iNews Briefs
Cayman’s YMCA has been gathering community data
The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) of the Cayman Islands has been busy gathering input from the community at town hall meetings around various districts.
The ‘Y’ as the YMCA is also called executed a ‘Community Needs Survey’ to determine which programmes best-suited specific needs of the islands.
The main criteria for the “Y” now are securing funding for their programmes over the next three years.
They found from the 600 members of the community surveyed, youth development was the top concern. Youth needed more things to do and there was a feeling of despair.
To tackle this, the ‘Y’ is launching a teen leadership programme this month (April) and they are looking for volunteers to come forward, especially in the areas of administration and teen leadership.
For more information about the YMCA in Cayman, visit www.ymcacayman.ky
or call 928-5987 or email Greg Smith, chief executive officer of the YMCA at [email protected]
U.S. Expats & Foreign Real Estate
By John Ohe
From a tax standpoint, buying and selling foreign real estate is not much different than in the U.S. At the present time, there are no reporting requirements when purchasing foreign real estate. However, U.S. expats should be aware that if one transfers money to a foreign bank to facilitate a real estate transaction (and the balance exceeds $10,000), then this would trigger a requirement to file an FBAR, now called FinCen 114.
Property taxes are deductible on your tax return. So are mortgage interest payments, including home equity loans. The same restrictions apply as in the U.S. (e.g., acquisition debt limited to $1M, home equity debt limited to $100,000). One can deduct mortgage interest on up to two homes. Keep in mind that deductible amounts paid in local currency will need to be converted to USD for tax reporting purposes.
When it comes to selling foreign real estate, the tax-related similarities continue. If the home has been one’s primary residence for at least 2 out of the past 5 years, then one can exclude capital gains up to $250,000 ($500,000 if married filing jointly). Similar to the real estate deductions, amounts denominated in local currency will need to be converted to USD.
From a non-tax standpoint, there are a number of issues to consider. Property rights differ by country. Transferring money should be conducted carefully – fees and low F/X can be costly. It may be wise to seek professional guidance (e.g., a reputable real estate broker).
This article was written by John Ohe (IRS Enrolled Agent and managing partner at Hola Expat). For more information, visit us: HolaExpat.com
Disclaimer: The answers provided in this article are for general information, and should not be construed as personal tax advice. Tax laws and regulations change frequently, and their application can vary widely based on the specific facts and circumstances involved.
Dominican Republic says Haitians will not be stripped of citizenship
From Caribbean Labour Solidarity
The Dominican Republic delegation to the Organization of American States (OAS) has assured that nationals who were born in the Dominican Republic of Haitian parentage will not be stripped of Dominican Republic citizenship.
The delegation, through Alternate Representative, Mayerlyn Cordero Diaz, gave the assurance on Wednesday during a debate on the issue by the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS).
“The Government of the Dominican Republic reaffirms that no person holding Dominican nationality will be stripped of it,” said Cordero at the meeting, at which the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), a principal and autonomous organ of the OAS, presented a report on its preliminary observations, from its visit to the Spanish-speaking Caribbean country in early December, “in response to an invitation from the state.”
Cordero also said Dominican Republic President Danilo Medina will submit to the country’s Congress a law to address the situation of 24,392 people “who were not declared with proper documentation.”
Rosa María Ortiz, IACHR second vice chair and Country Rapporteur for the Dominican Republic, said her delegation will shortly present to the OAS its final report on its visit to the Dominican Republic.
The Dominican Republic Constitutional Court ruled last year that Dominicans of Haitian parentage, who were born in the Dominican Republic, would be stripped of Dominican citizenship.
Cordero said “regardless of the immigration status in the country, the Dominican government has always provided basic human rights guaranteed to all people who are in the territory of the Dominican Republic, including access to public services such as health and education as well as labor rights and access to justice.”
For more: http://cls-uk.org.uk/DR-citizenship-restored.html
BA announce Cayman to Bahamas special price offer
British Airways has announced a special price offer on travel between Grand Cayman and the Bahamas.
An economy fare, inclusive of taxes and fees, is on offer for $US399.60. The sale runs to April 13 and is for travel up to June 30, 2014.
Diane Corrie, Commercial Manager Caribbean, said, “There is a lot of movement between the Cayman Islands and Nassau, for business and leisure and the special British Airways fares make both destinations even more attractive.”
Trinidad cops question tourism minister after reported assault of girlfriend
From Caribbean360
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, Monday March 31, 2014, CMC – The police here have been questioning Tourism Minister Chandresh Sharma following reports of the assault of his former girlfriend Sacha Singh.
Singh, the managing director of AMS Biotech Security Concept and AmSure T&T Ltd, met with officers of the St Joseph Police Station on Friday and gave a statement of Sharma’s alleged physical abuse during an altercation on March 12.
The public information officer of the T&T Police service on Saturday told the Trinidad Guardian newspaper that an investigation was being conducted by the police against Sharma: “Statements were recorded and the investigation is in progress.”
She said “a charge or charges” may be laid after the investigation.
Sharma’s investigation comes days after former minister of the people Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh was fired by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Tuesday, following allegations of disorderly behaviour on board a Caribbean Airlines flight on March 16.
LDK Solar bondholders take haircut as NYSE starts de-listing proceedings
From PVTech
LDK Solar’s China-based operations are not affected by the holding company’s bankruptcy proceedings.
The start of recent bankruptcy proceedings of LDK Solar’s offshore operations, registered in the Cayman Islands has triggered an agreement with a majority of its bondholders to take a massive haircut on the defaulted bond and the start of de-listing proceedings for its American Depositary Shares and an immediate trading suspension by the NYSE.
LDK Solar said through its joint liquidators that 60% of its bondholders have agreed in principle to taking a cash payment of US$0.20 per US$1.00 of the Senior Notes claim subject to a cap of US$50 million.
However, a deal was also on the table regarding a percentage of the notes being converted to shares at US$1.586 per share.
It is unclear at this time if the NYSE de-listing announcement will impact that aspect of the bondholders restructuring agreement.
The joint liquidators of LDK Solar noted in a statement that they were “evaluating all of their options with respect to the NYSE’s announcement”.
Under NYSE de-listing rules LDK Solar has the opportunity to appeal the decision.
For more: http://www.pv-tech.org/news/ldk_solar_bondholders_take_haircut_as_nyse_starts_de_listing_proceedings
Bahamian leader defends Caribbean financial sector
From Fox News Latino
Banking regulations in Caribbean nations are more robust than those in countries that are critical of the region’s financial sector, Bahamian Prime Minister Perry Christie said Monday in Nassau.
In an address to open the third Caribbean Conference on the International Financial Services Sector, Christie blasted those who seem to believe that there is “something intrinsically sinister about the accumulation of wealth in offshore jurisdictions.”
“We reject that premise and we criticize in the strongest possible terms the efforts of some to maim and cripple, if not destroy, the offshore economies within our region,” he said.
“Ironically, the anti-money laundering, anti-terrorism funding and anti-criminal regulatory regimes of many of our countries are far more robust … than the corresponding regulatory regimes in many of the same countries that are leading the fight against us,” the Bahamian leader said.
Offshore financial services can be “responsibly operated and regulated,” he insisted.
Destruction of the offshore financial service economies would inevitably destabilize the host countries, Christie said.
“To destroy this sector in the Caribbean would effectively cause tens of thousands of newly empowered middle class citizens to slip back into poverty or migrate,” he said.
Christie went on to challenge the United Nations to take the lead in developing multilateral global mechanisms for the governance of offshore financial services that will meet the demands of the developed nations. EFE
Smoke smell prompts return of flight to Jamaica
From Boston.com
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — A Florida-bound JetBlue airliner that had just taken off from a Jamaican airport was forced to return to the Caribbean island after people smelled smoke.
JetBlue said on its website that the Monday evening flight from Jamaica’s Norman Manley International Airport returned to Kingston ‘‘after a report of a smoke odor.’’ The flight to Fort Lauderdale had 98 passengers and returned to Jamaica some 15 minutes after takeoff.
The airline said six people who were aboard the plane were being medically evaluated but did not say why. The Jamaica Gleaner newspaper quotes local aviation official Alfred McDonald as saying those passengers were injured while exiting the plane.
Maintenance staff and officials from Jamaica’s fire brigade were inspecting the commercial jet.
Crime wave continues in Cayman but police are employed in crackdown on illegally tinted vehicular windows!
Even though petty crime continues in the Cayman Islands the Royal Cayman Islands Police Services are spending their time on prosecuting motorists for having too much tint on their windows.
The legal limit is 35% and whilst it would seem more easier to pass a law making the island’s professional companies who execute window tinting ALSO responsible for obeying the rules on how much they can apply with fines if they break the law, it has been left for the police to punish the second party only – the car owner.
And the police seem proud to publish their statistics. Almost 20 motorists have been prosecuted for being over the legal tinting limit with two more added to the list this weekend.
Violating window tinting laws comes with stiff penalties. A conviction can cost you a fine of up to $2,500, six months in jail, or both.
Constitutional interpretation that could make NSA spying illegal
By Erin Fuchs From Business Insider
Justice Antonin Scalia got an incredibly astute question from a law student Friday night that could have huge implications for the NSA’s domestic surveillance programs.
The question came during a spirited Q&A curated by Brooklyn Law School’s Judge Andrew Napolitano, who asked Scalia about the controversial subject of the NSA’s surveillance of Americans.
Scalia made it clear the issue would likely come before the high court, and he hinted he would rule that “conversations” (i.e., the conversations the government might listen to) aren’t protected by the Fourth Amendment. The Fourth Amendment, Scalia pointed out, prohibits the government from searching your “persons, houses, papers, and effects” without a warrant — not “conversations.”
However, one student asked the justice whether data in a computer might be considered “effects” under the Fourth Amendment, an interpretation that would prohibit the NSA’s capture of communications over the Internet.
Scalia, who’s remarkably avuncular in person, was visibly pleased by the question but said he “better not answer that.”
“That is something that may well come up [before the Supreme Court],” Scalia added.
For more: http://www.businessinsider.com/justice-scalia-talks-fourth-amendment-at-bam-2014-3#ixzz2xejVj2o1
Little Cayman killing: Woman pleads guilty to manslaughter
Elsy Patricia Calderon de Ortega Barralga has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of her partner 54-year-old businessman Perry McLaughlin at their home in Little Cayman in November 2013.
McLaughlin ran a number of businesses including real estate and a rental car company.
Jamaica panel charges 3 more police with murders
By David Mcfadden From Boston.com
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — An investigative commission that probes abuses by Jamaica’s security forces said Monday that three more police officers in a central parish have been charged with murder, bringing the total number of accused law enforcers in the division to four.
Some three weeks after Constable Collis ‘‘Chuckie’’ Brown was accused of three counts of murder, the Independent Commission of Investigations announced that three other officers in Clarendon parish had been arrested and charged with alleged unlawful killings.
The suspended officers include Detective Cpl. Kevin Adams, who has been charged with killing four men between 2011 and 2013. All of the accused officers have had their initial court appearances and been remanded to custody.
A police association did not return calls seeking comment.
$12M in further cuts from Cayman Islands 2014/15 budget
Marco Archer, Cayman Islands Minister of Finance, has revealed a further $12M will be cut from the 2014/15 Budget to the Legislative Assembly in May.
The spending plan will be for 12 months and not for 18 months, Archer said. 18 months had been announced when he delivered the Progressive’s (PPM) first budget last year.
Archer said there was enough time to amend the Public Management and Finance Law in order to facilitate the changes before the current budget expires at the end of this financial year.
7 Up for dog breeds now not banned in Cayman Islands
Under the Cayman Islands Animals Law Regulations 2014 the following seven breeds of dogs have been removed from the banned dogs list here:
Mastiff, Mallanois, Chinese Shar-Pei, Rottweiler, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bulldog, and Catahoula Leopard Dog.
However, Pit Bull Terriers, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brazilerio, and Japanese Tosa, as well as “any breed of dog or crossbreed of dog whose breeding lineage was for the primary purpose of dog fighting,” continue to be banned breeds.
It’s been illegal to rip a CD in UK until June 1 2014
By John Fingas from engadget
The UK is finally making it legal to rip a CD on June 1st
After a lengthy two-year legislative process, the UK is nearly ready to drag its copyright law into the digital era. The country’s Intellectual Property Office has published the final version of copyright exceptions that make it legal to rip CDs and otherwise shift formats. As of June 1st, Brits can copy media as much as they like for personal use. Institutions can also make duplicates for backups or research, and the Secretary of State can tell copyright holders to make content accessible if paying for an alternative format isn’t practical. Out-and-out piracy is still forbidden, of course, but the new measures should let locals modernize their media collections without feeling a twinge of guilt.
For more: http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/30/uk-format-shifting-exceptions/?ncid=rss_truncated
Cayman Islands Inter-Secondary Track & Field [School] Championships
Clifton Hunter was the top school at last Thursday’s (27) Inter-Secondary Track & Field Championships.
Clifton Hunter finished with a total of 710 points, ahead of second placed John Gray High (677), UCCI (153), Cayman Prep (149), Layman Scott Jr. (128), Cayman Academy (107), CIFEC (75), St. Ignatius (62), Grace Christian (55), Triple C (32), Cayman International (17) and Hope Academy (16).
The athletes were divided in four categories, Under-14, U-16, U-18 age groupings and an Open Division.
New Kit Lets You Print Your Own 3D Skulls
By John Biggs From techcrunch
Say, for example, you wanted a dog skull but did not want to remove said bone mass from a living dog. What to do? If you’re the team behind Quinn, the 3D-printable posable doll, you’d make and sell a set of models that you can print out on your Makerbot or similar device.
The Kickstarter project is quite interesting. Essentially you are buying a set of files – skulls from dogs, dragons, goats, humans, and Alyssa Milano (not really) – and you can print them out without supports, which is a pretty big deal.
For $35 you get all three kits emailed to you when they’re complete. The creators, 3DKitBash will email them to you.
Founded by artists Natalie Mathis and Quincy Robinson, 3DKB aims to make fun stuff you can download and print. They are selling something very unusual – 3D object files – and I hope their model takes off. Considering they already blew past their $500 funding request to about $3,000 it’s clear they’re onto something.
For more and to see video go to: http://techcrunch.com/2014/03/30/new-kit-lets-you-print-your-own-3d-skulls/?ncid=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29
Cayman Optimist Club challenges 9 students to speak their minds
Nine students from schools throughout the Cayman Islands will speak on the topic of “How My Passions Impact the World.”
They will be competing against one another in the Cayman Optimist Club of George Town’s sixth Oratorical Contest at the Harquail Theatre on Saturday 5th April at 10 am.
The winner will represent the Cayman Islands at the Oratorical International Competition to be held in Jamaica in April.
All the students taking part will be awarded certificates of participation, oratorical pins and Optimist t-shirts. The top three contestants will receive monetary prizes and medallions.
Last year’s winner was David Forbes of Clifton Hunter High School. In Jamaica, he won first place in the boys’ category and a scholarship prize of US$2,500.
Young people interested in learning more about the club, can visit www.optimistcayman.com
Home Shopping Network featured Cayman’s Tortuga Rum Cakes
As part of a feature on gourmet foods, “Flavours from Around the World” Home Shopping Network’s television channel show, Cayman Islands’ Tortuga Rum Cakes was one of the gourmet items on display.
The show was aired on Monday evening and Tuesday morning and afternoon.
Monique Hamaty-Simmonds, chief marketing officer for Tortuga International said she was thrilled “to have our delicious Caribbean rum cakes promoted to the vast HSN audience”.
TEDx forum to host “ideas worth spreading”
Creative forum TEDxSevenMileBeach will host a number of speakers who have 18 minutes to deliver thought-provoking and interactive dialogue based on the concept “ideas worth spreading” at the Harquail Theatre on Thursday (3).
TEDx supports independent organizers who want to create a TED-like event in their own community, according to the TEDx website. It is a spinoff of TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design), a global set of conferences owned by the private nonprofit Sapling Foundation,
The event hits the island as a TED-style conference, an idea launched 30 years ago.
More than 9,000 TED events have been held in 157 countries, hosting speakers including former U.S. president Bill Clinton, philanthropist Bill Gates, Chef Jamie Oliver, Nobel Prize winners, and Sir Ken Robinson, whose TED talk “Schools kill creativity” received almost 15 million views. Other speakers, whose names may not be household words, present amazing, provocative and inspiring presentations. Some 1,600 talks are available free online.
Speakers at the George Town event will include wellness coach Annikki Brown, reading specialist Lisa Sullivan, music therapist Julianne Parolisi, brand designer Caine Smith, business communication expert Carrie Bedingfield and education-focused business leader Emma Donaldson.
Mental health professional Taylor Burrowes, REACH Communications CEO Javier Sanchez, children’s author, cartoonist, performer and storyteller Lady Rabia Abdul Hakim and green building and sustainability educator Marni Evans will also present their ideas.
8 more Cuban migrants arrive in Cayma
At around 1:30 p.m. on Friday 28th March Cayman Islands Immigration officials said 8 Cuban migrants came aground in Cayman Brac.
They have now joined 30 other detainees at the Immigration Detention Centre on Fairbanks Road, George Town, Grand Cayman.
They were flown across from the Brac in two groups last Saturday and Sunday.
Still at large are the three Cuban refugees who escaped the Detention Centre on Wednesday 19th March.
Jamaica court delays sentencing for Vybz Kartel and co-accused
From Caribbean360.
The sentencing of entertainer Vybz Kartel and his co-accused Shawn Campbell, Kahira Jones and Andre St John has been delayed until Thursday April 3.
In court on Thursday (9 March 27) morning, the Judge Justice Lennox Campbell asked the defense team provide some pertinent information before going ahead with handing down the sentences.
On March 13, Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, fellow entertainer Shawn ‘Shawn Storm’ Campbell, Kahira Jones and Andre St John were convicted for the August 16, 2011 murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams.
The sentencing will be the final stage of the record 65 day trial, which lasted for roughly five months.
Under Jamaican law, the penalty for murder is death, but since 1992 no convicted murderer has been executed, despite calls from the populace for the penalty to be utilised and a majority vote by legislators in Parliament in November 2008 in favour of retaining the penalty.
Meanwhile, Kartel faces more legal challenges, as he is scheduled to stand trial in court on August 11, for attempting to pervert the course of justice.
He’s charged jointly with entertainers, Vanessa Saddler otherwise called “Gaza Slim” and Andre Henry otherwise called “Pim Pim”.
The three were charged in 2012, following an investigation into a scheme to deceive the police in their probe of the murder of Williams
New recruits sworn in as police constables in Cayman Islands police force
The 13 RCIPS recruits that turned up to start their induction Monday have now been sworn in as police constables and have started their 16 weeks training course ahead of their life on the beat. The training will see the rookie officers cover a wide range of police work and important elements of the law as well as the RCIPS code of conduct and ethics in law enforcement, the bill of rights, providing an initial response to accidents, victim and witness support.
They will deal with searching individuals, premises, vehicles and open spaces, as well as arresting, detaining or reporting individuals.
Other subjects to be covered include: core criminal law subjects, forensics and crime scenes, managing conflict, conducting investigations, interviewing suspects, victims and witnesses, and First Aid.
Eight of the group already have either an associate’s degree from the University College of the Cayman Islands, are still working towards an associate’s degree, or have spent some time studying at this level. One is in his final year at the Cayman Islands Law School and another is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in criminology through the University of the West Indies Open Campus.
The trainee constables come from a wide range of different vocational backgrounds, including nursing, insurance, accounting, the hospitality industry and professional sports. A few have already worked for the police as civilian staff, or in the special constabulary.
Deputy Commissioner Anthony Ennis who headed the committee responsible for the recruitment process said that this is the largest number of successful candidates to be Caymanian or have permanent residency.
