iNews Briefs
24 Migrants return to Cuba from Cayman Islands detention centre
24 Migrants Repatriated, One Remains
OOnly one female Cuban migrant is currently housed at the Immigration Detention Centre (IDC) after 24 of her fellow migrants were repatriated to Cuba on Wednesday, 29 October 2014. The 17 males and seven females were flown out on a chartered flight from Owen Roberts International Airport on Grand Cayman at 11.20 am. Immigration and Prison officials supervised the repatriation, including accompanying the migrants on the flight, and have since returned. The migrants arrived at the IDC on 2 and 15 September 2014.
ATO succeeds in Cayman Islands cross-border dispute
By Michael Murray From ARITA
The High Court has refused to allow Cayman Island liquidators special leave to appeal from the Full Federal Court decision in Akers v Saad that found in favour of the Australian Taxation Office.
As we earlier reported, the Full Federal Court dismissed the liquidators’ appeal from a trial decision in favour of the Deputy Commissioner.
The Full Court found that the Model Law allowed a variation of orders recognising the Cayman proceedings, in effect, by refusing to remit the remaining funds in Australia (in the order of $7 million) to the Cayman Islands, and by permitting the DCT to proceed against the funds within Australia for the claimed tax and penalties. The interests of the DCT, as an unsecured creditor, were not otherwise “adequately protected”.
At the special leave application, on 17 October 2014, the High Court said that while the application of the cross-border insolvency legislation “may well give rise to questions of public importance … we are not persuaded that there are sufficient reasons to doubt the correctness of the decision of the Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia to warrant a grant of special leave to appeal. Accordingly, special leave to appeal is refused with costs”: [2014] HCATrans 231.
For more: http://www.arita.com.au/home/2014/10/31/ato-succeeds-in-cayman-cross-border-dispute
Poppy seller burned in aerosol attack in Manchester
From BBC
Police said the attack took place at a bus stop near Manchester Art Gallery
A 15-year-old Army cadet who was selling poppies for Remembrance Day suffered burns to his face in an attack with a lit aerosol can.
The boy, who was wearing his uniform, was at a bus stop near Manchester Art Gallery at 18:00 GMT on Saturday when he was attacked.
Police said a man lifted an aerosol can and a lighter and sprayed him with lit fumes.
The cadet suffered burns to his face and singed hairs, officers confirmed.
Greater Manchester Police said the offender, described as black or Asian, 5ft 8in tall and wearing a dark hooded top, then walked off without saying a word.
‘Appalling attack’
He appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and was staggering, the force added.
Det Insp Liam Boden said: “This is an absolutely appalling attack on a young man who was raising money to help remember all those who gave their lives fighting bravely for their country.
“Whatever his motivation, his violent actions could have scarred this young man for life.
“Although he has suffered some minor injuries, it is pure luck that he did not sustain more serious burns to his face and body.
“Understandably both he and his family are in a state of total shock and cannot believe someone would do this.”
For more: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-29870960
Cayman Islands government still trying to renegotiate the “difficult and troublesome elements” of the DART deal
Cayman Islands Premier Alden McLaughlin said in the Legislative Assembly last Wednesday (29) that although negotiations were moving forward with Cayman’s biggest developer DART it was a tough battle. There were some difficult and troublesome elements in the NRA agreement signed by former Premier McKeeva Bush in December 2011with DART, he said.
McLaughlin was largely referring to the 50% concessions on all room tax from hotels that Dart will build now and in the future.
DART is currently building the Kimpton Hotel and has announced plans to construct a 5-star hotel.
Pakistan blast ‘kills 45’ at Wagah border with India
From BBC
The BBC’s Shahzeb Jillani: “The explosion took place at the end of a border parade”
At least 45 people have been killed and more than 70 injured in a suspected suicide bombing at a Pakistan-India border town near the city of Lahore.
A senior security official in Punjab province said that the dead included three members of the border force.
The explosion happened on the Pakistan side near the famous Wagah crossing between the two countries.
Crowds gather every day at the crossing to watch soldiers conduct a flag-lowering ceremony as the border closes.
Police told the BBC at least 15 of those injured were seriously wounded.
Mushtaq Sukhera, the Punjab police chief, said the blast happened when a suicide attacker approached a restaurant after the Wagah ceremony and detonated his explosives.
He told Reuters news agency the attacker had struck when security had been “a bit relaxed”.
A BBC reporter in Lahore said the suicide attacker blew himself up 500 meters away from the crossing point.
Another witness, an intelligence official, described how he was sitting in his office when he heard the blast.
“I rushed to the scene and saw scattered bodies, injured men, women and children and smashed cars,” the official told Reuters.
Pakistani opposition politician Imran Khan described the blast as an “act of terror”.
“Shocked and saddened by suicide attack nr Wagah border,” the former international cricketer tweeted.
For more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-29871077
Hindu Diwali festival of lights celebrated in Cayman Islands
Just recently 300 people from a variety of backgrounds joined in local celebrations for the Hindu festival of lights known as Diwali.
The festivities were held at the St Ignatius Loyola Hall in George Town on Grand Cayman.
Dancing, singing and gifts for children of all ages, as well as traditional Indian meals were all on the menu.
Amendments to Cayman’s Planning Law see many objections from independent MLA’s
Cayman Islands Planning Minister, Kurt Tibbetts, has announced amendments to Cayman’s planning laws that he described as measures to modernise the law and improve efficiency.
The new amendments include removing portions of the existing law and transferring them to regulations. Some restrictions and requirements that were in place to control major developments that included polling people around an area where a developer is making an application for a major project have been removed. More power is given to the Planning Minister for him to decide on the pros and cons of a development. However, it is the Legislative Assembly now that decides on making and changing the planning regulations and not with Cabinet. Not all the changes have been made public.
Many of these changes did not sit well with Independent Members Arden McLean and Ezzard Miller. Mclean even called the changes that would also mean additional fees on small homeowners “an abomination!” He said he was convinced government had an ulterior motive and wondered who was the driving force behind it.
“This is some dangerous piece of legislation and this is going to cause problems in the country,” he warned.
Miller also had many concerns and claimed there was no benefit to locals from most major developments. He said they do not create local work and only generate more work permits.
“If we have to waive so many fees to make a development profitable to the developer, than we don’t need it,” Miller said.
However, Tibbetts said the intention with the proposed amendments was to expedite the processing of applications for planning permission, to clarify in certain sections the intent of the law and clarifying provisions for administering the law.”
Yasin Abu Bakr files lawsuit against state
From Jamaica Observer
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – High Court judge Frank Seepersad has adjourned to December 7, a constitutional motion filed by the leader of the Jamaat Al Muslimeen group, Yasin Abu Bakr, in which he is suing the state for wrongful arrest arising out of a murder in 1998.
Bakr had been charged with the murder of Israel Sammy but in court documents said that his constitutional rights had been breached when he was charged with the May 20, 1998, murder of Sammy, 22, who was snatched from his bed during the early hours of May 20, 1998, by masked men. He was taken out onto the street beaten and shot twice in the head.
Bakr was implicated in Sammy’s murder, and was the subject of a coroner’s inquest before Coroner Nalinee Singh in the Port of Spain Coroner’s Court.
Singh ruled that the evidence which came out during the inquest was sufficient for making a charge against Bakr, and another man, Brent Miller, on the indictment of murder. Warrants for their arrest were immediately issued on September 29, 2010.
But the charges were dropped one month later after the Director of Public Prosecutions, Roger Gaspard, said there was not enough evidence to proceed with the case.
He was of the view the case did not have any “evidential basis” for the State to move forward, and that the evidence against both men was insufficient.
For more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/Yasin-Abu-Bakr-files-lawsuit-against-state
Google Glass and other wearable electronics officially banned from movie theaters in US
By Pamela McClintock From The Hollywood Reporter
Don’t plan on being able to wear your Google Glass or smartwatch when heading to the movies.
On Wednesday, the Motion Picture Association of America and the National Association of Theatre Owners adopted a zero-tolerance policy against wearable technologies, such as Google Glass. Moviegoers must turn off and put away any and all such devices, or risk being asked to leave. If theater staff suspects that illegal recording is taking place, law enforcement authorities will be notified.
Read more Homeland Security Questions Man for Wearing Google Glass in Movie Theater
The same anti-piracy policy already exists for phones and other recording devices.
Officials with the MPAA and NATO approved the new rule during a meeting at ShowEast, the annual fall gathering of theater owners in Hollywood, Fla. Many theater owners already have a zero-tolerance policy against wearable devices, but on an individual basis.
“The National Association of Theatre Owners and the Motion Picture Association of America have a long history of welcoming technological advances and recognize the strong consumer interest in smartphones and wearable ‘intelligent’ devices. As part of our continued efforts to ensure movies are not recorded in theaters, however, we maintain a zero-tolerance policy toward using any recording device while movies are being shown,” the two organizations said in statement.
Cayman Island swimmers chosen for the Doha Youth Programme
From CIASA
The Cayman Islands Amateur Swimming Association (CIASA) has announced the athletes who will represent the Cayman Islands at the FINA Youth Programme, taking place December 2nd – 7th, in Doha, Qatar.
The FINA Youth Programme, runs concurrently with the World Swimming Short Course Championships, Dec 2 – 7th. The youth program, designed to be an educational experience, a cultural experience and motivational experience for young swimmers will provide Cayman’s two young swimmers with great experience and inspiration.
To be selected for this Youth Programme, swimmers needed to be born in 1998 to 2000 and may not be participating in the World Championships. CIASA selected Cayman’s two athletes – one female and one male – using a power point system and are sending Catriona MacRae and Jonathan Key. Travelling with MacRae and Key will be Team Manager Ms. Claire Critchley.
Financial support for this trip is made possible by CIASA, in partnership with FINA* (Fédération Internationale de Natation, in English this is the International Swimming.
Denmark: UK rubbish goes up in smoke for heating
From BBC
Danish incinerators are burning thousands of tonnes of waste imported from the UK in order to provide home heating, the national broadcaster DR reports on its website. And it appears to be growing trend, with one incinerator plant in the northern town of Frederikshavn, run by the company AVO, doubling its imports of UK rubbish in the past year, the website says. In 2013, Denmark took in about 200,000 tonnes from the UK overall, according to the country’s environmental protection agency.
The non-hazardous waste mainly comes from construction sites, including wood, cardboard and plastic from Manchester, according to AVO operations manager Orla Frederiksen. “I guess we have 600 tonnes here that provide a good combustible mixture we can then turn into district heating and power,” he tells DR. The heating produced by burning waste is cheaper than using natural gas, according to the company’s director, Tore Vedelsdal. “The British are interested because they lack incinerators and pay heavy taxes on landfills… They save on having to bury the waste and we save on the consumption of natural gas.”
In Sweden, rubbish from the UK and other European countries helps waste-to-energy plants to provide about 950,000 homes with heating and 260,000 with electricity, the Huffington Post reported in September.
For more on this story go to: http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-29830874
Cayman Islands 2014 World Course Championship Team announced
From CIASA
The Cayman Islands Amateur Swimming Association (CIASA) has announced the athletes who will represent the Cayman Islands at the 2014 FINA World Swimming Short Course Championships taking place in Doha, Qatar, December 3rd-7th.
Athletes representing the Cayman Islands in the World Swimming Short Course Championships are: Lara Butler, Lauren Hew, Brett Fraser and Geoffrey Butler.
The Team was selected by CIASA using a power point system which ranks each swimmer’s best long course times from the previous 12 months and then assigns them a ranking based on points earned. With two slots for women and two slots for men to be filled, the top two ranked swimmers – female and male – earned spots on the team.
Because the athletes live in different places (in the Cayman Islands, USA or UK), they will travel to Doha separately – with departure dates dictated primarily by school concerns – arriving on either Nov 30th or December 1st.
[Jamaican discus thrower] Smikle gets 2-year doping ban
From Jamaica Observer
MONACO (AP) — Jamaican discus thrower Traves Smikle has received a two-year suspension for doping.
The International Association of Athletics Federations says Smikle’s ban will last until June 21, 2015.
The sanction began from the date of his positive test for a banned substance at the Jamaican national championships on June 22, 2013.
Smikle said at the time that he did not knowingly or wittingly take any banned substance.
Smikle, who competed at the 2012 London Olympics, was one of several athletes who tested positive at last year’s Jamaican championships, along with sprinters Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson.
Powell and Simpson had their 18-month bans reduced to six months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Smikle’s suspension was among those included on the IAAF’s latest list of doping sanctions released this week.
YMCA visits Cayman Islands Gallery for Halloween
The YMCA visited the Cayman Islands National Gallery for a special Halloween art class!
Students made their own trick-or-treat bags, learnt how to mix their own witches potion (colour mixing) and had fun in the drawing lab that is currently on display as part of the Big Draw festival.
Happy Halloween everyone – stay creative!
For information on free student tours at the National Gallery email [email protected].
IMAGE: NGCI Facebook
Lawsuit seeks $50K for woman claiming she was burned by flying hot coals at a hookah lounge
By Mary Beth Quirk From Consumerist
A woman is suing a Philadelphia hookah lounge for $50,000 claiming she was burned by hot coals after some raucous fellow patrons dancing around a stripper pole sent hot coals flying onto her chest.
She says in the lawsuit that she and a friend were sitting in a booth in the lounge when a reveler dancing nearby knocked into their table, reports the Associated Press.
The allegedly wobbly table upset their hookah pipe, sending hot coals skyward straight into her décolletage, she claims.
She’s seeking more than $50,000 in damages for the burns to her breasts, saying she not only suffered severe pain but also humiliation, and could need surgery to deal with the scars.
The owner of the lounge reportedly responded to the lawsuit by saying his lawyer told him not to comment, after another news outlet quoted him as saying the plaintiff was “trying to make a quick buck.”
Cayman Islands top spot for healthcare captives
From Captive International
The Cayman Islands is the leading jurisdiction for healthcare captives, with healthcare captives representing 34 percent of all captives domiciled on Cayman.
This is according to the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority which added that as of September 30, 2014, medical malpractice liability continues to be the largest primary line of business with 257 companies. Workers’ compensation is the second largest line of business with 167 companies.
“The fundamentals of the insurance sector remain sound and the industry in general has been relatively resilient in a very challenging market environment,” said CIMA.
For more: http://www.captiveinternational.com/news/cayman-islands-top-spot-for-healthcare-captives-915
Woman allegedly squirted breast milk at pharmacy staff, then stole money
By Laura Northrup From Consumerist
When you need to distract someone in order to steal money, simply use what you have at hand. A woman in Germany allegedly stole cash from a pharmacy earlier this week after she distracted employees. Police say that she distracted the employees by whipping out a boob and squirting milk at them.
Weaponized breast milk isn’t something that we had ever heard of before. The customer had been in line to purchase–what else?– a breast pump, but apparently didn’t need it, since she was able to express milk using her hand before taking off with 100 euros from the till. She left the clearly unnecessary breast pump behind when she fled the store.
The woman has not been apprehended, but has been described as having a “robust” figure, long, dark hair, and was speaking a language that no one could identify.
Of course, breast milk is a body fluid that can potentially be contaminated with bacteria, viruses, or anything else that the mother has circulating in her system. There are very few places where it should go: into a baby’s mouth, for starters, or a sealable container for later feeding. “Used as a weapon” is not on that list. Just in case anyone was wondering.
Cayman releases captive data
From Captive International
The Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA) has released a report outlining its latest update on captives in the Cayman Islands.
As of September 2014, Cayman had 415 pure captives (54 percent), 138 segregated portfolio companies (18 percent) and 130 group captives (17 percent).
Other categories include 39 special purpose vehicles (5 percent), 41 commercial insurers (5 percent) and two reinsurers. The 138 segregated portfolio companies include a total of 602 active segregated portfolios.
In terms of casualty lines, medical malpractice liability was written by 257 captives (34 percent), followed by workers compensation with 167 (22 percent) and property with 89 (12 percent). Other major lines include general liability with 78 captives (10 percent) and professional liability with 68 (9 percent).
For more on this story go to:
http://www.captiveinternational.com/news/cayman-releases-captive-data-917
Mike Tyson: Robin Williams’ drug dealer was my drug dealer
From TMZ
Mike Tyson says he and Robin Williams battled drug addiction TOGETHER — and bonded over the fact they bought drugs from the same “lowlife dealer.”
Mike appeared on “The Howard Stern Show” on SiriusXM Radio and opened up about his issues with substance abuse and mental illness in a very candid interview.
The boxing legend says he would go to meetings with Williams — and revealed they would confide in each other.
Mike also says it always blew his mind that someone so beloved and respected as Robin could be connected to the same bad people as him.
As Howard put it … “The world of drugs makes you go to the lowest common denominator.”
For more and video: http://www.tmz.com/2014/10/29/mike-tyson-robin-williams-helped-me-battle-drug-addiction/#ixzz3Hjg1yU9S
Growing banking activity boosts Cayman
From Cayman Funds
International banking activity expanded for a second straight quarter between April and June with banks lending more to emerging markets and also generating a notable increase in investment funds in offshore centers such as the Cayman Islands.
Foreign lending to offshore centers rose to $2.269 trillion in the second quarter from $2.2 trillion in the first quarter with inflows to Cayman rising by 5 percent to $795 billion, according to figures released by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), which tracks cross-border bank lending.
For more: http://www.caymanfundsmagazine.com/news/growing-banking-activity-boosts-cayman-253
Disaster Emergency Committee appeal aims to stop Ebola
From BBC
An appeal is being launched in Britain to raise money to combat the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa, which has killed nearly 5,000.
It is the first time that the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), made up of 13 UK charities, has asked for donations in response to an outbreak of disease.
It says the appeal is a reflection of the fact that the virus is no longer simply a medical emergency but threatens to become a humanitarian catastrophe.
Cathrin Daniel, of DEC Cymru told BBC Radio Wales’ Kayley Thomas whole communities, health systems and economies are already being affected but she warns that the situation could get much worse.
For more: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-29814628
Cayman Islands high in client recognition
From Cayman Funds
The Cayman Islands is well recognised by clients, according to the findings of the Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI 16) report.
Cayman received a high global average assessment at 635, beating all its other offshore financial centre competitors in this latest round of rankings in this particular figure, which is up on the previous index.
Gonzalo Jalles, Cayman Finance CEO, said: “The assessment based upon responses, which is equally applied to all jurisdictions represented in the survey, is, in my opinion, the most critical piece of data that the entire index has produced.
For more: http://www.caymanfundsmagazine.com/news/cayman-high-in-client-recognition-250
Suspect in court over South African football captain murder
From Business Insider
Johannesburg (AFP) – A suspect appeared in court Friday over the murder of South African football captain Senzo Meyiwa, whose killing during a robbery has shocked the nation, prosecutors said.
Zanokuhle Mbatha, 25, was charged with “murder and armed robbery”, National Prosecution Authority spokesman Nathi Mncube told AFP.
He was remanded in custody until November 11 to allow him time to apply for legal aid.
Meyiwa was gunned down last Sunday by an intruder while visiting his pop star girlfriend’s home some 30 kilometres (20 miles) south of Johannesburg, before making off with a cell phone.
More than 17,000 people were killed in South Africa last year, but the slaying of a popular sporting hero has stunned even this crime-weary nation.
On Thursday police had denied reports that they had arrested two people linked to the murder.
Meyiwa, will be buried Saturday in his hometown of Umlazi on the outskirts of the eastern coastal city of Durban.
Cayman Islands tops list of financial centres
From Cayman Funds
Gonzalo Jalles, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Cayman Finance, has welcomed the news that the Cayman Islands has again topped a reputed ranking of international financial centres by The Banker magazine.
It is the sixth year running that it has achieved this accolade. Jalles said this is a significant rating because of the credibility within the industry that The Banker’s ranking are given.
“It is great news. There are many lists but this is a very reputable one and it shows the work of the government and our members in setting up the right structures has borne dividends.”
When asked what the Cayman Islands has that sets it apart from other jurisdictions, he said it was the breadth of experience it now has in the financial services industry combined with the sheer number of very experienced advisers and service providers based on the islands. “No other jurisdiction in the world has the track record and experience we have,” he said.
For more: http://www.caymanfundsmagazine.com/news/cayman-tops-list-of-financial-centres-252
Prosecutors say will appeal Pistorius verdict
By Christopher Torchia, Gerald Imray, Associated Press From herald Tribune
JOHANNESBURG – Prosecutors in the Oscar Pistorius case said Monday they will file appeal papers in the next few days against the verdict and sentence after the Olympic runner was convicted of culpable homicide and given a five-year prison term for killing his girlfriend.
The decision by South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority could see Pistorius face a murder conviction again for shooting Reeva Steenkamp and, if found guilty on the appeal, a minimum of 15 years in prison.
The 27-year-old double-amputee athlete was acquitted of murder by Judge Thokozile Masipa for shooting Steenkamp multiple times through a toilet cubicle door in his home. He testified he mistook her for a nighttime intruder. Masipa found him guilty instead on a lesser charge comparable to manslaughter.
The NPA said in a statement its decision to appeal was based on a “question of law,” meaning it believes that Judge Masipa misapplied the law when she acquitted Pistorius of murder.
“The merits and the demerits of the NPA’s argument … will become evident when we file papers for leave to appeal,” the national prosecuting body said. “The prosecutors are now preparing the necessary papers in order to be able to file within the next few days.”
Is floating dock the answer to Cayman Islands new cruise ship terminal?
A group of Cayman businessmen presented plans for a floating cruise dock capable of catering to six cruise ships at a meeting of the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce last Tuesday.
Caymanians, hotelier Reginald Delapenha and architect Burns Connolly with Polite Laboyrie of Dutch engineering and consulting firm Witteveen+Bos, produced concept designs for the project, using the same technology as floating offices, ports and hotels in Holland.
The basic design principle uses “tension legs” that support a floating cruise terminal and three-fingered pier connected to shore through a walkway. It could be built by early 2017 at a similar cost of approx. $200M to the fixed pier model they said.
Caymanian Bo Miller was also there who believed the financing could be provided through his infrastructure fund – a new private sector investment scheme that aims to raise cash for capital projects. He said the passenger fees would provide a healthy return for investors over time.
U.S. merchant banker and developer Carl Bazarian, who is working with Miller, said a fully financed proposal to government could be presented to the government within 90 days.
Deer goes buck wild after breaking into furniture store, lets himself out back door
By Mary Beth Quirk October From Consumerist
Say what you want about wild creatures, but there must be some kind of higher understanding going on that allows members of the animal kingdom to know how to act so as to fall perfectly into pun-ready headlines. How else would a male deer know to wreak havoc in a furniture store, effectively going “buck wild”? It’s just too easy.
Showing that our furry co-residents of this great big ball we call home must know about wordplay, a deer broke through the front glass window of a furniture store in Cedar Falls, IA, reports KWWL.com.
Dashing through the store, the deer eluded capture in the sofa department before jumping on a bed or two and heading for the store’s back office.
Store workers got out of its way, with one saying she could smell the animal’s breath as it darted around.
The buck, after going wild, managed to make his way to the back of the store and let itself out by using its antlers to push open the rear entrance.
No one inside the store was hurt other than the deer, which was bleeding after its altercation with the window.
The store remained open for business on Saturday after the hullabaloo.
New laws laid down by Cayman Islands Public Transport Board
From Loop Cayman
The Public Transport Board can only issue licenses for public transport to Caymanians above the age of 21 and immigrants over 24 years.
In a raft of new regulations, the Traffic (Public Passenger Vehicles) Regulations (2014 Revision) law also demands that any public transport driver in Cayman must be able to speak, read and write the English language sufficiently to perform the duties of carrying passengers for hire or reward.
The same law says that where the applicant is over 70 years of age, he or she shall undergo annual medical examinations, including ophthalmology tests, conducted by a registered health practitioner and be certified as being fit to drive passengers for hire.
Those above 70 will also have to pass a driving test carried out by a driving examiner appointed by the Director of Vehicle Licensing or his delegate; and also submit to any additional tests that may be required of him by the Public Transport Board to demonstrate competency to operate a public passenger vehicle, and such additional tests may include: general local knowledge, first aid, and customer service related skills.
For more: http://loopcayman.com/2014/10/31/new-laws-laid-public-transport-board/
UK Artist Creates Payday Loan Store For Kids
By Chris Morran October From Consumerist
C’mon kiddies, get your 5,000% APR payday loans!
At first glance, the bright blue London storefront with a hand-painted technicolor scene of a cartoon cityscape in the window — complete with a smiling yellow mascot — looks like some sort of kid’s toy store or maybe a daycare center. That is, until you see the sign that reads, “Payday Loans 4 Kids.”
The recently opened Pocket Money Loans, with its offer of 5,000% APR loans (available in only 3 minutes!) for the youngsters, is horrifying some Londoners — or at least those who don’t realize that this is not an actual predatory lending operation.
Instead, the storefront and its associated website are the creation of UK artist Darren Cullen, who is critiquing the way in which actual payday lenders market their products to youth in England.
“Almost all payday loan companies have cartoon mascots, animated characters or sing-along jingles in their adverts,” he explains to HuffPo UK. “Their high street shops often have play areas full of toys and some of them hand out balloons and sweets to kids at the counter.”
Several people, believing this is a real payday loan operation, have vented their rage at the store online, and Cullen says that one in-store visitor refused to believe that it was not actually offering these loans.
“Most of the people who come in just want to be reassured that it’s not real,” says Cullen, “but one guy left believing it was real even after I told him it wasn’t, shaking his head at me.”
See attached image
For more: http://consumerist.com/2014/10/30/uk-artist-creates-payday-loan-store-for-kids/
Cuba Hosts 1st Course in Latin America and Caribbean on Medical Aspects of Assistance and Protection against Chemical Weapons
From OPCW
The OPCW and the Government of the Republic of Cuba co-organised a Course on Medical Aspects of Assistance and Protection against Chemical Weapons for OPCW Member States in Latin America and the Caribbean from 20 to 23 October 2014 in Havana. Organised in close cooperation with Cuba’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment and Ministry of Health, the course trained 43 participants from 18 countries in the region* plus China and Turkey.
In his opening speech to the course [PDF – 17.2 KB] the OPCW Director-General, Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü, underlined that the medical response to mitigate the impact of chemical attacks and accidental releases of toxic chemicals is a top priority of OPCW’s capacity-building efforts in the area of assistance and protection.
The programme covered medical assistance during incidents with toxic industrial chemicals, psychological health care in emergency situations, treatment for injuries from chemical warfare agents (CWAs), and the long-term health effects of exposure to CWAs, inter alia. The course also included lectures at the National Centre for Toxicology, a table-top exercise, and an exercise on the reception, treatment and rehabilitation of injured persons at a hospital.
Organized for the first time in this region, the course enjoyed wide acceptance among the participating Member States and provided a platform for knowledge and information exchange.
*Argentina, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Granada, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St. Lucia, Uruguay.
Journalist charged with DUI was nearly 3 times alcohol limit From Caribbean360
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, Friday October 31, 2014, CMC – A newspaper journalist will return to court on January 5, next year after refusing to take a breathalyser test and for failing to have proper control of a motor vehicle.
Political reporter Anna Ramdass, 31, appeared before Senior Magistrate Rae Roopchand on the charges, but was released on TT$5,000 (One TT dollar =US$0.16 cents) bail. Ramdass pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The court heard that on Wednesday night, the journalist was driving on the outskirts of the capital when she was stopped by police officers who observed that the vehicle was swerving along the roadway.
The officers asked Ramdass to submit to a field sobriety test which gave a positive reading of 87 microgrammes. The legal alcohol limit for a driver is 35 microgrammes for every 100 millilitres of breath.
Ramdass was taken to the Central Police Station where she was asked to submit another specimen of breath.
But the police said she refused the request, and as a result she was charged under Section 70 of the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act(Amended) 48:50.
Ronnie Butler inducted into the Caribbean Hall of Fame
From Tribune242
GODFATHER’ of Bahamian Music Ronnie Butler has been inducted into the Caribbean Hall of Fame, and is the fourth Bahamian to earn the distinction – after Sir Lynden Pindling, Sir Sidney Poitier and Eddie Minnis.
He was unable to travel to the special gala event at the Jamaica Pegasus in Kingston on October 25 to receive his award. Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson formally presented Mr Butler with his plaque at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture.
Deandra Hamilton of the communications company, Magnetic Media, represented Mr Butler at the ceremonies in Jamaica.
Also nominated in the Caribbean Hall of Fame music category with Mr Butler were: Shaggy, Beenie Man and Taurus Riley.
Mr Butler’s distinguished musical career has spanned decades since he was 16 years old. The musical icon is best known for such hit songs as “Burma Road,” “Married Man,” “Age Ain’t Nuttin’ But a Number” and many others that have become central to the music and cultural fabric of Bahamian life.
For more: http://www.tribune242.com/news/2014/oct/31/ronnie-butler-inducted-caribbean-hall-fame/
Why the Caribbean tourism industry needs to “embrace” digital marketing
From Caribbean Journal
The Caribbean needs to embrace digital marketing, according to Orville London, chief secretary in the Tobago House of Assembly.
The Chief Secretary, who was addressing the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s 7th Tourism Human Resources Conference in Tobago, warned that if the region’s tourism industry was not prepared to cater to visitors in the new digital age, they would lose business to “destinations capable of doing so.”
“We have to train and sensitize our employees, our stakeholders and our citizens that if we do not get on board with the technology the ship will sail to another port,” London said at the conference, which was hosted in Scarborough.
That’s borne out by the numbers.
According to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, more than 50 percent of the US public cites the Internet as its main source for national and international news — far above newspapers and radio.
This year’s conference was being held under the theme “Achieving High Performance in Caribbean Tourism in the New Networked Work Environment.”
London lamented what he saw as a failure by many hoteliers and tourism industy players to implement online marketing strategies.
“We have to satisfy the discerning visitor who wishes to experience all the simple pleasures, all the natural ambience, all the scenic beauty and the hospitality of our people that we advertise in our brochures but at the same time is not prepared to be inconvenience by communication and other challenges,” said London, pointing to the importance of digital marketing.
Region observes Caribbean Tourism Month
From Jamaica Observer
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – Caribbean countries have been told that while there has been an upswing in tourist arrivals to the region they are yet to achieve their goals.
Chairman of the Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), Richard Sealy in a message marking Caribbean Tourism Month in November, said the statistics provided by the CTO’s research department show that arrivals to the Caribbean are up for the first half of this year.
“While this is encouraging, we cannot be satisfied, we must all tell ourselves that we are yet to achieve our goal,” said Sealy, who is also Barbados’ Tourism Minister.
The CTO reported that the region enjoyed a 4.3 per cent increase during the first six months of the 2014, much in line with the world average of 4.7 per cent.
CTO director of research and information technology, Winfield Griffith, said that just under 14 million long-stay tourists visited the Caribbean between January and June, with nearly half this number (6.87 million) coming from the United States.
He said compared to the same period last year when 6.61 million American visitors arrived in the Caribbean, the 2014 figure represents a 3.9 per cent rise in arrivals from the US market.
For more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/Region-observes-Caribbean-Tourism-Month
Tributes Pour In For Lenford Levy
By Marc Stamp, from Jamaica Gleaner
The Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) has expressed sadness at the passing of IAAF Regional Development Centre (RDC) Director Lenford Levy in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Levy, a Jamaican died two days ago.
“Mr Levy is as a true Jamaican who gained respect through his craft as a coach with stints at GC Foster College, Morant Bay High and Jamaica College. He also coached many Olympians,” JAAA general secretary, Garth Gayle told The Gleaner yesterday.
“He was a true Caribbean man. He was Mr Track and Field. Levy was always looking at the development of the sport in the region. He was always looking out for ways to improve the sport, a real son of the soil.
“He will be missed as an excellent advocate for the development of track and field,” Gayle said.
President of the North America, Central America and the Caribbean (NACAC) Victor Lopez, said the death of Levy is a great loss.
“Levy has been a special friend and someone who has made a great contribution to track and field in the NACAC area,” Lopez said.
Also expressing sadness on Levy’s sudden death was Michael Bascombe, president of the Caribbean Sports Journalists’ Association (CSJA).
For more: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20141031/sports/sports13.html
Rising seas threaten existence of small Caribbean islands
From Fox News Latino
The small islands of the Caribbean will be the first territories in the region to suffer the effects of rising sea levels due to climate change, threatening their tourism industries and, eventually, their very existence.
That was the warning Achim Steiner, executive director of the United Nations Environment Program, issued Friday in an interview with Efe.
Sea-level rise will have an “immediate impact in economic terms” on the Caribbean Small Island Developing States, or SIDS, he said by telephone from Nairobi ahead of Sunday’s release of the Fifth Assessment Report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
In the case of the Caribbean SIDS, their tourism infrastructure is “99 percent along the coastline,” Steiner pointed out.
“Many small island nations are in a far more exposed situation simply because their territory is sometimes only two, three, four meters (6.5-13 ft.) above sea level, therefore their very existence is being threatened,” he said.
“The changes also in, for instance, coral reefs and mangroves that are natural barriers and help strengthen the resilience of these countries, if coral reefs are dying then clearly countries become more vulnerable,” the UNEP director said.
He also cited the impact of more intense hurricanes and other extreme weather events on countries whose economies cannot bear the cost of reconstruction.
On a more hopeful note, he praised proactive efforts by some Caribbean countries such as Barbados, where “energy efficiency efforts and renewable deployment are now on the agenda of investment and national development planning.”
The efforts of the Barbadian government were one reason the United Nations decided to mark 2014 World Environment Day in Barbados. EFE
High-Tech, High Yields: Caribbean Farmers Reap Benefits of ICT
From Caricom Today
Farmers in the Caribbean are being encouraged to make more use of farm apps and other forms of ICT in an effort to increase the knowledge available for making sound, profitable farming decisions.
Peter Thompson of Jamaica’s Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) said Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology is being increasingly used to track “localised conditions, pests and disease prevalence. The technology will not only add value to us but to the farmers in giving information that they need.”
For more: http://today.caricom.org/2014/10/31/high-tech-high-yields-caribbean-farmers-reap-benefits-of-ict/
