iNews Briefs
National school uniform and dress code for Cayman Island schools
All Government schools have a school uniform and students are expected to wear the uniform specified by their school. Each individual school will outline expectations with respect to their own uniform, in relation to the colour and style of socks, pants, skirts, shirts, blouses, belts, undershirts and required PE (Physical Education) kit.
However the following are national expectations which apply to all schools:
- Uniforms should be properly fitting.
- Skirts are required to be no shorter than one inch above the knee.
- All students are required to wear black shoes/sneakers that do not contain
other colours.
- Boots, sandals and slippers are not allowed.
- Small plain stud earrings, without gem stones are permitted and should be
worn in the lower ear lobe. Except for a watch, no other jewellery should be worn.*
- Items that display connection with gangs are not allowed e.g. badges, tattoos, colours or tagging.
- Hair should be groomed and, if worn long, be tied back with a black or brown hair band for
health and safety reasons. Hair is required to be a natural colour, and extremes of hairstyles, such as a Mohawk, shaved lines/words, are not permitted. No beads should be worn in the hair.
- Shaved eyebrows are not permitted.
- Makeup, nail polish and false nails are not permitted.
*Please note students at Lighthouse School are not permitted to wear any jewellery to safeguard the health and safety of students and staff
Butterfield’s young artists prepare for production in Cayman Islands
The Cayman National Cultural Foundation’s (CNCF) Butterfield Young at Arts summer programme is preparing students to produce a stage show and it’s not just learning lines and performing. There is a technical side.
The students have been learning about lighting and sound and the construction of sets and design.
The play will be performed at The Harquail Theatre on 8, 9 and 10 August. Showtimes are 7 p.m. for August 8th and on the 9th there will be two performances at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and finally on the 10th at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10.
To purchase tickets you can go to Foster’s Food Fair, Funky Tangs and the CNCF office or for more info call 949-5477.
First reported release of turtles for 2014 in Grand Cayman
Cayman Islands Department of Environment (DOE) volunteers released over 100 baby loggerhead turtles into Cayman’s waters on Monday (28) night at the Christopher Columbus condominiums.
Because of the artificial lights on the nesting beach it caused the turtles to go the wrong way and the volunteers had to help show the turtles the right way to the ocean.
A DOE official said anyone who sees hatchlings like these turtles struggling to find their way to the water to contact the DOE as soon as possible at www.doe.ky or 949-8469.
Churches combine for mission trips to New York, Caribbean
By Tim Troglen From Hudson Hub-Times
Hudson — Members of both the Hudson and Stow Presbyterian Churches joined forces with Knox Presbyterian Church in Buffalo, New York for an island trip to the Caribbean earlier this month.
However, the trip was not to sightsee or sun bathe, it was all business — missionary business.
The youth ministries worked with the inner city youth of Buffalo and the Island of St. Vincent in the Grenadines.
“At Hudson Presbyterian we don’t just see these junior and senior high students as going on a youth mission trip, rather they are missionaries of our church, going to serve those whom the Lord Jesus calls all us to serve,” The Rev. Rob Sparr, senior pastor at Hudson Presbyterian Church said. “We as a church could not be more excited about the work that these 12- to 18-year-old students did in Buffalo and St. Vincent.”
The students took the trip to serve, Sparr added.
“And the Lord blessed their trips as they were able to meet some tremendous people, learn that being poor does not mean that one has done wrong and most importantly see the Lord Jesus at work as they serve — we are excited about the young people in our church, and our youth ministry.”
The Rev. Robert Stanley, pastor of Stow Presbyterian Church agreed.
“It’s gratifying to see the Lord using our teens to touch lives and live out the mandates of God’s Word,” Stanley said. “So many times we don’t put the commands of scripture into action, but seeing our teens work hard to love people who are so broken by life is a testimony to the Spirit’s presence in our teen’s lives.”
Fund Directors Wary of Cayman Islands Law
From hedge Fund Alert
Directors who serve on the boards of offshore funds are increasingly nervous about a new Cayman Islands law requiring them to be licensed.
Under the Directors Registration and Licensing Law, fund directors have until Sept. 3 to register with the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority. Required disclosures include any criminal convictions or disciplinary actions.
The Cayman regulator will keep all such information confidential — for now. The concern is that the law, which took effect May 23, opens the door for the authority to release the data to the public in the future. The law also contains language enabling the regulator to cap the number of funds a director can serve. That could limit business opportunities for professional directors who sit on the boards of multiple funds.
The monetary authority has given no indication about when, or even if, it intends to take such steps. But “they are clearly thinking about it,” said Ingrid Pierce, a managing partner at Walkers, a leading Cayman Islands law firm.
Unlike private funds domiciled in the U.S., hedge funds registered in the Cayman Islands must be governed by boards of directors. That requirement, which currently covers some 11,000 offshore vehicles, has spawned a cottage industry of professional directors — some of whom have been known to serve on as many as 100 boards.
The average number of board assignments has dropped in recent years, Pierce said, as the number of directors for hire has increased. At the same time, investors have raised concerns with fund managers about directors who may be stretched too thin to provide meaningful oversight.
The new law sets an annual registration fee of $850 for inside directors and $3,500 for professional directors.
For more: http://www.hfalert.com/headlines.php?hid=191907
MP announces $350,000 for Latin America and Caribbean Region
From Brampton Guardian
BRAMPTON— Brampton MP Kyle Seeback announced the federal government would be providing $350,000 in new humanitarian assistance to Latin America and the Caribbean Region.
Seeback, speaking on behalf of International Development and La Francophonie Minister Christian Paradis, made the announcement July 25 at a roundtable discussion held in Brampton with Caribbean stakeholders to discuss the current challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean Region.
OCHA’s mandate is to mobilize and coordinate effective humanitarian action in partnership with national and international partners during disasters and emergencies, advocate for the rights of people in need, promote preparedness and prevention, and facilitate sustainable solutions to disastrous events.
With this support from Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada, OCHA and its partners are expected to ensure humanitarian assistance reaches the right people when they need it most.
It is also helping the humanitarian community prepare for the 2014 hurricane season and respond when needed, Seeback said.
Humanitarian assistance is more than money given after a disaster or crisis, he noted.
“It is also about helping humanitarian actors and affected countries to prepare for and mobilize effectively in response to crises, and to advocate for the rights of people in need,” Seeback pointed out. “This contribution is a small step towards that goal. And Canada is proud to make it.”
New fashion brand launched in Cayman Islands
A new fashion brand, YNC Gear has just been launched in the Cayman Islands.
The brand was founded in 2013 by brothers Stephan, Davion and Josh Cotterell and their friend Josh Hydes. The brand is heavily inspired by urban fashion mixed with a touch of Cayman’s culture aimed at young men and women.
Branding specialist, Plus Givens, is also on board and he believes with his help YNC Gear will be taken to the rest of the world.
For more go to YNC Gear Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/yncgear
Jamaica-born philanthropist, Raymond Chang, dead after prolonged illness
From Caribbean360
KINGSTON, Jamaica, Tuesday July 29, 2014, CMC – Jamaican born, Canadian business leader, Raymond Chang, died Sunday in Canada – his adopted homeland, after a long illness.
On the news of his death, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller expressed sadness at Chang’s passing, saying both countries lost of one of their most accomplished sons in the areas of finance and philanthropy.
“The nation mourns the passing of this accomplished and outstanding son of the soil. Ray Chang was an inspired business leader with a heart who gave distinguished and diligent service to the land of his birth and his adopted homeland,” she said.
“He has left a void of immense proportion in the field of fund management, having headed one of Canada’s largest investment fund management company – C I Financial Corp, while also investing meaningfully in businesses in Jamaica and extending his generosity to supporting areas of social and community development,” she added.
The Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) says the nation will miss Raymond Chang for his “selflessness, love and kindness of his homeland”.
Ray Chang was a Jamaican whose business acumen, experience and skills made him a most highly regarded entrepreneur in Jamaica, Canada and the rest of the Diaspora, Opposition Leader Andrew Holness said in a statement Monday.
“His support of academic and social institutions in Jamaica and Canada was a manifestation of his generosity in giving back in appreciation for those who had assisted him along the way,” Holness said.
“His was a life of inspiration to all Jamaicans. We shall miss him. We will always remember him for his selflessness, love and kindness of his homeland.
On Monday, the University of West Indies, where Chang was a major donor, announced they were flying flags at half-mast at their Caribbean campuses.
Cayman Islands U-20 footballers are in Curacao
The Cayman Islands Under-20 Men’s National Football team left on Monday (28) for the Caribbean Football Union Men’s Under-20 Group Five qualifier, in Curacao.
They play their first match today (30) against Saint Kitts and Nevis before playing the hosts on 1st August.
Their last match is against Anguilla on 3rd August.
Caribbean mosquito-borne virus strikes St. Louis County woman
By Blythe Bernhard From St Louis Post-Dispatch
A 38-year-old St. Louis County woman was infected with the mosquito-borne virus chikungunya while traveling in the Caribbean, the county health department announced Tuesday. The virus cannot be spread human-to-human.
Mosquitoes in the St. Louis region are not known to carry the virus.
While this is Missouri’s first confirmed case of the virus, about 300 other illnesses that are travel-related have been reported throughout the U.S., including one in Illinois. Another probable case was reported in a 57-year-old Jackson County woman who had traveled out of the country.
Florida has reported 107 cases, including two that were believed to have been contracted locally. In those two cases, people who were infected in the Caribbean were bitten by another mosquito soon after returning to Florida. The domestic mosquitoes became infected and spread the illness to at least two other people, health officials said.
Costa Rica and the Caribbean developing new free trade agreements
By TCRN
The Costa Rica News (TCRN) –After three rounds of negotiations, the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and Costa Rica signed a free trade agreement that holds the promise of significantly increasing trade between the fifteen countries of the area.
Caricom is a market of 16 million people and is comprised of 15 full countries, five associate members and eight observer members.
Hence, this market is alluring for Costa Rican commercial interests.
Francisco Gamboa, Director of Business Intelligence International Trade explained that Costa Rica has positioned itself as a major supplier of the Caribbean islands especially industrial products, but there are also exports of agricultural products, although to a lesser extent.
Grettel Vega, Direct International Cooperation, Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry, added that CARICOM is a strategic business partner to Costa Rica and of course for SMEs. The country went from exporting $42.1 million in December 2000 to $91.3 million in December 2013.
“The Caribbean is the fourth most important region where Costa Rican exports are placed, after North America, Central America and Asia. The data shows that there is opening of this market for Tico products,” Vega said.
For more: http://thecostaricanews.com/costa-rica-and-the-caribbean-developing-new-free-trade-agreements/21192
China providing infrastructure funding for Latin American and Caribbean countries
From World Highways
China is providing some US$20 billion worth of financing for infrastructure projects in Latin American and Caribbean nations. The money will be available in tranches with the first worth $10 billion and this was agreed following talks between the Chinese, Latin American and Caribbean heads of state. China already has considerable involvement in some major projects in Latin America, according to Business News Americas. This further funding source will strengthen the financial relationships.
UN lauds Suriname for eliminating gender discrimination in nationality laws
From Caribbean360
NEW YORK, United States, Tuesday July 29, 2014, CMC – The United Nations refugee agency has welcomed a decision by Suriname’s National Assembly that enables mothers to pass on nationality to their children.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said the important amendment to the 1975 Law on Nationality and Residence ensures gender equality in nationality laws, bringing “these laws into compliance with international standards.”
UNHCR said the changes, including the right of women to confer their nationality to their spouses, “will provide important safeguards to eliminate gender discrimination and prevent statelessness due to loss of nationality.”
The new legislation that was passed unanimously this month by the National Assembly made changes to host of matters regarding the Surinamese nationality.
The law also made it easier to acquire the nationality and more difficult to lose it.
In addition the new law gives women the same right as men to confer their nationality on their spouses and introduces important safeguards to prevent statelessness due to loss of nationality.
Suriname joins Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Kenya, Monaco, Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, Yemen and Zimbabwe to become the 12th country in the past 10 years to enact reforms to ensure gender parity in its nationality laws.
According to the UNHCR, several states are also “actively supporting the recently launched International Campaign to End Gender Discrimination in Nationality Laws.” The initiative aims to incorporate gender equality in legislation.
The campaign advances advocacy, training and research initiatives, and leads up to the Campaign to End Statelessness, to be launched by UNHCR in September 2014.
More Cuban migrants spotted in Cayman waters
A boat carrying 18 Cuban migrants was spotted off the coast of Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands, Monday (28) morning.
Immigration officials said the vessel appeared seaworthy and the men aboard did not require any assistance.
The boat did not make landfall at any time in the Brac.
Japan to provide US15m climate change aid to Caribbean countries
From DaVibes
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – Japan is providing US$15 million to help several Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries cope with the impact of climate change.
The “Project for Japan-Caribbean Climate Change Partnership” will help Guyana, Grenada, Jamaica, Suriname, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Lucia, Dominica and Belize build the capacity to cope with climate change.
The agreement was signed on the margins of the first ever Japan-CARICOM summit here on Monday that was attended by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and several CARICOM heads of governments.
For more: http://dominicavibes.dm/japan-to-provide-us15m-climate-change-aid-to-caribbean-countries/
Origins of Mysterious World Trade Center Ship Revealed
By Megan Gannon, News Editor From Live Science
In July 2010, amid the gargantuan rebuilding effort at the site of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, construction workers halted the backhoes when they uncovered something unexpected just south of where the Twin Towers once stood.
At 22 feet (6.7 meters) below today’s street level, in a pit that would become an underground security and parking complex, excavators found the mangled skeleton of a long-forgotten wooden ship.
Now, a new report finds that tree rings in those waterlogged ribs show the vessel was likely built in 1773, or soon after, in a small shipyard near Philadelphia. What’s more, the ship was perhaps made from the same kind of white oak trees used to build parts of Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were signed, according to the study published this month in the journal Tree-Ring Research. [See Photos of the Ship and Its Tree Rings]
For more on this story go to: http://www.livescience.com/47026-origins-world-trade-center-ship.html
If you CARE and you are in CAYMAN come and out and play!
From CARE – Cayman Animal Rescue Enthusiasts
Mark your calendars for the first Wednesday
In every month, CARE QUIZ NIGHT!
See you at PD’S, Galleria Plaza, West Bay Road, Grand Cayman
7.00pm start Wednesday 6th August 2014.
See attached flyer for all details.
