iNews Briefs
Cayman Prep is top in KPMG Brain Bowl
The students from Cayman Prep came out top after winning every round of the Jeopardy-style KPMG Brain Bowl.
Teams of four youngsters from nine schools faced off in an elimination competition this week as they fielded brain-testing questions.
Cayman International School came second and Grace Christian Academy came third.
Afro-Caribbean man suffers broken jaw in Dundee [Scotland] city centre attack
By Andrew Argo From The Courier UK
A 21-year-old Afro-Caribbean man was the victim of a serious assault in Dundee city centre.
Police are not treating the incident as racially motivated.
The victim, who was wearing a dark jumper and burgundy jeans, was walking in the High Street with two friends about 2.30am on Sunday April 27.
One of them was wearing a white T-shirt and skinny blue denim jeans and the other a dark top and baseball cap.
They were approached by three men aged in their early 20s, and there was an altercation.
The victim was struck on the face and fell to the ground. He was taken to Ninewells Hospital where he received treatment for a broken jaw.
Police are now trying to trace the three men.
One of the men was wearing a light coloured top with a blue band across the chest and blue jeans. The second man was wearing a black tracksuit and the other was wearing a light coloured top with blue sleeves and blue jeans.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Chalkfest Competition, Grand Cayman
Event Date and Time: Saturday 17 May, 2014 10:00am to 1:00pm
Location : Camana Bay
Web : Visit the website at http://www.camanabay.com/
Additional Information: CI$5 for kids and CI$10 for adults – proceeds will benefit The National Gallery Outreach Programme.
Chalkfest!
Budding artists are invited to leave their easels at home and use the streets of Camana Bay as their canvas at the 11th Annual Chalkfest Competition. The Town Centre will turn into a larger-than-life art exhibit as participants vie to become chalk champion, creating works of street-art along Market Street. The competition is open to artists of all ages and abilities.
There will be prizes awarded for the best work. Entry categories are: Primary (5-10 years old), Middle School (11-13 years old), High School (14-17 years old) and Adults (18+). Chalk will be provided free of charge and participants are encouraged to bring rags, sponges and buckets to help with blending and covering large areas. Free water and sunscreen will be available for all participants.
Former Royal Caribbean crew member, acquitted of raping passenger, wins unlawful detention lawsuit against the Bahamas
From Jim Walker’s Cruise Law
The Nassau Guardian published an article yesterday about a former Royal Caribbean crew member, Ruel Lockwood, previously employed as a stateroom attendant, who was accused of raping a young woman on Royal Caribbean’s Sovereign of the Seas cruise ship during a cruise to Nassau in 2006.
The crew member entered the college student’s cabin with a key card, which he used to enter cabins to clean them.
The jury in the Nassau, Bahamas acquitted the crew member of the rape in the criminal case, although Nassau Bahamas CourthouseRoyal Caribbean paid $1,500,000.00 to settle the civil case which we filed here in Miami.
After crew member Lockwood was acquitted, he remained in jail for 4 days in Nassau. For that, he sued the Bahamas for “unlawful detention.”
The Bahamian judge entered the order of acquittal on November 19, 2007, but immigration officials kept him in jail until November 23, 2007. The immigration officials contended that the cruise line did not complete the travel arrangements for Lockwood until November 23rd. However, Lockwood contended that Royal Caribbean had a ticket for him to fly home to Nicaragua earlier but the immigration officials refused to release his passport and kept him in jail unnecessarily.
In 2011, Lockwood filed a civil case against the Bahamas for the extra days he stayed in jail. Yesterday the Bahamian trial court found that Lockwood should have been released by November 21st and awarded him compensation and legal costs to be determined at a later date.
We wrote about this weird situation back in 2011. Lockwood spent approximately a year in a Bahamian jail for the alleged rape. But after the immigration officials and/or Royal Caribbean screwed up, Lockwood will receive compensation for 2 days. I wonder what a Bahamian judge will think that’s worth?
Cayman’s fire crews are BUSY
In a story on CNS last Friday (2) they reported the Cayman Islands Fire Service just on one day (Thursday 1 May) dealt with the following:
House fire, road smash between a car and a motorcycle, clearing debris and absorbing and cleaning road from motor oil from the accident, battling a large burning tree stump, investigating strong smell of smoke at a restaurant in West Bay, putting out a house fire in Newlands that also involved checking through the home and mechanically ventilating it, and dealing with three brush fires plus one that was a false alarm!
For the full story go to: http://www.caymannewsservice.com/local-news/2014/05/02/brush-blazes-road-smashes-keep-firefighters-busy
Coast Guard seizes ton of pot in Caribbean
From AM660 The Answer
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard seized more than a ton of marijuana after intercepting a drug smugglers’ boat in the Caribbean Sea.
The 48 bales of marijuana were unloaded last week at the Coast Guard’s station in Miami Beach. The marijuana is worth an estimated $1.9 million wholesale.
Officials say the Cutter Dependable was on patrol April 23 in the Caribbean when it stopped a speedboat that had been spotted by a Coast Guard helicopter. Four suspected smugglers were taken into custody and the bales later tested positive for marijuana.
Last year, the Coast Guard seized marijuana worth at least $22 million and cocaine worth an estimated $1.8 billion throughout the Caribbean.
Cayman bank introduces “Talk to me Tuesdays!”
CIBC FirstCaribbean has a new initiative. Branch managers, sales staff and customer service representatives will have the opportunity to engage with customers who visit the banks in a highly interactive and personalised manner. It has been called “Talk to me Tuesdays!”.
“Talk to me Tuesdays!” will occur at branches once every month between 10am and 2pm until the end of the year. It will allow customers to receive firsthand information on all special promotions being offered by CIBC FirstCaribbean as well as the other products and services offered by the bank such as mortgages and loans, credit and debit cards, Auto-Pay for credit cards balances, credit card security insurance and internet banking and online bill payment.
“Talk to Me Tuesdays!” will begin on Tuesday, 6th May in the CIBC FirstCaribbean banks located at Main Street, Plaza Venezia and Safehaven.
ACORE releases “Renewable energy in Latin America and the Caribbean” briefing
From Renewable Energy Focus
Document aims to provide insights and recommendations about entering these emerging renewable energy markets, based on feedback from organizations active the regions.
Michael Brower, president and CEO of the American Council on Renewable Energy, or ACORE, said the articles in the Latin America and Caribbean market briefing illustrate how renewable energy has the potential to address a variety of challenges. Among them: very high electricity prices, outdated or burgeoning infrastructure, and water and energy access concerns.
“ACORE invites our members and others who are focused on power generation models, global business opportunities, and infrastructure modernization, to play an active role in creating the financial, policy, and market solutions needed to facilitate renewable energy growth in the Latin America and Caribbean markets,” Brower stated.
According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, the private sector invested $92 billion in renewable energy in the Latin America/Caribbean region between 2008 and 2013, including $9.3 billion in 2013. This investment is expected to continue as an increasing number of nations in the region set renewable energy goals and offer financial incentives for project deployment and manufacturing.
“As a result of ongoing demographic and socio-economic structural changes, the demand for electricity in the Latin America/Caribbean region will double by 2030 and triple by 2050,” estimated Camila Ramos, managing director of Clean Energy Latin America and an author of the briefing. “Consequently, countries will require more than $350 billion of investment in new power generation assets between 2013 and 2030 to meet this demand.”
Little Cayman annual Ag Show at weekend
This last weekend (Sat 3) in Blossom Village, Little Cayman, animals, plants and food were on display at the island’s annual Agriculture Show.
The show’s theme was “Come Grow with Us,” and highlighted the government’s policy of encouraging backyard farming throughout both Sister Islands.
In addition to all the aforementioned displays there was a coconut toss competition and a cake cook-off competition that had to feature coconut in the recipe. There was also a dog show, quadrille dancers and Lego building,
The Cayman Islands Agriculture Department was also there and highlighted a poster display of pests affecting crops and care and cultivation of fruit trees on the island.
There was also a raffle with a top prize of $1,000 donated by the Tibbetts Family Foundation.
Police officer detained in kidnapping, murder of businessman’s son
From Caribbean360
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, Friday May 2, 2014, CMC – A Trinidad and Tobago police officer with four years service is among two men detained by law enforcement authorities in the death of a 29-year-old son of a businessman, whose charred remains were found in a forested area in March.
Police said that the two suspects would be placed on identification parades.
Trinidad police had initially questioned six people, including three women, after the body of Devindra Siewdass was found beneath a burning heap of tyres a few days after he was kidnapped on March 20.
His captors had demanded a two million dollar (One TT dollar = US$0.16 cents) ransom. His vehicle had been found abandoned in Claxton Bay south east of here.
The investigators said they had also recovered a bloody mattress and cutlass from an unfinished house and a pair of sunglasses believed to belong to the victim.
Last month, DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) testing identified Siewdass’ charred remains.
Cuban migrants leave Cayman’s waters
25 Cuban migrants left the Cayman Islands waters in their boat from East End last Friday (2) after they had passed Cayman Brac earlier in the week before arriving on Grand Cayman.
A meeting took place last Wednesday (30 April) to look at the problems of the amount of migrants coming to our shores. Members attending included police, prison management, immigration officials and the Governor’s office.
iNews Cayman will keep you informed of the outcome as soon as we receive word.
US authorities charge St Lucia national with kidnapping and murder
NEW YORK, United States, Friday May 2, 2014, CMC – A St. Lucian national was ordered held without bail after he was arraigned on charges of kidnapping and murdering a 39-year-old realtor in January this year.
Kendal Felix was among two men taken into custody on April 30 in connection with the murder of Menachem Stark, who was kidnapped on January 2, and his partly burned body found two days later in a trash bin. Police said they are searching for a third suspect.
Felix, 26, said nothing and did not enter a plea during his minute-long arraignment on Thursday. He has been charged with second-degree murder.
The authorities are linking Felix and the two other suspects to the crime by evidence found in the van that police believe was used to kidnap Stark and carry him to his death. Two of the suspects were also linked to a cellphone that was found attached to the undercarriage of Stark’s car in the days after the murder. The phone belongs to one of the suspects, and there were calls made to it by another of the suspects, said one source familiar with the investigations.
Health City Cayman want to train Caymanians
Health City Cayman Islands (HCCI) want to start training Caymanians in the medical field in 18 months time but they have to wait for the approval of the Cayman Islands government.
Head of Medical Services at HCCI, Dr. Chandy Abraham, said the hope is to have Caymanians scrubbed out to carry out all the surgeries here and therefore they need these training programmes facilitated at the hospital..
Bank of The Bahamas response to Punch article
In reference to the story in Thursday’s Punch concerning a civil action brought some three years ago against the Bank of The Bahamas and its Managing Director, Paul McWeeney, and others, by Edward Penn, it is unfortunate that the Punch omitted to mention that the Bank and Paul McWeeney have filed a Defence in the action completely and absolutely denying the claims that have been made against them. This Defence is as much a matter of public record at the Supreme Court Registry as is Mr. Penn’s Writ, and yet the Punch story makes no reference to it at all, nor to the fact that the Bank and Mr. McWeeney have completely denied Mr. Penn’s claims as being completely false and unfounded.
It is curious that the Punch also omitted to mention that The Bank of The Bahamas is not the only clearing bank in The Bahamas that has been sued by Mr. Penn.
It is a matter of public record that he also made claims against another clearing bank in The Bahamas – and lost in the courts.
The Bank of The Bahamas and its Managing Director will continue to vigorously defend themselves against the unfounded claims that have been made against them.
30 Families to lose their homes in Cayman by Authorities
The Cayman Islands National Housing Development Trust (NHDT) will be demolishing 30 homes in Apple Blossom, West Bay, Grand Cayman because they say they are substandard and do not meet the building code standard of the Planning Department, even though they have been standing for 10 years.
The NHDT Director, George Powell said on CITN/Cayman27’s News27 the homes were a major potential liability to the Cayman Islands government.
“If people get injured here during the hurricane season that is a continence liability,” he said.
The homes will be demolished to make way for “proper housing”.
Although the existing residents have been promised new and better homes there are a number of them who will not qualify and the “conversation is on going with the Ministry to find alternative housing”.
A meeting with the existing residents is scheduled for next week.
Caribbean Development Bank to provide procurement training
Consultants who provide services under a Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) programme are to receive training in good procurement practice, contract management and accountability.
The approximately 40 service providers and the Jamaica Social Investment Fund staff associated with the Basic Needs Trust Fund are to attend a training seminar that began Friday (2).
During the week’s training, consultants will also be exposed to joint management of inputs with third parties, emphasising the area of maintenance and preparation of maintenance plans.
The Basic Needs Trust Fund Programme is a regional grant-funded poverty reduction programme managed by CDB that began in 1979 and operates in Jamaica and nine other countries in the region.
Its mission is to empower and help equip communities with necessary resources, and improve their access to basic public services.
Cayman Brac DLP still has not reopen
Even though Cayman authorities said the Department of Labour and Pensions (DLP) office in Cayman Brac would be shortly reopen this has not happened.
The office has been shut for the whole of April and no word as to when it will be once again open for business.
We understand the Administrator, Sandra Solomon, is on leave with pay.
DLP staff from Grand Cayman visited Cayman Brac last week to deal with clients there.
The Caribbean’s first student chapter launched
From IME
The Caribbean launched its first IMechE student chapter recently when it teamed up with the IEEE’s local student branch to host a technical seminar on piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs).
On 20 February 2014, The University of the West Indies (UWI) celebrated this event at the St. Augustine’s campus in Trinidad and Tobago.
The recently-established student chapter is headed by nine UWI mechanical and manufacturing engineering students who are guided by Caribbean representatives Mr Deepak Lall AMIMechE and Dr Chris Maharaj CEng MIMechE. The event was attended by over 100 lecturers and students in the mechanical and electrical disciplines. It was Held at the UWI’s faculty of engineering
First addressing the audience was the chair of the Institution’s Americas region, Dr Anthony Green CEng FIMechE IntPE, whose contribution focused on the IMechE’s involvement in the Caribbean. The feature address was given by IMechE member Mr Mark Rattansingh CEng MIMechE of BPTT. His lecture concentrated on piping and instrumentation diagrams which was also the theme of the seminar. Lastly was Eur Ing John Thompson CEng FIMechE of the Desalination Company of Trinidad and Tobago (DESALCOTT), who gave his personal experience on how membership of the Institution has benefitted him.
Student affiliate and chapter chair, Nicholas Haskell, reported that the committee is already discussing future events, one of which is hosting a local motorsport competition. With such talent, enthusiasm and now, global connections, the future of engineering in Trinidad and Tobago certainly seems bright.
Find out more and get involved with Institution activities wherever you are, and in the Americas region, including the Caribbean.On 20 February 2014, The University of the West Indies (UWI) celebrated this event at the St. Augustine’s campus in Trinidad and Tobago.
For more: http://www.imeche.org/news/engineering/the-caribbean’s-first-student-chapter-launched
Auto parts supplier seeks primary listing on TWSE
From Taipei Times
Enterex International Ltd (英瑞國際), a Cayman Islands incorporated auto parts supplier, has filed an application for a primary listing on the main board, the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) said on Wednesday.
The TWSE said Enterex, which specializes in the production of auto components such as radiators, condensers and evaporators, is the second foreign registered company to seek a listing on the exchange this year.
According to a prospectus filed with the stock exchange, Enterex is planning to issue 11.2 million new shares for the listing and will reserve 10 percent of the new shares for its employees.
It has set the issue price tentatively at NT$40 per share, aiming to raise about NT$448 million (US$14.9 million), which will be used as working capital for future business expansion, the company said.
The fundraising is scheduled to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year, the prospectus showed.
The auto parts supplier currently has a production base in Yangzhou in China’s Jiangsu Province.
Last year, Enterex posted NT$4.31 billion in sales, up from NT$3.76 billion in 2012, with North American buyers accounting for 87.68 percent of its total revenue.
In light of its huge North American market, the auto parts maker set up a research and development center — Enterex America International LLC — in the US in 2009.
In 2011, Enterex established another subsidiary, Automotive Parts Distribution International LLC, in the US to distribute its products in North America.
Enterex is gearing up to penetrate China, which has a fast growing auto segment.
In addition, Enterex has been working with a group of engineers from Taiwan, the US, China and Japan to develop radiators for electric cars, amid growing environmental awareness.
Last year, Enterex’s net profit totaled NT$397.59 million, down from NT$485.31 million in 2012, while its earnings per share stood at NT$4.76, compared with NT$4.92 the previous year.
For more: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2014/05/03/2003589427
Jury finds Samsung guilty of infringing some patents in Apple trial – awards paltry $120M
By Zach Epstein From BGR
The implications in the weeks-long patent trial between Apple and Samsung couldn’t have been bigger — or more difficult for most consumers to care about. If you’ve been following the case, however, the verdict is in: guilty… and not guilty. The California jury on Friday evening determined that some Samsung devices did in fact infringe two Apple patents — patents 5,946,647 and 8,046,721 — and it cleared all Samsung devices of infringing the other patents Apple had asserted. Apple’s award for damages? $119.6 million, or just over 1% of Apple’s net profit in the March quarter.
Apple was also found to have infringed one Samsung patent it was accused of using illegally, and Samsung was awarded damages totaling $158,400.
New role for Caribbean media
From CANA
KINGSTON, Jamaica, May 2 , CMC – Jamaica’s Information Minister Sandrea Falconer Friday called on Caribbean media to commit to the development agenda, adding that “this is not the time for neutral journalist”.
Addressing the start of a two-day World Press Freedom Day conference, Falconer said journalists need to address the development agenda “with the same zeal and intensity as you do in pursuing stories about corruption, abuse of power, governmental overreach and corporate intrigue.
“The development imperative does not provide for you to stand or sit on the sidelines while the post-2015 development agenda is pursued by somebody else,” she told regional journalists, adding that the “Caribbean media need to feed the people with the facts about what faces them and must give adequate expression to their voice,” she said, adding that the Caribbean has had a generally distinguished track record of press freedom and independence.
The two-day conference, organised by UNESCO, the International Press Institute, the Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM), the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) as well as the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ), is being held under the theme “Reaching New Goals: Free Media Fortifies the post 2015-Development Agenda”.
Delegates are discussing a number of issues affecting the media in the Caribbean, including “Shaping the enabling environment to achieve freedom of information and expression in the Caribbean” and “Ending Criminal Defamation in the Caribbean”.
For more: http://cananewsonline.com/news/97890-new-role-for-caribbean-media.html
CFU Unveils Women’s Caribbean Cup 2014 Logo
The land of the exquisite Humming Bird and the melodic steel-pan will be the host city for inaugural Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Women’s Caribbean Cup finals to be held in Trinidad and Tobago from August 17-27.The CFU today, unveiled its colorful logo for the tournament, which features a soccer ball riveting from the sweet music of the steel-pan, into the future of women’s football in the region, with the twin Republic’s flag at the bottom, crowned by the CFU crest.The words ‘Women’s Cup’ are tastefully highlighted in pink to add that feminine touch to the impressive logo.
CFU President Gordon Derrick was extremely ecstatic and marveled at the exciting logo.He praised and thanked all involved in its conceptualization.
“The vivid colors reflect the passion and hope we have for women’s football in the region and eventually the world. I am optimistic that this tournament will be memorable for several reasons and we see the development of our future female stars,” said Derrick, in his response.
The following teams will be competing in the Tournament: Antigua & Barbuda, Dominican Republic, Aruba, Anguilla, St Vincent & The Grenadines, Jamaica, US Virgin Islands, St Lucia, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Suriname, the Cayman Islands, St Kitts-Nevis, Bermuda and the Turks & Caicos Islands.
This tournament will also serve as the official qualification tournament in the Caribbean Zone for both the CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup and the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
See attached for logo
