, as such, there are no plans to change our free baggage allowance at this time.”

Commonwealth baton arrives in Cayman

The Commonwealth baton arrived in Grand Cayman on Friday (11) under a guard of honour met by Commonwealth Games Gold Medalist, Cydonie Mothersill and members of the Cayman Islands Olympic Committee.

The baton is here for the Glasgow 2014 Queen’s Baton Relay that commenced on Saturday (12) and will close on Tuesday (15)

The event is a traditional curtain-raiser to the 20th Commonwealth Games that will open in Glasgow, Scotland on 20th July.

This year’s Cayman team will be the largest ever with athletes represented across seven sporting disciplines.

See also iNews Cayman story published April 8 2014 “The Queen’s Baton Relay – Cayman Islands” at: http://www.ieyenews.com/wordpress/the-queens-baton-relay-cayman-islands/

N. Ireland Charges IRA Vet With 29 Murder Counts in Omagh Bombing

From VOA News

Northern Ireland has charged an Irish Republican Army veteran with 29 counts of murder for the 1998 car bombing in Omagh — the deadliest single attack in the 30-year Northern Ireland conflict.

Seamus Daly, who lives in the Republic of Ireland, was arrested Wednesday in the border town of Newry, when he crossed into Northern Ireland.

Police have long suspected Daly in the bombing, which was claimed by a breakaway faction called the Real IRA. No new details of the probe were released Wednesday, but authorities say Daly will be arraigned Friday at a court in Dungannon, west of Belfast.

The August 15, 1998 bomb blast ripped through a crowd of civilians who authorities had sought to evacuate after a series of telephoned bomb warnings. Most of those killed were women and children, including a woman pregnant with twins. More than 200 others were wounded.

The blast occurred four months after the so-called Good Friday Agreement, which formally ended decades of conflict between mainly-Catholic Irish nationalists and Protestant Unionists who wanted to remain part of Britain. The fighting, which first erupted in 1969, claimed more than 3,600 lives.

The breakaway Real IRA opposed the Good Friday accords.

Authorities in both parts of Ireland have sought for 16 years to successfully prosecute anyone for the bombing. Two men previously charged in connection with the blast were acquitted, including an electrician charged with making the bomb. A court ruled in 2007 that forensic evidence was flawed and that police had supplied misleading testimony. The conviction of a second suspect was overturned on appeal after a court found police had altered notes taken during an interrogation.

For more: http://www.voanews.com/content/n-ireland-charges-ira-vet-with-29-murder-counts-in-omagh-bombing/1890887.html

Priest: 30 dead in Central African Republic clash

By Hippolyte Marboua  From Stripes

BANGUI, Central African Republic — Clashes between Christian and Muslim fighters in Central African Republic have left at least 30 people dead and forced others to flee their homes, a priest said Thursday.

Everaldo De Suza of the Saint Anne parish in the central town of Dekoa said that the fighting began Tuesday when Christian militants attacked and Muslim fighters fought back.

A Christian commander confirmed the fighting but denied that his forces had started it. The death toll could not be independently confirmed.

The Muslim fighters, members of the disbanded Seleka rebel alliance who had a tenuous hold on the town when the fighting began, called for reinforcements, De Suza said. Most of the dead were civilians, killed by Muslims who fired into a crowd of people they mistook for Christian militants, he said.

Pillaging and death threats from the fighters forced many others to flee the town for the bush, he said

For more on this story go to:

http://www.stripes.com/news/middle-east/priest-30-dead-in-central-african-republic-clash-1.277327

First round suspended at Brown Invitational; Scola, Ribbins [from Cayman Islands] lead Bobcats on first day

From QuinnipiacBobcats

Quinnipiac women’s golf freshmen Nicole Scola (Westerly, R.I.) and Emily Ribbins (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands) were within a stroke of each other – 77 and 78, respectively – following the Bobcats’ first round play at the Brown Invitational at Metacomet Country Club. The first round was suspended with four teams still on the course, and will be completed on Monday morning.

“I’m very happy with the way things went today. We played well, considering what a cold, windy day it was,” head coach John O’Connor said. “Emily Ribbins was a great standout  – she finished with three birdies. Nicole Scola had our best score after she played well with a 77. Everyone did a lot of good things, I expect to move up in the standings tomorrow.”

Ribbins’ 78 is a career best, improving on her 81 at the Yale Invitational on Sept. 20. Scola’s 77 is her first sub-80 round of the spring after she shot an 88 and 80 at the Delaware State Invitational.

In addition to Scola and Ribbins, Jenn Whaley (Farmington, Conn.) turned in an 87 while Taylor Lambrou (Baldwin,  N.Y.) finished with an 85 followed by Jenn Forlenza’s (Wayne, N.J.) 95.

The first round at Metacomet will be completed on Morning, followed by the second round’s commencement at 11 a.m.

For more: http://www.quinnipiacbobcats.com/sports/wgolf/2013-14/releases/20140413xy3khc

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