Archive for May, 2010
Neanderthal genes ‘survive in us’
(BBC): Many people alive today possess some Neanderthal ancestry, according to a landmark scientific study. The finding has surprised many experts, as previous genetic evidence suggested the Neanderthals made little or no contribution to our inheritance. The result comes from analysis of the Neanderthal genome – the "instruction manual" describing how these ancient humans were put together. The genomes of 1% to 4% of people in Eurasia come from Neanderthals. But the study confirms living humans overwhelmingly trace their ancestry to a small population of Africans who later spread out across the world.
Man arrested for helping missing teen
(CNS): Police have arrested a 20-year-old man suspected of assisting missing teenager Shandi Sandoval (left) by providing food and shelter. However, the RCIPS says the 15-year-old girl, who has been missing from a local care home since Monday 19 April, has not yet been traced, though over the past few days there have been a number of sightings of her. Police believe that she is moving around the island in an effort to avoid being found. Officers from the RCIPS Family Support Unit (FSU) are working with other departments of the force, partner agencies, and friends and family of the girl to establish where she is.
Following a police operation on Tuesday 4 May, the 20-year-old man was arrested. He has been released on police bail while enquiries continue. Renewing the appeal for information about the current whereabouts of the youngster, Detective Inspector Christsandra Mitchell of the RCIPS Family Support Unit, said, “Shandi has been missing several times before. She is a ward of court and we are working with partners to trace her as quickly as we possibly can. However, we also need the help of the public. It’s clear that someone must know where she is and where she has been since leaving the care home on Monday 19 April.
“There have been a number of sightings of the girl, and we know that she is being assisted by people who are feeding her as well as providing shelter and clothing. One man has already been arrested and I would remind others who are assisting her that they are interfering with a police investigation. We will have no hesitation in putting anyone doing that before the courts.”
Shandi is described as being of slim build, weighing about 125 lbs, 5’ 3” in height, brown complexion with shoulder length curly black hair. When last seen she was wearing green camouflage shorts, a white t-shirt and brown ankle boots.
Anyone who has any information which could assist the police in tracing Shandi is asked to contact their local police office, or the Family Support Unit on 946-9185.
False hope in UK election?
There is a "false hope" in the air that if the Conservative Party wins, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will not pressure us like it did before about "sustainable revenue" or taxation. When the Labor Party with Gordon Brown was in active power and unemployment rose in the United Kingdom, large business owners, corporations, and wealthy elites, evading taxes to places like the Cayman Islands (a new scapegoat), became a major issue.
It was claimed that much of their tax monies was supposed to be going to social programs to help the low-wagers and unemployed, but that was not the case. The allegations: "they" were evading government taxation and putting their monies safe away into the offshores financial centers. It seems that the Labor Party’s aim was all about getting at the so-call "tax havens" to replenish the UK’s economy.
Such things appeared not to be on our side: the OECD and their stance on banking and financial transparency in the Cayman Islands; President Barak Obama and his negative view on tax evaders and the Cayman Islands; the United States’ Democrats and UK’s Labor Party, teaming up to confront the tax evasion issue and pressured by their ailing economies.
And last year, just after the ratification of their new constitution, evidence of corruption in the Turks and Caicos’ government became the premise for the FCO and appointed Governor to seize the Islands’ finances, dissolve their cabinet, and declare full British Rule over the Islanders without their democratic consent. The move was condemned by many members in the United Nations. But this was done to curb the corruption in the Islands – so they said. Most definitely, many UK investors returned to the UK.
But no worries … is what I am hearing from people here!
Apparently, the Conservative Party (the new hero!) is on the side of much of the large business owners, corporations, and the wealthy elite of the United Kingdom. And by them winning this election, these same businesses and elites will be able to secure their monies in the offshore places without any hindrance. "Conservatives are about making money and protecting large businesses! They will want what we want! They will want to protect the offshore centers. The next appointed FCO Minister will be on our side." I wouldn’t be so sure about that! Regardless of which party was in power, read your history books, the FCO have always had their own way over the Overseas Territories.
It will be interesting and non-surprising to see if they will still refuse to let the Chagossian people return to their home island after 40 years of being evicted so that their Island, Deigo Garcia, can be used as a US/UK military base. Recently, the FCO under Brown’s government has declared the Chagos Islands protected – no fishing allowed. Hence, even if the Chagossians were allowed to return back to their home island, they would have no authorization from the UK to start their own fishing industry. It seems English justice still sleeps!
We will just have to see, time will tell …
But as far as I know, we should not become too relaxed entertaining false hopes.
If Labor wins – the same old thing! If the Tories wins – you’re in for a surprise!
Tsunami alerts ‘confuse public’, says Noaa scientist
(BBC): Tsunami warnings need to convey information that is more meaningful to the public, a top US researcher says. Traditional alerts that have focussed on "wave amplitudes" are confusing to most people, says Dr Vasily Titov. The scientist, who directs Noaa’s Center for Tsunami Research, thinks more practical information such as the risk of flooding is also needed. He says this is one of the key lessons from the recent Magnitude 8.8 Chilean earthquake and subsequent tsunami. "We’re scientists and we’re really proud of our models and our accuracy but we realised after the Chilean tsunami that when we convey this information to the public there is a gap between what we are saying and what is understood," he told BBC News.
Voters head to polls for UK general election
(BBC): Millions of people in constituencies across the UK are casting their votes in the general election. Polling stations up and down the country opened at 0700 BST and people will be able to cast their ballots until 2200 BST. More than 44 million people are registered to vote. The first declarations are expected at 2300 BST. As well as picking MPs for Westminster, voters will elect councillors in 164 local authorities across England. Voting in the general election will take place in 649 constituencies, with nearly 4,150 candidates standing for election across the country.
Government retains lawyers for international dealings
(CNS): According to a release from the Ministry of Finance the Cayman Islands Cabinet has retained international law firm, Sidley Austin LLP to represent the country’s interests in its relationships with the public and private sectors in the US, the UK, the EU and in the international financial community. The law firm has represented Cayman since 1985 on various issues and most recently, Sidley Austin was counsel to the Cayman Islands government in its $312 million senior note offering in 2009. The premier stated the firm would help take Cayman to “another level” in the eyes of the international community.
PAC to examine Gasboy-gate
(CNS): The chair of the Public Accounts Committee has confirmed that he is expecting a quorum of members tomorrow morning (Thursday 6 May) to begin examining witnesses in connection with the auditor general’s most recent reports. The first item on the agenda will be the report on fuel card usage and management, aka ‘Gasboy-gate’, which revealed that as much as $500,000 of public funds could have been misappropriated as aresult of the misuse of the government’s fuel system. Ezzard Miller confirmed that witnesses were scheduled to arrive from 10am onwards and PAC would get down to asking serious questions regarding this serious report.
Dog case thrown out
(CNS): Acting Magistrate John Furniss said he was “appalled” that the case against Sandra Catron for theft had reached the courts as he handed down his decision of no case to answer. Furniss told the court that the matter should have been sorted out between the parties long before it came there. Catron was facing theft charges in connection with a dog which she claimed she had found and rescued, believing the animal to have been abandoned. When the original owner turned up Catron asked to be reimbursed expenses she had incurred before she would return it. The owner refused and called the police and Catron was eventually arrested for theft.
Community helps teen gunshot victim
(CNS): Two local therapists who have been working with 15-year-old Adryan Powell raised over $10,000 recently to help the teen battle the severe and disabling injuries he received when he was shot seven times by masked gunmen in West Bay last July. Powell is now paralysed from the waist down and a patient at Cayman Physiotherapy, where he receives treatment with physiotherapist Lindsey Macfee. As a result of his need for a variety of equipment and specialist treatment, Macfee recruited the assistance of Burdenko practitioner Dottie Rau to host a fundraiser and form the Adryan Powell Charity Fund.
Rau is currently working with Adryan using water therapy and Ernest Ebanks at Body Sculptor Fitness Centre is also working with him on his upper body strength training. During treatment it became apparent that to accelerate progress he would need a standing frame, which is critical in this type of condition, the experts said.
“It is used to prevent, reverse or improve many of the adverse effects of prolonged immobilization but the equipment costs in the region of $7,000,” Macfee explained. “In addition, invaluable and specialised spinal rehabilitation therapy is available at the recognised Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore at a cost of over $1,000 per day.”
As a result, MacFee said she and Rau got together to host their ‘Fabulous Fundraiser’. They came up with the idea of a wardrobe exchange and emailed a group of their women friends, inviting them to donate clothes from their wardrobe that they no longer wanted and then to come and spend an evening sipping champagne and trying on and buying each other’s clothes.
The response was overwhelming, not only from those donating and purchasing clothing but from various other private donations as well. On Friday 23 April between them the 75 women raised over CI$10,000 for the fund. Organisers have since learnt that BritCay is willing to cover the majority of the cost of the standing frame so the funds raised will cover any outstanding costs plus contribute towards sending Adryan to the Kennedy Krieger Institute later this year.
All leftover clothing and shoes have been split between a donation to Haiti relief through Cayman’s ARK and a garage sale being held by Adryan’s mother, Tammie, to help finance her trip when she accompanies her son to the USA.
MacFee and Rau offered thanks to Peta Adams, Jane Moon, Tomeaka McTaggart, Javana Broad, Leah Charles and Jennifer from True Friends for their assistance with organisation, and special thanks to Calypso Grill and all those who attended or donated for their support and generosity.
Adryan and his mother expressed their heartfelt thanks to this group of women for raising such an amazing amount of money for Adryan’s rehabilitation.
A bank account for the Adryan Powell Charity Fund has been set up at Fidelity Financial Centre, West Bay Road should anyone wish to make a further donation.
Rich? Unequal and Miserable.
The problems facing the Cayman economy, now seemingly intractable in nature, have been gradually building since the 1980’s. Arguably they were always very visible to those who wished to see them.
It was in the mid 1980’s that the then Financial Secretary in a budget address noted that the per capita GDP of the Caymanian segment of the population was a mere 50% of the headline number, a number that statistically placed Cayman’s per capita amongst the top 10 globally.
In the subsequent years we have proceeded almost blindly, with rapid unplanned growth, fueled principally by foreigners and almost solely for the benefit of foreign investors.
In the process we have succeeded in creating a very unequal society.
In their important new work, The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better, the authors Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett present very persuasive empirical evidence to support the assertion that material well being notwithstanding, more unequal societies exhibit lower levels of trust, a greater disposition to violence and higher incidences of illnesses, primarily amongst the lower socio-economic groupings.
On the evidence available, it is arguable and regrettably so, that these threecharacteristics are amongst the most discernable features of 21st century Caymanian society.
As we grapple to find suitable approaches to dealing with the mounting problems confronting us as a society, the self-interested policy makers and the shameless plutocrats, who continue to guide the decision making process meekly implemented by the political classes, remain wholly wedded to the very policies that have served to bring us to this sorry state.
As they see it, our “salvation” lies in a. our ability to attract more wealthy foreign investors (how many and when will we arrive at the optimal quota of such persons, relative to the 35,000/36,000 Caymanians?) b. transferring the ownership of public assets into the hands of rapacious wealthy individuals (where these are local, they are drawn from the same self-interested policy advisers and shameless plutocrats who design the policies) and c. a dramatic increase in the use of state force apparatus to control the lower socio-economic groups.
At best this combination of tried and tested status-quo maintaining actions will deliver but a temporary respite.
The deep seated societal malaise that is the natural byproduct of the trickle down economic theories that have been the mantra of each and every administration for the past 30 years is unlikely to be cured even if the current administration succeeds in balancing the budget in the current fiscal year, by way of this cocktail of trickle down policies.
Sustainable development , a measure that is more than mere GDP measurement, will become possible when those who have the responsibility to lead, recognize the need for the introduction of transformational policies, policies that are geared towards ensuring that the benefits of the economic activities we facilitate and foster lend themselves towards the promotion of more equitable societies both domestically and globally.