iNews Briefs
Cayman Islands petrol prices down to $4.38 (average) but only on Grand Cayman
There has been a gradual/trickle and then a more rapid drop of prices for Cayman Islands petrol of around CI$1.20 since October last year, but only on Grand Cayman.
The average price at the beginning of this week was around CI$4.38 for regular unleaded self-serve petrol (gas). Two weeks ago it was CI$4.90!
The prices on Grand Cayman vary widely from CI$4.79 down to CI$4.31.
Whilst last week Rubis-supplied stations were showing the bigger drop this week many of the Sol-Esso stations are now also showing CI$4.31.
However, on the Sister Islands, although this week the price for fuel has finally seen some decrease the average price is $5 per gallon. However, on Little Cayman it is still at CI$6.49 probably due to the smaller petrol sales and the high price it paid for fuel last time round.
Comparing to fuel prices in the USA, and we are told it is not a fair comparison; they are paying on average around US$2.04!
Bank of Maldives introduces Islamic banking services
From Offshore Bankers
The Bank of Maldives has introduced Islamic Banking Services today (January 22).
The service inaugurated today by the Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed will be operated under the name ‘BML Islamic’ which will offer its personal and business customers with deposit and financing products.
“This is a big and proud day for our Bank,” said BML’s CEO and Managing Director Andrew Healy. “Today we start to provide alternatives to those who wish to strictly follow Islamic principles in their banking.”
For more: http://www.offshore-bankers.net/article/19577/bank-of-maldives-introduces-islamic-banking-services
Cayman Islands resort files suit against former timeshare owner for Facebook posts
The owners of Morritt’s Grand Resort, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands is taking action against Patricia Crockett, a former timeshare owner, for alleged libelous postings on the social media website Facebook.
David and Mimi Morritt along with Morritt Properties Cayman Limited are bringing the suit against Crockett because they allege her Facebook postings have damaged their reputation and caused them considerable hurt, distress and embarrassment to the Morritt family and they have suffered a loss of business as a result of the comments.
Crockett’s posts listed in the writ against her are from October and November 2014 and from January 2015. They appeared on the Morritt’s Grand Resort Facebook page and the Cayman Islands Friends of Morritts Tortuga Facebook page that have 503 and 610 members, respectively.
Some of her posts allege the resorts owners had misappropriated maintenance fees allowing the properties to fall into a state of disrepair and she was a victim of their surveillance and blackmail.
See related iNews Cayman Editorial published November 16, 2014 “Shocking revelations at Morritt’s” at: http://www.ieyenews.com/wordpress/the-editor-speaks-shocking-revelations-at-morritts/
Seychelles is ‘open to assist’ Sri Lanka with Rajapaksa money-laundering investigation
From Offshore Bankers
The government of Seychelles has said it will assist with all formal requests for an investigation into the assets of Sri Lanka’s former president.
The Seychelles Ministry of Foreign Affairs said this in a press statement released yesterday after reports surfaced recently in the Sri Lankan media that the country’s newly-inaugurated President Maithripala Sirisena’s government would be pursuing an investigation against former President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, in connection with allegations of stolen assets hidden in the Seychelles.
Cayman Islands swimmers Splash Dash and Brunch
The Cayman Islands Amateur Swimming Association (CIASA) are hosting January 2015 Splash, Dash and Brunch events with Olympic swimmers Peter Vanderkaay and Davis Tarwater.
The Splash, Dash and Brunch events have just started (Thu 22) and continue Friday, 23 January with Age Group Clinics for the local swim community, two Sea Swims (200M and 400M distances) on Saturday, 24 January and Brunch with Olympians, Live Auction and Lucky Dip, and CIASA’s Annual Award Ceremony on Sunday 25 at 9:30am at The Grand Cayman Marriott, Seven Mile Beach.
KPMG is supporting the CIASA event.
Funds raised at the 2015 Splash, Dash and Brunch will go towards all of CIASA’s swim programmes, including learn to swim, coaches clinics and international swim meets such as CARIFTA, Island Games, Pan Am Games, World Championships and the Masters Competitions.
For more information on how you can be a part of the 2015 Splash, Dash and Brunch with Olympians event, or to reserve your tickets – please contact, Joan Link, at [email protected] or 525-0525. Tickets are $75; children 10 and under are $50.
Open for entries: the Lawyer Awards
The Lawyer Awards, now in their 21st year, celebrate outstanding work across private practice, in-house and the Bar, and are universally regarded as the top awards initiative in the legal sector.
Entering and winning one of the 25 categories is your opportunity to showcase your achievements to the rest of the industry, as well as to stand out from your competitors.
Entry deadline: 27th February 2015
It’s free to enter, all we ask is that your submissions are accompanied by a donation to our charity partner.
Submit your entries online now at: http://www.thelawyerawards.com/enter/how-to-enter?utm_source=Entries1&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Entries
For more information or assistance with the entry process please contact Kerry Cooke at: [email protected]? subject=The Lawyer Awards 2015 or by tel
on +44(0)20 7970 4103.
Cayman Islands Half Ironman won by American
Emily Cocks, American triathlete and trainer, was the overall winner for the professional triathletes in Cayman Islands annual half ironman distance triathlon reaping the Generali Mercuryman title.
Cocks completed the 1.2 mile swim in just 29:01:00, the 56 mile bike race in 2:27:36 and the 13.1 mile run in 1:34:07, for an overall time of 4:31:59.
Local competitor Marius Acker took first overall in the Men’s Amateur Division, with a 31:47:00 (swim), 2:38:05 (bike) and 1:35:13 (run), an overall time of 4:47:40.
Stuart Bray, another local competitor, was the winner in the Men’s Aquabike race, with a total finishing time of 3:11:48. Tina Marie Nonato, also a Cayman resident, finished first in the Women’s Aquabike race in 5:29:49. Local relay teams also enjoyed the competition, with top finishes earned by Chafing the Dream (mixed), Tritons (male) and Mercury Maidens (female).
80 local triathletes and professionals from overseas competed.
The event took place in East End on Sunday 18th January.
More good-as-new $2 notes available for Chinese New Year: MAS
From The Straits Times
SINGAPORE – The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced on Thursday (Jan 22) that it will issue more good-as-new $2 notes for Chinese New Year to meet an anticipated increase in demand.
This is the third consecutive year that MAS is issuing good-as-new $2 notes. These are clean and crisp notes retrieved immediately after the previous Chinese New Year.
Both the brand new and good-as-new $2 notes will be available at participating banks from Feb 2.
MAS said that in 2014, 14 per cent of the $2 notes issued during the Lunar New Year were good-as-new notes, an increase of 3 per cent from 2013. This allowed MAS to maintain the quantity of brand new $2 notes issued last year despite the increase in demand for $2 notes.
Said MAS assistant managing director Low Kwok Mun: “Since the good-as-new $2 notes were introduced in 2013, the total energy saved from printing fewer new notes is equivalent to that needed to power 100 4-room HDB flats for 10 weeks. With greater awareness and support for this initiative, we can achieve even more this year.”
Mrs Ong-Ang Ai Boon, director of the Association of Banks in Singapore, said the public has responded positively to the good-as-new notes and it hopes to see more people asking for them this year.
For more on this story go to: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/business/more-business-stories/story/more-good-new-2-notes-available-chinese-new-year-mas-20150#sthash.JySWZfSJ.dpuf
Cayman islands AIDS Foundation launches new support group
The Cayman Aids Foundation (CAF) is continuing its work to provide education of HIV and Aids by launching a new support group that will begin Saturday 31st January.
Noel Cayasso-Smith, Foundation Executive Director, said educating Cayman’s gay community about HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections is the main purpose of the group.
The Cayman AIDS Foundation was legally established in 2010, but prior to that existed in the form of several unincorporated groups which supported those with HIV or AIDS.
Cayasso-Smith said in addition to providing educational materials the support group will have discussions about male and female condoms and other methods of protection, including abstinence.
The government provides funding around $45,000 but the Foundation requires $80,000 per year to pay for salaries of two persons and to run its various programmes. To make up the difference it holds fundraising events and tries to solicit private and corporate donations.
All support groups are confidential and any information obtained will also be confidential.
CAF gay support group
Begins Saturday 31st January 2015
CAF office, Caymanian Village
525-9034
A sexy first for Cayman Islands, the Yellow Pages directory is interactive!
Your new 2015 Cayman Islands Yellow Pages comes alive in a way unlike anything you’ve ever seen! Augmented Reality Cayman Islands Yellow Pages
Watch the cover of the new Cayman Islands Yellow Pages spring to life with augmented reality, cutting-edge technology that delivers rich, digital experiences.
Simply download the free Layar smartphone app and scan the front cover of the Cayman Islands Yellow Pages.
Be amazed as extra digital content appears, allowing you to interact with your Cayman Islands Yellow Pages in a whole new way!
Currently the functionality has been activated in several customer ads and on a few select pages (look for the Layar logo). Cayman Islands Yellow Pages anticipates this to grow over the next several issues.
Gain access to a digital, interactive experience with extended content now.
Download your free Layar app by visiting the appropriate link from website link below on your mobile device:
For Apple devices
For Android devices
To view interactive content, open the Layar App, choose the scan button and hold your phone or tablet 8-10 inches from the cover of the new 2015-16 Cayman Islands Yellow Pages.
These mobile devices are compatible with Layar:
iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch running iOs 6.0 or later
Android devices running v2.3.3 or later
How it works: The proper use of Layar requires a device with a back camera, GPS, compass, accelerometer and an active WiFi or mobile Internet connection.
For more and downloading: http://caymanyp.com/interactive-directory/
Jamaica’s Parliament to vote on move to Caribbean Court of Justice
From Caribbean Journal
Since it gained independence in 1962, Jamaica’s final court of appeal has been the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London.
That could change, though, when the country’s House of Representatives votes on bills that would make the Caribbean Court of Justice the country’s highest appellate court.
Jamaica’s House will vote on April 28 on the proposed CCJ bills. Because the Privy Council is an “entrenched” provision in the country’s constitution, any vote would need a two-third majority to change it.
“Under our system of government, Bills that are brought to Parliament are required to be supported unless there is some international convention or agreement that will be breached by the passage of the Bill,” said Jamaica Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, who has advocated for a move to the CCJ since her People’s National Party won the country’s 2012 general elections.
The three bills include one to amend the Appellate Jurisdiction Act, one to amend the Constitution and another to make provisions for the implementation of the CCJ as a court of both original jurisdiction for CARICOM issues and as a final court of appeal.
Barbados, Belize and Guyana have already acceded to the CCJ as their final court of appeal; Trinidad has done so for criminal appeals, while Dominica has announced plans to switch to the CCJ in recent months.
Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship to launch in Cayman Islands
Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship is an international organisation that aims to provide students in colleges and universities a place to gather with fellow Christians and grow in their faith by giving every student a chance to re-investigate Jesus and what that means for their lives.
It will be making its official launch on Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands on Friday 30th January at 7:00 p.m. at Sir Vassell Hall at University College of the Cayman Islands.
Saudi Arabian Module at Diplomatic Academy of the Caribbean
By Shyvonne Williams From the Bahamas Weekly
JAMAICA – The Diplomatic Academy of the Caribbean presents the first ever educational programme in the region, on in-depth knowledge about the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Targeting Foreign Service staff, business people, members of international organisations and international relations students, the course will run from January 26th to 30th, 2015 at The UWI’s St Augustine Campus.
Arab/Middle Eastern relations with the Caribbean date back to the 19th century, and through the discovery of oilfields and economic development, many Middle Eastern countries have become wealthy and powerful actors on the international scene; links with the Caribbean have grown slowly but steadily. This course offers a comprehensive overview of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by explaining its political, economic, cultural and legal features, to provide the knowledge needed for persons to effectively engage the KSA and pursue opportunities therein.
Each of the five days of training will focus on different themes: Understanding the KSA And Its People, The System of Governance in the KSA, The Financial & Economic Systems in the KSA., The Legal System in the KSA and the last session on Business in the KSA Participants may choose to attend the entirety of the week-long module or attend daily sessions at a reduced cost.
Since its May 2014 launch, the Diplomatic Academy of the Caribbean has successfully run seven stand-alone modules, which form an integral part of a wider training in diplomacy and foreign relations for the modern Caribbean diplomat. One module, Protocol, Diplomacy and Law has been repeated twice due to its high subscription. The Academy maintains its credibility, by inviting prominent international and regional experts to lead the programmes; these individuals have high academic qualifications and outstanding records of practical experience in their respective fields. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Business, Politics and Culture training module will be facilitated by His Excellency Dr. Fahad Al Dawood, a Saudi expert on the judicial apparatus & law enforcement System on the KSA and Professor Brinsley Samaroo, Trinidad and Tobago historian and former UWI lecturer.
Persons interested in registering may email [email protected], call 868-662-2002 extension 83237 or visit the Academy’s website at http://sta.uwi.edu/iir/academy.asp
T&T without CCJ? Arthur amazed
From Trinidad Newspapers
Former Barbados prime minister Owen Arthur has said it is astonishing that this country has not made the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) its final appellate court. Arthur delivered a lecture on “Caribbean Regionalism in the Context of Economic Challenges”, hosted by the Institute of International Relations of The University of the West Indies (UWI) at the St Augustine campus on Monday evening.
“The Caribbean Court of Justice may be the only court in human history which does not have a jurisdiction in the country in which it is based. It is astonishing if only because we didn’t force it on Trinidad…Trinidad asked to bring it here,” said Arthur.
He further pointed out that, for a long period, the head of the CCJ was a Trinidadian (Michael de la Bastide).
“Every civilisation in history has become a civilisation on the strength of its capacity to deliver justice on its own and what are we as a people if we have to look to others to deliver justice for us,” said Arthur.
The CCJ is the Caribbean regional judicial tribunal established on February 14, 2001, by the Agreement Establishing the Caribbean Court of Justice. The Agreement came into force on July 23, 2003, and the CCJ was inaugurated on April 16, 2005 in Port of Spain, the seat of the court. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, in April 2012, announced in Parliament it intended to abolish criminal appeals to the Privy Council in favour of the CCJ and would be tabling legislation to that effect. This move followed a review of the situation conducted by the Government after a commitment given at the last Caricom Heads of Government conference in Suriname in July 2011. The CCJ settles disputes between Caribbean Community (Caricom) member states, and also serves as the highest court of appeal on civil and criminal matters for the national courts of Barbados, Belize and Guyana.
Arthur, in his lecture, also raised concern over the Caribbean’s inability to have a fully-functional regional integration movement. He said a study on the impact of free movement in the community revealed that just under 10,000 life skills certificates were issued to Caribbean nationals over a ten-year period, 1997 to 2008, which enabled them to find employment in the region. He said, in 2008 alone, some 18,000 work permits were issued by Caribbean countries, of which 85 per cent were given to persons who are not nationals of the region. Arthur said the truth is that in any given year, the Caribbean grants ten times more work permits to foreigners than to its own people and there must be reflection on how much progress could have been attained had the region been as generous to its own. He also cited numerous reports which emphasise the Caribbean region’s lack of attraction in terms as a hub for business.
Arthur noted that the region’s average tariff of 11.6 per cent was higher than any other region and significantly higher than all other small economies.
For more: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/TT-without-CCJ-Arthur-amazed-289235501.html?m=y&smobile=y
FIFA Vice President declares Administrative Headquarters officially open for business
ST. CROIX, U.S. Virgin Islands — The U.S. Virgin Islands Soccer Federation (USVISF) marked a milestone on Saturday, as CONCACAF President and FIFA Vice President Jeffrey Webb officially opened its first FIFA Goal Project.
“The completion and opening of the new Administrative Headquarters for the U.S. Virgin Islands Soccer Federation will certainly provide further development opportunities for the islands,” said Webb. “The Federation’s strategic plans align with our vision for development and growth and I look forward to seeing the continued advancement of football in the U.S. Virgin Islands.”
During the two-day visit, Webb attended a boys and girls grassroots festival at the new headquarters in addition to meeting with Government officials and several members of the USVISF. He also congratulated them on harvesting a high level of support for football on all the islands.
“Under the leadership of USVISF President Hillaren Frederick, our sport has grown tremendously in the areas of administration and development, focusing on improving technical and governance aspects,” Webb added.
Frederick thanked the CONCACAF President for his visit and reiterated the importance of completing the project’s first phase.
“Having a solid base for their daily operations is the first step in the long term strategic vision and plans for the Federation,” said Frederick. “I convey my appreciation to CONCACAF and FIFA for their support, and look forward to building on this foundation to raise the profile of football in the USVI.”
The USVISF has also started the initial planning stages of its second FIFA Goal Project, a technical center that is expected to be completed within a year.
Gobat family issues apology to Saint Lucia Police Force
”On behalf of the Gobat family, I would like to offer a full and unreserved apology to the Royal St. Lucia Police Force, to the Commissioner and officers working on the Oliver Gobat murder case, for the comments made in the recent article in the Daily Mail Online.
Up to this point we have been working well with the RSLPF and we have every confidence that the officers involved in the investigation will solve this dreadful crime.
The grief of a parent over a murdered child is something I would not wish on anyone and certainly my parents are struggling to make sense of their rest of their own lives as a result.
I believe these comments, which should not have been made, were in a moment of deep grief, pain and frustration overcoming patience, combined with journalism seeking a sensationalist angle.
This situation has not been easy for our family to come to terms with, and we deeply regret the impact of the statements in the article on the image of the Saint Lucia Police Force.
We the family greatly appreciate the services to date of the RSLPF and are confident that every effort is being made to bring Justice to Oliver.”
To read the Mail Online article referred to in above go to: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2906895/Death-Paradise-Parents-millionaire-hotelier-executed-burned-Range-Rover-fear-corrupt-St-Lucia-police-mystery-murder.html#ixzz3PBoJPlWd
10 Kitchen Habits to Adopt in 2015
From the kitchn
‘Tis the season for resolutions of the grandest scale — learn Chinese, join the gym, stop procrastinating. I don’t know about you, but my list is typically pretty ambitious. Unfortunately, resolutions are often a long-lost memory by March.
This year, though, I’m aiming to follow through on a few more — especially a few in the kitchen.
Don’t worry, none of these new kitchen habits have to do with that old, pre-requisite New Year’s resolution — to lose that extra 10 pounds of holiday pudge.
Rather, I urge everyone to be a better cook in 2015 with these 10 kitchen habits. Won’t you join me in this one?
10 Kitchen Habits to Adopt in 2015
Bake more. I’m sure tons of you love baking, but it’s definitely not my strong suit.
Waste less food. Although I’m pretty savvy about using up what’s left over in the fridge first, there’s definitely an unacceptable amount of wasted food in our house: any at all. This year, I’m making it my goal to use up every last bit.
Be more adventurous. So many recipes I’ve bookmarked and pushed to the wayside when it seems like too many ingredients or too expensive an experiment. In 2015, I’m aiming to schedule in one adventurous recipe a month (at least!).
Branch out. What cuisine do you truly love, but almost never make at home? In our house, we rarely cook complicated Asian cuisines, for example. Beyond cooking new recipes, I want to seriously branch out and try new cuisines.
Take a cooking class. All my life, I’ve wanted to take a cooking class, and it’s never panned out. This year, I’ll be learning something specialized, like how to make fresh mozzarella!
Plan ahead. This one definitely helps with #1, but planning ahead always tends to make cooking that much easier and rewarding.
Host more dinners. While I love throwing dinner parties, a busy schedule gets the best of me. In 2015, I’m making this happen more often!
Master a new dish. Above all, my favorite meals to cook are those that I know by heart. I want to add a few more this year.
Say goodbye to old items. There are older items in the kitchen that I cherish, and then there are those disgusting, old, plastic food-storage containers. 2015 is the year to update and toss what we’re not using.
Have fun! At the end of a long day, cooking in the kitchen is my favorite place to be. This year, I’m vowing to remember this most important fact.
What are your kitchen resolutions?
Change in US-Cuba relations presents big risks — and rewards — for Cuba’s environment
By David Leveille From PRI’s The World
President Barack Obama’s decision to renew diplomatic relations with Cuba has sparked lots of speculation about how the island might look in five or 10 years.
“Can you imagine spring break happening in Havana?” asks Dan Whittle, the Cuba program director for the Environmental Defense Fund. “The specter of Cuba opening the floodgates to American tourists is frightening to many.
But it’s not just because of the fear of a Starbucks on every Havana corner. Normalizing relations could also have a huge environmental cost.
“People are worried about overfishing, they’re worried about vast hotels on the coastline, they’re worried about a bunch of new golf courses in Cuba,” Whittle says. “So it’s a challenge. Cuba certainly doesn’t want to be like many Caribbean counties where it’s all about tourism at the cost of the environment.”
Cuba has many environmental gems worth protecting. “Cuba has stunning coral reefs and marine ecosystems, including many species of coral you just don’t see any more in the US, like Elkhorn coral,” Whittle says. “It’s like a time tunnel, the way other parts of the Caribbean and Florida used to be before all the development occurred.”
That biodiversity — featuring “big sharks, big goliath groupers and other big fish” that Whittle has seen on his dives in the Gardens of the Queen Marine Park off Cuba’s coast — is one of the positive legacies of the decades-long American trade embargo on Cuba.
Yet it hasn’t been all good news. The flipside of the embargo, Whittle says, is that Cuba “simply hasn’t been able to afford to invest in environmental protection. So if you look at some of the areas around Cuba — like Havana Harbor, for example — it’s extremely polluted and the country simply hasn’t had the resources to clean it up.”
The hope is that normalized relations between the US and Cuba will allow American scientists and environmental groups to pour money and expertise into the island. Whittle’s Environmental Defense Fund already has a number of projects underway, like one focused on protecting the oceanic white-tipped shark, a species that has largely disappeared from the Gulf of Mexico.
The challenge is to achieve the environmental goals — protecting reefs and species, preventing overfishing, cleaning up pollution — while still allowing the kind of development that can boost Cuba’s economy. Whittle says it’s not only possible, but that many Cubans are on board with becoming a sustainable destination.
“They want tourists to come for diving, biking, caving, bird watching. My hope is that those voices prevail in Cuba,” he says. “There’s a lot of speculation about what this new world will look, like but I’m extremely optimistic.”
For more and radio interview go to: https://www.pri.org/stories/2014-12-30/change-us-cuba-relations-presents-big-risks-and-rewards-cubas-environment
Vice President Joe Biden to Host Caribbean Energy Security Summit
From IVN
Washington, DC – Vice President Biden will host the first ever Caribbean Energy Security Summit in Washington, DC on January 26, 2015. The Vice President looks forward to welcoming Caribbean leaders and representatives of the international community to promote a cleaner and more sustainable energy future in the Caribbean through improved energy governance, greater access to finance, and donor coordination.
The Summit will include remarks by the Vice President, an energy security roundtable with heads of government, and meetings and events with government officials, representatives from the private sector, and officials from multilateral institutions. This Summit is a key component of the Caribbean Energy Security Initiative that the Vice President announced in June 2014, and will be hosted by the White House and the State Department in partnership with the Atlantic Council and the Council of the Americas.
Chinese Ambassador walks out as Grenada’s Gov’t minister speaks
From Jamaica Gleaner
China’s ambassador to Grenada, Ou Boqian, walked out of a function on Sunday night while a junior government minister was making reference to an agreement reached between Taiwan and Grenada over a long standing debt.
Parliament Secretary for Information in the Office of the Prime Minister Winston Garraway was at the time addressing the annual Media Association of Grenada Awards ceremony when he made reference to the decision by Taiwan.
China regards Taiwan as a renegade province.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell gave television viewers an update last week on a loan which became an issue when Grenada severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 2005.
Grenada established diplomatic relations with China that same year.
The Chinese diplomat, accompanied by another Chinese official, remained outside the Grenada Trade Center until Garraway had concluded his address.
For more: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/latest/article.php?id=57711
