iNews Briefs
Automotive Art is installing more security after motorbike theft
“They’ve caught people red-handed, they’ve gone through the court system, and then a slap on the wrist and they walk,” bemoaned Wayne Kirkconnell of Automotive Art on CITN/Cayman27 on Tuesday (4).
Following the theft of a motorbike at his store after Christmas when thieves broke into the premises he announced he is installing greater security by way of a grid system around the shop’s windows.
Even though he has 16 closed circuit security cameras installed throughout the store the recorded footage from them hasn’t brought anyone to justice.
Caribbean countries switching to ‘e-passport’
BY JASON SMITH From The BVI Beacon
Two Caribbean Community countries have now adopted “e-passports” with extra security features designed to thwart counterfeiting and illegal activity.
At a ceremony on Tuesday, government officials from St. Vincent and the Grenadines unveiled the technology, which uses biometric features and embedded electronics.
“The e-passport has a lot of enhanced security features: It is tamper-proof, with a chip embedded in the page, storing data. And in these ways and others, we are keeping ahead of the criminal elements who want to abuse our passports,” Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, the country’s prime minister, said, according to the Caribbean Media Corporation.
The International Civil Aviation Organisation issued a security resolution in 2005 asking countries with older passport types, including many in the Caribbean, to upgrade.
“The issuance of our e-passport will make it even more challenging for those elements, including criminal elements, who want to breach the security of our passport,” Dr. Gonsalves said, adding that instances of fraud can still affect even the most secure systems. “What we have to do is to have zero tolerance for that and try to keep the number to zero. But because you may find occasionally a case, that doesn’t invalidate the safety and security of the system as a whole.”
CVS pharmacy announces no more selling cigarettes and tobacco products
CVS/pharmacy will stop selling cigarettes and all tobacco products at its more than 7,600 stores nationwide by October 1, 2014
Ending the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products at CVS/pharmacy is simply the right thing to do for the good of our customers and our company. The sale of tobacco products is inconsistent with our purpose – helping people on their path to better health.
As the delivery of health care evolves with an emphasis on better health outcomes, reducing chronic disease and controlling costs, CVS Caremark is playing an expanded role through our 26,000 pharmacists and nurse practitioners. By removing tobacco products from our retail shelves, we will better serve our patients, clients and health care providers while positioning CVS Caremark for future growth as a health care company. Cigarettes and tobacco products have no place in a setting where health care is delivered. This is the right thing to do.
Cayman’s Cadet Corp passes out and recruits
After passing out ceremonies in Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac recently new recruits have joined. Ten new cadets were inducted in Grand Cayman and seven in the Brac .
The new recruits had to pass a 12 week training programme where they learn transferable skills that include leadership, time management, self defense, first aid and firearms safety. These newly acquired skills can take them from the field to advancing in school and onto the workforce.
The Cadet Corp is open to both boys and girls aged between 12 and 17.
Women’s health is the focus at Wellness of Women expo this Sat (8)
The Wellness of Women expo will take place Saturday 8 March from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the ARC at Camana Bay as part of International Women’s Day.
The expo will introduce women to a number of products and services that places themselves as a priority.
Visitors are encouraged to dress in comfortable clothes, as they will be able to participate in a number of classes and demonstrations.
Mexican officials investigating strangling of Florida man in Caribbean resort city of Cancun
From The Republic
CANCUN, Mexico — Mexican authorities are investigating the killing of a 22-year-old American man who was strangled in the Caribbean resort city of Cancun over the weekend.
Quintana Roo state prosecutors said Tuesday that the body of the man from Kissimmee, Florida, was found on a dirt road Sunday in Punta Sam, a residential area north of downtown Cancun.
They say that the night before, the man, his brother and two friends had gone to a bar in downtown Cancun. Prosecutors have detained the bar’s owner and five employees for questioning.
Authorities say the group arrived in Cancun on Friday from the United States.
The U.S. Embassy said it could not immediately comment.
For more: http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/6ce93c38b99b4ab6801611b23ba618bb/LT-Mexico-US-Tourist-Killed
Justicia for Migrant Workers (J4MW) welcomes systemic inquiry into racial profiling of migrant workers
TORONTO, ONTARIO–(Marketwired – Justicia for Migrant Workers (J4MW) welcomes today’s announcement by the Office of Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) that it will conduct a systemic review into the DNA sweep of approximately 100 Caribbean migrant workers near Vienna, Ontario. Today’s announcement is a result of a complaint that J4MW filed with the OIPRD on December 12, 2013.
In October and November 2013, the OPP conducted a DNA sweep where samples were taken from Indo-Caribbean and Afro-Caribbean men who did not conform to the suspect description. The men ranged in ages from 21 to 61, heights ranged from 5’0″ to 6’5″, and body sizes ranged between 130 lbs to 310lbs. Other identifying features (e.g. hairstyle) were also disregarded. The DNA sweep was part of an investigation into assault against a local woman.
“We welcome the OIPRD’s decision to conduct a systemic review into the OPP’s racial profiling of migrant farm workers. This review has the potential to further expose the egregious police misconduct that was perpetrated during the OPP’s DNA sweep last October,” says Shane Martinez, a lawyer representing Justicia for Migrant Workers (J4MW).
Justicia for Migrant workers is a not-for-profit collective based both in Vancouver, BC and Toronto, ON that advocates for the rights of migrant workers.
Royal Ocean Racing Club Caribbean 600 A Success!
Organizers and Participants of This Years RORC Caribbean 600 dubs it a success!
After a year of planning, the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) Caribbean 600 has exceeded expectations! Plans are already on the way for the RORC Caribbean 600 in 2015, as participants have already pledged their commitment and excitement for the next event. The owner of Quokka; Peter Rutter, had given initial indications of the vessel not returning to the Caribbean after this season, but after an exciting race, he reassured us that the Quokka will be reentering in 2015… Fun and happiness can definitely be contagious and addictive!
Although the RORC Caribbean 600 broke ground 6 years ago, it has already gathered tremendous momentum over the years. Mr. Bernard Evan – Wong; coordinator of the RORC, is extremely pleased by this year’s success, having secured a record number of yacht entries, where over 60 vessels from 11 different countries participated in the challenge. He is already making the necessary footing, to commensurate another Yachting promotion for the Caribbean and Antigua, with QUOKKA at Cowes Week in August 2014
Minister of Tourism, The Hon. John Maginley is extremely delighted on the success of this years event as he pledges to continue to promote Antigua and Barbuda as the premier Sailing Destination…
See also iNews Cayman related stories on RORC Caribbean 600 at: http://www.ieyenews.com/wordpress/rorc-caribbean-600-2/
And at: http://www.ieyenews.com/wordpress/rorc-caribbean-600/
Cayman listed with other Caribbean countries in US money laundering list
From RJR
US lists some Caribbean countries among money laundering states
The United States has named several CARICOM countries as major money laundering states whose financial institutions engage in transactions involving significant proceeds from international narcotics trafficking. The report also notes that Jamaica and other Caribbean countries like the Bahamas, Belize and Haiti, had been classified as major drug-transit countries.
In its just released 2014 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, the US State Department listed Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Belize and Haiti as among major money laundering countries and jurisdictions around the world. The other Caribbean jurisdictions named are the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands.
The report notes that countries like the UK, US, Australia, Brazil, Russia, France, Canada as well as the Dominican Republic had been designated major money laundering countries.
It says the complex nature of money laundering transactions makes it difficult in many cases to distinguish the proceeds of narcotics trafficking from inflows of other serious crimes.
For more: http://rjrnewsonline.com/business/us-lists-some-caribbean-countries-among-money-laundering-states
WordPress Security: Large distributed brute force WordPress attack underway at 40,000 attacks per minute.
From Wordfence
We’re seeing an unusually large WordPress attack underway. Our automated alert system triggered and posted to FB and Twitter earlier today. The attack is visible on http://www.wordfence.com/ and as you can see it is peaking at 40,000 attacks per minute currently. Normal attack frequency is around 2000 attacks per minute.
The attack started at 7:30 AM Pacific Time this morning. It is still underway. The nature of the attack is a large botnet that is generating a huge number of failed WordPress login attempts.
We recommend ensuring that all your WordPress admin accounts are using strong passwords, that you have Wordfence installed and the number of login failures set to 20 or less on the Wordfence options page.
You should have “Count login failures over what time period” set to 5 minutes and “Amount of time a user is locked out” set to 1 hour. An hour may not seem like much, but it will effectively defeat a password guessing attack.
We also recommend you enable “Participate in the Real-Time WordPress Security Network” because this will immediately lock out any attacks from the Botnet that is responsible for the current attack.
Please share this info if you have friends and colleagues that use WordPress to ensure they stay safe and secure.
Keep a close eye on your website logs and we will post to http://facebook.com/wordfence and http://twitter.com/wordfence once this attack abates.
Jamaica is the largest supplier of marijuana to US and Caribbean
From RJR News
The United States says Jamaica remains the largest Caribbean supplier of marijuana to the United States and other Caribbean islands.
In its just released 2014 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, the US says although cocaine and synthetic drugs are not produced locally, Jamaica is a transit point for drugs trafficked from South America to North America and other international markets.
The report said Jamaica continued to make “slow but steady progress” in combating narcotics trafficking, corruption and organized crime in 2013. The report highlighted success made in eliminating corrupt and unethical police officers.The National Forensic Sciences Laboratory, was also lauded for showing what it says is a dramatic improvement in its ability to process crime scene ballistic evidence.
The other plaudit went to the JCF Major Organized Crime and Anti-Corruption Task Force, which the report says significantly reduced Jamaica lottery scam operations that targeted retirees and the elderly in the US.
The Washington report said the Financial Investigation Division of the Ministry of Finance, with new organization and leadership, stepped up its efforts to curb money laundering and seize criminally-acquired assets.
It also praised the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) which was successful in establishing its legal authority to prosecute police officers who illegally injure or kill citizens in the course of their duties.
The report however said the momentum of progress gained within Jamaica’s law enforcement agencies, is being obstructed by the inability of prosecutors and the courts to keep apace and secure prompt convictions.
For more on this story go to:
http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/jamaica-is-the-largest-supplier-of-marijuana-to-us-and-caribbean
Cayman unlikely to host Caribbean Basketball Championship
Although the Caribbean Basketball Confederation is set to stage an Under-16 Championship for both boys and girls in August, and an Under-14 competition planned for this summer both events are unlikely to be staged here in the Cayman Islands. This is despite Cayman having been asked to host one of the tournaments.
The reason is we don’t have the facilities.
Although Camana Bay is the best facility here it is not properly marked and the Cayman Basketball Association are not allowed to remark it to international standards.
The outdoor court off Eastern Avenue, George Town has a surface and weather problems.
The Camana Bay venue, however, will be used to stage most of the ongoing competitions.
The ability to host international tournaments rests entirely upon the Cayman Islands government completing the auditorium at the John Gray High School campus.
UK is aware of Cayman’s landfill problem
Peter Hayes, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Overseas Territories director, said during his two-day visit to the Cayman Islands last Monday, he is aware of Cayman’s landfill problem and it is being discussed with our government.
He said he thought the waste-to-energy was “worth looking at”.
The lengthy review process currently taking place is because of the terms contained in the U.K.-drafted Framework for Fiscal Responsibility.
Ash Wednesday Agricultural Show well attended despite competition
Despite the competition from the appalling decision to have a Mardi Gras type event along Harbour Drive, George Town in front of Elmslie Memorial Church on one of the church’s holiest of days – Ash Wednesday – Cayman’s traditional Agricultural Show in Lower Valley was well attended.
The Agricultural Show is a family event and showcases some of the best of local produce and agriculture the Cayman Islands has to offer.
Cayman Rotary Bed Race for polio
The Rotary clubs of the Cayman Islands are asking companies to build beds in order to raise funds to benefit the Rotary International’s Polio Eradication programme: “PolioPlus” on Saturday March, 15th.
All Rotary Clubs in the Cayman Islands including Rotoract and the EarlyAct club are taking part.
Racers will meet at the Waterfront in George Town where they will race in an effort to eradicate polio. Polio still remains endemic in three countries: Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan.
The bed race involves “a fun day” where teams can “build a bed,” and then race it. Last year, various companies entered the race became more creative. Organisers are hoping this year it will be even better with more companies taking part.
Racers can enter in a team of six and are required to build their own bed, and race it down the waterfront at George Town on race day.
An entry fee of $200 to Rotary Central is required for each team. Race entry fee includes entry into the pre-race parade and races.
The requirements for building your bed are: the bed needs four wheels, a mattress, and it needs handles so that you can have four people pushing it, and it cannot be mechanically powered.
Teams are encouraged to check in at 1 p.m for a bed inspection and Ms. Moseley urges racers to construct their beds carefully as “we do have wheels fall off every now and again.”
Judging of the beds will take place at 2 p.m, and the race will push off at 3 p.m.
Once the best beds are chosen, an awards ceremony will be held and the festivities will conclude with an after-party at Margaritaville.
The Rotary clubs of Cayman raised a little over $6,000 in last year’s bed race last year.
For more information and how to enter go to: http://bedrace.drupalgardens.com/
17 Young Caymanians hired from pilot job training programme
ReStart is a 13-week programme geared toward helping unemployed Caymanians find work where entrants are provided with a weeklong training course, followed by 11 weeks of paid full-time work and concluded with a final week of assessment.
The programme was developed by Baraud a local employment agency and was a a joint effort with the Ministry of Education, Employment and Gender Affairs. Of the 22 candidates who started the programme, 18 completed it and 17 started fulltime employment.
All 17 were recognised for their efforts during a ceremony at the George Town Yacht Club on Feb 28th.
Qunar Cayman Islands (QUNR) Soars: Stock Adds 13% in Session
By Zacks Equity Research
Qunar Cayman Islands Ltd. (QUNR – Snapshot Report) was a big mover last session, as the company saw its shares rise 13% on the day. The move came on solid volume too with far more shares changing hands than in a normal session. This breaks the recent trend of the company, as the stock is now trading above the volatile price range of $24.10 to $32.32 in the past one-month time frame.
The company has seen no estimate revision over the past 30 days while the Zacks Consensus Estimate has not been in a trend either. Yesterday’s jump is encouraging though, so make sure to keep a close watch on this firm in the near future.
Qunar Cayman Islands currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) while its Earnings ESP is 0.00%.
However, some better-ranked stocks in the Internet services industry include Interxion Holding NV (INXN – Snapshot Report), Akamai Technologies, Inc. (AKAM – Analyst Report) and Conversant, Inc. (CNVR – Analyst Report). While Interxion Holding sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Akamai Technologies and Conversant have a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
For more: http://www.zacks.com/stock/news/125379/qunar-cayman-islands-qunr-soars-stock-adds-13-in-session
Cayman’s Hyman withdraws from IAAF World Indoor Championships
Cayman Islands fastest runner, Kemar Hyman, has withdrawn from the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Indoor Championships citing a hamstring problem.
According to a statement from the Cayman Islands Athletics Association Hyman said, “Last week in practice I injured my hamstring while doing block starts. After resting it for a few days, I decided to test it out at a meet this past weekend in Berlin, Germany, and re-aggravated the injury. I am currently seeking medical advice on how to proceed so that I don’t further risk my outdoor season.”
Hyman was to be Cayman Islands only runner at the world championships that starts Fri 7th March and was scheduled to run the 60-metres dash.
INTERPOL signs agreement to combat human trafficking, migrant smuggling in Caribbean
From Caribbean360
GENEVA, Switzerland, Thursday March 6, 2014, CMC – The International police organization (INTERPOL) has signed an agreement with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling in the Caribbean and other places.
Signed on Wednesday by INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble and IOM Director General William Lacy Swing, the agreement “formalises the already strong working relationship between the two organizations.”
According to INTERPOL, key elements include information exchange, in particular relating to travel fraud, border management technology and operations, capacity building and training for police and migration officials, and implementing joint projects to address human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
“IOM and INTERPOL have a long history of collaboration in the field of border and migration management,” said IOM director General William Lacy Swing.
“This agreement will allow us to deepen that partnership to advance matters of common interest through increased collaboration, consultation and information exchange,” he added. “It will also provide a foundation for the development of future projects which will benefit from joint INTERPOL and IOM expertise.”
The agreement will help global efforts identify the individuals and organized crime networks behind human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
For more on this story go to: http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/news/1107210.html?utm_source=Caribbean360+Newsletters&utm_campaign=58d2d350b2-Vol_9_Issue_047_News3_6_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_350247989a-58d2d350b2-39393477#ixzz2vCbDbynr
Justices deliver rare win for whistleblowers
By Tony Mauro, Legal Times
In a rare win for whistleblowers, the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that the protection against retaliation provided by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 extends to employees of private companies that work for publicly held corporations.
A splintered majority in Lawson v. FMR Inc. found that the broader reading was justified, in part because of the “mischief” Congress was responding to in passing the law – namely the Enron debacle. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote for a 6-3 majority.
The Chamber of Commerce had warned that the expansive interpretation would expose millions of small businesses to “burdensome and expensive” whistleblower litigation, but Ginsburg said there is “scant evidence” that the floodgates would open, since the Labor Department’s regulations have protected contractor employees for nearly a decade.
The case originated with actions taken against two employees of a private subcontractor that advised the mammoth Fidelity mutual fund group. Jackie Lawson resigned under pressure in 2007 after she told her superiors and then the Securities and Exchange Commission about irregularities in Fidelity’s calculation of expenses, which affected the fees Fidelity could charge clients. Jonathan Zang was fired in 2005 after complaining about misleading statements Fidelity was making to the SEC.
For more on this story go to: http://www.nationallawjournal.com/legaltimes/id=1393934831740/Justices-Deliver-Rare-Win-For-Whistleblowers#ixzz2v76RxV5D
Run To Zero CAF 5k & 10k
March 9th 2014 is the date for the first Run To Zero. Run. Walk. Save Lives. Come out and support the Cayman AIDS Foundation. It’s a 6am start time at the Holiday Inn resort. Walk or run the 5k or 10k route – both of which end back up at the start point.
CI$20 Entry in advance (offline and online options below), or CI$25 Entry on the day (from 5:30am at the Holiday Inn).
Complimentary Breakfast and Prizes.
Fo more information please see attached flyer or go to: http://www.caf.ky/news/run2zero
