Cayman bomb hoaxer gets suspended sentence

James Bernie Williams (53) was very lucky to get only a two year suspended sentence for carrying out a bomb hoax a week before Christmas at the Ritz Carlton and the Caribbean Club on Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman. The maximum sentence for such an offense is seven years.

Over 1,000 guests had to be evacuated as a result of Williams hoax call to 911.

Williams had admitted the offense to the police that he was responsible and had entered a guilty plea immediately he was asked to.

Williams admitted he was an alcoholic and had just been fired from both the Ritz Carlton and the Caribbean Club. He had been drinking and made the 911 call out of revenge and frustration.

He is receiving treatment at Caribbean Haven where he has been residing since the incident and had a five -day week job with Captain Marvins.

Because of his quick guilty plea, had a low risk of re-offending and he had no police record Judge Alex Henderson gave the suspended sentence.

However there were strict conditions applied to the sentence including:

keeping the peace and being of good character, appearing to court when required, reporting to the Probation Office, obeying probation directions, submitting to random breathalyzer tests, (anything over .02 reading of alcohol, which is the margin of error for the machine, would also result in breach of the order), never carry a knife, not to be on the grounds of any liquor license premises and to serve 200 hundred hours of community service.

 

Africa’s heritage with the Caribbean must be deepened – Chitala

By Moses Kuwema From The Post Online

AFRICA’s heritage with the Caribbean must be deepened, says a Pan-Africanist, Dr Mbita Chitala.

Commenting on Cardinal Kelvin Edward Felix from the Caribbean Island of St Lucia’s statement that it was always a pleasure and joyful for him to be in Africa, the land of his forefathers, Dr Chitala called for strengthening of the relationship between the people of the Caribbean and Africa.

“It becomes good and challenging to deepen our friendship with our colleagues who were shipped to the Caribbean, in the diaspora. The Pan Africanism movement should continue to be deepened further in many fronts. When we hear our brothers remembering us, it is a challenge. We have to get back to the relationship we had which was cut off by imperialists,” Dr Chitala said.

He said it was a challenge for young people to continue talking about the relationship that existed between Africa and the Caribbean.

Dr Chitala said students’ organisations and the labour movement could also foster grassroots relations with the people of the Caribbean.

“It is a heritage which must be deepened because those people are our brothers and sisters,” said Dr Chitala.

Speaking in Chipata last week, Cardinal Felix said it was always a pleasure and joyful to be in Africa, the land of his forefathers.

Cardinal Felix said whenever he came to Africa, he felt a sense of identity because the forefathers of the people in the Caribbean came from Africa, adding that, in all the 22 dioceses in the Caribbean, most of the people like him were descendants of Africa.

For more: http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=49620

 

Cayman MLA says Governor’s throne speech lacked substance

Not only did Ezzard Miller, Independent Member of the Legislative Assembly, critisise the Government’s written throne speech delivered by Cayman Islands Governor H.E Helen Kilpatrick saying it lacked substance, he also said the government have done nothing.

Miller was speaking in the Legislative Assembly on the Budget and Premier Alden McLaughlin’s Policy Statement. He said although both the National Conservation Law and the Standards in Public Life Law were highlights of the government’s first year they had not come into force. Therefore, he said “what we did here four, five, six months ago is nil, void. Nothing has happened,.”

 

Two U.S. Passengers Arrested for Rape on Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas

From Jim Walker’s Cruise Law

The Jamaica Gleaner reports that 2 U.S. men aboard Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Sea, which docked in Falmouth Jamaica yesterday morning, are accused of raping a female passenger aboard the cruise ship.

The Gleaner says that the “men were accused of raping a female passenger who they were partying with the night before on the vessel.”

The sexual assault reportedly occurred at 5:30 AM, [May 29] morning, when the cruise ship was sailing approximately 50 miles outside Jamaican waters.

The Gleaner also says that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with assistance from the Jamaican police, is investigating the incident.

It is less than clear what this means as the FBI typically does not travel to the Caribbean ports to investigate crimes like this. The typical situation is for the FBI to get involved only after the cruise ship returns to an U.S. port. Sometimes the victim will get off of the cruise ship at the next port and fly back to the U.S. in circumstances like this.

Sexual assaults are not infrequent on cruise ships, particularly given the tremendous amount of alcohol sold by the cruise lines.

The newspaper says that the Navigator will return to Galveston tomorrow, “where the accused will be processed.”

For more: http://www.cruiselawnews.com/2014/05/articles/rape-1/two-us-passengers-arrested-for-rape-on-royal-caribbeans-navigator-of-the-seas/

 

One Dog at a Time in Cayman

One Dog at a Time’s vision is to raise funds to help unwanted or needy puppies and dogs particularly focusing on dogs that are on borrowed time at the Department of Agriculture’s (DOA) dog pound.

Last Thursday (29) they hosted a bowling fundraiser and on Sat June 7^th they host another fundraiser – Asian fusion night at Rackams on Grand Cayman George Town’s waterfont.

Tickets must be purchased in advance – at Rackams, Cayman Animal Hospital or message on One Dog at a Time Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/onedogatatime13

Fun games and quiz, food and the ‘not to be missed’ chopstick challenge! Our next dog Gypsy will be sprung from the pound the day before and Fortune (all being well) shortly after once a foster home is secured!

 

Record foreign investment in Latin America, Caribbean

By AFP From Yahoo news

Nearly $185 billion poured into Latin America and the Caribbean in foreign direct investment last year, a record for the region, a UN agency said Thursday.

Brazil and Mexico were the biggest beneficiaries of foreign investment, which region-wide was up 5.0 percent last year over 2012, the Economic Commission on Latin America and the Caribbean said.

The UN commission expects the trend to turn downward this year, however, because of falling prices for metals and slowing economic activity.

In some major countries, inflows of foreign direct investment were off sharply in 2013. It was down 29 percent in Chile, 25 percent in Argentina and 17 percent in Peru.

Average profitability of transnational companies was below 6.0 percent, its lowest level in a decade, but total profits rose to $111.7 billion.

Alicia Barcena, ECLAC’s executive secretary, said foreign direct investment in the region has quadrupled over the past decade.

“Transnational companies still show great interest in the region’s long-term growth in consumption and in the exploitation of natural resources,” she said in a statement.

Europe was the largest investor overall in the region, and the United States the largest single investor, according to the agency.

China is estimated to have invested $10 billion a year in the region since 2010, although official statistics are scarce.

For more: https://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/record-foreign-investment-latin-america-caribbean-170437924.html

 

Cayman Islands Library offers writers’ course

(GIS) Local writers, of all levels of experience, sharpened their literary skills last week under the guidance of visiting author/professor Mickey Lollar (centre).

The Public Library Service arranged the Creative Writing Workshop at no cost to participants. It entailed two half-days of intense lessons and writing exercises.

Thanking participants Deputy Director Paul Robinson added: “We were extremely honoured to accommodate Mr. Lollar. His Creative Writing course was informative and fired the imagination. It was also extremely well-received by participants. We are especially thankful for his kind generosity, in providing the course absolutely free of charge.”

He added that workshops of this nature serve to enhance the increasingly diverse community programmes, workshops and lectures offered by the Cayman Islands Public Library Service.

See attached photo

 

Caribbean Helicopters adds fixed wing aircraft to its fleet

From Antigua Nice

Caribbean Helicopters Ltd. is pleased to announce the addition of a Piper Navajo Chieftain aircraft to its fleet of helicopters to commence private charters to Caribbean islands across the region starting this summer.

The new aircraft’s chic design and highly sophisticated layout offers travelers a sleek leather interior, executive seating and air conditioned comfort.

Caribbean Helicopters is now the only certified helicopter and fixed wing operation in the region with its current fleet now comprising two Bell Longer Ranger helicopters (six seat), one Bell Jet Ranger helicopter (4 seat), and one Piper Navajo Chieftain airplane.

For more information on aircraft charters and services contact Caribbean Helicopters at 460-5900 or [email protected] or visit us at www.caribbeanhelicopters.com

For more: http://www.antiguanice.com/v2/client.php?id=583&news=7087

 

Largest team ever going to Commonwealth Games from Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands are sending their largest contingent of athletes to the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games that commences 23^rd July and finishes 3^rd August.

The athletes will compete in Athletics, Boxing, Cycling, Gymnastics, Shooting, Squash and Swimming.

Members of the team competing are:

Athletics:

Alexander Pascal, Ashleigh Nalty, Carl Morgan, Carlos Morgan, David Hamil, Kemar Hyman, Rhymiech Adolphus, Ronald Forbes, Troy Long, Tyrell Cuffy

Boxing:

Tafari Ebanks

Cycling:

Michele Smith

Gymnastics:

Bethany Dikau

Shooting:

Andrew Schirn, Christopher Jackson, Edison McLean

Squash: Cameron Stafford, Daniel Murphy, Eilidh Bridgeman, Julian Jervis, Marlene West, Myron Blair

Swimming:

Alex McCallum, Brett Fraser, David Ebanks, Geoffrey Butler, Lara Butler, Lauren Hew

For pictures and immediate information on the Cayman Islands delegation at the Commonwealth Games visit website http://www.caymanolympic.org.ky or the Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/CaymanIslandsOlympicCommittee

 

Caribbean Countries Ends 2013 on Strong Economic Footing

From ABS

CMC – Caribbean countries ended 2013 on a more solid economic footing than it had done since the start of the 2007/2008 global economic recession, according to figures released by the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).

The CDB, which is holding its 44th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors here, said that many of its borrowing member states (BMCs) recorded increases “albeit modest in economic activity”.

CDB President Dr. Warren Smith said that “at the regional level, growth and sustainability were recurring themes in discussions about performance”.

The CDB said that preliminary estimates indicate that the economic activity in the region grew by an average of 1.5 per cent last year, up slightly from a revised figure of 1.2 per cent for 2012.

The region’s premier development financial institution noted that higher incomes and employment in advanced economies and renewed flows of foreign direct investment (FDI) contributed to solid growth in construction activity and continued recovery in tourism in most of the BMCs.

For more: http://abstvradio.com/caribbean-countries-ends-2013-on-strong-economic-footing/

 

CONCACAF Girl’s U-15 Championship Logo Unveiling and Schedule Announcement Set for Monday, June 2

George Town, Grand Cayman (Thursday, May 29, 2014) – The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) is pleased to announce the unveiling of the official tournament logo for the CONCACAF Girl’s Under-15 Championship 2014 Cayman Islands, on Monday, June 2, 2014.

The logo unveil will be conducted at 7 pm EST (6 pm Cayman) at the Marriott Beach Resort, Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman. The groups and schedule for the tournament will also be revealed in an event hosted by CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb.

Fifteen teams from across the region will join host Cayman Islands for the Championship, to be played August 6-17, 2014 in Grand Cayman and on Cayman Brac.

Teams scheduled to participate include host Cayman Islands, as well as Anguilla, the Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago, and Turks & Caicos.

Media members interested in attending the live event should RSVP to CONCACAF Press Officer Jason Harper ([email protected]), indicating full name, function, and medium represented.

WHO:                   CONCACAF

WHAT:                 Official Logo Unveiling for the CONCACAF Girl’s Under-15 Championship

WHEN:                 Monday, June 2, 2014 at 7 pm EST/ 6 pm Cayman

WHERE:             White Sands Room, Marriott Beach Resort, Seven Mile Beach Cayman Islands

 

How Snowden’s leaks help al-Qaeda evade surveillance

From Lignet

Evidence is mounting that NSA leaker Edward Snowden’s decision to expose the agency’s operational capabilities has led al-Qaeda to enhance its encryption technology, setting back counterterrorism efforts by years and needlessly placing American lives at risk. Officials warned as early as May 2013 that the leaks would provide aid and comfort to America’s enemies, and now that scenario is beginning to play out.

For more: http://www.lignet.com/ArticleAnalysis/How-Snowdens-Massive-Leaks-Help-al-Qaeda-Evade-Det

 

Expo-Aladi to boost trade in Latin America and the Caribbean

By Jorge Luna From Presna Latina

Montevideo (Prensa Latina) Among the many challenges that face the Latin American integration, there’s a fact disturbing the experts today: trade between the ALADI’s member countries only reaches 17 percent of businesses in the region.

The Latin American Integration Association (ALADI by its initials in Spanish), located in this capital, just reported that intra-regional trade this year exceeded $175 billions, compared with $ 11 billions in 1980.

However, there is still an ample room for growth, so ALADI has set about stimulating in depth the ongoing process of integration in a region where 90 percent of its businesses are micro, small or medium.

In this regard, the General Secretary of ALADI, Carlos Alvarez, has called a macro-business round in the region, called Expo-Aladi Uruguay 2014 to be held here for three days in October.

Alvarez said the event will allow approaching “opportunities of partnership, complementarity and funding,” and options offered by commercial agreements deposited in ALADI.

ALADI, covering an area of over 20 million square kilometers and about 520 million people, is composed by Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. Nicaragua is in the process of accession.

But in Expo-Aladi the other Central American and Caribbean countries may also participate, precisely to contribute to mutual knowledge and give greater materiality to the idea of the region, Alvarez added.

The presence of more than 800 Latin American and Caribbean entrepreneurs and officials, who will promote their products and attend workshops on intra-regional trade and the internationalization of their businesses, is expected.

For more: http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2737401&Itemid=1

 

French ship says sorry for episode in the Caribbean [Year 1737]

From newsletter.co.uk

By our letters from the West-Indies, dated in February last, we have an account, that Captain Reddish, commanding one of his Majesty’s ships of war, standing into Port St. Piers in Martinique, was haled by the Captain of a French ship, who told him, ‘That as he had the honour to command a man of war belonging to the king of France, that he must not anchor there without his leave’; to which Captain Reddish reply’d, ‘That as he had the honour to command a man of war belonging to the king of Great Britain, he would anchor there, when and where he pleased; and if that he thought fit to dispute it, he would fall along side of him immediately’. Some Barbadoes gentlemen, then at Martinique, coming off to wait on Capt. Reddish, the French man of war’s boat, that was rowing from the shore to the ship, took the Barbadians and carried them on board the French man of war; whereupon Capt. Reddish sent his lieutenant to demand instant satisfaction for the insults done to the king of Great Britain’s subjects, even under the nose of one of his ships of war. On this the French Captain disown’d any orders of his to the officer in the boat, reprimanded him for meddling with the gentlemen, and made him ask for their pardon; and thus the whole matter ended, intirely to the honour of our Captain, and to the satisfaction of us all; who wish to hear the ancient English language spoke on board our ships.

See attachment

For more on this story go to: http://www.newsletter.co.uk/nostalgia/french-ship-says-sorry-for-episode-in-the-caribbean-1-6082827

 

Cayman Football Association’s awards on Thu (5)

The Cayman Islands Football Association (CIFA) will be having their Annual Awards ceremony on Thursday June 5 2014 at Grand Cayman Marriott Ballroom on Thursday June 5^th, 2014, at 6:30pm.

Players, coaches and officials will be rewarded for their efforts during the just completed 2013-2014 season.

See attachment for full details.