iNews Briefs
More Cubans arrive on Cayman Brac on route to Honduras
A boat carrying nine Cuban immigrants arrived on Cayman Brac after their boat sprung a leak on Tuesday (11)
The Cubans were on their way to Honduras and Cayman Islands Immigration officials met them on Tuesday evening.
New Cayman boxers get their first female president and all female board
It’s not a man’s world after all when it comes to boxing in the Cayman Islands.
The Cayman Islands Boxing Association (CIBA) has just elected their Executive Board comprising all female members.
Ann-Marie Byrd is the new CIBA President. She has replaced former President Terrence Spencer who resigned last January.
The full Executive Committee is:
CIBA Executive Board
Ann-Marie Byrd President
Leyla Jackson Vice-President
Emma Wadsworth Secretary General
Shernetta Watson Treasurer
Jarladth Travers Second Vice-President
Four other hold board member positions
Bill Ackman argues Herbalife is breaking Chinese laws in this new presentation
By Julia La Roche From Business Insider
Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman gave another presentation on Herbalife—a multi-level marketing company that he’s betting $1 billion will go under.
Ackman, who runs Pershing Square Capital, declared over a year ago that he’s shorting Herbalife because he believes the company operates as a “pyramid scheme.”
Herbalife has publicly denied Ackman’s allegations.
So far, the short hasn’t played out in his favor either. He’s lost an estimated $500 million in mark-to-market losses.
His latest presentation focuses on Herbalife’s business practices in China. In short, Ackman believes that the nutrition company is violating Chinese direct-selling laws.
Specifically, Pershing Square alleges that Herbalife violates Chinese laws by doing the following:
“Paying multi-level, royalties based upon unlimited downline levels”
“Paying royalties and commissions totaling more than 30% of sales volume.”
“Incentivizing Distributors to recruit a potentially infinite downline in order for Distributors to reap sales-based ‘Consulting Fees'”
“Permitting and incentivizing individual Distributors to recruit other participants.”
We’ve included his slidedeck. This time it was only 56 slides compared with his famous 342-slide presentation when he first unveiled his short thesis.
For more : http://www.businessinsider.com/ackman-china-herbalife-slides-2014-3?op=1#ixzz2vlciOycT
Conservationist says government funded culling team needed to combat lionfish
Conservationist Dr. Guy Harvey, of the Guy Harvey Research Institute, has called for a public sector team – similar to the Mosquito Research and Control Unit – to be set up to systematically to remove lionfish from reefs around the Cayman Islands.
The government should fund the project, he says, but costs could be recouped by selling the fish for food.
“Lionfish culling from an organised government-funded team would be a first for the region, and I think we would see the economic benefit within a couple of years,” he said .
Cayman’s diving industry supports Dr. Harvey’s idea saying the cost of doing nothing will be far higher than the cost of financing regular culling.
Air Turks & Caicos announces new name
Air Turks & Caicos is pleased to announce its new brand name, InterCaribbean Airways (interCaribbean) and our new slogan: Connecting you and the Caribbean.
Over the coming months as we implement our new brand you will see the changes from the aircraft painting to signage at the airport.
A whole new website is underway, and will extend customer interactions. We look forward to introducing new guest services and enhancements across many areas of our company.
Cayman’s 3rd Annual Wheels for Meals gets motorcycle wheels
The 3rd annual Cayman Islands Wheels for Meals event on Sunday 30th March is set to collect more than two thousand pounds of food supplies. And the Cayman Islands Motorcycle Riders Association (CIMRA) is revving up their machines ready for to help the food drive.
The CIMRA are riding around to inform the public there’s an organisation out there feeding the elderly and to a push for more volunteers for Meals on Wheels.
CIMRA members will be collecting dry goods at grocery stores during the week of 24th March. The awareness bike ride is set for Sunday 30 March. To donate, contact Mr. Keller on [email protected] or call 945-7433.
Meals on Wheels was established in 1997 and provides hot nutritious meals for people in need.
Five appear in Trinidad court to face charges in multi-million dollar bank heist
From Caribbean360
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, Wednesday March 12, 2014, CMC – Five men are due to return to court on Thursday after they were granted a total of TT$5.4 million (One TT dollar = US$0.16 cents) in bail following a multi-million dollar bank heist earlier this month.
The men – Chaitram Mohammed, 27, Navin Juteram, 34, Jason Villafana, 41, Kumar Narine, 21, and 33-year-old Sateesh Boodram – are accused of stealing TT$4.5 million from the Sangre Grande branch of Republic Bank on March 3..
They face various charges ranging from breaking and entering to receiving stolen property as well as robbery with violence.
Three of the men -Narine, Boodram and Juteram – have also been jointly charged with robbery with violence, as well as with breaking and entering for an incident which allegedly occurred at the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) on January 16.
The men were not called upon to plead after the charges were read out in the Sangre Grande court, siuth of here on Tuesday.
They will return to court on Thursday in relation to the Republic Bank robbery, while the case against the trio for the RBC incident has been adjourned to March 24.
Last week, in a full-page newspaper advertisement, Republic Bank said electronic items, including video footage, were handed over to the police as part of their investigations.
Police had also detained a 51-year-old lawyer in connection with the robbery, but he was released after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard SC, said that there was not enough evidence to directly link him to the offence.
Retrial ordered in Cayman drug trafficking case
Grand Court Justice Malcom Swift has overturned the conviction of Dainion Cecil Henry, a Jamaican National who was convicted of drug trafficking and given an 11 year jail sentence in Summary Court by Magistrate Grace Donalds.
Justice Swift found her decision was based on evidence that was not capable of being corroborated and had supported other evidence against him. Henry had been found guilty in his absence in 2009 as he had escaped from George Town police station before his trial.
Following his successful appeal on Friday (7), the court ordered a new trial.
Henry still remains in custody as he is still serving a sentence for escaping lawful custody after being found guilty of supplying more than 20 cocaine pellets to a witness
Cayman’s Hope Academy to host “Hopestock”
Cayman Islands Hope Academy will be holding what organisers are calling a first of its kind music event here in Cayman – “Hopestock”.
Hopestock will feature 12 bands, all the talent is local and the live music will be playing for six hours.
The money raised from the event will help fund a trip to Washington for students learning about American history.
The concert commences at 6:00 p.m. this Saturday 15th March in Grand Harbour.
Suze Orman coming to Cayman to give talk on personal finances and retirement planning
American two-time Emmy Award-winning television host, New York Times best-selling author, magazine and online columnist, is coming to The Westin resort on Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman, on May 24th.
Orman is being brought to Cayman by pension administrators Colonial Pension Services Ltd., a member of the Colonial Group International.
Her talk will concentrate on personal finances and retirement planning, said she is “absolutely delighted to be coming to the Cayman Islands.
“It is a beautiful place and I hope I can pass on information that will prove to be helpful, and motivate people to save and feel more secure when it comes to their future,” she said.
Tickets cost $40. Details about how to register will be released soon. For more information, contact Jeremy Deacon at Deep Blue Communications on 534 2205 or [email protected]
Darlene Bishop to speak at Cayman’s Women’s conference
International Speaker Pastor Darlene Bishop is coming to Grand Cayman. Pastor Bishop will be guest speaker at First Assembly of God Women’s Conference
Friday March 28th at 7pm & Sat. 29th at 10am
Admission is free.
Venue: First Assembly of God, 195 Old Crewe Rd. GT
For more information call: 345-945-2182
Jose Antonio Rivera Campos has been appointed Regional Vice President at Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) in Coral Gables – FL, USA
From Hospitality net
Richard Doumeng, president of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA), has appointed Jose Antonio Rivera Campos, vice president of development for AMResorts in Cancún, as a regional vice president responsible for outreach on behalf of CHTA in the Mexican Caribbean, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Rivera serves on the Board of Directors of Asociación de Hoteles de Cancun and Puerto Morelos, where he is the CHTA representative. As vice president of development for AMResorts, Rivera has served since 2004 as the point person for all development projects and has overseen the construction of eight new properties as well as the refurbishment of four properties and expansion of three resorts.
He also seeks out new growth opportunities for AMResorts. Previously Rivera was the CEO for Mansion Imperial Acapulco, focusing on the construction of this five-star hotel group. He also served as CEO for Expo & Convention Center Las Americas, opening the city’s first world-class convention center. Additionally, Rivera was the managing director for Hotel Camino Real Mexico, a member of Leading Hotels of the World, and held top positions as vice president of operations for Westin Hotels in Mexico and Latin America as well as owner’s representative for Ritz Carlton Cancun.
For more: http://www.hospitalitynet.org/staffmovement/79006200.html
Cocaine fueled forgery case in Cayman has sentencing reduced by 1 year
Robert Schultz who admitted forging signatures of trustees to steal almost US$290,000 from his employer The Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce Pension Plan has had his appeal granted regarding the length of his sentence.
Schultz was initially sentenced to five years behind bars, but the court of appeal reduced his sentence by 1 year. He gave his reason for stealing the money was to support his cocaine addiction.
