Issue 217 iLocal Turtle farm to take web by storm Page 6
iLocal Protesters lobby BT meeting Page 7
iWorld Avatar director sets new dive record Page 9
TO ADVERTISE YOUR CLASSIFIEDS CONTACT TRICIA ON (345) 326 2028 classifieds@ieyenews.com
CAYMAN Groundbreaking for new Youth centre Page 4
OUR EYE, YOUR NEWS
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SAT-MON | 10-12 MAR 2012
WE’RE NOT CORRUPT Opposition anger over Bush claim
Jamaican police shootings prompt outrage Page 8 Brac affordable homes nearly complete Page 11
Tad Stoner tad.stoner@ieyenews.com
Opposition leaders yesterday rejected corruption charges by Premier McKeeva Bush, denying any wrongdoing and saying the claims were an effort to distract people from greater issues of toplevel dishonesty. At the same time, Bodden Town’s ”anti-dump” coalition dismissed Mr Bush’s allegations that they were affiliated with - and led by - the PPM, calling the claims “ridiculous”. Speaking at a Thursday UDP rally in Bodden Town, Mr Bush accused both PPM chief and George Town MLA Alden McLaughlin and East End legislator Arden McLean of corruption, saying he would write to Commissioner of Police David Baines seeking a formal inquiry. Holding up a letter he claimed was addressed to Mr Baines, the premier asked “why, for more than one year, was Arden’s electric bill not paid?
Government HQ gets top Eco rating Page 13 Italy’s anger of botched hostage raid Page 17
Special day designs A beautiful, unique silk bridal gown just one of the stunning bridal outfits by talented Caymanian designer, Kidan Brooks. Ms Brooks has been designing wonderful clothes ever since she
Cayman triumphs at equestrian event Page 20
can remember, and recently opened her own company after studying fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. Photographer: Dalmond Bodden. Model: Georgi-Ann Jackman. Full story on page 3
Continued on page 5
TODAY’S WEATHER CHANCE OF SHOWERS HIGH LOW 83°F 74°F
10-12 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
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to blog visit www.ieyenews.com
iStyle
10-12 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
LIFESTYLE
Dresses, dreams and designs -Part II
“It feels like I’m in a dream!”
Fashion designer Kidan Brooks
Christopher Tobutt christopher.tobutt@ieyenews.com
These are some of the beautiful designs from local fashion designer Kidan Brooks, whose company, Kidän Bridal, specialises in making unique and beautiful dresses, both for brides and bridesmaids. Twenty-four year-old Miss
Pleated Cotton Dress in Apple Green - Bridesmaid look Photographer: Anselm Scrubb
Brooks has been serious about designing clothes ever since she was a young child. She decided to study fashion design formally in New York, and since coming back to Cayman has had a growing list of clients waiting for her to help make their wedding day extra-special.
“All my designs are completely original – created in my head and then sewn by me. “I’m inspired by so many things - by what inspires the bride - by magic and fairytales and wild imagination that conjures up this perfect, sparkling bride every little girl dreams about,” she said.
“Cancer knows no barrier, no age, no class, no color. It changes your life you know. It comes with a lot of pain; physical pain for the patient but it’s heart breaking pain for the family. Cancer breaks you emotionally and financially. Cancer drains you, it’s really hard. You never know what dealing with this disease does to someone until the shoe is on your foot. The Cancer Society has been there for me and my husband and they have been a tower of strength in every way possible.” ~Wife of cancer patient
114 Maple Road George Town P.O. Box 10565 Grand Cayman KY1-1005 Cayman Islands
Novelty Metallic Silk Bridal Gown Photographer: Anselm Scrubb Model: Sarah M. Castor
to blog visit www.ieyenews.com
Tulle and Metallic Silk Bridal Gown Photographer: Kidan Brooks Model: Sara Presley
Champagne Silk Charmeuse Bridal Gown Photographer: Dalmond Bodden Model: Georgi-Ann Jackman
T. 345-949-7618 F. 345-949-8694 www.cics.ky
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iCommunity LOCAL
10-12 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
New homes improve youth rehabilitation Visiting Dermatologist
Dr. Michael Fitz Henley 2nd March & 3rd March Future model of the Cayman Islands Youth Centre
Two events in March will mark the strengthening of Cayman’s youth rehabilitation efforts by the Ministry of Community Affairs, Gender and Housing and other key stakeholders. The Ministry, in partnership with the CAYS Foundation, will be officially opening a new Therapeutic Community Programme at the Bonaventure Boys Home (BBH). There will also be a public groundbreaking ceremony for Cayman’s first purpose-built youth rehabilitation facility, Cayman Islands Youth Centre, on Thursday 15 March at 4pm at 73 Fairbanks Road. The Therapeutic Community Programme represents the adoption of new principles based on the Missouri Model which focuses on rehabilitation rather than punishment, encouraging young people to dig deep and confront their issues, typically within a peer-group setting. Since this recent adoption, the programme has seen significant improvements in the boys. Along with this enhancement to programming, the BBH has also undergone renovations to reflect the new philosophy. Now there is an open dorm layout for staff observation and safety, classrooms, and a group meeting room.
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Residents will have a daily schedule consisting of education, group counselling, individual counselling, meals, recreation, dorm cleaning, and check-ins. Also based on the Missouri Model, the Cayman Islands Youth Centre, due to be finished by May 2013, will serve as a home and treatment centre for juvenile offenders and remanded youth. “Missouri’s approach is not at all a ‘soft’ approach to delinquent behaviour, but instead, much harder, more demanding and more likely to bring about meaningful change as you must face and deal with your most difficult and traumatic issues and take responsibility for your actions and behaviour”,” said the Minister of Community Affairs, Gender and Housing, the Hon. Mike Adam, MBE, JP. “With these enhancements in youth rehabilitation, we all have an opportunity to help chart the way forward by empowering our children and youth, strengthening our community and securing the future of these Islands”, he added. The Chairman of the Children and Youth Services (CAYS) Foundation, Mr. Garth Arch, said “It is encouraging to witness the significant progress being made
with the shift in youth rehabilitation from the traditional punitive approach towards a strengthbased model focusing on group interaction and positive personal development. The establishment of the new Therapeutic Community Programme is a meaningful advancement towards successfully rehabilitating at-risk youths to become positive and productive citizens.” The Therapeutic Community Programme General Manager, Sydney Williams, is happy with the home’s new look and said, “With our remodelled home, we now have a full plan – one that includes more suitable accommodation, trained staff, new principles and higher standards for the boys to enjoy.” He added, “The new system has really put a positive spin on the way the boys interact, and I am confident that this new direction will help our youth become productive citizens of this country.” The public is invited to attend the groundbreaking ceremony and learn about the Missouri Model and Cayman’s at-risk youth. Refreshments will be served. For more information, contact the Ministry of Community Affairs, Gender and Housing at 244-2424 or BBH at 946-2446. to blog visit www.ieyenews.com
iLocal
10-12 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
NEWS
Bush writes to top cop over allegations Tad Stoner tad.stoner@ieyenews.com
Continued from front page “You want to talk about corruption? Between 2005 and 2009, the Minister for the district admitted he had not paid his electrical bill for one year while he was negotiating a new agreement with CUC [Caribbean Utilities Company],” Mr Bush said, “and I am asking for an investigation by the AntiCorruption Commission.” Commissioner Baines is also the Chairman of the five-member commission, formed in January 2010 to probe official wrongdoing. Mr Bush said he was preparing two more letters, asking the commission to investigate the PPM leader. While he did not detail the charges, he hinted that they surrounded the 2006 approval by Mr McLaughlin, then-Minster of Education, of the appointment of UCCI President Hassan Syed, who fled Cayman in 2008 after revelations of “financial irregularities” totalling as much as $350,000, and fraudulent credentials. Mr Bush also indicated a probe of Mr McLaughlin’s appointment of Tom Jones International to build the Clifton Hunter and John Gray high schools, halted in late 2009 after both government and company claims of at least $100 million for breach of contract. Mr McLaughlin yesterday called the claims “a patent attempt to deflect attention from the interests and concerns about his conduct,” referring to a joint RCIPS-Governor Duncan Taylor probe of corruption allegations in a 2004 real estate deal between Mr Bush and Atlantabased developer Stan Thomas. “After two years, he has consistently refused to explain to the country about the criminal investigation against him,” Mr McLaughlin said, “and most recently his use of public funds given to John McLean Jr”, a reference to Mr Bush’s allocation last week of $200,000 for community
McKeeva Bush at Thursday night’s meeting
Alden McLaughlin
Arden McLean
improvements to the district’s independent political candidate, bypassing Arden McLean. “This is McKeeva Bush’s typical response to charges against him,” Mr McLaughlin said. “He never addresses them, but is prepared to point fingers at the Opposition.” Arden McLean yesterday denied allegations about his electric bill. “This came up a couple of years ago and was discussed in Cabinet and a letter was written to the governor. It never happened. It is not true. There was no bill waiver. I had to pay like everyone else.” If CUC had waived his bill, he said, they would have expected a favourable contract agreement, ”but we lowered their rates,” Mr McLean said. “What kind of sense does that make?” Both Mr McLaughlin and Alain Benier, spokesman for the Coalition to Keep Bodden Town Dump Free denied any connection. “The coalition is quite independent,” Mr McLaughlin said. “They founded themselves over this one partcular issue, and while the PPM also opposes the crazy idea to move the dump from George Town to Bodden Town, they are not a part of the PPM in any way.” Mr Benier called Mr Bush’s charges “a smokescreen and an attempt to avoid the answers and documents we’ve demanded. While individual members of the PPM may well support the coalition’s
campaign – as do a number of UDP members – the coalition has nothing whatsoever to do with the PPM, or with any political party. There isn’t a single MLA or PPM official on our Coordinating Committee, and the coalition has not received a penny from the PPM.
The group, he said, “supports no political party, and condemns equally past and present governments for neglecting their responsibility in regards to proper management of the George Town Landfill and the elimination of Mount Trashmore.”
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iLocal
10-12 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
NEWS
Cayman Turtle Farm set to take web by storm The Cayman Turtle Farm Cayman Wildlife Encounter is making sure that all those people linked in to social media and planning their vacations on the world wide web have lots of ways to interact with the world’s most famous turtle farm. As part of the Cayman Turtle Farm’s ongoing rebranding and marketing efforts, park management is reaching out to people via social media and the internet to spark their interest before they reach Cayman’s shores. “Our current focus is on increasing the number of stay-over visitors who come to the Cayman Turtle Farm. With so many people researching their vacations online, we felt it was important to have a strong presence on the web and in various social media to ensure we were reaching people who have an interest in the Cayman Islands,” said Managing Director Tim Adam. The first prong of the park’s web strategy was a new and re-vamped website at www.turtle.ky The new site, which is clearly laid out and features the park’s new branding as the Cayman Turtle Farm – Cayman Wildlife Encounter, is divided into the various ways people can enjoy the park and the different wildlife encounters they can have while there. It is engaging and user friendly, geared towards bringing people to the park and showing the diversity of the activities within the
full park access experience. Complementing the new web site are the park’s social media activities. “Many people use social media to find information on their favourite interests and activities. We felt it was important to have a strong presence on Facebook and Twitter to ensure that there was awareness of the Cayman Turtle Farm and the unique experiences we have to offer here,” Mr. Adam said. The park has created a new Facebook page which offers regular updates on park events and activities, with lots of photos to keep the Farm’s many FB ‘friends’ interested and on the page. The page can be easily found at www. facebook.com/caymanturtle. A new park mascot has also been created to interact with “followers” on Twitter. Murtle the Turtle is a seafaring turtle who gives regular “log” updates on Twitter, which tell followers about the latest happenings and events at the park from Murtle’s unique turtle perspective. You can follow her on the Cayman Turtle Farm page. The Cayman Turtle Farm’s online activities don’t stop there. Given the popularity of You Tube, the park has also uploaded several educational videos to its own You Tube page to showcase the conservation activities at the farm and to attract potential visitors searching for videos on Cayman Islands attractions. “There are so many ways to
Cayman Turtle Farm
interact with potential park visitors on-line, and we want to ensure that we are utilizing as many of these media as possible as a way to keep people aware of the Cayman Turtle Farm and make them want to visit us,” Mr. Adam explained. Other on-line activities undertaken by the Cayman Turtle Farm include updating park information on travel review
sites such as Cruise Critic and Trip Advisor. “In addition to reaching new park guests on-line, the internet travel review sites offer us valuable feedback from guests who have visited us already,” Mr. Adam said. “We read and keep track of these reviews to ensure that we make any improvements to the park experience that we can.”
Laid back Zorro looking for love Please can you help Zorro? This adorable and delightfully fluffy boy needs our help. Zorro is approximately seven years old and a beautiful long haired shepherd blend. He is neutered and up to date on his shots, however, sadly he has tested positive for heartworm. Zorro, is a proper Island guy - laid back and enjoys nothing
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more than a tummy rub and a nice casual stroll. He gets along great with other dogs and loves the attention from all people - Big and Small. Zorro was an inside family dog, so enjoys the cool tiles and comforts of a home and he is house trained. Sadly he has become a victim of the current economic situation and now finds himself without a
home and is currently living tied to a tree. We would love nothing more than to get Zorro into a foster home through the heartworm treatment and on to a wonderful forever home he so deserves. If you have any questions, would like to know more about fostering Zorro Please e-mail volunteer@caymancare.ky or call 938 2273. to blog visit www.ieyenews.com
iLocal
10-12 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
NEWS
Bush predicts $7m deficit Tad Stoner
Photos by Tad Stoner
tad.stoner@ieyenews.com
Government will run a $7 million deficit by the end of June because of loss-making companies and statutory authorities, Premier McKeeva Bush announced last night, although central government was likely to break even. Speaking at a Bodden Town political rally, and heckled by two dozen local “anti-dump” protestors, Mr Bush and other UDP officials addressed a range of subjects, including budget deficits; Opposition PPM corruption (see accompanying story); the George Town Landfill and the Dartgovernment ForCayman Investment Alliance (FCIA) and others. While protestors lined Bodden Town’s main road, wielding placards and jeering district UDP MLAs Dwayne Seymour and Mark Scotland, also Minister of Health, a 200-member audience filled seats outside the local post office, shouting political support. The tone was set early by Pastor Richard Christian, who told the assembly that “when they act against the government, Father God, they act against You.” Heavily critical of the PPM, Mr Bush described the $81 million deficit ”mess” left by the PPM in 2009 and said “while we are still getting the documentation together, it looks like we will end up the year, as it looks now, by breaking even in the central government. “There will be a $7 million deficit, though, because of government companies,” he said, “but $7 million is better than $81 million.” He referred to earlier, nowsuperceded, predictions of a $25 million to $30 million surplus, but all things considered, he said, “a $7 million deficit is not bad.” He accused protestors, opposed to closing the George Town Landfill and creating a new wastemanagement facility on 110 acres east of Bodden Town, of being led by the PPM, but invited the group
Protestors picket Thursday night’s meeting
to join him on US visits to similar facilities. “We will organise tours of wastemanagement facilities in the US, with the Bodden Town coalition and the people of East End. We will organise these trips soon, and not just for one or two people. We hope to take 100 people from the two districts overseas and we’ll see the facts,” he said, without elaborating on schedules, costs or itineraries. Mr Bush was preceded at the dais by Mr Scotland and Mr Seymour, who acknowledged his previous low profile, and sought – vainly -- to placate demonstrators who assailed him as he spoke. “We want to put the right solution in place,” he said, rejecting “the reckless and irresponsible people of Bodden Town” who were unaware of the facts. “I’m quite ashamed of the people being so disrespectful.
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This is not about development, but about some underlying thing that is going on,” he suggested darkly, declining, however, to elaborate. Mr Scotland said he agreed that Bodden Town should not host a dump, explaining that the costs of retaining the George Town Landfill and starting waste-to-energy and recycling programmes would cost $100 million in capital outlays, a boost to import duties and between $18 million and $23 million per year to operate. “There will be no dump in Bodden Town,” he said, exhorting “you “politicians and wouldbe politicians“ to “stop misleading the public. This [new facility] will have waste-to-energy and recycling components, a full environmental review and be properly engineered, built and operated. All standards will be in the best interests of the
people of Bodden Town. There is no sinister effort to put anything over on you.” Mr Bush defended his $200,000 grant of FCIA funds, announced last week, to East End independent political candidate John McLean Jnr, saying it was for community improvements, and declared “not a chance” to talks with West Bay groups opposing ciosure of the road near Public Beach. “I can’t sit down and listen to them because they have nothing to put on the table,” he said, anticipating today’s protest motorcade, starting at 2pm at the George own cricket pitch. Lodging a plea for patience and tolerance as he confronted infrastructure and economic issues, he declared that “nobody on this platform is going to do you any harm.”
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iJamaica
10-12 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
NEWS
Police shootings prompt outrage in Jamaica
Beverly Kennedy holds an old photograph of her slain daughter, Nicketa Cameron, standing left, in the Denham Town.
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Security personnel armed with M16s and machine guns manned roadblocks and detained dozens of young men Thursday as part of a crackdown in a Jamaican ghetto where a 13-year-old girl, two elderly men and three others were killed during reported shootouts between police and gunmen. Residents of the Denham Town slum in West Kingston blame officers for Monday’s killings and the gritty area has been under curfew amid an ongoing security operation to seize illegal guns and fugitives. Human rights groups accused police of trigger-happy tactics across Jamaica that have caused 45 deaths in just the first 10 weeks of the year. A total of 21 people were killed by police in the first six days of March. The slayings, particularly the crossfire shooting death of Nicketa Cameron, a 13-year-old from Denham Town who loved to dance and hoped to become a soldier when she grew up, have outraged residents and activists here and abroad. “The problem is that police continue to enter marginalized innercity communities as if everyone there were a criminal suspect,” said Chiara Liguori, Caribbean researcher for Amnesty International. Rights group Jamaicans for Justice said it was “untenable in any society that the police force should be resorting to that level of violence in order to control crime.”
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Bullet holes fill a sheet metal fence in front of the doorway of a home where the relatives of Nicketa Cameron, who was killed in crossfire, stand a few feet from where she died in the Denham Town ghetto in Kingston.
At their warren-like apartment building in Denham Town, Nicketa’s mother and aunts pointed to bullet holes in the 8-foot-high (2.4-meter-high) sheet metal fence and say police indiscriminately fired through it during the Monday operation. Another patch of metal fencing with more bullet holes was taken away as evidence. Nicketa was standing by a washing machine in a narrow hallway facing the street when she was killed by a bullet to the head during a roughly 40-minute gunbattle. The family insists the bullets were fired by police. “They were just shooting crazy! They say they were getting shot at from here, but how come all the bullet holes are going into our house? There’s no bullets on the house across the street,” said Tanisha Stewart, the slain girl’s aunt. Nikita’s mother, Beverly Kennedy, stared off into space, holding photographs of her slain daughter near the spot where her blood was mopped up off the wooden floor. Police said that three of those killed on Monday were wanted for various crimes, while the girl and two others were apparently caught in the crossfire. They said an AK-47, a .357 revolver, a 9mm pistol and a .22 pistol were recovered in the operation. Two other apparent bystanders, 60-something George Edmonson and Wesley Simpson, also were shot
and died. Authorities said two other people were injured, but residents insist the number of injuries was higher. London-based Amnesty International and local agencies are calling on authorities to investigate police operations, alleging a culture of impunity has allowed police to serve as judge, jury and executioner. There were 211 reported police killings last year, though that was 69 fewer than the official tally of 2010 on the island of 2.8 million people. National Security Minister Peter Bunting said the circumstances of the Denham Town shootings are still unclear, but he reminded police to use deadly force only if it is justified and necessary. Police Commissioner Owen Ellington said Jamaican officers are threatened by the enormous number of illegal guns on the streets. “If we’re going to be protecting the citizens it means we’re going to be confronting these individuals so some of the time these things will occur. We would love to minimize the incidents,” he told Television Jamaica. Some Jamaicans said the killings of bystanders were tragic, but that security forces need to beat back criminal gangs. “If the gangs win, then this country is finished,” said Kingston taxi driver Ronald Wright. Denham Town is in a part of Kingston that gave birth to some of the country’s most notorious gangs.
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iWorld
10-12 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
NEWS
Two children found living in abandoned school bus SPLENDORA, Texas (AP) — The abandoned school bus had no engine and no front wheels. But there were crude curtains in the windows, an air conditioner and even bunk beds inside. So when a postal worker repeatedly ran across two unkempt children at the scene, she grew concerned and this week contacted authorities to report that the pair had apparently been living there for months. Now child welfare agents are trying to unravel the story of the
siblings, a 5-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl, whose parents are in prison and whose home was a dilapidated vehicle at the end of a muddy, one-lane road. The postal carrier discovered the kids Wednesday near Houston, and the two were swiftly placed in foster care while authorities investigate. “The little girl’s hair was just matted, like a stray dog’s,” Vanessa Picazo said. The father of the pair said he never intended for the bus to be a permanent home. He said the
family had originally planned to build a house at the site, which was now strewn with reeking trash. “The house is normally clean. If me or my wife were there, it would not be in that shape, I assure you,” Shorten said. “Our house would be completed or almost completed.” Randal McCann, a Louisiana attorney who represented the children’s mother prior to her imprisonment, said the aunt had been taking care of the kids since the case against the parents was launched more than a year ago.
Filmmaker Cameron plans record seven-mile ocean dive WASHINGTON (AP) — A calm James Cameron has broken his own record with the world’s deepest solo submarine dive, plunging 5.1 miles (8.2 kilometers) in the Pacific Ocean near Papua New Guinea, the filmmaker said Thursday. But that’s nothing. Later this month he says he plans to descend to the deepest place on Earth. Cameron is aiming to plunge to the bottom of Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench of the Pacific Ocean, 200 miles southwest of Guam. It’s 6.8 miles (11 kilometers) deep. Humans have been there only
once before when a two-man U.S. Navy team went for just 20 minutes in 1960. The “Avatar” and “Titanic” filmmaker said he wasn’t frightened when he dove nearly that far in a practice run Wednesday that lasted 3.5 hours on the bottom. “Certainly not nervous or scared during the dive,” Cameron told The Associated Press in a ship-to-shore phone interview. “You tend to be a little apprehensive ahead of the dive about what could go wrong. When you are actually on the dive you have to trust the engineering
was done right.” Later, he acknowledged that the bone-crushing pressure at five miles and seven miles deep “is in the back of your mind.” Cameron is using a one-man, 12-ton lime green sub that he helped design called DEEPSEA CHALLENGER. He is partnering with the National Geographic Society, where he is an explorerin-residence. “The deep trenches are the last unexplored frontier on our planet,” Cameron said in an earlier statement.
Romney heads South into evangelical states Mitt Romney’s struggle with white evangelical voters doesn’t bode well for him as he moves through the GOP presidential primary, with Mississippi and Alabama just ahead. In the five states so far where born-again Christians were a majority of GOP primary voters, Romney has trailed either Rick Santorum or Newt Gingrich among evangelicals by an average of 20 points, according to exit polls. About 4 in 10 born-again voters who were asked said it was deeply important that a candidate share their religious beliefs. Still, exit polls also show an
opening for Romney to draw a bit more of the evangelical vote. In Ohio and Tennessee, evangelicals who said shared religious beliefs are less important when choosing a candidate were significantly less likely than other evangelicals to see Romney as too moderate. The key question for Romney is whether enough of these evangelicals are present in the contests ahead to make any difference for his candidacy. In the 2008 Republican presidential primary, about three-quarters of Republicans in Mississippi and two-thirds in
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Alabama identified themselves as white evangelicals. Primaries in Mississippi and Alabama are set for Tuesday, with Louisiana to follow on March 24. John Green, a University of Akron political scientist who analyzes religion and voting, said he noticed that Romney generally does better, although not well, among evangelicals in larger metropolitan areas. These urban born-again voters are found in greater numbers in states where Democrats and Republicans are more competitive, such as the Midwest.
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iEditorial
10-12 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
OPINION
The Editor speaks
Bush army, previous editorials
Colin Wilson colin.wilson@ieyenews.com
I wrote editorials only recently on statesmanship, working together, and being too big to fail. Just a few days after these editorials appeared in iNews Cayman we have examples of exactly what I was saying. First we have Premier McKeeva Bush showing us his idea of statesmanship by announcing he has written to the Anti-corruption Commission about MLA Arden Mclean. Mr. Bush has accused Mr. McLean of not paying his power bill for over a year during the time he was a cabinet minister with the then PPM government and was negotiating a licensing agreement with CUC. Our premier said McLean had admitted on radio recently that he did not pay the bill and if this was true, it meant he had used his office for personal gain. I can only liken it to little children when one says to another, “You didn’t let me play with your ball and I’m not letting you play with mine.” To make matters worse, Mr. Bush said he would be asking for anti-corruption enquiries into the opposition leader, Alden McLaughlin, and another PPM member. He did not elaborate on the details. This is in retaliation to the PPM’s claim of the premier’s
corruption and the ongoing police investigation into financial irregularities over his dealings with developer Stan Thomas. Of course Mr. McLean swiftly came back telling Cayman News Service the country was in trouble if this was the best the premier could do to “deflect from his own criminal investigation.” PPM leader, Alden McLaughlin has warned that legal action against the owners of the Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman, could pose a threat to the Cayman Islands reputation and tourism industry. Only yesterday (9) iNews reported from an interview we had with the developer of the Ritz-Carlton, Michael Ryan, saying “it was business as usual.” Mr. McLaughlin said that if the Ritz Carlton was to close it would be detrimental to business and Cayman’s standing. While the PPM leader said the outstanding $6 million duty was also of significant concern to government, it was very unlikely the public purse would now recoup that debt, but the hotel closure could be even worse. He also confirmed my fears that Mr. Ryan’s debt to Government is unsecured. The premier has admitted that Mr. Ryan, who is also the owner of a number of other companies linked to the hotel, had ceased making payments on a debt to the public purse of some $10 million, despite there being more than $6 million still owing! This
despite Mr. Bush saying in 2010 there was little risk that the money would not be returned when he told the Legislative Assembly that Ryan was seeking a new payment plan. Don’t we all wish we could be that big we must not fail? As for all of us trying to work together to get this country out of its present mess that is just a pipe dream. The country is divided and there is a complete lack of good leadership. The main question is who can throw the most muck, how strong does it smell and how long will it stick? However, help is on the way. As iNews reported the other day the Bush Army is to be created. Mr. Bush says he wants to create a Cayman Islands army although he terms it a ‘disaster defence force’. He said it was a long standing goal of his to create Cayman’s own special cadre of personnel that would work alongside the RCIPS in special circumstances, such as in the wake of a hurricane or other emergency situations, to protect the public. Hmm. And who will be in sole command of the army (sorry, I mean disaster defence force)? It is usually a premier and he is the Commander in Chief. In most African and Caribbean countries this commander will wear an army uniform weighed down with huge medals, a peaked hat with a huge badge and gold bands, and a long
symbolic baton carried under the right arm. And this commander will strut around looking so proud. He will inspect his troops (sorry, his defence force) on parade who will be carrying loaded rifles whilst the police, under a different commander, will have pepper spray, handcuffs and maybe (if funds are available) tasers. This army, of course, is only there to work alongside the police. Our premier said this would happen when government finances improved to “help build our nation.” So we have this to look forward to when we get back on our feet. Don’t we already have a Cayman Islands Cadet Corps? The last time I saw this mainly youth organisation in training it looked just like an army. If you go onto their website: www.cicadetcorps. ky you will meet the Cadet Corps officers and cadets wearing army style uniforms and commanding officers with titles of ‘Major’ and ‘Lt. Colonel’. There are links to other cadet corps and associations around the Caribbean and one actually with the title of ‘Army’. Mr. Bush took me to task in one of my editorials saying that whatever I print also goes on a website to be read by the whole world and can damge this country. He is right. Is he also saying we in the media shouldn’t report the things he is saying because it might have the same effect?
Have your say on our website www.ieyenews.com
If you have any news, views or comments you wish to share with iNews please get in touch either on Facebook, Twitter or email us at: info@ieyenews.com iThought But if someone is glorified in poverty, how much more in substance? And whoever is glorified in substance, let him fear poverty. Ecclesiasticus 10:34
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iLocal
10-12 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
NEWS
Cayman Brac affordable houses nearly completed
One of the workers prepares a wall for cement plastering
The eight homes being constructed on behalf of the Sister Islands Affordable Housing Development Corporate (SIAHDC) are nearing completion, said Chairman Mrs. Christine Maltman. Eight contracts were awarded in December 2011 to construct four homes on West End site and four homes on the Watering Place site. “We’re 75 per cent there,” Mrs. Maltman said. “We are nearing l completion and hope to wrap everything up by the end of April. I am amazed at the speed and pleased with the high standard of work that is being carried out by the
East Wind Construction completes a three bedroom home at the Watering Place site
contractors.” One 2-bedroom and three 3-bedroom homes are being constructed at the Watering Place site and (four) 3-bedroom homes at West End. The plans are similar to the eight existing homes at the West End site, which are 855 sq. ft. for a 2-bedroom home and 1,073 sq. ft. for a 3-bedroom unit. While the units are called affordable homes, all are well constructed and go beyond the usual standards required. The inner walls are full concrete and the homes are complete with a full kitchen and all the standard appliances such as
Quality Construction completes a two-bedroom home
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washer, dryer, refrigerators. While there is no central air conditioning, the homes are constructed so that central air can be added in the future. “Beyond the service being provided to Cayman Brac working families, these homes also represent a meaningful investment opportunity in our communities because the housing scheme has created jobs within the island by awarding eight contractors, who in turn, have hired members of the local workforce,” said Mrs. Maltman. She encouraged persons in need
of housing to apply to the SIAHDC. Home buyer eligibility are assessed on household income, residency, employment and personal references. Deputy Premier and Minister of District Administration, Works, Lands and Agricultural Hon. Juliana O’Connor-Connolly said: “Providing safe, affordable and quality housing to citizens is a common goal for every government and I believe we have achieved that goal. As the Cayman Islands works toward a bright future, we’re going to get there by creating an environment that fosters investment in the vitality of all of our communities and we recognise that affordable housing as a big part of that equation.” “We are proud of the partnership SIAHDC has developed with each contractor and the bank, by supporting improved housing for the residents of Cayman Brac,” Ms O’Connor-Connolly added. She also lauded the contractors for their speed and efficiency in working on the homes. “The contractors understand that people want to improve their lives and they are working equally hard to ensure that the homeowners can move in as quickly as possible. This is what is known as nation-building and I am pleased to be associated with it,” the Deputy Premier stated.
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iWorld
10-12 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
NEWS
Anti-Kony video campaign draws criticism in Uganda KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — The wildly successful viral video campaign to raise global awareness of a brutal Central Africa rebel leader is attracting criticism from Ugandans, some who said Friday that the 30-minute video misrepresents the complicated history of Africa’s longestrunning conflict. The campaign by the advocacy group Invisible Children to make militia leader Joseph Kony a household name has received enormous attention on YouTube and other Internet sites this week. But critics here said the video glosses over a complicated history that made it possible for Kony to rise to the notoriety he has today. They also lamented that the video does not inform viewers that Kony originally was waging war against Uganda’s army, whose human rights record has been condemned as brutal by independent observers. “There is no historical context. It’s more like a fashion thing,” said Timothy Kalyegira, a well-known social critic in Uganda who once published a newsletter called The Uganda Record. Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army began its attacks in Uganda in the 1980s, when Kony sought to overthrow the government. Since being pushed out of Uganda several years ago, the LRA has terrorized villages in Congo, the Central African Republic and South Sudan. The group takes young women into sexual slavery and forces children to commit heinous attacks. In the years when Kony’s men roamed northern Uganda, the Ugandan government was often accused of failing to do enough to capture or kill Kony, with some government investigations showing that army officers profiteered from a protracted war. Olara Otunnu, a former U.N. diplomat who worked on children and armed conflict, has long accused the Ugandan government of committing genocide in northern Uganda as it pursued Kony. Invisible Children said in a
12
statement posted on its website that it does not defend any of the human rights abuses committed by the Ugandan government. But it said: “The only feasible and proper way to stop Kony and protect the civilians he targets is to coordinate efforts with regional governments.” Ogenga Latigo, a politician from northern Uganda who previously led the opposition in Uganda’s Parliament, said Invisible Children’s perspective was too narrow to be allowed to define the popular understanding of an insurgency that displaced millions and in which thousands were killed or abducted. “Theirs is a narrow perspective,” he said of Invisible Children’s work. “They just want the war to end so that children can go back home. That’s all.” Latigo said that the Ugandan government, by failing to deploy enough soldiers to prevent the LRA from abducting children over the years, had been partly responsible for the rebel group’s success as a recruiter of children. “Our position was clear. We told the government, ‘There are not enough soldiers,’” he said. Invisible Children said that in its quest to garner wide support of a complicated issue, it tried to explain the conflict in an easily understandable format. It said that many nuances of a 26-year conflict are admittedly lost or overlooked in a half-hour film. Not everyone is critical of Invisible Children’s campaign. Maria Burnett, a researcher on Uganda for Human Rights Watch, said the video has helped draw attention to an issue the rights group has long been working on. “We hope it will be helpful,” she said. “What it leads to remains to be seen, but the goal to bring pressure on key leaders, to protect civilians and to apprehend LRA leadership is important, absolutely.” Burnett added that while the LRA issue is important, Uganda’s military also needs to be accountable and professional — “and there’s still
Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army.
Members of Uganda’s Lord’s Resistance Army.
a long way to go in that regard.” Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, where Kony is wanted for war crimes, told The Associated Press this week he thinks the attention Invisible Children has raised is “incredible, exactly what we need.” Kony is now thought to be hiding in the Central African Republic, where he fled before an aerial assault on his forested base in Congo in 2008. Ugandan officials say the LRA — with some 200 core fighters at most — is weakened and is merely trying to survive. Invisible Children’s new campaign comes five months after President Barack Obama sent 100 U.S. forces to help regional governments eliminate Kony and his lieutenants. American troops are now stationed in Uganda, the Central African
Republic, the Congo, and South Sudan, countries where Kony’s men operate. Ugandan officials say that, with the help of U.S. troops, the hunt for LRA leaders has intensified in recent months. Asked what the chances were of eliminating the LRA, Rear Adm. Brian L. Losey, the top U.S. special operations commander for Africa, told journalists last month: “I don’t see failure.” For some Ugandans, the timing of Invisible Children’s campaign is suspicious. Nicholas Sengoba, a political analyst, said there was something “sinister” about Invisible Children’s campaign. “The issue has been around for ages,” he said. “We have to ask ourselves why suddenly there is this uproar. I believe that these people have other motives that they are not putting out in the open.” to blog visit www.ieyenews.com
iLocal
10-12 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
NEWS
New government headquarters gets environmental rating Deputy Premier and Minister responsible for Facility Management Hon. Juliana O’Connor-Connolly has announced that the Government Office Accommodation Project (GOAP) has been awarded a Silver Rating by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) from the US Green Building Council. “This is a major achievement and we in Government (past and present MALs and Ministers) are proud to receive the silver certification. It is important that government leads by example and it is our responsibility to design our headquarters as a high performance, energy-efficient building that requires less water, and energy as well as reduces the operational cost substantially from prior levels,” she explained. “There are very few LEEDcertified buildings in the Caribbean and the government and the McAlpine Design Build Team should be congratulated for providing the Cayman Islands with a truly sustainable facility,” the Deputy Premier added. Noting that the award is the first of its kind for a building within the
Cayman Islands, GOAP project manager Jim Scott explained some of its design qualities. “The building compares very well to an office in the U.S. and has applied best practice design principles. It has concentrated on minimising energy and water intake and waste output, while maximising recycling and environmental quality. It uses about 45 per cent less energy than typical existing and old US offices, and about 20 per cent less energy than typical new US offices,” Mr. Scott said. “All of this translates to the GOAP building having the lowest electricity bill per square foot of any commercial office space in the Cayman Islands,” he added. LEED is a standard for measuring a building’s sustainability. Certification can only be awarded after a facility undergoes a rigorous and detailed evaluation by an independent third party. The LEED process began when the building was being constructed in 2008; it was included in the contract that McAlpine had to achieve a LEED
Government Office Accommodation Project gets LEED Silver rating.
Certified Award from the US Green Building Council. The building was registered as a Green Building during the construction phase and now has achieved the Silver Rating. Gold rating or higher requires that all construction materials etc be purchased within 500 miles of the project and this one of the reasons why GOAP received a silver rating. Alan Jones, Chief Officer in the Ministry of District Administration, Works, Lands and Agriculture, said the Cayman Islands government is keen to reduce its carbon footprint. “By recognizing innovative
construction methods, sustainable use of resources and a design that prioritizes the needs of the wider environment and society, we have demonstrated that we are environmentally aware as we contribute to the development of an eco-friendly Cayman Islands,” he stated. Other environmental initiatives include an aluminum can recycling programme, established by Facility Management and the Department of Environmental Health, and only green housekeeping products are used at the building.
GIS Spotlight brings online support for businesses The week starting Monday, 12 March, GIS Spotlight revisits Immigration online, an exciting National Gallery exhibit and computer-assisted learning in the prison system. First we bring you Immigration Online, the service which upgraded the department’s Internet presence for business customers. Hear end users describe an arrangement that is tailor-made for their needs. Discover how it will streamline and enhance procedures, rendering these more user-friendly. Next, join us for a chat with one of Cayman’s most prominent artists, Bendel Hydes. Hear the artist speak of the early influences that guided his work and how he finds his inspiration . See some of his best paintings displayed at the
new National Gallery. Then, we take you inside Northward Prison to learn how tertiary education institutions have joined hands with a leading law firm to provide computer expertise to inmates to help them become productive members of the community.. The weekly programme GIS Spotlight airs on Cayman27 at 8p.m. on Monday and 6p.m. on Saturday. All stories seen in the week’s show can also be found on the GIS Marketing and Communications website: www.gis.ky. Comments and suggestions about the programme are always welcome. Viewers can provide feedback by e-mailing Spotlight@gov.ky.
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Immigration Online is the latest upgraded Internet service for businesses from the department.
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Our Eye
10-12 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
OPINION
How to pass examinations without being an A plus student. Georgina Wilcox georgina.wilcox@ieyenews.com
Continued from yesterday Here are a few collected tips and tricks to help you pass a school or university exam. They are called exam techniques and they helped me and they can help you. Part A) Preparing for an Exam 1) Revise actively. Just reading through your notes is the worst possible way to revise. Well, OK, perhaps not the worst possible, but it’s really not very good. The more of your brain you can engage in the revision, the more you will remember. Memory is not a box in one part of your brain that things are either in or out. Memory is spread out everywhere: there’s verbal memory, visual memory, audio memory, muscle memory, all sorts. The more your brain does with the information, the more you will remember. So don’t just read. Make up poems and mnemonics. Summarise the notes. Set them to music. Extract key points and write them down yourself somewhere – even if you’re just copying them out, this is better than just reading, since more of your brain is involved. Make up quizzes and do them. Write
limericks. Above all – do problems. Make up your own if you run out. Get active! 2) Plan revision. Write a good revision plan, and stick to it. Don’t do just one subject a day, you’ll get tired of it; then again swopping too often means you don’t get the chance to get deep into anything. I used to do mornings on one subject, afternoons on another and evenings on a third. 3) Do past papers – as many as you can lay your hands on. The internal web has (at least) the last three year’s papers on it. Papers from previous years are stored in the library (at least that used to be true - it’s worth checking if they still have them). Work through them. If you can’t do a question, check that it is still in the syllabus (the modules change every year, and it’s always worth checking what is new). With a good revision plan you should be doing nothing in the last week before the exams except working through exam papers and examples sheets making sure you can do them. I can’t emphasise the importance of this enough. Anyone who doesn’t work through past papers has very little chance of doing well in
an exam. Oh - and do the past papers, and the examples sheets, against the clock. Time is short in an exam, you need to get used to thinking, and writing quickly. Get your hand trained up so it can write fast (but legible, please). 4) Question-spotting. This can be risky, but if you’re playing the percentages it’s worth a try. Look for any topic that was in the exam two and three years ago, but not last year. If you can get hold of papers from further back, try and spot patterns: does any topic come up every other year, for example? Another good tip is to make a very careful note if the lecturer says at any point “this is new in the course this year”. If he does, there’s an above average chance that this will be in the exam - it gets harder every year to come up with new questions about the same old subjects, and putting a new topic in the course is an easy “new question” for the examiner. 5) If you can’t do the past papers – ask someone for help. Study groups work well, provided you don’t think this will mean other people are doing your studying for you. They can’t – that doesn’t work. You have to go and study a subject, or attempt an exam paper by yourselves first, then meet together to discuss your answers. Don’t work through the past papers in the
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group – the temptation to let other people do the work is too strong. You need to learn to do it yourself. Always remember, exams are not a team exercise. Failing that, make an appointment to come and ask the lecturer. Lecturers are usually perfectly happy to answer questions of the form “this is how far I’ve got, but I can’t see how to do the next bit – is this right?” However, anyone turning up and asking for the worked solutions to an exam question having made no apparent effort to try themselves first is likely to be told to go away and do some more work. This is for your benefit – if we just tell you how to do a problem, you won’t remember it very well. If you really struggle to get through it yourself, and then with some help finally succeed, you may remember it for the rest of your life. The more effort you put into it, the better it will stick in your memory. 6) If you just can’t understand something, learn it parrot-fashion. This really is a last-ditch solution. But it gives you at least something to do with the questions on subjects you really don’t understand. Even questions on these subjects usually start off by giving you a few marks for “describing XXX”. Even if you don’t understand it, you can get a few marks by writing down the description straight from the notes. To be continued... to blog visit www.ieyenews.com
iStyle
10-12 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
LIFESTYLE
Choosing a diamond Georgina Wilcox georgina.wilcox@ieyenews.com
Choosing a diamond is as important as learning how to buy a diamond. The most important rule is to choose one that appeals to you personally. The second rule is to make sure it is accompanied by a grading report. While choosing a diamond you should consider its shape, cut and clarity. Remember it is not an exact science. For most people, the most important consideration when choosing a diamond is price. Although choosing a diamond is up to the buyer’s taste, an expert’s opinion definitely counts. The hardest part is not what you think - it’s the someone special you are buying it for. Find out what they like and, if unsure, get the person to come with you and get them to choose. Within, of course, the price range you can afford. A quiet
word before hand on this to the salesperson is very wise. Colourless diamonds don’t usually alter a diamond’s clarity. Clarity is an important factor that can be “stretched the farthest” when choosing a diamond. When looking at clarity, many diamonds have what are known as inclusions. Your objective is to find a diamond of the highest clarity possible. The 4Cs Cut, Carat, Colour and Clarity play a very important role in choosing a diamond and determining its value. The fewer the inclusions the diamond has, the greater the clarity and the more valuable the diamond. Alternatively, a stone may be cut well, but have poor colour and clarity. Two diamonds can be of equal carat-weight, but if the cut, colour and clarity are different they can be less then a single cut diamond with better quality. The number, size and location of these
inclusions determine the stone’s clarity. A cut that is poor will make the diamond look very dull even if the colour is of high level. If the clarity of a diamond is not good you will see carbon or inclusions in your diamond jewellery. A diamond with outstanding colour and clarity will not sparkle as it should if the stone is not cut to interact properly with light. Many experts name colour as the number one consideration in choosing a diamond. The simple round cut diamond is better at hiding flaws or yellow colour. The best colour for a diamond is no colour at all. The most valuable diamonds will have very little colour. The method in which diamonds get there colour is when the diamond is compressed with a lot of pressure which creates a red, pink or purple hue. Diamonds with outstanding clarity and colour will
not twinkle if the cut is not done to properly interact with light. But its variety and depth of colour still make it a unique piece of jewellery anywhere. Shape refers to the overall outline of the diamond when viewed from the top. The most commonly purchased type of diamond is the round diamond. Once the diamond’s shape has been determined, facets are cut. A diamond ring is a sign of commitment to the person you intend on spending the rest of your life with, so choosing a diamond is a momentous occasion.
Jewellery fashion trends Jewellery fashions are constantly changing but the following have stayed the course over the last few years and you should be safe with these: Necklaces Big and chunky beaded necklaces are still in vogue. Two schools exist at the same time: organic earth tone beads and colourful and fun tone beads. Organic beads include bone and onyx necklaces. A more prevalent style is the eye-catching coloured wood bead necklaces.
Rings Parallel to the bulky necklaces, designers are fond of enormous finger rings with big faceted gemstones. Bold and sparkling solitaire rings with a huge centre stone set on large prongs will not seem out of place. An extremely thick band with many small stones set on pave settings is another popular style that will make people give you an admiring look. Well, you get the idea, just be BOLD. Earrings As for earrings, linear or fringy styles are still the rage. Dangle earrings with geometric designs
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incorporating loops and chains is still the way to go. In fact, these are similar to the chandelier earrings that have been super for ages. Bracelets Bracelets are a little overshadowed by necklaces most of the time. Simple charm bracelets look good. Charm bracelets with murano glass or natural gemstones
complement and complete any outfit worn here in the Cayman Islands in a nice way. Colours The main jewellery metal colour still is gold. Also, deep browns, khakis, bright reds, oranges, offwhites, and light beiges are the primary stone and leather colours used in all designer fashion jewelry. This year (2012) designers have created a great amount of special bijouterie, which is really big, bright and very unusual. Wide bracelets, long earrings, and eccentric necklaces.
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iWorld
10-12 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
NEWS
Italy angry at Britain over botched Nigeria raid ROME (AP) — Italy’s president on Friday accused Britain of an “inexplicable” failure to consult with his country before a bungled attempt to rescue an Italian and a Briton being held in Nigeria by kidnappers claiming ties to al-Qaida. The two hostages were killed by their captors Franco Lamolinara before a joint BritishNigerian operation could free them, ministers in Copenhagen, while leading to heavy criticism of Britain Britain’s ambassador was meeting but also accusations by Italian with officials in Rome. Prime Minister David Cameron’s politicians that Premier Mario Monti’s government of technocrats spokesman Steve Field said that Italian Premier Mario Monti is inept in foreign affairs. Franco Lamolinara, an engineer, had not complained over the and a British hostage, Chris circumstances of the operation in a McManus, had been working on telephone call on Thursday with the a bank construction project when British leader. He also insisted that Monti and they were kidnapped nine months ago. A top security official in the previous Italian government Nigeria said Friday that authorities had not raised objections to the arrested three people in connection possibility of mounting a rescue with the attacks Thursday. The mission during talks over the last official, who asked for anonymity 9 months. Hague confirmed the because he’s not allowed to speak Italian government was informed to journalists, did not say whether about the rescue attempt by Britain the suspects were linked to Boko on Thursday once the operation Haram, an Islamic extremist group. was already under way. “We had to make a decision The official said that prior arrests had led to authorities getting very quickly to go ahead with this information about the hostages. In operation, we had very limited time, the town of Sokoto on Friday, blood that constrained how much we spatter coated the walls around the were able to consult others,” Hague front door of the house where the said at the meeting in Denmark. “We were able to inform the hostages were kept. Large-caliber bullet holes had punched through Italian government as the operation the concrete walls. Locals said they got under way, but not to do more believed the two hostages were than that. But I think everybody understands the constraints killed in a back bedroom. Residents say the attack lasted involved, the rapid timing involved about nine hours, with heavy in a case like this,” he said. In a later phone call with Monti gunfire, and said the military also used an armored personnel carrier — when the hostages had been to attempt to storm the compound killed — Cameron had “explained through an unfinished house the situation and the reasons for behind it. Italian President Giorgio the decision and why we thought Napolitano on Friday demanded an it was right for the operation to go ahead,” Field said. explanation over the use of force. British military and intelligence British Foreign Secretary William Hague was holding talks officers had been working within with his Italian counterpart over Nigeria for several months ahead of the failed rescue attempt at a the operation, before a contingent meeting of European foreign of special forces — drawn from the
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elite Special Boat Service — were deployed in recent weeks, officials familiar with details said. In London, the government’s crisis committee of political, military and intelligence officials — known as COBRA — had met about 20 times since the men were kidnapped to consider the case and options to rescue the hostages. A number of arrests made by Nigerian authorities in recent days had provided more concrete information on the whereabouts of those being held captive — but had also alerted the kidnappers that authorities were on their trail. Field told reporters that “the situation became clear in recent days,” referring to the arrests. “The window of opportunity reflected the fact that we had information about where the hostages were being held,” he said. The presence of British special forces on the ground meant the U.K. was able to get a more accurate picture, but also raised the risk that the kidnappers would become aware of the planned rescue mission. British officials said those involved in the operation feared the captors had become aware that the “net was closing” on their location. “Their very strong advice was that it was important to act, and to act quickly and that offered the best chance of getting those people out,” Field said. “Our opinion, and the opinion of those on the ground was that the hostages were under imminent and grave danger,” he said. He said that the precise details of how and when the two hostages died remained so far unclear, but that the “early indications were that both men were murdered by their captors before they could be rescued.” “That reflects our reports from those people on the ground,” Field said. The spat fueled politicians complaints that Monti’s
government has been dealing poorly with foreign affairs. The government has so far been unable to win the release of two Italians in an anti-piracy corps held by India for the deaths of two Indian fishermen. Despite the bloodshed, the streets of Sokoto were calm, with no police or military presence on Friday.
Chris McManus
Office Space for Rent Cat 4 Hurricane Proof Building 2nd Floor Dorcy Drive. Space from 150sq ft to approximately 1400sq ft Can divide as required rent starting from $400 to $2,500 per month For further details email caymanconsultant21@hotmail.com or call (345)326.2018 for more information or to schedule viewing.
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iSports
10-12 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
LOCAL
Cayman Islands Athletic Association Truman Bodden Sports Complex | Results - 3 March 2012 - Part 3 Name
Age
Team
Finals
H#
Male 11-12 100 Meter Dash 1
302 Murray, Daujaughn
11
JACPS
14.54
3
2
63 Magalhaes, Victor
12
Madisonite A.C.
14.92
1
3
10 Brown, Rasheem
12
HyTech Tigers
15.08
4
1
18 Connolly, Rashaun
13
Mustang Track Club
12.64
2
2
412 Jackson, Randolph
14
HyTech Tigers
13.32
1
3
209 Walcott, Dominic
14
Mustang Track Club
13.35
1
Â
CAYMAN INSURANCE CENTRE LTD.
Male 13-14 100 Meter Dash
Male 15-16 100 Meter Dash 1
99 Taylor, Javon
15
HyTech Tigers
12.25
2
133 West, Kyel
16
HyTech Tigers
12.31
3
79 Nelson, Javdon
15
HyTech Tigers
12.36
WINSTON PAMPHILE
Male 17+ 100 Meter Dash 1
199 Adolphus, Ryhmiech
25
Unattached
10.98
2
2
205 Johnson, Stephon
9
Unattached
11.74
2
3
120 Chambers, Demetri
17
Trinity Track Club
12.00
3
Male 7-8 150 Meter Dash 1
275 Williams, Nathanie
8
HyTech Tigers
25.25
2
2
323 Howell, Davonte
7
Prospect P.S.
27.53
2
3
313 Powery, Rashaad
8
JACPS
27.63
2
Male 9-10 150 Meter Dash 1
220 Buchanan, Brandon
10
Bodden Town P.S.
23.52
3
2
315 Wallace, Daniel
9
JACPS
24.28
2
3
113 Yen, Taj
10
Mustang Track Club
24.32
2
1
302 Murray, Daujaughn
11
JACPS
30.15
1
2
10 Brown, Rasheem
12
HyTech Tigers
30.36
2
3
138 Williams, Kashief
12
Mustang Track Club
30.70
3
Male 11-12 200 Meter Dash
Male 13-14 200 Meter Dash 1
18 Connolly, Rashaun
13
Mustang Track Club
25.29
2
2
33 Fowler, Tavaris
14
Mustang Track Club
27.36
1
3
209 Walcott, Dominic
14
Mustang Track Club
27.56
1
Business or Personal Insurance
Male 15-16 200 Meter Dash 1
133 West, Kyel
16
HyTech Tigers
24.18
2
99 Taylor, Javon
15
HyTech Tigers
24.52
3
192 Coleman, Trenvick
15
HyTech Tigers
24.98
Male 17+ 200 Meter Dash 1
205 Johnson, Stephon
29
Unattached
22.93
1
2
3 Anglin-Folkes, Dwa
19
Trinity Track Club
23.42
2
3
8 Bodden, Gerome
17
HyTech Tigers
23.87
3
1
52 Jackson, Jeavhon
14
Mustang Track Club
56.85
2
2
18 Connolly, Rashaun
13
Mustang Track Club
59.11
1
3
33 Fowler, Tavaris
14
Mustang Track Club
1:00.32
2
We can provide the choices you need!
Male 13-14 400 Meter Dash
Male 15-16 400 Meter Dash 1
60 Lewis, Tahj
15
2
235 Rockett-McLaughlin
15
HyTech Tigers
57.05
Unattached
1:03.46
CONTACT ME:
Male 17+ 400 Meter Dash 1
112 Williamson, Kirk
19
Mustang Track Club
54.28
2
91 Rose, Damion
19
Mustang Track Club
55.43
3
26 Edmond, Teo
19
Mustang Track Club
57.70
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17
iSports
10-12 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
WORLD
Cotto a worthy opponent, says Mayweather Floyd Mayweather promises a “toe-to-toe battle” when he meets Miguel Cotto for the Puerto Rican’s WBA light-middleweight crown on 5 May. While Mayweather (pictured) versus Philippine great Manny Pacquiao is the fight most fans most want to see, Mayweather insists Cotto is a worthy opponent. “To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best,” said Mayweather, 35. “I can solidify myself as one of the best fighters to ever live [against Cotto].” Mayweather and Cotto, 31, came face to face at Hollywood’s Chinese Theatre to promote their fight, which will take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. And, while many will hope Mayweather comes through unscathed so that a fight with Pacquiao will eventually take place, Cotto has other ideas. Cotto said: “When I fought [former three-weight world champion] Shane Mosley in 2007, people said the same thing, that he
is faster than me. “But I beat him at his own game and I plan to pressure Mayweather.” Cotto has lost two of his 39 professional fights but Mayweather says he considers his rival undefeated because of the circumstances of those defeats. In 2008, Antonio Margarito stopped Cotto, only for the Mexican’s reputation to be tarnished when it was discovered he used illegal hand wraps against Cotto. In 2009, Cotto was beaten by Pacquiao in a catch-weight contest, although the Puerto Rican claims he was weight-drained. “My previous fight with Margarito, he took some things from me,” said Cotto, who avenged that defeat last December. “When I beat him, they came back to me. I feel better now.” Mayweather, who is undefeated in 42 fights, said he would soon reveal the truth behind his failed negotiations with Pacquiao. The two men were in talks for a
potential fight in May or June but Mayweather will instead fight Cotto and Pacquiao will take on American Timothy Bradley on 9 June. “I offered Manny Pacquiao to fight for 5 May but he turned me down,” Mayweather said. “You hear different things. Soon I will put it out there and let the world see me talking to Manny Pacquiao and him turning me down.”
Vonn 1st American to win four overall WCup titles ARE, Sweden (AP) — Lindsey Vonn became the first American to clinch four overall World Cup titles Friday by winning a giant slalom race, moving into second on the all-time list behind Austrian great Annemarie Moser-Proell. Vonn took the lead after the first run and finished in 2 minutes, 28.0 seconds. Federica Brignone of Italy was second, 0.48 behind, followed by Olympic champion Viktora Rebensburg of Germany. Vonn was tied with Phil Mahre of the United States with three overall World Cup titles. Moser-Proell won six overall titles in the 1970s, and Luxemburg’s Marc Girardelli has five. “I don’t know what to say,” an emotional Vonn said. “I just wanted to have two aggressive runs today. I felt like I had nothing to lose and I was having fun. I’m just really excited, I’m thrilled. It’s crazy.” Vonn won the overall title from
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2008-2010. Last season Vonn just missed out on another, finishing three points behind Maria HoeflRiesch. The German won the overall title after the giant slalom race at the Lenzerheide finals was canceled because of soft snow conditions. “It’s definitely a lot less stressful to clinch the overall title before the finals. Last year at the (Lenzerheide) finals, I might have lost a few years of my life,” Vonn said with a smile. With this overall title, Vonn surpasses Croatian Janica Kostelic, Swiss Vreni Schneider and Austrian Petra Kronberger, who all won three overall cups during their careers. Vonn has 1,808 points for the season and, with five World Cup races remaining, looks set to achieve her goal of become the first woman to surpass 2,000 points. In 2006, Kostelic set the overall points record for women, amassing 1,970 points to claim the crystal globe.
“Anything is possible, but it’s going to be really difficult,” Vonn said. “I’m going to have to execute in every race and seize the opportunity like I did today.” to blog visit www.ieyenews.com
iSports
10-12 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
WORLD
Robin van Persie will not be sold says Wenger Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says they do not plan to sell captain Robin van Persie, even if Cologne forward Lukas Podolski joins the club. Van Persie is yet to agree a contract extension beyond summer 2013, while it is understood Arsenal have agreed a deal to sign Podolski, 26. Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini said this week that he was interested in signing the Dutchman. Wenger said: “Our plan is to keep Robin van Persie even if we buy any player.” Discussing Manchester City’s interest in Van Persie, he added: “What is said of you by other clubs is part of the job. “What is important is how much you want to win the next game. All the rest is basically not important. “Robin is the leader of our club. He is under contract until 2013. You do your job, which he does very well, and enjoy your games.”
iSports
Arsene Wenger with his captain, Robin van Persie
The German will have to pass a medical and agree personal terms before any move can be completed in the summer. Wenger said: “I don’t have a lot to say about that because, if we sign a player, we will inform you. At the moment we have not signed anybody.
“There is still no agreement. Podolski is a good player. I wouldn’t deny that.” The Arsenal manager told German media that he thinks highly of Podolski’s passing and shooting ability - and is also impressed by the way he can integrate himself into a team’s pattern of play.
LOCAL
Holy Trinity School from Ontario returns
Holy Trinity in action
The Cayman Rugby Football Union will not only play host to Dartmouth University in the coming weeks but will also welcome the return of Holy Trinity School from Ontario Canada. Holy Trinity School is a coeducational Anglican independent day school located north of Toronto which enjoys a rich history of Rugby at girl’s level as well as u14, u16 and
senior boy’s rugby. Holy Trinity were last in Cayman in 2005 to be the first touring side the Cayman Rugby Union hosted post Hurricane Ivan. The young Canadians took home not only fond memories of swimming with Stingrays but their new found Cayman Rugby experience saw Holy Trinity win their local Rugby championship, a feat Holy Trinity
to blog visit www.ieyenews.com
hope to re-produce in their upcoming season. Schedule of Games: Monday, March 19 4:00 Holy Trinity 7s 5:00 Holy Trinity U17 V Cayman U17 Wednesday, March 21 5:00 Holy Trinity U17 V Cayman U17
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iSports
10-12 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
LOCAL
2012 FEI World Dressage Challenge
The Cayman Islands Equestrian Federation (CIEF) recently hosted the FEI World Dressage Challenge at the Cayman Islands Equestrian Centre. The CIEF is delighted to announce that the Cayman Islands Dressage Team came in first place. The following countries participated; Barbados Bermuda Cayman Islands Jamaica Trinidad The Cayman Islands team consisted of two adult riders, Jessica McTaggart on Munroe and Jodie McTaggart on Kartouche and two junior riders, Thea Millward on Storm and Polly Serpell on Me and My Shadow. The team’s collective
score was 198.966% which was a whopping 2.414% higher than second placed Jamaica. Here are the overall scores: 1st place Cayman Islands, 198.966% 2nd place Jamaica, 196.552% 3rd place Bermuda, 193.740% 4th place Barbados, 192.561% 5th place Trinidad & Tobago, 185.361% The two judges, Ricardo Rojas of Costa Rica and Mr Mariano Santos of Spain, commented on the excellent quality of the riding and horses in Grand Cayman. Both judges hope to return next year to judge the 2013 FEI World
Dressage Challenge. Other highlights of the event for Cayman are as follows: 1st Place Elementary Class Seniors: Mary McTaggart on Partenon 1st Place Preliminary Class Seniors: Jessica McTaggart on Monroe Carr 3rd Place Preliminary Class Juniors: Thea Millward on Storm 4th Place Preliminary Class Juniors: Polly Serpell on Me and My Shadow 7th Place Preliminary Class Juniors: Phoebe Serpell on Me and My Shadow. Last year Cayman was placed third but this year’s win was made possible by the hard work, determination and commitment of all the riders and coaches.
Publisher Joan E Wilson Editor In Chief Colin G Wilson MCIM Tel: (345) 323 0300 Printed and Published By: iNews Cayman Ltd. 342 Dorcy Dr., CAC Building, GT, Grand Cayman P.O. Box 10211 Grand Cayman KY1-1002
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