iNews Briefs, More and Community Events
Community Events
Lutheran pastor to speak at Men’s Breakfast Meeting
The Grand Cayman chapter of the Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship International holds its monthly breakfast meeting this Sat. July 25th at the Upper Crust restaurant, Caymana Bay. The guest speaker is Pastor Hasskari of the Safe Harbour Lutheran church. The meeting starts at 7.30a.m. and further info. can be obtained by calling 949-5720/ 924-8245.
Immigration Department Closure On 31 July 2015
The Department of Immigration Headquarters, including Passport & Corporate Services, Visa Office and Front Counter, will be closed to the public for all but essential services on Friday, 31 July 2015. Only work permit and permanent residence applications (including applications for permission to continue to work (PCW)) that must be submitted prior to 1 August in order to allow continued employment will be accepted.
Time sensitive applications for visitor extensions will also be accepted.
The Passport & Corporate Services Office will not accept any applications but passports and visa waivers may be collected at the Immigration main counter location.
The Department will resume normal operations on Monday, 3 August and will also remain open to the public until 7.00pm on Wednesday 29 and Thursday 30 July.
The Department apologizes for any inconvenience the closure on 31 July may cause.
THU JULY 23
National Gallery Summer Arts Drop Ins
The National Gallery of the Cayman Islands is thrilled to be hosting a Summer of Art, free programming that allows kids to utilise their creativity by participating in a range of imaginative activities. Drop-in sessions will take place in the National Gallery Education Centre every Thursday afternoon from 2:00 PM — 4:00 PM Each Summer Camp Drop-in session is different and gives kids ages 6 to 14 multiple opportunities to take part in a range of art-related activities including stenciling, creative group activities, painting, drawing and more.
Lookya
Lookya is this Thursday (23 Jul) the Cayman Islands National Museum showcasing traditional arts and crafts featuring West Bay artisans. Fish and Fritters, heavy cakes made from ground provisions, cassava and bananas, will be on sale. The event is from 10am until 2pm.
Cubans Repatriated from Cayman Islands
On Tuesday, 21 July 2015, the Department of Immigration, assisted by Her Majesty’s Cayman Islands Prison Service, Royal Cayman Islands Police Service and Her Majesty’s Customs, repatriated a total of 49 Cuban migrants to Havana, Cuba.
The group, who were housed at the Immigration Reception Center in Fairbanks next to the Female Prison, consisted of migrants who arrived in four separate groups on 10th, 14th, 17th and 20th June 2015.
Now, remaining in Government’s care are three Cuban migrants who await finalization of their processes with the department.
Cayman Islands: New road opens at Grand Cayman airport
A new road complete with mini-roundabout has just opened connecting the Owen Roberts International Airport, Grand Cayman to North Sound Road.
This means persons can quickly get to the airport without having to drive around
Industrial Park.
The work began last May.
A 2,000-foot stretch of new pavement has been constructed outside the airport that links with Red Gate Road, close to the Water Authority headquarters.
Caribbean Winds to unveil sunny and sleek new website
MARGARITA ISLAND, Venezuela, July 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Caribbean Winds, one of the leading Caribbean hotel booking sites, has announced this week it is preparing to unveil a newly-designed website. The all new Caribbean Winds will offer a fully-responsive booking engine bursting with striking imagery of the Caribbean, a detailed blog full of Caribbean travel tips, and a more interactive experience for customers.
Full of passion for the charms of the Caribbean and those destinations that border the Caribbean Sea, Caribbean Winds has grown to be the premiere concierge for the entire region. Looking to offer customers a true slice of paradise before they’ve even booked their vacation, the stylish new website will be more alive with the color and flavor of the Caribbean than ever before.
Additional new features will include hotel profile pages with fuller descriptions and live weather streaming, a sleeker and more responsive design, real-time TripAdvisor reviews and more personalized content that reflects the brand’s passion for the Caribbean.
Founder and CEO, Paul Caswell, says: “I have lived all over the Caribbean and want to use my personal knowledge of these islands to help vacationers find their slice of paradise. I believe this new website design is the perfect portal to do just that.”
To visit Caribbean Winds, head to www.caribbeanwinds.com.
Founded by Paul Caswell in 2004, a man with a passion for kitesurfing and the charm of the Caribbean lifestyle, Caribbean Winds has evolved into a travel company unlike any other. Paul and his team forged real relationships with hoteliers throughout the islands, and have personally visited over 80% of the destinations featured on Caribbean Winds.
Five Centuries after Columbus, Honduran Caribbean Port connects visitors with culture, history and nature
Town of Trujillo provides new mainland option for international cruise ships of various sizes
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Following the upcoming Columbus Day holiday, American cruise passengers will have the option of a unique port-of-call that is being developed where the Italian explorer made his fourth and final visit to the New World. Once known as Punta de Caxinas, 500 years of a history of pirates, gold and silver and Spanish fortresses await visitors to the port town of Trujillo today. The Norwegian Pearl will set sail from Miami on October 18 to the newly developed Honduran destination, and smaller liners such as the adult-only Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines have also added Trujillo as an enticing stop.
Following a 2011 groundbreaking on a 50,000 square foot commercial center, the beachfront colonial town welcomed its first commercial liner in early 2014. With the motto: “Where the rainforest meets the sea,” today the destination offers the nation’s first mainland counterpart to its famed island destinations such as Roatan. Both offer beautiful white sandy beaches and retail spaces, with the new Banana Coast development also offering more easy access to day trips to experience indigenous cultures and ziplines over the 500-year-old Spanish Royal Road. Those looking for a guided tour of the area can even choose whether to set out upon an ATV, a kayak or even horseback.
While excitement abounds regarding the coming opportunities for prosperity for the town of about 30,000 residents; the spirit first established by Spanish settlers in 1525 is being preserved today. The new development allows visitors from around the world to retrace Columbus’s steps and see much of the same wildlife, nature and beauty that greeted the first visitor five centuries ago.
IMAGE: Five centuries after Columbus, Honduran Caribbean Port connects visitors with culture, history and nature. (Photo: Business Wire)
Syria: Three Spanish journalists ‘kidnapped in Aleppo’
By Gianluca Mezzofiore From International Business Times
The Spanish federation of journalists has reported that three Spanish freelance journalists are missing in Aleppo, Syria.
Antonio Pampliega, José Manuel López and Ángel Sastre, were conducting an investigation in the Syrian city when they went missing.
Elsa Gonzalez, president of the Federation of Press Associations of Spain, told national television by telephone that the journalists have not been heard for at least several days.
ABC Espana reported that the three have been kidnapped by an unknown group.
The Spanish foreign ministry told IBTimes UK that they were aware of the situation and were having a meeting to discuss it.
The three journalists allegedly entered Syria on 9 July from southern Turkey and disappeared within a few hours.
Pampliega is a contributor for the Spanish production company Cuerdos de Atar. He covered
Sastre’s last tweet dates back to 10 July and reads “courage” in Spanish, English and Arabic.
For more: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/syria-three-spanish-journalists-kidnapped-aleppo-1511922
Guardian Life of the Caribbean awards $10,000 in grants to the Top 10 achievers
From CARIBBEAN360
IMAGE: Guardian-Life-of-the-Caribean-managerial-staff-with-the-11-Plus-Top-10-Achievers
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Saturday July 18, 2015 – Guardian Group, with its pledged commitment to support the development and educational advancement of young persons, recently honoured the top 10 students who wrote this year’s 2015 Barbados Secondary Schools Entrance Examination.
The students and their parents were recently invited to a brief presentation ceremony at the Guardian Group offices in Upper Collymore Rock, St. Michael where Fabian Bishop, Unit Manager, Guardian Life announced that each student would receive a BD$1000.00 grant in recognition of their outstanding academic performance. This announcement came as a pleasant surprise to the parents as they were expecting their children to be presented with gifts such as school supplies or technological gadgets.
This initiative not only commemorates Guardian Life of the Caribbean’s 10th Anniversary of service in Barbados but is reflective of its support to youth development under the Guardian Group brand, a positioning that extend more than 16 years.
Each beaming student was presented with a cheque in the amount of BD$1,000.00; to be used towards the purchase of school supplies as well as undertaking financial planning for the students’ academic endeavours.
One proud mom elated: “For the children to be actually presented money is fantastic. Most companies customarily give gifts, but I think it is a privilege that Guardian Life has given money, so parents can specifically purchase school supplies for their children.” Another excited parent indicated that some of the money will be used for school, and that she would prefer to invest the rest of it to start a policy for her daughter. Both students and parents expressed their gratitude and thanked Guardian Life of the Caribbean for their foresight.
Guardian Group will continue to endorse such outstanding accomplishments and extends a hearty congratulations and well wishes of success to these young students as they prepare to embark on their new journey to secondary school.
A mother and tutor at MidKent College, Teresa Cummins, died while on holiday in the Caribbean
From My Informs
A mother and popular tutor, who taught for more than 10 years at a college, has died while on a trip to the Caribbean.
Teresa Cummins was in her 50s and taught at MidKent College in Gillingham. She was in Antigua when she died.
This afternoon Simon Cook, Principal of Midkent college said: “We were deeply saddened and shocked to learn of the tragic accident involving Teresa Cummins whilst on holiday.
Canada changes entry requirements for visa-exempt travellers
From Caribbean News Now
TORONTO, Canada — The government of Canada has issued a revision to its new entry requirements for all visa-exempt travellers seeking to enter Canada by air.
Effective March 15, 2016, it will become mandatory for visa-exempt travellers to Canada to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA). The application must be submitted online and will be available from August 1, 2015.
Citizens of some 58 countries, whose citizens do not require a visa to enter Canada, will as of March 15, 2016, require an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) before travelling to Canada. The authorization is electronically linked to a passport and is valid for five years or until the passport expires. The eTA is not a visa requirement but a simple travel authorization system that will allow for smooth immigration processing on arrival in Canada.
Therefore, the eTA does not affect the visa free entry that nationals of certain countries are currently afforded, including Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas and Barbados.
According to the Department of Citizenship and Immigration of Canada, the eTA Program is a key commitment of the Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness Action Plan and will mirror the current US Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) Program to ensure a common approach to screening travellers outside the North American perimeter.
Starting August 1, 2015, affected travellers to Canada will be able to apply for an eTA through an online application process. In the vast majority of cases, eTA applications will be approved through an electronic processing system within minutes and will cost CDN$7.
Stereos get six major automakers sued for patent infringement
By John Council,From Texas Lawyer
A Texas automotive electronics maker has sued six major foreign automakers in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, claiming that millions of cars they produced infringed on a patent for integrating music players and multimedia devices into their vehicles stereo systems.
In five separate suits filed before U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap of Marshall, Blitzsafe Texas alleges that Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Hyundai, Kia and Volkswagen all infringed on its invention, which allows third-party audio devices such as iPods to be controlled using a car’s radio controls. Previously, such devices could not be integrated into a car stereo and could only be connected by a wire.
“The inventor who was also the principal at Blitzsafe has been manufacturing and selling the Blitzsafe product for many years. And he came up with this invention at a time when it was not possible to connect external devices like a CD player or an iPod and control that device through the audio system,” said Alfred Fabricant, a partner in the New York office of Brown Rudnick, who filed the complaints on behalf of Blitzsafe on July 16.
Fabricant said the defendant auto companies were far behind in incorporating third-party audio and multimedia devices into their car stereos five years ago.
“What they essentially did, they built the Blitzsafe invention into their radios so there was no need to buy the Blitzsafe product. They just took his magic little box, and they put it into their system,” Fabricant said.
Fabricant said his client has no defined damage claim currently. “But there are tens of millions of cars that defendants have sold. And the patent continues,” Fabricant said. “There are a lot of automobiles with the infringing products.”
Representatives for Nissan, Kia and Volkswagen all did not return calls and emails for comment. Hyundai declined to comment about the case in an email. Toyota also declined to comment.
Blitzsafe is likely to overcome a potential venue change challenge by the defendants in the popular patent venue because it has an office in Marshall—which hasn’t been there very long, Fabricant said. Blitzsafe, which also has an office in New Jersey, moved to Texas partly because the state doesn’t have an income tax. Blitzsafe ultimately decided that Marshall was “the best place for this company to do business,” Fabricant said.
“I think the most important thing is, unlike a great number of cases that are filed in the Eastern District, this is not an NPE [nonpracticing entity],” Fabricant said. “This is a true inventor who made a product because people wanted it.”
Jamaica: FATCA takes effect next month
From Jamaica Gleaner
Effective August 17, financial institutions in Jamaica will be required to transmit relevant financial information to Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) – the competent authority – on persons who reside permanently in the United States (US) or persons who earn a substantial amount of their income from or within the United States.
TAJ shall be obliged to submit the information received from local financial institutions to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the US.
However, for all subsequent years, the reporting date for the competent authority will be May 31 of each year.
This development comes in the wake of the passage yesterday of the Revenue Administration (Amendment) Act with two amendments.
The bill was piloted by Finance and Planning Minister Dr Peter Phillips.
The bill, which received support from both the Government and Opposition in the House of Representatives, gives legislative effect to an agreement signed by the US and Jamaican authorities in May 2014 as part of the Foreign Accounts Tax Compliance Act (FATCA).
According to Phillips, under the model agreement between both countries, financial institutions will be required to report specified financial account information on US persons who hold financial accounts with local institutions.
The FATCA agreement provides a framework for automatic exchange of financial account information to be used in tax compliance and the non-compliance of which attracts a penalty for American citizens or persons who reside in the US or who earn a substantial part of their income from and within the US.
FATCA, which was introduced in 2010, is a system of reporting for foreign financial institutions in respect of their financial accounts held by US taxpayers or US persons. The US law is intended to combat offshore tax evasion by US taxpayers.
For more: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20150722/fatca-takes-effect-next-month
India arrests 16 for beheading woman for ‘witchcraft’
From BBC
Police say villagers blamed a woman for their illnesses
Police in India say they have held 16 people in connection with the killing of a woman accused of practising witchcraft.
Purni Orang, 63, was stripped naked and beheaded by villagers in Assam state, after she was blamed for illness in a tribal settlement in Sonitpur district.
Among those arrested were nine women.
Police in Assam say nearly 90 people, mostly women, have been beheaded, burnt alive or stabbed to death after such accusations over the last six years.
Branding women as witches is particularly prevalent among tribal communities and tea plantation workers in the state.
The police said the villagers in Sonitpur district had killed another woman after branding her a witch some seven years ago.
A group of villagers have protested at the local police station, demanding the release of those arrested.
“Purni was a witch and had cast evil spells on her enemies, there is no place for such sorcerers and so her killing is justified”, Kiran Teronpi, a villager, was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.
In October, an Indian athlete Debjani Bora was severely beaten after being branded a witch in Assam.
Experts say superstitious beliefs are behind some of these attacks, but there are occasions when people – especially widows – are targeted for their land and property.
For more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-33605244
US$160M C&W Investment for Barbados
BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS–(Marketwired ) – C&W is investing US$160M in Barbados as the Company rolls out its new retail brand Flow on the island as part of its merger with Columbus Communications. Barbados is the first country to launch the newly combined retail brand. Niall Sheehy, Country Manager of the ‘new’ Flow, revealed a number of significant developments for Barbados.
“What we have today is the product of two legacies working in unison to meet our customers’ needs,” said Sheehy. Under the new consumer brand Flow, the company has combined the strengths of the former LIME and Flow organisations and is positioning Barbados as the first country in the world with 100% Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) broadband connectivity.
The FTTH network will allow the Company to bring new and cutting edge services to its customers. As a start, customers will receive telephone (mobile and landline) video, audio, television and just about any other kind of digital data stream using Flow’s comprehensive FTTH broadband connection. Sheehy indicated that the consumers will benefit from bundling of products, new and exciting apps and the ability to access products and services from a variety of platforms, via its network.
Sheehy also outlined other aspects of the company’s investments in Barbados as the Company rolls out its new consumer brand. “We have already moved into our new corporate home in Warrens (formerly the Orange Mall) and on August 1, we will officially transition from our Customer Care Centre at SkyMall to a new retail store under the Flow brand.
This new retail outlet will serve as the touch-point for all our products and services of the combined entity,” he said. “Customers will still be able to access a full Flow Customer Service Centre at Windsor Lodge (formerly LIME),” added Sheehy. “These changes are part of a wider plan to ensure that our newly combined company meets our stated goal of putting the customer at the heart of what we do.”
Sheehy also informed that the company is currently transitioning all of its products and services to the Flow brand. He noted that the transition phase will take some time, during which customers may still see communications using the former LIME and Flow brands.
Hedge Funds in the red for the first time in 2015 By Preqin
From Value Walk
The Preqin All-Strategies Hedge Fund benchmark was down 0.75% in June 2015, ending its five month streak of positive performance.
The hedge fund industry has posted average returns of -0.75% for June, the first month this year of negative performance. Despite this, the benchmark has still returned 4.50% year-to-date. Single-manager Hedge Funds were not the only fund structures which fared poorly in June; UCITS posted returns of -1.76%, and CTAs made losses of -2.66%, their worst monthly performance since July 2008. The only leading strategy with positive performance for the month was relative value, which posted a return of 0.17%. Relative value strategy funds have 
seen only two months of negative performance in the past 18 months.
Other Key Hedge Funds Stats:
Both Asia-focused funds and Europe-focused funds saw negative performance of -1.82% and -1.06% respectively in June, in the wake of turbulence surrounding Chinese and Greek markets.
Despite their poor performance in the past month, Europe- and Asia-based funds accounted for more launches in Q2 (22% and 9% respectively) than in Q1, as North America-focused funds dropped to 67% of the market total.
Discretionary CTAs posted returns of -0.53%, compared to systematic CTAs which saw average returns of -3.56%. Despite this, CTAs as a whole are still holding on to positive performance for the year with 0.11%.
Funds of CTAs were hit especially badly with an average return of -6.95% for June and currently stand at -5.10% for 2015 YTD. Funds of hedge funds were down 1.22% in June 2015, but are up 2.93% for the year-to-date.
Alternative mutual funds have seen a notable decline in the proportion of fund launches they account for in the past six months. From a record high of 16% of total hedge fund launches in Q4 2014, they now represent only 3% of all launches in Q2 2015.
Credit strategies have fallen from 17% of launches in Q1, to 9% of launches in Q2, a figure similar to their market share in H2 2014. Conversely, relative value funds have more than doubled their proportion of launches to 12%, up from 5% in Q1.
To view the further information and analysis, please see the full report below:
https://www.preqin.com/docs/quarterly/hf/Preqin-Quarterly-Hedge-Fund-Update-Q2-2015.pdf
Comment:
“June has seen hedge funds post their first month of negative performance so far in 2015. The industry has had a run of five months of positive returns from the start of 2015, and surpassed full-year 2014 performance in May. However various macroeconomic events, notably the Greece/Eurozone crisis and the turbulence experienced in the China stock market, has led to hedge funds failing to generate positive returns in June and has dented the year-to-date return of the sector. CTAs have also suffered further following their strong returns in Q1 2015; a difficult Q2 has left the strategy only just clinging on to positive performance through the first half of the year.” Amy Bensted – Head of Hedge Fund Products, Preqin
For more: http://www.valuewalk.com/2015/07/hedge-funds-in-the-red-for-the-first-time-in-2015/
