iNews Briefs
21-Year-old hit and killed by NYC subway while using her iPad
By Alyson Shontell From Business Insider
On Saturday afternoon, 21-year-old Aracelis Ayuso was hit and killed by the 4 subway train in New York City’s Union Square station.
Officials say she lost her balance and fell onto the tracks while using her iPad, New York Post reports.
Ayuso, officials say, nearly dropped the device, which caused her to misstep and fall off the platform just as the train was pulling up. Her boyfriend blames exhaustion, not the iPad, for her death. He says Ayuso, who was a young mother, fell because she was waking up early to support their daughter. She worked for City Bakery.
“She was exhausted and coming home from work…[Witnesses] just kept saying she looked tired and she just kind of fell forward off the platform,” he told New York Post. The driver saw Ayuso but was unable to stop in time.
Increasingly, mobile devices are to blame for deaths and accidents. A 2013 study found that texting while driving causes more teenage deaths and accidents than alcohol and DUIs. A 2011 study found that reaching for a device makes you 1.4X more likely to get in a crash or accident.
Lord Blencathra required to apologise to House for breaking rules over Cayman contract
Former director of the Cayman Islands United Kingdom office in London, Lord Blencathra, will be required to apologise to the House of Lords on Thursday (17) for breaking its rules.
The rules state its members cannot lobby parliament in return for payment or other reward.
A report from the House of Lords subcommittee on Lords conduct issued July 8 states: “The Commissioner [for Standards] finds that by agreeing to a contract which would involve the provision of parliamentary services Lord Blencathra breached paragraph 8(d) of the [House of Lords] Code of Conduct. Although the commissioner finds that there is no evidence that Lord Blencathra in fact provided such services, the mere existence of that contractual term put him in breach of the code.”
Lord Blencathra’s contract with the Cayman Islands government was terminated nearly four months ago by mutual agreement.
See also iNews Cayman story today, “Cayman Islands former London director cleared of lobbying”
Woman found with mother’s decomposing body propped up in a chair
From Caribbean360
Suriname, Monday July 14, 2014, CMC – Police have removed the body of a 75-year-old woman, in an advanced state of decomposition, from a house where it was being kept by her daughter.
The police report that they had to convince the woman’s daughter, believed to be of unsound mind, to remove the body from the house, located on Tyronne Road south of here.
The police were alerted by neighbours who complained of an odour coming from the house.
Lawmen were forced to close off the street and called the Suriname Psychiatric Centre for help in speaking to the woman. The fire department was also summoned.
When officers arrived late Saturday, the daughter barricaded the front door and refused to let them in.
Firefighters broke down the door and removed the body that was propped up in a chair.
The daughter, who did not report her mother’s death, was later taken to the Psychiatric Centre.
International Squash Championship opens in Bermuda
The 2014 Caribbean Junior Squash Championships opened on Sunday at the Bermuda Squash Racquets Association, with visiting teams from Barbados, Cayman and more.
Minister of Community, Culture & Sports R. Wayne Scott officially opened the 2014 Caribbean Junior Squash Championships this morning in front of over 200 competitors, officials and spectators at the Bermuda Squash Racquets Association.
Visiting teams from Barbados, Cayman, Guyana, Jamaica, OECS & Trinidad & Tobago are all in Bermuda for a week of competition in an individual format covering all girls and boys junior age groups followed by a team competition.
Minister Scott said “Bermuda is proud to be hosting some of Caribbean’s elite athletes and we wish all of you a great stay in Bermuda and best of luck on the courts”
The matches are under way with Matthew Elliott notching the first victory for Bermuda defeating fellow Bermudian Tao Lambert 11-6, 11-8, 11-9.
Cayman Pharmacy Council appoints new chair
The Cayman Islands Pharmacy Council has announced the appointment of a new Chairman.
Donald McLean of Health Care Pharmacy takes the position succeeding David Pellow, co-owner of Cayman Pharmacy Group, who served as chairman of the board since 2006.
Samantha Conolly was appointed as the council’s deputy chairman. Other members are Colin Medford, Courtney Morrison, Hewitson Watler and Lyria Josephs (registrar).
Junkanoo voted best Caribbean festival
By Kendea Smith The Bahama Weekly
The country’s premier celebration Junkanoo has beaten all other celebrations in the Caribbean in USA Today’s top and 10 best listing.
The competition began four weeks, when readers of the news site were asked to vote on the top 10 best celebrations.
Junkanoo beat out celebrations like Trinidad’s Carnival, Cancun’s Riveria Wine and Food festival; St. Thomas’ Carnival and even Cropover in Barbados to claim the top spot.
“No one really knows just where Junkanoo originated, but anyone who’s had the pleasure of attending is glad it’s around,” said USAToday.
“This iconic Bahamas street parade takes place on Boxing Day, New Years Day and sometimes also in the summer, and involves intricate costumes, loud music and troops of dancers shaking their hips through the streets.”
Recently, Junkanoo Summer Festival got underway in downtown Nassau. The four-week competition focuses on different aspects of Junkanoo.
Update: Changes To The Cayman Islands Exempted Limited Partnership Law
Article by Bryan Hunter, Appleby Last Updated: 14 July 2014
Further to our eAlert published in April of this year, we are pleased to advise that the Exempted Limited Partnership Law, 2014 (ELP Law) is now in force. It is anticipated that its related regulations (Regulations) will come into force in the near future and that the Regulations will:
prescribe the “recognized jurisdictions” for the purposes of defining a “foreign limited partnership” in section 42(1) of the ELP Law;
detail the fees payable by exempted limited partnerships and foreign limited partnerships and certain administrative fees payable by these entities;
prescribe the form of tax exemption undertaking for the purposes of section 38(3) of the ELP Law; and
prescribe the form of translation certificate to be produced upon registration of exempted limited partnerships and foreign limited partnerships with a dual foreign name.
The ELP Law is a welcome addition to Cayman Islands legislation and will be of particular interest to the financial services industry.
Our previous eAlert published in April of this year explains the implications of the key changes to the ELP Law. You may download this eAlert here.
Jamaica Women Lift Caribbean Title
By Leighton Levy, From The Gleaner
Guard Shanneika Smith scored 14 points, hauled in six rebounds and dished out three assists as Jamaica’s women were crowned Caribbean basketball champions on Saturday night, following a hard-fought 51-45 win over the Dominican Republic.
Shooting guard Sasha Dixon also scored 14 points and power forward Jennifer George got 13 for the team that almost didn’t make it to the tournament because of the lack of funding.
It was a one million dollar donation from sprinting icon Usain Bolt that helped the team raise the $3.5 million it needed to participate in the tournament held in the US Virgin Islands.
Several players competed with injuries that they were not able to get treated because the team did not have a physiotherapist, but Edwards, a past Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) champion for the Seattle Storm, said the team was taught to ignore the distraction and focus on the goal of winning the championship. She said more than three-quarters of the players were hurting going into the final match.
Meanwhile the US Virgin Islands defeated Trinidad and Tobago 65-52 to claim third place.
For more: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20140714/sports/sports3.html
Don’t send me back to jail pleads Cayman woman after machete rampage
Debbie Ebanks, who suffers from mental health issues and long term drug abuse problems, begged judge, Charles Quin, not to send her back to prison and to give her a second chance.
Ebanks pleaded guilty last Friday (11) to various offences in George Town, last May when topless, and threatening people with a machete, she stole food from Café Sol and Burger King including smashing up a display cabinet.
Ebanks said she has in and out of prison or hospital for the last 15 years and finds prison difficult because she is different and is bullied. She pleaded with the judge for a community based punishment and said her uncle had offered her a place to live, a job and she was receiving support for her treatment.
Ebanks is currently at Fairbanks women’s prison and whilst there during the last three months was attacked by another prisoner who heated water in a microwave and then threw the water at Ebanks to shut her up scalding her hands very badly that required hospital treatment.
Justice Quin said he would defer his sentencing of Ebanks until next week.
First Cayman trial of civilian under new anti-corruption law
Paula Yates Rivers (a.k.a. Relova-Cruz) a resident of West Bay, is the first civilian to be tried for offences under the new anti-corruption law.
Rivers is alleged to have tried to bribe an immigration officer over a naturalization application. She has denied the offence.
A trial date has been set for April next year for three days.
Call for Papers (Reminder): 4th International Conference on Caribbean Studies
From Repeating Islands
The 4th International Conference on Caribbean Studies—“Looking to the Caribbean: Literature, Film, Gender, and Cultural Studies,” an homage to Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda—takes place on November 6-8, 2014, at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The conference is sponsored by the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, Marquette University. The plenary speakers will be Matías Montes Huidobro, Luis González del Valle, Julia Cuervo Hewitt, and Emil Volek. The deadline for sending abstracts is July 31, 2014.
Guidelines: Papers on Caribbean topics may be read in English, French, or Spanish. While we will pay homage to Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda, the conference is open to Caribbean papers and topics from any time period.
If you are interested in presenting in Spanish or English send abstracts electronically (in a Word document) to [email protected] or to [email protected].
French abstracts should be sent to: [email protected]. Abstracts should not be more than a page long and should include paper title, affiliation, address, telephone number and email.
Presentations are limited to 20 minutes and a panel/session will be composed of a maximum of 3 presenters. Proposals for panels/sessions should be no more than 2 pages long and should include title, brief explanation of the session, title of each presentation, and information of each participant.
Registration fees: $125.00 for faculty and professionals; $65.00 for students and retirees (due upon acceptance). Registration fees are not refundable.
A dramatic reading of a play will be staged the last night of the conference.
CPL 2014: Viv Richards and Garry Sobers join top management
From Cricket Country
Former West Indian cricketers Sir Garfield Sobers and Sir Viv Richards confirmed their support for the ongoing Caribbean Premier League (CPL) after being appointed to the Senior Management Team. While Richards was elected as the Performance Director, Sobers assumed the role of the CPL Brand Ambassador.
Richards expressed satisfaction with the way the tournament was progressing currently and its impact on upcoming talent. “I’ve seen first hand the benefits the CPL has had on the Caribbean. Up and coming youngsters get the chance to play with and against some of the best players in the world, and the next generation of cricketers can cheer on their heroes in packed stadiums,” said the former hard-hitting batsman.
Sobers too shared similar views on the league and its influence outside the Caribbean. “I’m proud to be associated with the CPL, ahead of what promises to be a thrilling 2014 tournament. The CPL has been absolutely fantastic for cricket in the Caribbean, and this year’s tournament looks set to win even more fans across the region, and around the world,” said Sobers.
The CEO of the CPL, Damien O’Donohoe, conveyed happiness with the participation of the legends at the helm of the league. “The support of these two giants of the game is a ringing endorsement for the CPL. The opening weekend showed we’re going from strength to strength, and we will benefit hugely from the vast cricketing expertise that Sir Viv and Sir Garfield will bring,” said O’Donohoe.
The second season of the CPL kicked off on July 11th in Grenada. The opening weekend saw wins Guyana Amazon Warriors, the Red Steel and the Jamaica Tawallahs, for whom skipper Chris Gayle scored the first ever CPL century.
For more: http://www.cricketcountry.com/news/cpl-2014-viv-richards-and-garry-sobers-join-top-management-158024
Gibraltar Chief Minister at UKOTS meetings in Cayman Islands
From VOX
The Chief Minister, the Honourable Fabian Picardo, MP left Gibraltar today to attend meetings of Premiers of the UK Overseas Territories in the Cayman Islands.
The different leaders have been convened to discuss the agenda of the Joint Ministerial Council to be held in December in London. Mr Picardo is participating in his capacity as President of the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association and will chair the various meetings being held.
During the Chief Minister’s absence, the Deputy Chief Minister, the Honourable Dr Joseph Garcia, MP. will act as Chief Minister. Mr Picardo returns on Friday.
For more: http://www.vox.gi/local/8312-chief-minister-at-ukots-meetings-in-cayman-islands.html
Holder: Terrorist bomb partnership gives US ‘Extreme, Extreme Concern’
By Greg Richter From Newsmax
New intelligence reports indicate that Yemeni bomb-makers are joining terrorists in Syria to build new types of virtually undetectable bombs, says Attorney General Eric Holder.
Appearing Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” Holder called the prospect “more frightening than anything I think I’ve seen as attorney general … This is a situation that we can see developing. And the potential that I see coming out, the negative potential I see coming out of the facts in Syria and Iraq now are quite concerning.”
The Yemen-based bomb-builders, including Saudi native Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri, were behind the underwear-bomb plot in 2009 and have traveled to Syria to meet with members of the Islamic State (ISIS), the group that has declared a caliphate in parts of Syria and Iraq.
“It’s something that gives us really extreme, extreme concern,” Holder said in the pre-recorded interview in London, where he was attending meetings with European officials on security.
The Transportation Security Administration announced last Sunday that certain overseas airports would begin requiring passengers on some U.S.-bound flights to turn on cell phones and other electronic devices before they would be allowed onboard. Holder indicated that rule was based on the information received about the Yemini bomb-makers and the Islamic State.
“This is not a test,” Holder said. “We’re doing something in reaction to things that we have detected.”
About 7,000 people with American or European passports have joined the fighting on behalf of the Islamic State, and officials fear they may attempt to return and carry out acts of terrorism in the West.
For more: http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/holder-bomb-terror-partnership/2014/07/13/id/582363#ixzz37S0Lzvyh
How bugs will become the future of food
By Will Wei From Business Insider
The world’s population is projected to grow from 7.2 billion to 9.6 billion people by 2050. So, what needs to be done to feed an extra two billion mouths?
We need to eat more bugs.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations makes a compelling case that insects are key to our future food security. Insects are chock-full of protein, good fats, calcium, iron, and zinc — making them viable alternatives to chicken, pig, and cow meat. Bugs are also much easier on the environment.
Much of the world has already discovered this. Eighty per cent of nations, from Southeast Asia to Latin America, already consume more than 1,900 different insect species. Fried locusts and grasshoppers, for example, are extremely popular street foods in Thailand. The Western world has been the only holdout, but that is perhaps starting to change.
Restaurants in New York and other major cities are featuring items such as grasshopper tacos. Meanwhile, Tiny Farms, Bitty Foods, and Don Bugito are three startups in San Francisco betting on bugs. Tiny Farms offers open-source farm kits encouraging individuals and businesses to raise their own insects, Bitty Foods makes baked goods using flour made of ground-up crickets, and Don Bugito sells flavorful cooked insects in snack-size packages.
These startups are leading the way in putting insects on your plate – see link below.
Produced by Will Wei and Graham Flanagan. Edited by Sam Rega
For more: http://www.businessinsider.com.au/edible-insects-health-hunger-2014-7
Trinidad latest Caribbean country to report cases of Chikunguyna virus
From Caribbean360
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, Monday July 14, 2014, CMC – Trinidad and Tobago has become the latest Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country to record cases of the Chikunguyna virus after the the disease was first detected in the region last December.
Health Minister Dr. Fuad Khan said that the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) had confirmed the three cases.
“The Ministry of Health has already been in contact with these patients to ensure the appropriate clinical care is received. Through our Insect Vector Control Division, we have begun the work of minimizing the spread of the vectors through the implementation of appropriate integrated vector management strategies,” Dr. Khan said.
He added the disease, which is preventable, is spread by the very vectors which spread dengue and appealed to nationals to take appropriate measures to ensure their environment is clean and that they do their best “to stop mosquitoes from breeding in your homes, your schools, your neighbourhood and our country”.
Dr. Khan said the authorities have launched “a robust health promotion campaign” to ensure that citizens have the “necessary knowledge to be so empowered to protect you and your families from this disease”.
The mosquito-borne illness was first detected in the Caribbean in December 2013, in St Martin, and since then almost all CARICOM countries have reported cases of the disease.
CARPHA director Dr James Hospedales said the Chikungunya virus has reached epidemic proportions in the Caribbean.
Cayman Islands: DCI is temporarily closing in order to relocate office
The Department of Commerce and Investment (DCI) is relocating and to facilitate the move, both its main office and first-floor public counter in the Government Administration Building (GAB) will close at noon Thursday, 17 July, through Friday, 18 July.
DCI will reopen on Monday, 21 July. While its first-floor counter will remain in General Registry, its main office will be on the second floor of GAB.
DCI apologises for any inconvenience that the temporary closure may cause the public.
Jury gives full defense verdict to Apple, swats down $511M patent demand | Ars Technica
From Scoop It
Following a two-week trial in San Jose, California, a jury reached a verdict (PDF) Friday afternoon finding that Apple doesn’t infringe a patent own by Emblaze, an Israeli company that sued Apple back in 2010.
While the outcome is a clear victory for Apple, the jury declined to invalidate US Patent No. 6,389,473, titled “Network Media Streaming,” which Emblaze said was infringed by Apple’s HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) protocol. That protocol has been built into Apple products, including iPhones and iPads, since iOS 3.0 was released in 2009.
Emblaze accused several HLS-powered streams in Apple devices, including streaming video used by ABC News, ESPN, and sports services like the Professional Golf Association, Major League Baseball, and National Football League. The company also accused Apple Keynotes and the iTunes Festival. The jury didn’t find any of the services infringed.
During trial, Emblaze’s lawyers argued that it should get $511 million for Apple’s infringement, for the period up to June 2013.
Emblaze used this same patent to sue Microsoft in 2012, and that case continues to move forward in the same court. An Emblaze official didn’t respond to a request for comment via e-mail.
Demand for light beer is collapsing
By Ashley Lutz From Business Insider
American beer drinkers are becoming more discerning.
Thanks to the booming popularity of the craft beer business, light beer sales will hit a 10-year low in 2015, writes Devin Leonard at Bloomberg Businessweek.
Sales of once-popular staples like Bud Light, Coors Light, and Miller Lite are on the decline, Leonard writes.
Craft beer has become so popular that there’s now a black market for rare brews.
Anheuser-Busch executives told Businessweek that it was pushing light beer sales through flavored beverages such as the Bud Light Lime Straw-Ber-Rita.
The cocktail-beer hybrid appeals to women who don’t want to drink heavy craft beer.
Sales of the so-called ‘Ritas hit $462 million last year, according to IRI, a research company in Chicago.
Bud Light is also working to develop seasonal flavors, such as apple for the fall, writes Venessa Wong the magazine.
The brand is also expected to step up marketing in the near future, executives told Businessweek.
For more: http://www.businessinsider.com/demand-for-light-beer-is-collapsing-2014-7#ixzz37S7iYfPm
The $35 computer just got even better
By Steven Tweedie From Business Insider
The Raspberry Pi is a miniature computer that costs just $35.
Over 2.5 million Pis have been sold since it was released, according to TechCrunch, and a new and more powerful model called the Raspberry Pi B+ will be the final upgrade of the original Pi product line. It’s available now.
Even though it’s inexpensive, the Raspberry Pi is a full-fledged computer running Linux. It’s hugely popular in the hacker/maker crowd, and people have used the computer to power some really cool devices.
The B+ model will still cost just $35 and features a host of improvements to make the device more modular for DIY enthusiasts.
There’s two additional USB ports, a streamlined form factor, better audio performance and power consumption, and the SD card slot has been swapped for a more recent Micro SD slot.
You can check out all of the details over at the official Raspberry Pi website, or watch the video introducing the B+ at link below.
For more: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-35-computer-just-got-even-better-2014-7#ixzz37SLVMU6I
