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Community Events
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.
FRI JULY 24
NWDA Financial Awareness Workshop
The National Workforce Development Agency is hosting a Financial Awareness Workshop on Friday (24 Jul) from 930 to 330pm. Call 945.3114 for more information.
Immigration Closures
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. Only work permit and permanent residence applications 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.
SAT JULY 25
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, Camana 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.
Hillside Chapel Memorial Service
The public is invited to a memorial service for the late Rev M. Lee King MBE on Saturday (25 Jul) at Hillside Chapel in Cayman Brac at 6:00pm.
MON JULY 27
Boatswain Bay Presbyterian Church VBS
The Boatswain Bay Presbyterian Church is hosting Vacation Bible School under the theme Everest Monday — Friday (27 — 31 Jul) from 830am. For more information call, 925.5737.
Fellowship Baptist Church Cayman Brac VBS
Fellowship Baptist Church Cayman Brac invites all primary school children to their Annual VBS “Everest” from July 27 — 31 at the Aston Rutty Centre from 5:30 — 8:15pm. For further info or to request transportation, call 948-0218.
Brac Basketball Camp
The Sister Islands Department of Sports is hosting a basketball camp at Layman Scott High School Monday — Friday (27 – 31 Jul) from 830am until noon for ages 7– 17.
TUE JULY 28
National Gallery Summer Cine Club for Kids
National Gallery Summer Cine Club for Kids is back with an all new selection of neat movies to enjoy! Screenings will be every Tuesday afternoon starting at 2:00 PM and children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. To ensure that authentic cinema experience, popcorn, cookies and juice will be on sale at each showing. On July 28th the film is Cool Runnings.
Cayman mutual funds: cancellation rule change
By Kevin C Butler and Craig T Fulton From Conyers Dill & Pearman
On 30 March 2015, the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA) issued the Rule on Cancellation of Licence or Certificate of Registration of Regulated Mutual Funds and the Regulatory Procedure for Cancellation of Licences issued pursuant to Section 5 and Certificates of Registration, issued pursuant to sections 4(3) and 4(1)(B) of the Mutual Funds Law.
The Rule on Cancellation of Licence or Certificate of Registration of Regulated Mutual Funds sets out a prescribed timeframe in which mutual funds must apply to CIMA to cancel a licence or certificate of registration.
A mutual fund is required to make an application to CIMA for the cancellation of a licence or certificate of registration when the mutual fund intends to cease to carry on, or has ceased to carry on, business as a mutual fund under the Mutual Funds Law on the earlier of: (i) 21 days from the date the mutual fund ceases to carry on business; or (ii) before 31 December of the year the mutual fund ceases to carry on business…
Jamaica: Bunting condemns slaying of 2nd cop within a week
From Jamaica Observer
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Minister of National Security Peter Bunting has expressed deep regret at last night’s brutal murder of yet another police officer in the Kingston Western Police Division.
Constable Lyndon Barrett – a five-year member of the police force – was shot by gunmen on Wellington Street in downtown Kingston whilst carrying out patrol duties in the area.
His life was snuffed out just a week after his colleague Woman Constable Crystal Thomas was shot dead by gunmen on a public passenger bus after being identified as a police officer. Both were assigned to the Denham Town Police Station.
“This is another sad day for the Jamaica Constabulary Force and Jamaica, and I call on all Jamaicans to join me in condemning this heinous crime,” said Minister Bunting.
He added: “We will not allow this cowardly attack on law and order to go unpunished. I wish to assure the Jamaican people that the police will not be deterred in their efforts to defend communities and to maintain the pressure on criminal elements”.
Bunting said, “On behalf of the Government of Jamaica, I wish to express deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Constable Barrett. I encourage the men and women of the Jamaica Constabulary to remain courageous and resolute in the face of these attacks. We have the capacity to track and apprehend these vicious attackers, whose agenda seems to be to cause fear among the citizenry. With the partnership and cooperation of the people of Jamaica, we will bring these perpetrators to justice.”
The security minister is currently in Washington where he is meeting with senior State Department and law enforcement officials on topics which include furthering cooperation on combating narcotics trafficking, organised crime, and the lottery scam as well as building the capacity of local law enforcement to deal with violent extremism.
For more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/Bunting-condemns-slaying-of-2nd-cop-within-a-week
Sunday’s CONCACAF Gold Cup 2015 Final at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field Sold Out
Tickets still available for Saturday’s Gold Cup Third-Place game at PPL Park in nearby Chester, PA, as Jamaica, Mexico, Panama and United States continue on road to Gold Cup title
Miami (Wednesday, July 22, 2015) – The Confederation of North, Central America and the Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) today announced that all tickets have been sold for the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2015 Final, which will be played this Sunday, July 26 (7:30 p.m. ET) at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field.
More than 66,000 fans are expected, making the Final likely to establish an all-time high for the largest crowd ever to attend a soccer match in Philadelphia, besting the previous record of 57,305, for a Real Madrid vs. Philadelphia Union exhibition match at Lincoln Financial Field in 2011.
Tickets for the Third-Place game of the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2015 are still available via www.GoldCup.org. That match will be played at PPL Park in nearby Chester, PA, on Saturday, July 25 at 4 p.m. ET. The 2015 Gold Cup finals weekend promises to be a celebration of the best soccer nations in the region, offering sports fans a taste of the beautiful sport to cap off the summer.
The Gold Cup semifinals – to be played this Wednesday evening, July 22, at a sold-out Georgia Dome in Atlanta — will feature the United States vs. Jamaica and Panama vs. Mexico in an historic double-header set to determine the finals weekend’s matchups. The games can be seen in the United States on the Fox Sports 1, UniMás and UDN, and can be heard on Fútbol de Primera radio network.
Organizers encourage fans with tickets to the Final in Philadelphia to arrive early to enjoy Futbol Fiesta, the interactive fan-zone starting at 3:30 p.m. at HeadHouse Plaza in the north end of Lincoln Financial Field. Parking lots will open at 2:30 p.m., and stadium gates will open at 6 p.m. — all times local. The Gold Cup Final will be televised nationally on the Fox Sports and Univision family of networks, and can also be heard on the Fútbol de Primera radio network.
With Sunday’s sellout — the sixth of the tournament, joining Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Kansas City and Atlanta – the 2015 Gold Cup ticket sales will surpass 500,000, placing this edition among the most successful tournaments in CONCACAF history.
Police to probe report that top officials siphoned money off Guyana’s state-owned power company
From Freedom Wall 106.5
Guyana Power & Light-1GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Thursday July 23, 2015 – A top official at the Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL) has been sent on administrative leave after it was discovered that millions of dollars from the state-owned company had been transferred to his personal account without approval.
Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson disclosed yesterday that Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Administration, Aerswar Deonarine, is on leave pending further investigations.
A director of the GPL’s board, Carvil Duncan, is also under the microscope for paying himself without approval.
Patterson further disclosed that the matter is now in the hands of police.
The minister told reporters at a post-Cabinet media briefing that the unauthorized transfers in April, May and June totaling almost GUY$30 million (US$144,785) were discovered during a forensic audit at GPL.
Both Deonarine and Duncan were signatories to the GPL bank account which received disbursements from the PetroCaribe Fund that held the money from Guyana’s rice trade with Venezuela.
“[Deonarine] transferred the sum of GUY$27.8 million (US$134,168) to his account,” Patterson said.
He alleged that Deonarine, in collusion with Duncan, transferred the money to his account as retroactive payments for a salary hike that was never approved.
Patterson explained that Deonarine had made several approaches to the board of directors to move his salary up to the same level as the GPL’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Operations & Projects).
However, the minister said, at no time did the board give him the green light, neither did the former prime minister Sam Hinds nor former president Donald Ramotar assent to the transfer.
It is further alleged that Duncan, who is also president of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions, approved GUY$948,000 (US$4,575) for himself.
Patterson said Duncan had approved retroactive payments, dating back 48 months.
He explained that while Duncan was paid a GUY$5,000 (US$24.13) allowance per month as a board member, he repeatedly insisted that the amount be quadrupled to GUY$20,000 (US$96.52). No approval was given for that increase either.
Muslim leader Abu Bakr released from police custody without charge
From CARIBBEAN360
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Thursday July 23, 2015 – After two nights in custody, Jamaat al Muslimeen leader Yasin Abu Bakr yesterday afternoon walked out of a police station in Port of Spain, without charge.
But he has so far declined to speak publicly about his experience or the questions he faced, choosing instead to thank Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams and the officers who dealt with him during his detention at Central Police Station for the “professionalism” with which they handled him.
The 74-year-old Imam was one of several Jamaat al Muslimeen members taken into custody following pre-dawn raids at their residences on Monday and questioned by police over the last two days about the May 4, 2014 murder of senior counsel Dana Seetahal.
Seetahal – who prosecuted Abu Bakr for sedition and supervised the sale of some of his properties to recoup money for the damage done to state property during the 1990 attempted coup which he led – was shot multiple times as she was driving home around 12:05 a.m.
Senior Jamaat member Hassan Ali, who was among those arrested, was also released yesterday. The others continue to be questioned at separate police stations.
“I wish to thank Allah for my release. He is the one final determinator in all affairs,” Abu Bakr told reporters after walking out of the police station with his attorney Criston Williams around 1 p.m., and greeting supporters who had kept vigil since his arrest.
“I also wish to thank my immediate family, my wives and children and, more than anything else, all the people who braved the weather, night and day, to be here.”
Abu Bakr also declined to say whether he believed his arrest was politically motivated.
While he was behind bars, his son Fuad Abu Bakr and second in command Lorris Ballack made that allegation, saying his detention was another example of the persecution he had endured over the years, particularly since the July 27, 1990 insurrection.
Ballack repeated that charge yesterday and said consideration would be given to whether legal action would be taken against the police for false imprisonment.
While details about the probe into Seetahal’s murder have not been confirmed by police, several media outlets have reported that investigators have gathered forensic evidence – including DNA from the detained men –, obtained recordings of telephone conversations, and seized a pick-up truck that may have been used by the senior counsel’s killers.
Following his release from prison, Abu Bakr attended the funeral of one of the sons of Imam Morland Muakyil Abdullah. The 22-year-old Akmal Lynch was gunned down around 12:30 a.m. yesterday as he and his 25-year-old brother, Aquiy, were on security guard duty at a construction site.
Aquiy was shot in the foot but was treated in hospital and released in time to attend his younger sibling’s funeral.
Class of diabetes drugs may also help with Parkinson’s disease
By ANI From Yahoo News
Washington DC, July 22 (ANI): Scientists have found a link between a class of drugs used to treat diabetes and protection against Parkinson’s disease (PD).
The study conducted by Dr. Ruth Brauer, of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, found a lower incidence of PD among people using a glitazone drug (either rosiglitazone or pioglitazone) to treat diabetes when compared to people who had used different treatments for diabetes.
These findings are consistent with animal and in vitro studies which suggested that glitazones and other drugs that target peroxisome proliferation-activated receptor gamma may have neuroprotective effects.
It is important to note that these results may not apply to people without diabetes and do not indicate whether glitazones can slow PD progression.
Further, it is possible that unknown patient characteristics associated with glitazone use might also be linked to PD, contributing to the appearance of a direct causal connection. In addition, glitazones have been associated with serious side effects.
However, the authors are hopeful that these findings may pave the way towards other treatments that target the same pathway.
The study is published in PLOS Medicine. (ANI)
For more: https://in.news.yahoo.com//class-diabetes-drugs-may-help-parkinsons-disease-061351112.html
Miranda Lambert: I didn’t cheat on Blake he cheated on me!
BY TMZ STAFF
Miranda Lambert has kept her boots where they’ve always been … under her bed, and says she was never unfaithful during her 4 year marriage to Blake Shelton … but he was.
It’s a classic case of he said/she said … but sources close to Lambert say Shelton’s the one who strayed … with a famous country singer no less.
The sources claim Blake’s camp was unscrupulous, and threw mud with the help of a powerful PR firm that attacked Miranda before the ink was dry on the divorce docs.
We’re told she’s incensed Blake accused her of cheating with a country singer. She says it never happened, and so does the singer.
As we reported, the divorce is so bitter, Blake ordered Miranda to clear her exotic animals off his Oklahoma ranch the very day the judge made the divorce official.
IMAGE: 0721-shelton-lambert-tmz-01
For more: http://www.tmz.com/2015/07/22/miranda-lambert-blake-shelton-divorce-cheat/#ixzz3gjd1wtw1
Sony is launching drone services for businesses
By Adario Strange From Mashable
After the robot dog AIBO and the cute, humanoid bot QRIO, Sony’s next robotic adventure will take to the skies.
In a departure from its consumer electronics focus, Sony has decided to dip its toes into the drone market. The company has formed a partnership with fellow Japanese firm ZMP to begin launching Sony-branded autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles.
The purpose: Data collection for business customers.
Called Aerosense, the venture will involve aerial image capture and cloud-based data processing in the interest of what Sony calls “measuring, surveying, observing, and inspecting” for enterprise customers.
Using Sony robotics, camera and sensing technology and its telecommunications network, along with ZMP’s automated driving technology, the autonomous drones will extend Sony’s reach into the rapidly expanding field of drone-assisted data collection.
Companies such as Vine Rangers and AeroHarvest, both of which use drones to help farmers monitor and assess the health of their crops, show the benefits of drones beyond warfare and aerial photography.
Set to launch in August, the joint venture (Sony owns a little over 50% and ZMP a little over 49%) will use VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) drones. But regular consumers won’t be able to get their hands on them; according a report in the Wall Street Journal, none of those devices will be offered for sale to the public.
IMAGE: SONY
Match-ups set for CONCACAF Gold Cup 2015 Finals Weekend in Philadelphia July 25-26
Tickets still available at GoldCup.org for United States vs. Panama in Third Place match at PPL Park; Playoff date for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup set for Oct. 9
Miami (Thursday, July 23, 2015) – The Confederation of North, Central America and the Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) announced today the official pairings and game times of the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup Finals weekend in Philadelphia on July 25 and 26. The Third Place Match, between the United States and Panama will be played on Saturday, July 25 at 4 p.m. ET at PPL Park. The sold-out Final at Lincoln Financial Field – featuring Jamaica and Mexico – on Sunday, July 26 is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
CONCACAF further announced Wednesday night the date for the single-game playoff for a berth in the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017, given that the Gold Cup 2015 will crown a new champion following the semifinal loss for the United States. The United States, winner of the 2013 Gold Cup, will now face the 2015 Gold Cup champion on Friday, October 9 to determine the nation that will represent the CONCACAF region in that FIFA tournament. The match will be played at a venue to be determined. Venue and ticket information for the Oct. 9 event, held during the FIFA international match window, will be announced in the coming weeks.
Tickets for the Third Place Match on Saturday between the United States and Panama are still available via www.GoldCup.org and at the PPL Park stadium box office (Thursday and Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and game day starting at 11 a.m.). Fans can arrive early on Saturday to enjoy Futbol Fiesta, the interactive fan-zone starting at 1 p.m. at the Toyota Plaza in PPL Park. Parking lots will open at 11 a.m., and stadium gates will open at 3 p.m. – all times local.
Jamaica — in its first-ever Gold Cup final as the first Caribbean nation to participate in the championship game — will meet six-time Gold Cup champion Mexico in the grand finale, on Sunday. More than 68,000 fans are expected, and the event will likely mark the largest crowd ever to attend a soccer match at Lincoln Financial
Field, besting the previous record set in 2003 in the stadium’s inaugural soccer match.
Organizers encourage fans with tickets to the Final on Sunday to arrive early to enjoy Futbol Fiesta starting at 3:30 p.m. at HeadHouse Plaza in the north end of Lincoln Financial Field. Parking lots will open at 2:30 p.m., and stadium gates will open at 6 p.m. — all times local.
The Gold Cup Third Place Match and the Final will be televised nationally on the Fox Sports and Univision family of networks, and can also be heard on the Fútbol de Primera radio network.
CONCACAF GOLD CUP 2015 – FINALS WEEKEND SCHEDULE
THIRD PLACE MATCH
Saturday, July 25, 2015
PPL Park (Chester, PA)
United States (Loser SF 1) vs. Panama (Loser SF 2) — 4:00 p.m. ET
FINAL
Sunday – July 26, 2015
Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, PA)
Jamaica (Winner SF 1) vs. Mexico (Winner SF 2) — 7:30 p.m. ET
Global warming a Carib threat
By Nelson A. King From Caribbean Life
Subject to double vulnerability, from external economic shocks and natural disasters, the Organization of American States (OAS) says the islands of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) see sustainable development as an “urgent necessity rather than a politically correct slogan for the future.”
In effect, the OAS said on Tuesday that the impact of global warming is particularly worrying for the Caribbean region.
Alluding to a recent report on Latin America and the Caribbean by the World Bank, the Washington-based hemispheric body said an increase of 2 degrees Celsius in the global temperature before the end of the century will lead to “concrete threats.”
These include an increase of 40 percent in the number of severe hurricanes, with twice the force compared to the world average, a decrease of up to 50 percent of the volume of fishing hauls, and a “massive rise” in ocean levels.
The heads of state of CARICOM, who met last week in Barbados, moved forward in their intention to present a common vision at the upcoming Inter-American and global meetings, especially in the environment of the United Nations, in addressing the post-2015 objectives, the OAS noted.
In particular, it said they will seek to influence the International Conference on Financing for Development, currently underway in Addis Adaba, Ethiopia; and at the Special United Nations Summit on Sustainable Development, to take place in September in New York; as well as at the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21), in Paris in December.
“We must work to find a global solution for the impact of climate change raising the voice of the Americas,” said the Secretary General of the OAS Luis Almagro, in reference to COP21.
The Secretary General took part in the Caribbean Summit as a special invitee, together with the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, and the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Alicia Bárcena, among others.
In the final declaration of the Summit, the CARICOM leaders said they were “acutely aware of the opportunity provided to build truly vibrant societies and resilient economies and chart a new era of sustainable development for the region and the world”, the OAS noted.
In the case of climate change, the Caribbean heads of state ratified the Declaration on Climate Actions that had been adopted in May, which defines a common position ahead of COP21.
Almagro said the OAS is “an excellent platform for amplifying the positions of the Caribbean on these issues and to bring them together with a common position of the entire hemisphere.”
He said that following two decades of negotiations, the OAS will help the international community reach a binding agreement to mitigate and adapt to the impact of climate change.
The OAS secretary general reiterated his intention to create a system for the prevention and management of natural disasters in the Caribbean and Central America, including the articulation of a network of best practices with the system of the United Nations and other multilateral organizations.
In accordance with the economic and development needs set forth by CARICOM, Almagro insisted on the need to put into practice initiatives on digital, fluvial, and aerial interconnectivity in the region; attracting investments; and improving the quality of education, as well as expanding work opportunities for young people.
IMAGE: Associated Press / Jacquelyn Martin
New Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary General Luis Almagro speaks to the media during a news conference at the 45th OAS General Assembly, Tuesday June 16, 2015, in Washington.
For more: http://www.caribbeanlifenews.com/stories/2015/7/2015-07-15-nk-development-cl.html
‘De-risking’ diaspora remittances
The Commonwealth has pledged to work with regional and international financial institutions to reduce the risks associated with diaspora money transfers, which provide a crucial source of income to citizens in many developing countries.
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the US Treasury, regional bodies, international experts, central bank governors and global banks will attend a Commonwealth-led forum on remittances and regulations to tackle money laundering and terrorist financing.
The dialogue, which will take place in Marlborough House, London from 20 – 21 July 2015, will explore the implications of the de-banking of the remittance sector and identify policies to effectively address the impact of anti-money laundering and counter financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regulations on money transfers.
“While AML/CFT regulations are essential to protect the integrity of the financial system, measures such as the closure of money transfer operators can have a marked impact on the flow of remittances,” said Deodat Maharaj, Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General.
He added: “At their meetings in 2014, Commonwealth Finance Ministers and central bank governors from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific, emphasised the importance of balancing the need to tackle money laundering and terrorist financing with the need for financial inclusion. These concerns were echoed at the annual Commonwealth and Francophonie Dialogue with the G20, in April 2015.”
Eight Commonwealth developing countries are among the most dependent on remittances, with India receiving US$71 billion from diaspora communities – the highest value of remittances in 2014. Money transfers to the Caribbean and Africa also exceeded all other forms of external finance.
Mr Maharaj said: “The Commonwealth Secretariat is acting with urgency to find a way to decrease the cost of money transfers and to make remittances a viable and secure source of finance for developing countries.
“International co-operation remains crucial to maximise the mobilisation of all forms of finance – be they private or public. In this regard the Commonwealth is bringing together all key stakeholders to ensure that the development potential of remittances is not unduly constrained.”
FATF Executive Secretary, Rick McDonell, who will present the keynote speech at the event, added: “The FATF fully supports the objectives of financial inclusion and recognises the importance of remittances in many parts of the world. We believe that the international standards can and should be implemented in a balanced way that satisfies the need for appropriate regulation but does not unnecessarily obstruct international money transfers.”
Mr McDonnell described the dialogue as “a good opportunity to exchange views on whether that balance is being achieved.”
The outcome of the forum, which will take place just three days after the Financing for Development conference in Ethiopia, where discussions centred on domestic revenue mobilisation, as well as innovative financing, will feed into meetings with finance ministers and central bank governors, and the continued engagement with the G20. The forum also comes ahead of the UN summit on the post-2015 sustainable development goals and climate change that will take place later this year.
