(CNS): A 47-year-old American tourist has died while diving off North West Point, police reported Friday morning. In the second dive related death of the year police said that around 9.30 am this morning the woman was diving at the Little Tunnel Dive site. As she ascended the female stay-over visitor appeared to get into difficulty and, on surfacing, lost consciousness. Staff from the dive company she was diving with, Red Sail Sports, administered C.P.R aboard the dive boat as they brought her to shore to meet with the emergency services. The woman was conveyed to the Cayman Islands Hospital in George Town, where she was found to be dead on arrival.

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(CNS Business): Premier McKeeva Bush has announced that he will be taking another trip to Washington next month to talk to American officials about the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), which is generating uncertainty and concern here in Cayman. The premier said that as a result of previous visits the IRS had “heard the voice of the islands” and government was fully prepared to engage the US in another round of discussions. Although it is not clear how much impact Cayman’s lobbying has had, the premier says points raised in previous visits “seem to have been taken into careful consideration.” However, all that Bush appears to be hoping for during his next visit is a level playing field. (Photo by Dennie Warren Jr) Read more on CNS Business

(CNS): The government of Turks and Caicos has been awarded a judgment of $9.29 million involving the Emerald Cay private island property, following a ruling by Chief Justice Edwin Goldsborough on Wednesday. The court ruled that Tim Blixseth, helped conceal the true value of the retreat and underpaid stamp duty on the deal. Attorney General Huw Shepheard said the judgment against Emerald Cay Ltd. and Worldwide Commercial Properties Ltd. replaces an interim award of $1.25 million because of stiffer penalties.

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(CNS): After more than 36 years the civil service, Cayman’s first deputy governor retired this week. As the public sector and government welcomed Franz Manderson and several new senior officers to the new government administration team, Ebanks was given a fond farewell at Government House Wednesday. “Not bad for a North Side boy who didn’t wear shoes to school until I was 12, and whose family didn’t have electricity until I was in university,” Ebanks told the gathering as they spoke about his long career in public service. Senior officers, colleagues, relatives and friends celebrated his career  and spoke of the many milestones he had reached as well as the challenges he overcame – from budgets to hurricanes.

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