iNews Briefs, More & Cultural Events
Community Events
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.
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
MON AUG 31
Rehoboth Ministries
Rehoboth after school enrichment program re-opens Monday 31st August, 2015
HOURS: 2.30 PM – 6.00 PM
Pick up from schools available at no charge
FEE: $150.00 PER MONTH (DISCOUNTED PRICE FOR MORE THAN ONE CHILD.) Spaces allocated on first come first served basis
The children do get a snack which is included
More information- registration CALL 345-949-3905
WED AUG 2
Cineclub
National Gallery’s Cineclub is Wednesday (2 Sept) at 630. The feature film is Stagecoach.
Cayman Islands biggest online trade website hacked
Cyber Incident Response Team (CIRT-KY) in the Cayman Islands has announced there has been a cybersecurity breach of the online Classifieds marketplace, one of five websites in the eCay Online Group. The breach happened last Friday (28).
In a press Release the company said:
“We can confirm that a significant amount of users’ information that is linked to eCay Trade accounts have been leaked and this breach has the potential to impact not only users’ eCay Trade accounts but other accounts that they may maintain on the web. At this time, we are reiterating eCay Trade’s instructions to users to change their eCay Trade passwords, and would add that it is important that they change any other passwords that are similar to their eCay Trade passwords.
Awareness plays a key role in responding to any cyber Incident,” a Deloitte Enterprise Risk Services representative who was responsible for notifying CIRT-KY of the leak, said in the press release. “Cyber Incident Response actually begins before an incident occurs by creating a Cyber Incident Response Plan. A set of proactive and responsive capabilities are required for an organization’s operations to rapidly adapt and respond to Cyber Incidents and continue operations with limited impact to the business.
Any individual or member of a business entity who suspects a cybersecurity breach or vulnerability can email CIRT-KY on [email protected].
EDITOR: I am amazed there is no mention of this breach on the eCay Trade website.
After 24 hours of learning of breach
See also mains story “CIRT-KY warns eCay Trade users of account hack”
Update on Post-Ivan storage site testing on Grand Cayman
From Cayman Islands Government
“There is an ongoing effort being coordinated between local and international multi-sectoral agencies to address concerns at the post- Hurricane Ivan temporary hurricane debris storage and processing site, Block 55 Parcel 57, in Frank Sound. Government undertook to provide families with an update on progress thus far. To this end, we have followed up with PAHO & ICENS this week and they have confirmed that a number of tests have been completed. However a number of tests still remain to be completed or are underway.
Until testing and the review of data have been completed, families who have been tested have been advised to continue the precautionary measures recommended by the Public Health Department. We hope to provide a further update in the upcoming weeks and remain fully committed to seeing this important process completed. In closing, we wish to publicly thank the families involved for their continued patience and cooperation.”
Cayman Islands liquor merchant Jacques Scott to import MontGras
From MontGras
New Importer in Cayman Islands
Company
Jacques Scott Group Ltd. is added to our select group of importers.
At the moment they are the largest distributor of wines, beers and liquors of the island, with a trajectory of more than 40 years in the industry.
We are very pleased to be associated with this great company and we trust that our wines will be a success in this market.
MontGras is founded in the Colchagua Valley in Chile and the winery was founded in 1993.
Behold, a cyst draining so intense it startles the doctor
By Chloe Bryan From Mashable
Doctors have seen a lot of gross stuff. So when one jumps back in surprise during a procedure, we should all take note.
This cyst had been growing for three months on a patient’s leg before he went in to have it drained. As is customary, the doctor cleans the growth and prepares to puncture it — but the cyst just can’t wait to get started!
If you love the thrill and satisfaction of popping lesions, this is the video for you. If not, please move on.
Cayman Islands Financial Scandal
From NCU Media Group
An unfolding Cayman Islands financial scandal reportedly involved the illegal diversion of funds of as many as 70 retired and handicapped Canadian senior citizens, for the purpose of using client money to conduct unauthorized trades and keep the profits. The entire scheme is said to have been orchestrated and run by a major Canadian investment firm, located in Ontario.
The diversion of client money was accomplished under the supervision of the Canadian investment advisers entrusted with safeguarding their clients’ life savings. Some estimates of the total amount of client funds missing exceed $400 million US. A portion was apparently transferred to unlicensed Cayman Islands investment firm Bateman Capital; other funds were diverted elsewhere.
For more: http://www.ncumediagroup.com/?p=4324
NOTE: iNews Cayman’s original story concerning Bateman Capital was removed by attorneys for Bateman who threatened us withy Court Action as they say none of these accusations are true. When we asked a number of questions to clarify the correctness of the story giving a THREE DAY time limit we were accused by the RCIPS of alleged blackmail.
3D printing a mini-me is now possible
From Global Resources
Printing technology from Germany turns selfies into 4in action figures.
Source: Doob 3D
Unlike Dr. Evil who had to clone Mini-me, selfie fans can now easily 3D print miniature versions of themselves.
Developed initially to scan cancer and stroke victims and aid the fitting of prosthetics, German company Doob 3D added whimsy to its printing technology by using it to 3D print mini-mes.
The company recently set up a 3D scanning booth called Doob-licator in New York City’s Chelsea Market. Customers go into the booth, strike and hold a selfie-perfected pose. More than 54 Canon EOS Rebel T51 DSLRs take photos simultaneously to create a full-body scan.
The 18MP images are then turned into a 3D model of the subject, which in turn is printed at a different facility using high-resolution 3D printers from 3D Systems and a resin polymer. The result is a 3D selfie, a detailed 4in figurine of the client.
Celebrating scuba in the Cayman Islands
In its second iteration, the annual Cayman Islands’ Legends & Lions scuba festival will expand from one to four weeks, Sept. 5 to Oct. 3. During that time, several resorts will offer a series of weeklong packages that bundle seven nights of accommodations and six two-tank dives. The final week, participants will also receive tickets to the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame induction dinner. Packages range from $1,099 per diver, double occupancy, with dive trips by Red Sail Sports and overnights at the Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach, to $1,499 at Cobalt Coast resort with underwater adventures led by Divetech.
SOURCE: The New York Times
See also: https://www.caymanislands.ky/divecayman/consumer.aspx
eBay no longer allows 2 non-PayPal payment processors after divorce from eBay
By Laura Northrup From Consumerist
eBay and PayPal have now completed their divorce, and one of the terms that they agreed to is that eBay still has to process a large number of its payments using PayPal. That could be the reason why eBay is eliminating competitors ProPay and Skrill from the payment options for shoppers and for sellers.
eCommerceBytes points out that the timing is interesting, since PayPal also happened to raise fees for sellers who process more than $3,000 per month in payments using the service
In their e-mail to sellers about the change, eBay said that the two services had very few users, which means that perhaps letting buyers use them isn’t worth the bother for the company anymore. However, eBay does have an incentive to make sure that as many online payments as possible come from PayPal.
That’s part of the terms of the companies’ split: 80% of payments through the site must come through PayPal, or eBay will owe its former partner money. “eBay will be incentivized to grow new users and increase PayPal penetration rates through referral services and penetration rate payments,” the company explained in a statement earlier this year. eBay aso receives a bonus from PayPal if more than 80% of sales come through PayPal.
Cayman Islands is looking for “Agriculture Pioneers” National Heroes Day 2016
WHAT: Launch of “Agriculture Pioneers” Nomination Process – in advance of National Heroes Day 2016.
WHO: 2016 National Heroes Day Committee
Premier Alden McLaughlin, Minister Kurt Tibbetts and Chief Officer Jennifer Ahearn
WHEN: Tuesday, 1st September 2015
BACKGROUND: The public is invited to submit nominees for this occasion, which will highlight outstanding people from throughout the Cayman Islands. Nominations for “Pioneers in Agriculture” will begin on September 1st. Nominations will close September 30th.
The five nomination categories are:
Early Pioneer
A person who has made a significant contribution, prior to 1960, to the development and/or delivery of agriculture in the Cayman Islands – may be alive or deceased.
A commemorative insignia and certificate will be awarded.
Pioneer
A person who has made a significant contribution, between 1960- 2005, to the development and/or delivery of agriculture in the Cayman Islands – may be alive or deceased. A commemorative insignia and certificate will be awarded.
Emerging Pioneer
An individual who has made a significant contribution, from 2005 to present, to the development and/or delivery of agriculture in the Cayman Islands. This individual will be recognised with a certificate but will not receive a commemorative insignia.
Memorial Scroll
A deceased person who was a leader or notable contributor to the development and/or delivery of agriculture in the Cayman Islands. This individual will be recognised with a certificate but will not receive a commemorative insignia.
Long Service Award
An individual (currently alive) who may not necessarily have been a leader, but is a long-standing contributor to the development and/or delivery of agriculture in the Cayman Islands for ten years or more. This individual will be recognised with a certificate but will not receive a commemorative insignia.
Stewart claims he didn’t see man on track before fatal crash
By Michael Balsamo, Associated Press From Business IOnsider
NEW YORK (AP) — NASCAR star Tony Stewart says he didn’t see a young driver standing on a dirt track in upstate New York last year before he struck and killed him.
Stewart says in court papers Friday that he didn’t realize Kevin Ward Jr. had been walking along the track after a crash at Canandaigua Motorsports Park on Aug. 9, 2014.
Ward’s family has filed a lawsuit accusing Stewart of gross negligence, arguing he gunned his engine and put his car into a skid before hitting Ward.
Stewart’s lawyer argues Ward caused his own death by getting out of his car and walking along the track.
Court papers say a toxicology report shows Ward smoked marijuana within five hours of the race.
An attorney for Ward’s family did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Cayman Islands Progressives continue to give
From left are Finance and Economic Development Minister and George Town MLA Hon. Marco Archer, Jack Ebanks of George Town Primary, George Town Primary Principal Marie Martin, Tourism Councillor and George Town MLA Joey Hew, Dorothy Wilson of George Town Primary, and Political Assistant to the Premier Frank Cornwall. Messrs. Archer, Hew and Cornwall, all members of the Progressives, gave needed school supplies to George Town Primary Friday morning, the last week day before school begins Monday. The donation was part of the party’s third annual back-to-school giveaway and follows an 8 August, 2015, day of fun at PPM headquarters on Crewe Road for children and their parents.
Eat well and prosper
By Paul McGowanFrom PS Audio
My personal journey to becoming a vegetarian was both physical and mental. From just a pure health perspective, I followed a typical path: first cut out the red meat, and eat only birds and fish – later just fish – and finally just vegetables, nuts, grains and dairy. At each step along the path I felt better, as if a weight had been lifted from me that I didn’t know I carried. And my journey was filled with doubts, twists, turns, and fears. What would I eat? What happens when I travel and there are no options without meat? How would I survive? What about protein? All were easily answerable, though it took a lot of help from others to get there. Thirty years later I can’t imagine going back. It was one of the best moves I made in life.
And then there’s the spiritual part of the journey, which include my feelings about animals and the eating of them. I remember well the day my son and I were food shopping and he asked what was being displayed in the meat department’s refrigerator.
“Chicken.”
“Hah! He laughed, that’s funny. It sounds like the same word as chicken.”
“It is a chicken.”
“Doesn’t look like a chicken.”
I don’t think the kids ate chicken for a few months after realizing what was in the package was the same as the feathered creatures in their books. And that’s when I made a mental switch. I wondered if I could kill a chicken, remove its feathers, bleed it, hack it up, and eat it. I couldn’t, no more than I could kill a cow, pig or fish. Easy enough to go to the market and buy something in a box, but that left the responsibility of death to someone else. To me, I was a hypocrite if I could not do the deed, hiding instead behind the safety of plastic packages. I spoke with hunters who killed, skinned, bled and ate their prey without remorse. I admired that. It was just something I could not do.
Here’s the thing. We all kill to live: plants, animals, whatever. Where are you comfortable drawing the line? That’s the question I asked myself and found I hadn’t a problem picking a tomato, unshelling a nut, or eating cheese from a cow that was humanely treated. I could not slaughter anything that looked me in the eye and I was not ok with others doing it for me. It still mattered.
As we move back to audio related matters I will just say this. If you do nothing else in your life, try your best to be in tune with your body. Just as we need to be in touch with our stereo systems for best performance, that same attention to detail helps with your physical and mental state of being.
At the end of the day, all any of us really have is our health. Long life has less meaning if you’re not healthy enough to enjoy it to the fullest.
Eat well!
For more: http://www.psaudio.com/pauls-posts/eat-well-and-prosper/
FATCA: Update regarding US Reportable Accounts
From Harneys
The Cayman Islands Department for International Tax Cooperation (DITC) has advised that it is in the final stages of preparing its FATCA data to be provided to the IRS. Information on US Reportable Account Notifications and 2014 Returns for US FATCA should now be completed and successfully submitted.
It is anticipated that the Cayman AEOI Portal will close after 5:00pm (EST) on 28 August 2015 to facilitate this preparation. Please note that Nil Returns are not a mandatory requirement.
Return entries that are not completed and have the status of “No Data,” “Ready to Submit” or “In Draft” should be reviewed and either be finalised and submitted, or removed, from the AEOI Portal.
Failure to notify the DITC of entries that have been uploaded with test or incorrect data will result in the information being included in the transmission to the IRS and may result in sanctions.
The DITC has taken a soft approach to the enforcement of 2014 US FATCA data reported this year, but cannot guarantee that late submissions will be accepted beyond 5:00pm (EST) on 28 August 2015.
The opportunity to remediate late reporting will therefore cease once the AEOI Portal is closed on 28 August 2015.
Full details of the DITC advisory can be found here at: http://www.tia.gov.ky/pdf/AEOI_News_&_Updates.pdf
Harneys can assist with your reporting and advisory queries related to FATCA.
SOURCE: http://m.harneys.com/publications/legal-updates/fatca-update-regarding-us-reportable-accounts
EisnerAmper Cayman Ltd. joins EisnerAmper Global
EisnerAmper LLP welcomes EisnerAmper Cayman to the EisnerAmper Global Network as a founding member. EisnerAmper Global is an international network of independent member firms created to address the specialized audit, tax, and advisory needs of the financial services community in key markets around the world.
“Institutional investors and investment managers actively seeking opportunities in a key global financial center, such as the Cayman Islands, require truly localized knowledge. These resources become increasingly important when servicing the highly specialized and demanding financial services industry,” said Peter Cogan, Partner and Co-Chair of EisnerAmper’s Financial Services Group and a Director of EisnerAmper Global.
“Becoming part of EisnerAmper Global will give our clients access to global perspective and cutting-edge services by leveraging the expertise of approximately 200 partners and 2,000 professionals across Cayman, London, the U.S. and Ireland,” said Ben Leung, Managing Partner of EisnerAmper Cayman Ltd.
The Cayman Island Monetary Authority (CIMA) requires entities registered under the Mutual Funds Law to have their annual financial statement audit certified by an approved local auditor, such as EisnerAmper Cayman Ltd. “We are able to provide the CIMA-required sign-off on audits, as well as other local services,” Leung said.
Caribbean Tourism Organization Secretary General visits Guyana
From Caribbean Journal
Guyana looking to develop tourism sector
Caribbean Tourism Organization Secretary General Hugh Riley is in Guyana this week, looking to assist with some of the country’s aims of developing into a “must-see tourist destination.”
Riley is meeting with Guyana Tourism Minister Cathy Hughes to discuss ways to “advance cooperation and mutual interests,” according to a statement.
Guyana has been in the midst of a major rebranding campaign, dubbing itself “South America Undiscovered.”
“We have come to understand that the Minster has a sharp focus on what Guyana’s tourism development should look like, we need to understand that as the CTO, we feel we have the skills and tools to help to deliver what Guyana’s national tourism priorities are, and ensuring that local communities benefit is a key part of the sustainable aspect of tourism,” Riley said. “We feel that the CTO can assist in helping local communities to understand the value that tourism brings to their lives and in helping all stakeholders involved, to understand how to further develop those communities.”
Riley is being joined by CTO Director of Membership Faye Gill.
“I think that our existing relationship is one we can build on and we can learn from them, they can support us in marketing Guyana,” Hughes said. “Community-based tourism is an area of tourism where we want to build, because we feel strongly that people in the rest of the world are interested in. This is the time where we want to come to and see communities … how they live, what their culture is, so in the whole community-based tourism model, we feel that is one we can duplicate and build on in the regions, and that is key in creating employment within the regions too.”
For more: http://caribjournal.com/2015/08/28/caribbean-tourism-organization-secretary-general-visits-guyana/#
J’ouvert celebration is joyous and peaceful
By Evan Allen and Laura Crimaldi From Boston Globe
Members of the Wick’d Jab Family danced together during the J’ouvert parade on Blue Hill Avenue.
The annual J’ouvert, an early morning parade that kicks off the weekend’s Caribbean festival, was a joyous celebration Saturday morning despite the shootings hours before that left one man dead and four others injured.
The shootings did not occur on the J’ouvert route — they took place 1 to 2 miles miles away from the start point at Talbot Avenue and Blue Hill Avenue. But J’ouvert was shortened this year because of safety concerns after the death of 26-year-old Dawnn Jaffier when she was caught in the crossfire of a gang fight on Blue Hill Avenue during last’s year’s celebration.
This year, the event was peaceful.
“This is the beginning of the carnival, the dawning,” said Henry Antoine, president of the World Carnival Commission, Saturday morning as he walked among dancers painted head to toe with black oil, surrounding a truck carrying a drum band. “It’s a wonderful time, it’s all about fun. Once a year, you take away all that stress.”
The parade began snaking down Blue Hill Ave just after 6 a.m. Saturday, with revelers covering their bodies in oil, chocolate, and bright paints. Many wore hats with long, twisting horns, or draped flags around their shoulders. Antoine said that the costumes people wear are all about “gimmicks, creation, imagination, humor,” and that the Carnival celebration scheduled for later in the day would showcase glamour and beauty.
Community leaders call for peaceful celebration of J’ouvert
The father of Dawnn Jaffier, who was killed last year after participating in the annual J’ouvert procession, is calling for peace at this year’s festivities.
J’ouvert costumes are known for their dark or strange humor. One man tugged a coffin and encouraged people to put money inside it, while another, dressed as a woman and wearing a wig, pushed a teddy bear in a baby carriage down the street.
“He wants to be a lawyer,” said Irwin Holloway, of the bear.
One man with live snakes wrapped around his neck offered others celebrants the chance to touch them.
“I want everyone to know what a great time it is!” shouted Stedman Tylerbest, whose face and shirt dripped with chocolate sauce as he danced and laughed.
“This year’s different than previous years,” said Trey Eddith, 25, who works in finance and has attended J’ouvert since his childhood. “It does feel a little safer.”
The celebration was more organized, he said, and the crowd did not seem as large or as rowdy as it had in past years.
In front of Eddith, young people danced close and laughed, rubbing paint and oil on each other as they danced.
“These people are having a good time,” said Eddith. “When you’re smiling and carefree, it reminds us of home.”
Like many attendees, Eddith lamented the association in people’s minds between Saturday’s early morning violence and the J’ouvert celebration.
“It’s not happening right here,” he said, gesturing to the street full of joyful celebrants in front of him. “It’s coincidence.”
City Councilor Tito Jackson walked the route to make sure people were safe and having a good time, and, a few blocks from the end, said that the festivities went well.
“I’m finding that people are having a good time, including splashing paint on me,” he said, his white shirt covered in black handprints. “There are some great musicians, everything is drum-based. It really feeds your soul.”
The organizers did a great job, he said. The event this year was organized by a different group than in previous years, and several officials said they had created a more organized celebration.
The shootings were troubling, but they happened in the larger context of a tough summer for the city, Jackson said.
His prayers, he said, were with the family of the man killed.
The gunfire that erupted overnight was no different than violence that happens any other weekend or in advance of other celebrations held in the city, said a representative of the nonprofit Caribbean American Carnival Association of Boston Inc., which organizes Carnival Day.
“To say it’s because of carnival . . . that is not the case,” said Mary-dith Tuitt, the association’s recording secretary. “Violence rings out whether it’s the carnival festival day or whether it’s not the carnival festival day.”
Tuitt said the three shootings were a shame and that her thoughts and prayers are with the families of victims.
“We’re shocked about,” said Tuitt, who lives in Dorchester. “We hope that some type of peace would ring out in the community.”
She noted that J’ouvert went smoothly and preparations were continuing for this afternoon’s parade, which stretches from Martin Luther King Boulevard in Roxbury to Franklin Park in Dorchester.
“It’s a family-oriented day,” Tuitt said.
