iNews Briefs, More & Community Events
Community Events
8th Annual CISPA Gala “Back to the Future-Celebrating 45 years of excellence”
Date: 10/10/2015
Time: 6:30 PM
Ritz Carlton Seven Mile Beach
Phone: 749 3360
Register
Event Description: The 8th Annual CISPA Gala “Back to the Future-Celebrating 45 years of excellence” is a time to celebrate Caymanians who recently attained their professional accounting designations as well as a chance to celebrate the past and look to the future
Directions: The Ritz Carlton, Grand Cayman
Annual Meals on Wheels Dress Down Day
SAVE THE DATE
Dress Down Day Friday, 20th November, 2015
Help feed our Seniors we believe no-one in Cayman should go hungry.
Individuals can help by purchasing an orange ribbon for $5.00 or a tee shirt for $15.00 and wearing them on Dress Down Day, we are encouraging companies to match employee donations.
For more information or to sign up to participate please feel free to contact us via email at [email protected] or via telephone at 949-3905.
The Lions Club of Tropical Gardens Presents a Diabetes Health Fair
Free A1C Testing
By the Cayman Islands Diabetic Association (CIDA) For Persons with diabetes and a
strong family history of Diabetes.
Where: Church of God of Prophecy, Eastern Avenue, George Town
When: Saturday 29th August, 2015
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
CARE announces Cayman Islands 5th Annual Paws for wine
Sat Sept 26th Ristorante Pappagallo
Lions Club of Tropical Gardens Brenda Tibbetts-Lund Memorial 5K Walk/Run5K
Sunday October 3, 2015 in North Side at 6am
TUE AUG 25
Financial Assistance Meeting West Bay
There will be a financial assistance meeting in West Bay on Tuesday (25 Aug) at 7pm. The location will be announced later.
NG Late Night Meet & Greet
The National Gallery is hosting a Late Night Meet & Greet on Tuesday (25 Aug) from 5 — 8pm for a special viewing of the All Access Exhibition.
2015 Orientation Dates for Cayman Islands Government Schools
Released on behalf of the Education Ministry.
Cayman Islands Rotoract Blue visit local retirement home
The Cayman Islands Rotoract Blue made a special visit to the Pines Retirement Home recently as part of the service club’s annual “Feed the Elderly” campaign.
During the day, Rotaractors and residents enjoyed a relaxing afternoon playing cards, sharing words of wisdom and chatting about the good old days.
Not only did residents and caretakers enjoy the company of fresh new faces, but Rotaract Blue members say they also gained valuable insight from the residents.
Club president, Alice Ramos, urged the entire community to continue to honor and value older persons or simply lend a listening ear.
Lunch was sponsored by Mise en Place. The Club President said it is one of residents’ favorite food vendors.
The club will visit again next year and they have more projects in the works for the elderly community of the Cayman Islands.
Throughout the year, the club will also be focusing on its membership growth and wellness, collaboration with other local nonprofit organizations and creating projects locally and internationally.
Turks and Caicos government silent on sex trafficking report
From Caribbean News Now
PROVIDENCIALES, TCI — According to the US State Department 2015 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) is a destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labour. The local government has, however, remained silent on the issue.
According to local experts, the large population of migrants in the TCI from Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica are vulnerable to sex trafficking and forced labour, with stateless children and adolescents especially at risk.
Local stakeholders, including law enforcement officials, have reported specific knowledge of sex trafficking occurring in bars and brothels and noted trafficking-related complicity by some local government officials was a problem. Anti-trafficking legislation introduced in 2012 remained pending.
The absence of specific legislation prohibiting trafficking as defined by the 2000 UN TIP Protocol; the absence of victim identification, screening, and protection procedures; and limited awareness of human trafficking on the part of officials and the public continued to hinder anti-trafficking efforts, the State Department said.
Opposition Leader Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson
In a sitting of the House of Assembly this week, opposition leader Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson noted that, while the TCI government was quick to speak out against a report that sought to blacklist the territory as a non-compliant tax haven, the government has been silent on multiple reports that include the islands among countries where there exists forced sexual labour.
“This also has negative implications for our country’s reputation. I wait to hear the government’s official response on this issue and then to address where these reports are coming from and to deal with the issue,” she added.
Guyana women sweep Cayman Islands 5-0 at Caribbean squash championships
From Stabroek News
Guyana got the defence of their female team title off to the perfect start, sweeping hosts the Cayman Islands 5-0 in their opening group encounter when the Caribbean Squash Association Championships Team Tourney continued yesterday.
With their male counterparts losing their opening fixture to Jamaica in defence of their title, the female side got off to the perfect start as Ashley deGroot overcame Eilidh Bridgeman 8-11, 11-7, 11-3 and 11-8 in the first round.
For more: http://www.stabroeknews.com/2015/sports/08/21/guyana-women-sweep-cayman-islands-5-0/
T&T Opposition leader shows support for the Port of Spain based Caribbean Court of Justice
From NewsPower
The [Trinidad & Tobago] Opposition People’s National Movement publicly indicates its support for the Port of Spain based Caribbean Court of Justice.
PNM Political Leader, Dr Keith Rowley, was questioned on the party’s position on the CCJ at the launch of its manifesto today.
Dr. Rowley explained that the PNM is not opposed to the CCJ becoming this country’s final court of appeal to replace the London based Privy Council.
However, he said the input of citizens will be sought,along with the parliament’s support, should it win the September 7th general election.
Appleby [Cayman] acted on HKEx listings for foundation companies Pak Wing & Wan Kei
From Offshore Bankers
Leading offshore law firm Appleby acted as Cayman counsel in the initial public offerings of Wan Kei Group Holdings Limited (Wan Kei Group) and Pak Wing Group (Holdings) Limited (Pak Wing). Both foundation companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange this month.
Judy Lee, a corporate partner in Appleby’s Hong Kong office led both transactions, assisted by Senior Associate Chris Cheng. Kingsway Capital Limited and Shenwan Hongyuan Capital (H.K.) Limited were the sponsors to Wan Kei Group and Pak Wing, respectively. Loong & Yeung and D.S. Cheung & Co. acted for Wan Kei Group and its sponsors as to Hong Kong law.
CFN Lawyers in association with Broad & Bright and Francis & Co. in association with Addleshaw Goddard were the Hong Kong legal advisers to Pak Wing and its sponsors.
Wan Kei Group focuses on foundation work, especially the construction of socketed H-piles, mini piles, soldier piles, pipe piles and king posts, as well as ground investigation field work in Hong Kong.
Wan Kei Group raised approximately HK$170 million, and a majority of the net proceeds will be used for expansion of machinery and equipment, recruitment and repayment for certain outstanding finance leases.
Pak Wing is principally engaged in the foundation business in Hong Kong and operates the business on a project-by-project basis. The target customers principally comprise main contractors and subcontractors. The net proceeds of the Pak Wing listing was approximately HK$70 million.
The majority of proceeds will be used for acquiring machinery for expansion of its scale and capabilities; as well as strengthening of manpower.
Cellphone law sparks superstar showdown
By Ross Todd, From The Recorder
SAN FRANCISCO — Theodore Olson and Lawrence Lessig, two legal giants from opposite ends of the political spectrum, clashed Thursday afternoon over a Berkeley law requiring retailers to warn customers against keeping cellphones too close to their bodies.
Olson, the former U.S. solicitor general under President George W. Bush and current Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher partner, argued on behalf of CTIA—The Wireless Association, an industry trade group seeking an injunction blocking the Berkeley ordinance. Olson told U.S. District Judge Edward Chen of the Northern District of California that the law passed in May forces retailers to make “controversial” and “misleading” statements about the safety of their products and the amount of radiation they emit.
Lessig, a Harvard law professor who’s considering a run for the Democratic presidential nomination, responded that Berkeley is simply compelling cell phone retailers to disclose “purely factual and uncontroversial” information.Lessig, who handled Thursday’s argument for the city, worked with Yale Law School Dean Robert Post to help Berkeley officials craft the so-called “right to know” law. Both Lessig and Post now represent Berkeley pro bono alongside the city’s in-house legal staff. The language of the law was drafted with an eye toward avoiding the fate of a similar law San Francisco passed in 2010. In 2012, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit declared the San Francisco law unconstitutional, finding that a fact sheet that retailers were required to distribute went beyond the “purely factual and uncontroversial” consumer disclosures. (Lawyers from Wiley Rein represented CTIA in the successful legal challenge.)Lessig argued Thursday that Berkeley’s law steers clear of the problems that the Ninth Circuit found with San Francisco’s law by simply pointing consumers to information handset makers already must disclose through their websites and user manuals. The Berkeley law requires retailers to distribute handouts or publicly post signs that users may “exceed the federal guidelines for exposure to RF radiation” by storing their phones against their bodies and that the “risk is greater for children.” The disclosure points consumers to user manuals to learn how to use their phones safely.
Chen, who did not rule at Thursday’s hearing, expressed concern that the warnings, taken out of context, could be overly alarming. “Doesn’t it all turn on how misleading this is?” he asked. Additionally, Chen said the language about exposure to children likely crossed a line since it was not drawn from government agency guidelines.
For more: http://www.therecorder.com/id=1202735303295/Cellphone-Law-Sparks-Superstar-Showdown#ixzz3jSfTnGxv
‘Female Viagra’ spawns more Skadden
By Jennifer Henderson and Nell Gluckman, From The Am Law Daily
Sprout Pharmaceuticals didn’t have to wait long for a big-name buyer to spring big bucks for the nascent drug developer.
Just two days after Sprout received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for its women’s libido drug Addyi, hyperactive acquirer Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. announced Thursday that it has agreed to pay $1 billion in cash for the Raleigh, North Carolina-based target.
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom is once again taking the lead for Valeant, with Sullivan & Cromwell working on behalf of Sprout. While the high-powered Am Law 100 duo were called in for the transactional work, Addyi’s approval process took some legal wrangling of its own.
Josephine Torrente, a partner at Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, a Washington, D.C.-based boutique that focuses on helping clients that are regulated by the FDA, was hired by Sprout in 2013 after the drug failed for the second time to gain approval from the agency.
Torrente often works on cancer drugs, but has also advised clients who make menopause-related medications, as well as a drug that prevents preterm birth. She helped Sprout, a small company founded in 2011, work through the FDA appeals process for Addyi.
“You run appeals differently depending on who the client is,” Torrente said. “In this case, I was very involved in the weeds.”
During the last six months, as the FDA agreed to reconsider whether Addyi should be approved and a lobbying and public relations campaign was launched, Torrente stepped into the role as executive vice president for corporate and regulatory affairs at Sprout. During that time, she continued to work with other outside clients, but getting approval for Addyi became her main focus.
“When you’re in-house, whatever needs to get done, you just do it,” she said. “It’s a great challenge.”
As outside counsel, Torrente said she’s used to sitting in on high-level meetings and giving strategic advice. At Sprout, she was on every call, working out every detail. The job gave her a new perspective on the effort her clients undertake to get a drug to market.
“It gave me more appreciation for what the clients have to do when I give them this high-level advice,” noted Torrente, who added that the media attention given the so-called female Viagra helped jump-start an important conversation about Addyi and its possible benefits to patients.
But critics of the drug worry that it’s the hype, rather than improvements made to Addyi since its first two failed attempts to get FDA approval, that yielded regulatory success this time around.
BVI’s legal and regulatory framework on tax transparency highly rated by the OECD
By John Gosling Walkers From Mondaq
Partner John Gosling discusses the recent OECD rating on BVI’s Tax Transparency.
The BVI has been rated as “largely compliant” by the OECD’s Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes in its most recent report published in August 2015. The rating is the same as that enjoyed by major onshore jurisdictions such as the United States, the UK, Hong Kong and Singapore, as well as the international financial centres of the Cayman Islands, Jersey and Bermuda.
The BVI’s Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith, OBE commented: “The BVI has been a pioneering global financial centre for over 30 years and this latest endorsement demonstrates how the jurisdiction continues to evolve and maintain its competitive advantage. We remain committed to engaging the OECD and our other international partners to help exceed and enhance international standards of tax transparency and regulation.”
The BVI has to date entered into 27 Tax Information Exchange Agreements (TIEAs) with other jurisdictions, and is an early adopter of the new global standard on the automatic exchange of information. These actions have also been recognised by the governments of several G8 and G20 countries, and have met the standards set by other international organisations including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
The Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes is the world’s largest international tax group, with 127 members, and the preeminent organisation for ensuring the implementation of the internationally agreed standards of transparency and exchange of information. Through an in-depth peer review process, the Global Forum monitors its members implementation of those internationally agreed standards.
Blind man, 61, hit with Taser by British cops who thought his white stick was a samurai sword
By Laurie Hanna From New York Daily News Friday, August 21, 2015, 8:09 AM A A IMAGE: The victim has been offered an undisclosed sum after police admitted using excessive force during the incident. Police mistook his walking stick for a sword.
IMAGE: ANDRES BALCAZAR/ISTOCK
The victim has been offered an undisclosed sum after police admitted using excessive force during the incident. Police mistook his walking stick for a sword.
British police hit a 61-year-old blind man with a Taser after they mistakenly believed his white stick was a samurai sword.
Cops blasted the man in the back with the high-voltage weapon after reports that a man was on the loose in the area with a large sword.
The officer then reportedly knelt on the innocent man’s back and handcuffed him as he lay dazed and confused on the ground, reported the Daily Mirror.
The victim has now been offered an undisclosed sum after police admitted using excessive force during the incident.
The unidentified man was walking to meet his friends at a bar in Lancashire, England, when he was targeted by the police officer in 2012.
Legal action against the Lancashire Police was settled on Thursday for an undisclosed sum, subject to court approval.
Chief Superintendent Stuart Williams said at the time that Lancashire police deeply regretted the incident despite the fact the offending officer had not been suspended.
The UK’s Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said the man had suffered “a terrifying ordeal.”
For more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/blind-man-tasered-cops-thought-samurai-sword-article-1.2332964
Turks and Caicos government evades debate on freedom of information
From Caribbean News Now
PROVIDENCIALES, TCI — Debate on a private member’s motion calling for the introduction of a Freedom of Information Ordinance in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), submitted about a month ago by leader of the opposition, Sharlene Cartwright Robinson, was evaded by the government during a two-day sitting of the House of Assembly on Monday and Tuesday.
Premier Dr Rufus Ewing, in his rearrangement of the agenda, reordered the parliamentary agenda in such a way that the private member’s motion would have been the final item under orders of the day, which included four bills and parliamentary questions.
Under the Standing Orders (the rules that govern the House of Assembly) a time of day is fixed for parliamentary questions, which should commence at 2 pm and a period of time for private member’s business, which follows question time and should be no longer than two hours.
Under the current elected government, the speaker has allowed the premier on most occasions to allow questions to go unasked and unanswered for months, though on the agenda, through the premier’s reordering of the agenda.
This recent sitting saw the premier reorder and allow questions to be taken before the completion of all of government’s business but for the first time separated the debate of a private member’s motion from following question time.
As the agenda has not been completed with only two of the four bills completing its passage, this has resulted in the private member’s motion being deferred to the next sitting.
The opposition Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) said it will continue to raise this issue and the importance of the passage of freedom of information laws as an essential part of good governance.
“But more importantly, we stand firm that the people have a right to know and have access to information on what its government is doing,” the PDM said.
For more: http://www.caribbeannewsnow.com/topstory-Turks-and-Caicos-government-evades-debate-on-freedom-of-information-27307.html
And the Caribbean’s Next Top Model is…?
From Jamaica Observer
IMAGE: A bevy of young model hopefuls: (from left) Terina Dryden, Ashley Downer, Sheree Francis, Danielle Little, and Jahna Cornwall-Savings
For now, it’s all quite hush-hush. Scores of model aspirants from the 14 parishes of Jamaica feigned indifference to the scorching heat for a midday go-see at the Formal Gardens of Devon House last Saturday in an attempt to secure a spot on the Caribbean’s premier model competition and reality show. Already in its sophomore season, the Caribbean’s Next Top Model (CNTM) competition aims to scout close to 30 models from Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados, and the Cayman Islands. The reality show, slated for a second-season premiere in October, will boast title sponsors and cable and communications giant Flow. Thursday Social shares highlights from the event.
For more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/And-The-Caribbean-s-Next-Top-Model-Is—-_19221057
Haiti – CARIFESTA XII : Haiti is currently the cultural capital of the Caribbean
From Baiti Libre
Haiti – CARIFESTA XII : Haiti is currently the cultural capital of the Caribbean On Thursday, Prime Minister Evans Paul took part, accompanied among others by the Ministers of Culture, Dithny Joan Raton, of the Tourism and Creative Industries, Stéphanie Balmir Villedrouin, to a cocktail dinner at the Musée du Panthéon National Haïtien (MUPANAH) to honor the various delegations present in Haiti for the 12th edition the Caribbean Festival of arts (Carifesta XII), held from 21 to 30 August.
The head of government addressed in the same sense as the Minister of Culture to recognize that Haiti is currently the cultural capital of the Caribbean. In addition, Prime Minister Paul humbly said that Haiti is only the host of the 12th edition of Carifesta, but we all took part in the planning of the event.
“Your enthusiastic presence here reinforces the conviction to the Haitian people as the attention that your country and your people bring to Haiti the First Black Republic,” said the Minister of Culture.
“There is a fundamental thing that unites us is the culture […] through our songs, our drums, we all speak the same language, the language of the culture, and we are here precisely to celebrate culture we are here to welcome you. Haiti is today an international space for the celebration of the culture of all the Caribbean,” said Prime Minister Paul in his speech.
Yesterday Friday was the opening day of the twelfth edition of the Caribbean Festival of Arts (Carifesta), this Caribbean multicultural festival brings together around 22 delegations with more than 500 people who are welcomed at Port-au-Prince the capital and in the cities of Cap Haitien, Les Cayes, Jacmel and Gonaives. The culture of the Caribbean will be honored throughout the course of the festival. In the four cities chosen for the 150 shows all the lovers and art lovers will be served. Indeed, at the festival there will be something for everyone: film screenings, panel discussions between writers, musical performances, crafts and gourmet exhibitions…
CARIFESTA XII, official program
http://www.haitilibre.com/docs/carifesta-XII_programme/CARIFESTA-XII-Programme-FINAL.pdf
Data revolution for sustainable development: The Caribbean Challenge
ECLAC Caribbean explores the Big Data phenomenon, drawing on the knowledge of experts around the region to address its implications and uses.
The Caribbean region needs to take full advantage of the data revolution. Big data – a critical element of this revolution – is the term used to describe the enormous amount of digital information that is generated when people go about their daily activities, including shopping, talking, texting, internet surfing, and traveling. It also includes information about natural phenomena generated and/or transmitted by machines, including satellites.
The main characteristics of these data that qualify them as Big data are that they are large in volume, they are generated very frequently and they cover a multitude of issues from a great number of sources.
ECLAC Caribbean considers this an opportune time to explore this phenomenon, drawing on the knowledge of experts around the region to address Big data, its implications and uses.
Hosted at ECLAC Caribbean’s headquarters on 24 August 2015, an expert group meeting will bring together representatives from the National Statistical Offices of the Caribbean region as well as other experts in information and communications technology to discuss the way forward.
So far, Big data has been harnessed mostly by the private sector, and now governments in the region need to get on board and take full advantage of the challenges and opportunities.
In order to empower people through increased civic participation, formulation of better policies, better decision-making, and greater accountability for better outcomes, data and statistics need to be produced on a broader range of issues, frequently and more timely.
This is a tall order for the national statistical system of most countries in the Caribbean. Already the Caribbean is regarded as data-poor, and Big data presents many opportunities for the region. To take full advantage of these opportunities, statistical capacity building and institutional changes are imperative.
Source: http://www.cepal.org/en/news/data-revolution-sustainable-development-caribbean-challenge
UN Ambassador Rambally hosts Taste of the Caribbean winner
From St Lucia Times
IMAGE: menissa_rambally
New York, NY—On Thursday, August 13, 2015, Saint Lucia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Her Excellency Ms. Menissa Rambally, welcomed Saint Lucian Sous Chef Martha Hippolyte to the Permanent Mission of Saint Lucia to the United Nations and the Consulate General of Saint Lucia in New York. Chef Hippolyte earned a gold medal and was the overall winner in the Cheesecake Competition in the 2015 Taste of the Caribbean competition held in Miami in June.
Congratulating Chef Hippolyte on her outstanding performance in the international competition, Ambassador Rambally noted that she was proud to celebrate this latest milestone in the life of such an artistic young Saint Lucian.
Chef Hippolyte presented Ambassador Rambally with her signature Bay Leaf Cheesecake, which she found to be quite palatable, especially with Chef Hippolyte’s infusion of indigenous flavors coupled with local ingredients, including the Saint Lucian biscuit “Lababad” as the cheesecake crust and a local Apricot puree.
Ambassador Rambally further noted that Chef Hippolyte’s creation should be promoted locally, regionally, and internationally, adding that she eagerly looks forward to hosting other inspiring and talented Saint Lucians who excel in their various fields.
In her remarks, Chef Hippolyte said she was profoundly honored to present her winning cheesecake to the Saint Lucian ambassador. Chef Hippolyte noted that she was also pleased that Ambassador Rambally found her dish to be appealing and worthy of the international market.
As a Sous Chef at Saint Lucia’s Coconut Bay Resort for the past seven years, Hippolyte also invented the Chairman’s Spiced Watermelon—Fresh Watermelon Cubes marinated in Distilled Chairman’s Spice Rum.
The Taste of the Caribbean is an annual culinary competition hosted by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association focused on discovering and developing hidden talents in the region while giving chefs an opportunity to showcase their culinary skills.
ODPEM in stand –by mode as Hurricane Danny approaches Caribbean
By Patrice Walters from IRIE FM
The country’s disaster management agency says, it is in stand-by mode as Hurricane Danny strengthens, and moves closer to the Caribbean.
Hurricane Danny, a category three storm, is located about nine hundred miles east of the Leeward Islands.
In a statement, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) says it in collaboration with the Met Service, is maintaining a state of vigilance, while reviewing the country’s readiness.
The system is expected to fluctuate in strength, becoming a tropical storm or possibly a tropical depression as it tracks through the Caribbean.
On the projected path, the system could influence weather conditions in Jamaica, in the latter part of next week.
The public is being advised to use this period to review their personal preparedness and readiness for response.
ODPEM says the National Disaster Management mechanism has been alerted, Parish Disaster Coordinators notified, and liaison has commenced with national primary responders and the national disaster sub-committees.
Hurricane Danny is not a threat to Jamaica [or the Cayman Islands right now].
For more: http://iriefm.net/odpem-in-stand-by-mode-as-hurricane-danny-approaches-caribbean/
Central America and the Caribbean on Agricultural Alert
San Jose, Aug 21 (Prensa Latina) An agricultural alert was decreed by the governments of Central America and the Caribbean, given the effects of the severe drought currently affecting 1.6 million farmers and their families.
The appeal was decided by the ministers of agriculture of the region, to help the victims, to coordinate the cooperation of the international community and technical assistance to offset the damage to crops and livestock.
Along with the warning they issued a statement referring evaluations by each country to implement policies for adapting to climate change, protection of coffee plantations under the onslaught of the rust fungus and the implementation of a plan of family farming in the next six months.
Due to its geographical location, Central America and the Caribbean are affected each year by climate variability generated economic losses.
The Agricultural Council and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture recently reported that in the Corredor Seco Central food production is affected by the water deficit in the past months, and severe risk conditions for crops are presented.
They also warned that the situation could worsen because the irregularity in the distribution of rainfall, prolonged heat waves and the early withdrawal of the rainy season crops can compromise.
According to figures from the World Food Programme about 1.6 million people have been affected by drought in the corridor due to El Nino has caused the loss of crops, mainly corn, beans and rice, basic in the region.
For more: http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4091421&Itemid=1
EasyJet passenger tasered at Gatwick airport after he ‘insisted on wearing his man-bag’
By Ben Mitchell From The Independent
The incident, leading to the man’s arrest, happened on board an easyJet flight waiting to depart from Gatwick to Belfast
A man has been tasered by police on an EasyJet plane at Gatwick after he reportedly tried to take two pieces of luggage on board and then refused to hand over his man bag.
The incident, leading to the man’s arrest, happened on board an easyJet flight waiting to depart from Gatwick to Belfast at just after 8am.
Niall Copeland, a passenger on the plane said that the argument broke out when the man insisted on wearing his “man purse”, according to the Daily Mail.
Man getting arrested on @easyJet flight home to #Belfast because he wants 2 pieces of hand luggage! I’ll never mess with easyjet now! — Niall Copeland (@NiallCopeland) August 20, 2015
Sussex Police said a 37-year-old man had been detained under the Mental Health Act.
A spokesman said: “Police officers were called to the easyJet flight shortly after 8am to reports of a passenger who was becoming increasingly abusive following a dispute over luggage.
An easyJet spokeswoman said: “EasyJet can confirm that police boarded flight EZY831 from London Gatwick to Belfast on August 20 due to a passenger behaving disruptively.
“A man has been arrested on suspicion of breach of the peace. The aircraft has been disembarked and police are taking statements from witnesses among the crew and passengers.”
“EasyJet’s cabin crew are highly trained to assess and evaluate all situations and to act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other passengers is not compromised at any time.
“Whilst such incidents are rare we take them very seriously, do not tolerate abusive or threatening behaviour on board and always push for prosecution.
“The safety and well-being of passengers and crew is always easyJet’s priority.”
St. Kitts & Nevis: Government offices will be closed on Monday in anticipation of Danny
From WINN
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN): All government offices will be closed on Monday August 24, in anticipation of the passage of Danny. Hurricane Danny has strengthened into a Category 3 storm as it moves across the Atlantic far from land. The hurricane’s maximum sustained winds Friday had increased to near 115 mph (185 kph). The US National Hurricane Centre says the hurricane is not expected to intensify, and a weakening trend was forecast begin later Friday.
The hurricane is centered about 900 miles (1448 kilometers) east of the Leeward Islands. Hurricane Danny doesn’t currently pose a threat to land but the hurricane centre says those in the Leeward Islands should monitor its progress.
National Emergency Management Agency NEMA says disaster preparedness is an ongoing activity, and has urged the country’s residents to take precautionary measures and monitor the storm through local media.
ECTEL investigating VOIP blocking complaints
By Andre Huie From WINN
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN): The Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) says it is aware of allegations in the media that telecommunication provider Digicel is blocking calls made using voice over Internet protocols (VOIPs) such as Whatsapp Calling on its network. This comes in light of complaints by mobile customers in the Eastern Caribbean triggered by a complaint from Jadia Jn Pierre-Emmanuel, press secretary to the prime minister of St. Lucia. According to a report on the website of St. Lucian media house The Voice; Ms. Jn Pierre-Emmanuel launched the complaint when she was unable to make a Whatsapp call to her daughter who was out the country. The report said she is a postpaid subscriber to Digicel in St. Lucia and was not pleased she was unable to make a call on her mobile data via Whatsapp.
She subsequently wrote to Digicel, who told her they would be announcing a policy shortly on Over The Top (OTT) services on their platform and requested her cooperation and patience on the matter. Here in St. Kitts and Nevis, there has not been a public formal announcement yet from either Digicel or LIME on their policy relating to VOIP services on their mobile platforms. But ECTEL’s Embert Charles says it is improper to block these services where customers use data for innovative services.
WINN is aware of complaints from customers using both networks who claim they either were unable to make calls on Whatsapp calling and other applications or these calls were activated but later interrupted in the middle of conversations. Local tech expert Russell Williams explains that telecoms companies have the capacity to disrupt or block certain calls on any VOIP application during use. Efforts to get a comment up to news time Thursday from either LIME or Digicel were unsuccessful. However, a representative from Digicel promised to get back to us on the matter.
Adorable young Clinton fan asks if a female president would make as much as a man
By Samantha Cooney From Mashable
It’s never too early to start asking the tough questions.
Hillary Clinton held a town hall event in Las Vegas on Tuesday, and one young girl proved she’s wise beyond her years when it comes to the gender wage gap when the presidential hopeful handed her the mic.
“Do you think when you are president you will be paid as much if you were a male?” the young Hillary supporter asked.
The adorable moment, which was captured by Bloomberg Business, was received well from the room of Clinton supporters: the young girl received cheers and a hug from the former secretary of state herself.
“This is one of the jobs where they have to pay you the same,” Clinton responded. “But there are so many examples where that doesn’t happen, where women doing the same job are not paid the same.”
An April report from the nonprofit organization National Partnership for Families and Women showed that women, on average, make 78 cents for every dollar that men make.
One of Clinton’s campaign promises is to close the gender pay gap, and she’s been throwing shade at her GOP rivals on the campaign trail about how their policies would only exacerbate the pay disparities between men and women.
“So as president, I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that not just the president is paid the same,” Clinton said at the town hall, “but that every woman in every job gets paid the same.”
Reggae artiste Nelly Stharre found dead in Dominica
From Repeating Islands
IMAGE: Screen Shot 2015-08-20 at 3.58.20 PM
Dominican reggae artiste Nelly Rafoul, who uses the stage name “Nelly Stharre”, was found dead in Mahaut, in the parish of St Paul, Dominica, yesterday evening. She was 41.
Sources have confirmed to Caribbean News Service (CNS) that Stharre’s burnt remains were among two bodies discovered in the heights of Mahaut.
Stharre, a Rastafarian, was married to a Jamaican national with whom she has children.
Stharre has been a fixture on the Jamaican musical landscape for more than 20 years. She lived in Kingston for several years but made frequent sojourns to the Nature Isle “to refresh, reconnect and share with her Jamaican husband and children the Caribbean’s ‘Garden of Eden.”
Some of her notable albums include Rain Jah, Wake Up! and Soul Country.
For more: http://repeatingislands.com/2015/08/20/reggae-artiste-nelly-stharre-found-dead-in-dominica/
