Explore the exotic Caribbean

I like these itineraries for their breadth, combining the familiar with the exotic.

Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas: Departs Dec. 3 for 11 nights. Ft. Lauderdale; Antigua; St. Vincent and the Grenadines; St. Lucia; Barbados; Bonaire; Aruba; Ft. Lauderdale ($1,019 oceanview).

Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas: Departs Dec. 29 for seven nights. San Juan, Puerto Rico; Tortola; St. Maarten; St. Kitts; Guadeloupe; Barbados; San Juan ($1,249 oceanview).

Carnival Valor: Departs Aug. 18 for seven nights. Miami; Grand Turk; La Romana, Dominican Republic; Aruba; Curaao; Miami ($979 oceanview).

Celebrity Summit: Departs Dec. 8 for six nights. San Juan; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; St. Croix; St. Kitts; Dominica; Grenada; San Juan ($598 oceanview).

Seabourn Spirit: Departs Jan. 13 for 13 nights. St. Maarten; Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands; St. Barts; St. Kitts; Guadeloupe; Martinique; St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Barbados; St. Lucia; Antigua; Saba; St. Maarten ($5,022 oceanview).

Norwegian Star: Departs Oct. 21 for 14 nights. New York; St. Thomas; Antigua; Barbados; Curaao; Aruba; Cozumel; New Orleans ($2,199 balcony oceanview sold out)

Silversea Spirit: Departs Nov. 30 for nine nights. Ft. Lauderdale; Grand Turk; St. Barts; Antigua; St. Kitts; Tortola; Ft. Lauderdale ($4,199 vista suite).

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Cruise ships visiting less-busy Caribbean islands

A group of Vietnamese marched through the capital's streets shouting "Down with China!" in a rare protest Sunday following growing tensions over disputed territory in the South China Sea.

About 200 people chanted in the rain, some waving flags and holding signs, as they walked through central Hanoi toward the Chinese Embassy. Police stopped traffic and did not attempt to quash the event, but the area near the embassy was cordoned off.

The protest follows China's recent announcement that it will open nine oil and gas lots for development to international bidders, even though the area overlaps with Vietnam's current exploration contracts.

AP

"We are very angry with China's recent offer to look for oil inside Vietnam's territory," said Phuong Bich, 53, who was arrested three times last year during similar demonstrations that were broken up. "We urge the government to take action."

Hanoi says the area where the China National Offshore Oil Corp., or CNOOC, has identified lies within Vietnam's 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone. State-owned PetroVietnam has encouraged foreign companies to ignore China's offer and says it will continue working on contracts signed with ExxonMobil, Russia's Gazprom, India's ONGC and PetroVietnam affiliate PVEP.

Rhetoric between the two communist neighbors has become increasingly hostile in recent weeks. Beijing's Defense Ministry said it has "battle-ready" patrols protecting its interests in the South China Sea and warned Vietnam to back off its reported aerial patrols of the disputed Spratly Islands.

Contested areas of the South China Sea are a long-standing source of animosity among claimants from Vietnam, China, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei. Disputed territory straddles important international shipping lanes and is believed to be teeming with fish and rich in oil and gas reserves. Some fear the brewing tensions could result in violence.

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Vietnamese Protest Over Islands Dispute With China

Asylum seekers arrive on Christmas Island yesterday. Photo: Sharon Tisdale

AUTHORITIES are rushing to upgrade quarantine facilities at the remote Cocos Islands, confirming fears that people smugglers from Sri Lanka and southern India have chosen the location as a new frontier in the asylum seeker trade.

A jet-load of stretchers, washing machines, dryers, antiseptic and other supplies was flown out of Christmas Island early yesterday morning, bound for the Cocos Islands, almost 1000 kilometres across the Indian Ocean to the west.

A boat carrying 67 Sri Lankan Tamils arrived at the Cocos cluster of islands, also known as the Keelings, on Saturday. They were housed overnight in the only available accommodation, the Cocos and Keeling Social Club, before being flown by chartered jet back to Christmas Island this morning, where they were transported to the island's packed detention centre.

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It was the fourth people smuggling boat transporting Tamils in less than a month to reach Cocos, which previously had been immune from the sea-borne traffic of asylum seekers.

However, the Cocos group is much closer to Sri Lanka and southern India, where hundreds of thousands of Tamils are in refugee camps, than Christmas Island. Christmas Island itself is more than 1500 kilometres west of the nearest point on the Australian mainland.

The latest arrival at the Cocos cluster has alarmed Border Protection authorities, because the route to the Cocos group adds many thousands of square kilometres to the already vast spread of ocean it must place under surveillance.

The tiny population of the Cocos Islands - 600, spread over two outcrops, one inhabited mainly by Caucasians, the other by ethnic Malays - is angry at losing access to its only social club every time a load of asylum seekers arrives.

The club, on the main Caucasian-inhabited island, known as West Island, is closed to its members while asylum seekers are housed there, and also for several days after they leave, because it must be quarantined and disinfected.

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Asylum smugglers move boats to Cocos Islands

NEW YORK (MainStreet) --Private islands weren't much of a refuge during the recession, but the island real estate market is starting to look a bit more serene.

If you don't have the cash to buy your own island right now, it doesn't mean you can't try one on for size. This three-acre island is one of the seaway's 1,000 Islands between New York and Canada and has a 6,500-square-foot, 1901-vintage Victorian home on its shores. The home has 10 bedrooms with room for 20 people, four bathrooms, a living room with a fireplace and piano, a dining room with windows overlooking the seaway, satellite television and Internet access. It's as private as an island gets, but close enough to civilization to just jaunt back if the novelty wears off. Isla Gatun Location: Lake Gatun, Panama Price: $30,000

If you want a private island for minimal investment, this is how you have to do it. Located on one of the largest manmade lakes in the world, this 0.75-acre patch looks like a desolate opening in the middle of the jungle, but it's fairly close to the mainland and minutes away from nearby towns, marinas and restaurants. The house that once occupied it was torn down, leaving only the septic tank and a toilet on the island's high point. Construction will be a must, but mobile phone coverage and electric supply right near the coast should help you get started. Did we mention your neighbors will include monkeys, parrots and toucans? It's not much to start with, but it's yours.

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10 Ways To Buy Your Private Island

Can there be such things as "secret islands" of the Caribbean? Sure, word is out on much of the Caribbean Isles, but there are still a few corners of the salty sea where the mood is laid-back and the culture authentic -- places where the Robinson Crusoe dream is alive and well.

Anegada, British Virgin Islands

Anegada, British Virgin Islands (Wikimedia Commons)

The long-forgotten British Virgin Island of Anegada is a 75-minute ferry ride from the capital Tortola, but it feels a world away. The 15-square-mile outpost is the only inhabited Virgin Island formed by coral and limestone (rather than a volcano). Yet, to call it inhabited is a bit of a stretch. Just 200 people live on Anegada, and almost all reside in the main town, The Settlement. Outside The Settlement, Anegada's famed white sand beaches stretch indefinitely. Beyond the shore, the Horseshoe Reef extends for some 18 miles, making it the largest barrier coral reef in the Caribbean and the fourth-largest in the world.

Where to Stay: Anegada Reef Hotel (Rates start at $135 per night)

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les des Saintes (Islands of the Saints), French Antilles

Iles des Saintes (Islands of the Saints), French Antilles (Wikimedia Commons)

The les des Saintes is a dependency of Guadeloupe, which in turn is an overseas department and Region of France. Confused? Don't be. All you need to know is that this splendid archipelago boasts superb beaches, exceptional snorkeling, and a fascinating history to boot. Too small for sugar plantations and the attendant slavery, this patchwork of volcanic dots is home to the blue-eyed descendants of impoverished Breton colonists -- and the history of Les Saintes is as rich as its cuisine.

Where to Stay: Auberge Les Petits Saints, Terre de Haut (Rates start at $140 per night)

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10 Caribbean Islands You've Never Heard Of That You'll Want To Visit

The Jimmy Carr tax avoidance case has thrown the spotlight on Jersey and Guernsey, where the days of aggressive tax loopholes may be numbered Only in private will a small number of Channel Islands politicians and businessmen betray any trace of personal misgivings about the manner in which the local finance industry trades on complex tax structures to help big business and super-rich individuals ...

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Tax crackdowns threaten Channel Islands' haven status

29 June 2012

Falkland Islands Holdings plc

("FIH" or "the Company")

Result of General Meeting

Falkland Islands Holdings plc, the AIM quoted international group which owns essential services businesses focused on retail, transport and logistics announces that the resolution put to shareholders at the Company's General Meeting held earlier today was duly passed.

The General Meeting was held pursuant to the notice posted to shareholders on the 14th of June 2012, regarding the subscription and open offer to raise up to 10.0m to develop the Group's assets in the Falkland Islands in anticipation of the growth in the economy which the Board believe will follow from recent hydrocarbon discoveries. Details of the resolution and the background to the resolution are set out in the notice of general meeting and shareholder circular which are available on the Company's website, http://www.fihplc.com.

Shareholders are reminded that the latest time and date for receipt of completed Application Forms and payment in full under the open offer or settlement of relevant CREST instruction (as appropriate) is 11:00 a.m. on Monday the 2nd of July 2012.

David Hudd, Chairman of FIH said:

"The Board is very pleased to have received support from shareholders for this transaction which we believe will ensure that we are able to take advantage of the significant opportunities open to the Company in the development of the oil industry in the Falkland islands."

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Falkland Islands Hlg - Result of General Meeting

MANILA, Philippines (2nd UPDATE) Tropical storm Dindo (international name: Doksuri) made landfall over the Calayan group of islands Thursday night, the state weather bureau said.

In its 11 p.m. bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the storm has maintained its strength and is still moving in a west-northwest direction.

Public storm signal warning number 1 remains hoisted over the following areas:

Cagayan Calayan group of islands Babuyan group of islands Batanes group of islands Apayao Kalinga Ilocos Norte Ilocos Sur Abra Mt. Province Ifugao Benguet La Union Pangasinan

PAGASA said heavy to intense rainfall is expected within the storms 500-kilometer diameter.

Residents of Regions 1, 2 and Cordilleras are warned on possible floods and landslides due to heavy rains and strong winds brought by the storm.

Dindo was spotted 115 kilometers north northwest of Laoag City as of 10 p.m.

It is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Friday morning.

The weather bureau said weather condition over Mindanao is expected to improve by Friday.

The eastern section of Luzon and Visayas will experience rains until Saturday because of the storms effect on the southwest monsoon.

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'Dindo' makes landfall over Calayan islands

Tehran on Thursday condemned the United States for backing the United Arab Emirates in its dispute with Iran over three Gulf islands, dubbing it "clear interference in Iran's domestic affairs."

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Iran condemns US backing UAE over disputed island

Lonesome George. Credit: Galapagos National Park Service

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS, Ecuador, June 28 (UPI) -- Lonesome George, the giant Galapagos tortoise who died on Sunday as the last of his species, will be embalmed and put on display, officials in Ecuador say.

The Pinta Island tortoise will be on display on Santa Cruz Island for future generations to see, Environment Minister Marcela Aguinaga said.

A necropsy determined Lonesome George, estimated at 100 years old, died of old age, she said.

As the only known living example of his subspecies, Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni, Lonesome George was considered the rarest creature in the world.

Efforts to get the Pinta Island tortoise to reproduce with females from a similar subspecies on the Galapagos Islands all met with failure, the BBC reported.

Lonesome George had become a symbol of the Galapagos. An estimated 180,000 people annually visit the islands where Charles Darwin began to formulate his theories on evolution.

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Tortoise Lonesome George to be embalmed

By: By Bill Charles

Date Posted: 2012-06-29

Theres plenty to see and do anywhere in Okinawa Prefecture, but there comes a time to break out of the familiar comfort zone, become adventurous, and explore a few breathtaking regions of the southern zone.

And getting there is now cheaper and more convenient than ever. A good place to check prices and special offers is Okinawa Tourland Hotel Booking website at http://eng.tourland.co.jp

Miyako Islands

The Miyako Island group consists of eight main islands --Miyako, Ikema, Kurima, Irabu, Shimoji, Oogami, Tarama and Minna Island-- located about 300 kilometers southwest of the mainland and 2,000km from Tokyo. Its a sparsely populated set of islands, with only about 55,000 people occupying the total land area of 164 square kilometers.

Miyako Island is almost flat, filled with sugar cane fields spread throughout the entire area, and blessed with a lot of as white beaches, beautiful shoreline and coral reefs. The biggest coral reef group in Japan is located north of the island, called Yaebiji, and it is well known as a diving and snorkeling point. On Miyako Island, there are plenty of beautiful beaches where visitors are able to enjoy sunbathing and snorkeling, or just spending relaxing time looking at the unbelievably turquoise and highly transparent ocean.

The real excitement is the pleasure of snorkeling and watching colorful tropical fish swimming among the coral reefs close at hand. There are tours to a coral reef by boat or kayak to do snorkeling, and there are many diving shops that deal with snorkeling tours. And thats where it gets even more special. Working with the dive shops, guides will go with you and teach you basics of snorkeling, so, it is safe.

There are seven other inhabited islands around Miyako Island; Ikema and Kurima islands are connected to Miyako by bridges, and thus accessible by car, and Irabu and Shimoji will soon be connected to Miyako by a 3,500-meter long bridge, the second longest in Japan. Oogami is a tiny island off Miyakos east coast, and Tarama and Minna islands are halfway between Miyako Yaeyama island Group further south-east.

To Irabu Island, its possible to sail across by ship from Hirara port while the new bridge is being completed. Irabu and Shimoji Island are linked by several bridges built over a narrow waterway. Irabu Island and Miyako Island will be linked by bridges later this year.

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Southern islands offer adventure, quiet

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has begun combat-ready patrols in the waters around a disputed group of islands in the South China Sea, the Defence Ministry said on Thursday, the latest escalation in tensions over the potentially resource-rich area. Asked about what China would do in response to Vietnamese air patrols over the Spratly Islands, the ministry's spokesman Geng Yansheng said Beijing would ...

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China starts "combat ready" patrols in disputed seas

A coroner says New Zealanders should be aware of basic precautions to take when snorkelling following the death of a man in the Cook Islands.

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Warning after Cooks snorkelling death

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands, June 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --The world's leading institutional investors, CEOs, economists and academics will gather at the world-renowned Ritz-Carlton in Grand Cayman, November 1-2, 2012 to discuss and debate the crucial ingredients for sustaining a vibrant global alternative investment industry. The key theme of the Summit is 'Innovation in Alternative Investments: Seeing What's Next'. One of the keynote speakers is Sir Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Group. Industry speakers at the event will include; Peter Clarke, CEO, MAN GROUP; Matt Botein, Global Head of Alternative Investments, Blackrock; Mel Lagomasino, CEO, Genspring Family Offices; Anne Richards, CIO, Aberdeen Asset Management; Mark Yusko, CEO, Morgan Creek; Steve Shenfeld, President, Midocean Credit Partners; Jane Buchan, CEO/MD, PAAMCO and Mark Okada, Co-Founder and CIO of Highland Capital Management.

This exclusive, global thought leadership event will bring together best-in-class industry professionals, and will feature a panel of esteemed and innovative speakers who will address the economic challenges that affect the alternative investment industry. Organised by Alternative Investment Research Ltd., the Cayman Alternative Investment Summit (Cayman A.I. Summit) will unite some of the greatest minds in the alternative investment industry.

With over 9,000 open-ended investment funds registered in the Cayman Islands, the Cayman A.I. Summit will connect the leading domicile of choice for offshore investment funds with the alternative investment industry's most influential leaders and will lead the development of a new narrative for the industry; on what it stands for and what it can deliver in the post-crisis world.

"I am excited to be in the Cayman Islands for the Cayman Alternative Investment Summit," said Sir Richard Branson, one of the keynote speakers for the Summit. "The event has a very impressive range of speakers from the alternative investment industry that will make for some very interesting discussions on the future of the industry."

The Cayman A.I. Summit has the support of some of the largest companies in the world and the Cayman Islands including; KPMG, Deutsche Bank, Mourant Ozannes, Paladyne, and Virgin Unite.

"The Cayman Alternative Investment Summit is an opportunity for the industry's elite to take an introspective look at itself, seeing where the industry has been and predicting where it will go in the future," said Anthony Cowell, Partner in Alternative Investments at KPMG in the Cayman Islands and Editorial Chair. "KPMG is proud to be at the centre of the event and looks forward to the stimulating and thought provoking debate, set against the backdrop of the domicile of choice for alternative investments."

Cayman Managing Partner for Mourant Ozannes, Neal Lomax said, "The launch of the Cayman Alternative Investment Summit is a significant milestone for the Cayman Islands. We are delighted to be a major sponsor of the Summit in its inaugural year and we are confident it will prove to be unparalleled in terms of the quality of its participants, content and organisation. Our commitment to the Summit is reflective of Mourant Ozannes' continued confidence in the future of the Cayman Islands as one of the world's leading international financial centers."

Media and Association Partners for the Cayman A.I. Summit include: Absolute Return, Cayman Financial Review, AIMA, Investments & Pensions Europe (IPE), FinAlternatives, Hedge Fund Alert, HFM Week, Albourne Village, IFI Global, CAIA, HSP News, Hedge Funds Review and The Hedge Fund Journal.

Consistent with the commitment of the event's major sponsors to corporate citizenship and following Sir Richard Branson's philanthropic lead, the Cayman A.I. Summit charity is Virgin Unite the non-profit foundation of the Virgin Group. Virgin Unite's mission is to "connect people and entrepreneurial ideas to make change happen; to help revolutionize the way government, business and social sectors work together business as a force for good."

Working with Sir Richard Branson, it is expected that the Cayman A.I. Summit will contribute over US$150,000 to Virgin Unite.

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Sir Richard Branson keynote speaker at Cayman Alternative Investment Summit

Work is nearing completion on the long-awaited Channel Islands Boating Center, which will be operated by CSU Channel Islands. Grand opening of the impressive center is expected in October or November.

The two-story boating center at Channel Islands Harbor will offer public education opportunities as well as university recreation programs.

Harbor Director Lyn Krieger recently gave me a tour of the soon-to-be-completed $6 million center.

The project has been in development since 2000 and is funded by a combination of private donations, grants, and Harbor revenues.

When completed, the facility will include classrooms, a conference room, locker rooms, showers, indoor and outdoor boat storage, and an adjacent ADA accessible dock. A variety of exhibits on boating and the marine environment will be located at the interior and exterior of the building. The exhibits will provide information about the natural environment off the coast, including the Channel Islands, Santa Barbara Channel and the National Marine Sanctuary.

Krieger said the center, with all its amenities, would be an excellent place to host major regattas and other boating related events. Chances are good that it will be a very busy place day and night seven days a week once it opens.

Krieger said the project has been made possible by a number of partners including California Department of Boating and Waterways, The Smith Family Foundation, NOAA Office of Ocean Services, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, and California Department of Parks and Recreation.

Although it will be a welcome addition to Channel Islands Harbor, the center hasn't come to fruition without its share of controversy.

The project was delayed in its early stages by heavy criticism from environmentalists and residents who live close to the chosen location. The opponents successfully pushed for environmental studies after pointing out that blue heron nests could be disturbed by the project. The opponents wanted the county to build the center on the other side of the harbor, but advocates for the existing location prevailed.

UPCOMING SAILBOAT RACES

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Waterfronts: Channel Islands Center closer to opening

Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday said that China should not make an issue out of the putting up of a school on Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea, saying the Philippines has been occupying the area for a long time.

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Islands ours, putting up school not new issue: Philippine gov't

China loves islands. In fact, China loves islands so much that it's involved in disputes over them with a whole bunch of other countries at any given time. One of those disputed island chains is the Paracel ...

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China's Major Telecoms All Provide Service to Disputed Paracel Islands

Irish League side Linfield have been drawn against B36 Torshavn of the Faroe Islands in the first preliminary round of the Champions League.

If David Jeffrey's men get through they will face Cypriot team AEL Limassol.

Belfast club Linfield won their 51st Irish Premiership title by a massive 14-point margin last season.

In the Europa League, Crusaders take on Norway's Rosenborg, Cliftonville meet Kalmar FF of Sweden and Portadown are up against FK Shkndija of Macedonia.

Last season B36 won the Faroe Islands league title for a ninth time and this will be their fifth Champions League campaign.

Cliftonville's opponents Kalmar were eighth in the Swedish league last season but qualified by reaching the final of the Svenska Cupen.

Crusaders have announced their home leg against Rosenborg will be on Thursday 5 July with the return game in Norway a week later.

Rosenborg faced Northern Ireland opposition two years ago when they beat Linfield 2-0 on aggregate in the Champions League.

Portadown will face Shkndija away on Tuesday 3 July, with the home leg on Tuesday 10 July at Shamrock Park.

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Linfield get Faroe Islands draw

Vietnam has defended the passage of a maritime law claiming sovereignty over contested islands in the South China Sea after criticism from China.

The adoption of the Law on the Sea by the National Assembly on Thursday was "a normal law-making activity", Foreign Ministry spokesman Luong Thanh Nghi said in a statement on Friday.

The law includes a controversial passage in which Vietnam claims sovereignty and jurisdiction over the Paracel and Spratly Islands and Macclesfield Bank.

Beijing issued a statement saying the law was "a serious violation of China's territorial sovereignty".

Nghi said Vietnam rejected China's "unreasonable accusations".

"More seriously, China has approved the establishment of Tam Sa (Sansha) City which is to manage an area including the Paracel islands and the Spratly islands," he said.

China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, which straddles key shipping lanes in the region and is believed to be rich in resources.

The Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims in the sea.

China seized the Paracel islands from Vietnam in 1974.

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Vietnam and China in row over islands

''No one should be in any doubt that as far as the British Government is concerned, it is Falkland Islanders who will determine the sovereignty of the islands. I believe their view will be respected by this House, this country and by the world.''

Earlier this month Foreign Office minister David Lidington said Falkland Islanders were being subjected to increasingly aggressive behaviour, threats and military rhetoric from Argentina.

Mr Lidington said Argentina had become increasingly hostile to the islanders, preventing free trade, stopping cruise ships bearing Falkland Islands flags docking in Argentinian ports and preventing flights using its air space.

He also criticised a recent advert in which an Argentinian athlete was seen training on a Falklands Island's war memorial.

"(Argentina's) behaviour remains aggressive to the islanders. The actions displayed by the Argentinian government are not those of a responsible power on the world stage with threats and military rhetoric."

"This government will offer unequivocal support for the islanders, protecting their rights and wishes just as we did 30 years ago," he said.

Three decades after Margaret Thatcher sent 27,000 troops and more than 100 ships to expel Argentinian invaders, Buenos Aires continues to set its sights on claiming the territory it calls Las Malvinas.

The Foreign Office is concerned Argentina could use the Olympics could become a platform for a protest. It is feared that athletes from the country could put on a black power-style protest, similar to the one staged by two African-American medal winners at the 1968 Mexico City Games.

A referendum is due to be held on sovereignty in the first half of 2013.

Previously the Falkland Islands Government also said it hoped the vote would send a firm message to Argentina that islanders want to remain British.

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Falkland Islands: behaviour of Argentina is unacceptable, says David Cameron