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Born in Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic in , the son of a doctor and a nurse, David Shibli is the second of four brothers. He attended boarding school in the rustic hills of Staffordshire until aged 19 when he went to the University of Bradford to study engineering. In recent years, he has owned a retail computer business and now writes software and designs electronic control systems.
David has three children, Josephine, David Jr. He is now married to Osiris and they have one child, Daniela who was born in David is also a keen runner and annually competes in the Sheffield Half-Marathon. Would you like to tell us about a lower price? If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support?
The year is and Joe LeRice, an expat Englishman has it all, a beautiful wife, a successful business and a peaceful life in the idyllic Cayman Islands. As he enjoys the fruits of his labor, he is disturbed to learn that the world of casino gambling has cast its eye on the country he now calls home. A consortium from Las Vegas visits Grand Cayman where gambling is illegal and Joe observes as the wheels of politics, lubricated by lust and cash, threaten to turn this tranquil place into yet another gambling Mecca.
After witnessing the attempted suicide of a close family member who is involved in negotiations with the consortium, Joe suspects that they are ruthlessly determined to have their way at any cost. Read more Read less. Here's how restrictions apply. Be the first to review this item Amazon Best Sellers Rank: Start reading The Cayman Conspiracy on your Kindle in under a minute. Don't have a Kindle? Try the Kindle edition and experience these great reading features: Share your thoughts with other customers. Write a customer review. Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers.
Slavery was abolished in the Cayman Islands in At the time of abolition, there were over Blacks of African ancestry enslaved by white families of English ancestry. The islands continued to be governed as part of the Colony of Jamaica until , when they became a separate Crown colony while Jamaica became an independent Commonwealth realm. On 8 February , the Caymanians rescued the crews of a group of ten merchant ships , including HMS Convert , an incident that has since become known as the Wreck of the Ten Sail. The ships had struck a reef and run aground during rough seas.
While this remains a popular legend, the story is not true. The Cayman Islands historically has been a tax-exempt destination. The government of the Cayman Islands has always relied on indirect and not direct taxes. The territory has never levied income tax , capital gains tax , or any wealth tax , making them a popular tax haven. On 11 September the island of Grand Cayman, which lies largely unprotected at sea level, was hit by Hurricane Ivan , creating an 8-ft 2. Due to the tropical location of the islands, more hurricanes or tropical systems have affected the Cayman Islands than any other region in the Atlantic basin; it has been brushed or directly hit, on average, every 2.
The islands are in the western Caribbean Sea and are the peaks of a massive underwater ridge, known as the Cayman Ridge or Cayman Rise.
All three islands were formed by large coral heads covering submerged ice age peaks of western extensions of the Cuban Sierra Maestra range and are mostly flat. Terrain is mostly a low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs. The mammalian species in the Cayman Islands include the introduced Central American agouti [30] and eight species of bats. At least three now extinct native rodent species were present up until the discovery of the islands by Europeans.
Marine life around the island of the Grand Cayman includes tarpon , silversides Atheriniformes , French angelfish Pomacanthus paru , and giant barrel sponges. A number of cetaceans are found in offshore waters. These species include the goose-beaked whale Ziphius cavirostris , Blainville's beaked whale Mesoplodon densirostris and sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus.
Cayman avian fauna includes two endemic subspecies of Amazona parrots: Amazona leucocephala hesterna or Cuban amazon , presently restricted to the island of Cayman Brac , but formerly also on Little Cayman , and Amazona leucocephala caymanensis or Grand Cayman parrot , which is native to the Cayman Islands, forested areas of Cuba , and the Isla de la Juventud. Little Cayman and Cayman Brac are also home to red-footed and brown boobies. The Cayman Islands also possess five endemic subspecies of butterflies on the islands. Among other notable fauna at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park is the critically threatened blue iguana which is also known as the Grand Cayman iguana Cyclura lewisi.
The blue iguana is endemic to the Grand Cayman [34] particularly because of rocky, sunlit, open areas near the island's shores that are advantageous for the laying of eggs. Nevertheless, habitat destruction and invasive mammalian predators remain primary reasons that blue iguana hatchlings do not survive naturally. The Cuban crocodile Crocodylus rhombifer once inhabited the islands; [36] and the American crocodile C.
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The name "Cayman" is derived from a Carib word for various crocodilians. The Cayman Islands has a tropical wet and dry climate , with a wet season from May to October, and a dry season that runs from November to April. Seasonally, there is little temperature change. A major natural hazard is the tropical cyclones that form during the Atlantic hurricane season from June to November. The storm resulted in two deaths and caused great damage to the infrastructure on the islands.
The Cayman Islands have more registered businesses than people. Out of that number, about half are of Caymanian descent. The islands are almost exclusively Christian, with large numbers of Baptists, Presbyterians and Catholics, but also hosts Jewish, [41] Muslim and Hindu communities. The vast majority of the population resides on Grand Cayman , followed by Cayman Brac and Little Cayman , respectively. According to the Cayman Islands Compendium of Statistics released by the Economics and Statistics Office ESO the estimated resident population is above 61, people, [42] broken down as follows:.
His remarkable vision set the foundation for the prosperity and economic stability of these islands. Without his input, Cayman might well have remained the islands that time forgot. However, in many retail stores throughout the islands, the KYD is typically traded at 1. The government's primary source of income is indirect taxation: Few goods are exempt; notable exemptions include books, cameras, gold, and perfume. On 15 July one of the Cayman Islands' former Premiers McKeeva Bush announced the intended introduction of a "community enhancement fee" in the form of a payroll tax to be paid solely by expatriate workers.
Caymanians themselves were to remain exempt from this tax.
This would have been the first direct tax on income in the Cayman Islands' history. However, the payroll tax was scrapped before it had been implemented. One of Grand Cayman 's main attractions is Seven Mile Beach , site of a number of the island's hotels and resorts. It is a public property and possible to walk the full length of the beach, past all the hotels, resorts, and public beach bars. James Castle in Savannah, also attract visitors.
All three islands offer scuba diving , and the Cayman Islands is home to several snorkelling locations where tourists can swim with stingrays. The most popular area to do this is Stingray City, Grand Cayman. Stingray City is a top attraction in Grand Cayman and originally started in the s, when divers started feeding squid to stingrays.
The stingrays started to associate the sound of the boat motors with food, and thus visit this area year round. There are two shipwrecks off the shores of Cayman Brac, including the MV Captain Keith Tibbetts ; [55] Grand Cayman also has several shipwrecks off its shores, including one deliberate one.
In November her ownership was transferred for an undisclosed amount to the government of the Cayman Islands, which had decided to sink the Kittiwake in June to form a new artificial reef off Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman. Following several delays, the ship was finally scuttled according to plan on 5 January The Kittiwake has become a dynamic environment for marine life. While visitors are not allowed to take anything, there are endless sights. Each of the five decks of the ship offers squirrelfish, rare sponges, Goliath groupers, urchins, and more.
Experienced and beginner divers are invited to swim around the Kittiwake. Other Grand Cayman tourist attractions include: Island Wildlife Encounter", previously known as "Boatswain's Beach"; the production of gourmet sea salt ; and the Mastic Trail , a hiking trail through the forests in the centre of the island. It is free to the public and climbing the tower has become a popular thing to do in the Cayman Islands. The lighthouse is the centrepiece of East End Lighthouse Park, managed by the National Trust for the Cayman Islands ; the first navigational aid on the site was the first lighthouse in the Cayman Islands.
In ships from eleven countries took advantage of this option, including 15 from Greece, 5 from the United States, 5 from the United Kingdom, 2 from Cyprus, 2 from Denmark and 3 from Norway. The Cayman Islands has a small population of 60, as of and therefore a limited workforce.
Work permits may, therefore, be granted to foreigners. On average, there have been more than 21, foreigners holding valid work permits. To work in the Cayman Islands as a non-citizen , a work permit is required. This involves passing a police background check and a health check. A prospective immigrant worker will not be granted a permit unless certain medical conditions are present which include testing negative for syphilis and HIV.
A permit may be granted to individuals on special work. A foreigner must first have a job to move to the Cayman Islands. The employer applies and pays for the work permit. The Cayman Islands Immigration Department requires foreigners to remain out of the country until their work permit has been approved. The Cayman Islands presently imposes a controversial "rollover" in relation to expatriate workers who require a work permit. Non-Caymanians are only permitted to reside and work within the territory for a maximum of nine years unless they satisfy the criteria of key employees.
Non-Caymanians who are "rolled over" may return to work additional nine-year periods, subject to a one-year gap between their periods of work.
The policy has been the subject of some controversy within the press. Law firms have been particularly upset by the recruitment difficulties that it has caused.
Concerns about safety have been expressed by diving instructors, and realtors have also expressed concerns. Others support the rollover as necessary to protect Caymanian identity in the face of immigration of large numbers of expatriate workers. Concerns have been expressed that in the long term, the policy may damage the preeminence of the Cayman Islands as an offshore financial centre by making it difficult to recruit and retain experienced staff from onshore financial centres.
Government employees are no longer exempt from this "rollover" policy, according to this report in a local newspaper. This policy is incorporated in the Immigration Law revision , written by the United Democratic Party government, and subsequently enforced by the People's Progressive Movement Party government. Both governments agree to the term limits on foreign workers, and the majority of Caymanians also agree it is necessary to protect local culture and heritage from being eroded by a large number of foreigners gaining residency and citizenship.
The Cayman Islands is a British overseas territory , listed by the UN Special Committee of 24 as one of the 16 non-self-governing territories. The current Constitution, incorporating a Bill of Rights, was ordained by a statutory instrument of the United Kingdom in The Premier is appointed by the Governor. A Governor is appointed by the Queen of the United Kingdom on the advice of the British Government to represent the monarch.
The Constitution empowers the Governor to withhold royal assent in cases where the legislation appears to him or her to be repugnant to or inconsistent with the Constitution or affects the rights and privileges of the Legislative Assembly or the Royal Prerogative, or matters reserved to the Governor by article The Deputy Governor is the acting Governor when the office of Governor is vacant, or the Governor is not able to discharge his or her duties or is absent from the Cayman Islands.
The Cabinet is composed of two official members and seven elected members, called Ministers; one of whom is designated Premier. The Premier can serve for two consecutive terms after which he is barred from attaining the office again. Although an MLA can only be Premier twice any person who meets the qualifications and requirements for a seat in the Legislative Assembly can be elected to the Legislative Assembly indefinitely.
They are appointed by the Governor in accordance with Her Majesty's instructions, and although they have seats in the Legislative Assembly, under the Constitution, they do not vote. They serve in a professional and advisory role to the MLAs, the Deputy Governor represents the Governor who is a representative of the Queen and the British Government.
While the Attorney General serves to advise on legal matters and has special responsibilities in the LA, he is generally responsible for changes to the Penal code among other things. The seven Ministers are voted into office by the 19 elected members of the Legislative Assembly of the Cayman Islands. One of the Ministers, the leader of the majority political party, is appointed Premier by the Governor.
After consulting the Premier, the Governor allocates a portfolio of responsibilities to each Cabinet Minister. Under the principle of collective responsibility, all Ministers are obliged to support in the Assembly any measures approved by Cabinet. Almost 80 departments, sections and units carry out the business of government, joined by a number of statutory boards and authorities set up for specific purposes, such as the Port Authority, the Civil Aviation Authority, the Immigration Board, the Water Authority, the University College Board of Governors, the National Pensions Board and the Health Insurance Commission.
Since , there have been two official major political parties: While there has been a shift to political parties, many contending for office still run as independents.
The two parties are notably similar, though they consider each other rivals in most cases, their differences are generally in personality and implementation rather than actual policy. The Cayman Islands currently lacks any real liberal or progressive representation in the Legislative Assembly or in the form of organized political parties.
The defence of the Cayman Islands is the responsibility of the United Kingdom. These two agencies co-operate in aspects of law enforcement, including their joint marine unit. The Cayman Islands Cadet Corps was formed in March and carries out military-type training with teenage citizens of the country. As of the PPM led Coalition government have pledged to form a Coast Guard to protect the interests of the Islands, especially in terms of illegal immigration and illegal drug importation.
No direct taxation is imposed on residents and Cayman Islands companies. The government receives the majority of its income from indirect taxation. Duty on automobiles depends on their value. The duty can amount to The government charges flat licensing fees on financial institutions that operate in the islands and there are work permit fees on foreign labour. There are no taxes on corporate profits, capital gains, or personal income. There are no estate or death inheritance taxes payable on Cayman Islands real estate or other assets held in the Cayman Islands.
Foreign policy is controlled by the United Kingdom, as the islands remain an overseas territory of the United Kingdom. Although in its early days, the Cayman Islands' most important relationships were with Britain and Jamaica , in recent years, as a result of economic dependence, a relationship with the United States has developed. Though the Cayman Islands is involved in no major international disputes, they have come under some criticism due to the use of their territory for narcotics trafficking and money laundering.
In an attempt to address this, the government entered into the Narcotics Agreement of and the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty of with the United States, to reduce the use of their facilities associated with these activities. In more recent years, they have stepped up the fight against money laundering, by limiting banking secrecy, introducing requirements for customer identification and record keeping, and requiring banks to co-operate with foreign investigators.
Due to their status as an overseas territory of the UK, the Cayman Islands has no representation either in the United Nations or in most other international organisations. George Town is the port capital of Grand Cayman. There are no berthing facilities for cruise ships, but up to 4 cruise ships can anchor in designated anchorages. The ride from the ship to the terminal is about 5 minutes. The Cayman Islands Education Department operates state schools. Caymanian children are entitled to free primary and secondary education.
Various churches and private foundations operate several private schools. Sir Vassel is also the only person to ever be knighted in any British Dependent Territory. The college was established in and offers associate's, bachelor's and master's degree programmes. Matthew's University , which includes a medical school and a school of veterinary medicine. Co-situated with University College of the Cayman Islands, it offers both degree programs and continuing education units of various sorts.
The college opened in and is also used as a government research centre. There is a University of the West Indies Open campus in the territory. See Health in the Cayman Islands. Regular off-shore marine and air patrols are conducted by the RCIP using a small fleet of vessels and a helicopter. The Cayman Islands Fire Service provides fire prevention, fire fighting and rescue. Access to Emergency Services is available using , the Emergency telephone number , the same number as is used in Canada and the United States. The field surrounded by the track is used for association football matches as well as other field sports.
The track stadium holds 3, people. Rugby union is a developing sport, and has its own national men's team , women's team , and Sevens team. The Cayman Islands is a member of the International Cricket Council which they joined in as an Affiliate, before coming an Associate member in The Cayman Islands national cricket team represents the islands in international cricket. The team has previously played the sport at first-class , List A and Twenty20 level. Squash is popular in the Cayman Islands with a vibrant community of mostly ex-pats playing out of the 7 court South Sound Squash Club.
In addition, the women's professional squash association hosts one of their major events each year in an all glass court being set up in Camana Bay. In December , the former Cayman Open will be replaced by the Women's World Championships, the largest tournament in the world.