iNews Briefs
Cayman Islands finance minister says duty allowance will not be raised
Marco Archer, Cayman Islands Minister of Finance, told the Legislative Assembly (LA) there would be no change to the current duty allowance of $350 as the government could not afford it. The existing allowances we have in place now compare favourably and are better than many other jurisdictions.
Ezzard Miller, North Side independent LA member was proposing an increase to $500 for those travelling on a Cayman passport. He said the allowance has not been increased for many years but the cost of goods had.
Archer raised the difficulties that would ensure in having different levels of duty allowances for Caymanians and non-Caymanians.
Other members, Roy McTaggart and Minister Wayne Panton, pointed out that a raise in the duty allowance would have the opposite affect of ‘buying locally’.
The estimated cost of implementing the increase would be a loss of revenue of $30M.
Muslims threw Christians overboard during Mediterranean voyage
From Newsmax
Italy’s migration crisis took on a deadly new twist Thursday as police in Sicily reported that Muslim migrants had thrown 12 Christians overboard during a recent crossing from Libya, and an aid group said another 41 were feared drowned in a separate incident.
Palermo police said they had detained 15 people suspected in the high seas assault, which they learned of while interviewing tearful survivors from Nigeria and Ghana who had arrived in Palermo Wednesday morning after being rescued at sea by the ship Ellensborg.
The 15 were accused of multiple homicide aggravated by religious hatred, police said in a statement.
The survivors said they had boarded a rubber boat April 14 on the Libyan coast with 105 passengers aboard, part of the wave of migrants taking advantage of calm seas and warm weather to make the risky crossing from Libya, where most smuggling operations originate.
During the crossing, the migrants from Nigeria and Ghana — believed to be Christians — were threatened with being abandoned at sea by some 15 other passengers from the Ivory Coast, Senegal, Mali and Guinea Bissau.
Eventually the threat was carried out and 12 were pushed overboard. The statement said the motive was that the victims “professed the Christian faith while the aggressors were Muslim.”
The surviving Christians, the statement said, only managed to stay on board by forming a “human chain” to resist the assault.
Earlier Thursday, the International Organization of Migration said four migrants who were picked up in recent days by the Italian Navy reported a shipwreck to aid workers after arriving in the Italian port of Trapani Thursday. Their boat had originally been carrying 45 people; the others are presumed dead.
The IOM said the migrants — two Nigerians, a Ghanaian and one Nigerien — were found floating in the sea by a helicopter and were rescued by the Italian Naval ship Foscari. They had left Tripoli in Libya on Saturday and stayed adrift for four days. The location of the rescue was not immediately known.
For more: http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/EU-Europe-Migrants-Shipwreck/2015/04/16/id/639052/#ixzz3XagNeffs
CONCACAF Integrity Committee statement
On April 18, 2013, at the request of the CONCACAF Executive Committee, the CONCACAF Integrity Committee released its Report of Investigation detailing organizational deficiencies within the Confederation. The Committee also issued subsequent recommendations to address and reform the issues outlined in its report. These recommendations were designed to supplement accountability and transparency initiatives already forethought by the Executive Committee.
Presently, the CONCACAF Integrity Committee is pleased to report that two years following the release of its Report of Investigation, the Confederation has embraced more than 30 recommended organizational reforms promulgated by the Committee. Through the development of the Policies and Procedures Manual and the adoption of its amended Statutes at the recently held Congress, CONCACAF has created the legal framework that will allow for the implementation of the aforementioned recommendations.
In this vein, the Confederation has developed new governance standards, approved a Code of Ethics, created reporting mechanisms and enforcement procedures, implemented financial compliance and reporting measures and solidified the Confederation’s fiscal position. We are confident that the Executive Committee’s leadership will continue to take steps to transform the organization and unite the Confederation’s 41 member associations.
5.4 magnitude earthquake rattles Trinidad, Tobago, Grenada
By Kalifa Clyne From T&T Guardian
This image of the 5.4 magnitude earthquake that took place on April 15, 2015 was automatically generated by The University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre.
The region is in a period of elevated earthquake activity, seismologist Dr Joan Lutchman said.
Lutchman said this in a telephone interview following an earthquake which was felt in T&T and at around 10.24 pm on Wednesday.
“We have been having several earthquakes in the region, with the most taking place in the Leeward islands,” Lutchman said.
In fact, following Wednesday’s earthquake, there were two earthquakes within hours of each other yesterday, one near Basseterre, St Kitts and the other near Martinique.
The first earthquake near Basseterre was a magnitude 3.8, while the second had a magnitude of 4.3.
“The activity is a little elevated but sometimes that i what happens, we go through periods of elevated activity,” Lutchman said.
Lutchman said Wednesday’s earthquake took place North of the Paria Peninsula, off the coast of Venezuela and was felt as far south as Penal, and in areas such as Sangre Grande and Diego Martin.
“It was a moderate event. If it was a little closer to us it would have given us quite a shock,” Lutchman said.
“Our island is in an active zone so we will experience earthquake activity.”
For more: http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2015-04-16/54-magnitude-earthquake-rattles-trinidad-tobago-grenada
Use the bus, car pool, bike or walk says Cayman Islands government
The Cayman Islands Department of Environment (DoE) is asking members of the public to use the bus, car pool, bike or walk instead of driving an empty car.
This initiative is part of Earth Month and DoE officials said using an alternative mode of transport just once a week could make a significant difference.
“Vehicle emissions contribute significantly to the population’s carbon footprint,” said Nathan Dack, the DoE’s sustainable development officer. “Even small steps, such as car sharing or using the bus once a week, can make a big difference in help to reduce the country’s carbon footprint and the release of harmful Greenhouse Gas emissions, which contribute to climate change.”
In its second in a series of surveys, the DoE is asking people their views on the current public transport system and what it would take to get more people on the bus. The survey just takes a few minutes and will help shape future policies for a greener Cayman.
This woman smiled after shooting a giraffe, and the Internet is outraged
By Brian Ries
IMAGE: A 2010 photo taken by Rebecca Francis after a giraffe hunt went viral in April 2015 after it was tweeted by the comedian Ricky Gervais. IMAGE: REBECCA FRANCIS
Real life Big Buck Hunter “Hero” Rebecca Francis thought she had snagged yet another trophy animal when she shot and killed a giraffe in Africa in 2010.
The 41-year-old mother of eight, who’s hunted and killed everything from bears, moose and bighorn rams to zebras, lynx and antelopes, downed the beast with a bow and took a picture laying next to its carcass.
That, it seemed, was that. But she never considered what Ricky would think.
Five years later, the comedian Ricky Gervais found the picture and tweeted it to his followers, asking, “What must’ve happened to you in your life to make you want to kill a beautiful animal & then lie next to it smiling?”
The outrage — and death threats — came quick. Gervais’ tweets frequent outrage about hunters and those who harm animals, and his followers readily pounced on the target.
“Name and shame then shoot her in the head! I’d like to kick her to death personally!” said one person. “Giraffes are actually endangered & people don’t realize that, but we are over populating so I’ll kill her,” said another. “Someone should hunt this bitch, beat the shit out of her then lay down beside her and take a picture,” said a third.
Tweet from Ricky Gervais: What must’ve happened to you in your life to make you want to kill a beautiful animal & then lie next to it smiling?
For more & Tweets: http://feeds.mashable.com/~r/Mashable/~3/GaL_meT04so/
Oaktree Enhanced Income Fund III (Cayman) L.P. Just filed Form D announcing $500.00 million fFinancing
By OCTASTAFF
Oaktree Enhanced Income Fund III (Cayman), L.P., Limited Partnership just filed form D regarding $500.00 million financing. Oaktree Enhanced Income Fund III (Cayman), L.P. is expected to sell $500.00 million in this financing round. The total offering amount was $500.00 million. The reason for the financing was: Total offering amount applies to the Issuer, its master fund and related parallel entities. The first sale is yet to occur..
Oaktree Enhanced Income Fund III (Cayman), L.P. is based in California. The filer’s business is Pooled Investment Fund. The form was signed by Mary Gallegly Vice President, Legal.
What is Form D & Financing Information Used For
Form D disclosures could be used to track and understand better your competitors. The information in Form D is usually highly confidential for ventures and startups and they don’t like revealing it. This is because it reveals amount raised or planned to be raised as well as reasons for the financing. This could help competitors. Entrepreneurs usually want to keep their financing a ‘secret’ so they can stay in stealth mode for longer.
Sanders targets tax havens
By WCAX NewsCONNECT From WCAX.com
WASHINGTON – Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is going after offshore corporate tax havens. He’s introduced legislation to prevent American companies from using subsidiaries in places like the Cayman Islands to avoid paying taxes in the U.S. Sanders pointed to a single property that is reportedly home to over 18,000 companies.
“This is all a fraud. And it is the same kind of fraud in a sense of what the American tax system is about. This is it. These are mail drops. That’s all that they are. These are companies that set up phony subsidiaries that claim profits in the Cayman Islands that in fact were made in the United States,” said Sanders, I-Vermont.
Sanders’ bill is not likely to win support from the Republican-controlled Congress. In fact, Republicans are looking to further insulate offshore companies from U.S. taxes. They say most other industrialized countries specifically exempt multi-national companies from paying taxes earned by foreign affiliates.
For more: http://www.wcax.com/story/28809821/sanders-targets-tax-havens
Second employee at Cayman Islands prison placed on required leave
Because of the ongoing internal investigation at Cayman Islands HMP Northward on Grand Cayman when a covert camera was discovered in one of the management team’s offices a second prison employee has been placed on required leave.
The prison has declined to comment on the details.
Sexually explicit music videos should get ratings, poll reveals
By Emily Dugan Social Affairs Editor The Independent UK
More than 70 per cent also thought regulation should also be applied to sexual material in print and online publications
Perhaps it was Miley Cyrus swinging naked on a wrecking ball that did it – or maybe it was the sadomasochism in Rihanna’s S&M video that was banned in 11 countries. But more than three quarters of the British public now believe sexually explicit music videos should be given age ratings like films, polling shows.
An Ipsos/Mori poll for the feminist campaign group Object suggests shows that 81 per cent of people in the UK would like age certificates on pop videos to prevent young people being exposed to sexually explicit content.
The same poll showed that more than 70 per cent thought regulation should also be applied to sexual material in newspapers, magazines and websites too. Nearly two in three of those surveyed believe porn normalises violence against women, and more than half agreed that watching it has a negative effect on personal relationships.
Beti Baraki, Object’s Campaign Officer said:“Sexual objectification of women in the music industry does great emotional harm, perpetuating low body confidence in women of all ages, and especially in girls growing up.
“No one would argue that young teenagers ought to see sexual images in daytime films, yet a quick flick over to a music channel, or an online search for a song, can often reveal way more than parents bargained for.
“There is now clear public backing for dealing with music videos in the same way we deal with films, classifying those which are sexually explicit in advance and protecting young people from them.”
Report finds billions of U.S. dollars lost due to tax havens
From 1007mix.fm
Congressional hearings in the past few years made headlines exposing how Apple and Microsoft moved money overseas to avoid paying U.S. taxes. But as a new report shows, these name-brand companies aren’t alone.
Matt Gardner, executive director of the Institute on Taxation and Public Policy, said companies known to use offshore tax havens include Nike, Safeway, American Express, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and the pharmaceutical giant Amgen. The impact on the U.S. Treasury is significant, he said.
“If these companies paid the U.S. taxes that they ought to be paying on this income,” he said, “we’d be talking about $600 billion.”
At the end of 2014, 304 Fortune 500 companies collectively held more than $2 trillion in Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, the Bahamas and other countries – places that Gardner said provide very little in the way of real business opportunities for American corporations such as Qualcomm, Safeway and Microsoft.
Many corporations that fail to disclose whether their offshore holdings are tax havens are the same ones lobbying Congress to enact a temporary “tax holiday” or a permanent exemption for offshore income, Gardner said. Both proposals only would reward companies for shifting profits overseas, he said, predicting that average Americans would end up footing the bill.
“When corporations don’t pay their fair share,” he said, “really, the impact is that the rest of us – middle-income families and small businesses – pay more to make up the difference.”
The report recommends that Congress act sooner than later to put a stop to offshore tax havens. Gardner said each of 77 companies in the survey increased their declared offshore cash by at least $500 million each in the last year alone.
The report is online at http://ctj.org/pdf/pre0415.pdf
Partners Capital Condor Fund VII (Cayman) L.P. Just Filed Form D Announcing $12.00 million Financing
By OCTASTAFF
Partners Capital Condor Fund VII (Cayman), L.P., Other just filed form D regarding $12.00 million financing. Partners Capital Condor Fund VII (Cayman), L.P. was able to sell $12.00 million. That is 100.00% of the offering. The total offering amount was $12.00 million. The reason for the financing was: unspecified.
Partners Capital Condor Fund VII (Cayman), L.P. is based in CAYMAN ISLANDS. The filer’s business is Pooled Investment Fund. The form was signed by Paul Dimitruk Director of the General Partner.
What is Form D & Financing Information Used For
Form D disclosures could be used to track and understand better your competitors. The information in Form D is usually highly confidential for ventures and startups and they don’t like revealing it. This is because it reveals amount raised or planned to be raised as well as reasons for the financing. This could help competitors. Entrepreneurs usually want to keep their financing a ‘secret’ so they can stay in stealth mode for longer.
Let’s talk about tourism safety: Curaçao to host Caribbean International Tourism Safety & Security Conference 2015
WILLEMSTAD – Tourism safety and security are imperative when providing quality in tourism. More than any other economic activity, the success or failure of a favorite destination depends on being able to provide a safe and secure environment for visitors. It is an undeniable fact that safety and security issues in the tourism industry gained a much bigger importance in the last couple of years. Due to this particular reason the Curaçao Tourist Board in cooperation with Tourism and More Inc. will host the Caribbean International Tourism Safety & Security Conference 2015 which will be taking place from 24 – 26 June 2015 at the Curaçao World Trade Center.
The main goal of the Caribbean International Tourism Safety & Security Conference is for every delegate to gain knowledge through the sharing of experiences and to enhance the awareness about tourism safety and security in the Caribbean. It also provides a unique opportunity to meet with hundreds of safety and security professionals from all around the world. On June 24th the Caribbean International Tourism Safety & Security Conference will start with a seminar for local stakeholders. The seminar will be conducted as an interactive discussion on the ‘TOPPs’ (Tourism Oriented Policing & Protection Services). On June 25th and 26th both the public and private sector will come together for insightful information sessions related to safety and security in the Caribbean region. Topics that will be addressed during the conference are among others Vision of the Caribbean, Effective Communication Management in case of Tourism Security Crisis, Cruise Security, Tourism Challenges for the Caribbean, Tourists Health, Festivals Security, Human Trafficking, Crime as a factor in a Tourism-based Economy and Passenger Experience.
The Caribbean International Tourism Safety & Security Conference will provide all delegates with new information and the best practices for a safer Caribbean region. The fact remains that the Caribbean region is considered by many as their dream destination and therefore it is important to ensure a safe feeling. Curaçao would like to invite you to be part of the Caribbean International Tourism Safety & Security Conference. For more information and online registration please visit http://www.curacao.com/ssc/.
ABOUT CURAÇAO
Home to more than 35 captivating beaches, a diverse heritage spanning 55 different cultures, a ‘live and let live’ attitude and unrivaled European architecture; Curaçao remains one of the most exceptional islands of the region. Its capital city, Willemstad – a UNESCO World Heritage site – with its iconic colorful Handelskade backdrop and roster of museums, monuments, flavorful restaurants and shopping, was selected in 2014 as one of USA Today’s 10 Best Caribbean
Destinations. Curaçao’s natural beauty, pristine diving and snorkeling sites are a favorite with divers and adventure seekers, and its beaches and idyllic weather, situated on the outer fringes of the Hurricane Belt, has won it further accolade and recognition. To learn more about Curaçao, please visit http://www.curacao.com, call toll free 1.800.328.7222 or download our brochure at http://curacao.com/brochure. Find us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Curacaotb, Twitter: @CuracaoTravel or Instagram: CuracaoTB
Pesticide that sickened Wilmington family in Caribbean used in Puerto Rico too
By Amy Cherry From WDE101.7FM
Steve Esmond, the father of the family sickened in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Esmond is an administrator at Tatnall School/Courtesy the Tatnall School website
A pesticide that sickened a Wilmington family on one U.S. Caribbean island has been used elsewhere as well.
The toxic chemical, methyl bromide, that sickened head of Tatnall Middle SchoolStephen Esmond and his family at a luxury resort in the Virgin Islands, has also been used improperly at various locations Puerto Rico, according to a new Environmental Protection Agency report.
The report didn’t say whether those locations were residences or resorts.
The pesticide used at the Sirenusa resort on St. John came from two licensed dealers in Puerto Rico, which caused the federal government to probe whether it’s being used elsewhere. The Department of Justice is also investigating the pesticide’s use.
Freelance environmental journalist Sandy Bauers said the chemical is banned in many countries with some exceptions.
“Mostly that is agricultural exceptions, I believe it’s used on strawberries in California. In Puerto Rico, it’s used to fumigate cargo coming into the country that might contain insects,” she said
She said resorts in warmer climates may use it because they have most pests than tourists want to be around.
“There is more pressure among the tourists there; we go there, and we say, ‘We don’t want the pests, so we’re putting pressure on these places to spray, I think, in a very subtle way,” she said.
Methyl bromide was banned from indoor use in 1984.
For more: http://www.wdel.com/story.php?id=67625
See also iNews related story April 7 2015: “Poisoned Del. dad, 2 sons still critical from pesticide” at: http://www.ieyenews.com/wordpress/poisoned-del-dad-2-sons-still-critical-from-pesticide/
HMCS Athabaskan going to Caribbean for Operation Caribbe
From The Canadian Press
The destroyer is expected to join the operation later this month
Posted: Apr 17, 2015 8:00 AM AT Last Updated: Apr 17, 2015 8:00 AM AT
IMAGE: HMCS Athabaskan’s mission will involve tracking and possibly intercepting suspicious vessels, enabling law enforcement agencies to take action. (Stephen Puddicombe/CBC)
A Canadian warship has been dispatched from Halifax to the Caribbean to take part in a multinational mission to thwart illicit trafficking and organized crime.
HMCS Athabaskan will be part of Operation Caribbe, which includes tours of the Gulf of Mexico and the eastern Pacific off the coasts of Mexico, Central America, Colombia and Ecuador.
The mission involves tracking and possibly intercepting suspicious vessels, enabling law enforcement agencies to take action.
The destroyer is expected to join the operation later this month.
It will be the sixth Royal Canadian Navy ship to deploy for the mission since the beginning of the year.
The warship will also participate in the bicentennial of the Battle of New Orleans in Louisiana.
Tobacco companies bring new fight with Feds over labels
By Zoe Tillman, From Legal Times
Tobacco companies have long fought with the feds over what they can—and must—say on cigarette packages and other product labels. In the latest case, filed Tuesday, tobacco makers are challenging a new directive from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that the companies claim unlawfully requires pre-approval for label changes.
Six tobacco companies, including Philip Morris USA Inc., R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and Lorillard Tobacco co., filed suit against the agency in the federal district court in Washington. They claimed that the FDA published new “guidance” materials in March that effectively required pre-approval for any label changes that made a tobacco product appear “distinct” from previous versions.
The tobacco companies accuse the FDA of failing to go through the necessary administrative processes for making a rules change. They also say that the pre-approval requirement violates the First Amendment. Congress gave the FDA authority to require pre-approval only in certain “narrow circumstances,” the tobacco companies argue.
Arnold & Porter and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher represent Philip Morris and U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co. LLC. Jones Day and King & Spalding are counsel for R.J. Reynolds, American Snuff Co. and Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co. Inc. Covington & Burling represents Lorillard.
Wal-Mart wins gun case with third circuit reversal
By Saranac Hale Spencer, From The Legal Intelligencer
Wal-Mart won back control of its policy for the sale of guns with high-capacity magazines with a short order from the Third Circuit on Tuesday.
The appeals court reversed a December decision from the District of Delaware that had ruled Wal-Mart would have to include in its annual report to shareholders, called a proxy statement, a proposal from one of its shareholders, an Episcopal church in New York that filed under the name Trinity Wall Street, that would ask them to vote on putting the oversight of policies concerning the sale of certain merchandise, including guns with high-capacity magazines, in the hands of the board.
The scientific reason why cookies taste better when they’re dunked
From The Kitchn
Girl Scout cookie season just wrapped up, and if you’re anything like me you were probably sidetracked at the grocery store by sweet-looking Scouts hawking Thin Mints and Samoas. As a former Girl Scout who once did her fair share of hawking, I have trouble saying no. Plus, I like cookies. Especially when they’re dunked in milk.
And, it turns out, there’s a reason why cookies taste even better when dunked.
I have fond memories of dipping my cookies in milk, but I also love dunking firm cookies, like shortbreads and Thin Mints, in hot tea in the afternoon.
NPR explored why so many others do the same, asking, “Does immersing a cookie into a warm beverage really make it taste better? And if so, why?”
Cookbook author Heston Blumenthal did a number of scientific experiments and discovered that a chocolate cookie dipped in black tea did actually have more flavor. A science fanatic, Blumenthal worked with a group of food scientists who developed a new machine which would “measure the amount of flavor released in your mouth as aromas when you take a sip of Cabernet, melt a chocolate bar on your tongue, or chew on a cookie.”
The result was that cookies released more cookie flavor and aroma when dunked. Why? Methylbutanol, a compound linked to the toasty flavors in baked goods like cookies, is more easily and quickly released into the mouth and nose when the cookie is dampened — especially by a hot beverage, like tea. The conclusion: “dunking is better than not dunking.”
Canada rolling out fines for anti-spam law violations
By Marlisse Silver Sweeney Corporate Counsel
America’s neighbor to the north is starting to hand out some stiff penalties for violation of the its anti-spam legislation known as CASL, enacted last July 1. The legislation applies to any electronic message sent in connection with a commercial activity. The folks at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg note the law’s basic premise is that the company sending the message must have the prior consent of recipients, thus eliminating the spam sent to the inboxes of Canadians.
The act’s first violator was Compu-Finder Inc., which allegedly sent four separate emails promoting its training courses without the recipients’ consent or an unsubscribe mechanism. “Compu-Finder flagrantly violated the basic principles of the law by continuing to send unsolicited commercial electronic messages after the law came into force to email addresses it found by scouring websites,” said Manon Bombardier, chief compliance and enforcement officer of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, in a statement. The company was fined $1.1 million.
Online dating company Plentyoffish Media Inc. is not off the hook either. It has paid $48,000 for an alleged violation, according to the CRTC. The agency says that company also allegedly sent emails without a prominent unsubscribe mechanism. “This case in an important reminder to businesses that they need to review their unsubscribe mechanisms to ensure they are clearly and prominently set out and can be readily performed,” says Bombardier.
The Seventh Summit of the Americas: The President’s trip and a historic meeting
By Jenna Brayton From White House Blog
This past week, President Obama participated in the seventh Summit of the Americas, in Panama City, Panama. The Summit of the Americas is a tradition that brings together the leaders of North and South America to discuss issues that impact the Americas. President Obama’s participation in the Summit highlights the continuing commitment of the U.S. to upholding the role that independent civil society and the private sector play in a shared democratic agenda.
While in Panama City, President Obama participated in a CEO summit along with prominent business executives and heads of state from Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago.
During the Summit, President Obama sat down with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff. The two discussed shared priorities, like food security and climate change.
President Obama also sat down with Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela to discuss the partnership between the U.S. and Panama on security, the economy, and education, and how they could further deepen ties between the two countries.
Additionally, in a historic first, President Obama met with Cuban President Raul Castro, in their first full meeting since the U.S. decided to chart a new course in relations with Cuba.
President Obama and President Castro discussed our shared histories, and the significant change in policy and the relationship between our two countries. Both leaders agreed that the majorities of the American people and Cuban people had responded positively to the thaw in relations.
“This is obviously a historic meeting.”— President Obama on his first full meeting with Cuban President Raul Castro
President Obama announced that both Cuba and America were working on the next step in normalizing diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba, and were working to open embassies in both Havana and Washington, D.C.
President Obama’s travels to Panama City for the Summit of the Americas were a success: President Obama even had a chance to visit the Panama Canal for the first time.
IMAGE: President Barack Obama participates in a pull-aside with Cuban President Raul Castro during the Summit of the Americas Second Plenary Session at the Atlapa Convention Center in Panama City, Panama, April 11, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)
For more and video: https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/04/12/seventh-summit-americas-presidents-trip-and-historic-meeting
First Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival launches in 2015
Experience Culture; Music Concerts and Road Fever parade to draw thousands in festival of fun and unity
NASSAU, Bahamas — The Bahamas keeps getting better, with an annual Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival launched this year that will draw regional musical acts and revelers in a season of unity and festivity from May 7th — 9th, 2015.Three days of non-stop food, culture, music and dancing are planned for the event, expected to be one of the most colorful celebrations in the region, said the Bahamas National Festival Commission, organizers of the event.
“We’re inviting the world to come to The Bahamas and experience one of the most spectacular carnivals in this hemisphere,” said the CEO of the BNFC Roscoe Dames. “There is truly something for everyone at Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival 2015. Lots of diverse entertainment and attractions will be available during the Junkanoo Carnival season and we are excited about showcasing all the Bahamian and multi-cultural activities going on during this time.”
Kicking off the festival that Thursday will be Junkamania — a musical concert of orchestras blending Bahamian Junkanoo music with other folk forms such as drumming and dance, on a live stage in Da Cultural Village – the epicenter of activity during the Junkanoo Carnival season 2015. Throughout the night there will be special guest performances by Bahamian contemporary artist Julien Believe, Trinidadian soca artist Bunji Garlin and soca band Visage.
Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival
Friday night, the Music Masters concert–the premiere musical event for Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival – will have top contemporary artists in The Bahamas competing live in front of thousands for a chance to be crowned the Music Master. The song competition will include special performances by Grammy award-winning artists Baha Men and Soca Monarch winner Machel Montano. A top group out of Haiti will also be performing on the historical night. The night’s events will culminate with a Midnight Rush – a Junkanoo rush for the people.
On Saturday, thousands of merrymakers are expected to take to the road in a lively and vibrant street parade of costumes and dancing to mark the season.
Saturday will also include a taste of Latin America, with a Cuban band flying in to perform as well as soca artists Skinny Fabulous and Olatunji taking to the stage for the grand finale event, where Bahamian music legend Ronnie Butler will make a rare appearance to perform some of his greatest hits.
Charity ads subvert Facebook to highlight the UK’s lonely elderly
By Nick Summers From engadget
If you live in the UK, you’ve probably seen Facebook’s new “Friends” ads on TV or the London Underground. They’re refreshingly simple and focus on what the goliath social network was originally designed for — staying connected with the people that matter most in our lives. However, soon you might see some new billboard ads, featuring a few subtle but incredibly powerful tweaks: namely, the use of the phrase “No Friends.” They were designed by the J. Walter Thompson London communications agency for the charity Age UK, and highlight the loneliness experienced by many older citizens. We suspect more than a few passersby will do a double-take after seeing these, and hopefully they’ll raise awareness for an important issue and the organisation trying to tackle it.
For more: http://www.engadget.com/2015/04/16/age-uk-facebook-ads/?ncid=rss_truncated
The DEA’s using powerful spyware for surveillance too
From Timothy J. Seppala From engadget
The war on drugs has a surprising soldier amongst its ranks: Italian spying software. As Motherboard’s sources tell it, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s dropped $2.4 million on surveillance tools that are capable of intercepting phone calls, texts, social media messages, and can even take hold of someone’s webcam and microphone. Oh, Remote Control System (as its officially called) can grab passwords, too. Almost sounds like a video game, right? The Hacking Team-developed software (the outfit behind Ethiopian cyberattacks on US journalists), can be installed on the sly and grants access to data that may very well be encrypted or otherwise inaccessible by other means. It comes hot on the heels of news that the DEA’s been collecting phonecall metadata for an awfully lot longer than the NSA, too. Naturally, no one on either side of the story has been eager to open up to Motherboard, and presumably journalists in general.
Perhaps the biggest question this raises is if it’s legal for law enforcement to hack perps. Motherboard’s privacy analyst sources note that because the laws surrounding how these types of tools are “extremely unclear” it stands to reason that using RCS is possibly illegal. Given how it’s rolled downhill from the intelligence community to law enforcement, there’s a fear that it could eventually hit your local police department too. Remember, for law enforcement to do any sort of searches a judge needs to sign a warrant first.
And there’s precedent for them smacking this sort of thing down: Judges have intervened and not allowed the FBI to use malware before. Hopefully this can spark a public debate and get the drug agency’s use of RCS in front of government officials and formal investigation or reform can begin.
For more: http://www.engadget.com/2015/04/16/dea-spyware/?ncid=rss_truncated
Former NFL star found guilty in murder of Antiguan-born semi-professional player
From Jamaica Observer
MASSACHUSETTS, (CMC) – Former NFL (National Football League) star, Aaron Hernandez, who was accused of killing an Antiguan born semi-professional player, was found guilty of first-degree murder when he appeared in court on Wednesday.
Hernandez, 25, a former tight end with the New England Patriots, was also convicted of several weapons and ammunitions charges.
Hernandez will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of Odin Lloyd, 27, who was dating the sister of Hernandez’s fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins.
The guilty verdict results in the downfall of Hernandez, who was once a promising star in the NFL.
The police report that in June 2013, Lloyd’s body was found, with six gunshot wounds, in a pit at an industrial park near Hernandez’s home in North Attleboro, Massachusetts.
Prosecutors said Hernandez’s motive was that Lloyd spoke with people Hernandez did not like at a bar in Boston.
While not portraying Hernandez as a saint, Defence lawyers argued that, because he had signed a big contract extension, he had little motive to be involved in a murder.
The jury in Bristol County Superior Court in Fall River, Massachusetts deliberated for more than six days before reaching the guilty verdict.
“I felt like I wanted to go in the hole with my son, Odin,” said Lloyd’s Antiguan-born mother, Ursula Ward, in court after the verdict was read.
Hernandez still faces a trial on charges of fatally shooting two men outside a nightclub in 2012.
Cuban drug against diabetic foot ulcer gains praise in the US
From Cuban News Agency
Cuban drug against diabetic foot ulcer gains praise in the USHAVANA, Cuba, Apr 15 (acn) Cuban doctor Jorge Berlanga, creator of Heberprot-B, a drug used to fight diabetic foot ulcers, said it received praise from his colleagues from all over the world.
Doctor Berlanga attended the Diabetic Foot Global Conference 2015, held in Los Angeles, United States, last March 19-21, where he explained Cuba´s experience in the treatment of the disease,
He said experts from all over the world, gathered at the event, praised the results of the use of the drug and the work of Cuban health professionals, as well as their articles published on this issue on specialized magazines.
Dotor Bengala said he reported on the works they do to detect the disease in its early stages through the Cuban Health Primary Assistance system that allowed them to identify and treat over 38,000 patients in just 7 years.
He explained on a conference in Santiago de Cuba this Tuesday that American doctors showed great interest in Heberprot-B, since between 70 to 80 thousand people undergo amputations every year in the United States, costing the health system over 30 billion dollars,
These statistics, compiled by the Atlanta´s Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), show the negative impact of the diabetic foot ulcers in the quality of life of patients, he said.
Japan surpasses China as largest holder of U.S. debt
By Ellie Ismailidou From Market Watch
Japan surpassed China in February as the largest foreign holder of U.S. Treasurys for the first time since 2008, according to Treasury International Capital data released on Wednesday.
A rising dollar, along with fatter yields in the Treasury market, compared to an effective zero-rate policy in Japan lured Japanese investors to the Treasury market, said David O’Malley, CEO of Penn Mutual Asset Management.
Japanese holdings of Treasurys TMUBMUSD10Y, -1.43% fell by $14.2 billion to $1.224 trillion since January, while China’s holdings declined by $15.4 billion to $1.223 trillion. On a year-over-year basis, Japan’s holdings increased $13.6 billion, while China’s declined $49.2 billion.
The third biggest holder of U.S. Treasurys in February was a group of countries known as “Caribbean Banking Centers,” which include the Bahamas, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Netherlands Antilles, and Panama. Their total holdings were $350.6 billion, up from $338.5 billion in January.
Belgium’s holdings, which surprised the market in January by coming in third with a total of $1.24 trillion, fell back to $345.3 billion in February, a figure more in line with the $341.2 billion in holdings from February 2014.
The news comes as the Treasury market wrestles with the Federal Reserve’s plans to raise interest rates, while the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan are engaged in monetary stimulus.
As dollar-denominated assets became increasingly attractive for Japanese investors, China rather sought to protect the yuan from declining too much against the dollar.
As Win Thin, the global head of emerging-market strategy at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. in New York told Bloomberg, with the weakness in the currency and the potential outflows, there’s less need or opportunity for the Chinese to accumulate dollar reserves, especially as the economy slows.
Foreign buying is expected to continue to suppress long-term rates in the U.S., Russ Koesterich, BlackRock’s global chief investment strategist, said in a note. The foreign pressure on U.S. rates was particularly evident in February, as Japanese investors bought their largest amount of Treasuries in seven months.
United cuts back Newark-Bermuda, adds Chicago-Belize
By Gay Nagle Myers From Travel Weekly
United Airlines will not operate Newark-Bermuda service between Dec. 3 and April 2, due to lack of demand.
The airline will launch a weekly nonstop flight between Chicago O’Hare and Belize on Dec. 20, the first nonstop service between the two points. The seasonal service will run through early May 2015.
Daily service on the Newark-Bermuda route will resume April 3. Customers with bookings on the affected flights will be offered alternative travel plans or refunds.
American, Delta and JetBlue serve Bermuda during the winter from the New York market. Delta recently confirmed that it will continue its JFK service year round, and starting in November, the carrier will offer a morning departure out of New York and an afternoon return, according to Bermuda Tourism Minister Shawn Crockwell.
Test tower installed for potential wind farm
From Antigua Observer CMC
St.Lucia is embarking on its first renewable energy project with the construction of a test tower that will assess the potential for a 12 megawatt wind farm on the country’s east coast
The project is being undertaken by the government in collaboration with electricity generating company LUCELEC and WindTex Energy, a US-based company.
A government announcement noted that in order to prepare a bankable proposal to ensure the success of this venture, WindTex Energy must collect wind energy data at the site and at the turbine hub height of 60 metres.
The test tower will be used to collect data on wind speed, wind direction, humidity and barometric pressure for a period of about six months.
“The data collected will feed in to a model to determine the feasibility of establishing wind turbines that can provide lower cost energy to the population of St Lucia,” the statement said.
The tower is situated a few meters off the highway, in the vicinity of the Bordelais Correctional Facility.
Pre-feasibility studies identified this site as the preferred one for wind-generated energy. WindTex Energy has also secured a lease agreement with the landowners for the establishment of the wind farm.
Permanent secretary in the Energy Minister, Sylvester Clauzel, said the erection of the test tower is a significant milestone in St Lucia`s quest to achieve 35 percent renewable energy independence by the year 2020.
He added that the initiative complements the surface exploration for geothermal energy currently taking place in the west coast town of Soufriere, which is seeking to provide a 15 megawatt base-load facility, with a view to expanding to 30 megawatts.
Project manager Daune Heholt said the proposed wind farm is an exciting project that can positively shape the energy landscape of St Lucia.
“The project developer, WindTex Energy,based in Dallas, Texas has extensive experience in all aspects and phases of wind energy development,” he said.
For more: http://antiguaobserver.com/test-tower-installed-for-potential-wind-farm/
