iNews Briefs
Woman who killed her lover in Little Cayman receives 6 year jail sentence and deportation
29 year old Honduran Elsy Calderon (real name Elsy Patricia Calderon de Ortega Barralga), who killed her lover, Caymanian Perry McLaughlin, in Little Cayman last year was handed a six year jail sentence Tuesday (15 April).
A well known local businessman, McLaughlin was stabbed seven times during an attack at his home last year by Calderon who claimed self defence.
In handing down his judgment, Justice Charles Quin told Calderon she would be deported back to her native Honduras after serving her time.
[Cayman Islands] District Family Fun Fitness
In celebration of International Day of Families, the Family Resource Centre (FRC) and YMCA invite the public to Family Fun Fitness in every district on 15 May 2014 at from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The event is free and suitable for families of all ages. An emotional wellness session is also included. Come out to engage in active, physical and emotional well-being for you and your family. Healthy meals will be provided.
For more info on specific locations, interested participants, sponsors or volunteers are asked to call FRC at 949-0006 or email [email protected] or contact Greg Smith at 928-5987 or email [email protected]. Follow FRC on Facebook for further updates.
Cayman captive insurance industry attends RIMS
Representatives from the Cayman Islands captive insurance industry will attend the 50th Annual Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) Conference & Exhibition in Denver, Colorado – April 27-30, 2014. Regulators from the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA) will accompany the insurance managers and professionals from the legal, investment and audit community who form part of the Insurance Managers Association of Cayman (IMAC).
Nearly nine thousand delegates are expected to attend the Conference at the Denver Convention Center and hear three days of presentations by leading experts. Discussions will focus on trends and business strategies in the areas of claims management, enterprise risk management, insurance, legal legislation and strategic risk management.
IMAC representatives will be available at booth #1041 to discuss the benefits of establishing a captive in the Cayman Islands to include it’s appropriate, business friendly regulation, the well-established infrastructure including world-class service providers, and its transparent, open approach to business.
CIMA will also be available to meet with current or prospective clients and those parties interested in doing business in the Cayman Islands. Please contact George Kamau at 1 (345) 244 1578 or [email protected] to make an appointment.
IMF views PEP as long-term investment that will strengthen labour force
By Andre Huie From WINN FM
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN): The International Monetary Fund (IMF) does not see the government-supported employment training program, People’s Empowerment Program (PEP) as a temporary employment measure, but rather as a long term investment to strengthen the labour force.
In an IMF press conference Friday in Washington DC, Deputy Director, Western Hemisphere Department Adrienne Cheasty, responded to a question from WINN FM about the measures taken by government to address the unemployment problem which are viewed by critics as temporary and unsustainable.
“I don’t think measures taken by the government to address the unemployment challenge were short term and unsustainable. I believe he’s talking about training programmes, and these are permanent investments even if they finish, because you strengthen the labour force…in general it’s been impressive the turnaround in St. Kitts, and the improvement in the finances and in growth is a strong supporter for reducing unemployment.”
The IMF late last year had reported 10.2 percent growth in employment the first half of 2013.
The PEP funded by the Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation (SIDF) is considered a major part of that growth and has been criticized by Opposition politicians and pundits as an election ploy by Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas. The critics also do not see the program as sustainable and say it is failing to address the real unemployment issues in the country. However the Prime Minister has assured that the PEP is not closing down and has noted that efforts are being made to make it a permanent program.
Cayman Rugby: 2014 Appleton Rugby Challenge Cup
Saturday 26th April 2014 4pm Fidelity Cayman Storm V Queensgate Pigs Trotters
Saturday 3rd May 2014 4pm Queensgate Pigs Trotters V Advance Bucs/John Doak Iguanas
Friday 9th May 2014 5.30pm Fidelity Cayman Storm V Advance Bucs/John Doak Iguanas
Saturday 24th May 2014 4pm Fidelity Cayman Storm V Queensgate Pigs Trotters
Saturday 31st May 2014 4pm Queensgate Pigs Trotters V Advance Bucs/John Doak Iguanas
Friday 6th June 2014 5.30pm Fidelity Cayman Storm V Advance Bucs/John Doak Iguanas
St. Kitts to host Group Six of Caribbean Cup
From SKNVibes
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE draw for the 2014 Caribbean Cup pits St. Kitts and Nevis against top contenders Guyana, Dominica and St. Lucia, with all Group Six matches being played in the Federation from September 1-9.
The Caribbean Football Unions (CFU) Caribbean Cup preliminary round begins in May but the boys from the Federation will kick into action with their preliminary matches in September.
The top two teams from this preliminary round of matches will progress to the second round with dates and further group action to be announced.
This was according to the draws ceremony held yesterday (Apr. 14) in Kingston, Jamaica.
However, the Federation’s boys would be fancying their chances to qualify for the second round in this tournament, with Guyana being their major threat in this round.
Several footballers have staked their claim for selection on the national team with sterling individual performances.
The Finals of the Caribbean Cup is slated for Montego Bay, Jamaica from November 9-18.
This Finals would feature eight teams, with the top four qualifying for a place in the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup in the United States.
This year’s Caribbean Cup winners will also debut in the 2016 Copa America Centenario. This special tournament is used to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the South America Football Federation.
All of South America’s powerhouses, including Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, are scheduled to participate in the competition.
For more: http://www.sknvibes.com/news/newsdetails.cfm/86731
Cayman Brac wants turtle patrollers
Cayman Brac’s Turtle Watch Group is looking for people to help patrol the Brac’s beaches in search of nesting sites.
This is the 3rd year the group has been working to help the Department of Environment in conservation efforts. In 2013 they found 46 Loggerhead and Green Turtle nests which held around 5,000 hatchlings.
Anyone interested in signing up for the patrols can attend a meeting this Saturday 19 April at 9:00 a.m. at the Brac Reef Beach Resort or call Ms. Scott Edwards on 929-7377.
Personal Medical alarm system launched in the Caribbean
By Street Hype Report
Would you pay US$29.99 a month to help keep your loved ones safe while they continue to live independently? If so, a new service has been launched in the Caribbean aimed at supporting seniors and vulnerable people to live safely and independently in the own homes for longer.
Caribbean Telehealthcare Services (CTS) provide remote monitoring of seniors and vulnerable people in their own home. Clients are provided with a pendant alarm which they wear in the home or garden. If an emergency occurs, at the touch of a button the user can summon help. CTS provide round the clock monitoring 24/7, clients are automatically connected an Emergency Medical Technician who will talk to the person and summon the right assistance. Clients are also provided with free, daily telephone check-in calls.
People aged over 65 are three times more likely to have a fall, sometimes with devastating effects, so being able to get help quickly can provide them with the assurance they need and provide you with peace of mind.
CTS can also provide a cell phone for use outside of the home and arrange supervised home and nursing care.
CTS was launched in Barbados but services are being rolled out across the Caribbean.
See Nation News article at: http://www.nationnews.com/articles/view/personal-alarm-service-launched/
For more information contact us: [email protected]
Also see our website: www.caribbeantelehealthcareservices.com
and ‘Like’ us on Facebook.
For more: http://www.streethypenewspaper.com/personal-medical-alarm-system-launched-in-the-caribbean/
Cayman Islands Man of Honour
The Man of Honour is an initiative to recognise Caymanian male role models in the community. A total of 12 men will be recognised annually (six under 40 years old and six over 40 years old). The application must be submitted from either the wife, children, or mother of the man. Applications will be judged by the National Centre for Fathering in the United States. Deadline for receipt of applications will be September 15.
To nominate your father, husband or son, download the application form at: http://www.1000manmarch.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Man_of_Honor_Application.pdf, fill it out and e-mail to [email protected]
Reception held in Northern Ireland to recognise Caribbean and African Diaspora
From Caribbean News Now
BELFAST, Northern Ireland — The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Cllr Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, hosted a reception in the Lord Mayor’s Parlour at Belfast City Hall on Monday to recognise the work of the Caribbean and African Diaspora.
Invited guests included representation from the Consulate for St Vincent and the Grenadines and Consulate for Namibia, management board and staff of the African Caribbean Support Organisation Northern Ireland (ACSONI) — which is the lead umbrella organisation for individuals and groups of Caribbean and African descent and their dependents — as well as chairs of all the National African and Caribbean Associations, including Vincentian societies and entrepreneurs and business owners of Caribbean and African heritage.
Ó Muilleoir said: “It’s fantastic to welcome representatives of our African and Caribbean communities into the parlour. The work these communities carry out is to be commended and I encourage them to continue their efforts into the future.”
Dr Christopher Stange, Hon. Consul for St Vincent and the Grenadines to Northern Ireland and ACSONI chair commented: “The Caribbean and African Community would like to take this opportunity to commend the efforts made by Belfast’s First Citizen to formally recognise the contributions through civic and business leadership, as we all work and strive towards a mutually inclusive shared society. We look forward to strengthening the already strong partnerships with Belfast City Council.”
2 men arrested in Cayman Islands for ganga with baby in car
When two men (aged 29 and 27) were arrested for possession of ganja with intent to supply following a traffic stop around 10:00am by Bodden Town police officers on Thursday 27th March, a young baby girl was also inside the vehicle.
The baby was taken into protective custody and later reunited with her mother at the Bodden Town Police Station.
Caribbean destinations disappointed by fares hikes
From Impact Pub.
Caribbean destinations served from the UK have expressed concern after two airlines increased fares three weeks after UK chancellor George Osborne cut air passenger duty on flights from the UK to the islands.
British Airways added GBP10 to ticket prices to six destinations – Barbados, Antigua, St Lucia, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago and Kingston in Jamaica, while Virgin also added GBP10 ticket hikes to some destinations.
One Caribbean tourist board said it was shocked by the increases.
A Caribbean operator described the move as “disappointing” so soon after the reduction in APD, adding that no other source market had increased ticket prices.
Long-haul ex-UK passengers flying to the Caribbean from April 1 2015 will pay the same tax as those flying to the US, a saving of GBP64 for a family of four.
Cayman Islands LA approves bills on partnership formation, 3rd party rights
Legislation to increase Cayman’s attractiveness for partnership formation, as well as a law that will give more rights to persons who are not direct parties in a contract, was approved on Friday, 11 April in the Legislative Assembly.
Both pieces of legislation will become effective once the Governor has assented to them, and following their publication in the Cayman Islands Gazette.
The Exempted Limited Partnerships Bill will repeal the current Exempted Limited Partnerships Law. It enhances Cayman’s partnership formation framework by providing much more flexibility in the types of partnerships that can be formed, similar to what is provided in the Companies Law. It also provides for the registration, licensing and regulation of exempted limited partnerships.
The Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Bill gives the authority to enforce rights to persons who are not direct parties in a contract, once these rights have been conferred to them by the contract’s principal parties.
Coast Guard offloads $110M in seized cocaine in Miami
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Coast Guard crew members pulled into Miami Beach to offload an estimated 3,300 kilos (about 7,275 pounds) of cocaine.
The Coast Guard says it seized the drugs in two separate cases in the Caribbean.
The cocaine is estimated to be worth $110 million.
The drugs will now be handed over to federal authorities.
Sad news concerning Cayman’s abused dog dumped at Humane Society
Teddy, the abused dog dumped at the Humane Society a few months ago had to be put down on Tuesday (15).
The 4-year-old cross breed was showing signs of recovery but when his owner was hit by a car in an accident the trauma was too much for Teddy to handle.
After six decades, Jamaica names New Poet Laureate
By the Caribbean Journal staff
Jamaica has named Professor Mervy Morris as the country’s latest Poet Laureate after the position had gone unfilled for more than six decades.
Morris, who is a professor emeritus at the University of the West Indies, will serve in the post for the next three years.
The government said Morris’ role would “entail playing a proactive and integral part in promoting Jamaican poetry as an art form that portrays the country’s cultural heritage, as also a medium for entertainment, by stimulating a greater appreciation of poetry, writing poems for national occasions, and preserving and disseminating the country’s cultural heritage, through prose.”
Jamaica’s government recently reinstated the Poet Laureate Programme, which is being funded by the Tourism Enhancement Fund to the tune of around $31,050 USD.
Morris is the third person to hold the title and the first to be appointed by the government; the two previous Poet Laureates were appointed by the Poetry League of Jamaica in 1933 and 1953.
Morris was named by a nine-member selection committee.
Tourism Minister Dr Wykeham McNeill said Morris “remains one of the most resourceful and technically brilliant of Caribbean poets.”
“He is a supreme poet…and although a serious poet, he is also a performer, a wisecracking cynical versifier with a sharp wit, and a sparkling gift for ingenious rhymes,” McNeill said.
The programme had been dormant for 61 years.
For more: http://www.caribjournal.com/2014/04/15/after-six-decades-jamaica-names-new-poet-laureate/
Prominent Cayman businessman pleads Not Guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering charges
Bryce Merren (47), a prominent Caymanian businessman has pleaded not guilty to three counts of conspiracy and attempt to possess and distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and money laundering connected to the activity as he waits for his next United States court date in Puerto Rico.
Merren is being held in a US federal prison in Guaynabo.
Higgs & Johnson hosts TerraLex meeting on bankruptcy in Cayman
Member Firm Higgs & Johnson hosts TerraLex North America Bankruptcy/Insolvency Practice Group Meeting
Higgs & Johnson, Member Firm for the Bahamas and Cayman Islands, graciously hosted the TerraLex Bankruptcy/Insolvency North America Practice Group Meeting in Grand Cayman from March 20th – 21st, 2014. Visitors included representatives from several law firms in the USA, Canada, Turks & Caicos and The Bahamas.
Friday morning’s meeting got off to a fine start with a visit from the Premier of the Cayman Islands, the Hon. Alden McLaughlin, MBE, JP, MLA. Premier McLaughlin kindly shared thoughts about Cayman’s position on the world stage as well as other topical issues.
A formal session highlighting the Cayman cross-border insolvencies followed with panelists including Mike Saville, Director of Recovery & Reorganization at Grant Thornton Specialist Services; Higgs & Johnson’s Cayman Associate, John Harris along with Bahamas Partner, by Tara Cooper Burnside. All panelists were extremely well received and John Harris shared his expertise on the Madoff litigation in which Higgs & Johnson represents Irving Picard, the Madoff Trustee.
An interactive discussion then took place that focused on case-studies and general debate on U.S. Chapter 11 and Chapter 15 Bankruptcies. The TerraLex meeting ended with much fun in the Cayman sun as attendees enjoyed an excursion across the North Sound to Cayman’s famous Stingray City and Starfish Point.
Mark Benedict, Partner in the firm Husch Blackwell, noted his appreciation as follows: ‘The Insolvency Practice Group meeting was a resounding success. The Higgs & Johnson team did a fantastic job and has set the bar quite high for any future meetings. The benefit of these meetings to me is the connections and relationships that can be built.’
Higgs & Johnson’s Country Managing Partner in Cayman, Gina Berry, stated: ‘We are thrilled that everything fell into place and that it was time well spent. The level of connection amongst participants and impact achieved firmly support the TerraLex mission; and we were glad to be part of this positive experience.’
2 charged with migrant smuggling in Virgin Islands
From Boston.com
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Two Haitian nationals have been arrested in the U.S. Virgin Islands after being indicted on charges of conspiracy to smuggle migrants into the U.S.
The U.S. Justice Department alleged Monday that the two suspects conspired with others to smuggle mostly Haitian migrants to the U.S. island of St. John in 2010.
The attempt ended tragically when a boat carrying 33 migrants smashed into a reef while trying to evade authorities. At least four children and four adults died. Most of the passengers on the vessel were Haitians seeking a better life.
The two Haitian men were allegedly waiting for the boat in St. John and communicating with their co-conspirators by phone.
U.S. Attorney Ronald Sharpe says a grand jury returned a 10-count indictment against the men Friday.
The Queens Baton Relay arrived in Cayman on Friday 11 April for a four day tour of the three islands
The Cayman Islands was the 55th country and territory to be visited by the Queens Baton Relay Team, which will cover 70 nations in 288 days on its way to Glasgow for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
The Cayman leg of the relay started at the Governor’s residence on Saturday morning, with the Governor striding down the beach to pass the baton to the Cayman Islands Olympic Committee President Donald McLean. The baton then did a tour of Grand Cayman, following with a tour of Little Cayman and Cayman Brac on Monday, before ending with a glorious reception at the Governor’s Residence on Monday evening.
The reception was attended by the Cayman Islands Commonwealth Team including seventeen year old Andrew Schirn, who will represent Cayman at the Games.
Andrew was also nominated to pen an inspiring message in a book which will accompany the baton around the world which includes messages from other young athletes from the Commonwealth.
Seattle’s Bob Eichler scores big win in Caribbean race in luxury sailboat Altair
Seattle real estate developer Bob Eichler took the top prize in a prestigious three-day series regatta called St. Barth’s Bucket, placing first in the Grande Dames class, against eight other luxury sailboats, all bigger than his 96ft. luxury sailboat.
His prizes were is a $3,000 engraved Chelsea marine clock and a magnum of champagne.
Conyers advises 58.com in connection with a follow-on share offering
Conyers Dill & Pearman has advised 58.com, providing Cayman Islands legal advice to the company and British Virgin Islands (BVI) legal advice to the BVI subsidiary, in connection with a follow-on offering in the US of 13,800,000 Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.00001 per share of the company in the form of American Depository Shares as described in the prospectus.
Anna Chong of Conyers’ Hong Kong office advised on the matter, working alongside Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, O’Melveny & Myers and Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler.
