iNews Briefs
Cayman Islands minister raises $3000 for Breast Cancer Awareness
From Loop News Service
The Health Minister Osbourne Bodden raised $3000 in just 1 week for Lions Club of Tropical Gardens breast cancer awareness effort.
The event was held at Eclipze Hair and Design, on October 26, between 2:00 to 6:00pm.
Bodden is the past president of the Lions Club of Grand Cayman and a Lions member for nearly 25 years.
For more: http://loopcayman.com/2014/10/27/bodden-raises-3000-breast-cancer-awareness/
St Vincent, Brazil sign ‘visa free’ travel agreement
From Caribbean360
Passport stamps in macro featuring close-up of “immigration” stamp.KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, Tuesday October 28, 2014, CMC – St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Brazil have signed a visa-free travel agreement allowing for free movement of their nationals from mid-November.
Foreign Affairs Minister Camillo Gonsalves told legislators that nationals of both countries will from November 15 be able to visit each other, visa-free, for up to 90 days in the first instance, renewable for up to 180 days.
“Of course, this is for tourism purposes. If you are going as a student, or if you are going to work, there are still requirements that you will have to fulfil,” Gonsalves said.
He said that Brazil is a footballing mecca and is also regarded as a carnival capital.
“But, in addition to soccer and samba, there is quite a bit more to Brazil that is of interest to St. Vincent and the Grenadines and of interest to the world,” Gonsalves said, noting that Brazil is the world’s fifth largest country, both in terms of size and population.
For more: http://www.caribbean360.com/news/st-vincent-brazil-sign-visa-free-travel-agreement#ixzz3HSSaThxL
Cayman Islands Robberies are lower than 2013 says stats
Even thought it would seem to the contrary following the recent increase in armed robberies, statistics actually show robbery and burglary reports have declined overall so far this year.
According to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) between Jan 1st and Oct 26th the number of robberies reported in the Cayman Islands was 29, compared to 39 during the same period last year.
There was also a decline in burglaries. Statistics show there was 538 break-ins in the first 10 months of this year compared to 565 during the same period last year.
Guyana newspaper publisher and government at odds
From Caribbean360
GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Tuesday October 28, 2014, CMC – The Guyana government says it “condemns in the strongest possible language” what it described as “the despicable act” of a national newspaper to distort and manipulate a private conversation of a government minister, “whose conversation was illegally recorded, and distorted, and broadcast”.
In a statement, the Donald Ramotar administration said that it was standing behind Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, as the government “goes out of its way to foster peace and goodwill.
“We believe in the integrity and professionalism of the Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, and stand by him,” the statement said, noting that the government “cherishes freedom of the press, but when private media operatives use the power of the mass media to manipulate public opinion, our nation suffers from the negativity”.
The statement said that the Kaieteur News newspaper “has sustained an intensive, vicious attack on members of the government of Guyana, using its media power to distort even private conversations that it illegally records”.
But Kaieteur News publisher Glenn Lall has since lodged a complaint with police against Nandlall, accusing him of threatening him and suggesting that the newspaper’s employees will be targeted.
The complaint was in part prompted by a recording of Nandlall, which Lall, in the company of his attorney Khemraj Ramjattan, turned over to the police when he made the report.
Lall later told reporters that he was fearful for his life along with the lives of his family members and employees.
However, in its statement, the government said that while it harbours “a free and fair national media landscape, where anyone could publish or broadcast their views and opinion, …we as a nation cannot condone this privilege being manipulated to distort and manipulate public opinion”.
For more: http://www.caribbean360.com/news/guyana-newspaper-publisher-and-government-at-odds#ixzz3HST16e7h
Cayman Islands Progressives’ MLA names November date for team election
From Loop News Service
Bodden Town Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), Al Suckoo says the election for the Progressives executive team to work with the MLAs will be done in November.
According to Al Suckoo, this offer is open to all residents of Bodden Town who want to contribute to making the district better.
Bodden Town has three MLAs who are all in the Progressives Party, namely: Anthony Eden, Wayne Panton and Al Suckoo.
It is regarded as the Progressives district in which members are known to speak out their mind. Already Anthony Eden has voted with the opposition on many occasions and Al Suckoo has on numerous occasions spoken his mind out of the party norm.
For more: http://loopcayman.com/2014/10/27/al-suckoo-names-november-date-team-election/
Dominica airport renamed in honour of two former prime ministers
From Caribbean360
Melville_882876514ROSEAU, Dominica, Tuesday October 28, 2014, CMC – Dominica has renamed its main airport in honour of two former prime ministers and has indicated that an agreement has been signed with a private sector concern in China for the construction of an international airport.
“I am adamant that we cannot continue, in this day and age, to have our main airport named after an 18th century slave-owner, while at the same time this government is actively seeking, along with our brothers in CARICOM, to get reparations for slavery from the British and European powers.
“No my friends, it is time. It is long overdue, that we have to honour our own. And so let us reflect on the lives of the two patriots for whom this airport will be renamed,” Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said.
Prime Minister Skerrit dismissed suggestions that his administration was engaged in politics by renaming the Melville Hall airport, north of here, after former prime ministers Roosevelt Douglas and Pierre Charles.
Douglas died of a heart attack in 2004 and Charles succumbed to a heart attack four years later.
Cayman Islands welder working on a car really torched it!
A Cayman Islands worker was welding a part of a vehicle he was repairing when he accidentally set the car on fire.
Police and fire crews were called to the scene , where the blaze was out of control, near the Esterley Tibbetts Highway on Monday (27) afternoon.
The incident caused back ups to the traffic that use the highway but there were no reports of anyone sustaining injuries – except to the vehicle.
Barbados not seeking IMF assistance for economic turnaround – Sinckler
From Caribbean360)
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Tuesday October 28, 2014, CMC – The Barbados government Monday said it would not seek assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to help turn around an ailing economy, insisting that the fiscal programme it has embarked upon is working, despite having laid off thousands of public workers.
“What we have to do is to do the things that would help us achieve the (economic) growth,” Finance and Economic Minister Chris Sinckler told a news conference.
“Based on what we are seeing we know growth will return,” he said, telling reporters that the government was working to achieve the two per cent economic growth as predicted by the Central Bank of Barbados.
Sinckler said that in relation to the discussion pushed by the private sector for the Freundel Stuart government to contemplate a programme with the IMF, “we have said what our position is.
“We are not contemplating any IMF programme at this stage, we do not think it is necessary, we believe that Barbadians can achieve the objectives of the programme that we have set ourselves.
“It is not going to be easy or painless, but I know the alternatives which some people are clamouring for will be far worse than they may suspect,” he told reporters.
“We are measuring the situation and we feel at this stage that (IMF programme) is not required at this stage,” he added.
Cayman Islands women’s marathon champ shows she is back
Cayman Islands favourite women’s marathon champ Beth Florek showed that she is nearing her old form after having a baby by winning the annual Krys 30k solo run in East End, Grand Cayman last Sunday (26).
The race started and finished at Morritt’s Resort and even battling a strong wind over the last 5k Florek ran consistently throughout and smashed the old course record for women by over eight minutes with an impressive time of 2 hours, 20 minutes and 44 seconds, at an average pace of 7:32 minutes per mile.
Florek looks in good form to be in the reckoning for winning the Women’s title at the Cayman Marathon that is only five weeks away.
The second female was Joanna Mansi (2:37:06), with former champion Helki Weber (2:39:57) in third place.
In the Men’s placing Andrew Kea was first (2:23:06), second was Matthew Volkwyn (2:28:36) and Caser Aparil (2:28:55) took third place.
Field set and official draw confirmed for CONCACAF Under-20 Championship Jamaica 2015
Draw to Take Place Thursday, October 30 in Montego Bay
MIAMI (Tuesday, October 28, 2014) – The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) confirmed today the programming for the official draw for the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship Jamaica 2015. The draw will take place on Thursday, October 30, at 1:30 PM EST, and will be streamed live via CONCACAF.com.
CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb, alongside special invited guest the Honourable Damion Crawford, Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment, will open the draw, which will set the groups for the Championship to be played in Kingston and Montego Bay in January.
Veterans of the 1998 Jamaican World Cup participating Reggae Boys are also scheduled to be in attendance to help in the execution of the event.
The draw will be conducted at the Hilton Rose Hall in Montego Bay, Jamaica, sorting the twelve qualified nations set to participate in the championship into two groups of six teams each.
Five pots will be utilized: three (1, 2 and 3) for the teams and two (A and B) for group position. As host, Jamaica will be seeded in position A1 and drawn from Pot 1 alongside fellow Caribbean entrants Aruba, Cuba, Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago.
Pots 2 and 3 will be comprised of Central American representatives and North American entrants, respectively.
The pots for the draw will therefore be designated as follows:
Pot 1 (Caribbean): Jamaica; Aruba; Cuba; Haiti; Trinidad and Tobago
Pot 2 (Central America): El Salvador; Guatemala; Honduras; Panama
Pot 3 (North America): Canada; Mexico; United States
Pot A (Seeding for Group A): Six balls with a group positions, 1-6
Pot B (Seeding for Group B): Six balls with a group positions, 1-6
Following the drawing of Jamaica into Group A as the seeded team, the remaining teams will be drawn one by one from Pot 1. The second team drawn goes to Group B, in a position determined by the place drawn from Pot B. The third team drawn then goes to Group A, with its position drawn from Pot A – the positioning pot for that group.
The teams drawn continue to be placed in alternate groups, until the Caribbean region Pot 1 is empty. The procedure will then be repeated for regional pots 2 and 3, continuing to alternate placement of the nation drawn into Groups A and B by turn, until the balls are exhausted and groups are full.
Convicted fraudster took aim at Cayman Islands charity event
Andrew Buckner who was sent to a UK prison earlier this year after using fake charity golf events to scam money out of sponsors appears to have tried to do the same in the Cayman Islands.
CITN/Cayman27 reported on their Monday evening newscast that Buckner had “aken aim at defrauding organisers of a charity golf event and — for the time being — the Cayman Islands Government now finds itself out $50,000.”
“The story says “Buckner tried to do the same in the Cayman Islands with the McGee Cayman Classic, an anti-bullying event organised by former local basketball coach and pro player Cory McGee. The event was promoted locally but was cancelled just a few weeks before the start.
‘“I personally was tricked,” McGee told Cayman 27. “I was conned in the end. When I thought it was about him trying to help me, it was really about him trying to help himself. He had no intent of coming to the island and following through with some of these things.”
“Local public relations firm Kelly Holding Ltd. partnered with McGee and Buckner to organise the event.”
Sports Minister Hon. Osbourne Bodden said Government gave the organisers $50,000 “in good faith” and they will now have to repay Government the $50,000.
A Kelly Holding spokesperson said the company is committed to doing, said the CITN report.
SOURCE: http://www.cayman27.com.ky/2014/10/27/convicted-con-man-takes-aim-at-mcgee-cayman-classic
31,600 pounds of gluten-free chicken nuggets recalled for Staphylococcal Enterotoxin
By Laura Northrup From consumerist
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a recall of 31,600 pounds of Bell & Evans gluten-free chicken nuggets that were shipped nationwide. Random testing in Colorado turned up contamination with Staphylococcal enterotoxin, and all nuggets in the batch have been recalled.
Staphylowhat? The pathogen that caused this recall is Staphylococcus aureus. If that name sounds familiar, certain strains are the “Staph” in “Staph infection” and the “SA” in “MRSA,” or Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or the antibiotic-resistant superbugs that are causing serious, terrifying illnesses.
Fortunately, food poisoning with Staphylococcus aureus toxins is one of the less scary foodborne illnesses. While symptoms can begin within maybe half an hour of eating a contaminated food item, it’s usually a mild illness that lasts one to three days. That doesn’t mean you should go chomping on contaminated nuggets, though: check your freezer if this is a product that you buy regularly.
The nugget manufacturer and the U.S. Department of agriculture don’t know of any illnesses caused by this contamination to date, but some may turn up in the future. Since this is a frozen product, people could stick the nuggets in their freezers and forget about them until close to the expiration date.
The nuggets were made by Murry’s Inc., but bear the brand name Bell & Evans. The best by date on the box is August 9, 2015.
The 2015 Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation now open
The United States Embassy to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean and the OECS announces the opening of the 2015 Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP). Since its creation by the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation has provided financial support to more than 640 cultural preservation projects in more than 100 countries. This Fund represents a contribution of more than $25 million towards the preservation of cultural heritage worldwide.
The Fund supports a wide range of projects to preserve cultural heritage, such as the restoration of historic buildings, assessment and conservation of museum collections, archaeological site preservation, documentation of vanishing traditional craft techniques, improved storage conditions for archives and manuscripts, and documentation of indigenous languages.
Qualified entities are reputable and accountable non-governmental organizations, museums, ministries of culture, or similar institutions and organizations that are able to demonstrate that they have the requisite experience and capacity to manage projects to preserve cultural heritage.
Embassy Bridgetown will accept proposals from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Proposals must be submitted electronically to the U.S. Embassy at [email protected] by December 10, 2014. The December 10, 2014 deadline is firm; no extensions will be granted, and late submissions will not be considered. Full information and project eligibility and requirements are available here: http://eca.state.gov/cultural-heritage-center/ambassadors-fund-cultural-preservation
St. Vincent and the Grenadines celebrates 35th independence day
From Fox News Latino
St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Monday commemorated 35 years of independence after 260 years as a colony of first France and then Britain.
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves reaffirmed in a statement his commitment to uphold and defend the “freedoms, principles and ideals” of democracy of the people.
From 2010 to 2014, the islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines have been hit by five natural disasters: Hurricane Tomas in 2010; floods in April 2011 and December 2013; and prolonged droughts in 2010 and 2014, Gonsalves said.
“These natural disasters have caused loss and damage amounting to 600 million Eastern Caribbean dollars ($222 million), or almost a third of the country’s gross domestic product,” Gonsalves said in a statement published in the newspaper I Witness News.
“Despite all the challenges and difficulties, the economy of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has been recovering, slowly but surely,” the prime minister added.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, congratulated the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and confirmed the ties between the two nations.
“We partner with your government on everything from HIV/AIDS prevention to the promotion of human rights and the environment. Working together we can broaden and deepen our relationship to benefit all our people,” Kerry said in a message.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines became independent from Britain in 1979, but Queen Elizabeth II remains the Caribbean nation’s head of state.
The country’s economy is based on agriculture, tourism and services. EFE
