iNews Briefs
Cayman Islands Premier gives warning of economy overheating
Cayman Islands Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin has warned the economy could overheat if there is too much development all at once.
He warned:
“We have to be careful in another year or so that we don’t wind up with an economy that is overheating because of the number of development projects which are likely to be underway then,”
See today’s iNews Cayman Editorial “Too much development all at once is not good”
Brain dead pregnant woman being kept alive in Irish hospital
By James Kelly From Irish Central
A pregnant woman who has been declared clinically dead is being kept alive at a hospital in Ireland, against her parents’ wishes.
The Irish Independent reported last night that a pregnant woman who has been declared clinically brain dead is being kept on life support in hopes of bringing her fetus to term.
Although no statement has been made by the woman’s family, the hospital or the HSE, Independent.ie reported that the woman suffered a fatal internal injury over two weeks ago and the fetus has been kept alive ever since then. The woman is at the beginning of her second trimester. Her parents are said to be exploring a legal challenge to have her taken off life support.
The reason the woman is being kept alive is because doctors are unsure what their legal standing is due to uncertainty surrounding Ireland’s restrictive abortion laws and the 8th amendment to the Irish Constitution, which enshrines the equal rights between mother and unborn child.
The news comes as politicians are debating a bill to repeal the 8th amendment in the Dáil this week, which was introduced by independent TD Clare Daly. This week Irish Minister for Health Leo Varadkar called existing abortion laws in Ireland “too restrictive”.
This is just one of the numerous controversies about abortion that has rocked the current Irish government. The now infamous 2012 death of Savita Halappanavar in Ireland sparked outrage across the country and led to resurgent calls to repeal the 8th amendment.
Termination of pregnancy under strict criteria was introduced with the 2013 ‘Protection of Life During Pregnancy’ bill, published following rulings in various cases taken against the state years earlier – known as the ABC case and the X case. The bill was published under intense criticism from both pro-life and pro-choice groups and in 2014. The controversy rumbled on, including revelations in August that a pregnant, suicidal non-Irish citizen living in Ireland was forced to deliver her child through Caesarean section as a from of termination.
Half-way house in Cayman Islands not supported by government funds
In an astonishing decision the Cayman Islands government have confirmed they will not be supporting the Hope For Today Foundation that provides a home for recovering addicts.
After receiving $90,000 from Government in 2012, public funding has dwindled. Ministry of Home and Community Affairs Chief Officer Eric Bush has confirmed there currently are no plans to fund the foundation this fiscal year.
It costs approx. $100,000 per year to cover operation costs and without any financial support by the government the half way houses in West Bay on Grand Cayman may have to close their doors.
There currently are five people living in in the all male home, one of the foundation’s two West Bay halfway houses. The other home is for women.
Recovering addicts in the programme fear they’re being left behind or could set the stage to return to a life of addiction.
Broken water pipe delays cruise ship departure from New Orleans, television station reports
By Bob Warren, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
A broken water pipe delayed the departure of the Serenade of the Seas cruise ship from New Orleans Saturday (Jan. 24), a television station reported. WDSU reported the ship was scheduled to depart from the Port of New Orleans but was delayed when the broken pipe and flooded electrical equipment was discovered, the story said.
Several areas of the ship were left without power, Royal Caribbean officials said in the story.
The Associated Press said Royal Caribbean said some state rooms were affected and an unspecified number of guests’ reservations were canceled. They will get a full refund and a certificate good for a future cruise.
The AP said it was uncertain when the ship would receive clearance to leave New Orleans.
For more: http://www.nola.com/travel/index.ssf/2015/01/broken_water_pipe_delays_cruis.html
EDITOR: UPDATE: The Serenade of the Seas was cleared for departure Sunday (Jan. 25) afternoon, a spokesman for the New Orleans Coast Guard said.
*Serious road accident in Cayman Islands only reported to partial media 12 days later
On 11th January a serious road accident occurred at North Side on Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.
A 30 year-old British woman had to be cut free from the wreckage of her Jeep Wrangler automobile after losing control of on a sharp bend on Old Robin Road and crashed into large trees.
She suffered serious back and head injuries.
No other vehicle was involved.
No reason has been given why this accident has not been reported until now, and not to all of Cayman’s media.
Anyone with information about the accident is asked to call Police Constable Gilzeane at 649-2220.
*Since this was posted we have received a full report of the accident and the naming of the driver. Please see story under Breaking News ” Kate Clayton, who grew up in Southampton, fights for life after being involved in a car crash in Grand Cayman”
Texas woman claims FedEx driver stole her two dogs
By Chris Morran
UPDATE: The dogs have been found and returned to the family. FedEx says the driver, a contract employee, will not be working for the company pending the outcome of an investigation.
Between FedEx, UPS, USPS and the numerous other delivery services out there, we thought we’d heard just about everything possible that a driver could do wrong. But then we heard about this story.
According to a post by a woman named Erica on Facebook, her home security footage caught a FedEx driver walking away from her home with two of her pooches in his possession.
Making things even more bizarre, she alleges that the driver wasn’t even making a delivery to her home but just came with the sole intent of snatching her dogs.
We’ve contacted FedEx, where a rep said the company is aware of the story and will provide us with an official statement later today.
Now we have no idea if the person is indeed a FedEx driver, so this could be a matter of just an a-hole dog thief caught on camera. Either way, the family is now missing two puppies, which is decidedly not cool.
For more: http://consumerist.com/2015/01/08/texas-woman-claims-fedex-driver-stole-her-two-dogs/
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at the Charles Kirkconnell International Airport, Cayman Brac Inbox
Everyone is invited to attend the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony marking the official opening of the expansion of the Charles Kirkconnell International Airport on Thursday 29th January, 2015.
* The Arrivals Hall and Departures Lounge at the Charles Kirkconnell International Airport have been expanded to provide more space and convenience for passengers.
* State-of-the-art Hold Baggage Screening (HBS) equipment has also been installed to facilitate the handling of direct commercial international flights from Cayman Brac.
* The Premier, Hon. Alden McLaughin and Deputy Premier, Hon. Moses Kirkconnell will be in attendance along with Officials from the Cayman Islands Airport Authority.
This event is open to the public and all are invited to attend.
Appleby acts as Isle of Man legal advisors in €297m bond issue
By James Qualtrough From Isle of Man News
Leading law firm Appleby acted as Isle of Man legal advisors during a multi-million euro bond issue.
The company’s Isle of Man office advised Playtech Plc in connection with its placement of €297 million (£232m) of senior, unsecured convertible bonds due 2019.
Founded in 1999, Isle of Man-headquartered Playtech is listed on the London Stock Exchange and has more than 3,600 employees in 12 countries. It develops unified software platforms and content for the online and land-based gaming industry, together with providing a range of ancillary services such as marketing, CRM services and hosting. Playtech’s leading gaming applications include casino, bingo, poker, sports betting, live, mobile and social gaming, casual and fixed odds games.
Net proceeds of the bonds, which will be issued by PT (Jersey) Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Playtech incorporated in Jersey, and guaranteed by the company, are intended to be used for pursuing acquisitive and organic opportunities for Playtech in line with the business’s strategy.
The Appleby team was led by Kyle Sutherland, Counsel in the Corporate & Commercial department.
Kyle said: ‘We welcomed the opportunity to continue to provide Isle of Man legal advice to Playtech and use our team’s expertise to assist on this significant bond issue.’
Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP acted as UK legal advisers to Playtech Plc.
Aon Cayman announces structural change in captive management business
Aon Captive and Insurance Management, the global captive business of Aon plc (NYSE: AON), today announces structural changes to its Aon Cayman office. Currently an office of 50 employees, Aon has appointed three Directors; Howard Byrne, Gillian Owen and Janet Sairsingh increasing the management team to six.
They will be responsible for leading a number of initiatives to strengthen the existing captive business and meet the wide ranging needs of Aon clients. Six positions will be lost as part of the restructuring.
Adrian Lynch, Managing Director, Aon Insurance Managers (Cayman) Ltd. in the Cayman Islands, said “It is essential that we strengthen our operational excellence model in Aon Cayman to solidify our long-term commitment to our Clients and to Cayman. As the captive management industry continues to evolve, our obligations to continually drive up the standards of output for our Clients moves with it. Today’s announcement enables Aon Cayman to continue to attract and develop local and international talent as well as meeting the global and varied needs of our captive clients. This has been a difficult decision for Aon Cayman, however, we very much want to thank those six affected employees for their time, effort and hard work over the years and wish them luck with their respective futures”
Two dead in VG boating accident; others rushed to hospital
BVI Platinum News
An accident in the waters off Virgin Gorda (VG) has left two persons dead after the boat transporting Oil Nut Bay workers reportedly crashed into a large rock sometime after 4:00 am this morning, January 24.
Dead are Howard Anderson and Kerri Waye.
As reported earlier, initially only the body of the male accident victim was recovered and the other occupants of the boat were taken to the hospital. A female was missing at the time, but around 8:30 am this morning, police confirmed that the body of the female was recovered.
“I can confirm a boat accident in the sea off Virgin Gorda. The body of a female was just recovered off the scene. A male was previously pronounced dead. Four others on board the only vessel involved in the accident were taken to the hospital for treatment,” stated police spokeswoman, Ms. Diane Drayton.
For more: http://www.bviplatinum.com/news.php?articleId=1422091159
EDITOR: Jamaica Gleaner report one of the men is a Jamaican Engineer
Cayman Islands declines to reveal owners of shell companies
From Loop News Services
Regulators of the financial services have declined the call by UK Prime Minister David Cameron to increase transparency by signing up to a public register, which would document the owners behind shell companies in traditional tax havens.
According to The Times Wayne Panton, the financial services minister of the Cayman Islands, said that the territory was already adhering to international rules. Adding that laws would be passed to speed up the exchange of information on tax evasion.
Panton explained that a consultation revealed that 81% of residents rejected such a register.
The news prompted fierce criticism in the UK, with the Treasury saying it was disappointed with the decision, while Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chair Margaret Hodge called for strict measures against companies that used the islands for tax avoidance purposes.
For more: http://loopcayman.com/2015/01/24/cayman-islands-declines-reveal-owners-shell-companies/
Dog shows uselessness of humans by riding solo to park on a bus
By Neha Prakash From Mashable
Last Jan 13th in Komo 4 news that will undoubtedly convince you canines were meant to rule the world: A black lab ride the bus, solo, to the dog park.
No, Eclipse isn’t some neglected pup forced into a commuter lifestyle as a means to escape her evil owner — she’s just a 2-year-old dog who legitimately enjoys public transportation (that makes one of us).
According to KOMO-TV, Eclipse and her owner Jeff Young live near a bus stop in Seattle. Apparently, at times, Eclipse is so eager to arrive at the dog park that she will jump on the bus without Young, casually sit next to strangers, watch out the window for her stop and appropriately exit, while Young catches up a few minutes later.
“She’s a bus-riding, sidewalk-walking dog,” Young tells KOMO-TV. “Probably once a week I get a phone call. ‘Hi. I have your dog Eclipse here on 3rd and Bell.’ I have to tell them, ‘No. She’s fine.’ She knows what she’s doing.”
Makes your dog’s “stay” trick look like amateur hour, doesn’t it?
Lyford Cay International School hosts KPMG Football Fest 2015
From Bahama islands info
NASSAU, Bahamas — LCIS is preparing to host the third annual “KPMG Football Fest” on Jan 30 and 31. Almost 150 players from international schools across the Caribbean and The Bahamas will converge on the LCIS campus for two full days of competitive matches. More than 100 visiting 14 and under boys and girls will be hosted by LCIS families for a weekend of great football and camaraderie.
The event is sponsored again this year by KPMG with Subway and Thompson Trading once again providing food and snacks throughout the entire weekend. The two day event will also be monitored by an EMT team from Doctors Hospital who work alongside the LCIS school nurse, to ensure that all players and spectators are well looked after.
Seven international schools are attending the two day event: The Codrington School (Barbados), Cedar International School (BVI), The American International School of Kingston (ASIK, Jamaica), Cayman Prep (Cayman Islands), Lucaya International School (Freeport), St Andrews School (Nassau) and LCIS (Nassau).
The tournament is part of the Caribbean International Schools Association’s (CISA) plan to enhance sporting competition between International Schools in the Caribbean.
2015 Hurricane season; communicating hazards better
By Howard Bernstein, WUSA
BRECKENRIDGE, Co (WUSA9) — The Washington region is not immune from the impacts of tropical weather. Hurricanes Isabel and Hazel have been two of the more prominent storms to affect the region over the past 60 years. Over that time, the National Hurricane Center has made great strides in forecast accuracy.
With that said, there are still many people who get caught unprepared. I had a chance to speak with Dr. Rick Knabb, director of the National Hurricane Center at the 2015 Glen Gerberger Weather & Climate Summit in Breckenridge, Colorado.
He points out that most hurricane deaths are not from high winds, but from storm surge and fresh water flooding. History and polling tells us that most people make the decision to evacuate based on the category of the storm, with no consideration of the threat from storm surge.
Last year, the National Hurricane Center started issuing experimental storm surge graphics. The NHC used to just discuss storm surge in the bulletins that were issued with tropical systems. But putting those areas that are in harms way in a map form, make it easier to get the message out to those who are in harm’s way. People can easily see their location on the map and if they are in a bad place or not.
IMAGE: Experimental storm surge flooding, operational graphic will likely be similar.(Photo: NOAA/NHC)
These new products from the National Hurricane Center will hopefully be more informative so that the people in the threatened areas know that they are in a dangerous area and then will hopefully take action to stay safe.
Another thing we should expect is more consistent messaging during a storms life span, even if it transitions from a tropical to a post tropical storm. Hurricane Sandy was declared a post tropical storm (it no longer possessed a warm core) after it passed the North Carolina/Virginia border. The storm was still quite devastating in its post tropical state. But since it was no longer a hurricane, the warnings after that came from other divisions of NOAA and NWS. The message got garbled. There was a big outcry from many that the message of the hazards needs to trump the particular classification of the storm. This was one lesson the National Hurricane Center learned the hard way,
Going forward, expect better communications of weather hazards from not only NHC but from all branches of NOAA.
$25 Theft costs Cayman Islands approx. $65,000 because of jail sentence
James Blair Ebanks pleaded guilty last Wednesday (21) to stealing $25 worth of food from Caribbean Bakery in Mount Pleasant, West Bay and was sent to 12 months imprisonment because of previous offences for which he was given suspended sentences.
Ebanks attorney explained that requests previously had been made in the courts for not just a halfway house, but a secure hostel. This would be a place men could reside with a curfew and be locked up at night, but work would be found for them during the day – even manual labour.
There is no such abode and government are now not supporting the half way house that is in place. Without the government money even this abode will sooh have to close.
Citigroup quietly cuts back on its consumer banking business
By Laura Northrup From Consumerist
Citigroup is about to become a slightly smaller group. Here in the United States, for example, the global bank once sought retail banking customers in fourteen cities. In cities where there are fewer Citibank branches, the company has been quietly selling their branches and leaving town.
The six markets where Citibank plans to stay in business are its home of New York City, and also Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Miami. The bank once focused on fourteen large cities across the country, but has now left those areas. The last two U.S. cities where it closed branches were Dallas and Houston. BB&T purchased those bank branches in Texas from Citibank, taking over the customers.
About half of Citigroup’s earnings come from their retail banking operations, so there’s a challenge when cutting back their presence around the world. If they need to earn the same amount of money with fewer branches, let’s hope that they don’t do so by raising fees on existing customers, or cutting back on competent customer service.
For more: http://consumerist.com/2015/01/13/citigroup-quietly-cuts-back-on-its-consumer-banking-business/
Cayman Islands Permanent Residency point system to change
The Cayman Islands government are changing and clarifying the Permanent Residency points system. Officials have said this should speed up the process and simplify the calculation for applicants regarding their investments in property or businesses. The new regulations, gazetted last Friday (23) say problems relating to ‘priority occupations ’that have delayed processing of permanent residence applications received since October 2013, have been resolved.
The new Points System will apply to all applications for permanent residence submitted since 25 October 2013 but applicants will be given the chance to update their documents and supply more information that may benefit them under the new provisions.
Officials said the removal of the references to ‘priority occupations’ in the explanation section of the regulation should push the process forward.
What it’s like to ride in a 3D-printed car
By Jacob Siegal From BGR
As always, there was a huge focus on motor vehicle innovations at CES this year, from hydrogen fuel cells to dashboard operating systems. But here’s one thing you probably didn’t see: a 3D-printed car.
Chris Ziegler at The Verge had a chance to ride around in the Local Motors Strati at the North American International Auto Show this week and found that a 3D-printed vehicle shares a surprising
The first thing that Ziegler addresses in his write-up about his experience with the Strati is the car’s aesthetic. Yes, it looks kind of like paper mache, but that’s simply the result of attempting to 3D print a car. Nearly every component is encased in plastic, which is inevitably going to give the car a different style that what you’re used to seeing on the highway.
As for the Strati’s capabilities as car, it’s entirely electrical and currently can run 40-60 miles on a single charge. That number will go up by the time the car begins shipping. It falls somewhere in the realm between car and go-kart, but Ziegler found it to be comfortable and quiet.
Local Motors plans to begin selling the Strati in the next 12-18 months. Be sure to check out the source link for a video of the car in motion.
Image Source: Local Motors
Cayman Islands Governor says laws for LGBT rights will not be imposed by UK
Helen Kilpatrick, the Cayman Islands governor said last Thursday (22) evening it is better for Cayman’s Legislative Assembly and not the United Kingdom (UK) to make or amend the necessary legislation to deal with the discrimination against and the lack of protective rights for members of the gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender community.
Kilpatrick was speaking on gender equality at the second in a series of public lectures organised by the Truman Bodden law school.
She aid the UK had no plans to impose laws on any Caribbean overseas territories regarding Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) rights, despite test cases in the European Courts. These cases suggest the government could be exposed to human rights discrimination claims.
US unveils 1st plan of its kind to fight drugs in Caribbean
By DANICA COTO Associated Press From ABC news
The Obama administration unveiled a new plan Friday to fight drug trafficking in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands amid concerns that the flow of cocaine from the Caribbean to the U.S. has more than doubled in the past three years.
It is the first federal plan of its kind that outlines the steps federal authorities are taking and will take to crack down on drug trafficking specifically in both U.S. territories. It outlines six strategies, including sharing more intelligence, collaborating with local law enforcement and reducing drug-related violent crimes in the two territories.
Some 100 tons (91 metric tons) of cocaine passed through the Caribbean in 2013, far above the 42 tons (38 metric tons) of 2011, the plan said. It was the highest documented cocaine flow since 2003, according to the 2014 Caribbean Border Counternarcotics Strategy.
“We were not paying the attention we should have been paying,” U.S. Rep. Jose Serrano of New York told The Associated Press in a phone interview. “I kept saying, we have another border… it’s our territories.”
Serrano, along with Puerto Rico’s non-voting congressional delegate, Pedro Pierluisi, pushed for a bill that became law last year requiring the creation of the federal plan that will be updated every two years.
“We have always been an afterthought when we shouldn’t be,” Pierluisi said, adding that at least 90 percent of the drugs that enter Puerto Rico end up in the U.S.
Officials attributed the increase in cocaine trafficking partly to tougher surveillance along the U.S.-Mexico border, a decrease in the use of planes following tighter air control in Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, and the success of go-fast boats from South America to the Caribbean.
Brother of the man who died in Cayman Islands car crash escapes jail
Eduardo Robinson admitted careless driving in connection with a fatal collision in Prospect in October 2012 in which his brother, Egbert, was killed.
Robinson was said to have been travelling 14mph over the 25mph speed limit on a temporary road surface when he lost control of the Nissan Sunny he was driving. The vehicle hit a wall on Mangrove Drive and Eduardo was seriously injured but Egbert died.
It was learnt that whilst Eduardo, who is hearing impaired, was driving Egbert who had hit him thus distracting his driving attention.
Eduardo was devastated at the loss of his brother and they were soul mates and went everywhere together.
Because of the exceptional circumstances of the case, no excessive speed involved, no alcohol, defendant’s good character and his hearing impediment, Justice Charles Quin last Wednesday (21) gave Eduardo a driving ban of 12 months and imposed a conditional discharge to also last twelve months. The judge also made it clear the sentence reflected the exceptional circumstances and was not to be a taken as a precedent for other cases.
2015 Rising Star Award Caribbean – Call for Nominations
ISHC and BHN announce the 2014 Rising Star Award
The International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC), in partnership with the Caribbean Hotel and Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) has announced they are accepting nominations for the Rising Star Award Caribbean. This will be the fifth year the two organizations have joined together to recognize emerging talent in the Caribbean region.
Nominees must be 35 years of age or younger, have a minimum of five years in a hospitality-related field with at least one year with the current hotel or company, be recognized by leaders in the hotel or hospitality company as a rising star, currently work and live in the Caribbean and have a minimum of two of the most recent five years’ hospitality experience living and working in the Caribbean. The CHRIS Conference will be held in Miami, FL April 27-28, 2015 at the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Miami.
To download a nomination form, click here or visit www.ishc.com and select the Awards section under About ISHC. Nominations must be submitted by midnight February 13, 2015 to Karla Smith, Director Membership Services ISHC, [email protected]. Please note that all candidates need to be nominated by another person from within their organization or someone with direct work experience with the nominee.
Cayman Islands Football: Certification requirements for coaches coming
From Digicel Sportsmax
Cayman Islands’ football coaches will soon be required to take coaching certification courses before working with any team.
This makes it the first time courses of this nature are being made mandatory on the islands.
Beginning next season, coaches of grassroots, primary school and youth age group teams will need to possess either a Grassroots or CONCACAF D-Licence coaching certificate.
According to Cayman Islands Football Association first vice-president Bruce Blake, “Too often I attend a training session or I attend a game and I see the coaches come with nothing in their hands, so I’m like, ‘OK, did they properly prepare?’”
These types of coaching certification courses have been offered several times in the past but they will open, only by invitation, starting next season. The courses are free for coaches and several are expected to be offered throughout the year, including one in Cayman Brac next month.
“It’s very important,” Blake said.
“We know that you would never send your child to school without the teacher being properly certified. You would never, you know, go to a person to ask for legal advise without them being properly certified. So we think we have to focus on our coaching first and foremost. That is our biggest issue.”
Breathometer’s mint can tell you when your breath stinks… and when you’re dehydrated, too
By Ryan Lawler From Tech Crunch
A couple of years ago, a company called Breathometer came up with a portable breathalyzer you could plug into your phone and quickly get your blood alcohol level.
At the time it seemed like a bit of a novelty device, but the company has continued to innovate on the technology it’s built. After raising some cash in part thanks to an appearance on Shark Tank, the company went back to the drawing board and built a new and improved $100 Bluetooth-powered breathalyzer it calls Breeze.
But it did more than that: Breathometer created a platform it could use to measure lots of different things through their breath. With that foundation, the company has announced its next product — a device called Mint than can measure your breath quality and hydration.
I stopped by the Breathometer booth in the Health and Wellness section of CES’ Tech West show floor and got to try out an early prototype of the Mint. The result? No surprise, but after a full day of eating crappy food, drinking coffee and not brushing my teeth, my breath was less than perfect.
Breathometer CEO Charles Michael Yim says oral health can be a pretty good indicator of your overall health. The company hopes that by making people more aware of it they can improve the quality of their lives.
Like like its first product, Breathometer has turned to crowdfunding site Indiegogo to find backers for Mint. It’s going to sell for $99, but the first 500 backers can get a discounted rate of $89. To back the product, which is expected to ship in August, you can check out the Indiegogo campaign here.
Minimum wage will have one rate only says Cayman Islands Premier
Even though Cayman Islands Employment Minister, Tara Rivers, had suggested a tiered system for a minimum wage, Premier Alden McLaughlin said there will be one flat base rate only.
He said anything but one flat rate would become too complicated.
AuroraTek tried to pitch us a gadget that breaks the laws of physics at CES
By Kyle Russell From Techcrunch
As we covered the startup-heavy Eureka Park at The Sands for our coverage of CES, one booth stood out to my colleague Darrell Etherington and myself. On top of a table rested a few electric scooters, and behind them was a sign that read “The MOST Advanced Technology on Planet Earth!”
We both kind of figured that it was a gag to get attention for really nice electric scooters, so I went over to have a chat with the guy running the booth: William Alek, President and CEO of AuroraTek. I was live on-camera, so you get to see exactly how our interaction went down in the video above.
While AuroraTek is indeed working on electric scooters, Alek told me that the real star of the booth was a very special electrical transformer that could output more power than you put in it.
“Ding ding ding ding ding ding ding,” went my bullshit-o-meter. That goes against the first law of thermodynamics, a fundamental rule in physics that’s taught to students in elementary school: basically, energy cannot be created or destroyed.
I tried to give Alek the benefit of the doubt since we were on live video and let him explain himself. He gave me some pseudoscience claptrap about quantum tunneling and couldn’t put the effect he described in layman’s terms when I asked him to. AuroraTek’s homepage has an even better quote: “We call this NEGATIVE-to-POSITIVE Energy transformation FREE Energy or Overunity Technology because it has the appearance of Nothing Is Something.”
IMAGE: auroratek A sign at AuroraTek’s booth.
If I think a startup’s idea is dumb, I generally skip it and move on rather than lie or hate on something that a whole lot of people with different needs might find really useful. But selling the technological equivalent of snake oil? That, I cannot abide.
Part of me hopes that Alek is just a very dedicated troll.
Cayman Islands implements arson investigation after car catches fire
Last Thursday (22) a red Chevrolet car caught fire around 6am on Crewe Road, George Town, Grand Cayman.
Police and fire officers were called to the scene and the blaze was extinguished after the car received significant interior damage.
No one was injured during the incident,
An investigation into arson is to be conducted.
Anyone who was in the area at the time, or may know anything about the incident is encouraged to contact DC Santo at 324-0684.
This is the high-tech millennial woman’s dream apartment
By Samantha Murphy Kelly From Mashable
LAS VEGAS — It’s hard to visualize the concept of “the home of the future” without thinking of stark white walls and robots creepily folding your laundry next door.
But as more products become web-connected, joining the greater Internet of Things trend, we will gradually and naturally incorporate them into our homes.
During the 2015 International CES, fashion website Refinery29 designed a tricked-out home that included dozens of Internet of Things products, blending style, functionality and technology. From sensors that monitor how you sleep to automatic fish feeders and 3D-printed bras, here’s a look at how the millennial woman could introduce some of these high-tech products into her daily life.
IMAGE: REFINERY29
Cayman Islands Rugby: U-18s to take part in Samoa Commonwealth Youth Games
From Digicel Sportsmax
The Cayman Islands Under-18 Boys National Rugby team has been invited to play in the Samoa 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games, the first time Cayman has ever been selected for the competition.
Chief Executive Officer of the Cayman Islands Rugby Union Richard Adams was pleased with the opportunity.
“We’ll get a bunch of 16 to 17-year-old boys playing world class rugby, much like we did when we went to Kenya for the Junior World Trophy in 2009,” Adams said.
“Those guys now are the guys playing for the national team, the national 7s. You know, it’s a level of exposure and play that you just don’t get an opportunity to do otherwise,” he added.
The Games take place between the
5th and 12th of September, and according to Adams tryouts will be held next month to find players, including those relatively unfamiliar with the sport, in order to field a team.
“What this means now is that on the back of those guys that went in 2009, and they’re all 24, 25, we’ll get another 12 or 13 guys that will be 16 or 17 years old backing these guys up.
For rugby on the island and for our international competition, it’s massive because we just don’t get these opportunities to go to these levels of competition.”
Man who lost his class ring surfing gets it back 35 years later from a treasure hunter
By Mary Beth Quirk From Consumerist
Usually the kind of stuff treasure hunters armed with metal detectors pick up off the beach is of the loose change and worthless crap variety. But every now and again, something valuable shows up just begging to be reunited with its long lost owner. Such was the lucky case for a man who lost his gold class ring 35 years ago.
He was surfing off Bolinas beach in 1979 when the ring slipped off and was lost to the waves, reports the San Francisco Gate. Then two weeks ago, a treasure hunter poking around at low tide with his metal detector heard a promising beep.
Ten minutes of digging through a foot of pebbles rendered the ring lost 35 years ago, bearing the letters of the high school and the owner’s initials engraved inside.
While many people might be like, “Hey, free ring!” the tireless treasure hunter dug through alumni records and tracked down the surfing owner. He emailed him to meet him at a Whole Foods if he wanted the ring back.
The exchange was made, shocking the ring’s owner that someone had actually recovered his ring. He gave the finder a keep
“I’m shocked. Amazed. Overjoyed. Life has a way of continuing to surprise us. Thanks,” he told him.
The treasure hunter had some parting words of advice:
“Never wear jewelry at the beach,” he told the other man. “The cold water makes your hands shrink. And the suntan lotion makes things slip off.’”
“No kidding,” he replied.
Cayman Islands to implement penalties if ESO surveys are not completed on time
The Cayman Islands Ministry of Finance and Economic Development is proposing to make it an offense to fail to return a survey form issued by the Economics & Statistics Office (ESO) within the given time frame or to knowingly provide false information.
Announcing the start of a public consultation process on proposed changes to the Statistics Law (2011 Revision), officials said the amendments would also provide for voluntary surveys to be conducted amongst exempt companies for the first time.
A release from the ministry said this would allow the inclusion of their economic contribution to the Cayman Islands gross domestic product (GDP) while preserving their exempt company status,
In addition, the Statistics (Amendment) Bill 2014 would permit the ESO to to collect fees for certain technical services, such as survey design and special data processing, requested by users, including private business, consultants and academia.
The Statistics Law (2011 Revision) governs the collection, compilation and publication of statistics on the socio-economic profile and performance of the Cayman Islands and the ministry said the changes to the law would further strengthen the effectiveness of the ESO in the collection of data.
JAMAICA: Life would be harder without the Junior Stock Exchange
From Offshore Bankers
Last week, the Jamaica Stock Exchange, under the dynamic leadership of Mrs Marlene Street-Forrest, held its 10th annual conference, a substantial milestone featuring a raft of local and international speakers who pronounced on a wide range of financial and investment topics.
The Jamaica Labour Party spokesman on finance, Mr Audley Shaw, raised the question of whether the tax policy of the minister of finance, Dr Peter Phillips, was promoting or hindering the development of the Junior Stock Exchange.
Of course, Mr Shaw may have been given a moot by the organisers to stir debate.
Quantum leap in safety for Royal Caribbean
By Kathy A Smith From HIS Maritime
An impressive array of life-saving hardware is on display aboard cruising’s latest mega-ship, finds
Royal Caribbean’s recently launched Quantum of the Seas is one of the most technologically advanced cruise ships the company has built.
The 18-deck-high, 168,666gt vessel carries up to 4,905 passengers and 1,500 crew. The sheer number of people onboard highlights the importance of life-saving systems and equipment.
The ship features 16 custom-built, 313-person lifeboats made by Germany’s Fassmer, which meet the International Maritime Organization’s alternative-design regulations.
This lifeboat design was first used on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class vessels but modified for Quantum of the Seas. Extensive loading tests of wooden models were carried out before the finished lifeboats were tested onboard by the crew in charge of lifeboat evacuations.
Royal Caribbean’s vice-president of marine technical operations, Captain Patrik Dahlgren, who has served as master aboard the Oasis of the Seas, had significant input into the design and testing of Quantum of the Seas.
For more: http://www.ihsmaritime360.com/images/assets/038/16038/Quantum_leap_in_safety_for_Royal_Caribbean.pdf or in print by subscribing at http://magazines.ihs.com/Maritime/
1,700 private jets fly to Global Warming Conference
From Newsmax
Some 1,700 pricey, fuel-guzzling private jets flew into Switzerland carrying billionaires and world leaders to a conference taking up issues including global warming and income inequality.
The annual World Economic Forum in Davos began on Wednesday and ran through Saturday.
So many private jets delivered passengers to the airport in Zurich and two other airports that the Swiss Armed Forces for the first time opened up its Dubendorf military airport to private jet passengers, according to CNN Money.
One private jet company, VistaJet, charged between $10,000 and $15,000 per hour to use its planes. Some passengers got a free helicopter ride from the airport to Davos, a town in the Swiss Alps noted for its ski resort.
Former Vice President Al Gore was among the people scheduled to attend the conference, along with 40 heads of state, Newsweek reported, and he stressed the importance of dealing with climate change.
Other issues discussed included economic growth, geopolitics, the Internet, and gender equality.
Co-chairing the event was Winnie Byanyima, executive director of the international aid agency Oxfam, who highlighted the huge economic gap between the world’s rich and poor.
A report from Oxfam disclosed that last year the most affluent 1 percent of the world’s population owned 48 percent of all wealth, while more than a billion people lived on less than $1.25 a day.
Oxfam also reported that the 80 richest people on the planet have the same wealth as the poorest 3.5 billion people.
For more: http://news.newsmax.com/?ZKIRXYShReADlQMLAtzNZuJmRXyfNlvAZ
Wreckage found of plane that had Rochester developer and wife on board
By Breanna Fuss from Time Warner News
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — It’s been four months since a small plane with Larry and Jane Glazer onboard crashed into the Caribbean Sea, and Wednesday, the Glazer family announced they are bringing their parents home.
Just before 9 a.m. on Sept. 5, Larry Glazer, who ran Buckingham Properties, began piloting the plane from Rochester to Naples, Florida. About an hour after take off, the couple became unresponsive.
F-15 fighters were dispatched and confirmed what air authorities had expected, the plane was dealing with hypoxia, or lack of oxygen supply.
The twin-prop plane crashed about 14 miles northeast of Port Antonio, Jamaica. All that could be seen were small pieces of debris.
In early January, the children of Larry and Jane Glazer hired the Eclipse Group Inc., out of Maryland, to search for the wreckage.
On Wednesday, we learned the search team found what they were looking for. In a statement sent by the Glazer family, they called the search a success, saying they recovered significant portions of the aircraft and they are hopeful it will give them answers as to what happened that day.
“They knew a lot about the aircraft,” Daniel Petree, said Dean of School of Business Administration and Economics at the College at Brockport. “They knew what altitude it was flying at, what speed it was flying at, roughly how much fuel it had onboard.”
Petree has a background in aviation airspace. He said knowing those details led to finding essentially a needle in a haystack.
For more: http://www.twcnews.com/nys/rochester/news/2015/01/21/glazer-plane-found-in-caribbean.html
An impossible choice
Winter has set in on the millions of Syrian refugees in Jordan, food rations have been cut and children have little hope of going to school.
Child marriage amongst the Syrian refugee population has doubled since the start of the war.2 Driven by a lack of safety and economic opportunity, girls as young as 13 are being forced into marriage to lessen the financial burden on their family.
Right now many Syrian mothers and fathers face an unimaginable choice – marry their children off or risk their survival. The question is do we have their back?
Call on the international community to fund programmes that support parents in the fight against forced child marriage in Jordan.
Urgent appeals from United Nation’s agencies have fallen on deaf ears and the situation is going from bad to worse for Syrian children.
A fortnight ago we wrote to you about Maha, a now pregnant 13-year-old girl forced to marry an older man by her family.3 Huge numbers of the Walk Free community have already responded – can you now take a moment to do the same?
Stand up for young children forced into marriage: ask the international community to take action now.
For more: Michael Hayworth, Walk Free”: [email protected]
New York billionaire sues Canadian designer for defamation amid Bahamas feud
From Offshore Bankers
The billionaire hedge fund manager Louis Bacon has filed a $50 million defamation lawsuit against the Canadian fashion designer Peter Nygård, escalating a long-running battle between the owners of neighboring properties in an exclusive gated community in the Bahamas.
A spokeswoman for Nygård called the latest allegations “completely without merit.”
In a complaint made public on Friday, Bacon accused Nygård of orchestrating an “obsessive and malicious” smear campaign against him for 4-1/2 years.
For more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/23/us-bahamas-nygard-bacon-idUSKBN0KW2K020150123
Haiti leader, ruling without parliament, gets new Cabinet
From Caribbean Life
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) _ A new Haitian Cabinet and other government leaders were sworn in Monday as President Michel Martelly runs the troubled Caribbean country without a parliament.
The 20 ministers and more than a dozen secretaries of state were named roughly a week after parliament dissolved amid a bitter stalemate between Martelly and a group of opposition lawmakers. They were installed Monday in a ceremony at the site of the former national palace, which toppled in the cataclysmic 2010 earthquake that destroyed much of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas.
Martelly kept half of his former Cabinet ministers in their posts in what he touted as a “consensus government” reached after negotiations with a number of Haiti’s opposition parties. Changes were made in several key ministries, including justice and planning.
“This government we install today is the fruit of dialogue between the sons and daughters of the country,” Martelly said.
Haiti’s president began ruling by decree last week while trying to steer the impoverished country toward long-delayed legislative and municipal elections.
Prime Minister Evans Paul, who was in the moderate opposition to Martelly before joining his government, was sworn in last week. He will run day-to-day government affairs.
The hardline opposition to Martelly has promised a wave of intensified street protests to try and pressure him from office. Martelly took power in 2011 and is due to leave next year.
For more: http://www.caribbeanlifenews.com/stories/2015/1/2015-01-21-ap-haiticabinet-cl_2015_1.html
Former Senate President Emmanuel Carter dies in US
From What’s Up Caribbean
Trinidad and Tobago’s former Senate president Emmanuel Carter died Wed 21st January at the age of 85 in Miami, Florida, USA, where he had gone to visit his daughter for Christmas.
Carter served as president of the Senate from 1990 to 1995.
He was the acting president of Trinidad and Tobago in 1990 when the Jamaat-al-Muslimeen staged a coup attempt and took over the Parliament building, holding hostage then Prime Minister ANR Robinson and members of his Cabinet.
In his capacity as acting president, Carter signed the amnesty, which was first recognised by the High Court, but was ultimately thrown out by the Privy Council.
Former attorney general Anthony Smart described Carter as a humble, righteous and decent human being.
Smart said Carter served the country “in a tremendous way and at the time when it was facing its darkest hour”.
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Dookeran said: “I am sorry to hear of his passing. The role he played in 1990 would always be remembered by Trinidad and Tobago. He was a source of stability and trust.
