iNews Briefs, More & Community Events
Apostle 13 & the Disciple of Demons
Play with music & dance
FOUR performances only
Opens Thu Oct 22- Sat Oct 24 7:30pm & Sun Oct 25 3:00pm
St George’s Anglican Church Hall
Tickets $15 (A) $5 (C) [Discounts for groups 10 or more]
Tel: 949 5583 or 916 4594 or at the door
NGCI tIDal shift
Mark your Calendar!
You’re invited to a special Young Patrons’ Circle late night event in conjunction with NGCI’s newest exhibition…
Friday, 16 October 2015, 5pm – 10pm
Join us at the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands for a late night of entertainment, live music, performance art, canapes, and fun! More details to follow – SAVE THE DATE and forward this to your friends.
RENT: The Musical
Opened Thursday September 10th, 2015
Runs to October 3rd, 2015
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays
Doors open at 6:30 PM for Happy Hour
try our special Tom Collins cocktail!
at The Prospect Playhouse
Do not miss out on the musical event of the year!
No Day but Today!
Click here for tickets: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/rent-the-musical-all-ticket-prices-in-us-tickets-17993960420?aff=ehomecard
See iNews Cayman review: “Rent The Musical is NOT Rogers and Hammerstein! But it’s Brilliant!!” at: http://www.ieyenews.com/wordpress/rent-the-musical-is-not-rogers-and-hammerstein-but-its-brilliant/
Please join the Cayman Jewish Community for the following programmes:
Sunday September 27th
6:30 pm Sukkot Under the Stars
Tuesday, September 29th
4:00pm Sukkot Children’s Party
Monday, October 26th
Mark Halawa: From Kuwait to Jerusalem
Wednesday, December 9th
4:00 pm Pardes Rock Chanukah Concert
Wednesday, January 6th 2016
Jerusalem Uncovered: Rabbi Avraham Stolik
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.
Public Consultation for Marine Parks
For more information of the proposed Enhanced Marine Parks System, visit http://www.doe.ky/marine/marine-parks-review/.
To submit an opinion about the proposals, email [email protected]
General queries can be directed to [email protected]
The deadline for submissions is Friday, 4 December.
Grand Court Jurors Report Date Changed
The Grand Court jury report date has been changed.
For Grand Court Jurors who are in the 1 July – 6 October 2015 session, the report date has been changed to Monday, 21st September 2015 at 9:45 a.m.
Please call the Jury Information line at 945-5072 for the most up to date information.
AIMA – CAYMAN ISLANDS CHAPTER MEETING
Ron S. Geffner, Partner and Head of the Financial Services Practice will speak at the AIMA Cayman Chapter Meeting on US Regulatory Developments and the outlook for the US and Cayman investment funds industry on November 24th at 12:00 noon.
Speaker: Ron S. Geffner
Start Date: 11/24/2009
End Date: 11/24/2009
Location: The Wharf Restaurant, Cayman Islands
Associated: Ron S. Geffner
TUE SEP 29
Domestic Violence Intervention Training Programme
The Domestic Violence Intervention Training Program is offering a three day certificate course for front line professionals Tuesday — Thursday (29 Sept — 1 Oct) from 8:30am until 5pm at the Red Cross Building. Call 949.0006 for more information.
WED SEP 30
Pioneers in Agriculture nominations
30 September , 2015
The 2016 National Heroes Day Awards Pioneers in Agriculture nominations are now open. Forms are available at ministryofhealth.gov.ky.
Cineclub
National Gallery’s Cineclub is Wednesday (30 Sept) at 630. The feature film is High Noon.
THU OCT 1
EY’s Art for the Elderly for Cayman Brac
EY’s Art for the Elderly for Cayman Brac hosted by the National Gallery is Thursday (1 Oct) from 1130am until 12:30pm.
Nominations Sought for Pioneers of Cayman Islands Agriculture
Nominations continue to be encouraged throughout the month of September for the names of agriculture pioneers throughout the history of the Cayman Islands – up to the present time. The definition of agriculture used for this drive is the science and / or practice of farming, including the growing of crops, and the rearing of animals to provide food, fibre, and other products used to sustain and enhance human life.
Nomination forms may be downloaded from: ministryofhealth.gov.ky
There are five nomination categories for outstanding contributions to the development and/or delivery of agriculture in the Cayman Islands:
Early Pioneer – Anyone who has made a significant contribution before 1960 (may be alive or deceased).
Pioneer – A person who has made a significant contribution between 1960 and 2005 (may be alive or deceased). A commemorative insignia and certificate will be awarded.
Emerging Pioneer – Persons who have made significant contributions from 2005 to present. These persons will receive certificates, but will not receive a commemorative insignia.
Memorial Scroll – Any deceased persons who were leaders or notable contributors to the development and/or delivery of agriculture in the Cayman Islands. These persons will be recognised with certificates, but will not receive commemorative insignias.
Long Service Award – Persons (living) who may not necessarily have been a leader, but who have contributed for ten years or more. These people will be recognised with certificates, but will not receive commemorative insignias.
To submit the names of agriculture pioneers before the end of September, complete the forms which are available at post offices, the Government Administration Building, or online at: www.ministryofhealth.gov.ky
LIONS CLUB BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
From Cayman Islands Cancer Society
Starting October 01, 2015
This year, under the theme “Every Ribbon Makes a Difference” the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens proudly celebrates 18 years of the Lions Breast Cancer Awareness program in the Cayman Islands. Please see the calendar for an event in your district and check out their website for more information.
Tremendous thanks to the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens for all they do! To date they have sponsored over 9,000 mammogram vouchers and other early diagnostics, educated over 55,000 at their sessions, and provided aid to 275 people fighting the disease.
FUTSAL CUP KINGS SPOTS CENTRE
25th Annual Culinary Awards Ritz Carlton OCT 13
INFODAY ON R&I OPPORTUNITIES IN LA, CARIBBEAN & EU
For the first time a joint information day on R&I opportunities in Latin America (LA), Caribbean & Europe will be organized in Brussels, 24 November 2015.
The info day is a joint activity of so called ‘BILAT’ projects which promote European cooperation with: Brazil – B.BICE+, Argentina – ABEST III, Chile – CEST+I and Mexico – EU-MEX INNOVA, funded by the European Union under FP7. The event will also count on the participation of Panamá and ERANet LAC. The aim of the encounter is to enhance EU-Latin American Science and Innovation cooperation.
Latin America is one of the emerging regions in technology, innovation and R&D expenditures. Many European researchers and institutions have developed strong research links with LA researchers and their institutions. However, some opportunities within LA federal funding programmes are not well-known in Europe, and European researchers and research managers may not be familiar with the specific application processes & grants management procedures required by LA federal research funding agencies. Therefore this workshop will:
Promote awareness of LA federal research funding opportunities for European researchers with specific focus on Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Panamá
Strengthen European institutions’ expertise in applying for and managing LA research funds
Provide case studies of research collaboration between LA and European institutions
Grant first hand information on the 2. ERANet-LAC Joint Call to be launched in December 2015
The workshop addresses the whole European research community (funding agencies, researchers & research managers, administrators). Registration for the workshop will be free of charge.
Pre-registration is required here – until 15 November 2015
Further information on workshop, agenda and speakers will soon be available on B.BICE+ website.
SOURCE & More Info: http://www.b-bice-plus.eu/press-release-infoday-on-ri-opportunities-in-la-caribbean-eu/
US tug missing, Caribbean
Sept. 26, 2015 at 04:48 by Mikhail Voytenko From FleetMon
US tug GAGE PAUL THORNTON with four persons on board reported missing, last known position on Sep 25 off S-Kitts island southwest coast.
For more: https://www.fleetmon.com/newsroom/2015/9479/us-tug-missing-caribbean/
Authorities in Miami seize counterfeit currency arriving from Trinidad
From Caribbean News Now
IMAGE: CBP officers selected the coloring sheets for examination
MIAMI, USA — US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at Miami International Airport seized $2,000 in counterfeit US currency arriving in a package from Trinidad and Tobago on September 16.
CBP officers selected the package for examination and discovered that a set of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle coloring sheets felt unusually heavy. Upon further examination, CBP officers discovered currency between two glued coloring sheets.
CBP observed that the bills were of poor quality and closer scrutiny questioned their validity. The US Secret Service was notified and determined the bills to be counterfeit. CBP seized the counterfeit currency and turned it over to the US Secret Service for further investigation.
“Once again our officers’ diligence in inspection operations has paid off,” said Miami International Airport Port Director Christopher Maston. “They remain committed to protecting the American people and it shows in their hard work every day.”
CBP routinely conducts inspection operations on arriving and departing international passengers and cargo, and searches for terrorist weapons, illicit narcotics, unreported currency, counterfeit merchandise, and prohibited agriculture and other products.
“It’s a political case to try and silence me”
By Zoe Birchall, from Walk Free
Andy Hall has been trapped in a nightmare for the last two years. In 2013 a report, which includes his research, was published stating allegations of worker abuse and slavery-like practices in the factory of Natural Fruit, a Thai company that processes pineapples and supplies retailers around the world.
Instead of looking into the allegations, Natural Fruit targeted Andy. He was charged with computer crimes and criminal defamation. His trial starts this October and if found guilty he faces 7 years in prison and more than $11 million in damages. Following our campaigning, Natural Fruit has already had one of their cases against Andy thrown out by the Thai courts.1 We must make sure the remaining charges are dropped immediately.
We don’t need to tell you how unjust this is. In Andy’s own words: “This is about persecution. It’s a political case to try and silence me… I’m someone that’s revealing things that the government and the industry don’t want me to reveal.”2
Natural Fruit have shown no signs of giving up. That’s why we have started a campaign calling on the Thai government to intervene and drop the charges against Andy. Show your support for Andy and migrant workers that remain vulnerable to modern slavery in Thailand: take action to demand that these charges are dropped NOW.
With hope and determination,
Zoe, Jayde, Vicky and the Walk Free team
P.S. Sonja Vartiala, executive director of Finnwatch, the organisation that released the report Andy is being sued for, has warned that, “At this point, the prospects for Andy Hall to receive a fair trial are looking grim.”3 Take action to demand justice for Andy.
Swiss Banks outline stance on AEOI
By Ulrika Lomas, From Tax-News.com, Brussels
For the automatic exchange of tax information to be successful, there must be “true coordination” between the major financial centers, Patrick Odier, Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Swiss Bankers Association, has said.
In a recent speech, Odier noted that Switzerland has taken the necessary domestic legislative measures to conform with new international standards on tax compliance.
In June, the Federal Council submitted to Parliament dispatches on the implementation of the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement on the Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information (MCAA), and the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters. A new Federal Act on the International Automatic Exchange of Information in Tax Matters (AEOI Act) contains provisions on the organizational, procedural, judicial, and criminal requirements associated with the MCAA.
The first exchanges are due to take place in January 2018.
Odier said: “For Switzerland, it is imperative that the group of countries with which this automatic exchange of information will be conducted respects the criteria set by the Federal Council (in particular the possibility of regularizing the past and business potential for the financial center), and [that] a true coordination between the key financial centers like New York, London, Luxembourg, and Singapore exists ([to create a] level playing field).”
“How can Switzerland be expected to implement the automatic exchange of information with a country, if other important financial centers do not have such an agreement with the country in question?”
For more: http://www.tax-news.com/news/Swiss_Banks_Outline_Stance_On_AEOI____69242.html#sthash.FOnIRJxj.dpuf
DQ Acts For Boal in acquisition of Jersey Trust Company from Zurich
By Tom Maher
Leading offshore law firm, DQ Advocates, acted as principal legal adviser to Boal & Co in its acquisition in September 2015 of Zurich Trust Limited from Zurich Insurance Group.
Boal & Co is a leading provider of trustee services to international pension plans, with over $10 billion of pension assets under stewardship. Established in 1995 and headquartered in the Isle of Man, Boal & Co operates regulated pension trustee businesses in the Isle of Man, Gibraltar and now Jersey, and also has operations in Ireland.
Mark Kiernan, Chief Executive of Boal & Co, said: ‘The acquisition is a natural fit for Boal & Co in terms of our International Pension Plan (IPP) client base and a natural extension to our existing relationship with Zurich International Life. We are pleased that Zurich recognises the strength of our IPP trustee services and the benefits of the independence that they bring to clients and members alike.’
Boal & Co Chairman, Gary Boal, added: ‘The purchase of ZTL and expansion of our pension trustee services into Jersey further demonstrates Boal & Co’s very strong commitment to international pensions business. Coming on the back of our authorisation in Gibraltar and the opening of our office there earlier this year, our multi-jurisdictional offering means we are uniquely well-placed to meet the pension trustee needs of multinationals and other companies requiring IPP solutions for globally mobile expatriates and other international employees. We are very grateful to Tom Maher and Adam Killip in DQ for their advice and assistance throughout this latest acquisition.’
The DQ legal team was led by managing partner Tom Maher and associate Adam Killip with Jersey law advice from Voisins.
Executive Chairman acquires shares of Atacama Pacific Gold Corporation
ROAD TOWN, BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS, Sep 24, 2015 (Marketwired via COMTEX) — Dr. Albrecht Schneider, Executive Chairman and Director of Atacama Pacific Gold Corporation (“Atacama”), announced that on September 24, 2015, through Pacific Land First Corp. (“Pacific Land”), a British Virgins Islands company controlled by Dr. Schneider, he acquired beneficial ownership of a total of 10,499,500 common shares of Atacama and 75,000 common share purchase warrants of Atacama, representing approximately 16.13% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Atacama. The securities were purchased outside of Canada from four private companies for consideration of C$0.175 per share. No additional consideration was provided for the acquisition of the 75,000 warrants.
After giving effect to the acquisition, Dr. Schneider has beneficial ownership and control, directly and indirectly, over a total of 16,930,685 common shares, 1,425,000 options and 775,000 warrants, representing in the aggregate approximately 26.02% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Atacama on an undiluted basis, or approximately 28.44% on a partially-diluted basis.
Prior to giving effect to the acquisition of securities referred to above, Dr. Schneider was deemed, under Canadian securities laws, to already own 10,400,000 of the acquired common shares as he held a call option to purchase such shares until March 26, 2017.
Dr. Schneider has engaged in these transactions for investment purposes, and he may increase or decrease his ownership, control or direction over Atacama’s securities depending upon future market conditions.
Pacific Land’s address is c/o Alfaro, Ferrer & Ramirez (BVI) Limited, R.G. Hodge Plaza, Second Floor, Upper Main Street, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands. For further information please refer to the Early Warning Report posted on SEDAR or contact Carl Hansen at (416) 861-8267.
More on-demand delivery apps hit with driver suits
By Marisa Kendall, From The Recorder
SAN FRANCISCO — The plaintiffs attorney behind the driver suit that Uber Technologies Inc. just can’t shake is at it again. This time her targets are food delivery services GrubHub Inc. and DoorDash Inc.
Shannon Liss-Riordan, a Boston-based employment attorney, filed complaints Wednesday in San Francisco Superior Court, accusing the two companies of improperly classifying their delivery drivers as independent contractors and denying them employee benefits. Both companies illegally force their drivers to pay their own work expenses, including gas, vehicle maintenance, parking and cell phone data, according to the suits. GrubHub also pays its drivers below minimum wage and denies them overtime pay, according to the complaint.
Liss-Riordan has sued numerous “sharing economy” companies that use independent contractors, including Uber, Lyft Inc., Postmates Inc., and Washio Inc.—and earlier this month she won class certification for a portion of her suit against Uber. The wave of litigation has prompted some companies to change their business models.
DoorDash drivers travel to restaurants to pick up food for customers they’re matched with online or via mobile app. Liss-Riordan argues the company asserts enough control over its workers that they should be classified as employees. DoorDash requires drivers to sign up for shifts in advance and instructs drivers on how to dress, where to go and how to handle the food, according to the complaint.
Liss-Riordan filed a second suit against DoorDash asserting a claim under the Private Attorney General Act (PAGA) for failure to reimburse work expenses and failure to provide itemized wage statements.
Liss-Riordan also took another swing at Uber on Thursday. In charges filed with the National Labor Relations Board, Liss-Riordan accuses Uber of “using its fine print arbitration agreements containing class action waivers to prevent drivers from being included in the class action.”
U.S. District Judge Edward Chen of the Northern District of California ruled drivers who signed up with Uber after the summer of 2014 cannot be part of Liss-Riordan’s class, as they may be bound by the company’s arbitration agreement.
Class waivers are illegal under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), Liss-Riordan wrote in an emailed statement, and although some courts have ruled recent Supreme Court decisions interpreting the Federal Arbitration Act trump the NLRA, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has yet to weigh in on the issue.
Invitation: AEOI Webinar
Tuesday 6 October 2015 – 13.00 p.m.
With the Common Reporting Standard (“CRS”) being implemented on 1 January 2016, Deloitte are pleased to host a Crown Dependency specific webinar to discuss the key requirements and the steps that FIs need to take in order to prepare for its introduction.
Our webinar will focus on:
The latest regulatory developments in regard to FATCA, CDOT and CRS;
Practical insight on efficiently bridging the compliance gap between FATCA and CRS; and,
Our experience of the 2015 reporting process and the areas that Crown Dependency Financial Institutions are focussing on over the coming months.
If you would like to attend this webinar, please click on the ‘register’ button below.
For further information, please contact Victoria Stevenson at [email protected] or contact one of the team using the details provided.
Date: Tuesday 6 October 2015 Time: 13:00 – 14:00
Scary, sophisticated malware found attacking Cisco routers
By Chris Smith From BGR
Internet-connected devices aren’t having a great week so far. After reports detailed vulnerabilities in Android and iPhone this week, a new security report says that Cisco might have a severe malware problem with some of its routers.
Security firm FireEye has discovered a malicious backdoor program called SYNful Knock that could let hackers use Cisco’s routers to deploy attacks on a broad scale.
The implant is the same size as the Cisco router image, and it’s loaded each time the router is restarted. The program supports up to 100 modules that can be tailored to the attacker’s needs.
So far, 79 devices in 19 countries have been identified, Ars Technica reports, including devices in the USA, Canada, the U.K., Germany, and China. Other affected countries include India, Mexico, the Philippines and Ukraine, where the program was first found in.
It’s not clear at this time who’s behind the malicious program, but it’s believed to be state-sponsored. Also, it’s not clear what the backdoors are used for, but many spying scenarios can come to mind, as the backdoor would let hackers access certain networks from a distance, often without leaving any traces as to what’s happening.
“What is clear now is the SYNful Knock is a professionally developed and fully featured backdoor device that almost certainly is actively infecting many more devices than previously seen by FireEye,” Ars writes. “It’s plausible some of the devices the scientists witnessed were honeypots, that is, routers intentionally infected by whitehat researchers who are looking for clues about who’s behind the attacks and how they operate. Still, it seems unlikely that all 79 of the devices are decoys.”
Researchers say that hackers might be exploiting routers that have weak passwords rather than vulnerabilities in these devices.
Cisco recently made headlines as its announced a massive partnership with Apple, and these adverse security reports will probably not sit well with either company, especially given Apple’s great concern about user privacy.
More details about this Cisco security vulnerability are available at the source links.
O3b and Digicel celebrate one year of explosive growth in Samoa
Improved internet connectivity via satellite in Samoa leads to significant increase in demandST. HELIER, Jersey–(BUSINESS WIRE)–O3b Networks today announced the company has completed one full year of operation in providing trunking services to Digicel Samoa through the ground-breaking O3b Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite network.
“We are able to provide these vital benefits to our customers because of our low latency services—and that is one of the primary features of O3b.”
Digicel has been using the O3b high throughput, low latency connectivity to fuel the growth of 3G data users (Digicel Internet Service), as well as Digicel Business services (including cloud and enterprise services) for small to medium businesses, enterprises and government customers. Digicel is the leading communications operator in Samoa, and is continually striving to improve affordability and offer its customers the best technologies and services available. Digicel’s O3b connection supports data-heavy and latency-sensitive applications, which no other satellite network can support.
Digicel implemented the O3bTrunk services a year ago, with a significant data capacity to provide affordable broadband internet and 3G mobile services to their subscriber base. However, once affordable higher speed services and Digicel’s subsidized smartphones became available, the operator quickly realized its customers had a rapidly expanding appetite for even more broadband service. Digicel ramped up its contracted capacity by more than 70% just four months after the service went live.
The use of O3b satellites, which are closer to the earth than conventional geostationary (GEO) satellites, reduces latency, increases internet speed and improves voice and video quality for the user. O3b’s next generation IP trunking solution boosts existing link capacities to substantially improve affordability and latency compared with traditional satellite systems. O3bTrunk services also provide the basis of a resilient, high performance system that is ideal for use in disaster recovery – something that is becoming increasingly important in island states such as Samoa.
“Digicel provides faster downloads, higher productivity and the best value in Samoa,” said Rory Condon, CEO of Digicel Samoa. “We are able to provide these vital benefits to our customers because of our low latency services—and that is one of the primary features of O3b.”
“O3b is extremely gratified to see the kind of growth experienced by Digicel in Samoa,” said Imran Malik, VP, Asia Pacific and Middle East for O3b. “The Samoan user base has proven that access to high quality, affordable international connectivity increases data usage exponentially—customers find new possibilities, doing things that used to be impossible.”
About O3b Networks Limited
O3b Networks Limited is a global satellite service provider operating a next-generation satellite network for telecommunications operators, Internet service providers, enterprise and government customers in emerging markets. The O3b system combines the global reach of satellite with the speed of a fiber‐optic network providing billions of consumers and businesses in nearly 180 countries with low‐cost, high‐speed, low latency Internet and mobile connectivity. O3b Networks’ investors include SES, Google, Liberty Global, HSBC Principal Investments, Northbridge Venture Partners, Allen & Company, Development Bank of Southern Africa, Sofina, Satya Capital and Luxempart. O3b Networks is headquartered in St. Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands.
About Digicel
Digicel Group is a total communications and entertainment provider with operations in 33 markets in the Caribbean, Central America and Asia Pacific. After 13 years of operation, total investment to date stands at over US$5 billion worldwide. The company is renowned for delivering best value, best service and best network.
Digicel is the lead sponsor of Caribbean, Central American and Pacific sports teams, including the Special Olympics teams throughout these regions. Digicel sponsors the West Indies cricket team and is also the presenting partner of the Caribbean Premier League. In the Pacific, Digicel is the proud sponsor of several national rugby teams and also sponsors the Vanuatu cricket team.
Digicel also runs a host of community-based initiatives across its markets and has set up Digicel Foundations in Haiti, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea and Trinidad and Tobago which focus on educational, cultural and social development programmes.
Caribbean Telecommunications Union holds ICT Week in BVI
From Curacao Journal
Caribbean citizens’ growing appetite for digital conveniences is driving the region’s governments to act decisively to move essential services to online platforms.
Ministers and senior government officials from across the region are holding talks to outline the practical steps needed to make basic government services available through smartphones and other Internet-connected devices. The Ministerial seminar will take place on September 30 in Tortola, British Virgin Islands (BVI).
President of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) Philip Paulwell, Jamaican Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, will officially welcome regional delegates. CTU Secretary General Bernadette Lewis will also attend.
The seminar will explore a range of technology issues related to regional development, including practical ways for governments to make public data more readily available to citizens.
The meeting of ministers is part of a series of high-level gatherings, called an ICT Week, hosted by the BVI government and the CTU, from September 28 to October 1. Premier of the BVI, Dr D. Orlando Smith will formally open the event.
The ICT Week comes against the backdrop of the 2014 agreement by regional heads of government to establish a CARICOM Single ICT Space. It will open with an Executive Council and a General Conference of Ministers on the first two days.
On the final day, the Second Caribbean Regulators’ Forum will highlight roaming charges and other important challenges facing industry regulators as the Caribbean telecommunications environment converges.
It is the second forum of its kind to take place in the region. At the first regulatory forum on December 10 and 11, 2014 in Port of Spain, Caribbean regulators met first with stakeholders and then in private to formulate a regional response to the US$3 billion acquisition of Columbus Communications by Cable and Wireless.
The event is sponsored by Huawei technologies (T&T) as well as LIME, Digicel and CCT. Registration information and event details are available on the CTU website.
For more: http://curacaochronicle.com/tech/caribbean-telecommunications-union-holds-ict-week-in-bvi/
NaMo meets $4.5 Trillion Club of Fortune 500 CEOs
From The Quint
IMAGE: PM Narendra Modi at a roundtable on ‘Media, Technology & Communications-Growth Story for India’. (Photo: Twitter)
Modi’s first day in New York has come to a close. Do watch this space for more updates through the rest of his visit.
On Day 1, the Prime Minister has received encouraging responses and feedback in his meeting with the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies.
According to Rakesh Yadav, the CEO of Sigma-Aldrich, the meeting was constructive and “optimistic.”
For more: http://www.thequint.com/india/2015/09/24/packed-day-one-for-pm-modi-in-new-york-live-updates
Caribbean producer to shoot new film on Bob Marley”s Life
From Presna Latina
Kingston, Sep 24 (Prensa Latina) The Caribbean film producer Rudy Langlais will shoot a film about the early life in music of the Jamaican Bob Marley, considered the greatest exponent of reggae, the media reported today.
According to The Jamaica Observer, the shooting of the biopic ‘Rebels’ will begin in the first quarter of the year in Antigua and Barbuda with unreleased material.
The film will focus on the relationship of the singer with his representative Danny Sims and his colleague Johnny Nash, besides showing his rise in the world of music with the band The Wailing Wailers.
In the production of this project also will be involved the Canadian Don Allan and the American Neil Sacker, while the government of Antigua and Barbuda will provide much of the funds.
Rebels will be the first work by Golden Island Filmworks, a production company recently created by Langlais in order to boost the film development of the Caribbean.
Langlais’ professional career include Hurricane Carter (1999) starred by Denzel Washington, and Sugar Hill (1994), starred by Wesley Snipes.
This film will be a new addition to the materials and initiatives, which honor the legacy of Marley (1945-1981), whose songs have transcended due to their high social commitment.
For more: http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4190101&Itemid=1
Young Caribbean entrepreneurs meet in Barbados
From Barbados Nation News
Regional youth entrepreneurship is soaring to new heights.
Earlier today (24), the Caribbean Youth Entrepreneurship Summit got underway at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel, Hastings, with attendees from across the region.
In addressing the audience, Minister of Sports, Youth and Culture Stephen Lashley said: “Thinking as a region is not enough, but we must also be proactive. Once we invest our collective resources, the networks we create will generate a high return for Caribbean people.”
United States Ambassador Dr Larry Palmer, who was also in attendance, encouraged the entrepreneurs to take risks and work hard, alluding to the fact that entrepreneurship creates jobs where there were none. (MR)
13 Countries for ACM Biennial Assembly
National associations and focal points from 13 Caribbean countries have confirmed their participation in the Eighth Biennial General Assembly of the Association of Caribbean MediaWorkers (ACM).
The Assembly is being hosted in Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday October 4, on the eve of the Strategy Conference and General Meeting of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX), which will be hosted in the Caribbean for the first time.
ACM delegates will also have the opportunity to participate in the Strategy Conference.
The Assembly will kick off with a Panel Discussion on The Future of State Media in the Caribbean. It will also include reports on the state of press freedom in the region with submissions from each of the associations in attendance.
Representatives from Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and hosts Trinidad and Tobago will be in attendance.
SOURCE: http://acmpress.org/2015/09/24/13-countries-for-acm-biennial-assembly/
Labor Commissioner mediates in CWU and First Caribbean workers issues
From The Guardian
The Labour Commissioner has intervened in the dispute between the employees of First Caribbean International Bank and the international managers who are trying to make their way out of Belize. Their union’s president, Audrey Matura-Shepherd, on her usual anti-government rant, has been trying to suggest in the press that the Barrow Administration used the might of parliament to fast-track the transfer of assets between First Caribbean and Heritage Bank. That is furthest from the truth, and all the Government has done is to make the transfer smooth, to ensure that all goes well and that the asset ownership is not compromised.
Since the passage of the First Caribbean International Bank Vesting Bill, the Christian Workers Union had been having difficulty with the breakdown of communication between them and the Bank’s management. The Commissioner of Labour, Ivan Williams, and his team managed to chair a mediation meeting between both sides, and they agreed on the best path forward for these negotiations.
The Bank has plans to discuss their proposal for a redundancy package for these 60 employees who will no longer be employed, while the Union calls it an exit package. Both sides have agreed, after intensive intervention from the Labour Department, to meet on September 28. On that date, it is expected that the issues of both sides should be at least tabled.
If the two sides cannot agree on a final proposal for these 60 employees, according to the Labour Commissioner, the Labour Laws of Belize, they are set up in such a way that First Caribbean or Heritage Bank must resolve their concerns and ensure that their interests are looked after.
Devona A. Reynolds Perez Chosen as President-Elect of Caribbean Bar Association
MIAMI – Murray Law, P.A. is pleased to announce that Devona A. Reynolds Perez was chosen as the new President-Elect of the Caribbean Bar Association on September 10, 2015. Mrs. Reynolds Perez will be officially installed at the 19th Annual Scholarship and Awards Banquet at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 17th at the Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay Hotel.
The Caribbean Bar Association is a voluntary bar association based in Miami, Florida with well over 200 attorneys from the Caribbean-American community in South and Central Florida. The association was founded in 1994 and has since continued to fulfill its mission to inform, educate and empower all members of the Caribbean-American community in South and Central Florida. With its local base and transnational focus, the CBA continues to be uniquely poised to advocate on behalf of the entire Caribbean diaspora in South and Central Florida and to act as a bridge between law, politics, and community awareness.
Mrs. Reynolds Perez focuses her practice on franchises, small businesses as well as entrepreneurs. She has extensive experience advising franchisor clients on franchise sales compliance issues, drafting and preparing franchise disclosure documents, franchise agreements as well as franchise sales and disclosure compliance programs. She has served as outside legal counsel for a number of franchisors, multi-unit restaurant franchisees, area developers, franchisee associations, as well as small to medium sized businesses. Mrs. Reynolds Perez also has experience defending employers and businesses against FLSA actions, as well as Title VII discrimination claims and ADA accommodation actions. She has drafted and reviewed a number of employment policies and related agreements. She also advises small business and entrepreneurs regarding corporate structure and business organizations, trademark and copyright registration and U.S. immigration matters.
Devona Reynolds Perez was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica. She received her B.B.A. from the University of Miami, Miami, Florida in 2004 and her J.D. from Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 2008.
SOURCE: http://www.murraylawpa.com/blog/22094/
Tips for National Cyber Security Awareness Month
Broward College Offers Tips for National Cyber Security Awareness Month
FORT LAUDERDALE – Cybersecurity continues to be a real concern across the state and nation. In observance of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, in October, Broward College’s Chief Information Security Officer Elvis Moreland is offering tips on how the public can prevent cyber threats, and ensure their personal information is secure and protected.
National Cyber Security Awareness Month Tips
Keep a clean, updated machine. This is most easily done by keeping security software, such as anti-virus software, current. Using the latest security software, web browsers, and operating system is the best line of defense against viruses, malware and other online threats. If possible, turn on automatic updates, allowing software programs to automatically connect and update to defend and safeguard against known or potential risks.
Protect personal information. Secure all accounts, including email accounts, by creating unique usernames and making passwords that are considered “strong,” with a combination of capital and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols, which can thwart cyber criminals. In addition, you can now ask for protection beyond passwords. Many account providers now offer additional ways for you verify who you are before you log in, such as one time pin generators that are sent via text message to your cell phone.
Make sure a site is secure. When using online banking services or making purchases, always check to be sure the site is security enabled. Look for web addresses with “https://” or “shttp://”, which means the site takes extra measures to secure your information. Remember that “http://” is not secure.
Connect with care. Links in email, tweets, posts and online advertising are often the way cyber criminals compromise your computer. If it looks suspicious, even if you know the source, it’s best to delete or, if appropriate, mark it as junk email. Also, when you’re connecting to a Wi-Fi hotspot, limit the type of business you would normally connect to on a home network and adjust the security settings on your device to limit who can access your machine.
Be cyber wise. Be wary of communications that implore you to act immediately, offers something that sounds too good to be true or asks for any personal information.
Be a good online citizen. Safer for you is more secure for all. What you do online has the potential to affect everyone, so practicing good online habits ultimately benefits the global cyber community.
SOURCE: http://sflcn.com/tips-for-national-cyber-security-awareness-month/
Xinhua Mobile Limited converted all of its convertible debentures of GINSMS Inc. into common shares
Marketwired Xinhua Mobile Limited
GRAND CAYMAN, CAYMAN ISLANDS–(Marketwired – Sep 25, 2015) – Xinhua Mobile Limited (“XMobile”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Xinhua Holdings Limited (“Xinhua”), a company which securities are listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and whose Chief Executive Officer is Mr. Lian Yih Hann announces that it has converted all of its convertible debentures of GINSMS (the “Convertible Debentures”) having an aggregate principal amount of C$6,255,484 into 62,554,840 common shares (the “Common Shares”) at the conversion price of C$0.10 per common share (the “Transaction”).
Immediately after the Transaction, XMobile, together with its current ownership of 28,123,320 common shares representing 54.57% of all issued and outstanding shares of GINSMS, will own 90,678,160 common shares of GINSMS, representing 63.58% of all issued and outstanding common shares of GINSMS.
XMobile acquired the Convertible Debentures pursuant to a private agreement entered with One Heart International Limited. The conversion of the Convertible Debentures into Common Shares required no prospectus exemption.
Contact:
Xinhua Holdings Limited
Lian Yih Hann
852-3196 3977
Xinhua Mobile Limited
Cricket Square Hutchins Drive
P.O. Box 2681 Grand Cayman, KY1-1111 Cayman Islands
BHL take-over target
By Shawn Cumberbatch, From Nation News
SLU Beverages Ltd, the St Lucia-registered company which helped finance the construction of Banks Holdings Limited’s (BHL) new brewery at Newton, Christ Church, more than five years ago – and in the process became BHL’s single largest shareholder – wants to take over the company which owns Banks Breweries, Pine Hill Dairy, Barbados Bottling Co. Ltd and Banks Distribution Ltd.
Yesterday, SLU spent $52.6 million in a Barbados Stock Exchange (BSE) “block trade” purchase of 13.1 million BHL shares at $4 each – reportedly from second largest shareholder Massy Holdings Ltd.
For more: http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/72549/bhl-target#sthash.1aMh36UT.dpuf
Burkina Faso government dismisses elite unit behind coup
From Yahoo news
OUAGADOUGOU (Reuters) – Burkina Faso’s cabinet on Friday dissolved the elite presidential guard that took the president and prime minister hostage in a failed coup just weeks before elections, according to a series of decrees read on state television.
The government, in its first council of ministers since President Michel Kafando was restored to power on Wednesday, also dismissed the minister in charge of security and created a commission to identify those responsible for the putsch.
The commission was given 30 days to submit a report on the coup, which began on Sept. 16. Prosecutions would follow.
“Judicial prosecutions will immediately be engaged against the authors and accomplices,” state television RTB announced.
The cabinet also abolished the post of head of the president’s military council.
Eleven people were killed and 271 others were wounded in the wake of the coup as presidential guard soldiers clashed with anti-coup protesters on the streets of the capital Ouagadougou, according to an official government figure announced on Friday.
Before the coup, Burkina Faso was planning to hold elections on Oct. 11, marking a return to democracy a year after demonstrators toppled President Blaise Compaore as he attempted to extend his 27-year rule. It is not clear if the vote will still go ahead on schedule.
(Reporting by Mathieu Bonkoungou; Writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
For more: https://in.news.yahoo.com//burkina-faso-government-dismisses-elite-unit-behind-coup-203556743.html
Hackers reportedly stole credit card data from numerous Hilton hotel properties
By Matthew Speiser From Business Insider
The Hilton hotel franchise appears to be the victim of cyberhacking that led to a pattern of credit card fraud dating back to November 2014.
According to online security analyst, Brian Krebs, hackers have “compromised” numerous point-of-sale registers in restaurants, coffee shops, and gift shops at Hilton hotel properties across the country in order to steal credit card information.
In August, Visa alerted numerous financial institutions of a breach. Five different banks determined the commonality between the cards included in that alert was that they were used at Hilton properties — including Embassy Suites, Doubletree, Hampton Inn and Suites, and the upscale Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Krebs reports.
Hilton says it is investigating the claims.
“Hilton Worldwide is strongly committed to protecting our customers’ credit card information,” the company said in a written statement, according to Krebs. “We have many systems in place and work with some of the top experts in the field to address data security. Unfortunately the possibility of fraudulent credit card activity is all too common for every company in today’s marketplace. We take any potential issue very seriously, and we are looking into this matter.”
Krebs notes that the guest reservation systems at the affected properties do not appear to be impacted by the alleged breach, and says it remains unclear how the compromise will affect Hilton. He also says the incident may be ongoing.
