iNews Briefs
CAYMAN ISLANDS NOTICE: Grand Court Jurors Report Date Changed
From Judicial Administration:
Grand Court Jurors Report Date Changed
The Grand Court jury report date has been changed.
Grand Court Jurors who are in the 14 January – 31 March 2015 session are now to report on Monday, 2 February 2015 at 9:45 a.m.
Please call the Jury Information line at 945-5072 for the most up-to-date information.
Probation and community service for woman convicted of wounding in Cayman Brac
Justice Charles Quin sentenced Katie Jo Powell (26), who was convicted of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm on the basis of excessive self-defence, to a 12 month probation order, 200 hours of community service and has been ordered to stay off alcoholic drinks for the next twelve months, not to enter any liquor licensed premises and not to use of any illegal drugs
Powell admitted stabbing Anthony de la Torre (29) but had pleaded not guilty to attempted murder in connection with an alcohol-fuelled altercation in the early hours of 20th April 2013 in the West End area of Cayman Brac.de la Torre was stabbed in the neck, face, chest and both hands.
Justice Quin informed Powell she would be subjected to weekly drug testing, was to attend counselling and to meet with mental health staff.
Corporate Governance Workshop in Jamaica announced
Are Jamaican corporate boards living up to their responsibility of being accountable to stakeholders and shareholders? How do Jamaican laws compare to others in the Caribbean and to international best practices?
These and other burning issues will be explored during the 2015 groundbreaking workshop to be hosted in Jamaica by the Caribbean Corporate Governance Institute (CCGI). Entitled ‘Corporate Governance… Board Accountability, Disclosures, Audits and Evaluations’, the workshop is scheduled to take place on Thursday, February 12, at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
The workshop which will be addressed by experts in the field of corporate governance will share primary research findings and provide examples and guidance for effective accountability. Some other topics which will be covered include: Guidance on how boards can demonstrate accountability and what shareholders need to look for; as well as guidance on how and what to disclose about an organisation’s corporate governance practices.
Lead facilitator at the workshop will be Dr. Axel Kravatzky, Chairman, CCGI , and founding Chair of the first and only non-profit membership organization dedicated to best practice Corporate Governance in the Caribbean.
Among the other distinguished speakers and panelists are: Mr. Dennis Brown, CCGI, Director and Council Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Jamaica (ICAJ); Mr. David Hall, President, Institute of Internal Auditors;
Ms. Suzanne Ffolkes-Goldson, Attorney-at-Law and Lecturer in Law, UWI Mona Campus; and Ms. Carolyn DaCosta, Group Compliance Manager and Company Secretary, Jamaica Money Market Brokers Group (JMMB).
The one-day Corporate Governance Workshop will be targeting Corporate Secretaries, Directors, Internal and External Auditors, Senior Managers, Chairpersons, as well as Corporate Governance Committee Members.
Cost for the workshop is US$100.00 (Members) and US$120.00 (Non-Members) and includes Lunch and Coffee Breaks. Persons wishing to participate may register on line at [email protected] For further information contact: Desiree Gobin-Seecharan +1 (868) 221-8707 (CCGI); Maxine Brown (876)978-6709 and Janet Morrison, (876)330-0332
Cayman Pirates to pillage Gasparilla Pirate Festival
This weekend Saturday 31st January Pirates from the Cayman Islands will be attending the Gasparilla Pirate Festival in Tampa with their own float.
Melanie McField, the head of the Cayman Islands Pirates Week Festival, said the delegation of 15 heading back to Tampa is partnering with the Sam Bellamy Pirate Krewe.
Black History Month Art Showcase features local African, African-American and Caribbean artists
‘Through Dark Eyes’ opens Feb. 6
To celebrate Black History Month, the York-based Institute for Cultural and Economic Development will sponsor “Through Dark Eyes,” an art showcase highlighting the diversity and talent in the York community.
This free Black History Month Art Showcase will feature works from some of York’s African, African-American and Caribbean artists, including Ophelia Chambliss, Gerald Davidson, Omar Josephs, Kerry Kirkland, Jesse Manning and Joyce Martin, according to a news release.
The showcase will begin with an opening reception from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on First Friday Feb. 6 at the Rudy Art Collective Gallery, 25 E. Philadelphia St., York. And will be available for viewing by appointment throughout February.
Guests can expect to see folk art, abstract art, portraits, stained glass and other works.
For more information, call 717-434-8504.
Colombian navy saves 42 from ship in Caribbean
By Piotr Wojciak From Colombian Reports
Colombia’s Navy said Tuesday it had rescued 40 tourists and two crew members aboard a ship that went adrift off the coast of San Andres island in the Caribbean Sea.
The ship named “Maruchi III” set sail from Johnny Cay, a small coral islet that is located 1.5 km (0.93 miles) to the north of San Andres Town, headed towards Rose Cay east of the island. Both locations are popular tourist hot-spots on the Colombian coast.
However, the vessel broke down along the way and went adrift for a few hours on Monday as the crew members called for help.
When the port authorities in San Andres learned about the emergency, they instantly sent out an Immediate Reactions Unit from the coastguard station to the area where the ship was drifting.
The coastguards towed the ferry towards Rose Cay, where the passengers were transferred to motorboats and safely taken back to Sand Andres Town.
There were no injuries reported to passengers or crew.
It’s another rescue mission involving navy forces of Colombia in the same area in the past days. Just last week, the coastguards saved five fishermen in two separate search missions. The boats they sailed to fish off the coast of San Andres were also cast adrift.
So far in 2015, the navy has saved a total of 87 people on the islands of San Andres, Providencia and Santa Catalina region, in eight search and rescue missions.
(Photo: Colombian Military)
For more: http://colombiareports.co/colombian-navy-saves-42-drifting-ship-caribbean/
Cayman Islands insurance company cuts workforce
Aon Insurance Managers (Cayman) Ltd. and Aon Risk Solutions (Cayman) Ltd. have announced it will cut 10% of its workforce as part of restructuring of its captive business in the Cayman. Islands.
To match lower revenues it is now receiving, the company has to reduce costs it said.
Job losses were announced last Friday (23) and six employees have been laid off – four with Caymanian status and two expatriates.
French Territories in the Caribbean to Begin CARICOM Membership Process
From Latin American Herald Tribune
SAN JUAN – The French territories in the Caribbean have begun discussions with the Caribbean Community, or CARICOM, on their applications to become associate members of the 15-member regional grouping, the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat announced Monday.
CARICOM Secretary-General Irwin LaRocque met with a team from French Guiana led by Regional Council president Rodolphe Alexandre and following a meeting with a team from Martinique.
The CARICOM Secretariat said that similar discussions will be held next month with representatives of Guadeloupe.
“The discussions focused on the terms and conditions of Associate Membership of CARICOM, regional cooperation in the Caribbean and the relationship between CARICOM and French Guiana,” the Secretariat said.
It said LaRocque also received a presentation on the Geographic Information System developed in French Guiana, using satellite and Internet technologies. The French Guiana delegation also held discussions with the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) Directorate.
LaRocque said the discussions followed a mandate from CARICOM leaders to engage the territories informing the French delegation that “we are all part of the Caribbean” and that their applications were receiving serious consideration.
Alexandre said his territory strongly believed in the convergence of the Caribbean in economics, health and education.
He said French Guiana had already engaged with Trinidad and Tobago on energy issues and Suriname with respect to mining, and it was also involved with the Community on issues of climate change and bio-diversity.
The council president also referred to a project to provide a satellite to boost to the digital capacity of the region.
Apart from the French territories, two of the former Netherlands Antilles, Curacao and St. Maarten, have also applied for associate membership.
Initial discussions have already taken place with Curacao, the CARICOM Secretariat said.
CARICOM includes Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.
For more: http://laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2371203&CategoryId=14092
Aetna inks sixth reinsurance deal with Cayman Islands subsidiary
From Hartford Business
Hartford health insurer Aetna said it has signed a three-year $200 million reinsurance agreement with a Cayman Islands subsidiary.
The deal with Vitality Re VI will help Aetna protect itself against spikes in medical claims in its group commercial health insurance business and reduce its required capital.
It is Aetna’s sixth such agreement with Vitality Re. It’s most recent agreement expired Jan 7th.
For more: http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/20150128/NEWS01/150129922
The one reason to not install iOS 8.1.3 on your iPhone 6… and how to downgrade if you did
From BGR
Apple on Tuesday released iOS 8.1.3, a minor software release that brings several fixes to known problems and vulnerabilities, including one for the annoying storage problem that may prevent some users from upgrading. However, as MacRumors points out, the iOS 8.1.3 update also patches the security issues used by the iOS 8 TaiG jailbreak, meaning that users who want to keep their iPhones and iPads jailbroken should stay away from iOS 8.1.3 for the time being.
The TaiG jailbreak works on any iOS device running iOS 8.1.2 or earlier, including the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
While TaiG has not confirmed that iOS 8.1.3 breaks its jailbreak tool, unofficial reports from users have revealed that’s the case. Moreover, even Apple’s support documentation for the iOS 8.1.3 update credits TaiG for finding four vulnerabilities in the operating system.
The good news for those iOS users who have upgraded to iOS 8.1.3 already, but who also wish to keep the jailbreak intact, is that they can still go back to iOS 8.1.2 for a limited time, as long as Apple is still signing the previous iOS 8 version.
A step-by-step guide for downgrading to iOS 8.1.2 is available from GottaBeMobile
Cayman Islands Football: Blake expects improved showing for World Cup Qualifiers
From Digicel Sportsmax
Cayman Islands Football Association (CIFA) Vice President Bruce Blake expects the national team to be competitive as it enters the preliminary stages of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
Cayman Islands, who are ranked 205th out of 209 teams in the FIFA World Rankings, hasn’t competed internationally since 2011, and will face Belize in the first round of qualifying over two legs.
“We took the time off,” we established our age-group programmes, national programmes and I think we’re better prepared now to enter the World Cup qualifying,” said Blake.
CIFA Technical Director Renard Moxam did not believe it was impossible for the team to qualify for the World Cup, but said there were some serious obstacles to overcome.
Over the past few years the Cayman Islands has developed its grassroots programme, and had several older age-group teams compete in major international competitions.
“I’ll leave this for Director of National Teams Renard Moxam, but I think the aim is to take our Under-23 team and supplement that team with a few of the senior players, and have that be the core of our World Cup qualifying campaign.” Blake added.
Caymans has a tough assignment against Belize for the first leg of 2018 World Cup qualifying after the two were paired during the CONCACAF draw on 16 January.
The draw included 27 of the 35 CONCACAF member associations.
Pop Star Rihanna wins legal battle with UK’s Topshop over image rights
By Reuters on 10:59 am Jan 25, 2015
From Jakarta Globe
London. Pop star Rihanna’s victory in a legal case against Topshop over the use of her image has been upheld by Britain’s Court of Appeal, which backed an earlier judgment against the British fashion chain.
Three years ago Topshop, which is owned by billionaire Philip Green’s Arcadia Group, started selling a T-shirt with an image of Rihanna on it without her permission.
Rihanna, full name Robyn Rihanna Fenty, took Topshop to court over the matter, and in 2013 a judge ruled in her favor, saying that shoppers could be deceived into buying the T-shirt, wrongly believing it was authorized by the Barbadian singer.
On Thursday, the Court of Appeal dismissed Topshop’s appeal against that decision, finding that the retailer had infringed Rihanna’s rights by selling the item without her approval.
The image was a photograph taken by a freelance photographer in Northern Ireland while Rihanna was filming a music video. Topshop had a license from the photographer to use the picture but no license from Rihanna.
In Britain, celebrities do not own the rights to their image, but companies using an image without permission can face legal action.
“In this case, both the Court of Appeal and High Court were at pains to spell out that it is not an infringement just to use someone else’s image, but that on the facts of the case they both agreed that the circumstances surrounding the image’s use on the T-shirt meant there was a false misrepresentation leading to passing-off,” said intellectual property lawyer Jeremy Blum from law firm Bristows in a statement.
Passing off means deceiving a potential buyer into thinking goods or services on sale are those of another.
Information meeting – Tropical Biology Program in Grand Cayman (Feb 2, at 4pm) Jan
By Anna, Alice, Mary Ann, Danielle, Libby From Indiana University Bloomington
This year’s Tropical Biology Program in Grand Cayman will concentrate on coral reef ecology and conservation and give students first-hand experience diving on some of the best-developed reefs in the Caribbean. The program will be held on Grand Cayman Island, May 12-21, 2015. Participating students will earn 3 upper-division lab credits in biology (BIOL-L 433). You must be scuba certified to go on the program. Scuba instruction will be available during the second eight weeks of the Spring Semester.
More information is available on the Overseas Study website at http://overseas.iu.edu.
The CCJ is hailed as a pillar of the Caribbean’s democracy on its tenth anniversary
From hotfm
The Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is observing its 10th anniversary this year with Justice Adrian Saunders saying the “CCJ has come a long way over those 10 years”.
The CCJ, established in 2001 to replace the London-based Privy Council as the region’s final court, began operations on April 16, 2005.
The CCJ has both an Original and Appellate Jurisdiction, but while most of the CARICOM countries are signatories to the Original jurisdiction, only Barbados, Guyana and Belize are members of the Appellate Jurisdiction. The CCJ also acts as an international tribunal interpreting the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas that governs the 15-member regional integration movement.
Meanwhile,The United States Military Southern Command says strengthening capabilities, and information sharing to effectively counter transnational organized crime in the Caribbean will be the focus again for military and civilian leaders from 21 countries. The Miami-based Southern Command, otherwise known as Southcom, said international security leaders who met here earlier this week, discussed the threat and ways to effectively reduce the presence and impact of organized crime.
This was the fifth consecutive year the topic was the central theme of the Caribbean Nations Security Conference , “underscoring the importance of the issue for regional leaders and their commitment to addressing it by working together”, Southcom said. Southcom Commander, John Kelly met privately with defence and security counterparts during the event to hear their ideas, concerns and viewpoints, and discuss bilateral defence cooperation goals.
The meeting was attended by St.Lucian officials . It examined illicit trafficking trends impacting the Caribbean, as well as the various programmes, activities, mechanisms and systems that support the region’s strategy to counter the threat and its effects.
For more: http://www.caribbeanhotfm.com/?p=1464
Cayman Islands children’s charity needs help for meals for kids
The National Council of Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) in the Cayman Islands currently provides lunch and a snack for thirty-one children across a number of schools in Grand Cayman but it needs help from the community to continue financing the meals.
Aside from ensuring children don’t go hungry, they are able to learn more when they have had a healthy meal during the school day the charity says, and healthy eating assists with mental, physical and emotional development of children.
For many students their school lunch will be the most important and possibly the only meal of the day.
The NCVO is appealing to the community to help it continue this critical programme.
Anyone who can help the NVCO with its programme can call 949 2124, email [email protected] or visit the website www.ncvo.org.ky
Judge fines bank whistleblowers for talking to media
By Chris Roush From TBN
A federal judge in Atlanta has fined two whistleblowers $1.6 million for speaking confidentially to members of the news media about their fraud suit against the nation’s biggest banks while it was being investigated by the U.S. attorney and was, by law, under seal.
Robin MacDonald of the Fulton County Daily Report writes, “The whistleblowers’ contacts with the media did not harm the case, but U.S. Attorney Sally Yates in Atlanta and Assistant Attorney General Stuart Delery in Washington recommended that U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg levy a higher $2.7 million fine for sharing information about the case with an Atlanta television news reporter and his producer. News of the suit remained under wraps at the whistleblowers’ request until after it was unsealed in 2011.
“The Justice Department, by then, had declined to take the case. Since then, attorneys representing the whistleblowers have settled with six banks they had accused of defrauding military veterans and the government. The banks, including J.P. Morgan Chase and Bank of America, paid more than $168 million to the government. Of that sum, whistleblowers Victor Bibby and Brian Donnelly reaped about $45 million, from which they have paid about 41 percent in taxes, plus legal fees and expenses.
“Yates is now acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General, the second highest post in the Justice Department. Delery is Acting Associate Attorney General, the DOJ’s third-ranking post. Both are awaiting confirmation by the U.S. Senate to make their appointments permanent.
“Totenberg levied the $1.6 million fine in a Jan. 5 order, 10 months after lawyers representing two defendants that have not settled, Wells Fargo Bank and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, asked her to punish the whistleblowers by dismissing Bibby and Donnelly from the suit—effectively ending the litigation.”
For more: http://talkingbiznews.com/1/judge-finds-bank-whistleblowers-for-talking-to-media/
HBO renews ‘Togetherness’ for a second season
The original comedy series will return to HBO in 2016
Miami, FL – January 28, 2015 – HBO announced the renewal of its latest original comedy series Togetherness for a second season, which is set to begin production this year in Los Angeles for debut in 2016. Currently airing its first season every Sunday at 22:30 hrs* in the Caribbean, the half-hour comedy, created by Jay and Mark Duplass, celebrates the everyday moments of life that feel epic.
The series follows the lives of two couples living under one roof in Los Angeles. Brett and Michelle struggle to reignite the spark in their relationship, which has puttered out from the stresses of marriage and children. When Brett’s friend Alex and Michelle’s sister Tina move in with them, the foursome engage in a tragically comedic struggle to follow their personal dreams, while still remaining good friends, siblings and spouses to each other.
The eight-episode first season of Togetherness premiered in the Caribbean on January 11th, with the season finale slated for March 8th.
Cast regulars include Mark Duplass (Brett), Melanie Lynskey (Michelle), Amanda Peete (Tina) and Steve Zissis (Alex).
Togetherness is created, written and directed by Jay and Mark Duplass, who also served as executive producers along with Stephanie Langhoff; with line producer Aida Rodger and consulting producers Amanda Lasher, Caroline Williams and Steve Zissis (also a star and co-creator of the series).
*Atlantic Standard time. Please consult your local cable provider or www.hbomax.tv for local transmission times.
