iNews Briefs
Cayman Islands IS turning focus on renewable energy says Electricity Chief
Despite awarding a contract to an electrical provider for another 25 years that uses diesel as its primary source to run its generating plant, Charles Farrington, the Cayman Islands Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) Managing Director said last Friday (3) it is turning its focus on renewable energy.
Speaking at the announcement that Caribbean Utilities Company, the present provider of electricity to the whole of Grand Cayman had been given the contract again, Farrington said renewable energy represents a fixed cost and would not escalate over time as fossil fuel costs would.
He said the ERA would be weighing the cost benefits of liquefied natural gas, waste heat energy, ocean thermal energy conversion and solar power.
Trinidad police hunt for killers of son attending wake for murdered mother
From Caribbean360
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, Tuesday October 7, 2014, CMC – Trinidad and Tobago police are continuing their search for the killer of 30-year-old Joseph Nero who was gunned down on Sunday night while attending a wake for his mother.
Police said that 52 year-old Patricia Spinx of Caroni in Central Trinidad, was shot and killed at her home on Friday night. Her killers have not yet been found.
The authorities said that her 30-year-old son was among relatives attending the wake when a gunman on a motorbike called out to him and brazenly shot him in front of numerous witnesses.
The police said they have no motive as yet for the double killings.
Nearly 300 people have been murdered in Trinidad and Tobago since the start of the year.
Cayman Islands police arrest 31 persons over weekend
From Royal Cayman Islands Police Service
On Sunday 5th October 2014 officers in the Eastern Districts joined forces with their K-9 counterparts and carried out operations dealing with, illegal drug use and antisocial behavior. Officers also targeted speeding and drunk driving.
This comes on the heels of complaints of excessive speeding throughout the districts by motorist on weekends, especially on Sundays. Eight persons were prosecuted for speeding, some travelling more than twice the speed limit. The Eastern Districts Area Commander Chief inspector Brad Ebanks said “Much of the traffic commute goes to the Rum Point and the Kaibo area; however we have decided to step up the intensity”.
The operation targeting illegal drugs activity on the beaches resulted in a 19 year old male resident of East End being arrested for possession and consumption after a quantity of ganja was recovered from a vehicle. “It is sad to see that persons now think they can consume drugs in public and its okay. There are wrong – persons breaking the law can look forward to more police company, especially on weekends”, said the Chief Inspector.
Similarly, other police districts reported 31 arrests over the week end from offences ranging from DUI, driving whilst disqualified, dangerous driving, disorderly conduct and for warrants of failing to appear in court.
The RCIP will be continuing these operations over the next few weeks.
Accord to manage waste in the Caribbean demanded
Kingston, Oct 7 (Prensa Latina) Jamaican Ecologists demand the creation of an agreement to manage the import and export of hazardous waste in the Caribbean, it was published in this capital today.
We have to establish a center for regional coordination for the management of hazardous waste, with information on the best practices, technologies and know-how, said Gillian Guthrie, high ranking official of the Ministry of Waters, Lands, Environment and Climate Change of this island.
Before delegates of the Government and the Interamerican Development Bank, stressed that the region also needs help for knowledge-building for the mitigation or elimination of contaminated sites as for the implementation of a group of economic tools based on the market of recovery and recycling.
The specialist recommended the strengthening of the physical infrastructure of Jamaica at national level for the temporary storage, treatment and elimination of certain categories of hazardous waste.
During the recent holding of the conference Management of Solid Waste: A National Imperative to Development, the director of the Unit of Handling of Medical Residues of the Ministry of Health, Nayarine Hylton, also urged to take measures on the import policy of those substances.
For more: http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3146371&Itemid=1
Cayman Islands economy has not grown since financial crises says economist
Marla Dukharan, group economist for Royal Bank of Canada Caribbean, said at the RBC Wealth Management-hosted Thought Leadership Forum last week that growth is softer than it was before the financial crisis, nearly three years ago. Even though Cayman has had consecutive growth since then, she said, “We do have a little bit of catching up to do to get to the point of where we were at in 2008.”
The factors driving Cayman’s economy are not consistently strong, she added.
She pointed out the number of licensees with the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA) have declined 47 percent since 2002. In the first quarter of 2014 the finance and insurance sector contracted by 1.3 percent compared to the same period a year earlier. The total number of bank and trust companies was 4.5 percent lower year on year.
However, this was partially offset by an uptick in the number of licensees and registrations in the CIKA’s fiduciary services division that have increased by 93 percent since 2001.
Even cruise ship passenger arrivals have dropped to 1.37 million in 2013 compared to the high of 2.7 million in 2007.
Caribbean agri-food companies for Mexico meeting
From Caribbean National Weekly
Hundreds of agri-food companies in the Caribbean and Latin America will meet with buyers from around the world this week in the city of Merida in Mexico.
Organised by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) through connectamericans.com, this will be the first business oriented social network in the Americas.
Representatives from 400 companies will attend the three day event during which they will learn about the latest trends in the industry. In addition to food exporters, the event will be attended by buyers from major international chinas and logistics and service companies
For more: http://www.cnweeklynews.com/caribbean-agri-food-companies-mexico-meeting/
Cayman’s 4 ‘JUST’ Women want cash to proceed in their fight for the West Bay Road
According to Alice Mae Coe, Annie Multon, Ezmie Smith and Betty Ebanks, Caymans 4 Just Women (named after the novel by Edgar Wallace – the 4 Just MEN) they are crusading to have the stretch of the West Bay Road that was closed by DART as part of the ForCayman Investment Alliance deal with government, “will be to everyone’s advantage”.
Even though the long traffic delays have ceased as a result of DART’s extension of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway (part of the Alliance deal), this seems to have escaped them! And even though iNews Cayman’s Publisher 80 year old Joan Wilson has been able to familiarize herself with the new extension, according to the 4 women, “It has greatly affected many of the taxi drivers, our elderly citizens and many others who have practically been cut off from going to and from West Bay and George Town as they are not familiar with the West Bay highway and want to continue using the coastal road.”
So the 4 women now want you to help them financially with this cause because of the cost of appealing the decision by the Cayman Court to throw out their claim has to be funded privately.
You have only 4 weeks to help them as the Appeal is scheduled for 4th November. If they lose they will have to pay DART’s cost as well!
Regional tech experts gather in Trinidad
By Gerard Best From Caribbean Journal
Technology experts from across the region will this week gather in Trinidad for a two-day meeting at the Telecommunications Authority (TATT) office.
Shernon Osepa, manager of regional affairs for the Internet Society (ISOC) Latin America and the Caribbean, will moderate the two-day meeting, which is called INET T&T.
ISOC is the global organization behind the local meeting.
ISOC executives Raul Echeberria and Sebastian Bellagamba, as well as Rupert Griffith, Minister of Science and Technology, are expected to speak at the meeting’s opening session.
The meeting will bring together representatives from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) and the T&T Network Information Centre (TTNIC).
On the two-day agenda will be a look at the disruptive impact of the Internet on the telecommunications operators’ traditional business.
Experts will consider how the regional telecommunications operators can adapt their business model, as Caribbean citizens’ appetite goes further and further beyond the scope of traditional voice-call networks to encompass more broadband Internet-based services.
For more: http://www.caribjournal.com/2014/10/06/regional-tech-experts-gather-in-trinidad/
Cayman Islands to host U15 CONCACAF boy’s football tournament for 2nd year
The Cayman Islands will be hosting the second U15 CONCACAF boy’s football development tournament in August 2015 it was announced yesterday.
In 2013 Cayman staged the inaugural tournament that was a “tremendous success” said Cayman’s Sports Minister Osbourne Bodden after the announcement.
“Our boys did us proud then,” he said, “and with the early notification of this expanded tournament, I look forward to the local team being well prepared to compete next year. I trust this exciting news will also be welcomed by the players, fans, and the community at large, and I am particularly pleased to hear that there will be matches played in Cayman Brac as part of the tournament.”
It was learnt that the 2015 tournament would be bigger with ten more teams expected to compete.
CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb said, “This is promising news for our region, as we can see a growing interest in football development from 2013. “The Under 15 tournaments are especially important as those young players have an opportunity to build a foundation for their country’s youth leagues and represent their nations at international events.”
Colombia: Lightning kills 11 tribe members
From Sky News
Eleven members of a remote indigenous tribe along Colombia’s Caribbean coast have been killed after lightning struck a thatch-roofed hut where they were gathered.
At least 15 other members of the Wiwa tribe, that live high in the coastal Sierra Nevada range, were injured with burns, six of them seriously.
The electrical storm happened on Sunday night as the tribe was performing a traditional ceremony accompanied by elders known as Mamos.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos confirmed the deaths and expressed his condolences, ordering the military to evacuate injured tribe members who otherwise would have had to trek for six miles to the nearest road.
“Our solidarity is with the indigenous community of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta,” he said on Twitter.
For more: http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/colombia-lightning-kills-11-tribe-members/ar-BB7VCUd
Cayman Islands government makes announcements at National Council Meeting
The Cayman Islands Progressives government last Saturday told us all of their achievements in office over the past 16 month and their plans for the future.
Amec has been selected to work in conjunction with KPMG to create a report on the George Town Landfill.
Reduction on the fuel duty charged to Caribbean Utilities Company (CUC) by $0.25 per imperial gallon. To take effect on January 2015 and is expected to reduce electrical bills by approx. 4.3%.
New construction projects being undertaken is expected to inject hundreds of millions of dollars into the economy while helping to generate employment.
One Man, One Vote electoral reform is making progress. HE the Governor will be asking us to nominate someone to serve on the Electoral Boundary Commission.
A decision on Sunday trading will be announced soon
Webb to lead CONCACAF delegation at the Soccerex Americas Forum
MIAMI — CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb will officially open the inaugural Soccerex Americas Forum taking place in Barbados on October 21-22, 2014, in conjunction with Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.
With a focus on promoting the growth of football across CONCACAF, the Forum will feature an exhibition, networking events and a conference program that addresses topics such as sports tourism, major events, club and league development, sports medicine, player performance and welfare. In addition, FIFA and CONCACAF Executive Committee member, Sonia Bien Aime, will lead a panel looking at CONCACAF as “The Home of Women’s Football.”
Other confirmed speakers for the event include Major League Soccer (MLS) Commissioner Don Garber, MLS medical coordinator John Gallucci, former Arsenal & FA Vice-Chairman David Dein, as well as football legends Bryan Robson and Ossie Ardiles.
“We are enthusiastic to be working on this new project alongside Soccerex in order to promote the growth and expansion of football across the CONCACAF territory,” said President Webb. “With three distinct regions within our Confederation, the Soccerex Americas Forum will play an important role in fostering international cooperation and business development within our 41 Member Associations.”
The Americas Forum is Soccerex’s first foray into the Caribbean, which will unite over 1000 leading businesses, administrators, rights holders, coaches and former players from across the Americas to learn, network and do business over the two days.
For more information on the Soccerex Americas Forum and the different ways you can be part of the event, please go www.soccerex.com/americas or email [email protected]
Brace for full impact of Chikungunya virus – CARPHA warns region
From Jamaica Gleaner
The Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) is warning the Caribbean to be prepared for the full impact of the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus eight months after the first case was detected.
The agency’s executive director Dr James Hospedales told the Caribbean Media Corporation that almost all Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries have now reported cases of the virus.
Hospedales says there have been more than nine thousand confirmed cases of chikungunya with another 600,000 suspected cases in the region.
He says as the virus continues to spread, the agency will host an expert consultation next month to look at all the plans across the region and to see best ways to protect people and the economy of the region.
For more: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/latest/article.php?id=55205
